bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correlation between the growth and development of extremely preterm infants in intensive care units and the intestinal microecology
Authors: Ding Ying-xue , Wang Shou-ni , Cui Hong
Published: November 2020

Objective: To study the association between the growth and development of extremely preterm infants at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and their intestinal microfloraMethods: Extremely low gestational age infants admitted to the NICU were included in this study. The subjects were divided into the extrauterine growth retardation (EUGR) group and normal growth group, and the growth and development were evaluated at 2 and 4 weeks after birth. Meanwhile, the stool samples were taken to perform high throughput 16S rRNA sequencing of the intestinal microflora.Results: A total of 22 infants were included. There was no significant difference in the alpha diversity indexes the two groups at 2 weeks or 4 weeks after birth. The beta diversity analysis showed that the principal components of the intestinal microflora were similar between the two groups. LEfSe analysis showed that after 2 weeks of birth, the items with an absolute LDA higher than 4 included Streptococcaceae, Streptococcus, Bacteroidetes, Bacteroidales and Stenotrophomonas in the EUGR group and Enterococcaceae and Enterococcus in the control group. At the 4th week after birth, the items with an absolute LDA higher than 3 in the EUGR group included Clostriaceae, Eubacteriaceae and Eubacterium. The microbial community composition comparison showed significant differences in the principle components of Enterococcus and Streptococcus on the family and genus levels.Conclusion: The diversity and richness of the intestinal microflora in preterm infants at the NICU are significantly insufficient, and the establishment of intestinal homeostasis is obviously delayed, which may cause growth retardation.
Fabrication of New Generation of Nanocomposite Ceramic Coatings on Magnesium Alloys for Orthopedic Applications
Authors: Kolooshani Amin , Kolahdooz Amin , Khandan Amirsalar
Published: November 2020

properties such as biocompatibility and proper bioactivity response. The aim of the present study was to investigate the bioactivity of wollastonite-hydroxyapatite (WS-HA) bio-nanocomposite for the treatment of orthopedic prosthesis coatings approaches by adding magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4; MNPs) and single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) to the matrix. Bio-nanocomposite coated on AZ91 for 40 minutes at 40 volts using electrophoretic deposition (EPD) and after that the heat treatment performed at 550-650°C for 1 hour. The coats were incubated in simulated body fluid (SBF) and phosphate buffer saline (PBS) for 28 days to detect and confirm apatite-like layer formation. X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscope (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques were used to characterize the phase and morphology of the coated sample. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) tests were used to evaluate the concentrations of calcium and silicon ions. The finding from the present study showed the successful coating with 10 wt% MNPs added to the WS bio-nanocomposite with proper biological and chemical properties. Bio-nanocomposite coating can be considered as a suitable candidate for orthopedic coating applications due to its favorable bioactivity.
Endoscopic Ear Surgery for the Management of Traumatic Ossicular Disruption with Intact Tympanic Membrane
Authors: Zhang Chunlin , Long Dan , Deng Yuan , Ynag Mei , Guo Dandan , Liu Zhaohui
Published: November 2020

Background Traumatic ossicular disruption (TOD) usually had a severe conductive hearing loss, the exploratory tympanotomy is critical for the diagnosis and improve hearing. Endoscopic ear surgery (EES) is becoming popular in the last decade, we conducted a retrospective study to explore the efficacy of EES for management of TOD and the accompanied injuries.Methods A retrospective study was performed on 18 ears (16 patients) of TOD with intact TM from May 2017 to Jun 2019 in our department. EES was conducted to check the ossicular chain anomalies, and to perform the ossiculoplasty and facial nerve (FN) decompression depending on the intraoperative findings. Hearing outcomes and surgical complications were assessed at 6 months postoperatively. Results The incus injury was the most common type of TOD, which was observed in 14 ears (77.8%), stapes suprastructure fracture was observed in 4 ears (22.2%). FN injury was found in 4 out of 13 ears with temporal bone fracture (TBF), the injury sites were mainly located in the perigeniculate area and the tympanic segment of FN. It showed the postoperative average pure-tone average (PTA) gain was 22.9 ± 9.5 dB, and the average ABG closure was 22.2 ± 8.3 dB, ABG closure to 20 dB or less and ABG closure to 10 dB or less were achieved in 18 ears (100%) and 14 ears (77.8%), respectively. The facial function achieved favorable recovery of House-Brackmann (H-B) grade Ⅰ (3 ears) and grade Ⅱ (1 ear) in all the 4 cases in 6 months after surgery. No iatrogenic FN paralysis and significant sensorineural hearing loss were observed. Conclusions ESS was effective in diagnosis and management of TOD and the accompanied otologic injuries, such as FN paralysis, it showed favorable surgical outcomes. ESS provides an alternative method to manage TOD with the advantage of excellent vision and less invasion.
Clinical Retrospective Analysis of Critically Severe Necrotizing Fasciitis
Authors: YU XIAOPING , GUO ZHENG , LIU JUN , WU JIAN , ZHOU JUNLI
Published: November 2020

BackgroundToexploretheclinicaldiagnosisandtreatmentoffatalnecrotizingfasciitis.MethodsRetrospective analysis of simple data from January 1, 2014 to November 1, 2019, on the clinical data of the Department of Burns, Gansu Provincial People's Hospital, and the diagnosis and treatment methods were discussed.ResultsThe usual causes of necrosis and fasciitis are as follows. 1. Small trauma such as mosquito bites, pressure sores, and local trauma; 2. Patients suffering from minor trauma did not receive regular treatment in time, and only went to the hospital when local redness, pain, and dysfunction occurred, and were misdiagnosed as cellulitis;3. When a paraplegic patient has a Sacrococcygeal pressure ulcer and has whole-body fever or low-grade fever, and there is inflammation around the pressure ulcer, and redness and swelling spread to one lower limb or both lower limbs, necrotizing fasciitis should be highly suspected; 4. Patients’ wounds cannot be debrided in a timely and effective manner. Generally, inexperienced doctors have incomplete incision and drainage, which causes necrosis to continue to spread along the fascia to the distal limbs.Conclusion1. The diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis mainly depends on clinical manifestations, and early diagnosis is the key; 2. When the patient has local trauma with local inflammation, and fever or hypothermia throughout the body, necrotizing fasciitis should be highly suspected, and the differential diagnosis should be made with cellulitis. When it is difficult to distinguish, a diagnostic surgical incision can be performed; 3. The operation should be thorough, fully cut and drained to avoid necrosis spreading to the distal limbs along the fascial space; 4. Necrotizing fasciitis should be systemic comprehensive treatment, rational use of antibiotics, correction of water and electrolyte disorders, early active and thorough debridement, and effective sealing of the wound.
Prevalence of Peripheral Neuropathic Pain among Adult Diabetic Patients (T2DM) with Peripheral Neuropathy and Quality of Life of the Patients with Peripheral Neuropathic Pain
Authors: Abu-Shennar Jawad Ahmad , Bayraktar Nurhan , Bebis Hatice
Published: November 2020

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP) among adult patients suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) as well as to determine the quality of life of patients with DPNP.Materials and method: The study designed in cross-sectional research model was conducted at the Jordanian Ministry of Health in Jordan, Amman during the period from 15 June 2019 to 5 October 2019. A total of 400 adult T2DM patients with DNP were recruited for the study. Data were collected by way of an assessment tool package, including descriptive data (demographics, anthropometric measurements, laboratory measurements, and clinical data), the Douleur Neuropathique4 (DN4) questionnaire, physical exam, Quality of Life Questionnaire (EQ-5D), and Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NRS). To analyze study data descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Results: Results of the current study showed that the prevalence of DPNP among adult T2DM patients with DPN was high (47.8%). About half of the participants had mild or moderate pain with the most frequently reported symptoms of tingling and burning. Uncontrolled diabetes was found to be the main predictor of DPNP among patients with DPN. Participants who had DPNP reported having problems in connection with mobility, self-care, routine activities, discomfort, and anxiety or/and depression, and they had a significantly lower quality of life with poorer self-rated health status than those without DPNP. Besides, the effect of pain on their quality of life was found to be significant. Conclusion: The study recommends, in accordance with the results, that strategies should be developed for an effective management of painful DPN with an integrated and interdisciplinary approach. Current clinical guideline recommendations should be followed to improve patient care and reduce the burden of the disease.
Work Productivity is Associated With Disease Activity and Functional Ability in Chinese Patients With Axial Spondyloarthritis Using A Smart-Phone Management System: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Wang Yanyan , Liu Xiaofei , Chen Wenji , Mo Shiyan , Ji Xiaojian , Tang Jun , Huang Feng
Published: November 2020

Background: Axial spondyloarthritis usually affects young people and often leads to disability. We used the interactive mobile health tool to evaluate clinical characteristics and loss of work efficiency in China, and to analyze the association between the clinical characteristics and work disability in patients with axial spondyloarthritis.Methods: In total, 1187 patients with axial spondyloarthritis were included. Demographic properties, pharmacotherapy, disease activity, functionality and spinal mobility were studied and compared in both work disability and non- work disability patients. Logistic regressions were used to investigate the associations between the risk of work disability and clinical characteristics. The relationships between Work Productivity and Activity Impairment scores and clinical characteristics were assessed using Spearman correlation coefficients. Results: Of the participants, 60 or 5.05% were unemployed. The predictive factors for the occurrence of work disability were suffering from inflammatory bowel disease, higher Physician’s global assessment and higher Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society health index (ASASHI) scores (OR value was 3.35, 1.32 and 1.45 respectively). Absenteeism, presenteeism, overall work impairment and activity impairment in all employed patients were 10.40%, 23.53%, 30.57% and 25.35% respectively. Factors significantly associated with higher presenteeism, overall work impairment and activity impairment loss were Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index, Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score, ASASHI, nocturnal pain, total back pain, and Patient’s global assessment (r >0.5), while non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs treatment were significantly associated with a lower absenteeism loss. An increased ASDAS score was related to a decrease in work productivity.Conclusions: We used a Smart-Phone Management System to determine that axial spondyloarthritis had a significant influence on working conditions in China, and that the factors related to the disease had a significant correlation with the risk and severity of lost work productivity. SpAMS is found be a time- and cost-saving disease management tool which can help patients with AS independently manage their disease and provide valuable data to their clinicians.
Species Diversity and Entomological Inoculation Rate of Anophelines Mosquitoes in an Epidemic Prone Areas of Bure District, Northwestern Ethiopia
Authors: Wassie Tilahun Adugna , Gebru Delensaw Yewhelew , Degaga Emana Emana Getu (Prof.)
Published: November 2020

Background: Malaria is the leading health problem in Ethiopia. The country has been prevented malaria vectors mostly using long-lasting insecticide-treated nets, the application of indoor residual spraying chemicals, and source reductions. Before interventions, identifying the responsible malaria vector in disease transmission (sporozoite rate) is very vital; hence, the present study was designed to assess species diversity and entomological inoculation rate of Anopheles mosquito in Bure district, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods: Adult mosquitoes were collected from July 2015 to June 2016 using the center for disease control and prevention light traps, pyrethrum spray catches, and artificial pit shelters. Mosquitoes were morphologically identified. Following this, An. gambiae s.l was identified molecularly. Head-thorax sporozoite infectivity of the adult female Anopheles mosquitoes was assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results: Morphologically, nine species of the genus Anopheles were identified in the three villages, composed of Anopheles demeilloni, An. arabiensis, An. funestus, An. coustani, An. squamosus, An. cinereus, An. pharoensis, An. rupicolus, and An. natalensis. Of these species, An. demeilloni was the most predominant, whereas An. cinereus, An. rupicolus and An. natalensis were the least representative species (p < 0.0001). Greater number of adult Anopheles mosquitoes were collected in Shnebekuma, non-irrigated villages than non- irrigated village (Workmidr) and irrigated village (Bukta) (p < 0.0001). The overall Plasmodium infective rate (P. falciparum and P. vivax) in the district was 0.31%. The overall annual sporozoite rate in non-irrigated villages (Shnebekuma and Workmidr) was 0.35%, whereas zero in irrigated village (Bukta). The overall estimated EIR of Anopheles mosquitoes was 5.7 infectious bites /person /year for both P. falciparum and P. vivax in the district. The annual EIR Anopheles species in non-irrigated villages was 5.65 ib/p/y, which was higher than irrigated village (0 ib/p/y). Conclusions: Both the primary (An. arabiensis) and secondary (An. funestus and An. pharoensis) malaria vectors of Ethiopia were identified in the three villages. Three of Anopheles species, An. arabiensis, An. funestus, and An. coustani were found to be infected only in irrigated villages. Source reduction and proper usage of long-lasting insecticide nets and indoor residual spraying could be implemented in the non- irrigated villages to cut the vector abundance and EIR.
Long non-coding RNA AFAP1-AS1 promotes tumor progression and invasion by regulating the miR-2110/Sp1 axis in triple negative breast cancer
Authors: Zhang Xiaohui , Li Fangyuan , Zhou Yidong , Mao Feng , Lin Yan , Shen Songjie , Li Yuntao , Zhang Sheng , Sun Qiang
Published: November 2020

Background: LncRNAs have been proved to be involved in the proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, migration and other pathological processes of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). And the expression level of LncRNA AFAP1-AS1 in TNBC was found to be significantly higher than that in other subtypes and normal tissue samples, but the specific mechanism of LncRNA AFAP1-AS1 affecting the occurrence and development of TNBC needs to be revealed.Methods: Cell Counting Kit-8 assays, colony formation assays, wound-healing migration, transwell invasion assays and nude mouse xenograft assays were used to confirm the role of LncRNA AFAP1-AS1 in the proliferation, migration of TNBC cells in vitro and in vivo. Bioinformatics analyses, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blot, and dual-luciferase assays were performed to confirm the interaction between between LncRNA AFAP1-AS1, miR-2110 and Sp1.Results: In the present study, the silencing of AFAP1-AS1 and Sp1 or the upregulation of miR-2110 would result in the suppression of proliferation, migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells in vitro as well as tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, the dual-luciferase reporter assay highlighted that AFAP1-AS1 functioned as a miR-2110 sponge to increase Sp1 expression. AFAP1-AS1 silencing led to a reduction in Sp1 mRNA and protein levels, which could be reverse by the joint transfection of miR-2110 inhibitor.Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated that AFAP1-AS1 acts as a miR-2110 sponge in TNBC cells, resulting in the regulation of Sp1 expression. And the AFAP1-AS1/miR-2110/Sp1 axis modulated the proliferation, migration and invasion of breast cancer cells and affected the tumorigenesis in mice.
CREB-TFDP3 Promotes Prostate Carcinoma Cell Growth by Inhibiting E2F1-Dependent Apoptosis
Authors: Li Rui , Yang Liu , An Yinghong , Dong Lei , Wang Juan , Hao Xiaoke , Ma Yueyun
Published: November 2020

BackgroundThe cAMP-responsive element-binding protein (CREB) is a transcription factor that controls cell differentiation and survival. CREB is overexpressed and constitutively phosphorylated in several human cancers, including prostate cancer (PCa). However, the regulation of CREB in PCa remains to be deciphered. We previously demonstrated that TFDP3 negatively regulates E2F1 transactivation, which is important in PCa carcinogenesis. And 5 CREB binding sites were found in the upstream of TFDP3 promoter.MethodsLuciferase and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were used to determine the association between CREB and TFDP3. Immunohistochemical staining and immuno-cytofluorescence assays were performed to determine the expression of CREB and TFDP3 in a prostate cancer tissue microarray and cell lines. Cell lines stably expressing the wild-type, overexpression or knockout of CREB and TFDP3 were established. The protein expression of CREB and TFDP3 were detected by western blot analysis. CCK-8, TUNEL staining and cell cycle analysis were used to analyze the proliferation and apoptosis of the stable cell lines in vitro. The tumor growths were evaluated using nude mice xenograft models.ResultsOur results demonstrated that CREB could bind to the TFDP3 promoter and induce the transcription of TFDP3. Both CREB and TFDP3 were highly expressed in the androgen-independent cell line PC3 and prostate cancer tissues. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo assays demonstrated that overexpression of CREB could promote cell proliferation and inhibit apoptosis in PC3 cell lines as determined using cell CCK-8 assays, flow cytometry, and western blotting assays. Knockout of CREB in PC3 cells resulted in a reduction in tumorigenicity in nude mouse xenograft models. Notably, the overexpression of CREB/TFDP3 in the LNCap cell line increased the progression of G1 cells to S phase, while knockout of CREB/TFDP3 arrested LNCaP AI+F cells at the G1 phase. Conclusions﻿Taken together, our results suggested that CREB/TFDP3/E2F1 was involved in the pathogenesis of PCa. This provides novel insights into the mechanism of androgen-resistance in PCa.
Disaster Preparedness Should Represent an Augmentation of the Everyday Trauma System – But Are We Prepared?
Authors: Jørgensen Jørgen Joakim , Monrad-Hansen Peter Wiel , Gaarder Christine , Næss Paal Aksel
Published: November 2020

Background The increased frequency, geographical spread and the heterogenicity in mass casualty incidents (MCI), challenge healthcare systems worldwide. Trauma systems constitute the base for disaster preparedness. The largest MCI in Norway took place 22 July 2011 and several lessons were learnt. Norway is sparsely populated, with four regional trauma centers (TCs) and 35 hospitals treating trauma (non-trauma centers; NTCs). We wanted to assess whether hospitals fill the national trauma system requirements for competence, and the degree of awareness of MCI plans.Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey of on-call trauma teams in all 39 hospitals during two time periods: July-August (HS; holiday season) and September-June (NHS; non-holiday season). A standardized questionnaire was used to evaluate the MCI preparedness.Results A total of 347 trauma team members participated (173 during HS and 174 during NHS). Over 95% of the team members were aware of the MCI plan, half had read the plan during the last 6 months, whereas 63% at the TCs and 74% at NTCs were confident with their designated MCI role. Trauma team exercises were conducted regularly and 86% had ever participated. Only 63% at the TCs and 53% at the NTCs had participated in an MCI exercise. The proportion of resident surgeons and anesthetists with >4 years clinical experience was significantly higher in TCs (88% and 63%) than in NTCs (27% and 17%). At NTCs 38% of the resident surgeons were on call from home. All the on-call consultant surgeons were at home, leaving interns in charge at several of the hospitals. All resident surgeons at the TCs were ATLS providers compared to 64% at the NTCs and almost 90% of the consultant surgeons had participated in advanced trauma surgical courses. Conclusion Despite increased national focus on disaster preparedness, we identified limited compliance with trauma system requirements concerning competency and training. Strict guidelines to secure immediate notification and early presence of consultants whenever a situation that might turn into an MCI occurs should be a prerequisite. The awareness and content of existing MCI plans should be continuously improved to be able to meet the challenges of future MCIs.
Implementing Circular Economy Concept by Converting Cassava Pulp and Wastewater to Biogas for Sustainable Production in Starch Industry
Authors: Lerdlattaporn Ruenrom , Phalakornkule Chantaraporn , Trakulvichean Sivalee , Songkasiri Warinthorn
Published: November 2020

This research integrated the circular economy (CE) concept in the cassava starch industry in Thailand, and revealed the benefits of biogas generation from both the wastewater and waste cassava pulp with a focus on the identification and analysis of the key drivers and challenges to increase the efficiency of the biogas system. The research methodology applied the CE concept for scenarios of cassava pulp utilization for biogas production, compared to the no waste treatment and anaerobic wastewater treatment scenarios, in termsof an economic assessment, resource efficiency, water recovery, land use, and global warming potential. Proposed options mainly involved the conservation of energy, water, land use, and reduction of greenhouse gases emissions. These included the reuse and recycling of water and use of biogas to substitute for fuel oil for burners and electricity in the cassava starch production process.
Noninvasive, Accurate Diagnosis of Chronic Liver Diseases Using Whole-Transcriptome Profiling of Platelets
Authors: Wu Huikun , Chen Gang , Zhang Tianyuan , Xiao Mingzhong , Xia Ye , Han Miaojun , Lee Liam C. , Su Hao , Qiu Xin , Wang Ying , Tao Junxiu , Shao Zuoyu , Zhang Xudong , Chen Min , Niu Yan , Lu Chenxia , Teng Hongli , Li Xiaodong , Song Chi
Published: November 2020

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most serious tumor in the world. It generally undergoes a series of processes from HBV infection, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and HCC from early to late stages. Patients could benefit from early detection of chronic liver diseases (CLD). Tumor-Educated Platelets play an important role in tumor progression, which maybe a potential biomarker for CLD early diagnosis. Here, we developed a noninvasive liquid biopsy technique using platelet RNA for the early screening of patients with liver diseases. Methods: This study included a total of 163 individuals, including 50 healthy individuals, 39 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients, 40 liver cirrhosis (LC) and 34 patients with HCC. Blood was collected before initiation of treatment. Platelet RNA-Seq combined with Support Vector Machine (SVM), was used for the first time to distinguish the different stages of CLD in Asian patients.Results: Developed diagnostic model could distinguished with 92.4% accuracy between 34 HCC and 50 healthy, 89.92% accuracy between 34 patients HCC and 129 non-cancer individuals, and 83.67% between 50 healthy and 113 CLD. Across four different individual types, the accuracy of distinction (healthy/chronic hepatitis B/liver cirrhosis/hepatocellular carcinoma) was 65.31%. This model was internally validated, resulting in optimism-corrected AUC's of 86.8%.Conclusions: Our data indicate that the developed platelet RNA-Seq is a valuable platform for the diagnosis of CLD, providing an effective solution for its diagnosis.
Are MOOCs a Good Strategy for Democratizing Access to Health Knowledge? Insights from an Implementation Evaluation
Authors: Torres Pilar , Eguiluz Itzel , Guerra German , Magaña-Valladares Laura , Salgado-de-Snyder V. Nelly
Published: November 2020

Background: Offering widespread access to training, massive open online courses (MOOCs) are regarded in the literature as a tool for democratizing knowledge. However, to be universal they must be culturally contextualized and have access to broadband Internet with adequate connectivity. Aiming to strengthen capacities in low- and middle-income countries, the SDH-Net multicenter consortium created a 10-hour MOOC specifically designed to enhance understanding of the social determinants of health (SDH). Methods: This is crucial for tackling health inequalities through public policy. Using a mixed methods approach, we evaluated the implementation of the SDH-Net MOOC from the perspective of e-literacy, Internet connectivity, course contents and instructional design: we administered a questionnaire to a pilot group of 29 course participants from Brazil, Colombia, Kenya, Mexico, South Africa and Tanzania, and conducted semi-structured interviews with a subset of 15 individuals who had completed the course. Results: While participants in general considered the content of the course adequate, those who were not English speakers found certain instructions somewhat unclear and 55% of respondents experienced difficulties with Internet connectivity and speed. Therefore, a key finding of this study was that binomial e-literacy-technological access play a major role in enrollment in, and completion of MOOCs. Conclusions: Course design is reflected in all course elements, such as the definition of competencies, instructional objectives, learning activities using multimedia resources and evaluations for each thematic unit, and these are central to the acceptability and effectiveness of MOOCs. These results shed light on the discussion regarding the function of MOOCs as a tool for democratizing knowledge and cast doubts on their usefulness in mainstreaming global health knowledge.
Effects of Stocking Density and FeedingfFrequency on the Growth Performance, Digestive Enzyme Activity, and Tissues Histology of Hybrid Grouper (Epinephelus Fuscoguttatus♀×E. Lanceolatus♂)
Authors: Chen Yan , Huang Hai , Ma Jun , Liu Wenkan , Zhong Honggan , Zhang Jiechao , Zhong Jiaohao , Ye Feng , Li Chengcai , Wang Xiaomei , Xu Chenxi , Zhu Jiajie
Published: November 2020

A 6-week 5×2 factorial study was conducted to examine the effects of stocking density and feeding frequency on growth performance, body composition, digestive enzyme activity, and tissue histology of juvenile hybrid groupers raised in an indoor circulating water system. Triplicate groups of fish were reared in tanks following a factorial design consisting of ten treatments including 5 stocking densities (SD) [1.1 kg m−3(0.55 kg fish per tank, SD1.1), 2.2 kg m-3(1.1 kg fish per tank, SD2.2), 3.3 kg m−3(1.65 kg fish per tank, SD3.3), 4.4 kg m−3(2.2 kg fish per tank, SD4.4) and 5.5 kg m−3(2.75 kg fish per tank, SD 5.5)] and 2 feeding frequencies (FF) [3 meals a day (FF3) and 2 meals a day (FF2)]. The resulting 10 treatments were G1(SD1.1,FF3), G2(SD2.2,FF3), G3(SD3.3,FF3), G4(SD4.4,FF3), G5(SD5.5,FF3), G6(SD1.1,FF2), G7(SD2.2, FF2), G8(SD3.3, FF2), G9(SD4.4, FF2) andG10 (SD5.5, FF2). Feed consumption and temperature were recorded throughout the experiment. After 6 weeks, the results indicated that the weight gain rate (WGR) and specific growth rate (SGR) of fish in the G7 group were significantly higher than those of other groups (P< 0.05), followed by G1, with G3 being the lowest. Weight gain and specific growth rates were generally higher in fish fed twice a day than those fed three times a day. The variations in protein content between groups were consistent with the muscle protein content trends. Feeding frequency and stocking density had significant effects on serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), triglycerides (TGs), and cholesterol (CHO) (P < 0.05). Regarding immune function, grouper albumin (ALB), serum lysozyme (LZY), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and alkaline phosphatase (AKP) were significantly affected by stocking density and feeding frequency (P< 0.05). Pepsin and lipase activities in the stomach, intestine, and liver were also affected. The histological structure of the stomach, liver, and intestine in G1, G2, G7, and G8 fish was relatively normal, whereas those of the remaining groups exhibited varying degrees of damage. Overall, the optimum stocking densities were 1.343 kg/m3 (approximately 10 fish) and 2.004 kg/m3 (approximately 20-30 fish) when the fish were fed 3 and 2 times per day, respectively.
Quality Blues: An Assessment of Cultural and Chemical Factors Used to Define Indigo Quality in China
Authors: Shi Yuru , Zhang Libin , Wang Lu , Li Shan , Qiu Zuchuan , Ding Xiaoyong , wang yuhua
Published: November 2020

Background: The appearance of synthetic indigo has caused most people to forget the past brilliance of natural indigo. However, in parts of southern China, the folk still use and trade in natural indigo paste. The aims of this study were to i) document the traditional knowledge and experience of how people identify the quality of indigo paste and ii) explore the rationality of the quality judgment index used by local people.Method: We interviewed 283 traditional indigo paste artisans in 3 markets and 15 villages in Guizhou, Yunnan, and Fujian Provinces. Frequency of citation (FC), Mention index (QI), and Fidelity level (FL) of each indigo paste quality judgment index were calculated to determine the most commonly used, most recognized, and most important quality judgment index. A quantitative study was conducted on 21 indigo paste samples of different quality grades using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD), an acidity meter, and particle size analyzer. The relationship between the content of the effective components, pH, and particle size of the indigo paste and quality was explored. Results: The people divided indigo paste into five quality grades i.e., best, good, general, poor, and worst. Four main quality judgment indices were color, taste, touch, and dyeing ability. Among all study areas, color was the most commonly used, most important, and most recognized index. Effective ingredient content and pH differed significantly with different quality graded indigo pastes, but there was no significance difference between particle size and quality. In addition to indigo, indirubin played an important role in identifying the quality of indigo paste.Conclusion: Our study confirmed that the quality of indigo paste could be evaluated using the four indices (color, taste, touch, and dyeing ability). The people used indigo and indirubin content together to determine the quality of the indigo paste, while synthetic indigo is determined by indigo content only. The simple knowledge and experience of traditional folk has guiding significance for the modern development of indigo paste production.
Challenges in the Diagnostic Performance of Parasitological and Molecular Tests in the Detection of African Trypanosomiasis in Cattle in Mambwe District in Eastern Zambia
Authors: Mulenga Gloria , Namangala Boniface , Chilongo Kalinga , Mubamba Chrisborn , Hayashida Kyoko , Henning Lars , Gummow Bruce
Published: November 2020

Background: Trypanosomiasis is a Neglected Tropical Disease with serious health and economic implications. Disease eradication and control programs rely on active case detection through mass population screening. Screening tools and techniques therefore need to be adequately sensitive, practically quick to perform, and affordable. This study compared the field application of the polymerase chain reaction, the loop mediated isothermal amplification technique, and microscopy, in the detection of trypanosomes in cattle blood in Mambwe district in eastern Zambia. Methods: Blood samples were collected from 227 cattle into three heparinised micro capillary tubes, and tested for trypanosomiasis infection using microscopy, ITS-PCR and RIME-LAMP. The comparative diagnostic performance of each of the methods was evaluated using the chi-square test, kappa test and receive operator curves. Results: Microscopy on buffy coat detected 17 cases (n=227), by thin smears detected 26 cases (n=227), and by thick smears detected 28 cases (n=227). In total, microscopy detected 40 cases (n=227). ITS-PCR- on blood spots stored on filter paper detected 47 cases (n=227), ITS-PCR- on blood spots stored on FTA cards detected 83 cases (n=227) and RIME-LAMP-FTA detected 18 cases (n = 131). Using microscopy as gold standard, sensitivity and specificity of ITS-PCR was compared. ITS-PCR-FTA had a better specificity and sensitivity (SE=77.5%; SP=72.2%; k = 0.35) than ITS-PCR-FP (SP = 88%; SE = 60%; kappa = 0.45). Prevalence of Trypanosoma brucei s.l. was higher on RIME-LAMP-FTA (18/131) than ITS-PCR-FTA (19/227). Conclusion: Our results are not perfect but are a good illustration of the current diagnostic challenges in rural Africa. Findings showed that none of the diagnostic tests could be taken as having performed better than the others and that each of the tests offered some advantages and limitations. In endemic rural areas of Africa, the use of PCR and LAMP requires specialised staff, laboratory supplies and infrastructure which is often not available. For this reason, microscopy remains the most practical option for field diagnosis of trypanosomes but understanding its limitations is critical particularly when applied for surveillance purposes.
Mining the Roles of Wheat (Triticum Aestivum) SnRK Gene Family in Biotic and Abiotic Responses
Authors: Song Jinghan , He Yiqin , Yin Junliang , Huang Wendi , Hou Zehao , Liu Yike , Fang Zhengwu , ma dongfang
Published: November 2020

BackgroundSucrose non-fermenting-1-related protein kinase (SnRK) is a class of Ser/Thr protein kinases and plays vital functions in the plant stress responses. However, little is known about the SnRK in Triticum aestivum (TaSnRK).ResultsIn this study, 149 TaSnRKs were identified from wheat and divided into three subfamilies, which may be due to the polyploidization induced gene duplication and high rate of homologous retention. A combination of public microarray datasets and quantitative real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) have further revealed the distinct expression patterns of TaSnRKs under specific abiotic/biotic stress responses. TaSnRK2.4-B, a member of SnRK2 subfamily, was located in the nucleus, cytoplasm, and cell membrane and showed ubiquitous expression in wheat life cycle, suggesting the possible response to polyethylene glycol (PEG), NaCl, heat, and cold stress, as well as the high concentrations of abscisic acid (ABA) application. Besides, transient Agro-infiltration assays showed that TaSnRK2.4-B was also involved in the resistance to pathogen.ConclusionsThese results imply that TaSnRK2.4-B may act as a multifunctional regulatory factor involved in multiple stress response pathways. Overall, our study provides new insights into the roles of TaSnRKs in biotic and abiotic responses.
Uncovering the Pharmacological of Xiaochaihu Decoction in the Treatment of Pancreatitis Based on the Network Pharmacology
Authors: Zhan Lianghui , Pu Jinbao , Hu Yijuan , Xu Pan , Liang Weiqing , Ji Chunlian
Published: November 2020

BackgroundXiaochaihu Decoction (XD) has been demonstrated the pharmacodynamic on pancreatitis. This study was aimed to investigate the material and molecular basis of Xiaochaihu Decoction.MethodsFirstly, compounds of seven herbs containing XD were collected from TCMSP Database and the putative targets of Pancreatitis were obtained from OMIM, TTD, Genecards Database. Then PPI network was constructed according to the matching results between XD potential targets and pancreatic neoplasms targets. Furthermore, enrichment analysis on GO and KEGG by DAVID utilized bioinformatics resources. Finally, Molecular Docking was performed to simulate the interaction between the active compound of XD and putative targets. In vitro experiment, AR42J cells were induced by LPS and then treated with Quercetin (25, 50, 100 μM). The IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β levels were detected by Elisa kit and MAPK3, TP53 mRNA expressions were measured by RT-PCR.ResultsA total of 196 active ingredients and 91 putative targets were selected out. The PPI interaction network analysis demonstrated that Quercetin was the candidate agents and MAPK3, IL-6 and TP53 were the potential targets for the XD treatment of pancreatitis. The KEGG analysis revealed that pathways in cancers, TNF signaling way, MAPK signaling way might play an important role in pancreatitis therapy. And Molecular Docking results showed that Quercetin combined well with MAPK3, IL-6 and TP53. In vitro experiment indicated that, Quercetin inhibited the IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β levels and MAPK3, TP53 mRNA. ConclusionThis study illustrated that Quercetin containing in XD might played an important role in pancreatitis therapy by acting the key genes of MPAK3, IL-6 and TP53 which were associating with inflammation and apoptosis.
Breastfeeding and Stress in Children
Authors: Ludvigsson Johnny , Faresjö Åshild , Faresjö Tomas
Published: November 2020

ObjectiveRepeated serious stress e.g. repeated serious life events or chronic stress may contribute to increased morbidity. One of the most important protective health factors for children is breast-feeding, but the mechanisms for this effect are not fully elucidated. Our objective was to assess if the duration of breastfeeding actually could influence degree of stress of children still at school-age. MethodsA random sample of 126 children from the ABIS-study, a prospective population-based child cohort study in southeast of Sweden was included. We had registered duration of breastfeeding and a number of psycho-social factors related to breast-feeding and/or stress. As a biomarker of stress we measured the child´s cortisol in hair at 8 years of age.ResultsWe found a negative correlation (r= -0.23, p=0.009) between total duration of breastfeeding and hair cortisol levels. In a multivariate analysis this association persisted (p=0.006) even when adjusted for other potential intervening factors like age of mother at delivery and early psychosocial vulnerability in the family, an index based on 12 factors.ConclusionA long breastfeeding seems to decrease stress many years later in children. This is a reason to facilitate for mothers to breast-feed their children, also in the modern society where women are expected to have a professional life.
Change of Gait After Unilateral Vestibular Neuritis: A Prospective Longitudinal Observation Study
Authors: Chae Sung-Won , Song Jae-Jun , Kim Woo-Sub
Published: November 2020

Background: Although symptoms of unilateral vestibular neuritis (uVN) resolve spontaneously and quickly, there are uncertainties in the recovery of gait function. There is lack of prospective longitudinal study for gait function after acute uVN. In addition, there is no report for longitudinal changes in medio-lateral stability during gait after uVN. Therefore, the present study tested time effects on spatio-temporal parameters and on the medio-lateral CoM-CoP relationship. In addition, we explored differences of gait metrics between uVN and controls. Methods: This is a prospective longitudinal observation study. Of 122 participants with vestibular symptoms, 23 participants with uVN and 20 controls were included in data analysis. 3D gait analysis, dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) and computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) were conducted 3 times after uVN onset: the 1st test was conducted within 2weeks after onset, 2nd test after 1 month of 1st test and 3rd test after 1 month of 2nd test. From gait analysis data, spatio-temporal parameters, inclination angle in frontal plane (IA) and variability of IA were obtained. Time effects on gait metrics were tested with linear mixed model.Results: Walking speed improved significantly between the 1st and 3rd test but they were within normal range, even at the 1st test. Step width was significantly larger than control at the 1st test and improved to normal at the 2nd test. IA did not show significant difference between uVN and control. Variability of IA in the affected side was significantly larger than that in controls at the 1st test and improved significantly at the 3rd test compared to the 1st test. Conclusions: Improvement of overall gait function and neural adaptation of medio-lateral stability during gait continued during recovery stage of uVN (after 2 months of onset). Vestibular rehabilitation for gait should be continued during recovery stage of uVN to enhance appropriate adaptation.
Kuwanons, Promising inhibitors against the ACE-2, main protease of SARS-CoV-2 and falcipan-2 using molecular docking
Authors: Kumari Kamlesh , Kumar Durgseh , Kumar Ramappa Venkatesh , Singh Prashant
Published: November 2020

In the present scenario, the COVID-19 has affected the nations throughout the world. Till date, neither a vaccine nor a potential medicine is available for the cure from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Main protease of SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for the replication and transcription. Further, this virus binds to the angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) so there is need to find molecule, to avoid the binding of novel virus to ACE-2. It is reported that the molecules binds to falcipan-2 can help in the reduction of infection due to SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, there is a need to find promising candidate against the receptors, spread COVID-19. In the present work, kuwanons are proposed to be promising candidates against the main protease of SARS-CoV-2, ACE-2 and falcipan-2. The interaction between the different kuwanons with different receptors has been studied using the binding energy. Kuwanon M was found to best inhibitor against the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 and ACE-2. Further, the drug-likeness properties of all the 16 kuwanons were studied. Kuwanon-M found to be best inhibitor against the ACE-2 and main protease of SARS-CoV-2 with binding energy of -165.349 and -149.952 kcal/mol respectively while kuwanon-G found out to promising against the falcipan-2 with a binding energy of -149.573 kcal/mol.
COVID-19 scaling dynamics in growth and decline phases
Authors: Schertzer Daniel , Tchiguirinskaia Ioulia
Published: November 2020

The definition of optimal COVID-19 mitigation strategies remains worldwide on the top of public health agendas, particularly when facing a second wave. It requires a better understanding and a refined modelling of its dynamics. We emphasise the fact that epidemic models are phenomenologically based on the paradigm of a cascade of contacts that propagates infection. However, the introduction of ad-hoc characteristic times and corresponding rates spuriously break their scale symmetry.Here we theoretically argue and empirically demonstrate that COVID-19 dynamics, during both growth and decline phases, is a cascade with a rather universal scale symmetry whose power-law statistics drastically differ from those of an exponential process. This involves slower but longer phases which are furthermore linked by a fairly simple symmetry. These results explain biases of epidemic models and help to improve them. Due to their generality, these results pave the way to a renewed approach to epidemics, and more generally to growth phenomena.
Agricultural Grain Markets in the COVID-19 Crisis, Insights From a GVARModel
Authors: Gutierrez Luciano , Pierre Guillaume
Published: November 2020

The objective of this paper is to combine cross-commodity and spatial price transmission analysis to study the dynamics of the global cereal feed market during the COVID-19 pandemic. After reviewing the nascent literature on the impact of COVID-19 on agricultural markets, we discuss the different impact channels on prices. Then we provide stylized market reactions of three relevant feed markets, wheat, barley and maize to a set of simulated possible future shocks on oil prices, stock-to-use ratios, and export restrictions. These three shocks are useful to assess what could be the consequences of policy responses to the COVID-19 (export restrictions) or disruptions due to the virus (stock-to-use reductions), in a context of lower oil prices. To generate these market reactions, we use a Global Vector Auto Regression (GVAR) model (Dees et al., 2007) where each market is modelled independently, and connected through trade based composite variables. We expand the work of Gutierrez et al. (2015) on the global wheat market by introducing maize and barley. The results of the empirical analysis indicate that the fall in the oil price may have contributed to the stability of the world grain market in early 2020, despite fears of supply chain disruption. We also note that export restrictions could significantly increase global prices, and that such restrictions could affect more than the targeted commodity, through significant cross-commodity price linkages.