bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ethnobotanical Survey of Local Wisdom Knowledge on Medicinal Plants Used by the Traditional Phouthai Ethnic Group in NaKeu Village, Hinboun District, Khammouan Province, Lao PDR
Authors: Khambaya Khamphilavong , Zhang Lili , Kang Yongxiang , Li Hua , Wang Liru , Muththanthirige Nishantha , Samontry Channy , Muhammad Awais , Phangthavong Souksamone
Published: September 2020

Background: Plants have been a part of rural area’s people life since prehistoric time, plants is important in the traditional cultures in the worldwide where human used it from birth to end of life. IdigenThis study was carried out to explore and recorded the plants and part used of plants for treating numerous people illness and disease by the traditional healers of the Phouthai ethnic group in Nakeu village, Hinboun district, Khammouan province, middle part Lao PDR for medicinal plants purposes. The current study was conducted, first, to identify plant species used as a remedy for human illness, diseases and health improve, and secondly to determine plant parts used, the technique of preparation and religious belief on the preferred source of healthcare an around Hinboun district, Khammouane province, Lao PDR.Methods: Ethnobotanical data for this paper were gathering from 03 traditional healers, and 69 households, therefore including the household of both gender (husband or wife), and across different level of education, age group, as well as the level of experience and knowledge of medicinal plants use. Plant specimens were collected during field survey which had been collected from natural wild plant and home gardens, information on each medicinal plant was recorded by using the data capture form.Results: We found 79 medicinal plants species, 51 families, and can’t identifies 2 species. Among the tree 44 species, 55.70 %; shrub 20 species, 25.32 %; liana 12 species, 15.19 %; and gasses 3 species, 3.8 %, were used to treat 34 sicknesses. A designation of all recorded species including the plant family names, dialect names, part used, and process to preparation of treatment. The roots are the plant part most commonly used (36.70%), followed by the stem (25.31%), leaves (10.12%), liana (10.12%), whole plant (6.32%), fruits (6.32%), and bark (3.79%). The medicinal plants are prepared using dried plant parts while some other species are using in fresh form. Boiling, soaking with cold water or alcohol, crushing, and burning are main methods of preparation.Conclusion: In this study, 79 medicinal plant species were documented as use in the treatment of different common sickness including stomach problem (gastrointestinal, flatulence, diarrhea, detox), kidney infections, fever, dysmenorrheal postpartum tonic, nervous system, skin disease, health tonic, lever infections, heart disease, dressing wounds, and others.
Accessibility of Cancer Treatment Services for Indigenous Australians in the Northern Territory: Perspectives of Patients and Care Providers
Authors: Anderson Kate M , Diaz Abbey , Parikh Darshit Rajeshkumar , Garvey Gail
Published: September 2020

Background: The poorer cancer outcomes of Indigenous Australians in Australia’s Northern Territory (NT) compared with their non-Indigenous counterparts is partially due to diminished access to cancer treatment services (CTS). The accessibility of health care is a multidimensional construct, including physical, logistical, psychosocial and cultural dimensions. While previous research has identified specific areas of reduced access to CTS for Indigenous Australians, the higher burden of cancer borne by Indigenous Australians warrants a more comprehensive understanding of access to CTS in the NT.Aim: The purpose of this study was to explore and map the accessibility of CTS for Indigenous Australians in the NT and to identify key access barriers.Methods: This study employed a mixed-methods convergent design to explore and map the accessibility of one CTS (CTS-NT) that services a large number of Indigenous Australians in the NT. Patient and care provider views were included. Patient perspectives were obtained via secondary analysis of data from open- and closed-questions from 75 face-to-face interviews with Indigenous Australian adults attending the CTS-NT. Care provider perspectives were obtained via primary analysis of data from 29 face-to-face semi-structured interviews with care providers and staff working at CTS-NT. Data were analysed to identify issues of accessibility informed by Leveque and colleagues’ conceptual framework of access to health care, which comprises five dimensions of accessibility of the health service and the ability of Indigenous patients to interact with these dimensions to generate access. Applied thematic analysis was conducted on the qualitative data and descriptive analysis was conducted on the quantitative data.Results: The analysis of the patient and care provider reports identified multiple access barriers across all five dimensions including: inadequate preparation of Indigenous cancer patients for treatment; delayed and complicated commencement of treatment; dislocation from home; competing priorities; a scarcity of Indigenous care providers and staff; a lack of culturally-relevant care; challenges associated with language, accommodation, transport and finance; and disjointed and fraught relationships with care providers. These barriers posed significant challenges to Indigenous patients maintaining their engagement with treatment.Conclusions: This study provides a valuable snapshot of the barriers facing this population across the five dimensions of health care access. Urgent action in addressing these issues is required at individual, service and state levels.
The Effects of Epidural Analgesia during Labor on Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes
Authors: Huang Jin-Hua , Yu Mei , Zhang Di-Bao , Pan Jun-Ping , Zhao Xiao-Tan , Liu Quan , Yang Min
Published: September 2020

Background: The purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of epidural analgesia usage vs. non-epidural labor on maternal and neonatal outcomes. Methods: We included 129 parturients who had vaginal deliveries in our hospital since December 1, 2018. The women were grouped into the epidural analgesia group or the non-epidural group. In order to investigate the effect of epidural analgesia on mother and newborn outcomes, we evaluated the differences in labor duration, the Apgar score of the newborn, and the overall outcome of the mother and newborn. Results: Compared to the non-epidural group, the durations of the first and second stages of labor in the analgesia group were significantly longer. In terms of neonatal outcome, the epidural analgesia group had a higher lactate value in the umbilical artery blood and higher pCO2 of umbilical vein blood of the neonates. However, there were no significant differences in Apgar Score, umbilical blood pH, base excess, or other umbilical cord blood gas analyses (pO2, HGB, SO2, HCO3 -) between epidural analgesia and non-epidural labor groups.Conclusion: The epidural analgesia prolongs the duration of the first and second stages of labor and affects the level of lactate in umbilical artery blood and the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in umbilical vein blood. There was no significant effect on the basic characteristics of the mothers and neonates, suggesting that epidural analgesia delivery technology is safe, but it may have a particular short-term impact on neonatal outcomes.
Women’s Attitudes Towards Negotiating Safe Sexual Practices in Nigeria: Do Family Structure and Decision-making Autonomy Play a Role?
Authors: Imo Chukwuechefulam Kingsley , Odimegwu Clifford O. , De Wet-Billings Nicole
Published: September 2020

BackgroundThe risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is related to women’s sexual attitudes, beliefs, and power dynamics within marriages in developing countries. Despite the interventions towards improving women’s sexual health and well-being, the risk of transmission of STIs which disproportionately affect women continues to be widespread in most sub-Saharan African countries including Nigeria. The dearth of social research on the influence of family structure and decision-making autonomy on women’s attitudes towards negotiating safe sexual practices necessitated this study in Nigeria. MethodsThe study involved analyses of data from nationally representative and weighted sample size of 28,219 ever-married or cohabiting women aged 15-49 years from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. Descriptive and analytical analyses were carried out, including frequency tables, Pearson’s chi-square test, and multivariate binary logistic regression model.ResultsThe overall prevalence of having strong attitudes towards negotiating safe sexual practices were 76.7% and 69.6% for a wife justified in asking the husband to use a condom if he has an STI and refusing to have sex with the husband if he had sex with other women, respectively. The analyses further showed that polygamous unions negatively influenced urban and rural women’s attitudes towards negotiating safe sexual practices with partners, for instance, the belief that a wife is justified asking the husband to use a condom if he has STI (aOR: 0.71; CI: 0.61-0.83 and aOR: 0.74; CI: 0.67-0.81, respectively). Similarly, urban and rural women whose husbands/partners made independent decisions on their healthcare were less likely to belief that a wife is justified in asking the husband to use a condom if he has STI (aOR: 0.60; CI: 0.47-0.76 and aOR: 0.80; CI: 0.67-0.97, respectively). Plausibly, women’s decision-making autonomy on issues relating to their earnings and healthcare might have constrained them to compromise their sexual relationships with partners. ConclusionThe outcomes of this study have some policy implications for both maternal and child health. Hence, the need to intensify programmes aimed at improving women’s sexual health and rights towards achieving sustainable development goals of preventing deaths of newborns, ending STIs and creating gender in Nigeria.
First Wave of COVID-19 Hospital Admissions in Denmark: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Holler Jon Gitz , Eriksson Robert , Jensen Tomas Østergaard , Wijhe Maarten Van , Fischer Thea Kølsen , Søgaard Ole Schmeltz , Israelsen Simone Bastrup , Mohey Rajesh , Fabricius Thilde , Jøhnk Frederik , Wiese Lothar , Johnsen Stine , Søborg Christian , Nielsen Henrik , Kirk Ole , Madsen Birgitte Lindegaard , Harboe Zitta Barrella
Published: September 2020

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its associated disease coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is a worldwide emergency. Demographic, clinical and laboratory factors associated with mortality in Danish patients hospitalised with COVID-19 is limited.Methods: National health registries were used to identify all hospitalized patients with a COVID-19 diagnosis. We obtained demographics, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and laboratory results on admission and explored prognostic factors for death using multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression and competing risk survival analysis.Results: Among 2,431 hospitalised patients with COVID-19 between February 27th and July 8th (median age 69 years [IQR 53–80], 54.1% males), 359 (14.8%) needed admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) and 455 (18.7%) died within 30 days of follow-up. The seven-day cumulative incidence of ICU admission was lower for females (7.9%) than for males (16.7%), (p < 0.001). Age, high CCI, elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, D-dimer, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), urea, creatinine, lymphopenia, neutrophilia, and thrombocytopenia within 24-hours of admission were independently associated with death within the first week in the multivariate analysis. Conditional upon surviving the first week, male sex, age, high CCI, elevated CRP, LDH, creatinine, urea and neutrophil count were associated with death within 30 days. Males presented with more pronounced laboratory abnormalities on admission. Conclusions: Advanced age, male sex, comorbidity, higher levels of systemic inflammation and cell-turnover were prognostic factors for mortality. Age was the strongest predictor for death, moderate to high level of comorbidity were associated with a nearly two-fold increase in mortality. Mortality was significantly higher for males after surviving the first week.
Anxiety, Depression and Functional impairment during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Health Care Workers: A Cross Sectional Online Survey
Authors: Shrestha Rajan , Khatri Bijay , Ranjitkar Suman , Adhikari Santoshi , Poudyal Prasanta
Published: September 2020

BackgroundCOVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered, with more than 24 million cases worldwide. Geometrically increasing numbers of cases and deaths from COVID 19 in the world, both medical staff and the public have been experiencing psychological problems, which can cause disability and functional impairment of the individual. This study aimed to determine the burden of stress anxiety and depression among health care workers.MethodologyA hospital-based cross-sectional study was carried out among all the employees of Hospital for Children Eye ENT and Rehabilitation Services Bhaktapur during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown using an online questionnaire. The tools used were adopted from Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS) Nepali version and WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS2.0).ResultsThe mean age (SD) of the participants (n=86) was 32.53 (7.92) years. Male and female participants were equal in number. The point prevalence of anxiety and depression was 25.6% and 14.0%, respectively. Females had a higher prevalence of both anxiety (39.5% vs 11.6%, p<0.01) and depression (18.6% vs 9.3%, p=0.351). Clinical and non-clinical staff both had a higher prevalence of both anxiety (31.0% and 20.5%, p=0.265) and depression (16.7% and 11.4%, p=0.478). Mean disability score (WHODAS 2.0) among all participants and participants with anxiety and depression was 19.47 (95% CI: 18.13-20.80), 21.27 (95% CI: 18.08-24.46) and 19.92 (15.28-24.56), respectively.ConclusionAnxiety and depression during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown were highly prevalent both in clinical and non-clinical employees, without causing significant functional impairment among health care workers.
Proteomics Analysis Identified Hub Genes Associated With RNAi-Induced Silencing of G1 Cyclins in MDA-MB-231 Cells
Authors: Shamsabadi Fatemeh T. , Eidgahi Mohammad Reza Akbari , Yamchi Ahad , Guarnaccia Corrado , Shahbazi Majid
Published: September 2020

Background: The G1 cyclins are the most potent candidates in the pathogenesis of breast cancer. This study was designed to analyze the synergistic effect of G1 cyclins silencing on the proliferation of breast cancer cells and to identify G1 cyclins-molecular targets by proteomics approach.Methods: The MDA-MB-231 cells were transfected by a dual shRNA vector targeting G1 cyclins through a bidirectional survivin promoter. Silencing efficacy and cell proliferation were evaluated by real-time PCR, Western blot, and MTS assays, respectively. The protein expression profile was evaluated by 2D gel electrophoresis and mass spectroscopy. Further, bioinformatics tools were applied to identify the molecular targets by G1 cyclins and their possible biological consequences.Results: In response to G1 cyclins silencing, the proliferation of cells exposed to the dual shRNA vector decreased significantly at 72 h post-transfection. The reduction of G1 cyclins proteins was following their mRNA expression level as well. Protein signature of cells was altered in response to the silencing of G1 cyclins, 13 up-regulated, and seven down-regulated. Network analysis of G1 cyclins-regulated proteins identified ACTB, HSP90AA1, ALB, and HSPA5 as the hub genes according to the degree method.The regulated proteins by G1 cyclins participate in cancer-related pathways such as PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and pathways in cancer (HSP90AA1; HSP90AB1; HSP9B1), HIF-1 signaling pathway (LDHA; ALDOA; PGK1), apoptosis and proteoglycans in cancer (ACTB).Conclusions: We identified the G1 cyclins-regulated proteins and their mode of action in the pathogenesis of breast cancer. Our findings suggested that G1 cyclins participate in various biological functions. Meanwhile, it offers a new perception of the interactions among G1 cyclins-regulated proteins to identify targeted treatment. It follows-up research in the field of breast cancer.
miR-1250-5p is a novel tumor suppressive intronic miRNA hypermethylated in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma: novel targets with impact on ERK signaling and cell migration
Authors: Zhang Min Yue , Wang Lu Qian , Chim James
Published: September 2020

Background

miR-1250 is localised to the second intron of AATK at chromosome 17q25. As a CpG island is present at the putative promoter region of its host gene, AATK, we postulated that the intronic miR-1250-5p is a tumor suppressor miRNA co-regulated with its host gene, AATK, by promoter DNA methylation in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL).
Methods

AATK/miR-1250 methylation was studied in healthy controls, including ten normal peripheral blood buffy coat and eleven normal tonsils, ten lymphoma cell lines, and 120 primary lymphoma samples by methylation-specific PCR (MSP). The expression of miR-1250-5p and AATK was investigated by quantitative real-time PCR. Tumor suppressor properties of miR-1250-5p were demonstrated by over-expression of precursor miR-1250-5p in lymphoma cells. The target of miR-1250-5p was verified by luciferase reporter assay.
Results

AATK/miR-1250 methylation was absent in healthy peripheral blood and tonsils, but detected in five (50%) NHL cell lines. AATK/miR-1250 methylation correlated with repression of miR-1250-5p and AATK in NHL cell lines. In completely methylated SU-DHL-6 and SUP-T1 cells, treatment with 5-AzadC led to promoter demethylation and re-expression of both miR-1250-5p and AATK. In primary lymphoma samples, AATK/miR-1250 was frequently methylated in B-cell lymphoma (n = 41, 44.09%) and T-cell lymphoma (n = 9, 33.33%) with a comparable frequency (P = 0.318). In SU-DHL-1 cells, restoration of miR-1250-5p resulted in decreased cellular proliferation by MTS assay, increased cell death by trypan blue staining and enhanced apoptosis by annexin V-PI assay. Moreover, MAPK1 and WDR1 were verified as direct targets of miR-1250-5p by luciferase assay. In 39 primary NHLs, miR-1250-5p expression was shown to be inversely correlated with each of MAPK1 (P = 0.05) and WDR1 (P = 0.031) by qRT-PCR. Finally, in SU-DHL-1 cells, overexpression of miR-1250-5p led to repression of MAPK1 and WDR1 at both transcript and protein levels, with downregulation of phospho-ERK2 by Western-blotting and inhibition of SDF-1-dependent cell migration by transwell assay.
Conclusions

miR-1250-5p is a novel tumor suppressive intronic miRNA co-regulated and silenced by promoter DNA methylation of its host gene AATK in NHL. MAPK1 and WDR1 are novel miR-1250-5p direct targets rendering inhibition of MAPK/ERK signaling and SDF-1-dependent cell migration, hence implicated in survival and dissemination of lymphoma.
Impact of Previous Abdominal Surgery on Robotic-Assisted Rectal Surgery in Patients with Rectal Cancer Undergoing Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy: A Propensity Score Matching Study
Authors: Huang Ching-Wen , Su Wei-Chih , Chang Tsung-Kun , Ma Cheng-Jen , Yin Tzu-Chieh , Tsai Hsiang-Lin , Chen Po-Jung , Chen Yen-Cheng , Li Ching-Chun , Hsieh Yi-Chien , Wang Jaw Yuan
Published: September 2020

Background: The application of minimally invasive surgery in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and a history of previous abdominal surgery (PAS) remains controversial. This retrospective study with propensity score matching (PSM) investigated the impact of PAS on robotic-assisted rectal surgery outcomes in patients with rectal cancer undergoing preoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT).Methods: In total, 203 patients with rectal cancer who underwent preoperative CCRT and robotic-assisted rectal surgery between May 2013 and December 2019 were enrolled. Patients were categorized into PAS and non-PAS groups based on the PAS history. The PSM caliper matching method with 1-to-3 match was used to match PAS patients with non-PAS.Results: Of the 203 enrolled patients, 35 were PAS patients 168 were non-PAS patients. After PSM, 32 PAS patients and 96 non-PAS patients were included for analysis. No significant between-group differences were noted in the perioperative outcomes, including median console time [165 min (PAS) vs 175 min (noon-PAS), P = 0.4542)] and median operation time [275 min (PAS) vs 290 min (non-PAS), P = 0.5943)] after PSM. Postoperative recovery and overall complication rates were also similar (all P > 0.05). Moreover, the between-group differences in pathological or short-term oncological outcomes were also nonsignificant (all P > 0.05). No 30-day postoperative deaths were observed in either group.Conclusion: The current results indicate that robotic-assisted surgery is safe and feasible for PAS patients with rectal cancer undergoing preoperative CCRT. However, future prospective randomized clinical trials are required to verify these findings.
One Possible Cause for the Frequent Occurrence and Nonunion of Type II Odontoid Fracture 
Authors: Dong Weixin , Hu Yong , Zhong Jian-bin , Yuan Zhen-shan , Zhu Bing-ke , Lai Ou-jie , Sun Xiao-yang
Published: September 2020

Background. To analyze the underlying causes of frequent occurrence and nonunion of type II odontoid fracture.Methods. CT scans along with 3D imaging software (Mimics software) were used to measure the bone density of the axis. The axis was divided into three parts, including the odontoid of the axis (the first part), the base of the odontoid (the second part) and the body of the axis (the third part). The CT value of the axis was measured and analyzed in different axial planes from top to bottom, followed by calculation and comparison of the mean CT value of the three parts of the axis.Results. The mean CT value of the odontoid (the first part), base of the odontoid (the second part) and body of the axis (the third part) was 651.35±188.32, 318.38±98.82 and 397.45±93.59, respectively. In addition, the interval variation of CT value of different axial planes was initially decreased and further increased with the change of axial planes from top to bottom.Conclusion. The mean CT value of the base of the odontoid was significantly lower than that of the odontoid or the body of the axis. Therefore, the base of the odontoid was the transition region of shape and bone density, which may be one possible cause for the frequent occurrence and nonunion in the type II odontoid fracture in axis fracture.
Quality of Life Determinants in Professional Athletes
Authors: Nowak Paweł F. , Kuśnierz Cezary , Bajkowski Dariusz
Published: September 2020

BackgroundThe study attempted to answer the question whether the type of practiced sport (individual, team) is a determinant of quality of life in athletes. The study was also intended to identify quality of life determinants in karate practitioners and team sports players from among such socio-cultural variables as age, gender, marital status, financial situation, education, and types of health behaviors.MethodsThe study involved 110 Polish players of team sports and 90 martial arts practitioners. All competitors had high sporting achievements.A Paper-and-Pen Interview questionnaire was used as a standardized survey method. The Inventory of Health Behaviors by Z. Juczyński was used to evaluate respondents’ health behaviors. The Comprehensive Quality of Life Scale by R. A. Cummins was used to measure the quality of life in its objective and subjective components, covering seven domains: material well-being, health, productivity, intimacy, safety, community and emotional well-being.ResultsThe assumed research model proved to be statistically significant. However, of the many quality of life predictors only three proved to be statistically significant: proper dietary habits, positive mental attitude and athletes’ gender. It turned out that men are statistically more likely to achieve a higher quality of life than women. The type of practiced sport did not turn out to be a quality of life determinant.ConclusionsThe results of the present study shows that it is necessary to intensify activities constituting the educational framework of athletes’ training, including the activities of specialists in the area of pro-health behaviors: nutritionists, psychologists, health promoters, as it increases the chances of improving athletes’ overall quality of life.
The Effect of Multimodal Comprehensive Care Methodology Training on Oral Health Care Professionals’ Empathy for Patients With Dementia
Authors: Kobayashi Masaki , Ito Mio , Iwasa Yasuyuki , Motohashi Yoshiko , Edahiro Ayako , Shirobe Maki , Hirano Hirohiko , Gineste Yves , Honda Miwako
Published: September 2020

Background: The prevalence of oral diseases in people with dementia has increased, and patients with dementia have worse oral health than people without dementia. However, in the provision of oral care, these patients often exhibit care-resistant behaviours. Empathy is important for health care professionals who provide dental care for people with dementia. A study was conducted to assess whether a multimodal comprehensive care methodology training programme: HumanitudeTM is associated with an improvement in empathy for people with dementia among oral health care professionals.Methods: This research was a pre-post prospective study. A total of 45 dentists and dental hygienists participated in a 7-hour multimodal comprehensive care methodology training programme. Participants’ empathy for their patients was evaluated with the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy-Health Professionals Version (JSPE-HP) before the training and one month after the training (primary outcome). Each participant listed 3 patients from his or her clinical practice for whom he or she felt difficulty to provide oral care due to dementia. The oral health of the 3 care-resistant patients listed by each participant was evaluated by the Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT) before the training and one month after the training (secondary outcome).Results: The post-training response rate was 87% (21 dentists and 18 dental hygienists). From pre-training to post-training, the multimodal comprehensive care methodology training significantly increased the mean empathy score (from 113.97 to 122.95, P<0.05, effect size=0.9). Regardless of gender, profession and years of clinical experience, all post-training subgroup scores were higher than the pre-training subgroup scores. The tongue, natural teeth, and oral hygiene scores of patients, as assessed by the OHAT, were significantly improved compared with those before the training.Conclusions: Multimodal comprehensive care methodology training was associated with an improvement in oral health professionals’ empathy for patients with dementia and an improvement in the oral health of their patients. These findings suggest that randomized controlled trials with large sample sizes will be needed.Trial registration: UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR), UMIN000041687. Registered 4 September 2020 – Retrospectively registered, https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000047586
Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Peroxide Generation Coupled with Selective Benzylamine Oxidation over Defective ZrS3 Nanobelts
Authors: Tian Zhangliu , Han Cheng , Zhao Yao , Dai Weirui , Lian Xu , Wang Yanan , Zheng Yue , Shi Yi , Pan Xuan , Huang Zhichao , Li Hexing , Chen Wei
Published: September 2020

Photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) generation represents a promising approach for artificial photosynthesis. However, the sluggish half-reaction of water oxidation significantly limits the efficiency of H2O2 generation. A substitutional reaction of oxidation with accelerated kinetics to produce value-added chemicals holds promise to tackle this challenge. Here, a benzylamine oxidation with more favorable thermodynamics is employed as the half-reaction to couple with H2O2 generation in water by using defective zirconium trisulfide (ZrS3) nanobelts as photocatalyst. The ZrS3 nanobelts with disulfide (S22-) and sulfide anion (S2-) vacancies exhibit an excellent photocatalytic performance for H2O2 generation and simultaneous oxidation of benzylamine to benzonitrile with a high selectivity of > 99%. The S22- vacancies are revealed to facilitate the separation of photogenerated charge carriers. The S2- vacancies can significantly improve the electron conduction, hole extraction, and kinetics of benzylamine oxidation. As a result, the use of defective ZrS3 nanobelts yields a high production rate of 78 and 32 µmol h-1 for H2O2 and benzonitrile, respectively, under a simulated sunlight irradiation.
Lumbar Lordosis Morphology Correlates to Erector Spinae Muscularity in Asymptomatic Asian Adults
Authors: Wang Guodong , Li Yang , Sun Jianmin
Published: September 2020

Background

It is still blank on the relationship between lumbar lordosis morphology and paraspinal muscle in asymptomatic Asian adults. The study aims to investigate the relationships.
Methods

87 asymptomatic adults aged between 18 and 45 years old were enrolled in the retrospective study. Lumbar lordosis morphology, consisting of total lumbar lordosis (LL), proximal lumbar lordosis (PLL), distal lumbar lordosis (DLL), lumbar lordosis apex (LLA) and inflexion point (IP), was evaluated, as well as pelvic incidence (PI) and muscularity of erector spinae (ES) and multifidus (MF). Pearson correlation was performed to analyze the relationship between each other parameter. Cases were stratified according to pelvic incidence (very low < 30°, low 30°-45°, moderate 45°-60°, and high > 60°), comparison between groups was performed by univariance analysis.
Results

PLL revealed a correlation with LLA (r = 0.603, p = 0.002) and inflexion point (r = 0.536, p = 0.004), but did not DLL with LL apex (r = 0.204, p = 0.058) or inflexion point (r = 0.210, p = 0.051). PI revealed a greater correlation with PLL (r=-0.673, p < 0.001) than with DLL (r=-0.237, p = 0.045). Linear stepwise regression analysis also exhibited the correlation between PI and PLL (R2 = 0.452, PLL = 16.2–0.61*PI, p < 0.001). ES muscularity correlated with LL apex (r=-0.279, p = 0.014) and inflexion point (r=-0.227, p = 0.047). Stratification by PI demonstrated PLL increased across groups (p < 0.001), but DLL was comparable between low and moderate PI group (p = 0.329).
Conclusion

Lumbar lordosis morphology correlates to erector spinae muscularity. Proximal lumbar lordosis has a bigger correlation with pelvic incidence than the distal lumbar lordosis. The results are helpful for restoring a rational lumbar lordosis shape in long fusion surgery.
Molecular Basis of Maintaining Circannual Rhythm in the Skin of Cashmere Goat 
Authors: Wu Jianghong , Li Yin , Gong Husile , Wu Dubala , Li Chun , Liu Bin , Ding Lizhong
Published: September 2020

BackgroundThe cashmere goat (Capra hircus) is famous for the fine quality cashmere wool. The cashmere is produced by secondary hair follicle that shows seasonal rhythm in growth. Thus, in this study, the skin of cashmere goat was selected as a model to illustrate the circannual rhythm of skin. ResultsThe skin whole length transcriptome obtained by PacBio single-molecule long-read sequencing (SMRT) technology were mixed from four selected months. The transcriptome yielded 82,382 high quality non-redundant transcripts belonging to 193,310 genes, including 4,237 novel genes. Other 39 skin transcriptomes sequenced by Illumina Hi-Seq2500 were sampled from Dec. 2014 to Dec. 2015, from which we found 980 genes were differentially expressed. Of these genes, 403 seasonal rhythm genes (SRGs) were expressed and exhibited a seasonal pattern in skin. Some SRG genes related to the hormone secretion and eyes morphogenesis were enriched in skin. These SRG genes gradually increased their expression level under short light, reached the peak near the summer solstice, and then began to decline. We found that the expression of Dio1 gene may be affected by the photoperiod that induces transformation from the inactive T4 to active thyroid hormone T3 in the skin and led to the difference between the skin circannual rhythm and the core circannual rhythm. The results also showed that miRNAs were differentially expressed as the daylight length changed throughout a year. Furthermore, the skin expressed eye morphogenesis-related genes and miRNAs, which suggested some cells in the skin could have the potential of light sensitivity. ConclusionTaking together, these results revealed that SRGs could regulate the downstream gene expression and physiological process in the skin to adapt to the season change. We provided a hypothesis to describe how goat skin makes the own rhythm and gets the clue from the environment factor.
Association Between Length of Residence and Prevalence of Mrsa Colonization Among Residents in Geriatric Long-term Care Facilities
Authors: Sasahara Teppei , Ae Ryusuke , Yoshimura Akio , Kosami Koki , Sasaki Kazumasa , Kimura Yumiko , Akine Dai , Ogawa Masanori , Hamabata Kenji , Hatakeyama Shuji , Cui Longzhu
Published: September 2020

Background: A high prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization has been reported among residents in geriatric long-term care facilities (LTCFs). Some studies indicate that MRSA might be imported from hospitals into LTCFs via resident transfer; however, other studies report that high MRSA prevalence might be caused by cross-transmission inside LTCFs. We aimed to assess which factors have a large impact on the high MRSA prevalence among residents of geriatric LTCFs.Methods: We conducted a cohort study among 260 residents of four geriatric LTCFs in Japan. Dividing participants into two cohorts, we separately analyzed (1) the association between prevalence of MRSA carriage and length of LTCF residence (Cohort 1: n=204), and (2) proportion of residents identified as MRSA negative who were initially tested at admission but subsequently identified as positive in secondary testing performed at ≥2 months after their initial test (Cohort 2: n=79).Results: Among 204 residents in Cohort 1, 20 (9.8%) were identified as positive for MRSA. Compared with residents identified as MRSA negative, a larger proportion of MRSA-positive residents had shorter periods of residence from the initial admission (median length of residence: 5.5 vs. 2.8 months), although this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.084). Among 79 residents in Cohort 2, 60 (75.9%) were identified as MRSA negative at the initial testing. Of these 60 residents, only one (1.7%) had subsequent positive conversion in secondary MRSA testing. In contrast, among 19 residents identified as MRSA positive in the initial testing, 10 (52.6%) were negative in secondary testing.Conclusions: The prevalence of MRSA was lower among residents with longer periods of LTCF residence than among those with shorter periods. Furthermore, few residents were found to become MRSA carrier after their initial admission. These findings highlight that MRSA in LTCFs is most likely to be associated with resident transfer rather than spread via cross-transmission inside LTCFs.
Medical Student’s Perceptions of the Mentoring Program: A Survey from Religious Medical School in Taiwan
Authors: Tseng Ting-Chun , Chen Tsung-Ying , Chu Shao-Yin , Wang Hung-Che , Chang Ching-Yuan
Published: September 2020

Background: Tzu Chi University (TCU) in Taiwan offers a mentoring program that differs from others since it comprises triple mentors: faculty mentors, Tzu Cheng/Yi De (TC/YDs who are senior volunteers), and school counselors. This study aimed to analyze medical student’s perceptions of the triple mentors’ role functions using a self-developed assessment tool.Methods: The Role Functions of the Mentoring Program Scale (RFMPS) was developed through literature reviews, focus groups, and underwent exploratory factor analysis for internal consistency and reliability. The RFMPS consists of 16 items measuring the triple mentors’ role functions on a five-point Likert scale. Items covered four role functions: mental counseling, educational guidance, career counseling, and humanistic/moral guidance. Student’s perceptions were collected through an online survey and analyzed using a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA).Results: The overall response rate was 64% (116/171). Faculty mentors provided students with preferable guidance counseling in all four role functions; TC/YDs particularly offered prominent humanistic/moral guidance and career counseling; school counselors were less preferred and guided students in need. Besides, students were evenly guided regarding their gender and year. The RFMPS was a reliable tool for evaluating the mentoring program as a whole.Conclusions: Faculty mentors, TC/YDs, and school counselors comprehensively performed their role functions in the mentoring program. Humanistic/moral guidance is current and comparable to educational, career, and mental guidance counseling; the mentoring program can extend its scope by including humanistic, moral, or spiritual connotations.
Amyloid precursor protein causes fusion of promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies in human hippocampal areas with high plaque load
Authors: Marks David , Heinen Natalie , Bachmann Lisa , Meermeyer Sophia , Werner Michelle , Villarejo Lucia Gallego , Hemmerich Peter , Bader Verian , Winklhofer Konstanze , Schröder Elisabeth , Knauer Shirley K , Müller Thorsten
Published: September 2020

BackgroundThe amyloid precursor protein (APP) is a type I transmembrane protein with unknown physiological function. Amyloidogenic processing of APP causes the generation of different cleavage products amongst b-amyloid and the APP C-terminal (APP-CT) fragment.METHODS1D, cerebral organoid 3D cell culture and human hippocampal post-mortem tissue were used to study APP-CT signalling in combination with immunofluorescence, -precipitation, confocal and STED imaging.RESULTSThe current study demonstrates that APP-CT signals to the nucleus causing the generation of dynamic aggregates consisting of FE65 and the tumour suppressors p53 and PML. PML aggregates fuse over time depending on the APP nuclear signalling and complexes of the APP-CT/p53/PML and FE65 are present in the aged human post-mortem brain but not in cerebral organoids. Precise quantification revealed that AD brains show a significant loss of these nuclear aggregates in areas with high plaque load. The PML aggregates are co-localized to the herpes simplex virus in the human brain.CONCLUSIONSOur data show that APP-CT signalling recruits the nuclear PML body machinery and is of central relevance for neurodegeneration in AD with a potential function in viral defence.
Association Between First-Trimester Intrauterine Hematoma and Twin Pregnancy Outcomes: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Ji Wanqing , Zheng Jie , Li Weidong , Guo Fang , Hou Bo , He Ping
Published: September 2020

Background: In recent years, we have found that first-trimester intrauterine hematoma in twin pregnancy has become increasingly common. The majority of studies on intrauterine hematoma have excluded twin pregnancies, while others did not differentiate between singleton and twin pregnancies. The associations in twin pregnancy are not clear. Therefore, the primary objective of our study was to examine the associations between first-trimester intrauterine hematoma and pregnancy outcomes in twin pregnancy. Material and methods: 1020 twin pregnancies in women who underwent a routine examination from January 2014 to December 2018 were enrolled. According to the presence or absence of intrauterine hematoma, we compared the baseline data and pregnancy outcomes between two groups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to adjust for possible confounding factors. Results: A total of 209 patients (21.3%) developed intrauterine hematoma in the first trimester. First-trimester intrauterine hematoma was significantly associated with increased odds of miscarriage (adjusted odds ratio 14.27, 95% CI 8.25-24.70) and the vanishing twin syndrome (adjusted odds ratio 3.26, 95% CI 1.11-4.61). However, It did not have increased odds of adverse pregnancy outcomes after 20 Weeks of Gestation .In the final regression model analysis, the associations of hematoma with previous miscarriage history, accepted assisted conception, accompanying vaginal bleeding and miscarriage and vanishing twin syndrome were no longer significant. No association was found between hematoma size or the presence of vaginal bleeding and the risk of pregnancy loss or the vanishing twin syndrome before 20 weeks of gestation (P>0.05). Conclusion: In women with twin pregnancies, the presence of intrauterine hematoma in the first trimester was associated with one or both fetal losses before 20 weeks of gestation. However, chorionicity in twins, the conception method, the intrauterine hematoma size and the presence of vaginal bleeding were not independently associated with pregnancy loss.
Optimizing Literature Search: TEMAS, A New Text-mining Algorithm-assisted Search Tool
Authors: Bonnet Emmanuel , Jean-Pierre Daurès , Paul Landais
Published: September 2020

Background: Literature search is challenging when thousands of articles are potentially involved. To facilitate literature search we created TEMAS a Text Mining Algorithm-assisted Search tool that we compared to a PubMed reference search (RS) in the context of etiological epidemiology.Methods: The 4 steps of TEMAS are: 1) a classic PubMed global search 2) a first sort removing articles without abstracts or containing off-topic terms 3) a clustering step with a descending hierarchical classification regrouping articles in independent classes 4) a final sort extracting from the targeted class the abstracts containing the terms of interest, with a link to the corresponding PubMed articles. Validation was performed for risk factors of breast cancer. We estimated the precision and recall rate compared to RS. Average precision and discounted cumulative gain (DCG) were also computed to perform a ranking-based evaluation. We also compared TEMAS results with articles selected in two meta-analyses.Results: For risk factors of breast cancer, breastfeeding, mammographic density, oral contraceptive, and menarche were explored. TEMAS consistently increased precision vs RS (from 23% to 32%), with a recall rate from 95% to 97%, and divided the number of selected articles to read from 2.3 to 4.8 times. Mean average precision for 100 articles was 47.4% for TEMAS vs 20.9% for PubMed ranked by best match, and DCG showed a consistent improvement for TEMAS compared to PubMed best match.Discussion: TEMAS divided the results of a literature search by 3.2, and improved the precision rate, the average precision, and the DCG compared to RS for epidemiological studies. Reducing the number of selected articles inevitably impacted the recall rate. However, it remained satisfactory and did not bias the corpus of information. Moreover, the recall rate was 100% for the two meta-analyses we analyzed, which suggests that the loss of recall rate observed above concerned articles not relevant enough to be included in the meta-analyses.Conclusion: TEMAS provides a user-friendly interface for non-specialists of literature search confronted with thousands of articles and appeared useful for meta-analyses.
Screening of Strongyloides stercoralis Infection in High-Risk Patients in Khuzestan Province, Southwestern Iran
Authors: Ashiri Alireza , Rafiei Abdollah , Beiromvand Molouk , Khanzadeh Abdollah , Alghasi Arash
Published: September 2020

Background: Strongyloidiasis, one of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), can be fatal in immunocompromised patients. Available data on Strongyloides stercoralis infection in high-risk patients in Iran; however, is limited. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of S. stercoralis infection and associated risk factors among high-risk patients, as well as to evaluate the accuracy of the diagnostic tests used in the diagnose of S. stercoralis infection. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed during 2019 to 2020 among 300 high-risk patients in Khuzestan Province, southwestern Iran. Patients with autoimmune diseases, uncontrolled diabetes, HIV/AIDS, cancer, organ transplant, hematologic malignancy, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were examined using direct smear examination, formalin-ether concentration, Baermann funnel technique, agar plate culture, and ELISA test. Culture-positive samples were confirmed by PCR amplification and sequencing of the nuclear 18S rDNA (SSU) hypervariable region (HVRIV) of the parasite.Results: The prevalence of S. stercoralis infection was 1%, 1.3%, 2%, 2.7%, and 8.7% using direct smear examination, formalin-ether concentration, Baermann funnel technique, agar plate culture, and ELISA test, respectively. All culture-positive samples were confirmed by SSU-PCR. According to the results, the most sensitive test was ELISA, with 100% sensitivity, followed by Baermann funnel technique with sensitivity of 75%. Direct smear examination, formalin-ether concentration technique, and Baermann funnel technique had the highest PPV (100%), while ELISA test had the highest NPV (100%). Eosinophilia significantly was observed in patients whose culture test were positive (7/8; p= 0.001). Of these, 5 patients had a history of asthma and COPD. In the present study, the majority of the positive cases by the agar plate culture had a history of prolonged exposure to soil, history of asthma and COPD, and were over the ages of 60. In two cases, S. stercoralis larva was observed 6 months and 8 months after treatment with albendazole.Conclusions: Given that the ELISA test had the highest NPV, screening of all high-risk patients for S. stercoralis infection in endemic areas is recommended prior to starting corticosteroid therapy with ELISA test. Ivermectin should be available to the strongyloidiasis patients in the endemic areas.
DNAJA1 dysregulates metabolism promoting an anti-apoptotic phenotype in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Roth Heidi , Bhinderwala Fatema , Franco Rodrigo , Zhou You , Powers Robert
Published: September 2020

BackgroundAt less than 7%, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has one of the poorest 5-year cancer survival rates and is set to be the leading cause of cancer related deaths by 2030. The co-chaperone protein DNAJA1 (HSP40) is downregulated four-fold in pancreatic cancer cells, but its impact on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) progression remains unclear.MethodsDNAJA1 was overexpressed in pancreatic cancer cell lines, BxPC-3 and MIA PaCa-2, through retroviral transfection. The impact of overexpressing DNAJA1 was investigated using a combination of untargeted metabolomics, stable isotope resolved metabolomics (SIRM), confocal microscopy, flow-cytometry, and cell-based assays.ResultsPancreatic cancer cells overexpressing DNAJA1 exhibited a global metabolomic change. Specifically, differential output from Warburg glycolysis, an increase in redox currency, and an alteration in amino acid levels were observed in both overexpression cell lines. DNAJA1 overexpression also led to mitochondrial fusion, an increase in the expression of Bcl-2, a modest protection from redox induced cell death, a loss of structural integrity due to the loss of actin fibers, and an increase in cell invasiveness in BxPC-3. These differences were more pronounced in BxPC-3, which contains a loss-of-function mutation in the tumor suppressing gene SMAD4.ConclusionsThe overexpression of DNAJA1 promoted cellular proliferation, redox tolerance, invasiveness, and anti-apoptosis, which suggests DNAJA1 has numerous regulatory roles. Overall, our findings suggest a proto-oncogenic role of DNAJA1 in PDAC progression and suggests DNAJA1 may function synergistically with other proteins with altered activity in pancreatic cancer cell lines.