bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sensing global tourism numbers with millions of publicly shared online photographs
Authors: Preis Tobias , Botta Federico , Moat Helen Susannah
Published: September 2019

In our increasingly connected world, individuals produce continuous streams of data through their constant interactions with the Internet. This data is opening up opportunities to measure human behaviour that was previously time consuming or expensive to capture. Here, we explore whether data from online photographs can be used to estimate travel statistics on a global scale. We draw on the locations attached to 69 million publicly shared photographs to infer the global travel patterns of almost half a million users of the photo-sharing platform Flickr. We find that our photo-based estimates of tourist arrival statistics for the G7 countries Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States correlate with the corresponding official statistics released by those countries. Our results highlight the potential for vast volumes of online data to inform the generation of timely, low-cost indicators of the state of society. We discuss practical considerations that remain before this methodology could be used in the production of official statistics.
FKBP5 Genotype Linked to Combined PTSD-Depression Symptom in Chinese Earthquake Survivors
Authors: Li Gen , Wang Li , Zhang Kunlin , Cao Chengqi , Cao Xing , Fang Ruojiao , Liu Ping , Luo Shu , Zhang Xiangyang
Published: September 2019

Background:

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression are common mental disorders in individuals experiencing traumatic events. To date, few studies have studied the relationship between genetic basis and phenotypic heterogeneity of traumatized individuals. The present study examined the effects of four FKBP5 SNPs (rs1360780, rs3800373, rs9296158, and rs9470080) in four postdisaster groups (low symptom, predominantly depressive, predominantly PTSD, and combined PTSD-depression symptom groups) as identified by latent profile analysis.

Methods:

A total of 1,140 adults who experienced the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake participated in our study. Earthquake-related trauma, PTSD, and depressive symptoms were measured using standard psychometric instruments. The four FKBP5 SNPs were genotyped using a custom-by-design 2 × 48-Plex SNP scan™ Kit.

Results:

After adjusting for covariates, the main and gene–environment interaction effects of rs9470080 were all significant when the combined PTSD-depression group was compared with the low symptoms, predominantly depression and predominantly PTSD groups. rs9470080 TT genotype carriers had a higher risk of developing high co-occurring PTSD and depression symptoms than the C allele carriers. However, when trauma exposure was severe, the TT genotype carriers and C allele carriers did not differ in the risk of developing high co-occurring PTSD and depressive symptoms. The other three SNPs demonstrated no significant effects. Moreover, the rs3800373-rs9296158-rs1360780-rs9470080 haplotype A-G-C-T was found significantly associated with combined PTSD-depression symptoms.

Conclusion:

Our findings support the genetic basis of phenotypic heterogeneity in people exposed to trauma. Furthermore, the results reveal the possibility that the variants of FKBP5 gene may be associated with depression-PTSD comorbidity.
Evaluation of multiple prediction models: A novel view on model selection and performance assessment
Authors: Westphal Max , Brannath Werner
Published: September 2019

Model selection and performance assessment for prediction models are important tasks in machine learning, e.g. for the development of medical diagnosis or prognosis rules based on complex data. A common approach is to select the best model via cross-validation and to evaluate this final model on an independent dataset. In this work, we propose to instead evaluate several models simultaneously. These may result from varied hyperparameters or completely different learning algorithms. Our main goal is to increase the probability to correctly identify a model that performs sufficiently well. In this case, adjusting for multiplicity is necessary in the evaluation stage to avoid an inflation of the family wise error rate. We apply the so-called maxT-approach which is based on the joint distribution of test statistics and suitable to (approximately) control the family-wise error rate for a wide variety of performance measures. We conclude that evaluating only a single final model is suboptimal. Instead, several promising models should be evaluated simultaneously, e.g. all models within one standard error of the best validation model. This strategy has proven to increase the probability to correctly identify a good model as well as the final model performance in extensive simulation studies.
hUC-MSCs Exert a Neuroprotective Effect via Anti-apoptotic Mechanisms in a Neonatal HIE Rat Model
Authors: Xu Jianwei , Feng Zhanhui , Wang Xianyao , Xiong Ying , Wang Lan , Ye Lan , Zhang Huanxiang
Published: September 2019

In this study, we investigated how human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells exerted a neuroprotective effect via antiapoptotic mechanisms in a neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy rat model. A total of 78 10-day old (P10) rats were used. After human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were collected from human umbilical cords and amplified in culture, they were administered to rat subjects 1 h after induced hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy treatment. The short-term (48 h) and long-term (28 day) outcomes were evaluated after human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells treatment using neurobehavioral function assessment. Triphenyltetrazolium chloride monohydrate staining was performed at 48 h. Beclin-2 and caspase-3 levels were evaluated with Western blot and real time polymerase chain reaction at 48 h. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were collected and administrated to hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy pups by intracerebroventricular injection. Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy typically induced significant delay in development and caused impairment in both cognitive and motor functions in rat subjects. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were shown to ameliorate hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy-induced damage and improve both cognitive and motor functions. Although hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy induced significant expression of caspase-3 and Beclin-2, human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells decreased the expression of both of them. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells may serve as a potential treatment to ameliorate brain injury in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy patients.
Evaluation of Mobile Applications Intended to Aid in Conception Using a Systematic Review Framework
Authors: Hutcherson Timothy C. , Cieri-Hutcherson Nicole E. , Donnelly Peter J. , Feneziani Michael L. , Grisanti Kristina M. R.
Published: September 2019

Objective: This review identified and evaluated apps intended to aid women in conception that were available across major mobile platforms; secondary objectives were to highlight additional criteria and considerations when evaluating conception-related apps. Data Sources: Apple iTunes and Google Play stores were searched using the keywords conception, fertility, and pregnant. Data Selection: Included apps were as follows: contained in the first 50 search results; presented in English; intended for layperson use; updated July 1, 2018, or after; marketed as a conception aid; and used a defined fertility tracking method. Excluded apps were intended for men only, marketed for contraception only, promoted a single fertility service or branded product, or not found in both app stores. Data Extraction: Apps were evaluated using the adapted APPLICATIONS Scoring System. Two additional criteria were assessed: inclusion of a privacy policy and inclusion of a search function, medical terminology glossary, or Frequently Asked Questions section. Data Synthesis: A total of 300 apps were screened; 7 app pairs were analyzed. Scores ranged from 9 to 13 of a possible 15 points (mean = 11; median = 11). No app reported advisement from a health professional during development. Relevance to Patient Care in Clinical Practice: Widely available apps that score highly per the adapted APPLICATIONS Scoring System may be considered for use by and recommended to women seeking apps useful for conception. Conclusion: Evaluation tools should evolve as app features change. Criteria related to privacy and search functions that promote health literacy should be considered for future app evaluation tools.
Understanding salt reduction in fat-reduced hot dog sausages: Network structure, emulsion stability and consumer acceptance
Authors: Rodrigues Isabela , Gonçalves Letícia A , Carvalho Francisco AL , Pires Manoela , JP Rocha Yana , Barros Julliane C , Carvalho Larissa T , Trindade Marco A
Published: September 2019

High sodium and fat contents are cause of concerns for industries and consumers of meat products. Direct reduction of NaCl and fat is a useful strategy to understand how these ingredients interfere with the quality parameters of an emulsified meat product and how to reduce them without significant changes from the original product. The aim of this work was to understand salt reduction in fat-reduced (10 g fat/100 g product) hot dog sausages. Five NaCl concentrations were tested: 1% (F1), 1.25% (F1.25), 1.50% (F1.50), 1.75% (F1.75) and 2% (F2 – control). Proximate composition, sodium content, water activity, pH, emulsion stability, color, texture, scanning electron microscopy results and sensory attributes (just-about-right and acceptance tests) were assessed. Emulsion stability decreased ( P < 0.05) with salt reduction. Salt reduction increased water activity. Microscopic images showed a more compact matrix with the decrease in salt content. Sausages with the minimum (F1) and maximum (F2) amounts of salt were less accepted by consumers. A reduction of 26.8% of sodium can be obtained (with the formulation F1.25), allowing the labeling of sodium-reduced sausage and with acceptance by consumers.
Characterisation of Glucose-Dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide Receptor Antagonists in Rodent Pancreatic Beta Cells and Mice
Authors: Perry RA , Craig SL , Ng MT , Gault VA , Flatt PR , Irwin N
Published: September 2019

Hypersecretion and alterations in the biological activity of the incretin hormone, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), have been postulated as contributing factors in the development of obesity-related diabetes. However, recent studies also point to weight-reducing effects of GIP receptor activation. Therefore, generating precise experimental tools, such as specific and effective GIP receptor (GIPR) antagonists, is of key significance to better understand GIP physiology. Thus, the primary aim of the current study was to uncover improved GIPR antagonists for use in rodent studies, using human and mouse GIP sequences with N- and C-terminal deletions. Initial in vitro studies revealed that the GIPR agonists, human (h) GIP(1-42), hGIP(1-30) and mouse (m) GIP(1-30), stimulated ( P < 0.01 to P < 0.001) insulin secretion from rat BRIN-BD11 cells. Analysis of insulin secretory effects of the N- and C-terminally cleaved GIP peptides, including hGIP(3-30), mGIP(3-30), h(Pro3)GIP(3-30), hGIP(5-30), hGIP(3-42) and hGIP(5-42), revealed that these peptides did not modulate insulin secretion. More pertinently, only hGIP(3-30), mGIP(3-30) and h(Pro3)GIP(3-30) were able to significantly ( P < 0.01 to P < 0.001) inhibit hGIP(1-42)-stimulated insulin secretion. The human-derived GIPR agonist sequences, hGIP(1-42) and hGIP(1-30), reduced ( P < 0.05) glucose levels in mice following conjoint injection with glucose, but mGIP(1-30) was ineffective. None of the N- and C-terminally cleaved GIP peptides affected glucose homeostasis when injected alone with glucose. However, hGIP(5-30) and mGIP(3-30) significantly ( P < 0.05 to P < 0.01) impaired the glucose-lowering action of hGIP(1-42). Further evaluation of these most effective sequences demonstrated that mGIP(3-30), but not hGIP(5-30), effectively prevented GIP-induced elevations of plasma insulin concentrations. These data highlight, for the first time, that mGIP(3-30) represents an effective molecule to inhibit GIPR activity in mice.
Leniency in exchange for cartel confessions
Authors: Jaspers J.D.
Published: September 2019

Leniency offers corporations the possibility to come clean about their involvement in cartel conduct (for example, price-fixing, bid-rigging) in exchange for immunity or reduction of financial penalties. In Europe, nearly 60 percent of detected cartels are discovered through leniency. This makes leniency the most applied detection tool for uncovering cartel conduct violations. What are the considerations in applying for leniency or refraining from doing so? How do those considerations relate to private law enforcement through civil liability regarding business cartels? These questions are discussed based on semi-structured interviews ( n = 34) with cartelists, competition lawyers and in-house legal counsel to study theoretical assumptions underpinning leniency arrangements in the Netherlands. This study investigates four scenarios on the use of leniency suggested in the literature and finds empirical support for only two. Strategic use of leniency and false confessions occur in the Netherlands, but to a lesser extent than the existing literature suggests. Moreover, various disincentives, and especially the rise of private enforcement, make leniency an unattractive and uncertain option for cartelists.
Mixed-methods and Repeated Measures in Substance Use Research: Implications for Informant Accuracy
Authors: Placek Caitlyn D. , Srinivas Vijaya , Jayakrishna Poornima , Madhivanan Purnima
Published: September 2019

Informant accuracy is a pervasive issue in the social sciences and persists through the ongoing use of self-report measures of behaviors that are subject to recall errors. The current study reports findings from methods we used to measure substance use among adolescents in South India. We used a repeated-measures, mixed-methods design that began with semistructured interviews ( N = 60) to determine the substances used by adolescents. Next, adolescents were recruited to participate in a four-week study that assessed self-reported substance use at three time points and urinary cotinine, a nicotine metabolite, at two time points. Fifty-six participants completed the study protocol. Findings revealed that during the last phase of the study, participants were more willing to admit using substances. Our results add to existing literature that demonstrates the need to move beyond self-reported data of consumption, and to consider using repeated measures, direct observation of behavior, and biometric markers of behavior to ensure more accurate assessments of sensitive topics.
Gender Differences in the Association Between Hearing Loss and Cognitive Function
Authors: Huang Bowen , Cao Guilan , Duan Yanran , Yan Siyu , Yan Mingming , Yin Ping , Jiang Hongwei
Published: September 2019

Objective:

This study aimed to determine the association between hearing loss and cognitive function by gender in a nationally representative sample of older adults.

Methods:

We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010-2011) for 655 participants aged 60 to 69 years. The cognitive functioning component consisted of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s disease, the Animal Fluency Test, and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test. We created a composite z score to represent global cognitive function. Regression models were used to examine the association between hearing loss and cognitive function.

Results:

Moderate/severe hearing loss was significantly associated with lower composite z score in males (β = −28.67, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = −57.13 to −0.20) but not in females (β = −8.82, 95% CI = −36.61 to 18.96).

Conclusion:

There were gender differences in the association between hearing loss and cognitive function. Future studies need to investigate these gender-specific associations.
Pedestrian detection based on improved LeNet-5 convolutional neural network
Authors: Zhang Chuan-Wei , Yang Meng-Yue , Zeng Hong-Jun , Wen Jian-Ping
Published: September 2019

In this article, according to the real-time and accuracy requirements of advanced vehicle-assisted driving in pedestrian detection, an improved LeNet-5 convolutional neural network is proposed. Firstly, the structure of LeNet-5 network model is analyzed, and the structure and parameters of the network are improved and optimized on the basis of this network to get a new LeNet network model, and then it is used to detect pedestrians. Finally, the miss rate of the improved LeNet convolutional neural network is found to be 25% by contrast and analysis. The experiment proves that this method is better than SA-Fast R-CNN and classical LeNet-5 CNN algorithm.
Protection of digital health information: Examining guidance from the physician regulatory colleges in Canada
Authors: Barr Neil G , Randall Glen E
Published: September 2019

Background:

The use of information and communication technology (ICT) has tremendous potential to enhance communication among physicians, leading to improvements in service delivery. However, the protection of health information in digital/electronic format is an ongoing concern.

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to examine guidance for the protection of health information when using ICT from all 10 of Canada’s provincial regulatory colleges for physicians and to discuss the potential policy and service delivery implications.

Method:

A search of the regulatory college websites was conducted, followed by a document analysis (content and thematic).

Results:

The college website search identified 522 documents; 12 of these documents (from 8 of the 10 colleges) met the study criteria. These documents were notable for the considerable variation in the scope and detail of guidance provided across the colleges.

Conclusion:

While the federal–provincial division of powers in Canada enables different jurisdictional approaches to health service delivery and, thus, opportunities for policy learning, this governing structure may also contribute to a lack of incentive for collaboration, leading to an absence of standardised guidance for health information protection when using ICT. This, in turn, may result in unequal and inequitable protection of health information across the provinces. Therefore, a macro-level approach to policy development in this area may hold the greatest promise for enhancing the protection of health information and doing so in a more standardised manner in countries with federal systems of governance.
Plasma vitronectin is reduced in patients with myasthenia gravis: Diagnostic and pathophysiological potential
Authors: Lepedda Antonio Junior , Deiana Giovanni Andrea , Lobina Omar , Nieddu Gabriele , Baldinu Paola , De Muro Pierina , Andreetta Francesca , Sechi Elia , Arru Giannina , Corda Davide Giacomo , Sechi Gian Pietro , Formato Marilena
Published: September 2019

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease leading to varying degrees of skeletal muscle weakness. It is caused by specific antibodies directed against definite components in the postsynaptic membrane at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), such as the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) and the muscle-specific kinase (MUSK) receptor. In clinical practice, MG patients may be classified into three main subgroups based on the occurrence of serum autoantibodies directed against AChR or MUSK receptor or antibody-negative. As the MG subgroups differ in terms of clinical characteristics, disease pathogenesis, prognosis, and response to therapies, they could benefit from targeted treatment as well as the detection of other possible disease biomarkers. We performed proteomics on plasma fractions enriched in low-abundance proteins to identify potential biomarkers according to different autoimmune responses. By this approach, we evidenced a significant reduction of vitronectin in MG patients compared to healthy controls, irrespective of the autoantibodies NMJ target. The obtained results were validated by mono- and two-dimensional Western blotting analysis. Vitronectin is a multifunctional glycoprotein involved in the regulation of several pathophysiological processes, including complement-dependent immune response, coagulation, fibrinolysis, pericellular proteolysis, cell attachment, and spreading. The pathophysiological significance of the reduction of plasma vitronectin in MG patients has yet to be fully elucidated. It could be related either to a possible deposition of vitronectin at NMJ to counteract the complement-mediated muscle damage at this level or to a parallel variation of this glycoprotein in the muscle extracellular matrix with secondary induced alteration in clustering of AChRs at NMJ, as it occurs with variation in concentrations of agrin, another extracellular matrix component. The clinical value of measuring plasma vitronectin has yet to be defined. According to present findings, significantly lower plasma values of this glycoprotein might be indicative of an impaired complement-dependent immune response.
Recognizing the Dying Patient, When Less Could be More: A Diagnostic Framework for Shared Decision-Making at the End of Life
Authors: Kalsi Dilraj , Ward Joel , Lee Regent , Wee Bee , Fulford Kenneth WM , Handa Ashok
Published: September 2019

Background:

Recognizing dying patients is crucial to produce outcomes that are satisfactory to patients, their families, and clinicians.

Aim:

Earlier discussion of and shared decision-making around dying to improve these outcomes.

Design:

In this study, we interviewed 16 senior clinicians to develop summaries of palliative care in 4 key specialties: Cardiology, Vascular Surgery, Emergency General Surgery, and Intensive Care.

Setting:

Oxford University Hospitals.

Results:

Based on themes common to our 4 clinical areas, we developed a novel diagnostic framework to support shared palliative decision-making that can be summarized as follows: 1) Is the acute pathology reversible? 2) What is the patient’s physiological reserve? 3) What is important to the patient? Will they be fit enough for discharge for a reasonable length of time?

Conclusions:

We believe that education using this framework in the medical school and postgraduate curricula would significantly improve recognition of dying patients. This would serve to stimulate earlier conversations, more shared decision-making, and ultimately better outcomes in palliative care and patient experience.
Bavsiite, Ba2V2O2[Si4O12], mineral data and crystal structure
Authors: Bojar Hans-Peter , Walter Franz , Baumgartner Judith
Published: September 2019

Bavsiite from the type locality Gun Claim, Yukon Territory, Canada, occurs as millimetre-sized sky-blue platy crystals in a barium-rich low-temperature skarn related to a porphyritic quartz monzonite stock. Associated minerals are alstonite, baryte, celsian, diopside, fresnoite, mica, suzukiite, walstromite, witherite and minerals of the cerchiaraite group. Bavsiite is optical uniaxial (+), with ω = 1.725(3) and ε = 1.750(3) (589 nm) and pleochroic. Electron microprobe analyses yielded the empirical formula Na0.02Ba1.98Ti0.16Fe2+0.03V4+1.80 Al0.05Si4.00O14 based on 14 oxygen atoms, the simplified chemical formula is Ba2V2Si4O14. Bavsiite is tetragonal, space group I4/m, a = 7.043(1), c = 11.444(2) Å and Z = 2 obtained from single crystal data at 100 K, which are in good agreement with cell parameters from powder diffraction data at 293 K: a = 7.051(1) Å and c = 11.470(1) Å. The eight strongest lines of the powder X-ray diffraction pattern are [d, Å (I,%)(hkl)]: 3.76(30)(112), 3.36(44)(013), 3.004(100)(022), 2.493(43)(220), 2.486(67)(114), 2.286(24)(222), 1.785(39)(116) and 1.763(25)(040). The crystal structure was refined to R = 0.0159 based upon 312 unique reflections with I > 2σ(I). The crystal structure of bavsiite comprises unbranched single [Si4O12]8– rings connected by [VO5]6– square pyramids and BaO12 polyhedra. It can also be considered as cage–like [Si4V2O18]12– clusters built by four SiO4 tetrahedra and two VO5 square pyramids. These clusters are cross–linked to form a pseudo-two-dimensional network (2D) parallel to (001) containing empty channels along the a axis and the 2D networks held together by Ba2+ ions located in channels parallel to the c axis. The structural formula is Ba2V2O2[Si4O12]. Bavsiite is polymorphic to suzukiite, BaVSi2O7, which is orthorhombic.
A network embedding-based multiple information integration method for the MiRNA-disease association prediction
Authors: Gong Yuchong , Niu Yanqing , Zhang Wen , Li Xiaohong
Published: September 2019

Background

MiRNAs play significant roles in many fundamental and important biological processes, and predicting potential miRNA-disease associations makes contributions to understanding the molecular mechanism of human diseases. Existing state-of-the-art methods make use of miRNA-target associations, miRNA-family associations, miRNA functional similarity, disease semantic similarity and known miRNA-disease associations, but the known miRNA-disease associations are not well exploited.

Results

In this paper, a network embedding-based multiple information integration method (NEMII) is proposed for the miRNA-disease association prediction. First, known miRNA-disease associations are formulated as a bipartite network, and the network embedding method Structural Deep Network Embedding (SDNE) is adopted to learn embeddings of nodes in the bipartite network. Second, the embedding representations of miRNAs and diseases are combined with biological features about miRNAs and diseases (miRNA-family associations and disease semantic similarities) to represent miRNA-disease pairs. Third, the prediction models are constructed based on the miRNA-disease pairs by using the random forest. In computational experiments, NEMII achieves high-accuracy performances and outperforms other state-of-the-art methods: GRNMF, NTSMDA and PBMDA. The usefulness of NEMII is further validated by case studies. The studies demonstrate the great potential of network embedding method for the miRNA-disease association prediction, and SDNE outperforms other popular network embedding methods: DeepWalk, High-Order Proximity preserved Embedding (HOPE) and Laplacian Eigenmaps (LE).

Conclusion

We propose a new method, named NEMII, for predicting miRNA-disease associations, which has great potential to benefit the field of miRNA-disease association prediction.
Mitochondrial and nuclear genetic analyses of the tropical black-lip rock oyster (Saccostrea echinata) reveals population subdivision and informs sustainable aquaculture development
Authors: Nowland Samantha J. , Silva Catarina N. S. , Southgate Paul C. , Strugnell Jan M.
Published: September 2019

Background

The black-lip rock oyster (Saccostrea echinata) has considerable potential for aquaculture throughout the tropics. Previous attempts to farmS. echinatafailed due to an insufficient supply of wild spat; however, the prospect of hatchery-based aquaculture has stimulated renewed interest, and small-scale farming is underway across northern Australia and in New Caledonia. The absence of knowledge surrounding the population genetic structure of this species has raised concerns about the genetic impacts of this emerging aquaculture industry. This study is the first to examine population genetics ofS. echinataand employs both mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers.

Results

The mitochondrial COI data set included 273 sequences of 594 base pair length, which comprised 74 haplotypes. The SNP data set included 27,887 filtered SNPs for 272 oysters and of these 31 SNPs were identified as candidate adaptive loci. Data from the mitochondrial COI analyses, supports a broad tropical Indo-Pacific distribution ofS. echinata,and showed high haplotype and nucleotide diversities (0.887–1.000 and 0.005–0.008, respectively). Mitochondrial COI analyses also revealed a ‘star-like’ haplotype network, and significant and negative neutrality tests (Tajima’sD = − 2.030, Fu’sFs = − 25.638,P < 0.001) support a recent population expansion after a bottleneck. The SNP analyses showed significant levels of population subdivision and four genetic clusters were identified: (1) the Noumea (New Caledonia) sample location; (2) the Bowen (north Queensland, Australia) sample location, and remaining sample locations in the Northern Territory, Australia (n = 8) were differentiated into two genetic clusters. These occurred at either side of the Wessel Islands and were termed (3) ‘west’ and (4) ‘east’ clusters, and two migrant individuals were detected between them. The SNP data showed a significant positive correlation between genetic and geographic distance (Mantel test,P < 0.001,R2 = 0.798) and supported isolation by distance. Three candidate adaptive SNPs were identified as occurring within known genes and gene ontology was well described for the sex peptide receptor gene.

Conclusions

Data supports the existence of genetically distinct populations ofS. echinata, suggesting that management of wild and farmed stocks should be based upon multiple management units. This research has made information on population genetic structure and connectivity available for a new aquaculture species.
CD73 complexes with emmprin to regulate MMP-2 production from co-cultured sarcoma cells and fibroblasts
Authors: Aoki M. , Koga K. , Miyazaki M. , Hamasaki M. , Koshikawa N. , Oyama M. , Kozuka-Hata H. , Seiki M. , Toole B. P. , Nabeshima K.
Published: September 2019

Background

Interaction between cancer cells and fibroblasts mediated by extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (emmprin, CD147) is important in the invasion and proliferation of cancer cells. However, the exact mechanism of emmprin mediated stimulation of matrix metalloprotease-2 (MMP-2) production from fibroblasts has not been elucidated. Our previous studies using an inhibitory peptide against emmprin suggested the presence of a molecule on the cell membrane which forms a complex with emmprin. Here we show that CD73 expressed on fibroblasts interacts with emmprin and is a required factor for MMP-2 production in co-cultures of sarcoma cells with fibroblasts.

Methods

CD73 along with CD99 was identified by mass spectrometry analysis as an emmprin interacting molecule from a co-culture of cancer cells (epithelioid sarcoma cell line FU-EPS-1) and fibroblasts (immortalized fibroblasts cell line ST353i). MMP-2 production was measured by immunoblot and ELISA. The formation of complexes of CD73 with emmprin was confirmed by immunoprecipitation, and their co-localization in tumor cells and fibroblasts was shown by fluorescent immunostaining and proximity ligation assays.

Results

Stimulated MMP-2 production in co-culture of cancer cells and fibroblasts was completely suppressed by siRNA knockdown of CD73, but not by CD99 knockdown. MMP-2 production was not suppressed by CD73-specific enzyme inhibitor (APCP). However, MMP-2 production was decreased by CD73 neutralizing antibodies, suggesting that CD73-mediated suppression of MMP-2 production is non-enzymatic. In human epithelioid sarcoma tissues, emmprin was immunohistochemically detected to be mainly expressed in tumor cells, and CD73 was expressed in fibroblasts and tumor cells: emmprin and CD73 were co-localized predominantly on tumor cells.

Conclusion

This study provides a novel insight into the role of CD73 in emmprin-mediated regulation of MMP-2 production.
Hepatitis B vaccination coverage across India: exploring the spatial heterogeneity and contextual determinants
Authors: Khan Junaid , Shil Apurba , Mohanty Sanjay K.
Published: September 2019

Background

Although hepatitis B vaccinations have been integrated in the Universal Immunization Program (UIP) in India over a decade, only half of the children are immunized against hepatitis B. The national average in hepatitis B vaccination conceals large variations across states, districts and socio-economic groups. In this context, the aim of this paper is to examine the spatial heterogeneity and contextual determinants of hepatitis B vaccination across the districts of India.

Methods

Using data of 199,899 children aged 12–59 months from the National Family Health Survey-4 (NFHS-4), 2015–16 we have examined the district level spatial distribution and clustering of hepatitis B vaccination with the help of Moran’s I and Local Indicator of Spatial Autocorrelation (LISA) measures. We investigated the low coverage of HBV vaccination using spatial autoregressive models (SAR) at the meso scale. And we applied multivariate binary logistic regression analysis to understand the micro-level predictors of hepatitis B vaccination.

Results

In 2015–16, 45% of the children aged 12–59 months were not vaccinated against hepatitis B in India. The coverage of hepatitis B vaccine across the districts of India showed a highly significant spatial dependence (Moran’s I = 0.580). Bivariate Moran’s I confirmed the spatial clustering of hepatitis B vaccination with mother’s education, full antenatal care (ANC) utilization, post natal care (PNC) utilization, institutional births and registration of births at the district level. Districts with a very low coverage of HBV vaccine are clustered in the western, north-eastern regions and in some parts of central India. At the unit (child) level, children’s hepatitis B immunization status is mostly determined by the socio-economic and demographic characteristics like their mother’s educational status, caste, religion, household’s wealth condition, birth order, year of birth and the region they belong to.

Conclusions

District level variation in hepatitis B vaccination is spatially heterogeneous and clustered in India with a strong neighbourhood effect. Uptake of hepatitis B vaccine among Indian children is predominantly dependent upon their socio-economic and demographic characteristics.
Development and validation of a pre-scoring system for nonspecific low back pain among general population in Guangzhou: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Wang Kai , Zhang Jing-wen , Min Shao-xiong , Xu Xin-yi , An Sheng-li
Published: September 2019

Background

Nonspecific Low Back Pain (NLBP) is a common disease with a low cure rate and significant impact on the population. This study aimed to develop and validate a pre-scoring system for identifying the risk of suffering from NLBP among the general population in Guangzhou.

Methods

A total of 1439 eligible subjects were surveyed in Guangzhou by stratified random sampling and was divided randomly into the development dataset (69.6%) and validation dataset (30.4%) subsequently. Based on the development dataset, potential associated factors (average exercise times weekly, the intensity of daily work, etc.) with NLBP were tested by the sequential logistic regression, and a pre-scoring system was formulated with Sullivan’s method and graded afterward. The internal validity of the system was assessed by AUC and calibration plot, and the external validation was performed in the validation dataset.

Results

The prevalence rates of NLBP in the development dataset and the validation dataset were 12.97 and 13.27%, respectively. Age, BMI, average exercise times weekly, gender, educational level, the intensity of daily work, place of residence, monthly income, overall evaluation of health condition and physiology health were identified as significant factors. The total risk score ranged from 0 to 38, which was split into three risk grades: low risk (0 to 18), intermediate risk (19 to 22) and high risk (23 to 38). The pre-scoring system had an adequate calibration and a good discriminating ability with bootstrap-corrected AUC equaling 0.861 in the development dataset and 0.821 in the validation dataset.

Conclusions

A pre-scoring system that could help clinicians to assess the risk of NLBP in the general population was validated. Further validation of the system in a new population or prospective cohort study is suggested.
Topical hydrogel containing Fumaria vaillantii Loisel. extract enhances wound healing in rats
Authors: Davoodi-Roodbordeii Fatemeh , Afshar Minoo , Haji Abas Tabrizi Fatemeh , Choopani Samira , Torkaman Giti , Moayer Fariborz , Salimi Mona
Published: September 2019

Background

Fumaria species (Fumariacea) has traditionally been used in wound healing in Iranian folk medicine. However, with the discovery of newer agents, its use has faded off into total obscurity. This study explored the wound healing potential of a gel containing 10% Fumaria vaillantii Loisel through topical application of total extract in a model of excisional as well as incisional wound healing in albino Wistar rats.

Methods

Rats were anesthetized, and excisional skin wound was established using a sterilized surgical scissors. The animals were then treated with 10% F.vaillantii topical gel formulation along with the gel base. The treatments were administered once a day after the injury for 21 days. For topical treatment, the hydrogel was formulated and evaluated for chemical and physical characteristics. Histopathological analysis with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) was used for microscopic examination of the skin tissues on 21-day-old sections of excision wound. To verify collagen formation, hydroxyproline determination was performed 21 days post wound healing. Breaking strength was determined in a 10-day-old incision wound by the uniaxial tensile test.

Results

Topical administration of F.vaillantii gel formulation significantly enhanced skin wound closure on the 6th post-wounding day compared to both gel base and the negative control, indicating an accelerated wound healing process, while a significant difference was observed on 10th and 14th post –wound days in F.vaillantii treatment compared to the negative control groups. Gel formulation prepared with a 10% F. vaillantii extract exhibited a response in terms of wound epithelialization, angiogenesis and number of hair follicles at wound area better than the gel base on the 21st post-wound day. Application of gel base produced further advantages by increasing hydroxyproline content and collagen fiber thickness. Our results on incision wound model were supported by histopathological data indicating the role of gel base in the enhancement of breaking strength.

Conclusion

Traditional use of Fumaria species in the skin diseases was justified in this study by revealing the increase in wound healing activity after hydrogel containing F. vaillantii total extract administration.

Graphical abstract
Radiomic signatures with contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging for the assessment of breast cancer receptor status and molecular subtypes: initial results
Authors: Leithner Doris , Horvat Joao V. , Marino Maria Adele , Bernard-Davila Blanca , Jochelson Maxine S. , Ochoa-Albiztegui R. Elena , Martinez Danny F. , Morris Elizabeth A. , Thakur Sunitha , Pinker Katja
Published: September 2019

Background

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of radiomic signatures extracted from contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) for the assessment of breast cancer receptor status and molecular subtypes.

Methods

One hundred and forty-three patients with biopsy-proven breast cancer who underwent CE-MRI at 3 T were included in this IRB-approved HIPAA-compliant retrospective study. The training dataset comprised 91 patients (luminal A, n = 49; luminal B, n = 8; HER2-enriched, n = 11; triple negative, n = 23), while the validation dataset comprised 52 patients from a second institution (luminal A, n = 17; luminal B, n = 17; triple negative, n = 18). Radiomic analysis of manually segmented tumors included calculation of features derived from the first-order histogram (HIS), co-occurrence matrix (COM), run-length matrix (RLM), absolute gradient (GRA), autoregressive model (ARM), discrete Haar wavelet transform (WAV), and lesion geometry (GEO). Fisher, probability of error and average correlation (POE + ACC), and mutual information coefficients were used for feature selection. Linear discriminant analysis followed by k-nearest neighbor classification (with leave-one-out cross-validation) was used for pairwise radiomic-based separation of receptor status and molecular subtypes. Histopathology served as the standard of reference.

Results

In the training dataset, radiomic signatures yielded the following accuracies > 80%: luminal B vs. luminal A, 84.2% (mainly based on COM features); luminal B vs. triple negative, 83.9% (mainly based on GEO features); luminal B vs. all others, 89% (mainly based on COM features); and HER2-enriched vs. all others, 81.3% (mainly based on COM features). Radiomic signatures were successfully validated in the separate validation dataset for luminal A vs. luminal B (79.4%) and luminal B vs. triple negative (77.1%).

Conclusions

In this preliminary study, radiomic signatures with CE-MRI enable the assessment of breast cancer receptor status and molecular subtypes with high diagnostic accuracy. These results need to be confirmed in future larger studies.
Deriving objectively-measured sedentary indices from free-living accelerometry data in rural and urban African settings: a cost effective approach
Authors: Cook Ian
Published: September 2019

Objectives

To investigate the agreement between two data reduction approaches for detecting sedentary breaks from uni-axial accelerometry data collected in human participants. Free-living, uni-axial accelerometer data (n = 318) were examined for sedentary breaks using two different methods (Healy–Matthews; MAH/UFFE). The data were cleaned and reduced using MAH/UFFE Analyzer software and custom Microsoft Excel macro’s, such that the average daily sedentary break number were calculated for each data record, for both methods.

Results

The Healy–Matthews and MAH/UFFE average daily break number correlated closely (R2 = 99.9%) and there was high agreement (mean difference: + 0.7 breaks/day; 95% limits of agreement: − 0.06 to + 1.4 breaks/day). A slight bias of approximately + 1 break/day for the MAH/UFFE Analyzer was evident for both the regression and agreement analyses. At a group level there were no statistically or practically significant differences within sample groups between the two methods.
Munchausen syndrome mimicking refractory subcutaneous abscess with bacteremia, diagnosed by repetitive element sequence-based polymerase chain reaction: a case report
Authors: Iwanaga Naoki , Yamamoto Kazuko , Takazono Takahiro , Saijo Tomomi , Imamura Yoshifumi , Miyazaki Taiga , Izumikawa Koichi , Yamamoto Yoshihiro , Yanagihara Katsunori , Yasuoka Akira , Mukae Hiroshi
Published: September 2019

Background

Rapid diagnosis and appropriate treatment of Munchausen syndrome is important not only for the patient but also for health care workers because a delay in diagnosis can worsen patients’ clinical outcomes, and result in a substantial medical cost.

Case presentation

A young and previously healthy 24-year-old Japanese woman, a nurse, presented with complaints of refractory abscess on her left upper limb for 3 months. A physical examination on admission revealed low-grade fever and a subcutaneous abscess in her left forearm. Laboratory data suggested mild systemic inflammation and liver dysfunction, but no abnormalities of the immune system, including changes in the number of lymphocytes and neutrophils, neutrophil phagocytic capacity, and natural killer (NK) cell activity, were observed. A human immunodeficiency virus test was also negative. Multiple modalities, including positron emission tomography-computed tomography, failed to detect any cause and focus of infection except her left upper limb. Streptococcus mitis and Prevotella buccae were detected from the wound, but no microorganisms were detected in a blood culture. The cellulitis promptly resolved; however, exacerbation of the subcutaneous abscess with polymicrobial bacteremia repeatedly occurred unexpectedly. Because of this puzzling clinical course, the possibility of self-injury was finally suspected. Three syringes with needles, with a turbid liquid, were found in our patient’s bag. Enterobacter cloacae and Enterococcus faecalis were detected in the liquid, and an analysis via repetitive element sequence-based polymerase chain reaction determined that Enterococcus faecalis in the wound and syringe contents were genetically identical. She was diagnosed as having Munchausen syndrome and treated with the collaboration of a psychiatrist. She finally confessed that she had injected her own saliva and toilet water into the drip line and wound.

Conclusions

This case report is valuable in that it is the first case in which this syndrome was diagnosed by a genetic method. Munchausen syndrome should not be neglected as a possible cause of refractory and recurrent infection.
Estimation of body height from percutaneous length of tibia in Debre Markos University students, North West Ethiopia
Authors: Sume Bickes Wube
Published: September 2019

Introduction

Estimation of body height from measurement of various body parts is a particular interest to forensic scientists to complete biological profile after death. However, establishing the identity of an individual from mutilated, decomposed, and amputated body fragments has become a challenging task in medico-legal cases.

Objective of the study

To estimate body height from percutaneous length of the tibia in Debre Markos University (DMU) students.

Materials and methods

Institution-based cross-sectional prospective study was conducted in undergraduate students of DMU. The sample size was 572, and data were collected from April 2018 to December 2018. Height and percutaneous tibial length were measured in both sexes. Data were analyzed through SPSS version 25. Level of significance was set at P < 0.05.

Results

The mean age of study participants was 21.27 ± 1.74 years for males and 20.41 ± 1.58 years for females. The mean height of study participants was also 168.36 ± 5.89 cm for males and 165.24 ± 4.01 cm for females. The tibial length was strongly correlated with body height in the males than the females: right tibial length (males R = 0.634, females R = 0.259) and left tibial length (males R = 0.632, females R = 0.258). Independent t test exhibited statistically significant gender differences (P < 0.05) with the males having consistently higher values than the females. Paired t test revealed the existence of bilateral asymmetry between the right and left tibial lengths (P < 0.05). The relatively highest correlation was depicted in the right tibial length in both males and females.

Conclusion

The mean value of height and tibial length was greater in males than that of females, and these differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Tibial length was significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with height in both sexes. Therefore, tibial length can predict body height in both sexes.