bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of Prenatal Exposure to Mercury, Perceived Stress, and Depression on Birth Outcomes in Suriname: Results from the MeKiTamara Study
Authors: Gokoel Anisma R. , Zijlmans Wilco C. W. R. , Covert Hannah H. , Abdoel Wahid Firoz , Shankar Arti , MacDonald-Ottevanger M. Sigrid , Hindori-Mohangoo Ashna D. , Wickliffe Jeffrey K. , Lichtveld Maureen Y. , Harville Emily W.
Published: June 2020

Prenatal exposure to mercury, stress, and depression may have adverse effects on birth outcomes. Little is known on the influence of chemical and non-chemical stressors on birth outcomes in the country of Suriname. We assessed the influence of prenatal exposure to mercury, perceived stress, and depression on adverse birth outcomes in 1143 pregnant Surinamese women who participated in the Caribbean Consortium for Research in Environmental and Occupational Health-MeKiTamara prospective cohort study. Associations between mercury (≥1.1 μg/g hair, USEPA action level/top versus bottom quartile), probable depression (Edinburgh Depression Scale ≥12), high perceived stress (Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale ≥20), and adverse birth outcomes (low birthweight (<2500 g), preterm birth (<37 completed weeks of gestation), and low Apgar score (<7 at 5 min)) were assessed using bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions. Prevalence of elevated mercury levels, high perceived stress, and probable depression were 37.5%, 27.2%, and 22.4%, respectively. Mercury exposure was significantly associated with preterm birth in the overall study cohort (OR 2.47; 95% CI 1.05–5.83) and perceived stress with a low Apgar score (OR 9.73; 95% CI 2.03–46.70). Depression was not associated with any birth outcomes. These findings can inform policy- and practice-oriented solutions to improve maternal and child health in Suriname.
Osteoporosis and Stress Urinary Incontinence in Women: A National Health Insurance Database Study
Authors: Wei Ming-Cheng , Chou Ying-Hsiang , Yang Yi-Sun , Kornelius Edy , Wang Yu-Hsun , Huang Chien-Ning
Published: June 2020

We aimed to determine the influence of osteoporosis and stress urinary incontinence in women. We hypothesized that women with osteoporosis had an increased risk of stress urinary incontinence. This retrospective study used data from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance database from 2005–2009. The study population was screened to identify women (age ≥ 40 years) newly diagnosed with osteoporosis (ICD-9-CM code = 733.0, 733.1). The osteoporosis cohort included 6125, and the non-osteoporosis cohort included 12,250 participants. The newly diagnosed stress urinary incontinence incidence was calculated to determine the influence of osteoporosis and stress urinary incontinence. We used the Cox proportional hazards model to predict the effects of stress urinary incontinence and the Kaplan–Meier analysis to estimate the cumulative incidence of stress urinary incontinence in women. Participants with osteoporosis experienced a 1.79 times higher risk than that of the non-osteoporosis group (95% CI = 1.28–2.51) for stress urinary incontinence, regardless of age. We did not observe a higher risk of stress urinary incontinence in participants with pathological fractures compared to those with simple osteoporosis. Our data emphasized that physicians and nurses should conduct urinary incontinence screening in women with osteoporosis to recommend proper treatment, medical help or to bring the disorder to light.
Eye Injuries Epidemiology Description in a Working Population over 10 Years in Spain
Authors: Martín-Prieto Sergio , Álvarez-Peregrina Cristina , Thuissard-Vassallo Israel , Catalina-Romero Carlos , Calvo-Bonacho Eva , Villa-Collar César , Sánchez-Tena Miguel Ángel
Published: June 2020

Background: Several studies show a high percentage of eye injuries related to work compared to other origins. However, there are few studies that describe work-related eye injuries. Methods: A descriptive, retrospective, and longitudinal study that describes the characteristics of work-related eye injuries in a group of insured workers. Eye injuries were classified according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) and analyzed over 10 years (2008–2018). Results: Keratitis and conjunctivitis were the most prevalent injuries (26,674 (53.1%) and 15,906 (31.6%)). Keratitis and conjunctivitis also show the highest percentage of injury incidence per 100,000 insured workers in both sexes, any age group, and any occupation. The analysis of the cumulative percentage change and average annual percent change in incidences over ten years shows a decrease in the incidences of all injuries, except for other disorders of the eye and anexa. Conclusions: Most of the work-related eye injuries affect the most exposed eye structures in any line of work: the cornea and conjunctiva. Suitable protection of these eye structures will decrease the number of cases of work-related eye injuries.
Positive Youth Development and Adolescent Depression: A Longitudinal Study Based on Mainland Chinese High School Students
Authors: Zhou Zheng , Shek Daniel T.L. , Zhu Xiaoqin , Dou Diya
Published: June 2020

There are several limitations of the scientific literature on the linkage between positive youth development (PYD) attributes and adolescent psychological morbidity. First, longitudinal studies in the field are limited. Second, few studies have used validated PYD measures to explore the related issues. Third, few studies have used large samples. Fourth, limited studies have been conducted in mainland China. In this study, we conducted a longitudinal study using two waves of data collected from 2648 junior high school students in mainland China. In each wave, participants responded to a validated PYD scale (Chinese Positive Youth Development Scale: CPYDS) and other measures of well-being, including the 20-item Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). After controlling for the background demographic variables, different measures of CPYDS (cognitive–behavioral competence, prosocial attributes, general positive youth development qualities, positive identity, and overall PYD qualities) were negatively associated with CES-D scores in Wave 1 and Wave 2. Longitudinal analyses also revealed that PYD measures in Wave 1 negatively predicted Wave 2 depression scores and the changes over time. The present findings highlight the protective role of PYD attributes in protecting adolescents from depression.
Biomarkers Facilitate the Assessment of Prognosis in Critically Ill Patients with Primary Brain Injury: A Cohort Study
Authors: Duda Izabela , Wiórek Agnieszka , Krzych Łukasz J.
Published: June 2020

Primary injuries to the brain are common causes of hospitalization of patients in intensive care units (ICU). The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scoring system is widely used for prognostication among critically ill subjects. Biomarkers help to monitor the severity of neurological status. This study aimed to identify the best biomarker, along with APACHE II score, in mortality prediction among patients admitted to the ICU with the primary brain injury. This cohort study covered 58 patients. APACHE II scores were assessed 24 h post ICU admission. The concentrations of six biomarkers were determined, including the C-reactive protein (CRP), the S100 calcium-binding protein B (S100B), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1), using commercially available ELISA kits. The biomarkers were specifically chosen for this study due to their established connection to the pathophysiology of brain injury. In-hospital mortality was the outcome. Median APACHE II was 18 (IQR 13–22). Mortality reached 40%. Median concentrations of the CRP, NGAL, S100B, and NSE were significantly higher in deceased patients. S100B (AUC = 0.854), NGAL (AUC = 0.833), NSE (AUC = 0.777), and APACHE II (AUC = 0.766) were the best independent predictors of mortality. Combination of APACHE II with S100B, NSE, NGAL, and CRP increased the diagnostic accuracy of mortality prediction. MMP and TIMP-1 were impractical in prognostication, even after adjustment for APACHE II score. S100B protein and NSE seem to be the best predictors of compromised outcome among critically ill patients with primary brain injuries and should be assessed along with the APACHE II calculation after ICU admission.
Relation between Perceived Barrier Profiles, Physical Literacy, Motivation and Physical Activity Behaviors among Parents with a Young Child
Authors: Ha Amy S. , Chan Wai , Ng Johan Y. Y.
Published: June 2020

Objectives: to reveal distinct subgroups of parents by their perception of 6 types of physical activity barriers and challenges (i.e., lack of time, poor health, lack of company, lack of facilities, childcare responsibility, lack of motivation), and examine its relation with related constructs. Design: cross-sectional survey data. Method: the sample consisted of 424 parents who had at least 1 child of primary school age. Latent profile analysis was conducted to identify latent subgroups within participants. Group differences on physical literacy, autonomous motivation, and self-report physical activity (PA) levels were explored. Results: a four-profile solution was obtained from latent profile analysis, labelled as: “Struggling” (29.0%), “Family burden” (41.3%), “Lazy” (13.0%), and “Barriers free” (16.7%). The “Barriers free” profile experienced the least difficulties with physical activity, but the “Struggling” profile suffered the most severe barriers and challenges. “Family burden” and “Lazy” profiles demonstrated qualitative differences on one or two given challenges. Significant group differences on physical literacy, autonomous motivation, and PA levels were found, showing the “Barriers free” profile as the most robust and adaptive group of parents. Conclusions: the findings suggest that it is common for a substantial portion of parents to experience multiple barriers and challenges to a relatively high degree. Intervention on raising parent’s physical literacy to reduce barriers and sustain their motivation may be a target for intervention.
GroupSeeker: An Applicable Framework for Travel Companion Discovery from Vast Trajectory Data
Authors: Yao Ruihong , Wang Fei , Chen Shuhui , Zhao Shuang
Published: June 2020

The popularity of mobile locate-enabled devices and Location Based Service (LBS) generates massive spatio-temporal data every day. Due to the close relationship between behavior patterns and movement trajectory, trajectory data mining has been applied in numerous fields to find the behavior pattern. Among them, discovering traveling companions is one of the most fundamental techniques in these areas. This paper proposes a flexible framework named GroupSeeker for discovering traveling companions in vast real-world trajectory data. In the real-world data resource, it is significant to avoid the companion candidate omitting problem happening in the time-snapshot-slicing-based method. These methods do not work well with the sparse real-world data, which is caused by the equipment sampling failure or manual intervention. In this paper, a 5-stage framework including Data Preprocessing, Spatio-temporal Clustering, Candidate Voting, Pseudo-companion Filtering, and Group Merging is proposed to discover traveling companions. The framework even works well when there is a long time span during several days. The experiments result on two real-world data sources which offer massive amount of data subsets with different scale and different sampling frequencies show the effective and robustness of this framework. Besides, the proposed framework has a higher-efficiency performing when discovering satisfying companions over a long-term period.
Characterizing New Wintering Sites for Monarch Butterfly Colonies in Sierra Nevada, Mexico
Authors: Pérez-Miranda Ramiro , Arriola-Padilla Víctor Javier , Romero-Sanchez Martín Enrique
Published: June 2020

Every year, Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus, 1758) travels to hibernate in oyamel fir forests located between the limits of the states of Michoacán and Mexico in Mexico. Climate change and anthropogenic actions are diminishing oyamel fir forests in Mexico, putting pressure on the habitats of monarch butterflies. In the last decade, new colonies outside their usual range have been predicted through modeling and reported by the National Commission on Protected Areas of Mexico. The objectives of the study were to recover information on the historical and new hibernation sites, reported or modeled, from different literature sources. We also aimed to perform a bioclimatic and forest biometric characterization of new monarch butterfly colonies located in Sierra Nevada in Mexico to provide information to aid in conservation strategies for the monarch butterfly population. We conducted field trips to georeference the colonies at sites located in the Atlautla municipality in Mexico State. Climatic, topographic, and forest biometric variables were used to characterize the sites physically. It was found that the butterfly’s roosts occurred at a higher elevation than those recorded by other sources. The locations where the monarch’s colonies were established, in the east of Mexico State, provide information relevant to defining and developing policies for their conservation.
Explainable Deep Learning Models in Medical Image Analysis
Authors: Singh Amitojdeep , Sengupta Sourya , Lakshminarayanan Vasudevan
Published: June 2020

Deep learning methods have been very effective for a variety of medical diagnostic tasks and have even outperformed human experts on some of those. However, the black-box nature of the algorithms has restricted their clinical use. Recent explainability studies aim to show the features that influence the decision of a model the most. The majority of literature reviews of this area have focused on taxonomy, ethics, and the need for explanations. A review of the current applications of explainable deep learning for different medical imaging tasks is presented here. The various approaches, challenges for clinical deployment, and the areas requiring further research are discussed here from a practical standpoint of a deep learning researcher designing a system for the clinical end-users.
Isavuconazole Treatment in a Mixed Patient Cohort with Invasive Fungal Infections: Outcome, Tolerability and Clinical Implications of Isavuconazole Plasma Concentrations
Authors: Zurl Christoph , Waller Maximilian , Schwameis Franz , Muhr Tina , Bauer Norbert , Zollner-Schwetz Ines , Valentin Thomas , Meinitzer Andreas , Ullrich Elisabeth , Wunsch Stefanie , Hoenigl Martin , Grinschgl Yvonne , Prattes Juergen , Oulhaj Abderrahim , Krause Robert
Published: June 2020

Isavuconazole (ISA) is a triazole antifungal agent recommended for treatment of invasive aspergillosis or mucormycosis. The objective of this study was to evaluate ISA levels in a real world setting in a mixed patient cohort including patients with non-malignant diseases and extracorporeal treatments, and to correlate findings with efficacy and safety outcomes. We investigated 33 ISA treatment courses in 32 adult patients with hematological and other underlying diseases and assessed the clinical response, side effects and ISA trough plasma concentrations. ISA treatment led to complete and partial response in 87% of patients and was well tolerated. The median ISA plasma concentration was 3.05 µg/mL (range 1.38–9.1, IQR 1.93–4.35) in patients without renal replacement therapy (RRT) or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and significantly lower in patients with RRT including cases with additional ECMO or Cytosorb® adsorber therapy (0.88 µg/mL, range 0.57–2.44, IQR 0.71–1.21). After exclusion of values obtained from four patients with ECMO or Cytosorb® adsorber the median concentration was 0.91 µg/mL (range 0.75–2.44, IQR 0.90–1.36) in the RRT group. In addition to previous recommendations we propose to monitor ISA trough plasma concentrations in certain circumstances including RRT, other extracorporeal treatments and obesity.
Intangibles of Rural Development. The Case Study of La Vera (Extremadura, Spain)
Authors: Castellano-Álvarez Francisco J. , Nieto Masot Ana , Castro-Serrano José
Published: June 2020

In the early 1990s, with the Leader Initiative, the European Commission intended to apply a new development model in order to encourage the economic diversification of the rural world. The expectations raised by the first Leader Initiative motivated Spain to approve the Proder Program to allow those regions that had not been beneficiaries of the aforementioned initiative to put similar projects into practice. This kind of program has various characteristics, which have been widely studied from a theoretical point of view. Nevertheless, empirical studies that analyze the relevance of those characteristics (especially the intangible ones) are less frequent. The main objective of this research is, precisely, to study how these intangibles materialize in the implementation of a rural development strategy. For this, a qualitative methodology based on a case study of the La Vera region is adopted. The results show that these intangible characteristics obtain a disparate valuation from the local promoters. While aspects such as the management system or the contribution of these programs to regional identity are well valued, others, such as the participation of the population in development processes, do not seem to reach the expectations. This study gives some proposals for the evaluation of these characteristics.
Validating the Use of Corifollitropin Alfa in Progestin-Primed Ovarian Stimulation Protocol on Normal and High Responders by Comparing with Conventional Antagonist Protocol: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Huang Chen-Yu , Chen Guan-Yeu , Shieh Miawh-Lirng , Li Hsin-Yang
Published: June 2020

Our previous study showed a satisfactory reproductive outcome resulting from the patient-friendly ovarian stimulation protocol using long-acting follicle stimulation hormone (FSH) plus oral medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA). The present retrospective study aims to compare the efficacy of the patient-friendly ovarian stimulation protocol with that of the antagonist protocol on normal and high responders aged between 24 and 39 years in a tertiary fertility center in Taiwan. To prevent premature luteinizing hormone (LH) surge, oral MPA was given to patients in group 1 (n = 57), whereas antagonist protocol was applied to group 2 (n = 53). Duration and dosage of stimulation, number of injections and visits before trigger, incidence of premature LH surge, number of oocytes retrieved, fertilization rate, cleavage rate, rate of good embryos available, incidence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, cumulative clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate per retrieval were compared between groups. We conclude that our patient-friendly ovarian stimulation protocol with MPA demonstrates satisfactory stimulation and reproductive outcomes that are comparable to those of an antagonist protocol.
Revealing Spectrum Features of Stochastic Neuron Spike Trains
Authors: Orcioni Simone , Paffi Alessandra , Apollonio Francesca , Liberti Micaela
Published: June 2020

Power spectra of spike trains reveal important properties of neuronal behavior. They exhibit several peaks, whose shape and position depend on applied stimuli and intrinsic biophysical properties, such as input current density and channel noise. The position of the spectral peaks in the frequency domain is not straightforwardly predictable from statistical averages of the interspike intervals, especially when stochastic behavior prevails. In this work, we provide a model for the neuronal power spectrum, obtained from Discrete Fourier Transform and expressed as a series of expected value of sinusoidal terms. The first term of the series allows us to estimate the frequencies of the spectral peaks to a maximum error of a few Hz, and to interpret why they are not harmonics of the first peak frequency. Thus, the simple expression of the proposed power spectral density (PSD) model makes it a powerful interpretative tool of PSD shape, and also useful for neurophysiological studies aimed at extracting information on neuronal behavior from spike train spectra.
On Exact and Approximate Approaches for Stochastic Receptor-Ligand Competition Dynamics—An Ecological Perspective
Authors: Jeffrey Polly-Anne , López-García Martín , Castro Mario , Lythe Grant , Molina-París Carmen
Published: June 2020

Cellular receptors on the cell membrane can bind ligand molecules in the extra-cellular medium to form ligand-bound monomers. These interactions ultimately determine the fate of a cell through the resulting intra-cellular signalling cascades. Often, several receptor types can bind a shared ligand leading to the formation of different monomeric complexes, and in turn to competition for the common ligand. Here, we describe competition between two receptors which bind a common ligand in terms of a bi-variate stochastic process. The stochastic description is important to account for fluctuations in the number of molecules. Our interest is in computing two summary statistics—the steady-state distribution of the number of bound monomers and the time to reach a threshold number of monomers of a given kind. The matrix-analytic approach developed in this manuscript is exact, but becomes impractical as the number of molecules in the system increases. Thus, we present novel approximations which can work under low-to-moderate competition scenarios. Our results apply to systems with a larger number of population species (i.e., receptors) competing for a common resource (i.e., ligands), and to competition systems outside the area of molecular dynamics, such as Mathematical Ecology.
Eliminating Rank Reversal Problem Using a New Multi-Attribute Model—The RAFSI Method
Authors: Žižović Mališa , Pamučar Dragan , Albijanić Miloljub , Chatterjee Prasenjit , Pribićević Ivan
Published: June 2020

Multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) methods represent reliable ways to solve real-world problems for various applications by providing rational and logical solutions. In reaching such a goal, it is expected that MADM methods would eliminate inconsistencies like rank reversal issues in a given solution. In this paper, an endeavor is taken to put forward a new MADM method, called RAFSI (Ranking of Alternatives through Functional mapping of criterion sub-intervals into a Single Interval), which successfully eliminates the rank reversal problem. The developed RAFSI method has three major advantages that recommend it for further use: (i) its simple algorithm helps in solving complex real-world problems, (ii) RAFSI method has a new approach for data normalization, which transfers data from the starting decision-making matrix into any interval, suitable for making rational decisions, (iii) mathematical formulation of RAFSI method eliminates the rank reversal problem, which is one of the most significant shortcomings of existing MADM methods. A real-time case study that shows the advantages of RAFSI method is presented. Additional comprehensive analysis, including a comparison with other three traditional MADM methods that use different ways for data normalization and testing the resistance of RAFSI method and other MADM methods to rank the reversal problem, is also carried out.
Fractional-Order Integral and Derivative Operators and Their Applications
Authors: Srivastava Hari Mohan
Published: June 2020

The present volume contains the invited, accepted and published submissions (see [...]
A Closed-Form Solution for the Boundary Value Problem of Gas Pressurized Circular Membranes in Contact with Frictionless Rigid Plates
Authors: Mei Dong , Sun Jun-Yi , Zhao Zhi-Hang , He Xiao-Ting
Published: June 2020

In this paper, the static problem of equilibrium of contact between an axisymmetric deflected circular membrane and a frictionless rigid plate was analytically solved, where an initially flat circular membrane is fixed on its periphery and pressurized on one side by gas such that it comes into contact with a frictionless rigid plate, resulting in a restriction on the maximum deflection of the deflected circular membrane. The power series method was employed to solve the boundary value problem of the resulting nonlinear differential equation, and a closed-form solution of the problem addressed here was presented. The difference between the axisymmetric deformation caused by gas pressure loading and that caused by gravity loading was investigated. In order to compare the presented solution applying to gas pressure loading with the existing solution applying to gravity loading, a numerical example was conducted. The result of the conducted numerical example shows that the two solutions agree basically closely for membranes lightly loaded and diverge as the external loads intensify.
Lossless and Efficient Secret Image Sharing Based on Matrix Theory Modulo 256
Authors: Yu Long , Liu Lintao , Xia Zhe , Yan Xuehu , Lu Yuliang
Published: June 2020

Most of today’s secret image sharing (SIS) schemes are based on Shamir’s polynomial-based secret sharing (SS), which cannot recover pixels larger than 250. Many exiting methods of lossless recovery are not perfect, because several problems arise, such as large computational costs, pixel expansion and uneven pixel distribution of shadow image. In order to solve these problems and achieve perfect lossless recovery and efficiency, we propose a scheme based on matrix theory modulo 256, which satisfies ( k , k ) and ( k , k + 1 ) thresholds. Firstly, a sharing matrix is generated by the filter operation, which is used to encrypt the secret image into n shadow images, and then the secret image can be obtained by matrix inverse and matrix multiplication with k or more shadows in the recovery phase. Both theoretical analyses and experiments are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Cervical-Vaginal Mucin in Fertility Assessment: CA125 as a Predictor of the Fertile Phase of the Normal Menstrual Cycle
Authors: Trindade A. Alexandre , Usala Stephen J.
Published: June 2020

To evaluate the cervical-vaginal mucin, CA125, as a measure of fertility and possible method for natural family planning (NFP). Cervical-vaginal fluid (CVF) swab samples have been previously used to measure CA125, ‘Qvaginal CA125 levels’, as a function of time of cycle relative to Day 0, the first day of positive urine LH (luteinizing hormone). Data from 15 women, 20 cycles were used with an algorithm to establish the Fertile Start Day (FSD) for the cycles. The FSD was determined as either the second consecutive day of ≥20% Qvaginal CA125 rise or the first day of ≥400% rise. The interval, (FSD to Day +3), was used as the theoretical window of fertility, and conception rates assuming abstinence during this predicted period of fertility were computed using published day-specific probabilities of conception (PoC). The mean FSD was Day −4.8 ± 0.5 (SE), 95% CI (−5.9, −3.7). The estimated pregnancy failure rate (PFR) with abstinence during [FSD, +3] was 10.7% ± 2.0% (SE), 95% CI (6.9%, 14.8%); with exclusion of one cycle with very low levels of Qvaginal CA125, the estimated PFR was 9.8% ± 1.9%, 95% CI (6.3%, 13.8%). Furthermore, the day-specific Qvaginal CA125 values were normalized to the respective peak Qvaginal CA125 for each cycle, and a mean normalized day-specific Qvaginal CA125 plot was generated. The first derivative of the mean normalized day-specific Qvaginal CA125 plot showed a significant increase between Day −4.5 and Day −3.5, which correlated with the mean FSD. A Qvaginal CA125-based method holds promise as a means to identify the start of the fertile window and may prove useful in NFP, especially when combined with available home hormonal fertility awareness kits.
Dynamically Tunable Phase Shifter with Commercial Graphene Nanoplatelets
Authors: Yasir Muhammad , Savi Patrizia
Published: June 2020

In microwave frequency band the conductivity of graphene can be varied to design a number of tunable components. A tunable phase shifter based on commercial graphene nanoplatelets is introduced. The proposed configuration consists of a microstrip line with two stubs connected with a taper. On each side of the stubs there is a gap, short circuited through a via, where the commercial graphene nanoplatelets are drop casted. By applying a DC bias voltage that alters the graphene resistance the phase of the transmitted signal through the microstrip line can be varied. In order to maximize the phase shift of the transmitted signal and minimize the insertion loss, the length of the taper and the stubs are optimized by the help of circuit model and full-wave simulations. A prototype working at 4GHz is fabricated and measured. A phase variation of 33 degrees is acquired with an amplitude variation of less than 0.4 dB.
Genetic Diversity of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae: Seasonal and Spatial Population Dynamics
Authors: Figueira Daniela , Garcia Eva , Ares Aitana , Tiago Igor , Veríssimo António , Costa Joana
Published: June 2020

Pseudomonassyringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) is a gram-negative bacterium responsible for the bacterial canker in Actinidia chinensis var. deliciosa and A. chinensis var. chinensis, a quarantine organism threatening the kiwifruit industry sustainability. The present study aimed to determine the genetic structure of the endophytic and epiphytic populations of Psa isolated from four different Portuguese orchards with distinct abiotic conditions in two consecutive seasons. The results identified several coexisting and highly heterogeneous Psa populations. Moreover, evident changes in population structure occurred between the epiphytic and endophytic populations, and between seasons with a notable decrease in Psa diversity in autumn. This work provided solid evidence that the initial clonal expansion of Psa in Europe was followed by a wide genomic diversification. This perspective is important for the understanding of kiwifruit bacterial canker disease occurrence and Psa evolution, namely when adopting strategies for management of epidemics.
Rapid Microscopic Detection of Bacillus anthracis by Fluorescent Receptor Binding Proteins of Bacteriophages
Authors: Braun Peter , Wolfschläger Immanuel , Reetz Leonie , Bachstein Lilia , Jacinto Ana Clara , Tocantins Carolina , Poppe Johannes , Grass Gregor
Published: June 2020

Bacillus anthracis, the etiological agent of anthrax disease, is typically diagnosed by immunological and molecular methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Alternatively, mass spectrometry techniques may aid in confirming the presence of the pathogen or its toxins. However, because of the close genetic relationship between B. anthracis and other members of the Bacillus cereus sensu lato group (such as Bacillus cereus or Bacillus thuringiensis) mis- or questionable identification occurs frequently. Also, bacteriophages such as phage gamma (which is highly specific for B. anthracis) have been in use for anthrax diagnostics for many decades. Here we employed host cell-specific receptor binding proteins (RBP) of (pro)-phages, also known as tail or head fibers, to develop a microscopy-based approach for the facile, rapid and unambiguous detection of B. anthracis cells. For this, the genes of (putative) RBP from Bacillus phages gamma, Wip1, AP50c and from lambdoid prophage 03 located on the chromosome of B. anthracis were selected. Respective phage genes were heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli and purified as fusions with fluorescent proteins. B. anthracis cells incubated with either of the reporter fusion proteins were successfully surface-labeled. Binding specificity was confirmed as RBP fusion proteins did not bind to most isolates of a panel of other B. cereus s.l. species or to more distantly related bacteria. Remarkably, RBP fusions detected encapsulated B. anthracis cells, thus RBP were able to penetrate the poly-γ-d-glutamate capsule of B. anthracis. From these results we anticipate this RBP-reporter assay may be useful for rapid confirmative identification of B. anthracis.
Polymorphic Appetite Effects on Waist Circumference Depend on rs3749474 CLOCK Gene Variant
Authors: Espinosa-Salinas Isabel , San-Cristobal Rodrigo , Colmenarejo Gonzalo , Loria-Kohen Viviana , Molina Susana , Reglero Guillermo , Ramirez de Molina Ana , Martinez J. Alfredo
Published: June 2020

Chronobiological aspects controlled by CLOCK genes may influence obesity incidence. Although there are studies that show an association between the expression of these genes and energy intake, waist circumference or abdominal obesity phenotypes, interactions with appetite have been insufficiently investigated in relation to chrononutrition. The objective was to identify interactions between CLOCK genetic variants involved in appetite status. A total of 442 subjects (329 women, 113 men; aged 18 to 65 years) were recruited. Anthropometric, dietary and lifestyle data were collected by trained nutritionists. Participants were classified according to their appetite feelings with a Likert scale. Multiple linear regression models were used to examine associations of the type genotype x appetite status on adiposity-related variables. p values were corrected by the Bonferroni method. A significant influence was found concerning the effects of appetite on waist circumference with respect to rs3749474 CLOCK polymorphism (p < 0.001). An additive model analysis (adjusted by age, gender, exercise and energy intake) showed that risk allele carriers, increased the waist circumference around 14 cm (β = 14.1, CI = 6.3–22.0) by each increment in the level of appetite. The effects of appetite on waist circumference may be partly modulated by the rs3749474 CLOCK polymorphism.
Codium fragile Ameliorates High-Fat Diet-Induced Metabolism by Modulating the Gut Microbiota in Mice
Authors: Kim Jungman , Choi Jae Ho , Oh Taehwan , Ahn Byungjae , Unno Tatsuya
Published: June 2020

Codium fragile (CF) is a functional seaweed food that has been used for its health effects, including immunostimulatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity and anti-cancer activities, but the effect of CF extracts on obesity via regulation of intestinal microflora is still unknown. This study investigated anti-obesity effects of CF extracts on gut microbiota of diet-induced obese mice. C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat (HF) diet were given CF extracts intragastrically for 12 weeks. CF extracts significantly decreased animal body weight and the size of adipocytes, while reducing serum levels of cholesterol and glucose. In addition, CF extracts significantly shifted the gut microbiota of mice by increasing the abundance of Bacteroidetes and decreasing the abundance of Verrucomicrobia species, in which the portion of beneficial bacteria (i.e., Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae and Acetatifactor) were increased. This resulted in shifting predicted intestinal metabolic pathways involved in regulating adipocytes (i.e., mevalonate metabolism), energy harvest (i.e., pyruvate fermentation and glycolysis), appetite (i.e., chorismate biosynthesis) and metabolic disorders (i.e., isoprene biosynthesis, urea metabolism, and peptidoglycan biosynthesis). In conclusion, our study showed that CF extracts ameliorate intestinal metabolism in HF-induced obese mice by modulating the gut microbiota.
Stability of N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) in Standardized Pediatric Parenteral Nutrition and Evaluation of N,N-Diacetylcystine (DAC) Formation
Authors: Sommer Isabelle , Schwebel Hervé , Adamo Vincent , Bonnabry Pascal , Bouchoud Lucie , Sadeghipour Farshid
Published: June 2020

The ESPGHAN/ESPEN/ESPR-Guidelines on pediatric parenteral nutrition (PPN) recommend the administration of the semiessential amino acid (AA) cysteine to preterm neonates due to their biochemical immaturity resulting in an inability to sufficiently synthetize endogenous cysteine. The soluble precursor N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is easily converted into bioavailable cysteine. Its dimer N,N-diacetylcystine (DAC) is almost unconvertable to cysteine when given intravenously resulting in a diminished bioavailability of cysteine. This study aims to understand the triggers and oxidation process of NAC to DAC to evaluate possibilities of reducing DAC formation in standardized PPN. Therefore, different air volumes (21% O2) were injected into the AA compartment of a standardized dual-chamber PPN. O2 concentrations were measured in the AA solution and the headspaces of the primary and secondary packaging. NAC and DAC concentrations were analyzed simultaneously. The analysis showed that O2 is principally delivered from the primary headspace. NAC oxidation exclusively delivers DAC, depending on the O2 amount in the solution and the headspaces. The reaction of NAC to DAC being containable by limiting the O2 concentration, the primary headspace must be minimized during manufacturing, and oxygen absorbers must be added into the secondary packaging for a long-term storage of semipermeable containers.
Vitamin K2 Needs an RDI Separate from Vitamin K1
Authors: Akbulut Asim Cengiz , Pavlic Angelina , Petsophonsakul Ploingarm , Halder Maurice , Maresz Katarzyna , Kramann Rafael , Schurgers Leon
Published: June 2020

Vitamin K and its essential role in coagulation (vitamin K [Koagulation]) have been well established and accepted the world over. Many countries have a Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) for vitamin K based on early research, and its necessary role in the activation of vitamin K-dependent coagulation proteins is known. In the past few decades, the role of vitamin K-dependent proteins in processes beyond coagulation has been discovered. Various isoforms of vitamin K have been identified, and vitamin K2 specifically has been highlighted for its long half-life and extrahepatic activity, whereas the dietary form vitamin K1 has a shorter half-life. In this review, we highlight the specific activity of vitamin K2 based upon proposed frameworks necessary for a bioactive substance to be recommended for an RDI. Vitamin K2 meets all these criteria and should be considered for a specific dietary recommendation intake.
Development of the Home Cooking EnviRonment and Equipment Inventory Observation form (Home-CookERITM): An Assessment of Content Validity, Face Validity, and Inter-Rater Agreement
Authors: Schönberg Sonja , Asher Roberta , Stewart Samantha , Fenwick Matthew J. , Ashton Lee , Bucher Tamara , Van der Horst Klazine , Oldmeadow Christopher , Collins Clare E. , Shrewsbury Vanessa A.
Published: June 2020

Introduction: Quantifying Home Cooking EnviRonments has applications in nutrition epidemiology, health promotion, and nutrition interventions. This study aimed to develop a tool to quantify household cooking environments and establish its content validity, face validity, and inter-rater agreement. Methods: The Home Cooking EnviRonment and equipment Inventory observation form (Home-CookERI™) was developed as a 24-question (91-item) online survey. Items included domestic spaces and resources for storage, disposal, preparation, and cooking of food or non-alcoholic beverages. Home-CookERITM was piloted to assess content validity, face validity, and usability with six Australian experts (i.e., dietitians, nutrition researchers, chefs, a food technology teacher, and a kitchen designer) and 13 laypersons. Pilot participants provided feedback in a 10 min telephone interview. Home-CookERI™ was modified to an 89-item survey in line with the pilot findings. Inter-rater agreement was examined between two trained raters in 33 unique Australian households. Raters were required to observe each item before recording a response. Home occupants were instructed to only assist with locating items if asked. Raters were blinded to each other’s responses. Inter-rater agreement was calculated by Cohen’s Kappa coefficient (κ) for each item. To optimize κ, similar items were grouped together reducing the number of items to 81. Results: Home-CookERITM had excellent content and face validity with responding participants; all 24 questions were both clear and relevant (X2 (1, n = 19; 19.0, p = 0.392)). Inter-rater agreement for the modified 81-item Home-CookERI™ was almost-perfect to perfect for 46% of kitchen items (n = 37 items, κ = 0.81–1), moderate to substantial for 28% (n = 23, κ = 0.51–0.8), slight to fair for 15% (n = 12, κ = 0.01–0.5), and chance or worse for 11% of items (n = 9, κ ≤ 0.0). Home-CookERITM was further optimized by reduction to a 77-item version, which is now available to researchers. Conclusion: Home-CookERI™ is a comprehensive tool for quantifying Australian household cooking environments. It has excellent face and content validity and moderate to perfect inter-rater agreement for almost three-quarters of included kitchen items. To expand Home-CookERI™ applications, a home occupant self-completion version is planned for validation.
The Effects of a Low Calorie Ketogenic Diet on Glycaemic Control Variables in Hyperinsulinemic Overweight/Obese Females
Authors: Michalczyk Małgorzata Magdalena , Klonek Grzegorz , Maszczyk Adam , Zajac Adam
Published: June 2020

Diet is a factor which can influence both glycaemic variables and body mass. The aim of this study was to compare the influence of a 12-week, well-planned, low-calorie ketogenic diet (LCKD) on hyperglycaemic, hyperinsulinemic and lipid profile in adult, overweight or obese females. Ninety-one females who participated in the study were divided into two groups: a LCKD group who followed a hypocaloric ketogenic diet (8% of carbohydrate, 72% of fat and 20% of proteins) (n = 46), and a control group (CG) (n = 45) who continued their typical diet (50% of carbohydrates, 32% of fat and 18% of proteins). Methods: Baseline and post-intervention glucose (Gl), insulin (I), glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), Homeostatic model assessment HOMA-IR, triglycerides (TG) and high-density cholesterol (HDL-C) were evaluated. Also, body mass (BM), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC) and thigh circumference (TC) were measured. Results: Compared with the CG, there were significant changes observed in the LCKD group regarding all biochemical variables. Also, BM, TC, WC and AC changed significantly in the LCKD group compared with the CG. Conclusions: The 12-week LCKD intervention changed the glucose control variables, body mass, as well as waist, hip and thigh circumferences. A low-calorie ketogenic diet may be recommended for adult females with glucose control variables disturbance and excess body mass.
Unique Genetic and Histological Signatures of Mouse Pericardial Adipose Tissue
Authors: Al-Dibouni A. , Gaspar R. , Ige S. , Boateng S. , Cagampang F. R. , Gibbins J. , Cox R. D. , Sellayah D.
Published: June 2020

Obesity is a major risk factor for a plethora of metabolic disturbances including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Accumulating evidence is showing that there is an adipose tissue depot-dependent relationship with obesity-induced metabolic dysfunction. While some adipose depots, such as subcutaneous fat, are generally metabolically innocuous, others such as visceral fat, are directly deleterious. A lesser known visceral adipose depot is the pericardial adipose tissue depot. We therefore set out to examine its transcriptional and morphological signature under chow and high-fat fed conditions, in comparison with other adipose depots, using a mouse model. Our results revealed that under chow conditions pericardial adipose tissue has uncoupling-protein 1 gene expression levels which are significantly higher than classical subcutaneous and visceral adipose depots. We also observed that under high-fat diet conditions, the pericardial adipose depot exhibits greatly upregulated transcript levels of inflammatory cytokines. Our results collectively indicate, for the first time, that the pericardial adipose tissue possesses a unique transcriptional and histological signature which has features of both a beige (brown fat-like) but also pro-inflammatory depot, such as visceral fat. This unique profile may be involved in metabolic dysfunction associated with obesity.
Butaphosphan Effects on Glucose Metabolism Involve Insulin Signaling and Depends on Nutritional Plan
Authors: Weiller Maria Amélia Agnes , Alvarado-Rincón Joao Alveiro , Jacometo Carolina Bespalhok , Barros Carlos Castilho , de Souza Izabel Cristina Custódio , Hax Lucas Teixeira , da Silva Thaís Casarin , Mattei Patrícia , Barbosa Antônio Amaral , Feijó Josiane de Oliveira , Pereira Rubens Alves , Brauner Cassio Cassal , Rabassa Viviane Rohrig , Del Pino Francisco Augusto Burkert , Corrêa Marcio Nunes
Published: June 2020

Butaphosphan is an organic phosphorus compound used in several species for the prevention of rapid catabolic states, however, the mechanism of action remains unclear. This study aimed at determining the effects of butaphosphan on energy metabolism of mice receiving a normal or hypercaloric diet (HCD) and submitted or not to food restriction. Two experiments were conducted: (1) during nine weeks, animals were fed with HCD (n = 28) ad libitum, and at the 10th week, were submitted to food restriction and received butaphosphan (n = 14) or saline injections (n = 14) (twice a day, for seven days) and; (2) during nine weeks, animals were fed with a control diet (n = 14) or HCD (n = 14) ad libitum, and at the 10th week, all animals were submitted to food restriction and received butaphosphan or saline injections (twice a day, for seven days). In food restriction, butaphosphan preserved epididymal white adipose tissue (WAT) mass, increased glucose, NEFA, and the HOMA index. In mice fed HCD and submitted to food restriction, the butaphosphan preserved epididymal WAT mass. Control diet influences on PI3K, GCK, and Irs1 mRNA expression. In conclusion, butaphosphan increased blood glucose and reduced fat mobilization in overweight mice submitted to caloric restriction, and these effects are influenced by diet.
Patterns of Ecological Adaptation of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus and Stegomyia Indices Highlight the Potential Risk of Arbovirus Transmission in Yaoundé, the Capital City of Cameroon
Authors: Tedjou Armel N. , Kamgang Basile , Yougang Aurélie P. , Wilson-Bahun Theodel A. , Njiokou Flobert , Wondji Charles S.
Published: June 2020

The dynamic of arbovirus vectors such as Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus remains poorly understood in large cities in central Africa. Here, we compared the larval ecology, geographical distribution and degree of infestation of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus in Yaoundé, the capital city of Cameroon, and estimated their Stegomyia indices revealing a significant potential risk of arbovirus transmission. An entomological survey was conducted in April–May 2018 in a cluster of houses randomly selected. Each selected house was inspected, the number of inhabitants was recorded, and potential and positive containers for Aedes were characterized. Stegomyia and pupae-based indices were estimated. Overall, 447 houses and 954 containers were inspected comprising 10,801 immature stages of Aedes with 84.95% of Ae. albopictus and 15.05% of Ae. aegypti. Both species bred mainly in discarded tanks and used tyres, associated with turbid water and the presence of plant debris inside containers. Aedes albopictus was the most prevalent species in almost all neighbourhoods. The house index, Breteau index, and container index were higher for Ae. albopictus (38.26%, 71.81%, and 29.61%) compared to those of Ae. aegypti (25.73%, 40.93%, and 16.88%). These indices are high compared to the thresholds established by Pan American Health Organization and World Health Organization, which suggests a high potential risk of arbovirus transmission.