bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of knowledge and attitude regarding risk factors of cardio vascular disease among general people residing in Nepalgunj, Banke; Nepal
Authors: Tharu Ramesh Prasad , Rawal Shirya
Published: December 2020

Background: Cardio vascular disease (CVD) is a group of disorders of heart and blood vessels. It is the leading cause of death not only in developed but also in developing countries like Nepal. However, knowledge and attitude about risk factors of CVD have not yet studied in mid-western part of Nepal. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the level of knowledge and attitude regarding risk factors of CVD among general people residing in Nepalgunj, Banke; Nepal. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted. The pre-tested structured and self-administered questionnaires were used to collect the data during the month of July to August 2019, and analysed using SPSS software version 21. The descriptive analysis was performed using frequencies, percentage, mean SD. Chi-square test and multinomial logistic regression (MNLR) analysis were used to identify the statistically significant factors associated with knowledge and attitude.Results: Of total 150 subjects, 23.3%, 40.7% and 36.0% of the respondents respectively had good, average and poor knowledge. Likewise, 51.3% had unfavourable, 36.0% neutral and 12.7% favourable attitude towards risk factors of CVD. MNLR analysis revealed that education, gender and profession were significant predictor variables in association with the level of CVD knowledge and attitude: illiterates were 67% less likely (AOR = 0.330, 95% CI: 0.117–0.929, P = 0.036 < 0.05) to have good knowledge about risk factors of CVD compared with literates. Participants having government jobs were 12.673 times more likely (AOR = 12.673, 95% CI: 1.475–108.884, P = 0.021 < 0.05) to have good knowledge compared to those participants involving in agriculture. Males were 69.9% less likely (AOR = 0.301, 95% CI: 0.140–0.648, P = 0.002 < 0.05) to have unfavourable attitude in comparison to female over neutral attitude, and illiterates were 4.158 times more likely(AOR = 4.158, 95% CI: 1.707–10.128, P = 0.002< 0.05) to have unfavourable attitude more than literates. Conclusion: The findings of the study concluded that, the knowledge about CVD was adequate among general people, however the attitude was unfavourable. Thus, health awareness campaigns such as NTCP, DMP, MMMP needs to be implemented to develop knowledge and improve in attitude about risk factors of CVD.
Converging or Diverging Trajectories of Mortality Under One Year of Age in the Baltic States: a Comparison With the European Union
Authors: Genowska Agnieszka , Strukcinskiene Birute , Villerusa Anita , Konstantynowicz Jerzy
Published: December 2020

Background. Information about trends in perinatal and child health inequalities is scarce, especially in the Eastern Europe. We analyzed how mortality under one year of age has been changing in the Baltic States and the European Union (EU) over 25 years, and what associations occurred between changes in macroeconomic factors and mortality. Methods. Data on fetal, neonatal, infant mortality, and macroeconomic factors were extracted from WHO database. Joinpoint regression analysis was performed to analyze time trajectories of mortality over 1990–2014. We also investigated how the changes in health expenditures and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contributed to the changes in mortality. Results. The reduction of fetal, neonatal and infant mortality in the Baltic countries led to convergence with the EU. In Estonia this process was the fastest, and then the rates tended to diverge. The strongest effect in reduction of neonatal mortality was related to the annual increase in health expenditure and GDP which had occurred in the same year, and a decrease in fetal mortality associated with an increase in health expenditure and GDP in the 4th and 5th year, respectively, following the initial change. Conclusions. These findings outlined convergences and divergences in mortality under one year of age in the Baltic States compared with the patterns of the EU. Our data highlighted a need to define health policy directions aimed at the implementation of effective intervention modalities addressing reduction of risks in prenatal and early life.
Effects of vibration rolling on ankle range of motion and ankle muscle stiffness in stroke patients: a crossover study
Authors: Park Se-Ju , Lee So-In , Jeong Ho-Jin , Kim Byeong-Geun
Published: December 2020

Background: Vibration stimulation has emerged as a treatment tool to aid spasticity during physical therapy. However, the benefits of vibration rolling (VR) on interventions for stroke patients are unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of VR intervention on the range of motion (ROM) and ankle stiffness in stroke patients. Methods: In this crossover design study, seven stroke patients completed two test sessions (one VR and one non-VR [NVR]) in a randomized order, with 48 h of rest between each session. Participants completed intervention and its measurements on the same day. The measurements included ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion ROM and stiffness of ankle muscles, including the tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius lateral and medial muscles. Results: After VR, ankle dorsiflexion ROM, gastrocnemius lateral stiffness, and gastrocnemius medial stiffness improved significantly (all P < 0.05). After NVR, only gastrocnemius lateral stiffness improved significantly (P < 0.05). Furthermore, compared with the change values for ankle dorsiflexion ROM and gastrocnemius lateral stiffness, VR showed a more significant difference than NVR (P < 0.05).Conclusions: VR improved ankle ROM and muscle stiffness. Therefore, we suggest that practitioners should consider VR as an intervention to increase dorsiflexion ROM and gastrocnemius stiffness in stroke patients.
An R Package for Data Mining Chili Pepper Fruit Transcriptomes
Authors: Escoto-Sandoval Christian , Flores-Díaz Alan , Reyes-Valdés M. Humberto , Ochoa-Alejo Neftalí , Martinez Octavio
Published: December 2020

Background: Open data sharing is instrumental for the advance of biological sciences. Gene expression is the primary molecular phenotype, usually estimated through RNA-Seq experiments. Large scope interpretation of RNA-Seq results is complicated by the extensive gene expression range, as well as by the diversity of biological sources and experimental treatments. Here we present “Salsa”, an auto-contained R package for extracting useful knowledge about gene expression during the development of chili pepper fruit. Methods and Results: Data from 168 RNA-Seq libraries, comprising more than 3.4 billion reads, were analyzed and curated to represent standardized expression profiles (SEPs) for all genes expressed during fruit development in 12 chili pepper accessions. Accessions have representatives of domesticated varieties, wild ancestors and crosses, covering a broad spectrum of genotypes. Data are organized in a relational way, and functions allow data mining from the level of single genes up to whole genomes, grouping profiles by different criteria. Those include any combination of expression model, accession, protein description and gene ontology (GO) term, among others. Also, GO enrichment analysis can be performed over any set of genes. Conclusions: “Salsa” opens endless possibilities for mining the transcriptome of chili pepper during fruit development.
Stabilization of EGLN3 by USP9X Contributes to Antineoplastic Function in Cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Chen Weiqian , Song Jingjing , Liu Siyu , Tang Bufu , Shen Lin , Zhu Jinyu , Fang Shiji , Wu Fazong , Zheng Liyun , Qiu Rongfang , Chen Chunmiao , Gao Yang , Tu Jianfei , Zhao Zhongwei , Ji Jiansong
Published: December 2020

Background: Cholangiocarcinoma represents the second most common primary liver malignancy. The incidence rate has constantly increased over the last decades. Cholangiocarcinoma silent nature limits early diagnosis and prevents efficient treatment. Methods: Immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry were used to assess the expression profiling of USP9X and EGLN3 in cholangiocarcinoma patients. ShRNA was used to silence gene expression. Cell apoptosis, cell cycle, CCK8, clone formation, shRNA interference and xenograft mouse model were used to explore biological function of USP9X and EGLN3. The underlying molecular mechanism of USP9X in cholangiocarcinoma was determined by immunoblotting, co-immunoprecipitation and quantitative real time PCR (qPCR).Results: Here we demonstrated that USP9X is downregulated in cholangiocarcinoma which contributes to tumorigenesis. The expression of USP9X in cholangiocarcinoma inhibited cell proliferation and colony formation in vitro as well as xenograft tumorigenicity in vivo. Clinical data demonstrated that expression levels of USP9X were positively correlated with favorable clinical outcomes. Mechanistic investigations further indicated that USP9X was involved in the deubiquitination of EGLN3, a member of 2-oxoglutarate and iron-dependent dioxygenases. USP9X elicited tumor suppressor role by preventing degradation of EGLN3. Importantly, knockdown of EGLN3 impaired USP9X-mediated suppression of proliferation. USP9X positively regulated the expression level of apoptosis pathway genes KIF1Bβ through EGLN3 thus involved in apoptosis of cholangiocarcinoma. Conclusion: These findings help to understand that USP9X alleviates the malignant potential of cholangiocarcinoma through upregulation of EGLN3. Consequently, we provided novel insight into that USP9X is a potential biomarker or serves as a therapeutic or diagnostic target for cholangiocarcinoma.
Interleukin 35 Activates Intratumor Neovascularization Via Enhanced Secretion of FGF2 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Through The Recruitment of Neutrophils, and Blocking it Could Facilitate The Efficacy of The PD-1 Antibody
Authors: Gan Wei , Zhang Mei-Xia , Huang Jin-Long , Zhou Pei-Yun , Zhou Cheng , Liu Gao , Fu Yi-Peng , Sun Bao-Ye , Jing Chu-Yu , Guan Ruo-Yu , Wang Zhu-Tao , Zhou Jian , Fan Jia , Yi Yong , Qiu Shuang-Jian
Published: December 2020

Background: Recently, more and more treatment strategies for Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have emerged, but the therapeutic effect is still not satisfactory. This study is aimed to explore the mechanism of Interleukin 35 (IL-35) in promoting the progression of liver cancer and to explore the application value of IL-35 in the treatment of HCC.Methods: We used clinical tissue microarray (TMA) immunohistochemistry (IHC) to explore the prognostic value of IL-35 expression in patients with HCC. The effect of IL-35 on the function of HCC was explored by functional experiments including wound-healing assay, transwell, cell counting kit-8, cell adhesion assay and endothelial tube formation assay in vitro and mouse xenografts in vivo. And flow cytometry was used to study the effect of IL-35 on infiltrating immune cells in tumor. The molecular mechanism of the function of IL-35 on the progression of HCC was explored by sequencing, ELISA, WB, PCR and other technical means. Finally, through in vivo tumor animal experiments to explore the value of anti-IL-35 antibody and combined with anti-PD-1 antibody in the treatment of liver cancer.Results: High expression of IL-35 in patients with HCC were identified to be associated with poor prognosis. And we have found that IL-35 facilitated tumor progression by affecting neutrophil infiltration, angiogenesis, and CD8+ T-cell infiltration in a mouse model. Additionally, on the one hand C-C motif chemokine ligand 3 (CCL3) has been found to be a key factor mediating the recruitment of neutrophils by IL-35, on the other hand fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) secreting by neutrophil when stimulated by IL-35 was also found to be the core cytokine to promote intratumoral angiogenesis. And IL-35 was also discovered to facilitated the adhesion of tumor to endothelial cells, with neutrophils further enhancing this effect in vitro and vivo. More important, anti-IL-35 antibody was found to be a valid treatment for HCC in xenograft tumor model, and it could give full play to the curative effect of 1:1＞2 when combination therapy with PD-1 antibody.Conclusion: Our data show that the expression of IL-35 in patients with HCC is an important tumor promoting factor. The application of anti-IL-35 antibody and treatment combined anti-IL-35 antibody with anti-PD-1 antibody have potential therapeutic value in the treatment of liver cancer.
Ailanthone Enhances Gastric Cancer Cell Apoptosis Through Inducing DNA Damage and Repressing Base Excision Repair Via Downregulating P23
Authors: Huo Ming-yu , Zhang Chang-hua , Wang Chun-ming , Su Qiao , Li Hua-fu , Li Wu-guo , Wang Xiao-kun , Xiao Xing , Hao Teng-fei , Chen Wei , Zhang Ya-wei , Zhang Hai-yong , Wu Wang , Hu Zhen-ran , Zhao Guang-yin , He Yu-long
Published: December 2020

Background: Chemotherapy plays an irreplaceable role in the treatment of gastric cancer (GC), but currently available chemotherapeutic drugs are not ideal. Medicinal plants are an important direction for new drug discovery. Methods: We combined literature collection, organoid drug screening and PDX verification to search for new, effective drugs. The effect of AIL on the GC cells was investigated by CCK-8 assays, Colony Formation Assay and Cell Viability, Cell migration and invasion assay and PDX mice model. The expression of indicated RNA and proteins were measured by qRT-PCR ,IHC and western blotting. The proteins HSP90 binding to P23 or XRCC1 were identified by Co-IP. Results: Through drug screening of GC organoids, we had determined that ailanthone (AIL) has an anticancer effect on GC cells in vitro and in vivo. We also found that AIL promoted apoptosis of GC cells through flow cytometry analysis and the expression of caspase 3 and H2AX were significantly enhanced by AIL in GC cells and tumor tissues, suggesting that AIL can induce DNA damage and apoptosis of GC cells. Further transcriptome sequencing of the PDX tissue indicated that AIL inhibited the expression of XRCC1 which plays an important role in DNA damage repair, and the results were also confirmed by western blotting. In addition, we found that AIL inhibited the expression of P23 and inhibition of P23 decreased the expression of XRCC1 through western blotting analysis, indicating that AIL can regulate XRCC1 via P23. The results of co-immunoprecipitation showed that AIL can inhibit the binding of P23 and XRCC1 to HSP90 respectively.Conclusion: These findings indicate that AIL can induce DNA damage and apoptosis of GC cells. Meanwhile, AIL can decrease XRCC1 by downregulating P23 to inhibit DNA damage repair. The present study shed light to the new drug isolated from natural medicinal plants for GC therapy.
Effect of Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor (GCSF) on Live Birth Rate in Women With Unexplained Infertility After Intrauterine Insemination: a Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Aramesh Shahintaj , Kutenaee Maryam Azizi , Najafi Fataneh , Ghaffari Parvin , Taghavi Seyed Abdolvahab
Published: December 2020

Background: to evaluate the effect of granulocyte colony stimulating factor (GCSF) on fertility outcomes in women with unexplained infertility after intra uterine insemination (IUI).Methods: The patients with unexplained infertility were divided into two groups: one group was received GCSF in their IUI cycle and the other group had the routine IUI. Both groups were stimulated by letrozole, metformin and monotropin during the cycle. When at least one follicle was greater than 18mm, 5000 IU hCG intramuscularly was administered for ovulation induction and IUI was performed 34-36 hours later. In intervention group, 300 ug GCSF subcutaneously administrated in two days after IUI. The main outcome measures were biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, abortion rate and live birth rate.Results: There was no significant difference in demographic and clinical characteristics between the control group and the G-CSF group. Also, no statistically significant difference was identified in the biochemical pregnancy rates (16.3% vs 12.2%), clinical pregnancy rates(16.3% vs 8.2%), abortion rates (0 vs 2.04%) and live birth rates (8.2% vs 14.2%) between the control group and the G-CSF group (P=0.56, P=0.21, p=0.55 and p=0.32 respectively). Conclusion: Systemic administration of a single dose of 300 μg GCSF subcutaneously two days after IUI may slightly improve clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate in patients with unexplained infertility. Nevertheless, our findings do not support routine use of G-CSF in unexplained infertility women with normal endometrial thickness. IRCT registration number: IRCT20160524028038N4.
The Impact of CKD on the Prognosis of COVID-19: A Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Liu Ruiqi , Mou Ruiyu , Jin Xinyao , Yang Kang , Chen Junli , Gao Chao , Yang Hongtao , Yang Bo
Published: December 2020

Background: COVID-19 is a serious respiratory disease currently causing a global pandemic. However, few studies have evaluated the prognosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients infected with COVID-19. Given the comorbidities evident in CKD patients, we speculate that they are more likely to be susceptible to COVID-19 infection relative to healthy individuals. However, a systematic study is necessary to confirm the relationship between these two conditions.Methods: The Wanfang, China Science Journal Citation Report (VIP database), EMBASE, CNKI, Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases will be reviewed to identify relevant studies. The PRISMA-P and Cochrane Handbook guidelines were used to prepare a standardized table to extract data from all relevant studies in a uniform manner. Risk and quality assessment analyses will be conducted for all included studies, with Revman 5.3 and Stata 13.0 being used for all data analyses. The primary study outcome is the assessment of whether CKD is a risk factor associated with COVID-19 infection, and to establish whether CKD increases the risk of severe illness in those infected with COVID-19. Secondary outcomes include mortality rates in CKD patients with COVID-19.Results: This study approach will synthesize extant studies into a single systematic review and meta-analysis in order to establish whether or not CKD is a risk factor associated with the development of critical COVID-19 illness, and whether CKD patients are at a higher risk of being infected by COVID-19.Conclusion: These results will provide a basis for the clinical treatment of COVID-19 in those with CKD.Systematic Review registration: CRD42020216330（PRORPERO registration number）
The Effect of Esophageal Stethoscope Insertion on the Cuff Pressure: a Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Chang Jee-Eun , Lee Jung-Man , Lee Jiwon , Hwang Jin-Young , Kim Tae Kyong , Kim Hyerim , Won Dongwook , Oh Yoomin , Min Seong-Won
Published: December 2020

Background: High cuff pressure can induce ischemic injury to the trachea. An esophageal stethoscope can increase the cuff pressure. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of an esophageal stethoscope insertion on the cuff pressure.Methods: Patients, who were scheduled for surgeries under general anesthesia, were enrolled in this prospective observational study. After induction of anesthesia, an anesthesiologist intubated a tracheal tube into the patient’s trachea and inflated the cuff manually. Then, an investigator checked the initial cuff pressure using a manometer. Next, the cuff pressure was adjusted to 24-26 mmHg. The cuff pressure was rechecked after insertion of an esophageal stethoscope. We recorded the change in cuff pressure by esophageal stethoscope.Results: One hundred twelve patients completed this study. The cuff pressure increased by an esophageal stethoscope in almost all patients and the mean cuff pressure change was 3.0 ± 3.4 cmH2O in all patients. Among all subjects, cuff pressure change over 5 cmH2O was recorded in 24 patients. When we compared the patient characteristics between patients whose cuff pressure changed over 5 cmH2O with that of other patients, females were more affected by insertion of an esophageal stethoscope, in terms of cuff pressure increase.Conclusion: Esophageal stethoscope insertion could increase cuff pressure, and females are more affected by it. Therefore, anesthesiologists should check the cuff pressure with a manometer after insertion of an esophageal stethoscope and readjust the pressure appropriately.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT03375554, registered on 12 December 2017 (https://register.clinicaltrials.gov/prs/app/action/SelectProtocol?sid=S0007N0H&selectaction=Edit&uid=U00026JX&ts=2&cx=-ivu5vz)
HNF1α Contributes to Radio-Resistance in Cervical Cancer Via Regulating the CircHNF1α/miR-204-3p/RAD51D Regulatory Axis
Authors: Du Hui , Zou Nai-Yi , Zuo Hong-Ling , Zhang Xue-Yuan , Zhu Shu-Chai
Published: December 2020

Background: Radiotherapy as an important primary treatment has effectively improved the survival of patients with cervical cancer (CC). However, some patients do not show optimal benefits of radiotherapy due to radio-resistance. Therefore, identification of biomarkers of radio-resistance and unraveling the underlying mechanisms of radio-resistance is a key imperative for these patients.Methods: The expression levels of circHNF1α, miRNAs, and mRNA in tissues and cell lines were detect by qRT-PCR analysis. The levels of proteins were analyzed by western blot. Cell proliferation ability was measured by colony formation assay. RNA pull-down and uciferase reporter assay analysis were performed to identify the sponging microRNAs of circHNF1α. The target gene of miR-204-3p was determined by luciferase reporter assay. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis and luciferase reporter assay were performed to identify the transcription factor of circHNF1α. Results: We found significant upregulation of HNF1α expression in radio-resistant cervical cancer tissues and cell lines. Depletion of HNF1α reduced whereas overexpression of HNF1α promoted the resistance of CC cells to irradiation in vitro and in vivo. HNF1α positively regulated RAD51D at the protein level but not at the mRNA level, thus attenuating radio-resistance of CC cells. Mechanistically, upregulation of HNF1α enhanced circHNF1α transcription and promoted circHNF1α biogenesis, which in turn sponged miR-204-3p and thus relieved their repression of the RAD51D expression. The HFN1α/circHNF1α/miR-204-3p/RAD51D regulatory axis was found to play a critical role in conferring radio-resistance of CC cells.Conclusions: Dysregulation of the HFN1α/circHNF1α/miR-204-3p/RAD51D axis may promote the radio-resistance of CC cells. Blocking this pathway may provide therapeutic benefits against CC radio-resistance.
Surgical Treatment of Coronary Artery Aneurysm with Calcification and Stenosis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Sun He , Zhang Mingkui , Wu Qingyu , Xue Hui , Jin Yongqiang
Published: December 2020

Coronary artery aneurysm (CAA) has been increasingly reported in recent years. The symptoms are related to myocardial ischemia, such as angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, sudden death and congestive heart failure. This report describes a case of a giant CAA with calcification and stenosis involving two coronary arteries, and the patient underwent a complete arterialized coronary artery bypass graft. After 3 months of follow-up, it was found that the radial artery graft was occluded. In this report, all cases related to CAA with calcification and stenosis are summarized. According to the data, the following conclusions can be drawn: CAA seem to be more common in men; Kawasaki disease is likely to be a causative factor in some patients with asymptomatic CAA involving calcification and stenosis; CABG is a feasible treatment option for CAA with calcification and stenosis.
Enrolment of Indigents into the National Health Insurance Scheme in Ghana through the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty Programme: What are the perceptions of the community?
Authors: Akweongo Patricia , Voetagbe Edmund , Tediosi Fabrizio , Gadeka Dominic Dormenyo , Salari Paola , Aikins Moses
Published: December 2020

Background: TheLivelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme in Ghana as part of its beneficiary programme identifies the poor/indigents for exemptions from premium payments into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). The criteria for identifying the poor by the LEAP into NHIS is yet to be explored.This paper sought to understand community perceptions of enrolling the poor in the NHIS through LEAPin order to inform policy. Methods: The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional study design using a qualitative approach. The study was conducted in three geographical regions: Greater Accra, Brong-Ahafo and Northern region representing the three ecological zones of Ghana between October 2017 and February 2018. The study population included community members, health workers, NHIS staff and social welfare officers/social development officers.Eighty-one In-Depth Interviews (IDIs) and 23 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) across the three regions. Data were analysed thematically and verbatim quotes from participants are used to support the views of participants. Results: The study shows that participants are aware of the existence of LEAP and its benefits. There is however a general belief that the process of LEAP has been politicized and therefore favours only people who are sympathizers of the ruling government.Participants are also of the view that the process of selecting beneficiaries lacks transparency. As a result, the participants are not satisfied with the entire selection process. However, the study shows the ability of the community in identifying the poor. Furthermore, the study shows varying concepts of poverty and its identification across the three ecological zones or regions. The study also identifies poverty and cost of treatment as reasons in the decision to enrol into the NHIS. However, poor quality of care, out-of-pocket payment, far travel distance to NHIS registration / renewal centre and delays of the process are suggested barriers to low NHIS enrolment by participants. Conclusion: There is a general perception of politicization and lack of transparency of the selection of the poor into the NHIS through the LEAP in Ghana. Community-based approaches in the selection of the indigent is recommended to safeguard the NHIS-LEAP beneficiary process.
Identifying Serum Exosomal-Associated lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA Network in Coronary Heart Disease
Authors: Mao Jia , Zhou Yufei , Lu Licheng , Zhang Ping , Ren Runhua , Wang Yaqiong , Wang Jing
Published: December 2020

Background: Accumulating evidence has indicated that the importance of noncoding RNAs and exosomes in coronary heart disease (CHD). However, the exosomal-associated competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA)-mediated regulatory mechanism in CHD is still unknown. The present study aimed to explore exosomal-associated ceRNA network in CHD.Methods: The dataset, including 6 CHD patients and 32 normal controls, were downloaded from the ExoRBase database. Differentially expressed mRNAs (DEMs), lncRNAs (DELs) and circRNAs (DECs) in the serum exosomes between CHD and normal controls were screened. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) targeting DEMs were predicted by Targetscan and miRanda, miRNAs targeting DELs and DECs were predicted with miRcode and starBase, respectively. The biological functions and related signal pathways of DEMs were analyzed using David and KOBAS database. Subsequently, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was established to screen out hub genes, enrichment analyses of hub genes were performed and the ceRNA network (lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA) was constructed to elucidate ceRNA axes in CHD.Results: A total of 312 DEMs, 43 DELs and 85 DECs were identified between CHD patients and normal controls. Functional enrichment analysis showed that DEMs were significantly enriched in “chromatin silencing at rDNA”, “telomere organization”, “negative regulation of gene expression, epigenetic”. The PPI network analysis showed that 25 hub DEMs were closely related to CHD, of which, ubiquitin C (UBC) was the most important. The biological function of hub genes showed that they were mainly enriched in “cellular protein metabolic process”. The exosomal-associated ceRNA regulatory network incorporated 48 DEMs, 72 predicted miRNAs, 10 DELs and 15 DECs. LncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA interaction axes (RPL7AP11/hsa-miR-17-5p/UBC, RPL7AP11/hsa-miR-20b-5p/UBC) were obtained from the network. Conclusions: Our findings have provided a novel perspective on the potential roles of exosomal-associated ceRNA network regulating the pathogenesis of CHD.
A Case of Complete Double Layer Stents Fracture in Right Coronary Artery
Authors: Gong Xuhe , Yao Daokuo
Published: December 2020

Background: Coronary stent fracture is a rare and serious complication, because it is closely related to restenosis, stent thrombosis, and subsequent target lesion revascularization. We describe the fracture of a double layer of stents in a patient with recurrent acute inferior myocardial infarction. Case presentation: A 67-year-old man was hospitalized for untypical chest pain, with prior stents implantation twice in proximal of right coronary artery due to acute and recurrent myocardial infarction, complete stent fracture was revealed in right coronary artery by angiography and optical coherence tomography. Conservative therapy was chosen, as enough lumen area was observed without aneurysm. No recurrent chest discomfort was reported in 3 month after discharge.Conclusion: Our case describes complete double layer of stents fracture in right coronary artery, the patient get better prognosis through conservative treatment.
Lost in Translation: The Pitfalls of Ensembl Gene Annotations Between Human Genome Assemblies and Their Impact on Diagnostics
Authors: Abdallah Mohammed O.E , Koko Mahmoud , Ramesar Raj
Published: December 2020

Background:The GRCh37 human genome assembly is still widely used in genomics despite the fact an updated human genome assembly (GRCh38) has been available for many years. A particular issue with relevant ramifications for clinical genetics currently is the case of the GRCh37 Ensembl gene annotations which has been archived, and thus not updated, since 2013. These Ensembl GRCh37 gene annotations are just as ubiquitous as the former assembly and are the default gene models used and preferred by the majority of genomic projects internationally. In this study, we highlight the issue of genes with discrepant annotations, that have been recognized as protein coding in the new but not the old assembly. These genes are ignored by all genomic resources that still rely on the archived and outdated gene annotations. Moreover, the majority if not all of these discrepant genes (DGs) are automatically discarded and ignored by all variant prioritization tools that rely on the GRCh37 Ensembl gene annotations.Methods:We performed bioinformatics analysis identifying Ensembl genes with discrepant annotations between the two most recent human genome assemblies, hg37, hg38, respectively. Clinical and phenotype gene curations have been obtained and compared for this gene set. Furthermore, matching RefSeq transcripts have also been collated and analyzed. ٌResults:We found hundreds of genes (N=267) that were reclassified as “protein-coding” in the new hg38 assembly. Notably, 169 of these genes also had a discrepant HGNC gene symbol between the two assemblies.Most genes had RefSeq matches (N=199/267) including all the genes with defined phenotypes in Ensembl genes GRCh38 assembly (N=10). However, many protein-coding genes remain missing from the current known RefSeq gene models (N=68)Conclusion: We found many clinically relevant genes in this group of neglected genes and we anticipate that many more will be found relevant in the future. For these genes, the inaccurate label of “non-protein-coding” hinders the possibility of identifying any causal sequence variants that overlap them. In addition, Important additional annotations such as evolutionary constraint metrics are also not calculated for these genes for the same reason, further relegating them into oblivion.
High proportion of caesarean section at a rural hospital in south western Uganda: A cross sectional study
Authors: Nuwabaine Lilian , Mathius Amperiize , Nakalega Patience Annet
Published: December 2020

Background: Globally, overall prevalence of caesarean section (CS) is estimated at 18.6%, with 27% in high-income countries and 6% in low- and middle-income countries. There is an increase in trends of CS in Uganda from 8.5% in 2012 to 11% in 2016. There have been no studies done to account for the high rates of CS in a rural hospital in Uganda. This study determined the proportion and factors associated with CS delivery at a rural hospital in south western Uganda.Methods: This was a cross sectional study of 321 immediate postnatal women in a rural hospital in south western Uganda. A structured questionnaire and data abstract forms were used to collect information on proportion and factors associated with CS. Eligible participants were enrolled consecutively. Logistic regression analysis was done to identify the factors associated with CS taking into account potential confounders.Results: This study recruited 321 women with mean age of 25.8 ±6.086 years, mean parity 2.6 ±1.673 and mean antenatal care visits of 4.27 ±1.197. The proportion of CS in this study was 38.3% (123/321). Of these, 110 (89.4%) were emergencies and 27(10.6%) electives. Only 8.4% of the respondents were referrals. The commonest indications of CS were fetal distress (28.5%), history of previous CS (18.7%) and poor progress of labour (11.4%). No factors were significantly associated with CS in this study.Conclusion: There is a high proportion of CS in a rural hospital in Uganda and this is three times higher than the WHO recommended CS rates. Majority of CS are emergencies due to fetal distress and poor progress of labour. There is a need for additional studies exploring the reasons for the much higher than expected CS rates.
Ethnobotanical knowledge on non-conventional food and medicinal plants in Rio Cajari Extractivist Reserve, Amazon, Brazil
Authors: Filho Galdino Xavier de Paula , Ribeiro Adivair Freitas , Moraes Alcidete Flexa , Penha Willis Freitas , Borges Wardsson Lustrino , Santos Ricardo Henrique Silva
Published: December 2020

Background: Information on the knowledge, management and ways of using food and medicinal plants by traditional populations, family farmers and Brazilian native population in the Amazon is essential to guarantee the sovereignty of these groups. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diversity, knowledge and ways of using non-conventional food and medicinal plants in traditional communities in a conservation unit in the Brazilian Amazon.Methods: This study was conducted using semi-structured interviews applied to local respondents. Fifty-six residents were interviewed in 26 communities. The Indices of Use Value (UVI) and relative frequency of species citation (Fr) were evaluated; also, their diversity and equitability using the Shannon- Wiener (H’) Pielou (J’) indices, respectively. The species were listed according to their family, scientific name, popular names, categories of use, propagation environment, growth habit, medicinal indications, domestication status, production cycle and herbarium registration.Results: A total of 269 species of both non-conventional food and medicinal plants were identified, distributed in 83 botanical families, 198 genera, in addition to 13 unidentified species. The Arecaceae and Lamiaceae families had the highest species richness (11 and 7, respectively). Eryngium foetidum L. (Apiaceae) and Ipomoea potatoes L. (Convolvulaceae) presented the highest relative citation frequencies (19.7 and 19.3, respectively) and the highest index of use value of the species (0.94 and 0.92, respectively). The Shannon-Wiener (H’) and Pielou (J’) diversity indices were considered high (5.02 and 0.9, respectively) when compared to other ethnobotanical works carried out in Brazil and in the Amazon.Conclusions: A wide relationship of use was observed between the species under study and the population of this conservation area. In the environment in which these families are found, of geographical isolation and distance from urban centers, these species become, in many circumstances, the only food and medicinal resources, therefore, being fundamental to the sovereignty of these families.
Impact of Urgent and Emergency Care Vanguards on Delayed Transfers of Care in England
Authors: Malisauskaite Gintare , Jones Karen , Allan Stephen , Roland Daniel , Birks Yvonne , Baxter Kate , Gridley Kate
Published: December 2020

Objectives: To assess the relationship between Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) Vanguards, which include as an aim the integration of healthcare and social care sectors, and Delayed Transfers of Care (DTOC) at Local Authority level in England. Methods: Difference-in-difference pooled cross section, fixed and random effects panel estimations were used to compare DTOC between UEC partner site Local Authorities with non-UEC Local Authorities employing quarterly data on days of DTOC from Local Authorities in England for the period 2010 to 2017. Robustness checks included employing a range of sample and variable specifications and synthetic control estimations.Results: A statistically significant negative relationship was found between UEC Vanguards and DTOC rates that is robust to various specification checks with no indication of UEC participant sites having lower DTOC rates prior to the start of the initiative. Conclusions:UEC Vanguards appear to be associated with up to 40.5% lower DTOC rates at 1% significance level compared with other English Local Authorities. The empirical evidence indicates a statistically significant impact; however, more research is required to explain the reasons for this relationship.
Possible negative influence of cationic polymers on borehole stability in clay rocks
Authors:   Perm National Research Polytechnic University, Ulianova Zoia
Published: December 2020

Introduction. At present, cationic polymers are increasingly used in drilling practice. This trend is directly related to the exceptional properties, which are quite reasonably attributed to these polymers by specialists in the field of drilling and drilling fluids. However, during when evaluating the model cationic polymer performance, an undesirable effect of its influence on a model clay sample was discovered. In this regard, the purpose of the work was the case study of discovered effect in the context of available scientific and technical data, as well as an assessment of its possible impact on the technical and economic indicators of drilling. 40 "Izvestiya vysshikh uchebnykh zavedenii. Gornyi zhurnal". No. 8. 2020 ISSN 0536-1028 Methodology and results. The research methodology includes experiments on comparative evaluation of capillary impregnation rate of clay rock samples in various media including the ones with the model cationic polymer, as well as analyzing and comparing the results with the available scientific and technical data. The cationic polymer negative influence effect on the model clay rock is described and an assumption about its causes and mechanism is made. A possible scenario of negative effect implementing during drilling, as well as its consequences, is given. Summary. The results obtained made it possible to establish that the main significant aspects which determine the observed effect are the cationic nature of the polymer and the specificity of its adsorption on the surface of clay minerals
Study of high-magnesia iron ore feedstock integrated processing
Authors:   Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University, Smirnov Andrei , Klochkovskii Stanislav ,   Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University, Krylova Svetlana ,   Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University, Sysoev Viktor ,   Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University
Published: December 2020

Introduction. Iron and magnesium form a common lattice of the initial ore and its calcination products, which is the main obstacle limiting the widespread use of the ores of the Bakal group of deposits. Research aim is to develop the physicochemical foundations of the integrated processing of high-magnesia siderite ores using pyro- and hydrometallurgy methods. Research methodology is based on data analysis from thermogravimetry, X-ray and Mössbauer spectroscopy, and chromatography. The analysis made it possible to determine suitable conditions for heat treatment, leaching, chemical and phase composition, structure and properties of integrated processing products of high-magnesia iron ore raw materials. Results. A new scheme for high-magnesia iron ore raw materials integrated processing has been proposed. Testing of the scheme in laboratory conditions has shown that it allows to increase the iron content in the concentrate by 7% and to obtain up to 100–120 kg per ton of highly active magnesia concentrate containing no less than 98% of magnesium oxide. It has been established that some products of the integrated processing are catalytically active in the processes of ethanol steam conversion and Kuznetsk Basin coal conversion, as well as in the water gas shift reaction. Summary. The proposed scheme makes it possible to increase iron and related elements extraction degree, without changing the working conditions on the operating plants.
Discount rate and return on equity of the largest companies in the Russian mineral resource complex: comparative analysis
Authors:   Ural State Mining University, Podkorytov Vladimir , Mochalova Liudmila ,   Ural State Mining University
Published: December 2020

Introduction. The article is devoted to a comparative analysis of discount rates and return on equity indicators of the largest companies in the Russian mineral resource complex. Research aim is to test the following hypothesis: in the conditions of stable operation of the company, the return on equity is higher than the discount rate. Methodology. Discount rates are calculated based on statistical data of the US securities market using the CAPM (Capital Asset Pricing Model). The return on equity is calculated based on the company's consolidated financial statements for the period from 2006 to 2019. ISSN 0536-1028 «Известия вузов. Горный журнал», № 8, 2020 79 Research result. The results of calculations confirm the hypothesis formulated by the authors: as practice shows, it is true that stable companies in the mineral resource complex of Russia (with rare exceptions) have a return on equity higher than the discount rate. Conclusions. The authors believe that when applying a particular method of calculating the discount rate for a particular company, the upper limit of the range of its possible values should be used as the return on equity of this company. The prospect of further research is seen in determining the lower limit of the range of possible values of the discount rate.
Naturalismo confiabilista contra el escepticismo cartesiano y la noción de justificación
Authors: Cárdenas Castañeda Leonardo
Published: December 2020

En este trabajo explico por qué la epistemología naturalizada ocupa un lugar tan importante en la filosofía contemporánea y por qué se distancia tan radicalmente de la epistemología tradicional. Para ello recurro a uno de los temas clásicos de la epistemología, el problema del escepticismo, con el fin de ilustrar que según los naturalistas, los herederos de Descartes no tienen razones concluyentes para mantener la noción de justificación en la definición de conocimiento; es decir, para los defensores de la epistemología naturalizada la justificación indefinida no es una condición substancial para la obtención del conocimiento. De hecho, partiendo de las objeciones a la definición tripartita del conocimiento, y más específicamente a la noción de justificación, filósofos confiabilistas como Goldman y Dretske llegan a la conclusión de que la justificación es irrelevante para el conocimiento, por lo que introducen la definición confiabilista: creencia + verdad = conocimiento confiable.
Análisis de la publicación académica sobre estudios organizacionales en Latinoamérica (2009-2019)
Authors: Sanabria Rangel Pedro Emilio , Castillo Cuéllar Camilo Andrés , Sánchez Torres Juan de Jesús
Published: December 2020

La administración parece interesarse en las organizaciones, pero pocas veces considera realmente los diversos aspectos humanos y sus interacciones en ellas. Los estudios organizacionales (EO) pretenden abordarlas más allá de las utilidades prácticas, económicas y financieras mientras reconocen la necesidad de estudiarlas en su complejidad. Así, la visión administrativa tradicional se centra en las empresas y entiende a sus miembros solo como recursos con fines productivos. Contrariamente, los EO se acercan a las organizaciones en general, desde una perspectiva humanista, una visión contextual e histórica, una postura crítica, una diversidad metodológica y una concepción compleja. En Latinoamérica se requiere desarrollar una línea de base del conocimiento sobre EO que evidencie las dinámicas regionales de las organizaciones y las diversas miradas al respecto, que difieren de las existentes en otras regiones del mundo y en las vertientes principales de la administración, cuestión que no se ha desarrollado aún, a pesar de la importancia que esto reviste. Aquí se hace una revisión y análisis general de las publicaciones sobre EO en el ámbito latinoamericano como un aporte original al campo de estudio y un referente fundamental para trabajos posteriores, tanto a nivel regional como en contexto de cada uno de los países. Para ello se llevó a cabo una investigación interpretativa, cualitativa, teórica y descriptiva, que empleó técnicas de análisis documental sobre textos seleccionados mediante consulta de artículos científicos en bases de datos de acceso libre y por suscripción. Algunas de las limitaciones de la investigación se relacionan con el campo de estudio mismo y con los mecanismos actuales para la difusión de la ciencia, particularmente en la región.
The prospects of Bahrain’s entrepreneurial ecosystem: an exploratory approach
Authors: Meero Abdelrhman , Ur Rahiman Habeeb , Aziz Abdul Rahman Abdul
Published: December 2020

Having a positive environment and enforcement in a social-political economy is necessary to poster an effective entrepreneurial climate. The passion for self-startups and risk-taking attitude are entrepreneurs’ traits with effective motivations, innovation, creativity, persistence, and flexibility. This helps the entrepreneur succeed and excel in their business. The success of a new project adventure is a crucial matter in business and investment. The literature review revision allows detecting the most attractive factors, the main reasons for startup failure, and the challenges facing entrepreneurs and new projects. This review paper enlightens Bahrain’s entrepreneurship ecosystem’s attractiveness and argues how the economy in the Kingdom of Bahrain encourages startup companies to establish and develop their business. The analysis results illustrate that the Government of Bahrain’s support system with effective public institutions and encouraging society are significant factors contributing to the success of the startup project. Nourishment extended by the government institutions and other supportive organizations like Tamkeen, Injaz, and EDB simplifies the formation of startup projects and support their sustainable growth. Analyzing the most common reasons for startup failure, the paper presents the proposed solutions to avoid these traps. It suggests the appropriate bodies in the entrepreneurship ecosystem, supporting and helping entrepreneurs overcome these difficulties.