bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Learning steers the ontogeny of an efficient hunting sequence in zebrafish larvae
Authors: Lagogiannis Konstantinos , Diana Giovanni , Meyer Martin P
Published: August 2020

Goal-directed behaviors may be poorly coordinated in young animals but, with age and experience, behavior progressively adapts to efficiently exploit the animal’s ecological niche. How experience impinges on the developing neural circuits of behavior is an open question. We have conducted a detailed study of the effects of experience on the ontogeny of hunting behavior in larval zebrafish. We report that larvae with prior experience of live prey consume considerably more prey than naive larvae. This is mainly due to increased capture success and a modest increase in hunt rate. We demonstrate that the initial turn to prey and the final capture manoeuvre of the hunting sequence were jointly modified by experience and that modification of these components predicted capture success. Our findings establish an ethologically relevant paradigm in zebrafish for studying how the brain is shaped by experience to drive the ontogeny of efficient behavior.
Geometric models for robust encoding of dynamical information into embryonic patterns
Authors: Jutras-Dubé Laurent , El-Sherif Ezzat , François Paul
Published: August 2020

During development, cells gradually assume specialized fates via changes of transcriptional dynamics, sometimes even within the same developmental stage. For anterior-posterior (AP) patterning in metazoans, it has been suggested that the gradual transition from a dynamic genetic regime to a static one is encoded by different transcriptional modules. In that case, the static regime has an essential role in pattern formation in addition to its maintenance function. In this work, we introduce a geometric approach to study such transition. We exhibit two types of genetic regime transitions arising through local or global bifurcations, respectively. We find that the global bifurcation type is more generic, more robust, and better preserves dynamical information. This could parsimoniously explain common features of metazoan segmentation, such as changes of periods leading to waves of gene expressions, ‘speed/frequency-gradient’ dynamics, and changes of wave patterns. Geometric approaches appear as possible alternatives to gene regulatory networks to understand development.
Genomic architecture and evolutionary antagonism drive allelic expression bias in the social supergene of red fire ants
Authors: Martinez-Ruiz Carlos , Pracana Rodrigo , Stolle Eckart , Paris Carolina Ivon , Nichols Richard A , Wurm Yannick
Published: August 2020

Supergene regions maintain alleles of multiple genes in tight linkage through suppressed recombination. Despite their importance in determining complex phenotypes, our empirical understanding of early supergene evolution is limited. Here we focus on the young ‘social’ supergene of fire ants, a powerful system for disentangling the effects of evolutionary antagonism and suppressed recombination. We hypothesize that gene degeneration and social antagonism shaped the evolution of the fire ant supergene, resulting in distinct patterns of gene expression. We test these ideas by identifying allelic differences between supergene variants, characterizing allelic expression across populations, castes and body parts, and contrasting allelic expression biases with differences in expression between social forms. We find strong signatures of gene degeneration and gene-specific dosage compensation. On this background, a small portion of the genes has the signature of adaptive responses to evolutionary antagonism between social forms.
Differentiating Drosophila female germ cells initiate Polycomb silencing by regulating PRC2-interacting proteins
Authors: DeLuca Steven Z , Ghildiyal Megha , Pang Liang-Yu , Spradling Allan C
Published: August 2020

Polycomb silencing represses gene expression and provides a molecular memory of chromatin state that is essential for animal development. We show thatDrosophilafemale germline stem cells (GSCs) provide a powerful system for studying Polycomb silencing. GSCs have a non-canonical distribution of PRC2 activity and lack silenced chromatin like embryonic progenitors. As GSC daughters differentiate into nurse cells and oocytes, nurse cells, like embryonic somatic cells, silence genes in traditional Polycomb domains and in generally inactive chromatin. Developmentally controlled expression of two Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2)-interacting proteins, Pcl and Scm, initiate silencing during differentiation. In GSCs, abundant Pcl inhibits PRC2-dependent silencing globally, while in nurse cells Pcl declines and newly induced Scm concentrates PRC2 activity on traditional Polycomb domains. Our results suggest that PRC2-dependent silencing is developmentally regulated by accessory proteins that either increase the concentration of PRC2 at target sites or inhibit the rate that PRC2 samples chromatin.
The role of the NMD factor UPF3B in olfactory sensory neurons
Authors: Tan Kun , Jones Samantha H , Lake Blue B , Chousal Jennifer N , Shum Eleen Y , Zhang Lingjuan , Chen Song , Sohni Abhishek , Pandya Shivam , Gallo Richard L , Zhang Kun , Cook-Andersen Heidi , Wilkinson Miles F
Published: August 2020

The UPF3B-dependent branch of the nonsense-mediated RNA decay (NMD) pathway is critical for human cognition. Here, we examined the role of UPF3B in the olfactory system. Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis demonstrated considerable heterogeneity of olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) cell populations in wild-type (WT) mice, and revealed that UPF3B loss influences specific subsets of these cell populations. UPF3B also regulates the expression of a large cadre of antimicrobial genes in OSNs, and promotes the selection of specific olfactory receptor (Olfr) genes for expression in mature OSNs (mOSNs). RNA-seq and Ribotag analyses identified classes of mRNAs expressed and translated at different levels in WT and Upf3b-null mOSNs. Integrating multiple computational approaches, UPF3B-dependent NMD target transcripts that are candidates to mediate the functions of NMD in mOSNs were identified in vivo. Together, our data provides a valuable resource for the olfactory field and insights into the roles of NMD in vivo.
Changes in Gastric Microbial Composition before and after Helicobacter pylori Eradication Therapy
Authors: Park Chan Hyuk
Published: August 2020

Owing to advancements in next-generation sequencing and non-culture-based microbial research techniques, we have recognized that many bacterial taxa other than Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) are present in the human stomach. Gastric microbial composition depends on gastric diseases, including gastritis, atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, and gastric cancer. Although H. pylori is a major factor associated with gastric cancer development, other bacterial taxa may affect gastric carcinogenesis. Because the risk of gastric cancer development can be reduced through H. pylori eradication, many investigators have studied the changes in the microbial composition in the stomach after H. pylori eradication. The gastric microbiome in patients with H. pylori infection typically shows abundance of H. pylori and a low microbial diversity index. If we treat H. pylori-infected patients with antibiotics, microbial diversity increases, and the relative abundance also increases in many bacterial taxa. Several studies suggested that the microbial composition in patients with H. pylori infection could be restored by H. pylori eradication therapy; however, there have been inconsistent findings of the abundant bacterial taxa after H. pylori eradication in patients with atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia. More studies are required to reach a definitive conclusion on restoration of the microbial composition after H. pylori eradication according to the severity of gastric inflammation.
Sepsis neonatal tardía por SARS CoV-2
Authors: Baquero Hernando , Venegas María Elena , Velandia Lorena , Neira Fredy , Navarro Edgar
Published: August 2020

Durante la pandemia por SARS CoV-2 la gran mayoría de pacientes ha presentado afectación pulmonar como síntoma cardinal. En los niños, especialmente en recién nacidos, la sintomatología debida al efecto en otros sistemas diferentes al respiratorio puede dificultar el diagnóstico.Se reportan tres casos de recién nacidos atendidos durante la fase de mitigación de la pandemia por SARS CoV-2 en el servicio de urgencias de un hospital materno-infantil en Barranquilla, Colombia, por presentar cuadros febriles que afectaban su estado general.En su evolución clínica predominó la sintomatología gastrointestinal sin que desarrollaran nunca manifestaciones respiratorias. La investigación epidemiológica no evidenció contacto con casos sospechosos o positivos para COVID-19. Sus madres no habían tenido síntomas respiratorios en los 45 días transcurridos desde la declaración de la emergencia en salud pública en el país. La ausencia de manifestaciones clínicas respiratorias en este grupo de pacientes con COVID-19 debe llamar la atención de los clínicos sobre la necesidad de sospechar la infección por SARS CoV-2 en recién nacidos con estados febriles.
Reconfigurable monitoring for telecommunication networks
Authors: Tianxing Man , Osipov Vasiliy Yurievich , Vodyaho Alexander Ivanovich , Kalmatskiy Andrey , Zhukova Natalia Alexandrovna , Lebedev Sergey Vyacheslavovich , Shichkina Yulia Alexandrovna
Published: August 2020

This article addresses the monitoring problem of the telecommunication networks. We consider these networks as multilevel dynamic objects. It shows that reconfigurable systems are necessary for their monitoring process in real life. We implement the reconfiguration abilities of the systems through the synthesis of monitoring programs and their execution in the monitoring systems and on the end-user devices. This article presents a new method for the synthesis of monitoring programs and develops a new language to describe the monitoring programs. The programs are translated into binary format and executed by the virtual machines installed on the elements of the networks. We present an example of the program synthesis for real distributed networks monitoring at last.
Cumulative contact frequency of a chromatin region is an intrinsic property linked to its function
Authors: Samborskaia Margarita D. , Galitsyna Aleksandra , Pletenev Ilya , Trofimova Anna , Mironov Andrey A. , Gelfand Mikhail S. , Khrameeva Ekaterina E.
Published: August 2020

Regulation of gene transcription is a complex process controlled by many factors, including the conformation of chromatin in the nucleus. Insights into chromatin conformation on both local and global scales can be provided by the Hi-C (high-throughput chromosomes conformation capture) method. One of the drawbacks of Hi-C analysis and interpretation is the presence of systematic biases, such as different accessibility to enzymes, amplification, and mappability of DNA regions, which all result in different visibility of the regions. Iterative correction (IC) is one of the most popular techniques developed for the elimination of these systematic biases. IC is based on the assumption that all chromatin regions have an equal number of observed contacts in Hi-C. In other words, the IC procedure is equalizing the experimental visibility approximated by the cumulative contact frequency (CCF) for all genomic regions. However, the differences in experimental visibility might be explained by biological factors such as chromatin openness, which is characteristic of distinct chromatin states. Here we show that CCF is positively correlated with active transcription. It is associated with compartment organization, since compartment A demonstrates higher CCF and gene expression levels than compartment B. Notably, this observation holds for a wide range of species, including human, mouse, and Drosophila. Moreover, we track the CCF state for syntenic blocks between human and mouse and conclude that active state assessed by CCF is an intrinsic property of the DNA region, which is independent of local genomic and epigenomic context. Our findings establish a missing link between Hi-C normalization procedures removing CCF from the data and poorly investigated and possibly relevant biological factors contributing to CCF.
Visible implant elastomer (VIE) success in early larval stages of a tropical amphibian species
Authors: Fouilloux Chloe A. , Garcia-Costoya Guillermo , Rojas Bibiana
Published: August 2020

Animals are often difficult to distinguish at an individual level, and being able to identify individuals can be crucial in ecological or behavioral studies. In response to this challenge, biologists have developed a range of marking (tattoos, brands, toe-clips) and tagging (banding, collars, PIT, VIA, VIE) methods to identify individuals and cohorts. Animals with complex life cycles are notoriously hard to mark because of the distortion or loss of the tag across metamorphosis. In amphibians, few studies have attempted larval tagging and none have been conducted on a tropical species. Here, we present the first successful account of VIE tagging in early larval stages (Gosner stage 25) of the dyeing poison frog (Dendrobates tinctorius) coupled with a novel anesthetic (2-PHE) application for tadpoles that does not require buffering. Mean weight of individuals at time of tagging was 0.12 g, which is the smallest and developmentally youngest anuran larvae tagged to date. We report 81% tag detection over the first month of development, as well as the persistence of tags across metamorphosis in this species. Cumulative tag retention vs tag observation differed by approximately 15% across larval development demonstrating that “lost” tags can be found later in development. Tagging had no effect on tadpole growth rate or survival. Successful application of VIE tags on D. tinctorius tadpoles introduces a new method that can be applied to better understand early life development and dispersal in various tropical species.
Sequencing, assembly, annotation, and gene expression: novel insights into browning-resistant Luffa cylindrica
Authors: Wang Ya-Hui , Liu Xiao-Hong , Zhang Rong-Rong , Yan Zhi-Ming , Xiong Ai-Sheng , Su Xiao-Jun
Published: August 2020

Luffa is a kind of melon crop widely cultivated in temperate regions worldwide. Browning is one of the serious factors affecting the quality of Luffa. Therefore, the molecular mechanism of Luffa browning is of great significance to study. However, the molecular diversity of Luffa cultivars with different browning-resistant abilities has not been well elucidated. In our study, we used high-throughput sequencing to determine the transcriptome of two Luffa cylindrica cultivars ‘2D-2’ and ‘35D-7’. A total of 115,099 unigenes were clustered, of which 22,607 were differentially expression genes (DEGs). Of these DEGs, 65 encoding polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, or ascorbate peroxidase were further analyzed. The quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) data indicated that the expression levels of the LcPPO gene (Accession No.: Cluster-21832.13892) was significantly higher in ‘35D-7’ compared with that in ‘2D-2’. Several POD genes (Accession No.: Cluster-21832.19847, Cluster-21832.30619 and Cluster-48491.2) were also upregulated. Analysis of the plantTFDB database indicated that some transcription factors such as WRKY gene family may also participate in the regulation of Luffa browning. The results indicated that the divergence of genes expression related to enzymatic reaction may lead to the different browning resistances of Luffa. Our study will provide a theoretical basis for breeding of browning-resistant Luffa.
Política Nacional de Atenção Hospitalar: discussão conceitual de políticas públicas e aplicação prática
Authors: Viana Cardoso Vanilson , Da Fonseca Capssa Lima Sausen Juliana , Luís Allebrandt Sérgio , Adelar Mueller Airton , Marlene Seide Froemming Lurdes , Knebel Baggio Daniel
Published: August 2020

Este artigo tem como objetivo realizar uma revisão conceitual de políticas públicas, por meio de pesquisa bibliográfica e documental, referidas a serviços de saúde hospitalar, elegendo como estudo de caso um hospital privado e sem fins lucrativos. A pesquisa, realizada no período de 2009 a 2016, se baseia, inicialmente, na abordagem descritiva de Gavilanes, que implicou na revisão de inúmeras indicações conceituais, levando, então, a que se propusesse uma nova definição que permitiria que o objeto em questão fosse melhor compreendido, tanto pela comunidade quanto pela gestão pública. Em especial, foram confrontadas as definições estatista e multicêntrica. O modelo societal de administração pública, no contexto brasileiro, também foi objeto de apreciação. Por fim, procedeu-se ao exame das aplicações práticas da Política Nacional de Atenção Hospitalar (PNHOSP), a política pública mais abrangente, e a Política Nacional para os Hospitais de Pequeno Porte (PNHPP), referida à instituição-objeto deste estudo. Conclui-se que a atuação da administração pública converge com a definição gerencial e estatista, obstaculizando a formação de um espaço alternativo na mobilização de políticas públicas.
The reducibility of the power of a C0(1)-operator
Authors:   Department of Mathematics, California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, U.S.A., Gu Caixing
Published: August 2020

Inspired by the work of Douglas and Foias in 2006 on the structure of the square of a C0(1)-operator, we form a conjecture about a certain reducibility of any power N of a C0(1)-operator. We then prove this conjecture for N=3 by determining explicitly the relevant reducing subspaces.
Von Neumann type trace inequalities for Schatten-class operators
Authors:   Institute of Mathematics, University of Wurzburg, D-97074 Wurzburg, Germany, Dirr Gunther , vom Ende Frederik ,   Department of Chemistry, Technische Universitaet Munchen, D-85747 Garching, Germany and Munich Centre for Quantum Science and Technology (MCQST), D-80799~Munchen, Germany
Published: August 2020

We generalize von Neumann's well-known trace inequality, as well as related eigenvalue inequalities for Hermitian matrices, to Schatten-class operators between complex Hilbert spaces of infinite dimension. To this end, we exploit some recent results on the C-numerical range of Schatten-class operators . For the readers' convenience, we sketched the proof of these results in the Appendix.
An entire free holomorphic function which is unbounded on the row ball
Authors:   Department of Mathematics, 1400 Stadium Rd, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, U.S.A., Pascoe J.E.
Published: August 2020

We give an entire free holomorphic function f which is unbounded on the row ball. That is, we give a holomorphic free noncommutative function which is continuous in the free topology developed by Agler and McCarthy but is unbounded on the set of row contractions.
Exploring Constraints Faced by Women Entrepreneur in India: An Overview
Authors: Chunera Anjali
Published: August 2020

Background: Women entrepreneurship is essential for societal as well as country development. But women entrepreneurs in India come across multiple challenges which obstruct them from working. 

Aims: This study aims to investigate the constraints faced by women entrepreneurs in India. The paper engages in a comparative literature review of constraints from several states in India.

Methods: A cross selection survey.

Results: The major constraints faced by women entrepreneurs in India are the social constraints like gender inequality and discrimination, family discouragement, lack of social acceptance and male dominance, etc. Personal constraints include lack of self-confidence, motivation and risk-bearing capacity, dual role performance at home and job, fear of failure and criticism and many more, financial constraints were inadequacy of working capital, lack of awareness of sources of finance, lack of credit facility and lack of knowledge about finance etc., and environmental constraints like inadequate institutional support, non-availability of good workers/employees, lack of managerial education etc. hamper the pathway of women entrepreneurs.

Conclusion and Recommendation: This study makes certain recommendation such as constraints faced by women entrepreneurs need to be addressed as top priorities to have unhampered women development by conducting gender-specific training, awareness workshops, vocational skill courses, utilization of social media for information dissemination, skill development should be done by government and policymakers should come up with various policies and programmes focusing on creating a conducive environment for the success of women entrepreneurs.
Causality and Causal Explanation: The Constitution of Sufficient Reasoning in Social Research
Authors: Fred Ssemugenyi , Nuru Tindi Seje , Robert Leso Iki
Published: August 2020

As Social Researchers, we have for the last one and half decades witnessed a disturbing lag in the existing body of literature for causal explanations. The majority seem to contradict and provide no clear-cut explanations about the relevancy of applying causal techniques to understand social patterns. Much as it is true that understanding social processes and patterns is in many ways more challenging than understanding the physical world, social researchers need to provide a justification to these complexities through scientific inquiry using causal techniques and interpretations. Many times social researchers concentrate on the simple linearity between cause and effect and yet its ability to explain reality is doubtable. This sounds to reason that, our focus as social experts should be on what form of social interactions extend over time in the social world to establish the links between cause and effect. Again, how relevant is the available evidence to claim that social factor X causes a change in social factor Y? In other words, is social factor Y a function of social factor X? To establish a scientific conclusion and perhaps shed light on why things in the social world are the way they are, one must logically identify a competent X that can independently predict a change in Y through covariates. In light of this, social researchers can vividly offer logical explanations to various social processes which often seem to be beyond human description.

 

In this paper, the researchers offer a scientific explanation concerning the various errors in reasoning within the social world and provide a distinction between various types of social explanations, articulate causal reasoning behind social processes, events and patterns in order to draw conclusions that are based on evidence.
Reading Habits of Freshmen of Gedu College of Business Studies
Authors: Wangchuk Chencho , Wangchuk Nima , Sharma Dhanapati , Dorji Phub
Published: August 2020

Aim: The main purpose of this study was to determine college students’ attitude towards reading against the backdrop of perceived poor habit of reading among Bhutanese students and evidences showing decline in attitude towards reading observed among students as they matured.

Study Design: Descriptive survey.

Place and Duration of the Study: Gedu College of Business Studies (GCBS), a constituent college under the Royal University of Bhutan, during the 2019 academic session.

Methodology: The authors administered Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS) questionnaire to 500 freshmen.

Results: A descriptive statistical analysis of questionnaires returned revealed a positive attitude towards reading. Specifically, from the two types of reading, the respondents preferred recreational reading slightly more than the academic reading. In addition, an independent-samples t-test revealed a statistically significant attitudinal differences between genders towards reading. In both cases, female-respondents were found more positive towards both recreational and academic reading than their male counterparts.

Conclusion: Analysis of the data revealed that the freshmen of GCBS held positive attitude towards reading with slight preference being given to recreational reading. Also, from the two genders, independent-samples t-test showed that females were more positive towards reading than males.
Aspects of Modern Systemic Approach (III): Implications of Random Processes in the Study of Dynamic Systems
Authors: Cioruța Bogdan-Vasile
Published: August 2020

The purpose of this study is to familiarize the reader with the diversity of concepts (notions) and stages of development specific to Probability Theory, with the definition and characterization of variables, vectors and random processes, respectively with the most important elements that give random processes. Among these we mention the distribution function, the probability density function, the statistical moments of a random process, the temporal averages, and respectively the correlation (and intercorrelation) of a random signal (process). Also, the implications of random processes in the study of dynamical systems are reviewed, as well as a series of applications specific to the analysis of dynamic behavior.
Determination of Green Tea Recovery Percentage and Its Relation to Different Weather Parameters
Authors: Arefin Md. Riyadh , Hossain Md. Ismail , Rahaman Md. Rayhan-Ur-
Published: August 2020

Aims: Green tea is one of the most popular drinks and millions of cups are consumed every day in entire world. In Bangladesh, people mainly prefer CTC (Crush-Tear-Curl) black tea but now-a-days health conscious people are being habituated to green tea due to its beneficial effect to health. Since our green tea production is very little compared to black tea production, our concept and knowledge about green tea is also very low. This experiment was conducted with two main objectives: to determine the green tea recovery percentage and to find its relation to different weather parameters.

Study Design: This experiment was conducted by following Factorial Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four replications.

Place and Duration of Study: This experiment was conducted at Miniature Factory of Bangladesh Tea Research Institute (BTRI) Sreemangal, Moulvibazar-3210 from March 2017 to November 2017.

Methodology: BTRI recommended green tea manufacturing process (Green Leaves→ Steaming→ Cooling→ Rolling→ Drying) was followed in this experiment to calculate the recovery percentage. Weight of green leaves after each stage and recovery percentage were calculated. Monthly weather data of four parameters: temperature (°C), rainfall (mm), relative humidity (%) and sunshine hour were also collected. Correlation Coefficient (r) was calculated by Pearson’s mathematical formulation to quantify the degree of relationship. Linear regression equation was also generated to predict recovery percentages against different weather parameters only when the relationship was significant.

Results: In case of BTRI recommended green tea manufacturing process the average recovery percentage was 19.19% with an average moisture content of 3.72%. Among four weather parameters, temperature (°C) has negative insignificant (correlation coefficient, r=-0.43 and P=0.2523) relation on recovery percentage. But there was a strong significant (P=0.000146) negative effect (r=-0.942) of rainfall on recovery percentage. While a moderate non-significant (P=0.322807) negative relation (r=-0.37) of relative humidity and a considerable high positive non-significant (P=0.073687) relation (r=0.62) of sunshine hour on recovery percentage was found in this study.

Conclusion: Green tea recovery percentage was 19.19% with an average moisture content of 3.72% which can be different with different weather conditions in every month. Among four weather parameters, mainly rainfall was responsible for the variation of recovery percentages in different months.
Monochoria africana N.E.Br. [Family Pontederiaceae]: Probable Reasons for Limited Distribution of This Rare Species in Kenya
Authors: Njenga Peter K. , Muchuku John K.
Published: August 2020

Monochoria africana N.E.Br. is an extremely rare plant with limited distribution in Kenya. Rare plant species are often specialists for a rare microhabitat and there is all likelihood that Monochoria africana is a habitat specialist. Our research on distribution of this species in Kenya has so far located it in a very small isolated microhabitat in the Tana River delta, coastal region of Kenya. So far, this plant has only been located in one community farm in a small village called Ozi, near Kipini, Latitude 2°30’33’’S and Longitude 40°27’20’’E. The methodology used in this study entailed direct observations, line transects, meander and patterned searches in its narrow area of endemism.

In this short communication, the authors hypothesize various reasons for the limited distribution of this rare species. Viz: diverse edaphic factors, inbreeding depression, low levels of seed set, genetic bottlenecks, specialized pollination systems etc. At the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) department of Botany greenhouses, we have embarked on some studies to try and unravel probable reasons for rarity of Monochoria africana.
Insights into the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2: Transmission, Genome Composition, Replication, Diagnostics and Therapeutics
Authors: Gupta Rubi , Paswan Ricky Raj , Saikia Richita , Borah Basanta Kumar
Published: August 2020

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2, originated in Wuhan, China in late 2019 has created a massive pandemic; the disease manifested by the virus was named as COVID-19 by World Health Organization. It has appeared as an unprecedented threat against the global health scenario, as well as the world socio-economic-political structure. The infection of the plausibly animate-origin virus, per se, is not dangerous; but its extremely contagious and infectious nature is the major challenge it has posed. In human, the viral receptor is angiotensin converting enzyme-2, which is present in the cellular membranes of multiple vital organs. The virus has different longevity in different contaminated surfaces which are the principal modes of its transmission. No immunity has so far been reported against the virus; however, immuno-compromised individuals are more vulnerable. For its diagnosis, mainly reverse transcription-based diagnosis is presently being used; however, serological diagnosis is still not a regular practice due to several reasons. Multiple public as well as private sector organizations are working towards vaccine development; research for antiviral drugs and drug-repurposing is also in progress. Several candidate vaccines and drugs are now in various levels of clinical trials. Here, we summarize the scientific basis of the pandemic; its diagnosis, treatment and efforts towards therapeutic development. These efforts will prove useful against future emerging and re-emerging human and non-human epidemics as well as pandemics.
Acquisition and Retention of Knowledge about Animal Feed Technologies in Veterinary Medical Education
Authors: Aparna . , Kansal S. K. , Hundal Jaspal , Verma H. K. , Singh Jaswinder
Published: August 2020

Aims: An awareness and knowledge retention study w.r.t animal feed technologies was conducted on 115 students of BVSc & AH.

Study Design: It was a pre, post and delayed post test study.

Place of Study: Guru Angad Dev Veterinary &Animal Sciences University Ludhiana India.

Methodology: Ten animal feed technologies were selected for evaluation viz: Mineral mixture (MM), Urea treatment of wheat straw (UTWS), Uromin lick (UL), Silage, Hay, Bypass fat (BF), Bypass protein (BP), Total mixed ration (TMR), Buffer and Probiotics. Students were evaluated for their awareness and knowledge through 50 multiple choice questions at three stages, Pre test: before beginning of Animal Nutrition courses Post test-I: immediately after completion of courses and Post test-II: 6 months after completion of courses.

Results: In Pre test, awareness for Mineral mixture was 19.1 per cent, UTWS 0.9 per cent Silage 19.1 per cent, Hay 20 per cent, Buffers 36.5 per cent and Probiotics 43.5 per cent. None of the students was aware about Uromin lick, BF, Bypass protein and TMR in Pre test. None of the students had knowledge about UTWS, UL, BF, BP and TMR in Pre test (score=0). Awareness and knowledge score raised in Post test-I and declined in Post test-II for all technologies. Mean knowledge score was 0.97/ 50 in Pre test, 38.60 in Post test I and 21.49 in Post test II (statistically significant P<0.01).

Conclusion: Students lost 44.32% knowledge at a gap of six months after its acquisition. At the time of Post test-II students were studying in fourth semester and were going to apply this knowledge after their graduation (3.5 years). By that time the loss of knowledge could be much higher hence retention of knowledge must be focused upon.
Transatlantic and Ancestral Routes and the Pharmacological and Biological Potential of Ocimum basilicum L.: A Review
Authors: Pereira M. M. A. , Morais L. C. , Luz J. M. Q. , Pasqual M. , Dória J.
Published: August 2020

Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is not endemic in Brazil; however, it is a symbolic plant for traditional peoples and was present in ancestral cultural resistance. Several species were introduced to Brazil through the slave trade on the Africa-Brazil transatlantic route. In addition, the active constituents of basil are of great pharmaceutical and biological importance, and the plant has been used for therapeutic purposes by a wide variety of people, from quilombola communities to the pharmaceutical industry. Thus, based on African ethnobotany and modern science, this review article aimed to contextualize the endemic and epistemic importance of the origin, traditional, ancestral, medicinal and therapeutic uses of basil, consumed en masse in Brazil (during and after) the slavery period. The bibliographic review was carried out by consulting historical books and Scopus scientific databases. Scielo, transatlantic slave traffic database and Web of Science. The results showed that traditional communities, quilombos and terreiros, already made medicinal and liturgical uses of basil, before its use by the pharmaceutical industry. And that after the period of slavery, several studies carried out by researchers with basil proved that this species has several therapeutic properties, already reported by traditional communities. Thus, it is concluded that O. basilicum L. is an endemic species of the African continent, introduced in Brazil on the transatlantic route and that the traditional and ancestral knowledge for therapeutic use and application was already present in the territory, before the studies of proof of activity, post slavery period. Currently, the species is widely applied in the pharmaceutical and biological industry. However, there is a need for strategies that recognize, value and integrate the knowledge of the traditional peoples of the African diaspora, scientific productions.
Antifungal Activity and Phytochemical Screening of Cymbopogon citratus, Cajanus cajan and Plectranthus amboinicus Leaves Collected in Guyana, South America
Authors: Maldonado Denis , Subramanian Gomathinayagam , Kurup Rajini , Ansari Abdullah Adil
Published: August 2020

Aims: Medicinal plants have been a fundamental part of the human health since existence. Guyana is surrounded high in the green shoulder of northern South America and shares Amazon River and Amazon Forest. South American population use plant extracts obtained from traditional medicinal plants as treatment for many infectious diseases. The study aimed to estimate antifungal property and chemical composition of the three medicinal plants Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass), Cajanus cajan (pigeon pea) and Plectranthus amboinicus (thick leaf thyme) leaves collected from the coastal areas of Guyana.

Study Design:  Experiment based study.

Place and Duration of Study: Plants were gathered along the East Coast of Guyana and identified at the Biodiversity Center, University of Guyana, Georgetown, Guyana between January 2017- May 2017.

Methodology: Phytochemical extraction was conducted using the soxhlet and rotovap apparatus and an aqueous extraction method. Data analysis of the study was done using R-Studio Program for statistical computing and graphics. A Tukey test was done along with ANOVA and Boxplots.

Results: Qualitative analysis of phytochemicals was carried out and the presence of terpenoids, steroids, glycoside, alkaloid, tannins and saponins were positive in some plants. Antifungal activity was tested using the poisoned food and well diffusion techniques.

Conclusion: In conclusion, C. cajan showed significant zones of inhibition using a well diffusion technique whereas hexane extract showed significant inhibition with poisoned food technique.
Effect of Reflex Therapy on Stress and Blood Pressure among Older Adults with Hypertension
Authors: Missiriya Sahbanathul , Hassan J. Suhail , Anunncia Arul
Published: August 2020

Aims: Reflex therapy relieves tension, relaxes the mind, improves the circulation of the body. In hypertension, vascular resistance increases the pressure of the blood vessels. The study was aimed to assess the pretest and post-test levels of stress and blood pressure (BP), evaluate the effectiveness of the reflex therapy among older adults with hypertension, and to associate the level of stress and BP with demographic variables.

Study Design: Community-based randomized controlled trial was adopted.

Place and Duration of Study: The urban area, Poonamallee, in Chennai, between October to December 2019.

Methodology: Among 100 older adults, 50 participants were selected in each experimental and control group by using simple randomization. Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and dual function BP monitor was used to assess the stress and BP respectively. Reflex therapy was provided for 6 weeks to the older adults with hypertension, who had low and moderate levels of stress in the experimental group. The different pressures such as 100%, 75%, and 50%, that was applied in the foot for 15 minutes weekly twice by reflexology stick, when the participants were in an empty stomach. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: The mean and standard deviation value of pretest and post-test stress level was 14.84±6.02, 9.4±4.73 in experimental group, 13.32±5.3 and 13.04±5.09 in control group respectively. This proves that reflex therapy was effective in reducing stress levels which was statistically significant (P=0.001). Mean and standard deviation of systolic BP in pretest and post-test was 142.74±5.98 and 137.78±5.69; 141.11±6.18 and 142.03±6.29, and diastolic BP was 98.21±3.28; 97.31±3.15 and 97.94±3.59; 98.96±3.34 in experimental and control group respectively indicated that the reflex therapy helps to reduce the level of BP (P=0.001).

Conclusion: Reflex therapy is beneficial to older adults particularly with hypertension for relieving stress and reducing systolic and diastolic BP.
Protective Role of Foeniculum vulgare Mill. in Brain Disorders; A New Window
Authors: Abbas Afshan , Ikram Rahila , Iftikhar Saadia , Bukhari Qurrat ul Ain , Nisar Uzair , Adil Abeer
Published: August 2020

Aims: Alzheimer disease and epilepsy are two of the central nervous system (CNS) disorders that not only affect the quality of life of patients but also of family members and caretakers. Remedies for these illnesses are available in allopathic medicines but not without side effects. Herbal products are being investigated for these ailments. Protective role of Foeniculum vulgare Mill. was assessed in this study.

Study Design: Laboratory based randomized controlled trial.

Place and Duration of Study: Conducted in Pharmacology Department of University of Karachi, between March 2018 and April 2018.

Methodology: Mice and rats were divided in three groups, control, 2% and 4% F. vulgare groups, each containing 10 rodents. Control group was fed standard rodent diet, whereas, study groups were given 2% and 4% F. vulgare seeds (crushed) incorporated in standard rodent diet. Epilepsy model was made for mice and Alzheimer disease study was done using rats and passive avoidance test.

Results: Lower incidence of seizures and mortality in both study groups as compared to control in epilepsy model and memory retaining effect in both treated groups in Alzheimer disease model was recorded with statistical significance.

Conclusion: Clinical studies should be conducted to validate the protective role of this herb in these disorders.
A Prospective Study on Functional Outcome of Open Reduction and Internal Fixation of Acetabular Fractures
Authors: Pillella Venkata Kiran , John J. Lionel
Published: August 2020

The current study is a prospective study on the functional outcome of open reduction and internal fixation of acetabular fractures. About 30 patients were analyzed for the functional outcome of acetabular fractures treated by open reduction and internal fixation over a period of one year and eight months from March 2017 to October 2018 with a minimum follow up period of 9 months at Sree Balaji Medical College & Hospital, Chromepet, Chennai. The mean age of the patient was 37.96 year ranging from 20 - 60 years. The Joel Matta score was used for calculation of radiological outcome of 30 patients. The results were excellent in 19 (66.3%), good in 8 (26.6%), fair in 3 (10%), and poor in 0 (0%) patients. Functional outcome of displaced acetabular fractures more than 2 mm displacement was found to have excellent results on open reduction and internal fixation.
Echocardiographic Changes in Controlled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with Reference to Body Mass Index and Waist Hip Ratio
Authors: Meenakshi G. , Anand N. N.
Published: August 2020

Type2 diabetes mellitus is associated with central obesity. Studies shows that central obesity, leads to insulin resistance is an important determinant for insulin resistance and cardiovascular morbidity. In the present study clinical profile of type2 diabetics with special reference to cardiac changes were studied and their relationship were established. This is a prospective cross-sectional study conducted in Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital. 50 obese patients with controlled diabetes less than 5 years of duration were compared with obese non diabetics. There is significant statistical correlation with obese diabetic subjects particularly females, alterations in LV geometry. Obese female subjects had predominantly higher left ventricular mass. From the data of the present study high BMI, WHR have increased incidence of cardiovascular disease.
Risk factors for mediastinitis in the post-operative period of heart surgery
Authors: Cruz Debora Ferreira da , Sousa Elbanir Rosangela Ferreira de , Almeida Claudia Elizabeth de
Published: August 2020

Objectives: The study’s main purpose has been to identify both pre and postoperative risk factors related to the development of mediastinitis among patients who underwent cardiac surgery at a hospital from the Rio de Janeiro city. Furthermore, to characterize the study population and to analyze the relationship between risk factors and the incidence of mediastinitis in patients who underwent cardiac surgery. Methods: It is a descriptive and retrospective study with a quantitative approach, where there were identified the risk factors related to the development of mediastinitis in patients who underwent cardiac surgery at a university hospital from the Rio de Janeiro State. Results: There were obtained a total of 192 patients, mostly males, within the age group from 50 to 69 years old and overweight. Diabetes mellitus and smoking were the most frequent comorbidities, and coronary artery bypass graft surgery was the most performed surgery, 4 patients had mediastinitis. Conclusion: The identification of such factors contributes to the elaboration of prevention strategies for mediastinitis, and the implementation of nursing care in both pre and postoperative periods of cardiac surgeries.
Deep learning and level set approach for liver and tumor segmentation from CT scans
Authors: Alirr Omar Ibrahim
Published: August 2020

Purpose

Segmentation of liver organ and tumors from computed tomography (CT) scans is an important task for hepatic surgical planning. Manual segmentation of liver and tumors is tedious, time‐consuming, and biased to the clinician experience. Therefore, automatic segmentation of liver and tumors is highly desirable. It would improve the surgical planning treatments and follow‐up assessment.

Method

This work presented the development of an automatic method for liver and tumor segmentation from CT scans. The proposed method was based on fully convolutional neural (FCN) network with region‐based level set function. The framework starts to segment the liver organ from CT scan, which is followed by a step to segment tumors inside the liver envelope. The fully convolutional network is trained to predict the coarse liver/tumor segmentation, while the localized region‐based level aims to refine the predicted segmentation to find the correct final segmentation.

Results

The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated against two publically available datasets, LiTS and IRCAD datasets. Dice scores for liver and tumor segmentation in IRCAD datasets are 95.2% and 76.1%, respectively, while for LiTS dataset are 95.6% and 70%, respectively.

Conclusion

The proposed method succeeded to segment liver and tumors in heterogeneous CT scans from different scanners, as in IRCAD dataset, which proved its ability for generalization and be promising tool for automatic analysis of liver and its tumors in clinical routine.
Restorative treatments of dystrophin expression in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: A systematic review
Authors: Pascual‐Morena Carlos , Cavero‐Redondo Iván , Álvarez‐Bueno Celia , Mesas Arthur Eumann , Pozuelo‐Carrascosa Diana , Martínez‐Vizcaíno Vicente
Published: August 2020

To evaluate the effect of pharmacological treatments that increase the synthesis of dystrophin in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Systematic searches were carried out in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science, and in gray literature from inception to December 2019. Clinical trials addressing the effect of restorative treatments of dystrophin expression in children and adolescents with DMD on functional outcomes {(6‐minute walking distance [6MWD], other timed functional tests [TFTs], The North Star Ambulatory Assessment)}, dystrophin expression, cardiorespiratory function, and biochemical tests were included. The DerSimonian‐Laird method was used to calculate the pooled estimates for functional outcomes. Eleven studies were included in the systematic review and five in the meta‐analysis. Eteplirsen showed a significant effect on 6MWD, Δ6MWD = 67.3 m (95% CI: 27.32, 107.28), and Δ6MWD = 151.0 m (95% CI: 36.15, 265.85) at 48 weeks and 3 years, respectively. In the systematic review, analyzing individually the clinical trials using Ataluren and Drisapersen showed a nonsignificant effect on 6MWD. However, the meta‐analysis showed a significant effect on 6MWD for Ataluren and Drisapersen, Δ6MWD = 18.3 m (95% CI: 1.0, 35.5) and Δ6MWD = 21.5 m (95% CI: 4.7, 38.3), respectively. There were no significant differences according to baseline age for Drisapersen. Similarly, the meta‐analysis showed effect in TFT with Ataluren. All drugs induced a partial synthesis of dystrophin, and exon skipping was obtained with Eteplirsen and Drisapersen. Eteplirsen also improved forced vital capacity (Δ%pFVC = 1.8%) and maximal inspiratory pressure (Δ%pMIP = 4.4%). Eteplirsen and Ataluren could modestly reduce disease progression. However, more trials are needed to confirm its efficacy, as well as quality of life and cost‐utility studies.