bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transcriptomic and physiological analyses of rice seedlings under different nitrogen supplies provide insight into the regulation involved in axillary bud outgrowth
Authors: Wang Rongna , Qian Junjie , Fang Zhongming , Tang Jihua
Published: May 2020

Background: N is an important macronutrient required for plant development and significantly influences axillary bud outgrowth, which affects tillering and grain yields of rice. However, how different N concentrations affect axillary bud growth at the molecular and transcriptional levels remains unclear. Results: In this study, morphological changes in the axillary bud growth of rice seedlings under different N concentrations ranging from low to high levels were systematically observed. To investigate the expression of N-induced genes involved in axillary bud growth, we used RNA-seq technology to generate mRNA transcriptomic data from two tissue types, basal parts and axillary buds, of plants grown under six different N concentrations. In total, 10,221 and 12,180 DEGs induced by LN or HN supplies were identified in the basal parts and axillary buds, respectively, via comparisons to expression levels under NN level. Analysis of the coexpression modules from the DEGs of the basal parts and axillary buds revealed an abundance of related biological processes underlying the axillary bud growth of plants under N treatments. Among these processes, the activity of cell division and expansion was positively correlated with the growth rate of axillary buds of plants grown under different N supplies. Additionally, TFs and phytohormones were shown to play crucial roles in determining the axillary bud growth of plants grown under different N concentrations. Further validation of OsGS1;2 and OsGS2 , the rice mutants of which presented altered tiller numbers, validated our transcriptomic data. Conclusion: These results indicate that different N concentrations affect the axillary bud growth rate, and our study revealed comprehensive expression profiles of genes that respond to different N concentrations, providing an important resource for future studies attempting to determine how axillary bud growth is controlled by different N supplies.
Three-Dimensional Morphological Analysis of the Femoral Neck Torsion Angle - An Anatomical Study
Authors: Zhang Ru-yi , Su Xiu-yun , Zhao Jing-xin , Li Jian-tao , Zhang Li-cheng , Tang Pei-fu
Published: May 2020

Background: The femoral neck torsion angle (FNTA) is an important but often neglected parameter in assessments of the anatomical morphology of the femoral neck, which is often confused with the femoral neck anteversion angle (FNAA) in the current literature. Currently, the measurement methods reported in the literature all adopt the naked eye or two-dimensional (2D) visualization method, and the measurement parameters and details are not clearly defined. The objection of this research was to provide a reliable 3D method for determining the femoral neck axis, to improve the measurement method of the FNTA, and to analyze the anatomical and clinical significance of the results.Methods: Computed tomography (CT) data of 200 patients who received a lower extremity CT angiography examination were selected, and the bilateral femurs were reconstructed with three dimensional CT (3D CT). First, the 3D axis of the femoral neck was built. Second, the long axis of the cross section the femoral neck isthmus (FNI) and femoral neck basilar part (FNB) were confirmed by the “inertia axes” method, and the plane consisting of the long axis of the cross-section and the center of the femoral head was defined as the long axial plane. Third, the coronal plane of the proximal femur was determined through the long axis of the proximal femur and the femoral coronal. Finally, the FNTAs (the angles between the long axial planes and the coronal plane of the proximal femur) of FNI and FNB were measured. The size of FNTA was compared between the sexes and sides and different locations, the correlation between the parameters and age, height and weight were evaluated.Results: The difference in FNTA was statistically significant between the isthmus and the basilar part (isthmus 30.58 ± 8.90° vs. basilar part 23.79 ± 3.98°; p < 0.01). Significant difference in the FNTA was observed between the sexes (males 31.99 ± 9.25° vs. females 27.49 ± 7.19°; p < 0.01). The increase in FNTA from the basilar part to the isthmus was 6.79 ± 8.06°, and the male (7.87 ± 8.57°) was greater than the female (4.44 ± 6.23°, p < 0.01). However, no significant difference in the values was observed between sides. Height exerted the greatest effect on the FNTA according to the correlation analysis (r = 0.255, p＜0.001). Conclusions: This study found a reliable 3D method for the determination of the femoral neck axis improved the measurement method of the FNTA and made it more accurate and repeatable. The results provided a methodological basis and theoretical support for the research and development of internal fixation device for femoral neck fracture and the spatial configuration of implants in treatment. And, the optimal opening point of the femoral medullary cavity was recommended to locate at the posterior position of the top of the femoral neck cross-section during hip replacement.
Developing whole-school mental health and wellbeing intervention through pragmatic formative process evaluation: A case-study of innovative local practice within the School Health Research Network
Authors: Gobat Nina H , Littlecott Hannah , Williams Andy , McEwan Kirsten , Stanton Helen , Robling Michael , Rollnick Stephen , Murphy Simon , Evans Rhiannon
Published: May 2020

Background: The evidence-base for whole school approaches aimed at improving student mental health and wellbeing remains limited. This may be due to a focus on developing and evaluating de-novo, research led interventions, while neglecting the potential of local, contextually-relevant innovation that has demonstrated acceptability and feasibility. This study reports a novel approach to modelling and refining the theory of a whole-school restorative approach, alongside plans to scale up through a national educational infrastructure in order to support robust scientific evaluation. Methods: A pragmatic formative process evaluation was conducted of a routinized whole-school restorative approach aimed at improving student mental health and wellbeing in Wales. Results: The study reports seven phases of the pragmatic formative process evaluation that may be undertaken in the development and evaluation of interventions already in routine practice: 1) identification of innovative local practice; 2) scoping review of evidence-base to identify existing intervention programme theory; outcomes; and contextual characteristics that influence programme theory and implementation; 3) establishment of a Transdisciplinary Action Research (TDAR) group; 4) co-production of an initial intervention logic model with stakeholders; 5) confirmation of logic model with stakeholders; 6) planning for intervention refinement; and 7) planning for feasibility and outcome evaluation. The phases of this model may be iterative and not necessarily sequential. Conclusions: Formative, pragmatic process evaluations support researchers, policy-makers and practitioners in developing a robust scientific evidence-base for acceptable and feasible local innovation that does not have a clear evidence base. The case of a whole-school restorative approach provides a case example of how such an evaluation may be undertaken.
Brown adipose tissue activity is modulated in olanzapine-treated young rats by simvastatin
Authors: Liu Xuemei , Feng Xiyu , Deng Chao , Liu Lu , Zeng Yanping , Hu Changhua
Published: May 2020

Background Prescription of second-generation antipsychotic drugs (SGAs) to childhood/adolescent has exponentially increased in recent years, which was associated with the greater risk of significant weight gain and dyslipidemia. Statin is considered a potential preventive and treatment approach for reducing SGA-induced weight gain and dyslipidemia in schizophrenia patients. However, the effect of statin treatment in children and adolescents with SGA-induced dyslipidemia is not clearly demonstrated. Methods To investigate the efficacy of statin interventions for reversing SGA-induced dyslipidemia, young Sprague Dawley rats were treated orally with either olanzapine (1.0 mg/kg, t.i.d.), simvastatin (3.0 mg/kg, t.i.d.), olanzapine plus simvastatin (O+S), or vehicle (control) for 5 weeks. Results Olanzapine treatment increased weight gain, food intake and feeding efficiency compared to the control, while O+S co-treatment significantly reversed body weight gain but without significant effects on food intake. Moreover, olanzapine treatment induced a slight but significant reduction in body temperature, with a decrease in locomotor activity. Fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides (TG), and total cholesterol (TC) levels were markedly elevated in the olanzapine-only group, whereas O+S co-treatment significantly ameliorated these changes. Pronounced activation of lipogenic gene expression in the liver and down-regulated expression of uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1) and peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor-γ co-activator-1α (PGC-1α) in brown adipose tissue (BAT) was observed in the olanzapine-only group. Interestingly, these protein changes could be reversed by co-treatment with O+B. Conclusions Simvastatin is effective in ameliorating TC and TG elevated by olanzapine. Modulation of BAT activity could be a partial mechanism in reducing metabolic side effects caused by SGAs in child and adolescent patients.
Estimating Utility value for Female Genital Mutilation
Authors: Alinia Cyrus , Piroozi Bakhtiar , Jahanbin Fariba , Safari Hossein , Mohamadi-Bolbanabad Amjad , Kazemi-Karyani Ali , Moradi Ghobad , Farhadifar Fariba , Ebrahimi Mohammad
Published: May 2020

Background: Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a clear violation of women's rights and can have adverse and irreversible health effects as well. Worldwide, more than 200 million women and girls have undergone FGM/C. Utility value of FGM/C has not been estimated yet, so we designed this study to extract the health utility value of FGM/C for the first time in the world. Methods: In a cross-sectional study in Iran, 125 girls and women who underwent FGM/C procedure were examined by the trained midwives in order to determine its type. In addition, a questionnaire was completed for identifying the socio -demographic factors and extracting the health utility of these individuals . Health utility was measured using Time Trade-off method and also to determine the effects of the socio -demographic factors on the health utility a two-limit censored regression model was applied. Findings : The mean and median of the health utility of women with FGM/C were 0.971 (SE: 0.003) and 0.968 (IQR: 1-0.95), respectively . Number of non-traders was 58 (46.4%) who reported perfect health utility. However, the mean of health utility among traders was 0.946 (SE: 0.002). Only type 1 (Clitoridectomy) and type 2 (Excision) FGM/C were seen in this study. Women with Type 1 FGM/C had significantly lower health utility value (Mean: 0.968, Median: 0.957) than their type 2 counterparts (Mean: 0.987, Median: 1.00). Moreover, women in the age group of 31-45 years (Mean: 0.962, Median: 0.956), single (Mean: 0.950, Median: 0.954), divorced (Mean: 0.951, Median: 0.950), employed (Mean: 0.959, Median: 0.956), and with supplementary insurance (Mean: 0.962, Median: 0.950) had significantly lower health utility than their counterparts . Conclusion: FGM/C affects physical and psychological well-being of these individuals, resulting in a lack of personal and marital satisfaction, which ultimately leads to a 3% reduction in their health related quality of life. Therefore, preventing from this practice is very important and should be considered by health system policy makers more than before .
Pro-cathepsin D as a diagnostic marker in differentiating malignant pleural effusion from benign pleural effusion: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Choi Hayoung , Ko Yousang , Lee Chang Youl
Published: May 2020

Background: Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) causes substantial symptomatic burden in advanced malignancy. Although pleural fluid cytology is a commonly accepted gold standard of diagnosis, its low diagnostic yield is a challenge for clinicians. The aim of this study was to determine whether pro-cathepsin D can serve as a novel biomarker to discriminate between MPE and benign pleural effusion (BPE). Methods : This study included 81 consecutive patients with exudative pleural effusions who had underwent thoracentesis or pleural biopsy. Pleural fluid and serum were collected as a standard procedure for all individuals at the same time. The level of pro-cathepsin D was measured by the sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Results : Though there were no significant differences in plasma pro-cathepsin D between the two groups, the level of pleural fluid pro-cathepsin D was signiﬁcantly higher in the MPE group than the BPE group (0.651 versus 0.590 pg/mL, P = 0.034). The discriminative power of pleural fluid pro-cathepsin D for diagnosing MPE was moderate, with 81% sensitivity and 53% specificity at a pro-cathepsin D cut-off >0.596 pg/mL (area under the curve: 0.656). The diagnostic sensitivity and negative predictive value for MPE were 81% and 89%, respectively, at the pro-cathepsin D cut-off >0.596 pg/mL. Conclusions : The level of pleural fluid pro-cathepsin D was found to be significantly higher in MPE than in BPE; thus, pleural fluid pro-cathepsin D may be useful for discriminating MPE from BPE.
Multiplex and On-site PCR detection of swine diseases based on the microfluidic chip system
Authors: Jiang Yan , Jiang Shan , Wu Yue , Zhou Bin , Wang Kaiming , Jiang Luyan , Long Yunfeng , Chen Gan , Zeng Dexin
Published: May 2020

Background： At present, the process of inspection and quarantine starts with sampling at the customs port, continues with transporting the samples to the central laboratory for inspection experiments, and ends with the inspected results being fed back to the port. This process had the risks of degradation of biological samples and generation of pathogenic microorganisms and did not meet the rapid on-site detection demand because it took a rather long time. Therefore, it is urgently needed to develop a rapid and high-throughput detection assay of pathogenic microorganisms at the customs port. The aim of this study was to develop a microfluidic chip to rapidly detect swine pathogenic microorganisms with high-throughput and higher accuracy. Moreover, this chip will decrease the risk of spreading infection during transportation. Results: A series of experiments were performed to establish a microfluidic chip. The resulting data showed that the positive nucleic acid of four swine viruses were detected by using a portable and rapid microfluidic PCR system, which could achieve a on-site real-time quantitative PCR detection. Furthermore, the detection results of eight clinical samples were obtained within an hour. The detection limit of this microfluidic PCR detection system was as low as 1 copies/μL. The results showed that the high sensitivity and specificity of this chip system in disease detection played an important role in customs inspection and quarantine during customs clearance. Conclusion: The microfluidic PCR detection system established in this study could meet the requirement for rapid detection of samples at the customs port. This chip could avoid the risky process of transporting the samples from the sampling site to the testing lab, and drastically reduce the inspection cycle. Moreover, it would enable parallel inspections on one chip, which greatly raised the efficiency of inspection.
The assessment of quality of life and satisfaction with life of patients before and after surgery of an isolated apical defect using synthetic materials
Authors: Zalewski Maciej , Kołodyńska Gabriela , Mucha Anna , Bełza Łukasz , Nowak Krzysztof , Andrzejewski Waldemar
Published: May 2020

Background: Pelvic floor static disorders constitute a significant clinical and social problem. The incidence of the problem increases with the age of female patients up to 80 years of age. Due to various methods of procedural treatment, eligibility for surgery should be carefully discussed with the patient. Ideally, the surgery should be effective and with the least possible number of complications. The objective of this study was to assess the quality of life of patients before and after the surgery of an isolated apical defect with the use of BSC mesh.Methods: The study involved 60 patients who were diagnosed with pelvic floor static disorder on the basis of physical examination. Standardised questionnaires were used to assess the quality of life and satisfaction with life: the Perceived Quality of Life (P-QOL) and the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). Results: The P-QOL results for each domain were higher in patients before surgery compared to the results obtained after the surgery. For almost all domains, the results obtained were statistically significant. The results obtained in the SWLS questionnaire in most answers also show that after the procedure there was an improvement in satisfaction with life in the examined female patients.Conclusion: In most patients, surgical treatment of an isolated apical defect using BSC mesh results in the subsidence of bothersome symptoms and improves the quality of life.
Latent-space embedding of expression data identifies gene signatures from sputum samples of asthmatic patients
Authors: LOU Shaoke , Li Tianxiao , Spakowicz Daniel , Yan Xiting , Chupp Geoffrey Lowell , Gerstein Mark
Published: May 2020

Background: The pathogenesis of asthma is a complex process involving multiple genes and pathways. Identifying biomarkers from asthma datasets, especially those that include heterogeneous subpopulations, is challenging. Potentially, autoencoders provide ideal frameworks for such tasks as they can embed high-dimensional gene expression data into a low-dimensional latent space in an unsupervised fashion, enabling us to extract distinguishing features from expression data.Results: Here, we developed a framework combining a denoising autoencoder and a supervised learning classifier to identify gene signatures related to asthma severity. Using the trained autoencoder with 50 hidden units, we found that hierarchical clustering on the low-dimensional embedding corresponds well with previously defined and clinically relevant clusters of patients. Moreover, each hidden unit has contributions from each of the genes, and pathway analysis of these contributions shows that the hidden units are significantly enriched in known asthma-related pathways. We then used genes that contribute most to the hidden units to develop a secondary random-forest classifier for directly predicting asthma severity. The feature importance metric from this classifier identified a signature based on 50 key genes, which can predict severity with an AUROC of 0.81 and thus have potential as diagnostic biomarkers. Furthermore, we could use these key genes for successfully estimating, via support-vector-machine regression, the FEV1/FVC ratios across patients, achieving pre- and post-treatment correlations of 0.56 and 0.65, respectively (between predicted and observed values). Conclusion: We found that the denoising autoencoder framework can extract meaningful patterns corresponding to functional gene groups and patient clusters from the gene expression of asthma patients. Specifically, from the top-weighted gene set in the hidden units, we identified 50 genes that are predictive of asthma severity and other relevant clinical traits. Furthermore, we found that these genes play central roles in biological networks and pathways. Thus, we believe that they could provide a potential source for biomarkers for asthma severity.
Blood parasites in vectors reveal a united blackfly community in the upper canopy
Authors: Chakarov Nayden , Kampen Helge , Wiegmann Anja , Werner Doreen , Bensch Staffan
Published: May 2020

Background The behaviour of blood-sucking arthropods is a crucial determinant of blood protozoan distribution and hence of host-parasite coevolution, but it is very challenging to study in the wild. The molecular identification of parasite lineages in vectors can be a useful key to understand the behaviour and transmission patterns realised by these vectors. Methods In this study, we collected blackflies around nests of three raptor species in the upper forest canopy in Central Europe and examined the presence of vertebrate DNA and haemosporidian parasites in them. We molecularly analysed 156 blackfly individuals, their vertebrate blood meals, and the haemosporidian parasite lineages they carried. Results We identified nine species of Simulium blackflies, largely belonging to the subgenera Nevermannia and Eusimulium. Only 1% of the collected specimens was visibly engorged, and only 4% contained remains of host DNA. However, in 29% of the blackflies Leucocytozoon-lineages were identified, which is evidence of a previous blood meal on an avian host. Based on the known vertebrate hosts of the recorded Leucocytozoon-lineages, we can infer that large and/or abundant birds, such as thrushes, crows, pigeons, birds of prey, owls and tits are the main targets of ornithophilic blackflies in the canopy. Blackfly species contained similar proportions of host group-specific parasite lineages and thus do not appear to be associated with particular host groups. Conclusions The Leucocytozoon clade infecting thrushes, crows, and pigeons present in most represented blackfly species suggests a lack of association between hosts and blackflies, which can increase the probability of host switches of blood parasites. However, the composition of simuliid species differed between nests of common buzzards, goshawks and red kites. This segregation can be explained by coinciding habitat preferences between host and vector, and may lead to the fast speciation of Leucocytozoon parasites. Thus, subtle ecological preferences and lack of host preference of vectors in the canopy may enable both parasite diversification and host switches, and enforce a habitat-dependent evolution of avian malaria parasites and related haemosporidia.
Prevalence of fosfomycin resistance and gene mutations in clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Lee Yi-Chien , Chen Pao-Yu , Wang Jann-Tay , Chang Shan-Chwen
Published: May 2020

Background: Fosfomycin exhibits excellent in vitro activity against multidrug-resistant pathogens, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Increasing fosfomycin resistance among clinical MRSA isolates was reported previously, but little is known about the relative abundance of Fosfomycin resistance genes in MRSA isolates circulating in Taiwan.Methods: All MRSA isolates, collected in 2002 and 2012 by the Taiwan Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance (TSAR) program, were used in this study. Susceptibility to various antimicrobial agents, including fosfomycin, was determined by broth microdilution. Genetic determinants of fosfomycin resistance, including fosB carriage and murA, glpT and uhpT mutations, were investigated using PCR and sequencing of amplicons. Staphylococcal protein A (spa) typing was also performed to determine the genetic relatedness of MRSA isolates.Results: A total of 969 MRSA strains, 495 in the year 2002 and 474 in the year 2012, were analyzed. The overall in vitro susceptibility was 8.2% to erythromycin, 18.0% to clindamycin, 29.0% to tetracycline, 44.6% to ciprofloxacin, 57.5% to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, 86.9% to rifampicin, 92.9% to fosfomycin and 100% to linezolid and vancomycin. A significant increase in the fosfomycin resistance rate was observed from 3.4% in 2002 to 11.0% in 2012. Of 68 fosfomycin-resistant MRSA isolates, several genetic backgrounds probably contributing to fosfomycin resistance were identified. Twelve isolates harbored the fosB gene, and various mutations in murA, uhpT, and glpT genes were noted in 11, 59, and 66 isolates, respectively. The most prevalent gene mutations were found in the combination of uhpT and glpT genes (58 isolates). The vast majority of the fosfomycin-resistant MRSA isolates belonged to spa type t002.Conclusions: An increased fosfomycin resistance rate of MRSA isolates was observed in our present study, mostly due to mutations in the glpT and uhpT genes. Clonal spread probably contributed to the increased fosfomycin resistance.
Detection of p53 mutation and serum monitoring alert caused by Marek's disease virus
Authors: Zhang Huixia , Liu Mengda , Zhang Hui , Cao Shengliang , Li Yue , Jiang Shengnan , Song Yinuo , Liu Sidang
Published: May 2020

Background: Marek’s disease as a chicken neoplastic disease, brings huge economic losses to the global poultry industry. The tumor suppressor gene, wild type P53, plays a key role in blocking cell cycle, promoting apoptosis and maintaining stability of genome. However, the p53 could become an oncogene from a tumor inhibitory role, if a mutation happened. Results: The mutation rate of p53 was 60 percent in experimentally and naturally infected chickens. The mutations included point-mutations and deletions, and mostly located in the DNA-binding domain. The mutated P53 can be expressed in tumors of various tissues in an infected chicken. They accumulated in cytoplasm due to the loss of nuclear localization function. Unlike the researches on human cancer, the concentration of P53 serum of MD infected chicken was significantly lower than control group. Conclusions: The p53 mutations were relevant with the development of MD. Detecting the concertation of P53 and P53 antibody in serum could be helpful for diagnosis and monitor of MD.
Enhanced biohydrogen production from cotton stalk hydrolysate of Enterobacter cloacae WL1318 by overexpression of the formate hydrogen lyase activator gene
Authors: Zhang Qin , You Shaolin , Li Yanbin , Qu Xiaowei , Jiang Hui
Published: May 2020

Background: Biohydrogen production from lignocellulose has become an important hydrogen production method due to its diversity, renewability, and cheapness. Overexpression of the formate hydrogen lyase activator (fhlA) gene is a promising tactic for enhancement of hydrogen production in facultative anaerobic Enterobacter. As a species of Enterobacter, Enterobacter cloacae was reported as high efficient hydrogen-producing bacterium. However, little work has been reported in terms of cloning and expressing the fhlA gene in E. cloacae for lignocellulose-based hydrogen production.Results: In this study, the formate hydrogen lyase activator (fhlA) gene was cloned and overexpressed in Enterobacter cloacae WL1318. We found that the recombinant strain significantly enhanced cumulative hydrogen production by 188% following fermentation of cotton stalk hydrolysate for 24 h, and maintained improved production above 30% throughout the fermentation process compared to the wild strain. Accordingly, overexpression of the fhlA gene resulted in an enhanced hydrogen production potential (P) and maximum hydrogen production rate (Rm), as well as a shortened lag phase time (λ) for the recombinant strain. Additionally, the recombinant strain also displayed improved glucose (12%) and xylose (3.4%) consumption and hydrogen yield Y(H2/S) (37.0%) compared to the wild strain. Moreover, the metabolites and specific enzyme profiles demonstrated that reduced flux in the competitive branch, including succinic, acetic, and lactic acids, and ethanol generation, coupled with increased flux in the pyruvate node and formate splitting branch, benefited hydrogen synthesis. Conclusions: The results conclusively prove that overexpression of fhlA gene in E. cloacae WL1318 can effectively enhance the hydrogen production from cotton stalk hydrolysate, and reduce the metabolic flux in the competitive branch. It’s the first attempt to engineer the fhlA gene in the hydrogen producing bacterium E. cloacae. This work provides a highly efficient engineered bacterium for biohydrogen production from fermentation of lignocellulosic hydrolysate in the future.
Ferulic acid attenuates microglia-mediated neuroinflammation in retinal degeneration
Authors: Sun Xiaowei , Sun Peng , Liu Limei , Jiang Pengfei , LI YUANBIN
Published: May 2020

Background : To explore the impact of Ferulic acid (FA) on microglia-mediated neuroinflammation as well as associated retinal degeneration by using a rd10 mouse model as a means. Methods : Rd10 mice received different concentrations of FA treatment every day from postnatal day (P)4 to P24. At P25, mice visual function were detected by electroretinogram, then retinae were collected for further investigation. Retinal microglia activation state and relevant cytokines were evaluated by qPCR, Western blot and immunofluorescent staining. The retinal structure was assessed by HE Staining. Results :50mg/kg FA supplement exhibited optimal protection against retinal degeneration, with treated mice exhibiting more photoreceptor nuclei as well as significant wave amplitude amplification in electroretinograms. FA suppressed microglia activation both in vivo and in vitro , inhibited pro-inflammatory factors Tnfα, IL1β, Ccl2 expression in rd10 retinae. Furthermore, FA suppressed the activation of STAT1 and subsequently IRF8 expression, potentially highlighting a role for these pathways in FA-mediated immunomodulatory activity. Conclusions : Attenuating neuroinflammation by FA may be beneficial to retard retinal degeneration.
Correlation and variation of cuff inflating volumes and pressures in different adult models of laryngeal mask: a prospective randomized trial
Authors: Ruananukun Narut , Watcharotayangul Jittiya , Jeeranukosol Suchaya , Komonhirun Rojnarin
Published: May 2020

Background: Hyperinflation of laryngeal mask cuffs may carry the risk of airway complications. The manufacturer recommends inflating cuff until the intracuff pressure reaches 60 cmH2O, or inflate with the volume of air to not exceed the maximum recommended volume. We prospectively assessed the correlation of cuff inflating volumes and pressures, and the appropriated the cuff inflating volumes to generate an intracuff pressure of 60 cmH2O in the adult laryngeal masks from different manufacturers. Methods: Two groups of eighty patients requiring laryngeal mask size 3 and 4 during general anesthesia were randomized into 4 subgroups for each size of the laryngeal mask: Soft Seal® (Portex®), AuraOnceTM (Ambu®), LMA-ClassicTM (Teleflex®) and LMA-ProSealTM (Teleflex®). After insertion, the cuff was inflated with 5-ml increments of air up to the maximum recommended volume. After each 5-ml intracuff pressure was measured, the volume of air that generated the intracuff pressure of 60 cmH2O was recorded. Results: Mean(SD) volume of air required to achieve the intracuff pressure of 60 cmH2O in Soft Seal®, AuraOnceTM, LMA-ClassicTM, LMA-ProSealTM laryngeal mask size 3 were 11.80(1.88), 9.20(1.88), 8.95(1.50) and 13.50(2.48) ml, respectively, and these volumes in laryngeal mask size 4 were 14.45(4.12), 12.55(1.85), 11.30(1.95) and 18.20(3.47) ml, respectively. The maximum recommended volume resulted in high intracuff pressures (>60 cmH2O) in all laryngeal mask types and sizes studied. Conclusion: Pressure-volume curves of adult laryngeal masks are all in sigmoidal shape. Cuff designs and materials can effect pressure and volume correlation. Approximately half of the maximum recommended volume is required to achieve the intracuff pressure of 60 cmH2O except LMA-ProSealTM which required two-thirds of the maximum recommended volume. Trial registration: Thai Clinical Trials Registry, TCTR20150602001, May 28, 2015
Quantification of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody by a pseudotyped virus based assay
Authors: Nie Jianhui , Li Qianqian , Wu Jiajing , Zhao Chenyan , Hao Huan , Liu Huan , Zhang Li , Nie Lingling , Qin Haiyang , Wang Meng , Lu Qiong , Li Xiaoyu , Sun Qiyu , Liu Junkai , Fan Changfa , Huang Weijin , Xu Miao , Wang Youchun
Published: May 2020

Jianhui Nie, Qianqian Li, and Jiajing Wu contributed equally to this work.Pseudotyped viruses are useful virological tools due to their safety and versatility. Based on a VSV pseudotyped virus production system, we developed a pseudotyped virus-based neutralization assay against SARS-CoV-2 in biosafety level 2 facilities. This protocol includes production, titration of the SARS-CoV-2 S pseudotyped virus and neutralization assay based on it. Various types of samples targeting virus attachment and entry could be evaluated for their potency, including serum samples derived from animals and humans, monoclonal antibodies, fusion inhibitors (peptides or small molecules). If the pseudotyped virus stock has been prepared in advance, it will take 2 days to get the potency data for the candidate samples. Experience of handling cells is needed before implementing this protocol.
Costs of illness in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): a cross-sectional survey in Germany
Authors: Schönfelder Erik , Osmanovic Alma , Müschen Lars Hendrik , Petri Susanne , Schreiber-Katz Olivia
Published: May 2020

Background Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder. Consequently, patients undergo a multidisciplinary treatment that often requires intensive use of medical resources. This study provides an estimate on the cost of illness depending on the clinical severity while also analysing the patients’ health-related quality of life.Methods Primary data from patients and caregivers was collected through a standardized questionnaire. Direct medical, direct non-medical and indirect costs were calculated using the latest German health economic guidelines. Patients were divided into five groups according to the King’s staging system. Health-related quality of life was assessed using EuroQoL Group EQ-5D-5LTM questionnaire. Influencing factors on both total cost and quality of life were examined.Results The mean annual total cost of illness was 78,256€ per patient while the lifetime cost per patient was estimated at 246,184€. The prevalence based total burden yearly therefore was 519,776,352€ in Germany. Nearly half of the costs were attributable to informal care. With increase of the clinical severity stage, costs rose and quality of life decreased. The score of the revised Amyotrophic Laterals Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale was identified as one major influencing factor on total costs, while subjective impairment in daily activities and classification into a care level as opposed to having no care level influenced patients’ quality of life.Conclusion It is essential to understand the socioeconomic burden of a disease. These data can be used to improve patient care standards and quality of life while also serving as a basis for cost-benefit analyses during the approval process of new treatments.
Compared the Burden of Cardiovascular Disease attributable to Tobacco Exposure in China, Japan, USA and World
Authors: Wu Xiaomei , Zhu Bo , Xu Shuang , Bi Yifei , Liu Yong , shi jingpu
Published: May 2020

Background Tobacco exposure (TE) is the major contributor for CVD mortality, but few published studies on CVD mortality attributable to TE have analyzed the potential reasons underlying long-term trends in China. Our study sought to find the potential reasons and compared CVD mortality attributable to TE in China, Japan, the United States of America (USA), and the world between 1990 and 2017.Methods The mortality data in China, Japan, the USA, and the world were obtained from Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 (GBD 2017). Joinpoint regression was used to assess the trend magnitude and directions over time for CVD mortality, while the age-period-cohort method was used to analyze the temporal trends of CVD mortality according to age, period, and cohort.Results A significant downward trend was found in the age-standardised mortality rate (ASMR) of CVD attributable to smoking in four regions. China had the smallest decline and the Chinese ASMR became the highest in 2017. All the annual net drifts in the four regions were negative and the local drifts were below zero. The longitudinal age curves of CVD mortality attributable to smoking increased in four regions, with China having the largest increase. The period or cohort RRs indicated a decline, and China had the smallest decline. The researchers further analyzed the IHD and stroke trends, finding that the morality and period or cohort RR of IHD in China was always at a high level.Conclusions CVD mortality attributable to TE declined in four regions, and was highest in China. The proportion of IHD mortality attributable to TE was similar to stroke which significantly changed the traditional cognition of CVD composition, but the control measure was not sufficient for IHD in China.
Reduced serum VGF levels are linked with suicide risk in Chinese Han patients with major depressive disorder
Authors: Li Xingxing , Ge Huifei , Zhou Dongsheng , Wu Xiangping , Qi Gangqiao , Chen Zan , Yu Chang , Zhang Yuanyuan , Yu Haihang , wang chuang
Published: May 2020

Background: VGF (nonacronymic) is a neuropeptide that plays an important role in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, no studies have yet investigated VGF levels in patients with MDD who are at risk of suicide. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether serum VGF levels are related to suicide risk in patients with MMD.Methods: A total of 107 patients with MDD and 40 normal control participated in the present study. The risk of suicide was assessed using the Nurses Global Assessment of Suicide Risk (NGASR). On this basis, 60 patients were assigned to a high-risk group (NGASR≥9) and 47 were assigned to a low-risk group (NGASR<9). The severity of depression was measured using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). Levels of serum VGF were determined using a double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results: Serum VGF levels in the high-risk group (883.34±139.67 pg/mL) were significantly lower than in the low-risk group (1020.56±131.76 pg/mL) and in the control group (1107.00±155.38 pg/mL) (F=31.90, p<0.001). In patients with MDD, suicide risk was significantly negatively correlated with VGF levels (r = -0.55, p=0.001). Conclusions: Reduced serum VGF levels are related to risk of suicide in patients with MDD, so VGF may be a biomarker of suicide risk in MDD.
Multiple functions of the scaffold protein Discs large 5 in the control of growth, cell polarity and cell adhesion in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Venugopal Parvathy , Veyssiere Hugo , Couderc Jean-Louis , Richard Graziella , Vachias Caroline , MIrouse Vincent
Published: May 2020

Background : Scaffold proteins support a variety of key processes during animal development. Mutant mouse for the MAGUK protein Discs large 5 (Dlg5) presents a general growth impairment and moderate morphogenetic defects. Results : Here, we generated null mutants for Drosophila Dlg5 and show that it owns similar functions in growth and epithelial architecture. Dlg5 is required for growth at a cell autonomous level in several tissues and at the organism level, affecting cell size and proliferation. Our results are consistent with Dlg5 modulating hippo pathway in the wing disc, including the impact on cell size, a defect that is reproduced by the loss of yorkie. However, other observations indicate that Dlg5 regulates growth by at least another way that may involve Myc protein but nor PI3K neither TOR pathways. Moreover, epithelia cells mutant for Dlg5 also show a reduction of apical domain determinants, though not sufficient to induce a complete loss of cell polarity. Dlg5 is also essential, in the same cells, for the presence at Adherens junctions of N-Cadherin, but not E-Cadherin. Genetic analyses indicate that junction and polarity defects are independent. Conclusions : Together our data show that Dlg5 own several conserved functions that are independent of each other in regulating growth, cell polarity and cell adhesion. Moreover, they reveal a differential regulation of E-cadherin and N-cadherin apical localization.
Effect of Deletion of Gene Cluster involved in Synthesis of Enterobacterial Common Antigen on Virulence and Immunogenicity of Live Attenuated Salmonella Vaccine when Delivering Heterologous Streptococcus pneumoniae Antigen PspA
Authors: Liu Qing , Shen Xuegang , Bian Xiaoping , Kong Qingke
Published: May 2020

Background: Enterobacterial common antigen (ECA) is a family-specific surface antigen shared by all members of the Enterobacteriaceae family. Previous studies showed that the loss of ECA results in Salmonella attenuation, indicating its usefulness as a vaccine candidate for Salmonella infection, but no studies have shown whether the mutation resulting from the deletion of the ECA operon in conjunction with other mutations could be used as an antigen vehicle for heterologous protein antigen delivery. Results: In this study, we introduced a nonpolar, defined ECA operon deletion into wild-type S. Typhimurium χ3761 and an attenuated vaccine strain χ9241, obtaining two isogenic ECA operon mutants, namely, χ12357 and χ12358, respectively. A number of in vitro and in vivo properties of the mutants were analyzed. We found that the loss of ECA did not affect the growth, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) production and motility of S. Typhimurium wild type strain χ3761 and its attenuated vaccine strain χ9241 but significantly affected the virulence when administered orally to BALB/c mice. Furthermore, the effects of the ECA mutation on the immunogenicity of a recombinant S. Typhimurium vaccine strain χ9241 when delivering the pneumococcal antigen PspA were determined. The result showed that the total anti-PspA IgG level of χ12358 (pYA4088) was slightly lower than that of χ9241 (pYA4088), but the protection rate was not compromised. Conclusions: ECA affects virulence and benefits the Th2 immunity of Salmonella Typhimurium, therefore, it is feasible to use a reversible ECA mutant mode to design future Salmonella vaccine strains for heterologous protective antigens.
Disrupted functional connectivity between sub-regions in the sensorimotor areas and cortex in migraine without aura
Authors: Qin Zhaoxia , Su Jingjing , He Xin-Wei , Ban Shiyu , Zhu Qian , Cui Yangyang , Zhang Jilei , Hu Yue , Liu Yi-Sheng , Zhao Rong , Qiao Yuan , Li Jianqi , Liu Jian-Ren , Du Xiaoxia
Published: May 2020

Background: Migraine is a severe and disabling brain disorder, and the exact neurological mechanisms remain unclear. Migraineurs have altered pain perception, and headache attacks disrupt their sensory information processing and sensorimotor integration. The altered functional connectivity of sub-regions of sensorimotor brain areas with other brain cortex associated with migraine needs further investigation.Methods: Forty-eight migraineurs without aura during the interictal phase and 48 age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. We utilized seed-based functional connectivity analysis to investigate whether patients exhibited abnormal functional connectivity between sub-regions of sensorimotor brain areas and cortex regions.Results: We found that patients with migraineurs without aura exhibited disrupted functional connectivities between the sensorimotor areas and the visual cortex, temporal cortex, posterior parietal lobule, prefrontal areas, precuneus, cingulate gyrus, sensorimotor areas proper and cerebellum areas compared with healthy controls. In addition, the clinical data of the patients, such as disease duration, pain intensity and HIT-6 score, were negatively correlated with these impaired functional connectivities.Conclusion: In patients with migraineurs without aura, the functional connectivities between the sensorimotor brain areas and other brain regions was reduced. These disrupted functional connectivities might contribute to abnormalities in visual processing, multisensory integration, nociception processing, spatial attention and intention and dysfunction in cognitive evaluation and modulation of pain. Recurrent headache attacks might lead to the disrupted network between primary motor cortex and temporal regions and between primary somatosensory cortex and temporal regions. Pain sensitivity and patient quality of life are closely tied to the abnormal functional connectivity between sensorimotor regions and other brain areas.
Development and validation of the isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification assays for rapid detection of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae
Authors: Wang Jinfeng , Li Ruiwen , Sun Xiaoxia , Liu Libing , Hao Xuepiao , Wang Jianchang , Yuan Wanzhe
Published: May 2020

Background: Mycoplasmal pneumonia is an important infectious disease that threatens sheep and goat production worldwide, and Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae is one of major etiological agent causing mycoplasmal pneumonia. Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) is an isothermal nucleic acid amplification technique, and RPA-based diagnostic assays have been described for the detection of different types of pathogens. Results: The RPA assays using real-time fluorescence detection (real-time RPA) and lateral flow strip detection (LFS RPA) were developed to detect M. ovipneumoniae targeting a conserved region of the 16S rRNA gene. Real-time RPA was performed in a portable florescence scanner at 39 °C for 20 min. LFS RPA was performed in a portable metal bath incubator at 39 °C for 15 min, and the amplicons were visualized with the naked eyes within 5 min on the lateral flow strip. Both assays were highly specific for M. ovipneumoniae , as there were no cross-reactions with other microorganisms tested, especially the pathogens involved in respiratory complex and other mycoplasmas frequently identified in ruminant s . The limit of detection of LFS RPA assay was 1.0×10 1 copies per reaction using a recombinant plasmid containing target gene as template, which is 10 times lower than the limit of detection of the real-time RPA and real-time PCR assays. The RPA assays were further validated on 111 clinical sheep nasal swab and fresh lung samples, and M. ovipneumoniae DNA was detected in 29 samples in the real-time RPA, 31 samples in the LFS RPA and 32 samples in the real-time PCR assay. Compared to real-time PCR, the real-time RPA and LFS RPA showed diagnostic specificity of 100% and 98.73%, diagnostic sensitivity of 90.63% and 93.75%, and a kappa coefficient of 0.932 and 0.934, respectively. Conclusions: The developed real-time RPA and LFS RPA assays provide the attractive and promising tools for rapid, convenient and reliable detection of M. ovipneumoniae , especially in resource-limited settings.