bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Unusual Presentation of Kawasaki Disease with Multisystem Inflammation and Antibodies Against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2: A Case Report
Authors: Kim Haena , Shim Jung Yeon , Ko Jae-Hoon , Yang Aram , Shim Jae Won , Kim Deok Soo , Jung Hye Lim , Kwak Ji Hee , Sol In Suk 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Background: Since mid-April 2020, cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) associated with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that mimic Kawasaki disease (KD) have been reported in Europe and North America. However, no cases have been in East Asia, where KD is more prevalent.Case presentation: A previously healthy 11-year-old boy was admitted with a 4-day history of fever and abdominal pain. He had no contact history to any patient with COVID-19. Blood acute inflammatory markers were highly elevated. He was treated with antibiotics for suspected bacterial enteritis, but he suddenly developed hypotension. Inotropics and intravenous immunoglobulin were administered to manage septic shock. On hospitalization day 6, he developed signs and symptoms of KD (conjunctival injection, strawberry tongue, cracked lip, and coronary artery dilatation) in addition to pleural/pericardial effusion and mesenteric lymphadenitis. The results of microbiologic tests, including reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), were negative. Fluorescent immunoassay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed abundant IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in his serum, but no IgM antibodies. He was discharged successfully on day 13.Conclusion: MIS-C may occur in children with a previously asymptomatic COVID-19 infection. A high index of suspicion is required for this novel syndrome in unusual cases of KD or KD shock syndrome with multisystem inflammation, even when there is no clear history of contact or symptoms of COVID-19.
Fish species transshipped at sea (Saiko fish) in Ghana with a note on implications for marine conservation
Authors: Aheto Denis Worlanyo , Okyere Isaac , Asare Noble Kwame , Eshilley Jennifer , Odoi Justice Odoiquaye 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Increasing global seafood demand over the last couple of decades has resulted in overexploitation of certain fish species by both industrial and small-scale artisanal fishers. This phenomenon has threatened the livelihoods and food security of small-scale fishing communities especially in the West African sub-region. In Ghana, fish transshipment (locally referred to as saiko) has been catalogued as one more negative practice that is exacerbating an already dire situation. The goal of this study was to characterise transshipped fish species landed in Ghana on the basis of composition, habitat of origin, maturity and conservation status on the IUCN list of threatened species to enhance understanding of the ecological implications of the practice and inform regulatory enforcement and policy formulation. Using identification manuals, morphometric and gravimetric analyses among others, data on saiko fish samples landed at Elmina in the Central Region of Ghana were collected at bi-weekly intervals between November 2016 and June 2017. A total of sixty-eight (68) fish species from 44 families comprising finfish and shellfish of pelagic, demersal, benthopelagic, and reef-associated fishes were identified. The round scad (Decapterus punctatus), the mackerel scad (Caranx rhonchus), the round sardine (Sardinella aurita) and the red pandora (Pagellus bellottii) were the numerically dominant species recorded. By habitat classification, 44 species (65%) were demersals while 6 species (9%) were pelagic and 6 species (9%) were reef-associated. Majority of the demersal species were juveniles while composition of juveniles among the pelagic species ranged between 67% - 84%. In addition, 6 (10%) of the recorded species were either vulnerable or near threatened on the IUCN red list of threatened species. It could be deduced from these observations that the recruitment of juveniles into the small pelagic fish stocks may be compromised and possibly lead to the future collapse of such fishery. The practice is also inadvertently a clear threat to the marine ecosystem, and sustainable fish production in Ghana.
High-resolution ultrasound evaluation in the follow-up of treat to target urate-lowering therapy in gout: an observational study
Authors: Zhang Weijing , Zhao Di , Wu Min , Jin Zhibin , Zhang Huayong 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Background: The monitoring of treat-to-target (T2T) urate-lowering therapy (ULT) for gout is crucial for the assessing treatment response. However, evidence is lacking about clinical remission on ultrasound (US). The aim of this study was to observe the changes in three outcome domains (urate deposition, joint inflammation and bone erosion) in patients with ULT within 1 year, evaluate the effect of target treatment and analyse the relationships between clinical factors and US features. Methods: The elementary lesions of the bilateral knee, ankle and first metatarsophalangeal joints were evaluated by US before and after 3,6 and 12months of treatment. Urate deposition was assessed by the maximum long and short axis diameters of the tophi and dichotomous data of the double-contour (DC) sign and aggregates. After each follow-up, the most obvious lesions were selected for repeated observation. The effective clearance rates of these three signs in different time groups were compared. A Global OMERACT–EULAR Synovitis Score (GLOESS) was calculated for these three paired joints to observe the remission and recurrence of inflammation. Bone destruction was scored at each time point. The correlation between serum uric acid (sUA) levels and tophi size changes was analysed. Results: This cohort contained 79 patients. The long and short axis diameters of tophi showed a different descending tendency. The decrease of sUA levels correlated with the decrease of long axis values, but not with the short. For tophi, there was no significant difference in the clearance rate between different time groups, while for DC sign and aggregates, significant differences were found by paired comparison. The GLOESS was significantly lower after 6 months of therapy. Bone erosion had not been improved after 1 year of ULT.Conclusion: The decrease in sUA levels was not completely parallel to the decrease in tophi size. ULT with different intensities should be formulated according to different crystal deposition conditions under US assessment. Subclinical inflammation was gradually controlled after 6 months of therapy and can be sensitively observed by US. Joint damage was relatively stable within 12 months of ULT.
Development of a Fuzzy Model for Differentiating Peanut Plant from Broadleaf Weeds Using Image Features
Authors: Bakhshipour Adel , Zareiforoush Hemad 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
A combination of decision tree (DT) and fuzzy logic techniques was used to develop a fuzzy model for differentiating peanut plant from weeds. Color features and wavelet-based texture features were extracted from images of peanut plant and its three common weeds. Two feature selection techniques namely Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Correlation-based Feature Selection (CFS) were applied on input dataset and three Decision Trees (DTs) including J48, Random Tree (RT), and Reduced Error Pruning (REP) were used to distinguish between different plants. In all cases, the best overall classification accuracies were achieved when CFS-selected features were used as input data. The obtained accuracies of J48-CFS, REP-CFS, and RT-CFS trees for classification of the four plant categories namely peanut plant, Velvetleaf, False daisy, and Nicandra, were 80.83%, 80.00% and 79.17% respectively. Along with these almost low accuracies, the structures of the decision trees were complex making them unsuitable for developing a fuzzy inference system. The classifiers were also used for differentiating peanut plant from the group of weeds. The overall accuracies were 95.56% for J48-CFS, 92.78% for REP-CFS, and 93.33% for RT-CFS DTs. The results showed that the J48-CFS and REP-CFS were the most appropriate models to set the membership functions and rules of the fuzzy classifier system. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the developed DT-based fuzzy logic model can be used effectively to discriminate weeds from peanut plant in the form of machine vision-based cultivating systems.
The effects of gold nanoparticles on Leydig cells and male reproductive function in mice
Authors: Liu Ying , Li Xiaojie , Xiao Shuwen , Liu Xinyi , Chen Xuanming , Xia Qiyue , Lei Song , Li Hongxia , Zhong Zhihui , Xiao Kai 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Background: Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have shown great promise in various biomedical applications, but their effects on male reproductive function remain to be ascertained. The aim of this study was to investigate the uptake, cytotoxicity and testosterone production inhibition of AuNPs in mouse Leydig cells, as well as their accumulation in the testes of male mice and their effects on male reproductive function.Results: AuNPs (5 nm) were able to be internalized into the endosomes/lysosomes of TM3 Leydig cells, induce the formation of autophagosomes, increase the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and arrest the cell cycle in S phase, resulting in concentration-dependent cytotoxicity and DNA damage. Interestingly, AuNPs significantly reduced testosterone production in TM3 cells by inhibiting the expression of 17α-hydroxylase, an important enzyme in androgen synthesis. After repeated intravenous injection, AuNPs gradually accumulated and retained in the testes of male BALB/c mice in a dose-dependent manner. One week after withdrawal, the level of plasma testosterone in the 0.5 mg/kg AuNPs group was significantly reduced compared to that in the PBS control group, accompanied by the decreased expression of 17α-hydroxylase in the testes. In addition, AuNPs treatment significantly increased the rate of epididymal sperm malformation, but without affecting fertility.Conclusion: Our results suggest that AuNPs can accumulate in the testes and reduce testosterone production in Leydig cells by down-regulating the expression of 17α-hydroxylase, thus affecting the quality of epididymal sperm.
Identification of a Five-Immune Gene Model as an Independent Prognostic Factor in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Chen Haitao , Guo Jianchun 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common cancer with a poor prognosis. We purposed to identify a prognostic risk model of HCC according to the differentially expressed (DE) immune genes.Methods: The DE immune genes were identified based on 374 HCC and 50 adjacent normal samples from the Cancer Genome Atlas database. Univariate Cox analysis, Lasso regression, and multivariate Cox analysis were used to determine the immune genes used to construct the model based on the training group. The testing group and the entire group were applied for the validation of the model.Results: A five-immune gene model comprising HSPA4, ISG20L2, NDRG1, EGF, and IL17D was identified. Based on the model, overall survival was significantly different between the high-risk and low-risk groups (P = 7.953e-06). The AUC for the model at 1- and 3-year was 0.849 and 0.74, respectively. The validating groups confirmed the reliability of the model. The risk score was identified as an independent prognostic factor and was closely related to the content of immune cells from HCC samples.Conclusion: We identified a five-immune gene model, which could be treated as an independent prognostic factor of HCC.
Lifecycle management of insecticides used for disease vector control: a global survey
Authors: Berg Henk van den , Bezerra Haroldo Sergio da Silva , Chanda Emmanuel , Al-Eryani Samira , Nagpal Bhupender Nath , Gasimov Elkhan , Velayudhan Raman , Yadav Rajpal Singh 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Background: Vector control plays a critical role in the prevention, control and elimination of vector-borne diseases, and interventions of vector control continue to depend largely on the action of chemical insecticides. A global survey was conducted on the lifecycle management practices of vector control insecticides at country level to identify gaps to inform future strategies to improve efficacy of interventions and reduce the side effects of chemicals used on health and the environment.Methods: A survey by questionnaire was disseminated among all WHO Member States on the lifecycle management practices of vector control insecticides at country level. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics.Results: Responses were received from 94 countries, indicating a response rate of 48%. Capacity for insecticide resistance monitoring has been established in part of the countries, often with external support; however, this capacity was lacking from other countries. Procurement of vector control insecticides was often taking place at decentralized levels, over which the central authorities lacked control, for example, to select the product or assure quality of the product. Moreover, some countries experienced problems with estimating the correct amounts for procurement, especially for emergency purposes. Countries across regions showed shortcomings in worker safety, pesticide storage practices, and pesticide waste disposal. Shortcomings were most pronounced in countries of the European & Others Group, most of which have long been relatively free from mosquito-borne diseases but have recently faced challenges of re-emerging vector-borne diseases.Conclusions: Critical shortcomings in the management of vector control insecticides are common in countries across regions, with risks of adverse pesticide effects on health and the environment. Advocacy and resource mobilization are needed at regional and country level to address these challenges.
Association Between LncRNA MALAT1 Polymorphisms and Cancer Risk: A Meta-Analysis Based on7007 Cases and 8791 Controls
Authors: Zheng Lei , Rong Lijuan , Cheng Zhenyun 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Background: LncRNA metastasis associated with lung adenocarcinoma transcript-1 (MALAT1) was involved in pathogenesis and progress of diverse cancers. To investigate the association of MALAT1 and cancer susceptibility, this meta-analysis was appraised.Methods: 12 studies including 7007 cancer patients and 8791 controls were selected for this meta-analysis. Ratio radiation (ORS) and 95% confidence interval (CIS) were used to assess cancer susceptibility.Results: There was no significant association between rs3200401 polymorphism and the risk of cancer. However, rs3200401 was correlated with an increased risk of digestive cancer in allelic model (OR=1.15, 95%CI=1.04-1.28, P=0.009) and dominant model (OR=1.16, 95%CI=1.02-1.31, P=0.02). There was a borderline association between rs664589 and cancer susceptibility under the dominant model (OR=1.17, 95%CI=1.00-1.38, P=0.05). Rs619586 was associated with decreased cancer risk in all populations under four models (G vs A: OR=0.86, 95%CI=0.78-0.94, P=0.001; GG vs AA: OR=0.60, 95%CI=0.42-0.84, P=0.003; GG+AG vs AA: OR=0.87, 95%CI=0.78-0.97, P=0.009; GG vs AG+AA: OR=0.61, 95%CI=0.44-0.84, P=0.003). Moreover, rs1194338 was decreased associated with cancer susceptibility (A vs C: OR=0.89, 95%CI=0.80-0.98, P=0.01; AA vs CC: OR=0.77, 95%CI=0.62-0.96, P=0.02; AA+AC vs CC: OR=0.87, 95%CI=0.77-1.00, P=0.04; AA vs AC+CC: OR=0.82, 95%CI=0.67-1.00, P=0.05).Conclusion: Our results suggest that rs619586 and rs1194338 are associated with decreased cancer risk, while rs3200401 and rs664589 correlated with increased digestive cancer risk.
DNA Barcoding Reveals Cryptic Diversity in the Genus Triplophysa (Cypriniformes: Cobitidae, Nemacheilinae) from the Northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Authors: wang tai , Zhang Yanping , Yang Zhuoyu , Liu Zhe , Du Yanyan 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Background: The northeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) is one of the areas where the number of species of plateau loach is the largest. As one of the three major groups of fishes distributed on the QTP, plateau loach have very important ecological value. However, their taxonomy and systematics are still controversial, and a large number of new species have been reported. The reason for this phenomenon is that the degree of morphological variation is low, the phylogenetic information provided by morphological and anatomical features used for species identification is relatively poor, and there are many cryptic species. Based on the high-density sampling points from the biodiversity hotspots surveyed, this study aims to evaluate the taxonomic characteristics of the plateau loach by means of morphology, DNA barcoding and multiple species demarcation methods to accurately describe species and allocate taxonomic units to unknown specimens. Results: After careful identification and comparison of the morphology and DNA barcoding of 1,630 specimens, 22 species were identified, 20 of which were considered valid local species and two of which were new species that had not been described. Based on the combination of morphological and molecular methods, a total of 24 native species have been found, two of which are cryptic species: Triplophysa robusta sp1 and Triplophysa minxianensis sp1. Fourteen of the 24 species form clusters of barcodes, which allow them to be reliably identified. The remaining cases involved 10 closely related species, some of which were rapidly differentiated, had a disputed taxonomic status, or showed introgressions.Conclusions: The results highlight the need to combine traditional taxonomies with molecular methods to correctly identify species, especially in closely related species such as the plateau loach. This study provides a basis for protecting the biodiversity of plateau loach.
Development of optimum preparation conditions of Fe-deficient M-type Ca-Sr System hexagonal ferrites
Authors: Huang Ching-Chien , Chin-Chieh Mo , Tsung-Han Hsiao , Sheng-Han Lu , Yen-Hua Tai , Hsiao-Hsuan Hsu , Chun-Hu Cheng 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
In this work, an experiment was carried out to investigate the preparation condition of anosotropic Fe-deficient M-type Ca-Sr system ferrite with optimum magnetic and physical properties using the raw material Fe2O3 from steel industrial iron oxide waste. The compositions of the calcined ferrites were chosen according to the stoichiometry Ca1 − x−yLaxSryFe10.9CozO19, where x was varied between 0.05 and 0.85, y between 0 and 0.18, and z = 0. The effect of CaO, SiO2 and Co3O4 inter-additives on the Ca-Sr system ferrite was also discussed in order to obtain low-temperature sintered magnets. The optimum condition of making magnets and some properties of a typical specimen are as follows. The preparation condition: condition: composition Ca0.37La0.45Sr0.18Fe10.9Co0O19, calcination condition 1240 °C × 1hr in atmosphere, low-temperature sintering condition 1210 °C × 1hr in atmosphere, inter-additives Co3O4 = 1.85 wt%, CaCO3 = 1.7 wt%, SiO2 = 0.6 wt%, CaO/SiO2 = 1.59. The magnetic properties of Br=5425 Gauss, bHc=4320 Oe, iHc=4602 Oe and (BH)max=5.26 MGOe were obtained for Ca-Sr system hard magnets with relatively low cobalt content. The unremarkable steel industrial iron oxide waste is recycled produce high-end permanent magnets under output power < 1 kW, which will eventually be used in high-efficiency motors. This is a specific manifestation of "garbage turning into gold" and is one of the best models of circular economy.
Effectiveness of pelvic packing in hemodynamically unstable patients with pelvic fracture: a meta-analysis
Authors: Li Pengyu , Liu Fanxiao , Li Lin , Li Qinghu , Zhou Dongsheng , Dong Jinlei , Wang Dawei 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Background

Pelvic packing (PP) has been increasingly used for bleeding control in severe pelvic trauma. However, its effectiveness remains controversial. This meta-analysis was performed systematically to determine the efficiency of PP in pelvic fracture patients with hemodynamic instability.
Methods

Three databases, PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library were systematically searched to identify studies presenting comparisons between protocol including PP and protocol without PP. Mortality, transfusion requirement and length of hospitalization were extracted and pooled for meta-analysis. Relative risk (RR) or standard mean difference (SMD) with their confidence interval (CI) was used for the pooled statistical indexes included mortality, transfusion requirement and length of hospitalization.
Results

Ten studies involving 560 patients were identified eligible for meta-analysis. A significantly reduced overall mortality (RR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.50 to 0.79, p < 0.01) as well as reduced mortality within 24 h after admission (RR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.27 to 0.63, p < 0.01) and due to hemorrhage (RR = 0.27, 95% CI = 0.15 to 0.49, p < 0.01) was shown by PP. The usage of PP also decreased the need for pre-operative transfusion (SMD = -0.44, 95% CI= -0.69 to -0.18, p = 0.001) but had no influence on transfusion during the first 24 h after admission (SMD = 0.04, 95% CI = -0.24 to 0.31, p = 0.215) and length of hospitalization (ICU and total stays).
Conclusions

This meta-analysis indicates that a treatment protocol including PP significantly reduce mortality and transfusion requirement before intervention in pelvic fracture patients with hemodynamic instability. An algorithm in which pelvic packing is performed as first-line treatment was recommended and complemented with angiography and embolization for patients with traumatic pelvic hemorrhage.
Interaction analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis between host environment and highly mutated genes from population genetic structure comparison
Authors: Cui Zhezhe , Lin Dingwen , Chang Yue , Ou Jing , Huang Liwen 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
ObjectiveWe aimed to investigate the genetic and demographic differences and interactions between areas where observed genomic variations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. Tb) are distributed uniformly in cold and hot spots. MethodsThe cold and hot spot areas were identified using the reported incidence of TB over the previous 5 years. Whole genome sequencing was performed on 291 M. tb isolates between January and June 2018. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) and a multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) model was applied to test gene-gene-environment interactions. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed to test the extent to which genetic mutation affects the TB epidemic using a multivariate logistic regression model. ResultsThe percentage of the Beijing family strain in hot spots was significantly higher than that in cold spots (64.63% vs 50.69%, p = 0.022), among elderly, people from an ethnic minority group, those with a low income, low BMI and those having a history of contact with a TB patient (all p < 0.05).. Individuals from cold spot areas had a higher frequency of out-of-town travelling (p < 0.05). The mutation of Rv1186c, Rv3900c, Rv1508c, Rv0210 and a Intergenic Region (SNP site: 3847237) showed a significant difference between cold and hot spots. (p < 0.001). The best MDR model displayed a clear negative interaction effect of ethnicity with income (interaction entropy: -7.08%), mutation of Rv1186c (interaction entropy: -5.62%) and mutation of SNP position Rv0210 (interaction entropy: -4.26%). Through income, mutation of Rv1186c and mutation of Rv0210 had a low independent effect.ConclusionOur data suggests a statistically significant role of ethnicity, income and the polymorphisms of Rv1186c and Rv0210 genes in the transmission and development of M. tb. The results provide clues for the study of susceptibility genes of M. tb in different ethnic groups.