bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Novel Recombinant keratin Degrading Subtilisin Like Serine Alkaline Protease from Bacillus Cereus Isolated from Marine Hydrothermal Vent Crabs 
Authors: Gurunathan Revathi , Huang Bin , Ponnusamy Vinoth Kumar , Hwang Jiang-Shiou , Dahms Hans-Uwe
Published: December 2020

Microbial secondary metabolites from extreme environments like hydrothermal vents are a promising source for industrial applications. In our study the protease gene from Bacillus cereus from shallow marine hydrothermal vents in the East China Sea was cloned, expressed and purified. The protein sequence of 38 kDa protease SLSP-k was retrieved from mass spectrometry and identified as a subtilisin serine proteinase. The novel SLSP-k is a monomeric protein with 38 amino acid signal peptides being active over wide pH (7–11) and temperature (40–80 ℃) ranges, with maximal hydrolytic activities at pH 10 and at 50 ℃ temperature. The hydrolytic activity is stimulated by Ca2+, Co2+, Mn2+, and DTT. It is inhibited by Fe2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, EDTA, and PMSF. The SLSP-k is stable in anionic, non- anionic detergents, and solvents. The ability to degrade keratin in chicken feather and hair indicate that the protein is suitable for waste management and value-added product synthesis as well as several research applications.
Stigma and Discrimination Towards HIV in Healthcare Workers in Shenzhen, China
Authors: Wang Li , Wang Wei , Zhu Na , Wang Jun , Chen Xiao , Luo Ya , Tang Wei
Published: December 2020

Introduction: To measure HIV-related stigma and discrimination (S&D) among health care facilities in Bao’an, Shenzhen to inform decision making regarding stigma-reduction intervention.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a standardized measurement tool between October 2019 and January 2020 among 1235 staff randomly sampled from 18 public and private hospitals. Data relevant to respondents’ demographic information, drivers of HIV related S&D, enacted stigma, and stigma towards pregnant women living with HIV were collected for analysis.Results: Percentage of medical staff worrying occupational exposure to HIV infection when dressing wound, drawing blood and doing delivery are 82.8%, 82.1% and 81.9%, respectively. Gender, specialty, training and hospital funding are independent factors affecting health staff’s anxiety over infection. 75.2% respondents believe that people living with HIV (PLWH) should seek care exclusively from designated hospital specializing in infectious disease and more than 50% of health staff survey reported over-protective measures. Conclusion: S&D toward PLWH as well as its drivers are widely prevalent among health care facilities. Findings of this study highlight the importance of stigma-reduction interventions to ensure equal access to health care by PLWH.
Cpy(a/t)(q/w)e D-Hexapeptides Bind CUG Repeats and Rescue Phenotypes of Myotonic Dystrophy Myoblasts and A Drosophila Model of the Disease
Authors: Bargiela Ariadna , Artero Ruben , Estrada-Tejedor Roger , Rapisarda Anna , Garcia-España Enrique , Llamusi Beatriz , Perez-Alonso Manuel , Pont Isabel
Published: December 2020

In Myotonic Dystrophy type 1 (DM1), a non-coding CTG repeats rare expansion disease; toxic double-stranded RNA hairpins sequester the RNA-binding proteins Muscleblind-like 1 and 2 (MBNL1 and 2) and trigger other DM1-related pathogenesis pathway defects. In this paper, we characterize four D-amino acid hexapeptides identified together with abp1, a peptide previously shown to stabilize CUG RNA in its single-stranded conformation. With the generalized sequence cpy(a/t)(q/w)e, these related peptides improved three MBNL-regulated exon inclusions in DM1-derived cells. Subsequent experiments showed that these compounds generally increased the relative expression of MBNL1 and its nuclear-cytoplasmic distribution, reduced hyperactivated autophagy, and increased the percentage of differentiated (Desmin-positive) cells in vitro. All peptides rescued atrophy of indirect flight muscles in a Drosophila model of the disease, and partially rescued muscle function according to climbing and flight tests. Investigation of their mechanism of action supports that all four compounds can bind to CUG repeats with slightly different constant affinities, but binding did not strongly influence the secondary structure of the toxic RNA in contrast to abp1. Finally, molecular modeling suggests a detailed view of the interactions of peptide-CUG RNA complexes useful in the chemical optimization of compounds.
Influence of Perceived Baseline Contact on the Acceptability of a Personal Contact Intervention Among People Living With Dementia
Authors: Sullivan Danielle , Whynot Tynisha , Swindle Jennifer , Lee Heunjung , O'Rourke Hannah
Published: December 2020

Background: Living with dementia can be a lonely experience, undermining older adults’ quality of life. Evidence supports that personal contact interventions can address older adults’ loneliness. However, effects have been small to date, and little is known about how one’s perceptions of baseline contact may influence an intervention’s use and effects. The purpose of this study was to explore how baseline contact, as perceived by older adults living with dementia, may be associated with the acceptability of a personal contact intervention. Methods: This descriptive study was a secondary analysis of data that we collected from 15 people living with mild to moderate dementia in a long-term care home who participated in Connecting Today. Connecting Today is a personal contact intervention that involves 30 minutes of scheduled, unscripted interaction between persons living with dementia and a family member, friend or research assistant. Visits occurred for six weeks, face-to-face or by phone. We compared groups that perceived that they had high (i.e., weekly, n=8) versus low (i.e., monthly or unknown, n=7) contact at baseline to explore differences in acceptability. We measured perceived acceptability (adapted Treatment Perception and Preferences Questionnaire) and the amount and reasons reported for missing data and study withdrawal. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data, and proportions and frequencies were compared in tables and charts to explore differences between groups.Results: In visits one and two when there were little missing data, a larger proportion (85.7% to 100%) of low contact participants reported feeling better, that the visits helped them, and that the visits were easy ‘mostly’ or ‘a lot’, as compared to the high contact group (37.5% to 62.5%). Retention and attrition after visit two further supported that Connecting Today may be more acceptable for people with low perceived baseline contact: the majority of missing data (71%) and all study withdrawals were observed in the high contact group. Conclusions: Testing the hypotheses generated in this study about the influence of perceived baseline contact upon acceptability in larger feasibility and effectiveness studies will support development of tailored, theory-based personal contact interventions.
Eye-Color and Type-2 Diabetes Phenotype Prediction From Genotype Data Using Deep Learning Methods
Authors: Muneeb Muhammad , Henschel Andreas
Published: December 2020

Background: Genotype-Phenotype predictions are of great importance in genetics. These predictions can help to find genetic mutations causing variations in human beings. There are many approaches for finding the association which can be broadly categorized into two classes, statistical techniques, and machine learning. Statistical techniques are good for finding the actual SNPs causing variation where Machine Learning techniques are good where we just want to classify the people into different categories. In this article, we examined the Eye-color and Type-2 diabetes phenotype. The proposed technique is a hybrid approach consisting of some parts from statistical techniques and remaining from Machine learning. Results: The main dataset for Eye-color phenotype consists of 806 people. 404 people have Blue-Green eyes where 402 people have Brown eyes. After preprocessing we generated 8 different datasets, containing different numbers of SNPs, using the mutation difference and thresholding at individual SNP. We calculated three types of mutation at each SNP no mutation, partial mutation, and full mutation. After that data is transformed for machine learning algorithms. We used about 9 classifiers, RandomForest, Extreme Gradient boosting, ANN, LSTM, GRU, BILSTM, 1DCNN, ensembles of ANN, and ensembles of LSTM which gave the best accuracy of 0.91, 0.9286, 0.945, 0.94, 0.94, 0.92, 0.95, and 0.96 percent respectively. Stacked ensembles of LSTM outperformed other algorithms for 1560 SNPs with an overall accuracy of 0.96, AUC = 0.98 for brown eyes, and AUC = 0.97 for Blue-Green eyes. The main dataset for Type-2 diabetes consists of 107 people where 30 people are classified as cases and 74 people as controls. We used different linear threshold to find the optimal number of SNPs for classification. The final model gave an accuracy of 0.97 percent. Conclusion: Genotype-phenotype predictions are very useful especially in forensic. These predictions can help to identify SNP variant association with traits and diseases. Given more datasets, machine learning model predictions can be increased. Moreover, the non-linearity in the Machine learning model and the combination of SNPs Mutations while training the model increases the prediction. We considered binary classification problems but the proposed approach can be extended to multi-class classification.
Evaluation of Parents' Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Self-Medication in the Dental Problems of Their Child During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Tunc Emine Sen , Aksoy Emre , Arslan Hatice , Kaya Zeynep
Published: December 2020

Background: Self-medication means taking medicine without consultation with any doctor or dentist and an important health issue, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study aims to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of parents regarding self-medication in dental problems of their children during to COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Turkey. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in the pediatric dental clinic immediately after the COVID-19 lockdown ended. A total of 389 parents who agreed to participate in the study completed the questionnaire for three months. A structured questionnaire with 18 items was designed to collect information on the parents’ knowledge and attitudes regarding when, why, and how to use drugs and on their practices medicating children. Results: The majority of parents (n = 273; 70.2%) were practiced self-medication to their children's dental problems. Self-medication with a previous medication was usually preferred to their children by parents (n = 179; 62.2%). It was observed the analgesics practiced by parents (98%) were the most commonly used self-medication for their children's dental problems.Conclusion: New healthcare systems like tele-dentistry may be useful to overcome self-medication problems directed to children in unusual times that limit to reach healthcare providers such as pandemics.
Plasmon-Activated Water Decreases Vasculopathy in Orthotopic Allograft Transplantation Rats
Authors: Tsai Chien-Sung , Lin Yi-Wen , Shih Chun-Min , Tsai Yi-Ting , Huang Chun-Yao , Lin Shing-Jong , Li Chi-Yuan , Lin Cheng-Yen , Tseng Horng-Ta , Liu Yu-Chuan , Lin Feng-Yen
Published: December 2020

Patients undergoing orthotopic allograft transplantation (OAT) will certainly suffer from vasculopathy. Although there are many immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory agents that are administered to patients, chronic rejection- induced vasculopathy cannot be entirely managed. Moreover, the implanted graft might become dysfunctional. In the past, we have used deionized reverse osmosis water (ROW) to stream via gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) at room temperature under powerful illumination, in order to prepare plasmon-activated water (PAW) with fewer hydrogen bonds. Compared to ROW, stable PAW can successfully remove free hydroxyl and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals, and efficiently reduce lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced monocytes to release nitric oxide. Moreover, PAW can considerably induce the expression of the antioxidant gene Nrf2 in human gingival fibroblasts. Moreover, it might lower amyloid burden in mice with Alzheimer's disease. Furthermore, PAW decreased metastasis in mice grafted with Lewis lung carcinoma cells and boosted the overall survival in combination with cisplatin. Because of this possibility that PAW could prevent systemic disease, we aimed to evaluate the influence of PAW on OAT-induced vasculopathy. Here, we demonstrated that daily intake of PAW lowered the progression of vasculopathy in OAT-recipient ACI/NKyo rats by inhibiting collagen accumulation, proliferation of smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts, and T lymphocyte infiltration in the vessel wall. Moreover, the results showed reduced T and B lymphocytes, plasma cells, and macrophage activation in the spleen of the OAT-recipient ACI/NKyo rats that were administered PAW. Finally, in contrast to the control group, the OAT-recipient ACI/NKyo rats that were administered PAW exhibited higher mobilization and levels of circulating endothelial progenitor cells associated with vessel repair. Therefore, this study highlights the therapeutic roles of PAW in vasculopathy.
Identification of prognostic immune‐related gene signature associated with tumor microenvironment of colorectal cancer
Authors: Wang Yuanyuan , Li Wei , Jin Xiaojing , Jiang Xia , Guo Shang , Xu Fei , Su Xingkai , Wang Guiqi , Zhao Zengren , Gu Xiaosong
Published: December 2020

Background
The tumor microenvironment (TME) has significantly correlation with tumor occurrence and prognosis. Our study aimed to identify the prognostic immune-related genes (IRGs)in the tumor microenvironment of colorectal cancer (CRC).
Methods
Transcriptome and clinical data of CRC cases were downloaded from TCGA and GEO databases. Stromal score, immune score, and tumor purity were calculated by the ESTIMATE algorithm. Based on the scores, we divided CRC patients from the TCGA database into low and high groups, and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Immune-related genes (IRGs) were selected by venn plots. To explore underlying pathways, protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and functional enrichment analysis were used. After utilizing LASSO Cox regression analysis, we finally established a multi-IRGs signature for predicting the prognosis of CRC patients. A nomogram consists of the thirteen-IRGs signature and clinical parameters was developed to predict the overall survival (OS). We investigated the association between prognostic validated IRGs and immune infiltrates by TIMER database.
Results
Gene expression profiles and clinical information of 1635 CRC patients were collected from the TCGA and GEO databases. Higher stromal score, immune score and lower tumor purity were observed positive correlation with tumor stage and poor OS. Based on stromal score, immune score and tumor purity, 1517 DEGs, 1296 DEGs, and 1892 DEGs were identified respectively. The 948 IRGs were screened by venn plots. A thirteen-IRGs signature was constructed for predicting survival of CRC patients. Nomogram with a C‐index of 0.769 (95%CI, 0.717–0.821) was developed to predict survival of CRC patients by integrating clinical parameters and thirteen‐IRGs signature. The AUC for 1‐, 3‐, and 5‐year OS were 0.789, 0.783 and 0.790, respectively. Results from TIMER database revealed that CD1B, GPX3 and IDO1 were significantly related with immune infiltrates.
Conclusions
In this study, we established a novel thirteen immune-related genes signature that may serve as a validated prognostic predictor for CRC patients, thus will be conducive to individualized treatment decisions.
Multidisciplinary Team Meetings for Patients with Complex Extremity Defects – A Retrospective Analysis of Treatment Recommendations and Prognostic Factors for Non-Implementation.
Authors: Kotsougiani-Fischer Dimitra , Fischer Sebastian , Warszawski Jan , Gruetzner Paul , Reiter Gregor , Hirche Christoph , Kneser Ulrich
Published: December 2020

BACKGROUNDThis study aimed to assess a multidisciplinary team (MDT) meeting approach for the management of patients with complex extremity defects, analyze treatment recommendations, and evaluate factors influencing non-implementation.METHODSAll patients introduced to an MDT meeting for complex extremity defects from 2015 to 2017 were included. Patients’ characteristics and defect causes were evaluated. Treatment recommendations of MDT meetings and subsequent implementation were reviewed, and factors associated with non-adherence to recommendations were statistically analyzed using logistic regression.RESULTSFifty-one patients (41 male) with a mean age of 54 years were presented in 27 MDT meetings. Most of the patients (70%) suffered from reconstructive challenging or combined bone- and soft tissue defects, primarily located at the lower extremity (88%). Large skeletal defects, chronic osteomyelitis, and multi-fragmented fractures were present in 65% of cases. Forty-five percent of the patients suffered from peripheral vascular disease, necessitating surgical optimization. Of the 51 MDT decisions, 40 were implemented (78%; (32/40) limb salvage versus 22%; (8/40) limb amputation). Limb salvage was successfully achieved in 91% (29/32) of the cases. Failed limb salvages were due to flap failure (33%; 1/3), recurring periprosthetic joint infections (66%; 2/3) and concomitant reconstructive failure. Patients who underwent limb amputation, as recommended, showed proper stump healing and regained mobility with a prosthesis. Overall the MDT treatment plan was effective in 92.5% (37/40) of the patients, who adhered to the MDT treatment recommendation. In eleven patients (22%; 11/51), the MDT treatment was not implemented. MDT decisions were less likely to be implemented, if amputation was recommended (p = 0.029.CONCLUSIONSMDT meetings represent a valid tool to formulate individualized treatment plans, avoiding limb amputation in most patients with severe extremity defects. Recommendation for limb amputation is less likely to be implemented than plans for limb salvage.TRIAL REGISTRATION:Retrospectively registered
Hidden Patterns: The Voronoi Theory of the Normal Liver Lobular Architecture and its Applicability in Hepatic Zonation.
Authors: Lau Chun , Kalantari Bahman , Batts Kenneth , Ferrell Linda , Nyberg Scott , Graham Rondell , Moreira Roger
Published: December 2020

The precise characterization of the lobular architecture of the liver has been subject of investigation since the earliest historical publications, but an accurate model to describe the hepatic lobular microanatomy is yet to be proposed. Our aim was to evaluate whether Voronoi diagrams can be used to describe the classic liver lobular architecture. We examined the histology of normal porcine and human livers and analyzed the geometric relationships of various microanatomic structures utilizing digital tools. The Voronoi diagram model described the organization of the hepatic classic lobules with overall accuracy nearly 90% based on known histologic landmarks. We have also designed a Voronoi-based algorithm of hepatic zonation, which also showed an overall zonal accuracy of nearly 90%. Therefore, we have presented evidence that Voronoi diagrams represent the basis of the two-dimensional organization of the normal liver and that this concept may have wide applicability in liver pathology and research.
Usability Assessment of Neurostim System: A sEMG Activated Neuroprosthesis Remotely Monitorable and Configurable
Authors: Argentim Lucas Malassise , Terranova Thais Tavares , Battistella Linamara Rizzo , Castro Maria Claudia Ferrari
Published: December 2020

Background: The scientiﬁc community widely explores rehabilitation techniques for individuals with motor disabilities resulting from a stroke since this condition is observed in millions of individuals worldwide.Results: This work presents the usability assessment of Neurostim, a neuromuscular electrical stimulation system triggered by a myoelectrical surface signal, with patients with hemiplegia caused by stroke. The device has a Bluetooth connection with a smartphone application so that conﬁguration parameters can be sent. Usage statistics can be captured and monitored remotely by healthcare professionals, which is the innovation of the presented device following the strong tendency to expand the clinical environment to the patient’s home. The internet can provide healthcare professionals information to perform a detailed follow-up and interact with their patients remotely. Two control platforms were developed for diﬀerent user proﬁles: neuroprosthesis users (Smartphone Application) and health professionals (Web Interface).Conclusions: Neurostim showed to be a robust system application, despite the need for some improvements. It met all the proposal’s expectations, where users were successfully able to operate it, either from a patient or health professional perspective.
Robust Visual Digital Data Authentication using Hybrid Transform with Human Visual System Characteristics
Authors: P Satyanarayana Murty. , Addanki Purna Ramesh
Published: December 2020

Robust watermarking proposals supported on human visual characteristics with a series of hybrid transform of type discrete wavelet transform (DWT) followed by singular value decomposition (SVD) is wished-for. By analyzing the matrices U or V through SVD, it is bringing into being that there stay alive a well-built relationship amid the internal column elements of U or internal row elements of V. Hence, this work will make the most of these chattels for image watermarking. At the outset, visual digital data is segregated into 8 × 8 non-overlapping pixel blocks and each block is processed for brinks by using the algorithm of detection for a canny brink. An appropriate block is decided to pick in such a way that the number of brinks in each block is only about or equal to a threshold. A threshold is defined by finding the mean of the brinks in each block of the host visual digital data. Using these appropriate blocks, we will form an image of reference. This reference image is processed by a series of operations DWT-SVD. Then, the watermark is implanted by adapting the nth column of the U matrix of the host image with the nth column of the U matrix of the watermark image. The same operation is applied on the V matrix instead of a column vector, use a row vector. The adapted relation is wont to retrieve a watermark. The experimental findings demonstrate that the ideal watermarking algorithm will guarantee that the typical image processing operations and geometric attacks are invisible and more stable. The efficiency of this proposed method is out of shape than other proposed methods examined in this research.
Analysis of Peripheral Inflammatory T Cell Subsets and Their Effector Function in Patients With Birdshot Retinochoroiditis
Authors: Trombke Janine , Loyal Lucie , Julian Braun , Uwe Pleyer , Andreas Thiel , Dominika Pohlmann
Published: December 2020

Purpose: Birdshot Retinochoroiditis (BSRC) is a progressive non-infectious intraocular inflammation that affects choroid and retina. Inflammatory processes have adverse effects on vision by affecting photoreceptor-bearing cells that do not regenerate. Methods: This study aimed at characterizing inflammatory CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets in the peripheral blood of BSRCs. Furthermore, we correlated phenotypical and functional immunological analyses with clinical data. Results: We observed a slight increase of terminally differentiated effector memory CD8+ T cells expressing CD45RA (TEMRA) in blood of inactive, compared to active BSRCs. Moreover, we identified a trend for a decreased population of TH2 cells and increased TH1 frequencies in active BSRCs, a typical sign of ongoing autoimmune processes. Functional assays demonstrated severe and overall impairment of effector function of both, CD4+ and CD8+ inflammatory T cells, which might reflect T cell exhaustion. Conclusion: Although the eye is the main site of inflammation in BSRC, we observed altered T cell subset compositions in the peripheral blood, dependent on the disease status. Our results indicate that T cells may play a major role in BSRC pathology, although our cohort size is too limited for definitve conclusions. Future studies with larger and well-defined cohorts of BSRCs have to be performed.
Factors Influencing Choice of Delivery Place among Mothers in Rukungiri and Kanungu Districts, South Western Uganda: A Cross Sectional Study
Authors: Mugambe Richard , Yakubu Habib , Wafula Solomon , Ssekamatte Tonny , Kasasa Simon , Isunju John , Halage Abdullah , Osuret Jimmy , Bwire Constance , Ssempebwa John , Wang Yuke , McGriff Joanne , Moe Christine
Published: December 2020

Background: Child birth in health facilities is generally associated with lower risk of maternal and neonatal mortality. However, in Uganda, little is known about factors that influence use of health facilities for delivery especially in rural areas. In this study, we examined the determinants of mothers’ decision of the choice of child delivery place in Western Uganda.Methods: Cross-sectional data was collected from 894 randomly-sampled mothers within the catchment of two private hospitals in Rukungiri and Kanungu districts. Data was collected on the place of delivery for the most recent child, mothers’ sociodemographic characteristics, health facility water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) status. Modified Poisson regression was used to estimate prevalence ratios (PRs) for the determinants of mothers’ choice of delivery place as well as determinants for the choice of private versus public facility for delivery at 95% confidence intervals. Results: Majority of mothers (90.2%) delivered in health facilities. Non-facility deliveries were attributed to fast progression of labour (77.3%), lack of transport (31.8%) and high cost of hospital delivery (12.5%). Being engaged in business as an occupation [APR = 1.06, 95% CI (1.01 – 1.11)] and belonging to the highest wealth quintile [APR = 1.09, 95% CI (1.02 – 1.17)] favoured facility delivery while higher parity of 3 – 4 [APR = 0.93, 95% CI (0.88 – 0.99)] was inversely associated with facility delivery as compared to parity of 1-2. Choice of private facility over public facility was influenced by how mothers valued factors such as high skilled health workers [APR = 1.15, 95% CI (1.05 – 1.26)], higher quality of WASH services [APR = 1.11, 95% CI (1.04 – 1.17)], cost of the delivery [APR = 0.85, 95% CI (0.78 – 0.92)] and availability of caesarean services [APR = 1.13, 95% CI (1.08 – 1.19)].Conclusion: Utilization of health facility child delivery services was high. Health facility delivery service utilization was influenced by engaging in business, belonging to wealthiest quintile and being multiparous. Choice of private versus public health facility for child delivery was influenced by health facility WASH status, cost of services, and availability of skilled workforce and caesarean services.
Seroprevalence of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) and Its Associated Risk Factors in Dairy Cattle in and Around Assela Town, South East Ethiopia
Authors: Asnake Pawlos , Lemma Abdissa , Tesfaye Asamnew , Gizaw Daneil , Guta Sintayehu , Dima Chala , Tadesse Fanos
Published: December 2020

Background: Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) is one of the most economically important diseases of cattle population worldwide and caused by Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV). A cross-sectional study was conducted from October, 2019 to April, 2020 to investigate the sero-prevalence and associated risk factors for Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) infection. in and around Asella town, Ethiopia. Semi structured questionnaire survey was designed to assess the different variables related to herd managements through personal interview of the farmers. Serum samples were collected from a total of 45 non-vaccinated cattle herds (225 individual cattle) during the study period. Samples were examined for detection of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) antibodies using indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) kit (ID Screen® BVD p80 Antibody) following the manufacturers protocol. Chi-square analysis and multivariable logistic regression model were used to identify risk factors for BVDV seropositivity. Results: In the present study, 8.4% (95% CI: 5.2-12.9) and 22.2% (95% CI: 11.2-37.1) seroprevalence of BVDV antibody was observed at individual and herds level, respectively. Among the animal and management risk factors observed in multiple logistic regression analysis, higher seroprevalence of was observed in cows with history of abortion 53.8% (95% CI: 25.1-80.8%), cattle reared in semi intensive farming system 28.3% (95% CI: 16.0-43.5) (P<0.05). In this study, abortion (adjusted OR: 30.5, P<0.05), repeated breeder (adjusted OR: 6.95, P<0.05) and intensive farming systems (adjusted OR: 0.13, P<0.05) were identified as potential variables for the seroprevalence of BVDV. Conclusion: The study revealed immense exposure of cattle in and around Asella town to BVDV infection that varied with reproductive problem and farming system of the animals. Further studies will be required to elucidate the molecular epidemiology of BVDV infection in cattle and other livestock species in the study area.
Lack of Association of Baseline 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels and Cholecalciferol Treatment With Disease Severity and Mortality in Indian Patients Hospitalized for Covid-19
Authors: Jevalikar Ganesh , Mithal Ambrish , Singh Anshu , Sharma Rutuja , Farooqui Khalid , Mahendru Shama , Dewan Arun , Budhiraja Sandeep
Published: December 2020

Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) owing to its immunomodulatory effects is believed to influence outcomes in COVID-19. We conducted a prospective, observational study of patients, hospitalized with COVID-19. Serum 25-OHD level < 20 ng/mL was considered VDD. Patients were classified as having mild and severe disease on basis of the WHO ordinal scale for clinical improvement (OSCI). Of the 410 patients recruited, patients with VDD (197,48∙2%) were significantly younger and had lesser comorbidities. The proportion of severe cases (13∙2% vs.14∙6%), mortality (2% vs. 5∙2%), oxygen requirement (34∙5% vs.43∙4%), ICU admission (14∙7% vs.19∙8%) was not significantly different between patients with or without VDD. There was no significant correlation between serum 25-OHD levels and inflammatory markers studied. Serum parathormone levels correlated with D-dimer (r 0∙117, p- 0∙019), ferritin (r 0∙132, p-0∙010), and LDH (r 0∙124, p-0∙018). Amongst VDD patients, 128(64.9%) were treated with oral cholecalciferol (median dose of 60000 IU). The proportion of severe cases, oxygen, or ICU admission was not significantly different in the treated vs. untreated group. In conclusion, serum 25-OHD levels at admission did not correlate with inflammatory markers, clinical outcomes, or mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Treatment of VDD with cholecalciferol did not make any difference to the outcomes.
Cardio-Respiratory Events and Food Autonomy Responses to Early Uni-Modal Orofacial Stimulation in Very Premature Babies : A Randomized, Controlled Study
Authors: Meziane Sahra , Brévaut-Malaty Véronique , Garbi Aurélie , Busuttil Muriel , Sorin Gaelle , Tosello Barthélémy , Gire Catherine
Published: December 2020

BackgroundThe Uni-modal OroFacial Stimulation (OFS) for preventing very preterm infants’ oral disorders is highly controversial. Our study sought to demonstrate that OFS reduced cardio-respiratory events and improved food autonomy in a population of very preterm infants.MethodsRandomized, controlled, prospective, and unicentric study. Preterm included were born between 26-29 week‘s gestational age (GA) and with a corrected postnatal age <33 week’s GA. They were randomized in two groups: experimental group underwent an OFS according to a protocol established over 10 consecutive days, and the control group underwent no OFS. The primary outcome were the number of cardiorespiratory events: apnea-bradycardia (with or without desaturations) or number of isolated desaturations which were evaluated at four separate times. The measurement occurred during a first, four and eight independent feedings. Results17 patients in the experimental group and 18 in the control group were included. The number of cardiorespiratory events for all independent- feedings time was significantly reduced in the OFS group (p = 0.003) in the univariate analysis but not in multivariable analysis. There were no signs of poor tolerance noted in the protocol. The quantity of milk ingested during the first autonomous feeding was higher in the experimental group. The acquisition of food autonomy and the duration of the hospitalization stay were similar in the two groups.ConclusionsWhile our study does not affirm that an early unimodal OFS improves the premature infants’ cardiorespiratory evolution and/or the acquisition of food autonomy, it does indicate an improved food efficiency during their first autonomous feedings.The ClinicalTrials.gov identifier is NCT01116765, on May 2010.
Expression Patterns of Major Genes in Fatty Acid Synthesis, Inflammation and Oxidative Stress Related Pathways and Quality Parameters During the Transition From Colostrum to Milk in Dairy Goats
Authors: YAKAN Akın , OZKAN Huseyin , ÇAMDEVİREN Baran , KAYA Ufuk , KARAASLAN İrem , DALKIRAN Sevda
Published: December 2020

Colostrum is quietly different from mature milk. The molecular regulation of milk secretion and quality in the transition period from colostrum to milk in goats is largely unknown. The present study, mammary gland secretion of goats was collected in 0th, 4th, 7th, 14th and 28th days after parturition. In addition to composition and fatty acid profile of colostrum or milk, FASN, SCD, ACACA, COX-2, NRF2, TLR2, NF-kB, LTF and PTX3 genes expression patterns were determined from milk somatic cells. While somatic cell count (SCC), malondialdehyde (MDA), fat, fat-free dry matter (FFDM), protein and lactose were highest as expression levels of the oxidative and inflammatory genes (P<0.05), freezing point and electrical conductivity were lowest in colostrum. With the continuation of lactation, most of the fatty acids, n3 ratio, and odour index had increased, on the other hand, C14:0 and C16:0 had decreased. In addition, FASN was upregulated almost 3 folds in 14th day (P<0.05). While SCD was similar, ACACA was upregulated more than 5 folds in 7th and 14th days (P<0.05). Furthermore, significant correlations were determined between studied genes. Although colostrum is important for offspring health in terms of inflammation and oxidative stress related pathways, further studies are needed on complex molecular pathways including fatty acid synthesis on goat mammary gland.
Study on Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering of Au and Au@Al2O3 Spherical Dimers Based on 3D Finite Element Method
Authors: Yan Baoxin , Zhu Yanying , Wei Yong , Pei Huan
Published: December 2020

In this paper, the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) characteristics of Au and Au@Al2O3 nanoparticle dimers were calculated and analyzed by using finite element method (3D-FEM). Firstly, the electric field enhancement factors of Au nanoparticles at the dimer gap were optimized from three aspects: the incident angle of the incident light, the radius of nanoparticle and the distance of the dimer. Then, aluminum oxide is wrapped on the Au dimer. What is different from the previous simulation is that Al2O3 shell and Au core are regarded as a whole and the total radius of Au@Al2O3 dimer is controlled to remain unchanged. By comparing the distance of Au nucleus between Au and Au@Al2O3 dimer, it is found that the electric field enhancement factor of Au@Al2O3 dimer is much greater than that of Au dimer with the increase of Al2O3 thickness. The peak electric field of Au@Al2O3 dimer moves towards the middle of the resonance peak of the two materials, but the peak electric field of Au dimer is more concentrated than that of Au dimer, so that the excitation wavelength has less influence on Raman enhancement. The maximum electric field enhancement factor 583 is reached at the shell thickness of 1 nm. Our results provide a theoretical reference for the design of SERS substrate and the extension of the research scope.
Burnout Syndrome in Spanish Medical Students
Authors: Gil-Calderón Javier , Alonso-Molero Jéssica , Dierssen-Sotos Trinidad , Gómez-Acebo Inés , Llorca Javier
Published: December 2020

Background: Burnout syndrome is an increasingly frequent pathology that is related to people that suffer a deterioration in their daily activities due to highly demandant psychological requirements in their workplaces. Within last decades, burnout syndrome has been studied across medical professionals, concluding that physicians suffer stress levels high enough to make them develop it. Recently, attention has also been paid to medical students, although with small samples. Given that this phenomenon may produce a huge impact in medical students´ development, the aim of this study is to analyze the influential factors that may contribute to its occurrence. Methods: The necessary information was gathered through a web-based questionnaire, divided in two parts. The first part of the survey included questions related to personal aspects of the students. Burnout related questions (second part) were divided in three subscales to evaluate exhaustion, cynicism, and academic efficacy levels. Results: Family support for studying medicine is associated with lower burnout levels in all three scales of the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The number of years spent in the degree show the opposite trend: the more years in the degree, the higher score in all burnout scales. High percentage of Spanish medical students score high in one or more subscales composing burnout syndrome.Conclusions: Burnout syndrome is a problem among medical students in Spain that increases with the number of years studying medicine. It should be also noticed that family support and vocational studies are independent factors related to lower levels of burnout.
Androgen Receptor Regulates the Proliferation of Stretched Myoblasts and Its Mechanisms: IGF-1R-mediated p38 and ERK1/2 Pathways
Authors: Fu Shaoting , Lin Xiaojing , Yin Lijun , Wang Xiaohui
Published: December 2020

BackgroundOur previous study has indicated that in C2C12 myoblasts androgen receptor (AR) plays a crucial role in 15% stretch-induced proliferation through insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1)-modulated PI3K/Akt, p38 and ERK1/2 pathways. In this study we further explored AR's effects on 15% and 20% stretches-modulated myoblasts proliferation and involved pathways in L6 (no detectable AR) and C2C12 (abundant AR) myoblasts.MethodsThe proliferation and the above indicators were compared between stretched L6 and C2C12 myoblasts by CCK8, ELISA and Western blot, then were detected again in stretched L6 myoblasts after transfection with AR overexpression plasmid utilizing LipoPlusTM 2000 reagent or treatment with different concentrations (200, 500, 1000 ng/ml) IGF-1 recombinant polypeptide.ResultsWe found that ①Under un-stretched states, the proliferation rate of L6 cells was slower than that of C2C12 cells, and the proliferation of C2C12 cells was repressed by AR knockdown using siRNA interference, while L6 myoblasts proliferation was promoted by overexpression AR. ②The proliferation rate as well as the activities of p38 and ERK1/2 increased by 15% stretch were much lower in L6 than that in C2C12 cells; AR overexpression enhanced the proliferation of 15% stretched L6 cells accompanied with increased activities of p38 and ERK1/2; ③20% stretch decreased the proliferation and activity of p38 in L6 more than that in C2C12 myoblasts; overexpression of AR totally reversed the anti-proliferation of 20% stretch and significantly enhanced p38 activity in L6 myoblasts;④In L6 myoblasts, overexpression AR increased IGF-1R expression despite no detectable IGF-1 was secreted; and recombinant IGF-1 increased not only the proliferation, but also the protein level of IGF-1R and activities of p38 and ERK1/2 in a dose-dependent manner in 15% stretched L6 myoblasts. ConclusionsAR fulfilled 15% stretch-induced pro-proliferation of myoblasts by activating IGF-1R-p38 and ERK1/2 pathways, while 20% stretch-induced anti-proliferation was mediated by inhibiting AR-IGF-1R-p38 pathway. This study is beneficial to understand in depth the role and mechanisms of AR on appropriate exercise increases while excessive exercise decreases muscle mass.
The Heterogeneity of Intraductal Carcinoma of the Prostate Is Associated With Different Efficacy of Standard First-Line Therapy for Patients With Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Authors: Wang Zhipeng , Zhu Sha , Zhao Jinge , Nie Ling , Chen Xueqin , Zhang Mengni , Chen Ni , Sun Guangxi , Chen Junru , Ni Yuchao , Dai Jingdong , Liu Zhenhua , Tao Ronggui , Zhang Xingming , Zhu Xudong , Zhang Haoran , Liang Jiayu , Wang Zilin , He Ben , Shen Pengfei , Zeng Hao
Published: December 2020

BackgroundTo explore whether patients with distinct intraductal carcinoma of the prostate (IDC-P) subtypes respond differently to standard first-line therapy among patients with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed data of 170 mCRPC patients receiving abiraterone (ABI) or docetaxel (DOC) as first-line therapy between 2014 and 2019. PSA response, PSA progression-free survival (PSA-PFS), radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS), and overall survival (OS) were analyzed and compared based on the presence of IDC-P and its sub-patterns.ResultsTotally, IDC-P was confirmed in 91/170 (53.5%) patients. Among them, 36/91 (39.6%) and 55/91 (60.4%) harbored IDC-P pattern 1 and pattern 2, respectively. The presence of IDC-P was confirmed to be associated with poor prognosis in the whole cohort. Patients with IDC-P pattern 1 shared similar clinical outcomes to those without IDC-P in both ABI and DOC treatment. However, compared to patients with IDC-P pattern 1 and without IDC-P, IDC-P pattern 2 had markedly poorer prognosis in either ABI (PSA-PFS: P<0.001; rPFS: P<0.001) or DOC (PSA-PFS: P<0.001; rPFS: P<0.001) treatment. For patients without IDC-P, DOC had comparable therapeutic efficacy with ABI. In contrast, the therapeutic efficacy of DOC in patients with either IDCP pattern 1 (PSA-PFS: P=0.021; rPFS: P=0.027) or pattern 2 (PSA-PFS: P=0.003; rPFS: P=0.007) was significantly inferior to ABI.ConclusionCompared to DOC, ABI exhibited better efficacy in patients with IDC-P of either pattern. However, IDC-P pattern 2 still responded unsatisfactorily to either ABI or DOC therapy. Novel therapeutic strategies appropriate for IDC-P pattern 2 need to be further investigated in the future.
Modification of the Interface Between Degradable Magnesium Alloy and Physiological Environment for Controlled Biodegradation Using Fibrous Polymer/Metal-Organic Framework Nanocomposite Coatings
Authors: Khalili Mohammad Amin , Tamjid Elnaz
Published: December 2020

Magnesium-based implants (MBIs) have recently attracted great attention in bone regeneration due to elastic modulus similar to bone. Nevertheless, the degradation rate and hydrogen release of MBIs in the body have to be tackled for practical applications. In the present study, we present a metal organic framework (MOF) nanoplates to reduce the degradation rate of AZ91 magnesium alloy. Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIF-8) with specific surface area of 1789 m2.g-1 were prepared by solvothermal methods, and after dispersion in a chitosan solution (10%w/w), the suspesnsion was electrospun on the surface of AZ91 alloy. Studying of the degradation rate in simulated body fluid (SBF) by electrochemical analysis including potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy reveals that the degradation rate of the surface modified implants is ~20 times less than the unmodified specimens. The reduced alkalization of the physiological environment and hydrogen release due to the implant degradation are shown. In vitro studies by fibroblasts and MG63 osteosarcoma cells exhibit improved cell adhesion and viability. The mechanisms behind the improved degradiation resistance and enhanced bioactivity are presented and discussed. Surface modification of MBIs by MOF-chitosan coatings is a promosing strategy to control the biodegradation of magnesium implants for bone regeneration.
Sleep During Infancy, Inhibitory Control and Working Memory in Toddlers: Findings from the FinnBrain Cohort Study
Authors: Muñoz Isabel Morales , Nolvi Saara , Mäkelä Tiina , Eskola Eeva , Korja Riikka , Fernandes Michelle , Karlsson Hasse , Paavonen E Juulia , Karlsson Linnea
Published: December 2020

Background: Sleep difficulties are associated with executive functioning (EF) impairment in school-aged children. However, much less is known about how sleep in infancy relates to EF in infants and/or toddlers. The aim of this study was to investigate whether parent-reported sleep patterns in infants at 6 and 12 months of age were associated with inhibitory control (IC) and working memory (WM) performances at 30 months. Methods: The children were divided into three sleep groups (i.e., “bad sleepers”, “intermediate sleepers” and “good sleepers”) based on percentile cut-off points in order to have a comprehensive understanding of the direction and nature of the associations between sleep and aspects of EF in early childhood. Sleep was assessed using the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire, IC was measured using a modified version of the Snack Delay task (N=425), and WM by using the Spin the Pots task (N=430). Results: Our results reported an inverted U-shaped association between proportion of daytime sleep at 12 months and IC at 30 months, indicating that average proportions of daytime sleep were longitudinally associated with better IC performance. Furthermore, a linear relation between time awake during night at 12 months and WM at 30 months was found, with more time awake at night associating with worse WM. Conclusions: Our findings support the hypothesis that sleep disruption in early childhood is associated with the development of later EF and suggest that different sleep difficulties at 12 months distinctively affect WM and IC in toddlers, possibly also in a non-linear manner.
New Ther1-derived SINE Squam3 in Scaled Reptiles
Authors: Vassetzky Nikita S , Kosushkin Sergei A , Korchagin Vitaly I , Ryskov Alexey P
Published: December 2020

Background
SINEs compose a significant part of animal genomes and are used to study the evolution of taxa. Despite significant advances in SINE studies in vertebrates and higher eukaryotes in general, their own evolution is poorly understood.
Results
We have found and described in detail a new SINE family Squam3 specific for scaled reptiles (Squamata). The subfamilies of this SINE demonstrate different distribution in the genomes of squamates, which together with the data on similar SINEs in the tuatara allowed us to propose a scenario of their evolution in the context of reptilian evolution.
Conclusions
Ancestral SINEs preserved in small numbers in most genomes can give rise to taxon-specific SINE families. Analysis of this aspect of SINEs can shed light on the history and mechanisms of SINE variation in reptilian genomes.