bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incidence and influence of prosthesis-patient mismatch after reoperative aortic valve replacement: a retrospective single-center study
Authors: Tsubota Hideki , Sakaguchi Genichi , Marui Akira
Published: March 2020

Background

Reoperative aortic valve replacement (AVR) is associated with increased mortality compared with initial surgery, and a smaller valve might be implanted during repeat AVR (re-AVR; AVR after prior AVR). We describe the clinical outcomes and incidence of prosthesis-patient mismatches (PPM) after reoperative AVR.

Methods

Among 113 patients who underwent reoperative AVR between 2007 and 2018, 44 underwent re-AVR and 69 underwent a first replacement of a diseased natural valve after any cardiac surgery except AVR (primary AVR). We then compared early and late outcomes, the impact of re-AVR on the effective orifice areas (EOA), and the incidence and influence of PPM on reoperative AVR.

Results

Hospital mortality was 2.7%, and the overall 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 95, 91 and 86%, respectively. The reference EOA of the newly implanted valve was smaller than that of the previous valve (1.4 ± 0.3 vs. 1.6 ± 0.3 cm2, p < 0.01). The mean pressure gradient was greater (15.2 ± 6.4 vs. 12.7 ± 6.2 mmHg, p = 0.04) and indexed EOA was smaller (0.92 ± 0.26 vs. 1.06 ± 0.36 cm2/m2, p = 0.04) during re-AVR than primary AVR, whereas the incidence of PPM was similar (38.7% vs. 34.8%, p = 0.87) between the groups.

Conclusions

The clinical outcomes of reoperative AVR were acceptable. Although the reference EOA of new implanted valves was smaller than that of previous valves, re-AVR did not increase the incidence of PPM. These findings might serve as a guide for future decisions regarding the surgical approach to treating degenerated prosthetic valves.
Pien Tze Huang alleviate the joint inflammation in collagen-induced arthritis mice
Authors: Deng YongQi , Luo Hui , Shu Jun , Shu Haiyang , Lu Cheng , Zhao Ning , Geng Yun , He Xiaojuan , Lu Aiping
Published: March 2020

Background

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by synovitis. Pien Tze Huang (PZH) is a Chinese patent medicine with anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. However, whether PZH could be used in RA therapy is still unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the therapeutic effect and the potential mechanism of PZH on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice.

Methods

Male DBA/1J mice were used to establish an animal model of CIA and then treated with different doses of PZH for 4 weeks. The therapeutic effect of PZH on CIA mice was evaluated by arthritis score, pathological staining, and detecting the levels of inflammatory factors in serum and joints. To investigate its possible mechanism, the activity of NF-κB signaling pathway, NLRP3 inflammasome and the level of A20 were detected.

Results

The results showed that PZH could alleviate the erythema and swelling of hind paws of CIA mice, improve the pathological conditions of joint and decrease the production of IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-17 in serum and joints. Furthermore, PZH could significantly inhibit the activity of NF-κB signaling pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome in the ankle joint of CIA mice compared with the model group. It also increased the level of A20 in the ankle joint of CIA mice.

Conclusion

This study indicated that PZH could alleviate the joint inflammation of CIA mice, and the mechanism might be related to the regulation of NF-κB signaling pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome.
Correction to: Immunological features of patients affected by Barraquer-Simons syndrome
Authors: Corvillo Fernando , Ceccarini Giovanni , Nozal Pilar , Magno Silvia , Pelosini Caterina , Garrido Sofía , López-Lera Alberto , Moraru Manuela , Vilches Carlos , Fornaciari Silvia , Gabbriellini Sabrina , Santini Ferruccio , Araújo-Vilar David , López-Trascasa Margarita
Published: March 2020

Following the publication of the original article [1], the authors have requested to amend the Abstract and Discussion section as follows.
A role for α-Synuclein in axon growth and its implications in corticostriatal glutamatergic plasticity in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Schechter Meir , Grigoletto Jessica , Abd-Elhadi Suaad , Glickstein Hava , Friedman Alexander , Serrano Geidy E. , Beach Thomas G. , Sharon Ronit
Published: March 2020

Background

α-Synuclein (α-Syn) is a protein implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). α-Syn has been shown to associate with membranes and bind acidic phospholipids. However, the physiological importance of these associations to the integrity of axons is not fully clear.

Methods

Biochemical, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analyses in cultured neurons, transgenic mouse brains, PD and control human brains.

Results

We analyzed the ultrastructure of cross-sectioned axons localized to white matter tracts (WMTs), within the dorsal striatum of old and symptomatic α-Syn transgenic mouse brains. The analysis indicated a higher density of axons of thinner diameter. Our findings in cultured cortical neurons indicate a role for α-Syn in elongation of the main axon and its collaterals, resulting in enhanced axonal arborization. We show that α-Syn effect to enhance axonal outgrowth is mediated through its activity to regulate membrane levels of the acidic phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI4,5P2). Moreover, our findings link α-Syn- enhanced axonal growth with evidence for axonal injury. In relevance to disease mechanisms, we detect in human brains evidence for a higher degree of corticostriatal glutamatergic plasticity within WMTs at early stages of PD. However, at later PD stages, the respective WMTs in the caudate are degenerated with accumulation of Lewy pathology.

Conclusions

Our results show that through regulating PI4,5P2levels, α-Syn acts to elongate the main axon and collaterals, resulting in a higher density of axons in the striatal WMTs. Based on these results we suggest a role for α-Syn in compensating mechanisms, involving corticostriatal glutamatergic plasticity, taking place early in PD.
Role of miR-326 in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain damage pathogenesis through targeting of the δ-opioid receptor
Authors: Wang Xuan , Zhou Han , Cheng Rui , Zhou Xiaoguang , Hou Xuewen , Chen Jun , Qiu Jie
Published: March 2020

Hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) is a relatively common malignant complication that occurs in newborn infants, but promising therapies remain limited. In this study, we focused on the role of miR-326 and its target gene δ-opioid receptor (DOR) in the pathogenesis of neonatal HIBD. The expression levels of miR-326 and DOR after hypoxic-ischemic injury were examined both in vivo and in vitro. The direct relationship between miR-326 and DOR was confirmed by a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Further, effects of miR-326 on cell viability and apoptosis levels under oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) were analyzed. The expression levels of miR-326 were significantly lower and DOR levels were significantly higher in the HIBD group than the control group both in vivo and in vitro. Overexpression of miR-326 downregulated the expression of DOR, while suppression of miR-326 upregulated the expression of DOR. The dual-luciferase reporter assay further confirmed that DOR could be directly targeted and regulated by miR-326. MiR-326 knockdown improved cell survival and decreased cell apoptosis by decreasing the expression levels of Caspase-3 and Bax and increasing Bcl-2 expression in PC12 cells after exposure to OGD. Moreover, DOR knockdown rescued the effect of the improved cell survival and suppressed cell apoptosis induced by silencing miR-326. Our findings indicated that inhibition of miR-326 may improve cell survival and decrease cell apoptosis in neonatal HIBD through the target gene DOR.
Distribution of Parkinson’s disease associated RAB39B in mouse brain tissue
Authors: Gao Yujing , Wilson Gabrielle R. , Stephenson Sarah E. M. , Oulad-Abdelghani Mustapha , Charlet-Berguerand Nicolas , Bozaoglu Kiymet , McLean Catriona A. , Thomas Paul Q. , Finkelstein David I. , Lockhart Paul J.
Published: March 2020

Pathogenic variants in the gene encoding the small GTPase Ras analogue in Brain 39b (RAB39B) are associated with early-onset parkinsonism. In this study we investigated the expression and localization of RAB39B (RNA and protein) in mouse brain tissue to gain a better understanding of its normal physiological function(s) and role in disease.

We developed novel resources, including monoclonal antibodies directed against RAB39B and mice with Rab39b knockout, and performed real-time PCR and western blot analysis on whole brain lysates. To determine the spatial localization of Rab39b RNA and protein, we performed in-situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry on fresh frozen and fixed brain tissue. Our results show that RAB39B is localized throughout the cortex, hippocampus and substantia nigra of mice throughout postnatal life. We found high levels of RAB39B within MAP2 positive cortical and hippocampal neurons, and TH positive dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta.

Our studies support and extend current knowledge of the localization of RAB39B. We validate RAB39B as a neuron-enriched protein and demonstrate that it is present throughout the mouse cortex and hippocampus. Further, we observe high levels in the substantia nigra pars compacta, the brain region most affected in Parkinson’s disease pathology. The distribution of Rab39b is consistent with human disease associations with parkinsonism and cognitive impairment. We also describe and validate novel resources, including monoclonal antibodies directed against RAB39B and mice with Rab39b knockout, both of which are valuable tools for future studies of the molecular function of RAB39B.
Update on protracted bacterial bronchitis in children
Authors: Zhang Xiao-bo , Wu Xiao , Nong Guang-min
Published: March 2020

Background

Chronic cough is a common symptom in children and protracted bacterial bronchitis (PBB) is one of the causes of chronic cough. However, the understanding of this disease remains limited. The present study aims to update PBB in children.

Methods

The clinical data of children with PBB from 2014 to 2018 were retrospectively analyzed, and PBB clinical features of published studies were summarized. Electronic databases were searched in May 2019. Clinical studies were included in the present study. Reviews were undertaken in duplicate.

Results

Totally 712 cases were analyzed in this study, including 52 cases in our center and 660 cases from 14 studies. In the 52 cases, 88.5% of patients with PBB were less than 6 years old and all of them complained of wet cough. Three cases were confirmed with laryngomalacia, and microbiologically-based-PBB were identified in 13 cases (9 Streptococcus pneumonia, 3 Staphylococcus aureus, and 1 Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Twenty cases were completely remitted after treatment. In the 14 studies, the patients with PBB were typically younger than 3 years old, accompanying wheezing and airway malacia. Co-infection was common in most western cases, Streptococcus pneumonia, Haemophilus influenza and Moraxella catarrhalis were the top three pathogens. Symptoms were improved in most patients, whereas some cases with comorbidities required prolonged antibiotics treatment.

Conclusions

PBB is common in male infants with chronic wet cough and accompanied by wheezing and airway deformities. Most cases are clinically diagnosed PBB in China and microbiologically-based-PBB is common in western countries. Co-infection could be found, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenza were the most frequent etiology in China and western countries, respectively. Patients with comorbidities may need extended antibiotics treatment for more than 2 weeks.
Sample size calculation in randomised phase II selection trials using a margin of practical equivalence
Authors: Dehbi Hakim-Moulay , Hackshaw Allan
Published: March 2020

Background

In rare cancers or subtypes of common cancers, a comparison of multiple promising treatments may be required. The selected treatment can then be assessed against the standard of care (if it exists) or used as a backbone for combinations with new, possibly targeted, agents. There could be different experimental therapies or different doses of the same therapy, and either can be done in combination with standard treatments. A ’pick-the-winner’ design is often used, which focuses on efficacy to select the most promising treatment. However, a treatment with a slightly lower efficacy compared to another treatment may actually be preferred if it has a better toxicity or quality of life profile, is easier to administer, or cheaper.

Methods

By pre-defining a margin of practical equivalence in order to calculate the sample size, a more flexible assessment can be made of whether the treatments have very different effects or are sufficiently close so that other factors can be used to choose between them. Using exact binomial probabilities, we calculated the sample size for two- and three-arm randomised selection trials including a margin of practical equivalence with a variety of input parameters.

Results

We explain conceptually the margin of practical equivalence in this paper, and provide a free user-friendly web application to calculate the required sample size for a variety of input parameters.

Conclusion

The web application should help promote the randomised selection design with a margin of practical equivalence, which provides greater flexibility than the ’pick-the-winner’ approach in assessing the results of selection trials.
Our Choice: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial for optimal implementation of psoriasis treatment by the integration of Chinese and western medicine
Authors: Sun Xiaoying , Zhou Xiaoyong , Wei Yuegang , Yang Wenxin , Huang Ning , Ding Yangfeng , Hu Rongyi , Guo Shun , Yang Chunyan , Weng Huilan , Zhang Ying , Chen Xi , Ding Xiaojie , Liu Liu , Yin Qingfeng , Wang Ruiping , Li Xin , Li Bin
Published: March 2020

Background

Plaque psoriasis is a refractory inflammatory skin disease. The common therapies used to treat plaque psoriasis in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and western medicine (WM) have distinct characteristics and advantages. Although a combination of TCM and WM therapies, adjusted to the clinical situation, is widely used, there are no systematic studies on the hierarchical selection of this treatment combination based on the severity of skin lesions. We therefore designed a randomized clinical trial to focus on the sequence of internal and external treatments of TCM in patients with mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis and to optimize the integration of Chinese and western medicine for the treatment of patients with severe plaque psoriasis, thereby achieving high-level clinical evidence and establish treatment norms for the integrated use of Chinese and western medicines.

Methods

In this proposed multicenter, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial, 108 patients with mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis will be randomly assigned to two groups in a 1:1 ratio to receive either internal or external TCM treatment, and 270 patients with severe plaque psoriasis will be randomly assigned to three groups in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive treatment with TCM or WM, or TCM + WM. All enrolled patients will receive 8 weeks of treatment. Follow-up assessments will be done 8 weeks after the treatment. The primary outcome of this study is the evaluation of efficacy and relapse rate, based on the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, and the secondary outcome measures include determination of the affected body surface area, physician’s global assessment, pruritus scores (determined using a visual analog scale), TCM symptom score, Dermatology Life Quality Index, patient-reported quality of life score and incidence of serious adverse events.

Discussion

This study will provide high-level clinical evidence for internal and external TCM treatment optimization and will contribute to establishing norms for the integration of Chinese and western Medicines.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03941431. Registered on 8 May 2019.
Phase II, open-label, multicenter trial of crizotinib in Japanese patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer harboring a MET gene alteration: Co-MET study
Authors: Shimokawa Mototsugu , Nosaki Kaname , Seto Takashi , Ohashi Kadoaki , Morise Masahiro , Horinouchi Hidehito , Sakakibara Jun , Murakami Haruyasu , Yano Seiji , Satouchi Miyako , Matsumoto Shingo , Goto Koichi , Yoh Kiyotaka
Published: March 2020

Background

MET-deregulated non-small cell lung cancer represents an urgent clinical need because of the lack of specific therapies. Although recent studies have suggested a potential role for crizotinib in patients harboring MET gene alterations, no conclusive data are currently available. Therefore, we designed the Co-MET study, a single-arm phase II study to assess the efficacy and safety of crizotinib in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancers harboring MET gene alterations.

Methods

Co-MET is an open-label, multi-center, single-arm, phase II trial to assess the safety and efficacy of oral crizotinib in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer harboring MET exon 14 skipping mutation (cohort 1) or a high MET gene copy number of ≥ 7 (cohort 2). We will identify MET gene alterations using RT-PCR and/or next-generation sequencing. Oral crizotinib 250 mg BID will be administered until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. A radiology committee will review tumor scans according to the RECIST criteria. The primary endpoint is the objective response rate. Assuming a null hypothesis of 20% objective response rate and an alternative hypothesis of 50% objective response rate for cohort 1, and a one-sided alpha error of 0.05 and 80% power based on the exact binomial distribution, the required number of evaluable patients is 19. We set the exploratory sample size for cohort 2 at 10 patients.

Discussion

The results of this study are expected to provide evidence regarding the usefulness of oral crizotinib for advanced MET exon 14 skipping mutation-positive or MET high gene copy number-positive non-small cell lung cancer.

Trial registration

This study was registered with the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry as UMIN000031623 on 3 March 2018.
Synthesis and biological evaluation of 2-(4-methylsulfonyl phenyl) indole derivatives: multi-target compounds with dual antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities
Authors: Shaker Ahmed M. M. , Abdelall Eman K. A. , Abdellatif Khaled R. A. , Abdel-Rahman Hamdy M.
Published: March 2020

Three series of 2-(4-methylsulfonylphenyl) indole derivatives have been designed and synthesized. The synthesized compounds were assessed for their antimicrobial, COX inhibitory and anti-inflammatory activities. Compound 7g was identified to be the most potent antibacterial candidate against strains of MRSA, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, and A. baumannii, respectively, with safe therapeutic dose. Compounds 7a–k, 8a–c, and 9a–c showed good anti-inflammatory activity with excessive selectivity towards COX-2 in comparison with reference drugs indomethacin and celecoxib. Compounds 9a–c were found to release moderate amounts of NO to decrease the side effects associated with selective COX-2 inhibitors. A molecular modeling study for compounds 7b, 7h, and 7i into COX-2 active site was correlated with the results of in vitro COX-2 inhibition assays.
Natural phenolic derivatives based on piperine scaffold as potential antifungal agents
Authors: Wang Jingjing , Wang Wenlong , Xiong Haojin , Song Di , Cao Xiufang
Published: March 2020

Piperine is a natural alkaloid with a wide range of biological functions. Natural phenolic compounds existed in many essential oils (EOs) are plant-derived aroma compounds with broad range of biological activities, however, their actions are slow, and they are typically unstable to light or heat, difficult to extract and so on. In order to find high-potential fungicides derived from piperine, a series of piperine-directed essential oil derivatives were designed and synthesized. The structures of all molecules were confirmed by satisfied spectral data, including 1H NMR, 13C NMR and ESIMS. The target compounds were screened for their potential fungicidal activities against six species of plant pathogen fungi, including Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium graminearum, Phomopsis adianticola, Alternaria tenuis Nees, Phytophthora capsici and Gloeosporium theae-sinensis. Some of target compounds exhibited moderate and broad-spectrum activity against tested fungi compared to the parental piperine. Further studies have shown that some different concentrations of compounds have significant inhibitory activity against Alternaria tenuis Nees and Phytophthora capsici compared to commercial carbendazim, and compound 2b exhibited particularly significant broad-spectrum fungicidal activity.
Report of the Fifth Post-Kala-Azar Dermal Leishmaniasis Consortium Meeting, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 14–16 May 2018
Authors: Zijlstra Eduard E. , Kumar Amresh , Sharma Abhijit , Rijal Suman , Mondal Dinesh , Routray Satyabrata
Published: March 2020

The 5th Post-Kala-Azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL) Consortium meeting brought together PKDL experts from all endemic areas to review and discuss existing and new data on PKDL. This report summarizes the presentations and discussions and provides the overall conclusions and recommendations.
Identification of a novel methyltransferase-type 12 protein from Haemonchus contortus and its effects on functions of goat PBMCs
Authors: Ehsan Muhammad , Gadahi Javaid A. , Liu Tingqi , Lu Mingmin , Wang Yujian , Hasan Muhammad W. , Haseeb Muhammad , Yan Ruofeng , Xu Lixin , Song Xiaokai , Zhu Xing-Quan , Li Xiangrui
Published: March 2020

Background

Methyltransferases (MTFs) are broad range of enzymes, which are ubiquitously expressed in diverse organisms ranging from bacteria to animals. MTFs proteins have been associated with various biological/cellular processes including transcriptional regulation, subcellular protein and RNA localization, signal transduction and DNA-damage repair. However, the role of MTFs in immune mechanism during host–parasite interaction has not been addressed yet.

Results

An open reading frame (764 bp) of methyltransferase-type 12 gene of H. contortus denoted as HcMTF-12, was successfully cloned using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) followed by prokaryotic expression in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3 strain). The recombinant HcMTF-12 protein (rHcMTF-12) was about 47 kDa along with a fusion vector protein of 18 kDa. Immunoblot results identified the native protein MTF-12 with antibodies produced in rats against rHcMT-12, whereas rHcMTF-12 protein was recognized with sera of goat experimentally infected with H. contortus. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the native MTF-12 protein was mainly located in the periphery (cuticle) of parasite sections as well as within the pharynx and intestinal region. An immunofluorescence assay validated that rHcMTF-12 attached to the surface of goat PBMCs. Furthermore, the cytokines transcription of IL-2, IFN-γ and IL-4 transcripts of PBMCs incubated with rHcMTF-12 were enhanced in a dose-dependent manner. The secretion of TGF-β1 and IL-10 was significantly decreased. However, IL-6 production was not significantly different as compared to the control groups. Moreover, the migration activity and nitric oxide (NO) production by PBMCs were induced considerably, whereas the proliferation of PBMCs cells was negatively affected when incubated with the rHcMTF-12 protein.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that HcMTF-12 significantly mediated the functions of PBMCs, and it might be a potential candidate for therapeutic interventions against haemonchosis.
Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4-Ig (CTLA-4-Ig) suppresses Staphylococcus aureus-induced CD80, CD86, and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in human B cells
Authors: Liu Po-Chun , Ssu Chih-Tai , Tsao Yen-Po , Liou Teh-Ling , Tsai Chang-Youh , Chou Chung-Tei , Chen Ming-Han , Leu Chuen-Miin
Published: March 2020

Background

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4-Ig (CTLA-4-Ig) competes with CD28 for binding CD80/CD86 on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) to limit T cell activation. B cells are believed to be important APCs in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases and express CD80/CD86 after activation; however, relatively little is known about the effect of CTLA-4-Ig on B cells. This study tested the impact of CTLA-4-Ig on human B cell responses.

Methods

Human blood B cells were purified from healthy donors and activated in the presence of CTLA-4-Ig or the L6-Ig control protein in vitro. RT-q-PCR and immunofluorescence staining were performed to detect activation marker expression. ELISA was conducted to measure cytokine secretion. The CD80/CD86 levels on the surface of the memory B cells in the blood of 18 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were detected using immunofluorescence staining.

Results

CTLA-4-Ig suppressed the expression ofStaphylococcus aureus(SAC)-inducedCD80,CD86,TNFA, andIL6in human B cells at the transcriptional level. Furthermore, CTLA-4-Ig concomitantly decreased SAC-induced CD80/CD86 surface expression on and TNF-α and IL-6 secretion from B cells. On the other hand, T cell-dependent (TD) stimulation-induced B cell activation, proliferation, plasma cell differentiation, and antibody secretion were not affected by CTLA-4-Ig. As expected, TD stimulation-induced surface CD80 was hindered by CTLA-4-Ig. Notably, a blockade of CD80/CD86 on the surface of the memory B cells was observed in the patients with RA after abatacept (CTLA-4-Ig) treatment. In a portion of the RA patients, restoration of CD80/CD86 staining on the surface of the memory B was detected starting in the 3rd month of abatacept treatment. Interestingly, the surface levels of CD80/CD86 on the patients’ memory B cells positively correlated with disease activity.

Conclusions

We found that CTLA-4-Ig directly suppressed SAC-induced B cell activation in vitro. Obstruction of CD80 and CD86 on the surface of the memory B cells was detected in the RA patients after abatacept treatment. Blocking CD80/CD86 on B cells by CTLA-4-Ig may hinder T cell activation and associated with the disease activity of RA in vivo. Our findings indicate that CTLA-4-Ig may regulate humoral responses by modulating B cell activation and interfering T cell-B cell interaction.
Aerobic exercise and nano-curcumin supplementation improve inflammation in elderly females with metabolic syndrome
Authors: Osali Ali
Published: March 2020

Background

Aging, inflammation, oxidative stress, and metabolic syndrome are the main important factors in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level.

Aim

The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of 6-week aerobic exercise with moderate intensity and consumption of nano-curcumin on IL-6, IL-10 and BDNF in 60–65 year females with metabolic syndrome (MS).

Materials and methods

Forty-four women with metabolic syndrome (Mets) voluntarily took part in the present study. Participants were randomly divided into 4 groups of MetS exercise + Nano-Curcumin (MENC), MetS exercise (ME), MetS Nano-Curcumin (MNC), MetS control (MC). During the first week, MENC and ME groups participated in three sets of 10-min aerobic exercise training (AT) with a treadmill with 5-min rest parts between the sets. One minute was added to the duration of exercise sets weekly. Blood samples were collected before and after 6 weeks. IL-6, IL-10 and BDNF levels were measured by ELISA method. To analyze the data, Paired-samples t-test with the significance level of (P ≤ 0.05).

Results

IL-10 and BDNF concentrations significantly increased after a 6-week intervention (P ≤ 0.05). Also, IL-6 serum levels significantly decreased (P ≤ 0.05). Besides, the results of the present study suggested that nano-curcumin supplementation significantly decreases serum concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA), and hs-CRP in subjects with metabolic syndrome. In addition, the results of the present study suggested that nano-curcumin supplementation significantly increases serum concentrations of BDNF, IL-10, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in subjects with metabolic syndrome.

Conclusion

Findings show that both of the regular exercise and consumption of NanoCurcumin for 6 weeks reduce inflammation. Combination of these two leads to even more reduction of inflammation. The regular exercise led to a decrease at the fat percentage, which deceased IL-6 level and increased IL-10 level. So, this change led to increasing BDNF’s levels.

Trial registrationIRCT2017082335857N1 Registered 2017-11-16, https://en.irct.ir/trial/26971
Perception of and risk factors for type 2 diabetes among students attending an upstate New York college: a pilot study
Authors: Antwi Janet , Lavin Rebecca , Sullivan Stacey , Bellavia Maria
Published: March 2020

Background

Detecting early type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk factors may reduce or prevent the development of the disease. We conducted a pilot study to generate preliminary data on the perception of T2D and further determined the prevalence of T2D risk factors among college students at an upstate New York campus.

Methods

Metabolic profiles were available for 44 college students for cross-sectional analysis. The American Diabetes Association screening guidelines were used to determine risk factors, and perceived susceptibility, perceived seriousness, and self-efficacy were determined with the Health Belief Model’s constructs. Sociodemographic and anthropometric data, nutrition knowledge, and metabolic profiles were obtained.

Results

The most common T2D risk factors were lack of physical activity (61.4%), decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c, 56.8%), high fasting blood glucose (FBG, 45.5%), family history of T2D (43.2%), increased body mass index (BMI, 36.4%), and high blood pressure (15.9%). A high proportion (70%) of participants with detected impaired FBG perceived they were at low risk of developing T2D. Participants with a family history of T2D (mean rank = 24.2) perceived the seriousness of T2D at a similar level as those without family history (mean rank = 21.2), with no significant difference (U = 205, P = 0.430). Nearly 30% of students did not feel confident they could prevent the development of T2D. Pearson’s correlations revealed direct relationships between perceived risk of T2D and BMI (r = 0.49, P = 0.001), fat mass percent (r = 0.51, P < 0.001), and waist circumference (r = 0.42, P = 0.005), and an inverse relationship was found with HDL-c (r = − 0.41, P = 0.005). The association of perceived risk of T2D with a family history of T2D revealed a trend toward significance (Chi-squared = 5.746, P = 0.057), and the association of perceived risk of T2D with physical activity was not significant (Chi-squared = 1.520, P = 0.468). The nutrition knowledge score was 74.32 ± 15.97 (recommended is > 75). However, knowledge scores regarding recommended intake of fruits, vegetables, high sodium foods, and whole grains to prevent T2D were only 36.36%, 34.09%, 47.73%, and 63.6%, respectively.

Conclusions

The discordance between college students’ perceived risk and prevalence of T2D risk factors warrants strategies to address misperceptions of T2D risk and improve lifestyle behaviors among this study sample.
Critical methodological considerations in recruiting and engaging non-native English speaking workers with a head injury: a Canadian perspective
Authors: Nowrouzi-Kia B. , Sharma B. , Lewko J. , Colantonio A.
Published: March 2020

Objective

Non-native English speaking workers with a mild work-related traumatic brain and/or head injury are a vulnerable and underrepresented population in research studies. The researchers present their experiences with recruiting and performing qualitative interviews with non-native English speaking individuals with a work-related mild traumatic brain injury, and provide recommendations on how to better include this vulnerable population in future research studies. This paper presents considerations regarding ethics, recruitment challenges, interview preparation and debriefing, sex & gender and language and cultural issues must be made when working with this vulnerable population.

Results

The researchers discuss critical issues and provide recommendations in recruiting and engaging with non-native English language workers including ethics, recruitment challenges, interview preparation and debriefing, sex & gender and language, and cultural considerations that must be made when working with this population. The study recommendations advise investigators to spend more time to learn about the non-native English participants in the mild wrTBI context, to be familiar with the vulnerabilities and specific circumstances that these workers experience. By increasing their awareness of the challenging facing this vulnerable population, the intention is to provide better care and treatment options through evidence-based research and practice.
Inter domain interactions influence the substrate affinity and hydrolysis product specificity of xylanase from Streptomyces chartreusis L1105
Authors: Xiong Ke , Yan Zi xiang , Liu Jia yun , Pei Peng gang , Deng Lei , Gao Le , Sun Bao guo
Published: March 2020

Purpose

This study investigated the influence of inter-domain interactions on the substrate affinity and hydrolysis product specificity of xylanase.

Methods

Genes encoding a GH10 endo-xylanase from Streptomyces chartreusis L1105 xynA and its truncated derivative were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The catalytic activities of the enzyme (xynA) and the derivative xynADCBM, lacking the carbohydrate binding module (CBM), were assessed to evaluate the role of CBM in xynA.

Results

Recombinant xynA (44 kDa) was found to be optimally active on beechwood xylan at 65 °C with pH 7.7, while xynADCBM (34 kDa) exhibited optimal activity at 65 °C with pH 7.2. Additionally, xynA and xynADCBM were found to be highly thermostable at 40–60 °C, each retaining 80% of their original activity after 30 min. The xynADCBM without the CBM domain was highly efficient at hydrolyzing xylan to produce xylobiose (over 67%), which may be because the CBM domain facilitates substrate binding with xylanase. Meanwhile, the xylan hydrolysis efficiency of xynADCBM was higher than that of xynA.

Conclusion

These findings showed that the CBM domain with non-catalytic activity has no significant effect on the characteristics of the enzyme at optimum pH and pH tolerance. It has also been suggested that the derivative xynADCBM without CBM components can promote hydrolysis of xylan to yield xylooligosaccharides, which has great potential economic benefits.
The presence of overlapping quality of life symptoms in primary antibody deficiency (PAD) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
Authors: Bansal Rhea A. , Tadros Susan , Bansal Amolak S.
Published: March 2020

Background

Fatigue, sleep disturbance and altered mood are frequently reported in patients with primary antibody deficiency syndrome (PADS) on adequate immunoglobulin replacement therapy. This study aimed to determine the frequency of symptoms compatible with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in patients with PADS.

Methods

The study involved the distribution of 682 self-completed postal questionnaires to ascertain the presence and frequency of symptoms compatible with CFS in patients with PADS. The reporting of symptoms for each patient were scored against the CFS diagnostic criteria used within our own South London Chronic Fatigue service.

Results

The frequency of symptoms compatible with CFS were evident in 26 of the 188 patients (16.25%) returning adequately completed questionnaires. We considered a bias in the return of questionnaires amongst PADS patients with fatigue to be likely. As such we estimated the minimum frequency of CFS in patients with PADS to be 4% based on the 682 PAD patients to whom the questionnaire was distributed. This was significantly higher than the 0.5% estimate of the prevalence of CFS in the community in western populations. While the presence of significant fatigue correlated with the presence of anxiety and depression, there was no association with self-reported lung damage. Sleep disturbance affected 60% of the PAD patients returning satisfactory questionnaires and as expected the CFS score was higher in those with greater physical limitation.

Conclusions

We conclude that patients with PADS have a high frequency of fatigue, low mood and anxiety. We suggest routine questioning for the symptoms of fatigue, disturbed sleep and altered mood in patients with PADS. The use of several treatment strategies in CFS may prove beneficial in improving the quality of life of patients with PAD.
Multimodal analysis using [11C]PiB-PET/MRI for functional evaluation of patients with Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Okazawa Hidehiko , Ikawa Masamichi , Jung Minyoung , Maruyama Rikiya , Tsujikawa Tetsuya , Mori Tetsuya , Rahman Mahmudur G. M. , Makino Akira , Kiyono Yasushi , Kosaka Hirotaka
Published: March 2020

Background

Multimodal PET/MRI image data simultaneously obtained from patients with early-stage of Alzheimer’s disease (eAD) were assessed in order to observe pathophysiologic and functional changes, as well as alterations of morphology and connectivity in the brain. Fifty-eight patients with mild cognitive impairment and early dementia (29 males, 69 ± 12 years) underwent [11C]Pittsburgh compound-B (PiB) PET/MRI with 70-min PET and MRI scans. Sixteen age-matched healthy controls (CTL) (9 males, 68 ± 11 years) were also studied with the same scanning protocol. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was calculated from the early phase PET images using the image-derived input function method. A standardized uptake value ratio (SUVr) was calculated from 50 to 70 min PET data with a reference region of the cerebellar cortex. MR images such as 3D-T1WI, resting-state functional MRI (RS-fMRI), diffusion tensor image (DTI), and perfusion MRI acquired during the dynamic PET scan were also analyzed to evaluate various brain functions on MRI.

Results

Twenty-seven of the 58 patients were determined as eAD based on the results of PiB-PET and clinical findings, and a total of 43 subjects’ data including CTL were analyzed in this study. PiB SUVr values in all cortical regions of eAD were significantly greater than those of CTL. The PiB accumulation intensity was negatively correlated with cognitive scores. The regional PET-CBF values of eAD were significantly lower in the bilateral parietal lobes and right temporal lobe compared with CTL, but not in MRI perfusion; however, SPM showed regional differences on both PET- and MRI-CBF. SPM analysis of RS-fMRI delineated regional differences between the groups in the anterior cingulate cortex and the left precuneus. VBM analysis showed atrophic changes in the AD group in a part of the bilateral hippocampus; however, analysis of fractional anisotropy calculated from DTI data did not show differences between the two groups.

Conclusion

Multimodal analysis conducted with various image data from PiB-PET/MRI scans showed differences in regional CBF, cortical volume, and neuronal networks in different regions, indicating that pathophysiologic and functional changes in the AD brain can be observed from various aspects of neurophysiologic parameters. Application of multimodal brain images using PET/MRI would be ideal for investigating pathophysiologic changes in patients with dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases.
The DNA secondary structures at telomeres and genome instability
Authors: Tan Jun , Lan Li
Published: March 2020

Telomeric DNA are TTAGGG tandem repeats, which are susceptible for oxidative DNA damage and hotspot regions for formation of DNA secondary structures such as t-loop, D-loop, G-quadruplexes (G4), and R-loop. In the past two decades, unique DNA or RNA secondary structures at telomeres or some specific regions of genome have become promising therapeutic targets. G-quadruplex and R-loops at telomeres or transcribed regions of genome have been considered as the potential targets for cancer therapy. Here we discuss the potentials to target the secondary structures (G4s and R-loops) in genome as therapy approaches.
Deep learning-based computation offloading with energy and performance optimization
Authors: Gong Yongsheng , Lv Congmin , Cao Suzhi , Yan Lei , Wang Houpeng
Published: March 2020

With the benefit of partially or entirely offloading computations to a nearby server, mobile edge computing gives user equipment (UE) more powerful capability to run computationally intensive applications. However, a critical challenge emerged: how to select the optimal set of components to offload considering the UE performance as well as its battery usage constraints. In this paper, we propose a novel energy and performance efficient deep learning based offloading algorithm. The optimal offloading schemes of components based on remaining energy and its performance can be determined by our proposed algorithm. All of these considerations are modeled as a cost function; then, a deep learning network is trained to compute the solution by which the optimal offloading scheme can be determined. Experimental results show that the proposed method is superior to existing methods in terms of energy and performance constraints.
Qi’s conjectures on completely monotonic degrees of remainders of asymptotic formulas of di- and trigamma functions
Authors: Xu Ai-Min , Cen Zhong-Di
Published: March 2020

Several conjectures posed by Qi on completely monotonic degrees of remainders for the asymptotic formulas of the digamma and trigamma functions are proved.
Nontrivial solutions of a class of fractional differential equations with p-Laplacian via variational methods
Authors: Qiao Yan , Chen Fangqi , An Yukun
Published: March 2020

In this paper, a class of boundary value problems for fractional differential equations with a parameter is studied via the variational methods. Firstly, we present a result that the boundary value problems have at least one weak solution under the quadratic condition and the superquadratic condition, respectively. Additionally, we obtain the existence of at least one nontrivial solution by using the famous mountain pass lemma without the Ambrosetti–Rabinowitz condition. Finally, by a recent critical points theorem of Bonanno and Marano, the existence of at least three solutions is established.
Applications of some fixed point theorems for fractional differential equations with Mittag-Leffler kernel
Authors: Afshari Hojjat , Baleanu Dumitru
Published: March 2020

Using some fixed point theorems for contractive mappings, including α-γ-Geraghty type contraction, α-type F-contraction, and some other contractions in $\mathcal{F}$F-metric space, this research intends to investigate the existence of solutions for some Atangana–Baleanu fractional differential equations in the Caputo sense.
Higher incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome in cardiac surgical patients with elevated serum procalcitonin concentration: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Cheng Zhang-Bo , Chen Han
Published: March 2020

Background

Inflammatory response is activated during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), which may lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and procalcitonin (PCT) increases during this inflammatory response. The objective of the study was to validate whether patients with higher serum PCT concentrations have a higher incidence of ARDS.

Methods

The study was a prospective, single-center, observational cohort study. All patients who received cardiac surgery with CPB were screened for study eligibility. Patients were assigned to the PCT-elevated cohort or the control cohort according to serum PCT concentration on the first postoperative day with a cut-off value of 7.0 ng/mL. Patients were followed up until the 7th postoperative day. The primary endpoint was the incidence of ARDS, which was diagnosed according to the Berlin definition.

Results

A total of 296 patients were enrolled, 64 patients were assigned to the PCT-elevated cohort and 232 patients were assigned to the control cohort. PCT concentration was 16.23 ± 5.9 ng/mL in the PCT-elevated cohort, and 2.70 ± 1.43 ng/mL in the control cohort (p < 0.001). The incidence of ARDS was significantly higher in the PCT-elevated cohort than in the control cohort (21.9% versus 5.6%,p < 0.001). The incidence of moderate-to-severe ARDS was also significantly higher in the PCT-elevated cohort than in the control cohort (10.9% versus 0.4%,p < 0.001). The hazard ratio of ARDS at 7 days in the PCT-elevated cohort, as compared with the control cohort, was 6.8 (95% confidence interval 2.7 to 17.4). The hazard ratio of moderate-to-severe ARDS in the PCT-elevated cohort was 57.3 (95% confidence interval 10.4 to 316.3). The positive predictive value of PCT for ARDS and moderate-to-severe ARDS were 0.242 and 0.121, respectively; the negative predictive value of PCT for ARDS and moderate-to-severe ARDS were 0.952 and 1.0, respectively.

Conclusion

Cardiac surgical patients with elevated PCT concentration have a higher incidence of ARDS. Elevated PCT may serve as a warning signal of postoperative ARDS in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB.

Study registrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-OCH-14005076)
Bond Behavior of Basalt Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Bars Embedded in Concrete Under Mono-tensile and Cyclic Loads
Authors: Liu Xia , Wang Xin , Xie Kangyu , Wu Zhishen , Li Feng
Published: March 2020

This study evaluates the static and fatigue bond behavior in basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) bars embedded in concrete. For bond behavior under a mono-tensile load, BFRP bars with four types of surface patterns (round, rectangular, cross-winding, and spiral-winding) were adopted, and 20 groups of rib parameters were introduced for round-type BFRP bars. The bond–slip relationships and the influences of the above parameters on bond behavior were investigated. An analytical model for simulating the relationships of full bond slip was studied by data fitting. For bond behavior under cyclic loads, the relationship between stress levels and the number of cycles was investigated, and the slip of round-ribbed BFRP bars was studied with respect to the number of cycles. The results showed that the rectangular, cross-winding, and spiral-winding ribbed bars experienced serious wear, and that the average bond strength was approximately 80.6% of that of the round-ribbed bars. Thus, the bond behavior of the round rib is superior to those of the other surfaces. In addition, a bond–slip constitutive model for a BFRP bar is proposed, representing four main stages: a micro-slip stage, a slip stage, a descending stage, and a residual stage. Under cyclic loads, an equation was proposed for predicting fatigue life with a regression coefficient of 0.880, and a development law of slip was characterized as three stages: the linear increase stage, the steady increase stage, and the sharp increase stage, respectively.