bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Are upper urinary tract stones more common in more deprived populations?
Authors: Radcliffe Robert S , Miller Steven , Williams Simon T , Stanford Richard FJ
Published: November 2019

Purpose:

To examine the relationship between deprivation and upper tract calculus formation, and provide a contemporary estimate of the incidence of upper urinary tract stone disease.

Methods:

A retrospective review of hospital episodes for patients presenting to our institution with upper urinary tract stone disease in a 3-year period between 2010 and 2014. Incidence of stone disease was calculated and stratified according to deprivation, as measured by the index of multiple deprivation (IMD) and its subdomains. Poisson regression was used to model the relationship between deprivation and stone disease.

Results:

The overall incidence of upper urinary tract stone disease was 115 patients/100,000 person-years (95% confidence interval (CI) 108–122 per 100,000 person-years). There is a link between the IMD (as well as a number of its subdomains) and stone disease. The rate of incident stone disease was 50.6% higher in the most deprived quintile of the IMD when compared to the least deprived ( p < 0.001). Multivariate Poisson regression found that education, skills and training deprivation was the subdomain that predicted stone disease most strongly, with the incidence rate ratio being 1.15 (95% CI 1.053–1.261) for each increase in quintile.

Conclusion:

This study provides a contemporary measure of the incidence of upper urinary tract stone disease derived from a population in the Midlands of England. It informs our understanding of the link between types of deprivation and stone occurrence.

Level of evidence:

2b
Platelet release reaction and intracellular cGMP
Authors: Weiss A , Baenziger NL , Atkinson JP
Published: November 2019

Enchanced cAMP concentrations inhibit the aggregation and release reaction of isolated human platelets and platelet-rich plasma to all known inducing agents. An opposing role for cGMP in this phenomenon has been proposed by some but not by others, and the function of cGMP in this secretory process is unclear. To further elucidate the role of cGMP in the release reaction, the effect of increased concentrations of this cyclic nucleotide on 14C-serotonin release was evaluated utilizing isolated human platelets and highly purified human thrombin or commercially available bovine thrombin. Several recently described stimulators of guanylate cyclase, including sodium nitroprusside, sodium azide, nitrosoquanidines, and ascorbic acid, were found to markedly augment platelet cGMP levels. Enhanced platelet cGMP concentrations produced by these drugs or by the exogenous addition of cGMP and its analogues neither caused these cells to secrete nor modulated the thrombin-induced serotonin release reaction. The inhibition of serotonin release by increased cAMP concentrations was not counteracted by increased cGMP levels. Platelet cGMP concentrations were unaltered by thrombin. These data indicate that cGMP is not an obligatory signal or a modulator of the thrombin-induced platelet release reaction.
A-Lister: a tool for analysis of differentially expressed omics entities across multiple pairwise comparisons
Authors: Listopad Stanislav A. , Norden-Krichmar Trina M.
Published: November 2019

Background

Researchers commonly analyze lists of differentially expressed entities (DEEs), such as differentially expressed genes (DEGs), differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), and differentially methylated positions/regions (DMPs/DMRs), across multiple pairwise comparisons. Large biological studies can involve multiple conditions, tissues, and timepoints that result in dozens of pairwise comparisons. Manually filtering and comparing lists of DEEs across multiple pairwise comparisons, typically done by writing custom code, is a cumbersome task that can be streamlined and standardized.

Results

A-Lister is a lightweight command line and graphical user interface tool written in Python. It can be executed in a differential expression mode or generic name list mode. In differential expression mode, A-Lister accepts as input delimited text files that are output by differential expression tools such as DESeq2, edgeR, Cuffdiff, and limma. To allow for the most flexibility in input ID types, to avoid database installation requirements, and to allow for secure offline use, A-Lister does not validate or impose restrictions on entity ID names. Users can specify thresholds to filter the input file(s) by column(s) such as p-value, q-value, and fold change. Additionally, users can filter the pairwise comparisons within the input files by fold change direction (sign). Queries composed of intersection, fuzzy intersection, difference, and union set operations can also be performed on any number of pairwise comparisons. Thus, the user can filter and compare any number of pairwise comparisons within a single A-Lister differential expression command.

In generic name list mode, A-Lister accepts delimited text files containing lists of names as input. Queries composed of intersection, fuzzy intersection, difference, and union set operations can then be performed across these lists of names.

Conclusions

A-Lister is a flexible tool that enables the user to rapidly narrow down large lists of DEEs to a small number of most significant entities. These entities can then be further analyzed using visualization, pathway analysis, and other bioinformatics tools.
BK Polyomavirus-specific T cell immune responses in kidney transplant recipients diagnosed with BK Polyomavirus-associated nephropathy
Authors: Bruminhent Jackrapong , Srisala Supranart , Klinmalai Chompunut , Pinsai Subencha , Watcharananan Siriorn P. , Kantachuvesiri Surasak , Hongeng Suradej , Apiwattanakul Nopporn
Published: November 2019

Background

Adjustment of immunosuppression is the main therapy for BK polyomavirus (BKPyV)-associated nephropathy (BKPyVAN) after kidney transplantation (KT). Studies of BKPyV-specific T cell immune response are scarce. Here, we investigated BKPyV-specific T cell immunity in KT recipients diagnosed with BKPyVAN.

Methods

All adult KT recipients with BKPyVAN diagnosed at our institution from January 2017 to April 2018 were included. Laboratory-developed intracellular cytokine assays measuring the percentage of IFN-γ-producing CD4+and CD8+T cells, after stimulation with large-T antigen (LT) and viral capsid protein 1 (VP1), were performed both at the time of diagnosis and after adjustment of immunosuppression.

Results

We included 12 KT recipients diagnosed with BKPyVAN (7 proven, 4 presumptive, and 1 possible). Those with presumptive BKPyVAN had a median plasma BKPyV DNA load of 5.9 log10 copies/ml (interquartile range [IQR]: 4.9–6.1). Adjusted dosing of mycophenolic acid and tacrolimus with (86%) or without (14%) adjunctive therapies were implemented after diagnosis. There was a significantly higher median percentage of IFN-γ-producing CD4+T cells to LT at a median of 3 (IQR: 1–4) months after adjustment of immunosuppression compared with at the time of diagnosis (0.004 vs. 0.015;p = 0.047). However, the difference between the median percentage of IFN-γ-producing CD4+T cells to VP1 and CD8+T cells to LT and VP1 did not reach statistical significance. Four (33%) patients achieved plasma BKPyV DNA clearance, and the remaining eight (67%) patients had persistent BKPyV DNAemia. Although eight (67%) patients developed allograft dysfunction, none required hemodialysis.

Conclusions

We observed a marginal trend of BKPyV-specific CD4+T cell recovery after adjustment of immunosuppression in KT recipients diagnosed with BKPyVAN. A further study would be benefited to confirm and better assess BKPyV-specific immune response after KT.
Knowledge and practice of immediate newborn care among midwives and nurses in public health facilities of Afar regional state, Northeast Ethiopia
Authors: Abdu Hawa , Gebrselassie Measho , Abdu Mohammed , Mare Kusse Urmale , Tadesse Woldemichael , Liben Misgan Legesse
Published: November 2019

Background

The care given to newborns immediately within the first few hours of birth is critical for their survival. However, their survival depends on the health professional’s knowledge and skills to deliver appropriate newborn care interventions. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of immediate newborn care among nurses and midwives in public health facilities of Afar Regional State, Northeast Ethiopia.

Methods

Institution based cross-sectional study design was employed on 357 nurses and midwives working in 48 public health facilities (45 health centers and 3 hospitals) during April 2018. Data were collected using interviewer-administered questionnaire and observation checklist. Then, data were entered into Epi-info version 7.0 and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were carried out to estimate odds ratio with 95% confidence interval. A p-value less than 0.05 was used to declare statistical significance.

Results

Overall, 53.8% [95% CI: (48.6, 59.0%)] and 62.7% [(95% CI: (57.7, 67.8%))] of the health professionals (midwives and nurses) had adequate knowledge and good practice on immediate newborn care, respectively. Working in hospital [AOR: 4.62; 95% CI (1.76, 12.10)], being a female [AOR: 0.59; 95% CI (0.39, 0.98)] and interested in providing newborn care [AOR: 0.29; 95% CI (0.13, 0.68)] were positively associated with having adequate knowledge on immediate newborn care. On the other hand, having work experience of < 5 years [AOR: 0.33; 95% CI (0.14, 0.78)], inadequate knowledge [AOR: 0.39; 95% CI (0.25, 0.64)], having work load [AOR: 2.09; 95% CI (1.17, 3.73)], being not interested to provide immediate newborn care [AOR: 0.35; 95% CI (0.16, 0.74)] and working in health center [AOR: 8.56; 95% CI (2.39, 30.63)] were negatively associated with good immediate newborn care practices.

Conclusions

A significant number of nurses and midwives had inadequate knowledge and poor practice on immediate newborn care. Therefore, providing a comprehensive newborn care training and creating an opportunity for nurses and midwives working at health centers to share experience from those hired in hospitals are very crucial to improve their knowledge and skills on newborn care.
A regional systems intervention for suicide prevention in the Netherlands (SUPREMOCOL): study protocol with a stepped wedge trial design
Authors: Hofstra Emma , Elfeddali Iman , Metz Margot , Bakker Marjan , de Jong Jacobus J. , van Nieuwenhuizen Chijs , van der Feltz-Cornelis Christina M.
Published: November 2019

Background

In the Netherlands, suicide rates showed a sharp incline and this pertains particularly to the province of Noord-Brabant, one of the southern provinces in the Netherlands. This calls for a regional suicide prevention effort.

Methods/design

Study protocol. A regional suicide prevention systems intervention is implemented and evaluated by a stepped wedge trial design in five specialist mental health institutions and their adherent chain partners. Our system intervention is called SUPREMOCOL, which stands for Suicide Prevention by Monitoring and Collaborative Care, and focuses on four pillars: 1) recognition of people at risk for suicide by the development and implementation of a monitoring system with decision aid, 2) swift access to specialist care of people at risk, 3) positioning nurse care managers for collaborative care case management, and 4) 12 months telephone follow up. Eligible patients are persons attempting suicide or expressing suicidal ideation. Primary outcome is number of completed suicides, as reported by Statistics Netherlands and regional Public Health Institutes. Secondary outcome is number of attempted suicides, as reported by the regional ambulance transport and police. Suicidal ideation of persons registered in the monitoring system will, be assessed by the PHQ-9 and SIDAS questionnaires at baseline and 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after registration, and used as exploratory process measure. The impact of the intervention will be evaluated by means of the RE-AIM dimensions reach, efficacy, adoption, implementation, and maintenance. Intervention integrity will be assessed and taken into account in the analysis.

Discussion

The present manuscript presents the design and development of the SUPREMOCOL study. The ultimate goal is to lower the completed suicides rate by 20%, compared to the control period and compared to other provinces in the Netherlands. Moreover, our goal is to provide specialist mental health institutions and chain partners with a sustainable and adoptable intervention for suicide prevention.

Trial registration

Netherlands Trial Register under registration numberNL6935(5 April 2018). This is the first version of the study protocol (September 2019).
Density of outdoor advertising of consumable products in NYC by neighborhood poverty level
Authors: Adjoian Tamar , Dannefer Rachel , Farley Shannon M.
Published: November 2019

Background

To determine if outdoor advertising density for non-alcoholic drinks, food, tobacco products, and alcohol, is associated with neighborhood poverty or other Census-level characteristics in New York City (NYC).

Methods

From June – July of 2015, photographs were taken of all street-level, stationary outdoor advertising (posters, stickers, decals, etc.) for consumable products in a sample of 953 NYC retail-dense street segments. Density of product images was analyzed by neighborhood poverty level and other characteristics using multivariate negative-binomial regression.

Results

A total of 16,305 discrete advertisements displaying 50,673 product images were photographed. Total product image prevalence relative to retail density was not significantly higher in high- vs. low-poverty neighborhoods, as hypothesized (OR: 1.31; 95% CI: 0.98, 1.77). However, total product image prevalence was higher in neighborhoods with a higher percentage of Black residents (OR: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.12), and for sugary drinks in areas with a higher percentage of adults with <HS diploma (OR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.58).

Conclusions

Product images were abundant throughout NYC’s retail-dense areas, with marginally greater prevalence by some Census-level demographics, irrespective of the content displayed.
Inhibitory effects of berberine on proinflammatory M1 macrophage polarization through interfering with the interaction between TLR4 and MyD88
Authors: Gong Jing , Li Jingbin , Dong Hui , Chen Guang , Qin Xin , Hu Meilin , Yuan Fen , Fang Ke , Wang Dingkun , Jiang Shujun , Zhao Yan , Huang Wenya , Huang Zhaoyi , Lu Fuer
Published: November 2019

Backgrounds

Inflammation is recognized as the key pathological mechanism of type 2 diabetes. The hypoglyceamic effects of berberine (BBR) are related to the inhibition of the inflammatory response, but the mechanism is not completely clear.

Methods

The inflammatory polarization of Raw264.7 cells and primary peritoneal macrophages were induced by LPS, and then effects and underlying mechanisms of BBR were explored. An inflammatory model was established by LPS treatment at different concentrations for different treatment time. An ELISA assay was used to detect the secretions of TNF-α. RT-PCR was applied to detect M1 inflammatory factors. The F4/80+ ratio and CD11c+ ratio of primary peritoneal macrophages were determined by flow cytometry. The expressions of p-AMPK and TLR4 were detected by Western blot. The cytoplasmic and nuclear distributions of NFκB p65 were observed by confocal microscopy. The binding of TLR4 to MyD88 was tested by CoIP, and the affinity of BBR for TLR4 was assessed by molecular docking.

Results

Upon exposure to LPS, the secretion of TNF-α and transcription of inflammatory factors in macrophages increased, cell morphology changed and protrusions appeared gradually, the proportion of F4/80+CD11c+ M1 macrophages increased, and the nuclear distribution of NFκB p65 increased. BBR pretreatment partially inhibited the changes mentioned above. However, the expression of TLR4 and p-AMPK did not change significantly after LPS intervention for 3 h. Meanwhile, CoIP showed that the interaction between TLR4 and MyD88 increased, and BBR inhibited the binding. Molecular docking suggested that BBR might interact with TLR4.

Conclusions

Inflammatory changes were induced in macrophages after LPS stimulation for 3 h, and BBR pretreatment inhibited inflammatory polarization. BBR might interact with TLR4 and disturb TLR4/MyD88/NFκB signalling pathway, and it might be the mechanism by which BBR attenuated inflammation in the early phase.
Antibacterial activities, proposed mode of action and cytotoxicity of leaf extracts from Triumfetta welwitschii against Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Mombeshora Molly , Mukanganyama Stanley
Published: November 2019

Background

Pseudomonas aeruginosa has become a main cause of Gram-negative infection, particularly in patients with compromised immunity. High rates of resistance to antibiotics are associated with nosocomial infections caused by P. aeruginosa strains. The search for novel antimicrobials has been necessitated by the emergence of antimicrobial resistance in some bacteria Plant-based antimicrobials has great potential to combat microbial infections using a variety of mechanisms. Triumfetta welwitschii plant roots are traditionally used to treat symptoms of diarrhoea and fever, suggesting that it possess antimicrobial and immunomodulatory effects. Since research investigating antimicrobial properties of the roots of Triumfetta welwitschii has been explored, there is need to investigate the antimicrobial activity of its leaf extracts in order to probe their prospective use as new antimicrobial agents that can be used to combat nosocomial infections. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activities, the mode of action and cytotoxicity of T. welwitschii leaf extracts.

Method

Extracts of T. welwitschii leaves were obtained using eight different solvents, the serial exhaustive extraction method and the cold maceration technique. In vitro antibacterial activity evaluation of the extracts was done on eight bacterial isolates using the broth microdilution method. The mode of action for the most potent extracts was investigated using the rhodamine 6G efflux assay and the propidium iodide-based membrane damage assay. Toxicity of the extracts was evaluated using the haemolytic and MTT (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assays.

Results

The results showed that acetone, ethanol and dichlorometane: methanol extracts had the most potent antibacterial activities against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853). All three extracts caused membrane disruption of P. aeruginosa as shown by nucleic acid leakage. All three extracts were unable to inhibit efflux pumps.

Conclusion

The presence of antibacterial activities and low toxicity shown by the extracts indicates that the plant may be a source of effective antibacterial against some bacterial infections caused by P. aeruginosa. The disruption of membrane integrity is one possible mode of action of antibacterial activity of the potent extracts.
Correction to: ThalPred: a web-based prediction tool for discriminating thalassemia trait and iron deficiency anemia
Authors: Laengsri V. , Shoombuatong W. , Adirojananon W. , Nantasenamat C. , Prachayasittikul V. , Nuchnoi P.
Published: November 2019

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors reported an error in one of the authors’ names. In this Correction the incorrect and correct author name are shown. The original publication of this article has been corrected.
Patient and health care system characteristics are associated with delayed treatment of tuberculosis cases in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Chien-Chou , Chiang Po-Huang , Chen Yen-Hsu , Fan I-Chun , Chan Ta-Chien
Published: November 2019

Background

The decline of the incidence rate of tuberculosis in Taiwan has been partly attributed to the launch of the directly observed therapy short course (DOTS) program in 2006, followed by the DOTS-Plus in 2007. However, with the phasing out of the specialized tuberculosis care system and the declining incidence, clinical workers in Taiwan might become less familiar with the presentation of tuberculosis. Complementing the patient-pathway analysis with health system delay estimates, the objective of this study is twofold: to estimate the alignment between patient care initiation and the availability of prompt diagnostic and treatment services, and to identify the risk factors of delayed tuberculosis treatment.

Methods

The study population included all Taiwanese patients with incident tuberculosis in 2013. We (1) identified 11,507 incident tuberculosis patients from the 2013 National TB Registry, and (2) linked 10,932 Taiwanese from the registry to the 2012–2013 National Health Insurance Research Database. We assessed patient’s care-seeking pathways and associated the determinants of health system delay in a Cox model.

Results

The overall health system delay was 46 days. We found that 20.5 and 3.5% of 10,932 tuberculosis patients were diagnosed and treated respectively at the initial visit to seek care for TB-related symptoms. Risk factors related to the prolonged health system delay included female gender (adjusted HR = 0.921, 95% CI: 0.884, 0.960), age > =65 years (adjusted HR = 0.720, 95% CI: 0.692, 0.750), non-severe (chest X-ray without cavities) (adjusted HR =0.721, 95% CI 0.683–0.760), chronic respiratory diseases (adjusted HR = 0.544, 95% CI: 0.522, 0.566), living in long-term care facilities (adjusted HR = 0.580, 95% CI: 0.525,0.640), an initial visit at a primary care clinic (adjusted HR = 0.588, 95% CI: 0.565, 0.612), and living in southern Taiwan (adjusted HR = 0.887, 95% CI: 0.798, 0.987).

Conclusions

The low access to TB diagnostic and treatment services at the initial visit and the prolonged health system delay indicate inefficiency in the health care system. Strengthening training of physicians at public hospitals and health workers at nursing homes might improve the efficiency and timeliness of tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment in Taiwan.
Implementation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in former Soviet Union countries
Authors: Amangaldiyeva Aidana , Davlidova Salima , Baiserkin Bauyrzhan , Dzissyuk Natalya , DeHovitz Jack , Ali Syed
Published: November 2019

Against the current global trends, in the former Soviet Union (FSU) countries HIV prevalence is on the rise. Visa-free movement across borders has facilitated migrant-associated HIV transmission within this region. Despite efforts from the governments to curtail the growing epidemic, there is still a serious need for the development of strategies that focus on high-risk behaviors and practices responsible for the continued transmission of HIV in this region. While governments of FSU countries have taken commendable steps in recent years to address hurdles at each step of the HIV care continuum, to ensure 100% antiretroviral treatment (ART) accessibility to people living with HIV (PLHIV), testing for HIV needs to be enforced widely in FSU countries. Stigma against people who inject drugs (PWID), men who have sex with men (MSM), migrants, and PLHIV need to be addressed. Finally, to avoid breaks in ART supply, FSU countries need to gain independence in funding HIV care so that the provision of ART to PLHIV is made available without interruption.
Viral suppression in adults, adolescents and children receiving antiretroviral therapy in Cameroon: adolescents at high risk of virological failure in the era of “test and treat”
Authors: Fokam Joseph , Sosso Samuel Martin , Yagai Bouba , Billong Serge Clotaire , Djubgang Mbadie Rina Estelle , Kamgaing Simo Rachel , Edimo Serge Valery , Nka Alex Durand , Tiga Ayissi Aline , Yimga Junie Flore , Takou Désiré , Moudourou Sylvie , Ngo Nemb Marinette , Nfetam Elat Jean-Bosco , Santoro Maria-Mercedes , Perno Carlo-Federico , Colizzi Vittorio , Ndjolo Alexis
Published: November 2019

Background

After the launching of the « Test & Treat » strategy and the wider accessibility to viral load (VL), evaluating virological success (VS) would help in meeting the UNAIDS targets by 2020 in Cameroon.

Setting and methods

Cross-sectional study conducted in the Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for research on HIV/AIDS prevention and management (CIRCB), Yaoundé, Cameroon; data generated between October 2016 and August 2017 amongst adults, adolescents and children at 12, 24, 36 and ≥ 48 months on ART. VS was defined as < 1000 copies/mL of blood plasma and controlled viremia as VL < 50 copies/mL. Data were analysed by SPSS; p < 0.05 considered as significant.

Results

1946 patients (70% female) were enrolled (1800 adults, 105 adolescents, 41 children); 1841 were on NNRTI-based and 105 on PI-based therapy; with 346 patients at M12, 270 at M24, 205 at M36 and 1125 at ≥ M48. The median (IQR) duration on was 48 months (24–48). Overall, VS was 79.4% (95% CI 77.6–81.2) and 67.1% (95% CI 64.9–69.1) had controlled viral replication. On NNRTI-based, VS was 79.9% vs. 71.4% on PIs-based, p = 0.003. By ART duration, VS was 84.1% (M12), 85.9% (M24), 75.1% (M36) and 77.2% (≥ M48), p = 0.001. By age, VS was 75.6% (children), 53.3% (adolescents) and 81.1% (adults), p < 0.001.

Conclusions

In this sub-population of patients receiving ART in Cameroon, about 80% might be experiencing VS, with declining performance at adolescence, with NNRTI-based regimens, and as from 36 months on ART. Thus, improving VS may require an adapted adherence support mechanism, especially for adolescents with long-term treatment in resource-limited settings.
Comments on “Reporting quality of randomized controlled trial abstracts in the seven highest-ranking anesthesiology journals”
Authors: Ochani Rohan Kumar , Shaikh Asim , Yamani Naser
Published: November 2019

Randomized controlled trials are considered the gold standard in assessing treatment regimens, and since abstracts may be the only part of a paper that a physician reads, accurate reporting of data in abstracts is essential. The CONSORT checklist for abstracts was designed to standardize data reporting; however, for papers submitted to anesthesiology journals, the level of adherence to the CONSORT checklist for abstracts is unknown. Therefore, we commend Janackovic and Puljak for their efforts in determining the adherence of reports of trials in the highest-impact anesthesiology journals between 2014 and 2016. The results of their study are extremely important; however, we believe that that study had some methodological limitations, which we discuss in this manuscript.
The physical microenvironment of hematopoietic stem cells and its emerging roles in engineering applications
Authors: Zhang Pan , Zhang Chen , Li Jing , Han Jiyang , Liu Xiru , Yang Hui
Published: November 2019

Stem cells are considered the fundamental underpinnings of tissue biology. The stem cell microenvironment provides factors and elements that play significant roles in controlling the cell fate direction. The bone marrow is an important environment for functional hematopoietic stem cells in adults. Remarkable progress has been achieved in the area of hematopoietic stem cell fate modulation based on the recognition of biochemical factors provided by bone marrow niches. In this review, we focus on emerging evidence that hematopoietic stem cell fate is altered in response to a variety of microenvironmental physical cues, such as geometric properties, matrix stiffness, and mechanical forces. Based on knowledge of these biophysical cues, recent developments in harnessing hematopoietic stem cell niches ex vivo are also discussed. A comprehensive understanding of cell microenvironments helps provide mechanistic insights into pathophysiological mechanisms and underlies biomaterial-based hematopoietic stem cell engineering.
Antler stem cell-conditioned medium stimulates regenerative wound healing in rats
Authors: Rong Xiaoli , Chu Wenhui , Zhang Haiying , Wang Yusu , Qi Xiaoyan , Zhang Guokun , Wang Yimin , Li Chunyi
Published: November 2019

Background

When the deer antler is cast, it leaves a cutaneous wound that can achieve scarless healing due to the presence of antler stem cells (ASCs). This provides an opportunity to study regenerative wound healing.

Methods

In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effects and mechanism of antler stem cell-conditioned medium (ASC-CM) on cutaneous wound healing in rats. In vitro, we investigated the effects of the ASC-CM on proliferation of HUVEC and NIH-3T3 cell lines. In vivo, we evaluated the effects of ASC-CM on cutaneous wound healing using full-thickness skin punch-cut wounds in rats.

Results

The results showed that ASC-CM significantly stimulated proliferation of the HUVEC and NIH-3T3 cells in vitro. In vivo, completion of healing of the rat wounds treated with ASC-CM was on day 16 (± 3 days), 9 days (± 2 days) earlier than the control group (DMEM); the area of the wounds treated with ASC-CM was significantly smaller (p < 0.05) than the two control groups. Further molecular characterization showed that the ratios of Col3A1/Col1A2, TGF-β3/TGF-β1, MMP1/TIMP1, and MMP3/TIMP1 significantly increased (p < 0.01) in the healed tissue in the ASC-CM group.

Conclusions

In conclusion, ASC-CM effectively accelerated the wound closure rate and enhanced the quality of healing, which might be through transforming wound dermal fibroblasts into the fetal counterparts. Therefore, the ASC-CM may have potential to be developed as a novel cell-free therapeutic for scarless wound healing.
Changes in students’ mental models from computational modeling of gene regulatory networks
Authors: Dauer Joseph T. , Bergan-Roller Heather E. , King Gretchen P. , Kjose McKenzie , Galt Nicholas J. , Helikar Tomáš
Published: November 2019

Background

Computational modeling is an increasingly common practice for disciplinary experts and therefore necessitates integration into science curricula. Computational models afford an opportunity for students to investigate the dynamics of biological systems, but there is significant gap in our knowledge of how these activities impact student knowledge of the structures, relationships, and dynamics of the system. We investigated how a computational modeling activity affected introductory biology students’ mental models of a prokaryotic gene regulatory system (lac operon) by analyzing conceptual models created before and after the activity.

Results

Students’ pre-lesson conceptual models consisted of provided, system-general structures (e.g., activator, repressor) connected with predominantly incorrect relationships, representing an incomplete mental model of gene regulation. Students’ post-lesson conceptual models included more context-specific structures (e.g., cAMP, lac repressor) and increased in total number of structures and relationships. Student conceptual models also included higher quality relationships among structures, indicating they learned about these context-specific structures through integration with their expanding mental model rather than in isolation.

Conclusions

Student mental models meshed structures in a manner indicative of knowledge accretion while they were productively re-constructing their understanding of gene regulation. Conceptual models can inform instructors about how students are relating system structures and whether students are developing more sophisticated models of system-general and system-specific dynamics.
Network robustness improvement via long-range links
Authors: Carchiolo Vincenza , Grassia Marco , Longheu Alessandro , Malgeri Michele , Mangioni Giuseppe
Published: November 2019

Many systems are today modelled as complex networks, since this representation has been proven being an effective approach for understanding and controlling many real-world phenomena. A significant area of interest and research is that of networks robustness, which aims to explore to what extent a network keeps working when failures occur in its structure and how disruptions can be avoided. In this paper, we introduce the idea of exploiting long-range links to improve the robustness of Scale-Free (SF) networks. Several experiments are carried out by attacking the networks before and after the addition of links between the farthest nodes, and the results show that this approach effectively improves the SF network correct functionalities better than other commonly used strategies.
Nest-site fidelity and breeding dispersal by Common Tailorbirds in a tropical forest
Authors: Feng Changzhang , Yang Canchao , Liang Wei
Published: November 2019

Background

Information pertaining to nest-site fidelity and breeding dispersal over successive years can help to better our understanding of how birds respond to nest predation.

Methods

By using mist nets and tracking the color banded individuals, we investigated nest-site fidelity and breeding dispersal by Common Tailorbirds (Orthotomus sutorius) throughout a year and between successive years in 2017–2018.

Results

The present study showed that Common Tailorbirds could produce up to four clutches per breeding season. When multiple broods were produced within a year, breeding pairs remained together, and the nest rebuilding rate was up to 92.2%, with only four cases (7.8%) in which birds reused their old nests. The dispersal distance between the nests during multiple breeding was found to be 10.0 ± 10.5 m, and nest-site fidelity within the same year was 90.0%. By the second year of breeding, 76.2% of individuals remained in the original breeding pairs, while for those that did switch partners, the females remained in the nest from the previous year and paired with new males. The dispersal distance between years was 26.5 ± 41.9 m, and nest-site fidelity between different years was 80.1%. There was no significant difference between within-year and between-year dispersal distances. Moreover, there was no significant difference in the dispersal distance of rebuilt nests between birds that had experienced nest predation and those that had not.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that Common Tailorbirds maintain a high degree of fidelity to mates and nest-sites, and nest predation had no significant effect on territorial changes or breeding dispersal distance between each breeding attempt.
Nutrition education and cooking workshops for families of children with cancer: a feasibility study
Authors: Beaulieu-Gagnon S. , Bélanger V. , Meloche C. , Curnier D. , Sultan S. , Laverdière C. , Sinnett D. , Marcil V.
Published: November 2019

Background

Changes in food intake are common in children with cancer and are often caused by nausea and perturbations in sense of taste. The VIE (Valorization, Implication, Education) study proposes family-based nutrition and cooking education workshops during childhood cancer treatments. Process evaluation during implementation allows to assess if the intervention was delivered as planned and to determine its barriers and facilitators. The study objective was to describe the implementation process of a nutrition education and cooking workshop program for families of children actively treated for cancer in a non-randomized non-controlled feasibility study.

Methods

Six open-to-all in-hospital workshops were offered on a weekly basis during a one-year implementation phase. We collected qualitative and quantitative data using field notes and activity reports completed by the registered dietician facilitator; surveys and questionnaires fulfilled by the workshop participants and by the families enrolled in the VIE study. Field notes were used to collect only qualitative data. Survey respondents (n = 26) were mostly mothers (n = 19, 73%). Children’s mean age was 7.80 (± 4.99) years and the mean time since diagnosis was 7.98 (± 0.81) months. Qualitative data were codified using hybrid content analysis. The first deductive analysis was based on the Steckler & Linnan concepts. Subthemes were then identified inductively. Quantitative data were presented with descriptive statistics.

Results

Workshop attendance was low (17 participants over 1 year) and 71% of the planned workshops were cancelled due to lack of participants. The principal barriers to participation referred the child’s medical condition, parental presence required at the child’s bedside and challenges related to logistics and time management. The level of interest in the topics addressed was found high or very high for 92% of the participants. The themes that were perceived as the most useful by parents were related to the child’s specific medical condition.

Conclusions

Despite high interest, workshops delivered in a face-to-face format were poorly feasible in our sample population. This supports the need to develop educational programs in pediatric oncology using strategies and delivery formats that address the major barriers for participation encountered by families.
A portable assist-as-need upper-extremity hybrid exoskeleton for FES-induced muscle fatigue reduction in stroke rehabilitation
Authors: Stewart Ashley , Pretty Christopher , Chen Xiaoqi
Published: November 2019

Background

Hybrid exoskeletons are a recent development which combine Functional Electrical Stimulation with actuators to improve both the mental and physical rehabilitation of stroke patients. Hybrid exoskeletons have been shown capable of reducing the weight of the actuator and improving movement precision compared to Functional Electrical Stimulation alone. However little attention has been given towards the ability of hybrid exoskeletons to reduce and manage Functional Electrical Stimulation induced fatigue or towards adapting to user ability. This work details the construction and testing of a novel assist-as-need upper-extremity hybrid exoskeleton which uses model-based Functional Electrical Stimulation control to delay Functional Electrical Stimulation induced muscle fatigue. The hybrid control is compared with Functional Electrical Stimulation only control on a healthy subject.

Results

The hybrid system produced 24° less average angle error and 13.2° less Root Mean Square Error, than Functional Electrical Stimulation on its own and showed a reduction in Functional Electrical Stimulation induced fatigue.

Conclusion

As far as the authors are aware, this is the study which provides evidence of the advantages of hybrid exoskeletons compared to use of Functional Electrical Stimulation on its own with regards to the delay of Functional Electrical Stimulation induced muscle fatigue.
Endomyocardial fibrosis presented by ventricular tachycardia: case report
Authors: Abdelnabi Mahmoud , Almaghraby Abdallah , Saleh Yehia , Abd Elsamad Sherif , Elfawal And Sara
Published: November 2019

Background

Endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) is a form of restrictive cardiomyopathy that is diagnosed mainly in children and young adults and is geographically found in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. It is a condition with high morbidity and mortality, unknown etiology, and no definitive treatment. Although its main clinical presentation is congestive heart failure with or without related supraventricular arrhythmia like atrial fibrillation, it very rarely presents with ventricular arrhythmias and tachycardias (VA, VT).

Case presentation

We report a case of right ventricular (RV) EMF presented with recurrent attacks of hemodynamically unstable VT that required direct current (DC) cardioversion. The diagnosis was suspected by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and established by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). The patient underwent implantable cardioverter–defibrillator (ICD) implantation for secondary prevention of VT, and he was discharged safely on antiarrhythmic drugs with regular follow-up visits.

Conclusion

EMF presenting with VT are quite rare and to the best of our knowledge, our case is the fourth case in the literature to report VT as a clinical presentation of EMF.
Automated breast ultrasound system (ABUS): can it replace mammography as a screening tool?
Authors: Abd Elkhalek Yasser I. , Bassiouny Ahmed M. , Hamid Rasha Wessam Abdel Rahman Abdel
Published: November 2019

Background

Mammography is the most accepted, accurate, and effective modality in screening of breast cancer, yet its sensitivity is affected by the density of the breast tissue. Alternative methods for screening are the sonography and MRI but both had their limitations. A new option named ABUS (automated breast ultrasound system) is now proposed to overcome the breast US limitation as it is time-consuming and operator-dependent and to overcome the costly time-consuming MRI. The objectives of the study are to evaluate the accuracy of ABUS in the detection of different breast lesions as a substitution for mammography. This prospective study included 25 women outreached for digital mammography or handheld ultrasound examination at the period between January 2017 and February 2018. Women have no specific age group.

Results

Significant improvement in the detection of breast lesions by ABUS use with mammogram especially in dense breasts (ACR class C and D)

Conclusion

ABUS is a promising competitor to mammogram in screening of breast lesions
Accurate and efficient data-assimilated wavefield reconstruction in the time domain
Authors: Aghamiry Hossein S. , Gholami Ali , Operto Stéphane
Published: November 2019

Wavefield reconstruction inversion (WRI) mitigates cycle skipping in full-waveform inversion by computing wavefields that do not exactly satisfy the wave equation to match data with inaccurate velocity models. We refer to these wavefields as data assimilated wavefields because they are obtained by combining the physics of wave propagation and the observations. Then, the velocity model is updated by minimizing the wave-equation errors, namely, the source residuals. Computing these data-assimilated wavefields in the time domain with explicit time stepping is challenging. This is because the right-hand side of the wave equation to be solved depends on the back-propagated residuals between the data and the unknown wavefields. To bypass this issue, a previously proposed approximation replaces these residuals by those between the data and the exact solution of the wave equation. This approximation is questionable during the early WRI iterations when the wavefields computed with and without data assimilation differ significantly. We have developed a simple backward-forward time-stepping recursion to refine the accuracy of the data-assimilated wavefields. Each iteration requires us to solve one backward and one forward problem, the former being used to update the right side of the latter. An application to the BP salt model indicates that a few iterations are enough to reconstruct data-assimilated wavefields accurately with a crude velocity model. Although this backward-forward recursion leads to increased computational overheads during one WRI iteration, it preserves its capability to extend the search space.
Clinical application of acellular matrix derived from the bubaline diaphragm and caprine rumen for the repair of abdominal wall defects in animals
Authors: Rathore Harendra S. , Kumar Naveen , Singh Kiranjeet , Maiti Swapan K. , Shrivastava Sameer , Shivaramu Shivaraju , Saxena Sonal , Agarwal Ravi K.
Published: November 2019

The abdominal wall hernias resulting due to trauma or other clinical conditions are common in animals. Large hernias required the use of synthetic mesh, which is costly and may result in infection, fistula formation, and pain. Application of biomaterials in hernia repair causes a reduction in pain, reduced recovery time, and rate of recurrence. The study was undertaken to test the acellular bubaline diaphragm matrix (BDiaM) and acellular caprine rumen matrix (CRuM) for the repaired hernia in clinical cases. Fresh bubaline diaphragm and caprine rumen were decellularized using sodium deoxycholate (1% for CRuM and 2% for BDiaM) for 48h. Acellularity was ascertained histologically and by DNA quantification. Histologically, both the matrices showed complete acellularity and orderly arranged collagen fibers after 48 h. The DNA contents were significantly (P0.05) reduced in both the matrices in comparison to the native matrices. The BDiaM and CRuM matrices were applied in eight and nine clinical cases of abdominal wall defects, respectively. Animals with BDiaM and CRuM matrices recovered uneventfully and remained sound at least up to 3 months. Hematological and immunological findings were unremarkable. BDiaM and CRuM matrices showed good results without complications. Keywords:Biocompatibility, Bubaline diaphragm matrix, Caprine rumen matrix, DNA quantification, ELISA, SDS-PAGE
Effect of different water pH on hatching and survival rates of African catfish Clarias gariepinus (Pisces: Clariidae)
Authors: Marimuthu Kasi , Palaniandya Harysooria , Muchlisin Zainal A.
Published: November 2019

Water quality parameters influence the growth and survival of different stages of fishes and hence determining the optimal water quality variables is greatly important for any aquaculture farming. Among the variables, water pH is considered the key factors and plays an important role in the maintenance of the homeostasis in fishes. A study was conducted to determine the influence of different water pH on the incubation period, hatching rate and survival rate of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) larvae. The fertilized eggs were incubated at 28.0 ± 1.0 °C with different levels of water pH ranging from 3-10. Twenty four pH levels were tested for incubation period and egg hatchability while 15 pH levels were tested for larval survivability in a completely randomized design with three replicates for each treatment. Just hatched larvae were used for this study and the effect was observed until 72 h post-hatching. Water pH was maintained by the addition of NaOH or H2SO4solutions. The incubation times of fertilized eggs were recorded to be 23.5–25.0 h at pH levels of 6.1–8.8. The increased incubation time was noticed at the rest of the acidic and alkaline pH levels. Significantly highest hatching rate was observed at the pH levels of 6.7–7.6 compared to those at lower and higher pH levels (P0.05). However, no significant differences (P0.05) were recognized in the hatching rates at the pH levels of 6.7 – 7.6. No hatching occurred at low pH levels between 3.1 and 3.4 and at high pH of 10. After 72 h of exposure to different pH levels, no larvae survived at pH levels below 4.5 and above 9.0.  Highest larval survival (98%) was observed at pH 7.0 followed by 94% at pH 7.5 and 92% at pH 6.5. The results obtained in the present study revealed embryos and larvae can survive and tolerate to a low pH level of 3.7 and 4.5, respectively but the survival rates decreased with decreasing pH levels. Therefore, a water pH level of 6.7–7.5 is highly recommended for optimal hatching and highest larval viability of C. gariepinus.
Accidents waiting to happen: news coverage of children’s health and safety in Turkey in the 1980s and 1990s
Authors: Arzuk Deniz
Published: November 2019

This article builds on an ongoing investigation of social constructions of childhood during the neoliberal turn of the late 20th century, and attempts to historicise and contextualise the discursive change that participated in the making of a specific version of intensive parenting culture in Turkey. The research is based on a critical discourse analysis of the news coverage of children’s physical wellbeing in Hürriyet newspaper. It is argued that as these news articles gradually changed their answer to the question of who should be responsible for children’s wellbeing, the newspaper began to invest more time and resources on the twin images of the ‘intensive parent’ and the ‘vulnerable child’, and turned its gaze away from the social and the systemic, and consequently, away from certain groups of ‘less precious’  children.