bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A House That Once Was by J. Fogliano
Authors: Olson Lisa
Published: June 2019

Fogliano, Julie.  A House That Once Was. Illustrated by Lane Smith, Roaring Brook Press, 2018. 

This is a picture book that remarks upon the curiosity and imagination of childhood exploration. The setting is an abandoned house in a forest that is found by two adventuring children. Although there is no dialogue between the characters, the narrator guides the reader through the possibilities of a house that was once a home. Who once lived in this lost and lonely house?

The writing is done in free verse and could easily be read as a poem independent of the images. However, the illustrations extend the meaning of the text and give further imaginative options of the people who may have lived in the house. The stealthy reader will find many clues into the lives of the past homeowners. 

Lane Smith’s illustrations have been done in two different media as a way to differentiate between current day and imagined past moments in time. The current day images are created with India ink drawings on colourful blotted backgrounds giving the scenes a washed, muted feeling. In contrast, the artwork in the imagined scenes are done in a mixed media with oil painting and paper collage elements.

The reader may experience a mixture of feelings while experiencing this book. One may feel despondent for the old house lost in the forest with a story to tell, a house that has been abandoned and forgotten. However, the reader may become encouraged to grow their own imagination and bloom a narration of what could have been. This book would be a lovely addition to any home, school, or public library and would be a joy to share with elementary aged children in order to encourage conversation and imagination.  

Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Lisa Olson

Lisa is a University of Alberta undergraduate student completing her Elementary Education program and a graduate of the Athabasca University Bachelor of Arts program. She loves to dive into a good book and binge read until it is complete.
Mae Among the Stars by R. Ahmed
Authors: Harty Bridget
Published: June 2019

Ahmed, Roda. Mae Among the Stars. Illustrated by Stasia Burrington, Harper Collins, 2018.

Mae Among the Stars is the perfect picture book for any young child (3-8) interested in space. It tells the real-life story of Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space. This story urges children to explore even the most impossible dreams, or as Mae’s parents repeatedly encourage throughout: “If you can dream it, if you believe it and work hard for it, anything is possible.” The story revolves around the age-old question most of us are asked as children: What would you like to be when you grow up? Mae Jemison dreams about being an astronaut. Although her teacher tries to deter her from pursuing this dream, Mae refuses to give up. Thanks to her determination and parents’ reinforcement, she continues to work towards achieving her “impossible” dream of seeing Earth from space. Kids will find the last page of this book particularly interesting because it contains the bio of Mae Jemison and her accomplishments.

The illustrations in this book elevate the story to an exceptional level. The rich colours and imaginative drawings bring each page to life. The illustrations are so vivid that one page in particular stands out from the rest because it is depicted in a muted blue, representing Mae’s gloomy response to her teacher’s disapproval of her dream of becoming an astronaut. Although the story tackles the deep-rooted issues of racial and gender stereotypes, the writing is simple enough for young readers to connect with Mae’s story while still inspiring them to reach for the stars. 

Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Bridget Harty

Bridget Harty is a University of Alberta undergraduate student in the Elementary Education program. She enjoys spending time with family and friends and rereading the Harry Potter series any chance she gets.
Drawn Together by M. Le
Authors: Courtland Darcy
Published: June 2019

Le, Minh. Drawn Together. Illustrated by Dan Santat, Disney Hyperion, 2018. Drawn Together is a work of art created by Minh Le, author of award winning, Let Me Finish!, and illustrated by Caldecott Medalist, Dan Santat. This beautiful story depicts the cultural and linguistic divide between a young boy and his grandfather. The book invites the reader to walk alongside these two characters as they struggle with their differences only to stumble upon their similarities. Bringing together two generations of artists, the story revels in the characters’ imaginations as they create a vivid world of artistic adventures and compassion. Inhibited by the linguistic barriers that once isolated the characters, Minh Le’s limited, yet well crafted, text serves to support Dan Santat’s captivating illustrations that “draw” the grandfather and young boy closer. Detailed facial expressions and rich illustrations heighten the reading experience and weave together a story that both literally and metaphorically bridges the space between a grandfather and his grandson. Whether you are curling up with young ones at home or searching for a beautiful book for your classroom library, look no further. This one is guaranteed to draw you in! Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 StarsReviewer: Darcy Courtland Darcy Courtland loves a good picture book! After seven years in the classroom, Darcy has returned to the University of Alberta to pursue a PhD in Elementary Education. Always up for a new adventure, Darcy is excited to be furthering her education in language and literacy and Indigenous education.
The Day You Begin by J. Woodson
Authors: Ford Danielle
Published: June 2019

Woodson, Jacqueline. The Day You Begin. Illustrated by Rafael López, Penguin Random House, 2018.

Inspired by a poem in her award-winning memoir Brown Girl Dreaming, the Brooklyn based author Jacqueline Woodson wrote The Day You Begin about the moments in a child’s life when s/he feels like an outsider.  Throughout the pages, the reader goes on a journey through the eyes of various children and their experiences feeling like outsiders. The children discover that the moment you bravely reach out you will find that “every new friend has something a little like you—and something else so fabulously not quite like you at all.” Written in beautifully poetic text that is perfectly portrayed through the illustrations, this picture book speaks of hope and human connection in the face of fear, a concept easily connected to by all. 

Rafael Lopez creates beautiful illustrations to inspire imagination and conjure up the precious richness of our differences. Pages filled with vibrant images of flowers and nature are used to represent the child’s unique qualities spoken of in the text. In contrast, dull colours and minimal images express feelings of difference.  The highly relatable experience of trying to measure up is illustrated on some of the pages through the presence of a ruler. Adults and children of all ages will be able to connect in some way with the characters on the page.

Overall, this is a beautifully written book that can be used to discuss the vibrancy we can find in our communities when we cherish our differences and share of ourselves, if only we would begin. 

Highly Recommended:  4 out of 4 starsReviewer:  Danielle Ford

Danielle is an avid reader of all kinds of books. Currently in her last semester of her Bachelor of Education as an Elementary Generalist, she is looking forward to bringing rich children’s literature into her classroom.
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by R.T. Higgins
Authors: Oliver Haley
Published: June 2019

Higgins, Ryan T. We Don’t Eat Our Classmates. Disney-Hyperion, 2018.

Ryan T. Higgins writes highly rated children’s books dealing with common elementary school conflicts. The picture book, We Don’t Eat Our Classmates, will capture all readers, no matter the age. The main character, Penelope, is an adorable T-rex who wears pink coveralls. She was designed by the illustrator and a group of children so it has features that will appeal to all and capture your heart immediately. Penelope is a having a rough first day of school because she keeps eating all her classmates; she struggles with fitting in but learns that it is not fun when you get bit. The story uses humorous hyperboles and the element of surprise that will keep the reader engaged until the end of the story. The humour is exemplified through the beautifully illustrated representations of the story. The illustrations capture the situations through simple images that show the character’s expressions and intentionally incorporate colours to emphasize the characters or the problem at hand.

This picture book would make a fantastic addition to any early elementary classroom and would make a great read aloud because it uses humour to address the themes of new students, making friends, and learning to treat others the way you want to be treated. Its huge font will allow younger readers to follow along. The humour and overemphasis in the story is what makes it a truly engaging and fun read while hitting on the feelings of being different and excluded that many students face.

Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Haley Oliver

Haley Oliver is a fourth year Bachelor of Elementary Education student at the University of Alberta. She is interested in encouraging young child to love reading through entertaining and meaningful literature.
I Walk With Vanessa: A Story About a Simple Act of Kindness by Kerascoët
Authors: Beach Terri
Published: June 2019

Kerascoët. I Walk With Vanessa: A Story About a Simple Act of Kindness. Random House Children’s Books, 2018.

This is a wordless picture book from French illustrators, Kerascoët. This husband and wife duo, Marie and Sébastien solely illustrate, without the use of text, the ability to combat bullying in modern society. They accomplish this difficult task by placing emphasis on the characters’ emotions through the use of distinct colour throughout the images, clearly depicting the story’s message. Because there are no words, this amazing resource provides students with the ability to interpret the book individually, creating unique perspectives such as an idea, "who else needs help other than Vanessa?"

This book provides fresh insight into how society can unite together by creating a positive chain reaction when faced with bullying. Throughout the illustrations, this team accomplished this task extremely well, by providing the audience with diverse characters, creating a sense of belonging. This allows the reader to view the characters as if they were looking at their own reflection, seeing into their lives, therefore enabling them to relate to the book. With this, I truly believe that it is essential for children's books to act either as a window or a mirror for children.     

Overall, I feel that this book is ideal for a target audience of pre-kindergarten to grade two. The drawings are simplistic, with few details, allowing children to predict the storyline easily, leaving a thorough investigation of the book. I cannot wait for students to "read" this book to me. 

Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Terri Beach
Management of atypical mucosal lesions from primary endodontic infection
Authors: Sirino Guilherme de Jesus Souza , Costa Susilena Arouche , Pereira Erika Martins , Souza Soraia de Fátima Carvalho
Published: June 2019

Aim/Case report: We have described here the diagnosis and treatment of two cases involving atypical mucosal lesions originating from primary endodontic infections in young patients. Differential diagnoses were established by clinical and radiographic examinations. In both the cases, a red-colored lesion was observed in the alveolar mucosa, with a soft consistency and a sessile-base without any drainage path in tooth 31 (case 1) and with a sinus tract in tooth 36 (case 2), as confirmed by X-ray. The cleaning and shaping of the root canals were performed, and camphorated paramonochlorofenol (CPMC)-enriched calcium hydroxide paste was used as an intracanal dressing for 6 months, with replacement every 60 days. Conclusion: Based on our experience, we thus conclude that long-term root canal maintenance with CPMC-enriched calcium hydroxide was an effective therapeutic protocol for promoting the healing of atypical mucosal lesions.
Methods and logistics of an oral health cohort of university students from Pelotas, a Brazilian Southern city
Authors: Chisini Luiz Alexandre , Cademartori Mariana Gonzalez , Collares Kauê , Tarquinio Sandra Beatriz Chaves , Goettems Marília Leão , Demarco Flávio Fernando , Corrêa Marcos Britto , Azevedo Marina Souza
Published: June 2019

Aim: This paper aimed to describe the methodological aspects in the baseline of university students’ cohort in a public university in southern Brazil. Methods: A multidisciplinary study was carried out assessing the psychosocial and oral health conditions of university students at the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel). All new university students who have entered in in UFPel in the first semester of 2016 year were invited to participate. Two self-administered questionnaires were applied in classrooms. Descriptive analysis was performed using Stata 14.0. Results: A total of 3,237 students were eligible. Of these, 2,089 (64.5%) signed the consent form to participate of the study and answered the general questionnaires, and 2,052 (63.4%) students answered the confidential questionnaire. Refuses represented only 1.4% (n=29) of the total sample. Overall, most of the sample was female (52.2%), with age ranging from 18 to 24 years (66.1%), with white skin color (74.1%) and with mothers with educational level at university course (32.4%). A total, 62% reported a family income between 1001.00 and 5000.00 BRL, while only 16.3% reported being from low-income family (≤ 1000.00 BRL).  The UFPel offers 63 classroom-based courses classified in nine areas of knowledge. The Applied Social Sciences area comprised 19% of the sample followed by the Linguistics, Letters and Arts (17%) area and the Health sciences area (13%). Conclusion: To the knowledge of researchers, this was the first cohort study of university students in the South of Brazil including more than two thousand participants. This paper described strategies adopted to optimize and to allow data collection in the baseline and in the next follow-ups.
Formação de professores, educação e psicanálise
Authors: Vasques Carla Karnoppi , Pereira Marcelo Ricardo , Mosche Simone Zanon
Published: June 2019

O Dossiê Formação de Professores e Psicanálise conjuga dez artigos substanciais, dos quais, sete assinados por pesquisadores brasileiros de referência (UFRGS, UFMG, USP, UFF, UFJF e UFOP) e três por pesquisadores estrangeiros com reconhecida inserção no tema (Paris 8, Paris 10/Cergy-Pontoise e UdelaR, Uruguai).
Indisciplina escolar
Authors: Moura Dirley Aparecido de , Prodócimo Elaine
Published: June 2019

A presente pesquisa teve como tema a indisciplina escolar e como objetivo analisar os Registros de Ocorrências de Indisciplinas (ROI) em escolas estaduais de Indaiatuba – SP. Inicialmente, foram identificados os alunos com comportamentos considerados indisciplinados por meio de entrevistas com professores, equipe gestora e observações de aulas, em seguida foram analisados os ROIs desses alunos. Os registros escolares são importantes para a formulação e implementação de projetos preventivos que lidem com a indisciplina escolar, entretanto observamos uma banalização do ROI. Foi percebida uma discrepância entre as escolas quanto à quantidade de registros. Foi possível perceber que não há uma relação de continuidade e não ocorrem encaminhamentos necessários de cada registro.
Arte, verdade e pesquisa em educação
Authors: Loponte Luciana Gruppelli
Published: June 2019

O texto pretende apresentar relações entre arte, verdade e pesquisa a partir de discussões filosóficas empreendidas principalmente por Michel Foucault e Friederich Nietzsche, além da reflexão em torno do trabalho de alguns artistas contemporâneos e seus processos artísticos que desafiam verdades estabelecidas. Tais questionamentos abrem espaço para uma possível abordagem a respeito das emergentes metodologias de pesquisa educacional baseadas em arte. A discussão apresentada dialoga com a experiência de orientação de pesquisas em educação em conversa com o campo das artes, realizadas no âmbito de um programa de pós-graduação em educação.
Editorial do Dossiê Brasília
Authors: Derntl Maria Fernanda
Published: June 2019

Neste conjunto de artigos, Brasília aparece como cidade narrada e vivenciada por grupos muito diversos, que tem de lidar com a peculiar configuração urbana da capital e contribuem, de modos distintos, para lhe dar vida e recriá-la. As análises densas e bem fundamentadas desenvolvidas em cada um dos artigos estimulam a renovação das problemáticas sobre Brasília e têm o mérito adicional de sugerir caminhos para outras interpretações a respeito da história e das representações da capital. Brasília revisitada, conforme escreveu Lucio Costa, mas também reapropriada e recontada.
Acids Can Promote the Onset and Multimorbidity of Allergic and Nonallergic Airway Diseases
Authors: Molinari Giuliano , Molinari Laura , Nervo Elsa
Published: June 2019

Inflammatory allergic and nonallergic respiratory pathologies often co-exist. The root cause is not clear. This paper demonstrates that it is ascribable to protons (H+) released into cells by exogenous and endogenous acids. The hypothesis of acids as the common cause stems from two considerations: a) it has long been known that exogenous acids present in air pollutants can induce the irritation of epithelial surfaces, particularly the airways, inflammation and bronchospasm; b) according to recent articles, endogenous acids, generated in cells by phospholipases, play a key role in the biochemical mechanisms of initiation and progression of allergic responses. Therefore, the intracellular acidification and consequent Ca2+ increase, induced by protons generated by either acid pollutants or endogenous phospholipases, may be the causal mechanism of the multimorbidity of these diseases, and environmental acidity may contribute to their spread.
The Glucosinolates, A Sulphur Glucoside Family of Mustard
Phytochemicals With Diverse Biomedical Application
Authors: Melrose James
Published: June 2019

This study reviewed aspects of the biology of two members of the glucosinolate family, namely sinigrin and glucoraphanin and their potential biomedical therapeutic and industrial applications. Sinigrin and glucoraphanin are converted by the -sulphoglucosidase myrosinase or the gut microbiota into their bioactive forms, allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) and sulphoraphanin (SFN) which constitute part of a sophisticated defence mechanism plants have developed over several hundred million years of evolution to protect them from parasitic attack from aphids, ticks and nematodes. These compounds display biological activities in a number of mammalian physiological processes and potential biotherapeutic application. Glucosinolates may be useful in bio-fumigation and treatment of biofilms which occur on plant equipment and medical implants formed by problematic pathogenic bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. AITC and SFN display similar antibiotic activity as Vancomycin in the treatment of bacteria listed by the World Health Organization as antibiotic-resistant "priority pathogens".AITC and SFN also display bioactivity in cancer chemoprevention through the induction of phase II antioxidant enzymes which inactivate potential carcinogens. The glucosinolates have found application in the prevention of bacterial and fungal spoilage of food substances during processing and in advanced food packaging formats which improve the shelf-life of food products.
Hydrodynamic Light Flashing in Thin Layer Wavy Photobioreactors
Authors: Moroni Monica , Lorino Simona , Cicci Agnese , Bravi Marco
Published: June 2019

In a thin-volume photobioreactor where a concentrated suspension of microalgae is circulated throughout the established spatial irradiance gradient, microalgal cells experience a time-variable irradiance. Deploying this feature is the most convenient way of obtaining the so-called “flashing light” effect, improving biomass production in high irradiance. This work investigates the light flashing features of sloping wavy photobioreactors, a recently proposed type, by introducing and validating a Computational Fluid Dynamics model. Two characteristic flow zones (straight top-bottom stream and local recirculation stream), both effective toward light flashing, have been found and characterised: a recirculation-induced frequency of 3.7 Hz and straight flow-induced frequency of 5.6 Hz were estimated. If the channel slope is increased, the recirculation area becomes less stable while the recirculation frequency is nearly constant with flow rate. The validated CFD model is a mighty tool that could be reliably used to further increase the flashing frequency by optimising the design, the dimensions, the installation and the operational parameters of the sloping wavy photobioreactor.
Response Relating Factors of Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Transplantation in Patients with Alcoholic Cirrhosis
Authors: Gupta Haripriya , Youn Gi Soo , Han Sang Hak , Shin Min Jea , Yoon Sang Jun , Han Dae Hee , Lee Na Young , Kim Dong Joon , Baik Soon Koo , Suk Ki Tae
Published: June 2019

Liver cirrhosis leads to hepatic dysfunction and life-threatening conditions. Though clinical efficacy of autologous bone marrow-drived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) transplantation in alcoholic cirrhosis (AC) was demonstrated, the relevant mechanism has not been elucidated. We aimed to identify predictive factors and gene/pathways for responders after autologous BM-MSC transplantation. Fifty-five patients with biopsy-proven AC underwent autologous BM-MSC transplantation. The characteristics of responders who showed improvement in fibrosis score (≥ 1) after transplantation were compared with those of non-responders. BM-MSCs were analyzed with cDNA microarrays to identify genes and pathways that were differentially expressed in responder after transplantation. Thirty-three patients (66%) were responders. In the multivariate analysis, initial high Laennec score (p=0.007, odds ratio 3.73) and performance of BM-MSC transplantation (p=0.033, odds ratio 5.75) were predictive factors for responder. Three genes (olfactory receptor 2L8, microRNA4520-2, and chloride intracellular channel protein 3) were upregulated in responders and 11 metabolic pathways (inositol phosphate, ATP-binding cassette transporters, protein kinase signaling, extracellular matrix-receptor interaction, endocytosis, phagosome, hematopoietic cell lineage, adipocytokine, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, fat digestion/absorption, and insulin resistance) were upregulated in non-responders (p<0.05). BM-MSC transplantation is warranted treatment for AC patients with high Laennec score. Cell-based therapy utilizing response-relating genes or pathway can be treatment candidate.
Simultaneous Inertia Contribution and Optimal Grid Utilization with Wind Turbines
Authors: Jauch Clemens , Gloe Arne
Published: June 2019

This paper presents findings of a study on continuous feed-in management and continuous synthetic inertia contribution with wind turbines. A realistic case study, based on real measurements, is outlined. A wind turbine feeds into a weak feeder, such that its power has to be adapted to the permissible loading of this feeder. At the same time the wind turbine is to provide inertia to the grid by applying the previously published variable inertia constant controller. It is discussed that optimal grid utilisation and simultaneous inertia contribution are mandatory for the frequency control in power systems that are heavily penetrated with renewable energies. The study shows that continuous feed-in management can be combined well with continuous inertia provision. There are hardly any negative consequences for the wind turbine. The benefits for the grid are convincing, both in terms of increased system utilisation and in terms of provided inertia. It is concluded that wind turbines can enhance angular stability in a power system to a larger extent than conventional power plants.
Nonoperative Treatment Compared with Volar Locking Plate Fixation for Dorsally Displaced Distal Radial Fractures in the Elderly
Authors: Saving Jenny , Severin Wahlgren Sara , Olsson Kristin , Enocson Anders , Ponzer Sari , Sköldenberg Olof , Wilcke Maria , Mellstrand Navarro Cecilia
Published: June 2019

Background:

The usage of volar locking plate fixation for distal radial fractures has increased in older patient populations, despite the fact that surgical treatment in the elderly population has not clearly been proven to be superior to nonoperative treatment. The purpose of the present study was to compare nonoperative treatment with volar locking plate fixation with regard to clinical outcome for elderly patients with dorsally displaced distal radial fractures.

Methods:

In this study, 140 patients were randomly allocated to nonoperative treatment with a plaster splint (n = 72) or volar locking plate fixation (n = 68). The outcome variables were the Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE) score, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire score, EuroQol-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) score, range of motion, grip strength, radiographic outcomes, and complications. Evaluation was performed at 3 and 12 months by unblinded observers.

Results:

At 3 months, 122 patients were evaluated, and at 12 months, 119 patients were evaluated. At 3 months, the volar locking plate group, compared with the nonoperative treatment group, had a better median PRWE score (10.3 compared with 35.5 points; p = 0.002), DASH score (14.4 compared with 29.2 points; p = 0.016), and grip strength (71.0% of the uninjured hand compared with 53.9%; p < 0.001). Significant differences in favor of the volar locking plate group remained at 12 months; compared with the nonoperative treatment group, the volar locking plate group had a better median PRWE score (7.5 points compared with 17.5 points; p = 0.014), DASH score (8.3 points compared with 19.9 points; p = 0.028), and grip strength (96.8% compared with 80.0%; p = 0.001). Radiographic measurements favored volar locking plate fixation at 3 and 12 months. Complication rates were similar, with 11% major complications in the nonoperative group compared with 14% major complications in the volar locking plate group (p = 0.606) and 11% minor complications in the nonoperative group compared with 20% minor complications in the volar locking plate group (p = 0.197).

Conclusions:

The PRWE scores, DASH scores, and grip strength were better for the volar locking plate group compared with the nonoperative group at 3 and 12 months. The complication rates were similar. Our results imply that there is a benefit for the elderly patient with an unstable dorsally displaced distal radial fracture to be treated with a volar locking plate.

Level of Evidence:

Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Disclosures Undisclosed
Authors: Janney Cory F. , Shazadeh Safavi Kiya , Schneider Gregory J. , Jupiter Daniel C. , Panchbhavi Vinod K.
Published: June 2019

Background:

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments public database, resulting from the Physician Payments Sunshine Act of 2010, was designed to increase transparency of physicians’ financial relationships with pharmaceutical manufacturers. We compared physician-reported conflict-of-interest (COI) disclosures in journal articles with this database to determine any discrepancies in physician-reported disclosures.

Methods:

COIs reported by authors from 2014 through 2016 were analyzed in 3 journals: Foot & Ankle International (FAI), The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery (JBJS), and The Journal of Arthroplasty (JOA). Payment information in the CMS Open Payments database was cross-referenced with each author’s disclosure statement to determine if a disclosure discrepancy was present.

Results:

We reviewed 3,465 authorship positions (1,932 unique authors) in 1,770 articles. Within this sample, 7.1% of authorships had a recorded undisclosed COI (disclosure discrepancy), and 13.2% of articles had first and/or last authors with a disclosure discrepancy. Additionally, we saw a great variation in the percentage of authorships with disclosure discrepancies among the journals (JBJS, 2.3%; JOA, 3.6%; and FAI, 23.7%).

Conclusions:

Discrepancies exist between payment disclosures made by authors and those published in the CMS Open Payments database. Although the percentage of articles with these discrepancies varies widely among the journals that were analyzed in this study, no trend was found when analyzing the number of discrepancies over the 3-year period.

Clinical Relevance:

COI disclosures are important for the interpretation of study results and need to be accurately reported. However, COI disclosure criteria vary among orthopaedic journals, causing uncertainty regarding which conflicts should be disclosed.
Postprandial transfer of colostral extracellular vesicles and their protein and miRNA cargo in neonatal calves
Authors: Kirchner Benedikt , Buschmann Dominik , Paul Vijay , Pfaffl Michael W.
Published: June 2019

Background
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) such as exosomes are key regulators of intercellular communication that can be found in almost all bio fluids. Although studies in the last decade have made great headway in discerning the role of EVs in many physiological and pathophysiological processes, the bioavailability and impact of dietary EVs and their cargo still remain to be elucidated. Due to its widespread consumption and high content of EV-associated microRNAs and proteins, a major focus in this field has been set on EVs in bovine milk and colostrum. Despite promising in vitro studies in recent years that show high resiliency of milk EVs to degradation and uptake of milk EV cargo in a variety of intestinal and blood cell types, in vivo experiments continue to be inconclusive and sometimes outright contradictive.
Results
To resolve this discrepancy, we assessed the potential postprandial transfer of colostral EVs to the circulation of newborn calves by analysing colostrum-specific protein and miRNAs, including specific isoforms (isomiRs) in cells, EV isolations and unfractionated samples from blood and colostrum. Our findings reveal distinct populations of EVs in colostrum and blood from cows that can be clearly separated by density, particle concentration and protein content (BTN1A1, MFGE8). Postprandial blood samples of calves show a time-dependent increase in EVs that share morphological and protein characteristics of colostral EVs. Analysis of miRNA expression profiles by Next-Generation Sequencing gave a different picture however. Although significant postprandial expression changes could only be detected for calf EV samples, expression profiles show very limited overlap with highly expressed miRNAs in colostral EVs or colostrum in general.
Conclusions
Taken together our results indicate a selective uptake of membrane-associated protein cargo but not luminal miRNAs from colostral EVs into the circulation of neonatal calves.
Treatment outcomes and antiretroviral uptake in Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis and HIV coinfected Patients in Sub Saharan Africa. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Chem Elvis Dzelamonyuy , Hout Marie Claire Van , Hope Vivian
Published: June 2019

Background

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in HIV endemic settings is a major threat to public health. MDR-TB is a substantial and underreported problem in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), with recognised cases projected to increase with advancement in diagnostic technology. There is paucity of review evidence on treatment outcomes and antiretroviral (ART) uptake among MDR-TB patients with HIV in SSA. To address this gap a review of treatment outcomes in HIV patients co-infected with MDR-TB in the SSA region was undertaken.

Methods

Three databases (Medline, Web of Science, CINHAL), Union on Lung Heath conference proceedings and grey literature were searched for publications between January 2004 and May 2018. Records were assessed for eligibility and data extracted. Random effect meta-analysis was conducted using STATA and Cochrane’s review manager.

Results

A total of 271 publications were identified of which nine fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Data was collected from 3,368 MDR-TB and HIV co-infected patients from four SSA countries; South Africa (6), Lesotho (1), Botswana (1) and Ethiopia (1). The most common outcome was cure (34.9% cured in the pooled analysis), this was followed by death (18.1% in pooled analysis). ART uptake was high, at 83% in the pooled analysis. Cure ranged from 22.2% to 57.7% among patients on ART and from 28.6% to 54.7% among those not on ART medication. MDR-TB and HIV coinfected patients were less likely to be successfully treated than HIV negative MDR-TB patients (Risk Ratio = 0.87, 95% CI 0.97, 0.96).

Conclusion

Treatment outcomes for MDR-TB and HIV coinfected patients do not vary widely from those reported globally. However, treatment success was lower among HIV positive MDR-TB patients compared to HIV negative MDR-TB patients. Prompt antiretroviral initiation and interventions to improve treatment adherence are necessary.
Comparative transcriptomics of Gymnosporangium spp. teliospores reveals a conserved genetic program at this specific stage of the rust fungal life cycle
Authors: Tao Si-Qi , Cao Bin , Morin Emmanuelle , Liang Ying-Mei , Duplessis Sébastien
Published: June 2019

Background

Gymnosporangium spp. are fungal plant pathogens causing rust disease and most of them are known to infect two different host plants (heteroecious) with four spore stages (demicyclic). In the present study, we sequenced the transcriptome of  G. japonicum teliospores on its host plant Juniperus chinensis and we performed comparison to the transcriptomes of G. yamadae and G. asiaticum at the same life stage, that happens in the same host but on different organs.

Results

Functional annotation for the three Gymnosporangium species showed the expression of a conserved genetic program with the top abundant cellular categories corresponding to energy, translation and signal transduction processes, indicating that this life stage is particularly active. Moreover, the survey of predicted secretomes in the three Gymnosporangium transcriptomes revealed shared and specific genes encoding carbohydrate active enzymes and secreted proteins of unknown function that could represent candidate pathogenesis effectors. A transcript encoding a hemicellulose of the glycoside hydrolase 26 family, previously identified in other rust fungi, was particularly highly expressed suggesting a general role in rust fungi. The comparison between the transcriptomes of the three Gymnosporangium spp. and selected Pucciniales species in different taxonomical families allowed to identify lineage-specific protein families that may relate to the biology of rust fungi. Among clustered gene families, 205, 200 and 152 proteins were specifically identified in G. japonicum, G. yamadae and G. asiaticum, respectively, including candidate effectors expressed in teliospores.

Conclusions

This comprehensive comparative transcriptomics study of three Gymnosporangium spp. identified gene functions and metabolic pathways particularly expressed in teliospores, a stage of the life cycle that is mostly overlooked in rust fungi. Secreted protein encoding transcripts expressed in teliospores may reveal new candidate effectors related to pathogenesis. Although this spore stage is not involved in host plant infection but in the production of basidiospores infecting plants in the Amygdaloideae, we speculate that candidate effectors may be expressed as early as the teliospore stage for preparing further infection by basidiospores.
Efficacy of electro-acupuncture and manual acupuncture versus sham acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis: statistical analysis plan for a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Tu Jian-Feng , Yang Jing-Wen , Wang Li-Qiong , Wang Yang , Li Jin-ling , Zhang Na , Lin Lu-Lu , Yu Zhang-Sheng , Liu Cun-Zhi
Published: June 2019

Background: Acupuncture therapies are widely used for knee osteoarthritis (KOA), despite contradictory evidences. Current study is designed to determine the efficacy of electro-acupuncture and manual acupuncture versus sham acupuncture for KOA.
Methods/design: Current study is a multi-center, three-arm, randomized controlled trial which will enroll 480 participants with KOA in China. Participants will be randomly assigned (1:1:1) to receive 24 sessions of electro-acupuncture, manual acupuncture, or sham acupuncture over 8 weeks. The primary outcome is the response rate - the proportion of patients who simultaneously achieve minimal clinically important improvement in pain and function domains at 8 weeks. The primary outcome will be analyzed using Z-test with intention-to-treat set. Secondary outcomes contain pain, function, global patient assessment and quality of life. Full details of the statistical analysis plan for the primary and secondary outcomes will be described in this article. The statistical analysis plan was written and submitted without knowledge of the study data.
Discussion: The data will be analyzed according to this pre-specified statistical analysis plan to avoid data-driven analysis and enhance the transparency of current trial. The trial will provide high-quality evidence on the efficacy of acupuncture for KOA.
The combined presence of hypertension and vitamin D deficiency increased the probability of the occurrence of small vessel disease in China
Authors: Si Junzeng , li kuibao , shan peiyan , Yuan Junliang
Published: June 2019

Background: The exact relationship between 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH) D] levels and small vessel disease (SVD) are not clear in China. The aim of this study was to determine such association between 25(OH) D and SVD in China.
Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 106 patients with SVD and 115 controls between Jan 2017 and Dec 2017. All the subjects were categorized into three subgroups according to the level of 25(OH) D: vitamin D deficiency (<12 ng/ml), insufficiency (12-20 ng/ml) and sufficiency (>20 ng/ml).
Results: Among 106 SVD patients, 80 (75.5%) were men and the mean age was 61.6±13.2 years. The deficiency of 25(OH) D was observed in 76 (71.7%) of SVD patients and 47 (40.9%) of controls (P=0.001). Compared with controls, patients with SVD were more likely to be male, a stroke history, smokers, with hyperlipidemia, higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein, and lower of 25(OH)D level (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed the level of 25(OH)D as an independent predictor of SVD (OR 0.772, 95% CI 0.691-0.862, P=0.001). Compared with the sufficient 25(OH)D group, the ORs of SVD in deficient and insufficient 25(OH)D group were 5.609 (95% CI 2.006-15.683) and 1.077 (95% CI: 0.338-3.428) after adjusting for potential confounders, respectively. In hypertensives with vitamin D deficient and insufficient group compared with sufficient group, the ORs of SVD increased to 9.738 (95% CI 2.398-39.540) and 1.108 (95% CI 0.232-5.280), respectively (Pinteraction=0.001).
Conclusion: We found significant associations between SVD and 25(OH)D deficiency. The combined presence of hypertension and vitamin D deficiency increased the probability of developing SVD. Our findings will warrant further prospective studies in the future.
High Triglyceride/HDL Cholesterol Ratio is Associated with Silent Brain Infarcts in a Healthy Population
Authors: Author) Ki-Woong Nam(Former Corresponding , Author) Hyung-Min Kwon(New Corresponding , Jeong Han-Yeong , Park Jin-Ho , Kwon Hyuktae , Jeong Su-Min
Published: June 2019

Background: Triglycerides (TG)/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ratio is a marker of small/dense low-density lipoprotein particles, which are closely associated with various metabolic and vascular diseases. However, the role of TG/HDL cholesterol ratio in cerebrovascular diseases has not been well studied. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between TG/HDL cholesterol ratio and the presence of silent brain infarct (SBI) in a neurologically healthy population. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated consecutive participants in health check-ups between January 2006 and December 2013. SBI was defined as an asymptomatic, well-defined lesion with a diameter of ≥ 3 mm on T1- or T2-weighted images. TG/HDL cholesterol ratio was calculated after dividing absolute TG levels by absolute HDL cholesterol levels. Results: Of 3,172 healthy participants, 263 (8.3%) had SBI lesions. In multivariate analysis, TG/HDL cholesterol ratio was independently associated with SBI (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.16, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.00 to 1.34, P = 0.047). This association was prominent in males (aOR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.03 to 1.48, P = 0.021), but not in females. In the analyses of the relationships between lipid parameters and SBI lesion burden, TG/HDL cholesterol ratio was positively correlated, and total cholesterol/TG ratio was negatively correlated with SBI lesion burden, in dose-response manners (P for trend = 0.015 and 0.002, respectively). Conclusions: The TG/HDL cholesterol ratio was positively associated with the prevalence of SBI in a neurologically healthy population.
Highly reproducible human brain organoids recapitulate cerebral cortex cellular diversity.
Authors: Velasco Silvia , Paulsen Bruna , Arlotta Paola
Published: June 2019

Human brain organoids hold an unprecedented opportunity to observe, perturb, and study the early stages of human cortical development. Several protocols to generate brain organoids have been described in recent years[1, 2]. However, incomplete characterization and lack of organoid-to-organoid reproducibility has limited their application as an experimental model[3]. Here we describe a detailed protocol for the generation of human dorsal forebrain organoids that show highly reproducible generation of the rich diversity of cell types present in the developing human cerebral cortex. This protocol is a modification of a previous method described by Kadoshima et al.[4]. We also include a detailed description of the protocol used to dissociate organoids into single cells for single-cell RNA-sequencing.
Integrated mRNA and miRNA transcriptome analysis reveals regulatory network of yam tuber expansion
Authors: Zhou Yun-Yi , Luo Shuzhen , Hameed Saba , Xiao Dong , Zhan Jie , Wang Aiqing , He Longfei
Published: June 2019

Yam tuber is a storage organ, derived from modified stem. Tuber expansion is a complex process, it depends on the expression of genes that can be influenced by environmental and endogenous factors. However, little is known about the mechanism that regulates tuber expansion. In order to identify genes and miRNAs involved in tuber enlargement, we examined the transcriptome and small RNA in yam tuber during its initiation and expansion stages.
A total of 14238 differentially expressed transcripts in yam tuber at its expansion stage were identified by using transcriptome technology. Among them, 5723 genes were up-regulated and 8515 genes were down-regulated, respectively. Functional analysis revealed the coordination of tuber plant involved in processes of cell events, metabolism, biosynthesis, and signal transduction pathways at transcriptional level, suggesting that these DEGs are somehow involved in response of tuber expansion. In addition, 536 transcription factor genes showed differential expression during the expansion stage at transcriptional level. REVEILLE 6-like was identified to be up-regulated in the circadian rhythm pathway. REVEILLE 6-like LHY protein, zinc finger CCCH domain-containing protein 14, and DELLA genes were up-regulated in expansion stage. Moreover, these genes were involved in circadian rhythm pathway, starch and sucrose metabolism pathway, and GA pathway by KEGG analysis respectively. Noteworthy, data analysis revealed that 23 known tuber miRNAs belong to 11 miRNA families, and 50 novel miRNAs were identified. miRNA160, miRNA396, and miRNA535 may be involved in complex network to regulate cell division and differentiation in yam during its expansion stage.
The integrated analysis of miRNA-mRNA identified to be preferentially expressed in hormone signaling in expansion stage, miRNA160 was down-regulated in expansion stage, ARF18 and ARF17 were up-regulated in auxin signal transduction of tuber expansion in yam, highlighting the involvement of miRNA-mRNA in the regulation the hormone.
The transcriptome and miRNA datasets presented here identified a subset of candidate genes and miRNAs that are putatively associated with tuber expansion in yam, thus a hypothetical model of genetic regulatory network associated with tuber expansion in yam was put forward, which may provide a foundation for molecular regulatory mechanism researching on tuber expansion in Dioscorea species.
Proteomics Insight into Imbalanced Down-Regulation of Photosynthetic Components during Blueberry Fruit Maturation
Authors: Li Xiaobai
Published: June 2019

Background: Blueberries are admired for both their delicious flavor and extensive health benefits. In blueberry, fruit photosynthesis provides a large part of the carbon requirements, and is associated with fruit quality. To explore mechanism underlying fruit photosynthesis, photosynthetic ability was determined at three maturation phases (green, pink, and blue) by CO2 gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence, and proteomics was conducted by MS/MS shortgun and PRM strategies.
Results: The fruit photosynthetic ability gradually decreased as fruit maturation. The gross photosynthesis rate in green fruit accounted for 26.36% of that in the leaf, followed by 16.73% in pink fruit, and 9.11% in blue fruit. Fv/Fm (0.76) was observed in green fruit, comparable to that in leaves (0.78), and followed by 0.66 in pink fruit (no data was generated for blue fruit). Degeneration of fruit photosynthesis was started with imbalances within down-regulation of PS core/LHC, and PSI/PSII. In green/pink, PS core proteins were more down-regulated than LHC proteins. A decreasing ratio of PSII core/LHCII was reflected in the decreasing ratios of Chl a/b and carotenoids/Chl. KEGG analyses also indicated that the down-regulated LHC proteins were enriched in pink/blue, but not in green/pink. In green/pink, PSII was more down-regulated than PSI, while in blue/pink, PSI was more down-regulated than PSII. GO also suggested that down-regulated PSII proteins were enriched in green/pink, whereas down-regulated PSI proteins were enriched in pink/blue. Moreover, down-regulation of FNR and ATP synthase resulted in a decreasing yield of NADPH and ATP, while the down-regulation of both RuBisCO and RCA severely hindered Calvin cycle, and thereby led to a decreased efficiency of carbon fixation.
Conclusions: Dynamic imbalances in degeneration of photosynthetic components occured during fruit maturation; this may be related to physiological attributes e.g. carbon contribution and attractiveness to frugivores.