bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of laparoscopic continuous inverting mattress suture + suction curettage and laparoscopic hysterotomy for exogenous cesarean scar pregnancy(CSP-Ⅱ)
Authors: Zhang Yan , Zhang Qing-Bing
Published: March 2021

Background:Type II CSP is usually treated by surgery, such as transabdominal, transvaginal, hysteroscopic and laparoscopic resection, It takes a long time for contraception,For patients with urgent fertility requirements, the above methods lack advantages,We are trying to find a safe and effective treatment to shorten the time of contraception.Methods: A total of 41 cases of CSP-Ⅱ were selected from January 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020 in the first people's Hospital of Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province,The patients were divided into two groups, group A(20 cases) was laparoscopic continuous inverting mattress suture + suction curettage,Group B(21 cases) was laparoscopic hysterotomy.Group A was compared with group B:serum β-hCG levels on the first day after operation;Inpatient time;time for serum β-hCG levels to return to normal;HGB on the first day after operation;menstruation recovery time;The differences in the intraoperative blood loss;operation time;The decrease rate of serum β - hCG level on the first day after operation.Results: Group A was compared with group B,serum β-hCG levels on the first day after operation,Inpatient time were not statistically significant (p > 0.05);time for serum β-hCG levels to return to normal,HGB on the first day after operation,menstruation recovery time were statistically significant (p < 0.05),Group A was significantly higher than group B;The differences in the intraoperative blood loss,operation time were significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05),Group A was significantly lower than group B;The level of serum β - hCG on the first day after operation decreased by 50% in both groups.In group B, the pathology of the excised scar muscle layer showed that there was a little villus tissue in the muscle layer, and a large number of trophoblast cells were seen between the fibrous smooth muscle tissues.Conclusions: In group A,the method is more simple, less bleeding, shorter operation time and less trauma;it also can remove the diverticulum and increase the thickness of the lower uterine segment;the contraception time was shortened,but the decrease of serum β - hCG was slow and the recovery time of menstruation was long.
Genetic and chemical methods of ascertaining aflatoxigenicity give discordant results: A Case of Aspergillus species from Eastern Kenya
Authors: Lagat Micah Kipkemboi , Toroitich Faith Jebet , Makonde Huxley Mae , Obonyo Meshack Amos
Published: March 2021

Background: Aflatoxins (AFs) are poisonous compounds produced by species of fungi belonging to the genus Aspergillus mainly A. flavus and A. parasiticus. However, there are some members of these species that do not produce toxins and have since become of interest for use in Biological Control programs. The species that produce AFs are believed to have clusters of aflatoxin-associated genes that confer aflatoxigenicity. However, recent findings suggest that the presence of aflatoxin genes may not imply aflatoxin production capability. We therefore examined the extent to which the presence or absence of aflatoxin-associated genes (genetic) infers aflatoxigenicity using the Dichlorvos-Ammonia (chemical) method as reference.Results: We report a dissonance between the genetic and chemical methods of ascertaining aflatoxigenicity. Fungi (n = 314) that were morphologically identified as A. flavus and A. parasiticus were isolated from maize kernels and soil from Eastern Kenya. The fungi were further characterized to confirm their identities using a PCR-sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA which confirmed them to be Aspergillus species. We selected and induced 16 isolates in YES media amended with Dichlorvos to produce AFs. Seven of the sixteen isolates were DM-AM positive (aflatoxigenic) but lacked at least one of the key aflatoxin-associated genes. Even more confounding, A. flavus isolate (1EM2606) had all aflatoxin-associated genes but was non-aflatoxigenic (DV-AM negative) while A. flavus (1EM1901) having all genes was aflatoxigenic (DV-AM positive). The genetic abundance of the AF-asscociated genes among the isolates was as follows: aflQ (100%), aflD (62.5%) followed by aflR (37.5%) and aflP (25%). Conclusion: We report that either method alone is limited in ascertaining aflatoxigenicity among Aspergillus section Flavi. The discordance between presence of aflatoxin-associated genes and aflatoxigenicity may be due to epigenetic factors that affect secondary metabolism, or even other signaling processes that alter toxin production that still remain poorly understood.
Crisis-focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Psychosis (CBTp) vs Treatment as Usual in Acute Mental Health Inpatient Settings (The CRISIS Study): Protocol For a Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial
Authors: Wood Lisa , Williams Claire , Pinfold Vanessa , Nolan Fiona , Morrison Anthony P , Morant Nicola , Lloyd-Evans Bryn , Lewis Glyn , Lay Barbara , Jones Rebecca , Greenwood Kathryn , Johnson Sonia
Published: March 2021

Background

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for psychosis (CBTp) is a psychological therapy which should be offered during the acute phases of psychosis. However, few research studies have examined the efficacy of CBTp interventions specifically adapted for the acute mental health inpatient context with most research trials being conducted with white European community populations.
Aims

The aim of this study is to conduct a feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) of a crisis-focused CBTp intervention adapted for an ethnically diverse acute mental health inpatient population. The study will examine the feasibility of undertaking the trial, the acceptability and safety of the intervention, and the suitability of chosen outcome measures. This will inform the planning of a future, fully powered RCT.
Methods

A single-site, parallel group, feasibility RCT will be conducted examining the intervention. Drawing on principles of coproduction, the intervention has been adapted in partnership with key stakeholders; service users with lived experience of psychosis and of inpatient care (including those from ethnic minority backgrounds), carers, multidisciplinary inpatient clinicians, and researchers. Sixty participants with experience of psychosis and in current receipt of acute mental health inpatient care will be recruited. Participants will be randomly allocated to either the crisis-focused CBTp intervention or Treatment as Usual (TAU).
Discussion

Findings of this feasibility RCT will indicate whether a larger multi-site RCT is needed to investigate the efficacy of the intervention. If the initial results demonstrate that this trial is feasible and the intervention is acceptable, it will provide evidence that a full-scale effectiveness trial may be warranted.
Trial registration:

This trial has been prospectively registered on the ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN59055607) on the 18th February 2021 https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN59055607
Comparison of the Clinical Characteristics of 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease and Avian Influenza A (H1N1) Complicated with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome1
Authors: Zuo Cui-yun , Wu Ding-hui , Yang Hui , Chen Hai-bin , Ke Ming-yao
Published: March 2021

Objective: Both 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and avian influenza A (H1N1) are serious acute respiratory diseases with a predisposition to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Our aim was to compare the clinical characteristics of patients with COVID-19 and H1N1 influenza complicated with ARDS.Methods: We retrospectively studied data of 12 patients with ARDS (7 with COVID-19; 5 with H1N1 influenza) who were managed at The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen Medical College and Xinglin Branch of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University between December 20, 2019 and February 29, 2020. We extracted the clinical information and outcomes from the hospital medical charts.Results: Patients with COVID-19 were older and were more likely to have underlying diseases. Low-to-moderate fever was more frequent and upper respiratory tract symptoms were less common in COVID-19 patients. Chest computed tomography of patients with COVID-19 more frequently revealed bilateral nodular patchy ground-glass opacities in the subpleural and central lobular regions. Heart disorders and pleural effusion were less frequent, and coagulopathy was more common in patients with COVID-19. The average duration of stay in the respiratory intensive care unit was longer in patients with COVID-19. The disease severity and clinical outcomes did not differ significantly between the two groups.Conclusion: Older age, higher comorbidity frequency, abnormal coagulation responses, longer hypoxemia duration, pulmonary fibrosis, and poorer clinical outcomes are the main characteristics in patients with COVID-19 who have ARDS. This calls for closer dynamic monitoring and more rigorous follow-up.
WITHDRAWN: Physics Based Analytical Modeling of Asymmetric Elevated Source Tunnel FET (AES-TFET) for Better Tunnel Junction Device (TJD) Performance
Authors: DUTTA RITAM , Subash T.D. , Paitya Nitai
Published: March 2021

In this paper, a two-dimensional analytical model for asymmetric elevated source tunnel field effect transistor (AES-TFET) has been developed to obtain better tunnel junction device performance. Device physics based analytical modelling is performed by solving 2-D Poisson’s equation. Surface potential distribution, electric field variation and band-to-band tunneling (B2B) rate have been investigated by this numerical modelling. In our proposed structure, the source has been elevated (varied 2 nm to 6 nm) to incorporate corner effect; which boosts the carrier transport via thin tunneling barrier, with controlled ambipolar conduction. This eventually produces better source-channel interface tunneling for a n-channel AES-TFET structure. 2-D numerical device simulator (SILVACO TCAD) has been used for simulation work. The simulated graphical representations have been finally validated by analytical modelling of AES-TFET.
The antihyperlipidemic drug Potassium Piperate impairs migration and tumorgenesis of breast cancer cells via upregulation of miR-31
Authors: Lu Junping , Tian Xiaoxia , Mailisu Mailisu , Morigen Morigen , Fan Lifei
Published: March 2021

Background Breast cancer is a leading malignant tumor which causes deaths among women, and metastasis is the primary cause for mortality in breast cancer. Due to the involvement of many regulatory molecules and signaling pathways, the occurrence and development process of metastasis needs to be further studied. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are ubiquitously expressed small non-coding RNAs that have been shown to play an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases, as well as constituting an attractive candidate to control metastasis. In this study, we tried to uncover the mechanism of GBK in impairing breast cancer cell invasion and metastasis.Methods We treated cancer cells with GBK or not, found its target miRNA by analyzed miRNA transcriptional changes and the miRNA target genes by performed with the QT-PCR and Western Blot. The proliferation of breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo under combination treatment with GBK and DDP was measured by CCK-8 kit and the nude mice tumor formation experiment.Results We found tumor suppressor miR-31 was a main target of GBK. GBK treatment affected the epigenetic modification at CpG sites by downregulating DNA methyltransferases, thus the methylation levels at CpG of lncRNA LOC554202 decreased significantly, and in turn upregulating of both miR-31 and its host gene LOC554202 in breast cancer cells. We also observed significant inhibition of miR-31 target genes under GBK stimulation, including RhoA, WAVE3 and SATB2, which all closely related to cancer cell invasion, migration and proliferation. Furthermore, we revealed that combination treatment with GBK and DDP had synergistic and dose reduction potential in inhibiting the proliferation of breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, especially in TNBC.Conclusion This study further analyzes the target and underlying mechanism of GBK in inhibiting breast cancer migration and invasion, and provides theoretical support for the development of GBK as an auxiliary drug for clinical treatment.
ATP oscillation caused by Gradual Entry of Substrates within Mitochondria
Authors: Hideshima Taketoshi , Nishimura Mikie
Published: March 2021

The gradual entry of the substrate into enzyme solution causes the oscillatory reaction. We proved this by using dialysis membrane as a means of gradual entry of substrates 7. It was considered that a suitable combination of permeation rate through membrane of the substrate and rate constants for catalytic reaction regulates the oscillation. It was suggested that such oscillatory reactions also should occur in actual living organisms. On the basis of this suggestion, we explored the oscillatory reaction within mitochondria, because many reactions in mitochondria also occur in the mediation of membrane. We found that the gradual entry of pyruvate together with ADP caused the oscillations of both NADH and ATP within mitochondria. Likewise, the gradual entry of NAD+ and malate together with ADP caused the oscillations of NADH and of ATP. At the same time, pH oscillation within mitochondria was also observed. Besides the experiment with mitochondria, we also investigated oscillations of NADH and the other intermediates using dialysis membrane both in the citric acid cycle and in the respiratory chain. Putting these together, we concluded that the oscillatory reactions caused by the gradual entry of pyruvate occur continuously both in the citric acid cycle and in the respiratory chain and is taken over finally by the reaction of ATP synthase in the oxidative phosphorylation, inducing the oscillation of ATP. Furthermore, it was found that oscillations occurred without going through the citric acid cycle when NAD+ and malate were used instead of pyruvate.
Pedestrian Avoidance Method of Autonomous Personal Mobility Vehicles Considering Passenger Comfort
Authors: Isono Yosuke , Yoshitake Hiroshi , Shino Motoki
Published: March 2021

During the autonomous locomotion of personal mobility vehicles (PMVs) in pedestrian space, it is necessary to avoid collisions with pedestrians walking nearby. The avoidance paths of the PMVs are affected by the behavior of the pedestrians, which may also affect passenger comfort. In this study, a local path planning method considering passenger comfort is proposed to design comfortable pedestrian avoidance strategies during autonomous locomotion of PMVs in pedestrian space. First, pedestrian behaviors that affect passenger comfort are investigated by evaluating the comfort in pedestrian avoidance scenarios with different avoidance methods and pedestrian behavior. Next, requirements for a pedestrian avoidance method considering comfort are set based on the behaviors affecting passenger comfort. Finally, a novel path planning method satisfying the requirements is proposed. It is confirmed that the proposed method can generate comfortable paths in pedestrian space, and the validity of the proposed method is examined by a subject experiment.
Prevalence of Preconception Risk Factors Among Women From Tribal and Non-tribal Blocks in Nashik District, India: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Gothankar Jayashree , Doke Prakash Prabhakarrao , Chutke Amruta Paresh , Palkar Sonali Hemant , Patil Archana Vasantrao , Pore Prasad Dnyandeo , Bhuyan Khanindra Kumar , Karnataki Madhusudan Vamanrao , Deshpande Aniruddha Vinayakrao , Shrotri Aparna Nishikant , Narula Arvinder Pal Singh
Published: March 2021

Background: Preconception phase in women though critical is comparatively ignored. The presence of risk factors affects well-being of the woman and her forthcoming progeny. The objectives of the study were to measure the prevalence of various risk factors among women and their comparison between blocks.Methods: This was a community based cross-sectional study in two tribal and two non-tribal blocks in Nasik district, Maharashtra, India. The study included women desiring conception within one year. Trained Accredited Social Health Activists collected information through house-to-house visits using a validated interview schedule. They recorded anthropometric measures of women in a standard manner. Results: The study enlisted 7,875 women desiring pregnancy soon. The mean age of women was 23.19 (+3.71) years and 16% of them were adolescents. Women's illiteracy was higher in tribal areas than non-tribal (p<0.001). About one-third of women did not have any risk factor and 41.21% of women had at least one risk factor. The commonest risk factor determined was no formal education (44.35%). Prevalence of selected risk factors was significantly higher among tribal women. The mean BMI of women was 19.73 (+3.51) and higher proportion (40.5%) of women from tribal areas were having BMI<18.5. Despite being high parity status (3+), about 7.7% of tribal and 3% of non-tribal women desired pregnancy. Tobacco and alcohol consumption were higher among tribal women. Majority of women consumed meals with family members or husband. Protein and calorie intake of about 1.4% women was less than 50% recommended consumption, however, most of them perceived to have abundant food.Conclusions: Health risks namely younger age, illiteracy, high parity, consumption of tobacco, low protein and calories intake were found to be prevalent and the risks were significantly more among tribal women. “Continuum of care” must include preconception care.
Applications of Fuzzy Graph Theory Portrayed in Various Fields
Authors: Muneera Abdul , Rao T. Nageswara , Srinivasa R. V. N. , Rao J. Venkateswara
Published: March 2021

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
The Alterations of Endometrial and Myometrial Receptivity in Early Pregnant Gilts in Response to Estrus Induction With PMSG/hCG
Authors: Szymanska Magdalena , Blitek Agnieszka
Published: March 2021

Background: The hormonal control of ovulation has become a standard procedure in the swine industry. However, exogenous gonadotropins can be detrimental to reproductive function, affecting follicle development, corpus luteum formation, and embryo development and survival. Much less is known about uterine receptivity in gilts with induced estrus. Therefore, our objective was to determine the effect of estrus induction with pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on the expression of steroid, prostaglandin, cytokine, and oxytocin receptors, as well as nuclear factor kappa B subunit 1 (NFKB1), peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARG), and gap junction protein alpha 1 (GJA1), in the endometrium and myometrium of early pregnant gilts. Twenty prepubertal gilts received 750 IU PMSG and 500 IU hCG 72 h later, while eighteen prepubertal gilts in the control group were observed daily for estrus behavior. All gilts were inseminated in their first estrus and slaughtered on days 10, 12, and 15 of pregnancy to collect uterine tissues for mRNA expression analyses using real-time PCR.Results: Estrus induction did not affect progesterone receptor expression in either uterine tissue. In the endometrium, greater mRNA expression of estrogen receptors (ESR1 and ESR2), androgen receptor (AR), prostaglandin (PG) E2 receptors (PTGER2 and PTGER4), PGF2α receptor (PTGFR), interleukin 6 receptor (IL6R), tumor necrosis factor α receptors (TNFRSF1A and TNFRSF1B), and oxytocin receptor (OXTR) was detected in the control than in the PMSG/hCG-treated gilts (P < 0.05). In the myometrium, concentrations of AR, PTGER2, PTGFR, and NFKB1 transcripts were lower, while PGI2 receptor and PPARG transcripts were elevated in gilts with gonadotropin-induced estrus as compared with naturally ovulated gilts (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the administration of PMSG/hCG resulted in the greater expression of GJA1 mRNA in both the endometrium and myometrium of day 15 pregnant gilts (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Estrus induction with PMSG/hCG in prepubertal gilts may affect steroid, prostaglandin, cytokine, and oxytocin receptor expression in the endometrium and myometrium, thereby altering uterine receptivity to local or systemic factors. This may, in turn, contribute to disorders in embryo-maternal interactions and the process of implantation.
Effect of Surface Mechanical Treatment on Mechanical Properties and Impact Behavior of S355JR Steel
Authors: Bourebia mounira Bouali , Hamadache Hamid , Lakhdar Laouar , Kamila Djemili , Tarek Hazem , Ahlem Taleb
Published: March 2021

Often, surface mechanical treatments (SMT) or heat (quenching, tempering) are used to improve the surface condition and mechanical characteristics such as impact resistance and tensile strength. Hence the objective of this experimental work, where ball burnishing (BB) as well as quenching and tempering were applied on S355 JR steel specimens in order to evaluate the surface hardness "Hv", the rupture strength "Rm", the energy absorbed "W" during the impact test and the work-hardened thickness "e" after the burnishing operation. Factorial designs were used for the tests organization and mathematical models were established for the prediction of "Hv", "Rm", "W" and "e" in function on treatment parameters considered: number of tool passes ( i) and the pressure force (Py). The results show that the surface hardness increases by 30.46%. The high levels of "Py" and "i" were allowed to improve "Rm" by 30.8% as well as an increase in tenacity of only 3.6%. Increasing the force to 20kgf promotes mixed rupture under the effect of impact to shock. The quenching and tempering improve the resistance "Rm" by 183% and 119% respectively, while the effect of burnishing was limited to a rate of increase of this property of 28% compared to machining.
LPCAT1 is a Prognostic Biomarker and Correlated with Tumor Microenvironment in Endometrial Cancer
Authors: Zhao Tianyi , Zhang Yifang , Ma Xiaohong , Wei Lina , Hou Yixin , Sun Rui , Jiang Jie
Published: March 2021

Background: Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the three malignant reproductive tumors threatening women’s life and health. Glycerophospholipids (GPLs) are important bioactive lipids involved in various physiological and pathological processes including cancer. Immune-infiltration of the tumor microenvironment (TME) is positively associated with the overall survival in EC. Exploring GPLs-related factors associated with TME in endometrial cancer can aid in the prognosis of patients and provide new therapy targets. Methods: Differentially expressed GPLs-related genes were identified from TCGA-UCEC datasets and Molecular Signatures Database (MSigDB). Univariate Cox regression analysis was used to select GPLs-related genes with prognostic values. Random forest algorithm, LASSO algorithm and PPI network were used to identify critical genes. ESTIMATEScore was calculated to find out genes associated with TME. Then, differentiation analysis and survival analysis of LPCAT1 were performed based on TCGA datasets. GSE17025 and immunohistochemistry (IHC) verified the results of differentiation analysis. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were performed to explore the underlying mechanism. In addition, we used ssGSEA algorithm to explore the correlation between LPCAT1 and cancer immune infiltrates.Results: Twenty-three differentially expressed GPLs-related genes were identified and eleven prognostic genes were selected by Univariate Cox regression analysis. Four significant genes were found out by two different algorithms and PPI network. Only LPCAT1 was significantly correlated with tumor microenvironment. Then, we found that LPCAT1 was highly expressed in tumors samples compared with normal tissues, and lower survival rates was along with high expression groups of LPCAT1. Moreover, the expression of LPCAT1 was positively correlated with histologic grades and types. ROC curve indicated LPCAT1 had good accuracy of prognostic value. Receptor ligand activity, pattern specification process, regionalization, anterior/posterior pattern specification and salivary secretion pathways were enriched as potential targets of LPCAT1. By using ssGSEA algorithm, fifteen kinds of tumor infiltrating cells (TICs) were found correlated with LPCAT1 expression.Conclusion: These findings suggested that LPCAT1 was a valuable prognostic biomarker and correlated with immune infiltrates in endometrial cancer, which may provide novel therapy options and improved treatment of EC.
Establishment of dry chemistry based reference intervals of renal function test parameters for the adult population of Kaski District, Nepal
Authors: Kathayat Goma , Pokharel Daya Ram , Yadav Naval Kishor , Sigdel Manoj
Published: March 2021

BackgroundReference intervals (RI) for clinical chemistry test parameters are specific to the method of measurement and population under service. However, there have been no locally available dry chemistry based RIs for the Nepalese population. Thus, the present study aimed to establish dry chemistry based RIs for sodium, potassium, urea, and creatinine specific to adult populations of Kaski districts, Nepal.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study conducted at the Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Kaski, Nepal on 360 healthy adult participants aged 18-65 years. The test parameters under study were analyzed using a fully automated OCD Vitros 350 dry chemistry analyzer following the protocols provided by the reagent kit manufacturer. The RIs were estimated using reference limits at 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles. The normal distribution of the data was tested by Kolmogorov–Smirnov, and Shapiro–Wilk tests. The differences between males and females RIs were compared by the Mann-Whitney test while age-specific RI for each gender was compared by One-Way-ANOVA and Dunnett's Multiple Comparisons Tests. All the data were managed and analyzed using MS Excel and SPSS version 20.ResultsThe RIs of urea, creatinine, sodium and potassium specific to the adult population of Kaski district, Nepal are as follows: urea: 11.89-37.81 mg/dL (males: 13.09-38.40; females: 11.80-36.20); creatinine: 0.50-1.20 mg/dL (males: 0.55-1.20; females: 0.40-0.90); sodium 135-146 mEq/L (males: 135-146; females: 135-146) and potassium 3.60-5.10 mEq/L (males: 3.54-5.0; females: 3.60-5.10). These RIs were found to be different from currently used RIs provided by the reagent manufacturer. RIs of all the test parameters were significantly influenced by the age of the study participants. However, only the RIs of urea, creatinine, and potassium were significantly influenced by gender.Conclusions The present study has for the first time established dry chemistry based RI for selected renal function test parameters specific to the adult population of Kaski district, Nepal. This result will aid the clinician in minimizing the errors in result interpretation and making a precise clinical decision.
WITHDRAWN: CORM-2 can Attenuate Bleeding-mediated Inflammation by Increasing Phagocytic Capacity of Cerebral Microglial Cells in Neonatal Rat in Vitro
Authors: Chen Zhiying , Zhang Huiyan , Zhou Jun , Wu Xiaoqin , Wu Moxin , He Ling , Yin Xiaoping , Meng Ran
Published: March 2021

Objective: This study aimed to explore the mechanism of CORM-2 on attenuating bleeding-related inflammation. Methods: Microglia were isolated from the neonatal rats (1-2days old) and identified by the CD11b/c anti-body, and some microglia were co-cultured with RBCs marked with PKH26 fluorescent dye, and then treated with CORM-2. That is, the microglia cells were divided into the microglia, microglia+ PKH26+RBCs and microglia + PKH26+ RBCs+CORM-2 cell-groups. Microglial phagocytosis to RBCs PKH26+ was observed under an inverted fluorescence microscope; moreover, the fluorescence intensity of microglia that phagocytized PKH26+RBCs was detected through immunofluorescence. HO-1, NF-κB p65, and IL-1β expressions were detected using RT-qPCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence, respectively. The levels of carbon monoxide hemoglobin (HbCO) in the cell supernatant in each group were detected with ELISA.Results. After 1- day of co-culturing, the number of residual PKH26+RBCs in the Microglia+ PKH26+RBCs+CORM-2 group decreased remarkably than that in the Microglia+ PKH26+RBCs groups (18 × 106 vs. 14 × 106, p=0.02), which revealed that microglia phagocytosis was stronger in CORM-2 treated group. More over, compared with microglia + PKH26+RBCs group, the microglia+ PKH26+RBCs +CORM-2 group showed higher levels of HO-1 mRNA and protein expressions at the 3rd day and the 5th day after co-culturing. Further more, CORM-2 significantly inhibited the expressions of mRNA and proteins of NF‐κB p65 and IL-1 after 3 days of co-culturing, meanwhile, CORM-2 did not increase the level of HbCO in the cell supernatant.Conclusions CORM-2 can inhibit inflammatory reactions in bleeding setting in vitro by promoting microglial phagocytosis to RBCs and decrease IL-1β and NF-κB; the mechanism may involve HO-1/CO system.
Effect of Some Strains of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated From Some Fermented Dairy Products on Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Hepatotoxicity and Nephrotoxicity of Albino Rats.
Authors: Bikheet Maha , Mahmoud Magda , Yassien Eman , Hassan Hanaa Mohamed
Published: March 2021

The current research was performed to evaluate the potential protective effect of Lactobacillus paracasei ssp paracasei, Pediococcus acidi-lactis and Lactoccus lactis ssp lactis, Sylimarin in the alleviation of health (hepatic and renal) complications caused by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in rats. Healthy sixty albino rats were divided into six groups, the first group was control (negative), the second group (control positive) was injected CCl4 (1 ml/kg, 1:1 v/v paraffin oil mixture, i.p. every third day for 8 weeks, The third group (CCl4 + silymarin group) receiving both CCl4 and daily silymarin therapy (50 mg/kg, oral), the fourth group: CCl4+ (Lactobacillus paracasei 1ml orally). The fifth group (CCl4+ Pediococcus acidilactis 1ml orally) and the six group (CCl4+ Lactococcus lactis (1ml orally) for eight weeks per day. Biochemical markers were tested for blood, liver and kidney tissue. Histopathological tests on liver and kidney tissues were performed. The findings obtained have shown that Lactobacillus paracasei ssp paracasei, Pediococcus acidilactis and Lactoccus lactis ssp lactis improved the disrupted biochemical parameters caused by CCl4 therapy. Besides, the findings of the histopathological analysis are in consistent with biochemical parameters and the protective ability of lactic acid bacteria suggesting that the best lactic acid bacteria was Pediococcus acidilactis that helped strengthen liver fibrosis caused by CCl4 therapy, while the best bacterium for improving renal damage was Lactoccus lactis.
Natural populations of Galphimia spp. attenuates peripheral and central inflammation
Authors: Gesto-Borroto Reinier , Meneses Gabriela , Espinosa-Cerón Alejandro , Granados Guillermo , Cervantes-Torres Jacquelynne , Cardoso-Taketa Alexandre , Sciutto Edda , Villarreal Maria Luisa
Published: March 2021

The genus Galphimia is widely distributed in Mexico, and is represented by 22 species, including medicinal species. The sedative and anti-inflammatory effects of galphimines produced by the species Galphimia glauca have been documented. Formerly, molecular studies using DNA barcodes demonstrated that nine populations botanically classified as Galphimia glauca belong to four different species of the genus Galphimia, and that only one exhibited the sedative properties; however, all the collected species showed anti-inflammatory activity. Other bioactive compounds like quercetin, galphins, galphimidins and glaucacetalins have been identified from methanolic extracts of plants botanically classified as Galphimia glauca. The aim of this work was to determine the anti-inflammatory activity of methanolic extracts of nine collected Galphimia spp. populations grown in Mexico. The possible modes of action were analyzed by evaluating the inhibition of LPS-induced inflammation processes both in vitro and in vivo. The nine populations were evaluated by an in vitro model using RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells, and two populations (a galphimine-producing and a non-galphimine-producing population) were selected for the in vivo experiments of systemic inflammation and neuroinflammation in mice. Results suggest that an anti-inflammatory in vitro effect was present in all the studied populations, evidenced by the inhibition of nitrite production. An inhibitory systemic inflammation in mice was exerted by the two analyzed populations. In the neuroinflammation model, the anti-inflammatory effect was demonstrated in methanolic extract of the non-galphimine-producing population. For the populations of Galphimia spp. studied herein, the anti-inflammatory effect could not be correlated to the presence of galphimines.
Mugs and Plants: Object Semantic Knowledge Alters Perceptual Processing with Behavioral Ramifications
Authors: Dubbelde Dick , Shomstein Sarah
Published: March 2021

Neural processing of objects with action associations is thought to recruit dorsal visual regions more than objects without such associations. We hypothesized that because the dorsal and ventral visual pathways have differing proportions of magno- and parvo-cellular input, there should be behavioral differences in perceptual tasks between manipulable and non-manipulable objects. This hypothesis was tested using gap detection task, suited to the spatial resolution of the ventral parvocellular processing, and object flicker discrimination task, suited to the temporal resolution of the dorsal magnocellular processing. Directly predicted from the cellular composition of each pathway, a non-manipulable object advantage was observed in tasks relying on spatial resolution, and a manipulable object advantage in temporal discrimination. We also show that these relative advantages are modulated by either reducing object recognition through inversion or by suppressing magnocellular processing using red light. These results establish
perceptual differences between objects dependent on prior knowledge and experience.
Expression of sialyltransferases from the ST3Gal, ST6Gal and ST6GalNAc families in mouse skeletal muscle and mouse C2C12 myotube cell cultures
Authors: Milcheva Rositsa , Georgieva Any K. , Todorova Katerina S. , Petkova Svetlozara L.
Published: March 2021

I. Background.﻿ In skeletal muscles the sialic acids have a great significance for their functional maintenance and proper structural organization. Our work for the first time described the expressions of ST3Gal, ST6Gal and ST6GalNAc sialyltransferases specific for glycoproteins in mouse skeletal muscles and murine C2C12 myotube cell cultures.II. Methods and Results. Lectin histochemistry, cytochemistry and lectin blot were used to demonstrate the membrane localization and the electrophoretic profiles of α-2,3- and α-2,6-sialylated glycoproteins. The expression levels of sialyltransferases were analyzed by real time RT-PCR and western blot. The enzymes ST6Gal2 and ST6GalNAc1 were not expressed in skeletal muscle tissue and C2C12 myotubes. In both experimental groups mRNAs of the ST3Gal family prevailed over the mRNA expressions of the ST6Gal and ST6GalNAc families. The profiles of STR expressions showed differences between the two experimental groups, illustrated by the absence of expressions of the mRNA for the ST3Gal6 and ST3GalNAc3 enzymes in the C2C12 cell samples and by the different shares of the enzymes ST3Gal3 and ST3Gal4 in both experimental groups. The different patterns of enzyme expressions in both experimental groups corresponded with differences between their α-2,3- and α-2,6-sialylated glycoprotein profiles.III. Conclusions. These results could be a useful addendum to the knowledge concerning the glycosylation of the skeletal muscle tissue. In addition, this report would be helpful and informative for any researches in future where the C2C12 myotube cell cultures will take a place as an experimental model.
A mRNA-miRNA-lncRNA regulatory network related to potential pathogenesis and prognostic markers of Non- small cell lung cancer
Authors: Wang Fei , Yuan Chong , Yang Yanfang , Liu Bo , Wu Hezhen
Published: March 2021

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most malignant tumors with the fastest increasing incidence and mortality rate, but the etiology of NSCLC is still not clear. Most of lncRNAs have some structural similarities with mRNAs, suggesting that miRNAs negatively regulate the expression of lncRNAs to affect the occurrence and development of tumor. Therefore, system bioinformatics was used to explore the potential biomarkers and possible pathogenesis of NSCLC in this study. Firstly, all the clinical information and transcriptome data were downloaded from GEO and TCGA databases. R language was used to analyze the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in NSCLC and normal lung tissues. Then, 50 overlapped DEGs were obtained via Venn database, including 10 down-regulated mRNAs and 40 down-regulated mRNAs. Secondly, the top 20 DEGs were selected for KEGG pathway and GO enrichment analysis. After screening 4 HUB genes related to the survival and prognosis of NSCLC patients, their prognosis models were established. Meanwhile, HUB genes related miRNAs and lncRNAs were screened. Finally, a mRNA-miRNA-lncRNA network related to the survival and prognosis of NSCLC patients was established, including 4 up-regulated mRNAs, 3 up-regulated miRNAs, 10 down-regulated miRNAs, 6 up-regulated lncRNAs and 19 down-regulated lncRNAs. Subject terms: Non-small cell lung cancer, mRNA-miRNA-lncRNA, pathogenesis, prognostic biomarkers.
Characteristics of the corpus callosum in chronic schizophrenia treated with clozapine or risperidone and those never-treated
Authors: Tao Bo , Xiao Yuan , Cao Hengyi , Zhang Wenjing , Yang Chenmin , Gong Qiyong , Lui Su
Published: March 2021

Background

The corpus callosum (CC) deficits have been well documented in chronic schizophrenia. However, the long-term impacts of antipsychotic monotherapies on callosal morphology remain unclear. This cross-sectional study sought to explore micro- and macrostructural characteristics of the CC in never-treated patients and those with long-term mono-antipsychotic treatment.
Methods

The study included twenty-three clozapine-treated schizophrenia patients (CT-SCZ), 19 risperidone-treated schizophrenia patients (RT-SCZ), 23 never-treated schizophrenia patients (NT-SCZ), and 35 healthy controls (HCs). High resolution structural images and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data for each participant were obtained via a 3.0 T MR scanner. FreeSurfer was used to examine the volumes and fractional anisotropy (FA) values of the CC for each participant.
Results

There were significant deficits in the total and subregional CC volume, and white matter integrity in NT-SCZ in comparison with healthy subjects. Compared with NT-SCZ, both CT-SCZ and RT-SCZ showed significantly increased FA values in the anterior CC region, while only RT-SCZ showed significantly increased volume in the mid-anterior CC region. Moreover, the volume of the mid-anterior CC region was significantly smaller in CT-SCZ compared to HCs. No correlations of clinical symptoms with callosal metrics were observed.
Conclusions

Our findings provide insight into micro- and macrostructural characteristics of the CC in chronic schizophrenia patients with or without antipsychotic medications. These results suggest that chronic exposure to antipsychotic medications may have an impact on brain structure of schizophrenia patients, especially in those with risperidone treatment.
Alterations in neurotransmitters targeted metabolomics from the key nuclei of brain reward circuits in cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization for self-administering rats
Authors: Li Yang , Wang Xin , Ge Shun-nan , Wang Xue-lian
Published: March 2021

Drug addiction can be considered as a metabolic disease because it is triggered by the disruption of metabolism and causes persistent neurochemical disorders that lead to addiction. The purpose of this study was to identify the potential brain biomarkers and the molecular mechanisms in cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization for self-administering rats. UHPLC-MS/MS targeted metabolomics was used to measure 23 neurotransmitters metabolites which may serve as the biological indices underlying the mechanisms of cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization for the key nuclei of brain reward circuits in the process of cocaine addiction. The measurement results showed that there were many changes for many neurotransmitters metabolites in the key nuclei of brain reward circuits (the striatum, the NAc, the hippocampus, the PFC, etc.), but there was no change in the cerebellum during the reconsolidation of drug addiction memory. These findings strongly indicated that many neurotransmitter metabolites in above key nuclei of brain reward circuits participated in cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization for self-administering rats. And it may contribute to a better understanding of metabolic changes in the process of cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization and to be helpful to provide a more integrated view of the molecular underpinnings and to ultimately find biomarkers to assist clinical diagnosis and treatment.
Environmental Contamination Assessment in the Process of Application of Aerosolized Therapeutic Substances
Authors: Seitenfus Rafael , de Barros Eduardo Dipp , Linck Viviane de Moura , de Oliveira Thiago Franco , Christ Thais Spohr , Ferreira Paulo Roberto Walter , Laporte Gustavo Andreazza , Arbo Marcelo Dutra
Published: March 2021

Background: PIPAC (Pressurized Intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy) acts by applying aerosolized chemotherapy in the peritoneal cavity, enhancing tissue penetration of chemotherapeutic agents. This method of chemotherapy delivery still raises concerns related to the operating room's environmental exposure, arousing discussions related to the occupational risks of this technique. This work aims to demonstrate the pattern of aerosolization distribution in the absence of safety mechanisms in an operating room. Methods: A cross-sectional experimental work was carried out of 31 aerosol applications. Aerosolization was performed with a 1% aqueous solution of caffeine Cellulose. Nitrate membranes were used to capture the concentration of caffeine in different sites within the operating room for 5 periods of fixed exposure times.Results: 930 samples obtained in 31 rounds of aerosolization. Comparing the changes in concentration per minute between the different time intervals, there were statistically significant differences between the 0-2 minutes interval and the 15-30 interval (P <0.001). Surgeon site show a significant difference between the times (P=0.010). There were no differences between changes in concentrations in the time intervals for the anesthetist site (P = 0.094). At the injector site, a statistically significant difference (P <0.001). The time assessment between 30-35 exposure showed a median of 0. Conclusions: The study pointed out that the moment of greatest risk of contamination of the surgical environment occurs during aerosolization, especially during the first 15 minutes after the start of aerosolization. The sites that were most exposed to contamination were the patient, the surgeon and the injector, respectively.
Variation in Microbial Community Profiles and Their Energy Metabolism Predictions Under the Influence of Pure and Mixed Fertilizer in Soil Microcosms
Authors: Barq Mohsin Gulzar , Hassan Muhammad Mabashar , Lorenz Nicola , Malik Noshaba Hassan , Dick Richard , Ali Naeem
Published: March 2021

The impact of environmental perturbations (e.g., nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and rice straw (Rs)) on the dynamics of soil bacterial and archaeal community are multifactor dependent and seeks more investigation concerning underlying mechanisms. Current study was designed to establish the effect of pure and mixed fertilizers on microbial community profiles in paddy soil. A short-term microcosm based experiment was established in which each microcosm is amended with N as C(H2N)2O, P and K as KH2PO4, K as KCl and Rs with concentrations equivalent to 160 kg N ha−1, 60 kg P ha−1, 130 kg K ha−1 and 1% respectively. Soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total C (TC), total nitrogen (TN), organic matter (OM), available K (AK) and extractable P (EP) were evaluated. To understand the microbial community variation in soil and to predict their metabolic functions, a high throughput sequencing (HTS) approach of 16S rRNA gene along with phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states (PICRUSt) was employed and analyzed. The results showed that microbial richness and diversity were increased under all amendments compared to control. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes were dominant bacterial phyla. In all amendments, regarding relative abundance, Chloroflexi, Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia showed positive while Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria and Gemmatimonadetes showed negative trends when compared with controlled observations. Thaumarchaeota and Euryarchaeota were dominant archaeal phyla and exhibited increasing and decreasing trends, respectively. The PICRUSt indicated microbial community shift significantly towards amino acid, carbohydrate, energy, and lipid metabolism while less towards glycan biosynthesis, synthesis of secondary metabolites, terpenoids and biodegradation. Regarding metabolism (methane metabolism), most and least responsive treatments were predicted to be KP and controls, respectively. These findings enhanced our understanding regarding soil quality, fertilizer composition and their impact on microbial diversity.
Fine-scale variation in projected climate change presents opportunities for biodiversity conservation in Europe
Authors: Hlásny Tomáš , Mokroš Martin , Dobor Laura , Merganičová Katarína , Lukac Martin
Published: March 2021

Climate change is a major threat to global biodiversity, although projected changes show remarkable geographical and temporal variability. Understanding this variability allows for the identification of regions where the present-day conservation objectives may be at risk or where opportunities for biodiversity conservation emerge. We use a multi-model ensemble of regional climate models to identify areas with significantly high and low climate stability persistent throughout the 21st century in Europe. We then confront our predictions with the land coverage of three prominent biodiversity conservation initiatives at two scales. The continental-scale assessment shows that the most instable future climate in Europe is likely to occur at low and high latitudes, with the Iberian Peninsula and the Boreal zones identified as prominent areas of climatic instability. A follow-up regional scale investigation shows that robust climatic refugia exist even within the highly exposed southern and northern macro-regions. About 23–31 % of assessed biodiversity conservation sites in Europe coincide with these identified climatic refugia, we contend that these sites should be prioritised in the formulation of future conservation priorities as the stability of future climate is one of key factors determining their conservation prospects. Although such focus on climate refugia cannot halt the ongoing biodiversity loss, along with measures such as the resilience-based stewardship, it may improve the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation under climate change.