bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nitrogen Transfer Play an Important Role of Differentially Expressed Protein of Roots in Eucalyptus Urophylla × E. grandis and Dalbergia Odorifera Nursery Seedlings Intercropping System
Authors: Yao Xianyu , Liao Liangning , Huang Yongzhen , Fan Ge , Yang Mei , Ye Shaoming
Published: November 2020

Background: The mixing of Eucalyptus with N2-fixing trees is a frequently successful and sustainable cropping practice. In this study, we evaluated nitrogen transfer and conducted a proteomic analysis on seedlings of Eucalyptus and a N2-fixing tree, Dalbergia (D.) odorifera, from intercropping and monocropping systems, to elucidate the physiological effecting and the molecular mechanisms on N transfer of Eucalyptus mixed with D. odorifera. Results: We demonstrated the following: (1) Nitrogen transfer occurred from D. odorifera to E. urophylla × E. grandis by 14.6 %. Interspecific facilitation of N uptake and root growth in E. urophylla × E. grandis was increased in the intercropping system, but the root growth and N absorption of D. odorifera were inhibited. (2) Among differentially expressed proteins was greater than 1.5 times, E. urophylla × E. grandis were found to be up-regulated several proteins for the nitrogen assimilation and enhancing the nitrogen competition, such as the proteins related to tricarboxylic acid/organic transformation, nitrogen metabolism and nitrogen assimilation; it also up-regulated the expression of stress resistant protein for its adaptability. However, the assimilation and metabolism of nitrogen was promoted in D. odorifera through the up-regulation of amino acid metabolism related proteins, and increased the key enzyme abundance of glycolysis pathway in D. odorifera. (3) Importantly, E. urophylla × E. grandis was the beneficiary in the process of N transfer, there were more different proteins involved in the synthesis pathway than that of the metabolic pathway, but there were more functional proteins involved in metabolic degradation in D. odorifera. Additionaly, the two groups of nitrogen compound transporter were found in E. urophylla × E. grandis, i.e. the molecular mechanism of the N transfer from D. odorifera to E. urophylla × E. grandis was explained by proteomics. Conclusions: Our study suggests that N transfer occurred from D. odorifera to E. urophylla × E. grandis and it was affected by the variations in the differentially expressed protein. We anticipate the result can be verified in field experiments for the sustainable development of Eucalyptus plantations.
Enhanced Aluminum Tolerance in Sugarcane: Evaluation of SbMATE Overexpression and Genome-wide Identification of ALMTs in Saccharum Spp.
Authors: Ribeiro Ana Paula , Vinecky Felipe , DUARTE KAROLINE ESTEFANI , Santiago Thaís Ribeiro , Casari Rafael Augusto das Chagas Noqueli , Hell Aline Forgatti , Cunha Bárbara Andrade Dias Brito da , Martins Polyana Kelly , Centeno Danilo da Cruz , Cançado Geraldo Magela de Almeida , Magalhães Jurandir Vieira , Kobayashi Adilson Kenji , De Souza Wagner Rodrigo , Molinari Hugo Bruno Correa
Published: November 2020

BackgroundA major limiting factor for plant growth is the aluminum (Al) toxicity in acidic soils, especially in tropical regions. The exclusion of Al from the root apex through root exudation of organic acids such as malate and citrate are both the most ubiquitous tolerance mechanisms in the plant kingdom. Two families of anion channels that confer Al tolerance are well described in the literature, ALMT and MATE family. ResultsIn this study, sugarcane plants constitutively overexpressing the Sorghum bicolor MATE gene (SbMATE) showed improved tolerance to Al when compared to non-transgenic (NT) plants, characterized by sustained root growth and exclusion of aluminum from the root apex based on the result obtained with hematoxylin staining. In addition, genome-wide analysis of the recently released sugarcane genome identified 11 ALMT genes and molecular studies showed potential new targets for aluminum tolerance. ConclusionsOur results indicate that the transgenic plants overexpressing the Sorghum bicolor MATE has an improved tolerance to Al. The expression profile of ALMT genes revels potential candidate genes to be used has an alternative for agricultural expansion in Brazil and other areas with aluminum toxicity in poor and acid soils.
KLF7/VPS35 Axis Contributes to Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression through CCDC85C-activated β Catenin Pathway
Authors: Guo Yarong , Chai Bao , Jia Junmei , Yang Mudan , Li Yanjun , Zhang Rui , Wang Shumin , Xu Jun
Published: November 2020

Objective: Dysregulation of KLF7 participates in the development of various cancers, but it is unclear whether there is a link between HCC and aberrant expression of KLF7. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of KLF7 in proliferation and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Methods: CCK8, colony growth, transwell, cell cycle analysis and apoptosis detection were performed to explore the effect of KLF7, VPS35 and Ccdc85c on cell function in vitro. Xenografted tumor growth was used to assess in vivo role of KLF7. Chip-qPCR and luciferase reporter assays were applied to check whether KLF7 regulated VPS35 at transcriptional manner. Co-IP assay was performed to detect the interaction between VPS35 and Ccdc85c. Human HCC tissues were collected to study the clinical significance VPS35 and β-catenin. Results: Firstly, KLF7 overexpression contributed to cell proliferation and invasion of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. KLF7 transcriptional activation of VPS35 was necessary for HCC tumor growth and metastasis. Further, co-IP studies revealed that VPS35 could interact with Ccdc85c in HCC cells. Rescue assay confirmed that overexpression of VPS35 and knockdown of Ccdc85c abolished the VPS35-medicated promotion effect on cell proliferation and invasion. Finally, KLF7/VPS35 axis regulated Ccdc85c, which involved in activation of β-catenin signaling pathway, confirmed using β-catenin inhibitor, GK974. Functional studies suggested that downregulation of Ccdc85c partly reversed the capacity of cell proliferation and invasion in HCC cells, which was regulated by VPS35 upregulation. Conclusion: We demonstrated that KLF7/VPS35 axis promoted HCC cell progression by activating Ccdc85c-medicated β-catenin pathway. Targeting this signal axis might be a potential treatment strategy for HCC.
Age-structured Impact of Mitigation Strategies on COVID-19 Severity and Deaths in Kenya
Authors: Mwalili Samuel , Kimathi Mark E. M. , Ojiambo Viona N. , Gathungu Duncan K. , Achia Thomas N. O.
Published: November 2020

Introduction: COVID-19, a coronavirus disease 2019, is an ongoing pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). There have been a lot of attempts to model this pandemic from a global perspective. The Novel Coronavirus is still spreading quickly in several countries and the peak has not yet been reached in many countries. We developed age-structured model for describing the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya under different non-pharmaceutical interventions. The first case in Kenya was identified in March 13, 2020 with the pandemic increasing to 465 confirmed cases by end of 3rd May, 2020. We fitted an age-structured deterministic mathematical model in Kenyan context.Methods: We model the COVID-19 situation in Kenya using Age-structured Susceptible Exposed Infectious Recovered compartmental model. These compartments follow a cascade of the disease from the Susceptible to Exposed individuals who in return are either symptomatic or asymptomatic. The symptomatic depict mild signs, which can develop to severe symptoms warranting hospitalization or can otherwise recover. The severe cases can recover with some developing critical condition. The critical are admitted at intensive care units. The resulting age-dependent ordinary differential equations from the model are solved using fourth order Runge-Kutta methods. We controlled for school closure, social distancing and lockdown in terms of movement restrictionsResults: The model shows varying epidemic peak by age-structure and the mitigation scenarios. The peak dates for unmitigated (UM), the 45% NPI (M45) and School closure-curfew-partial lockdown NPI (SCL) are May 21st, October 17th and December 13th 2020, respectively. Their respective cumulative infections peaks are 43M, 24M and 25M. The daily reported severe cases, critical cases and death proportionately increased with age. Conclusions: The cumulative number of infections reduces greatly with introduction of school closure, social distancing and restricted movement in highly affected counties. The degree of COVID-19 severity increases with age. However, it is not immediately clear when these restrictions can be lifted.
What is the Efficacy and Safety of Rapid Exercise Tests for Exertional Desaturation in Covid-19: A Rapid Systematic Review 
Authors: Kalin Asli , Javid Babak , Knight Matthew , Inada-Kim Matt , Greenhalgh Trisha
Published: November 2020

BackgroundEven when resting pulse oximetry is normal in the patient with acute Covid-19, hypoxia can manifest on exertion. We sought to summarise the literature on the performance of different rapid tests for exertional desaturation. Main research questionWhat tests have been formally evaluated for the rapid assessment of exertional hypoxia in patients with lung disease against a gold standard exercise test such as the 6MWT and CPET? MethodAMED, CINAHL, EMBASE MEDLINE, Cochrane and PubMed using LitCovid, Scholar and Google databases were searched to September 2020. Studies where participants had Covid-19 or another lung disease and underwent any form of exercise test which was compared to a reference standard were eligible. Risk of bias was assessed using QUADAS 2. Heterogeneity of study design precluded meta-analysis. ResultsOf 47 relevant papers, 15 were empirical studies, of which 11 described an attempt to validate one or more exercise desaturation tests in lung diseases other than Covid-19. In all but one of these, methodological quality was poor or impossible to fully assess. None had been designed as a formal validation study (most used simple tests of correlation). Only one validation study (comparing a 1-minute sit-to-stand test [1MSTST] with the reference standard 6-minute walk test [6MWT] in 107 patients with interstitial lung disease) contained sufficient raw data for us to calculate the sensitivity (88%), specificity (81%), and positive and negative predictive value (79% and 89% respectively) of the 1MSTST. The other 4 empirical studies included two predictive studies on patients with Covid-19, and two on HIV-positive patients with suspected pneumocystis pneumonia. We found no studies on the 40-step walk test (a less demanding test that is widely used in clinical practice to assess Covid-19 patients). DiscussionExertional desaturation tests have not yet been validated in patients with (or suspected of having) Covid-19. Whilst there is limited evidence for the diagnostic accuracy of the 1MSTST in other diseases, specific features of this disease (e.g. exertional hypoxia is common and many assessments are done remotely with no clinician present to resuscitate) may raise safety issues. The less strenuous 40-step walk test should be urgently evaluated.
Assessment About Luneberg Integrals and Application to Digital in-line Holography
Authors: Coëtmellec Sébastien , Lebrun Denis , Brunel Marc , Janssen A. J. E. M.
Published: November 2020

In this publication, the Luneberg integrals are revisited and the conditions of the using of such integrals have been recalled. Additivity law of Luneberg's integrals and the link with the Frenel kernel for the propagation are discussed. By means of the definition of the Luneberg's integrals,the propagation of a vectorial electromagnetic field (Hertz potentials) is developped and a new approach of the computation have been proposed based on Zernike polynomials. With this new approch simulations of holograms is illustrated in the case of the digital in-line holography with an opaque disk.
Clinical significance of HRAS and KRAS genes expression in patients with non–small-cell lung cancer.
Authors: Pązik Milena , Michalska Katarzyna , Żebrowska-Nawrocka Marta , Zawadzka Izabela , Łochowski Mariusz , Balcerczak Ewa
Published: November 2020

Background: The RAS family protooncogenes, including KRAS, NRAS and HRAS, encode proteins responsible for the regulation of growth, differentiation and survival of many cell types. The HRAS and KRAS oncogene mutations are well defined, however, the clinical significance of RAS expressions in non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still uncertain. Methods: A total of 39 whole blood samples of NSCLC (the investigated group), collected at three points of time: at the time of diagnosis, 100 days and one year after the surgery, were included in this study. HRAS and KRAS genes mRNA expression were assessed using quantitative real time‑polymerase chain reaction techniques. Results: Increased relative HRAS mRNA levels were found significantly more frequently in the group of smokers (p=0.008). Patients with squamous cell carcinoma subtypes of NSCLC were more likely to show an overexpression of HRAS gene, but not statistically significant (p=0.065). The median overall survival was significantly better in the group with a higher HRAS gene expression (p=0.012). No statistically significant associations were found for the expression of KRAS with any clinicopathological parameters within the study. There were no differences between the relative HRAS and KRAS genes expression levels in blood samples taken from the same patients during the 3 observation points.Conclusion: The potential associations between high HRAS levels, smoking status and histological type of cancer as well as overall survival were observed, which emphasizes the need for further study of the RAS family. Therefore, subsequent research involving larger numbers of patients and a longer follow-up, as well as multicenter study are necessary to confirm our findings.
Application of coupled FICA-FCM feature extraction and QPSO-SVM classifier model to predict coal and gas outbursts
Authors: Liu Xuning , Zhang Zixian , Li Zhixiang , Zhang Guoying
Published: November 2020

The coal and gas outbursts samples data are affected by all kinds of influencing factors, the accuracy of classification on these sample data is not high, the classification of some samples always have errors, which may be inaccurate annotation. In order to reduce the impact of noise data caused by the labeling errors on classification, this paper proposes a combination of classifier and clustering analysis model, which is used to improve the prediction accuracy of coal and gas outbursts. First, the high-order statistical characteristics of fast independent component analysis(FICA) method are used to extract the features of coal and gas outbursts sample data to obtain the independent nonlinear main metadata; Then, the fuzzy clustering mean(FCM) algorithm is used to cluster the coal and gas outbursts samples. Finally, based on improved clustering analysis results, the support vector machine(SVM) classifier based on quantum particle swarm optimization(QPSO) algorithm is used to compare the classification results with the existing labeled results, and the classification results are corrected to improve the classification accuracy. The results show that the performance of coupling model is significantly better than other exiting classifiers for coal and gas outbursts prediction.
Develop an efficient inoculation technique for Fusarium solani pathogeny assessment in Phalaenopsis orchids
Authors: Chen Shu-Yun , Wu Yan-Jeng , Hsieh Ting-Fang , Su Jiunn-Feng , Shen Wei-Chiang , Lai Yung-Hsiang , Lai Pen-Chih , Chen Wen-Huei , Chen Hong-Hwa
Published: November 2020

Background: Phalaenopsis is one of the important ornamental plants worldwide. It plays the most significant role in flower exportation in Taiwan. However, the yellow leaf disease caused by Fusarium spp. has reduced the orchid flower yield 10-50% yearly. Varieties resistant to yellow leaf disease associated with Fusarium is urgently needed for orchid growers and breeders, and is the ultimate solution for the long-term goal. To achieve this, phenotyping is the first step and the most necessary information for further studies, such as resistance gene identification, quantitative trait loci identification, and genome-wide association study. Results: The inoculation of Fusarium was performed in either abbreviated stem or detached leaf, and the pros and cons were compared. The former is the general method of phenotyping for estimating the tolerance to yellow leaf disease of Phalaenopsis, but it is time-consuming and spacy, and thus not suitable for the assessment of large numbers of samples. In contrast, the latter not only showed a similar trend of disease severity with time reduced to only one fourth of the former one but also less space needed. Conclusions: This solution allows a better phenotyping approach for the fast detection of yellow leaf disease associated with Fusarium in a large number of Phalaenopsis samples.
Influenza Vaccination and the Risk of COVID-19 Infection and Severe Illness in Older Adults in the United States
Authors: Huang Kelly , Lin Shu-Wan , Sheng Wang-Huei , Wang Chi-Chuan
Published: November 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic is an urgent threat worldwide with no vaccine available. It is important to evaluate whether influenza vaccination can reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection. This is a retrospective cross-sectional study with claims data from Symphony Health database from July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020. Participants were adults aged 65 years old or older who had received the influenza vaccine between September 1 and December 31 of 2019. The objective was to measure the odds of COVID-19 infection and severe COVID-19 illness after January 15, 2020 among vaccinated and unvaccinated older adults. The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of COVID-19 infection risk between the influenza-vaccination group and no-influenza-vaccination group was 0.76 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.75–0.77). Among COVID-19 patients, the aOR of developing severe COVID-19 illness was 0.72 (95% CI, 0.68–0.76) between the influenza-vaccination group and the no-influenza-vaccination group. When the influenza-vaccination group and the other-vaccination group were compared, the aOR of COVID-19 infection was 0.95 (95% CI, 0.93–0.97), and the aOR of developing a severe COVID-19 illness was 0.95 (95% CI, 0.80–1.13). In conclusion, the influenza vaccine may marginally protect people from COVID-19 infection.
COVID-19 effect on supply and demand of essential commodities using unsupervised learning method
Authors: Anitha P. , Patil Malini M. , Venkatapur Rekha B
Published: November 2020

The affliction caused by the Covid-19 Pandemic is diverse from other disasters seen so far. Supply chain industries are facing unique challenges in fulfilling the essential needs of the people. The objective of the paper is to analyse the supply and demand of essentials during pre-pandemic and post-pandemic lockdowns using machine learning algorithms. This helps for supply chain industries in forecasting and managing the supply and demand of essential stocks for the future. Data is analyzed using prediction algorithms to check the actual and predicted values. The clustering algorithm along with rolling mean is used for half-yearly data of 2019 and 2020 to identify the sales of different categories of essential commodities. This paper aims at applying intelligence in predicting various categories of sales by providing timely information for B2B Industries during the time of disasters.
Design of Artificial Neural Networks for Early Detection of Dementia Risk Using Mini-Mental State of Examination (MMSE)
Authors: Hamzah Haidar Ali , Diazura Alyssa Marizki , Alfatah Ahmad Emir , Theodorus
Published: November 2020

Dementia is a brain disorder that interferes with a person's cognitive and behavioral abilities. Unfortunately, late diagnosis is common. Detection of people with suspected dementia in any setting requires a brief and simple test such as MMSE which has become the best‐known and the most often used short screening dementia tool. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of MMSE screening tool based digital system. We used data from the OASIS Longitudinal dataset provided by the University of Washington Center for Alzheimer's Disease Research, Randy Buckner of the Howard Hughes Institute of Medicine at Harvard University, the Neuroinformatics Research Group at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and the Biomedical Informatics Research Network. The dataset was processed through training and testing using an artificial neural network architecture. From this data, a machine learning training process was carried out and obtained diagnostic accuracy of 78%. Thus, The early detection of dementia using MMSE tool based digital system is suitable for use as a dementia risk screening process tool in a clinical setting. Further studies are needed to assess diagnostic accuracy using primary data.
Susceptibility of Anopheles gambiae from Côte d’Ivoire to insecticides used on insecticide-treated nets: Evaluating the additional entomological impact of piperonyl butoxide and chlorfenapyr
Authors: Kouassi Bernard L. , Edi Constant , Tia Emmanuel , Konan Lucien Y. , Akré Maurice A. , Koffi Alphonsine A. , Ouattara Allassane F. , Mea Antoine Tanoh , Zinzindohoue Pascal , Kouadio Blaise , Andre McKenzie , Irish Seth R. , Armistead Jennifer , Dengela Dereje , Cissé Ndombour G. , Flatley Cecilia , Chabi Joseph
Published: November 2020

BackgroundPyrethroid-treated mosquito nets are currently the mainstay of vector control in Côte d’Ivoire. However, resistance to pyrethroids has been reported across the country, limiting options for insecticide resistance management due to the paucity of alternative insecticides. Two types of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), ITNs with pyrethroids and the synergist piperonyl butoxide (PBO), and Interceptor®G2 nets, a net treated with a combination of chlorfenapyr and alpha-cypermethrin, are believed to help in the control of pyrethroid-resistant mosquitoes. MethodsThe susceptibility of Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (s.l.) to pyrethroid insecticides with and without pre-exposure to PBO as well as to chlorfenapyr was investigated in fifteen sites across the country. Susceptibility tests were conducted on 2- to 4-day old adult female An. gambiae s.l. reared from larval collections. The resistance status, intensity, and effects of PBO on mortality after exposure to different concentrations of deltamethrin, permethrin and alpha-cypermethrin were determined using WHO susceptibility test kits. In the absence of a WHO-recommended standard protocol for chlorfenapyr, two interim doses (100 and 200 µg/bottle) were used to test the susceptibility of mosquitoes using the CDC bottle assay method. ResultsPre-exposure to PBO did not result in full restoration of susceptibility to any of the three pyrethroids for the An. gambiae s.l. populations from any of the sites surveyed. However, PBO pre-exposure did increase mortality for all three pyrethroids, particularly deltamethrin (from 4.4% to 48.9%). Anopheles gambiae s.l. from only one site (Bettie) were susceptible to chlorfenapyr at the dose of 100 µg active ingredient (a.i.)/bottle. At the dose of 200 µg (a.i.)/bottle, susceptibility was only recorded in 10 of the 15 sites.ConclusionLow mosquito mortality was found for pyrethroids alone, and while PBO increased mortality, it did not restore full susceptibility. The vector was not fully susceptible to chlorfenapyr in one third of the sites tested. However, vector susceptibility to chlorfenapyr seems to be considerably higher than for pyrethroids alone or with PBO. These data should be used cautiously when making ITN procurement decisions, noting that bioassays are conducted in controlled conditions and may not fully represent field efficacy where the host-seeking behaviors which include free-flying activity are known to enhance pro-insecticide chlorfenapyr intoxication to mosquitoes.
Green synthesis of nano-liposomes containing Bunium persicum and Trachyspermum ammi essential oils against Trichomonas vaginalis
Authors: Mirzaei Farzaneh , Norouzi Roghayeh , Siyadatpanah Abolghasem , Haghirosadat Bibi Fatemeh , Rezaei Fatemeh , Nissapatorn Veeranoot , Mitsuwan Watcharapong , Nawaz Muhammad , Pereira Maria L. , Hosseini Seyed Abdollah , Montazeri Mahbobeh , Majdizadeh Mohammad
Published: November 2020

Background: Trichomonas vaginalis, a parasitic flagellated protozoan, is one of the main non-viral sexually-transmitted diseases worldwide. Treatment options for trichomoniasis are limited to nitroimidazole compounds. However, resistance to these drugs has been reported, which requires the development of new anti-Trichomonas agents that confer suitable efficacy and less toxicity.Methods: In the present work, we assessed the effectiveness of the liposomal system containing essential oils of Bunium persicum and Trachyspermum ammi against T. vaginalis in vitro. Liposomal vesicles were prepared with phosphatidylcholine (70%) and cholesterol (30%) using the thin-film method. The essential oils of B. persicum and T. ammi were loaded into the liposomes using the inactive loading method. Liposomal vesicles were made for two plants separately. Their physicochemical features were tested using Zeta-Sizer, AFM and SEM. The anti-Trichomonas activity was determined after 12 and 24 hours of parasite cultures in TYI-S-33 medium. Results: After 12 and 24 hours of administration, the IC50 of the B. persicum essential oil nano-liposomes induced 14.41 µg/mL and 45.19 µg/mL, respectively. The IC50 of T. ammi essential oil nano-liposomes induced 8.08 µg/mL and 25.81 µg/mL, respectively. Conclusions: These data suggested that nano-liposomes of the essential oils of B. persicum and T. ammi may be a promising alternative to current treatments for Trichomonas infection.
Predictors of Outpatients’ No-Show: Big Data Analytics using Apache Spark
Authors: Daghistani Tahani , AlGhamdi Huda , Alshammari Riyad , AlHazme Raed H.
Published: November 2020

Outpatients who fail to attend their appointments have a negative impact on the healthcare outcome. Thus, healthcare organizations facing new opportunities, one of them is to improve the quality of healthcare. The main challenges is predictive analysis using techniques capable of handle the huge data generated. We propose a big data framework for identifying subject outpatients’ no-show via feature engineering and machine learning (MLlib) in the Spark platform. This study evaluates the performance of five machine learning techniques, using the (2,011,813) outpatients’ visits data. Conducting several experiments and using different validation methods, the Gradient Boosting (GB) performed best, resulting in an increase of accuracy and ROC to 79% and 81%, respectively. In addition, we showed that exploring and evaluating the performance of the machine learning models using various evaluation methods is critical as the accuracy of prediction can significantly differ. The aim of this paper is exploring factors that affect no-show rate and can be used to formulate predictions using big data machine learning techniques.
Protocol for a randomized pilot study (FIRST STEPS): implementation of the Incredible Years-ASLD® program in Spanish children with Autism and preterm children with communication and/or socialization difficulties
Authors: Valencia Fátima , Urbiola Elena , González Marina Romero , Navas-Domenech Inmaculada , Elias Maria , Garriz Alexandra , Ramirez Almudena , Villalta Laia
Published: November 2020

Having access to parenting interventions in the early years is key to improve developmental outcomes of children with neurodevelopmental problems. The Incredible Years® (IY) Parent Program is a group intervention that has demonstrated efficacy in terms of reducing stress in parents, as well as improving behavioral, emotional and social outcomes in children. The program has been recently adapted for families of children with autism or language delays (IY-ASLD®). This intervention has not yet been implemented in the Spanish Public Health System, where there is a scarcity of evidence-based interventions being offered to families with young children presenting neurodevelopmental problems. The main aims of this study are to determine the feasibility of implementing the IY-ASLD® program within Spanish Child Mental Health Services, as well as to examine parents’ acceptability and satisfaction with the intervention. As a secondary objective, we aim to evaluate its preliminary effectiveness in terms of reducing parental stress and behavioral difficulties in their children. The FIRST STEPS study is a multicenter, pilot randomized controlled trial comparing the IY-ASLD® program with a treatment-as-usual (TAU) condition. Approximately 70 families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and preterm children with communication and/or socialization difficulties (aged 2–5 years) will be recruited. Families will be assessed prior to randomization and after the intervention.The FIRST STEPS pilot trial will demonstrate the feasibility and acceptability of reliably implementing the IY-ASLD® program within the Spanish Public Health System. The results of this study could represent a first step to inform policy makers in Spain when designing evidence-based healthcare pathways for families of children presenting ASD symptoms or neurodevelopmental difficulties at early stages.
Assessing burden, risk factors, and perceived impact of uterine fibroids on women’s lives in rural Haiti: implications for advancing a health equity agenda, a mixed methods study
Authors: Millien Christophe , Manzi Anatole , Katz Arlene M. , Gilbert Hannah , Fawzi Mary C. Smith , Farmer Paul E. , Mukherjee Joia
Published: November 2020

BackgroundUterine fibroids, the most common cause of gynecologic surgery, have a reported cumulative incidence of 59% among Black women in the U.S. Uterine fibroids negatively impact the quality of women’s lives. No study has been found in the literature about fibroids in Haiti. We conducted a mixed methods study to assess the burden and risk factors of uterine fibroids, as well as their effects on women’s quality of life.MethodsA convergent mixed methods study was conducted between October 1, 2019 and January 31, 2020 at MUH’s (Mirebalais University Hospital) OB-GYN outpatient department. Quantitatively, in a cross-sectional study 211 women completed consecutively a structured questionnaire. In-depth interviews with 17 women with fibroids and 7 family members were implemented for the qualitative component. Descriptive statistics were calculated for clinical and social demographic variables. Logistic regression was performed to examine associations between fibroids and related risk factors. An inductive thematic process was used to analyze the qualitative data. A joint display technique was used to integrate the results.ResultsOf 193 women analyzed 116 had fibroids (60.1%). The mean age was 41.3. Anemia was the most frequent complication— 61 (52.6%). Compared to women without uterine fibroids, factors associated with uterine fibroids included income decline (AOR = 4.7, 95% CI: 2.1-10.9, p=<0.001), excessive expenses for transport (AOR = 4.4, 95% CI: 1.6-12.4, p=0.005), and family history with uterine fibroids (AOR = 4.6, 95% CI: 1.6-13.6, p=0.005). In contrast, higher level of education and micro polycystic ovarian syndrome were associated with lower prevalence (AOR= 0.3, 95% CI: 0.1-0.9, p=0.021) and (AOR= 0.2, 95% CI: 0.1-0.97, p=0.044), respectively. The qualitative findings delineate how contextual factors such as health system failures, long wait times, gender inequality and poverty negatively affect the quality of women’s lives. The poverty cycle of uterine fibroids emerged.ConclusionsA vicious cycle of poverty negatively impacts access to care for uterine fibroids in Haiti. Health insurance, social support, and income generating activities may be keys to promote social justice through access to adequate care for women with uterine fibroids in Haiti.
A quantum dot fluorescent microsphere based immunochromatographic strip for detection of brucellosis
Authors: kong yufang , Wang Huiyu , Wu Shaoqiang , LV Jizhou , Mei Lin , Zhou Huifang , Han Xueqing , Lin Xiangmei
Published: November 2020

Background: Brucellosis is a serious zoonosis disease that frequently causes significant economic loss in animal husbandry and threatens human health. Therefore, we established a rapid, accurate, simple and sensitive fluorescent immunochromatographic test strip (ICTS) based on quantum dots (QDs) for detection the antibodies of Brucella infection animals serum.Result: The test strips were successfully prepared by quantum dot fluorescent microspheres (QDFM) as tracers, which were covalently coupled to an outer membrane protein of Brucella OMP22. The outer membrane protein OMP28 and monoclonal antibodies of OMP22 were separately dispensed onto a nitrocellulose membrane as test and quality control lines, respectively. The detection results were achieved by using the ratio of the fluorescence signals of the test and control lines (HT/HC) with a threshold of 0.0492. The repeatability was excellent with an overall average CV of 8.78%. Under optimum conditions, the limit of detection was 1.05 ng/mL (1:512 dilution). With regard to the detection of brucellosis in 150 clinical samples, the total coincidence rate of ICTS and Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT) was 97.3%, the coincidence rate of positive samples was 98.8%, the coincidence rate of negative samples was 95.3%, and no cross reaction with the sera of other related diseases was observed.Conclusion: In our present study, the QDFM has promising application for on-site screening of brucellosis owing to its high detection speed, high sensitivity, high specificity and low cost.
Investigating the Feasibility of Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to facilitate Post-Stroke Overground Gait Performance in Chronic Stroke: a partial least-squares regression approach
Authors: Solanki Dhaval , Rezaee Zeynab , Dutta Anirban , Lahiri Uttama
Published: November 2020

Background: Investigation of lobule-specific electric field effects of cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (ctDCS) on overground gait performance has not been performed, so this study aimed to investigate the feasibility of two lobule-specific bilateral ctDCS montages to facilitate overground walking in chronic stroke. Methods: Ten chronic post-stroke male subjects participated in this repeated-measure single-blind crossover study, where we evaluated the single-session effects of two bilateral ctDCS montages that applied 2mA via 3.14cm2 disc electrodes for 15 minutes targeting a) dentate nuclei (also, anterior and posterior lobes), and b) lower-limb representations (lobules VIIb-IX). A two-sided Wilcoxon rank-sum test was performed at a 5% significance level on the percent normalized change measures in the overground gait performance. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis was performed on the quantitative gait parameters as response variables to the mean lobular electric field strength as the predictors. Clinical assessments were performed with the Ten-Meter walk test (TMWT), Timed Up & Go (TUG), and the Berg Balance Scale based on minimal clinically important differences (MCID).Results: The ctDCS montage specific effect was found significant using a two-sided Wilcoxon rank-sum test at a 5% significance level for 'Step Time Affected Leg' (p=0.0257) and '%Stance Time Unaffected Leg' (p=0.0376). The changes in the quantitative gait parameters were found to be correlated to the mean electric field strength in the lobules based on PLSR analysis (R2 statistic = 0.6574). Here, the mean electric field strength at the cerebellar lobules, Vermis VIIIb, Ipsi-lesional IX, Vermis IX, Ipsi-lesional X, had the most loading and were positively related to the 'Step Time Affected Leg' and '%Stance Time Unaffected Leg,' and negatively related to the '%Swing Time Unaffected Leg,' '%Single Support Time Affected Leg.' Clinical assessments found similar improvement in the TMWT (MCID: 0.10m/sec), TUG (MCID: 8sec), and BBS score (MCID: 12.5 points) for both the ctDCS montages. Conclusion: Our feasibility study found an association between the lobular mean electric field strength and the changes in the quantitative gait parameters following a single ctDCS session in chronic stroke. Both the ctDCS montages improved the clinical outcome measures that should be investigated with a larger sample size for clinical validation.
Clinical application of pedicled thoracoacromial artery perforator flaps for tracheal reconstruction
Authors: Deng Di , Xu Feng , Liu Jifeng , Li Bo , Li Linke , Liu Jun , Chen Fei
Published: November 2020

Background: Large or complex trachea defects often require some tissue to reconstruct,various flaps have been reported for reconstructing this defect.However, pedicled thoracoacromial artery perforator flap have not been reported in tracheal reconstruction.Therefore,this study is to assess the efficacy and clinical application of pedicled thoracoacromial artery perforator flaps for tracheal reconstruction.Methods: Eight patients who underwent tracheal reconstructions with pedicled TAAP flaps between December 2017 and October 2019 were retrospectively reviewed.Results: All of the pedicled TAAP flaps in our study survived. The flap size ranged from 2 cm x 5 cm to 4 cm x 10 cm, and the size of each island of one double-island flap was 2 cm x 2.5 cm. The mean thickness was 0.6 cm, and the pedicle length varied between 6 cm and 9 cm (mean 7.9 cm). The mean time of flap harvest was 17 min. The mean age of the patients was 62.4 years and five elderly patients had comorbidities,such as diabetes,hypertension and asthma. One patient received a double-island flap for tracheal and esophageal reconstruction, and the other patient received simple tracheal reconstruction. One patient died due to cancer metastasis.Six patients obtained functional recovery of breathing, except one patients who did not experience closure of the tracheostomy opening due to uncompleted I131 treatment.Conclusion: Pedicled TAAP flaps provide a short harvesting time, thin thickness and stable blood supply, and they do not require microsurgical skills. This flap is a good choice for the reconstruction of tracheal defects,especially in the aged or patients with comorbidities who are not able to tolerate prolonged surgery.
Long-term Experience with Triheptanoin in 12 Austrian Patients with Long-chain Fatty Acid Oxidation Disorders
Authors: Zöggeler Thomas , Stock Katharina , Jörg-Streller Monika , Spenger Johannes , Konstantopoulou Vassiliki , Hufgard-Leitner Miriam , Scholl-Bürgi Sabine , Karall Daniela
Published: November 2020

BackgroundLong-chain fatty acid oxidation disorders (LC-FAOD) are a group of rare inborn errors of metabolism with autosomal recessive inheritance that may cause life-threatening events. Treatment with triheptanoin, a synthetic seven-carbon fatty acid triglyceride compound with an anaplerotic effect, seems beneficial, but clinical experience is limited. We report our long-term experience in an Austrian cohort of LC-FAOD patients.MethodsWe retrospectively assessed clinical outcome and total hospitalization days per year before and after start with triheptanoin by reviewing medical records of 12 Austrian LC-FAOD patientsResultsFor 12 Austrian LC-FAOD patients at three metabolic centers, triheptanoin was started shortly after birth in 3/12, and between 7.34 and 353.3 (median 44.5; mean 81.1) months of age in 9/12 patients. For 11 pediatric patients, mean duration of triheptanoin intake was 5.3 (median 3.9, range 1.2 to 15.7) years, 10/11 pediatric patients have an ongoing intake of triheptanoin. One patient quit therapy due to reported side effects. Total hospitalization days per year compared to before triheptanoin treatment decreased by 82.3% from 27.1 (range 11-65) days per year to 4.8 (range 0-13) days per year, and hospitalization days in the one year pre- compared to the one year post-triheptanoin decreased by 69.8% from 27.1 (range 4-75) days to 8.2 (range 0-25) days. All patients are in good clinical condition, show normal psychomotor development and no impairment in daily life activities.ConclusionIn this retrospective observational study in an Austrian LC-FAOD cohort, triheptanoin data show improvement in disease course. Triheptanoin appears to be a safe and beneficial treatment option in LC-FAOD. For further clarification, additional prospective randomized controlled trials are needed.
Research of insomnia on traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment based on machine learning
Authors: Tang Yuqi , Li Zechen , Yang Dongdong , Fang Yu , Gao Shanshan , Liang Shan , Liu Tao
Published: November 2020

Background: Insomnia as one of the dominant diseases of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been extensively studied in recent years. To explore the novel approaches of research on TCM diagnosis and treatment, this paper presents a strategy for the research of insomnia based on machine learning. Methods: First of all, 654 insomnia cases have been collected from an experienced doctor of TCM as sample data. Secondly, in the light of the characteristics of TCM diagnosis and treatment, the contents of research samples have been divided into four parts: the basic information, the four diagnostic methods, the treatment based on syndrome differentiation and the main prescription. And then, these four parts have been analyzed by three analysis methods, including frequency analysis, association rules and hierarchical cluster analysis. Finally, a comprehensive study of the whole four parts has been conducted by random forest. Results: Researches of the above four parts revealed some essential connections. Simultaneously, based on the algorithm model established by the random forest, the accuracy of predicting the main prescription by the combinations of the four diagnostic methods and the treatment based on syndrome differentiation was 0.85. Furthermore, having been extracted features through applying the random forest, the syndrome differentiation of five zang-organs was proven to be the most significant parameter of the TCM diagnosis and treatment.Conclusions: The results indicate that the machine learning methods are worthy of being adopted to study the dominant diseases of TCM for exploring the crucial rules of the diagnosis and treatment.
Genetic Diversity of Landraces and Improved Varieties of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Taiwan
Authors: Hour Ai-ling , Hsieh Wei-hsun , Chang Su-huang , Wu Yong-pei , Chin Han-shiuan , Lin Yann-rong
Published: November 2020

Background: Rice, the most important crop in Asia, has been cultivated in Taiwan for more than 5,000 years. The landraces preserved by indigenous peoples and brought by immigrants from China hundreds of years ago exhibit large variation in morphology, implying that they comprise rich genetic resources. Breeding goals according to the preferences of farmers, consumers and government policies also alter gene pools and genetic diversity of improved varieties. To unveil how genetic diversity is affected by natural, farmers’, and breeders’ selections is crucial for germplasm conservation and crop improvement.Results: A diversity panel of 148 rice accessions, including 47 cultivars and 59 landraces from Taiwan and 42 accessions from other countries, were genotyped by using 75 molecular markers that revealed an average of 12.7 alleles per locus with mean polymorphism information content of 0.72. These accessions could be grouped into five subpopulations corresponding to wild rice, japonica landraces, indica landraces, indica cultivars and japonica cultivars. The genetic diversity within subpopulations was: wild rices > landraces > cultivars; and indica rice > japonica rice. Despite having less variation among cultivars, japonica landraces had greater genetic variation than indica landraces because the majority of Taiwanese japonica landraces preserved by indigenous peoples were classified as tropical japonica. Two major clusters of indica landraces were formed by phylogenetic analysis, in accordance with immigration from two origins. Genetic erosion had occurred in later japonica varieties due to a narrow selection of germplasm being incorporated into breeding programs for premium grain quality. Genetic differentiation between early and late cultivars was significant in japonica (FST = 0.3751) but not in indica (FST = 0.0045), indicating effects of different breeding goals on modern germplasm. Indigenous landraces with unique intermediate and admixed genetic backgrounds were untapped, representing valuable resources for rice breeding.Conclusions: The genetic diversity of improved rice varieties has been substantially shaped by breeding goals, leading to differentiation between indica and japonica cultivars. Taiwanese landraces with different origins possess various and unique genetic backgrounds. Taiwanese rice germplasm provides diverse genetic variation for association mapping to unveil useful genes and is a precious genetic reservoir for rice improvement.
Platelet proteome changes in dogs with congestive heart failure
Authors: LEVENT Pinar , KOCATÜRK Meriç , AKGÜN Emel , SARIL Ahmet , ÇEVİK Ozge , BAYKAL Ahmet Tarik , TANAKA Ryou , CERON Jose Joaquin , YILMAZ Zeki
Published: November 2020

Background: Platelets play a central role in the development of cardiovascular diseases and changes in their proteins are involved in the pathophysiology of heart diseases in humans. There is lack of knowledge about the possible role of platelets in congestive heart failure (CHF) in dogs. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the changes in global platelet proteomes in dogs with CHF, to clarify the possible role of platelets in the physiopathology of this disease. Healthy-dogs (n=10) and dogs with acute CHF due to myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD, n=10) were used. Acute CHF was defined based on the clinical (increased respiratory rate or difficulty breathing) and radiographic findings of pulmonary edema. Dogs Blood samples were collected into tubes with acid-citrate-dextrose, and platelet-pellets were obtained by centrifuge and washing steps. Platelet-proteomes were identified using LC-MS based label-free differential proteome expression analysis method and matched according to protein database for Canis lupus familiaris. Results: Totally 107 different proteins were identified in the platelets of the dogs being 4 out of them were significantly up-regulated and 6 down-regulated in acute CHF dogs. Guanine-nucleotide-binding protein, apolipoproteins (A-II and C-III) and clusterin levels increased, but CXC-motif-chemokine-10, cytochrome-C-oxidase-subunit-2, cathepsin-D, serine/threonine-protein-phosphatase-PP1-gamma-catalytic-subunit, creatine-kinase-B-type and myotrophin levels decreased in acute CHF dogs. These proteins are associated with several molecular functions, biological processes, signaling systems and immune-inflammatory responses.Conclusion: This study describes by first time the changes in the protein composition in platelets of dogs with acute CHF due to MMVD. Our findings provide a resource for increase the knowledge about the proteome of canine platelets and their roles in CHF caused by MMVD and could be a tool for further investigations about the prevention and treatment of this disease.