bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
miR‐152‐5p suppresses glioma progression and tumorigenesis and potentiates temozolomide sensitivity by targeting FBXL7
Authors: Kong Shiqi , Fang Yanwei , Wang Bingqian , Cao Yingxiao , He Runzhi , Zhao Zongmao
Published: March 2020

A generally used chemotherapeutic drug for glioma, a frequently diagnosed brain tumour, is temozolomide (TMZ). Our study investigated the activity of FBXL7 and miR‐152‐5p in glioma. Levels of microRNA‐152‐5p (miR‐152‐5p) and the transcript and protein of FBXL7 were assessed by real‐time PCR and Western blotting, respectively. The migratory and invasive properties of cells were measured by Transwell migration and invasion assay and their viability were examined using CCK‐8 assay. Further, the putative interaction between FBXL7 and miR‐152‐5p were analysed bioinformatically and by luciferase assay. The activities of FBXL7, TMZ and miR‐152‐5p were analysed in vivo singly or in combination, on mouse xenografts, in glioma tumorigenesis. The expression of FBXL7 in glioma tissue is significantly up‐regulated, which is related to the poor prognosis and the grade of glioma. TMZ‐induced cytotoxicity, proliferation, migration and invasion in glioma cells were impeded by the knock‐down of FBXL7 or overexpressed miR‐152‐5p. Furthermore, the expression of miR‐152‐5p reduced remarkably in glioma cells and it exerted its activity through targeted FBXL7. Overexpression of miR‐152‐5p and knock‐down of FBXL7 in glioma xenograft models enhanced TMZ‐mediated anti‐tumour effect and impeded tumour growth. Thus, the miR‐152‐5p suppressed the progression of glioma and associated tumorigenesis, targeted FBXL7 and increased the effect of TMZ‐induced cytotoxicity in glioma cells, further enhancing our knowledge of FBXL7 activity in glioma.
Electroantennogram responses of Plutella xylostella (L.), to sex pheromone components and host plant volatile semiochemicals
Authors: Wu Aihua , Li Xianwei , Yan Xizhong , Fan Weili , Hao Chi
Published: March 2020

The diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), is a notorious insect pest of cruciferous crops worldwide. Attract‐and‐kill strategies to manage the DBM based on insect pheromone and plant volatile semiochemicals have been explored and partially applied in the field. However, little is known about whether the attractant effects of insect pheromone and host plant volatile semiochemicals on insects are affected by insect age or volatile concentrations. Therefore, we examined the electroantennogram (EAG) responses of both DBM males and females varying in age and body size to a range of concentrations of seven host plant volatiles and two main female sex pheromone components. Our results showed that DBM age had no influence on EAG responses to trans‐2‐Hexenal, trans‐2‐Hexenol, Heptanal, cis‐3‐Hexen‐1‐ol and Z11‐16:Ald and significantly influenced the EAG responses to Z11‐16:Ac and three isothiocyanates. Age and sex had interaction effects on EAG responses of DBMs to some tested semiochemicals. DBM females had significantly stronger responses than males to all tested plant volatiles, and values were enhanced with increasing concentrations. Moreover, the degree of enhancement of EAG responses in females was larger than that in males for trans‐2‐Hexenal, trans‐2‐Hexenol, cis‐3‐Hexen‐1‐ol, 2‐Phenylethyl isothiocyanate and Methyl isothiocyanate treatments. Body size seemed to have no influence on EAG responses. Our results might provide a theoretical basis for optimizing attract‐and‐kill strategies for insect pests.
When Iʼm 84: What Should Life Look Like in Old Age?
Authors: Lipsitz Lewis A.
Published: March 2020

Housing and the built environment are well‐established social determinants of healthy longevity, yet no guidelines or standards exist for the design and construction of health‐promoting environments, especially for older adults who are at risk for functional decline and frailty. To envision what should be included in the design of healthy communities, it may help to reverse‐engineer what each of us would like our lives to look like in old age. In this special article, a geriatrician draws on his own personal aspirations and successful models of supportive community‐based programs to suggest key factors that should be considered in the design of future living environments. These include healthy housing that can enable aging in place without social isolation and loneliness; engagement in meaningful and productive work; financial, physical, transportation, food, and housing security; and affordable high‐quality home‐ and community‐based healthcare. By conceptualizing what we would like our later years to look like, future leaders can be more deliberate in creating living environments that promote a long and productive health span. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:967–969, 2020
A novel CCCH‐type zinc finger protein SAW1 activates OsGA20ox3 to regulate gibberellin homeostasis and anther development in rice
Authors: Wang Bin , Fang Ruiqiu , Chen Faming , Han Jingluan , Liu Yao‐Guang , Chen Letian , Zhu Qinlong
Published: March 2020

Male sterility is a prerequisite for hybrid seed production. The phytohormone gibberellin (GA) is involved in regulating male reproductive development, but the mechanism underlying GA homeostasis in anther development remains less understood. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of a new positive regulator of GA homeostasis, swollen anther wall 1 (SAW1), for anther development in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Rice plants carrying the recessive mutant allele saw1 produces abnormal anthers with swollen anther wall and aborted pollen. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRIPSR‐associated protein 9‐mediated knockout of SAW1 in rice generated similar male sterile plants. SAW1 encodes a novel nucleus‐localizing CCCH‐tandem zinc finger protein, and this protein could directly bind to the promoter region of the GA synthesis gene OsGA20ox3 to induce its anther‐specific expression. In the saw1 anther, the significantly decreased OsGA20ox3 expression resulted in lower bioactive GA content, which in turn caused the lower expression of the GA‐inducible anther‐regulator gene OsGAMYB. Thus, our results disclose the mechanism of the SAW1‐GA20ox3‐GAMYB pathway in controlling rice anther development, and provide a new target gene for the rapid generation of male sterile lines by genome editing for hybrid breeding.
Genetic tools in the management of invasive mammals: recent trends and future perspectives
Authors: Browett Samuel S. , O'Meara Denise B. , McDevitt Allan D.
Published: March 2020

Invasive non‐native species are now considered to be one of the greatest threats to biodiversity worldwide. Therefore, efficient and cost‐effective management of species invasions requires robust knowledge of their demography, ecology and impacts, and genetic‐based techniques are becoming more widely adopted in acquiring such knowledge.

We focus on the use of genetic tools in the applied management of mammalian invasions globally, as well as on their inherent advantages and disadvantages. We cover tools that are used in: 1) detecting and monitoring mammalian invaders; 2) identifying origins and invasive pathways; 3) assessing and quantifying the negative impacts of invaders; and 4) population management and potential eradication of invasive mammals.

We highlight changes in sequencing technologies, including how the use of techniques such as Sanger sequencing and microsatellite genotyping, for monitoring and tracing invasive pathways respectively, are now giving way to the use of high‐throughput sequencing methods. These include the emergence of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding for the early detection of invasive mammals, and single nucleotide polymorphisms or whole genomes to trace the sources of invasive populations. We are now moving towards trials of genome‐editing techniques and gene drives to control or eradicate invasive rodents.

Genetic tools can provide vital information that may not be accessible with non‐genetic methods, for the implementation of conservation policies (e.g. early detection using systematic eDNA surveillance, the identification of novel pathogens). However, the lack of clear communication of novel genetic methods and results (including transparency and reproducibility) to relevant stakeholders can be prohibitive in translating these findings to appropriate management actions. Geneticists should engage early with stakeholders to co‐design experiments in relation to management goals for invasive mammals.
Taxonomic differences shape the responses of freshwater aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic bacterial communities to light and predation
Authors: Ruiz‐González Clara , Garcia‐Chaves Maria Carolina , Ferrera Isabel , Niño‐García Juan Pablo , del Giorgio Paul A.
Published: March 2020

Aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic (AAP) bacteria are a phylogenetically diverse and ubiquitous group of prokaryotes that use organic matter but can harvest light using bacteriochlorophyll a. Although the factors regulating AAP ecology have long been investigated through field surveys, the few available experimental studies have considered AAPs as a group, thus disregarding the potential differential responses between taxonomically distinct AAP assemblages. Here, we used sequencing of the pufM gene to describe the diversity of AAPs in 10 environmentally distinct temperate lakes, and to investigate the taxonomic responses of AAP communities in these lakes when subjected to similar experimental manipulations of light and predator removal. The studied communities were clearly dominated by Limnohabitans AAP but presented a clear taxonomic segregation between lakes presumably driven by local conditions, which was maintained after experimental manipulations. Predation reduction (but not light exposure) caused significant compositional shifts across most assemblages, but the magnitude of these changes could not be clearly related to changes in bulk AAP abundances or taxonomic richness of AAP assemblages during experiments. Only a few operational taxonomic units, which differed taxonomically between lakes, were found to respond positively during experimental treatments. Our results highlight that different freshwater AAP communities respond differently to similar control mechanisms, highlighting that in‐depth knowledge on AAP diversity is essential to understand the ecology and potential role of these photoheterotrophs.
Uptake of further investigations following universal urinary screening among elementary and junior high school students in Shiga Prefecture, Japan: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Sakai Tomoyuki , Nomura Yasuyuki , Sawai Toshihiro , Hamada Riku , Gotoh Yoshimitsu , Yamamoto Kazuna , Ichioka Satoko , Masuda Toshiki , Maruo Yoshihiro , Honda Masataka
Published: March 2020

Aim

This study aimed to investigate the current progression status from screening phase to further investigation phase in the Japanese school urine mass screening (SUS) project.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study on the SUS project across the Shiga Prefecture during 2012 to 2017 analysed data from school life instruction sheets, which are principal documents in the SUS project, regarding urinalysis, attendance at follow‐up and diagnoses.

Results

Between the years 2012 to 2017, a median of 107 out of 83 749 elementary school students (aged 6‐11 years) and 215 out of 42 870 junior high students (aged 12‐14 years) had urine abnormalities identified for the first time in the SUS project. Among those with urine abnormalities, a mean of 4.2% of elementary school and 1.8% of junior high school students, respectively, were diagnosed with suspected glomerulonephritis for the first time. Overall, 5.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.1, 7.7) and 23.6% (95% CI 21.3, 25.9) of proteinuria‐positive elementary and junior high school students, respectively, did not undergo further investigations. The probability of a student undergoing further investigations was not affected by the local availability of medical care benefits.

Conclusion

In the current SUS project, screening frequently does not lead to further investigation, especially among junior high school students. To maintain the integrity of the SUS project and to prevent the progression of renal disease in young students, efforts including elucidation of barriers to further investigations should be made to reduce the proportions of students not undergoing further investigations for abnormal urinalysis findings.
Changes in irradiance and vapour pressure deficit under drought induce distinct stomatal dynamics between glasshouse and field‐grown poplars
Authors: Durand Maxime , Brendel Oliver , Buré Cyril , Le Thiec Didier
Published: March 2020

Recent research has shown that plant acclimation to diverse patterns of light intensity modifies the dynamics of their stomatal response. Therefore, whether plants are grown in controlled conditions or in the field may impact their stomatal dynamics.

We analysed the stomatal dynamics of two Populus euramericana and two Populus nigra genotypes grown in the field under contrasting water availability. By comparing their stomatal dynamics with that of the same genotypes grown in a glasshouse, we were able to test whether differences between these growing conditions interacted with genotypic differences in affecting stomatal dynamics and responses to soil water deficit.

We found that, despite higher stomatal density and smaller size, in the field stomatal dynamics were much slower than in the glasshouse. Overall, differences among genotypes and their response to soil water deficit were much less pronounced in the field compared with the glasshouse.

These results indicate that stomatal dynamics are regulated by both genotype‐specific and environmental factors. Moreover, having slower stomata may be advantageous under some conditions. While stomatal dynamics were linked with whole‐plant transpiration per leaf area in both experiments, the contribution of stomatal morphology varies dependent on the environmental conditions.
Infectious complications after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for primary immunodeficiency in children: A multicenter nationwide study
Authors: Zając‐Spychała Olga , Zaucha‐Prażmo Agnieszka , Zawitkowska Joanna , Wachowiak Jacek , Kowalczyk Jerzy R. , Frączkiewicz Jowita , Salamonowicz Malgorzata , Kałwak Krzysztof , Gorczyńska Ewa , Chybicka Alicja , Czyżewski Krzysztof , Dziedzic Magdalena , Wysocki Mariusz , Zalas‐Więcek Patrycja , Goździk Jolanta , Styczyński Jan
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The aim of this nationwide study was to evaluate the characteristics of bacterial infections (BI), invasive fungal disease (IFD), and viral infections (VI) in pediatric patients with PID after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo‐HSCT).

Patients and methods

In total, 114 HSCT recipients were enrolled into the study. At least one infectious complication (IC) was diagnosed in 60 (52.6%) patients aged 0.1‐17.7 years, that is, 59.5% with SCID and 49.4% with non‐SCID.

Results

Among 60 HSCT recipients diagnosed with at least one IC, 188 episodes of infectious complications (EIC) were recorded, that is, 46.8% of BI, 41.5% of VI, and 11.7% of proven/probable IFD. According to PID and HSCT donor type, the incidence of EIC was comparable (P = .679). The localization of infections differed significantly due to PID type (P = .002). After each HSCT donor type, the most common site of infection was GI. Overall, BI caused by Gram‐positive strains (59.1%) were prevalent, especially Staphylococcaceae. The multidrug‐resistant (MDR) pathogens were diagnosed in 52.3%, especially ESBL + Enterobacteriaceae. The profile of VI was comparable for SCID and non‐SCID patients (P = .839). The incidence of IFD was comparable for each PID and HSCT donor type. Survival after infection was 91.5% and was comparable for PID and HSCT donor type.

Conclusions

The rate of patients diagnosed with IC among pediatric PID‐HSCT recipients did not depend on PID type, but rather on HSCT donor type. The localization of IC depended on PID and HSCT donor type. Within bacterial infections, predominated Gram‐positive strains and the MDR pathogens were responsible for more than half of EIC.
Consciousness in sleep: How findings from sleep and dream research challenge our understanding of sleep, waking, and consciousness
Authors: Windt Jennifer M.
Published: March 2020

Sleep is phenomenologically rich, teeming with different kinds of conscious thought and experience. Dreaming is the most prominent example, but there is more to conscious experience in sleep than dreaming. Especially in non‐rapid eye movement sleep, conscious experience, sometimes dreamful, sometimes dreamless, also alternates with a loss of consciousness. Yet while dreaming has become established as a topic for interdisciplinary consciousness science and empirically informed philosophy of mind, the same is not true of other kinds of sleep‐related experience, nor is it true of sleep itself. I argue that this is a mistake. Conscious experience in sleep is more diverse than dreaming and we need to explain its different forms as well as the alternation between conscious and unconscious sleep states. We also need to ask how different kinds of sleep‐related experience relate to foundational issues about sleep and wakefulness as well as sleep stages. I survey recent findings and theoretical developments from sleep and dream research to show how the traditional view of sleep and its relation to wakefulness and consciousness is flawed. I then suggest that by refining our frameworks of sleep‐related experiences and sleep staging in tandem, we can work toward a better view. As we are only beginning to understand the diversity of consciousness in sleep, an important aim is programmatic: We need a philosophy of sleep and of consciousness in sleep, not just a philosophy of dreaming, and a future theory of sleep needs to integrate phenomenological considerations with neuroscientific and behavioral evidence. Working toward such a theory will radically transform our understanding of sleep, wakefulness, and our conscious minds.
Language contexts modulate instant empathic responses to others’ pain
Authors: Wu Yan Jing , Liu Yang , Yao Manlin , Li Xiaoyun , Peng Weiwei
Published: March 2020

Empathy for others’ pain plays a critical role in human social interactions, but the influence of language contexts remains unclear. We examined the foreign‐language effect on the behavioral and the underlying neural processes of empathy for others’ pain. Chinese–English bilinguals performed a pain empathy task separately in Chinese (native language) and English (foreign language) contexts while event‐related potentials (ERPs) were recorded. Results showed that bilingual participants reported greater ratings of perceived pain intensity in response to the observation of others’ pain in the English as compared to the Chinese context. When comparing the brain responses to painful stimuli with those to non‐painful stimuli, a significant empathic response in the early ERP component (N1) was found only in the English, but not in the Chinese context. Empathic response in the P3 component was larger when bilingual participants performed the task in English as compared to Chinese. However, empathic response in the late positive potential (LPP) was comparable between these two language contexts. Furthermore, spontaneous fronto‐central α‐oscillation power recorded prior to the onset of empathic stimuli was significantly lower in the foreign language as compared to the native‐language context. These findings demonstrated a foreign‐language effect on both the automatic affective sharing and the top‐down cognitive evaluation processes of empathy for others’ pain. This effect is most likely to be the result of altered brain states, involving increased vigilance and arousal level when bilingual individuals function in a foreign‐language context.
Effect of renal replacement therapy modalities on renal recovery and mortality for acute kidney injury: A PRISMA‐compliant systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Zhao Yuanyuan , Chen Yifei
Published: March 2020

Previous investigations showed inconsistent results for comparison in renal recovery, in‐hospital, and in‐intensive care unit (ICU) mortalities between acute kidney injury (AKI) patients treated with continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) and some kinds of intermittent renal replacement therapies (IRRTs). We systematically searched for articles published in the databases (PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Medline, and Google Scholar) until June 2019. We made all statistical analysis using STATA 12.0 software. In the present meta‐analysis, relative risks with 95% confidence intervals were calculated for binary outcomes (renal recovery status or mortality). The present study indicated no significant differences in renal recovery, in‐hospital mortality, and in‐ICU mortality between AKI patients given CRRT and those given sustained low‐efficiency dialysis (SLED). Additionally, the study showed no significant difference in in‐hospital mortality between AKI patients given CRRT and those given intermittent hemodialysis (IHD), whereas elevated in‐ICU mortality was detected in AKI patients given CRRT, compared to those given IHD. The three modalities (CRRT, IHD, and SLED) have their own advantages and disadvantages. More rigorous trials design with large cohort should be made to explore the differences in renal recovery, in‐hospital, and in‐ICU mortalities between different kinds of RRTs.
A molecular phylogeny of Glaphyridae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea): evolution of pollination and association with ‘Poppy guild’ flowers
Authors: Sabatinelli Guido , Eberle Jonas , Fabrizi Silvia , Ahrens Dirk
Published: March 2020

Among Scarabaeoidea, pollen feeding occurs in two major lineages, pleurostict Scarabaeidae and Glaphyridae. Here we infer for the first time the phylogeny of the scarabaeoid lineage Glaphyridae (Coleoptera) based on molecular data using partial gene sequences for 28S rRNA, cytochrome oxidase I (cox1) and 16S rRNA (rrnL) for 41 species. Based on the resulting tree topology, we inferred the timing of the origin of pollination and of their coevolution with different flower host taxa, with particular focus on the prominent red‐coloured ‘poppy guild’ flowers. All genera of Glaphyridae that were sampled with multiple species were recovered as monophyletic. According to this analysis, the origin of Glaphyridae was around 140 Ma, while crown group divergence was dated to have occurred c. 112 Ma. Pollen feeding originated in Glaphyridae only once and much later than in other important pollinator groups, between 97 and 67 Ma. According to the reconstruction of ancestral feeding traits, Asteraceae (Cicharioidae) were the first hosts of Glaphyridae. Presumably, a further adaptive radiation was triggered by feeding on and pollination of red flowers (poppy guild) which arose at a later stage. It occurred for the first time between 30 and 40 Ma, whereby the clades that use red Ranunculaceae (Pygopleurus spp.) are older than clades using exclusively red Papaveraceae (Eulasia spp.) (25–30 Ma). The rather young age of red Ranunculaceae would imply that Pygopleurus species only subsequently used red Ranunculus species as flower hosts, and that a broad parallel host shift probably from red Papaver spp. to red Ranunculus asiaticus has occurred rather recently.
Los observadores de la Iglesia Ortodoxa Rusa al Concilio Vaticano II
Authors: Arias Cárdenas Gonzalo
Published: March 2020

El artículo trata sobre la participación de los observadores del Patriarcado de Moscú al Concilio Vaticano II. Su presencia –al lado de representantes de otras iglesias no en plena comunión con la Iglesia de Roma– fue determinante para que se llevara a cabo “el gran examen de conciencia de la Iglesia” en referencia al problema del restablecimiento de la unión de todos los cristianos.En una sede de tal magnitud como la de un Concilio ecuménico de la Iglesia Católica, se tomó contacto y conciencia de esta realidad y de la necesidad imperiosa de dar inicio a un diálogo constructivo que sentara bases sólidas para volver a la unidad deseada y orada por Cristo antes de su inmolación en la cruz. Se puede apreciar de manera sintética el camino seguido por católicos y ortodoxos, los pasos dados y el crecimiento que se dio antes, durante y después del inmediato posconcilio.
Does Physical Fitness Predict Future Karate Success? A Study in Young Female Karatekas
Authors: Martínez de Quel Óscar , Ara Ignacio , Izquierdo Mikel , Ayán Carlos
Published: March 2020

Objective: To assess the discriminative ability of several fitness dimensions and anthropometric attributes for forecasting competitive success in female karate athletes. Methods: Fitness and anthropometric data from 98 female junior karatekas obtained during the training camps of the Spanish National Karate Federation between 1999 and 2012 were used. Binary logistic-regression models were built to ascertain whether the set of fitness and anthropometric variables could predict future sporting-performance levels. For this purpose, participants were classified as elite (medalist in World or European Championships in the senior category) or subelite (at least a medalist in Spanish National Championships in cadet or junior but not included in the elite group), according to the results achieved up to 2019. Results: Participants who were subsequently classified as elite karatekas showed significant differences in agility, upper- and lower-body muscle power, and general fitness in comparison with those who were classified as subelite in the senior category. A total of 57 junior female karatekas who were subsequently classified as elite (7) or subelite (50) were included in the binary logistic-regression analysis. Resultant models showed significant capacity to predict karate performance. Conclusions: Assessing physical fitness in junior categories can be a useful resource to determine future karate success. Coaches in this sport should pay special attention to the levels of muscle power and agility shown by their athletes, as both fitness dimensions could be indicators of future sportive success.
In Vivo
Targeting of Clostridioides difficile Using Phage-Delivered CRISPR-Cas3 Antimicrobials
Authors: Selle Kurt , Fletcher Joshua R. , Tuson Hannah , Schmitt Daniel S. , McMillan Lana , Vridhambal Gowrinarayani S. , Rivera Alissa J. , Montgomery Stephanie A. , Fortier Louis-Charles , Barrangou Rodolphe , Theriot Casey M. , Ousterout David G.
Published: March 2020

Clostridioides difficile
is a bacterial pathogen responsible for significant morbidity and mortality across the globe. Current therapies based on broad-spectrum antibiotics have some clinical success, but approximately 30% of patients have relapses, presumably due to the continued perturbation to the gut microbiota. Here, we show that phages can be engineered with type I CRISPR-Cas systems and modified to reduce lysogeny and to enable the specific and efficient targeting and killing of
C. difficile
in vitro
and
in vivo.
Additional genetic engineering to disrupt phage modulation of toxin expression by lysogeny or other mechanisms would be required to advance a CRISPR-enhanced phage antimicrobial for
C. difficile
toward clinical application. These findings provide evidence into how phage can be combined with CRISPR-based targeting to develop novel therapies and modulate microbiomes associated with health and disease.
Genetic and Chemical-Genetic Interactions Map Biogenesis and Permeability Determinants of the Outer Membrane of Escherichia coli
Authors: Klobucar Kristina , French Shawn , Côté Jean-Philippe , Howes James R. , Brown Eric D.
Published: March 2020

Gram-negative bacteria are a major concern for public health, particularly due to the rise of antibiotic resistance. It is important to understand the biology and permeability of the outer membrane of these bacteria in order to increase the efficacy of antibiotics that have difficulty penetrating this structure. Here, we studied the genetic interactions of a subset of outer membrane-related gene deletions in the model Gram-negative bacterium
E. coli
. We systematically combined these mutants with 3,985 nonessential gene and small RNA deletion mutations in the genome. We examined the viability of these double-deletion strains and probed their permeability characteristics using two antibiotics that have difficulty crossing the outer membrane barrier. An understanding of the genetic basis for outer membrane integrity can assist in the development of new antibiotics with favorable permeability properties and the discovery of compounds capable of increasing outer membrane permeability to enhance the activity of existing antibiotics.
Tracking a Global Threat: a New Genotyping Method for Candida auris
Authors: Cuomo Christina A. , Alanio Alexandre
Published: March 2020

Over the past decade,
Candida auris
has emerged as an urgent threat to public health. Initially reported from cases of ear infections in Japan and Korea,
C. auris
has since been detected around the world. While whole-genome sequencing has been extensively used to trace the genetic relationships of the global emergence and local outbreaks, a recent report in
mBio
describes a targeted genotyping method as a rapid and inexpensive method for classifying
C. auris
isolates (T.
Humans Are Selectively Exposed to Pneumocystis jirovecii
Authors: Cissé Ousmane H. , Ma Liang , Jiang Chao , Snyder Michael , Kovacs Joseph A.
Published: March 2020

Environmental exposure has a significant impact on human health. While some airborne fungi can cause life-threatening infections, the impact of environment on fungal spore dispersal and transmission is poorly understood. The democratization of shotgun metagenomics allows us to explore important questions about fungal propagation. We focus on
Pneumocystis
, a genus of host-specific fungi that infect mammals via airborne particles. In humans,
Pneumocystis jirovecii
causes lethal infections in immunocompromised patients if untreated, although its environmental reservoir and transmission route remain unclear.
Indigenous Ammonia-Oxidizing Archaea in Oxic Subseafloor Oceanic Crust
Authors: Zhao Rui , Dahle Håkon , Ramírez Gustavo A. , Jørgensen Steffen L.
Published: March 2020

Ridge flanks represent the major avenue of chemical and heat exchange between the Earth’s oceans and the lithosphere and are thought to harbor an enormous and understudied biosphere. However, little is known about the diversity and functionality of the crustal biosphere. Here, we report an indigenous community of archaea specialized in ammonia oxidation (i.e., AOA) in the oxic oceanic crust at North Pond. These AOA are the dominant archaea and are likely responsible for most of the cycling taking place in the first step of nitrification, a feasible nitrogen cycling step in the oxic basement. The crustal AOA community structure significantly differs from that in deep ocean water but is similar to that of the community in the overlying sediments in close proximity. This report links the occurrence of AOA to their metabolic activity in the oxic subseafloor crust and suggests that ecological selection and
in situ
proliferation may shape the microbial community structure in the rocky subsurface.
Comparison of central visual sensitivity between monocular and binocular testing in advanced glaucoma patients using imo perimetry
Authors: Kumagai Tomoyuki , Shoji Takuhei , Yoshikawa Yuji , Mine Izumi , Kanno Junji , Ishii Hirokazu , Saito Akane , Ishikawa Sho , Kimura Itaru , Shinoda Kei
Published: March 2020

Background/Aim

This study aimed to compare central visual sensitivity under monocular and binocular conditions in patients with glaucoma using the new imo static perimetry.

Methods

Fifty-one consecutive eyes of 51 patients with open-angle glaucoma who were affected with at least one significant point in the central 10° were examined in this cross-sectional study. Monocular and binocular random single-eye tests were performed using the imo perimeter and the Humphrey field analyser (HFA) 24-2 and 10-2 tests. The eyes were assigned to ‘better’ and ‘worse’ categories based on the visual acuity and central visual thresholding. Central visual sensitivity results obtained by monocular, binocular random single-eye tests and binocular simultaneous both eye test were compared.

Results

The average mean deviation with the HFA 24-2 was −5.5 (–1.5, –14.6) dB (median, (IQR)) in the better eyes and −18.0 (–12.9, –23.8) dB in the worse eyes. The mean sensitivity in the central 4 points of the visual field (VF) of the worse eyes was lower when measured under the binocular eye condition than under the monocular condition. Conversely, this value of the better eyes was greater when measured under the binocular eye condition than under the monocular condition.

Conclusions

The central sensitivity of the better eyes was better and that of the worse eyes poorer with binocular testing than with monocular testing in patients with glaucoma. Although monocular VF testing is still the most straightforward means to monocularly monitor glaucoma at clinical settings, binocular testing, such as provided with imo perimetry, may be a useful clinical tool to predict the effect of VF impairments on a patient’s quality of visual life.
Improved localisation and discrimination of heat emitting household objects with the artificial vision therapy system by integration with thermal sensor
Authors: Montezuma Sandra R , Sun Susan Y , Roy Arup , Caspi Avi , Dorn Jessy D , He Yingchen
Published: March 2020

Aim

To demonstrate the potential clinically meaningful benefits of a thermal camera integrated with the Argus II, an artificial vision therapy system, for assisting Argus II users in localising and discriminating heat-emitting objects.

Methods

Seven blind patients implanted with Argus II retinal prosthesis participated in the study. Two tasks were investigated: (1) localising up to three heat-emitting objects by indicating the location of the objects and (2) discriminating a specific heated object out of three presented on a table. Heat-emitting objects placed on a table included a toaster, a flat iron, an electric kettle, a heating pad and a mug of hot water. Subjects completed the two tasks using the unmodified Argus II system with a visible-light camera and the thermal camera-integrated Argus II.

Results

Subjects more accurately localised heated objects displayed on a table (p=0.011) and discriminated a specific type of object (p=0.005) presented with the thermal camera integrated with the Argus II versus the unmodified Argus II camera.

Conclusions

The thermal camera integrated with the artificial vision therapy system helps users to locate and differentiate heat-emitting objects more precisely than a visible light sensor. The integration of the thermal camera with the Argus II may have significant benefits in patients’ daily life.
Identification of TIE2 as a susceptibility gene for neovascular age-related macular degeneration and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy
Authors: Chen Zhen Ji , Ma Li , Brelen Marten E , Chen Haoyu , Tsujikawa Motokazu , Lai Timothy Y , Ho Mary , Sayanagi Kaori , Hara Chikako , Hashida Noriyasu , Tam Pancy OS , Young Alvin L , Nishida Kohji , Tham Clement C , Pang Chi Pui , Chen Li Jia
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The endothelial and cell-specific angiopoietin-Tie pathway plays an important regulatory role in angiogenesis. In this study, we investigated the associations of the TIE2 (tyrosine kinase, endothelial, TEK) gene with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), using haplotype-tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) analysis.

Methods

This study involved totally 2343 subjects, including a Hong Kong Chinese cohort (214 nAMD patients, 236 PCV patients and 433 control subjects), a Shantou Chinese cohort (189 nAMD patients, 187 PCV patients and 531 control subjects) and an Osaka Japanese cohort (192 nAMD patients, 204 PCV patients and 157 control subjects). Thirty haplotype-tagging SNPs in TIE2 were genotyped in the Hong Kong cohort using TaqMan technology. Two SNPs (rs625767 and rs2273717) showing association in the Hong Kong cohort were genotyped in the Shantou and Osaka cohorts. The SNP-disease association of individual and pooled cohorts were analysed.

Results

Two SNPs (rs625767 and rs2273717) showed suggestive association with both nAMD and PCV in the Hong Kong cohort. In the meta-analysis involving all the three cohorts, rs625767 showed significant associations with nAMD (p=0.01; OR=0.82, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.96; I2=0%), PCV (p=0.02; OR=0.83, 95% CI 0.71 to 0.97; I2=27%) and pooled nAMD and PCV (p=0.002; OR=0.82, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.93; I2=0%), with low inter-cohort heterogeneities.

Conclusion

This study revealed TIE2 as a novel susceptibility gene for nAMD and PCV in Japanese and Chinese. Further studies in other populations are warranted to confirm its role.
Forty-two years of responding to Ebola virus outbreaks in Sub-Saharan Africa: a review
Authors: Rugarabamu Sima , Mboera Leonard , Rweyemamu Mark , Mwanyika Gaspary , Lutwama Julius , Paweska Janusz , Misinzo Gerald
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Ebola virus disease (EVD) is one of the deadliest haemorrhagic fevers affecting humans and non-human primates. Thirty-four outbreaks have been reported in Africa since it was first recognised in 1976. This review analysed 42 years of EVD outbreaks and identified various challenges and opportunities for its control and prevention in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods

A literature search of relevant articles on EVD was done in PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar electronic databases. Articles published from 1976 to 2019 were reviewed to document reports of EVD outbreaks in Sub-Saharan Africa. Data extraction focused on the year of outbreak, geographical spread, virus strain involved, number of cases and deaths, case fatality, and outbreak management. Analyses of trends in case fatality were performed by calculating ORs between times.

Results

In the past four decades, a total of 34 EVD outbreaks affecting 34 356 cases and causing 14 823 deaths were reported in 11 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The overall case fatality rate (95% CI) was 66% (62 to 71) and did not change substantially over time (OR in 2019 vs 1976=1.6 (95% CI 1.5 to 1.8), p<0.001). The results of this review indicate that challenges to control EVD outbreaks are related to epidemiological, sociocultural and health system factors.

Conclusions

Sub-Saharan Africa continues to face considerable challenges in EVD control, whereby there are no significant changes in case fatality rates observed during the past four decades. Socioeconomic and cultural processes need to be critically considered to shape the community behaviours that lead to exposure to EVD outbreaks. Areas that need to be addressed to prevent future EVD outbreaks include a broad-based, one-health approach, effective communication, social mobilisation, and strengthening of the health systems.
Designing new diagnostic systems for the early detection of tobacco-associated chronic renal damage in patients of a primary care centre in Salamanca, Spain: an observational, prospective study protocol
Authors: Prieto Marta , Vicente-Vicente Laura , Casanova Alfredo G , Hernández-Sánchez Maria Teresa , Gomez-Marcos Manuel A , Garcia-Ortiz Luis , Morales Ana Isabel
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Tobacco causes kidney damage that can progress to chronic kidney disease. However, the diagnostic parameters used in clinics are not effective in identifying smokers at risk. Our first objective is to more effectively detect subclinical renal damage in smokers. In addition, we hypothesise that tobacco consumption can predispose smokers to renal damage on exposure to other potentially nephrotoxic events (drugs, diagnostic procedures and so on). We will test this hypothesis in our second objective by investigating whether certain predisposition markers (GM2 ganglioside activator protein (GM2AP), transferrin and t-gelsolin) are able to detect smokers who are predisposed to kidney damage. Finally, in our third objective, we will study whether smoking cessation reduces subclinical and/or predisposition to renal damage.

Methods and analysis

For our first objective, a prospective cross-sectional study will be carried out with patients from a primary healthcare centre. The influence of tobacco on renal damage, in patients both with and without additional risk factors, will be studied using a panel of early biomarkers (albuminuria, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase, kidney injury molecule-1 and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin). For our second objective, a prospective longitudinal study will be carried out with patients recruited for our first objective. We will study whether certain predisposition biomarkers (GM2AP, transferrin and t-gelsolin) are able to detect smokers predisposed to renal damage. For our third objective, a prospective longitudinal study will be carried out with patients from a smoking cessation unit. We will study the evolution of the markers described above following smoking cessation.

Ethics and dissemination

The study has been approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Healthcare Area of Salamanca. All study participants will sign an informed consent form in compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki and the WHO standards for observational studies. Results will be presented at conferences and submitted to peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration number

NCT03850756.
‘French LARS score’: validation of the French version of the low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) score for measuring bowel dysfunction after sphincter-preserving surgery among rectal cancer patients: a study protocol
Authors: Eid Yassine , Bouvier Véronique , Dejardin Olivier , Menahem Benjamin , Chaillot Fabien , Chene Yannick , Dutheil Jean Jacques , Juul Therese , Morello Rémy , Alves Arnaud
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Many bowel problems following low anterior resection (LAR) for rectal cancer considerably impair the quality of life (QoL) of patients. The LAR syndrome (LARS) scale is a self-report questionnaire to identify and assess bowel dysfunction after rectal cancer surgery. It has been translated and validated in several languages but not in French (metropolitan French). The primary objective is to adapt the LARS scale to the French language (called French-LARS score) and to assess its psychometric properties. Secondary objectives are to assess both the prevalence and severity of LARS and to measure their impact on QoL.

Methods and analysis

A French multicentre observational cohort study has been designed. The validation study will include translation of the LARS scale following the current international recommendations, assessment of its reliability, convergent and discriminant validities, sensitivity, internal consistency, internal validity and confirmatory analyses. One thousand patients will be enrolled for the analyses. The questionnaire will be initially administered to the first 100 patients to verify the adequacy and degree of comprehension of the questions. Then reproducibility will be investigated by a test–retest procedure in the following 400 patients.

An analysis will be conducted to determine the correlation between the LARS score and the Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ; European Organization for Treatment and Research of Cancer’s QLQ-C30, QLQ-CR29). Risk factors linked to QoL deterioration will be identified and their impact will be measured. This study will meet the need for a validated tool to improve patient care and QoL.

Ethics and dissemination

The institutional review board of the University Hospital of Caen and the ethics committee (CPP Nord Ouest I, 25 January 2019) approved the study.

Trial registration number

NCT03569488.
Actions of annatto-extracted tocotrienol supplementation on obese postmenopausal women: study protocol for a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomised trial
Authors: Aryaie Amir , Tinsley Grant , Lee Jaehoon , Watkins Bruce A , Moore Lane , Alhaj-Saleh Adel , Shankar Kartik , Wood Sarah R , Wang Rui , Shen Chwan-Li
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Obesity is a major health concern in postmenopausal women, and chronic low-grade inflammation contributes to the development of obesity. Cellular studies and high-fat-diet-induced obese mouse model mimicking obesity show the antiobesity effect of annatto-extracted tocotrienols (TT) with antioxidant capability. We aim to assess the safety and efficacy of TT consumption for lipid-related parameters in obese postmenopausal women.

Methods and analysis

Eligible obese postmenopausal women will be randomly assigned to placebo group (430 mg olive oil) and TT group (DeltaGold Tocotrienol 70%) for 24 weeks. In the present study, the primary outcome is total/regional fat mass and visceral adipose tissue. The secondary outcomes include lipid profile in serum, mRNA expression of fatty acid synthase and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A in fat tissue, oxylipins and endocannabinoids in plasma and adipose tissue, abundance and composition of intestinal microbiome in faeces, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in serum and leptin in serum. Every participant will be evaluated at 0 (prior to starting intervention) and 24 weeks of intervention, except for serum lipid profile and hs-CRP at 0, 12 and 24 weeks. ‘Intent-to-treat’ principle is employed for data analysis. Hierarchical linear modelling is used to estimate the effects of dietary TT supplementation while properly accounting for dependency of data and identified covariates. To our knowledge, this is the first randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blinded study to determine dietary TT supplementation on an obese population. If successful, this study will guide the future efficacy TT interventions and TT can be implemented as an alternative for obese population in antiobesity management.

Ethics and dissemination

This study has been approved by the Bioethics Committee of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock. An informed consent form will be signed by a participant before enrolling in the study. The results from this trial will be actively disseminated through academic conference presentation and peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration number

NCT03705845.