bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationship of possible biomarkers with malignancy of thymic tumors: a meta-analysis
Authors: Zeng Huilan , Yang Weilin , Xu Bo , Zou Jianyong , Su Chunhua , Zhong Beilong , Zhu Haoshuai , Chen Zhenguang
Published: March 2020

Background : Role of biomarkers for promotion of tumor proliferation (BPTPs) and for promotion of apoptosis (BPAs) in thymic malignant tumors is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between BPTPs and/or BPAs and malignancy of thymic malignant tumors. Methods : Studies on thymic malignant tumors and biomarkers were searched in PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, and Embase databases, and all statistical analyses were conducted using Review Manager. Results: Twelve articles related to biomarkers and thymic malignant tumors were selected and analyzed. A relationship between BPAs and Masaoka stage was demonstrated for four markers, namely Bax, p73, Casp-9 and Bcl-2, included 138 stage I/II patients and 74 stage III/IV patients, and BPAs were significantly correlated with high Masaoka staging (P = 0.03). We further found a relationship between BPAs and degree of malignancy for four markers, namely Bax, p73, Casp-9 and Bcl-2, included 176 thymoma patients and 36 thymic carcinoma patients, and BPAs were significantly correlated with thymic carcinoma (P = 0.010). In addition, a relationship between BPTP and Masaoka staging was demonstrated for seven markers, namely Podoplanin, Glut-1, Muc-1, Egfr, Igf1r, c-Jun, and n-Ras, included 373 patients with stage I/II and 212 patients with stage III/IV, and BPTPs were significantly correlated with high Masaoka staging (P < 0.001). We also found a relationship between BPTPs and degree of malignancy for ten markers, namely Mesothelin, c-Kit(CD117), Egfr, Lat-1, Muc-1,Ema, Glut-1, Igf1r, c-Jun, and n-Ras , included 748 thymoma patients and 280 thymic carcinoma patients, and BPTPs were significantly correlated with thymic carcinoma (P < 0.001). Conclusion: These findings show that high levels of BPTPs or BPAs are more closely related to thymic carcinoma and Masaoka stage III/IV, suggesting that BPTPs and BPAs may play an important role in the occurrence and development of thymic malignant tumors.
Effect Of Smoking On Treatment Outcome Among Tuberculosis Patients In Malaysia; A Multicentre Study
Authors: Khan Amer Hayat , Sulaiman Syed Azhar Syed , Hassali Mohamed Azmi , Khan Kashif Ullah , Ming Long Chiau , Mateen Umer , Malik Obaid Ullah
Published: March 2020

Background : Smoking plays a key role in the development of tuberculosis (TB) infection and is also a predictor of poor TB treatment prognosis and outcomes. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of smoking and to assess the effects of smoking on treatment outcomes among TB patients. Methods : A multi-center retrospective study design was used to collect data from TB patients in four different states of Malaysia, namely Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, and Selangor. The study included medical records of TB patients admitted to the selected hospitals in the period from January 2006 to March 2009. Medical records with incomplete data were not included. Patient demographics and clinical data were collected using a validated data collection form. Results: Of all patients with TB (9337), the prevalence of smokers was 4313 (46.2%). Among smoker’s, 3584 (83.1%) were associated with pulmonary TB, while 729 (16.9%) were associated with Extra-pulmonary TB. Male gender (OR= 1.43, 95% CI 1.30-1.58), Chinese ethnicity (OR= 1.23, 95% CI 1.02-1.49), Sarawak indigenous ethnicity (OR= 0.74, 95% CI 0.58-0.95), urban residents (OR= 1.46, 95% CI 1.33-1.61), employed individuals (OR= 1.21, 95% CI 1.09-1.34), alcoholics (OR= 4.91, 95% CI 4.04-5.96), drug abusers (OR= 7.43, 95% CI 5.70-9.60) and presence of co-morbid condition (OR= 1.27, 95% CI 1.16-1.40) showed significant association with smoking habit. This study found that 3236 (75.0 %) patients were successfully treated in the smoker group, while 4004 (79.7 %) patients were non-smokers. The proportion of death rate 283 (6.6%), defaulters 284 (6.6%) and treatment interruption 204 (4.7%) was high in the smoker's group. Conclusions: Smoking had a strong influence on TB and is a major barrier towards treatment success (OR= 0.76, 95% CI 0.69-0.84, p< 0.001). Therefore, the findings point out that smoking cessations are an effective way to decrease treatment failure and drug resistance.
The prevalence of hrHPV among the isolated community in the Highland of Bario, Sarawak, East Malaysia
Authors: Jerip Abigail Rembui , Kipli Mardiana , New Nadia Diyana Hamzah , Tan Cheng-Siang
Published: March 2020

Background
Malaysia has introduced the free Pap smear as the primary cervical cancer screening program since the 1960s but has only achieved the national coverage of 22%. The coverage would be much lower in the rural communities especially in Sarawak where many villages and communities are still living in low resource settings and inaccessible by road. In this study, we have evaluated Qiagen’s careHPV system as a point-of-careHPV diagnostic test together with the visualization using acetic acid (VIA) in the isolated communities in the Highland of Bario, Sarawak, East Malaysia.

Methods
Women attending the cervical cancer outreach program were recruited. Consent was obtained and a cervical swab was clinician-collected and screened for High-risk HPV DNA using the careHPV system. Cervical examination using VIA was offered to all women age <50-year. hrHPV positive women were recruited during their follow-up session and the second cervical swab was collected for HPV genotyping using consensus primer-nested PCR to elucidate the infecting HPV genotypes.

Results
Seventy-five women aged 27-83 (mean age 55) attended the cervical cancer screening clinic and 8% (n=6/75) of them were positive for hrHPV. Only 33 women were screened using VIA and 21.2% (n=7/33) were found to be positive. A majority of the women (58.6%) were above the age of 50-year and not recommended for VIA to be performed. Thus, it was not feasible to correlate the results obtained from the HPV DNA test and VIA. Only four hrHPV positive women returned for follow-up and genotyping revealed HPV52 in 2 of four women tested suggesting that HPV52 may be the predominant genotype in Bario.

Conclusions
The careHPV system is portable and can be used in low resource settings as long as reliable electricity is available. We found that careHPV HPV DNA test is more objective compared to VIA and can be used to screen women outside the recommended eligible age. This is especially true for older women in the rural who have never had any form of cervical cancer screening before.
Enhanced antitumor efficacy in colon cancer using EGF functionalized PLGA nanoparticles loaded with 5-Fluorouracil and perﬂuorocarbon
Authors: Wu pingping , Zhou Qing , Zhu Huayun , Zhuang Yan , Bao Jun
Published: March 2020

Background: Tumor recurrence and metastasis occur at a high rate in patients with colon cancer. Identification of effective strategies for the treatment of colon cancer is critical. Recently, poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) has been shown to have potential as a broad therapeutic drug delivery system. We designed a dual-loaded nanoparticle drug delivery system to overcome the limitations of chemotherapeutic drugs used to treat colon cancer.
Methods: We developed epidermal growth factor (EGF) functionalized PLGA nanoparticles (NPs) co-loaded with 5-fluorouracil (5Fu) and perﬂuorocarbon (PFC) (EGF-PLGA@5Fu/PFC) for targeted treatment of colon cancer. CCK-8 assay, Hoechst33342 staining and flow cytometry were performed to investigate the functions of EGF-PLGA@5Fu/PFC NPs in SW620 cells. Beside, animal experiment, histological analysis and immunofluorescence staining were adopted to further confirm the role of EGF-PLGA@5Fu/PFC NPs in vivo.
Results: The findings showed that EGF-PLGA@5Fu /PFC NPs had an average size 200 nm and a 5Fu-loading efficiency of 7.29%. Furthermore, in vitro release was pH-sensitive. Targeted EGF-PLGA@5Fu/PFC NPs exhibited higher cellular uptake than non-targeted NPs into colon cancer cells. In addition, EGF-PLGA@5Fu/PFC NPs suppressed cell viability and induced apoptosis in SW620 cells to a greater extent than non-targeted NPs. In tumor xenografted mice, EGF-PLGA@5Fu/PFC NPs suppressed tumor growth more effectively than 5Fu, PLGA@5Fu or PLGA@5Fu/PFC NPs. Histopathological analysis further demonstrated that EGF-targeted NPs inhibited tumor growth to a greater extent than non-targeted or non-NP treatments. The improved therapeutic outcomes observed in this study were due to relief of tumor hypoxia by transport of oxygen by PFC to the tumors.
Conclusion: We constructed a biocompatible nanodrug delivery system based on functionalized nanoparticles that provided a novel strategy for selective delivery of chemotherapy drugs to tumors.
When is work a cause of early retirement and are there any effective organizational measures to combat this? A population-based study of perceived work environment and work-related disorders among employees in Sweden
Authors: Nilsson Kerstin
Published: March 2020

Background: The ageing workforce has an impact on public health. The aim of this study was to evaluate work-related disorders, work tasks and measures associated with the possibility of working beyond 65 years of age or not. Method: The data comprised two sample surveys based on the Swedish population: the Survey of National Work-Related Health Disorders, and the National Work Environment Survey. Results: A logistic regression analysis showed that an active systematic work environmental management in the workplace was a statistically significant association with whether individuals could work in their current occupation until 65 years of age (OR 1.7). The final multivariate model stated that whether individuals could work until 65 years was associated with bodily exhaustion after work, frequent feeling of the own work effort being insufficient at the end of the day, experience of the work as restricted and with a lack of freedom, working alone and at risk of unsafe or threatening situations, and generally feeling dissatisfied with the work tasks. Women-dominated workplaces were more highly associated with both male and female employees not being able to work until age 65 (OR 1.6). Conclusion: Deficiencies in the working environment seems to be a threat to the public health. An active systematic work environmental management in the workplace increases the possibility to extend the working life. Tools for managers, like the swAge-model, to easily perform active systematic work environmental controls could therefore be a possible way to decrease the risk of work injury as well as increase the possibility for a sustainable extended working life.
Critical clinical situations in adult patients with Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS)
Authors: Stepien Karolina M , Gevorkyan A. K. , Hendriksz Christian J , Lobzhanidze T V , Pérez-López J , Tol Govind , Riera Mireia delToro , Vashakmadze N D , Lampe Christina
Published: March 2020

Background: Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are rare, inherited disorders associated with enzyme deficiencies that result in glycosaminoglycan (GAG) accumulation in multiple organ systems. Management of MPS is evolving as patients increasingly survive to adulthood and undergo multiple surgeries throughout their lives. As surgeries in these patients are considered to be high risk, this can result in a range of critical clinical situations in adult patients.
Results: We discuss strategies to prepare for and manage critical clinical situations in adult patients with MPS, including supporting the multidisciplinary team, preoperative and airway assessments, surgical preparations, and postoperative care. We also present eight critical clinical cases (age range: 21–38 years) from four leading inherited metabolic disease centres in Europe to highlight challenges and practical solutions to optimise the care of adult patients with MPS. Critical clinical situations included surgical procedures, pregnancy and a thrombus in a port-a-cath.
Conclusions: Individualised strategies to manage critical clinical situations need to be developed for each patient to compensate for the heterogeneous symptoms that may be present and the potential complications that may occur. These strategies should include input from the wider MDT, and be coordinated by metabolic specialists with expertise in the management of MPS disorders and surgery in adult patients with MPS.
Prevalence of Crowding, Boarding and Staffing Levels in Swedish Emergency Departments - a National Cross Sectional Study
Authors: Wretborn Jens , Henricson Joakim , Ekelund Ulf , Wilhelms Daniel B
Published: March 2020

Background Emergency Department (ED) crowding occurs when demand for care exceeds the available resources. Crowding has been associated with decreased quality of care and increased mortality, but the prevalence on a national level is unknown in most countries. Methods We performed a national, cross-sectional study on staffing levels, staff workload, occupancy rate and patients waiting for an in-hospital bed (boarding) at five time points during 24 hours in Swedish EDs. Results Complete data were collected from 37 (51% of all) EDs in Sweden. High occupancy rate indicated crowding at twelve hospitals (37.5 %) at 31 out of 170 (18.2%) time points. Mean workload (measured on a scale from 1, no workload to 6, very high workload) was moderate at 2.65 (±1.25). Boarding was more prevalent in academic EDs than rural EDs (median 3 vs 0). There were an average of 2.6, 4.6 and 3.2 patients per registered nurse, enrolled nurse and physician, respectively. Conclusion ED crowding based on occupancy rate was prevalent on a national level in Sweden and comparable with international data. Staff workload, boarding and patient to staff ratios were generally lower than previously described.
Aqueous humour cytokine profiles in eyes with Coats disease and the association with the severity of the disease
Authors: Liang Tingyi , Xu Yu , Zhu Xiuyu , Zhang Xiang , Li Jing , Zhao Peiquan
Published: March 2020

Background: To investigate aqueous humour (AH) cytokine profiles in eyes with Coats disease and analyze the association between cytokine concentrations and the severity of the disease.
Methods: The study included 36 patients (36 eyes) with Coats disease and 15 control patients (15 eyes) with congenital cataract. AH samples were obtained preoperatively and the concentrations of 22 different cytokines were measured through Cytometric Bead Array technology. Clinical characteristics of Coats disease, including the extent of retinal exudation and exudative retinal detachment (ERD), were recorded for analysis.
Results: The concentrations of 8 cytokines (VEGF, IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, MIP-1α, IP-10, VCAM-1 and ICAM-1) were significantly higher in the Coats disease group than in the control group (all P < 0.002). Except for VCAM-1 and ICAM-1, the concentration of the other cytokines listed above showed a significant increase from stage 2 to stage 3 (all P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the concentrations of VEGF, IL-8, MCP-1 and MIP-1α showed a significant and positive association with the extent of retinal exudation and ERD (all r > 0.4, P < 0.05). Among these, IL-8 showed a strong association with the extent of retinal exudation and ERD (all r > 0.7, P < 0.001). The concentrations of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-12, Fractalkine, RANTES, G-CSF and GM-CSF were very low in both groups.
Conclusions: Various cytokines in the AH, including elevated VEGF, IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, MIP-1α, IP-10, VCAM-1 and ICAM-1, may be involved in the pathogenesis and progression of Coats disease. Increasing severity of Coats disease is significantly associated with the AH concentrations of VEGF, IL-8, MCP-1 and MIP-1α. Further clinical treatment aimed to reduce vascular leakage and antagonize neovascularization and inflammation may be useful in preventing the progression of Coats disease.
Spatial Statistics and Influencing Factors of the Epidemic of Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia 2019 in Hubei Province, China
Authors: Xiong Yongzhu , Wang Yunpeng , Chen Feng , Zhu Mingyong
Published: March 2020

An in-depth understanding of spatiotemporal dynamic characteristics of infectious diseases could be helpful to an epidemic prevention and control. Based on the novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) data published on official websites, GIS spatial statistics and Pearson correlation methods were used to analyze the spatial autocorrelation and influencing factors of the 2019 NCP epidemic from January 30, 2020 to February 18, 2020. The results of the study showed that: (1) During the study period, Hubei Province was the only significant cluster area and hot spot of the cumulative cases confirmed with the NCP infection in China on the provincial scale; (2) The epidemic of the NCP infection in China on the prefecture-city scale had a very significant global spatial autocorrelation, and Wuhan had always been the significant hot spot and cluster city of the cumulative cases confirmed with the NCP infection in the whole country; (3) The cumulative cases confirmed with the NCP infection in Hubei Province on the county scale had a very significant global spatial autocorrelation, and the county-level districts under the jurisdiction of Wuhan and its neighboring Huangzhou district in Huanggang City were the significant hot spots and spatial clusters of the cumulative cases confirmed with the NCP infection; (4) Based on Pearson correlation analysis, the number of the accumulative cases confirmed with the NCP infection in Hubei Province on the prefecture-city scale and also on the county scale had very significant and positive correlations (p < 0.01) with the four indexes of population of registration population, resident population, regional GDP and total retail sales of consumer goods, respectively, during the study period; (5) The number of the cumulative cases confirmed with the NCP infection in Hubei Province on the prefecture-city scale also had a very significant and positive correlation (p < 0.01) with Baidu migration index and population density, respectively, but not with land area, whereas that in Hubei Province on the county scale had a significant and positive correlation (p < 0.05) with land area, but not with population density from January 30, 2020 to February 18, 2020. It is found that the NCP epidemic in Hubei Province has the distinctive characteristics of significantly centralized outbreak, significantly spatial autocorrelation and complex influencing factors and that the spatial scale has a significant effect on the global spatial autocorrelation of the NCP epidemic. The findings help to deepen the understanding of spatial distribution patterns and transmission trends of the NCP epidemic and may also benefit scientific prevention and control of epidemics such as NCP 2019.
Differentiation of soft tissue and bone sarcomas from benign lesions utilizing 18F- FDG PET/CT-derived parameters
Authors: Chen Bo , Feng Hongbo , Xie Jinghui , Li Chun , Zhang Yu , Wang Shaowu
Published: March 2020

Background: Accurate differentiation between malignant and benign in soft tissue and bone lesions is essential for the prevention of excessive pathological biopsy and unplanned surgical resection. However, it remains a challenge and a standard diagnosis modality is urgently needed. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of 18F- FDG PET/CT-derived parameters to differentiate soft tissue sarcoma (STS) and bone sarcoma (BS) from benign lesions.Methods: Patients who underwent pretreatment 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging and subsequent biopsy to confirm malignant (STS and BS, n=37) and benign (n=33) soft tissue and bone lesions were retrospectively reviewed. The tumor size, maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG) and heterogeneous factor (HF) of each lesion were measured. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to screen the significant risk factors to distinguish STS and BS from benign lesions. To establish a regression model based on independent risk factors, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to assess the diagnostic performances.Results: Univariate analysis results showed that tumor size, SUVmax, MTV, TLG and HF of 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging in STS and BS group were all higher than benign lesions group, the difference were statistically significant (all P value were<0.01). However, the multivariate regression model only included SUVmax and HF as independent risk factors, odds radios were 1.135(95%CI: 1.026~1.256, P =0.014), 7.869(95%CI: 2.119~29.230, P =0.002), respectively. The regression model was as follow: Logit (P) = -2.461+0.127SUVmax+2.063HF. The area under the ROC was 0.860 (95%CI: 0.771~0.948, P <0.001) higher than SUVmax 0.744(95%CI: 0.628~0.860, P <0.001) and HF 0.790 (95%CI:0.684~0.896, P <0.001).Conclusion: The regression model including SUVmax and HF based on 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging may be useful for differentiating STS and BS from benign lesions.
The ferroptosis and iron-metabolism signature robustly predicts clinical diagnosis, prognosis and immune microenvironment for hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Ji Jiansong , Tang Bufu , Zhu Jinyu , Li Jie , Fan Kai , Gao Yang , Cheng Shimiao , Kong Chunli , Zheng Liyun , Wu Fazong , Weng Qiaoyou , Lu Chenying
Published: March 2020

Background : In this study, we comprehensively analyzed genes related to ferroptosis and iron metabolism to construct diagnostic and prognostic models and explore the relationship with the immune microenvironment in HCC. Methods : Integrated analysis, cox regression and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method of 104 ferroptosis- and iron metabolism-related genes and HCC-related RNA sequencing were performed to identify HCC-related ferroptosis and iron metabolism genes. Results : four genes (ABCB6, FLVCR1, SLC48A1 and SLC7A11) were identified to construct prognostic and diagnostic models. Poorer overall survival (OS) was exhibited in the high-risk group than that in the low-risk group in both the training cohort (P < 0.001, HR = 0.27) and test cohort (P < 0.001, HR = 0.27). The diagnostic models successfully distinguished HCC from normal samples and proliferative nodule samples. Compared with low-risk groups, high-risk groups had higher TMB; higher fractions of macrophages, follicular helper T cells, memory B cells, and neutrophils; and exhibited higher expression of CD83, B7H3, OX40 and CD134L. As an inducer of ferroptosis, erastin inhibited HCC cell proliferation and progression, and it was showed to affect Th17 cell differentiation and IL-17 signaling pathway through bioinformatics analysis, indicating it a potential agent of cancer immunotherapy. Conclusions : The prognostic and diagnostic models based on the four genes indicated superior diagnostic and predictive performance, indicating new possibilities for individualized treatment of HCC patients.
Role of PVT1 Polymorphisms in the Glioma Susceptibility and Prognosis
Authors: Ding Xiaoying , Zhao Yaqin , Yuan Haozheng , Zhang Yong , Gao Ya
Published: March 2020

Background: Genetic factors play a crucial role in the glioma risk and prognosis of glioma patients. To explore the role of PVT1 polymorphism in the susceptibility and survival of glioma in the Chinese Han population, we conducted a case-control study.Methods: The three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in PVT1 were genotyped using Agena MassARRAY from 575 patients with glioma and 500 healthy controls. We used the χ 2 test to analyze the differences in distribution of allele and genotype between the cases and controls. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated by logistic regression analysis to evaluate the association SNPs with glioma risk. The effects of polymorphisms and clinical features on survival of glioma patients were evaluated using the log-rank test, Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analysis.Results: We found that rs13255292 was associated with a decreased risk of glioma in the recessive model in overall or male; and rs4410871 was significantly associated with an increased the risk of glioma in age≤40 years old or female. Moreover, the extent of resection and chemotherapy were found to be key prognostic factors in survival of glioma patients. However, the gender, age, tumor grade, radiotherapy and PVT1 polymorphisms have no effect on prognosis of glioma patients.Conclusions: Our results indicated that PVT1 polymorphisms (rs13255292 and rs4410871) were associated with glioma susceptibility, but have no effect on prognosis of glioma patients. Further studies with large samples are required to confirm the results.
Prevalence and association of malaria with ABO blood group and hemoglobin levels in individuals visiting Mekaneeyesus Primary Hospital, Estie District, northwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Tazebew Balaynesh , Abitew Abaineh Munshea , Nibret Endalkachew
Published: March 2020

Background Malaria continues to be a major health problem in developing sub-Saharan countries including Ethiopia. Malaria is a complex disease and its local characteristics are determined by a variety of geographical, environmental, insect vector, host, and parasite factors.Methods A hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of malaria and its possible association with hemoglobin level and ABO blood group among individuals attending Mekaneeyesus Primary Hospital, Estie District, northwestern Ethiopia. Socio-demographic variables and relevant data were collected from 390 randomly selected individuals through structured questionnaire. Then, thick and thin smears were prepared from finger pricked blood samples, stained, and examined microscopically for detection and identification of malaria parasites. ABO blood group and hemoglobin levels of the same subjects were also determined. The data generated were entered into a computer and analyzed for descriptive and logistic regression models using SPSS version 23.0. Variables with p-value < 0.05 in multivariable logistic regression were considered as explanatory variables.Results The overall prevalence of malaria was 8.5%; Plasmodium vivax (5.6%) was the most predominant, followed by P. falciparum (2.3%), and mixed infection of the two species (0.5%). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, being male (AOR = 3.48), under-five years of age (AOR = 72.84), rural residence (AOR = 2.64), and failing to use bed net (AOR =4.65) were significantly associated with the risk of malaria infection. Most (14.6%) of malaria positives cases were among individuals with blood group “A”, while the least number of cases were among subjects with blood group “O”. Individuals with blood group “A” were about four times more likelihood of getting malaria as compared to individuals with blood group “O” (AOR= 3.74). The prevalence of anemia was 23% and significantly associated with malaria (p<0.05).Conclusions Malaria in the study area is still higher than the average prevalence at country level. Therefore special attention should be given to the prevention and control strategies with the objective of increasing the awareness of local community towards malaria.
Comparison of whole-body vibration training, strength training and health education on physical function and neuromuscular function of individuals with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Lai Zhangqi , Lee Seullee , Chen Yiyang , Wang Lin
Published: March 2020

Background Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is among the most common osteoarthritis diseases that affect adults older than 65 years old. Impaired neuromuscular function contributes to the development and/or progression of KOA. As a new modality in strength training, whole-body vibration (WBV) training is considered in the management of KOA. However, the inconsistent results of previous studies dampened the enthusiasm for the clinical application of WBV.Methods Eligible participants with KOA were randomly allocated to WBV, strength training (ST) and health education (HE) groups. Finally, 57 participants completed the intervention and measurements. The participants in each group were encouraged to perform the WBV training, similar strength training or health education program. These supervised interventions were performed three times per week for 8 weeks. Physical function was assessed with Timed Up and Go (TUG) and 6-min Walk Distance tests. Neuromuscular function was measured with isokinetic muscle strength and proprioception. Results All variables of physical function and neuromuscular function failed to change significantly among three groups. However, compared with the baseline, the time of TUG and isokinetic muscle strength improved significantly only in WBV group. Conclusion WBV training has been recommended for strength training in elderly people and patients with musculoskeletal diseases. The 8-week WBV training under the protocol of our study was not superior to ST and HE. Hence, more clinical studies are required in the future to develop an optimal training protocol.
S100A2 induces the growth of Calu-6 Lung Cancer Cells via apoptosis inhibition, invasion enhancement and promoting cell division
Authors: Liang Yiqian , Wang Ting , Yin Bianling , Thakur Asmitananda
Published: March 2020

Background S100 calcium binding protein A2 (S100A2) has been confirmed to have an abnormal expression in lung cancer and is associated with a better disease-free internal of lung cancer patients. Our previous studies on S100A2 in lung cancer concentrated on the clinical roles of this protein in lung cancer, finding that S100A2 increasingly expressed in the sera, tissues and plural effusion of lung cancer patients. This study emphasizes its value in the lung cancer cell line. Methods We constructed a S100A2 expression lentivirus vector, then transfected it and blank vector into the Calu-6 lung cancer cell line respectively. After the successful transfection, (which was confirmed by RT-PCR and Western-blot), we used MTT, transwell and flow cytometric analysis to compare the differences in cell proliferation, cell migration, cell invasion, cell apoptosis and cell cycle among the three groups (Calu-6, Calu/neo, Calu-6/S100A2). Results Calu-6 lung cancer cells showed a shift from G1 to S phase after being transfected with S100A2, compared with the control groups. Additionally, Calu-6/S1000A2 cells had enhanced abilities of invasion and down-abilities of apoptosis in contrast with the blank groups (P<0.05). However, there were no significant difference among these three group in the cell behaviors of migration and proliferation (P>0.05). Conclusion Our results firstly indicate that S100A2 has a positive influence on the biological characteristics of Calu-6 lung cancer cell line, including cell division, invasion and apoptosis inhibition. It may play a significant role in the genesis and progression of lung cancer.
Evaluation of routine Isoniazid Preventive Therapy among People Living with HIV for reducing Tuberculosis; a retrospective cohort study in Tanzania (2012-2016)
Authors: Maokola Werner , Ngowi Bernard , Lawson Lovett , Mahande Michael , Todd Jim , Msuya Sia
Published: March 2020

Background: Isoniazid Preventive Therapy (IPT) reduced Tuberculosis (TB) among People Living with HIV (PLHIV). Despite this, uptake has been reported to be sub-optimal . We describe characteristics of visits in which PLHIV were screened TB negative (as the main source for IPT initiation), determine characteristics of visits in which PLHIV were initiated on IPT as well as determined factors associated with IPT initiation to inform program scale up and improve quality of service.Methods : Retrospective cohort study design which involved PLHIV enrolled into care and treatment clinics in Dar es Salaam, Iringa and Njombe regions from January 2012 to December 2016. The study aimed at evaluating implementation of IPT among PLHIV. Data analysis was conducted using STATA.Results: A total 173,746 were enrolled in CTC in the 3 regions during the period of follow up and made a total of 2,638,876 visits. Of the eligible visits, only 24,429 (1.26%) were initiated on IPT. In multivariate analysis, 50 years and more (aOR=3.42, 95% CI: 3.07-3.82, P<0.01), bedridden functional status individuals with bedridden functional status (aOR=4.56, 95% CI:2.45-8.49, P<0.01) and WHO clinical stage II had higher odds of IPT initiation (aOR=1.18, 95% CI:1.13-1.23, P<0.01). Furthermore, enrolment in 2016 (aOR=2.92, 95% CI:2.79-3.06, P<0.01), enrolment in hospitals (aOR=1.84, 95% CI:1.77-1.90, P<0.01), enrolment in public health facilities (aOR=1.82, 95% CI: 1.75-1.90, P<0.01) and been on care for more than one year (aOR=6.77, 95% CI: 5.25-8.73, P<0.000) were also more likely to be initiated on IPT. Enrollment in Iringa (aOR=0.44, 95% CI: 0.41-0.47, P<0.01) and good adherence (aOR=0.56, 95% CI 0.47-0.67, P<0.01) was less likely to be initiated on IPT.Conclusions: Our study documented low IPT initiation proportion among those who were enrolled in HIV care and eligible in the 3 regions during the study period. Variations in IPT initiation among regions signals different dynamics affecting IPT uptake in different regions and hence customized approaches in quality improvement. Implementation research is needed to understand health system as well as cultural barriers in the uptake of IPT intervention.
Early exposure to hands-on surgical training encourages urological interest in undergraduate medical students
Authors: Kimura Tomokazu , Kojo Kosuke , Ikeda Atsushi , Kandori Shuya , Kojima Takahiro , Haruta Junji , Nishiyama Hiroyuki
Published: March 2020

Background: Urological education is as important as surgical training for undergraduates. However, those in undergraduate medical schools have less exposure to surgery and urology as their curriculum focuses more on clinical skills, particularly community-based healthcare for a super-aging society. This study aimed to evaluate whether urologic hands-on training could encourage surgical and urological interest in medical undergraduate students. Methods: A one-day elective program in urologic surgery at the University of Tsukuba, particularly in robotic, laparoscopic, and endoscopic surgeries, was offered to 58 fourth-year medical students in 2018 and 2019, prior to their clinical clerkship. The average age of participants was 22 (range: 21–25) years. We assessed scores (1–5 Likert-type items) in training activity, interest in surgery, and interest in urology before and after the course. Results: Before attending the program, average scores in interest in urology were 3.53 in 2018 and 3.15 in 2019. After training, the total likely scores of this program in 2018 and 2019 were 4.59 and 4.76, respectively. The likely scores in surgery increased after the program; however, this was not significantly different to that prior to the program. However, the average interest scores in urology were significantly increased to 3.91±0.63 (p<0.05) and 3.88 ± 0.58 (p<0.01) in 2018 and 2019, respectively, indicating a motivation to pursue surgery and urology following clinical clerkship, 1 year after training. Conclusions: Urological hands-on training facilitated interest in urology in medical students prior to their clinical clerkship. Early experience in actual urological procedures could encourage medical students to consider specializing in urology and pursue a career as a urological specialist.
Three Unsuspected CT Diagnoses of COVID-19
Authors: Vu David , Ruggiero Maryanne , Choi Woo Sung , Masri Daniel , Flyer Mark , Shyknevsky Inna , Stein Evan G.
Published: March 2020

PURPOSE: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by a novel strain of coronavirus named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that has quickly spread around the globe. Health care facilities in the United States currently do not have an adequate supply of COVID-19 tests to meet the growing demand. Imaging findings for COVID-19 are nonspecific but include pulmonary parenchymal ground-glass opacities in a predominantly basal and peripheral distribution.METHODS: Three patients imaged for non-respiratory related symptoms with a portion of the lungs in the imaged field.RESULTS: Each patient had suspicious imaging findings for COVID-19, prompting the interpreting radiologist to suggest testing for COVID-19. All 3 patients turned out to be infected with COVID-19 and one patient is the first reported case of the coincident presentation of COVID-19 and an intraparenchymal hemorrhage.CONCLUSION: Using imaging characteristics of COVID-19 on abdominal or neck CT when a portion of the lungs is included, patients not initially suspected of COVID-19 infection can be quarantined earlier to limit exposure to others.
The dominant malaria vector, Anopheles funestus from rural south-eastern Tanzania, is more strongly resistant to insecticides than Anopheles arabiensis
Authors: Pinda Polius Gerazi , Eichenberger Claudia , Ngowo Halfan S , Msaky Dickson S , Abbasi Said , Kihonda Japhet , Bwanaly Hamis , Okumu Fredros O
Published: March 2020

Background: Long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) have greatly reduced malaria transmission in sub-Saharan Africa, but are threatened by insecticide resistance in dominant malaria vectors. In south-eastern Tanzania, pyrethroid-resistant Anopheles funestus now transmit more than 80% of malaria infections even in villages where the species occurs at far lower densities than other vectors such as Anopheles arabiensis.Methods: To better understand the dominance of An. funestus in these settings and improve options for its control, this study compared intensities of resistance between females of this species and those of An. arabiensis , using WHO assays with 1×, 5× and 10× insecticide doses. Additional tests were done to assess the reversibility of such resistance using synergists. The mosquitoes were collected from villages across two districts in south-eastern Tanzania.Findings: Both species were resistant to the two pyrethroids (permethrin and deltamethrin) and the organochloride (DDT) but susceptible to the organophosphate (pirimiphos-methyl) at standard baseline doses (1×). However, An. funestus as opposed to An. arabiensis was also resistant to the carbamate (bendiocarb) at standard doses (1×). An. funestus showed strong resistance to pyrethroids, surviving the 5× doses and 10× doses except in one village. Pre-exposure to the synergist, piperonyl butoxide (PBO), reversed the pyrethroid-resistance in both An. arabiensis and An. funestus achieving mortalities >98%, except for An. funestus from two villages for which permethrin-associated mortalities exceeded 90% but not 98%.Conclusions : In these communities where An. funestus now dominates malaria transmission, the species also displays much stronger resistance to pyrethroids than its counterpart, An. arabiensis, and can readily survive more classes of insecticides, including carbamates. The resistance to pyrethroids in both mosquito species appears to be mostly metabolic and can be reversed significantly using synergists such as PBO. These findings may explain the continued persistence and dominance of An. funestus despite widespread use of pyrethroid-treated LLINs, and will also inform future choices of interventions to tackle malaria transmission in this area and other similar settings. Such interventions may include PBO-based LLINs or improved IRS with compounds such as organophosphates against which the vectors are still susceptible.
Bioproduction of succinic acid from xylose by engineered Yarrowia lipolytica without pH control
Authors: Prabhu Ashish , Amaro Rodrigo Ledesma- , Lin Carol Sze Ki , Coulon Frederic , Thakur Vijay kumar , Kumar Vinod
Published: March 2020

Background

Xylose is a most prevalent sugar available in hemicellulose fraction of lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) and of great interest for the green economy. Unfortunately, most of the cell factories cannot inherently metabolize xylose as sole carbon source. Yarrowia lipolytica is a non-conventional yeast to produce industrially important metabolites, and it is able to metabolize a large variety of substrates including both hydrophilic and hydrophobic carbon sources. However, Y. lipolytica lacks effective metabolic pathway for xylose uptake and only scarce information is available on utilization of xylose. For the economically feasible of LCB-based biorefineries, effective utilization of both pentose and hexose sugars is obligatory.

Results

In the present study, succinic acid (SA) production from xylose by Y. lipolytica was examined. To this end, Y. lipolytica PSA02004 strain was engineered by overexpressing pentose pathway cassette comprising of xylose reductase ( XR ), xylitol dehydrogenase ( XDH ) and xylulose kinase ( XK ) gene. The recombinant strain exhibited a robust growth on xylose as sole carbon source and accumulated SA (3.8 g/L) with a yield of 0.19 g/g in shake flask studies. Substrate inhibition studies revealed a marked negative impact on cell growth and product formation above 60 g/L xylose concentration. The modelling based on inhibition kinetics revealed that Aiba model showed better fit with experimental data, which resulted the correlation coefficient (R 2 ) of 0.82 and inhibition constant (K I ) 88.9 g/L. The batch cultivation of recombinant strain in bioreactor resulted in a maximum biomass concentration of 7.3 g/L and SA titer of 11.2 g/L with the yield of 0.18 g/g. Similar results in term of cell growth and SA production were obtained with xylose-rich hydrolysate derived from sugarcane bagasse. The fed-batch fermentation yielded biomass concentration of 11.8 g/L (OD 600 : 56.1) and SA titer of 22.3 g/L with a gradual decrease in pH below 4.0. Acetic acid was obtained as a main byproduct in all the fermentations.

Conclusion

The recombinant strain displayed potential bioconversion of xylose to succinic acid. Further this study provided a new insight on conversion of LCB into value-added products. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on SA production by Y. lipolytica using xylose as a sole carbon source.
Expression of MYB transcription factor gene ZmMYB59 affects seed germination in Nicotiana tabacum and Oryza sativa
Authors: Zhai Kaihui , Zhao Guangwu , Jiang Hongye , Sun Caixia , Ren Jingyu
Published: March 2020

Background MYB transcription factors are involved in many biological processes, including metabolism, development and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. In our previous work, a new MYB transcription factor gene, ZmMYB59 was induced by deep sowing and down-regulated during maize seed germination via Real-Time PCR. However, there are few reports on seed germination regulated by MYB proteins and the functions of ZmMYB59 remain unknown. Results In this study, to examine its functions, Agrobacterium -mediated transformation was exploited to generate ZmMYB59 transgenic tobacco and rice. In T 2 generation transgenic tobacco, germination rate, germination index, vigor index and hypocotyl length were significantly decreased by 25.0~50.9%, 34.5~54.4%, 57.5~88.3% and 21.9~31.2% compared to wild-type (WT) lines. In T 2 generation transgenic rice, germination rate, germination index, vigor index and mesocotyl length were notably reduced by 39.1~53.8%, 51.4~71.4%, 52.5~74.0% and 28.3~41.5%, respectively. On this basis, relative physiological indicators were determined. The activities of catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase and proline content of transgenic lines were significantly lower than those of WT, suggesting that ZmMYB59 reduced their antioxidant capacity. As well, ZmMYB59 expression extremely inhibited the synthesis of gibberellin A1 (GA 1 ) and cytokinin (CTK), and promoted the synthesis of abscisic acid (ABA) concurrently, which implied that seed germination was repressed by ZmMYB59 in hormone levels. Furthermore, cell length and cell number of hypocotyl/mesocotyl in transgenic plants were notably decreased. Conclusions Taken together, it proposed that ZmMYB59 plays a negative regulation during seed germination in tobacco and rice, which also contributes to illuminate the molecular mechanisms regulated by MYB transcription factors.
Climate change induced vulnerability and adaption for dengue incidence in Colombo and Kandy Districts: The first detailed investigation in Sri Lanka
Authors: Udayanga N.W.B.A.L. , Gunathilaka Nayana , Iqbal M.C.M. , Abeyewickreme W.
Published: March 2020

Background: Assessing the vulnerability of an infectious disease such as dengue among endemic population is an important requirement to design proactive programmes in order to improve resilience capacity of vulnerable communities. Despite the significance in decision making process especially for rational resource allocation, recognition of actual burden of dengue, the vulnerability of dengue has been limitedly addressed in many countries including Sri Lanka, due to some in a holistic methodology.Methods: A total of 42 variables (entomological, epidemiological, meteorological parameters, landuse practices and socio-demographic data) of all the 38 Medical Officer of Health (MOH) areas in the districts of Colombo and Kandy were considered as candidate variables for composite index based vulnerability assessment. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used in selecting and setting the weight for each indicator. Exposure, Sensitivity, Adaptive Capacity and Vulnerability of all the MOH areas for dengue incidence were calculated.Results: Out of 42 candidate variables, only 23 parameters (Exposure Index: 6 variables; Sensitivity Index: 11 variables; Adaptive Capacity Index: 6 variables) were selected as the indicators to assess climate change vulnerability to dengue. Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) MOH area denoted the highest values for exposure (0.89: exceptionally high exposure), sensitivity (0.86: exceptionally high sensitivity) in the district of Colombo, while Kandy Municipal Council (KMC) area reported the highest exposure (0.79: high exposure) and sensitivity (0.77: high sensitivity) in Kandy. Piliyandala MOH area denoted the highest level of adaptive capacity (0.66) in the district of Colombo followed by Menikhinna (0.68) in Kandy. The highest vulnerability (0.45: moderate vulnerability) to dengue was receded from CMC and the lowest indicated from Galaha MOH (0.15; very low vulnerability) in Kandy. Interestingly the Kandy Municipal Council MOH area had a notable vulnerability of 0.41 (moderate vulnerability), which remained the highest within Kandy.Conclusions: In general, vulnerability for dengue was relatively higher within the MOH areas of Colombo, than in Kandy, suggesting a higher degree of potential susceptibility to dengue within among local communities of Colombo. The VCE are recommended to consider the spatial variations in vulnerability of local communities to dengue for decision making, especially in allocation of limited financial, human and mechanical resources for dengue epidemic management.