bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ion Acceleration in Multi-Fluid Plasma: Including Charge Separation induced Electric Field Effects in Supersonic Wave Layers
Authors: Burrows Ross
Published: March 2020

The need to understand the process by which particles, including solar wind and coronal ions as well as pickup ions, are accelerated to high energies (ultimately to become anomalous cosmic rays) motivate a multi-fluid shock wave model which includes kinetic effects (e.g. ion acceleration) in an electromagnetically self-consistent framework. Particle reflection at the cross-shock potential leads to ion acceleration in the motional electric field and thus anisotropic heating and pressure in the shock layer, with important consequences for the multi-fluid dynamics. This motivates development of a multi-fluid model of solar wind electrons and ions treated as fluid, coupled self-consistently with a small population of kinetically treated ions (e.g. pickup ions.) Consideration of both the time dependent and steady state regimes, indicate that such a multi-fluid approach is necessary for resolving the, Debye scale, particle reflecting cross-shock potential and subsequent dynamics. To study charge separation effects in narrow, supersonic wave layers we consider a reduction of the system to the steady state for cold ions and hot electrons and find two types of solitary waves inherent to the reduced two-fluid system in this limiting case.
Wheat mlo Mutants Show Allele-Specific Levels of Enhanced Susceptibility to the Hemibiotrophic Fungal Pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae pv. Triticum
Authors: Gruner Katrin , Esser Tobias , Acevedo-Garcia Johanna , Freh Matthias , Habig Michael , Strugala Roxana , Stukenbrock Eva , Schaffrath Ulrich , Panstruga Ralph
Published: March 2020

Barley mlo mutants are well known for their profound resistance against powdery mildew disease. Recently, mlo mutant plants were generated in hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) with the help of transgenic (transcription-activator-like nuclease, TALEN) and non-transgenic (targeted induced local lesions in genomes, TILLING) biotechnological approaches. While full gene knockouts in the three wheat Mlo (TaMlo) homoeologs, created via TALEN, confer full resistance to the wheat powdery mildew pathogen (Blumeria graminis f.sp. tritici), the currently available TILLING-derived Tamlo missense mutants provide only partial protection against powdery mildew attack. Here we studied the infection phenotypes of TALEN- and TILLING-derived Tamlo plants to the two hemibiotrophic pathogens Zymoseptoria tritici, causing Septoria leaf blotch in wheat, and Magnaporthe oryzae pv. Triticum (MoT), the causal agent of wheat blast disease. While Tamlo plants showed unaltered outcomes upon challenge with Z. tritici, we found allele-specific levels of enhanced susceptibility to MoT, with stronger powdery mildew resistance correlated with more invasive growth by the blast pathogen. Surprisingly, unlike barley mlo mutants, young wheat mlo mutant plants do not show undesired pleiotropic phenotypes such as spontaneous callose deposits in leaf mesophyll cells or signs of early leaf senescence. In conclusion, our study provides evidence for allele-specific levels of enhanced susceptibility of Tamlo plants to the hemibiotrophic wheat pathogen MoT.
Predicting Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Drugs against RNA Viruses Using Transcriptional Responses to Exogenous RNA
Authors: Nordor Akpeli V. , Siwo Geoffrey H.
Published: March 2020

All RNA viruses deliver their genomes into target host cells through processes distinct from normal trafficking of cellular RNA transcripts. The delivery of viral RNA into most cells hence triggers innate antiviral defenses that recognize viral RNA as foreign. In turn, viruses have evolved mechanisms to subvert these defenses, allowing them to thrive in target cells. Therefore, drugs activating defense to foreign or exogenous RNA could serve as broad-spectrum antiviral drugs. Here we show that transcriptional signatures associated with cellular responses to the delivery of a non-viral exogenous RNA sequence into human cells predicts small molecules with broad-spectrum antiviral activity. In particular, transcriptional responses to the delivery of cas9 mRNA into human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) highly matches those triggered by small molecules with broad-spectrum antiviral activity such as emetine, homoharringtonine, pyrvinium pamoate and anisomycin, indicating that these drugs are potentially active against other RNA viruses. Furthermore, these drugs have been approved for other indications and could thereby be repurposed to novel viruses. We propose that the antiviral activity of these drugs to SARS-CoV-2 should therefore be determined as they have been shown as active against other coronaviruses including SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. These drugs could also be explored as potential adjuvants to COVID-19 vaccines in development due to their potential effect on the innate antiviral defenses that could bolster adaptive immunity when delivered alongside vaccine antigens.
Модель поведения производителя при наличии случайных моментов получения кредита и инвестиций
Authors: Жукова Александра Александровна , Zhukova Aleksandra Aleksandrovna
Published: March 2020

Работа рассматривает задачу фирмы, которая принимает решения относительно
инвестиций, производства и выплаты дивидендов владельцам фирмы в условиях
неопределенности моментов совершения транзакций. Ставится задача агента-производителя при конечном горизонте планирования. Используется подход к решению задач оптимального управления, возникающих в экономических моделях, с
использованием метода множителей Лагранжа. Сформулированы достаточные условия оптимальности и выведена система уравнений в частных производных со
сдвигом, определяющая решение задачи. Получено решение этой системы в случае
постоянных цен и процентных ставок, а также в общем случае получены приближенные решения при высокой частоте транзакций. Показано отличие от задачи
на бесконечном горизонте в силу наличия пограничного слоя, в котором анализ
может значительно измениться по сравнению с анализом решения в пределах горизонта планирования. Данная модель имеет применение как блок агента-производителя в прикладном моделировании вычислимого межвременного равновесия
экономики страны.
Kinetic- spectrophotometric Method for the Determination of Naringenin in Pure and Supplements Formulations
Authors: Et al. ALmashhadani
Published: March 2020

Simple, cheap, sensitive, and accurate kinetic- spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of naringenin in pure and supplements formulations. The method is based on the formation of Prussian blue. The product dye exhibits a maximum absorbance at 707 nm. The calibration graph of naringenin was linear over the range 0.3 to 10 µg ml-1 for the fixed time method (at 15 min) with a correlation coefficient (r) and percentage linearity (r2%) were of 0.9995 and 99.90 %, respectively, while the limit of detection LOD was 0.041 µg ml-1. The method was successfully applied for the determination of naringenin in supplements with satisfactory results.
Localización de locales comerciales: un enfoque de selección multicriterio
Authors: Mendoza-Mendoza Adel , Delahoz-Dominguez Enrique , Mendoza-Casseres Daniel
Published: March 2020

Rev.esc.adm.neg

La decisión referente a la localización de un local comercial es de carácter estratégico, ya que se deben estudiar las diferentes alternativas de acuerdo con múltiples factores, de manera que puede considerarse un proceso complejo de toma de decisiones multicriterio o MCDM. En el presente trabajo se propone una metodología para la selección de localización de locales comerciales que integra el proceso de jerarquía analítica difuso o AHP difuso, el cual se utiliza a fin de ponderar los criterios para la selección bajo la técnica de orden de preferencia por similitud con la solución ideal o TOPSIS, a fin de seleccionar la mejor opción de localización según las calificaciones obtenidas por todas las alternativas. Se presenta un estudio de caso, con el propósito de ilustrar la aplicabilidad de la metodología propuesta, en el que se tienen cinco centros comerciales como elecciones de localización, en conformidad con cuatro criterios: infraestructura, costo de arrendamiento, accesibilidad de clientes y potencial comercial. Las ponderaciones que alcanzaron cada criterio fueron 11,2 %, 21,0 %, 14,3 % y 53,5 %, respectivamente. Finalmente, no solo se demuestra la aplicabilidad de la metodología para el caso sino los alcances que la misma puede llegar a tener en otros sectores de negocio, pues se presenta como una manera confiable y efectiva para seleccionar la mejor opción entre un grupo de alternativas dependiendo de los diferentes criterios clave.
The characteristics of the frequent exacerbator with chronic bronchitis phenotype and non-exacerbator phenotype in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a meta-analysis and system review
Authors: Wu Jianjun , Xu Hong-ri , Zhang Ying-xue , Li Yi-xuan , Yu Hui-yong , Jiang Liang-duo , Wang Cheng-xiang , Han Mei
Published: March 2020

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics between the frequent exacerbator with chronic bronchitis (FE-CB) phenotype and the non-exacerbator (NE) phenotype among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: We searched CNKI, Wan fang, Chongqing VIP, China Biology Medicine disc, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE databases for relevant studies published as of April 30, 2019. All studies that investigated COPD patients with the FE-CB and NE phenotypes and which qualified the inclusion criteria were included. Cross-Sectional/Prevalence Study Quality recommendations were used to measure methodological quality. RevMan5.3 software was used for meta-analysis. Results: Ten case-control studies (n=8848) were included. Compared with the NE phenotype, patients with the FE-CB phenotype showed significantly lower forced vital capacity percent predicted (FVC%pred) [mean difference (MD) -6.69, 95% confidence interval (CI) -7.73–-5.65, P<0.001, I2=5%], forced expiratory volume in one second percent predicted (FEV1%pred) (MD -8.50, 95% CI -11.36–-5.65, P<0.001, I2=91%), and forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) (MD -3.76, 95% CI -4.58–-2.95,P<0.001, I2=0%); in contrast, the quantity of cigarettes smoked (pack-years) (MD 3.09, 95% CI 1.60–4.58, P<0.001, I2=41%), COPD assessment test (CAT) score (MD 5.61, 95% CI 4.62–6.60, P<0.001, I2=80%), modified Medical British Research Council (mMRC) score (MD 0.72, 95% CI 0.63–0.82, P<0.001, I2=57%), exacerbations in previous year (2.65, 95% CI 2.32–2.97, P<0.001, I2=91%), body mass index (BMI), obstruction, dyspnea, exacerbations (BODEx) (MD 1.78, 95% CI 1.28–2.28, P<0.001, I2=91%), I2=34%), and Charlson comorbidity index (MD 0.47, 95% CI 0.37–0.58, P<0.001, I2=0] were significantly higher in patients with FE-CB phenotype. No significant between-group difference was observed with respect to BMI (MD-0.14, 95% CI -0.70–0.42, P=0.62, I2=75%). Conclusion: COPD patients with the FE-CB phenotype had poorer pulmonary function and higher CAT score, the quantity of cigarettes smoked (pack-years), frequency of acute exacerbations, and mMRC scores than those with the NE phenotype.
An Exploratory Study on the Evaluation of eHealth Interventions in Uganda: Practices, Challenges and Insights
Authors: Nabukenya Josephine , Ashaba Justus
Published: March 2020

Background: The application of information and communication technology is becoming more popular in healthcare management evidencing improvement of effectiveness, access, quality, and efficiency of the healthcare systems. With increased investment and implementation of eHealth across the world, there is a need to evidence its value. That is, its evaluation is required in order to get the most benefits out of them. To this end, this research study investigates the practices, challenges, and insights regarding the evaluation of eHealth implementations in Uganda.
Methods: A qualitative approach was employed to conduct the study investigation with key eHealth implementers in Uganda considered as respondents to establish an understanding of their perspectives with respect to ehealth evaluation practices and challenges faced, as well as to derive insights from these perspectives in relation to the World Health Organization (WHO) understanding of digital health evaluation.
Results: Results show that Uganda has implemented various eHealth initiatives; however less to none evaluation is undertaken, as it is not a key activity with most of the eHealth implementers. The focus is put on monitoring the ehealth initiatives’ functionality and adoption rather than their outcome and impact.
Conclusion: Accordingly, the study recommends the need for an evaluation framework following the WHO global digital health evaluation framework guidelines to elucidate the notion of evaluation, its characteristics, and measurement indicators regards the outcome and impact of ehealth implementations in healthcare and service delivery for Uganda’s health system.
Effectiveness of the Healthy Start-Départ Santé approach on physical activity, healthy eating and fundamental movement skills of preschoolers attending childcare centres: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Leis Anne , Ward Stéphanie , Vatanparast Hassan , Humbert Louise , Chow Amanda Froehlich , Muhajarine Nazeem , Engler-Stringer Rachel , Bélanger Mathieu
Published: March 2020

Background: Since young children spend approximately 30 hours per week in early childcare centres (ECC), this setting is ideal to foster healthy behaviors. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the Healthy Start-Départ Santé (HSDS) randomized controlled trial in increasing physical activity (PA) levels and improving healthy eating and fundamental movement skills in preschoolers attending ECC. Methods: Sixty-one ECC were randomly selected and allocated to either the usual practice (n=30; n=433 children) or intervention group (n=31; n=464 children). The HSDS intervention group was provided a 3-hour on-site training for childcare educators which aimed to increase their knowledge and self-efficacy in promoting healthy eating, PA and development of fundamental movement skills in preschoolers. PA was measured during childcare hours for five consecutive days using the Actical accelerometer. Preschoolers’ fundamental movement skills were assessed using the standard TGMD-II protocol and POMP scores. Food intake was evaluated using digital photography-assisted weighted plate waste at lunch, over two consecutive days. All data were collected prior to the HSDS intervention and again 9 months later. Mixed-effect models were used to analyse the effectiveness of the HSDS intervention on all outcome measures. Results: Total number of children who provided valid data at baseline and endpoint for PA, food intake and fundamental movement skills were 259, 670 and 492, respectively. Children in the HSDS intervention group had, on average, a 3.33 greater point increase in their locomotor motor skills scores than children in the control group (β=3.33, p=0.009). No significant differences in effects were observed for object control, PA and food intake. However, results demonstrated a marginal increase in portions of fruits and vegetables served in the intervention group compared to control group (β=0.06, p=0.05).Conclusion: Of the 12 outcome variables investigated in this study, 10 were not different between the study groups and two of them (locomotor skills and vegetables and fruits servings) showed a significant improvement. This suggests that HSDS is an effective intervention for the promotion of some healthy behaviours among preschoolers attending ECC.
Characterization of bacterial communities associated with the pinewood nematode insect vector Monochamus alternatus Hope and the host tree Pinus massoniana
Authors: Guo Yajie , Lin Qiannan , Chen lvyi , Rebeca Carballar-Lejarazú , Zhang Aishan , Shao Ensi , Liang Guanghong , Hu Xia , Wang Rong , Xu Lei , Zhang Feiping , Wu Songqing
Published: March 2020

Background:Monochamus alternatusHope is one of the insect vectors of pinewood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus), which causes the destructive pine wilt disease. The microorganisms within the ecosystem, comprising plants, their environment, and insect vectors, form complex networks. This study presents a systematic analysis of the bacterial microbiota in theM. alternatusmidgut and its habitat niche.Methods:Total DNA was extracted from 20 types of samples (with three replicates each) fromM. alternatusand various tissues of healthy and infectedP. massoniana(pines). 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing was conducted to determine the composition and diversity of the bacterial microbiota in each sample. Moreover, the relative abundances of bacteria in the midgut ofM. alternatuslarvae were verified by counting the colony-forming units.Results:Pinewood nematode infection increased the microbial diversity in pines.Bradyrhizobium,Burkholderia,Dyella,Mycobacterium, andMucilaginibacterwere the dominant bacterial genera in the soil and infected pines. These results indicate that the bacterial community in infected pines may be associated with the soil microbiota. Interestingly, the abundance of the genusGryllotalpicolawas highest in the bark of infected pines. The genusCellulomonaswas not found in the midgut ofM. alternatus, but it peaked in the phloem of infected pines, followed by the phloem of heathy pines. Moreover, the genusSerratiawas not only present in the habitat niche, but it was also enriched in theM. alternatusmidgut. The colony-forming unit assays showed that the relative abundance ofSerratiasp. peaked in the midgut of instar II larvae (81%).Conclusions:Overall, the results indicate that the bacterial microbiota in the soil and in infected pines are correlated. TheGryllotalpicolasp. andCellulomonassp. are potential microbial markers of pine wilt disease. Additionally,Serratiasp. could be an ideal agent for expressing insecticidal protein in the insect midgut by genetic engineering, which represents a new use of microbes to controlM. alternatus.
Antiseptics as Adjuncts to Scaling and Root Planing in the Treatment of Periodontitis: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Ramanauskaite Egle , Machiulskiene Vita
Published: March 2020

Background : Periodontitis is microbially-associated, host-mediated inflammatory condition that results in loss of periodontal attachment. The goals of periodontal therapy include arresting the disease progression, establishing healthy, stable, maintainable periodontal conditions. A fundamental strategy of treating periodontitis is scaling and root planning (SRP), however its efficacy may be restricted in areas inaccessible for mechanical instrumentation. As periodontitis is infectious in nature, it might be helpful to use additional antimicrobial adjuncts, in order to eliminate or inactivate pathogenic microflora. The aim of this study is to evaluate the current evidence regarding the potential clinical benefits of using additional antiseptics for SRP in nonsurgical periodontal therapy. Methods: An electronic literature search was conducted in the MEDLINE (Ovid) and Cohrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases for articles published between January 1, 2000 and September 22, 2019. Randomized controlled clinical trials in English that compare the effectiveness of one or more antiseptic agents as adjuncts to SRP with a follow-up of ≥ 6 months were included. A meta-analysis using the random-effects model was performed on the selected qualifying articles. Results: The search resulted in 12 articles that met the inclusion criteria. Based on the vehicle employed to deliver the antiseptic agent, studies were divided into adjunctive sustained-release antiseptics (gels, chips and varnish) and adjunctive irrigation with antiseptics. The meta-analysis demonstrated significant improvements in probing depth (PD) reduction (p = 0.001), clinical attachment level (CAL) gain (p = 0.001), and bleeding on probing (BOP) values (p = 0.001) following the adjunctive subgingival application of sustained-release antiseptics. Additional subgingival irrigation with antiseptics failed to show significant improvements in PD (p = 0.321), CAL (p = 0.7568), or BOP values (p = 0.3549) over SRP alone. Conclusions: Adjunctive subgingivally delivered antiseptics with a sustained-release delivery have significant clinical benefits compared to SRP alone.
Prognostic and diagnostic value of circRNA expression in colorectal carcinoma: a meta-analysis
Authors: Yuan Jinpeng , Guo Dongming , Li Xinxin , Chen Juntian
Published: March 2020

Background: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are new stars in the network of noncoding RNAs and are regarded as key control factors in numerous tumours. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the clinical, prognostic and diagnostic role of circRNAs in colorectal cancer. The quality of all the articles were assessed by the Newcastle‐Ottawa Scale. Methods: An online search in electronic databases, including the PubMed, Cochrane Library and Web of Science online databases, was conducted to identify as many relevant papers as possible. Nineteen relevant studies were enrolled in this meta-analysis, with seven on diagnosis, eight on prognosis and 11 on clinicopathological features. Results: For the diagnostic value of circRNAs, the pooled results showed that the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.82 for identifying patients with colorectal cancer, with a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 72%. In terms of prognosis, carcinogenic circRNAs have a negative effect on overall survival (OS: HR = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.50-3.52), and increases in tumour suppressor circRNA expression are associated with longer survival (OS: HR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.22-0.64). And the elevated expression of oncogenic circRNAs is associated with poor clinical features while tumor suppressor circRNAs are the complete opposite. Conclusions: These results suggest that circRNAs may be a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of colorectal cancer.
Clinical value of histologic dating of the endometrium for personalized frozen-thawed embryo transfer (pFET) in patients with repeated implantation failure (RIF) in natural cycles
Authors: Li Yuan , Li Xiaofeng , liao Jingnan , Fan Xiangxiu , Hu Yongbin , Gan Runxin , Lu Guangxiu , Lin Ge , Gong Fei
Published: March 2020

Background: Displacement of the window of implantation (WOI) has been proposed as an important factor contributing to RIF. However, histologic dating of the endometrium as a diagnostic tool of endometrial receptivity has been questioned. Methods: This is a prospective intervention trial that entailed 205 infertile patients from July 2017 to December 2017. Endometrial biopsies from 50 good-prognosis patients were conducted on day 3 (n=6), 5 (n=6), 7 (n=26), 9 (n=6) or 11 (n=6) post-ovulation (PO+3/5/7/9/11) of the previous natural cycle before their conventional frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycle. We conducted endometrial biopsies of 155 RIF patients on day PO +7. Results: The verification of the Noyes criteria for endometrial dating was conducted at different times (PO +3/+5/+7/+9/+11) on 41 good-prognosis patients who achieved an ongoing pregnancy in their first conventional FET cycle after endometrial biopsy. The agreement between two pathologists for endometrial biopsy dating in infertile patients was determined to be acceptable (weighted kappa = 0.672, P < 0.001). The rate of out-of-phase dating on day PO+7 was significantly higher in RIF patients than good- prognosis patients (31.6% vs . 3.8%, P=0.003). pFET was performed in 47 RIF patients diagnosed to be out of phase, and the cumulative live-birth rate was 61.7%. Conclusions: Histologic endometrial dating of RIF patients in natural cycles may be a biomarker for a receptive endometrium in diagnosing the displacement of WOI.
Interference of functional dual-tasks on gait in untrained people with Parkinson’s disease and healthy controls: cross-sectional study
Authors: Valenzuela Constanza San Martín , Dueñas-Moscardó Lirios , López-Pascual Juan , Serra-Añó Pilar , Miguel José Manuel Tomás
Published: March 2020

Background: In Parkinson’s disease (PD) population, performing secondary tasks while walking further deteriorates gait and restrict mobility in functional contexts of daily life. This study (1) analyzed the interference of functional cognitive and motor secondary task on untrained people with PD and (2) compared their walking with healthy subjects.
Methods : Forty people with PD (aged 66.72 [7.5] years, Hoehn and Yahr stage I-II-III on-medication) composed the PD group (PDG) and 43 participants (aged 66.60 [8.75] years) formed the group of healthy counterparts (HG). Gait was evaluated through spatiotemporal, kinematic and kinetic outcomes in five conditions: single task (ST) and visual, verbal, auditory and motor dual-task (DT).
Results : The velocity, stride length, and braking force of both groups were statistically higher in the ST than in all DT conditions, and significantly lower in double support time and midstance force.. The same pattern was observed between ST and visual condition on stride length, double support time and braking force for all participants. In addition, the PDG exhibited a shorter double support time and midstance force, and showed a higher braking force in the visual than in the verbal DT, as well as a wider stride in the visual than in the motor condition. PDG participants had a significantly lower performance than the HG in all the variables analyzed except for the maximum hip extension in the stance phase.
Conclusions : In untrained participants with PD, verbal and motor secondary tasks affect gait significantly, while auditory and visual tasks interfere to a lesser extent. Untrained people with PD have a poorer gait performance than their healthy counterparts, but in different grades according to the analyzed variables.
Healthcare Access and Adverse Family Impact among U.S. Children ages 0-5 years by Prematurity Status
Authors: Lindly Olivia J. , Crossman Morgan K. , Shui Amy M. , Kuo Dennis Z. , Earl Kristen M. , Kleven Amber R. , Perrin James M. , Kuhlthau Karen A.
Published: March 2020

Background: Many children and their families are affected by premature birth. Yet, little is known about their healthcare access and adverse family impact during early childhood. This study aimed to (1) examine differences in healthcare access and adverse family impact among young children by prematurity status and (2) determine associations of healthcare access with adverse family impact among young children born prematurely.Methods: This was a secondary analysis of cross-sectional 2016 and 2017 National Survey of Children’s Health data. The sample included 19,482 U.S. children ages 0-5 years including 242 very low birthweight (VLBW) and 2,205 low birthweight and/or preterm (LBW/PTB) children. Prematurity status was defined by VLBW (i.e., <1,500 grams at birth) and LBW/PTB (i.e., 1,500-2,499 grams at birth and/or born at <37 weeks with or without LBW). Healthcare access measures were adequate health insurance, access to medical home, and developmental screening receipt. Adverse family impact measures were ≥$1,000 in annual out-of-pocket medical costs, having a parent cut-back or stop work, parental aggravation, maternal health not excellent, and paternal health not excellent. The relative risk of each healthcare access and adverse family impact measure was computed by prematurity status. Propensity weighted models were fit to estimate the average treatment effect of each healthcare access measure on each adverse family impact measure among children born prematurely (i.e., VLBW or LBW/PTB).Results: Bivariate analysis results showed that VLBW and/or LBW/PTB children generally fared worse than other children in terms of medical home, having a parent cut-back or stop working, parental aggravation, and paternal health. Multivariable analysis results only showed, however, that VLBW children had a significantly higher risk than other children of having a parent cut-back or stop work. Adequate health insurance and medical home were each associated with reduced adjusted relative risk of ≥$1,000 in annual out-of-pocket costs, having a parent cut-back or stop work, and parental aggravation among children born prematurely.Conclusions: This study’s findings demonstrate better healthcare access is associated with reduced adverse family impact among U.S. children ages 0-5 years born prematurely. Population health initiatives should target children born prematurely and their families.
Genomic and transcriptomic survey of an endophytic fungus Calcarisporium arbuscula NRRL 3705 and potential overview of its secondary metabolites
Authors: Cheng Jintao , Cao Fei , Chen Xinai , Li Yongquan , Mao Xuming
Published: March 2020

Background: Secondary metabolites as natural products from endophytic fungi are important sources of pharmaceuticals. However, there is currently little understanding of endophytic fungi at the omics levels about their potential in secondary metabolites. Calcarisporium arbuscula , an endophytic fungus from the fruit bodies of Russulaceae, produces a variety of secondary metabolites with anti-cancer, anti-nematode and antibiotic activities. A comprehensive survey of the genome and transcriptome of this endophytic fungus will help to understand its capacity to biosynthesize secondary metabolites and will lay the foundation for the development of this precious resource.
Results: In this study, we reported the high-quality genome sequence of C. arbuscula NRRL 3705 based on Single Molecule Real-Time sequencing technology. The genome of this fungus is over 45 Mb in size, larger than other typical filamentous fungi, and comprises 10,001 predicted genes, encoding at least 762 secretory-proteins, 386 carbohydrate-active enzymes and 177 P450 enzymes. 398 virulence factors and 228 genes related to pathogen-host interactions were also predicted in this fungus. Moreover , 65 secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters were revealed, including the gene cluster for the mycotoxin aurovertins. In addition, several gene clusters were predicted to produce mycotoxins, including aflatoxin, alternariol, destruxin, citrinin and isoflavipucine. Notably, two independent gene clusters were shown that are potentially involved in thebiosynthesis of alternariol. Furthermore, RNA-Seq assays showed that only expression of the aurovertin gene cluster is much stronger than expression of the housekeeping genes under laboratory conditions, consistent with the observation that aurovertins are the predominant metabolites. Gene expression of the remaining 64 gene clusters for compound backbone biosynthesis was all lower than expression of the housekeeping genes, which partially explained poor production of other secondary metabolites in this fungus.
Conclusions : Our omics data, along with bioinformatics analysis, indicated that C. arbuscula NRRL 3705 contains a large number of biosynthetic gene clusters and has a huge potential to produce a profound number of secondary metabolites. This work also provides the basis for development of endophytic fungi as a new resource of natural products with promising biological activities.
Keywords: Endophytic Fungus, Calcarisporium arbuscula , Genome, Transcriptome, Secondary Metabolite
Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) used in childhood caries management has potent antifungal activity against oral Candida species
Authors: Fakhruddin Kausar Sadia , Egusa Hiroshi , Ngo Hien Chi , Panduwawala Chamila , Pesee Siripen , Thenmozhi Venkatachalam , Samaranayake Lakshman
Published: March 2020

Background: The microbiome of Severe-Early Childhood Caries (S-ECC), is characterized by an ecosystem comprising bacterial and fungal species, with a predominance of Candida species. Hence, an anti-cariogen effective against both bacteria and fungi would be valuable in the management of S-ECC.
Here we evaluate the antifungal effect of silver diamine fluoride (SDF) against 35-clinical yeast isolates (Ten-each of C. albicans , C. krusei, C. tropicalis and five C. glabrata strains) from dentinal caries-lesions from S-ECC.
Results: Disc-diffusion and time-kill assays as well as MIC 50 and MIC 90 evaluations against therapeutic concentrations confirmed the broad-spectrum anti-candidal potency of SDF. Ultrastructural images revealed morphologic aberrations of yeast-cell walls on exposure to SDF. All C. krusei and C. glabrata isolates were significantly more sensitive to SDF, relative to the standard antifungal fluconazole. Further, SDF appears to effectively abrogate filamentation of C. albicans even at very low concentrations.
Conclusions: Our data, for the first time, elucidate the anti-candidal potency of SDF, in addition to its known antibacterial activity, in the management of S-ECC.
Profiling of Koumiss Microbiota and Organic Acids and their Effects on Koumiss Taste
Authors: Tang Hai , Ma Huimin , Hou Qiangchuan , Li Weicheng , Xu Haiyan , Liu Wenjun , Sun Zhihong , Haobisi Halatu , Menghe Bilige
Published: March 2020

Background

Koumiss is a naturally fermented mare’s milk. Over recent decades, numerous studies have revealed the diversity of lactic acid bacteria in koumiss. However, there is limited information available regarding its secondary major component yeast profile.

Results

A total of 119 bacterial and 36 yeast species were identified among the 14 koumiss samples. The dominant bacterial species in koumiss were Lactobacillus helveticus , Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens , Lactococcus lactis , Lactococcus raffinolactis , and Citrobacter freundii. The main yeast species were Dekkera anomala , Kazachstania unispora , Meyerozyma caribbica , Pichia sp.BZ159 , Kluyveromyces marxianus , and uncultured Guehomyces . The bacterial and yeast Shannon diversity of the Xilinhaote-urban group were higher than those of the Xilingol-rural group. The most dominant organic acids were lactic, acetic, tartaric, and malic acids. Lactic acid bacteria species were mostly responsible for the accumulation of those organic acids, although Kazachstania unispora , Dekkera anomala , and Meyerozyma caribbica may also have contributed. Redundancy analysis suggested that both bacteria and yeast respond to koumiss flavor, such as Lactobacillus helveticus and Dekkera anomala are associated with sourness, astringency, bitterness, and aftertaste, whereas Lactococcus lactis and Kazachstania unispora are associated with umami.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that differences were observed in koumiss microbiota of Xilinhaote-urban and Xilingol-rural samples. The biodiversity of the former was higher than the latter group. Positive or negative correlations between bacteria and yeast microbiota and taste also were found.
Epidemiology of human exposure to rabies in Nunavik: incidence, the role of dog bites and their context, and victim profiles
Authors: Mediouni Sarah , Brisson Mario , Ravel André
Published: March 2020

Background: In Nunavik, Arctic rabies is still endemic due to a spillover from wildlife to dogs. The prevention of human exposure and the management of potential exposure is a significant public health concern in this region.
Methods: This study retrospectively describes cases of potential exposure to rabies in humans as reported to the Nunavik Public Health Board through their registry of reported cases. We used multi-correspondence analysis as well as univariable and multivariable regression models to test for differences between children and adults in reported cases, and to examine to contexts of exposure to dogs and dog attacks.
Results: From 2008 to 2017, 320 cases of potential exposure to rabies were reported, 92% of which were linked to dogs. The annual incidence rate was 2.5 per 1,000 people. The incidence increased significantly during the study period, although the reasons for this are unclear. Fifteen cases of exposure were with rabid animals, mostly dogs (9 of 15). No human cases of rabies occurred thanks to adequate medical case management. Two specific profiles for potential exposure to rabies were identified based on age and gender. The first was children (<15 y/o), male or female, who were more likely to be exposed through playing with dogs and were more often injured in the head and/or neck. The second was young male adults (aged 15 to 34 y/o), who were more involved with wildlife than other age groups and mostly injured in the upper limbs and as a result of a reaction by the animal.
Conclusion: Rabies is a real public health threat in Nunavik. Potential human exposure needs to be prevented, and prevention measures should be tailored to the two risk profiles identified based on age, gender and animal species involved.
Association of Helicobacter Pylori babA2 gene and Gastric Cancer Risk: A Meta-analysis
Authors: Kpoghomou Marce-Amara , Wang jinchen , Wang Tianpei , Jin Guangfu
Published: March 2020

Background: The association of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) babA2 gene with gastric cancer (GC) was reported by several studies, but results were inconsistent. This meta-analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between H. pylori babA2 gene and GC risk.Methods: Case-control studies involving the association between H. pylori babA2 gene and GC risk were systematically identified from PubMed databases. A meta-analysis was used to pool studies and to estimate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of H. pylori babA2 gene associated with GC risk.Results: Twenty studies were identified with a total of 1289 GC cases and 1081 controls. H. pylori babA2 gene was associated with an increased risk of GC by 2.05 fold (95% CI: 1.30-3.24, P=0.002). In subgroup analysis, we found that H. pylori babA2 gene was significantly associated with GC risk in Asian population (OR=2.63, 95% CI: 1.36-5.09 P=0.004) but not in South American population (OR=1.35, 95% CI: 0.69-2.64, P=0.379).Conclusions: This meta-analysis indicates that H. pylori babA2 gene may be associated with increased risk of GC, especially in Asian population.
Molecular delimitation of European leafy liverworts of the genus Calypogeia based on plastid super-barcodes
Authors: Ślipiko Monika , Myszczyński Kamil , Buczkowska Katarzyna , Bączkiewicz Alina , Szczecińska Monika , Sawicki Jakub
Published: March 2020

Background Molecular research revealed that some of the European Calypogeia species described on the basis of morphological criteria are genetically heterogeneous and, in fact, are species complexes. DNA barcoding is already commonly used for correct identification of difficult to determine species, to disclose cryptic species, or detecting new taxa. Among liverworts, some DNA fragments, recommend as universal plant DNA barcodes, cause problems in amplification. Super-barcoding based on genomic data, makes new opportunities in a species identification. Results On the basis of 22 individuals, representing 10 Calypogeia species, plastid genome was tested as a super-barcode. It is not effective in 100%, nonetheless its success of species discrimination (95.45%) is still conspicuous. It is not excluded that the above outcome may have been upset by cryptic speciation in C. suecica , as our results indicate. Having the sequences of entire plastomes of European Calypogeia species, we also discovered that the ndhB and ndhH genes and the trnT-trnL spacer identify species in 100%. Conclusions This study shows that even if a super-barcoding is not effective in 100%, this method does not close the door to a traditional single- or multi-locus barcoding. Moreover, it avoids many complication resulting from the need to amplify selected DNA fragments. It seems that a good solution for species discrimination is a development of so-called “specific barcodes” for a given taxonomic group, based on plastome data.
Roles of Peritoneal Clearance and Residual Kidney Removal in Control of Uric Acid in Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis
Authors: Xiao Xi , Ye Hongjian , Yi Chunyan , Lin Jianxiong , Peng Yuan , Huang Xuan , Wu Meiju , Wu Haishan , Mao Haiping , Yu Xueqing , Yang Xiao
Published: March 2020

Background: There have been few systematic studies regarding clearance of uric acid (UA) in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD). This study investigated peritoneal UA removal and its influencing factors in patients undergoing PD.
Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled patients who underwent peritoneal equilibration test and assessment of Kt/V from April 1, 2018 to August 31, 2019. Demographic data and clinical and laboratory parameters were collected, including UA levels in dialysate, blood, and urine.
Results: In total, 180 prevalent patients undergoing PD (52.8% men) were included. Compared with the normal serum UA (SUA) group, the hyperuricemia group showed significantly lower peritoneal UA clearance (39.1±6.2 vs. 42.0±8.0 L/week/1.73m 2 ; P =0.008). Furthermore, higher transporters (high or high-average) exhibited greater peritoneal UA clearance, compared with lower transporters (low or low-average) (42.0±7.0 vs. 36.4±5.6 L/week/1.73 m 2 ; P <0.001). Among widely used solute removal indicators, peritoneal creatinine clearance showed the best performance for prediction of higher peritoneal UA clearance in receiver operating characteristic curve analysis [area under curve (AUC) 0.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.93-0.99]. Peritoneal UA clearance was independently associated with continuous SUA [standardized coefficient (β), -0.32; 95% CI, -6.42 to -0.75] and hyperuricemia [odds ratio (OR), 0.86; 95% CI, 0.76–0.98] status, only in patients with lower (≤2.74 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ) measured glomerular filtration rate (mGFR). In those patients with lower mGFR, lower albumin level (β -0.24; 95%CI -7.26 to -0.99), lower body mass index (β -0.29; 95%CI -0.98 to -0.24), higher transporter status (β 0.24; 95%CI 0.72-5.88) and greater dialysis dose (β 0.24; 95%CI 0.26-3.12) were independently associated with continuous peritoneal UA clearance. Furthermore, each 1kg/m 2 decrease in body mass index (OR 0.79; 95% CI 0.63-0.99), each 1g/dL decrease in albumin level (OR 0.08; 95%CI 0.01-0.47), and each 0.1% increase in average glucose concentration in dialysate (OR 1.56; 95%CI 1.11-2.19) were associated with greater peritoneal UA clearance (>39.8 L/week/1.73m 2 ).
Conclusions: For patients undergoing PD who exhibited worse residual kidney function, peritoneal clearance dominated in SUA balance. Increasing dialysis dose or average glucose concentration may aid in controlling hyperuricemia in lower transporters.
An Innovative Intervention to Improve Respectful Maternity Care in Three Districts in Ethiopia
Authors: Jembere Birkety Mengistu , Alemu Haregeweyni , Kassa Munir , Zelalem Meseret , Abate Mehiret , Bitewulign Befikadu , Mathewos Kedest , Njoku Kendra , Prose Neil S , Magge Hema
Published: March 2020

Background: Mistreatment during childbirth are major violations of human rights and often deter women from accessing skilled delivery in health facilities. In Ethiopia, mistreatment has been documented to occur in up to 49.4% of mothers delivering in health facilities. This study describes the development, implementation and results of a novel intervention to improve respectful maternity care and decrease mistreatment in three districts in Ethiopia. Methods: As part of a national initiative to reduce maternal and perinatal mortality in Ethiopia, we developed a novel respectful maternity care training module with three core components: testimonial videos, didactic sessions on communication, and onsite coaching. As of February 2017, we implemented the respectful maternity care training in three districts within the regions of Oromia; Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s; and Tigray. Measures of births with privacy and a birth companion from a 27-month data from 17 health centers and three hospitals were analyzed using interrupted time series and a regression analysis was conducted to assess the significance of improvement. Facility level solutions applied to enhance privacy and birth companion were documented. Results: Analysis of the effectiveness of integrating respectful maternity care using available programmatic data showed significant improvement following the respectful maternity care training, which was sustained beyond the project intervention (regression coefficients ranging from 0.18 to 0.77). Several local solutions were devised and implemented in the health facilities to improve the experience of care for mothers. Conclusion: This study suggests that integrating the respectful maternity care training into the district-wide quality improvement collaborative is effective in improving respectful maternity care. Multi-pronged approach is especially helpful in enhancing respectful maternity care comprehensively. Use of testimonial videos helped providers to see their services from their clients’ perspective, the quality improvement training and coaching helped them reflect on potential root causes for this type of treatment and develop effective solutions.
Epidemiology of neonatal infections in hospitals of Nepal: Evidence from a large- scale study
Authors: Budhathoki Shyam Sundar , Sunny Avinash K , Paudel Pragya Gautam , Thapa Jeevan , Basnet Lila Bahadur , Karki Sandeepa , Gurung Rejina , Paudel Prajwal , Kc Ashish
Published: March 2020

Background: Every year, neonatal infections account for approximately 750,000 neonatal deaths globally. It is the third major cause of neonatal death, globally and in Nepal. There is a paucity of data on clinical aetiology and outcomes of neonatal infection in Nepal. This paper aims to assess the incidence and risk factors of neonatal infection in babies born in public hospitals of Nepal.Methods: This is a prospective cohort study conducted for a period of 14 months, nested within a large-scale cluster randomized control trial which evaluated the Helping Babies Breathe Quality Improvement package in 12 public hospitals in Nepal. All the mothers who consented to participate within the study and delivered in these hospitals were included in the analysis. All neonates admitted into the sick newborn care unit weighing >1500 gram or/and 32 weeks or more gestation with clinical signs of infection or positive septic screening were taken as cases and those that did not have an infection were the comparison group. Bivariate and multi-variate analysis of socio-demographic, maternal, obstetric and neonatal characteristics of case and comparison group were conducted to assess risk factors associated with neonatal infection. Results: The overall incidence of neonatal infection was 7.3 per 1000 live births. Babies who were born to first time mothers were at 64% higher risk of having infection (aOR-1.64, 95% CI, 1.30-2.06, p-value<0.001). Babies born to mothers who had no antenatal check-up had more than three-fold risk of infection (aOR-3.45, 95% CI, 1.82-6.56, p-value<0.001). Babies born through caesarean section had more than two-fold risk (aOR-2.06, 95% CI, 1.48-2.87, p-value<0.001) and babies with birth asphyxia had more than three-fold risk for infection (aOR-3.51, 95% CI, 1.71-7.20, p-value=0.001).Conclusion : Antepartum factors, such as antenatal care attendance, and intrapartum factors such as mode of delivery and birth asphyxia, were risk factors for neonatal infections. These findings highlight the importance of ANC visits and the need for proper care during resuscitation in babies with birth asphyxia.