bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical value of combination detection of direct antiglobulin test and serum albumin globulin ratio in severe hyperbilirubinemia caused by ABO hemolytic disease of the newborn: A single-center retrospective analysis
Authors: Hu Hongbing , Duan Ling , Chen Ping , Tu Na
Published: April 2022

Purpose To analyze clinical application of combination detection of direct antiglobulin test(DAT) and albumin globulin ratio(AGR) in severe hyperbilirubinemia caused by ABO hemolytic disease of the newborn(ABO-HDN). Methods The measurement of DAT, AGR and combination detection of DAT and AGR was done to predict severe ABO-HDN hyperbilirubinemia in 270 full-term infants based on whether the infants received transfusions of blood components. The infants were divided into three groups according to the results of DAT and ARG and compared the differences of phototherapy day and hospitalization day of the three groups. Results Of 270 cases enrolled in this study, 69 infants were DAT positive. ROC curve analysis showed that DAT cutoff value > ± with a sensitivity of 39.4% and a specificity of 83.9% and AGR cutoff value < 2.05 with a sensitivity of 54.1% and a specificity of 85.7%, the AUCs for DAT, AGR and combination detection of DAT and AGR were 0.621, 0.740 and 0.750 respectively. The phototherapy day and hospitalization day were significantly longer in group of AGR < 2.05 and DAT > ±than that of group of AGR < 2.05 and group of DAT > ±. Conclusions DAT and ARG could be early predictors for the severity ABO-HDN hyperbilirubinemia and combination detection of DAT and AGR could further increase its predictive value.
Lactiplantibacillus plantarum DLPT4 protects against cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression in mice by regulating immune response and intestinal flora
Authors: Song Yinglong , Sun Mengying , Ma Fenglian , Xu Dongxue , Mu Guangqing , Jiao Yang , Yu Ping , Tuo Yanfeng
Published: April 2022

In this study, the strain Lactiplantibacillus plantarum DLPT4 was investigated for the immunostimulatory activity in cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced immunosuppressed BALB/c mice. L. plantarum DLPT4 was administered to BALB/c mice by oral gavage for 30 days, and CTX was injected intraperitoneally from 25th to 27th days. Intraperitoneally CTX injection caused the damage to the thymic cortex and intestines, and the immune dysfunction of the BALB/c mice. While L. plantarum DLPT4 oral administration exerted immunoregulating effects evidenced by increasing the serum immunoglobulin A (IgA), IgG and IgM levels, and reducing the expression of pro-inflammatory factors (IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α) of the BALB/c mice with intraperitoneally CTX injection. The results of the BALB/c mice feces metagenome-sequencing showed that L. plantarum DLPT4 oral administration can regulate the intestinal microbial community by changing the ratio of Lactiplantibacillus and Bifidobacterium. Meanwhile, the abundance of carbohydrate enzyme (CAZyme), immune diseases metabolic pathways and p38 and AP-1 MAPK signaling pathways were enriched in the BALB/c mice with L. plantarum DLPT4 oral administration. In conclusion, L. plantarum DLPT4 administration ameliorated CTX-induced immunosuppression in BALB/c mice by regulating gut microbiota, and further influencing the abundance of carbohydrate esterase in the intestinal flora and increasing the immune metabolic activity. L. plantarum DLPT4 could be used as promising probiotics to regulate immune response.
The influence of agroclimatic factors on the abundance of Anastrepha ludens and A. obliqua (Diptera: Tephritidae), in “Barranqueño” mango (Mangifera indica).
Authors: Flores Aidé Monserrat Martínez , Rodríguez William David , Salcido Paulina Guadalupe Hernández , Mora Luis Antonio Guapo , Herrera Manuel Valderrama , Maya Rosa Navarrete
Published: April 2022

The objective of this research was to evaluate the influence of agroclimatic factors on the abundance of Anastrepha ludens and A. obliqua, in orchards of creole “Barranqueño” mango (Mangifera indica) in the municipalities of Amatitán, San Cristóbal de la Barranca, and Tequila (Jalisco, Mexico). Eighty-four multilure traps were established to sample specimens from May to September 2021.The most abundant species was A. ludens (98.7%). The greatest abundance of A. ludens occurred during June and July in all the municipalities, while for A. obliqua it was in June. The index of flies captured per trap per day had values greater than 0.010, which showed that the study area has a high prevalence of the pest. There is a significant correlation (P-value = 0.001) between the abundance of A. ludens with precipitation (19.30-260.60 mm) and minimum temperature (16.7–22.20°C). The abundance of A. obliqua was very low (504 individuals in total) and did not correlate with any variable. The altitude range (842-1151.75 m asl) of the study area explains the differences in the abundance of these species. These results are evidence that precipitation and the survival of adults of these species, does not have a cause-effect relationship, and that population fluctuations among both Anastrepha species may be correlated with altitude.
The role of dual-task, self-efficacy and sensation seeking in high and low risk climbing sports
Authors: Towey Giulia Emma , Andricciola Federica , Fabio Rosa Angela
Published: April 2022

High-risk sports are influenced by contextual features and by personality traits such as self-efficacy and sensation seeking. The aim of this study was to investigate if dual-task, self-efficacy and sensation seeking influence sport performance in high and low-risk climbing disciplines. Sixty-nine climbers who practice low-risk (N = 34) and high-risk climbing (N =35) completed questionnaires on generalized self-efficacy and sensation seeking. The subjects carried out respectively the low or the high-risk tasks twice: with and without dual-task demands. The parameters of sport performance were: the total length covered and the number of mistakes. Results showed that climbers with high levels of sensation seeking demonstrated also high levels of self-efficacy, nevertheless, these personality traits do not affect directly the sport performance. Moreover, dual-task condition influences sport performance by worsening it. Results were discussed in light of the interference that concurrent demands may have on sport performance.
Extreme Non-Wetting of Condensation-Induced Droplets on Smooth Monolayer Suspended Graphene
Authors: Wang Haidong , Orejon Daniel , Song Dongxing , Zhang Xing , McHale Glen , Takamatsu Hiroshi , Takata Yasuyuki , sefiane Khellil
Published: April 2022

Superhydrophobicity has only ever been achieved by a combination of chemical hydrophobicity and surface topography due to our inability to attain complete non-wetting on the smooth surface of any known material. Here, we report extreme non-wetting of condensation-induced droplets with contact angles approaching 180° on a smooth surface using suspended monolayers of graphene experimentally. Such extreme non-wetting droplets are reported exclusively on suspended monolayer graphene open to the water vapour saturated environment on both sides. Simultaneous observations of droplets condensing on monolayer and multilayer supported and suspended graphene demonstrates that this extreme non-wetting behaviour is unique to suspended monolayer graphene. These results anticipate that interactions between liquid molecules across a suspended monolayer isolated from a bulk substrate may induce extreme non-wetting beyond that possible on smooth hydrophobic or atomically flat supported monolayer surfaces.
Controller and loop gains are decreased by oropharyngeal obstruction in pediatric obstructive sleep apnea syndrome
Authors: Bokov Plamen , Boujemla Imene , Matrot Boris , Spruyt Karen , Gallego Jorge , Delclaux Christophe
Published: April 2022

Instable ventilatory control is an endotypic trait of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). The study aimed to evaluate the relationships between the anatomical compromise of the upper (oro- and naso-pharynx) and lower airways and ventilatory control (measured by chemical loop gain) in otherwise healthy children suffering from moderate to severe OSAS (apnea hypopnea index ≥ 5/hour). The children underwent ear, nose and throat examination, measurement of impedance of the respiratory system that allowed characterizing peripheral lung mechanics using the extended Resistance-Inertance-Compliance model. Physiologically constrained analytical model based on tidal breathing analysis allowed the computation of steady-state plant gain (PG0), steady-state controller gain (CG0) and steady-state loop gain (LG0). Medium-frequency components of feedback control system were then deduced. Fifty children (median age 11.2 years, 17 females) were enrolled. Oropharyngeal obstruction was associated with decreased CG0 (0.6 [0.2; 1.0] vs 1.5 [0.5; 6.6] L.s− 1.mmHg− 1, p = 0.038) and LG0 (0.4 [0.2; 1.1] vs 1.2 [0.4; 9.3], p = 0.027), while nasal obstruction did not modify ventilatory control parameters. In a multivariate analysis Medium-Frequency PG was negatively related to minute ventilation and respiratory system compliance. Both upper (tonsil hypertrophy) and lower (compliance of respiratory system) airways are linked to ventilatory control in children with moderate to severe OSAS.
Distinct neural activation pattern of age on subcomponents of inhibitory control: a fMRI meta-analysis
Authors: Long Jixin , Song Xiaoqi , Wang You , Wang Chanyu , Huang Ruiwang , Zhang Ruibin
Published: April 2022

Inhibitory control (IC) is a fundamental cognitive function showing age-related change across the healthy lifespan. Since different cognitive load of two subcomponents of IC was existed, that is cognitive inhibition and response inhibition, there are regions differentially activated during two subcomponents of IC. In this study, we aimed to characterize whether there is distinct age-related activation pattern in these two subcomponents. A total of 278 fMRI articles were included in the current analysis. Multilevel kernel density analysis was used to derive the brain activation under each subcomponent of IC. Contrast analyses were conducted to capture the distinct activated brain regions for two subcomponents and meta-regression analyses were performed to obtain brain regions with distinct age-related activation patterns in two subcomponents of IC. The results showed that the right inferior frontal gyrus and the bilateral insula were activated during two IC subcomponents. Contrast analyses revealed stronger activation in the superior parietal lobule during cognitive inhibition, whereas greater activation was observed during response inhibition primarily in the right inferior frontal gyrus, bilateral insula and angular gyrus. Furthermore, regression analyses showed that activation of the left anterior cingulate cortex, left inferior frontal gyrus, bilateral insula, and left superior parietal lobule increased and decreased with age during cognitive inhibition and response inhibition, respectively. Results showed distinct activation patterns of aging for the two subcomponents of IC, which may be related to the differential cognitive loads of the two subcomponents of IC. These findings may help to enhance our knowledge of age-related changes in activation patterns of IC.
Identification and characterization of lncRNAs expression profile related to goat skeletal muscle at different development stages
Authors: Han Haiyin , Li Wentao , Liu Jiannan , Fan Yekai , Zhang Hui , Yang Junqi , Gao Yahui , Liu Yufang
Published: April 2022

Background
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) act vital roles in muscle growth and development, however, the reports of their expression characteristics and effects in goat skeletal muscle growth are few.
Result
Here, the RNA sequencing reads of goat longissimus doris tissues collected from kid (1 month old) and youth (9 months old) were mapped to the reference genome. As a result, we obtained an average of ~ 14.58 Gb high-quality clean reads. A total of 3,441 lncRNAs were identified, including 1,281 lincRNAs, 805 antisense lncRNAs and 1,355 sense_overlapping lncRNAs. These lncRNAs shared some properties in goat, such as shorter transcript length, fewer exons and shorter open reading frame (ORF). Among them, 36 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DE lncRNA) were identified, of which 10 lncRNAs were randomly selected to validate by RT-qPCR. Moreover, 79 co-location interactions were found between 26 lncRNAs and 71 genes by co-location analysis and functional annotation, and these genes were functionally involved in skeletal muscle related biological processes, such as skeletal system development, negative regulation of G1/S transition of mitotic cell cycle, negative regulation of cell cycle G1/S phase transition, myoblast fate determination and myosin complex. Additionally, trans regulation analysis suggested 36 lncRNAs and 2,684 mRNAs were included in co-expression networks. These co-expressed mRNAs were significantly enriched in muscle development related GO terms. The key lncRNA-mRNA interactions could reveal the function of lncRNA in goat and may be valuable in regulating skeletal muscle growth and development. In the last, the ceRNA (lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA) networks containing 4 lncRNAs, 3 miRNAs, and 8 mRNAs were constructed. Importantly, muscle development related mRNAs were included in the ceRNA networks, such as IFRD1, NKX2-5 and other genes.
Conclusion
This study revealed the lncRNAs expression profile in skeletal muscle growth and development and can facilitate further study on their function in goat muscle biology.
Fragment-Based Design of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors
Authors: Teli Divya Madhukarbhai , Patel Bansari , Chhabria Mahesh T.
Published: April 2022

SARS-CoV-2 virus has been identified as a causative agent has been identified for COVID19 pandemic. Till date, about more than 6.1 million deaths have been reported due to COVID-19 across the globe. Looking into the current outbreak, there is an urgent need to identify the potential treatment for the disease. The prominence of main protease in the life cycle of virus shapes the main protease as a viable target for design and development of antiviral agents to combat COVID-19. The current study presents the fragment linking strategy to design the novel Mpro inhibitors for COVID-19. Total 2,93,451 fragments from diversified libraries have been screened for their binding affinity towards Mpro enzyme. The best 1600 fragment hits were subjected to fragment joining to achieve 100 new molecules using Schrödinger software. The resulting molecules were further screened for their Mpro binding affinity, ADMET and drug-likeness features. Best 13 molecules were selected and best compound was investigated for its ligand-receptor complex stability through molecular dynamics study using GROMACS software. The resulting molecules have the potential to be further evaluated for COVID-19 drug discovery.
Early-life origin of prostate cancer through deregulation of miR-206 networks in maternally malnourished offspring rats
Authors: Portela Luiz , Constantino Flavia , Camargo Ana , Santos Sergio , Colombelli Ketlin , Fioretto Matheus , Barata Luisa , Ramos Erick , Scarano Wellerson , Moreno Carlos , Justulin Luis A
Published: April 2022

The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) has provided the framework to assess how early life experiences can shape health and disease throughout the life course. While maternal malnutrition has been proposed as a risk factor for the developmental programming of prostate cancer (PCa), the molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we found an association between deregulation of steroidogenesis and impairment of the ventral prostate (VP) growth in young offspring rats exposed to maternal low protein diet (LPD) during gestation and lactation. Reanalysis of RNA-seq data demonstrated that miR-206 was upregulated in the VP of young maternally malnourished offspring. Target prediction and in vitro studies identified Plasminogen (PLG) as a direct target of miR-206. To give further insights into the participation of the miR-206-PLG network in prostate carcinogenesis in the progeny submitted to maternal LPD. RT-qPCR analysis revealed deregulation of the miR-206-PLG network in the VP of older rats that developed prostate carcinoma in situ. Furthermore, mimic studies revealed a negative correlation between miR-206 and estrogen receptor α (ESR1) expression in PNT2 cells. Together, we demonstrate that early life estrogenization associated with deregulation of miR-206-networks can contribute to the developmental origins of PCa in maternally malnourished offspring. Understanding the molecular mechanisms by which early life malnutrition affects offspring health can encourage the adoption of a governmental policy for the prevention of non-communicable chronic diseases related to the DOHaD concept.
Continuous Glucose Monitoring and 1-hour Plasma Glucose Identifies Glycemic Variability and Dysglycemia in High-Risk Individuals with HbA1c <5.7%
Authors: Dorcely Brenda , Sifonte Eliud , Popp Collin , Divakaran Anjana , Katz Karin , Musleh Sarah , Jagannathan Ram , Curran Margaret , Sevick Mary Ann , Aleman Jose O. , Goldberg Ira J. , Bergman Michael
Published: April 2022

Purpose: Although commonly used, HbA1c is insensitive for diagnosing prediabetes and diabetes. Glycemic variability (GV) or a 1-hour plasma glucose level (1-h PG) ≥ 155 mg/dL (8.6 mmol/L) during a 75-gram oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) better identifies individuals with dysglycemia. The objectives were to (1) compare continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) with the OGTT for detecting dysglycemia in high-risk subjects with HbA1c < 5.7% (39 mmol/mol), and (2) correlate the 1-h PG with CGM-derived GV indices. Research Design and Methods: Subjects (n=15) with a HbA1c < 5.7% (39 mmol/mol) and at least one other risk factor for type 2 diabetes such as overweight, obesity, hypertension, or hyperlipidemia were recruited. A 2-h OGTT was performed within 3-7 days of CGM insertion, which was worn up to 14 days. Results: The average age was 50 ± 14 years, with the majority of participants being men (80%) and Caucasian (67%). The mean HbA1c was 5.3±0.2% (34 mmol/mol). The 1-h PG was highly correlated with 1-h CGM glucose levels (ρ=0.881, p<0.001) as well GV indices: mean amplitude of glucose excursions (ρ =0.67, p<0.01), standard deviation (ρ=0.79, p<0.01), and lability index (ρ =0.64, p=0.001). Conclusion: 1-h interstitial CGM glucose and 1-h PG can detect dysglycemia in high-risk subjects with HbA1c < 5.7% (39 mmol/mol). CGM may be an alternative screening tool for glucose disorders.
Multisystem injury by Intrauterine Device: a report of five cases and literature review
Authors: Sun Junyi , Tang Qiao , Zhang Xiangyang
Published: April 2022

BackgroundIUD placement is a widely used method of contraception in China and is currently recommended by the World Health Organization as a first-line contraceptive program，Intrauterine Device Migration can cause multiple system damage，Experts other than urologists and gynecologists often ignore this trigger.We aim to summarize cases and provide clinicians with more appropriate treatment options.Case presentationWe reported five cases of ectopic IUDs and its effect on multiple systems, 2 cases underwent laparoscopic treatment, 2 cases underwent hysteroscopy, and one case underwent laparoscopic free ectopic contraceptive ring removal and ureter-bladder replantation, with no surgery post-complication difference. Combining the five cases in our hospital, researchers searched PubMed, and other databases in the last 10 years to determine similar studies. A total of 48 cases were ectopic to the urinary system, including ectopic to bladder (42 cases 87.5%), ureter (5 cases 10.4%), urethra (1 case 2.0%); ectopic to digestive system, 41 cases;20 cases from ectopic to reproductive system,65 cases underwent laparoscopic technology (50.7%), endoscopy (15.6%), and open surgery accounted for only 9%. Discussion and Conclusions Specialists other than urologists and gynecologists should not ignore injuries caused by Intrauterine Device Migration. Clinicians should choose the appropriate surgical plan according to the position of the ectopic to relieve the complications.
Peptide inhibition of the mTORC1 signaling: A trend in Cancer Therapeutics
Authors: Tiwari Ashok , Kumar Anuj , R Rachana
Published: April 2022

Cancer is the second most leading cause of deaths in the world and has been manifested by various hallmarks including uncontrolled cell proliferation, increased cell survival, abnormal angiogenesis, eluding of antitumor immunity and acquisition of metabolic processes unique to cancers. Interestingly, mTOR signaling is found to be associated with all of these hallmarks which makes it the most appropriate choice for target therapies against cancer. Inhibition of the target protein by peptides designed by using the interfacial amino acids of its interacting partner is one of the approaches of target therapies. The same approach has been engaged here to inhibit association of the mTOR kinase and RHEB. The sequential amino acids of the mTOR kinase were utilized to design three different native peptides which were further modified by incorporating evolutionary changes as the mutations. All the peptides were tested for their affinity with the RHEB by performing protein-peptide docking on the HADDOCK 2.4 docking interface and the binding energy calculation on the FoldX5.0 interface. Also, the interactions were analyzed using the ligplot+ tool. The peptide H2P1 and H3P1 showed good binding energies (-14.28 kcal/mol and − 14.53 kcal/mol, respectively) in comparison to the entire mTOR-RHEB complex (-15.83 kcal/mol). This was also supported by a good number of Hydrogens bonds and other positive interactions. All these evidences support their potency to interrupt the mTORC1 signaling which can be further established based on these shreds of evidences.
Whole-exome sequencing analysis of mutation characteristics in recurrent or metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumors
Authors: Wang Lingquan , Liang Yingchao , Zhang Wenjing , Wang Xufeng , Ni Zhentian , Mei Yu , Yan Chao , Li Chen , Xie Jing , Yan Min , Yang Liang , Zhu Zhenggang , Liu Wentao
Published: April 2022

Purpose: Surgical resection for the metastasis and recurrence of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) is controversial. Therefore, it is increasingly important to identify clinical factors related to survival and explore the driver genes and mutations in GIST. Patients and Methods: GIST patients who received two surgeries for primary and recurrent and/or metastatic tumors between January 2003 and December 2018 were reviewed. Paired PT (primary tumor), RMT (recurrent and/or metastatic tumor), and normal DNA were whole-exome sequenced to generate comparable data in eight GIST cases.
Results: We identified 39 eligible patients with a median overall survival time of 56.7 months (IQR: 9.6-190.3 months). Regular TKI (Imatinib) treatment after primary tumor resection was associated with better OS, while presence of liver metastasis was prognostic for worse OS in GIST patients who received re-surgery due to recurrent and/or metastatic tumors. Compared with normal tissue, mutation of the MUC family in eight PTs and seven RMTs among the eight patients was detected. In the irregular (TKI) group, correlations and differences were noted in KIT mutations between the PT and RMT, while its influence was lower in the other cases. We also found that the mutation signature and subclone indicated the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the tumor.
Conclusions: MUC mutations may be a potential predictor of recurrent and/or metastatic GIST. Treatment with TKI influenced KIT mutations in RMT of GIST patients. Due to the heterogeneity in the PT and RMT, the direction of tumor evolution and progression were not stable and regular.
SMARCA4-deficient undifferentiated uterine sarcoma: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Fan Ruirui , Gao Jie , Chen Dahong , Hou Jinlin , Chen Hanlin , Lu Mingzhi
Published: April 2022

SMARCA4-deficient undifferentiated uterine sarcoma (SDUS) is a highly invasive single-gene malignant tumour caused by mutations in the SMARCA4 gene. SDUS has a poor prognosis and has no established treatment scheme at present. What's more, there is no relevant research on the role of immune microenvironment analysis in SDUS worldwide. Here, we report a case of SDUS that combined examinations via morphology, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and molecular detection and analysed the immune microenvironment of SDUS for the first time. Therefore, our report will help in the diagnostic awareness of SDUS.
NAPSB as a predictive marker for prognosis and therapy associated with an immuno-hot tumor microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma NAPSB predicts prognosis and therapy in HCC
Authors: Ning Yu-Mei , Lin Kun , Liu Xiao-Ping , Ding Yang , Jiang Xiang , Zhang Zhang , Xuan Yu-Ting , Dong Li , Liu Lan , Wang Fan , Zhao Qiu , Wang Hai-Zhou , Fang Jun
Published: April 2022

Background
Napsin B Aspartic Peptidase, Pseudogene (NAPSB) was associated with CD4 + T cell infiltration in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. But the biological role of NAPSB in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains to be determined.
Methods
The expression of NAPSB in pan-cancer and HCC as well as its clinicopathological association were analyzed using data from several public datasets. qRT-PCR was used to verify the relative expression of NAPSB in HCC using Zhongnan cohort. Kaplan-Meier analyses, univariate and multivariate Cox regression were conducted to determine the predictive value of NAPSB on HCC prognosis. Then enrichment analyses were performed to identify the possible biological functions of NAPSB. Subsequently, the immunological characteristics of NAPSB in the HCC tumor microenvironment (TME) were demonstrated comprehensively. The role of NAPSB in predicting hot tumors and its impact on immunotherapy and chemotherapy responses was also analyzed.
Results
NAPSB was downregulated in HCC and high NAPSB expression showed an improved survival outcome. Enrichment analyses showed that NAPSB was related to immune activation. NAPSB was positively correlated with immunomodulators, tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs), T cell inflamed score, and cancer immunity cycles and highly expressed in immuno-hot tumors. High expression of NAPSB was sensitive to immunotherapy and chemotherapy, possibly due to its association with pyroptosis, apoptosis and necrosis (PANoptosis).
Conclusions
NAPSB was correlated with an immuno-hot and inflamed TME and tumor cell death. It can be utilized as a promising predictive marker for prognosis and therapy in HCC.
Description of Pseudocapillaria (Discocapillaria) trilobularis n. sp. (Capillariidae) and redescription of Heliconema alatum (Majumdar, 1965) (Physalopteridae), two nematodes parasitising synbranchiform fishes in India
Authors: Moravec František , Chaudhary Anshu , Kashyap Deepa , Singh Suhani , Kumar Yougesh
Published: April 2022

One new nematode species is described and another one, already known species is redescribed based on specimens collected from synbranchiform fishes of the River Ganga, India, in 2021 and 2022: Pseudocapillaria (Discocapillaria) trilobularis n. sp. (Capillariidae) from the intestine of cuchia, Monopterus cuchia (Hamilton) (Synbranchidae), is mainly characterised by the presence of the large ventral postcloacal lobe in the male, the spicule length 351 µm, the size of eggs 60–69 × 30–36 µm (with protruding polar plugs) and by the body length (male 10.50 mm, females 11.02–12.44 mm). It is the fourth species of this genus recorded from fishes in India. The species name Heliconema alatum (Majumdar, 1965) (Physalopteridae) is resurrected. This nematode is redescribed from specimens collected from the intestine of zig-zag eel, Mastacembelus armatus (Lacepède) (Mastacembelidae). The examination by SEM revealed some previously not reported morphological features in this nematode species, e.g., the presence of cephalic papillae or a lateroterminal depression and two inner flat dorsoventral teeth on each pseudolabium. Based on these findings, H. monopteri Moravec, Chaudhary & Singh, 2019 is considered a junior synonym of H. alatum.
Genes associated with situs inversus in patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia are identified by the weighted gene correlation network analysis
Authors: Xia Pengcheng , Chen Jing , Liu Yingchao , Cui Xiaolin , Wang Cuicui , Zong Shuai , Wang Le , Lu Zhiming
Published: April 2022

Background.
Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by immotile and dysmotile cilia or absence of cilia. Situs inversus (SI) is one of the phenomena frequently observed in PCD. However, little is known about the association between SI with PCD.
Material and Methods.
The microarray data of PCD were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to construct the co-expression network by the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). R software package Limma was used to perform the differential analysis. The gene network modules associated with SI screened with the common genes were further annotated based on Gene Ontology (GO) database and enriched based on the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was applied to identify the significant pathways. CIBERSORT was used to perform the correlation analysis of immune cells. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed based on STRING database to identify the hub genes in the network.
Results.
Genes involved in PCD were identified related to SI. The results of the correlation analysis of immune cells showed that there were significant differences in the activated contents of dendritic cells. The WGCNA analysis revealed a total of 8 hub genes (i.e., ATP5A1, NDUFS3, NDUFV2, PSMC3, UBE2M, ALDH18A1, DBT, FOXRED1). Based on the GO annotations of hub genes, a group of GO terms were revealed to show significant difference, including mitochondrial part, oxidoreductase complex, cytosol, mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I, NADH dehydrogenase complex, respiratory chain complex I, catalytic complex, mitochondrial envelope, respiratory chain complex, and mitochondrial respiratory chain. KEGG enrichment analysis of hub genes identified a group of metabolic pathways showing significant difference, including Propanoate metabolism, beta-Alanine metabolism, Fatty acid degradation, Valine, leucine and isoleucine degradation, Huntington disease, Carbon metabolism, Fatty acid metabolism, Lysine degradation, Butanoate metabolism, and Metabolic pathways.
Conclusion.
Our study identified the variations in immune cells in PCD patients. The hub genes provide novel therapeutic targets for the diagnosis and treatment of PCD and SI.
Changes in the transcriptome of thyroid cancer cell lines after radiotherapy and analysis of the potential mechanisms regulating radiotherapy sensitivity
Authors: Zhao Yinlong , Liu Yu , Zhong Lili , Ji Jianfeng , Yi Heqing
Published: April 2022

Background 131Iodine (131I) is an important method for the treatment of thyroid cancer. However, resistance to 131I therapy in some patients results in treatment failure due to the mechanisms involving iodine metabolism and radiotherapy sensitivity. At present, the mechanism of radiosensitivity of 131I treatment for thyroid cancer is not sufficiently documented. Methods Time course data on transcriptome differential expression were obtained by next-generation sequencing after administration of high-dose radiation therapy to thyroid cancer cell lines (treated vs. control). Based on the fuzzy clustering algorithm, the time course data were analyzed with the Mfuzz software package, and then the series of clusters reflecting the differential expression trend of the transcriptome was obtained. Bioinformatics was used to construct ceRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks, protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks, survival analysis, and Cox regression analysis to identify competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) pathways associated with radiosensitivity.Results Six time-course clusters with differentiated changing trends are obtained after radiation therapy. Six ceRNA networks are constructed from the 6 time-course clusters transcriptome data, and the hub genes are screened out. After survival analysis and Cox regression analysis, a total of six genes, BNIP3L, TP53INP2, CHAF1A, KDM6B, NUP153, and DCBLD, and their ceRNA pathways were screened. These ceRNA pathways are mainly involved in mitophagy, autophagy, apoptosis, proliferation, DNA damage, and repair, and are closely related to the mechanisms of radio-sensitivity. Conclusion We identified several ceRNA pathways potentially involved in the regulation of thyroid cancer radiosensitivity, which provides important clues for the mechanistic study of thyroid cancer radiosensitivity. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic and comprehensive analysis of transcriptome alteration trends in thyroid cancer cells after radiation and the prediction of pathways associated with sensitivity to radiotherapy.
Partially linear additive hazards regression for clustered and right censored data
Authors: Chen Wei , Ren Fengling
Published: April 2022

For analyzing clustered survival data, a flexible partially linear additive hazards model is proposed. To accommodate the nonlinear effects, the unknown regression function is approximated by B-splines. All regression coefficients are estimated through a system of pseudo-score functions. Under certain conditions, the proposed estimators are shown to be asymptotically normal, where a consistent estimator of the covariance matrix is given. Simulation studies are also conducted to evaluate the finite sample performance of the proposed method, which is illustrated using a real data set from an AIDS clinical trial.
Comparing alternative methods of modelling cumulative effects of oil and gas footprint on boreal bird abundance
Authors: Leston L. , Bayne E. , Toms J. D. , Mahon C. L. , Crosby A. , Sólymos P. , Ball J. , Song S. J. , Schmiegelow F. K. A. , Stralberg D. , Docherty T.
Published: April 2022

ContextOil and gas activity is increasing in the western boreal forest of North America. To manage cumulative effects of this industry, a better quantification of footprint effects on wildlife is needed.ObjectivesWe used point-count surveys to evaluate how well dose-response (amount) and zone-of-impact (distance) models for seismic lines, pipelines, well sites, roads, and energy facilities predicted the abundance of 48 bird species. MethodsWe developed models for each species, evaluating the best functional forms for different footprint effects, then predicted how different model structures influenced estimates of regional population size.ResultsMost species exhibited at least one nonlinear response to footprint amount (79% of species) or distance (88%). Species associated with older coniferous forests decreased more often with footprint amount and proximity to footprint, while species associated with open lands and young forests increased with footprint amount and proximity. One-third of species strongly changed in abundance at a threshold distance from at least one footprint. Zone-of-impact models had better model fit than dose-response models for 29 of 48 species, but both model types produced similar population estimates.ConclusionsBoth zone-of-impact and dose-response models were useful for assessing cumulative effects on wildlife and mechanisms causing change. Although we did not find evidence for edge effects distinct from habitat loss or gain for songbirds in our study, zone-of-impact models can provide evidence of positive or negative edge effects for developing management buffers, while dose-response models provide important information on functional changes in bird habitat with oil and gas footprint.
Intra-operative nerve monitoring does not reduce the incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury in first-time thyroid surgery when performed by an experienced thyroid surgeon
Authors: Nikolova Kristina , Newell Brian , Samad Mohammed Adeel , Asplund Martin , Ali Annis , Patel Dhaval , Pandelidis Steven K , Pandelidis Steven M
Published: April 2022

Background
Recurrent laryngeal nerve injury is a feared complication of thyroid surgery, carrying significant morbidity including hoarseness, dysphagia, and respiratory distress. Direct visualization of the nerve during surgery is the standard of care for preventing injury. Intra-operative nerve monitoring (IONM) is an adjunct utilized to decrease the risk of nerve injury, with rising popularity over the past two decades. At present, its exact role is controversial. Some studies advocate routine use, while others suggest that it only adds benefit to select complex cases. The present study is a single-center, retrospective analysis to determine whether the use of IONM significantly prevents injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve during first-time thyroid surgery, as compared to the current practice of direct nerve visualization.
Methods
All patients undergoing thyroid surgery at Wellspan York Hospital and its affiliated outpatient surgical center from July 2018 until March 2021 were included in the study. For nine months of the study, IONM was routinely used for first-time thyroid surgery. For the remaining period, direct visualization alone was used for first-time surgery, and IONM was used only selectively for ipsilateral re-operative thyroid surgery. All data was acquired from The Collaborative Endocrine Surgery Quality Improvement Program, a national endocrine surgical database. We compared nerve injury rates across the three groups of patients.
Results
377 patients who had thyroid surgery were identified with a total of 591 nerves at risk for injury. Six patients suffered inadvertent nerve injury, for an injury rate of 1.02%. In the group undergoing first-time thyroid surgery with direct visualization alone, four nerves out of 450 (0.89%) were injured. In the group with IONM routinely used for first-time surgery, there was one nerve injury out of 120 (0.83%). For patients with history of previous ipsilateral endocrine surgery with selective nerve monitoring, one injury occurred in a total of 13 at-risk nerves (7.69%).
Conclusions
The use of IONM as compared to direct identification and photo documentation of the recurrent laryngeal nerve offered no significant advantage in preventing injury. Additionally, re-operative cases have higher incidence of nerve injury, and IONM may be helpful in improving safety in these cases.
Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome in dogs: an observational study in the Republic of Korea
Authors: Han Sun-Woo , Oh Ye-In , Rim Ji-Min , Cho Yoon-Kyoung , Kim Dong-Hoo , Kang Jun-Gu , Choi Kyoung-Seong , Chae Joon-Seok
Published: April 2022

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a zoonotic disease with a high mortality rate for humans and cats. The clinical course and prognosis of SFTS in dogs remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of SFTS virus (SFTSV) infection in dogs. All evaluated dogs exhibited an acute course and symptoms such as fever (57.1%), anorexia (57.1%), depression (42.9%), and vomiting (35.7%). Thrombocytopenia was observed in 45.5% dogs, while jaundice was not observed. C-reactive protein, alanine transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase were elevated in some cases. Viral clearance occurred within 6 to 26 days. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the SFTSV sequences were consistent with viruses in the regions of the Republic of Korea. Given that dogs often live in close contact with humans, awareness of the clinical and epidemiological features of SFTS in dogs is crucial. Further large-scale studies are necessary to investigate SFTSV infection in dogs.
Dating dirty speleothems using paleomagnetism
Authors: Sánchez-Moreno Elisa M. , Font Eric , Pavón-Carrasco F. Javier , Dimuccio Luca A. , Hillaire-Marcel Claude , Ghaleb Bassam , Cunha Lúcio
Published: April 2022

The U-series dating of young and dirty speleothems is challenging due to difficulties in assessing the isotopic composition of contaminating detrital fractions and the low- abundance of the in situ-generated 230Th. Here we propose a new dating approach based on the comparison of magnetic directions recorded by speleothems with reference curves from global paleomagnetic reconstructions. The studied stalagmite was collected in the Soprador do Carvalho cave, in the Central Region of Portugal. The radiometric age model, built using four U-series ages and three 14C, suggests relatively steady carbonate precipitation from ~ 5760 BCE until ~ 1920 CE. Forty-five, 6 mm-thick, subsamples were submitted to alternating field and thermal demagnetization, providing well-defined, primary magnetic directions. An archaeomagnetic age model of the stalagmite was obtained by fitting its paleomagnetic record with the reference paleosecular variation curves obtained by previous paleo-reconstruction models, applying statistical bootstrapping analysis to define their best fit. The resulting archaeomagnetic age models fit closely with the radiometric age model but provide a significantly higher time resolution. We reach the same conclusion when applying this approach to another stalagmite from the Algarve region of Portugal. Archaeomagnetic age models thus appear a promising alternative to date dirty speleothems.
Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Experiences and Perceptions of Women with Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Stokes Natalie , Stransky Olivia M. , West Shawn C. , Hoskoppal Arvind , Talabi Mehret Birru , Kazmerski Traci M.
Published: April 2022

Due to medical advances, women with congenital heart disease (CHD) are living longer, healthier lives and many are considering pregnancy. The hemodynamic changes of pregnancy present high risks of morbidity and mortality for many women with CHD. As little is known about these women’s reproductive health experiences, this study explores their perceptions of pregnancy and family planning care as related to CHD. Women ages 18–45 years with a diagnosis of CHD associated with a World Health Organization (WHO) classification II-IV for pregnancy morbidity and mortality participated in individual, semi-structured interviews exploring their experiences, attitudes, and preferences toward parenthood, pregnancy, contraception and family planning care provision. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim. Two independent coders performed analysis using deductive and inductive coding approaches. Twenty women with CHD participated in interviews (average age 30.1 years, SD 5.85). Nine women had a prior pregnancy and 14 considered becoming a parent in the future. We identified 5 key themes among the women: (1) CHD impacted their reproductive health goals and decisions; (2) Women with CHD perceived a lack of safe contraceptive methods for their condition; (3) Women desired tailored, disease-specific sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information; (4) Women viewed their cardiologist as the primary source for SRH information and prefer provider-initiated discussions starting in adolescence; and (5) Women desire coordinated pre-pregnancy and intrapartum care between their cardiologists and women’s health providers. These results provide a foundation for interventions to improve patient-centered interdisciplinary reproductive healthcare for this population.
Effect of Alcalase modification of yellow lupin (Lupinus luteus L.) protein isolate on some functional properties and antioxidant activity
Authors: TESAROWICZ Iwona , MACIEJASZEK Ireneusz , SURÓWKA Krzysztof , ZAWIŚLAK Agnieszka
Published: April 2022

Protein isolate obtained from sweet yellow lupin (Lupinus luteus L.) and its Alcalase hydrolysates were examined for their functional and antioxidant properties in relation to surface hydrophobicity of proteins and peptides, and molecular weight distribution. Enzymatic hydrolysis improved the foaming characteristics of lupin proteins, while the emulsifying properties deteriorated. It means that good foaming properties of preparations are determined by the presence of low-molecular δ conglutin and small subunits of γ conglutins. In turn, larger proteins such as α and β conglutin are responsible for maintaining good emulsifying properties. The measured surface hydrophobicity was consistent with the results of emulsifying properties. It has also been shown that the scope of changes in antioxidant properties due to hydrolysis, measured by DPPH method and as reducing power, is more pronounced than with the use of ABTS and FRAP methods.
Salinity distribution pattern induced tomato roots capable of enhancing plant adaptability to salt stress
Authors: Wang Weihua , Gong Yidan , Cheng Bei , Ou Roucheng , yang ting
Published: April 2022

Salinity is a major abiotic stress threatening tomato production. Roots can attenuate salt stress in a specific salinity concentration, especially with non-uniform salinity distribution conditions are hypothesized to play a role in enhancing tomato plant adaptability to salt stress. However, it is still unclear whether and how root alleviate stress when challenged by salinity distribution. In this study, we set different salinity distribution pattern: uniform salinity distribution (T1(0, 0), T2(0.2%, 0.2%), T3(0.3%, 0.3%)) and non-uniform salinity distribution (T4(0.1%, 0.3%), T5(0.1%, 0.5%), T6(0.2%, 0.4%)), each salinity distribution employed with three levels of concentration, hydroponics method, splitting the roots into left and right parts, and observing whole growth stage. Plant physiological indices responses to salt stress were measured. Studies have indicated that tomato plant roots can attenuate salt stress in a salinity concentration with 0.4%, the non-uniform salinity distribution is capable of restricting the root-uptake, and the uptake efficiency of nutrients (Na+, K+) fruit yield, fruit flavor and quality were enhanced by non-uniform salinity distribution with certain concentration (T4(0.1%, 0.3%)). Moreover, the increased K+ lead to the decrease of the Na+/K+ ratio, which could reduce the toxicity of salt ion to the plant, and consequently improve the growth of tomato. This research confirms the critical role of salinity distribution in a specific concentration in enhancing tomato plants adaptability to salt stress, providing an overview of the prospects and restriction of nutrients application method to minimize the negative effects of salinity stress.