bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genetic Diversity And Population Structure of Zymoseptoria Tritici Populations of Southern Ethiopia Using SSR Markers
Authors: Kassia Messele Molla , Tesfaye Kasahun , Haileselassie Teklehaimanot , Mekonnen Tilahun , Dessalegn Obssi
Published: January 2022

The fungal disease Zymoseptoria tritici causes Septoria tritici blotch, which is one of the most serious challenges to wheat production in Ethiopia and around the world. Understanding the pathogen's genetic structure is critical for developing and implementing effective management methods. Therefore, the present study targeted to explore the genetic structure of 51 Z. tritici isolates collected from four wheat producing zones of South and Southwestern parts of Ethiopia using nine microsatellite markers. In all of the examined isolates, a Z. tritici specific diagnostic marker that targets the ITS rDNA had amplified a predicted fragment size of 345bp. The number of alleles, gene diversity, and polymorphic information content per locus ranged from 9 to 14, 0.80 to 0.88, and 0.70 to 0.87, respectively, indicating a significant degree of genetic variety within populations. The results of an analysis AMOVA revealed a moderate (0.14) genetic differentiation, with 86 percent of total genetic variability (3.93) occurring within populations. Due to the existence of considerable gene flow, the dendrogram produced by UPGMA and PCoA also revealed a moderate population clustering in which the populations were not clearly clustered according to their sample areas. Furthermore, population structure analysis using a Bayesian model loosely grouped the population into five (K) sub-groups with substantial genetic mixing. The populations of the Kembata-Tembar and Hadiya zone have higher genetic variability than the other populations studied, and hence can be considered STB hot sites for future research on pathogen dynamics, germplasm screening, and host-pathogen interactions.
Heterogeneous Adaptive Behavioral Responses May Increase Epidemic Burden
Authors: Espinoza Baltazar , Swarup Samarth , Barrett Christopher , Marathe Madhav
Published: January 2022

Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) constitute the front-line responses against epidemics. Yet, the interdependence of control measuresand individuals' microeconomics, beliefs, perceptions and health incentives, is not well understood. Epidemics constitute complex adaptive systems where individual behavioral decisions drive and are driven by, among other things, the risk of infection. To study the impact of heterogeneous behavioral responses on the epidemic burden, we formulate a two risk-groups mathematical model that incorporates individuals' behavioral decisions driven by risk perceptions. Our results show a trade-off between the efforts to avoid infection by the risk-evader population, and the proportion of risk-taker individuals with relaxed infection risk perceptions. We show that, in a structured population, privately computed optimal behavioral responses may lead to an increase in the final size of the epidemic, when compared to the homogeneous behavior scenario. Moreover, we find that uncertain information on the individuals' true health state may lead to worse epidemic outcomes, ultimately depending on the population's risk-group composition. Finally, we find there is a set of specific optimal planning horizons minimizing the final epidemic size, where these depend on the population structure.
Influence of Various Additives On The Fermentation Quality And Bacterial Community of High-Moisture Whole-Plant Quinoa Silage
Authors: Dong Zhihao , Li Junfeng , Wang Siran , Zhao Jie , Dong Dong , Shao Tao
Published: January 2022

To explore the potential of whole-plant quinoa (WPQ) as a high-protein source for livestock feed, this study evaluated the effects of additives on the fermentation quality and bacterial community of high-moisture WPQ silage. High-moisture WPQ was ensiled either untreated (control) or treated with cellulase (E), molasses (M), LAB inoculant (L), a combination of cellulase and LAB inoculant (EL), and a combination of molasses and LAB inoculant (ML). The fermentation quality and bacterial community after 60 days of ensiling were analyzed. Naturally fermented WPQ exhibited acetic acid-type fermentation dominated by enterobacteria, with low lactic acid content (21.1 g/kg DM), and high pH value (6.43) and NH3-N production (182 g/kg TN). Adding molasses alone or combined with LAB inoculant shifted the fermentation patterns toward increased intensity of lactic acid fermentation, lowering the pH value (<4.60), NH3-N content (<130 g/kg TN) and total abundance of enterobacteria (<19%), and increasing the lactic acid content (>61.5 g/kg DM), lactic/acetic acid ratio (>1.42) and the relative abundance of Lactobacillus (>70.5%). The results suggested that the lack of fermentable sugar could be the main factor of restricting extensive lactic acid fermentation in WPQ silage. Supplementing fermentable sugar or co-ensiling with materials with high WSC content and low moisture content could be beneficial strategies for producing high-quality WPQ silage.
Erector Spinae Plane Block Improves the Quality of Recovery and Postoperative Pain Management in Patients Undergoing Breast Surgery Compared to the Control But Not the Sham Block Group: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Wiech Marcin , Piwowarczyk Paweł , Mieszkowski Marcin , Tuyakov Bułat , Pituch-Sala Karolina , Czarnik Tomasz , Kurylcio Andrzej , Czuczwar Mirosław , Borys Michał
Published: January 2022

Background. The erector spinae plane (ESP) block has recently been shown to effectively alleviate postoperative pain and reduce opioid consumption in breast surgery patients. However, data are still limited concerning the quality of recovery in patients following this procedure.Methods. This study was a randomized controlled trial (RCT) performed in a university hospital. We randomly allocated patients to one of three groups: ESP, SHAM, and control (CON). Procedures in the ESP and SHAM blocks were performed ipsilaterally with 0.375% ropivacaine or 0.9% saline (0.4 mL/kg). Our primary outcome was the assessment of the patient’s improvement with quality-of-recovery 40 (QoR-40) a day after surgery. Other outcome assessments included postoperative pain evaluation on the visual analog scale (VAS), 24-hour opioid consumption with patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), time to the first opioid demand, and global satisfaction with perioperative treatment. Results. Overall, patients in the ESP group had improved QoR-40 compared to the CON group, 186 [177–193] vs. 175 [165–183] (medians and interquartile ranges). Pain severity was significantly higher in the CON group compared to the ESP group at hours 2 (38 [23–53] vs. 20 [7–32]) and 4 (30 [18–51] vs. 19 [7–25]). Moreover, we observed lower oxycodone consumption after 24 hours with the PCA pump between the ESP (4 [2–8] mg) and the CON (9.5 [5–19]) groups. Patients in the CON group used PCA sooner than those in the ESP group. Participants in the ESP group were more satisfied with treatment than those in the CON group. We found no statistical difference between SHAM and the other groups. Conclusions. Compared to the CON group, the ESP block improved the quality of recovery, alleviated pain intensity, and lowered opioid consumption in patients undergoing breast surgery. However, we did not observe this superiority in comparison with the SHAM group. Trial registration: NCT04726878
Terrestrial Forcing of Marine Biodiversification
Authors: Martin Ronald , Cardenas Andreas
Published: January 2022

Physical and biological factors have been proposed to account for the long-term development of marine biodiversity through the Phanerozoic Eon. Nutrient availability and primary productivity have, however, received less attention. We demonstrate that the diversification of the major marine faunas during the Phanerozoic was coupled to nutrient runoff from land and the diversification of phosphorus-rich plankton. Nutrient input to the oceans increased dramatically during the Meso-Cenozoic in response to widespread orogeny and peaked repeatedly following the eruption and weathering of phosphorus-rich continental Large Igneous Provinces. Widespread orogeny, forestation, and nutrient runoff during the Permo-Carboniferous was transitional to the Mesozoic and continued during the later Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras with the further tectonism and the spread of angiosperms, modern representatives of which tend to be more nutrient-rich. Early-to-middle Paleozoic diversity was, in contrast, limited by nutrient-poor plankton resulting from less frequent tectonism and poorly-developed terrestrial floras. Our results suggest that biodiversity on geologic time scales is unbounded, provided sufficient nutrients and nutrient-rich plankton are available on optimal timescales.
Fabrication of Graphene Sand Hybrid Using Green Method for Remediation of Lead and Tetracycline Contaminated Groundwater
Authors: Graimed Bassim , ali ziad tark abd
Published: January 2022

The objective of this investigation involved the green synthesis of Graphene Sand Hybrid (GSH) with the sustainable carbon source provided from the pyrolysis of low-quality dates; it was evaluated for its use in permeable reactive barrier (PRB) technology for treating lead- (Pb) and tetracycline- (TC) contaminated groundwater, as a cost effective and highly reactive material. The GSH thus produced was evaluated by testing its properties through a variety of testing procedures. From these tests the GSHs prepared were proven to be composed of graphene structures on the inorganic sand, with the capacity to treat simulated contaminated groundwater. The experimental experiments of this study were done using batch and continuous mode. In the batch experiments, different factors that affect the sorption process were studied and the sorption data were explained using the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, whereas the kinetic process of sorption was ascertained through the use of the three kinetic models (pseudo first- and second-orders and intra particle diffusion). From the results it was evident that the Langmuir model shows a good fit for the sorption data, better than the Freundlich isotherm model does, and the pseudo second-order model shows a better fit for the kinetic data than does the first-order model. The continuous mode was performed employing a series of column experiments. Besides, using the COMSOL Multiphysics software, a solved numerical model was advanced for simulation of the one-dimensional equilibrium conveyance. The results depicted that the GSH can be effective and economically reactive material in PRB.
Effects of Using Siris (Albizia Iebbeck) Foliage in the Diet of Fattening Lambs on Nutrient Digestibility, Blood and Rumen Parameters, Growth Performance, and Meat Quality Characteristics
Authors: Ardeshiri Hadi , Chaji Morteza , Khorasani Omid
Published: January 2022

This study aimed to investigate the effect of substitution of Siris foliage with alfalfa forage in the diet of fattening lambs on digestibility, fermentation, and growth performance of fattening lambs. In the present experiment, 27 eight-month-old Arabi lambs (6 ±3 1.3) with an initial weight of 28.8 ± 1.99 kg were used in a completely randomized design. The effect of experimental diets on dry matter intake was not significant; however, had a significant effect on the intake of NDF, ADF, and crude protein (P <0.05). The effect of experimental diets on apparent digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, NDF, ADF, and crude protein was not significant (P <0.05). Ammonia nitrogen concentration, pH, and a total population of ruminal fluid protozoa and blood parameters were not affected by experimental diets. Parameters of fattening performance such as feed intake, live weight changes, feed conversion ratio, some carcass traits such as mean weight and size of carcass parts, and colorimetric indices of muscle tissue in the order of fattening lambs were not affected by experimental diets. The use of foliage of Siris in the diet of fattening lambs as a substitute with part of alfalfa had no adverse effect on the characteristics studied in the present experiment. Therefore, Siris be recommended as part of the diet of fattening lambs.
Salt profile and content in foods prepared in restaurants and bakeries: Analysis of the 2 main urban centers in Cape Verde
Authors: Lopes Edna Duarte , Rodrigues Júlio Monteiro , Monteiro Alzerina Maria Rocha , Soares Janice , Spencer Irina , Lima Maria da Luz , Ribeiro Ailton Luís Lopes
Published: January 2022

Background
The excessive intake of sodium from salt is associated with the risk of cardiovascular diseases. According to the Noncommunicable Diseases Survey (DNS, N/P), more than 35% of the Cape Verdean population is considered hypertensive. There are no data on the salt content of foods prepared by restaurants and bakeries in Cape Verde.
Methods
This was a cross-sectional study with a qualitative-quantitative approach conducted in bakeries and restaurants in the cities of Praia and Mindelo in Cape Verde. A total of 155 questionnaires were administered, and 152 food samples were collected for salt content analysis. The salt content (g/100 g) was determined by evaluating chlorides through titration by the Mohr method. The presence of iodine in the salt was evaluated by a rapid salt iodization test (Iodized Salt Field Test Kit). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. The salt content in the foods from the establishments in the 2 cities was compared by the chi-square test.
Results
Most restaurants and bakeries use iodized salt (97%) of national origin (81%), from the islands of Sal (45.6%) and Maio (20.9%). A total of 83.3% of the bakery managers reported following a standard that regulates the amount of salt to be used in bread preparation; 12% of restaurant managers reported following similar standards. Approximately 63.3% of the bread samples had salt contents greater than 1.4 g/100 g. The mean salt content recorded in meals was 1.3 ± 0.5 g/100 g in Praia and 1.4 ± 0.5 g/100 g in Mindelo. Approximately 41% of the meals collected from restaurants in Praia and 55% in Mindelo had a salt content between 5.20 g and 10.83 g.
Conclusions
Restaurants and bakeries in the cities of Praia and Mindelo use salt in a nonstandardized manner, requiring special attention from all stakeholders. The results of this study may contribute to the redesign of salt intake reduction strategies in Cape Verde.
Transcriptome analysis indentifies KRT23 as a immunotherapeutic target in cervical cancer
Authors: Li Xia , Cheng Yanmei , Jia Yanyan , Shi Huirong
Published: January 2022

Background: Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most common malignancies in females worldwide. Traditional treatments have been used widely, but the prognosis remains poor. Therefore, new strategies are needed to improve outcomes. Immunotherapy has been used to treat various types of solid tumors. Subtypes of the tumor microenvironment (TME) are associated with the response to immunotherapy, so understanding complexity of TME is pivotal for immunotherapy.Methods: In this study, we used two methods, “ssGSEA” and “xCell”, to estimate the immune profile in CC. R packages “Corrplot” was used to analysis the correlation of immune cells. “ConsensusClusterPlus” was used to cluster CC based on infiltration of immune cells. “Limma” was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and “clusterprofile” was used to perform enrichment analysis. “survival”and “glmnet”was used to construct perdition model. RT-PCR was used to detect Keratin, type I cytoskeletal 23 (KRT23) expression。Cytometric bead arrays and ELISA were used to detect CCL5expression. Transwell assay was used to detect migration of CD8+T cells.Results: We subdivided CC into “hot” and “cold” tumors, in which hot tumors had infiltration of more immune cells and longer survival. Enrichment analyses of DEGs revealed that the number of activated immune signaling pathways was higher in hot tumors. KRT23 showed high expression in cold tumors and its expression was negatively correlated with infiltration of immune cells. In vitro experiments, knockdown of KRT23 expression promoted secretion of CCL5, and promoted recruitment of CD8+T cells. We also constructed a model based on DEGs that had high efficacy for predicting the survival of CC and patients receiving immunotherapy.Conclusion: Our study provides deep insights in infiltration of immune cells into CC. KRT23 may act as an immunotherapeutic target. Our model can predict the prognosis of CC patients and may guide immunotherapy.
Different adaptive strategies of three mangrove species to nutrient enrichment
Authors: Wei Lili , Hong Hualong , Bee Ming Yang , Wu Yangyang , Ndayambaje Patrick , Yan Chongling , Kao Shuh-Ji , Chee Poh Seng , Wang Yuzhe
Published: January 2022

Mangrove species are undergoing environmental changes from nutrient-poor to enrichment due to the large input of external nutrients. The potential difference in adaptive strategies between the slow- and fast-growing species may lead to great changes in species interaction and ecosystem stability. This study aims to test whether the slow-growing species Aegiceras corniculatum (L.) Blanco and Kandelia obovata Sheue, Liu & Yong sp. nov. are distinctly different from Laguncularia racemosa (L.) Gaertn. f. in response to soil nutrient enrichment. With the increase of soil nutrients, L. racemosa shifted from more conservative to more acquisitive strategy, which might be attributed to the increases in specific leaf area, nutrient resorption efficiency and photosynthesis capacity (indicated by the increase of leaf δ13C and unchanged leaf succulence), as well as the relocation of photosynthetic products (indicated by the shift towards fast-growing at the cost of constructive and defense compounds). In contrast, A. corniculatum and K. obovata maintained conservative strategies at any soil nutrient levels with only a slight increase in growth. These findings implied that L. racemosa will be more competitive over the other species in nutrient-rich soils.
The Therapeutic Effects of Human Embryonic Stem Cells-derived Immunity-and-matrix Regulatory Cells on Membranous Nephropathy
Authors: Zhou Huisong , Cui Zhao , Wang Hui , Gao Ting-ting , Wang Liu , Wu Jun , Xiong Zu-ying , Hao Jie , Zhao Ming-hui
Published: January 2022

Background Primary membranous nephropathy (MN) is a kidney-specific autoimmune disease. Human embryonic stem cells-derived immunity-and-matrix regulatory cells (hESC-IMRCs) have immunoregulatory functions. We hypothesized that hESC-IMRCs might have therapeutic effects on MN and be a potential treatment in clinical practice. Methods Rats of Heymann nephritis were set up by immunization with sheep anti-rat Fx1A serum. hESC-IMRCs were intravenously administrated upon the detection of proteinuria, with 6×106 cells (high-dose) or 3×106 cells (low-dose) in 1 ml every other day. Splenocytes and IMRCs were co-cultured at different times and ratios. Cell types and cytokines were detected by flow cytometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results Proteinuria of rats with Heymann nephritis was reduced remarkably to a level comparable to negative controls, in both low-dose (45.6 vs. 282.3 mg/d, P<0.001) and high-dose (35.2 vs. 282.3 mg/d, P<0.001) hESC-IMRC treatment groups. IgG and C3 deposit, glomerular basement membrane thickness (613.6 vs. 1014.3 nm, P=0.003) and foot process effacement (271.0 vs. 496.4 nm, P<0.001) was alleviated in the kidneys. The proportions of CD4+CD25+ T cells in circulation (7.2 vs. 3.4%, P=0.002) and in spleen (14.9 vs. 10.0%, P<0.001) were increased, the circulating level of IL-10 was increased (42.1 vs. 27.4 pg/ml, P<0.001), and the circulating level of complement C3 was decreased (464.2 vs. 872.7 ng/ml, P=0.010), after hESC-IMRC interventions. IL-10 increased remarkably in the co-culture supernatant of lymphocytes and IMRCs at 48 hours with ratio 10:1. Conclusions The intravenously delivered hESC-IMRCs alleviated proteinuria and kidney injuries of Heymann nephritis, by their immunosuppressive functions through regulatory T cells and IL-10. These pre-clinical results indicate that IMRCs worth careful consideration for human trials in the treatment of MN.
Metabolic Phenotyping of Hand Automatisms In Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
Authors: Mo Jiajie , Wang Yao , Zhang Jianguo , Cai Lixin , Liu Qingzhu , Hu Wenhan , Sang Lin , Zhang Chao , Wang Xiu , Shao Xiaoqiu , Zhang Kai
Published: January 2022

Purpose: Hand automatisms (HA) are common clinical manifestation in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. However, the location of symptomatogenic zone in HA as well as the networks involved, are still unclear. Therefore, to have a better understanding, we analyzed interictal [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose–positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in the patients of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE).Methods: We retrospectively recruited 79 mTLE patients and 18 healthy controls for the analysis. The patients underwent anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL) and were seizure free. Based on the HA semiology occurrence, the patients were divided into either unilateral HA (Uni-HA), bilateral HA (Bil-HA) or none HA (None-HA) groups. The group comparison and connectivity within metabolic communities of interictal FDG-PET was analyzed.Results: The metabolic patterns varied for different subgroup. In comparison with the healthy control group, the Uni-HA group had significant differences in extratemporal lobe brain areas, mostly in the ipsilateral supplementary motor area (SMA) and middle cingulate cortex (MCC). While in the Bil-HA group, bilateral SMA and MCC areas were differentially affected, whereas in the None-HA group, limited areas with differences were seen. Metabolic network involving HA showed a constrained network embedding of the SMA and MCC. Furthermore, increased metabolic synchronization between SMA and MCC significantly correlated with HA.Conclusion: The metabolic pattern of HA was centered on SMA and MCC brain regions. Therefore, this metabolic cortical network can be considered as the symptomatogenic zone of HA, as increased metabolic synchronization within these two regions was significantly engaged for the representation and modulation of HA.
Catastrophic Impact of Multimorbidity on Households in India: A Cross-Section Analysis of Self-Reported Morbidity from National Sample Survey 2017
Authors: Karan Anup , Farooqui Habib Hasan , Hussain Suhaib , Hussain Mohammad Akhtar , Selvaraj Sakthivel , Mathur Manu Raj
Published: January 2022

Background: Literature suggest that non-communicable (NCD) diseases cause significant financial burden on the households in India. However, there is little on evidence on catastrophic impact of multimorbidity related out of pocket expenditures on the households. The purpose of this research is to generate new evidence on financial implications of multimorbidity on the households in terms of out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure and its catastrophic impact.Methods: We analyzed the Social Consumption - Health data from National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) 75th round conducted in the year 2017-2018. We estimated prevalence of multimorbidity and related OOP expenditures. Using Coarsened Exact Matching (CEM) we estimated mean OOP expenditure for each episode of outpatient visits and hospital admission because of multimorbidity and selected NCD for each individuals reporting one or more NCD. We also estimated the catastrophic impact of multimorbidity on the households. Results: Our matched sample analysis suggests that that OOP expenditure was higher for the NCD conditions in presence of multimorbidity (two or more NCDs) as compared to situation with single morbidity (one NCD), except for cancers and cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, our estimates suggest that households reporting catastrophic spending (10% threshold) increased from approximately 46.7% (46.674 - 46.676) under single morbidity (one NCD) scenario to 63.3% (63.359- 63.361) under multimorbidity scenario. The catastrophic impact of cancer among the individual diseases was the highest.Conclusions: This evidence on catastrophic impact of multimorbidity on the households indicate urgent need to implement financial risk protection measures to reduce household’s OOP burden at the country.
A New Certificateless Signcryption Scheme for Securing Internet of Vehicles
Authors: Cui Beibei , Wei Lu , He Wei
Published: January 2022

The application of digital signature technology on the Internet of Vehicles (IoV) is affected by its network and communication environment, which requires low transmission delay, power consumption, and highsecurity requirement. To the best of our knowledge, a well-designed solution that uses signcryption technology has not been proposed in the IoV research area. Motivated by the fact, a certificateless signcryption scheme based on Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm, which also considers pseudonym and timestamp mechanism, has been designed in this paper. We prove that our proposed scheme can be reduced to solving the difficulty of the Computational Diffie-Hellman problem under the standard model, show that the scheme meets both security and efficiency requirements, and provides a comparative analysis with the state-of-the-art schemes in terms of security analysis, computational cost, and communication cost, demonstrating that our proposed scheme is suitable to be deployed in the IoV environment.
The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on bone and soft tissue tumor treatment: a single institution study
Authors: Ban Yoshitaka , Manabu Hoshi , Oebisu Naoto , Shimatani Akiyoshi , Takada Naoki , Tadashi Iwai , Nakamura Hiroaki
Published: January 2022

Background: The spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused severe damage to routine medical care. This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on bone and soft tissue tumor treatment at a single center. Methods: A retrospective comparative study was conducted between two groups of patients who received treatment at Osaka City University Hospital during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic (February-December 2020, Group C) and during the same period the previous year (February to December 2019, Group NC). Clinical data, including patient's age, sex, tumor site, type of neoplasms, number of surgical cases for inpatients and outpatients, operation time, use of implant, length of hospital stay, inpatient hospitalization costs, number of inpatients receiving anticancer drugs, and postoperative complications in these two groups were retrospectively evaluated. Results: The number of cases of malignant bone and soft tissue tumors that were resected during hospitalization was predominantly higher in Group C than in Group NC ( P =0.01). There were no significant differences in operation time, use of implant, and postoperative complications between Groups C and NC; however, there were significant differences in the length of hospital stay and hospitalization cost ( P <0.001). Conclusions: Globally, COVID-19 has affected several areas adversely. The present study showed that the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the hospitalization cost and length of hospital stay during the treatment of bone and soft tissue tumor.
A Comparison of Malaria Prevention Behaviors, Care-seeking Practices and Barriers Between Malaria at-risk Worksite Migrant Workers and Villagers in Northern Shan State, Myanmar – a Mixed Method Study
Authors: Aung Ye Kyaw , Zin Su Su , Tesfazghi Kemi , Paudel Mahesh , Thet May Me , Thein Si Thu
Published: January 2022

Background: Migrant populations are at an increased risk of exposure to malaria due to their nature of work and seasonal migration. This study aimed to compare malaria prevention behaviors and care seeking practices among worksite migrant workers and villagers in the malaria-at-risk areas of the Eastern Myanmar close to the China border.Method: A mixed method study was conducted in March 2019. The malaria-at-risk worksites in the targeted four townships, and villages located at the nearest to these worksites were approached. The key stakeholders, such as worksite managers and village leaders, were interviewed.Results: A total of 23 worksites, which employed 880 migrants and 447 locals, and 20 villages, which were homes for 621 migrants and 9731 locals, were successfully interviewed. Regarding malaria prevention behaviors, sleeping under bed net was common among both worksites (74%) and villages (85%). In contrast, insecticide treated nets/long-lasting-insecticidal-nets (ITN/LLIN) usage was much lower among the worksites than villages (39% vs 80%). Regarding care seeking practices for febrile illness, self-medication was a popular choice for both worksite workers and villagers owing to easy availability of western medicine. Moreover, local-belief-driven traditional practices were more common among villagers. On occasions when fever was not relieved, both would seek health care from rural health centers, private clinics, or public hospital. As for barriers, villagers mostly cited language barriers, which often led to misunderstanding between health providers and them. In contrast, most of the worksites cited logistic issues as they were in remote areas with devastated road conditions and the routes to formal health facilities were not secure due to frequent armed conflicts.Conclusion: This study demonstrated that site-workers and villagers had different malaria prevention behaviors and care seeking practices even though they resided in the same geographic area. Hence, it is important to recognize such differences for more effective intervention approaches.
Sensitizing solid tumors to CAR-mediated cytotoxicity using synthetic antigens
Authors: Gamboa Lena , Zamat Ali , Vanover Daryll , Thiveaud Chloé , Peck Hannah , Phuengkham Hathaichanok , Sivakumar Anirudh , Harris Adrian , Dahotre Shreyas , Su Fang-Yi , Santangelo Philip , Kwong Gabriel
Published: January 2022

CAR T cell immunotherapy relies on CAR targeting of tumor-associated antigens, yet heterogenous antigen expression, interpatient variation, and off-tumor expression by healthy cells remain barriers. Here, we develop synthetic antigens to sensitize solid tumors for recognition and elimination by CAR T cells. Unlike tumor-associated antigens, we design synthetic antigens that are orthogonal to endogenous proteins to eliminate off-tumor targeting and that have a small genetic footprint to facilitate efficient tumor delivery to tumors by viral vectors. Using the RSV-F camelid single-domain antibody (VHH) as a synthetic antigen, we show that adoptive transfer of αVHH CAR T cells to mice bearing VHH expressing tumors reduced tumor burden in multiple syngeneic mouse models of cancer, improved survival, induced epitope spread, and protected against tumor rechallenge. Our work supports in situ delivery of synthetic antigens to treat antigen low or negative tumors with CAR T cells.
Meniscal Preservation is More Likely When Performed with Acute Anterior Cruciate Ligament Repair Rather Than with Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: WILSON WILLIAM Thomas , Hopper Graeme Philip , Hamilton Chris , O'Donnell Lucas , Blyth Mark J.G. , MacKay Gordon M
Published: January 2022

BackgroundRupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) often occurs in conjunction with meniscal tears. In this study we investigate the rates and outcomes of meniscal repair surgery performed with ACL reconstruction compared with acute ACL repair surgery.MethodsData was collected for all patients undergoing surgery for ACL ruptures between 2012 and 2018, including ACL reconstruction with hamstring autograft and primary ACL repair augmented with suture tape. Patients undergoing multiligament surgery was excluded. Meniscal injury was evaluated intra-operatively and the treatment determined by type of tear, reducibility, and quality of meniscal tissue. If possible, tears were repaired using all-inside anchors and all others were resected. ResultsThere were 272 ACL reconstructions and 134 ACL repairs, mean age was 28 (±9) and 35 (±14) years respectively (p<0.01). The mean Tegner activity score was 6.6 in both groups. The mean interval from injury to surgery was longer in the reconstruction group (26.2 v 1.3 months, p<0.01). 55% of reconstructions and 43% of ACL repairs required meniscal surgery at the time of their ACL procedure. In the reconstruction group 123 (70%) were meniscectomies and 53 (30%) were meniscal repairs, compared to 31 (50%) of each in the ACL repair group. Meniscal repair was more likely to be possible when carried out as part of acute ACL repair surgery, χ2(1, n=238)=7.94, p<0.01. The success rate of meniscal repair was 97% in both groups. ConclusionsThe rate of meniscal repair is 67% higher when performed early with ACL repair. When ACL reconstruction is performed, meniscal resection was more likely. Rates of post-traumatic osteoarthritis are high after ACL reconstruction when performed with meniscal resection. Furthermore, the success rate of meniscal repair in conjunction with ACL surgery is high (97%). Therefore, meniscal repair should be encouraged whenever possible to improve long term outcomes. Level of Evidence: III
Risk Factors for a First Episode of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia Caused by Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia
Authors: Canivet Clémence , Teysseyre Laura , Aujoulat Thomas , Caron Margot , Nativel Mathilde , Miltgen Guillaume , Vidal Charles , Allou Nicolas , Puech Bérénice
Published: January 2022

Background: The incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (SM-VAP) is on the rise. This pathology is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in intensive care unit (ICU), notably due to intrinsic resistance and ineffective probabilistic antibiotic therapy. Our study aimed to determine the risk factors for a first episode of SM-VAP in ICU.Methods: This single center retrospective study was conducted from 2010 to 2018 in the polyvalent ICU of Félix Guyon University Hospital in Reunion Island. All patients who developed ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) during their ICU stay were consecutively evaluated. Patients with a first episode of SM-VAP were compared to those with a first episode of VAP caused by another microorganism. Results: A total of 89 patients developed a first episode of SM-VAP over the study period. In the group of patients with SM-VAP, infection was polymicrobial in 43.8% of cases and ICU mortality was 49.4%. After multivariate logistic regression analysis, the risk factors for a first episode of SM-VAP were: chronic respiratory failure (Odds Ratio (OR): 4.212; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.776 – 9.989; p = 0.001), chronic renal failure (OR: 2.693; 95% CI: 1.356 – 5.352; p = 0.05), use of third-generation cephalosporins active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (OR 2.862; 95% CI: 1.505 – 5.442; p = 0.001), and female sex (OR: 2.646; 95% CI: 1.458 – 4.808; p = 0.001). Conclusion: In our study, chronic respiratory failure, chronic renal failure, use of third-generation cephalosporins active against P. aeruginosa, and female sex were identified as risk factors for a first episode of SM-VAP.
Appearance of a population of the mangrove rail Rallus longirostris Boddaert, 1783 (Rallidae) in salt marshes invaded by the exotic tanner grass Urochloa arrecta (Poaceae) and its disappearance after plant management
Authors: Bornschein Marcos R. , Melchiori Bianca L. , Teixeira Larissa , Reinert Bianca L. , Sandretti-Silva Giovanna
Published: January 2022

Biological invasions cause species extinction, but also provide benefits. Wetlands, such as salt marshes, include little known but important ecosystems that are sometimes severely invaded by exotic plants. Salt marshes in eastern South America are increasingly impacted by the invasion of the African grass Urochloa arrecta. This study investigated the appearance of a population of the mangrove rail Rallus longirostris in areas dominated by U. arrecta and its disappearance with the eradication of this plant. We monitored four areas (38.63 ha) in Guaratuba Bay estuary in southern Brazil, from 2006–2022, two of which contained four patches of U. arrecta as the dominant species. In 2012, we started to eradicate U. arrecta with mechanical management, and in 2020, it was eradicated locally. In 2007, we recorded R. longirostris for the first time in a patch of U. arrecta, and in subsequent years, we saw the bird in two other patches of the exotic plant. Rallus longirostris was no longer recorded when U. arrecta was eradicated. We hypothesized that R. longirostris used patches of U. arrecta as vacant nesting niches due to a lack of competition with Pardirallus nigricans—the most common bird in the estuary—which does not frequent patches of U. arrecta. The invasion of U. arrecta can locally increase the populations of R. longirostris. Although this bird is at risk of extinction in parts of its geographic distribution, we encourage the management of U. arrecta because of its impact on salt marshes.
Farmers Adapt to Climate Change Irrespective of Stated Belief in Climate Change or Farm Advisor Reinforcement of (Dis)belief: A Case Study in Northern California
Authors: Petersen-Rockney Margiana
Published: January 2022

Farmers are front line workers in the climate crisis. As in many parts of the world, climate change impacts like droughts and wildfires are becoming everyday experiences that natural resource-dependent communities must grapple with. This article draws on ethnographic methods, including over 100 interviews with crop and livestock farmers and institutional actors, to query climate change experience, belief, and response in Siskiyou County in rural northeastern California. I find that farmers recognize and describe changes in climate that align with meteorologic evidence of climate signals emerging above the noise of weather variability. Farmers often chronicle these changes in terms of weather cycles and harsh geographies. Local public farm advisors, like Cooperative Extension Advisors and USDA staff, echo these beliefs, which builds rapport with many farmers, while hindering the development of programming, including potential climate-related technical and financial assistance available to a broader set of farmers. Farmers respond to climate change impacts with a range of adaptations, irrespective of their stated belief in climate science. Findings bolster growing evidence that climate change belief and action are not tightly coupled, supporting efforts to retire the currently dominant knowledge-deficit paradigm of farmer climate change programming. Rather than focusing on trying to convince farmers of climate science - or even convince farm advisors themselves - this study suggests that more culturally appropriate interventions that skip belief and focus on action and outcomes could be more effective in increasing the pace and scale of farmer climate action.
Progranulin Promotes Functional Recovery in Rats With Acute Spinal Cord Injury via Autophagy-induced Anti-inflammatory Microglia Polarization.
Authors: Shi Qiang , Wu Yinghao , Zhang Baokun , Wu Shengting , Wang Xin , Lin Fangqi , Zhang Guowang , Lian Xiaofeng , Xu Jianguang
Published: January 2022

Since microglia-associated neuroinflammation plays a critical role in the progression of acute spinal cord injury, modulation of microglial activation has been suggested as a potential therapeutic strategy. Progranulin has been reported to exert neuroprotective effects by attenuating neuroinflammation, but whether these effects are due to the modulation of microglial polarization and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. Here, we investigated the effect of progranulin on microglial polarization and analyzed the crosstalk between microglial autophagy and polarization. We found that progranulin could reduce proinflammatory cytokine production in the lesion site and promote locomotor functional recovery after acute spinal cord injury. In vitro, we found that progranulin could activate microglia to an anti-inflammatory phenotype and express IL-10. Moreover, progranulin-mediated enhancement of anti-inflammatory microglial polarization was attributed to the protection of lysosomal function and the enhancement of autophagic flux. Above all, progranulin exerts anti-inflammatory effects by protecting lysosomal function to enhance microglial autophagy to induce M2 microglial polarization and ultimately improves neurological function after acute spinal cord injury. These results suggest that targeting autophagy-lysosomal pathway to modulate microglial polarization to reduce neuroinflammation is a potential treatment for spinal cord injury.
Machine Learning to Predict Effective Reaction Rates in 3D Porous Media From Pore Structural Features
Authors: Liu Min , Kwon Beomjin , Kang Peter K.
Published: January 2022

Large discrepancies between well-mixed reaction rates and effective reactions rates estimated under fluid flow conditions have been a major issue for predicting reactive transport in porous media systems. In this study, we introduce a framework that accurately predicts effective reaction rates directly from pore structural features by combining 3D pore-scale numerical simulations with machine learning (ML). We first perform pore-scale reactive transport simulations with fluid-solid reactions in hundreds of porous media and calculate effective reaction rates from pore-scale concentration fields. We then train a Random Forests model with 11 pore structural features and effective reaction rates to quantify the importance of structural features in determining effective reaction rates. Based on the importance information, we train artificial neural networks with varying number of features and demonstrate that effective reaction rates can be accurately predicted with only three pore structural features, which are specific surface, pore sphericity, and coordination number. Finally, global sensitivity analyses using the ML model elucidates how the three structural features affect effective reaction rates. The proposed framework enables accurate predictions of effective reaction rates directly from a few measurable pore structural features, and the framework is readily applicable to a wide range of applications involving porous media flows.
Physical exercise is essential for cardiac autonomic regulation in hypertensive patients treated with losartan or enalapril
Authors: Facioli Tábata de Paula , Philbois Stella Vieira , Tank Jens , de Souza Hugo Celso Dutra
Published: January 2022

Background
Hypertension treatment with renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASi) presents contradictions in relation to the recovery of damage in cardiovascular autonomic control. Conversely, the association of RASi with aerobic physical exercise can be a determining factor for some gains to be achieved. Thus, the objective was to investigate the effects of aerobic physical training on hemodynamic and cardiac autonomic regulation in hypertensive volunteers untreated and treated with RASi.
Methods
Fifty-four men (≅ 40–60 years old) with a history of hypertension for more than two years were divided into three groups: untreated (Control; N=16), treated with AT1 receptor blocker (losartan; N=21), and treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (enalapril; N=17). All subjects underwent hemodynamic, metabolic, and cardiovascular autonomic evaluation using baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) and spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) and blood pressure variability (BPV), before and after 16 weeks of supervised aerobic physical training.
Results
The volunteers treated with RASi had lower BPV and HRV, both in the supine position and in the tilt test, with the losartan group having the lowest values. Aerobic physical training increased HRV and BRS in all groups. However, the association of enalapril with physical training appears to have more prominent results.
Conclusion
Long-term treatment with enalapril and losartan may have detrimental effects on the autonomic modulation of HRV and BRS. Aerobic physical training is essential to promote positive adjustments in the autonomic modulation of HRV and BRS in hypertensive patients treated with RASi, especially with enalapril treatment. Trial Register: Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (RBR-8k2dsc).
Healthcare-associated COVID-19 across 3 pandemic waves: patient characterisation and validation of clinical definitions using genome sequencing
Authors: Demuyser Thomas , Seyler Lucie , Buttiens Rhea , Soetens Oriane , Caljon Ben , Praet Jessy , Seyler Thomas , Boeckmans Joost , Meert Jessy , Vanstokstraeten Robin , Martini Helena , Crombé Florence , Piérard Denis , Allard Sabine , Wybo Ingrid
Published: January 2022

BackgroundWorldwide, healthcare-associated SARS-CoV-2 infections are a major problem: they are associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and hospitalization costs. In-depth studies across the pandemic are crucial to understand and prevent transmission in hospital settings. The principal aims of this study were to characterise patients and validate ECDC definitions of healthcare-associated COVID-19 infections.MethodsWe set up a retrospective observational study spanning the first three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in a Belgian university hospital: it describes the characteristics of COVID-19 patients admitted, with either healthcare- or community-associated infections. We performed a cluster analysis through epidemiological and viral genome analyses of the healthcare-associated infections, in order to validate the ECDC definitions of healthcare-associated COVID-19 infections.ResultsBetween week 10 of 2020 and week 22 of 2021, 168 patients were hospitalized with healthcare-associated COVID-19. The following factors were found more often in symptomatic healthcare- than in community-associated hospitalized patients: older age, increased frailty, smoking habits, and comorbidities. The genome-based cluster analyses showed that different viral lineages predominated in different timeframes. We observed a good correlation of epidemiological data with genome sequencing results in at least 12 different outbreaks in our hospital, thus validating the ECDC definitions. ConclusionsThis in-depth characterization sheds new light on the problem of healthcare-associated COVID-19 infections, in particular on patients’ characteristics, epidemiology, and cluster dynamics. Even though epidemiological evaluation of nosocomial infections is vital, management of nosocomial outbreaks can undoubtedly benefit from genome sequencing analyses to reinforce their strategy.
Neuroprotective effects of a cardioplegic combination (adenosine, lidocaine, and magnesium) on an ischemic stroke model
Authors: Wang Yichia , Chen Yih-Sharng , Hsieh Sung-Tsang
Published: January 2022

Adenosine, lidocaine, and magnesium (ALM) formula is a clinically available cardioplegic solution. We examined the effects of low dose ALM on ischemic stroke with cell and animal models. Cobalt chloride (CoCl2)-treated SH-SY5Y cells were used as our surrogate model to mimic oxygen-glucose deprivation condition. The cells were incubated with different dilutions of the ALM authentic solution (1.0 mM adenosine, 2.0 mM lidocaine, 5 mM MgSO4 in EBSS). At the concentration of 2.5%, ALM significantly reduce CoCl2-induced cell loss. The protective effect remained if ALM was given 1 hour within the insult. We then used transient middle cerebral artery occlusion to investigate the therapeutic effects of ALM in vivo. Rats were randomly assigned to two groups: the experimental (ALM) group vs. control (saline) group, and infusion was given during the ischemia for one hour. The infarction area was significantly reduced in the ALM group (5.0% ± 2.0% vs. 23.5%±5.5%, p=0.013). The neurological deficits was reduced in the ALM group (Modified Longa score: 0 [0-1] vs.2 [1–2], p=0.047). The neuroprotective effect was substantiated by the reduction of various neuron injury markers in the plasma. These results demonstrated the neuroprotective effects of ALM and may provide a new therapeutic strategy for ischemic stroke.