bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of the number of family generations on intergenerational support for longevity elderly: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Wang Dan-Ni , Gao Xing-Xing , Huang Meng-Li , Zhao Rui , Dong Chen , Gu Zhi-Feng , Gao Jian-Lin , Shen Chen
Published: May 2022

Background: As for support for the elderly naturally, the family is an important carrier for achieving a sense of security, happiness, and worthiness in old age. This study analyzed the characteristics of intergenerational support in longevity elderly families and explored the impact of the number of family generations on intergenerational support. Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between April 2020 to January 2021 among 62 elderly people aged 90+ in Rugao, the sixth longest-lived city in the world. Under the guidance of the researcher, longevity elderly completed questionnaires including general demographics, intergenerational support, and so on. And Logistic regression model was used to analyze the influence of the number of family generations on the intergenerational economy, life, and spiritual support of the longevity elderly. Results: Longevity elderly, were primarily care recipients in their families and recipients in intergenerational support for declined physical functions and limited self-care ability. The study found that the more numbers of family generations, the more the family intergenerational life care and intergenerational spiritual comfort provided for longevity elders. Conclusion: There is a positive effect of family generations on intergenerational support for longevity elderly. The government and society should promote the fine tradition of respecting and honoring the elderly while paying close attention to the dynamic changes in the family structure of the longevity elderly, and promoting high-quality and sustainable development of the population, economy, and society.
An Automated Heart Disease Diagnosis System Using Adaptive Cross-Layer Stacked Residual Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Kumar G. Krishna Lava , Singh A. Robert
Published: May 2022

Heart disease is the devastating illness that kills the most people worldwide when compared to other ailments. Heart disease is a significant hazard. A cardiac problem occurs when the arteries supplying oxygen and blood to the heart become fully clogged or constricted. One of the primary causes of death has been heart disease. In a short period, the mortality rate has grown considerably. Because an incorrect diagnosis of the condition might result in death, accuracy and safe diagnosis of cardiac disease should be a top priority in healthcare. Cardiovascular disease may be avoided if the prognosis is right, but it can potentially be fatal if the prediction is incorrect. Hence, in this paper, we propose an automated heart disease diagnosis system. Initially, the patient data is collected and preprocessed. The features are extracted using Kernel-based Linear Discriminant Analysis (K-LDA). (Correlation-based feature selection) CFS is performed to extract relevant features. We propose Adaptive Cross-Layer Stacked Residual Convolutional Neural Networks (ACLS-RCNN) for the prediction of the disease. We also introduce the Improved Cuttlefish-Swarm Optimization Algorithm (ICSOA) for enhancing the prediction process. The performance metrics like accuracy, precision, recall, and f1-score of the proposed system are evaluated using the python simulation tool and compared with conventional methodologies. Our framework can make a very accurate prediction based on clinical data and diagnoses from the real world.
Uptake of, barriers and enablers to the utilization of postnatal care services in Thyolo, Malawi
Authors: Nyondo-Mipando Alinane Linda , Chirwa Marumbo , Kumitawa Andrew , Salimu Sangwani , Nkhoma Jacqueline , Chimuna Tiyese Jean , Dohlsten Martin , Chikwapulo Bongani
Published: May 2022

Background
Postnatal care (PNC) ensures early assessments for danger signs during the postpartum period and is to be provided within 24 hours of birth, 48–72 hours, 7–14 days, and six weeks after birth. This study assessed the uptake of and the barriers and facilitators to receiving PNC care among mothers and babies
Methods
A concurrent mixed-method study employing a retrospective register review and a qualitative descriptive study were conducted in Thyolo from July to December 2020. Postnatal registers of 2019 were reviewed to estimate the proportion of mothers and newborns that received PNC respectively. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) among postnatal mothers, men, health care workers, and elderly women and in-depth interviews with Midwives, and key health care workers were conducted to explore the barriers and enablers to PNC. Observations of the services that mothers and babies received within 24 hours of birth, at 48–72 hours, 7–14 days, and six weeks after birth was conducted. Descriptive statistics were tabulated for the quantitative data using Stata while the qualitative data were managed using NVivo and analysed following a thematic approach
Results
The uptake of PNC services was at 90.5%, 30.2%, and 6.1% among women and 96.5%, 78.8%, and 13.7% among babies within 48 hours of birth, 3 to 7 and 8 to 42 days respectively. The barriers to PNC services included the absence of a baby or mother, limited understanding of PNC services, lack of male involvement, and economic challenges. Cultural and religious beliefs, advice from community members, community activities, distance, lack of resources, and poor attitude of health care workers also impeded utilization of PNC services. The enablers included the mothers’ level of education, awareness of the services, economic resources, community-based health support, adequacy and attitude of health workers, seeking treatment for other conditions, and other clinic activities.
Conclusion
Optimization of uptake and utilization of PNC services for mothers and neonates will require the involvement of all stakeholders. The success of PNC services lies in the communities, health services, and mothers understanding the relevance, timepoints, and services that need to be delivered to create demand for the services.
Floating raft culture of Gracilaria verrucosa for optimum yield performance on the coast of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
Authors: Sobuj Mohammad Khairul Alam , Mostofa Md. Golam , Islam Zahidul , Rabby Ahmad Fazley , Rahman Turabur , Sonia Saima Sultana , Hasan Shanur Jahedul , Rahman Shafiqur
Published: May 2022

The present study was meant to describe the very first description of Gracilaria verrucosa culture using a floating raft culture method on the coast of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. The effects of different factors such as rope materials, culture type, raft shape, seeding intensity, harvesting phase, and water depth on the biomass production of seaweed were evaluated during a 90-day culture period. Different water quality variables such as temperature, pH, DO, salinity, TDS, transparency, alkalinity, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and silica were measured at every 15-day interval throughout the culture period. The seasonal appearance of epiphytic algae and cost-benefit analysis of seaweed culture was also performed. We found the range of biomass production (3.03–13.37 kg/m2) and DGR (3.08–4.72% d− 1) to be satisfactory in the floating raft culture method. A total of eight epiphytic algal species were recorded, which resulted in major challenges for the growth of Gracilaria. The cost-benefit analysis showed about a $1051 profit for a six-month culture period in 20 rafts. Our research concluded that farming G. verrucosa in the floating raft method, when certain critical factors are considered, can become a profitable sector for large-scale seaweed production in our coastal area.
Unravelling bile viromes of free-range laying chickens clinically diagnosed with spotty liver disease: Emergence of many novel chaphamaparvoviruses evolved into multiple lineages
Authors: Sarker Subir , Talukder Saranika , Anwar Arif , Van Thi Thu Hao , Petrovski Steve
Published: May 2022

Spotty liver disease (SLD) causes substantial egg production losses and chicken mortality; therefore, it is a disease that concerns Australian egg farmers. Over the last few decades, much research has been conducted to determine the etiologic agents of SLD and to develop potential therapeutics; however, SLD still remains a major issue for the chicken industries globally and remained without the elucidation of potentially multiple pathogens involved. To help fill this gap, this study was aimed at understanding the viral diversity of bile samples from which the SLD-causing bacterium, Campylobacter hepaticus, has been isolated and characterised. The collected samples were processed and sequenced using high-throughput next-generation sequencing. Remarkably, this study found 15 galliform chaphamaparvoviruses (GaChPVs), of which 14 are novel under the genus Chaphamaparvovirus. Among them, nine were complete genomes that showed between 41.7% and 78.3% genome-wide pairwise similarities to one another. Subsequent phylogenetic analysis using the NS1 gene exhibited a multiple incursion of chaphamaparvovirus lineages, including a novel lineage of unknown ancestral history in free-range laying chickens in Australia. This is the first evidence of circulating many parvoviruses in chicken in Australia, which has increased our knowledge of the pathogen diversity that may have an association with SLD in chickens.
Fusion of Multimodality Features for Improved Classification of Alzheimer Disease
Authors: Shobha S , Karthikeyan B R
Published: May 2022

This paper focus on improved classification accuracy in classification of Alzheimer Disease (AD) vs Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) vs Normal Controls (NC) by feature reduction technique and fusion of multimodality features. The gray matter of specified ROI regions of brain is extracted from MRI and FDG-PET images. The LASSO feature selection technique is used to identify the relevant features significant for the classification of AD from MCI and NC. The reduction of features leads to 92.27% of accuracy which is improved by 11% compared without feature selection in classification of AD vs MCI. The classification of AD vs MCI and MCI vs NC is challenging due to the high correlations of the features. Through the analysis it is found that for AD vs MCI a maximum of 92.27% of classification accuracy accomplished for multimodal combination of features using linear Support vector Machine (SVM) algorithm and for MCI vs NC 99% accomplished using linear SVM algorithm. It is identified that fusion of features of all the modalities provides 94.9% accuracy for AD vs MCI vs NC. The analysis solidifies that fusion of multi-modality features always improves the classification accuracy compared to using any one of the single modality features. All the analysis were carried out using ADNI-1 data base and subject IDs are listed in Table 10.
Jerk Optimization Model of Motor Control for Continuous Movement - A Genetic Algorithm Approach
Authors: Silva Mateus Souza , de Araújo João Ricardo Pessoa , Daneault Jean-Francois , Miranda José Garcia Vivas
Published: May 2022

Identifying the principles inherent to human motor control, and the variables that are optimized during movement, has been a challenge for over a century. Several models have been developed, where different variables of the movement are optimized, however, the jerk minimization model has gained some prominence as its output closely matches human movements. However, this model was developed for simple point-to-point 2D movements. To generalize this model, recent studies have developed the Movement Element Decomposition Method (MED) which consists of a process of atomizing complex movements. Still, MED used the same boundary conditions that were used in the initial jerk minimization model of 2D point-to-point movements, making MED output not optimal for continuous movements. The goal of this study was to generalize the jerk minimization model for application to general continuous movements, through the combination of MED and a genetic algorithm model. The curve found in this study has a better fit for continuous movements than the theoretical curves available in the literature. Furthermore, the application of optimization models of motor control variables through the usage of a genetic algorithm enables their integration with other computational tools for more complex modeling.
Asymbiotic and Symbiotic Seed Culture of Polystachya Concreta (Jacq.) Garay & H.R. Sweet From Ecuador
Authors: Quijia-Lamina Paulina H. , Baquero Luis E. , Kane Michael E. , Zettler Lawrence W.
Published: May 2022

Protocols for seed germination and seedling development were developed for the orchid, Polystachya concreta. Mature seeds were collected from native populations in northwest Andes Mountains of Ecuador. Putative mycorrhizal fungi were isolated from roots of orchid seedlings and juvenile plants in situ. Seeds and pure fungal cultures were transported to the laboratory located at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA. Four asymbiotic orchid seed germination media: Knudson-C (KD-C), Vacin and Went Modified Orchid Medium (VW), ½ X Strength Murashige & Skoog (½ X MS), and PhytoTechnology Orchid Seed Sowing Medium (P723) were examined for their effectiveness in promoting seed germination and protocorm development of P. concreta in both 0/24 h and 12/12 h Light/Dark photoperiod at 23 ºC. Germination occurred regardless of medium and photoperiod treatments. Germinated P. concreta seeds attained the seedling developmental stage on all media, except KN-C. Protocorm like bodies were observed when seeds were germinated in complete darkness for the initial 21 days of the experiment.Effects of putative mycorrhizal fungi isolated from native populations on seed germination and seedling development were also examined. Both germination and seedling development were promoted by Tulasnella calospora (UAMH 9824) isolated from Spiranthes brevilabris in Florida, USA. Ceratobasidium strains isolated from different orchid species from Ecuador did not promote seed gemination and seedling development. Tulasnella strains from Ecuador only enhanced seed germination on P. concreta. Results of this study will aid in the development of efficient seed germination protocols for the conservation of native orchids from Ecuador.
Nogo receptor 1 is a novel class of NK cell inhibitory receptor to destabilize synapse by regulating actin dynamics
Authors: Kim Tae-Don , Doh Junsang , Oh Se-Chan , Kim Seong-Eun , Kim Seok-Min , Lee Soo Yun , Lee Sun-Young , Jang In Hwan , Chu In-Sun
Published: May 2022

The formation of immunological synapse (IS) is essential for natural killer (NK) cells to eliminate target cells. Although elucidation of the overall characteristics and formation processes of IS is ongoing, the mechanisms for regulating the stability of IS by cytoskeleton remain to be understood. The current study reports that Nogo receptor 1 (NgR1) plays a key role in modulating NK cell-mediated killing by destabilization of IS formation. NgR1 deficiency or blockade results in improved tumor control of NK cells by enhancing NK-to-target cell contact stability and regulating F-actin dynamics during IS formation. Clinically, patients with a tumor expressing abundant NgR1 ligand showed poor prognosis despite high levels of NK cell infiltration. Thus, our study identifies NgR1 as an immune checkpoint involved in IS formation and reveals a potential approach to improve the killing effect of NK cells in cancer immunotherapy.
Transcriptomic study on differential expression of peripheral blood in patients with early steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femoral head based on Gene Expression Omnibus
Authors: Tian Cong , Shao Wenhui , Zhou Honghai
Published: May 2022

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to explore the signalling pathway in the development of early SONFH(Steroid-induced steonecrosis of femoral head) and to predict diagnostic biomarkers in peripheral blood of patients with SONFH. Method: Relevant transcriptome data was downloaded and the DEGs（Differently Expressed Genes） were screened by R software. ClusterProfiler was used for enrichment analysis of GO(Gene Ontology) and KEGG(Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes), and STRING database was used for PPI(Protein Protein Interaction) analysis. Network X was used to visualize the network in Python. Result: In the study, 584 differential genes were found, including 294 up-regulated genes and 290 down-regulated genes. The main functions of DEG enrichment includered blood cell differentiation, cell protein catabolism, gas transportation, activation of myeloid leukocytes, phagocytosis, and inflammatory response. The main pathways involved in DEGs includemitophagy-animal, HTLV-1(Human T cell leukemia virus-1) infection, FOXO(Forkhead box O), phagocytosis, osteoclast differentiation, and cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction.The qRT-PCR results were consistent with the PPI networkanalysis results.Conclusion: It was found that DEGs related to SONFH, such as PRDX2(Peroxiredoxin 2), HP(Haptoglobin), MMP8, FPR2(Formyl Peptide Receptor 2), ITGAX(Integrin Subunit Alpha X), may promote the occurrence of SONFH by affecting factors such as redox pathway, inflammatory response, osteoblast and osteoclast structure and function, and whether it can become the key gene for early diagnosis and treatment of the disease needs further study.
Stability and Biosafety of human epidermal stem cell for wound repair: Preclinical evaluation
Authors: Zhao Xiaohong , Li Xue , Wang Ying , Guo Yicheng , Huang Yong , Lv Dalun , Lei Mingxing , Yu Shicang , Luo Gaoxing , zhan rixing
Published: May 2022

Background: Cell therapy is a key technology to prevent sacrificing normal skin. Although some studies have shown the promise of human epidermal stem cells (EpiSCs), the efficacy, biosafety and quality control of EpiSC therapy have not been systematically reported. Methods: The biosafety, stemness maintenance and wound repair of EpiSC were systematically verified by in vitro and in vivo experiments. EpiSC were prepared from the foreskin using a collagen type IV rapid adherence method. The EpiSCs were identified by flow cytometry, immunofluorescence staining and cell morphology. The well-growing passage 1 (P1) EpiSCs were used to determine the proliferation curve (counting method). EpiSC clone formation assay by Giemsa staining. Using nude mice to prepare a full-thickness skin defect wound model to detect the repair effect of EpiSCs. The biosafety of EpiSCs was double tested in vitro and in vivo.Results: The results showed that the expression of specific markers and clone formation efficiency were stable when passage 1 (P1) to P8 cells were cultured, and the stemness rate of P8 cells was close to 85.1%. EpiSCs were expanded in vitro for 25 days, the number of cells reached 2.5×10^8, and the transplantable area was approximately 75% of the total body surface area (TBSA). At 45 days, the total number of cells was approximately 30 billion, and the transplantable area was approximately the size of a volleyball court. A nude mouse wound model indicated that EpiSCs could rapidly close a wound. On postinjury day 7, the wound epithelialization rate in the cell transplantation group was significantly higher than that in the NaCl group (P<0.05). In vitro, cell senescence increased, and telomerase activity decreased in P1 to P8 EpiSCs. In vivo, there were no solid tumors or metastatic tumors after EpiSC (P8) transplantation. In addition, the quality control of cultured cells met the clinical application criteria for cell therapy. Conclusion: This preclinical study showed the stability and biosafety of human EpiSC therapy for wound repair.
Weight Fluctuation and Cardiovascular Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Massey Robert J , Siddiqui Moneeza K , Pearson Ewan R , Dawed Adem Y
Published: May 2022

The association between body weight fluctuation and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been investigated previously with mixed findings. However, there has been no extensive study which systematically evaluates the current evidence. Furthermore, the impact of ethnicity and type 2 diabetes on this phenomena has not yet been investigated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the effect of weight fluctuation on risk of CVD (any cardiovascular (CV) event, composite CV outcome, CV death, Stroke, Myocardial Infarction) and the influence of ethnicity and type 2 diabetes status on the observed association. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed according to the meta-analyses of observational studies in epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines. The electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched for studies that investigated the relationship between body weight or BMI fluctuation and CV diseases using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms and keywords. The relative risks (RRs) for the outcomes were collected from studies, pooled, and analysed using a random-effects model to estimate the overall relative risk. Of 5645 articles screened, 23 studies with a total population of 15,382,537 fulfilled the prespecified criteria and were included. Individuals in the highest strata of body weight fluctuation were found to have significantly increased risk of any CV events (RR = 1.27; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.17–1.38; P < 0.0001), cardiovascular death (RR = 1.24; 95% CI 1.02–1.46), myocardial infarction (RR = 1.32; 95% CI 1.09–1.59; P = 0.0037), stroke (RR = 1.21; 95% CI 1.19–1.24; P < 0.0001), and compound CVD outcomes (RR = 1.36; 95% CI 1.08–1.73; P = 0.01). Similar RRs were observed regarding BMI fluctuation and per unit standard deviation (SD) increase in body weight fluctuation. Comparable effects were seen in people with and without diabetes, in White Europeans and Asians. In conclusion, body weight variability is associated with increased risk of CV diseases regardless of ethnicity or diabetes status. Future research is needed to prove a causative link between weight cycling and CVD risk, as appropriate interventions to maintain stable weight could positively influence CVD.
A trial of labor after caesarean section with a macrosomic neonate. Is it safe?
Authors: Lopian Miriam , Kashani-Ligumski Lior , Cohen Ronnie , Herzlich Jacky , Perlman Sharon
Published: May 2022

Objective: To determine whether a trial of labour after caesarean section (TOLAC) with a macrosomic neonate is associated with adverse outcomes. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted in a population motivated for TOLAC.Women attempting TOLAC with a neonatal birthweight >4000g were compared to women attempting TOLAC with neonatal birthweights between 3500g-4000g. The primary outcome was TOLAC success. Secondary outcomes included mode of delivery, uterine rupture, postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), shoulder dystocia, obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASI), Apgar <7 at 5 min and umbilical artery pH <7.1). Data were analysed using Fisher's exact test and chi‐square tests.Results: 375 women who underwent TOLAC with a neonate weighing >4000 g comprised the study group. 1783 women attempting TOLAC with a neonate weighing 3500-4000g comprised the control group. There were no clinically significant differences between the groups for maternal age, gestational age, parity and VBAC rate. There were no significant differences in the rates of successful TOLAC (94% versus 92.3%, P = 0.2, OR = 0.8, 95% CI 0.5–1.2), operative vaginal delivery (7.4% versus 5.3%, P = 0.18, OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.4–1.1), uterine rupture (0.4% versus 0% P = 0.6), PPH (3.2% Vs 2.3 % p=0.36 OR 1.4 CI 0.7,2.7) , OASI (0.8% Vs 0.2% p=0.1 OR 3.6 CI 0.8,1.6), Apgar <7 at 5 mins (0% Vs 0.4% p=0.37) and umbilical artery pH <7.1 (0.5% Vs 0.7% p=1.0 OR 0.73 CI 0.2,3.2) Women with a neonate weighing > 4000 g had a significantly increased risk of shoulder dystocia (4% Vs 0.4% p <0.05, OR 9.2 CI 3.9,22)Conclusion Women attempting TOLAC with a macrosomic neonate are not at increased risk for failed TOLAC, operative vaginal delivery, uterine rupture, PPH, or OASI but are at risk of shoulder dystocia. This information helps counsel women considering TOLAC with a macrosomic fetus.
Association of resilience with psychological well-being and quality of life for parents of children with cancer
Authors: Chung Joyce Oi Kwan , LI William Ho Cheung , Cheung Ankie Tan , Ho Laurie Long Kwan , Chan Godfrey Chi Fung
Published: May 2022

Purpose
This study aimed to examine the interrelationships among resilience, way of coping, psychological well-being, and quality of life among Chinese parents of children with cancer, and identify factors associated with their quality of life.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted with 119 Chinese parents (primary caregivers) of children with cancer at the Hong Kong Children’s Hospital between January 2020 and March 2022. Parents’ resilience level, way of coping, depressive symptoms, state anxiety scores, perceived social support, and quality of life were assessed.
Results
Participating parents (N = 119) included 98 mothers (82.4%) and 11 parents were from single-parent families (9.2%). Almost half (47.9%) of the parents were potentially at risk for depression. The results showed that participants from single-parent families reported statistically significantly lower levels of resilience (P < .001), more depressive symptoms (P < .001), and poorer quality of life (P < .001) than those who lived with their partners (married). In addition, parents who adopted problem-focused coping strategies reported statistically significantly higher levels of resilience (P < .001), fewer depressive symptoms (P < .001), and better quality of life (P < .001) than those who adopted emotion-focused coping strategies. A multiple regression analysis revealed that resilience (P < .001) was associated with quality of life among parents of children with cancer.
Conclusions
This study provides further support that resilience is an important factor associated with quality of life among parents of children with cancer. Assessing resilience in these parents is an important prerequisite for designing appropriate psychological interventions to increase their resilience and enhance their psychological well-being and quality of life.
Quercetin alleviates cyclophosphamide-induced premature ovarian insufficiency in mice by reducing mitochondrial oxidative stress and pyroptosis in granulosa cells
Authors: Chen Yun , Zhao Ying , Miao Chenyun , Yang Liuqing , Wang Ruye , Chen Bixia , Zhang Qin
Published: May 2022

Background: Exposure to cyclophosphamide (CTX) induces premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). Quercetin is a natural flavonoid that exhibits anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and its antioxidant activity is correlated with POI. However, the mechanism underlying its protective role in CTX-induced ovarian dysfunction is unclear. This study aimed to explore whether quercetin can protect ovarian reserves by activating mitochondrial biogenesis and inhibiting pyroptosis. Methods: Thirty-six female C57BL/6 mice were randomly subdivided into six groups. Except for the control group, all groups were injected with 90 mg/kg CTX to establish a POI model and further treated with coenzyme 10 or various doses of quercetin. The mice were sacrificed 48 h after 10 IU pregnant mare serum gonadotropin was injected four weeks after treatments. We used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to detect serum hormone expression and light and transmission electron microscopy to assess ovarian tissue morphology and mitochondria. Additionally, we tested oxidant and antioxidant levels in ovarian tissues and mitochondrial function in granulosa cells (GCs). The expression of mitochondrial biogenesis and pyroptosis-related proteins and mRNA was analyzed using western blotting and RT-qPCR. Results: Quercetin elevated serum anti-Müllerian hormone, estradiol, and progesterone levels, decreased serum follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone levels, and alleviated ovarian pathology. It reduced the mitochondrial DNA content and mitochondrial membrane potential. Furthermore, it upregulated ATP levels and the mRNA and protein expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC1α), mitochondrial transcription factor A, and superoxide dismutase 2. In addition, it suppressed NOD-like receptor pyrin domain containing 3, caspase-1, interleukin-1β, and gasdermin D levels in the GCs of POI mice.Conclusions: Quercetin protected the ovarian reserve from CTX-induced ovarian damage by reversing mitochondrial dysfunction and activating mitochondrial biogenesis via the PGC1-α pathway. Moreover, quercetin may improve ovarian functions by downregulating pyroptosis in the CTX-induced POI model. Thus, quercetin can be considered a potential agent for treating POI.
Novel PI3K inhibitor 5d inhibits prostate cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Yang Tingkai , Wang Shijun , Jiang Huimin , Xu Heng , Jin Jing , Wen Jin , Ji Zhigang
Published: May 2022

Purpose To investigate the therapeutic effect and possible mechanism of PI3K inhibitor 5d on prostate cancer. Methods The MTT cell proliferation assay was used to assess the PC-3 prostate cancer cell viability. The effect of compound 5d on cell cycle and apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry, and the expression of proteins was estimated by Western blotting. The xenograft models of DU145 and PC-3 cell lines were established to further explore the inhibitory activity of 5d on prostate cancer in vivo. Results The results of MTT experiment showed that 5d could significantly inhibit the proliferation of PC-3 cells in vitro. The flow cytometry results showed that 5d could arrest PC-3 cell cycle in G0 / G1 phase and promote apoptosis. Western blot analysis showed that 5d could effectively inhibit the activation of PI3K signaling pathway. The results of in vivo experiments showed that the tumor weights in the 5d treatment group was significantly reduced compared with the control group, and western blot results show that 5d can effectively inhibit the expression of PI3K signaling pathway in both tumor tissues. Conclusion PI3K inhibitor 5d can effectively inhibit the proliferation of prostate caner in vitro and in vivo.
Evaluate the Effects of Breast Cancer Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy on Bone Matrix by Confocal Micro-beam X-ray Fluorescence
Authors: Xia Wenjing , Zhou Lazhen , Chen Hongchi , Xu Qianqian , Li Fangzuo
Published: May 2022

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in women. Chemotherapy for breast cancer treatment can cause amenorrhea in women and significant bone loss. Consequently, post-menopausal women are at risk of morbidity and mortality associated with breast canner and postmenopausal osteoporosis. Here, a study on osteoporosis in rats after chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy was conducted based on confocal microbeam X-ray fluorescence (m-XRF) technique. Female sprague dawley (SD) rats were divided into 3 groups: control group (G1), chemotherapy and radiotherapy group (G2), and only radiotherapy group (G3). The SD rats were euthanized 6 months after chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and femur slices with a thickness of 1mm were taken for confocal μ-XRF analysis. It was found that compared with G1, G2 and G3 showed significant calcium loss, while Fe increased, especially in G2 group. The results indicate that the lack or reduction of estrogen caused by chemotherapy lead to the occurrence of osteoporosis, and the significant increase of bone iron in G2 samples suggests the process of osteoporosis. Iron ions compete with calcium ions, and there is a significant positive correlation between bone iron and bone absorption. Confocal μ-XRF has proven to be an effective analytical technique for evaluating the effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy on osteoporosis.
Outcomes of Covid-19 Patients Admitted to the Intermediate Respiratory Care Unit: Non-invasive Respiratory Therapy in a Sequencial Protocol
Authors: Gasa Mercè , Ruiz-Albert Yolanda , Cordoba-Izquierdo Ana , Sarasate Mikel , Cuevas Ester , Suarez-Quartin Guillermo , Méndez Lidia , Alfaro-Álvarez Julio-César , Sabater-Riera Joan , Pérez-Fernández Xose Luis , Molina-Molina María , Santos Salud
Published: May 2022

Recognizing patients that best benefited from non-invasive respiratory therapies (NRTs) in intermediate respiratory care units (IRCU) is crucial to ensure management and limiting resources during COVID pandemic. To assess factors associated with survival, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and intubation likelihood in COVID-19 patients admitted to IRCU.Methods Observational retrospective study in consecutive patients admitted to IRCU of a tertiary hospital from March-2020 to April-2021. Inclusion criteria: Hypoxemic respiratory failure (Sp02 <=94% and/or respiratory rate >=25rpm with Fi02 >50% supplementary oxygen) due to acute COVID-19 infection. Demographic, comorbidities, clinical and analytical data, medical and NRTs were collected at IRCU admission. Multivariate logistic regression models assessed factors associated with survival, ICU admission and intubation. Results From 679 patients, 79 patients (12%) had order to do not intubation. From de remaining 600 (88%), 81% survived, 41% needed ICU admission and 37% required intubation. During IRCU, 51% required non-invasive ventilation (NIV group) and 49% did not (non-NIV group). Longer age and lack of corticosteroid treatment were associated with higher mortality and intubation risk in the entire cohort and among NIV group; among non-NIV group, lack of corticosteroids (any regimen) was associated with higher mortality; Admission during the first wave, and higher serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were associated with higher intubation risk. Conclusions 57% improved at IRCU with no ICU admission. The use of corticosteroids improved outcomes. A bolus plus progressive tapering scheme could be more beneficial in severe forms. Initial NIV does not always mean worse outcomes.
Determining population structure from k-mer frequencies.
Authors: Hrytsenko Yana , Daniels Noah M. , Schwartz Rachel S.
Published: May 2022

Background:Determining population structure helps us understand connections among different populations and how they evolve over time. This knowledge is important for studies ranging from evolutionary biology to large-scale variant-trait association studies. Current approaches to determining population structure include model-based approaches, statistical approaches, and distance-based ancestry inference approaches. In this work, we outline an approach that identifies population structure from k-mer frequencies using principal component analysis (PCA). This approach can be classified as statistical; however, prior work employing PCA has used multilocus genotype data (SNPs, microsatellites, or haplotypes), while here we analyze k-mer frequencies. K-mer frequencies can be viewed as a summary statistic of a genome and have the advantage of being easily derived from a genome by counting the number of times a k-mer occurred in a sequence. No genetic assumptions must be met to generate k-mers, whereas current population structure approaches often depend on several genetic assumptions and require careful selection of ancestry informative markers to identify populations. Results: In this work, we show that PCA is able to determine population structure just from the frequency of k-mers found in the genome. The application of PCA and a clustering algorithm to k-mer profiles of genomes provides an easy approach to detecting the number and composition of populations (clusters) present in the dataset. We describe this approach and show that the results are comparable to those found by a model-based approach using genetic markers. We validate our method using 48 human genomes from populations identified by the 1000 Human Genomes Project. We also compare our results to those from mash, which determines relationships among individuals using the number of matched k-mers between sequences. Conclusions:This study shows that PCA, together with a clustering algorithm, is able to detect population structure from k-mer frequencies and can identify samples of admixed and non-admixed origin. In contrast, mash (based on the number of k-mer matches) was highly sensitive to the parameters of k-mer length and sketch size. Using k-mer frequencies to determine population structure has the potential to avoid some challenges of existing methods.
Single vs split dose of prednisolone in the treatment of relapses of childhood nephrotic syndrome
Authors: K Weerasooriya W A L , S Abeyagunawardana A , RS Thalgahagoda
Published: May 2022

Background: Nephrotic syndrome is the commonest glomerular disease in childhood. It usually follows a relapsing and remitting course. Corticosteroids are the mainstay of treatment for both the first episode and subsequent relapses.Objective: This study was conducted at a single centre to compare the clinical response to a single dose vs. split dose of prednisolone in the treatment of relapses of childhood nephrotic syndrome.Method: Children between the ages of 1 and 14 years admitted with a relapse of nephrotic syndrome from August 2019 to February 2020 were evaluated. A block randomization method based on age was used for sampling. Patients randomised to Group A received oral prednisolone at 60mg/m2 as a single morning dose, while those randomised to Group B received the same total dose as two divided doses, of which 2/3 was given in the morning and the rest in the evening. Treatment was continued until remission was achieved following which all patients were switched to alternate day prednisolone. An independent sample t-test was used to compare the two groups.Results: 104 episodes of relapse occurring in 96 children were included of which 49 were treated with prednisolone as a split dose and 55 were treated with a single dose of prednisolone. The mean duration to achieve remission for the split dose group was 8.02 days (SD 1.58) while it was 9.74 days (SD 3.72) for the single dose group. This difference was statistically highly significant (t (102) = 3.004; p=0.001; CI 0.58 to 2.86). There was no difference in the side effect profile of the two groups.Conclusion: The use of prednisolone as a split dose results in a shorter duration to achieve remission when compared to a single morning dose, resulting in a lower cumulative dose of prednisolone to achieve remission.
Enhancement of Anaerobic digestion of cow manure through inoculation under mesophilic conditions
Authors: Tariq Mohsin , Mehmood Ayaz , Abbas Yasir , Ali Muzamal , Saeed Usman , Rukh Shah , Shahzad Khuram , Rafique Mazhar , Gurmani Ali Raza , Khan Abdul Ghaffar , Yun Sining
Published: May 2022

Now a days, anaerobic digestion (AD) systems are using a wide range of techniques to improve their performance, including co-digestion, inoculation, and addition of various accelerants. The AD of cow-manure (CM) was inoculated with ruminant intestinal waste (IW) in this study. It was hypothesized that methanogens present in intestinal waste will enhance anaerobic digestion, which will result in increased methane production. Five different CM/IW ratios (1:0, 9:1, 7:3, 1:1, 0:1) of wet weight were introduced in AD systems at mesophilic environmental (37 ◦C) to find the best combination of CM and IW. All of the mixture CM/IW ratios (9:1, 7:3, and 1:1) demonstrated a good synergistic effect and yielded a higher cumulative biogas yields than CM and RIW alone. The CM/IW (9:1) had the maximum cumulative biogas yield (239 mL/g VS), COD removal rate (40%), VS removal rate (27%), and total solid (TS) removal rate (24%). In the current study fertility status (nitrogen, N; phosphorus, P and potassium, K) of digestate was determine while most of the previous studies are only on biogas production. Digestate with ratio of 9 to 1 was found to be the best with cumulative NPK 4.53%. The inoculation technique using IW can be an effective means of increasing the bio-degradation waste's efficiency and generating more energy.
Adaptive nitrogen inputs sustain soil water balance and improve maize productivity with varied precipitation conditions on semiarid agro-ecosystem
Authors: Liu Pengzhao , Chen Xiaoli
Published: May 2022

Background and Aims Maize productivity in semi-arid regions of Loess Plateau is increasingly at risk because of sparse and uneven distribution of rainfall, and is also restricted by unscientific (excessive or insufficient) fertilization management strategy. Formulating a high-efficient fertilization scheme based on rainfall variability and soil moisture before sowing can guarantee sustainability of water use and maize production. Methods A 4-year (2016−2019) field experiment was conducted to reveal the effects of fertilizer with five nitrogen rates (0, 75−90, 150−180, 270 and 360 kg ha−1, represents as N0, N75-90, N150-180, N270, N360, respectively) under two variable rainfall patterns (one was rainy at pre-anthesis in 2017 and 2019; another was dry at pre-anthesis) on soil water storage (SWS), maize yield, water use efficiency (WUE) and water balance. Results The results showed that dry at pre-anthesis significantly reduced biomass accumulation and kernel number per plant. N inputs increased aboveground dry matter and WUE for dry matter pre-anthesis (WUEd). However, soil water storage before sowing (SWSs) decreased from 440 mm in 2016 to 378.3~390.1 mm in 2019, and the increase of fertilization increased the imbalance of soil moisture. The grain yield and WUE for yield (WUEg) of applying N fertilizer was 9.1–76.7% and 14.9–80.8% higher than that of non-N treatments, respectively. In the case of being rainy before anthesis there occurred the highest grain yield and WUE for grain yield (WUEg) in N270, whereas spring maize performed better in N150-180 during dry years before anthesis. The average NRE and NPFP decreased with increases of N application, and both of them under N150-180 treatment could reach 92.9% and 66.1% of the maximum values, respectively. The grain yield showed a positive correlation with SWSs. Conclusions We clarified that: 1) N applications improved WUEg by increasing deeper soil water absorption and WUEd before anthesis; 2) reducing basal fertilizers and adjusting N fertilizer inputs based on rainfall before anthesis could enhance maize yield and maintain water balance in the Loess Plateau.
Incidence, determinants and serological correlates of reactive symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination: a population-based longitudinal study (COVIDENCE UK)
Authors: Holt Hayley , Jolliffe David , Talaei Mohammad , Faustini Sian , Vivaldi Giulia , Greenig Matthew , Lyons Ronan , Griffiths Christopher , Kee Frank , Sheikh Aziz , Richter Alex , Davies Gwyneth , Shaheen Seif , Martineau Adrian
Published: May 2022

Prospective population-based studies investigating associations between reactive symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and serologic responses to vaccination are lacking. We therefore conducted such a study in 9003 adults from the United Kingdom (UK) general population receiving SARS-COV-2 vaccines as part of the national vaccination programme. Data relating to incidence and type of reactive symptoms after vaccination were captured using online questionnaires, along with information on 56 potential determinants of symptom risk. Titres of combined IgG/IgA/IgM responses to SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) glycoprotein were determined in eluates of dried blood spots collected from all participants before and after vaccination. 4262 (47.3%) participants experienced systemic reactive symptoms after a first vaccine dose. Factors associating with lower risk of such symptoms included older age (aOR per additional 10 years of age 0.85, 95% CI 0.81–0.90), male vs. female sex (aOR 0.59, 95% CI 0.53–0.65) and receipt of an mRNA vaccine vs. ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (0.29, 0.26–0.32 for BNT162b2; 0.06, 0.01–0.26 for mRNA-1273). Higher risk of such symptoms was associated with a history of symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection prior to vaccination (2.23, 1.78–2.81) and presence vs. absence of self-rated anxiety or depression at cohort enrolment (1.24, 1.12–1.39). Post-vaccination anti-S titres were higher among participants who experienced reactive symptoms after vaccination vs. those who did not (P < 0.001). We conclude that factors influencing risk of systemic symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination include demographic characteristics, pre-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 serostatus and vaccine type. Participants experiencing reactive symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination had higher post-vaccination titres of IgG/A/M anti-S antibodies. Improved public understanding of the frequency of reactogenic symptoms and their positive association with vaccine immunogenicity could potentially increase vaccine uptake.
Longitudinal Genome-wide Association Study of Cognitive Impairment After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Long-term Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Hong Eun Pyo , Youn Dong Hyuk , Rhim Jong Kook , Park Jeong Jin , Jeon Jin Pyeong
Published: May 2022

Cognitive defection after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is highly possible to lead a vascular dementia. We performed a longitudinal genome-wide association study (GWAS) for the first time to identify genetic modifications associated with cognitive impairment following SAH in a long-term prospective cohort study. This GWAS involved 153 patients with SAH sharing 5,971,372 markers proceed after the genotype-imputation by the GenomeAsia 100K reference panel. Cox-proportional hazard regression and survival analyses were performed to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Subsequently, a weighted polygenetic risk score (wPRS) was determined based on GWAS-driven loci and risk stratification. Cognitive impairment was observed in 65 patients (42.5%) during a mean follow-up of 37.7 ± 12.4 months. Five novel genome-wide signals including rs138753053 (PDCD6IP-LOC101928135, HR = 28.33, p = 3.4×10− 8), rs56823384 (LINC00499, HR = 12.47, p = 2.8×10− 9), rs145397166 (CASC15, HR = 11.16, p = 1.7×10− 8), rs10503670 (LPL-SLC18A1, HR = 2.88, p = 4.0×10− 8), and rs76507772 (IRS2, HR = 5.99, p = 3.5×10− 8) were significantly associated with cognitive impairment following SAH. After adjusting for clinical covariates, their association was still statistically significant. Among them, the IRS2 region formed the strongest linkage disequilibrium block, tagging five markers (Approximately r2 = 1). The wPRS based on the five markers showed nominal ability to predict cognitive impairment (AUROC = 0.745, 95% CI: 0.667–0.824). Tertile stratification was effective in predicting cognitive impairment especially in those with apolipoprotein ɛ3/ɛ3 (HR = 26.32, 95% CI: 9.95–69.67) and haptoglobin 2 − 1 (HR = 44.59, 95% CI: 8.61–231.08). Our study revealed novel susceptible loci for cognitive impairment that were longitudinally measured in patients with SAH. The clinical usefulness of the loci needs to be confirmed through follow-up studies.
An Unusual Presentation of Superior Mesenteric Venous Occlusion in Mild COVID-19
Authors: Batra Sakshi , Nair Asha G , Syal Kirtimaan
Published: May 2022

SARS-CoV-2, an etiological agent of COVID-19, has been reported to inflict remarkably diverse manifestations in different subjects across the globe. Though patients with COVID-19 predominantly have fever, respiratory and constitutional symptoms, atypical presentations are becoming increasingly evident. COVID-19 may predispose to both venous and arterial thromboembolism due to excessive inflammation, hypoxia, immobilization, and diffuse intravascular coagulation in moderate to severe symptomatic cases. In this case report, we are reporting thromboembolic complications of COVID-19 in a mild symptomatic subject incidentally diagnosed with mesenteric venous occlusion with no abdominal symptoms. Early recognition of the abdominal symptoms, diagnosis, initiation of anticoagulants, and timely surgical intervention may improvise the outcome in a patient with COVID-19 Infection-induced mesenteric thrombosis. Superior mesenteric artery and venous thrombosis may lead to subsequent ischemia necessitating emergency laparotomy. Thus, the usage of low-dose anticoagulants in all the patients of COVID-19 irrespective of the categorization into mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19 disease should be considered.