bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Metadichol ® a novel nano lipid formulation that inhibits In Vitro, SARS-COV-2 and a multitude of pathological viruses
Authors: Raghavan Palayakotai R 
Published: June 2020

Abstract

New pathogenic virus outbreaks with increasing regularity are leading us to explore novel approaches, which will reduce the reliance on a time-consuming vaccine mode to halt the strike. The requirement is to find a universal approach to disarm any new and as yet unknown viruses as they appear. A promising approach could be by targeting the lipids membranes, common to all viruses and bacteria. The ongoing pandemic of the SARS-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has restated the importance of interactions between components of the host cell plasma membrane and the virus envelope as a critical mechanism of infection. Metadichol ®, a nano lipid emulsion, has been examined and shown to be a strong candidate to help stop the proliferation of the SARS-COV-2.Naturally derived substances, such as Cyclodextrin and sterols, reduce the infectivity of various types of viruses, including the coronavirus like SARS-COV-2, by modifying the lipid-dependent attachment to human host cells. SARS-COV-2 uses the receptor ACE2 for entry and the serine protease TMPRSS2 for S protein priming. Metadichol®, a nano lipid formulation of long-chain alcohols, has been shown to inhibit TMPRSS2 (EC50 of 96 ng/ml). Compared to the inhibitor Camostat Mesylate (26000 ng/ml), it is 270 times more potent. Also, Metadichol ® is a moderate inhibitor of ACE2 @ 31 µg/ml. In the SARS-COV2 anti-viral assay using CACO2 cells, it has an EC90 of 0.16 µg/ml.
Comparing the Monetary Value of a Quality-Adjusted Life Year from the Payment Card and the Open-Ended Format
Authors: Ye Ziping , Liu Fuyao , Ma Jia , Zhou Ziyang , Wang Chen , Sun Lihua 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Background: The payment card (PC) format and the open-ended (OE) format are common methods in eliciting willing-to-pay (WTP) of one additional quality-adjusted life year (QALY). The aim of this research is to compare these two formats in eliciting the monetary value of a QALY.Methods: A contingent valuation survey was carried out using a pre-designed questionnaire with various hypothetical scenarios. The difference between the PC and the OE formats was evaluated by a two-sample equality test. Furthermore, regression analysis was carried out to control observed heterogeneity and to test theoretical validity.Results: In total, 461 individuals were involved, among whom 235 (51%) answered the PC question, while 226 (49%) answered the OE question. No significant difference was observed between the median of these two methods. However, in the subgroup analysis, noteworthy differences were noticed in the median for these two formats in all scenarios. Both formats were proved to be theoretically valid, whereas the OE technique was found to have a stronger association with all variables in the regression model than that of the PC format. Moreover, joint estimation indicated a positive but not significant effect on the OE results.Conclusions: This research indicated that there was no statistical difference between the PC format and OE format and proved the validity of both, which justified the combined use of these two methods in eliciting monetary value of QALY. More research about the difference and the validity of various WTP eliciting methods would be needed for a robust estimation of WTP/QALY.
Fear of COVID-19 Scale for Hospital Staff in Regional Hospitals in Mexico: A Survey Study
Authors: García-Reyna Benjamín , Castillo-García Gilberto Daniel , Barbosa-Camacho Francisco José , Cervantes-Cardona Guillermo Alonso , Cervantes-Pérez Enrique , Torres-Mendoza Blanca Miriam , Fuentes-Orozco Clotilde , Pintor-Belmontes Kevin Josue , Guzmán-Ramírez Bertha Georgina , Hernández-Bernal Aldo , González-Ojeda Alejandro , Cervantes-Guevara Gabino 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
The presence of COVID-19 has had psychological consequences among health personnel; these include fear, anxiety, and depression. In the current study, we used the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) to assess the response to fear within health staff in Mexico. This was a cross-sectional survey study in which we administered the FCV-19S to hospital staff. A total of 2,860 participants—1,641 female and 1,218 male personnel from three hospitals—were included in the study. We found a global FCV-19S mean score of 19.3 ± 6.9, with a significant difference in scores for women and men. There was a high correlation between items 3, 5, 6, and 7, suggesting that these items could indicate the physiological responses to fear, and a high correlation between items 1, 2, and 4, suggesting these items could represent the emotional responses to fear. Our survey shows a significantly higher level of fear in nursing and administrative personnel, which may be explained by the nursing staff being in close contact with infected patients and the administrative staff lacking understanding of the possible implications of the infection, compared with non-clinical hospital personnel. The FCV-19S showed validity and reliability in our population to assess fear in response to COVID-19. Our results are consistent with those of other researchers.
Elevated serum CA 19-9 level, combined with D-dimer, could detect the presence of ruptured ovarian endometriosis
Authors: Shuang Ting , Zhao Lanbo , Zhang Kailu , Wang Yiran , Yin Panyue , Guo Lin , Jing Wei , Feng Xue , Li Qiling 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Background: Ovarian endometriosis (OE) is a common type of endometrioma, which is a benign disease of gynecology. For the diagnosis of OE, ultrasonography is a very effective and straightforward. OE rupture is rare, and there is still a lack of a non-invasive and effective method for diagnosis. Elevated serum CA19-9 or CA-125 levels are typically applied as biomarkers for malignancy, besides, the CA-125 and CA19-9 levels have been recommended as a useful marker for the diagnosis of endometriosis. We aimed to clarify the clinical importance of serum CA19-9, CA-125 level, and plasma D-dimer (D-D) for detecting spontaneously ruptured ovarian endometriosis.Results: Among the 21 patients of rupture OE, 16 with a history of detected pelvic cysts, 19 claimed sudden onset of lower abdominal pain, however, only 6 patients detected fluid accumulation in the cul-de-sac by ultrasound. For the serological investigation, the serum CA19-9 was significantly elevated in the ruptured OE group (343.09±367.67 U/ml vs. 36.84±40.01U/ml, P<0.0001). D-D was also abnormally elevated in the ruptured OE group (3.39±4.90 mg/L vs. 0.43 ± 0.29 mg/L, P <0.0001). The AUC value for the combined CA19-9 and D-D was 0.975 (95% CI, 0.939 -0.993), with the highest specificity of 96.69, and sensitivity of 85.71.Conclusion: The combination of serum CA19-9 and plasma D-D levels could serve as an effective biomarker to identify patients with spontaneously ruptured ovarian endometriosis pre-operatively in the context of clinical assessment.
Investigating The Definitions of Metabolic Syndrome Among High School Students in Taipei and The Optimal Cutoff Points of Relevant Risk Factors
Authors: Lin Shao Chia Chiu , Chen Mei-Ju 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Background: The effects of different definitions for metabolic syndrome (MetS) on its prevalence were examined, and the differences in the discriminatory power, as well as the optimal cutoff points of relevant risk factors, were analyzed in this study. Methods: 45,756 health checkup data sets from 2011 to 2014 of high school students aged between 15 to 17 years were sourced in Taipei city. The database included the students’ gender, age, height, weight, waist circumference (WC), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as biochemical markers such as triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and fasting glucose (FG) levels. The ROC curve statistical approach was used to analyze the discriminatory power and optimal cutoff points of the relevant MetS risk factors. Results: The prevalence of MetS among adolescents in Taipei was 2.3% and 1.2%, according to the criteria of the modified National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) respectively. The prevalence increased to 4.3% when this study’s criteria were used. Among the components of MetS analyzed, WC and TG had stronger discriminatory powers, while FG had the weakest. The optimal cutoff point for WC was approximately the 90 th percentile, while that for the TG was similar to the criteria of the modified NCEP ATP III. About 44.6% of adolescents had at least one MetS component. Body mass index also had good discriminatory power. Conclusions: The prevalence of MetS differs depending on the diagnostic criteria used. Redefining the cutoff points for the components of MetS in adolescents in different regions, as well as further screening and intervention, are crucial to prevent cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus in the future.
Comparison Of SARS-CoV-2 Virus Variant Genomes Detected In China and USA
Authors: Sahingil Mehmet Cihan , OZKAZANC Yakup 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
In spreading period of the SARS-CoV-2 virus which is the cause of COVID-19 in the world, it is seen that the genome of the virus mutates and this mutation processes generates new SARS-CoV-2 variants. In this study we investigated the variant genomes which were detected in China and USA. The publicly available SARS-CoV-2 virus genomes, which were detected in human body are multi-aligned and the obtained results reported. There are 87 genomes for China variants and 200 for USA variants in the used data. The analyses are made for each domain of the genomes. The analysis results show that, the variant genomes in the investigated two groups of SARS-CoV-2 have some similar mutation characteristics as well as some characteristic features that differ from each other. The nucleotide mutations in 8782 (C>T mutation) and 28144 (T>C mutation) are common for both of the variant groups. However, in USA variant group some other mutation positions on the variants’ genome were detected. The percentage of missense mutations detected in USA variants is higher than the percentage of synonymous mutations. On the other hand, the percentage of synonymous mutations is higher than the percentage of missense mutations for the variants detected in China. Additionally, the domains where the most mutations are detected on the genome are the regions that affect the interaction of the virus with the host.
In vitro and in vivo efficacy of the novel oral proteasome inhibitor NNU546 in multiple myeloma
Authors: Zhou Hui , Lei Meng , Wang Wang , Guo Mengjie , Wang Jia , Zhang Haoyang , Qiao Li , Feng Huayun , Liu Zhaogang , Chen Lijuan , Hou Jianhao , Wang Xueyuan , Gu Chenxi , Zhao Bo , Gu Chunyan , Izumchenko Evgeny , YANG YE , Zhu Yongqiang 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Background

Proteasome inhibition demonstrates highly effective impact on multiple myeloma (MM) treatment. Here, we aimed to examine anti-tumor efficiency and underlying mechanisms of a novel well tolerated orally applicable proteasome inhibitor NNU546 and its hydrolyzed pharmacologically active form NNU219.
Methods

Enzyme activities and inhibition assays was performed to evaluate the effect of NNU219 on proteasome. To explore the anti-MM activity of NNU219 and its related mechanism, multiple in vitro assays such as cell viability, cell cycle and apoptosis assays, Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and ubiquitination, NF-κB inhibition assay were conducted. Furthermore, in vivo studies were performed to determine the effects of NNU219 on tumors.
Results

NNU219 showed more selective inhibition to proteasome catalytic subunits and less off-target effect than bortezomib ex vivo. Moreover, intravenous and oral administration of either NNU219 or NNU546 led to more sustained pharmacodynamic inhibitions of proteasome activities compared with bortezomib. Importantly, NNU219 exhibited potential anti-MM activity in both MM cell lines and primary samples in vitro. The anti-MM activity of NNU219 was associated with induction of G2/M-phase arrest, as well as induction of apoptosis via activation of the caspase cascade and endoplasmic reticulum stress response. At well-tolerated doses, significant growth-inhibitory effects of NNU219 and NNU546 were observed in 3 different human MM xenograft mouse models. Furthermore, such observation was even found in the presence of a bone marrow microenvironment.
Conclusion

Taken together, these findings provided the basis for clinical trial of NNU546 to determine its potential as a candidate for MM treatment.
Management of Acute Asthma in Southeast Asian Tertiary Care.
Authors: POH MAU-ERN , AMPIKAIPAKAN SUNDARI , LIAM CHONG-KIN , CHAI CHEE-SHEE , RAMANAIDOO DEVENTHARI , MYDIN HELMY HAJA 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Background: There have been limited reports looking into acute asthma care for patients admitted to tertiary hospitals in Southeast Asia. This study aims to determine the extent in which the 2019 Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines were being met. It highlights aspects of excellent clinical management and areas requiring improvement. Methods: A cross-sectional prospective study of patients with acute asthma exacerbations admitted to the University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) and Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur (PHKL), Malaysia from 1st July 2019 to 31st December 2019. Results: Of 172 patients admitted, 67.4% were females. There was proper documentation of asthma control assessment (100%), baseline controller and reliever medications (100%), peak expiratory flow measurements (78%), and inhaler technique review (69.8%). However, there was poor documentation of written asthma action plans (25%). 51.2% had not been admitted in the previous year. At baseline, 90% of patients had been prescribed inhaled corticosteroid (ICS). However, 40.5% of patients were not compliant with controller medications. Based on the GINA assessment for asthma control, 68% had uncontrolled asthma. While 91.9% of patients had a previous diagnosis of asthma, only 48.8% of patients had objective testing to support the diagnosis. All patients with newly-diagnosed asthma (8.1%) were commenced on a corticosteroid-containing-inhaler. Conclusion: Although acute asthma management in tertiary hospitals in Southeast Asia is relatively congruous with international guidelines, there is room for improvement. As the majority of patients found to have uncontrolled asthma were non-compliant with their controller medications, efforts to increase awareness on the perils of uncontrolled asthma is warranted.
High-throughput amplicon sequencing reveals the spatiotemporal effects, abiotic and biotic shaping factors for the microbial communities in tropical mangrove sediments in Sanya, China
Authors: Qu Wu , Gao Boliang , Wu Jie , Jin Min , Wang Jianxin , Zeng Runying 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Background

Microbial roles in element cycling and nutrient providing are crucial for mangrove ecosystems and serve as important regulators for climate change in Earth ecosystem. However, some key information about the spatiotemporal influences and abiotic and biotic shaping factors for the microbial communities in mangrove sediments remains lacking.
Methods

In this work, 22 sediment samples were collected from multiple spatiotemporal dimensions, including three locations, two depths, and four seasons, and the bacterial, archaeal, and fungal community structures in these samples were studied using amplicon sequencing.
Results

The microbial community structures were varied in the samples from different depths and locations based on the results of LDA effect size analysis, principal coordinate analysis, the analysis of similarities, and permutational multivariate ANOVA. However, these microbial community structures were stable among the seasonal samples. Linear fitting models and Mantel test showed that among the 13 environmental factors measured in this study, the sediment particle size (PS) was the key abiotic shaping factor for the bacterial, archaeal, or fungal community structure. Besides PS, salinity and humidity were also significant impact factors according to the canonical correlation analysis (p ≤ 0.05). Co-occurrence networks demonstrated that the bacteria assigned into phyla Ignavibacteriae, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, and Acidobacteria were the key biotic factors for shaping the bacterial community in mangrove sediments.
Conclusions

This work showed the variability on spatial dimensions and the stability on temporal dimension for the bacterial, archaeal, or fungal microbial community structure, indicating that the tropical mangrove sediments are versatile but stable environments. PS served as the key abiotic factor could indirectly participate in material circulation in mangroves by influencing microbial community structures, along with salinity and humidity. The bacteria as key biotic factors were found with the abilities of photosynthesis, polysaccharide degradation, or nitrogen fixation, which were potential indicators for monitoring mangrove health, as well as crucial participants in the storage of mangrove blue carbons and mitigation of climate warming. This study expanded the knowledge of mangroves for the spatiotemporal variation, distribution, and regulation of the microbial community structures, thus further elucidating the microbial roles in mangrove management and climate regulation.
Identification of potent COVID-19 main protease (MPRO) inhibitors from flavonoids
Authors: Chauhan Anita , Kalra Seema 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
COVID-19 epidemic that commenced in Wuhan in December 2019 has spread worldwide within a few months. Currently, there are no targeted therapeutics and effective treatment options remain very limited. Mpro is a key CoV enzyme, which plays a pivotal role in viral replication and transcription, making it an attractive drug target for this virus. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of flavonoids as drug target molecules against COVID-19 Mpro by molecular docking study. COVID-19 Mpro was docked with 14 flavonoid compounds as well as 4 already existing drugs and the binding energies were determined.Based on the results,we have identified two potential flavonoids with high binding capacity and possible drug candidates. This study will pave a way for doing advanced experimental research to evaluate the real medicinal potential of these compounds to cure COVID-19.
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and its Association with PD-L1 and CD8 T cells in Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Aghajani Marra , Yang Tao , Schmitz Ulf , James Alexander , McCafferty Charles Eugenio , Souza Paul de , Niles Navin , Roberts Tara 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Background: Programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) has recently been shown to play a role in the regulation of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in some cancers. However, the relationship between PD-L1 expression, EMT and the inflammatory tumour microenvironment has yet to be investigated in thyroid cancer. Methods: To address this issue, we examined the expression of CD8, PD-L1 and the EMT markers E-cadherin and vimentin in a cohort of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) patients and investigated the association of these with clinicopathologic characteristics and disease-free survival (DFS). CD8 T cells, PD-L1 and EMT status was assessed in 74 patients with PTC via immunohistochemistry (IHC). The relationship between PD-L1 and EMT was further investigated in three thyroid cancer cell lines (8505C, K1 and FTC-133) via western blot and live cell imaging In order to expand our in vitro findings, the normalised gene expression profiles of 516 thyroid cancer patients were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). An EMT score of each thyroid cancer sample was calculated and correlated with PD-L1 gene expression, or the mean expression of IFN signature genes. Results: PD-L1 positivity was significantly higher in PTC patients exhibiting a mesenchymal phenotype ( p = 0.012). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that PD-L1 ( p = 0.045), CD8 ( p = 0.038) and EMT status ( p = 0.038) were all significant predictors for DFS. Sub-analysis confirmed that the poorest DFS was evident in PD-L1 positive patients with EMT features and negative CD8 expression ( p < 0.0001). IFN-γ treatment induced upregulation of PD-L1 and significantly promoted an EMT phenotype in two thyroid cancer cell lines. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that PD-L1 signalling may play a role in stimulating EMT in thyroid cancer. EMT, CD8 and PD-L1 expression may serve as valuable predictive biomarkers in patients with PTC. The combination of EMT inhibitors with immunotherapies targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis may be beneficial in cancer patients with mesenchymal metastatic thyroid cancers.
Monitoring agricultural drought using geospatial techniques: a case study of Thal region of Punjab, Pakistan
Authors: Amin Muhammad , Khan Mobushir Riaz , Hassan Sher Shah , Khan Aftab Ahmad , Imran Muhammad , Goheer Muhammad Arif , Hina Syeda Mahlaqa , Perveen Abida 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
The Thal region of Punjab often experiences dry weather conditions with extreme variability in rainfall on a spatiotemporal scale during Rabi cropping season. The current study assesses the impacts of agricultural drought on wheat crops for 2000–2015. MOD13Q1 and CHIRPS data were used for identifying and assessing variation in agricultural drought patterns and severity. Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), Stress Vegetation Index (STVI) and wheat crop yield anomalies were computed to characterize the gravity of drought across the Thal region. The results indicate that the wheat Rabi cropping seasons of the years 2000–2002 experienced extreme agricultural drought, with a spatial difference in severity level causing low and poor yield, while the years 2011 and 2014 were almost normal among all the years, leaving varied impacts on wheat yield. The combined agricultural risk map was generated by integrating the agricultural and meteorological droughts severity maps. The combined risk map generated using weighted overlay analysis of all the parameters indicate that the total Thal area can be classified into slight, moderate and no drought covering 28.12, 12.76, and 59.12% respectively of the total area. Hence an agricultural risk map would be extremely helpful as a tool to guide the decision-making process for monitoring drought risk on agricultural productivity.