bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Single-Step Ethanol Production from Raw Cassava Starch Using a Combination of Raw Starch Hydrolysis and Fermentation, Scale-Up from 5-L Laboratory and 200-L Pilot Plant to 3,000-L Industrial Fermenters
Authors: Krajang Morakot , Malairuang Kwanruthai , Sukna Jatuporn , Rattanapradit Krongchan , Chamsart Saethawat
Published: August 2020

Background: A single-step ethanol production is the combination of raw cassava starch hydrolysis and fermentation. For the development of raw starch consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) technologies, this research work was to investigate the optimum conditions and technical procedures for the production of ethanol from raw cassava starch in a single step. This resulted high yields and productivities of all the experiments from the laboratory, the pilot, through the industrial scales. The yields of ethanol concentration are comparable with those in the commercial industries that use molasses and hydrolyzed starch as the raw materials. Results: Before single-step ethanol production, the studies of raw cassava starch hydrolysis by a granular starch hydrolyzing enzyme, StargenTM002, were carefully conducted. It successfully converted 80.19% (w/v) of raw cassava starch to glucose at a concentration of 176.41 g/L with a productivity of 2.45 g/L/h when the raw starch was pretreated at 60 °C for 1 h with 0.10% (v/w dry starch basis) of Distillase ASP before hydrolysis. A single-step ethanol production at 34 °C in a 5-L fermenter showed that S. cerevisiae (Fali, active dry yeast) produced the maximum ethanol concentration, p of 81.86 g/L (10.43% v/v) with a yield coefficient, Y p/s of 0.41 g/g, a productivity or production rate, r p of 1.14 g/L/h with an efficiency, Ef of 71.44%. The scale-up experiments of the single-step ethanol production using this method, from the 5-L fermenter to the 200-L fermenter and further to the 3,000-L industrial fermenter were successfully achieved with essentially good results. The p, Y p/s , r p , and Ef values of the 200-L scale were 80.85 g/L (10.23% v/v), 0.41 g/g, 1.12 g/L/h and 72.47% , respectively ; of the 3,000-L scale were 70.74 g/L (9.01% v/v), 0.34 g/g, 0.98 g/L/h and 59.82% , respectively. Because of using raw starch, the major by-products of all the three scales were very low; glycerol lactic acid and acetic acid, in ranges of 0.94-1.14%, 0.046-0.052%, 0-0.059% (w/v), respectively, where are less than those values in the industries. Conclusions: This single-step ethanol production using a combination of raw cassava starch hydrolysis and fermentation of the three fermentation scales here is practicable and feasible for the scale-up of industrial production of ethanol from raw starch.
Impact of Chimera-less Long Reads on Metagenomics of Human Gut Viromes Treated With Multiple Displacement Amplification
Authors: Kiguchi Yuya , Nishijima Suguru , Kumar Naveen , Hattori Masahira , Suda Wataru
Published: August 2020

Background: The ecological and biological features of the indigenous phage community (virome) in the human gut microbiome are poorly understood, possibly due to many fragmented contigs and fewer complete genomes based on conventional short-read metagenomics. Long-read sequencing technologies have attracted attention as an alternative approach to reconstruct long and accurate contigs from microbial communities. However, the impact of long-read metagenomics on human gut virome analysis has not been well evaluated. Results: Here we present chimera-less PacBio long-read metagenomics of multiple displacement amplification (MDA)-treated human gut virome DNA. The method included the development of a novel bioinformatics tool, SACRA (Split Amplified Chimeric Read Algorithm), which efficiently detects and splits numerous chimeric reads in PacBio reads from the MDA-treated virome samples. SACRA treatment of PacBio reads from five samples markedly reduced the average chimera ratio from 72 to 1.5%, generating chimera-less PacBio reads with an average read-length of 1.8 kb. De novo assembly of the chimera-less long reads generated contigs with an average N50 length of 11.1 kb, whereas those of MiSeq short reads from the same samples were 0.7 kb, dramatically improving contig extension. Alignment of both contig sets generated 378 high-quality merged contigs (MCs) composed of the minimum scaffolds of 434 MiSeq and 637 PacBio contigs, respectively, and also identified numerous MiSeq short fragmented contigs ≤500 bp additionally aligned to MCs, which possibly originated from a small fraction of MiSeq chimeric reads. The alignment also revealed that fragmentations of the scaffolded MiSeq contigs were caused primarily by genomic complexity of the community, including local repeats, hypervariable regions, and highly conserved sequences in and between the phage genomes. We identified 142 complete and near-complete phage genomes including 108 novel genomes, varying from 5 to 185 kb in length, the majority of which were predicted to be Microviridae phages including several variants with homologous but distinct genomes, which were fragmented in MiSeq contigs. Conclusions: Long-read metagenomics coupled with SACRA provides an improved method to reconstruct accurate and extended phage genomes from MDA-treated virome samples of the human gut, and potentially from other environmental virome samples.
Diagnostic Measures for Severe Acute Malnutrition in Indian Infants Under 6 Months of Age: a Secondary Data Analysis
Authors: Chowdhury Ranadip , Nitika Nitika , Choudhary Tarun Shankar , Taneja Sunita , Martines Jose Carlos , Bhandari Nita , Bahl Rajiv
Published: August 2020

Background Weight for length z-score (WLZ) <- 3 is currently used to define severe acute malnutrition (SAM) among infants. However, this approach has important limitations for infants younger than 6 months of age as WLZ cannot be calculated using WHO growth standards if infant length is <45 cm. Moreover, length for age z-score (LAZ) and weight for length z-score (WLZ) are least reliable measures, with high chances of variation, and less chances of detecting undernutrition in under 6 months infants. The objective of the current analysis was to compare WLZ with WAZ and LAZ in a cohort of Indian infants in predicting the deaths between 6 weeks and 6 months of age. Methods The data was from an individually randomized trial conducted in slums of Delhi, India in which infants’ weight and length were measured at 6 weeks of age (at the time of the first immunization visit). Vital status of the infants was documented from 6 weeks to 6 months of age. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and positive and negative likelihood ratios, and area under curve (AUC) were calculated for WAZ<-3, WLZ<-3, and LAZ<-3 for deaths between 6 weeks and 6 months of age. Results For deaths occurring between 6 weeks to 6 months of age, the specificity ranged between 85.9-95.9% for all three anthropometric indicators. However, the sensitivity was considerably higher for WAZ; it was 64.6 % for WAZ<-3, 39.1% for LAZ<-3, and 25.0% for WLZ<-3. WAZ <-3 had higher AUC (0.75; 95% CI: 0.68, 0.82) and hence, better discriminated deaths between 6 weeks and 6 months of age than WLZ<-3. The adjusted relative risk (RR 10.6, 95% CI 5.9, 18.9) and the population attributable fraction (PAF 57.9%, 95% CI 38.8, 71.0%) of mortality was highest for WAZ<-3.Conclusions We found WAZ<-3 at 6 weeks of age to be a better predictor of death in the 6 weeks to 6 months of life in comparison to WLZ<-3 and LAZ<-3 and propose that it should be considered to diagnose SAM in this age group.
Non-Operatively Managed Primary Small Bowel Volvulus: A Case Report
Authors: Ewnte Biniam
Published: August 2020

Background: Primary small intestinal volvulus is one of the common causes of intestinal obstruction in various localities of the developing world. Although operative intervention has been the usual mode of treatment; this case report depicts with meticulous follow-up & care, there is a possibility for relief of obstruction with non-operative management.Case presentation: This is a case report of a 20-year-old male patient presented with crampy abdominal pain and frequent bilious vomiting. Plain abdominal film showed multiple distended small bowel loops with air fluid level, consistent with small bowel obstruction. Ruling out other etiologies primary small bowel volvulus was entertained and naso-gastric tube inserted, patient catheterized and kept nil per oral. After 48 hours of admission all symptoms resolved the patient resumed feeding and was discharged home. Conclusions: The reported case shows evidence in which the pa­tient’s primary small bowel volvulus was relieved non-operatively with insertion of naso gastric tube keeping nil per oral.
Text Classification Models for the Automatic Detection of Nonmedical Prescription Medication Use from Social Media
Authors: Al-Garadi Mohammed , Yang Yuan-Chi , Cai Haitao , Ruan Yucheng , O’Connor Karen , Graciela Gonzalez-Hernandez , Perrone Jeanmarie , Sarker Abeed
Published: August 2020

Background
Prescription medication (PM) misuse/abuse has emerged as a national crisis in the United States, and social media has been suggested as a potential resource for performing active monitoring. However, automating a social media-based monitoring system is challenging—requiring advanced natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning methods. In this paper, we describe the development and evaluation of automatic text classification models for detecting self-reports of PM abuse from Twitter.
Methods
We experimented with state-of-the-art bi-directional transformer-based language models, which utilize tweet-level representations that enable transfer learning (e.g., BERT, RoBERTa, XLNet, AlBERT, and DistilBERT), proposed fusion-based approaches, and compared the developed models with several traditional machine learning, including deep learning, approaches. Using a public dataset, we evaluated the performances of the classifiers on their abilities to classify the non-majority “abuse/misuse” class.
Results
Our proposed fusion-based model performs significantly better than the best traditional model (F1-score [95% CI]: 0.67 [0.64–0.69] vs. 0.45 [0.42–0.48]). We illustrate, via experimentation using differing training set sizes, that the transformer-based models are more stable and require less annotated data compared to the other models. The significant improvements achieved by our best-performing classification model over past approaches makes it suitable for automated continuous monitoring of nonmedical PM use from Twitter.
Conclusions
BERT, BERT-like and fusion-based models not only outperform traditional machine learning and deep learning models, but also show substantial improvements over many years of past research on the topic of prescription medication misuse/abuse classification from social media, which had been shown to be a complex task due to the unique ways in which information about nonmedical use is presented. However, several challenges, such as lack of complete context and the nature of social media language, must be overcome to further improve BERT and BERT-like models despite their advantages over other approaches. These experimental driven challenges are represented as potential future research directions.
Antibiotic-related Gut Dysbiosis Induces Lung Immunodepression and Worsens Lung Infection.
Authors: Dessein Rodrigue , BAUDUIN Marvin , GRANDJEAN Teddy , GUERN Rémi LE , FIGEAC Martin , BEURY Delphine , FAURE Karine , FAVEEUW Christelle , GUERY Benoit , GOSSET Philippe , KIPNIS Eric
Published: August 2020

BackgroundGut dysbiosis due to the adverse effects of antibiotics affects outcomes of lung infection. Previous murine models relied on significant depletion of both gut and lung microbiota, rendering the analysis of immune gut-lung cross-talk difficult.Here we study the effects of antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis without lung dysbiosis on lung immunity and the consequences on acute P. aeruginosa lung infection.MethodsC57BL6 mice were administered 7 days oral vancomycin-colistin, modulated or not by fecal microbial transplant or exogenous hematopoietic cytokine, Fms-related tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (Flt3-Ligand), followed by intranasal P. aeruginosa strain PAO1. Gut and lung microbiota were studied by next-generation sequencing, and lung infection outcomes were studied at 24h. Effects of vancomycin-colistin on underlying immunity and bone marrow progenitors were studied in uninfected mice by flow cytometry in the lung, spleen, and bone marrow.ResultsVancomycin-colistin administration induces widespread cellular immunosuppression in both lung and spleen, decreases circulating hematopoietic cytokine Flt3-Ligand, and depresses dendritic cell bone marrow progenitors leading to worsening of P. aeruginosa lung infection outcomes (bacterial loads, lung injury and survival). Reversal of these effects by fecal microbial transplant shows that these alterations are related to gut dysbiosis. Recombinant Flt3-Ligand reverses the effects of antibiotics on subsequent lung infection. ConclusionsThese results show that gut dysbiosis strongly impairs monocyte/dendritic progenitors and lung immunity, worsening outcomes of P. aeruginosa lung infection. Treatment with a fecal microbial transplant or immune stimulation by Flt3-Ligand both restore lung cellular responses to and outcomes of P. aeruginosa following antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis.
Comparison of Astigmatism Correction in Cataract Surgery Between Simultaneous Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Intrastromal Arcuate Keratotomy and Toric Intraocular Lens Implantation
Authors: Kwon Hye Ji , Lee Hun , Lee Jin Ah , Kim Jae Yong , Tchah Hungwon
Published: August 2020

Objectives
To compare the efficacy of astigmatic correction between simultaneous femtosecond laser-assisted intrastromal arcuate keratotomy (AK) combined with femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) and toric intraocular lens (IOL) implantation during cataract surgery in moderate astigmatism.
Design:
Retrospective observational study, tertiary care medical center
Methods
We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients who underwent astigmatic correction via femtosecond laser-assisted intrastromal AK (AK group; 27 eyes of 27 patients) with FLACS or toric IOL implantation (toric IOL group; 21 eyes of 21 patients). All patients had senile cataracts with corneal astigmatism ranging from + 1.00 to + 2.00 diopters (D) before cataract surgery. We measured visual acuity, intraocular pressure, automated keratometry, manifest refraction and topography preoperatively and at 1-day, 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month postoperatively.
Results
Refractive astigmatism was significantly decreased in both groups. The mean preoperative and 6-month postoperative refractive astigmatism were 1.85 ± 1.07 and 0.99 ± 0.51 D, respectively, in the AK group (P = 0.028), and 1.84 ± 0.81 and 0.68 ± 0.21 D, respectively, in the toric IOL group (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in refractive astigmatism between the two groups at 6-month postoperatively (0.99 ± 0.51 vs 0.68 ± 0.21 D, P = 0.057). At 6-month postoperatively, parameters for vector analysis of refractive astigmatism showed no statistical difference between the two groups. Corneal astigmatism was significantly decreased in the AK group. There was significant difference in corneal astigmatism from topography and automated keratometer between the two groups at 6-month postoperatively (0.94 ± 0.40 vs 1.53 ± 0.46 D, P = 0.018 for topography and 0.98 ± 0.69 vs 1.37 ± 0.41 D, P = 0.032 for automated keratometer).
Conclusions
Femtosecond laser-assisted intrastromal AK in FLACS could be an effective procedure for reducing astigmatism as well as toric IOL implantation in cataract surgery.
Comparison of Preoperative Angle Kappa Measurements in the Eyes of Cataract Patients Obtained from Pentacam Scheimpflug System, Optical Low-Coherence Reflectometry, and Ray-Tracing Aberrometry
Authors: Qin Miaomiao , Yuan Yurong , Wang Ying , Li Pengfei , Chen Wei , Wang Yong , Yang Mei , Wu Jian , Ji Min , Luo Jiawei , Tang Jiamin , Chen Xiaojuan , Huang Yemeng , Guan Huaijin
Published: August 2020

Background
Angle kappa plays a vital role in the implantation of multifocal intraocular lens (MIOLs). Large angle kappa is related to higher risk of postoperative photic phenomena. This study aims to compare preoperative angle kappa in the eyes of cataract patients obtained from Pentacam Scheimpflug system (Pentacam), optical low-coherence reflectometry (Lenstar), and ray-tracing aberrometry (iTrace).
Methods
One hundred thirteen eyes of 113 patients with cataracts were included. Each eye was examined by the devices to obtain angle kappa (X-Y Cartesian coordinates) and pupil diameter. When considering dependent eyes for one individual, angle kappa in right eyes and left eyes should be analyzed separately. The difference, correlation, and agreement between values for horizontal and vertical components of angle kappa were evaluated by paired t-tests, Pearson or Spearman tests, and Bland‑Altman analysis, respectively.
Results
No significant differences in the pupil diameter were found between Pentacam and Lenstar or Lenstar and iTrace in both eyes (P > 0.05). Positive angle kappa (nasal light reflex) was found in most cataract patients (79.25–84.91%) through 3 different devices in both eyes. The significant differences of angle kappa were not found between Pentacam and Lenstar compared to Pentacam and iTrace or Lenstar and iTrace in both eyes (P > 0.05). Pentacam and Lenstar showed strong correlation in the horizontal and vertical components of angle kappa compared to Pentacam and iTrace or Lenstar and iTrace in both eyes (r = 0.906 to 0.939). The 95% limits of agreement (LoA) in the horizontal and vertical components of angle kappa with Pentacam and Lenstar were narrower respect to Pentacam and iTrace or Lenstar and iTrace in both eyes.
Conclusions
There were no differences, strong correlation, and good agreement in angle kappa with Pentacam and Lenstar for cataract patients. Based on these findings, the measurement of preoperative angle kappa in the eyes of patients with cataracts by Pentacam and Lenstar has good agreement, and can be used interchangeably, but caution is warranted for outcomes-based iTrace that report angle kappa.
Emergency Department Management Metrics for Severe Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Liu Maple , Holt Tanya , Hansen Gregory
Published: August 2020

Background: As the majority of severe pediatric traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are received and managed in the emergency department (ED), the ED trauma center is vital to optimizing management. This study aimed to evaluate current management guidelines, and to recognize other high-risk components of TBI management. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted solely at the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon, Canada. Data pertaining to emergency department metrics included transport to trauma center, injury severity, indicators for raised intracranial pressure, airway and breathing, circulation, disability/central nervous system, complications, and outcome scores. Results: A total of 56 charts were included in the study population. Mean age of patient population was 14.3 years of age, with 76% being male. Thirty four percent of patients received a blood gas within 15 minutes of admission, and 20% received intervention to correct PCO2. Of the seven patients who received hyperosmolar therapy, three were based on computed tomography (CT) findings and four were based clinically. For 95% of patients, the position of the bed was not documented, and just 4% of patients had head of bed elevated to 30 degrees. Sixty four percent of patients were accompanied by a physician with airway expertise during CT. Conclusions: Building on current TBI guidelines, timeliness of PCO2 retrieval and improvements for targeted hyperosmolar therapy were noted. Two other potential areas for improving management included deliberate considerations for head of bed positioning and personnel accompanying patients undergoing CT.
Study of the Internal Exposure Monitoring and the New Monitoring Methods of Thyroid I-131 for Radiological Staff in Nuclear Medicine
Authors: Liu Gang , Li Ye
Published: August 2020

Background：In general, medical staff dealing with nuclear medicine should be entirely safe in their professional environment. Nevertheless, their exposure to radioactive iodine seems to be partially uncontrolled while they perform their duties, namely while administering iodine in the form of tablets or solutions or while taking care of the patients already treated with the isotope. Purpose: To verify such a hypothesis, develop a simple method for internal exposure monitoring，131I activity measurements in the thyroids of the personnel employed at the three hospitals of Gansu province grade a hospital nuclear medicine. Mastered the internal exposure of nuclear medical personnel.Methods: Choosing 20 employees of the department of three hospitals of gansu province grade a hospital nuclear medicine, which corresponds to circa 100% of all of the all the staff of the nuclear medicine department who carry out iodine therapy. Automatic packaging and drug delivery staffs were 6, manual packaging and drug delivery staffs were 14. According to the rules of the judgment principles proposed in IAEA safety guidelines, An InSpector 1000 portable spectrometer and its supporting software served as the basic research instrument. In four out of twenty examined staff members. The sitting position was adopted with NaI portable spectrometer. The measurement time was 120s. Result: Among the manual packaging and drug delivery staffs was 4 (20.0%) detected 131I in the thyroid, with activity range of 27.6-1030.3Bq. Automatic packaging and drug delivery staffs were not detected. Conclusions: The highest activities in thyroids were detected for the manual packaging and drug delivery staffs, Automatic packaging and drug delivery staffs were not detected. The dose of some workers is high, so the prevention and control of pollution in nuclear medicine discipline needs to be strengthened urgently.
Efficacy of left ventricular unloading strategies during venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in patients with cardiogenic shock: a protocol for a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis
Authors: Zhang Pengbin , Wei Shilin , Zhai Kerong , Huang Jian , Cheng Xingdong , Tao Zhenze , Gao Bingren , Liu Debin , Li Yongnan
Published: August 2020

Background: Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) has been widely used for patients with refractory cardiogenic shock (CS). A common side-effect of this technic is the resultant increase in left ventricular (LV) afterload which could potentially aggravate myocardial ischemia, delay ventricular recovery, and increase the risk of pulmonary congestion. Several LV unloading strategies have been proposed and implemented to mitigate these complications. However, it is still indistinct that which one is the best choice for clinical application. The objective of this Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) is to summarize the evidence and compare the efficacy of different LV unloading strategies during VA-ECMO.Methods: We will perform a systematic search to identify random controlled trials and cohort studies comparing different LV unloading strategies during VA-ECMO. PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) will be explored from their inception to 31 December 2020. The primary outcome will be in-hospital mortality. The secondary outcomes will include neurological complications, hemolysis, bleeding, limb ischemia, renal failure, gastrointestinal complications, sepsis, duration of mechanical ventilation, length of intensive care unit, and hospital stays. Pairwise and network meta-analysis will respectively be conducted using Stata (V.16, StataCorp) and Aggregate Data Drug Information System (ADDIS V.1.16.5), and the cumulative probability will be used to rank the included LV unloading strategies. The risk of bias will be conducted using the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool or Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS) according to their study design. Subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias assessment will be performed. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) will be conducted to explore the quality of evidence.Discussion: This Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) will address the problem that which strategy could achieve left ventricular (LV) unloading most effectively during venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and increase cardiogenic shock patient survival benefit, and will provide evidence for clinical decision-making.Systematic review registration: PROSPERO registry number: CRD42020165093.
Covid-19 associated Acute Haemorrhagic Leukoencephalomyelitis
Authors: Handa Rahul , Nanda Satyan , Prasad Atul , Anand Rajiv , Zutshi Dhruv , Dass Sujata K. , Bedi Prabhjeet Kaur , Pahuja Aarti , Shah Pankaj Kumar , Sharma Bipan
Published: August 2020

Since the first appearance of Covid-19 in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, the disease has spread world-wide infecting more than 13 million people and causing approximately five hundred eighty-five thousand deaths. The disease which was initially thought to primarily involve respiratory and cardiovascular system only, over time has been reported to involve central and peripheral nervous system with varying frequency. The importance of identifying neurological symptoms cannot be over emphasised by the fact that loss of sense of smell is now considered as one of the earliest features of Covid-19. Although, impaired consciousness has been reported in approximately 17% patients with Covid-19, acute haemorrhagic leukoencephalomyelitis (AHL) as its cause has been reported in a very few cases. It is imperative for the emergency and respiratory physicians to be aware of this condition as mostly they are the ones who initially come in contact with the Covid-19 patients, as early diagnosis and aggressive treatment would greatly help in improving the prognosis and reducing the morbidity in this otherwise fatal disease. We herein report a case of acute haemorrhagic leukoencephalomyelitis secondary to Covid-19 from a tertiary care centre in India. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of Covid-19 associated AHL to be reported from India.
Transition to Online Higher Education during COVID-19 Pandemic: Turmoil and Way Forward to Developing Country - Nepal
Authors: Gautam Dhruba Kumar , Gautam Prakash Kumar
Published: August 2020

Every day thousands of academic institutes suspend their classes and students are staying home maintaining social distancing due to the fear of COVID-19 pandemic and Nepal is no exception. Realizing this facts, this study aims to explore the factors for the effectiveness of online mode of classes especially to the on-class course-based students analyzing perception of faculties and students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on exploratory research design following mixed methods of qualitative and quantitative procedures for data collection, this study revealed triplet factors as infrastructure- specific, student-specific and teacher-specific as antecedents of effectiveness of online classes to the on-class based courses during pandemic. Students faced anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic but a higher willingness to learn has little anxiety. The findings significantly contribute to the future management of higher education during the pandemic as well as digs the future path of online and on-class teaching-learning practices in higher education.
Indirect Hemagglutination Test for Detection of Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in Venezuelan felids
Authors: Cañizales Israel
Published: August 2020

Current knowledge of Toxoplasma gondii infection in Venezuelan ecosystems is limited. T. gondii is a ubiquitous intracellular protozoan parasite. Mammals and birds are intermediate hosts and felid species are definitive hosts. In most human altered habitats, the domestic cat is the predominant definitive host. Cats are important in the epidemiology of T. gondii infection because they are the only hosts that can excrete the environmentally resistant oocysts. Other carnivores can be infected by the consumption of tissue cysts when feeding on infected animals and by incidental ingestion of oocysts from environmental contamination. This study aimed to quantify the values of antibodies for T. gondii in blood serum of some felids species by means of the technique of Indirect Hemoagglutination. In the present study, seropositivity of T. gondii was determined in serum of 35 animals (22 stray cats and 13 wild cats) from Venezuela, South America. Antibodies to T. gondii were assayed by the indirect hemagglutination test and found in 21 of 22 (95.45 %) stray catstiters of 1:64 in four, 1:128 in four, 1:256 in one, 1:512 in one, 1:1024 in three, and 1:2048 or higher in eight. In 4 of 6 (66.67 %) ocelots titers of 1:64 in one, 1:256 in one, 1:1024 in one, and one with titers 1:2048. In 3 of 4 (75.00 %) jaguars titers of 1:512 in one, and two with titers 1:2048. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed a statistically significant difference between species (H = 6.983, p = 0.03).
Laparoscopically assisted uterovaginal canalization and vaginoplasty for patients with congenital cervical and vaginal atresia: a step-by-step guide and long-term outcomes
Authors: Kang Jia , Chen Na , Zhang Ye , Ma Congcong , Ma Yidi , Wang Yuan , Tian Weijie , Zhu Lan
Published: August 2020

Objective: To study the long-term outcomes of laparoscopically assisted uterovaginal canalization and vaginoplasty in patients with congenital cervical and vaginal atresia and to introduce the surgery step-by-step.Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted including 10 patients diagnosed with congenital cervical and vaginal atresia underwent laparoscopically assisted cervicovaginal canalization between January 2016 and Jun 2020 in a tertiary teaching hospital. Clinical characteristics and perioperative data were recorded. Patients were followed up in outpatient clinic at 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively, and once a year thereafter. Menstruation cycles and degree of dysmenorrhea were recorded. Gynecological examination was performed to measure vaginal length and to examine whether there was restenosis.Results: All procedures went smoothly, with no case requiring conversion to laparotomy or no intraoperative complications occurred. Postoperative febrile morbidity occurred in one patient (1/10, 10%). The median (quartile) follow-up time was 26.0 (21.3, 48.3) months. All patients resumed menstruation, including nine patients (9/10, 90%) with regular monthly menstruation. Eight patients (8/10, 80%) experienced mild-to-moderate dysmenorrhea; the remaining 2 patients (2/10, 20%) had no dysmenorrhea. Cervical restenosis occurred in one patient (1/10,10%) 12 months postoperatively, and cervical dilation was performed. So far, eight months after the second surgery, no restenosis has been found. The mean postoperative vaginal length was 7.9 ± 1.3 cm by the time of last follow up. Only one patient prepared for pregnancy for two years, but she had not conceived yet.Conclusion: Laparoscopically assisted uterovaginal canalization and vaginoplasty is an easy, safe and promising management option for correcting congenital cervical and vaginal atresia.
Bacterial Profile and Their Antibiotic Resistance Pattern Among HIV Patients Diagnosed with Pneumonia in Felege-Hiwot Referral Hospital, Bahir Dar, Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Genetu Deribew Eniyew , Zenebe Yohannes
Published: August 2020

Background: Bacterial pneumonia remains the major cause of morbidity and admissiondiagnosis among human immunodeficiency virus infected individuals. In the study area, data about the bacterial profile of pneumonia and their antimicrobial resistance pattern among people living with human immunodeficiency virus is limited. Hence, this study was aimed to estimate the prevalence of bacterial pneumonia, antibiotic resistance patterns of isolated bacteria and associated factors among HIV patients in Felege Hiwot Referral Hospital.Method: Hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted from February 15 to June 15, 2019. Sputum specimens were collected from 163 pneumonia presumptive HIV seropositive individuals. Data on socio-demographic characteristics and risk factors were also collected using a structured questionnaire. Blood, Chocolate, and MacConkey agar plates were used to grow the isolates. The isolated colonies were identified based on Gram Stain, colony morphology, hemolysis, and biochemical tests. The antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed using the modified Kirby-Bauer Disc Diffusion method. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were performed using SPSS version 23. P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Result: Out of 163 sputum samples, 68 (41.7%) were culture positive for common bacterial infections. The predominant bacterial isolates were Klebsiella pneumoniae, 19 (27.9%), and Staphylococcus aureus, 17 (25%). From multivariate analysis, age groups 18-29 (AOR = 5.4, 95 % CI: 1.26-23.35), age groups 30-39 (AOR = 3.8, 95% CI: 1.03-13.80), recent viral load greater than or equal to 150 copies/ml (AOR= 24.3, 95 % CI: 2.61-56.38), viral load less than 150 copies/ml (AOR= 5.1, 95% CI: 1.26-21.04), cigarette smoking (AOR=15.5, 95% CI: 1.61-48.59), and alcohol consumption (AOR=8.1, 95% CI: 2.76-23.51) were found to have statistically significant association with bacterial pneumonia. Out of the tested antibiotics 46 (70.8%) were resistant to cotrimoxazole and P. aeruginosa were 100% resistant to gentamycin and ceftazidime. Overall, 77.9% of the isolates were MDR.Conclusion: The study showed high prevalence of bacterial pneumonia and a high percentage of drug resistance including MDR in the study area. Therefore, we recommend that culture and antimicrobial susceptibility tests should be routinely performed for the selection of appropriate treatment.
Dutch patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals generate first nationwide research agenda for juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Authors: Verwoerd Anouk , Armbrust Wineke , Cowan Katherine , Berg Lotte van den , de Boer Joke , Bookelman Sanne , Britstra Marjan , Cappon Jeannette , Certan Maria , Dedding Christine , Haspel Karin van den , Muller Petra Hissink , Jongsma Karin , Lelieveld Otto , Loosdregt Jorg van , Olsder Wendy , Rocha Johanna , Schatorjé Ellen , Schouten Natasja , Swart Joost F. , Vastert Sebastiaan , Walter Margot , Schoemaker Casper G
Published: August 2020

Background: Involving the end-users of scientific research (patients, carers and clinicians) in setting research priorities is important to formulate research questions that truly make a difference and are in tune with the needs of patients. We therefore aimed to generate a national research agenda for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) together with patients, their caregivers and healthcare professionals through conducting a nationwide survey among these stakeholders.Methods: The James Lind Alliance method was used, tailored with additional focus groups held to involve younger patients. First, research questions were gathered through an online and hardcopy survey. The received questions that were in scope were summarised and a literature search was performed to verify that questions were unanswered. Questions were ranked in the interim survey, and the final top 10 was chosen during a prioritisation workshop.Results: Two hundred and seventy-eight respondents submitted 604 questions, of which 519 were in scope. Of these 604 questions, 81 were generated in the focus groups with younger children. The questions were summarised into 53 summary questions. An evidence checking process verified that all questions were unanswered. A total of 303 respondents prioritised the questions in the interim survey. Focus groups with children generated a top 5 of their most important questions. Combining this top 5 with the top 10 s of patients, carers, and clinicians led to a top 21. Out of these, the top 10 research priorities were chosen during a final workshop. Research into pain and fatigue, personalised treatment strategies and aetiology were ranked high in the Top 10.Conclusions: Through this study, the top 10 research priorities for JIA of patients, their caregivers and clinicians were identified to inform researchers and research funders of the research topics that matter most to them. The top priority involves the treatment and mechanisms behind persisting pain and fatigue when the disease is in remission.
Interactions between benzophenone-3 and dietary fat in mammary tumorigenesis
Authors: Kariagina Anastasia , Morozova Olena , Hoshyar Reyhane , Aupperlee Mark D. , Borin Mitchell A. , Haslam Sandra Z. , Schwartz Richard C.
Published: August 2020

Background

Benzophenone-3 is a putative endocrine disrupting chemical and common active ingredient in sunscreens and personal care products. The potential of endocrine disrupting chemicals to act as agonists or antagonists in critical hormonally regulated processes, such as mammary gland development and mammary tumorigenesis, demands evaluation of their potential in promoting breast cancer. We previously demonstrated promotion of mammary tumorigenesis by a diet high in saturated animal fat. This study examines the activity of benzophenone-3 in a dietary context to provide insight into its potential role in promoting breast cancer, and how diet might influence this.
Methods

Mammary tumorigenesis was studied in a BALB/c mouse Trp53-null transplantation model. Three-week-old mice were fed low-fat or high-fat diets, and at ten weeks of age were switched to high-fat or low-fat diets, respectively, while other mice were maintained continuously on low-fat diet. Mice additionally were treated continuously with or without benzophenone-3. The level of benzophenone-3 exposure yielded levels in urine similar to that observed in humans subjected to heavy topical exposure of benzophenone-3-containing commercial sunscreen.
Results

Benzophenone-3 had complex effects that were dependent upon diet and tumor histopathology. Benzophenone-3 was protective in regard to epithelial tumorigenesis in mice fed low-fat diet and was promotional for epithelial tumorigenesis in mice fed high-fat diet restricted to adulthood. It increased tumor cell proliferation, decreased tumor cell apoptosis, and increased tumor vascularity in a manner dependent on specific dietary regimen and tumor histopathology. Protective effects were not always concordant with a decrease in properties associated with tumor progression. Notably, although benzophenone-3 seemed protective for tumorigenesis in mice fed low-fat diet, spindle cell tumors that arose in these mice showed increased proliferation and decreased apoptosis.
Conclusions

Benzophenone-3 elicits promotional and protective effects on mammary tumorigenesis dependent upon diet and tumor histopathology. However, even in instances of an ostensibly protective effect, other parameters suggest potential for greater risk. This points to a need for further studies of benzophenone-3 in both animal models and humans as a potential breast cancer risk factor, as well as a more general need to evaluate endocrine disrupting chemicals in the context of varying diets.
Whole microbial community viability is not quantitatively reflected by propidium monoazide sequencing approach
Authors: Wang Ya , Yan Yan , Thompson Kelsey N. , Bae Sena , Accorsi Emma K. , Zhang Yancong , Shen Jiaxian , Vlamakis Hera , Hartman Erica M. , Huttenhower Curtis
Published: August 2020

Background: High-throughput sequencing provides a powerful window into the structural and functional profiling of microbial communities, but it is unable to characterize only the viable portion of microbial communities at scale. There is as yet not one best solution to this problem. Previous studies have established viability assessments using propidium monoazide (PMA) treatment coupled with downstream molecular profiling (e.g. qPCR or sequencing). While these studies have met with moderate success, most of them focused on the resulting “viable” communities without systematic evaluations of the technique. Here, we present our work to rigorously benchmark “PMA-seq” (PMA treatment followed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing) for viability assessment in synthetic and realistic microbial communities. Results: PMA-seq was able to successfully reconstruct simple synthetic communities comprising viable/heat-killed Escherichia coli and Streptococcus sanguinis . However, in realistically complex communities (computer screens, computer mice, soil and human saliva) with E. coli spike-in controls, PMA-seq did not accurately quantify viability, with its performance largely affected by community properties such as initial biomass, sample types and compositional diversity. We then applied this technique to environmental swabs from the Boston subway system. Several taxa differed significantly after PMA treatment, while not all microorganisms responded consistently. To elucidate the “PMA-responsive” microbes, we compared our results with previous PMA-based studies and found that PMA-responsiveness varied widely when microbes were sourced from different ecosystems but were reproducible within similar environments across studies. Conclusions: This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of PMA-seq exploring its quantitative accuracy in synthetic and complex microbial communities, where the technique was effective for semi-quantitative purposes in simple synthetic communities, but provided only qualitative assessments in realistically complex community samples.
Salidroside-pretreated mesenchymal stem cells contribute to neuroprotection in cerebral ischemic injury in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Zhou Liping , Yao Panpan , Jiang Lixia , Wang Zhaoyun , Ma Xiaohe , Wen Guangxin , Yang Jintao , Zhou Binjie , Yu Qin
Published: August 2020

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered a promising tool for treating cerebral ischemic injury. However, their poor survival after transplantation limits their therapeutic effect and applications. Salidroside has been reported to exert potent cytoprotective and neuroprotective effects. This study aimed to investigate whether salidroside could improve MSC survival under hypoxic-ischemic conditions and, subsequently, alleviate cerebral ischemic injury in a rat model.Methods: MSCs were pretreated by salidroside under hypoxic-ischemic conditions. The cell proliferation, migratory capacity, and apoptosis were evaluated by means of Cell Counting Kit (CCK)-8, transwell assay, and flow cytometry. MSCs pretreated with salidroside were transplanted into the rats subsequent to middle cerebral artery occlusion. The grip strength, 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride, and hematoxylin-eosin staining were used to analyze the therapeutic efficiency and pathological changes. The mature neuron marker NeuN and astrocyte marker GFAP in the focal area were detected by immunofluorescence.Results: These results indicated that salidroside promoted the proliferation, migration and reduced apoptosis of MSCs under hypoxic-ischemic conditions. In vivo experiments revealed that transplantation of salidroside-pretreated MSCs strengthened the therapeutic efficiency by enhancing neurogenesis and inhibiting neuroinflammation in the hippocampal CA1 area after ischemia.Conclusion: Our results suggest that pretreatment with salidroside could be an effective strategy to enhance the cell survival rate and the therapeutic effect of MSCs in treating cerebral ischemic injury.
Polysaccharide peptide (PSP) extract from Coriolus versicolor decreased Tmax of tamoxifen and maintained biochemical serum parameters, with no change in the metabolism of tamoxifen in the rat
Authors: Naumovski Valentina , Kimble Benjamin , Laurenti Daunia , Nammi Srinivas , Norimoto Hisayoshi , Chan Kelvin
Published: August 2020

Background: Natural products such as mushrooms are increasingly used as adjunct therapies in cancer to stimulate the immune system. However, little is known about their interaction with chemotherapy drugs. This study investigated whether a commercial polysaccharide peptide (PSP) extract of the mushroom Coriolus (C.) versicolor interacts with tamoxifen, a common chemotherapy drug used in breast cancer. Methods: The pharmacokinetic and biochemical parameters of tamoxifen in female Sprague-Dawley rats’ serum were determined after orally administering tamoxifen (20 mg/kg) at a single dose and repeated dosing with and without C. versicolor (340 mg/kg). Results: Although the area-under-curve and maximum concentration showed no significant differences in both the single dose and repeated dosing, time to reach maximum concentration (Tmax) increased by 228% and 93%, respectively, in the rats treated with C. versicolor (p<0.05). The repeated dosing of C. versicolor, when co-administered with repeated dosing of tamoxifen, maintained 19 out of 23 biochemical serum parameters in rats compared to control (p<0.05). Using hepatic female rat microsomes, an in vitro study showed that the extract (10 – 100 µg/mL) did not significantly alter the rate of tamoxifen depletion which is known to be mediated by cytochromes P450 (CYP450). Conclusions: These results indicate that C. versicolor may delay the intestinal absorption of tamoxifen and maintain biochemical serum parameters, without any change in tamoxifen’s metabolism. If clinical trials confirm this result, the timing of tamoxifen and C. versicolor administration would need to be considered to avoid potential drug interactions resulting from a delay in achieving the systemic level of the anti-cancer medication.
Jian-Pi-Yi-Shen Regulates EPO and Iron Recycling Protein Expressions in Anemic Rats with Chronic Kidney Disease: Accumulation of Hypoxia Inducible Factor-2α via ERK Signaling
Authors: Wang Fochang , Yu Huimin , Huang Shiying , Zheng Lin , Zheng Ping , Zhang Shangbin , Li Shunmin , Chen Jianping
Published: August 2020

Background: Jian-Pi-Yi-Shen (JPYS), the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) decoction has been commonly used to treat chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its complications such as anemia. JPYS has been previously found to induce erythropoietin (EPO) production in HEK293T cells and CKD rats. However, the mechanism of JPYS in treating anemia of CKD rats has remained largely unknown. Here, we further extend our effort to investigate the translational control of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-α protein via ERK signaling and the effect on iron recycling related protein expression by JPYS, thus revealing the mechanism of JPYS in correcting anemia in CKD. Methods: Experimental CKD rats with anemia were induced by 5/6 nephrectomy. Rats were administrated orally with high dose (6.0 g/kg/d) and low dose ( 1.5 g/kg/d ) of JPYS for 90 days. Serum hepcidin level was determined to evaluate iron homeostasis. Protein expressions of HIF-2α, erythropoietin (EPO), ferritin and ferroportin (FPN), as well as the phosphorylation level of extracellular signal regulated kinase 1/2 (RK1/2) were detected by Western blot. Results: Our data showed that JPYS treatment significantly ameliorated kidney function by reducing increased levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr) and the urine protein (UPRO). Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and Masson staining observation showed that the renal pathological damage was restored in JPYS-treated CKD rats. In parallel, JPYS markedly improved CKD anemia through up-regulation of red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin (HGB) and haematocrit (HCT). JPYS stimulated EPO and HIF-2α protein expression in both kidney and liver of CKD rats. Furthermore, JPYS induced the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 protein. In addition, JPYS regulated protein expressions of ferritin and FPN in both liver and spleen of CKD rats, as well as serum level of hepcidin. Conclusions: JPYS induces the expression of EPO through ERK-mediated HIF-2α protein accumulation, and regulates systemic iron recycling, supporting its role in promoting erythropoiesis and improvement of anemia in CKD.