bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of body mass index on symptomatic venous thromboembolism and prosthesis revision risk after total knee arthroplasty: Data from China
Authors: Shao Changjie , Xu Kuishuai , Zhang Liang , Yu Tengbo , Yu Ning
Published: March 2022

Objective: To investigate the effect of body mass index (BMI) on the risk of symptomatic VTE and prosthesis revision after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods: 7182 patients with primary unilateral TKA treated in our hospital from 2011 to 2020 were divided into four groups according to BMI: BMI<25 kg/m2, BMI 25 kg/m2-29.9 kg/m2, BMI 30 kg/m2-34.9 kg/m2 and BMI≥35 kg/m2. Incidence, Odds ratio and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were used to evaluate the effects of BMI on symptomatic VTE and prosthesis revision risk after TKA.Results: The incidence of VTE after TKA was 8.9‰（64/7182）. There was no significant difference in the incidence of VTE among different BMI groups（P=0.452）. Deep vein thrombosis mainly occurred in the distal lower extremities, especially in intermuscular veins. Revision rate of prosthesis after TKA was 6.4‰（46/7182）. There was no significant difference in revision rate among different BMI groups（P=0.718）.In the univariate analysis of TKA, there was no increased risk of postoperative VTE and prosthesis revision in patients with different obesity categories compared with patients with normal BMI. Kaplan-Meier curve showed that the prosthesis survival rate of patients with BMI≥35 kg/m2 was relatively low, but the difference was not statistically significant.Conclusions: The higher BMI was not associated with the increased risk of symptomatic VTE and prosthesis revision after TKA. When TKA was used for appropriate indications, high BMI should not be considered as a contraindication.
Fatigue strength of welded joints by considering the residual stress
Authors: mahfoudh bacem jacem , NASR Anouar
Published: March 2022

In this study, a fatigue life prediction model was proposed to evaluate the fatigue life of welded joints in 316L steel stainless considering (i) the as-weld Residual Stress (RS) relaxation and (ii) using the Crossland multi-axial fatigue criterion. Initially, a sequential coupling 3D thermo-mechanical finite element method was used to simulate the as-weld RS. Primary, the weld heating process was calculated by applying a heat source of double ellipsoidal distribution. Its movements along the weld direction were modeled by a user subroutine DFLUX. Secondly, the heat losses are considered by taking into account both the convection and the radiation. The behavior of the material was modeled by an elastoplastic model which combines isotropic and non linear kinematic hardening laws by using the Chaboche parameters. The latter model allows studying the redistribution of the residual stress under the cyclic load. The predicted results by the finite element method were in good agreement with the experimental data. After that, the equivalent fatigue stress was calculated (i) with considering the RS relaxation (ii) and without taking into account the RS (without thermal process). For the tensile test under 0.1 load ratio, the difference between the two cases is about 6%. The presence of the compressive RS in the high loaded point has a beneficial effect on the Crossland equivalent stress.
Synthesis of a Novel Supermagnetic Fe3O4 Nanoparticles and their Congo Red Dye Removal, Cytotoxic, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Activities
Authors: GÖKDAĞ Semih , CAF Fatma , DOĞANER Fulya , KAYA BÜLENT , AYNA Adnan , AYKUTOĞLU Gürkan
Published: March 2022

Biogenic synthesis of iron nanoparticles has been reported in many studies. However, there is no such study that combines antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer and dye removal activities of the synthesized iron nanoparticles. The present study focused on the green synthesis and Congo Red (CR) dye removal, cytotoxic, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of supermagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles using Plantago lanceolata L. extracts (PLE@FeNPs). The morphology and physical properties of PLE@FeNPs were characterized by FTIR, XRD, SEM, EDX, TEM and DLS analysis. XRD and zeta potential analysis revealed a potential of-12.2 mV and formation of cubic crystals, with an average dimension of 7 nm, and a wide band at 352 nm was detected in UV-vis spectroscopy. The optimum adsorption conditions of pH, temperature and adsorbent amount for CR removal were found as pH 4, 25 ℃ and 15 mg respectively with a high removal efficiency of 99 %. To evaluate dye adsorption behaviors of the PLE@FeNPs, adsorption isotherm models -Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin- were applied to the present data. Langmuir Isotherm model (R2 = 0.96, 25 °C) were best fitted to our data. Thermodynamic evaluation of the results showed that the reaction was spontaneous (∆G = -26.6 kJ mol-1) and exothermic (∆H -35, 3 kJ mol-1). PLE@FeNPs showed highest antimicrobial activity on Staphylococcus aureus. Antioxidant activities of PLE@FeNP was examined by DPPH removal (89.79%) and metal-chelating activity (74%). The in vitro cytotoxicity experiments showed that PLE@FeNPs possessed significant cytotoxic effects in human lung cancer (A549) cell line while no such effects were observed on human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cell line. PLE@FeNPs also caused DNA fragmentation on A549 cells. Overall these results pave the way for further applications in dye removal and biological applications of environmentally friendly PLE@FeNPs.
STING promotes proliferation and induces drug resistance via regulating the AMPK-mTOR signaling pathway in colorectal cancer cells
Authors: Yao Huihui , Wang Suo , Zhou Xin , Zhou Guoqiang , Zhou Diyuan , Chen Guoliang , Shi Xinyu , Chen Junjie , Wu Guanting , Sun Liang , Yao Yizhou , Gu Wen , Wan Daiwei , He Songbing
Published: March 2022

Background: Despite a rapidly growing body of pertinent literature, the relationship between stimulator of interferon genes (STING) protein expression and the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the potential roles of STING as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in the medical management of CRC. Methods: STING expression was examined by immunohistochemistry to evaluate its association with clinicopathological factors. Moreover, the effects of STING on CRC cell proliferation, migration, invasiveness, and drug resistance were examined. Gene set enrichment analysis was applied to explore potential downstream mechanisms of STING in CRC. Meanwhile, we evaluated the effect of STING on glucose uptake. Results: Our study confirmed that STING expression was significantly up-regulated in CRC tissues, and was associated with TNM stage and a poor prognosis. Additionally, STING promoted cell proliferation, migration, invasiveness, and drug resistance by mediating AMPK-mTOR signaling. Finally, we confirmed that STING regulates energy metabolism in CRC cells. Conclusions: STING may represent a promising prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for chemosensitization and inhibition of CRC progression.
IL36G Genetic Variant is Independently Associated with Susceptibility, Severity and Joint Involvement in Psoriasis
Authors: Moreira Cássio Rafael , Alcântara Camila Cataldi , Flauzino Tamires , Martin Ligia Marcia Mario , Lozovoy Marcell Alysson Batisti , Reiche Edna Maria Vissoci , Simão Andrea Name Colado
Published: March 2022

Psoriasis (PsO) is a chronic, immune-mediated, inflammatory and polygenic dermatosis and may be associated with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Interleukin 36 (IL-36) has important role in to make the interaction between the innate and adaptive immune response. Variants in genes encoding cytokines can modulate the susceptibility as well as the severity of diseases. This study aims to assess the frequency of IL36G intron C > T (rs13392494) and IL36G 3’untranstaled region (UTR) A > G (rs7584409) single nucleotide variants and their association with susceptibility, joint involvement and severity of PsO in Brazilian patients. The study included 154 patients with PsO and 154 healthy individuals. The IL36G rs13392494 and IL36G rs7584409 were genotyped by the allelic discrimination assay using the real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The severity of PsO was assessed using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). The rs7584409 variant showed a protective effect in PsO whereas the rs13392494 variant was not associated with susceptibility to PsO. We demonstrated that the G allele of IL36G rs7584409 (dominant model) was associated with 2.3 more chance to PASI > 10, as well as the patients carrying the IL36G rs7584409 GG genotype showed about 5.0 times more chance of PsA than those carrying the AA genotype. The presence of the G allele of the IL36G rs7584409 variant was associated with protection to PsO, higher PASI and the presence of PsA than the A allele, suggesting that this variant may be used as a potential genetic biomarker to predict severity and joint involvement of the PsO.
The Incidence of Venous Thromboembolism among Hospitalized COVID-19 Positive Patients: A Multicenter Study
Authors: Alshahrani Asma , Almoahzieie Abdullah , Alshareef Hanan , Alammashm Buthinah , Alhumaidi Sarah , Meraya Abdulkarim M. , Alshammari Abdullah S. , Ajlan Aziza , Alghofaili Alnajla , Alnassar Abdullah , Alshahrani Nada , Aldossari Maram , Alkhaldi Turkiah , Alwazzeh Marwan J , Alkuwaiti Feras A. , Almashouf Abdullah B. , alghamdi Shrouq Hamed , Alshehri Ohuod
Published: March 2022

Background Coagulation disorders are frequently encountered among coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]-infected patients, especially among those with more severe symptoms. This study aims to determine the incidence and risk factors of venous thromboembolism [VTE] in COVID-19 patients.Methods The retrospective observational Cohort study was conducted from March to July 2020. All adult patients [>18 years old] with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were included. Laboratory data and real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction [rRT-PCR] for SARS-CoV-2 were obtained from medical records and correlated with those who developed VTE. Results In this study, 1024 patients were identified with confirmed COVID-19, of which 58 patients [5.7%] had VTE. In the bivariate analysis, VTE was associated with chronic kidney disease, hematological disorder, cancer, and high D-dimer>0.50 mg/l. The analysis of the data showed that the number of patients diagnosed with cancer was significantly higher in the VTE group [8 patients, 13.8%] than the non-VTE group [47 patients, 4.9%; p=0.003]. Patients with cancer were 2 times more likely to have VTE [adjusted odds ratio [1]=2.614; 95% CI=[1.048 – 6.519]; p=0.039]. The sensitivity analyses showed that individuals with high D-dimer>0.50 mg/l were more likely to have VTE.Conclusion VTE is more prevalent among individuals with chronic conditions, including cancer. Healthcare professionals should closely monitor individuals with high risk of developing VTE, including those with COVID-19 and chronic conditions, to prevent unwanted complications.
Psychological Distress and Quality of Life Among Opioid Substitution Therapy Participants with Histories of Injecting and Non-Injecting: A Cross-Sectional Study in Kathmandu, Nepal
Authors: Pant Sagun Ballav , Thapa Suraj Bahadur , Howard John , Ojha Saroj Prasad , Lien Lars
Published: March 2022

Background: Opioid use is a serious public health problem in Nepal. People who use opioids can experience severe psychological distress over time along with poor quality of life. Opioid substitution therapy (OST) is central in treating opioid dependence. This study aimed to examine factors associated with quality of life and severe psychological distress among OST therapy participants in the Kathmandu valley, Nepal and compare those who had injected opioids prior to OST and those who did not inject.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 231 participants proportionately allocated across five OST sites in the Kathmandu Valley. They were administered a semi-structured questionnaire, the Nepalese versions of the Kessler 6 psychological distress scale and World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF). Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to elicit associations between severe psychological distress, quality of life, and independent variables. Results: Of the participants 92% were male and about half were injecting drug users. Severe psychological distress was found in about one in four participants, and significantly more prevalent among participants with a history of injecting practices (32.2%) compared to non-injectors (15.9%). Higher mean psychological distress scores were observed among injecting drug users.Those self-reporting a history of psychiatric illnesses were around seven times more likely to have severe psychological distress, and those with history of comorbidity around 1.6 times more likely. In the adjusted linear regression model, injecting drug users were likely to have lower physical quality of life compared to non-injectors. Age was positively associated with better social quality of life. Lower socioeconomic status and a history of self-reported mental illness and attempt to quit substance use, were found to have significantly lower quality of life on all four domains. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that OST participants with a history of injecting drug use were at higher risk of severe psychological distress and lower physical quality of life. In addition to OST, the complex and entangled needs of injecting drug users and non-injectors need to be addressed to improve quality of life and lessen psychological distress and a return to problematic substance use.
LncRNA PEBP1P2 Suppresses the Progression of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Cells by Regulating the miR-27a-3p/PEBP1 Signal
Authors: Mu Jiao , Tang Jianying , Su Yuanyuan , Yang Lu , Wang Jing
Published: March 2022

Background: Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) PEBP1P2 has been shown to suppress the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells, but its role and underlying mechanisms in the development of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remain largely unclear. Methods: Gene expression profiling interactive analysis (GEPIA) database was used to analyze the aberrant expression of lncRNAs in ccRCC tissues. Expression of RNAs and proteins was detected using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting, respectively. Ectopic expression of PEBP1P2 and miR-27a-3p was performed by pcDNA3.1 vector and miR-27a-3p mimics, respectively. Knockdown of PEBP1 mRNA was conducted by PEBP1 siRNA. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were analyzed using a CCK8 reagent and a trans-well assay, respectively. The sponge of PEBP1P2 to miR-27a-3p was investigated using Luciferase report system and RNA pull-down assays. Results: PEBP1P2 expression was decreased in ccRCC tissues compared with that in normal tissues and correlated with the size, TNM stage, and lymph node metastasis of the tumors, as well as the poor survival rates of ccRCC patients. Functionally, the enforced expression of PEBP1P2 inhibited the ability of ccRCC cells to proliferate, migrate, and invade in vitro . Mechanistically, PEBP1P2 suppressed the biological functions of ccRCC cells via increasing the mRNA and protein expression of PEBP1 and their expression had a positive correlation in ccRCC tissues. Furthermore, PEBP1P2 upregulated PEBP1 expression through acting as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to sponge miR-27a-3p, which directly target PEBP1 mRNA 3’UTR. Moreover, miR-27a-3p mimics rescued the decrease in the ability of ccRCC cells to proliferate, migrate, and invade mediated by PEBP1P2. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that PEBP1P2 suppressed ccRCC cell proliferation via regulating the miR-27a-3p/PEBP1 signal, suggesting that the PEBP1P2-miR-27a-3p/PEBP1 axis may be a potential therapeutic target for ccRCC.
Acute exposure of minimally ox-LDL elicits survival responses by downregulating the mediators of NLRP3 inflammasome in cultured RAW 264.7 macrophages
Authors: Thankam Finosh , Khwaja Bisma , Nguyen Megan , Ahsan Osama , Agrawal Devendra
Published: March 2022

Lipid burden in macrophages driven by oxidized LDL (oxLDL) accelerates the foam cell formation and the activation of sterile inflammatory responses aggravating the atherosclerosis. However, there is limited information on the mediators and the pathways involved in the possible survival responses, especially at the initial phase, by lipid-burden in macrophage cells on encountering oxLDL. Hence, the present study was designed to assess the expression status of major mediators involved in the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway of sterile inflammation and the cellular responses in oxLDL-challenged cultured RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. The ox-LDL-treated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells displayed a decreased expression of the key sterile inflammatory mediators, TLR4, TLR2, ASC, NLRP3 and IL-18 at the protein and transcript level; however, displayed increased level of IL-1β, RAGE and TREM1 at the protein level. The biological responses including lipid uptake, lipid peroxidation, superoxide production and mitochondrial membrane potential were significantly decreased in oxLDL-treated macrophages. Moreover, cellular hypertrophy and mitochondrial density were significantly decreased in the oxLDL-treated macrophages compared to the control. Overall, the findings revealed that the expression status of key sterile mediators and the macrophage response during the initial phase of oxLDL exposure tend toward the prevention of inflammation. Further understanding would open novel translational opportunities in the management of atherosclerosis.
A novel defined necroptosis-associated gene signature for predicting the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Li Yiming , Chen Wenxiang , Wang Yu , He Jun , Zhou Jianyin
Published: March 2022

Background
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly heterogeneous disease with a poor prognosis and insignificant immunotherapeutic effects. This project attempted to identify new potential biomarkers for necroptosis-associated genes to predict prognosis and improve the situation.
Method
The mRNA expression profiles of HCC patients and their clinical data were downloaded from public databases. Finding differential signature genes (DSGs) after subtyping patients according to the necroptosis-related genes. Gene set enrichment analysis was used to conduct GO terms and KEGG pathways. DSGs were analyzed in TCGA cohort to build a predictive model. Validation was performed on HCC patients from ICGC cohort. The model was evaluated using Kaplan–Meier analysis, time-dependent receiver operating characteristics (ROC), uni-Cox regression, and multi-Cox regression. The immune cell infiltration score and related pathway activity were calculated using single-sample gene set enrichment analysis.
Result
A signature model of necroptosis-associated genes was created. The low-risk group had a more prolonged OS when different risk subgroups were compared. The prognostic model's predictive ability was confirmed by ROC analysis. The risk score was an independent predictor of OS in a multi-Cox analysis. According to functional analysis, immune status differed between the two risk groups. The risk score was significantly related to tumor grade, tumor stage, and immune infiltrate type.
Conclusion
A novel signature made up of four necroptosis-associated genes can be used to predict prognosis and influence immune status in HCC. Furthermore, these genes could be used as immunotherapy targets.
High Intensity Interval Training Is More Beneficial to Regulate Free Radicals and mtDNA Oxidative Damage in Aged Rats.
Authors: Askarian Ali , Kordi Mohammadreza , Choobineh Siroos , Gaeini AbbasAli
Published: March 2022

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the effect of 12 weeks of high intensity interval training (HIIT) and continues training (CT) on SIRT3 protein level, FOXO3 gene expression, and mtDNA oxidative damage in gastrocnemius of female aged rats. Methods and Results: Female wistar rats (18 months, 250-300 g, n=36) were divided into three groups (HIIT, CT, control). Based on aerobic capacity determined using the ramp protocol, HIIT intensity corresponded to 85-90% and CT was 65-70% of VO2max. Rats trained three times per week for 12 weeks. Forty-eight hours after the last training session, rats were sacrificed and gastrocnemius muscle excised. Our results showed that both exercise protocol increased SIRT3 protein content and FOXO3 gene expression compared to control. However, no significant difference was observed between HIIT and CT. In addition, our data showed that MnSOD activity was significantly higher in HIIT compared to both CT and control and CT versus control. Finally, the level of 8-OHdg was significantly lower in HIIT and CT compered to control and there was no significant difference between HIIT and CT. Conclusion: Our results showed that 12 weeks of HIIT and CT increase SIRT3 protein content, improve antioxidant defense of aged female waster rats. Therfore, HIIT is a time efficient protocol for improving some aspects of mitochondrial function.
Cerebral Processing of Emotions in Phantom Eye Pain Patients: An Event Related Potential Study
Authors: Lou Lixia , Wang Yijie , Zhang Bingren , Jia Yanli , Wang Wei , Ye Juan
Published: March 2022

Background: Phantom eye pain (PEP) is a major clinical problem after eye removal with no standard treatment protocol to date. As pain is a multidimensional experience associated with emotional and cognitive components, this study aimed to explore the possible neuropsychological mechanisms of PEP in a perspective of emotional cognition, in order to provide a basis for clinical treatment.Methods: Visual oddball event-related potentials (ERPs) under different external emotional stimuli (Disgust, Fear, Sadness, Happiness, Erotica and Neutral) were tested in 12 patients and 12 healthy volunteers. Participants’ affective states were measured with the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ), the Hypomania Checklist-32 (HCL-32), and the Plutchik–van Praag Depression Inventory (PVP). The amplitudes and latencies of N1, P2, N2 and P3 components were analyzed by three-way ANOVA, i.e., group (2) × emotion (6) × electrode (3). Multiple comparisons were performed using Bonferroni’s test.Results: Longer N1 latencies, increased N1 amplitudes; shorter P2 latencies under Disgust and Happiness, decreased P2 amplitudes; shorter N2 latencies under Erotica, increased N2 amplitudes were found in patients compared with controls. There was no main effect of group or interaction effect on P3 latencies and P3 amplitudes. The MDQ and HCL-32 scores were lower, and the N1 latencies under Sadness were negatively correlated with PVP scores in patients.Conclusions: PEP patients showed reversed patterns in exogenous attention allocation and enhanced involuntary attention to emotional stimuli compared with controls. This study demonstrated cortical processing of emotions in PEP patients and could provide a basis for developing emotional intervention therapy.
Pasteurella multocidia toxin aggravates ligatured-induced periodontal bone loss and inflammation via NOD-like receptor protein 3 inflammasome
Authors: Han Yineng , Gao Pengfei , Yang Qiaolin , Huang Yiping , Jia Lingfei , Zheng Yunfei , Li Weiran
Published: March 2022

NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is reportedly involved in periodontal pathogenesis. Pasteurella multocida toxin (PMT) is the major virulence factor of Pasteurella multocida strains, which belongs to the GNFR. The existence of GNFR and their toxin may aggravate periodontitis. Therefore, it’s important to unclose the regulatory mechanisms of PMT in periodontitis. However, the involvement of NLRP3 inflammasome and PMT in periodontitis remain unclear. The results showed that NLRP3 expression was increased in human and mice gingivae from periodontitis patients and periodontitis mice by immunohistochemical staining and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Nlrp3-/- mice showed less periodontal bone loss and lower abundances of Pasteurella multocida by 16S rRNA sequencing. PMT promoted NLRP3 expressions by activating nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of B cells (NF-κB) pathway and activated NLRP3 inflammasome. This effect was reversed by NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950. Furthermore, PMT aggravated periodontal bone loss and inflammation in WT mice while MCC950 attenuated periodontal bone loss and inflammation. The Nlrp3-/- periodontitis models with PMT local injection showed less bone loss and inflammation compared with WT periodontitis mice after PMT treatment. Taken together, our results showed that PMT aggravates periodontal response to the ligature by promoting NLRP3 expression and activating NLRP3 inflammasome, suggesting that NLRP3 may be an effective target for the treatment of periodontitis caused by GNFR and MCC950 may be a potential drug against this disease.
Asymptomatic Mesh Infection 6 Years After Laparoscopic Totally Extraperitoneal Inguinal Hernia Repair: a Rare Case Report
Authors: Li Zhiwang , Zeng Haijing , Liu Yuping , Wu Zuguang , Li En
Published: March 2022

Background: Totally extraperitoneal(TEP) inguinal hernia repair is a minimally invasive procedure. Mesh infection is one of the challenging complications after TEP inguinal hernia repair. However, the cases of delayed asymptomatic mesh infection caused by hernia mesh is extremely rare. This report aims to reveal that the risk of mesh infection may occur after a long period of this surgery. This report is also intended to suggest surgeons pay more attention to the follow-up of such patients and to be aware of the possibility of asymptomatic mesh infection to assist in early diagnosis and treatment.Case presentation: A 63-year-old male patient, who underwent TEP inguinal hernia repair 6 years ago for right inguinal hernia, fell down accidentally 2 weeks ago. Enhanced computed tomography(CT) showed lower right abdomen space-occupying lesions. So he underwent laparoscopic surgery during which abscess caused by delayed mesh infection was found. After removing the mesh and abscess, he was discharged.Conclusion: The risk of mesh infection after TEP inguinal hernia repair is low, but it can last for more than 6 years and can even be asymptomatic as long as the mesh remains in the body.
Difficult Airway Management in a Patient With Upper Airway Obstruction Due to Alkali Ingestion: a Case Report
Authors: Taguchi Azusa , Fukaguchi Kiyomitsu , Fukui Hiroyuki , Sekine Ichiro , Yamagami Hiroshi
Published: March 2022

Background: Ingestion of alkaline substances can cause mucosal damage and upper airway obstruction. This is a serious and potentially fatal complication that occurs within the first few hours after ingestion. There has been no established algorithm for emergent airway management in these situations. We present a case of difficult airway management in a patient with upper airway obstruction caused by alkali ingestion, wherein we opted for intubation with video laryngoscopy and successfully treated the patient.Case presentation: An 80-year-old patient accidentally ingested a small amount of alkaline liquid and presented to our hospital with complaints of burning sensation in the throat. Within two hours of arrival at the hospital, the edema in the epiglottis rapidly worsened, resulting in upper airway obstruction. Assuming that intubation and ventilation would be difficult in this situation, we attempted to intubate the patient using fiberoptic bronchoscopy, but it was difficult. Finally, after two unsuccessful attempts, we successfully intubated the patient using a video laryngoscope.Conclusions: The patient in our case had acute upper airway obstruction due to alkali ingestion, which caused difficulty in tracheal intubation. Our experience, in this case, would likely help emergency physicians to intubate more safely in patients with emergent upper airway obstruction due to alkali ingestion. For intubation in such situations, it would be a reasonable option to use video laryngoscopy.
Photo-screening for Retinoblastoma: A Proof-of-Concept Study
Authors: Vempuluru Vijitha S , Jonnadula Ganesh Babu , Bharadwaj Shrikant , Kaliki Swathi
Published: March 2022

Purpose: The potential of Infrared (IR) photo-screening for detection of retinoblastoma has not been assessed. This study aimed to assess the IR reflex formed across the pupil in eyes with retinoblastoma (RB), vis-à-vis eyes with no intraocular tumor.Methods: Central gaze IR-reflex assessment in eyes with and without RB.Results: Of 30 eyes from 21 subjects, 20 eyes had RB and 10 eyes had no tumors. Image frames were extracted from IR video recordings of 30 eyes, of which 71 central gaze images were eligible for measurement of pixel intensity (0 to 255). Of these, 49 images had RB and 22 images had no tumor. The mean pixel intensity (MPI) within the pupil, in images of eyes with RB was 115 (median, 92; range, 38 to 254), in images of eyes with no tumor was 73 (median, 68; range, 26 to 125) and the difference was statistically significant (Odds ratio 1.018; 95 % CI: 1.004 – 1.032; p, .010;) on bivariate analysis. Of 57 images from eyes with RB, 35 were captured with un-dilated pupils and 22 with dilated pupils. The MPI in images from un-dilated eyes with RB was 107 (median, 79; range, 38 to 254), in images from dilated eyes with RB was 128 (median, 114; range, 46 to 215). However, the difference was not statistically significant (Odds ratio 1.006; 95 % CI: 0.996– 1.015; p, .248).Conclusion: Technology combining IR imaging and MPI measurement within the pupil can translate into a potential tool for early detection of RB.
A new heuristics algorithm for solving MAX-SPA-P problem of large sizes
Authors: Nguyen Giang L. , Thi Uyen Nguyen , Tran Sang X. , Huu Viet Hoang
Published: March 2022

The purpose of the MAX-SPA-P problem is to establish stable pairs between students and the projects so that the number of matched students is maximum. The MAX-SPA-P problem has been attracting research attention because the theory of stable matching in the MAX-SPA-P problem is widely applied in the fields of education and economics such as finding matching between students and universities, buyers and sellers, suppliers and carriers, etc or any matching problems which have preference list constraints and the maximum number of matchings. So far, several approaches are proposed to solve this problem such as approximation algorithm, min-conflict search, and local search. However, those approaches still have drawbacks in computation time and solution quality for solving the MAX-SPA-P problem of large sizes. This paper presents a new heuristic search to improve performance to solve the MAX-SPA-P problem of large sizes. Our proposed method is to start from a blank matching, we find a maximum stable matching based on Gale-Shapely’s idea by assigning active students to projects which they prefer most on their rank list. If a project or lecturer is over-subscribed, we define a heuristic function for selecting a suitable student to remove from current matching. This assigning process will stop when all students are inactive. The experimental outcomes confirm the better efficiency of our algorithm than both SPA-P-AP and SPA-P-MCH ones based on computation time and solution quality for solving MAX-SPA-P problem of large sizes.
Blastocystis is widely distributed in mammals and aves
Authors: Liu Liwen , Sun Hanzhi , Wang Yuwei , Feng Gang , Zhang Yongbin , Cao Mengjuan , Lu Xin , Ju Huidong , Zhang Luping , Ma Lei
Published: March 2022

Background: Blastocystis sp. is a unicellular protozoan and one of the most common gastrointestinal eukaryotic parasites in humans and animals. It is distributed worldwide, but its pathogenic role is still controversial. Blastocystis sp. is subdivided into 33 subtypes, and existing different subtypes imply host specificity in various species. The study aimed to investigate in detail the host range of Blastocystis sp., given the limited studies. Methods: Many fresh fecal samples were randomly collected from zoo animals and tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Sequence alignment and phylogenic analysis were performed to confirm the subtypes of Blastocystis sp.. In the end, determine the relationship between the parasite subtypes and the host by contrasting and analyzing.Results and Conclusion: A total of 720 fecal samples from 132 animal species, 140 (19.44%) were PCR positive for Blastocystis sp., with 43.67% (31/71), 5.89% (7/119), 34.87% (53/152), 2.56% (1/39), 16.67% (2/12), 22.22% (4/18), 37.50% (3/8) and 12.96% (39/301) in Non-human primates (NHP), Carnivora, Artiodactyla, Perissodactyla, Proboscidea, Diprotodontia, Rodentia and aves, respectively. Sequence and phylogenetic analysis showed ten known subtypes (ST1, ST2, ST3, ST4, ST5, ST7, ST8, ST10, ST14, and ST23) of Blastocystis sp. in the present study, with ST10 as the predominant subtype in all animals. However, there were differences in dominant subtypes among the eight groups of animals, and ST2 of NHP, ST3 of Carnivora, ST10 of Artiodactyla, ST23 of Proboscidea, ST1 of Diprotodontia, ST1 and ST4 of Rodentia and ST5 of aves, respectively. This is the first report of Blastocystis sp. infection in 48 species to the best of our knowledge. These results not only enriched the host range of Blastocystis sp. and filled the data of vacant animals but also provided a reference for preventing and controlling Blastocystis sp. infection between animals and humans.
The Distribution of COVID 19 Variants by Daily Cases in California, United States
Authors: Zargar Roshanak
Published: March 2022

Background. The new Covid-19 variants' emergence and rapid global spread pose a daunting public health emergency. The Covid-19 virus continues mutating by the emergence of new variants with high transmissibility. This paper illustrates the timing and lifespan of COVID-19 variants in California from January 2021 to February 2022 to provide a window showing the time frames of active variants.Methods: This study used publicly available data on COVID-19, including covid variants of daily cases from the California Department of Health. Data from January 1, 2021, to February 28, 2022, were retrieved.Results: The findings showed that the distribution of the variants could be divided into two main phases: January 2021 to June 2021 and from mid-summer 2021 to February 2022 from December to March. The first phase has more variations, while Omicron and Delta dominate the second phase.Conclusions: This research indicates that variants have different characteristics and life spans. Recent variants have mutated faster than other older precedents. The lag between variants' international initiation for the first variants was longer than Omicron and Delta.
Outcome of Gynecologic Cancer Patients With The Covid-19 Infection : A Systematic Review And Meta Analysis
Authors: Winata I Gde Sastra , Simatupang Januar , Polim Arie A , Togar Yakob , Tondang Advenny Elisabeth
Published: March 2022

Objective
Cancer is comorbidity, which can lead to progressive worsening of Covid-19 with increased mortality. This is a systematic review and meta-analysis to get evidence of adverse outcomes of Covid-19 in gynecologic cancer.
Methods
Searches through PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and medRxiv to find articles on the outcome of gynecologic cancer with Covid-19 (24 July 2021-19 February 2022). Newcastle-Ottawa Scale tool used to evaluate the quality of included studies. Pooled odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence interval (CI), random-effects model were presented. This study was registered to PROSPERO (CRD42021256557).
Results
We accepted 49 studies with (1994 gynecologic cancer with Covid-19). Covid-19 infection was lower in gynecologic cancer vs hematologic cancer (OR 0.71, CI 0.56–0.89, p 0.003). Severe Covid and death were lower in gynecologic cancer vs lung and hematologic cancer (OR 0.36, CI 0.16–0.80, p 0.01), (OR 0.26, CI 0.10–0.67 p 0.005), (OR 0.52, CI 0.43–0.63, p < 0.0001), (OR 0.65, CI 0.49–0.87, p 0.003) respectively. Increased Covid death is seen in gynecologic cancer vs breast, non-covid cancer, and non-cancer covid (OR 1.51, CI 1.20–1.90, p 0.0004), (OR 12.21, CI 8.39–17.77, p < 0.0001), (OR 3.06, CI 2.32–4.04, p < 0.0001) respectively.
Conclusion
Gynecologic cancer had increased Covid-19 adverse outcomes compared to non-cancer, breast cancer, non-metastatic, and Covid-19 negative population. Gynecologic cancer had lowered Covid-19 adverse outcomes compared to other cancer types, lung cancer, and hematologic cancer. Lack of age and comorbidities stratification due to limited data were limitations. These findings may aid health policies and services during the ongoing global pandemic.
TRIM26 inhibits gastric cancer development by regulating SLC7A11-mediated ferroptosis pathway
Authors: Guo Xueyan , Li Yulong , Wan Bingbing , Lv Yifei , Wang Xue , Liu Guisheng , Wang Ping
Published: March 2022

Background
TRIM26 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that has been shown to regulate tumor progression. However, the role of TRIM26 in gastric cancer (GC) remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role and mechanism of TRIM26 in GC.
Methods
CCK-8 assay, wound healing assay and Transwell invasion assay were used to explore the specific role of TRIM26 in GC cells. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were used to detect the expression levels of TRIM26, SLC7A11, COX-2, Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and other related genes in cells. The levels of GSH, MDA and ROS were detected by kits.
Results
The expression of TRIM26 was down-regulated in GC tissues and cells. Low expression of TRIM26 enhanced the viability, migration activity and invasive ability of MGC-803 cells. Overexpression of TRIM26 significantly reduced cell viability, migration and invasion abilities. Further studies found that TRIM26 participated in the process of ferroptosis by regulating the expression of SLC7A11, thereby affecting the development of GC.
Conclusion
We demonstrated for the first time that TRIM26 inhibits the proliferation, migration and invasion of GC cells by regulating SLC7A11-mediated ferroptosis. TRIM26 may be a new target for the clinical treatment of GC.
Measuring Child Labor: Whom Should Be Asked,
and Why It Matters
Authors: Lichand Guilherme , Wolf Sharon
Published: March 2022

Child labor is a pervasive practice; according to the International Labor Organization, there are 160 million child workers worldwide. That figure might, however, greatly underestimate the extent of the issue, since child labor indicators are typically based on surveys with parents – who have no incentive to truthfully disclose that their children work. This, in turn, poses important challenges to the ability of governments and international organizations to monitor and enforce children’s rights. This paper provides first-hand evidence on this issue by combining survey data, based on independent reports from primary school children and their parents in two cocoa-producing regions of Côte d’Ivoire, with novel third-party data from costly certification of cocoa production in these regions, partly based on satellite imagery. We show that adults dramatically under-report child labor in our study sample by a factor of at least 60%. Calibrating a statistical model to account for non-linearity in under-reporting and heterogeneity by local characteristics, we predict the bias-adjusted share of children in employment for each country, and estimate that child labor might affect over 373 million 7-14 year-old children worldwide (95% CI: [~336 million; ~412 million]), nearly 3-fold its global prevalence according to the World Development Indicators. In turn, we document that children self-reports provide accurate regional and aggregate accounts of child labor. Last, evaluating the impacts of a campaign to discourage child labor, we also show that parents’ reports not only underestimate its prevalence, but can even lead to the wrong conclusions about whether and how policy interventions affect child labor.
Low incidence of pelvic sepsis following Hartmann’s procedure for rectal cancer – a retrospective multicentre study
Authors: Mariusdottir Elin , Jörgren Fredrik , Mondlane Amelia , Wikström Jens , Lydrup Marie-Louise , Buchwald Pamela
Published: March 2022

Background
Results of previous studies regarding pelvic sepsis after Hartmann’s procedure (HP) for rectal cancer have been inconsistent and few studies report the risk factors. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of pelvic sepsis after HP, identify risk factors and describe when as well as how pelvic sepsis was diagnosed and treated.
Methods
Data were collected from the Swedish Colorectal Cancer Registry on all patients undergoing HP for rectal cancer in the county of Skåne from 2007-2017. Patients diagnosed with pelvic sepsis were compared with patients without pelvic sepsis and risk factors for developing pelvic sepsis were analysed in a multivariable model.
Results
A total of 252 patients were included in the study, with 149 (59%) males, and a median age of 75 years (range 20-92). Altogether, 27 patients (11%) were diagnosed with pelvic sepsis. Risk factors for developing pelvic sepsis were neoadjuvant radiotherapy (OR 7.96, 95% CI 2.54-35.36) and BMI over 25 kg/m2 (OR 5.26, 95% CI 1.80-19.50). Median time from operation to diagnosis was 21 days (range 5-355) with 11 (40%) patients diagnosed beyond 30 days postoperatively. The majority of cases 19 (70%) were treated conservatively and none needed major surgery.
Conclusion
Pelvic sepsis occurred in 11% of patients. Neoadjuvant radiotherapy and higher BMI were significant risk factors for developing pelvic sepsis. Forty percent of patients were diagnosed later than 30 days postoperatively and most patients were successfully treated conservatively. Our findings suggest that HP is a valid treatment option for rectal cancer when anastomosis is inappropriate, even in patients receiving neoadjuvant radiotherapy.
Early Pleistocene environments before, during and after the first expansion of early Homo into Southern Spain
Authors:   , Altolaguirre Zancajo Yul
Published: March 2022

One of the most important events in human history occurred during the Early Pleistocene: the dispersal of early hominins out of Africa and into Europe and Asia. In Western Europe, the earliest evidences of the genus Homo have been found in the Baza Basin, at the sites of Orce in the SE of the Iberian Peninsula. These sites contain fossils and lithic industry dated approximately as 1.4–1.3 Ma.While hominin remains and artifacts at Orce, as well as the accompanying fauna, have been extensively studied, the properties and evolution of the Early Pleistocene vegetation in the basin remain unknown. The general effect of climate change on the expansion of early hominins from Africa into Eurasia still remains unclear. It is not known if the Early Pleistocene climate changes and the development of glacials periods led to the extirpation of European communities, or if those communities were able to endure and persist through such adverse climatic periods. This open question highlights the need for climate and environmental analyses for the time before, during and after the first presence of Homo in Europe. This PhD thesis contributes to that need by the presentation of the first long pollen record of the Baza Basin, where the oldest hominin sites in Western Europe are found.
Introduction to quantum non-reciprocal interactions: from non-Hermitian Hamiltonians to quantum master equations and quantum feedforward schemes
Authors: Clerk Aashish
Published: March 2022

These lecture notes from the 2019 Les Houches Summer School on Quantum Information Machines provides a pedagogical introduction
to the theory of non-reciprocal quantum interactions and devices. The goal is connect various approaches and concepts, including
Hamiltonians encoding synthetic gauge fields, scattering descriptions, quantum master equations, and non-Hermitian Hamiltonians.
The importance of having both non-trivial synthetic gauge fields and dissipation for obtaining non-reciprocal interactions is stressed. Connections to broader topics such as quantum reservoir engineering and the quantum theory of continuous-measurement based feedforward are also discussed.
Determinants of purchase intention during COVID-19: A case study of skincare products in East Java
Authors: Sudaryanto Sudaryanto , Courvisanos Jerry , Rosediana Dewi Ivana , Rusdiyanto Rusdiyanto , Rendis Yuaris Jiva
Published: March 2022

During COVID-19, consumers of skincare products pay more attention to safety and comfort. In such a crisis, consumers seek skincare products with brand effectiveness, high quality, and persuasive reviews by social media influencers. This study investigates the influence of brand effectiveness, product quality, and celebrity endorsers on purchase intention of halal skincare products in the pandemic. The study employed a survey of halal skincare users in East Java, Indonesia. A purposive sampling of 180 female respondents was analyzed; they were followers of Safi-Skincare Instagram and aged 18 and over. Descriptive statistics indicated that religious background strengthened the factors influencing the purchase intention towards a skincare product. The data were then analyzed using multiple linear regression with a statistical level of confidence of 95%. The result showed that brand effectiveness, product quality, and celebrity endorsers significantly affect purchase intention in Indonesia during the pandemic. The study concludes that Muslim standards reinforce rigid standards applied to skincare products with a halal logo, supporting good quality performance and encouraging stronger purchase intention. This study contributes to understanding consumer behavior in the pandemic using a purchase intention framework that can be applied to the safety and comfort of other consumer products.
AcknowledgmentWe would like to thank Universitas Jember, East Java, Indonesia, for providing partial publication funding.