bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Study of the Financial Crisis and its Effect on Psychological Well-Being, Health, Satisfaction, and Financial Incapability
Authors: Thompson Paul
Published: June 2021

This study explores the effect of the financial crisis on the consumer and its impact on psychological well-being and life satisfaction with the core question investigating what effect the financial crisis has on United Kingdom household heads psychological well-being and life satisfaction. The reversed model approach used in the study analyzed from two perspectives before and after the financial crisis. One is to investigate the psychological well-being using the general health questionnaire and its effect on health, life satisfaction and financial incapability. Two is to investigate financial incapability and its effect on health, life satisfaction and psychological well-being based on the British Household Panel (1991 - 2009) and Understanding Society (2010) Surveys. The surveys which are two integrated large nationwide panel survey commissioned by the United Kingdom government as an instrument to measure social and economic indicators at the individual and household level. The result of the analysis indicates that overall life satisfaction and financial incapability are important determinants of psychological well-being. The paper further explored the impact of the financial crisis on a household head before and after the crash. The results suggest that satisfaction with life, health implications, psychological well-being, and financial capability were significantly lower after the financial crisis. In conclusion, the results explain why overall life satisfaction generally affects individuals psychological well-being and financial capability, and why those with high financial incapability have poor psychological well-being.
Prognostic Nutritional Index and its Dynamics After Curative Treatment are Independent Prognostic Factors on Survival in Non-Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Authors: Küçükarda Ahmet , Erdoğan Bülent , Gökyer Ali , Sayın Sezin , Gökmen İvo , Özcan Erkan , Hacıoğlu Muhammet Bekir , Uzunoğlu Sernaz , Çiçin İrfan
Published: June 2021

Purpose: We aimed to identify the prognostic and predictive values of post-treatment prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and PNI dynamics in nasopharyngeal cancer patients (NPC) in this study.Methods: 107 non-metastatic NPC patients were included. PNI was calculated by using the following formula: [10 x serum albumin value (gr/dL)] + [0.005 x total lymphocyte count (per mm3)]. ROC analysis was used for determining prognostic PNI values and univariate and multivariate statistical analyses for prognostic characterization of PNI. Results: The statistically significant cut-off values for pre-and post-treatment PNI were 50.65 and 44.75, respectively. Of the pre-treatment PNI analysis, PNI≤50.65 group had shorter loco-regional recurrence-free survival (LRRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and overall survival (OS). Furthermore, for post-treatment PNI analysis, PNI≤44.75 group had shorter LRRFS and OS. In univariate analysis, only pre-treatment PNI was associated with LRRFS and DMFS, while pre-and post-treatment PNI were both associated with OS. In multivariate analysis, both PNI were independent prognostic markers for OS. In the combined analysis, pre-and post-treatment PNI, differences between the groups were statistically significant, and the PNI dynamics was an independent prognostic indicator for OS. Conclusion: PNI is a useful, independent prognostic marker for non-metastatic NPC patients. It is used for either pre-or post-treatment patients. Furthermore, changes in pre-treatment PNI value after curative treatment is a significant indicator for OS.
Development of an Observer-Reported Outcome Measure to Capture the Signs and Impact of Fever Distress Symptoms in Infants and Young Children
Authors: Smith Adam B. , Tselenti Evi , Kanabar Dipak , Miles Lisa
Published: June 2021

PurposeThis qualitative study aimed to construct an observer-reported outcome measure (ObsRO) that evaluates fever distress in young children.MethodsA literature review was conducted to identify fever-related concepts. Clinical experts were interviewed for feedback on these concepts. Parents of young children were interviewed to identify behaviours the child exhibited during a recent fever episode. Fever sign and behaviour concepts endorsed by ≥20% parents were used to create items for the draft ObsRO. Parents of young children who recently had fever completed the ObsRO and gave feedback during two successive rounds of cognitive interviews.ResultsTwenty-five parents participated in the concept elicitation. Mean child age was 2.7 years (range: 0.6‑5.8). Fever sign and behaviour concepts endorsed by ≥20% participants were high temperature (80%), skin hot to touch (32%), skin redness/flushing (32%), reduced appetite/drink (48‑96%), needy/clingy/irritable (48‑92%), less active/interactive (68‑84%) and lethargic (64‑88%). Eighteen items, four in the Fever Signs Module and 14 in the Fever Behaviours Module, were developed for the draft ObsRO. Chosen recall period was 24 hours. Thirty participants (Round 1: n=17; Round 2: n=13), participated in cognitive interviews. Mean child age was 2.4 years (range: 0.3‑5.8). Round 1 feedback resulted in two Fever Signs items being combined. Three Fever Behaviour items were deleted, six revised and four unchanged. No changes were made following Round 2 feedback. Most participants understood all aspects of the ObsRO and found it user-friendly.ConclusionThe ObsRO will undergo further development in validation studies testing measurement properties of each item.
Efficacy of Expressive Helping in Adult Hematologic Cancer Patients Undergoing Stem Cell Transplant: Protocol for the Writing for Insight, Strength, and Ease (WISE) Study’s Two-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial.
Authors: Whitmore Lauren A , Schulte Taylor , Bovbjerg Katrin , Hartstein Madison , Austin Jane , Luta George , McFarland Lily , Rowley Scott , Nyirenda Themba , Lewis-Thames Marquita , Stanton Annette L. , Valdimarsdottir Heiddis , Graves Kristi , Rini Christine
Published: June 2021

Background: During, shortly after, and sometimes for years after hematopoietic stem cell transplant, a large proportion of hematological cancer patients undergoing transplant report significant physical and psychological symptoms and reduced health-related quality of life. To address these survivorship problems, we developed a low-burden, brief psychological intervention called expressive helping that includes two theory- and evidence-based components designed to work together synergistically: emotionally expressive writing and peer support writing. Building on evidence from a prior randomized control trial showing reductions in physical symptoms and distress in long-term transplant survivors with persistent survivorship problems, the Writing for Insight, Strength, and Ease (WISE) trial will evaluate the efficacy of expressive helping when used during transplant and in the early post-transplant period, when symptoms peak and when intervention could prevent development of persistent symptoms.Methods: WISE is a multi-site, two-arm randomized controlled efficacy trial. Adult hematological cancer patients scheduled for a hematopoietic stem cell transplant will complete baseline measures and then, after hospitalization but prior to transplant, they will be randomized to complete either expressive helping or a time and attention “neutral writing” task. Both expressive helping and neutral writing involve four brief writing sessions, beginning immediately after randomization and ending approximately four weeks after hospital discharge. Measures of symptom burden (primary outcome), distress, health-related quality of life, and fatigue (secondary outcomes) will be administered in seven assessments coinciding with medically relevant time points from baseline and to a year post-intervention. Discussion: The steady and continuing increase in use of stem cell transplantation has created growing need for efficacious, accessible interventions to reduce the short- and long-term negative physical and psychosocial effects of this challenging but potentially life-saving treatment. Expressive helping is a psychological intervention that was designed to fill this gap. It has been shown to be efficacious in long-term transplant survivors, but could have even greater impact if it is capable of reducing symptoms during and soon after transplant. The WISE study will evaluate these benefits in a rigorous randomized controlled trial. Trial registration: Clinicaltrial.gov: NCT03800758. Expressive Helping for Stem Cell Transplant Patients, registered January 11, 2019. https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03800758?term=expressive+helping&draw=2&rank=2
Fatty Ethanolamide of Bertholletia Excelsa Triglycerides (Brazil nuts): Anti-Inflammatory Action and Acute Toxicity Evaluation in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Authors: Quitian-Useche Yesica Fernanda , Sánchez-Ortiz Brenda Lorena , Borges Swanny Ferreira , Ramos Benilson , de Souza Gisele Custódio , Batista Mateus Alves , Hage-Melim Lorane Izabel da Silva , Ferreira Irlon Maciel , Carvalho Jose Carlos Tavares , Borges Raphaelle Sousa
Published: June 2021

Fatty amides (N-alkylamides) are a group of bioactive lipids widely distributed in microorganisms, animals, and plants. The low yield in the extraction process of spilantol, a grease amide, which has been related mainly to diverse biological effects, compromises its application on a large scale. Thus, this study proposed an alternative to the synthesis of fatty amides from Bertholletia excelsa (AGBe) oil, with a chemical structure similar to that of spilantol. In vivo models induced by carrageenan were used in Zebrafish (Danio rerio). In in vivo studies, oral AGBe produced no signs of toxicity. In the histopathological study, AGBe did not cause significant changes in the main metabolizing organs (liver, kidneys, and intestines). In the anti-inflammatory evaluation, all doses (45 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg, and 1000 mg/kg) were effective, significantly reducing edema and producing a dose-response effect when compared to spilantol. In the in silico study, with the use of molecular docking, he showed that among the AGBe, the molecules 18:1, ω-7-ethanolamine and 18:1, ω-9-ethanolamine stood out, which had 21 interactions for COX-2 and 20 interactions for PLA2, respectively, surpassing the spilantol standard with 15 interactions for COX-2 and PLA2. The hypothesis of anti-inflammatory action was confirmed in the in silico study, demonstrating the involvement of AGBe in the process of inhibiting the enzymes COX-2 and PLA2. Therefore, based on all the results obtained and the fact that until the dose of 1000 mg/kg, orally, in zebrafish, it was not possible to determine the LD50, it can be said that AGBe is effective and safe for the activity anti-inflammatory.
Effect of Postoperative Oral Intake Status on Sarcopenia Six Months After Esophageal Cancer Surgery
Authors: Hijikata Nanako , Ishikawa Aiko , Matsuda Satoru , Kawakami Michiyuki , Muraoka Kaori , Ando Makiko , Mayanagi Shuhei , Irino Tomoyuki , Kawakubo Hirofumi , Kitagawa Yuko , Tsuji Tetsuya
Published: June 2021

Purpose: In patients with esophageal cancer, skeletal muscle mass has been reported to decrease progressively after surgery and be independently associated with a poor prognosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate perioperative changes in dysphagia, oral intake status, and nutritional status and identify factors related to sarcopenia six months after esophagectomy.Methods: A total of 134 patients who underwent radical resection for thoracic esophageal cancer between March 2016 and July 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. The diagnosis of sarcopenia was made by CT taken six months postoperatively using the cut-off criteria of skeletal muscle index (SMI) <52.4 cm2/m2 for male and SMI <38.5 cm2/m2 for female patients. As factors related to postoperative sarcopenia, dysphagia, oral intake status, nutritional status, and physical function were extracted from the medical records. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify perioperative risk factors related to sarcopenia six months after surgery.Results: Of the 134 patients, 34.3% were judged to be unable to start oral intake on swallowing assessment. At discharge, 30.6% received tube feeding with or without oral intake. In the non-oral intake group on swallowing assessment, a significantly higher proportion of patients received tube feeding at discharge (p=0.014). Preoperative BMI, postoperative handgrip strength, and tube feeding at discharge were independent risk factors for sarcopenia six months after esophagectomy in male patients.Conclusions: Oral intake status at discharge is significantly related to postoperative sarcopenia in patients with esophageal cancer. Identifying high-risk groups might allow early detection of malnutrition and provision of appropriate care.
Performance Enhancement of Metamaterial Loaded Micro Strip Patch Antenna Design Using Gallium Doped Ba-Sr Hexagonal Ferrite as Substrate Material for X-band Applications
Authors: Rani Monika , bhatia kamal Jit , Singh Harjitpal , Kaur Harsimrat , Gupta Nancy
Published: June 2021

An experimental study of microstrip patch antenna designed and fabricated on FR4 epoxy substrate is presented. Further a performance comparison of designed antenna is made with proposed design using Gallium doped Ba-Sr hexagonal ferrite substrate. Microstrip feed line is used for inputting the signal to antenna. The whole simulation is done on HFSS simulator (version 13.0).The center frequency for proposed antenna is 10GHz and is optimized for significant performance parameters viz return loss, bandwidth, VSWR and gain. It was observed that the designed antenna provides better results with ferrite substrate as compared to FR4 epoxy substrate showing -10db broad bandwidth of 4.2GHz in the frequency region 8.2GHz to 12.4GHz. Although, the results of other parameters like return loss, VSWR and gain are found to be optimum with FR4 substrate as compared to mentioned ferrite substrate. The prototype of proposed antenna with FR4 epoxy substrate is fabricated and tested to attain the experimental results. The measured results are found to be better than simulated results. Thus the proposed antenna structure can be considered suitable for microwave communication application in X-band.
Quantifying Malaria Acquired During Travel and Its Role in Malaria Elimination on Bioko Island
Authors: Citron Daniel T , Guerra Carlos A , García Guillermo A , Wu Sean L , Battle Katherine E , Gibson Harry S , Smith David L
Published: June 2021

Background Malaria elimination is the goal for Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea. Intensive interventions implemented since 2004 have reduced prevalence, but progress has stalled in recent years. A challenge for elimination has been malaria infections in residents acquired during travel to mainland Equatorial Guinea. We quantify how off-island contributes to remaining malaria prevalence on Bioko Island, and investigate the potential role of a pre-erythrocytic vaccine in making further progress towards elimination. Methods We simulated malaria transmission on Bioko Island using a model calibrated based on data from the Malaria Indicator Surveys (MIS) from 2015-2018, including detailed travel histories and malaria positivity by rapid-diagnostic tests (RDTs), as well as geospatial estimates of malaria prevalence. Mosquito population density was adjusted to fit local transmission, conditional on importation rates under current levels of control and within-island mobility. We evaluated the impact of two pre-erythrocytic vaccine distribution strategies: mass treat and vaccinate, and prophylactic vaccination for off-island travelers. We propagated uncertainty through the model through an ensemble of simulations fit to the Bayesian joint posterior probability distribution of the geospatial prevalence estimates. Results The simulations suggest that in Malabo, an urban city containing 80\% of the population, there are some pockets of residual transmission, but a large proportion of prevalence is attributable to malaria importation by travelers. Outside of Malabo, prevalence was mainly attributable to local transmission. We assess the uncertainty in the local transmission vs. importation to be lowest within Malabo and highest outside. Using a pre-erythrocytic vaccine to protect travelers would have larger benefits than using the vaccine to protect residents of Bioko Island from local transmission. In simulations, mass treatment and vaccination had short-lived benefits, as malaria prevalence returned to current levels as the vaccine's efficacy waned. Prophylactic vaccination of travelers resulted in longer-lasting reductions in prevalence. These projections were robust to underlying uncertainty in prevalence estimates. Conclusions The modeled outcomes suggest that the volume of malaria cases imported from the mainland is a partial driver of continued endemic malaria on Bioko Island, and that continued elimination efforts on must account for human travel activity.
Improvement of Bio-oil Production System by Using Spray Condenser: Investigation of Yields, Properties and Production Cost
Authors: Treedet Wasakorn , Suntivarakorn Ratchaphon , Mufandi Ilham , Singbua Piyapong
Published: June 2021

This article presented an improvement of bio-oil production system by using the spray condenser, which was developed from previous work. Napier grasses (NG), sugarcane leaves (SL) and rubber leaves (RL) were used as raw material in order to produce as bio-oil. The direct contact heat exchanger called conventional condenser and indirect contact heat exchanger called spray condenser were employed while the bio-oil and the ethanol were also applied as absorber in the spray condenser. The circulating fluidized bed reactor was employed to produce the bio-oil by using fast pyrolysis process. The condition generating the highest yield of the bio-oil production whether the conventional condenser or the spray condenser was 60 kg/hr of feed rate and 480°C of bed temperature. From the result of the bio-oil production, it was found that the highest yields of bio-oil production from NG, SL and RL using conventional condenser were 43.73 %wt, 49.47 %wt and 37.00 %wt, respectively. The highest yield of bio-oil production from NG, SL and RL performing on spray condenser and the using of ethanol as absorber were 55.67 %wt, 62.53 %wt and 44.60 %wt, respectively while the highest yield of bio-oil production from RL performing on spray condenser and the using of bio-oil as absorber was 44.60 %wt. The using of the spray condenser and using of the ethanol as absorber can improve the properties of bio-oil such as heating value and can also increase yield of bio-oil, but the viscosity of bio-oil was increased. Besides, the using of spray condenser can increase the efficiency of energy conversion and can decrease the cost production of bio-oil production, it can also solve the problem about the dirty from the volatile or droplet in the bio-oil that was adhesive in the recirculating blower in case of the system using returned NGC to bio-oil production process.
Influence of Social Responsibility and Pandemic Awareness of Nursing Students on Covid-19 Preventive Behaviors
Authors: Kim Minji , Lee Hyeonkyeong
Published: June 2021

Background

Factors influencing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) preventive behavior require exploration to strengthen the response competencies of prospective healthcare professionals and reduce the pandemic’s impact. This study aimed to identify the level of COVID-19 preventive behavior among Korean nursing students and to determine the influence of social responsibility and pandemic awareness to present educational strategies for reducing disaster impact.
Methods

As a cross-sectional descriptive survey study using an online questionnaire, the participants were convenience sampled from one online community for nursing students and three nursing colleges located in Seoul, South Korea. Consequently, the data from 590 participants were analyzed by t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation, and linear multiple regression using SPSS.
Results

The factors influencing COVID-19 preventive behavior were identified to be social responsibility (B = .354, p < 0.001), pandemic awareness (B = .131, p = .016), impact of COVID-19 on daily life (B = .085, p = .012), and living in Daegu/Gyeong-buk area (B = .134, p = .017).
Conclusion

Based on the findings that social responsibility and pandemic awareness are key predictors of COVID-19 preventive behavior, customized educational programs and additional studies are recommended for raising social responsibility and pandemic awareness among prospective healthcare professionals as a part of disaster response.
Development and Characterization of Microsatellite Markers in The Small Indian Mongoose (Urva Auropunctata)
Authors: Sato Takuma , Jogahara Takamichi
Published: June 2021

The small Indian mongoose (Urva auropunctata) is listed among 100 of the World’s Worst Invasive Alien Species and eradication programs are ongoing worldwide. The development of individual and sex identification markers will improve their management. Therefore, we searched for novel mongoose short simple repeat (SSR) markers using genome-wide screening and identified 115,265 tetra-nucleotide repeat loci. Of 96 loci tested, 17 were genotyped in 28 mongooses from the Okinawa population. The genetic diversity analysis showed that the average expected and observed heterozygosity and number of alleles were 0.55, 0.56, and 2.94, respectively. Of 17 loci, one deviated from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and six loci pairs were likely linked to each other. However, we succeed in identifying all individuals using all of the SSR loci. The novel sex identification markers worked successfully in a test using six known sex samples. These novel SSR and sex identification markers should be useful in studies of individual identification and population genetics of the mongoose.
19F MRI-guided Flexible Low-intensity Focused Ultrasound for
Drug Delivery and Molecular Targeted Therapy
Authors: Yang Jie , Li Yingbo , Sun Jiemei , Zou Hongyan , Xie Qian , A Rong , Wang Hongbin , Li Xiaona , Wang Kai , Yang Lili , Wu Lina , Sun Xilin
Published: June 2021

Non-site-specific, time-release and inefficient tumor penetration remain the major obstacles to the clinical efficacy of anticancer drugs. Novel strategies are therefore urgently needed for developing stimuli-responsive, local drug delivery systems that can increase drug penetration and accumulation at tumor sites. Here, we firstly describe an on-demand drug delivery system, AZD9291-PFCE nanoparticles (NPs) with 19F magnetic resonance imaging (19F MRI)-guided flexible low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU). Optimized AZD9291-PFCE NPs (size 73.9 ± 1.9 nm) reach high accumulation in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumor tissue. Further, LIFU triggered drug release from AZD9291-PFCE NPs and specifically increased tumor vascular and tumor tissue permeability. Quantitative 19F MRI was used to measure NPs accumulation in tumors in real-time after LIFU irradiation and to monitor therapeutic efficacy. Thus, we present an innovative strategy to achieve on-demand release of AZD9291 and improve NSCLC EGFR-targeted therapy efficacy by integrating theranostic NPs and 19F MRI-guided LIFU.
Significant Contribution of Temperature on AISI D2 Tool Steel Ground Surface Characteristics and Integrities
Authors: Fathallah Brahim Ben , Rawen Mohamed
Published: June 2021

The Controlled grinding is governed by the maximum surface temperature in the wheel-workpiece interaction. In this study, we demonstrate that temperature is the significant controller on the surface characteristic grinding, the surface integrity, the productivity and the fatigue life. Moreover, high temperature generated in abrasive processes is the main factor responsible on ground surface damage and its impact on the induced consequences in grinding of AISI D2 tool steel. The combined effects of abrasive type, cooling mode according to the cutting depth, on the temperature and residual stress distribution were highlighted by exploiting FEM. Obtained numerical results were validated with the experimental ones.
Exploring students' learning experience in online education. Analysis and proposals based on the case of a Spanish open learning university
Authors: Rivera-Vargas Pablo , Anderson Terry , Cano Cristina Alonso
Published: June 2021

Not surprisingly, the number of online universities continues to expand - especially in Covid-19 times. These institutions all offer “online education” with diverse institutional, technological, and pedagogical processes. However, a fundamental element has to do with the experience of the students, and how they adapt to the educational model of the online university in which they are studying. In this article, we present the main results of the case-study developed in one of the most historical and relevant virtual universities in an international context. We have explored and analysed the process of adaptation to the educational model by the student body, and their perceptions of their interactions with the pedagogical, institutional, and technological elements designed to support their learning. Qualitative and quantitative methods are used to gather and analyse the data. From 1715 students who participated in the survey and the perceptions of 30 students individually interviewed, the results show positive evaluations regarding the integration and adoption of technological competencies, and also, that the online education generally serves as a responsive model to the emergent needs of the learner. However, the results also show that students have important concerns regarding the pedagogical and institutional support provided.
ARID1A Regulates E-Cadherin Expression in Colorectal Cancer Cells: A Promising Candidate Therapeutic Target
Authors: Erfani Mehran , Zamani Mozhdeh , Hosseini Seyed Younes , Mostafavi-Pour Zohreh , Shafiee Sayed Mohammad , Saeidnia Mohammadreza , Mokarram Pooneh
Published: June 2021

Background Metastasis is a major cause of death in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, and the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been known to be a crucial event in cancer metastasis. Downregulated expression of AT-rich interaction domain-containing protein 1A (ARID1A), a bona fide tumor suppressor gene, plays an important role in promoting EMT and CRC metastasis, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we evaluated the impact of ARID1A knockdown and overexpression on the expression of EMT‑related genes, E-cadherin and β-catenin, in human CRC cells.Methods and Results The expression levels of ARID1A, E-cadherin and β-catenin in CRC cell lines were detected via real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and western blot. ARID1A overexpression and shRNA-mediated knockdown were performed to indicate the effect of ARID1A expression on E-cadherin and β-catenin expression in CRC cell lines. The effect of ARID1A knockdown on the migration ability of HCT116 cells was assessed using wound-healing assay. We found that the mRNA and protein expression of adhesive protein E-cadherin was remarkably downregulated in response to shRNA-mediated ARID1A knockdown in HCT116 and HT29 cells. Conversely, overexpression of ARID1A in SW48 cells significantly increased E-cadherin expression. In addition, ARID1A silencing promoted the migration of HCT116 cells. ARID1A knockdown and overexpression did not alter the level of β-catenin expression.Conclusion Our study demonstrates that E-cadherin levels were closely correlated with ARID1A expression. Thus, ARID1A downregulation may promote CRC metastasis through decreasing EMT‑related protein E-cadherin and promoting epithelial cell movement. ARID1A could represent a promising candidate therapeutic target for CRC.
A Multi-scale Residual Convolutional Neural Network for Sleep Staging Based on Single Channel Electroencephalography Signal
Authors: ZHONG QINGHUA , Lei Haibo , Chen Qianru , Zhou Guofu
Published: June 2021

Sleep disorder is a serious public health problem. Non hospital sleep monitoring system for monitoring sleep quality can effectively support the screening of sleep disorder related diseases. A new algorithm of multi-scale residual convolutional neural network (MS-RESCNN) was proposed to discover the feature of electroencephalography (EEG) signals detected with wearable system and staging the sleep stage. EEG signals were analyzed by this algorithm every 30 seconds, and then sleep staging results of wake-up (W), rapid eye movement sleep (REM) and non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM) were outputed. NREM can also be subdivided into N1, N2 and N3 stages. 5-fold cross validation and independent subject cross validation were performed on the dataset with Kappa cofficients 0.7360 and 0.7001, respectively. The accuracy rates of those methods were 92.06% and 91.13%, respectively. Compared with the other methods, our proposed method can obtain the information of sleep stages from single channel EEG signals without special feature extraction. It has a good performance and can provide support for clinical application based on automatic sleep staging.
The Evolving Battle Between Yellow Rust and Wheat: Implications for Global Food Security
Authors: Bouvet Laura , Holdgate Sarah , James Lucy , Thomas Jane , Mackay Ian J. , Cockram James
Published: June 2021

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a global commodity, and its production is a key component underpinning worldwide food security. Yellow rust, also known as stripe rust, is a wheat disease caused by the fungus Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), and results in yield losses in most wheat growing areas. Recently, the rapid global spread of genetically diverse sexually derived Pst races, which have now largely replaced the previous clonally propagated slowly evolving endemic populations, has resulted in further challenges for the protection of global wheat yields. However, advances in the application of genomics approaches, in both the host and pathogen, combined with classical genetic approaches, pathogen and disease monitoring, provide resources to help increase the rate of genetic gain for yellow rust resistance via wheat breeding while reducing the carbon footprint of the crop. Here we review key elements in the evolving battle between the pathogen and host, with a focus on solutions to help protect future wheat production from this globally important disease.
Spatial Distribution of Cardio-Vascular Diseases in India
Authors: Biswas Ayantika , Singh Shri Kant , Gupta Jitendra
Published: June 2021

Objective: Cardio-vascular Diseases (CVDs) are a leading cause of death and disease burden across the world, and the burden is only expected to increase as the population ages. The objective of this paper is to explore the patterns of CVD risk factors among women in the late reproductive ages (35-49 years) across 640 districts in India, and investigate the association between area-level socioeconomic factors and CVD risk patterns., using a nationally representative sample of 239,729 women aged 35–49 years from all 36 States/UTs under NFHS-4 (2015–16). Methods: Age-standardized prevalence of CVDs have been calculated, along with 95% CI among women in their late reproductive ages (35–49 years) in India. The spatial dependence and clustering of CVD burden has been examined by Moran's I indices, bivariate Local Indicator of Spatial Autocorrelation (LISA) cluster and significance maps. Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression has been employed with CVD prevalence as the outcome variable. To consider for spatial dependence, Spatial Autoregressive (SAR) models have been fitted to the data. Diagnostic tests for spatial dependence have also been carried out to identify the best fit model. Results: Higher values of Moran's I imply high spatial autocorrelation in CVD among districts of India. Smoking, alcohol consumption, hailing from a Scheduled Caste background, more than 10 years of schooling, as well as urban places of residence appeared as significant correlates of CVD prevalence in the country. The spatial error model and the spatial lag model are a marked improvement over the OLS model; among the two, the spatial error model emerging to be the most improved of the lot. Conclusions: A broader course of policy action relating to social determinants can be a particularly effective way of CVD risk addressal. Social policy interventions related to health like reduction in inequalities in factors like education, poverty, unemployment, access to health-promoting physical or built-environments are crucial in tackling the long-term effects of CVD inequalities between geographical areas.
Clinicopathological Manifestations and Immune Phenotypes in Adult-onset Immunodeficiency With Anti-interferon-γ Autoantibodies
Authors: Chen Yi-Chun , Weng Shao-Wen , Lee Chen-Hsiang , Huang Wen-Chi , You Huey-Ling , Huang Wan-Ting
Published: June 2021

Purpose Adult-onset immunodeficiency with anti-interferon (IFN)-γ autoantibodies (anti-IFN-γ Abs) is an immunodeficiency syndrome. Immune dysfunction in this distinct disorder remains to be clarified. Methods We prospectively collected blood samples of 20 patients with anti-IFN-γ Abs and 65 healthy normal subjects. Percentages of lymphocyte subpopulations, most relevant to T-, B-, and NK-cells, and percentages of stimulated lymphocytes with cytokine production were assessed using eight-color flow cytometry. The results were adjusted to age and absolute lymphocyte counts.Results Most (85%) patients presented non-tuberculous mycobacterial infection. Skin lesions were predominantly manifested by neutrophilic dermatoses. Involved lymph nodes had granulomatous inflammation, except 22.2% showing atypical lymphoid hyperplasia without granuloma formation. In the multiple linear regression model, CD4+ T cells and non-activated subpopulations (recent thymic emigrants and naïve subtypes) were significantly decreased with increased expression of activation markers and polarization to Th1, Th17, and Treg. The percentage of NK cells was increased, but two major NK subpopulations, CD56bright and CD56+CD16+ subsets were decreased. Furthermore, NK cells diminished expression of NKp30 and NKp46 with increased CD57 expression. The cytokine production was significantly lower, namely TNF-α in CD4+ T cells (P = 0.009), CD8+ T cells (P < 0.001), and NK cells (P = 0.002); IFN-γ in CD8+ T cells (P = 0.002) and NK cells (P = 0.001); and IL-2 in CD4+ (P < 0.001), and CD8+ (P = 0.005) T cells. Conclusion We conclude that the immune system in patients with anti–IFN-γ Abs could be exhausted which may contribute to the distinct clinicopathologic features.
An Optics-guided Robotic System for Dental Implant Surgery
Authors: Yan Biao , Zhang Wenlong , Cai Lijing , Zheng Lingxiang , Bao Kaiyang , Rao Yuming , Yang Lin , Ye Weitao , Guan Peifeng , Yang Wei , Li Jiang , Yang Rongqian
Published: June 2021

At present, dental implant surgery mainly relies on the clinical experience of the doctor and the assistance of preoperative medical imaging. However, there are some problems in dental implant surgery, such as narrow space, sight obstruction, inaccurate positioning, and high requirements of doctors' proficiency. Therefore, a dental implant robot system (DIRS) guided by optical navigation is developed in this study, with an x-shaped tool and an irregular pentagonal tracer are designed for spatial registration and needle tip positioning strategy respectively. The coordinate system of each unit in DIRS is unified through system calibration, spatial registration, and needle tip positioning strategy. Then the surgical path is planned on the Computed Tomography (CT) images in the navigation software before operation. The automatic positioning method and the auxiliary positioning method can be used in the operation to achieve accurate positioning and assist doctors to complete the operation. The errors of spatial registration, needle tip positioning strategy, and the overall accuracy of the system were evaluated respectively, and the results showed that they all met the needs of clinical surgery. This study preliminarily verified the feasibility of the precise positioning method for dental surgery robots and provided certain ideas for subsequent related research.
Time Averaged Uric Acid Is Associated With the Prognosis of IgAN in Females
Authors: Zhang Quan , Dong Luyao , Han Hongling
Published: June 2021

Background IgA Nephropathy (IgAN) is one of the most common glomerular diseases. However, the effect of uric acid on the prognosis of IgAN is still unclear, especially between males and females. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the role of hyperuricemia in IgAN patients and the differences in gender. Consequently, the study conducted a retrospective analysis of the prognosis of IgAN in patients from the General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University. Methods: A total of 1,022 patients with primary IgAN, diagnosed through renal biopsy were enrolled from the Department of Nephrology, General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University. However, after applying the exclusion criteria, only 463 patients remained and were regularly followed up in the hospital. In addition, the relationship between Time Average Uric Acid (TA-UA) and prognosis of IgAN was analyzed. Results: The findings showed that TA-UA was an independent risk factor for the prognosis of IgAN in the 463 patients studied (OR=1.752，95%CI=1.348-2.277，p＜0.001). Additionally, higher TA-UA values were associated with a faster progression of disease and worse prognosis (p < 0.05). Elevated TA-UA was also shown to be an independent risk factor for the progression of disease in female patients but not in their male counterparts (women: HR=1.998，95%CI=1.398-2.854，p＜0.001，men: HR=1.405，95%CI=0.869-2.274, p=0.166). Conclusion: Increased TA-UA is an independent risk factor for the progression of IgAN, especially in women.
Light Intensity Dependence of Current Density–voltage Characteristics of an Organic Solar Cell and Dominance Switching Between Shockley-read-hall and Radiative Recombination Losses
Authors: Ryu Shin Young , Ha Na Young , Ahn Y. H. , Park Ji-Yong , Lee Soonil
Published: June 2021

We investigated the variation of current density-voltage (J-V) characteristics of an organic solar cell (OSC) in the dark and at 9 different light intensities ranging from 0.01 to 1 sun of the AM1.5G spectrum. All three conventional parameters, short-circuit currents (Jsc), open-circuit voltage (Voc), and Fill factor (FF), representing OSC performance evolved systematically in response to light intensity increase. Unlike Jsc that showed quasi-linear monotonic increase, Voc and FF showed distinctive non-monotonic variations. To elucidate the origin of such variations, we performed extensive simulation studies including Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) recombination losses. Simulation results were sensitive to defect densities, and simultaneous agreement to 10 measured J-V curves was possible only with the defect density of 5 * 1012 cm-3 . Based on analyses of simulation results, we were able to separate current losses into SRH- and radiative-recombination components and, moreover, identify that the competition between SRH- and radiative-loss currents were responsible for the aforementioned variations in Jsc, Voc, and FF. In particular, we verified that apparent demarcation in Voc, and FF variations, which seemed to appear at different light intensities, originated from the same mechanism of dominance switching between recombination losses.
A Rapid Point of Care CC16 Kit for Screening of Occupational Silica Dust Exposed Workers for Early Detection of Silicosis/Silico-Tuberculosis
Authors: Nandi Shyam Sundar , Lambe Upendra P. , Sarkar Kamalesh , Sawant Sonali , Gohil Trupti , Deshpande Jagadish
Published: June 2021

Silicosis is an irreversible, incurable and progressive occupational disease caused by prolonged exposure to crystalline-silica while working in related industries. Conventionally diagnosis is done by chest radiology in advanced stage as early symptoms often go unnoticed. Early detection and secondary prevention could be the only realistic possible control strategy for controlling silicosis as no other method of treatment is available. Additionally, these patients are also vulnerable to drug resistant tuberculosis. Developing countries like India has a huge burden of silico-tuberculosis. Hence, a rapid and inexpensive screening method is a need for early detection of silicosis among silica dust exposed workers. Serum CC16 is a useful proxy screening marker for early detection of silicosis. In this study a lateral-flow assay for semi-quantitative estimation of serum CC16 level was developed. The detection was performed using gold nanoparticles conjugated anti-CC16 monoclonal antibodies. A sum of 47 serum samples was tested to do performance evaluation of the assay. A concentration of 6ng/ml or less produced one band, 6.1 – 9 ng/ml produced two bands, while more than 9 ng/ml produced all the three bands at the test zone. This assay can be used as a proxy marker for periodic screening and early detection of silicosis in vulnerable workers.
Critically ill COVID-19 status associated trait genetics reveals CDK6 inhibitors as potential treatment
Authors: Klinger Joern , Ravarani Charles , Bannard Colin , Lamparter Margaretha , Schwinges Alexander , Cope Justin , Baukmann Hannes , Schmidt Marco
Published: June 2021

Despite the recent development of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection, treating critically ill COVID-19 patients still remains a top goal. In principle, drug repurposing – the use of an already existing drug for a new indication – could provide a shortcut to a treatment. However, drug repurposing is often very speculative due to lack of clinical evidence. We report here on a methodology to find and test drug target candidates for drug repurposing. Using UK Biobank data, we matched critically ill COVID-19 cases with healthy controls and screened for significant differences in 33 blood cell types, 30 blood biochemistries, and body mass index. Significant differences in traits that have been associated with critically ill COVID-19 status in prior literature, such as alanine aminotransferase, body mass index, C-reactive protein, and neutrophil cell count, were further investigated. In-depth statistical analysis of COVID-19 associated traits and their genetics using regression modeling and propensity score stratification identified cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (CDK6) as a more promising drug target for the selective treatment of critically ill COVID-19 patients than the previously reported interleukin 6. Four existing CDK6 inhibitors -- abemaciclib, ribociclib, trilaciclib, and palbociclib -- have been approved for the treatment of breast cancer. Clinical evidence for CDK6 inhibitors in treating critically ill COVID-19 patients has been reported. Further clinical investigations are ongoing.
Rapid Artificial Intelligence Solutions in a Pandemic - The COVID-19-20 Lung CT Lesion Segmentation Challenge
Authors: Roth Holger , Xu Ziyue , Diez Carlos Tor , Jacob Ramon Sanchez , Zember Jonathan , Molto Jose , Li Wenqi , Xu Sheng , Turkbey Baris , Turkbey Evrim , Yang Dong , Harouni Ahmed , Rieke Nicola , Hu Shishuai , Isensee Fabian , Tang Claire , Yu Qinji , Sölter Jan , Zheng Tong , Liauchuk Vitali , Zhou Ziqi , Moltz Jan , Oliveira Bruno , Xia Yong , Maier-Hein Klaus , Li Qikai , Husch Andreas , Zhang Luyang , Kovalev Vassili , Kang Li , Hering Alessa , Vilaça João , Flores Mona , Xu Daguang , Wood Bradford , Linguraru Marius
Published: June 2021

Artificial intelligence (AI) methods for the automatic detection and quantification of COVID-19 lesions in chest computed tomography (CT) might play an important role in the monitoring and management of the disease. We organized an international challenge and competition for the development and comparison of AI algorithms for this task, which we supported with public data and state-of-the-art benchmark methods. Board Certified Radiologists annotated 295 public images from two sources (A and B) for algorithms training (n=199, source A), validation (n=50, source A) and testing (n=23, source A; n=23, source B). There were 1,096 registered teams of which 225 and 98 completed the validation and testing phases, respectively. The challenge showed that AI models could be rapidly designed by diverse teams with the potential to measure disease or facilitate timely and patient-specific interventions. This paper provides an overview and the major outcomes of the COVID-19 Lung CT Lesion Segmentation Challenge - 2020.
Molecular Docking Studies of Phytocompounds from Withania Sominifera Against IL6 and JAK3 Targets in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: saini Gagan vishal , Bharadvaja Navneeta
Published: June 2021

Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto immune disorder and inflammatory that decreases the life expectancy and it is characterized by persistent joint pain. This disease is not curable but can be maintained. People have been using a plant known as Withania somnifera or Indian Ginseng for its medicinal properties. The phytocompounds of this plant shows anti-inflammatory potentials against Rheumatoid Arthritis cytokine pathogenesis. In our study we are going to use IL6 and JAK3 protein as targets for docking and compounds of Withania somnifera as ligands.
Targeting PP2A with lomitapide suppresses colorectal tumorigenesis through the activation of AMPK/Beclin1-mediated autophagy
Authors: Zuo Qian , Liao Long , Yao Ziting , Liu Yaping , Wang Dingkang , Li Shujun , Yin Xingfeng , He Qingyu , Xu Wenwen
Published: June 2021

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most malignant cancer worldwide, and the limited efficacy of existing treatments is the leading cause of death in patients with CRC. Thus, novel drugs for CRC treatment are urgently needed.
Methods

We screened an FDA-approved small-molecule library upon HCT116 cells, and identified lomitapide as a novel CRC anticancer compound. Then we confirmed the activities of lomitapide on CRC cells by WST-1 assay, colony formation, and flow cytometry. RNA sequencing and GO analysis were used to investigate the mechanisms underlying the anticancer effects of lomitapide. LiP-SMap was introduced to search for the potential targets of lomitapide. The in vivo experiment was conducted to confirm the therapeutic efficiency and safety of lomitapide as an anticancer agent.
Results

Lomitapide exhibited remarkable antitumor properties in vitro and in vivo, while activated autophagy is characterized by GO analysis as a key biological process in lomitapide-induced CRC repression. Moreover, lomitapide stimulated mitochondrial dysfunction-mediated AMPK activation, resulting in increased AMPK phosphorylation and enhanced Beclin1/Atg14/Vps34 interactions, provoking autophagy induction. LiP-SMap analysis showed that PP2A was the direct target of lomitapide, and the bioactivity of lomitapide was attenuated in PP2A-deficient cells, suggesting that the anticancer effect of lomitapide occurs in a PP2A-dependent manner.
Conclusions

Our results indicate that lomitapide activates AMPK-regulated autophagy to inhibit the proliferation and tumorigenesis of CRC cells by directly targeting PP2A, and can be a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of CRC patients.