bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modelling clinical DNA fragmentation in the development of universal PCR-based assays for bisulfite, FFPE and cfDNA sample analysis
Authors: Johnston Andrew D , Korbie Darren , Lu Jennifer , Trau Matt
Published: June 2022

In fragmented DNA, PCR-based methods quantify the number of intact regions at a specific amplicon length. However, the relationship between the population of DNA fragments within a sample and the likelihood they will amplify has not been fully described. To address this, we have derived a mathematical equation that relates the distribution profile of a stochastically fragmented DNA sample to the probability that a DNA fragment within that sample can be amplified by any PCR assay of arbitrary length. Two panels of multiplex PCR assays for quantifying fragmented DNA were then developed: a four-plex panel that can be applied to any human DNA sample and used to estimate the percentage of regions that are intact at any length; and a two-plex panel optimized for quantifying circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA). For these assays, regions of the human genome least affected by copy number aberration were identified and selected; within these copy-neutral regions, each PCR assay was designed to amplify both genomic and bisulfite-converted DNA; and all assays were validated for use in both conventional qPCR and droplet-digital PCR. Finally, using the cfDNA-optimized assays we find evidence of universally conserved nucleosome positioning among individuals.
Green Star-Earth Edge Computing Architecture Exploration and Offloading Strategy Research
Authors: Wang Yu , He Chenguang , Han Shuai
Published: June 2022

This paper first introduces the potential and role of green communication, satellite-ground network and other technologies in the development of IoT technology, and then proposes a new green satellite-ground edge computing architecture (GSECA) for the green communication problem in the satellite edge computing scenario. This article includes the following contents: 1. The natural advantages of green communication mechanism and satellite-earth edge computing; 2. The combination mechanism of green communication and satellite-earth edge computing; 3. Problems existing in green satellite-earth edge computing and development prospects for future research ;4. For this architecture, a priority-based task offloading algorithm is proposed. The algorithm is optimized based on the Lagrange multiplier method, which can realize the orderly offloading of ground equipment computing tasks to the satellite. It also has relatively good performance in terms of energy consumption, and the complexity of the algorithm is relatively low based on the results obtained by the CVX toolbox.
Parental choice of kindergarten type and relations to personal values, socio-demographics, and early child characteristics
Authors: Specht Ina Olmer , Larsen Sofus C , Nielsen Ann-Kristine , Rohde Jeanett Friis , Heitmann Berit Lilienthal , Jørgensen Tanja Schjødt
Published: June 2022

Purpose
Children attending outdoor kindergartens are assumed to be healthier than children attending conventional kindergartens, however, factors related to the self-selection into kindergarten type may explain the difference. We investigated the reasons for choosing either outdoor or conventional kindergartens among parents, and if parental socio-demographics and early child characteristics differed prior to enrolling children to either type of kindergarten.
Methods
This study was part of the ‘Outdoor kindergartens – the healthier choice?’ study. General Concept Mapping, based on a mixed-method participatory approach, was applied to identify parental reasons for choosing either type of kindergarten. Further, data on child and parental socio-demographic, health information and kindergarten choice were gathered from Danish registries.
Results
Parents of children attending outdoor kindergartens weighed reasons such as “physical setting, outdoor life, and freedom of movement” high, whereas “a good first impression of the kindergarten” was an important reason for parents choosing a conventional kindergarten. In the register-based approach, 2434 and 2643 children attended outdoor or conventional kindergartens, respectively. The parents choosing outdoor kindergartens as well as their children differed according to most investigated characteristics, e.g. origin (maternal non-Western: 4.2% vs. 21.9%, p < .0001), educational level (maternal long education: 45.6% vs. 33.0%, p < .0001), prematurity (5.1% vs. 7.1%, p = 0.004) and sex (females: 43.5% vs. 48.6%, p = 0.0003).
Conclusions
Our results suggest that parental choice of kindergarten is related to considerable differences in both reasons for choosing type of kindergarten, socio-demographics, and early child characteristics. These differences might cause selection bias when comparing health outcomes among children attending different kinds of kindergartens.
A single-center analysis of visual outcomes and associated factors after intravenous methylprednisolone treatment for dysthyroid optic neuropathy
Authors: Kemchoknatee Parinee , Chainakul Methaphon , Tangon Duanghathai , Srisom Thansit
Published: June 2022

Background: Dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON) is a serious threatening vision loss in Graves’ ophthalmopathy (GO). Although the European Group on Graves’ Ophthalmopathy (EUGOGO) recommend intravenous methylprednisolone therapy for first line treatment. Some characteristics predicting the response are still inconclusive.Aim: To study the efficacy of intravenous pulse methylprednisolone (IVMP) in treating dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON) and to identify factors predicting poor response to the treatment.Methods: Patients diagnosed with DON between January 2010 and December 2021 at Rajavithi Hospital, Thailand, receiving IVMP 1 gm/ day for 3 consecutive days were analyzed. The efficacy at 1 week and 3 and 6 months in terms of improvement of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and proptosis were compiled.Results: Of the 59 DON cases that received IVMP, 52.54% gained at least 0.2 Logarithm of the Minimum Angle of Resolution (logMAR) at 1 week, and the improvement from initial to 1-week BCVA was 0.67±0.75 logMAR (p<0.001) and the decrease in proptosis was 1.77±1.35 mm (p<0.001). The remaining 24 orbits underwent orbital decompression and were excluded from the long-term efficacy analysis. In the last 6 months’ follow-up time, there was an improvement of BCVA (0.59±0.53 logMAR) and proptosis (1.66±1.41 mm) (both p<0.001). Significant predictive factors of poor treatment response were age ³55 years (odds ratio [OR]: 7.2, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.37–37.74, p=0.02); longer onset duration before treatment (OR: 5.22, 95%CI: 1.27–21.48, p=0.022); and proptosis at baseline (OR: 4.77, 95%CI: 1.09–20.91, p=0.039). The strongest risk factor for predicting poor response to IVMP was poor initial visual acuity (OR: 8.87, 95%CI: 1.29–60.92, p=0.026).Conclusions: IVMP is effective for both short- and long-term treatment to improve visual acuity and proptosis. Older age, longer disease duration, poor initial visual acuity, and proptotic orbits were identified as risk factors for predicting poor IVMP treatment in Thai population. Patients with suspected DON should be advised for early IVMP to better preserve their future vision.
Heat shock-induced exosomes derived from neural stem cells confer marked neuroprotection against oxidative stress and amyloid-β caused neurotoxicity
Authors: Huber Christa C. , Callegari Eduardo A. , Paez Maria D. , Romanova Svetlana , Wang Hongmin
Published: June 2022

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease and a leading cause of dementia. Although the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide is deemed a crucial driver of AD, there are no effective therapeutics available to treat Aβ-caused neurotoxicity. Exosomes are extracellular vesicles with a size range of 30 – 150 nanometers in diameter. Stem cell-derived exosomes are a potential therapeutic in AD, while exosomes isolated from normal stem cell cultures generally have a low yield. Here, we studied the exosomes secreted by the rat neural stem cells in the presence of heat shock (HS) stimulus. Nanoparticle tracking analysis confirmed HS-derived exosomes exhibit significantly higher concentration and larger diameter in comparison to the non-heat shock (NHS)-derived exosomes. Mass spectrometric studies of exosomal proteins reveal that HS-derived exosomes contained fewer diverse proteins than NHS-derived exosomes. GO enrichment analysis of the proteins suggested that the top two biological functions of the proteins in HS-derived exosomes are involved in the negative regulation of apoptotic process and positive modulation of DNA repair. Importantly, the therapeutic efficacy of the NHS- and HS-derived exosomes were tested in a cell culture model of AD: HS-derived exosomes exhibited greater neuroprotection against not only oxidative stress but also amyloid-β (Aβ) induced neurotoxicity compared to NHS-derived exosomes. These data indicate that in response to HS, neural stem cells increase exosome production and alter exosome morphology and cargo to confer better neuroprotection against oxidative stress and Aβ caused neurotoxicity, suggesting that HS-induced exosomes from neural stem cells can be a therapeutic reagent for AD and possibly other neurological disorders.
WITHDRAWN: Genome-wide surveying of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) lines for idetifying loci of ZYMV resistance
Authors: Gokbulut Tarik , Fidan Hakan , Fırat Ahmet Fikret , Coskun Omer Faruk , Pinar Hasan , Gulsen Osman
Published: June 2022

Control of virus diseases such as zuchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) of cucumber causing major yield and quality losses is impossible by using any chemical pesticide except for using elimination of vectors of viruses and resistant cultivar. The objectives of this study were to investigate structure of genetic resistance to ZYMV of cucumber for marker-assisted selection (MAS). Forty-eigth resistant and 48 susceptible lines were selected from a germplasm of 600 cucumber lines. Bulk DNAs of resistant and susceptible lines were screened to find candidate marker(s) by using ISSR, RAPD and a cleaved amplified polymorphism (CAP) primers, which targeted over 5000 loci of cucumber. Candidate markers later were applied to 96 lines including 48 resistance and susceptible lines to find associating markers. A total of 54 candidate marker loci were produced, which were clustered into two groups based on Dice’, average distance, simple matching and correlation similarity matrices. In the association analyses by using TASSEL software, associating markers were detected. These markers were then subjected to backward regression analysis by SAS program. The results explained %78 of total variation for ZYMV. The remaining 22% of the variation was possibly due to presence of additional gene(s) and environmental effect that caused lower repeatability.
LPAR5 confers cancer cells radioresistance associated with EMT activation via ERK/ Snail pathway
Authors: sun xiaoya , li haozheng , Xie Da-Fei , gao ShanShan , Huang Xin , Guan Hua , Bai Chenjun , zhou pingkun
Published: June 2022

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a critical event contributing cancer cells more aggressive phenotypes. EMT programs are frequently activated in radiation-targeted cells during the course of radiotherapy, and which often endows cancers the acquired radioresistance. Through RNA-seq based transcriptome analysis, here we found that LPAR5 is downregulated in the early response of HeLa cells to γ-rays irradiation. Radiation-induced alterations of LPAR5 expression were further revealed to be a bidirectional dynamic process in HeLa and A549 cells, i.e., early downregulating phase at 2 ~ 4h and late upregulating phase at 24h post-irradiation. Overexpression of LPAR5 prompts EMT programing and migration of cancer cells. Moreover, increased expression of LPAR5 is significantly associated with IR-induced EMT and confers cancer cells radioresistance. Knockdown of LPAR5 suppressed IR-induced EMT by attenuating the activation of ERK signaling and downstream Snail, MMP1, and MMP9 expressions. In conclusion, LPAR5 is an important upstream regulator of IR-induced EMT through modulating ERK/Snail pathway. This study provides further insights into understanding the mechanism of radiation-induced EMT and promising target for improving the effectiveness of cancer radiation therapy.
Thermal Rectification in Ultra-narrow Hydrogen Functionalized Graphene: A Non- Equilibrium Molecular Dynamics Study
Authors: Sharifi Marjan , Heidaryan Ehsan
Published: June 2022

In this study, the non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulation (NEMD) has been used to evaluate the thermal properties, especially the rectification of ultra-narrow edge-functionalized graphene with hydrogen atoms. The system's small width equals 4.91 Å (equivalent to two hexagonal rings). The dependence of the thermal rectification on the mean temperature, hydrogen concentration, and temperature difference between the two baths was investigated. Results reveal that the thermal rectification increases up to 100% at 550 K by increasing the mean temperature. Also, it is disclosed that hydrogen concentration plays a vibrant role in thermal rectification. Furthermore, a thoroughgoing rectification is obtained in the half fully hydrogenated system due to maximum phonon scattering at the interface. Furthermore, the effects of temperature difference of baths ΔT on thermal rectification has been calculated. As a result, the thermal rectification decreases even though the current heat increases with ΔT. Finally, the thermal resistance at the interface using a mismatching factor between the two-phonon density of states (DOS) on both sides of the interface has been explained.
Birth outcomes, early growth patterns and age at adiposity rebound: evidence from the Ma’anshan birth cohort (MABC) study
Authors: Zhou Jixing , Zhang Shanshan , Teng Yuzhu , Yang Mengting , Yan Shuangqin , Tao Xingyong , Tao Fangbiao , Huang Kun
Published: June 2022

Objective: The age at AR (adiposity rebound) in humans appears to be earlier. Increasing studies found that early age at AR (EAR) are associated with subsequent obesity and related complications, but it is unclear whether birth outcomes and early growth patterns are important factors in AR. We aimed to investigate the effect of birth outcomes and early growth patterns in the first two years on the timing of AR.Methods: A prospective cohort study of 2705 children was included in this study. Early growth levels were calculated based on BMI and head circumference in the first two years. We defined the criteria for rapid weight gain (RWG) in infancy as a change in weight SD score > +0.67 from birth to 12/18/24 months. Group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM) and fractional polynomial function models were used to determine body mass index (BMI) trajectory from birth to 24 months and estimate children’s age at AR, respectively. Binary logistic regression models and multivariate linear regression models were used.Results: Children born with small size (SGA, LBW, and smaller length, weight and head circumference) and short gestational age (GA) (PTB and shorter GA) were associated with EAR. Children with RWG was associated with an increased risk of EAR. Children’s BMI and head circumference were negatively associated with age at AR before 12 months, but this association changed radically afterwards. Furthermore, children with rising BMI trajectory and low BMI trajectory in the first two years were both associated with an increased risk of EAR compared to medium BMI trajectory.Conclusions: Both birth outcomes and early growth patterns will influence subsequent age at AR.
CT delta-radiomics for identification of advanced EGFR-Mutated lung adenocarcinoma Sensitive to Therapies Targeting EGFR Pathway
Authors: Zou Jiajun , Mao Haijia , Zhu Fandong , He Bin , Zhao Li , Yang Chen , Zhao Zhenhua
Published: June 2022

Purpose: In this study, a non-invasive radiomics method was used to extract a large amount of valuable information from patient CT images (including pre-treatment and follow-up images), and the image features were effectively combined with treatment effect evaluation, aiming to solve the problem of lung adenocarcinoma in patients with EGFR mutation positive. The early efficacy evaluation of cancer EGFR-TKI targeted drugs provides a scientific basis for clinical drug selection and adjustment of treatment plans. Methods: It is planned to include 106 patients with EGFR-TKI targeted therapy for lung adenocarcinoma in Shaoxing People's Hospital (pathologically confirmed EGFR mutation positive), and randomly divide them into a training group and a validation group in a ratio of 7:3. The CT plain scan images of patients before and 2 months after treatment were collected, and the images were segmented by ITK-SNAP software. Perform feature screening and modeling, and draw nomograms, calibration curves, and decision curves. Results: After Lasso dimensionality reduction, three features with non-zero coefficients are extracted between groups, sumEntropy,LongRunLowGreyLevelEmphasis_angle0_offset1, LongRunLowGreyLevelEmphasis_angle0_offset4. The average area under the curve (AUC) of the logistic regression model in the training group and the validation group was 0.778 and 0.773, respectively; the Nomogram chart showed that after the three radiomics parameters were scored, the total score was 0-130, and the corresponding effective The risk was 0.1-0.9; the calibration curve showed that the predicted value and the actual clinical observation value approached a 45° slope, indicating that the model was well calibrated; while the decision curve radiomics model was used to evaluate EGFR-TKI in lung adenocarcinoma Targeted drugs have better clinical benefits when they have early efficacy. Conclusions: The radiomics model established based on the radiomics features of CT unenhanced images has good performance in evaluating the efficacy of EGFR-TKI targeted drugs in the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma, and the final Nomogram map can quantitatively evaluate the curative effect, providing individual patient information.
Design of Low Power Delay Locked Loop in 180-nm Digital CMOS Process
Authors: sarajia Fatemeh esmaili , Ghorbani Alireza , Anisheh Seyed Mahmoud
Published: June 2022

Delay lock loop (DLL) is a key element in circuits such as clock synchronization, clock and data clock recovery. In this paper, new structures for phase frequency detector (PFD), charge pump (CP) and delay cell for low power applications are presented. A dynamic PFD based on CMOS inverter is proposed which has low power consumption and its operating frequency range is wide. The proposed CP is based on gate-driven and positive feedback techniques which has a good current matching. The delay cell uses the bulk-driven technique and has less power consumption than conventional structure. To assess the performance of the proposed structures, some simulations are performed in a 0.18 µm CMOS process with the supply voltage of 1.8 V. The simulation results show higher efficiency of the proposed structures than the existing structures in terms of accuracy and power consumption. The simulation results show that the maximum operating frequency of the PFD is 2 GHz. The mismatch between up and down currents of the CP is less than 0.3%. The power consumption of the proposed delay cell is 25% less than the conventional structure.
Dissecting the Molecular Basis for Genetic Improvement of Rice
Authors: Yang Xinghai , Pan Yinghau , Qing Dongjin , Xia Xiuzhong , Zhou Weiyong , Chen Weiwei , Li Jingcheng , Liang Haifu , Yang Xingka , Li Danting , Dai Gaoxing , Deng Guofu
Published: June 2022

Rice quality is one of the important indicators of rice breeding, including milling quality, appearance, cooking and eating quality and nutritional quality. Guangxi is one of the origins of cultivated rice, and great progress has been made in the genetic improvement of rice quality by utilizing abundant rice germplasm resources. In this study, 1570 rice varieties approved in Guangxi from 1983 to 2021 were used to analyze the changes of 16 traits. We found that the appearance quality and cooking and eating quality of Guangxi rice were significantly improved, especially the hybrid rice varieties. By conducting genome-wide association analysis and variant allele frequency analysis from 38 representative varieties, we found that ALK, BG2, GL3.1, GL7/GW7, GPA3, GS3, OsMKKK10, Wx, An-1, BG1, CLG1, GS5, GW8 and RGG2 may be closely related to the genetic improvement of rice quality traits in Guangxi, among which 11 genes are related to rice grain shape. The functional variation sites of seven important quality genes, including ALK, Wx, and GS3, were analyzed by the penta-primer amplification refractory mutation system (PARMS). The data showed that Gui569, Gui117, Gui721, Gui726, RYousi, RSimiao, and RBasi exhibited multiple elite alleles. In this study, we analyzed the phenotypic changes and molecular basis of varieties in Guangxi over the past 40 years. These results will provide theoretical guidance for the genetic improvement of rice quality and the cultivation of new varieties, which is of great significance for improving rice quality.
Prognostic value of CHD family members in breast cancer
Authors: moghaddamneshat niloofar , ghaderian sayyed mohammad hossein , mohsen-pour neda , kazerani mahsa , arjmandrad elham
Published: June 2022

Regarding the variety of symptoms experienced by breast cancer (BC) patients and the unknown etiology of the disease, the identification of a prognostic marker can effectively help in the early detection and treatment of BC. Using bioinformatic research, the prognostic value of the chromodomain helicase DNA-binding family (CHD) was assessed in BC detection. All nine members of this gene family are chromatin regulators. Changes in chromatin compression and access to cellular machinery are associated with CHD proteins. These proteins are involved in cell proliferation and transcription as well as DNA damage repair. This gene family plays a decisive role in cancer development. Our UALCAN investigation indicated substantial downregulation of CHD2 and CHD9 in tumor tissues. Large mRNA expression of CHD2 and CHD8 has been also linked to superior OS and RFS, according to Kaplan-Miere curves. Moreover, a higher SBR grade was associated with lower CHD2, CHD8, CHD9, and CHD7 mRNA levels, while a lower SBR grade was linked to higher CHD7 mRNA levels. Based on the clinic-pathological findings, the mRNA levels of CHD2, CHD8, and CHD9 were lower in ER-negative, PR-negative, triple-negative, and basal-like BC, while CHD7 was higher. CHD2, CHD7, CHD8, and CHD9 mutations were detected in 8%, 15%, 7%, and 11% of BC patients, respectively, according to genetic alteration analyses in the cBioportal database. TIMER also found a link between CHD2, CHD8, and CHD9 and the infiltration of CD8+ T cells, neutrophils, and macrophages. These findings suggest CHD2, CHD7, CHD8, and CHD9 genes as promising breast cancer prognostic markers.
Synthesis of sulfonated polystyrene-based porous activated carbon for organic dyes removal from aqueous solutions
Authors: Salman Nahla , Alshamsi Hassan
Published: June 2022

Nowadays, aquatic pollution is one of the most important global challenges, due to discharges a wide variety of various hazardous materials from different activities which have significant environmental, economic and healthy impacts. Industries and activities related to organic dyes consume large amounts of water and contribute significantly to the growing problem of water pollution. The current study describes the conversion of plant wastes into activated carbon sphere incorporated sulfonated polystyrene (AC/SPS) for adsorptive removal of Rhodamine B (RhB) and Congo Red (CR) dyes in a batch process. The prepared materials were characterized in term of phase structure, composition, morphology, size, porosity and thermal stability usingX-rays diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform-infra red (FT-IR), field emission-scanning electron (FT-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) , transmittance electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer, Emmett, Teller (BET)-Barrett, Joyner, Halenda (BJH), and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) . The AC/SPS in weight ratio of 10% was used as a novel adsorbent for RhB and CR remediation. The effects of equilibrium time, adsorbent dose, initial pH and temperature and have been investigated. The maximum removal efficiency of RhB and CR onto AC/SPS under optimized conditions was estimated to be 34% and 98%, respectively. Langmuir and Freundlich models provided the most appropriate fit for the adsorption of both RhB and CR, respectively. Based on the thermodynamic study, it was proven that the adsorption process for both dyes is endothermic and spontaneous. The kinetic study revealed that the adsorption process followed of both dyes the pseudo-second order kinetic model.
A Feasibility Study for Applying Explainable Predictive Models for the Detection of Mental Health Conditions
Authors: Giri Sandeep , Farid Farnaz , Chowdhury Nafisa , Foster Jeff
Published: June 2022

Mental Health is a ubiquitous contemporary issue causing significant mortality and morbidity in today's society. There exists a strong need to develop prompt and robust diagnosis and treatment options. Further, with altered workplace conditions (especially in the Information Technology field) and more individuals working from home, a safe, supportive and flexible work environment is paramount. This is where the real potential of Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) comes into play. The intersection of ML, AI and Mental Health in Personalized Healthcare is a rapidly growing field, opening up a myriad of new opportunities in terms of early diagnosis, prompt interventions and personalized healthcare plans on a patient-specific basis. This research seeks to apply ML to predict the likelihood of an individual developing a Mental Health condition. The work also considers specific mental states such as Anxiety Disorder and Mood Disorder based on a series of variables containing information about their workplace conditions, Mental Health history and hereditary factors. It also seeks to discover the most important contributing factors to the advent of each Mental Health condition. Three predictive models are developed, each with a strong level of performance, particularly for predicting the presence of a General Mental Health Disorder and Mood Disorder. The research finds the employee's ease of leave accessibility, the overall level of importance an employer places on staff Mental Health and the level of company-wide support in addressing Mental Health concerns to be critical factors influencing employees' Mental Health. Thus, this research can support workplace authorities in identifying at-risk cohorts for developing a Mental Health illness. They can suggest specific changes to their work environment to reduce such risk levels based on such identification.
Analysis of rainfall dynamics in the three main cities of northern Cameroon
Authors: Yaouba Bassirou , Dieudonné Bitondo
Published: June 2022

The northern zone of Cameroon, which depends mainly on agriculture, is considered one of the most vulnerable regions in the country to climate change. Few studies based on field data have examined the changes in climatic conditions that affect agriculture. This research focuses on fluctuations in precipitation that determine dry and wet seasons. From 1973 to 2020, data were collected from meteorological stations located in three major cities in northern Cameroon: Ngaoundere, Garoua and Maroua. Data were tested for homogeneity using the Pettitt and Buishand tests. Trends were analyzed using the Mann-Kendall test, Sen's slope estimator and the regression line, while drought severity was assessed using the standardized rainfall index method. These data homogeneity tests were performed using two statistical tools, SPSS and XLSTA software. According to the Pettitt’s test, rainfall increased by 29.6% in Ngaoundere from 1997 to 2020, compared to the previous years of 1973–1996; in Garoua, rainfall increased by 36.2% from 1988 to 2020, compared to the previous years of 1973–1987. However, from 1973 to 2020, the average rainfall in Maroua remained stable around 716.5 mm, with a decreasing trend according to the Mann-Kendall test. In conclusion, this study shows that rainfall has increased significantly in the cities of Ngaoundere and Garoua, making these areas favorable for seasonal and market gardening. However, in Maroua, caution is advised, as rainfall is reportedly decreasing in this locality, increasing the risk of food insecurity. A credible climate alert system must be implemented on a broad scale to guide farmers.
Effectiveness and safety of Stem cell therapy for Diabetic Foot: a meta-analysis update
Authors: Sun Yuming , Zhao Jinhong , Zhang Lifang , Li Zhexuan , Lei Shaorong
Published: June 2022

Background: Diabetic foot (DF) is one of the most common and serious complications of diabetes mellitus (DM), which brings great psychological and economic pressure to patients. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of stem cells in the treatment of diabetic foot. Methods: All relevant literatures in Cochrane, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang databases were systematically searched for meta-analysis. The outcomes consisted of ulcer or wound healing rate, amputation rate, new vessels, ankle-brachial index (ABI), transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcPO2), pain-free walking distance, and rest pain score. Dichotomous outcomes were described as risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), while continuous data were presented as standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% CIs. Statistical analysis was performed with RevMan 5.3 software. Results: A total of 14 studies with 683 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis showed that stem cell therapy was more effective than conventional therapy in terms of ulcer or wound healing rate [OR =8.20 (5.33, 12.62)], improvement of lower extremity ischemia(new vessels) [OR=16.48 (2.88, 94.18)], ABI [MD=0.13 (0.04, 0.08)], TcO2[MD=4.23 (1.82, 6.65)], pain-free walking distance [MD =220.79 (82.10, 359.48)], and rest pain score [MD =-1.94 (-2.50, -1.39)], while the amputation rate was significantly decreased [OR =0.19 (0.10, 0.36)]. Conclusions: The meta-analysis of the current studies has shown that stem cells are significantly more effective than traditional methods in the treatment of diabetic foot, and can improve the quality of life of patients after treatment. Future studies should conduct large-scale, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trials with high-quality long-term follow-up to demonstrate the most effective cell types and therapeutic parameters for the treatment of diabetic foot.
Analysis of hyperprogressive disease due to atezolizumab combined with bevacizumab treatment in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Yumita Sae , Ogasawara Sadahisa , Nakagawa Miyuki , Maruta Susumu , Okubo Tomomi , Itokawa Norio , Iino Yotaro , Oobu Masamichi , Haga Yuki , Seki Atsuyoshi , Kogure Tadayoshi , Ishino Takamasa , Ogawa Keita , Fujiwara Kisako , Iwanaga Terunao , Fujita Naoto , Sakuma Takafumi , Kojima Ryuta , Kanzaki Hiroaki , Koroki Keisuke , Inoue Masanori , Kobayashi Kazufumi , Kiyono Soichiro , Nakamura Masato , Kanogawa Naoya , Saito Tomoko , Kondo Takayuki , Nakagawa Ryo , Nakamoto Shingo , Muroyama Ryosuke , Chiba Tetsuhiro , Itobayashi Ei , Atsukawa Masanori , Koma Yoshihiro , Azemoto Ryosaku , Ito Kenji , Mizumoto Hideaki , Kato Jun , Kato Naoya
Published: June 2022

Aim: To clarify the reality of hyperprogressive disease (HPD), a phenomenon with greatly accelerated tumor growth and clinical deterioration rates compared to pre-therapy, in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who were treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atez/Bev) using tumor dynamics. Methods: Medical records of consecutive patients with advanced HCC who were treated with Atez/Bev were retrospectively reviewed. HPD was defined as a more than two- or fourfold increase in tumor growth rate (TGR) or tumor growth kinetics rate (TGKR) pre- and post-treatment. Overall survival (OS) and baseline characteristics with or without HPD were analyzed. Results: A total of 85 patients were included in the analysis. At the first imaging, complete response (CR), partial response (PR), stable disease (SD), and progressive disease (PD) were observed in 1 (1.2%), 4 (4.7%), 61 (71.8%), and 19 (22.4%) patients. When HPD was defined as a twofold of TGR or TGKR, 8 patients (9.4%, 8/85) had HPD and 11 had PD without HPD. A total of 5 patients (5.9%, 5/85) were diagnosed with HPD and 14 with PD without HPD when HPD was defined as a fourfold of TGR or TGKR. No significant difference was observed in the baseline characteristics and OS between HPD and non-HPD. Conclusion: The prevalence of HPD in patients with advanced HCC treated with Atez/Bev was lower than those treated with nivolumab monotherapy. The HPD mechanism in immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) combined with anti-VEGF antibody remains to be elucidated.
Potential of two probiotics Bacillus coagulans and Lactobacillus plantarum with inulin on mercury absorption and oxidative stress in rats
Authors: Jafarpour Dornoush , Ghaisari Hamid Reza , Majlesi Majid , Shekarforoush Seyed Shahram
Published: June 2022

The purpose of the present study was to assess the efficacy of two probiotics (Bacillus coagulans and Lactobacillus plantarum) along with inulin (as a prebiotic) in inhibiting the toxic impact of mercury and oxidative stress in rats. Twenty-four Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups and the treatments were performed as follows: control, mercury only, mercury along with B. coagulans and inulin, and mercury along with L. plantarum and inulin. Mercury solution and probiotics were fed to the treated rats by gavage for 42 days. During the test period, body weights were taken and recorded every week. Some enzymes and biochemical factors of serum, such as SOD, GPx, MDA, AST, ALT, creatinine, BUN, and total bilirubin, as well as liver SOD, were evaluated to measure the alterations in oxidative stress. Results indicated that the synbiotic diet in mercury-treated rats significantly increased the body weight, GPx, liver and serum SOD values and diminished ALT, AST, BUN, total bilirubin, and mercury accumulation in the kidney and liver in comparison with the mercury-treated group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in MDA values between all treated groups (P > 0.05). Hence, our results revealed that synbiotic diets including probiotics (B. coagulans and L. plantarum) and the prebiotic (inulin) can effectively reduce the amount of mercury in the kidney and liver and alleviate the oxidative damage of acute mercury poisoning in a rat model.
Incremental prognostic value of global longitudinal strain to the coronary microvascular resistances in Takotsubo patients
Authors: Sans-Roselló Jordi , Fernández-Peregrina Estefanía , Duran-Cambra Albert , Carreras-Mora Jose , Sionis Alessandro , Álvarez-García Jesús , Garcia-Garcia Héctor M.
Published: June 2022

Background: Global longitudinal strain (GLS) allows an accurate assessment of left ventricular function with prognostic value. We aimed to evaluate whether the assessment of GLS in the acute phase of Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) provides incremental prognostic value to the degree of impaired microvascular resistance (MR) in TTS patients at 1-year follow-up.Methods: We recruited 78 consecutive patients admitted for TTS who underwent cardiac angiography and echocardiography from January 2017 to June 2021. Left anterior descending coronary artery non-hyperaemic angiography-derived index of microcirculatory resistance (LAD NH-IMRangio) was calculated. NT-proBNP, high-sensitive cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and GLS were measured at admission. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were defined as the composite of cardiovascular death, heart failure (HF) events, symptomatic arrythmias and acute myocardial infarctions.Results: 67 patients had both GLS and NH-IMRangio available. Median age was 75.2 years and 88 % were women. Rate of MACE at 1-year was 23.9% mainly due to mild HF events. Kaplan-Meier curves showed higher rates of MACE at 1-year in patients with both higher LAD NH-IMRangio and GLS values compared with those with higher LAD NH-IMRangio and lower GLS values (60.0% vs 22.2%; p=0.0373). NT-proBNP levels at admission and the recovery of LVEF were correlated with GLS values while MR and hs-cTnT were not.Conclusions: GLS provides incremental prognostic value to the degree of impaired MR in TTS patients. The combination of a poorer GLS with a higher degree of impaired MR was associated with a higher rate of MACE in these patients.
The Impact of Expanded Endoscopic Approaches on Long Term Outcomes for Clival Malignancies - A Case Series
Authors: Schur Solon , Passer Joel Z. , Hanna Ehab Y. , Su Shirley Y. , Kupferman Michael E. , DeMonte Franco , Raza Shaan M.
Published: June 2022

Introduction
Clival malignancies pose particular surgical challenges due to complex skull base anatomy and the involvement of vital neurovascular structures. While endoscopic endonasal approached are widely used, the outcomes for clival malignancies remain poorly understood. In this study we assessed the impact of endoscopic and open surgical approaches on PFS, time to initiation of radiotherapy, KPS, and GTR rates for clival malignancies.
Methods
A retrospective case series for clival malignancies operated between 1993 and 2019 was conducted. Inclusion criteria were age over 18 and a follow-up of at least a 6 months. Statistical analyses were conducted using STATA version 15 statistical software package StataCorp.
Results
For the whole cohort (113 patients), and for upper and middle lesions, open surgical approaches increased odds of disease progression, compared to EEA (HR 2.10 to HR 2.43), p < 0.05. EEA had a shorter time interval from surgery to initiation of radiotherapy. No difference in 6 and 12 month KPS was found between surgical groups. Patients undergoing open surgery were less likely to achieve GTR for upper clival lesions.
Conclusions
EEA was found to be associated with increased PFS, for upper and middle clival malignancies. The time to initiation of radiotherapy was shorter for patients undergoing EEA compared to open surgery for patients with middle clival involvement. GTR rates were found to be significantly better with EEA for patients with upper clival malignancies.
Correlations between age, distance from aquatic habitats and pyrethroid resistance status of field populations of the malaria vector, Anopheles funestus in south-eastern Tanzania
Authors: Pinda Polius G. , Msaky Dickson S. , Muyaga Letus L. , Mshani Issa H. , Njalambaha Rukiyah M. , Kihonda Japhet , Bwanaly Hamis , Ngowo Halfan S. , Kaindoa Emmanuel W. , Koekemoer Lizette L. , Okumu Fredros O.
Published: June 2022

Background: Malaria transmission can be highly heterogeneous between and within villages, and is influenced by factors such as survival and biting frequencies of Anopheles mosquitoes. This study investigated the correlations between biological age, distance from aquatic habitats and pyrethroid resistance status of Anopheles funestus mosquitoes in south-eastern Tanzania; and how these correlations may inform improved vector control strategies.Methods: Female An. funestus were collected in houses located 50-100m, 150-200m or over 200m from the nearest known aquatic habitats. The mosquitoes were exposed to 1×, 5× and 10× the diagnostic doses of either deltamethrin or permethrin, or to the synergist, piperonyl butoxide (PBO) followed by the pyrethroids, then monitored for 24hr-mortality. Ovaries of exposed and non-exposed mosquitoes were dissected to assess parity status as a proxy for biological age. Adults emerging from larval collections in the same villages were exposed to the same insecticides at 3-5, 8-11 or 17-20 days old to compare resistance. Findings: Mosquitoes collected nearest to the aquatic habitats (50-100m) had the lowest mortality compared to other distances, with a maximum of 51% mortality at 10× permethrin. For the age-synchronized mosquitoes collected as larvae, the percentage insecticide-induced mortality, assessed at both the diagnostic and multiplicative doses (1×, 5× and 10×) increased with mosquito age. The highest mortalities at 1× doses were observed among the oldest mosquitoes (17-20 days). At 10× doses, mortalities were 99% (permethrin) and 76% (deltamethrin) among 8-11 day-olds compared to 80% (permethrin) and 58% (deltamethrin) among 3-5 day-olds. Pre-exposure to PBO restored the potency of both pyrethroids. The proportion of parous females was highest among mosquitoes collected farthest from the habitats.Conclusion: In this specific setting, older An. funestus and those collected farthest from the aquatic habitats (near the centre of the village) were more susceptible to pyrethroids than younger ones and those caught nearest to the habitats. These findings suggest that pyrethroid-based interventions may remain at least moderately effective despite widespread pyrethroid-resistance by killing the older, less-resistant and potentially-infective females. Further studies should investigate whether fine-scale targeting of key interventions (e.g. preferentially spraying homes near the centres of villages) would be more impactful.
Composition Operators on ℓp(λ) and Itshypercyclicity and Supercyclicity
Authors: Naudiyal Ashish , Chandra Harish , srivast Vijay Kumar
Published: June 2022

In this paper, we give a necessary and sufficient condition for thecomposition operator Cφ on the weighted sequence space ℓp(λ) to be bounded.We also characterize the range space of composition operator Cφ and thenestablish a necessary and sufficient condition for range space of Cφ to be closed.We also determine the necessary and sufficient conditions for surjectivity andalso for injectivity of composition operator Cφ. Further, we exhibit conditionsfor hypercyclicity and supercyclicity for composition operators.
Student radiographers’ perceptions of evidence-based practice during clinical placements: implications for health professional education
Authors: Michele Laura Di , Bell Amani , Thomson Kate , McEntee Mark , Kenny Belinda , Reed Warren
Published: June 2022

Educating students to become evidence-based practitioners remains a significant challenge in health professional education. Clinical placements form a significant element of curriculum and the impact of students’ placement experiences on their ability and desire to practice in an evidence-based manner remains largely unexplored. Medical imaging students complete a variety of clinical placements and observe and participate in a range of clinical settings. This study utilised focus groups to explore students’ experiences of evidence-based practice (EBP) during clinical placements, the impact of these experiences on their education and their future tendencies within the profession. Reflexive thematic analysis was utilised to analyse data and three main overarching themes were identified. The first theme, “Education” explored participants’ understanding of the concept of EBP, the importance of sound pedagogy to enable students’ ability to practice in an evidence-based manner and explored the relationship between participants’ placement experiences and their future EBP tendencies. The second theme investigated, “Culture and responsibility” and was divided into three subthemes, professional, organisational, and individual. Focusing on where the responsibility for implementing EBP should lie and the impact of culture on individuals’ ability to implement evidence-based practice. The third theme, “Hopes, fears, and barriers” explored the participants’ sense of responsibility around implementing EBP and the barriers that they had experienced in doing so. It illuminated their fears around becoming apathetic as clinicians. Improving the teaching of EBP skills within health professional education has the potential to enhance the translation of knowledge into practice as graduates become clinicians within the profession.
Three Imaging Endophenotypes Characterize Neuroanatomical Heterogeneity of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Hwang Gyujoon , Wen Junhao , Sotardi Susan , Brodkin Edward , Chand Ganesh , Dwyer Dominic , Erus Guray , Doshi Jimit , Singhal Pankhuri , Sriniva Dhivya , Varol Erdem , Sotiras Aristeidis , Dazzan Paola , Kahn René , Schnack Hugo , Zanetti Marcus , Meisenzahl Eva , Busatto Geraldo , Crespo-Facorro Benedicto , Pantelis Christos , Wood Stephen , Zhuo Chuanjun , Shinohara Russell , Shou Haochang , Fan Yong , Koutsouleris Nikolaos , Gur Raquel , Gur Ruben , Satterhwaite Theodore , Wolf Daniel , Davatzikos Christos
Published: June 2022

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with high structural heterogeneity in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This work uncovers three neuroanatomical dimensions of ASD (N = 307) using machine learning methods and constructs their characteristic MRI signatures. The presence of these signatures, along with their clinical profiles and genetic architectures, are investigated in the general population. High expression of the first dimension (A1, “aging-related”) is associated with globally reduced brain volume, cognitive dysfunction, and aging-related genetic variants. The second dimension (A2, “schizophrenia-like”) is characterized by enlarged subcortical volume, antipsychotic medication use, and partially overlapping genetic underpinnings to schizophrenia. The third dimension (A3, “classical ASD”) is distinguished by enlarged cortical volume, high non-verbal cognitive performance, and genes and biological pathways implicating brain development and abnormal apoptosis. Thus, we propose a three-dimensional endophenotypic representation to construe the heterogeneity in ASD, which can support precision medicine and the discovery of the biological mechanisms of ASD.
Sampling Rate in the Dynamic Speckle Analysis
Authors: Rivera Fernando Pujaico , González-Peña Rolando J. , Braga Roberto A.
Published: June 2022

In this article, we show how the variation of sampling rate in a dynamic speckle analysis affects the value of dynamic speckle indexes concerning the absolute value of the differences index, the temporal speckle standard deviation index, and the temporal speckle mean index. We show that the dynamic speckle index value changes its maximum excursion with the variation of sampling rate, affected directly by the camera's time integration (time of exposure). We highlight the importance of knowing the frequency band of the analysed phenomenon and its signal to choose the appropriate sampling rate, with the recommendation of using the lowest sampling rate possible – without compromise the speckle grains - to obtain an acceptable maximum excursion and an illumination level with a good signal-noise ratio.