bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prior Angina Reduces Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation in Patients with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction, Role of Ischemic Preconditioning
Authors: Ozel Ramime , Ozer Pelin Karaca , Serbest Nail Guven , Atıcı Adem , Onur Imran , Bugra Zehra
Published: February 2021

BackgroundMitral regurgitation may develop due to left ventricular (LV) remodeling within 3 months following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and is called ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR). Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) has been reported as the most important mechanism of the association between prior angina and the favorable outcome. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of prior angina on the development and severity of IMR at 3rd month in patients with ST elevation MI (STEMI).MethodsFourty five (45) patients admitted with STEMI and at least mild IMR, revascularized by PCI were enrolled. According to presence of prior angina within 72 hours before STEMI, patients were then divided into two groups as angina (+) (n:26; 58%) and angina (-) (n:19; 42%). All patients underwent 2D transthoracic echocardiography at 1st, 3rd days and 3rd month. IMR was evaluated by proximal isovelocity surface area (PISA) method: PISA radius (PISA-r), effective regurgitant orifice area (EROA), regurgitant volume (Rvol). LV ejection fraction (EF %) was calculated by Simpson’s method. High sensitive troponin T (hs-TnT), creatine phosphokinase myocardial band (CK-MB) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptid (NTpro-BNP) levels were compared between two groups.ResultsAlthough PISA-r, EROA and Rvol were similar in both groups at 1st and 3rd days, all were significantly decreased (p=0.012, p=0.007, p=0.011, respectively) and EF was significantly increased (p< 0.001) in angina (+) group at 3rd month. NTpro-BNP and hs-TnT levels at 1st day and 3rd month were similar, however CK-MB level at 3rd month was found to be significantly lower in the angina (+) group (p=0.034).Conclusion﻿At the end of the 3rd month, it was observed that the severity of IMR evaluated by PISA method was decreased and EF increased significantly in patients who defined angina within 72 hours prior to STEMI, suggesting a relation with IPC.
New Modeling of AgFeNi2S4-Graphene-TiO2 Ternary Nanocomposite with Chelate Compounds and Its Photocatalytic Reduction of CO2
Authors: Otgonbayar Zambaga , Jung Chong Hun , Won-Chun Oh
Published: February 2021

Herein, we synthesized the chalcogenide-quaternary nanocomposite loaded Graphene-based ternary photocatalyst via a modified solvothermal method. The preparation of quaternary nanocomposite was based on metallic citrate polymerization which used ethylene glycol (C2H6O2) and citric acid (C6H8O7) as chelate cations. The morphology and electrochemical properties of the as-prepared nano-material investigated by using a physical characterization equipment. Each result showed that the ternary photocatalyst was successfully synthesized and showed the low recombination rate of photogenerated electrons and holes, which defined the catalytic activity of the photocatalyst for CO2 evolution into hydrocarbon fuels under light irradiation. In addition, the stability and reusability of the photocatalyst were analyzed by a 6-times cycling test without loss of methanol formation by CO2 evolution. The graphene-based ternary photocatalyst offers a new nanomaterial with a new-model that protects the environment by showing high catalytic activity in reducing CO2 to methanol.
Genetic Diversity and Heterotic Orientation of South Africa Maize Inbred Lines Towards Tropical and Temperate Testers
Authors: Shandu Siphiwokuhle Funani , Derera John , Mashingaidze Kingston , Gasura Edmore
Published: February 2021

An efficient hybrid breeding program defines and utilizes few heterotic groups. The objectives of this study were to determine genetic diversity and alignment of South Africa maize inbred lines collection towards tropical and temperate testers. Forty-two maize inbred lines were genotyped with 56110 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) DNA markers, using the Illumina MaizeSNP50 Bead chip. The 42 lines were crossed to two tropical and two temperate inbred line testers. The testcrosses were evaluated across seven environments, in South Africa, during 2014-2016. Genotypes and specific combining ability (SCA) effects of hybrids were significantly different (P<0.05) for grain yield. There was a weak correlation between molecular genetic distances and both grain yield mean and specific combining ability effects of hybrids, indicating that productivity of maize inbred lines could not be reliably determined based on molecular genetic distances. The SCA data was capable of classifying these maize inbred lines into three heterotic groups with respect to both tropical and temperate testers. Only a few lines could not be grouped on the basis of SCA data. The study also indicated high level of diversity among the maize inbred lines, which was shown by both the dendogram and molecular genetic distances. The SNP marker data classified the inbred lines into 11 clusters that could be simplified into three major groups of normal maize endosperm and two groups of quality protein maize (QPM) endosperm types. However, the SNP data indicated that maize lines were more aligned towards tropical than temperate inbred testers. This information would be useful for simplifying heterotic classification of the lines with profound implications for breeding progress.
Effects of Non-surgical Periodontal Therapy on Periodontal Clinical Data in Periodontitis Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: a Meta-analysis
Authors: Huang Yu , Zhang Zheng , Zheng Youli , Zhao Zhulan , Zhong Yang , Zhang Qingyu , Xia Degeng , Ma Ning , Zhang Li
Published: February 2021

Backgrounds: To date, there is still no consensus about the clinical efficacy of non-surgical periodontal therapy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with periodontitis. Therefore, the overall aim of this study was to summarize available data regarding the clinical efficacy of scaling and root planing (SRP) in patients with RA and periodontitis compared to patients with periodontitis alone.Methods: A meta-analysis of existing randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) was conducted. The eligible RCTs were selected through Embase, PubMed and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and manual retrieval from the earliest records to March 15, 2020 to extract data. The overall effect size of plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), attachment loss (AL), probing depth (PD) and bleeding on probing (BOP) were calculated by either a fixed or random-effect model, and subgroup analyses were conducted according to the different time points of follow-up. Cochrane Collaboration's tool was responsible for the evaluation of the literature quality and the inter-study heterogeneity was evaluated by Q test and I2 statistic. The authors applied sensitivity analysis for results with heterogeneity. Publication bias was determined by Begg's test, Egger's test and the trim-and-fill method.Results: Eight RCTs eventually met the inclusion criteria for the study. The overall outcomes concerned PI, GI, PD, Al and BOP were 0.42(95% CI 0.02, 0.81), 0.03(95% CI -0.03, 0.10),-0.06mm (95% CI -0.18, 0.06), 0.16mm (95% CI-0.03, 0.36) and 4.15(95% CI -0.26, 8.55), respectively. In subgroup analysis, a larger BOP reduction at 3 months, PI and AL reduction at 6 months were observed in patients with RA and periodontitis group. The results of sensitivity analyses had no significant effect. No evidence of potential publication bias was tested.Conclusions: The authors conclude that SRP is equally effective in patients with periodontitis and RA than in periodontitis ones. This result suggests RA does not affect the clinical efficacy of non-surgical periodontal therapy.
Serial Tap Test of Patients With Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus - Impact on Cognitive Function and Its Meaning
Authors: Rocha Samanta Fabricio Blattes da , Kowacs Pedro Andre , Souza Ricardo Krause Martinez de , Pedro Matheus Kahakura Franco , Ramina Ricardo , Teive Hélio Afonso Ghizoni
Published: February 2021

BackgroundIdiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (INPH) is characterized by gait disturbance, urinary incontinence and cognitive decline. Symptoms are potentially reversible and treatment is based on cerebrospinal fluid shunting. The tap test (TT) is used to identify patients that will benefit from surgery. This procedure consists on the withdrawal of 20 to 50 mL of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through a lumbar puncture (LP) after which the symptoms of the triad are tested. Improvement in the quality and speed of gait are already recognized but cognitive improvement depends on several factors such as tests used, time elapsed after LP for re-testing, and number of punctures. Serial punctures may trigger similar conditions as external lumbar drainage (ELD) to the organism. ObjectiveThis study aimed to identify how serial punctures affect cognition in order to increase the sensitivity of the test and consequently the accuracy of surgical indication. MethodsSixty-one patients with INPH underwent baseline memory and executive tests repeatedly following the 2-Step Tap Test protocol (2-STT – two procedures of 30 mL lumbar CSF drainage separated by a 24-hour interval). The baseline scores of INPH patients were compared with those of 55 healthy controls, and with intragroup post-puncture scores of the 2-STT. ResultsThe group with INPH had lower performance than the control group in all cognitive tests (RAVLT, Stroop, CFT, FAR-COWA, FAB, MMSE, orientation, mental control), except for the forward digit span test (p = 0.707). After conducting LP procedures, the Stroop test (words, colors and errors), RAVLT (stage A1, A6 and B1), and CFT (immediate and delayed R) scores were equal to those of the control group (p > 0.05). The INPH group presented significant improvement after the first puncture in MMSE (p = 0.031) and in the Stroop Test (points) (p < 0.001). After the second puncture, subjects improved in orientation, MMSE, RAVLT (B1), Stroop (points, words, errors) and CFT (IR). ConclusionProgressive cognitive improvement occurred over the 2-STT and changes were more significant after the second LP in all cognitive domains except for RAVLT (A7). Encephalic alert system ‘arousal’ seems to participate in early improvements observed during 2-STT. The second LP increased the sensitivity of the drainage test to detect changes in cognitive variables, and consequently improved the quality of the method.
CT-based Radiomic Analysis for Prediction of Treatment Response of Salvage Chemoradiotherapy for Loco-regional Lymph Node Recurrence After Curative Esophagectomy
Authors: Gu Liang , Guo Xinwei , Ye Hongxue , Zhou Shaobin , Liu Yangchen , Gao Fei , Tian Ye
Published: February 2021

Objective: To investigate the capability of computed tomography (CT) radiomic features to predict the therapeutic response and local control of the loco-regional recurrence lymph node (LN) after curative esophagectomy by chemoradiotherapy (CRT).Methods: This retrospective study included 129 LN from 77 patients (training cohort: 102 LN from 59 patients; validation cohort: 27 LN from 18 patients) with postoperative esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The region of the tumor was contoured in pretreatment contrast-enhanced CT images. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) with logistic regression was used to identify radiomic predictors in the training cohort. Model performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC). The Kaplan-Meier method was used to determine the local recurrence time of cancer.Results: Seven features were selected to construct a radiomics model for predicting therapeutic response. The AUCs in the training and validated cohorts were 0.777 (95%CI: 0.667–0.878) and 0.765(95%CI: 0.556–0.975), respectively. A significant difference of radiomic score (Rad-score) between the response and non-response was observed in the two cohorts (P < 0.001, 0.034, respectively). Two features were identified for classifying whether to relapse in two years. AUC was 0.857(95%CI: 0.780–0.935) in the training cohort. The local control time of the high Rad-score group was higher than the low group in both cohorts (P < 0.001 and 0.025, respectively). After the Cox regression analysis, the Rad-score indicated high-risk factors for local recurrence within two years.Conclusions: The radiomics approach can be used as a potential imaging biomarker to predict treatment response and local control of recurrence LN in ESCC patients.
Nationwide Study of Mortality After Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair in France 2010- 2019
Authors: Raffort Juliette , Lareyre Fabien , Fabre Roxane , Mallat Ziad , Pradier Christian , Bailly Laurent
Published: February 2021

ObjectiveThe aim of this nationwide study was to analyze mortality in patients undergoing AAA repair and to explore the association between cardio-metabolic factors with clinical presentation and post-operative mortality. MethodsThis ten-year retrospective, multicenter study based on the French National electronic health data included patients undergoing AAA repair between 2010 and 2019. Post-operative mortality was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curve survival and Log-Rank tests. A multivariate regression analysis was performed to calculate Hazard Ratios.ResultsOver 79 935 patients who underwent AAA repair, 61 146 patients (76.5%) had at least one hospital-readmission after the AAA repair, for a mean follow-up of 3.5 years +/- 2.5. The in-hospital mortality was 4 581 (5.8%) and the total post-operative mortality was 12 400 (20.3%). Age over 64 years old, the presence of AAA rupture and in-hospital readmission at 30-day were predictors of post-operative mortality (HR=1.59 CI95%=1.51 - 1.67; HR=1.49 CI95%=1.36 - 1.62 and HR=1.92, CI95%=1.84 - 2.00). Cardio-metabolic factors were negatively associated with AAA rupture (OR= 0.44 CI95%=0.41-0.47 for dyslipidemia, OR=0.75 CI95%=0.70-0.8 for hypertension). Conclusion﻿The negative association observed between cardio-metabolic comorbidities and AAA rupture suggests that AAA may be underdiagnosed in patients without known comorbidities and highlights the interest of AAA screening.
Stromal-Cell-Derived Factor-1(SDF-1) Down-Regulates ANKH via NF-kB Promote Formation of Chondrocyte Mineralization.
Authors: Zhu Yunong , Liu Tianzhu , Tong Yuchun , Gu Mingxi , Li Junlei , Hao Ruihu , Wang Changcheng , Guo Lin
Published: February 2021

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common forms of arthritis. However, the pathogenesis of OA remains unclear. Previous studies suggested that stromal-cell-derived factor (SDF)-1 was associated with some characteristic changes in cartilage. The aim of this study is, therefore, to explore the mechanism of SDF-1 promotes chondrocyte mineralization in OA. The effect of SDF-1 was analyzed with human C-28/I2 chondrocytes. The chondrocytes were transfected with pEX-4-ANKH or siRNA and treated with related inhibitor. The chondrocytes were subjected to Alizarin red S staining, PiPer phosphate assay kit, Alkaline phosphatase staining , RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. In vitro, SDF-1 markedly promoted the mineralization of chondrocytes and suppressed the expression of ANKH, the endogenous mineralization inhibitor. ANKH overexpressed in the chondrocytes significantly decreased the levels of the mineralization in response to SDF-1 treatment. Moreover, SDF-1 promoted an increase in the expression of p-TAK1 and p-IKKβ、p-IkB、p-NF-kB p65. Furthermore, SDF-1 induced decrease in ANKH expression was blocked by IKKβVI (IkB kinase inhibitor). To conclude, SDF-1 suppresses the expression of ANKH via activating NF-kB pathway to aggravate human chondrocytes calcification, suggesting blockade of SDF-1 might be a novel therapy for treatment of OA patients.
Tracheoinnominate Fistula: Acute Bleeding and Hypovolemic Shock Due to a Trachea-Innominate Artery Fistula After Long-Term Tracheostomy, Treated With a Stent-Graft
Authors: Khanafer Ali , Hellstern Victoria , Meißner Helfried , Harmening Christoph , Schneider Klaus , Henkes Hans
Published: February 2021

BackgroundA tracheo-innominate fistula is a rare but life-threatening complication of tracheostomy and has a mortality rate of 100% without therapy. The underlying cause is an acquired fistula between the brachiocephalic trunk and the trachea, induced by a tracheostomy cannula's mechanical impact.Case presentationA 25-year-old female was admitted with pulsatile bleeding from a tracheostomy. The cause of the bleeding was a tracheo-innominate artery fistula, which was difficult to recognize. Said fistula was treated with implantation of a self-expanding stent-graft. The bleeding stopped immediately after the implantation of the stent-graft. Dual antiplatelet medication with aspirin IV and ticagrelor PO, bridged with a bolus of eptifibatide IV, was started right after the stent deployment. ConclusionsEndovascular self-expanding stent-graft implantation is a viable treatment option for tracheo-innominate artery fistulae, especially in hemorrhagic emergencies. Antiplatelet medication is required to prevent distal emboli from the implant.
First Principles Study in the Electronic Structures and Optical Properties of Chalcogenide-doped AgInS2
Authors: Sukkabot Worasak
Published: February 2021

The Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) generalized gradient approximation (GGA) is adopted to simulate the electronic structures and optical properties of AgInS2 semiconductors with S substitution by chalcogenides. The chalcogenide-doped AgInS2 semiconductor can be synthesized at the normal conditions due to the formation energies. O and Se doping in AgInS2 remain the semiconductor with the narrow band gaps, while Te doping converts semiconductor to metal. In the presence of the impurities, the contributions from p states of chalcogenides are involved, accountable for the reduction of the band gaps. Using the reflectivity and absorption coefficients, the optical properties with extensive absorption range and low reflectivity are attained by incorporating AgInS2 semiconductors with chalcogenides. Finally, this theoretical work launches a broader understanding of the absorber materials and also predicts the natural properties as the alternative for the solar cell applications.
First-principles Calculations of Effects of Pressure on Paramagnetic, Ferromagnetic and Antiferromagnetic spin-web Cu3TeO6
Authors: Du Yi-Hua , Zeng Wei , Tang Bin , Zhong Mi , Liu Qi-Jun , Liu Fu-Sheng , Ma Xiao-Juan
Published: February 2021

The structure, electronic and magnetic properties have been investigated by the first-principles calculations for paramagnetic, ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic Cu3TeO6 under pressure from 0 to 100 GPa. The calculated lattice parameters at 0 GPa are in excellent agreement with the available calculated and experimental values. With increasing pressure, the lattice parameters and volume decrease, but Cu3TeO6 keep a stable cubic structure. The electronic calculations show that paramagnetic and ferromagnetic Cu3TeO6 are metallic, and antiferromagnetic Cu3TeO6 has the non-metallic nature with a direct band gap which decreases with the increasing pressure. Under the pressure, their non-locality of density of states enhances and the electrons becomes more active. Moreover, for antiferromagnetic Cu3TeO6, the spin moments of Cu atoms are affected obviously by pressures, and Te atoms show nonmagnetic performance. The total magnetic moment which is mainly contributed by Cu, reaches the maximum at 20 GPa, and decreases with the increasing pressure. The knowledge of these properties will provide reference and guidance for the subsequent study of Cu3TeO6.
Iron Reduces the Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on the Heart of STZ- and HFD-Induced Diabetic Rats
Authors: Khajvand-Abedini Maryam , Ziamajidi Nasrin , Nourian Alireza , Bahmani Mahdi , Abbasalipourkabir Roghayeh
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of iron and ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) supplementations in the heart tissue of Wistar male rats with T2DM. After diabetes induced by HFD-STZ in animals, oxidative stress markers, including TOS, TAC, OSI (oxidative stress index), MDA, expression of RAGE, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, TNF-α, tissue level of triglyceride (TG), and total cholesterol in the heart of the rats receiving Ferrous sulfate and ω-3 PUFA supplements were studied. Histopathological analysis was also performed to determine cardiac injury.RESULTS: Significant changes in the level of oxidative stress and inflammatory factors revealed the positive effect of ω-3 PUFA supplementation on diminishing the inflammatory and oxidative stress status. After comparing the group D.ω.F with the group D.ω, a significant decrease in the expression level of RAGE genes; inflammatory factors of TNF-α, ICAM-1, VCAM-1; the levels of MDA and OSI (P <0.05); and tissue level of TNF-α protein (P <0.01) was observed, indicating a negative effect of iron supplementation on ω-3 PUFA anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, a substantial increment was found in the tissue levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides in groups D and D.ω.F compared to the group CN, which indicates the effect of diabetes on increasing tissue accumulation of these two lipids. So, the consumption of these two supplements at the same time could intensify the effects of diabetes.CONCLUSION: Ferrous sulfate supplementation neutralizes the anti-inflammatory properties of ω-3 PUFA by increasing the oxidative stress, inflammatory markers, and tissue levels of triglycerides and total cholesterol.
­­­Control and Anti-control of Chaos Based on the Moving Largest Lyapunov Exponent Using Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Han Yanyan , Ding Jianpeng , Du Lin , Lei Youming
Published: February 2021

In this work, we propose a method of control and anti-control of chaos based on the moving largest Lyapunov exponent using reinforcement learning. In this method, we design a reward function for the reinforcement learning according to the moving largest Lyapunov exponent, which is similar to the moving average but computes the corresponding largest Lyapunov exponent using a recently updated time series with a fixed, short length. We adopt the density peaks-based clustering algorithm to determine a linear region of the average divergence index so that we can obtain the largest Lyapunov exponent of the small data set by fitting the slope of the linear region. We show that the proposed method is fast and easy to implement through controlling and anti-controlling typical systems such as the Henon map and Lorenz system.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Utilization in Iran
Authors: Ramandi Sajad , Abbasi Mahya , Mosadeghrad Ali Mohammad
Published: February 2021

Background: The increased use of diagnostic and therapeutic equipment and services increases the costs of the health system and insurance organizations. Evaluating the status of utilizing these services can provide a clear picture of the demand rate, responding process and methods of providing the relevant services. This study aimed to examine the status of using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) services among the insured people by one of the insurance companies.Methods: This research was a descriptive and cross-sectional study. The studied statistical population included all insured persons covered by a private insurance company that had used the MRI services provided in hospitals and other diagnostic and treatment centers in 2018-2019. The data were analyzed using STATA and GIS statistical software.Results: In one contractual year, 22,738,215 medical expenses records have been filed in the entire country, out of which, 119,761 records (0.5% of all cases) were related to MRI services. The shares of the basic (main) insurer and supplemental insurance related to this service of the total MRI costs were estimated as 52,946,159,376 Rials (1,259,860.6077 USD) and 231,303,021,838 Rials (5,503,884.87252 USD), respectively. In the study, 102,024 people have used MRI at least once a year. The average cost of using MRI services at each time in the country was 2,373,470 Rials (56.47702 USD). The average number of referrals in the whole country was 0.07 times. The highest frequency of referrals was in Lorestan and Qom provinces, while Kerman and Sistan and Baluchestan provinces had the lowest frequency of referrals. The overall rate of utilization of MRI services in the country was estimated to be 6%.Conclusion: In general, the study results suggested a high rate of using MRI services in Iran, which can be due to the 100% coverage of costs by insurance companies and the increased access to health diagnostic and treatment services in the country.
DUSP4 is an Oncogenic Gene for the Carcinogenesis of Clear cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Zeng Xianyou , Zhu Changyan , Zhu Xianxin
Published: February 2021

DUSP4 is considered as an oncogenic gene. However, the effect of DUSP4 on the oncogenesis of Clear cell Renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) is still unclear. In this study, we explored the expression pattern of DUSP4 in CCRCC cancer tissues and CCRCC cell lines by qRT-PCR. Furthermore, we investigated the roles of DUSP4 in CCRCC using gain-of-function and loss-of-function assays. Here, DUSP4 mRNA levels were significantly increased in CCRCC tissues and cell lines. DUSP4 overexpression promotes the proliferation, migration and tumorigenicity of CCRCC cells while DUSP4 silencing showed the opposite effects. DUSP4 serves as an oncogenic gene in CCRCC carcinogenesis, indicating the potential value of DUSP4 in the diagnosis and treatment of CCRCC.
Analysis of the Effect of Phototherapy on Intestinal Probiotics and Its Metabolism in Newborns With Jaundice
Authors: Fan Sainan , Zhang Kun , Zheng Fang , Zhang Jiahui , Wu Zhimin , Lv Anping , Ma Yanan , Fang Xiaohui , Zhang Jinping
Published: February 2021

Background: Both long-term and short-term side effects of phototherapy are being increasingly recognized by clinicians. The purpose of this article is to study the changes of intestinal probiotics and their metabolic indexes in newborns with jaundice receiving phototherapy. Method: Intestinal flora and metabolic changes in newborns were studied through macrogene sequencing and metabonomics. Results: We found that Bifidobacterium is the main probiotic strain present in the newborn intestinal tract, along with a small amount of Lactobacillus. Both Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus decreased significantly (p<0.05) in neonatal intestinal flora after phototherapy for 24 hours and 48 hours. A correlation analysis between changed probiotics and intestinal short-chain fatty acid metabolites after phototherapy showed that acetic acid, butyric acid, caproic acid, and propionic acid decreased; these metabolites were significantly correlated with Bifidobacterium (p<0.05). After phototherapy, non-targeted metabolites also changed significantly (p<0.05) and were correlated with many probiotics (p<0.05). Significantly changed probiotics demonstrated a significant correlation with some intestinal non-targeted metabolites (p<0.05).Conclusion: Phototherapy can significantly affect the intestinal probiotic flora and its metabolic indicators in newborns with jaundice, which may contribute to phototherapy side effects. These findings also provide a theoretical basis for administering suitable probiotics to newborns with jaundice.
Temperature Trend Analysis and Extreme High Temperature Prediction Based on Weighted Markov Model in Lanzhou
Authors: Pang Zhiqiang , Wang Zhaoxu
Published: February 2021

In this study, temporIn this study, temporal trend analysis was conducted on the annual and quarterly meteorological variables of Lanzhou from 1951 to 2016, and a weighted Markov model for extremely high-temperature prediction was constructed. Several non-parametric methods were used to analyze the time trend. Considering that sequence autocorrelation may affect the accuracy of the trend test, we performed an autocorrelation test and carried out trend analysis for sequences with autocorrelation after removing correlation. The results show that the maximum temperature, minimum temperature, and average temperature in Lanzhou have a significant rising trend and show different performances in each season. In detail, the maximum temperature in summer does not have a significant change trend, while the minimum temperature in winter is the most significant rising trend, which leads to more and more ”warm winter” phenomenon. Finally, we construct a weighted Markov prediction model for extremely high temperatures and obtain the conclusion that the prediction results by the model are consistent with the real situation. and show different performances in each season. In detail, the maximum temperature in summer does not have a significant change trend, while the minimum temperature in winter is the most significant rising trend, which leads to more and more ”warm winter” phenomenon. Finally, we construct a weighted Markov prediction model for extremely high temperatures and obtain the conclusion that the prediction results by the model are consistent with the real situation.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Combined With Hydrogen-rich Saline Protect Against Acute Lung Injury Induced by Lipopolysaccharide in Rat Model
Authors: Chang Yintao , Zhang Zhenzhen , Bao Xiaochen , Wang Mingdong , Jin Yuxiang , Zhang Si'ang , Zhao Xuewei , Fang Yiqun , Xue Lei
Published: February 2021

Background: To investigate the effects of hydrogen-rich saline (HRS) combined with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) on acute lung injury (ALI) and its clinical significance.Methods: 40 adult male Sprague-Dawlay rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: the sham, LPS, LPS + HBO, LPS + HRS and LPS + HBO + HRS. LPS at a rate of 3mg/kg was injected into the trachea of the experimental animals to develop ALI model, then the animals were respectively given simple HBO or HRS treatment or combined treatment. 3 days later, we study lung pathological, the levels of inflammatory factors , and cell apoptosis in the pulmonary tissue was detected by Tunel and cell apoptosis rate was calculated accordingly. Results: In the groups treated with HRS and HBO, pulmonary pathological data, wet-dry weight ratio and immflammatory factors in the pulmonary tissues and avelar lavage fluid were signficantly superiror to those of the sham group（P<0.05）. Cell apoptosis detection revealed that the simple treatment with HRS or HBO, or combined treatment with both, can all alleviate cell apoptosis, and the combined treatment with HRS and HBO was obviously superior to single treatment（P<0.05）.Conclusions: HRS and HBO could all decrease the release of immflammatory cytokines in lung tissue, reduce accumulation of oxidative products and alleviate apoptosis of pulmoanry cells, and could produce good therapeutic effects on ALI induced by LPS. HBO combined with HRS seems to have a synergistic effect on the decrease of cell apoptosis, and in the expression of immflammatory cytokines and the generation of related immflammatory products, the combined use of HBO and HRS showed a decreasing trend as compared with simple application.
qPCR Assays with Dual-Labeled Probes for Genotyping Honey bee Variants Associated with Varroa Resistance
Authors: Bouuaert David Claeys , Poucke Mario Van , Smet Lina De , Verbeke Wim , Graaf Dirk C. de , Peelman Luc
Published: February 2021

Background: The varroa mite is one of the main causes of honey bee mortality. An important mechanism by which honey bees increase their resistance against this mite is the expression of suppressed mite reproduction. This trait describes the physiological inability of mites to produce viable offspring and was found associated with eight genomic variants in previous research. Results: This paper presents the development and validation of high-throughput qPCR assays with dual-labeled probes for discriminating these eight single-nucleotide variants. Within the sequenced samples, additional variants were detected in the primer/probe binding sites in four out of the eight variants of interest. As for two of these the additional variants interfered with the genotyping outcome supplementary primers and/or probes were developed. Inclusion of these primers and probes in the assay mixes allowed for the correct genotyping of all eight variants of interest.Conclusion: These outcomes underline the importance of checking for interfering variants in designing qPCR assays. Ultimately, the availability of this assay allows genotyping for the suppressed mite reproduction trait and paves the way for marker assisted selection in breeding programs.
Glucose induced biofilm formation in Bacillus thuringiensis KPWP1 is associated with increased cell surface hydrophobicity and increased production of exopolymeric substances
Authors: Jha Sushmita , Bhadani Nirbhay , Kumar Abhinash , Sengupta Tapas Kumar
Published: February 2021

Bacillus thuringiensis are agriculturally and medically important bacteria as they produce insecticidal Cry proteins and can form biofilm on different plant surfaces. Previous studies reported that the ubiquitous carbon source glucose could induce restricted motility and fractal pattern formation in the growing colonies of pH, salt and arsenate tolerant Bacillus thuringiensis KPWP1. As bacteria are evolved with the ability to exhibit multicellular behaviour and biofilm formation under limiting conditions for survival, the present study was focused on exploring the effect of glucose in biofilm formation by Bacillus thuringiensis KPWP1. Significant rise in biofilm loads were observed with increased glucose concentrations in growth media. Compared to control, six times more biofilm load was marked in presence of 2% of glucose. Interestingly, it was observed that the effect was glucose specific and also not due to any change in sugar induced physicochemical property of the growth media as addition of galactose or arabinose could not induce any significant increase in KPWP1 biofilm load. Scanning electron-, confocal laser scanning-microscopic studies and biochemical tests revealed that increased concentrations of glucose could induce increased production of exopolymeric substances, increased number of densely-packed micro-colonies in KPWP1 biofilm and increased hydrophobicity and adherence properties in KPWP1cells.
High serum copeptin may be a marker of an increased carotid intima-media thickness in asymptomatic patients with type 1 diabetes.
Authors: Nattero-Chávez Lía , Martínez-García María Ángeles , Fernández-Durán Elena , López Sandra Redondo , Avendaño Beatriz Dorado , Escobar-Morreale Héctor , Luque-Ramírez Manuel
Published: February 2021

Copeptin is a stable peptide derived from cleavage of the precursor of arginine-vasopressin (AVP), [1,2] that can be easily measured by using a simple rapid assay. Copeptin has been related with an increased incidence of stroke and cardiovascular mortality in individuals with diabetes, mainly type 2 [3,4]. It is also a risk predictor for end-stage renal disease, coronary heart disease, and all-cause mortality in people with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) [5]. However, we have recently reported that copeptin does not appear to be a reliable marker for the screening of asymptomatic peripheral arterial disease in a population of patients with T1DM [6]. We here explore the putative relationships between serum copeptin level and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in asymptomatic T1DM-patients comprehensively investigated for subclinical carotid atherosclerosis.
Plants Are the Drivers of Geographic Variation of Floral Scents in a Highly Specialized Pollination Mutualism: a Study of Ficus Hirta in China
Authors: Xiaoxia Deng , Bruno Buatois , Yan-Qiong Peng , Yu Hui , Yufen Cheng , Finn Kjellberg , Magali Proffit
Published: February 2021

BackgroundFloral volatiles play an important role in pollinator attraction. This is particularly true in obligate brood site pollination mutualisms. The plants generally produce inconspicuous flowers and depend on odours to attract to their inflorescences specialised pollinators that breed in their floral structures. Little is known about the processes shaping the micro-evolution of these floral odours. Here, we investigate geographic variation of floral odour in an obligate host-specific brood site pollination mutualism where plant and pollinator genetic structures are different, Ficus hirta and its specialised pollinators.ResultsWe evidence progressive geographic divergence of floral odours. The pattern of variation fits plant genetic structure but differs from pollinating insect structuring into species and populations. In our study system, the evolution of receptive floral odour presents a pattern that is not distinguishable from neutral drift that is not canalised by the insects.ConclusionWe propose that this pattern characterises obligate brood site pollination mutualisms in which pollinators are host specific and dispersal is limited. Insects with their short generation times and large population sizes track variation in host receptive inflorescence odours. Plants are the drivers and insects the followers. Strict sense plant-insect co-evolution is not involved. In contrast, stabilizing selection may be at work in more dispersive brood site pollination mutualisms, while pollinators may mediate local interspecific plant floral odour convergence when plant species share local pollinators.
Evolution of hes Gene Family in Vertebrates: hes5 Cluster Genes Were Specifically Increased in Xenopus
Authors: Kuretani Aya , Yamamoto Takayoshi , Taira Masanori , Michiue Tatsuo
Published: February 2021

Background hes genes are chordate homologs of Drosophila genes, hairy and enhancer of split, which encode a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcriptional repressor with a WRPW motif. Various developmental functions of hes genes, including early embryogenesis and neurogenesis, have been elucidated in vertebrates. However, their orthologous relationships remain unclear partly because of less conservation of relatively short amino acid sequences, less conserved synteny, and species-specific gene duplication. This results in complicated gene names in vertebrates, which are not consistent in orthologs. In a previous study, we revealed that Xenopus frogs have two clusters of hes5, named “the hes5.1 cluster” and “the hes5.3 cluster.” The origin has not yet been revealed. Results Here, we elucidated the orthologous and paralogous relationships of all hes genes of human, mouse, chicken, gecko, zebrafish, medaka, coelacanth, spotted gar, elephant shark, and Xenopus frogs (X. tropicalis and X. laevis) by phylogenic and synteny analysis. Any clusters of hes5 were not found in amniotes, whereas duplicated hes5 clusters in teleost were found although not as many genes as Xenopus. In addition, hes5 cluster-like structure was found in the elephant shark genome, but not found in cyclostomata. Conclusion These data suggest that the hes5 cluster existed in the gnathostome ancestor, but was lost in amniotes.
First draft genome of loach (Orenectus shuilongensis; Cypriniformes: Nemacheilidae) provide insights into the evolution of cavefish
Authors: Liu Zhijin , Qian Xuekun , Wang Ziming , Wen Huamei , Han Ling , Zhou Jiang
Published: February 2021

BcakgroundLoaches of the superfamily Cobitoidea (Cypriniformes, Nemacheilidae) are small elongated bottom-dwelling freshwater fishes with several barbels near the mouth. The genus Oreonectes with 18 currently recognized species contains representatives for all three key stages of the evolutionary process (a surface-dwelling lifestyle, facultative cave persistence, and permanent cave dwelling). Some Oreonectes species show typical cave dwelling-related traits, such as partial or complete leucism and regression of the eyes, rendering them as suitable study objects of micro-evolution. Genome information of Oreonectes species is therefore an indispensable resource for research into the evolution of cavefishes.ResultsHere we assembled the genome sequence of O. shuilongensis, a surface-dwelling species, using an integrated approach that combined PacBio single-molecule real-time sequencing and Illumina X-ten paired-end sequencing. Based on in total 50.9 Gb of sequencing data, our genome assembly from Canu and Pilon spans approximately 515.64 Mb (estimated coverage of 100 ×), containing 803 contigs with N50 values of 5.58 Mb. 25,247 protein-coding genes were predicted, of which 95.65% have been functionally annotated. We also performed genome re-sequencing of three additional cave-dwelling Oreonectes fishes. Twenty-nine pseudogenes annotated using DAVID showed significant enrichment for the GO terms of “eye development” and “retina development in camera-type eye”. It is presumed that these pseudogenes might lead to eye degeneration of semi/complete cave-dwelling Oreonectes species. Furthermore, Mc1r (melanocortin-1 receptor) is a pseudogenization by a deletion in O. daqikongensis, likely blocking biosynthesis of melanin and leading to the albino phenotype.ConclusionsWe here report the first draft genome assembly of Oreonectes fishes, which is also the first genome reference for Cobitidea fishes. Pseudogenization of genes related to body color and eye development may be responsible for loss of pigmentation and vision deterioration in cave-dwelling species. This genome assembly will contribute to the study of the evolution and adaptation of fishes within Oreonectes and beyond (Cobitidea).
Spectrum Sensing Techniques Based on Last Status Change Point Estimation for Dynamic Primary User in Additive Laplacian Noise
Authors: Sinha Khushboo , Trivedi Yogesh N.
Published: February 2021

A real time scenario of dynamic primary user (PU) is considered in additive Laplacian noise. Two transitions or status changes of PU in the fixed sensing time are considered. The last status change point (LSCP) is estimated with maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) by using dynamic programming. We consider Cumulative Sum (CuSum) based weighted samples for detection. We consider three detection schemes such as sample mean detector, energy detection (ED) and improved absolute value cumulation detection (i-AVCD). We derive closed form expressions of detection probability (P D ) and false alarm probability (P F ) for all the three schemes. We present our results with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) for the considered schemes. We also present simulation results, which are closely matching with their analytical counterparts. We compare the ROC of the considered system with the ROC of conventional techniques. In the conventional techniques, all the samples in the sensing time are used for detection without LSCP estimation and weight. It is found that the considered system outperforms the conventional schemes.
A new approach for predicting the future position of a moving object: Hurricanes case study
Authors: oueslati wided , tahri sonia , limam hela , akaichi jalel
Published: February 2021

Nowadays, huge amounts of tracking data related to moving objects are being generated and collected in suitable repositories thanks to GPS devices, RFIDsensors, satellites and wireless communication technologies. Tracked moving objects could be pedestrians, cars, vessels, planes, animals, natural disasters. Those letters generate trajectory data that contain a great deal of knowledge. For this reason, these trajectory data sets need an urgent and an effective analysis process and constitute a rich source for inferring mobility patterns. Predicting the future position of a given moving object is one of the important tasks we can find in the knowledge discovery process. In fact, being able to predict a moving object’s future position related to natural phenomena, would allow decision makers to take strategic decisions in order to help the humanity, and prevent or avoid the propagation of natural catastrophes. The aim of this paper is to propose a new approach to predict the future position of a moving object, especially a moving region based on mobility patterns. To achieve this aim, we experiment our approach on a real case study related to hurricanes as moving regions. The proposed approach is composed of three phases. The first phase allows generating object mobility patterns. In the second phase, spatio-tempoal mobility rules are extracted from the generated patterns. In the third and last phase, hurricane future position prediction is accomplished by using the extracted rules.
Regional Variations and the Risk Factors Among Teenager Childbearing in Ethiopia an Evidences From Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey, 2016
Authors: Liga Abebe Debu , Boyamo Adane Erango , Jabir Yasin Negash , Wobse Belete Adelo , Menuta Yohannes Haile
Published: February 2021

Background: Childbearing is a teenage girl usually within the ages of 13-19, becoming fertile. Teenage childbearing and the consequences associated with it remain a major concern worldwide. In Sub-Saharan African countries like Ethiopia, teenage childbearing rates have high compared to the rest of the world. The study assessed risk-factors and regional-variations among teenage childbearing in Ethiopia.Method: The data were obtained from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey. A two-stage cluster sampling design was applied to select the sample. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to assess' the risk-factors and regional-variation among teenage childbearing in Ethiopia.Results: In this study, 3498 teenagers from nine regional states and two administrative cities in Ethiopia were included. Over 10% of teenagers have been born children at the time of data collection. Shortage of education, poor-wealth index, knowing ovulatory cycle, non-usage of contraceptive-method, and non-exposure to media found to be determinants of teenager childbearing in Ethiopia. Conclusions: The incidence of teenage childbearing is high in Ethiopia then the concerned bodies provide awareness to the society on the risk of early pregnancy, encourage education, expand mass media and give special attention to poor and middle-income teenagers.
Complete nucleotide sequence of a novle botourmiavirus from the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae isolate SH05
Authors: Deng Qingchao , Zhou Xuan , Shuai Simnin , Zheng Hong , Ding Hang , An Hongliu , Miao Shuyue , Fang Shouguo , Zhang Songbai
Published: February 2021

A novel mycovirus, proposed name Magnaporthe oryzae botourmiavirus 9 (MoBV9), was described in the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae isolate SH05. The virus has a positive single-stranded (+) ss RNA genome of 2,812 nucleotides and contains a single open reading frame predicted to encode an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase closely related to some unclassified viruses of the family Botourmiaviridae, such as Plasmopara viticola lesion associated ourmia-like virus 44, Plasmopara viticola lesion associated ourmia-like virus 47and Cladosporium uredinicola ourmiavirus 1. Genome comparison and phylogenetic analysis supported the notion that MoBV9 is a new member of the family Botourmiaviridae.