bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Curcumin and Quercetin Loaded Nanoemulsion: Physicochemical Compatibility Study and Validation of a Simultaneous Quantification Method
Authors: Vaz Gustavo , Clementino Adryana , Bidone Juliana , Villetti Marcos , Falkembach Mariana , Batista Matheus , Barros Paula , Dora Cristiana , Sonvico Fabio
Published: August 2020

Biphasic oily/water nanoemulsions have been proposed as delivery systems for the intranasal administration of curcumin (CUR) and quercetin (QU), due to their high drug entrapment efficiency, the possibility of simultaneous drug administration and protection of the encapsulated compounds from the degradation. To better understand the physicochemical and biological performance of the selected formulation simultaneously co-encapsulating CUR and QU, a stability test of the compounds mixture was firstly carried out using X-ray powder diffraction and thermal analyses, such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). The determination and quantification of the encapsulated active compounds was then required being an essential tool for the development of innovative nanomedicines. Thus, a new HPLC–UV/Vis method for the simultaneous determination of CUR and QU in the nanoemulsions and their evaluation in stability studies in simulated biological fluids was developed and validated. The X-ray diffraction analyses demonstrated that no interaction between the mixture of active ingredients, if any, is strong enough to take place in the solid state. Moreover, the thermal analysis demonstrated that the CUR and QU are stable in the nanoemulsion production temperature range. The proposed analytical method for the simultaneous quantification of the two actives was selective and linear for both compounds in the range of 0.5 – 12.5 µg/mL (R2 > 0.9997), precise (RSD below 3%), robust and accurate (recovery 100 ± 5 %). The method was validated in accordance with ICH Q2 R1 “Validation of Analytical Procedures” and CDER-FDA 2validation of chromatographic methods” guideline. Furthermore, the low detection (LOD < 0.005 µg/mL for CUR and <0.14 µg/mL for QU) and quantification limits (LOQ < 0.017 µg/mL for CUR and < 0.48 µg/mL for QU) of the method were suitable for the application to drug release and permeation studies planned for the development of the nanoemulsions. The method was then applied for the determination of nanoemulsions CUR and QU encapsulation efficiencies (> 99%), as well as for the stability studies of the two compounds in simulated biological fluids over time. The proposed method represents, to our knowledge, the only method for the simultaneous quantification of CUR, and QU in nanoemulsions.
Acupuncture on Lactate, Perceived Exertion in Recreational Athletes Submitted to HIIT
Authors: Pernambuco Carlos Soares , Vale Rodrigo Gomes de Souza , Valentim-Silva João Rafael , de Souza Filho Carlos Alberto , Jesus Vinicius do Espirito Santo de , Borges Eliane da Silva , Cardoso Leandra Silva , Regazzi Isabel Cristina , Dantas Estelio Henrique Martin
Published: August 2020

Studies have demonstrated the positive effects of acupuncture on athletic performance. The aim of this study was to determine the acute effects of acupuncture on heart rate, the perceived exertion scale and lactate levels in recreational athletes. Fifteen competitive males engaged in HIIT. The characteristic was 29.86±2.51 years old, heart rate reserve 59.00±3.33, lactate 3.17±0.50 mM/DL. The subjects were submitted to two exercise sessions. Both training sessions consisted of 10 burpees, 12 thrusters and 14 box jumps (75 cm high) for 12 minutes. Activity intensity was between 85 and 95% of maximum heart rate. Acupuncture points: ST36, L3, LI11. The student’s t-test was adopted, Shapiro-Wilk test was applied for normality, and Pearson correlation. There was a positive correlation of r = 0.69 between lactate levels and heart rate. Lactate: Lac1 15.00±1.18 – Lac2 19.59± 1.46 p= 0.0001*; Heart 1rate: HRF 163.71±7.27 – HRF2 177.60±6.99 p=0.0001*; Blood pressure: SBP1 174.86±1.57 – SBP2 180.86±1.77 p= 0.0001*; PES1: 19.4±1.14; PES2 16.8±0.84 p= 0.0001*; weight1 – 182,57±12,05; weight 2 206,43±11,39 p=0.0325*. Acupuncture increased lactate accumulation, heart rate and blood pressure, suggesting that the exertion reached after acupuncture is higher than without acupuncture. The acupuncture technics improved the athlete performance.
Climate Change and Alpine Screes: No Future for Glacial Relict Papaver occidentale (Papaveraceae) in Western Prealps
Authors: Fragnière Yann , Pittet Loïc , Clément Benoît , Bétrisey Sébastien , Gerber Emanuel , Ronikier Michal , Parisod Christian , Kozlowski Gregor
Published: August 2020

Glacial relicts, especially those with very narrow habitat requirements, are particularly affected by global warming and thus good models for studying the future biodiversity patterns of the Alps. We have used as a model taxon Papaver occidentale, a glacial relict endemic to the Western Prealps, belonging to the alpine poppy complex (P. alpinum aggr.). All known localities were visited, each population was georeferenced and the number of individuals was estimated. Species Distribution Modelling (SDM) was used to evaluate the present and future potential distribution range and habitat suitability, taking into account the specificity of its habitat (calcareous screes). According to our study, there are globally 19 natural populations of P. occidentale. The total number of individuals was estimated at 30756 (with 72% of all individuals in canton of Bern). The taxon is a highly specialized alpine plant growing preferentially between 1900 and 2100 m a.s.l. on north facing screes. Predictions for the end of the 21st century indicate that suitable area will significantly decrease, for both the entire studied area (0-30% remaining) and sites nearby current P. occidentale populations (0-17% remaining). Under the most severe scenario, the species risks complete extinction. The long-term in situ conservation of P. occidentale, and all other taxa of the P. alpinum complex, is unlikely to be achieved without slowing global climate change. More generally, our fine-scale study shows that local environmental buffering of large-scale climate change in high-mountain flora may be very limited in specialised taxa of such patchy environments as screes.
Deep Learning-Based Models for Pain Recognition: A Systematic Review
Authors: Al-Eidan Rasha M. , Al-Khalifa Hend , Alsalman AbdulMalik
Published: August 2020

The traditional standards employed for pain assessment have many limitations. One such limitation is reliability because of inter-observer variability. Therefore, there have been many approaches to automate the task of pain recognition. Recently, deep-learning methods have appeared to solve many challenges, such as feature selection and cases with a small number of data sets. This study provides a systematic review of pain-recognition systems that are based on deep-learning models for the last two years only. Furthermore, it presents the major deep-learning methods that were used in review papers. Finally, it provides a discussion of the challenges and open issues.
Displacements Monitoring over Czechia by IT4S1 System for Automatised Interferometric Measurements Using Sentinel-1 Data
Authors: Lazecky Milan , Hatton Emma , Gonzalez Pablo J. , Hlavacova Ivana , Jirankova Eva , Dvorak Frantisek , Sustr Zdenek , Martinovic Jan
Published: August 2020

Sentinel-1 satellite system continuously observes European countries in a relatively high revisit frequency of 6 days per orbital track. Given the Sentinel-1 configuration, most areas in Czechia are observed every 1–2 days by different tracks in a moderate resolution. This is attractive for various types of analyses by various research groups. The starting point for processing is an original data provided by ESA, for interferometry (InSAR) this level is a Single Look Complex (SLC) data. This work represents advantages of storing data augmented to a specifically corrected level of data, SLC-C. The presented database contains Czech nation-wide Sentinel-1 data stored in burst units that have been preprocessed to the state of a consistent well-coregistered dataset of SLC-C. These are resampled SLC data with their phase values reduced by a topographic phase signature, ready for fast interferometric analyses (an interferogram is generated by a complex conjugate between two stored SLC-C files). The data can be used directly into multitemporal interferometry techniques, e.g. Persistent Scatterers (PS) or Small Baseline (SB) techniques applied here. A further development of the nation-wide system utilising SLC-C data would lead into a dynamic state where every new pre-processed burst triggers a processing update to detect unexpected changes from InSAR time series and therefore provide a signal for early warning against a potential dangerous displacement, e.g. a landslide, instability of an engineering structure or a formation of a sinkhole. An update of the processing chain would also allow use of cross-polarised Sentinel-1 data, needed for polarimetric analyses. The current system is running at a national supercomputing centre IT4Innovations in interconnection to the Czech Copernicus Collaborative Ground Segment (CESNET), providing fast on-demand InSAR results over Czech territories. A full nation-wide PS processing using data over Czechia has been performed in 2017, discovering several areas of land deformation. Its downsampled version and basic findings are demonstrated within the article.
Drinking Water and Diarrheal Characteristic Cases in Darbendikhan City
Authors: Mohammed Sabah Shareef , Hama-karim Yadgar Hussien , Gubari Mohammed Ibrahim Mohialdeen
Published: August 2020

Water pollution in Iraq has been extended disaster edge; this pollution is caused by wastes and sewages into soil and rivers, pollutant water sources influence the outbreak and serious epidemic status among the population.. The aim of this study is to determine the bacteriological quality of drinking water sources and characteristics of water-borne diseases especially diarrheal cases in Darbandikhan city. 166 water samples, collected from the different sources and areas, were tested for the presences of coliform bacteria as an indicator for pathogen contamination. Most probable number index was used for coliform enumeration. 161 diarrheal cases were taken as a sample from the patients were admitted to the general hospital in Darbandikhan district.. The questionnaire form was planned to view characteristics of diarrheal cases and patients were interviewed directly, the data was analyzed by STATA software application. 46% of the diarrheal cases used tap water for drinking. On the other hand, the reminder (54%) used other sources for the same purpose. All the risk factor such as type of water source, sufficiency of the water, duration of water storage and chlorination were associated with diarrhea. Almost half of the cases were children and three quarters were single. The data was analyzed by STATA version 13.1.This study indicated that the majority of drinking water sources in Darbandikhan city are not suitable for drinking, although net pipe system supplied chlorine significantly it has been proven that the tap water from the homes is not suitable for consumption.
Preservation of Vitamin C and Phenolic Compounds from Umbu (Spondias Tuberosa Arr. Cam.) via Spray Drying
Authors: Muniz Thais , Araujo Hanndson , Paiva Santos Eudeson G. , Bezerra de Oliveira Iara , Duarte Martins Maria Elita , Cavalcanti-Mata Mario , Lisboa Hugo , Pasquali Matheus A.
Published: August 2020

Umbu is a tropical fruit with high content of bioactive compounds. However, maturation causes significant losses on nutrient density reducing the nutritional value of this highly appreciated fruit. Thus, the objective of the present work was to encapsulate the Umbu fruit bioactive compounds using spray drying and identify the variables affecting the biomolecules preservation. A Box-Behnken experimental design with 3 factors was set varying inlet temperature, atomization flow rate, and maltodextrin concentration for process otimization. Then the powder physicochemical and chemical properties were characterized, and results were modeled using a polynomial equation. Results revealed that the droplet size and maltodextrin concentration had a significant influence on the conservation of the biomolecules. Drying kinetics favoring fast formation of a particle crust increases encapsulation efficiency. Bioactive compounds retention was achieved by increasing maltodextrin even at high temperatures, where a matrix is formed hindering chemical degradation. Process optimization was validated and revealed low inlet temperatures (122ºC), high atomization flow rate (5kg/h) and high maltodextrin concentration (20%) to be the most desirable conditions for bioactive compounds retention.
Boophone Haemanthoides (Amaryllidaceae) and Its Bioactive Compounds Attenuate MPP+-Induced Toxicity in an in Vitro Parkinson’s Disease Model
Authors: Ibrakaw Abobaker S. , Omoruyi Sylvester I. , Ekpo Okobi E. , Hussein Ahmed A.
Published: August 2020

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease that progresses with increasing age and some of its major symptoms include tremor, postural and movement related difficulties. Till date, the treatment of PD remains a challenge because available drugs only treat the symptoms of the disease or possess serious side effects. In light of this, new treatment options are needed, hence this study investigates the neuroprotective effects of an organic Boophone haemanthoides extract (BHE) and its bioactive compounds using an in vitro model of PD involving the toxin 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) and SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. A total of seven compounds were isolated from BHE viz: distichamine (1), 1α,3α-diacetylnerbowdine (2), hippadine (3), stigmast-4-ene-3, 6-dione (4), cholest-4-en-3-one (5), tyrosol (6), and 3-hydroxy-1-(4`-hydroxyphenyl)-1-propanone (7). Six compounds (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7) were investigated and five showed neuroprotection alongside the BHE. This study gives insight into the bioactivity of the non-alkaloidal constituents of Amaryllidaceae since the isolated compounds and the BHE showed improved cell viability, increased ATP generation in the cells as well as inhibition of MPP+-induced apoptosis. Together, these findings support the claim that the Amaryllidaceae plant family could be a potential reserve of bioactive compounds for the discovery of neuroprotective agents.
Effect of CYP3A5 Polymorphism on Liver Function and Tacrolimus Pharmacokinetics after Conversion to a Once-Daily Tacrolimus Formulation in Stable Liver Transplant Patients
Authors: Kim Jong Man , Ryu Je Ho , Lee Kwang-Woong , Hong Suk Kyun , Yang Kwangho , Choi Gyu-Seong , Kim Young-Ae , Lee Ju-Yeun , Yi Nam-Joon , Kwon Choon Hyuck David , Chu Chong Woo , Suh Kyung-Suk , Joh Jae-Won
Published: August 2020

To analyze the effects of CYP3A5 polymorphism on liver function after LT and to characterize the pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus after conversion from a twice-daily regimen to a once-daily extended-release formulation. A prospective open-label study included 60 stable liver transplant recipients who underwent 1:1 conversion from twice-daily tacrolimus to once-daily tacrolimus. All participants were genotyped for CYP3A5 polymorphism. The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT 02882113). Twenty-eight patients were enrolled in the CYP3A5 expressor group and 32 in the non-expressor group. Although there was no statistical difference, incidence of liver dysfunction was higher in the expressor group than in the non-expressor group when converted to once-daily extended-release tacrolimus (P=0.088). No biopsy-proven acute rejection, graft failure, and mortality were observed in either group. The decrease in dose-adjusted trough level (- 42.9% vs. - 26.1%) and dose/kg-adjusted trough level of tacrolimus (- 40.0% vs. - 23.7%) was significantly greater in the expressor group than in the non-expressors after the conversion. The absorption of the tacrolimus in the non-expressor group was slower than in the expressors. In line with this observation, the AUC for once-daily tacrolimus correlated with Cmin in the non-expressors and Cmax in the expressors. Determination of CYP3A5 genotype in liver transplant recipients might be helpful in prediction of tacrolimus pharmacokinetics after conversion from a twice-daily regimen to a once-daily formulation.
Collating Qaṣīdah Burdah of Al-Buṣīrī
Authors: Surahman Cucu
Published: August 2020

This article studies the process of transmission of Qaṣīdah Burdah texts of al-Buṣīrī. This study is carried out by comparing some manuscripts of it with the editions available now. This effort aims to know the process of transmission of knowledge from one generation to another and know how knowledge as the core of civilization is maintained from time to time. This study will scrutinize both the uniformity and the difference of the text; from its handwriting form to a living printed text nowadays. This article is intended to look at both the internal history of texts and the history of reception. Having evaluated the editions and collated the manuscripts of al-Buṣīrī’s Qaṣīdah Burdah preserved in the library of Leiden University, I conclude that there are no significant differences between the editions available nowadays and the manuscripts. The differences only relate to technical matters, such as the division of chapter and the way of reciting.
Framing of Health Communication in Islamic Religious Education in New Media
Authors: Putri K. Y. S. , Abdullah Zulhamri Bin , Safitri Dini , Sugiyanta Lipur , Ramdan Angelita Kania
Published: August 2020

Health communication is needed by the Indonesian people. Islamic education greatly facilitates all forms of health for humanity. This study uses a new media object that is the national media Twitter which contains health information in 2019. The research problem formulation is how to frame health communication in Islamic religious education in new media? The purpose of this study was to determine the health communication framing in Islamic religious education in new media. Health communication is the art of informing influencing and motivating individuals, institutions and society about important matters in the health sector in improving the quality of life and health of individuals in society. The results of the study, the dimensions of informing, influencing, motivating individuals, and society through multilevel Twitter results. In the personal health information unit, this information is very often shared by the cyber media. However, if it is associated with the healthy behavior of new media users, it is seen to have followed. In public health information units such as sneezing and littering: this information is often shared by new media. Cybermedia users are very following.
Islam Moderat dan Islam Radikal dalam Perspektif Generasi Milenial Kota Surabaya
Authors: DJalal Abdul , Huda M. Syamsul
Published: August 2020

Paper ini menguji hasil beberapa penelitian sebelumnya yang mengambil pendidikan formal sebagai obyek penelitian dengan responden para pelajar, mahasiswa, dan guru di daerah Jakarta, Bandung, dan Yogyakarta, yang menyetujui perubahan ideologi negara dari Pancasila ke khilafah Islamiyah serta tindakan kekerasan dalam beragama. Sebagai alat uji, penulis menawarkan obyek penelitian pada para generasi milenial di kota Surabaya dengan latar belakang pendidikan formal dan non formal dan setting sosial berbagai latar belakang profesi, pendidikan, serta usia antara 17 sampai 30 tahun dan dengan metode observasi mendalam dan wawancara dengan teknik FGD (Focus Group Discussion) pada 13 anak muda kota Surabaya pada empat wilayah di kota Surabaya. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan; Pertama, narasi generasi milenial tentang Islam moderat menunjukkan pada pengalaman keagamaan yang bercorak santai, ringan, damai dan fleksibel dan Islam radikal sebagai perilaku Islam yang tidak bisa beradaptasi dengan lingkungannya. Kedua, sumber referensinya bergeser dari literasi buku ke literasi digital dengan memanfaatkan konten media sosial, Instagram, dan Youtube. Ketiga, figur dan inspiratornya juga berubah dari sosok ulama ke para tokoh hijrah, baik artis maupun ustadz muda produk entertaiment yang memanfaatkan media digital.
Konsep Syuro dalam Perspektif Islamic Worldview
Authors: Zein Fuad Muhammad
Published: August 2020

Syuro has an important role in Islam. As a decision-making mechanism, syuro plays an important role in every aspect of human life. Syuro is also understood as an appreciation of the freedom of expression of human beings in social relations. Therefore, the true syuro in Islam is not always identical to politics. It's just that, as a large part of human life, the role of politics in social life is also very important. As a means of upholding shari'a, politics is considered capable of providing good legal certainty for human social life and also in determining a political leader. Due to these interests, the role of syuro in politics cannot be avoided. Syuro in Islamic politics cannot be directly equated with the practice of deliberation in the current political phenomenon. In addition to the uniqueness of the concept that emphasizes respect for human dignity in terms of his freedom, syuro in Islam places great emphasis on scientific authority, syuro in Islam is also not always identical with the concept of majority rule, because the basis is sharia. So if the majority opinion is contrary to what is in sharia, then the majority opinion is not acceptable.
Pengaruh Model Pembelajaran Two Stay Two Stray Terhadap Hasil Belajar IPS Siswa Kelas 5 Sekolah Dasar
Authors: Latifatul Zurroh  , Mahardika Darmawan Kusuma Wardana
Published: August 2020

The purpose of this research is whether there is influence or not on the application of Two Stay Two Stray learning model on fifth-grade student’s social science learning performance in AL-ISLAH Elementary school. The method applied by this research was a quantitative experiment. The design of thes research takes the fifth-grade students of AL- ISLAH Elementary school as the population and 30 of the total as the sample. The data collecting technique uses test. Meanwhile, the analysis of the data runs hypotheses test and Eta Squared formula. The result of the application of Two Stay Two Stray learning model on fifth-grade student’s social science learning performance in AL-ISLAH Elementary school showed that the t-account is more than t-table. It is 22,20>1,699. The acquired data shows if the application of Two Stay Two Stray learning models has an influence on fifth-grade student’s social science learning performence in  AL-ISLAH Elementary school. By  Eta Squared, it shows 0,94>0,14. Based on the data by Eta Squared indicates that the influence given is moderately big towards student’s learning performance.
An Intensive Archeological Survey of the Owl Hills-Tunstill 138-KV Transmission Line Route
Authors: Mudd Michael
Published: August 2020

Oncor Electric Delivery Company, LLC (Oncor) is planning to construct the Owl Hills—Tunstill 138-kV Transmission Line Route in Culberson, Reeves and Loving Counties, Texas. Oncor contracted with Halff Associates, Inc. to conduct an intensive pedestrian survey of 18.5 miles of new 138-kV transmission line on private property. The survey was conducted January 20-24, 2020 and a total of 102 shovel tests were excavated in areas where buried archeological deposits where expected, and two 15-meter (32.8-foot) transects underwent pedestrian survey within the 70-foot (21.3-meter) wide survey corridor, which measures approximately 157 acres.

Three archeological sites (41RV208, 41RV209 and 41RV213) were identified and recorded during the archeological survey. Site 41RV208 is a prehistoric occupation containing a surface deposit of 12 lithic debitage, 6 flake tools, 6 cores, 2 groundstone fragments and 40 fire cracked rocks (FCR). The site is situated on a gravelly and deflated upland that forms the western rim of the Pecos River valley. Site 41RV209 consists of a prehistoric occupation containing a surface deposit of 12 FCR, 6 lithic debitage, 3 flake tools, 2 cores, 1 uniface, and 1 biface. This site is situated on the heavily eroded west bank of Salt Creek and has been disturbed by construction activities associated with an adjacent pipeline corridor. Site 41RV213 is an abandoned section of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (ATSF) Railway that parallels U.S. Highway 285 to the east. The section of railroad in the surveyed area has undergone extensive disturbance and consists of a narrow linear piling of fill, railroad gravels and non-descript metal debris. It is Halff’s recommendation that sites 41RV208, 41RV209 and 41RV213 are ineligible for National Register of Historic Places consideration in the surveyed area and no further cultural resources investigations are warranted for the project.

While shovel testing within the lower terraces of the Pecos River valley floor resulted in negative findings, most of the shovel tests in this area did not encounter restrictive deposits soil or geologic deposits that antedate the Holocene. Therefore, the installation of the transmission line poles located along the lower alluvial terraces of the Pecos River was recommended for archeological monitoring. Halff recommends that construction of the remainder of the proposed transmission line route be allowed to proceed and that no additional archaeological investigations are recommended outside of the monitoring area. However, if the proposed transmission line route alignment changes, additional archeological survey may be necessary. In addition, should any cultural resources be discovered during the construction or maintenance activities associated with the project, work in the immediate area shall cease and the Texas Historical Commission be notified of the discovery.
Do the human gut metagenomic species possess the minimal set of core functionalities necessary for life?
Authors: Soverini Matteo , Rampelli Simone , Turroni Silvia , Brigidi Patrizia , Biagi Elena , Candela Marco
Published: August 2020

Background: Advances in bioinformatics recently allowed for the recovery of ‘metagenomes assembled genomes’ from human microbiome studies carried on with shotgun sequencing techniques. Such approach is used as a mean to discover new unclassified metagenomic species, putative biological entities having distinct metabolic traits. Results: In the present analysis we compare 400 genomes from isolates available on NCBI database and 10,000 human gut metagenomic species, screening all of them for the presence of a minimal set of core functionalities necessary, but not sufficient, for life. As a result, the metagenome-assembled genomes resulted systematically depleted in genes encoding for essential functions apparently needed to support autonomous bacterial life.Conclusions: The relevant degree of lacking core functionalities that we observed in metagenome-assembled genomes raises some concerns about the effective completeness of metagenome-assembled genomes, suggesting caution in extrapolating biological information about their metabolic propensity and ecology in a complex environment like the human gastrointestinal tract.
No evidence of a synergistic effect of HIV infection and diabetes mellitus type 2 on fat distribution, plasma adiponectin or inflammatory markers.
Authors: Hove-Skovsgaard Malene , Abildgaard Julie , Gelpi Marco , Gaardbo Julie , Kolte Lilian , Ullum Henrik , Trøseid Marius , Lindegaard Birgitte , Nielsen Susanne Dam
Published: August 2020

BackgroundAltered fat distribution and chronic inflammation are found in both persons living with HIV (PLWH) and persons with diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2) and are known risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). We aimed to investigate if a synergistic effect of HIV infection and DM2 was found on fat distribution and inflammation.MethodsA cross-sectional study was performed including PLWH with HIV RNA <200 copies/mL (18 with DM2 (HIV + DM2+), 18 without DM2 (HIV + DM2-)) and controls (19 with DM2 (controls with DM2) and 25 without DM2 (healthy controls). We measured fat distribution using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan. Plasma concentrations of adiponectin, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alfa (TNF- α) and soluble CD14 (sCD14) was measured using snap-frozen plasma. ResultsHIV+DM2+ and HIV+DM2- had comparable trunk/limb fat ratio. In contrast, HIV+DM2+ had a higher trunk/ limb fat ratio than controls with DM2 and healthy controls (p=0.013 and p<0.001, respectively). However, HIV+DM2+ and controls with DM2 had comparable amount of trunk fat mass (kg) (p=0.254). A lower concentration of plasma adiponectin and higher concentration of IL-6 was found in HIV+DM2+ than in HIV+DM2-(p=0.037 and p=0.039) and in healthy controls (p=0.001 and p=0.012). In contrast, plasma adiponectin and IL-6 concentrations were comparable in HIV+DM2+ and controls with DM2 (p=0.345 and p=0.825). Concentration of sCD14 was comparable in HIV+DM2+ and HIV+DM2–(p=0.850), but elevated in HIV+DM2+ compared to controls with DM2 (p<0.001) and healthy controls (p=0.007). No statistical interactions were found between HIV infection and DM2 for any of the depending variables. ConclusionA synergistic effect of HIV and DM2 was not found for any of the outcomes. However, HIV+DM2+ had features related to both HIV infection and DM2 with a high trunk/limb ratio, high trunk fat mass, low concentration of plasma adiponectin and elevated concentrations of IL-6 and sCD14. This could contribute to elevated risk of CVD.
Protocol for the development and validation of a risk prediction model for stillbirths from 35 weeks gestation in Australia
Authors: Sexton Jessica , Coory Michael , Kumar Sailesh , Smith Gordon , Gordon Adrienne , Chambers Georgina , Pereira Gavin , Raynes-Greenow Camille , Hilder Lisa , Middleton Philippa , Bowman Anneka , Lieske Scott , Warrilow Kara , Morris Jonathan , Ellwood David , Flenady Vicki
Published: August 2020

Background: Despite advances in the care of women and their babies in the past century, an estimated 1.7 million babies are born still each year throughout the world. A robust method to estimate a pregnant woman’s individualized risk of late-pregnancy stillbirth may inform decision-making around timing of birth to reduce the risk of stillbirth from 35 weeks gestation in Australia, a high-resource setting.Methods: This is a protocol for a cross-sectional study of all late-pregnancy births in Australia (2005-2015) from 35 weeks gestation including 5,188 stillbirths among 3.1 million births at an estimated rate of 1.7 stillbirths per 1000 births. A multivariable logistic regression model will be developed in line with current Transparent Reporting of a multivariable prediction model for Individual Prognosis or Diagnosis (TRIPOD) guidelines to estimate the gestation-specific probability of stillbirth with prediction intervals. Candidate predictors were identified from systematic reviews and clinical consultation and will be assessed through univariable regression analysis. To generate a final model, elimination by backward stepwise multivariable logistic regression will be performed. The model will be internally validated using bootstrapping with 1000 repetitions and externally validated using a temporally unique dataset. Overall model performance will be assessed with R2, calibration, and discrimination. Calibration will be reported using a calibration plot with 95% confidence intervals (α=0.05). Discrimination will be measured by the C-statistic and area underneath the receiver-operator curves. Clinical usefulness will be reported as positive and negative predictive values and a decision curve analysis will be considered. Discussion: A robust method to predict a pregnant woman’s individualized risk of late-pregnancy stillbirth may inform timely, appropriate care to reduce stillbirth. Among existing prediction models designed for maternity use, few have been subject to internal and external validation and many fail to meet recommended reporting standards. In developing a risk prediction model for late-gestation stillbirth with both providers and pregnant women in mind, we endeavor to develop a validated model for clinical use in Australia that meets current reporting standards.
Short-Wave Enhances MSC Recruitment in Fracture Healing from Increasing HIF-1 in Callus
Authors: Ye Dongmei , Chen Chen , Wang Qiwen , Zhang Qi , Li Sha , Liu Hongwei
Published: August 2020

Background: As a type of high-frequency electrotherapy, a Short-Wave can promote the fracture healing process; yet, its underlying therapeutic mechanisms still remain unclear.Purpose: To observe the effect of Short-Wave therapy on mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) homing and relative mechanisms associated with fracture healing. Materials and Methods: For in vivo study, the effect of Short-Wave therapy in relation to fracture healing was examined in stabilized femur fractures model of 40 SD rats. Radiography was used to analyze the morphology and micro-architecture of the callus. Additionally, fluorescence assays were used to analyze the GFP-labeled MSC homing after treatment in 20 nude mice with a femoral fracture. For in vitro study, osteoblast from newborn rats simulated fracture site was first irradiated by the Short-Wave; siRNA targeting HIF-1 was used to investigate the role of HIF-1. Osteoblast culture medium was then collected as chemotaxis content of MSC, and the migration of MSC from rats was evaluated using wound healing assay and trans-well chamber test. The expression of HIF-1 and its related factors were quantified by q RT-PCR, ELISA, and Western blot.Results: Our in vivo experiment indicated that Short-Wave therapy could promote MSC migration, increase local and serum HIF-1 and SDF-1 levels, induce changes in callus formation, and improve callus microarchitecture and mechanical properties, thus speeding up the healing process of the fracture site. Moreover, the in vitro results further indicated that Short-Waves therapy upregulated HIF-1 and SDF-1 expression in osteoblast and in the medium, as well as the expression of CXCR-4, β-catenin, F-actin and phosphorylation levels of FAK in MSC. On the other hand, the inhibition of HIF-1α was significantly restrained by the inhibition of HIF-1α in osteoblast, and it partially inhibited the migration of MSC.Conclusions: These results suggested that Short-Wave therapy could increase HIF-1 in callus, which is one of the crucial mechanisms of chemotaxis MSC homing in fracture healing.
Phone-based audience response system as an adjunct in orthodontic teaching of undergraduate dental students: a cross-over randomised controlled trial
Authors: Alharbi Fahad , Alazmi Khulud , Momani Bashar R. El , Al-Muzian Lubna , Wertheimer Mark , Almukhtar Anas , Almuzian Mohammed
Published: August 2020

Background: The advent of electronic teaching facilities improved tutor-student communication. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of Phone-Based Audience Response System (PB-ARS), as an adjunctive and interactive model to traditional pedagogy, on the retention of information by undergraduate dental students and to explore the students’ perception and acceptance of PB-ARS. Methods: This cross-over clustered randomised control trial was conducted with 34 final year undergraduate dental students, who were allocated to one of two event groups (G1 and G2) using computer-generated randomisation. Both groups simultaneously attended two different traditional lectures a week apart (L 1 and L2). During L1, PB-ARS was used as an adjunct to conventional presentation to teach G1 participants (PB-ARS group). In contrast, G2’s participants acted as a control group (CG), and they were taught using the traditional presentation. In the second week (L2), the interventions were crossed. Participants from both groups completed pre- and post-lecture multiple-choice questions (MCQ) to assess short-term retention of information. They also filled post-lecture questionaries' to determine their perceptions of teaching delivery. Their performance in the final MCQ exam (10 weeks following L2) were used assess the long-term recall of the obtained knowledge. Results: 29 and 31 participants from the CG and PB-ARS group completed this trial, respectively. Although 87.5% of students in PB-ARS group showed an improvement in their post-lecture scores compared to 79.3% for CG, it was statistically insignificant. Similarly, the intervention showed an insignificant effect on the long-term retention of the knowledge.There was a mildly favourable attitude of students to the PB-ARS system; however, the difference in the overall rate of the level of satisfaction in both was statistically insignificant.Conclusion: PB-ARS system has a minimal insignificant effect on short- and long term retention of knowledge of the undergraduate dental students, though it was a slightly more preferred adjunct to conventional classroom teaching. Due to the limitation of this trial, a long-term randomised controlled trial with a larger sample size is recommended.
Predictive value of pentraxin-3 on disease severity and prognosis in patients with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome
Authors: Du Hong , Hu Haifeng , Wang Pingzhong , Wang Xiaoyan , Zhang Ying , Jiang Hong , Li Jing , Bai Xuefan , Lian Jianqi
Published: August 2020

Background: Pentraxin-3 is an acute-phase protein involved in the processes of inflammation and infection. This study aimed to analyze the changes of plasma pentraxin-3 prospectively and evaluate its predictive value on disease severity and prognosis in patients with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).Methods: A total of 105 HFRS patients were enrolled in this study and were grouped according to the clinical classification criteria for HFRS, and 27 healthy volunteers served as controls. The levels of plasma pentraxin-3 were detected using the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and which were compared among the acute and convalescent phases in different types of patients, as well as the control group. Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between pentraxin-3 and conventional laboratory indexes. The predictive effectiveness for prognosis of pentraxin-3 was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.Results: There was no significant difference in gender and age distribution between all types of patients and control group (P>0.05). In all types of patients, the levels of pentraxin-3 in acute phase were significantly higher than that of control group and convalescent phase of the same type (P<0.05). The levels of pentraxin-3 increased with the aggravation of the disease, and showed the highest expression in critical-type patients (P<0.05). Pentraxin-3 was positively correlated with WBC, AST and APTT, and negatively correlated with PLT, ALB and Fib (|rs|>0.500, P<0.001). Pentraxin-3 showed significant predictive value for the prognosis of HFRS patients, with the area under ROC curve (AUC) of 0.753 (95%CI: 0.593~0.914, P=0.003).Conclusions: The detection of plasma pentraxin-3 can be beneficial to the evaluation of disease severity and prognosis in patients with HFRS.
Cotton N rate could be reduced further under the planting model of late sowing and high-density in Yangtze River Valley
Authors: song xinghu , Huang Ying , Yuan Yuan , Tung Shahbaz Atta , Souliyanonh Biangkham , Yang Guozheng
Published: August 2020

Background: An optimal N rate is one of the basic determinants for high cotton yield. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal N rate on a new cotton cropping pattern with late-sowing, high density and one-time fertilization at first flower in Yangtze River Valley China. A 2-year experiment was conducted in 2015 and 2016 with a randomized complete blocks design, and cotton growth process, yield and biomass accumulation were examined. Results: The results showed that N rate had no effect on cotton growing progress or periods. Cotton yield was increased with N rate increasing from 120-180 kg·hm-2, while the yield was not increased when N was beyond 180 kg·hm-2, or even decreased (9-29%). Cotton had the highest biomass at N180 due to its highest accumulation speed during the fast accumulation period (FAP). Conclusions: The result suggests that cotton N rate could be reduced further to be 180 kg·hm-2 under the new cropping pattern in Yangtze River Valley China.
Carriage of ESBL-producing Gram-negative bacteria by houseflies captured in a hospital and its suburban surroundings in Ethiopia
Authors: Tufa Tafese B , Fuchs Andre , Wienemann Tobias , Eggers Yannik , Abdissa Sileshi , Schneider Marlen , Jensen Björn-Erik Ole , Bode Johannes G. , Pfeffer Klaus , Häussinger Dieter , Mackenzie Colin , Orth Hans Martin , Feldt Torsten
Published: August 2020

Background: Local data from the Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital in the town of Asella, Ethiopia reveal a high prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase- (ESBL) producing Gram-negative bacteria in clinical isolates. To investigate a possible route of transmission, we determined the colonization rate of houseflies with ESBL-producing Gram-negative bacteria in the hospital compound and in the town of Asella. Methods: Houseflies were collected in August 2019 from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), the orthopedic ward, the hospital’s waste disposal area, and from a butchery situated 1.5 km from the hospital. After trapping, the flies were macerated and suspended in sterile normal saline. The suspensions were inoculated on MacConkey agar and incubated overnight. Species identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were performed using Vitek®-MS and VITEK® 2. Results: In total, 103 bacterial isolates were obtained from 85 flies (NICU: 11 isolates from 20 flies, orthopedic ward: 10 isolates from 20 flies, waste disposal area: 37 isolates from 26 flies, butchery: 45 isolates from 27 flies). The prevalence of ESBL-producing bacteria in collected flies was 82%, 90%, and 57% in NICU, orthopedic ward and the waste disposal area, respectively and 2% (1/45) in the butchery. The difference between flies trapped inside and outside the hospital compound was statistically significant (p≤0.001). The frequency of ESBL was 67% (6/9) in Raoultella spp. 67% (4/6) in Kluyvera spp., 56% (5/9) in Enterobacter spp., 50% (5/10) in E. coli and Citrobacter spp., and 44% (8/18) in Klebsiella spp.. Of the 40 ESBL-genes detected, 85% were CTX-M-like, 83% TEM-like, 23% SHV-like, and 2% CTX-M-2-like. ESBL-producing bacteria showed higher rates of antimicrobial resistance against ciprofloxacin (66% vs. 5%), gentamicin (68% vs. 3%), piperacillin-tazobactam (78% vs. 5%), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (88% vs. 16%), compared to non-ESBL-producing bacteria. Conclusion: A high proportion of the hospital’s housefly population were colonized with pathogenic ESBL-producing bacteria, but not houseflies collected at a distance of 1.5 km from the hospital. Houseflies can be potential vectors for transmission of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria within hospitals. Further studies are needed to determine the source of MDR colonization in houseflies and possible impact of the high rate of MDR for nosocomial infections.
Platelet-rich plasma enhanced MSCs repair for glycerin-induced acute kidney injury via AKT/Rab27 paracrine pathway
Authors: Ji Cheng , Zhang Jiahui , Zhou Zixuan , Shi Hui , Liu wanzhu , Sun Fengtian , Zhang Chenxiao , Zhang Leilei , Sun Zixun , Qian Hui
Published: August 2020

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) was defined by rapid deterioration of renal function, as a common complication in hospitalized patients. Among the recent therapeutic options, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were considered a promising therapeutic strategy for damaged tissues repair. Platelet rich plasma (PRP) regulates stromal cells to repair tissue damage through the release of growth factors. Here we proposed a possible therapeutic use of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells stimulated by platelet-rich plasma (PRP-MSCs) in glycerin-induced acute kidney injury murine model.Methods: In vivo, we constructed glycerin-induced acute kidney injury rat models. On day 1 post injury, rat received a tail vein injection of 1×106 MSCs and 1×106 PRP-MSCs. All animals were sacrificed at Day 3 after glycerin injection. In vitro, NRK-52E cells were damaged by 20% glycerol for 12 hours, after that NRK-52E incubated with MSCs and PRP-MSCs for 24 hours in transwell co-culture system, DMEM as a negative control. NRK-52E cells were harvested for apoptosis assay, Western blot, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Then the number of MSCs exosomes stimulated by PRP was detected by confocal microscopy and Nanosight tracking analysis (NTA), PRP-MSCs-Ex (10mg/kg) and MSCs-Ex (10mg/kg) were injected intravenously, saline as control. The therapeutic effect of PRP-MSCs was evaluated by analyzing renal function (serum BUN, Creatinine), histopathological structure changes and apoptosis and proliferation of renal tubular cells. Results: In vivo and vitro studies confirmed that the PRP induced YAP nucleus expression to promoting the proliferation and reinforces the stemness of MSCs, and PRP could promoted the paracrine secretion of exosomes by MSCs to repair AKI though AKT/Rab27 pathway.Conclusions: Our results revealed that PRP stimulated MSCs paracrine pathway could effectively alleviate glycerin-induced acute kidney injury. Therefore, RPP pretreatment may be a new method to improve the therapeutic effect of MSCs.
Effect of Bacillus velezensis substituting for feed antibiotics on the production, blood biochemistry and egg quality indices of laying hens
Authors: Ye Miao , Wei Chunjie , Khalid Anam , Hu Qian , Yang Ru , Dai Binghong , Cheng Hengwei , Wang Zaigui
Published: August 2020

Background The excessive use of antibiotics in livestock feed industry caused inevitable side effect of microbial resistance. Beside this residual antibiotics in animal derived food stuff imposed serious health problems for humans. So this study aimed to investigate the potential use of Bacillus velezensis to substitute antibiotics for poultry production. A total of 468, 49-week-old Hy-Line Brown chickens, were randomly divided into four groups as control group (regular diet), experiment group I (0.1% B. veleznesis), experiment group II (0.2% B. veleznesis), and antibiotic group (50 mg/kg flavomycin), with three replicates per group and trial period consisted on 42 days.Results The results showed that, compared with control group, the average egg production rate and daily feed intake of experimental groups I and II increased significantly (P < 0.05), while the average egg weight was increased in experimental group II as compared to I. (P < 0.01). The feed conversion ratio was decreased (P > 0.05) in group II. Egg quality parameters such as yolk weight of the experiment group II was increased, but that of the antibiotic group and experiment group I was decreased, neither significant (P > 0.05). Moreover, the eggshell strength, yolk color, albumen height and Haugh unit were significantly increased (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, probiotic groups can increase the progesterone and motilin (P > 0.05) but decrease the secretin and cholecystokinin in the blood plasma (P > 0.05).Conclusion This study suggested that B. velezensis can substitute in-feed-antibiotics and improved most of the study parameters significantly. Which suggested that B. velezensis has potential future application value to replace the feed antibiotics.