bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early Adopters: Private School Leaders Respond to the Introduction of Targeted School Vouchers
Authors: Egalite Anna J. , Fusarelli Lance , Seaton Lacey , Stallings D. T.
Published: March 2020

The North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship Program awarded private school vouchers to over 7,000 low-income students in 2017-18, yet only 61% of the state’s private schools registered to participate in the Opportunity Scholarship Program and just over half of schools (54%) actually enrolled voucher recipients. Given that the program is anticipated to grow by $10 million per year for 10 years, private school supply will be an important consideration as student participation rises. Using rich focus group and survey data collected from private school leaders between 2014 and 2017, this analysis probes the participation decisions of private school leaders.
Did It Really Happen? How the Public Interprets Journalistic Disclaimers
Authors: Sohlberg Jacob , Johansson Bengt , Esaiasson Peter
Published: March 2020

Immediately following dramatic events, news reporting must be both fast and accurate. In an attempt to reconcile the inherent conflict between these two ambitions, journalists often use disclaimers, for example, “unconfirmed” or “reports of.” These disclaimers allow for the rapid publication of less than reliable content. The results from our survey experiment suggest that strong disclaimers, as intended, do lower the perceived reliability of stories among news consumers. Furthermore, the results indicate that the context influences the effectiveness of disclaimers. It appears that in a crisis environment, such as after a large terrorist attack, individuals are less sensitive to disclaimers.
Comparison of a closed system and an open system for blood collection in feline donors
Authors: Binvel Marie , Fairbrother Julie-Hélène , Lévesque Valérie , Blais Marie-Claude
Published: March 2020

Objectives

This research aimed to evaluate the performance of a closed blood collection system and to compare it with an open system in terms of feasibility, tolerability by the donor, quality of blood collected and bacterial contamination.

Methods

Eight feline blood donors were prospectively and randomly subjected to both collection methods. Heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR) and blood pressure (BP) were evaluated before sedation, after sedation and after blood collection. The duration of the donation, the formation of a hematoma, and the degree of hemolysis and packed cell volume (PCV) of each blood unit were evaluated. Aliquot samples were aseptically collected from each unit and tested for bacterial contamination by culture and PCR on days 0, 14 and 28 of storage.

Results

There was no significant difference between collection methods for HR and RR at any time point. Before sedation, the mean systolic BP was significantly higher with the closed system (closed 169 mmHg, open 137 mmHg; P = 0.003). The average duration of collection was significantly shorter with the closed system (closed 3 mins 10 s, open 8 mins; P = 0.035); however, the prevalence of a successful blood collection with a single venipuncture and hematoma formation were not significantly different between systems. The mean unit PCV was significantly higher with the open system (closed 31%, open 34%; P = 0.026). On bacterial culture, 15/16 units were negative at all time points (closed 7; open 8). Using PCR, 5/16 units were positive for Ralstonia species for at least one time point (closed 3; open 2).

Conclusions and relevance

Our designed closed system appears to be well adapted to feline blood collection and was well tolerated by the donors, performing similarly to an open system, and could represent a valuable clinical device for the development of a feline blood bank, namely feline blood storage.
Triply periodic minimal surfaces sandwich structures subjected to shock impact
Authors: Tran Phuong , Peng Chenxi
Published: March 2020

Triply periodic minimal surfaces are cellular structures that naturally inspired continuous non-self-intersecting surfaces similar to bone microstructure with controllable mechanical properties. In this work, sandwich composite panels constructed from four different types of TMPS unit cells and metallic facets are numerically investigated and compared to evaluate the dynamic behaviours when subjected to extreme loadings. The finite element analysis is utilised to simulate the deformation of proposed structures considering the rate-dependent properties, elastoplastic response and nonlinear contact. The Johnson–Cook material model is implemented to capture the transient responses of the four TPMS panels under high strain-rate loadings. The numerical model is validated with a two-dimensional analytical one to reveal the static and dynamic crushing behaviors. Only a quarter of the sandwich panel is simulated using shell elements thanks to the symmetry, which significantly reduces the computational cost. A series of parametric studies are conducted to demonstrate the influences of different design parameters on the blast resistances of triply periodic minimal surface composite panels. Reaction forces and critical stresses extracted from underneath protected structure are assessed for various key parameters, including triply periodic minimal surface type, thickness and number of layers. The four TPMS sandwich structures clearly demonstrate unique dynamic crushing responses, impact energy mitigation and dissipation mechanisms, which leads to enhancement of the blast resistance.
Saving Costs for Hospitals Through Medical Clowning: A Study of Hospital Staff Perspectives on the Impact of the Medical Clown
Authors: Gomberg Jack , Raviv Amnon , Fenig Eyal , Meiri Noam
Published: March 2020

This study explores the perspectives of doctors, nurses, and technicians on the medical clown. A total of 35 subjects were interviewed one on one. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed for common themes. Medical staff outlined novel limitations and views of future directions for the field of medical clowning. Most importantly, many previously unpublished benefits of medical clowns were described. These reported benefits included cost-saving measures for the hospital, increases in staff efficiency, better patient outcomes, and lower stress in medical staff. Given that most of the limitations on medical clowning are financial in nature, these findings have substantial implications for the future of the field. As medical clowning continues to grow, this study outlines the potential for various future research projects within this field of study.
A novel two-dimensional reversible data hiding method with high embedding capacity in H.264/advanced video coding
Authors: Chen Yi , Wang Hongxia , Tang Xiaoxu , Liu Yong , Wu Hanzhou , Chen Yanli
Published: March 2020

Developing the technology of reversible data hiding based on video compression standard, such as H.264/advanced video coding, has attracted increasing attention from researchers. Because it can be applied in some applications, such as error concealment and privacy protection. This has motivated us to propose a novel two-dimensional reversible data hiding method with high embedding capacity in this article. In this method, all selected quantized discrete cosine transform coefficients are first paired two by two. And then, each zero coefficient-pair can embed 3 information bits and the coefficient-pairs only containing one zero coefficient can embed 1 information bit. In addition, only one coefficient of each one of the rest coefficient-pairs needs to be changed for reversibility. Therefore, the proposed two-dimensional reversible data hiding method can obtain high embedding capacity when compared with the related work. Moreover, the proposed method leads to less degradation in terms of peak-signal-to-noise ratio, structural similarity index, and less impact on bit-rate increase.
Reliability evaluation of dynamic face recognition systems based on improved Fuzzy Dynamic Bayesian Network
Authors: Liu Zhiqiang , Zhu Wenbo , Zhang Hongzhou , Wang Shengjin , Fang Lu , Hong Weijun , Shao Hua , Wang Guopeng
Published: March 2020

The reliability of face recognition system has the characteristics of fuzziness, randomness, and continuity. In order to measure it in unconstrained scenes, we find out and quantify key broad-sense and narrow-sense influencing factors of reliability on the basis of analyzing operation states for six dynamic face recognition systems in the practical use of six public security bureaus. In this article, we propose a novel evaluation method with True Positive Identification Rate in dynamic and M:N mode and create a novel evaluation model of system reliability with the improved Fuzzy Dynamic Bayesian Network. Subsequently, we infer to solve the fuzzy reliability state probabilities of the six systems with Netica and get two most important factors with the improved fuzzy C-means algorithm. We verify the model by comparing the evaluation results with actual achievements of these systems. Finally, we find several vulnerabilities in the system with the least reliability and put forward a few optimization strategies. The proposed method combines advantages of the improved fuzzy C-means model with those of the dynamic Bayesian network to evaluate the reliability of the dynamic face recognition systems, making the evaluation results more reasonable and realistic. It starts a new research of face recognition systems in unconstrained scenes and contributes to the research on face recognition performance evaluation and system reliability analysis. Besides, the proposed method is of practical significance in improving the reliability of the systems in use.
Benefits of Low-Dose CT Scan of Head for Patients With Intracranial Hemorrhage
Authors: Wu Dan , Wang Gang , Bian Bingyang , Liu Zhuohang , Li Dan
Published: March 2020

Objectives:

For patients with intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), routine follow-up computed tomography (CT) scans are typically required to monitor the progression of intracranial pathology. Remarkable levels of radiation exposure are accumulated during repeated CT scan. However, the effects and associated risks have still remained elusive. This study presented an effective approach to quantify organ-specific radiation dose of repeated CT scans of head for patients with ICH. We also indicated whether a low-dose CT scan may reduce radiation exposure and keep the image quality highly acceptable for diagnosis.

Methods:

Herein, 72 patients with a history of ICH were recruited. The patients were divided into 4 groups and underwent CT scan of head with different tube current–time products (250, 200, 150, and 100 mAs). Two experienced radiologists visually rated scores of quality of images according to objective image noise, sharpness, diagnostic acceptability, and artifacts due to physiological noise on the same workstation. Organ-/tissue-specific radiation doses were analyzed using Radimetrics.

Results:

In conventional CT scan group, signal to noise ratio (SNR) and contrast to noise ratio (CNR) of ICH images were significantly higher than those in normal brain structures. Reducing the tube current–time product may decrease the image quality. However, the predilection sites for ICH could be clearly identified. The SNR and CNR in the predilection sites for ICH were notably higher than other areas. The brain, eye lenses, and salivary glands received the highest radiation dose. Reducing tube current–time product from 250 to 100 mA can significantly reduce the radiation dose.

Discussion:

We demonstrated that low-dose CT scan of head can still provide reasonable images for diagnosing ICH. The radiation dose can be reduced to ∼45% of the conventional CT scan group.
Simulations on vibration mode and distribution of shear stress for icing aluminum plate excited by ultrasonic vibration
Authors: Guo Wenfeng , Dong Xiaoyu , Li Yan , Zhang Yingwei , Shi Lei , Tian De
Published: March 2020

Some equipment have low efficiencies and safety when their surfaces are covered with ice, such as wind turbine and airplane, so de-bonding ice on such kind of equipment surface is necessary. In this article, the ultrasonic de-icing method based on icing aluminum plate is researched by finite element method. First, the natural frequency of icing aluminum plate changing with thickness of ice is simulated by modal analysis. Then, the distributions of shear stresses at the interface between aluminum plate and ice layer changing with excitation frequencies are simulated by harmonic analysis. Second, the shear stress and de-icing area influenced by the size of piezoelectric ceramic and excitation voltage are analyzed. The simulation results show that there is lowest natural frequency with optimum thickness of ice layer used to de-bond ice for ultrasonic de-icing system. The optimum distribution law of shear stress at the interface between ice layer and aluminum is decided. In this condition, the shear stress and de-icing area increase along with the excitation voltage. However, the de-icing area increases slowly. All the simulation results lay a theoretical foundation for future experiments and application of ultrasonic de-icing.
Relatively Democratic: How Perceived Internet Interference Shapes Attitudes about Democracy
Authors: Stoycheff Elizabeth
Published: March 2020

Individuals’ political internet use has been identified as a determinant of democratic attitudes. But awareness of online government surveillance and content restrictions may prohibit citizens from freely using the internet for democratic socialization. Using a comparative survey in the United States and Russia, this study explores how perceived internet freedom influences support for democracy by relatively constraining or expanding citizens’ worldviews. Implications for global democratic backsliding are discussed.
Shrimp sensitization in house dust mite allergic patients
Authors: Ukleja-Sokołowska Natalia , Gawrońska-Ukleja Ewa , Lis Kinga , Żbikowska-Gotz Magdalena , Adamczak Rafał , Sokołowski Łukasz , Bartuzi Zbigniew
Published: March 2020

Shrimp tropomyosin has a similar structure to house dust mite (HDM) tropomyosin. In this research, 232 adult patients with symptoms of persistent allergic rhinitis were randomly selected. In the group, 59% were sensitized to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and 57.8% to Dermatophagoides farinae. In total, 128 (55.2%) patients were sensitized to both HDM species and 143 (61.6%) to at least one. Slightly over a quarter (25.4%) of patients were sensitized to shrimp. Of the 35 shrimp-sensitized patients, the sensitization to Der p 10 and Pen a 1 was found in 11 cases (31.4%). There was a strong correlation between IgE Pen a 1 and IgE Der p 10 concentrations. The results indicate that there are other allergens responsible for a high incidence of shrimp sensitization in HDM-sensitized patients. A high convergence of Der p 10 and Pen a 1 levels may indicate that the determination of just one of the above is reasonable.
Informant Discrepancies in Judgments About Change During Mental Health Treatments
Authors: Marsh Jessecae K. , Zeveney Andrew S. , De Los Reyes Andres
Published: March 2020

Understanding how mental health treatments benefit people who receive treatment comes with a challenge: Often different people involved in treatment have different impressions of the treatment’s ultimate effects. How do people reconcile these different reports to understand the true benefit of treatment? In a series of four experiments, we tested people’s beliefs about how to integrate information from multiple informants for the treatment improvement of child clients. We found that laypeople (Experiments 1, 2, and 3) and professional mental health clinicians (Experiment 4) trust informants they believe to be insightful about the specific disorder but pessimistic about overall improvement. Our findings suggest important future research avenues to better understand how intuitions about reconciling informants influence the process of weighting information from clients and other people involved in their care.
Marketing Mix Elements and Corporate Social Responsibility: Do they Really Matter to Store Image?
Authors: Hanaysha Jalal Rajeh
Published: March 2020

This purpose of this article is to examine the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and marketing mix elements on store image in Malaysian retail sector. The data were collected through a quantitative survey method from 278 customers of retail stores in eastern Malaysia. All of the returned questionnaires were inserted into SPSS and analyzed based on the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique using AMOS 18. The findings showed that CSR has a significant positive effect on store image. Furthermore, the outcomes revealed that advertising and price have significant positive effects on store image. However, the effect of sales promotion on store image is insignificant and negative. Finally, the results confirmed that store location and store environment have a significant positive effect on store image. The findings of this study contribute to our understanding with regard to the importance of these factors in influencing store image in the retail context.
Linear and Nonlinear Causal Relationships Between International Reserves and Economic Growth: Evidence from India
Authors: Kashif Mohammad , Singh Satish Kumar , Thiyagarajan S. , Maheshwari Abhishek
Published: March 2020

This study investigates linear and nonlinear causal relationships between accumulated international reserves (IR) and economic growth (Econ) in the case of India. The present study is carried out using quarterly data ranging from the period of the first quarter of 1985 to the fourth quarter of 2014. The study used econometric tools such as the augmented Dickey–Fuller (ADF) unit root test, the linear Granger causality test, Johansen’s cointegration test, the Brock, Dechert and Scheinkman (BDS) test and the nonlinear Granger causality test developed by Hiemstra and Jones. The study establishes that there exists a bidirectional linear causality. The Hiemstra and Jones test reveals a bidirectional nonlinear causal relationship between the variables. In light of these results, the study suggests that reserves accumulation can be implemented in India provided that excess of reserves are invested in alternative sources such as economic infrastructure projects and regional infrastructure development.
Understanding and Supporting Literacy Development Among English Learners: A Deep Dive Into the Role of Language Comprehension
Authors: Mancilla-Martinez Jeannette
Published: March 2020

A distinguishing feature of English learners (ELs) centers on coming from homes in which a language other than or in addition to English is used, but bilingualism itself is not a risk factor for low academic achievement. Yet in the United States, ELs’ reading achievement continues to lag behind that of their English-proficient peers. In this introduction, I discuss the need for research that centers the role of language comprehension among ELs for understanding and supporting their literacy achievement, highlight some of the key contributions made by the authors of articles that comprise this special topic collection, and offer several avenues that are ripe for future research.
A 100-Mhz Bandwidth 80-dB Dynamic Range Continuous-Time Delta-Sigma Modulator with a 2.4-Ghz Clock Rate
Authors: Xiao Yao , Lu Zhifei , Ren Zhaofeng , Peng Xizhu , Tang He
Published: March 2020

The bandwidth of a ΔΣ modulator is limited by the clock rate due to the oversampling ratio requirement. As the nanoscale CMOS processes are developing rapidly, it is possible to design wide bandwidth and high dynamic range continuous-time ΔΣ modulators for high-frequency applications. This paper proposes a 3rd-order 4-bit continuous-time ΔΣ modulator with a single-loop feedforward topology. This modulator is designed in a 40-nm CMOS process and achieves 80-dB dynamic range and a 100-MHz bandwidth at a clock rate of 2.4 GHz. The modulator consumes 69.7 mW from 1.2 V power supply.
Paired mechanical and electrical acupuncture of neurogenic spots induces opioid-mediated suppression of hypertension in rats
Authors: Shin Joo Hyun , Fan Yu , Kim Do-Hee , Jang Han Byeol , Chang Suchan , Ryu Yeonhee , Bae Jong Han , Lee Sanghag , Lee Bong Hyo , Steffensen Scott C. , Yang Chae Ha , Kim Hee Young
Published: March 2020

While our recent studies have suggested that effective acupoints display neurogenic inflammation and can be identified as neurogenic spots (Neuro-Sps), the optimal stimulation conditions and the underlying mechanisms remain uncharacterized. We developed a combined mechano-electrical acupuncture device (MEA) and examined the effects of acupuncture at Neuro-Sps on systolic blood pressure (BP) in a rat model of immobilization-induced hypertension (IMH) and the mediation of endogenous opioid systems in its effect. Cutaneous neurogenic spots were found mostly in the forelimb. Electrical and mechanical acupuncture of Neuro-Sps increased 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), c-Fos expression and cell excitability in the midbrain and synergistically alleviated the development of hypertension following immobilization stress, which was prevented by administration of the opioid antagonist naloxone into the rostral ventrolateral medulla (rVLM). These findings suggest that mechanical and electrical stimulation at Neuro-Sps suppresses the development of hypertension via mediation of the endogenous opioid system.
GenEpi: gene-based epistasis discovery using machine learning
Authors:   for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, Chang Yu-Chuan , Wu June-Tai , Hong Ming-Yi , Tung Yi-An , Hsieh Ping-Han , Yee Sook Wah , Giacomini Kathleen M. , Oyang Yen-Jen , Chen Chien-Yu
Published: March 2020

Background

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) provide a powerful means to identify associations between genetic variants and phenotypes. However, GWAS techniques for detecting epistasis, the interactions between genetic variants associated with phenotypes, are still limited. We believe that developing an efficient and effective GWAS method to detect epistasis will be a key for discovering sophisticated pathogenesis, which is especially important for complex diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Results

In this regard, this study presents GenEpi, a computational package to uncover epistasis associated with phenotypes by the proposed machine learning approach. GenEpi identifies both within-gene and cross-gene epistasis through a two-stage modeling workflow. In both stages, GenEpi adopts two-element combinatorial encoding when producing features and constructs the prediction models by L1-regularized regression with stability selection. The simulated data showed that GenEpi outperforms other widely-used methods on detecting the ground-truth epistasis. As real data is concerned, this study uses AD as an example to reveal the capability of GenEpi in finding disease-related variants and variant interactions that show both biological meanings and predictive power.

Conclusions

The results on simulation data and AD demonstrated that GenEpi has the ability to detect the epistasis associated with phenotypes effectively and efficiently. The released package can be generalized to largely facilitate the studies of many complex diseases in the near future.
Gamevar.f90: a software package for calculating individual gametic diversity
Authors: de Abreu Santos Daniel Jordan , Cole John B. , Liu George E. , VanRaden Paul M. , Ma Li
Published: March 2020

Background

Traditional selection in livestock and crops focuses on additive genetic values or breeding values of the individuals. While traditional selection utilizes variation between individuals, differences between gametes within individuals have been less frequently exploited in selection programs. With the successful implementation of genomic selection in livestock and crops, estimation and selection for gametic variation is becoming possible.

Results

The gamevar.f90 software is designed to estimate individual-level variance of genetic values of gametes for complex traits in large populations. The software estimates the (co)variances of gametic diversity as well as other diversity parameters that are useful for selection programs and mating designs. The calculation is carried out chromosome by chromosome and can be easily parallelized. The gamevar.f90 program is written in Fortran with efficient computing algorithms in a user-friendly software package with easily-handled input and output files. Finally, we applied the program to estimate gametic variance for hundreds of bulls for lifetime net merit, productive life, and livability. The RPTA (relative predicted transmitting ability), assuming a future selection intensity (if) of 1.5, showed larger variance than GEBV/2, indicating that greater future genetic gains can be obtained using an index that includes gametic variances. We also used the relative coefficient of variation to estimate with 95% confidence the sample sizes required to observe 90% variability of the progeny for lifetime net merit (or to allow at maximum 10% of change in the EBV predicted from progeny data).

Conclusions

Collectively, we develop an efficient computer program package, gamevar.f90, for estimating gametic variance for large numbers of individuals. The novel information on gametic variation will be useful in future animal and crop breeding programs.
Bacillus velezensis LG37: transcriptome profiling and functional verification of GlnK and MnrA in ammonia assimilation
Authors: Liu Guangxin , Vijayaraman Sarath Babu , Dong Yanjun , Li Xinfeng , Andongmaa Binda Tembeng , Zhao Lijuan , Tu Jiagang , He Jin , Lin Li
Published: March 2020

Background

In recent years, interest in Bacillus velezensis has increased significantly due to its role in many industrial water bioremediation processes. In this study, we isolated and assessed the transcriptome of Bacillus velezensis LG37 (from an aquaculture pond) under different nitrogen sources. Since Bacillus species exhibit heterogeneity, it is worth investigating the molecular mechanism of LG37 through ammonia nitrogen assimilation, where nitrogen in the form of molecular ammonia is considered toxic to aquatic organisms.

Results

Here, a total of 812 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from the transcriptomic sequencing of LG37 grown in minimal medium supplemented with ammonia (treatment) or glutamine (control) were obtained, from which 56 had Fold Change ≥2. BLAST-NCBI and UniProt databases revealed 27 out of the 56 DEGs were potentially involved in NH4+ assimilation. Among them, 8 DEGs together with the two-component regulatory system GlnK/GlnL were randomly selected for validation by quantitative real-time RT-PCR, and the results showed that expression of all the 8 DEGs are consistent with the RNA-seq data. Moreover, the transcriptome and relative expression analysis were consistent with the transporter gene amtB and it is not involved in ammonia transport, even in the highest ammonia concentrations. Besides, CRISPR-Cas9 knockout and overexpression glnK mutants further evidenced the exclusion of amtB regulation, suggesting the involvement of alternative transporter. Additionally, in the transcriptomic data, a novel ammonium transporter mnrA was expressed significantly in increased ammonia concentrations. Subsequently, OEmnrA and ΔmnrA LG37 strains showed unique expression pattern of specific genes compared to that of wild-LG37 strain.

Conclusion

Based on the transcriptome data, regulation of nitrogen related genes was determined in the newly isolated LG37 strain to analyse the key regulating factors during ammonia assimilation. Using genomics tools, the novel MnrA transporter of LG37 became apparent in ammonia transport instead of AmtB, which transports ammonium nitrogen in other Bacillus strains. Collectively, this study defines heterogeneity of B. velezensis LG37 through comprehensive transcriptome analysis and subsequently, by genome editing techniques, sheds light on the enigmatic mechanisms controlling the functional genes under different nitrogen sources also reveals the need for further research.
Allo-HSCT compared with immunosuppressive therapy for acquired aplastic anemia: a system review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhu Yangmin , Gao Qingyan , Hu Jing , Liu Xu , Guan Dongrui , Zhang Fengkui
Published: March 2020

Background

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and immunosuppressive therapy (IST) are two major competing treatment strategies for acquired aplastic anemia (AA). Whether allo-HSCT is superior to IST as a front-line treatment for patients with AA has been a subject of debate. To compare the efficacy and safety of allo-HSCT with that of IST as a front-line treatment for patients with AA, we performed a meta-analysis of available studies that examined the impact of the two major competing treatment strategies for AA.

Results

Fifteen studies including a total of 5336 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival (OS) was 0.4 (95% CI 0.074–0.733, P = 0.016, I2 = 58.8%) and the pooled HR for failure-free survival (FFS) was 1.962 (95% CI 1.43–2.493, P = 0.000, I2 = 0%). The pooled relative risk (RR) for overall response rate (ORR) was 1.691 (95% CI 1.433–1.996, P = 0.000, I2 = 11.6%).

Conclusion

Although survival was significantly longer among AA patients undergoing first-line allo-HSCT compared to those undergoing first-line IST, the selection of initial treatment for patients with newly diagnosed AA still requires comprehensive evaluation of donor availability, patient age, expected quality of life, risk of disease relapse or clonal evolution after IST, and potential use of adjunctive eltrombopag.
Antibiotic resistance and virulence patterns of pathogenic Escherichia coli strains associated with acute gastroenteritis among children in Qatar
Authors: Eltai Nahla O. , Al Thani Asmaa A. , Al Hadidi Sara H. , Al Ansari Khalid , Yassine Hadi M.
Published: March 2020

Background

The treatment ofEnterobacteriaceaefamily including diarrheagenicE. coli(DEC) has been increasingly complicated due to the emergence of resistant strains. Here we report on the phenotypic resistance profiles and ESBL genotype and virulence profiles of EnteroaggregativeE. coli(EAEC) and EnteropathogenicE. coli(EPEC) isolated from children hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis in Qatar (AGE).

Results

E. coliwere isolated and characterized from 76 diarrheagenic stool positive samples, collected from hospitalized children less than 10 years old. Isolates were tested for antibiotic susceptibility against eighteen clinically relevant antibiotics using E-test method. Conventional PCR was performed to detect genes encoding ESBL and virulence factors. Chi-square test was performed to compare the individual antibiotic resistance between EPEC and EAEC.

A significant percentage (73.7%) of isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotic. Overall, high resistance (70%) was reported to the first-line antibiotics such as ampicillin, tetracycline (46.4%), and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (42.9%). Further, 39.5% of the isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR), with 22.4% being ESBL producers. On the other hand, all isolates were susceptible to carbapenem, fosfomycin, amikacin and colistin. The incidences of resistance to the 18 antibiotics between EPEC and EAEC were not significantly different by Pearson chi -square test (P > 0.05). Genetic analysis revealed that 88.23% of ESBL production wasblaCTX-M-G1(blaCTX-M-15,blaCTX-M-3) - encoded. Several different combinations of virulence markers were observed, however, there was no specific trend among the isolates apart from absence of the bundle-forming pilus(bfpA) gene, which encodes the type IV fimbriae in EPEC adherence factor (EAF) plasmid (pEAF), among all EPEC (atypical). 15% of the EAEC strains were positive for a combination ofastA,aap&capU, while 10% were positive for three different combinations. Theaap,aatA,capUandaggRvirulence genes showed the highest frequency of 65, 60, 55 and 55% respectively. Others genes,east,astA, andaai, showed frequencies of 35, 30 and 20% respectively.

Conclusions

Atypical EPEC and EAEC were the primary etiological agents of diarrhea in children among DEC pathotypes. Our results indicated high rate of antimicrobial resistance pattern of DEC strains, which necessities the development of regulatory programs and reporting systems of antimicrobial resistance in DEC and other AGE-associated bacteria to insure effective control of diarrheal diseases. Results from this study demand a further research on identifying the phenotypic and genotypic profiles of more DEC pathotypes in various clinical samples.
Potential function of CbuSPL and gene encoding its interacting protein during flowering in Catalpa bungei
Authors: Wang Zhi , Zhu Tianqing , Ma Wenjun , Fan Erqin , Lu Nan , Ouyang Fangqun , Wang Nan , Yang Guijuan , Kong Lisheng , Qu Guanzheng , Zhang Shougong , Wang Junhui
Published: March 2020

Background

“Bairihua”, a variety of the Catalpa bungei, has a large amount of flowers and a long flowering period which make it an excellent material for flowering researches in trees. SPL is one of the hub genes that regulate both flowering transition and development.

Results

SPL homologues CbuSPL9 was cloned using degenerate primers with RACE. Expression studies during flowering transition in “Bairihua” and ectopic expression in Arabidopsis showed that CbuSPL9 was functional similarly with its Arabidopsis homologues. In the next step, we used Y2H to identify the proteins that could interact with CbuSPL9. HMGA, an architectural transcriptional factor, was identified and cloned for further research. BiFC and BLI showed that CbuSPL9 could form a heterodimer with CbuHMGA in the nucleus. The expression analysis showed that CbuHMGA had a similar expression trend to that of CbuSPL9 during flowering in “Bairihua”. Intriguingly, ectopic expression of CbuHMGA in Arabidopsis would lead to aberrant flowers, but did not effect flowering time.

Conclusions

Our results implied a novel pathway that CbuSPL9 regulated flowering development, but not flowering transition, with the participation of CbuHMGA. Further investments need to be done to verify the details of this pathway.
Graphene oxide and indole-3-acetic acid cotreatment regulates the root growth of Brassica napus L. via multiple phytohormone pathways
Authors: Xie Lingli , Chen Fan , Du Hewei , Zhang Xuekun , Wang Xingang , Yao Guoxin , Xu Benbo
Published: March 2020

Background

Studies have indicated that graphene oxide (GO) could regulated Brassica napus L. root growth via abscisic acid (ABA) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). To study the mechanism and interaction between GO and IAA further, B. napus L (Zhongshuang No. 9) seedlings were treated with GO and IAA accordance with a two factor completely randomized design.

Results

GO and IAA cotreatment significantly regulated the root length, number of adventitious roots, and contents of IAA, cytokinin (CTK) and ABA. Treatment with 25 mg/L GO alone or IAA (> 0.5 mg/L) inhibited root development. IAA cotreatment enhanced the inhibitory role of GO, and the inhibition was strengthened with increased in IAA concentration. GO treatments caused oxidative stress in the plants. The ABA and CTK contents decreased; however, the IAA and gibberellin (GA) contents first increased but then decreased with increasing IAA concentration when IAA was combined with GO compared with GO alone. The 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) transcript level strongly increased when the plants were treated with GO. However, the NCED transcript level and ABA concentration gradually decreased with increasing IAA concentration under GO and IAA cotreatment. GO treatments decreased the transcript abundance of steroid 5-alpha-reductase (DET2) and isochorismate synthase 1 (ICS), which are associated with brassinolide (BR) and salicylic acid (SA) biosynthesis, but increased the transcript abundance of brassinosteroid insensitive 1-associated receptor kinase 1 (BAK1), cam-binding protein 60-like G (CBP60) and calmodulin binding protein-like protein 1, which are associated with BR and SA biosynthesis.

Last, GO treatment increased the transcript abundance of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase 2 (ACS2), which is associated with the ethylene (ETH) pathway.

Conclusions

Treatment with 25 mg/L GO or IAA (> 0.5 mg/L) inhibited root development. However, IAA and GO cotreatment enhanced the inhibitory role of GO, and this inhibition was strengthened with increased IAA concentration. IAA is a key factor in the response of B. napus L to GO and the responses of B. napus to GO and IAA cotreatment involved in multiple pathways, including those involving ABA, IAA, GA, CTK, BR, SA. Specifically, GO and IAA cotreatment affected the GA content in the modulation of B. napus root growth.
Transcriptome co-expression network analysis identifies key genes and regulators of ripening kiwifruit ester biosynthesis
Authors: Zhang Aidi , Zhang Qiuyun , Li Jianzhao , Gong Hansheng , Fan Xinguang , Yang Yanqing , Liu Xiaofen , Yin Xueren
Published: March 2020

Background

Aroma is an important organoleptic quality for fruit and has a large influence on consumer preference. Kiwifruit esters undergo rapid and substantial changes contributing to the flavor during fruit ripening. Part of enzymes and their coding genes have been indicated potential candidates for flavor-related esters synthesis. However, there still exist obvious gaps in the biosynthetic pathways of esters and the mechanisms regulating ester biosynthesis in kiwifruit remain unknown.

Results

Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), volatile compounds of kiwifruit were quantified in response to ethylene (ETH, 100 μl/l, 24 h, 20 °C) and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP, 1 μl/l, 24 h, 20 °C). The results indicated that esters showed the most substantial changes enhanced by ethylene and were inhibited by 1-MCP. Correlations between RNA-seq results and concentrations of esters, constructed using Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) indicated that three structural genes (fatty acid desaturase, AdFAD1; aldehyde dehydrogenase, AdALDH2; alcohol acyltransferase, AdAT17) had similar expression patterns that paralled the changes in total ester content, and AdFAD1 transcripts exhibited the highest correlation. In order to search for potential regulators for ester biosynthesis, 14 previously reported ethylene-responsive transcription factors (TFs) were included in the correlation analysis with esters and their biosynthetic genes. Using dual-luciferase assay, the in vivo regulatory activities of TFs on ester biosynthetic gene promoters were investigated and the results indicated that AdNAC5 and AdDof4 (DNA binding with one finger) trans-activated and trans-suppressed the AdFAD1 promoter.

Conclusions

The present study advanced the molecular basis of ripening-related ester biosynthesis in kiwifruit by identifying three biosynthetic related genes AdFAD1, AdALDH2 and AdAT17 by transcriptome analysis, and highlighted the function of two TFs by transactivation studies.
Comparative transcriptome analyses of fruit development among pears, peaches, and strawberries provide new insights into single sigmoid patterns
Authors: Pei Mao-Song , Cao Su-Hao , Wu Lei , Wang Guo-Ming , Xie Zhi-Hua , Gu Chao , Zhang Shao-Ling
Published: March 2020

Background

Pear fruit exhibit a single sigmoid pattern during development, while peach and strawberry fruits exhibit a double sigmoid pattern. However, little is known about the differences between these two patterns.

Results

In this study, fruit weights were measured and paraffin sections were made from fruitlet to maturated pear, peach, and strawberry samples. Results revealed that both single and double sigmoid patterns resulted from cell expansion, but not cell division. Comparative transcriptome analyses were conducted among pear, peach, and strawberry fruits at five fruit enlargement stages. Comparing the genes involved in these intervals among peaches and strawberries, 836 genes were found to be associated with all three fruit enlargement stages in pears (Model I). Of these genes, 25 were located within the quantitative trait locus (QTL) regions related to fruit weight and 90 were involved in cell development. Moreover, 649 genes were associated with the middle enlargement stage, but not early or late enlargement in pears (Model II). Additionally, 22 genes were located within the QTL regions related to fruit weight and 63 were involved in cell development. Lastly, dual-luciferase assays revealed that the screened bHLH transcription factors induced the expression of cell expansion-related genes, suggesting that the two models explain the single sigmoid pattern.

Conclusions

Single sigmoid patterns are coordinately mediated by Models I and II, thus, a potential gene regulation network for the single sigmoid pattern was proposed. These results enhance our understanding of the molecular regulation of fruit size in Rosaceae.
Nitric oxide is involved in the brassinolide-induced adventitious root development in cucumber
Authors: Li Yutong , Wu Yue , Liao Weibiao , Hu Linli , Dawuda Mohammed Mujitaba , Jin Xin , Tang Zhongqi , Yang Jianjun , Yu Jihua
Published: March 2020

Background

Brassinolide (BR), as a new type of plant hormones, is involved in the processes of plant growth and stress response. Previous studies have reported the roles of BR in regulating plant developmental processes and also response tolerance to abiotic stresses in plants. The main purpose of our study was to explore whether nitric oxide (NO) plays a role in the process of BR-induced adventitious root formation in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.).

Results

Exogenous application of 1 μM BR significantly promoted adventitious rooting, while high concentrations of BR (2–8 μM) effectively inhibited adventitious rooting. NO donor (S-nitroso-N-acerylpenicillamine, SNAP) promoted the occurrence of adventitious roots. Simultaneously, BR and SNAP applied together significantly promoted adventitious rooting and the combined effect was superior to the application of BR or SNAP alone. Moreover, NO scavenger (c-PTIO) and inhibitors (L-NAME and Tungstate) inhibited the positive effects of BR on adventitious rooting. BR at 1 μM also increased endogenous NO content, NO synthase (NOS-like) and Nitrate reductase (NR) activities, while BRz (a specific BR biosynthesis inhibitor) decreased these effects. In addition, the relative expression level of NR was up-regulated by BR and SNAP, whereas BRz down-regulated it. The application of NO inhibitor (Tungstate) in BR also inhibited the up-regulation of NR.

Conclusion

BR promoted the formation of adventitious roots by inducing the production of endogenous NO in cucumber.
PcDWF1, a pear brassinosteroid biosynthetic gene homologous to AtDWARF1, affected the vegetative and reproductive growth of plants
Authors: Zheng Xiaodong , Xiao Yuxiong , Tian Yike , Yang Shaolan , Wang Caihong
Published: March 2020

Background

The steroidal hormones brassinosteroids (BRs) play important roles in plant growth and development. The pathway and genes involved in BR biosynthesis have been identified primarily in model plants like Arabidopsis, but little is known about BR biosynthesis in woody fruits such as pear.

Results

In this study, we found that applying exogenous brassinolide (BL) could significantly increase the stem growth and rooting ability of Pyrus ussuriensis. PcDWF1, which had a significantly lower level of expression in the dwarf-type pear than in the standard-type pear, was cloned for further analysis. A phylogenetic analysis showed that PcDWF1 was a pear brassinosteroid biosynthetic gene that was homologous to AtDWARF1. The subcellular localization analysis indicated that PcDWF1 was located in the plasma membrane. Overexpression of PcDWF1 in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) or pear (Pyrus ussuriensis) plants promoted the growth of the stems, which was caused by a larger cell size and more developed xylem than those in the control plants, and the rooting ability was significantly enhanced. In addition to the change in vegetative growth, the tobacco plants overexpressing PcDWF1 also had a delayed flowering time and larger seed size than did the control tobacco plants. These phenotypes were considered to result from the higher BL contents in the transgenic lines than in the control tobacco and pear plants.

Conclusions

Taken together, these results reveal that the pear BR biosynthetic gene PcDWF1 affected the vegetative and reproductive growth of Pyrus ussuriensis and Nicotiana tabacum and could be characterized as an important BR biosynthetic gene in perennial woody fruit plants.
One-year results of drug-coated balloons for long and occlusive Femoropopliteal artery disease: a single-arm trial
Authors: Lai Zhichao , Zhang Xin , Shao Jiang , Li Kang , Fang Lijing , Xu Leyin , Yu Xiaoxi , Wang Jingjing , Liu Xiu , Lei Jinsong , Liu Bao
Published: March 2020

Background

The performance of drug-coated balloons (DCBs) in femoropopliteal interventions has been proven through randomized trials in short lesions and lesions with relatively low proportion of occlusions. There is limited evidence of DCBs in long or occlusive lesions. This study is to investigate the efficacy of the paclitaxel-coated balloon for treatment of long and occlusive femoropopliteal arterial lesions.

Methods

A single-arm trial including 44 femoropopliteal lesions (chronic total occlusion (CTO) plus > 10 cm) treated with DCBs was performed to collect data of average 1-year follow-up. Endpoints contain primary patency, target lesion revascularization (TLR), amelioration of the Rutherford classification, change of ankle brachial index (ABI) and major adverse events.

Results

Technical success is 97.7% while device success is 100%. Mean lesion length was 186 ± 86.3 cm. Stent implantation was performed in 13.6%. Cumulative probability of primary patency was 78.8% ± 6.8% at 1 year while that of freedom from TLR was 91.4% ± 4.9%. Rutherford classification improved from average 3.3 ± 1.0 to 2.1 ± 1.4 (p < 0.001) at follow-up with a 72.7% amelioration rate. Ankle-branchial index changed from 0.33 ± 0.40 to 0.67 ± 0.37 (p = 0.002). No major adverse event was observed.

Conclusion

These results suggest that it is safe and effective to treat long and totally occlusive femoropopliteal artery disease with DCBs. Further studies are demanded to confirm these results.
A case report of a novel 22 bp duplication within exon 1 of the UGT1A1 in a Sudanese infant with Crigler-Najjar syndrome type I
Authors: Valmiki Sailaja , Mandapati Kiran Kumar , Miriyala Leela Krishna Vamsee , Kelgeri Chayarani Chandrashekhar , Rela Mohamed , Shanmugam Naresh P. , Vegulada Durga Rao
Published: March 2020

Background

Crigler Najjar type 1 is a rare autosomal recessive condition caused by the absence of UDPGT enzyme due to mutations in the UGT1A1 gene. This enzyme is responsible for elimination of unconjugated bilirubin from the body by glucuronidation. Affected individuals are at risk for kernicterus and require lifelong phototherapy. Liver transplant is the only definitive treatment.

Case presentation

Here we report a case of a 6 month old Sudanese female infant with CN1 whose molecular analysis revealed a novel homozygous 22 base pair duplication (c.55_76dup) in the coding exon 1 of the UGT1A1 gene. This 22 bp duplication causes a frame shift leading to a premature stop codon. She underwent a successful liver transplant at 7 months of age and is doing well at 1 year follow-up.

Conclusion

This study shows that molecular diagnosis helps in precise diagnosis of CN1 and in prognosis, prompt medical intervention and appropriate therapy. This particular 22 bp duplication within the coding region of UGT1A1 can be a founder mutation in the Sudanese population.