bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Robbed and Dispossessed: The Emotional Impact of Property Loss during the German Occupation of the Netherlands, 1940–1945
Authors: Kemperman Jeroen , Piersma Hinke
Published: April 2022

During the occupation of the Netherlands, the Jewish population was systematically robbed and deprived of their property rights. Their economic and social isolation went hand in hand with a loss of social status, connectedness, security and identity, as homes were expropriated and furniture was confiscated. The process of depriving the Jews of everything they owned, which happened with such apparent ease by the seemingly all-powerful authorities, had a profound impact on the victims that went far beyond mere material loss. Furthermore, after the war, the restitution process confronted the survivors with bureaucratic procedures and formalities that evoked negative feelings among the persecuted victims. A strictly quantitative approach to compensation for the loss of furniture and other household items therefore seems to fall short. The view of loss as something that can be compensated with money does not take into account the psychological aspects of losing those personal possessions. This article pleads for a more qualitative approach to the subject of looting and restitution, free from the limitations imposed by the quantitative scope of official archives. The authors suggest that future research should relate more to the link between ‘dignity taking’ – a term that was coined by Bernadette Atuahene, professor of Law in Chicago – and ‘emotional loss’. Looking into property loss from an emotional perspective will teach us more about the fragility of settledness against the backdrop of occupation and persecution.
A Community-Embedded Implementation Model for Mental-Health Interventions: Reaching the Hardest to Reach
Authors: Puffer Eve S. , Ayuku David
Published: April 2022

The mental-health-care treatment gap remains very large in low-resource communities, both within high-income countries and globally in low- and middle-income countries. Existing approaches for disseminating psychological interventions within health systems are not working well enough, and hard-to-reach, high-risk populations are often going unreached. Alternative implementation models are needed to expand access and to address the burden of mental-health disorders and risk factors at the family and community levels. In this article, we present empirically supported implementation strategies and propose an implementation model—the community-embedded model (CEM)—that integrates these approaches and situates them within social settings. Key elements of the model include (a) embedding in an existing, community-based social setting; (b) delivering prevention and treatment in tandem; (c) using multiproblem interventions; (d) delivering through lay providers within the social setting; and (e) facilitating relationships between community settings and external systems of care. We propose integrating these elements to maximize the benefits of each to improve clinical outcomes and sustainment of interventions. A case study illustrates the application of the CEM to the delivery of a family-based prevention and treatment intervention within the social setting of religious congregations in Kenya. The discussion highlights challenges and opportunities for applying the CEM across contexts and interventions.
Monitoring of internal and external loads to interpret acute and chronic fatigue in indoor team sports: A systematic review
Authors: Moreno-Villanueva Adrián , Rico-González Markel , Pino-Ortega José
Published: April 2022

The aims of this study were: (1) to analyze how the periodization of workloads can induce states of accumulated fatigue in the short, medium and long term in indoor team sports and (2) to identify these periods of fatigue through the interpretation internal and external performance variables. This systematic review was carried out under PRISMA guidelines. The Web of Science, PubMed and Scopus databases were searched for relevant published studies between 1st January 2010 and 25th April 2021. The STROBE scale and MINORS checklist were used to assess the reporting and methodological risk of bias, respectively. Of the 2219 studies initially identified, 20 were selected for a full review. The main conclusions were that a periodic and integrative evaluation of monitoring variables of a different nature is needed to identify states of fatigue accurately and rigorously. The end of the preparatory periods (PPs) and the second phase of the competitive periods (CPs) seem to be the most exhausting moments of the season (high values of RPE, CK, LDH, and oxidative stress markers, and decrease in the T/C ratio). Specifically, congested weeks promote the development of high levels of acute and subacute fatigue (high levels of DOMS and fatigue along with low levels of RPE). Therefore, it is recommended to extend the duration of the preseason and the implementation of more active recovery days during congested weeks, in order to improve resistance to acute and subacute fatigue, and therefore avoid reaching a state of overtraining.
Effectiveness of positive expiratory pressure on patients over 16 years of age with cystic fibrosis: systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Rocamora-Pérez Patricia , Benzo-Iglesias María Jesús , Valverde-Martínez María de los Ángeles , García-Luengo Amelia Victoria , Aguilar-Parra José Manuel , Trigueros Rubén , López-Liria Remedios
Published: April 2022

Introduction:

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disease that involves the cells that produce mucus and sweat, affecting many organs, especially the lungs. Positive expiratory pressure (PEP) devices generate a pressure opposite to that exerted by the airways during expiration, thus improving mucociliary clearance.

Objectives:

To evaluate the efficacy of PEP devices as a resource to facilitate the mucus removal and other outcomes in people with CF, as well as the possible adverse effects derived from their use.

Material and Method:

A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to PRISMA standards. The descriptors were ‘cystic fibrosis’, ‘PEP’, and ‘physiotherapy and/or physical therapy’. The search was performed in four databases: PubMed, PEDro, and Web of Science and Scopus, in July 2021. The inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) over the last 10 years. The methodological quality of the studies was analyzed and meta-analysis was performed with Review Manager software.

Results:

Ten RCTs met the objectives and criteria, with a total of 274 participants. The trials score a moderate methodological quality on the PEDro scale. No clear results were obtained on whether PEP provides better lung function than other breathing techniques (such as airway clearance); but it does achieve a higher rate of lung clearance than physical exercise.

Conclusions:

PEP is more effective than usual care or no intervention, although there is not enough evidence to confirm that PEP achieves improvements in forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) compared with other techniques. It is a safe technique, without adverse effects.
Prognostic utility of magnetic resonance elastography and MEFIB index in predicting liver-related outcomes and mortality in individuals at risk of and with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Ajmera Veeral , Nguyen Khang , Tamaki Nobuharu , Sharpton Suzanne , Bettencourt Ricki , Loomba Rohit
Published: April 2022

Background:

Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is an accurate biomarker of liver fibrosis; however, limited data characterize its association with outcomes. We aimed to evaluate the association between liver stiffness (LS) on MRE and liver-related outcomes.

Methods:

This is a longitudinal, retrospective analysis of subjects at risk of NAFLD who had MRE assessment. LS was estimated using MRE, and liver fat was assessed using magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction. Univariable and multivariable survival and regression analyses were used to assess the association between LS on MRE and liver-related outcomes including a cumulative primary outcome of hepatic decompensation, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), or death.

Results:

In all, 265 patients (68% women) with a mean age of 50 (±18) years and 44% Hispanic ethnicity and 45.3% with NAFLD were included. A total of 76 liver-related events or death occurred, and there was 453 person-years of follow-up time in 97 patients with available follow-up. Each 1-kPa increase in LS was associated with 2.20-fold (95% CI: 1.70–2.84, p < 0.001) increased odds of prevalent hepatic decompensation or HCC. A positive MEFIB index, a combination of MRE ⩾ 3.3 kPa and FIB-4 ⩾ 1.6, had a strong association with the primary outcome compared with those without, HR = 21.8 (95% CI: 4.28–111.4, p < 0.001). The MEFIB index had a sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 90%, and a negative score was associated with 98% negative predictive value for incident liver-related events or death.

Conclusion:

LS assessed by MRE is associated with hepatic decompensation and death, and the MEFIB combination of MRE with FIB-4 may have high negative predictive value for liver-related events.
Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Metabolites From the Cultured Suspension Cells of Marchantia polymorpha L.
Authors: Cai Ya-yun , Chen Ting , Cao Jia-fu
Published: April 2022

Cell suspension culture is an attractive alternative source to wild plant for the production of novel biological metabolites. Hence, in this study, chemical investigation of cell suspension cultivated Marchantia polymorpha L. was performed, and led to the isolation of one new bis-bibenzyl (1), along with nine known analogues (2-10). Those chemical structures were elucidated based on the comprehensive analysis of NMR and MS data. The antioxidant and antibacterial effects of isolated components and crude extracts were evaluated, resulting in the identification of some antioxidant and antibacterial components. Meanwhile, Compare to that of wild grown M. polymorpha, the cell cultivated one was found to produce superior phenol yields, these constituents are of great importance for their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The studies conducted so far have established that the cell culture of M. polymorpha can be considered not only as a rich source of phenolic but as promising source of natural antioxidants and antibiotics as well, which is also expected to develop for better usage of this medicinal herb.
Treatment paradigm in Waldenström macroglobulinemia: frontline therapy and beyond
Authors: Zanwar Saurabh , Abeykoon Jithma P.
Published: April 2022

Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) is an indolent lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma. Recent strides made in the genomic profiling of patients with WM have led to the identification of many novel therapeutic targets. Patients with WM can present with asymptomatic disease and not all patients require treatment. When criteria for initiating systemic therapy are met, the choice of therapy depends on the tumor genotype ( MYD88 and CXCR4 mutation status), patient preference (fixed versus continuous duration therapy, oral versus intravenous route, cost), associated medical comorbidities, and adverse effect profile of the treatment. In the absence of head-to-head comparison between chemoimmunotherapy and Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitors in otherwise fit patients with a MYD88L265P mutation, our preference is fixed duration therapy with four to six cycles of chemoimmunotherapy with bendamustine–rituximab. In this review, we discuss the role of MYD88 and CXCR4 mutation in treatment selection, and current data for frontline and salvage treatment options in patients with WM.
High-throughput digital cough recording on a university campus: A SARS-CoV-2-negative curated open database and operational template for acoustic screening of respiratory diseases
Authors: Keen Eric M. , True Emily J. , Summers Alyssa R. , Smith Everett Clinton , Brew Joe , Grandjean Lapierre Simon
Published: April 2022

Objective

Respiratory illnesses have information-rich acoustic biomarkers, such as cough, that can potentially play an important role in screening populations for disease risk. To realize that potential, datasets of paired acoustic-clinical samples are needed for the development and validation of acoustic screening models, and protocols for collecting acoustic samples must be efficient and safe. We collected cough acoustic signatures at a high-throughput SARS-CoV-2 testing site on a college campus. Here, we share logistical details and the dataset of acoustic cough signatures paired with the gold standard in SARS-CoV-2 testing of SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences using qRT-PCR.

Methods

Cough recordings were collected in winter-spring 2021 at a rural residential college (Sewanee, TN, USA), where approximately 2000 students were tested for SARS-CoV-2 on a weekly basis. Cough collection was managed by student volunteers using custom software.

Results

4302 coughs were recorded from 960 participants over 11 weeks. All coughs were COVID-19 negative. Approximately 30 s were required to check-in a participant and collect their cough.

Conclusion

The value of acoustic screening tools depends upon our ability to develop and implement them reliably and quickly. For that to happen, high-quality datasets and logistical insights must be collected and shared on an ongoing basis.
Defiant Amplification or Decontextualized Commercialization? Protest Music, TikTok, and Social Movements
Authors: Sadler Olivia
Published: April 2022

Protest music has historically been a central part of American social change movements. Although some protest music is used solely to bring attention to the evils of an oppressive group, another purpose it may serve is to foster positive self-definition and feelings of unity in communities of oppressed people, and some songs may even do both. This project aimed to explore how TikTok affords expression and connection in relation to the use of and interaction with protest music in online spaces. A critical discourse analysis of a specific case of TikTok protest music, You About To Lose Yo Job, was conducted through the lenses of personal expression as a feature of connective action and affordance theory. The following three themes emerged: lip-syncing as a tool of defiance and reclamation of space, the use of hashtags to game a commercialized platform, and the decontextualization or loss of essence of protest music. These findings indicated that the social and ideological functions served by protest music as background sounds on TikTok created potential new avenues for agency through spatial defiance afforded by green screens and strategies to amplify users’ content to new audiences. However, dominant ideologies of capitalism were also reinforced through gaming of hashtags that were associated with events and trends of culture, diluting the context and blurring the movement affiliation of users, making unclear the function the protest music may serve.
Chat Apps and Cascade Logic: A Multi-Platform Perspective on India, Mexico, and the United States
Authors: Gursky Jacob , Riedl Martin J. , Joseff Katie , Woolley Samuel
Published: April 2022

Chat apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal are increasingly popular platforms for communication. Their sometimes-closed nature and encryption affordances present researchers, governments, and law enforcement with unique problems of access, traceability, and, ultimately, understanding. It also makes them useful vectors for sowing disinformation. This research assumes a multi-platform perspective, describing the particularities of how chat apps can be used toward disseminating mis- and disinformation by way of cascade logic—the means by which information in chat app ecologies is trafficked upstream (making its way from private conversations into the mainstream) as well as downstream (allowing information to withdraw from the public eye), providing space for distortion along the way. Cascade logic also describes how chat apps allow the gradual withdrawal and self-segregation of individuals into, or emergence out of, layered spaces of privacy and obfuscation. We present an interview-based study exploring chat apps in three countries, synthesizing unifying dimensions across cultures and contexts: India, the United States, and Mexico. We analyze data from in-depth conversations with 33 individuals who work to either produce or track political content on chat apps. These interviewees work for a wide array of organizations: political parties, governments, extremist groups, digital political consultancies, news entities, and civil society organizations. We reveal key insights into the tactics of producers of political content on chat apps and show how these platforms are particularly suitable for harnessing human connections, or leveraging communities of trust, to sow disinformation.
An Enhanced TSA-MLP Model for Identifying Credit Default Problems
Authors: Jiang Jianhua , Meng Xianqiu , Liu Yang , Wang Huan
Published: April 2022

Credit default has always been one of the critical factors in the development of personal credit business. By establishing a default identification model, default can be avoided effectively. There are some existing methods to identify credit default. However, these methods have some problems: Problem (1): It is different to deal the non-linear data, Problem (2): The local stagnation results in the high error rate, and Problem (3): The premature convergence leads to the low classification rate. In this paper, the sinhTSA-MLP default risk identification model is proposed to solve these problems. In this model, the proposed sinhTSA method can effectively avoid the problems of falling into local optimum and premature convergence. And the benchmark test results demonstrate sinhTSA is superior to other methods. According to the two experiments, the classification rate reaches 77.35% and 96.48%. Therefore, the sinhTSA-MLP default identification model has some particular advantages in identifying credit problems The feasibility of the sinhTSA-MLP default identification model has been proved through helping to manage credit default more consciously.
Resolution of Debts and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016: The Status of Government Dues and Taxes
Authors: Vikas Jasper
Published: April 2022

The resolution of Corporate Debts has always been an intrinsic issue for the Government, because increase in distressed units would have a cyclic effect on the growth of the Indian economy. Therefore, since 1985, the Government has tried to arrest financial distress by way of statutory solutions. First, it was Sick Industrial Companies (Special Provisions) Act, 1985, and thereafter, a number of other legislations such as, the Recovery of Debts Due to Banks and Financial Institutions Act, 1993 and the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 were passed, but these efforts went in vain, since non-performing assets (NPA) kept escalating. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC, 2016) was passed with much enthusiasm to check these increasing NPAs. But, with the passage of time, it has been realised that, IBC 2016 has not been that effective when it comes to combatting the growth of NPAs or recovery of debt especially of the government authorities. The worst hit is the recovery of the state taxes. Taxes are the links between the state and development of an economy, as they are collected for utilisation towards welfare goals of the government and therefore, any deficiency in the collection of taxes, has a direct impact on the prevalent inequality in the society and it also directly affects the rights of the vulnerable groups and marginalised classes, such as, their right to food, health and shelter and other human rights’ issues. The objective of the present research article, therefore, is first, to analyse the different legislations passed by the Parliament to look at the pertinent issues related to NPAs and collection of taxes. Second-, the purpose is to examine as to how the non-recovery of taxes directly affects the State welfare schemes, which further directly affects the human rights of the weaker sections of the society and vulnerable classes and third, as to how IBC, 2016 has addressed the issues of recovery of tax dues.
Cetylpyridinium chloride inhibits human breast tumor cells growth in a no-selective way
Authors: García-Cuellar Claudia María , Hernández-Delgadillo Rene , Solis-Soto Juan Manuel , Meester Irene , Sánchez-Pérez Yesennia , Nakagoshi-Cepeda Sergio Eduardo , Nakagoshi-Cepeda María Argelia Akemi , Chellam Shankararaman , Cabral-Romero Claudio
Published: April 2022

Objective:

Analyze the antitumor capacity of cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) on human breast tumor cells, and the possible action mechanism.

Material and methods:

The human breast tumor cells MCF-7 and no-tumor breast cells MCF-10A were exposed to CPC under various condition (concentration and duration). Cell viability was measured with MTT assay, the LIVE/DEAD assay, and fluorescence microscopy. Membrane permeability after CPC exposure was evaluated by Calcein AM assay, mitochondrial morphology with a MitoView staining, and genotoxicity with the comet assay and fluorescence microscopy.

Results:

CPC was cytotoxic to both MCF-7 and MCF-10A as of a 24-h exposure to 0.1 µM. Cytotoxicity was dose-dependent and reached 91% for MCF-7 and 78% for MCF-10A after a 24-h exposure to 100 µM CPC, which outperformed the positive control doxorubicin in effectiveness and selectivity. The LD50 of CPC on was 6 µM for MCF-7 and 8 µM for MCF-10A, yielding a selectivity index of 1.41. A time response analysis revealed 64% dead cells after only 5 min of exposure to 100 µM CPC. With respect to the action mechanisms, the comet assay did not reveal genome fragmentation. On the other hand, membrane damage was dose-dependent and may also affect mitochondrial morphology.

Conclusion:

Cetylpyridinium chloride inhibits MCF-7 cell growing in a non-selective way as of 5 min of exposure. The action mechanism of CPC on tumor cells involves cell membrane damage without change neither mitochondrial morphology nor genotoxicity.
Service Learning on the U.S./Mexico Border: Transforming Student Paradigms
Authors: Lohr Abby M. , Mantina Namoonga M. , Valdez Elizabeth S. , Iglesias Charisse S. , Ingram Maia , Valdez Luis A. , de Zapien Jill Guernsey , Rosales Cecilia
Published: April 2022

The purpose of our evaluation is to provide an example of how public health schools can use service-learning courses to teach students about health equity. By ensuring that the future workforce has a comprehensive understanding of regions such as the U.S./Mexico border, students will be better equipped to provide public health services. Specifically, our objectives were to (1) understand how student perceptions of the border evolve during the 1-week Border Health Service-Learning Institute (BHSLI) course and (2) understand how the service-learning experience impacted students’ proposed personal and professional goals. Using BHSLI student journals collected over 9 years, we conducted a qualitative investigation to evaluate students’ experiences of the service-learning course. Our findings suggest that BHSLI offered opportunities for advancing dialogue about health equity. Because BHSLI is immersive, it showed students a reality that they would not normally encounter. In reflecting on these new experiences, students were not only encouraged to question systems and policies but also made accountable to act upon the insights they gained. We found that BHSLI was a space for critical consciousness building, for shifting paradigms. Students learned how to intervene in real time to make change around public health issues. Service learning could be a practice-based solution to help public health students learn about health equity, especially in historically marginalized regions such as the U.S./Mexico border.
The Relationship Between Uncertainty and Task Execution Strategies in Project Management
Authors: Maes Tom , Gebhardt Karolin , Riel Andreas
Published: April 2022

Common project management methodologies do not consider project task uncertainty for determining appropriate task execution strategies. This article proposes an actionable task-model based approach to integrating uncertainty considerations in project management. The authors developed the article in an industrial setting, interviewing experienced project managers, and observing 12 innovation projects. The resulting models were validated in four innovation projects. This process also revealed recurring patterns of how projects deal with high levels of uncertainty. The heightened awareness of uncertainty levels of project tasks, combined with four fundamental task execution strategies, has a significant impact on project managers’ decisions.
In Praise of Paradox Persistence: Evidence from the Sydney Opera House Project
Authors: Gaim Medhanie , Clegg Stewart , Cunha Miguel Pina e
Published: April 2022

Organizational paradoxes persist. In their persistence, they resist closure; we demonstrate how, by using an exemplary project, that of the construction of the Sydney Opera House. By analyzing paradoxes encountered in the construction of a notable contemporary architectural project, we discuss how dialogical interactions enable options to emerge in the form of responses that were not previously evident. Engaging paradoxes dialogically requires accepting rather than denying contradictions, meaning that rather than resolving them in favor of one pole or the other, the contradictions remain in play. Monologic interactions—favoring dominant and singular voices, rather than producing consensus—repress dissent, leading to conflict, through suppressing paradox.
NGS-based targeted sequencing identified two novel variants in Southwestern Chinese families with oculocutaneous albinism
Authors: Xiao Yuanyuan , Zhou Cong , Xie Hanbing , Huang Shuang , Wang Jing , Liu Shanling
Published: April 2022

Background

Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) is a group of heterogeneous genetic diseases characterized by a reduction or complete lack of pigmentation in the hair, skin, and eyes. It is associated with reduced visual acuity, nystagmus, photophobia, and strabismus. OCA type 1 (OCA1) and type 2 (OCA2) are caused by mutations in the tyrosinase (TYR) and OCA2 genes, which are responsible for most cases of OCA. The present study aimed to identify the mutational spectra of 18 southwest Chinese probands with OCA.

Results

We used a skin disease-targeted panel to sequence more than 400 genes, including 23 genes (TYR, OCA2, AP3B1, BLOC1S3, BLOC1S6, C10orf11, DTNBP1, FRMD7, GPR143, HPS1, HPS3, HPS4, HPS5, HPS6, LYST, MC1R, MITF, MLPH, MYO5A, RAB27A, SLC24A5, SLC45A2, TYRP1) associated with syndromic and non-syndromic albinism. The targeted panel was applied to 18 patients from southwest China, nine (50%) patients were diagnosed with OCA1, and nine (50%) were diagnosed with OCA2. Our data indicate that OCA1 and OCA2, the most common subtypes, probably have the same prevalence in southwest China. In total, we identified 26 variants in TYR and OCA2 from 18 OCA cases using the NGS technology, including 24 variants presented in the Human Gene Mutation Database Professional (HGMD) and two novel variants, c.559_560insCATTATTATGTGTCAAATTATCCCC in TYR and c.1514 T > C in OCA2, which have not been previously reported. According to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) classification, c.559_560insCATTATTATGTGTCAAATTATCCCC (p.G190Cfs*12) is classified as a pathogenic variant, and c.1514 T > C (p.F505S) is evaluated as a likely pathogenic variant.

Conclusions

Two novel variants were identified which will expand the mutational spectra of TYR and OCA2. The results of the present study may have implications for genetic counseling, carrier screening, and clinical management of the disease.
(GTG)5-PCR fingerprinting of multi-drug resistant Escherichia coli bacteria isolates from hospital in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Authors: Kaboré Boukaré , Ouédraogo Ganamé Abasse , Cissé Hama , Ouédraogo Henri S. , Sampo Emmanuel , Zongo Koudbi Jacob , Zeba Boukaré , Traoré Yves , Gnankiné Olivier , Sanou Idrissa , Savadogo Aly
Published: April 2022

Background

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is the most common bacterial species implicated in various types of infections including septicemia, gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections, meningitis and others pathologies. These involve several bacterial clones with multidrug resistance making them difficult to treat. The aims of this study was to perform molecular typing of E. coli strains using universal primer (GTG)5. In this study, 53 E. coli strains were collected from inpatients and outpatients. The test of antimicrobial sensibility was realized using CA-SFM /EUCAST method and strains were identified by conventional microbiological tests. The carbapenemase-producing strains were demonstrated by phenotypic method. Bacterial DNA was extracted by boiling method. (GTG)5-PCR was used for strain subtyping. The DendroUPGMA software was used for grouping of strains from the genetic fingerprints obtained by (GTG)5-PCR.

Results

Antibiotic susceptibility test revealed that all strains were multi-drug resistant (MDR). Its strains showed resistance to at least three different families of antibiotics. Of this MDR strains, only one was a metallo-β-lactamase producer. The dendrogram obtained using genetic fingerprinting allowed the E. coli strains to be grouped into 22 clusters (G1 to G22).

Conclusion

The (GTG) 5-PCR assay enabled rapid molecular typing of E. coli strains. The strains of E. coli typed in this study would belong to different clones.
Metabolome and transcriptome profiling unveil the mechanisms of light-induced anthocyanin synthesis in rabbiteye blueberry (vaccinium ashei: Reade)
Authors: Guo Xiaolan , Shakeel Muhammad , Wang Delu , Qu Chunpu , Yang Shimei , Ahmad Shahbaz , Song Zejun
Published: April 2022

Background

Blueberry is one of the most important fruit crops worldwide. Anthocyanin is an important secondary metabolites that affects the appearance and nutritive quality of blueberries. However, few studies have focused on the molecular mechanism underlying anthocyanin accumulation induced by light intensity in blueberries.

Results

The metabolic analysis revealed that there were 134 significantly changed metabolites in the natural light compared to the control, and flavone, flavonol, and anthocyanins were the most significantly increased. Transcriptome analysis found 6 candidate genes for the anthocyanin synthesis pathway. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) results confirmed changes in the expression levels of genes encoding metabolites involved in the flavonoid synthesis pathways. The flavonoid metabolic flux in the light intensity-treatment increased the accumulation of delphinidin-3-O-arabinoside compared to under the shading-treatment. Furthermore, we performed qRT-PCR analysis of anthocyanin biosynthesis genes and predicted that the gene ofVcF3’5’H4may be a candidate gene for anthocyanin accumulation and is highly expressed in light intensity-treated fruit. Through the co-expression analysis of transcription factors and anthocyanin synthesis pathway genes, we found that theVcbHLH004gene may regulateVcF3’5’H4, and then we transformedVcbHLH004heterologously into tomato to verify its function.

Conclusion

These results provide novel insights into light intensity regulation of blueberry anthocyanin accumulation and represent a valuable data set to guide future functional studies and blueberry breeding.
Transcriptome and metabolome analyses reveal new insights into chlorophyll, photosynthesis, metal ion and phenylpropanoids related pathways during sugarcane ratoon chlorosis
Authors: Luo Ting , Zhou Zhongfeng , Deng Yuchi , Fan Yegeng , Qiu Lihang , Chen Rongfa , Yan Haifeng , Zhou Huiwen , Lakshmanan Prakash , Wu Jianming , Chen Qi
Published: April 2022

Background

Ratoon sugarcane is susceptible to chlorosis, characterized by chlorophyll loss, poor growth, and a multitude of nutritional deficiency mainly occurring at young stage. Chlorosis would significantly reduce the cane production. The molecular mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains unknown. We analyzed the transcriptome and metabolome of chlorotic and non-chlorotic sugarcane leaves of the same age from the same field to gain molecular insights into this phenomenon.

Results

The agronomic traits, such as plant height and the number of leaf, stalk node, and tillers declined in chlorotic sugarcane. Chlorotic leaves had substantially lower chlorophyll content than green leaves. A total of 11,776 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were discovered in transcriptome analysis. In the KEGG enriched chlorophyll metabolism pathway, sixteen DEGs were found, eleven of which were down-regulated. Two photosynthesis pathways were also enriched with 32 genes downregulated and four genes up-regulated. Among the 81 enriched GO biological processes, there were four categories related to metal ion homeostasis and three related to metal ion transport. Approximately 400 metabolites were identified in metabolome analysis. The thirteen differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) were all found down-regulated. The phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway was enriched in DEGs and DEMs, indicating a potentially vital role for phenylpropanoids in chlorosis.

Conclusions

Chlorophyll production, metal ion metabolism, photosynthesis, and some metabolites in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway were considerably altered in chlorotic ratoon sugarcane leaves. Our finding revealed the relation between chlorosis and these pathways, which will help expand our mechanistic understanding of ratoon sugarcane chlorosis.
Reducing thoracic and lumbar radiographs in an urban emergency department through a clinical champion led quality improvement intervention
Authors: Sapadin Joshua , Campbell Linelle , Bajaj Komal , Moskovitz Joshua B.
Published: April 2022

Background

Low back pain is a common emergency department (ED) complaint that does not always necessitate imaging. Unnecessary imaging drives medical overuse with potential to harm patients. Quality improvement (QI) interventions have shown to be an effective solution. The purpose of this QI intervention was to increase the percentage of appropriately ordered radiographs for low back pain while reducing the absolute number.

Methods

A multi-component intervention led by a clinician champion including staff education, patient education, electronic medical record modification, audit and peer-feedback, and clinical decision support tools was implemented at an urban public hospital Emergency Department. In addition to the total number ordered, Choosing Wisely and American College of Radiology recommendations were used to assess appropriateness of all ED thoracic and lumbar conventional radiographs by chart review over eight months.

Results

The percent of appropriately ordered radiographs increased from 5.8 to 53.9% and the monthly number of radiographs ordered decreased from 86 to 47 over the eight-month initiative. There were no compensatory increases in thoracic or lumbar computed tomography (CT) scans during this time frame.

Conclusion

A multi-component QI intervention led by a clinician champion is an effective way to reduce the overutilization of thoracic and lumbar radiographs in an urban public hospital emergency department.
Feasibility, acceptability and costs of nurse-led Alpha-Stim cranial electrostimulation to treat anxiety and depression in university students
Authors: Royal Simon , Keeling Stuart , Kelsall Nick , Price Larry , Fordham Richard , Xydopoulos Georgios , Dawson Gerard R. , Kingslake Jonathan , Morriss Richard
Published: April 2022

Background

Only a relatively low proportion of university students seek help for anxiety and depression disorders, partly because they dislike current drug and psychological treatment options and would prefer home-based care. The aim of this study is to determine the feasibility, acceptability and cost utility of Alpha-Stim cranial electrostimulation (CES) delivered through a nurse led primary care clinic as a daily treatment for anxiety and depression symptoms by the student at home in contrast to usual primary care.

Method

Feasibility and acceptability of a nurse led clinic offering Alpha-Stim CES in terms of the take up and completion of the six-week course of Alpha-Stim CES. Change in score on the GAD-7 and PHQ-9 as measures of anxiety and depression symptoms at baseline and at 8 weeks following a course of Alpha-Stim CES. Similar evaluation in a non-randomised control group attending a family doctor over the same period. Cost-utility analysis of the nurse led Alpha-Stim CES and family doctor pathways with participants failing to improve following further NICE Guideline clinical care (facilitated self-help and cognitive behaviour therapy).

Results

Of 47 students (mean age 22.1, years, 79% female opting for Alpha-Stim CES at the nurse-led clinic 46 (97.9%) completed a 6-week daily course. Forty-seven (47) students comprised a comparison group receiving usual family doctor care. Both Alpha-Stim CES and usual family doctor care were associated with large effect size reductions in GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores from baseline to 8 weeks. There were no adverse effects and only one participant showed a clinically important deterioration in the Alpha-Stim group. In the cost utility analysis, Alpha-Stim CES was a cheaper option than usual family doctor care under all deterministic or probabilistic assumptions.

Conclusion

Nurse delivered Alpha-Stim CES may be a feasible, acceptable and cheaper way of providing greater choice and home-based care for some university students seeking help from primary care with new presentations of anxiety and depression.
Combined effects of virtual reality techniques and motor imagery on balance, motor function and activities of daily living in patients with Parkinson’s disease: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Kashif Muhammad , Ahmad Ashfaq , Bandpei Muhammad Ali Mohseni , Gilani Syed Amir , Hanif Asif , Iram Humaira
Published: April 2022

Background

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, impairing balance and motor function. Virtual reality (VR) and motor imagery (MI) are emerging techniques for rehabilitating people with PD. VR and MI combination have not been studied in PD patients. This study was conducted to investigate the combined effects of VR and MI techniques on the balance, motor function, and activities of daily living (ADLs) of patients with PD.

Methods

This study was a single-centered, two-armed, parallel-designed randomized controlled trial. A total of 44 patients of either gender who had idiopathic PD were randomly allocated into two groups using lottery methods. Both groups received Physical therapy (PT) treatment, while the experimental group (N: 20) received VR and MI in addition to PT. Both groups received assigned treatment for three days a week on alternate days for 12 weeks. The Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) (parts II and III), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale were used as outcome measures for motor function, balance, and ADLs. The baseline, 6th, and 12thweeks of treatment were assessed, with a 16thweek follow-up to measure retention. The data was analysed using SPSS 24.

Results

The experimental group showed significant improvement in motor function than the control group on the UPDRS part III, with 32.45±3.98 vs. 31.86±4.62 before and 15.05±7.16 vs. 25.52±7.36 at 12-weeks, and ap-value < 0.001. At 12 weeks, the experimental group's BBS scores improved from 38.95±3.23 to 51.36±2.83, withp-value < 0.001. At 12 weeks, the experimental group's balance confidence improved considerably, from 59.26±5.87to 81.01±6.14, with ap-value of < 0.001. The experimental group's ADL scores improved as well, going from 22.00±4.64 to 13.07±4.005 after 12 weeks, with ap-value of < 0.001.

Conclusion

VR with MI techniques in addition to routine PT significantly improved motor function, balance, and ADLs in PD patients compared to PT alone.

Trial registration

IRCT20200221046567N1. Date of registration: 01/04/2020
BPI-MVQA: a bi-branch model for medical visual question answering
Authors: Liu Shengyan , Zhang Xuejie , Zhou Xiaobing , Yang Jian
Published: April 2022

Background

Visual question answering in medical domain (VQA-Med) exhibits great potential for enhancing confidence in diagnosing diseases and helping patients better understand their medical conditions. One of the challenges in VQA-Med is how to better understand and combine the semantic features of medical images (e.g., X-rays, Magnetic Resonance Imaging(MRI)) and answer the corresponding questions accurately in unlabeled medical datasets.

Method

We propose a novel Bi-branched model based on Parallel networks and Image retrieval for Medical Visual Question Answering (BPI-MVQA). The first branch of BPI-MVQA is a transformer structure based on a parallel network to achieve complementary advantages in image sequence feature and spatial feature extraction, and multi-modal features are implicitly fused by using the multi-head self-attention mechanism. The second branch is retrieving the similarity of image features generated by the VGG16 network to obtain similar text descriptions as labels.

Result

The BPI-MVQA model achieves state-of-the-art results on three VQA-Med datasets, and the main metric scores exceed the best results so far by 0.2$$\%$$%, 1.4$$\%$$%, and 1.1$$\%$$%.

Conclusion

The evaluation results support the effectiveness of the BPI-MVQA model in VQA-Med. The design of the bi-branch structure helps the model answer different types of visual questions. The parallel network allows for multi-angle image feature extraction, a unique feature extraction method that helps the model better understand the semantic information of the image and achieve greater accuracy in the multi-classification of VQA-Med. In addition, image retrieval helps the model answer irregular, open-ended type questions from the perspective of understanding the information provided by images. The comparison of our method with state-of-the-art methods on three datasets also shows that our method can bring substantial improvement to the VQA-Med system.
Phosphate restriction using a processed clay mineral reduces vascular pathologies and microalbuminuria in rats with chronic renal failure
Authors: Hofrichter Jacqueline , Sempert Kai , Kerkhoff Claus , Breitrück Anne , Wasserkort Reinhold , Mitzner Steffen
Published: April 2022

Background

The progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with an increasing risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality due to elevated serum phosphate levels. Besides low phosphate diets and hemodialysis, oral phosphate binders are prescribed to treat hyperphosphatemia in CKD patients. This study reports on a processed clay mineral as a novel and efficient phosphate sorbent with comparable efficacy of a clinically approved phosphate binder.

Methods

5/6 nephrectomized rats, which develop chronic renal failure (CRF), received a high phosphate and calcium diet supplemented with either a processed Montmorillonite-Illite clay mineral (pClM) or lanthanum carbonate (LaC) for 12 weeks. Levels of plasma uremic toxins, glomerular filtration rates and microalbuminuria were determined and the histomorphology of blood vessels and smooth muscle cells was analyzed.

Results

5/6 nephrectomy induced an increase in plasma uremic toxins levels and progressive proteinuria. Treatment of CRF rats with pClM decreased observed vascular pathologies such as vascular fibrosis, especially in coronary vessels. The transition of vascular smooth muscle cells from a contractile to a secretory phenotype was delayed. Moreover, pClM administration resulted in decreased blood creatinine and urea levels, and increased glomerular filtration rates, reduced microalbuminuria and eventually the mortality rate in CRF rats.

Conclusion

Our study reveals pClM as a potent phosphate binding agent with beneficial impacts on pathophysiological processes in an animal model of CKD. pClM effectively attenuates the progression of vascular damage and loss of renal function which are the most severe consequences of chronic renal failure.
The difference between patients with nephrotic syndrome and nephrotic-range proteinuria in IgA nephropathy: a propensity score matched cohort study
Authors: Li Hongfen , Wang Fanghao , Jia Junya , Yan Tiekun , Liu Youxia , Lin Shan
Published: April 2022

Objective

To date, nephrotic syndrome (NS) has not been well characterized in patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Whether decline in serum albumin is an ominous sign in IgAN patients with massive proteinuria remains unknown. In this study, we evaluated clinical and pathological features of IgAN with NS and compared the differences for these features and long-term outcomes between patients with nephrotic syndrome and nephrotic-range proteinuria.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted, enrolling 1013 patients with biopsy-proven IgAN. The primary endpoint was the composite of a doubling of the base-line serum creatinine, 50% reduction in eGFR, ESKD (eGFR < 15 ml/min per 1.73 m2) or death.

Results

A total of 59 patients were presented with NS (5.8%). The patients with NS showed lower levels of hemoglobin, albumin and higher levels of serum creatinine, serum uric acid and urinary protein than patients without NS. As for pathological parameters, more patients with NS showed a higher prevalence of E1 lesions, T1/2 and C1/2 lesions. Furthermore, we used the propensity score matching method to select 57 patients with nephrotic-range proteinuria and normal serum albumin (NR group) who were comparable to 59 patients with NS. Patients with NS had lower levels of hemoglobin, albumin and IgG and higher levels of TC, LDL, FIB and D-dimer as well as more severe E1 and C1/2 lesions than those in NR group. The S1 lesion was more severe in the NR group than that in the NS group. There was no significant difference in long-term outcome between the two groups. In addition, we found that serum albumin level or the presence of hypoalbuminemia was not a risk factor affecting long-term outcome in patients with massive proteinuria.

Conclusions

A prevalence of 5.8% of NS was presented in IgAN adult patients in our study. IgAN with NS patients had low levels of hemoglobin, albumin, high levels of serum creatinine, serum uric acid, urinary protein and more acute lesions. The prognosis of NS in patients with IgAN was not inferior to that of patients with nephrotic range proteinuria and normal serum albumin.