bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lesion-associated microglia and macrophages react with massive phagocytosis for debris clearance and wound healing after LPS-induced dopaminergic depletion
Authors: Heman-Bozadas Paola , Romero Cristina , Frías Alba , Saavedra-López Elena , Casanova Paola Virginia , Roig-Martínez Meritxell , Cribaro George Paul , Rovirosa-Hernández Maria de Jesus , Hernández-Baltazar Daniel , Barcia Carlos
Published: January 2021

Background Neuroinflammation contributes to neuronal degeneration in Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, how brain inflammatory factors mediate the progression of neurodegeneration is still poorly understood. Experimental models of PD have shed light on the understanding of this phenomenon, but the exploration of inflammation-driven models is necessary to better characterize this aspect of the disorder. The use of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce a neuroinflammation-mediated neuronal loss is useful to induce reliable elimination of dopaminergic neurons. Nevertheless, how this model parallels the PD-like neuroinflammation is uncertain.Methods In the present work, we used the direct LPS stereotactic injection as a model inductor to eliminate dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) in rats and reevaluated the microanatomy of inflammatory reaction three and seven days after the insult. For this, we analyzed the tissue with high resolution confocal microscopy to assess the neuronal loss, the vulnerability of dopaminergic neurons, as well as the activation of lesion-associated microglia and macrophages (LAMMs) together with the visualization of their phagocytic capacity. In addition, we set up a co-culture of BV2 microglia and PC12 dopaminergic cells to understand the role of LPS-mediated neuroinflammatory toxicity versus phagocytosis.Results High-resolution 3D histological examination revealed that, although LPS induced a reliable elimination of SNpc dopaminergic neurons, it also generated a massive neuroinflammatory response. This inflammation-mediated injury was characterized by a damaged parenchyma occupied by a vast population of LAMMs undertaking wound compaction and scar formation. LAMMs tiled the entire lesion and engaged in long-standing phagocytic activity to resolve the injury. Additionally, modeling LPS inflammation in a cell culture system helped to understand the role of phagocytosis and cytotoxicity in dopaminergic degeneration and indicated that LAMM-mediated toxicity and phagocytosis coexist during LPS-mediated dopaminergic elimination.Conclusions This type of severe inflammatory-mediated injury appears to be different from the ageing-related PD scenario where the architectural structure of the parenchyma is preserved. Thus, the necessity to explore new experimental models to properly mimic the inflammatory compound observed in PD degeneration.
Fetal Sex-Dependent Associations Between Gestational Hormone Concentrations and Adverse Birth Outcomes
Authors: Cathey Amber L. , Watkins Deborah J. , Rosario Zaira Y. , Vega Carmen M. Vélez , Mukherjee Bhramar , O'Neill Marie S. , Loch-Caruso Rita , Alshawabkeh Akram N. , Cordero José F. , Meeker John D.
Published: January 2021

Adverse birth outcomes remain significant public health problems that can have long-lasting impacts on mother and child. Understanding biological mechanisms underlying these outcomes, including altered endocrine function, can inform prevention efforts. The aim of this study was to evaluate associations between hormones at two times points during mid-gestation and adverse birth outcomes, and to assess effect modification by fetal sex. Repeated gestational hormone measurements (at 18 and 26 weeks) and birth outcomes were assessed among 976 women in PROTECT, a longitudinal prospective birth cohort in northern Puerto Rico, from 2011 to 2018. Birth outcomes assessed included preterm and spontaneous preterm birth (PTB), preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), small/large for gestational age (SGA, LGA), birthweight z-score, and gestational age at birth. Multivariate logistic and linear regressions were fit using visit-specific concentrations of hormones. We also conducted sensitivity analyses assessing impacts of fetal sex on observed associations. All models were adjusted for maternal age and education, and other confounders were assessed separately between birth outcomes based on a priori knowledge and observed associations with exposure and outcome measures. We observed increased odds of spontaneous PTB with IQR increases in progesterone (OR: 2.12, 95% CI: 1.29, 3.47), fT4 (OR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.04, 2.86), and the ratio of progesterone to estriol (OR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.05, 2.54) at 26 weeks. Elevated estriol was protective against preeclampsia at 26 weeks (OR: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.17, 0.99). Increases in TSH and T3 conferred greater risk of GDM at 18 weeks. Many associations were modified by fetal sex, with hormone alterations during male pregnancies conferring greater risk of PTB, spontaneous PTB, and GDM. In conclusion, associations between hormones and birth outcomes vary based on timing of hormone measurement and fetal sex. Future studies are needed to understand mechanisms involved in adverse birth outcomes and fetal sex differences.
2D and 3D Potential Flow Simulation around NACA 0012 Airfoil with Ground Eﬀect
Authors: Ozdemir YavuzHakan , Barlas Baris
Published: January 2021

The purpose of this paper is to develop a Boundary Element Based Method (BEM) for determining the steady potential about two and three dimensional airfoil. The numerical investigation of NACA 0012 airfoil with using Boundary Element Method is utilized. Two different physical problems of the NACA 0012 airfoil are examined: potential flow around airfoil in an unbounded fluid and potential flow prediction with ground effect. Computation of potential flow around the airfoil is investigated by the mixed constant strength source and constant strength dipole based panel method. Boundary Element Code is written in FORTRAN. To check the accuracy of the 2D boundary element based code, the validation studies are carried out by comparing the present results obtained for the NACA 0012 airfoil from the XFoil and other published simulation results. 3D results are also evaluating with the available experimental and other numerical simulation results. The numerical outcomes are examined in terms of pressure distribution and lifting force on the foil.
Phytochemical analysis and antibacterial activity of extract from lantana camara l. leaves
Authors: Lourenço Bondy , Kiza Asimbawe , João Abrão Amândio , Niconte Clemência Félix Odala , Vintuar Pompílio Armando , Gwembe Eusébio André Pedro , Cuinica Lázaro Gonçalves
Published: January 2021

Background: Currently, several studies are being conducted to test antibacterial activity of various medicinal plants, in attempt to develop new antibiotics or to potentiate the action of antibiotics of known clinical use. In this research, phytochemical analysis and in vitro antibacterial activity of leaf extracts of Lantana camara L were performed.Methods The extracts were obtained through maceration with 90% ethanol. In phytochemical analysis, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins and saponins were identified using specific reagents for each class.The antibacterial activity was analyzed using the disk diffusion method according to Kirby-Bauer, against Escherichia coli and Staphylococus aureus.Key findings The diameters of the inhibition halos varied between 0.7 and 12 mm, with an average of 8.26 mm for strains of S. aureus and there was no inhibition for E. coli. The results showed a significant difference between the inhibition halos and the tested concentrations for S. aureus. In conclusion L. camara leaf extracts are rich in bioactive compounds and have a good antibacterial potential against S. aureus and not for E. coli. And there was no relationship between the concentration of the extract and the diameter of the halo of inhibition of the evaluated microorganism.
Plasma neurofilament light, CSF Aβ, total tau, and p tau 181 is associated with altered cerebral blood flow across Alzheimer’s disease spectrum
Authors: Nabizadeh Fardin , Balabandian Mohammad , Rostami Mohammad Reza , Kankam Samuel Berchi
Published: January 2021

Neurofilament light (NFL) protein NFL is an axonal structural protein and a marker of neuroaxonal damage which is a consequence of neurologic diseases. Also, a decrease of the Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) is one of the earliest changes in AD patients. In line with the rising importance of the blood biomarkers and cerebral blood flow as a predictor of the onset of the AD, we investigated that whether there is a correlation between plasma NFL, CSF level of T tau, P tau, and Aβ, and the decrease of the blood flow in the several regions of the brain. We performed our analysis on three groups of subjects including AD (n=29), mild cognitive impairments (n=76), and cognitively healthy controls (n=39). Our results showed a significant correlation between plasma or CSF biomarkers with altered rCBF in different regions within groups. Our findings revealed that NFL is associated with rCBF, therefore, our results support the application of plasma NFL and other CSF biomarkers as a diagnosis tools for AD and neurodegenerations.
Association Between Household Air Pollution and Infant and Child Mortality in Myanmar: Evidence From The First Demographic and Health Survey
Authors: Rana Juwel , Khan Md Nuruzzaman , Islam Rakibul M , Aliani Razia , Oulhote Youssef
Published: January 2021

Background: Household air pollution (HAP) from solid fuel use (SFU) for cooking has been considered a public health threat, particularly for women and children in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), with limited evidence. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of HAP on neonatal, infant, and under-five child mortality in Myanmar. Methods: This cross-sectional study employed data from the Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS), the first nationally representative survey conducted in 2016. Data were collected from MDHS based on stratified two-stage cluster sampling design applied in urban and rural areas. The sample consists of 3249 under-five children in the household with a 98% response rate. Exposure measures were HAP (coal and biomass) and level of exposure to HAP (no exposure, moderate and high exposure). The main outcomes were neonatal, infant, and under-five child mortality reported by mothers presented in rates and risk ratios with 95% confidence intervals, accounting for survey weight and cluster variation. Results: The prevalence of SFU was 79.0%. The neonatal, infant and under-five child mortality rates were 26, 45, and 49 per 1,000 live births, respectively. The risks of infant (aRR 2.02; 95% CI: 1.01-4.05) and under-five mortality (aRR 2.16; 95% CI: 1.07-4.36) mortality were higher among children from households with SFU compared to children from households using clean fuel. When applying an augmented measure of exposure to HAP by incorporating SFU and the kitchen's location, the likelihoods of infant and under-five mortality were even higher among moderate and highly exposed children than unexposed children with similar trends. Neonatal mortality was not associated with either HAP exposure or levels of exposure to HAP.Conclusion: Infants and under-five children are at higher risk of mortality from exposure to HAP. Increasing access to cookstoves and clean fuels is imperative to reduce the risk of infant and under-five child mortality in LMICs, including Myanmar.
Integrative gene network analysis identifies TIMP1 as key factors for Haemophilus parasuis infection
Authors: Dong Xia , Liu Mengyun , Chen Hongbo , Zhou Ao
Published: January 2021

Haemophilus parasuis (H.parasuis), an important swine pathogen, causes Glässer's disease leading to pulmonary fibrosis, polyserositis, meningitis, and arthritis. However, the common molecular response and reaction from the host remain unknown. In this study, to uncover novel host factors involved in H.parasuis infection, we identified the global transcriptomics of porcine lung, spleen, blood, alveolar macrophages (PAM), peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) and aortic vascular endothelial cells (PAVECs) after infection of H.parasuis (Hps0165 strains) using microarray data and high throughput sequencing from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), respectively. The results showed that fifteen overlapped genes were significantly regulated in H.parasuis infected porcine lung and spleen, and then were compared with the data from porcine blood, revealing RETN, TIMP1 and C4BPA play potentially an important role for H.parasuis invasion. Furthermore, through analysing porcine cells infected with H.parasuis, we uncover the only overlap gene TIMP1 remarkably upregulated in all assembled data, indicating that TIMP1 could function as key target for the treatment of H.parasuis infection.
Prognostic Value of Metabolic Parameters Measured By 18F-FDG PET/CT In Patients With Metastatic Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma
Authors: Lai Ruihe , Jiang Chong , Chu Zhaoqun , Zhou Zhengyang , Teng Yue , Xu Shoulin , Zhao Lianjun , Zou Zhengyun , Ding Chongyang
Published: January 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognostic relevance of metabolic parameters measured using 18F-FDG PET/CT in patients with metastatic cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM).Materials and Methods: The prognostic impact of whole-body metabolic tumor volume (wMTV), whole-body tumor lesion glycolysis (wTLG), maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean) was evaluated in 42 metastatic CMM patients who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT. The metabolic parameters were dichotomized by optimal cutoff values using time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. In addition, univariate and multivariate analyses of the metabolic parameters were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards models.Results: The optimal cutoff values for disease-free survival (DFS) were 4.63 for SUVmax, 3.31 for SUVmean, 8.22 cm3 for wMTV, and 18.22 for wTLG. The optimal cutoff values for melanoma-specific survival (MSS) were 4.77 for SUVmax, 3.31 for SUVmean, 22.32 cm3 for wMTV, and 51.37 for wTLG. Thirty-two (72%) of the 42 patients experienced recurrence during the follow-up period, and 21 patients (50%) died from the disease. In univariate analysis, SUVmax greater than 4.63 (p= 0.025) and SUVmean greater than 3.31 (p= 0.011) affected DFS, while SUVmax greater than 4.77 (p= 0.039), wMTV greater than 22.32 (p= 0.023) and wMTV greater than 51.37 (p= 0.016) affected MSS. In multivariate analysis after adjustment for the effects of clinical parameters, SUVmax was the best predictive factor for DFS (p = 0.016), and SUVmax, wMTV and wTLG were the best predictive factors for MSS (p = 0.023, p = 0.018, and p = 0.007).Conclusions: SUVmax appears to be a strong independent prognostic factor for recurrence in metastatic CMM, and SUVmax, wMTV and wTLG were found to be the best predictive markers for melanoma-specific death.
Evaluation of the EQ-5D-3L and 5L Versions in Low Back Pain Patients
Authors: Garratt AM , Furunes Håvard , Hellum Christian , Solberg Tore , Brox Jens Ivar , Storheim Kjersti , Johnsen Lars Gunnar
Published: January 2021

Background: The EuroQol EQ-5D is the most widely researched and applied patient-reported outcome measure worldwide. The original EQ-5D-3L and more recent EQ-5D-5L include three and five response categories respectively. Evidence from healthy and sick populations shows that the additional two response categories improve measurement properties but there has not been a concurrent comparison of the two versions in patients with low back pain (LBP). Methods: LBP patients taking part in a multicenter randomized controlled trial of lumbar total disc replacement and conservative treatment completed the EQ-5D-3L and 5L in an eight-year follow-up questionnaire. The 3L and 5L were assessed for aspects of data quality including missing data, floor and ceiling effects, response consistency, and based on a priori hypotheses, associations with the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Pain-Visual Analogue Scales and Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-25). Results: At the eight-year follow-up, 151 (87%) patients were available and 146 completed both the 3L and 5L. Levels of missing data were the same for the two versions. Compared to the EQ-5D-5L, the 3L had significantly higher floor (pain discomfort) and ceiling effects (mobility, self-care, pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression). For these patients the EQ-5D-5L described 73 health states compared to 28 for the 3L. Shannon’s indices also showed the 5L outperformed the 3L in tests of classification efficiency. Correlations with the ODI, Pain-VAS and HSCL-25 were largely as hypothesized, the 5L having slightly higher correlations than the 3L. In a multivariate regression analysis, ODI, Pain-VAS and HSCL-25 scores explained 13% more variation in EQ-5D-5L scores compared to 3L scores. Conclusion: The EQ-5D assesses important aspect of health in LBP patients and the 5L improves upon the 3L in this respect. The EQ-5D-5L is recommended in preference to the 3L version, however, further testing in other back pain populations together with additional measurement properties, including responsiveness to change, is recommended. Trial Registration: retrospectively registered: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01704677.
The Maternal Postpartum Quality of Life Instrument (MPQOLI): Development and Psychometric Evaluation in an Exploratory Sequential Mixed-Method Study
Authors: Mokhtarian-Gilani Tahereh , Kariman Nourossadat , Nia Hamid Sharif , Doulabi Mahbobeh Ahmadi , Nasiri Malihe
Published: January 2021

Background and Objective: There is no comprehensive instrument for the assessment of postpartum quality of life (QOL). This study was conducted to develop the Maternal Postpartum Quality of Life Instrument (MPQOLI) and assess its psychometric properties.Materials and Methods: This methodological study was conducted in 2019–2020 using an exploratory sequential mixed-method design. A qualitative study and a literature review were conducted to generate MPQOLI items. Through purposeful sampling, 590 postpartum women were recruited to respond the instrument. Face and content validity were assessed qualitatively and quantitatively and construct validity was assessed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and convergent and discriminant validity assessments. Reliability was also assessed through different methods, including Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s Omega.Results: Eight items were deleted in content validity assessments and eighteen items were deleted in item analysis. Participants responded the 31-item MPQOLI. During exploratory factor analysis, fifteen items were deleted and the remaining sixteen items were loaded on five factors labeled perceived support, sexual relationship, bonding with newborn, breastfeeding and newborn care, and satisfaction with postpartum transition. These five factors explained 53.26% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the five-factor structure of MPQOLI with a CMIN/DF of 2.192, an RMSEA of 0.057, a χ2 of 206.087, a PCFI of 0.738, a PNFI of 0.705, a CFI of 0.942, and an IFI of 0.943. Average variance extracted was more than 0.5 and more than maximum shared squared variance, confirming convergent and discriminant validity, respectively. Reliability was also confirmed with Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.70–0.907 and an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.919.Conclusion: The sixteen-item MPQOLI is a valid and reliable instrument for postpartum QOL assessment. It includes items on the different aspects of postpartum QOL and can be used for the early diagnosis of impaired postpartum QOL. Further studies are needed to assess the psychometric properties of MPQOLI in different cultures and communities.
The Differential Urine Proteome Analysis of a Ventilator-induced Lung Injury Rat Model by Label-free Quantitative and Parallel Reaction Monitoring Proteomics
Authors: Qin Weiwei , Zhang Xiao , Chen Lingnan , Li Qiujie , Zhang Benwang , Sun Lixin , Han Wei
Published: January 2021

Background: Urine is a promising resource for biomarker research. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate potential urinary biomarkers to monitor the disease activity of ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). Methods: In the discovery phase, a label-free data-dependent acquisition (DDA) quantitative proteomics method was used to profile the urinary proteomes of VILI rats. For further validation, the differential proteins were verified by parallel reaction monitoring (PRM)-targeted quantitative proteomics.Results: In all, 727 high-confidence proteins were identified with at least 1 unique peptide (FDR ≤1%). Compared to the control group, 110 proteins (65 upregulated, 45 downregulated) were significantly changed in the VILI group (1.5-fold change, P<0.05). The canonical pathways and protein-protein interaction analyses revealed that the differentially expressed proteins were enriched in multiple functions, including oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. Finally, thirteen proteins were identified as candidate biomarkers for VILI by PRM validation. Among these PRM-validated proteins, AMPN, MEP1B, LYSC1, DPP4 and CYC were previously reported as lung-associated disease biomarkers. SLC31, MEP1A, S15A2, NHRF1, XPP2, GGT1, HEXA, and ATPB were newly discovered in this study. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the urinary proteome might reflect the pathophysiological changes associated with VILI. These differential proteins are potential urinary biomarkers for the activity of VILI.
An Outbreak Investigation of Burkholderia Cepacia Infections Related With Contaminated Chlorhexidine Mouthwash Solution in a Tertiary Care Center in Turkey.
Authors: Bilgin Huseyin , Gelmez Gülşen Altınkanat , Bayrakdar Fatma , Sayın Elvan , Gül Fethi , Pazar Nazlı , Culha Gulcan , Yildiz Serap Suzuk , Cinel İsmail , Korten Volkan
Published: January 2021

Background: We report a nosocomial outbreak caused by Burkholderia cepacia that occurred among six patients admitted in the medical and surgical intensive care unit between 04 March 2019 and 02 April 2019 in Istanbul, Turkey. Methods: The outbreak investigation was launched on 11 March 2019 five days after the detection of B. cepacia in four different patients. We defined potential reservoirs and started environmental screening. We sampled the liquid solutions used in patient care activities. Pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed to determine the genetic relatedness of environmental and patient samples.Results: B. cepacia was isolated in tracheal aspiration cultures of six patients. Three out of six patients developed healthcare-associated pneumoniae due to B. cepacia. Environmental cultures in the ICUs revealed B. cepacia growth in 2% chlorhexidine-gluconate mouthwash solution that been used in the colonized patients as well as in samples obtained from the unused products. PFGE revealed the patient and a specific batch of chlorhexidine mouthwash solution samples had a 96% similarity. Conclusion: Contamination of medical solutions used in critical patient care could cause outbreaks and should be detected early by infection control teams.
COVID-19 Screening By Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Seropositivity: Clinical And Epidemiological Characteristics, Comorbidities, And Food Intake Quality
Authors: Macedo-Ojeda G , Muñoz-Valle JF , Yokogawa-Teraoka P , Machado-Sulbarán AC , Loza-Rojas MG , Arredondo AC García , Tejeda-Constantini R , Vega-Magaña AN , González-Estevez G , García-Chagollán M , Zepeda-Nuño JS , Hernández-Bello J
Published: January 2021

Background: Developing countries have reported lower molecular diagnostic testing levels due to a lack of infrastructure and resources. Therefore, antibody tests represent an alternative to detect exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and analyze possible risk factors in them. This study aimed to describe and compare the clinical and epidemiological characteristics and the quality of food intake between individuals with a positive or negative test to antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.Methods: Mexican individuals of diverse ages and sex, that attended to detect anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody seropositivity from July to November 2020 were included. A survey was applied to identify the clinical and epidemiological characteristics and food intake quality in negative and positive individuals for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. These variables were compared using the Chi-square test, Kruskal Wallis, Fisher's exact test, or t-student.Results: In this study, a total of 1,799 individuals participated; 42% were positive for SARS-CoV-2. It was found that seropositive subjects were older and that diabetes was more prevalent in them (p <0.01). No differences were identified in the blood type nor vaccination against influenza between seronegative and seropositive cases. Cough, respiratory distress, muscle pain, joint pain, and anosmia were more prevalent in seropositive cases than in those seronegative (p<0.0001). The IgM or IgM+IgG seropositive cases presented anosmia more frequently than those with only IgG antibodies (p<0.05). The dietary patterns and individual food intake habits were similar in both groups, except for the most consumed type of fat (p = 0.006). Seronegative cases showed to consume monounsaturated fats more frequently than other types of fats, whereas seropositive subjects have more regular consumption of polyunsaturated fats.Conclusion: This study confirms the association between being anti-SARS-CoV-2 seropositive with older age and the presence of diabetes mellitus. Furthermore, it suggests muscle and joint pain could also be considered major criteria for discriminating patients with suspected COVID-19 seropositivity. Moreover, the results suggested polyunsaturated fats as a possible new risk factor associated with COVID-19, and anosmia as a marker of active disease. This finding will be of interest to investigate in further studies regarding the type of fat consumed and the risk of infection by SARS-CoV-2.
New insights into Oniscidea (Crustacea: Isopoda) mitogenome structural features and phylogenetic placement of targeted taxa using mitogenomic and nuclear data
Authors: Yang Lina , Chen Ruru , Zhang Rui , Dimitriou Andreas C. , An Jianmei
Published: January 2021

Among Isopoda suborders the Oniscidea has the highest species richness, and is also the largest terrestrial group in the Crustacea. Terrestrial isopods are an excellent case to study adaptations related to sea-land transition. However, the monophyly of Oniscidea and the relationships of the main lineages has been debated over the last three decades. Aiming to further explore structural features of mitochondrial genome and investigate the phylogenetic relationships within Oniscidea, the mitogenomes and a series of nuclear markers of the oniscids Ligia exotica and Mongoloniscus sinensis were sequenced. The nuclear genome was represented by four nuclear genes analyzed in a separate dataset. The mitogenomes of L. exotica and M. sinensis were 16,018 and 14,978 bp in length, respectively. Both included 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 21 and 19 tRNA genes respectively, missing one and three tRNA genes respectively compared to the isopod ground pattern. The M. sinensis mitogenome had higher average A+T content (~75.3%) than any other isopod studied to date. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed the assignment of M. sinesis to Agnaridae, as well as the sister-group relationship of the family with Porcellionidae, one of the more derived Crinochaeta clades. On the other hand, the basal position of Ligia within Oniscidea and the close evolutionary relationship with the aquatic groups Valvifera, Shaperomatida and some Cymothoidea that were included in our analysis, is indicated.
Long-term health-related quality of life and burden of disease after intensive care: Development of a patient-reported outcome measure.
Authors: Malmgren Johan A , Waldenström Ann-Charlotte , Rylander Christian , Johannesson Elias , Lundin Stefan
Published: January 2021

BackgroundICU survivorship includes a diverse burden of disease. Current questionnaires used for collecting information about health-related problems and their relation to quality of life lack detailed questions in several areas relevant to ICU survivors. Our aim was to construct a provisional questionnaire on health-related issues based on interviews with ICU survivors and to test if this questionnaire was able to show differences between ICU survivors and a control group.MethodsThirty-two ICU survivors were identified at a post-ICU clinic and interviewed at least six months after ICU discharge. Using an established qualitative methodology from oncology, all dysfunctions and disabilities were extracted, rephrased as questions and compiled into a provisional questionnaire. In a second part, this questionnaire was tested on ICU survivors and controls. Inclusion criteria for the ICU survivors were ICU stay at least 72 hours with ICU discharge six months to three years prior to the study. A non-ICU treated control group was obtained from the Swedish Population Register, matched for age and sex. Eligible participants received an invitation letter and were contacted by phone. If willing to participate, they were sent the questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were applied.ResultsAnalysis of the interviews yielded 238 questions in 13 domains: cognition, fatigue, physical health, pain, psychological health, activities of daily life, sleep, appetite and alcohol, sexual health, sensory functions, gastrointestinal functions, urinary functions and work life.In the second part, 395 of 518 ICU survivors and 197 of 231 controls returned a completed questionnaire, the response rates being 76.2% and 85.3% respectively. The two groups differed significantly in 13 of 22 comorbidities. ICU survivors differed in a majority of questions (p ≤ 0.05) distributed over all 13 domains compared with controls.ConclusionsThis study describes the development of a provisional questionnaire to identify health-related quality of life issues and long-term burden of disease after intensive care.The questionnaire was answered by 395 ICU survivors. The questionnaire could identify that they experience severe difficulties in a wide range of domains compared with a control group.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Ref# NCT 02767180
Personality traits predict regression of pelvic girdle pain after pregnancy: a longitudinal follow-up study.
Authors: Xiangsheng Tang , Long Gong , Yingying Shi , Xiao An , Ping Yi , Mingsheng Tan
Published: January 2021

Background: Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) is a multifactorial condition with a partly unknown etiology. This condition can be mentally and physically compromising both during and after pregnancy. To provide all-around preventive measures to improve the recovery from PGP, it is a necessity for obstetricians and orthopaedists to develop predictive studies about the worse prognosis for this condition. Therefore, this study aims to determine whether personality traits can predict the consequences of long-term pregnancy-related PGP.Methods: This was a prospective study conducted from January 2015 to August 2018. A total of 387 pregnant women were enrolled in this study. According to whether they had experienced PGP during the past four weeks, the subjects were classified into no PGP and PGP groups. Persistent PGP after the pregnancy was deﬁned as a recurrent or continuous visual analog score (VAS) pain rating of ≥ 3 for more than one week. The Quick Big Five Personality Test (QBFPT) was used to assess personality traits. Data were obtained by mail or in the clinic. The authors collected data including age, BMI, educational level, annual household income, cesarean delivery, breastfeeding, unexpected sex of the baby, parity, sick leave, no or rare ability to take rest breaks at work, and PGP in the previous pregnancy. Results: Of 387 included women, 264 subjects experienced PGP during the pregnancy with a mean age of 26.3 ± 4.5 years. A total of 80 of 264 (30.3%) women experienced persistent PGP after the pregnancy. Persistent PGP after the pregnancy was associated with higher levels of neuroticism (OR= 2.12, P=0.001). Comparing women with persistent PGP, those who reported higher levels of extraversion and conscientiousness were more likely to recover from this condition (OR=0.65, P = 0.001; OR= 0.82, P = 0.01, respectively). Besides, neuroticism was positively associated with higher pain scores (r=0.52, P=0.005). However, extraversion and conscientiousness domains showed negative correlations with pain score (r=-0.48, P=0.003; r=-0.36, P=0.001).Conclusions: Personality traits were significantly associated with the outcomes of PGP.
A comparison of the analysis of methods for feature extraction and classification by Wavelet transform in SSVEP BCIs
Authors: Heidari Hoda , einalou zahra , Dadgostar Mehrdad , Hosseinzadeh Hamidreza
Published: January 2021

Most of the studies in the field of Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) based on electroencephalography have a wide range of applications. Extracting Steady State Visual Evoked Potential (SSVEP) is regarded as one of the most useful tools in BCI systems. In this study, different methods which includes 1) feature extraction with different spectral methods (Shannon entropy, skewness, kurtosis, mean, variance) and wavelet transform magnitude, 2) feature selection performed by various methods (decision tree, principle component analysis (PCA), t-test, Wilcoxon, Receiver operating characteristic (ROC)), 3) classification step applying k nearest neighbor (k-NN), support vector machines (SVM), Bayesian, multiple layer perceptron (MLP) were compared from the whole stream of signal processing. Through combining such methods, the effective overview of the study indicated the accuracy of classical methods. In addition, the present study relied on a rather new feature selection described by decision tree and PCA, which is used for the BCI-SSVEP systems. Finally, the obtained accuracies were calculated based on the four recorded frequencies representing four directions including right, left, up, and down. The highest level of accuracy was obtained 91.39%.
Impact of Haemophilus influenzae type b combination vaccination on asthma symptoms and pneumonia in 5-year-old children in rural Bangladesh: A longitudinal study and comparison with a previous cross-sectional study
Authors: TAKEUCHI HARUKO , Hasan S. M. Tafsir , Zaman Khalequ , Takanashi Sayaka , Hore Samar Kumar , Yeasmin Sultana , Ahmad Shaikh Meshbahuddin , Alam Md Jahangir , Jimba Masamine , Iwata Tsutomu , Khan Md Alfazal
Published: January 2021

Background: Although the prevalence of bronchial asthma has been increasing worldwide since the 1970’s, the prevalence among 5-year-old children was significantly lower in 2016 than in 2001 in rural Bangladesh. We aimed to determine whether the Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) combination vaccination (without booster) started in 2009 contributed to this decrease.Methods: A case-control study was conducted among 1658 randomly selected 5-year-old children from Matlab, Bangladesh. Data on wheezing were collected using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire. The vaccination data were collected from the records of the Matlab Health and Demographic Surveillance System, while data on pneumonia were obtained from the clinical records of Matlab Hospital. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) were calculated for the risk for wheezing. The reduction rate was calculated to determine the impact of the vaccination on pneumonia history between the present study and our previous study conducted in 2001 by using the following formula: (percentage of pneumonia cases in 2001 - percentage of pneumonia cases in 2016)/(percentage of pneumonia cases in 2001) times 100 (%).Results: Hib combination vaccination was a protecting factor against wheezing (aOR: 0.50; p = 0.010), while pneumonia at 1, 2, 3–4 years of age were risk factors for wheezing (aOR: 2.86, 3.19, 2.86; p = 0.046, 0.030, 0.030, respectively). The history of pneumonia was significantly lower in the 2016 study participants than those in 2001 both in the overall cohort and the wheezing group (paired t-test: p = 0.012, p < 0.001, respectively). Whereas the history of pneumonia decreased when the children grew older in the 2001 overall cohort, it peaked at the age of 2 years in 2016 wheezing group. The reduction rate decreased when children grew older in both the overall cohort and the wheezing group, however, it decreased faster in the wheezing group.Conclusions: Hib combination vaccination was a protective factor against wheezing in 0-year-old children. However, the effects of vaccination might have attenuated at the ages of 1-4 years, because no booster dose was administered. The addition of a booster dose might further decrease the prevalence of asthma and wheezing.
Soil Quality Evaluation Under Different Land Use Types in Kersa Sub-watershed, Eastern Ethiopia
Authors: Tefera Yared Mulat , Tehaye kibebew Kibret , Bedadi Bobe Bobe , Kedir Muktar Mohammed
Published: January 2021

Background: Soil quality, which can be inferred using indicators that interact synergistically, is affected by land use types and agricultural management practices. This study assessed the status of soil quality under three adjacent land uses (cultivated, grazing, and fallow) in Kersa subwatershed (622 ha). Soil samples were collected from the surface soil (0-20 cm depth) of the identified land uses with three replications and the soil quality parameters were analyzed. A minimum data set of soil quality indicators were selected from physical, chemical, and biological parameters using the literature review and expert opinion method. Linear scoring functions were used to give the unitless scores for the selected data sets, which were then integrated into a soil quality index (SQI).Results: The results revealed that bulk density, aggregate stability, pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), available P, and soil organic carbon (SOC) had a significant difference in SQI among the different land uses. The soil quality indices were 0.69 for grazing land, 0.62 for cultivated land, and 0.59 for the fallow land. The SQI of all the land uses falls in the intermediate soil quality (0.55 < SQI < 0.70) class.Conclusion: In almost all the quality indicators assessed, the grazing land was superior to the cultivated and fallow lands. Therefore, implementing management practices that enhance soil quality like organic matter-controlled systems is imperative for sustainable agricultural production in the study area.
WITHDRAWN: Improving the Measurement of Alexithymia in Autistic Adults: A Psychometric Investigation and Refinement of the Twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale
Authors: Williams Zachary J , Gotham Katherine O.
Published: January 2021

Background: Alexithymia, a personality trait characterized by difficulties interpreting one’s own emotional states, is commonly elevated in autistic adults, and a growing body of literature suggests that this trait underlies a number of cognitive and emotional differences previously attributed to autism, such as difficulties in facial emotion recognition and reduced empathy. Although questionnaires such as the twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) are frequently used to measure alexithymia in the autistic population, few studies have attempted to determine the psychometric properties of these questionnaires in autistic adults, including whether differential item functioning (I-DIF) exists between autistic and general population adults. Methods: We conducted an in-depth psychometric analysis of the TAS-20 in a large sample of 743 verbal autistic adults recruited from the Simons Foundation SPARK participant pool and 721 general population controls enrolled in a large international psychological study (the Human Penguin Project). The factor structure of the TAS-20 was examined using confirmatory factor analysis, and item response theory was used to further refine the scale based on local model misfit and I-DIF between the groups. Correlations between alexithymia and other clinical outcomes such as autistic traits, anxiety, and quality-of-life were used to assess the nomological validity of the revised alexithymia scale in the SPARK sample. Results: The TAS-20 did not exhibit adequate global model fit in either the autistic or general population samples. Empirically driven item reduction was undertaken, resulting in an eight-item unidimensional scale (TAS-8) with sound psychometric properties and practically ignorable I-DIF between diagnostic groups. Correlational analyses indicated that TAS-8 scores meaningfully predict autistic trait levels, anxiety and depression symptoms, and quality of life, even after controlling for trait neuroticism. Limitations: Limitations of the current study include a sample of autistic adults that was overwhelmingly female, later-diagnosed, and well-educated; clinical and control groups drawn from different studies with variable measures; and an inability to test several other important psychometric characteristics of the TAS-8, including sensitivity to change and I-DIF across multiple administrations. Conclusions: These results indicate the potential of the TAS-8 as a psychometrically robust tool to measure alexithymia in both autistic and non-autistic adults. A free online score calculator has been created to facilitate the use of norm-referenced TAS-8 latent trait scores in research applications (available at http://asdmeasures.shinyapps.io/TAS8_Score).
User Satisfaction on Social Media Profile of E-sports Organization
Authors: Lukowicz Krzystof , Strzelecki Artur
Published: January 2021

E-sport is one of the most rapidly growing branches of modern entertainment. Many factors influence this rapid progress such as easy access to the broadcast of matches, free e-sport games, or enjoying the favorite match are just a few of them. Moreover, the regularly growing number of tournaments organized (both online and hosted in the largest sports halls in the world) makes more and more older people interested in this phenomenon. Apart from the pure entertainment aspect, electronic sports offer great business opportunities. Proper use of social media allows generating high financial results for investors. The paper is dedicated to the user’s satisfaction from using social media profiles of e-sport organizations, teams, and players. The research covers the basic information about e-sport, social media, and e-marketing forms on social media for e-sport organizations. This work aims to assess the factors influencing the feeling of satisfaction with the use of the social media profile. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of Perceived Profile Usefulness, Perceived Entertainment, Identification with Organization and Players, and satisfaction on users’ Intention to Follow and Recommend social media profile of e-sport organization. The study tested and used the model in the context of social media profiles. The partial least square method of structural equation modeling is employed to test the proposed research model. The study utilizes an online survey to obtain data from 209 Polish e-sport enthusiasts (both players and spectators). The data set was analyzed using SmartPLS 3 software. The obtained results showed that the best predictor of users’ Satisfaction is Integration with Organization and Players, followed by Perceived Entertainment. Satisfaction predicts users’ Intention to Follow and Recommend the social media profile of the e-sport organization. The findings improve understanding regarding the marketing actions in e-sport’s social media profiles, and this work is therefore of particular interest to e-sport organizations, e-sport teams, and e-sport players.
Keywords: E-sport, social media profile, satisfaction, computer games, social media marketing.
Approaching the Tsirelson bound with a Sagnac source of polarization-entangled photons
Authors: Meraner Sandra , Chapman Robert , Frick Stefan , Keil Robert , Prilmüller Maximilian , Weihs Gregor
Published: January 2021

High-fidelity polarization-entangled photons are a powerful resource
for quantum communication, distributing entanglement and quantum
teleportation. The Bell-CHSH inequality S\leq2S≤2
is violated by bipartite entanglement and only maximally entangled
states can achieve S=2\sqrt{2}S=22,
the Tsirelson bound. Spontaneous parametric down-conversion sources can
produce entangled photons with correlations close to the Tsirelson
bound. Sagnac configurations offer intrinsic stability, compact
footprint and high collection efficiency, however, there is often a
trade off between source brightness and entanglement visibility. Here,
we present a Sagnac polarization-entangled source with
2\sqrt{2}-S=(5.65\pm0.57\times10^{-3})22−S=(5.65±0.57×10−3),
on-par with the highest SS
parameters recorded, while generating and detecting
(4660\pm70)pairs/s/mW(4660±70)pairs/s/mW,
which is a substantially higher brightness than previously reported for
Sagnac sources and around two orders of magnitude brighter than for
traditional cone sources with the highest SS
parameters. Our source records 0.9953\pm0.00030.9953±0.0003
concurrence and 0.99743\pm0.000140.99743±0.00014
fidelity to an ideal Bell state. By studying systematic errors in Sagnac
sources, we identify that the precision of the collection focal point
inside the crystal plays the largest role in reducing the
SS
parameter in our experiment. We provide a pathway that could enable the
highest SS
parameter recorded with a Sagnac source to-date while maintaining very
high brightness.
DIFICULDADES NO ENSINO E NA APRENDIZAGEM DE QUÍMICA ORGÂNICA DO ENSINO SUPERIOR - ESTUDO DE CASO EM DUAS UNIVERSIDADES FEDERAIS
Authors: Alves Natália , Sangiogo Fábio , Pastoriza Bruno
Published: January 2021

DIFFICULTIES IN TEACHING AND LEARNING ORGANIC CHEMISTRY IN HIGHER EDUCATION - A CASE STUDY IN TWO FEDERAL UNIVERSITIES. This research investigates difficulties associated to the curricular component Organic Chemistry I based on a study case of Chemistry undergraduate courses (Bachelor and Teachers education) in two Federal Universities in the Brazilian South region. The analytical process integrated official documents of the courses (pedagogic projects, students’ grades), questionnaires, interviews, and researcher’s logbook of classes. Results show that the students’ success in Organic Chemistry I is lower than the sum of failure, unattendance, and temporary cancellation rates altogether in the curricular component offered by the different teachers and institutions studied. A complex scenario is highlighted in relation to factors that affect learning and teaching processes in undergraduate Organic Chemistry courses. The subjects’ responses highlight difficulties related to specific contents, such as conformation and spatial visualization of molecules, stereochemistry, and reaction mechanisms; lack of concepts from High School; and individual habits and characteristics of teachers, students, or both, such as didactics, concentration, and engagement. The results report on the importance of rethinking strategies and methodologies in the context of Organic Chemistry I in Higher Education