bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A systematic scoping review of ethical issues in mentoring in medical schools
Authors: Kow Cheryl Shumin , Teo Yao Hao , Teo Yao Neng , Chua Keith Zi Yuan , Quah Elaine Li Ying , Kamal Nur Haidah Binte Ahmad , Tan Lorraine Hui En , Cheong Clarissa Wei Shuen , Ong Yun Ting , Tay Kuang Teck , Chiam Min , Mason Stephen , Krishna Lalit Kumar Radha
Published: July 2020

Background

Mentoring provides mentees and mentors with holistic support and research opportunities. Yet, the quality of this support has been called into question amidst suggestions that mentoring is prone to bullying and professional lapses. These concerns jeopardise mentoring’s role in medical schools and demand closer scrutiny.

Methods

To better understand prevailing concerns, a novel approach to systematic scoping reviews (SSR) s is proposed to map prevailing ethical issues in mentoring in an accountable and reproducible manner. Ten members of the research team carried out systematic and independent searches of PubMed, Embase, ERIC, ScienceDirect, Scopus, OpenGrey and Mednar databases. The individual researchers employed ‘negotiated consensual validation’ to determine the final list of articles to be analysed. The reviewers worked in three independent teams. One team summarised the included articles. The other teams employed independent thematic and content analysis respectively. The findings of the three approaches were compared. The themes from non-evidence based and grey literature were also compared with themes from research driven data.

Results

Four thousand six titles were reviewed and 51 full text articles were included. Findings from thematic and content analyses were similar and reflected the tabulated summaries. The themes/categories identified were ethical concerns, predisposing factors and possible solutions at the mentor and mentee, mentoring relationship and/or host organisation level. Ethical concerns were found to stem from issues such as power differentials and lack of motivation whilst predisposing factors comprised of the mentor’s lack of experience and personality conflicts. Possible solutions include better program oversight and the fostering of an effective mentoring environment.

Conclusions

This structured SSR found that ethical issues in mentoring occur as a result of inconducive mentoring environments. As such, further studies and systematic reviews of mentoring structures, cultures and remediation must follow so as to guide host organisations in their endeavour to improve mentoring in medical schools.
Universal cervical cancer control through a right to health lens: refocusing national policy and programmes on underserved women
Authors: Perehudoff Katrina , Vermandere Heleen , Williams Alex , Bautista-Arredondo Sergio , De Paepe Elien , Dias Sonia , Gama Ana , Keygnaert Ines , Longatto-Filho Adhemar , Ortiz Jose , Padalko Elizaveta , Reis Rui Manuel , Vanderheijden Nathalie , Vega Bernardo , Verberckmoes Bo , Degomme Olivier
Published: July 2020

Background

Cervical cancer claims 311,000 lives annually, and 90% of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Cervical cancer is a highly preventable and treatable disease, if detected through screening at an early stage. Governments have a responsibility to screen women for precancerous cervical lesions. Yet, national screening programmes overlook many poor women and those marginalised in society. Under-screened women (called hard-to-reach) experience a higher incidence of cervical cancer and elevated mortality rates compared to regularly-screened women. Such inequalities deprive hard-to-reach women of the full enjoyment of their right to sexual and reproductive health, as laid out in Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and General Comment No. 22.

Discussion

This article argues first for tailored and innovative national cervical cancer screening programmes (NCSP) grounded in human rights law, to close the disparity between women who are afforded screening and those who are not. Second, acknowledging socioeconomic disparities requires governments to adopt and refine universal cancer control through NCSPs aligned with human rights duties, including to reach all eligible women. Commonly reported- and chronically under-addressed- screening disparities relate to the availability of sufficient health facilities and human resources (example from Kenya), the physical accessibility of health services for rural and remote populations (example from Brazil), and the accessibility of information sensitive to cultural, ethnic, and linguistic barriers (example from Ecuador). Third, governments can adopt new technologies to overcome individual and structural barriers to cervical cancer screening. National cervical cancer screening programmes should tailor screening methods to under-screened women, bearing in mind that eliminating systemic discrimination may require committing greater resources to traditionally neglected groups.

Conclusion

Governments have human rights obligations to refocus screening policies and programmes on women who are disproportionately affected by discrimination that impairs their full enjoyment of the right to sexual and reproductive health. National cervical cancer screening programmes that keep the right to health principles (above) central will be able to expand screening among low-income, isolated and other marginalised populations, but also women in general, who, for a variety of reasons, do not visit healthcare providers for regular screenings.
Global prevalence and mortality of severe Plasmodium malariae infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Kotepui Manas , Kotepui Kwuntida Uthaisar , Milanez Giovanni D. , Masangkay Frederick R.
Published: July 2020

Background

Severe complications among patients with Plasmodium malariae infection are rare. This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrating the global prevalence and mortality of severe P. malariae infection in humans.

Methods

The systematic review and meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. All research articles published on the severity and mortality of P. malariae infection cases in humans were retrieved from three public databases: PubMed, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science. The pooled prevalence estimate and 95% confidence interval (CI) of complications in patients with P. malariae malaria was analysed using the random-effects model provided in Stata software. The pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% CI of severe malaria for P. malariae infection and Plasmodium falciparum infection were analysed using Review Manager software.

Results

Six studies were used to estimate the pooled prevalence of severe P. malariae malaria. Out of 10,520 patients infected with P. malariae, the pooled prevalence estimate of severe P. malariae infection was 3% (95% CI 2–5%), with high heterogeneity (I2: 90.7%). Severe anaemia (3.32%), pulmonary complications (0.46%), and renal impairments (0.24%) were the most common severe complications found in patients with P. malariae infection. The pooled proportion of severe anaemia for P. malariae infection and P. falciparum infection was comparable among the four included studies (OR: 0.74, 95% CI 0.22–2.45, I2 = 98%). The pooled proportion of pulmonary complications was comparable between patients with P. malariae infection and those with P. falciparum infection among the four included studies (OR: 1.44; 95% CI 0.17–12.31, I2: 92%). For renal complications, the funnel plot showed that the pooled proportion of renal complications for P. malariae infection and P. falciparum infection was comparable among the four included studies (OR: 0.94, 95% CI 0.18–4.93, I2: 91%). The mortality rate of patients with P. malariae infection was 0.17% (18/10,502 cases).

Conclusions

This systematic review demonstrated that approximately two percent of patients with P. malariae infection developed severe complications, with a low mortality rate. Severe anaemia, pulmonary involvement, and renal impairment were the most common complications found in patients with P. malariae infection. Although a low prevalence and low mortality of P. malariae infection have been reported, patients with P. malariae infection need to be investigated for severe anaemia and, if present, treated aggressively to prevent anaemia-related death.
Smoking, general and oral health related quality of life – a comparative study from Nepal
Authors: Sagtani Reshu Agrawal , Thapa Sunaina , Sagtani Alok
Published: July 2020

Background

Perceived dental health has shown to have a significant predictive effect on overall health perception and life satisfaction. Thus, it seems plausible that Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) measures are associated with Oral Health Related Quality of Life (OHRQOL) dimensions in Nepalese context as well. The adverse effects of tobacco on oral health are reported worldwide including Nepal. However, evidence which can quantify effects of tobacco smoking on dental health perception is limited. Thus, a study was designed to find association of smoking and socio demographic characteristics with OHRQOl and to determine association between OHRQOL and HRQOL among dental patients in Nepal.

Methods

A cross sectional study was conducted among 125 current smokers and 125 non-smokers who attended oral surgery OPD of a teaching hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal. The study participants were enrolled through consecutive sampling and data was collected through a semi-structured questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of questions related to sociodemographic characteristics, tobacco history, Oral Health Impacts Profile (OHIP)-14 and World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief version (WHOQOL-Bref) to assess OHRQOl and HRQOL respectively. Descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated by using SPSS version 18.0. The level of significance was set at 5%.

Results

Among the socio demographic characteristics, patients with education of more than Class 12 had significantly higher average OHRQOL scores (p = 0.013) compared to illiterate patients. Current smokers reported significantly poorer scores in sub scales of psychological disability (p = 0.001), social disability (p = 0.003), physical pain (p < 0.001), functional limitation (p = 0.007) and also overall perceived oral health compared to nonsmokers. OHRQOL was significantly correlated with overall HRQOL in physical (p = 0.015) and psychological (p = 0.04) domains in this study sample.

Conclusions

Improvements in OHRQOL may require a multidimensional approach with focus of social factors like education and behavioral factors like cigarette smoking. Also, improvement in OHRQOL might also lead to betterment of perceived overall health as they are interlinked.
A cross-sectional study on preferred employment settings of final-year nursing students in Israel
Authors: Sela Yael , Grinberg Keren , Shapiro Yair , Nissanholtz-Gannot Rachel
Published: July 2020

Background

Despite the growing demand for community nurses, their number remains relatively low. We examined perceptions of final-year nursing students regarding their preferred work setting after graduation and the factors affecting their choice.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire was developed specifically for this study. The questionnaire was distributed among fourth-year students from all nursing training frameworks across Israel.

Results

Of 281 respondents (76.6% women, average age, 29.3 years), most (80.9%) preferred working in hospitals, while 5% preferred community settings; 14% were undecided. Students’ knowledge on hospital nurses’ tasks was greater compared to their knowledge on community nurses’ tasks. Moreover, hospital nurses’ tasks were perceived as more important than those of community nurses. The contribution of clinical placement in hospital nursing was perceived as significantly more meaningful than the contribution of clinical placement in community nursing. The vast majority of students (94.3%) stated that they would prefer to undergo a hospital nursing internship. A significant correlation was noted between students’ clinical placement, the exposure to community nursing roles, and the perception of the community nurse’s role: clinical placements that were perceived as a positive experience led to a more positive perception of community nurses’ roles.

Conclusions

Nursing students’ perception of community nursing is based upon limited information which does not reflect community nurses’ actual role and work.
Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling identifies epigenetic signatures of gastric cardiac intestinal metaplasia
Authors: Lin Runhua , Li Chenxi , Liu Zhaohui , Wu Ruinuan , Lu Jianghong
Published: July 2020

Background

Measuring the DNA methylome may offer the opportunity to identify novel disease biomarkers and insights into disease mechanisms. Although aberrant DNA methylation has been investigated in many human cancers and precancerous lesions, the DNA methylation landscape of gastric cardiac intestinal metaplasia (IM) remains unknown. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the genome-wide DNA methylation landscape and to search for potential epigenetic biomarkers of gastric cardiac IM.

Methods

Histopathologic profiling was performed on a total of 118 gastric cardiac biopsies from cancer-free individuals. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis was performed on 11 gastric cardiac mucosal biopsies (IM = 7; normal = 4) using Illumina 850K microarrays. Transcriptional relevance of any candidate epigenetic biomarker was validated by qRT-PCR.

Results

The detection rate of gastric cardiac IM was 23% (27/118) in cancer-free individuals. Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling showed a global decrease in methylation in IM compared with normal tissues (median methylation = 0.64 and 0.70 for gastric cardiac IM and normal tissues, respectively). Differential methylation analysis between gastric cardiac IM and normal tissues identified 38,237 differentially methylated probes (DMPs) with a majority of sites showing hypermethylation in IM compared with normal tissues (56.3% vs. 43.7%). Subsequent analysis revealed a significant enrichment of hypermethylated DMPs in promoter and CpG islands (p < 0.001 for both, Pearson χ2 test). For DMPs located in promoter CpG islands showing extreme hypermethylation, the candidate gene with the largest number of DMPs (n = 7) was mapped to HOXA5. Accordingly, mRNA expression of HOXA5 was significantly reduced in IM compared to normal tissue.

Conclusions

Our results suggest the implication of alterations in DNA methylation in gastric cardiac IM and highlight that HOXA5 hypermethylation may be a promising epigenetic biomarker, emphasizing the role of aberrant HOXA5 expression in the pathogenesis of gastric cardiac IM.
Developing an SMS text message intervention on sexual and reproductive health with adolescents and youth in Peru
Authors: Guerrero Fiorella , Lucar Nora , Garvich Claux Mijail , Chiappe Marina , Perez-Lu Jose , Hindin Michelle J. , Gonsalves Lianne , Bayer Angela M.
Published: July 2020

Background

Improved access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services and information is essential for supporting adolescents and youth in making informed decisions and optimizing each young person’s outcomes related to their SRH, health and well-being and countries’ current and future social and economic development. Mobile phones offer opportunities for young people to privately access SRH content and to be linked to SRH services. The objective of this study was to develop the content for an SMS (short message service or “text message”) platform jointly with adolescents and youth in three regions in Peru (Lima, Ayacucho and Loreto) as part of the ARMADILLO (Adolescent/Youth Reproductive Mobile Access and Delivery Initiative for Love and Life Outcomes) Study.

Methods

Content development was done in three stages. During Stage 1, we held community consultations with 13–17 year old adolescents, 18–24 year old youth and professionals who work with young people through the education and health sectors (“adult advisers”) to identify and rate SRH topics of interest through group free- and guided-brainstorming activities and an individual written sharing activity. During Stage 2, the team developed the preliminary domains, sub-domains and content for the SMS platform. During Stage 3, we held focus groups with adolescents to validate the SMS content, including both individual scoring of and group feedback for each SMS. Group feedback asked about their general impressions and understanding and their thoughts about the language and usefulness of the SMS.

Results

A total of 172 adolescents and youth ages 13–24 and 20 adult advisers participated. Adolescents and youth brainstormed and rated SRH topics and sub-topics that led to the initial structure for the SMS platform, with 9 domains, 25 sub-domains and 146 draft SMS. Adolescents provided high scores for the SMS, with all sub-domains receiving average scores of 3.0 or higher (out of 4.0) for the SMS included. Adolescents also provided suggestions to optimize content, including improvements to unclear messages, resulting in SMS with adolescent-friendly content in simple, straightforward language. This process also revealed that adolescents lacked knowledge and had misconceptions related to contraceptive methods.

Conclusion

This study details the systematic process used to develop relevant and accessible SRH information through a participatory approach. We document critical information about what young people know and how they think, enabling us to understand their perspective and literally speak their language. Results also provide future directions for programmatic, research and policy efforts with young people, in particular around gender norms, interpersonal violence, and access to SRH information and services, in similar settings.
“Personal recovery depends on NA unity”: an exploratory study on recovery-supportive elements in Narcotics Anonymous Flanders
Authors: Dekkers Anne , Vos Sam , Vanderplasschen Wouter
Published: July 2020

Background

Mutual aid organizations, such as Narcotics Anonymous (NA), can provide support in substance use disorder (SUD) recovery processes. However, research on NA and its recovery-supportive elements is scarce and perspectives of NA-members remain understudied, in particular outside the US. Therefore, this study aims to gain insight into recovery-supportive elements of NA, as experienced by its members.

Methods

To explore the perspectives on and experiences with recovery-supportive elements in NA, 11 in-depth interviews with NA-members were conducted in Flanders (Belgium). Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim and analyzed by using CHIME-D, a personal recovery framework (Connectedness, Hope, Identity, Meaning in life, Empowerment, Difficulties) developed by Leamy and colleagues in 2011.

Results

Various recovery-supportive elements of NA were highlighted, with Connectedness as a key component including opportunities for building up a social network and for providing a safety net or sounding board. Elements that enabled Connectedness were 1) a non-judgemental approach, and 2) mutual understanding through sharing in NA. Other elements of the CHIME-D framework were less frequently mentioned, although these were inextricably linked to Connectedness.

Conclusions

Connectedness appeared to be the crucial recovery-supportive element in NA, emphasizing the relational character of SUD recovery. Although other elements of the CHIME-D framework were identified, these were closely related to and intertwined with the concept of connectedness.
A propensity score-matched analysis comparing outpatient and short-stay hospitalization to standard inpatient hospitalization following total ankle arthroplasty
Authors: Plantz Mark A. , Sherman Alain E. , Kadakia Anish R.
Published: July 2020

Background

Given the trend toward value-based care, there has been increased interest in minimizing hospital length of stay (LOS) after orthopedic procedures. Outpatient total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) has become more popular in recent years; however, research on surgical outcomes of this procedure has been limited. This study sought to employ large sample, propensity score-matched analyses to assess the safety of outpatient and short-stay discharge pathways following TAA.

Methods

The ACS NSQIP database was used to identify 1141 patients who underwent primary and revision TAA between 2007 and 2017. Propensity score matching was used to match patients based on several factors, including age, sex, body mass index (BMI), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, and several comorbidities. The incidence of various 30-day complications was compared between the short and standard LOS groups to assess for any differences in short-term outcomes.

Results

A total of 892 patients were included in the final propensity score-matched analysis, with 446 patients in each group. The short LOS group had a significantly lower rate of medical complications (0.2% vs. 2.5%, p = 0.006) and non-home discharge (1.3% vs. 12.1%, p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in operative complications (0.4% vs. 1.8%, p = 0.107), unplanned readmission (0.4% vs. 1.1%, p = 0.451), reoperation (0.2% vs. 0.4%, p > 0.999), return to the OR (0.2% vs. 0.9%, p = 0.374), or mortality (0.7% vs. 0.0%, p > 0.249) between the short and standard LOS groups.

Conclusions

Outpatient and short-stay hospitalization had comparable safety to standard inpatient hospitalization after TAA. Outpatient or short-stay TAA should be considered for patients with low risk of short-term complications.
The use of innominate artery cannulation for antegrade cerebral perfusion in aortic dissection
Authors: Payabyab Eden C. , Hemli Jonathan M. , Mattia Allan , Kremers Alex , Vatsia Sohrab K. , Scheinerman S. Jacob , Mihelis Efstathia A. , Hartman Alan R. , Brinster Derek R.
Published: July 2020

Background

Direct cannulation of the innominate artery for selective antegrade cerebral perfusion has been shown to be safe in elective proximal aortic reconstructions. We sought to evaluate the safety of this technique in acute aortic dissection.

Methods

A multi-institutional retrospective review was undertaken of patients who underwent proximal aortic reconstruction for Stanford type A dissection between 2006 and 2016. Those patients who had direct innominate artery cannulation for selective antegrade cerebral perfusion were selected for analysis.

Results

Seventy-five patients underwent innominate artery cannulation for ACP for Stanford Type A Dissections. Isolated replacement of the ascending aorta was performed in 36 patients (48.0%), concomitant aortic root replacement was required in 35 patients (46.7%), of whom 7 had a valve-sparing aortic root replacement, ascending aorta and arch replacement was required in 4 patients (5%). Other procedures included frozen elephant trunk (n = 11 (14.7%)), coronary artery bypass grafting (n = 20 (26.7%)), and peripheral arterial bypass (n = 4 (5.3%)). Mean hypothermic circulatory arrest time was 19 ± 13 min. Thirty-day mortality was 14.7% (n = 11). Perioperative stroke occurred in 7 patients (9.3%).

Conclusions

This study is the first comprehensive review of direct innominate artery cannulation through median sternotomy for selective antegrade cerebral perfusion in aortic dissection. Our experience suggests that this strategy is a safe and effective technique compared to other reported methods of cannulation and cerebral protection for delivering selective antegrade cerebral perfusion in these cases.
Assessing the impacts of the Agenda Gap intervention for youth mental health promotion through policy engagement: a study protocol
Authors: Jenkins Emily , Haines-Saah Rebecca , McGuinness Liza , Hirani Saima , Boakye-Yiadom Noah , Halsall Tanya , Rivers Robert , Morris Jonathan
Published: July 2020

Background

Mental health challenges are a leading health concern for youth globally, requiring a comprehensive approach incorporating promotion, prevention and treatment within a healthy public policy framework. However, the broad enactment of this vision has yet to be realized. Further, mental health promotion evidence specific to youth is still emerging and has not yet focused at a policy level. This is a critical gap, as policy is a key mental health promotion lever that can alter the social and structural conditions that contribute to shaping youth mental health outcomes for all youth, across the full spectrum of need. Responsive to this research and intervention priority, our prototype study intervention—the Agenda Gap—is comprised of an innovative, multi-media engagement intervention, developed in collaboration with youth. This intervention aims to equip youth and build capacity for them to lead meaningful policy change reflective of the mental health needs of diverse communities of youth, including those who experience structural vulnerability and who would not typically have had their voice represented in policymaking processes.

Methods

This study will use a multiple case study design and mixed methods grounded in a realist approach and will be conducted in three sites across two Canadian provinces (British Columbia and Alberta). In an earlier phase of this research, we collaboratively designed the prototype intervention with youth, community and policy partners. In this phase of the study, the intervention will be implemented and further tested with new groups of youth collaborators (n = 10–15/site). Outcome data will be collected through realist qualitative interviews, validated questionnaires [i.e., Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM-12), General Self-Efficacy (GSE) Scale, and the Critical Consiousness Scale (CCS)] and additional survey items developed by our study team. Analysis will focus on identification of key context-mechanism-outcome configurations to provide comprehensive insights into how this intervention works, for whom, and in what context.

Discussion

This study is unique in its “upstream” focus on youth-engaged policymaking as a tool for improving the social and structural conditions that influence youth mental health across socioecological levels. Through the implementation and testing of the Agenda Gap intervention with diverse youth, this study will contribute to the evidence base on youth-engaged policymaking as a novel and innovative, mental health promotion strategy.
Development of a novel heterologous β-lactam-specific whole-cell biosensor in Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Lautenschläger Nina , Popp Philipp F. , Mascher Thorsten
Published: July 2020

Background

Whole-cell biosensors are a powerful and easy-to-use screening tool for the fast and sensitive detection of chemical compounds, such as antibiotics. β-Lactams still represent one of the most important antibiotic groups in therapeutic use. They interfere with late stages of the bacterial cell wall biosynthesis and result in irreversible perturbations of cell division and growth, ultimately leading to cell lysis. In order to simplify the detection of these antibiotics from solutions, solid media or directly from producing organisms, we aimed at developing a novel heterologous whole-cell biosensor in Bacillus subtilis, based on the β-lactam-induced regulatory system BlaR1/BlaI from Staphylococcus aureus.

Results

The BlaR1/BlaI system was heterologously expressed in B. subtilis and combined with the luxABCDE operon of Photorhabdus luminescens under control of the BlaR1/BlaI target promoter to measure the output of the biosensor. A combination of codon adaptation, constitutive expression of blaR1 and blaI and the allelic replacement of penP increased the inducer spectrum and dynamic range of the biosensor. β-Lactams from all four classes induced the target promoter PblaZ in a concentration-dependent manner, with a dynamic range of 7- to 53-fold. We applied our biosensor to a set of Streptomycetes soil isolates and demonstrated its potential to screen for the production of β-lactams. In addition to the successful implementation of a highly sensitive β-lactam biosensor, our results also provide the first experimental evidence to support previous suggestions that PenP functions as a β-lactamase in B. subtilis.

Conclusion

We have successfully established a novel heterologous whole-cell biosensor in B. subtilis that is highly sensitive for a broad spectrum of β-lactams from all four chemical classes. Therefore, it increases the detectable spectrum of compounds with respect to previous biosensor designs. Our biosensor can readily be applied for identifying β-lactams in liquid or on solid media, as well as for identifying potential β-lactam producers.
Total T4 rise in pregnancy: a relook?
Authors: Pramanik Subhodip , Mukhopadhyay Pradip , Ghosh Sujoy
Published: July 2020

Background

Total T4 (TT4) measurement is preferred to free T4 (FT4) especially in last part of pregnancy. Guidelines by American Thyroid Association, European Thyroid Association and Endocrine Society state that TT4 increases 1.5 times pre-pregnant levels after week 16 of pregnancy. However, this is based on a small study conducted 40 years ago which used radioimmunoassay for determination in changes in TT4.

Materials and methods

A cross-sectional study was undertaken to find reference interval for thyroid function in different trimester of pregnancy with special reference to look at the degree of elevation of TT4 as compared to non-pregnant women. Two hundred non-pregnant women (excluding oral contraceptive users) and 600 pregnant women (200 from each trimester) aged 18–40 years were consecutively recruited starting from around 6th week of pregnancy having confirmed singleton pregnancy diagnosed at 8th week by ultrasound. The exclusion criteria included: (1) a personal or family history of thyroid disease; (2) presence of goiter or nodule confirmed by ultrasound; (3) anti-TPO antibody positive state (titre > 35 IU/ml). All subjects were tested for urinary spot iodine concentration and those with UIC < 150 μg/L were excluded. Finally, thyroid function tests (TSH, FT4, TT4, TT3) of 168 non-pregnant women and 163, 153 and 148 women at 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimester respectively were analysed..

Results

Total T4 (mean ± SD, μg/dl) in non pregnant women and in different trimesters was 8.95 ± 1.71, 9.71 ± 2.39, 12.11 ± 1.55, 11.83 ± 1.49 respectively. Rise in TT4 occurred between 10-18th week. The mean TT4 in second trimester increased by 25% as compared with the value at 6-9th week and by 35% as compared to non-pregnant value.

Conclusion

Rise in total T4 in second trimester pregnancy is only around 25% as compared to first trimester value and 35% than the non-pregnant value. Hence multiplying non-pregnant T4 value by 1.5 may actually over-diagnose maternal hypothroxinemia and lead to inappropriate diagnosis and treatment of isolated maternal hypothyroxinemia in a significant proportion of subjects.
Follicular phase length has no influence on frozen-thawed embryo transfers in natural cycles
Authors: Ying Ying , Qiu Fuman , Huang Qing , Li Sichen , Liu Haiying , Liu Jianqiao
Published: July 2020

Background

Whether menstrual variability in women with regular and ovulatory cycle could affect embryo implantation remains controversial, with conflicting evidences presented in the literature. Thus, in this study, we evaluated the impact of prolonged follicular phase length (FPL) on the clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) after frozen–thawed embryo transfer (FET) in true natural cycles (NC).

Methods

This retrospective cohort study utilized data from a large university-affiliated reproductive medicine center. Women undergoing true NC-FET were grouped as per their FPL type: Prolonged FPL (n = 127) and Normal FPL (n = 737). The primary study outcome was CPR in these 2 groups.

Results

The FPL in the current cycle was significantly longer in the Prolonged FPL group (23.0 ± 2.4) than in the Normal FPL group (16.0 ± 2.2; p < 0.001). The crude CPR was significantly higher in the Prolonged FPL group (61.4%) than in the Normal FPL group (51.7%; p = 0.043). After adjusting for the results of potential confounders including the age, BMI, percent of optimal embryos transferred, and endometrial thickness, the difference in the CRP between the 2 groups disappeared (OR 1.28, 95% CI: 0.86–1.91, p = 0.232). No statistically significant difference was noted in the rates of implantation and miscarriage.

Conclusions

The current FET should not be cancelled if the ovulation time exceeds the predicted period based on the length of the previous menstrual cycle in the light of no negative effect on the pregnancy outcome.
Polymorphisms in MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-7, MMP-13 and MT2A do not contribute to breast, lung and colon cancer risk in polish population
Authors: Białkowska Katarzyna , Marciniak Wojciech , Muszyńska Magdalena , Baszuk Piotr , Gupta Satish , Jaworska-Bieniek Katarzyna , Sukiennicki Grzegorz , Durda Katarzyna , Gromowski Tomasz , Lener Marcin , Prajzendanc Karolina , Łukomska Alicja , Cybulski Cezary , Huzarski Tomasz , Gronwald Jacek , Dębniak Tadeusz , Lubiński Jan , Jakubowska Anna
Published: July 2020

Background

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and metallothioneins (MTs) are Zinc-related proteins which are involved in processes crucial for carcinogenesis such as angiogenesis, proliferation and apoptosis. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in MMPs and MTs that affect genes expression have been associated with cancer risk, including breast, lung and colon.

Methods

The study group consisted of 648 unselected patients (299 with breast cancer, 199 with lung cancer, 150 with colon cancer) and 648 unaffected individuals. Five SNPs, rs1799750 in MMP-1, rs243865 in MMP-2, rs11568818 in MMP-7, rs2252070 in MMP-13 and rs28366003 in MT2A were genotyped and serum zinc (Zn) level was measured. The cancer risk was calculated using multivariable logistic regression with respect to Zn.

Results

None of the 5 tested polymorphisms showed a correlation with cancer risk in studied groups, although for MMP-2, MMP-7 and MT2A non-significant differences in genotypes frequencies among cases and controls were observed.

Conclusions

Analyses of polymorphisms, rs1799750 in MMP-1, rs243865 in MMP-2, rs11568818 in MMP-7, rs2252070 in MMP-13 and rs28366003 in MT2A in relation to serum Zn level did not show significant association with breast, lung and colon cancer risk among polish patients. Further studies are needed to verify this observation.
Epigenetic measures of ageing predict the prevalence and incidence of leading causes of death and disease burden
Authors: Hillary Robert F. , Stevenson Anna J. , McCartney Daniel L. , Campbell Archie , Walker Rosie M. , Howard David M. , Ritchie Craig W. , Horvath Steve , Hayward Caroline , McIntosh Andrew M. , Porteous David J. , Deary Ian J. , Evans Kathryn L. , Marioni Riccardo E.
Published: July 2020

Background

Individuals of the same chronological age display different rates of biological ageing. A number of measures of biological age have been proposed which harness age-related changes in DNA methylation profiles. These measures include five ‘epigenetic clocks’ which provide an index of how much an individual’s biological age differs from their chronological age at the time of measurement. The five clocks encompass methylation-based predictors of chronological age (HorvathAge, HannumAge), all-cause mortality (DNAm PhenoAge, DNAm GrimAge) and telomere length (DNAm Telomere Length). A sixth epigenetic measure of ageing differs from these clocks in that it acts as a speedometer providing a single time-point measurement of the pace of an individual’s biological ageing. This measure of ageing is termed DunedinPoAm. In this study, we test the association between these six epigenetic measures of ageing and the prevalence and incidence of the leading causes of disease burden and mortality in high-income countries (n ≤ 9537, Generation Scotland: Scottish Family Health Study).

Results

DNAm GrimAge predicted incidence of clinically diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), type 2 diabetes and ischemic heart disease after 13 years of follow-up (hazard ratios = 2.22, 1.52 and 1.41, respectively). DunedinPoAm predicted the incidence of COPD and lung cancer (hazard ratios = 2.02 and 1.45, respectively). DNAm PhenoAge predicted incidence of type 2 diabetes (hazard ratio = 1.54). DNAm Telomere Length associated with the incidence of ischemic heart disease (hazard ratio = 0.80). DNAm GrimAge associated with all-cause mortality, the prevalence of COPD and spirometry measures at the study baseline. These associations were present after adjusting for possible confounding risk factors including alcohol consumption, body mass index, deprivation, education and tobacco smoking and surpassed stringent Bonferroni-corrected significance thresholds.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that epigenetic measures of ageing may have utility in clinical settings to complement gold-standard methods for disease assessment and management.
Circulating unmethylated CHTOP and INS DNA fragments provide evidence of possible islet cell death in youth with obesity and diabetes
Authors: Syed Farooq , Tersey Sarah A. , Turatsinze Jean-Valery , Felton Jamie L. , Kang Nicole Jiyun , Nelson Jennifer B. , Sims Emily K. , Defrance Mathieu , Bizet Martin , Fuks Francois , Cnop Miriam , Bugliani Marco , Marchetti Piero , Ziegler Anette-Gabriele , Bonifacio Ezio , Webb-Robertson Bobbie-Jo , Balamurugan Appakalai N. , Evans-Molina Carmella , Eizirik Decio L. , Mather Kieren J. , Arslanian Silva , Mirmira Raghavendra G.
Published: July 2020

Background

Identification of islet β cell death prior to the onset of type 1 diabetes (T1D) or type 2 diabetes (T2D) might allow for interventions to protect β cells and reduce diabetes risk. Circulating unmethylated DNA fragments arising from the human INS gene have been proposed as biomarkers of β cell death, but this gene alone may not be sufficiently specific to report β cell death.

Results

To identify new candidate genes whose CpG sites may show greater specificity for β cells, we performed unbiased DNA methylation analysis using the Infinium HumanMethylation 450 array on 64 human islet preparations and 27 non-islet human tissues. For verification of array results, bisulfite DNA sequencing of human β cells and 11 non-β cell tissues was performed on 5 of the top 10 CpG sites that were found to be differentially methylated. We identified the CHTOP gene as a candidate whose CpGs show a greater frequency of unmethylation in human islets. A digital PCR strategy was used to determine the methylation pattern of CHTOP and INS CpG sites in primary human tissues. Although both INS and CHTOP contained unmethylated CpG sites in non-islet tissues, they occurred in a non-overlapping pattern. Based on Naïve Bayes classifier analysis, the two genes together report 100% specificity for islet damage. Digital PCR was then performed on cell-free DNA from serum from human subjects. Compared to healthy controls (N = 10), differentially methylated CHTOP and INS levels were higher in youth with new onset T1D (N = 43) and, unexpectedly, in healthy autoantibody-negative youth who have first-degree relatives with T1D (N = 23). When tested in lean (N = 32) and obese (N = 118) youth, increased levels of unmethylated INS and CHTOP were observed in obese individuals.

Conclusion

Our data suggest that concurrent measurement of circulating unmethylated INS and CHTOP has the potential to detect islet death in youth at risk for both T1D and T2D. Our data also support the use of multiple parameters to increase the confidence of detecting islet damage in individuals at risk for developing diabetes.
Effects of inorganic and organic treatments on the microbial community of maize rhizosphere by a shotgun metagenomics approach
Authors: Enebe Matthew Chekwube , Babalola Olubukola Oluranti
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The main drivers of biogeochemical cycling of nutrients, plant growth promotion, and disease suppression are microbes. Organic manure increases soil quality and plant productivity; the same is true of inorganic fertilizer. In this study, we explored shotgun metagenomics study to investigate how maize (Zea mays everta) rhizosphere microbial community diversity is shaped following the application of both compost manure and inorganic fertilizer.

Methods

We used high throughput next-generation sequencing—metagenomics studies to examine the rhizosphere microbial community of maize plants grown in an organic compost manure (8 tons/ha and 4 tons/ha) and inorganic (120 kg/ha NPK and 60 kg/ha NPK chemical) fertilized soils. An unfertilized soil was used as a control.

Results

The taxonomic analysis of the soil revealed that regardless of the fertilization regimes, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes are distributed across all the samples, but in varying populations. Higher quantities of organic manure (8 tons/ha) and lower (60 kg/ha) nitrogen fertilizer, as well as the untreated control, supports the selection and enrichment of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, while lower quantities of organic compost (4 tons/ha) manure boost the population of Bacteroidetes. Firmicutes, on the other hand, were most abundant in low organic manure (4 tons/ha) and higher inorganic (120 kg/ha) fertilized soil. Fungi were selected and enriched by higher (8 tons/ha) and lower (4 tons/ha) compost manure, while archaea were mostly supported by higher doses of inorganic fertilizers (120 kg/ha) and high compost manure (8 tons/ha) treatments.

Conclusion

Therefore, comprehending the effects of compost and chemical fertilizers (NPK—20% nitrogen, 7% phosphorus, 3% potassium) on the community structure, dynamics, and abundance of rhizosphere microbiome will help in the manipulation of soil microbial community to increase microbial diversity in the agroecosystem.
Monogenic autoinflammatory diseases in children: single center experience with clinical, genetic, and imaging review
Authors: Alsharief Alaa N. , Laxer Ronald M. , Wang Qiuyan , Stimec Jennifer , Man Carina , Babyn Paul , Doria Andrea S.
Published: July 2020

Purpose

1. To review the contemporary literature and present a list of the imaging findings for patients with autoinflammatory diseases from our hospital. All these patients are found to have a genetic mutation that is responsible for their disease.

2. To present follow-up imaging findings, when available, and correlate those with symptoms and type of treatment administered in approximately 40 patients with autoinflammatory diseases of a single tertiary pediatric health care center including familial Mediterranean fever, Cryopyrin-associated autoinflammatory syndrome, PAPA (pyogenic arthritis, pyoderma gangrenousum, and acne) syndrome, and more. These findings are related to disease progression, treatment response, or treatment-induced changes.

Conclusion

Autoinflammatory diseases are relatively rare entities that can affect any system of the body. Given the many nonspecific imaging features, awareness of these diseases and good communication with clinicians aid in reaching an accurate diagnosis.
Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and stem cell factor (SCF) maintained the stemness of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) during long-term expansion by preserving mitochondrial function via the PI3K/AKT, ERK1/2, and STAT3 signaling pathways
Authors: Cao Zeyuan , Xie Yunyi , Yu Le , Li Yi , Wang Yan
Published: July 2020

Background

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have a limited self-renewal ability, impaired multi-differentiation potential, and undetermined cell senescence during in vitro series expansion. To address this concern, we investigated the effects of the microenvironment provided by stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) in maintaining the stemness of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) and identified the key factors and possible mechanisms responsible for maintaining the stemness of MSCs during long-term expansion in vitro.

Methods

The passage 3 (P3) to passage 8 (P8) hBMSCs were cultured in the conditioned medium from SHED (SHED-CM). The percentage of senescent cells was evaluated by β-galactosidase staining. In addition, the osteogenic differentiation potential was analyzed by reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), Western blot, alizarin red, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining. Furthermore, RT-qPCR results identified hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and stem cell factor (SCF) as key factors. Thus, the effects of HGF and SCF on mitochondrial function were assessed by measuring the ROS and mitochondrial membrane potential levels. Finally, selected mitochondrial-related proteins associated with the PI3K/AKT, ERK1/2, and STAT3 signaling pathways were investigated to determine the effects of HGF and SCF in preserving the mitochondrial function of hBMSCs during long-term expansion.

Results

SHED-CM had significantly enhanced the cell proliferation, reduced the senescent cells, and maintained the osteogenesis and pro-angiogenic capacity in P8 hBMSCs during long-term expansion. In addition, hBMSCs treated with 100 ng/ml HGF and 10 ng/ml SCF had reduced ROS levels and preserved mitochondrial membrane potential compared with P8 hBMSCs during long-term expansion. Furthermore, HGF and SCF upregulated the expression of mitochondrial-related proteins associated with the PI3K/AKT, ERK1/2, and STAT3 signaling pathways, possibly contributing to the maintenance of hBMSCs stemness by preserving mitochondrial function.

Conclusion

Both HGF and SCF are key factors in maintaining the stemness of hBMSCs by preserving mitochondrial function through the expression of proteins associated with the PI3K/AKT, ERK1/2, and STAT3 signaling pathways. This study provides new insights into the anti-senescence capability of HGF and SCF, as well as new evidence for their potential application in optimizing the long-term culture of MSCs.
Energy-efficiency maximization bidirectional direct and relay transmission
Authors: Cai Caixia , Qiu Runhe , Jiang Xue-Qin , Peng Yuyang
Published: July 2020

Energy-efficient transmission (EET) has become a very important problem in wireless communication. Optimal power allocation (OPA) is one of the general methods to achieve EET. But when OPA is only considered in EET, it maybe cannot analyze EET problems accurately. This paper aims at analyzing energy-efficient bidirectional direct and relay transmission (RT) through joint optimization of transmit power (TP) and transmit time (TT) allocation. In RT, direct links (DLs) are existed. The EET problems are given with three optimization cases: (i) maximizing sum throughput (ST) to maximize energy efficiency (EE), in such case, optimal TT (OTT), optimal relay position (ORP), and outage probability analysis are given; (ii) minimizing total energy consumption (TEC) to maximize EE, in such case, optimal TP (OTP), OTT with gradient-descent algorithm, and influences of asymmetry and asymmetry transmission tasks are given; and (iii) maximizing ST and minimizing TEC simultaneously to maximize EE, in such case, Dinkelbach’s algorithm and one-by-one optimal algorithm are given. Simulation results are presented to validate theoretical analysis. Results reveal that relay technique and DLs in RT can improve system’s EE.
Novel finite-time synchronization criteria for coupled network systems with time-varying delays via event-triggered control
Authors: Cui Wenxia , Jin Wenbin , Wang Zhenjie
Published: July 2020

This paper is concerned with the finite-time synchronization of coupled networks with time-varying delays. We work without applying the finite-time stability theorem, which is widely used in finite-time synchronization for complex networks or finite-time consensus problems for multi-agent systems. We construct a novel Lyapunov functional and apply some new analytical techniques. Sufficient conditions are obtained to ensure synchronization within a setting time with no Zeno behaviors. The obtained conditions do not contain any uncertain parameter. The controllers are presented based on event-driven strategies, which can significantly reduce the communication consumption and the frequency of the controller updates. And the setting time is related to initial values of the network. Finally, numerical examples are examined to illustrate the effectiveness of the analytical results.