bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perfusion fixation methods for preclinical biodistribution studies: A comparative assessment using automated image processing
Authors: Belhadjhamida Rania , Lea-Banks Harriet , Hynynen Kullervo
Published: December 2020

Studying the biodistribution of novel therapeutics and biomaterials in vivo requires effective and consistent perfusion and fixation of major organs. Standard methods for removing red blood cells (RBCs) and fixing tissue often involve transcardial perfusion, such as brain-targeted perfusion (via the left ventricle) or lung-targeted perfusion (via the right ventricle). Using autofluorescence measurements and a bespoke ImageJ macro to quantify RBC content from histology, we compared the efficacy and consistency of three whole-body perfusion techniques. We show that lung-targeted perfusion evacuates more blood from the lung vasculature than brain-targeted perfusion (20 ± 54% fewer RBCs), and that our novel approach of ‘dual-targeted’ perfusion (via the right and left ventricles sequentially) had even higher efficacy (30 ± 6% fewer RBCs). Furthermore, by combining aspects of brain- and lung-targeted methods, dual-targeted perfusion achieved the highest consistency in autofluorescence emissions from major organs (64% and 65% lower variance than brain- and lung-targeted perfusion respectively). Since RBC content and autofluorescence can be confounding factors in biodistribution studies using fluorescent probes, our findings and proposed novel approach offer insight into perfusion fixation techniques for pre-clinical studies.
Synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic activity using SiO2-TiO2 nanocomposites under UV light
Authors: Thongpool V , Phunpueok A , Jaiyen S , Rojviroon T
Published: December 2020

SiO2-TiO2 nanocomposites were synthesized by the sol-gel method with different SiO2 contents (0.125, 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75%wt). The characteristics of prepared samples were obtained from x-ray diffractometer (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), UV–visible spectrophotometer, and Brunauer Emmett and Teller (BET) surface area analyzer. SiO2-TiO2 nanocomposites have higher UV absorption capability and a higher specific surface area compared to pure TiO2, resulting in improved dye degradation by photocatalytic activity. The results show that the dye degradation efficiency of 0.5SiO2-TiO2 is higher than pure TiO2. It can degrade the dye up to 96.91% within 2 h, while TiO2 was able to degrade dye at 88.62%.
A state-averaged orbital-optimized hybrid quantum–classical algorithm for a democratic description of ground and excited states
Authors: Yalouz Saad , Senjean Bruno , Günther Jakob , Buda Francesco , O’Brien Thomas E , Visscher Lucas
Published: December 2020

In the noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) era, solving the electronic structure problem from chemistry is considered as the ‘killer application’ for near-term quantum devices. In spite of the success of variational hybrid quantum/classical algorithms in providing accurate energy profiles for small molecules, careful considerations are still required for the description of complicated features of potential energy surfaces. Because the current quantum resources are very limited, it is common to focus on a restricted part of the Hilbert space (determined by the set of active orbitals). While physically motivated, this approximation can severely impact the description of these complicated features. A perfect example is that of conical intersections (i.e. a singular point of degeneracy between electronic states), which are of primary importance to understand many prominent reactions. Designing active spaces so that the improved accuracy from a quantum computer is not rendered useless is key to finding useful applications of these promising devices within the field of chemistry. To answer this issue, we introduce a NISQ-friendly method called ‘state-averaged orbital-optimized variational quantum eigensolver’ which combines two algorithms: (1) a state-averaged orbital-optimizer, and (2) a state-averaged VQE. To demonstrate the success of the method, we classically simulate it on a minimal Schiff base model (namely the formaldimine molecule CH2NH) relevant also for the photoisomerization in rhodopsin—a crucial step in the process of vision mediated by the presence of a conical intersection. We show that merging both algorithms fulfil the necessary condition to describe the molecule’s conical intersection, i.e. the ability to treat degenerate (or quasi-degenerate) states on the same footing.
Tuning optical and optoelectronic properties of gold nanoparticle and ZnO thin film hetero-structures
Authors: Sekhar Muddam Raja , Laha Ranjit , Kar Manoranjan
Published: December 2020

Thin film hetero-structures (TFHSs) involving metal oxide thin films and noble metal nanoparticles are very important for many optoelectronics based device applications. This work reports the growth, characterization, and tuning of photoluminescence and I–V properties of TFHSs involving zinc oxide (ZnO) and gold nanoparticles (GNPs). ZnO thin films and GNPs were respectively deposited by the Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) and DC sputtering with subsequent annealing. Three different TFHSs were prepared by varying the relative positions of ZnO and GNPs, namely Si-GNPs-ZnO, Si-ZnO-GNPs, and Si-ZnO-GNPs-ZnO. X-ray diffraction results confirmed the high crystallinity of the films, with single phase nature of the ZnO and GNPs. Scanning electron microscopy micrograph analysis confirmed that the morphology of structures containing both GNPs and ZnO is influenced by the bottom layer. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy results also indicated that the position of GNPs relative to ZnO affects the plasmon resonance of GNPs as well as the overall optical properties of the TFHSs. Photoluminescence studies revealed that the presence of GNPs affects the defect concentration in the TFHSs. The I–V characteristics showed that the TFHSs where ZnO contains GNPs in embedded form are better suited for photodiode application. This study adds a new dimension to the research on optoelectronics devices.
Nondivisible cycles on products of very general Abelian varieties
Authors: Diaz Humberto
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we give a recipe for producing infinitely many nondivisible codimension

2
2

cycles on a product of two or more very general Abelian varieties. In the process, we introduce the notion of “field of definition” for cycles in the Chow group modulo (a power of) a prime. We show that for a quite general class of codimension

2
2

cycles, that we call “primitive cycles”, the field of definition is a ramified extension of the function field of a modular variety. This ramification allows us to use Nori’s isogeny method (modified by Totaro) to produce infinitely many nondivisible cycles. As an application, we prove the Chow group modulo a prime of a product of three or more very general elliptic curves is infinite, generalizing work of Schoen.
Noncoding RNAs: modulators and modulatable players during infection-induced stress response
Authors: Chattopadhyay Partha , Srinivasa Vasudevan Janani , Pandey Rajesh
Published: December 2020

The human genome has an almost equal distribution of unique and transposable genetic elements. Although at the transcriptome level, a relatively higher contribution from transposable elements derived RNA has been reported. This is further highlighted with evidence from pervasive transcription. Of the total RNA, noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are significant contributors to the transcriptome pool with sizeable fraction from repetitive elements of the human genome, inclusive of Long Interspersed Nuclear Elements (LINEs) and Short Interspersed Nuclear Elements (SINEs). ncRNAs are increasingly being implicated in diverse functional roles especially during conditions of stress. These stress responses are driven through diverse mediators, inclusive of long and short ncRNAs. ncRNAs such as MALAT1, GAS5, miR-204 and miR-199a-5p have been functionally involved during oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and unfolded protein response (UPR). Also, within SINEs, Alu RNAs derived from primate-specific Alu repeats with ~11% human genome contribution, playing a significant role. Pathogenic diseases, including the recent COVID-19, leads to differential regulation of ncRNAs. Although, limited evidence suggests the need for an inquest into the role of ncRNAs in determining the host response towards pathogen challenge.
MultiPaths: a Python framework for analyzing multi-layer biological networks using diffusion algorithms
Authors: Marín-Llaó Josep , Mubeen Sarah , Perera-Lluna Alexandre , Hofmann-Apitius Martin , Picart-Armada Sergio , Domingo-Fernández Daniel
Published: December 2020

High-throughput screening yields vast amounts of biological data which can be highly challenging to interpret. In response, knowledge-driven approaches emerged as possible solutions to analyze large datasets by leveraging prior knowledge of biomolecular interactions represented in the form of biological networks. Nonetheless, given their size and complexity, their manual investigation quickly becomes impractical. Thus, computational approaches, such as diffusion algorithms, are often employed to interpret and contextualize the results of high-throughput experiments. Here, we present MultiPaths, a framework consisting of two independent Python packages for network analysis. While the first package, DiffuPy, comprises numerous commonly used diffusion algorithms applicable to any generic network, the second, DiffuPath, enables the application of these algorithms on multi-layer biological networks. To facilitate its usability, the framework includes a command line interface, reproducible examples and documentation. To demonstrate the framework, we conducted several diffusion experiments on three independent multi-omics datasets over disparate networks generated from pathway databases, thus, highlighting the ability of multi-layer networks to integrate multiple modalities. Finally, the results of these experiments demonstrate how the generation of harmonized networks from disparate databases can improve predictive performance with respect to individual resources.

Availability and implementation

DiffuPy and DiffuPath are publicly available under the Apache License 2.0 at https://github.com/multipaths.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Development of a fixation-free fluorescence in situ hybridization for the detection of Salmonella species
Authors: Adebowale Oluwawemimo , Good Liam
Published: December 2020

Salmonella is one of the most important infectious bacteria causing severe gastroenteritis and deaths in humans and animals, and the prompt diagnosis is crucial for effective control and treatment. The detection of Salmonella still depends principally on culture-based methods, which is time-consuming and laborious. Recently, polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) was discovered to have cellular delivery properties and its combination with the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method was exploited for oligomer delivery and the rapid detection of Salmonella spps in this study. Cell-associated fluorescence was quantified using Volocity® 3-D image analysis software (Volocity 6.3, PerkinElmer, Inc.). PHMB complexed with fluorophore—labelled species-specific oligomers permeabilized freshly grown viable strains of Salmonella cells and mediated strong cell-associated fluorescence signals. This strategy further enabled a fixation-free protocol and hybridization in a single reaction. Using the modified FISH method, monoculture Salmonella strains were validated as well as detected in artificially contaminated water and milk within a turnaround period of 5 h. The method was observed to be comparable with the standard FISH technique (sFISH; P > 0.05). The findings suggest that fixation-free delivery and hybridization of oligomers using PHMB can provide a simplified and prompt strategy for Salmonella detection at the species level, and promote early management responses to the disease and appropriate antimicrobial therapy.
MuscleAtlasExplorer: a web service for studying gene expression in human skeletal muscle
Authors: Asplund Olof , Rung Johan , Groop Leif , Prasad B Rashmi , Hansson Ola
Published: December 2020

MuscleAtlasExplorer is a freely available web application that allows for the exploration of gene expression data from human skeletal muscle. It draws from an extensive publicly available dataset of 1654 skeletal muscle expression microarray samples. Detailed, manually curated, patient phenotype data, with information such as age, sex, BMI and disease status, are combined with skeletal muscle gene expression to provide insights into gene function in skeletal muscle. It aims to facilitate easy exploration of the data using powerful data visualization functions, while allowing for sample selection, in-depth inspection and further analysis using external tools.

Availability

MuscleAtlasExplorer is available at https://mae.crc.med.lu.se/mae2.
Recovery from respiratory failure after 49-day extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support in a critically ill patient with COVID-19: case report
Authors: Guo Fengwei , Deng Chao , Shi Tao , Yan Yang
Published: December 2020

Background

Respiratory failure is a life-threatening complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related acute respiratory distress syndrome. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in COVID-19 might offer promise based on our clinical experience. However, few critically ill cases with COVID-19 have been weaned off ECMO.

Case summary

A 66-year-old Chinese woman presented with fever (38.9°C), cough, dyspnoea, and headache. She had lymphopenia (0.72 × 109/L) and computed tomography findings of ground-glass opacities. Subsequently, she was confirmed to have respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. She was intubated after transfer to the intensive care unit due to respiratory failure and heart failure. However, her condition continued to deteriorate rapidly. Veno-veno ECMO was undertaken for respiratory and cardiac support due to refractory hypoxemic respiratory failure and bradyarrhythmia (45 b.p.m.). During hospitalization, she was also administered anti-viral treatment, convalescent plasma therapy, and continuous renal replacement therapy. She was maintained on ECMO before she had fully recovered from the condition that necessitated ECMO use and had a negative test for the nucleic acids of SARS-CoV-2 twice. Forty-nine days later, this patient was weaned from ECMO. At the most recent follow-up visit (3 months after weaning from ECMO), she received respiratory and cardiac rehabilitation and did not complain of any discomfort.

Discussion

As far as we know, the longest duration of ECMO treatment in this critical case with COVID-19 is supportive of ECMO as the most aggressive form of life support and the last line of defence during the COVID-19 epidemic.
Long-term durability of bicuspid aortic valve repair: a comparison of 2 annuloplasty techniques
Authors: de Meester Christophe , Vanovershelde Jean-Louis , Jahanyar Jama , Tamer Saadallah , Mastrobuoni Stefano , Van Dyck Michel , Navarra Emiliano , Poncelet Alain , Astarci Parla , el Khoury Gebrine , de Kerchove Laurent
Published: December 2020

OBJECTIVES

To compare long-term outcomes after bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) repair utilizing the Cabrol annuloplasty versus valve sparing Reimplantation technique.

METHODS

From 1996 to 2018, 340 consecutive patients underwent BAV repair. Eighty underwent Cabrol annuloplasty and 189 underwent Reimplantation. Exclusion criteria were re-repairs (n = 6), active endocarditis (n = 4), no annuloplasty (n = 41) and ring or suture annuloplasty (n = 20). We compared both groups for survival, reoperations, valve related events and recurrent severe aortic regurgitation (AR > 2+). Inverse probability weighting (IPW) was used to balance the 2 groups. Cox regression analysis was used to identify outcome predictors.

RESULTS

After weighting, pre- and intraoperative characteristics were similar between groups, except for aorta replacement techniques and operative time, which was longer in the Reimplantation group (P < 0.001). At 12 years, overall survival was similar between groups (IPW: Cabrol 97 ± 2% vs Reimplantation 94 ± 3%, P = 0.52). Freedom from reoperation and freedom from AR > 2+ were significantly lower in the Cabrol group (reoperation IPW: 69 ± 9% vs 91 ± 4%, P = 0.004 and AR > 2+ IPW: 71 ± 8% vs 97 ± 2%, P < 0.001). The Reimplantation technique was the only independent predictor of reoperation (hazard ratio 0.31; confidence interval 0.19–0.7; P = 0.005).

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, comparing 2 annuloplasty strategies for BAV repair, we found statistically significant differences in long-term durability favouring the Reimplantation technique, and no differences in overall survival. The results support our current strategy of Reimplantation technique and repair of AR in patients with BAV. Cabrol annuloplasty is obsolete and should be generally abandoned in patients undergoing BAV repair for AR.
The Location of Substitutions and Bacterial Genome Arrangements
Authors: Lato Daniella F , Golding G Brian
Published: December 2020

Increasing evidence supports the notion that different regions of a genome have unique rates of molecular change. This variation is particularly evident in bacterial genomes where previous studies have reported gene expression and essentiality tend to decrease, whereas substitution rates usually increase with increasing distance from the origin of replication. Genomic reorganization such as rearrangements occur frequently in bacteria and allow for the introduction and restructuring of genetic content, creating gradients of molecular traits along genomes. Here, we explore the interplay of these phenomena by mapping substitutions to the genomes of Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Streptomyces, and Sinorhizobium meliloti, quantifying how many substitutions have occurred at each position in the genome. Preceding work indicates that substitution rate significantly increases with distance from the origin. Using a larger sample size and accounting for genome rearrangements through ancestral reconstruction, our analysis demonstrates that the correlation between the number of substitutions and the distance from the origin of replication is significant but small and inconsistent in direction. Some replicons had a significantly decreasing trend (E. coli and the chromosome of S. meliloti), whereas others showed the opposite significant trend (B. subtilis, Streptomyces, pSymA and pSymB in S. meliloti). dN, dS, and ω were examined across all genes and there was no significant correlation between those values and distance from the origin. This study highlights the impact that genomic rearrangements and location have on molecular trends in some bacteria, illustrating the importance of considering spatial trends in molecular evolutionary analysis. Assuming that molecular trends are exclusively in one direction can be problematic.
Understanding the Molecular Drivers of Disease Heterogeneity in Crohn’s Disease Using Multi-omic Data Integration and Network Analysis
Authors: Sudhakar Padhmanand , Verstockt Bram , Cremer Jonathan , Verstockt Sare , Sabino João , Ferrante Marc , Vermeire Séverine
Published: December 2020

Crohn’s disease (CD), a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), is characterized by heterogeneity along multiple clinical axes, which in turn impacts disease progression and treatment modalities. Using advanced data integration approaches and systems biology tools, we studied the contribution of CD susceptibility variants and gene expression in distinct peripheral immune cell subsets (CD14+ monocytes and CD4+ T cells) to relevant clinical traits. Our analyses revealed that most clinical traits capturing CD heterogeneity could be associated with CD14+ and CD4+ gene expression rather than disease susceptibility variants. By disentangling the sources of variation, we identified molecular features that could potentially be driving the heterogeneity of various clinical traits of CD patients. Further downstream analyses identified contextual hub proteins such as genes encoding barrier functions, antimicrobial peptides, chemokines, and their receptors, which are either targeted by drugs used in CD or other inflammatory diseases or are relevant to the biological functions implicated in disease pathology. These hubs could be used as cell type–specific targets to treat specific subtypes of CD patients in a more individualized approach based on the underlying biology driving their disease subtypes. Our study highlights the importance of data integration and systems approaches to investigate complex and heterogeneous diseases such as IBD.
Simulation of McKean–Vlasov SDEs with super-linear growth
Authors: dos Reis Gonçalo , Engelhardt Stefan , Smith Greig
Published: December 2020

We present two fully probabilistic Euler schemes, one explicit and one implicit, for the simulation of McKean–Vlasov Stochastic Differential Equations (MV-SDEs) with drifts of super-linear growth and random initial condition. We provide a pathwise propagation of chaos result and show strong convergence for both schemes on the consequent particle system. The explicit scheme attains the standard $1/2$ rate in stepsize. From a technical point of view, we successfully use stopping times to prove the convergence of the implicit method; although we avoid them altogether for the explicit one. The combination of particle interactions and random initial condition makes the proofs technically more involved. Numerical tests recover the theoretical convergence rates and illustrate a computational complexity advantage of the explicit over the implicit scheme. Comparative analysis is carried out on a stylized non-Lipschitz MV-SDE and a mean-field model for FitzHugh–Nagumo neurons. We provide numerical tests illustrating particle corruption effect where one single particle diverging can ‘corrupt’ the whole particle system. Moreover, the more particles in the system the more likely this divergence is to occur.
Natural History of Coronavirus Disease 2019: Risk Factors for Hospitalizations and Deaths Among >26 Million US Medicare Beneficiaries
Authors: Izurieta Hector S , Graham David J , Jiao Yixin , Hu Mao , Lu Yun , Wu Yue , Chillarige Yoganand , Wernecke Michael , Menis Mikhail , Pratt Douglas , Kelman Jeffrey , Forshee Richard
Published: December 2020

Background

The current study was performed to evaluate risk factors for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes among Medicare beneficiaries during the pandemic’s early phase.

Methods

In a retrospective cohort study covering Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries, we separated out elderly residents in nursing homes (NHs) and those with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) from the primary study population of individuals age ≥65 years. Outcomes included COVID-19 hospital encounters and COVID-19-associated deaths. We estimated adjusted odds ratios (ORs) using logistic regression.

Results

We analyzed 25 333 329 elderly non-NH beneficiaries without ESRD, 653 966 elderly NH residents, and 292 302 patients with ESRD. COVID-related death rates (per 10 000) were much higher among elderly NH residents (275.7) and patients with ESRD (60.8) than in the primary study population (5.0). Regression-adjusted clinical predictors of death among the primary population included immunocompromised status (OR, 1.43), frailty index conditions such as cognitive impairment (3.16), and other comorbid conditions, including congestive heart failure (1.30). Demographic-related risk factors included male sex (OR, 1.77), older age (3.09 for 80- vs 65-year-olds), Medicaid dual-eligibility status (2.17), and racial/ethnic minority. Compared with whites, ORs were higher for blacks (2.47), Hispanics (3.11), and Native Americans (5.82). Results for COVID-19 hospital encounters were consistent.

Conclusions

Frailty, comorbid conditions, and race/ethnicity were strong risk factors for COVID-19 hospitalization and death among the US elderly.
Advancement in predicting interactions between drugs used to treat psoriasis and its comorbidities by integrating molecular and clinical resources
Authors: Patrick Matthew T , Bardhi Redina , Raja Kalpana , He Kevin , Tsoi Lam C
Published: December 2020

Objective

Drug–drug interactions (DDIs) can result in adverse and potentially life-threatening health consequences; however, it is challenging to predict potential DDIs in advance. We introduce a new computational approach to comprehensively assess the drug pairs which may be involved in specific DDI types by combining information from large-scale gene expression (984 transcriptomic datasets), molecular structure (2159 drugs), and medical claims (150 million patients).

Materials and Methods

Features were integrated using ensemble machine learning techniques, and we evaluated the DDIs predicted with a large hospital-based medical records dataset. Our pipeline integrates information from >30 different resources, including >10 000 drugs and >1.7 million drug–gene pairs. We applied our technique to predict interactions between 37 611 drug pairs used to treat psoriasis and its comorbidities.

Results

Our approach achieves >0.9 area under the receiver operator curve (AUROC) for differentiating 11 861 known DDIs from 25 750 non-DDI drug pairs. Significantly, we demonstrate that the novel DDIs we predict can be confirmed through independent data sources and supported using clinical medical records.

Conclusions

By applying machine learning and taking advantage of molecular, genomic, and health record data, we are able to accurately predict potential new DDIs that can have an impact on public health.
Spot the difference: comparing results of analyses from real patient data and synthetic derivatives
Authors: Foraker Randi E , Yu Sean C , Gupta Aditi , Michelson Andrew P , Pineda Soto Jose A , Colvin Ryan , Loh Francis , Kollef Marin H , Maddox Thomas , Evanoff Bradley , Dror Hovav , Zamstein Noa , Lai Albert M , Payne Philip R O
Published: December 2020

Background

Synthetic data may provide a solution to researchers who wish to generate and share data in support of precision healthcare. Recent advances in data synthesis enable the creation and analysis of synthetic derivatives as if they were the original data; this process has significant advantages over data deidentification.

Objectives

To assess a big-data platform with data-synthesizing capabilities (MDClone Ltd., Beer Sheva, Israel) for its ability to produce data that can be used for research purposes while obviating privacy and confidentiality concerns.

Methods

We explored three use cases and tested the robustness of synthetic data by comparing the results of analyses using synthetic derivatives to analyses using the original data using traditional statistics, machine learning approaches, and spatial representations of the data. We designed these use cases with the purpose of conducting analyses at the observation level (Use Case 1), patient cohorts (Use Case 2), and population-level data (Use Case 3).

Results

For each use case, the results of the analyses were sufficiently statistically similar (P > 0.05) between the synthetic derivative and the real data to draw the same conclusions.

Discussion and conclusion

This article presents the results of each use case and outlines key considerations for the use of synthetic data, examining their role in clinical research for faster insights and improved data sharing in support of precision healthcare.
CFD analysis for airflow distribution of a conventional building plan for different wind directions
Authors: Kummitha Obula Reddy , Kumar R Vijay , Krishna V Murali
Published: December 2020

Computational fluid dynamics analysis of a building plan has been investigated with predominant wind velocity for different wind directions. The flow properties’ variation in the computational domain has been modeled by solving the Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations with the finite volume second-order discretization scheme. The turbulence of airflow distribution in and around the building has been modeled with the Shear Stress Transport (SST) k–ω turbulence model from the analysis of different turbulence models. Numerical results are analysed by evaluating and comparing the various flow properties at different building plan locations with different wind directions. The development of pressure coefficients, wind-driven driving force, and air change per hour are studied for different wind directions. From the analysis of numerical results, it is identified that better ventilation with sufficient airflow distribution has existed when the wind is coming from the west direction.
Disseminated Toxoplasmosis in a Child Following Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
Authors: Boutzoukas Angelique E , Kussman Ashleigh , Bajwa Rajinder P S , Ouellette Christopher P
Published: December 2020

A 23-month old female with hypoplastic myelodysplastic syndrome underwent allogenic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), complicated by development of acute exotropia. Bilateral chorioretinal scars and a ring enhancing brain lesion were identified in further workup. Disseminated toxoplasmosis post-allogeneic HCT was subsequently confirmed by serologic and polymerase chain reaction testing results.
No More “Little Jews without Beards”: Insights into Yiddish Children’s Literature in Eastern Europe Prior to World War I1
Authors: Cohen Nathan
Published: December 2020

The first modern publications in Yiddish which were intended for young readers in Eastern Europe—either original works or translations from foreign languages—appeared at the turn of the twentieth century as the sporadic initiatives of a few writers. A more systematic literature for children in Yiddish started relatively late, and was linked to the developing Yiddish school system. A growing number of writers and cultural activists, including Sholem Aleichem and Y. L. Peretz, became gradually aware of the importance and need for appropriate literature for children. Within less than a decade, the Yiddish book market was enriched with a variety of publications focused upon young readers whose ages ranged between 5 and 12 years. These publications included many translations (or adaptations) from foreign languages—either directly or indirectly—as well as original works by known Yiddish writers. The first Yiddish periodicals for youngsters, as well as textbooks, also appeared then, prior to World War I. Yiddishists and publishers established publishing companies for this purpose and initiated pretentious projects of which few were realized, or even partly realized. The current article will review and examine the first initiatives for publishing Yiddish children’s literature and periodicals, who the initiators were and what their purpose was. Also, to what extent these publications were accepted, and their contribution to modern Yiddish literature.
A β Cephei pulsator and a changing orbital inclination in the high-mass eclipsing binary system VV Orionis
Authors: Southworth John , Bowman D M , Pavlovski K
Published: December 2020

We present an analysis of the high-mass eclipsing binary system VV Ori based on photometry from the TESS satellite. The primary star (B1 V, 9.5 $\, {\rm M}_\odot$) shows β Cephei pulsations and the secondary (B7 V, 3.8 $\, {\rm M}_\odot$) is possibly a slowly pulsating B star. We detect 51 significant oscillation frequencies, including two multiplets with separations equal to the orbital frequency, indicating that the pulsations are tidally perturbed. We analyse the TESS light curve and published radial velocities to determine the physical properties of the system. Both stars are only the second of their pulsation type with a precisely measured mass. The orbital inclination is also currently decreasing, likely due to gravitational interactions with a third body.
Runaway stars masquerading as star formation in galactic outskirts
Authors: Andersson Eric P , Renaud Florent , Agertz Oscar
Published: December 2020

In the outskirts of nearby spiral galaxies, star formation is observed in extremely low gas surface densities. Star formation in these regions, where the interstellar medium is dominated by diffuse atomic hydrogen, is difficult to explain with classic star formation theories. In this letter, we introduce runaway stars as an explanation for this observation. Runaway stars, produced by collisional dynamics in young stellar clusters, can travel kiloparsecs during their main-sequence lifetime. Using galactic-scale hydrodynamic simulations including a treatment of individual stars, we demonstrate that this mechanism enables the ejection of young massive stars into environments where the gas is not dense enough to trigger star formation. This results in the appearance of star formation in regions where it ought to be impossible. We conclude that runaway stars are a contributing, if not dominant, factor to the observations of star formation in the outskirts of spiral galaxies.
Normal observers show no evidence for blindsight in facial emotion perception
Authors: Rajananda Sivananda , Zhu Jeanette , Peters Megan A K
Published: December 2020

Some researchers have argued that normal human observers can exhibit “blindsight-like” behavior: the ability to discriminate or identify a stimulus without being aware of it. However, we recently used a bias-free task to show that what looks like blindsight may in fact be an artifact of typical experimental paradigms’ susceptibility to response bias. While those findings challenge previous reports of blindsight in normal observers, they do not rule out the possibility that different stimuli or techniques could still reveal perception without awareness. One intriguing candidate is emotion processing, since processing of emotional stimuli (e.g. fearful/happy faces) has been reported to potentially bypass conscious visual circuits. Here we used the bias-free blindsight paradigm to investigate whether emotion processing might reveal “featural blindsight,” i.e. ability to identify a face’s emotion without introspective access to the task-relevant features that led to the discrimination decision. However, we saw no evidence for emotion processing “featural blindsight”: as before, whenever participants could identify a face’s emotion they displayed introspective access to the task-relevant features, matching predictions of a Bayesian ideal observer. These results add to the growing body of evidence that perceptual discrimination ability without introspective access may not be possible for neurologically intact observers.
Psychological correlates of arbovirus preventive health behaviour
Authors: Mayi Bindu S , Sternglanz R Weylin , Aldana Nathalia , Menon Madhavi
Published: December 2020

Background

Current arbovirus preventive health interventions do not take social and personality variables into account. Social cognition models posit that people engage in preventive health behaviour (PHB) after an assessment of the perceived risk of disease, an analysis of potential consequences and an evaluation of self-efficacy.

Methods

In a sample of 385 undergraduate and medical students, we examined the association between social relationships, conscientiousness and mosquito repellent use. Data were analysed in a series of stepwise regression analyses.

Results

Social relationships influenced the association between conscientiousness and mosquito repellent use. As expected, perceptions of positive social relationships and conscientiousness are positively linked with mosquito repellent use. Conversely, perceptions of negative social relationships are linked to an inverse association between conscientiousness and mosquito repellent use.

Conclusions

Future interventions designed to increase perceptions of social relationships might be helpful in increasing arbovirus preventive health behaviour such as using mosquito repellents. Since the present study was concurrent correlational in nature, future research would benefit from experimental interventions designed to directly examine the effect of enhancing positive relations and social support on arbovirus preventive health behaviour.
Influencing factors of lung cancer in nonsmoking women: systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Huang Jinxin , Yue Na , Shi Naiyang , Wang Qiang , Cui Tingting , Ying Hongyan , Wang Zhijian , Leng Jianqiang , Sui Zhixiang , Xu Yanjuan , Wei Bingyuan , Jin Hui
Published: December 2020

Background

Epidemiological studies have shown that some factors other than smoking may affect the risk of lung cancer in women, but the results are controversial. We conducted a meta-analysis to summarize the influencing factors of lung cancer in nonsmoking women.

Methods

Both English and Chinese databases were searched for publications from 1990 to 2020. All included studies were assessed according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). The pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of influential factors were analyzed using the meta-analysis method, and the publication bias and sensitivity were analyzed.

Results

Among the five categories, the pooled OR of cooking factors category was the highest. Among 42 influencing factors, there were frequent fried food (OR = 2.42, 95% CI: 1.73–3.38) and long menstrual cycle (0.54, 95% CI: 0.39–0.75). A positive association of history of lung diseases/family lung/all cancer with lung cancer among Asian nonsmoking women (1.82, 95% CI: 1.60–2.07). Unlike other regions, cooking factors were the main risk factor for lung cancer in Asian.

Conclusion

The meta-analysis suggests that cooking habits, diet, passive smoking, history of cancer and lung disease, and female reproduction are related to lung cancer in nonsmoking women. However, additional studies are warranted to extend this finding.
Anticipatory grieving and loss during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Yap John Federick C , Garcia Louiegi L , Alfaro Ramilyn A , Sarmiento Philip Joseph D
Published: December 2020

Recent correspondence shows that death and burial practices deem significant in understanding the meaning and acceptance of the untimely and unexpected death of a family member afflicted with the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease. These, in turn, raise the need to address the anticipatory grieving process of the family. This paper examines the importance of anticipatory grieving that ultimately affects the lives of the family of the bereaved.
Discovery of divided RdRp sequences and a hitherto unknown genomic complexity in fungal viruses
Authors: Chiba Yuto , Oiki Sayoko , Yaguchi Takashi , Urayama Syun-ichi , Hagiwara Daisuke
Published: December 2020

By identifying variations in viral RNA genomes, cutting-edge metagenome technology has potential to reshape current concepts about the evolution of RNA viruses. This technology, however, cannot process low-homology genomic regions properly, leaving the true diversity of RNA viruses unappreciated. To overcome this technological limitation, we applied an advanced method, Fragmented and Primer-Ligated Double-stranded (ds) RNA Sequencing (FLDS), to screen RNA viruses from 155 fungal isolates, which allowed us to obtain complete viral genomes in a homology-independent manner. We created a high-quality catalog of 19 RNA viruses (12 viral species) that infect Aspergillus isolates. Among them, nine viruses were not detectable by the conventional methodology involving agarose gel electrophoresis of dsRNA, a hallmark of RNA virus infections. Segmented genome structures were determined in 42 per cent of the viruses. Some RNA viruses had novel genome architectures; one contained a dual methyltransferase domain and another had a separated RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene. A virus from a different fungal taxon (Pyricularia) had an RdRp sequence that was separated on different segments, suggesting that a divided RdRp is widely present among fungal viruses, despite the belief that all RNA viruses encode RdRp as a single gene. These findings illustrate the previously hidden diversity and evolution of RNA viruses, and prompt reconsideration of the structural plasticity of RdRp.
Genomic Resources for Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. phaseolicola Races 5 and 8
Authors: Cooper Bret , Yang Ronghui
Published: December 2020

Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. phaseolicola causes halo blight disease on Phaseolus vulgaris. Using a long-read DNA sequencing platform, we assembled the genome sequences for P. savastanoi pv. phaseolicola races 5 and 8 that have distinguishable avirulent and virulent phenotypes on Phaseolus vulgaris PI G19833, a common bean with an annotated genome sequence. The 12 race 5 assemblies comprise two major 4.5 and 1.4 Mb chromosome-like contigs and 10 smaller contigs. The four race 8 assemblies comprise a major 6.1 Mb chromosome and three smaller contigs. Annotation yielded 5,890 genes for race 5 and 5,919 genes for race 8. These data will enable the discovery of the genetic and proteomic differences between these two races and allow comparisons to other races for which genomic information already exists.
To tube or not to tube: a skeptic's guide to nonintubated thoracic surgery
Authors: Schieren Mark , Defosse Jerome
Published: December 2020

Purpose of review

The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the rationale and evidence for nonintubated thoracic surgery and guide clinicians, considering the implementation of nonintubated thoracic surgery, to find an anesthetic approach suitable for their department.

Recent findings

Based on physiologic considerations alone, nonintubated thoracic surgery would be expected to be an advantageous concept in thoracic anesthesia, especially in patients at high risk for pulmonary complications. Currently existing evidence, however, does not support these claims. Although the feasibility and safety have been repeatedly demonstrated, high-quality evidence showing a significant benefit regarding clinically relevant patient-centered outcomes is not available.

Anesthetic approaches to nonintubated thoracic surgery differ significantly; however, they usually concentrate on six main aspects: maintenance of airway patency, respiratory support, analgesia, patient comfort, cough suppression, and conversion techniques. Given the lack of high-quality studies comparing different techniques, evidence-based guidance of clinical decision-making is currently not possible. Until further evidence is available, anesthetic management will depend mostly on local availability and expertise.

In select patients and with experienced teams, nonintubated thoracic surgery can be a suitable alternative to intubated thoracic surgery. Until more evidence is available, however, a general change in anesthetic management in thoracic surgery is not justified.
3,3′-diindolylmethane exerts antiproliferation and apoptosis induction by TRAF2-p38 axis in gastric cancer
Authors: Ye Yang , Ye Fen , Li Xue , Yang Qi , Zhou Jianwei , Xu Wenrong , Aschner Michael , Lu Rongzhu , Miao Shuhan
Published: December 2020

3,3′-diindolylmethane (DIM), an active phytochemical derivative extracted from cruciferous vegetables, possesses anticancer effects. However, the underlying anticancer mechanism of DIM in gastric cancer remains unknown. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-associated factor 2 (TRAF2), one of the signal transduction proteins, plays critical role in proliferation and apoptosis of human gastric cancer cells, but there are still lack of practical pharmacological modulators for potential clinical application. Here, we further explored the role of TRAF2 in inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis by DIM in human gastric cancer BGC-823 and SGC-7901 cells. After treating BGC-823 and SGC-7901 cells with DIM for 24 h, cell proliferation, apoptosis and TRAF2-related protein were measured. Our findings showed that DIM inhibited the expressions of TRAF2, activated p-p38 and its downstream protein p-p53, which were paralleled with DIM-triggered cells proliferation, inhibition and apoptosis induction. These effects of DIM were reversed by TRAF2 overexpression or p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-specific inhibitor (SB203580). Taken together, our data suggest that regulating TRAF2/p38 MAPK signaling pathway is essential for inhibiting gastric cancer proliferation and inducing apoptosis by DIM. These findings broaden the understanding of the pharmacological mechanism of DIM’s action as a new modulator of TRAF2, and provide a new therapeutic target for human gastric cancer.
The O6-methyguanine-DNA methyltransferase inhibitor O6-benzylguanine enhanced activity of temozolomide + irinotecan against models of high-risk neuroblastoma
Authors: Hindle Ashly , Koneru Balakrishna , Makena Monish Ram , Lopez-Barcons Lluis , Chen Wan Hsi , Nguyen Thinh H. , Reynolds C. Patrick
Published: December 2020

DNA-damaging chemotherapy is a major component of therapy for high-risk neuroblastoma, and patients often relapse with treatment-refractory disease. We hypothesized that DNA repair genes with increased expression in alkylating agent resistant models would provide therapeutic targets for enhancing chemotherapy. In-vitro cytotoxicity of alkylating agents for 12 patient-derived neuroblastoma cell lines was assayed using DIMSCAN, and mRNA expression of 57 DNA repair, three transporter, and two glutathione synthesis genes was assessed by TaqMan low-density array (TLDA) with further validation by qRT-PCR in 26 cell lines. O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) mRNA was upregulated in cell lines with greater melphalan and temozolomide (TMZ) resistance. MGMT expression also correlated significantly with resistance to TMZ+irinotecan (IRN) (in-vitro as the SN38 active metabolite). Forced overexpression of MGMT (lentiviral transduction) in MGMT non-expressing cell lines significantly increased TMZ+SN38 resistance. The MGMT inhibitor O6-benzylguanine (O6BG) enhanced TMZ+SN38 in-vitro cytotoxicity, H2AX phosphorylation, caspase-3 cleavage, and apoptosis by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling. TMZ+IRN+O6BG delayed tumor growth and increased survival relative to TMZ+IRN in two of seven patient-derived xenografts established at time of death from progressive neuroblastoma. We demonstrated that high MGMT expression was associated with resistance to alkylating agents and TMZ+IRN in preclinical neuroblastoma models. The MGMT inhibitor O6BG enhanced the anticancer effect of TMZ+IRN in vitro and in vivo. These results support further preclinical studies exploring MGMT as a therapeutic target and biomarker of TMZ+IRN resistance in high-risk neuroblastoma.