bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lipidomics profiling of skin surface lipids in senile pruritus
Authors: Ma Xiaolei , Lu Lulu , Zhao Zheng , Cai Mingru , Gao Na , Han Gangwen
Published: July 2020

Background

Senile pruritus is common, yet its etiology remains unknown. Aging-associated skin barrier defects and skin surface lipid (SSL) alterations have been postulated to play important roles in its occurrence. In the present study, the lipidomic profiles of SSLs in elderly patients were examined to better understand the potential causes of senile pruritus.

Methods

Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was evaluated to assess the skin barrier function. The Ameliorated Kawashima Itch Scale score was used to measure the pruritus severity. Liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and multivariate data analysis were employed to investigate SSL alterations.

Results

The results showed that senile pruritus patients had higher TEWL values than control subjects (13.13 ± 4.28 versus 6.71 ± 2.45, p < 0.01). LC-MS/MS revealed significant differences in the lipidomic profiles and identified 81 species of SSLs that differed between the two groups. Compared with control subjects, senile pruritus patients had increased levels of ceramides (Cers), diacylglycerols, fatty acids, phosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylethanolamines, phytosphingosines, sphingosines, diacylceryl-3-O-carboxyhydroxymethylcholine, diacylglyceryl trimethylhomoserine, and unsaturated free fatty acids, but decreased levels of triacylglycerol. Cer-EOS, Cer-NDS, and Cer-NS were positively correlated with TEWL value (p < 0.05). Pruritus severity score was positively correlated with sphingomyelin, Cer-NP, Cer-AS, Cer-NDS, and Cer-NS, but negatively correlated with Cer-BS, Cer-EODS, Cer-EOS, and Cer-AP.

Conclusions

The present study indicated that patients with senile pruritus have impaired skin barrier function and altered SSL composition. Certain SSL species identified in this study may be potential targets for future studies on the pathogenesis of senile pruritus.

Trial registration

Peking University International Hospital (Number: YN2018QN04; date: January 2019).
Knowledge and practice of induction of lactation in trans women among professionals working in trans health
Authors: Trautner Emily , McCool-Myers Megan , Joyner Andrea Braden
Published: July 2020

Background

Breastfeeding is emerging as an important reproductive rights issue in the care of trans and gender nonconforming people. This study sought to understand the tools available to professionals working in the field of trans health to help trans women induce lactation and explore the concept of unmet need.

Methods

In November 2018, we conducted a cross-sectional study which surveyed attendees at the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) symposium in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Eligible participants were 18 + years old, had professional experience with transgender populations, were able to complete a survey in English, and were conference attendees. Descriptive data were collected using a 14-item written survey encompassing demographic characteristics, experience in transgender health, and lactation induction in trans women.

Results

We surveyed 82 respondents (response rate 10.5%), the majority of whom were healthcare professionals (84%). Average age of respondents was 42.3 years old. They represented 11 countries and averaged 8.8 years of work at 21.3 h/week with trans populations. Healthcare professionals in this sample primarily specialized in general/internal medicine, psychology, endocrinology, and obstetrics/gynecology. One-third of respondents (34%) stated that they have met trans women who expressed interest in inducing lactation. Seventeen respondents (21%) knew of providers, clinics, or programs that facilitated the induction of lactation through medication or other means. Seven respondents (9%) have helped trans women induce lactation with an average of 1.9 trans women in the previous year. Two protocols for lactation induction were mentioned in free text responses and 91% believe there is a need for specialized protocols for trans women.

Conclusion

This exploratory study demonstrates healthcare professionals’ interest in breastfeeding protocols for lactation induction in trans women. Additional studies are needed to capture insights from breastfeeding specialists, e.g. lactation consultants and peripartum nurses, and to understand patients’ perspectives on this service.
Nociceptin is present in synovial fluid of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Verbeek Thomas A. , Jarbadan Nancy Ruth , Davis Charles , Caldwell Julia
Published: July 2020

Background

Osteoarthritis is a mechanical abnormality characterized by chronic joint pain associated with degeneration of the articular cartilage, synovitis, and local inflammation, leading to loss of function and pain. A connection exists between the peripheral nervous system and inflammatory joint degeneration. The process by which inflammation is influenced by the nervous system is known as neuroinflammation. One of the neuropeptides involved in peripheral neuroinflammation is nociceptin, a peptide related to the opioid class of substances. Nociceptin has both pro- and anti-inflammatory effects. Some studies show that nociceptin can be measured in synovial fluid, while other studies have not been able to detect it. The presence of nociceptin in synovial fluid could imply a molecular role for the neuropeptide in the joint, both physiologically as well as pathophysiologically. The goal of this pilot study was to determine whether nociceptin was present in the synovial fluid of osteoarthritic knees.

Methods

Patients undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty were enrolled after Institutional Review Board approval was obtained. Synovial fluid was aspirated from patients’ operative knee joints and blood samples were obtained. A commercially available enzyme Immunoassay kit was used to test for nociceptin. A linear mixed-effects model was developed to account for the repeated measurements and baseline covariates. Least squares (adjusted) means were derived from the model to compare the sample types and to compare subgroups.

Results

Twenty patients were included in this study. Nociceptin was detected in the synovial fluid and plasma of all patients. The mean concentration (± standard deviation) of nociceptin in synovial fluid was 28.7 ± 18.2 pg/ml. The mean concentration of nociceptin in plasma was 45.2 ± 24.3 pg/ml pre-procedure, and 40.1 ± 20.6 pg/ml post-tourniquet deflation. The nociceptin concentration in synovial fluid was significantly lower than the nociceptin concentration in plasma, both pre-procedure and post-tourniquet deflation (p = 0.002 and p = 0.016 respectively). The nociceptin concentration in both plasma and synovial fluid was significantly lower in females versus males (p = 0.012).

Conclusion

We demonstrated that nociceptin is present in synovial fluid and plasma of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. This implies a potential role for nociceptin in modulating inflammation in osteoarthritis.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02528916. Retrospectively registered on August 19, 2015,
Quality indicators for a geriatric emergency care (GeriQ-ED) – an evidence-based delphi consensus approach to improve the care of geriatric patients in the emergency department
Authors: Schuster Susanne , Singler Katrin , Lim Stephen , Machner Mareen , Döbler Klaus , Dormann Harald
Published: July 2020

Introduction

In emergency care, geriatric requirements and risks are often not taken sufficiently into account. In addition, there are neither evidence-based recommendations nor scientifically developed quality indicators (QI) for geriatric emergency care in German emergency departments. As part of the GeriQ-ED© research project, quality indicators for geriatric emergency medicine in Germany have been developed using the QUALIFY-instruments.

Methods

Using a triangulation methodology, a) clinical experience-based quality aspects were identified and verified, b) research-based quality statements were formulated and assessed for relevance, and c) preliminary quality indicators were operationalized and evaluated in order to recommend a feasible set of final quality indicators.

Results

Initially, 41 quality statements were identified and assessed as relevant. Sixty-seven QI (33 process, 29 structure and 5 outcome indicators) were extrapolated and operationalised. In order to facilitate implementation into daily practice, the following five quality statements were defined as the GeriQ-ED© TOP 5: screening for delirium, taking a full medications history including an assessment of the indications, education of geriatric knowledge and skills to emergency staff, screening for patients with geriatric needs, and identification of patients with risk of falls/ recurrent falls.

Discussion

QIs are regarded as gold standard to measure, benchmark and improve emergency care. GeriQ-ED© QI focused on clinical experience- and research-based recommendations and describe for the first time a standard for geriatric emergency care in Germany. GeriQ-ED© TOP 5 should be implemented as a minimum standard in geriatric emergency care.
A trauma medical home, evaluating collaborative care for the older injured patient: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Ortiz Damaris , Meagher Ashley D. , Lindroth Heidi , Holler Emma , Gao Sujuan , Khan Babar , Lasiter Sue , Boustani Malaz , Zarzaur Ben
Published: July 2020

Background

It is estimated that 55 million adults will be 65 years and older in the USA by 2020. These older adults are at increased risk for injury and their recovery is multi-faceted. A collaborative care model may improve psychological and functional outcomes of the non-neurologically impaired older trauma patient and reduce health care costs.

Methods

This is a randomized controlled trial of 430 patients aged 50 and older who have suffered a non-neurologic injury and are admitted to a level one trauma center in Indianapolis, IN, or Madison, WI. Participants will be assigned to either the Trauma Medical Home (TMH) intervention or usual care. The TMH intervention is a collaborative care model that includes validated protocols addressing the multi-faceted needs of this population, with the help of care coordination software and a mobile office concept. The primary outcome is self-reported physical recovery at 6- and 12-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes include self-reported psychological recovery, acute health care utilization, and cost-effectiveness of the intervention at 6 and 12 months. The TMH collaborative care model will be delivered by a registered nurse care coordinator. The assessments will be completed by trained blinded research assistants.

Discussion

The proposed study will evaluate a collaborative care model to help maximize psychological and functional recovery for non-neurologically injured older patients at four level one trauma centers in the Midwest.

Trial registration

Clinical Trials. NCT03108820. Registered on 11 April 2017.

Protocol Version 6: Study # 1612690852. April 12, 2019.

Sponsor: Indiana University. Human subjects and IRB contact information: irb@iu.edu

Prospectively registered in the WHO ICTRP on 4 June 2017.
Semi-continuous pilot-scale microbial oil production with Metschnikowia pulcherrima on starch hydrolysate
Authors: Abeln Felix , Hicks Robert H. , Auta Hadiza , Moreno-Beltrán Mauro , Longanesi Luca , Henk Daniel A. , Chuck Christopher J.
Published: July 2020

Background

Heterotrophic microbial oils are potentially a more sustainable alternative to vegetable or fossil oils for food and fuel applications. However, as almost all work in the area is conducted on the laboratory scale, such studies carry limited industrial relevance and do not give a clear indication of what is required to produce an actual industrial process.Metschnikowia pulcherrimais a non-pathogenic industrially promising oleaginous yeast which exhibits numerous advantages for cost-effective lipid production, including a wide substrate uptake, antimicrobial activity and fermentation inhibitor tolerance. In this study,M. pulcherrimawas fermented in stirred tank reactors of up to 350 L with 250-L working volume in both batch and semi-continuous operation to highlight the potential industrial relevance. Due to being food-grade, suitable for handling at scale and to demonstrate the oligosaccharide uptake capacity ofM. pulcherrima, enzyme-hydrolysed starch in the form of glucose syrup was selected as fermentation feedstock.

Results

In batch fermentations on the 2-L scale, a lipid concentration of 14.6 g L−1and productivity of 0.11 g L−1 h−1were achieved, which was confirmed at 50 L (15.8 g L−1; 0.10 g L−1 h−1). The maximum lipid production rate was 0.33 g L−1 h−1(daily average), but the substrate uptake rate decreased with oligosaccharide chain length. To produce 1 kg of dry yeast biomass containing up to 43% (w/w) lipids, 5.2 kg of the glucose syrup was required, with a lipid yield of up to 0.21 g g−1consumed saccharides. In semi-continuous operation, for the first time, an oleaginous yeast was cultured for over 2 months with a relatively stable lipid production rate (around 0.08 g L−1 h−1) and fatty acid profile (degree of fatty acid saturation around 27.6% w/w), and without contamination. On the 250-L scale, comparable results were observed, culminating in the generation of nearly 10 kg lipids with a lipid productivity of 0.10 g L−1 h−1.

Conclusions

The results establish the importance ofM. pulcherrimafor industrial biotechnology and its suitability to commercially produce a food-grade oil. Further improvements in the productivity are required to makeM. pulcherrimalipid production industrial reality, particularly when longer-chain saccharides are involved.
Polygenic analysis of very high acetic acid tolerance in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals a complex genetic background and several new causative alleles
Authors: Stojiljkovic Marija , Foulquié-Moreno María R. , Thevelein Johan M.
Published: July 2020

Background

High acetic acid tolerance is of major importance in industrial yeast strains used for second-generation bioethanol production, because of the high acetic acid content of lignocellulose hydrolysates. It is also important in first-generation starch hydrolysates and in sourdoughs containing significant acetic acid levels. We have previously identified snf4E269* as a causative allele in strain MS164 obtained after whole-genome (WG) transformation and selection for improved acetic acid tolerance.

Results

We have now performed polygenic analysis with the same WG transformant MS164 to identify novel causative alleles interacting with snf4E269* to further enhance acetic acid tolerance, from a range of 0.8–1.2% acetic acid at pH 4.7, to previously unmatched levels for Saccharomyces cerevisiae. For that purpose, we crossed the WG transformant with strain 16D, a previously identified strain displaying very high acetic acid tolerance. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping with pooled-segregant whole-genome sequence analysis identified four major and two minor QTLs. In addition to confirmation of snf4E269* in QTL1, we identified six other genes linked to very high acetic acid tolerance, TRT2, MET4, IRA2 and RTG1 and a combination of MSH2 and HAL9, some of which have never been connected previously to acetic acid tolerance. Several of these genes appear to be wild-type alleles that complement defective alleles present in the other parent strain.

Conclusions

The presence of several novel causative genes highlights the distinct genetic basis and the strong genetic background dependency of very high acetic acid tolerance. Our results suggest that elimination of inferior mutant alleles might be equally important for reaching very high acetic acid tolerance as introduction of rare superior alleles. The superior alleles of MET4 and RTG1 might be useful for further improvement of acetic acid tolerance in specific industrial yeast strains.
Gene–methylation interactions: discovering region-wise DNA methylation levels that modify SNP-associated disease risk
Authors: Romanowska Julia , Haaland Øystein A. , Jugessur Astanand , Gjerdevik Miriam , Xu Zongli , Taylor Jack , Wilcox Allen J. , Jonassen Inge , Lie Rolv T. , Gjessing Håkon K.
Published: July 2020

Background

Current technology allows rapid assessment of DNA sequences and methylation levels at a single-site resolution for hundreds of thousands of sites in the human genome, in thousands of individuals simultaneously. This has led to an increase in epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) of complex traits, particularly those that are poorly explained by previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, the genome and epigenome are intertwined, e.g., DNA methylation is known to affect gene expression through, for example, genomic imprinting. There is thus a need to go beyond single-omics data analyses and develop interaction models that allow a meaningful combination of information from EWAS and GWAS.

Results

We present two new methods for genetic association analyses that treat offspring DNA methylation levels as environmental exposure. Our approach searches for statistical interactions between SNP alleles and DNA methylation (G ×Me) and between parent-of-origin effects and DNA methylation (PoO ×Me), using case-parent triads or dyads. We use summarized methylation levels over nearby genomic region to ease biological interpretation. The methods were tested on a dataset of parent–offspring dyads, with EWAS data on the offspring. Our results showed that methylation levels around a SNP can significantly alter the estimated relative risk. Moreover, we show how a control dataset can identify false positives.

Conclusions

The new methods, G ×Me and PoO ×Me, integrate DNA methylation in the assessment of genetic relative risks and thus enable a more comprehensive biological interpretation of genome-wide scans. Moreover, our strategy of condensing DNA methylation levels within regions helps overcome specific disadvantages of using sparse chip-based measurements. The methods are implemented in the freely available R package Haplin (https://cran.r-project.org/package=Haplin), enabling fast scans of multi-omics datasets.
IGF1 gene is epigenetically activated in preterm infants with intrauterine growth restriction
Authors: Kantake Masato , Ikeda Naho , Nakaoka Hirofumi , Ohkawa Natsuki , Tanaka Toshitaka , Miyabayashi Kazuki , Shoji Hiromichi , Shimizu Toshiaki
Published: July 2020

Background

IGF1 is a key molecule in the regulation of growth and metabolism. Low IGF1 secretion is known to cause growth restriction in childhood, as well as deregulated lipid metabolism, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes in adulthood. The IGF1 gene P2 promoter is highly methylated, resulting in low secretion of IGF1 in small infants and children. However, it is unknown when this methylation occurs. The aim of study was to clarify the point when this epigenetic program occurs during intrauterine development.

We analyzed 56 preterm infants born before 32 weeks of gestation, including 19 intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) infants whose birth weights were lower than − 2SD calculated by the Japanese datasets. We extracted genomic DNA from whole blood at birth; methylation of the six CpG sites in the IGF1 P2 promoter was analyzed by the bisulfite amplicon method using the MiSeq platform.

Results

In contrast to term infants and children, the methylation of all six CpG sites positively correlated with body weight and body length at birth. IGF1 P2 promoter methylation levels were significantly reduced in all six CpG sites in infants with IUGR.

Conclusions

These findings indicated that the IGF1 gene is epigenetically activated before 32 weeks of gestation in infants with IUGR and that the activated gene may become suppressed after this time point. This study may provide new insights to prevent the onset of adult diseases and to aid in nutritional management for preterm birth infants in neonatal intensive care units.
TNFα/TNFR2 signaling pathway: an active immune checkpoint for mesenchymal stem cell immunoregulatory function
Authors: Beldi Ghada , Khosravi Maryam , Abdelgawad Mohamed Essameldin , Salomon Benoît L. , Uzan Georges , Haouas Houda , Naserian Sina
Published: July 2020

Background

In addition to their multilineage potential, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have a broad range of functions from tissue regeneration to immunomodulation. MSCs have the ability to modulate the immune response and change the progression of different inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. However, there are still many challenges to overcome before their widespread clinical administration including the mechanisms behind their immunoregulatory function. MSCs inhibit effector T cells and other immune cells, while inducing regulatory T cells (T regs), thus, reducing directly and indirectly the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. TNF/TNFR signaling plays a dual role: while the interaction of TNFα with TNFR1 mediates pro-inflammatory effects and cell death, its interaction with TNFR2 mediates anti-inflammatory effects and cell survival. Many immunosuppressive cells like T regs, regulatory B cells (B regs), endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) express TNFR2, and this is directly related to their immunosuppression efficiency. In this article, we investigated the role of the TNFα/TNFR2 immune checkpoint signaling pathway in the immunomodulatory capacities of MSCs.

Methods

Co-cultures of MSCs from wild-type (WT) and TNFR2 knocked-out (TNFR2 KO) mice with T cells (WT and TNFα KO) were performed under various experimental conditions.

Results

We demonstrate that TNFR2 is a key regulatory molecule which is strongly involved in the immunomodulatory properties of MSCs. This includes their ability to suppress T cell proliferation, activation, and pro-inflammatory cytokine production, in addition to their capacity to induce active T regs.

Conclusions

Our results reveal for the first time the importance of the TNFα/TNFR2 axis as an active immune checkpoint regulating MSC immunological functions.
A cautionary tale about the use of colony-forming efficiency as a proxy for the survival of mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: O’Connor Kim
Published: July 2020

Colony-forming efficiency is a time-honored metric of the proliferation potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). This commentary raises a concern about the practice of using colony-forming efficiency as a proxy for cell survival. A recently published study from my laboratory investigated this issue. A marker of cellular aging, CD264, was employed to separate human bone marrow MSCs into populations of CD264− cells and culture-matched, aging CD264+ cells with high and low colony-forming efficiency, respectively. In vitro cell survival was evaluated with a single-cell assay; in vivo survival by bioluminescence imaging of MSCs attached to scaffolds that were implanted ectopically in immunodeficient mice. In our study, in vitro and in vivo survival of the MSC populations was independent of colony-forming efficiency. This finding indicates that caution should be exercised before using colony-forming efficiency as an indirect metric of cell survival. Direct measurement of survival may be required. Awareness of this issue should foster a robust experimental design and, thereby, facilitate the translation of MSC research into clinical practice.
10-year follow-up results of the prospective, double-blinded, randomized, controlled study on autologous bone marrow buffy coat grafting combined with core decompression in patients with avascular necrosis of the femoral head
Authors: Li Mengyuan , Ma Yuanchen , Fu Guangtao , Zhang Ruiying , Li Qingtian , Deng Zhantao , Zheng Minghao , Zheng Qiujian
Published: July 2020

Background

Avascular necrosis of the femoral head (ANFH) is a severely disabling disease of the hip. Several clinical trials have shown promising outcomes on the use of mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of ANFH, but long-term clinical assessments are lacking. Previously, we reported the 2-year follow-up results of a prospective, double-blinded, randomized, controlled study on autologous bone marrow buffy coat grafting combined with core decompression in patients with ANFH. Here, we report the 10-year follow-up results of this study.

Methods

We recruited 43 (53 hips) patients from 2009 to 2010. The hips were randomly allocated to code decompression (CD) with or without bone marrow buffy coat (BBC) grafting. Participants underwent follow-up at 24, 60, and 120 months postoperatively. The visual analogue scale (VAS), Lequesne algofunctional index, and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) osteoarthritis scores were recorded. Survival rate analysis and prognostic factor analysis were performed. The endpoint was defined as progression to Ficat stage IV or conversion to hip arthroplasty.

Results

A total of 31 patients (41 hips) were included in the final analysis. The CD + BBC group had better subjective assessment scores than the CD group. The average survival times were 102.3 months and 78.1 months in the CD + BBC group and CD group, respectively (log-rank test, P = 0.029). In the univariate Cox proportional hazards regression model, age [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.079, P = 0.047] and preoperative Ficat stage (HR = 3.283, P = 0.028) indicated a high risk for progression, while the use of BBC (HR = 0.332, P = 0.042) indicated a low risk. Preoperative Ficat stage III was isolated as an independent risk factor for clinical failure in the multivariate model (HR = 3.743, P = 0.018).

Conclusion

The 10-year follow-up results of this prospective, double-blinded, randomized, controlled study showed that the use of autologous BBC in combination with core decompression was more effective than the use of core decompression alone.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01613612. Registered on 13 December 2011—retrospectively registered
Respiratory mechanics and gas exchanges in the early course of COVID-19 ARDS: a hypothesis-generating study
Authors: Diehl J.-L. , Peron N. , Chocron R. , Debuc B. , Guerot E. , Hauw-Berlemont C. , Hermann B. , Augy J. L. , Younan R. , Novara A. , Langlais J. , Khider L. , Gendron N. , Goudot G. , Fagon J.-F. , Mirault T. , Smadja D. M.
Published: July 2020

Rationale

COVID-19 ARDS could differ from typical forms of the syndrome.

Objective

Pulmonary microvascular injury and thrombosis are increasingly reported as constitutive features of COVID-19 respiratory failure. Our aim was to study pulmonary mechanics and gas exchanges in COVID-2019 ARDS patients studied early after initiating protective invasive mechanical ventilation, seeking after corresponding pathophysiological and biological characteristics.

Methods

Between March 22 and March 30, 2020 respiratory mechanics, gas exchanges, circulating endothelial cells (CEC) as markers of endothelial damage, and D-dimers were studied in 22 moderate-to-severe COVID-19 ARDS patients, 1 [1–4] day after intubation (median [IQR]).

Measurements and main results

Thirteen moderate and 9 severe COVID-19 ARDS patients were studied after initiation of high PEEP protective mechanical ventilation. We observed moderately decreased respiratory system compliance: 39.5 [33.1–44.7] mL/cmH2O and end-expiratory lung volume: 2100 [1721–2434] mL. Gas exchanges were characterized by hypercapnia 55 [44–62] mmHg, high physiological dead-space (VD/VT): 75 [69–85.5] % and ventilatory ratio (VR): 2.9 [2.2–3.4]. VD/VT and VR were significantly correlated: r2 = 0.24, p = 0.014. No pulmonary embolism was suspected at the time of measurements. CECs and D-dimers were elevated as compared to normal values: 24 [12–46] cells per mL and 1483 [999–2217] ng/mL, respectively.

Conclusions

We observed early in the course of COVID-19 ARDS high VD/VT in association with biological markers of endothelial damage and thrombosis. High VD/VT can be explained by high PEEP settings and added instrumental dead space, with a possible associated role of COVID-19-triggered pulmonary microvascular endothelial damage and microthrombotic process.
New lower bounds for the minimum M-eigenvalue of elasticity M-tensors and applications
Authors: Che Haitao , Chen Haibin , Xu Na , Zhu Qingni
Published: July 2020

M-eigenvalues of elasticity M-tensors play an important role in nonlinear elasticity and materials. In this paper, we present several new lower bounds for the minimum M-eigenvalue of elasticity M-tensors and propose numerical examples to illustrate the efficiency of the obtained results. As applications, we provide several checkable sufficient conditions for the strong ellipticity and positive definiteness of irreducible elasticity M-tensors.
Finite volume element method with the WSGD formula for nonlinear fractional mobile/immobile transport equations
Authors: Zhao Jie , Fang Zhichao , Li Hong , Liu Yang
Published: July 2020

In this article, a finite volume element method with the second-order weighted and shifted Grünwald difference (WSGD) formula is proposed and studied for nonlinear time fractional mobile/immobile transport equations on triangular grids. By using the WSGD formula of approximating the Riemann–Liouville fractional derivative and an interpolation operator$I_{h}^{*}$Ih∗, a second-order fully discrete finite volume element (FVE) scheme is formulated. The existence, uniqueness, and unconditional stability for the fully discrete FVE scheme are derived, the optimala priorierror estimates in$L^{\infty }(L^{2}(\varOmega))$L∞(L2(Ω))and$L^{2}(H^{1}(\varOmega))$L2(H1(Ω))norms are obtained, in which the convergence orders are independent of the fractional parameters. At the end of this article, two numerical examples with different nonlinear terms are given to verify the feasibility and effectiveness.
The surviving sepsis campaign: basic/translational science research priorities
Authors: Deutschman Clifford S. , Hellman Judith , Roca Ricard Ferrer , De Backer Daniel , Coopersmith Craig M. ,   for the Research Committee of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign, Coopersmith Craig M. , De Backer Daniel , Antonelli Massimo , Deutschman Clifford S. , Evans Laura , Ferrer-Roca Ricard , Hellman Judith , Jog Sameer , Kesecioglu Jozef , Lat Ishaq , Levy Mitchell M. , Machado Flavia , Martin Greg , Martin-Loeches Ignacio , Nunnally Mark E. , Rhodes Andrew
Published: July 2020

Objectives

Expound upon priorities for basic/translational science identified in a recent paper by a group of experts assigned by the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine.

Data sources

Original paper, search of the literature.

Study selection

This study is selected by several members of the original task force with specific expertise in basic/translational science. Data extraction and data synthesis are not available.

Conclusions

In the first of a series of follow-up reports to the original paper, several members of the original task force with specific expertise provided a more in-depth analysis of the five identified priorities directly related to basic/translational science. This analysis expounds on what is known about the question and what was identified as priorities for ongoing research. It is hoped that this analysis will aid the development of future research initiatives.
Evaluating the impact of jatropha oil extract against the Varroa mite, Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman (Arachnida: Acari: Varroidae), infesting honeybee colonies (Apis mellifera L.)
Authors: Masry Saad H. D. , Abd El-Wahab Tarek E. , Rashad Mohamed
Published: July 2020

The Varroa mite, Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman (Arachnida: Acari: Varroidae), is a severe external parasitic mite of honeybees that causes great losses of colonies globally. Four concentrations (1, 2%, 5, and 10%) of Jatropha curcas oil were tested for controlling the Varroa mite. Significant effects of reducing percentage of the mite infestation (P = 0.05) after second treatment for sealed brood and after third treatment for adult workers in all tested concentrations of J. curcas were recorded. The low concentrations 1 and 2% of J. curcas were more effective than the higher ones 5 and 10% on reduction of percentage of Varroa mite infestation. Moreover, the colonies treated with the lowest concentrations of jatropha oil had the highest amount of brood area (75.75 and 77.50 inch2) and the highest number of combs covered with bees compared with the colonies treated with the concentrations 5 and 10%. Treated colonies with the concentrations 1, 10, and 5% had a high amount of stored honey and pollen grains, 126.50, 111, and 96 inch2 and 11.25, 9.75, and 9.75 inch2, respectively. Obtained results encourage researchers to study deeply the ability of using jatropha oil in the widely field of Apicultural.
Migraine and tension headache comorbidity with hypothyroidism in Egypt
Authors: Abou Elmaaty Ali A. , Flifel Mohamed E. , Belal Tamer , Zarad Carmen A.
Published: July 2020

Background

Migraine, tension type headache (TTH), and hypothyroidism are clinical problems that affect patient daily activities and quality of life.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential association between hypothyroidism in patients with migraine and TTH.

Patients and methods

Two hundred and twelve patients with migraine and TTH and one hundred control subjects underwent clinical evaluation, assessment of thyroid hormones, and thyroid ultrasound.

Results

Subclinical and overt hypothyroidism were significantly higher in patients with migraine and TTH (P = 0.001) than control subjects. Patients with migraine and TTH showed significantly more abnormal thyroid gland morphology than healthy control (P = 0.027). Hypothyroidism is significantly expressed in chronic TTH more than TTH with infrequent or frequent TTH (P = 0.009).

Conclusions

Patients having migraine and TTH more prone to develop hypothyroidism when compared with control group. Also patients with chronic TTH are susceptible to develop hypothyroidism (either subclinical or overt) when compared with patients having frequent or infrequent TTH.
The Attributable Mortality of Postoperative Bleeding Exceeds the Attributable Mortality of Postoperative Venous Thromboembolism
Authors: Bellomy Melissa L. , Engoren Milo C. , Martin Barbara J. , Shi Yaping , Shotwell Matthew S. , Hughes Christopher G. , Freundlich Robert E.
Published: July 2020

Background:

Bleeding and venous thromboembolic disease are considered important sources of postoperative morbidity and mortality. Clinically, treatment of these 2 disorders is often competing. We sought to better understand the relative contributions of bleeding and venous thromboembolic disease to postoperative attributable mortality in a national cohort.

METHODS:

A retrospective analysis of the 2006–2017 American College of Surgeons’ National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database was performed to assess the adjusted odds ratio and attributable mortality for postoperative bleeding and venous thromboembolism, adjusted by year.

RESULTS:

After adjustment for confounding variables, bleeding exhibited a high postoperative attributable mortality in every year studied. Venous thromboembolism appeared to contribute minimal attributable mortality.

CONCLUSIONS:

Bleeding complications are a consistent source of attributable mortality in surgical patients, while the contribution of venous thromboembolic disease appears to be minimal in this analysis. Further studies are warranted to better understand the etiology of this disparity.
Violence Work and the Police Order
Authors: Tahir Madiha
Published: July 2020

As violence work, policing exceeds the institution of the police. Indeed, the latest bout of American invasions that cluster under the label “global war on terror” have been framed as policing operations by American officials as well as scholars. What, then, is the relationship between these two violence workers, the soldier and the police officer? Should we characterize violence work, from Ferguson to Fallujah, as “policing”? And if so, how? What productive analytics, politics, and solidarities can such a framing underwrite? Equally important, what significant inequalities in the global regimes of power does such an analytic obscure? This special issue of Public Culture leverages the strengths of an interdisciplinary conversation to examine the discourses and practices of policing as a concept.
Antagonism between splicing and microprocessor complex dictates the serum-induced processing of lnc-MIRHG for efficient cell cycle reentry
Authors: Sun Qinyu , Hao Qinyu , Lin Yo-Chuen , Song You Jin , Bangru Sushant , Arif Waqar , Tripathi Vidisha , Zhang Yang , Cho Jung-Hyun , Freier Susan M. , Jenkins Lisa M. , Ma Jian , Yoon Je-Hyun , Kalsotra Auinash , Lal Ashish , Prasanth Supriya G. , Prasanth Kannanganattu V.
Published: July 2020

Cellular quiescence and cell cycle reentry regulate vital biological processes such as cellular development and tissue homeostasis and are controlled by precise regulation of gene expression. The roles of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) during these processes remain to be elucidated. By performing genome-wide transcriptome analyses, we identify differential expression of several hundreds of lncRNAs, including a significant number of the less-characterized class of microRNA-host-gene (MIRHG) lncRNAs or lnc-MIRHGs, during cellular quiescence and cell cycle reentry in human diploid fibroblasts. We observe that MIR222HG lncRNA displays serum-stimulated RNA processing due to enhanced splicing of the host nascent pri-MIR222HG transcript. The pre-mRNA splicing factor SRSF1 negatively regulates the microprocessor-catalyzed cleavage of pri-miR-222, thereby increasing the cellular pool of the mature MIR222HG. Association of SRSF1 to pri-MIR222HG, including to a mini-exon, which partially overlaps with the primary miR-222 precursor, promotes serum-stimulated splicing over microRNA processing of MIR222HG. Further, we observe that the increased levels of spliced MIR222HG in serum-stimulated cells promote the cell cycle reentry post quiescence in a microRNA-independent manner. MIR222HG interacts with DNM3OS, another lncRNA whose expression is elevated upon serum-stimulation, and promotes cell cycle reentry. The double-stranded RNA binding protein ILF3/2 complex facilitates MIR222HG:DNM3OS RNP complex assembly, thereby promoting DNM3OS RNA stability. Our study identifies a novel mechanism whereby competition between the splicing and microprocessor machinery modulates the serum-induced RNA processing of MIR222HG, which dictates cell cycle reentry.
Ablations over transformer models for biomedical relationship extraction
Authors: Jackson Richard G , Jansson Erik , Lagerberg Aron , Ford Elliot , Poroshin Vladimir , Scrivener Timothy , Axelsson Mats , Johansson Martin , Franco Lesly Arun , Papa Eliseo
Published: July 2020

Background: Masked language modelling approaches have enjoyed success in improving benchmark performance across many general and biomedical domain natural language processing tasks, including biomedical relationship extraction (RE). However, the recent surge in both the number of novel architectures and the volume of training data they utilise may lead us to question whether domain specific pretrained models are necessary. Additionally, recent work has proposed novel classification heads for RE tasks, further improving performance. Here, we perform ablations over several pretrained models and classification heads to try to untangle the perceived benefits of each.

Methods: We use a range of string preprocessing strategies, combined with Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT), BioBERT and RoBERTa architectures to perform ablations over three RE datasets pertaining to drug-drug and chemical protein interactions, and general domain relationship extraction. We explore the use of the RBERT classification head, compared to a simple linear classification layer across all architectures and datasets.

Results: We observe a moderate performance benefit in using the BioBERT pretrained model over the BERT base cased model, although there appears to be little difference when comparing BioBERT to RoBERTa large. In addition, we observe a substantial benefit of using the RBERT head on the general domain RE dataset, but this is not consistently reflected in the biomedical RE datasets. Finally, we discover that randomising the token order of training data does not result in catastrophic performance degradation in our selected tasks.

Conclusions: We find a recent general domain pretrained model performs approximately the same as a biomedical specific one, suggesting that domain specific models may be of limited use given the tendency of recent model pretraining regimes to incorporate ever broader sets of data. In addition, we suggest that care must be taken in RE model training, to prevent fitting to non-syntactic features of datasets.
Case Report: Sustained mitochondrial damage in cardiomyocytes in patients with severe propofol infusion syndrome
Authors: Karasawa Satoshi , Nakada Taka-aki , Mori Naoto , Daimon Michiko , Miyauchi Hideyuki , Kanai Tetsuya , Takano Hiroyuki , Kobayashi Yoshio , Oda Shigeto
Published: July 2020

Introduction: Propofol infusion syndrome (PRIS) is rare but a potentially lethal adverse event. The pathophysiologic mechanism is still unknown.

Patient concerns: A 22-year-old man was admitted for the treatment of Guillain-Barré syndrome. On day six, he required mechanical ventilation due to progressive muscle weakness; propofol (3.5 mg/kg/hour) was administered for five days for sedation. On day 13, he had hypotension with abnormal electrocardiogram findings, acute kidney injury, hyperkalemia and severe rhabdomyolysis.

Diagnosis and interventions: The patient was transferred to our intensive care unit (ICU) on suspicion of PRIS. Administration of noradrenaline and renal replacement therapy and fasciotomy for compartment syndrome of lower legs due to PRIS-rhabdomyolysis were performed.

Outcomes: The patient gradually recovered and was discharged from the ICU on day 30. On day 37, he had repeated sinus bradycardia with pericardial effusion in echocardiography. Cardiac 18F-FDG PET on day 67 demonstrated heterogeneous 18F-FDG uptake in the left ventricle. Electron microscopic investigation of endomyocardial biopsy on day 75 revealed mitochondrial myelinization of the cristae, which indicated mitochondrial damage of cardiomyocytes. He was discharged without cardiac abnormality on day 192.

Conclusions: Mitochondrial damage in both morphological and functional aspects was observed in the present case. Sustained mitochondrial damage may be a therapeutic target beyond the initial therapy of discontinuing propofol administration.
Health inequities in unscheduled healthcare for children with intellectual disabilities in Ireland: a study protocol
Authors: Nicholson Emma , Doherty Edel , Somanadhan Suja , Guerin Suzanne , Schreiber James , Bury Gerard , Kroll Thilo , Raley Meredith , McAuliffe Eilish
Published: July 2020

Background: Health inequities for children with intellectual disabilities  are prevalent within different health systems, and children with intellectual disabilites  have shorter life expectancies than the general population, higher mortality rates before the age of 17 and have a greater risk of potentially preventable hospitalisations. A health systems approach to research in this area provides a useful means through which research can inform policy and practice to ensure people with intellectual disabilities receive equitable healthcare; however, there is a paucity of evidence regarding how to address differences that have been described in the literature to date. The overall aim of this research is to establish the extent of health inequities for children with intellectual disabilities  in Ireland compared to children without intellectual disabilities with respect to their utilisation of primary care and rates of hospitalisation, and to gain a better understanding of what influences utilisation of primary care and emergency department services in this population.

Methods and analysis: The design of this research adopts a multi-methods approach: statistical analysis of health data to determine the extent of health inequities in relation to healthcare utilisation; discrete choice experiments to explore General Practitioners’ decision making and parental preferences for optimal care; and concept mapping to develop consensus between stakeholders on how to address current healthcare inequities.

Discussion: By applying a systems lens to the issue of health inequities for children with intellectual disabilities, the research hopes to gain a thorough understanding of the varying components that can contribute to the maintenance of such healthcare inequities. A key output from the research will be a set of feasible solutions and interventions that can address health inequities for this population.
The impact of liver disease on mortality in cystic fibrosis - a systematic review protocol
Authors: Sasame Ao , Connolly Lucy , Fitzpatrick Emer , Stokes Diarmuid , Bourke Billy , Rowland Marion
Published: July 2020

Background Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a multiorgan disease affecting the lungs pancreas and gastrointestinal tract. Pulmonary complications are the most common clinical manifestation of the disease. Recent advances in the treatment of pulmonary complications have resulted in substantial improvement in life expectancy. Less than 10% of persons with CF (PWCF) develop liver disease (CFLD). There is conflicting evidence as to the impact of liver disease on mortality in CF, with evidence suggesting that CFLD contributes to increased mortality in CF, while other studies suggest that the impact on mortality is limited. Understanding the contribution of liver disease to mortality in CF is essential if further improvements in life expectancy are to be achieved.

Objective: To document the impact of liver disease on life expectancy for PWCF.

Methods: This systematic review will be conducted in compliance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P 2015). PubMed, Medline and Embase will be searched for English language publications between 1949 and 2020 reporting liver related and all-cause mortality in CF. Observational studies that use an unambiguous definition of liver disease in well-defined CF populations will be included. Studies with and without a comparator will be evaluated. Clinical trials of ursodeoxycholic acid will be excluded as well as organ transplantation outcome studies. The ROBINS-1 risk of bias tool for non-randomised studies will be used to evaluate the quality of the studies. We will provide a narrative synthesis of our findings using tabular formats to highlight any impact of liver disease on mortality in CF.

Conclusion: It is anticipated that this review will bring clarity to the question of whether CFLD shortens life expectancy in PWCF and stimulate new approaches to the management of CFLD.

Registration: This protocol has been submitted for registration on PROSPERO and is awaiting review.