bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Las mujeres periodistas en primera línea: reporteras en la cobertura de conflictos
Authors:   Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Jurado Martín Montserrat
Published: July 2020

Es complejo ser del todo objetivo durante la lectura de este libro. Y eso es probablemente una de las grandes joyas que se encuentran en sus páginas. Prácticamente, desde el inicio y hasta el final, el pensamiento del investigador que lo tiene entre sus manos, se evade y piensa sobre ‘qué haría yo en esa situación’. La autora, Ana del Paso, logra con un texto emanado de un estudio exhaustivo sobre las mujeres periodistas en situaciones de conflicto y durante su desarrollo profesional, que el lector empatice con las entrevistadas desde el enfoque literario, como protagonistas de una historia novelada. Esta consecuencia, que deriva del método de investigación y, sin quererlo, concluye en una publicación que se aproxima más a la de una novela, en el que seguimos la historia de 34 reporteras de guerra, desde que se les plantea, o se plantean, la posibilidad de cubrir una guerra, hasta los momentos de reflexión posteriores a su regreso o cuando se ha dado por finalizada la cobertura.
Back-matter
Authors: Siregar Tongku Nizwan
Published: July 2020

back cover
Preservative Efficiency of Allium Sativum on Shelf Life of Sea Water Fishes
Authors: Poojary Dhanya Nilesh , Ahuja Malika
Published: July 2020

Natural preservation techniques of food are associated with various naturally producing antibacterial property of various biologically active compounds obtained from plants, spices, animals and microbes. Garlic (Allium sativum) is the prominent biologically active source possessing greater antimicrobial property. Expansion of shelf life, declines the spoilage mechanism by the use of garlic. Garlic exhibits not only preservative properties but also has a biological activity viz. antibacterial, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiprotozoal, anti-helminthic, antifungal, wound healing, antitumor, and insecticidal. Allyl alcohol, allicin is an active biological compound present in garlic. Fish is highly beneficial and wholesome food as it contains high quantity of proteins and minerals as compared to other meat sources. Fresh fishes easily deteriorate due to high moisture and nutrient content. Spoilage of food begins as soon as fish dies. Hence, many preservation techniques are used to escalate the shelf life of fish. Enzymatic action of bacteria do not cause any variation in the metabolic activities of living organisms due to its existing immunity against it. As soon as the fish perishes, the enzymes associated with the catalytic activities in flesh and guts are now responsible for the autolytic reaction. Decomposition can be identified by its color change, foul odor and its texture. Various physiological analysis of these fishes were done with respect to their weight, color, texture, softness, and appearance. Further on microbial analysis were performed to identify and characterize the fish isolate, followed by its biochemical test. Various parameters were evaluated with respect to quality and shelf life of fishes with and without garlic as the natural preservative.
Duffy Blood System and G6PD Genetic Variants in P. Vivax Malaria Patients From Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
Authors: Ferreira Natália Santos , Mathias Jéssica Lorena dos Santos , Albuquerque Sérgio Roberto Lopes , Almeida Anne Cristine Gomes , Dantas Ana Carla , Anselmo Fernanda Cozendey , Lima Emerson Silva , Lacerda Marcus Vinicius Guimarães , Nogueira Paulo Afonso , Goncalves Marilda Souza , Neto Jose Pereira Moura
Published: July 2020

Over a third of the world’s population lives at risk of potentially severe Plasmodium vivax induced malaria. Unique aspects of the parasite’s biology and interactions with the human host make it harder to control and eliminate the disease. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency and Duffy-negative blood groups are two red blood cell variations that confer protection against malaria. Molecular genotyping was performed in 225 patients with severe and non-severe malaria, which revealed 29 (12.94%) carriers of the G6PD 202AG/GG and 43 (19.19%) with G6PD 376GA/AA. For the Duffy genotype, 70 (31.11%) were phenotyped as Fy(a + b-), 98 (43.55%) Fy(a + b+), 56 (24.9%) Fy(a-b+) and 1 (0.44%) Fy(a-b-). The FY*01/FY*02 genotype was more frequent in both non-severe and severe malaria. However, the frequency increased when SNP c.376A > G was also present. In women, the FY*01/FY*02 allele occurred concomitantly with c.376A > G more frequently in non-severe malaria, whereas in men, this synergism was more frequent in severe malaria. In addition, G202A/A376G genotypes were more frequent in severe malaria, with c.202G > A (RR = 5.57 – p < 0.001) and c.376A > G (RR: 4.49 – p < 0.001) strongly associated with the trials malaria (p < 0.001). Parasite count and density were not observed to specifically associate with variants in G6PD or Duffy. However, Duffy phenotype Fy(a-b+) (p = 0.003) and genotype FY*02/ FY*02 (p = 0.007) presented the highest values parasitemia density of the vivax malaria. Research on G6PD and Duffy antigen deficiencies has been valuable, particularly when focused on densely populated areas. We concluded that c.202G > A and c.376A > G SNPs were risk factors for the development of severe vivax malaria and that molecular diagnosis before treatment may be necessary in the Amazonian population and uncomplicated malaria showed a greater frequency of variation for GATA and G6PD variants than severe malaria.
Embryo-Derived Chemokine CXCL12 Enhances Pregnancy Outcome via Improvement of Endometrial Receptivity
Authors: Koo Hwa Seon , Yoon Min-Ji , Hong Seon-Hwa , Ahn Jungho , Cha Hwijae , Lee Danbi , Kwon Hwang , Choi Dong Hee , Lee Kyung-Ah , Ko Jung-Jae , KANG YOUN-JUNG
Published: July 2020

Background: Successful pregnancy inevitably depends on the implantation of a competent embryo into a receptive endometrium. Although a remarkable improvement of assisted reproductive technology (ART) has been achieved over the last few decades, there are still a number of infertile women experiencing frequent ART failure after repeated attempts due to many unsolved problems including repeated failure of implantation. Many substances have been suggested to improve the rates of embryo implantation by enhancing the endometrial receptivity for the patients who are suffering from repeated failure of implantation. However, despite these numerous extensive research work, there are currently no effective evidence-based treatments to prevent or cure this condition. Therefore, here we aim to suggest non-invasive intra-uterine administration of embryo-secreted chemokine CXCL12 as an effective therapeutic intervention to solve this problem.Results: We demonstrated that chemokine CXCL12 is derived from pre- and peri-implanting embryos and its interaction with endometrial CXCR4 and CXCR7 enhances endometrial receptivity and significantly promoted endothelial vessel formation and sprouting in vitro. Consistently, intra-uterine CXCL12 administration in vivo, which is a completely non-invasive treatment strategy, improved endometrial receptivity showing increased integrin b3 and its ligand osteopontin, and induced endometrial angiogenesis displaying increased numbers of vessel formation near the lining of endometrial epithelial layer with higher CD31 and CD34 expression. Furthermore, intra-uterine CXCL12 application dramatically promoted the rates of embryo implantation with no morphologically retarded embryos. Conclusions: Our present study provides a novel evidence that improved uterine endometrial receptivity and enhanced angiogenesis induced by embryo-derived chemokine CXCL12 may aid to develop a non-invasive therapeutic strategy for clinical treatment or supplement for the patients with repeated implantation failure with less risk.
Awareness among general public of India towards COVID-19 pandemic: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Maharshi Vikas , Puja Puja , Jakhar Dheeraj Kumar , Singh Vishwajeet
Published: July 2020

Background: Control of a pandemic is influenced considerably by practices followed by the general public which in turn is supposed to be influenced by the knowledge and its attitude. The study intended to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) among the general public of India towards transmission of COVID-19.Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was prepared from the awareness material available on the WHO and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India websites. The questionnaire contained 35 items (scored and un-scored both) in total (‘9’ from each viz KAP and ‘8’ to collect demographic details) and was sent to 600 people through e-mail for convenience sampling. The scores for KAP for an individual could range from 0-9, -5 to 5 and 0-8 respectively. Demographic variables were compared for scores attained and an association among KAP was measured.Results: A total of 229 volunteers representing different states/union territories were included in the analysis. The mean+SD scores attained for KAP were 3.9+1.9, 2.6+2.1, and 5.9+1.9 respectively. Around 39.7% of the individuals had adequate knowledge (score >50% of the maximum), 82.1% showed positive attitude (score >0) and 82.9% revealed appropriate practices (score >50% of the maximum). The scores attained by different age groups and genders were comparable. A fair correlation between KA, KP, and a good correlation between AP was found. The associations of KAP with each other were statistically significant (p<0.001).Conclusion: A positive attitude and appropriate practices were seen in the majority whereas adequate knowledge was there in a fair number of participants. Overall awareness among the general public of India was satisfactory.
In vitro and in vivo evaluation of silver needle white tea extract against colon cancer
Authors: Hajiaghaalipour Fatemeh , Bagheri Elham , Rouhollahi Elham , Salehen Nur'ain , Abdulla Mahmood Ameen
Published: July 2020

The authors have withdrawn this preprint due to author disagreement.
Comparative analysis of combined phosphorus and drought stress-responses in two winter wheat
Authors: Zhang Xiangchi , Lu Weidan , Wang Xiaoli , Ma Bin , Fu Kaiyong , Li Chunyan , Li Cheng
Published: July 2020

Phosphorus stress and drought stress are common abiotic stresses. In this study, two winter wheat “Xindong20” and “Xindong23” were solution cultured and then treated with drought stress under conventional phosphorus level (CP: 1.0 mmol/L) and low phosphorus level (LP: 0.05 mmol /L), respectively. The results showed that with the increase of drought stress, the LP application was more conducive to the growth of root tips, length, forks, surfarea and root vitality of wheat. Under the LP treatment, the total phosphorus content of root at rewatered 3d was increased by 94.2% in Xindong20 wheat and decreased by 48.9% in Xindong23 wheat, compared with their respective samples at drought 0d. The LP treatment increased the percentage content of K and decreased the P and Ca percentage content. However, under CP treatment, the percentage content of Zn after rewatered 3 days were increased, compared with drought 7d. Based on the GeneChip analysis of root samples from drought 7d, the microarray results showed that 4577 and 202 differentially expressed genes were detected from Xindong20 and Xindong23, respectively. Among them, 89.9% of differentially expressed genes were involved in organelles and vesicles in Xindong20, and 69.8% were involved in genes encoding root anatomical structure, respiratory chain, electron transport chain, ion transport and enzyme activity in Xindong23. Therefore, the supply of low phosphorus has more effects on the drought tolerance of wheat, and the wheat with different drought tolerance has different regulatory genes. The higher drought-tolerant wheat has more genes up-regulation in response to drought stress.
Barriers and Facilitators To Implementation and Sustainment of 17 New Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations in Massachusetts: A Study Protocol
Authors: Goff Sarah L. , Gurewich Deborah , Alcusky Matthew , Kachoria Aparna G. , Nicholson Joanne , Himmelstein Jay
Published: July 2020

Background: Accountable care organizations (ACOs) utilize value-based payment models, which incentivize quality of care and cost reduction through shared financial risk contracts for payers and providers. The impact of ACOs on cost and quality has been mixed for Medicare and commercial insurers, but the model has yet to be extensively tested in the Medicaid system, which insures a large number of patients in socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Additionally, despite substantial heterogeneity in ACO models, the majority of ACO studies have examined ACO outcomes without exploring the potential impact of implementation and sustainment on these outcomes. Understanding barriers and facilitators to implementation and sustainment of Medicaid ACOs will help to better understand their impact on patient care, outcomes and costs for a vulnerable population.Methods and Design: The state of Massachusetts (MA) approved 17 new Medicaid ACOs and associated Community Partner (CP) organizations in 2018 as part of a large-scale pragmatic experiment in healthcare reform. The new ACOs will receive $1.8 billion dollars in state and federal funds over five years aimed at supporting implementation and sustainment the new model. This study aims to identify barriers and facilitators to implementation and sustainment of activities supported by these funds using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Science (CFIR) as a guiding framework through: (1) review of administrative documents classify organizational characteristics of the ACOs and CPs including plans for innovation; (2) key informant interviews (KII) with ACO and CP leaders, governmental administrative leaders, and patients; (3) case studies of ACOs and CPs; and (4) a survey of front-line providers and staff in the ACOs and CPs. Descriptive quantitative statistics will be used to analyze document and survey data and framework analysis will be used to analyze KII and site visit data.Discussion: The new Medicaid ACOs in MA aim to improve care integration, quality of care, and patient experience while reducing costs through innovations in healthcare delivery and payment. Understanding the barriers and facilitators to implementing and sustaining the ACO model will provide critical context for understanding the overall impact of the Medicaid ACO experiment in MA.
Pediatric Burn Outcome; Diagnostic Value of R-Baux and P-Baux Scores
Authors: Nia Kavous Shahsavari , Razzaghi Alireza , Rahmani Farzad , Soleimanpour Hassan , Khalili Ayda , Saadati Mohammad
Published: July 2020

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Nuclear Import of Epstein-Barr virus BLLF2 is Mediated by an Importin β1-Dependent Mechanism
Authors: Li Meili , Guo Yingjie , Deng Yangxi , Li Yiwen , Ou Xiaowen , Chen Tao , Zhong Jiayi , Li Bolin , Hu Li , Deng Shenyu , Cai Mingsheng
Published: July 2020

Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the pathogen of several human malignancies, encodes many proteins that require to be transported into the nucleus for viral DNA reproduction and nucleocapsids assembly in the lytic replication cycle. A nuclear membrane phosphoprotein encoded by EBV BLLF2, is believed to associate with viral DNA packaging and primary egress across the nuclear membrane. Results: Here, fluorescence microscope, mutation analysis, interspecies heterokaryon assays, co-immunoprecipitation assays and western blot were performed to explore the nuclear import mechanism of BLLF2. As results, BLLF2 was shown to be a nucleocytoplasmic shuttling protein, which was mediated neither by chromosomal region maintenance 1 (CRM1)- nor transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP)-dependent pathway. Yet, two functional nuclear localization signals (NLSs) of BLLF2, NLS1 (16KRQALETVPHPQNRGR31) and NLS2 (48PPVAKRRR58), were identified, whereas the predicted NES was nonfunctional. Finally, BLLF2 was proved to transport into the nucleus via Ran-dependent and importin β1-dependent pathway. Conclusions: This mechanism may contribute to a more extensive insight of the assembly and synthesis of EB virions in the nucleus, thus affording a new direction for the treatment of viruses.
Mechanism of manganese oxidization of Bacillus safensis strain ST7 isolated from the soil of mineral area
Authors: Ran XQ , Long Hong , Tian Qun , Wang Jiafu , You Longjiang , Huang Shihui , Niu Xi , Li Sheng
Published: July 2020

Background: The manganese pollution is very serious surrounding the mine area, which could be enriched and harmful to animal, plant and human. Manganese oxidation bacteria (MOB) can completely remove the toxicity of Mn(II) with diverse mechanisms.

Results: To seek a resource and disclose the oxidation mechanism of MOB, we isolated the Bacillus safensis strain ST7 from the soil of Songtao manganese mine in Guizhou province, China. Strain ST7 could survive in media containing 2200 mg/L Mn(II) with the Mn(II) removal efficiency of 82% after seven days cultivation. The rate was 7.75 μmol/L of Mn(II) each day detected by LBB method. The manganese oxides appeared after stationary growth phase and lots of irregular precipitates were observed on the surface of bacteria by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We further constructed eight cDNA libraries at two growth stages of strain ST7, at which the first stage is the mid-exponential growth phase (stage1) and the second one at the onset of stationary phase (stage2). The gene expression patterns were analyzed across the entire transcriptome under 250 mg/L Mn(II) stress by using Illumina Hiseq platform. After mapping to the reference B. safensis genome, we detected 3574 expressed genes from the eight libraries. At the first stage, 1040 differently expressed genes (DEGs) were determined with 502 genes up-regulated in Mn(II) dealt group. For the second stage, 760 genes were increased and 702 genes down-regulated under Mn(II) stress. Of those, the expressed trend of seventeen random selective genes were confirmed by RT-qPCR method. Only nine high expressed DEGs were screened out and all of them were up-regulated in the manganese dealt group at stage1. The great changes at stage 1 were focused on the genes related with siderophore synthesis to help Mn(II) uptake and oxidation and gene cheA to elevate the chemotaxis and the motility of bacteria. It was observed that the motility of strain ST7 was much active in the media with Mn(II) supply. And the expression level of gene601, coded for a multicopper oxidase (MCO) enzyme-like protein, raised about 3.66 times than its control group at stage 1. By using homologous recombination technology, it was demonstrated that the Mn(II) oxidase ability decreased obviously when the gene601 of B. safensis strain ST7 was knocked out. For stage 2 of strain ST7 dealt with Mn(II), there were nineteen genes related with sporulation and most of flagellum genes were inhibited. However, lots of transporters genes were augmented to function as pumps to extrude manganese outside of the bacterium cell.

Conclusions: In a brief, the isolated B. sanfensis took two strategies against Mn stress including manganese oxidation at exponential growth stage and transformation of Mn(II) at stationary phase. The strain could be used to treat the environmental manganese pollution to minimize the use of chemical oxidants as a cost-effective technology.
­Evaluation of Immediate and Short-Term Efficacy of DualStim Therapy with and without Intracavernosal Umbilical Cord-Derived Wharton’s Jelly in Patients with Erectile Dysfunction: Study Protocol for a Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial
Authors: Gupta Ashim , Rodriguez Hugo C. , Delfino Kristin , Levy Howard J. , III Saadiq F. El-Amin , Gaines Richard
Published: July 2020

Background Erectile Dysfunction (ED) affects a significant portion of the U.S. population and causes negative psychological burdens that affects men and their partner’s quality of life and satisfaction. Extracorporeal shock therapy (ESWT) utilizing focused ESWT (fESWT) and radial ESWT (rESWT) in Low-intensity shock wave therapy (LSIWT) has been used to treat ED with some success. Wharton’s Jelly (WJ) is a biologic substance with large amounts of stem cells, growth factors, cytokines and extracellular components. The use of simultaneous fESWT and rESWT (DualStim Therapy) combined with WJ have potential uses in ED that may have advantages over current treatments. Methods A randomized, single-blinded, controlled clinical trial will be conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of DualStim Therapy and ICIs of WJ in moderate to severe ED. A total of 60 patients with moderate to severe ED will be enrolled and treated with DualStim Therapy with intracavernosal injection (ICIs) of WJ or saline for a period of 7 weeks. The International Index of Erectile Function – Erectile Function (IIEF-EF) score will be used to gauge the treatment related changes in relation to the subject’s baseline. The scores will be recorded at baseline and compared to follow-ups 1,3 and 6 months post-treatment. Any Adverse events (AEs) or severe AEs will be recorded in the corresponding case report forms (CRFs). Sexual Encounter Profile (SEP), as well as the Global Assessment Questionnaire (GAQ) and the Erection Hardness Score (EHS) will be used to determine the sexual activity improvement from baseline leading to optimal penetration at follow-ups 1,3 and 6 months post-treatment.Discussion This clinical trial is a feasibility study to determine the immediate and short-term efficacy of DualStim Therapy, with and without ICIs of formulated umbilical cord-derived WJ to improve and/or restore erectile function in patients with moderate to severe ED. This study will also provide insight into the safety and efficacy of WJ. We anticipate clinically significant improvement in patients suffering from moderate and severe ED treated with DualStim therapy with WJ compared to their baseline and DualStim with saline.Trial registration Registered on ClinicalTrials.gov; the trial number is NCT04424394
The Safety and Efficacy of Laparoscopic Gastrectomy for Patients with Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer Following Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy
Authors: Liu Lihang , Li Feng , Lin Shengtao , Liu Yi , Yang Changshun , Cai Shaoxin , Li Weihua
Published: July 2020

Background: Limited researches focused on the application of laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) in locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) patients following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). In this study, we aimed at illustrating the surgical and survival outcome of LG in LAGC patients following NACT.Methods: We performed a retrospective study of patients with LAGC who received either LG following NACT or upfront LG at Fujian Provincial Hospital between March 2013 and October 2018. Perioperative parameters, short-term and long-term outcomes were compared. The Kaplan-Meier estimator was used to describe the survival curves, and the differences were examined by the log-rank test.Results: In total, 76 consecutive patients were enrolled into the NACT-LG (41 patients) and LG (35 patients) group, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups for baseline characteristics, including age, sex, BMI, Eastern Clinical Oncology Group performance status, tumor size, location, Borrmann type, Lauren type, differentiation, cT stage, and surgical type (all P>0.05). The surgical trauma in terms of incision length and blood loss, and postoperative recovery in terms of first aerofluxus time, first time on liquid diets, drainage duration, and hospital stays were similar between the two groups (all P>0.05). The operation time was significantly longer for NACT-LG than for LG (286.5 vs. 248.9 min, P=0.008). There was no significant difference in surgical morbidity (19.5% vs. 22.9%, P=0.721) between the two groups. No patient died of postoperative complications in the NACT-LG group, and one patient (1/35, 2.9%) died of postoperative complications in the LG group (P=0.461). After NACT, the R0 resection rate was significantly higher (95.1% vs. 77.1%, P=0.049), and metastatic lymph nodes were less for NACT-LG than for LG (1 vs. 8, P=0.001). Compared with the LG group, the NACT-LG group had a significantly better DFS (59.4% vs. 14.4%, P=0.034) and better OS (69.0% vs. 37.4%, P=0.009) at 3 years.Conclusions: NACT does not decrease safety of LG for patients with LAGC and offer higher R0 resection rate and better disease-free and overall survival. For patients with LAGC, LG following NACT should be the priority treatment.
Linoleic Acid Reduces Apoptosis via NF-κB During the in Vitro Development of Porcine Embryos.
Authors: Lee Chang-Kyu , Lee Dong-Kyung , Choi Kwang-Hwan , Oh Jong-Nam , Kim Seung-Hun , Lee Mingyun , Jeong Jinsol , Choe Gyung Cheol
Published: July 2020

Background: Recent studies suggest that endogenous and exogenous free fatty acids play many important roles in mammalian oocyte and preimplantation embryo development. Among these fatty acids, linoleic acid has been reported to affect the apoptosis pathway via nuclear transcription factor-kappa B. The transcription factor NF-κB is a key modulator of apoptosis in a variety of cell types, but to date, this specific function of NF-κB has not been demonstrated in porcine preimplantation embryos. To examine the effect of linoleic acid on parthenogenetic pig embryos produced in vitro, we treated these embryos with linoleic acid at various concentrations to examine the developmental rate, NF‐κB expression, IL-6 expression and apoptosis-related gene mRNA levels. Results: Linoleic acid had a positive effect on embryo development and was not toxic at a certain concentration, but toxicity was observed at higher concentrations. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the concentration of NF‐κB increased, unlike that of IL-6, as the concentration of linoleic acid increased, and the concentration of NF‐κB was found to increase even at the concentration of linoleic acid at which embryo development decreased. We found that pro-apoptotic gene expression was downregulated in the linoleic acid-treated group. It was also found that BCL-XL, an anti-apoptotic gene, was not affected by linoleic acid, which appears to be an effect of IL-6. In contrast, MCL-1, an anti-apoptotic gene known to be unaffected by IL-6, was found to be increased at the mRNA level in linoleic acid-treated pig embryos. Furthermore, based on both apoptosis and immunocytochemistry staining, as the concentration of NF-kB increased, the nuclear translocation of C-JUN, which is also related to apoptosis, gradually increased, which was dependent on the linoleic acid concentration. It was confirmed that NF-κB is an important factor in the development of porcine embryos by confirming that treatment with a very low concentration of ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (APDC, inhibitor of NF-κB) affected NF-κB protein expression, IL-6 protein expression and blastocyst production. Conclusion: These datas could suggest that porcine embryos can use exogenous linoleic acid as a metabolic energy source via NF-κB. The data also demonstrate the important role of NF-kB in porcine early embryo development.
MicroRNA-214 Prevents Pulmonary Angiogenesis and Alveolarization in Rat Models with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia via PlGF-Dependent STAT3 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Zhang Zhi-Qun , Hong Hui , Li Jing , Li Xiao-Xia , Huang Xian-Mei
Published: July 2020

Background: In recent years, the roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in pulmonary diseases have been widely studied and researched. However, the molecular mechanism by which miR-214 affects bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) remains elusive and merits further exploration. Hence, this study aims to clarify the function of miR-214 in pulmonary angiogenesis and alveolarization in preterm infants with BPD. Methods: BPD neonatal rat model was induced by hyperoxia, and pulmonary epithelial cells were isolated from rats and exposed to hyperoxia. Gain- or loss-of-function experiments were performed in BPD neonatal rats and hyperoxic pulmonary epithelial cells. MiR-214 and PlGF expression in BPD neonatal rats, and eNOS, Bcl-2, c-myc, Survivin, α-SMA and E-cadherin expression in hyperoxic pulmonary epithelial cells were detected using RT-qPCR and western blot analysis. The interaction between PlGF and miR-214 was identified using dual luciferase reporter gene assay and RIP assay. ELISA was adopted to assess IL-1β, TNF-a, IL-6, ICAM-1 and Flt-1 expression in rats. Results: Decreased miR-214 expression and elevated PlGF expression were evident in the lung tissues of neonatal rats with BPD. PlGF was a target of miR-214, and miR-214 downregulated PlGF to inactivate the STAT3 signaling pathway. miR-214 overexpression or PlGF silencing decreased apoptosis of hyperoxic pulmonary epithelial cells and declined pulmonary angiogenesis and alveolarization in BPD neonatal rats. Conclusions: Collectively, miR-214 can protects against pulmonary angiogenesis and alveolarization in preterm infants with BPD by suppressing PlGF and blocking STAT3 signaling pathway.
Identification And Validation Of A Hypoxia ‑ Related Prognostic Signature In Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Patients
Authors: Li Zhengtian , Jiang Lingling , Zhao Rong , Yang Wenkang , Li Chan , Huang Jun , Wen Zhenpei , Du Gang
Published: July 2020

Background: Increasing evidence has shown that hypoxia is closely related to the development, progression and prognosis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Nevertheless, reliable prognostic signatures based on hypoxia have not been well-established. This study aimed to construct an optimized prognosis nomogram based on hypoxia-related genetic signatures for patients with ccRCC.Method: We accessed hallmark gene sets of hypoxia, including 200 genes, and an original RNA seq dataset of ccRCC cases with integrated clinical information obtained by mining the Molecular Signatures Database, the TCGA database and the ICGC database. Univariate Cox regression analysis and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression were performed to identify prognostic hypoxia-related genetic signatures and further generate RiskScore, a new independent prognosis predictor for optimizing prognosis models. External validation of the optimized prognosis model was performed in independent cohorts from the ICGC database.Result: ANKZF1, ETS1, PLAUR, SERPINE1, FBP1 and PFKP were selected as hypoxia-related genetic signatures, and the resultant formula based on those genetic signatures and their respective coefficients helped generate RiskScore. The results of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, risk plot, survival analysis and so on suggested that RiskScore based on hypoxia-related genetic signatures was an independent risk factor. A novel prognosis nomogram optimized via RiskScore showed its promising performance in both a TCGA-ccRCC cohort and an ICGC-ccRCC cohort.Conclusions: Our study reveals that the differential expressions of hypoxia-related genes are associated with the overall survival of patients with ccRCC. RiskScore based on hypoxia-related genetic signatures was an independent risk factor beyond TNM staging and grading. The novel nomogram optimized via RiskScore exhibited a promising prognostic ability. It may be able to serve as a prognostic tool for guiding clinical decisions and selecting effective individualized treatments.
Metformin Ameliorates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Depressive-Like Behaviors and Abnormal Glutamatergic Transmission
Authors: Chen Jiang , Zhou Tian , Chen Wen-Bin , Lin Dong , Guo A-Min , Liu Zi-Yang , Fei Erkang
Published: July 2020

BackgroundMetformin, a first-line drug for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), has been found to reduce depressive symptoms in patients comorbid depression with other diseases. However, it is largely unclear that how metformin ameliorates the depressive-like behaviors. MethodsLipopolysaccharide (LPS) was injected intraperitoneally into C57BL/6 mice to induce depressive-like behaviors, and metformin was administrated in LPS-induced depression mouse model. Forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) were employed to detect the depressive-like behaviors. Whole-cell patch clamp recording in the hippocampal pyramidal neurons was adopted to record the miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) and paired-pulse ratios (PPR). ResultsWe found LPS-treated mice exhibited increased immobility in FST and TST, and elevated glutamatergic transmission. Furthermore, metformin administration in the LPS-treated mice ameliorated depressive-like behaviors and abnormal glutamatergic transmission. ConclusionOur results suggest that metformin have antidepressant effects and can correct abnormal glutamatergic transmission, providing an insight to the underlying mechanism of metformin on depression.
Infertility and Pregnancy Loss in Hispanic/Latino Women with Chronic Kidney Disease: Results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/ Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)
Authors: Reynolds Monica , Loehr Laura R , Hogan Susan L , Hu Yichun , Isasi Carmen R , Cordero Christina , Ricardo Ana C , Lash James P , Derebail Vimal K
Published: July 2020

Background: Hispanic/Latino individuals are less likely to receive optimal treatment for chronic kidney disease (CKD) than non-Hispanic whites. This may be particularly detrimental for women of reproductive age as CKD may increase risk for infertility, menstrual irregularities, and pregnancy loss. While these maternal outcomes have been associated with advanced CKD, their occurrence in mild to moderate CKD is unclear. Methods: Using baseline (2008-2011) and second study visit (2014-2017) data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), we assessed the association between CKD and self-reported infertility, cessation of menses, hysterectomy, and nonviable pregnancy loss (experienced at less than 24 weeks gestation) in women of reproductive age (18-45 years). Multivariable survey logistic regression analyses were used to compute prevalence odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (OR, 95% CI). Results: Of the 2,589 women included (mean age 31.4 years), 4.6% were considered to have CKD. In adjusted analyses, women with CKD did not have a significantly increased odds of infertility (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.42 - 2.49), cessation of menses (OR 1.25, 95% CI 0.52 - 3.04) or hysterectomy (OR 1.17, 95% CI 0.61 - 2.25) compared to those without CKD. In those with CKD, the adjusted odds of a nonviable pregnancy loss was increased when considering pregnancies occurring after baseline visit (OR 2.11, 95% CI 0.63 - 7.02) but not statistically significance. Conclusion: In our Hispanic/Latino cohort, the presence of mild to moderate CKD did not confer an additional risk of our outcomes of interest. Examining nonviable pregnancy loss after CKD diagnosis in a larger sample warrants further study.
Prevalence of Stunting and Its Associated Factors Among Children 6-59 Months of Age in Pastoralist Community, Northeast Ethiopia: A Community Based Cross Sectional Study
Authors: Dessie Awrajaw , Gebreayohanes Mulugeta
Published: July 2020

Background: Globally, stunting affects over 161 million children under the age of five, and one million deaths each year. Stunting hits hard on African and Asian children. In Ethiopia, the level of stunting is critically high and remains a major public health challenge among those under the age of five. Numerous factors such as poor maternal health and nutrition, inadequate feeding practices for infants and young children, deficiencies in micronutrients, infections and environmental health conditions are related to stunting. There is, however, dearth of evidence in Ethiopia’s pastoral populations.Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 2-31 January 2018 to assess the prevalence and associated factors of stunting among children 6-59 months of age in Dubti District, Afar Region, north East Ethiopia. For this study, a total of 554 children were included, and multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data was entered in EPI-Info version 7.2 and height for age was converted to Z-score with WHO Anthro software. A binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with stunting. The significance of the associations was determined at p-value < 0.05 and the adjusted odds ratio at 95% CI was calculated to evaluate the strength of the associations.Results: The prevalence of stunting was 39.5% (95% CI: 35.4-43.5%). The odds of stunting was increased, so does age of the child increased as compared to 6-11 months of children. Initiating breast feeding after 1 hour after birth (AOR = 1.99; 95% CI: 1.22, 3.23), not exclusively breast feeding for at least 6 months (AOR = 2.57; 95% CI: 1.49, 4.42), poor dietary diversity (AOR = 1.93; 95% CI: 1.03, 3.62), and using unprotected water sources for drinking (AOR = 1.68; 95% CI: 1.21, 2.94) were significant factors. Conclusion: Stunting levels in pastorals was critically high among children aged 6-59 months. The study showed that stunting was associated with different nutritional and non-nutritional factors. Intersectoral coordination is required to tackle stunting by enhancing the community's safe water supply, optimal breast feeding practice, food diversity and economic status.
A Three-year Retrospective Study of Perioperative Mortality at a Tertiary Children Hospital in Iran
Authors: gharavifard mohammad , sharifian majid
Published: July 2020

Introduction: Mortality is a key criterion for quality and safety in surgery. Studies show the higher rate of perioperative mortality in children compared with adults. The aim of present study was to determine the mortality rate after surgery among pediatric population. Methods: This retrospective study of perioperative mortality rate was performed in children younger than 18 years who operated at surgery unit of Dr. Sheikh pediatric tertiary hospital, Iran. Records of all cases of pediatric surgery performed under anesthesia between March 2015 and March 2018 were reviewed. Mortality rate at different time intervals after surgery, demographic characteristics and comorbidities of patients, type and duration of surgery, the number of operations in each child, the time interval between surgery and death, and the emergency level of surgery were recorded. Chi-square test was used for analysis of results. Results: Out of 5,5027 surgeries, 214 deaths were recorded, 78.6% of which occurred within one month after surgery. Mortality rate per 10,000 surgeries in the first year was about 49, which dropped to 10 in the third year. The mean value of mortality within 30-day post-surgery was 27.44 per 10000 procedures. The highest mortality rate was observed in people under 3 years of age with 67.2% and in females with 52.8%. Cardiac disease was at the top of comorbidities among dead patients. There was significant relationship between age and type of surgery with time interval between surgery and death. Conclusion: Infant age group and type of surgery was the main predictor of perioperative mortality.
Exploring Optimal Control of Epidemic Spread Using Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Ohi Abu Quwsar , Mridha M. F. , Monowar Muhammad Mostafa , Hamid Md. Abdul
Published: July 2020

Pandemic defines the global outbreak of a disease that is caused due to some disease containing a high transmission rate. The impact of a pandemic situation can be lessened by restricting the movement of the mass. However, one of its concomitant circumstances is an economic crisis. In this article, we demonstrate what actions an agent (trained using reinforcement learning) may take in different possible scenarios of a pandemic depending on the spread of disease and economic factors. To train the agent, we design a virtual pandemic scenario closely related to the present COVID-19 crisis. Then, we apply reinforcement learning, a branch of artificial intelligence, that deals with how an individual (human/machine) should interact on an environment (real/virtual) to achieve the cherished goal. Finally, we demonstrate what optimal actions the agent perform to reduce the spread of disease while considering the economic factors. In our experiment, we let the agent find an optimal solution without providing any prior knowledge. After training, we observed that the agent places a long length lockdown to reduce the first surge of a disease. Furthermore, the agent places a combination of cyclic lockdowns and short length lockdowns to halt the resurgence of the disease. Analyzing the agent's performed actions, we discover that the agent decides movement restrictions not only based on the number of the infectious population but also considering the reproduction rate of the disease. The estimation and policy of the agent may improve the human-strategy of placing lockdown so that an economic crisis may be avoided while mitigating an infectious disease.
MECP2 promotes migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells via modulating the Notch1/c-Myc/mTOR signaling pathways by suppressing FBXW7 transcription
Authors: Zhao Lingyu , Wang Xiaofei , Yang Juan , Jiang Qiuyu , Zhang Jing , Qin Yannan , Wang Lumin , Liu Liying , Ni Lei , Tong Dongdong , Huang Chen
Published: July 2020

Background: Methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2), an epigenetic regulatory factor, promotes the carcinogenesis and progression of a number of cancers. However, its role in the migration and invasion of gastric cancer (GC) as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear.Methods: Immunohistochemistry (IHC), Western blot, and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) were performed to measure the expressions of MECP2, FBXW7, c-Myc, mTOR and Notch1 in GC tissues and cell lines, respectively. The effects of MECP2 silencing and overexpression on GC cell migration and invasion were detected by wound healing assay and transwell assay. The mechanisms of MECP2-mediated migration and invasion were further investigated using chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-Seq) and luciferase reporter gene assay.Results: In this study, we found that MECP2 facilitated the migration and invasion of GC cells. Investigation of the molecular mechanism revealed that MECP2 restrained FBXW7 transcription in GC by binding to the methylated CpG sites of FBXW7’s promoter region. MECP2 expression was remarkably negatively correlated with the FBXW7 level in GC tissues. FBXW7 expression was significantly downregulated in GC tissues and cell lines, and low FBXW7 expression was correlated with the clinicopathologic features. FBXW7 repressed cell migration and invasion by regulating the Notch1/c-Myc/mTOR signaling pathways, and knockdown of FBXW7 reversed the effects of silencing MECP2. Moreover, MECP2 upregulated the Notch1/c-Myc/mTOR signaling pathways by inhibiting FBXW7 expression at the transcription level.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that MECP2 promotes migration and invasion of GC cells via modulating the Notch1/c-Myc/mTOR signaling pathways by suppressing FBXW7 transcription. The findings suggest that MECP2 may be a novel effective therapeutic target for GC patients.
Analysis of characteristics of workers with occupational benzene poisoning in Jiangsu province,2006-2018
Authors: Yang Guangzhi , Huimin WANG , Boshen WANG , Lei HAN , Baoli ZHU
Published: July 2020

Objective To investigate the characteristics of workers with occupational benzene poisoning in Jiangsu Province during 2006-2018, find out the susceptible population of occupational benzene poisoning and provide some evidence for establishing some exposure standards for workers. Methods Questionnaire is the tool that we adopt to collect basic information of workers. Benzene detector is applied to detect the concentration of benzene in the working environments. Statistical description and analysis was conducted to analyze the prevalence of occupational benzene poisoning in Jiangsu Province during 2006-2018. Results The number of cases of occupational benzene poisoning in these years was 145, and 28 of them were diagnosed with benzene induced leukemia; the patients mainly worked in manufacturing industry（89.7%）; most of cases were distributed in small factories（43.4%） and private companies（46.2%）. Male workers took a major part in the cases of acute benzene poisoning（80%）while female workers had a higher proportion of the chronic benzene poisoning（65%）. Most cases were distributed in the 30-49 age group( 80%). There was no evident differences among these seniority groups, most of the cases were in the working age of 1-19 years old（82.9%）; concentration of benzene of chronic benzene poisoning workers were mostly under 0.6mg/m³（40%）. Conclusions The departments of occupational disease prevention should heighten the benzene surveillance of small-scale private companies in manufacturing industry, regular physical examination and health education should be conducted in the workers of low concentration of benzene exposure, safety protection measures should be taken to reduce the incidence of occupational poisoning.
Previous Trend, Present Prevalence and Integrated Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Towards Malaria and Use of Insecticide-treated Mosquito Net in the Rural Setting of Welkait District, Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Yhdego Tsegay Gebremaryam , Garedew Asnake Desalegn , Yifat Fitsum Tigu
Published: July 2020

Background: Malaria is still a burden to Ethiopia, especially among the productive ages of the society. Although insecticide-treated mosquito nets (INTs) are widely practiced by the rural community, malaria remains a leading public health issue. This study aimed to evaluate a 5-year trend, current prevalence and community knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) towards malaria and use of ITNs as a strategy for prevention of malaria among the rural setting of Welkait district, northwest Ethiopia.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 403 households to identify the prevalence rate of malaria. Besides, a 5-year (2015-2019) retrospective data was analyzed. Random sampling technique was used to select representative households among the community members. Well-structured questionnaires were used to collect KAP data towards the utilization of ITNs against malaria infection. Blood samples were examined for identification of malaria parasites following standard procedure. SPSS version 22 was used for the analysis of quantitative data. Results: Of 36,219 outpatients examined, 7,309 (20.2%) malaria-positive cases were reported during 2015-2019. Overall prevalence of malaria was continually declined from 2015-2019. Male slide-confirmed (61.4%, N = 4,485) were significantly higher than female (38.6%, N = 2,824) (p < 005). Nineteen (4.7%) confirmed malaria cases were screened during parasitological survey (12 cases of P. falciparum and 7 cases of P. vivax). Most 78.4% (316) and 84.1% (339) of the respondents knew malaria is a communicable and curable disease respectively and 75.6% (239) of them associated it with mosquito bit. From 82.4% (332) respondents who believed malaria is preventable, 81.0% (269) of respondents considered ITNs as the main prevention method. About 64% (257) of the respondents possessed ITNs, of these, 66.9% (172) consistently used during peak season. Majority 83.6% (337) of the respondents have a positive attitude toward ITNs. Conclusion: Although the retrospective analysis showed a declining trend of malaria in the district, the current prevalence survey revealed a significant increase of malaria in the locality. This was contributed by unsustainable distribution and inconsistent use of ITNs among the population. We recommend the governments and stockholders to give emphasis on full coverage of ITNs and educate the community about ITNs usage.