bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Income differences in screening, incidence, postoperative complications, and mortality of thyroid cancer in South Korea: a national population-based time trend study
Authors: Kang Hee-Yeon , Kim Ikhan , Kim Yeon-Yong , Bahk Jinwook , Khang Young-Ho
Published: August 2020

Background: The incidence of thyroid cancer (TC) has increased rapidly over the past few decades in Korea. This study investigated whether the TC epidemic has been driven by overdiagnosis. Methods: We calculated the TC screening rate from mid-2008 through mid-2014, and the incidence, postoperative complications, and mortality rates of TC between 2006 and 2015, using data from the Korea Community Health Survey, the National Health Insurance Database, and the cause-of-death data of Statistics Korea. Trends in age-standardized rates of all indicators were examined, along with income gaps therein. Analyses were conducted for lung cancer and stroke as negative control outcomes. Results: The incidence rate of TC increased from 46.6 per 100,000 to 115.0 per 100,000 between 2006 and 2012, and then decreased to 63.5 per 100,000 in 2015. Despite these remarkable changes in incidence, mortality did not fluctuate during the same period. High income was associated with high rates of screening, incidence, and postoperative complications, while low income showed an association with a high mortality rate. Analyses using negative control outcomes showed that high income was associated with low rates of both incidence and mortality, which contrasted with the patterns of TC. The recent decreases in TC incidence and postoperative complications, which reflect societal concerns about the overdiagnosis of TC, were more pronounced in high-income individuals than in low-income individuals. Conclusions: The time trends in income gaps in screening, incidence, postoperative complications, and mortality of TC, as well as negative control outcomes, provided corroborating evidence of TC overdiagnosis in Korea.
Prevalence and associated factors of suicidality in Japanese adolescents: results from a population-based questionnaire survey
Authors: Nagamitsu Shinichiro , Mimaki Masakazu , Koyanagi Kenshi , Tokita Natsuko , Kobayashi Yoriko , Hattori Ritsuko , Ishii Ryuta , Matsuoka Michiko , Yamashita Yushiro , Yamagata Zentaro , Igarashi Takashi , Croarkin Paul E
Published: August 2020

Background Suicide is the first leading cause of death among Japanese adolescents. There are knowledge gaps regarding contemporary demographics and factors associated with suicidality in Japanese adolescents. This study examined the prevalence of suicidality and its associated factors among Japanese adolescents. Methods A population-based questionnaire survey was administered to 22,419 adolescents aged 13–18 years to investigate general health problems in adolescents. The questionnaire included 29 items regarding emotional status, family function, cyberbullying, suicidality, and stressors (focused on relationships with parents or friends, school performance, and sexual identity). We conducted multiple logistic regression analysis to identify the factors associated with suicidality in adolescents. Results The prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempted suicide was 21.6/% and 3.5% in males and 28.5% and 6.6% in females, respectively. Bullying and family relationship stressors had the highest association with suicidality. Exposure to cyberbullying showed the highest odd ratios for both junior high and high school students (3.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.1–4.4; 3.6, 95% Cl, 2.5–5.3, respectively). Adolescents accessed a variety of resources for stressors but chose the internet more frequently. Conclusions Our results indicate that suicidality is a common experience among Japanese adolescents. Although there are many associated risk factors, cyberbullying may be particularly concerning. Recognition of factors associated with adolescent suicidality will help inform future research and suicide prevention efforts for healthcare providers and families.
Distributed causality in resting-state network connectivity in the acute and remitting phases of RRMS
Authors: Wu Lin , Huang Muhua , Zhou Fuqing , Zeng Xianjun , Gong Honghan
Published: August 2020

Background: Although previous studies have shown that intra-network abnormalities in brain functional networks are correlated with clinical/cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis (MS), there is little information regarding the pattern of causal interactions among cognition-related resting-state networks (RSNs) in different disease stages of relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients. We hypothesized that abnormalities of causal interactions among RSNs occurred in RRMS patients in the acute and remitting phases.Patients and methods: Seventeen patients in the acute phases of RRMS, 24 patients in the remitting phases of RRMS, and 23 appropriately matched healthy controls participated in this study. First, we used group independent component analysis to extract the time courses of the spatially independent components from all the subjects. Then, the Granger causality analysis was used to investigate the causal relationships among RSNs in the spectral domain and to identify correlations with clinical indices. Results: Compared with the patients in the acute phase of RRMS, patients in the remitting phase of RRMS showed a significantly lower expanded disability status scale, modified fatigue impact scale scores, and significantly higher paced auditory serial addition test (PASAT) scores. Compared with healthy subjects, during the acute phase, RRMS patients had significantly increased driving connectivity from the right executive control network (rECN) to the anterior salience network (aSN), and the causal coefficient was negatively correlated with the PASAT score. During the remitting phase, RRMS patients had significantly increased driving connectivity from the rECN to the aSN and from the rECN to the visuospatial network. Conclusion: Together with the disease duration (mean disease duration < 5 years) and relatively better clinical scores than those in the acute phase, abnormal connections, such as the information flow from the rECN to the aSN and the rECN to the visuospatial network, might provide adaptive compensation in the remitting phase of RRMS.
Evaluation of salivary flow, level of anxiety, and quality of life among elderly patients rehabilitated with removable prostheses
Authors: Bannwart Lisiane , Santos Daniela dos , Aparecida Cristina , Moreno Nathaly , Neto Clóvis , Silva Emily Freitas da , Goiato M. C.
Published: August 2020

Background: Complete or partial edentulous patients have difficulties performing functional tasks such as eating, chewing, and speaking, and this may affect their quality of life. The successful rehabilitation of these patients depends on emotional and psychosocial factors and on patients’ expectation regarding rehabilitation.Objectives: To examine the effect of complete or partial removable prostheses on quality of life, salivary flow, and anxiety level of wearers. Methods: Total and partial bimaxillary edentulous patients who needed rehabilitation by complete or partial removable prostheses were selected. The quality of life, salivary flow, and level of anxiety of patients were assessed using the following questionnaires: Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index, Visual Analog Scale for xerostomia, and Anxiety Inventory. The questionnaires were used at three time points: three months before the insertion of the prostheses, at the time of insertion, and three months after the insertion of the prostheses.Results: Our study cohort included more women (62.5%) than men (37.5%), with an average age of 65.25 years. The insertion of removable prostheses significantly influenced the quality of life, anxiety level, and salivary flow of its wearers, while decreasing the sensation of xerostomia.Conclusions: It was deduced that the insertion of complete or partial removable prostheses influences the quality of life, anxiety level, and salivary flow of its wearers.
Resistance to Antihypertensive Drugs Targeting Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System in Cancer patients: A Case Series
Authors: GOEL Mishita , Varandani Rajiv , Okwuosa Tochukwu
Published: August 2020

Hypertension impacts overall prognosis in cancer patients. There are no specific recommendations for its management in these patients. We report a case series of 5 cancer patients with suboptimal BP lowering and even worsening BP with ACEi or ARBs that improved to normal upon discontinuation of these drugs.
Co-infection with trichomonas vaginalis increases the risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2-3 among HPV16 positive female: a large population-based study.
Authors: Yang Mei , Li Lin , Jiang Chunfan , Qin Xiaomin , Zhou Min , Mao Xiaogang , Xing Hui
Published: August 2020

Background: Evidence suggested that vaginal microbiome played a functional role in the progression of cervical lesions in female infected by HPV. This study aimed at evaluating the influence of common vaginal infection on the carcinogenicity of hr-HPV. Methods: From January 15, 2017 to December 31, 2017, 310,545 female aged at least 30 years old had been recruited for cervical cancer screening from 9 clinical research centers in Central China. All the recruited participants received hr-HPV genotyping for cervical cancer screening and vaginal microenvironment test by a high vaginal swab. Colposcopy-directed biopsy was recommended for female who were infected with HPV 16 and HPV 18, and other positive hr-HPV types through test had undertaken triage using liquid-based cytology, cases with the results ≥ ASCUS among them were referred to colposcopy directly, and cervical tissues were taken for pathology examination to make clear the presence or absence of other cervical lesions.Results: Among 310,545 female, 6,067 (1.95%) were tested with positive HPV 16 and HPV 18, 18,297 (5.89%) were tested with other positive hr-HPV genotypes, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 1, CIN 2, CIN 3 and invasive cervical cancer (ICC) were detected in 861 cases, 377 cases, 423 cases, and 77 cases, respectively. Candida albicans and Gardnerella were not associated with the detection of cervical lesions. Positive trichomonas vaginitis (TV) was correlated with hr-HPV infection (p<0.0001). Co-infection with TV increased the risk of CIN 1 among female infected with hr-HPV (OR 1.18, 95% CI: 1.42-2.31). Co-infection with TV increased the risk of CIN 2-3 among female infected with HPV 16 (OR 1.71, 95% CI: 1.16-2.53).Conclusions: Co-infection of TV and HPV 16 is a significant factor for the detection of cervical lesions.
A four-step strategy for handling missing outcome data in randomised trials affected by a pandemic
Authors: Cro Suzie , Morris Tim P , Kahan Brennan C , Cornelius Victoria R , Carpenter James R
Published: August 2020

Background: The coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19) presents a variety of challenges for ongoing clinical trials, including an inevitably higher rate of missing outcome data, with new and non-standard reasons for missingness. International drug trial guidelines recommend trialists review plans for handling missing data in the conduct and statistical analysis, but clear recommendations are lacking.Methods: We present a four-step strategy for handling missing outcome data in the analysis of randomised trials that are ongoing during a pandemic. We consider handling missing data arising due to (i) participant infection, (ii) treatment disruptions and (iii) loss to follow-up. We consider both settings where treatment effects for a ‘pandemic-free world’ and ‘world including a pandemic’ are of interest. Results: In any trial, investigators should; (1) Clarify the treatment estimand of interest with respect to the occurrence of the pandemic; (2) Establish what data are missing for the chosen estimand; (3) Perform primary analysis under the most plausible missing data assumptions followed by; (4) Sensitivity analysis under alternative plausible assumptions. To obtain an estimate of the treatment effect in a ‘pandemic-free world’, participant data that are clinically affected by the pandemic (directly due to infection or indirectly via treatment disruptions) are not relevant and can be set to missing. For primary analysis, a missing-at-random assumption that conditions on all observed data that are expected to be associated with both the outcome and missingness may be most plausible. For the treatment effect in the ‘world including a pandemic’, all participant data is relevant and should be included in the analysis. For primary analysis, a missing-at-random assumption – potentially incorporating a pandemic time-period indicator and participant infection status – or a missing-not-at-random assumption with a poorer response may be most relevant, depending on the setting. In all scenarios, sensitivity analysis under credible missing-not-at-random assumptions should be used to evaluate the robustness of results. We highlight controlled multiple imputation as an accessible tool for conducting sensitivity analyses.Conclusions: Missing data problems will be exacerbated for trials active during the Covid-19 pandemic. This four-step strategy will facilitate clear thinking about the appropriate analysis for relevant questions of interest.
Full-length Transcriptome Sequences and Identification of Putative Genes for Carotenoids Accumulation in Polymorphic Noble Scallop Chlamys Nobilis
Authors: Zhang Hongkuan , Liu Helu , Tan Karsoon , Ma Hongyu , Li Shengkang , Zheng Huaiping
Published: August 2020

Background: Carotenoids are ubiquitous in marine bivalves and the accumulation mechanism has attracted widespread interest, but still remains unclear. The enrichment carotenoids noble scallop Chlamys nobilis provide a model animal to explain the molecular mechanism of carotenoids in marine bivalves. For a better understanding of transcriptional data and putative genes involved in carotenoids accumulation in noble scallop, PacBio sequencing and RNA-seq data were jointed to analysis the differentially expressed genes in different tissues.Results: In the present study, we obtained 26,237 non-redundant transcripts, and total 9263 DEGs were identified among the five tissues, and 3361 were up-regulated and 4980 genes were down-regulated in golden scallop (rich in carotenoids). Examination of the GO terms indicated that the DEGs mainly related to metabolic process, binding, catalytic activity and cellular process. KEGG pathway analysis showed that DEGs mainly related to phagosome, protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum and lysosome. Carotenoids-related genes, including CD36, Retinoid X Receptor (RXR), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) showed significantly difference between golden and brown scallops, and several genes function were also identified in the early developmental stages.Conclusions: This study revealed that there are large transcriptome differences between golden scallops and brown scallops, these results provide fundamental resources of large-scale full-length transcripts in C. nobilis and contribute to the understanding of carotenoids accumulation mechanism in mollusks.
Comparison of visual field progression in new-diagnosed primary open-angle and exfoliation glaucoma patients in Sweden.
Authors: Ayala Marcelo
Published: August 2020

Background: The present study aimed to compare visual field progression in new-diagnosed exfoliation versus open-angle glaucoma patients. Methods: Retrospective study. The study included patients with new-diagnosed primary open-angle and exfoliation glaucoma. All patients were followed for three years with reliable visual fields. At least five reliable fields were needed for inclusion. Exfoliation and open-angle glaucoma were defined based on the European Glaucoma Society guidelines. Visual field evaluation was performed using the software threshold 24-2 of the Humphrey Field Analysis. Outcomes: Visual field progression. For visual field progression, three different strategies were used: mean deviation (MD), visual field index (VFI), and the guided progression analysis (GPA). Results: The study included 128 subjects, of the 54 in the open-angle and 74 in the exfoliation glaucoma group. The MD difference values were higher in the exfoliation (-3.17 dB) than in the primary open-angle (-1.25 dB) glaucoma group in the three-year follow-up period. The difference between groups was significant (t-test, p=<0.001). The difference in VFI was calculated for the three years follow-up period. The difference was higher in the exfoliation (-7.65%) than in the primary open (-1.90%) glaucoma group (t-test, p=<0.001). The GPA showed progression in 58% of cases in exfoliation, and 13% in primary open glaucoma group (Chi-square, p=<0.001). Conclusion: The present study found a more frequent and faster visual field progression in exfoliation than in primary open-angle glaucoma patients. New-diagnosed exfoliation glaucoma patients must be controlled and treated more strictly than primary open-angle glaucoma patients to avoid visual field deterioration.
Immunoinformatics and System Biology Approaches for Potential Vaccine Candidates Against Burkholderia Pseudomallei
Authors: Tarannum Asfiha , Khan Md. Arif , Sirajee Ahmad S. , Yasmin Mahmuda , Ahsan Chowdhury R.
Published: August 2020

Background: Burkholderia pseudomallei, an intracellular gram-negative bacterium, is the causative agent of melioidosis. It is a highly infectious disease that usually involves the lungs of humans as well as animals endemic in South-East Asia and Northern Australia. At present, we do not have any vaccine or treatment scheme at our disposal which is absolutely effective against this disease. There have been few advances in the development of vaccines against intracellular bacterial pathogens, making vaccine development against intracellular pathogen a more challenging arena. So, we opted for in-silico methods of drug designing intending to combat B. pseudomallei.Results: The whole proteome of B. pseudomallei was analyzed for determining immunogenic proteins. Combining B-cell and T-cell epitope prediction studies, the sequence ETAAADALY was considered as the most potential epitope for both T and B cells, followed by molecular docking against an MHC (major histocompatibility complex) Class I molecule, HLA-A*26:01 (human leukocyte antigens encoded by the HLA-A locus). Apart from epitope prediction, hydrogen bond study and target site analysis were carried out which concludes that ARG 237, ALA 234, ARG 236, ARG 262, GLN 226, ASP229, VAL 230, VAL 239, GLY 258, LEU259, ASN 225, and ILE 254 consist the best active site of the protein molecule. The study of the bacterial antigenic protein model's secondary structure and stereochemical properties provided an insight into the protein's stability as our epitope of choice. The post docking interactions were further subjected to molecular dynamics simulation and the system biology approach for validation. Conclusion: The goal of our endeavor is to delve into an integrative Immunoinformatics study combined with the system biology logistics of B. pseudomallei to detect potential vaccine candidates against this pathogen as well as providing a depiction of the bacterial immunome that could be insightful for vaccine generation in the future.
Gender-based violence and social determinants in undocumented pregnant Venezuelans living in Barranquilla, Colombia: a qualitative approach
Authors: Isaza-Arias Laura , Agudelo-Suárez Andrés A , Chicangana Cielo J , Fernández-Niño Julián Alfredo
Published: August 2020

Background gender-based violence is considered a phenomenon of importance in the field of public health and social sciences. From a social determinants’ perspective, it seems important to study this topic in social groups considered as vulnerable, in order to establish prevention strategies. This study aims to explore the experiences of gender-based violence and its social determinants in a group of undocumented pregnant women in the city of Barranquilla, Colombia.Methods qualitative study based on 15 semi-structured interviews with undocumented pregnant Venezuelans residing in the district of Barranquilla. The interview guide included various dimensions in order to discover the opinions and experiences of each participant related to their migration process, their health during pregnancy, experiences of gender-based violence, individual and institutional responses to violence and, lastly, the health care they have received in Colombia. Narrative contents analysis was carried out by means of emergent categories from the perspective of the interviewed women. Ethical considerations for gender-based violence studies were taking into consideration.Results interviewed women migrated from Venezuela to Barranquilla in Colombia motivated to improve their quality of life and for their families. In the adaptation process, some women reported having been victims of physical, psychological, sexual and economic violence, which can be associated with their vulnerability conditions related to their pregnancy and motherhood, economic dependency, lack of networks of support and insecurity of the sectors in which they resided. This situation affected their physical, mental and psychosocial health.Conclusion immigrant pregnant women in Barranquilla are in an especial situation of social vulnerability considering their experiences about gender-based violence, and its social determinants related to the migratory process and their adaptations to the Colombian territory.
Treatment of Tumor Lysis Syndrome in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Kassem Nancy , Ghazy Ahmed , AbuTineh Mohammad A. , Omar Nabil E. , Nashwan Abdulqadir J. , Chandra Prem , Ghasoub Rola S. , AbuTabar Osama S. , Yassin Mohamed A.
Published: August 2020

BackgroundExisting evidence on the difference in the incidence of tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) patients receiving novel therapies versus patients receiving conventional therapies is limited and inconclusive. The aims of this planned systematic review and meta-analysis are therefore (1) assess the TLS incidence reported in clinical trials for the novel or targeted agents comparing to conventional chemotherapeutic agents used to treat patients with CLL (2) to identify the TLS prophylaxis strategies that are utilized in clinical trials of the novel or targeted agents for CLL if it was fully reported or under-reported and (3) to compare the mortality among patients with tumor lysis syndrome in conventional versus novel agents.MethodsWe will conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis. Several electronic databases will be searched using predefined search terms to identify relevant studies. Eligible studies should report findings on the incidence of TLS in CLL patients. Primary observational studies with cross-sectional or prospective research design, case-control studies, and studies with experimental designs will be included. Study quality will be evaluated by two reviewers using the statistical methodology and categories described in the Cochrane Collaboration Handbook and PRISMA and other applicable guidelines. The meta-analysis will be performed and conducted using applicable standard statistical software like CMA and STATA.DiscussionThis review and meta-analysis will be among the first to systematically explore and integrate the evidence available on the comparison between the incidences of TLS in CLL patients treated with novel agents versus conventional agents. By gathering and summarizing information about the risk of TLS in this patient population, the findings from this review will provide insights for future research directions and more understanding of the difference of TLS incidence between novel treatments and conventional treatment and suggest prophylactic measures for such cases.Systematic review registrationThe protocol has been registered at the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; registration number: CRD42020166770).
Challenges and management of laparoscopic treatment of pyonephrosis caused by calculi
Authors: Liu Jun , Chen Liang , An Lizhe , Ma Kai , Ye Xiongjun , Xu Qingquan , Huang Xiaobo , Xiong Liulin
Published: August 2020

Background
Calculous pyonephrosis is a disease characterized by infectious hydronephrosis associated with pyogenic destruction of the renal parenchyma, with complete or almost complete loss of renal function.
Methods
The clinical data of laparoscopic nephrolithotomy at Peking University People’s Hospital from May 2017 to December 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. Eight patients (2 men; 6 women) aged 27 to 65 years (average age, 42.2 years) were included. Among them, 7 patients were treated with retroperitoneal approach and 1 patient by transperitoneal approach. All patients had received more than one endoscopic lithotripsy before nephrectomy. Renal dynamic imaging and computed tomography revealed the absence of function in pyonephrosis before nephrectomy. General clinical data and perioperative data were recorded. All nephrectomies were performed by the same physician.
Results
Laparoscopic surgery was successfully performed in 7 patients; however, 1 patient underwent open surgery because of bleeding. The operation time, average operation time, and blood loss were 1.5–4.5 hours, 3.1 hours, and 100–1000 ml (average, 300 ml), respectively. The postoperative pathology showed inflammatory renal disease in 6 patients, xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis in 1 patient, and high-grade urothelial cancer in 1 patient. The average postoperative hospital stay was 4.3 days. None of the patients experienced severe complications and poor healing of endoscopic wounds.
Conclusion
For patients with complicated calculous pyonephrosis, renal inflammation could not be effectively controlled, and renal function was seriously damaged. Thus, the kidneys should be immediately resected. With laparoscopy, patients may recover quickly, but surgeons require sufficient experience when performing laparoscopy to achieve safety.
Simultaneous Biological Nutrient Removal from Municipal Wastewater and CO2-biofixation using Chlorella kessleri
Authors: Faruque Mohammed Omar , Mohammed Kazeem Ayodeji , Hossain Mohammad Mozahar , Razzak Shaikh Abdur
Published: August 2020

Growing microalgae in tertiary wastewater offers a prospective avenue to remove and re-use the nutrients N and P simultaneously. Moreover, CO2 fixation via microalgae is a potential and promising approach of capturing and storing CO2. The impacts of various nitrogen to phosphorous ratios on the growth, nutrient removal from municipal wastewater, and the bio-fixation of CO2 using Chlorella kessleri were evaluated in this study. For this purpose, the microalgae was grown in synthetic wastewater, similar in composition to tertiary municipal wastewater, with NP ratios of 2:1, 4:1, 6:1, and 8:1 in batch photobioreactors for13 days. Biomass concentration increases at all NP ratios and the maximum biomass concentration is 606.79 mg/L at the NP ratio of 2:1. Nitrogen removal is more than 95% at all NP ratios except at 8:1, where it is only 72.4%. The removal efficiency of phosphorous is significantly affected by the NP ratio. The maximum phosphorous removal is about 97% for the NP ratio 6:1, whereas the lowest removal efficiency of about 20% is at the NP ratio of 2:1. The maximum CO2 bio-fixation rate of 89.36 mgL− 1d− 1 at the end of the first 7 days of the cultivation period is at the NP ratio of 6:1. In this study, Monod growth kinetic model based on a single substrate factor was used and the experimental findings agree well with the predictions by the model.
Steroid Metabolites for Diagnosing and Predicting Clinicopathological Features in Cortisol-Producing Adrenocortical Carcinoma.
Authors: Suzuki Sawako , Minamidate Tomoki , Shiga Akina , Ruike Yutarou , Ishiwata Kazuki , Naito Kumiko , Ishida Akiko , Deguchi Hanna , Fujimoto Masanori , Koide Hisashi , Tatsuno Ichiro , Ikeda Jun-ichiro , Yamazaki Yuto , Sasano Hironobu , Yokote Koutaro
Published: August 2020

About 60% of adrenocortical carcinomas (ACC) are functional, and Cushing's syndrome is the most frequent diagnosis which has been revealed to have particularly poor prognosis. Since 30% of ACC present steroid hormone-producing disorganization, measurement of steroid metabolites in suspected ACC is recommended. Previous reports demonstrated that steroid hormone precursors or its urine metabolites, using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) or gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) respectively, are useful for distinguishing ACC from adrenocortical adenoma. However, whether steroid metabolites can predict pathological characteristics or prognosis has not been elucidated. Here, we examined 12 serum steroid metabolites using immunoassay, which is a more rapid and less costly method compared to LC-MS/MS, in cortisol-producing ACC and cortisol-producing adenomas (CPA). Further, the correlation of each steroid metabolite to the stage classification and pathological status in ACC was analyzed. Reflected disorganized steroidogenesis, immunoassay revealed all basal levels of steroid precursors were significantly increased in cortisol-producing ACC compared to CPA; especially 17- hydroxypregnenolone (androgen precursor) and 11-deoxycorticosterone (mineralocorticoid precursor) showed large area under ROC curve with high sensitivity and specificity, when setting the cut-off at 1.78 ng/ml and 0.4 mg/ml, respectively. In cortisol-producing ACC, 11-deoxycortisol (glucocorticoid precursor) showed significant positive correlations to predictive prognostic factors of ENSAT classification, while testosterone showed significant positive correlations to Ki67-index in both men and women. In conclusion, measurement of serum steroid metabolites using immunoassay has great potential not only for diagnosis but also for prediction of the clinicopathological features associated with disease prognosis of ACC, as a simple non-invasive method.
Unveiling the transcriptomic complexity of Miscanthus sinensis using a combination of PacBio long read- and Illumina short read sequencing platforms
Authors: Wang Yongli , Li Xia , Wang Congsheng , Gao Lu , Wu Yanfang , Ni Xingnan , Sun Jianzhong , Jiang Jianxiong
Published: August 2020

Background

Miscanthus sinensis Andersson is a perennial grass that exhibits remarkable lignocellulose characteristics for sustainable bioenergy production. However, knowledge of the genetic resources of this species is relatively limited, which significantly hampers further work on its interesting biology and genetic improvement.
Results

In this study, through analyzing the transcriptome of mixed samples of leaves and stems using the latest PacBio Iso-Seq sequencing technology combined with Illumina HiSeq, we report the first full-length transcriptome dataset of M. sinensis with a total of 58.21 Gbp clean data. An average of 15.75 Gbp clean reads of each sample were obtained from PacBio Iso-Seq system, which doubled the data size (6.68 Gbp) obtained from the Illumina HiSeq platform. The integrated analyses of PacBio- and Illumina-based transcriptomic data uncovered 408,801 non-redundant transcripts with an average length of 1,685 bp, representing about 60% of the total number of predicted Miscanthus genes. Of those, 189,406 transcripts were commonly identified by both methods, 169,149 transcripts with an average length of 619 bp were uniquely identified by Illumina HiSeq, and 51,246 transcripts with an average length of 2,535 bp were uniquely identified by PacBio Iso-SEq. When comparing our data with genomes of four Andropogoneae species, M. sinensis showed the closest relationship with sugarcane with up to 93% mapping ratios, followed by sorghum with up to 80% mapping ratios, indicating a high conservation of orthologs in these three genomes. Furthermore, 306,228 transcripts were successfully annotated against public databases including cell wall related genes and transcript factor families, thus providing many new insights into gene functions. The PacBio Iso-Seq data also helped identify 3,898 alternative splicing events and 2,963 annotated AS isoforms within 10 function categories.
Conclusions

Taken together, the present study provides a rich data set of full-length transcripts that greatly enriches our understanding of M. sinensis genomic resources, thus facilitating further genetic improvement and molecular studies of the Miscanthus species.
The asynchronous growth and movement reconstruction of the early molting animals
Authors: Lan Tian
Published: August 2020

Epithelium is one of the basic types of animal tissue, in which tissue boundaries are the physical barriers to separate adjust cell clusters. However, tissue boundary in cellular level can hardly found in the fossil records. Here I focus on the growth and movement patterns of the early Ecdysozoa being through quantifying forces in cellular level of the epithelium of two worms from the early Cambrian and Ordovician period. The epithelium cells (might be but not necessarily represent the biological cell) separate adjust body ring of the early Ecdysozoa indicates a precise morphological patterning in cellular level has been established in the early Cambrian. The forces distribution patterns on the body ring suggest the boundary cells are contribute to maintain pressure gradient among rings which are the building blocks of the movement pattern of the worm. The active tension field of the worms plates though ontogenetic trajectory while epithelium cells are in the steady state indicate these molting animals employ asynchronous growth pattern of the epithelium.
Maternal Healthcare Services Utilization Trajectories in Four Regions of Ethiopia: A Latent Class Analysis
Authors: Hunduma Alemayehu , Tura Gurmessa , Sena Lelisa , Okwaraji Yemisrach B.
Published: August 2020

Background: Globally, in 2015 as result of complications related to pregnancy, childbirth, or the postnatal period, 303,000 women died. Among these mortality the lion share burden were in sub-Saharan and Southern Asian countries. To avert the preventable maternal mortality, providing the recommended pregnancy care, delivery and postnatal cares in a continuum manner is imperative. This study aims to assess the trajectories and determinants of maternal healthcare services utilization in four major regions of Ethiopia. Methods: Seven indicator variables were used to construct the maternal healthcare utilization variable. Latent class analysis was used to identify subgroups of maternal healthcare utilization along the continuum of care. Further, ordinal logistic regression was utilized to identify the determinants of the trajectories of maternal healthcare utilization. STATA 14 was used for data management and analysis and 5% level of significance was used to declare statistical significance. Result: There were 590 mothers who delivered a live-birth in the 12 months period before the interview date. The result of latent class analysis indicates that a little more than two in five of the mothers (43.9%) did not attempt to visit a health facility during pregnancy or for delivery or for postnatal checkup. While women with a good practice of maternal healthcare accounted 6.1%, half (50%) of the women had an inadequate maternal healthcare practice. The trajectory of maternal healthcare utilization has shown a marked difference by region and religious affiliation of women. Whereas older women and women of lowest socio-economic status tend to be in the lowest classes of maternal healthcare utilization, educated women, women of highest socio-economic status and women having a better birth preparedness and complication readiness are found to be in the highest classes of maternal health care service utilization. Conclusions: Women of lower socio-economic status and women of below secondary level of education should be targeted to intensify awareness of the benefit of maternal healthcare services utilization and plan births and deal with complications that arise with pregnancy and childbirth.
Gene co-expression analysis of tomato seed maturation reveals tissue-specific regulatory networks and hubs associated with the acquisition of desiccation tolerance and seed vigour
Authors: Bizouerne Elise , Buitink Julia , Ly-Vu Benoît , Ly-Vu Joseph , Esteban Eddi , Pasha Asher , Provart Nicholas , Verdier Jérôme , Leprince Olivier
Published: August 2020

Background
During maturation seeds acquire several physiological traits to enable them to survive drying and disseminate the species. Few studies have addressed the regulatory networks controlling acquisition of these traits at the tissue level particularly in endospermic seeds such as tomato, which matures in a fully hydrated environment and does not undergo maturation drying. Using temporal RNA-seq analyses of the different seed tissues during maturation, gene network and trait-based correlations were used to explore the transcriptome signatures associated with desiccation tolerance, longevity, germination under water stress and dormancy.
Results
During maturation, 15,173 differentially expressed genes were detected, forming a gene network representing 21 expression modules, with 3 being specific to seed coat and embryo and 5 to the endosperm. A gene-trait significance measure identified a common gene module between endosperm and embryo associated with desiccation tolerance and conserved with non-endospermic seeds. In addition to genes involved in protection such LEA and HSP and ABA response, the module included antioxidant and repair genes. Dormancy was released concomitantly with increase in longevity throughout fruit ripening until 14 days after the red fruit stage. This was paralleled by an increase in SlDOG1-2 and PROCERA transcripts. The progressive increase in seed vigour was captured by three gene modules, one in common between embryo and endosperm and two tissue-specific. The common module was enriched with genes associated with mRNA processing in chloroplast and mitochondria (including penta- and tetratricopeptide repeat-containing proteins) and post-transcriptional regulation, as well several flowering genes. The embryo-specific module contained homologues of ABI4 and CHOTTO1 as hub genes associated with seed vigour, whereas the endosperm-specific module revealed a diverse set of processes that were related to genome stability, defence against pathogens and ABA/GA response genes.
Conclusion
The spatio-temporal co-expression atlas of seed maturation will serve as a valuable resource for the in-depth understanding of the dynamics of gene expression associated with the acquisition of seed vigour at the tissue level.
A prospective study of dual-energy CT in determining the metastatic and non-metastatic lymph nodes of colorectal cancer
Authors: Qiu Lin , Hu Junjiao , Weng Zeping , Li Fasheng , Wang Fei , Liu Sirun , Jiang Guangyu , Cai Xiangran
Published: August 2020

Background

To explore the ability of Dual-energy CT (DECT) to differentiate metastatic from non-metastatic lymph nodes in colorectal cancer (CRC).
Methods

Seventy-one patients with primary CRC underwent contrast-enhanced DECT imaging before surgery. The colorectal specimen was scanned after surgery, and lymph nodes were matched to the pathology report. The DECT quantitative parameters were analyzed: dual-energy curve slope value(λHU), standardized iodine concentration (n△HU), iodine water ratio (nIWR), electron density value (nρeff), and effective atom-number (nZ), for the metastatic and non-metastatic lymph node differentiation. Also, sensitivity and specificity analyses were performed by using receiver operating characteristic curve.
Results

One hundred and fifty lymph nodes including 66 non-metastatic and 84 metastatic lymph nodes were matched using the radiological-pathological correlation. Metastatic node had a significantly greater λHU, n△HU and nIWR values than non-metastatic node in both arterial and venous phases (P < 0.01). The AUC, sensitivity and specificity were 0.80, 80.30% and 65.48% for λHU; 0.86, 69.70% and 95.24% for n△HU; 0.88, 71.21% and 95.24% for nIWR in the arterial phase. No significant difference was found in electron density and effective Z value for differentiation.
Conclusion

Dual-energy CT quantitative parameters may be helpful in diagnosing metastatic lymph nodes of CRC.
Metabolic Syndrome Components and Acute pancreatitis: A Case-Control Study in China
Authors: Shen zhemin , Wang Xueqiao , Zhen Zili , Wang Yao , Sun Peilong
Published: August 2020

Background: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common inflammatory disorder of pancreas. Recent evidence has shown that metabolic syndrome was positively correlated with the severity of AP. However, only few studies have revealed the relationship between metabolic syndrome and the occurrence of AP. We therefore elucidated the association between the metabolic syndrome components and the incidence rate of AP. Methods: A hospital-based case-control study was conducted. 705 patients admitted to our hospital from January 2016 to December 2018 were included in the study. Subjects were divided into case and control group according to their diagnosis: (1) According to the revised Atlanta classification from 2012, patients diagnosed as AP were enrolled into case group. (2) Patients without history of AP or any disease related to metabolic syndrome were allocated into control group. Controls were matched to cases individually by sex and age (control/case ratio=1). Risk factors were determined by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: The incidence rate of metabolic syndrome with AP patients was 30.9%, which was more frequent than controls (13.2%) (OR=2.975; 95%CI 1.947-4.548, p<0.001). In multivariate regression analysis, histories of smoking or alcohol drinking, biliary stone were important predictors of AP. Besides, occurrence of AP was significantly associated with total cholesterol (TC) (OR=1.831; 95%CI 1.137-2.948, p=0.013), triglyceride (TG) (OR=2.058; 95%CI 1.332-3.179, p=0.001), fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (OR =2.345; 95%CI 1.395-3.940, p=0.001), as well as low values of apolipoprotein A (Apo A) (OR =0.247; 95%CI 0.146-0.416, p<0.001). Conclusion: Metabolic syndrome and its components portend high risks of occurrence of AP.
Incident gout and weight change patterns: a retrospective cohort study of US adults
Authors: Bai Lu , ZHOU JIANBO , Wang Yujia , Cardoso Marly Augusto
Published: August 2020

OBJECTIVE
To investigated the association between weight change patterns across adulthood and incident gout.
METHODS
Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), we categorized individuals into four weight-change groups based on their recalled weight during young adulthood and midlife. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% CI relating weight change patterns to incident gout over 10-year follow-up were calculated. The hypothetical population attributable fraction (PAF) for the weight change patterns was calculated.
RESULTS
Among our sample of adults who were 40–74 years old at their midlife weight measure (n = 11079), 320 developed to gout. Compared with participants who remained stable non-obese during adulthood, the highest risks were found for gaining weight (HR 1.65; 1.19–2.29) participants. And stable obese pattern had a marginal significance of the elevated risk of incident gout conditions (HR 1.84; 0.98–2.78). No significant associations were found between losing weight change patterns and the risk of gout during the study period. If participants who gained weight had become non-obese during the 10-year follow-up, an estimated 3.2%(95% CI: 0-6.3) of observed gout cases could have been averted. Also, if the population had maintained a normal BMI, 32.9%(95% CI: 18.2–44.9) of cases could have been prevented during the ten years.
CONCLUSIONS
Gaining weight over adulthood was associated with increased risks of gout. These findings highlight that maintaining non-obese weight and weight loss across adulthood is essential for the prevention and treatment of gout in adult life.
Comparing with other countries the spread of COVID-19 within the first 120 days of its outbreak in Nigeria
Authors: Adebowale Ayo Stephen , Fagbamigbe Adeniyi Francis , Akinyemi Joshua Odunayo , Obisesan Olalekan K , Awosanya Emmanuel J , Afolabi Rotimi Felix , Alarape Selim A , Obabiyi Sunday O
Published: August 2020

Background: COVID-19 is an emerging global public health crisis. The increase in the daily COVID-19 confirmed cases in Nigeria is worrisome vis-a-vis its large and dense population. This study aims at assessing the first 120 days of COVID-19 case confirmation in Nigeria.Methods: Data extracted from the World Bank’s website were used for the descriptive assessment and modelling of COVID-19 disease using the first 120 days of the index case in Nigeria and seven other countries. Linear, quadratic, cubic and exponential methods of regression model were used to fit the data (α=0.05).Results: The COVID-19 growth pattern in Nigeria was similar to that of Egypt, Ghana and Cameroun; Nigeria COVID-19's daily death distribution was comparable to six of the other seven countries considered. There was an increasing trend in the daily COVID-19 confirmed cases in Nigeria. During the lockdown, the growth rate of COVID-19 in Nigeria was 5.85 (R2=0.728, p<0.001); however, it was 8.42 (R2=0.625, p<0.001) after the lockdown’s relaxation. Across all the countries investigated, the cubic polynomial model (CPM) provided the best fit for predicting COVID-19 cumulative cases and there was a clear deviation from the exponential growth model. Using the CPM, all things being equal, a 3-month (30 September 2020) prediction of COVID-19 cases in Nigeria was 155,467 (95% CI:151,111-159,824, p<0.001).Conclusions: An improvement in COVID-19 control measures and strict compliance with the COVID-19 recommended protocols are essential. A contingency plan is needed to provide care for the active cases in case the predicted target is realised.
Comparative proteomics reveals complex insecticides-associated resistance mechanism of Culex pipiens pallens Coquillett
Authors: Zhang Chongxing , Miao Feng , Shi Qiqi , Cheng Peng , Li Tao , Guo Xiuxia , Xiao Song , Gong Maoqing
Published: August 2020

Background: Mosquito control based on chemical insecticides is considered as an important element in the current global strategies for the control of mosquito-borne diseases. Unfortunately, the development of insecticide resistance of important vector mosquito species jeopardizes the effectiveness of insecticide-based mosquito control. As opposed to target site resistance, other mechanisms are far from being fully understood.Results: Susceptible strain of Cx. pipiens pallen showed elevated resistance levels to after 25 generations insecticide-selected, through bioinformatics analysis allowed detecting 2,502 proteins, of which 1513 were differentially expression in insecticide-selected strains as compared to the susceptible strain. Finally, midgut differential expression protein profiles and 62 proteins were selected for verification of differential expression using parallel reaction monitoring strategy.Conclusions Significant molecular resources were developed for Cx. pipiens pallen potential candidates involved in metabolic resistance as well as those participating in lower penetration or sequestration of insecticide. Global protein profiles of change to three insecticide strains combined with midgut profiles revealed multiple insecticide resistance mechanisms operate simultaneously in resistant insects of Cx. pipiens pallens. Future research that is targeted towards RNA interference on the identified metabolic targets such as cuticular, cytochrome P450s and glutathione S-transferase proteins could lay the foundation for a better understanding of the genetic basis of insecticide resistance in Cx. pipiens pallen.