bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification and characterization of differentially expressed genes in Caenorhabditis elegans in response to pathogenic and nonpathogenic Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
Authors: Radeke Leah J , Herman Michael
Published: March 2020

Background: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an emerging nosocomial pathogen that causes infection in immunocompromised patients. S. maltophilia isolates are genetically diverse, contain diverse virulence factors, and are variably pathogenic within several host species. Members of the Stenotrophomonas genus are part of the native microbiome of C. elegans , being found in greater relative abundance within the worm than its environment, suggesting that these bacteria accumulate within C. elegans . Thus, study of the C. elegans-Stenotrophomonas interaction is of both medical and ecological significance. To identify host defense mechanisms, we analyzed the C. elegans transcriptomic response to S. maltophilia strains of varying pathogenicity: K279a, an avirulent clinical isolate, JCMS, a virulent strain isolated in association with soil nematodes near Manhattan, KS, and JV3, an even more virulent environmental isolate. Results: Overall, we found 145 genes that are commonly differentially expressed in response to pathogenic S. maltophilia strains, 89% of which are upregulated, with many even further upregulated in response to JV3 as compared to JCMS. There are many more JV3-specific differentially expressed genes (225, 11% upregulated) than JCMS-specific differentially expressed genes (14, 86% upregulated), suggesting JV3 has unique pathogenic mechanisms that could explain its increased virulence. We used connectivity within a gene network model to choose pathogen-specific and strain-specific differentially expressed candidate genes for functional analysis. Mutations in 13 of 22 candidate genes caused significant differences in C. elegans survival in response to at least one S. maltophilia strain, although not always the strain that induced differential expression, suggesting a dynamic response to varying levels of pathogenicity. Conclusions: Variation in observed pathogenicity and differences in host transcriptional responses to S. maltophilia strains reveal that strain-specific mechanisms play important roles in S. maltophilia pathogenesis. Furthermore, utilizing bacteria closely related to strains found in C. elegans natural environment provides a more realistic interaction for understanding host-pathogen response.
A Protocol for Automated a-posteriori Adaptive Meshing with SimVascular: A Test Case
Authors: Gupta Akash , Kung Ethan O.
Published: March 2020

Objective: Operational details regarding the use of the adaptive meshing (AM) algorithm available in the SimVascular package are scarce despite its application in several studies. Lacking these details, novice users of the AM algorithm may experience undesirable outcomes post-adaptation such as increases in mesh error metrics, unpredictable increases in mesh size, and losses in geometric fidelity. Here we present a test case using our proposed iterative protocol that will help prevent these undesirable outcomes and enhance the utility of the AM algorithm. We present three trials (conservative, moderate, and aggressive settings) applied to a scenario modelling a Fontan junction with a patient-specific geometry and physiologically realistic boundary conditions. Results: In all three trials, an overall reduction in mesh error metrics is observed (range 47%-86%). The increase in the number of elements through each adaptation never exceeded the mesh size of the pre-adaptation mesh by one order of magnitude. In all three trials, the protocol resulted in consistent, repeatable improvements in mesh error metrics, no losses of geometric fidelity and steady increments in the number of elements in the mesh. Our proposed protocol prevented the aforementioned undesirable outcomes and can potentially save new users considerable effort and computing resources.
Evaluation and comparison of six GRACE models for the stratification of undifferentiated chest pain in the emergency department
Authors: Zheng Wen , Wang Guangmei , Ma Jingjing , Wu Shuo , Zhang He , Zheng Jiaqi , Xu Feng , Wang Jiali , Chen Yuguo
Published: March 2020

Background: The Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score is recommended for stratifying chest pain. However, there are six formulas used to calculate the GRACE score for different outcomes of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), including death (Dth) or composite of death and myocardial infarction (MI), while in hospital (IH), within 6 months after discharge (OH6m) or from admission to 6 months later (IH6m). We aimed to perform the first comprehensive evaluation and comparison of six GRACE models to predict 30-day major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) in patients with acute chest pain in the emergency department (ED).
Methods: Patients with acute chest pain were consecutively recruited from August 24, 2015 to September 30, 2017 from the EDs of two public hospitals in China. The 30-day MACEs included death, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), emergency revascularization, cardiac arrest and cardiogenic shock. The correlation, calibration, discrimination, reclassification and diagnostic accuracy at certain cutoff values of six GRACE models were evaluated. Comparisons with the History, ECG, Age, Risk Factors, and Troponin (HEART) and Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) scores were conducted.
Results: A total of 2886 patients were analyzed, with 590 (20.4%) patients experiencing outcomes. The GRACE(IHDthMI), GRACE(IH6mDthMI), GRACE(IHDth), GRACE(IH6mDth), GRACE(OH6mDth) and GRACE(OH6mDthMI) showed positive linear correlations with the actual MACE rates (r≥0.568, p<0.001). All these models had good calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow test, p≥0.073) except GRACE(IHDthMI) (p<0.001). The corresponding C-statistics were 0.83(0.81,0.84), 0.82(0.81,0.83), 0.75(0.73,0.76), 0.73(0.72,0.75), 0.72(0.70,0.73) and 0.70(0.68,0.71), respectively, first two of which were comparable to HEART (0.82, 0.80-0.83) and superior to TIMI (0.71, 0.69-0.73). With a sensitivity ≥95%, GRACE(IHDthMI) ≤81 and GRACE(IH6mDthMI) ≤79 identified 868(30%) and 821(28%) patients as low risk, respectively, which were significantly better than other GRACEs and HEART ≤3(22%). With a specificity ≥95%, GRACE(IHDthMI) >186 and GRACE(IH6mDthMI) >161 could recognize 12% and 11% patients as high risk, which were greater than other GRACEs, HEART ≥8(9%) and TIMI ≥5(8%).
Conclusions: In this Chinese setting, certain strengths of GRACE models beyond HEART and TIMI scores were still noteworthy for stratifying chest pain patients. The validation and reasonable application of appropriate GRACE models in the evaluation of undifferentiated chest pain should be recommended.
Determinants of Under-nutrition among Children under Five Years of Age in Ethiopia
Authors: Kassie Gashu Workneh , Workie Demeke Lakew
Published: March 2020

Background: Ethiopia is one of the developing countries where child under-nutrition is prevalent. Prior studies employed three anthropometric indicators for identifying factors of children’s under-nutrition. This study aimed at identifying factors of child under-nutrition using a single composite index of anthropometric indicator. Methods: Data from Ethiopia’s Demographic and Health Survey 2016 was the base for studying under-nutrition in a sample of 9494 children below 59 months. A single composite index of under-nutrition was created from three anthropometric indices through principal component analysis recoded into an ordinal outcome. In line with WHO 2006 Child Growth Standards, the three anthropometric indices involve z-score of height-for-age (stunting), weight-for-height (wasting) and weight-for-age (underweight). To identify significant determinants of under-nutrition , partial proportional odds model was fitted and its relative performance compared with some other ordinal regression models. Results: The single composite index of anthropometric indicators showed that 49.0% (19.8% moderately and 29.2% severely) of sampled children were undernourished. In the Brant-test of proportional odds model, the null hypothesis that the model parameters equal across categories was rejected. Compared to ordinal regression models that do not involve parallel regression assumption, and Akaike information criterion, partial proportional odds model showed an improved fit. A child with mother of body mass index less than 18.5 kg, from poorest family, a husband without education and male to be in a severe under-nutrition status was 1.4, 1.8 1.2 and 1.2 times more likely to be in worse under-nutrition status compared to its reference group respectively. Conclusion: The authors conclude that the fitted partial proportional odds model indicated that age and sex of the child, maternal education, region, source of drinking water, number of under five children, mother’s body mass index, wealth index, anemic status, multiple birth, fever before two months of survey, mother’s age at first birth, and husband’s education were significantly associated with child under-nutrition. Thus, it is argued that interventions focus on improving household wealth index, food security, educating mothers and their spouses, improving maternal nutritional status, and increasing mothers’ health care access.
The primary cilium dampens proliferative signaling and represses a G2/M transcriptional network in quiescent myoblasts
Authors: Venugopal Nisha , Ghosh Ananga , Gala Hardik , Aloysius Ajoy , Vyas Neha , Dhawan Jyotsna
Published: March 2020

Background Reversible cell cycle arrest (quiescence/G0) is characteristic of adult stem cells and is actively controlled at multiple levels. Quiescent cells also extend a primary cilium, which functions as a signaling hub. Primary cilia have been shown to be important in multiple developmental processes, and are implicated in numerous developmental disorders. Although the association of the cilium with G0 is established, the role of the cilium in the control of the quiescence program is still poorly understood. Results Primary cilia are dynamically regulated across different states of cell cycle exit in skeletal muscle myoblasts: quiescent myoblasts elaborate a primary cilium in vivo and in vitro , but terminally differentiated myofibers do not. Myoblasts where ciliogenesis is ablated using RNAi against a key ciliary assembly protein (IFT88) can exit the cell cycle but display an altered quiescence program and impaired self-renewal. Specifically, the G0 transcriptome in IFT88 knockdown cells is aberrantly enriched for G2/M regulators, suggesting a focused repression of this network by the cilium. Cilium-ablated cells also exhibit features of activation including enhanced activity of Wnt and mitogen signaling and elevated protein synthesis via inactivation of the translational repressor 4E-BP1. Conclusions Taken together, our results show that the primary cilium integrates and dampens proliferative signaling, represses translation and G2/M genes, and is integral to the establishment of the quiescence program.
Homoprejudiced violence among Chinese men who have sex with men: A cross-sectional analysis in Guangzhou, China
Authors: Wu Dan , Yang Eileen , Huang Wenting , Tang Weiming , Xu Huifang , Liu Chuncheng , Baral Stefan , Day Suzanne , Tucker Joseph D.
Published: March 2020

Background Homoprejudiced violence, defined as physical, verbal, psychological and cyber aggression against others because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation, is an important public health issue. Most homoprejudiced violence research has been conducted in high-income countries. This study examined homoprejudiced violence among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Guangzhou, China. Methods MSM in a large Chinese city, Guangzhou, completed an online survey . Data about experiencing and initiating homoprejudiced violence was collected. Multivariable logistic regression analyses, controlling for age, residence, occupation, heterosexual marriage, education and income, were carried out to explore associated factors. Results A total of 777 responses were analyzed and most (64.9%) men were under the age of 30. Three-hundred-ninety-nine (51.4%) men experienced homoprejudiced violence and 205 (25.9%) men perpetrated homoprejudiced violence against others. Men who identified as heterosexual were less (AOR=0.6, 95% CI: 0.4-0.9) likely to experience homoprejudiced violence compared to men who identified as gay. Men who experienced homoprejudiced violence were more likely to initiate homoprejudiced violence (AOR=2.44, 95% CI: 1.6-3.5). Men who disclosed their sexual orientation to other people were more likely to experience homoprejudiced violence (AOR=1.8, 95% CI:1.3-2.5). Conclusions These findings suggest the importance of further research and the implementation of interventions focused on preventing and mitigating the effects of homoprejudiced violence among MSM in China.
Adults´ dental treatment in 2001-2013 in Finnish Public Dental Service
Authors: Linden Jari , Widström Eeva , Sinkkonen Janne
Published: March 2020

Background

All adults over 17 years of age have access to the Public Dental Service after the Finnish Dental Care Reform in 2001-2002. This study aimed to survey the treatment needs and treatment measures provided for adult patients and changes in these during the period 2001–2013.

Methods

Using each person’s unique identifier, demographic data on dental visits during the period 2001 - 2013 were collected from municipal databases in five PDS-units covering 320,000 inhabitants. The numbers of visitors, those in need of basic periodontal or caries treatment (CPI >2 and D + d > 0) were calculated for three age groups. Treatment provided was also calculated in 13 treatment categories. Trend analyses were performed to study changes during the study period.

Results

Restorative treatments (968,772; 23.6%), examinations (658,394; 16.1%), radiographs taken (529,875; 12.9%) anaesthesia used (521,169; 12.7%) and emergency treatments (348,229; 8.5%) made up 73.8% of all treatment measures during the entire study period. Periodontal treatment (7.8%) and caries prevention (3.9%) made up a small part of the care provided and prosthetics and treatment of TMJ disorders were extremely uncommon (fewer than 1%). Treatments related to caries (restorative treatment, examinations, endodontics, emergencies, anaesthesia and radiographs) made up 60.4% of the dental personnel’s treatment time. During the study period, statistically significant increasing trends were found for radiographs (p<0.001***), anaesthesia (p=0.003**) and total number of treatments (p=0.009**). There was a slight decreasing trend in treatment need among the youngest adults (18-39years; p=0.033*).

Conclusion

Compared with the results of national epidemiological studies, insufficient periodontal treatment is provided and prosthetic treatment is almost totally neglected in the PDS. Rather, adults’ dental treatment concentrates on treatment of caries. The unmet needs may be due to tradition, inadequate treatment processes or a lack of resources or failed salary incentives.
Comparison of two caries prevention programs among Thai kindergarten: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Pisarnturakit Pagaporn Pantuwadee , Detsomboonrat Palinee
Published: March 2020

Background: Intensified preventive regimen based on a ‘high-risk’ approach has been proposed instead the routine prevention that is generally given to the whole population. The effectiveness of these regimens may still be an issue. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare two preventive programs carried out in a Public School for kindergarten children. Methods: The data from clinical examinations were used to assess the caries risk for 121 children. Children with at least 2 carious lesions were considered as high risk for dental caries development. These children were randomized into two groups. Half (High risk basic-HRB group) were provided the basic prevention regimen (oral-hygiene instruction and hands-on brushing practice for teachers and caregivers, daytime tooth brushing supervised by teachers at least once a week, newly erupted first permanent molar sealant, provision of toothbrush, fluoride-containing dentifrice, and a guidebook), which was also given to low-risk children (Low risk basic-LRB group). The other half (High risk intensive-HRI group) were additionally given an intensified preventive regimen (F-varnish application, primary molar sealant, and silver diamine fluoride (SDF) application on carious lesions). Clinical examinations were performed semiannually to determine the dmfs caries increment of the three groups. Results: The 89 children completed the 24-month examination were 3- to 5-year-old with 19, 35, and 35 children in the LRB, HRB, and HRI group, respectively. The new caries development at 24 months of the HRB group (75%) was higher than that of the HRI group (65.7%) and the LRB group (21.1%). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated no significant differences of caries increment between the HRB and HRI groups at the end of our study ( p =0.709). Conclusions: The negligible difference in caries increment between the HRI and HRB groups implies that intensified prevention produced minimal additional benefit. Offering all children only basic prevention could have obtained virtually the same preventive effect with substantially less effort and lower cost. Trial registration: Thai Clinical Trials Registry (TCTR), TCTR20180124001. Registered 24 January 2018 - Retrospectively registered, https://www.clinicaltrials.in.th/TCTR20180124001.
Influenza A virus antagonizes type I and type II interferon responses via SOCS1-dependent ubiquitination and degradation of JAK1
Authors: Du Yinping , Yang Fan , Wang Qiuxia , Xu Nuo , Xie Yizhang , Chen Sujuan , Qin Tao , Peng Da-Xin
Published: March 2020

BACKGROUND Although influenza A virus (IAV) employs diverse strategies to evade IFN responses by inhibiting the synthesis of IFN, how IAV regulates signaling downstream of IFN is incompletely understood. METHODS In this study, we used Western blot-based protein analysis coupled with RT-qPCR, overexpression and RNA interference to investigate the regulation of JAK1 by IAV infection. RESULTS The results indicated that JAK1 was ubiquitinated and degraded, resulting in inhibition of type I and type II IFN responses, demonstrating that IAV antagonizes the IFN-activated JAK/STAT signaling pathway by inducing the degradation of JAK1. Furthermore. IAV infection upregulated the suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) protein SOCS1, and SOCS1 mediated the ubiquitination and degradation of JAK1. CONCLUSION: Collectively, our findings suggest that IAV infection induced SOCS1 expression promotes JAK1 degradation, which in turn inhibits host innate immune responses.
The Influence of Income on Medical School Admissions in Canada: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Pitre Tyler , Thomas Alexander , Evans Kyle , Jones Aaron , Mountjoy Margo , Costa Andrew P.
Published: March 2020

BACKGROUND. The socioeconomic status of applicants to Canadian medical schools has been understudied in the past two decades. Institutional efforts have been made to address the lack of socioeconomic diversity across Canada during this time. We investigated the income characteristics of medical school applicants, as well as the relationship between applicant income and offer of admission, to characterize the current state of socioeconomic diversity in medical admissions.METHODS. We conducted a retrospective cohort study on 26,120 applicants at one Ontario medical school from 2013 to 2018. Characteristics of applicants who were offered admission were compared to the general population and applicants not offered admission. Regression analyses were used to investigate the association between median total neighborhood income and successful admission.RESULTS. The median total neighborhood income for medical school applicants was $98,816, which was approximately $28,480 higher than the Canadian general population. Those not admitted to the medical school had a median total neighborhood income of $98,304 compared to $105,984 for those offered admission (p<0.001). This trend was seen in every province and territory in Canada. Median total neighborhood income was a predictor of an offer of admission; applicants in the >75th percentile income group had 54% increased odds of being offered admission when compared to applicants in the <25th percentile in our unadjusted model. Income was not significant in our adjusted models but showed that the income medians drastically shifted between pre-interview and post-interview periods, from $98,816 to $104,000 (p<0.001).CONCLUSION. Medical school applicants are from higher economic strata compared to the general population. Despite already representing a high economic stratum, a higher median total neighborhood income relative to other applicants was associated with an offer of admission.
Validation of Androgen Receptor loss as a risk factor for the development of brain metastases from ovarian cancers
Authors: Mittica Gloria , Goia Margherita , Gambino Angela , Scotto Giulia , Fonte Mattia , Senetta Rebecca , Aglietta Massimo , Borella Fulvio , Sapino Anna , Katsaros Dionyssios , Maggiorotto Furio , Ghisoni Eleonora , Giannone Gaia , Tuninetti Valentina , Genta Sofia , Eusebi Chiara , Momi Marina , Cassoni Paola , Valabrega Giorgio
Published: March 2020

Background Central nervous system (CNS) spreading from epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) is an uncommon but increasing phenomenon. We previously reported in a small series of 11 patients a correlation between Androgen Receptor (AR) loss and localization to CNS. Aims of this study were: to confirm a predictive role of AR loss in an independent validation cohort; to evaluate if AR status impacts on EOC survival. Results We collected an additional 29 cases and 19 controls as validation cohort. In this independent cohort at univariate analysis, cases exhibited lower expression of AR, considered both as continuous (p<0.001) and as discrete variable (10% cut-off: p<0.003; Immunoreactive score: p<0.001). AR negative EOC showed an odds ratio (OR) = 8.33 for CNS dissemination compared with AR positive EOC. Kaplan-Meier curves of the combined dataset, combining data of new validation cohort with the previously published cohort, showed that AR<10% significantly correlates with worse outcomes (p=0.005 for Progression Free Survival (PFS) and p=0.002 for brain PFS (bPFS) respectively). Comparison of AR expression between primary tissue and paired brain metastases in the combined dataset did not show any statistically significant difference. Conclusions We confirmed AR loss as predictive role for CNS involvement from EOC in an independent cohort of cases and controls. Early assessment of AR status could improve clinical management and patients’ prognosis.
YouTubeTM as a source of information for Candida auris infection: A systematic review
Authors: Huang Jiangqing , Zhang Shengcen , Xiao Qirong , Cao Yingping , Li Bin
Published: March 2020

Background : Candida auris is a novel Candida species, and has emerged globally as a multidrug-resistant health care-associated fungal pathogen. YouTube TM (http://www.youtube.com) as the largest free video-sharing website is increasingly used to search health information. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the content, reliability and quality of YouTube™ videos regarding Candida auris infection, and to identify whether it is a useful resource for people. Methods : The YouTube™ was used to search systematically for videos using the keywords: “ Candida auris infection” and “ Candida auris ”. Strict inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to select the videos. The videos were reviewed and scored by two independent reviewers and recorded the “title”, “length”, “views”, “comments”, “dislike”, “like”, “posted days” and “category of videos”. The videos were categorized as “poor”, “good” and “excellent” by the score. The DISCERN tool was used to assess the reliability of the YouTube TM videos. Results : Seventy-six videos were included in final analysis in our study. Most videos (59.2%, 55/76) had better quality. There were no statistically significant differences between groups in respect of the number of likes, dislikes, views, comments, percentage positivity, likebility, view rate and viewers' interaction. Length and posted days were significantly associated with the classification. The videos were categorized as “educational video”, “new report”, “personal experience and blog entertainment” and “interview”. Significant differences were found in the source of videos and the characteristics of the individuals appearing in a video between the groups. Conclusion : YouTube TM has striking potential to be an effective user-friendly learning interface for people to obtain information of Candida auris infection.
Features Based on Thin-section Computed Tomography Identify the Type of lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Li Zhiqiang , Zheng Hongwei , Liu Shanshan , Wang Xinhua , Xiao Lei , Ma Yonghong , Yue Xianwen
Published: March 2020

Background: To investigate whether thin-section computed tomography (TSCT) features may efficiently guide the invasiveness basedclassification of lung adenocarcinoma. Methods: Totally, 316 lung adenocarcinoma patients (from 2011-2015) were divided into three groups: 56 adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), 98 minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA), and 162 invasive adenocarcinoma (IAC) according their pathological results. Their TSCT features, including nodule pattern, shape, pleural invasion, solid proportion, border, margin, vascular convergence, air bronchograms, vacuole sign, pleural indentation, diameter, solid diameter, and CT values of ground-glass nodules (GGN) were analyzed. Pearson’s chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test and One-way ANOVA were adopted tocomparebetweengroups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis wereperformedto assess its value for prediction and diagnosis. Results: Patients with IAC were significantly elder than those in AIS or MIA group,and more MIA patients had a smoking history than AIS and IAC. No recurrence happened in the AIS and MIA groups, while 4.3% recurrences were confirmed in the IAC group. As for TSCT variables, we found AIS group showed dominantly higher 91.07%PGGN pattern and 87.50% round/oval nodules than that in MIA and IAC group. In contrast, MIA group showed more cases with undefined border and vascular convergence than AIS and IAC group. Importantly, IAC group uniquely showed higher frequency of pleural invasion compared with MIA and AIS group. The majority of patients (82.1%) in IAC group showed ≥ 50% solid proportion. We found diameter and solid diameter of the lesions were notably larger in the IAC group compared with AIS and MIA groupin quantitative aspect. In addition, for MGGNs, the CT values of ground-glass opacity (GGO) and ground-glass opacity solid portion (GGO-solid) were both higher in the IAC group than AIS and MIA. Finally, we also observed that smooth margin took a dominant proportion in the AIS group while most cases in the IAC group had a lobulate margin. Patients in MIA and IAC group shared higher level of air bronchograms and vacuole signs than AIS group. Conclusions: The unique features in different groups identified by TSCT had diagnosis value for lung adenocarcinoma.
Long-term prognosis and a nomogram model for postoperative acute heart failure in patients with acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Guo Zhaodong , Sun Guoli , Song Feier , Lei Li , He Yibo , Liu Bowen , Chen Shiqun , Liu Yong , Chen Jiyan
Published: March 2020

Background

Undefined adequate hydration may increase the risk of postoperative acute heart failure (AHF) while reducing the risk of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). No relevant study exists regarding the association of postoperative AHF and long-term prognosis. This study is to evaluate the all-cause long-term mortality and establish a nomogram model for predicting postoperative AHF in this patient group.

Methods

In this prospective observational study, 1312 AMI patients undergoing coronary angiography (CAG) were included in the final analysis. Patients were assigned into a non-postoperative AHF-group (n=1235) or a postoperative AHF-group (n=77). The diagnosis of postoperative AHF was based on assessing symptom history, prior cardiovascular history, and potential cardiac and non-cardiac precipitants.

Results

The overall incidence of postoperative AHF was 77/1312 (5.9%). The incidence of all-cause long-term mortality was significantly higher in the postoperative AHF-group than in the non-postoperative AHF-group (50.6% vs. 17.0%, P<0.01). The median follow-up period was 7.0 years (interquartile range: 5.5 – 8.7). After adjusting for female, LVEF, eGFR, anemia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and PCI, postoperative AHF was the strongest predictor of all-cause long-term mortality (hazard ratio: 3.11; 95% CI: 1.83 – 5.30; P<0.01). A nomogram developed based on the four variables was with the AUC 0.83 on internal validation. Calibration curve showed that the predicted and actual probabilities of postoperative AHF were fitted well.

Conclusions

In patients with AMI undergoing CAG, postoperative AHF is the strongest predictor of all-cause long-term mortality. The nomogram showed an effective value of predicting postoperative AHF using preoperative predictions.
Effect of Diabetes Mellitus and Glycemic Control on the Prognosis of Non-muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Huang Wei-Lun , Huang Kuo-How , Huang Chao-Yuan , Pu Yeong-Shiau , Chang Hong-Chiang , Chow Po-Ming
Published: March 2020

Background Hyperglycemia is associated with series of process leading to oncogenesis. Evidence has shown that diabetes mellitus (DM) seems to be associated with poor prognosis in patients with bladder cancer. However, evidence on the effect of glycemic control on the outcomes of bladder cancer is still limited. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the effect of DM and glycemic control on the prognosis of bladder cancer. Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of a prospective database from January 2012 to December 2017. Patients with newly diagnosed non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) were included. They were classified into the DM and non-DM groups. Prognosis including recurrence rate, progression rate, recurrence-free survival (RFS), and progression-free survival was compared between the two groups. Subgroup analysis of the DM subgroup, in which patients were classified by HbA1C level, was conducted to investigate the effect of glycemic control. Results A total of 287 patients were included in our study, with 61 patients in the DM group and 226 patients in the non-DM group. No statistically significant difference was found in the prognosis between the DM and non-DM groups. Subgroup analysis revealed higher recurrence rate ( P = 0.037) and worse RFS (log-rank P = 0.019) in patients with HbA1C ≥ 7. Conclusions DM is not a risk factor for recurrence and progression in patients with NMIBC. However, poor glycemic control is associated with poor prognosis in patients with both DM and NMIBC. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm current results.
Streptozotocin induces alpha-2u globulin nephropathy in male rats during the end-stage of diabetic kidney disease
Authors: Kengkoom Kanchana , Angkhasirisap Wannee , Kanjanapruthipong Tapanee , Tungtrakanpoung Rongdej , Tuentam Khwanchanok , Phansom Naphatson , Ampawong Sumate
Published: March 2020

Background Alpha-2u globulin nephropathy mainly shows toxicological pathology only in male rats induced by certain chemicals and drugs, such as levamisole (antiparasitic and anticancer drugs). Streptozotocin (STZ) is also an anticancer-antibiotic agent that has been used for decades to induce a diabetic kidney disease model in rodents. The purpose of this study is to determine if STZ causes alpha-2u globulin nephropathy in male rats during an advanced stage of diabetic kidney disease. Methods To prove this hypothesis, the present study used a male diabetic Wistar rat model with 45 mg/kg of STZ injected intraperitoneally. Hyperglycaemic rats were divided into 2 groups: with and without end-stage kidney disease. Alpha-2u globulin nephropathy was examined by histopathological and electron microscope studies. Water absorption and filtration capacities (via aquaporin [AQP]-1, -2, -4 and -5) and mitochondrial function (through haloacid dehalogenase-like hydrolase domain-containing protein [HDHD]-3 and NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase 75 kDa subunit [NDUFS]-1 proteins) were determined using immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and immunogold labelling techniques. Results More than 80% of end-stage diabetic kidney disease induced by STZ injection simultaneously exhibited alpha-2u globulin nephropathy with mitochondrial degeneration and filtration apparatus especially pedicels impairment. They also showed significantly upregulated AQP-1, -2, -4 and -5, HDHD-3 and NDUFS-1 compared with those of the rats without alpha-2u globulin nephropathy. Conclusions STZ-induced alpha-2u globulin nephropathy during end-stage diabetic kidney disease in association with deterioration of renal filtration, renal tubular damage with adaptation and mitochondrial apoptosis.
The positive feedback loop of RNASEH1-AS1/has-miR-218-5p/NET1 mediated by POU2F1 contributes to the development and progression of human lung squamous carcinoma
Authors: Jia Jing-hao , Wang Jing , Yu Jia-rui , Gao Peng , Liu Yan-kun , Li Yu-feng , Sun Guo-gui , Shi Gao-feng
Published: March 2020

Background In molecular level, competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) regulates other RNA transcripts through competing for shared microRNAs (miRNA). miRNA negatively regulate gene expression at the levels of mRNAs stability and translation suppression. Methods We tested the mRNA level of miR-218-5p and RNASEH1-AS1 in clinical lung squamous cell carcinoma tissues by qRT-PCR. In the exploring of the role of miR-218-5p and RNASEH1-AS1 in the malignant phenotype of NCI-H520 cells, colony formation and MTT assay were used to test the cell viability and proliferation capability, trans-well invasion and wound healing assay were performed to examine the cell migration and invasion. ChIP assay was conducted to confirm the direct interact of POU2F1 and RNASEH1-AS1 promoter. Results In this investigation, we found that LncRNA RNASEH1-AS1 is up-regulated in human lung cancer, and serves as a miRNA sponge for hsa-miR-218-5p in human lung squamous carcinoma cells. lncRNA RNASEH1-AS1 facilitates growth and motility of lung squamous carcinoma cells, while miR-218-5p does the opposite. NET1 and POU2F1 are validated as direct and functional targets of miR-218-5p. The downregulation of miR-218-5p releases the suppression of NET1 and POU2F1. POU2F1 binds directly to the lncRNA-RNASEH1-AS1 promoter and acts as transcription factor to enhance the promoter activity of RNASEH1-AS1. Conclusion Above all, the positive feedback loop of RNASEH1-AS1/ hsa-miR-218-5p/ NET1/ POU2F1 can help us to understand the regulatory mechanism behind genesis and progression of human lung squamous carcinoma, possibly providing new biomarkers for its diagnosis and treatment.
Rheumatologists' understanding of Refractory Gout: A questionnaire survey in China
Authors: Han Xinxin , Yin Yue , Cao Yu , Chu Xiaotian , Han Yingdong , Di Hong , Xu Na , Shen Min , Zeng Xuejun , Zhang Yun
Published: March 2020

Background Refractory gout is a common problem faced by experienced rheumatologists, relevant research on the difficulties of gout treatment and the understanding of "refractory gout" by rheumatologists is lacking. Methods A total of 910 Chinese rheumatologists attending the annual academic conference on rheumatism completed the electronic questionnaires. The differences in the judgment of refractory gout were analyzed between the senior experience (SE) group and the general experience (GE) group. Results A total of 751 (82.5%) respondents with relevant continuing medical education (CME) were included in our study, including 175 (23.3%) SE rheumatologists and 576 (76.7%) GE rheumatologists. Most of the rheumatologists (715, 95.2%) considered renal function insufficiency as a common complication making gout challenging to treat, while rheumatologists with different experiences had different attitudes towards obesity. For the chronic gouty arthritis patients with one or more tophi, 476 (63.9%) Chinese rheumatologists preferred febuxostat as the first-line treatment option, while 582 (78.3%) chose the maximum daily dose of 80mg for febuxostat, with a higher proportion in SE group than GE group. Meanwhile, the proportion of doctors who chose the dosage of all three uric-lowering drugs consistently with the guidelines was higher in the SE group. Moreover, 123 (70.3%) people in the SE group thought that regardless of the use of drugs for prevention of attack during ULT, the recurrence of symptoms was symptomatic of refractory gout, while fewer in GE group agreed. Similarly, 119 (68.0%) in the SE group thought that failure to achieve the targeted serum uric acid level within 6 months of standardized urate-lowering therapy could be assigned to refractory gout, while fewer in GE group agreed. In terms of personal and social factors, the SE group had a higher percentage of physicians concerned about poor compliance leading to irregular treatment and drug abuse. Conclusions Most of the rheumatologists selected uric-lowering drugs and the maximum dosage of medicines consistently with guidelines. Uncontrolled symptoms, unattainable therapeutic targets, and unimproved lifestyle and compliance of patients are difficulties that Chinese rheumatologists have to face with during gout treatment.
Deformity progression in congenital posteromedial bowing of the tibia: a report of 44 cases.
Authors: Gennaro Giovanni Luigi Di , Gallone Giovanni , Vazquez Edgar Alejandro Martinez , Reggiani Leonardo Marchesini , Racano Costantina , Olivotto Eleonora , Stilli Stefano , Trisolino Giovanni
Published: March 2020

Background Congenital posteromedial bowing of the tibia (CPMBT) is an ultra-rare defect present at birth, characterized by shortened bowed leg, and ankle deformity. We described a single institution experience in the management of CPMBT Methods We identified 44 CPMBT in 44 children. The age at presentation was 5.5 ± 5.6 years and the mean age at the final review was 10.1 ± 4.8 years. Radiographic evaluation included the antero-posterior and lateral inter-physeal angle (AP-IPA and L-IPA), the limb length discrepancy (LLD), the morphology of the distal tibia and the lateral distal tibial angle (LDTA). During the study period, 26 children underwent surgical treatment. Results The estimated curves showed a progressive spontaneous correction of both AP-IPA and L-IPA during growth, but a progressive increase of the LLD. The L-IPA showed a more predictable behaviour while the AP-IPA showed a scattered correction, with a wider variation of the estimated final angle. The final LDTA was 83.4° ± 5.2° and was correlated with the L-IPA. Among the 26 children which underwent surgical treatment, 23 cases had limb lengthening, 1 case had contralateral epiphysiodesis, 1 child underwent tibial osteotomy, 1 patient was treated by hemiepiphysiodesis of the distal tibia to address ankle valgus deformity. Conclusions To date, we reported the largest case series of CPMBT. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to understand which is the best strategy to address this ultra-rare deformity during childhood.
Ongoing Donor-transmitted Diabetic Kidney Disease in Kidney Transplant Recipients with Fair Sugar Control: a single center retrospective study
Authors: Hsu Chia-Tien , Wen Mei-Chin , Chiu Hsien-Fu , Tsai Shang-Feng , Yu Tung-Min , Yang Cheng-Kuang , Wu Ming-Ju , Chen Cheng-Hsu
Published: March 2020

Background Transplantation with a diabetic donor kidney may have some benefits compared to remaining on the waitlist for selected patients. However, we found that some kidney transplant recipients have ongoing donor-transmitted diabetic kidney disease (DT-DKD) despite fair blood sugar control. This study aimed to survey the incidence and clinical pattern of DT-DKD in kidney transplant recipients.Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of kidney transplantations in our hospital. We found 357 kidney transplantations from February 2006 to April 2018. Among these, 23 (6.4%) diabetic donor kidney transplantations were done in the study period.Results Among the 23 recipients, 6 (26.1%) displayed biopsy-proven DKD. Recipients with biopsy-proven DKD had longer dialysis vintage, higher proteinuria amount, lower last estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and a more rapid decline in the eGFR. The median fasting blood sugar level in the biopsy-proven DKD group was unexpectedly lower than the non-DKD group. Most of the pre-implantation frozen sections in biopsy-proven DKD group showed diabetic lesions worse than diabetic nephropathy (DN) class IIa. In the biopsy-proven DKD group, 5 recipients had no history of diabetes before or after transplantation. Among the 23 recipients, 5 (21.7%) were diagnosed with DT-DKD. Serial post-transplant biopsies showed the histological progression of allograft DN.Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report the phenomenon of ongoing DT-DKD in kidney transplant recipients with fair blood sugar control. The zero-time pre-transplant kidney biopsy may be an important examination before the allocation of diabetic donor kidneys.
First comprehensive proteomics analysis of lysine crotonylation in leaves of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)
Authors: Xu Manlin , Luo Jianda , Li Ying , Shen Lili , Zhang Xia , Yu Jing , Guo Zhiqing , Wu Juxiang , Chi Yucheng , Yang Jinguang
Published: March 2020

Background: Lysine crotonylation is an important post-translational modification (PTM) process. Most research in this area has been carried out on mammals and yeast, but there has been no research published on crotonylated proteins on peanut.Results: In the current study, large-scale lysine crotonylation analysis was performed by a combination of affinity enrichment and high-resolution LC-MS/MS analysis. Altogether, 6051 lysine crotonylation sites were identified in 2508 protein groups. Bioinformatics analysis showed that lysine-crotonylated proteins were involved in many biological processes, such as carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms, photosynthesis, biosynthesis of amino acids, ribosomes, etc. In particular, subcellular localization analysis showed that 43% of the crotonylated proteins were located in the chloroplast and that there were 29 crotonylated proteins associated with photosynthesis. In addition, 26 crotonylated proteins were identified in photosynthesis network and 145 proteins were mapped to ribosome network, indicating the diverse functions for lysine crotonylation in peanut.Conclusion: These data show that crotonylated proteins play a major part in peanut biological functions including carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms, photosynthesis, biosynthesis of amino acids, ribosomes, etc. A lot of proteins related to photosynthesis and ribosome suggest that lysine crotonylation may play important regulatory roles in their structure and function. This dataset is the first comprehensive proteomics analysis of lysine crotonylation in peanut and will serve as an important resource with which to study the biosynthesis and function of lysine crotonylation in peanut and related plants. Based on these results, further studies to expand on the lysine crotonylation analysis were suggested. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with the identifier PXD017675.
Systematic Identification and Analysis of NAC Gene Family in Moso Bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis)
Authors: Gao Yameng , Liu Huanlong , Wu Lin , Xiong Rui , Shi Yanan , Xiang Yan
Published: March 2020

Background: NAC (NAM/ATAF1/2/CUC2) gene family is a large plant-specific transcription factor family, which is implicated in many functions, such as morphogenesis, the thickness formation of secondary cell walls as well as biotic and abiotic stress and more. In moso bamboo ( Phyllostachys edulis ), 94 PeNACs have been identified and three members are predicted to relate to the secondary cell wall. However, there were few studies on moso bamboo NAC genes under stress.Results: In this study, we re-identified 165 PheNACs with the latest moso bamboo genome data and divided them into 12 subfamilies using NAM domains. Gene structure and motif distribution manifested the NAC gene family was fairly conserved. Evolutionary analysis showed that the segmental duplication played a significant role in the expansion of NAC genes and the relationship between moso bamboo and Brachypodium distachyon was closest than beween moso bamboo and other four species ( Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa , Sorghum bicolor and Zea mays ). Based on the promoter analysis of the 27 NAC members in A subfamily, quantitative real-time PCR exhibited these genes reacted differently under drought, high salt, abscisic acid and methyl jasmonate treatments. Finally, we selected out four potential stress-associated genes (PheNAC001, -056, -080 and -100) and found they all localized in the tobacco nucleus and had transcriptional activity in yeast.Conclusions: These preliminary results provide valuable information for mining potential resistance NAC genes and lay theoretical basis for breeding new stress-resistant varieties in moso bamboo.
An Empirical Analysis of the Socioeconomic and Demographic characteristics influencing Birth Certification in Nigeria
Authors: Anaduaka Uchechi Shirley
Published: March 2020

Background: Promoting birth certification is instrumental to achieving target 16.9 of the Sustainable Development Goals: legal identity for all by 2030. Currently, the birth certification rates are very low: on average, only 16.6% of children under-five years have their births certified. Methods: Using the nationally representative Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey, this paper analyzes the socioeconomic and demographic factors associated with the birth certification of children under-five years. The relationship with these factors and birth certification were analyzed using robust econometric techniques – ordinary least squares and multilevel regression approaches.Results: The study finds that access to health services, parental education and household ‌‌wealth strongly influence birth certification. Conversely, distance to registration center, higher birth orders, longer birth intervals and father’s working status are significant obstacles to birth certification. Finally, child age, maternal age at birth and father age have non-linear effects on birth certification among children under-five years in Nigeria. I find no significant effects of gender on birth certification. Conclusions: Improving access to health services and anchoring birth certification on child-targeted conditional cash transfer programs could be significant policy instruments for increasing birth certification in Nigeria.