bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic and Predictive Value of Speckle Tracking Echocardiography in Cardiac Sarcoidosis
Authors: Stefano Cristina Di , Bruno Giulia , Calle Maria Arciniegas , Acharya Gayatri A. , Fussner Lynn M. , Ungprasert Patompong , Cooper Leslie T. , Blauwet Lori A. , Ryu Jay H. , Pellikka Patricia A. , Porquera Eva Carmona , Villarraga Hector R.
Published: December 2019

Background: Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease that may affect the myocardium. This study evaluated the diagnostic and prognostic value of 2-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography in cardiac sarcoidosis (CS).

Methods: Eighty-three patients with extracardiac, biopsy-proven sarcoidosis and definite/probable diagnosis of cardiac involvement diagnosed from January 2005 through December 2016 were included. Strain parameters in early stages of CS, in a subgroup of 23 CS patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) within normal limits (LVEF>52% for men: >54% for women, mean value: 57.3%±3.8%) and no wall motion abnormalities was compared with 97 controls (1:4) without cardiac disease. LV and right ventricular (RV) global longitudinal (GLS), circumferential (GCS), and radial (GRS) strain and strain rate (SR) analyses were performed with TomTec software and correlated with cardiac outcomes (including heart failure and arrhythmias). This study was approved by the Mayo Clinic Institutional Review Board, and all patients gave informed written consent to participate.

Results: Mean age of CS patients was 53.6±10.8 years, and 34.9% were women. Mean LVEF was 43.2%±12.4%; LV GLS, -12.4%±3.7%; LV GCS, -17.1%±6.5%; LV GRS, 29.3%±12.8%; and RV wall GLS, 14.6%±6.3%. In the 23 patients with early stage CS with normal LVEF and RV systolic function, strain parameters were significantly reduced when compared with controls (respectively: LV GLS, -15.9%±2.5% vs -18.2%±2.7% [ P =.001]; RV GLS, -16.9%±4.5% vs -24.1%±4.0% [ P <.001]). A LV GLS value of -16.3% provided 82.2% sensitivity and 81.2% specificity for the diagnosis of CS (AUC 0.91), while a RV value of -19.9% provided 88.1% sensitivity and 86.7% specificity (AUC 0.93). Hospital admission and heart failure significantly correlated to impaired LV GLS (> -14%).

Conclusion: Reduced strain values in the LV GLS and RV GLS can be used in the diagnostic algorithm in patients with suspicion of cardiac sarcoidosis. These values also correlate with adverse cardiovascular events.
Layer-specific speckle tracking analysis of left ventricular systolic function and synchrony in maintenance hemodialysis patients
Authors: Liu Chang , Yan Zining , Fan Li , Huang Jun , Shen Dan , Song Xiangting
Published: December 2019

Background: This study investigated the value of layer-specific strain analysis by twodimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) for evaluating left ventricular (LV) systolic function and synchrony in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. Methods: A total of 34 MHD patients and 35 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Dynamic images were collected at the LV apical long-axis, the four- and twochamber, and the LV short-axis views at the basal, middle, apical segments. The layerspecific speckle tracking (LST) was used to analyze the longitudinal strain (LS) and circumferential strain (CS) of LV sub-endocardium, mid-myocardium, subepicardium, global longitudinal strain (GLS), global circumferential strain (GCS), the LV 17 segment time to peak LS (TTP), the peak strain dispersion (PSD). The differences in these parameters were compared between control and MHD, and the correlation between PSD and each LS parameter was examined. The receiver operator characteristic curve was used to evaluate the efficacy of three myocardial layer LS and CS in the assessment of LV systolic dysfunction in MHD. Results: MHD had comparable left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), but significantly smaller GLS, GCS, and three-layer LS and CS compared to the control. The three layer LS of the basal segment, middle segment, and apex segment was significantly reduced in the MHD compared to the normal, while the three myocardial layer CS of the basal segment, middle segment, and apex segment was significantly reduced in the MHD compared to the normal, except for the sub-endocardium of middle and apex segment. MHD had significantly higher TTP of LV 17 segments and PSD compared to controls, and had delayed peak time in most segments. In addition, PSD of MHD was positively correlated with subendocardial and mid-myocardial LS and GLS, but not with subepicardial LS. The area under the curves (AUCs) of sub-endocardial, midmyocardial, and sub-epicardial LS in MHD were 0.894, 0.852, and 0.870, respectively; the AUCs of sub-epicardial, midmyocardial, and sub-endocardial CS were 0.852, 0.837, and 0.669, respectively. Conclusion: LST may detect the early changes of all three-layer LS and CS and PSD in MHD, and is a valuable tool to diagnose LV systolic dysfunction in MHD.
IL-1-conferred gene expression pattern in ERα+ BCa and AR+ PCa cells is intrinsic to ERα- BCa and AR- PCa cells and promotes cell survival
Authors: Nawas Afshan F. , Kanchwala Mohammed , Thomas-Jardin Shayna E. , Dahl Haley , Daescu Kelly , Bautista Monica , Anunobi Vanessa , Wong Ally , Meade Rachel Katherine , Mistry Ragini , Ghatwai Nisha , Bayerl Felix , Xing Chao , Delk Nikki
Published: December 2019

Background Breast (BCa) and prostate (PCa) cancers are hormone receptor (HR)-driven cancers. Thus, BCa and PCa patients are given therapies that reduce hormone levels or directly blocks HR activity; but most patients eventually develop treatment resistance. We have previously reported that interleukin-1 (IL-1) inflammatory cytokine downregulates ERα and AR mRNA in HR-positive (HR+) BCa and PCa cell lines, yet the cells can remain viable. Additionally, we identified pro-survival proteins and processes upregulated by IL-1 in HR+ BCa and PCa cells, that are basally high in HR- BCa and PCa cells. Therefore, we hypothesize that IL-1 confers a conserved gene expression pattern in HR+ BCa and PCa cells that mimics conserved basal gene expression patterns in HR- BCa and PCa cells to promote HR-independent survival and tumorigenicity.Methods We performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) for HR+ BCa and PCa cell lines exposed to IL-1 and for untreated HR- BCa and PCa cell lines. We confirmed expression patterns of select genes by RT-qPCR and used siRNA and/or drug inhibition to silence select genes in HR- BCa cell lines. Finally, we performed Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) and used the gene ontology web-based tool, GOrilla, to identify signaling pathways encoded by our RNA-seq data set.Results We identified 350 genes in common between BCa and PCa cells that are induced or repressed by IL-1 in HR+ cells that are, respectively, basally high or low in HR- cells. Among these genes, we identified Sequestome-1 (SQSTM1/p62) and SRY (Sex-Determining Region Y)-Box 9 (SOX9 ) to be essential for survival of HR- BCa and PCa cell lines. Analysis of publicly available data indicates that p62 and SOX9 expression are elevated in HR-independent BCa and PCa sublines generated in vitro, suggesting that p62 and SOX9 have a role in acquired hormone receptor independence and treatment resistance. We also assessed HR- cell line viability in response to the p62-targeting drug, verteporfin, and found that verteporfin is cytotoxic for HR- cell lines. Conclusions Our 350 gene set can be used to identify novel therapeutic targets and/or biomarkers conserved among acquired (e.g. due to inflammation) or intrinsic HR-independent BCa and PCa.
Bioinformatic Analysis of Peripheral Blood miRNA of Breast Cancer Patients in Relation With Anthracycline Cardiotoxicity
Authors: Yadi Wang , Shurui Chen , Tong Zhang , Suxian Chen , Qing Tong , Dongning He
Published: December 2019

The current diagnostic methods and treatments still fail to lower the incidence of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity effectively. In this study, we aimed to (1) analyze the cardiotoxicity-related genes after breast cancer chemotherapy in gene expression database and (2) carry out bioinformatic analysis to identify cardiotoxicity-related abnormal expressions, the biomarkers of such abnormal expressions, and the key regulatory pathways after breast cancer chemotherapy. Cardiotoxicity-related gene expression data (GSE40447) after breast cancer chemotherapy was acquired from the GEO database. The biomarker expression data of women with chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity (group A), chemotherapy history but no cardiotoxicity (group B), and confirmatory diagnosis of breast cancer but normal ejection fraction before chemotherapy (group C) were analyzed to obtain the mRNA with differential expressions and predict the miRNAs regulating the differential expressions. The miRanda formula and functional enrichment analysis were used to screen abnormal miRNAs. Then, the gene ontology (GO) analysis was adapted to further screen the miRNAs related to cardiotoxicity after breast cancer chemotherapy. The data of differential analysis of biomarker expression of groups A, B, and C using the GSE40447-related gene expression profile database showed that there were 30 intersection genes. The differentially expressed mRNAs were predicted using the miRanda and TargetScan software, and a total of 2978 miRNAs were obtained by taking the intersections. Further, the GO analysis and targeted regulatory relationship between miRNA and target genes were used to establish miRNA-gene interaction network to screen and obtain 7 cardiotoxicity-related miRNAs with relatively high centrality, including hsa-miR-4638-3p, hsa-miR-5096, hsa-miR-4763-5p, hsa-miR-1273g-3p, hsa-miR6192, hsa-miR-4726-5p and hsa-miR-1273a. Among them, hsa-miR-4638-3p and hsa-miR-1273g-3p had the highest centrality. The PCR verification results were consistent with those of the chip data. There are differentially expressed miRNAs in the peripheral blood of breast cancer patients with anthracycline cardiotoxicity. Among them, hsa-miR-4638-3p and hsa-miR-1273g-3p are closely associated with the onset of anthracycline cardiotoxicity in patients with breast cancer. Mining, integrating, and validating effective information resources of biological gene chips can provide a new direction for further studies on the molecular mechanism of anthracycline cardiotoxicity.
Clinical study of Endoscopic treatment of a sellar pituitary adenomas with sellar diaphragm defect
Authors: Jin Zhuoru , Wu Xinyu , Wang Yibao
Published: December 2019

Purpose: Invasive growth of pituitary macroadenomas to the suprasellar region occurs commonly. Pituitary adenomas show varying growth patterns when the sellar diaphragm is absent, and they are often confused with other common tumors in the sellar region. This article explores the clinical features of suprasellar pituitary adenomas with defects of the sellar diaphragm (SPADSD) and evaluates the efficacy of the endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) for treatment of such tumors. Methods: We performed a detailed examination of records from 19 patients collected prior to surgery. After relevant diseases were excluded, the tumor properties were evaluated according to imaging characteristics. Diagnoses were verified using EEA surgery. The concept of SPADSD was put forward. Postoperative recovery was followed to determine whether EEA is suitable for the treatment of such tumors. Results: In the 19 patients with SPADSD, we found that the tumors were less stressed on the pituitary, and tumors in the suprasellar region often had irregular shapes. During surgery, we took extended supra-saddle approaches and confirmed that unrestricted growth of the tumor was caused by defects in the diaphragm of the sella turcica to the suprasellar region. Recovery was good after surgery, confirming the efficacy of EEA for treatment of these tumors. Conclusion: SPADSD has different clinical features from those of other pituitary tumors and requires careful screening prior to surgery. Endoscopic surgery is the preferred procedure for this type of tumor.
Effect Of Maternal Growth Monitoring Knowledge On Stunting, Wasting And Underweight Among Children 0-18 Months In Tamale Metropolis Of Ghana
Authors: Bukari Mohammed , Abubakari Muzamil Mohammed , Majeed Mohammed , Abizari Abdul-Razak , Wemakor Anthony , Atosona Ambrose
Published: December 2019

This study sought to assess maternal growth monitoring knowledge and its effect on stunting, wasting and underweight among children 0-18 months in the Tamale Metropolis. An analytical cross-sectional study design, involving 340 mother-child pairs randomly selected from 4 health facilities in the Tamale Metropolis, was used. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on socio-demographic characteristics and maternal growth monitoring knowledge. Weight and length of children were taken to assess nutritional status (stunting, underweight and wasting). Chi-square/Fisher’s exact test was used to determine the association between maternal growth monitoring knowledge level and child nutritional status.This study sought to assess maternal growth monitoring knowledge and its effect on stunting, wasting and underweight among children 0-18 months in the Tamale Metropolis. An analytical cross-sectional study design, involving 340 mother-child pairs randomly selected from 4 health facilities in the Tamale Metropolis, was used. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on socio-demographic characteristics and maternal growth monitoring knowledge. Weight and length of children were taken to assess nutritional status (stunting, underweight and wasting). Chi-square/Fisher’s exact test was used to determine the association between maternal growth monitoring knowledge level and child nutritional status.
Suppression of behavioral activity and hippocampal noradrenaline caused by surgical stress in type 2 diabetes model mice
Authors: Nishimura Momoka , Nomura Yuki , Egi Moritoki , Obata Norihiko , Tsunoda Makoto , Mizobuchi Satoshi
Published: December 2019

Background: There has been much discussion recently about the occurrence of neuropsychological complications during the perioperative period. Diabetes is known to be one of the metabolic risk factors. Although the number of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) has been increasing, the pathophysiology of postoperative neuropsychological dysfunction in DM patients is still unclear. Recently, a deficiency of neurotransmitters, such as monoamines, was reported to be associated with mental disorders. Therefore, we investigated the effects of surgical stress on behavioral activity and hippocampal noradrenaline (NA) level in type 2 diabetes mellitus model (T2DM) mice.
Methods: Eighty-four 6-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were divided into four groups (non-diabetes, non-diabetes with surgery, T2DM, and T2DM with surgery groups). T2DM mice were established by feeding a high-fat diet (HFD) for 8 weeks. At 14 weeks of age, fifteen mice in each group underwent a series of behavioral tests including an open field (OF) test, a novel object recognition (NOR) test and a light-dark (LD) test. In the surgery groups, open abdominal surgery with manipulation of the intestine was performed 24 hours before the behavioral tests as a surgical stress. Hippocampal noradrenaline (NA) concentration was examined in six mice in each group by high-performance liquid chromatography. The data were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U test, and p values less than 0.05 were considered significant.
Results: The T2DM group showed significantly increased explorative activity in the NOR test (P = 0.0016) and significantly increased frequency of transition in the LD test (P = 0.043) compared with those in the non-diabetic group before surgery. In T2DM mice, surgical stress resulted in decreased total distance in the OF test, decreased explorative activity in the NOR test, and decreased frequency of transition in the LD test (OF: P = 0.015, NOR: P = 0.009, LD: P = 0.007) and decreased hippocampal NA (P = 0.015), but such differences were not observed in the non-diabetic mice.
Conclusions: Mice with T2DM induced by feeding an HFD showed increased behavioral activities, and surgical stress in T2DM mice caused postoperative hypoactivity and reduction of the hippocampal NA level.
Prediction of pre-eclampsia in nulliparous women using routinely collected maternal characteristics: A model development and validation study
Authors: Al-Rubaie Ziad TA , Hudson H Malcolm , Jenkins Gregory , Mahmoud Imad , Ray Joel G , Askie Lisa M , Lord Sarah J
Published: December 2019

Background Guidelines recommend identifying in early pregnancy women at elevated risk of pre-eclampsia. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a pre-eclampsia risk prediction model for nulliparous women attending routine antenatal care “the Western Sydney (WS) model”; and to compare its performance with the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) risk factor-list approach for classifying women as high-risk. Methods This retrospective cohort study included all nulliparous women who gave birth in three public hospitals in the Western-Sydney-Local-Health-District, Australia 2011-2014. Using births from 2011-2012, multivariable logistic regression incorporated established maternal risk factors to develop and internally validate the WS model. The WS model was then externally validated using births from 2013-2014, assessing its discrimination and calibration. We fitted the final WS model for all births from 2011-2014, and compared its accuracy in predicting pre-eclampsia with the NICE approach. Results Among 12,395 births to nulliparous women in 2011-2014, there were 293 (2.4%) pre-eclampsia events. The WS model included: maternal age, body mass index, ethnicity, multiple pregnancy, family history of pre-eclampsia, autoimmune disease, chronic hypertension and chronic renal disease. In the validation sample (6201 births), the model c-statistic was 0.70 (95% confidence interval 0.65–0.75). The observed:expected ratio for pre-eclampsia was 0.91, with a Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test p-value of 0.20. In the entire study sample of 12,395 births, 374 (3.0%) women had a WS model-estimated pre-eclampsia risk ≥8%, the pre-specified risk-threshold for considering aspirin prophylaxis. Of these, 54 (14.4%) developed pre-eclampsia (sensitivity 18% (14–23), specificity 97% (97–98)). Using the NICE approach, 1173 (9.5%) women were classified as high-risk, of which 107 (9.1%) developed pre-eclampsia (sensitivity 37% (31-42), specificity 91% (91–92)). The final model showed similar accuracy to the NICE approach when using lower risk-threshold of ≥4% to classify women as high-risk for pre-eclampsia. Conclusion The WS risk model that combines readily-available maternal characteristics achieved modest performance for prediction of pre-eclampsia in nulliparous women. The model did not outperform the NICE approach, but has the advantage of providing individualised absolute risk estimates, to assist with counselling, inform decisions for further testing, and consideration of aspirin prophylaxis.
An Evaluation of the Zambia Influenza Sentinel Surveillance System, 2011-2017
Authors: simusika paul , Tempia Stefano , Chentulo Edward , Polansky Lauren , Mazaba Mazyanga Lucy , Ndumba Idah , Mbewe Quinn K , Monze Mwaka Anna
Published: December 2019

Background Over the past decade, influenza surveillance has been established in several African countries including Zambia. However, information on the on data quality and reliability of established influenza surveillance systems in Africa are limited. Such information would enable countries to assess the performance of their surveillance systems, identify shortfalls for improvement and provide evidence of data reliability for policy making and public health interventions. Methods We used the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to evaluate the performance of the influenza surveillance system (ISS) in Zambia during 2011-2017 using 9 attributes: (i) data quality and completeness, (ii) timeliness, (iii) representativeness, (iv) flexibility, (v) simplicity, (vi) acceptability, (vii) stability, (viii) utility, and (ix) sustainability. Each attribute was evaluated using pre-defined indicators. For each indicator we obtained the proportion (expressed as percentage) of the outcome of interest over the total. A scale from 1 to 3 was used to provide a score for each attribute as follows: <60% (as obtained in the calculation above) scored 1 (weak performance); 60-79% scored 2 (moderate performance); ≥80% scored 3 (good performance). An overall score for each attribute and the ISS was obtained by averaging the scores of all evaluated attributes. Results The overall mean score for the ISS in Zambia was 2.6. Key strengths of the system were the quality of data generated (score: 2.9), its flexibility (score: 3.0) especially to monitor viral pathogens other than influenza viruses, its simplicity (score: 2.8), acceptability (score: 3.0) and stability (score: 2.6) over the review period and its relatively low cost ($310,000 per annum). Identified weaknesses related mainly to geographic representativeness (score: 2.0), timeliness (score: 2.5), especially in shipment of samples from remote sites, and sustainability (score: 1.0) in the absence of external funds. Conclusions The system performed moderately well in our evaluation. Key improvements would include improvements in the timeliness of samples shipments and geographical coverage. However, these improvements would result in increased cost and logistical complexity. The ISSS in Zambia is largely reliant on external funds and the acceptability of maintaining the surveillance system through national funds would require evaluation.
Opportunistic Infections and Associated Factors among HIV/AIDS Patients taking Ante-Retroviral Therapy Leku, Bona and Yirgalem Hospitals in Sidama Zone, Southern Ethiopia.
Authors: Wachamo Demelash , Bonja Fisseha
Published: December 2019

Background Opportunistic infections are late complications of HIV infection is the depletion of the immune system. It is a major public health problem and high morbidity AIDS patients die of AIDS-related infections in developing countries like Ethiopia. Identification of opportunistic infections (OIs) is important to develop a specific intervention. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the burden and associated factors of opportunistic infections.Method A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 420 randomly selected HIV/AIDS patients taking anti-retroviral therapy. Data was collected from selected hospitals in Sidama Zone based on population proportion to size. Data was collected by a pre-tested questionnaire and a pre-tested checklist from the medical records of patients. Data entry and analyzed for descriptive and logistic regression models by SPSS v.23. The result declared as statistically significant at p < 0.05.Result The magnitude of opportunistic infections was 39.6%. Major identified OIs was oral candidacies 23.2%, recurrent bacterial pneumonia 21.5%, Herpes zoster 6.3%, and Pulmonary Tuberculosis 6.0%.The magnitude of opportunistic associated with; older age [AOR=2.61, 95% CI: 1.30-5.23], No formal education [AOR=3.09, 95% CI: 1.11-8.60], monthly income below 1920 ETB [AOR=2.37, 95% CI: 1.43-3.94], initial CD4 count less than 200 cells/mm3 [AOR=2.30, 95% CI:1.06-4.98), had no extra medicine additional to ART (prophylaxis) had [AOR= 8.79, 95% CI: 5.05-15.30], who interrupt ART medicines [AOR=2.16, 95% CI: 1.19- 3.91] and Khat chewing [AOR=5.52, 95% CI: 2.42-12.56] when compared to their counterparts.Conclusions The overall magnitude of opportunistic infections was high when compared with other studies. Health officials and clinicians need to give attention to the strengthening of the provision if ART with prophylaxis on early-stage and adherence, implementation of the TB/HIV collaboration activity, and early initiation of ART to reduce opportunistic infections.
Heterogeneity of Moraxella isolates found in the nasal cavities of piglets
Authors: López-Serrano Sergi , Galofré-Milà Nuria , Costa-Hurtado Mar , Pérez-de-Rozas Ana M. , Aragon Virginia
Published: December 2019

Background: Previous studies have shown that the genus Moraxella is commonly present in the nasal microbiota of swine. Results: In this study, 51 isolates of Moraxella were obtained from nasal swabs from 3-4 week old piglets, which represented 26 different fingerprintings by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR. Whole 16S rRNA gene sequencing allowed the identification at species level of the Moraxella spp. isolates. The majority of the field strains were identified as Moraxella pluranimalium, but Moraxella porci was also detected. In addition, a cluster of 7 strains did not group with any described Moraxella species, probably representing a new species. Subsequent phenotypic characterization indicated that strains of Moraxella pluranimalium were mainly sensitive to serum complement, while the cluster representing the putative new species was highly resistant. Biofilm formation capacity was very variable among the Moraxella spp. isolates, while adherence to epithelial cell lines was similar among selected strains. Additionally, variability was also observed in the association of selected strains to porcine alveolar macrophages. Antimicrobial tests evidenced the existence of multidrug-resistance in the strains. Conclusions : In summary, phenotypic characterization revealed heterogeneity among Moraxella strains from the nasal cavity of piglets. Strains with pathogenic potential were detected as well as those that may be commensal members of the nasal microbiota. However, the role of Moraxella in porcine diseases and health should be further evaluated.
Analysis of Causes of Death Among Brought-in-Dead Cases in a Third-Level Hospital in Lusaka, Republic of Zambia, Using the Tariff Method 2.0 for Verbal Autopsy: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Yokobori Yuta , Matsuura Jun , Sugiura Yasuo , Mutemba Charles , Nyahoda Martin , Mwango Chomba , Kazhumbula Lloyd , Yuasa Motoyuki , Chiluba Clarence
Published: December 2019

Background

Over one third of deaths in Zambian health facilities involve someone who has already died before arrival (i.e., brought in dead [BiD]), and in most BiD cases, the causes of death (CoD) have not been fully analyzed. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the CoD of BiD cases using the Tariff Method 2.0 for automated verbal autopsy (VA), which is called SmartVA.Methods

The target site was one third-level hospital in the Republic of Zambia’s capital city. All BiD cases aged 13 years and older at this facility from January to August 2017 were included. The deceased’s closest relatives were interviewed using a structured VA questionnaire (Population Health Metrics Research Consortium Shortened Questionnaire) and the data were analyzed using the SmartVA to determine the CoD at the individual and population level. The CoDs were compared with description on the death notification forms by using t-test and Cohen’s kappa coefficient.Results

Approximately 1500 cases were included (average age = 47.2 years, 61.8% males). The top CoD were infectious diseases, including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, tuberculosis, and malaria, followed by non-communicable diseases, such as stroke, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes mellitus (DM). The comparison with the CoD distribution among hospital deaths showed that the trends were similar except for DM, which was greater among hospital deaths, and malaria and accident, which were less frequent in the main CoD. The proportion of cases with a determined CoD was significantly higher when using the SmartVA (75%) than the death notification form (61%). A proportion (42.7%) of the CoD-determined cases matched in both sources, with a low concordance rate (kappa coefficient = 0.1385).Conclusions

The CoD of the BiD cases were successfully analyzed using the SmartVA for the first time in Zambia. While there many erroneous descriptions on the death notification form, the SmartVA could determine the CoD among more BiD cases. Since the information on the death notification form is reflected in the national vital statistics, more accurate and complete CoD data are required. In order to strengthen the death registration system with accurate CoD, it will be useful to embed the SmartVA in Zambia’s health information system.
Finding an efficient tetramethylated hydroxydiethylene of resveratrol analogue for potential anticancer agent
Authors: Xin Zhen-Hui , Meng Ya-Li , Jiang Wen-Jing , Li Ya-Peng , Ge Li-Ping , Zhang Cun-Hui , Liu Lian-Na , Kang Yan-Fei
Published: December 2019

With the improvement and advance in cancer diagnosis and treatment, the cancer is still a major cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Obviously, new breakthroughs in therapies remain be urgent needed. In this work, we designed and synthesized the compound 1-4, namely resveratrol analogues with methylation of hydroxy distyrene, to further explore its new anti-cancer potential. Encouragingly, compound 1 (( E )-4,4'-(ethene-1,2-diyl)bis(3,5-dimethylphenol)) exhibited cytotoxicity superior to resveratrol in MCF 7 cells. More importantly, the compound 1 showed greater toxicity to tumor cells than that to normal cells, which proved that it could selectively kill tumor cells. The favorable results encouraged us to explore the inhibitory mechanism of compound 1 on MCF 7 cells. The research finding indicated the compound 1 inhibited tumor cell proliferation by both arresting cell cycle in S phase and apoptosis via a prooxidant manner. In addition, the results further verified compound 1 caused cell cycle arrest in S phase and apoptosis by down-regulation of the cycling A1/cycling A2 expression and the rise of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in a p21-dependant pathway in MCF 7 cells. Therefore, these results are helpful for the effective design of anticancer reagents and the better understanding of their mechanism of action.
Prevalence of stroke and stroke related risk factors: a population based cross sectional survey in southwestern China
Authors: Yi Xingyang , Luo Hua , Zhou Ju , Yu Ming , Chen Xiaorong , Tan Lili , Wei Wei , Li Jie
Published: December 2019

Background: Stroke and its risk factors epidemiological survey can help identify individuals at higher risk and therefore promote stroke prevention strategies. The aim of this study was to estimate the current prevalence of stroke and high risk stroke population, and evaluate stroke associated risk factors in southwestern China. Methods: This was a multi-center, cross sectional survey in southwestern China from May 2015 to September 2015. The 8 communities were selected at random, and 17413 residents aged ≥ 40 years volunteered to participate in this survey. Data were collected through face-to-face survey using a structured questionnaire. 521 participants with incomplete questionnaires on stroke history or risk factors records were excluded. Results: A total of 16892 people included in analysis. The overall prevalence of stroke was 3.1% (95% CI 2.6% - 3.9%), 17.1% of participants were the high risk stroke population. After full adjustments, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, overweight, lack of exercise and family history of stroke were significantly associated with overall stroke and ischemic stroke. The largest contributor was hypertension (population-attributable risk 23.6%), followed by dyslipidemia, physical inactivity, family history of stroke, diabetes, and overweight. However, only hypertension (OR = 3.66, 95% CI 1.82-8.23) was significantly associated with hemorrhagic stroke. Conclusions: The prevalence of stroke and high risk stroke population was high among adults aged ≥ 40 years in southwestern China. Hypertension, dyslipidemia and lack of exercise were stronger contributors for stroke, these findings suggest that individual-level and population-level interventions for these leading risk factors are necessary to prevent stroke.
A Novel Method for High-efficiently Obtaining the Transgenic Lines by combining a convenient, rapid and efficient Visual Screening method and an efficient genetic transformation System in B. napus
Authors: Zhang Kai , He Jianjie , Liu Lu , Xie Runda , Qiu Lu , Li Xicheng , Yuan Wenjue , Chen Kang , Yin Yongtai , Kyaw May Me Me , San Aye Aye , Li Shisheng , Tang Xianying , Fu Chunhua , Li Maoteng
Published: December 2019

Background Brassica napus is an important oilseed crop which offer a considerable amount for global vegetable oil production. The establishment of an efficient genetic transformation system with a convenient transgenic-positive screening method is of great importance for gene functional analysis and molecular breeding. However, to our knowledge, there are few such aforementioned systems available for efficient application in B. napus .Results Based on the well-established genetic transformation system in Brassica napus , five vectors companied with red fluorescence protein from Discosoma sp. ( DsRed ) were constructed and transformed via agrobacterium -mediated hypocotyl transformation. The average of 59.1% tissues were marked with red fluorescence by visual screening method in tissue culture medium, and 96.1% of which were amplified with the exogenous genes in eight different rapeseed varieties on average. In addition, the final transgenic-positive efficiency of the rooted plantlets was up to 90.7% from the red fluorescence marked tissues, which was much higher than that of the previous reports. Besides, DsRed also could be applicable to the seedlings, including of seed coats, roots, hypocotyls and cotyledons during seed germination. These results indicate that the high-efficiency genetic transformation system combining with the transgenic-positive visual screening method presented here will help us to efficiently and conveniently obtain transgenic-positive rapeseed plantlets.Conclusion A novel method was developed for rapidly, conveniently and high-efficiently obtaining the transgenic lines, which would help to obtain the higher proportion of transgenic positive regenerated plantlets, thereby avoiding the long period plant regeneration. This will benefit the gene functional study especially in high throughput molecular biology research.
Development of Leishmania (Mundinia) in guinea pigs
Authors: Bečvář Tomáš , Siriyasatien Padet , Bates Paul , Volf Petr , Sádlová Jovana
Published: December 2019

BackgroundLeishmaniasis is a human and animal disease caused by parasites of the genus Leishmania, which is now divided into 4 subgenera – L. (Leishmania), L. (Viannia), L. (Sauroleishmania) and L. (Mundinia). Subgenus Mundinia, established in 2016, is geographically widely dispersed, its distribution covers all continents, except Antarctica. It consists of 5 species - L. enriettii and L. macropodum are parasites of wild mammals while L. martiniquensis, L. orientalis and unnamed L. sp. from Ghana are infectious to humans. There is very little information on natural reservoir hosts and vectors for any Mundinia species. MethodsExperimental infections of guinea-pigs with all five Mundinia species were performed. Animals were injected intradermally with 107 culture-derived promastigotes into both ear pinnae. The courses of infections were monitored weakly; xenodiagnoses were performed at weeks 4 and 8 post infection using Lutzomyia migonei. The distribution of parasites in different tissues was determined post mortem by conventional PCR.ResultsNo significant differences in weight were observed between infected animals and the control group. Animals infected with L. enriettii developed temporary lesions at the site of inoculation and were infectious to Lu. migonei in xenodiagnoses. Animals infected with L. martiniquensis and L. orientalis developed temporary erythema and dry lesions at the site of inoculation, respectively, but were not infectious to sand flies. Guinea pigs infected by L. macropodum and L. sp. from Ghana showed no signs of infection during experiments, were not infectious to sand flies and leishmanial DNA was not detected in their tissue samples at the end of experiments at week 12 post-inoculation.ConclusionsAccording to our results, guinea pigs are not an appropriate model organism for studying Mundinia species other than L. enriettii. We suggest that for better understanding of L. (Mundinia) biology it is necessary to focus on other model organisms.
Factors influencing the perceived importance of oral health within a rural Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community in Australia.
Authors: Tynan Anna , Walker David , Tucker Taygan , Fisher Barry , Fisher Tarita
Published: December 2019

Background Indigenous Australians suffer from higher rates of oral disease, have more untreated dental problems and tooth extractions then the non-Indigenous population. In addition to this, Indigenous Australians also have lower rates of dental visits; are more likely to visit for a problem rather than a check-up and; are also more likely to present at emergency departments for oral complaints. Multiple issues effect health service uptake including the social context, characteristics of the individual and community, and enabling factors such as available wealth and social support. Additionally perceived importance of the disease to the individual or community also influence treatment seeking behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceived importance of oral health within a rural Indigenous community in Australia and the factors influencing this perception.Methods A qualitative study was completed incorporating focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. Twenty- seven community members participated in three focus groups and twelve in-depth interviews.Results The study found that the community gives high priority to oral health. Factors influencing the importance given included the severity of symptoms of oral disease such as pain experience; enabling resources such as access to finance; social impact such as personal appearance; and health beliefs including oral health awareness. Respondents also noted that the importance given to oral health within the community also competed with the occurrence of multiple health concerns and family responsibilities.Conclusion This paper highlights that the under-utilisation of oral health services is not associated with the degree of importance given to oral health within the community. Under-utilisation is influenced by the major barriers faced in accessing oral health services and the number and severity of competing health and social concerns within the community. The study results confirm the importance of establishing affordable, culturally appropriate, community-based oral health care services to improve the oral health of rural Indigenous communities.
Primary validation of Charm II tests for the detection of antimicrobial residues in a range of aquaculture fish
Authors: Mukota Aziz Kimera , Gondam Melanie Flore Kamini , Tsafack Julie Judith Takadong , Sasanya James , Reybroeck Wim , Ntale Muhammad , Nyanzi Steven Allan , Tebandeke Emmanuel
Published: December 2019

The study carried out a primary validation of Charm II tests for the detection of antimicrobial residues in aquaculture fish. The Validation was performed according to European Commission Decision 2002/657/ EC and the parameters determined included: detection capability, repeatability, reproducibility, specificity and robustness for the detection of antimicrobial residues in fish. Fish materials from different species including cat fish, trout, salmon, sea bass, tilapia, lingue and pangasius, were spiked with varying concentrations of selected antibiotics including sulfonamides, beta-lactams, macrolides, tetracyclines and aminoglycosides to determine the detection capabilities and other validation parameters of the Charm II tests. Results of the validation showed that the detection capabilities for the tetracyclines ranged from 25 µg/kg to 100 µg/kg, while the sulfonamides and aminoglycosides were detected at 25 µg/kg for all species under study. The detection capabilities for the beta-lactams ranged from 25 µg/kg to 300 µg/kg and were 100 µg/kg for the tested macrolides. Results of the study showed that there was no significant difference between counts for samples read immediately after addition of the scintillation fluid and those read fourteen hours after addition of the scintillation fluid, provided that there was good vortexing before analysis. There was also no significant difference between counts for the same samples analyzed in different runs under repeatability and reproducibility conditions at the same spiking concentrations for the different fish species analyzed. The relative standard deviation for both repeatability and reproducibility ranging from 0.02 to 0.1 was recorded.The Charm II tests were found to be 100% group specific, as none of antimicrobials kits, gave false positive results when testing non-target antimicrobial drugs. The results of this study prove the robustness, specificity, reliability and accuracy of the Charm II tests in the detection of various antimicrobial residuals in fish. Results also confirm the suitability of the Charm II technique as a rapid screening tool for detection of antimicrobial residues in a variety of fish species; and its applicability for the rapid evaluation of the quality of aquaculture fish for safety and trade purposes.
What are affecting choice of childbirth place among childbearing age women in western Ethiopia? A community-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Bekuma Tariku Tesfaye , Firrisa Belaynesh , Girmaye Melese , Bikila Haile , Kejela Gemechu
Published: December 2019

Background: Maternal death is the most extreme consequence of poor maternal health. More than 30 million women in developing regions suffer from serious diseases and disabilities due to inadequate care during pregnancy and delivery. Access to proper medical attention and hygienic conditions during delivery can reduce the risk of complications and infections that may lead to death or serious illness for the mother, baby, or both. In Ethiopia, the high maternal mortality rate with delivery by unskilled birth attendants shows low utilization of maternal health services.Objective: This study was aimed to assess factors determining the choice of childbirth place among women of childbearing age in Jimma Arjo District.Method A cross-sectional study design was conducted in Jimma Arjo District East Wollega Zone, Ethiopia, from March 20 to April 20, 2018. Multistage sampling technique was used to select a total sample of 506 participants. Data were collected using structured questionnaires to interview women of childbearing age. It was entered into Epi-Info and was exported to SPSS software version 20 for analysis. Data was checked for its completeness, cleaned, entered and analyzed accordingly. Bivariate and Multivariable data analysis was used to examine the association between dependent and independent variables. Result: A total of 506 women participated in this study, giving a response rate of 97.8%. This study has investigated that home delivery was found to be 200(39.5%) whereas institutional delivery was 306(60.5%) in the study area. Factors found to be statistically associated with choice of institutional delivery at p<0.05 were; history of obstetric difficulties (AOR=6, 95% CI= (2.08, 17.60)), women educational status(AOR = 4.4, 95% CI= (1.47, 13.42)), husband educational status (AOR=4, 95% CI= (1.43, 11.60)), having 2-3 ANC Visits (AOR=4, 95%CI= (1.95, 8.52)), and accessing vehicle transportation (AOR = 2.8, 95% CI= (1.23, 6.46)).Conclusion: Preferring health facility as birth place in this study seems relatively better compared to other studies. It’s shown that attending secondary and more educational level in both mothers’ and their husbands’, history of obstetric difficulties, history of ANC attendance, having 2-3 ANC visits, and accessing facilty nearby have influenced mothers to prefer health institution as childbirth place. Therefore, any programs aimed at increasing choice of institutional delivery should first work on education, ANC follow up and transportation facilities in the study area.
Evaluation of retinal and choroidal changes in patients with Alzheimer’s type dementia using optical coherence tomography angiography
Authors: Li Zebing , Lin Zhongjing , Li Na , Yu Huan , Wu Yanlin , Shen Xi
Published: December 2019

Purpose To evaluate the changes in fundus parameters in patients with Alzheimer’s type dementia (ATD) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), to record flash electroretinograms using the RETeval system and to explore changes in retinal function.Methods Twenty-nine patients with ATD and 26 age-matched normal subjects were enrolled. All subjects underwent OCTA scans to analyse the superficial retinal vessel parameters in the macular area, including the vascular length density, the vascular width density and the area of foveal avascular zone (FAZ), as well as the choroidal thickness. The differences between the patients with ATD and the normal control group were compared and explored the relevant factors affecting vessel parameters. We also recorded the flash electroretinograms (ERG) using the RETeval system and intended to explore changes in retinal function by analysing the ERG image amplitude in patients with ATD.Results The vessel parameters and average choroid thickness in the macular area of the ATD group was less than the control group, The FAZ area was statistically significantly enlarged in the ATD group. These parameters were correlated with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).Conclusions Patients with Alzheimer’s type dementia exhibit decreases in the parameters associated with fundus. In addition, these indicators significantly correlated with the MMSE score and the MoCA score. OCTA may be an adjunct tool with strong potential to track changes in the diagnosis and monitoring the progression of the disease.
Astaxanthin-loaded polymer-lipid hybrid nanoparticles (ATX-LPN) Assessment of potential otoprotective effects
Authors: Gu Jiayi , Chen Yuming , Tong Ling , Wang Xueling , Yu dehong , Wu Hao
Published: December 2019

Background: Ototoxicity is one of the major side effects of platinum-based chemotherapy, especially cisplatin therapy. To date, no FDA approved agents to alleviate or prevent this ototoxicity are available. However, ototoxicity is generally believed to be produced by excessive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the inner ear, thus leading to the development of various antioxidants, which act as otoprotective agents. Astaxanthin (ATX) is an interesting candidate in the development of new therapies for preventing and treating oxidative stress-related pathologies, owing to its unique antioxidant capacity. Methods and Results: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the potential antioxidant properties of ATX in the inner ear by using the HEI-OC1 cell line, zebrafish, and guinea pigs. Because ATX has poor solubility and cannot pass through round window membranes (RWM), we established lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles (LPN) for loading ATX. The LPN enabled ATX to penetrate RWM and maintain concentrations in the perilymph in the inner ear for 24 h after a single injection. ATX-LPN were found to have favorable biocompatibility and to strongly affect cisplatin-induced generation of ROS, on the basis of DCFHDA staining in HEI-OC1 cells. JC-1 and MitoTracker Green staining suggested that ATX-LPN successfully reversed the decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential induced by cisplatin in vitro and rescued cells from early stages of apoptosis, as demonstrated by FACS stained with Annexin V-FITC/PI. Moreover, ATX-LPN successfully attenuated OHC losses in cultured organ of Corti and animal models (zebrafish and guinea pigs) in vivo. In investigating the protective mechanism of ATX-LPN, we found that ATX-LPN decreased the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins (caspase 3/9 and cytochrome-c) and increased expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. In addition, the activation of JNK induced by CDDP was up-regulated and then decreased after the administration of ATX-LPN, while P38 stayed unchanged. Conclusions: To best of our knowledge, this is first study concluded that ATX-LPN as a new therapeutic agent for the prevention of cisplatin-induced ototoxicity.