bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Functional biomarker signatures of circulating T-cells and its association with distinct clinical status of leprosy patients and their respective household contacts
Authors: Marçal Pedro Henrique Ferreira , Gama Rafael Silva , Pereira Lorena Bruna de Oliveira , Filho Olindo Assis Martins , Pinheiro Roberta Olmo , Sarno Euzenir Nunes , Moraes Milton Ozório , Fraga Lucia Alves de Oliveira
Published: August 2020

Background: Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease classified into two subgroups for therapeutic purposes: paucibacillary (PB) and multibacillary (MB), closely related to the host immune responses. In this context it is noteworthy looking for immunological biomarkers applicable as complementary diagnostic tools as well as a laboratorial strategy to detect subclinical leprosy in household contacts. Methods: The main goal of the present study was to characterize the global cytokine signatures of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells from leprosy patients with distinct clinical forms and their respective household contacts (HHC) upon in vitro antigen-specific stimuli. Short-term culture of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was done. After incubation, cells were harvested and prepared for surface and intracytoplasmic cytokine staining Results: The cytokine signature analysis demonstrated that leprosy patients presented a polyfunctional profile of T-cells subsets, with increased frequency of IFN-g+ T-cell subsets along with IL-10+ and IL-4+ from CD4+ T-cells. Moreover, L(PB) displayed a polyfunctional profile characterized by enhanced percentage of IFN-g+, IL-10+ and IL-4+ produced by most T-cell subsets, as compared to L(MB) that presented a more restricted cytokine functional profile mediated by IL-10+ and IL-4+ T-cells with minor contribution of IFN-g produced by CD4+ T-cells. Noteworthy was that HHC(MB) exhibited enhanced frequency of IFN-g+ T-cells, contrasting with HHC(PB) that presented a cytokine profile limited to IL-10 and IL-4. Conclusions: Together, our findings provide additional immunological features associated with leprosy and household contacts. These data provide evidence that biomarkers of immune response can be useful complementary diagnostic/prognostic tools as well as insights that household contacts may present subclinical infection.
Perceptions of patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and their informal caregivers on palliative care as a treatment option: a qualitative study
Authors: Sarfo-Walters Catherine , Boateng Edward Appiah
Published: August 2020

Background: Palliative care is increasingly becoming an accepted treatment choice for many individuals diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Yet, its utilisation is non-existent in many lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study explored the perceptions of individuals with ESKD and their informal caregivers on palliative care as a treatment option for the disease in Ghana.Methods: This was a phenomenological study, with an in-depth analysis of data collected from nine individuals with ESKD and six informal caregivers through individual, face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The study was conducted in two renal centres within the Kumasi metropolis, Ghana among individuals with ESKD seeking care from both renal centres and their informal caregivers.Results: Three main themes were derived from this study – motivation for initiating haemodialysis, facing realities of haemodialysis, and considering palliative care. Participants felt that haemodialysis (HD) was not meeting their health expectations and demonstrated a general willingness to utilise palliative care if it would reduce suffering. Conclusions: This study has shown that individuals with ESKD or their informal caregivers would consider palliative care services, if available. It paves the way for discussions about Palliative care for ESKD to begin across renal centres within Ghana and other similar settings. Exploring perspectives of clinicians in such settings could inform strategies on how to implement Palliative care for ESKD management in such settings.
RND2 attenuates apoptosis and autophagy in glioblastoma cells by targeting p38 MAPK signaling pathway
Authors: Xu Yang , Sun Qian , Yuan Fan’en , Dong Huimin , Zhang Huikai , Geng Rongxin , Qi Yangzhi , Xiong Xiaoxing , Chen Qianxue , Liu Baohui
Published: August 2020

Background: Inhibition of p38 MAPK signalling leads to glioblastoma multiform (GBM) tumourigenesis. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanism that induces p38 MAPK signalling pathway silencing during GBM genesis has yet to be determined. Identifying new factors that can regulate p38 MAPK signalling is important for tumour treatment.Methods: Flow cytometry, TUNEL assays, immunofluorescence, JC-1 assays, and western blot analyses were used to detect the apoptosis of GBM cells. The specific methods used to detect autophagy levels in GBM cells were western blot analysis, LC3B protein immunofluorescence, LC3B puncta assays and transmission electron microscopy. The functions of these critical molecules were further confirmed in vivo by intracranial xenografts in nude mice. Tumour tissue samples and clinical information were used to identify the correlation between RND2 and p62 and LC3B expression, survival time of patients, and tumour volumes in clinical patients.Results: By summarizing data from the TCGA database, we found that expression of the small GTPase RND2 was significantly increased in human glioblastomas. Our study demonstrated that RND2 functions as an endogenous repressor of the p38 MAPK phosphorylation complex. RND2 physically interacted with p38 and decreased p38 phosphorylation, thereby inhibiting p38 MAPK signalling activities.The forced expression of RND2 repressed p38 MAPK signalling, which inhibited glioblastoma cell autophagy and apoptosis in vitro and induced tumour growth in the xenografted mice in vivo . By contrast, the downregulation of RND2 enhanced p38 MAPK signalling activities and promoted glioma cell autophagy and apoptosis. The inhibition of p38 phosphorylation abolished RND2 deficiency-mediated GBM cell autophagy and apoptosis. Most importantly, our study found that RND2 expression was inversely correlated with patient survival time and was positively correlated with tumour size.Conclusions: Our findings revealed a new function for RND2 in GBM cell death and offered mechanistic insights into the inhibitory effects of RND2 with regard to the regulation of p38 MAPK activation.
Diagnostic Value of Clusterin Immunostaining in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Li Yuan , Liu Fangfang , Zhou Wendi , Zhang Sharon , Chu Peiguo , Lin Fan , Wang Hanlin
Published: August 2020

Background: Histologic distinction between well differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and benign hepatocellular mass lesions is a known challenging. Existing biomarkers are of limited diagnostic value. Our previous studies observed an enhanced canalicular expression pattern of clusterin (CLU) in HCC, which was not observed in benign hepatocellular mass lesions such as hepatocellular adenoma. The aim of this study was to further investigate its diagnostic value for HCC by examining the expression pattern of CLU in a large number of non-hepatocellular tumors, and by comparing it with two other commonly used hepatocellular markers pCEA and CD10 that also show a canalicular staining pattern in HCC. Methods: Enhanced canalicular staining patterns of CLU, pCEA and CD10 were analyzed on 54 surgically resected well to moderately differentiated HCCs on whole tissue sections, of which 37 had surrounding regenerative nodules while the remaining 17 had a non-cirrhotic background. CLU immunostaining was also performed on tissue microarray sections that contained 74 HCCs (40 of which were also stained for pCEA and CD10), 55 normal liver tissue samples, and 1305 non-hepatocellular tumors from multiple organs. Results: Enhanced CLU canalicular staining was observed in 70% (89/128) HCCs but not in regenerative nodules, normal liver tissues or any non-hepatocellular tumors. The sensitivity and specificity for enhanced canalicular staining pattern of CLU in HCCs were 0.70 and 1.00. This enhanced canalicular pattern was observed in only 26% and 23% HCCs for CD10 and pCEA, respectively. These results further demonstrate that the distinctive enhanced canalicular pattern of CLU is unique to HCC. Conclusions: CLU is superior to pCEA and CD10 as a diagnostic immunomarker in that it can help distinguish well to moderately differentiated HCC not only from non-HCC malignancies but also from benign hepatocellular mass lesions.
Attitudes of registered nurses about the end – of – life care in multi-profile hospitals: a cross sectional survey
Authors: Blazeviciene Aurelija , Laurs Lina , Newland Jamesetta A
Published: August 2020

Background: End-of-life care is provided in a variety of healthcare settings, not just palliative care hospitals. This is one reason why it is very important to assess all barriers to end-of-life care and to provide safe and quality services to patients. This study was aimed at describing nurses' attitudes in providing end-of-life care and exploring barriers and facilitating behaviors of nurses in multi-profile hospitals in Eastern Europe.Methods: A descriptive, correlational design was applied in this study, using a cross-sectional survey of 1,320 registered nurses within 7 hospitals in Lithuania. Results: Registered nurses working in the three different profiles emphasized safe and effective care and the importance of meeting the patient's spiritual needs at the end of life. The main barriers assigned by nurses caring for patients at the end of life were angry family members, inadequate understanding of nursing care by the patient's relatives; lack of time to talk to patients, lack of nursing knowledge to deal with the bereaved patient's family, lack of evaluation of nurses' opinions, and the evasion by physicians to talk about the diagnosis and their over-optimistic view of the situation. The main facilitating behaviors to improve nursing care were end-of-life training, volunteering, and family involvement.Conclusions: Spiritual needs were identified by nurses as the primary needs of patients at the end of life. Family-related barriers remain one of the main barriers to end-of-life care. Also, the behavior of physicians and their relationship with nurses remains one of the most sensitive issues in end-of-life care.
Novel Transplant of Combined Platelet-rich Fibrin Releasate and Bone Marrow Stem Cells Prevent Bone Loss in Ovariectomized Osteoporotic Mice
Authors: wong chin chean , Liao Jeng-Hao , Sheu Shi-Yuan , Lin Po-Yu , Chen Chih-Hwa , Kuo Tzong-Fu
Published: August 2020

Background: Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disorder characterized by deterioration in the quantity and quality of bone tissue, with a consequent increase susceptibility to fracture. Methods: In this study, we sought to determine the efficacy of platelet-rich fibrin releasates (PRFr) in augmenting the therapeutic effects of stem cell-based therapy in treating osteoporotic bone disorder. An osteoporosis mouse model was established through bilateral ovariectomy on 12-week-old female ICR (Institute of Cancer Research) mice. Eight weeks postoperatively, the ovariectomized (OVX) mice were left untreated (control) or injected with PRFr, bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs), or the combination of BMSCs and PRFr. Two different injection (single versus quadruple) dosages were tested to investigate the accumulative effects of BMSCS and PRFr on bone quality. Eight weeks after injection, the changes in tibial microstructural profiles included the percentage of bone volume versus total tissue volume (BV/TV, %), bone mineral density (BMD, g/cm3), trabecular number (Tb.N, number/mm), and trabecular separation (Tb.Sp, mm) and bony histology were analyzed. Results: Postmenopausal osteoporosis model was successfully established in OVX mice, evidenced by reduced BMD, decreased BV/TV, lower Tb.N but increased Tb.Sp. Eight weeks after injection, there was no significant change to BMD and bone trabeculae could be detected in mice that received single-injection regimen. In contrast, in mice which received 4 doses of combined PRFr and BMSCs, the BMD, BV/TV, and TB.N increased, and the TB.Sp decreased significantly compared to untreated OVX mice. Moreover, the histological analysis showed the trabecular spacing become narrower in OVX-mice treated with quadruple injection of BMSCs and combined PRFr and BMSCs than untreated control.Conclusion: The systemic administration of combined BMSCs and PRFr protected against OVX-induced bone mass loss in mice. Moreover, the improvement of bony profile scores in quadruple-injection group is better than the single-injection group, probably through the increase in effect size of cells and growth factors. Our data also revealed the combination therapy of BMSCs and PRFr has better effect in enhancing osteogenesis, which may provide insight for the development of a novel therapeutic strategy in osteoporosis treatment.
Extended spectrum beta-lactamase and ﬂuoroquinolone resistance genes among Escherichia coli and Salmonella isolates from children with diarrhea, Burkina Faso.
Authors: DEMBELE Rene , Konaté Ali , Traoré Oumar , Kaboré Wendpoulomdé A. D. , Soulama Issiaka , Kagambèga Assèta , Traoré Alfred S. , Guessennd Nathalie K. , Aidara-Kane Awa , Gassama-Sow Amy , Barro Nicolas
Published: August 2020

Background: The emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria (MDR) has become a major public health concern worldwide. This resistance is caused by enzymes-mediated genes (i.e., extended spectrum beta-lactamases) that are common in certain Enterobacterioceae species. However, the distribution of these genes is poorly documented in Burkina Faso. This study aims to determine the prevalence and distribution of the resistant genes coding for broad spectrum beta-lactamases and quinolones in rural Burkina Faso.Methods: Multiplex PCR assays were carried out to detect ESBL-encoding genes, including blaOXA, blaTEM, blaCTX-M, blaSHV. The assays also assessed the presence of quinolone resistance gene namely qnrA, qnrB and qnrS in the quinolone-resistance DEC and Salmonella strains.Results: The Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamases (ESBL) resistance phenotype was reported in all the E. coli isolates (5/5). Cross-resistance phenotype to quinolones (CRQ) was shown by one Salmonella strain (1/9) and three E. coli (3/5). Cross-resistance phenotypes to fluoroquinolones (CRFQ) were harboured by one Salmonella (1/9) and carbapenemase phenotypes were detected in two E. coli strains (2/5). Whilst the blaOXA genes were detected in 100% (5/5) of E. coli isolates and in 33.33% (3/9) Salmonella isolates. One strain of E. coli (1/5) harbored the blaCTX-M gene and the qnrB gene simultaneously.Conclusions: This study identified β-lactam (bla) and quinolone resistance (qnr) genes in multidrug-resistant E. coli and Salmonella spp. in rural Burkina Faso. Our finding which highlighted the enterobacteriaceae strains resistance to β-lactams and quinolones are of high interest for adequate management of antimicrobial resistant genes outbreak in Burkina Faso.
Ipsilateral Proximal and Shaft Femoral Fractures Treated With Bridge-Link type combined fixation system
Authors: Kang Liangqi , Liu Hui , Ding Zhenqi , Ding Yiqiang , Hu Wei , Wu Jin
Published: August 2020

Background: Although many treatments for ipsilateral proximal and shaft femoral fractures have been developed, controversy exists regarding their optimal management. The purpose of this retrospective study was to discuss the effectiveness of the Bridge-Link type combined fixation system (BCFS) and evaluate functional outcomes in treating patients with these complex fractures. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 14 cases of ipsilateral proximal and shaft femoral fractures treated from January 2012 to December 2016. All cases were treated by BCFS combined with minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis (MIPPO). Clinical and radiographic data were collected during regular post-operative follow-up visits. Functional outcomes were determined according to the Friedman and Wyman scoring system. Results: The proximal femoral fractures were emergency diagnoses in 11 cases and delayed diagnoses in 3 cases. The delay time was 5-6 days, with an average of 5.3 days. The mean operation time was 179.6 minutes (range 135-231 minutes) with a blood loss volume that ranged from 430 to 535 ml (average 483.6 ml). Follow up was conducted in 13 cases between 9 and 30 months post-operation, with an average follow-up time of 17.3 months. The proximal femoral fractures were united in 12 cases at the final follow-up. One case had nonunion 13 months after the operation, underwent valgus intertrochanteric osteotomy, and healed 6 months later. The femoral shaft fractures obtained rigid union at the latest follow-up in 12 cases. One case endured nonunion 12 months after the operation. After the revision surgery and iliac bone grafting, the fracture healed 6 months later. Eight of the cases had good functional results, 4 had fair results, and results were poor in 1 case at the final follow-up. Conclusions: The treatment of ipsilateral proximal femoral and shaft fractures with BCFS in combination with MIPPO demonstrated a high likelihood of union for both fractures and good functional results.
Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia presenting as splenic hemorrhage following cardiac surgery: a case report
Authors: Ferry Joseph Frank , Youssef Samuel , Wu Pierce , Hegerova Livia
Published: August 2020

Background

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia with thrombosis (HITT) is a paradoxical prothrombotic complication of anticoagulant therapy. As many as 3% of patients undergoing cardiac surgery develop clinical HIT presenting as thrombocytopenia with or without thrombosis within 5-10 days of heparin exposure. Thrombotic complications associated with HIT carry a mortality rate of 5-10%.

Case presentation

We report a case of atraumatic splenic hemorrhage due to splenic vein thrombosis as the main indicator of HIT following cardiac surgery in a 62-year-old woman. She presented to the emergency department with acute weakness, dizziness, and malaise. Her evaluation in the emergency department found anemia and thrombocytopenia. A coagulation profile revealed a markedly elevated d-dimer. She underwent a computed tomography scan of the chest, abdomen and pelvis for suspected bleed and was found to have splenic vein thrombosis, right atrial filling defects consistent with atrial thrombus and mild to moderate hemoperitoneum. Surgical consultation was obtained due to splenic hemorrhage. Hematology was consulted on post-operative day 10, however, she unfortunately developed left sided weakness concerning for stroke. A magnetic resonance imaging scan of the brain demonstrated infarct involving distribution of the right anterior cerebral artery. A transesophageal echocardiogram demonstrated a large immobile thrombus within the right atrium with a second, mobile thrombus arising from the left tricuspid valve annulus. Due to a 4Ts score of 7 and markedly positive platelet factor 4 (PF4) IgG antibody a serotonin release assay was not performed given the high probability of HIT. She was cautiously treated with bivalirudin and was transitioned to warfarin anticoagulation. In the following days her platelet count recovered and 3 months later a transthoracic echocardiogram revealed solution of the intracardiac thrombi.

Conclusions

Atraumatic splenic hemorrhage is an unusual presentation of HIT that is reminiscent of the rare bilateral adrenal hemorrhage due to adrenal necrosis that also occurs in HIT. Alternative anticoagulation is the mainstay of therapy for HIT despite hemorrhage, given the underlying acquired hypercoagulability. Despite similarities of the presentation between splenic hemorrhage and bilateral adrenal hemorrhage, splenic hemorrhage is rarely described in the literature. HIT should be considered in patients presenting with thrombocytopenia following cardiac surgery.
Spatial Distributions of Female Child Marriage and Associated Factors in Ethiopia: Evidence from Demographic and Health Survey
Authors: Gessesse Kassahun Tiruaynet , Muchie Kindie Fentahun
Published: August 2020

Background

In Ethiopia, around million girls were exposed to the risk of child marriage in the country according to previous study report. But this report was not clearly identified and documented the potential local clusters of prevalence of child marriage and associated factors in the country.

Objective

This study was aimed to assess spatial distributions of female child marriage and associated factors in Ethiopia using the 2016 Ethiopian demographic and health survey data.

Methods

The study was conducted based on the 2016 Ethiopian demographic and health survey. Data analyzed were taken from 2903 women aged 20-24 years. Local Anselin Moran's I was used to identify potential local clusters of high prevalence of child marriage. Generalized estimating equations for binary outcome was used to identify associated factors of child marriage. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with its respective 95% confidence interval was reported to show the strength of association.

Results

The finding of this study showed that prevalence of child marriage in Ethiopia was 40.2% [95%CI: 38.4, 42.0]. In this study also, potential local clusters of high prevalence of child marriage were identified. Local region and educational status were determinant factors of child marriage in the country at 5% level of significance.

Conclusions

In this study, local region and educational status were determinant factors of child marriage in the country. To address the problems of child marriage concerned government bodies in collaboration with partners should provide massive awareness creation about child marriage and its effects in the country for the local communities.
Knowledge of Dental Academics about the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multi-Country Online Survey
Authors: Ammar Nour , Aly Nourhan M. , Folayan Morenike O. , Mohebbi Simin Z. , Attia Sameh , Howaldt Hans-Peter , Boettger Sebastian , Khader Yousef , Maharani Diah A. , Rahardjo Anton , Khan Imran , Madi Marwa , Shamala Anas , Al-Batayneh Ola B. , Rashwan Maher , Pavlic Verica , Cicmil Smiljka , Galluccio Gabriella , Polimeni Antonella , Mancino Davide , Arheiam Arheiam , Dama Mai A. , Nyan Myat , Phantumvanit Prathip , Kim Jin-Bom , Choi Youn-Hee , Castillo Jorge L. , Joury Easter , Abdelsalam Maha M. , Alkeshan Mohammad M. , Hussein Iyad , Vukovic Ana P. , Iandolo Alfredo , Kemoli Arthur M. , Tantawi Maha El
Published: August 2020

Background: COVID-19 is a global pandemic affecting all aspects of life in all countries. We assessed COVID-19 knowledge and associated factors among dental academics in various countries. Method: We invited dental academics to participate in a cross-sectional, multi-country, online survey from March to April 2020. The survey assessed knowledge of COVID-19 regarding the mode of transmission, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, protection, and dental treatment precautions as well as participants’ background variables. The analysis was based on multilevel linear models to assess the association between knowledge and factors at individual levels (personal and professional) and country-level (number of COVID-19 cases/ million population), accounting for random variation among countries. Results: Two thousand forty-five academics from 26 countries participated in the survey (response rate= 14.3%, with 54.7% female and 67% younger than 46 years of age). The mean (SD) knowledge percent score was 73.2% (11.2), and the knowledge of symptoms score was significantly lower than the diagnostic methods score (53.1% and 85.4%). Knowledge was significantly higher among those living with partner/spouse than those living alone (regression coefficient (B)= 0.48); those with PhD than those with BDS (B= 0.48), those seeing 21 to 30 patients daily than those seeing no patients (B= 0.65) and those from countries with a higher number of COVID-19 cases/million population (B= 0.0007). Conclusions: Dental academics had poorer knowledge of COVID-19 symptoms than diagnostic methods. Living arrangements, academic degrees, patient load, and magnitude of epidemic in the country were associated with COVD-19 knowledge among dental academics. COVID-19 training can be designed using these factors to target academics with the greatest need.
Accuracy of Self-Perceived Risk Perception of Breast Cancer Development in Iranian Women
Authors: Hajian-Tilaki Karimollah , Nikpour Maryam
Published: August 2020

Backgrand: The accuracy of subjective risk perception is a
matter of concern in breast cancer development. The objective of
this study was to evaluate the accuracy of self-perceived risk
assessment compared to actual risk.

Methods: The demographic, clinical, and reproductive
characteristics of 800 women aged 35-85 years were collected with
an in-person interview. The self-perceived risk was assessed using
the visual analog scale (VAS) and the actual risk was calculated
from the Gail model. Gail’s cutoff of 1.66% risk was used to
categorize the estimated 5-year actual risk as low/average risk
(<1.66%) and high risk (≥1.66). In low/average risk, if the
self-perceived risk> actual risk, then individuals were
categorized as overestimating. Similarly, in high-risk women, if
the perceived risk<actual risk, then, the subjects were labeled
as under-estimate; otherwise, it was labeled as accurate. The Kappa
statistics were used to determine the agreement between
self-perceived risk and actual risk. ROC analysis was applied to
determine the accuracy of self-perceived risk in the prediction of
actual risk.

Results: The perceived risk was significantly higher than
actual risk (p=0.001, 0.01 for 5-year and lifetime risk
respectively). Both in low and high-risk groups about half of the
women over-estimate and underestimate the risk by subjective risk
perception. For a 5-year risk assessment, there was no agreement at
all between perceived risk and actual risk (Kappa=0.00, p=0.98) but
a very low agreement between them in lifetime risk assessment
(Kappa=0.09, p=0.005). The performance of accuracy of risk
perception versus actual risk was very low (AUC=0.53, 95%CI:
0.44-0.61 and AUC=0.58, 95%CI: 0.54-0.62 for the 5- year risk and
lifetime risk respectively).

Conclusion: The clinical performance of risk perception based
on VAS is very poor. Thus, the efforts of the public health
education program should focus on the correct perception of breast
cancer risk among Iranian women.
Perceived and Actual Growth Following Hematopoietic Stem-Cell Transplantation: Longitudinal Evidence of Greater Decline than Growth
Authors: Corman M. , Rubio M.-T. , Cabrespine A. , Brindel I. , Bay J.-O. , Tour Peffault De La , Dambrun Michael
Published: August 2020

Background. This prospective longitudinal study examined perceived and actual changes in post-traumatic growth following Hematopoietic Stem-Cell Transplantation (HSCT) and their relationships with mental health and psychological disposition. We also tested the hypothesis that unwillingness to be in contact with distressing thoughts and feelings—i.e. experiential avoidance—would moderate the relationship between Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and growth.Methods. This study was carried out with 187 patients. All patients completed the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) five months after HSCT and also scales tapping into the five domains of PTGI during and 5 months after HSCT. Mental health and psychological disposition were also assessed prior to hospitalization. A PTSD scale was administrated at the five-month follow-up.Results. Perceived and actual change were weakly correlated. Bayesian pre/post-HSCT comparisons in actual growth revealed substantial to very strong decline in four of the five dimensions assessed. Overall, RCI indicated a reliable increase for 5.6% of patients and a reliable decrease for 40.8% of patients. Confirming that perceived and actual growth reflect different processes, they were not related to the same mental health and psychological disposition variables. Moreover, the hypothesis that acquiring positive outcomes from a traumatic event, such as HSCT, requires direct confrontation with the source of distress that was supported in the case of perceived growth but not in the case of actual growth.Conclusions. Retrospective measures such as the PTGI do not appear to assess actual pre- to post-HSCT change. HSCT seems more linked to psychological decline than to growth.
Bioinformatic Analysis Revealing Mitotic Spindle Assembly regulated NDC80 and MAD2L1 as Prognostic Biomarkers in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Development
Authors: Wei Rong , Wang Ziyue , Zhang Yaping , Wang Bin , Shen Ningning , E Li , Li Xin , Shang Lifang , Shang Yangwei , Yan Wenpeng , Zhang Xiaoqin , Ma Wenxia , Wang Chen
Published: August 2020

Background Lung cancer has been the leading cause of tumor related death, and 80%~85% of it is non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Even with the rising molecular targeted therapies, for example EGFR, ROS1 and ALK, the treatment is still challenging. The study is to identify credible responsible genes during the development of NSCLC using bioinformatic analysis, developing new prognostic biomarkers and potential gene targets to the disease. Methods Firstly, three genes expression profiles GSE44077, GSE18842 and GSE33532 were picked from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) to analyze the genes with different expression level (GDEs) between NSCLC and normal lung samples, and the cellular location, molecular function and the biology pathways the GDEs enriched in were analyzed. Then, gene function modules of GDEs were explored based on the protein-protein interaction network (PPI), and the top module which contains most genes was identified, followed by containing genes annotation and survival analysis. Moreover, multivariate cox regression analysis was performed in addition to the Kaplan meier survival to narrow down the key genes scale. Further, the clinical pathological features of the picked key genes were explored using TCGA data. Results Three GEO profiles shared a total of 664 GDEs, including 232 up-regulated and 432 down-regulated genes. Based on the GDEs PPI network, the top function module containing a total of 69 genes was identified, and 31 of 69 genes were mitotic cell cycle regulation related. And survival analysis of the 31 genes revealed that 17/31 genes statistical significantly related to NSCLC overall survival, including 4 spindle assembly checkpoints, namely NDC80, BUB1B, MAD2L1 and AURKA. Further, multivariate cox regression analysis identified NDC80 and MAD2L1 as independent prognostic indicators in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) respectively. Interestingly, pearson correlation analysis indicated strong connection between the four genes NDC80, BUB1B, MAD2L1 and AURKA, and their clinical pathological features were addressed. Conclusions Using bioinformatic analysis of GEO combined with TCGA data, we revealed two independent prognostic indicators in LUAD and LUSC respectively and analyzed their clinical features. However, more detailed experiments and clinical trials are needed to verify their drug targets role in clinical medical use.
Development and psychometric validity of the Perioperative Anxiety Scale-7 (PAS-7)
Authors: Zhang Chengjiao , Liu Xitong , Hu Tianran , Zhang Fei , Pan Lingyi , Luo Yan , Wang Zhen
Published: August 2020

Background
Preoperative anxiety is a common psychological reaction in perioperative patients. The absence of a valid measurement tool of it hinders the evaluation of interventions to treat preoperative anxiety in China. This study aims to develop the Perioperative Anxiety Scale-7 (PAS-7) and to test its reliability, validity and cut-off value.
Methods
A total of 280 patients over 16 years old who were undergoing elective surgery were recruited to complete the PAS-7 and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale (GAD-7) one day before surgery.
Results
The PAS-7 included 7 items, which were divided into two dimensions: mental anxiety and somatic anxiety. These two dimensions could explain 74.294% of the population variance. The internal consistency of each dimension ranged from 0.761–0.933. The confirmatory factor analysis showed that the model fit of the scale was good (χ2= 34.798, df = 13, χ2/df = 2.677, CFI = 0.949, GFI = 0.924, RMSEA = 0.115). The correlations between the GAD-7 and each dimension and the total score of the scale were significant. A cut-off score of 8, maximizing the Youden Index, yielded a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 84.6% (95% CI: 0.88–0.97).
Conclusions
The PAS-7 had good reliability and validity and could be used as an effective tool to evaluate preoperative anxiety.
Attenuated Self-serving Bias in People with Internet Gaming Disorder is Related to Altered Neural Activity in Subcortical-Cortical Midline Structures
Authors: Wang Yifan , Zheng Li , Wang Chenggong , Guo Xiuyan
Published: August 2020

Background
To protect and maintain the positivity of self-concept, normal people usually show a self-serving bias (internal attribution of positive events and external attribution of negative events) by the motives of self-enhancement and self-protection. And self-serving assessments predominantly activate the subcortical-cortical midline structures (CMS) in healthy individuals. However, little is known about the self-serving bias and its underlying neural correlates among people with Internet gaming disorder (IGD).
Methods
Twenty-four IGD and 25 recreational internet gaming users (RGU) were scanned while attributing causes of positive/negative self- and other-related events that could happen in both game world and real world contexts. Regions of interest (within CMS) analysis and parametric analysis were performed to investigate the neural correlates of self-serving bias in IGD.
Results
Behaviorally, the IGD participants attributed more negative and less positive events to themselves than RGU in both contexts. Neurally, during attributions of negative events, the IGD participants exhibited increased ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) activation in both contexts compared to RGU. Higher vmPFC activation was associated with weaker self-protective motivation in IGD group. Meanwhile, during attributions of positive events, the IGD participants exhibited decreased precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex activation in real world compared to RGU. Parametric analysis showed reduced positive correlation between precuneus activation and self-attribution ratings of positive events in real world in IGD group relative to RGU group.
Conclusion
These results suggest that the IGD individuals show an attenuated self-serving bias and altered activations within CMS regions involved in self-attribution, providing evidence for the negative self-concept and weakened abilities in both self-enhancement and self-protection in IGD.
Gemini surfactant abetted synthesis of mesoporous Mn/Mg bimetal doped TiO2 nanomaterial: Characterization and photocatalytic activity studies under visible light irradiation
Authors: Miditana Sankara Rao , Tirukkovalluri Siva Rao , Raju Imandi Manga , Alim Shaik Abdul , Jaishree Genji , Chippada M.L.V. Prasanna
Published: August 2020

The present work mainly aimed to synthesize different weight percentages (0.25-1.00 wt%) of Manganese (Mn2+) and Magnesium (Mg2+) bimetal ions doped TiO2 nanomaterial assisted with different weight percentages (5-15 wt%) of Gemini Surfactant (GS) using sol-gel method. The bimetal doped and undoped TiO2 photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV-Visible Diffused Reflectance Spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analyzer, and Photoluminescence Spectroscopy. Characterization results evinced that Mn2+/Mg2+ bimetal ions doping and encapsulation of GS on TiO2 nanoparticles promote the formation of mesoporous multi-particle anatase TiO2 nanocatalysts with a narrowed band gap, less particle size, and high surface area. The surface elemental composition of the 0.25 wt% Mn2+& 1.00 wt% Mg2+ bimetal doped TiO2 in presence of 10 wt% of Gemini surfactant (after calcination) revealed the presence of both the metal dopants Mn2+ and Mg2+ along with the Ti and O and their chemical interactions were further confirmed by FT-IR results. The photocatalytic activity of these catalysts was assessed by the degradation of Methyl Red (MR) using visible light irradiation. To understand the effect of different reaction parameters on the photocatalytic activity of the nanocatalysts such as the dopant concentration, GS concentration, catalyst dosage, solution pH, and initial dye concentrations were investigated and optimized to achieve the best performance. The photoluminescence results conclude that OH radicals are the crucial reactive species responsible for oxidative photocatalytic degradation of MR.
Pathological α-synuclein triggers synaptic NMDA receptor dysfunction through altered trafficking
Authors: Huang Tingting , Gou De-Hai , Li Wen , Svanbergsson Alexander , Bouchet Delphine , Li Jia-Yi , Groc Laurent
Published: August 2020

Background

α-Synuclein misfolding and aggregation contribute to synaptic dysfunction in synucleinopathies, including Parkinson’s disease. However, the mechanism underlying the effect of α-synuclein on synaptic components remains unclear. Since the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor (NMDAR) plays a key role in glutamate synapse pathophysiology, we here investigated its surface dynamics and functional distribution in neurons exposed to various pathological α-synuclein forms.
Methods

A combination of single-molecule tracking, immunochemistry, immunoblot and calcium imaging approaches were used to assess the changes in NMDAR membrane dynamics and functions. The NMDAR alterations were evaluated in rat cultured hippocampal networks, in which α-synuclein mutants were overexpressed or exposed to α-synuclein proteins (monomeric/PFF α-synuclein). The surface dynamics of NMDAR subtype was artificially tuned in order to test its instrumental role.
Results

We observed that mutant α-synuclein (A53T-α-synuclein) restricted NMDAR surface trafficking and impaired synaptic function. In contrast, wild-type α-synuclein did not affect synaptic NMDAR. Further, we found that chronic exposure to α-synuclein preformed fibrils induced molecular dysfunctions that mainly targeted the GluN2B-NMDAR subtype. The deficits of synaptic NMDAR have also been found in A53T transgenic mice α-synuclein. Upon fine-tuning of the surface dynamics of GluN2B-NMDAR, pathological α-synuclein gradually lost its synaptic toxicity.
Conclusions

Our findings indicate that pathological α-synuclein alters GluN2B-NMDAR synaptic dynamics and organization, which leads to glutamate synapse dysfunction.
Natural Malaria Infection in Anopheline Vectors and Their Incrimination in Local Malaria Transmission in Darién, Panama
Authors: Torres-Cosme Rolando , Rigg Chystrie , Santamaria Ana Maria , Vazquez Vanessa , Victoria Carlos , Ramirez Jose Luis , Calzada Jose E , Carrera Lorenzo Caceres
Published: August 2020

BackgroundMore than 85% of the malaria cases in Panama occur in characteristically poor, rural and indigenous regions like Darien Province. Vector diversity, vector infection rate and spatial distribution are important entomological parameters of malaria transmission dynamics. Their understanding is crucial for the development of effective disease control strategies. The objective of this study was to determine the composition of Anopheles species, their natural infection rate and their geographic distribution to better understand the malaria transmission dynamics in Darién, Panama.MethodsAnopheline mosquitoes were captured during the rainy and dry season of 2016. We selected five communities where adult anophelines were collected using CDC light-traps, and through protective human-baited traps. Detection of natural infection and Plasmodium genotype in collected mosquitoes were detected via nested PCR through the amplification of Plasmodium 18s rRNA and the circumsporozoite protein gene, respectively.ResultsA total of 1,063 mosquitoes were collected, and nine Anopheline species were identified, with the predominant species being: An. (Nys.) darlingi (45.0%) and An. (Nys.) albimanus (42.6%). Among these mosquitoes, An. (Nys.) albimanus has historically presented an elevated frequency and abundance in all Panamanian regions. Natural infection with P. vivax was detected in a mosquito pool from the community Pueblo Tortuga (0.6%), three mosquito pools from Marraganti (1.7%), two pools from Bajo Chiquito (1.1%) and three pools from Alto Playona (1.7%). For An. (Nys.) darlingi mosquitoes, we detected seven positive pools from the community Bajo Chiquito (4.0%), two pools from Marraganti (1.1%) and two pools from Alto Playona (1.1%). This study was able to detect the P. vivax allelic variant VK210 in infected mosquitoes.ConclusionThe results from this study provide new information on the transmission dynamics associated with anopheline vectors in the Darién region. This is the first report of natural P. vivax infection in An. (Nys.) darlingi and its incrimination as a potential malaria vector in Panama. Additional studies are necessary to expand our knowledge and determine crucial parameters in malaria transmission in Darién, which in turn will aid the National Malaria Program in attaining an adequate malaria control strategy towards malaria elimination.
GRAPES-DD: Exploiting Decision Diagrams for Index-Driven Biomedical Databases Search
Authors: Licheri Nicola , Bonnici Vincenzo , Beccuti Marco , Giugno Rosalba
Published: August 2020

Background: Graphs are mathematical structures widely used for expressing relationships among elements when representing biomedical and biological information. On top of these representations, several analyses are conducted. A common task is the search of one substructure, called query, within one graph, called target. The problem is referred to as one-to-one subgraph search, and it is shown to be NP-complete. However, heuristics and indexing techniques can be applied to facilitate the search. Such indexing techniques are also exploited in the context of searching in a collection of target graphs, referred to as one-to-many subgraph problem. Filter-and-veriﬁcation methods that use indexing approaches provide a fast pruning of target graphs or parts of them that do not contain the query. The expensive veriﬁcation phase is then performed only on the subset of promising targets. Indexing strategies extract graph features at a suﬃcient granularity level for performing a powerful ﬁltering step. Features are memorized in data structures allowing an eﬃcient access. Indexing size, querying time and ﬁltering power are key points for the development of eﬃcient subgraph searching solutions. Results: An existing subgraph approach, GRAPES, has been shown to have good performance in term of speed-up for both one-to-one and one-to-many cases. However, it suﬀers in the size of the built index. For this reason, we propose GRAPES-DD, a modiﬁed version of GRAPES in which the indexing structure has been replaced with a Decision Diagram. Decision Diagrams are a broad class of data structures widely used to encode and manipulate functions eﬃciently. Our experiments on real biomedical structures and synthetic graphs have conﬁrmed our expectation showing that GRAPES-DD has substantially reduced the memory utilization with respect to GRAPES without worsening the searching time. Conclusion: The use of Decision Diagrams for searching in biomedical graphs is completely new and potentially promising thanks to their ability to encode compactly sets by exploiting their structure and regularity, and (ii) to manipulate entire sets of elements at once, instead of exploring each single element explicitly. This work shows that search strategies based on Decision Diagram makes the indexing for biochemical graphs, and not only, more scalable and aﬀordable allowing us to potentially deal with huge and ever growing collections of biomedical structures.
NPM1 mutation mediated HOXBLINC lncRNA activation promotes AML leukemogenesis
Authors: Zhu Ganqian , Luo Huacheng , Feng Yang , Guryanova Olga , Xu Jianfeng , Chen Shi , Lai Qian , Xu Bing , Zhao Zhigang , Ni Hongyu , Claxton David , Guo Ying , Qiu Yi , Yang Feng-Chun , Li Wei , Nimer Stephen , Huang Suming , Xu Mingjiang
Published: August 2020

Nucleophosmin (NPM1) is the most commonly mutated gene in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) resulting in aberrant cytoplasmic translocation of the encoded nucleolar protein (NPM1c+). NPM1c+ maintains a unique leukemic gene expression program, characterized by activation of HOXA/B clusters and MEIS1 oncogene to facilitate leukemogenesis. However, the mechanisms by which NPM1c+ controls such gene expression patterns to promote leukemogenesis remain largely unknown. Here, we show that the activation of HOXBLINC, a HOXB locus-associated long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), is a critical downstream mediator of NPM1c+-associated leukemic transcription program and leukemogenesis. HOXBLINC loss attenuates NPM1c+-driven leukemogenesis by rectifying the signature of NPM1c+ leukemic transcription programs. Furthermore, overexpression of HoxBlinc (HoxBlincTg) in mice enhances HSC self-renewal and expands myelopoiesis, leading to the development of AML-like disease, reminiscent of the phenotypes seen in the Npm1 mutant knock-in (Npm1c/+) mice. HoxBlincTg and Npm1c/+ HSPCs share significantly overlapped transcriptome and chromatin structure. Mechanistically, HoxBlinc binds to the promoter regions of NPM1c+ signature genes to control their activation in HoxBlincTg HSPCs, via MLL1 recruitment and promoter H3K4me3 modification. Our study reveals that HOXBLINC lncRNA activation plays an essential oncogenic role in NPM1c+ leukemia. HOXBLINC and its partner MLL1 are potential therapeutic targets for NPM1c+ AML.