bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Regarding Childhood Tuberculosis Detection and Management Among Health Care Providers in Cambodia: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: An Yom , Teo Alvin Kuo Jing , Huot Chan Yuda , Tieng Sivanna , Khun Kim Eam , Pheng Sok Heng , Leng Chheng Lay , Deng Serongkea , Song Ngak , Nop Sotheara , Nonaka Daisuke , Yi Siyan
Published: November 2021

Background
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 29% of global tuberculosis (TB) and almost 47% of childhood TB cases were not reported to national TB programs in 2019. In Cambodia, most childhood TB cases were reported from health facilities supported by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria in 2019. This study aimed to compare the healthcare providers' KAP on childhood TB case detection in ODs with high and low childhood TB case detection in Cambodia.
Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional study between November and December 2020 among healthcare providers in 10 purposively selected operational districts (ODs) with high childhood TB case detection and 10 ODs with low childhood TB case detection. A total of 110 healthcare providers from referral hospitals and 220 from health centers were interviewed. We collected information on socio-demographic characteristics, training, and KAP on childhood TB. Pearson's Chi-square or Fisher's exact and Student's t-tests were performed to explore the differences in KAP of healthcare providers from ODs with low vs. high childhood TB detection.
Results
Of the 330 respondents, 193 were from ODs with high childhood TB case detection, and 66.67% were from health centers. A significantly higher proportion (46.11%) of respondents from ODs with high childhood TB case detection received training on childhood TB within the past two years than those from low childhood TB case detection ODs (34.31%) (p=0.03). Key knowledge on childhood TB was not significantly different among respondents from ODs with high and low childhood TB case detection. A significantly higher proportion of respondents from ODs with high childhood TB case detection had a good attitude (98.96% v.s. 97.08%, p=0.002) and performed good practices (58.55% v.s. 45.26%, p=0.02) on contact investigation in the community than those from low childhood TB case detection ODs.
Conclusions
Healthcare providers from ODs with high childhood TB detection had better attitudes and practices towards childhood TB. The attitudes and practices need to be improved among healthcare providers in ODs with low case detection. Further investment in training and experience sharing on childhood TB case detection among healthcare providers is needed to improve childhood TB case detection.
Diversity and Distribution of Spa types among Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Isolated from Humans and Livestock in Kabale District - South Western Uganda
Authors: Baguma Andrew , Musinguzi Benson , Orikiriza Patrick , Bazira Joel
Published: November 2021

Background: S. aureus is a skin and mucosal bacterial commensal of both humans and animals which has evolved as an important pathogen implicated to cause various infections. High levels of antibiotic use have resulted into multi-drug resistance MRSA, especially among HA-MRSA, CA-and LA - MRSA. Awareness on coexistence and diversity of MRSA clones among humans and household Livestock particularly cattle and swine in our region is limited. We used spa typing method to determine spa diversity, distribution and coexistence in outpatients, household contacts and respective livestock (cattle and swine) in Kabale region, south western Uganda. Methods: This was a cross sectional study by design consisting of outpatients, household contacts and livestock. Outpatients (n =100) colonized with MRSA were traced back to their respective homesteads where household members, domestic cattle, and, swine were tested for S. aureus and subsequently MRSA colonization. High-resolution DNA melting analysis was used to determine spa types among MRSA isolates. Overlap of MRSA isolates among humans and livestock was based on the presence of similar spa types.Results: A total of 3371 S.aureus isolates were collected from outpatients (n =376), household contacts (n = 1531), Cattle (n = 1159) and Swine (n = 305), among which 482 had mecA gene where 27% (100/376) and 8% (123/1531) were outpatients and household contacts respectively while 11% (132/1159) and 42% (127/305) were cattle and swine respectively. Twenty different spa types were identified; t034, t4677, t108, t1451, t9377, t1081, t040, t701, t041, t002, t044, t037,t121, t127, t922, t032, t019, t018, t012 and t030, among which t034 (109/482), t4677 (53/482), t9377 (63/482) and t1081 (53/482) were most prevalent and distributed among human and livestock. All the MRSA isolates were multidrug resistant to antibiotics tested. Conclusion: In Kabale region, there is high diversity of spa types among MRSA. Presence of similar spa types was found circulating among humans and their respective livestock which demonstrates a possible bidirectional transmission. Presence of MDR - MRSA highlights the need for effective prevention and control of MRSA among livestock and in the community using One Health approach.
A Significant Fluorescent Aptamer Sensor Based on Carbon Dots and Graphene Oxide for Highly Selective Detection of Progesterone
Authors: Cui Hanyue , Lu Huan , Li Li , Ding Ya-ping , Fu Yao
Published: November 2021

In this paper, a fluorescent aptamer sensor was constructed based on the carbon dots and graphene oxide. This sensor combines the excellent fluorescence performance of carbon dots with the high specificity of aptamers to detect progesterone with high sensitivity and selectivity. In the absence of progesterone, the carbon dots-aptamer system and graphene oxide form a fluorescence resonance energy transfer process(FRET), which quenches the fluorescence of the carbon dots. When progesterone is added, the aptamer specifically binds to progesterone, resulting the fluorescence of the carbon dots is recovered. At optimal conditions, the fluorescence intensity recovered by the carbon dots has a linear relationship with the concentration of progesterone in the range of 0.1-120 nM, and the detection limit is 3.3×10 -11 M. Besides, the sensor has satisfactory detection results of progesterone in milk, indicating that this method has a enormous potential for application in food safety.
Genetic analysis of grain yield and yield-attributing traits in navy bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) under drought and optimal environments
Authors: Mutari Bruce , Sibiya Julia , Gasura Edmore , Matova Prince Muchapondwa , Simango Kennedy , Kondwakwenda Aleck
Published: November 2021

Knowledge of the genetic basis of navy bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) performance under drought stress (DS) is important for planning appropriate breeding and selection strategies in DS environments. Twenty-eight F2 progenies generated from an 8 x 8 half-diallel mating design were evaluated to determine combining ability effects and mode of gene action of grain yield (GYD) and yield attributing traits in navy bean under DS and non-stressed (NS) conditions. The experiments were conducted in two locations in a 6 x 6 square lattice design with two replications during the 2020 dry season. There were significant (p < 0.001; p < 0.05) positive correlations for number of pods per plant (NPPP), number of seeds per plant (NSPP) and 100-seed weight (SW) with GYD under both DS and NS. General and specific combining ability (GCA; SCA) effects were significant (p < 0.05) under both DS and NS for most traits indicating the importance of both additive and non-additive gene effects in the expression of the traits. Parents with best combining ability for most of the studied traits were G1, G7, G6 and G8 under NS, and G3, G4, G7 and G8 under DS. The most promising progenies with high values for GYD and its component traits under DS were G2 X G3, G2 X G8, G4 X G5, G4 X G8, and G6 X G8. Good general and specific combiners with high significant positive effects under DS should be used further in breeding for moisture stress tolerance.
ThGM Cells as a Prognostic and Predictive Marker for Coronary Heart Disease
Authors: Mou Dachao , Wu Shasha , Jiao Ling , Zhou Yi , Bai Xiufeng
Published: November 2021

Background Coronary heart disease (CHD) is causing by the aberrant aggregation of immune cells in plaque. This study aimed to identify abnormal T cell subtypes and inflammatory factors in CHD patients.Methods and results T cell subsets from 187 CHD patients were analyzed using flow cytometry. Plasma concentration of cytokines were analyzed by Luminex. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that the number of ThGM cells was higher in CHD patients. The proportion of Th17 and Th1 cells were also increased in CHD patients. levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, and IL-10 were significantly higher in CHD patients (P<0.05). However, levels of GM-CSF were slightly lower in CHD patients. Conclusions ThGM can be considered as a diagnostic marker of CDH.
Distribution Matters: Sensitivity of Gridded Data of Population and Economic Conditions to Global Water Scarcity Assessment
Authors: Modi Prakat , Hanasaki Naota , Yamazaki Dai , Boulange Julien , Oki Taikan
Published: November 2021

Availability of water per capita is among the most fundamental water-scarcity indicators and has been used extensively in global grid-based water resources assessments. Recently, it has been extended to include the economic aspect, a proxy of the capability for water management. We applied the extended index globally under SSP–RCP scenarios using gridded population and economic conditions from two independent sources and unexpectedly found that the gridded data were significantly sensitive to global water-scarcity assessment. One projection assumed urban concentration of population and assets, whereas the other assumed dispersion. In analyses using multiple SSP–RCP scenarios representing a world of sustainability (SSP1–RCP2.6), regional rivalry (SSP3–RCP7.0), and fossil fuel development (SSP5–RCP8.5) in the future, multiple GCMs, and two gridded datasets showed that the water-scarce population ranges from 0.32–665 million. Uncertainties in the SSP–RCP and GCM scenarios were 6.58–489 million and 0.68–315 million, respectively. The population distribution assumption had a similar impact, with an uncertainty of 169–338 million. These results highlight the importance of the subregional distribution of socioeconomic factors for predicting the future global environment.
Supratotal Resection of Periventricular Glioblastomas and Pathomorphological Rationale for Extensive Removal of Subventricular Zone
Authors: Rozumenko Artem V. , Kliuchka Valentyn M. , Rozumenko Volodymir D. , Malysheva Tatyana A. , Oluwateniola Alao O. , Fedorenko Zoja P.
Published: November 2021

The aim of the research was to reveal the pathomorphological patterns of periventricular glioblastoma (PVG) dissemination and assess the rationale for extended surgical removal of subventricular zone (SVZ) as a step towards supratotal resection.A total of 54 patients (16 females and 38 males, mean age 48.9 ± 13.4 years, range 22–69) with PVG were prospectively included in the study. Standard preoperative evaluation included an MRI using 3D T1 with Gd-enhancement, T2, and T2-FLAIR series. The neuronavigation system was used to identify the SVZ and to remove of ventricular wall, additionally to image-guided total tumor resection. The pathomorphological assessment of PVG features with the description of the SVZ and changes in perifocal brain matter was performed by two pathologists.The median Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) score raised from 67.8 to 81.9 in the postoperative period. The overall median survival was 13.0 ± 2.7 months. The low postoperative KPS score (p = 0.05) and basal ganglia invasion (p = 0.008) significantly decreased survival rates.Microscopically, the typical multilayer structure of SVZ was disrupted. The invasive spread of tumor cells in thesubventricular space was identified. The ependymal layer had prominent dystrophic alterations of cells and destruction of intracellular connections. The hyperplastic reaction on neoplastic process was typical for adjacent ependyma.The pathomorphological identification of periventricular glioblastoma invasion in the subependymal space supports the supratotal tumor resection with removal of adjacent SVZ as a potential source for relapse.
Use of a Graph Neural Network to the Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis of Korean Native Cattle
Authors: Lee Hyo-Jun , Chung Yoonji , Chung Ki Yong , Kim Young-Kuk , Lee Jun Heon , Koh Yeong Jun , Lee Seung Hwan
Published: November 2021

In the general framework of the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), a hierarchical clustering algorithm is commonly used to module definition. However, hierarchical clustering depends strongly on the topological overlap measure. In other words, this algorithm may assign two genes with low topological overlap to different modules even though their expression patterns are similar. Here, a novel gene module clustering algorithm for WGCNA is proposed. We develop a gene module clustering network (gmcNet), which simultaneously addresses single-level expression and topological overlap measure. The proposed gmcNet includes a “co-expression pattern recognizer" (CEPR) and “module classifier". The CEPR incorporates expression features of single genes into the topological features of co-expressed ones. Given this CEPR-embedded feature, the module classifier computes module assignment probabilities. We validated gmcNet performance using 4,976 genes from 20 native Korean cattle. We observed that the CEPR generates more robust features than single-level expression or topological overlap measure. Given the CEPR-embedded feature, gmcNet achieved the best performance in terms of modularity (0.261) and the differentially expressed signal (27.739) compared with other clustering methods tested. Furthermore, gmcNet detected some interesting biological functionalities for carcass weight, backfat thickness, intramuscular fat, and beef tenderness of Korean native cattle. Therefore, gmcNet is a useful framework for WGCNA module clustering.
Upregulation of LncRNAs THRIL and Malat1 in Peripheral Blood of Ischemic Stroke Patients with Large Artery Atherosclerotic and Small Vessel Disease
Authors: Bayat Mahnaz , Karimi Najmeh , Rahimi Moosa , Tabrizi Reza , Asadabadi Tahereh , Hooshmandi Etrat , Salehi Mohammad Saied , Zafarmand Seyedeh Shaghayegh , Owjfard Maryam , Dara Mahintaj , Esperson Carlos Garcia , Spratt Neil , Levi Christopher , haghighi Afshin Borhani
Published: November 2021

Background Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) has the main role in gene regulation and it might serve as a potential biomarker in clinical practice. Malat1 and THRIL LncRNAs have been demonstrated to play key roles in inflammation and atherosclerosis. It was hypothesized that the Malat1 and THRIL expression increase in patients with atherosclerotic ischemic stroke (IS) with significant diagnostic value for discriminating IS from controls. Methods We evaluated Malat1 and THRIL expression on days 1,3, and 5 after stroke in 59 IS cases with small-vessel disease (SVD) and large artery atherosclerosis (LAA), and 63 controls. A real-time polymerase chain reaction was used for the evaluation of lncRNA expression. Results In patients with SVD or LAA, Malat1 and THRIL expression significantly were higher than the controls and mix model analysis showed significantly higher expression of lncRNAs on days 5 relative to days 1 and 3 after stroke while the positive correlation was also detected between Malat1 expression and time after stroke (r = 0.27, p = 0.03). After logistic regression analysis, elevated Malat1 and THRIL showed a significant positive association with the risk of SVD and LAA. We found Malat1 could be used as a diagnostic marker with an area under the curve of 0.78 (p < 0.001). Conclusion This was the first study that demonstrated the significant upregulation of THRIL from 24 hours after IS until 5 days. This upregulation may serve as a biomarker for the diagnosis of IS. To reach a reliable conclusion we need a larger sample size.
Screening of Major Bioactive Compounds Profile of Pomegranate Peel Waste by Using HPLC
Authors: Kumar Nishant , Pratibha  , Neeraj  , Sami Rokayya , Khojah Ebtihal , Alsufyani Sultan J. , Al-Mushhin Amina A. M.
Published: November 2021

Bioactive compound characterization is an important steps for utilization of pomegranate peel waste as food and nutraceutical ingredients. In the present investigation the effects of different drying (freeze, tray-oven and sun) and solvents such as methanol, ethanol, water, acetone and hexane were investigated on the extraction and recovery of major bioactive compounds (ellagic acid, gallic acid, quercetin and punicalagin) of pomegranate peel for two pomegranate varieties (i.e. Bhagwa and Ganesh) using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results indicated that the peel powder obtained by freeze drying (-45°C) method which extracted by methanol was higher amount in bioactive compounds compared to the other drying methods and solvents. Freeze dried peel powder of Bhagwa pomegranate showed higher amount of gallic acid (32.2 mg/g), ellagic acid (13.6 mg/g), punicalagin (15.2 mg/g) and quercetin (2.5 mg/g) with methanol solvent as compared to the other extract of Bhagwa and Ganesh varieties. Basis on the results of current study it can be concluded that the freeze drying method for drying pomegranate peel powder and methanol as a solvent are effectives to recover higher extraction of bioactive compounds which can be utilize to develop human and animal health.
Online Symptoms Self-Assessment During Covid-19 Pandemic: An Analysis of a Covid-19 Portal Responses from Canada.
Authors: Egbujie Bonaventure , Francisco Krizia , Alarakhia Mohamed , Hirdes John P
Published: November 2021

BackgroundCovid-19 case was first identified in Canada on January 25, 2020, on a Toronto resident who had travelled to Wuhan China, and not long after, the WHO declared the viral infection a pandemic. Ontario health West created an online self-assessment portal that allowed individuals in the health region and adjourning areas to report any covid related symptoms.MethodRecord level data obtained the Ontario Health West self-assessment portal were analyzed. Descriptive statistics using charts and graphs were used to characterize the distribution of responses to the portal. In-depth analysis using correlation, lead-lag analysis, and trend comparison with actual Public Health Canada covid-19 cases for the region were also conducted.ResultsA total of 34,144 distinct responses were recorded on the portal between April 10 and July 29, 2020, with 1,250 (3.7%) responding positively to one of the emergency symptoms questions. Trend analysis showed a peak portal response in May 2020 with a smaller rise subsequently in July 2020, coinciding with actual covid-19 peak in the region. The five most reported symptoms on the portal were sore throat (17.2%), headache (12.9%), fatigue (12.3%), digestive problems (12.2%) and cough (9.1%). For four sub-regions, trend of self-report on the portal positively lagged actual public health covid-19 cases, while for one sub-region, the trend positively led the actual public health covid-19 cases for the area.ConclusionWe found correlation between online covid-19 self- assessment data and the confirmed covid-19 cases in the Southwestern region of Ontario. Trends in the covid-19 associated emergency symptoms reported on the portal also tracked confirmed covid-19 cases in the community. Peak response to the portal coincided with the peak volume of confirmed cases in Ontario during the first wave of covid-19 pandemic in Canada7, suggesting some consistency between the experiences of portal users and patterns of COVID-19 illness in the community. The portal was a useful tool at the person-level because it provided guidance to individuals about how to access appropriate health services according to the symptoms that they reported and connected them with primary care, reducing unnecessary visit to health facilities for covid-19 related care.
The Importance of Metabolic Syndrome Status for the Risk of Non-Viral Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Nationwide Population-Based Study
Authors: Cho Yuri , Cho Eun Ju , Yoo Jeong-Ju , Chang Young , Chung Goh Eun , Choi In Young , Park Sang-Hyun , Han Kyungdo , Kim Yoon Jun , Yoon Jung-Hwan , Shin Dong Wook , Yu Su Jong
Published: November 2021

The positive association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been suggested. However, no studies have yet looked at how the risk of developing HCC varies with changes in MetS status. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between changes in MetS and subsequent HCC development. Data were obtained from the Korean National Health Insurance Service. 5,975,308 individuals who participated in health screenings both in 2009–2010 and 2011–2012 were included. Subjects were divided into four groups according to change in MetS status during the two-year interval screening (from 2009 to 2011): sustained non-MetS, transition to MetS, transition to non-MetS, and sustained MetS. Cox regression analysis was used to examine the hazard ratios of HCC. During a median of 7.3 years follow-up, 25,880 incident HCCs were identified. Compared to the sustained non-MetS group, age, sex, smoking, alcohol, regular exercise, and body mass index-adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) for HCC development were 1.01 (0.97–1.05) for the transition to MetS group; 1.05 (1.003–1.09) for the transition to non-Met group; and 1.07 (1.03–1.10) for the sustained MetS group. Stratified analyses according to age, sex, smoking, alcohol intake, exercise, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and chronic kidney disease showed similar results. A significantly increased HCC risk was observed in the sustained MetS and transition to non-MetS groups. The baseline status of MetS was associated with the risk of HCC development. Strategies to improve MetS, especially targeting insulin resistance might prevent HCC development.
Barriers, Facilitators, and Proposals for Improvement in the Implementation of a Collaborative Care Program for Depression: A Qualitative Study of Primary Care Doctor and Nurse Experiences
Authors: Aragonès Enric , López-Cortacans Germán , Cardoner Narcís , Tomé-Pires Catarina , Porta-Casteràs Daniel , Palao Diego
Published: November 2021

Background: Primary care plays a central role in the treatment of depression. Nonetheless, shortcomings in its management and suboptimal outcomes have been identified. Collaborative care models improve processes for the management of depressive disorders and associated outcomes. We developed a strategy to implement the INDI collaborative care program for the management of depression in primary health care centers across Catalonia. The aim of this qualitative study was to evaluate a trial implementation of the program to identify barriers, facilitators, and proposals for improvement. Methods: One year after the implementation of the INDI program in 18 public primary health care centers we performed a qualitative study in which the opinions and experiences of 23 primary care doctors and nurses from the participating centers were explored in focus groups. We performed thematic content analysis of the focus group transcripts. Results: The results were organized into three categories: facilitators, barriers, and proposals for improvement as perceived by the health care professionals involved. The most important facilitator identified was the perception that the INDI collaborative care program could be a useful tool for reorganizing processes and improving the management of depression in primary care, currently viewed as deficient. The main barriers identified were of an organizational nature: heavy workloads, lack of time, high staff turnover and shortages, and competing demands. Additional obstacles were inertia and resistance to change among health care professionals. Proposals for improvement included institutional buy-in to guarantee enduring support and the organizational changes needed for successful implementation.Conclusions: The INDI program is perceived as a useful, viable program for improving the management of depression in primary care. Uptake by primary care centers and health care professionals, however, was poor. The identification and analysis of barriers and facilitators will help refine the strategy to achieve successful, widespread implementation.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03285659; Registered 18th September, 2017.
Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and the Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Yan Dandan , Jiao Yang , Yan Honglin , Liu Tian , Yan Hong , Yuan Jingping
Published: November 2021

Objective

To conduct a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the relationship between EDCs, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), poly-brominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), phthalates (PAEs), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).
Methods

Relevant literatures were identified by searching Embase, Pubmed, and Web of Science through November 2021. The cohort and case-control studies reporting effect size with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of EDCs exposure and GDM were selected. The heterogeneity among the included studies were quantified by I2 statistic. Publication bias was evaluated through the Begg’s and Egger’s tests.
Results

Twenty-five articles with a total of 23, 796 participants were finally identified. The results indicated that exposure to PCBs have a significant impact on the incidence of GDM (OR = 1.14; 95% CI = 1.00-1.31; n = 8). For PBDEs exposure, a positive association was observed for the risk of GDM (OR = 1.32; 95% CI=1.15-1.53; n = 4). Similarly, for PAEs and PFASs exposure, they were also positively associated with the risk of GDM, with summary ORs were 1.10 (95% CI = 1.03-1.16; n = 7 for PAEs) and 1.09 (95% CI = 1.02-1.16; n = 11 for PFASs), respectively. When only included the cohort studies, the summary OR between PCBs exposure and the risk of GDM was 0.99 (95% CI = 0.91-1.09; n = 5). While, for PBDEs, PAEs, and PFASs exposure, the summary ORs from cohort studies were 1.12 (95% CI = 1.00-1.26; n = 2), 1.08 (95% CI =1.02-1.15; n = 5), and 1.06 (95% CI = 1.00-1.12; n = 8), respectively. The Begg’s and Egger’s tests didn’t show publication bias and the sensitivity analyses didn’t change the results in the present meta-analysis.
Conclusion

These results support the notion that EDCs exposure increases the risk of GDM. Further large-sample epidemiologic researches and mechanistic studies are needed to verify the potential relationship and biological mechanisms. These results are of public health significance since daily EDCs exposure have been expected to increase the risk of GDM development.
Personalized Wearable Electrodermal Sensing-Based Human Skin Hydration Level Detection for Sports, Health and Wellbeing
Authors: Liaqat Sidrah , Dashtipour Kia , Rizwan Ali , Usman Muhammad , Shah Syed Aziz , Arshad Kamran , Assaleh Khaled , Ramzan Naeem
Published: November 2021

Personalized hydration level monitoring play vital role in sports, health, wellbeing and safety of a person while performing particular set of activities. Clinical staff must be mindful of numerous physiological symptoms that identify the optimum hydration specific to the person, event and environment. Hence, it becomes extremely critical to monitor the hydration levels in a human body to avoid potential complications and fatalities. Hydration tracking solutions available in the literature are either inefficient and invasive or require clinical trials. An efficient hydration monitoring system is very required, which can regularly track the hydration level, non-invasively. To this aim, this paper proposes a machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) enabled hydration tracking system, which can accurately estimate the hydration level in human skin using galvanic skin response (GSR) of human body. For this study, data is collected, in three different hydration states, namely hydrated, mild dehydration (8 hours of dehydration) and extreme mild dehydration (16 hours of dehydration), and three different body postures, such as sitting, standing and walking. Eight different ML algorithms and four different DL algorithms are trained on the collected GSR data. Their accuracies are compared and a hybrid (ML+DL) model is proposed to increase the estimation accuracy. It can be reported that hybrid Bi-LSTM algorithm can achieve an accuracy of 97.83%.
Olfactory Training and Visual Stimulation Assisted by a Web-Application for Patients With Persistent Olfactory Dysfunction After SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Authors: Denis Fabrice , Septans Anne-Lise , Périers Léa , Maillard Jean-Michel , Legoff Florian , Gurden Hirac , Morinière Sylvain
Published: November 2021

IntroductionWe aimed to quantify the benefit of olfactory training and visual stimulation assisted by a dedicated web application for patients who experienced olfactory dysfunction for ≥1 month after Sars-Cov-2 infection and compared it with published cohorts of spontaneous recoveries.Materials and MethodsWe performed a prospective observational study. Participants performed olfactory training and visual stimulation assisted by a dedicated web-application. Improvement was defined as a 2-point increase on a 10-point, self-assessed olfactory visual analogue scale.ResultsIn total, 1155 patients were assessable. Improvement was observed in patients who trained 4 weeks and 4 to 8 weeks with high concentration oils in 63.0% (58/92) and 72.9% (137/188) respectively, whereas in historical cohorts, a spontaneous improvement was observed in 7% to 27% without training respectively (p<.001). The benefit was observed regardless of the duration of the olfactory dysfunction. No or mild toxicity was reported by 86.6% (662/764) of patients. Severe toxicity leading to stop training was reported in 0.5% of patients.ConclusionsOlfactory training and visual stimulation assisted by a dedicated web application seems to accelerate olfactive improvement in persistent olfactory dysfunction following SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially after 30 days of olfactory training. Maximal duration of training appeared to be 8 weeks.
Bentonite Clay Mixed With Different N Sources Have Variable Effect on Nitrate Leaching From Sandy Soil
Authors: Hussain Zahid , Tang Cheng , Irshad Muhammad , Khattak Riaz A. , Yao Chen , Song Di , Mohiuddin Muhammad
Published: November 2021

Nitrate (NO3) leaching from soils results in lower soil fertility, reduced crop productivity and groundwater pollution. The present study determined NO3 leaching from bentonite [0, 2 and 4% (m/m)] treated sandy soil, under three N sources (calcium nitrate [Ca(NO3)2], ammonium chloride [NH4Cl], urea [CO(NH2)2] @ 300 kg N ha-1) with a leaching fraction of 0.3-0.4. Bentonite markedly reduced NO3 release in leachate, while 4% bentonite retained higher NO3 in soil. The NO3 leaching varied with N sources as Ca(NO3)2>NH4Cl>(CO(NH2)2. This study indicated that soil amendment with bentonite could efficiently mitigate NO3 leaching from soil and hence prevent N fertilizer losses and groundwater pollution.
Identification and Characterization of MRNAs, lncRNAs, and MiRNAs Expression Profiles and ceRNA Networks in PEDV Infection
Authors: Shi Xiaojie , Zhang Qi , Wang Jingjing , Zhang Yuting , Yan Yuchao , Liu Yi , Yang Naling , Wang Quanqiong , Xu Xingang G.
Published: November 2021

Background: Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) are transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides with no protein-coding ability and exert crucial effects on viral infection and host immune responses. Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) is a coronavirus that seriously affects the swine industry. However, our understanding of the function of lncRNA involved in host-PEDV interaction is limited.Results: A total of 1197 mRNA transcripts, 539 lncRNA transcripts, and 208 miRNA transcripts were differentially regulated at 24 h and 48 h post-infection. Moreover, gene ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that DE mRNAs and DE lncRNAs were mainly involved in biosynthesis, innate immunity, and lipid metabolism. Ten differentially expressed genes were randomly selected and validated by reverse-transcription qRT-PCR. In addition, we constructed a miRNA-mRNA-pathway network followed by a lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network.Conclusions: The present study is the first to reveal the global expression profiles of mRNAs, lncRNAs, and miRNAs during PEDV infection. We comprehensively characterize the ceRNA networks which can provide new insights into the pathogenesis of PEDV.
Clinicians’ Voices on a Disciplinary Approach to Teaching Clinical Communication in the Chinese Context: Priorities, Challenges, and Scope
Authors: Pun Jack
Published: November 2021

Background: In the absence of a well-rounded syllabus to teach clinical communication, emphasising both interpersonal and medical dimensions, medical students in the early stages of their career may find it challenging to effectively communicate with patients, especially those from different cultural backgrounds. Aims: To explore the priorities, challenges and scope of teaching clinical communication in a Chinese context using a disciplinary approach, and to investigate how medical educators and clinicians teach clinical communication in their respective clinical disciplines. Design: Interpretative phenomenological analysis. Data sources: Nine medical educators, all experienced frontline clinicians from 7 clinical disciplines, were recruited from 7 Hong Kong hospitals and 2 medical schools. They were interviewed to seek their views on teaching clinical communication in the Chinese context, specifically its priorities, challenges, and scope. Results: The interview data revealed 5 themes related to the priorities, challenges, and scope of teaching clinical communication across a wide range of clinical disciplines in the Chinese context, namely (1) showing empathy with patients; (2) using technology as a modern teaching approach to combine medical and interpersonal dimensions; (3) shared decision-making, reflecting the influence of Chinese collectivism and cultural attitudes towards death on communication with patients and their families; (4) interdisciplinary communication between medical departments; and (5) the role of language in clinician–patient communication. Conclusions: Taking a disciplinary perspective, the clinicians in this study approached the complex nature of teaching clinical communication in the Chinese context in different ways. The findings illustrated the need to teach clinical communication using a disciplinary approach in addition to teaching it generically across specialties. This is particularly important in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where clinicians frequently cooperate with physicians from other departments. This study also highlighted how non-verbal social cues, communication strategies, and the understanding of clinical communication in the Chinese context operate differently from those in the West, because of socio-cultural factors such as family dynamics and hierarchical social structures. We recommend a dynamic teaching approach using role-playing tasks, scenario-based examples, and similar activities to help medical students to establish well-rounded clinical communication experiences in preparation to overcome challenges in their future real-life clinical practice.
Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Reveal the Mechanism of Isodon Ternifolius (D. Don) Kudo Against Liver Fibrosis
Authors: Qin Le , Zhou Zhipin , Huang Hui , Wang Jingjing , Chen Yong , Nong Runan
Published: November 2021

BackgroundIsodon ternifolius (SanYe Xiang ChaCai, SYXCC) is a traditional Chinses medicine commonly used in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B in China. Many studies have demonstrated the hepatoprotective or anti-fibrotic effects of SYXCC, but its pharmacological basis and mechanism remain unclear. In this study, we used in vitro models to validate the predicted results and reveal the potential mechanism of action and active ingredients with the help of network pharmacology methods and molecular docking.MethodsWe obtained the chemical structures of SYXCC by literatures. Potential targets of SYXCC were predicted by Swiss Target Prediction. The disease targets were collected through the databases of Gene Card. PPI protein interaction network was obtained using STRING database. Signaling pathway enrichment analysis was performed on drug-disease targets with of DAVID database. In vitro, human umbilical vein endothelial cell was used to validate the results predicted by network pharmacology.Results90 pathways related to liver fibrosis were obtained by KEGG enrichment. We were interested in the top 25 core target proteins involved in the TLR4, MAPK and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways associated with liver fibrosis. RT-PCR result showed that SYXCC could reduce EGFR, ERK1, Akt1, VEFGR-2, ERK2 mRNA expression. Conclusion﻿In the study, our results suggest that a multitude of active ingredients of Isodon ternifouis play an important role in the liver fibrosis disease network. Inhibition of angiogenesis was a new potential pharmacological mechanism for the anti-hepatic fibrosis activity of Isodon ternifoius.
Sensitivity Enhancement of an Optical Sensor Based on A Binary Photonic Crystal for The Detection of Escherichia Coli by Controlling the Central Wavelength and The Angle of Incidence
Authors: Taya Sofyan A. , Alhamss Dana N. , Colak Ilhami , Patel Shobhit K.
Published: November 2021

The detection process of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria in drinking water is a global problem as they can lead to hazardous conditions in the human body. In this work, a one-dimensional binary photonic crystal with the structure air/(GaAs,SiO2)N/D/(GaAs,SiO2)N/glass is proposed as an optical sensor to detect E. coli bacteria, where D is the defect layer. Water and E. coli bacteria are treated as the defect layer. The sensing mechanism of the proposed detector is based on the refractive index difference between pure water and waterborne bacteria samples. The transmission spectra of the photonic crystal are investigated and the sensitivity to E. coli bacteria is calculated. The effects of the central wavelength and the angle of incidence on the sensitivity and sensor performance parameters are studied. It is found that the central wavelength increase can enhance the sensor sensitivity and most of the performance parameters. Increasing the incidence angle can improve the sensitivity and all the performance parameters such as full width at half maximum, quality factor, detection limit, sensor resolution, signal-to-noise ratio, dynamic range, detection accuracy and figure of merit.
Ulinastatin Activated The ERK5/Mer Signaling Pathway To Promote Macrophage Efferocytosis And Ameliorate Lung Inflammation
Authors: Li Jinju , Shao Rongge , Xie Qiuwen , Du XueKe
Published: November 2021

Purpose:Ulinastatin (UTI) is an endogenous protease inhibitor with potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and organ protective effects. The inhibitor has been reported to ameliorate inflammatory lung injury but precise mechanisms remain unclear. Methods: An in vivo model of lung injury has been constructed by intratracheal infusion of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The number of neutrophils and the phagocytosis of apoptotic neutrophils were observed by Diff- Quick method. Lung injury was observed by HE staining .BALF cells were counted by hemocytometer and concentrations of protein plus inflammatory factors were measured with a BCA test kit. During in vitro experiments, RAW264.7 cells were pretreated with UTI (1000 and 5000U/ mL), stained with CellTrackerTM Green B0DIPYTM and HL60 cells added with UV-induced apoptosis and PKH26 Red staining. The expression of ERK5\Mer related proteins was detected by western blot and immunofluorescence.Results: An in vivo model of lung injury has been constructed by intratracheal infusion of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). UTI treatment enhanced the phagocytotic effect of mouse alveolar macrophages on neutrophils, alleviated lung lesions, decreased the pro-inflammatory factor and total protein content of BALF and increased levels of anti-inflammatory factors. in vitro experiments ，UTI enhanced the phagocytosis of apoptotic bodies by RAW264.7 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Increased expression levels of ERK5 and Mer by UTI were shown by Western blotting and immunofluorescence.Conclusions: UTI mediated the activation of the ERK5/Mer signaling pathway, enhanced phagocytosis of neutrophils by macrophages and improved lung inflammation. The current study indicates potential new clinical approaches for accelerating the recovery from lung inflammation.
Natural v/s Commercial Trypsin Isolated from Liver Waste of Labeo Rohita
Authors: Sharma Charu , Gothalwal Ragini
Published: November 2021

The mounting human population and the massive amount of waste generated from the same is receiving particular attention towards valorization of waste. According to the annual report of FAO, (2018) the human consumption of fish protein has reached 87% in 2016 from 67% during 1960s. Aquaculture only has contributed to 5.8% annual growth rate among food sectors in the past decade. In this milieu, disposal of fish visceral waste is becoming a major menace to fishery industries exerting a great economic and environmental impact. Being perishable in nature, the organic portion of the waste decomposes rapidly and acts as a breeding ground for microbes. Moreover, the hefty and indiscriminate use of antibiotics and disinfectants in farmed animals is developing resistant strains, thus raising environment and ecological concerns. In order to solve such problem, the present investigation focussed upon employing the visceral trypsin as a cell dissociating agent. The efficacy of trypsin obtained from viscera of Labeo rohita upon KB cell line (Doubling time 50 hrs) was assessed in terms of cell viability. The cytotoxic effect of the visceral trypsin at 0.01%, 0.1% and 1% concentration were investigated at three time points (10 sec, 15 sec and 20 sec). Commercial (bovine) trypsin was considered as control. A time dependent decrease in cell viability upon gradually increasing the concentration was observed in all groups of treatment. The lowest reduction in cell viability (2%) was observed with 1% concentration at 15 sec and 20sec. Although, commercial trypsin was found more efficient than trypsin isolated from waste during this study but the potency of visceral trypsin observed cannot be ruled out. Thus, the application of this enzyme as a cell-dissociating agent suggested it as a comparable candidate with commercial trypsin.
Elucidation of Triadic Relationship Among Light Environment, Host Plant Quality, and Feeding Behavior of Zizeeria maha (Kollar) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) IN Oxalis corniculata L. (Oxalidales: Oxalidaceae)
Authors: Yamaguchi Mei Sharie Ann , Yamaji Keiko , Matsuyama Shigeru
Published: November 2021

In the dynamics of light-plant-insect interaction, the light affects plant metabolisms which may directly influence the production of defensive secondary metabolites and may consequently alter the feeding behavior of herbivores. The present study aimed to investigate the triadic interactions by using Oxalis corniculata L. (Oxalidales: Oxalidaceae) and its specialist herbivore, Zizeeria maha (Kollar) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae), in relation to the light intensity of plant habitats and physicochemical properties of the plants which would affect the larval feeding behavior of Z. maha. Firstly, leaves of O. corniculate in the field with seven different light conditions were collected. A part of which was subjected to chemical analyses, and the rest was fed to Z. maha larvae to evaluate growth and feeding activity; larval period, death rate, weight, amount of consumption, and amount of frass were measured to calculate the relative growth rate, approximate digestion rate, and relative consumption rate. Secondly, light/shade mock environment test tests were conducted with laboratory-grown O. corniculata. The results under both field and laboratory conditions showed positive effects of light intensity on the production of the defensive compound, oxalic acid, in the plants. Furthermore, the larval feeding activity was higher when fed with leaves in higher light intensities. These results relate to our previous study that demonstrated oxalic acid stimulates the feeding of Z. maha larvae. Thus, the triadic interaction among light, O. corniculata, and Z. maha larvae could be explained by the light-driven up-regulated production of oxalic acid positively influenced the larval feeding.
Balancing Selection in Structured Populations of Three-Spined Sticklebacks
Authors: Thorburn Doko-Miles , Sagonas Kostas , Lenz Tobias , Chain Frederic , Feulner Philine , Bornberg-Bauer Erich , Reusch Thorsten , Milinski Manfred , Eizaguirre Christophe
Published: November 2021

Balancing selection describes evolutionary processes that maintain genetic diversity. To date, the number of impacted genes and underlying biological functions remain elusive. Using 60 three-spined stickleback genomes (Gasterosteus aculeatus) from five recently diverged lake-river population-pairs, we performed genome-wide scans across two levels of organization: population-pairs and populations. We overlapped Tajima’s D and Watterson’s estimator metrics and verified signals with additional summary statistics, and evaluated alternative explanations: neutral evolution, population structure, associated overdominance, or demographic change. Candidate windows exhibiting signals of balancing selection spanned 2.31% (population-pair) and 3.10% (population) of the autosomes. These candidate windows had extended linkage disequilibrium and were enriched in intergenic and non-synonymous SNPs. We identified 715 (population-pair) and 1,010 (population) candidate genes under balancing selection. Importantly, using conservative thresholds, we found a small proportion of candidate genes overlapped with highly differentiated loci or regions of potential associated overdominance. There was little evidence of confounding effects originating from demographic change. Overall, candidate genes under balancing selection were associated with functions related to interactions with the environment (olfaction and receptor signalling pathways). Our results demonstrate selection that maintains standing genetic variation is common and evolves in response to local environmental pressures, playing an important role in adaptation.