bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Biovalorisation of crude glycerol and xylose into xylitol by oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica
Authors: Prabhu Ashish , Thomas Dominic J , Amaro Rodrigo Ledesma- , Leeke Gary A , Vaya Angel Medina , Verheecke-Vaessen Carol , Coulon Frederic , Kumar Vinod 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Background: Xylitol is a commercially important chemical with multiple applications in food and pharmaceutical industries. According to the US Department of Energy, xylitol is among the twelve platform chemicals that can be produced from biomass. The chemical method for xylitol synthesis is however expensive and energy intensive. In contrast, the biological route involving microbial cell factories offers a potential cost-effective alternative process. The bioprocess occurs under ambient conditions and makes use of biocatalysts which can be sourced from renewable carbon coming from a variety of cheap feedstocks classified as wastes. Result: In this study, biotransformation of xylose to xylitol was investigated using Yarrowia lipolytica an oleaginous yeast grown on glycerol/glucose screening of primary carbon source, media optimisation in shake flask, scale up in bioreactor and downstream processing of xylitol were carried out. With the two step medium optimization involving central composite design and artificial neural network coupled with genetic algorithm, the yeast amassed 53.2 g/L of xylitol using glycerol and xylose with a bioconversion yield of 0.97 g/g. Similar results were obtained when pure glycerol was substituted with crude glycerol from biodiesel industry (titer: 50.5 g/L; yield: 0.92 g/g). Even when xylose from lignocellulosic hydrolysate was used as opposed to pure xylose, a xylitol yield of 0.54 g/g was achieved. Xylitol was successfully crystallized from fermented broth using pure glycerol/xylose and crude glycerol /xylose with a recovery of 35 and 39.45%, respectively. Conclusion: To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating the potential of Y. lipolytica as microbial cell factory for xylitol synthesis from inexpensive feedstocks. The results obtained are competitive with other xylitol producing organisms.
Comparison of suprapatellar versus infrapatellar approaches of intramedullary nailing for distal tibia fractures
Authors: Lu Yao , Wang Gen , Hu Bin , Ren Cheng , Sun Liang , Wang Zhimeng , He Changjun , Xue Hanzhong , Li Zhong , Zhang Kun , Ma Teng , Wang Qian 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Background: This study aimed to analyze and compare the clinical and functional outcomes of distal tibia fractures treated with intramedullary nailing (IMN) using the suprapatellar (SP) and infrapatellar (IP) surgical approaches. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed in 63 patients with distal fractures that were treated with IMN between August 2014 and August 2018. A total of 27 and 36 patients underwent IMN using the SP and IP techniques, respectively. The surgical time, blood loss, closed reduction rate, rate of adjuvant reduction technique, fracture healing time, and complications were reviewed in this study. Anterior knee pain was assessed using the visual analog scale. The Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scale were used as clinical measurements. Results: A total of 63 patients, with a minimum follow-up of 12 months, were evaluated. The average surgical time, blood loss, rate of adjuvant reduction technique, closed reduction rate, fracture healing time, and Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale score were insignificantly different (P>0.05) between the two groups. However, the SP approach was superior to the IP approach in terms of pain score, AOFAS score, and fracture deformity rate (P<0.05). Conclusions: In the treatment of distal tibia fractures, the SP IMN technique is associated with a significantly higher functional outcome, lower knee pain, and lower rate of fracture deformity than the IP IMN technique.
Evolutionary ecology of the visual opsin gene sequence and its expression in turbot (Scophthalmus maximus)
Authors: Wang Yunong , Zhou Li , Wu Lele , Ma Xiaona , Xu Shihong , Du Tengfei , Li Xian , Li Jun 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Background As flatfish, turbot undergo metamorphosis as part of their life cycle. In the larval stage, turbot live at the ocean surface, but after metamorphosis they move to deeper water and turn to benthic life. Thus, the light environment differs greatly between life stages. The vision system plays a great role in organic evolution, but reports of the relationship between the visual system and benthic life are rare. In this study, we reported the molecular and evolutionary analysis of opsin genes in turbot, and the heterochronic shifts in opsin expression during development.Results Our gene synteny analysis showed that subtype RH2C was not on the same gene cluster as the other four green-sensitive opsin genes ( RH2 ) in turbot. It was translocated to chromosome 8 from chromosome 6. Based on branch-site test and spectral tuning sites analyses, E122Q and M207L substitutions in RH2C , which were found to be under positive selection, are closely related to the blue shift of optimum light sensitivities. And real-time PCR results indicated the dominant opsin gene shifted from red-sensitive ( LWS ) to RH2B1 during turbot development, which may lead to spectral sensitivity transition from red to green.Conclusions We demonstrated that RH2C may be an important subtype of green opsin gene that was retained by turbot and possibly other flatfish species during evolution. Moreover, E122Q and M207L substitutions in RH2C may contribute to the survival of turbot in the bluish colored ocean. And heterochronic shifts in opsin expression may be an important strategy for turbot to adapt to benthic life.
Improved multi-bandwidth mode manifold for enhanced bearing fault diagnosis
Authors: Du Guifu , Jiang Tao , Wang Jun , Jiang Xingxing , Zhu Zhongkui 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Variational mode decomposition (VMD) has been proved to be useful for extraction of fault-induced transients of rolling bearings. Multi-bandwidth mode manifold (Triple M, TM) is one variation of the VMD, which units multiple fault-related modes with different bandwidths by a nonlinear manifold learning algorithm named local tangent space alignment (LTSA). The merit of the TM method is that the bearing fault-induced transients extracted contain low level of in-band noise without optimization of the VMD parameters. However, the determination of the neighborhood size of the LTSA is time-consuming, and the extracted fault-induced transients may have the problem of asymmetry in the up-and-down direction. This paper aims to improve the performance of the TM method. The major contribution of the improved TM method for bearing fault diagnosis is that the pure fault-induced transients are extracted efficiently and are symmetrical as the real. Specifically, the multi-bandwidth modes consisting of the fault-related modes with different bandwidths are first obtained by repeating the recycling VMD (RVMD) method with different bandwidth balance parameters. Then, the LTSA algorithm is performed on the multi-bandwidth modes to extract their inherent manifold structure, in which the natural nearest neighbor (Triple N, TN) algorithm is adopted to efficiently and reasonably select the neighbors of each data point in the multi-bandwidth modes. Finally, a weight-based feature compensation strategy is designed to synthesize the low-dimensional manifold features to alleviate the asymmetry problem, resulting in a symmetric TM feature that can represent the real fault transient components. One simulation analysis and two experimental applications in bearing fault diagnosis validate the enhanced performance of the improved TM method proposed over the traditional methods.
Bacteriological And Parasitological Study Of Acute Gastroenteritis Among Patients Visiting Sukraraj Tropical And Infectious Disease Hospital (STIDH), Teku, Kathmandu
Authors: Jangam Sanjeena , Lamsal Nisha , Sharma Prashansha , Makaju Najma , Mali Beena , Chaudhary Pankaj 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Gastroenteritisis a major public-health problem in developing nations like Nepal, where communities are still ravaged by poverty, poor sanitation, poor personal hygiene, and poor water supplies.The objective of our study was to find the bacterial and parasitic agents responsible for causing gastroenteritis.METHODOLOGY: A hospital based prospective study was carried out for 3 months in Bacteriology and Parasitology section of STIDH. Stool samples received in respective section from patients with gastroenteritis were included in the study. Standard Microbiological Guidelines were employed for collection and processing of samples, followed by Isolation, Identification and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of bacterial isolates. Normal saline and Iodine preparation were done for microscopic examination of parasites.RESULTS: Among 421 stool samples processed in Bacteriology section, 28(6.65%) showed bacterial growth with 15(53.57%) Shigella flexneri , 4(14.28%) S higella sonnei and 9(32.14%) Salmonella typhimurium . Ceftriaxone and Nalidixic acid were found to be the most Sensitive and Resistant antibiotic for Shigella spp. and Salmonella typhimurium. Similarly, in parasitology section, microscopic observation of 648 stool samples showed 136(20.98%) cysts of Entamoeba histolytica , 3(0.46%) cysts of Giardia lamblia , 2(0.30%) trophozoites of Giardia lamblia , 1 (0.15%) larva of Strongyloides stercoralis , 1(0.15%) ova of hookworm and 1(0.15%) ova of Ascaris lumbricoides .CONCLUSION: The study revealed Shigella species as the predominant bacterial agent with S. flexneri being the major one. Hence, extensive study of shigellosis with greater emphasis on resistance pattern of different group of antibiotics is essential in such hospital. Similarly, parasitic infections are found in significant amount. Hence, concerned hospital authorities and government official’s needs to take strict action in contending such infections.
Nutritional quality of prepackaged food that carry health or nutritional claims and their compliance with SFDA regulations in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Almughthim Amal , Jr Hoda 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Background Products that carry health or nutrition claims may be perceived by consumers as healthier than those that do not carry claims. Therefore, they will have a more favorable attitude towards it and may also be easily misled about the nutritional proﬁle and may misinterpret it. Nutritional quality of those products should be assessed to protect consumers against being misled and ensuring that they receive accurate information about food products carrying a claim.Methods a cross-sectional survey for a total of 1153 foods were randomly sampled from fourteen stores in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The data were collected from nutritional facts present on food labels and evaluated by comparing the mean level of nutrients between products that carried claims and those that did not using the UK nutrient profile model (UKNPM).Results Overall, 29% of products carried either health or nutritional claims. Only 19.2% of foods that carried health claims met SFDA requirements, while 28.9% of all products that carried nutritional claims met SFDA criteria. The results indicate that products that carried health or nutritional claims were significantly lower in sugar (9.67 g/100 g), fat (9.2 g/100 g), saturated fat (3.2 g/100 g), and sodium (371.36 mg/100 g). According to the UK nutrient profiling model, 46.9% of the products carrying claims were less healthy than those not carrying claims, and statistically significant differences were observed by product origin and category (p=0.005 and p=0.000, respectively).Conclusion a great need for the regulation and monitoring of claims on food packages for the optimal protection of the population’s health.
Cardio-metabolic risk among undergraduate medical students of a selected Faculty of Medicine in Colombo
Authors: Senevirathne Tharika , Samaranayake Dulani , Ojithmali Madara , Wickramarachchi Piyumi , Weerasinghe Ashangi , Muthuthamby M. M. , Wickramasinghe Pujitha 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Introduction : Non-communicable diseases (NCD) are emerging in all ages, with cardio-metabolic diseases being a leading cause of morbidity and mortality.OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of cardio-metabolic risk among medical students of a selected Faculty of Medicine in Colombo.METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students (volunteered from all 5 batches) of the selected faculty. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Anthropometry and body composition were assessed. Blood pressure was measured and after a 12-hour-overnight-fast, blood was drawn for fasting blood glucose (FBG), lipid profile and two-hour oral glucose tolerance test.RESULTS: Final sample included 188 students (males=66). Mean (SD) age was 23.1yrs (1.7) and mean BMI 22.0 kg/m 2 (3.4). Prevalence of overweight was 35.1% (95%CI 28.3-41.9), obesity 5.9% (95%CI 2.5-9.3) and central obesity 16.9% (95%CI 11.5-22.3). 25.8% of males and 46.7% of females had abnormally high percentage body fat. Impaired FBG and impaired glucose tolerance were seen in 13.8% and 1.1% respectively. 25.4%, 12.2%, 31.6%, 5.3% had hypercholesterolemia, high LDL, low HDL and hypertriglyceridemia respectively. Consumption of alcohol was seen in 9%, low physical activity in 39.5%, sedentary life in 58%, low consumption of vegetables in 83.4% and low consumption of fruits in 86%. Males had higher rate of overweight/obesity (p=0.02), abnormal W/Height ratio (p=0.04), hypertriglyceridemia (p=0.06) while females had higher abnormal fat mass (p=0.005) and W/Hip ratio (p=0.000).CONCLUSIONS: Medical students (young adults) have high prevalence of cardio-metabolic risk, highlighting the importance of routine screening, proper health education and behaviour modification for these future doctors who should be role models of health.
An O(n^3) time algorithm for the maximum weight b-matching problem on bipartite graphs
Authors: Rajabi-Alni Fatemeh , Bagheri Alireza , Minaei-Bidgoli Behrouz 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Background: A matching between two sets A and B assigns some elements of A to some elements of B. Finding the similarity between two sets of elements by advantage of the matching is widely used in computational biology for example in the contexts of genome-wide and sequencing association studies. Frequently, the capacities of the elements are limited. That is, the number of the elements that can be matched to each element should not exceed a given number. Results: We use bipartite graphs to model relationships between pairs of objects. Given an undirected bipartite graph G = (A [ B;E), the b-matching of G matches each vertex v in A (resp. B) to at least 1 and at most b(v) vertices in B (resp. A), where b(v) denotes the capacity of v. We propose the rst O(n3) time algorithm for nding the maximum weight b-matching of G, where jAj + jBj = O(n). Conclusions: The b-matching has been studied widely for the bipartite graphs with integer weight edges. But our algorithm is the rst algorithm for the maximum (respectively minimum) b-matching problem with non positive real (respectively non negative real) edge weights.
The oxygenated products of cryptotanshinone by biotransformation with Cunninghamella elegans exerting anti-neuroinflammatory effects by inhibiting TLR 4-mediated MAPK signaling pathway
Authors: Wu Jing-Shuai , Meng Qin-Yu , Shi Xiao-Hui , Zhang Zhen-Kun , Guan Hua-Shi , Shao Chang-Lun , Wang Chang-Yun 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Background: Neuroinflammatory processes are critical in the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The potent anti-neuroinflammatory inhibitors are expected as the candidates to treat AD. Cryptotanshinone (1), a major bioactive constituent in the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Dan-Shen Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, has been reported to possess remarkable pharmacological activities, especially anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation. Methods: Cryptotanshinone (1) was biotransformed with the fungus Cunninghamella elegans AS3.2028 to improve its bioactivities and physicochemical properties. The structures of transformed products were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis including HRESIMS, NMR and ECD data. Their anti-neuroinflammatory activities were assessed by ELISA, transcriptome analysis, western blot, and immunofluorescence methods. Results: Three oxygenated products (2–4) at C-3 of cryptotanshinone (1) were obtained, among them 2 was a new compound. All of the biotransformed products (2–4) were found to inhibit significantly lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production in BV2 microglia cells with the IC50 values of 0.16‒1.16 μM, approximately 2‒20 folds stronger than the substrate (1). These biotransformed products also displayed remarkably improved inhibitory effects on the production of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, COX-2 and iNOS) in BV-2 cells via targeting TLR4 compared to substrate (1). The underlying mechanism of 2 was elucidated by comparative transcriptome analysis, which suggested that it reduced neuroinflammatory mainly through mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Western blotting results revealed that 2 downregulated LPS-induced phosphorylation of JNK, ERK, and p38 in MAPK signaling pathway. Conclusion: The biotransformed products of cryptotanshinone exhibit potent anti-neuroinflammatory activities. These findings provide a basal material for the discovery of candidates in treating AD.
Rotator cuff tears: functional outcomes of open surgery
Authors: Gokce Zafer Volkan 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes of the patients who underwent open surgical repair with the diagnosis of rotator cuff rupture. Methods: Twenty-eight rotator cuff tear patients refractory to conservative treatment and underwent open rotator cuff repair between April 2012 and April 2017 were retrospectively included in the study. Patients were assessed radiologically and clinically before and after surgery. Patients' age, gender, duration of complaints, the type of the rupture, the data obtained during operation (rupture size, shape, affected tendon, the presence of retraction if any), postoperative complications were recorded. Functional assessments of the patients were performed at 6th and 12th months preoperatively and postoperatively with objective assessments using Constant and UCLA scoring. All patients' operated shoulders were evaluated with MRI during their recent follow-up. Results: The mean postoperative follow-up period of the patients was 30.4 (range: 13-72) months. Preoperative and postoperative mean UCLA scores of the patients were 10.85±1.89, and 28.8±3.34, respectively (p < 0.001). Pre-, and postoperative average Constant scores were 38.1 (range, 7.0 to 56.0), and 72.4 (range, 52.0 to 98.0), respectively (p < 0.001). Rotator cuff continuity was assessed in shoulder MRIs obtained during recent follow-ups of patients, and four recurrent tears were observed. Correlation tests revealed that tear size observed during surgery showed a significant (p = 0.002) and a weakly negative (r = -0.468) correlation with preoperative Constant scores, and a significant (p = 0.0001) and moderately negative (r = -0.645) relationship with postoperative Constant scores. UCLA and Constant functional outcomes were worse in patients over 60 years of age, than younger patients and recurrent tears were more often observed in the elderly population. A significant relationship was revealed between the age of the patients and tendon healing (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that open repair is a reasonable and successful treatment option in patients with rotator cuff tears. Overall satisfactory clinical outcomes could be achieved.
Hysteroscopy-view with targeted biopsy in the assessment of endometrial carcinoma. What’s the rate of underestimated diagnosis of atypical hyperplasia? The results of a multicenter Italian trial
Authors: Garuti Giancarlo , Angioni Stefano , Mereu Liliana , Calzolari Stefano , Mannini Luca , Scrimin Federica , Casadio Paolo , De Alberti Davide , Nappi Luigi , Busato Enrico , Leone Francesco Paolo G , Perrini Gaetano , Cela Vito , Luerti Massimo 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Objective: In the last two decades many reports demonstrated the unreliability of endometrial biopsy pathology showing an AH (Atypical Hyperplasia) to exclude a synchronous EEC (Endometrioid Endometrial Carcinoma), with an underestimation of EEC in up to 50% of women. Hysteroscopy is now considered the standard diagnostic tool for endometrial pathology. However, a recent meta-analysis showed that hysteroscopically-guided biopsy provides a high rate of failure with respect to dilatation and curettage (D&C) and endometrial resection, in underestimating AH instead of concurrent EC. The aim of this study was to assess the sensitivity of hysteroscopy-view and hysteroscopic sampling in diagnosing EEC. Materials and Methods: A multicenter, retrospective, observational trial was conducted between January 2012 and December 2018 in 14 Italian Gynecological Units (University-affiliated or Public Hospitals). Eligible patients were identified as those women in whom either a pathologic report of EEC was found on hysterectomy specimen and a preoperative hysteroscopy assessment with endometrial biopsy targeted under vision had been performed. As primary outcome we calculated the sensitivity of hysteroscopy-view and biopsy pathology on hysteroscopically-driven sampling in the diagnostic work-up of EC. Results: 948 patients (age 65,83±10,43) resulted eligible for analysis. Hysteroscopy-view showed a sensitivity of 54.2%, specificity 47,2% and accuracy 54% in the diagnosis of EC. Moreover, hysteroscopic view was significantly able to distinguish carcinoma from hyperplasia (p<0.001). We evidenced an important difference of the results comparing the centers involved. Hysteroscopy-driven biopsy presented a sensitivity of 76,2%, a specificity of 52,8% and an accuracy of 75,3%. AH pathology was reported in 19% of the cases. Conclusion: Our study showed that EEC diagnosis via hysteroscopy diagnosis could be improved through the implementation of operator training. Hysteroscopy-driven biopsies have excellent sensitivity and accuracy in the diagnosis of EEC, and the advantages of using hysteroscopy for making a diagnosis can improve the management of the patients with EEC. While it seems reasonable that hysteroscopy is the preferred technique for diagnosing and treating a benign pathology of the uterus, it could play a major role even in the diagnosis of a malignancy.