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Predicting the necessity of oxygen therapy in the early stage of COVID-19 using machine learning
Full text linkMedical oxygen is a critical element in the treatment process of COVID-19 patients which its shortage impacts the treatment
process adversely. This study aims to apply machine learning (ML) to predict the requirement for oxygen-based treatment
for hospitalized COVID-19 patients. In the first phase, demographic information, symptoms, and patient’s background were
extracted from the databases of two local hospitals in Iran, and preprocessing actions were applied. In the second step, the
related features were selected. Lastly, five ML models including logistic regression (LR), random forest (RF), XGBoost,
C5.0, and neural networks (NNs) were implemented and compared based on their accuracy and capability. Among the vari-
ables related to the patient’s background, consuming opium due to the high rate of opium users in Iran was considered in
the models. Of the 398 patients included in the study, 112 (28.14%) received oxygen-based treatment. Shortness of breath
(71.42%), fever (62.5%), and cough (59.82%) had the highest frequency in patients with oxygen requirements. The most
important variables for prediction were shortness of breath, cough, age, and fever. For opioid-addicted patients, in addition
to the high mortality rate (23.07%), the rate of oxygen-based treatment was twice as high as non-addicted patients. XGBoost
and LR obtained the highest area under the curve with values of 88.7% and 88.3%, respectively. For accuracy, LR and NNs
achieved the best and same accuracy (86.42%). This approach provides a tool that accurately predicts the need for oxygen
in the treatment process of COVID-19 patients and helps hospital resource management.
Keywords COVID-19 · Opioid addiction · Oxygen treatment · Prediction · Machine learning · XGBoos
ARTICLE Bi-allelic loss-of-function variants in PPFIBP1 cause a neurodevelopmental disorder with microcephaly, epilepsy, and periventricular calcifications
Full text linkPPFIBP1 encodes for the liprin-β1 protein, which has been shown to play a role in neuronal outgrowth and synapse formation in Drosophila melanogaster. By exome and genome sequencing, we detected nine ultra-rare homozygous loss-of-function variants in 16 individuals from 12 unrelated families. The individuals presented with moderate to profound developmental delay, often refractory early-onset epilepsy, and progressive microcephaly. Further common clinical findings included muscular hyper- and hypotonia, spasticity, failure to thrive and short stature, feeding difficulties, impaired vision, and congenital heart defects. Neuroimaging revealed abnormalities of brain morphology with leukoencephalopathy, ventriculomegaly, cortical abnormalities, and intracranial periventricular calcifications as major features. In a fetus with intracranial calcifications, we identified a rare homozygous missense variant that by structural analysis was predicted to disturb the topology of the SAM domain region that is essential for protein-protein interaction. For further insight into the effects of PPFIBP1 loss of function, we performed automated behavioral phenotyping of a Caenorhabditis elegans PPFIBP1/hlb-1 knockout model, which revealed defects in spontaneous and light-induced behavior and confirmed resistance to the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor aldicarb, suggesting a defect in the neuronal presynaptic zone. In conclusion, we establish bi-allelic loss-of-function variants in PPFIBP1 as a cause of an autosomal recessive severe neurodevelopmental disorder with early-onset epilepsy, microcephaly, and periventricular calcifications
Cadmium ion removal from aqueous media using banana peel biochar/Fe3O4/ZIF-67
No full textIn the present study, banana peel waste was used as a suitable source for biochar production. The banana peel biochar (BPB) was modified using Fe3O4 magnetic and ZIF-67 nanoparticles. The modification of the BPB surface (4.70 m2/g) with Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/ZIF-67 significantly increased the specific surface of the nanocomposites (BPB/Fe3O4: 78.83 m2/g, and BPB/Fe3O4/ZIF-67: 1212.40 m2/g). The effect of pH, temperature, contact time, adsorbent dose, and concentration of Cd2+ on the efficiency of the Cd2+ adsorption was explored. Maximum adsorption efficiencies for BPB (97.76%), BPB/Fe3O4 (97.52%), and BPB/Fe3O4/ZIF-67 (99.14%) were obtained at pH 6, Cd2+ concentration of 10 mg/L, times of 80 min, 50 min, and 40 min, and adsorbent doses of 2 g/L, 1.5 g/L, and 1 g/L, respectively. Thermodynamic measurements indicated that the process is spontaneous and exothermic. The maximum capacity of Cd2+ adsorption using BPB, BPB/Fe3O4, and BPB/Fe3O4/ZIF-67 were obtained 20.63 mg/g, 30.33 mg/g, and 50.78 mg/g, respectively. The Cd2+ adsorption using magnetic nanocomposites followed the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The results showed that studied adsorbents especially BPB/Fe3O4/ZIF-67 have a good ability to adsorb-desorb Cd2+ and clean an effluent containing pollutants
Cloning of Metalloproteinase 17 Genes from Oriental Giant Jellyfish Nemopilema nomurai (Scyphozoa: Rhizostomeae)
Full text linkWe previously demonstrated that Nemopilema nomurai jellyfish venom metalloproteinases (JVMPs) play a key role in the toxicities induced by N. nomurai venom (NnV), including dermotoxicity, cytotoxicity, and lethality. In this study, we identified two full-length JVMP cDNA and genomic DNA sequences: JVMP17-1 and JVMP17-2. The full-length cDNA of JVMP17-1 and 17-2 contains 1614 and 1578 nucleotides (nt) that encode 536 and 525 amino acids, respectively. Putative peptidoglycan (PG) binding, zinc-dependent metalloproteinase, and hemopexin domains were identified. BLAST analysis of JVMP17-1 showed 42, 41, 37, and 37% identity with Hydra vulgaris, Acropora digitifera, Megachile rotundata, and Apis mellifera venom metalloproteinases, respectively. JVMP17-2 shared 38 and 36% identity with H. vulgaris and A. digitifera, respectively. Alignment results of JVMP17-1 and 17-2 with other metalloproteinases suggest that the PG domain, the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-binding surfaces, active sites, and metal (ion)-binding sites are highly conserved. The present study reports the gene cloning of metalloproteinase enzymes from jellyfish species for the first time. We hope these results can expand our knowledge of metalloproteinase components and their roles in the pathogenesis of jellyfish envenomation
Application of bioactive glasses in various dental fields
Full text linkBioactive glasses are a group of bioceramic materials that have extensive clinical applications. Their properties such as high biocompatibility, antimicrobial features, and bioactivity in the internal environment of the body have made them useful biomaterials in various fields of medicine and dentistry. There is a great variation in the main composition of these glasses and some of them whose medical usage has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are called Bioglass. Bioactive glasses have appropriate biocompatibility with the body and they are similar to bone hydroxyapatite in terms of calcium and phosphate contents. Bioactive glasses are applied in different branches of dentistry like periodontics, orthodontics, endodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, esthetic and restorative dentistry. Also, some dental and oral care products have bioactive glasses in their compositions. Bioactive glasses have been used as dental implants in the human body in order to repair and replace damaged bones. Other applications of bioactive glasses in dentistry include their usage in periodontal disease, root canal treatments, maxillofacial surgeries, dental restorations, air abrasions, dental adhesives, enamel remineralization, and dentin hypersensitivity. Since the use of bioactive glasses in dentistry is widespread, there is a need to find methods and extensive resources to supply the required bioactive glasses. Various techniques have been identified for the production of bioactive glasses, and marine sponges have recently been considered as a rich source of it. Marine sponges are widely available and many species have been identified around the world, including the Persian Gulf. Marine sponges, as the simplest group of animals, produce different bioactive compounds that are used in a wide range of medical sciences. Numerous studies have shown the anti-tumor, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, and antibiotic effects of these compounds. Furthermore, some species of marine sponges due to the mineral contents of their structural skeletons, which are made of biosilica, have been used for extracting bioactive glasses
An evaluation of ascitic calprotectin for diagnosis of ascitic fluid infection in children with cirrhosis
Full text linkThe most common infection in children with the hepatic disease with or without cirrhotic ascites is spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), which occurs in the absence of an evident intra-abdominal source of infection. The present study aims to assess the value of calprotectin in ascitic fluid in the diagnosis of ascitic fluid infection in children with liver cirrhosis.
Materials and methods
In this cross-section study, 80 children with underlying liver disease who attended the Hepatology and Emergency Department in Shiraz University Hospitals were studied. All the patients were evaluated by a thorough history, clinical examination, laboratory investigations, diagnostic paracentesis with PMNLs count, and Calprotectin, which was measured in 1 mL ascitic fluid by ELISA.
Results
Thirty-five patients (43.75%) were diagnosed with ascitic fluid infection. Of these children 6 cases had positive ascitic fluid culture (SBP). Calprotectin was high in AFI patients with a statistically significant difference in AFI patients compared to non-AFI patients. The cut-off levels were 91.55 mg /L and the area under the curve was 0.971. So it can serve as a sensitive and specific diagnostic test for detection of AFI in children with underlying liver disease.
Conclusion
Elevated ascitic calprotectin levels in cirrhotic patients are a diagnostic and reliable marker for the detection of AFI and are considered a surrogate marker for PMN
Exposure sources of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and health risk assessment: a systematic review in Iran
No full textThis systematic review aims to identify the sources of exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), portioning, and human health risk assessment in Iran. The literature was searched in the international databases of Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and the national databases of SID and MagIran up to November 14, 2020. Among all 153 articles, 21 eligible papers were identified. Among them, only one article was related to drinking water, the rest was related to food and soil, and no article was found on ambient air. The corrected portion of each exposure source was determined to be 90% for food, 9% for water, and 1% for air. The total hazard quotient (HQ) was determined to be within an unsafe range, and the total excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) was determined to be at a high risk of oral carcinogenesis. It is suggested that a comprehensive study be conducted in a specific period for all sources of exposure in all counties of Iran. Moreover, it is recommended that the policymakers set national standards for this pollutant in near future in some sources of exposure (e.g., drinking water) which have no standards in Iran
Montmorillonite clay/starch/CoFe2O4 nanocomposite as a superior functional material for uptake of cationic dye molecules from water and wastewater
No full textIn this research, montmorillonite clay (MC) was magnetically modified by starch and cobalt-ferrite (CoFe2O4) (MC/starch/CoFe2O4) and then used to eliminate methyl violet (MV) and methylene blue (MB) dyes from water. The materials swere characterized by FTIR, XRD, SEM/EDX/Map, VSM, BET and TEM analyses. Also, central composite design (CCD) method was employed to optimize the effective factors on the uptake process. The utmost sorption efficiency using the MC/starch/CoFe2O4 nanocomposite were obtained 98.67% (MB) and 99.45% (MV), respectively, indicating significant sorption efficiencies. Also, the utmost sorption capacity of MV using MC, MC/CoFe2O4 and MC/starch/CoFe2O4 nanocomposite were 29.76, 34.79 and 43.95 mg/g, respectively, and the utmost sorption capacity of MB using these sorbents were 31.96, 36.91 and 47.51 mg/g, respectively. Among the studied models, the sorption data were more consistent with the pseudo-1st order kinetic (R2 > 0.99). Furthermore, the uptake of dyes using the nanocomposite was physical, favorable, and exothermic. Also, MC/starch/CoFe2O4 nanocomposite was able to clean textile wastewater (efficiency: 70%)
Study of microplastics pollution in sediments and organisms in mangrove forests: A review
No full textMicroplastics (MP) are an emerging and lesser-known pollutant that has attracted the attention of researchers around the world in recent decades. Size of PM is smaller than 5 mm and can be entered in different ways into marine environments like mangrove forests and interfere with the health of the environment and organisms. The present study reviews 53 studies in the field of microplastics in different parts (sediments and organisms) of mangrove forests. About 26% of the 53 studies was published in 2020. In most studies, MP particles were categorized based on the shape, color, size, and polymer genus. The number of microplastics per kilogram of mangrove sediments has been reported as 1.22–6390. The effect of sediment texture on the frequency of microplastic particles and the relationship between sediment pH and MP abundance were also discussed. The fiber and bright color PMs were more common in living organisms (mollusks, crustaceans, and fish). The PM particles with different genus (polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, and polyethylene terephthalate) were reported for sediment samples. In sediments with smaller sizes and lower pH, microplastics have been detected more frequently. It was reported that sediments and roots of mangrove forests act as livestock and retain microplastics for a long time. The highest concentration of MP in different parts of mangrove forests (sediment and organisms) has been reported for China. Few reports were observed on microplastics in water in mangrove forests. Also, the concentration of microplastics in sediments and organisms in mangrove forests exposed to fishing, coastal tourism, urban, and industrial wastewater was higher than those in pristine areas. It is necessary to conduct comprehensive studies to monitor, control, and evaluate the MP pollution in sediments and various organisms in mangrove forests worldwide
Comparing health consumer search behavior and scientific research productivity related to COVID-19 vaccines in the USA: an infodemiology study
No full textWhile vaccines are an effective preventative measure to defend against the spread and harmful symptoms of COVID-19, information about COVID vaccines can be difficult to find and conflicting in its coverage of vaccines’ benefits and risks. This study aims to examine the extent to which Americans are searching for information about the three major vaccine producers (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen) in relation to the amount of reliable scholarly information that has been produced about each one.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were retrieved from Google Trends for the US Web users alongside scientific research output of the US scientists toward three Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-authorized COVID-19 vaccines in Web of Science, Scopus and PubMed. The authors searched for descriptive statistical analyses to detect coronavirus-seeking behavior versus coronavirus releases in the USA from May 1, 2020, to April 30, 2021.
Findings
Of the three COVID-19 vaccines, Pfizer has attracted more attention from the US population. However, the greatest number of articles about COVID-19 vaccines published by the US scholars belonged to Moderna (M = 8.17), with Pfizer (M = 7.75) having slightly less, and Janssen (M = 0.83) well behind. A positive association was found between COVID-19 vaccine information-seeking behavior (ISB) on Google and the amount of research produced about that vaccine (P <0.001)