bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trends in the incidence of diabetes mellitus: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 and implications for diabetes mellitus prevention
Authors: Liu Jinli , Ren Zhen-Hu , Qiang Hua , Wu Jine , Shen Mingwang , Zhang Lei , Lyu Jun
Published: August 2020

Backgroud: Diabetes mellitus is a common chronic disease and a severe public health issue. The incidence trends for type 1 diabetes (TIDM) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) have rarely been studied on a global scale. We aimed to determine the temporal and geographical trends of diabetes globally.Methods: Data on diabetes mellitus, including incidence, prevalence from 1990 to 2017 were obtained from the 2017 Global Burden of Disease study. We calculated the estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) in age-standardized incidence rate (ASR) of diabetes mellitus according to sex, region, and disease type.Results: The worldwide incident cases of diabetes mellitus has increased by 102.9% from 11,303,084 cases in 1990 to 22,935,630 cases in 2017 worldwide, while the ASR increased from 233.58/100,000 persons (95% UI, 218.95–249.37) to 284.56/100,000 persons (95% UI, 262.17–309.71) in this period [EAPC=0.87, 95% confidence interval (CI):0.79–0.96]. The global ASRs of T1DM and T2DM both demonstrated significant increase during 1990-2017, with EAPCs of 0.34 (95% CI:0.30–0.39) and 0.89 (95% CI:0.80–0.97), respectively. The ASR trends also varied considerably by regions and countries. The increase in ASR was greatest in high sociodemographic index regions (EAPC=1.05, 95% CI:0.92–1.17) and lowest in low-SDI regions (EAPC=0.79, 95% CI:0.71–0.88).Conclusions: Both the number of incident cases and ASR of diabetes mellitus increased significantly during 1990-2017 worldwide, but the temporal trends varied markedly across regions and countries.
Genetic diversity and fingerprinting of 33 standard flue-cured tobacco varieties for use in distinctness, uniformity, and stability testing
Authors: He Binbin , Geng Ruimei , Cheng Lirui , Yang Xianbin , Ge Hongmei , Ren Min
Published: August 2020

Background: At present, the distinctness, uniformity, and stability (DUS) testing of flue-cured tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum L.) depends on field morphological identification, which is problematic in that it is intensive, time-consuming, and susceptible to environmental impacts. In order to improve the efficiency and accuracy of tobacco DUS testing, the development of a molecular marker-based method for genetic diversity identification is urgently needed.

Results: In total, 91 simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers with clear and polymorphic amplification bands were obtained with polymorphism information content, Nei index, and Shannon information index values of 0.3603, 0.4040, and 0.7228, respectively. Clustering analysis showed that the 33 study varieties, which are standard varieties for flue-cured tobacco DUS testing, could all be distinguished from one another. Further analysis showed that a minimum of 25 markers were required to identify the genetic diversity of these varieties. Following the principle of two markers per linkage group, 48 pairs of SSR markers were selected. Correlation analysis showed that the genetic relationships revealed by the 48 SSR markers were consistent with those found using the 91 SSR markers.

Conclusions: The genetic fingerprints of the 33 standard varieties of flue-cured tobacco were constructed using 48 SSR markers, and an SSR marker-based identification technique for new tobacco varieties was developed. This study provides a reliable technological approach for determining the novelty of new tobacco varieties and offers a solid technical basis for the accreditation and protection of new tobacco varieties.
Alpha Thalassemia Genotypes in Kuwait
Authors: Adekile Adekunle , Sukumaran Jalaja , Thomas Diana , D'Souza Thomas , Haider Mohammad
Published: August 2020

Background: The frequency of the alpha thalassemia trait is approximately 40% in the Kuwaiti population, but there has been no comprehensive study of the prevalent alleles. This is a report of patients who were referred for molecular diagnosis over a 20-year period.Methods: This is a retrospective study of the a-globin genotypes obtained in the Hemoglobin Research Laboratory of the Department of Pediatrics, Kuwait University from 1994 to 2015. Genotyping was performed by a combination of PCR, allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization and reverse dot blot hybridization (Vienna Lab Strip Assay).Results: Four hundred samples were characterized and analyzed from individuals aged <1 month to 80 years, with a median of 6 years from 283 unrelated families. Most (90.8%) were Kuwaiti nationals. The commonest genotype was homozygosity for the polyadenylation-1 mutation (αPA-1α/α PA-1α) in 33.3% of the samples, followed by heterozygosity (αα/α PA-1α) for the same mutation in 32.3%. PA-1 was therefore the most frequent allele (0.59). The frequency of the α0 (--MED) allele was 0.017. Rare alleles that were found in very low frequencies included α0 (--FIL) in a Filipino child, Hb Constant Spring, Hb Adana, and Hb Icaria.Conclusion: There is a wide variety of alpha thalassemia alleles among Kuwaitis, but nondeletional PA-1 is by far the most common cause of the moderate to severe HbH (β4 tetramer) disease phenotype. The α0 (–MED) allele is also encountered, which has implications for premarital counseling, especially for the possibility of having babies with alpha thalassemia major (Barts hydrops fetalis).
The effect of different doses of radiation on the morphogical, mechanical and chemical properties of the primary and permanent teeth—an in vitro study
Authors: Duruk Gülsüm , Acar Burçin , Temelli Öztun
Published: August 2020

Background. Radiotherapy, applied to the head and neck region, can cause radiation side effects such as reduction of saliva and radiation caries. The aim of this study was to perform an in vitro assessment of the effects of radiation therapy on the morphological, mechanical, and chemical properties of primary and permanent teeth. Methods. 92 extracted human teeth (46 impacted wisdom teeth, 46 primary molar teeth) were used. The teeth were divided into two directions: the mesiodistal direction and the vestibulolingual direction. The vestibular sections were used for the vickers analysis, and lingual sections were used for the Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) analysis. The teeth in the experimental group were fixed to wax models. Each model had an equal number of teeth (n=7). The doses were applied to the teeth for 6 weeks; 5 week days and 2Gy daily. After the radiotherapy was conducted weekly, a wax model was taken from radiation reception. Along with the elemental contents (Na, K, Mg, P, and Ca) of the teeth, enamel and dentin microhardness was evaluated, and SEM analyzes were performed on 8 teeth. These teeth were compared with the other non-irradiated sections. Results. Radiation caused a decrease in microhardness of enamel and dentin(p<0.05). In the elemental analysis by ICP-OES, it was observed that there were decreases in all doses, while the highest decrease was in 60Gy dose(p<0.01). In the experimental groups, amorphous structures were encountered in SEM images. Conclusions. Radiation has negative effects on the teeth structure and additional studies are needed in this regard. This study indicates that radiotherapy patients are at a higher risk for dental caries.
Identification of a four-gene panel predicting overall survival for lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Chunyu Li , Qizhong Long , Danni Zhang , Jun Li , Xianming Zhang
Published: August 2020

Background: Lung cancer is the most frequently diagnosed carcinoma and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Although molecular targeted therapy and immunotherapy have made great progress, the overall survival (OS) is still poor due to a lack of accurate and available prognostic biomarkers. Therefore, in this study we aimed to establish a multiple-gene panel predicting OS for lung adenocarcinoma. Methods: We obtained the mRNA expression and clinical data of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) from TCGA database for further integrated bioinformatic analysis. Lasso regression and Cox regression were performed to establish a prognosis model based on a multi-gene panel. Nomogram was built based on the model. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the Kaplan–Meier curve were used to assess the predicted capacity of the model. The prognosis value of the multi-gene panel was further validated in TCGA-LUAD patients with EGFR, KRAS and TP53 mutation and a dataset from GEO. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to explore potential biological mechanisms of a novel prognostic gene signature. Results: A four-gene panel (including DKK1, GNG7, LDHA, MELTF) was established as a prognostic indicator for OS of LUAD. The ROC curve revealed good predicted performance in both test cohort (AUC = 0.740) and validation cohort (AUC = 0.752). Each patient was calculated a risk score according to the model based on the four-gene panel. The results showed that the risk score was an independent prognostic factor, and the high-risk group had a worse OS compared with the low-risk group. The nomogram based on this model shows better prediction performance. The four-gene panel was still good predictors for OS in LUAD patients with TP53 and KRAS mutations. The four genes may be significantly related to the metabolism of genetic material, especially in the regulation of cell cycle pathway. Conclusion: Our study proposed a novel four-gene panel to predict the OS of LUAD, which may contribute to predicting prognosis accurately and making the clinical decisions of individual therapy for LUAD patients.
Associations between breastfeeding and cognitive function in children from early childhood to school age: a prospective birth cohort study
Authors: Kim Min Kyoung , Choi Jae-Won
Published: August 2020

Background: Despite evidences of breastfeeding for preventing acute physical illnesses in infants, the evidence for the association between breastfeeding and long-term cognitive development is not yet convincing.Methods: The data of nationwide representative sample of 1,752 children born between 2008 and 2009 in Korea were prospectively assessed from the fetal period to examine the benefits of breastfeeding and cognitive development. Breastfeeding duration was prospectively assessed by parents. The Korean Ages and Stages Questionnaire and the Korean version of Denver II were used to assess early development annually from 5.5 to 26.2 months of age. Language development at 3 years of age was assessed with Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Tests. Cognitive function at 8 years of age was assessed using multifactorial intelligence test.Results: Children who were breastfed for 1–3 months displayed significantly higher odds ratios for delayed development assessed at 14.1 months than those breastfed for 3–6 months. Children who were breastfed for >3 months also scored significantly higher on the communication and problem-solving subscales at 14.1 months of age, the expressive language subscale at 3 years. The performances on the calculation subscale at 8 years of age differed significantly among the groups of breastfeeding duration. Conclusion: We found that cognitive development was improved in children that were breastfed for >3 months. Although these results are supported by previous studies, it is important to note that other factors were reported as larger determinants of cognitive development than breastfeeding. Future studies that examine the underlying mechanism for the association between breastfeeding and cognitive development are warranted.
Calculating the Most Likely Intron Splicing Orders in S. pombe, Fruit Fly, Arabidopsis thaliana, and Humans
Authors: Li Meng
Published: August 2020

BackgroundIntrons have been shown to be spliced in a defined order, and this order influences both alternative splicing regulation and splicing fidelity, but previous studies have only considered neighbouring introns. The detailed intron splicing order remains unknown.ResultsIn this work, a method was developed that can calculate the intron splicing orders of all introns in each transcript. A simulation study showed that this method can accurately calculate intron splicing orders. I further applied this method to real S. pombe, fruit fly, Arabidopsis thaliana, and human sequencing datasets and found that intron splicing orders change from gene to gene and that humans contain more not in-order spliced transcripts than S. pombe, fruit fly and Arabidopsis thaliana. In addition, I reconfirmed that the first introns in humans are spliced slower than those in S. pombe, fruit fly, and Arabidopsis thaliana genome-widely. Both the calculated most likely orders and the method developed here are available on the web.ConclusionsA novel computational method was developed to calculate the intron splicing orders and applied the method to real sequencing datasets. I obtained intron splicing orders for hundreds or thousands of genes in four organisms. I found humans contain more number of not in-order spliced transcripts.
The Effect of Plant Weight on Estimations of Stalk Lodging Resistance
Authors: Stubbs Christopher J , Oduntan Yusuf , Keep Tyrone , Noble Scott D , Robertson Daniel J
Published: August 2020

Background: Stalk lodging (breaking of agricultural plant stalks prior to harvest) is a multi-billion dollar a year problem. Stalk lodging occurs when bending moments induced by a combination of external loading (e.g. wind) and self-loading (e.g. the plant’s own weight) exceed the stalk bending strength of plant stems. Previous studies have investigated external loading and self-loading of plants as separate and independent phenomena. However, these two types of loading are highly interconnected and mutually dependent. The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) to investigate the combined effect of external loads and plant weight on the flexural response of plant stems, and (2) to provide a generalized framework for accounting for self-weight during mechanical phenotyping experiments used to predict stalk lodging resistance. Results: A mathematical methodology for properly accounting for the interconnected relationship between self-loading and external loading of plants stems is presented. The method was compared to numerous finite element models of plants stems and found to be highly accurate. The resulting interconnected set of equations from the derivation were used to produce user-friendly applications by presenting (1) simplified self-loading correction factors for common loading configurations of plants, and (2) a generalized Microsoft Excel framework that calculates the influence of self-loading on crop stems. Results indicate that ignoring the effects of self-loading when calculating stalk flexural stiffness is appropriate for large and stiff plants such as maize, bamboo, and sorghum. However, significant errors result when ignoring the effects of self-loading in smaller plants with larger relative grain sizes, such as rice (8% error) and wheat (16% error).Conclusions: Properly accounting for self-weight can be critical to determining the structural response of plant stems. Equations and tools provided herein enable researchers to properly account for the plant’s weight during mechanical phenotyping experiments used to determine stalk lodging resistance.
Health status of female Moldovan immigrants to Italy by health literacy level and age group
Authors: Vianello Francesca Alice , Zaccagnini Federica , Pinato Carlo , Maculan Pietro , Buja Alessandra
Published: August 2020

Background: Migration flows from Eastern Europe to Italy have been large and continue to grow. The purpose of this study was to examine the health status of a population of Moldovan immigrant women, and their access to health care services in northern Italy, by age group and health literacy level.Methods: We administered an ad-hoc questionnaire to adult Moldovan women. A bivariate analysis was conducted to test the association between health literacy and age groups with other variables ( lifestyles, symptoms and diseases, access to health services). A stepwise logistic regression analysis was run to test the association between access to primary care and health literacy. Moreover, the study compare Moldovan women data with a sample of Italian women of the same age range living in North-Eastern region. Results: Our sample included 170 Moldovan women (aged 46.5 ± 12.3) in five occupational categories: home care workers (28.2%); cleaners (27.1%); health care workers (5.9%); other occupations (28.8%); and unemployed (10%). Active smokers were twice as prevalent among the women with a low health literacy. Health literacy level also determined access to primary healthcare services. For all age groups, the Moldovan sample reported a higher prevalence of allergies, lumbar disorders and depression than the Italian controls.Conclusions: The reported prevalence of some diseases was higher among Moldovan immigrant women than among Italian resident women. Health literacy was associated with the immigrant women’s lifestyle and the use of primary health care services, as previously seen for the autochthonous population.
Socioeconomic inequalities in women's access to health care: has Ecuadorian health reform succeeded?
Authors: Quizhpe Edy , Sebastian Miguel San , Teran Enrique , Pulkki-Brännström Anni-Maria
Published: August 2020

Background: Over the last twelve years, Ecuador has implemented a comprehensive health sector reform to ensure equitable access to health care services according to health needs. While there have been important achievements in terms of health care coverage, the effects of these reforms on socioeconomic inequalities in health care have not been analysed. This study assessed whether the health care reform implemented in the 2007 - 2017 decade contributed to reducing the socioeconomic inequalities in women´s health care access.Methods: This study was based on two waves of the Living Standards Measurement Survey conducted in Ecuador in 2006 and 2014. Data from women of reproductive age (15 to 49 years) was analysed to evaluate health care coverage in three indicators: skilled birth attendance, cervical cancer screening and the use of modern contraceptives. Absolute risk differences were calculated between the heath care indicators and the socioeconomic variables using binomial regression analysis for each time period. The Slope Index of Inequality (SII) was also calculated for each socioeconomic variable and period. A multiplicative interaction term between the socioeconomic variables and period was included to assess the changes in socioeconomic inequalities in health care over time.Results: Access to health care increased in the three studied outcomes during the health sector reform. Significant inequality reductions in skilled birth attendance were observed in all socioeconomic variables except in the occupational class. Cervical cancer screening inequalities increased according to education and occupation, but decreased by wealth. Only a decrease by education was observed for modern contraceptive use. Conclusions: While most socioeconomic inequalities in skilled birth attendance decreased during the reform, this was not the case for inequalities in cervical cancer screening or the use of modern contraceptives. Further work is needed to address the social determinants of these health inequalities.
Examining Relationship between Occupational Acid Exposure and Oral Health in Workplace
Authors: Chen Wei-Liang , Chen Yuan-Yuei , Wu Wei-Te , Lai Ching-Huang , Sun Yu-Shan , Wang Chung-Ching
Published: August 2020

Background: Acid mist can suspend in the air and enter the body via skin contact, the respiratory tract, or even oral intake, which pose various health hazards. Previous studies have shown that occupational exposure to acid mist or acidic solutions is a major risk factor for oral diseases. However, the findings are inconsistent and do not consider individual factors and lifestyles that may cause the same oral diseases. Therefore, we conducted a comprehensive oral health survey and collected detail information to confirm the effect of acidic solution exposure on worker’s oral health. Methods: From 4 acidic solution factories, a total of 309 subjects (157 in control and 152 in exposed group) was enrolled. All participants competed oral examinations and self-report questionnaire, including the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index, community periodontal index (CPI), loss of attachment (LA) index, and tooth erosion. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between the acidic solution exposure and oral health.Results: The results showed that acid exposure was correlated with soft oral tissue injury rather than hard oral tissue in our survey. In the multivariate model (adjusted for sex, age, worked years, education level, mouthwash use, dental floss use, tooth brushing, mask use, smoking, drinking, chewing areca and dietary habits with acidic foods), significant relationships of acid exposure with LA score were observed (OR=2.32, 95% CI 1.03-5.26). However, the presence of acid exposure was not significantly associated with tooth erosion, DMFT, and CPITN.Conclusion: Our study highlighted that occupational acid exposure was an independent risk factor for periodontal health, especially LA. It is important to strengthen occupational hazard control, educate workers on oral disease and related factors, and raise the awareness of oral hygiene.
Acceptability of HIV self-testing is low among MSM who have not tested: a study with respondent-driven sampling in Brazil
Authors: Magno Laio , Leal Andrea Fachel , Knauth Daniela , Dourado Ines , Guimarães Mark Guimarães Drew Crosland , Santana Elis Santana Passos , Jordão Tiago Jordão , Rocha Gustavo Rocha Machado , Veras Maria Amélia Amélia , Kendall Carl Kendall , Pontes Alexandre Pontes Kerr , Brito Ana Maria , Kerr Ligia Kerr
Published: August 2020

Background : Brazil has a substantial population living with HIV (PLWH) who are still unaware of their serostatus and has recently added HIV self-test (HIVST) into its public health system for key populations such as men who have sex with men (MSM). This study estimates HIVST acceptability among Brazilian MSM and its associated factors among those who had never been tested or had a previous HIV negative result. Methods : Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) was used for behavioral and biological surveillance to recruit 4,176 MSM in 12 Brazilian cities in 2016. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. Overall proportions were weighted with Gile’s estimator in RDS Analyst software and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. The analyses of HIVST acceptability were stratified by prior HIV testing (never or one or more times). Results : We included 3,605 MSM who did not previously know they were PLWH. The acceptability of HIVST was 49.1%, lower among those had never tested compared to those who had a previous HIV negative test. In the subgroup of MSM who had never had an HIV test, those who reported discrimination and who had a medical appointment in the last 12 months reported higher HIVST acceptability. Among MSM who had a previous HIV negative test, only those reporting condomless receptive anal sex had greater HIVST acceptability. In addition, we observed that high levels of knowledge of HIV/AIDS, taking part in LGBT nongovernmental organizations, and complete secondary or incomplete higher school were associated with greater acceptability in both groups. Conclusions : The findings highlight that it is necessary to improve information about HIVST among the most vulnerable MSM in Brazil. Given the acceptability of self-testing and its current promotion in Brazil, we can also point to the need for policies that build on this and enhance timely access to health services and prevention information.
Silica nanoparticles with encapsulated DNA (SPED) – a novel surrogate tracer for microbial transmission in healthcare
Authors: Scotoni Manuela , Koch Julian , Julian Timothy R , Clack Lauren , García Ana Karina Pitol , Wolfensberger Aline , Grass Robert N , Sax Hugo
Published: August 2020

Background: The increase in antimicrobial resistance is of worldwide concern. Surrogate tracers attempt to simulate microbial transmission by avoiding the infectious risks associated with live organisms. We evaluated silica nanoparticles with encapsulated DNA (SPED) as a new promising surrogate tracer in healthcare. Methods: SPED and Escherichia coli were used to implement three experiments in simulation rooms and a microbiology laboratory in 2017-2018. Experiment 1 investigated the transmission behaviour of SPED in a predefined simulated patient-care scenario. SPED marked with 3 different DNA sequences (SPED1-SPED3) were introduced at 3 different points of the consecutive 13 touch sites of a patient-care scenario that was repeated 3 times, resulting in a total of 288 values. Experiment 2 evaluated SPED behaviour following hand cleaning with water and soap and alcohol-based handrub. Experiment 3 compared transfer dynamics of SPED versus E. coli in a laboratory using a gloved finger touching two consecutive sites on a laminate surface after a first purposefully contaminated site. Results: Experiment 1: SPED adhesiveness on bare skin after a hand-to-surface exposure was high, leading to a dissemination of SPED1-3 on all consecutive surface materials with a trend of decreasing recovery rates, also reflecting touching patterns in concordance with contaminated fingers versus palms. Experiment 2: Hand washing with soap and water resulted in a SPED reduction of 96%, whereas hand disinfection led to dispersal of SPED from the palm to the back of the hand. Experiment 3: SPED and E. coli concentration decreased in parallel with each transmission step – with SPED showing a trend for less reduction and variability. Conclusions: SPED represent a convenient and safe instrument to simulate pathogen spread by contact transmission simultaneously from an infinite number of sites. They can be further developed as a central asset for successful infection prevention in healthcare settings.
Bilateral-pectoral major muscle advancement flap combined with Vacuum-assisted closure therapy for the treatment of deep sternal wound infections after cardiac surgery
Authors: Song Feng , Liu Zhenzhong
Published: August 2020

Objectives: The median sternotomy is the most common surgical approach for cardiac surgery. Deep sternal wound infection is a fatal complication after median sternotomy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of Bilateral-pectoral major muscle advancement flap combined with Vacuum-assisted closure therapy on rehabilitation for the treatment of deep sternal wound infection after cardiac surgery. Methods: Between January 2016 to January 2018, 21 patients (10 males, 11 females) with deep sternal wound infection after cardiac surgery underwent Bilateral-pectoral major muscle advancement flap combined with Vacuum-assisted closure therapy. These patients were followed-up 12 months postoperative. The patient characteristics, duration of vacuum-assisted closure therapy, the mean hospital stay, postoperative complications, long-term survival of patients were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Most patients undergone 1–3 times vacuum-assisted closure treatment sessions before closure. All patients were cured to discharge, the mean hospital stay was 21.1 days. Most patients’ healing wounds were first-stage healing, only one patient’s wound was second-stage healing, none was third-stage healing. One patient developed pulmonary infection and respiratory failure during the 12-month follow-up. None of the patients died during follow-up.Conclusions: Bilateral-pectoral major muscle advancement flap combined with Vacuum-assisted closure therapy for the treatment of deep sternal wound infections after cardiac surgery can shorten the hospital stays and few complications. However, this is a retrospective case series presentation with no comparison group, the number of inferences is limited, so further large-scale controlled studies are needed.
Management of chlamydia and gonorrhoea infections diagnosed in primary care using a centralised nurse-led telephone-based service: mixed methods evaluation
Authors: Brangan Emer , Horwood Jeremy , Manley Petra , Horner Paddy , Muir Peter , North Paul , MacLeod John
Published: August 2020

Background: Up to 18% of genital Chlamydia infections and 9% of Gonorrhoea infections in England are diagnosed in Primary Care. Evidence suggests that a substantial proportion of these cases are not managed appropriately in line with national guidelines. With the increase in sexually transmitted infections and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance, their timely and appropriate treatment is a priority. We investigated feasibility and acceptability of extending the National Chlamydia Screening Programme’s centralised, nurse-led, telephone management (NLTM) as an option for management of all cases of chlamydia and gonorrhoea diagnosed in Primary Care. Methods: Randomised feasibility trial in 11 practices in Bristol with nested qualitative study. In intervention practices patients and health care providers (HCPs) had the option of choosing NLTM or usual care for all patients tested for Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea. In control practices patients received usual care. Results: During the 6-month study, 1154 Chlamydia/gonorrhoea tests took place, with a chlamydia positivity rate of 2.6% and gonorrhoea positivity rate of 0.8%. The NLTM managed 335 patients. Interviews were conducted with sixteen HCPs (11 GPs, 5 nurses) and 12 patients (8 female, 4 male). HCPs were positive about the NLTM, welcomed the partner notification service, though requested more timely feedback on the management of their patients. Explaining the NLTM to patients didn’t negatively impact on consultations. Patients found the NLTM acceptable, more convenient and provided greater anonymity than usual care. Patients appreciated getting a text message regarding a negative result and valued talking to a sexual health specialist about positive results. Conclusion: Extension of this established NLTM intervention to a greater proportion of patients was both feasible and acceptable to both patients and HCP, could provide a better service for patients, whilst decreasing primary care workload. The study provides evidence to support the wider implementation of this NLTM approach to managing chlamydia and gonorrhoea diagnosed in primary care.
Machine learning and geostatistical approaches for estimating aboveground biomass in Chinese subtropical forests
Authors: su huiyi , Shen Wenjuan , Wang Jingrui , Ali Arshad , Li Mingshi
Published: August 2020

Background: Aboveground biomass (AGB) is a fundamental indicator of forest ecosystem productivity and health and hence plays an essential role in evaluating forest carbon reserves and supporting the development of targeted forest management plans.
Methods: Here, we proposed a random forest/co-kriging framework that integrates the strengths of machine learning and geostatistical approaches to improve the mapping accuracies of AGB in northern Guangdong province of China. We used Landsat time-series observations, Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) data, and National Forest Inventory (NFI) plot measurements, to generate the forest AGB maps at three time points (1992, 2002, and 2010) showing the spatio-temporal dynamics of AGB in the subtropical forests in Guangdong, China.
Results: The proposed model provided excellent performance for mapping AGB using spectral, textural, and topographical variables, and the radar backscatter coefficients. The root mean square error of the plot-level AGB validation was between 15.62 and 53.78 (t/ha), the mean absolute error ranged from 6.54 to 32.32 t/ha, and the relative improvement over the random forest algorithm was between 3.8% and 17.7%. The highest coefficient of determination (0.81) and the lowest mean absolute error (6.54 t/ha) were observed in the 1992 AGB map. The spectral saturation effect was minimized by adding the PALSAR data to the modeling variable set in 2010. By adding elevation as a covariable, the co-kriging outperformed the ordinary kriging method for the prediction of the AGB residuals, because co-kriging resulted in better interpolation results in the valleys and plains of the study area.
Conclusions: Validation of the three AGB maps with an independent dataset indicated that the random forest/co-kriging performed best for AGB prediction, followed by random forest coupled with ordinary kriging (random forest/ordinary kriging), and the random forest model. The proposed random forest/co-kriging framework provides an accurate and reliable method for AGB mapping in subtropical forest regions with complex topography. The resulting AGB maps are suitable for the targeted development of forest management actions to promote carbon sequestration and sustainable forest management in the context of climate change.
Control of Panama disease of banana by intercropping with Chinese chive (Allium tuberosum Rottler): cultivar differences
Authors: Li Zhen-Fang , Wang Tong , He Chenlin , Cheng Kelin , Zeng Rensen , Song Yuanyuan
Published: August 2020

BackgroundPanama disease (Fusarium wilt disease) caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense race 4 (FOC) severely threatens banana (Musa spp.) production worldwide. Intercropping of banana with Allium plants has shown a potential to reduce Panama disease. In this study six cultivars of Chinese chive (Allium tuberosum Rottler) were selected to compare their differences in antifungal activity and active compounds. Three cultivars Duokang Fujiu 11, Fujiuhuang 2, and Duokang Sijiqing with higher levels of antifungal compounds were further used for intercropping with banana in the pots and field to compare their effects on growth and disease incidence of banana.Methods and ResultsThe six cultivars showed significant differences in antifungal activity against FOC mycelia growth in both leaf volatiles and aqueous leachates. The aqueous leachates displayed stronger antifungal activity than the volatiles. FJH cultivar showed the best inhibitory effect among all six cultivars. Contents of three main antifungal compounds dipropyl trisulfide (DPT), dimethyl trisulfide (DMT), and 2-methyl-2-pentenal (MP) in volatiles and aqueous leachates varied considerably among cultivars. Pot and field experiments showed that intercropping with three selected Chinese chive cultivars significantly improved banana vegetative growth, increased photosynthetic characteristics and yield but decreased disease incidence of Panama disease.ConclusionsOur results indicate that intercropping with Chinese chive shows potential to reduce banana Panama disease and selection of appropriate cultivars is vital for effective disease control.
MicroRNA-103a curtails the stemness of non-small cell lung cancer cells by binding to OTUB1 through the Hippo signaling pathway
Authors: Hu Zhenzhen , Xiao Dan , Qiu Tingting , Li Jun , Liu Zhentian
Published: August 2020

Background: Although dysfunction of microRNA-103a (miR-103a) has been implicated in various cancers, its relevance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is unsettled. This study was designed with an aim to examine the molecular mechanism underlying the regulatory role of miR-103a in NSCLC. Methods: Kaplan-Meier analysis was carried out to study the correlation between overall survival of NSCLC patients and miR-103a expression. RT-qPCR and Western blot were applied to evaluate the expression of relevant genes in tissues and cells. Sphere formation, MTS, flow cytometry as well as Transwell assays were conducted for characterizing the stemness. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assays were applied to clarify the binding relationship between miR-103a and ovarian tumor domain-containing ubiquitin aldehyde binding protein 1 (OTUB1). Results: miR-103a expression was diminished in NSCLC tissues and cells, whereas OTUB1 expression was increased. Higher miR-103 expression indicated better prognosis for patients with NSCLC. After overexpression of miR-103a, the cell viability and stemness were diminished, while the cycle arrest and apoptosis rate were facilitated, and the expression of p-YAP decreased significantly. The opposite trends were observed after miR-103a silencing. miR-103a lowered the expression of OTUB1, while overexpression of OTUB1 blocked the inhibition effects of miR-103a on NSCLC. Conclusion: miR-103a/OTUB1/Hippo axis plays a possible role in modulating the malignant behavior and stemness of cells which might function as a possible therapeutic option for the management of NSCLC.
Analysis of operation procedure and effect for emergency surgery in general hospital during novel coronavirus pneumonia period
Authors: Liu Yuchen , Wang Minggang , Shen Yingmo , Chen Jie
Published: August 2020

Background Novel coronavirus pneumonia(NCP) outbreak in Wuhan, China in early 2020, resulted in over 80 thousand infections in China. At present, NCP has an explosive growth in the world. Surgeons could refuse selective operation during the outbreak, but they must face the emergency operation. We hope to avoid the spread of NCP while ensuring efficient treatment of emergency cases. Methods The data of patients with incarcerated hernia admitted to Beijing Chaoyang Hospital during NCP epidemic were analyzed and compared with those in 2019. All cases were divided into NCP group and 2019 group. The operation data and inpatient protection process of emergency cases were analyzed. Result During the NCP epidemic, 17 cases with incarcerated hernia were treated in our department. A Total of 263 cases of the same disease were admitted in 2019. There was no significant difference in age, gender, BMI and hernia type between two groups. No significant difference was observed between the two groups in operation method and hospital stay. The waiting time for emergency operation of NCP group was significantly longer than that of 2019 group (P=0.002). A buffer ward was set up by administrator of hospital during NCP outbreak. Hospitals were divided into "Red area, Yellow area and Green area" artificially, and strict screening consultation system was implemented. There was no case of SARS-nCoV-2 infection in medical staff. ﻿Conclusion It was safe and effective to carry out emergency operation on the premise of screening, protection and isolation during the NCP epidemic. The increased waiting time for operation due to NCP screening did not threaten medical safety of emergency incarcerated hernia patients.
­ Comprehensive analysis of key genes associated with ceRNA networks in nasopharyngeal carcinoma based on bioinformatics analysis
Authors: Xu Yuanji , Huang Xinyi , Ye Wangzhong , Zhang Yangfan , Li Changkun , Bai Penggang , Lin Zhizhong , Chen Chuanben
Published: August 2020

Background. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an epithelial malignancy with high morbidity rates in the east and southeast Asia. The molecular mechanisms of NPC remain largely unknown. We explored the pathogenesis, potential biomarkers, and prognostic indicators of NPC.Methods. We analyzed mRNAs, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and microRNAs (miRNAs) in the whole transcriptome sequencing dataset of our hospital (five normal tissues vs. five NPC tissues) and six microarray datasets (62 normal tissues vs. 334 NPC tissues) downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GSE12452, GSE13597, GSE95166, GSE126683, and GSE70970, GSE43039). Differential expression analyses, gene ontology (GO) enrichment, kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) analysis, and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were conducted. The lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks were constructed using the miRanda and TargetScan database, and a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was built using Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) software. Hub genes were identified using Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE), NetworkAnalyzer, and CytoHubba.Results. We identified 61 mRNAs, 14miRNAs, and 10 lncRNAs as shared DEGs related to NPC in seven datasets. Changes in NPC were enriched in the chromosomal region, sister chromatid segregation, and nuclear chromosome segregation. GSEA indicated that the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, phosphatidylinositol-3 OH kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K-Akt) pathway, apoptotic pathway, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) were involved in the initiation and development of NPC. Finally, 20 hub genes were screened out via the PPI network.Conclusions. Several DEGs and their biological processes, pathways, and interrelations were found in our current study by bioinformatics analyses. Our findings may offer insights into the biological mechanisms underlying NPC and identify potential therapeutic targets for NPC.
Patients’ perception of the practice of anaesthesia in a Jordanian teaching hospital: A survey.
Authors: Bataineh Adel M. , Qudaisat Ibraheem Y. , El-Radaideh Khaled , Alzoubi Rawand A. , Abu-Shehab Mohammad I
Published: August 2020

Background and Aim: Despite big leaps of progress in its scope, the practice of anesthesia is still suffering from poor public image, especially in developing countries. Little research investigated the public awareness of anesthesia in the Middle East. This study aimed to examine the perception of the practice of anaesthesia among Jordanian patients.Methods:. A standard questionnaire with 29 questions was administered through personal interview to consenting patients. Questions tested patients’ correct knowledge of the identity of anesthetists, their roles and scope of their practice. Awareness was measured using the frequency of correct answers to each survey question. A total awareness score was calculated as the percentage ratio of the number of correct answers to the total number of questions. We classified this score into: Poor<50%. Moderate 50 – 75%, and Good >75% to reflect patient’s overall perception of anesthetists and their roles. Effects of demographic variables on results were also investigated. Appropriate statistical tests were used to summarize and compare results. A total of 513 patients admitted for elective surgery were sequentially approached for enrolment Results: Five hundred and five patients were enrolled. Most patients identified anesthesia as a separate practice from surgery (86%). The anaesthetist was identified as a physician by only 37% of patients. Equal importance to both anaesthetists and surgeons was assumed by 71.5% of patents. Only 15% of patients showed good level of total knowledge of anaesthetist roles, while 51% scored poorly. highest awareness was of anaesthetist’s preoperative roles (65.1%). Age was the only demographic factor affecting studied awareness (P=0.009).Conclusion: Although the importance of anesthetist is well perceived among Jordanian patients, there is still some ignorance in their knowledge of the details of anesthesia practice. Active communication efforts and patient education by anesthetists are needed to improve the public status of the specialty.
The impact of growth differentiation factor 15 on the risk of cardiovascular disease: evidence from Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Wang Zhuo , Yang Fangkun , Ma Menghuai , Bao Qinyi , Shen Jinlian , Ye Feiming , xie xiaojie
Published: August 2020

Background: Growth differentiation factor 15(GDF-15) concentration is apparently associated with cardiovascular disease, but whether there is a causal relationship has not been testified. Methods: We utilized Mendelian randomization to assess the function of GDF-15 in incidence of cardiovascular disease. The single-nucleotide polymorphism- GDF-15 association evaluations came from meta-analysis of genome-wide association study (GWAS). Besides inverse-variance weighted, MR-Egger test and weighted median method were applied to examine sensitivity. Results: Based on the instruments, GDF-15 level linked to the increasing risk of cardioembolic stroke (1.06, OR 1.09 per SD increase, 95% CI 1.01, 1.19) , atrial fibrillation (OR 1.03 per SD increase, 95% CI 1.0, 1.06), coronary artery disease (OR 0.94 per SD increase, 95% CI 0.89, 0.99) and myocardial infarction (OR 0.94 per SD increase, 95% CI 0.90, 0.98). However, the significant causal relationship between GDF-15 and the other cardiovascular diseases was not found in our study. Conclusions: The result suggested that GDF-15 was causally associated with the risk of cardioembolic stroke,atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction, providing us conceivable strategies to alleviate the burden of cardiovascular disease.
HLA-B*35 as a new marker for susceptibility to Human T-cell Lymphotropic Virus type 1 (HTLV-1) Associated Myelopathy/Tropical Spastic Paraparesis (HAM/TSP) in patients living in Argentina
Authors: Benencio Paula , Gonzalez Sindy A. Fraile , Ducasa Nicolás , Page Kimberly , Berini Carolina A. , Biglione Mirna M.
Published: August 2020

Background: Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the etiological agent of HTLV associated myelopathy/ Tropical Spastic Paraparesis (HAM/TSP) and Adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL), in around 2-5% of the infected individuals. Host genetic background might play a role in disease progression. Several previous studies across many countries report HLA haplotype to be one such factor. Here, we sequenced HLA-A, -B and -C of 66 individuals by Sequence-Based Typing (SBT), and compared the frequency of different alleles among ATLL patients, HAM/TSP patients, asymptomatic carriers and non-infected individuals living in Argentina.Results: The frequency of HLA-A, -B and -C alleles largely matched that of the general population in Argentina. We identified HLA-A*02, HLA-B*35 and HLA-C*07 as associated to protection from ATLL (p=0.031), susceptibility to HAM/TSP (p<0.001) and susceptibility to ATLL (p=0.017), respectively. We also found a strong correlation between high proviral load (PVL) and disease (p=0.008), but were unable to identify any particular allele associated with high or low PVL.Conclusions: We have found HLA-A*02, HLA-B*35 and HLA-C*07 to be associated to protection from ATLL (HLA-A*02) and susceptibility to HAM/TSP (HLA-B*35) or to ATLL (HLA-C*07), respectively. Whereas HLA-A*02 protection from ATLL has already been extensively described in other regions of the world, this is the first report that links HLA-B*35 and an increased susceptibility to HAM/TSP. As for HLA-C*07 it has previously been associated to susceptibility to HAM/TSP in other countries but in our population it has been linked to ATLL.