bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Altered gray-white matter boundary in toddlers at risk for autism relates to later diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Authors: Godel Michel , Andrews Derek Sayre , Amaral David Gil , Ozonoff Sally , Young Gregory S. , Lee Joshua K. , Nordahl Christine Wu , Schaer Marie
Published: December 2020

Background: Recent neuroimaging studies have highlighted differences in cerebral maturation in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in comparison to typical development. For instance, the sharpness of the gray-white matter boundary is decreased in adults with ASD. To determine how the gray-white matter boundary integrity relates to early ASD phenotypes, we used a regional structural MRI index called the gray-white matter contrast (GWC) on a sample of toddlers with a hereditary high risk for ASD. Methods: We used a surface-based approach to compute vertex-wise GWC in a longitudinal cohort of toddlers at high-risk for ASD imaged twice between 12 and 24 months (n=20). A full clinical assessment of ASD-related symptoms was performed in conjunction with imaging and again at three years of age for diagnostic outcome. Three outcome groups were defined (ASD, n=9; typical development, n=8; non-typical development, n=3).Results: ASD diagnostic outcome at age 3 was associated with widespread increases in GWC between age 12 and 24 months. Many cortical regions were affected, including regions implicated in social processing and language acquisition. In parallel, we found that early onset of ASD symptoms (i.e. prior to 18-months) was specifically associated with slower GWC rates of change during the second year of life. These alterations were found in areas mainly belonging to the central executive network.Limitations: Our study is the first to measure maturational changes in GWC in toddlers who developed autism, but the limited size of our sample warrants further replication in independent and larger samples. Conclusion: These results suggest that ASD is linked to early alterations of the gray-white matter boundary in widespread areas. Early onset of symptoms constitutes an independent clinical parameter associated with a specific corresponding neurobiological developmental trajectory. Altered neural migration and/or altered myelination processes potentially explain these findings.
Function analysis of ZmZHD9, a positive regulator in drought stress response in transgenic maize
Authors: Zhang Pengyu , Wei Li , Cao Liru , Qiu Xiao , Fu Jiaxu , Wang Guorui , Ku Lixia , Wang Tongchao
Published: December 2020

Backgrounds: Drought stress is one of the major factors that affects maize yield. ZF-HD transcription factors have been proved to play pivotal roles in the regulation of plant growth, hormone conduction signaling and abiotic stress response. However, the molecular mechanism of ZmZHD9-mediated drought tolerance is not well understood. Results: In the present study, we analyzed the functions of ZmZHD9, a member of the maize ZF-HD family. ZmZHD9 is predominantly expressed in leaves, and was induced by drought, salinity, high temperature and abscisic acid (ABA). Subcellular localization indicated that ZmZHD9 protein was localized in the nucleus. ZmZHD9-overexpressing plants showed increased tolerance to drought stress compared with wild-type plants, evaluated by higher RWC and proline content, higher SOD and POD activity, lower REL and MDA content in transgenic plants under drought stress. In addition, the expression of six stress-responsive genes were significantly higher in ZmZHD9 transgenic plants than that in wild-type plants under drought stress.Conclusion: These results demonstrate that ZmZHD9 as a stress-responsive transcription factor which plays a positive regulatory role in response to drought.
Optimizing source tracking of Listeria monocytogenes with quasimetagenomics and integrated long and short read sequencing
Authors: Commichaux Seth , Javkar Kiran , Ramachandran Padmini , Nagarajan Niranjan , Bertrand Denis , Chen Yi , Reed Elizabeth , Gonzalez-Escalona Narjol , Strain Errol , Rand Hugh , Pop Mihai , Ottesen Andrea
Published: December 2020

Background: Rapid pathogen detection is essential for an effective public health response. The Illumina MiSeq short read sequencer has been the workhorse of many whole genome sequencing source tracking programs. However, short reads cannot span many bacterial genomic repeats, resulting in highly fragmented assemblies. Long read sequencing can span the repeats resulting in the complete assembly of bacterial genomes. With the advancing throughput and accuracy of inexpensive long read sequencing data, it is important to evaluate this resource for potential inclusion in rapid response pathogen identification protocols.Results: Here we sought to maximize the utility of long read (GridIon, Oxford Nanopore) and short read (MiSeq, Illumina) sequencing data for the identification of Listeria monocytogenes from naturally contaminated ice cream. Aliquots from the temporal enrichment (quasimetagenomes) of L. monocytogenes were sequenced and assembled with 10 different assembly approaches. Long read assembly tools generated genome-length contigs and a circularized 71 kbp putative L. monocytogenes plasmid; however, the high sequencing error rate prevented strain typing at even 150X depth of coverage. Short read assemblies provided accurate core gene strain typing after 28 hours of enrichment but were too fragmented for typing the full gene set and reconstructing a circularized genome and plasmid. Hybrid approaches demonstrated the most promising results but were biased by assembly strategy. Short read assemblies scaffolded with long reads were able to accurately strain type L. monocytogenes after just 24 hours of enrichment, but were still too fragmented for sequence typing the full gene set. Long read assemblies polished with short reads recovered genome-length contigs, the full complement of genes, and a circularized plasmid after 24 hours enrichment; however they could not consistently achieve the core gene strain typing accuracy of short read or short read hybrid assembly approaches. Conclusion: These analyses demonstrate that strategic integration and optimization of microbiological (quasimetagenomic), molecular (integrated long and short reads), and bioinformatic approaches (diverse assembly strategies) can greatly improve our ability to quickly and accurately identify pathogens.
A new Passage Retrieval Method in Arabic Question Answering Systems
Authors: Alsabbagh Lana , AlDakkak Oumayma , Ghneim Nada
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we present our approach to improve the performance of open-domain Arabic Question Answering systems. We focus on the passage retrieval phase which aims to retrieve the most related passages to the correct answer.
To extract passages that are related to the question, the system passes through three phases: Question Analysis, Document Retrieval and Passage Retrieval. We define the passage as the sentence that ends with a dot ".". In the Question Processing phase, we applied the traditional NLP steps of tokenization, stopwords and unrelated symbols removal, and replacing the question words with their stems. We also applied Query Expansion by adding synonyms to the question words. In the Document Retrieval phase, we used the Vector Space Model (VSM) with TF-IDF vectorizer and cosine similarity. For the Passage Retrieval phase, which is the core of our system, we measured the similarity between passages and the question by a combination of the BM25 ranker and Word Embedding approach.
We tested our system on ACRD dataset, which contains 1395 questions in different domains, and the system was able to achieve correct results with a precision of 92.2% and recall of 79.9% in finding the top-3 related passages for the query.
Assessment of COVID-19 knowledge, Preventive behaviors, severity, self-efficacy and mental health in Bangladesh and Iraq
Authors: Hossain Tonazzina , Hashim Hashim Talib , Nasreen Fahtiha , Jwamer Vanya Ibrahim
Published: December 2020

Background: As a part of South- Eastern Asia- Pacific, Bangladesh has been following to adopt proactive non-therapeutic means to repress the spread of nCoV-2 just like other countries. As stated in reports of September, the COVID-19 pandemic has become very distressing in Iraq, a Country in Southwestern Asia Pacific reporting around 4,000 new cases every day and around 500 deaths a week.Methodology: A descriptive, survey-based, cross sectional study was conducted among 1000 participants aged > 18 years old from Bangladesh and Iraq.The survey was conducted as an online survey distributed for the general population for a month. The questions were assessed using Likert-type response scale from 1 to 5 for almost all questions. Chi2, mean and standard deviation were used to present the data. Results: There are significant differences between the mental health assessment, the country, educational level, hypertension and smoking. While the other variables have no effect on mental health. Approximately 99% of the participants said they had heard about COVID-19. More than 90% of the participants have stated that they know about COVID- 19. Also, more than 85% of the participants have claimed that they know the causes of COVID-19. Furthermore, participants (around 84%) were largely aware of the death rate for people infected by the virus. Conclusion: Mental health is mostly affected by the pandemic and need to be regularly assessed to keep the immunity competent. Poverty and lack of proper education are contributing factors in increment of COVID-19 cases and discarding about preventions.
The impact of a COVID-19 pandemic-related interruption of regular physical rehabilitation on functional abilities in a patient with two chronic neurological diseases: a case report
Authors: Braun Tobias , Weidmann Raphael , Möller Jens Carsten , Ammann Anissa , Marks Detlef
Published: December 2020

Background: Regular outpatient rehabilitation is prescribed for many patients with chronic neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease or Multiple Sclerosis, to constantly support patients and their proxies in disease management. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, federal institutions and governments worldwide have directed local or nationwide lockdowns. During these times, the provision of regular outpatient rehabilitation service is drastically limited, making it actually impossible for community-dwelling patients with neurological disorders to receive prescribed rehabilitation interventions.Case presentation: A 67-year-old man with two chronic neurological diseases, Parkinson's disease and Multiple Sclerosis, underwent a 4-week inpatient rehabilitation in our hospital. The patient gained significant functional improvements that he maintained over the following months, supported by the continuation of physiotherapy in the domestic environment. Due to a COVID-19 pandemic related interruption of the regular ambulatory rehabilitation for several weeks, the patient’s functional abilities decreased significantly. Thus, the patient was again referred to our hospital for intensive inpatient rehabilitation to regain his physical functioning and mobility capacity. At hospital discharge, the patient improved most of his physical functioning to a pre-pandemic level.Conclusions: The interruption of a rehabilitation service due to a pandemic-related lockdown can significantly impact the functional abilities of patients with chronic neurological diseases. This case report supports the claim for continuous access to rehabilitation services for all people with rehabilitation needs.
Seropositivity and risk factors of Brucella infection in small ruminants that had history of recent abortion in the afar region of north-eastern Ethiopia
Authors: Tekle Muluken , Legesse Mengistu , Ameni Gobena , Mamo Gezahegne
Published: December 2020

Background: Brucellosis is one of the most important reproductive disease causes abortion and breeding failure in small ruminants and also causes severe systemic diseases in exposed humans. In Ethiopia, several studies of seroprevalence shows the magnitude and distribution of brucellosis both in animals and humans vary in different geographical localities. However, except few studies in Ethiopia all these serological studies was limited to RBPT and CFT, so far not supplemented with a varities of serological tests like ELISA to detect brucella infection, which is increase the likehood of detecting infected individulas and also improve the reliability of epidemiological data for appropriate control strategies. Hence, the present study was conducted in Amibara district of Afar Region, Ethiopia to detect the seropositivity and risk factor of Brucella infection in small ruminants that had history of recent abortion using mRBPT, cELISA and CFT. Materials and methods: Sera were collected from 226 animals (195 goats and 31sheep) and assessed for seropositivity of Brucella infection using modified Rose Bengal Plate Test (mRBPT), Complement Fixation Test (CFT) and competitive Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (cELISA).Results : In this study the over all seroprevalence was 12.0% (27 out of 226), 7.5% (17 out of 226) and 26.6% (60 out of 226) by mRBPT, CFT and cELISA, respectively. Out of 27 sera which were reactive by mRBPT, 17 (63.0%) were also reactive by (CFT). Out of the 17 sera which were reactive by CFT and mRBPT, 14 (82.4%) were reactive by cELISA. Out of the 29 sera which were non-reactive both by mRBPT and CFT, 10 (34.5%) were found to be reactive by cELISA. Out of the 226 sera which were tested both by mRBPT and cELISA, 20 (8.9%) were reactive by both tests, while 159 (70.4%) were non-reactive by both tests. The percentage of test agreement (79.2%) between mRBPT and cELISA was poor (k= 0.353). A high seropositivity for Brucella infection was significantly associated with the presence of retained placenta in the study animals (adjusted OR= 2.2, 95%CI, 1.1-4.4, P=0.030) as detected by cELISA. Conclusion: The findings of this study could suggest that brucellosis is main cause of abortion and breeding failure in small ruminants that had histry of recent abortion in the pastoral communities’ andwarrants the need for proactive measures to reduce its economic impact and risk of zoonotic transmission. This study indicates that cELISA based seroepidemiological survey increase the likehood of detecting infected individulas of brucellosis and also would be useful to provide reliable evidence for Brucella infection in small ruminants compared to mRBPT.
“Side effects--part of the package”: A mixed methods approach to study adverse events among patients being programmatically treated for DR-TB in Gujarat, India
Authors: Jakasania Arjunkumar Hardas , shringarpure Kalpita , Kapadia Dixit , Sharma Radhika , Mehta Kedar , Prajapati Arpit , Soundappan Kathirvel
Published: December 2020

BackgroundHigh rates of Adverse Events (AEs) during treatment is one of the leading causes of unsuccessful treatment outcomes among patients with drug resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). However, information related to AEs is not systematically collected and managed under programmatic setting. The present study assessed the a) incidence and pattern of adverse events in first three months of DR-TB treatment initiation; b) treatment seeking behaviour for AE management; and c) explore the challenges in seeking treatment and reporting AEs.MethodsThis mixed methods study included all patients diagnosed and initiated on treatment under RNTCP during July-September 2018 at Ahmedabad DR-TB centre. The patients were interviewed telephonically and assessed for all AEs experienced by them. In-depth interviews and key-informant interviews were conducted among patients, DOTS supervisors and programme staffs (treatment supervisors, medical officer and district program manager). Results: Total 207 AEs were reported by the 74 DR-TB patients. All patients experienced at least one AE during initial treatment period. Incidence rate of AEs (experienced) was 3.11 (1st month-4.6, 2nd month-2.7, 3rd month-2.02) per 100 person days. Of the 207 AEs, gastro-intestinal (59, 28.3%), ophthalmic (32, 15.4%) and otolaryngology (25, 11.9%) system related AEs were commonly experienced. Treatment was not sought in two-fifths of the AEs. Themes and sub-themes related to challenges in treatment seeking or reporting of AEs were 1) Patient related-Misconceptions, accessibility and affordability of management, lack of counselling support, stigma and discrimination, and past treatment experience; 2) Health system related- lack of guidelines and training for AE management, 3) Poor coordination between hospital and tuberculosis centre. Conclusion: The incidence of AEs was high among patients with DR-TB in the first three months of treatment and treatment seeking/reporting was low. Adequate health education and counselling of the patient and orientation of the health systems are the need of the hour. An efficient real-time reporting and management of AE should be developed and tested for effective DR-TB control.
The effects of seaward distance on above and below ground carbon stocks in estuarine mangrove ecosystems
Authors: Cleyndert Georgia de Jong , Cuni-Sanchez Aida , Seki Hamidu A , Shirima Deo D , Munishi Pantaleo K.T. , Burgess Neil , Calders Kim , Marchant Robert
Published: December 2020

Background: Mangrove forests have gained recognition for their potential role in climate change mitigation due to carbon sequestration in live trees, and carbon storage in the sediments trapped by mangrove tree roots and pneumatophores. Africa hosts about 19% of the world’s mangroves, yet relatively few studies have examined the carbon stocks of African mangroves. The available studies report considerable differences among sites and amongst the different pools of carbon stocks. None considered the effects of seaward distance. We present details of AGC and SOC carbon stocks for Lindi in Tanzania, and focus on how these values differ with increasing seaward distance and, how our results compare to those reported elsewhere across Africa.Results: AGC ranged between 11-55Mg C ha-1, but was not significantly affected by seaward distance. SOC for 0-1m depth ranged from 154-484, with a mean of 302 Mg C ha-1. SOC was significantly negatively correlated with seaward distance. Mangrove type (estuarine/oceanic), soil erosion, soil depth may explain these differences We note important methodological differences in previous studies on carbon stocks in mangroves in Africa. Conclusion:This study indicates that seaward distance has an important effect on SOC stocks in the Lindi region of Tanzania. SOC should be fully incorporated into national climate change mitigation policies. Studies should report seaward distance and to describe the type of mangrove stand to make results easily comparable across sites and to assess the true value of Blue Carbon in Africa. We recommend focusing on trees >10cm diameter for AGC, and sampling soils to at least 1m depth for SOC, which would provide a more complete assessment of the potentially considerable mangrove carbon store.
The Comparison of Efficacy and Complications of Coblation and Radiofrequency Thermocoagulation for V2/V3 Idiopathic Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Retrospective Cohort Study of 292 Cases
Authors: Wang ChenHui , Dou Zhi , Yan MengWei , Tang Yuanzhang , Zhao Rui , Han YuJie , Ni Jiaxiang
Published: December 2020

Background: Coblation is a novel technique in respect of treating idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia. We aimed to identify the efficacy and complications between radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RFT) and coblation for V2/V3 idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (ITN) and investigate the risk factors associated with postoperative facial numbness.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed our cohort of 292 patients who had undergone RFT or coblation for V2/V3 ITN. The characteristics of the baseline were collected before surgery. Pain scores, the degree of facial numbness and other complications were evaluated at discharge and 1month, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months after surgery.Results: Postoperative pain intensity was apparently alleviated in both groups. The initial and 12-months remission rates were 94.0% and 75.3% in coblation group compared with 96.9% and 78.4% in RFT group (P=0.462, P=0.585). The degree of postoperative facial numbness tended to be more severe in RFT group at discharge, 1 month, 6 months and 12 months (P=0.006, P=0.026, P=0.004, P=0.003). Factors significantly associated with more severe facial numbness were procedure of RFT (OR=0.46, 95%CI: 0.28-0.76, P=0.002), history of previous RFT at the affected side (OR=2.33, 95%CI: 1.21-4.48, P=0.011), and ITN with concomitant continuous pain (OR=0.36, 95%CI: 0.18-0.71, P=0.004).Conclusion: Coblation could reduce the degree of postoperative facial numbness for ITN, and the efficacy was no less effective than RFT. History of previous RFT at the affected side, procedure of RFT, ITN with concomitant continuous pain was identified as significant factors of the development of postoperative facial numbness.
The cultural practice of removing shoes indoors is relevant to the mortality rate of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
Authors: Iwasaki Soshi , Takahashi Kazunobu , Yamakage Michiaki
Published: December 2020

Japan has had a lower number of SARS-CoV-2 cases than anticipated. Hence, we hypothesize that the habit of removing shoes indoors, which is practiced in various countries, might influence the SARS-CoV-2 transmission patterns and COVID-19 associated morbidity and mortality through transmission-based infection. There are significantly fewer COVID-19 deaths in countries that follow the cultural practice of removing shoes indoors.
Outcome of Community- versus Hospital-Acquired Intra-Abdominal Infections in Intensive Care Unit: a Retrospective Study
Authors: Abaziou Timothée , Vardon-Bounes Fanny , Conil Jean-Marie , Rouget Antoine , Ruiz Stéphanie , Grare Marion , Fourcade Olivier , Suc Bertrand , Leone Marc , Minville Vincent , Georges Bernard
Published: December 2020

Background: To compare patients hospitalised in the intensive care unit (ICU) after surgery for community-acquired intra-abdominal infection (CA-IAI) and hospital-acquired intra-abdominal infection (HA-IAI) in terms of mortality, severity and complications.Methods: Retrospective study including all patients admitted to 2 ICUs within 48 hours of undergoing surgery for peritonitis.Results: 226 patients were enrolled during the study period. Patients with CA-IAI had an increased 28-day mortality rate compared to those with HA-IAI (30% vs 15%, respectively (p = 0.009)). At 90 days, the mortality rates were 36.7% and 37.5% in the CA-IAI group and HA-IAI group, respectively, with a similar APACHE II score on admission (median: 21 [15 – 25] vs. 21 [15 - 24] respectively, p = 0.63). The patients with HA-IAI had prolonged ICU and hospital stays (median: 17 [7 – 36] vs. 6[3 – 12] days, p < 0.001 and 41 [24 – 66] vs. 17 [7 – 32] days, p = 0.001), and experienced more complications (reoperation and reintubation) than those with CA-IAI.Conclusion: CA-IAI group had higher 28-day mortality rate than HA-IAI group. Mortality was similar at 90 days but those with HA-IAI had a prolonged ICU and hospital stay. In addition, they developed more complications.
Genome-wide identification and characterization of long non-coding RNAs conferring resistance to Colletotrichum gloeosporioides in walnut (Juglans regia)
Authors: Feng Shan , Fang Hongcheng , Liu Xia , Dong Yuhui , Wang Qingpeng , Yang Ke Qiang
Published: December 2020

Background: Walnut anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Penz. and Sacc. is an important walnut production problem in China. Although the long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important for plant disease resistance , the molecular mechanisms underlying resistance to C. gloeosporioides in walnut remain poorly understood.Results: The anthracnose-resistant F26 fruits from the B26 clone and the anthracnose-susceptible F423 fruits from the 4-23 clone of walnut were used as the test materials. Specifically, we performed a comparative transcriptome analysis of F26 and F423 fruit bracts to identify differentially expressed LncRNAs (DELs) at five time-points (tissues at 0 hpi, pathological tissues at 24 hpi, 48 hpi, 72 hpi, and distal uninoculated tissues at 120 hpi). Compared with F423, a total of 14525 DELs were identified, including 10645 upregulated lncRNAs and 3846 downregulated lncRNAs in F26. The number of upregulated lncRNAs in F26 compared to in F423 was significantly higher at the early stages of C. gloeosporioides infection. A total of 5 modules related to disease resistance were screened by WGCNA and the target genes of lncRNAs were obtained. Bioinformatic analysis showed that the target genes of upregulated lncRNAs were enriched in immune-related processes during the infection of C. gloeosporioides, such as activation of innate immune response, defense response to bacterium, incompatible interaction and immune system process, and enriched in plant hormone signal transduction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and other pathways. And 124 known target genes for 96 hub lncRNAs were predicted, including 10 known resistance genes. The expression of 5 lncRNAs and 5 target genes was confirmed by qPCR, which was consistent with the RNA-seq data.Conclusions: The results of this study provide the basis for future functional characterizations of lncRNAs regarding the C. gloeosporioides resistance of walnut fruit bracts.
Improving mucosal anesthesia for awake endotracheal intubation with a novel method: A prospective, assessor-blinded, randomized controlled trial
Authors: Han Chunji , Li Peng , Guo Zhenggang , Guo Ying , Sun Li , Chen Gang , Qiu Xiaojue , Mi Weidong , Zhang Changsheng , Berra Lorenzo
Published: December 2020

Background:Topical anesthesia is a crucial step in awake endotracheal intubation for providing favorable intubation conditions. The standard of care technique for awake intubation at our institution, which consists of oropharyngeal tetracaine spray, can result in inadequate mucosal anesthesia. Therefore, we sought to compare the effectiveness of dyclonine hydrochloride mucilage to the standard of care tetracaine in achieving anesthesia of the upper airways for awake endotracheal intubation.Methods:This is a randomized, assessor-blinded, prospective study. From Jun. 1st, 2019 to Aug. 1st, 2019, patients scheduled for either endoscopic submucosal dissection or peroral endoscopic myotomy were enrolled and randomly allocated into two groups after obtaining written informed consent: patients allocated to novel awake intubation care (Group N-AIC) received a single administration of oral dyclonine hydrochloride mucilage, whereas patients allocated to standard awake intubation care (Group S-AIC) received three oropharyngeal tetracaine sprays before transcricoid tetracaine injection before awake intubation. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), which was the primary outcome of this study, as well as heart rate (HR) were recorded throughout the procedure and compared between the two groups. Feeling of numbness, nausea, and intubation conditions after topical anesthesia were also assessed.Results:Sixty patients were enrolled and completed the study. Baseline MAP and HR were similar between the two groups. However, hemodynamic responses to intubation and gastrointestinal endoscopy, especially MAP, were significantly less elevated in Group N-AIC. The degree of numbness of the oropharyngeal mucosa after topical anesthesia did not differ between the two groups, neither did the feeling of nausea during laryngoscopy. The amount of pharyngeal secretions before intubation was less in Group N-AIC. Total intubation time was significantly shorter in Group N-AIC when compared to Group S-AIC (18.4 ± 2.86 vs. 22.3 ± 6.47, P < 0.05). Extubation bucking was significantly less frequent in Group N-AIC (13.3% vs. 76.7%). Patients received in Group N-AIC had a lower rate of post-extubation sore throat compared to Group S-AIC (6.7% vs. 43.3%). No adverse side effects attributable to either tetracaine or dyclonine were observed in this study.Conclusions:In awake endotracheal intubation, novel care using oral dyclonine hydrochloride mucilage can provide more favorable mucosal anesthesia and better intubation conditions compared to standard of care practice using oropharyngeal tetracaine spray.Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR1900023151 ( http://www.chictr.org )
An Investigation Into the Cause of Road Failure Along Sagamu-Papalanto Highway Southwestern Nigeria
Authors: UBIDO OYEM EMMANUEL , Ogbonnaya Igwe , Ukah Bernadette Uche
Published: December 2020

Investigation into the cause of road failure has been carried out along a 60km long Sagamu –Papalanto highway southwestern Nigeria. Geochemical, mineralogical, geotechnical and geophysical analyses were conducted to evaluate the cause of failure along the study area. The results of the laboratory tests showed that the percentage amount of fines ranges from 12-61.3%, natural moisture content from 6.8 to 19.7%, liquid limit in the range of 25.1-52.2%, linear shrinkage between 3.96 to 12.71%, plastic limit ranges from 18.2-35%, plasticity index ranges from 5.2 to 24.6%, free swell in the range from 5.17 – 43.9%, maximum dry density ranges from 1.51 -1.74g /cm3, specific gravity ranges from 2.52-2.64 and CBR between 3-12%. The Cone Penetrometer Test (CPT) shows a resistance value of 20-138 kgf/cm2. The major clay mineral that is predominant in the studied soil is kaolinite. The major oxides present are SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, K2O, Na2O, MgO and CaO. The result of the 2D Electrical Resistivity Imaging revealed a low resistivity values for profile 2 and 3 ranging from 100 Ωm – 300 Ωm, between a distance of 20m – 240 m along the profile to a depth of 7.60m and a low resistivity value ranging from 50 Ωm – 111Ωm, between a distance of 80 m –120 m along the profile to a depth of 15m. It was concluded that the low CBR, low MDD and the class of subsoils namely A-26, A-7, A-2-7 (clayey soils) which were identified are responsible for the cause of failure experienced in the study area. These makes the soils unsuitable as road construction materials and hence, there is need for stabilization during the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the road.
An “expressionistic” look at serrated precancerous colorectal lesions
Authors: Marra Giancarlo
Published: December 2020

Background: Approximately 60% of colorectal cancer (CRC) precursor lesions are the genuinely-dysplastic conventional adenomas (cADNs). The others include hyperplastic polyps (HPs), sessile serrated lesions (SSL), and traditional serrated adenomas (TSAs), subtypes of a class of lesions collectively referred to as “serrated.” Endoscopic and histologic differentiation between cADNs and serrated lesions, and between serrated lesion subtypes can be difficult. Methods: We used in situ hybridization to verify the expression patterns in CRC precursors of 21 RNA molecules that appear to be promising differentiation markers on the basis of previous RNA sequencing studies.Results: SSLs could be clearly differentiated from cADNs by the expression patterns of 9 of the 12 RNAs tested for this purpose (VSIG1, ANXA10, ACHE, SEMG1, AQP5, LINC00520, ZIC5/2, FOXD1, NKD1). Expression patterns of all 9 in HPs were similar to those in SSLs. Nine putatively HP-specific RNAs were also investigated, but none could be confirmed as such: most (e.g., HOXD13 and HOXB13), proved instead to be markers of the normal mucosa in the distal colon and rectum, where most HPs arise. TSAs displayed mixed staining patterns reflecting the presence of serrated and dysplastic glands in the same lesion. Conclusions: Using a robust in situ hybridization protocol, we identified promising tissue-staining markers that, if validated in larger series of lesions, could facilitate more precise histologic classification of CRC precursors and, consequently, more tailored clinical follow-up of their carriers. Our findings should also fuel functional studies on the pathogenic significance of specific gene expression alterations in the initiation and evolution of CRC precursor subtypes.
Propensity score-matched analysis of systemic chemotherapy versus salvage hysterectomy for persistent cervical cancer after definitive radiotherapy/concurrent chemoradiotherapy.
Authors: Takekuma Munetaka , Takahashi Fumiaki , Mabuchi Seiji , Kudaka Wataru , Horie Koji , Ikeda Mariko , Shikama Ayumi , Mitsuhashi Akira , Nagao Shoji , Suzuki Shiro , Mizuno Mika , Nishio Shin , Tokunaga Hideki , Ota Yukinobu , Kasamatsu Takahiro , Kitagawa Ryo , Toita Takafumi , Kobayashi Hiroaki , Ishikawa Mitsuya , Yaegashi Nobuo
Published: December 2020

Background: The aim of the current study was to evaluate oncologic outcomes of patients who were treated with salvage hysterectomy (HT), compared to systemic chemotherapy (CT) for persistent cervical cancer after definitive radiotherapy (RT)/ concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT).Methods: Patients with persistent cervical cancer treated with definitive RT/CCRT at 35 institutions from 2005–2014 were reviewed retrospectively (n = 317). Those who underwent a HT for persistent cervical cancer after definitive RT/CCRT were matched with propensity scores for patients who underwent systemic CT. Oncologic outcomes between the two groups using a propensity score matched–cohort analysis were compared.Results: A total of 142 patients with persistent cervical cancer after definitive RT/CCRT were included after matching (HT: 71, systemic CT: 71). All background factors between HT and CT groups were well balanced. Median overall survival was 3.8 and 1.5 years in the HT and CT groups, respectively (p= 0.00193, hazards ratio [HR] 0.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.23–0.73), Increasing residual tumor size was significantly associated with a high incomplete resection rate (p = 0.016, Odds Ratio 1.11, 95%CI 1.02-1.22). Severe late adverse events occurred in 7 patients (9.9%) in the HT cohort.Conclusion: The current study demonstrated that, when compared to systemic CT, the adoption of salvage HT for patients with persistent cervical cancer after definitive RT/CCRT reduced mortality rate by about 60%. This indicates that salvage HT could be curative treatment for those patients. Further prospective clinical trials with regard to salvage HT after RT/CCRT are warranted.
De novo transcriptome in roots of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) reveals gene expression dynamic and act network under alkaline salt stress
Authors: Zhang Pan , Duo Tianqi , Wang Fengdan , Zhang Xunzhong , Yang Zouzhuan , Hu Guofu
Published: December 2020

Background: Soil salinization is a major limiting factor for crop cultivation. Switchgrass is a perennial rhizomatous bunchgrass that is considered an ideal plant for marginal lands, including sites with saline soil. Here, we investigated the physiological responses and transcriptome changes in the roots of Alamo (alkali-tolerant genotype) and AM-314/MS-155 (alkali-sensitive genotype) under alkaline salt stress.Results: Alkaline salt stress significantly affected the membrane, osmotic adjustment and antioxidant systems in switchgrass roots, and the ASTTI values between Alamo and AM-314/MS-155 were divergent at different time points. A total of 108,319 unigenes were obtained after reassembly, including 73,636 unigenes in AM-314/MS-155 and 65,492 unigenes in Alamo. A total of 10,219 DEGs were identified, and the number of upregulated genes in Alamo was much greater than that in AM-314/MS-155 in both the early and late stages of alkaline salt stress. The DEGs in AM-314/MS-155 were mainly concentrated in the early stage, while Alamo showed greater advantages in the late stage. These DEGs were mainly enriched in plant-pathogen interactions, ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathways. We characterized 1,480 TF genes into 64 TF families, and the most abundant TF family was the C2H2 family, followed by the bZIP and bHLH families. A total of 1,718 PKs were predicted, including CaMK, CDPK, MAPK and RLK. WGCNA revealed that the DEGs in the blue, brown, dark magenta and light steel blue 1 modules were associated with the physiological changes in roots of switchgrass under alkaline salt stress. The consistency between the qRT-PCR and RNA-Seq results confirmed the reliability of the RNA-seq sequencing data. A molecular regulatory network of the switchgrass response to alkaline salt stress was preliminarily constructed on the basis of transcriptional regulation and functional genes.Conclusions: The alkaline salt tolerance of switchgrass may be achieved by the regulation of ion homeostasis, transport proteins, detoxification, heat shock proteins, dehydration and sugar metabolism. These findings provide a comprehensive analysis of gene expression dynamic and act network induced by alkaline salt stress in two switchgrass genotypes and contribute to the understanding of the alkaline salt tolerance mechanism of switchgrass and the improvement of switchgrass germplasm.
Identification and Analysis of Long Non-coding RNAs and mRNAs in Chicken Macrophages Infected with Avian Infectious Bronchitis Coronavirus
Authors: Li Hao , Cui Pengfei , Fu Xue , Zhang Lan , Yan Wenjun , Zhai Yaru , Lei Changwei , Wang Hongning , yang xin
Published: December 2020

Background: Avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is a gammacoronavirus that severely affects the poultry industry worldwide. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a subset of non-coding RNAs with a length of more than 200 nucleotides, have been recently recognized as pivotal factors in the pathogenesis of viral infections. However, little is known about the function of lncRNAs in host cultured cells in response to IBV infection.Results: We used next-generation high throughput sequencing to reveal the expression profiles of mRNAs and lncRNAs in IBV-infected HD11 cells. Compared with the uninfected cells, we identified 153 differently expressed (DE) mRNAs (106 up-regulated mRNAs, 47 down-regulated mRNAs) and 181 DE lncRNAs (59 up-regulated lncRNAs, 122 down-regulated lncRNAs) in IBV-infected HD11 cells. Moreover, gene ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment analyses indicated that DE mRNAs and lncRNAs were mainly involved in cellular innate immunity, amino acid metabolism, and nucleic acid metabolism. In addition, 2,640 novel chicken lncRNAs were identified, and a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNAs) network centered on gga-miR-30d and miR-146a-5p was established. Conclusions: The present study identified the expression profiles of mRNAs and lncRNAs during IBV infection and provides new insights into the pathogenesis of IBV.
Association between lipoprotein cholesterol and future cardiovascular disease and mortality in older adults: a Korean nationwide longitudinal study
Authors: Kim Seung Hee , Son Ki Young
Published: December 2020

Background Dyslipidemia is considered an independent health risk factor of cardiovascular disease (CVD), a leading cause of mortality in older adults. Despite its importance, there have been few reports on the association between lipoprotein cholesterol and future CVD and cardiovascular (CV) mortality among elderly Asians aged ≥65 years. This study investigated the association between lipoprotein cholesterol and future CVD and CV mortality in an elderly Korean population using a large nationwide sample.Methods From the cohort database of the Korean National Health Insurance Service, 62,604 adults aged ≥65 years (32,584 men and 30,020 women) were included. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were categorized by quartiles. Cox proportional hazard models and linear regression analyses were used to assess the association between the quartiles of lipoprotein cholesterol and future CV events or mortality.Results The mean follow-up period was 3.3 years. The incidence rates of ischemic heart disease and ischemic brain disease were 0.97 and 0.61 per 1,000 person-years, respectively, and the mortality rates from these diseases were 0.22 and 0.34 per 1,000 person-years, respectively. In a completely adjusted model, high HDL-C and LDL-C levels were not associated with total CV events and CVD mortality. However, high LDL-C levels were significantly associated with a lower incidence of ischemic brain disease. Furthermore, diabetic patients with high LDL-C levels were more likely to have higher CV mortality, whereas non-smokers with high LDL-C levels were less likely to be at risk of CV events.Conclusions Neither high LDL-C nor HDL-C levels were significantly associated with future CV mortality in older adults aged ≥65 years. High LDL-C levels do not seem to be a risk factor for CVD in elderly individuals, and further studies are required.
Comparison of analgesic efficacy between rectus sheath blockade, intrathecal morphine with bupivacaine, and intravenous patient-controlled analgesia in patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy: a prospective, observational clinical study
Authors: Shim Jung-Woo , Cho Yun Jeong , Kim Minhee , Hong Sang Hyun , Moon Hyong Woo , Hong Sung Hoo , Chae Min Suk
Published: December 2020

Background: We explored the analgesic outcomes on postoperative day (POD) 1 in patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) who received intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA), rectus sheath bupivacaine block (RSB), or intrathecal morphine with bupivacaine block (ITMB). Methods: This was a prospective, observational clinical trial. Patients were divided into three groups: IV-PCA (n = 30), RSB (n = 30), and ITMB (n = 30). Peak pain scores at rest and with coughing, cumulative IV-PCA drug consumption, the need for IV rescue opioids, and Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) questionnaire scores collected on POD 1 were compared among the groups.Results: The preoperative and intraoperative findings were comparable among the groups; the ITMB group required the least remifentanil of all groups. During POD 1, the ITMB group reported lower levels of pain at rest and with coughing, compared with the other two groups. During POD 1, incidences of severe pain at rest (10.0% vs. 23.3% vs. 40.0%) and with coughing (16.7% vs. 36.7% vs. 66.7%) were the lowest in the ITMB group compared with the RSB and IV-PCA groups, respectively. After adjustment for age, body mass index, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and intraoperative remifentanil infusion, severe pain at rest was 0.167-fold less common in the ITMB group than in the IV-PCA group, while pain with coughing was 0.1-fold lower in the ITMB group and 0.306-fold lower in the RSB group, compared with the IV-PCA group. The ITMB group required lower cumulative IV-PCA drug infusions and less IV rescue opioids, while exhibiting a better QoR-15 global score, compared with the other two groups. Complications (nausea and pruritus) were significantly more common in the ITMB group than in the other two groups; however, we noted no ITMB- or RSB-related anesthetic complications (respiratory depression, post-dural headache, nerve injury, or puncture site hematoma or infection), and all patients were assessed as Clavien-Dindo grade I or II during the hospital stay.Conclusion: Although ITMB induced complications of nausea and pruritus, this analgesic technique provided appropriate pain relief that enhanced patient perception related to early postoperative recovery.Trial registration: Clinical Research Information Service, Republic of Korea, (approval number: KCT0005040) on May 20, 2020https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/search_result_st01_kren.jsp?seq=15943&sLeft=2<ype=my&rtype=my
Behavior and origin of hydrogen defects in natural orthopyroxene during high-temperature processes
Authors: Yang Yan , Ingrin Jannick , Liu Wendi , Huang Weihua , Gu Xiaoyan , Xia Qunke
Published: December 2020

Spectral features of hydrogen defects in natural mantle minerals derive from physico-chemical conditions of the lithosphere. Although hydrogen defects in synthetic orthopyroxene have been well investigated, their complex spectral features in natural orthopyroxenes are still difficult to decipher. To clarify this issue, it is indispensable to reveal what happens to hydrogen defects during high-temperature processes, thereby fingerprinting the origins of hydrogen defects observed in natural orthopyroxene. Here, we carry out Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic studies on hydrogen defects of three natural orthopyroxenes at elevated temperatures to 1000 °C. Hydrogen defects display reversible disordering at temperatures above 700 °C, which is different from those at ambient conditions. Moreover, hydrogen diffusivities are significantly different between the orthopyroxene samples from different tectonic settings despite their similar iron contents. Even for the same crystal, different hydrogen defects display different diffusion behaviors. Hydrogen defects corresponding to the 3420 cm−1 band have the fastest diffusivity relative to the other hydrogen defects. Most importantly, hydrogen defects can redistribute in the crystal, with new hydrogen defects produced at the cost of the initial hydrogen defects rather than involving a reaction with an external hydrogen source. Combining these findings with previously reported hydrogen defects in natural olivine and clinopyroxene at high temperatures, we propose that: (1) to correctly relate hydrogen defects features to geological processes, it is imperative to understand their behavior and origin, and (2) hydrogen disordering should be taken into account when predicting and extrapolating data on physical properties of the mantle from room-temperature measurements.
The impact of intellectual capital on firm’s financial performance: empirical evidence from Bahrain
Authors: M. Desoky Abdelmohsen , Abdel-Hady Mousa Gehan
Published: December 2020

This study contributes to the intellectual capital (IC) area of literature by investigating the impact of IC on the firm’s financial performance of two main sectors in the Bahrain Bourse, financial and service sectors, during five years, 2013–2017. The study employs canonical correlation analysis as a unique statistical method to analyze data gathered from 29 sampled companies, representing 145 firm-year observations over the five years. Two groups of variables are employed. The first represents the firm’s financial performance with two variables (return on equity – ROE and return on assets – ROA), while the second includes three intellectual capital components, namely human, customer, and structural capital. Findings related to the financial sector reveal that all IC components (human capital, customer capital, and structural capital) have positive correlations with firm performance except for the labor costs variable (the sub-variable of human capital), which has a negative correlation with firm’s performance. Human capital is also found to be the most significant component of the IC, while structural capital is reported as the lowest effect on the firm’s performance, consistent with some previous research findings. Furthermore, the services sector results revealed that IC is significantly associated with the firm’s performance. Moreover, two sub-variables of human capital (number of Bahraini employees and labor costs) have the most significant impact on the firm’s performance.
Kahramanmaraş İlinin Hayvansal Atık Kaynaklı Biyogaz Potansiyeli
Authors: AY Ömer , KAYA Ahmet
Published: December 2020

Bu çalışmada Kahramanmaraş il genelinde büyükbaş, küçükbaş ve kanatlı kümes hayvan atıklarından elde edilebilecek teorik biyogaz potansiyellerinin belirlenmesi, üretilecek elektrik enerjisinin tespiti ve ilçeler bazında bu potansiyel dağılımı incelenmiştir. Kahramanmaraş’ta biyogaz üretiminde kullanılabilecek yaklaşık 1 milyon 691 bin 310 ton yıl-1 hayvan gübresi üretildiği teorik olarak belirlenmiştir. Bu atığın tamamının biyogaz üretiminde kullanılması sonucunda yıllık biyogaz miktarı yaklaşık 70 milyon m³ olarak hesaplanmış ve elde edilen biyogazdan yaklaşık 326 GWh elektrik enerjisi üretilebileceği hesaplanmıştır. İlçeler bazında bu potansiyelin en fazla Onikişubat ilçesinde olduğu belirlenmiştir.