bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does Chemotherapy or Radiotherapy Affect for Postoperative Complication in Patients Who Underwent Immediate Breast Reconstruction With Tissue Expander?
Authors: Jung Sung Mi , Jeon Byung-Joon , Woo Jinsun , Ryu Jai Min , Lee Se Kyung , Chae Byung-Joo , Yu Jonghan , Kim Seok Won , Nam Seok Jin , Bang Sa Ik , Mun Goo-Hyun , Pyon Jai-Kyong , Lee Jeong Eon
Published: August 2020

Background: Immediate breast reconstruction with tissue expander in patients who were expected to receive adjuvant therapy, such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy, has been a topic of debate. Postoperative complications from tissue expander procedures can delay the timing of adjuvant treatment and subsequently increase the probability of recurrence. The purpose of this study was to identify the impact of chemotherapy and radiotherapy on postoperative complications in patients who underwent immediate reconstruction (IR) using tissue expander.Method: We conducted a retrospective study of 1,081 breast cancer patients who underwent mastectomy and IR using tissue expander insertion between 2012 and 2017 in Samsung Medical Center. The patients were divided into two groups based on complications (complication group vs. no complication group). The complication group had 59 patients (5.5%) and the no complication group had 1,022 patients (94.5%). Results: In univariate analysis, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), pathologic N stage, pathologic prognostic stage, axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), adjuvant radiotherapy, and adjuvant chemotherapy were significantly associated with postoperative complications. In multivariate analysis, however, higher pathologic N stage was significantly associated with postoperative complications. Chemotherapy or radiotherapy were not risk factors for postoperative complications.Conclusions: IR with tissue expander after mastectomy may be a treatment option even when the patients are expected to receive adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy. These results will aid preoperative counseling to patients who are concerned about the complications of IR caused by chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
Transcriptome Analysis of Genes and Pathways Associated With Metabolism in Scylla Paramamosain Under Different Light Intensities During Indoor Overwintering
Authors: Li Na , Zhou Junming , Wang Huan , Mu Changkao , Shi Ce , Liu Lei , Wang Chunlin
Published: August 2020

Background: Scylla paramamosain is one of the commercially crucial marine crustaceans belonging to the genus Scylla, which is commonly distributed along the coasts of China, Vietnam, and Japan. Genomic and transcriptomic data are scarce for the mud crab. Light intensity is one of the ecological factors that affect S. paramamosain during indoor overwintering. Methods: To understand the energy metabolism mechanism adapted to light intensity, we analyzed the transcriptome of S. paramamosain hepatopancreas in response to different light intensities (0, 1.43, 40.31 μmol·m-2·s-1). Results: A total of 5052 differentially expressed genes were identified in the LL group (3104 genes were up-regulated and 1948 genes were down-regulated). A total of 7403 differentially expressed genes were identified in the HL group (5262 genes were up-regulated and 2141 genes were down-regulated). Conclusion: The results showed that S. paramamosain adapts to different light intensity environments through the regulation of amino acids, fatty acids, carbon and energy metabolism. Different light intensities had a strong impact on the energy generation of S. paramamosain by influencing oxygen consumption rate, aerobic respiration, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathway, the citrate cycle (TCA cycle) and fatty acid degradation. The results of the current study showed that S. paramamosain produced more energy under high light intensities. The findings of the study add to the knowledge of regulatory mechanisms related to S. paramamosain metabolism under different light intensities.
DArT-seq based SNP analysis of diversity, population structure and linkage disequilibrium among 274 cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) accessions
Authors: Sodedji Frejus Ariel Kpedetin , Agbahoungba Symphorien , Agoyi Eric Echikintho , Kafoutchoni Konoutan Médard , Kim Ho-Youn , Nguetta Simon-Pierre Assanvo , Assogbadjo Achille Ephrem
Published: August 2020

Background: Genetic diversity in a germplasm is crucial for continuous improvement of crop varieties. A panel of 274 cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) accessions of unknown genetic diversity was assembled from diverse sources. This study used 3127 SNP markers, generated with the diversity array technology (DArT), to assess genetic diversity, population structure and linkage disequilibrium (LD) in the assembled germplasm.Results: The structure analysis inferred three subpopulations within the germplasm, which was confirmed by Neighbour-Joining (NJ) clustering and principal component analysis (PCA). Low genetic distances (0.005 to 0.44) were observed between accessions. Accessions from Africa; West and Central Africa (113 accessions), East and Central Africa (93 accessions), and Asia (53 accessions) were predominant in the germplasm; and distributed across all subpopulations. High fixation indexes (0.48 ≤ FST≤0.56) were obtained for the inferred subpopulations. AMOVA revealed a very large contribution (99%) of within subpopulations variation to the observed genetic variation in the germplasm. However, the expected heterozygosity (He) was higher than the observed heterozygosity (Ho), indicating high proportion of inbred lines in the germplasm. Linkage Disequilibrium (LD) was observed in the germplasm, particularly on chromosome 6, which showed a low decay along the physical genetic distance between markers in the genome.Conclusions: Significant genetic structuration exists in the assembled cowpea germplasm which shows there is a potential for improvement of the crop. The subgroups consisted mainly of inbred lines which, although from different geographical regions shared alleles in common reflecting high movement of seeds and exchange of germplasm between regions. The presence of linkage disequilibrium in the germplasm paves a way for prospective whole genome-wide association studies in cowpea for quality attributes and important agronomic traits.
The Predictive Value of MAP and ETCO2 Changes After Emergency Endotracheal Intubation for Severe Cardiovascular Collapse
Authors: Jiayuan Dai , Lu Yin , Xiao Song , Yangyang Fu , Ming Gu , Huadong Zhu , Xu Jun , Xuezhong Yu
Published: August 2020

Objective: To analyze the changes in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and end-tidal CO2 (ETCO2) in patients after emergency endotracheal intubation (ETI). To explore the values of MAP and ETCO2 monitoring in the early prediction of severe cardiovascular collapse (CVC). Methods: The clinical data of patients who underwent ETI were collected. The values of both MAP and ETCO2 were observed and recorded at 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes and 120 minutes post intubation. According to whether severe CVC occurred after ETI, the patients were divided into a severe CVC group and a non-severe CVC group. The values of MAP and ETCO2 were compared at the same time points. The correlation between MAP and ETCO2 after ETI was also analyzed. receiver operating characteristic curves(ROC curves) were used to analyze the ability of MAP and ETCO2 at 5 minutes and 10 minutes after ETI to predict severe CVC.Results: A total of 116 patients were enrolled in this study; among them, 75 (64.7%) had severe CVC after ETI. The majority of subjects in the severe CVC group were male and elderly patients. The values of MAP and ETCO2 at 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes and 120 minutes after ETI in the severe CVC group were significantly lower than those in the non-severe group. Both MAP and ETCO2 in the two groups showed simultaneous decreases from 5 minutes to 30 minutes after ETI, reaching their lowest values at 30 minutes after ETI. After ETI, the changes in MAP were correlated with those in ETCO2 (rs = 0.653, P < 0.001). At 5 minutes after ETI, MAP could predict severe CVC (AUC = 0.86, P < 0.001), MAP≤72 mmHg was the best cutoff value (sensitivity 78.7%, specificity 87.8%), and ETCO2 could also predict severe CVC (AUC = 0.85, P < 0.001). ETCO2≤35 mmHg was the best cutoff value for predicting severe CVC (sensitivity 77.3%, specificity 85.4%). At 10 minutes after ETI, MAP could predict severe CVC (AUC = 0.90, P < 0.001), MAP≤67 mmHg was the best cutoff value (sensitivity 89.3%, specificity 85.4%), and ETCO2 could also predict severe CVC (AUC = 0.87, P < 0.001). ETCO2≤33 mmHg was the best cutoff value for predicting severe CVC (sensitivity 81.3%, specificity 78%). There was no significant difference in the predictive ability between any two cutoff values of MAP or ETCO2 at 5 minutes and 10 minutes after ETI (P >0.05). Conclusion: Both MAP and ETCO2 values of the patients with severe CVC were significantly lower than those of patients without severe CVC from 5 minutes to 120 minutes after ETI, reaching their lowest values at 30 minutes after ETI. MAP and ETCO2 values changed synchronously with the time after intubation. There was a positive correlation between MAP and ETCO2 after ETI. MAP and ETCO2 values in the early stage after ETI have high accuracy in predicting severe CVC.
Transcriptome Profiling of Developing Leaf and Shoot Apices to Reveal the Molecular Mechanism and Coexpression Genes Responsible for the Wheat Heading Date
Authors: Yang Yuxin , Zhang Xueying , Zhang Lichao , Liu Guoxiang , Xia Chuan , Liu Xu , Kong Xiuying
Published: August 2020

Background: Wheat is one of the most widely planted crops worldwide. The heading date is important for wheat environmental adaptability; it not only controls flowering time but also determines the yield component in terms of the grain number per spike. Results: In this research, homozygous genotypes with early and late heading dates derived from backcrossed progeny were selected to conduct RNA-seq analysis at the double ridge stage and androgynous primordium differentiation stage of the leaf and apical meristem, respectively. In total, 18,352 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Five common GO terms and 214 common metabolic pathways were obtained by MapMan software. In addition, 1,225 DEGs were annotated to 52 transcription factor gene families, and we discovered that most of the LFY, SBP, and MADS-box genes were highly expressed during the apical development of wheat with the early heading date. Additionally, weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) found that the DEGs clustered into 17 coexpression modules, and 16, 336, 446, and 124 DEGs had biological connections with Vrn1-5A, Vrn3-7B, Ppd-1D, and WSOC1, respectively. The 16 genes connected with Vrn1-5A were divided into three types of expression patterns. We further identified one important flowering time gene, TraesCS2D02G181400, which is a MADS-MIKC transcriptional factor and has a biological connection with Vrn1-5A. Gene function showed that this gene was differentially expressed at the A2.0 and L3.5 stages between the genotypes with early and late heading.Conclusions: The RNA-seq analysis results in our present research are a valuable bioinformatics resource for further study of the molecular mechanism of the wheat heading date. Overall, our results shed light on the genetic architecture of wheat flowering time.
Relationship between sociocultural attitudes toward appearance and depression among patients with obesity
Authors: Czeglédi Edit
Published: August 2020

Background: Obesity is a significant risk factor for mental health. Depression and obesity appear to have a bi-directional relationship in which a number of mediating factors may play a role, such as body dissatisfaction. Unrealistic messages related to image may contribute to depression in individuals with excess weight through body image dissatisfaction. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of appearance-related sociocultural attitudes in the development of two common comorbid psychological characteristics of obesity, namely, body image dissatisfaction and depression. Methods: The sample of the cross-sectional survey consisted of participants in an inpatient weight loss treatment (n = 339, 19% men). The mean age was 50.2 (SD = 13.47) years, the mean BMI was 38.6 (SD = 7.58) kg/m2. Measures: self-reported anthropometric data, Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-3, Body Shape Questionnaire – Short form 14, CES-D Depression Scale. Results: Results of path analysis revealed many weak but significant indirect paths between appearance-related sociocultural attitudes and depression through body image dissatisfaction (χ2 = 688.23, df = 35, p < .001; CFI = .995; TLI = .973; RMSEA = .039, 90% CI: .00 – .08; SRMR = .013). The model explains 31.8% of the variance of body dissatisfaction and 23.3% of the variance of depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Assessing the extent and causes of body image dissatisfaction and depression, and striving to reduce them can be a valuable addition of weight loss programs.
Risk Factors for Brain Metastases in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of 43 Studies
Authors: Chen Shanshan , Hua Xin , Jia Jinfang , Wu Ying , Wei Shuzhen , Xu Lu , Han Shuhua , Zhang Hongming , Zhu Xiaoli
Published: August 2020

Background: Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. The purpose of our meta-analysis was to assess the risk factors for brain metastases in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.Methods: Multiple databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CNKI and Wanfang were systematically searched, then the meta-analysis was performed with RevMan 5.3 software and carried out evidence quality evaluation according to the GRADE standard. The estimated odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals were set as effect measures. Moreover, funnel plots and sensitivity analysis were used to assess the publication bias and reliability of the articles, respectively. Results: A total of 43 studies with 11415 participants were eligible. The results indicated that female, adenocarcinoma or non-squamous cell carcinoma, advanced tumor stage, node stage, 1ymphatic metastasis, epidermal growth factor receptor gene mutation, kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene gene mutation, and higher levels of carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigen 199, cytokeratin-19 fragment, neuron-specific enolase and carbohydrate antigen 125 were significantly associated with an increased risk of brain metastases (P<0.05) in non-small cell lung cancer patients. Moreover, the non-small cell lung cancer with brain metastases group had a significantly lower survival rate than the non-small cell lung cancer group (P<0.05).Conclusions: The meta-analysis demonstrated that non-small cell lung cancer patients with brain metastases have more aggressive clinical features and poor survival prognosis.
Protocol for A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Studies on the Use of Brain Natriuretic Peptide and N-Terminal Brain Natriuretic Peptide Levels in the Diagnosis of Cardiopulmonary Edema in Acute Respiratory Failure
Authors: Terayama Takero , Taniguchi Takuya , Imai Ryosuke , Anan Keisuke , Yoshida Takuo , Ando Koichi , Okamori Satoshi , Okada Yohei
Published: August 2020

Background Dyspnea with bilateral pulmonary edema is common among patients in emergency departments (EDs) or intensive care units (ICUs). For the initial management of patients with this condition, cardiopulmonary edema (CPE) must be differentiated from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in clinical settings. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) are useful in distinguishing these conditions. However, current data about the use of these indexes are limited. Hence, we planned to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the accuracy of the two indexes for the diagnosis of CPE.Methods We designed and registered a study protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis. This study aims to determine the diagnostic accuracy of BNP and NT-proBNP based on the standards of the methodology of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Diagnostic Test Accuracy and the Preferred Reporting Items for a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Diagnostic Test Accuracy Studies in reporting the findings of this review. We will search PubMed (MEDLINE), Cochrane Library, www.clinicaltrials.gov, and International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. Randomized controlled trials and observational cohort studies reporting the accuracy in diagnosing CPE among adult patients with dyspnea and bilateral pulmonary edema will be included in the analysis. Two reviewers will independently screen articles, extract data, and evaluate for quality and bias using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies. Then, a meta-analysis will be performed, and different statistical methods will be used to investigate heterogeneity among studies. A subgroup analysis of elderly patients with left ventricular dysfunction or chronic renal dysfunction will be performed. In the meta-analysis, a hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic model or a bivariate model will be used in each index test, as appropriate.Discussion A systematic review and meta-analysis of the accuracy of BNP and NT-proBNP for the diagnosis of CPE will be conducted. The result of this study can help clinicians to identify an appropriate initial treatment for patients with acute respiratory failure, including those with ARDS and CPE. To the best of our knowledge, this will be the first comprehensive systematic review focusing on ARDS management in a specific population.Systematic review registrationUMIN-CTR ID: UMIN000040983.
New insights into intrinsic foot muscle morphology and composition using ultra-high-field (7-Tesla) magnetic resonance imaging.
Authors: Smith Melinda Maree Franettovich , Elliott James M , Al-Najjar Aiman , II Kenneth A Weber , Hoggarth Mark , Vicenzino Bill , Hodges Paul W , Collins Natalie J
Published: August 2020

Background: The intrinsic muscles of the foot are key contributors to foot function and are important to evaluate in lower limb disorders. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), provides a non-invasive option to measure muscle morphology and composition, which are primary determinants of muscle function. Ultra-high-field (7-T) magnetic resonance imaging provides sufficient signal to evaluate the morphology of the intrinsic foot muscles, and, when combined with chemical-shift sequences, measures of muscle composition can be obtained. Here we aim to provide a proof-of-concept method for measuring intrinsic foot muscle morphology and composition with high-field MRI.Methods: One healthy female (age 39 years, mass 65 kg, height 1.73 m) underwent MRI. A T1-weighted VIBE – radio-frequency spoiled 3D steady state GRE – sequence of the whole foot was acquired on a Siemens 7T MAGNETOM scanner, as well as a 3T MAGNETOM Prisma scanner for comparison. A high-resolution fat/water separation image was also acquired using a 3D 2-point DIXON sequence at 7T. Coronal plane images from 3T and 7T scanners were compared. Using 3D Slicer software, regions of interest were manually contoured for each muscle on 7T images. Muscle volumes and percentage of muscle fat infiltration were calculated (muscle fat infiltration % = Fat/(Fat+Water) x100) for each muscle. Results: Compared to the 3T images, the 7T images provided superior resolution, particularly at the forefoot, to facilitate segmentation of individual muscles. Muscle volumes ranged from 1.5 cm3 and 19.8 cm3, and percentage muscle fat infiltration ranged from 9.2% to 15.0%. Conclusion: This proof-of-concept study demonstrates a feasible method of quantifying muscle morphology and composition for individual intrinsic foot muscles using advanced high-field MRI techniques. This method can be used in future studies to better understand intrinsic foot muscle morphology and composition in healthy individuals, as well as those with lower disorders.
Modified Nodal Stage of esophageal cancer based on the evaluation of the hazard rate of the negative and positive lymph node
Authors: Zhang Jinling , Li Hongyan , Zhou Liangjian , Yu Lianling , Che Fengyuan , Heng Xueyuan
Published: August 2020

Objective:The study aimed to propose a modified Nodal stage of esophageal cancer (EC) on basis of the number of positive lymph node (PLN) and the number of negative lymph node (NLN) simultaneously.Method:Data from 13,491 patients with EC registered in the SEER database were reviewed. The parameters related to prognosis were investigated using a Cox proportional hazards regression model. A modified N stage was proposed based on the cut-off number of the re-adjusted ratio of the number of PLN (numberPLN) to the number of NLN (numberNLN), which were derived from the comparison of the hazard rate (HR) of numberPLN and numberNLN. The modified N stage was confirmed using the cross-validation method with the training and validation cohort, and it was also compared to the N stage from the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system (7th edition) using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.Results:The numberPLN on prognosis was 1.064, while numberNLN was 0.962. The modified N stage was defined as follows: N1 stage: the ratio range was from 0 to 0.08; N2 stage: more than 0.08, but no more than 0.63; N3 stage: more than 0.63. Cross-validation method within the cohort identified the predictive accuracy of this modified N stage, and ROC curve analysis demonstrated the relative superiority of the modified N stage over that of the AJCC N stage.Conclusion:The modified N stage based on the re-adjusted ratio of numberPLN to numberNLN can evaluate tumor stage relative accurately than the traditional N stage.
Time to adapt in the pandemic era: A prospective randomized non–inferiority study comparing time to intubate with and without the barrier box
Authors: Madabhushi Praneeth , Kinthala Sudhakar , Ankam Abistanand , Chopra Nitin , Porter Burdett
Published: August 2020

Background The challenges posed by the spread of COVID-19 disease through aerosols have compelled anesthesiologists to modify their airway management practices. Devices such as barrier boxes are being considered as potential adjuncts to full PPE's to limit the aerosol spread. Usage of the barrier box raises concerns of delay in time to intubate (TTI). We designed our study to determine if using a barrier box with glidescope delays TTI within acceptable parameters to make relevant clinical conclusions.Methods 78 patients were enrolled in this prospective non inferiority controlled trial and were randomly allocated to group C (without the barrier box) or the study group BB (using barrier box). The primary measured endpoint is time to intubate (TTI), which is defined as time taken from loss of twitches confirmed with a peripheral nerve stimulator to confirmation of end-tidal CO 2. 15 seconds was used as non-inferiority margin for the purpose of the study .We used an unpaired two-sample single-sided t-test to test our non- inferiority hypothesis (H 0 : Mean TTI diff ≥ 15 seconds, H A : Mean TTI diff < 15 seconds). Secondary endpoints include the number of attempts at intubation, lowest oxygen saturation during induction, and the need for bag-mask ventilation.Results Mean TTI in group C was 42 (CI 19.2 to 64.8) seconds vs. 52.1 (CI 26.1 to 78) seconds in group BB. The difference in mean TTI was 10.1 seconds (CI -∞ to 14.9). We rejected the null hypothesis and concluded with 95% confidence that the difference of the mean TTI between the groups is less than < 15 seconds (95% CI -∞ to 14.9,p = 0.0461). Our induction times were comparable (67.7 vs. 65.9 seconds).100% of our patients were intubated on the first attempt in both groups. None of our patients needed rescue breaths.Conclusions We conclude that in patients with normal airway exam, scheduled for elective surgeries, our barrier box did not cause any clinically significant delay in TTI when airway manipulation is performed by well-trained providers.The study was retrospectively registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04411056) on May 27, 2020
The Complete Mitochondrial Genome of The American Palm Cixiid, Haplaxius Crudus (Hemiptera: Cixiidae)
Authors: Komondy Lidia , Huguet-Tapia Jose , Ascunce Marina S. , Helmick Ericka , Goss Erica M. , Bahder Brian
Published: August 2020

Background Haplaxius crudus (the American palm cixiid) is a major insect pest of various economically important palms. H. crudus persists in tropical and subtropical regions where it is known to transmit the lethal yellowing (LY) phytoplasma. It has been implicated as the putative vector of Lethal bronzing (LB), a destructive phytoplasma-induced palm disease affecting over 16 species of ornamental and agricultural palms. To date, no mitochondrial genomes for species in the family Cixiidae are sequenced. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences of H. crudus has proven useful for proper species diagnosis and population studies which could benefit management programs aimed at moving infective insects. These analyses describe the first mitochondrial genome from the American palm cixiid, Haplaxius crudus and an insect in the family Cixiidae. Results In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of H. crudus was assembled and characterized from PacBio Sequel II long sequencing reads using the University of Florida’s HiPerGator supercomputer. The circular mitogenome of H. crudus is 15,845 bp long and encodes 37 mitochondrial genes (including 13 protein coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNAs and 2 rRNAs) in addition to a putative non-coding internal control region. The nucleotide composition of H. crudus is asymmetric with a bias toward A and T (44.8 %A, 13.4 %C, 8.5 %G and 33.3 %T). Protein-coding genes (PCGs) possess the standard invertebrate mitochondrial start codons with few exceptions while the gene content and order of the H. crudus mitogenome is identical to most completely sequenced insect mitochondrial genomes. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that H. crudus is closely related to the planthopper in the family Delphacidae: N. lugens, which is the established sister group to Cixiidae. Conclusions Our studies have elucidated the first reference mitochondrial genome of Haplaxius crudus, providing structural analysis of the circular genome and encoded gene regions. The present results provide future opportunities to assess the diversity and origin of H. crudus. This study demonstrates the significance of understanding the structure and function of the mitochondrial genome to inform effective diagnostic and management strategies for insect pests.
Genome-Wide Conditional Association Study Reveals the Influences of Lifestyle Cofactors on Genetic Regulation of Body Surface Area in MESA Population
Authors: Khatun Mita , Monir Md. Mamun , Xu Ting , Lou Xiangyang , Xu Haiming , Zhu Jun
Published: August 2020

Backgrounds Body surface area (BSA) is an important trait used for many clinical purposes and is associated with a variety of diseases including cardiovascular diseases and cancer. People's BSA may vary due to genetic background, race, and different lifestyle factors (such as walking, exercise, reading, smoking, transportation, etc.). Genome-wide association study of BSA was conducted on 5,336 subjects of four ethnic populations of European-American, African-American, Hispanic-American, and Chinese-American from MESA (The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherocloris) data using unconditional and conditional full genetic models for analyzing genetic effects of additive, dominance, epistasis, and genetic by ethnicity interactions.Results Conditional association analyses revealed that lifestyle cofactors could affect the genetic effects of genes that regulate BSA. Moreover, impacts of the lifestyle cofactors on BSA could depend on the genotypes of several SNPs, and ethnicity of individuals. In this study, fifteen SNPs were identified with highly significant (Experiment-wise PEW < 1×10–5) genetic effects using unconditional full genetic model, of which thirteen SNPs had individual genetic effects and seven SNPs were involved in four pairs of epistasis interactions. Seven single SNPs and eight pairs of epistasis SNPs were additionally identified using exercise, smoking, and transportation cofactor-conditional models. Estimated heritabily was 72.88% using unconditional model and 74.85 ~ 79.87% using lifestyle cofactor-conditional models. It was revealed that lifestyle cofactors could contribute, suppress, increase or decrease the genetic effects of BSA associated genes. From gene ontology analysis, it was observed that several genes are related to the metabolic pathway of calcium compounds, a main compound in several diseases related to obesity, coronary artery disease, type-2 Diabetes, Alzheimer disease, childhood obesity, sleeping duration, Parkinson disease, and cancer.Conclusions In summary, our study provides novel insights into the genetic mechanism of BSA in MESA population, and influences of different lifestyle cofactors on the genetic effects of BSA associated loci.
Multi-omics Examination of Q Fever Fatigue Syndrome Identifies Similarities with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Authors: Raijmakers Ruud , Roerink Megan E. , Jansen Anne F.M. , Keijmel Stephan P. , Gacesa Ranko , Li Yang , Joosten Leo A.B. , Meer Jos W.M. van der , Netea Mihai G. , Bleeker-Rovers Chantal P. , Xu Cheng-Jian
Published: August 2020

Background: Q fever fatigue syndrome (QFS) is characterised by a state of prolonged fatigue that is seen in 20% of acute Q fever infections and has major health-related consequences. The molecular mechanisms underlying QFS are largely unclear. In order to better understand its pathogenesis, we applied a multi-omics approach to study the patterns of the gut microbiome, blood metabolome, and inflammatory proteome of QFS patients, and compared these with those of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients and healthy controls (HC). Methods: The study population consisted of 31 QFS patients, 50 CFS patients, and 72 HC. All subjects were matched for age, gender, and general geographical region (South-East part of the Netherlands). The gut microbiome composition was assessed by Metagenomic sequencing using the Illumina HiSeq platform. A total of 92 circulating inflammatory markers were measured using Proximity Extension Essay and 1607 metabolic features were assessed with a high-throughput non-targeted metabolomics approach. Results: Inflammatory markers, including 4E-BP1 (P = 9.60-16 and 1.41-7) and MMP-1 (P = 7.09-9 and 3.51-9), are significantly more expressed in both QFS and CFS patients compared to HC, and QFS patients show more of an inflammatory profile than CFS patients and HC. Blood metabolite profiles show significant differences when comparing QFS (319 metabolites) and CFS (441 metabolites) patients to HC, and are significantly enriched in pathways like sphingolipid (P = 0.0256 and 0.0033) metabolism. When comparing QFS to CFS patients, almost no significant differences in metabolome were found. Comparison of microbiome taxonomy of QFS and CFS patients with that of HC, shows both in- and decreases in abundancies in Bacteroidetes (with emphasis on Bacteroides and Alistiples spp.), and Firmicutes and Actinobateria (with emphasis on Ruminococcus and Bifidobacterium spp.). When we compare QFS patients to CFS patients, there is a striking resemblance and hardly any significant differences in microbiome taxonomy are found. Conclusions: We show that QFS and CFS patients are similar across three different omics layers and 4E-BP1 and MMP-1 have the potential to distinguish QFS and CFS patients from HC.
Evaluation of Hookworm Diagnosis Techniques from Patients in Amhara Region, Ethiopia: Cross sectional study
Authors: Zeleke Ayalew Jejaw , Addisu Ayenew , Tegegne Yalewayker , Birhanie Meseret , Sisay Tekeba , Aemero Mulugeta
Published: August 2020

Background: Inappropriate diagnosis could intimidate the prevention and control of Hookworm infection. This study was aimed at evaluating the performance of Hookworm diagnosis methods.Methods: An institution based cross sectional study was conducted in Amhara region, Ethiopia. The study subjects were selected conveniently. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, test accuracy and agreements of the different hookworm diagnosis methods, namely; Test Tube Flotation (TFT), MacMaster (MM), Formol Ether Concentration (FEC), Kato katz (KK), and Direct wet mount microscopy (DWMM) were calculated. Composite reference standard (CRS) was used as a gold standard method. Kappa (κ) test was used to measure the level of agreement between diagnosis tests. Moreover, t-test was used to compare the diagnostic performance of the diagnosis methods.Result: a total of 389 stool samples were collected from patients in the study. The overall prevalence of hookworm was 63.24%. Test Tube Flotation (TFT) was found to be the highest both in terms of sensitivity and diagnosis accuracy (100%). MacMaster (MM) was the second most sensitive test (68.7%), followed by FEC (44.3%) and KK (38.2%). On the other hand, DWMM had the lowest sensitivity (37.4%) and its diagnosis accuracy was also the least (60%). Only TFT had a perfect (Agreement=100%, kappa=1) with the CRS. The sensitivity of DWMM, KK, and FEC showed an increase in sensitivity as a function of increasing intensity of infection, but TFT and MM methods were not affected by the infection intensity. Conclusion: Hookworm is still a public health problem in the study area. TFT is by far more sensitive than MM, FEC, KK and DWMM techniques.
A comparative study of the performance of the widal slide agglutination test and the typhidot immunoassay for the diagnosis of typhoid fever in the West Region of Cameroon.
Authors: Karimo Ousenu , Ali Innocent Mbulli , Sama Leonard Fonkeng , Ndam Francois Marcel Nsangou , Tchouangueu Thibau Florant , Tume Christopher Bonglavnyuy
Published: August 2020

Background: The diagnosis of Typhoid fever, based on the Widal slide agglutination test, remains a major hurdle in developing countries like Cameroon due to varied perceptions of the value of the Widal test in determining clinical decision making. We undertook a study to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the Widal test and the typhidot immunoassay in patients suspected of having typhoid fever in the Menoua division, West Region of Cameroon. Methods: Blood and stool samples were collected from 558 consenting febrile patients on the basis of suspicion of typhoid fever. These patients attended three district health services of the Menoua division between April 2018 and September 2019. These patients had clinical symptoms suggestive of typhoid fever as determined by their consultant. Serum from whole blood was used for the Widal slide agglutination test and for the Typhidot rapid immunoassay test based on manufacturer’s guidelines. A composite reference of fever plus positive coproculture for Salmonella enteric serovars typhi and paratyphi was used as reference. The sensitivity, specificity, predictive values of the positive and negative tests were calculated as well as the Cohen’s Kappa for agreement between the two tests. Results: Of 558 patients, 12.90% tested positive for the reference method, 57.17% tested positive for the Widal slide agglutination test while 15.59% were positive for typhidot-IgM. The overall sensitivity, specificity, predictive values of the positive and negative tests were 80.56%, 94.03%, 66.6% and 97.03% respectively for typhidot-IgM; 94.44%, 48.35%, 21.32% and 98.33% for Widal slide agglutination test. The Cohen’s kappa estimates were 0.1660 (0.121-0.211), 0.386 (0.312-0.460) for Widal test and typhidot immunoassay respectively, with agreements of 53.76% and 76.16% respectively. Conclusion: The Widal test was found to have a lower predictive value for the diagnosis of typhoid fever in our setting. However, the Typhidot test, although better, was not ideal. Diagnosis of typhoid fever should therefore rely on adequate clinical suspicion and a positive Typhidot test to improve the clinical management of Typhoid fever in our setting.
Stress hyperglycemia is associated with in-hospital mortality in patients with diabetes and acute ischemic stroke
Authors: Mi Donghua , Li Zixiao , Gu Hongqiu , Yang Yin , Wang Chunjuan , Jiang Yong , Zhao Xingquan , Wang Yilong , Liu Liping , Wang Yongjun
Published: August 2020

Background and Objective:
Stress hyperglycemia may occur in diabetic patients with acute severe cerebrovascular disease, but the results regarding its association with stroke outcomes are conflicting.Our study aimed to examine the association between stress-induced hyperglycemia and the occurrence of in-hospital death in patients with diabetes and acute ischemic stroke.
Research Design and Methods:
All data were from the Chinese Stroke Center Alliance (CSCA) database and were collected between 2016 and 2018 from > 300 centers across China. Patients’ demographics, clinical presentation, and laboratory data were extracted from the database. The primary endpoint was in-hospital death. The ratio of fasting blood glucose (FBG) to HbA1c was calculated, i.e., the stress-induced hyperglycemia ratio (SHR), to determine stress hyperglycemia following acute ischemic stroke.
Results
A total of 168,381 patients were included. The mean age was 66.2 ± 10.7, and 77,688 (43.0%) patients were female. The patients were divided into two groups: survivors (n = 167,499) and non-survivors (n = 882), as well as into four groups according to their SHR quartiles (n = 42,090 − 42,099/quartile). The frequencies of traditional cardiovascular risk factors increased with the SHR quartiles. There were 109 (0.26%), 142 (0.34%), 196 (0.47%), and 435 (1.03%) patients who died in the Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 quartiles, respectively. Compared with Q1 patients, the death risk was higher in Q4 patients (odds ratio (OR) = 4.02) (adjusted OR = 1.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.14–3.12, P = 0.026 after adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors).
Conclusions
The SHR may serve as an accessory parameter for the prognosis of patients with diabetes after acute ischemic stroke.Hyperglycemia in stroke patients with diabetes mellitus is associated with a higher risk of in-hospital death.
Feasibility of using alternative swabs and storage solutions for paired SARS-CoV-2 detection and microbiome analysis in the hospital environment
Authors: Minich Jeremiah , Ali Farhana , Marotz Clarisse , Belda-Ferre Pedro , Chiang Leslie , Shaffer Justin P. , Carpenter Carolina S. , McDonald Daniel , Gilbert Jack , Allard Sarah M. , Allen Eric E , Knight Rob , Sweeney Daniel A. , Swafford Austin D.
Published: August 2020

Background: Determining the role of fomites in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is essential in the hospital setting and will likely be important outside of medical facilities as governments around the world make plans to ease COVID-19 public health restrictions and attempt to safely reopen economies. Expanding COVID-19 testing to include environmental surfaces would ideally be performed with inexpensive swabs that could be transported safely without concern of being a source of new infections. However, CDC-approved clinical-grade sampling supplies and techniques using a synthetic swab are expensive, potentially expose laboratory workers to viable virus and prohibit analysis of the microbiome due to the presence of antibiotics in viral transport media (VTM). To this end, we performed a series of experiments comparing the diagnostic yield using five consumer-grade swabs (including plastic and wood shafts and various head materials including cotton, synthetic, and foam) and one clinical grade swab for inhibition to RNA. For three of these swabs, we evaluated performance to detect SARS-CoV-2 in twenty intensive care unit (ICU) hospital rooms of patients with 16 COVID-19+. All swabs were placed in 95% ethanol and further evaluated in terms of RNase activity. SARS-CoV-2 was measured both directly from the swab and from the swab eluent.Results: Compared to samples collected in VTM, 95% ethanol demonstrated significant inhibition properties against RNases. When extracting directly from the swab head as opposed to the eluent, RNA recovery was approximately 2-4x higher from all six swab types tested as compared to the clinical standard of testing the eluent from a CDC-approved synthetic swab. The limit of detection (LoD) of SARs-CoV-2 from floor samples collected using the CGp or TMI swabs was similar or better than the CDC standard, further suggesting that swab type does not impact RNA recovery as measured by SARs-CoV-2. The LoD for TMI was between 0-362.5 viral particles while SYN and CGp were both between 725–1450 particles. Lastly microbiome analyses (16S rRNA) of paired samples (e.g., environment to host) collected using different swab types in triplicate indicated that microbial communities were not impacted by swab type but instead driven by the patient and sample type (floor or nasal).Conclusions: Compared to using a clinical-grade synthetic swab, detection of SARS-CoV-2 from environmental samples collected from ICU rooms of patients with COVID was similar using consumer grade swabs, stored in 95% ethanol. The yield was best from the swab head rather than the eluent and the low level of RNase activity in these samples makes it possible to perform concomitant microbiome analysis.
Pathological Responses to Low-Dose Irradiation and Pepleomycin in Oral Cancer are Predictive of Locoregional Control
Authors: Katagiri Tomohiro , Ohyama Yoshio , Miyamoto Hideo , Egawa Yuki , Moriki Toshiaki , Hasegawa Kazuki
Published: August 2020

Background
The prognosis of advanced oral cancer remains dismal. While multimodal therapy is beneficial, maintaining the quality of life of long-term survivors is important. Therefore, risk-adapted treatment regimens need to be designed. We herein investigated whether pathological responses in oral cancer patients treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy predict locoregional recurrence.
Methods
We retrospectively reviewed the data of 51 oral cancer patients who received preoperative radiotherapy and concurrent pepleomycin, followed by curative surgery at our institution between January 2009 and June 2018. Each patient received preoperative external beam irradiation to the primary tumor and lymphatics (2 Gy per day for approximately 3 weeks) concurrent with pepleomycin (2.5 mg/day). Surgery was performed approximately 3–4 weeks after the completion of preoperative chemoradiotherapy. Pathological responses were defined based on the grading system of Oboshi and Shimosato.
Results
Eight, 22, 16, and 5 patients had Oboshi and Shimosato grades 2a, 2b, 3, and 4, respectively. Favorable pathological responses (grades 3 and 4) were observed in 41.2% of patients (21 out of 51 patients). The pathological response and number of pathological lymph node metastases were identified as significant prognostic factors for locoregional control in the univariate analysis. Three-year locoregional control rates were 100% and 56.6% in patients with favorable and unfavorable pathological responses, respectively.
Conclusions
The present study demonstrated that pathological tumor responses to preoperative chemoradiotherapy are a useful predictive factor for locoregional control.
Pathological and molecular examination findings in postmortem testis biopsies reveal spermatogenesis damages in COVID-19 patients
Authors: Ma Xixiang , Guan Chuhuai , Chen Rong , Wang Yunyun , Feng Shenglei , wang rongshuai , Qu Guoqiang , Wang Liling , Zhao Sijia , Wang Fengli , Wang Xiaoli , Zhang Dingyu , Liu Liang , Liao Aihua , Yuan Shuiqiao
Published: August 2020

Despite widespread interest in the pathophysiology of COVID-19 in respiratory and cardiovascular systems, little is known about the morphologic and molecular changes in the testis of patients with COVID-19 and the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on male fertility. We report here on the pathophysiology and molecular feature of testes obtained at autopsy from six men with COVID-19, as compared with those of testes from three men with age-matched, uninfected SARS-CoV-2. Our histopathological results showed that all COVID-19 patients had severe spermatogenesis damages compared with controls. Importantly, we detected the nuclear acid of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, viral particles, and SARS-CoV-2 spike S1 protein in COVID-19 patient testes, and we also found ACE2 and TMPRSS2 significantly elevated in the testes from COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, we observed a prominent leukocyte infiltration, including CD3+ T lymphocytes, CD20+ B lymphocytes, CD68+ macrophages, HLA-DR+ myeloid cells, and CD38+ plasma cells in the testes of COVID-19 patients. RNA-Seq analyses further revealed SARS-CoV-2 infection could lead to dysfunction of the genes that regulate the spermatogenesis and inflammation response-related pathways. Collectively, our pathological and molecular examination findings indicate that SARS-CoV-2 could directly attack testicular cells, thereby inducing the damage of testicular immune privilege and spermatogenesis defects.
A New Task Offloading Algorithm in Edge Computing
Authors: Zhang Zhenjiang , Li Chen , Peng ShengLung , Pei Xintong
Published: August 2020

In the last few years, the Internet of Things (IOT), as a new disruptive technology, has gradually changed the world. With the prosperous development of the mobile Internet and the rapid growth of the Internet of Things, various new applications continue to emerge, such as mobile payment, face recognition, wearable devices, driverless, VR/AR, etc. Although the computing power of mobile terminals is getting higher and the traditional cloud computing model has higher computing power, it is often accompanied by higher latency and cannot meet the needs of users. In order to reduce user delay to improve user experience, and at the same time reduce network load to a certain extent, edge computing, as an application of IOT, came into being. In view of the new architecture after dating edge computing, this paper focuses on the task offloading in edge computing, from task migration in multi-user scenarios and edge server resource management expansion, and proposes a multi-agent load balancing distribution based on deep reinforcement learning DTOMALB, a distributed task allocation algorithm, can perform a reasonable offload method for this scenario to improve user experience and balance resource utilization. Simulations show that the algorithm has a certain adaptability compared to the traditional algorithm in the scenario of multi-user single cell, and reduces the complexity of the algorithm compared to the centralized algorithm, and reduces the average response delay of the overall user. And balance the load of each edge computing server, improve the robustness and scalability of the system.
Parametric Modeling of Solid Mechanics in Engineering Research Based on Cloud Computing Model
Authors: Jian Longji , Song Feifei , Huang Yuansong
Published: August 2020

Traditional parametric models of solid mechanics have disadvantages such as poor lightweight level of cloud data and low integrity of operations of solid mechanics. To solve the above problems, a parametric model for solid mechanics in engineering research based on cloud computing models is designed. By calculating the number of cloud data copy optimizations, the upper limit of resources required for engineering research is estimated, and the specific values is assessed by continuously cycling the demand, so as to complete the basic conflict analysis, and set up a cloud computing engineering research environment. On this basis, the modeling index is selected. By analyzing the sensitivity of the index, the purpose of optimizing the modeling parameters is achieved, and a new solid mechanics parametric model is constructed. Analyzing and contrasting the experimental data shows that after applying the parametric model of solid mechanics in the engineering research based on the cloud computing model, the lightweight level of cloud data can be increased by up to 24 levels, and the operational integrity of solid mechanics can be increased by about 30%.