bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
La nazione del miracolo. L’Italia e gli italiani tra Storia, memoria e immaginario
Authors: Gabrielli Patrizia
Published: November 2019

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Alejandro Panel (1699-1764) y la epigrafía hispana
Authors: Salas Álvarez Jesús
Published: November 2019

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América Latina y lo clásico. Lo clásico y América Latina
Authors: Dell’ Elicine Eleonora
Published: November 2019

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El legado de los emperadores hispanos
Authors: Mora Gloria
Published: November 2019

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Gejala dan Intensitas Serangan Serangga Fitofagus pada Sagu [The Symptoms and Intensity Attacks of Phytophagous Insects on Sago]
Authors: Senewe Rein Estefanus , Triwidodo Hermanu , Pudjianto Nfn , Rauf Aunu , Pesireron Marietje
Published: November 2019

The growth and development of sago palm naturally interact with the organism such as insects.  The symptoms of damage to the plant canopy sago indicate a relationship between insects and plants.  This study aims to identify phytophagous insects, symptoms of damage and attack rates on sago plants. The study was conducted in the village of Rutong and Tulehu in Maluku, starting in June until September 2016. There are 10 plants/sago clump in each observations in each location determined by purposive sampling. Each sago clump in the growth phase (seedlings, tillers, a trunk stage, and stems / trees), observed symptoms of damage to leaflets and leaf midribs. The results showed four symptoms of attack on the sago canopy with an average intensity of mild attacks. The highest incidence of attack was 37.5% in the phase of a trunk stage with the symptoms of cutout attacks on the leaves. Then seven species phytophag insects were obtained which were associated with sago canopy. Each of the insect imago phases leads to leaf damage with distinctive features, which can potentially cause severe damage to the canopy of the sago plant.

ABSTRAK

Pertumbuhan dan perkembangan tanaman sagu secara alami berinteraksi dengan organisme diantaranya serangga. Gejala kerusakan tajuk tanaman sagu menunjukkan adanya hubungan antara serangga dan tanaman.  Tujuan penelitian adalah untuk mengidentifikasi serangga fitofag, gejala kerusakan dan tingkat serangan pada tanaman sagu.  Penelitian dilakukan pada areal sagu di Desa Rutong dan Tulehu Provinsi Maluku, dimulai bulan Juni – September 2016. Tersedia 10 tanaman/rumpun sagu ditiap lokasi pengamatan yang ditentukan secara purposive sampling. Setiap rumpun sagu pada fase pertumbuhan (semai, anakan, sapihan, dan batang/pohon), diamati gejala kerusakan anak daun dan pelepah daun. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan empat gejala serangan pada tajuk tanaman sagu dengan rata-rata intensitas serangan ringan. Insidensi serangan tertinggi (37.5%) pada fase sapihan dengan gejala serangan bentuk guntingan pada daun. Selanjutnya diperoleh tujuh jenis serangga fitofagus yang berasosiasi dengan tajuk tanaman sagu. Masing-masing fase imago serangga menimbulkan kerusakan daun dengan ciri khas berbeda, sehingga dapat berpeluang menimbulkan kerusakan berat pada tajuk tanaman sagu.
Evaluasi Mutu Tahu dari Beberapa Varietas Unggul Kedelai dibuat oleh Beberapa Pengrajin
Authors: Yani Alvi , Utomo Joko Susilo
Published: November 2019

Varietas unggul kedelai nasional berpeluang besar sebagai bahan baku tahu yang sudah menjadi menu harian bagi penduduk Indonesia. Peningkatan produksi kedelai dalam negeri memerlukan informasi kesesuaian penggunaannya. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendapatkan informasi mengenai kualitas tahu yang dibuat oleh pengrajin dari berbagai varietas unggul kedelai. Penelitian dilakukan pada bulan Agustus – November 2016 di Kelurahan Gunung Sulah, Kecamatan Way Halim, Bandar Lampung yang merupakan sentra pengrajin tahu dan tempe. Penelitian disusun menggunakan Rancangan Acak Kelompok dengan perlakuan empat varietas kedelai: Anjasmoro, Grobogan, Argomulyo, dan Gepak Kuning, serta kedelai impor sebagai pembanding dan empat pengrajin sebagai ulangan. Analisis mutu tahu meliputi karakter fisik, kimia dan uji organoleptik yang melibatkan 25 orang panelis. Varietas/jenis kedelai tidak berpengaruh terhadap sifat fisiko-kimia tahu (rendemen, kekerasan, warna, kadar air, protein, lemak, karbohidrat, abu, serat kasar). Hal ini disebabkan oleh bervariasinya teknik atau kondisi pengolahan tahu oleh masing-masing pengrajin, meskipun tahap pengolahannya sama. Secara keseluruhan, sifat sensoris tahu dari varietas unggul kedelai disukai oleh panelis. Tidak ada perbedaan tingkat kesukaan aroma tahu mentah antara varietas unggul kedelai dengan kedelai impor, tetapi untuk parameter lainnya seperti warna, tekstur, dan penampilan tahu mentah, Varietas Argomulyo, Anjasmoro dan Gepak Kuning memberikan nilai kesukaan yang lebih tinggi. Untuk tahu rebus, Varietas Argomulyo dan Anjasmoro memberikan nilai kesukaan tertinggi dari semua kriteria organoleptik yang diujikan.
Important Weeds and Their Control in Soybean Production under Rice-Soybean Cropping Pattern
Authors: Harsono Arief , Suryantini Suryantini , Muzaiyanah Siti
Published: November 2019

Weed control is one of technology components in soybean production that needs high labor and cost. The objective of this study was to determine the major weeds and their controls for soybean grown after rice in lowland. The study was conducted in two stages. The first stage was a survey to observe the major weeds in soybean crops grown after rice in the farmers’ fields at three central soybean production areas in Banyuwangi, namely Gambiran, Purwoharjo, and Tegal Dlimo subdistricts. The second stage was a trial conducted in lowland after rice in Genteng Research station, Banyuwangi during the dry season of 2013. The treatments were arranged in a randomized completely block design with three replications. The treatments consisted of: 1) without weed control, 2) weeding twice, 3) preemergence herbicide oxyfluorfen,(4) oxyfluorfen + postemergence 2,4-D dimethylamide, (5) oxyfluorfen + once hand weeding, and (6) once hand weeding. The results indicated that the major weeds were Oryza sativa, Cyperus rotundus, Ageratum sp., Echinochloa crusgalli, and Pilantus niruri consecutively. The weeds were effectively controlled by applying preemergence herbicide oxyfluorfen. This control method reduced the major weeds significantly and showed the same increase in seed yield as in other treatments (one and twice hand weeding) compared to the control treatment (without weeding).The soybean yield obtained from the treatment of without weeding,one hand weeding,and using oxyfluorfen herbicide was 0.60 t/ ha, 1.87 t/ha, and 1.93 t/ha, respectively.The use of oxyfluorfen herbicide is more efficient in terms of labor use than that of hand weeding. 

 
Changes of Chemical Composition and Aflatoxin Content of Peanut Products as Affected by Processing Methods
Authors: Ginting Erliana , Rahmianna Agustina Asri , Yusnawan Eriyanto
Published: November 2019

Peanut production in Indonesia is predominantly used for food, thus information on nutritional aspects and aflatoxin contamination in peanuts is essential in terms of food security and safety. As changes may occur during

processing, the effects of processing methods on chemical composition and aflatoxin content in selected peanut products were studied. The dried peanut pods collected from a farmer in Ponorogo, East Java were stored for one month, and then the kernels were prepared into fried peanut (kacang goreng), peanut sauce (sambel pecel), peanut press cake (bungkil kacang), fried-pressed peanut (bungkil kacang goreng), fermented peanut press cake (tempe bungkil kacang), and fried peanut tempe (tempe bungkil kacang goreng). The trial was arranged in a randomized complete design with three replicates. ELISA method was applied for aflatoxin B1 analysis. The results showed that peanut kernels contained 26.3% protein (dw) and 50.4% fat (dw) with relatively low aflatoxin B1 content (9.1 ppb) due to low moisture level (5.6%), no Aspergillus flavus infection and high sound/intact kernels (73.1%). Peanuts processed into tempe bungkil kacang showed the highest increase in protein content, followed by tempe bungkil kacang goreng, bungkil kacang, and bungkil kacang goreng, while fat contents decreased in all products. Processing into kacang goreng and bungkil kacang goreng decreased aflatoxin B1 by 26.4% and 41.8%, respectively, while no significant differences were noted in sambal pecel and bungkil kacang. Aflatoxin B1 increased two-fold during the preparation of tempe bungkil kacang, however it significantly decreased by 38.9% after deep-fried. Excluding peanut tempe, all peanut products contained aflatoxin B1 below the permitted level (15 ppb), therefore they are safe for consumption.
Keragaman Genetik Klon Ubi Jalar Ungu Berdasarkan Karakter Morfologi dan Agronomi
Authors: Prayudha Harlino Nandha , Noerrizki Amalia Murnihati , Maulana Haris , Ustari Debby , Rostini Neni , Karuniawan Agung
Published: November 2019

Keragaman genetik ubi jalar dapat dinilai berdasarkan analisis terhadap karakter-karakter tertentu. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk melakukan pendugaan keragaman klon ubi jalar ungu berdasarkan karakter agronomi dan morfologi tanaman. Percobaan dilaksanakan selama musim hujan di Kebun Percobaan Ciparanje, Fakultas Pertanian Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, Jawa Barat mulai November 2018 sampai April 2019. Perlakuan adalah 11 klon ubi jalar ungu yang berasal dari Indonesia, Peru, dan Jepang. Pengamatan terdiri atas karakter agronomi dan morfologi, serta komponen hasil. Pendugaan keragaman genetik menggunakan analisis klaster, analisis komponen utama, uji mantel, dan perhitungan ragam genotipik dan fenotipik. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan terdapat perbedaan keragaman genetik berdasarkan karakter agronomi dan karakter morfologi. Jarak genetik berdasarkan analisis klaster dan analisis komponen utama pada karakter agronomi dan morfologi masing- masing adalah 0,31–5,18 Euclidean dan 1,73–4,55 Euclidean. Korelasi keragaman agronomi dengan keragaman morfologi sangat lemah (r=0,096). Perhitungan ragam genotipik dan fenotipik juga menunjukkan bahwa keragaman karakter agronomi cenderung luas. 
Protocol for the Process Evaluation of the Online Remote Behavioural Intervention for Tics (ORBIT) Randomised Controlled Trial for children and young people
Authors: Khan Kareem , Hollis Chris , Hall Charlotte L , Davies E Bethan , Mataix-Cols David , Andrén Per , Murphy Tara , Brown Beverley J , Murray Elizabeth , Glazebrook Cris
Published: November 2019

Background Process evaluations are an important component in the interpretation and understanding of outcomes in trials. The ‘Online Remote Behavioural Intervention for Tics’ (ORBIT) study is a randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of an internet delivered behavioural intervention (called BIP TIC) compared to an internet delivered education program aimed at children and young people with tics. A process evaluation will be undertaken alongside the main trial to determine precisely how the behavioural intervention works and ascertain whether, and if so, how, the intervention could be successfully implemented in standard clinical practice. This protocol paper describes the rationale, aims, and methodology of the ORBIT trial process evaluation. Methods The process evaluation will use a mixed-methods design following the UK Medical Research Council’s 2015 guidelines, comprising of both quantitative and qualitative data collection. This will include: analyzing data usage of participants in the intervention arm; purposively sampled, semi-structured interviews of parents and children, therapists and supervisors, and referring clinicians of the ORBIT trial, as well as analysis of qualitative comments input into the online therapy platform by participants at the end of treatment. Qualitative data will be analyzed thematically. Quantitative and qualitative data will be integrated in a triangulation approach, to provide an understanding of how the intervention works, and what resources are needed for effective implementation, uptake and use in routine clinical care. Discussion This process evaluation will explore the experiences of participants, therapists and supervisors, and referring clinicians of a complex online intervention. By contextualising trial efficacy results, this will help understand how and if the intervention worked and what may be required to sustain the implementation of the treatment long-term. The findings will also aid in our understanding of factors that can affect the success of complex interventions. This will enable future researchers developing online behavioural interventions for children and young people with mental health and neurological disorders to gain invaluable information from this process evaluation.
Reliable cell and tissue morphology-based diagnosis of endemic Burkitt lymphoma in resource-constrained settings in Ghana
Authors: Smith-Togobo Cecilia , Pedersen Mette Ø , Jensen Steffen G , Duduyemi Babatunde , Gyasi Richard K , Ofori Michael F , Paintsil Vivian , Renner Lorna , Nørgaard Peter , Hviid Lars
Published: November 2019

Endemic Burkitt lymphoma (eBL) is an aggressive B-cell lymphoma, which is a common childhood cancer in areas with intense transmission of Plasmodium falciparum parasites. Early and accurate diagnosis is a prerequisite for successful therapy, but it optimally involves advanced laboratory investigations. These are technologically demanding, expensive, and often difficult to implement in settings where eBL is prevalent. Diagnosis is thus generally based on clinical assessment and morphological examination of tumour biopsies or fine-needle aspirates (FNAs). The purpose of the present study was to assess the accuracy of eBL diagnosis at two tertiary hospitals in Ghana. To that end, we studied FNAs from 29 eBL patients and 21 non-eBL lymphoma patients originally diagnosed in 2018. In addition, we examined 111 archival formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) biopsies from Ghanaian patients originally diagnosed as eBL (N=55) or non-eBL (N=56) between 2010 and 2017. Availability-based subsets of samples were subjected to haematoxylin-eosin or Giemsa staining, C-MYC immunohistochemistry, and fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) analysis of c-myc rearrangements We found a good correlation between original diagnosis and subsequent retrospective assessment, particularly for FNA samples. However, evidence of intact c-myc genes and normal C-MYC expression in samples from some patients originally diagnosed as eBL indicates that morphological assessment alone can lead to eBL over-diagnosis in our study area. In addition, several FFPE samples could not be assessed retrospectively, due to poor sample quality. Therefore, the simpler FNA method of obtaining tumour material is preferable, particularly when careful processing of biopsy specimens cannot be guaranteed. We conclude that the accuracy of eBL diagnostic tools available in Ghana is generally adequate, but could be improved by implementation of additional pathology laboratory investigations. Improved attention to adequate preservation of archival samples is recommended.
The predictive value of red cell distribution width for stroke severity and outcome
Authors: Shahsavarinia Kavous , Seifar Fatemeh , Sadeghi-Hokmabadi Elyar , Laleh Younes Ghavam , Moharramzadeh Payman , Pouraghaei Mahboob , Khamnian Zhila , Hajibonabi Farid , Farhoudi Mehdi , Mafi Sara
Published: November 2019

Objectives: In the present study, we sought to investigate the association between RDW and stroke severity and outcome in patients who underwent anti-thrombolytic therapy with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Results: In this prospective study, 282 stroke patients who underwent tPA injection were included. The categorization of RDW to <12.9 and >13 values revealed insignificant difference in stroke severity score, accounting for the mean 36-hour NIHSS of 8.19±8.2 in normal RDW values and 9.94±8.28in higher RDW group (p=0.64). In seventh day, NIHSS was 6.46±7.28 in normal RDW group and was 8.52±8.35 in increased RDW group (p=0.058). Neither the thirty-six-hour, nor the seventh day and 3-month MRS demonstrated significant difference between those with normal and higher RDW values.
Immunoprecipitation of protein lysate from culture cells using Src antibody
Authors: Iida Madoka , Katsuno Masahisa
Published: November 2019

It is a procedure for immunoprecipitation using protein lysate from a neuronal cell line, NSC34, and a muscle cell line, C2C12 using DynabeadsTM Protein G Immunoprecipitation Kit (ThermoFisher).
The transcriptomic signature of low aggression honey bees resembles a response to infection
Authors: Rittschof Clare C , Rubin Benjamin E.R. , Palmer Joseph H.
Published: November 2019

Background: Behavior reflects an organism's health status. Many organisms display a generalized suite of behaviors that indicate infection or predict infection susceptibility. We apply this concept to honey bee aggression, a behavior that has been associated with positive health outcomes in previous studies. We sequenced the transcriptomes of the brain, fat body, and midgut of adult sibling worker bees who developed as pre-adults in relatively high versus low aggression colonies. Previous studies showed that this pre-adult experience impacts both aggressive behavior and resilience to pesticides. We performed enrichment analyses on differentially expressed genes to determine whether variation in aggression resembles the molecular response to infection. We further assessed whether the transcriptomic signature of aggression in the brain is similar to the neuromolecular response to acute predator threat, exposure to a high-aggression environment as an adult, or adult behavioral maturation. Results: Across all three tissues assessed, genes that are differentially expressed as a function of aggression significantly overlap with genes whose expression is modulated by a variety of pathogens and parasitic feeding. In the fat body, and to some degree the midgut, our data specifically support the hypothesis that low aggression resembles a diseased or parasitized state. However, we find little evidence of active infection in individuals from the low aggression group. We also find little evidence that the brain molecular signature of aggression is enriched for genes modulated by social cues that induce aggression in adults. However, we do find evidence that genes associated with adult behavioral maturation are enriched in our brain samples. Conclusions: Results support the hypothesis that low aggression resembles a molecular state of infection. This pattern is most robust in the peripheral fat body, an immune responsive tissue in the honey bee. We find no evidence of acute infection in bees from the low aggression group, suggesting the physiological state characterizing low aggression may instead predispose bees to negative health outcomes when they are exposed to additional stressors. The similarity of molecular signatures associated with the seemingly disparate traits of aggression and disease suggests that these characteristics may, in fact, be intimately tied.
What predicts the health-related quality of life of adolescents with cerebral palsy in Bangladesh?
Authors: Power Rosalie , Galea Claire , Muhit Mohammad , Heanoy Eamin , Karim Tasneem , Badawi Nadia , Khandaker Gulam
Published: November 2019

Background: The health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of adolescents with CP in low and middle-income countries is often poor, as is the case in Bangladesh. This exploratory study examined what factors predict the proxy-reported HRQoL of adolescents with CP in rural Bangladesh, a typical low- and middle-income country (LMIC).
Methods: Adolescents with CP (10 to 18y) were identified using the Bangladesh Cerebral Palsy Register. HRQoL was assessed using the Cerebral Palsy Quality of Life-Teens proxy-report questionnaire (CPQoL-Teens), adolescent mental health using the Strengths and Difficulty Questionnaire (SDQ) and caregiver mental health using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Theoretical and statistical interests (i.e. bivariate analysis, p<0.05) identified potential predictors which were entered into hierarchical multiple linear regression (HMLR) models in order of clinical significance; HMLR related adolescent clinical characteristics, adolescent and caregiver mental health and proxies of socioeconomic status to CPQoL-Teens dimensions.
Results: 154 adolescents with CP (mean age 15y 1mo, SD 1y 8mo, female 31.2%) participated in this study. Twenty-four factors were identified to explore for relationship to adolescent proxy-reported HRQoL. Fifteen of the factors correlated to one or more CPQoL-Teens dimension; strongest correlation was between ‘feelings about functioning’ and motor impairment (r=0.545). Nine were predictive of CPQoL-Teens dimensions; adolescent sex, school attendance, severity of motor impairment, hearing and speech impairment, mother’s education, primary caregiver depression and stress, and having a sanitary latrine at home resulting in score changes of between 0.79 (95% CI 0.24 to 1.35) to 35.1 (95% CI 6.03 to 64.22).
Conclusions: Many of the factors predicting the proxy-reported HRQoL of adolescents with CP are amenable to intervention, and have the potential to improve adolescent wellbeing. Several determinants are priorities of the sustainable development goals (SDGs); these findings should inform resource prioritization to improve the wellbeing of adolescents with CP in Bangladesh and other LMICs.
Impact of a semi-structured briefing on the management of adverse events in anesthesiology: A randomized pilot study.
Authors: Neuhaus Christopher , Schäfer Johannes , Weigand Markus A. , Lichtenstern Christoph
Published: November 2019

Background : Human factors research has identified mental models as a key component for the effective sharing and organization of knowledge. The challenge lies in the development and application of tools that help team members to arrive at a shared understanding of a situation. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of a semi-structured briefing on the management of a simulated airway emergency. Methods : 37 interprofessional teams were asked to perform a simulated rapid-sequence induction in the simulator. Teams were presented with a “cannot ventilate, cannot oxygenate” scenario that ultimately required a cricothyroidotomy. Study group (SG) teams were asked to perform a briefing prior to induction, while controls (CG) were asked to perform their usual routine. Results : We observed no difference in the mean time until cricothyroidotomy (SG 8:31 CG 8:16, p=0.36). There was a significant difference in groups’ choice of alternative means of oxygenation: While SG teams primarily chose supraglottic airway devices, controls initially reverted to mask ventilation (p=0.005). SG teams spent significantly less time with this alternative airway device and were quicker to advance in the airway algorithm. Conclusions : Our study addresses effects on team coordination through a shared mental model as effected by a briefing prior to anesthesia induction. We found measurable improvements in airway management during those stages of the difficult airway algorithm explicitly discussed in the briefing. For those, time spent was shorter and participants were quicker to advance in the airway algorithm.
Sarcopenia and intramuscular fat deposition are associated with poor survival in Indonesian patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective study
Authors: Mardian Yan , Yano Yoshihiko , Ratnasari Neneng , Choridah Lina , Wasityastuti Widya , Setyawan Nurhuda Hendra , Hayashi Yoshitake
Published: November 2019

Background

A large-scale Japanese study showed that low skeletal muscle index (SMI) and intramuscular fat (IMF) deposition are associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) survival. Here, we evaluated the effects of SMI and IMF on the survival of Indonesian HCC patients, whose characteristics differ from those of Japanese patients.Methods

SMI and mean muscle attenuation (MA) were evaluated using computed tomography images of the third lumbar vertebra (L3) in a prospective cohort of 100 Indonesian HCC patients. Clinical, laboratory and body composition data were analysed using the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression model to investigate which factors are associated with prognosis.Results

Of 100 patients, 31 were diagnosed with sarcopenia (L3 SMI value ≤36.2 cm 2 /m 2 for men and ≤29.6 cm 2 /m 2 for women), and 65 had IMF deposition (MA value ≤44.4 HU for men and ≤39.3 HU for women). These groups had shorter median survival than the reference groups (both P <0.0001). In multivariable analysis, sarcopenia (hazard ratio [HR], 1.921; P = 0.016), IMF deposition (HR, 3.580; P <0.001), Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stages C and D (HR: 2.396, P <0.01 and HR: 6.131, P <0.01, respectively), Japan Integrated Staging (JIS) score 4 (HR: 2.067, P = 0.020), and male gender (HR: 3.211, P <0.001) were independently associated with mortality.Conclusion

Sarcopenia and IMF deposition showed superior value in combination with BCLC stage and JIS score for predicting the survival of Indonesian HCC patients. Increased awareness and strategies to prevent or reverse these factors might improve patient outcomes. (Electric word counts: 249)
Short-term and long-term unintended impacts of a pilot reform on Beijing's zero markup drug policy: a propensity score-matched study
Authors: Zeng Jianying , Chen Xiwen , Fu Hongqiao , Lu Ming , Jian Weiyan
Published: November 2019

Background In September 2012, Beijing, the capital of China, selected five tertiary hospitals as pilots to remove the previously allowed 15% markup for drug sales. However, while most research demonstrated the significant decrease in drug sales, the core issue of high health expenditure was not well solved because of the unintended policy impact. This study aimed to empirically evaluate the short-term and long-term unintended impacts on controlling medical expenses of Beijing’s zero markup drug policy from 2012 to 2015.
Methods This study extracted 2012-2015 individual-level data from the Beijing Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance (UEBMI) database and performed a propensity score-matched analysis to evaluate the short-term and long-term impacts on controlling medical expenses. All inpatients in the 5 pilot reform hospitals were selected as the intervention group, while inpatients in other tertiary hospitals were selected as the control group.
Results A total of 520,996 inpatients were extracted in this study. For patients in the pilot hospitals, the total expenditures per admission decreased from 17,140.3 yuan in 2012 to 15,430.1 yuan in 2013 and then increased to 16,789.8 yuan in 2015. Expenditure on drugs reduced from 5,811.7 yuan in 2012 to 3,903.4 yuan in 2015. However, a significant substitution effect of medical consumables was first observed in the third quarter of 2014, which undermined the impact of the policy. In the long-term, the intervention group and control group demonstrated the same trend.
Conclusions After the zero markup drug policy, expenditure on drugs revealed a continuous decline. However, the decline in total expenditure was weakened by the substitution effect of medical consumables in the long term.
Effect of kidney transplantation on sleep quality in patients admitted in ICU:a cross-section study in China
Authors: Long Lu , Liu Jia , Yan Jin , Xie Jian fei , Liu Huan , Yin Ke Hong
Published: November 2019

Background Although evidences showed that sleep disorder is common in patient with end stage renal disease (ESRD), less is known about their sleep quality after early post-kidney transplantation (kTx) especially in Intensive Care Unite (ICU). Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate sleep quality of kTx recipients in ICU and explore factors related poor sleep, second, to measure the correlation of subjective sleep quality and sleep architecture assessed by PSG in kTx recipients. Methods This study recruited participants from ESRD patients registered in transplantation waiting list at the third xiangya hospital of central south university in China. Participants required to complete the Pittsburgh sleep quality index(PSQI) and demographic questionnaire as baseline data and received one night of Polysomnography (PSG) in the ICU within 96 hours of surgery, during which time sound and light data were monitored. After that Richards Campbell sleep questionnaires (RCSQ) also need completed. Results 26 participants self-reported sleep quality and sleep efficiency based on RCSQ was at middle level (49.2 ± 25.6mm), and 14/26(53.8%) kTx recipients in ICU were poor sleepers defined by RCSQ <50. PSG showed that most kTx recipients in ICU had shallow sleep with mainly stage 2 sleep time (80.90 ±70.10 min), lower total sleep time (136.50 ±86.41 min), higher awakening frequency after sleep onset (8.87 ±5.92 times) and long awaken time (94.67 ±75.09 min) when a sleep disruption occured. multiple linear regression analysis showed that self-reported noise and pain were the significant factor affecting sleep(P < 0.05).Conclusion Subjective sleep quality based on RCSQ scored better than objective one measured by PSG in kTx recipients, sleep disruption always remained a substantial problem and affected by self-reported noise and pain.
A predictive model for treatment response in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after concurrent chemoradiotherapy: based on SUVmean and NLR
Authors: Wang Chunsheng , Zhao Kewei , Hu Shanliang , Huang Yong , Ma Li , Li Minghuan , Song Yipeng
Published: November 2019

Background: We conducted this study to combine the mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean) and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) to establish a strong predictive model for patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 163 newly diagnosed ESCC patients treated with CCRT. Eighty patients (training set) were randomly selected to generate cut-off SUVmean and NLR values by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and to establish a predictive model by using the independent predictors of treatment outcomes. Then, we evaluated the performance of the prediction model regarding treatment outcomes in the testing set (n=83) and in all sets. Results: A high SUVmean (>5.81) and high NLR (> 2.42) at diagnosis were associated with unfavorable treatment outcomes in patients with ESCC. The prediction model had a better performance than the simple parameters (p<0.05). With a cut-off value of 0.77, the prediction model significantly improved the specificity and positive predictive value for treatment response (88.9% and 92.1% in the training set, 95.8% and 97.1% in the testing set, and 92.2% and 91.8% in all sets, respectively). Conclusions: The pretreatment SUVmean and NLR were independent predictors of treatment response in ESCC patients treated with CCRT. The predictive model was constructed based on these two parameters and provides a highly accurate tool for predicting patient outcomes.
Development and Validation of CT-based Radiomics Scores for Prediction of Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Survival in Gastric Cancer
Authors: Sun Kai-Yu , Hu Hang-Tong , Chen Shu-Ling , Ye Jin-Ning , Li Guang-Hua , Chen Li-Da , Peng Jian-Jun , Feng Shi-Ting , Yuan Yu-Jie , Hou Xun , Wu Hui , Li Xin , Wu Ting-Fan , Wang Wei , Xu Jian-Bo
Published: November 2019

Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is a promising treatment option for potential resectable gastric cancer, but patients’ responses varied. We aimed to develop and validate a radiomics score (rad_score) to predict the treatment response of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and to investigate its efficacy in survival stratification. Methods: A total of 106 patients with neoadjuvant chemotherapy before gastrectomy were included (training cohort: n=74; validation cohort: n=32). Radiomics features were extracted from the pre-treatment portal venous-phase CT. After feature reduction, a rad_score was established by Randomized Tree algorithm. A rad_clinical_score was constructed by integrating the rad_score with clinical variables, so was a clinical score by clinical variables only. The three scores were validated regarding their discrimination and clinical usefulness. According to the score thresholds (updated with post-operative clinical variables), patients were stratified into two groups and their survivals were compared.Results: In the validation cohort, the rad_score demonstrated a good predicting performance in treatment response of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (AUC [95% CI] =0.82 [0.67, 0.98]), which was better than the clinical score (based on pre-operative clinical variables) without significant difference (0.62 [0.42, 0.83], P=0.09). The rad_clinical_score could not further improve the performance of rad_score (0.70 [0.51, 0.88], P=0.16). Based on the thresholds of these scores, the high-score groups all achieved better survivals than the low-score groups in the whole cohort (all P<0.001). Conclusion: The rad_score was effective in predicting treatment response of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and stratifying patients’ survival for gastric cancer, which assisted in individualized treatment planning.
Validation of Dietary Antioxidant Index (DAI) and investigating the relationship between DAI and the odds of Gastric Cancer
Authors: Vahid Farhad , Davoodi Seyed Hosein
Published: November 2019

Background Gastric Cancer (GC) incidence and mortality are rapidly growing. The necessity of the design and validation of the Dietary Antioxidant Index (DAI) was to examine the total antioxidant content of the diet. The present study examined the validity of DAI and its association with the odds of GC. Methods In this hospital-based case-control study, 82 patients with GC and 95 healthy controls were examined. We have used a 168 item FFQ to assess dietary intakes. The DAI was calculated based on the intake of vitamin A, C, E, and selenium, manganese, and zinc. To calculate DAI, we standardized each of the six vitamins and minerals by subtracting the global mean and dividing by the global standard deviation. We then calculated the DAI by summing the standardized intakes of these vitamins and minerals with equal weight. Results We observed a significant and acceptable correlation between DAI and TAC after controlling for age, BMI, energy intake, and smoking and FBS, education, total fat intake, H.pylori infection, total cholesterol, and SFA intakes. Results obtained from modeling DAI as a continuous variable in relation to GC showed a negative association after adjustment for age and in the multivariable analysis (OR=0.64, CI=0.43-0.95). Conclusion DAI is a valid indicator of dietary antioxidants assessments, and it can be used as a predictor of antioxidant status due to its correlation with serum antioxidants levels. The results of this study showed that dietary antioxidants have a significant relationship with GC, which indicates the importance of antioxidants in preventing this cancer.
Positron emission tomography/computed tomography-guided percutaneous trans-pararectal space prostate biopsy for the diagnosis of prostate cancer: A retrospective study
Authors: Luo Nana , Ruan Dan , Pang Yi-zhen , Shang Qi-hang , Chen Hao-jun , Guo Wei , Hao Bing , Wu Hua , Sun Long
Published: November 2019

Background: Biopsy is considered the gold-standard technique for prostate cancer diagnosis and is recommended in patients with a high clinical indication of prostate cancer. In this study, we aimed to determine the diagnostic efficacy of a novel positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous trans-pararectal space-based approach to targeted prostate biopsy. Methods: PET/CT-guided percutaneous trans-pararectal space prostate biopsies were performed in 14 consecutive patients with indications of prostate cancer. Whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT indicated the presence of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-avid focal prostate lesions. Two tissue specimens were obtained from each patient. The final diagnoses were established based on the results of a histopathological analysis and clinical follow-up, and these findings were used to verify the diagnostic accuracy of 18F-FDG PET/CT for prostate cancer. Results: The diagnostic accuracy of 18F-FDG PET/CT for prostate cancer was 81.8%. Further analyses of the two biopsied samples per patient led to confirmed histopathological and immunohistochemical diagnoses of prostate cancer in all 14 patients. Consequently, the success rate of PET/CT-guided percutaneous trans-pararectal space prostate-targeted biopsy for the diagnosis of prostate cancer was 100.0% (14/14). Regarding safety, the average duration of biopsy was 20 min, and no serious complications occurred. Conclusions: PET/CT-guided percutaneous trans-pararectal space prostate biopsy may yield a new approach to targeted prostate biopsy for the diagnosis of prostate cancer. Moreover, this biopsy procedure can be performed safely without complications, and is more cost-effective than conventional trans-rectal and trans-perineal prostate biopsy methods.
S100A2 induces the growth of Calu-6 Lung Cancer Cells via apoptosis inhibition, invasion enhancement and promoting cell division
Authors: Wang Ting , Liang Yiqian , Thakur Asmitananda
Published: November 2019

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.
Heterogeneous components of lung adenocarcinomas confer distinct EGFR mutation and PD-L1 expression
Authors: Cai Yi-Ran , Wu Hongbo , Shi Xiaoqin , Dong Yujie , Chang Xiujun , Zhang Li , Zhou Lijuan , Su Dan , Yang Ming
Published: November 2019

Background Lung adenocarcinoma (LAC) is composed of lepidic, papillary, mucinous, micropapillary and solid components in its parenchyma. Complex responses to therapeutics result from intratumoral heterogeneity. However, it remains confused that what components in a mixed LAC tumor are responsible to the heterogeneous EGFR mutation and PD-L1 expression. Methods We investigated EGFR statuses via laser microdissection to capture spatially separated cancer cell subpopulations and digital droplet PCR to determine the abundance of EGFR sensitizing mutation and naïve T790M. Whilst, PD-L1 expression level via tumor proportion score (TPS) was evaluated by Ventana immunohistochemistry using SP263 antibody. PD-L1 expression levels were tiered in <1%, 1%-49% and >=50% group. Results EGFR mutation harbored in 154 (59%) of 261 LAC patients and more frequently occurred in papillary, lepidic and micropapillary constituents. Higher level of PD-L1 was found in LACs at stage III and IV (68.3%) versus those at stage I and II (31.7%) (P=0.04). Solid predominant LACs (41.3%) expressed PD-L1 with TPS >=50%, versus mucinous and lepidic LACs (P<0.01). LACs with solid constituents also had more positive proportion of PD-L1 protein. Cut-offs <1%, 1%–49% or >=50% were associated with patients’ progression-free survival and longer in the <1% group (22.9 month, 95% CI 17.6-28.2) (P<0.05). LACs consisting of two constituents with PD-L1 TPS <1% had a better prognosis than the groups with single component and more than two components (P<0.05). Eighteen LACs (6.9%) concominantly had deletion in exon 19 or L858R and naïve T790M mutation. The abundance of T790M varied diversely with sensitizing mutation. PD-L1 expression was not concordant in each component of LACs and usually negative in the EGFR-mutated constituents. Heterogeneous PD-L1 expression occurred in the vicinity of stromal tissues. Conclusion Intratumoral genetic heterogeneity of LACs was demonstrated associated with histologic patterns. Heterogeneous PD-L1 expression in higher level usually occurred in solid component both in EGFR mutated and EGFR wild-typed LACs. EGFR mutated LACs heterogeneously had sensitizing and resistant mutation and was accompanied with PD-L1 expression, however, was discordant in histologic constituents. Immune checkpoint inhibitor combined with third generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor should be more effective to these LACs.
The constitutive expression of the chrysanthemum gene CmERF110 in Arabidopsis thaliana affects lateral branching
Authors: Xing Xiaojuan , Jiang Jiafu , Zhao Kunkun , Huang Yaoyao , Tang Yun , Ma Qi , Zhang Zixin , Liu Weixin , Song Aiping , Chen Fadi , Fang Weimin
Published: November 2019

Background: Producers of cut flower chrysanthemum are obliged to manually remove lateral buds, a procedure which consumes one third of the total production cost. The formation of lateral buds in ‘SEI NO ISSEI’ is suppressed when the plants are exposed to high temperatures, but the molecular basis of this phenomenon is not well understood. Here, the transcriptome of buds formed by decapitated chrysanthemum plants grown under a high temperature regime was characterized with a view to revealing which genes known to be involved in a pathway determining shoot branching were induced/repressed by the treatment. Results: The transcriptomic data was acquired using RNA-Seq technology, based on the Illumina HiSeq™ 2000 platform. Four libraries were generated from pooled lateral buds of decapitated ‘SEI NO ISSEI’. To predict the potential functions of unigenes in the ‘SEI NO ISSEI’ buds, after assembly, we performed seven functional database annotations. 132,396 unigenes were assembled, of which 79,116 unigenes were annotated in the seven functional databases. The percentage of unigenes annotated in the NR, NT, Swiss-Prot, KEGG, COG, Interpro, and GO databases were 54.59%, 42.96%, 39.05%, 41.84%, 20.72%, 37.25%, and 13.01%, respectively. Multiple differentially expressed transcription factors and auxin-related genes were identified in buds of decapitated ‘SEI NO ISSEI’ under 28°C/23°C or 38°C/33°C. Constitutively expressing CmERF110 in wild type Arabidopsis thaliana produced a bushy plant. A quantitative analysis of gene expression changes in the CmERF110 transgenic A. thaliana plants showed that the presence of the transgene altered the abundance of transcript produced by TIR1, ARF2, ARF16, IAA3 and IAA9 (encoding auxin signaling proteins) and PIN1, AUX1, LAX1, LAX2 and ABCB1 (auxin transport). Conclusions: This study reported a highly complete transcriptome from the buds of decapitated ‘SEI NO ISSEI’. Differential abundant transcripts during high temperature treatments were identified and validated by qPCR, many of these differentially abundant transcripts as key players in bud outgrowth. These include known members of the AP2/ERF, MYB, WRKY, bHLH families and auxin-related genes. CmERF110 regulated shoot branching when its encoding gene was heterologously expressed in A. Thaliana. The regulation acted through the auxin-related genes.
Dimethyl itaconate inhibits TNF-α induced NF-κB signaling pathway in human epithelial cells
Authors: zhang yalei , Deng Xiaobing , Liang Hao , Li Kenan , Guo Annan , Liu Hongbo , Zhang Qi , Lai Luhua
Published: November 2019

Background: Dimethyl itaconate (DMI), a membrane-permeable derivative of itaconate, was found to moderate IL-17-IκBζ-induced skin pathology including psoriasis in mouse experiments. TNF-α induced NF-κB pathway, which controls a variety of immune and inflammatory responses, was also proven to play a crucial role as mediator in psoriasis. However, whether DMI interacts with the TNF-α induced NF-κB pathway remains unclear. Results: Here we show that DMI inhibits TNF-α induced NF-κB transcriptional activities in dose-dependent manner in several human cell lines using dual luciferase assay and blocks the NF-κB nuclear entry. Moreover, DMI potently inhibits IKKβ dependent phosphorylation and degradation of IκBα in TNF-α induced activation of NF-κB pathway. We also demonstrate that DMI covalently binds to cysteine residue in IKKβ, a key regulator in NF-κB pathway, to suppress IKKβ activation and inhibit the canonical NF-κB pathway. Conclusion Our study presents a new mechanism for DMI as an anti-inflammatory agent that may have therapeutic potentials in treating NF-κB related human inflammatory diseases. Our results also suggest that itaconate produced by endogenous IRG1 may regulate NF-κB at post translation modification level, and the IRG1-itaconate-NF-κB axis could be targeted as a novel strategy for the treatment of IRG1-NF-κB mediated diseases.
Components of metabolic syndrome in patients with multiple myeloma and smoldering multiple myeloma
Authors: Markus Efrat , Trestman Svetlana , Cohen Yael , Angel Yoel , Sofer Yael , Mittelman Moshe , Avivi Irit , Stern Naftali , Izkhakov Elena
Published: November 2019

Background: The prevalences of diabetes mellitus and hypertension, both of which are components of metabolic syndrome, are known to be increased among patients with multiple myeloma (MM), but remain undetermined among patients with smoldering MM (SMM). Methods: Changes in various components of metabolic syndrome were investigated during the follow-up of patients with either MM or SMM compared to healthy controls. The data of 153 patients (105 with MM and 48 with SMM) and 138 controls were accessed from our medical center’s records between 2008-2015. We analyzed the patients’ data at diagnosis (baseline) and after 1, 3, and 5 years of follow-up. Results: Patients with SMM had a significantly higher prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia at baseline compared to controls. A multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed a higher risk to develop dyslipidemia after 1, 3, and 5 years of follow-up among the SMM patients. The MM patients had a higher risk to develop diabetes after 1 year, hypertension after 5 years, and dyslipidemia after 1, 3, and 5 years of follow-up. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that patients with SMM and those with MM are more prone to develop various components of metabolic syndrome, and they stress the importance of following-up metabolic syndrome components in both groups of patients.