bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of lignans in oilseed mix on gut microbiome composition and enterolignan production in younger healthy and premenopausal women: an in vitro pilot study
Authors: CORONA GIULIA , Kreimes Anna , Barone Monica , Turroni Silvia , BRIGIDI PATRIZIA , Keleszade Enver , Costabile Adele
Published: March 2020

Background: Dietary lignans belong to the group of phytoestrogens together with coumestans, stilbenes and isoflavones, and themselves do not exhibit oestrogen-like properties. Nonetheless, the gut microbiota converts them into enterolignans, which show chemical similarity to the human oestrogen molecule. One of the richest dietary sources of lignans are oilseeds, including flaxseed. The aim of this pilot study was to determine the concentration of the main dietary lignans in an oilseed mix, and explore the gut microbiota-dependent production of enterolignans for oestrogen substitution in young and premenopausal women. The oilseed mix was fermented in a pH-controlled batch culture system inoculated with women’s faecal samples. The lignan content and enterolignan production were measured by ultra‐high-performance liquid chromatography – tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS), and the faecal-derived microbial communities were profiled by 16S rRNA gene-based next-generation sequencing. Results: In vitro batch culture fermentation of faecal samples inoculated with oilseed mix for 24 h resulted in a substantial increase in enterolactone production in younger women and an increase in enterodiol in the premenopausal group. As for the gut microbiota, different baseline profiles were observed as well as different temporal dynamics, mainly related to Clostridiaceae , and Klebsiella and Collinsella spp. Conclusions: Despite the small sample size, our pilot study revealed that lignan-rich oilseeds could strongly influence the faecal microbiota of both younger and premenopausal females, leading to a different enterolignan profile being produced. Further studies in larger cohorts are needed to evaluate the long-term effects of lignan-rich diets on the gut microbiota and find out how enterolactone-producing bacterial species could be increased. Diets rich in lignans could potentially serve as a safe supplement of oestrogen analogues to meet the cellular needs of endogenous oestrogen and deliver numerous health benefits, provided that the premenopausal woman microbiota is capable of converting dietary precursors into enterolignans.
De novo assembly and transcriptome characterization of an endemic species of Vietnam, Panax vietnamensis Ha et Grushv., including the development of EST-SSR markers for population genetics
Authors: Vu Duy Dinh , Shah Syed Noor Muhammad , Pham Mai Phuong , Bui Van Thang , Nguyen Minh Tam , Nguyen Thi Phuong Trang
Published: March 2020

Background: Understanding the genetic diversity in threatened species that occur in forest remnants is necessary to establish efficient strategies for the species conservation, restoration and management. Panax vietnamensis Ha et Grushv. is medicinally important, endemic and endangered species of Vietnam. However, genetic diversity and structure of population is unknown due to lack of efficient molecular markers. Results: In this study, we employed Illumina HiSeq TM 4000 sequencing to analyze the transcriptomes of P. vietnamensis (roots, leaves and stems). A total of 23,741,783 raw reads were obtained and assembled, from which, 89,271 unigenes with an average length of 598.3191 nt were generated. During functional annotation, 31,686 unigenes were annotated in Gene Ontology categories, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways, Swiss-Prot database, and Nucleotide Collection (NR/NT) database. In addition, 11,343 expressed sequence tag-simple sequence repeat (EST-SSRs) were detected. From 7,774 primer pairs, 101 were selected for polymorphism validation, in which, 20 primer pairs were successfully amplified to DNA fragments and significant amounts of polymorphism was observed within population. The nine polymorphic microsatellite loci were used to analyze genetic diversity and structure of the natural populations. The obtained results revealed that the shows high levels of genetic diversity in populations, the average observed and expected heterozygosity were H O = 0.422 and H E = 0.479. During the Bottleneck analysis using TPM and SMM models (p < 0.01) shows that targeted population is significantly heterozygote deficient. This suggests sign of bottleneck in all populations. Genetic differentiation among populations was moderate (F ST = 0.133) and indicating limited gene flow (Nm = 1.63). Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed 63.17% of variation within individuals and 12.45% among populations. These results showed a moderate genetic structure of P. vietnamensis. STRUCTURE analysis and the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic means (UPGMA) tree revealed strong genetic structure and two genetic clusters related to geographical distances, as well. Conclusion: Our study will assist conservators in future conservation management, breeding, production and habitats restoration of the species.
The clinical characteristics and treatment considerations for intracranial aneurysms associated with middle cerebral artery anomalies: a systematic review
Authors: Hou Kun , Li Guichen , Liu Hongping , Xu Kan , Yu Jinlu
Published: March 2020

Background: As a result of its low occurrence, most of the studies on intracranial aneurysms associated with MCA anomalies were presented as case reports or small case series. In this study, a systematic review on this specific entity was conducted.Methods: A PubMed search of the published studies was performed on April 6th, 2019 for patients who had intracranial aneurysms associated with MCA anomalies. The languages included in this study were English, Chinese, and Japanese.Results: Finally, 58 articles reporting of 67 patients including 1 case in our center were included. The identified patients (37 females, 55.2%) aged from 4 to 81 (49.85 ± 15.22) years old. Fifty (50/67, 74.6%) patients presented with hemorrhagic stroke either from the MCA anomalies associated aneurysms or other sources. Sixty-three aneurysms (63/67, 94.0%) were saccular, 3 (4.5%) were dissecting or fusiform, and 1 (1.5%) was pseudoaneurysm. Thirty-two (32/65, 49.2%) patients had other concurrent cerebrovascular anomalies. Fifty-six (83.6%) patients underwent open surgeries, 8 (11.9%) patients underwent endovascular treatment, and 3 (4.5%) patients were conservatively managed. Fifty-six (56/61, 91.8%) patients achieved a good recovery.Conclusions: The pathophysiological genesis of MCA anomalies associated aneurysms is still obscure to us. The inflicted patients tend to have other concurrent cerebrovascular anomalies, which denotes that congenital defect in cerebrovascular development might play a role in this process. Open surgery is, hitherto, the mainstay of treatment for this specific entity. Most of the affected patients could experience a good recovery after treatment.
Invasive cattle ticks in East Africa: morphological and molecular confirmation of the presence of Rhipicephalus microplus in south-eastern Uganda
Authors: Muhanguzi Dennis , Byaruhanga Joseph , Amanyire Wilson , Ndekezi Christian , Ochwo Sylvester , Nkamwesiga Joseph , Mwiine Frank Nobert , Tweyongyere Robert , Fourie Josephus , Madder Maxime , Schetters Theo , Horak Ivan , Juleff Nick , Jongejan Frans
Published: March 2020

Background:Rhipicephalus microplus;an invasive tick species of Asian origin and the main vector of Babesia pecies, is considered one of the most widespread ectoparasites of livestock. The tick has spread from its native habitats on translocated livestock to large parts of the tropical world, where it has replaced some of the local populations of Rhipicephalus decoloratus ticks. Although the tick was reported in Uganda 70 years ago, it has not been found in any subsequent surveys. This study was carried out to update the national tick species distribution on livestock in Uganda as a basis for tick and tick-borne disease control, with particular reference to R.microplus. Methods: The study was carried out in Serere district, south-eastern Uganda, which is dominated by small scale livestock producers. All the ticks collected from 240 cattle were identified microscopically. Five R. microplus specimens were further processed for phylogenetic analysis and species confirmation. Results:The predominant tick species found on cattle was Rhipicephalus appendiculatus (86.9 %; n =16509). Other species found were Amblyomma variegatum(7.2 %; n =1377), Rhipicephalus evertsi(2.3 %; n =434) and R. microplus (3.6 %; n = 687). Phylogenetic analysis of the 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA and ITS2 gene sequences of R. microplus confirmed the morphological identification. Conclusions: It is concluded that R. microplus has replaced R. decoloratus, since the latter was not any longer found in this area. There is currently no livestock movement policy in force in Uganda, which could possibly limit the further spread of [i]R. microplus[/i] ticks. Future surveys, but also retrospective surveys of museum specimens, will reveal the extent of distribution of R. microplus in Uganda and also for how long this tick has been present on livestock without being noticed. This work was supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Grant Number OPP1125367
U-shaped association between plasma sphingosine-1-phosphate levels and mortality in patients with chronic systolic heart failure: A prospective cohort study.
Authors: Xue Yanbo , Wei Jiang , Qiong Ma , Xiqiang Wang , Pu Jia , Qiang Li , Shuping Chen , Bingxue Song , Ya Wang , Jingwen Zhang , Jing Liu , Guodong Yang , Yuyao Lin , Jing Liu , Linyan Wei , Caijuan Dong , Haiquan Li , Zhonglei Xie , Ling Bai , Ma Aiqun
Published: March 2020

Background: The endogenous lipid molecule sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) has received attention in the cardiovascular field due to its significant cardioprotective effects, as revealed in animal studies. The purpose of our study was to identify the distribution characteristics of S1P in systolic heart failure patients and the prognostic value of S1P for long-term prognosis.
Methods: We recruited 210 chronic systolic heart failure patients from June 2014 to December 2015. Meanwhile 54 healthy people in the same area were selected as controls. Plasma S1P was measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Patients were grouped according to the baseline S1P level quartiles, and restricted cubic spline plots described the association between S1P and all-cause death. Cox proportional hazard analysis was used to determine the relationship between category of S1P and all-cause death.
Results: Compared with the control group, the plasma S1P in chronic heart failure patients demonstrated a higher mean level (1.269 μmol/L vs 1.122 μmol/L, P =0.006) and a larger standard deviation (0.441 vs 0.316, P =0.022). Based on multivariable Cox regression with restricted cubic spline analysis, a non-linear and U-shaped association between S1P levels and the risk of all-cause death was observed. After a follow-up period of 31.7 ± 10.3 months, the second quartile (0.967-1.192μml/L) with largely normal S1P levels had the lowest all-cause mortality and either an increase (adjusted HR=2.368, 95%CI 1.006-5.572, P =0.048) or a decrease (adjusted HR=0.041, 95%CI 0.002-0.808, P =0.036) predicted a worse prognosis.The survival curves showed that patients in the lowest quartile and highest quartile were at a higher risk of death.
Conclusions: Plasma S1P levels in systolic heart failure patients are related to the long-term all-cause mortality with a U-shaped correlation.
Investigation of the antigenicity and protective efficacy of Leishmania promastigote membrane antigens in search of potential diagnostic and vaccine candidates against visceral leishmaniasis
Authors: Ejazi Sarfaraz Ahmad , Ghosh Smriti , Bhattacharyya Anirban , Kamran Mohd , Das Sonali , Bhowmick Sudipta , Rahaman Mehebubar , Goswami Rama Prosad , Ali Nahid
Published: March 2020

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a parasitic disease causes serious medical consequences if treatment is delayed. Despite a decline in the number of VL cases in the Indian Subcontinent, the commencement of the disease in newer areas continues to be a major concern. Although serological diagnosis mainly by immunochromatographic tests has been found to be effective, test for cure in different phases of treatment is still desired. Even though a good prophylactic response has been obtained in murine models by a number of vaccine candidates, few have been proposed for human use. Methods: In this study, nine antigenic components (31, 34, 36, 45, 51, 63, 72, 91 and 97 kDa) of Leishmania promastigote membrane antigens, LAg, were electroeluted and evaluated through ELISA to diagnose and distinguish active VL from one month cured and six month past infection. Further, to investigate the immunogenicity of electroeluted proteins, human PBMCs of cured VL patients were stimulated with 31, 34, 51, 63, 72, and 91 kDa proteins. Results: We found that 34 and 51 kDa proteins show 100% sensitivity and specificity with healthy controls and other diseases. After six months post treatment, antibodies to 72 and 91 kDa antigens show a significant decline to almost normal levels. This suggests that 34 and 51 kDa are efficient in diagnosis whereas 72 and 91 kDa may be used to monitor treatment outcome. In another study, 51 and 63 kDa proteins demonstrated maximum ability for up-regulate IFN-g and IL-12 with minimum induction of IL-10 and TGF-β. The results indicating that 51 and 63 kDa proteins could be strong candidates for human immunization against VL. In contrast, 34 and 91 kDa demonstrated a reverse profile and may not be a good vaccine candidate. Conclusions: The preliminary data obtained in this study proposes the potential of some of the antigens in Leishmania diagnosis and for test of cure. Additionally, some antigens demonstrated good immunoprophylactic cytokine production through T cell mediated immune response suggesting future vaccine candidates for VL. However, further studies are necessary to explore these antigens in diagnosis and to access long-term immune response.
Active Play in ASP –A matched-pair cluster-randomized trial investigating the effectiveness of an intervention in After-school programs for supporting children’s physical activity
Authors: Riiser Kirsti , Richardsen Kåre Rønn , Haugen Anders Lund Hage , Lund Siv , Løndal Knut
Published: March 2020

Background: Interventions directed at after school programs (ASPs) have the potential to support physical activity (PA) in young children. Research has indicated that interventions that emphasize competence building among the ASP staff can lead to increased PA among the children. The present study evaluates the effectiveness of the Active Play in ASP intervention—a program for ASP staff aimed at supporting physical activity among first graders in ASP.
Methods: We used a matched-pair cluster randomized design and included 456 first graders from 14 schools in Norway. From these, 7 ASPs received the intervention (N = 229), while 7 acted as controls (N = 227). Measurements were taken at baseline, immediately post intervention (7 month follow-up) and after a year (19 month follow-up). The primary outcome was moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), which was estimated with predefined cut points of counts per minute (CPM) and expressed as minutes/hour. Secondary outcomes were vigorous and light intensity physical activity (VPA and LPA) and sedentary behavior. The analyses of intervention effects were based on between-group differences in outcome changes between the 3 measurement points and were conducted using a mixed-effects model for repeated measures using categorical time. In exploratory analyses, we investigated gender, baseline body mass index, and baseline CPM as potential effect modifiers.
Results: No significant intervention effects was observed on MVPA (0.55 min/hour [99% CI -0.55:1.64]) or on the secondary outcomes, min/hour of LPA, VPA or sedentary behavior. Exploratory analyses indicated that among the 50% least physically active children at baseline, children in intervention ASPs reduced sedentary time from baseline to 19 months follow up by 1.67 min/hour (95% CI -3.12:-0.21) compared to the controls.
Conclusions: Although the intervention did not significantly increase the mean MVPA among the children in the intervention ASPs compared to controls, it did seem to have a small effect by reducing sedentary behavior time among the least active children. An even stronger emphasis on how to identify less active children and support their activity may be needed in order to increase their PA and further reduce sedentary behavior time.
Design of PCR assays to specifically detect and identify 37 Lactobacillus species in a single 96 well plate
Authors: Kim Eiseul , Yang Seung-Min , Lim Bora , Park Si Hong , Rackerby Bryna , Kim Hae-Yeong
Published: March 2020

Background

Lactobacillus species are used as probiotics and play an important role in fermented food production. However, use of 16S rRNA gene sequences as standard markers for the differentiation of Lactobacillus species offers a very limited scope, as several species of Lactobacillus share similar 16S rRNA gene sequences. In this study, we developed a rapid and accurate method based on comparative genomic analysis for the simultaneous identification of 37 Lactobacillus species that are commonly used in probiotics and fermented foods.

Results

To select species-specific sequences or genes, a total of 180 Lactobacillus genome sequences were compared using Python scripts. In 14 out of 37 species, species-specific sequences could not be found due to the similarity of the 16S–23S rRNA gene. Selected unique genes were obtained using comparative genomic analysis and all genes were confirmed to be specific for 52,478,804 genomes via in silico analysis; they were found not to be strain-specific, but to exist in all strains of the same species. Species-specific primer pairs were designed from the selected 16S–23S rRNA gene sequences or unique genes of species. The specificity of the species-specific primer pairs was confirmed using reference strains, and the accuracy and efficiency of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with the standard curve were confirmed. The PCR method developed in this study is able to accurately differentiate species that were not distinguishable using the 16S rRNA gene alone. This PCR assays were designed to detect and identify 37 Lactobacillus species. The developed method was then applied in the monitoring of 19 probiotics and 12 dairy products. The applied tests confirmed that the species detected in 17 products matched those indicated on their labels, whereas the remaining products contained species other than those appearing on the label.

Conclusions

The method developed in this study is able to rapidly and accurately distinguish different species of Lactobacillus , and can be used to monitor specific Lactobacillus species in foods such as probiotics and dairy products.
Predicting the occurrence of venous thromboembolism: construction and verification of Risk Warning Model
Authors: Shen Chen , Ge Binqian , Liu Xiaoqin , Chen Hao , Qin Yi , Shen Hongwu
Published: March 2020

Background: The onset of venous thromboembolism is insidious and the prognosis is poor. In this study, we aimed to construct a VTE risk early warning model and explore the clinical application value of the VTE risk early warning model. Methods: Preliminary construction of the VTE risk warning model was carried out according to the independent risk warning indicators of VTE screened by Logistic regression analysis in previous studies. The truncated value of screening VTE was obtained and the model was evaluated. ROC curve analysis was used to compare the test performance of Caprini risk assessment scale and VTE risk warning model on VTE. The validation data set was established, and the cut-off value of the VTE risk warning model was used to evaluate the test effectiveness of the model for VTE patients with validation data set. Results: The VTE risk warning model is p = ex / ( 1+ ex ) , x = -4.840 + 2.557 • X10(1) + 1.432 • X14(1) + 2.977 • X15(1) + 3.445 • X18(1) + 1.086 • X25(1) + 0.249 • X34 + 0.282 • X41. ROC curve results show that: AUC (95%CI), cutoff value (95%CI), accuracy, Youden index (95%), sensitivity, specificity and other evaluation indexes, Caprini risk assessment scale is 0.596 (0.552, 0.638), > 5 (> 4, > 5), 61.3%, 0.226 (0.167, 0.290), 26.07%, 96.50%, VTE risk warning model is 0.960 (0.940, 0.976), > 0.438 (> 0.263), respectively. >, 0.504), 92.2%, 0.844 (0.789, 0.879), 92.61%, 91.83%, with statistically significant differences (Z=14.521, P < 0.0001). The accuracy and Youden index of VTE screening using VTE risk warning model were 81.8% and 62.5%, respectively. Conclusions: VTE risk warning model has high accuracy in predicting the occurrence of VTE in hospitalized patients, and its test performance is higher than Caprini risk assessment scale. It also has high test performance for VTE in external population.
Outcomes following administration of tranexamic acid in combat-related intracranial hemorrhage: a cohort study
Authors: Walker Patrick F , Bozzay Joseph D. , Johnston Luke R. , Elster Eric A. , Rodriguez Carlos J. , Bradley Matthew J.
Published: March 2020

BACKGROUND Tranexamic acid (TXA) may be a useful adjunct for military patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). These patients are often treated in austere settings without immediate access to neurosurgical intervention. The purpose of this study was to evaluate any association between TXA use and progression of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), neurologic outcomes, and venous thromboembolism (VTE) in TBI.METHODS This was a retrospective cohort study of combat casualties from October 2010 to December 2015 who were transferred to a military treatment facility (MTF) in the United States. Data collected included: demographics, types of injuries, initial and interval head computerized tomography (CT) scans, Glasgow Coma Scores (GCS), and six-month Glasgow Outcome Scores (GOS). Results were stratified based on TXA administration, progression of ICH, and VTE.RESULTS Of the 687 active duty service members reviewed, 71 patients had ICH (10.3%). Most casualties were injured in a blast (80.3%), with 36 patients (50.7%) sustaining a penetrating TBI. Mean ISS was 28.2 ± 12.3. Nine patients (12.7%) received a massive transfusion within 24 hours of injury, and TXA was administered to 14 (19.7%) casualties. Patients that received TXA had lower initial reported GCS (9.2 ± 4.4 vs. 12.5 ± 3.4, p=0.003), similar discharge GCS (13.3 ±4.0 vs. 13.8±3.2, p=0.58), and a larger improvement between initial and discharge GCS (3.7±3.9 vs. 1.3±3.1, p=0.02). However, there was no difference in mortality (7.1% vs. 7.0%, p=1.00), progression of ICH (45.5% vs. 14.7%, p=0.09), frequency of cranial decompression (50.0% vs. 42.1%, p=0.76), or mean GOS (3.5±0.9 vs. 3.8±1.0, p=0.13). Patients administered TXA had a higher rate of VTE (35.7% vs. 7.0%, p=0.01). On multivariate analysis, however, TXA was not independently associated with VTE.CONCLUSIONS Patients that received TXA were associated with an improvement in GCS but not in progression of ICH or GOS. TXA was not independently associated with VTE, although this may be related to a paucity of patients receiving TXA. Decisions about TXA administration in combat casualties with ICH should be considered in the context of the availability of neurosurgical intervention as well as severity of extracranial injuries and need for massive transfusion.
The correlations between Th1 and Th2 cytokines in human alveolar echinococcosis
Authors: Ma Xiao , Zhang Xuefei , Liu Jia , Liu Yufang , Zhao Cunzhe , Cai Huixia , Lei Wen , Ma Junying , Fan Haining , Zhou Jianye , Liu Na , Zhang Jingxiao , Wang Yongshun , Wang Wei , Zhan Peizhen , Zhang Xiongying , Zhang Qing , Shi Kemei , Liu Peiyun
Published: March 2020

Background : Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by Echinococcus multilocularis larval tapeworm infections in humans that severely impairs the health of affected patients in the northern hemisphere.
Methods : The expression levels of 20 cytokines associated with AE infection were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the correlations between these cytokines were analysed in the R programming language.
Results : Serum cytokine levels differed among individuals in both the AE patient and healthy control groups. The results of the correlations among the cytokines showed obvious differences between the two groups. In the AE patients group, Th1 and Th2 cytokines formed a more complicated network than that in the healthy control group.
Conclusions : The altered correlations between Th1 and Th2 cytokines may be closely associated with AE infection, which may provide a new explanation for the essential differences between AE patients and healthy individuals.
Enhanced rhamnolipids production using a novel bioreactor system based on integrated foam-control and repeated fed-batch fermentation strategy
Authors: Xu Ning , Liu Shixun , Xu Lijie , Zhou Jie , Xin Fengxue , Zhang Wenming , Qian Xiujuan , New Min Li , Dong Weiliang , Jiang Min
Published: March 2020

Background Rhamnolipid is the best known microbial-derived biosurfactants, which has attracted great interest as potential ‘‘green” alternative for synthetic surfactants. However, rhamnolipid is the major contributor to severe foam problems, which greatly inhibits the economics of industrial-scale production. In this study, a novel foam-control system was established for ex situ dealing with the massive overﬂowing foam. Based on the designed facility, foam reduction efficiency, rhamnolipid production by batch and repeated fed-batch fermentation were comprehensively investigated. Results An ex situ foam-control system was developed to control the massive overﬂowing foam and improve rhamnolipid production. It was found that the size of individual bubble in the early stage was much larger than that of late fermentation stage. The foam liquefaction efficiency decreased from 54.37% at the beginning to only 9.23 % at the end of the fermentation. This difference of bubble stability directly resulted higher foam reduction efficiency of 67.46 % in the early stage, whereas the small uniform bubbles can only be reduced by 57.53 % at the later fermentation stage. Moreover, reduction of secondary foam is very important for foam controlling. Two improved design of the device in this study got about 20% improvement of foam reduction efﬁciency, respectively. The batch fermentation result showed that the average volume of the overflowing foam was reduced from 58~640 mL/min to 19~216 mL/min during fermentation process, presenting a notable reduction efficiency ranging from 51.92% to 73.47%. Meanwhile, rhamnolipid production of batch fermentation reached to 45.63g/L, and the yield 0.76g/g was signiﬁcantly better than ever reported. Further, a repeated fed-batch fermentation based on the overall optimization was carried out. Total rhamnolipids concentration reached 48.67 g/L with the yield around of 0.67-0.83 g/g, which presented an improvement of 62% and 49% compared with conventional batch fermentation by using various kinds of defoamer, respectively. Conclusions The ex situ foam-control system presented a notable reduction efficiency, which helped a lot to easily solve the severe foaming problem without any defoamer addition. Moreover, rhamnolipid production and yield by repeated fed-batch fermentation got prominent improvement compared to conventional batch cultivation, which can further facilitate economical rhamnolipids production at large scales.
Characterization of Clostridium novyi isolated from a sow in a sudden death case in Korea
Authors: Jeong Chang-Gi , Seo Byoung-Joo , Nazki Salik , Jung Byung Kwon , Khatun Amina , Yang Myeon-Sik , Kim Seung-Chai , Noh Sang-Hyun , Shin Jae-Ho , Kim Bumseok , Kim Won-Il
Published: March 2020

Background Multifocal spherical nonstaining cavities and gram-positive, rod-shaped, and endospore-forming bacteria were found in the liver of a sow that died suddenly. Clostridium novyi type B was identified and isolated from the sudden death case and the isolate was characterized by molecular analyses and bioassays in the current study. Results C. novyi was isolated from the liver and was confirmed as C. novyi type B by differential PCR. The C. novyi isolate fermented glucose and maltose and demonstrated lecithinase activity, and the cell-free culture supernatant of the C. novyi isolate exhibited cytotoxicity toward Vero cells, demonstrating that the isolate produces toxins. In addition, whole-genome sequencing of the C. novyi isolate was performed, and the complete sequences of the chromosome (2.29 Mbp) and two plasmids (134 and 68 kbp) were identified for the first time. Based on genome annotation, 7 genes were identified as glycosyltransferases, which are known as alpha toxins; 23 genes were found to be related to sporulation; 12 genes were found to be related to germination; and 20 genes were found to be related to chemotaxis. Conclusion C. novyi type B was isolated from a sow in a sudden death case and confirmed by biochemical and molecular characterization. Various virulence-associated genes were identified for the first time based on whole-genome sequencing.
Association between hip muscle cross-sectional area and hip pain and function in individuals with mild-to-moderate hip osteoarthritis: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Peiris Waruna , Cicuttini Flavia M , Constantinou Maria , Yaqobi Abbas , Hussain Sultana Monira , Wluka Anita E , Urquhart Donna , Barrett Rod , Kennedy Ben , Wang Yuanyuan
Published: March 2020

Background: To examine the associations between hip muscle cross-sectional area and hip pain and function in community-based individuals with mild-to-moderate hip osteoarthritis.
Methods: This study included 27 participants with mild-to-moderate hip osteoarthritis. Cross-sectional area of hip muscles, including psoas major, rectus femoris, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and minimus, adductor longus and magnus, obturator internus, and obturator externus, were measured from magnetic resonance images. Hip pain and function were evaluated using the Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS) categorised into 5 subscales: pain, symptoms, activity of daily living, sport and recreation function, and hip-related quality of life (for each subscale 0 representing extreme problems and 100 representing no problems).
Results: Mean age of the 27 participants was 63.2 (SD 7.6) years and 66.7% (n=18) were female. After adjusting for age and gender, greater cross-sectional area of adductor longus and magnus was associated with a higher HOOS score in quality of life (regression coefficient 1.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.2-2.7, p=0.02), activity of daily living (regression coefficient 1.3, 95% CI 0.1-2.6, p=0.04) and sport and recreation function (regression coefficient 1.6, 95% CI 0.1-3.0, p=0.04). There was a trend towards an association between greater cross-sectional area of psoas major and a higher quality of life score (regression coefficient 3.6, 95% CI -0.5 to 7.7, p=0.08). The cross-sectional area of hip muscles was not significantly associated with HOOS pain or symptom score.
Conclusion: Greater cross-sectional area of hip adductors was associated with better function and quality of life in individuals with mild-to-moderate hip osteoarthritis. Greater cross-sectional area of hip flexors might be associated with better quality of life. These findings, while need to be confirmed in longitudinal studies, suggest that targeting the hip adductor and flexor muscles may improve function and quality of life in those with mild-to-moderate hip osteoarthritis.
Evaluation of personal protection afforded by repellent-treated sandals against mosquito bites in south-eastern Tanzania.
Authors: Sangoro Peter Onyango , Gavana Tegemeo , Finda Marceline , Mponzi Winfrida , Hape Emmanuel , Limwagu Alex , Govella Nicodem J. , Chaki Prosper , Okumu Fredros O.
Published: March 2020

Background

Outdoor and early evening mosquito biting needs to be addressed if malaria elimination is to be achieved. While indoor-targeted interventions such as insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying remain essential, complementary approaches that tackle persisting outdoor transmission are urgently required to maximize the impact.

Major malaria vectors principally bite human hosts around the feet and ankles. Consequently, this study investigated whether sandals treated with efficacious spatial repellents can protect against outdoor biting mosquitoes.

Methodology

Sandals affixed with hessian bands measuring 48cm 2 treated with 6 ml, 10 ml and 12 ml of transfluthrin were tested in large cage semi-field and full field experiments. Sandals affixed with hessian bands measuring 240cm 2 and treated with 10 ml and 12ml of transfluthrin were also tested semi field experiments. Human landing catches (HLC) were used to assess reduction in biting exposure by comparing proportions of mosquitoes landing on volunteers wearing treated and untreated sandals. Sandals were tested against insectary reared Anopheles arabiensis mosquitoes in semi-field experiments and against wild mosquito species in rural Tanzania.

Results

In semi-field tests, sandals fitted with hessian bands measuring 48cm 2 and treated with 12 ml, 10ml and 6ml transfluthrin reduced mosquito landings by 45.9%, (95% confidence interval (C.I.) = 28–59%), 61.1% (48%–71%), and 25.9% (9% - 40%) respectively compared to untreated sandals. Sandals fitted with hessian bands measuring 240cm 2 and treated with 12 ml and 10ml transfluthrin reduced mosquito landings by 59% (43 - 71%) and 64% (48 - 74%) respectively.

In field experiments, sandals fitted with hessian bands measuring 48cm 2 and treated with 12 ml transfluthrin reduced mosquito landings by 70% (60% - 76%) against Anopheles gambiae s.l and 66.0% (59% - 71%) against all mosquito species combined.

Conclusion

Transfluthrin-treated sandals conferred significant protection against mosquito bites in semi-field and field settings. Further evaluation is recommended for this tool as a potential complimentary intervention against malaria. This intervention could be particularly useful for protecting against outdoor exposure to mosquito bites. Additional studies are necessary to optimize treatment techniques and substrates, establish safety profiles and determine epidemiological impact in different settings.
Reduction of ureteral stent encrustation by modulating the urine pH and inhibiting the crystal film with a new oral composition: a m ulticenter, placebo controlled, double blind, randomized clinical trial
Authors: Torrecilla Carlos , Fernández-Concha Jaime , Cansino José R. , Mainez Juan A. , Amón José H. , Costas Simbad , Angerri Oriol , Emiliani Esteban , Martín Miguel Arrabal , Polo Miguel Arrabal , García Ana , Reina Manuel C. , Sánchez Juan F. , Budía Alberto , Pérez-Fentes Daniel , Grases Félix , Costa-Bauzá Antonia , Cuñé Jordi
Published: March 2020

Background: Encrustation of ureteral double J stents is a common complication that may affect its removal. The aim of the proposed study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a new oral composition to prevent double J stent encrustation in indwelling times up to 8 weeks.
Participants, design and intervention: A double-blinded, multicenter, placebo-controlled trial was conducted with 105 patients with indwelling double J stents enrolled across 9 public hospitals in Spain. The patients were randomly assigned (1:1) into intervention (53 patients) or placebo (52 patients) groups for 3 to 8 weeks and both groups self-monitored daily their morning urine pH levels.
Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: The primary outcome of analysis was the degree of stent ends encrustation, defined by a 4-point score (0 – none; 3 – global encrustation) using macroscopic and electron microscopy analysis of crystals, after 3 to 8-w indwelling period. Score was exponentially transformed according to calcium levels. Secondary endpoints included urine pH decrease, stent removal, and incidence of adverse events.
Results: The intervention group benefits from a lower global encrustation rate of stent ends than placebo group (1% vs 8.2%; p < 0.018). Mean encrustation score was 85.12 (274.5) in the intervention group and 18.91 (102.27) in the placebo group (p < 0.025). Considering the secondary end points, treated patients reported greater urine pH decreases (p = 0.002). No differences in the incidence of adverse events were identified between the groups.
Conclusions: Our data suggest that the use of this new oral composition is beneficial in the context of ureteral double J indwelling by decreasing mean, as well as global encrustation.
Trial registration: This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov under the name “Combined Use of a Medical Device and a Dietary Complement in Patient Urinary pH Control in Patients With an Implanted Double J Stent” with date 2 nd November 2017, code NCT03343275, and URL:
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT03343275?term=NCT03343275&draw=2&rank=1

Keywords: double J stent; encrustation; nutraceutical; L-methionine; phytin; pH.
Influence of laterality on endometriosis severity in patients with unilateral endometrioma: a retrospective study.
Authors: Isono Wataru , Honda Michiko , Tsuchiya Akira , Saito Ako , Tsuchiya Hiroko , Matsuyama Reiko , Fujimoto Akihisa , Nishii Osamu
Published: March 2020

Background: We compared the revised American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) scores determined during laparoscopic surgery to evaluate the effect of the location of the endometrioma (right vs. left ovary) on the severity of endometriosis. Methods: The medical records of 151 patients, including 58 right-sided and 93 left-sided cases, who underwent an initial laparoscopic surgery for unilateral ovarian endometrioma were reviewed retrospectively. We extracted the ASRM scores determined during surgery and some representative factors related to endometriosis that are separate from the tumour characteristics, such as the coexistence of uterine fibroids, adenomyoma, or other ovarian tumours, a history of use of assisted reproductive technology (ART), and tumour marker values. A statistical analysis was performed to assess the impact of each factor. We classified the ASRM scores into 4 categories to compare the tendency towards endometrial lesion spread with a focus on the “sidedness” of the endometrioma. We defined contralateral endometrial lesion (CEL), Douglas pouch endometrial lesion (DEL), same endometrial lesion (SEL) and peritoneal endometrial lesion (PEL). Results: The ASRM scores of patients with a right-sided endometrioma were significantly higher than patients with a left-sided endometrioma (41.5 ± 22.1 points vs. 32.9 ± 15.8 points, p<0.05). The higher ASRM scores of the patients with right-sided endometrioma may be caused by the frequent detection of endometrial lesions in the left tube, left ovary and Douglas pouch. According to the statistical analysis, the coexistence of uterine fibroids also exerted significant positive effects on increasing the ASRM score. Conclusions: Higher ASRM scores are possible in patients with right-sided endometrioma. The laterality of endometriosis severity should be considered.
Trauma care and capture rate of variables of World Health Organisation data set for injury at regional hospitals in Tanzania: first steps to a national trauma registry
Authors: Sawe Hendry Robert , Reynolds Teri A. , Weber Ellen J. , Mfinanga Juma A. , Coats Timothy J. , Wallis Lee A.
Published: March 2020

Background

In Tanzania, there is no national trauma registry. The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a data set for injury that specifies the variables necessary for documenting the burden of injury and patient-related clinical processes. As a first step in developing and implementing a national Trauma Registry, we determined how well hospitals currently capture the variables that are specified in the WHO injury set.

Methods

This was a prospective, observational cross-sectional study of all trauma patients conducted in the Emergency Units of five regional referral hospitals in Tanzania from February 2018 to July 2018. Research assistants observed the provision of clinical care in the EU for all patients, and documented performed assessment, clinical interventions and final disposition. Research assistants used a purposefully designed case report form to audit the injury variable capture rate, and to review Ministry of Health (MoH) issued facility Register book recording the documentation of variables. We present descriptive statistics for hospital characteristics, patient volume, facility infrastructure, and capture rate of trauma variables.

Results

During the study period, 2,891 (9.3%) patients presented with trauma-related complaints, 70.7% were male. Overall, the capture rate of all variables was 33.6%. Documentation was most complete for demographics 71.6%, while initial clinical condition, and details of injury were documented in 20.5% and 20.8% respectively. There was no documentation for the care prior to Emergency Unit arrival in all hospitals. 1430 (49.5%) of all trauma-related visits seen were documented in the facility Health Management Information System register submitted to the MoH. Among the cases reported in the register book, the date of EU care was correctly documented in 77% cases, age 43.6%, diagnosis 66.7%, and outcome in 38.9% cases. Among the observed procedures, initial clinical condition (28.7%), interventions at Emergency Unit (52.1%), investigations (49.0%), and disposition (62.9%) were documented in the clinical charts.

Conclusions

In the regional hospitals of Tanzania, there is inadequate documentation of the minimum trauma variables specified in the WHO injury data set. Reasons for this are unclear, but will need to be addressed in order to improve documentation to inform a national injury registry.
Association between Epstein-Barr Virus Infection and Gastric Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Tavakoli Ahmad , Monavari Seyed Hamidreza , Mohammadi Farid Solaymani , Kiani Seyed Jalal , Armat Saber , Farahmand Mohammad
Published: March 2020

Background: Numerous studies conducted over the past 30 years have pointed to the presence of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) in gastric cancer samples. This study was aimed to provide a meta-analytic review of the prevalence of EBV in gastric cancer patients, and to clarify the relationship between EBV infection and gastric cancer.
Methods: A literature search was performed electronically using online databases for English language publications until July 1, 2019. The pooled EBV prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using a random-effects model. To determine the association between EBV and gastric cancer, pooled odds ratio (OR) and its 95% CI were computed for case-control studies with matched pairs design.
Results: The pooled prevalence of EBV in 20411 gastric cancer patients was 8.78% (95% CI: 7.75-9.93%; I 2 =83.0%). The proportion of EBV-associated gastric cancer among male cases was significantly higher than among female cases (10.85%, vs. 5.72%) ( P <0.01). EBV was more prevalent in the cardia (12.47%) and the body (11.68%) compared to the antrum (6.29%) ( P <0.01). There were 20 studies with matched pairs design, including tumor and tumor-adjacent normal tissue pairs from 4116 gastric cancer patients. The pooled OR between EBV infection and gastric cancer risk was 18.56 (95% CI: 15.68–21.97; I 2 = 55.4%).
Conclusions: EBV infection is associated with more than 18 times increase the risk of gastric cancer. Although the prevalence of EBV was higher in male patients than in female patients with gastric cancer, women are more likely than men to develop EBV-associated gastric cancer.
Retinal Vascular Abnormalities and their Associations with Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascsular Diseases: a Study in Rural Southwestern Harbin, China
Authors: Wang Junwei , Leng Fei , Li Zhijian , Tang Xianling , Qian Hua , Li Xiaoguang , Zhang Yi , Chen Xuedong , Du Haitao , Liu Ping
Published: March 2020

Background: Limited data is available on retinal vessel morphology in the north China. The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of retinal vascular abnormalities (RVAs) and investigate their associations with the self-reported diagnosis of cardiovascular and cerebrovascsular diseases (CCVds) in a rural adult population of northeast China. Methods: A population-based, cross-sectional study was conducted, using the cluster random sampling method. One eye of each participant was photographed with a non-mydriatic fundus camera. RVAs including focal and general arteriolar narrowing (FAN and GAN), arteriovenous nicking (AVN), arteriolar sheathing (AS), and retinopathy were evaluated. Data on self-reported diagnosis of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and status of smoking and alcohol drinking were obtained from questionnaires. Results: Among the 6 267 participants with an age ≥50 years, photographs were obtained of 99.2%, with quality sufficient to perform retinal evaluations in 82.5%. The prevalence of FAN, AVN, AS, retinopathy and GAN were 9.1%, 8.9%, 5.0%, 6.6% and 6.2%, respectively. All the retinal lesions were associated with hypertension (all P<0.01). After adjusting for age, gender, and left/right eyes, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes mellitus, habits of past or current smoking and alcohol consumption, AVN was strongly associated with the self-reported diagnosis histories of coronary heart diseases(CHD) (OR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.09, 1.89) and retinopathy was significantly associated with a self-reported diagnosis of stroke (OR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.18, 3.57). Conclusions : The overall prevalence of retinal microvascular abnormalities in this population was relatively higher than that reported in other regions of the world. Retinopathy is associated with the self-reported diagnosis of stroke while AVN was associated with the self-reported diagnosis of CHD, but the remaining retinal lesions were not consistently associated with CCVds. Thus, an examination of retinal microvascular characteristics may offer clues to CCVds and could be a potentially novel biomarkers for CCVds risk.
A Novel Group Paging Control Method for Massive MTC Accesses in LTE Networks
Authors: Wang Cong , Wei Chengqiang , Li Ning , Ma Wenfeng , Tian Hui
Published: March 2020

The fifth-generation (5G) systems have to deal with massive deployment of machine-type-communication (MTC) devices. System overload may occur during a random access (RA) procedure under a limited number of preamble resources and physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) resources especially when there exist massive MTC devices in a cell. In order to resolve the system overload (caused by the massive MTC deployment), the 3GPP proposed the adopted a group paging (GP)-based uplink access technique. But its performances dramatically decrease as the number of MTC devices increases. In this paper we propose a novel method, named ACB-based group paging overload control method (AGO). To reduce the number of simultaneous access MTC devices, AGO first scatters the MTC devices over a GP interval, and then automatically adjusts ACB parameters according to the load conditions. By doing so, AGO achieves high-channel access probability for MTC devices. Simulation results show that this method is superior to the GP and Pre-backoff (PBO) mechanisms in terms of success and collision probability, average access latency and resource utilization rate.