bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Downregulated Long Noncoding RNA DGCR5 Acts as a New Promising Biomarker for the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Chen Hongxiao , Tian Xiufang , Luan Yajing , Lu Hui
Published: December 2019

Emerging evidence have indicated that dysregulated long noncoding ribonucleic acids act as a novel diagnostic and therapeutic target in the progression of ovarian cancer. Long noncoding RNA DiGeorge syndrome critical region gene 5 has been reported to participate in some types of human cancer progresses, but its clinical roles in ovarian cancer had been rarely reported. This study aimed to explore the expression, clinicopathological features, diagnostic, and prognostic values of DiGeorge syndrome critical region gene 5 in ovarian cancer. The total levels of DiGeorge syndrome critical region gene 5 transcript variant 1 (NR_002733.2) and 2 (NR_045121.1) in patients with ovarian cancer were determined by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The correlation of DiGeorge syndrome critical region gene 5 expression with clinicopathological factors was statistically analyzed by χ2 test. Overall survival analysis was carried out with the Kaplan–Meier curves with the log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to identify the prognostic significance of DiGeorge syndrome critical region gene 5 expression. Receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed to estimate the diagnostic and prognostic usefulness of DiGeorge syndrome critical region gene 5 in ovarian cancer. Results showed that relative DiGeorge syndrome critical region gene 5 expression was reduced by 36.81% and 65.79% in ovarian cancer tissues of patients and Gene Expression Omnibus DataSets (GSE119056) in contrast to normal tissues, respectively. Patients with lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis exhibited lower levels of DiGeorge syndrome critical region gene 5 in contrast to those patients with non-lymph node metastasis and non-distant metastasis, respectively. Low expression of DiGeorge syndrome critical region gene 5 was significantly associated with large tumor size, more lymph node metastasis, present distant metastasis, advanced clinical stage, and short overall survival in patients with ovarian cancer. Low expression of DiGeorge syndrome critical region gene 5 was an independent unfavorable prognostic factor for overall survival in patients with ovarian cancer. Receiver operating characteristics curves for prognosis yielded significant area under curves for lymph node metastasis, clinical stage, and overall survival. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that downregulated DiGeorge syndrome critical region gene 5 may be a new promising biomarker for predicting clinical progression and prognosis in patients with ovarian cancer.
Methods for improving the accuracy of Commission Internationale de L’Eclairage tristimulus values of object color by calculation – Part I: Improvement on measurement bandpass and intervals
Authors: Yang Hongying , Zhang Jingjing , Yang Zhihui , Zhou Jinli , Xie Wanzi , Cui Shizhong
Published: December 2019

Color is one of the most important appearance properties of objects. To digitize color, measuring and calculating tristimulus values are the most basic work besides obtaining reflectance spectrum. However, the accuracy of tristimulus values varies with instruments, measuring, and calculation methods. Textiles and some other application of color demand high color quality due to their special utilization. The series of our studies aim to analyze and evaluate some mathematical solutions in order to improve the accuracy of tristimulus values. The studies include two parts: (1) Part I concentrates on measurement bandpass and intervals and their corresponding improvement algorithms, (2) Part II focuses on the influence of measurement ranges and their truncation errors and some algorithms to overcome the truncation errors. In Part I (current article), measurement errors caused by bandpass and test intervals in the spectrophotometer are analyzed. Then, algorithms including two bandpass corrections (3-point correction and 5-point correction), three interpolations (third-order polynomial interpolation Lagrange and Spline, a fifth-order polynomial interpolation Sprague), two Oleari deconvolution methods (zero- and second-order), and three optimization weighting table methods (ASTM Table 6, Table LLR, and Table LWL) are studied systemically by programming MATLAB software and basing on measuring the spectral reflectance of 1301 chips in Munsell Color Book with Commission Internationale de L’Eclairage (CIE) 1964 color-matching functions and D65 standard illuminant. The results show that all algorithms mentioned above yield very positive effects, and among them, Table LWL performs best with reducing the bandpass error and intervals error to 7‰ of its original error and is recommended.
Nanâtawihowin Âcimowina Kika-Môsahkinikêhk Papiskîci-Itascikêwin Astâcikowina [Medicine/Healing Stories Picked, Sorted, Stored]: Adapting the Collective Consensual Data Analytic Procedure (CCDAP) as an Indigenous Research Method
Authors: Starblanket Danette , Lefebvre Sebastien , Legare Marlin , Billan Jen , Akan Nicole , Goodpipe Erin , Bourassa Carrie
Published: December 2019

Over the past several years, academic discourse has included discussions around improving research methodologies, particularly related to Indigenous people. Using Western research methodologies and methods when undertaking health research with Indigenous people, in the direction of Indigenous communities, has not been very effective. This is due to the fact that Western research methodologies do not address the need to foster relationships, mutual respect, and reciprocity. Engaging Indigenous communities empowers them to take an active role in how the research is conducted and ensures that the research is relevant to their communities. Engagement with Indigenous communities is also important during the analysis of qualitative data in the form of interviews, focus groups, and sharing circles. Without adequate engagement, data analysis often reverts back to Western methods, leaving the community out of the data analysis process. Bartlett et al. developed the “Collective Consensual Data Analytic Procedure” (CCDAP) in 2006 to address the lack of community involvement in the data analysis process. Analyzing the qualitative data using a community panel to reach a group consensus reduces the possibility of biases that any one person could bring to the research. Furthermore, group participation helps foster relationships and camaraderie within Indigenous communities. The process outlined by Dr. Bartlett could however become tedious and lengthy when dealing with a large number of interviews and data entries. This is why the CCDAP process was streamlined by first doing a thematic analysis of the data using the NVivo software. Following the thematic analysis, digitalization was added to the process by the way of Microsoft PowerPoint presentation and Excel spreadsheet. This made it quicker and easier to perform the analysis remotely using any videoconferencing platform that allows for screen sharing.
The flow of ferromagnetic nanofluid over an extending surface under the effect of operative Prandtl model: A numerical study
Authors: Khan Abbas , Gul Taza , Zaheer Zafar , Amiri Iraj S
Published: December 2019

The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of magnetic dipole on the flow of nanofluids over the extending surface. This study is based on steady and non-porous medium with no-slip conditions. Two types of nanofluids are examined under the effect of operative Prandtl model and thermal convection. The experimental results comprising the spreading of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] have been used from the existing literature with and without the magnetic dipole. The basic governing equations are transformed using the transformation into a set of nonlinear differential equations for both categories of nanofluids. The fourth-order Runge Kutta numerical scheme has been executed to solve the nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The impacts of the embedded parameters such as nanofluid volume fraction, Prandtl number, and dissipation term have been examined and discussed. The important features of the study such as Curie temperature, skin friction, and local Nusselt number are also analyzed physically and numerically. (1) It is perceived that ethylene glycol–based nanofluids are more effective due to their strong thermophysical properties compared to water-based nanofluids. By increasing the volume fraction [Formula: see text], the temperature of the nanofluids [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] is increased, and this is due to the fact that nanofluids exhibit high thermal conductivity compared to ordinary heat transfer fluids. (2) It is observed from the obtained results that the magnetic dipole is usually used to control the turbulence behavior of the fluid flow.
Temporal evolution and spatial distribution of quantitative T2 MRI following acute ischemia reperfusion injury
Authors: Sah Rani Gupta , Nobakht Sama , Rajashekar Deepthi , Mouches Pauline , Forkert Nils D , Sitaram Amith , Tsang Adrian , Hill Michael D , Demchuk Andrew M , d'Esterre Christopher D , Barber Philip A
Published: December 2019

Background

Determining mechanisms of secondary stroke injury related to cerebral blood flow and the severity of microvascular injury contributing to edema and blood-brain barrier breakdown will be critical for the development of adjuvant therapies for revascularization treatment.

Aim

To characterize the heterogeneity of the ischemic lesion using quantitative T2 imaging along with diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) within five hours of treatment.

Methods

Quantitative T2 magnetic resonance imaging was acquired within 5 h (baseline) and at 24 h (follow-up) of stroke treatment in 29 patients. Dynamic contrast enhanced permeability imaging was performed at baseline in a subgroup of patients. Absolute volume change and lesion percent change was determined for the quantitative T2, DWI, and absolute volume change sequences. A Gaussian process with RRELIEFF feature selection algorithm was used for prediction of relative quantitative T2 and DWI lesion growth, baseline and follow-up quantitative T2/DWI lesion ratios, and also NIHSS at 24 h and change in NIHSS from admission to 24 h.

Results

In n = 27 patients, median (interquartile range) lesion percent change was 114.8% (48.9%, 259.1%) for quantitative T2, 48.2% (−12.6%, 179.6%) for absolute volume change, and 62.7% (26.3%, 230.9%) for DWI, respectively. Our model, consisting of baseline NIHSS, CT ASPECTS, and systolic blood pressure, showed a strong correlation with quantitative T2 percent change (cross correlation R2 = 0.80). There was a strong predictive ability for quantitative T2/DWI lesion ratio at 24 h using baseline NIHSS and last seen normal to 24 h magnetic resonance imaging time (cross correlation R2 = 0.93). Baseline dynamic contrast enhanced permeability was moderately correlated to the baseline quantitative T2 values (rho = 0.38).

Conclusion

Quantitative T2 imaging provides critical information for development of therapeutic approaches that could ameliorate microvascular damage during ischemia reperfusion.
Characterization of ducted contra-rotating propeller propulsions
Authors: Zhao Longfei , Shkarayev Sergey
Published: December 2019

This paper presents the experimental studies of the efficiency of open and ducted contra-rotating propeller systems operating in the low Reynolds number range. Eight off-the-shelf propellers were selected with a diameter in the range from 139 mm to 377 mm and seven ducts were built with the duct length of 0.28–0.53 the propeller diameter. Static and wind tunnel experiments were conducted. The maximum increase in the static thrust coefficient and power loading for the ducted contra-rotating propeller systems over the open systems was found to be 25% and 50%, respectively. This performance improvement for the medium size ducted systems is smaller than that observed in previous studies for ducts longer than the 0.8 propeller diameter but greater than for ducts shorter than the 0.15 propeller diameter. The thrust coefficient decreases with an advance ratio increase. The power loading of both open and ducted systems drops dramatically after reaching maxima.
Improvement Effect of Ficus vasculosa Ethanol Extract on D-galactose-Induced Mice Aging
Authors: Li Jing-Jing , Mo Ling , Song Jia-Le
Published: December 2019

This study was to investigate antioxidant activities of the ethanol extract from young edible leaves of Ficus vasculosa in vitro and in vivo . Ficus vasculosa ethanol extract (FVEE) showed significantly higher reducing power and α,α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenge activity than vitamin C ( P < 0.05). FVEE also showed an activity to resist the D-galactose-induced aging in mice assessed by serum and tissue levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). Total serum and tissue oxidative status, total antioxidantresponse, glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels have been also measured. Pretreatment with FVEE at 200 mg/kg·body weight significantly increased enzyme activity of SOD and CAT in serum and hepatic tissue ( P < 0.05), as well as significantly increased enzyme activity of SOD in kidney ( P < 0.05). Furthermore, high concentration of FVEE pretreatment significantly increased the level of GSH in serum, hepatic tissue and kidney ( P < 0.05), meanwhile significantly decreased MDA production in hepatic tissue and kidney ( P < 0.05). In addition, the phytochemical investigation discovered six previously described compounds from FVEE, naringenin (1), vanillic acid (2), 9, 16-dioxo-10, 12, 14-octadeca-trienoic acid (3), 2, 6-dimethoxy-1, 4-benzoquinone (4), apigenin (5) and norartocarpetin (6), and all compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time. Among the various compounds found, the rare highly unsaturated fatty acid 9, 16-dioxo-10, 12, 14-octadeca-trienoic acid (3) has been identified, which had been isolated only once before from F. vasculosa. Evaluation of the antioxidant activity of isolated compounds showed naringenin (1) to be the most active. According to our research, FVEE present very high antioxidant activity in vitro due to the presence of several compounds known for their antioxidant activity such as flavonoid and phenolic acid. In vivo, the ethanol extract had improvement effects against D-galactose-induced aging by reducing oxidative stress.
Nomenclature and semantic descriptions of ulcerative and inflammatory lesions seen in Crohn’s disease in small bowel capsule endoscopy: An international Delphi consensus statement
Authors: Leenhardt Romain , Buisson Anthony , Bourreille Arnaud , Marteau Philippe , Koulaouzidis Anastasios , Li Cynthia , Keuchel Martin , Rondonotti Emmanuele , Toth Ervin , Plevris John N , Eliakim Rami , Rosa Bruno , Triantafyllou Konstantinos , Elli Luca , Wurm Johansson Gabriele , Panter Simon , Ellul Pierre , Pérez‐Cuadrado Robles Enrique , McNamara Deirdre , Beaumont Hanneke , Spada Cristiano , Cavallaro Flaminia , Cholet Franck , Fernandez‐Urien Sainz Ignacio , Kopylov Uri , McAlindon Mark E , Németh Artur , Tontini Gian Eugenio , Yung Diana E , Niv Yaron , Rahmi Gabriel , Saurin Jean‐Christophe , Dray Xavier
Published: December 2019

Background

In the medical literature, the nomenclature and descriptions (ND) of small bowel (SB) ulcerative and inflammatory (U‐I) lesions in capsule endoscopy (CE) are scarce and inconsistent. Inter‐observer variability in interpreting these findings remains a major limitation in the assessment of the severity of mucosal lesions, which can impact negatively on clinical care, training and research on SB‐CE.

Objective

Focusing on SB‐CE in Crohn’s disease (CD), our aim is to establish a consensus on the ND of U‐I lesions.

Methods

An international panel of experienced SB‐CE readers was formed during the 2016 United European Gastroenterology Week meeting. A core group of five CE and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) experts established an Internet‐based, three‐round Delphi consensus but did not participate in the voting process. The core group built illustrated questionnaires, including SB‐CE still frames of U‐I lesions from patients with documented CD. Twenty‐seven other experts were asked to rate and comment on the different proposals for the ND of the most frequent SB U‐I lesions. For each round, we used a 6‐point rating scale (varying from ‘strongly disagree’ to ‘strongly agree’). The consensus was reached when at least 80 % of the voting members scored the statement within the ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ categories.

Results

A 100% participation rate was obtained for all the rounds. Consensual ND were reached for the following seven U‐I lesions: aphthoid erosion, deep ulceration, superficial ulceration, stenosis, edema, hyperemia anddenudation.

Conclusion

Considering the most frequent SB U‐I lesions seen in CE in CD, a consensual ND was reached by the international group of experts. These descriptions and names are useful not only for daily practice and medical education, but also for medical research.
Caste in the News: A Computational Analysis of Indian Newspapers
Authors: Fonseca António Filipe , Bandyopadhyay Sohhom , Louçã Jorge , Manjaly Jaison A.
Published: December 2019

Conflicts involving caste issues, mainly concerning the lowest caste rights, pervade modern Indian society. Caste affiliation, being rigorously enforced by the society, is an official contemporary reality. Although caste identity is a major social discrimination, it also serves as a necessary condition for affirmative action like reservation policy. In this article, we perform an original and rigorous analysis of the discourse involving the theme “caste” in India newspapers. To this purpose, we have implemented a computational analysis over a big dataset of the 2016 and 2017 editions of three major Indian newspapers to determine the most salient themes associated with “caste” in the news. We have used an original mix of state-of-the-art algorithms, including those based on statistical distributions and two-layer neural networks, to detect the relevant topics in the news and characterize their linguistic context. We concluded that there is an excessive association between lower castes, victimization, and social unrest in the news that does not adequately cover the reports on other aspects of their life and personal identity, thus reinforcing conflict, while attenuating the vocality and agency of a large section of the population. From our conclusion, we propose a positive discrimination policy in the newsroom.
A Brief Review of the Four-decade Evolution of Science Popularization in China
Authors: Ren Fujun
Published: December 2019

This article presents a brief review of the history, main achievements and challenges faced during the 40-year evolution of science popularization (SP) in China that began with the reform and opening up process. Four distinct phases are noted in the development of SP: institutional reconstruction, structural maturity, fast development of a legal system and comprehensive strategic upgrading. China has achieved much during these phases in the areas of SP mechanisms, funding, personnel, infrastructure, resources and civic scientific literacy. At the same time, it is also facing challenges in strategic positioning, the effectiveness of SP policies, internationalization, the construction of the SP system and scientific culture. Evidently, the government's prioritization of SP is critical for advancing this initiative. In the future, under the government's leadership, the following directions should be pursued: expanding and improving civic scientific literacy through a focus on internationalization; promoting scientific cooperation from a global perspective; establishing a long-term SP mechanism; and building a service platform to promote ‘smart SP’. SP in China is clearly on the right track and will continue to advance in the future.
Beyond Traditional Response to Intervention: Helping Rural Educators Understand English Learners’ Needs
Authors: Ruiz Maria Isolina
Published: December 2019

Response to intervention (RTI) allows schools to support the academic success of English learners (ELs) while helping educators rule out cultural or linguistic differences and educational background as the root of ELs’ academic or behavioral struggles. However, in rural schools, insufficient training in how to effectively instruct ELs and limited experience teaching ELs due to local demographics may lead RTI teams to prescribe inappropriate interventions or to avoid putting ELs through the RTI process altogether. The framework proposed in this article guides rural RTI teams through the process of considering the factors that might be influencing the performance of struggling ELs to provide these students with the supports they need to benefit from core instruction and tiered interventions.
The future of bronchodilation: looking for new classes of bronchodilators
Authors: Cazzola Mario , Rogliani Paola , Matera Maria Gabriella
Published: December 2019

Available bronchodilators can satisfy many of the needs of patients suffering from airway disorders, but they often do not relieve symptoms and their long-term use raises safety concerns. Therefore, there is interest in developing new classes that could help to overcome the limits that characterise the existing classes.

At least nine potential new classes of bronchodilators have been identified: 1) selective phosphodiesterase inhibitors; 2) bitter-taste receptor agonists; 3) E-prostanoid receptor 4 agonists; 4) Rho kinase inhibitors; 5) calcilytics; 6) agonists of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ; 7) agonists of relaxin receptor 1; 8) soluble guanylyl cyclase activators; and 9) pepducins. They are under consideration, but they are mostly in a preclinical phase and, consequently, we still do not know which classes will actually be developed for clinical use and whether it will be proven that a possible clinical benefit outweighs the impact of any adverse effect.

It is likely that if developed, these new classes may be a useful addition to, rather than a substitution of, the bronchodilator therapy currently used, in order to achieve further optimisation of bronchodilation.
Moment and shear capacity of Ply-lam composed with plywood and structural timber under out-of-plane bending
Authors: Pang Sung-Jun , Lee Hyeon-Jeong , Yang Seung Min , Kang Seog Goo , Oh Jung-Kwon
Published: December 2019

The aim of this study was to investigate the moment and shear capacity of Ply-lam which is composed with plywood and structural timber. The moment and shear capacity of Ply-lam were predicted by using prediction methodologies for typical cross-laminated timber (CLT). The predicted values by the methodologies were verified by comparison with measured capacities. Fifty-eight specimens of Ply-lam (five layers) were manufactured and half of the specimens were tested for bending (span-to-depth ratio ($$R_{\text{sd}} )$$Rsd)was 25:1). The other specimens were tested for rolling shear ($$R_{\text{sd}}$$Rsdwas 12:1) in accordance with EN 16351. The results show that typical prediction methods for structural properties of CLT can also be used to predict those of Ply-lam, since the measured values were higher than the predicted values. In rolling shear test, 52% specimens failed by bending at the bottom layer. This indicates that the rolling shear test method in EN 16351 was not suitable for Ply-lam because the typical CLT would be reinforced by replacing the cross layer with plywood. Thus, the span-to-depth ratio needs to be reduced for hybrid CLT like Ply-lam.
A toolkit to get insights into evolutionary process in the past, presence and future
Authors: Gazda Małgorzata Anna
Published: December 2019

I reviewed a book Population Genomics that fills in the noticeable lack of a general introductory textbook to population genomics, one of the most exciting and rapidly developing branches of life sciences nowadays. Highly recommended to everybody willing to broaden knowledge about basics of genomics and get recent exciting insights into many evolutionary questions not possible to be answered before.
How similar are human emotions to those of other vertebrates, and how do emotions help organize thought, action and social life?
Authors: Leigh Egbert Giles
Published: December 2019

This is a review of de Waal’sMama’s Last Hug, which shows how similar human emotions are to those of other social vertebrates, and how emotions shape thought, action and social life.
Tuberculous scleritis in a young Asian Indian girl—a case presentation and literature review
Authors: Paul Lagan , Agarwal Manisha , Singh Shalini , Katre Prashant , Arora Aman Sumeet
Published: December 2019

Scleritis is the severe painful inflammation of the sclera, which can be infectious or non-infectious. Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the common causes of infectious scleritis. TB, though endemic in countries like India, is rare in pediatric age group. We report a case of a 9-year-old female child who presented with bilateral non-necrotizing anterior scleritis with unilateral posterior scleritis secondary to TB. To our knowledge, this is a rare presentation in pediatric age group, and she is the youngest of few cases of tuberculous posterior scleritis reported in literature.
Metabolic disassembler for understanding and predicting the biosynthetic units of natural products
Authors: Amano Kohei , Matsumoto Tsubasa , Tanaka Kenichi , Funatsu Kimito , Kotera Masaaki
Published: December 2019

Background

Natural products are the source of various functional materials such as medicines, and understanding their biosynthetic pathways can provide information that is helpful for their effective production through the synthetic biology approach. A number of studies have aimed to predict biosynthetic pathways from their chemical structures in a retrosynthesis manner; however, sometimes the calculation finishes without reaching the starting material from the target molecule. In order to address this problem, the method to find suitable starting materials is required.

Results

In this study, we developed a predictive workflow named the Metabolic Disassembler that automatically disassembles the target molecule structure into relevant biosynthetic units (BUs), which are the substructures that correspond to the starting materials in the biosynthesis pathway. This workflow uses a biosynthetic unit library (BUL), which contains starting materials, key intermediates, and their derivatives. We obtained the starting materials from the KEGG PATHWAY database, and 765 BUs were registered in the BUL. We then examined the proposed workflow to optimize the combination of the BUs. To evaluate the performance of the proposed Metabolic Disassembler workflow, we used 943 molecules that are included in the secondary metabolism maps of KEGG PATHWAY. About 95.8% of them (903 molecules) were correctly disassembled by our proposed workflow. For comparison, we also implemented a genetic algorithm-based workflow, and found that the accuracy was only about 52.0%. In addition, for 90.7% of molecules, our workflow finished the calculation within one minute.

Conclusions

The Metabolic Disassembler enabled the effective disassembly of natural products in terms of both correctness and computational time. It also outputs automatically highlighted color-coded substructures corresponding to the BUs to help users understand the calculation results. The users do not have to specify starting molecules in advance, and can input any target molecule, even if it is not in databases. Our workflow will be very useful for understanding and predicting the biosynthesis of natural products.
Hypothesis: protein and RNA attributes are continuously optimized over time
Authors: Cambridge Sidney B.
Published: December 2019

Background

Little is known why proteins and RNAs exhibit half-lives varying over several magnitudes. Despite many efforts, a conclusive link between half-lives and gene function could not be established suggesting that other determinants may influence these molecular attributes.

Results

Here, I find that with increasing gene age there is a gradual and significant increase of protein and RNA half-lives, protein structure, and other molecular attributes that tend to affect protein abundance. These observations are accommodated in a hypothesis which posits that new genes at ‘birth’ are not optimized and thus their products exhibit low half-lives and less structure but continuous mutagenesis eventually improves these attributes. Thus, the protein and RNA products of the oldest genes obtained their high degrees of stability and structure only after billions of years while the products of younger genes had less time to be optimized and are therefore less stable and structured. Because more stable proteins with lower turnover require less transcription to maintain the same level of abundance, reduced transcription-associated mutagenesis (TAM) would fixate the changes by increasing gene conservation.

Conclusions

Consequently, the currently observed diversity of molecular attributes is a snapshot of gene products being at different stages along their temporal path of optimization.
Pesticide application has little influence on coding and non-coding gene expressions in rice
Authors: Muhammad Sajid , Tan Jingai , Deng Pingchuan , Li Tingting , He Haohua , Bian Jianmin , Wu Liang
Published: December 2019

Background

Agricultural insects are one of the major threats to crop yield. It is a known fact that pesticide application is an extensive approach to eliminate insect pests, and has severe adverse effects on environment and ecosystem; however, there is lack of knowledge whether it could influence the physiology and metabolic processes in plants.

Results

Here, we systemically analyzed the transcriptomic changes in rice after a spray of two commercial pesticides, Abamectin (ABM) and Thiamethoxam (TXM). We found only a limited number of genes (0.91%) and (1.24%) were altered by ABM and TXM respectively, indicating that these pesticides cannot dramatically affect the performance of rice. Nevertheless, we characterized 1140 Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs) interacting with 105 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that can be impacted by the two pesticides, suggesting their certain involvement in response to farm chemicals. Moreover, we detected 274 alternative splicing (AS) alterations accompanied by host genes expressions, elucidating a potential role of AS in control of gene transcription during insecticide spraying. Finally, we identified 488 transposons that were significantly changed with pesticides treatment, leading to a variation in adjacent coding or non-coding transcripts.

Conclusion

Altogether, our results provide valuable insights into pest management through appropriate timing and balanced mixture, these pesticides have no harmful effects on crop physiology over sustainable application of field drugs.
Target sequencing reveals genetic diversity, population structure, core-SNP markers, and fruit shape-associated loci in pepper varieties
Authors: Du Heshan , Yang Jingjing , Chen Bin , Zhang Xiaofen , Zhang Jian , Yang Kun , Geng Sansheng , Wen Changlong
Published: December 2019

Background

The widely cultivated pepper (Capsicumspp.) is one of the most diverse vegetables; however, little research has focused on characterizing the genetic diversity and relatedness of commercial varieties grown in China. In this study, a panel of 92 perfect single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was identified using re-sequencing data from 35 differentC. annuumlines. Based on this panel, a Target SNP-seq genotyping method was designed, which combined multiplex amplification of perfect SNPs with Illumina sequencing, to detect polymorphisms across 271 commercial pepper varieties.

Results

The perfect SNPs panel had a high discriminating capacity due to the average value of polymorphism information content, observed heterozygosity, expected heterozygosity, and minor allele frequency, which were 0.31, 0.28, 0.4, and 0.31, respectively. Notably, the studied pepper varieties were morphologically categorized based on fruit shape as blocky-, long horn-, short horn-, and linear-fruited. The long horn-fruited population exhibited the most genetic diversity followed by the short horn-, linear-, and blocky-fruited populations. A set of 35 core SNPs were then used as kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASPar) markers, another robust genotyping technique for variety identification. Analysis of genetic relatedness using principal component analysis and phylogenetic tree construction indicated that the four fruit shape populations clustered separately with limited overlaps. Based on STRUCTURE clustering, it was possible to divide the varieties into five subpopulations, which correlated with fruit shape. Further, the subpopulations were statistically different according to a randomization test andFststatistics. Nine loci, located on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12, were identified to be significantly associated with the fruit shape index (p < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Target SNP-seq developed in this study appears as an efficient power tool to detect the genetic diversity, population relatedness and molecular breeding in pepper. Moreover, this study demonstrates that the genetic structure of Chinese pepper varieties is significantly influenced by breeding programs focused on fruit shape.
Advance care planning in Norwegian nursing homes – limited awareness of the residents’ preferences and values? A qualitative study
Authors: Thoresen Lisbeth , Pedersen Reidar , Lillemoen Lillian , Gjerberg Elisabeth , Førde Reidun
Published: December 2019

Background

52% of all deaths in Norway occur in nursing homes. Still advance care planning (ACP) is scarce and heterogeneous. To improve the implementation and practice of ACP in nursing homes, knowledge about health care professionals’ views on ACP is vital. The objective of this study is to explore nurses and physicians’ aims and experiences with carrying out ACP in nursing homes.

Methods

Semi-structured group interviews were conducted with 20 health care professionals, recruited from nursing homes where ACP was performed regularly. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the data.

Results

The primary aim of the nursing home professionals when doing ACP in nursing homes were to build alliances with next of kin to avoid misunderstandings and future conflicts. Two main experiences with ACP were described: i) due to the sensitivity of ACP issues, it was important to balance directness with being sensitive, and ii) when the physicians raised questions concerning future medical treatment, the answers from residents as well as next of kin were often hesitant and unclear.

Conclusion

Our study add insights into how ACP is practiced in nursing homes and the professionals’ agenda. A focus on medical issues and achieving consensus with next of kin may result in lack of involvement of the residents and limited awareness of the residents’ needs. Interdisciplinary approaches, ACP-training and tailored guidelines may improve the implementation and practice of ACP.
Association between estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) concentrations among the elderly in a rural community: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Choi Hye Rin , Lee Seung Won , Jeon Da-Hye , Hur Nam Wook , Youm Yoosik , Kim Hyeon Chang
Published: December 2019

Background

Reduced glomerular filtration rate and increased asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) are prevalent in elderly people. However, most of the studies that have examined the association between the two conditions were performed in patients with renal dysfunction, but not in the general elderly population. Thus, we investigated an association between estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and ADMA concentration among community-dwelling older Koreans.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 269 men and 382 women (mean age, 71.6 years) enrolled in the Korean Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (KSHAP), a population-based cohort study of health determinants in elderly Koreans. We calculated eGFR using chronic kidney disease- Epidemiology Collaboration Group (CKD-EPI) equation. ADMA concentration was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The association between eGFR and ADMA concentrations was analyzed by multiple linear regression models.

Results

The mean ADMA was significantly higher in people with eGFR< 60 mL/min/1.73m2(0.691 μmol/L) than in those with eGFR≥60 mL/min/1.73m2(0.667 μmol/L,p = 0.013). The negative correlations between eGFR level and ADMA concentrations were significant in men and women after adjusted age. After adjusting for potential confounders which were sex, age, body surface, blood pressure, total and HDL cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, and drinking, eGFR levels were inversely associated with ADMA concentrations both in men (β = − 0.0015,p = 0.005) and women (β = − 0.001,p = 0.039).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that an inverse association exists between eGFR and ADMA concentrations among the Korean elderly in a rural community.
The SURF (Italian observational study for renal insufficiency evaluation in liver transplant recipients): a post-hoc between-sex analysis
Authors:   on behalf of the SURF Study Group, Colombo Delia , Zullo Alessandro , Simoni Lucia , Zagni Emanuela
Published: December 2019

Background

Female sex has been reported as an independent predictor of severe post-liver transplantation (LT) chronic kidney disease. We performed a by sex post-hoc analysis of the SURF study, that investigated the prevalence of renal impairment following LT, aimed at exploring possible differences between sexes in the prevalence and course of post-LT renal damage.

Methods

All patients enrolled in the SURF study were considered evaluable for this sex-based analysis, whose primary objective was to evaluate by sex the proportion of patients with estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) < 60 ml/min/1.73m2 at inclusion and follow-up visit.

Results

Seven hundred thirty-eight patients were included in our analysis, 76% males. The proportion of patients with eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 was significantly higher in females at initial study visit (33.3 vs 22.8%; p = 0.005), but also before, at time of transplantation (22.9 vs 14.7%; p = 0.0159), as analyzed retrospectively. At follow-up, such proportion increased more in males than in females (33.9 vs 26.0%, p = 0.04). Mean eGFR values decreased over the study in both sexes, with no significant differences. Statistically significant M/F differences in patient distribution by O’Riordan eGFR levels were observed at time of transplant and study initial visit (p = 0.0005 and 0.0299 respectively), but not at follow-up.

Conclusions

Though the limitation of being performed post-hoc, this analysis suggests potential sex differences in the prevalence of renal impairment before and after LT, encouraging further clinical research to explore such differences more in depth.
Prevalence and risk factors for postpartum depression among women seen at Primary Health Care Centres in Damascus
Authors: Roumieh Mayada , Bashour Hyam , Kharouf Mayada , Chaikha Salah
Published: December 2019

Background

In Syria, there are no previous studies on postpartum depression. The aim of this study is was identify the prevalence of postpartum depression and investigate its risk factors among Syrian women seen at the Primary Health Care Centres in Damascus.

Methods

This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out between January and December 2017 in Damascus, Syria. Postpartum women seen at a convenience sample of the largest and well-utilized primary health care centres in Damascus were invited to participate in the study. The Arabic version of the validated Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale questionnaire was used to measure postpartum depression. A cut-off score of 13 was considered to indicate probable depression.

Results

Out of a total of 1105 women participated in this study, 28.2% had a score of 13 (probable Depression). The multivariate analysis showed that postpartum depression was significantly associated with a reported a health problem during last pregnancy (OR = 2.2; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.4–3.5); displacement (OR = 1.4; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04–1.97); perceived exposure to a lot of life stressors (OR = 5.04; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.4–10.5); while antenatal care had a protective effect (OR = 0.52; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.36–0.75).

Conclusions

The prevalence of postpartum depression among Syrian women in this study was relatively high, as compared to other Arab and Non-Arab countries. Displacement due to the Syrian crisis among other factors was associated with postpartum depression. Obstetricians and other professionals should be sensitized about the importance of screening for the problem for better management.
Occupational exposure to formaldehyde and risk of non hodgkin lymphoma: a meta-analysis
Authors: Catalani Simona , Donato Francesca , Madeo Egidio , Apostoli Pietro , De Palma Giuseppe , Pira Enrico , Mundt Kenneth A. , Boffetta Paolo
Published: December 2019

Background

Formaldehyde, a widely used chemical, is considered a human carcinogen. We report the results of a meta-analyses of studies on the relationship between occupational exposure to formaldehyde and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

Methods

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis according to international guidelines and we identified 12 reports of occupational populations exposed to formaldehyde. We evaluated inter-study heterogeneity and we applied a random effects model. We conducted a cumulative meta-analysis and a meta-analysis according to estimated average exposure of each study population.

Results

The meta-analysis resulted in a summary relative risk (RR) for NHL of 0.93 (95% confidence interval 0.83–1.04). The cumulative meta-analysis suggests that higher RRs were detected in studies published before 1986, while studies available after 1986 did not show an association. No differences were found between different levels of occupational exposure.

Conclusions Notwithstanding some limitations, the results of this meta-analysis do not support the hypothesis of an association between occupational exposure to formaldehyde and risk of NHL.
Neonatal near-misses in Ghana: a prospective, observational, multi-center study
Authors: Bakari Ashura , Bell April J. , Oppong Samuel A. , Bockarie Yemah , Wobil Priscilla , Plange-Rhule Gyikua , Goka Bamenla Q. , Engmann Cyril M. , Adanu Richard M. , Moyer Cheryl A.
Published: December 2019

Background

For every newborn who dies within the first month, as many as eight more suffer life-threatening complications but survive (termed ‘neonatal near-misses’ (NNM)). However, there is no universally agreed-upon definition or assessment tool for NNM. This study sought to describe the development of the Neonatal Near-Miss Assessment Tool (NNMAT) for low-resource settings, as well as findings when implemented in Ghana.

Methods

This prospective, observational study was conducted at two tertiary care hospitals in southern Ghana from April – July 2015. Newborns with evidence of complications and those admitted to the NICUs were screened for inclusion using the NNMAT. Incidence of suspected NNM at enrollment and confirmed near-miss (surviving to 28 days) was determined and compared against institutional neonatal mortality rates. Suspected NNM cases were compared with newborns not classified as a suspected near-miss, and all were followed to 28 days to determine odds of survival. Confirmed near-misses were those identified as suspected near-misses at enrollment who survived to 28 days. The main outcome measures were incidence of NNM, NNM:mortality ratio, and factors associated with NNM classification.

Results

Out of 394 newborns with complications, 341 (86.5%) were initially classified as suspected near-misses at enrollment using the NNMAT, with 53 (13.4%) being classified as a non-near-miss. At 28-day follow-up, 68 (17%) had died, 52 (13%) were classified as a non-near-miss, and 274 were considered confirmed near-misses. Those newborns with complications who were classified as suspected near-misses using the NNMAT at enrollment had 12 times the odds of dying before 28 days than those classified as non-near-misses. While most confirmed near-misses qualified as NNM via intervention-based criteria, nearly two-thirds qualified based on two or more of the four NNMAT categories. When disaggregated, the most predictive elements of the NNMAT were gestational age < 33 weeks, neurologic dysfunction, respiratory dysfunction, and hemoglobin < 10 gd/dl. The ratio of near-misses to deaths was 0.55: 1, yet this varied across the study sites.

Conclusions

This research suggests that the NNMAT is an effective tool for assessing neonatal near-misses in low-resource settings. We believe this approach has significant systems-level, continuous quality improvement, clinical and policy-level implications.
Stable clinical course in three siblings with late-onset isolated sulfite oxidase deficiency: a case series and literature review
Authors: Tian Maoqiang , Qu Yi , Huang Lingyi , Su Xiaojuan , Li Shiping , Ying Junjie , Zhao Fengyan , Mu Dezhi
Published: December 2019

Background

Isolated sulfite oxidase deficiency (ISOD) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by a deficiency of sulfite oxidase, which is encoded by the sulfite oxidase gene (SUOX). Clinically, the disorder is classified as one of two forms: the late-onset mild form or the classic early-onset form. The latter is life-threatening and always leads to death during early childhood. Mild ISOD cases are rare and may benefit from dietary therapy. To date, no cases of ISOD have been reported to recover spontaneously. Here, we present three mild ISOD cases in one family, each with a stable clinical course and spontaneous recovery.

Case presentation

All three siblings had two novel compound heterozygous mutations in the SUOX gene (NM_000456; c.1096C > T [p.R366C] and c.1376G > A [p.R459Q]). The siblings included two males and one female with late ages of onset (12–16 months) and presented with specific neuroimaging abnormalities limited to the bilateral globus pallidus and substantia nigra. The three patients had decreased plasma homocysteine levels. They exhibited a monophasic clinical course continuing up to 8.5 years even without dietary therapy.

Conclusion

This is the first report of mild ISOD cases with a stable clinical course and spontaneous recovery without dietary therapy. Our study provides an expansion for the clinical spectrum of ISOD. Furthermore, we highlight the importance of including ISOD in the differential diagnosis for patients presenting with late-onset symptoms, bilaterally symmetric regions of abnormal intensities in the basal ganglia, and decreased plasma homocysteine levels.