bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
One-step heating strategy for efficient solubilization of recombinant spider silk protein from inclusion bodies
Authors: Cai Hui , Chen Gefei , Tang Ying , Yu Hairui , Xiong Sidong , Qi Xingmei
Published: October 2019

Background Spider silk, an ideal biomaterial with remarkable mechanical properties, is built of spider silk proteins (spidroins). Engineering spidroins have been successfully produced in a variety of heterologous hosts and the most widely used expression system is Escherichia coli ( E. coli ). However, recombinant expression of spidroins often results in water insoluble inclusion bodies (IBs). Target protein solubilization from IBs in a traditional way is often solved under extremely harsh conditions, e.g. 8 M urea or 6 M guanidine hydrochloride, which highly risk to poor bioactive protein recovery as well as precipitation during the following dialysis process.Results Here we present a new mild solubilization strategy called one-step heating method to solubilize spidroins from IBs, with combining together spidroins’ high thermal stability with low concentration of urea. We expressed a 430-aa recombinant protein (designated as NM) derived from the minor ampullate spidroin of Araneus ventricosus in E.coli ; the NM proteins are present in the insoluble fraction as IBs. The isolated NM IBs were solubilized parallelly by both traditional urea-denatured method and one-step heating method. The efficiency of solubilization of NM IBs in Tris-HCl (pH 8.0) containing 4 M urea by one-step heating method was comparable to that of 7 M urea by the traditional urea-denatured method. The effects of buffer, pH and temperature conditions on solubilization of NM IBs by one-step heating method were evaluated, and the optimum conditions are following: hearting temperature 70–90°C for 20 min, pH 7.0–10, urea concentration 2–4 M in normal buffers. Prepared via the one-step heating method, the recombinant NM spidroin could self-assembly into nanoparticles.Conclusions The one-step heating method introduced here could be used to efficiently solubilize NM IBs under relatively mild conditions, which might by important for the downstream nanoparticle or fiber formation. The one-step heating method can be applied under broad buffer, pH and temperature conditions, conferring the potential to apply to not only spidroins but also other thermal stable protein IBs' solubilization.
The Dimensions and Determinants of Health-promoting Behavior among Postpartum Women in Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia
Authors: Kidanie Seblewongiel Ayenalem , Adamek Margaret E. , Zena Sisay Berhanu
Published: October 2019

Background The postpartum period, known as Aras bét in Amharic, has been given little research, practice, and policy attention in Ethiopia.Objective This study examined the dimensions and determinants of postpartum women health-promoting behaviors in Bahir Dar city, Ethiopia.Method A facility-based cross-sectional study design was employed. Using the Health Promoting Life Profile (HPLP) Questionnaire, quantitative data were drawn from 178 randomly selected mothers who had attended at least one postnatal care visit. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.Results Postpartum women reported moderate levels of overall health-promoting behavior (M=141.62; SD=22.44). Across the subscales, spiritual growth (M= 28.81; SD, 5.35) and physical activity (M=18.16; SD=4.49) showed the highest and the lowest average HPLP score respectively. The t-test and ANOVA results showed that health-promoting behaviors varied across various sociodemographic variables such as religion groups, educational level, number of pregnancies, family type, employment status, monthly income, delivery place, delivery type, ANC and PNC attendance (p<0.05). In the binary logistic regression model, postpartum women who had no schooling were 16% less likely to have “better” overall HPLP-II score as compared to their college/university graduated counterparts ( p <0.05).Implications and Conclusion This study differentiated the dimensions and determinants of postpartum health-promoting behaviors. The study offers implications for social and health service providers and future researchers to consider the holistic dimensions of health promotion during the continuum of care for pregnancy.
Cold tolerance of ScCBL6 is associated with photosynthesis and tonoplast transporters in Arabidopsis
Authors: Zhou Yanli , Zhao Changhong , Long Guangqiang , Zhou Chengli , Sun Xudong , Yang Yunqiang , Zhang Chengjun , Yang Yongping
Published: October 2019

Plant adapted in the fragile zone offer enormous opportunity to understand the stress biology under ecological scenario . Stipa capillacea is widely distributed in the frigid and arid region of Tibet Plateau, but its signal system has never been investigated yet. In this study, we isolated a signal transduction gene, ScCBL6 , in Stipa capillacea , to characterize its cold tolerance capacity by ectopic expression in Arabidopsis . The results suggested that full length ScCBL6 encodes 227 amino acids, and phylogenetically clustered with CBL6 protein in Stipa purpurea and Oryza sativa . In comparison with wild type (WT) plants, ScCBL6 overexpressing plants ( ScCBL6- OXP) are tolerant to cold stress but not drought stress, which attested by the higher photosynthetic capacity (Fv/Fm) and survival rate of ScCBL6- OXP under cold stress. We further compared their cold-responsive transcriptome profiles through RNA-Seq. Totally, 3931 genes were differentially expressed by introduction of ScCBL6. They are participated in multiple processes like immune system, lipid catabolic, secondary metabolic and mainly enriched in plant hormone signal transduction and biomacro-molecule metabolism as regard to KEGG pathway. Differential expressed genes (DEGs) were predicted to locate in chloroplast, mitochondrion, vacuole, and so on, suggesting multitudinous function of ScCBL6. Based on the integrated analysis of ScCBL6-OXP, we inferred that ScCBL6 improve plant cold stress tolerance via regulate photosynthesis redox and vacuole metabolites transport in Arabidopsis .
Mapping Evidence of Mobile Health Technologies for Disease Diagnosis and Treatment Support by Health Workers in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Scoping Review
Authors: Osei Ernest , Kuupiel Desmond , Vezi Portia Nelisiwe , Mashamba-Thompson Tivani P.
Published: October 2019

Background: The rapid growth of mobile technology has given rise to the development of mobile health programmes aimed at treating and preventing a wide range of health conditions. However, evidence on the use of mHealth in high disease burdened settings such as SSA is not clear. We systematically mapped evidence on mHealth for disease diagnosis and treatment support by health workers in SSA. Methods: We conducted a scoping review study guided by the Arksey and O’Malley’s framework, Levac et al recommendations, and Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. We thoroughly searched the following databases: MEDLINE and CINAHL with full-text via EBSCOhost; PubMed; Science Direct and Google Scholar for relevant articles from inception to July 2019. Two independent reviewers screened abstracts and full-text articles using the eligibility criteria as reference. This study employed the mixed methods appraisal tool version 2018 to assess the methodological quality of the included studies. Results: Out of the 572 articles identified , only 10 published articles presented evidence on mHealth for treatment support by health workers in SSA since 2010. No studies reported evidence on mHealth for disease diagnosis by health workers in SSA. Of the 10 studies, four studies were conducted in Kenya; one in South Africa; one in Malawi; one in Zimbabwe; one in Mozambique; one in Nigeria and one in Lesotho. Of the 10 studies: three reported the use of mHealth to manage HIV; two on the management of HIV/TB; two on treatment of malaria; one each on the management of hypertension; cervical cancer; and one was not specific on any disease condition. All the 10 included studies underwent methodological quality appraisal with a scored between 70 and 100%. Conclusions: The study shows that there is limited research on the availability and use of mHealth by health workers for treatment support in SSA. This study also shows there is no literature on the availability and use of mHealth by health workers for disease diagnosis in SSA. We, therefore, recommend primary studies focusing on the use of mHealth by health workers for disease diagnosis in SSA. Keywords: Mobile Health; Disease diagnosis; Treatment support; sub-Saharan Africa
Workplace Learning for Undergraduate Medical Students at a National Referral and Teaching Hospital as Perceived by Lecturers, Administrators and Students of a Contemporary Medical Training University in Uganda.
Authors: Kagawa Mike Nantamu , Kiguli Sarah , Steinberg Hannes , Jama Mpho P.
Published: October 2019

Background It is well documented that workplace learning is a significant contributor to competence development as it offers engagement opportunities that enable students to participate in clinical activities in preparation for future clinical practice. Undergraduate medical students of Makerere University College of Health Sciences have placements at Mulago National Referral and Teaching Hospital for purposes of workplace learning. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of lecturers, administrators and students about workplace learning at the hospital for the undergraduate medical students with the ultimate aim of identifying opportunities and challenges in the learning environment for purposes of improvement.Methods The study design was cross-sectional descriptive with a qualitative approach using key informant interviews for the lecturers and administrators, and focus group discussions for the students. The framework method was used to perform thematic data analysis with the help of ATLAS.tiResults The workplace at Mulago National Referral and Teaching Hospital was perceived to be well-endowed with adequate patient numbers, a suitable case mix and unrestricted access to patients for purposes of competence achievement. The challenges reported included inadequate resources such as infrastructure, equipment and supplies, poor learner agency and overcrowding which compromised competence development. The resource challenge appeared insurmountable in the context of two autonomous institutions with divergent planning priorities in terms of teaching, research and patient care. Resource challenges notwithstanding, alternative perceptions were that occasional shortages of equipment and supplies during workplace learning presented as a reality check for students to fit in with the realities of the practice setting when they finally qualify.Conclusions There were mixed perceptions about the learning environment at Mulago National Referral and Teaching Hospital with both enabling and challenging factors. It therefore requires that enabling factors are enhanced and innovative solutions are designed to address the challenges in order for workplace learning to be optimal.
Study of the post-vaccination anti-HBV immune response in the health staff of the Souro SANOU University Hospital in Bobo-Dioulasso.
Authors: SOURABIE Yacouba , SIRIBIE Mafama , GOMGNIMBOU Michel K , OUEDRAOGO Macaire S , Fumoux Francis , TRAORE Yves
Published: October 2019

Background Post immune response again VHB after immunization have been slowly reported in health personal in limited setting country. We aimed to evaluate the post-vaccination immune response against the hepatitis B virus in health personal at CHUSS Bobo-Dioulasso.Methods This was a prospective cohort study that was conducted from March 2014 to January 2015 at CHUSS. Thus, 84 vaccinated subjects were included. Whole blood was collected from each subject for antibody determination. CMIA technology was used for the determination of anti-HBs antibodies. Subjects with a titer of less than 100 mIU / ml were considered non-protective in the hospital setting.Results The average age of the subjects is 40.38 ± 9.82 years. The sex ratio is 2.23. Of these, 47.6% had an Ac titre greater than 100 mIU / ml, and considered very well immunized. Also, 52.4% had an Ac titer less than 100 mIU / ml; and considered as unprotected subject in a hospital setting. Of these, 27.38% had a titer of between 10 and 99 mIU / ml and 30% had a titer of less than 10 mIU / ml. Comparing the different proportions of non-responders by age, we find that there is no statistically significant difference between non-responders aged ≤ 40 years compared to those aged> 40 years (p = 0.8). Comparing the different proportions of non-responders by sex, we find that there is a statistically significant difference between male and female non-responders (p = 0.044).Conclusion We found that about half of the subjects had satisfactory protection, which indicates a good efficacy of SHANVAC B®. Research on immunological non-responders should be pursued to identify possible causes.
One year follow-up and mediation in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for adult depression
Authors: A-Tjak Jacqueline G.L. , Morina Nexhmedin , Topper Maurice , Emmelkamp Paul M.G.
Published: October 2019

Background Existing therapies for depression are effective, but many patients fail to recover or relapse. To improve care for patients, more research into the effectiveness and working mechanisms of treatments is needed. We examined the long-term efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), testing the hypothesis that CBT outperforms ACT and that both therapies work through their designated mechanisms of change. Methods We conducted a randomized controlled trial with 82 patients suffering from MDD. Data were collected before, during and after treatment, and at 12-month follow-up, assessing symptoms of depression, quality of life, dysfunctional attitudes, decentering , and experiential avoidance. Results Patients in both conditions reported significant and large reductions of depressive symptoms ( d = -1.26 to -1.60) and improvement in quality of life ( d = 0.91 to -1.28) 12 months following treatment. Our findings indicated no significant differences between the two interventions. Dysfunctional attitudes and decentering mediated treatment effects of depressive symptoms in both CBT and ACT, whereas experiential avoidance mediated treatment effects in ACT only. Conclusions Our results indicate that CBT is not more effective in treating depression than ACT. Both treatments seem to work through changes in dysfunctional attitudes and decentering, even though the treatments differ substantially. Change in experiential avoidance as an underlying mechanism seems to be an ACT-specific process. Further research is needed to investigate whether ACT and CBT may work differently for different groups of patients with depression.
Research on the Development Status and Trends of Glaucoma Study Based on SCIE for Ten years
Authors: Sun Yunxiao , Kong Fanqi , Zhang Yue , Labisi Siloka Arthur , Cao Kai
Published: October 2019

Background To explore the development status and trends of glaucoma study from 2009 to 2018 based on SCIE.Methods Searching for glaucoma-related articles published in SCIE in the last decade and describing the distribution of the time, region, author, author institution, journal and influence of articles. Meanwhile, we compared the publication of articles, the research hotspots among five years before and after 2009-2013, 2014-2018.Results A total of 19,609 glaucoma-related articles were retrieved during 2009-2018 and the global SCIE articles have increased year by year from 2009 to 2017. The top five countries for articles were the United States, China, Japan, Germany and the England. The top three authors are Weinreb, R N, Aung, T and Jonas, J B. The journal with the largest number of published articles is INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY VISUAL SCIENCE. It can be seen that glaucoma-related pathogenesis research, OCT and other imaging examinations in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma and glaucoma surgery have attracted much attention.Conclusions In the past ten years, global glaucoma research has developed in a balanced manner, and the cooperation between various institutions and teams has become increasingly close. The research hotspots are still concentrated in the pathogenesis and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma.
Is Procalcitonin (PCT) a reliable biomarker for preoperative diagnosing of low grade Periprosthetic Joint Infection? A Prospective Study
Authors: Busch André , Jäger Marcus , Engler Harald , Haversath Marcel , Bielefeld Charlotte , Landgraeber Stefan , Wegner Alexander
Published: October 2019

Background Since a „gold-standard“ is missing, diagnosing periprosthetic joint infection remains a challenge in orthopedic surgery. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of serum and synovial fluid Procalcitonin (PCT) as a diagnostic parameter and to compare it to the biomarkers recommended in the 2018 Definition of periprosthetic hip and knee infection.Methods Between August 2018 and July 2019, a prospective cohort study was conducted in 70 patients with painful hip, shoulder and knee arthroplasty. Besides medical history, clinical and laboratory data was gathered. PJI was diagnosed based on the 2018 Definition of periprosthetic hip and knee infection. Preoperative blood and synovial joint fluid were taken for PCT measurement. Serum PCT levels were quantified under the use of immunoassay (Centaur, Siemens, Germany). Synovial PCT levels were measured using a standard quantitative PCT enzyme immunoassay kit, according to the manufacturers' instructions (Anti-Procalcitonin antibody ab166963, ABCAM, Cambridge,UK).Results Twenty three patients (33%) were classified as the PJI group and fourty seven patient (67%) as the aseptic group. The mean levels of serum PCT was significantly (p<0.001) higher than those in the aseptic group (PJI 0.05 ng/mL (0.0-1.03) vs. aseptic 0.02 ng/mL (0.0-0.18)). In synovial fluid, the mean values in the aseptic group were significantly higher (p<0.001) than those of PJI group (PJI 2.7 ng/mL (0.53-9.7) vs. aseptic 8.7 ng/mL (0.25-87.9)). Serum PCT, with a cut-off level of 0.5 ng/mL, had a sensitivity of 13.0% and a specifity of 91.0%. Synvial fluid PCT, with a cut-off level of 5.0 ng/mL, had a sensitivity of 13.0% and a specifity of 52.0%.Conclusion Serum and SF-PCT appeared to be no reliable biomarkers in the differential diagnosis of PJI from aseptic loosening in total joint arthroplasty.
Developing a Scoring Model to Predict the Risk of Injurious Falls in Elderly Patients: A Retrospective Case-control Study in Multi-center Acute Hospitals
Authors: Zhao Min , Li Shuguang , Xu Yun , Su Xiaoxia , Jiang Hong
Published: October 2019

Background Injurious falls seriously threaten the safety of elderly patients. The identification of risk factors to predict the probability of injurious falls is an important issue still needed to be solved urgently. We aimed to identify predictors and develop a nomogram as an appropriate assessment tool for distinguishing high-risk populations of injurious falls from older adults in acute settings.Methods A retrospective case-control study was conducted in three acute care hospitals in Shanghai, China. We included elderly patients with injurious falls from 2014 to 2018, and the control patients without falls randomly identified from the electronic medical records. A new nomogram was established based on risk factors and its discrimination and calibration were verified to confirm the accuracy of the prediction. And the cut-off value of risk stratification was determined to help medical staff identify the high-risk groups.Results 115 elderly patients with injurious falls and 230 controls were identified in our study. The history of fractures, orthostatic hypotension, function status, sedative-hypnotics and the level of serum albumin were independent risk factors for injurious falls in elderly patients. And the scoring nomogram showed an acceptable predicting performance of injurious falls (C-index: 0.865, 95%CI: 0.789-0.941; corrected C-index: 0.868, 95%CI: 0.852-0.884). The threshold was 153 points to distinguish the high-risk groups from the aging patients, with acceptable sensitivity (72.2%) and specificity (86.1%).Conclusions The established nomogram will allow for identifying the high-risk populations among elderly patients, providing a new assessment tool to forecast the individual risk of injurious falls.
Clinical and functional patient characteristics predict medical needs in older patients at risk of functional decline
Authors: Scharf Anne-Carina , Gronewold Janine , Dahlmann Christian , Schlitzer Jeanina , Kribben Andreas , Gerken Guido , Frohnhofen Helmut , Dodel Richard , Hermann Dirk M
Published: October 2019

Background : The rising number of older multimorbid in-patients has implications for medical care. There is a growing need for the identification of factors predicting the needs of older patients in hospital environments. Our aim was to evaluate the use of clinical and functional patient characteristics for the prediction of medical needs in older hospitalized patients. Methods : 242 in-patients (57.4% male) aged 78.4±6.4 years, who were consecutively admitted to internal medicine departments of the University Hospital Essen between July 2015 and February 2017, were prospectively enrolled. Patients were assessed upon admission using Identification of Seniors at Risk (ISAR) screening followed by comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA). CGA included standardized instruments for the assessment of activities of daily living (ADL), cognition, mobility, and signs of depression upon admission. In multivariable regressions we evaluated the association of clinical patient characteristics, ISAR score and CGA results with length of hospital stay and number of nursing hours and receiving physiotherapy as indicators for medical needs. We identified clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with higher medical needs. Results: The 242 patients spent [median(Q1;Q3)]:9.0(4.0;16.0) days in the hospital, needed 2.0(1.5;2.7) hours of nursing each day, and 34.3% received physiotherapy. In multivariable regression analyses including clinical patient characteristics, ISAR and CGA domains, the factors age (β=-0.19, 95% confidence interval (CI)=-0.66;-0.13), number of admission diagnoses (β=0.28, 95%CI=0.16;0.41), ADL impairment (B=6.66, 95%CI=3.312;10.01), signs of depression (B=6.69, 95%CI=1.43;11.94) independently predicted length of hospital stay. ADL impairment (B=1.14, 95%CI=0.67;1.61) cognition impairment (B=0.57, 95%CI=0.07;1.07) and ISAR score (β =0.26, 95%CI=0.01;0.28) independently predicted nursing hours. The number of admission diagnoses (risk ratio (RR)=1.06, 95%CI=1.04;1.08), ADL impairment (RR=3.54, 95%CI=2.29;5.47), cognition impairment (RR=1.77, 95%CI=1.20;2.62) and signs of depression (RR=1.99, 95%CI=1.39;2.85) predicted receiving physiotherapy. Conclusion : Among older in-patients at risk for functional decline, the number of comorbidities, reduced ADL, cognition impairment and signs of depression are important predictors of length of hospital stay, nursing hours, and receiving physiotherapy during hospital stay.
Preparing the transition into long-term care institutions: a cluster analysis of the representations of the place of residence in European elders
Authors: Chrusciel Jan , Zid Sofiane , Letty Aude , Hay Paul-Emile , Armaingaud Didier , Dramé Moustapha , Godaert Lidvine , Sanchez Stéphane
Published: October 2019

Background: The risk of entry into a nursing home has been shown to vary according to geographical and clinical factors, although the effect of location could be due to confounders. The main objective of our study was to describe their perception of their place of residence in adults aged over 65 in four European countries. Methods: The cross-sectional survey was carried out in February 2016 by a poll institute in a representative sample of individuals from a population of retired residents in four European countries, selected by quota sampling. A total of 4160 subjects aged 65 or older were selected. For descriptive analysis, qualitative variables were presented with absolute frequencies and percentages. A Principal Components Analysis was performed, and clusters were identified using results from the analysis. Results: The study population comprised 4160 individuals from Germany, Belgium, France and Italy. Overall, 2389 (57%) were women; 1414 (34%) were aged 65 to 69, and 2709 (65%) were living maritally. A majority (2938, 70%) were home owners, while 1253 (30%) showed signs of social precariousness including low income, and 1159 (27%) had a low level of education. Principal component analysis identified six well-defined groups: Wealthy Belgians, Flexible single people, Wealthy Germans, Low-income Germans, Isolated Italians, Italian homebirds. Conclusion : Understanding the representations that elderly Europeans have of their place of residence can help healthcare professionals decide how to assist each elder towards an acceptance of his/her new life in the nursing home.
Motor Vehicle Fatalities during Memorial Day Weekends, 1981-2016
Authors: Tang Yuni , Ratnapradipa Kendra L , Xiang Henry , Zhu Motao
Published: October 2019

Objective: Our aims were to determine which day(s) during the holiday had highest motor vehicle fatality risk compared to non-holiday travel and to identify potential risk factors. Results: Of 43,457 traffic fatalities studied, 15,292 (35%) occurred during the holiday, with Saturday being deadliest but Monday having highest odds. Both sexes, all years, age <65, drivers and passengers, rural and urban, and all regions in the United States were at increased risk during the holiday versus non-holiday periods.
Indole -3-acetic acid improves drought tolerance of white clover associated with activating auxin-related genes, abscisic acid and jasmonic acid-induced stress responsive transcription factors, and inhibiting senescence genes
Authors: Zhang Youzhi , Li Yaping , Hassan Muhammad Jawad , Li Zhou , Peng Yan
Published: November 2019

Auxin plays an important role in regulating plant development. To aquire feasible regulation effects and mechanism of IAA on drought tolerance in white clover, relative water content, chlorophyll content, several major phytohormone level, the expression of gene-related to IAA signal perception and synthesis, as well as drought-resistance related transcription factor genes and senescence genes were investigated in white clover plants under 15% polyethylene glycol-6000 (PEG-6000) after 1µM exogenous IAA pre-treatment and 100µM L-AOPP (inhibitor of IAA synthesis) pre-treatment. Compared to control, drought stress significantly diminished stem dry weight (g/10 plants), relative water content (RWC, %) and total chlorophyll content (Chl, mg/g). Exogenous IAA significantly increased RWC and Chl, however, L-AOPP, drastically decreased stem dry weight (g/10 plants), RWC and Chl compared with direct drought treatment. Besides that, compared with direct drought treatment, exogenous IAA significantly improved ABA content and JA content, up-regulated expression level of auxin-responsing genes (GH3.1, GH3.9, IAA8), drought-resistance related transcription factor genes (bZIP11, DREB2, MYB14, MYB48, WRKY2, WRKY56, WRKY108715) and drought resistance gene (RD22), meanwhile, down-regulated expression level of auxin-responsing genes (GH3.3, GH3.6, IAA27) and leaf senescence genes (SAG101 and SAG102). L-AOPP, contrarily, compared with direct drought treatment, significantly reduced ABA, GA3 and JA content, down-regulated expression level of GH3.1, GH3.9, IAA8, bZIP11, DREB2, MYB14, MYB48, WRKY2, WRKY56, WRKY108715, ERD and RD22, meanwhile, up-regulated SAG101 and SAG102. Collectively, these data suggested a positive role of exogenous IAA in alleviating drought stress damage in white clover.
Lipopolysaccharide Worsens the Prognosis of Experimental Cerebral Ischemia via Interferon Gamma-Induced Protein 10 Recruit in the Acute Stage
Authors: Wang Ping , Zhang Jiaqi , Guo Feifei , Wang Shuang , Zhang Yi , Li Defeng , Xu Haiyu , Yang Hongjun
Published: November 2019

Background: Infection is an important clinical complication facing stroke-patients and triples the risk of death within 30 days post-stroke via mechanisms which are poorly understood . Aims: We tried to explore the mechanisms that infections aggravated the ischemic brain injury after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Methods: We used lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as systemic inflammatory stimuli to explore the mechanisms of aggravated ischemic brain injury after Sprague-Dawley male rats subjected to MCAO. Brain damage was evaluated by cerebral blood perfusion, Longa-5 scores, infarct volume and edema degree. Systemic cytokine responses and inflammatory changes in the plasma and brain were analyzed by ELISA kit, RT 2 Profiler TM PCR array, and quantitative real-time PCR.The differential genes were subjected to Gene Ontology enrichment analysis and Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction. Results: LPS profoundly aggravated the brain damage after 24 hrs post-MCAO . At the acute stage (Ischemia/ Reperfusion 90min/3h), the brain homogenate gene expression of Interleukin 6 (IL-6), Tumor necrosis factor a ( TNF- a ), Interleukin 1 b (IL-1 b ) and Interferon Gamma-Induced Protein 10 (IP-10) was significantly up-regulated and the contents in plasma and brain homogenate were significantly increased in MCAO and MCAO+LPS group. IP-10 was the only gene with significant difference between MCAO and MCAO+LPS group, which was also in an important position with degrees of ³ 14 in PPI network. Conclusions: It was possible that trace LPS aggravated the ischemic brain injury by induction of excessive IP-10 secretion in the acute stage, leading to excessive inflammatory response, which consequently increased the infarct volume and edema degree 24 hrs post-MCAO.
Genomic variants from RNA-seq for goats resistant or susceptible to gastrointestinal nematode infection
Authors: Aboshady Hadeer M. , Mandonnet Nathalie , Johansson Anna M. , Jonas Elisabeth , Bambou Jean-Christophe
Published: October 2019

Background Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) are an important constraint in grazing small ruminant production. Genetic selection for resistant animals is a potential sustainable control strategy. Advances in molecular genetics have led to the identification of several molecular genetic markers associated with genes affecting economic relevant traits.Results In this study, the variants in the genome of Creole goats resistant or susceptible to GIN were discovered from RNA-sequencing. We identified SNPs, insertions and deletions that distinguish the two genotypes, resistant and susceptible and we characterized these variants through functional analysis. The T cell receptor signalling pathway was one of the top significant pathways that distinguish the resistant from the susceptible genotype with 78% of the genes involved in this pathway showing genomic variants.Conclusions These genomic variants are expected to provide useful resources especially for molecular breeding for GIN resistance in goats.
County-level Correlates of Dental Service Utilization for Low Income Pregnant Women. Ecologic study of the North Carolina Medicaid for Pregnant Women (MPW) program.
Authors: Moss Mark E , Grodner Andrew , Dasanayake Ananda P. , Beasley Cherry M.
Published: November 2019

Background: Dental care utilization for low income pregnant women is met with challenges in the traditional dentist-centered model of care. County-level measures provide insights for policy and roles for stakeholders that extend beyond the dentist-patient relationship. We examined county-level data to generate hypotheses about factors that influence utilization of dental services in North Carolina’s Medicaid for Pregnant Women (MPW) program. Methods: County-level Medicaid utilization data for dental services for 2014-2016 were pooled to get mean county estimates of dental utilization in the MPW program. Descriptive statistics and multivariate regression models of dental utilization and county-level measures are presented. Data used were collected by NC Child and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s County Health Rankings Reports. USDA Economic Research Service data were used to categorize counties in terms of Farming, Recreation, Persistent Poverty, and metro/non-metro status using Rural Urban Continuum Codes. Results: Dental utilization ranged from 1% to 26% with a median of 8.5% across the 100 counties of North Carolina. Strong patterns linking utilization of dental services in the MPW program to contextual social measures of well-being emerged, specifically, increased reporting of child abuse and neglect, elevated infant mortality, poor quality of life, and worse ranking in years of potential life lost. Counties with persistent poverty had lower rates of dental utilization. Conclusions: Utilization of dental services in the MPW program is generally low. Patterns identify the potential for enhancing community-clinical linkages to improve birth outcomes and care coordination for pregnant women to enhance dental utilization in this population.
Incidental diagnosis and surgery outcomes of thyroid cancer in Ecuador
Authors: Solis-Pazmino Paola , Salazar-Vega Jorge , Lincango-Naranjo Eddy , Garcia Cristhian , Koupermann Gabriela Jaramillo , Ortiz-Prado Esteban , Ledesma Tannya , Rojas Tatiana , Alvarado-Mafla Benjamin , Carcamo Cesar , Ponce Oscar J. , Brito Juan P.
Published: November 2019

Background: In contrast to the rapid increase in thyroid cancer (TC) incidence, thyroid cancer mortality rates have remained low and stable over the last decades. In Ecuador, however, TC mortality has increased and to determine possible drivers, a retrospective analysis of all patients attending a thyroid cancer referral center in Ecuador was conducted.
Methods: From June 2014 to December 2017, a cross-sectional study was conducted at the Hospital de Especialidades Eugenio Espejo (HEEE), a regional reference public hospital for endocrine neoplasia in adults in Quito, Ecuador. We identified the mechanism of detection, histopathology and treatment modalities from a patient interview and review of clinical records.
Results: Among 452 patients, 74.8% were young adults and 94.2% (426) of patients were female. 13.7% had a family history of thyroid cancer, and median of tumor size was 2 cm. The incidental finding was 54.2% whereas 45.8% was non-incidental. Thyroid cancer histology reported that 93.3% had papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), 2.7% follicular, 1.5% Hurtle cells, 1.6% medullary, 0.7% poor differentiated, and 0.2% anaplastic carcinoma. The mean MACIS (metastasis, age, completeness, invasion, and size) score was 4.95 (CI 4.15-5.95) with 76.2% of the thyroid cancer patients having MACIS score equal or less than 6. The very low and low risk of recurrence was 18.1% (79) and 62% (271) respectively. An analysis of 319 patients with non-metastatic thyroid cancer showed that 10.7% (34) of patients had surgical complications. Moreover, around 62.5% (80 from 128 patients with thyroglobulin laboratory results) of TC patients had a stimulated-thyroglobulin (sTg) value equal or higher than 2 ng/ml. Overall, a poor surgical outcome was present in 35.1% (112) patients. Out of 436 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC), 86% (n=375) received radioactive iodine (RAI).
Conclusion: Thyroid cancer histological characteristics and method of diagnosis are like the ones described in other reports without any evidence of the high frequency of aggressive thyroid cancer histology. However, we observed evidence of overtreatment and poor surgical outcomes that demand additional studies to understand their association with thyroid cancer mortality in Ecuador.
Identifying appropriate outcomes to help evaluate the impact of the Canadian Guideline for Safe and Effective Use of Opioids for Non-Cancer Pain
Authors: Allen Michael , Sproule Beth , MacDougall Peter , Furlan Andrea , Murphy Laura , Debono Victoria Borg , Buckley Norman
Published: October 2019

Background: The Canadian Guideline for Safe and Effective Use of Opioids for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain (COG) was developed in response to increasing rates of opioid-related hospital visits and deaths in Canada, and uncertain benefits of opioids for chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP). Following publication, we developed a list of evaluable outcomes to assess the impact of this guideline on practice and patient outcomes .
Methods: A working group at the National Pain Centre at McMaster University used a modified Delphi process to construct a list of clinical and patient outcomes important in assessing the uptake and application of the COG. An advisory group then reviewed this list to determine the relevance and feasibility of each outcome, and identified potential data sources. This feedback was reviewed by the National Faculty for the Guideline, and a National Advisory Group that included the creators of the COG, resulting in the final list of 5 priority outcomes.
Results: Five outcomes were judged clinically important and feasible to measure: 1) Effects of opioids for CNCP on quality of life, 2) Assessment of patient’s risk of addiction before starting opioid therapy, 3) Monitoring patients on opioid therapy for aberrant drug-related behaviour, 4) Mortality rates associated with prescription opioid overdose and 5) Use of treatment agreements with patients before initiating opioid therapy for CNCP. Data sources for these outcomes included patient’s medical charts, e-Opioid Manager, prescription monitoring programs and administrative databases.
Conclusion: Measuring the impact of best practice guidelines is infrequently done. Future research should consider capturing the five outcomes identified in this study to evaluate the impact of the COG in promoting evidence-based use of opioids for CNCP.
Genome-wide identification and transcriptome profiling reveal that E3 ubiquitin ligase genes relevant to ethylene, auxin and abscisic acid are differentially expressed in the fruits of melting flesh and stony hard peach varieties
Authors: Tan Bin , Lian Xiaodong , Cheng Jun , Zeng Wenfang , Zheng Xianbo , Wang Wei , Ye Xia , Li Jidong , Li Zhiqian , Zhang Langlang , Feng Jiancan
Published: November 2019

Background: Ubiquitin ligases (E3) are the enzymes in the ubiquitin/26S proteasome pathway responsible for targeting proteins to the degradation pathway and play major roles in multiple biological activities. However, the E3 family and their functions are yet to be identified in the fruit of peach.
Results: In this study, genome-wide identification, classification and characterization of the E3 ligase genes within the genome of peach (Prunus persica) was carried out. In total, 765 E3 (PpE3) ligase genes were identified in the peach genome. The PpE3 ligase genes were divided into eight subfamilies according to the presence of known functional domains. The RBX subfamily was not detected in peach. The PpE3 ligase genes were not randomly distributed among the 8 chromosomes, with a greater concentration on the longer chromosomes. The primary mode of gene duplication of the PpE3 ligase genes was dispersed gene duplication (DSD). Four subgroups of the BTB subfamily never characterized before were newly identified in peach, namely BTBAND, BTBBL, BTBP and BTBAN. The expression patterns of the identified E3 ligase genes in two peach varieties that display different types of fruit softening (melting flesh, MF, and stony hard, SH) were analyzed at 4 different stages of ripening using Illumina technology. Among the 765 PpE3 ligase genes, 515 (67.3%) were expressed (FPKM >1) in the fruit of either MF or SH during fruit ripening. In same-stage comparisons, 231 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the two peach cultivars. The number of DEGs in each subfamily varied. Most DEGs were members of the BTB, F-box, U-box and RING subfamilies. PpE3 ligase genes predicted to be involved in ethylene, auxin, or ABA synthesis or signaling and DNA methylation were differentially regulated. Eight PpE3 ligase genes with possible roles in peach flesh texture and fruit ripening were discussed.
Conclusions: The results of this study provide useful information for further understanding the functional roles of the ubiquitin ligase genes in peach. The findings also provide the first clues that E3 ligase genes may function in the regulation of peach ripening.
Can Humic Substances Improve Soil Fertility under Salt Stress and Drought Conditions?
Authors: Suddarth Stella R. P. , Ferreira Jorge F. S. , Cavalcante Lourival F. , Fraga Vânia S. , Anderson Ray G. , Halvorson Jonathan J. , Bezerra Francisco T. C. , Medeiros Sherly. A. S. , Costa Cassio R. G. , Dias Nildo S.
Published: October 2019

Semiarid soils may be poor in organic carbon, a necessary source of energy for soil microorganisms that affect plant growth. Although the addition of organic carbon may improve soil chemical characteristics, the concentration of humic compounds in the organic component may vary and affect soil chemical composition. We evaluated the effect of two sources of humic compounds on a dystrophic yellow Oxisol cultivated with passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims f. edulis) and irrigated with saline water during a severe drought in the Brazilian semiarid region. Soil fertility was evaluated during two seasons. A bovine biofertilizer and an organic commercial amendment (Humistar) were used as sources of humic compounds. Salinity resulted in reduced soil fertility, mainly during the lower rainfall period. The combination of humic substances and salinity increased soil salinity. Humistar, more concentrated in humic acid than fulvic acid, increased both acidity and salinity of the Oxisol under study during the lower rainfall period. Our results contradict the general idea that organic matter can mitigate the harmful effects of salts in semiarid soils because the addition of organic sources to the soil, mainly during a severe drought period, may reduce soil fertility. Although this response may depend on the concentration of humic acids in the amendment, our results suggest that the correction of soil chemistry with the application of either amendment to Oxisols under semiarid conditions, mainly during severe drought, is not economically feasible.

Core Ideas

Saline irrigation reduces the fertility of Oxisols, mainly in low‐rainfall periods.

The combination of humic substances and salinity increased salinity of Oxisols.

During low‐rainfall periods, humic substances reduced Oxisol fertility.
Enhanced Stabilization of Soil Organic Carbon by Growing Leguminous Green Manure on the Loess Plateau of China
Authors: Yao Zhiyuan , Xu Qian , Chen Yupei , Liu Na , Huang Lidong , Zhao Ying , Zhang Dabin , Li Yangyang , Zhang Suiqi , Cao Weidong , Zhai Bingnian , Wang Zhaohui , Adl Sina , Gao Yajun
Published: October 2019

Evaluating the impacts of growing leguminous green manure (LGM) on soil organic carbon (SOC) stabilization is crucial to evaluate the sustainability of this management practice. To clarify this, we measured organic carbon (OC) fractions and used protected C to estimate the stability of SOC. The field study was a split‐plot design with four main treatments: summer fallow–winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (FW) as control and growing LGM to replace Huai bean (Glycine soja Sieb. et Zucc)–winter wheat (HW), soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]–winter wheat, and mung bean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek]–winter wheat. The subtreatments were four synthetic N rates applied before sowing winter wheat. Physical fractionation was used to isolate different OC fractions. Among them, the intra‐microaggregate fine particulate OC and mineral‐associated OC are protected C. The mean weight diameter at the 0‐ to 10‐cm soil of HW was significantly increased compared with FW. The SOC content of the bulk soil for the LGM treatments was increased by 0.93 to 1.18 g kg−1 and 0.33 to 1.04 g kg−1 at depths of 0 to 10 cm and 10 to 20 cm, respectively, compared with FW. The protected C accounted for 69 to 86% of the total SOC increase. Moreover, only the protected C was significantly and positively correlated with the SOC increase. In conclusion, growing LGM to replace summer fallow can increase the quantity and stability of SOC by increasing the content of protected C, suggesting that the proposed management practice could promote sustainable agriculture.
Conversion from Upland to Paddy Field Intensifies Human Impacts on Element Behavior through Regolith
Authors: Wu Huayong , Song Xiaodong , Zhao Xiaorui , Zhang Gan‐Lin
Published: October 2019

Core Ideas

Conversion of upland to paddy caused significant loss of Fe within about 20 yr.

The conversion impacted nearly the whole regolith far deeper than 1‐m soil profile.

The magnitude of influence varied among elements.

Despite many studies regarding the influence of the conversion from various types of land uses to paddy cultivation on soil change, little is known about how deep this influence may reach and what difference among elements may exist. To investigate the influence of the conversion from uplands to paddy fields on element behavior, we used mass‐balance equations to quantify element loss and gain throughout the regoliths from surface to bedrock at the Red Soil Critical Zone Observatory in subtropical China. The studied regoliths, with a thickness of 7 to 8 m, are acidic and highly weathered and developed from Quaternary red clay underlain by sandstone bedrock. The conversion increased the loss of Fe by 44%, whereas it decreased the loss of Mn by 14% in the top 3 m within a short timescale (about 20 yr). Slight influences of the conversion were observed for Al, K, and Mg, but no noticeable influences were found for Ca, Na, Si, and P. The observable influence of the conversion reached depths of 3 m for Fe, Mn, and Al and 1 m for Mg and K. Below the 4‐m depth, the influence was difficult to separate from the impacts of groundwater fluctuations. The lack of a noticeable influence on Ca and Na was mainly due to almost all of these elements having been depleted at the regolith–bedrock interface. Artificial flooding–drainage cycles and increases in fertilizer inputs in the paddy fields intensified the influence on element behavior via shifting the processes and sources of many elements in the regolith.