bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Osthole: A Coumarin Derivative Assuage Thiram-Induced Tibial Dyschondroplasia by Regulating BMP-2 and RUNX-2 Expressions in Chickens
Authors: Waqas Muhammad , Wang Yaping , Li Aoyun , Qamar Hammad , Yao Wangyuan , Tong Xiaole , Zhang Jialu , Iqbal Mudassar , Mehmood Khalid , Li Jiakui
Published: August 2019

Avian tibial dyschondroplasia affects fast growing broiler chickens accounting for almost 30% of leg ailments in broilers. The present project was designed to assess the efficacy of osthole against avian tibial dyschondroplasia (TD). Two hundred and forty chickens were equally allocated into control, TD and osthole groups (n = 80). The TD and osthole group chickens were challenged with tetramethylthiuram disulfide (thiram) at 50 mg/kg of feed from 4–7 days, followed by osthole administration at 20 mg/kg orally to the osthole group only from 8–18 days. Thiram feeding resulted in lameness, increased mortality, and decreased production parameters, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) levels, along with significantly increased aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and growth plate size. Moreover, the genes and protein expressions of BMP-2 and RUNX-2 were significantly down-regulated in TD affected chickens (p < 0.05). Osthole administration showed promising results by alleviating lameness; increased ALP, SOD, T-AOC, and GSH-Px levels; and decreased the AST, ALT, and MDA levels significantly. It restored the size of the growth plate and significantly up-regulated the BMP-2 and RUNX-2 expressions (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the oxidative stress and growth plate anomalies could be assuaged using osthole.
Towards Reconfigurable Electronics: Silicidation of Top-Down Fabricated Silicon Nanowires
Authors: Khan Muhammad Bilal , Deb Dipjyoti , Kerbusch Jochen , Fuchs Florian , Löffler Markus , Banerjee Sayanti , Mühle Uwe , Weber Walter M. , Gemming Sibylle , Schuster Jörg , Erbe Artur , Georgiev Yordan M.
Published: August 2019

We present results of our investigations on nickel silicidation of top-down fabricated silicon nanowires (SiNWs). Control over the silicidation process is important for the application of SiNWs in reconfigurable field-effect transistors. Silicidation is performed using a rapid thermal annealing process on the SiNWs fabricated by electron beam lithography and inductively-coupled plasma etching. The effects of variations in crystallographic orientations of SiNWs and different NW designs on the silicidation process are studied. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy are performed to study Ni diffusion, silicide phases, and silicide–silicon interfaces. Control over the silicide phase is achieved together with atomically sharp silicide–silicon interfaces. We find that {111} interfaces are predominantly formed, which are energetically most favorable according to density functional theory calculations. However, control over the silicide length remains a challenge.
FDCNet: Frontend-Backend Fusion Dilated Network Through Channel-Attention Mechanism
Authors: Zhang Yuqian , Li Guohui , Lei Jun , He Jiayu
Published: August 2019

Crowd counting has attracted much attention in computer vision owing to its fundamental contribution in public security. But due to occlusions, perspective distortions, scale variations, and background interference it faces a great challenge. In this paper we propose a novel model to count crowds, named FDCNet: frontend-backend fusion dilated network through channel-attention mechanism. It merges the frontend feature map with the backend feature map, achieving a fusion of various scale features without additional branches or extra subtasks. The fusion is fed into the channel-attention block to optimize the procedure and to conduct feature recalibration to use global and spatial information. Furthermore, we utilize dilated layers to obtain a high-quality density map, and the SSIM-based loss function is added to compare the local correlation between the estimated density map and the ground truth. Our FDCNet is verified in four common datasets and gets a brilliant estimation.
Approximation of Non-Linear Stress–Strain Curve for GFRP Tensile Specimens by Inverse Method
Authors: Shin Dong Seok , Kim Young Shin , Jeon Euy Sik
Published: August 2019

Studying the characteristics of materials through a finite element analysis (FEA) has various benefits; hence, many studies have been conducted to improve the reliability of the analysis results. In general, the mechanical properties used in FEA for metals and metal composites are stress–strain data obtained through tensile tests, which are used for modeling from a macroscopic perspective. While many studies have been conducted on metal materials, there are limited studies on the analysis of polymer composite materials produced through injection and special processing. In this study, existing inverse methods were applied, and an FEA was conducted to reproduce the axial displacement of the tensile specimens comprising glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP); further, errors were examined by comparing the test and analysis results. To reduce such errors, the experiment and the FEA results were analyzed through parameter optimization based on various empirical formulas. The accuracy of various inverse methods were examined and an inverse method suitable for GFRP was proposed.
Towards Unifying the Planetary Boundary Layer and Shallow Convection in CAM5 with the Eddy-Diffusivity/Mass-Flux Approach
Authors: J. Kurowski Marcin , Thrastarson Heidar Th. , Suselj Kay , Teixeira Joao
Published: August 2019

The modular structure of the boundary layer and convection parameterizations in atmospheric models have long been affecting the numerical representation of subgrid-scale motions and their mutual interactions. A promising alternative, the eddy-diffusivity/mass-flux approach (EDMF), has the potential for unifying the existing formulations into a consistent scheme and improving some of the long-standing issues. This study documents a step towards developing such a unified approach by implementing a stochastic multi-plume EDMF scheme into the Community Atmosphere Model (Version 5.0). Its performance in single-column mode is evaluated against the control parameterization and large-eddy simulation (LES) for two benchmark cases: marine and continental shallow convection. Overall, the results for the two parameterizations agree well with each other and with LES in terms of mean profiles of moist conserved variables and their vertical fluxes, as well as the updraft properties. However, systematic differences between the two schemes, especially for transient continental convection, are also documented. Using EDMF helps improve some of the parameterized features of shallow convection. In particular, for the highest tested vertical resolution, the EDMF cloud base and top heights and the vertical fluxes of energy and water are remarkably close to LES.
Fluxes of Gaseous Elemental Mercury on a Mediterranean Coastal Grassland
Authors: Polyzou Christiana , Loupa Glykeria , Trepekli Aikaterini , Rapsomanikis Spyridon
Published: August 2019

Coastal rural areas can be a source of elemental mercury, but the potential influence of their topographic and climatic particularities on gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) fluxes have not been investigated extensively. In this study, gaseous elemental mercury was measured over Mediterranean coastal grassland located in Northern Greece from 2014 to 2015 and GEM fluxes were evaluated utilizing Monin–Obukhov similarity theory. The GEM fluxes ranged from –50.30 to 109.69 ng m−2 h−1 with a mean value equal to 10.50 ± 19.14 ng m−2 h−1. Concerning the peak events, with high positive and low negative GEM fluxes, those were recorded from the morning until the evening. Rain events were a strong contributing factor for enhanced GEM fluxes. The enhanced turbulent mixing under daytime unstable conditions led to greater evasion and positive GEM fluxes, while, during nighttime periods, the GEM evasion is lower, indicating the effect of atmospheric stability on GEM fluxes. The coastal grassland with its specific characteristics influences the GEM fluxes and this area could be characterized as a source of elemental mercury. This study is one of the rare efforts in the research community to estimate GEM fluxes in a coastal natural site based on aerodynamic gradient method.
Analysis of a Case of Supercellular Convection over Bulgaria: Observations and Numerical Simulations
Authors: Chipilski Hristo G. , Tsonevsky Ivan , Georgiev Stefan , Dimitrova Tsvetelina , Bocheva Lilia , Wang Xuguang
Published: August 2019

A long-lived supercell developed in Northwest Bulgaria on 15 May 2018 and inflicted widespread damage along its track. The first part of this article presents a detailed overview of the observed storm evolution. Doppler radar observations reveal that the storm acquired typical supercellular signatures and maintained reflectivity values in excess of 63 dBZ for more than 4 h. The thunderstorm was also analyzed through lightning observations that highlighted important characteristics of the overall supercell dynamics. In its second part, the study investigates the predictability of the severe weather outbreak. In the medium forecast ranges, the global European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ensemble indicated the presence of favorable conditions for the development of deep moist convection 4 days prior to the event. A set of three convection-allowing ensemble simulations also demonstrated that the practical predictability of the supercell was approximately 12 h, which is considerably higher than some previously reported estimates. Nevertheless, the skill of the convective forecasts appears to be limited by the presence of typical model errors, such as the timing of convection initiation and the development of spurious convective activity. The relevance of these errors to the optimal ensemble size and to the design of future convection-allowing numerical weather prediction (NWP) systems is further discussed.
The Effect of Balcony Thermal Breaks on Building Thermal and Energy Performance: Field Experiments and Energy Simulations in Chicago, IL
Authors: Susorova Irina , Stephens Brent , Skelton Benjamin
Published: August 2019

A common envelope performance problem in buildings is thermal bridging through balcony slab connections, which can be improved with the use of commercially available thermal break products. Several prior studies have used simulation-based and/or hot box test apparatus approaches to quantify the likely effect of balcony thermal breaks on effective thermal resistance of building enclosures. However, in-situ measurements of thermal performance in real buildings remain limited to date. This study uses a combination of field measurements and models to investigate the effects of installing balcony thermal breaks on the interior surface temperatures, effective thermal resistance, and annual building energy consumption. For the field experiment, yearlong measurements were conducted on the 13th floor of a 14-story multi-family building in Chicago, IL, in which thermocouple sensors were embedded into eight balconies and their adjacent interior floor slabs just before concrete was poured to complete the construction. The eight balconies included four control balconies without thermal breaks and four thermally-broken balconies with a commercially available thermal break product installed. The experimental data were then combined with 2-D heat transfer modeling and whole building energy simulations to investigate the impacts of the thermal break product installation on the envelope thermal resistance and overall energy use in the case study building as well as in several more generic building designs with simpler geometries. The results demonstrate that although the balcony thermal breaks helped regulate interior slab temperatures and improved the effective thermal resistance of the curtain wall enclosure assembly by an estimated ~14% in the case study building, the predicted effect on annual energy consumption in all modeled building types was small (i.e., less than 2%). The results also highlight the importance of paying careful attention to envelope design details when using thermal break products and considering the use of thermal break products in combination with other energy efficiency strategies to achieve high performance enclosures.
Novel Biomarkers for Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy
Authors: Shindo Yoshitaro , Hazama Shoichi , Tsunedomi Ryouichi , Suzuki Nobuaki , Nagano Hiroaki
Published: August 2019

Cancer immunotherapy has emerged as a novel and effective treatment strategy for several types of cancer. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have recently demonstrated impressive clinical benefit in some advanced cancers. Nonetheless, in the majority of patients, the successful use of ICIs is limited by a low response rate, high treatment cost, and treatment-related toxicity. Therefore, it is necessary to identify predictive and prognostic biomarkers to select the patients who are most likely to benefit from, and respond well to, these therapies. In this review, we summarize the evidence for candidate biomarkers of response to cancer immunotherapy.
Disulfiram Overcomes Cisplatin Resistance in Human Embryonal Carcinoma Cells
Authors: Schmidtova Silvia , Kalavska Katarina , Gercakova Katarina , Cierna Zuzana , Miklikova Svetlana , Smolkova Bozena , Buocikova Verona , Miskovska Viera , Durinikova Erika , Burikova Monika , Chovanec Michal , Matuskova Miroslava , Mego Michal , Kucerova Lucia
Published: August 2019

Cisplatin resistance in testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) is a clinical challenge. We investigated the underlying mechanisms associated with cancer stem cell (CSC) markers and modalities circumventing the chemoresistance. Chemoresistant models (designated as CisR) of human embryonal carcinoma cell lines NTERA-2 and NCCIT were derived and characterized using flow cytometry, gene expression, functional and protein arrays. Tumorigenicity was determined on immunodeficient mouse model. Disulfiram was used to examine chemosensitization of resistant cells. ALDH1A3 isoform expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 216 patients’ tissue samples. Chemoresistant cells were significantly more resistant to cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin compared to parental cells. NTERA-2 CisR cells exhibited altered morphology and increased tumorigenicity. High ALDH1A3 expression and increased ALDH activity were detected in both refractory cell lines. Disulfiram in combination with cisplatin showed synergy for NTERA-2 CisR and NCCIT CisR cells and inhibited growth of NTERA-2 CisR xenografts. Significantly higher ALDH1A3 expression was detected in TGCTs patients’ tissue samples compared to normal testicular tissue. We characterized novel clinically relevant model of chemoresistant TGCTs, for the first time identified the ALDH1A3 as a therapeutic target in TGCTs and more importantly, showed that disulfiram represents a viable treatment option for refractory TGCTs.
A Mouse Model to Assess STAT3 and STAT5A/B Combined Inhibition in Health and Disease Conditions
Authors: Moll Herwig P. , Mohrherr Julian , Blaas Leander , Musteanu Monica , Stiedl Patricia , Grabner Beatrice , Zboray Katalin , König Margit , Stoiber Dagmar , Rülicke Thomas , Strehl Sabine , Eferl Robert , Casanova Emilio
Published: August 2019

Genetically-engineered mouse models (GEMMs) lacking diseased-associated gene(s) globally or in a tissue-specific manner represent an attractive tool with which to assess the efficacy and toxicity of targeted pharmacological inhibitors. Stat3 and Stat5a/b transcription factors have been implicated in several pathophysiological conditions, and pharmacological inhibition of both transcription factors has been proposed to treat certain diseases, such as malignancies. To model combined inhibition of Stat3 and Stat5a/b we have developed a GEMM harboring a flox Stat3-Stat5a/b allele (Stat5/3loxP/loxP mice) and generated mice lacking Stat3 and Stat5a/b in hepatocytes (Stat5/3Δhep/Δhep). Stat5/3Δhep/Δhep mice exhibited a marked reduction of STAT3, STAT5A and STAT5B proteins in the liver and developed steatosis, a phenotype that resembles mice lacking Stat5a/b in hepatocytes. In addition, embryonic deletion of Stat3 and Stat5a/b (Stat5/3Δ/Δ mice) resulted in lethality, similar to Stat3Δ/Δ mice. This data illustrates that Stat5/3loxP/loxP mice are functional and can be used as a valuable tool to model the combined inhibition of Stat3 and Stat5a/b in tumorigenesis and other diseases.
Keratin-14 (KRT14) Positive Leader Cells Mediate Mesothelial Clearance and Invasion by Ovarian Cancer Cells
Authors: Bilandzic Maree , Rainczuk Adam , Green Emma , Fairweather Nicole , Jobling Thomas W. , Plebanski Magdalena , Stephens Andrew N.
Published: August 2019

Epithelial ovarian cancer metastasis is driven by spheroids, which are heterogeneous cancer cell aggregates released from the primary tumour mass that passively disseminate throughout the peritoneal cavity to promote tumour spread, disease recurrence, and acquired chemoresistance. Despite their clinical importance, the molecular events that control spheroid attachment and invasion into underlying healthy tissues remain poorly understood. We examined a novel in vitro invasion model using imaging mass spectrometry to establish a “snapshot” of the spheroid/mesothelial interface. Amongst numerous adhesion-related proteins, we identified a sub-population of highly motile, invasive cells that expressed the basal epithelial marker KRT14 as an absolute determinant of invasive potential. The loss of KRT14 completely abrogated the invasive capacity, but had no impact on cell viability or proliferation, suggesting an invasion-specific role. Our data demonstrate KRT14 cells as an ovarian cancer “leader cell” phenotype underlying tumor invasion, and suggest their importance as a clinically relevant target in directed anti-tumour therapies.
Targeted Gene Next-Generation Sequencing Panel in Patients with Advanced Lung Adenocarcinoma: Paving the Way for Clinical Implementation
Authors: Fernandes Maria Gabriela O. , Jacob Maria , Martins Natália , Moura Conceição Souto , Guimarães Susana , Reis Joana Pereira , Justino Ana , Pina Maria João , Cirnes Luís , Sousa Catarina , Pinto Josué , Marques José Agostinho , Machado José Carlos , Hespanhol Venceslau , Costa José Luis
Published: August 2019

Identification of targetable molecular changes is essential for selecting appropriate treatment in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma. Methods: In this study, a Sanger sequencing plus Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) sequential approach was compared with a Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)-based approach for the detection of actionable genomic mutations in an experimental cohort (EC) of 117 patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma. Its applicability was assessed in small biopsies and cytology specimens previously tested for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) mutational status, comparing the molecular changes identified and the impact on clinical outcomes. Subsequently, an NGS-based approach was applied and tested in an implementation cohort (IC) in clinical practice. Using Sanger and FISH, patients were classified as EGFR-mutated (n = 22, 18.8%), ALK-mutated (n = 9, 7.7%), and unclassifiable (UC) (n = 86, 73.5%). Retesting the EC with NGS led to the identification of at least one gene variant in 56 (47.9%) patients, totaling 68 variants among all samples. Still, in the EC, combining NGS plus FISH for ALK, patients were classified as 23 (19.7%) EGFR; 20 (17.1%) KRAS; five (4.3%) B-Raf proto-oncogene (BRAF); one (0.9%) Erb-B2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinase 2 (ERBB2); one (0.9%) STK11; one (0.9%) TP53, and nine (7.7%) ALK mutated. Only 57 (48.7%) remained genomically UC, reducing the UC rate by 24.8%. Fourteen (12.0%) patients presented synchronous alterations. Concordance between NGS and Sanger for EGFR status was very high (κ = 0.972; 99.1%). In the IC, a combined DNA and RNA NGS panel was used in 123 patients. Genomic variants were found in 79 (64.2%). In addition, eight (6.3%) EML4-ALK, four (3.1%), KIF5B-RET, four (3.1%) CD74-ROS1, one (0.8%) TPM3-NTRK translocations and three (2.4%) exon 14 skipping MET Proto-Oncogene (MET) mutations were detected, and 36% were treatable alterations. Conclusions: This study supports the use of NGS as the first-line test for genomic profiling of patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma.
What’s in a Name?—A Short History of Coordination Chemistry from Then to Now
Authors: Constable Edwin
Published: August 2019

This article traces the development of coordination chemistry and shows how progress in the science has been paralleled by the development of a vocabulary and nomenclature to describe new concepts, structural features and compound types.
Google Web and Image Search Visibility Data for Online Store
Authors: Strzelecki Artur
Published: August 2019

This data descriptor describes Google search engine visibility data. The visibility of a domain name in a search engine comes from search engine optimization and can be evaluated based on four data metrics and five data dimensions. The data metrics are the following: Clicks volume (1), impressions volume (2), click-through ratio (3), and ranking position (4). Data dimensions are as follows: queries that are entered into search engines that trigger results with the researched domain name (1), page URLs from research domains which are available in the search engine results page (2), country of origin of search engine visitors (3), type of device used for the search (4), and date of the search (5). Search engine visibility data were obtained from the Google search console for the international online store, which is visible in 240 countries and territories for a period of 15 months. The data contain 123 K clicks and 4.86 M impressions for the web search and 22 K clicks and 9.07 M impressions for the image search. The proposed method for obtaining data can be applied in any other area, not only in the e-commerce industry.
The Effects of Low-Dose Irradiation on Human Saliva: A Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Study
Authors: Colceriu-Șimon Ioana Maria , Hedeșiu Mihaela , Toma Valentin , Armencea Gabriel , Moldovan Alin , Știufiuc Gabriela , Culic Bogdan , Țărmure Viorica , Dinu Cristian , Berindan-Neagoe Ioana , Știufiuc Rareș Ionuț , Băciuț Mihaela
Published: August 2019

Biological effects of low-dose ionizing radiation (IR) have been unclear until now. Saliva, because of the ease of collection, could be valuable in studying low-dose IR effects by means of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The objective of our study was to compare the salivary SER spectra recorded before and after low-dose IR exposure in the case of pediatric patients (PP). Unstimulated saliva was collected from ten PP before and after irradiation with a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) machine used for diagnostic purposes. The SERS measurements have been recorded on dried saliva samples using a solid nanosilver plasmonic substrate synthesized using an original method developed in our laboratory. The experimental results showed that salivary SER spectra are dominated by three vibrational bands (441,735 and 2107 cm−1) that can be assigned to bending and stretching vibrations of salivary thiocyanate (SCN-). After exposure, an immediate increase of vibrational bands assigned to SCN- has been recorded in the case of all samples, probably as a result of IR interaction with oral cavity. This finding suggests that SCN- could be used as a valuable biomarker for the detection and identification of low-dose radiation effects.
Extreme Learning Machines to Combat Phase Noise in RoF-OFDM Schemes
Authors: Zabala-Blanco David , Mora Marco , Azurdia-Meza Cesar A. , Dehghan Firoozabadi Ali
Published: August 2019

Radio-over-fiber (RoF) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems have been revealed as the solution to support secure, cost-effective, and high-capacity wireless access for the future telecommunication systems. Unfortunately, the bandwidth-distance product in these schemes is mainly limited by phase noise that comes from the laser linewidth, as well as the chromatic fiber dispersion. On the other hand, the single-hidden layer feedforward neural network subject to the extreme learning machine (ELM) algorithm has been widely studied in regression and classification problems for different research fields, because of its good generalization performance and extremely fast learning speed. In this work, ELMs in the real and complex domains for direct-detection OFDM-based RoF schemes are proposed for the first time. These artificial neural networks are based on the use of pilot subcarriers as training samples and data subcarriers as testing samples, and consequently, their learning stages occur in real-time without decreasing the effective transmission rate. Regarding the feasible pilot-assisted equalization method, the effectiveness and simplicity of the ELM algorithm in the complex domain are highlighted by evaluation of a QPSK-OFDM signal over an additive white Gaussian noise channel at diverse laser linewidths and chromatic fiber dispersion effects and taking into account several OFDM symbol periods. Considering diverse relationships between the fiber transmission distance and the radio frequency (for practical design purposes) and the duration of a single OFDM symbol equal to 64 ns, the fully-complex ELM followed by the real ELM outperform the pilot-based correction channel in terms of the system performance tolerance against the signal-to-noise ratio and the laser linewidth.
Preliminary Classification of the ABC Transporter Family in Betula halophila and Expression Patterns in Response to Exogenous Phytohormones and Abiotic Stresses
Authors: An Linjun , Ma Qing , Du Jinxia , Yu Miao , Li Fangrui , Luan Jiayu , Jiang Jing , Li Huiyu
Published: August 2019

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters comprise a transport system superfamily which is ubiquitous in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. In plants, ABC transporters play important roles in hormone transport and stress tolerance. In this study, 15 BhABC transporters encoded by genes identified from the transcriptome of Betula halophila were categorized into four subfamilies (ABCB, ABCF, ABCG, and ABCI) using structural domain and phylogenetic analyses. Upon B. halophila exposure to exogenous phytohormones and abiotic stressors, gene expression patterns and transcriptional responses for each subfamily of genes were obtained using semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis. The results demonstrated that expression of most genes belonging to ABCB and ABCG subfamilies changed in response to exogenous phytohormone exposures and abiotic stress. These results suggest that BhABC genes may participate in hormone transport and that their expression may be influenced by ABA-dependent signaling pathways involved in abiotic stress responses to various stressors.
Maternal Haplotypes in DHFR Promoter and MTHFR Gene in Tuning Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Onset-Latency: Genetic/Epigenetic Mother/Child Dyad Study (GEMCDS)
Authors: Tisato Veronica , Muggeo Paola , Lupiano Tracy , Longo Giovanna , Serino Maria Luisa , Grassi Massimo , Arcamone Ermanno , Secchiero Paola , Zauli Giorgio , Santoro Nicola , Gemmati Donato
Published: August 2019

Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) peaks around age 2–4, and in utero genetic epigenetic mother-fetus crosstalk might tune ALL onset during childhood life. Folate genes variably interact with vitamin status on ALL risk and prognosis. We investigated DHFR and MTHFR gene variants in 235 ALL children and their mothers to disclose their role in determining ALL onset age and survival. Pyrosequence of DHFR 19bp ins/del (rs70991108; W/D), MTHFR C677T (rs1801133; C>T), and MTHFR A1298C (rs1801131; A>C) was assessed in children and in 72% of mothers for dyad-analysis comparison. DHFR DD-children had delayed ALL onset compared to WW-children (7.5 ± 4.8 vs. 5.2 ± 3.7 years; P = 0.002) as well as MTHFR 1298 CC-children compared to AA-children (8.03 ± 4.8 vs. 5.78 ± 4.1 years; P = 0.006), and according to the strong linkage disequilibrium between MTHFR 677 T-allele and 1298C-allele, MTHFR TT-children showed early mean age of onset though not significant. Offspring of MTHFR 677 TT-mothers had earlier ALL onset compared to offspring of 677 CC-mothers (5.4 ± 3.3 vs. 7 ± 5.3 years; P = 0.017). DHFR/MTHFR 677 polymorphism combination influenced onset age by comparing DD/CC vs. WW/TT children (8.1 ± 5.7 vs. 4.7 ± 2.1 years; P = 0.017). Moreover, mother-child genotype combination gave 5.5-years delayed onset age in favor of DD-offspring of 677 CC-mothers vs. WW-offspring of 677 TT-mothers, and it was further confirmed including any D-carrier children and any 677 T-carrier mothers (P = 0.00052). Correction for multiple comparisons maintained statistical significance for DHFR ins/del and MTHFR A1298C polymorphisms. Unexpectedly, among the very-early onset group (<2.89 years; 25th), DD-genotype inversely clustered in children and mothers (4.8% vs. 23.8% respectively), and accordingly ALL offspring of homozygous DD-mothers had increased risk to have early-onset (adjusted OR (odds ratio) = 3.08; 1.1–8.6; P = 0.03). The opposite effect DHFR promoter variant has in tuning ALL onset-time depending on who is the carrier (i.e., mother or child) might suggest a parent-origin-effect of the D-allele or a two-faced epigenetic role driven by unbalanced folate isoform availability during the in-utero leukemogenesis responsible for the wide postnatal childhood ALL latency.
DNA Testing Reveals the Putative Identity of JB55, a 19th Century Vampire Buried in Griswold, Connecticut
Authors: Daniels-Higginbotham Jennifer , Gorden Erin M. , Farmer Stephanie K. , Spatola Brian , Damann Franklin , Bellantoni Nicholas , Gagnon Katie S. , de la Puente Maria , Xavier Catarina , Walsh Susan , Parson Walther , McMahon Timothy P. , Marshall Charla
Published: August 2019

In 1990 in Griswold, Connecticut, archaeologists excavated a burial found in a “skull and crossbones” orientation. The lid of the 19th century coffin had brass tacks that spelled “JB55”, the initials of the person lying there and age at death. JB55 had evidence of chronic pulmonary infection, perhaps tuberculosis. It is possible that JB55 was deemed a vampire due to his disease, and therefore had to be “killed” by mutilating his corpse. In an attempt to reveal the identity of JB55, DNA testing was performed. Ancestry informative single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis using the Precision ID Ancestry Panel indicated European ancestry. A full Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (Y-STR) profile was obtained, belonging to haplogroup R1b. When the Y-STR profile was searched in the publicly accessible FamilyTreeDNA R1b Project website, the two closest matches had the surname “Barber”. A search of historical records led to a death notice mentioning John Barber, whose son Nathan Barber was buried in Griswold in 1826. The description of Nathan Barber closely fits the burial of “NB13,” found near JB55. By applying modern forensic DNA tools to a historical mystery, the identity of JB55 as John Barber, the 19th century Connecticut vampire, has been revealed.
Blood Lead Concentrations and Antibody Levels to Measles, Mumps, and Rubella among U.S. Children
Authors: Jusko Todd A. , Singh Kyra , Greener Elizabeth A. , Oktapodas Feiler Marina , Thevenet-Morrison Kelly , Lawrence B. Paige , Wright Robert O. , Thurston Sally W.
Published: August 2019

Child blood lead concentrations have been associated with measures of immune dysregulation in nationally representative study samples. However, response to vaccination—often considered the gold standard in immunotoxicity testing—has not been examined in relation to typical background lead concentrations common among U.S. children. The present study estimated the association between blood lead concentrations and antigen-specific antibody levels to measles, mumps, and rubella in a nationally representative sample of 7005 U.S. children aged 6–17 years. Data from the 1999–2004 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were used. In the adjusted models, children with blood lead concentrations between 1 and 5 µg/dL had an 11% lower anti-measles (95% CI: −16, −5) and a 6% lower anti-mumps antibody level (95% CI: −11, −2) compared to children with blood lead concentrations <1 µg/dL. The odds of a seronegative anti-measles antibody level was approximately two-fold greater for children with blood lead concentrations between 1 and 5 µg/dL compared to children with blood lead concentrations <1 µg/dL (OR = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.4, 3.1). The adverse associations observed in the present study provide further evidence of potential immunosuppression at blood lead concentrations <5 µg/dL, the present Centers for Disease Control and Prevention action level.
Validity of Wrist-Worn Activity Trackers for Estimating VO2max and Energy Expenditure
Authors: Passler Stefanie , Bohrer Julian , Blöchinger Lukas , Senner Veit
Published: August 2019

Activity trackers are a simple and mostly low-priced method to capture physiological parameters. Despite the high number of wrist-worn devices, there is a lack of scientific validation. The purpose of this study was to assess whether the activity trackers represent a valid alternative to gold-standard methods in terms of estimating energy expenditure (EE) and maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max). Twenty-four healthy subjects participated in this study. In total, five commercially available wrist-worn devices were tested with regard to their validity of EE and/or VO2max. Estimated values were compared with indirect calorimetry. Validity of the activity trackers was determined by paired sample t-tests, mean absolute percentage errors (MAPE), Intraclass Correlation Coefficient, and Bland-Altman plots. Within the tested devices, differences in scattering in VO2max and EE could be observed. This results in a MAPE > 10% for all evaluations, except for the VO2max-estimation of the Garmin Forerunner 920XT (7.3%). The latter significantly underestimates the VO2max (t(23) = –2.37, p = 0.027), whereas the Garmin Vivosmart HR significantly overestimates the EE (t(23) = 2.44, p = 0.023). The tested devices did not show valid results concerning the estimation of VO2max and EE. Hence, the current wrist-worn activity trackers are most likely not accurate enough to be used for neither purposes in sports, nor in health care applications.
Hand Hygiene Teaching Strategies among Nursing Staff: A Systematic Review
Authors: Martos-Cabrera María B. , Mota-Romero Emilio , Martos-García Raúl , Gómez-Urquiza José L. , Suleiman-Martos Nora , Albendín-García Luis , Cañadas-De la Fuente Guillermo A.
Published: August 2019

Background: Patient safety is a priority of any healthcare system, and one of the most effective measures is hand hygiene. For this, it is important that health staff have correct adherence and perform the technique properly. Otherwise, the incidence of nosocomial infections can increase, with consequent complications. The aim here was to analyze hand hygiene training and the effectiveness of different methods and educational strategies among nurses and whether they maintained correct adherence over time. Methods: A systematic review was conducted in the sources CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), Dialnet, Lilacs (Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature), ProQuest (Proquest Health and Medical Complete), Medline, SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online), and Scopus. The search equation with Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) descriptors was “Nurs* AND (handwashing OR hand hygiene) AND clinical trial”. The review was performed following the recommendations of the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Results: n = 17 clinical trials were included, with a total of 5747 nurses and nursing students. Strategies such as reminder sounds, practical simulations, videos, and audiovisual media improved handwashing compliance. Adherence overtime increased by up to 60%. The greatest effectiveness was related to the use of povidone–iodine, which reduced colony formation compared Hand hygiene teaching strategies among nursing staff: a systematic review to soap. Conclusions: The strategies that go beyond teaching techniques such as lectures may be more effective at increasing hand hygiene compliance. Combined approaches to learning/instruction improve user satisfaction by enabling self-management, flexibility, and repetition.
Translating Urban Walkability Initiatives for Older Adults in Rural and Under-Resourced Communities
Authors: Klann Alexandra , Vu Linh , Ewing Mollie , Fenton Mark , Pojednic Rachele
Published: August 2019

The built environment can promote physical activity in older adults by increasing neighborhood walkability. While efforts to increase walkability are common in urban communities, there is limited data related to effective implementation in rural communities. This is problematic, as older adults make up a significant portion of rural inhabitants and exhibit lower levels of physical activity. Translating lessons from urban strategies may be necessary to address this disparity. This review examines best practices from urban initiatives that can be implemented in rural, resource-limited communities. The review of the literature revealed that simple, built environment approaches to increase walkability include microscale and pop-up infrastructure, municipal parks, and community gardens, which can also increase physical activity in neighborhoods for urban older adults. These simple and cost-effective strategies suggest great potential for rural communities.
Underlying Differences in Health Spending Within the World Health Organisation Europe Region—Comparing EU15, EU Post-2004, CIS, EU Candidate, and CARINFONET Countries
Authors: Jakovljevic Mihajlo , Fernandes Paula , Teixeira João , Rancic Nemanja , Timofeyev Yuriy , Reshetnikov Vladimir
Published: August 2019

This study examined the differences in health spending within the World Health Organization (WHO) Europe region by comparing the EU15, the EU post-2004, CIS, EU Candidate and CARINFONET countries. The WHO European Region (53 countries) has been divided into the following sub-groups: EU15, EU post-2004, CIS, EU Candidate countries and CARINFONET countries. The study period, based on the availability of WHO Global Health expenditure data, was 1995 to 2014. EU15 countries have exhibited the strongest growth in total health spending both in nominal and purchasing power parity terms. The dynamics of CIS members’ private sector expenditure growth as a percentage of GDP change has exceeded that of other groups. Private sector expenditure on health as a percentage of total government expenditure, has steadily the highest percentage point share among CARINFONET countries. Furthermore, private households’ out-of-pocket payments on health as a percentage of total health expenditure, has been dominated by Central Asian republics for most of the period, although, for the period 2010 to 2014, the latter have tended to converge with those of CIS countries. Western EU15 nations have shown a serious growth of health expenditure far exceeding their pace of real economic growth in the long run. There is concerning growth of private health spending among the CIS and CARINFONET nations. It reflects growing citizen vulnerability in terms of questionable affordability of healthcare. Health care investment capability has grown most substantially in the Russian Federation, Turkey and Poland being the classical examples of emerging markets.
Burden of Disease in Coastal Areas of South Korea: An Assessment Using Health Insurance Claim Data
Authors: Radnaabaatar Munkhzul , Kim Young-Eun , Go Dun-Sol , Jung Yunsun , Yoon Seok-Jun
Published: August 2019

Background: While measuring and monitoring disease morbidity, it is essential to focus on regions experiencing inequitable health outcomes, especially coastal populations. However, no research investigating population health outcomes in coastal areas has been conducted. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the burden of disease morbidity in coastal areas of South Korea. Methods: Using an administrative division map and the ArcGIS, we identified and included 496 coastal districts. In this observational study, years lived with disability (YLDs) were estimated using incidence-based approaches to calculate the burden of disease in 2015. Incidence and prevalence cases were collected using National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) medical claim data using a specialized algorithm. Results: Age-standardized years lived with disability (ASYLDs) in the coastal areas were 24,398 per 100,000 population, which is greater than the 22,613 YLDs observed nationwide. In coastal areas, the burden of disease morbidity was higher in females than in males. Diabetes mellitus was the leading specific disease of total YLDs per 100,000 population, followed by low back pain, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, osteoarthritis, and ischemic stroke. Conclusion: In this study, the coastal areas of South Korea carry a higher burden than the national population. Additionally, chronic diseases compose the majority of the health burden in coastal areas. Despite the limitation of data, YLD was the best tool available for evaluating the health outcomes in specific areas, and has the advantage of simplicity and timely analysis.
Human Blood Lead Levels and the First Evidence of Environmental Exposure to Industrial Pollutants in the Amazon
Authors: Queiroz Thaís Karolina Lisboa de , Naka Karytta Sousa , Mendes Lorena de Cássia dos Santos , Costa Brenda Natasha Souza , Jesus Iracina Maura de , Câmara Volney de Magalhães , Lima Marcelo de Oliveira
Published: August 2019

The main routes of lead (Pb) absorption are through the airways and orally, and through consumption of contaminated food and beverage, with Pb mainly being absorbed in the atmospheric particulate form. In 2012, a cross-sectional study was performed to evaluate the Pb environmental exposure in two Amazonian districts, Dom Manuel (DMN) and Laranjal (CLA), located in Barcarena City, northern Brazil. CLA is located outside the industrial area of Barcarena (control population), whereas DMN is an old community located in the vicinity of industrial activities. A significant number of residents in these districts participated in an epidemiological inquiry and blood sampling. Total Pb blood levels were quantified using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The mean Pb blood level in people that live in DMN was 281.60 (98.73–570.80) μg·L−1, approximately nine times higher than the level found in CLA (32.77 μg·L−1). In these districts, the Pb blood levels showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) based on gender, schooling, residence time, and smoking. This is the first evidence of industrial environmental pollutant exposure in the Amazon.
Work-Related Accumulated Fatigue among Doctors in Tertiary Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Six Provinces of China
Authors: Tang Changmin , Liu Chaojie , Fang Pengqian , Xiang Yuanxi , Min Rui
Published: August 2019

Objectives: “Karoshi” (death due to overwork) of doctors occurred frequently and attracted increasing attention in recent years in China. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of work-related accumulated fatigue of doctors and its associated factors in tertiary hospitals of China. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted on 1729 full-time doctors employed by 24 tertiary hospitals across eastern developed, central developing, and western underdeveloped regions of China. Accumulated fatigue was categorized into four levels using the “Self-diagnosis Checklist for Assessment of Workers’ Accumulated Fatigue” rated on a scale matrix considering both overwork and fatigue symptoms. Ordinal logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with work-related accumulated fatigue. Results: About 78.8% of respondents reported a “high level” of work-related accumulated fatigue, including 42.0% at a “very high” level. Male doctors and those aged between 30 and 45 years and who had a professional title were found to have higher levels of accumulative fatigue than others. Low salary and poor working conditions (in the western region) were also significantly associated with high levels of work-related accumulated fatigue (p < 0.05). Conclusion: High levels of work-related accumulated fatigue are prevalent in doctors working in tertiary hospitals in China. Male doctors establishing their early- and mid-careers are the high-risk group. Poor working conditions are associated with work-related accumulated fatigue.
An Update on Pharmacological Potential of Boswellic Acids against Chronic Diseases
Authors: Roy Nand Kishor , Parama Dey , Banik Kishore , Bordoloi Devivasha , Devi Amrita Khwairakpam , Thakur Krishan Kumar , Padmavathi Ganesan , Shakibaei Mehdi , Fan Lu , Sethi Gautam , Kunnumakkara Ajaikumar B.
Published: August 2019

Natural compounds, in recent years, have attracted significant attention for their use in the prevention and treatment of diverse chronic diseases as they are devoid of major toxicities. Boswellic acid (BA), a series of pentacyclic triterpene molecules, is isolated from the gum resin of Boswellia serrata and Boswellia carteri. It proved to be one such agent that has exhibited efficacy against various chronic diseases like arthritis, diabetes, asthma, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, etc. The molecular targets attributed to its wide range of biological activities include transcription factors, kinases, enzymes, receptors, growth factors, etc. The present review is an attempt to demonstrate the diverse pharmacological uses of BA, along with its underlying molecular mechanism of action against different ailments. Further, this review also discusses the roadblocks associated with the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of this promising compound and strategies to overcome those limitations for developing it as an effective drug for the clinical management of chronic diseases.
Reassessment of the Species in the Euwallacea Fornicatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) Complex after the Rediscovery of the “Lost” Type Specimen
Authors: M. Smith Sarah , F. Gomez Demian , A. Beaver Roger , Hulcr Jiri , I. Cognato Anthony
Published: August 2019

Ambrosia beetles of the Euwallacea fornicatus (Eichhoff, 1868) species complex are emerging tree pests, responsible for significant damage to orchards and ecosystems around the world. The species complex comprises seven described species, all of which are nearly identical. Given that the morphology-defined species boundaries have been ambiguous, historically, there has been much disagreement on species validity, which was compounded by the presumed loss of the type series of E. fornicatus. The species complex was recently reviewed using morphometrics to associate the type specimens to the clades delineated with molecular data under the assumption of the lost type series. We rediscovered a syntype of Xyleborus fornicatus, and reevaluated the species in the complex using morphometrics. We propose the following taxonomic changes to the species complex: Euwallacea fornicatus (=E. tapatapaoensis (Schedl, 1951); = E. whitfordiodendrus (Schedl, 1942)) syn. res.); E. fornicatior (Eggers, 1923) (=E. schultzei (Schedl, 1951) syn. nov.); E. kuroshio (Gomez and Hulcr, 2018) and E. perbrevis (Schedl, 1951) stat. res. These taxonomic changes shift the species name associated with the widely used common names for two taxa, namely: Euwallacea fornicatus should be used for the “Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer”, and E. perbrevis for the “Tea Shot Hole Borer clade a”. A lectotype is designated for X. fornicatus in order to stabilize the use of the name.