bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The FTO, PNPLA3 and TM6SF2 Gene Polymorphisms and Genetic Predisposition to NAFLD in Yakut Population
Authors: Diakonova Aleksandra , Kurtanov Khariton , Pavlova Nadezhda , Aleksandrova Tuyara
Published: March 2021

The aim of our research was to study the distribution of alleles and genotypes of the FTO rs9939609 SNP, the PNPLA3 rs738409 SNP, and the TM6SF2 rs58542926 SNP in the Yakut population. Methods and Results: A total of 85 DNA samples from the population were tested. An analysis of the frequency distribution of alleles and genotypes of the FTO rs9939609 SNP in the study group did not reveal significant differences. An analysis of the frequency distribution of alleles and genotypes of the PNPLA3 rs738409 SNP revealed that in men and women the G allele and the homozygous GG genotype prevailed. The results of the analysis of the frequency distribution of alleles and genotypes of the TM6SF2 rs58542926 SNP showed the predominance of individuals with the C allele (89% in men and 90% in women) with statistical significance in women. Conclusion: The further studies with a larger sample size are required to detect the features of the distribution of alleles and genotypes of the FTO rs9939609 SNP and the TM6SF2 rs58542926 SNP in that population.
Determination of Blood Parameters using Scanning Electron Microscopy as a Prototype Model for Evaluating the Effectiveness of Radiation Therapy for Cervical Cancer
Authors: Mamaeva S. , Kononova I. , Alekseev V. , Nikolaevа N. , Pavlov A. , Semenova M. , Maksimov G.
Published: March 2021

Using the method of SEM in patients with cervical cancer (CC) during radiation therapy (RT) revealed differences in the size and morphology of nanoparticles (NP) localized on the outer surface of the erythrocyte membrane. We found that NP-V (“viruses”) objects localized on the surface of the erythrocyte membrane of CC patients before RT have more distinct contours and are smaller in comparison with the number of NP-EV (extracellular vesicles) arising during RT. Our previous study showed that NP-V objects are evenly distributed not only on the surface of erythrocytes but also in blood plasma, and that during the RT the amount of NP-V decreases, while NP-EV both increases and decreases. The linear size of the NP-EV is characterized by a Gaussian distribution, while the NP-V has a normal size distribution in certain ranges with different mean values. We found that the number of NP-Vs having different linear dimensions differ significantly. Using X-ray radiation, we established characteristic elemental composition of NP. The PCR method was used to determine the HPV DNA in blood samples from CC patients. The revealed differences in the morphology and composition of NP, as well as the data of PCR analysis, possibly indicate their different nature and can be used as a criterion for assessing the effectiveness of RT and the recovery period.
Mechanism of LIN28B in Trophoblastic Villous Cells of Unexplained Recurrent Abortion
Authors: Huang QiaoYao , Niu YanRu , Song LiJun , Huang JinZhi , Wang Chenxi , Ma Tianzhong
Published: March 2021

Background: LIN28B plays an important role in early embryonic development, but its role in villous trophoblast implantation and differentiation remains unknown. To verify the role of LIN28B in trophoblastic villous tissue and cells from women with URSA(unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion)and artificial termination of pregnancy (negative control, NC). Methods:The Lin28b gene and its protein expression level were detected with real-time quantitative PCR, Western immunoblotting analysis, and immunocytochemistry. The gene was also overexpressed in chorionic villous cell lines (HTR-8/SVneo and BeWo) to examine its effect on trophoblast function.Results: The expression of LIN28B mRNA and protein of URSA villi was lower than that in the NC group. At the cellular level, overexpression of LIN28B enhanced cellular migration, and invasion, and inhibited apoptosis. LIN28B may inhibit apoptosis by promoting Akt phosphorylation and by inhibiting Bad phosphorylation and Bcl-2 expression. In addition, LIN28B inhibited cell fusion and reduced cellular syncytia. Conclusions: LIN28B can inhibit cell proliferation, invasion and migration in vitro, and promote apoptosis and fusion. The low expression of LIN28B in URSA villous trophoblast cells may be one of the causes of abortion. The role of LIN28B in villous trophoblasts needs further study.
Relating 27-day Averages of Solar, Interplanetary Medium Parameters and Geomagnetic Activity Proxies in Solar Cycle 24
Authors: Castillo Yvelice Soraya , Pais Maria Alexandra , Fernandes João , Ribeiro Paulo , Morozova Anna L. , Pinheiro Fernando J. G.
Published: March 2021

Correlations between solar, interplanetary medium parameters and geomagnetic activity proxies in 27-day averages (a Bartels’ rotation) were analysed for the 2009-2016 time interval. In this analysis, two new proxies were considered: 1) B ZS GSM, calculated as the daily percentage of the IMF southward component along the GSM Z-axis and then averaged every 27 days; 2) four magnetospheric indices (T-indices), calculated from the local North-South (X) contributions of the magnetosphere's cross-tail (TAIL), the symmetric ring current (SRC), the partial ring current (PRC) and the Birkeland current (FAC), derived from Tsyganenko and Sitnov 2005 (TS05) semi-empirical magnetospheric model. Our results suggest that, among the parameters tested in this study, solar facular areas, interplanetary magnetic field intensity and new proxies derived from TS05 model could be taken into account in an empirical model, with a 27-day resolution, to explain geomagnetic activity felt on the Earth's surface in terms of solar surface features and the IMF condition. We further retrieve a clear annual oscillation in series of 27-day-mean values of toward/away asymmetries of geomagnetic activity indices, which can be interpreted in the light of Russell-McPherron hypothesis for the semiannual variation of geomagnetic activity.
Developing an Algorithm for Urban Flood Management With the Aim of Reducing Damage and Costs Using the Concept of Conditional Value at Risk 
Authors: Firoozabadi Pedram Eshaghieh , nazif sara , Hosseini Seyed Abbas , Yazdi Jafar
Published: March 2021

Flooding in urban area affects the lives of people and could cause huge damages. In this study, a model is proposed for urban flood management with the aim of reducing the total costs. For this purpose, a hybrid model has been developed using SWMM and a quasi-two-dimensional model based on the cellular automata (CA) capable of considering surface flow infiltration. Based on the hybrid model outputs, the best management practices (BMPs) scenarios are proposed. In the next step, a damage estimation model has been developed using depth-damage curves. The amount of damage has been estimated for the scenarios in different rainfall return periods to obtain the damage and cost- probability functions. The conditional value at risk (CVaR) are estimated based on these functions which is the basis of decision making about the scenarios. The proposed model is examined in an urban catchment located in Tehran, Iran. In this study, five scenarios have been designed on the basis of different BMPs. It has been found that the scenario of permeable pavements has the lowest risk. The proposed model enables the decision makers to choose the best scenario with the minimum cost taking into account the risk associated with each scenario.
Results of Endovascular Therapy of Ureteroarterial Fistulas: A Single Center Experience 
Authors: Simon Bjoern , Neubauer Jakob , Schoenthaler Martin , Hein Simon , Bamberg Fabian , Maruschke Lars
Published: March 2021

Background Ureteroarterial fistula (UAF) is a rare but potentially life threatening disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of endovascular therapy for UAF treatment.Methods This retrospective case series evaluates a single center experience of percutaneous stent graft angioplasty and/or coil embolization for UAF. Patient follow-up included technical and early clinical success, complications and revisional procedures. Results We identified 17 UAF in 16 consecutive patients (12 male, 4 female, mean age 69.8 ±11.3 years) who underwent endovascular UAF therapy at our tertiary hospital. All patients presented with hematuria. 5/17 presented with flank pain, in 7 of 17 cases patients were in hypovolemic shock. Risk factors of UAF included chronic indwelling ureteral stents in all ﬁstulas, pelvic exstirpatory surgery in 13 cases. In 6 cases stent grafts were placed from the common iliac artery (CIA) to the external iliac artery (EIA) following coil embolization of the proximal internal iliac artery (IIA). Stent graft placement without previous coil embolization was performed in 10 fistulas. In one case only coil embolization of the IIA was performed. Mean follow-up was 654 (range: 1 – 3269) days. All procedures were technically successful and no procedure related deaths occurred during follow-up. During the initial hospital stay hematuria disappeared in 14/17 cases. Overall, four patients suffered recurrent hematuria, which in three cases resolved after a secondary intervention. One recurrent UAF related death occurred during follow-up 229 days after initial treatment.Conclusion Endovascular therapy proves to be a safe and efficient method in UAF treatment.Evidence-based medicineLevel 4, case series.
Electrospinning Synthesis of Fe3O4/Eu(DBM)3phen/PVP Multifunctional Microfibers and Their Structure, Luminescent and Magnetic properties
Authors: Qin Ruifei , liu lina
Published: March 2021

Multifunctional Fe3O4/Eu(DBM)3phen/PVP ((DBM: dibenzoylmethane, phen: 1,10-phenanthroline, PVP: polyvinyl pyrrolidone) microfibers were constructed by simple electrospinning process. The structure and morphology of the microfibers were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. The diameters of pure PVP microfibers and the microfibers doped only with Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) were uniformly distributed, with an average size of about 360 nm. When 3% Eu(DBM)3phen complex and Fe3O4 NPs were both added to the precursor for electrospinning, the microfibers became very inhomogeneous in diameter. The photoluminescent properties of pure Eu(DBM)3phen complex and composite microfibers were also studied. The characteristic emission peaks of Eu3+ appeared in the composite microfibers. The intensities of emission and excitation spectra gradually decrease with adding more Fe3O4 NPs. The unit mass of the pure europium complex in some composite microfibers gave stronger luminescence than the pure europium complex. The fluorescence lifetime of 5D0 state in the composite microfibers is longer than that of pure europium complex. Additionally, the magnetic properties of Fe3O4 NPs and the composite microfibers were investigated. Fe3O4 NPs and composite microfibers were both superparamagnetic. The saturation magnetization of the composite microfibers was smaller than that of pure Fe3O4 NPs.
Longitudinal Association Between Parental-to-child-maltreatment and Self-reported Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symtoms in Pakistani Adolescents
Authors: Lakhdir Maryam Pyar Ali , Peerwani Ghazal , Soomar Salman Muhammad , Nathwani Apsara Ali , Farooq Salima , Ali Naureen Akber , Khaliq Asif , Kadir Muhammad Masood , Azam Syed Iqbal
Published: March 2021

Background: Parent-to-child maltreatment is considered to be one of the risk factors for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) symtoms but this hypothesis has not been adequately tested in Pakistani settings. Aim: This study aimed to examine the association between parent-to-child maltreatment and the risk of developing GAD symptoms among adolescents.Methods: The association of none to rare, occasionally and frequently parent-to-child maltreatment with the incidence of GAD symptoms was investigated in a sample of 800 adolescents aged 11-17 years who were followed for a period of 2 years. Parent-to-child maltreatment was assessed using ICAST-C (International child abuse screening tool) whereas GAD Symptoms was determined by SCARED (Screen for children anxiety related disorders). Cox Proportional Algorithm was used to estimate risk ratios.Results: Forty-two percent of frequently maltreated children developed GAD symptoms compared to nine percent of none to rare maltreated children. Among children with both uneducated parents, frequently maltreatment was associated with 7.31 (2.20-24.04) times the risk of GAD symptoms as compared to none to rare maltreatment. Conclusion: The frequency of parent-to-child maltreatment is significantly associated with an increased risk of development of GAD symptoms in which parental education plays a crucial role, hence evaluation for the GAD symptoms should be a priority for adolescents with history of occasionally to frequently parent-to-child maltreatment. Parents should be imparted awaress about the ultimate consequences of child maltreatement.
Salvage Surgical Resection After Linac-based Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Radiotherapy for Newly Diagnosed Brain Metastasis
Authors: Matsuda Ryosuke , Morimoto Takayuki , Tamamoto Tetsuro , Inooka Nobuyoshi , Ochi Tomoko , Miyasaka Toshiteru , Yamaki Kaori , Miura Sachiko , Takeshima Yasuhiro , Tamura Kentaro , Yamada Shuichi , Nishimura Fumihiko , Motoyama Yasushi , Nakagawa Ichiro , Park Young-Su , Hasegawa Masatoshi , Nakase Hiroyuki
Published: March 2021

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the clinical outcomes of salvage surgical resection (SSR) after stereotactic radiosurgery and fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (SRS/fSRT) for brain metastasis.Methods: Between November 2009 and December 2018, we treated 427 consecutive patients with 919 lesions with SRS/fSRT for newly diagnosed brain metastasis at our hospital. During the follow-up period, we treated 19 consecutive patients who underwent 21 SSRs for recurrence, radiation necrosis (RN), and cyst formation after SRS/fSRT for newly diagnosed brain metastasis. Two patients underwent multiple surgical resections. Brain metastasis originated from the lung (n=15, 78.9%), breast (n=3, 15.7%), and colon (n=1, 5.2%). Results: The median time from initial SRS/fSRT to SSR was 14 months (range: 2–96 months). The median follow-up after SSR was 15 months (range: 2–76 months). The range of tumor volume at initial SRS/SRT was 0.121–21.459 cm3 (median: 2.188 cm3). Histopathological diagnosis after SSR was recurrence, RN and cyst formation in 13 and 6 cases, respectively. The median survival time from SSR and from initial SRS/SRT was 17 months and 74 months, respectively. The cases with recurrence had a significantly shorter survival time than those without recurrence (p=0.0453).Conclusion: The patients treated with SRS/fSRT for brain metastasis need long-term follow-up. SSR is a safe and effective treatment for the recurrence, RN, and cyst formation after SRS/fSRT for brain metastasis.
Identification of Methylation Biomarkers for Early Detection of Prostate Cancer
Authors: Pu Yiyi , Li Chao , Yuan Haining , Wang Xiaoju
Published: March 2021

Background: DNA methylation has been widely used for development of cancer diagnosis biomarker. However, the clinical translational rate is low. Databases, such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), offer great opportunities for DNA methylation biomarker identification. By taking advantage of the public databases, we aimed to identify cancer specific biomarkers based on DNA methylation level for early detection purpose. Results: We performed a pan-cancer methylation analysis using datasets from TCGA and validated the results using GEO datasets. To identify early-diagnosis biomarkers, we focused on the localized tumors, and identified the biomarkers that can effectively distinguish the localized tumors from normal tissues. After comparing biomarkers for all cancer types, we identified a large group of cancer specific biomarkers. Within all 26 prostate cancer specific biomarkers selected, we confirmed three biomarker sets by multiplex analysis. First, 7 biomarkers (cg26140475, cg24891312, cg24522654, cg21359747, cg03254336, cg12697139, cg19034132) could detect localized prostate tumors from normal tissues (AUC > 0.9). Second, 9 biomarkers (cg17220055, cg26140475, cg24891312, cg09853702, cg22400059, cg16736279, cg27639613, cg06011086, cg00664697) could distinguish between low and high Gleason score prostate tumors (AUC = 0.79). Last, a single biomarker (cg26140475) completely separated prostate tumor from other urinary tumors (AUC = 1). Conclusions: Our study identified and validated a panel of methylation-based biomarkers which could be used for prostate cancer early diagnosis.
Integrative Analysis of Dna Methylation and Gene Expression Profiles to Explore Potential Biomarkers of Glioblastoma
Authors: Rahmati Yazdan , Najafi Sajad , Alivand Mohammad-Reza
Published: March 2021

Glioblastoma multiform (GBM) is the most common, most invasive, and malignant type of primary brain tumor with poorly prognosis and poorly survival rate. Using GSE22891 the expression and methylation status of same GBM patients was evaluated to explore key epigenetic genes in GBM. Using |log2FC| > 1 and FDR < 0.05 as the threshold, DEGs including 4910 downregulated and 2478 upregulated were screened and by |log2FC| > 0.2 and p.value < 0.05, 3223 DMCs were detected. By merging the results of DEGs and DMCs, 643 genes were selected for network analysis by WGCNA, and based on expression values three modules and by methylation values, one module was selected. Using STRING and Cytoscape, PPI network of genes of all modules were constructed separately. According to the PPI network, core genes were picked out. The expression status of core genes was evaluated using GSE77043, GSE42656, GSE30563, GSE22891, GSE15824, and GSE122498, and 50 genes were validated. The methylation status of 50 genes was explored using GSE50923, GSE22891, and GSE36245, and finally, 12 hub genes including ARHGEF7, RAB11FIP4, PPP1R16B, OLFM1, CLDN10, BCAT1, C1QB, C1QC, IFI16, NUP37, PARP9, and PCALF were selected. Using GEPIA database, the expression and survival plot, and using cBioportal the scatterplot of methylation versus expression of 12 hub genes were extracted based on TCGA. To determine the diagnostic values of the hub genes, the ROC curve and the area under the curve (AUC) were extracted based on GSE22891.
Assessing fish diversity of Merbok Estuary and adjacent marine waters by DNA taxonomy: towards building comprehensive DNA barcode reference library
Authors: Abidin Danial Hariz Zainal , Nor Siti Azizah Mohd. , Lavoué Sébastien , Rahim Masazurah A. , Jamaludin Noorul Azliana , Akib Noor Adelyna Mohammed
Published: March 2021

The Merbok Estuary comprises one of the largest remaining mangrove forests in Peninsular Malaysia. Its value is significant as it provides both direct and indirect services to local and global communities. It also offers a unique opportunity to study the structure and functioning of mangrove ecosystems. However, its biodiversity is still partially described, limiting its research value. Recent inventories based on morphological examination, documented 138 fish species residing, frequenting or subject to entering the Merbok Estuary. Using a molecular approach, we assessed the fish diversity of the Merbok Estuary and its adjacent waters in DNA barcoding 350 specimens assignable to 135 species initially identified based on morphology. Our results revealed the presence of 140 MOTUs, 130 of them are congruent with morphology-based species delimitation. In two cases, barcodes did not permit to differentiate between two morphotypes while they unveiled cryptic diversity within six other species, calling for further taxonomic investigations. This study provides a comprehensive core-list of fish taxa in Merbok Estuary, demonstrating the advantages of combining morphological and molecular evidence to describe diverse but still poorly studied tropical fish communities. It also delivers a large DNA reference collection for brackish fishes occurring in this region which will facilitate further biodiversity-oriented research studies and management activities.
A rebinding-assay for measuring extreme kinetics using label-free biosensors
Authors: Quinn John G
Published: March 2021

In vitro kinetic measurements allow mechanistic characterization of binding interactions and are particularly valuable throughout drug discovery, from confirmation of on-target binding in early discovery to fine-tuning of drug-binding properties in pre-clinical development. Early chemical matter often exhibits transient kinetics, which remain challenging to measure in a routine drug discovery setting. For example, characterization of irreversible inhibitors has classically relied on the alkylation rate constant, yet this metric fails to resolve its fundamental constituent rate constants, which drive reversible binding kinetics and affinity complex inactivation. In other cases, extremely rapid association processes, which can approach the diffusion limit, also remain challenging to measure. To address these limitations, a practical kinetic rebinding assay is introduced that may be applied for kinetic screening and characterization of compounds. The new capabilities afforded by this probe-based assay emerge from mixed-phase partitioning in a flow-injection-injection configuration and has been implemented using label-free biosensing. A finite element analysis-based biosensor model, simulating inhibition of rebinding within a crowded hydrogel milieu, provided surrogate test data that enabled development and validation of an algebraic model for estimation of kinetic interaction constants. An experimental proof-of-principle demonstrating estimation of the association rate constant, decoupled from the dissociation process, provided further validation.
Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and Molecular Docking Studies of Novel 1, 4-naphthoquinone Derivatives
Authors: Elkanzi Nadia , Hrichi Hajer , Bakr Rania B.
Published: March 2021

The synthesis of novel 1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives has attracted prominent interest in the field of medicinal chemistry since these compounds exhibit potent pharmacological activity as antibacterial, antioxidant, antifungal, and anticancer. Herein, a series of novel 1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives 4-7, 8a-c, and 9a-d containing heterocyclic moieties were synthesized in good yields and characterized by spectral and elemental analyses. All the new synthesized compounds were subjected to in-vitro antimicrobial testing against gram-positive, gram-negative, and fungal strains by calculating the average of the zone of inhibition. The antimicrobial results showed that compounds 8b, 9b, and 9c displayed the highest efficacy against both bacterial and fungal strains. Further studies have been conducted to estimate the antioxidant activity of the compounds using DPPH scavenging assay. The obtained results revealed that compounds 9d, 9a, 9b, 8c, and 6 exhibited the highest radical scavenging activity. Docking studies of the most active antimicrobial compounds within GLN- 6-P, recorded good scores with several binding interactions with the active site.
Stray Light Characterization With Ultrafast Time-of-flight Imaging
Authors: Clermont Lionel , Uhring Wilfried , Georges Marc
Published: March 2021

Understanding stray light (SL) is a crucial aspect in the development of high-end optical instruments, for instance space telescopes. As it drives image quality, SL must be controlled by design and characterized experimentally. However, conventional SL characterization methods are limited as they do not provide information on its origins. The problem is complex due to the diversity of light interaction processes with surfaces, creating various SL contributors. Therefore, when SL level is higher than expected, it can be difficult to determine how to improve the system. We demonstrate a new approach, ultrafast time-of-flight SL characterization, where a pulsed laser source and a streak camera are used to record individually SL contributors which travel with a specific optical path length. Furthermore, the optical path length offers a means of identification to determine its origin. We demonstrate this method in an imaging system, measuring and identifying individual ghosts and scattering components. We then show how it can be used to reverse-engineer the instrument SL origins.
The Photoprotective Properties of α-Tocopherol Phosphate Against Long-Wave UVA1 (385 nm) Radiation in Keratinocytes in Vitro
Authors: Saleh Mais , Lawrence Karl P , Jones Stuart. A , Young Antony
Published: March 2021

Long-wave UVA1 radiation (375 nm – 400 nm) is often ignored when assessing sun protection due to its low sunburning potential, but it generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) and is poorly attenuated by sunscreens. This study aimed to investigate if α-tocopherol phosphate, (α-TP) a promising new antioxidant, could protect against long-wave UVA1 induced cell death and scavenge UVA1 induced ROS in a skin cell model. HaCaT keratinocytes cell viability (24 h) was assessed with Alamar blue® and neutral red assays. Radical scavenging efficacy of α-T and α-TP in vitro was monitored by the dichlorodihydrofluorescein (H2DCFDA) ROS detection assay over 2 h. The mechanism of α-TP ROS scavenging was determined using chemical DPPH and ORAC assays.In HaCaT keratinocytes, irradiated with 226 J/cm2 UVA1 in low-serum (2%, starved) cell culture medium, pretreatment with 80 µM α-TP significantly enhanced cell survival (88%, Alamar blue) compared to control, whereas α-T pre-treatment had no effect survival (70%, Alamar blue). Pre-treatment of cells with 100 μM α-TP or 100 μM α-T before 57 J/cm2 UVA1 also significantly reduced ROS generation over 2 h (24.1% and 23.9% respectively) compared to the control. However, α-TP displayed weak antioxidant activity in cell free assays suggesting its photoprotection was due to bioconversion to α-T by cellular phosphatases.Treatment with α-TP prevented long-wave UVA1 induced cell death and scavenged UVA1 induced ROS in skin cells when added to the starved cell culture medium before UVA1 exposure by bioconversion into α-T.
Quality of Life in Urologic Cancer Patients: Importance of and Satisfaction With Specific Quality of Life Domains
Authors: Leuteritz Katja , Richter Diana , Mehnert-Theuerkauf Anja , Stolzenburg Jens-Uwe , Hinz Andreas
Published: March 2021

PurposeQuality of life (QoL) has been the subject of increasing interest in oncology. Most examinations of QoL have focused on health-related QoL while other factors often remain unconsidered. Moreover, QoL questionnaires implicitly assume that the subjective importance of the various QoL domains is identical from one patient to the next. The aim of this study was to analyze QoL in a broader sense, considering the subjective importance of the QoL components.MethodsA sample of 173 male urologic patients was surveyed twice: once while hospitalized (t1) and once again three months later (t2). Patients completed the Questions on Life Satisfaction questionnaire (FLZ-M), which includes satisfaction and importance ratings for eight dimensions of QoL. A control group was taken from the general population (n = 477).ResultsHealth was the most important QoL dimension for both the patient and the general population groups. While satisfaction with health was low in the patient group, the satisfaction ratings of the other seven domains were higher in the patient group than in the general population. The satisfaction with the domain partnership/sexuality showed a significant decline from t1 to t2. Multiple regression analyses showed that the domains health and income contributed most strongly to the global QoL score at t2 in the patient group. ConclusionsHealth is not the only relevant category when assessing QoL in cancer patients; social relationships and finances are pertinent as well. Importance ratings contribute to a better understanding of the relevance of the QoL dimensions for the patients.
Random CNN Structure – Tool to Increase Generalization Ability in Deep Learning
Authors: Swiderski Bartosz , Osowski Stanislaw , Gwardys Grzegorz , Kurek Jaroslaw , Slowinska Monika , Lugowska Iwona
Published: March 2021

The paper presents a novel approach to designing the CNN structure of improved generalization capability in the presence of a small population of learning data. In contrast to the classical methods for building CNN, we propose to introduce some randomness in the choice of layers with a different type of nonlinear activation function. Image processing in these layers is performed using either the ReLU or the softplus function. This choice is random. The randomness introduced into the network structure can be interpreted as a special form of regularization. Experiments performed in the recognition of images belonging to either melanoma or non-melanoma cases have shown a significant improvement in the average quality measures, such as the accuracy, sensitivity, precision, and the area under the ROC curve.
Short-term Gait Parameters Change in Mild Spastic Cerebral Palsy after Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy Guided by Our Newly-Modified Protocol
Authors: jiang wenbin , Jiang Shuyun , Yu Yan , Zhan Qijia , Wei Min , Mei Rong , Chen Fang , Guo Yao , Xiao Bo
Published: March 2021

Background Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) guided by our modified protocol can decrease spasticity in certain muscles. This study aimed to investigate gait parameters changes in cerebral palsy (CP) with focal spasticity after SDR in short-term follow-up. Methods CP classified as Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level Ⅰ and Ⅱ who underwent SDR were included. Changes of spasticity, gait parameters and gait deviation index (GDI) were retrospectively reviewed. Results This study contained 26 individuals with 44 affected and 8 intact lower limbs (4 monoplegia, 4 hemiplegia and 18 diplegia). Mean age was 5.7 ± 1.9 years-old and follow-up duration was 9.9 ± 6.6 months. After SDR, average spasticity of 108 target muscles decreased from 2.9 ± 0.8 to 1.8 ± 0.6 in Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS). Kinematic curves changed after the surgery in sagittal and transverse plane in affected sides, further investigation showed improvements in ankle and knee. No changes were found in temporal-spatial parameters except decrease in cadence in affected sides. GDI improved significantly in affected limbs. Conclusion In short-term follow up, the new-protocol-guiding SDR can lower focal spasticity, GA showed improvements in kinematic parameters and GDI. Longer follow-up duration is needed to clarify the long-term outcome.
A New Side-effect of Sufentanil: Increased Monocyte-endothelial Adhesion
Authors: Yuan Dongdong , Zou Zhaowei , Li Xianlong , Cheng Nan , Guo Na , Sun Guoliang , Liu Dezhao
Published: March 2021

Background: Opioids have been identified by the World Health Organization to be ‘indispensable for the relief of pain and suffering’. Side-effects, such as nausea, vomiting, postoperative delirium, and effects on breathing, of opioids have been well investigated; however, the influence of opioids on monocyte-endothelial adherence has never been reported. Therefore, we explored the effects of representative opioids, fentanyl, sufentanil, and remifentanil, on monocyte-endothelial adherence and the underlying mechanisms. Methods: We built a cell adhesion model with U937 monocytes and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Two kinds of connexin43 (Cx43) channel inhibitors, 18-α-GA and Gap 27, were used to alter Cx43 channel function in U937 monocytes and HUVECs, respectively, to determine the effects of Cx43 channels on U937-HUVEC adhesion. Subsequently, the effects of fentanyl, sufentanil and remifentanil on Cx43 channel function and U937-HUVEC adhesion were explored. Results: When fentanyl, sufentanil and remifentanil acted on monocytes or endothelial cells, their effects on monocyte-endothelial adherence differed. When acting on U937 monocytes, sufentanil significantly increased U937-HUVEC adhesion via the inhibition of Cx43 channels in U937 monocytes (the mechanism was related to Cx43 channels modulating ATP release), while fentanyl and remifentanil did not have these influences. Although sufentanil could also inhibit Cx43 channel function in HUVECs, it had no effect on ATP release from HUVECs or U937-HUVECs adhesion. Conclusions: We demonstrated that sufentanil application increases monocyte-endothelial adherence via the inhibition of ATP release mediated by Cx43 channels in monocytes. This side-effect of sufentanil should be considered seriously by clinicians.
Optimal Time Lags from Causal Prediction Model Help Stratify and Forecast Nervous System Pathology
Authors: Bermperidis Theodoros , Rai Richa , Ryu Jihye , Torres Elizabeth
Published: March 2021

Traditional clinical approaches diagnose disorders of the nervous system using standardized observational criteria. Although aiming for homogeneity of symptoms, this method often results in highly heterogeneous disorders. A standing question thus is how to automatically stratify a given random cohort of the population, such that treatment can be better tailored to each cluster’s symptoms, and severity of any given group forecasted to provide neuroprotective therapies. In this work we introduce new methods to automatically stratify a random cohort of the population composed of healthy controls of different ages and patients with different disorders of the nervous systems. Using a simple walking task and measuring micro-fluctuations in their biorhythmic motions, we show that gait is compromised in healthy aging and that in young FMR1 premutation carriers, gait forecasts, even by 15 years ahead, symptoms resembling those of elderly with Parkinson’s disease. Our methods combine non-linear causal network connectivity analyses in the temporal and frequency domains with stochastic mapping, defining a new type of internal motor timings amenable to create personalized clinical interventions. We frame our results using the principle of reafference and operationalize them using causal prediction, thus renovating the theory of internal models for the study of neuromotor control.
The prognostic significance of a histological response to preoperative chemotherapy in patients with synchronous colorectal liver metastases
Authors: Tanaka Hideharu , Matsuhashi Nobuhisa , Imai Hisashi , Higashi Toshiya , Kiyama Shigeru , Okumura Naoki , Murase Katsutoshi , Takahashi Takao , Saigo Chiemi , Takeuchi Tamotsu , Yoshida Kazuhiro
Published: March 2021

Background
Preoperative chemotherapy (PC) for colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) is widely used to improve prognosis, but its clinical benefit has not been fully established. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of PC for synchronous CRLMs, and to analyze the correlation between histological response to PC and survival.
Methods
We retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological factors and outcomes of 69 patients who underwent initial hepatectomy for synchronous CRLM between 2004 and 2018 after receiving PC (PC group: n = 43) or who underwent upfront hepatectomy without PC (Non-PC group: n = 26).
In the PC group, the patients were
divided into two groups, Grade 1 (n = 27) and Grade 2/3 (n = 16)
groups according to their histological responses to PC.
Results
The median survival and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 80.9 months and 61.5%, respectively, in the PC group and 71.7 months and 61.5%, respectively, in the Non-PC group (P = 0.867). Regarding recurrence-free survival (RFS) and remnant liver-RFS, there were no significant differences between the two groups (P = 0.087 and 0.291). However, in a subgroup analysis according to the histological response to PC, the median 5-year OS, RFS, and remnant liver-RFS in the Grade 2/3 group were significantly longer than in the Grade 1 group (OS: 66 vs. 53 months; P = 0.008, RFS: 15 vs. 6.7 months; P = 0.002, remnant liver-RFS: 62 vs. 8.3 months; P < 0.001). Surgical margin positive status (< 1 mm) was associated with a high remnant liver recurrence rate (hazard ratio 2.597, P = 0.008).
Conclusion
PC should not be routinely administered to all patients with synchronous CRLMs. However, some patients benefit from PC, and the histological response to PC had prognostic significance for patients with synchronous CRLM.
Association between Endoscopist Specialty and Colonoscopy Quality: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Forbes Nauzer , Mazurek Matthew , Murray Alistair , Ruan Yibing , Hilsden Robert J , Heitman Steven J , Brenner Darren R
Published: March 2021

Background

Colonoscopy is an important modality in the provision of colorectal cancer screening. Though effective and safe, the performance of screening-related colonoscopy is variable in terms of its overall quality, with endoscopist-related factors playing an important role in this variation. The purpose of this study is to systematically review the association between endoscopist specialty and colonoscopy quality and outcomes.
Methods

A comprehensive electronic search will be carried out to determine the association between endoscopist specialty and colonoscopy quality metrics and/or outcomes in adult patients undergoing colonoscopy. Two abstracters will independently determine study eligibility, assess study quality, and abstract study data. The primary outcome will be the adenoma detection rate (ADR); secondary outcomes will include cecal intubation rate (CIR), withdrawal time (WT), adverse events (AEs) and post-colonoscopy colorectal cancer (PCCRC). Rates of the above metrics and outcomes will also be compared between clinically relevant subgroups determined a priori. DerSimonian and Laird models will be used to perform meta-analyses for each outcome. Sources of heterogeneity will be explored via meta-regression analyses, if possible.
Discussion

Given the significant established variation in colonoscopy quality, endoscopist-related factors need to be explored. Our meta-analysis will address the important question of whether the specialty of the endoscopist impacts colonoscopy quality and/or outcomes.
Systematic Review Registration
PROSPERO CRD42021226251.
Biodegradation α-endosulfan and α-cypermethrin by Acinetobacter schindleri B7 isolated from the microflora of grasshopper (Poecilimon tauricola)
Authors: Ozdal Ozlem Gur , ALGUR Omer Faruk
Published: March 2021

Extensive applications of pesticides have led to the contamination of ecosystem. Therefore, the isolation of new pesticide degrading bacteria is important. For the biodegradation of α-endosulfan and α-cypermethrin, new bacteria isolates were isolated from grasshopper (Poecilimon tauricola). According to different tests, these isolated bacteria were identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa B5, Acinetobacter johnsonii B6, Acinetobacter schindleri B7, Bacillus megaterium B9 and Brevibacillus parabrevis B12. The first two of these bacteria have been isolated as those that can use only α-endosulfan and the last two only use α-cypermethrin. Moreover, A. schindleri B7 was determined to be able to degrade both pesticides. When glucose was added to non-sulfur medium containing α-endosulfan (100 mg/L) and minimal salt medium containing α-cypermethrin (100 mg/L), both pesticide degradation and bacterial growth was increased. As a result, A. schindleri, a new gram negative bacterium, can inevitably be used in the biological treatment of environments exposed to pesticides.
Integrative Analyses of Biomarkers and Pathways for Osteosarcopenia
Authors: Li Yang , Sun Jianmin , Wang Guodong
Published: March 2021

Osteosarcopenia is a geriatric syndrome coexistence of osteoporosis and sarcopenia. However, the molecular mechanism underlying osteosarcopenia have not been fully elucidated. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for osteoporosis and sarcopenia were respectively identified by analyzing four expression datasets from the GEO. We extracted the gene expression datasets GSE56814 and GSE56815 for osteoporosis, GSE1428 and GSE8479 for sarcopenia. 133 co-expressed DEGs were included in osteoporosis and sarcopenia datasets. Furthermore, functional enrichment analyses and PPI network construction were performed to explore the potential biological function of the DEGs and identify hub genes. S100 protein binding (GO:0044548; p-value = 1.83E-06) and regulation of mRNA metabolic process (GO:1903311; p-value = 2.30E-05) were significantly enriched in gene ontology(GO) analysis. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis showed that salmonella infection (hsa05132; p-value = 1.05E-04) and AMPK signaling pathway (hsa04152; p-value = 2.18E-03) were significantly enriched. According to the results of PPI, we finally identified five most critical genes as the hub genes, including AKT1, ANXA2, VIM, S100A6 and S100A11. The integrated analysis will contribute to the understanding of comprehensive molecular changes in osteosarcopenia and the development of new target therapies.
Risk Factors of Stunting Among Children Aged 6-59 Months In Bensa District ISTRICT, Sidama Region, South Ethiopia: Unmatched Case-Control Study
Authors: TAFESSE TEMESGEN , YOSEPH AMANUEL , MAYISO KALEB , GARI TAYE
Published: March 2021

Background: Stunting remains one of the most common under-nutrition problems among children in the Ethiopia. Children aged 6-59 months share for 35–45% of the burden in endemic areas. Identifying the causes of stunting assists health planners to prioritize prevention strategies, and is a fundamental step for intervention. However, evidence scarce about risk factors of stunting among children aged 6-59 months in study area. Therefore, this study aimed to assess risk factors of stunting among children aged 6-59 months in Bensa district, South Ethiopia; 2019. Methods: A facility-based unmatched case-control study was conducted from January 10 to March 10, 2018 on a sample of 237(79 cases and 158 controls) children aged 6-59 months with their respective mothers. Data were collected using a structured, face-to-face interviewer-administered questionnaire and standard physical measurements. The data were entered using EPINFO version 7 and WHO Anthro software version 3.0.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Chi-square(X2) test was used to determine the overall association between explanatory and outcome variables. The variables were entered to the multivariable model using the backward stepwise regression approach. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with stunting. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) were computed to evaluate the presence and strength of associations. Results: Diarrhea in past two weeks (AOR = 2.71, 95% CI: 1.42-5.16) and male sex (AOR = 2.37, 95% CI: 1.224-4.59) were positively associated with stunting. The odds of stunting increased 2.7 times for children who had inappropriate exclusive breast feeding (AOR =2.07, 95%CI: 1.07-4.01) as compared to those who had the appropriate exclusive breast feeding. Having less than or equal to three under five children in the household (AOR = 2.18, 95%CI: 03-4.64), and mothers had no formal education (AOR =3.28, 95%CI: 1.56-6.924) were positively associated with stunting. Conclusions: Male sex, diarrhea in past two weeks, inappropriate exclusive breast feeding, number of the under five children in the household and mothers had no formal education were major predictors of the stunting. Educating mothers/care takers on Infant and Young Child Feeding practice. Findings support a focus on prevention of diarrhea as part of an overall public health strategy for improving child health and nutrition.
Automatic Lesion Segmentation Using Atrous Convolutional Deep Neural Networks in Dermoscopic Skin Cancer Images
Authors: Kaur Ranpreet , GholamHosseini Hamid , Sinha Roopak
Published: March 2021

Background: Among skin cancers, melanoma is the most dangerous and aggressive form, exhibiting a high mortality rate worldwide. Biopsy and histopatholog-ical analysis are common procedures for skin cancer detection and prevention in clinical settings. A significant step involved in the diagnosis process is the deep understanding of patterns, size, color, and structure of lesions based on images obtained through dermatoscopes for the infected area. However, the manual seg-mentation of the lesion region is time-consuming because the lesion evolves and changes its shape over time which makes its prediction challenging. Moreover, at the initial stage, it is difficult to predict melanoma as it closely resembles other skin cancer types that are not malignant as melanoma, thus automatic segmentation techniques are required to design a computer-aided system for accurate and timely detection. Methods: As deep learning approaches have gained high attention in recent years due to their remarkable performance, therefore, in this work, we proposed a novel, end-to-end atrous spatial pyramid pooling based convolutional neural network (CNN) framework for automatic lesion segmentation. This architecture is built based on the concept of atrous dilated convolutions which are effective for semantic segmentation. A dense deep neural network is designed using several building blocks consisting of convolutional, batch normalization, leaky ReLU layer with fine-tuning of hyperparameters contributing towards higher performance. Conclusion: The network was tested using three benchmark datasets by International Skin Imaging Collaboration, i.e. ISIC 2016, ISIC 2017, and ISIC 2018. The experimental results showed that the proposed network achieved an average Jac-card index of 86.5% on ISIC 2016, 81.2% on ISIC 2017, and 81.2% on ISIC 2018 datasets, respectively which is recorded as higher than the top three winners of the ISIC challenge. Also, the model successfully extracts lesions from the whole image in one pass, requiring no pre-processing process. The conclusions yielded that network is accurate in performing lesion segmentation on skin cancer images.
Long-term Survival Following Radiofrequency Ablation of Lung Metastases in an Elderly Patient With Calcaneal Osteosarcoma: a Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Futani Hiroyuki , Takaki Haruyuki , Sawai Tatsuo , Taniguchi Junichi , Kako Yasukazu , Ide Yoshi-Hiro , Yamakado Koichiro , Tachibana Toshiya
Published: March 2021

Background: Lung metastases are the primary cause of death from osteosarcomas. Complete resection of lung metastases can prolong the survival. However, complete surgical resection in elderly patients is often difficult due to high risk of peri-operative complications. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive technique to destroy tumor nodules using heat. Here, we present an elderly patient with osteosarcoma in calcaneus a scapular osteochondroma, who metachoronusly developed multiple lung metastases. Subsequently, he has been surviving a relatively long period by the use of percutaneous computed tomography (CT)-guided lung RFA against his lung metastases.Case presentation: A 74-year-old male presented with 1-year history of heel pain. Imaging analysis demonstrated a mixture of osteolytic and osteosclerotic lesions in the calcaneus with extraskeletal lesions. The histology of the biopsy specimen showed osteoid matrix with malignant spindle cells, which was diagnosed as a conventional high-grade osteosarcoma. Below-knee amputation was performed. However, 6 lung metastases were found in both lungs 1 year after surgery. During 4.5 years from the initial percutaneous CT-guided lung RFA, 18 lung metastases were treated in 8 procedures. Lung RFA was performed under moderate sedation and local anesthesia. The most frequent complication was pneumothoraxes in 3 procedures followed by pleuritis with pneumothorax in 1 procedure. Chest tube drainage was required in 2 of 8 (25%) lung RF procedures. Mean duration of hospital stay for lung RFA was 5.3 ± 2.1 days (range, 3-10 days). The patient has been alive with disease for 5.5 years after initial surgery. Conclusion: Our experience indicates that lung RFA is effective for elderly patients with lung metastases of osteosarcoma without serious complications.