bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adjuvant chemotherapy could not bring survival benefit to HR-positive, HER2-negative, pT1b-c/N0-1/M0 invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast: a propensity score matching study based on SEER database
Authors: Hu Guangfu , Hu Guangxia , Zhang Chengjiao , Lin Xiaoyan , Shan Ming , Yu Yanmin , Lu Yongwei , Niu Ruijie , Ye Hui , Wang Cheng , Xu Cheng
Published: February 2020

Background : The benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy in invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is still unclear. The objective of the current study was to elucidate the effectiveness of adjuvant chemotherapy in hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, pT1b-c/N0-1/M0 ILC. Methods: Based on Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results (SEER) database, we identified original 12334 HR-positive, HER2-negative, pT1b-c/N0-1/M0 ILC patients, who were then divided into adjuvant chemotherapy group and control group. End-points were overall survival (OS) and breast cancer-specific mortality (BCSM). Aiming to minimize the selection bias of baseline characteristics, Propensity Score Matching (PSM) method was used. Results : In a total of 12334 patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative, pT1b-c/N0-1/M0 ILC, 1785 patients (14.5%) were allocated into adjuvant chemotherapy group and 10549 (85.5%) into control group. Used PSM, the 1785 patients in adjuvant chemotherapy group matched to the 1785 patients in control group. By Kaplan-Meier survival analyses, we observed no beneficial effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on OS in both original samples ( P =0.639) and matched samples ( P =0.962), however, ineffective or even contrary results of adjuvant chemotherapy on BCSM both in original samples (P =0.001) and in matched samples ( P= 0.002). In both original and matched multivariate Cox models, we observed ineffectiveness of adjuvant chemotherapy on OS (hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival = 0.82, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.62-1.09]; P =0.172 and HR=0.90, 95%CI [0.65-1.26]; P =0.553, respectively), unexpectedly promoting effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on BCSM (HR=2.33, 95%CI [1.47-3.67]; P =0.001 and HR=2.41, 95%CI [1.32-4.39]; P =0.004, respectively). Standard surgery was beneficial to the survival of patients. Lymph node metastasis was detrimental to survival and radiotherapy brought survival benefit in original samples, but two issues had unobvious effect in matched samples. Conclusion: In this study, adjuvant chemotherapy did not improve survival for patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative pT1b-c/N0-1/M0 ILC.
Individualized procedures for splenic artery dissection during laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy.
Authors: Wada Yusuke , Aoki Takeshi , Murakami Masahiko , Fujimori Akira , Koizumi Tomotake , Kusano Tomokazu , Matsuda Kazuhiro , Nogaki Koji , Hakozaki Tomoki , Shibata Hideki , Tomioka Kodai
Published: February 2020

[Background] There are no established standard criteria for choosing the most appropriate procedure of splenic artery dissection during laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP). The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical benefits of individualized procedures for splenic artery dissection during LDP based on the variations in arterial structure visualized on preoperative three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT).
[Methods] Patients who underwent LDP following 3D-CT at a single center were retrospectively evaluated. 3D-CT images were used to construct virtual 3D laparoscopic images for surgical planning. The splenic artery was classified into two major anatomic types: type S that curves and runs suprapancreatic and type D that runs straight and dorsal to the pancreas. Splenic artery dissection was planned according to these two variations, with type S dissected using an suprapancreatic approach and type D using a dorsal approach.
[Results] Type-specific dissection was applied for 30 patients: 25 (83%) with type S and 5 (17%) with type D splenic artery anatomies. In 25 (83%) patients, the splenic artery was successfully dissected using the planned surgical procedure, whereas the surgical plan had to be altered in 5 cases (17%) due to difficulty in dissecting the splenic artery.
[Conclusion] The individualized procedures for splenic artery dissection according to anatomic variations visualized on 3D-CT images can help improve the success and safety of LDP.
Biocontrol of tomato bacterial wilt by the new strain Bacillus velezensis FJAT-46737 and its lipopeptides
Authors: Chen Meichun , Author) Jieping Wang(New Corresponding , Author) Bo Liu(Former Corresponding , Zhu Yujing , Xiao Rongfeng , Yang Wenjing , Ge Cibin , Chen Zheng
Published: February 2020

Background: There is an urgent need to discover alternative antimicrobial agents to control bacterial wilt. This study reports on a new lipopeptide-producing biocontrol strain FJAT-46737 and explores its lipopeptidic compounds, and this study investigates the antagonistic effects of these compounds. Results: Based on a whole genome sequence analysis, the new strain FJAT-46737 was identified as Bacillus velezensis, and seven gene clusters responsible for the synthesis of bioactive secondary metabolites in FJAT-46737 were predicted. The antimicrobial results demonstrated that FJAT-46737 exhibited broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities in vitro against three bacteria and three fungi. Pot experiments showed that the control efficiencies for tomato bacterial wilt of the whole cultures, the 2-fold diluted supernatants and the crude lipopeptide of FJAT-46737 were 66.2%, 82.0%, and 96.2%, respectively. The above results suggested that one of the antagonistic mechanisms of FJAT-46737 was the secretion of lipopeptides consisting of iturins, fengycins and surfactins. The crude lipopeptides had significant antagonistic activities against several pathogens (including Ralstonia solanacearum, Escherichia coli and Fusarium oxysporum) and fengycins were the major antibacterial components of the lipopeptides against R. solanacearum in vitro. Furthermore, the rich organic nitrogen sources (especially yeast extracts) in the media promoted the production of fengycin and surfactin by FJAT-46737. The secretion of these two lipopeptides was related to temperature fluctuations, with the fengycin content decreasing by 96.6% and the surfactins content increasing by 59.9% from 20 oC to 40 oC. The optimal temperature for lipopeptide production by FJAT-46737 varied between 20 oC and 25oC. Conclusions: The B. velezensis strain FJAT-46737 and its lipopeptides represent new sources of potential biocontrol agents against plant pathogens, especially the bacterial wilt pathogen R. solanacearum.
Genomic measures of inbreeding coefficients and genome-wide scan for runs of homozygosity islands in Iranian river buffalo, Bubalus bubalis
Authors: Ghoreishifar Seyed Mohammad , Moradi-Shahrbabak Hossein , Fallahi Mohammad Hossein , Sarghale Ali Jalil , Moradi-Shahrbabak Mohammad , Abdollahi-Arpanahi Rostam , Khansefid Majid
Published: February 2020

Background: Consecutive homozygous fragments of a genome inherited by offspring from a common ancestor are known as runs of homozygosity (ROH). ROH can be used to calculate genomic inbreeding and to identify genomic regions that are potentially under historical selection pressure. The dataset of our study consisted of 254 Azeri (AZ) and 115 Khuzestani (KHZ ) river buffalo genotyped for ~65000 SNPs for the following two purposes: 1) to estimate and compare inbreeding calculated using ROH (FROH), excess of homozygosity (FHOM), correlation between uniting gametes (FUNI), and diagonal elements of the genomic relationship matrix (FGRM); 2) to identify frequently occurring ROH (i.e. ROH islands) for our selection signature and gene enrichment studies. Results: In this study, 9102 ROH were identified, with an average number of 21.2±13.1 and 33.2±15.9 segments per animal in AZ and KHZ breeds, respectively. On average in AZ, 4.35% (108.8±120.3 Mb), and in KHZ, 5.96% (149.1±107.7 Mb) of the genome was autozygous. The estimated inbreeding values based on FHOM, FUNI and FGRM were higher in AZ than they were in KHZ, which was in contrast to the FROH estimates. We identified 11 ROH islands (four in AZ and seven in KHZ). In the KHZ breed, the genes located in ROH islands were enriched for multiple Gene Ontology (GO) terms (P≤0.05). The genes located in ROH islands were associated with diverse biological functions and traits such as body size and muscle development (BMP2), immune response (CYP27B1), milk production and components (MARS, ADRA1A, and KCTD16), coat colour and pigmentation (PMEL and MYO1A), reproductive traits (INHBC, INHBE, STAT6 and PCNA), and bone development (SUOX). Conclusion: The calculated FROH was in line with expected higher inbreeding in KHZ than in AZ because of the smaller effective population size of KHZ. Thus, we find that FROH can be used as a robust estimate of genomic inbreeding. Further, the majority of ROH peaks were overlapped with or in close proximity to the previously reported genomic regions with signatures of selection. This tells us that it is likely that the genes in the ROH islands have been subject to artificial or natural selection.
­Transcriptome profiling of non-climacteric ‘Yellow’ melon during ripening: insights on sugar metabolism
Authors: Schemberger Michelle Orane , Stroka Marília Aparecida , Reis Letícia , Los Kamila Karoline de Souza , de Araujo Gillize Aparecida Telles , Sfeir Michelle Zibetti Tadra , Galvão Carolina Weigert , Etto Rafael Mazer , Baptistão Amanda Regina Godoy , Ayub Ricardo Antonio
Published: February 2020

Background: The non-climacteric ‘Yellow’ melon ( Cucumis melo , inodorus group) is an economically important crop and its quality is mainly determined by the sugar content. Thus, knowledge of sugar metabolism and its related pathways can contribute to the development of new field management and post-harvest practices, making it possible to deliver better quality fruits to consumers. Results: The RNA-seq associated with RT-qPCR analyses of four maturation stages were performed to identify important enzymes and pathways that are involved in the ripening profile of non-climacteric ‘Yellow’ melon fruit focusing on sugar metabolism. We identified 895 genes 10 days after pollination (DAP)-biased and 909 genes 40 DAP-biased. The KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of these differentially expressed (DE) genes revealed that ‘hormone signal transduction’, ‘carbon metabolism’, ‘sucrose metabolism’, ‘protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum’ and ‘spliceosome’ were the most differentially regulated processes occurring during melon development. In the sucrose metabolism, five DE genes are up-regulated and twelve are down-regulated during fruit ripening. Conclusions: The results demonstrated important enzymes in the sugar pathway that are responsible for the sucrose content and maturation profile in non-climacteric ‘Yellow’ melon. New DE genes were first detected for melon in this study such as invertase inhibitor LIKE 3 ( CmINH3 ), trehalose phosphate phosphatase ( CmTPP1 ) and trehalose phosphate synthases ( CmTPS5 , CmTPS7 , CmTPS9 ). Furthermore, the results of the protein-protein network interaction demonstrated general characteristics of the transcriptome of young and full-ripe melon and provide new perspectives for the understanding of ripening.
Stigma and discrimination: barriers to the utilisation of a nutritional program in HIV care services in the Tigray region, Ethiopia.
Authors: Tesfay Fisaha , Javanparast Sara , Mwanri Lillian , Ziersch Anna
Published: February 2020

Background: In Ethiopia, stigmatising attitudes towards people living with HIV have reduced over time due to improved HIV knowledge and the expansion of services. However, HIV stigma and discrimination remain a key challenge and have negative impacts on access to and utilisation of HIV services including nutritional programs. A small number of studies have examined the experience of stigma related to nutritional programs, but this is limited. This study explored HIV status disclosure and experience of stigma related to a nutritional program in HIV care settings in Ethiopia and impacts on nutritional program utilisation.
Methods: As part of a larger study, qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 adults living with HIV, 15 caregivers of children living with HIV and 13 program staff working in the nutritional program in three hospitals in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Framework thematic analysis using NVivo was employed to analyse the data.
Results: The study found varying levels of positive HIV status disclosure, depending on who the target of disclosure was. Disclosing to family members was reported to be less problematic by most participants. Despite reported benefits of the nutritional program in terms of improving weight and overall health status, adults and caregivers of children living with HIV revealed experiences of stigma and discrimination that were amplified by enrolment to the nutritional program. This was due to: a) transporting, consuming and disposing of the nutritional support itself, which is associated with HIV in the broader community; b) required increased frequency of visits to HIV services for those enrolled in the nutritional program and associated.
Conclusion: There was evidence of concerns about HIV-related stigma and discrimination among individuals enrolled in this program and their family members, which in turn negatively affected the utilisation of the nutritional program. Stigma and discrimination are a source of health inequity and undermine access to the nutritional program. Nutritional programs in HIV care should include strategies to take these concerns into account by mainstreaming stigma prevention and mitigation activities. Further research should be done to identify innovative ways of facilitating social inclusion to mitigate stigma and improve utilisation.
Deep learning improves the ability of sgRNA off-target propensity prediction
Authors: Liu Qiaoyue , Cheng Xiang , Liu Gan , Li Bohao , Liu Xiuqin
Published: February 2020

Background
CRISPR/Cas9 system, as the third-generation genome editing technology, has been widely applied in target gene repair and gene expression regulation. Selection of appropriate sgRNA can improve the on-target knockout efficacy of CRISPR/Cas9 system with high sensitivity and specificity. However, when CRISPR/Cas9 system is operating, unexpected cleavage may occur at some sites, known as off-target. Presently, a number of prediction methods have been developed to predict the off-target propensity of sgRNA at specific DNA fragment. Most of them use artificial feature extraction operations and machine learning techniques to obtain off-target scores. With the rapid expansion of off-target data and the rapid development of deep learning theory, the existing prediction methods can no longer satisfy the prediction accuracy at the clinical level.
Results
Here, we propose a prediction method named CnnCrispr to predict the off-target propensity of sgRNA at specific DNA fragments. CnnCrispr automatically trains the sequence features of sgRNA-DNA pairs with GloVe model, and embeds the trained word vector matrix into the deep learning model including biLSTM and CNN with five hidden layers. We conducted performance verification on the data set provided by DeepCrispr, and found that the auROC and auPRC in the "leave-one-sgRNA-out" cross validation could reach 0.957 and 0.429 respectively (the pearson value and spearman value could reach 0.495 and 0.151 respectively under the same settings).
Conclusion
Our results show that CnnCrispr has better classification and regression performance than the existing states-of-art models. The code of CnnCrispr can be freely downloaded from https://github.com/LQYoLH/CnnCrispr.
Sex differences in campylobacteriosis incidence rates at different ages - a seven country, multi-year, meta-analysis. A potential mechanism for the infection.
Authors: Green Manfred S , Schwartz Naama , Peer Victoria
Published: February 2020

Background. There is evidence of an excess of males in the incidence rates of campylobacteriois. The objectives of this study were to determine whether these observations differ between age groups and are consistent over different countries and during different time periods.
Methods. We obtained data on incidence rates of campylobacteriosis by sex and age group over a period of 11-26 years from seven countries. Male to female incidence rate ratios (IRR) were computed by age group, country and time period. For each age group, we used meta-analytic methods to combine the IRRs. Sensitivity analysis was used to test whether the results are robust to differences between countries and time periods. Meta-regression was conducted to estimate the different effects of age, country, and time period on the IRR.
Results. In the age groups <1, 1-4, 5-9, 10-14, 15-44, 45-64 and 65+ years old, the pooled IRRs (with 95% CI) were 1.31 (1.26-1.37), 1.34 (1.31-1.37), 1.35 (1.32-1.38), 1.73 (1.68-1.79), 1.10 (1.08-1.12), 1.19(1.17-1.21) and 1.27 (1.24-1.30), respectively. For each age group, the excess campylobacteriosis incidence rates in males differed at different age groups. However, despite some quantitative differences between countries, the excess was consistently present over long time-periods. In meta-regression analysis, age group was responsible for almost all the variation in the IRRs.
Conclusions. The male predominance in campylobacteriosis incidence rates starts in infancy. This suggests that this is due, at least in part, to physiological or genetic differences and not just behavioural factors. These findings can provide clues to the mechanisms of the infection and could lead to more targeted treatments and vaccine development.
Genome-wide association study (GWAS) reveals genetic loci of lead (Pb) tolerance during seedling establishment in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)
Authors: Zhang Fugui , Xiao Xin , Xu Kun , Cheng Xi , Xie Ting , Hu Jihong , Wu Xiaoming
Published: February 2020

Background

Lead (Pb) pollution in soil has become one of the major environmental threats to plant growth and human health. Safe utilization of Pb contaminated soil by phytoremediation require Pb tolerant rapeseed ( Brassica napus L.) accessions. However, breeding of new B. napus cultivars tolerance to Pb stress has been restricted by limited knowledge on molecular mechanisms involved in Pb tolerance. This work was carried out to identify genetic loci related to Pb tolerance during seedling establishment in rapeseed.

Results

Pb tolerance, which was assessed by quantifying radicle length (RL) under 0 or 100 mg/L Pb stress condition, shown an extensive variation in 472 worldwide-collected rapeseed accessions. Based on the criterion of relative RL>80%, six Pb tolerant genotypes were selected. Four quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with Pb tolerance were identified by Genome-wide association study. The expression level of nine promising candidate genes, including GSTUs , BCATs , UBP13 , TBR and HIPP01 , located in these four QTL regions, were significantly higher or induced by Pb in Pb tolerant accessions in comparison to Pb sensitive accessions.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, this is the first study on Pb tolerant germplasms and genomic loci in B. napus . The findings can provide valuable genetic resources for the breeding of Pb tolerant B. napus cultivar and understanding of Pb tolerance mechanism in Brassica species.
Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal in the Surface Sediment at the Drinking Water Source of the Xiangjiang River in South China
Authors: Huang Zhifeng , Liu Chengyou , Zhao Xingru , Dong Jing , Zheng Binghui
Published: February 2020

Background: The Xiangjiang River is an important drinking water resource for the Hunan province of China. It is crucial to ascertain the pollution status, influencing factors, ecological risks, and possible sources of heavy metals in the sediments of the Xiangjiang River. Sediment is both a source and a sink of heavy metals in aquatic ecosystems. In this study, surface sediment was collected from the Zhuzhou Reach of the Xiangjiang River and eight heavy metals were investigated. Results: In all sediment samples, all eight heavy metals were detected and their average concentration fell in the order of Zn > Pb > As > Cu > Cr > Ni > Cd > Co. Assessment shows extremely serious Cd pollution and a very high potential ecological risk from Cd. According to correlation analysis and principle component analysis (PCA), As, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn originate from industrial wastewater and mineral smelting activities, whereas Co, Cr, and Ni come from natural sources. Redundancy analysis (RDA) reveals that the organic matter content and the particle size of the sediment have some influence on the enrichment of heavy metals. Conclusion: Among all eight examined heavy metals in the surveyed area, the content of Zn, Pb, and As is the highest, and that of Cd and Co is the lowest. Despite a low level of absolute content, the Cd in sediment already renders a high ecological risk and thus calls for urgent attention. Anthropogenic activities are the main source of heavy metals in the sediment. The distribution of heavy metals is also influenced by sediment properties. The results provide guidance for controlling heavy metal pollution and protecting drinking water sources in the Xiangjiang River.
Validity, reliability and feasibility of assessment of cilinical reasoning of medical students by observation versus post encounter assessment in a clinical practice setting.
Authors: Haring Catharina Maria , Klaarwater Claudia , Bouwmans Geert , Cools Bernadette , Gurp Petra van , Meer Jos van der , Postma Cornelis
Published: February 2020

Background The assessment of clinical reasoning by medical students in clinical practice is very difficult. Partly this is because the fundamental mechanisms of clinical reasoning are difficult to uncover and when known, hard to observe and interpret. Methods We developed an observation tool to assess the clinical reasoning ability of medical students during clinical practice. The observation tool consists of an 11-item observation rating form. The validity, reliability and feasibility of this tool were verified among medical students during the internal medicine clerkship and compared to an existing post-encounter rating tool. Results Six raters assessed each, the same 15 student-patient encounters. The internal consistency (Cronbach’s alfa) for the observation rating tool (ORT) was 0.87 (0.71-0.84) and the 5-item post encounter rating tool (PERT) was 0.81 (0.71-0.87). The intraclass-correlation coefficient for single measurements was poor for both the ORT; 0.32 (p<0.001) as well as the PERT; 0.36 (p<0.001). The generalizability study (G-study) and decision study (D-study) showed that 6 raters are required to achieve a G-coefficient of > 0.7 for the ORT and 7 raters for the PERT. The largest sources of variance are the interaction between raters and students. There was a correlation between the ORT and PERT of 0.53 (p=0.04) Conclusions The ORT and PERT are both feasible, valid and reliable instruments to assess students’ clinical reasoning skills in clinical practice.
Effect of community active case-finding strategies for detection of tuberculosis in Cambodia: study protocol for a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial
Authors: Teo Alvin Kuo Jing , Prem Kiesha , Evdokimov Konstantin , Ork Chetra , Eng Sothearith , Tuot Sovannary , Chry Monyrath , Mao Tan Eang , Hsu Li Yang , Yi Siyan
Published: February 2020

• Background: Cambodia has made notable progress in the fight against tuberculosis (TB). However, these gains are impeded by a significant proportion of undiagnosed cases. To effectively reach people with TB, active case finding (ACF) strategies have been adopted by countries affected by the epidemic, including Cambodia, alongside passive case finding (PCF). Despite increased efforts to improve case detection, approximately 40% of TB cases in Cambodia remained undiagnosed in 2018. In Cambodia, several community-based TB ACF modalities have been implemented, but their effectiveness has yet to be systematically assessed.• Methods: This pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial will be conducted between December 2019 and June 2021. We will randomize eight operational districts (cluster) in seven provinces (Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom, Prey Veng, Thbong Khmum, Kampong Chhnang, Kandal, and Kampong Speu) to either the control group (PCF) or the intervention groups (ACF using a seed-and-recruit model, ACF targeting household and neighborhood contacts, and ACF targeting persons aged ≥55 using mobile screening units). The primary endpoints will be TB case notification rates, additionality, and cumulative yield of TB cases. The secondary endpoints include treatment outcomes, the number needed to screen to find one TB case, and cost-effectiveness outcome measures. We will analyze the primary and secondary endpoints by intention-to-treat. We will compare cluster and individual-level characteristics using student’s t-test and hierarchical or mixed-effect models to estimate the ratio of these means. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio per disability-adjusted life year averted will also be considered as a benchmark to determine if the interventions are cost-effective.• Discussion: This study will build an evidence base to inform future scale-up, implementation, and sustainability of ACF strategies in Cambodia and other similar settings. Implementation of this study will also complement TB control strategies in Cambodia by conducting ACF in operational districts without active interventions to find TB cases currently. Those who are ill and might have TB will be promptly screened, diagnosed, and linked to care. Early diagnosis and treatment initiation will also benefit their community by interrupting transmission and prevent further infections. The experience gained from this project will inform future attempts in conducting pragmatic trials in low-resource settings.• Trial registration: This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04094350. Registered 18 September 2019.
Correlation between UGT1A1 gene polymorphism and irinotecan chemotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer：a study from Guangxi Zhuang
Authors: Chen Shaojun , Hua Li , Feng Chenjun , Mo Qia , Wei Mengzhuan , Shen Yongqi , Lin Zhan , Li Guisheng , Xu Junyi , Guo Chengxian , huang haixin
Published: February 2020

Background: UGTlA1 gene polymorphism has different distribution in different ethnicities, geographical regions and ethnic groups, which may lead to different toxicity and efficacy of irinotecan. The study aimed to explore the correlation of UGT1A1 gene polymorphism of Guangxi Zhuang metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) with irinotecan -based chemotherapy, in order to develop an individualized irinotecan regimen for mCRC patients of Guangxi Zhuang. Methods: From June 2013 and June 2015, a total of 406 patients of Guangxi who were histologically diagnosed as metastatic colorectal cancer with 102 patients of this cohort with three generations of Zhuang, and 86 patients that conformed to inclusion and exclusion criteria were competitively enrolled . The distribution of UGT1A1 gene polymorphism was analyzed-retrospectively in all patients. Pyrosequencing method was used to detect the UGT1A1 * 28 and * 6 gene polymorphism in the 86 Guangxi Zhuang mCRC patients. After first-line chemotherapy with FOLFIRI regimen, the relationship between gene polymorphism of UGT1A1 and adverse reactions, and efficacy of Irinotecan were analyzed with χ2 test and Kaplan-Meier method.Results: UGT1A1 * 28 wild-type (TA6 / 6), heterozygous mutant (TA6 /7) and homozygous mutant (TA7 / 7) accounted for 69.8%, 30.2% and 0%, respectively. UGT1A1 * 6 wild type (G / G), heterozygous mutation type (G / A) and homozygous mutant (A / A) accounted for 76.7%，20.9% and 2.3%，respectively.UGT1A1 * 28 TA6 / 7 type could increase the risk of grade 3-4 diarrhea (P=0.027), which did not increase the risk of grade 3-4 neutropenia (P=0.092). UGT1A1 * 6 G / A and A / A type could increase the risk of grade 3-4 diarrhea and neutropenia (P=0.001; P=0.017). After chemotherapy with FOLFIRI, there was no significant difference in response rate (RR) (P=0.729; P=0.745) or in median progression-free survival (mPFS) between the wild-type, mutant treatment of UGT1A1 * 28 and UGT1A1 * 6 (7.0 m vs 7.4 m, P=0.427; 6.9 m vs 7.0m P=0.408).Conclusions: The distribution of UGT1A1*28 and UGT1A1* 6 gene polymorphism in Guangxi Zhuang patients were differed from the existing reported of European people and Chinese Han population. The UGT1A1 gene polymorphism with irinotecan chemotherapy-associated diarrhea and neutropenia were closely related. There was no significant association between UGT1A1 gene polymorphism and therapeutic efficacy of irinotecan.
Comparison of the effect of rapeseed oil or amaranth seed oil supplementation on weight loss, body composition, and changes in the metabolic profile of obese patients following 3-week body mass reduction program: a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Moszak Małgorzata , Zawada Agnieszka , Juchacz Aldona , Grzymisławski Marian , Bogdański Paweł
Published: February 2020

Background: Amaranth seed oil (ASO) and rapeseed oil (RSO) are representative functional food with glucose and cholesterol-lowering, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective properties. We aimed to determine whether compared to RSO, ASO supplementation can improve the weight loss and metabolic parameters when consumed as a part of a 3-week weight loss program.Methods: Eighty-one obese subjects (BMI > 30 kg/m 2 ) aged 25−70 years enrolled in a 3-week body mass reduction program based on calorie-restricted diet and physical activity. The participants were randomly administered 20 ml/d of ASO (AO group) or 20 ml/d of RSO (RO group), or were assigned to the control (C) group. Anthropometric and metabolic parameters were measured at baseline and at endpoint.Results: At the end of the study, significant ( P < 0.05) decrease in weight, BMI, WC (waist circumference), HC (hip circumference), FM (fat mass), LBM (lean body mass), VFM (visceral fat mass), and TBW% (total body water) were observed in all the studied groups. There were no significant improvements in clinical parameters in the C group, while reduction in fasting insulin ( P = 0.001 and P = 0.005) and HOMA-IR ( P = 0.02 and P = 0.03) were observed in the RO and AO groups. Compared to the RO group, we observed significant improvement in fasting glucose ( P = 0.03), total cholesterol ( P = 0.03), non-HDL cholesterol ( P = 0.01), TG/HDL ratio ( P = 0.03), LDL cholesterol ( P = 0.04), and triglycerides ( P = 0.000008) in the AO group.Conclusions: The 3-week body mass reduction intervention resulted in statistically significant reduction in weight, BMI, WC, HC, FM, and VFM in all the studied groups. The fasting insulin level and HOMA-IR improved in both AO and RO groups. In contrast to the RO group, positive changes in glucose and lipid levels were observed in the AO group. Compared to the AO and RO groups, subjects without oil supplementation did not show improvement in clinical parameters. Thus, edible oils may improve metabolic parameters during weight loss programs.
Intravenous Calcium Gluconate Alleviates Lead-Induced Abdominal Pain, A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Mayel Masoud , Hamzeh Saleh , Rabori Salile Shahabi , Ghasemirad Sareh , Zamani Nasim , Hassanian-Moghaddam Hossein
Published: February 2020

Background: In 2016, in a lead poisoning outbreak in Iran, physicians reported thousands of opium users who presented to emergency departments (EDs) with intractable severe abdominal pain which did not respond to any narcotic medication. During the same period of time, we investigated the efficacy of intravenous calcium gluconate in alleviating lead-induced abdominal pain.Methods: In a single-center, single blinded, randomized controlled trial, a convenient sample of adult opium-addicted patients who presented to an academic ED with abdominal pain and had an initial diagnosis of lead poisoning were included and randomly subjected to two treatment groups receiving conventional treatment (morphine 0.1 mg/kg + normal saline; group 1) and conventional treatment plus 1 gram of intravenous calcium gluconate (group 2) to alleviate their abdominal pain. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was determined by each patient (0 to 100 mm) before treatment, and 15, 30, and 60 minutes after intervention.Results: A total of 50 patients (25 in each group) were enrolled. Blood lead levels, VAS scores before treatment, and mean administered dose of morphine were similar between the two groups. After treatment, mean VAS score dropped to 64.7±10.4 vs. 67.1±10.9 at 15 minutes (P=0.437), 64.6±10.9 vs. 58.0±11.2 at 30 minutes (P= 0.041), and 63.8±10.7 vs. 53.6±10.9 at 60 minutes (P= 0.002) in groups 1 and 2, respectively.Conclusion: Intravenous calcium gluconate administration along with morphine can improve abdominal pain in lead poisoning due to the ingestion of lead-contaminated opium. Further interventional studies are recommended to see if response to calcium salts in suspected lead-induced abdominal pain can rule in lead toxicity.Trial registration: IRCT20171009036661N2. Registered 27 May 2018 - Retrospectively registered, http://apps.who.int/trialsearch/Trial2.aspx?TrialID=IRCT20171009036661N2
Content Development for a Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour e-Learning Module for Early Childhood Education Students: A Delphi Study
Authors: Bruijns Brianne , Johnson Andrew M. , Tucker Trish
Published: February 2020

Background Early childhood educators play a prominent role in promoting healthy activity behaviours in childcare. However, they have expressed that they lack the appropriate pre-service training to confidently lead physical activity (PA), and minimize sedentary behaviour (SB), in childcare. As such, the purpose of this Delphi study was to generate and reach agreement on content areas for inclusion in a PA and SB e-Learning module for Early Childhood Education (ECE) students. Methods Purposeful sampling of Canadian/international researchers was used to form two expert panels: a PA/SB expert panel ( n = 26), and a Canadian ECE panel. PA/SB experts suggested their top 12 PA/SB topics for the module via online survey. These topics were then pooled to generate a list of 19 content areas. In a second online survey, both panels of experts rated the importance of each content area (0 = unimportant to 5 = very important). Mean ratings were ranked separately for each panel, and then ratings were pooled to create an overall ranking of the 19 content areas. Inter-panel agreement of importance rankings was visually represented as a scatterplot and quantified using Spearman’s rho. Results The top-rated content area was Outdoor Play ( M = 4.77 ± .64), followed by Benefits of PA in the Early Years ( M = 4.75 ± .66), and Factors Influencing PA and SB in Childcare ( M = 4.71 ± .74). Monitor PA and Sedentary Time Within Your Classroom had the lowest combined score ( M = 3.77 ± 1.44). There was moderate-to strong inter-panel agreement for content area importance rankings ( r s = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.20 to 0.83). The majority of the ECE expert panel considered this training important for ECE students (94.3%), aligning with ECE curriculum objectives (91.4%) and accreditation standards (78.8%), and complementary to the present ECE curriculum (88.6%). Conclusions Providing PA and SB training to ECE students is a proactive way to ensure healthy movement behaviours are prioritized in childcare programming. With the PA/SB expert-developed content areas, and endorsement by the ECE expert panel, implementing this training within ECE programs is a necessary next step.
Optimisation of the ActWELL lifestyle intervention programme for women attending routine NHS breast screening clinics.
Authors: Anderson Annie , Craigie Angela M. , Gallant Stephanie , McAdam Chloe , Macaskill E. Jane , McKell Jennifer , Mutrie Nanette , O’Carroll Ronan E , Sattar Naveed , Stead Martine , Treweek Shaun
Published: February 2020

Background Around 30% of post-menopausal breast cancer is related to excess body fat, alcohol intake and low levels of physical activity. Current estimates suggest that there is a 12% increased risk in post-menopausal breast cancer for every 5kg/m 2 increase in Body Mass Index (BMI). Despite this evidence there are few lifestyle programmes directed towards breast cancer risk reduction. This paper describes the process of optimising of the ActWELL programme which aims to support weight management in women invited to attend routine NHS breast screening clinics. Methods A feasibility study of a prototype programme aiming to change lifestyle behaviours was successfully undertaken. The programme used educational approaches and behaviour change techniques delivered by lifestyle coaches using individual face to face meetings and telephone sessions. To optimise the intervention for a definitive randomised controlled trial of weight management, data from the feasibility trial, focus group discussions conducted with the target population, feedback from the trial public advisory group and comments from peer reviewers were obtained. Concepts from implementation research provided further guidance to assist in the refinement of the intervention which was then discussed and agreed by all investigators and the trial steering group. Results The results from the feasibility trial were considered appropriate for moving on to a full trial with 70% of participants finding the programme acceptable. The primary outcomes (weight loss and physical activity) provided an important focus for design input from the target group. The contributions highlighted the need to review programme duration, coach contact time, content and use of behaviour change techniques as well as communications generally (e.g. science and evidence, non-judgemental approaches and avoiding guilt). In addition, the need for emphasis on support rather than education became apparent. The recommendations from peer reviewers focussed on the magnitude of effort required to achieve the intended weight loss and weight loss maintenance. Implementation science supported the use of the capability/opportunity/motivation (COM- B)model in overall design. Conclusions The optimisation process has facilitated the development and evaluation of a programme which enables the delivery of a promising intervention to achieve weight management in post-menopausal women.
Effect of antimicrobial activity of Teucrium polium on oral Streptococcus mutans: a randomized cross-over clinical trial study
Authors: Tusi Somayeh Khoramian , Jafari Ahmad , Marashi Seyed Mahmoud Amin , Niknam Salomeh Faramarzi , Farid Malihe , Ansari Mehdi
Published: February 2020

Background : The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a mouthwash containing Teucrium polium herb on Streptococcus mutans in mouth. Methods : This study was a randomized, crossover, double-blind clinical trial, where twenty-two volunteer dental students were randomly divided into two groups. The study had two phases. In each phase, one group was chosen as the intervention group, while the other one was the control group. Both the intervention and control groups were given the mouthwash with and without Teucrium polium , respectively. S. mutans of saliva were measured before and after each phase to compare the effects of the mouthwashes. A three-week washout period was considered between the two phases. An independent two-sample t-test was used to compare the mean number of S. mutans colonies. Additionally, a standard AB/BA crossover model was used to find the results of the treatment and the carryover effect on the residual biological effects. The significance level was considered 0.05 in this experiment. Results : There was no significant difference between the two groups in the number of S. mutans before using the mouthwashes. Using the mouthwash containing Teucrium polium extract significantly decreased the number of S. mutans colonies in both phases (P = 0.002). Conclusion : The results of this study showed that the mouthwash containing aqueous extract of Teucrium polium can significantly reduce the colonization of S. mutans in human saliva.
Clinical efficacy of early open reduction of dislocated hips using a modified Smith-Peterson approach in arthrogyposis multiplex congenita
Authors: Miao Mingyuan , Cai Haiqing , Wang Zhigang , Hu Liwei , Bian Jingxia , Cai Haoqi
Published: February 2020

Background: Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC) is a rare syndrome with multiple joint contractures. There is controversy regarding what the best surgical approach and age is for performing reduction of dislocated hips in AMC. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the clinical outcome of early open reduction on infant hip dislocation with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita through the modified Smith-Peterson approach, with retained rectus femoris intact. Methods: From 2010 to 2017, we performed this procedure on 28 dislocated hips in 20 infants under 12 months of age with AMC. The clinical and radiology data were retrospectively reviewed. The mean age at surgery was 6.9 ± 5.1 months, with a mean follow-up of 42.4 ± 41.1 months. Results: After open reduction, the average hip acetabular index (AI), the international hip dysplasia institute classification (IHDI), and hip range of motion were significantly improved (all P<0.001). After the surgery, 16 patients were community walkers and four patients were home walkers. Three hips in two patients required secondary revision surgery for residual acetabular dysplasia with combined pelvic osteotomy and femoral osteotomy. Seven of the hips that had been operated on showed signs of avascular necrosis (AVN). Among them, four were degree II, two were degree III, and one was degree IV. Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that the older months are risk factors for secondary revision surgery (P=0.032). Conclusions: The modified Smith-Peterson approach with retained rectus femoris intact is an encouraging and safe option for treating hip dislocation in young AMC patients (before 12 months). Even if surgery takes place at less than 12 months old for patients with AMC, earlier open reduction for hip dislocation may reduce the chance of secondary revision surgery. Level of Evidence: IV, retrospective non-randomized study. Key words: Arthrogryposis, Hip dislocation, Open reduction, Modified Smith-Peterson approach, Retained rectus femoris
The impact of long dry periods on the aboveground biomass in tropical forests: 20 years of monitoring
Authors: de Meira-Junior Milton Serpa , Pinto José Roberto Rodrigues , Ramos Natália Oliveira , Miguel Eder Pereira , Gaspar Ricardo de Oliveira , Phillips Oliver L
Published: February 2020

Background Long-term studies of community and population dynamics indicate that abrupt disturbances often catalyse changes in vegetation and carbon stocks. These disturbances include the opening of clearings, flooding, rainfall seasonality, and drought, as well as fire and direct human disturbance. Such events may be super-imposed on longer-term trends in disturbance, such as those associated with climate change (heating, drying), as well as resources. Intact neotropical forests have recently experienced increased drought frequency and fire, on top of pervasive increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations, but we lack long-term records of responses to such changes especially in the critical transitional areas at the interface of forest and savanna biomes. Here, we present results from 20 years monitoring a valley forest (moist tropical forest outlier) in central Brazil. The forest has experienced multiple drought events and includes plots which have and which have not experienced fire. We focus on how forest structure (stem density and aboveground biomass carbon) and dynamics (stem and biomass mortality and recruitment) have responded to these disturbance regimes. ResultsOverall, the biomass carbon stock increased due to the growth of the trees already present in the forest, without any increase in the overall number of tree stems. Over time, both recruitment and especially mortality of trees tended to increase, and periods of prolonged drought in particular resulted in increased mortality rates of larger trees. This increased mortality was in turn responsible for a decline in aboveground carbon toward the end of the monitoring period. Fire in 2010, which occurred in only some of our plots, tended to exacerbate the trends of increasing mortality and losses of biomass carbon. Conclusion Prolonged droughts influence the mortality of large trees, leading to a decline in aboveground carbon stocks. Here, and in other neotropical forests, recent droughts are capable of shutting down and reversing biomass carbon sinks. These new results add to evidence that anthropogenic climate changes are already adversely impacting tropical forests.
Measuring and reducing biofilm in mosquito rearing containers
Authors: Hunt Catherine , Collins Catherine Matilda , Benedict Mark Q.
Published: February 2020

Background: Mosquito rearing containers contain organic-rich water that nourishes numerous bacteria, some of which are capable of forming biofilms. Biofilm is broadly an extracellular polymeric matrix (EPS) in which living bacteria occur, and the accumulation of biofilm is possible during routine stock-keeping as most of these containers are re-used. Whether biofilm has an effect on the mosquito rearing is not a question that has been investigated, nor have measures to reduce biofilm in this context been systematically studied. Methods: We measured biofilm accumulation in standard rearing containers by staining with crystal violet and determining the OD using a spectrophotometer. We also treated rearing containers with 0.1% sodium hypochlorite to determine its effectiveness in reducing biofilm abundance. Lastly, we performed an analysis of the relationship between the occurrence of biofilm and the likelihood of microbial blooms that were associated with larval death during trials of larval diets. Results: We observed that soaking rearing containers overnight in 0.1% sodium hypochlorite greatly reduced biofilm, but we observed no relationship between the use of containers that had not been treated with bleach and subsequent microbial blooms. Conclusions: Larva rearing leaves detectable biofilm. While we were unable to correlate microbial blooms with the presence of biofilm, as a precaution, we recommend that plastic containers that are re-used be treated with 0.1% sodium hypochlorite bleached occasionally.
Physiological characterization and gene mapping of a novel cuticular wax-related mutant in barley
Authors: Fang Yunxia , Zhang Xiaoqin , Tong Tao , Zhang Ziling , Tian Bin , Cui Jun , Zheng Junjun , Xue Dawei
Published: February 2020

Background: Cuticular wax is a type of lipid covering the surface of plants, which is directly related to crop stress resistance. Thus, it is important to study wax-related genes and their regulatory mechanism in wax biosynthesis pathway for improving stress resistance.Results: In this study, a wax-deficient barley mutant barley cuticular wax1（bcw1）was identified, and genetic analysis indicated that the trait was controlled by a single recessive nuclear gene. Phenotype observations showed that the tubule-shaped waxy crystals covering the sheath and stem epidermis of mutants disappeared, but there was no significant differences were detected in the leaf epidermis between mutant and wild type. Water loss data confirmed that the cuticular waxes and cutins improved plant resistance to drought stress. By combining the bulk segregant analysis (BSA) and specific locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) strategy, the wax-related gene BCW1 was located on chromosome 2 with a total length of 15.10 Mb. No cuticular wax-related genes have been reported in the regions, indicating that BCW1 is a novel gene that plays roles in cuticular wax biosynthesis and wax crystals formation.Conclusions: The research showed that mutation of BCW1 did not affect the crystal shape or cutin formation outside the leaf surfaces, but decreased the wax and cutin accumulation outside stems and sheaths. Therefore, our work provides the basis for the cloning of BCW1 and studying of the crystal self-assembly mechanism.