bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antibiotics Against COVID-19 and Mitochondria? Urgent Thinking Out of the Box
Authors: Tyszka Jaroslaw , Kobos Karolina , Tyszka Aleksandra
Published: April 2020

Italian, Spanish, French vs German, Austrian or Norwegian COVID-19 tracks? Antibiotics might have a partial impact on COVID-19 death rates in various countries. Our working hypotheses based on recent publications is that that antibiotics may be a major factor that negatively affects patients’ immune system during viral infections. We are all aware that there is no specific and effective medical treatment for COVID-19 so far. However, we know that our immune system is the only efficient weapon that fights against this syndrome right now. In fact, antibiotics are very often prescribed to prevent secondary infections following an antiviral immune response. Various antibiotic therapies have also been commonly applied to support COVID-19 treatments in China and Italy. Unfortunately, the frequent antibiotic off-site targets include mitochondria that are genetically and evolutionary closely linked to bacteria. Mitochondria are multifunctional organelles responsible for bioenergetics in nearly all our cells, acting as signaling hubs in antiviral and antibacterial immune responses. Several studies have demonstrated that mitochondria are vulnerable to antibacterial treatments, interrupting their physiology. Inhibition of these processes by antibiotics might render the immune system less capable of fighting acute COVID-19 viral infections. Some antibiotics, including those prescribed for COVID-19 in Wuhan, have been shown to inhibit the synthesis of mitochondrial DNA. The question is whether antibiotics support such a treatment or weaken patient immune responses in this case. This hypothesis should be evaluated based on comparative clinical data that seem to be unavailable at the moment. Possibly the COVID-19 risk group should be extended to all patients being treated with antibiotics, including those who finished antibiotic therapies days up to several months before SARS-CoV-2 infection. We therefore urge health service response groups to evaluate the impact of antibiotics on COVID-19 recovery vs death retrospective data. We would like to motivate international, national and local health authorities to share available clinical treatment data, discuss and optimize treatment strategies.
Cooperative Multi-Simplex Algorithm: An Innovation from Localization to Globalization
Authors: Ali Javaid
Published: April 2020

This study suggests a novel cooperative multi-simplex algorithm that generalizes a local search optimizer to design a novel global search heuristic algorithm. The proposed algorithm exploits the vertex sharing strategy to enhance the search abilities of the working simplexes. The vertex sharing among the simplexes is carried out through cooperative step that is based on fitness of the underlying simplex. The proposed algorithm is applied to solve some systems of nonlinear equations by transforming them to optimization problems. Comparative analysis of results shows that the proposed method is practical and effective.
Transportation Barriers to Health Care in the United States: Findings From the National Health Interview Survey, 1997–2017
Authors: Wolfe Mary K. , McDonald Noreen C. , Holmes G. Mark
Published: April 2020

Objectives. To quantify the number of people in the US who delay medical care annually because of lack of available transportation and to examine the differential prevalence of this barrier for adults across sociodemographic characteristics and patient populations.

Methods. We used data from the National Health Interview Survey (1997–2017) to examine this barrier over time and across groups. We used joinpoint regression analysis to identify significant changes in trends and multivariate analysis to examine correlates of this barrier for the year 2017.

Results. In 2017, 5.8 million persons in the United States (1.8%) delayed medical care because they did not have transportation. The proportion reporting transportation barriers increased between 2003 and 2009 with no significant trends before or after this window within our study period. We found that Hispanic people, those living below the poverty threshold, Medicaid recipients, and people with a functional limitation had greater odds of reporting a transportation barrier after we controlled for other sociodemographic and health characteristics.

Conclusions. Transportation barriers to health care have a disproportionate impact on individuals who are poor and who have chronic conditions. Our study documents a significant problem in access to health care during a time of rapidly changing transportation technology.
A Low-Barrier and Comprehensive Community-Based Harm-Reduction Site in Vancouver, Canada
Authors: Olding Michelle , Ivsins Andrew , Mayer Samara , Betsos Alex , Boyd Jade , Sutherland Christy , Culbertson Coco , Kerr Thomas , McNeil Ryan
Published: April 2020

“The Molson” is a low-barrier, peer-staffed, supervised consumption site located in Vancouver, Canada. In addition to overdose response, this site offers drug checking and a colocated injectable hydromorphone treatment program, and it distributes tablet and liquid hydromorphone to service users at high risk of overdose. Our evaluation suggests benefits of this program in creating service continuums and preventing overdose deaths. From September 2017 to August 2019, the site had 128 944 visits, reversed 770 overdoses, and had no overdose deaths.
Safe Start Community Health Worker Program: A Multisector Partnership to Improve Perinatal Outcomes Among Low-Income Pregnant Women With Chronic Health Conditions
Authors: Cunningham Shayna D. , Riis Valerie , Line Laura , Patti Melissa , Bucher Melissa , Durnwald Celeste , Srinivas Sindhu K.
Published: April 2020

Safe Start is a community health worker program representing a partnership between a high-volume, inner-city, hospital-based prenatal clinic; a community-based organization; a large Medicaid insurer; and a community behavioral health organization to improve perinatal outcomes among publicly insured pregnant women with chronic health conditions in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of June 2019, 291 women participated in the program. Relative to a comparison group (n = 300), Safe Start participants demonstrate improved engagement in care, reduced antenatal inpatient admissions, and shorter neonatal intensive care unit stays.
Effect of Physiological Maturity and Germinating Media on Zanzibar Clove Seeds Viability
Authors: R Pelealu Rian Virvian Hidayat , Widajati Eny , Suwarno Faiza C.
Published: April 2020

Low seeds quality of the clove tree may attribute to the low national productivity of cloves in Indonesia.  The study aimed to determine the level of physiological fruit maturity and the effect of germination media on the viability of clove seeds. The study was performed at the Leuwikopo Seeds Storage and Quality Testing Laboratory and Leuwikopo Research Installation, Bogor, in October 2017 to December 2018. The material used was the Zanzibar clove seeds from ≥ 10 years old trees. The clove seeds obtained from a farmer’s plantation in Tolitoli District, Central Sulawesi. The study arranged in a split-plot design, with four replications, with the main plot was four levels of seed viability based on fruit colors: reddish-green, pink, red, and dark red. The subplots were three types of germination media, namely sand, cocopeat, and zeolite.  Thus, there were twelve treatments. Each plot consisted of 40 seeds for germination test and five seeds for water content determination. The results showed that the percentage of clove seeds viability negatively influenced by the level of fruit maturity based on the color of the fruit but was affected by the germination media. Good physiological quality of clove seeds characterized by dry seed weight of 2.70  g,  100 %  germination rate, vigor index of 73.75 %, and growth rate of 1.19 % etmal-1. Among the three types of germination media tested (sand, cocopeat, and zeolite), sand was the best germination media for clove seeds. Hence it is recommended to seeds producer.
Developing Load Balancing for IoT - Cloud Computing Based on Advanced Firefly and Weighted Round Robin Algorithms
Authors: Et al. Abed
Published: April 2020

The evolution of the Internet of things (IoT) led to connect billions of heterogeneous physical devices together to improve the quality of human life by collecting data from their environment. However, there is a need to store huge data in big storage and high computational capabilities.   Cloud computing can be used to store big data.  The data of IoT devices is transferred using two types of protocols: Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) and Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). This paper aims to make a high performance and more reliable system through efficient use of resources. Thus, load balancing in cloud computing is used to dynamically distribute the workload across nodes to avoid overloading any individual resource, by combining two types of algorithms: dynamic algorithm (adaptive firefly) and static algorithm (weighted round robin). The results show improvement in resource utilization, increased productivity, and reduced response time.
Modeling of Permeability and Strain Evolution in Chemical Creep Compaction Experiments with Fractured and Unfractured Chalk Cores Conducted at Reservoir Conditions
Authors: Kallesten Emanuela , Andersen Pål Østebø , Berawala Dhruvit Satishchandra , Korsnes Reidar Inge , Madland Merete Vadla , Omdal Edvard , Zimmermann Udo
Published: April 2020

Understanding the effect of typical water-related improved oil recovery techniques is fundamental to the development of chalk reservoirs on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). We investigate the contribution and interplay of key parameters influencing the reservoir's flow and storativity properties, such as effective stresses, injecting fluid chemistry, and geomechanical deformation. This is done by developing a mathematical model that is applied to systematically interpret experimental data. The gained understanding is useful for improved prediction of permeability development during field life.

The model we present is for a fractured chalk core whereby fluids can flow through the matrix and fracture domains in parallel. The core is subject to a constant effective stress above the yield, resulting in time-dependent compaction (creep) of the matrix, while the fracture does not compact. Reactive brine injection causes enhanced compaction but also permeability alteration. This again causes a redistribution of injected flow between the two domains.

A previous version of the model parameterizing the relation between chemistry and compaction is here extended to quantify the effect on permeability and see the effect of flow in a fracture-matrix geometry. A vast set of experimental data were used to quantify the relations in the model and demonstrate its usefulness to interpret experimental data. Two outcrop chalk types (Aalborg and Liège) being tested at 130°C and various concentrations of Ca-Mg-Na-Cl brines are considered. However, assumptions were required, especially regarding the fracture behavior because directly representative data were not available.

The tests with inert injecting brine were used to quantify the effect of matrix and fracture mechanical compaction on permeability trends. To be able to explain the tests with reactive brine, an important finding is that permeability not only decreased because of enhanced porosity reduction but also because of a quantifiable chemistry-related process (dissolution/precipitation).

Sensitivity analyses were performed regarding varying fracture width, injection rate, and chemistry concentration to evaluate the effect on chemical creep compaction and permeability evolution in fractured cores. The model can be used to highlight parameters with great influence on the experimental results. An accurate quantification of such parameters will contribute to refining laboratory experiments and will provide valuable data for upscaling and field application.
The First Study of Successful Pregnancies in Chinese patients with Phenylketonuria
Authors: Wang Lin , Ye Fang , Zou Hui , Wang Kundi , Chen Zhihua , Hui Qin , Han Bingjuan , He Chun , Li Xiaowen , Shen Ming
Published: April 2020

Background Since the inception of newborn screening programs in China in the 1990s, pregnancy among patients with inherited, metabolic disorders has become more common. This study explores the management and outcomes of planned, full-term pregnancies in patients with phenylketonuria (PKU).Method Married patients with PKU from 2012 to 2017 were enrolled to receive prenatal counseling and regular health assessments. Study-related assessments included the timing of Phe-restricted diets, maternal weight gain, gestational age, pregnancy complications, and blood Phe concentrations (both pre-conception and during pregnancy), obstetrical data, and offspring outcomes(e.g. anthropomorphic measurements and developmental quotients [DQs]).Results A total of six offspring were successfully delivered. The mean±SD (range) age of the mother at delivery was 26.3±4.7 (range: 21.1-32.5) years. The mean duration of Phe control before pregnancy was 5.5±1.3(range: 3.1-6.5) months. During pregnancy, the proportion of blood Phe concentrations within the clinically-recommended target range (120–360μmol/L) ranged from 63.2-83.5%. Low birth weight (<2500g) offspring occurred in two women who experienced suboptimal metabolic control. In addition, offspring DQ was related to the proportion of blood Phe levels per trimester that were within the recommended range (r=0.886, p=0.016).Conclusion This is the first report of women in China with PKU who successfully gave birth to clinically healthy babies. Infant outcomes were related to maternal blood Phe management prior to and during pregnancy. In maternal PKU patients with poor compliance to dietary treatment, sapropterin dihydrochloride（6R-BH4）may be an option to improve the management of blood Phe levels.
Moderation effect of emotion regulation on the relationship between social anxiety, drinking motives and alcohol related problems among university students
Authors: Kim Sojung , Kwon Jung-Hye
Published: April 2020

Background: Accumulated evidence suggests that individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) are at particular risk of developing alcohol use disorder (AUD). Yet, little is known about the mechanisms under this high comorbidity. This study aimed to elucidate the process of the development of alcohol related problems among individuals with elevated social anxiety. We investigated the moderation effect of difficulties in emotion regulation on the relationship between symptoms of social anxiety, coping and conformity motives and alcohol related problems. Methods: In a sample of university students (N = 647) in South Korea, we examined whether cognitive (fear of negative evaluation), behavioral (social avoidance), and physiological symptoms (concerns over physiological symptoms) of social anxiety affect alcohol related problems with the mediation of coping and conformity motives. Furthermore, difficulties in emotion regulation were hypothesized to moderate each mediational path. Results: Results showed that the fear of negative evaluation and concerns over physiological symptoms were associated with alcohol related problems with the mediation of conformity and coping motives, respectively. As hypothesized, each path was moderated by difficulties in emotion regulation. Conclusions: Findings suggest that coping and conformity motives to cope with cognitive and physiological symptoms of social anxiety were related to alcohol related problems. In addition, individuals with high levels of difficulties in emotion regulation were prone to exhibit more alcohol related problems.
The Association between Sleep Quality and Loneliness in Rural Older Individuals: A Cross-Sectional Study in Shandong Province, China.
Authors: Jia Gaizhen , Yuan Ping
Published: April 2020

Background: There is a evidence of negative association between loneliness and sleep quality in older adults. However, little is known regarding the relationship between loneliness and sleep quality among Chinese rural older adults. This study examined the associations of loneliness and sleep quality in a cross-sectional study of older adults. Methods: A face-to-face questionnaire survey was conducted among 1658 rural older adults in Shandong Province, China. Loneliness was assessed using the University of California at Los Angeles Loneliness Scale. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Ordinal logistic regression was conducted to examine the association of loneliness and sleep quality after adjustment for multiple confounding variables. Results: After variables such as age, marriage, education, occupation, economic income, family relationships, living arrangement, smoking behavior, alcohol consumption, chronic disease experience, and quality of life were controlled in a multivariable analysis, poor sleep quality was still associated with loneliness in the rural older population. Conclusion: This finding implied an adverse effect of sleep quality on the loneliness of older adults. Poor sleep quality was associated with increased odds of loneliness in Chinese rural older adults. Sleep-based interventions should be developed to prevent loneliness in rural older adults in China.
Promoting parent-child relationships and preventing violence via home-visiting: A pre-post cluster randomised trial among Rwandan families linked to social protection programmes
Authors: Betancourt Theresa S. , Jensen Sarah K.G. , Barnhart Dale A. , Brennan Robert T. , Murray Shauna M. , Yousafzai Aisha K. , Farrar Jordan , Godfroid Kalisa , Bazubagira Stephanie M. , Rawlings Laura B. , Wilson Briana , Sezibera Vincent , Kamurase Alex
Published: April 2020

Background: Sugira Muryango ​ is a father-engaged early child development and violence-prevention home-visiting programme delivered by trained lay workers. This cluster-randomised trial evaluates whether families living in extreme poverty ( Ubudehe 1, the poorest category in the Government of Rwanda’s wealth ranking) who receive Sugira Muryango in combination with a government-provided social protection programme demonstrate greater responsive, positive caregiving, nutrition, care seeking, hygiene, and father involvement compared with control families receiving usual care (UC). Methods: Using detailed maps, we grouped closely spaced villages into 284 geographic clusters stratified by the type of social protection programs operating in the village clusters; 198 clusters met all enrolment criteria. Sugira Muryango was delivered to n=541 families in 100 treatment clusters with children aged 6–36 months living in extreme poverty. We assessed changes in outcomes in intervention and 508 UC control families using structured surveys and observation. Analyses were intent to treat using mixed models to accommodate the clustering. Results: Families receiving Sugira Muryango improved on core outcomes of parent-child relationships assessed using the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (Cohen’s d =0.87, 95% CI: 0.74, 0.99) and the Observation of Mother-Child Interaction (Cohen’s d =0.29, 95% CI: 0.17, 0.41). We also saw reductions in harsh discipline on items from the UNICEF MICS (OR=0.30: 95% CI: 0.22, 0.51) and violent victimization of female caregivers by their partners (OR=0.49, 95% CI: 0.24, 1.00) compared with UC. Moreover, children in families receiving SM had a 0.45 higher increase in food groups consumed in the past 24 hours (Cohen’s d =0.35, 95% CI: 0.22, 0.47), increased care seeking for diarrhoea (OR=4.43, 95% CI: 1.95, 10.10) and fever (OR=3.28, 95% CI: 1.82, 5.89), and improved hygiene behaviours such as proper treatment of water (OR=3.39, 95% CI: 2.16, 3.69) compared with UC. Finally, Sugira Muryango was associated with decreased caregiver depression and anxiety (OR=0.58, 95% CI: 0.38, 0.88). Conclusions: Sugira Muryango led to improvements in caregiver behaviours linked to child development and health as well as reductions in violence. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT02510313.
Relocation experiences of the elderly to a long-term care facility in Taiwan: a qualitative study
Authors: Wu Chia-Shan , Rong Jiin-Ru
Published: April 2020

Background Relocation to a long-term care (LTC) facility is a major life change for most elderly people. Following relocation, many elderly experience difficulties in adapting to changes in the living environment. Taiwan is increasingly becoming an "aging society” and the numbers of those who relocate from family residences to long-term residential care facilities have increased over years. However, in-depth evidence on the experiences of the elderly of their stay in LTC facilities in Taiwan is relatively sparse. This study aimed to explore the relocation experiences of the elderly to a LTC facility to inform policy and practice to address their needs effectively. Methods A qualitative study, using semi-structured in-depth interviews, was conducted to explore the experiences of 16 elderly people who have relocated to and lived in a LTC facility in Taiwan for up to a period of 12 months. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using grounded theory approach.Results Participants’ accounts reflected four interrelated key themes: wish to minimize the burden, but stay connected with the family; perceived barriers to adaptation; valuing tailored care; and acceptance and engagement. Each theme included interrelated subthemes that influenced one another and represented the different stages in the relocation journey. Most participants viewed relocation as a way of minimizing the burden of their care from family members, but desired to keep a close connection with family and friends. Participants recounted experiences of psychological resistance while making the decision to relocate. Fear of losing autonomy and the ability to perform self-care was a major reason for resistance to adapt. Provision of tailored care was accorded much value by the participants. The decision to accept the relocation and to adapt themselves to the new environment due to their needs for constant care was explicit in some accounts. Conclusions Relocation to LTC facility is a dynamic process in the first year of moving into the facility, and involves a range of emotions, feelings and experiences. Adaptation of the elderly into the LTC facility can be maximized if the relocation is well planned with provisions for individually tailored care and family involvement.
Novel mutations of the SRF gene in Chinese sporadic conotruncal heart defect patients
Authors: Mengmeng Xu , Yuejuan Xu , Sun Chen , Yanan Lu , Fen Li , Kun Sun
Published: April 2020

Background: Conotruncal heart defects (CTDs) are a group of congenital heart malformations that cause anomalies of cardiac outflow tracts. In the past few decades, many genes related to CTDs have been reported. Serum response factor (SRF) is a ubiquitous nuclear protein that acts as transcription factor, and SRF was found to be a critical factor in heart development and to be strongly expressed in the myocardium of the developing mouse and chicken hearts. The targeted inactivation of SRF during heart development leads to embryonic lethality and myocardial defects in mice. Methods: To illustrate the relationship between SRF and human heart defects, we screened SRF mutations in 527 CTD patients, a cross sectional study. DNA was extracted from peripheral leukocyte cells for target sequencing. The mutations of SRF were detected and validated by Sanger sequencing. The affection of the mutations on wild-type protein was analyzed by in silico softwares. Western blot and real time PCR were used to analyze the changes of the expression of the mutant mRNA and protein. In addition, we carried out dual luciferase reporter assay to explore the transcriptional activity of the mutant SRF.Results: Among the target sequencing results of 527 patients, two novel mutations (Mut1: c.821A>G p.G274D, the adenine(A) was mutated to guanine(G) at position 821 of the SRF gene coding sequences (CDS), lead to the Glycine(G) mutated to Asparticacid(D) at position 274 of the SRF protein amino acid sequences; Mut2: c.880G>T p.G294C, the guanine(G) was mutated to thymine (T) at position 880 of the SRF CDS, lead to the Glycine(G) mutated to Cysteine (C) at position 294 of the SRF protein amino acid sequences.) of SRF (NM_003131.2) were identified. Western blotting and real-time PCR showed that there were no obvious differences between the protein expression and mRNA transcription of mutants and wild-type SRF. A dual luciferase reporter assay showed that both SRF mutants (G274D and G294C) impaired SRF transcriptional activity at the SRF promoter and atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) promoter (p<0.05), additionally, the mutants displayed reduced synergism with GATA4. Conclusion: These results suggest that SRF-p.G274D and SRF-p.G294C may have potential pathogenic effects.
Self-Analysis of Repeat Proteins Reveals Evolutionarily Conserved Patterns
Authors: Merski Matthew , Młynarczyk Krzysztof , Ludwiczak Jan , Skrzeczkowski Jakub , Dunin-Horkawicz Stanisław , Górna Maria W.
Published: April 2020

Background: Protein repeats can confound sequence analyses because the repetitiveness of their amino acid sequences lead to difficulties in identifying whether similar repeats are due to convergent or divergent evolution. We noted that the patterns derived from traditional “dot plot” protein sequence self-similarity analysis tended to be conserved in sets of related repeat proteins and this conservation could be quantitated using a Jaccard metric. Results: Comparison of these dot plots obviated the issues due to sequence similarity for analysis of repeat proteins. A high Jaccard similarity score was suggestive of a conserved relationship between closely related repeat proteins. The dot plot patterns decayed quickly in the absence of selective pressure with an expected loss of 50% of Jaccard similarity due to a loss of 8.2 % sequence identity. To perform method testing, we assembled a standard set of 79 repeat proteins representing all the subgroups in RepeatsDB. Comparison of known repeat and non-repeat proteins from the PDB suggested that the information content in dot plots could be used to identify repeat proteins from pure sequence with no requirement for structural information. Analysis of the UniRef90 database suggested that 16.9% of all known proteins could be classified as repeat proteins. These 13.3 million putative repeat protein chains were clustered and a significant amount (82.9%) of clusters containing between 5 and 200 members were of a single functional type.Conclusions: Dot plot analysis of repeat proteins attempts to obviate issues that arise due to the sequence degeneracy of repeat proteins. These results show that this kind of analysis can efficiently be applied to analyze repeat proteins on a large scale.
Tumor Characteristics and Treatment Outcomes of Older Patients with Breast Cancer in Jordan
Authors: Abdel-Razeq Hikmat , Rahman Fadwa Abdel , Al-Masri Hanan , Abdulelah Hazem , Nasser Mahmoud Abu , Salam Mourad , Taqash Ayat
Published: April 2020

Background: Less than 10% of newly diagnosed breast cancer cases in Jordan are diagnosed in women 70 years or older. Treatment plans of such patients is less clear and could result in poor outcomes. In this paper, we describe clinical presentation, tumor characteristics and treatment outcomes in this population of breast cancer patients.Methods: Consecutive patients aged 65 years or older with pathologically-confirmed diagnosis of breast cancer were included. Medical records and hospital databases were searched for patients’ characteristics and treatment outcomes.Results: A total of 553 patients, mean age ± SD (71± 5.1) years, were included. On presentation, 114 (20.6%) patients had metastatic disease and was mostly visceral (81; 71.1%). Patients with non-metastatic disease had poor pathological features including node-positive in 244 (55.6%), high grade (grade III) in 170 (38.7%) and lymphovascular invasion in 173 (39.4%). Patients were treated less aggressively; 144 (32.8%) patients with early-stage disease and 98 (86.0%) with metastatic disease never had chemotherapy. After a median follow up of 45 months, 5-year overall survival for the whole group was 67.6%. Survival was better for patients with non-metastatic disease (78.8% vs. 25.4%, P<0.001) and for those with node-negative compared to node-positive disease (85.4% vs. 74.1%, P=0.002). On Cox regression, only positive lymph nodes were associated with poor outcome in patients with non-metastatic disease (Hazard Ratio [HR], 1.75; 95% CI: 1.006-3.034, P=0.048).Conclusions: Older Jordanian patients with breast cancer present with more aggressive features and advanced-stage disease that reflect poorly on treatment outcomes. Older patients were treated less aggressively with less than a third received any chemotherapy.
Molecular detection of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus, Porcine Circovirus 2 and Hepatitis E Virus in oral fluid compared to their detection in faeces and serum
Authors: Plut Jan , Jamnikar-Ciglenecki Urska , Stukelj Marina
Published: April 2020

Background Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV), Porcine Circovirus Type 2 (PCV2) and Hepatitis E virus (HEV) are common and economically important viral disease causative agents detected in pig oral fluid (OF), faeces and serum at some infection stages. The purpose of this study was to detect PRRSV, PCV2 and HEV on six pig farms to determine which of the three sample types, OF, faeces or serum is appropriate for the diagnosis of these viruses in different pig categories. The following pig categories were included: 5 weeks-old (w/o), 7 w/o, 9 w/o, 11 w/o weaners, fatteners and breeding sows. Pursuant to the preliminary detection of each pathogen at the selected farms, OF samples, faeces, serum pools and 10 individual sera were examined, using PCR, for each age category. If any of the viruses were found in pools of faeces and OF, then faeces and OF from positive farms were tested separately for each pig category. The viral nucleic acids were detected using RT-PCR, PCR and real-time RT-PCR, for PRRSV, PCV2 and HEV respectively.Results PRRSV and HEV were detected on one farm and PCV2 on three others, positive results being more often obtained from the OF than from the faeces of the same animals. Ten individual serum samples from pigs from the same group of animals were also tested. The viruses were detected in almost all individual sera and OF in the same pig category with some exceptions: PRRSV was detected in the OF of fatteners but was absent in their sera; on Farm 2, PCV2 was detected in sera of 11 w/o pigs and fatteners but absent in group samples of their OF and, vice versa, in case of 9 w/o animals; HEV was detected in the OF of the youngest, 5 w/o weaners and absent in sera of the same age group.Conclusions The primary finding of the study is that OF is a welfare-friendly, non-invasive and highly efficient matrix for pathogen detection, thus evidencing the usefulness of pig OF as a matrix in which each of the three viruses considered can be detected with the highest probability.
Five Novel PRNP Gene Polymorphisms and Their Potential Effect on Scrapie Susceptibility in Three Native Ethiopian Sheep Breeds
Authors: Teferedegn Eden Yitna , Yaman Yalcin , Un Cemal
Published: April 2020

Background Classical scrapie susceptibility in sheep has been linked to three polymorphisms at codon 136, 154, and 171 in the prion protein gene (PRNP) whereas atypical scrapie susceptibility is related to polymorphisms at codon 141. Many other variants over the length of the PRNP have been reported. Some of the variants may play crucial roles in fighting against the emergence of a new form of scrapie disease. Scrapie surveillance, scrapie associated genotyping and PRNP characterization studies have been conducted across the globe. However, such in-depth studies have never addressed the African continent’s sheep breeds. Therefore, genotyping native Ethiopian sheep breed’s PRNP gene has socioeconomic and scientific merits. This study aimed to identify PRNP variants in three native Ethiopian sheep breeds and their potential effect on scrapie susceptibility. Results Five novel variants were identified in the PRNP gene of three native Ethiopian sheep breeds. Four non-synonymous heterozygous substitutions i.e. H99Q (CAC-->CAA), H99L (CAC-->CTA), A116E (GCA-->GAA), A116T (GCA-->ACA), and one synonymous N103N (AAC-->AAT) were detected. In addition to the novel variants, polymorphisms at codon 126,127,138,142,146,231, and 237 were also identified. The haplotype ARR was observed in Menz and Afar breeds at frequencies of 0.02 and 0.05 respectively. Neither ARR/ARR nor VRQ/VRQ genotypes were identified in the population under study. Conclusion Two of the novel variants at codon 99 and 103 that are placed closer to the proteinase K cleavage site and the variant at codon 116 in the palindrome region along with variants at codon 127 in glycine repeat domain may influence the conformational flexibility of prion protein. The rarity of ARR haplotype and the abundance of 141L variant demonstrated that the present study population was less resistant to classical scrapie and less predisposed to genotype associated atypical scrapie. This study provides a valuable dataset that can be potentially integrated into selective breeding strategies during interbreeding, crossbreeding and help to take precautionary measures against scrapie.
The effect of quitting water pipe during pregnancy on Anthropometric measurements at birth: a population-based prospective cohort study in South of Iran
Authors: Nematollahi Shahrzad , Holakouie-Naieni Koroush , Madani Abdolhossain , Shabkhiz Hossein , Torabi Elham , Lotfi Samaneh
Published: April 2020

Background: Evidence regarding health effects of tobacco cessation during pregnancy is mainly restricted to cigarette while water pipe is the preferred method of tobacco smoking among women in the Middle-East. The present ‎study aimed to assess the effects of cessation of water pipe during pregnancy on ‎birth anthropometric measures in the south of Iran.Methods: Data on 1,120 singleton pregnancies (response rate=93.4%) from a population-based prospective cohort study in suburban communities in Bandar Abbas city was used. Based on water pipe ‎smoking status, the study subjects were categorized into: 1) those who never smoke water pipe ‎‎(never smoker); 2)those who stopped water pipe during pregnancy and resumed it postpartum (quitters); 3) those who continued smoking water pipe during their pregnancy (always smokers). The ‎Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) were utilized for the analyses.Results: Compared to never smokers, quitting water pipe in pregnancy decreased mean birthweight of infants by 99.30 ‎grams (β:-99.30, 95%CI:-204.35,-5.75‎) and an additional decrease of 37.83 grams occurred in infants of always smokers (β:-137.13‎;95%CI:-262.21,-‎‎12.05‎). Means of birth length ‎did not significantly differ among the three water pipe groups. Means of head ‎circumference, however, significantly increased by 0.79 centimeter in infants of always smokers (β:079,95%CI:0.13,1.45). ‎Conclusion: Quitting water pipe during pregnancy had positive effects on infant growth, especially birth weight. Awareness campaigns about health benefits of quitting water pipe during routine prenatal checkups and integration of active follow-up visits into prenatal care protocols for smoking mothers are provided.
WITHDRAWN: High Failure Rate after Beta-tricalcium Phosphate Grafting for the Treatment of Femoral Head Osteonecrosis: a Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Liu Pei , Mu Xiao-hong , Yu Hua-chen , Jian-lei Guan , Liu Zhao-hui , Wang Wei-guo , Zhang Qi-dong , Guo Wanshou
Published: April 2020

Background: Non-vascularized bone grafting is a promising head-preserving technique for younger patients diagnosed as non-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head (NONFH). Among the various types of bone grafting techniques, “light-bulb” procedure grafting with synthetic bone substitute is an attractive option. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of using beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) for the treatment of pre-collapse and early post-collapse lesions NONFH.Methods: From April 2010 to June 2014, 33 patients (47 hips) with NONFH were treated using the afore-mentioned technique. The clinical and radiological outcomes were recorded and compared statistically between pre- and post-operation. Harris hip score (HHS) was used to evaluate the clinical results, and Association Research Circulation Osseous (ARCO) stage was applied to assess the radiological outcomes.Results: The 5-years survival rate of using β-TCP grafting was accounting for 25.5%. HHS was decreased from 78.47 to 52.87 points, and a very significant worsening of radiological results were revealed (P < 0.05). 2 hips collapsed more than 2 mm were awaiting for THA, and 33 of the 47 hips had converted to THAs in an average time to failure of 24.24 months postoperatively. Meanwhile, only 4 hips survived without collapse, and 8 hips collapsed less than 2 mm. After surgery, the time onset of head collapse was 3.65 months on average, and the first conversion to THA was performed at 5 months postoperative.Conclusions: Our results suggest that “light-bulb” procedure grafting with β-TCP sticks presented with a high failure rate in the early postoperative period. It is not proposed for the treatment of pre-collapse and early post-collapse lesions NONFH.
Reablement through time and space: A scoping review of how the concept of ‘reablement’ for older people has been defined and operationalised
Authors: Clotworthy Amy , Kusumastuti Sasmita , Westendorp Rudi GJ
Published: April 2020

Background: While the field of rehabilitation has determined a common definition of professional practice, legislators and healthcare professionals in various Western countries have been struggling to reach consensus about how the newer offer of ‘reablement’ should be organised, operationalised, and understood as a health service for older adults. International research indicates that a great deal of confusion, ambiguity, and disagreement has arisen regarding the terminology and the structure of these programmes, and they may not be adequately supporting older people. Could a clarification of the concept help reablement become more effective in theory and in practice?Methods: We conducted a qualitative and quantitative scoping review to determine how reablement has developed through time and space. Eligible articles (n=86) had to focus on any of the defined features of current reablement programmes; there were no restrictions on study designs or publication dates. In articles published from 1947–2019, we identified themes and patterns, commonalities, and differences in how various countries described and defined reablement. We also performed an analysis using computer software to construct and visualise term maps based on significant words extracted from the article abstracts.Results: The fundamental principles of reablement have a long history. However, these programmes have undergone a widespread expansion since the early 2000s with an intention to reduce costs related to providing long-term care services and in-home assistance to growing older populations. As reablement programmes have developed internationally, they have begun to overemphasise training older people to (re)gain their skills and confidence in maintaining or improving functional ability related to activities of daily living (ADLs). Conclusions: Reablement programmes are fundamentally intended to be person-centred and should support older people in attaining their self-defined goals to be both more physically independent at home and socially involved in their communities. However, the rapid implemention of these programmes without clear evidence for the full scope of their potential effects and impact means that they may not adequately consider older people’s own goals. A continued lack of agreement about what reablement is (and what it should achieve) may lead to ineffective programmes and unclear guidance on which outcomes to measure.
Understanding transmission and control of the pork tapeworm with CystiAgent: a spatially explicit agent-based model
Authors: Pray Ian Wright , Wakeland Wayne , Pan William , Lambert William E. , Garcia Hector H. , Gonzalez Armando E. , O’Neal Seth E.
Published: April 2020

Background The pork tapeworm ( Taenia solium ) is a serious public health problem in rural low-resource areas of Latin America, Africa, and Asia, where the associated conditions of nuerocysticercosis (NCC) and porcine cysticercosis cause substantial health and economic harms. An accurate and validated transmission model for T. solium would serve as an important new tool for control and elimination, as it would allow for comparison of available intervention strategies, and prioritization of the most effective strategies for control and elimination efforts. Methods We developed a spatially-explicit agent-based model (ABM) for T. solium (“CystiAgent”) that differs from prior T. solium models by including a spatial framework and behavioral parameters such as pig roaming, open human defecation, and human travel. In this article, we introduce the structure and function of the model, describe the data sources used to parameterize the model, and apply sensitivity analyses (Latin hypercube sampling–partial rank correlation coefficient (LHS-PRCC)) to evaluate model parameters. Results LHS-PRCC analysis of CystiAgent found that the parameters with the greatest impact on model uncertainty were the roaming range of pigs, the infectious duration of human taeniasis, use of latrines, and the set of “tuning” parameters defining the probabilities of infection in humans and pigs given exposure to T. solium. Conclusions CystiAgent is a novel ABM that has the ability to model spatial and behavioral features of T. solium transmission not available in other models. There is a small set of impactful model parameters that contribute uncertainty to the model and may impact the accuracy of model projections. Field and laboratory studies to better understand these key components of transmission may help reduce uncertainty, while current applications of CystiAgent may consider calibration of these parameters to improve model performance. These results will ultimately allow for improved interpretation of model validation results, and usage of the model to compare available control and elimination strategies for T. solium .
A Policy Analysis of the National Phenylketonuria Screening Program in Iran
Authors: Heidari Alireza , Arab Mohammad , Damari Behzad
Published: April 2020

Background Phenylketonuria (PKU) screening is a public health measure taken to diagnose and treat the patients with PKU to prevent severe neurological disorders in them. The present study was aimed at analyzing the policies of the national PKU screening (NaPS) program in Iran. Methods PKU screening program policies were analyzed in compliance with the policy triangle model. Document review and 38 semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. Document review data were analyzed using content analysis, and interview data were analyzed using framework analysis. Results The national PKU screening (NaPS) program was a decision made at the genetics department of Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME) in Iran. Many internal and external stakeholders were involved in it and valid evidence was used to formulate the policies. Despite some opposition and insufficient support, the program was implemented due to the continuous persistence of parents, interested executives, formulated valid content and a top-down approach. The main barriers included rapid substitution of managers, shortage of Phe-free milk, little awareness of patients’ families, social stigma, and inadequate co-operation of some hospital administrators. Conclusions The policy triangle framework contributed to explaining the different components of the PKU screening program. A successful PKU screening program requires more stability of senior managers in MOHME, enough human resources and Phe-free milk, educating patients’ families, and commitment of hospitals administrators. Meanwhile, all the stakeholders need to be involved in the program effectively.
A Surgical Reduction Technique for Posterior Cruciate Ligament Avulsion Fracture in Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Comparison Study
Authors: Lin Wei , Niu Jinghui , Dai Yike , Zhang Huaxing , Zhu Jing , Wang Fei
Published: April 2020

Background: Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) avulsion fracture of tibia is an uncommon but serious complication during primary cruciate retaining total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The first objective of this report was to conduct a retrospective cohort study to investigate the incidence and potential risk factors of PCL avulsion fracture in primary cruciate-retaining TKA. The second objective was to assess the functional outcomes of the knee after reduction of PCL avulsion fracture.Methods: From January 2014 to January 2016, 56 patients who experienced PCL avulsion fracture of tibia in primary cruciate-retaining TKA were included in study group. Patients in this group underwent reduction of avulsion fracture. In this period, we selected 224 patients (control group) for comparison. Patients in this group also underwent the same TKA but no PCL avulsion fracture occurred. Range of motion of the knee and Knee Society Scores were assessed. The forgotten joint score was used to analyze the ability to forget the joint. Differences were considered statistically significant at p < 0.05.Results: In our series, the incidence of PCL avulsion fracture was 4.6%. There was no significant differences with regard to preoperative or postoperative range of motion of the knee (p > 0.05). At the final follow-up of 4 years, the mean clinical scores of study and control groups were 92.4±2.7 and 93.6±1.9, respectively (p > 0.05). The mean functional scores were 85.1±1.8 and 87.1±1.2, respectively (p > 0.05). There was no significant statistical difference with regard to forgotten joint score (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The incidence of PCL avulsion fracture of tibia is relatively high. Older age and female gender were two risk factors of fracture in primary cruciate-retaining TKA. Reduction of PCL avulsion fracture with high-strength line can achieve good stability and function of the knee.