bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Urogenital
Chlamydia trachomatis
Serovars in Men and Women with a Symptomatic or Asymptomatic Infection: an Association with Clinical Manifestations?
Authors: Morré S. A. , Rozendaal L. , van Valkengoed I. G. M. , Boeke A. J. P. , van Voorst Vader P. C. , Schirm J. , de Blok S. , van den Hoek J. A. R. , van Doornum G. J. J. , Meijer C. J. L. M. , van den Brule A. J. C.
Published: March 2020

To determine whether certain
Chlamydia trachomatis
serovars are preferentially associated with a symptomatic or an asymptomatic course of infection,
C. trachomatis
serovar distributions were analyzed in symptomatically and asymptomatically infected persons. Furthermore, a possible association between
C. trachomatis
serovars and specific clinical symptoms was investigated.
C. trachomatis
-positive urine specimens from 219 asymptomatically infected men and women were obtained from population-based screening programs in Amsterdam. Two hundred twenty-one
C. trachomatis
-positive cervical and urethral swabs from symptomatically and asymptomatically infected men and women were obtained from several hospital-based departments. Serovars were determined using PCR-based genotyping, i.e., restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the nested-PCR-amplified
omp1
gene. The most prevalent
C. trachomatis
serovars, D, E, and F, showed no association with either a symptomatic or asymptomatic course of infection. The most prominent differences found were (i) the association of serovar Ga with symptoms in men (
P
= 0.0027), specifically, dysuria (
P
< 0.0001), and (ii) detection of serovar Ia more often in asymptomatically infected people (men and women) (
P
= 0.035). Furthermore, in women, serovar K was associated with vaginal discharge (
P
= 0.002) and serovar variants were found only in women (
P
= 0.045).
Atypical Lipid-Dependent
Malassezia
Species Isolated from Dogs with Otitis Externa
Authors: Crespo M. J. , Abarca M. L. , Cabañes F. J.
Published: March 2020

During a survey of the occurrence of
Malassezia
species in the external ear canals of dogs with chronic otitis externa, lipid-dependent
Malassezia
species were isolated in three dogs. These species were identified as
Malassezia furfur
and
M. obtusa
but showed atypical assimilation patterns. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the isolation of lipid-dependent species of the genus
Malassezia
in association with canine otitis.
Comparison of Recoveries of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Using the Automated BACTEC MGIT 960 System, the BACTEC 460 TB System, and Löwenstein-Jensen Medium
Authors: Somoskövi Ákos , Ködmön Csaba , Lantos Ákos , Bártfai Zoltán , Tamási Lilla , Füzy Judit , Magyar Pál
Published: March 2020

Using two different liquid media and one conventional solid medium, a total of 57 mycobacterial isolates (
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
,
n
= 55; nontuberculous mycobacteria,
n
= 2) were recovered from 377 clinical specimens. The rates of recovery of
M. tuberculosis
were 96.4% with the BACTEC MGIT 960 liquid medium, 92.7% with BACTEC 12B liquid medium, and 81.8% with the Löwenstein-Jensen (LJ) medium. The mean time to detection of
M. tuberculosis
in smear-positive specimens was 12.6 days for BACTEC MGIT 960 medium, 13.8 days for BACTEC 12B medium, and 20.1 days for LJ medium, and in smear-negative specimens it was 15.8 days for BACTEC MGIT 960 medium, 17.7 days for BACTEC 12B medium, and 42.2 days for LJ medium. The rates of contamination were 3.7, 2.9, and 1.2% for the BACTEC MGIT 960, BACTEC 12B, and LJ media, respectively. In conclusion, the nonradiometric, fully automated 7-ml BACTEC MGIT 960 system can be considered a viable alternative to the semiautomated, radiometric BACTEC 460 TB system.
Retrospective Diagnosis of Diphtheria by Detection of the
Corynebacterium diphtheriae tox
Gene in a Formaldehyde-Fixed Throat Swab Using PCR and Sequencing Analysis
Authors: Komiya Takako , Shibata Naohiro , Ito Masafumi , Takahashi Motohide , Arakawa Yoshichika
Published: March 2020

The
tox
gene of
Corynebacterium diphtheriae
was detected in a formaldehyde-fixed throat swab taken from a 68-year-old man who was reported to have died of suffocation due to a pharyngeal tumor. DNA templates prepared from bacterial cells fixed with 10% formaldehyde were subjected to a PCR analysis with
tox
gene-specific PCR primers. The resultant 112-nucleotide-long PCR product was sequenced using a dye terminator method, and an expected 57-nucleotide-long internal sequence of the
tox
gene was detected. This method is applicable for retrospective diagnosis in diphtheria cases in which only a formaldehyde-fixed clinical sample is available.
Epidemiologic Typing of
Salmonella enterica
Serotype Enteritidis in a Canada-Wide Outbreak of Gastroenteritis due to Contaminated Cheese
Authors: Ahmed Rafiq , Soule Geoff , Demczuk Walter H. , Clark Clifford , Khakhria Rasik , Ratnam Samuel , Marshall Stephen , Ng Lai-King , Woodward David L. , Johnson Wendy M. , Rodgers Frank G.
Published: March 2020

A major Canada-wide outbreak of gastroenteritis due to
Salmonella enterica
serotype Enteritidis phage type (PT) 8 occurred in 1998, and this was traced to contaminated cheese in a commercial lunch pack product. Phage typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis linked the clinical and cheese isolates of serotype Enteritidis but failed to differentiate outbreak from nonoutbreak PT 8 strains. Further differentiation was made by biotyping based on melibiose fermentation.
Limitations of Vitek GPS-418 Cards in Exact Detection of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci with the
vanB
Genotype
Authors: Okabe Tadashi , Oana Kozue , Kawakami Yoshiyuki , Yamaguchi Masaru , Takahashi Yuko , Okimura Yukie , Honda Takayuki , Katsuyama Tsutomu
Published: March 2020

The susceptibilities of 20 strains of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) with the
vanB
genotype obtained by using Vitek GPS-418 cards were compared with those obtained by the broth dilution method of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) (approved standard M7-A4) and with those obtained by the agar screen method using bile esculin azide agar containing 6 μg of vancomycin per ml. Although both the broth dilution and agar screen methods disclosed no discordance, Vitek GPS-418 cards yielded a very major error compared with the results obtained by the reference broth dilution method of the NCCLS. Vitek GPS-418 cards were therefore found to have considerable room for improvement for the accurate detection of
vanB
VRE strains.
Identification of
Arthrobacter oxydans
,
Arthrobacter luteolus
sp. nov., and
Arthrobacter albus
sp. nov., Isolated from Human Clinical Specimens
Authors: Wauters Georges , Charlier Jacqueline , Janssens Michèle , Delmée Michel
Published: March 2020

Five
Arthrobacter
isolates from clinical specimens were studied by phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, and genetic characterization. Two strains had characteristics consistent with those of
Arthrobacter oxydans
. One strain was related to
A. citreus
; however, DNA-DNA hybridization and phenotypic characteristics indicated that this strain belongs to a new species, for which the name
Arthrobacter luteolus
sp. nov. is proposed. Two strains were closely related to
A. cumminsii
by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, but DNA-DNA hybridization, peptidoglycan type, and some phenotypic features indicated that they should be assigned to a new species, for which the name
Arthrobacter albus
sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of
A. luteolus
is CF25 (DSM 13067). The type strain of
A. albus
is CF43 (DSM 13068).
Limitation of the AccuProbe
Coccidioides immitis
Culture Identification Test: False-Negative Results with Formaldehyde-Killed Cultures
Authors: Gromadzki Sally G. , Chaturvedi Vishnu
Published: March 2020

The AccuProbe
Coccidioides immitis
culture identification test (CI test) yielded false-negative results with formaldehyde-killed
C. immitis
submitted to a reference laboratory. Further evaluation with pure or mixed cultures or stored, heat-killed cultures revealed the CI test to be highly sensitive and specific for
C. immitis
except when the cultures were pretreated with formaldehyde.
Rapid Identification of Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus aureusand Simultaneous Species Confirmation Using Real-Time Fluorescence PCR
Authors: Reischl Udo , Linde Hans-Jörg , Metz Michaela , Leppmeier Birgit , Lehn Norbert
Published: March 2020

A duplex LightCycler PCR assay targeting themecAgene and aStaphylococcus aureus-specific marker was used to test 165S. aureusstrains and 80 strains of other bacterial species. Within an assay time of 60 min plus 10 min for sample preparation,S. aureusas well as the presence or absence of themecAgene was correctly identified.
Recurrent Bacteremic Peritonitis Caused by
Enterococcus cecorum
in a Patient with Liver Cirrhosis
Authors: Hsueh Po-Ren , Teng Lee-Jene , Chen Yu-Chi , Yang Pan-Chyr , Ho Shen-Wu , Luh Kwen-Tay
Published: March 2020

Enterococcus cecorum
(formerly
Streptococcus cecorum
), originally isolated from poultry intestines, has rarely been encountered in human diseases. A 60-year-old man with liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma developed peritonitis on the seventh day of his hospitalization. Cultures of one blood sample and one ascites fluid sample obtained on that day both grew
E. cecorum
. The patient received intravenous cefoxitin therapy and initially responded well. Unfortunately, another episode of peritonitis associated with septic shock developed 24 days after the start of treatment, and culture of one blood specimen yielded the same organism. The isolates were identified by the conventional biochemical tests, the API Rapid ID 32 Strep system, and the API ZYM system (both systems from bioMerieux, Marcy L'Etoile, France) and were further confirmed by cellular fatty acid chromatography and 16S rRNA gene partial sequencing. The identical biotype, antibiotype, and random amplified polymorphic DNA pattern of the three isolates documented the long-term persistence of this organism in the patient. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first clinical description of recurrent bacteremic peritonitis caused by
E. cecorum.
Genetic Characterization of an H1N2 Influenza Virus Isolated from a Pig In Indiana
Authors: Karasin Alexander I. , Olsen Christopher W. , Anderson Gary A.
Published: March 2020

An H1N2 influenza virus was isolated from a pig during an outbreak of respiratory disease and abortion on an Indiana farm in November 1999. Results of phylogenetic analyses indicate that this virus is a reassortant between a recent classical H1 swine virus and the reassortant H3N2 viruses that have emerged among American pigs since 1998.
CO
2
/HCO
3
−
Accelerates Iron Reduction through Phenolic Compounds
Authors: Müller Felix , Rapp Johanna , Hacker Anna-Lena , Feith André , Takors Ralf , Blombach Bastian
Published: March 2020

In an oxygenic environment, poorly soluble Fe
3+
must be reduced to meet the cellular Fe
2+
demand. This study demonstrates that elevated CO
2
/HCO
3
−
levels accelerate chemical Fe
3+
reduction through phenolic compounds, thus increasing intracellular Fe
2+
availability. A number of biological environments are characterized by the presence of phenolic compounds and elevated HCO
3
−
levels and include soil habitats and the human body. Fe
2+
availability is of particular interest in the latter, as it controls the infectiousness of pathogens. Since the effect postulated here is abiotic, it generally affects the Fe
2+
distribution in nature.
Merkel Cell Polyomavirus DNA Replication Induces Senescence in Human Dermal Fibroblasts in a Kap1/Trim28-Dependent Manner
Authors: Siebels Svenja , Czech-Sioli Manja , Spohn Michael , Schmidt Claudia , Theiss Juliane , Indenbirken Daniela , Günther Thomas , Grundhoff Adam , Fischer Nicole
Published: March 2020

We here describe Kap1 as a restriction factor in MCPyV infection. We report a novel, indirect mechanism by which Kap1 affects MCPyV replication. In contrast with from other DNA viruses, Kap1 does not associate with the viral genome in MCPyV infection and has no impact on viral gene expression. In MCPyV-infected nHDF cells, Kap1 phosphorylation (pKap1 S824) accumulates because of genomic stress mainly induced by viral DNA replication. In contrast, ectopic expression of LT or LT MCPyV mutants, previously shown to be important for induction of genotoxic stress, does not result in a similar extent of pKap1 accumulation. We show that cells actively replicating MCPyV accumulate pKap1 (in a manner dependent on the presence of ATM) and display a senescence phenotype reflected by G2arrest. These results are supported by transcriptome analyses showing that LT antigen, in a manner dependent on the presence of Kap1, induces expression of secreted factors, which is known as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP).
Host and Symbiont Cell Cycle Coordination Is Mediated by Symbiotic State, Nutrition, and Partner Identity in a Model Cnidarian-Dinoflagellate Symbiosis
Authors: Tivey Trevor R. , Parkinson John Everett , Weis Virginia M.
Published: March 2020

Biomass regulation is critical to the overall health of cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbioses. Despite the central role of the cell cycle in the growth and proliferation of cnidarian host cells and dinoflagellate symbionts, there are few studies that have examined the potential for host-symbiont coregulation. This study provides evidence for the acceleration of host cell proliferation when in local proximity to clusters of symbionts within cnidarian tentacles. The findings suggest that symbionts augment the cell cycle of not only their enveloping host cells but also neighboring cells in the epidermis and gastrodermis. This provides a possible mechanism for rapid colonization of cnidarian tissues. In addition, the cell cycles of symbionts differed depending on nutritional regime, symbiotic state, and species identity. The responses of cell cycle profiles to these different factors implicate a role for species-specific regulation of symbiont cell cycles within host cnidarian tissues.
Pyocin S5 Import into Pseudomonas aeruginosa Reveals a Generic Mode of Bacteriocin Transport
Authors: Behrens Hannah M. , Lowe Edward D. , Gault Joseph , Housden Nicholas G. , Kaminska Renata , Weber T. Moritz , Thompson Catriona M. A. , Mislin Gaëtan L. A. , Schalk Isabelle J. , Walker Daniel , Robinson Carol V. , Kleanthous Colin
Published: March 2020

Bacteriocins are toxic polypeptides made by bacteria to kill their competitors, making them interesting as potential antibiotics. Here, we reveal unsuspected commonalities in bacteriocin uptake pathways, through molecular and cellular dissection of the import pathway for the pore-forming bacteriocin pyocin S5 (PyoS5), which targets
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
. In addition to its C-terminal pore-forming domain, PyoS5 is composed of two tandemly repeated helical domains that we also identify in other pyocins. Functional analyses demonstrate that they have distinct roles in the import process. One recognizes conserved sugars projected from the surface, while the other recognizes a specific outer membrane siderophore transporter, FptA, in the case of PyoS5. Through engineering of
Escherichia coli
cells, we show that pyocins can be readily repurposed to kill other species. This suggests basic ground rules for the outer membrane translocation step that likely apply to many bacteriocins targeting Gram-negative bacteria.
The Entner-Doudoroff and Nonoxidative Pentose Phosphate Pathways Bypass Glycolysis and the Oxidative Pentose Phosphate Pathway in Ralstonia solanacearum
Authors: Jyoti Poonam , Shree Manu , Joshi Chandrakant , Prakash Tulika , Ray Suvendra Kumar , Satapathy Siddhartha Sankar , Masakapalli Shyam Kumar
Published: March 2020

Understanding the metabolic versatility of
Ralstonia solanacearum
is important, as it regulates the trade-off between virulence and metabolism (1, 2) in a wide range of plant hosts. Due to a lack of clear evidence until this work, several published research papers reported on the potential roles of glycolysis and the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (OxPPP) in
R. solanacearum
(3, 4). This work provided evidence from
13
C stable isotope feeding and genome annotation-based comparative metabolic network analysis that the Entner-Doudoroff pathway and non-OxPPP bypass glycolysis and OxPPP during the oxidation of glucose, a component of the host xylem pool that serves as a potential carbon source (5). The outcomes help better define the central carbon metabolic network of
R. solanacearum
that can be integrated with
13
C metabolic flux analysis as well as flux balance analysis studies for defining the metabolic phenotypes. The study highlights the need to critically examine phytopathogens whose metabolism is poorly understood.
Genistein stimulates insulin sensitivity through gut microbiota reshaping and skeletal muscle AMPK activation in obese subjects
Authors: Guevara-Cruz Martha , Godinez-Salas Einar T , Sanchez-Tapia Monica , Torres-Villalobos Gonzalo , Pichardo-Ontiveros Edgar , Guizar-Heredia Rocio , Arteaga-Sanchez Liliana , Gamba Gerardo , Mojica-Espinosa Raul , Schcolnik-Cabrera Alejandro , Granados Omar , López-Barradas Adriana , Vargas-Castillo Ariana , Torre-Villalvazo Ivan , Noriega Lilia G , Torres Nimbe , Tovar Armando R
Published: March 2020

Objective

Obesity is associated with metabolic abnormalities, including insulin resistance and dyslipidemias. Previous studies demonstrated that genistein intake modifies the gut microbiota in mice by selectively increasingAkkermansia muciniphila, leading to reduction of metabolic endotoxemia and insulin sensitivity. However, it is not known whether the consumption of genistein in humans with obesity could modify the gut microbiota reducing the metabolic endotoxemia and insulin sensitivity.

Research design and methods

45 participants with a Homeostatic Model Assessment (HOMA) index greater than 2.5 and body mass indices of ≥30 and≤40 kg/m2were studied. Patients were randomly distributed to consume (1) placebo treatment or (2) genistein capsules (50 mg/day) for 2 months. Blood samples were taken to evaluate glucose concentration, lipid profile and serum insulin. Insulin resistance was determined by means of the HOMA for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index and by an oral glucose tolerance test. After 2 months, the same variables were assessed including a serum metabolomic analysis, gut microbiota, and a skeletal muscle biopsy was obtained to study the gene expression of fatty acid oxidation.

Results

In the present study, we show that the consumption of genistein for 2 months reduced insulin resistance in subjects with obesity, accompanied by a modification of the gut microbiota taxonomy, particularly by an increase in the Verrucomicrobia phylum. In addition, subjects showed a reduction in metabolic endotoxemia and an increase in 5′-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase phosphorylation and expression of genes involved in fatty acid oxidation in skeletal muscle. As a result, there was an increase in circulating metabolites of β-oxidation and ω-oxidation, acyl-carnitines and ketone bodies.

Conclusions

Change in the gut microbiota was accompanied by an improvement in insulin resistance and an increase in skeletal muscle fatty acid oxidation. Therefore, genistein could be used as a part of dietary strategies to control the abnormalities associated with obesity, particularly insulin resistance; however, long-term studies are needed.
Levels of ankle–brachial index and the risk of diabetes mellitus complications
Authors: Alves-Cabratosa Lia , Comas-Cufí Marc , Ponjoan Anna , Garcia-Gil Maria , Martí-Lluch Ruth , Blanch Jordi , Elosua-Bayes Marc , Parramon Dídac , Camós Lourdes , Guzmán Lidia , Ramos Rafel
Published: March 2020

Objective

We sought to compare the association of categorized ankle–brachial index (ABI) with mortality and complications of diabetes in persons with no symptoms of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and in primary cardiovascular disease prevention.

Research design and methods

This is a retrospective cohort study of persons with type 2 diabetes aged 35–85 years, from 2006 to 2011. Data were obtained from the Sistema d'Informació per al Desenvolupament de la Investigació en Atenció Primària (SIDIAPQ). Participants had an ABI measurement that was classified into six categories. For each category of ABI, we assessed the incidence of mortality; macrovascular complications of diabetes: acute myocardial infarction (AMI), ischemic stroke, and a composite of these two; and microvascular complications of this metabolic condition: nephropathy, retinopathy, and neuropathy. We also estimated the HRs for these outcomes by ABI category using Cox proportional hazards models.

Results

Data from 34 689 persons with type 2 diabetes were included. The mean age was 66.2; 51.5% were men; and the median follow-up was 6.0 years. The outcome with the highest incidence was nephropathy, with 24.4 cases per 1000 person-years in the reference category of 1.1≤ABI≤1.3. The incidences in this category for mortality and AMI were 15.4 and 4.1, respectively. In the Cox models, low ABI was associated with increased risk and was significant from ABI lower than 0.9; below this level, the risk kept increasing steeply. High ABI (over 1.3) was also associated with significant increased risk for most outcomes.

Conclusions

The studied categories of ABI were associated with different risks of type 2 diabetes complications in persons asymptomatic for PAD, who were in primary cardiovascular prevention. These findings could be useful to optimize preventive interventions according to the ABI category in this population.
‘I can do this’: a qualitative exploration of acceptability and experiences of a physical activity behaviour change intervention in people with multiple sclerosis in the UK
Authors: Fortune Jennifer , Norris Meriel , Stennett Andrea , Kilbride Cherry , Lavelle Grace , Hendrie Wendy , de Souza Lorraine , Abdul Mohamed , Brewin Debbie , David Lee , Anokye Nana , Victor Christina , Ryan Jennifer M
Published: March 2020

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who participated in iStep-MS, a feasibility randomised controlled trial of a behaviour change intervention that aimed to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour.

Design

A qualitative approach was undertaken embedded in the feasibility randomised controlled trial. One-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed using Framework analysis.

Setting

Participants were recruited from a single MS therapy centre in the southeast of England, UK.

Participants

Sixty people with MS were randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to the intervention or usual care. Following a purposive sampling strategy, 15 participants from the intervention arm undertook 1:1 semi-structured interviews.

Interventions

The iStep-MS intervention consisted of four therapist-led sessions over 12 weeks, supported by a handbook and pedometer.

Results

Three themes were identified from the data.“I can do this”: developing competence in physical activityhighlights the enhanced physical activity confidence gained through goal setting and accomplishment. “I felt valued”: the nurturing cultureprovides an overview of the supportive and non-judgemental environment created by the programme structure and therapeutic relationship. Finally, “What can I do?”: empowered enactmentdescribes the transition from the supported iStep-MS intervention to intrinsically motivated physical activity enactment.

Conclusions

Overall, this study supports the acceptability of the iStep-MS intervention and identified key areas that supported participants to be physically active.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN15343862.
Exploring the association between recent concussion, subconcussive impacts and depressive symptoms in male Australian Football players
Authors: Harris Sarah Ann , Chivers Paola T , McIntyre Fleur L , Piggott Ben , Bulsara Max , Farringdon Fiona H
Published: March 2020

Objectives

To explore the association between depressive symptoms and recent head-related trauma (diagnosed concussion, subconcussive impacts) in semiprofessional male Australian Football (AF) players.

Methods

Sixty-nine semiprofessional male players from a West Australian Football League (WAFL) club participated in the study (Mage=21.81, SD=2.91 years). Depressive symptoms were measured using the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Injuries and potential confounding variables (eg, pre-existing mental health condition; alcohol or drug hangovers; experiencing a stressful event) were self-reported anonymously using the WAFL Injury Report Survey. Both tools were administered every 2-weeks over the first 22-weeks of the WAFL season. Controlling for potential confounding variables and other injuries, a repeated measures generalised estimating equations model assessed the risk of clinically relevant depressive symptoms occurring, when diagnosed concussion or subconcussive impacts were experienced.

Results

A total of 10 concussions and 183 subconcussive impacts were reported. Players who experienced a concussion were almost nine times more likely to experience clinically relevant depressive symptoms (OR 8.88, 95% CI 2.65 to 29.77, p<0.001). Although elevated, depressive symptoms following subconcussive impacts were not statistically significant (OR 1.13, 95% CI 0.67 to 1.92, p=0.641).

Conclusion

These findings indicate that semiprofessional AF athletes may be at risk of experiencing depressive symptoms after concussion. Severity (concussion vs subconcussive impacts) and dose (number of impacts) appear to have an important relationship with depressive symptom outcomes in this cohort and should be considered for further research and management of player welfare.
Association between age and readmission after percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Qin Yingyi , Wei Xin , Han Hedong , Wen Yumeng , Gu Kevin , Ruan Yiming , Lucas Claire Huang , Baber Usman , Tomey Matthew I , He Jia
Published: March 2020

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the association between age and the risk of 30-day unplanned readmission among adult patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods

This retrospective analysis included patients from the Nationwide Readmissions Database with AMI who underwent PCI during 2013–2014. We used multivariable logistic regression model to calculate adjusted odds ratios (AORs) for risk of readmission. To examine potential non-linear association, we performed logistic regression with restricted cubic splines (RCS).

Results

Of the 492 550 patients with AMI aged above 18 years undergoing PCI during the index hospitalisation, 48 630 (9.87%) were readmitted within 30 days. Although the crude readmission rate of younger patients (aged 18–54 years) was the lowest (7.27%), younger patients had higher risk of readmission compared with patients aged 55–64 years for all-causes (AOR 1.06 (1.01 to 1.11), p=0.0129) and specific causes, such as AMI and chest pain (both cardiac and non-specific) after adjusted for covariates. Patients aged 65–74 years were at lower risk of all-cause readmission. Older patients (age ≥75 years) had higher risk of readmission for heart failure (AOR 1.50 (1.29 to 1.74)) and infection (AOR 1.44 (1.16 to 1.79)), but lower risk for chest pain. RCS analyses showed a U-shaped relationship between age and readmission risk.

Conclusions

Our results suggest higher risk of readmission in younger patients for all-cause unplanned readmission after adjusted for covariates. The trends of readmission risk along with age were different for specific causes. Age-targeted initiatives are warranted to reduce preventable readmissions in patients with AMI undergoing PCI.
Effects of spirulina on weight loss and blood lipids: a review
Authors: DiNicolantonio James J , Bhat Anusha G , OKeefe James
Published: March 2020

Spirulina, a cyanobacteria commonly referred to as a blue-green algae, is one of the oldest lifeforms on Earth. Spirulina grows in both fresh and saltwater sources and is known for its high protein and micronutrient content. This review paper will cover the effects of spirulina on weight loss and blood lipids. The currently literature supports the benefits of spirulina for reducing body fat, waist circumference, body mass index and appetite and shows that spirulina has significant benefits for improving blood lipids.
Different contribution of SBP and DBP variability to vascular events in patients with stroke
Authors: Dai Liye , Cheng Aichun , Hao Xiwa , Xu Jie , Zuo Yingting , Wang Anxin , Meng Xia , Li Hao , Wang Yilong , Zhao Xingquan , Wang Yongjun
Published: March 2020

Background

High blood pressure variability (BPV) is a novel risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, the heterogeneity of systolic blood pressure variability (SBPV) and diastolic blood pressure variability (DBPV) for different vascular events remains unclear. This study aims to investigate whether SBPV or DBPV has different contribution to vascular events in patients with acute ischaemic stroke (IS) or transient ischaemic attack (TIA).

Methods

Data from the BOSS (blood pressure and clinical outcome in TIA or IS) study were examined for vascular events at 3-month and 1-year follow-up. BPV was defined as the SD and coefficient of variation (CV) of day-to-day measurements within 3 months after IS/TIA. Vascular events include cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, unstable angina, cardiac death and congestive heart failure) and cerebrovascular events (ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke). Logistic regression model was used to test the associations between BPV and vascular events.

Results

Of 2325 patients with IS or TIA, 103 (4.43 %) experienced a recurrent stroke and 64 (2.75 %) had cardiovascular events within 3 months. Day-to-day SBPV was only associated with stroke recurrence (BPV
SD
: OR, 1.72, 95% CI 1.09 to 2.71; BPV
CV
: 1.86, 95% CI 1.19 to 2.92), but not cardiovascular events (BPV
SD
: 1.67, 95% CI 0.94 to 2.94; BPV
CV
: 1.51, 95% CI 0.86 to 2.64). However, DBPV seems to be related to both stroke (BPV
SD
: 1.60, 95% CI 1.02 to 2.49; BPV
CV
: 1.53, 95% CI 0.99 to 2.37) and cardiovascular events (BPV
SD
: 2.48, 95% CI 1.37 to 4.48; BPV
CV
: 1.92, 95% CI 1.09 to 3.36). Similar results were found at 1 year.

Conclusions

For patients with IS/TIA, stroke recurrence was associated with both SBPV and DBPV; however, cardiovascular events seem to be only related to DBPV.
Seed dormancy in Campanulaceae: morphological and morphophysiological dormancy in six species of Hawaiian lobelioids
Authors: Baskin Carol C. , Baskin Jerry M. , Yoshinaga Alvin , Wolkis Dustin
Published: March 2020

We determined the requirements for dormancy break/germination and kind of dormancy in seeds of the Hawaiian lobelioids Cyanea kunthiana, Delissea rhytidoperma, Lobelia grayana, L. hypoleuca, Trematolobelia grandifolia, and T. singularis. Fresh seeds were incubated in light/dark at 15/6, 20/10, and 25/15 °C, and germination monitored at two-week intervals for 14 weeks. For each species, the mean embryo length (E): seed (S) length ratio was determined for freshly matured seeds and for seeds at the time the seed coat split but before radicle emergence (germination). The embryo in seeds of all six species incubated at 25/15 °C grew inside the seed prior to germination (42%–148% increase in E:S ratio, depending on species). Seeds of L. grayana and L. hypoleuca have morphological dormancy (MD); they germinated to 82%–98% at the three temperature regimes in 4 weeks. Seeds of the other species have nondeep simple morphophysiological dormancy (MPD) and require >4 weeks for maximum germination to occur. Our results add to the growing body of knowledge about the kind (class) of seed dormancy in Campanulaceae, which suggests that seeds of members of this family have either MD or MPD and embryos grow at warm (≥15 °C) temperatures.
Superstatistics and non-Gaussian diffusion
Authors: Metzler Ralf
Published: March 2020

Brownian motion and viscoelastic anomalous diffusion in homogeneous environments are intrinsically Gaussian processes. In a growing number of systems, however, non-Gaussian displacement distributions of these processes are being reported. The physical cause of the non-Gaussianity is typically seen in different forms of disorder. These include, for instance, imperfect “ensembles” of tracer particles, the presence of local variations of the tracer mobility in heteroegenous environments, or cases in which the speed or persistence of moving nematodes or cells are distributed. From a theoretical point of view stochastic descriptions based on distributed (“superstatistical”) transport coefficients as well as time-dependent generalisations based on stochastic transport parameters with built-in finite correlation time are invoked. After a brief review of the history of Brownian motion and the famed Gaussian displacement distribution, we here provide a brief introduction to the phenomenon of non-Gaussianity and the stochastic modelling in terms of superstatistical and diffusing-diffusivity approaches.
Approximate solutions of one-dimensional systems with fractional derivative
Authors: Ferrari A. , Gadella M. , Lara L. P. , Santillan Marcus E.
Published: March 2020

The fractional calculus is useful to model nonlocal phenomena. We construct a method to evaluate the fractional Caputo derivative by means of a simple explicit quadratic segmentary interpolation. This method yields to numerical resolution of ordinary fractional differential equations. Due to the nonlocality of the fractional derivative, we may establish an equivalence between fractional oscillators and ordinary oscillators with a dissipative term.
The Gradient of Total Multiple Scattering Cross-Section and Its Application to Acoustic Cloaking
Authors: Amirkulova Feruza A. , Norris Andrew N.
Published: March 2020

We derive a formula for the gradients of the total scattering cross-section (TSCS) with respect to positions of a set of cylindrical scatterers. The analytic form enhances modeling capability when combined with optimization algorithms and parallel computing. As application of the method, we consider a gradient-based minimization of TSCS for a set of cylindrical obstacles by incrementally repositioning them so that they eventually act as an effective cloaking device. The gradient-based optimization algorithm reduces the TSCS by evaluating its derivative with respect to the cylinder positions and then perturbatively optimizing the position of each cylinder in the cloaking device while taking into account acoustic multiple scattering between the cylinders. The method is illustrated for clusters of hard cylinders and sets of elastic thin shells in water.
The Pleiotropic Role of the KEAP1/NRF2 Pathway in Cancer
Authors: Wu Warren L. , Papagiannakopoulos Thales
Published: March 2020

The unregulated proliferative capacity of many tumors is dependent on dysfunctional nutrient utilization and ROS (reactive oxygen species) signaling to sustain a deranged metabolic state. Although it is clear that cancers broadly rely on these survival and signaling pathways, how they achieve these aims varies dramatically. Mutations in the KEAP1/NRF2 pathway represent a potent cancer adaptation to exploit native cytoprotective pathways that involve both nutrient metabolism and ROS regulation. Despite activating these advantageous processes, mutations within KEAP1/ NRF2 are not universally selected for across cancers and instead appear to interact with particular tumor driver mutations and tissues of origin. Here, we highlight the relationship between the KEAP1/NRF2 signaling axis and tumor biology with a focus on genetic mutation, metabolism, immune regulation, and treatment implications and opportunities. Understanding the dysregulation of KEAP1 and NRF2 provides not only insight into a commonly mutated tumor suppressor pathway but also a window into the factors dictating the development and evolution of many cancers.
CCL2 mediates early renal leukocyte infiltration during salt-sensitive hypertension
Authors: Alsheikh Ammar J. , Dasinger John Henry , Abais-Battad Justine M. , Fehrenbach Daniel J. , Yang Chun , Cowley Allen W. , Mattson David L.
Published: March 2020

Studies examining mechanisms of Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) hypertension have implicated the infiltration of leukocytes in the kidneys, which contribute to renal disease and elevated blood pressure. However, the signaling pathways by which leukocytes traffic to the kidneys remain poorly understood. The present study nominated a signaling pathway by analyzing a kidney RNA sequencing data set from SS rats fed either a low-salt (0.4% NaCl) diet or a high-salt (4.0% NaCl) diet. From this analysis, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) and chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 2 (CCR2) were nominated as a potential pathway modifying renal leukocyte infiltration and contributing to SS hypertension. The functional role of the CCL2/CCR2 pathway was tested by daily administration of CCR2 antagonist (RS-102895 at 5 mg·kg−1·day−1in DMSO) or DMSO vehicle for 3 or 21 days by intraperitoneal injections during the high salt challenge. Blood pressure, renal leukocyte infiltration, and renal damage were evaluated. The results demonstrated that RS-102895 treatment ameliorated renal damage (urinary albumin excretion; 43.4 ± 5.1 vs. 114.7 ± 15.2 mg/day in vehicle, P < 0.001) and hypertension (144.3 ± 2.2 vs. 158.9 ± 4.8 mmHg in vehicle, P < 0.001) after 21 days of high-salt diet. It was determined that renal leukocyte infiltration was blunted by day 3 of the high-salt diet (1.4 ± 0.1 vs. 1.9 ± 0.2 in vehicle × 106CD45+cells/kidney, P = 0.034). An in vitro chemotaxis assay validated the effect of RS-102895 on leukocyte chemotaxis toward CCL2. The results suggest that increased CCL2 in SS kidneys is important in the early recruitment of leukocytes, and blockade of this recruitment by administering RS-102895 subsequently blunted the renal damage and hypertension.
Temporal hemodynamic changes in a female mouse model of systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Dent Elena L. , Taylor Erin B. , Sasser Jennifer M. , Ryan Michael J.
Published: March 2020

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic multisystem autoimmune disease characterized by circulating autoantibodies, prevalent hypertension, renal injury, and cardiovascular disease. Onset of the disease often occurs in young women of childbearing age. Although kidney involvement is common to patients with SLE, little is known about temporal changes in renal hemodynamic function and its relationship to the pathogenesis of hypertension during autoimmune diseases. We hypothesized that the loss of immunological tolerance and subsequent production of autoantibodies in SLE leads to impaired renal hemodynamic function that precedes the development hypertension. Female NZBWF1 (SLE) mice and female NZW/LacJ (control) mice were instrumented with carotid artery and jugular vein catheters to determine mean arterial pressure (MAP) and glomerular filtration rate, respectively, at ages of 15, 20, 24, 28, 31, and 34 wk. In addition, urinary albumin excretion, blood urea nitrogen, circulating autoantibodies, and glomerulosclerosis were assessed at each age. Levels of circulating autoantibodies are increased between 24 and 28 wk of age in NZBWF1 mice and were significantly greater than in control mice. Glomerular filtration rate was significantly increased at 28 wk of age in NZBWF1 mice followed by a sharp decline at 34 wk of age. NZBWF1 mice had an increase in MAP that occurred by 34 wk of age. These data show that changes in circulating autoantibodies, renal hemodynamic function, and glomerular injury occur in NZBWF1 mice before changes in MAP, suggesting an important mechanistic role for autoimmunity to directly impair renal hemodynamic function and promote the development of hypertension.
Highly Secure Privacy-Preserving Outsourced k-Means Clustering under Multiple Keys in Cloud Computing
Authors: Zou Ying , Zhao Zhen , Shi Sha , Wang Lei , Peng Yunfeng , Ping Yuan , Wang Baocang
Published: March 2020

Data clustering is the unsupervised classification of data records into groups. As one of the steps in data analysis, it has been widely researched and applied in practical life, such as pattern recognition, image processing, information retrieval, geography, and marketing. In addition, the rapid increase of data volume in recent years poses a huge challenge for resource-constrained data owners to perform computation on their data. This leads to a trend that users authorize the cloud to perform computation on stored data, such as keyword search, equality test, and outsourced data clustering. In outsourced data clustering, the cloud classifies users’ data into groups according to their similarities. Considering the sensitive information in outsourced data and multiple data owners in practical application, it is necessary to develop a privacy-preserving outsourced clustering scheme under multiple keys. Recently, Rong et al. proposed a privacy-preserving outsourced k-means clustering scheme under multiple keys. However, in their scheme, the assistant server (AS) is able to extract the ratio of two underlying data records, and key management server (KMS) can decrypt the ciphertexts of owners’ data records, which break the privacy security. AS can even reduce all data records if it knows one of the data records. To solve the aforementioned problem, we propose a highly secure privacy-preserving outsourced k-means clustering scheme under multiple keys in cloud computing. In this paper, noncolluded cloud computing service (CCS) and KMS jointly perform clustering over the encrypted data records without exposing data privacy. Specifically, we use BCP encryption which has additive homomorphic property and AES encryption to double encrypt data records, where the former cryptosystem prevents CCS from obtaining any useful information from received ciphertexts and the latter one protects data records from being decrypted by KMS. We first define five protocols to realize different functions and then present our scheme based on these protocols. Finally, we give the security and performance analyses which show that our scheme is comparable with the existing schemes on functionality and security.
PGC-1α, Inflammation, and Oxidative Stress: An Integrative View in Metabolism
Authors: Rius-Pérez Sergio , Torres-Cuevas Isabel , Millán Iván , Ortega Ángel L. , Pérez Salvador
Published: March 2020

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator (PGC)-1α is a transcriptional coactivator described as a master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis and function, including oxidative phosphorylation and reactive oxygen species detoxification. PGC-1α is highly expressed in tissues with high energy demands, and it is clearly associated with the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome and its principal complications including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and hepatic steatosis. We herein review the molecular pathways regulated by PGC-1α, which connect oxidative stress and mitochondrial metabolism with inflammatory response and metabolic syndrome. PGC-1α regulates the expression of mitochondrial antioxidant genes, including manganese superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxiredoxin 3 and 5, uncoupling protein 2, thioredoxin 2, and thioredoxin reductase and thus prevents oxidative injury and mitochondrial dysfunction. Dysregulation of PGC-1α alters redox homeostasis in cells and exacerbates inflammatory response, which is commonly accompanied by metabolic disturbances. During inflammation, low levels of PGC-1α downregulate mitochondrial antioxidant gene expression, induce oxidative stress, and promote nuclear factor kappa B activation. In metabolic syndrome, which is characterized by a chronic low grade of inflammation, PGC-1α dysregulation modifies the metabolic properties of tissues by altering mitochondrial function and promoting reactive oxygen species accumulation. In conclusion, PGC-1α acts as an essential node connecting metabolic regulation, redox control, and inflammatory pathways, and it is an interesting therapeutic target that may have significant benefits for a number of metabolic diseases.
Pomegranate Seeds Extract Possesses a Protective Effect against Tramadol‐Induced Testicular Toxicity in Experimental Rats
Authors: Minisy Fatma M. , Shawki Hossam H. , El Omri Abdelfatteh , Massoud Ahmed A. , Omara Enayat A. , Metwally Fatma G. , Badawy Manal A. , Hassan Neveen A. , Hassan Nabila S. , Oishi Hisashi
Published: March 2020

Tramadol is a centrally acting opioid analgesic that is extensively used. The chronic exposure to tramadol induces oxidative stress and toxicity especially for patients consuming it several times a day. Previously, we and others reported that tramadol induces testicular damage in rats. This study was conducted to investigate the possible protective effect of pomegranate seed extract (PgSE) against tramadol‐induced testicular damage in adult and adolescent rats. Male rats were orally treated with tramadol or in a combination with PgSE for three weeks. Testes were then dissected and analyzed. Histological and ultrastructural examinations indicated that tramadol induced many structural changes in the testes of adult and adolescent rats including hemorrhage of blood vessels, intercellular spaces, interstitial vacuoles, exfoliation of germ cells in lumen, cell apoptosis, chromatin degeneration of elongated spermatids, and malformation of sperm axonemes. Interestingly, these abnormalities were not observed in tramadol/PgSE cotreated rats. The morphometric analysis revealed that tramadol disrupted collagen metabolism by elevating testicular levels of collagen fibers but that was protected in tramadol/PgSE cotreatment at both ages. In addition, DNA ploidy revealed that S phase of the cell cycle was diminished when adult and adolescent rats were treated with tramadol. However, the S phase had a normal cell population in the cotreated adult rats, but adolescent rats had a lower population than controls. Furthermore, the phytochemistry of PgSE revealed a high content of total polyphenols and total flavonoids within this extract; besides, the DPPH free radical scavenging activity was high. In conclusion, this study indicated that PgSE has a prophylactic effect against tramadol‐induced testicular damage in both adult and adolescent ages, although the tramadol toxicity was higher in adolescent age to be completely protected. This prophylactic effect might be due to the high antioxidant compounds within the pomegranate seeds.
Theoretical Comparison between the Flicker Noise Behavior of Graphene and of Ordinary Semiconductors
Authors: Macucci Massimo , Marconcini Paolo
Published: March 2020

Graphene is a material of particular interest for the implementation of sensors, and the ultimate performance of devices based on such a material is often determined by its flicker noise properties. Indeed, graphene exhibits, with respect to the vast majority of ordinary semiconductors, a peculiar behavior of the flicker noise power spectral density as a function of the charge carrier density. While in most materials flicker noise obeys the empirical Hooge law, with a power spectral density inversely proportional to the number of free charge carriers, in bilayer, and sometimes monolayer, graphene a counterintuitive behavior, with a minimum of flicker noise at the charge neutrality point, has been observed. We present an explanation for this stark difference, exploiting a model in which we enforce both the mass action law and the neutrality condition on the charge fluctuations deriving from trapping/detrapping phenomena. Here, in particular, we focus on the comparison between graphene and other semiconducting materials, concluding that a minimum of flicker noise at the charge neutrality point can appear only in the presence of a symmetric electron-hole behavior, a condition characteristic of graphene, but which is not found in the other commonly used semiconductors.