bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
iPNHOT: A knowledge-based approach for identifying protein-nucleic acid interaction hot spots
Authors: Zhu Xiaolei , Liu Ling , He Jingjing , Fang Ting , Xiong Yi , Mitchell Julie C.
Published: June 2020

Background: The interaction between proteins and nucleic acids plays pivotal roles in various biological processes such as transcription, translation, and gene regulation. Hot spots are a small set of residues that contribute most to the binding affinity of a protein-nucleic acid interaction. Compared to the extensive studies of the hot spots on protein-protein interfaces, the hot spot residues within protein-nucleic acids interfaces remain less well-studied, in part because mutagenesis data for protein-nucleic acids interaction are not as abundant as that for protein-protein interactions. Results: In this study, we built a new computational model, iPNHOT, to effectively predict hot spot residues on protein-nucleic acids interfaces. One training data set and an independent test set were collected from dbAMEPNI and some recent literature, respectively. To build our model, we generated 97 different sequential and structural features and used a two-step strategy to select the relevant features. The final model was built based only on 7 features using a support vector machine (SVM). The features include two unique features such as ∆SASsa1/2 and esp3, which are newly proposed in this study. Based on the cross validation results, our model gave F1 score and AUROC as 0.725 and 0.807 on the subset collected from ProNIT, respectively, compared to 0.407 and 0.670 of mCSM-NA, a state-of-the art model to predict the thermodynamic effects of protein-nucleic acid interaction. The iPNHOT model was further tested on the independent test set, which showed that our model outperformed other methods.Conclusion: In this study, by collecting data from a recently published database dbAMEPNI, we proposed a new model, iPNHOT, to predict hotspots on both protein-DNA and protein-RNA interfaces. The results show that our model outperforms the existing state-of-art models. Our model is available for users through a webserver: http://zhulab.ahu.edu.cn/iPNHOT/.
Racial disparities in pedestrian-related injury hospitalizations in the United States
Authors: Hamann Cara , Peek-Asa Corinne , Butcher Brandon
Published: June 2020

Background. Racial/ethnic disparity has been documented in a wide variety of health outcomes, and environmental components are contributors. For example, food deserts have been tied to obesity rates. Pedestrian injuries are strongly tied to environmental factors, yet no studies have examined racial disparity in pedestrian injury rates. We examine a nationally-representative sample of pedestrian-related hospitalizations in the United States to identify differences in incidence, severity, and cost by race/ethnicity.Methods. Patients with ICD diagnosis E-codes for pedestrian injuries were drawn from the United States Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2009-2016). Rates were calculated using the United States Census. Descriptive statistics and generalized linear regression were used to examine characteristics (age, sex, severity of illness, mortality rates, hospital admissions, length of stay, total costs) associated with hospitalizations for pedestrian injuries.Results. The burden of injury from pedestrian-related hospitalizations was higher among Black, Hispanic, and Multiracial/Other groups in terms of admission rates, costs per capita, proportion of children injured, and length of stay compared to Whites and Asian or Pacific Islander race/ethnicities. Compared to Whites, hospital admission rates were 1.92 (95% CI: 1.89-1.94) and 1.20 (95% CI: 1.19-1.21) times higher for Multiracial/Other and Blacks, respectively. Costs per capita ($USD) were $6.30, $4.14, and $3.22 for Multiracial/Others, Blacks, and Hispanics, compared to $2.88 and $2.32 for Whites and Asian or Pacific Islanders. Proportion of lengths of stay exceeding one week were larger for Blacks (26.4%), Hispanics (22.6%), Asian or Pacific Islanders (23.1%), and Multiracial/Other (24.1%), compared to Whites (18.6%). Extreme and major loss of function proportions were also highest among Black (34.5%) and lowest among Whites (30.2%).Discussion. Results from this study show racial disparities in pedestrian injury hospitalization rates and outcomes, particularly among Black, Hispanic, and Multiracial/Other race/ethnicity groups and support population and system-level approaches to prevention. Access to transportation is an indicator for health disparity, and these results indicate that access to safe transportation also shows inequity by race/ethnicity.
Salutary factors explaining why hospital nurses remain in work and the profession
Authors: Nunstedt Håkan , Eriksson Monica , Obeid Ayman , Hillström Lisbeth , Truong Anh , Pennbrant Sandra
Published: June 2020

Background: There is extensive research on how nurses experience their working conditions and environment; this research shows high job stress, job dissatisfaction and intention to leave the workplace. Objective: To explore and describe success factors explaining why hospital nurses remain in work and the profession. Methods: The salutogenic theory was used as a basis for the interview guide, which contained semi-structured, open-ended questions about factors important to explaining why nurses remain in work and the profession. Data collection took place from March to June 2018. Individual interviews with twelve registered nurses working in a hospital in western Sweden were conducted. The data were analyzed using content analysis; additionally, sense of coherence (and its three dimensions: comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness) was used as a tool to structure analyses of the qualitative data. Results: The following factors emerged from the analysis: having fun at work, being acknowledged, feeling togetherness in the team, having varying tasks with a manageable workload, good interaction between colleagues and patients, doing good work, feeling committed to and pride in the professional role, and having a balance between work and leisure time.Conclusions: One precondition of improving registered nurses’ health and well-being was having clear leadership. Another precondition was having a sense of coherence in relation to both the working group and the organization. Experiencing job satisfaction and being acknowledged for one’s good work were important; acknowledgement was received not only from patients, but also from colleagues, other professionals and the nurse manager. In this way, the nurses felt acknowledged and could create a sense of meaningfulness, manageability and comprehensibility in their work.
miR-138-5p inhibits the malignant progression of prostate cancer by targeting FOXC1
Authors: Zhang Dapeng , Liu Xiaodong , Zhang Qingwei , Chen Xin
Published: June 2020

Background: This study aimed to uncover the effect of miR-138-5p on the proliferation and metastasis of PCa cell lines, and further explore the potential regulatory mechanisms via regulating FOXC1.Methods: 60 pairs cancer tissues and corresponding paracancerous ones from PCa patients were collected to assess the expression level of miR-138-5p by qRT-PCR. Subsequently, over-expression of miR-138-5p were established to explore the proliferation and metastasis of miR-138-5p in PCa cell lines was analyzed by CCK-8, Tranwell assay and Wounding healing assay, respectively. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter gene assay were performed to search for the target genes of miR-138-5p, and FOXC1 was selected. Finally, the biological role of miR-138-5p and FOXC1 in the progression of PCa was clarified by a series of rescue experiments. Results: The results of qRT-PCR revealed that miR-138-5p was lowly expressed in PCa tissues and cell lines. Besdies, the PCa patients with low-miR-138-5p had a high Gleason score, lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis of PCa, compared with these patients with high-miR-138-5p. Over-expression of miR-138-5p inhibited the proliferative, migratory and invasive capacities of PC-3 and DU-145 cells. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter gene assay suggested that FOXC1 was predicted to be the target gene of miR-138-5p. Moreover, FOXC1 expression level was negatively correlated to that of miR-138-5p in PCa tissues. Importantly, Over-expression of FOXC1 could reverse miR-138-5p mimic induced-inhibition of PCa malignant progression.Conclusions: Downregulated miR-138-5p was closely associated with high Gleason score, more lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis of PCa patients. In addition, miR-138-5p alleviated the malignant progression of PCa by targeting and downregulating FOXC1.
Quantitative comparison of pre-treatment predictive and post-treatment measured dosimetry for selective internal radiation therapy using cone-beam CT for tumor and liver perfusion territory definition
Authors: Rangraz Esmaeel Jafargholi , Tang Xikai , Laeken Charlotte Van , Maleux Geert , Dekervel Jeroen , Cutsem Eric Van , Verslype Chris , Baete Kristof , Nuyts Johan , Deroose Christophe M.
Published: June 2020

Background: Selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) is a promising treatment for unresectable hepatic malignancies. Predictive dose calculation based on a simulation using technetium-99m-labeled macro-aggregated albumin ( 99m Tc-MAA) before the treatment is considered as a potential tool for patient-specific treatment planning. Post-treatment dose measurement is mainly performed to confirm the planned absorbed dose to the tumor and non-tumor liver volumes. This study compared the predicted and measured absorbed dose distributions.
Methods: Thirty-one patients (67 tumors) treated by SIRT with resin microspheres were analyzed. Predicted and delivered absorbed dose was calculated using 99m Tc-MAA-SPECT and 90 Y TOF-PET imaging. The voxel-level dose distribution was derived using the local deposition model. Liver perfusion territories and tumors have been delineated on contrast-enhanced CBCT images, which have been acquired during the 99m Tc-MAA work-up. Several dose-volume histogram (DVH) parameters together with the mean dose for liver perfusion territories, non-tumoral and tumoral compartments were evaluated.
Results: A strong correlation between the predicted and measured mean dose for non-tumoral volume was observed (r=0.937). The ratio of measured and predicted mean dose to this volume has a first, second, and third quartile range of 0.83, 1.05, and 1.25. The difference between the measured and predicted mean dose did not exceed 11 Gy. The correlation between predicted and measured mean dose to the tumor was moderate (r=0.623) with a mean difference of -9.3 Gy. The ratio of measured and predicted tumor mean dose had a median of 1.01 with the first and third quartile ranges of 0.58 and 1.59, respectively. Our results suggest that 99m Tc-MAA-based dosimetry could predict under or over dosing of the non-tumoral liver parenchyma for almost all cases. For more than two-thirds of the tumors, a predictive absorbed dose correctly indicated either good tumor dose coverage or under-dosing of the tumor.

Conclusion: Our results highlight the predictive value of 99m Tc-MAA-based dose estimation to predict non-tumor liver irradiation, which can be applied to prescribe an optimized activity aiming at avoiding liver toxicity. Predictive dosimetry is also moderately reliable to estimate the tumor absorbed dose.
Acquisition of Oral Microbiota is Driven by Environment, Not Host Genetics
Authors: Mukherjee Chiranjit , Moyer Christina O. , Steinkamp Heidi M. , Hashmi Shahr B. , Guo Xiaohan , Ni Ai , Leys Eugene J. , Griffen Ann L.
Published: June 2020

Background: The oral microbiota is acquired very early, but the factors shaping its acquisition are not well understood. Previous studies comparing monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins have suggested that host genetics plays a role. However, all twins share an equal portion of their parent’s genome, so this model is not informative for studying parent-to-child transmission. We used a novel study design that allowed us to directly examine the genetics of transmission by comparing the oral microbiota of biological versus adoptive mother-child dyads.

Results: No difference was observed in how closely oral bacterial community profiles matched for adoptive versus biological mother-child pairs, indicating little if any effect of host genetics on the fidelity of transmission. Both adopted and biologic children more closely resembled their own mother as compared to unrelated women, supporting the role of contact and environment. Mother-child strain similarity increased with the age of the child, ruling out early effects that are lost over time. No effect on the fidelity of mother-child strain sharing from vaginal birth or breast feeding was seen. Analysis of extended families showed that fathers and mothers were equally similar to their children, and that cohabitating couples showed even greater strain similarity than mother-child pairs. These findings support the role of contact and shared environment, and age, but not genetics, as determinants of microbial transmission, and were consistent at both species and strain level resolutions, and across multiple oral habitats. In addition, analysis of individual species all showed similar results.

Conclusions: The host is clearly active in shaping the composition of the oral microbiome, since only a few of the many bacterial species in the larger environment are capable of colonizing the human oral cavity. Our findings suggest that these host mechanisms are universally shared among humans, since no effect of genetic relatedness on fidelity of microbial transmission could be detected. Instead our findings point towards contact and shared environment being the driving factors of microbial transmission, with a unique combination of these factors ultimately shaping the highly personalized human oral microbiome.
Importance of lipid ratios for predicting intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis
Authors: Yang Wen-Song , Li Rui , Shen Yi-Qing , Wang Xing-Chen , Liu Qing-Jun , Wang Hai-Yang , Li Qi , Yao Guo-En , Xie Peng
Published: June 2020

Background: This study aims to investigate the association of lipid ratios with intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS) in a Chinese population.Methods: This cross-sectional study included 658 consecutive patients with ischemic stroke. Intracranial and extracranial arteries were evaluated for atherosclerotic stenosis using digital subtraction angiography or computed tomography angiography. Lipid ratios [total cholesterol (TC)/high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG)/HDL-C, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C)/HDL-C, non-high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (non-HDL-C)/HDL-C, remnant cholesterol (RC)/HDL-C, apolipoprotein B (apo B)/apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I), and apo B/HDL-C] were calculated.Results: The TC/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C, RC/HDL-C, non-HDL-C/HDL-C, apo B/HDL-C and apo B/apo A-I ratios (all P <0.05) were significantly associated with ICAS but not with extracranial atherosclerotic stenosis after adjustment for confounding factors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves analyses revealed that the apo B/apo A-I ratio had the largest area under the ROC curve (AUC) among lipid levels alone and for lipid ratios (AUC = 0.588). Lipid ratios had higher AUC values than those for lipid levels alone for the identification of ICAS.Conclusion: The TC/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C, RC/HDL-C, non-HDL-C/HDL-C apo B/HDL-C, and apo B/apo A-I ratios were significantly related to ICAS risk. Compared with the other variables tested, the apo B/apo A-I ratio appeared to be a better discriminator for identifying ICAS risk in stroke patients.
Upregulated circRNA_100269 suppresses the growth and metastasis of gastric cancer by inactivating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway
Authors: wang zhongli , liu chao
Published: June 2020

Background: The expression of circRNA_100269 in gastric cancer (GC) tissues and cells, together with its regulatory roles on GC cells were investigated. Methods: The levels of circRNA_100269 in GC and matched para-carcinoma tissues, as well as in human GC cell lines and normal gastric epithelial cells were evaluated using RT-qPCR. The models with overexpression or knockdown of circRNA_100269 were generated using lentiviral vectors. Cell viability was examined using MTT assay; cell migration and invasive activity were determined by wound healing and Transwell assay. Cell cycle arrest and apoptosis were assessed; molecules involved in PI3K/Akt signaling, apoptosis and EMT were evaluated using RT-qPCR and immunoblotting. Tumour growth and expression of relevant proteins were examined in circRNA_100269 knockout mice. Results: The results indicated the expression of circRNA_100269 was dramatically decreased in GC samples compared with para-carcinoma tissues (p<0.05), while the levels of PI3K were notably increased (p<0.05). Moreover, the level of circRNA_100269 was relevant to histology grade and occurrence of metastasis in GC patients (p<0.05), where circRNA_100269 and PI3K was inversely correlated (p<0.05). Additionally, circRNA_100269 was downregulated in GC cells compared with normal gastric epithelial cells. Overexpressed circRNA_100269 remarkably suppressed the proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT of GC cells (p<0.05), induced cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase and promoted cell apoptosis (p<0.05). In addition, PI3K/Akt signaling was involved in circRNA_100269-mediated proliferation, migration, invasion, EMT and apoptosis in GC cells (p<0.05). Knockdown of circRNA_100269 also significantly promoted tumor growth in vivo (p<0.05). Conclusions: the data of the present study suggested that the expression level of circRNA_100269 was decreased in GC tissues and cells. In addition, circRNA_100269 inhibited the progression of GC by suppressing PI3K/Akt signaling. Therefore, circRNA_100269/PI3K/Akt axis may be a potential therapeutic target for GC treatment.
Dietary Pattern and Nutrient Intakes in Association with Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factors among Filipino Adults: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Agdeppa Imelda Angeles , Sun Ye , Tanda Keith V
Published: June 2020

Background: This study evaluated the relationship between dietary quality and food patterns of Filipino adults and the rising prevalence of selected cardiometabolic non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that examined the association of dietary pattern and NCDs using data collected in the 2013 National Nutrition Survey. A total of 19,914 adults aged 20 years and above were included in the analyses. The Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI-2010) was used to characterize the dietary quality, and principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify dietary patterns specific to the study population. Logistic regression models were applied to assess the association between the dietary pattern scores and selected cardiometabolic NCD indices including diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and overweight and obesity with adjustment for potential confounders. Results: The mean AHEI-2010 score was 19.7 for women and 18.9 for men out of a total possible score of 100. Three major dietary patterns were identified through PCA: 1) meat and sweetened beverages (MSB); 2) rice and fish (RF) and 3) fruit, vegetables and snack (FVS). After adjustment for potential confounding factors, the AHEI pattern was associated with higher odds of overweight/obesity [extreme-tertile odds ratio (OR) 1.10, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-1.21]. Subjects in the highest tertile of the MSB pattern had greater odds for overweight/obesity, diabetes, high total cholesterol, low HDL-cholesterol, high LDL-cholesterol, and high triglycerides (OR ranging 1.20 to 1.70, all p-value <0.001). The RF pattern was associated with higher probability of overweight/obesity (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.08-1.32) high LDL-cholesterol (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.07-1.37), and less likelihood of diabetes (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.77-0.98). The FVS pattern was associated with lower probability of overweight/obesity, diabetes, high triglycerides, and hypertension (OR ranging 0.85 to 0.90, all p-value <0.05). Conclusions: Diet quality of Filipino adults is extremely poor. MSB and RF patterns were associated with a higher risk of cardiometabolic NCD indices, while FVS pattern was associated to lower risks. Identifying healthy and detrimental dietary patterns in the local diet could be informative for future local-based dietary recommendation and area-specific intervention programs.
Stigmasterol Sensitizes Endometrial Cancer Cells to Chemotherapy By repressing Nrf2 Signal Pathway
Authors: Liao Hong , Zhu Dan , Bai mingzhu , Chen Huifen , Yan Shihuan , Yu Jing , Zhu Huiting , Zheng Wenxin , Fan Guorong
Published: June 2020

Background: Chemoresistance reduces the 5-year survival rate of endometrial cancer patient, which is the current major obstacle for cancer therapy. Increasing evidence state that Nrf2 contributes to chemoresistance in several kinds of cancer. However, its role in endometrial cancer cells remains unclarified. Methods: Immunohistochemistry staining was used to detect the expression of Nrf2 in normal patient and endometrial cancer patient. Stable transfection Ishikawa cell line with high level of Nrf2 was established to evaluate its role in chemoresistance. Dot blot assays were used to assess global hydroxymethylation level after stigmasterol treatment. Cellular growth profile was detected by CCK8 assay. Western blot was used to evaluate the changes of the target molecules after various treatments. Results: Nrf2 is overexpressed in endometrial cancer tissues compared with the normal endometrium. Overexpression of Nrf2 resulted in decrease sensitivity to cisplatin. In addition, stigmasterol has been identified as a novel Nrf2 inhibitor. It enhanced the sensitivity of endometrial cancer cells to cisplatin, and the underlying mechanism is that stigmasterol declines the Nrf2 protein level. Conclusions: Our findings identified stigmasterol as a new potential inhibitor of Nrf2 and highlight a critical role of stigmasterol in overcoming chemoresistance in endometrial cancer therapy.
Anemoside B4 protects against Klebsiella pneumoniae- and influenza virus FM1-induced pneumonia via the TLR4/Myd88 signaling pathway in mice
Authors: He Jia , Yuan Renyikun , Cui Xiaolan , Cui Yushun , Han Shan , Wang Qin-Qin , Chen Yangling , Huang Liting , Yang Shilin , Xu Qiongming , Zhao Yonghui , Gao Hongwei
Published: June 2020

Background: Pneumonia refers to the inflammation of the terminal airway, alveoli and pulmonary interstitium, which can be caused by pathogenic microorganisms, physical and chemical factors, immune damage, and drugs. Anemoside B4, the major ingredient of Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel, exhibited anti-inflammatory activity. However, the therapeutic effect of anemoside B4 on pneumonia has not been unraveled. This study aims to investigate that anemoside B4 attenuates the inflammatory responses in Klebsiella pneumonia (KP)- and influenza virus FM1 (FM1)-induced pneumonia mice model.Methods: The network pharmacology and molecular docking assays were employed to predict the targets of anemoside B4’s treatment of pneumonia. Two models (bacterial KP-infected mice and virus FM1-infected mice) were employed in our study. BALB/c mice were divided into six groups: control, model group (KP- induced pneumonia or FM1-induced pneumonia), anemoside B4 (B4)-treated group (2.5, 5, 10 mg/kg), and positive drug group (Ribavirin or Ceftriaxone Sodium Injection). Blood samples were collected for hematology analysis. The effects of B4 on inflammation-associated mediators were investigated by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and hematoxylin and eosin staining (HE) staining. Proteins expression was quantified by western blotting.Results: The network results indicated that many pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) participated in anemoside B4’s anti-inflammatory activity. The counts of neutrophil (NEU) and white blood cell (WBC), the level of myeloperoxidase (MPO), and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 increased by KP or FM1 infection, which were reversed by anemoside B4. In addition, anemoside B4 significantly suppressed the FM1-induced expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), myeloid differential protein-88 (MyD88), and myeloid differentiation protein-2 (MD-2), which were further validated by molecular docking data that anemoside B4 bound to bioactive sites of TLR4. Therefore, anemoside B4 exhibited a significant therapeutic effect on pneumonia via the TLR4/MyD88 pathway.Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated that anemoside B4 attenuates pneumonia via the TLR4/Myd88 signaling pathway, suggesting that anemoside B4 is a promising therapeutic candidate for bacterial-infected or viral-infected pneumonia.
Evaluation of The Effects of Vitamin C on Epithelialization of Burn Wounds
Authors: Haddadi Mohammd , Jaghouri Elaheh , Sarpooshi Davood Robat , Ghobadi Fateme , Sarpooshi Hamid Robat
Published: June 2020

Objectives: The purpose of the present study is to determine the effect of topical vitamin C on second degree burn wounds restoration. This was a clinical trial. The sample size was determined as 30. The participants were selected from the patients suffering from second degree burns who visited the Burn Center of Vaseei Hospital in Sabzevar. Both intervention and control groups targeted one patient. Dressing was changed in a daily manner after cleansing. Topical vitamin C solution was administered on the wounds. The Bates-Jensen Wound Assessment Tool was used to evaluate burn wound parameters in the 1st, 3rd, 7th and 14th day of treatment. Data analysis was performed using SPSS v.16 and ‘’repeated measures ANOVA.Results: The average age of participants was 43.33 ± 11.9 years and 60% of the participants were males and 40% of them were females. The results of repeated measures ANOVA showed a statistically significant difference in mean scores of wound between the two treatments (P = 0.047), wound healing significantly differed in the two groups and topical vitamin C solution had a significant effect on acceleration of wound Epithelialization. According to the results of this study, administration of topical vitamin C is recommended for epithetlialization of second degree burns.IRCT: IRCT2015101224487N1
Biobanking Framework: “One Size Fits All”
Authors: Salman Ayat , Lazaris Anthoula , Metrakos Peter
Published: June 2020

Background Biobanking has been identified as a key area for development in order to accelerate the discovery and development of new drugs. biobanks include not only a collection of specimens but associated -omics data, thus the need for databases that inventory samples, associated clinical and omics data. As access to human biospecimens is becoming less of a barrier to translational studies, it is becoming clear that annotation of human samples and complex databases is our next hurdle. Purpose In this paper, we elaborate on the steps and processes that were considered in order to establish the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center Liver Disease Biobank (RIMUHC-LDB) and highlight the success of our translational projects that sustain this biobank. Results The workflow model is based on a two-tier approach: a “mother” protocol that requires participant’ signed consent form and a “companion” protocol which allows the use of biospecimens and data for research. The “companion” protocol is based on a review of the protocol by the biospecimen access committee (BAC) and approval followed by an expedited review by the research ethics board. Our workflow is open, in addition, to include different prearranged requirements for collection of biospecimen and data from different project. Following strict standard operating procedures and ensuring that biospecimens are processed in a short amount of time after procurement, we are able to provide high quality biospecimen and data. Also, integrated in our biospecimen procurement process is our Quality Assurance Program (QAP). Every 4 months two samples are randomly selected and screened. We regularly isolate RNA from these tissue samples, labeled Quality Assurance/ Quality Control (QA/QC), and assess their RNA integrity number (RIN).Conclusions The biobank has enabled national and international access of biospecimen and data for genomic, proteomic and phenotypic research in addition to provide the biobank financial sustainability. Understanding the complexity of disease has and will always remain a challenge. As disease burden has shifted from acute conditions to chronic conditions, primarily seen in community and primary care (PC) rather than tertiary care centers, new approaches for forging relationships with local and regional community partners will become increasingly critical. A personalised PC Biobank along with disease-specific biobanks and industry biobanks (clinical trials) will ensure that the best personalised care is delivered to participants.
Assessing burden, risk factors, and perceived impact of uterine fibroids on women’s lives in rural Haiti: implications for advancing a health equity agenda, a mixed methods study
Authors: Millien Christophe , Manzi Anatole , Katz Arlene M. , Gilbert Hannah , Fawzi Mary C. Smith , Farmer Paul E. , Mukherjee Joia
Published: June 2020

Background
Uterine fibroids, the most common cause of gynecologic surgery, have a reported lifetime cumulative incidence of 59% among Black women in the U.S. Uterine fibroids increase mortality, morbidity, and negatively impact the quality of women’s lives. To our knowledge, no study has been published in the literature about fibroids in Haiti. We conducted a mixed methods study to assess the burden and risk factors of uterine fibroids, as well as their effects on women’s quality of life.
Methods
A convergent mixed methods study was conducted between October 1, 2019 and January 31, 2020 at MUH’s (Mirebalais University Hospital) OB-GYN outpatient department. Quantitatively, in a cross-sectional study 211 women completed a structured questionnaire. In-depth interviews with a subset of 17 women with fibroids and 7 family members were implemented for the qualitative component. Descriptive statistics were calculated for clinical and social demographic variables. Logistic regression was performed to examine associations between fibroids and related risk factors. An inductive thematic process was used to analyze the qualitative data. A joint display technique was used to integrate the results.
Results
The prevalence of uterine fibroids was 60.1%. Anemia and infertility were the most frequent complications— 52.6% and 33.6%, respectively. Factors associated with uterine fibroids included income decline (OR = 4.7, 95% CI: 2.1–10.9, p = < 0.001), excessive expenses for transport (OR = 4.4, 95% CI: 1.6–12.4, p = 0.005), and family history with uterine fibroids (OR = 4.6, 95% CI: 1.6–13.6, p = 0.005). In contrast, higher level of education and presence of micro polycystic ovarian syndrome were found to be protective (OR = 0.3, 95% CI: 0.1–0.9, p = 0.021) and (OR = 0.2, 95% CI: 0.1–0.97, p = 0.044), respectively. Qualitative findings demonstrated that uterine fibroids deeply affected the quality of women’s lives. The concept of a poverty cycle of uterine fibroids emerged.
Conclusions
A vicious cycle of poverty and women’s experience with fibroids demonstrate the long-term struggle that women endure. Health system strengthening, social support, and economic improvement are keys to alleviate women’s suffering and promote social justice through access to adequate care for women with uterine fibroids in Haiti.
Clinical Characteristics on Admission Predict In-Hospital Fatal Outcome in Patients Aged ≥75 Years with novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) :A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Yu Zhihua , Ke Yuhe , Xie Jiang , Yu Hao , Zhu Wei , He Liqun , Zheng Qiongli , Li Chuanwei , Lu Jingya , Li Songnan , Wen Songnan , Wei Sheng , Liu Nian , Wei Li , Bai Rong
Published: June 2020

Background：Novel coronavirus disease（COVID-19）has become a worldwide pandemic and precise fatality data by age group are needed urgently. This study to delineate the clinical characteristics and outcome of COVID-19 patients aged ≥75 years and identify the risk factors of in-hospital death.Methods：A total of 141 consecutive patients aged ≥75 years who were admitted to the hospital between 12th and 19th February 2020. In-hospital death, clinical characteristics and laboratory findings on admission were obtained from medical records. The final follow-up observation was 31st March 2020.Results：The median age was 81 years (84 female, 59.6%). Thirty-eight (27%) patients were classified as severe or critical cases. 18 (12.8%) patients had died in hospital and the remaining 123 were discharged. Patients who died were more likely to present with fever (38.9% vs. 7.3%); low percutaneous oxygen saturation(SpO2) (55.6% vs. 7.3%); reduced lymphocytes (72.2% vs. 35.8%) and platelets (27.8% vs. 4.1%); and increased D-dimer (94.4% vs. 42.3%), creatinine (50.0% vs. 22.0%), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) (77.8% vs. 30.1%), high sensitivity troponin I (hs-TnI) (72.2% vs. 14.6%), and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) (72.2% vs. 6.5%; all P<0.05) than patients who recovered. Male sex (odds ratio [OR]=13.1, 95% confidence interval[CI] 1.1 to 160.1, P=0.044), body temperature >37.3°C (OR=80.5, 95% CI 4.6 to 1407.6, P=0.003), SpO2≤90% (OR=70.1, 95% CI 4.6 to 1060.4, P=0.002), and NT-proBNP>1800ng/L (OR=273.5, 95% CI 14.7 to 5104.8, P<0.0001) were independent risk factors of in-hospital death. Conclusions：In-hospital fatality among COVID-19 patients can be estimated by sex and on-admission measurements of body temperature, SpO2, and NT-proBNP.
Ethical challenges related to biomedical data sharing in China: A systematic literature review
Authors: li xiaojie , Cong Yali
Published: June 2020

Background : With the advancement of information and communication technology, sharing biomedical data across organizations has become more feasible. However, a large part of China’s biomedical details still “silent” or “isolated”.
Methods: To identify what ethical challenges are considered hinder biomedical data sharing, we performed a systematic literature review pertaining to biomedical data sharing in China. A total of 1919 publications were initially identified, 56 of which were included in the final synthesis after full-text screening. We used the International Ethical Guidelines for Health-related Research Involving humans (CIMOS) to identify the related ethical principles and norms.
Results: We observed an abundance of ethical challenges based upon the following five overarching themes: capacity building; equitable distribution of benefits and burdens; scientific and social values; the data subjects’ rights; public trust and engagement.
Conclusion :Based on these analyses, we find current sharing practice need to balance the protection of privacy and confidentiality with the promotion of data sharing. We believe privacy concerns can be attenuated by different stakeholders’ responsible participation within a principled proportionate governance model.
Effects of Low Temperature and Wind Treatment on Physiological Indexes, Rumen Microbiota, Immune Responses and Hormones in Sheep
Authors: Guo Hongran , Zhou Guangchen , Tian Guangjie , Liu Yuyang , Dong Ning , Zhang Shijun , Chai Haochen , Chen Yulin , Yang Yuxin
Published: June 2020

Background: Low-temperature environments can strongly affect the normal growth and health of livestock. Previous studies have shown that cold exposure can alter the intestinal microbiota and thereby affect other traits. In winter, cold weather can be accompanied by strong winds that aggravate the effects of cold on livestock. In this study, an experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of low temperature and wind speed on physiological indexes, rumen microbiota, and immune responses in sheep.Methods: The sheep were divided into control group and test group according to their ambient temperature.Sheep in the test group were divided into four groups according to wind-speed treatment: no wind (average wind velocity less than 0.5 m/s), low wind velocity (average wind velocity of 3 m/s), medium wind velocity (average wind velocity of 4 m/s) and high wind velocity (average wind velocity of 5 m/s).Results: Average daily gain and the utilization of forage, especially soluble fiber, decreased with increasing wind velocity in cold temperature (P<0.05). In rumen, the enzyme activity of cellulose degradation was also lowerwith increasing wind velocity (P<0.05). The abundance of potentially beneficial bacteria showed differedamong the wind treatments (P<0.05).The large fluctuations in the amount of bacteria provided a breeding opportunity forpotentially harmful bacteria (P<0.05). In addition, there were significant decreases in the serum levels of IL-2 and IFN-γ (P<0.05) and a large increase in IL-4 level (P<0.05), which indicated that the sheep underwent immune suppressionduring the trial. The significant increase in the activities of the antioxidant enzymes SOD, GSH-PX, and CAT (P<0.05) indicated that the production of oxygen free radicals was increased.Conclusions: The cold environment significantly reduced the growth of sheep and altered the composition of rumen microbiota, reducing the utilization of soluble fiber by the rumen flora. Furthermore, the sheep produced large amounts of enzymes to resist tissue damage and experienced immune suppression in the cold environment.
Effectiveness of Hospital Emergency Department Regionalization and Categorization Policy on Appropriate Patient Emergency Care Use - A nationwide long-term observational study in Taiwan
Authors: Lin Chih-Yuan , Lee Yue-Chune
Published: June 2020

Background: The goal of this study was to examine the effect of hospital emergency department (ED) regionalization policy and the categorization of hospital emergency care policy (categorization policy) on patient appropriate ED use.Methods: We conducted an observational study of the effect of emergency care policy intervention on patients' visits. Seven years of data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) were examined. Taiwan implemented a nationwide three-tiered hospital ED regionalization and categorization policies in 2007 and 2009, respectively. There were 1,835,860 ED visits found among one million random samples from the NHIRD between 2005 and 2011. ED visits were categorized by the modified New York University ED algorithm. A time series analysis was performed to examine the change in the rate of appropriate ED use after the policy took effect.Results: Total ED visits increased by 10.7% from 2005 to 2011. Average appropriate ED visit rate was 66.9% during the policy intervention. The trend in the appropriate ED visit rate showed no significant policy effect.Conclusions: Provider side of regionalization and categorization policies did increase emergency care accessibility. However, regionalization and categorization policies no significant effect on patient appropriate ED use.
iTRAQ-Based Quantitative Glutelin Proteomic Analysis Reveals Differentially Expressed Proteins in Physiological Metabolism Process during Endosperm Development and their Impacts on Yield and Quality in Autotetraploid Rice
Authors: Xian Lin , Long Yanxi , Yang Meng , Chen Zhixiong , Wu Jinwen , Liu Xiangdong , Wang Lan
Published: June 2020

Background
Autotetraploid rice, which is developed through chromosome set doubling using diploid rice, produces high-quality kernels that are rich in storage proteins. However, little information is available about the content of different proteins in autotetraploid rice and their proteomic analysis.
Results
The dynamic changes in four storage proteins, albumin, globulin, prolamin, and glutelin, were analyzed in the endosperm of autotetraploid rice (AJNT-4x) and in that of its diploid counterpart (AJNT-2x) for comparison. The contents of the four proteins were all higher during endosperm development in AJNT-4x than in AJNT-2x, but their change and composition were almost the same in the two materials. Then, iTRAQ was employed to analyze the glutelin profiles of AJNT-4x and AJNT-2x at 10 DAF, 15 DAF, and 20 DAF. A total of 1,326 proteins were identified in AJNT-4x and AJNT-2x using high-throughput LC-MS/MS. Among the 1,326 identified proteins, there were 362 DEPs in AJNT-4x compared with those in AJNT-2x and 372 DEPs between different development stages in AJNT-4x. Eight important upregulated proteins were identified by qRT-PCR, including B8AM24, B8ARJ0, B8AQM6, A2ZCE6, and Q40689. Among them, B8AM24 and B8ARJ0 were related to the lysine biosynthesis process. GO enrichment analysis revealed that the critical functions of DEPs exhibited little overlap between the 10, 15, and 20 DAF groups. Endosperm glutelin accumulation was regulated mainly by different DEPs during the late stage, and 15 DAF was a critical regulating point for glutelin accumulation. KEGG pathway analysis showed that ribosomal proteins were significantly higher in AJNT-4x than in AJNT-2x at 10 DAF, and the protein processing, biosynthesis, and metabolism of amino acids were higher and more active in AJNT-4x at 15 DAF, while the peroxisome was richer in AJNT-4x at 20 DAF. The PPI network showed that ribosomal proteins gradually decreased with increasing endosperm development.
Conclusions
These results provide new insights into dynamic glutelin expression differences during endosperm development in autotetraploid rice, which will help in developing rice cultivars with increased yield and improved grain nutritional quality.
Performance Evaluation of design and operational parameters of Conventional Combine Harvester for Basmati Rice (Oryza Sativa)
Authors: Bhardwaj Manvendra , Dogra Ritu , Javed Mohammed , Singh Manjeet , Dogra Baldev
Published: June 2020

Among all the food grains, Basmati rice (Oryza sativa) has significant export potential. At present, majority of harvesting and threshing of basmati is accomplished manually because of high quality of grain. Manual harvesting and threshing operation is quite costly and mostly done by hired labour, threshing cost and family labour. Labour in harvesting has become scarce due to industrialization. The commercially available machines for paddy harvesting and threshing are not suitable for basmati varieties because of relatively delicate nature. There is no data available regarding design and operational parameters for harvesting basmati with conventional combine harvester. Therefore, this study has been planned to study the effect of selected design and operational parameters of threshing mechanism of conventional combine harvester for basmati crop and to compare the performance with prevalent practice. Field evaluation of experiment was carried out to assess the influence of independent design variable i.e., arrangement of spikes (AS) and independent operational parameters namely concave clearance (CC) and cylinder speed (CS). The study was aimed to quantify various combining losses viz., extent of grain damage (visible and invisible), unthreshed and clean grain losses in straw walker at different arrangement of spikes, concave clearance and cylinder speed. Initial testing of conventional combine harvester on PUSA Basmati-1121 to reduce the visible as well invisible losses had been carried out at PAU Regional Research Station, Gurdaspur (Punjab) during the year 2017.
Interaction Study of Pasteurella Multocida with Culturable Aerobic Bacteria Isolated from Porcine Respiratory Tracts using Coculture in Conditioned Media
Authors: Hanchanachai Nonzee , Chumnanpuen Pramote , E-KOBON Teerasak
Published: June 2020

Background: The porcine respiratory tract harbours various microorganisms, and the interactions between these organisms could be associated with animal health status. Pasteurella multocida is a culturable facultative anaerobic bacterium isolated from healthy and diseased porcine respiratory tracts. The interaction between P. multocida and other aerobic commensal bacteria in the porcine respiratory tract is not well understood. This study aimed to determine the interactions between porcine P. multocida capsular serotype A and D strains and other culturable aerobic bacteria isolated from porcine respiratory tracts using a coculture assay in conditioned media followed by calculation of the growth rates and interaction parameters.Results: One hundred and sixteen bacterial isolates from five porcine respiratory tracts and 93 isolates were phylogenetically classified into fourteen genera based on 16S rRNA sequences. Fifteen representative isolates were selected for coculture with P. multocida. From 17x17 interaction pairs, the majority of 220 pairs had negative interactions indicating competition for nutrients and space, while 17 pairs were identified as mild cooperative or positive interactions indicating their coexistence. All conditioned media, except those of Acinetobacter, could inhibit P. multocida growth. Conversely, the conditioned media of P. multocida also inhibited the growth of nine isolates plus themselves. Conclusion: Healthy porcine provides conditions to maintain the balance of these aerobic commensal communities and has an inhibitory effect on pathogens. Therefore, the conditioned media in this study might be further analysed to identify critical molecules. The study proposed the possibility of using these molecules in conditioned media to control P. multocida diseases and enhance porcine health.
Measuring Efficiency of Public Hospitals in Iran: A Comparative Study Using Extended Data Envelopment Analysis, 2012-2016
Authors: Mohamadi Efat , Takian Amirhossein , Manesh Alireza Olyaee , Majdzadeh Reza , Lotfi Farhad Hosseinzadeh , Sharafi Hamid , Abad Leila Hosseini Qavam , Kiani Mohammad Mehdi , Yusefzadeh Hasan , Ehsani-Chimeh Elham , Arabloo Jalal , Sajadi Haniye Sadat , Goodarzi Zahra , Hekmat Somayeh Noori
Published: June 2020

Background: Aiming to enhance quality of care and increase efficiency, public hospitals have undergone several reforms in the course of last two decades in Iran. This paper reports the result of a national research that aimed to measure the technical efficiency and productivity change of public hospitals during 2012-2016 in Iran. Methods: We used Extended Data Envelopment Analysis (Extended-DEA) (an innovative modification to conventional DEA) to measure technical efficiency and productivity of 568 public hospitals. Nationally representative data were extracted from the official annual health reports. Data were analysed using GAMS software 24.3. Results: The average efficiency score of all hospitals was 0.733. 10.1% of all hospitals were efficient while 2.68% of them were under 0.2. The Malmquist Productivity Index (MPI) progressed in 49.3% of hospitals, remained constant in 2.3%, while 48.2% of hospitals regressed during 2015-2016. The average of MPI was 1.07 over the period of analysis. Conclusions: Extra efforts seem to be essential to enhance the efficient use of resources and develop appropriate policy solutions and tools. In particular, to increase the return to scale, we advocate the merger of small-size district hospitals towards establishing bigger efficient hospitals in various geographical regions across the country.