bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Antimicrobial Resistance and Sickle Cell Protein Analysis in Invasive Non-Typhoidal Salmonella Isolated From Outpatient and Hospitalized Children Below 16 Years in Informal Settlements in Nairobi Kenya
Authors: Kavai Susan , Mbae Cecilia , Wanjiku Celestine , Ngetich Ronald , Wakio Zillah , Onsare Robert , Kariuki Samuel 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Background: Invasive Non-typhoidal Salmonella (iNTS) disease continues to be a major public health problem, especially in sub Saharan Africa where incidence rates are 227 cases [range 152-341] per 100,000 population. Populations at risk of iNTS include adults with HIV infection, malnourished children, those with recent malaria or sickle-cell anaemia (SCA). Individuals with SCA are at an increased risk of invasive bacterial infections with the proportion of deaths from infection reported to be as high as 38% in the United States and 29% in Jamaica. In Kenya, iNTS disease is particularly a major challenge in poor informal settlements with infants and young children less than 5 years of age being the most affected; mortality rates can be 20-25% unless prompt treatment is administered. Methods Our study was conducted in 3 outpatient sites and 1 inpatient site, the outpatient sites were all located within Mukuru informal settlement, a densely populated slum, 15km East of Nairobi City. Blood and stool samples from children with fever alone and with fever and diarrhea were collected for processing for presence of iNTS using basic microbiology procedures. Dry blood spots were also taken and processed for sickle cell protein markers using High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results A total of 22,246 blood and stool samples were collected from children < 16 years of age with fever/with or without diarrhea, for a period of 6 years and subjected to microbiological culture and detection of bacterial pathogens. Out of these 741 (3.3%) tested positive for Salmonella species. A total of 338/741(41%) NTS were isolated across all the sites; these consisted of 158/741(21%) Salmonella Enteritidis and 180/741 (24%) Salmonella Typhimurium. The most common resistance phenotype was ampicillin, cotrimoxazole and chloramphenicol (35.03%). We had 12/338 (3.6%) isolates (11 of them being Salmonella Typhimurium) that were ESBL producers conferring resistance to 3rd generation cephalosporins (Amp C β-lactamases) while only 0.3% were resistant to ciprofloxacin. A total of 118 (35.03%) isolates were MDR. Out of 2684 dry blood samples subjected to HPLC for investigation of sickle cell disease traits, 1820/2684 (67%) had normal hemoglobin (Hb AA/ Hb AF); (162/2684 (6%) tested positive for Sickle Cell Traits (Hb AS/Hb AFS); while 4/2684 (0.2%) tested positive for Sickle cell disease (Hb FS). Conclusion The high MDR resistance phenotype in iNTS isolates and emerging resistance to third generation cephalosporins is of great concern in management of iNTS in our settings. Sickle cell disease was not a major factor among children with iNTS disease and no significant association with iNTS was observed.
Physical Entropy and Universal Chaos in Biological Diversity
Authors: Souza-Filho Carlos , Lucena Ivana , Ramos Jorge Gabriel 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
We investigate the longstanding problem concerning diversity indices heuristically applied throughout biological systems. Using stochastic simulations, we demonstrate the existence of a relation that encompass the diversity, one of the flagships of Darwinism, and quantum thermodynamics. Our results prove that informational entropy is indeed a physical/biological diversity index only in the presence of two novel mandatory phenomenological parameters. Moreover, we solve paradoxes related to diversity-entropy depletion in favor of the patterns formation in nature. Our findings pave the way for an unifying theory of phylogenetic analysis, properties of active matter, information theory and universal quantum chaos typical of nuclear and mesoscopic physics.
A Randomized, Controlled Study on the Safety and Efficacy of Maraviroc and/or Favipiravir vs Currently Used Therapy in Severe COVID-19 Adults. “COMVIVIR” Trial.
Authors: Pérez-García Adolfo , Villalobos-Osnaya Alma , Hernández-Medel Maria Luisa , Perez-Navarro Lucia Monserrat , Medina-Hernandez Elba O. , Cabrera-Orejuela Diana Sofia , Espinoza-Garcia Ana Maria , Solleiro-Villavicencio Helena , Leon-Hernandez Mireya , Mayor Arianna Rodriguez-Cal Y , Servin-Murillo Manli M. , Carrillo-Ruiz Jose Damian , Serrano-Loyola Raul , Guerrero-Avendaño Guadalupe Mercedes Lucia , Reyes-Teran Gustavo , Sierra-Madero Juan , de Oca Gonzalo Salgado-Montes , Avila-Rios Santiago , Lopez-Alvarenga Juan Carlos , Mummidi Srinivas , Hernandez-Ruiz Joselin 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Multiple studies have established that hyperinflammatory response induced by SARS CoV-2 is a main cause of complications and death in infected subjects. Such dysfunctional immune response has been described as a dysregulated and exacerbated production of cytokines and chemokines that attracts and activates inflammatory cells, which start and sustain pulmonary and systemic damage, thus causing complications that lead to multi organ failure and death. Therefore, we suggest that blocking key inflammation receptors could help to reduce migration and activation of T cells, monocytes/macrophages and neutrophils, thus mitigating the cytokine dysregulation and averting severe complications and death. Importantly, the optimum treatment for COVID-19 severe patients should combine a modulator of the immune response plus a direct antiviral drug against SARS-CoV-2, in order to address both the hyperinflammatory effects of the immune dysregulation and the viral load. Methods: Maraviroc (MVC), a CCR5 antagonist, and Favipiravir (FPV), an antiviral, will be evaluated single and combined, added to the treatment currently used at the Hospital General de México Dr. Eduardo Liceaga for severe COVID-19 patients. One hundred patients will be allocated in four arms [Current treatment only (CT), CT+MVC, CT+FPV, CT+MVC+FPV]. Percentage of patients free of mechanical ventilation or death at day 28, immunophenotyping and viral load will be compared between groups. Discussion: New immune focused therapies are targeting strong inflammation mediators such as IL-6 and IL1-β; nevertheless, to our best knowledge, only one study explores chemotaxis control. The use of a drug therapy that addresses both the regulation of the immune response and the inhibition of viral replication could at the same time, help to alleviate the hyperinflammatory condition and reduce the time of the viral clearance process, therefore improving treatment outcomes.
A Retrospective Cohort Study of the Variable Pitch Fully Threaded Headless Screws and Partially Threaded Screws in the Treatment of Femoral Neck Fractures
Authors: Wang Yilin , Han Na , Zhang Dianying , Zhang Peixun , Jiang Baoguo 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
(1) Introduction: The choices of the treatments for femoral neck fractures remain controversial. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prognoses of the variable pitch fully threaded headless screws in the fixation of femoral neck fractures and to compare them with those of partially threaded cannulated screws. (2) Materials and Methods: Between 1st January 2012 and 31st December 2016, there were 89 patients with the main diagnose of femoral neck fracture who accepted the treatment of closed reduction cannulated screw fixation in Peking University People’s Hospital. 34 cases of partially threaded screws and 23 cases of fully threaded screws met the criterion. The characteristics, prognoses and the imaging changes of all cases were described and the differences between the two groups were compared. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 23.0 (SPSS Inc., USA). Mann-Whitney U test, Analysis of Variance and Chi-square test were used. Statistical significance was defined as P value (two sided) less than 0.05. (3) Results: There was no significant difference in the general characteristics, fracture classifications and reduction quality between the two groups. The fully threaded group had a significant lower angle decrease rate (30.4% vs. 58.8%, P = 0.035), femoral neck shortening rate (26.1% vs. 52.9%, P = 0.044) and screw back-sliding rate (21.7% vs. 50.0%, P = 0.032), but a higher screw cut-out rate (21.7% vs. 0.0%, P = 0.008). No significant difference was found in the nonunion rate (8.7% vs. 0.0%, P = 0.159), avascular necrosis rate (17.4% vs. 23.5%, P = 0.744) and the good and excellent rate of Harris score (73.9% vs. 82.4%, P = 0.443). (4) Conclusion: Compared with the partially threaded screws, the variable pitch fully threaded headless screws had a lower screw back-sliding rate, femoral shortening rate, angle decrease rate and similar function score, but would result in more screw cut-outs and nonunions in Garden III-IV and Pauwels III fractures. As a conclusion, the variable pitch full threaded screws are recommended in stable undisplaced fractures rather than displaced unstable fractures. Further qualified investigations with a larger scale of patients and longer follow-up are needed in the future.
Fake News Detection on Social Media Using A Natural Language Inference Approach
Authors: Sadeghi Fariba , Bidgoly Amir , Amirkhani Hossein 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Fake news detection is a challenging problem in online social media, with considerable social and political impacts. Several methods have already been proposed for the automatic detection of fake news, which are often based on the statistical features of the content or context of news. In this paper, we propose a novel fake news detection method based on Natural Language Inference (NLI) approach. Instead of using only statistical features of the content or context of the news, the proposed method exploits a human-like approach, which is based on inferring veracity using a set of reliable news. In this method, the related and similar news published in reputable news sources are used as auxiliary knowledge to infer the veracity of a given news item. We also collect and publish the first inference-based fake news detection dataset, called FNID, in two formats: the two-class version (FNID-FakeNewsNet) and the six-class version (FNID-LIAR). We use the NLI approach to boost several classical and deep machine learning models including Decision Tree, Naïve Bayes, Random Forest, Logistic Regression, k-Nearest Neighbors, Support Vector Machine, BiGRU, and BiLSTM along with different word embedding methods including Word2vec, GloVe, fastText, and BERT. The experiments show that the proposed method achieves 85.58% and 41.31% accuracies in the FNID-FakeNewsNet and FNID-LIAR datasets, respectively, which are 10.44% and 13.19% respective absolute improvements.
Characterization of Migration and Induced Resistance of Rhizobium Vitis Strain ARK-1, a Biological Control Agent Against Grapevine Crown Gall Disease
Authors: Kawaguchi Akira , Noutoshi Yoshiteru 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
A nonpathogenic strain ARK-1 of Rhizobium vitis has an antagonistic activity toward tumorigenic (Ti) strain of R. vitis, a causal agent of grapevine crown gall disease, and works as a biocontrol agent. We have demonstrated that the gall formation was fully suppressed when ARK-1 was co-inoculated with Ti into the grapevine stem at a 1:1 ratio. For practical use of ARK-1 in agriculture, understanding the temporal dynamics of the bacterial habitat on host plants and the biocontrol property are needed in order to develop proper application methods. Here we demonstrated that the gall incidence by Ti was reduced to about 50% when ARK-1 was pre-inoculated at both upper and lower positions on the grapevine stem 3 cm away from the Ti-inoculation point 5 days before. The bacterial cell detection assay in the grapevine tissue revealed that ARK-1 could migrate at least 3 cm in 5 days. Inoculations of ARK-1 or Ti induced expression of marker genes for defense-related phytohormones such as salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and ethylene in grapevine within 3 days but they were diminished by 6 days. Inoculation of Ti 5 days after ARK-1 pre-inoculation induced expression of the marker genes except for the LOX-9 gene in a basically similar way to those without the pre-inoculation, suggesting that ARK-1 did not induce typical acquired systemic resistance or induced systemic resistance in grapevine, while the transcript of LOX-9 was detected at 24 and 48 hours after the Ti inoculation when ARK-1 was pre-inoculated, unlike the un-inoculated condition. ARK-1 primed the induction of certain defense genes and it may take part in its biocontrol activity.
Exendin-4 Improves Long-Term Potentiation and Neuronal Dendritic Growth in High-Fat Diet Mice and Neurons Under Metabolic Imbalance Conditions
Authors: Song Juhyun , Wang Ming , Yoon Gwangho , Jo Jihoon 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Metabolic syndrome, which increases the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes, has emerged as a significant issue worldwide. Metabolic syndrome can occur due to diverse factors such as genetic background, lifestyle changes, food intake, and aging. Recent studies have highlighted the relationship between metabolic imbalance and neurological pathologies, such as synaptic dysfunction and memory loss. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) secreted from gut L-cells, and specific brain nuclei play multiple roles, including glucose metabolism, regulation of insulin sensitivity, inflammation control, synaptic plasticity improvement, and neuronal protection. Even though GLP-1 and GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) appear to have neuroprotective functions, the specific mechanisms of GLP-1 and GLP-1RA in brain function have remained unclear. Here, we investigated whether exendin-4 improves cognitive function and brain insulin resistance in metabolic imbalanced high-fat diet mice brain as a GLP-1RA, using electrophysiological experiments. Further, we identified the neuroprotective effect of exendin-4 in primary cultured hippocampal and cortical neurons under an in vitro metabolic imbalance condition, including neuronal structure improvement. This study provides significant findings on the effects of exendin-4 in synaptic plasticity, long-term potentiation (LTP), neuroinflammation, and neural structure. We suggest that GLP-1 may be vital to treating neuropathology caused by metabolic imbalance.
Boron From Net Charge Acceptor to Donor and Its Effect on Hydrogen Uptake by Novel Mg-B-electrochemically Synthesized Reduced Graphene Oxide
Authors: Marla Satya Aditya , Panda Srikanta , Tatiparti Sankara Sarma 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Hydrogen uptake (H-uptake) is studied in ball milled Mg-B-electrochemically synthesized reduced graphene oxide (erGO) nanocomposites at PH2≈15 bar, ~320 ℃. B/C (weight ratio): 0, ~0.09, ~0.36, ~0.90 are synthesized maintaining erGO≈10wt %. B occupies octahedral interstices within Mg unit cell - revealed by electron density maps. Persistent charge donations from Mg and B to C appear as Mg-C (~283.2 eV), B-C (~283.3-283.9 eV) interactions in C-1s core X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS) at all B/C. At B/C>0.09, charge reception by B from Mg yields Mg-B interaction (51.3 eV, Mg-2p XPS). This net charge acceptor role of B does not alter Mg unit cell size significantly. Despite charge donation to both C and B, the Mg charge is <+2, resulting in long incubation times (>5 h) at B/C>0.09. In B/C≈0.09, C-2p π→π* transition (~290 eV, C-1s XPS) is also seen. Absence of Mg-B interaction renders B a charge donor, resulting in Mg-B repulsion and Mg unit cell expansion. Mg-C peak shift to lower binding energies (C-1s XPS), decreases incubation time to 2.25 h and increases H-uptake kinetics. Various atomic interactions influence the reduction of incubation time in H-uptake and increase its kinetics in the order: (Mg→C; B→C)B/C≈0.09 > (Mg→C)B/C=0 > (ternary Mg→B→C)B/C>0.09.
Physiological Mechanism of Drought-Resistant Rice Coping with Drought Stress
Authors: Wang Benfu , Yang Xiaolong , Cheng Jianping , Chen Liang , Jiang Yuanyuan , Bu Hongying , Jiang Yang , Li Ping , Cao Cougui 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Drought stress is one of major threats to rice production. The weakening of leaf photosynthesis due to drought is the main reason for the reduction of grain yield, but its mechanism is still obscure. The objectives of this study were to reveal the physiological mechanism of drought stress affecting photosynthetic capacity and grain yield. Pot experiments were conducted with three rice cultivars, Hanyou113 (HY113), Huanghuazhan (HHZ) and Zhonghan3 (ZH3) under four water management treatments (traditional flooding (CK), mild drought stress (LD), moderate drought stress (MD) and severe drought stress (HD)) in 2013 and 2014. Compared with CK, grain yield was significantly reduced by 14.9%, 30.8% and 12.8% in HY113, HHZ and ZH3 under mild drought stress, 32.9%, 33.7% and 22.9% in HY113, HHZ and ZH3 under moderate drought stress and 53.6%, 45.6% and 30.7% in HY113, HHZ and ZH3 under severe drought stress, respectively. The photosynthetic rate (Pn) decreased by 49.0% from 20.0 to 10.2 µmol m-2 s-1 in HY113, and 67.6% from 23.4 to 7.58 µmol m-2 s-1 in HHZ, and 39.3% from 23.4 to 14.2 in ZH3. The Pn of HHZ was similar to that of ZH3 under CK conditions. The yield reduction of drought-resistant cultivars was smaller than that of conventional cultivars. Maintaining leaf water potentia (LWP), Pn, photosystem II (PSII) original light energy conversion efficiency, non–photochemical quenching coefficient (NPQ), and increasing in the ratio of photochemical reaction energy in fluorescence and antioxidant enzyme activity, is the physiological basis to achieve a relatively high photosynthesis. These traits could be the target for breeder to developing drought-tolerant varieties.
The Iranian Drug-related Deaths with Time Series Modeling and Forecasting: 2014–2016
Authors: Alipour Abbas , Kharazmi Omid , Babakhanian Masoudeh , Zarghami Mehran , Khosravi Ardeshir , Mirtorabi Seyyed Davood 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Preoperative Computed Tomography in Guiding the Length of Cannulated Screws in Medial Malleolar Fractures
Authors: Liu Pengcheng , Chen Zhaoxun , Xiao Joanna Xi , Zhao Chen , Yang Fei , Tang Jian , Li Jiang , Wang Xiaoqing 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Introduction: Excessive lengths of partially threaded cannulated screws in medial malleolus fractures are often related to failure of fixation and other complications. This study aimed to analyze the distribution and density of cancellous bone in the medial malleolus among healthy individuals and provide a theoretical basis for determining the lengths of cannulated screws based on preoperative computed tomography (CT) to achieve stable fixation of medial malleolus fractures.Methods: Between January 2012 and December 2016, 100 patients (without ankle fractures) who underwent CT of the distal tibia of the lower extremities were included. Specific levels on the CT images were selected to assess the density and length of valid cancellous bone in the medial malleolus for screw fixation. Meanwhile, we followed up 44 patients who underwent open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of medial malleolus fractures based on preoperative CT-based measurements.Results: The valid lengths of cancellous bone in the medial malleolus were significantly different between men and women (p < .05). In addition, there was a significant difference among different age groups (p < .05). The median follow-up duration of patients who underwent ORIF was 14 (range, 12–16) months. All patients were followed up to union without displacement, and no screws were observed to have loosened or backed out. Conclusion: Preoperative CT can help determine the length and location of cannulated screws. Age and gender have a considerable impact on the distribution and density of cancellous bone in the medial malleolus. The density and length of valid cancellous bone decrease with age. The shoulder of the tibial plafond in medial malleolus, which is a weak part of cancellous bone, is a common site of fracture. Short screws are recommended for fixation in elderly patients.Level of Evidence: Level IV
USP16 Regulates Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Cell Proliferation by Deubiquitinating and Stablizing c-Myc
Authors: Ge Jianchao , Yu Wandong , Li Junhong , Ma Hangbin , Wang Pengyu , Zhou Yinghao , Wang Yang , Zhang Jun , Shi Guowei 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Backgroundc-Myc, a well-established oncogene, plays an important role in the initiation and progression of various cancers, including prostate cancer. However, its mechanism in cancer cell remains largely unknown and whether there exist a deubiquitinase targeting c-Myc also remains elusive.MethodsBioinformatic analysis and shRNA screening methods were used to identify potential deubiquitinases that correlate with c-Myc gene signature. Cell proliferation and viability were measured by Cell-Counting-Kit 8 and colony formation assays. A mouse xenograft model of PC3 cells was established to confirm the function of USP16 in vivo. The interaction between USP16 and c-Myc protein was assessed by co-immunoprecipitation and protein co-localization assays. Immunohistochemistry staining was performed to detect the expression of USP16, Ki67, and c-Myc in xenograft tissues and clinical tumour tissues. Furthermore, the correlation between USP16 and c-Myc was confirmed by RNA sequencing.ResultsFunctional analyses identified USP16, known as a deubiquitinase, was strongly correlated with the c-Myc gene signature. Depletion of USP16 was shown to significantly suppress the growth of PCa cells both in vitro and in vivo. Co-immunoprecipitation and ubiquitination assays confirmed that USP16 served as a novel deubiquitinase of c-Myc and overexpression of c-Myc significantly rescued the effects of USP16 disruption. Immunohistochemistry staining and RNA-seq tactics were further used to confirm the positive correlation between USP16 and c-Myc expression. Expression of USP16 in human PCa tissues was higher than that seen in normal prostate tissues and its high expression was found associated with poor prognosis.ConclusionsUSP16 serves as a novel deubiquitinase of c-Myc. Downregulation of USP16 markedly suppressed PCa cell growth both in vitro and in vivo. USP16 regulates PCa cell proliferation by deubiquitinating and stabilizing c-Myc, making it a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of PCa.