bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Features of «Plants» cluster from the reference materials collection IGC SB RAS
Authors: Shabanova E. V. , Vasil’eva I. E. , Tausenev D. S. , Scherbarth S. , Pierau U.
Published: October 2021

Four multielement reference materials compile the «Plants» cluster in the developed by IGC SB RAS collection. These are part of terrestrial plants (birch leaf, pine needles, mown meadow grass) and the aquatic plant Elodea canadensis (roots, stems, leaves and flowers). Plants that are sensitive indicators of the state of the environment are collected from unpolluted territories of Eastern Siberia (near and on Lake Baikal). The paper discusses differences in methods of selection and preparation of the material. Such features of these reference materials as granulometric composition (shape, size, particle size distribution), homogeneity and minimum representative mass of the sample, stability ofpowders under conditions of natural aging were studied in accordance with Russian and international requirements with the use of modern devices and methods of chemical analysis. The elemental compositions of matrix plant samples were evaluated according to the method of interlaboratory certification and are represented by the contents of more than 60 elements, of which 23 to 41 are certified. The participation of 20 to 38 accredited Russian and foreign laboratories and the use of more than ten different methods of analysis ensured the traceability of the results. The comparison of the developed and Chinese certified matrix plant reference samples demonstrated their consistency. Based on the results of the discussion of the characteristic properties offour plant PM, they are recommended for performing chemical measurements during the validation of existing and development of new analytical methods, quality control and evaluation of the traceability of the results of determining a wide range of elements in plant materials, as well as professional testing of laboratories of geo-ecological, pharmaceutical and agricultural organisations.
Indexing Baselines: Determining Physiological Stress in Rescued Orphaned Koala Joeys Under Rehabilitation by Comparing Faecal Cortisol Levels Between Healthy and Impaired Individuals
Authors: Pahuja Harsh , Narayan Edward
Published: October 2021

Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is an iconic folivorous marsupial native to the sclerophyll forests and woodlands of Australia. Due to the ever-changing habitat, this species is highly vulnerable to anthropogenic factors such as habitat loss and fragmentation, and this is reflected in the increasing number of injured and/or diseased koalas over the years. The majority of adult koalas admitted at wildlife hospitals are deceased, either due to natural causes, or have to be euthanized. Thus, orphaned koala joeys constitute a substantial number of wildlife rescues, and mortality is also prevalent in koala joeys being hand-reared/rehabilitated, with little knowledge about the causes of such high rates of mortality. Wildlife hospitals/rehabilitation centres are inherently stressful, and although the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis plays a vital role in mediating the stress endocrine function (by producing glucocorticoids such as cortisol), there are no studies quantifying glucocorticoids in koala joeys. To contribute to this dearth of research, we sampled a total of seven individuals residing at Port Macquarie Koala Hospital and noted their clinical information. Faecal samples were collected from all seven koala joeys during routine cage cleaning. In total, 123 faecal samples were collected, processed and analysed for cortisol using enzyme-immunoassay (EIA). We used the iterative baseline approach to determine baseline and peak concentrations of FCM in koala joeys. Baseline concentrations ranged between 14.11 ng/g – 51.10 ng/g (healthy – sick), whereas, peak FCM concentrations ranged between 25.65 ng/g – 56.58 ng/g (healthy – sick). There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) between FCM concentrations of healthy and impaired individuals. Healthy individuals displayed relatively consistent FCM concentrations, whereas, diseased individuals displayed a significant increase in FCM concentrations over time. Our study provides the first record of baseline and peak FCM concentrations in rescued koala joeys with their associated clinical condition. Future studies can use the iterative baseline approach to determine FCM concentration in wild koala joeys that can serve as a baseline to compare glucocorticoid levels of rescued joeys.
Target Nanoparticles Against Pancreatic Cancer: Fewer Side Effects in Therapy
Authors: Roacho-Pérez Jorge A , Garza-Treviño Elsa N , Delgado-Gonzalez Paulina , G-Buentello Zuca , Delgado-Gallegos Juan Luis , Chapa-Gonzalez Christian , Sánchez-Domínguez Celia N , Islas José Francisco
Published: October 2021

Pancreatic cancer leads the most common lethal tumor in America. This lethality is related to limited treatment options. Conventional treatments involve a non-specific use of chemotherapeutical agents like 5-FU, capecitabine, gemcitabine, cisplatine, oxaliplatine, or irinotecan, that produce several side effects. This review we focus on the use of targeted nanoparticles as an alternative to the standard treatment for the pancreatic cancer. The principal objective of the use of nanoparticles is the reduction in side effects that conventional treatments produce, mostly because of their nonspecificity. Currently, several molecular markets of pancreatic cancer cells have been studied to target nanoparticles and improve the actual treatment. Therefore, properly functionalizated nanoparticles with specific aptamers or antibodies can be used to recognize pancreatic cancer cells and once cancer is recognized, these nanoparticles can attack the tumor by drug delivery, hyperthermia, or gene therapy.
Quantifying medical histories with the Kaplan-Meier (KM) estimator for feature extraction of electronic health records in machine learning
Authors: Sufriyana Herdiantri , Wu Yu Wei , Su Emily Chia-Yu
Published: October 2021

This protocol aimed to describe data transformation procedure of medical histories from electronic health records (EHRs) to historical rates by Kaplan-Meier (KM) estimation. The applicability is to extract features from real-world, time-varying data of EHRs, for developing but not limited to a machine learning prediction model. By this extraction technique, machine can learn medical history of a condition in each healthcare provider, as a differential quantity through time in term of affecting a future health state, without a need to access EHRs of other healthcare providers. However, this protocol needs a sufficient amount of longitudinal data from the most subjects in EHRs. The key stages consisted of time interval computation, historical rate derivation, and data transformation into historical rates.
Resampled dimensional reduction for feature representation in machine learning
Authors: Sufriyana Herdiantri , Wu Yu Wei , Su Emily Chia-Yu
Published: October 2021

We aimed to provide a resampling protocol for dimensional reduction resulting a few latent variables. The applicability focuses on but not limited for developing a machine learning prediction model in order to improve the number of sample size in relative to the number of candidate predictors. By this feature representation technique, one can improve generalization by preventing latent variables to overfit data used to conduct the dimensional reduction. However, this technique may warrant more computational capacity and time to conduct the procedure. The key stages consisted of derivation of latent variables from multiple resampling subsets, parameter estimation of latent variables in population, and selection of latent variables transformed by the estimated parameters.
Choriocarcinoma Syndrome of Primary Pulmonary Choriocarcinoma After Lung Lobe Resection: a Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Chen Chen , Zhao Pei , Liu Zhenjun , Lu Song , Ji Juan , Li Xiuli , Zhao Qian
Published: October 2021

Introduction: Primary pulmonary choriocarcinoma (PPC) is extremely rare, especially in males. It is characterized by a poor response to therapy and shortened survival times. Here, we report a PPC case that was complicated by choriocarcinoma syndrome (CS) and present a review of the literature.Case presentation: A 59-year-old man with a 30-pack-year smoking history was referred to our hospital because of haemoptysis and chest pain. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) showed multiple bilateral pulmonary nodules and multiple metastases throughout the body. The patient underwent single-port thoracoscopic wedge resection of the right lung upper lobe. Histological examinations verified the diagnosis of choriocarcinoma. Three days after the operation, the patient developed massive haemoptysis. A bronchoscopic examination showed bleeding from the bilateral main bronchus. Despite management in the intensive care unit (ICU), the patient died two weeks after surgery.Conclusions: A rapid and correct diagnosis of PPC is necessary. When the patient has massive haemoptysis, we should be alert to the occurrence of CS. Surgery and modified chemotherapy, based on the physical condition of the patient, may currently be the best therapy for PPC.
GhD14 Regulates Plant Architecture and Fiber Development in Cotton
Authors: Zhu Liping , Dou Lingling , Tian Zailong , Zhang Huizhi , Zhang Li , Liu Cuixia , Yu Jianing , Xiao Guanghui
Published: October 2021

Background: Strigolactone (SL) signaling is essential in regulating plant development. DWARF14 (D14), the SL receptor, interacts with the F-box in MORE AXILLARY GROWTH (MAX2) to modulate SL signaling. However, the biological function of D14 protein is still unknown in cotton.Results: Here, we identified GhD14s in Gossypium hirsutum and resolved its function in cotton plant architecture and fiber development. Subcellular location results revealed that the GhD14D protein was localized to both the cytoplasm and nucleus. GUS staining assay showed that GhD14D was mainly expressed in leaf primordium, inflorescence, axillary bud and stem and expression analysis revealed that GhD14A/D was highly expressed in stem, flower and fiber cells at 20 days post-anthesis (DPA). Silencing GhD14A/D gene expression in upland cotton signiﬁcantly increased branch angle. Meanwhile, the ﬁber length and the transcripts of secondary cell wall biosynthesis related genes were also reduced after GhD14A/D gene silencing. In addition, overexpression of GhD14D in Atd14 mutant successfully rescued the phenotype of the d14 mutant with much shoot-branching and short plant height.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the GhD14 gene contributes to shoot branch development and fiber cell development in cotton. This study deepens our understanding of the biological role of SL signaling in cotton and providing guidance for modifying cotton plant architecture and improving fiber development using genetic engineering to help us breed better cotton varieties in the future.
Local community response to mass asymptomatic COVID-19 testing in Liverpool, England: a social media analysis
Authors: Robin Charlotte , Symons Charles , Carter Holly
Published: October 2021

Background: Mass asymptomatic testing for COVID-19 was piloted for the first time in the UK in Liverpool in November 2020. There is limited evidence on uptake of mass testing and previously where surge testing has been deployed, uptake has been low. Objective: There was an urgent need to rapidly evaluate acceptance of asymptomatic testing, specifically identifying barriers and motivators to taking part. Methods: As part of the wider evaluation, we conducted a rapid thematic analysis of local community narratives on social media to provide insights from people unlikely to engage in testing or other standard evaluation techniques, such as surveys or interviews. Three publicly available data sources were identified; the comments section of a local online newspaper, the city council Facebook page and Twitter. Data were collected between 2 and 8 November 2020, to cover the period between announcement of mass testing in Liverpool and the first week of testing. Overall 1096 comments were sampled; 219 newspaper comments, 472 Facebook comments and 405 Tweets. Data were analysed using an inductive thematic approach. Results: Key barriers were accessibility, including site access and concerns over queuing. Queues were also highlighted as a concern due to risk of transmission. Consequences of testing, including an increase in cases leading to further restrictions and financial impact of the requirement to self-isolation were also identified as barriers. In addition, a lack of trust in authorities and the test (including test accuracy and purpose of testing) was identified. Lack of trust was particularly apparent in those with a strong sense of collective identity with the city of Liverpool, which led to a feeling of marginalisation and feeling like test subjects. However, this sense of identity with Liverpool had a dual role and also acted a motivator to engage in testing and encourage others to do so; for this group being part of a pilot was seen as a positive experience and an opportunity to demonstrate the city could successfully manage the virus. Conclusions: Our analysis highlights the importance of promoting honest and open communication to encourage and harness existing community identities to enhance the legitimacy of asymptomatic testing as a policy. In addition, adequate and accessible financial support needs to be in place prior to the implementation of community asymptomatic testing to mitigate any concerns surrounding financial hardship. Rapid thematic analysis of social media is a pragmatic method to gather insights from communities around acceptability of public health interventions, such as mass testing or vaccination uptake.
DNA methylation in peripheral tissues and Left-handedness
Authors: Odintsova Veronika , Sudermann Matthew , Hagenbeek Fiona , Caramaschi Doretta , Hottenga Jouke-Jan , Pool Rene , BIOS Biobank-based Integrative Omics Study Consortium , Dolan Conor , Ligthart Lannie , Beijsterveldt Catharina van , Willemsen Gonneke , de Geus Eco , Beck Jeffrey , Ehli Erik , Cuellar-Partida Gabriel , Evans David , Medland Sarah , Relton Caroline , Boomsma Dorret , Dongen Jenny van
Published: October 2021

Handedness has low heritability and epigenetic mechanisms have been proposed as an etiological mechanism. To examine this hypothesis, we performed an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of left-handedness. In a meta-analysis of 3,914 adults of whole-blood DNA methylation, we observed that CpG sites located in proximity of handedness-associated genetic variants were more strongly associated with left-handedness than other CpG sites (P = 0.04), but did not identify any differentially methylated positions. We identified differentially methylated regions at 20q11.23 (P = 0.00004) and 2p25.1 (P = 0.03), which were less methylated in left-handed adults. In longitudinal analyses of DNA methylation in peripheral blood and buccal cells from children (N = 1,737), we observed moderately stable associations across age (correlation range [0.355–0.578]) but inconsistent across tissues (correlation range [-0.384-0.318]). We conclude that DNA methylation in peripheral tissues captures little of the variance in handedness. Future investigations should consider other more targeted sources of tissue, such as the brain.
Anomaly Detection and Classification of Physiological Signals in IoT- Based Healthcare Framework
Authors: Nawaz Menaa , Ahmed Jameel
Published: October 2021

Physiological signals retrieve information from sensors implanted or attached to the human body. These signals are vital data sources that can assist in predicting the disease well before time; thus, proper treatment can be made possible. With the addition of the Internet of Things in healthcare, real-time data collection and preprocessing for signal analysis has reduced the burden of in-person appointments and decision making on healthcare. Recently, deep learning-based algorithms have been implemented by researchers for the recognition, realization and prediction of diseases by extracting and analyzing important features. In this research, real-time 1-D time series data of on-body noninvasive biomedical sensors were acquired, preprocessed and analysed for anomaly detection. Feature engineered parameters of large and diverse datasets have been used to train the data to make the anomaly detection system more reliable. For comprehensive real-time monitoring, the implemented system uses wavelet time scattering features for classification and a deep learning-based autoencoder for anomaly detection of time series signals to assist the clinical diagnosis of cardiovascular and muscular activity. In this research, an implementation of an IoT-based AI-edge healthcare framework using biomedical sensors was presented. This paper also aims to analyse cloud data acquired through biomedical sensors using signal analysis techniques for anomaly detection, and time series classification has been performed for disease prognosis in real time by implementing 24 AI-based techniques to find the most accurate technique for real-time raw signals. The deep learning-based LSTM method based on wavelet time scattering feature extraction has shown a classification test accuracy of 100%. Using wavelet time scattering feature extraction achieved 95% signal reduction to increase the real-time processing speed. In real-time signal anomaly detection, 98% accuracy is achieved using LSTM autoencoders. The average mean absolute error loss of 0.0072 for normal signals and 0.078 is achieved for anomalous signals.
A randomized double-blind controlled study on the efficacy and safety of Sangdantongluo granule in the treatment of post-stroke spasticity
Authors: xie le , Xie Yao , Mao Guo , Jiang Junlin , Yao Ting , Fang Rui , Yue Zenghui , Li Yingchen , Wu Dahua
Published: October 2021

BackgroundStroke is the first leading cause of mortality and disability worldwide, and post-stroke spasticity (PSS) is the common complication of stroke. Sangdantongluo Granule, a modern patent Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), is widely used in clinical practice to treat PSS. Whereas, there is limited evidence of effectiveness for Sangdantongluo Granule to treat PSS. This study will evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Sangdantongluo granule in the treatment of PSS. MethodsThis multicenter, randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study will recruit 132 participants in China who develops PSS 15 days to 90 days after stroke. Participants will be randomly assigned in an equal ratio to receive either Sangdantongluo granule or placebo for 2 months twice a day orally. The primary measure is the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), Secondary outcome measures include Compopsite Spasticity Scale (CSS), Simplified Fugl-Meyer Motor Scale (S-FM), National Institute of Health stroke scale (NIHSS), Modified Rankin Scale (mRS), Modified Barther Index (MBI), and Surface electromyography. Adverse events will be supervised throughout the trial. DiscussionThe results of this study will present whether Sangdantongluo granule is clinical effective and safe for managing PSS.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov ChiCTR2100044544. Registered on 23 March 2021.
Plasma guiding using a chaperone pre-pulse for stable wakefield generation
Authors: Gupta Devki N. , Yoffe Samuel R. , Jain Arohi , Ersfeld Bernhard , Jaroszynski Dino A.
Published: October 2021

Achieving high quality electron beams in laser wakefield accelerators requires stable guiding of the intense driving laser pulse, which is challenging because of mode mismatching due to relativistic self-focusing. Here we show how an intense pre-pulse can be used to prepare the phase-space distribution of plasma electrons encountered by a trailing laser pulse so that it produces its own well-matched guiding channel, while minimising wakefield evolution. Controlling the propagation of high intensity laser pulses is an essential step in developing useful wakefield accelerators and compact radiation sources.
Whole exome sequencing identified a homozygous novel mutation in SUOX gene causes extremely rare autosomal recessive isolated sulfite oxidase deficiency and literature review
Authors: Zhang Rui , Hao Yajing , Xu Ying , Qin Jiale , Wang Yanfang , Dey Subrata Kumar , Li Chen , Wang Huilin , Banerjee Santasree
Published: October 2021

Background: Isolated sulfite oxidase deficiency (ISOD) is the rarest types of life-threatening neurometabolic disorders characterized by neonatal intractable seizures and severe developmental delay with an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. ISOD is extremely rare and till date only 32 mutations have been identified and reported worldwide. Germline mutation in SUOX gene causes ISOD. Methods: Here, we investigated a 5-days old Chinese female child, presented with intermittent tremor or seizures of limbs, neonatal encephalopathy, subarachnoid cyst and haemorrhage, dysplasia of corpus callosum, neonatal convulsion, respiratory failure, cardiac failure, hyperlactatemia, severe metabolic acidosis, hyperglycemia, hyperkalemia, moderate anemia, atrioventricular block and complete right bundle branch block. Results: Whole exome sequencing identified a novel homozygous transition (c.1227G>A) in exon 6 of the SUOX gene in the proband. This novel homozygous variant leads to the formation of a truncated sulfite oxidase (p.Trp409*) of 408 amino acids. Hence, it is a loss-of-function variant. Proband’s father and mother is carrying this novel variant in a heterozygous state. This variant was not identified in 200 ethnically matched normal healthy control individuals. Conclusions: Our study not only expand the mutational spectrum of SUOX gene associated ISOD, but also strongly suggested the application of whole exome sequencing for identifying candidate genes and novel disease-causing mutations.
Preclinical Immunological Evaluation of an Intradermally Administered Heterologous Vaccine Against SARS-CoV-2 Variants
Authors: Li Qihan , Fan Shengtao , Xiao Kang , Li Dandan , Zhao Heng , Zhang Jingjing , Yu Li , Chang Penglan , Zhu Shuangli , Xu Xingli , Liao Yun , Ji Tianjiao , Jiang Guorun , Yan Dongmei , Zeng Fengyuan , Duan Suqin , Xia Baicheng , Wang Lichun , Yang Fengmei , He Zhanlong , Song Yang , Cui Pingfang , Li Xiaolei , Zhang Yaxing , Zheng Bangyi , Zhang Ying , Xu Wen-Bo
Published: October 2021

The recent emergence of new variants in the COVID-19 pandemic has led to new requirements for vaccines, with a focus on the capacity of vaccines to elicit high levels of neutralizing antibodies with specific recognition of S antigen variants based on the characterized vaccines licensed for use. A new strategy involving a heterologous vaccine composed of one or two doses of inactivated vaccine and a boost with the S1 protein with mutations (K-S) administered via the intradermal route was designed in this work and was found to improve immune efficacy by increasing neutralizing antibody titers and promoting specific T cell responses against 5 variants of the RBD peptide. A viral challenge test with the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant confirmed that the both schedules of “1+1” and “2+1” administration ensured a clinical protective effect against this strain. All of these results not only suggested the feasibility of our strategy for protecting against new variants but also provided a technical pathway to enhance the anamnestic immune response in the immunized population.
Using The Puzzle Teaching Method To Teach Home Nursing Care Concepts: An Evaluation Study
Authors: Tayebi Zahra , harikandeie Seyede Soghra Taher , Aghabarari Maryam
Published: October 2021

Background: One of the participatory learning approaches is the puzzle teaching method. Depending on the nature of the subject and the type of learners, this strategy can produce a variety of outcomes. The purpose of this study was to see how well the puzzle teaching style worked in the undergraduate nursing program's home nursing care course.Methods: This is a three-year evaluation study utilizing a qualitative methodology that took place between 2016 and 2019. The teaching technique was employed for a number of sessions of a home nursing care course during the first phase, and an evaluation was conducted at the end of the course using purposive sampling and focus group interviews with 11 students. The results of the first phase's evaluation led to changes in the procedure in the second phase, and at the end of that course, the evaluation was repeated with the 13 students. Further modifications to the teaching style were made, and a re-evaluation with ten students was conducted. MAXQDA10 software was used to conduct traditional content analysis on the data. Results The benefits of the puzzle method were confirmed by participants, but the findings of the first two phases of evaluation revealed obstacles such as "ineffective involvement," "inadequate teacher supervision," "offering unnecessary content," and "lack of final summarization" by the faculty member, "ineffective involvement", "crowded classroom", "the need for evaluation “and "piece learning" . Except for "ineffective involvement," the third phase's evaluation findings suggested that all flaws and obstacles had been addressed. Conclusion: The majority of the obstacles to implementing the puzzle teaching approach can be overcome by changing a few stages and procedures. However, ineffective involvement remains a significant roadblock. To overcome this stumbling block, more research is required.
Determination And Statistical Analysis of Atmospheric Deposition of Heavy Metals In Kosovo. A Moss Survey
Authors: Sopaj Flamur , Stafilov Trajče , Šajn Robert , Tašev Krste , Paçarizi Musaj
Published: October 2021

Atmospheric deposition of heavy metals on the territory of Kosovo was studied using the already widely used technique of mosses as biomonitors. This method is very convenient as it uses natural samples and thus avoids many difficulties associated with artificial samplers. Eight heavy metals (Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were determined in 45 moss samples. Statistical analysis was performed to better present and explain the data. High concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cd, and Ni were found near industrial sites and in more densely populated areas. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified more polluted sites such as Zveqan, Stanterg, Prapashticë, Siboc, and Lupç. It was also found that Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr, and Ni are the heavy metals that affect these polluted sites the most. High contents of Cd were found in Kaçanik and Paldemicë, Te Kalaja, Çikatovë, and Shalc, all sampling points found around industrial sights. The contamination factor (CF) and the polluted load index (PLI) were calculated. CF showed that only Cu, and Zn, had no or almost no contamination levels over the range of moss samples, while Cd and mainly Pb gave extremely high values for CF, indicating extreme contamination levels. The pollution load index also showed that only a few samples were slightly polluted, while most samples showed considerable and very high pollution levels.
Nonlocal Euler-Bernoulli Beam Theories With Material Nonlinearity and Their Application to Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Huang Kun , Qu Benning , Xu Wei , Yao Ji
Published: October 2021

The small-scale effect and the material nonlinearity significantly impact the mechanical properties of nanobeams. However, the combined effects of two factors have not attracted the attention of researchers. In the present paper, we proposed two new nonlocal theories to model mechanical properties of slender nanobeams for centroid locus stretching or inextensional effect respectively. Two new theories consider both the material nonlinearity and the small-scale effect induced by the nonlocal effect. The new models are used to analyze the static bending and the forced vibration for single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). The results indicate that the stiffness softening effect induced by the material nonlinearity has more prominent impact than the nonlocal effect on SWCNT’s mechanical properties. Therefore, neglecting the material nonlinearity may cause qualitative mistakes.
Reactions of Some Varieties of Pearlmillet, Pennisetum glaucum (Linn.) R. Br. emend Stuntz. to Rice Moth, Corcyra cephalonica Staint.
Authors: Sharma Anita , Kumawat K C , Khinchi S K
Published: October 2021

Ten varieties of pearlmillet (RHB-173, RHB-177, MPMH-17, HHB-67, Pro Agro-9450, Pro Agro-9001, Pioneer 86 m 86, Pioneer 86 m 84, Pioneer 86 m 38 and Raj-171.) were evaluated for reaction to Corcyra cephalonica Staint. in the laboratory conditions. The adult emergence (F1), weight losses and susceptibility index in these varieties were ranged from 9.33-32.00, 10.44–31.69% and 2.77–6.82, respectively, the minimum in Pioneer 86 m 86 and maximum in Raj-171; other varieties were in the middle order. The seed damage recorded in different varieties ranged from 23.67–75.84%, the minimum in Pioneer 86 m 86 (23.67%), Pro Agro-9450 (25.55%) and Pro Agro-9001 (28.33%), these treatments were found at par each other. The Raj-171 was found to be badly infested (75.84% grain damage) which differed significantly over other varieties. The developmental period of the pest varied from 50.88–80.61 days in different varieties, minimum being in Raj-171 and maximum in Pioneer 86 m 86.
Bacteriophage EK99P-1 Alleviates Enterotoxigenic Escherichia Coli K99-Induced Barrier Dysfunction and Inflammation
Authors: Kim Narae , Gu Min jeong , Kye Yoon-Chul , Ju Young-Jun , Hong Rira , Ju Do Bin , Pyung Young Jin , Han Seung Hyun , Park Byung-Chul , Yun Cheol-Heui
Published: October 2021

Bacteriophages have long been used as a potential alternative to antibiotics for livestock due to their ability to specifically kill ETEC, which are a major cause of diarrhea in piglets. However, the control of ETEC infection by phages within intestinal epithelial cells, and their relationship with host immune responses, remain poorly understood. In this study, we evaluated the effect of phage EK99P-1 against ETEC K99-infected IPEC-J2. Phage EK99P-1 prevented ETEC K99-induced barrier disruption by attenuating the increased permeability mediated by the loss of tight junction proteins such as ZO-1, occludin, and claudin-3. ETEC K99-induced inflammatory responses, such as IL-8 secretion, were decreased by treatment with phage EK99P-1. We used a IPEC-J2/PBMC Transwell co-culture system to investigate whether the modulation of barrier disruption and chemokine secretion by phage EK99P-1 in ETEC K99-infected IPEC-J2 would influence basolateral immune cells. The results showed that phage EK99P-1 reduced the mRNA expression of ETEC K99-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-1β and IL-8, from PBMC collected on the basolateral side. Together, these results suggest that phage EK99P-1 prevented ETEC K99-induced barrier dysfunction in IPEC-J2 and alleviated inflammation caused by ETEC K99 infection. Reinforcement of the intestinal barrier by phage EK99P-1 also modulates the immune cell inflammatory response.
An Integrative Multi-omics Analysis based on Liquid-liquid Phase Separation Delineates Distinct Subtypes of Lower-grade Glioma and Identifies a Prognostic Signature
Authors: Zheng Jianglin , Wu Zhipeng , Qiu Yue , Wang Xuan , Jiang Xiaobing
Published: October 2021

Background: Emerging evidences have indicated that the aberrant liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) leads to the dysfunction of biomolecular condensates, thereby contributing to the tumorigenesis and progression. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether or how the LLPS of specific molecules affects the prognosis and tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) of patients with lower-grade glioma (LGG).Methods: We integrated the transcriptome information of 3585 LLPS-related genes to comprehensively evaluate the LLPS patterns of 423 patients with LGG in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort. Then, we systematically demonstrated the differences among four LLPS subtypes based on multi-omics analyses. In addition, we constructed the LLPS-related prognostic risk score (LPRS) for individualized integrative assessment. Results: Based on the expression profiles of 85 scaffolds, 355 regulators, and 3145 clients in LGG, we identified four LLPS subtypes, namely LS1, LS2, LS3 and LS4. We confirmed that there were significant differences in prognosis, clinicopathological features, cancer hallmarks, genomic alterations, TIME patterns and immunotherapeutic responses among four LLPS subtypes. In addition, a prognostic signature called LPRS was constructed for individualized integrative assessment. LPRS exhibited a robust predictive capacity for prognosis of LGG patients in multiple cohorts. Moreover, LPRS was found to be correlated with clinicopathological features, cancer hallmarks, genomic alterations and TIME patterns of LGG patients. The predictive power of LPRS in response to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy was also prominent.Conclusions: This study provided a novel classification of LGG patients based on LLPS. The constructed LPRS might facilitate individualized prognosis prediction and better immunotherapy options for LGG patients.
Is Prophylactic Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy Beneficial to The Long-Term Survival of Patients After Radical Gastric Cancer Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Zhuang Xuhui , He Yuewen , Ma Wuhua
Published: October 2021

Background: Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) has been proven to improve the survival rate of gastric cancer and reduce peritoneal recurrence. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of prophylactic HIPEC after radical gastric cancer surgery in this study.Methods: Researchers searched for studies published in PubMed, Embase, Web of science, Scopus, Cochrane, Clinicalkey databases and Microsoft Academic databases to identify studies that examine the impact of prophylactic HIPEC on the survival, recurrence and adverse events of patients undergoing radical gastric cancer surgery. RevMan 5.3 was used to analyze the results and risk of bias. The PROSERO registration number is CRD42021262016.Results: This meta-analysis included 19 studies with a total of 2097 patients, 12 of which are RCTs. The results showed that the 1-,3-and 5-year overall survival rate was significantly favorable to HIPEC (OR=5.10,2.47,1.96 respectively). Compared with the control group, the overall recurrence rate and peritoneal recurrence rate of the HIPEC group were significantly lower (OR=0.43,0.26 respectively). Significantly favorable to the control group in terms of renal dysfunction and pulmonary dysfunction complications(OR=2.44,6.03 respectively). Regarding the causes of death due to postoperative recurrence: liver recurrence, lymph node and local recurrence and peritoneal recurrence, the overall effect is not significantly different (OR=0.81,1.19,0.37 respectively).Conclusions: 1-,3-and 5-year overall survival follow-up can be incremented by the prophylactic HIPEC, and which can significantly reduce the overall recurrence rate and peritoneal recurrence rate. HIPEC can cause significant pulmonary dysfunction and renal dysfunction complications. No difference has been found in the deaths due to recurrence after surgery.
Susceptibility of different life stages of Callosobruchus maculatus and Callosobruchus chinensis to ECO2FUME gas and its impact on cowpea seeds quality
Authors: Amin Manar Y. , Abotaleb Abeer Omar , Mohamed Refaat A.
Published: October 2021

ECO2FUME® phosphine fumigant was used to fumigate stored cowpea piles under gas-proof sheets to assess its performance against different developmental stages of Callosobruchus maculatus and Callosobruchus chinensis. The mortality was determined on four developmental stages of C. maculatus and C. chinensis, employing ECO2FUME at different concentrations 25, 30, 40, and 50 g/m3 (2% PH3 and 98% CO2 by weight) for 3-days. All stages of both insect species in packed cowpea stacks were completely controlled at 3-days when applied with an ECO2FUME application rate of 50 g/m3. Cases of pupae of C. maculatus and C. chinensis exhibit the highest resistance than other stages, with 78.2 and 73.93% mortality respectively, at 40 g/m3 after 3-days post-exposure to ECO2FUME. Suppression of F1 generation was obtained after fumigation with the same concentration (50 g/m3). Quality (in terms of cowpea germination) and all chemical constituents of cowpea seeds were non significantly (P ≤ 0.05) affected by the fumigation concentration of 50 g/m3.
Molecular Epidemiological Study of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea from Winter 2020 to Spring 2021 in Jiangsu Province
Authors: Zhu Tingfan , Qian Jinhan , Shen Zijun , Shao Hongxia , qian Kun , Jin Wenjie , Qin Aijian
Published: October 2021

Background: Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) is an acute and highly contagious infectious disease caused by the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) that occurs most frequently from winter to spring. It is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates, especially among piglets, and causes huge losses in the pig industry. The aim of this molecular epidemiological study was to identify the current strains of PEDV that are prevalent in Jiangsu Province, China.Methods: From winter 2020 to spring 2021, 793 small intestine tissue, fecal, and anal swab samples were collected from 72 pig farms in 11 counties in the jurisdiction of 5 regions of Jiangsu Province (Yancheng, Suqian, Changzhou, Xuzhou, and Yangzhou). A highly variable region of the S gene was amplified and sequenced, and phylogenetic analysis was conducted to compare this sequence with corresponding sequences from reference strains deposited in GenBank. Results: A total of 457 samples from 57 pig farms were positive for PEDV: this implies a positivity rate of 79% (57/72) for pig farms and a sample positivity rate of 57.6% (457/793). The positivity rates were 78% (107/137) in Yancheng, 53% (218/409) in Suqian, 48% (94/195) in Changzhou, 80% (16/20) in Xuzhou, and 88% (14/16) in Yangzhou. Seven representative samples were selected for sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis showed that the seven isolated strains exhibited 88.0%–100% nucleotide identity and 87.3%–99% amino acid identity. Additionally, our isolates exhibited 88.3%–99.7% nucleotide identity and 88%–98.5% amino acid identity with the reference PEDV strains. Phylogenetic tree analysis indicated that there were considerable difference in the sources of the variants.Conclusions: PEDV had a high infection rate among pigs and is possibly the main pathogenic agent of pig diarrhea in Jiangsu province. Importantly, vaccines must be screened for their efficacy against the newly identified variants.
Obstetric and Perinatal Outcomes in Parturients with Active SARS-CoV-2 Infection During Labor and Delivery: a Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Zlatkin Rita , Dollinger Sarah , Jacoby Chen , Shmueli Anat , Barbash-Hazan Shiri , Chen Rony , Wiznitzer Arnon , Hadar Eran
Published: October 2021

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is an ongoing global healthcare crisis that negatively affects pregnant women. Although patients with an acute infection during pregnancy have been widely studied, information regarding labor and delivery while infected is sparse. The aim of the study was to ascertain maternal, obstetrical, and perinatal outcomes of women who gave birth while infected with SARS-CoV-2. Methods: Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 during pregnancy at a tertiary medical center in 4/20-2/21 were identified by a retrospective database search. Those with an active intrapartum SARS-CoV-2 infection were compared with those who recovered at least 10 days before labor and delivery. Results: Of the 176 women included in the study, 84 had a SARS-CoV-2 infection at the time of delivery and 92 had recovered from the infection. There was no statistically significant between-group difference in mean gestational age at delivery (39 weeks for both, p=0.71) and overall rate of cesarean delivery (26.2% vs 17.4%, respectively, p=0.35) or non-elective cesarean delivery (10.71% vs 4.34%, respectively, p=0.48). In the active-infection group, the rate of severe disease was 2.4%, and of critical disease (with intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation, and ECMO), 3.6%, compared to zero for both in the recovered group. No differences were found between the groups in adverse perinatal outcomes. Conclusion: Delivery is safe and feasible in women with active SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nevertheless, we found a non-significant trend for more severe disease and for cesarean delivery and urgent cesarean delivery (for COVID-19-related indications) in women with an intrapartum SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Lack of miRNA-17 family mediates high glucose-induced PAR-1 up-regulation in glomerular mesangial cells
Authors: Tang Zhuang-Zhuang , Gu Pan-Pan , An Xiao-Fei , Gou Ling-Shan , Liu Yao-Wu
Published: October 2021

Up-regulation of thrombin receptor protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR-1) is verified to contribute to chronic kidney diseases, including diabetic nephropathy, however, the mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of PAR-1 on high glucose-induced proliferation of human glomerular mesangial cells (HMCs), and explored the mechanism of PAR-1 up-regulation from alteration of microRNAs. We found that high glucose stimulated proliferation of the mesangial cells whereas PAR-1 inhibition with vorapaxar attenuated the cell proliferation. Moreover, high glucose up-regulated PAR-1 in mRNA level and protein expression while did not affect the enzymatic activity of thrombin in HMCs after 48 h culture. Then high glucose induced PAR-1 elevation was likely due to the alteration of the transcription or post-transcriptional processing. It was found that miR-17 family members including miR-17-5p, -20a-5p, and − 93-5p were markedly decreased among the eight detected microRNAs only in high glucose-cultured HMCs, but miR-129-5p, miR-181a-5p, and miR-181b-5p were markedly decreased in both high glucose-cultured HMCs and osmotic press control compared with normal glucose culture. So miR-20a was selected to confirm the role of miR-17 family on PAR-1 up-regulation, finding that miR-20a-5p overexpression reversed the up-regulation of PAR-1 in mRNA and protein levels induced by high glucose in HMCs. In summary, our finding indicated that PAR-1 up-regulation mediated proliferation of glomerular mesangial cells induced by high glucose, and deficiency of miR-17 family resulted in PAR-1 up-regulation.
Peer Support for People with Chronic Conditions: A Systematic Review of Reviews
Authors: Thompson Dean M. , Booth Lesley , Mathers Jonathan
Published: October 2021

Background: People with chronic conditions experience functional impairment, lower quality of life, and greater economic hardship and poverty. Social isolation and loneliness are common for people with chronic conditions, with multiple co-occurring chronic conditions predicting an increased risk of loneliness. Peer support is a socially driven intervention involving people with lived experience of a condition helping others to manage the same condition, potentially offering a sense of connectedness and purpose, and experiential knowledge to manage disease. However, it is unclear what outcomes are important to patients across the spectrum of chronic conditions, what works and for whom. The aims of this review were to (1) collate peer support intervention components, (2) collate the outcome domains used to evaluate peer support, (3) synthesise evidence of effectiveness, and (4) identify the mechanisms of effect, for people with chronic conditions.Methods: A systematic review of reviews was conducted. Reviews were included if they reported on formal peer support between adults or children with one or more chronic condition. Data were analysed using narrative synthesis.Results: The search identified 6222 unique publications. Thirty-one publications were eligible for inclusion. Components of peer support were organised into nine categories: social support, psychological support, practical support, empowerment, condition monitoring and treatment adherence, informational support, behavioural change, encouragement and motivation, and physical training. Fifty-five outcome domains were identified. Quality of life, and self-efficacy were the most measured outcome domains identified. Most reviews reported positive but non-significant effects.Conclusions: The effectiveness of peer support is unclear and there are inconsistencies in how peers are defined, a lack of clarity in research design and intervention reporting, and widely variable outcome measurement. This review presents a range of components of peer support interventions that may be of interest to clinicians developing new support programmes. However, it is unclear precisely what components to use and with whom. Therefore, implementation of support in different clinical settings may benefit from participatory action research so that services may reflect local need.
The Expression of LIMK1 is Related to the Poor Prognosis and Immune Function of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Peng Yisheng , Fan Jun , Zhu Gang , Tan Shunde , Chen Jianfei , Wang Xuewen , Gou Haoxian , Su Song , Yang Xiaoli , Li Bo
Published: October 2021

Background: According to reports, LIMK1 may have the effect of promoting tumor progression. However, the effect of the expression of LIMK1 on the healing of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and its effect on the immune function are still not clear. Therefore, we analyzed the effect of LIMK1 on the healing of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and its correlation with immunity through bioinformatics analysis.Methods: Download the transcriptional expression profile of LIMK1 in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and normal tissues in TCGA, and study its expression in hepatocellular carcinoma. Study the expression of LIMK1 in hepatocellular carcinoma through CPTAC and HPA database. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to evaluate the effect of LIMK1 expression on the survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Use the STRING database to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Use the "ClusterProfiler" package for feature-rich analysis. Use TISIDB database and Xiantao platform to study the relationship between LIMK1 mRNA expression and immune infiltration.Results: The expression of LIMK1 in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues was significantly up-regulated. Increased expression of LIMK1 mRNA is related to high TNM staging. In the ROC curve, when the cut-off level is 1.813, the sensitivity and specificity of LIMK1 to distinguish hepatocellular carcinoma from adjacent controls are 80.7% and 86%, respectively.The Kaplan-Meier curve shows that the higher the expression of LIMK1, the worse the survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (42.2 months vs. 70 months, P = 0.001). Correlation analysis studies have shown that the expression of LIMK1 mRNA in hepatocellular carcinoma is related to immune cell infiltration.Conclusion: Up-regulation of LIMK1 may affect the survival rate and immune invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma. Studies have shown that LIMK1 may be related to the poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma, and has a certain relationship with the immune infiltration of hepatocellular carcinoma.