bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Comparison of Bevacizumab Plus TAS-102 and TAS-102 Monotherapy for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Chen Xiaochen , Qiu Huafeng , Chen Yunwang , Wang Mingxing , Zhu Pengfei , Pan Shuangyue , Deng Yaya , Yang Liu , Chen Zheling
Published: November 2021

Backgrounds

As a new oral chemotherapy drug, TAS-102 is currently recommended as the third-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Recently, studies have reported the efficacy of TAS-102 combined with bevacizumab in colon cancer patients after standard treatment fails. Here, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of TAS-102 combined with bevacizumab versus TAS-102 as a single agent by a systematic review and a meta-analysis.

Methods

PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane libraries were searched. Studies involving bevacizumab combined with TAS-102 in mCRC were included. Study characteristics (author, year of publication, country et al.), efficacy (disease control rate(DCR), progression-free survival(PFS), overall survival(OS)) and adverse effects were extract from studies. Forest plots were created based on Cox model analysis.

Results

After screening 550 studies, a total of 3 studies were included, which compared the safety and effectiveness of TAS-102 with or without bevacizumab. Analysis based on Cox regression showed that the combined treatment group had advantages in 6-month (OR= 2.93, 95% CI: 1.72 to 5.00, P<0.0001), 12-month(OR= 2.18, 95% CI: 1.24 to 3.81, P=0.006), and 18-month (OR=3.08, 95% CI: 1.34 to 7.12, P=0.008) OS. The combined treatment group demonstrated superiority in 6-month PFS rates (OR= 2.50, 95% CI: 1.18 to 5.31, P=0.02). The incidence of thrombocytopenia in the dual-drug treatment group was higher (OR= 1.96, 95% CI: 1.14 to 3.36 P=0.01). The proportion of serious adverse events were similar in tow groups (OR= 1.01, 95% CI: 0.76 to 1.34 P=0.93).

Conclusion

Bevacizumab combined with TAS-102 could improve the prognosis of patients with mCRC who have failed standard treatment. In terms of side effects, the addition of bevacizumab did not increase serious adverse reactions, but the occurrence of thrombocytopenia was worth noting.
Extracellular Vesicle Molecular Signatures Characterize Metastatic Dynamicity in Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Gonda Amber , Zhao Nanxia , Shah Jay V. , Siebert Jake N. , Gunda Srujanesh , Inan Berk , Kwon Mijung , Libutti Steven K. , Moghe Prabhas V. , Francis Nicola L. , Ganapathy Vidya
Published: November 2021

Background

Late-stage diagnosis of ovarian cancer, a disease that originates in the ovaries and spreads to the peritoneal cavity, lowers 5-year survival rate from 90% to 30%. Early screening tools that can: i) detect with high specificity and sensitivity before conventional tools such as transvaginal ultrasound and CA-125, ii) use non-invasive sampling methods and iii) longitudinally significantly increase survival rates in ovarian cancer are needed. Studies that employ blood-based screening tools using circulating tumor-cells, -DNA, and most recently tumor-derived small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) have shown promise in non-invasive detection of cancer before standard of care. Our findings in this study show the promise of a sEV-derived signature as a non-invasive longitudinal screening tool in ovarian cancer.

Methods

Human serum samples as well as plasma and ascites from a mouse model of ovarian cancer were collected at various disease stages. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) were extracted using a commercially available kit. RNA was isolated from lysed sEVs, and quantitative RT-PCR was performed to identify specific metastatic gene expression.

Conclusion

This paper highlights the potential of sEVs in monitoring ovarian cancer progression and metastatic development. We identified a 7-gene panel in sEVs derived from plasma, serum, and ascites that overlapped with an established metastatic ovarian carcinoma signature. We found the 7-gene panel to be differentially expressed with tumor development and metastatic spread in a mouse model of ovarian cancer. The most notable finding was a significant change in the ascites-derived sEV gene signature that overlapped with that of the plasma-derived sEV signature at varying stages of disease progression. While there were quantifiable changes in genes from the 7-gene panel in serum-derived sEVs from ovarian cancer patients, we were unable to establish a definitive signature due to low sample number. Taken together our findings show that differential expression of metastatic genes derived from circulating sEVs present a minimally invasive screening tool for ovarian cancer detection and longitudinal monitoring of molecular changes associated with progression and metastatic spread.
The Prognostic Significance of PD1 and PDL1 Gene Expression in Lung Cancer: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Chang Chih-Hao , Shih Arthur Chun-Chieh , Chang Ya-Hsuan , Chen Hsuan‐Yu , Chao Ying-Ting , Hsu Yi-Chiung
Published: November 2021

Background

Immune checkpoint blockade therapy represents an extraordinary advance in lung cancer treatment. It is important to determine the expression of immune checkpoint genes, such as programmed cell death 1 (PD1) and programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PDL1), to develop immunotherapeutic strategies. The aim of this study was to explore the association between PD1 and PDL1 gene expression and prognoses and outcomes in lung cancer.

Methods

This meta-analysis analyzed 1,251 patients from eight different microarray gene expression datasets and were evaluated for their prognostic implications and verified using another independent research.

Results

The mean expression levels of PDL1 in adenocarcinoma (AD) and squamous cell carcinoma (SC) were significantly higher in patients who died than in patients who did not. There was a trend toward incremental increases in PD1 and PDL1 expression significantly decreasing the risk of relapse and death among AD patients (HR = 0.69; 95% CI = 0.53 ~ 0.91; HR = 0.68; 95% CI = 0.54 ~ 0.84, respectively) and SC patients (HR = 0.53; 95% CI = 0.32 ~ 0.89; HR = 0.78; 95% CI = 0.57 ~ 1.00 respectively), as early-stage patients in this study were more likely to have high expression of both PD1 and PDL1 than late-stage patients (P-trend < 0.05). In contrast, late-stage SC patients expressing one or more of the genes at a high level had a significantly elevated risk of relapse (HR = 1.51; 95% CI = 1.07 ~ 2.11) and death (HR = 1.41; 95% CI = 1.08 ~ 1.84). This result was consistent with the validation data set.

Conclusion

These findings indicate that high expression of PD1 and PDL1 is associated with superior outcome in early-stage lung cancer but an adverse outcome in late-stage lung cancer. The expression levels of PD1 and PDL1 individually or jointly are potential prognostic factors for predicting patient outcomes in lung cancer.
Obesity in Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Patients: It Is Time to Improve Actions for a Healthier Lifestyle. The Results of a Comparison Between Two Italian Regions With Different “Presumed” Lifestyles
Authors: Cortesi Laura , Galli Giulia Raffaella , Domati Federica , Conte Luana , Manca Luigi , Berio Maria Antonietta , Toss Angela , Iannone Anna , Federico Massimo
Published: November 2021

Background

Adult body fatness is a convincing risk factor for postmenopausal breast cancer. With the aim to compare the different breast cancer (BC) features in Northern and Southern Italy, we investigated the relationship between BMI and BC characteristic in two groups of patients referred in the Modena and Lecce breast units.

Materials and Methods

A retrospective analysis of a continuous series of BC patients referred to the Città di Lecce Hospital and the Modena Cancer Center, from January 2019 to December 2020 was performed. We identified four groups of BMI at BC diagnosis: underweight, BMI <18.5 kg/m2; normal weight, BMI ≥ 18.5–24.9 kg/m2; overweight, BMI ≥ 25.0–29.9 kg/m2; obese, BMI ≥30.0 kg/m2. BC characteristics and clinical outcomes were analyzed by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and Mann-Whitney U test; categorical data were compared using Pearson’s chi-square test, and dicotomic data were compared by odds ratio.

Results

Nine hundred seventy-seven BC patients were included in the analysis. Overall, 470 were from Modena and 507 from Lecce. No differences were observed in the mean age of BC patients of Modena (61,42) and Lecce (62,08). No statistical differences between the two populations were shown in terms of tumor characteristics and pathological stage. Conversely, a statistical difference of BMI between the BC patients coming from Modena and Lecce (25.87 and 27.81, respectively; p = 0.000001) was found. BC patients diagnosed in Lecce at age ≥70 years had higher median BMI compared with the ones from Modena (p = 0.000002). The increased BMI in this aged population was also associated to larger tumor size (p = 0.040).

Conclusion

The rate of overweight and obesity was higher in BC women living in Southern Italy, despite the presumed nutrition according to the so-called Mediterranean type dietary pattern. Unexpectedly, an increased BMI rate and a relationship with larger tumor size were found in Southern BC patients aged ≥70 years. Our findings strongly support the need for promoting a healthier lifestyle model in Italy, with the aim of reducing the rate of the obesity and, consequently, the increased risk of BC.
Anterior Minithoracotomy vs. Transcatheter Closure of Patent Ductus Arteriosus in Very Preterm Infants
Authors: Lenoir Marien , Wanert Chloé , Bonnet Damien , Méot Mathilde , Tosello Barthélémy , Fouilloux Virginie , Ovaert Caroline , Malekzadeh-Milani Sophie
Published: November 2021

Introduction: Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is common in preterm infants and contributes to morbidity and mortality. Several studies have shown the feasibility and safety of percutaneous PDA closure. Minimally invasive surgical ligation by anterior thoracotomy is an alternative, bedside technique for PDA closure in very low birth weight preterm infants. Our study aimed to compare short- and medium-term morbidity and mortality between anterior minithoracotomy and transcatheter PDA closure.

Methods: From 2010 to 2020, 92 preterm infants <1,600 g underwent PDA closure in two centers: 44 surgical anterior minithoracotomies (center 1) and 48 transcatheter closures (center 2). Using a 1:1 propensity score match analysis, 22 patients in each group were included. The primary outcome was time to extubation after intervention.

Results: Preoperative characteristics were similar in both groups after propensity matching (mean weight at procedure, 1,171 ± 183 g; p = 0.8). Mean time to extubation was similar: 10 ± 15 days in the surgical group vs. 9 ± 13 days in the transcatheter group (p = 0.9). Mean age at hospital discharge was 114 ± 29 days vs. 105 ± 19 days (p = 0.2). Two deaths occurred in the surgical group and one in the transcatheter group (p = 0.61). Five complications (pneumothorax n = 2, chylothorax n = 2, phrenic nerve injury n = 1) occurred in three patients after surgery. Three complications (chylothorax n = 1, endocarditis n = 1, renal vein thrombosis n = 1) occurred in two patients after percutaneous closure (p = 0.63).

Conclusion: Equivalent efficiency and safety of surgical mini-invasive vs. transcatheter PDA closure in preterm infants <1,600 g are in favor of applying these alternative techniques according to centers' facilities and competences.
Engagement of Families Attending Early Childhood Services During 5-Month School Closure Due to COVID-19: An Italian Experience
Authors: Nossa Roberta , Biffi Emilia , Colnago Giovanna , De Gregorio Giovanna , Saudelli Laura , Reni Gianluigi , Caruso Christian
Published: November 2021

During the COVID-19 outbreak, we experienced the suspension of both work-related and spare activities, with the closure of shops, companies, services, as well as schools. Children probably are the ones who have suffered the most from this situation, due to the limited socialization with peers and boredom experienced at home. In this context, schools and childhood services tried to relieve the negative effects brought by the pandemic through actions aimed at actively engaging students and their parents in promoting child development and wellbeing. Therefore, several worldwide actions have been implemented to guarantee educational continuity. However, most of these actions targeted 3–18years old children/adolescents, while the subgroup 0–3 was rarely included. Cooperativa Sociale Aeris, a social enterprise based in northern Italy that deals with socio-educational and welfare services, took several measures to overcome problems resulting from the closure of its services dedicated to 0–3 aged children. In this manuscript, we depict how Aeris kept engaged children and their parents, reporting families’ evaluation on the actions taken. For assessing their proposed activities, Aeris promptly distributed an on-line survey to the families in May 2020. The answers showed that the organized activities had a positive impact on both children and parents, diminishing the sense of loneliness and boredom for the former, and acting as an important support for the latter. Therefore, this manuscript could work as a reference for policy-makers and managers of educational services in implementing activities and initiatives during home schooling.
Suicidal Behavior in Fibromyalgia Patients: Rates and Determinants of Suicide Ideation, Risk, Suicide, and Suicidal Attempts—A Systematic Review of the Literature and Meta-Analysis of Over 390,000 Fibromyalgia Patients
Authors: Adawi Mohammad , Chen Wen , Bragazzi Nicola Luigi , Watad Abdulla , McGonagle Dennis , Yavne Yarden , Kidron Adi , Hodadov Hadas , Amital Daniela , Amital Howard
Published: November 2021

Background: Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide, affecting ~800,000 people every year. Fibromyalgia is an extremely prevalent rheumatic disease with a predisposition for comorbid anxiety and depression, which are known risk factors for suicidal behavior. Suicidality and relevant risk factors for suicidal behavior have not been thoroughly studied in patients with fibromyalgia.

Objectives: To investigate the risk of suicidal ideation and attempts in patients with fibromyalgia.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted and reported according to the “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses” (PRISMA) standards. Also, the gray literature was extensively searched.

Results: Thirteen studies were included in the present systematic review and meta-analysis, including 394,087 fibromyalgia patients. Sample size ranged from 44 to 199,739 subjects, mean age ranged from 45.8 to 54.5 years while the female percentage with fibromyalgia ranged from 17.1 to 100.0%. The overall suicide ideation prevalence was 29.57% (95%CI 1.84–72.07), with an OR 9.12 of (95%CI 1.42–58.77), ranging from 2.34 (95%CI 1.49–3.66) to 26.89 (95%CI 5.72–126.42). Pooled suicide attempt prevalence was 5.69% [95%CI 1.26–31.34], with an OR of 3.12 [95%CI 1.37–7.12]. Suicide risk was higher with respect to the general population with an OR of 36.77 (95%CI 15.55–96.94), as well as suicide events with an HR of 1.38 (95%CI 1.17–1.71). Determinants of suicidality were found to be: employment status, disease severity, obesity and drug dependence, chronic pain and co-morbidities, in particular depression, anxiety, poor sleep, and global mental health. However, in some cases, after adjusting for psychiatric conditions, the threshold of statistical significance was not achieved.

Conclusion: Fibromyalgia patients are particularly prone to suicide, in terms of ideation, attempt, risk and events, warranting a pre-emptive screening of their mental health status. Given the few studies available, the high amount of heterogeneity, the evidence of publications bias and the lack of statistical significance when adjusting for underlying psychiatric co-morbidities, further high-quality studies should be conducted.

Clinical Trial Registration:ClinicalTrial.gov, identifier 10.17605/OSF.IO/Y4BUE.
Demographic Attributes of Knowledge, Attitude, Practices, and One Health Perspective Regarding Diarrhea in Pakistan
Authors: Abbasi Ariba , Shahzad Khuram , Shabbir Rana Muhammad Kamran , Afzal Muhammad Sohail , Zahid Hamza , Zahid Talha , Ahmed Haroon , Cao Jianping
Published: November 2021

Background: Loose bowels is a clinical sign of gastrointestinal transport channel proteins, channels, and physical and chemical boundaries being harmed, prompting issues of water and electrolyte transport in the intestinal system. It is still considered as a major reason for emergency visits to hospitals in low-middle income countries. Zinc is a suitable treatment along with ORS for diarrhea. KAP surveys are usually conducted to collect information about general or specific topics of a particular population. The objective of this study was to investigate the knowledge, attitude, practices (KAP), and one health perspective regarding diarrhea among the participants from urban and rural populations of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan.

Methods: Data was collected by conducting a survey among residents of twin cities over a period of 6 months (from July 2020 to December 2020). The questionnaire compromised socio-demographic features and the degree of KAP with respect to diarrhea management and control. One way ANOVA tests were applied to observe the demographic relationship and various factors influencing knowledge, attitude, practices, and one health perspective about diarrhea.

Results: A total of 338 subjects participated in the study. Female subjects were in the majority with 63% while the rest were male. A majority of the participants were between 15–25 years of age and 79.6% participants were un-married. The leading ethnic group was Punjabi with 52.7%; the lowest ethnic group were of Sindhi ethnicity with 8.6%. Age has a significant association with respect to knowledge and attitude. Religion has a significant association with respect to knowledge, practices, and one health, while education/qualification has an association with knowledge. The rest of the variables found no association with each other.

Conclusion: It is concluded from the recent study that most residents of the twin cities of Pakistan knew about diarrhea and had a good attitude and practices toward it. Age, religion, and education have different roles regarding different diseases in the population of Pakistan. The current study has its limitations as well. Parts of the study were conducted in the capital of Pakistan which is more developed as compared to other areas of Pakistan. It would be better to explore the remote areas of Pakistan where basic amenities of life such as education, wealth, and unemployment are not available. It is important to create more awareness among community members. They should be aware how dangerous these viruses and bacteria can be. Other parts of Pakistan should also be explored for better understanding that will help in making a nationwide health policy.
Gripe-Needle: A Sticky Suction Cup Gripper Equipped Needle for Targeted Therapeutics Delivery
Authors: Joymungul Kieran , Mitros Zisos , da Cruz Lyndon , Bergeles Christos , Sadati S.M.Hadi
Published: November 2021

This paper presents a multi-purpose gripping and incision tool-set to reduce the number of required manipulators for targeted therapeutics delivery in Minimally Invasive Surgery. We have recently proposed the use of multi-arm Concentric Tube Robots (CTR) consisting of an incision, a camera, and a gripper manipulator for deep orbital interventions, with a focus on Optic Nerve Sheath Fenestration (ONSF). The proposed prototype in this research, called Gripe-Needle, is a needle equipped with a sticky suction cup gripper capable of performing both gripping of target tissue and incision tasks in the optic nerve area by exploiting the multi-tube arrangement of a CTR for actuation of the different tool-set units. As a result, there will be no need for an independent gripper arm for an incision task. The CTR innermost tube is equipped with a needle, providing the pathway for drug delivery, and the immediate outer tube is attached to the suction cup, providing the suction pathway. Based on experiments on various materials, we observed that adding a sticky surface with bio-inspired grooves to a normal suction cup gripper has many advantages such as, 1) enhanced adhesion through material stickiness and by air-tightening the contact surface, 2) maintained adhesion despite internal pressure variations, e.g. due to the needle motion, and 3) sliding resistance. Simple Finite Element and theoretical modeling frameworks are proposed, based on which a miniature tool-set is designed to achieve the required gripping forces during ONSF. The final designs were successfully tested for accessing the optic nerve of a realistic eye phantom in a skull eye orbit, robust gripping and incision on units of a plastic bubble wrap sample, and manipulating different tissue types of porcine eye samples.
A Cross-Sectional Study on the Association Between Risk Factors of Toxoplasmosis and One Health Knowledge in Pakistan
Authors: Maqsood Tooba , Shahzad Khuram , Naz Shumaila , Simsek Sami , Afzal Muhammad Sohail , Ali Shahzad , Ahmed Haroon , Cao Jianping
Published: November 2021

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan that infects warm-blooded animals and humans. Approximately one third of the global population is infected by T. gondii. We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the risk factors and One Health knowledge of toxoplasmosis in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan. From July through December 2020, we collected data using questionnaires. The results showed that 60% of participants had heard or read about the disease, 23.3% of participants had no knowledge about the disease, and 16.8% participants were not sure about the disease. More than half of the participants (53.3%) reported that toxoplasmosis was caused by toxins, 5.3% reported that toxoplasmosis was an animal disease, 13.8% reported that toxoplasmosis was a human disease, 65.8% reported that it was both an animal and human disease, and 15.3% reported that it was neither an animal nor a human disease. Approximately 80.5% of participants reported that individuals acquired toxoplasmosis by changing cat litter. Our study findings revealed a low level of knowledge and awareness about toxoplasmosis among males. Therefore, there should be awareness programs to educate individuals about the risks of this deadly disease and to provide information on the major routes of transmission.
Robust Control of a Class of Nonlinear Discrete-Time Systems: Design and Experimental Results on a Real-Time Emulator
Authors: Gasmi Noussaiba , Boutayeb Mohamed , Thabet Assem , Bel Haj Frej Ghazi , Aoun Mohamed
Published: November 2021

The aim of this study is to develop a new observer-based stabilization strategy for a class of Lipschitz uncertain systems. This new strategy improves the performances of existing methods and ensures better convergence conditions. Sliding window approach involves previous estimated states and measurements in the observer and the control law structures which increase the number of decision variables in the constraint to be solved and offers less restrictive Linear Matrix Inequality (LMI) conditions. The established sufficient stability conditions are in the form of Bilinear Matrix Inequality (BMI) which is solved in two steps. First, by using a slack variable technique and an appropriate reformulation of the Young’s inequality. Second, by introducing a useful approach to transform the obtained constraint to a more suitable one easily tractable by standard software algorithms. A comparison with the standard case is provided to show the superiority of the proposed H∞ observer-based controller which offers greater degree of freedom. The accuracy and the potential of the proposed process are shown through real time implementation of the one-link flexible joint robot to ARDUINO UNO R3 device and numerical comparison with some existing results.
Influence of Gypsum-Containing Waste on Ammonia Binding in Animal Waste Composting
Authors: Voropaev Valeriy , Alfimova Nataliya , Nikulin Ivan , Nikulicheva Tatyana , Titenko Aleksej , Nikulichev Vitaly
Published: November 2021

The possibility of using gypsum-containing waste–citrogypsum, which is a by-product of the chemical biosynthesis of citric acid, was considered as an additive for composting poultry manure from poultry farms that practice litter-free poultry keeping. The research was carried out on an experimental batch of 1500 tons. The production of the batch was carried out by mixing citrogypsum with a moisture content of 30% and litterless chicken manure with a moisture content of no more than 80% in a ratio of 1:2. The resulting mixture was placed on an open landfill in piles 3 m wide, 1 m high and 400 m long and was mixed twice with a compost turner. Further processing consisted of mixing the mass once every seven days. The controlled parameters were changes in humidity, temperature, pH and nitrogen content during composting. In the course of the experiment, it was found that the introduction of citrogypsum into the composition of the compost helps to optimize the moisture, temperature and pH of the mixture, and a decrease in ammonia emission to 87% was recorded, with an increase in nitrogen content of 2.4 times compared to the initial value. It was concluded that citrogypsum can be used in composting poultry waste to reduce volatilization of ammonia and preserve nutrients.
Evaluation of Chestnut Susceptibility to Cryphonectria parasitica: Screening under Controlled Conditions
Authors: Muñoz-Adalia Emigdio Jordán , Meijer Andreu , Abel Joan , Colinas Carlos , Aletà Neus , Guàrdia Mercè
Published: November 2021

Cryphonectria parasitica (Murrill) M.E. Barr (Sordariomycetes, Valsaceae) is the causal agent of chestnut blight. This disease is a major concern for chestnut cultivation in Europe. The fungus colonizes vascular tissues and evolves generating cankers causing severe dieback and the death of the tree. Excised and debarked well-lignified shoots of 28 C. sativa genotypes (assay A) and of 10 progenies (assay B) were inoculated with C. parasitica strain FMT3bc2 (vcg: EU2). Fungal growth was measured along the longitudinal axis on the 3rd and 6th days after inoculation. Results indicated the inoculation methodology works and the results were clear after 6 days. Differences in susceptibility to chestnut blight among C. sativa trees of Montseny have been detected both at the individual genotype level and at the progeny level. Nineteen genotypes and four progenies showed a susceptibility to Blight not significantly different from C. mollissima. The methodology was easy to apply in extensive/preliminary selection screenings to assess the susceptibility of C. sativa materials to the Blight.
DArTseq Genotypic and Phenotypic Diversity of Barley Landraces Originating from Different Countries
Authors: Dziurdziak Joanna , Gryziak Grzegorz , Groszyk Jolanta , Podyma Wiesław , Boczkowska Maja
Published: November 2021

Landraces are considered a key element of agrobiodiversity because of their high variability and adaptation to local environmental conditions, but at the same time, they represent a breeding potential hidden in gene banks that has not yet been fully appreciated and utilized. Here, we present a genome-wide DArTseq analysis of the diversity of 116 spring barley landraces preserved in the collection of the Polish gene bank. Genetic analysis revealed considerable variation in this collection and several distinct groups related to the landraces’ country of origin and the grain type were identified. The genetic distinctness of hulless accessions may provide a basis for pro-quality breeding aimed at functional food production. However, the variable level of accession heterogeneity can be a significant obstacle. A solution to this problem is the establishment of special collections composed of pure lines that are accessible to breeders. Regions lacking genetic diversity have also been identified on 1H and 4H chromosomes. A small region of reduced heterogeneity was also present in the hulless forms in the vicinity of the nud gene that determines the hulless grain type. However, the SNPs present in this area may also be important in selection for traits related to grain weight and size because their QTLs were found there. This may support breeding of hulless forms of spring barley which may have applications in the production of high-quality foods with health-promoting values.
Probiotic Enhancement of Antioxidant Capacity and Alterations of Gut Microbiota Composition in 6-Hydroxydopamin-Induced Parkinson’s Disease Rats
Authors: Tsao Shu-Ping , Nurrahma Bira Arumndari , Kumar Ravi , Wu Chieh-Hsi , Yeh Tu-Hsueh , Chiu Ching-Chi , Lee Yen-Peng , Liao Yi-Chi , Huang Cheng-Hsieh , Yeh Yao-Tsung , Huang Hui-Yu
Published: November 2021

Oxidative stress plays a key role in the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson’s disease (PD), which may be aggravated by concomitant PD-associated gut dysbiosis. Probiotics and prebiotics are therapeutically relevant to these conditions due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and gut microbiome modulation properties. However, the mechanisms by which probiotic/prebiotic supplementation affects antioxidant capacity and the gut microbiome in PD remains poorly characterized. In this study, we assessed the effects of a Lactobacillus salivarius AP-32 probiotic, a prebiotic (dried AP-32 culture medium supernatant), and a probiotic/prebiotic cocktail in rats with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced PD. The neuroprotective effects and levels of oxidative stress were evaluated after eight weeks of daily supplementation. Fecal microbiota composition was analyzed by fecal 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The supplements were associated with direct increases in host antioxidant enzyme activities and short-chain fatty acid production, protected dopaminergic neurons, and improved motor functions. The supplements also altered the fecal microbiota composition, and some specifically enriched commensal taxa correlated positively with superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase activity, indicating supplementation also promotes antioxidant activity via an indirect pathway. Therefore, L. salivarius AP-32 supplementation enhanced the activity of host antioxidant enzymes via direct and indirect modes of action in rats with 6-OHDA-induced PD.
A Novel Class of Dual-Acting DCH-CORMs Counteracts Oxidative Stress-Induced Inflammation in Human Primary Tenocytes
Authors: Appetecchia Federico , Consalvi Sara , Berrino Emanuela , Gallorini Marialucia , Granese Arianna , Campestre Cristina , Carradori Simone , Biava Mariangela , Poce Giovanna
Published: November 2021

Carbon monoxide (CO) can prevent cell and tissue damage by restoring redox homeostasis and counteracting inflammation. CO-releasing molecules (CORMs) can release a controlled amount of CO to cells and are emerging as a safer therapeutic alternative to delivery of CO in vivo. Sustained oxidative stress and inflammation can cause chronic pain and disability in tendon-related diseases, whose therapeutic management is still a challenge. In this light, we developed three small subsets of 1,5-diarylpyrrole and pyrazole dicobalt(0)hexacarbonyl (DCH)-CORMs to assess their potential use in musculoskeletal diseases. A myoglobin-based spectrophotometric assay showed that these CORMs act as slow and efficient CO-releasers. Five selected compounds were then tested on human primary-derived tenocytes before and after hydrogen peroxide stimulation to assess their efficacy in restoring cell redox homeostasis and counteracting inflammation in terms of PGE2 secretion. The obtained results showed an improvement in tendon homeostasis and a cytoprotective effect, reflecting their activity as CO-releasers, and a reduction of PGE2 secretion. As these compounds contain structural fragments of COX-2 selective inhibitors, we hypothesized that such a composite mechanism of action results from the combination of CO-release and COX-2 inhibition and that these compounds might have a potential role as dual-acting therapeutic agents in tendon-derived diseases.
Fenton Reaction for Enhancing Polishing Rate and Protonated Amine Functional Group Polymer for Inhibiting Corrosion in Ge1Sb4Te5 Film Surface Chemical-Mechanical-Planarization
Authors: Jeong Gi-Ppeum , Son Young-Hye , Park Jun-Seong , Kim Pil-Su , Han Man-Hyup , Hong Seong-Wan , Park Jin-Hyung , Cui Hao , Yoon Bo-Un , Park Jea-Gun
Published: November 2021

A Fenton reaction and a corrosion inhibition strategy were designed for enhancing the polishing rate and achieving a corrosion-free Ge1Sb4Te5 film surface during chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) of three-dimensional (3D) cross-point phase-change random-access memory (PCRAM) cells and 3D cross-point synaptic arrays. The Fenton reaction was conducted with 1,3-propylenediamine tetraacetic acid, ferric ammonium salt (PDTA–Fe) and H2O2. The chemical oxidation degree of GeO2, Sb2O3, and TeO2 evidently increased with the PDTA–Fe concentration in the CMP slurry, such that the polishing rate of the Ge1Sb4Te5 film surface linearly increased with the PDTA–Fe concentration. The addition of a corrosion inhibitor having protonated amine functional groups in the CMP slurry remarkably suppressed the corrosion degree of the Ge1Sb4Te5 film surface after CMP; i.e., the corrosion current of the Ge1Sb4Te5 film surface linearly decreased as the corrosion inhibitor concentration increased. Thus, the proposed Fenton reaction and corrosion inhibitor in the Ge1Sb4Te5 film surface CMP slurry could achieve an almost recess-free Ge1Sb4Te5 film surface of the confined-PCRAM cells, having an aspect ratio of 60-nm-height to 4-nm-diameter after CMP.
Effect of Water Temperature on the Depletion of Eugenol in Sea Bass under the Simulated Settings in Handling and Transport
Authors: Ke Changliang , Liu Qi , Huang Ke , Mo Mengsong , Chen Haigang , Cheng Bo
Published: November 2021

The edible safety of eugenol-treated fish is one of the concerns limiting the anesthetic applied in the aquaculture industry. The depletion of eugenol was investigated at different water temperatures under the simulated settings of sea bass handling and transport. Sea bass was exposed to eugenol at a concentration of 60 mg/L for 3 min, then immediately transferred to clean water to be purged for 24 h and sampled at different time intervals. The left fish were re-exposed to eugenol in a repeat of the first exposure, purged for 48 h in clean water, and sampled for eugenol detection. Under the simulated settings, the sea bass could accumulate more eugenol residue in fillet when exposed to water at a temperature of 20 °C than that at 13 °C. However, eugenol could be depleted much faster when the sea basses were exposed to the higher water temperature. The half-lives of eugenol in sea bass were 0.28 h and 0.29 h for the first and second purging stage at a water temperature of 20 °C, while at 13 °C, the half-lives were 2 and 4.5 h, respectively. Therefore, increasing the water temperature may be an effective way to accelerate eugenol depletion in fish fillet and reduce exposure risk for the consumer.
Influence of Soil Particle Size on the Engineering Properties and Microstructure of a Red Clay
Authors: Wang Yongwei , Li Kunyao , Li Jiaming , Tang Shibin
Published: November 2021

Particle size exerts a significant influence on the mechanical behavior of soil. However, insufficient research has been carried out on red clay formations, which are widespread in some Chinese provinces. Here, using unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests, wetting–drying (WD) tests, and low-temperature nitrogen adsorption tests, we examined the relationship between the particle size and a number of mechanical and microstructural characteristics of a red clay outcropping at a construction site in China. Our results suggest that, depending on the surface area, porosity, particle size, and dry density, the failure mechanism in UCS tests will be different. That is, as the particle size increases, the failure mode of soil changes from split failure into shear failure. In addition, as the dry density increases, the UCS of the soil sample is significantly improved, and its total porosity and fractal dimension decrease. We also evaluated a dependence on particle size and the number of WD cycles on the distribution and size of cracks in WD tests. We conclude by suggesting that particle size, dry density, and WD behavior should all be taken into account in roadbed designs in red clay formations.
Adverse Events Following COVID-19 Vaccine in Patients Previously Injected with Facial Filler: Scoping Review and Case Report
Authors: Rauso Raffaele , Lo Giudice Giorgio , Zerbinati Nicola , Nicoletti Giovanni Francesco , Fragola Romolo , Tartaro Gianpaolo
Published: November 2021

The “Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee 17 December 2020 Meeting Briefing Document”, formulated by the FDA, reported three cases of swelling in areas previously injected with HA filler, introducing the possible relationship between a COVID-19 vaccine and adverse events in areas previously injected with HA fillers. The aim of this research is to report a case of an adverse event following a COVID-19 vaccine in a patient previously injected with facial filler. Furthermore, a scoping review on the same topic was performed. The research was carried out on the electronic databases PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Scopus. The selection process identified four articles as eligible for inclusion in the review. Nineteen patients, including the described case report, who experienced an adverse event following a COVID-19 vaccine in areas previously injected with facial filler were identified. Adverse events following a COVID-19 vaccine in patients previously injected with facial filler appear to be rare. A high BDDE cross-linking rate and/or a low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid filler may have a higher tardive adverse event rate when triggered.
Effect of a Decellularized Omentum Scaffold with Combination of Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Platelet-Rich Plasma on Healing of Critical-Sized Bone Defect: A Rat Model
Authors: Emet Abdulsamet , Ozdemir Erdi , Cetinkaya Duygu Uckan , Kilic Emine , Hashemihesar Ramin , Yuruker Ali Celalettin Sinan , Turhan Egemen
Published: November 2021

The high costs and extensive time needed for the treatment of critical-sized bone defects are still major clinical concerns in orthopedic surgery; therefore, researchers continue to look for more cost and time-effective methods. This study aims to investigate the effects of a decellularized omentum scaffold with a combination of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and mesenchymal stem cells on the healing of critical-sized bone defects. Wistar albino rats (n = 30) were investigated in five groups. Critical-sized bone defects were formed on bilateral radius shafts. No scaffold, decellularized omentum, omentum with PRP and omentum + mesenchymal stem cells was used in group 1 (control group), 2, 3 and 4, respectively. In addition, omentum with a combination of mesenchymal stem cells +PRP was used in group 5. After 6 weeks, both radiological and histological healing were evaluated comparatively among the groups. After the use of a decellularized omentum scaffold, vitality of new cells was maintained, and new bone formation occurred. When compared to the control group, radiological healing was significantly better (p = 0.047) in the omentum and omentum + PRP-treated groups. Furthermore, histological healing was better in the omentum and omentum + PRP-treated groups than the control group (p = 0.001). The use of a decellularized omentum scaffold is suitable in the healing of critical bone defects.
Fermentation of Lulo Juice with Lactobacillus reuteri CECT 925. Properties and Effect of High Homogenization Pressures on Resistance to In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion
Authors: Hinestroza-Córdoba Leidy Indira , Betoret Ester , Seguí Lucía , Barrera Cristina , Betoret Noelia
Published: November 2021

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of lulo juice as substrate for producing a potentially probiotic beverage with Lactobacillus reuteri CECT 925. Lulo juices at two pH levels and two levels of HPH treatment have been considered to evaluate the effect of these variables on Lactobacillus reuteri CECT 925 growth, physicochemical and antioxidant properties, and the resistance of microbial cells to gastrointestinal digestion in vitro. Regarding the growth of Lactobacillus reuteri CECT 925, it was mainly affected by the pH of the medium, the rectified juice at pH 5.5 being the most appropriated one. The growth of Lactobacillus reuteri CECT 925 mainly increased the antiradical capacity of the juices. In general, Lactobacillus reuteri CECT 925 showed good resistance to in vitro gastrointestinal digestion conditions, reaching levels above 107 CFU/mL in all cases. The highest resistance was observed in the juice treated at 150 MPa followed by the juice homogenized at 100 MPa.
CdS/PbSe Heterojunction Made via Chemical Bath Deposition and Ionic Exchange Processes to Develop Low-Cost and Scalable Devices
Authors: Heredia-Cancino José Antonio , Salcido Oscar , Britto-Hurtado Ricardo , Ruvalcaba-Manzo Sayra Guadalupe , Ochoa-Landín Ramón , Castillo Santos Jesús
Published: November 2021

Complete optoelectronic devices present major difficulties to be built by aqueous chemical deposition. In this work, a ITO/CdS/PbSe heterostructure was developed, depositing CdS over an ITO-coated substrate via a chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique. The next step involved the growth of a plumbonacrite film over CdS via CBD, where the film acted as a precursor film to be converted to PbSe via ion exchange. The characterization of each material involved in the heterostructure were as follows: the CdS thin films presented a hexagonal crystalline structure and bandgap of 2.42 eV; PbSe had a cubic structure and a bandgap of 0.34 eV. I vs. V measurements allowed the observation of the electrical behavior, which showed a change from an ohmic to diode response by applying a thermal annealing at 150 °C for 5 min. The forward bias of the diode response was in the order of 0.8 V, and the current-voltage characteristics were analyzed by using the modified Shockley model, obtaining an ideality factor of 2.47, being similar to a Schottky diode. Therefore, the reported process to synthesize an ITO/CdS/PbSe heterostructure by aqueous chemical methods was successful and could be used to develop optoelectronic devices.
Educational Blockchain: A Secure Degree Attestation and Verification Traceability Architecture for Higher Education Commission
Authors: Ayub Khan Abdullah , Laghari Asif Ali , Shaikh Aftab Ahmed , Bourouis Sami , Mamlouk Amir Madany , Alshazly Hammam
Published: November 2021

Degree attestation verification and traceability are complex one-to-one processes between the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and universities. The procedure shifted to the digitalized manner, but still, on a certain note, manual authentication is required. In the initial process, the university verified the degree and stamp seal first. Then, a physical channel of degree submission to the receiving ends is activated. After that, the degree is attested while properly examining and analyzing the tamper records related to degree credentials through e-communication with the university for verification and validation. This issue poses a serious challenge to educational information integrity and privacy. Potentially, blockchain technology could become a standardized platform to perform tasks including issuing, verifying, auditing, and tracing immutable records, which would enable the HEC, universities, and Federal Education Ministry (FEM) to quickly and easily get attested and investigate the forge proof versions of certificates. Besides, decentralized distributed data blocks in chronological order provide high security between distributed ledgers, consensus engine, digital signature, smart contracts, permissioned application, and private network node transactions that guarantee degree record validation and traceability. This paper presents an architecture (HEDU-Ledger) and detail design of blockchain-enabled hyperledger fabric applications implementation for degree attestation verification and traceable direct channel design between HEC and universities. The hyperledger fabric endorses attestation records first, and then validates (committer) the degree and maintains the secure chain of tracing between stakeholder peer nodes. Furthermore, this HEDU-Ledger architecture avoids language and administrative barriers. It also provides robustness in terms of security and privacy of records and maintains integrity with secure preservation as compared to that of the other state-of-the-art methods.
Polynomial-Exponential Bounds for Some Trigonometric and Hyperbolic Functions
Authors: Bagul Yogesh J. , Dhaigude Ramkrishna M. , Kostić Marko , Chesneau Christophe
Published: November 2021

Recent advances in mathematical inequalities suggest that bounds of polynomial-exponential-type are appropriate for evaluating key trigonometric functions. In this paper, we innovate in this sense by establishing new and sharp bounds of the form (1−αx2)eβx2 for the trigonometric sinc and cosine functions. Our main result for the sinc function is a double inequality holding on the interval (0, π), while our main result for the cosine function is a double inequality holding on the interval (0, π/2). Comparable sharp results for hyperbolic functions are also obtained. The proofs are based on series expansions, inequalities on the Bernoulli numbers, and the monotone form of the l’Hospital rule. Some comparable bounds of the literature are improved. Examples of application via integral techniques are given.
Effective Decision Making: Data Envelopment Analysis for Efficiency Evaluation in the Cloud Computing Marketplaces
Authors: Wang Chia-Nan , Nguyen Minh-Nhat , Nguyen Thi-Duong , Hsu Hsien-Pin , Nguyen Thi-Hai-Yen
Published: November 2021

Assessing business performance is a critical issue for practicing managers, and business performance has always been of interest to managers and researchers. In recent years, the world has experienced a rapid growth in the cloud computing service sector thanks to its benefits to business organizations and economic development. Therefore, the performance efficiency of this sector has been concerned as one of the keys in today’s economic environment. This study aimed to assess the performance efficiency of cloud computing service providers in the United States of America, one of the biggest global markets in terms of cloud computing, by applying the data envelopment analysis models. The efficiency of cloud computing providers was evaluated based on the assumption of the non-cooperative game among cloud computing providers in which providers selfishly choose the best strategy to maximize their payoff with three stages. In the first stage, the performance of these providers over the past period was measured by a super slack-based measure. In the second stage, the performance in the future period was predicted by the new data envelopment analysis model: the past–present–future model based on resampling. In the last stage, the efficiency improvement was investigated by adopting the Malmquist productivity index. The findings of this study indicated that the percentage of inefficient providers would increase from 10% in the period from 2017 to 2020 to 20% for 2021 and 2024. Moreover, 30% of providers showed a regress in performance efficiency over the research period of 2017 to 2024. The results of this study provide an insight picture to the decision-makers, and this research will fill the gap in the literature as the first study that measures and predicts the performance efficiency of cloud computing service providers, which will provide a helpful reference for future studies.