bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Breastfeeding duration modified the effects of neonatal and familial risk factors on childhood asthma and allergy: A population-based study
Authors: Hu Yabin , Chen Yiting , Liu Shijian , Jiang Fan , Wu Meiqin , Yan Chonghuai , Tan Jianguo , Yu Guangjun , Hu Yi , Yin Yong , Qu Jiajie , Li Shenghui , Tong Shilu
Published: January 2021

Background: Childhood asthma and allergic diseases are a significant global problem. There are inconsistent findings on the associations of delivery mode, the number of children in the household and breastfeeding with childhood asthma and allergic diseases. We assessed these associations and examined whether breastfeeding modified the effects of neonatal and familial risk factors on childhood asthma and allergic diseases.Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Shanghai, China. A total of 17 primary schools were randomly selected from 13 districts of Shanghai in this study. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire was adopted to assess the childhood asthma and allergic diseases. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to evaluate the associations between neonatal and familial factors and childhood asthma and allergic diseases, and to examine the modification effects of breastfeeding on the associations assessed.Results: Of 10,464 primary school children aged 6-11 years, the overall prevalence of childhood asthma, allergic rhinitis, urticaria, food allergy and drug allergy was 13.9%, 22.7%, 15.3%, 8.1% and 4.6%, respectively. Male sex, high socioeconomic status, cesarean section delivery, only one child in the household and having family history of allergy were associated with increased odds ratio (OR) of childhood asthma and allergic diseases while longer breastfeeding duration (＞6 months) was inversely associated with these diseases. Longer breastfeeding duration also attenuated the OR of neonatal and familial risk factors on childhood asthma and allergic diseases. For instance, the adjusted OR of childhood asthma in the group of vaginal delivery and breastfeeding duration > 6 months was lowest (0.78, 95% confidence interval: 0.66, 0.92).Conclusions: Longer breastfeeding duration was inversely associated with childhood asthma and allergic diseases, and also reduced the OR of neonatal and familial risk factors on these diseases. Giving the prevalence of childhood asthma and allergic diseases is rapidly rising across the globe, these findings may have important clinical and public health implications.
Class Center-Based Firefly Algorithm for Handling Missing Data
Authors: Nugroho Heru , Utama Nugraha Priya , Surendro Kridanto
Published: January 2021

A significant advancement that occurs during the data cleaning stage is estimating missing data. Studies have shown that improper data handling leads to inaccurate analysis. Furthermore, most studies indicate the occurrence of missing data irrespective of the correlation between attributes . However, an adaptive search procedure helps to determine the estimates of the missing data when correlations between attributes are considered in the process. Firefly Algorithm (FA) implements an adaptive search procedure in the imputation of the missing data by determining the estimated value closest to others' value. Therefore, this study proposes a class center-based adaptive approach model for retrieving missing data by considering the attribute correlation in the imputation process (C3-FA). The result showed that the class center-based firefly algorithm (FA) is an efficient technique for obtaining the actual value in handling missing data with the Pearson correlation coefficient ( r ) and root mean squared error (RMSE) close to 1 and 0, respectively. In addition, the proposed method has the ability to maintain the true distribution of data values. This is indicated by the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, which stated that the value of DKS for most attributes in the dataset is generally closer to 0. Furthermore, the accuracy evaluation results using three classifiers showed that the proposed method produces good accuracy.
Tilt and strain change during the explosion at Minami-dake, Sakurajima, on November 13, 2017
Authors: Hotta Kohei , Iguchi Masato
Published: January 2021

We herein propose an alternative model for deformation caused by an eruption at Sakurajima, which have been previously interpreted as being due to a Mogi-type spherical point source beneath Minami-dake. On November 13, 2017, a large explosion with a plume height of 4,200 m occurred at Minami-dake. During the three minutes following the onset of the explosion (November 13, 2017, 22:07–22:10 (Japan standard time (UTC+9); the same hereinafter), phase 1, a large strain change was detected at the Arimura observation tunnel (AVOT) located approximately 2.1 km southeast from the Minami-dake crater. After the peak of the explosion (November 13, 2017, 22:10–24:00), phase 2, a large deflation was detected at every monitoring station due to the continuous Strombolian eruption. Subsidence toward Minami-dake was detected at five out of six stations whereas subsidence toward the north of Sakurajima was detected at the newly installed Komen observation tunnel (KMT), located approximately 4.0 km northeast from the Minami-dake crater. The large strain change at AVOT as well as small tilt changes of all stations and small strain changes at HVOT and KMT during phase 1 can be explained by a very shallow deflation source beneath Minami-dake at 0.1 km below sea level (bsl). For phase 2, a deeper deflation source beneath Minami-dake at a depth of 3.3 km bsl was found in addition to the shallow source beneath Minami-dake which turned inflation after the deflation obtained during phase 1. However, this model cannot explain the tilt change of KMT. Adding a spherical deflation source beneath Kita-dake at a depth of 3.2 km bsl can explain the tilt and strain change at KMT and the other stations. The Kita-dake source was also found in a previous study of long-term ground deformation. Not only the deeper Minami-dake source MD but also the Kita-dake source deflated due to the Minami-dake explosion.
In Vitro Evaluation of Cerebrospinal Fluid Velocity Measurement Agreement, Reliability, and Reproducibility in Type I Chiari Malformation Using 2D Phase Contrast Magnetic Resonance Imaging and 4D Flow Imaging
Authors: Williams Gwendolyn , Thyagaraj Suraj , Fu Audrey , Oshinski John , Giese Daniel , Bunck Alexander C. , Fornari Eleonora , Santini Francesco , Luciano Mark , Loth Francis , Martin Bryn A.
Published: January 2021

Background: Phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging, PC MRI, is a valuable tool allowing for non-invasive quantification of CSF dynamics, but has lacked adoption in clinical practice for Chiari malformation diagnostics. To improve these diagnostic practices, a better understanding of PC MRI based measurement agreement, repeatability, and reproducibility of CSF dynamics is needed.Methods: An anatomically realistic in vitro subject specific model of a Chiari malformation patient was scanned three times at five different scanning centers using 2D PC MRI and 4D Flow techniques to quantify intra-scanner repeatability, inter-scanner reproducibility, and agreement between imaging modalities. Peak systolic CSF velocities were measured at nine axial planes using 2D PC MRI, which were then compared to 4D Flow peak systolic velocity measurements extracted at those exact axial positions along the model. Results: Comparison of measurement results showed good overall agreement of CSF velocity detection between 2D PC MRI and 4D Flow (p = 0.86), fair intra-scanner repeatability (confidence intervals ±1.5 cm/s), and poor inter-scanner reproducibility. On average, 4D Flow measurements had a larger variability than 2D PC MRI measurements (standard deviations 1.83 and 1.04 cm/s, respectively). Conclusion: Agreement, repeatability, and reproducibility of 2D PC MRI and 4D Flow detection of peak CSF velocities was quantified using a patient-specific in vitro model of Chiari malformation. In combination, the greatest factor leading to measurement inconsistency was determined to be a lack of reproducibility between different MRI centers. Overall, these findings may help lead to better understanding for application of 2D PC MRI and 4D Flow techniques as diagnostic tools for CSF dynamics quantification in Chiari malformation and related diseases.
Surge Effects and Survival to Hospital Discharge in Critical Care Patients with COVID-19 During the Early Pandemic: A Cohort Study
Authors: Dale Christopher , Starcher Rachael , Chang Shu Ching , Robicsek Ari , Parsons Guilford , Goldman Jason D , Vovan Andre , Hotchkin David , Gluckman Ty
Published: January 2021

BackgroundThe early months of the COVID-19 pandemic were fraught with much uncertainty and some resource constraint. We assessed the change in survival to hospital discharge over time for intensive care unit patients with COVID-19 during the first three months of the pandemic and the presence of any surge effects on patient outcomes.MethodsRetrospective cohort study using electronic medical record data for all patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 admitted to intensive care units from February 25, 2020 to May 15, 2020 at one of 26 hospitals within an integrated delivery system in the Western United States. Patient demographics, comorbidities and severity of illness were measured along with medical therapies and hospital outcomes over time. Multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to assess temporal changes in survival to hospital discharge during the study period.ResultsOf 620 patients with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU (mean age 63.5 years (SD 15.7) and 69% male), 403 (65%) survived to hospital discharge and 217 (35%) died in the hospital. Survival to hospital discharge increased over time, from 60.0% in the first two weeks of the study period to 67.6% in the last two weeks. In a multivariable logistic regression analysis, the risk-adjusted odds of survival to hospital discharge increased over time (bi-weekly change, adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.22, 95%CI 1.04-1.40, P = 0.02). Additionally, an a priori-defined explanatory model showed that after adjusting for both hospital occupancy and percent hospital capacity by COVID-19 positive individuals and persons under investigation (PUI), the temporal trend in risk-adjusted patient survival to hospital discharge remained the same (bi-weekly change, aOR 1.18, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.38, P = 0.04). The presence of greater rates of COVID-19 positive/PUI as a percentage of hospital capacity was, however, significantly and inversely associated with survival to hospital discharge (aOR 0.95, 95% CI 0.92 to 0.98, P < 0.01). ConclusionsDuring the early COVID-19 pandemic, risk-adjusted survival to hospital discharge increased over time for critical care patients. An association was also seen between a greater COVID-19 positive/PUI percentage of hospital capacity and a lower survival rate to hospital discharge.
Intra-articular Magnesium to Alleviate Postoperative Pain After Arthroscopic Knee Surgery: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Shi Lijun , Zhu Haiyun , Ma Jinhui , Shi Li-Li , Gao Fuqiang , Sun Wei
Published: January 2021

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of intra-articular (IA) magnesium (Mg) for postoperative pain relief after arthroscopic knee surgery. Methods. We searched PubMed, Embase, Medline, Cochrane library, and Web of Science to identify randomized controlled trials that compared postoperative pain outcomes with or without IA Mg after knee arthroscopy. The primary outcomes were pain intensity at rest and with movement at different postoperative time points and cumulative opioid consumption within 24 hours after surgery. Secondary outcomes included the time to first analgesic request and side effects. Results. In total, 11 studies involving 677 participants met the eligibility criteria. Pain scores at rest and with movement 2, 4, 12, and 24 h after surgery were significantly lower, doses of supplementary opioid consumption were smaller, and the time to first analgesic requirement was longer in the IA Mg group compared with the control group. No significant difference was detected regarding adverse reactions between the groups. Conclusions. Intra-articular magnesium is an effective and safe coadjuvant treatment for relieving postoperative pain intensity after arthroscopic knee surgery.Protocol registration at Prospero: CRD42020156403.
Evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 antigen-based rapid diagnostic kits in Pakistan: formulation of COVID-19 national testing strategy.
Authors: Saeed Umar , Uppal Sara Rizwan , Piracha Zahra Zahid , Rasheed Azhar , Aftab Zubair , Zaheer Hafsah , Uppal Rizwan
Published: January 2021

Rapid diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 during pandemic enables timely treatment and prevention of COVID-19. Evaluating the accuracy and reliability of rapid diagnostic testing kits is crucial for surveillance and diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infections in general population, injection drug users, multi-transfused populations, healthcare workers, prisoners, barbers and other high risk populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate performance and effectiveness of nasopharyngeal swab (NSP) and saliva based rapid antigen detection testing kits in comparison with USFDA approved triple target gold standard real-time polymerase chain reaction. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 33,000 COVID-19 suspected patients. From RT-PCR positive patients, nasopharyngeal swab (NSP) and saliva samples were obtained for evaluation of rapid COVID-19 testing kits (RDT). 100/33000 (0.3%) of specimens were RT-PCR positive for SARS-CoV-2. Among RT-PCR positive, 62% were males, 34% were females, and 4% were children. The NSP-RDT (Lepu Medical China) analysis revealed 53% reactivity among males, 58% reactivity among females, and 25% reactivity among children. However saliva based RDT (Lepu Medical China) analysis showed 21% reactivity among males and 23% among females, and no reactivity in children. False negative results were significantly more pronounced in saliva based RDT as compared to NSP-RDT. The sensitivity of these NSP-RDT and saliva based RDT were 52% and 21% respectively. The RDTs evaluated in this study showed limited sensitivities in comparison to gold standard RT-PCR, indicating that there is a dire need in Pakistan for development of suitable testing to improve accurate COVID-19 diagnosis in line with national demands.
Distribution and utilization of homestead windbreak Fukugi (Garcinia subelliptica Merr.) trees: An ethnobotanical approach
Authors: Chen Bixia , Akamine Hikaru
Published: January 2021

Background: Garcinia subelliptica (Fukugi in Japanese) is an evergreen tropical tree, first identified in Batanes, the Philippines, which has been planted as a homestead windbreak and in coastal forests extensively on the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. This article focuses on the traditional uses and cultural values of Fukugi trees and provides ethnobotanical information for the conservation scheme of this important tree species.Methods: A combination of ecological and ethnobotanical approaches was applied in this study. Extensive field surveys were conducted to collect dimensions of relatively large trees, and in-depth interviews with the village leaders and knowledgeable persons were conducted to collect ethnobotanical data. Results: Fukugi trees have been primarily planted as homestead or farmland windbreaks. Timber was harvested during difficult times, for example, after WWII, and used for recreational purposes for children or farmers. The fruits were also eaten on some remote islands. Old-growth Fukugi trees are widely found in sacred sites, within cities, and as symbolic trees. The older generations respect Fukugi trees; however, the cultural significance valued by older generation seems to be lacking in the younger generation. We argue that Fukugi is a cultural keystone species in Okinawa, which underpins Ryukyu culture and has transformed islands into a pleasant land, a unique place, and shared identity for the community.Conclusions: Fukugi windbreaks provide significant ecosystem services, such as biodiversity in the forest, reducing soil erosion, and spiritual and cultural values. A combination of biophysical environment, as well as tradition and custom, has played an essential role in tree species selection for windbreaks. The positive impacts that anthropogenic activities have had on the sustainability of woody species, namely, the active utilization of tree species, may have enabled the species to sustain. Strategies for protecting old-growth Fukugi trees, in addition to restoration of damaged trees, are needed to improve the sustainable management of Fukugi trees in Okinawa.
Low Hepatitis E virus prevalence among blood donor in Dali in China
Authors: Fu Ping , Lin Baochai , Wu Bingting , Ke Ling , Yang Tianfu , Du Yue’e , Cheng Lishan , Li Zhou , Li Tiancheng , Liu Yu
Published: January 2021

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a nonenveloped RNA virus causing Hepatitis E worldwide. An increasing transfusion transmission cases of HEV infections from asymptomatic blood donors which causing serious illnesses in immunosuppressed recipients have been reported in the past few years. China is one of the highly prevalent regions of HEV, it is important to evaluate the risk of HEV transmission from blood transfusion. METHODS: A total of 1864 serum samples from blood donors and demographic characteristics were randomly collected from Feb to Mar 2018 in Dali city. Anti-HEV IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies and HEV antigen were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). HEV RNA was detected by real-time PCR. Multivariable logistic regression modelling was used to examine risk factors associated with HEV prevalence.RESULTS: Overall, the positive rate of anti-HEV IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies was 13.36% (249/1864), 1.13%(21/1864), and 1.82%(34/1864), respectively. However, none of the 1864 serum samples was detected as HEV antigen-positive nor HEV RNA positive. The positive rate of anti-HEV IgG antibody is high as 28.57% (2/7) in the donors with isolated elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Females (16.69%) had a significantly higher HEV seroprevalence than males (13.04%) (odds ratio [OR]: 1.34 [95% CI, 1.02-1.75]). Other ethnic minority (24.32%) and Bai (18.85%) donors had a significantly higher HEV seroprevalence when compared to Han (12.21%) blood donors (odds ratio [OR], 2.25 [95% CI, 1.04-4.88] for other ethnic minority, 1.65 [95% CI, 1.24-2.19] for Bai). Conclusions: Dali, Yunnan province, China is an endemic region f of hepatitis E virus, and women, Bai and other ethnic minorities may be potential risk factors for hepatitis E virus infection.. The risk of transmission of hepatitis E virus through blood transfusion is relatively low, and the specific risk value needs to be further tested by expanding the sample size. Whether to formulate the strategy for HEV screening in blood center needed further researched.
Distribution, source apportionment and health risk assessment of phthalate esters in indoor dust samples across China
Authors: Li Xu , Zhang Wenping , Lv Jiapei , Liu Wenxiu , Sun Shanwei , Guo Changsheng , Xu Jian
Published: January 2021

Background: Phthalates were detected in various environments due to their widespread application. In this study, indoor dust samples from 94 buildings, including 72 residences and 22 dormitories, were collected in seven geographical regions in China and analyzed for eight phthalate esters (PAEs). Investigation of contamination profiles, geographical distribution, sources and risks of PAEs in indoor dusts was explored.Results: The highest Σ8PAEs concentration in residential buildings was found in Northeast China (median: 164.71 μg·g−1), which was 2.3 and 2.8 times higher than that in South China (median: 71.71 μg·g−1) and Southwest China (median: 58.53 μg·g−1), respectively. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), di-iso-butyl phthalate (DIBP), and di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) were the dominant compounds of Σ8PAEs in indoor dusts from residences and dormitories. The administrative levels revealed that the highly serious contamination occurred in the provincial capital, followed by non-provincial cities and countries. Such an occurrence was related to the usage of PAE products and the level of urbanization. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) showed that the emission from cosmetics and personal care products, plasticizers, and household building materials were the possible PAE sources in indoor dusts. Among three routes of ingestion, dermal adsorption, and inhalation, dust ingestion was the main route of human exposure to PAEs. The health risk of PAE exposure for different populations in descending order of children > women > men. The hazard indexes of non-cancer were higher than the threshold value of 10−6 during human exposure to DBP and DEHP. Children also faced potential non-cancer risk due to benzyl butyl phthalate (BBzP) and di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP) exposure. The carcinogenic risks via exposure to BBzP and DEHP were negligible.Conclusion: Overall, PAEs were widely presented in indoor dusts. Obvious difference was observed in the distribution of PAEs concentration in indoor dusts due to the differences in economic development and usage of PAEs product. Plasticizers, household building materials, and cosmetics and personal care products were likely PAE sources in indoor dusts. The risk assessment suggested that carcinogenic risks of BBzP and DEHP were negligible, but DBP, DEHP, DnOP and BBzP may pose non-cancer risks to humans.
The Association Between Institutional Primary Healthcare Service Quality and Patients’ Experiences with Community Health Centres: Results from the Greater Bay Area Study, China
Authors: Liu RuQing , Meng YiFan , He Ning , Wu JingLan , Yan XinWen , Shi Leiyu , Hu RuWei
Published: January 2021

Background: To explore the association between the service quality of community health centres (CHCs) as the supplier evaluation and patients’ experiences of health services as the demand-side evaluation.Methods: This study was conducted at six CHCs in the Greater Bay area of China. During August–October 2019, 1568 patients were recruited (55.8% women and 44.2% men). We evaluated the service quality of CHCs using the National Committee for Quality Assurance Patient-Centered Medical Home (NCQA-PCMH) recognition questionnaire. We assessed patients’ experiences with medical and health services using the Primary Care Assessment Tools (PCAT). Results: The global PCAT score was higher at the CHCs with higher NCQA-PCMH levels, showing positive dose-effect trends. This was similar for the PCAT sub-dimensions. For example, the scores of each PCAT sub-dimension of NCQA-PCMH Level 3 were significantly higher than those of Levels 2 and 1. Except for D and F dimensions, the scores of other sub-dimensions of Level 2 were significantly higher than those of Level 1.Conclusions: Our results indicated that better institutional service quality evaluation determined by the NCQA-PCMH led to better patients’ experiences as determined by the PCAT. Our findings added new evidence in support of better institutional primary healthcare service quality leading to better experiences among patients, and would help further improve the patient-centred primary healthcare service policy and management.
Meteorological Drought in Northwestern Escarpment of Ethiopian Rift Valley: detection seasonal and spatial trends
Authors: Ahmed Jemal Nasir , Assefa Engdawork , Zeleke Tesfay , Gidey Eskinder
Published: January 2021

Background: The Northwestern Escarpment of the Ethiopian Rift Valley has been frequently affected by droughts for decades. The area is among the most drought-prone and chronically food-insecure parts of the country. The study areas that include the Raya Valley livelihood Zone (RVLZ), Alagie-Offla livelihood Zone (ALOFLZ), and Tsirare Catchment Livelihood Zones (TCLZ) are amongst the most vulnerable and badly affected livelihood zones in the Northwestern Escarpment of the Ethiopian Rift Valley. Hence, this study aimed to monitor the meteorological drought conditions of the three LZs from 1983 to 2016 using the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) at three months’ time scale. Both monthly Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitations with Station data (CHIRPS) and Enhancing National Climate Service (ENACTS) temperature data (1983-2016) at moderate spatial resolution (i.e. 4 km-by-4km) were obtained from the National Meteorological Agency of Ethiopia. Results: This study uncovers seasonally recurring droughts that vary in severity, frequencies, and durations within and between the livelihood zones. The results indicated that severe drought occurred in all livelihoods zone of the study area from years 1983 to 1991, while ALOFLZ and TCLZ have recorded relatively higher drought severity. From 1989 to 2016, the severity and frequency of droughts were increased during the Belg (small rain) season but decreased in Kiremt (summer). In most of the study years, there have been Belg or Kiremt or both drought seasons in the study areas. The severity and frequencies of Kiremt drought in this study were higher from 1983 to 1991, better 1993 to 1998, and mildly to moderate drought from 2000-2016. As the frequencies and persistence of mild drought have increased, the intensity and precipitation amount are too small to cultivate crops and forage growth. This problem needs special considerations on the current moisture harvesting system and afforestation practices to reduce natural and human-induced drought impacts.Conclusion: Studying drought with long recorded meteorological data from a large number and uniformly distributed meteorological grids in small scale livelihood zones had great implications to identify the real trends of spatiotemporal meteorological drought. This enabled the researchers to investigate the real drought frequencies, severity, and durations in small scale areas. The study will support to improve the existing drought monitoring system and to build resilience to drought at the household level. The finding also will have a significant contribution to early warning systems, particularly at district levels. Ended, it needs to consider solutions for short and long drought impacts. The agricultural sector should consider the long-cycle crop growth patterns to reduce crop failures and forage problems.
Inducing secondary metabolite production of Aspergillus sydowii through microbial co-culture with Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Sun Yu , Liu Wen-Cai , Shi Xuan , Zheng Hai-Zhou , Zheng Zhi-Hui , Lu Xin-Hua , Xing Yan , Ji Kai , Liu Mei , Dong Yuesheng
Published: January 2021

Background: The co-culture strategy which mimics natural ecology by constructing an artificial microbial community is a useful tool to activate the biosynthetic gene clusters to generate new metabolites. However, the conventional method to study the co-culture is to isolate and purify compounds separated by HPLC, which is inefficient and time-consuming. Furthermore, the overall changes in the metabolite profile cannot be well characterized.Results: A new approach which integrates computational programs, MS-DIAL, MS-FINDER and web-based tools including GNPS and MetaboAnalyst, was developed to analyze and identify the metabolites of the co-culture of Aspergillus sydowii and Bacillus subtilis. A total of 25 newly biosynthesized metabolites were detected only in co-culture. The structures of the newly synthesized metabolites were elucidated, four of which were identified as novel compounds by the new approach. The accuracy of the new approach was confirmed by purification and NMR data analysis of 7 newly biosynthesized metabolites. The bioassay of newly synthesized metabolites showed that four of the compounds exhibited different degrees of PTP1b inhibitory activity, and compound N2 had the strongest inhibition activity with an IC50 value of 7.967 μM. Conclusions: Co-culture led to global changes of the metabolite profile and is an effective way to induce the biosynthesis of novel natural products. The new approach in this study is one of the effective and relatively accurate methods to characterize the changes of metabolite profiles and to identify novel compounds in co-culture systems.
Pregnane X receptor exacerbates nonalcoholic fatty liver disease accompanied by obesity- and inflammation-prone gut microbiome signature
Authors: Kim Sarah , Choi Sora , Dutta Moumita , Polunas Marianne , Goedken Michael , Gonzalez Frank , Cui Julia Yue , Gyamfi Maxwell
Published: January 2021

Pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a drug receptor with novel functions in promoting non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We hypothesize that PXR worsens NAFLD accompanied by gut dysbiosis. Wild-type and PXR-knockout mice were fed control or high fat diet (HFD) for 16-weeks. Serum parameters, liver histopathology, transcriptomic profiling, 16S-rDNA sequencing, and bile acid (BA) metabolomics were performed. PXR enhanced HFD-induced weight gain, hepatic steatosis and inflammation especially in males, accompanied by male-specific and PXR-dependent up-regulation in pro-inflammatory cytokines and microbial response-related genes in liver, an increase in intestinal Firmicutes/Bacteroides ratio (hallmark of obesity) and the pro-inflammatory Lactobacillus, and a decrease in the anti-obese Allobaculum and the anti-inflammatory Bifidobacterum. The gut dysbiosis was associated with a reduction of hepatic beneficial BAs in males. In conclusion, PXR exacerbates hepatic steatosis and inflammation accompanied by obesity- and inflammation-prone gut microbiome signature, suggesting that gut microbiome may contribute to PXR-mediated exacerbation of NAFLD.
Node and Edge Eigenvector Centrality for Hypergraphs
Authors: Tudisco Francesco , Higham Desmond
Published: January 2021

Network scientists have shown that there is great value in studying pairwise interactions between components in a system. From a linear algebra point of view, this involves defining and evaluating functions of the associated adjacency matrix.
Recent work indicates that there are further benefits from accounting directly for higher order interactions, notably through a hypergraph representation where an edge may involve multiple nodes. Building on these ideas, we motivate, define and analyze a class of spectral centrality measures for identifying important nodes and hyperedges in hypergraphs, generalizing existing network science concepts. By exploiting the latest developments in nonlinear Perron-Frobenius theory, we show how the resulting constrained nonlinear eigenvalue problems have unique solutions that can be computed efficiently via a nonlinear power method iteration.
We illustrate the measures on realistic data sets.
Topographic Analysis of Short Posterior Ciliary Arteries Using Wide-Field Swept-Source En-Face Optical Coherence Tomography
Authors: Lejoyeux Raphael , Atia Raphael , Vupparaboina Kiran , Ibrahim Mohamed , Sahel Jose-Alain , Dansingani Kunal , Chhablani Jay , Suthaharan Shan
Published: January 2021

Purpose: To study the topographic distribution of the short posterior ciliary arteries (SPCA) entry sites into the choroid in normal eyes using structural en-face swept source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT). Methods: Retrospective analysis of SS-OCT scans (wide-field structural SS-OCT 12x12mm) of 13 healthy subjects was performed. Cross-sectional swept-source OCT scans derived from a volume scan were represented as en-face image display following the Choroid-Scleral Interface to obtain en-face OCT. SPCAs in their last scleral location before choroidal entrance were identified manually, counted and localized by two masked observers. Correlations between two masked observers were analyzed using inter- and intra- class correlation. Results: Accuracy for the choroidal inner and outer border segmentation was 95-99%. Eighteen eyes from 13 normal subjects were included for SPCA analysis. The mean number of arteries was 13.8±3.5 per eye. Thirty-six percent were in the center of the posterior pole image; however, 21% were in the temporal part of the posterior pole. Median accuracy of the detection is 0.94. The correlation between the two observers was fair (0.54).Conclusion: Our algorithm allows visualization of the SPCA at the posterior pole of the eye using wide-field en-face SS-OCT. It can also help the clinicians to study the SPCAs in numerous ocular diseases, particularly its relationship with focal choroidal diseases.
Structural Performance of Chemically Modified Natural Jute Yarn for Strength Demanding Composite Applications
Authors: Ashadujjaman MD , Saifullah Abu , Shah Darshil , Zhang Minglonghai , Akonda Mahmudul , Karim Nazmul , Sarker Forkan
Published: January 2021

Manufacturing natural based high-performance composites is becoming a greater interest to the composite manufacturers and to their end users due to their bio-degredability,low cost and availability. Yarn based textile architecture is commonly used in manufacturing these composites due to their excellent formability. However, for using natural based yarn as a reinforcing architectures in high load bearing structural composite applications, a significant improvement in mechanical performance is required. Particularly, jute fibre yarn suffers with poor mechanical properties due to the presence of fibrillar network, polysacharides and other impurities in the fibre. For achieving this, we use aqueous glycine treatment (10%, W/V) on alkali(0.5 %, W/V) and untreated jute yarns for the first time. The glycine treatment on alkali treated jute yarns (ATG) shows a huge improvement in tensile strength and strain values by almost ⁓105% and ⁓50 % respectively compared to untreated jute yarns (UT) because of the strong interactions and bonds developed between glycine, alkali and jute yarns. It is believed that the newly developed glycine treated jute yarns will be helpful to promote jute yarns in composite industries where load-bearing is primary requirement and replace their synthetic counterparts.
Decomposition of Factors Associated With Housing Material Inequality in Under-Five Deaths in Low and Middle-Income Countries
Authors: Morakinyo Oyewale Mayowa , Fagbamigbe Adeniyi Francis , Adebowale Ayo Stephen
Published: January 2021

Background: Low-and Medium-Income Countries (LMIC) continue to record high burden of under-five deaths (U5D). There is a gap in knowledge of the factors contributing to housing materials inequalities in U5D. This study examined the contributions of the individual- and neighbourhood-level factors to housing materials inequalities in influencing U5D in LMIC.Methods: We pooled data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys for 56 LMIC conducted between 2010 and 2018. In all, we analysed the data of 798,796 children living in 59,791 neighbourhoods. The outcome variable was U5D among live births within 0 to 59 months of birth. The main determinate variable was housing material types, categorised as unimproved housing materials (UHM) and improved housing materials (IHM) while the individual-level and neighbourhood-level factors are the independent variables. Data were analysed using Fairlie decomposition analysis at α=0.05. Results: The overall U5D rate was 53 per 1000 children, 61 among children from houses built with UHM, and 41 among children from houses built with IHM (p<0.001). This rate was higher among children from houses that were built with UHM in all countries except in Malawi, Zambia, Lesotho, Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Indonesia, Maldives, Jordan, and Albania. None of these countries had significant pro-IHM inequality. The factors explaining housing inequalities in U5D include household wealth status, residence location, source of drinking water, media access, paternal employment, birth interval, and toilet type.Conclusions: There are variations in individual- and neighbourhood-level factors driving housing materials inequalities as it influences U5D in LMIC. Interventions focusing on reducing the burden of U5D in households built with UHM are urgently needed.
Enhanced Patterned Cocatalyst TiO2/Fe2O3 Photoanodes for Water-Splitting
Authors: Hung Wei-Hsuan , Teng Yung-Jen , Tseng Chuan-Ming , Nguyen Thi Thai Hien
Published: January 2021

In this study, we used a hot-pressing process to enhance the photocatalytic properties of TiO2/Fe2O3 bimetallic oxide with a periodic patterned structure on the surface to increase photon absorption for photocatalysis in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) for water splitting. The hot-pressed samples show that combining the two metal oxides improves the absorption band edge of the electrode at different wavelengths. The patterned structure obtained using the hot-pressing process successfully improves photon absorption, resulting in a two-fold enhancement compared with a flat surface electrode.
Angelica Polysaccharide Attenuates LPS-Induced Inflammation Response of Primary Dairy Cow Claw Dermal Cells Via NF-κB and MAPK Signaling Pathways
Authors: Tian Mengyue , Li Ke , Liu Ruonan , Du Jinliang , Zou Dongmin , Ma Yuzhong
Published: January 2021

Background: Laminitis, an inflammation of the claw laminae, is one of the major causes of bovine lameness, which can lead to enormous economic losses and animal welfare problems in dairy farms. Angelica polysaccharide (AP) is proved to possess anti-inflammatory properties. But the role of AP on inflammatory response of the claw dermal cells has not been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of AP on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced primary claw dermal cells of dairy cow and clarify the potential mechanisms. In the current research, the primary claw dermal cells were exposed to gradient concentrations of AP (10, 50, 100 µg/mL) in the presence of 10 µg/mL LPS. The levels of cytokines and nitric oxide (NO) were detected with ELISA and Griess colorimetric method. The mRNA expressions of TLR4, MyD88 and chemokines were measured with qPCR. The activation of NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways was detected with western blotting.Results: The results indicated that AP reduced the production of inflammatory mediators (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and NO), downregulated the mRNA expression of TLR4, MyD88 and some pro-inflammatory chemokines (CCL2, CCL20, CXCL2, CXCL8, CXCL10), and suppressed the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways evidenced by inhibition of the phosphorylation of IκBα, p65 and ERK, JNK, p38.Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that AP may exert its anti-inflammatory effects on claw dermal cells of dairy cow by regulating the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways.
Screening and Validation of a Novel Universal Target DNA Sequence for Simultaneous Identification and Differentiation of Bovine- and Ovine-/caprine- Derived Ingredients in Ruminant Feeds
Authors: Liu Zuhong , Wang Xiaokang , Yan Zengqiang , Chu Binbin , Wang Wenjun , Liu Bang
Published: January 2021

Background: Ruminant feeds containing bovine- and ovine-/caprine- derived ingredients would increase the risk of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) spread. Results: In this study, a novel universal target DNA sequence was screened through genomic sequence alignment of 53 species, and an efficient and accurate PCR method was further developed to simultaneously identify and distinguish bovine- (125 bp) and ovine-/caprine- (107 bp) derived ingredients in ruminant feeds. The specificity of our PCR method was tested with 20 animal DNA and 3 feed material DNA. This novel universal target DNA sequence was specifically detected in only bovine species (including cattle, buffalo, yak, and zebu) and ovine/caprine species (including sheep and goat). Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that through this universal target sequence, as low as 1% heat-treated (133 ℃, 300 kPa for 20 min) meat and bone meal (MBM) of bovine or ovine species could be detected from in ruminant feeds. Conclusions: In conclusion, this study screened a novel universal target DNA sequence, designed a universal primer pair, and developed an efficient and accurate PCR method for the simultaneous identification and differentiation of bovine- and ovine/caprine- derived ingredients in ruminant feeds.
Application of ATR-FTIR Spectroscopy and Decreased Proteins As Parameter of Negative Neonatal Outcomes in Women With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Bernardes-Oliveira Emanuelly , Freitas Daniel Lucas Dantas de , Cobucci Ricardo Ney , Cornetta Maria da Conceição Mesquita , Camargo Juliana Dantas de Araújo Santos , Lima Kássio Michell Gomes de , Crispim Janaina Cristiana de Oliveira
Published: January 2021

In this study, we found for the first time that macrosomal newborns were associated with lower protein density when mothers with GDM were analyzed by infrared ATR-FTIR (Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform) spectroscopy, and the Genetic Algorithm (GA) mathematical model associated with Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). This is a case-control study, comprised of a total of 49 newborns from mothers with GDM compared with 45 newborns from mothers without GDM. The evaluated neonatal outcomes were: type of delivery, prematurity, weight in relation to gestational age, apgar, macrosomia, and head/chest perimeter. Furthermore, we correlated the presence of these neonatal adverse effects with the density of proteins in GDM. The neonatal outcomes observed in newborns of mothers with GDM showed prematurity (p = 0.018), minimum head circumference (p = 0.027), abdominal circumference (p <0.01) and macrosomia (p <0.01) when compared to newborns of mothers without GDM. Prematurity and macrosomia occurred with greater significance among pregnant women diagnosed with gestational diabetes (p <0.05). There was a correlation between macrosomal newborns and low protein density confirmed by ATR-FTIR (GA-LDA) in diabetic pregnant women. On the other hand, macrosomal newborns of mothers with GDM were correlated with women who showed lower density of protein when analyzed by ATR-FTIR (GA-LDA). In this study, we observed that macrosomia was associated with low protein density of a mother with GDM. The approach described here, can be useful for the identification and exploration of macrosomia inunder various pathophysiological conditions of maternal GDM.
The Legume-Specific Transcription factor E1 Controls leaf Morphology in Soybean
Authors: Li Yongli , Hou Zhihong , Li Weiwei , Li Haiyang , Lu Sijia , Gan Zhuoran , Du Hao , Li Tai , Zhang Yuhang , Kong Fanjiang , Cheng Yuhan , He Milan , Ma Lixin , Liao Chunmei , Li Yaru , Dong Lidong , Liu Baohui , Cheng Qun
Published: January 2021

Background: The leaf is a determinate organ essential for photosynthesis, whose size and shape determine plant architecture and strongly affect agronomic traits. In soybean, the molecular mechanism of leaf development is not well understood. The flowering repressor gene E1, which encodes a legume-specific B3-like protein, is known to be the gene with the largest influence on soybean flowering and maturity. However, knowledge of its potential other functions remains poor. Results: Here, we identified a novel function of E1 protein in leaf development. Unifoliolate leaves of E1-overexpression (E1-OE) lines were smaller and curlier than those of wild type DongNong 50 (DN50) and Williams 82 (W82). Transverse histological sections showed disorganized cells and significantly elevated palisade tissue number, spongy tissue number, and bulliform cell number in E1-OE lines. Our results indicate that E1 binds to the promoters of the leaf- development-related CINCINNATA (CIN)-like TEOSINTE BRANCHED1/CYCLOIDEA/PROLIFERATING CELL FACTOR (TCP) transcription factor genes to negatively regulate their expression. Conclusions: Our findings identify E1 as an important new factor in soybean leaf development.
Modeling of SARS-CoV-2 treatment effects for informed drug repurposing
Authors: Kern Charlotte , Schöning Verena , Chaccour Carlos , Hammann Felix
Published: January 2021

Several repurposed drugs are currently under investigation in the fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Candidates are often selected solely by their effective concentrations in vitro, an approach that has largely not lived up to expectations in COVID-19. Cell lines used in in vitro experiments are not necessarily representative of lung tissue. Yet, even if the proposed mode of action is indeed true, viral dynamics in vivo, host response, and concentration-time profiles must also be considered. Here we address the latter issue and describe a model of human SARS-CoV-2 viral kinetics with acquired immune response to investigate the dynamic impact of timing and dosing regimens of hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir/ritonavir, ivermectin, artemisinin, and nitazoxanide.We observed greatest benefits when treatments were given immediately at the time of diagnosis. Even interventions with minor antiviral effect may reduce host exposure if timed correctly. Ivermectin seems to be at least partially effective: given on positivity, peak viral load dropped by 0.3-0.6 log units and exposure by 8.8-22.3%. The other drugs had little to no appreciable effect. Given how well previous clinical trial results for hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir are explained by the models presented here, similar strategies should be considered in future drug candidate prioritization efforts.
Unconventional reconciliation path for quantum mechanics and general relativity
Authors: Yuguru Samuel
Published: January 2021

Physics in general is successfully governed by quantum mechanics at the microscale and principles of relativity at the macroscale. Any attempts to unify them using conventional methods have somewhat remained elusive for nearly a century up to the present stage. Here in this study, a classical gedanken experiment of electron-wave diffraction of a single slit is intuitively examined for its quantized states. A unidirectional monopole field as quanta of the electric field is pictorially conceptualized. Its application towards quantum mechanics and general relativity in accordance with existing knowledge in physics paves an alternative path towards their reconciliation process by assuming a multiverse at a hierarchy of scales. Such an outcome provides an approximate intuitive guide to examine physics in general from alternative perspectives using conventional methods.
Impact of novel Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic in Italian pediatric emergency departments: a national survey
Authors: Talarico Valentina , Pinto Luciano , Marseglia Gian Luigi , Centonze Antonella , Cristofaro Concetta , Reina Rocco , Nocerino Agostino , Lubrano Riccardo , Zampogna Stefania
Published: January 2021

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) has rapidly become a pandemic emergency, distressing health systems in each affected country. Preparation strategies for managing this pandemic have been keys to face the COVID-19 surge all over the world and all levels of care. MATERIAL AND METHODS: During the epidemic, the Italian society of pediatric emergency-urgency (SIMEUP) promoted a national survey aiming to evaluate preparedness and response of pediatric emergency departments (PED) critical in ensuring optimal management of COVID-19 cases. RESULTS: Our results suggest that Italian PED have promptly set a proactive approach to the present emergency. 98.9% of the hospitals have defined special pathways and assistive protocols concerning the management of pediatric COVID-19 cases. The highest percentage of application of the measures for preventive and protective for COVID-19 concerned the use of personal protective equipments. CONCLUSIONS: Results show that the following measures for pediatric patients, admitted in PED, have been promptly implemented throughout the whole country: eg. use of protective devices, pre-triage of patients accessing the hospital. Despite COVID-19 being a new threat, we have shown that by developing an easy-to-follow decision algorithm and clear plans for the interventional platform teams, we can ensure optimal health care workers and patients’ safety.