bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Musculoskeletal pain distribution in 1,000 Danish schoolchildren aged 8–16 years
Authors: Fuglkjær Signe , Vach Werner , Hartvigsen Jan , Dissing Kristina Boe , Junge Tina , Hestbæk Lise
Published: August 2020

Background

Knowledge about the occurrence and distribution of musculoskeletal problems in early life is needed. The objectives were to group children aged 8 to 16 according to their distribution of pain in the spine, lower- and upper extremity, determine the proportion of children in each subgroup, and describe these in relation to sex, age, number- and length of episodes with pain.

Method

Data on musculoskeletal pain from about 1,000 Danish schoolchildren was collected over 3 school years (2011 to 2014) using weekly mobile phone text message responses from parents, indicating whether their child had pain in the spine, lower extremity and/or upper extremity. Result are presented for each school year individually.

Results

When pain was defined as at least 1 week with pain during a school year, Danish schoolchildren could be divided into three almost equally large groups for all three school years: Around 30% reporting no pain, around 40% reporting pain in one region, and around 30% reporting pain in two or three regions. Most commonly children experienced pain from the lower extremities (~ 60%), followed by the spine (~ 30%) and the upper extremities (~ 23%). Twice as many girls reported pain in all three sites compared to boys (10% vs. 5%) with no other statistically significant sex or age differences observed. When pain was defined as at least 3 weeks with pain during a schoolyear, 40% reported pain with similar patterns to those for the more lenient pain definition of 1 week.

Conclusion

Danish schoolchildren often experienced pain at more than one pain site during a schoolyear, and a significantly larger proportion of girls than boys reported pain in all three regions. This could indicate that, at least in some instances, the musculoskeletal system should be regarded as one entity, both for clinical and research purposes.
Correction to: m6A mRNA methylation initiated by METTL3 directly promotes YAP translation and increases YAP activity by regulating the MALAT1-miR-1914-3p-YAP axis to induce NSCLC drug resistance and metastasis
Authors: Jin Dan , Guo Jiwei , Wu Yan , Du Jing , Yang Lijuan , Wang Xiaohong , Di Weihua , Hu Baoguang , An Jiajia , Kong Lingqun , Pan Lei , Su Guoming
Published: August 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Insulator-based loops mediate the spreading of H3K27me3 over distant micro-domains repressing euchromatin genes
Authors: Heurteau Alexandre , Perrois Charlène , Depierre David , Fosseprez Olivier , Humbert Jonathan , Schaak Stéphane , Cuvier Olivier
Published: August 2020

Background

Chromosomes are subdivided spatially to delimit long-range interactions into topologically associating domains (TADs). TADs are often flanked by chromatin insulators and transcription units that may participate in such demarcation. Remarkably, single-cell Drosophila TAD units correspond to dynamic heterochromatin nano-compartments that can self-assemble. The influence of insulators on such dynamic compartmentalization remains unclear. Moreover, to what extent heterochromatin domains are fully compartmentalized away from active genes remains unclear from Drosophila to human.

Results

Here, we identify H3K27me3 micro-domains genome-wide in Drosophila, which are attributed to the three-dimensional spreading of heterochromatin marks into euchromatin. Whereas depletion of insulator proteins increases H3K27me3 spreading locally, across heterochromatin borders, it concomitantly decreases H3K27me3 levels at distant micro-domains discrete sites. Quantifying long-range interactions suggests that random interactions between heterochromatin TADs and neighbor euchromatin cannot predict the presence of micro-domains, arguing against the hypothesis that they reflect defects in self-folding or in insulating repressive TADs. Rather, micro-domains are predicted by specific long-range interactions with the TAD borders bound by insulator proteins and co-factors required for looping. Accordingly, H3K27me3 spreading to distant sites is impaired by insulator mutants that compromise recruitment of looping co-factors. Both depletions and insulator mutants significantly reduce H3K27me3 micro-domains, deregulating the flanking genes.

Conclusions

Our data highlight a new regulatory mode of H3K27me3 by insulator-based long-range interactions controlling distant euchromatic genes.
Laboratory colonization and maintenance of Anopheles atroparvus from the Ebro Delta, Spain
Authors: Birnberg Lotty , Aranda Carles , Talavera Sandra , Núñez Ana I. , Escosa Raúl , Busquets Núria
Published: August 2020

Background

Historically,Anopheles atroparvushas been considered one of the most important malaria vectors in Europe. Since malaria was eradicated from the European continent, the interest in studying its vectors reduced significantly. Currently, to better assess the potential risk of malaria resurgence on the continent, there is a growing need to update the data on susceptibility of indigenousAnophelespopulations to importedPlasmodiumspecies. In order to do this, as a first step, an adequate laboratory colony ofAn. atroparvusis needed.

Methods

Anopheles atroparvusmosquitoes were captured in rice fields from the Ebro Delta (Spain). Field-caught specimens were maintained in the laboratory under simulated field-summer conditions. Adult females were artificially blood-fed on fresh whole rabbit blood for oviposition. First- to fourth-instar larvae were fed on pulverized fish and turtle food. Adults were maintained with a 10% sucrose solutionad libitum.

Results

AnAn. atroparvuspopulation from the Ebro Delta was successfully established in the laboratory. During the colonization process, feeding and hatching rates increased, while a reduction in larval mortality rate was observed.

Conclusions

The present study provides a detailed rearing and maintenance protocol forAn. atroparvusand a publicly available reference mosquito strain within the INFRAVEC2 project for further research studies involving vector-parasite interactions.
Fermented soy supplementation improves indicators of quality of life: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial in adults experiencing heartburn
Authors: Fatani Asmaa , Vaher Kadi , Rivero-Mendoza Daniela , Alabasi Karima , Dahl Wendy J.
Published: August 2020

Objective

To determine if fermented soy supplementation relieves heartburn and improves gastrointestinal symptoms and quality of life, a randomized, double-blind parallel study was conducted with adults experiencing mild or moderate heartburn. Participants consumed up to 3, 1 g sachets of flavored, Lactobacillus delbrueckii fermented with soy flour (n = 23) or placebo (maltodextrin) (n = 27) sachets per heartburn incident as needed for 3 weeks. Symptom intensity at 5, 15, and 30 min post-administration was assessed using a Likert-like scale. The Gastrointestinal Symptoms Rating Scale (GSRS) and Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire (GERD-QOL) were administered at baseline, post-intervention and following a 1-week washout.

Results

No significant differences between groups were seen for heartburn severity or frequency, GSRS syndromes, or GERD-QOL domains. However, individual QOL items related to inconvenience of taking medications, fear of eating, inability to concentrate at work, and disturbance of after-meal activities and rest improved with fermented soy compared to placebo. Frequency of heartburn, diarrhea, and bloating improved during washout vs. baseline for the fermented soy group compared to placebo. Lactobacillus delbrueckii fermented soy supplementation improved QOL indicators and may decrease heartburn occurrence over time vs. an acute effect; efficacy of daily intake and longer duration requires investigation.
Chronic cortisol exposure in early development leads to neuroendocrine dysregulation in adulthood
Authors: Hartig Ellen I. , Zhu Shusen , King Benjamin L. , Coffman James A.
Published: August 2020

Objective

Chronic early life stress can affect development of the neuroendocrine stress system, leading to its persistent dysregulation and consequently increased disease risk in adulthood. One contributing factor is thought to be epigenetic programming in response to chronic cortisol exposure during early development. We have previously shown that zebrafish embryos treated chronically with cortisol develop into adults with constitutively elevated whole-body cortisol and aberrant immune gene expression. Here we further characterize that phenotype by assessing persistent effects of the treatment on cortisol tissue distribution and dynamics, chromatin accessibility, and activities of glucocorticoid-responsive regulatory genes klf9 and fkbp5. To that end cortisol levels in different tissues of fed and fasted adults were measured using ELISA, open chromatin in adult blood cells was mapped using ATAC-seq, and gene activity in adult blood and brain cells was measured using qRT-PCR.

Results

Adults derived from cortisol-treated embryos have elevated whole-body cortisol with aberrantly regulated tissue distribution and dynamics that correlate with differential activity of klf9 and fkbp5 in blood and brain.
Isolation and whole-genome sequencing of Pseudomonas sp. RIT 623, a slow-growing bacterium endowed with antibiotic properties
Authors: Steiner KayLee K. , Parthasarathy Anutthaman , Wong Narayan H. , Cavanaugh Nicole T. , Chu Jonathan , Hudson André O.
Published: August 2020

Objective

There is an urgent need for the discovery and/or development of novel antibiotics. We report an exploration of “slow”-growing bacteria, which can be difficult to isolate using rich media as they are usually outcompeted by “fast”-growing bacteria, as potential sources of novel antimicrobials.

Results

Pseudomonas sp. RIT 623 was isolated using pond water agar from a pond located on the campus of the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). The genome was sequenced and analyzed for potential secondary metabolite gene clusters. Bioinformatics analysis revealed 14 putative gene clusters predicted to encode pathways for the anabolism of secondary metabolites. Ethyl acetate extracts from spent growth medium of Pseudomonas sp. RIT 623 were tested against two Gram-negative (E. coli ATCC 25922 and P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853) and two Gram-positive (B. subtilis BGSC 168 and S. aureus ATCC 25923) type strains to assess antibiotic activity. The antibiotic assays demonstrated that extracts of Pseudomonas sp. RIT 623 were able to inhibit the growth of the four strains. The active compound was separated using diethyl ether in a multi-solvent extraction and reverse phase chromatography. The bioactive compound/s were subsequently eluted in two consecutive fractions corresponding to approximately 16–22% acetonitrile, indicative of polar compound/s.
Alleviation of acute radiation-induced bone marrow failure in mice with human fetal placental stromal cell therapy
Authors: Volinsky Evgenia , Lazmi-Hailu Astar , Cohen Nerel , Adani Boaz , Faroja Mohammad , Grunewald Myriam , Gorodetsky Raphael
Published: August 2020

Purpose

Selected placental mesenchymal stromal cells isolated from the fetal mesenchymal placental tissues (f-hPSCs) were tested as cell therapy of lethal acute radiation syndrome (ARS) with bone marrow regeneration and induced extramedullary hematopoiesis.

Methods and materials

f-hPSCs were isolated from the chorionic plate of human placentae and further expanded in regular culture conditions. 2 × 106 f-hPSCs were injected on days 1 and 4 to 8-Gy total body irradiated (TBI) C3H mice, both intramuscularly and subcutaneously. Pre-splenectomized TBI mice were used to test the involvement of extramedullary spleen hematopoiesis in the f-hPSC-induced hematopoiesis recovery in the TBI mice. Weight and survival of the mice were followed up within the morbid period of up to 23 days following irradiation. The role of hematopoietic progenitors in the recovery of treated mice was evaluated by flow cytometry, blood cell counts, and assay of possibly relevant growth factors.

Results and conclusions

The survival rate of all groups of TBI f-hPSC-treated mice at the end of the follow-up was dramatically elevated from < 10% in untreated to ~ 80%, with a parallel regain of body weight, bone marrow (BM) recovery, and elevated circulating progenitors of blood cell lineages. Blood erythropoietin levels were elevated in all f-hPSC-treated mice. Extramedullary splenic hematopoiesis was recorded in the f-hPSC-treated mice, though splenectomized mice still had similar survival rate. Our findings suggest that the indirect f-hPSC life-saving therapy of ARS may also be applied for treating other conditions with a failure of the hematopoietic system and severe pancytopenia.
H2O2-preconditioned human adipose-derived stem cells (HC016) increase their resistance to oxidative stress by overexpressing Nrf2 and bioenergetic adaptation
Authors: Garrido-Pascual Patricia , Alonso-Varona Ana , Castro Begoña , Burón María , Palomares Teodoro
Published: August 2020

Background

Mesenchymal stem cells, including those derived from human adipose tissue (hASCs), are currently being widely investigated for cell therapy. However, when transplanted at the site of injury, the survival and engraftment rates of hASCs are low, mainly due to the harsh microenvironment they encounter, characterized by inflammation and oxidative stress. To overcome these therapeutic limitations, cell preconditioning with low-concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been proposed as a plausible strategy to increase their survival and adaptation to oxidative stress. Nonetheless, the underlying mechanisms of this approach are not yet fully understood. In this study, we analyzed molecular and bioenergetic changes that take place in H2O2 preconditioned hASCs.

Methods

Long-term exposure to a low concentration of H2O2 was applied to obtain preconditioned hASCs (named HC016), and then, their response to oxidative stress was analyzed. The effect of preconditioning on the expression of Nrf2 and its downstream antioxidant enzymes (HO-1, SOD-1, GPx-1, and CAT), and of NF-κB and its related inflammatory proteins (COX-2 and IL-1β), were examined by Western blot. Finally, the Seahorse XF96 Flux analysis system was used to evaluate the mitochondrial respiration and glycolytic function, along with the total ATP production.

Results

We found that under oxidative conditions, HC016 cells increased the survival by (i) decreasing intracellular ROS levels through the overexpression of the transcription factor Nrf2 and its related antioxidant enzymes HO-1, SOD-1, GPx-1, and CAT; (ii) reducing the secretion of pro-inflammatory molecules COX-2 and IL-1β through the attenuation of the expression of NF-κB; and (iii) increasing the total ATP production rate through the adaption of their metabolism to meet the energetic demand required to survive.

Conclusions

H2O2 preconditioning enhances hASC survival under oxidative stress conditions by stimulating their antioxidant response and bioenergetic adaptation. Therefore, this preconditioning strategy might be considered an excellent tool for strengthening the resistance of hASCs to harmful oxidative stress.
Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells prevent the progression of early diabetic nephropathy through inhibiting inflammation and fibrosis
Authors: Xiang E , Han Bing , Zhang Quan , Rao Wei , Wang Zhangfan , Chang Cheng , Zhang Yaqi , Tu Chengshu , Li Changyong , Wu Dongcheng
Published: August 2020

Background

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most serious complications of diabetes and the leading cause of end-stage chronic kidney disease. Currently, there are no effective drugs for treating DN. Therefore, novel and effective strategies to ameliorate DN at the early stage should be identified. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness and underlying mechanisms of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) in DN.

Methods

We identified the basic biological properties and examined the multilineage differentiation potential of UC-MSCs. Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DN rats were infused with 2 × 106UC-MSCs via the tail vein at week 6. After 2 weeks, we measured blood glucose level, levels of renal function parameters in the blood and urine, and cytokine levels in the kidney and blood, and analyzed renal pathological changes after UC-MSC treatment. We also determined the colonization of UC-MSCs in the kidney with or without STZ injection. Moreover, in vitro experiments were performed to analyze cytokine levels of renal tubular epithelial cell lines (NRK-52E, HK2) and human renal glomerular endothelial cell line (hrGECs).

Results

UC-MSCs significantly ameliorated functional parameters, such as 24-h urinary protein, creatinine clearance rate, serum creatinine, urea nitrogen, and renal hypertrophy index. Pathological changes in the kidney were manifested by significant reductions in renal vacuole degeneration, inflammatory cell infiltration, and renal interstitial fibrosis after UC-MSC treatment. We observed that the number of UC-MSCs recruited to the injured kidneys was increased compared with the controls. UC-MSCs apparently reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α) and pro-fibrotic factor (TGF-β) in the kidney and blood of DN rats. In vitro experiments showed that UC-MSC conditioned medium and UC-MSC-derived exosomes decreased the production of these cytokines in high glucose-injured renal tubular epithelial cells, and renal glomerular endothelial cells. Moreover, UC-MSCs secreted large amounts of growth factors including epidermal growth factor, fibroblast growth factor, hepatocyte growth factor, and vascular endothelial growth factor.

Conclusion

UC-MSCs can effectively improve the renal function, inhibit inflammation and fibrosis, and prevent its progression in a model of diabetes-induced chronic renal injury, indicating that UC-MSCs could be a promising treatment strategy for DN.
Proteomic analysis of bovine mammary epithelial cells after in vitro incubation with S. agalactiae: potential biomarkers
Authors: Tong Jinjin , Sun Mingwei , Zhang Hua , Yang Delian , Zhang Yonghong , Xiong Benhai , Jiang Linshu
Published: August 2020

Streptococcus agalactiae is one of the causative agents of subclinical mastitis, a common disease of dairy cows that causes great economic losses in the industry worldwide. It is thought that pathology is mainly due to inflammatory damage of bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMECs); however, the mechanism by which S. agalactiae damages the bMECs is not clear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inflammatory effects of S. agalactiae on bMECs and the resulting changes in protein profiles. The bMECs were incubated with S. agalactiae for different times and assayed for cell viability by MTT assay, apoptosis by annexin V and propidium iodide dual staining, and morphological and ultrastructural changes by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to determine the effect of S. agalactiae on expression of mRNA of inflammatory factors in bMECs and protein levels were quantitated by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Exposure to S. agalactiae significantly decreased the cell viability and triggered apoptosis, as well as up-regulating TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 mRNA, and inhibiting IL-8 expression. S. agalactiae also induced morphological and ultrastructural changes. Furthermore, we identified 325 up-regulated and 704 down-regulated proteins in the treated vs control group. All significant differentially expressed proteins (DSEPs) were classified into three major areas by function: biological processes, cellular components and molecular functions. These differentially expressed proteins included enzymes and proteins associated with various metabolic processes and cellular immunity. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that eight down-regulated signaling pathways were significantly enriched. Exposure to even subclinical levels of S. agalactiae can lead to inflammation and bMEC damage. Our data suggest some possible molecular mechanisms for the harmful effects of subclinical mastitis in dairy cows.
Irradiated mesenchymal stem cells support stemness maintenance of hepatocellular carcinoma stem cells through Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway
Authors: Hou Jing , Zhao Naping , Zhu Pengxi , Chang Jun , Du Yan , Shen Wei
Published: August 2020

Background

Cancer stem cells are the main reason of relapse, metastasis and resistance to anti-cancer therapies of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are an important part of the tumor microenvironment. MSCs have been demonstrated to be involved in drug resistance in tumor. How MSCs contribute to radiotherapy resistance of HCC is still indistinct.

Methods

Flow cytometry analysis was performed to isolate CD133+ cells from HCC cell lines Huh7 and PLC. The stemness of Huh7-CD133 and PLC-CD133 those were co-cultured with IR-MSCs were investigated by Colony formation assay. Tumor formation in nude mice was used to explore the tumorigenicity of CD133+ cancer cells. The activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in CSCs were also detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting.

Results

We report that irradiated MSCs (IR-MSCs) could increase the ratio of CD133+ cells in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. IR-MSCs could promote stemness maintenance of HCC stem cells. After co-cultured with IR-MSCs, liver cancer stem cells (CSCs) presented increased colony formation ability and tumor formation ability. We also found IR-MSCs promoted Wnt expression of CSCs. Reverse suppression experiment showed that when Wnt inhibitor was added into the culture medium, the effect of IR-MSCs on stemness maintenance was counteracted.

Conclusions

These data showed that IR-MSCs could support stemness maintenance of CSCs by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.
Clinical practice guidelines and experts’ consensuses of traditional Chinese herbal medicine for novel coronavirus (COVID-19): protocol of a systematic review
Authors: Li Yuxi , Li Juan , Zhong Dongling , Zhang Yue , Zhang Yonggang , Guo Yan , Clarke Mike , Jin Rongjiang
Published: August 2020

Background

The World Health Organization declared on March 11, 2020, that the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) has escalated from epidemic into pandemic. As the initial outbreak area, China has taken multiple active measures to deal with the epidemic. Updated versions of diagnosis and treatment guideline for novel coronavirus (COVID-19) patients have been issued, and traditional Chinese herbal medicine has been recommended as a treatment. The objective of this study will be to summarize the recommendations in current clinical practice guidelines about the use of traditional Chinese herbal medicine for COVID-19 patients. We will also evaluate and report on the methodological and reporting quality of these guidelines.

Methods

In this systematic review, we will search for guidelines, expert consensuses, and policy documents published since December 2019 in electronic databases (e.g., PubMed, EMBASE, and Chinese databases) and on websites of governments or organizations (e.g., The National Guideline Clearinghouse [NGC], Guidelines International Network [GIN], National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network [SIGN], and WHO). Eligible documents will be independently selected, and relevant data will be independently extracted by two reviewers. We will also independently evaluate the methodological quality and reporting quality of the included guidelines, using the Appraisal of Guidelines for REsearch & Evaluation (AGREE) II tool and Reporting Items for Practice Guidelines in Healthcare (RIGHT) statement, respectively. Any discrepancies will be discussed and resolved through discussion among the reviewers. We will use the extracted information to summarize their recommendations for traditional Chinese herbal formulae and Chinese patent medicine for COVID-19 patients and to summarize the strength and quality of these recommendations with reference to the results of AGREE II and RIGHT tools.

Discussion

This review will summarize the recommendations in current clinical practice guidelines and provide insight into the implementation strategies for traditional Chinese herbal medicine in COVID-19 patients.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO CRD42020179205
Extended cumulative entropy based on kth lower record values for the coherent systems lifetime
Authors: Rahimi Saeid , Tahmasebi Saeid , Lak Fazlollah
Published: August 2020

Kayal (Probab. Eng. Inf. Sci. 30(4):640–662, 2016) first proposed generalized cumulative entropy based on lower record values. Motivated by Kayal (Probab. Eng. Inf. Sci. 30(4):640–662, 2016), recently, Tahmasebi and Eskandarzadeh (Stat. Probab. Lett. 126:164–172, 2017) proposed an extended cumulative entropy (ECE) based onkth lower record values. In this paper, we obtain some properties of ECE. We study this measure of information for the coherent systems lifetime with identically distributed components. We define the conditional ECE for the system lifetime and discuss some properties of it. We also use this idea to propose a measure of extended cumulative past inaccuracy. Finally, we propose the estimators of these measures using empirical approach. In addition, we study large sample properties of these estimators.
What are the factors associated with sarcopenia-related variables in adult women with severe obesity?
Authors: Silveira Erika Aparecida , Souza Jacqueline Danesio de , Santos Annelisa Silva e Alves de Carvalho , Canheta Andrea Batista de Souza , Pagotto Valéria , Noll Matias
Published: August 2020

Background

Understanding the association between sarcopenia-related variables and several risk factors may help to implement interventions aimed at preventing its occurrence by reducing or controlling the identified risk factors. Although changes in body composition occur in both sexes, in women, muscle loss is accentuated due to decreased estrogen levels following menopause. This study aims to determine the factors associated with sarcopenia-related parameters in middle-aged women identified with class II/III obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 35 kg/m2).

Methods

The study included 104 women with severe obesity (40.23 ± 8.49 years) with an average body fat percentage of 52.45 ± 4.14%. Sarcopenia was assessed using total appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASMM), appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMMI), and appendicular skeletal muscle mass adjusted by BMI (ASMM/BMI) as evaluated using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Hand grip strength (HGS) and HGS adjusted by BMI (HGS/BMI) were evaluated using dynamometry. Functional performance was assessed using the walking speed test (WS). The explanatory variables were age, lifestyle, comorbidities, food consumption, and metabolic parameters. A multivariate linear regression was performed.

Results

Factors associated with sarcopenia-related variables in 104 severely obese women with a mean BMI of 43.85 kg/m2 were as follows: ASMMI negatively correlated with serum levels of tetraiodothyronine (T4) and tobacco use; ASMM/BMI negatively correlated with age, serum T4 levels, and diabetes; ASMM negatively correlated with T4 serum levels and diabetes; HGS negatively correlated with age and hypercholesterolemia, and positively correlated with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c); HGS/BMI negatively correlated with age and hypercholesterolemia and positively correlated with LDL-c; and WS negatively correlated with hypothyroidism and diabetes.

Conclusion

In severely obese women, muscle mass and function were inversely associated with age, smoking status, endocrine parameters, hypercholesterolemia, and comorbidities such as diabetes. Thus, the results of this investigation are relevant in supporting the development of clinical interventions to aid in the prevention of sarcopenia in adult women with severe obesity.
Modeling the influence of livestock grazing pressure on grassland bird distributions
Authors: Fern Rachel R. , Morrison Michael L. , Grant William E. , Wang Hsiaohsuan , Campbell Tyler A.
Published: August 2020

Background

The influence of vegetative changes due to livestock grazing on grassland birds is well-recognized because these birds are heavily influenced by vegetative structure. Traditionally, species distribution models (SDMs) use direct variables, resources that the animal consumes or requires to persist in an area (e.g., water) to define and project a species’ niche and distribution. Indirect variables, which are features the animal does not consume or require for persistence but with which it may still interact, are often excluded. Our objective was to improve the traditional SDMs projecting the distribution of three summer resident South Texas grassland birds (Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus, Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna, and Cassin’s Sparrow Peucaea cassinii) by incorporating livestock grazing pressure, an indirect variable, into five SDM algorithms: BioClim, generalized linear model, MaxEnt, boosted regression tree, and random forest. We collected data from the Coloraditas Grazing Research and Demonstration Area (CGRDA), a 7684-ha area located on the San Antonio Viejo Ranch (SAV) in South Texas. We used several relevant environmental characteristics to build SDMs and compared model performance (AUC and TSS) with and without grazing pressure as an indirect variable.

Results

Machine learning models (MaxEnt and random forest) had the highest predictive performance for all species, with random forest being the most consistent for each analysis. BioClim and generalized linear model remained constant or only marginally improved with the addition of the grazing pressure.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that model selection for SDM should include consideration of species prevalence, and machine-learning algorithms should be preferred when the target species is of low or unknown prevalence. Further, livestock grazing has measurable influence on grassland bird species’ distributions and should be included in SDMs as an indirect variable in addition to associated vegetative changes.
Pancreatic cancer resistance conferred by stellate cells: looking for new preclinical models
Authors: Che Pei Pei , Gregori Alessandro , Firuzi Omidreza , Dahele Max , Sminia Peter , Peters Godefridus J. , Giovannetti Elisa
Published: August 2020

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has an extremely poor response to chemo- and (modest-dose conventionally fractionated) radio-therapy. Emerging evidence suggests that pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) secrete deoxycytidine, which confers resistance to gemcitabine. In particular, deoxycytidine was detected by analysis of metabolites in fractionated media from different mouse PSCs, showing that it caused PDAC cells chemoresistance by reducing the capacity of deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) for gemcitabine phosphorylation. However, data on human models are missing and dCK expression was not associated with clinical efficacy of gemcitabine. We recently established co-culture models of hetero-spheroids including primary human PSCs and PDAC cells showing their importance as a platform to test the effects of cancer- and stroma-targeted drugs. Here, we discuss the limitations of previous studies and the potential use of above-mentioned models to study molecular mechanisms underlying chemo- and radio-resistance.
Body image before and after coronary artery bypass graft surgery: comparison and its contributing factors
Authors: Adib-Hajbaghery Mohsen , Miranzadeh Sedigheh , Tahmouresi Mahsa , Azizi-Fini Ismail
Published: August 2020

Background

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the world. Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is among the treatment options for coronary artery disease. However, it is associated with significant physical and psychological problems. This study sought to compare body image before and after the surgery and to determine its contributing factors.

Methods

This comparative study was conducted in 2017 on a sample of 140 patients consecutively recruited from Shahid Beheshti hospital, Kashan, Iran. Body image was assessed before and 4 weeks after the surgery (T1 and T2) using Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire. The independent-sample and pairedttests, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation test, and multiple regression were conducted for data analysis.

Results

Participants’ mean score of body image was 139.60 ± 13.21 at T1 and 160.25 ± 7.75 at T2 and the variation was statistically significant (p = < 0.001). At T1, only the three factors of age (p = 0.005), education at high school diploma and higher levels (p < 0.001), and being housekeeper (P = 0.048) could significantly explain BI (R2 = 0.231). However, at T2, none of the factors were significant predictors for BI (P > 0.05).

Conclusions

Candidates for CABG have poor body image. After the surgery, their body image improves significantly. Healthcare providers need to employ programs to improve body image among these patients.
No room to roam: King Cobras reduce movement in agriculture
Authors: Marshall Benjamin Michael , Crane Matt , Silva Inês , Strine Colin Thomas , Jones Max Dolton , Hodges Cameron Wesley , Suwanwaree Pongthep , Artchawakom Taksin , Waengsothorn Surachit , Goode Matt
Published: August 2020

Background

Studying animal movement provides insights into how animals react to land-use changes. As agriculture expands, we can use animal movement to examine how animals change their behaviour in response. Recent reviews show a tendency for mammalian species to reduce movements in response to increased human landscape modification, but reptile movements have not been as extensively studied.

Methods

We examined movements of a large reptilian predator, the King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), in Northeast Thailand. We used a consistent regime of radio telemetry tracking to document movements across protected forest and adjacent agricultural areas. Using dynamic Brownian Bridge Movement Model derived motion variance, Integrated Step-Selection Functions, and metrics of site reuse, we examined how King Cobra movements changed in agricultural areas.

Results

Motion variance values indicated that King Cobra movements increased in forested areas and tended to decrease in agricultural areas. Our Integrated Step-Selection Functions revealed that when moving in agricultural areas King Cobras restricted their movements to remain within vegetated semi-natural areas, often located along the banks of irrigation canals. Site reuse metrics of residency time and number of revisits appeared unaffected by distance to landscape features (forests, semi-natural areas, settlements, water bodies, and roads). Neither motion variance nor reuse metrics were consistently affected by the presence of threatening landscape features (e.g. roads, human settlements), suggesting that King Cobras will remain in close proximity to threats, provided habitat patches are available.

Conclusions

Although King Cobras displayed individual heterogeneity in their response to agricultural landscapes, the overall trend suggested reduced movements when faced with fragmented habitat patches embedded in an otherwise inhospitable land-use matrix. Movement reductions are consistent with findings for mammals and forest specialist species.
Undifferentiated carcinoma of the transverse colon with rhabdoid features that developed during treatment of non-small cell lung carcinoma with pembrolizumab: a case report
Authors: Ashitomi Yuya , Yano Mitsuhiro , Kono Michihisa , Suzuki Takefumi , Kawamura Ichiro , Okazaki Shinji , Kamio Yukinori , Hachiya Osamu , Urano Yuka , Motoi Fuyuhiko
Published: August 2020

Background

Undifferentiated carcinoma of the colon is rare, and its prognosis is very poor. We report a case of undifferentiated carcinoma of the colon with rhabdoid features developed during treatment of non-small lung carcinoma (NSCLC) with pembrolizumab.

Case presentation

A 58-year-old man was diagnosed with transverse colon cancer during chemotherapy with pembrolizumab for NSCLC. Laparoscopic right hemicolectomy was performed. The histopathological diagnosis was undifferentiated carcinoma with rhabdoid features and lymph node metastasis. Immunohistochemically, programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) showed positivity. The microsatellite instability (MSI) status was low. He continued to receive pembrolizumab for NSCLC, and there have been no signs of colon cancer recurrence and progression of NSCLC for 15 months.

Conclusion

We present the case of an undifferentiated carcinoma of the transverse colon with rhabdoid features. The development of the tumor with the expression of PD-L1 during pembrolizumab might have been associated with the low MSI.
Glioblastoma stem cells and Wnt signaling pathway: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets
Authors: Guan Ruoyu , Zhang Xiaoming , Guo Mian
Published: August 2020

Glioblastoma is the most common form of primary brain tumor. Glioblastoma stem cells play an important role in tumor formation by activation of several signaling pathways. Wnt signaling pathway is one such important pathway which helps cellular differentiation to promote tumor formation in the brain. Glioblastoma remains to be a highly destructive type of tumor despite availability of treatment strategies like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Advances in the field of cancer biology have revolutionized therapy by allowing targeting of tumor-specific molecular deregulation. In this review, we discuss about the significance of glioblastoma stem cells in cancer progression through Wnt signaling pathway and highlight the clinical targets being potentially considered for therapy in glioblastoma.
Critical roles of super-enhancers in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases
Authors: Yamagata Kaoru , Nakayamada Shingo , Tanaka Yoshiya
Published: August 2020

The super-enhancer (SE) is a cluster of enhancers involved in cell differentiation via enhanced gene expression that determines cell identity. Meanwhile, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have reported the presence of gene clusters containing single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) susceptible to various diseases. According to cell types, these disease-susceptible SNPs are frequently detected in activated SE domains. However, the roles of SEs in the pathogenesis of various diseases remain unclear. This review first presents various functions of enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) transcribed from SEs. Next, it describes how SNPs and eRNAs are involved in the pathology of each autoimmune disease, with a focus on typical diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and multiple sclerosis. This review aims to describe the roles of SEs in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases through multiple interactions of these factors, as well as a future outlook on this issue.
Multiexponential T2 relaxometry of benign and malignant adipocytic tumours
Authors: Nikiforaki Katerina , Ioannidis Georgios S. , Lagoudaki Eleni , Manikis Georgios H. , de Bree Eelco , Karantanas Apostolos , Maris Thomas G. , Marias Kostas
Published: August 2020

Background

We investigated a recently proposed multiexponential (Mexp) fitting method applied to T2 relaxometry magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data of benign and malignant adipocytic tumours and healthy subcutaneous fat. We studied the T2 distributions of the different tissue types and calculated statistical metrics to differentiate benign and malignant tumours.

Methods

Twenty-four patients with primary benign and malignant adipocytic tumours prospectively underwent 1.5-T MRI with a single-slice T2 relaxometry (Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill sequence, 25 echoes) prior to surgical excision and histopathological assessment. The proposed method adaptively chooses a monoexponential or biexponential model on a voxel basis based on the adjusted R2 goodness of fit criterion. Linear regression was applied on the statistical metrics derived from the T2 distributions for the classification.

Results

Healthy subcutaneous fat and benign lipoma were better described by biexponential fitting with a monoexponential and biexponential prevalence of 0.0/100% and 0.2/99.8% respectively. Well-differentiated liposarcomas exhibit 17.6% monoexponential and 82.4% biexponential behaviour, while more aggressive liposarcomas show larger degree of monoexponential behaviour. The monoexponential/biexponential prevalence was 47.6/52.4% for myxoid tumours, 52.8/47.2% for poorly differentiated parts of dedifferentiated liposarcomas, and 24.9/75.1% pleomorphic liposarcomas. The percentage monoexponential or biexponential model prevalence per patient was the best classifier distinguishing between malignant and benign adipocytic tumours with a 0.81 sensitivity and a 1.00 specificity.

Conclusions

Healthy adipose tissue and benign lipomas showed a pure biexponential behaviour with similar T2 distributions, while decreased adipocytic cell differentiation characterising aggressive neoplasms was associated with an increased rate of monoexponential decay curves, opening a perspective adipocytic tumour classification.
Spinning gold from straw - evaluating the flexibility of data centres on power markets
Authors: Klingert Sonja , Szilvas Sebastian
Published: August 2020

Data centres have been the focus of research as candidates for demand response or other demand side management programs for quite some time. However, a complete framework optimising data centre demand response is still missing. This is due to the complexity of integrating more than one power flexibility technology and more than one market for power flexibility. In the presented work, this challenge is solved by creating a microeconomics inspired optimisation approach that takes the view of a data centre offering power flexibility as a ’product’ to explicit and/or implicit demand response power flexibility markets. This generic framework is then instantiated in a linear optimisation problem that optimises the power flexibility of a German High Performance Computing Centre on a set of different power flexibility markets in Germany. It is consequently shown that, under the described scenario, frequency scaling should be preferred to temporal workload shifting and that the EPEX day ahead market is the most beneficial power flexibility market.
Antibiotic-induced alterations and repopulation dynamics of yellowtail kingfish microbiota
Authors: Legrand Thibault P. R. A. , Catalano Sarah R. , Wos-Oxley Melissa L. , Wynne James W. , Weyrich Laura S. , Oxley Andrew P. A.
Published: August 2020

Background

The use of antibiotics in aquaculture is a common infection treatment and is increasing in some sectors and jurisdictions. While antibiotic treatment can negatively shift gut bacterial communities, recovery and examination of these communities in fish of commercial importance is not well documented. Examining the impacts of antibiotics on farmed fish microbiota is fundamental for improving our understanding and management of healthy farmed fish. This work assessed yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) skin and gut bacterial communities after an oral antibiotic combination therapy in poor performing fish that displayed signs of enteritis over an 18-day period. In an attempt to promote improved bacterial re-establishment after antibiotic treatment, faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was also administered via gavage or in the surrounding seawater, and its affect was evaluated over 15 days post-delivery.

Results

Antibiotic treatment greatly perturbed the global gut bacterial communities of poor-performing fish – an effect that lasted for up to 18 days post treatment. This perturbation was marked by a significant decrease in species diversity and evenness, as well as a concomitant increase in particular taxa like an uncultured Mycoplasmataceae sp., which persisted and dominated antibiotic-treated fish for the entire 18-day period. The skin-associated bacterial communities were also perturbed by the antibiotic treatment, notably within the first 3 days; however, this was unlike the gut, as skin microbiota appeared to shift towards a more ‘normal’ (though disparate) state after 5 days post antibiotic treatment. FMT was only able to modulate the impacts of antibiotics in some individuals for a short time period, as the magnitude of change varied substantially between individuals. Some fish maintained certain transplanted gut taxa (i.e. present in the FMT inoculum; namely various Aliivibrio related ASVs) at Day 2 post FMT, although these were lost by Day 8 post FMT.

Conclusion

As we observed notable, prolonged perturbations induced by antibiotics on the gut bacterial assemblages, further work is required to better understand the processes/dynamics of their re-establishment following antibiotic exposure. In this regard, procedures like FMT represent a novel approach for promoting improved microbial recovery, although their efficacy and the factors that support their success requires further investigation.
Deep friction massage versus local steroid injection for treatment of plantar fasciitis: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Moshrif Abdelhfeez , Elwan Mohamed , Daifullah Osama S.
Published: August 2020

Background

Deep friction massage (DFM) has long been proven to be effective in treatment of some tendinopathies. The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of this physical modality in the treatment of plantar fasciitis in comparison with local steroid injection.

Results

Sixty patients were assigned into 2 groups through a computer-based randomization table and completed the treatment and follow-up assessments; thirty in group I received 40 mg local triamcinolone injection and thirty in group II received 7 sessions of DFM. Demographic data showed a statistically insignificant difference in age, female to male ratio, and body mass index (BMI) in both groups. The mean for age was 39.42 years in group I and 41.32 years in group II (P = 0.86); the female to male ratio was 3:1 in group I and 2.75:1 in group II, and the mean for BMI was 32.41 in group I and 33.31 in group II (P = 0.51). At 2 and 6 weeks follow-up, DFM led to less improvement in pain and function compared to local steroid injection (P = 0.001 and 0.002 for pain andP = 0.001 and 0.001 for function respectively at both time points of follow-up).

Conclusions

This study revealed that deep friction massage is not effective as a single method in treatment of the plantar fasciitis. However, it can be used as an adjuvant physical modality. Further, large scale studies are needed to support this observation.

Trial registration

Pan African Clinical Trial RegistryPACTR202004672785790. Date of registration 16 April 2020, “retrospectively registered.”
Foundation News
Authors: Bauman Paul
Published: August 2020

The Kakuma Refugee Camp (including the nearby Kalobeyei Camp) in the Turkana Desert of northwestern Kenya is home to approximately 200,000 refugees from 21 countries. The camp was established in 1992 to accommodate approximately 40,000 “Lost Boys” who walked there from their villages in Sudan. I have heard many experienced humanitarian aid workers describe Kakuma as the worst place in the world. In Dave Eggers book, What is the What, Lost Boy Achak Deng, after surviving for years as a child wandering across deserts and swamps in Sudan and eventually reaching Kakuma, describes it as “a place in which no one, simply no one but the most desperate, would ever consider spending a day” (Eggers, 2007).