bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Peripheral CD4CD8 Double Positive T Cells: A Potential Marker to Evaluate Kidney Damage Susceptibility During SLE
Authors: Chang Kai , Wang Yanyan , Liu Chenxia , Na Wanlin , Xu Hongxuan , Jiang Zhongyong
Published: November 2020

Background: Lupus nephritis (LN) has a high incidence in Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, but there is a lack of sensitive predictive markers and mechanisms. The purpose of the study is to reveal the association between the CD4+CD8+ double positive T lymphocytes (DPT) and lupus nephritis (LN), and to investigate the immune mechanism of LN. Methods: The study is composed of 395 samples from the General Hospital of Western Theater Command. Collected patients include SLE, lupus nephritis (LN), nephritic syndrome (NS) and nephritis patients. Peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets were performed by the Flow cytometry method. Biochemical measurements were performed in accordance with the recommendations proposed by national center for clinical laboratories.Results: The proportions of DPT cells in LN group were significantly higher than in SLE group (t=4.012, p<0.001), NS group (t=3.240, p=0.001) and nephritis group (t=2.57, p=0.011). In LN group, the risk of kidney damage increased significantly in the DPT cell proportion dependent manner. In cases of high DPT cells proportion, the risk of LN was 5.136 times higher than when the proportion DPT cell was within the normal range. Moreover, hypertriglyceridemia and hyperuricemia were also independent risk factors.Conclusion: The proportion of DPT cells was a potential marker to evaluate LN susceptibility. When assessing the risk of kidney damage during SLE with DPT cell proportion, we can effectively exclude the interference of NS and nephritis.
How Does Dialect Ability Affect Migrant Children’s Mental Health in China?—Evidence From The China Education Panel Survey
Authors: Ding Bairen , Wang Yijie , Bai Yang , Zhao Xiaomin , Huang Shizhi
Published: November 2020

Background: Mental health is a prominent problem faced by migrant children in China and has a profound impact on their academic and social development. Different from previous studies that emphasize the positive and negative effects of the external system, this paper, considering internal aspects of the migrant children themselves, regards language as an important capital and skill and empirically examines the relationship between dialect ability acquired by migrant children in the area of immigration and their mental health. Methods: Data are from the China Education Panel Survey of 2015. One-way ANOVA and multiple linear regression are used to investigate the influence of dialect ability on migrant children's mental health. Mediating effect analysis is used to examine the role of school integration between dialect ability and migrant children’s mental health.Results: Dialect ability is an effective protective factor for migrant children’s mental health. The more proficient they are in local dialects, the higher their mental health level. School is the center of the interaction between migrant children and the place of immigration and the main space in which they use the local dialect. Mediating effect analysis shows that, in this field, migrant children with good dialect ability can achieve social integration by expanding their school communication, enhancing their school identity and winning peer acceptance to maintain and improve their mental health. Conclusions: This shows that migrant children’s mastery of local dialects is conducive to their psychological development, and school integration acts as an important bridge between local dialect and migrant children's mental health, which reveals the importance of advocating language diversity and cultural integration.
HiPSC-Derived NSCs Effectively Promote The Functional Recovery of Acute Spinal Cord Injury in Mice
Authors: Kong Desheng , Feng Baofeng , Amponsah Asiamah Ernest , He Jingjing , Guo Ruiyun , Liu Boxin , Du Xiaofeng , Liu Xin , Zhang Shuhan , Lv Fei , Ma Jun , Cui Huixian
Published: November 2020

Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a common disease that results in motor and sensory disorders and even lifelong paralysis. The transplantation of stem cells, such as embryonic stem cells (ESCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), or subsequently generated stem/progenitor cells, is predicted to be a promising treatment for SCI. In this study, we aimed to investigate effect of human iPSC-derived neural stem cells (hiPSC-NSCs) and umbilical cord-derived MSCs (huMSCs) in a mouse model of acute SCI. Methods: Acute SCI mice model were established and were randomly treated as PBS (control group), repaired with 1×105 hiPSC-NSCs (NSC group), and 1×105 huMSCs (MSC group), respectively, in a total of 54 mice (n = 18 each). Hind limb motor function was evaluated in open-field tests using the Basso Mouse Scale (BMS) at days post-operation (dpo) 1, 3, 5 and 7 after spinal cord injury, and weekly thereafter. Spinal cord and serum samples were harvested at dpo 7, 14 and 21. HE staining and Masson staining were used to evaluate the morphological changes and fibrosis area. The differentiation of the transplanted cells in vivo was evaluated with immunohistochemical staining. Results: The hiPSC-NSC-treated group presented a significantly smaller GFAP+ area than MSC-treated mice at all time points. Additionally, MSC-transplanted mice had a similar GFAP+ area to mice receiving PBS. At dpo14, the immunostained hiPSC-NSCs were positive for SOX2. Furthermore, the transplanted hiPSC-NSCs differentiated into glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive astrocytes and beta-III tubulin-positive neurons, whereas the transplanted huMSCs differentiated into GFAP-positive astrocytes. In addition, hiPSC-NSC transplantation reduced fibrosis formation and the inflammation level. Compared with the control or huMSC transplanted group, the group with transplantation of hiPSC-NSCs exhibited significantly improved behaviours, particularly limb coordination. Conclusions: HiPSC-NSCs promote functional recovery in mice with acute SCI by replacing missing neurons and attenuating fibrosis, glial scar formation, and inflammation.
WITHDRAWN: MiR-34a Protects Mesenchymal Stem Cells From Hyperglycaemic Injury Through The Activation of The Sirt1/FoxO3a Autophagy Pathway
Authors: Zhang Fengyun , Gao Fei , Wang Kun , Liu Xiaohong , Zhang Zhuoqi
Published: November 2020

BackgroundAutologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are favourable treatments for ischaemic diseases; however, MSCs from diabetic patients are not useful for this purpose. Recent studies have shown that the expression of miR-34a is significantly increased in patients with hyperglycaemia, the precise role of miR-34a in MSCs in diabetes need to be clarified.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to determine the precise role of miR-34a in MSCs exposed to hyperglycaemia and in healing the heart after myocardial infarction in diabetes mellitus (DM) rats.MethodsDM rats were established by STZ injection. MSCs were isolated from the bone marrow of donor rats. Chronic culture of MSCs under high glucose was used to mimic the DM microenvironment. The role of miR-34a in regulating cell viability, senescence and paracrine effects were investigated using a cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining, and VEGF and bFGF ELISA, respectively. The expression of autophagy- and senescence-associated proteins in MSCs and silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) and forkhead box class O 3a (FOXO3a) were analysed by western blotting. Autophagic bodies were analysed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The MI model was established by left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) ligation, and then the mice were transplanted with differentially treated MSCs intramuscularly at sites around the border zone of the infarcted heart. Thereafter, cardiac function in mice in each group was detected via cardiac ultrasonography at 1 week and 3 weeks after surgery. The infarct size was determined through a 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining assay, while myocardial fibrosis was assessed by Masson staining.ResultsThe results of the current study showed that miR-34a was significantly upregulated under chronic hyperglycaemia exposure. Overexpression of miR-34a was significantly associated with impaired cell viability, exacerbated senescence and disrupted cell paracrine capacity. Moreover, we found that the mechanism underlying miR-34a-mediated deterioration of MSCs exposed to high glucose involves the activation of the Sirt1/Foxo3a autophagy pathway. Further analysis showed that miR-34a inhibitor-treated MSC transplantation could improve cardiac function and decrease the scar area in DM rats.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates for the first time that miR-34a mediates the deterioration of MSC functions under hyperglycaemia. The underlying mechanism may involve the Sirt1/Foxo3a autophagy signalling pathway. Thus, inhibition of miR-34a might have important therapeutic implications in MSC-based therapies for myocardial infarction in DM patients.
COVID-19 ocular findings in paediatric population
Authors: Alcalde Celia Fernandez , Fernandez Maria Granados , Moreno María Nieves , Martin Susana Noval
Published: November 2020

Purpose To investigate and describe ocular findings in COVID-19 paediatric patients. Methods A total of 17 COVID-19 patients aged between 0 and 17 years old were recruited at the Paediatric Hospital of La Paz University Hospital (Madrid, Spain). A complete ophthalmological examination was performed in all patients. Results Of 17 patients, 50% had a known COVID-19 previous exposure. PCR from nasopharyngeal swabs was positive in 35.29%, whereas IgM and/or IgG serology tests were positive in 81%. Clinical manifestations were: 6 COVID-19associated Paediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome (PIMS), 7 pneumonias and 2 cutaneous purpura and/or chilblains. Ocular findings were ocular hyperaemia (5 patients), as bilateral acute conjunctivitis (3 patients) or unilateral episcleritis (2 patients). Mean best corrected visual acuity was 1/1 in all tested cases. Only one patient, presenting unilateral optic neuritis, had visual symptoms as unilateral inferior temporal quadrantanopsy. Retinal involvement was found in one patient, where ocular fundus exam showed unilateral retinal vasculitis. Conclusion SARS-CoV-2 infection could produce ocular pathology in children, frequently presented weeks after the acute phase of the disease. We should take into account COVID-19 when performing differential diagnosis of children presenting with conjunctivitis, episcleritis, retinal vasculitis and/or optic neuritis, meanwhile this world-wide pandemic lasts.
Pod Pepper Vein Yellows Virus, a New Recombinant Polerovirus Infecting Pod Pepper in Yunnan Province, China
Authors: Zhao Kuangjie , Yin Yueyan , Hua Mengying , Wang Shaoxiang , Mo Xiaohan , Yuan Enping , Zheng Hongying , Lin Lin , Chen Hairu , Lu Yuwen , Chen Jianping , Peng Jiejun , Yan Fei
Published: November 2020

Pepper vein yellows viruses (PeVYV) are phloem-restricted viruses in the genus Polerovirus, family Luteoviridae. Typical viral symptoms of PeVYV including interveinal yellowing of leaves and upward leaf curling were observed in pod pepper plants (Capsicum frutescens) growing in Wenshan city, Yunnan province, China. The complete genome sequence of a virus from a sample of these plants was determined by next-generation sequencing and RT-PCR. Pod pepper vein yellows virus (PoPeVYV) (MT188667) has a genome of 6015 nucleotides, and the characteristic genome organization of a member of the genus Polerovirus. In the 5’ half of its genome (encoding P0 to P4), PoPeVYV is most similar (94% nt identity) to PeVYV-3 (Pepper vein yellows virus 3) (KP326573) but diverges greatly in the 3’-part encoding P5, where it is most similar (88.8% nt identity) to tobacco vein distorting virus (TVDV, EF529624) suggesting a recombinant origin. Recombination analysis predicted a single recombination event at nucleotide positions 4126 to 5192 nt, with TVDV and PeVYV-3 as the minor and major parents, respectively. A full-length clone of PoPeVYV was constructed and shown to be infectious in C. frutescens by RT-PCR and the presence of icosahedral viral particles.
Variations in Structural MRI Quality Significantly Impact Commonly-Used Measures of Brain Anatomy
Authors: Gilmore Alysha , Buser Nicholas , Hanson Jamie
Published: November 2020

Subject motion can introduce noise into neuroimaging data and result in biased estimations of brain structure. In-scanner motion can compromise data quality in a number of ways and varies widely across developmental and clinical populations. However, quantification of structural image quality is often limited to proxy and indirect measures gathered from functional scans; this may be missing true differences related to these potential artifacts. In this study, we take advantage of novel informatic tools, the CAT12 toolbox, to directly measure image quality from T1-weighted images to understand if these measures of image quality: 1) relate to rigorous quality-control checks visually completed by human raters; 2) are associated with sociodemographic variables of interest; 3) influence regional estimates of cortical thickness and subcortical volumes from the commonly-used Freesurfer tool suite. We leverage public-access data that includes a community-based sample of children and adolescents, spanning a large age-range ( n=388; ages 5-21 ). Interestingly, even after visually inspecting our data, we find image quality significantly impacts derived cortical thickness and subcortical volumes from multiple regions across the brain (~44% of the regions investigated). We believe these results our important for research groups completing structural MRI studies using Freesurfer or other morphometric tools. As such, future studies should consider using direct measures of image quality to minimize the influence of this potential confound in group comparisons or studies focused on individual differences.
Measurement of gene amplifications related to drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum using droplet digital PCR
Authors: Srisut Suttipat , Suwannasin Kanokon , Sugaram Rungirun , Dondorp Arjen M. , Imwong Mallika
Published: November 2020

Background: Copy number variations (CNVs) of the Plasmodium falciparum multidrug resistance 1 (pfmdr1), P. falciparum pfplasmepsin2 (pfplasmepsin2) and P. falciparum GTP cyclohydrolase 1 (pfgch1) genes are associated with antimalarial drug resistance in P. falciparum malaria. Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assays have been developed for accurate assessment of CNVs in several human genes. The aim of the present study was to develop and validate ddPCR assays for detection of the CNVs of P. falciparum genes associated with resistance to antimalarial drugs.Methods: The ddPCR assays were developed to detect the CNVs in the pfmdr1, pfplasmepsin2 and pfgch1 genes. The gene copy number (GCN) quantification limit, as well as the accuracy and precision of the ddPCR assays were determined and compared to conventional quantitative PCR (qPCR). In addition, the CNVs of genes of field samples collected from Thailand from 2015 to 2019 (n = 84) were assessed by ddPCR and results were compared to qPCR as the reference assay.Results: Based on the obtained gene copy number quantification limit, the accuracy and percent relative standard deviation (%RSD) value of the multiplex ddPCR assay were 95% and 5%, respectively, for detection of the CNV of the pfmdr1 gene, and 91% and 5% for detection of the CNV of the pfplasmepsin2 gene. The accuracy and %RSD value of the duplex ddPCR assay were 94.88% and 3.71, respectively, regarding pfgch1 GCN. In the P. falciparum field samples, pfmdr1 and pfplasmepsin2 GCNs were amplified in 15% and 27% of samples from Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand, while pfgch1 GCN was amplified in 50% of samples from Yala, Thailand. There was 100% agreement between the GCN results obtained from the ddPCR and qPCR assays (κ = 1.00). Conclusions: The developed ddPCR assays are simple, accurate, precise and cost-effective tools for detection of the CNVs in the pfmdr1, pfplasmepsin2 and pfgch1 genes of P. falciparum. The ddPCR assay is a useful additional tool for the surveillance of antimalarial drug resistance.
LINC00460 / DHX9/IGF2BP2 complex promotes colorectal cancer proliferation and metastasis by mediating HMGA1 mRNA stability depending on m6A modification
Authors: Hou Pingfu , Meng Sen , Li Minle , Lin Tian , Chu Sufang , Li Zhongwei , Zheng Junnian , Gu Yuming , Bai Jin
Published: November 2020

Background: Increasing studies have shown that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are pivotal regulators participating in carcinogenic progression and tumor metastasis in colorectal cancer (CRC). Although lncRNA long intergenic noncoding RNA 460 (LINC00460) has been reported in CRC, the role and molecular mechanism of LINC00460 in CRC progression still requires exploration.Methods: The expression levels of LINC00460 were analyzed by using a tissue microarray containing 498 CRC tissues and their corresponding non-tumor adjacent tissues. The correlations between the LINC00460 expression level and clinicopathological features were evaluated. The functional characterization of the role and molecular mechanism of LINC00460 in CRC was investigated through a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments.Results: LINC00460 expression was increased in human CRC, and high LINC00460 expression was correlated with poor five-year overall survival and disease-free survival. LINC00460 overexpression sufficiently induced the epithelial–mesenchymal transition and promoted tumor cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. In addition, LINC00460 enhanced the protein expression of high-mobility group AT-hook 1 (HMGA1) by directly interacting with IGF2BP2 and DHX9 to bind the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of HMGA1 mRNA and increased the stability of HMGA1 mRNA. In addition, the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification of HMGA1 mRNA by METTL3 enhanced HMGA1 expression in CRC. Finally, it suggested that HMGA1 was essential for LINCC046-induced cell proliferation, migration, and invasion.Conclusions: LINC00460 may be a novel oncogene of CRC through interacting with IGF2BP2 and DHX9 and bind to the m6A modified HMGA1 mRNA to enhance the HMGA1 mRNA stability. LINC00460 can serve as a promising predictive biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis among patients with CRC.
Spatio-Temporal Variability and Trend of Rainfall and Its Association with Pacific Ocean Sea Surface Temperature in West Harerge Zone, Eastern Ethiopia
Authors: Tiruneh Getachew Bayable , Amare Gedamu , Alemu Getnet , Gashaw Temesgen
Published: November 2020

Background: Rainfall variability is a common characteristic in Ethiopia and it exceedingly affects agriculture particularly in the eastern parts of the country where rainfall is relatively scarce. Hence, understanding the spatio-temporal variability of rainfall is indispensable for planning mitigation measures during high and low rainfall seasons. This study examined the spatio-temporal variability and trends of rainfall in the West Harerge Zone, eastern Ethiopia.Method: The coefficient of variation (CV) and standardized anomaly index (SAI) was employed to analyze rainfall variability while Mann-Kendall (MK) trend test and Sen’s slop estimator were employed to examine the trend and magnitude of the rainfall changes, respectively. The association between rainfall and Pacific Ocean Sea Surface Temperature (SST) was also evaluated by the Pearson correlation coefficient (r).Results: The annual rainfall CV ranges from 12-19.36% while the seasonal rainfall CV extends from 15-28.49%, 24-35.58%, and 38-75.9% for average Kiremt (June-September), Belg (February-May), and Bega (October-January) seasons, respectively (1983-2019). On the monthly basis, the trends of rainfall decreased in all months except in July, October, and November. However, the trends of rainfall were not statistically significant (α = 0.05), unlike November. The annual rainfall trends showed a non-significant decreasing trend. On a seasonal basis, the trend of mean Kiremt and Belg seasons rainfall was decreased. But, it increased in Bega season although it was not statistically significant. Moreover, the correlation between rainfall and Pacific Ocean SST was negative for Kiremt while positive for Belg and Bega seasons. Besides, the correlation between rainfall and Pacific Ocean SST was negative at annual time scales.Conclusions: High spatial and temporal rainfall variability on monthly, seasonal, and annual time scales was observed in the study area. Seasonal rainfall has high inter-annual variability in the dry season (Bega) than other seasons. The trends in rainfall were decreased in most of the months. Besides, the trend of rainfall was increased annually and in the Bega season rather than other seasons. Generally, the occurrence of droughts in the study area was associated with ENSO events like most other parts of Ethiopia and East Africa.
Emotional impact of health personnel, medical students, and general population samples during COVID-19 pandemic in Lima, Peru: A cross-sectional study.
Authors: Pedraz-Petrozzi Bruno , Krüger-Malpartida Hever , Arevalo-Flores Martin , Salmavides-Cuba Frine , Anculle-Arauco Victor , Dancuart-Mendoza Mauricio
Published: November 2020

Background: Negative emotional effects were reported in different groups since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, few studies compare those groups regarding the emotional effects of the COVID-19. To this end, this study's main objective is to compare the emotional effects of the COVID-19 between three different groups, namely health personnel, medical students, and the general population sample.Methods: We recruited 375 participants for this study, of which 125 were medical students (preclinical studies = 59, clinical studies = 66), 125 were health personnel (COVID-19 first-line personnel = 59, personnel not related with COVID-19 = 66), and 125 belonged to the general population. PHQ-9 (depression), GAD-7 (anxiety), and CPDI (COVID-19 related stress) were assessed to measure the emotional impact. A multinomial logistic regression was carried out to measure differences between groups, considering possible confounding factors. Results: Regarding CPDI values, all other groups showed reduced CPDI values compared to COVID-19 first-line personnel. However, the general population, preclinical medical students, and clinical medical students showed increased PHQ-9 values compared to COVID-19 first-line personnel. Finally, confounder factors, gender and age, correlated negatively with higher CPDI and PHQ-9 scores. Conclusions: Being COVID-19 first-line personnel is associated with more stress related to COVID-19. Depression is associated, however, with other groups not directly involved with the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Female and younger age participants correlated with depression and stress related to COVID-19.
Stunted Toddler in Eastern Indonesia
Authors: Laksono Agung Dwi , Wulandari Ratna Dwi
Published: November 2020

Background: Eastern is one of the regions that have a higher prevalence rate of stunted children than other regions in Indonesia. The study aims to analyze the risk factors for stunted toddlers in Eastern Indonesia.Methods: The study employed secondary data from the 2017 Indonesia Nutritional Status Monitoring. With the multi-stage cluster random sampling method, 24,103 toddlers in eastern Indonesia were sampled. Data were analyzed using a multinomial logistic regression test.Results: The results of the study found that toddlers living in urban areas had a 0.798 times chance compared to toddlers living in rural areas to experience severe stunted (OR 0.798; 95% CI 0.719-0.885). A toddler with a married mother is 0.706 times more likely than a toddler with a divorced/widowed mother to experience severe stunted (OR 0.706; 95% CI 0.547-0.911). The results of this multivariate analysis indicate that the better the level of education of a mother, the less likely it is to have stunted and severely stunted toddlers. Meanwhile, the analysis also found that toddler's age is a determinant of stunted and severe stunted toddlers.Conclusion: It concluded that 4 factors were found as risk factors for stunted toddlers in Eastern Indonesia. The four factors are living in rural areas, having a divorced/widowed mother, poor education, and a toddler's age.
Geographic information system methods tell spatiotemporal transmission and its drivers of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China at street-level
Authors: Liu Wei , Wang Wongming , Hua Shuiqiong , Xie Cong , Wang Bin , Qiu Weihong , Xu Tao , Ye Zi , Yu Linling , Yang Meng , Xiao Yang , Feng Xiaobing , Shi Tingming , Li Mingyan , Chen Weihong
Published: November 2020

Background: No study has revealed spatial transmission characteristics of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. We aimed to analyze the spatiotemporal spread of COVID-19 in Wuhan and its influence factors.Methods: Information of 32,682 COVID-19 cases reported through March 18 were extracted from the national infectious disease surveillance system. Geographic information system methods were applied to analysis transmission of COVID-19 and its influence factors in different periods.Results: We found decrease in effective reproduction number (Rt) and COVID-19 related indicators through taking a series of effective public health measures including restricting traffic, centralized quarantine and strict stay-at home policy. The distribution of COVID-19 cases number in Wuhan showed an obvious global aggregation and a local aggregation in central urban areas, but such aggregations was decreased in the later period of the epidemic. In addition, the analysis at streets-level suggested population density and the number of hospitals were influence factors of spatial difference.Conclusions: The epidemic situation showed obvious global and local spatial aggregations. High population density and directional flow of the Population to hospitals may account for the aggregations. Strong quarantine measures and restrictions on movement of residents in Wuhan make the epidemic under control in a short time.
Time and the etiology of Acute Kidney Injury define prognosis in the course of COVID-19
Authors: Murt Ahmet , Dincer Mevlut Tamer , Karaca Cebrail , Trabulus Sinan , Karaali Ridvan , Balkan Ilker Inanc , Seyahi Nurhan , Altiparmak Mehmet Riza
Published: November 2020

Introduction Kidneys are among the affected organs in COVID-19 and there may be different etiologies resulting in acute kidney injury (AKI) in different stages of the disease. This study aimed to analyze AKI among hospitalized COVID-19 patients in relation to the time and etiologies of AKI.Materials & Methods 1056 patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19 diagnosis in our institution were retrospectively evaluated and 383 of them met the inclusion criteria. Eighty-nine patients who developed AKI were involved in the final analysis. As immunologic response is generally accepted to start with the second week of COVID-19 course, patients were classified into three groups, those who had AKI on admission, those who developed AKI in the first week and those who developed AKI starting from 7th day. Initial lymphocyte counts, creatinine levels and inflammatory markers as well as changes in these parameters were compared between the groups.Results AKI was seen in 23% of the patients and 23% of those who developed AKI died. Patients who developed AKI later had higher peak CRP and D-dimer levels with lower nadir lymphocyte counts (p=0,000, 0,004 and 0,003 respectively). Additionally, patients who died had higher initial inflammatory marker levels and lower lymphocyte counts than those who survived. Mortality of patients who had AKI on hospital admission (13%) was similar to the overall COVID-19 mortality for inpatients, however it was as high as 44% for those who developed AKI after 7th day.Conclusion Early AKI was more related to pre-renal causes and had a milder course. However, later AKIs were more related to immunologic response and had significantly higher mortality. Findings of this study suggest that AKI in COVID-19 is not of one kind. When developed, AKI should be evaluated in conjunction with the disease stage and possible etiologies.
Mathematical Understanding of Sequence Alignment and Phylogenetic Algorithms: A Comprehensive Review of Methods
Authors: Saif Rashid , Nadeem Sadia , Iftekhar Ali , Khaliq Alishba , Zia Saeeda
Published: November 2020

Context: Pairwise sequence alignment is one of the ways to arrange two biological sequences to identify regions of resemblance that may suggest the functional, structural, and/or evolutionary relationship (proteins or nucleic acids) between the sequences. There are two strategies in pairwise sequence alignment: Local sequence Alignment (Smith-waterman algorithm) and Global sequence Alignment (Needleman-Wunsch algorithm). In local sequence alignment, two sequences that may or may not be related are aligned to find regions of local similarities in large sequences whereas in global sequence alignment, two sequences same in length are aligned to identify conserved regions. Similarities and divergence between biological sequences identified by sequence alignment also have to be rationalized and visualized in the sense of phylogenetic trees. The phylogenetic tree construction methods are divided into distance-based and character-based methods. Evidence Acquisition: In this article, different algorithms of sequence alignment and phylogenetic tree construction were studied with examples and compared to establish the best among them to look into background of these methods for the better understanding of computational phylogenetics.Conclusions: Pairwise sequence alignment is a very important part of bioinformatics to compare biological sequences to find similarities among them. The alignment data is visualized through phylogenetic tree diagram that shows evolutionary history among organisms. Phylogenetic tree is constructed through various methods some are easier but does not provide accurate evolutionary data whereas others provide accurate evolutionary distance among organism but are computationally exhaustive.
Impact of SARS-CoV-2 on reperfusion therapies for acute ischemic stroke in Lombardy, Italy. The STROKOVID network
Authors: Pezzini Alessandro , Grassi Mario , Silvestrelli Giorgio , Locatelli Martina , Rifino Nicola , Beretta Simone , Gamba Massimo , Raimondi Elisa , Giussani Giuditta , Carimati Federico , Sangalli Davide , Corato Manuel , Gerevini Simonetta , Masciocchi Stefano , Cortinovis Matteo , Gioia Sara La , Barbieri Francesca , Mazzoleni Valentina , Pezzini Debora , Bonacina Sonia , Pilotto Andrea , Benussi Alberto , Magoni Mauro , Premi Enrico , Prelle Alessandro Cesare , Agostoni Elio Clemente , Palluzzi Fernando , De Giuli Valeria , Magherini Anna , Roccatagliata Daria Valeria , Vinciguerra Luisa , Puglisi Valentina , Fusi Laura , Xhani Rubjona , Pozzi Federico , Diamanti Susanna , Santangelo Francesco , Grampa Giampiero , Versino Maurizio , Salmaggi Andrea , Marcheselli Simona , Cavallini Anna , Giossi Alessia , Censori Bruno , Ferrarese Carlo , Ciccone Alfonso , Sessa Maria , Padovani Alessandro
Published: November 2020

Whether and how SARS-CoV-2 outbreak affected in-hospital acute stroke care system is still matter of debate. In the setting of the STROKOVID network, a collaborative project between the 10 centers designed as hubs for the treatment of acute stroke during SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Lombardy, Italy, we retrospectively compared clinical features and process measures of patients with confirmed infection (COVID-19) and non-infected patients (non-COVID-19) who underwent reperfusion therapies for acute ischemic stroke. Between March 8 and April 30, 2020, 296 consecutive patients (median age, 74 [interquartile range (IQR), 62–80.75] years; males, 154 [52.0%]; 34 [11.5%] COVID-19) qualified for the analysis. Time from symptoms onset to treatment was longer in the COVID-19 group (230 [IQR, 200.5–270] minutes vs 190 [IQR, 150–245] minutes; p=0.007), especially in the first half of the study period. Patients with COVID-19 who underwent endovascular thrombectomy had more frequently absent collaterals or collaterals filling ≤50% of the occluded territory (50.0% vs 16.6%; OR, 5.05; 95% CI, 1.82–13.80) and a lower rate of good/complete recanalization of the primary arterial occlusive lesion (55.6% vs 81.0%; OR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.10–0.80). Post-procedural intracranial hemorrhages were more frequent (35.3% vs 19.5%; OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.04-4.83) and outcome was worse among COVID-19 patients (in-hospital death, 38.2% vs 8.8%; OR, 6.43; 95% CI, 2.85-14.50). Our findings showed longer delays in the intra-hospital management of acute ischemic stroke in COVID-19 patients, especially in the early phase of the outbreak, that likely impacted patients outcome and should be the target of future interventions.
A systematic review of injectable corticosteroid for osteoarthritis of the first metatarsophalangeal joint 
Authors: Reilly Ian , Bromley Gillian , Flanagan George
Published: November 2020

Intra articular steroid injection is a common treatment modality for relief of pain and inflammation associated with degenerative joint disease. Use of injectable steroid preparations is widely accepted as safe and effective for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the 1st metatarsophalangeal joint. Despite the frequency of use, literature specific to pathology of the 1st metatarsophalangeal joint is sparse. The aim of this systematic review was to determine if good quality research exists to enable clinicians to adopt an evidenced based approach to corticosteroid injection of the 1st metatarsophalangeal joint. Despite the frequency of use, this review found no high quality studies that support the use of intra articular corticosteroid injection of the 1st metatarsophalangeal joint in osteoarthritis.
Consumption of melatonin supplement improves cardiovascular disease risk factors and anthropometric indices in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Bazyar Hadi , Javid Ahmad Zare , Behbahani Hossein Bavi , Moradi Fardin , Poode Bahman Moradi , amiri parichehr
Published: November 2020

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a common chronic disease. Dyslipidemia and hypertension are two complications that may develop in diabetic patients if hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and weight gain are not controlled. This study investigated the effects of melatonin supplementation on some cardiovascular disease risk factors and anthropometric indices in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Materials and Methods: In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 50 T2DM patients were randomly allocated to intervention and control groups which received two tablets of either melatonin or placebo (250 mg) once a day for eight weeks. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), pulse pressure (PP), the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), weight, body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumference (WC, HC), body shape index (ABSI), abdominal volume index (AVI), body adiposity index (BAI), lipid accumulation product (LAP), conicity index, and waist-to-height ratio (WHR) were evaluated in all the patients pre- and post-intervention.Results: Melatonin supplementation for eight weeks significantly decreased the mean levels of MAP, PP, weight, BMI, WC, HC, BAI, AVI, conicity index, and WHR post-intervention (p<0.05). Also, the median changes of MAP, PP, weight, BMI, WC, HC BAI, AVI, and conicity index were significantly lower in the intervention group compared with the control group (p<0.05). A significant increase (p<0.001) was observed in the mean levels of ABSI in the intervention group. The median changes of ABSI were significantly greater in the intervention group compared with the control group (p<0.001).Conclusions: Consumption of melatonin supplement may be effective in controlling arterial pressure and anthropometric indices (as predictors of obesity) in T2DM patients.Trial registration: This trial was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials website at 2019/5/17. (IRCT20190303042905N1).
Early childhood infections, antistreptococcal and basal ganglia antibodies in adult ADHD: A preliminary study
Authors: Oliva Francesco , Girolamo Giulia di , Malandrone Francesca , Iaia Noemi , Biasi Fiorella , Maina Giuseppe
Published: November 2020

Background: To explore the relationship between adult Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), antistreptococcal titers, ABGA, and recurrent infections during early childhood.Method: Childhood history of recurrent infections and a blood sample were collected in a sample of DSM-IV adult outpatients with ADHD. The anti-streptolysin O (ASO), anti-deoxyribonuclease B (anti-DNase B), and anti-basal ganglia antibodies (ABGA) titers were determined in patient plasma by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Titers positivity was evaluated following manufacturer's specifications. Absolute titers were also collected as continuous variables.Results: Fourteen out of 22 (63.6%) have had recurrent infections in childhood (i.e., seven, 31.8%, have had tonsillitis or adenoiditis and seven, 31.8%, have had any other infections). Eighteen patients (81.9%) were positive for anti-DNase B, five (22.7%) for ASO, and 4 (18.2%) were positive for both of them. Five participants (22.7%) were ABGA positive, whereas only two (9.1%) were positive for all three antibodies.Conclusions: patients with ADHD might be more prone to infections during childhood and subclinical streptococcal infections during adulthood. Moreover, they seem to have an increased risk for basal ganglia autoimmunity in adulthood. Both infections and the ensuing acquired autoimmunity could influence the neurodevelopmental process, by contributing, at least in part, to the ADHD pathogenesis.
Long-term Outcomes and quality of life following parotidectomy for benign disease: A cohort study
Authors: Plath Michaela , Sand Matthias , Plinkert Peter K. , Baumann Ingo , Zaoui Karim
Published: November 2020

Background: Parotidectomy may be burdened by numerous complications that may worsen subjects' quality of life (QoL). So far, the literature still lacks of long-term data (>10 years) answering to the question what impacted the patients the most on QOL after parotidectomy compared to well-published short-term data.Methods: A prospective long-term follow-up study was carried out. Participants were divided into three groups concerning the follow-up: short-term (ST; 6 postoperative weeks), long-term (LT; 13 years postoperative) and short- and long-term (SLT) on same patient collective. QOL was assessed by the Parotidectomy Outcome Inventory (POI-8). Demographic and clinical data were collected from all patients. Operative reports were used to classify all parotidectomies as great auricular nerve (GAN) “preserving” or GAN “sacrificing” surgical preparations.Results: 74 LT, 57 ST and 33 SLT patients were enrolled in this study. Hypoesthesia posed the major short- and long-term problem whereas facial palsy posed the minor problem. Pain (p < 0.01) and hypoesthesia (p < 0.001) significantly improved from six weeks to 13 years after parotidectomy as well as the overall POI-8 score (p = 0.04). The disease-specific impairment rate decreased from short (» 70%) to long-term (» 30%) follow-up. Sacrifice of the auricular nerve was associated with hypoesthesia in the ST-cohort (p = 0.028).Conclusion: To our knowledge, this study represents the longest follow-up of patients undergoing parotidectomy. Hypoesthesia significantly improved but still remains on long-follow-up without impacting QOL. As part of the preoperative informed consent, prolonged or permanent hypoesthesia should be explicitly emphasized.Trial registration: This study was prospectively approved and registered by the local Ethics Committee (Project Trial No: S-300/2007 and S-443/2018).
Glucose-lactose mixture feeds in industry-like conditions: a gene regulatory network analysis on the hyperproducing Trichoderma reesei strain Rut-C30
Authors: Pirayre Aurélie , Duval Laurent , Blugeon Corinne , Firmo Cyril , Perrin Sandrine , Jourdier Etienne , Margeot Antoine , Bidard Frédérique
Published: November 2020

Background: The degradation of cellulose and hemicellulose molecules into simpler sugars such as glucose is part of the second generation biofuel production process. Hydrolysis of lignocellulosic substrates is usually performed by enzymes produced and secreted by the fungus Trichoderma reesei. Studies identifying transcription factors involved in the regulation of cellulase production have been conducted but no overview of the whole regulation network is available. A transcriptomic approach with mixtures of glucose and lactose, used as a substrate for cellulase induction, was used to help us decipher missing parts in the network of T. reesei Rut-C30. Results: Experimental results on the Rut-C30 hyperproducing strain confirmed the impact of sugar mixtures on the enzymatic cocktail composition. The transcriptomic study shows a temporal regulation of the main transcription factors and a lactose concentration impact on the transcriptional profile. A gene regulatory network built using BRANE Cut software reveals three sub-networks related to i) a positive correlation between lactose concentration and cellulase production, ii) a particular dependence of the lactose onto the β-glucosidase regulation and iii) a negative regulation of the development process and growth. Conclusions: This work is the first investigating a transcriptomic study regarding the effects of pure and mixed carbon sources in a fed-batch mode. Our study expose a co-orchestration of xyr1, clr2 and ace3 for cellulase and hemicellulase induction and production, a fine regulation of the β-glucosidase and a decrease of growth in favor of cellulase production. These conclusions provide us with potential targets for further genetic engineering leading to better cellulase-producing strains in industry-like conditions.
Exploring the Effect of Problem Based Facilitatory Teaching Approach on Motivation to Learn: A Quasi-Experimental Study of Nursing Students in Tanzania
Authors: Millanzi Walter Cleophace , Kibusi Stephen M.
Published: November 2020

Background: Currently, there has been a progressive shortage of not only the number of frontline healthcare providers but also a decline in the quality of nursing care. Reports about unethical and illegal practices, under standard care and malpractices, are not uncommon around the globe. There is a growing concern to rethink the approaches on how nurses are prepared, explore, and test novel approaches for delivering the nursing curricula. This study tested the effect ofthe Problem Based Facilitatory Teaching Approach on motivation to learn among nursing students in Tanzania, higher learning institutions.Methods: A pre-post test controlled quasi-experimental study of purposively selected 401 participants was conducted between February and June 2018. The Auditing Inventory developed by the researcher measured the intervention and Questionnaire titled “Motivation to Learn Strategies in Nursing”, was adopted to measure the motivation to learn, respectively. Statistical Product for Service Solutions software program version 23 was used to perform analysis. A descriptive analysis was performed to analyze sociodemographic. Regression analysis was performed to determine the association between variables. This study was not a clinical randomized controlled trial and thus it has not been identified in the title and no summary of trial design, methods, results, and conclusion.Results: Findings revealed that 65.8% of the study participants were males. The post-test findings revealed that 70.3% of the study participants demonstrated motivation to learn contrary to 34.9% at baseline. Participants in an intervention group were 1.720 (AOR) times more likely to develop motivation to learn than the control group (p<0.05; 95%CI: 1.122, 2.635). In contrast, the intervention was less times likely to enhance Extrinsic motivation to learn (AOR = 0.676, p>0.05, 95%CI: 0.405, 1.129) and Amotivation (AOR = 0.538, p>0.05; 95%CI: 0.283, 1.022) in learning among nursing students respectively.Conclusion: Problem-based facilitatory pedagogy had positive effect on motivation to learn including intrinsic motivation than conventional teaching pedagogy. Thus, the approach has educational potentials to positively change the spectrum of nursing competency and quality of care. Thus, the move to adopt a problem-based facilitatory teaching pedagogy among nursing training institutions in Tanzania is worth considering and needs to be continued.
An enhanced photosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolic capability contributes to heterosis of the cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) hybrid ‘Huaza Mian H318’, as revealed by genome-wide gene expression analysis
Authors: Ding Yuanhao , Zhang Rui , Zhu Longfu , Wang Maojun , Ma Yizan , Yuan Daojun , Liu Nian , Hu Haiyan , Min Ling , Zhang Xianlong
Published: November 2020

Background: Heterosis has been exploited for decades in different crops due to resulting in dramatic increases in yield, but relatively little molecular evidence on this topic reported in cotton. Results: The elite cotton hybrid variety ‘Huaza Mian H318’ ( H318) and its parental lines were used to explore the source of its yield heterosis. A four-year investigation of yield-related traits showed that the boll number of H318 showed higher stability than that of its two parents, in both suitable and unsuitable climate years. In addition, the hybrid H318 grew faster and showed higher fresh and dry weights than its parental lines at the seedling stage. Transcriptome analysis of seedlings identified 17,308 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between H318 and its parental lines, and 3,490 extremely changed DEGs were screened out for later analysis. Most DEGs (3,472/3,490) were gathered between H318 and its paternal line (4-5), and only 64 DEGs were found between H318 and its maternal line (B0011), which implied that H318 displays more similar transcriptional patterns to its maternal parent at the seedling stage. GO and KEGG analyses showed that these DEGs were highly enriched in photosynthesis, lipid metabolic, carbohydrate metabolic and oxidation-reduction processes, and the expression level of these DEGs was significantly higher in H318 relative to its parental lines, which implies that photosynthesis, metabolism and stress resistances were enhanced in H318. Conclusion: The enhanced photosynthesis, lipid and carbohydrate metabolic capabilities contribute to the heterosis of H318 at the seedling stage , and establishes a material foundation for subsequent higher boll-setting rates in complex field environments.