bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Flow velocity and nutrients affect CO2 emissions from agricultural drainage channels in the North China Plain
Authors: Leng Peifang , Li Fadong , Du Kun , Li Zhao , Gu Congke , Koschorreck Matthias
Published: August 2020

Background
Groundwater is typically over-saturated with respect to CO2. Irrigation with groundwater is a common agricultural practice in many countries, but little is known about the fate of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in irrigation groundwater and its contribution to the CO2 emission inventory from land to the atmosphere. We performed a mesocosm experiment to study the fate of DIC entering agricultural drainage channels in the North China Plain. Specifically, we aimed to unravel the effect of flow velocity and nutrient on CO2 emissions.
Results
All treatments were emitting CO2. Approximately half of the DIC in the water was consumed by TOC production (1–16%), emitted to the atmosphere (14–20%), or precipitated as calcite (CaCO3) (14–20%). We found that DIC depletion was stimulated by nutrient addition, whereas more CO2 evasion occurred in the treatments without nutrients addition. On the other hand, about 50% of CO2 was emitted within the first 50 h under high flow velocity. Thus, in the short term, high nutrient levels may counteract CO2 emissions from drainage channels, whereas the final fate of the produced biomass (burial versus mineralization to CO2 or even CH4) determines the duration of the effect.
Conclusion
Our study reveals that both hydrology and biological processes affect CO2 emissions from groundwater irrigation channels. The estimated CO2 emission from total groundwater depletion in the North China Plain is up to 0.52 ± 0.07 Mt CO2 y− 1. Thus, CO2 emissions from groundwater irrigation should be considered in regional CO2 budgets, especially given that groundwater depletion is expected to acceleration in the future.
Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Findings of Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Neuroendocrine Carcinoma: Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Wang Hong , Yang Dan , Luo Yan , Peng Yulan , Ling Wenwu
Published: August 2020

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with concurrent occurrence of primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) of the liver is very rare. Preoperative diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma with neuroendocrine carcinoma to be very difﬁcult. Case presentation: A 33-year-old male was referred to our hospital due to liver space-occupying lesion. To further diagnosis, he received laboratory tests, gray-scale US, and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). In this present study, ethical approval was not necessary, as this article is a case report, which is based on the clinical information of the patient. The patient gave his permission for publication of the case. Gray-scale abdominal ultrasound image demonstrated a mass at the inferior segment of the right posteriorr liver lobe with liver cirrhosis. In CEUS, the lesion was homogeneously hyper-enhanced in the arterial phase, heterogenous mild enhancement in the portal phase and hypo-enhanced in the parenchymal phase. The patient received middle hepatectomy, spleenectomy and cholecystectomy. He had an uneventful recovery from the procedure.Conclusions: We presented a case report with HCC with NEC, focusing on the ultrasound imaging features of this tumor, especially its enhancement pattern on CEUS. This is the first CEUS performance reported in association with HCC with NEC. CEUS provided helpful information for diagnosis. We should not simply diagnose such tumors as HCC, but think about the possibilities of HCC another type of cancer, especially in patients with the chronic liver disease.
Porphyrin-based metal coordination polymers with self-assembly pathway-dependent properties for photodynamic and photothermal therapy
Authors: Miao Yuyang , Lv Shibo , Zheng Daoyuan , Liu Yuhan , Liu Dapeng , Song Fengling
Published: August 2020

Porphyrin-based metal coordination polymers (MCPs) have attracted numerous attention due to their great promise application in phototherapy including photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT). However, the detailed self-assembly process of porphyrin-based MCPs still remains poorly understood. This work provides a detailed study of the self-assembly process of MCPs constructed by Mn2+ and TCPP (TCPP: 4,4′,4′′,4′′′-(Porphine-5,10,15,20-tetrayl)tetrakis(benzoic acid)) in aqueous solution. Unlike traditional nucleation and growth mechanism, we discover that there is a metastable metal-organic intermediate which is kinetically favored in the self-assembly process. And the metastable metal-organic intermediate nanotape structures could convert into thermodynamically favored nanosheets through disassembling into monomers followed by reassembling process. Moreover, the two structurally different assemblies exhibit distinct photophysical performances. The intermediate Mn-TCPP aggregates show good light-induced singlet oxygen 1O2 generation for PDT while the thermodynamic favored stable Mn-TCPP aggregates exhibit good photothermal conversion ability as photothermal agents (PTAs). This study could facilitate controlling self-assembly pathway to fabricate complex MCPs with desirable applications.
4D imaging reveals mechanisms of clay-carbon protection and release
Authors: Yang Judy , Zhang Xinning , Bourg Ian , Stone Howard
Published: August 2020

Soil absorbs about 20% of anthropogenic CO2 emissions annually, and clay is the key carbon-capture material. Although sorption to clay is widely assumed to strongly retard the microbial decomposition of soil organic matter, enhanced degradation of clay-associated organic carbon has been observed under certain conditions. The conditions in which clay inhibits microbial decomposition remain uncertain because the mechanisms of clay-organic carbon interactions are not fully understood. Here we reveal the spatiotemporal dynamics of carbon sorption and release within clay aggregates and the role of enzymatic decomposition by directly imaging a transparent smectite clay on a microfluidic chip. We demonstrate that clay-carbon protection is due to the quasi-irreversible sorption of high molecular-weight sugars within clay aggregates and the exclusion of bacteria from these aggregates. We show that this physically-protected carbon can be enzymatically broken down into fragments that are released into solution. Further, we suggest improvements relevant to soil carbon models.
Significance of lactate clearance in septic shock patients with high bilirubin levels.
Authors: Takahashi Nozomi , Nakada Taka-aki , Walley Keith , Russell James
Published: August 2020

Background

Although lactate clearance is affected by hepatic function, it is unclear whether the hepatic dysfunction is associated with lactate clearance as a prognostic marker of clinical outcomes in septic shock. We aimed to evaluate association between the lactate clearance and mortality divided by hepatic dysfunction based on total bilirubin level using two cohort of septic shock patients.
Methods

Lactate clearance, delta base excess and delta anion gap in 24 hours from septic shock onset were analyzed using two cohorts of septic shock patients (derivation cohort, n = 230; validation cohort, n = 396) categorized into two groups by total bilirubin levels (TBIL) < 2 mg/dL and ≥ 2 mg/dL on day 1. The primary analysis was association between lactate clearance and 28-day mortality by total bilirubin category.
Results

In derivation cohort, lactate clearance was lower in non-survivors compared to survivors in the patients with TBIL ≥ 2 mg/dL (P = 0.0035), while there was a no significant difference in those with TBIL < 2 mg/dL. There were no significant differences in delta base excess and delta anion gap between non-survivors and survivors both in the patients with TBIL ≥ 2 mg/dL and < 2 mg/dL. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, increased lactate clearance was significantly associated with decreased 28-day mortality in TBIL ≥ 2 mg/d group (10% lactate clearance, adjusted odds ratio 0.88, 95%CI; 0.80–0.97, P = 0.0075), whereas there was no significant association in TBIL < 2 mg/d group. We next tested for lactate clearance in TBIL ≥ 2 mg/dL using the validation cohort; lactate clearance was lower in non-survivors compared to survivors in the TBIL ≥ 2 mg/dL group (P = 0.0006), while no significant difference was observed in TBIL < 2 mg/dL. Increased lactate clearance was significantly associated with decreased 28-day mortality in the TBIL ≥ 2 mg/dL group (10% lactate clearance, adjusted odds ratio 0.89, 95%CI; 0.83–0.96, P = 0.0038); while no significant difference was observed in TBIL < 2 mg/dL in the validation cohort.
Conclusions

Patients with increased lactate clearance had decreased 28-day mortality when patients had hepatic dysfunction (TBIL ≥ 2 mg/dL) in septic shock.
Association Between Nontraditional Lipid Profiles and Peripheral Arterial Disease in Chinese adults with Hypertension
Authors: Ding Congcong , Chen Yang , Shi Yumeng , Li Minghui , Hu Lihua , Zhou Wei , Wang Tao , Zhu Lingjuan , Huang Xiao , Bao Huihui , Cheng Xiaoshu
Published: August 2020

Background: Data concerning the association between nontraditional lipid profiles [total cholesterol (TC)/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio, triglyceride (TG)/HDL-C ratio, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)/HDL-C ratio, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C)] and the risk of peripheral artery disease (PAD) are limited. We aimed to evaluate the association between nontraditional lipid indices and the risk of PAD in Chinese hypertensive population.Methods: In the cross-sectional study, a total of 10,900 adults with hypertension were enrolled. PAD was defined as ankle-brachial index < 0.9. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association between nontraditional lipid profiles and PAD. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was also used. Results: All nontraditional lipid profiles were independently and positively associated with the prevalence of PAD in a dose response fashion. In multivariable models, we observed a 37%, 14%, 40%, and 24% higher risk for PAD with each SD increment in TC/HDL-C, TG/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C ratios, and non-HDL-C levels, respectively. Compared with the lowest tertile, the multivariate-adjusted ORs (95% CI) were 1.77 (1.31, 2.40), 1.71 (1.25, 2.34), 2.03 (1.50, 2.74), 1.70 (1.25, 2.31) for the highest tertile of TC/HDL-C, TG/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C ratios, and non-HDL-C, respectively. Furthermore, the area under the curves (AUCs) for LDL-C/HDL-C ratio (0.548; 95% CI, 0.516-0.581) and TC/HDL-C ratio (0.547; 95% CI, 0.514-0.579) were significantly larger than those for TG/HDL-C ratio (0.508; 95% CI, 0.461-0.523) and non-HDL-C (0.519; 95% CI, 0.486-0.552).Conclusions: All nontraditional lipid profiles were positively associated with PAD in Chinese adults with hypertension, among which LDL-C/HDL-C and TC/HDL-C ratio were better for predicting PAD.Trial registration: CHiCTR, ChiCTR1800017274. Registered 20 July 2018
Associations Between Cerebral Morphology and Objective Memory Performance in Patients With Subjective Cognitive Decline
Authors: Li Qinjie , Ren Anran , Cui Liang , Sun Xiaokang , Zhong Yuan , Wang Beiyun , Miao Ya , Guo Qihao
Published: August 2020

Background: Previous studies reported subjective cognitive decline (SCD) linked to underlying the biomarker of early AD pathology. There is a lack of studies on whether structural brain changes and how cerebral morphology in association with verbal and visuospatial episodic memory performance.Method: We combined VBM and SBM analysis for evaluating structural alterations in gray matter atrophy and cortical thickness among individuals with SCD, MCI, AD and normal controls and investigated the associations between cerebral morphology and AVLT-H, BVMT-R performance in the whole samples and SCD, respectively. Results: No significant regional gray matter volume atrophy and cortical thickness differences were found between SCD and normal controls. We found that immediate recall in verbal learning performance was significantly correlated with the loss of bilateral hippocampus volume in SCD group, furthermore, attention capacity (SDMT) was positively correlated with bilateral hippocampus atrophy and AVLT-IR in individuals with pre-MCI cognitive status.Conclusions: Our results found hippocampal atrophy links much closer with verbal memory than visuospatial memory and immediate recall in verbal learning test was probably the primary deficit and maybe influenced by the attention capacity.
Chemoradiotherapy for Limited-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer and Interstitial Lung Abnormalities
Authors: Kobayashi Haruki , Wakuda Kazushige , Naito Tateaki , Mamesaya Nobuaki , Omori Shota , Ono Akira , Kenmotsu Hirotsugu , Murakami Haruyasu , Endo Masahiro , Harada Hideyuki , Gon Yasuhiro , Takahashi Toshiaki
Published: August 2020

Purpose: Patients with lung cancer and interstitial lung disease treated with radiotherapy have been reported to be at a risk of developing radiation pneumonitis. However, the association between interstitial lung abnormalities (ILA) and radiation pneumonitis in patients with limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC) remains unclear. Furthermore, the prognosis is unclear for patients with SCLC and ILA treated with chemoradiotherapy. We investigated the impact of ILA on radiation pneumonitis and assessed the prognosis of patients with LS-SCLC and ILA treated chemoradiotherapy. Methods and materials: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 149 patients with LS-SCLC who received first-line treatment between January 2009 and December 2016. Results: In a univariate analysis, the patients with ILA showed a higher incidence rate of radiation pneumonitis compared with those without ILA (64% vs. 10%); multivariate analysis confirmed that ILA was significantly associated with the incidence of radiation pneumonitis. In the univariate analysis, patients with ILA showed poorer overall survival than those without ILA (median, 18.9 vs. 67.9 months). Multivariate analysis showed that ILA was a significant independent negative prognostic factor. However, the 2-year and 5-year survival rates for the patients with ILA treated with chemoradiotherapy were 36% and 26%, respectively; for those treated with chemotherapy alone were 8% and 0%, respectively.Conclusions: ILA was a predictive factor for radiation pneumonitis in patients with LS-SCLC treated with chemoradiotherapy. The prognosis of the patients with LS-SCLC and ILA was poor; however, some patients with ILA treated chemoradiotherapy achieved long-term survival.
Hypermethylation of RAD9A intron 2 in childhood cancer patients, leukemia and tumor cell lines suggest a role for oncogenic transformation
Authors: Galetzka Danuta , Boeck Julia , Dittrich Marcus , Sinizyn Olesja , Ludwig Marco , Rossmann Heidi , Spix Claudia , Radsak Markus , Scholz-Kreisel Peter , Mirsch Johanna , Linke Matthias , Brenner Walburgis , Marron Manuela , Poplawski Alicia , Prawitt Dirk , Haaf Thomas , Schmidberger Heinz
Published: August 2020

Background: Most childhood cancers occur sporadically and cannot be explained by an inherited mutation or an unhealthy lifestyle. This suggests other predisposition defects that may support the oncogenic transformation of cells, e.g. via impaired DNA-repair. Our study consequently aims to investigate the impact of increased methylation of intron 2 of RAD9A in cancer patients which may be associated with oncogenic transformation. Methods: We performed an epimutation screen of RAD9A and other candidate genes ( APC , CDKN2A , EFNA5 , and TP53 ) using bisulfite pyrosequencing and deep bisulfite sequencing (DBS) in skin fibroblasts of 20 patients with primary cancer in childhood and second primary cancer (2N) later in life, 20 matched patients with only one primary cancer (1N) in childhood and 20 matched cancer-free (0N) controls. Furthermore, we analyzed leukemia cancer samples, tumor cell lines, EBV lymphoblasts and FaDu subclones. Radiation, colony formation assays, cell proliferation, PCR and molecular karyotype SNP-array experiments were performed. Data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis rank-sum test, Benjamini-Hochberg procedure, REML and R-scripts. Results: Four 1N patients and one 2N patient displayed elevated mean methylation levels (>10%) in intron 2 of RAD9A . DBS of RAD9A in these patients revealed >2% hypermethylated alleles consistent with relevant epimutations. We found RAD9A hypermethylation in the bone marrow of patients with pre-ALL (pre-acute lymphoblastic leukemia), AML (acute myeloid leukemia), NHL (non-Hodgkin lymphoma), PBL (plasmablastic lymphoma) and EBV-(Epstein Barr virus) transformed lymphoblastoid cells. Molecular karyotyping of AML samples with hypermethylated RAD9A showed an evolving duplication of 1.8 kb on Chr16p13.3 including the PKD1 gene. In generated FaDu subclones with hypermethylated RAD9A, we found a homozygous inactivation of CHD2, SPATA8 , SMARCA1 and a 302 kb duplication including genes deregulated in cancer. The detected aberrations proved to influence cell viability. RAD9A methylation was not affected by radiation or the chemotherapeutical daunorubicin.Conclusion: The analysis of patient samples, cell lines and subclones suggest a connection between methylation levels of the RAD9A intron 2 locus and inactivation or amplification of important genes and survival of the cells. We propose that RAD9A epimutations may have an impact on leukemia, tumorigenesis, cancer progression and can potentially serve as a valuable biomarker.
A practice facilitation-guided intervention in primary care settings to reduce cardiovascular disease risk: A cost analysis
Authors: Gold Heather T , Siman Nina , Cuthel Allison M , Nguyen Ann M , Pham-Singer Hang , Berry Carolyn A , Shelley Donna R
Published: August 2020

Background. A stepped-wedge, cluster randomized controlled trial assessed the effectiveness of practice facilitation (PF) for adoption of guidelines for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease risk factors. This study estimated the associated cost of PF for guideline adoption in small, private primary care practices. Methods. The cost analysis included categories for start-up costs, intervention costs, and practice staff costs for the implemented PF-guided intervention. We estimated the total one-year costs to operate the program, and calculated the mean and range of the cost-per-practice by quarter of the intervention. We estimated the lower and upper bounds for all salary expenses, rounding to the nearest $100. Results. Total one-year intervention costs for all 261 practices ranged from $7,900,000-$10,200,000, with program and practice salaries comprising $6,600,000-$8,400,000 of the total. Start-up costs were a small proportion (3%) of total one-year costs. Excluding start-up costs, quarter 1 cost-per-practice was the most expensive at $20,400-$26,700, and quarter 4 was least expensive at about $10,000. Practice staff time (compared with program staff time) was the majority of the staffing costs at 75-84%. Conclusions. The PF strategy cost approximately $10,000 per practice per quarter for program and practice costs, once implemented and running at highest efficiency. Whether this program is “worth it” to the decision-maker depends on the relative costs and effectiveness of their other options for improving cardiovascular risk reduction.Trial Registration. This study is retrospectively registered on January 5, 2016 at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02646488. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02646488
Influence of Bactrocera Dorsalis Larval Gut Bacteria on its Susceptibility to the Entomopathogenic Fungus, Metarhizium Anisopliae
Authors: Gichuhi Joseph , Khamis Fathiya , Berg Johnnie Van den , Mohamed Samira , Ekesi Sunday , Herren Jeremy
Published: August 2020

Symbiotic interactions between insects and bacteria have been associated with a vast variety of physiological, ecological and evolutionary consequences for the host. A wide range of bacterial communities have been found in association with the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae), an important pest of cultivated fruit in most regions of the world. We evaluated the diversity of gut bacteria in B. dorsalis specimens from several populations in Kenya and investigated the roles of individual bacterial isolates in the development of axenic B. dorsalis fly lines and their responses to the entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae. We utilized a high throughput sequencing approach of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene to evaluate microbiomes, coupled with culture and mono-association for the assay. The shortest embryonic development period was recorded in flies with an intact gut microbiome while the longest period was recorded in germ-free fly lines. Similarly, larval development was shortest in flies with an intact gut microbiome. Adult B. dorsalis flies emerging from embryos inoculated with a strain of Lactococcus lactis had decreased survival when challenged with a standard dosage of M. anisopliae ICIPE69 conidia. However, there were no differences in survival between the germ-free lines and flies with an intact microbiome. These findings contribute to the selection of probiotics used in artificial diets for B. dorsalis rearing and the development of improved integrated pest management strategies based on entomopathogenic fungi.
Forecasting the Effectiveness of the DeWorm3 Trial in Interrupting the Transmission of Soil-transmitted Helminths in Three Study Sites in Benin, India and Malawi
Authors: Truscott James , Hardwick Robert J , Werkman Marleen , Saravanakumar Puthupalayam Kaliappan , Manuel Malathi , ajjampur Sitara S R , Asbjornsdottir Kristjana H , Khumbo Kalua , Witek-McManus Stefan , Simwanza James , Cottrell Gilles , Houngbégnon Parfait , Ibikounlé Moudachirou , Walson Judd L , Anderson Roy M
Published: August 2020

Background The DeWorm3 project is an ongoing cluster-randomised trial assessing the feasibility of interrupting the transmission of soil-transmitted helminths (STH) through mass drug administration (MDA) using study sites in India, Malawi and Benin. In this paper, we describe an approach which uses a combination of statistical and mathematical methods to forecast the outcome of the trial with respect to its stated goal of reducing the prevalence of infection to below 2%. Methods Our approach is firstly to define the local patterns of transmission within each study site, which is achieved by statistical inference of key epidemiological parameters using the baseline epidemiological measures of age-related prevalence and intensity of STH infection which have been collected by the DeWorm3 trials team. We use these inferred parameters to calibrate an individual-based stochastic simulation of the trial at the cluster and study site level which is subsequently run to forecast the future prevalence of STH infections. The simulator takes into account both the uncertainties in parameter estimation and the variability inherent in epidemiological and demographic processes in the simulator. We interpret the forecast results from our simulation with reference to the stated goal of the DeWorm3 trial, to achieve a target of ≤ 2% prevalence at a point 24 months post-cessation of MDA. Results Simulated output predicts that the two arms will be distinguishable from each other in all three country sites at the study endpoint. In India and Malawi, measured prevalence in the intervention arm is below the threshold with a high probability (90% and 95%, respectively), but that in Benin the heterogeneity between clusters prevents the arm prevalence being reduced below the threshold value. At the level of individual study arms within each site, heterogeneity among clusters leads to a very low probability of achieving complete elimination in an intervention arm, yielding a post-study scenario with widespread elimination but a few `hot spot' areas of persisting STH transmission.Conclusions Our results suggest that geographical heterogeneities in transmission intensity and worm aggregation have a large impact on the effect of MDA. It is important to accurately assessing cluster-level, or even smaller scale, heterogeneities in factors which influence transmission and aggregation for a clearer perspective on projecting the outcomes of MDA control of STH and other neglected tropical diseases.
Agreement in Breast Lesion Assessment and Final BI-RADS Classification Between Radial and Meander-Like Breast Ultrasound
Authors: Brasier-Lutz Pascale , Jäggi-Wickes Claudia , Schaedelin Sabine , Burian Rosemarie , Schoenenberger Cora-Ann , Zanetti-Dällenbach Rosanna
Published: August 2020

Background: This study prospectively investigates the agreement between radial (r-US) and meander-like (m-US) breast ultrasound with regard to lesion location, lesion size, morphological characteristics and final BI-RADS classification of individual breast lesions. Methods: Each patient of a consecutive, unselected, mixed collective received a dual ultrasound examination. Results: The agreement between r-US and m-US for lesion location ranged from good (lesion to mammilla distance ICC 0.64; lesion to skin distance ICC 0.72) to substantial (clock-face localization κ 0.70). For lesion size the agreement was good (diameter ICC 0.72; volume ICC 0.69), for lesion margin and architectural distortion it was substantial (κ 0.68 and 0.70, respectively). Most importantly, there was a substantial agreement (κ 0.76) in the final BI-RADS classification between r-US and m-US.Conclusions: Our recent comparison of radial and meander-like breast US revealed that the diagnostic accuracy of the two scanning methods was comparable. In this study, we observe a high degree of agreement between m-US and r-US for the lesion description (location, size, morphology) and final BI-RADS classification. These findings corroborate that r-US is a suitable alternative to m-US in daily clinical practice.Trial registration: NCT02358837. Registered January 2015, retrospectively registeredhttps://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=&term=NCT02358837&cntry=&state=&city=&dist=
Invasion of Pterygoid Plates; an Indicator for Regional Lymph Node Failure in Maxillary Sinus Cancer
Authors: Kosugi Yasuo , Kawamoto Terufumi , Oshima Masaki , Fujimaki Mitsuhisa , Ohba Shinichi , Matsumoto Fumihiko , Shikama Naoto , Sasai Keisuke
Published: August 2020

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term treatment results of combined superselective intraarterial chemotherapy and radiation therapy for advanced maxillary sinus cancer (MSC) and the incidence of regional lymph node failure, and to reveal the clinical and anatomical predictive factors for metastasis. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 55 consecutive patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the maxillary sinus who were treated with external radiotherapy and superselective intraarterial chemotherapy. Elective nodal irradiation (ENI) was performed only in the clinical node-positive (cN+) cases and not in the clinical node-negative (cN0) cases. Results: Thirty-eight patients were cN0, and 17 were cN+ at diagnosis. Regional lymph node metastases occurred in 7 of 38 patients with cN0, and 2 of 17 with cN+ during the median follow-up period of 36 months. There were more cases of high-grade (3 or 4) late adverse events in the ENI group than in the non-ENI group (13% vs. 41%, respectively; p = 0.03). In cN0 cases without ENI, invasion of the pterygoid plates (57% vs. 90%; p < 0.01) and oral cavity (35% vs. 92%; p = 0.02) was significantly correlated with a low 5-year regional recurrence-free rate. Conclusions: Patients with MCS and invasion of the pterygoid plates and oral cavity can be considered appropriate candidates for ENI.
Upregulated CDKN2A expression may be an independent protective factor in Luminal-like breast cancer
Authors: Qiu Yier , Lu Guowen , Wu Yingjie
Published: August 2020

Background: Previous studies revealed that CDKN2A (cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A) functioned as a tumour suppressor in various types of malignant tumours. The aim of the study was to clarify the value of CDKN2A expression in the prognosis of breast cancer.Method: Using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we compared CDKN2A mRNA levels between breast cancer tissues and normal tissues and analyzed the relationship between clinical features and CDKN2A expression with the Wilcox test and the Kruskal-Wallis test. Kaplan-Meier and Cox analyses were performed to determine the correlation between CDKN2A expression and breast cancer prognosis. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed using the TCGA data set.Results: We first found that CDKN2A expression was markedly higher in breast cancer tissues than in normal tissues using the TCGA database (P=0.000). In addition, CDKN2A mRNA expression in breast cancer was positively correlated with age (P=0.018), histological types (P=0.028), ER status (P=0.000), PR status (P=0.000) and molecular subtypes (P=0.000). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that increased CDKN2A expression was associated with increased survival time in breast cancer patients (P=0.000), especially in Luminal-like subtype. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses indicated that CDKN2A expression was an independent prognostic biomarker for breast cancer (P=0.037). GSEA suggested that pathways involving cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), cytokine-receptor interactions, cytosolic DNA sensing, the cell cycle, and killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity were differentially enriched in the CDKN2A-high expression group.Conclusion: Our research demonstrated that high CDKN2A mRNA expression was an independent protective factor for improved prognosis in Luminal-like breast cancer. Additionally, the signaling pathways related to CAMs, cytokine-receptor interactions, cytosolic DNA sensing, the cell cycle, and killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity regulated by CDKN2A mRNA expression should be further studied.
Prostaglandin A1 inhibits the phosphorylation of tau via activating protein phosphotase 2A in a michael addition mechanism at the site of cysteine 377
Authors: Xu Guo-Biao , Guan Pei-Pei , Wang Pu
Published: August 2020

Background: Prostaglandin (PG) A1 is a metabolic product of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), which potentially involved in regulating the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). As a cyclopentenone (cy) PG, PGA1 is characterized by the presence of a chemically reactive α, β-unsaturated carbonyl. Although PGA1 is potentially involved in regulating multiple biological processes via michael addition, its specific roles in AD remained unclear.Methods: The tauP301S transgenic (Tg) mice were employed as in vivo AD models and neuroblastoma (N) 2a cells as in vitro neuronal models. By intracerebroventricular injected (i.c.v) with PGA1, the binding proteins to PGA1 are analyzed by HPLC-MS-MS. In addition, western blots are used to determine the phosphorylation of tau in PGA1 treated Tg mice in the absence or presence of okadaic acid (OA), an inhibitor of protein phosphotase (PP) 2A. Combining a synthesis of pull down assay, immunoprecipitation, western blots and HPLC-MS-MS, PP2A scaffold subunit A alpha (PPP2R1A) was identified to be activated by directly binding on PGA1 in cysteine 377-dependent manner. Via inhibiting the hyperphosphorylation of tau, morris maze test was employed to determine the inhibitory effects of PGA1 on cognitive decline of tauP301S Tg mice.Results: By incubation with neuroblastoma (n)2a cells and pull down assay, mass spectra (MS) analysis revealed that PGA1 binds with more than 1000 proteins, among which contains the proteins of AD, especially tau protein. Moreover, short-term administration of PGA1 to tauP301S Tg mice significantly decreased the phosphorylation of tau at the sites of Thr181, Ser202 and Ser404 in a dose-dependent manner. To the reason, it’s caused by activating PPP2R1A in tauP301S Tg mice. More importantly, PGA1 has the ability to form michael adduct with PPP2R1A via its cysteine 377 motif, which is critical for the enzymatic activity of PP2A. By activating PP2A, long-term application of PGA1 to tauP301S Tg mice significantly reduced the phosphorylation of tau, which results in improving the cognitive decline of tauP301S Tg mice.Conclusion: Our data provided the first insights needed to decipher the mechanisms underlying the ameliorating effects of PGA1 on cognitive decline of tauP301S Tg mice via activating PP2A in a PPP2R1AC377-dependent Michael adducting mechanisms.
India’s Tariff on CPO and CPO Price: Why Tariff Matters More than Price on Indonesia’s CPO
Authors: Negoro Habibulloh Adi , Herdiansyah Herdis , Sari Ravita , Munandar Muhammad Adis , Haryanto Joko Tri
Published: August 2020

Palm oil and its derivatives are one of Indonesia's prominent export commodities on the global market. India is one of the main biggest export destinations of Indonesia's CPO, thus every trade policy taken by India regarding CPO is important to Indonesia's trade balance. This study has found that tariff imposed by India on Indonesia's CPO has an elastic relationship compared to the CPO price. Moreover, this study found that changes in tariff are likely to significantly affect Indonesia's CPO export to India, compared to CPO price. Increase in price does not affect Indonesia's CPO export to India since it has inelastic relationship; as such the percentage of change in quantity does not exceed the change of price percentage.
Structure of the far-red light utilizing photosystem I of Acaryochloris
Authors: Hamaguchi Tasuku , Kawakami Keisuke , Shinzawa-Itoh Kyoko , Inoue-Kashino Natsuko , Itoh Shigeru , Ifuku Kentaro , Yamashita Eiki , Maeda Kou , Yonekura Koji , Kashino Yasuhiro
Published: August 2020

Acaryochloris marina is a cyanobacterium that can, uniquely, use far-red light for oxygenic photosynthesis. Here, we report the structure of the photosystem I reaction center of A. marina determined by cryo-electron microscopy at 2.5 Å resolution. The structure reveals a unique arrangement of electron carriers and light harvesting pigments. The primary electron donor P740 is a dimer of chlorophyll d/d′ and the primary electron acceptor pheophytin a, a metal-less chlorin different from the chlorophyll a common to all other oxygenic type I reaction centers. The architecture of the 11 subunits and identity of key components help explain how the low energy yield from far-red light is efficiently utilized for driving oxygenic photosynthesis.
A Case of Wernicke Encephalopathy in a Dementia Caregiver: the Need for Nutritional Evaluation in Family Caregivers
Authors: Ishida Mayumi , Uchida Nozomu , Itami Kumi , Sato Izumi , Yoshioka Akira , Onishi Hideki
Published: August 2020

Background: We report a case in which a family member caring for her mother with dementia developed Wernicke encephalopathy, which is a neuropsychiatric disorder caused by acute/subacute thiamine deficiency, during the course of care. Case presentation: A 63-year-old woman consulted our psychiatric outpatient clinic complaining of difficulty in providing care. She had started caring for her mother with dementia 6 months previously, during which time she began to feel tired. In addition, a loss of appetite had appeared 2 months prior to her visit, and this had decreased to about 30% of normal from 10 days previously. Neurologically, she experienced mild unsteadiness, but she was fully conscious and had no ocular symptoms. Based on the fact that the store of thiamine in the body is exhausted in about 18 days, the possibility of thiamine deficiency was considered, and her unsteadiness disappeared after an intravenous injection of thiamine. Test results showed her serum thiamine level to be abnormally low, and the patient was diagnosed with Wernicke encephalopathy. Conclusions: The burden of caring for a dementia patient may affect the nutritional status of the family caregiver. Thiamine deficiency should be one of the items considered as a nutritional issue in such caregivers.
A Proteomic Repertoire of Autoantigens Identified from the Classic Autoantibody Clinical Test Substrate HEp-2 Cells
Authors: Wang Julia Y , Zhang Wei , Rho Jung-hyun , Roehrl Michael W , Roehrl Michael H.
Published: August 2020

Background: Autoantibodies are a hallmark of autoimmune diseases. Autoantibody screening by indirect immunofluorescence staining of HEp-2 cells with patient sera is a current standard in clinical practice. Differential diagnosis of autoimmune disorders is based on commonly recognizable nuclear and cytoplasmic staining patterns. In this study, we attempted identifying as many autoantigens as possible from HEp-2 cells using a unique DS-affinity enrichment strategy.Methods: HEp-2 cells were cultured and lysed. Total proteins were extracted from cell lysate and fractionated with DS-Sepharose resins. Proteins were eluted with salt gradients, and fractions with low to high affinity were collected and sequenced by mass spectrometry. Literature text mining was conducted to verify the autoantigenicity of each protein. Protein interaction network and pathway analyses were performed on all identified proteins. Results: This study identified 107 proteins from fractions with low to high DS-affinity. Of these, 78 are verified autoantigens with previous reports as targets of autoantibodies, whereas 29 might be potential autoantigens yet to be verified. Among the 107 proteins, 82 can be located to nucleus and 15 to the mitotic cell cycle, which may correspond to the dominance of nuclear and mitotic staining patterns in HEp-2 test. There are 55 vesicle-associated proteins and 12 ribonucleoprotein granule proteins, which may contribute to the diverse speckled patterns in HEp-2 stains. There are also 32 proteins related to the cytoskeleton. Protein network analysis indicates that these proteins have significantly more interactions among themselves than would be expected of a random set, with the top 3 networks being mRNA metabolic process regulation, apoptosis, and DNA conformation change.Conclusions: This study provides a proteomic repertoire of confirmed and potential autoantigens for future studies, and it provides strong support for a unifying mechanism of autoantigenicity on how self-molecules may form molecular complexes with DS to elicit autoimmunity, which may help unravel the molecular etiology of autoimmunity and deepen our understanding of autoimmune diseases.
Factors associated with the poor outcomes in diabetic patients with COVID-19
Authors: Rastad Hadith , Ejtahed Hanieh-Sadat , Mahdavi-Ghorabi Armita , Safari Anis , Shahrestanaki Ehsan , Rezaei Mohammad , Niksima Mohammad Mahdi , Zakani Akram , Manshadi Seyede Hanieh Dehghan , Ochi Fatemeh , saedi Shabnam , Khodaparast Zeinab , Hassani Neda Shafiabadi , Azimzadeh Mehdi , Qorbani Mostafa
Published: August 2020

Background
Diabetic’s patients are supposed to experience higher rates of COVID-19 related poor outcomes. We aimed to determined factors predicting poor outcomes in hospitalized diabetic patients with COVID-19.
Methods
This retrospective cohort study included all adult diabetic patients with radiological or laboratory confirmed COVID-19 who hospitalized between 20 February 2020 and 27 April 2020 in Alborz province, Iran. Data on demographic, medical history, and laboratory test at presentation were obtained from electronic medical records. Diagnosis of diabetes mellitus was self-reported. Comorbidities including cancer, rheumatism, immunodeficiency, or chronic diseases of respiratory, liver, and blood were classified as “other comorbidities” due to low frequency. The assessed poor outcomes were in-hospital mortality, need to ICU care, and receiving invasive mechanical ventilation. Self-reported. Multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to quantify the predictors of in-hospital mortality from COVID-19 in patients with DM.
Results
Of 455 included patients, 98(21.5%) received ICU care, 65(14.3%) required invasive mechanical ventilation, and 79 (17.4%) dead. In the multivariate model, significant predictors of “death of COVID-19” were age 65 years or older (OR (95% CI): 2.0 (1.16–3.44), chronic kidney disease (CKD) (2.05 (1.16–3.62), presence of “other comorbidities” (2.20 (1.04–4.63)), neutrophil count ≥ 8.0 × 10⁹/L )6.62 (3.73–11.7 ((, Hb level < 12.5 g/dl (2.05 (1.13–3.72) (, and creatinine level ≥ 1.36 mg/dl (3.10 (1.38–6.98)). (All p –values < 0.05). Some of these factors were also associated with other assessed poor outcomes, e.g., need to ICU care or invasive mechanical ventilation.
Conclusions
Diabetic patients with age 65 years or older, comorbidity CKD, “other comorbidities”, as well as neutrophil count ≥ 8.0 × 10⁹/L, Hb level < 12.5 g/dl, and creatinine level ≥ 1.36 mg/dl, were more likely to dead after COVID-19. Presence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease were associated with none of the poor outcomes.
Identification of an immune-related gene signature to improve prognosis prediction of colorectal cancer patients
Authors: Dai Siqi , Xu Shuang , Ye Yao , Ding Kefeng
Published: August 2020

Background: Despite recent advance in immune therapy, great heterogeneity exists in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients’ outcome. In this study, we aimed to analyze the Immune-related gene (IRG) expression profiles from two independent public databases and develop an effective signature to forecast patients’ prognosis.Method: IRGs were collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to identify a prognostic genes signature, which was verified in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Gene function enrichment and immune cell infiltration analyses were conducted. A prognostic nomogram was built incorporating the IRG signature with clinical risk factors.Results: The training and test datasets had 487 and 579 patients, respectively. A prognostic six-gene-signature (CCL22, LIMK1, MAPKAPK3, FLOT1, GPRC5B and IL20RB) was developed through feature selection, and yielded incredible differentiation between low and high-risk group in the training set (P < 0.001), which was confirmed in the test group (P < 0.001). The signature outperformed tumor staging regarding survival prediction. Go and KEGG functional annotation analysis suggested the signature were significantly enriched in metabolic process and regulation of immunity (P<0.05). When combined with clinical risk factors, the model showed robust prediction capability.Conclusion: The immune-related six-gene signature is a reliable prognostic indicator for CRC patients and could bring insight for personalized cancer management.
CD137 agonist induces gastric cancer cell apoptosis by enhancing the functions of CD8+ T cells via NF-κB signaling
Authors: Hu Ben-Shun , Tang Tian , Wu Tie-Long , Sheng Ying-Yue , yuzheng xue
Published: August 2020

Background: CD137 is a target for tumor immunotherapy. However, the role of CD137 in gastric cancer (GC), especially in inducing GC cell apoptosis, has not been studied. Methods: Foxp3+ and CD8+ T cells in GCs were investigated using immunohistochemistry (IHC). CD137 expression in GCs was detected using flow cytometry, IHC and immunofluorescence (IF). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and CD8+ T cells isolated from peripheral blood were stimulated with a CD137 agonist in vitro. CD8+ T cell proliferation and p65 expression was examined using flow cytometry. P65 nuclear translocation was analyzed using IF. IL-10, TGF-β, IFN-γ, perforin and granzyme B were detected using real-time quantitative PCR (real-time PCR). PBMCs and primary GC cells were cocultured and stimulated with a CD137 agonist in vitro. Apoptosis of primary GC cells was detected using flow cytometry. Results: Our data demonstrated that GC tumors showed characteristics of an immunosuppressive microenvironment. CD137 was predominantly expressed in CD8+ T cells in GCs and had a positive correlation with tumor cell differentiation. The CD137 agonist promoted CD8+ T cell proliferation and increased the secretion of IFN-γ, perforin and granzyme B, which induced primary GC cell apoptosis. Mechanistically, this study found that the CD137 agonist induced NF-κB nuclear translocation in CD8+ T cells. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that a CD137 agonist induced primary GC cell apoptosis by enhancing CD8+ T cells via activation of NF-κB signaling.
Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on acute stroke reperfusion therapy: data from the Lyon Stroke Center Network
Authors: PLUMEREAU Cécile , CHO Tae-Hee , BUISSON Marielle , AMAZ Camille , CAPPUCCI Matteo , DEREX Laurent , ONG Elodie , FONTAINE Julia , RASCLE Lucie , RIVA Roberto , SCHIAVO David , BENHAMED Axel , DOUPLAT Marion , BONY Thomas , TAZAROURTE Karim , TUTTLE Célia , EKER Omer Frank , BERTHEZENE Yves , OVIZE Michel , NIGHOGHOSSIAN Norbert , MECHTOUFF Laura
Published: August 2020

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic would have particularly affected acute stroke care. However, its impact is clearly inherent to the local stroke network conditions. We aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on acute stroke care in the Lyon comprehensive stroke center during this period.MethodsWe conducted a prospective data collection of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) treated with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and/or mechanical thrombectomy (MT) during the COVID-19 period (from 29/02/2020 to 10/05/2020) and a control period (from 29/02/2019 to 10/05/2019). The volume of reperfusion therapies and pre and intra-hospital delays were compared during both periods.ResultsA total of 208 patients were included. The volume of IVT significantly decreased during the COVID-period (55 (54.5%) vs 74 (69.2%); p=0.03) and was mainly due to time delay among patients treated with MT. The volume of MT remains stable over the two periods (72 (71.3%) vs 65 (60.8%); p=0.14) but the door-to-groin puncture time increased in patients transferred for MT (237 [187-339] vs 210 [163-260]; p<0.01). The daily number of Emergency Medical Dispatch calls considerably increased (1502 [1133-2238] vs 1023 [960-1410]; p<0.01).ConclusionsOur study showed a decrease of the volume of IVT, whereas the volume of MT remained stable although intra-hospital delays increased for transferred patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. These results contrast in part with the national surveys and suggest that the impact of the pandemic may depend on local stroke care networks.
Perceived Risk and Protective Behaviors regarding COVID-19 among Iranian Pregnant Women
Authors: Aghababaei Soodabeh , Bashirian Saeed , Soltanian Alireza , Refaei Mansooreh , Omidi Tahereh , Ghelichkhani Samereh , Soltani Farzaneh
Published: August 2020

Background: Despite the vulnerability of pregnant women, few studies have been conducted on their perceived risk and protective behaviors during COVID-19 pandemic. The present study aims to investigate the perceived risk and protective behaviors regarding COVID-19 among Iranian pregnant women. Results: 93.8% of pregnant women had a high level of knowledge, 97.3% had high performance in protective behaviors, and 72.9% had a moderate level of risk perception related to COVID-19. The highest mean score of knowledge was observed in women who had a history of influenza in their previous pregnancies (90.97±5.94). The mean score of protective behaviors was significantly higher in women with a high economic level (97.78±5.11), and the highest level of risk perception was observed in nulliparous women (59.97±9.80). Risk perception was an independent predictor of protective behaviors related to COVID-19 (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Pregnant women had a high level of knowledge, high performance in protective behaviors, and a moderate level of risk perception related to COVID-19. History of influenza in the previous pregnancies, high economic level, and nulliparity were associated with higher levels of knowledge, protective behaviors, and risk perception, respectively. Risk perception of pregnant women regarding COVID-19 can predict their protective behaviors.