bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation of Clustering in Turing Patterns to Describe the Spatial Relations of Slums
Authors: Hartig Jakob , Friesen John , Pelz Peter F.
Published: July 2020

Worldwide, about one in eight people live in a slum. Empirical studies based on satellite data have identified that the size distributions of this type of settlement are similar in different cities of the Global South. Based on this result, a model was developed that describes the formation of slums with a Turing mechanism, in which patterns are created by diffusion-driven instability and the inherent characteristic length of the system is independent of boundary conditions. It has not yet been taken into account that Turing patterns usually arrange themselves regularly, while slums are often found in clusters. Therefore, this study investigates to what extent a common reaction kinetics for Turing models can be adapted to represent a locally concentrated arrangement of objects and to adapt the size distribution of the objects to the empirical results. Based on a summary of the literature and two numerical studies, it can be shown that although it is possible to adapt the model to the empirical data, this also increases the complexity of the model.
The Rio Olympic Games: A Look into City Dynamics through the Lens of Twitter Data
Authors: Condeço-Melhorado Ana , Mohino Inmaculada , Moya-Gómez Borja , García-Palomares Juan Carlos
Published: July 2020

Olympic Games have a huge impact on the cities where they are held, both during the actual celebration of the event and before and after it. This study presents a new approach based on spatial analysis, GIS, and data coming from Location Based Social Networks to model the spatiotemporal dimension of impacts associated with the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Geolocalized data from Twitter are used to analyze the activity pattern of users from two different viewpoints. The first monitors the activity of Twitter users during the event -the arrival of visitors, where they came from, and the use resident and tourist made of different areas of the city. The second assesses the spatiotemporal use of the city by Twitter users before the event, compared to the use during and after the event. The results not only reveal which spaces were the most used while the Games were being held but also changes in the urban dynamics after the Games. Both approaches can be used to assess the impacts of mega-events and to improve the management and allocation of urban resources such as transport and public services infrastructure.
The Biosorption Capacity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for Cadmium in Milk
Authors: Masoud Ramoona , Khosravi-Darani Kianoosh , Sharifan Anoosheh , Asadi Gholam-Hasan , Younesi Habibollah
Published: July 2020

This study aimed to evaluate the capacity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for Cadmium absorption in Milk. Nowadays one of the most serious problems is heavy metals pollution. Applying microorgaisms as a novel biotechnology is so useful especially in foodstuffs. Among the biosorbents for heavy metals’ removal, Saccharomyces cerevisiae has got an increasing attention due to its popularity in food industry. In this regard, the effects of some important factors such as the initial metal concentration, biomass concentration and contact time on the biosorption capacity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were studied. The biosorption was analyzed by the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). The maximum Cd bioremoval (70%) was at 80 μg/L of this metal concentration in milk samples containing 30×108 CFU Saccharomyces cerevisiae at the end of storage time (the 4th day). There were no significant differences in sensory and physicochemical properties of milk samples during storage (p < 0.05). The isotherm studies followed by two popular models; Langmuir and Freundlich and the results showed a better fit to the Langmuir isotherm. All together, the results of this project demonstrated that the approach of using this valuable yeast, could be applied for food and drinks’ detoxification and producing healthier foods.
Early Attention Impairment in a Patient with COVID-19
Authors: Tolentino Júlio César , Gjorup Ana Lúcia Taboada , Schmidt Guilherme Janeiro , Schmidt Sergio Luis
Published: July 2020

A 47-year-old physician suddenly noticed a persistent difficulty maintaining attention. He was awake, alert, and oriented. After two hours he developed fever, ageusia, and anosmia. He denied any previous history of psychiatric illness and was hydrated at the time of the subjective attention impairment. On admission, the patient remained oriented. He reported the persistence of attention problems, anosmia, and mild fatigue. The oxygen saturation 99% while he was breathing ambient air. Laboratory tests were unremarkable. A high-resolution computed tomography of the chest was normal. Nasopharyngeal and throat swabs specimens on reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis tested positive for SARS-CoV2. On illness day 3, the examination was unchanged, but he continued to complain of difficulties to stay focused. Then, he performed an objective attention test. The test demonstrated a moderate attentional impairment. On day 6, the patient reported a subjective worse in his concentration and performed a second test. Although his physical examination remained normal, the attention performance was worse as compared to day 3. Eight hours after worsening of attention impairment, the patient’s oxygen saturation dropped to 94%. From illness days 9 to 14, the patient evolved with clinical improvement. On day 10, a third objective attention test indicated a mild deficit. On day 16, he did not report any other symptom and the attention test was completely normal. Then, the patient returned to work. Neurological symptoms had been previously described in COVID- 19 patients. However, no previous research had investigated early cognitive deficits preceding the traditional symptoms.
Growth and Characterization of Polycrystalline Silicon Thin Films for Photocatalytic Splitting of Water in Oxide-Si Tandem Cells
Authors: Zahid Ali , Zahid Umer , Hasan Aamir , Khuldoon Muhammad
Published: July 2020

With the decline in fossil fuels, hydrogen-based alternatives provide a reliable and clean source for sustainable energy generation. In these endeavors, photochemical splitting for hydrogen production through tandem cells has been the source of much theoretical and experimental research in science. Much focus has been placed on interfacial band gap engineering as one of the most promising routes in the generation of hydrogen.This present work explores sputtering of n-silicon to form the active electrode in a n-Si | n-TiO2 tandem cell and investigates the effect of variations in sputtering and post sputtering treatment parameters (rapid thermal annealing and long cycle annealing) for successful deposition of crystalline Silicon. The samples were successfully characterized via Raman Spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction and Optical Transmission Spectroscopy to ascertain prevalent crystalline order and optical band gap, under different sputtering and post-sputtering conditions. Relevant conclusions were drawn to ascertain the best possible deposition parameters of n-Si for photocatalytic water splitting.
Locomotor Activities as a Way of Inducing Neuroplasticity: Insights and Perspectives on Conventional and Eccentric Exercise Approaches
Authors: Clos Pierre , Lepers Romuals , Garnier Yoann M.
Published: July 2020

Conventional locomotor exercise, such as cycling or walking, induces motor learning-like neuroplastic changes (i.e., decreased cortical inhibition and/or increased facilitation, assessed in a muscle using transcranial magnetic stimulation). These effects seem to be a consequence of humoral processes notably resulting from hemodynamic solicitation. Unfortunately, pathological populations may not be capable of exercising at sufficient intensities to trigger these beneficial neuroplastic modulations and an alternative method is needed. As it can be inferred from non-invasive brain and peripheral stimulation studies, a high neural activity can directly result in neuroplastic changes. Similarly, eccentric exercise (i.e., active lengthening of the muscle), during which individuals develop the same force or power as conventional exercise at lower cardiorespiratory intensities, requires a high brain neural activity. As single-joint eccentric exercise was decreased cortical inhibition and increased cortical facilitation, locomotor eccentric exercise may be even more potent by pooling neural and, maybe, hemodynamic neuroplastic processes. Further studies are required to understand the influence of locomotor exercise characteristics (e.g., intensity, duration) on exercise-induced neuroplasticity.
KARAKTERISTIK DAN GENESA SAMPEL MINERAL DI DAERAH SAPAYA MENGGUNAKAN METODE MEGASKOPIS
Authors: Ariansyah Muh Resky , Anas Nur Ayu , Sari Novita Reskiyah , Pahlevi Muh Reza
Published: July 2020

Sapaya di Sulawesi Selatan merupakan satu dari sekian banyak daerah di Indonesia yang berpotensi terdapat berbagai macam mineral karena sejarahnya yang merupakan gunungapi purba. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi mineral yang terkandung dalam beberapa sampel batuan dengan menganalisis sifat-sifat fisik dan melakukan tes reaksi kimia pada batuan. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah analisa batuan dan mineralogi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa di daerah Sapaya terdapat jenis batuan tufa dengan jenis endapan primer, jenis batuan beku dengan mineral kuarsa (SiO2) dan breksi yang mengandung karbonat sebagai bentuk alterasinya. Setelah mengetahui hasilnya, juga diprediksi proses dari pembentukan endapan mineral di Sapaya untuk lebih memahami kondisi mineral di Sapaya.
ANALISIS BAWAH PERMUKAAN PADA DAERAH PERENCANAAN PELABUHAN DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN METODE GEOLISTRIK DI KECAMATAN SANGA-SANGA KALIMANTAN TIMUR
Authors: Suprapto Bambang Harimei , Arif Samsu , Lantu Lantu
Published: July 2020

Penelitian bawah permukaan menggunakan metode geolistrik pada daerah perencanaan pelabuhan di Kecamatan Sanga-sanga Kalimantan Timur. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui jenis dan profil tanah pada lokasi survei dengan cara membuat sebuah model lapisan bawah permukaan bumi dengan parameter arus dan tegangan listrik. Konfigurasi elektrode menggunakan konfigurasi elektrode Wenner-Alfa. Dari hasil dan pembahasan dapat ditarik kesimpulan antara lain;  Semua jalur bentangan elektrode mempunyai variasi harga hambatan jenis batuan berkisar antara 5,56 - 7021 ohm m dan variasi harga hambatan jenis pada daerah penelitian mengindikasikan adanya pelapisan dari fresh groundwater, alluvium, clay, dolomite, limestone dan slate. Kata Kunci: daerah bawah pelabuhan; komposisi batuan; variasi haga hambatan jenis batuan.
KAJIAN MITIGASI BENCANA TANAH LONGSOR RUAS JALAN MELUHU-LASOLO, SULAWESI TENGGARA
Authors: Umar Emi Prasetyawati , Jamaluddin Jamaluddin , Mustafa Muhardi , Marnas Muhammad Adam , Manyoe Intan Noviantari , Nurfalaq Aryadi , Taslim Ivan
Published: July 2020

Bencana alam geologi setiap saat bisa datang seketika menghancurkan. Bencana ini akan menyebabkan kerusakan yang lebih besar  dan fasilitas penduduk ketika tidak dikontrol dengan tepat waktu dan dilakukan mitigasi. Upaya awal dilakukan didalam mengantisipasi terjadinya bencana geologi yaitu persiapan, inventarisasi jenis bencana dan menentukan lokasi-lokasi yang lebih berbahaya. Daerah studi memiliki banyak fitur yang harus ditandai sebagai tanah longsor karena daerah tersebut memiliki lereng yang terjal, tingkat pelapukan batuan yang tinggi, batuan yang retak-retak dan mudah lepas, termasuk jalur sesar/patahan/gawir, lereng terpotong jalan dan adanya rutinitas getaran kendaraan yang penuh muatan. Sedangkan akibatnya telah merusak saluran drainase dan mengancam jiwa  manusia maupun kendaraan yang rutin melewati jalan. Beberapa hal yang harus dilakukan secara mandiri oleh masyarakat adalah peningkatan kewaspadaan saat musim hujan dan tindakan penutupan rekahan di permukaan tanah, serta konservasi tanah (stabilisasi dan perlindungan lereng). Meningkatnya vegetasi, konstruksi dinding penahan dan struktur lain yang dapat mengurangi resiko tanah longsor di sepanjang tepi jalan sehingga dapat membantu dalam pencegahan tanah longsor di daerah tersebut.
PENDUGAAN BAWAH PERMUKAAN FORMASI WALANNAE MENGGUNAKAN METODE RESISTIVITAS
Authors: Rahayu Debby , Hasan Agung , Puspitasari Nurita Dwi , Ismullah Massinai Muhammad Fawzy
Published: July 2020

Penyelidikan mengenai bawah permukaan semakin digalakkan demi menjamin pembangunan yang berkelanjutan di permukaan tanah. Pembangunan intensif dilaksanakan di Desa Bira, Kecamatan Bontobahari, Kabupaten Bulukumba, yang merupakan salah satu daerah andalan pariwisata di Sulawesi Selatan. Oleh karena itu, studi identifikasi kondisi bawah permukaan semestinya sedini mungkin dilaksanakan. Penyelidikan ini bertujuan untuk menentukan jenis dan sebaran lapisan bawah permukaan menggunakan metode geolistrik resistivitas secara sederhana sebagai data awal penyelidikan berikutnya yang lebih terperinci. Metoda ini menggunakan prinsip aliran arus listrik yang mengalir di dalam tanah melalui batuan–batuan. Pada penelitian geolistrik resistivitas ini menggunakan konfigurasi Wenner - Schlumberger. Pada penelitian ini terdapat sebuah lintasan pengukuran resistivitas mapping dengan jumlah elektroda sebanyak 30 dan spasi tiap elektroda 5 m. Hasil yang didapatkan berupa penampang resistivitas yang memperlihatkan adanya 3 lapisan yaitu low resistivity (< 6,44 Ωm), medium resistivity (16,6 – 285 Ωm) dan high resistivity 285 – 1892 Ωm. Lapisan ini berturut turut diduga merupakan lapisan lempung-pasir yang memungkinkan mengandung air tanah/ Ground water, lapisan alluvium dan lapisan batugamping terumbu.
Pengukuran Penampang Stratigrafi dan Interpretasi Data Resistivitas 1D dan 2D untuk Identifikasi Akuifer Airtanah Daerah Sambutan, Samarinda Ilir, Kota Samarinda
Authors: Syam Muhammad Amin , Umar Hamzah , Heryanto Heryanto
Published: July 2020

Penelitian ini dimaksudkan untuk mengindentifikasi lapisan akuifer dengan menggunakan metode pengukuran penampang stratigrafi dan metode resistivitas 1D dan 2D. Dari hasil pengukuran stratigrafi berdasarkan data singkapan batuan di permukaan diperoleh dua jenis lapisan yang dapat menjadi lapisan akuifer yaitu pasir dan batupasir sedang-kasar.  Dari hasil pengukuran dan korelasi data  resistivitas 1D atau VES dan stratigrafi terukur, lapisan akuifer ditemukan 2 jenis akuifer yakni akuifer bebas berupa pasir dengan tebal 0,163 m pada VES 1 dan 0,13 m pada VES 2. Akuifer tertekan berupa batupasir sedang-kasar dengan tebal 6,71 m dan kedalaman 22,96-29,67 m pada VES 1 dan tebal 6,1 m serta kedalaman 22,79 -28,89 m pada VES 2. Dari hasil pengukuran resistivitas 2D diinterpretasi adanya lapisan akuifer pada kedalaman 19 meter dengan nilai resistivitas 40 – 90 Ωm.
Agro Informatics with its Various Attributes and Emergence: Emphasizing Potentiality as a Specialization in Agricultural Sciences—A Policy Framework
Authors: Paul P. K. , Aithal P. S. , Sinha R. R. , Saavedra Ricardo , Aremu Bashiru
Published: July 2020

Informatics is one of the important branches of Applied Sciences. It is a practicing area and also a field of study.  The applications of Informatics in different areas and knowledge field has created various subjects and among these, one of important and emerging is Agricultural Informatics; which is the Information Science and Technology applications in the agriculture as well allied areas. In other words, techniques and technologies of both the fields i.e. Informatics and Agriculture lead the birth of Agro Informatics. The management and analysis of agricultural data with the help of Computing and IT may also be called as Agricultural Informatics. There are many allied nomenclatures of the field, but all are related and closely connected. In short, it is also called as Agro Informatics. Initially, it was treated only as a practicing area in the agriculture, horticulture, and veterinary sciences; but gradually it is a study area with different levels of programs at various universities and institutions, internationally. However, in the developed nation it is more common and widely available. Agro Informatics is an interdisciplinary field and very diverse. There are many features and functions, roles due to its timely need. This is a conceptual and policy-based research hence various aspects of Agro Informatics including its feature, functions, stakeholders, technologies including allied branches are mentioned. The paper also highlighted the proposed and possible programs of this field in academics in the field of Agricultural Sciences, as an empirical and policy research.
PELIPUTAN SECARA LANGSUNG PERSIDANGAN PERKARA PIDANA OLEH MEDIA TELEVISI DIHUBUNGKAN DENGAN ASAS PEMERIKSAAN DI PENGADILAN TERBUKA UNTUK UMUM DALAM RANGKA PEMBAHARUAN HUKUM ACARA PIDANA
Authors: Ardilla Merti , Rusmiati Elis , Tajudin Ijud
Published: July 2020

Dalam praktek peradilan di Indonesia muncul fenomena peliputan secara langsung persidangan perkara pidana oleh pers dan kemudian disiarkan langsung melalui media televisi, hal ini dapat terjadi dalam keadaan suatu persidangan dinyatakan terbuka untuk umum. Praktek ini menimbulkan dampak negatif, antara lain terjadinya pelanggaran asas praduga tak bersalah dan berdampak pada pembuktian di persidangan. Penelitian ini bertujun untuk mengetahui dan menganalisis ketentuan mengenai peliputan persidangan perkara pidana di pengadilan oleh pers dihubungkan dengan kepentingan umum dan asas pemeriksaan di persidangan terbuka untuk umum. Serta untuk menemukan pengaturan peliputan persidangan di pengadilan oleh pers dimasa yang akan datang dalam kaitannya dengan asas pemeriksaan di persidangan terbuka untuk umum dalam rangka pembaharuan hukum acara pidana. Metode pendekatan yang digunakan adalah yuridis normatif, yaitu penelitian yang didasarkan kepada data kepustakaan dengan didukung oleh peraturan perundang-undangan, kemudian didukung dengan data primer yang diperoleh dari hasil penelitian lapangan melalui wawancara, serta analisa data menggunakan yuridis kualitatif.
Foaming Agent Developed for Gas Wells with Liquid Loading Problem Using New Surfactant and Nanotechnology
Authors: Wu Junwen , Jia Wenfeng , Xian Chenggang
Published: July 2020

Liquid buildup in the wellbore is one of the major causes of production decline in gas wells, in which case additional energy is needed to drain off the liquid to solve this problem.

Foaming agents offer a method to reduce the liquid density to make it easier to be lifted with the gas flow, unloading the accumulated liquid in gas wells. The main ingredient of foaming agents are surfactants. Foam stability is influenced by several factors, such as salinity, temperature, and pressure, so a foaming stabilizer is usually needed for a foam system. A foaming agent should be developed to form stable foams in the presence of a salt or sweet-water hydrocarbon phase at a given temperature and pressure.

Recently, various kinds of foaming agents have been developed and discussed. Previous studies mainly focused on the complex interaction between an anionic surfactant and amphoteric ion surfactant; however, stability of the foam system formed by these foaming agents needs to be further improved (Nikolai et al. 2009). Therefore, development of a novel foaming agent with improved stability is necessary, especially for the application under downhole conditions. The complex interaction between the anionic and cationic surfactants is neglected in previous research. For example, the synergies between the anionic and cationic surfactants with appropriate methods can greatly improve the foam stability compared with the one-component system. A complex phase behavior and microstructure that has a high surface activity and foam stability can be obtained by the strong electrostatic interaction between the opposite charge ionic head groups and the hydrophobic interaction between the hydrocarbon groups. A gemini surfactant with a spacer can make the molecules pack tighter and increase the surfactant cohesion within the monolayer, which can greatly enhance the foam stability. The liquid film of foam formed by the surfactant is dynamically unstable because the liquid film cannot prevent the diffusion of gas, and the foam will burst quickly. However, solid films with particles adsorbed in the gas/water interface can weaken the foam drainage speed, so that the foam stability is greatly enhanced.

In summary, a robust foaming agent is developed with the introduction of an anionic-nonionic surfactant complexed with a gemini cationic surfactant; moreover, nanoparticles with a certain hydrophilicity and size are also adopted as stabilizers.
An Empirical Analysis of the Socioeconomic and Demographic characteristics influencing Birth Certification in Nigeria
Authors: Anaduaka Uchechi Shirley
Published: July 2020

Background: Promoting birth certification is instrumental to achieving target 16.9 of the Sustainable Development Goals: legal identity for all by 2030. However, limited research has investigated the determinants of birth certification of children in the sub-Saharan African context. This study analyzes the socioeconomic and demographic factors associated with the birth certification of children under-five years in Nigeria. Methods: The study employed three rounds of the Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey involving 79487 children (0-4 years) in Nigeria. Birth certification was defined as whether a parent/caregiver had a child’s birth certificate at the time of the interview. Ordinary least squares and multilevel logistic regression models established the relationships between the socioeconomic and demographic factors and birth certification. Results: Children under-five years who had a skilled attendant at birth, at least one vaccination, and maternal access to prenatal visits had about 25.6%, 60.5% and 35.0% higher odds of having their births certified. Children born to more educated mothers and fathers had 1.023 and 1.012 times the odds of birth certification. Children from average and rich households also had 13.2% and 34.2% higher odds of birth certification, respectively. Conversely, child age, higher birth order, longer birth intervals, polygyny, having at least two dead siblings, father being employed in a low skilled job, living far from a registration center and in a poor community are risk factors for birth certification. Maternal age at birth and paternal has non-linear, albeit weak effects on birth certification. Being large at birth, bank account ownership were also significant predictors of birth certification. Mixed effects were noted for religion, ethnicity and region. Finally, no significant effects were noted for gender, maternal occupation and rural residence. Conclusions: The findings identify several socioeconomic and demographic factors associated with birth certification suggesting possible risks with improving birth certification in Nigeria. Access to health care and higher socioeconomic backgrounds are significant protectors of and distance to registration centers as obstacles to birth certification for children in Nigeria. Public policy strategies should encourage the use of health care services and also increase the number of registration centers in Nigeria.
High production of triterpenoids in Yarrowia lipolytica through manipulation of lipid components
Authors: Zhang Jin Lai , Bai Qiu Yan , Peng Yang Zi , Fan Jie , Jin Cong Cong , Cao Ying Xiu , Yuan Ying Jin
Published: July 2020

Background Lupeol exhibits novel physiological and pharmacological activities, such as anticancer and immunity-enhancing activities. However, cytotoxicity remains a challenge for triterpenoid overproduction in microbial cell factories. As lipophilic and relatively small-molecular compounds, triterpenes are generally secreted into the extracellular space. The effect of increasing triterpene efflux on the synthesis capacity remains unknown.Results In this study, we developed a strategy to enhance triterpene efflux through manipulation of lipid components in Y. lipolytica by overexpressing the enzyme Δ9-fatty acid desaturase (OLE1) and disturbing phosphatidic acid phosphatase (PAH1) and diacylglycerol kinase (DGK1). By this strategy combined with two-phase fermentation, the highest lupeol production reported to date was achieved, where the titer in the organic phase reached 381.67 mg/L and the total production was 411.72 mg/L in shake flasks, exhibiting a 33.20-fold improvement over the initial strain. Lipid manipulation led to a two-fold increase in the unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) content, up to 61%~73%, and an exceptionally elongated cell morphology, which might have been caused by enhanced membrane phospholipid biosynthesis flux. Both phenotypes accelerated the export of toxic products to the extracellular space and ultimately stimulated the capacity for triterpenoid synthesis, which was proven by the 5.11-fold higher ratio of extra/intracellular lupeol concentrations, 2.79-fold higher biomass accumulation and 2.56-fold higher lupeol productivity per unit OD in the modified strains. This strategy was also highly efficient for the biosynthesis of other triterpenes and sesquiterpenes, including α-amyrin, β-amyrin, longifolene, longipinene and longicyclene.Conclusions In conclusion, we successfully created a high-yield lupeol-producing strain via lipid manipulation. We demonstrated that the enhancement of lupeol efflux and synthesis capacity was induced by the increased UFA content and elongated cell morphology. Our study provides a novel strategy to promote the biosynthesis of valuable but toxic products in microbial cell factories.
Effects of calcitriol on oxidative burst, phagocytic function, and leukocyte cytokine production in shelter dogs
Authors: Jaffey Jared , Bessette Mariah , Tao Zenan , Bradley-Siemens Nancy , Thompson Melissa
Published: July 2020

Background

The active metabolite of vitamin D, calcitriol, has been shown across many different species to augment innate immune responses and dampen aberrant proinflammatory cytokine production. Community acquired infections are common in shelters and consume limited shelter resources, impact adoption rates, and can result in unnecessary euthanasia. Prophylactic oral vitamin D supplementation decreases the incidence and severity of upper and lower respiratory tract infections in humans. Before a clinical trial investigating the clinical benefit of oral vitamin D supplementation in shelter dogs can be pursued, an in vitro study evaluating the immunomodulatory effects of calcitriol in blood from shelter dogs is warranted. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine if incubation of whole blood obtained from apparently healthy dogs housed in a shelter for ≥ 7 days with calcitriol would alter granulocyte/monocyte (GM) oxidative burst and phagocytic function as well as pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP)-stimulated leukocyte production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10.

Results

Ten dogs housed in a shelter for ≥ 7 days were enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Whole blood from these dogs was incubated with calcitriol (10-7 M) or diluent (control) for 24 h. Subsequent to this incubation phagocytosis of opsonized-Escherichia coli (E. coli) and E. coli-induced oxidative burst were evaluated via flow cytometry. In addition, leukocyte production of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 were measured using a canine-specific multiplex assay. Calcitriol significantly decreased leukocyte TNF-α production (p = 0.009) and increased IL-10 production (p = 0.002). Tumor necrosis factor-α-to-IL-10 ratio was significantly decreased with calcitriol (p = 0.017), while IL-6 production as well as GM oxidative burst and phagocytic function were not significantly affected.

Conclusions

These data indicate that calcitriol attenuates proinflammatory immune responses without affecting GM oxidative burst or phagocytic function in vitro in whole blood obtained from apparently healthy shelter dogs.
Blood Eosinophil in the Stable Period is a Biomarker of Frequent Exacerbations in Japanese Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients
Authors: Tashiro Hiroki , Kurihara Yuki , Takahashi Koichiro , Sadamatsu Hironori , Haraguchi Tetsuro , Tajiri Ryo , Takamori Ayako , Kimura Shinya , Sueoka-Aragane Naoko
Published: July 2020

BackgroundExacerbations are critical events in chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD). The frequency of COPD exacerbations is associated with the prognosis, including mortality, but no useful biomarker has been established.MethodsThe present retrospective study investigated 481 COPD patients. Clinical features in the stable period were compared between patients who experienced severe exacerbation (n=88, 18.3%) and those who never experienced severe exacerbation (n=393, 81.7%). In the patients who experienced exacerbations, clinical features were also compared between frequent exacerbators (exacerbation rate ≥ 2 times/year, n=27, 30.7%) and infrequent exacerbators (1 time/year, n=61, 69.3%).ResultsCompared to COPD patients who never experienced exacerbations, body mass index (BMI), serum albumin, and pulmonary functions were significantly lower, and the cardiovascular disease comorbidity rate, COPD assessment test score, modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale, and use of long-term oxygen therapy, long-acting β2 adrenergic agonist therapy, inhaled corticosteroid therapy, and macrolide therapy were significantly higher in COPD patients with exacerbations (all p < 0.01). In patients who experienced exacerbations, frequent exacerbators had significantly lower % forced expiratory volume in 1.0 second and a higher risk of critical exacerbations, percentage of blood eosinophils, history of mechanical ventilation use, and use of long-term oxygen therapy and of macrolide therapy than infrequent exacerbators (all p < 0.01). On multivariate analysis, the percentage of blood eosinophils was the parameter most correlated with exacerbation frequency (β value [95% confidence interval] 1.44 [1.11 – 1.86], p < 0.01).ConclusionBlood eosinophil in the stable period is the factor most correlated with the frequency of severe exacerbations.Trial registrationThe patients in this study was registered retrospectively
Risk Factors Of Post-Operative Sore Throat In Patients Undergoing Emergency Caesarean Section Under General Anaesthesia With Endotracheal Tube – A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Sasidharan Shibu , Shibu Babitha , Dhillon Harpreet , Singh Suneeta , Sinha Divya , Latheef Shifla Abdul
Published: July 2020

Background: A prospective cohort study to study the risk factors of post-operative sore throat (POST) in pregnant patients undergoing emergency caesarean section under general anaesthesia with endotracheal tube. Methods: 1000 pregnant patients were recruited to study the risk factors of POST over a period of 3 years. The data was analysed using SPSS-10 for Windows statistical software. Pearson’s Chi Square test was the statistical test of significance. Results: ETT size 7.0 decreased and ETT tube size 8.0 and above increased the risk for POST and hoarseness in the early postoperative period. The symptoms of POST surfaced mostly 8 hours after surgery (35.5%). A low cuff pressure decreased the incidence of POST. Incidence of POST increases with the duration of surgery. Conclusion: Incidence of POST in pregnant patients are comparable with general population and the factors that caused POST in general population caused the same in pregnant women, without any difference in characteristics, despite the complex change in physiology.
Proposal of a New Equation for Estimating Resting Energy Expenditure for Acute Kidney Injury Patients on Dialysis. A Machine Learning Approach.
Authors: ponce daniela , de Goes Cassiana Regina , de Andrade Luis Gustavo Modelli
Published: July 2020

Objective: The objective of this study was, therefore, to develop a new predictive equation of resting energy expenditure (REE) for acute kidney injury patients (AKI) on dialysis. Material and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study has been carried out in 114 AKI patients on dialysis and mechanical ventilation consecutively selected, aged between 19 and 95 years. For the construction of the predictive model, 80% of the cases were randomly separated to train and 20% of unused cases for validation. Several machine learning models were tested in the training data: linear regression with Stepwise, rpart, support vector machine with radial kernel, generalized boosting machine, and random forest. The models were selected by 10-fold cross-validation and the performances evaluated by the root mean square error (RMSE). Results: There were 364 indirect calorimetry (IC) measurements in 114 patients, mean age of 60.65 ± 16.9 years and 68.4% were males. The average REE was 2081 ± 645 kcal. REE was positively correlated with C-reactive protein, minute volume (MV), expiratory positive airway pressure, serum urea, body mass index and inversely with age. The principal variables included in the selected model were age, BMI, use of vasopressors, expiratory positive airway pressure, minute volume, C-reactive protein, temperature, and serum urea. The final r-value in the validation set was 0.69. Conclusion: We propose a new predictive equation for estimating the REE for AKI patients on dialysis that use a non-linear approach with better performance than actual models.
Screening and Identification of Key Biomarkers in Breast Cancer with Brain Metastasis: Evidence from Bioinformatic Analysis
Authors: Shao tao ming , Hu zhi yang , Li wen wei , Pan long yun
Published: July 2020

Purpose. Breast cancer (BC) has a poor prognosis when brain metastases (BM) occur, and the treatment effect is limited. In this study, we aim to identify representative candidate biomarkers for clinical prognosis of patients with BM and explore the mechanisms underlying the progression of BC.Methods. Herein, we examined the Microarray datasets (GSE125989) obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database to find the target genes in BC patients with BM. We employed the GEO2R tool to filter the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that participate in primary BC and BC with BM. Subsequently, using the DAVID tool, we conducted an enrichment analysis with the screened DEGs based on the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway and Gene Ontology (GO) functional annotation. The STRING database was employed to analyze the protein-protein interactions of the DEGs and visualized using Cytoscape software. Lastly, the Kaplan-Meier plotter database was employed to determine the prognostic potential of hub genes in BC.Results. We screened out 311 upregulated DEGs and 104 downregulated DEGs. The enrichment analyses revealed that all the DEGs were` enriched in the biological process of extracellular matrix organization, cell adhesion, proteolysis, collagen catabolic process and immune response. The significant enrichment pathways were focal adhesion, protein absorption and digestion, ECM-receptor interaction, PI3K-Akt signalling pathway, and Pathways in cancer. The top ten hub nodes screened out included FN1, VEGFA, COL1A1, MMP2, COL3A1, COL1A2, POSTN, DCN, BGN and LOX. The Kaplan-Meier plotter results showed that the three hub genes (FN1, VEGFA and DCN) are candidate biomarkers for clinical prognosis of patients with BM.Conclusion. we identified seven genes related to poor prognosis in BCBM. FN1, VEGFA and DCN can be considered as potential prognostic markers for BCBM. Meantime, COL1A1, POSTN, BGN and LOX may be linked to the distant transformation of BC.
Analysis of the Coping Ability and Mental Health of Medical Staff toward COVID-19 in Henan, China
Authors: Cui Songyang , Yin Lei , Shi Yuanyuan , Fan Mengying , Yang Xiu , Zhang Lulu , Li Linlin
Published: July 2020

Background Outbreak of COVID-19 imposed great pressure on the professional work and psychological health of medical staff, especially in the early stage. To assess the coping ability and mental health status of medical workers and find influencing factors on them during the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical staff in Henan from January 29th to February 4th with a total of 1739 participates involved. A self-made questionnaire used to evaluate the coping ability and mental health condition.Results The majority of the participants (96.8%) had coping ability scores (Median, 81; IQR, 75~87) above the passing line. The mental health scores of all the respondents were 58 (median; IQR, 44~68). Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that older age, higher education level, and distrust in unofficial information were facilitating factors for better emergency copying ability among medical workers. For mental condition, medical workers had 3 promoting factors: older age, distrust of unofficial information, and not involved in the event. On the other hand, poor physical health was a risk factor. (P<0.05)Conclusions In the early stage, the overall coping ability and mental health of medical workers in Henan were relatively good, but the government needs to pay more attention to the coping capacity and mental health of medical workers who are younger, less educated, blind to unofficial information and in poor physical condition.
Second-child Policy and Incidence of Infant Eye Diseases in China
Authors: Ma Wenhui , Wan Xiaomei , Jiang Mingming , Ding Yichao , Wang Yuan , Zhang Jing
Published: July 2020

Purpose

To explore the influence of parental factors associated with the second-child policy on the incidence of ophthalmic diseases in infants.
Methods

Data were collected on children (aged < 3 years) admitted to Qingdao Eye Hospital, China, from January 2017 to December 2019, and patients with a family history of eye illnesses were excluded. We recorded the age, sex, diagnosis, mother’s history, age of the mother at birth, and parents’ education and the same values for all siblings.
Results

A total of 383 children (aged < 3 years) were admitted to the Qingdao Eye Hospital. There were also 159 siblings for a total of 541 children from 383 families. There were 229 single-child families and 154 multiple-child families. Among all the children involved in the study, the prevalence of ophthalmic diseases was 62.2% in the oldest child, 90.8% in the second, and 100% in the third. Among all 154 multiple-child families, the prevalence of ophthalmic diseases was 6.5% in the oldest child, 90.8% in the second child, and 100% in the third child. Parent’s age at the time of the child’s birth was not found to be related to whether the child had an eye disease for any of the children in this study. But the parents’ highest level of educational level was associated with a lower chance of any eye disease.
Conclusion

Parity affects the prevalence of ocular disease in children. Strengthening fertility education and raising maternity security may help reduce the prevalence of eye diseases in children.
Repeat to Gene Expression Ratios in Leukemic Blast Cells Can Stratify Risk Prediction in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Onishi-Seebacher Megumi , Sawitzki Zoe , Ryan Devon , Erikson Galina , Greve Gabriele , Lübbert Michael , Jenuwein Thomas
Published: July 2020

BackgroundRepeat elements constitute a large proportion of the human genome and recent evidence indicates that repeat element expression has functional roles in both physiological and pathological states. Specifically for cancer, transcription of endogenous retrotransposons is often suppressed in order to attenuate an anti-tumor immune response, whereas aberrant expression of heterochromatin-derived satellite RNA has been identified as a tumor driver. These insights demonstrate separate functions for the dysregulation of distinct repeat subclasses in either the attenuation or progression of human solid tumors. For hematopoietic malignancies, such as AML, only very few studies on the expression/dysregulation of repeat elements were done. MethodsTo study the expression of repeat elements in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), we performed total-RNA sequencing of healthy CD34+ cells and of leukemic blast cells from primary AML patient material. We also developed an integrative bioinformatic approach that can quantify the expression of repeat transcripts from all repeat subclasses (SINE/ALU, LINE and ERV elements and satellite repeats) in relation to the expression of gene and other non-repeat transcripts. This novel approach can be used as an instructive signature (‘rep/gene’ ratio) for repeat element expression and has been extended to the analysis of poly(A)-RNA sequencing datasets from Blueprint and TCGA consortia that together comprise 120 AML patient samples. ResultsWe identified that repeat element expression is generally down-regulated during hematopoietic differentiation and that relative changes in repeat to gene expression (i.e. ‘rep/gene’ ratios) can stratify risk prediction of AML patients and correlate with overall survival probabilities. A high repeat to gene expression ratio identifies AML patient subgroups with a favorable prognosis, whereas a low repeat to gene expression is prevalent in AML patient subgroups with a poor prognosis. ConclusionsWe developed an integrative bioinformatic approach that defines a general model for the analysis of repeat element dysregulation in physiological and pathological development. We find that changes in repeat to gene expression (‘rep/gene’ ratios) correlate with hematopoietic differentiation and can sub-stratify AML patients into low-risk and high-risk subgroups. Thus, the definition of a ‘rep/gene’ expression ratio can serve as a valuable biomarker for AML and could also provide insights into differential patient response to epigenetic drug treatment.
Correlating Genomic Copy Number Alterations with Clinicopathologic Findings in A Case Series of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Peng Gang , Chai Hongyan , Ji Weizhen , Lu Yufei , Wu Shengming , Li Peining , Hu Qiping
Published: July 2020

Background: Oligonucleotide array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) analysis has been used for detecting somatic copy number alterations (CNAs) in various types of tumors. This study aimed to assess the clinical utility of aCGH for a case series of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to evaluate the correlation between CNAs and clinicopathologic findings.Methods: Survival outcomes from this case series were analyzed based on Barcelona-Clinic Liver Cancer Stage (BCLC), Edmondson-Steiner grade (E-S), and recurrence status. aCGH was performed on 75 HCC cases with paired DNA samples from tumor and adjacent nontumor tissues. Correlation of CNAs with clinicopathologic findings was analyzed by Wilcoxon rank test and clustering vs. K means. Results: The survival outcomes indicated that BCLC stages and recurrence status could be predictors and E-S grades could be a modifier for HCC. The most common CNAs involved gains of 1q and 8q and a loss of 16q (50%), losses of 4q and 17p and a gain of 5p (40%), and losses of 8p and 13q (30%). Correlation and clustering analyses noted that losses of 4q13.2q35.2 and 10q22.3q26.13 seen in cases of stage A, grade III and nonrecurrence were likely associated with good survival, while loss of 1p36.31p22.1 and gains of 2q11.2q21.2 and 20p13p11.1 seen in cases of stage C, grade III and recurrence were possibly associated with worst prognosis. Conclusions: These results indicated that aCGH analysis could be used to detect recurrent CNAs and involved key genes and pathways in patients with HCC. Further analysis on a large case series to validate the association of CNAs with clinicopathologic findings of HCC could provide information to interpret CNAs and predict prognosis.
Risk Factors for post-Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Abdominal Pain in Patients without post-ERCP Pancreatitis
Authors: Chen Mengjie , Zheng Ruhua , Cao Jun , Yao Yuling , Wang Lei , Zou Xiaoping
Published: July 2020

Background: Most of the studies on the abdominal pain associated with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) are aimed at solving the pain during the procedure. Post-ERCP abdominal pain has rarely been investigated，and few studies have focused on the characteristics and risk factors of post-ERCP abdominal pain without post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis (PEP).This study aimed to identify risk factors of post-ERCP abdominal pain without PEP and investigate characteristics of the abdominal pain in non-PEP patients.Methods: From August 6th, 2019, to January 15th, 2020, data of patients who underwent ERCP were retrospectively collected. The characteristics of the abdominal pain after ERCP were recorded and compared between PEP and non-PEP patients. Multivariate analysis was conducted to identify risk factors of non-PEP abdominal pain. Results: Data from 616 ERCP procedures were retrospectively investigated in this study, among which 51(8.28%) patients presented post-ERCP abdominal pain without PEP and 45 (7.31%) patients developed PEP. Multivariate analysis found that 5 risk factors were associated with non-PEP abdominal pain: female gender (OR:2.137), upper abdominal surgery history (OR:1.948), first time ERCP (OR:4.735), elevated serum γ-glutamyl transferase (𝛾-GT) (OR:2.570) and elevated serum direct bilirubin (DBIL) (OR:2.932). Visual analogue sale (VAS) score of PEP abdominal pain was higher than that of non-PEP pain group (P=0.05). There were no significant differences in the time of the onset of the pain, pain relief time, pain frequency, use of analgesic medicine, hospital stay and mortality between PEP and non-PEP pain group(P<0.05).Conclusion: This study indicated that female gender, upper abdominal surgery history, first time ERCP, elevated 𝛾-GT and elevated DBIL were independent risk factors for post-ERCP abdominal pain without PEP. Abdominal pain was severer in PEP patients than non-PEP patients.
Octreotide Safety and Efficacy in Pediatric Non-variceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding, A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Mirrahimi Bahador , Rohani Pejman , Moradi Omid , Hemmati Azin
Published: July 2020

Background: Octreotide as somatostatin analogue decrease the production of gastrointestinal (GI) peptides. Its consumption in pediatric population has been limited to control of bleeding episodes with variceal origin. In this randomized controlled trial, we aim to assess octreotide as an add-on therapy to conventional regimen of proton pump inhibitors in controlling upper GI bleeding in pediatric population.Methods: In a prospective randomized controlled clinical trial, in Mofid Children's Hospital, Tehran, Iran, pediatric patients with age of 0 to 15 years diagnosed with acute non-variceal upper GI bleeding allocated to receive Octreotide or placebo and pantoprazole concomitantly. Medication administration initiated after patient’s stabilization. Patients with hepatic failure, liver stigma, coagulopathy thrombocytopenia etc. were excluded. Demographic, clinical and preclinical data were recorded in prepared sheets. All patients were followed until therapy discontinuation.Results: Forty-three patients with the mean age of 4.98 ± 3.79 years with confirmed non-variceal upper GI bleeding included to the study. Most patients had no specific etiology for their bleeding episode. Patients in intervention and control group received pantoprazole in comparable doses. No differences in baseline hemoglobin values was observed but final hemoglobin values were higher in intervention group. No differences in bleeding duration observed. In regard of adverse drug reaction due to octreotide infusion, none was observed in any patient. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that octreotide does not alter bleeding duration but need for transfusion in non-variceal upper GI bleeding but it may have effect on amount of blood loss.Trial registration: The study was registered in Iranian Registry of Clinical Trial by the code of IRCT20120415009475N6.