bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Strategies adopted by Aphanizomenon flos-aquae in response to phosphorus deficiency and their role on growth
Authors: Chen Xiaoyan , Dolinova Iva , Sevcu Alena , Jurczak Tomasz , Frankiewicz Piotr , Wojtal-Frankiewicz Adrianna , Wan Lingling , Deng Qinghui , Song Chunlei , Zhou Yiyong , Cao Xiuyun
Published: March 2020

Background

The N2-fixing cyanobacterium, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae is a globally distributed bloom causing species that degrades water quality of fresh and marine water bodies. Overcoming phosphorus (P) deficiency is one of the ecological advantages for bloom-forming cyanobacteria. It remains unclear to what extent can A. flos-aquae alleviate P deficiency by regulating P using strategies.

Results

Based on in situ observations of extracellular alkaline phosphatase (APase) in A. flos-aquae via enzyme-labeled fluorescence in freshwater bodies in China, Poland and Czechia, we further investigated responses of isolated A. flos-aquae to different P supplies (dissolved inorganic P (Pi) as +DIP, dissolved organic α-glycerophosphate and β-glycerophosphate as +DOPα and +DOPβ, P-free condition as P-depleted). The significantly negative relationships between percentage of APase producing cells and soluble reactive P concentration in both fields and cultures suggested that the excretion of APase in cyanobacterium was regulated by ambient Pi supply. Suffering from P deficiency in the P-depleted treatments, A. flos-aquae showed the highest APase activity but a vigorous growth at the early culture stage, which might also benefit from the formation of polyphosphate body (PPB) and the decrease of cell P quota. In the +DOP treatments, the coordination of dissolved DOP mineralization and continuous prompt utilization of PPB might contribute to a maintenance but not reproduction of A. flos-aquae when relying on DOP, since the specific growth rate kept around 0 cells L−1 day−1 at the second half culture period and the highest cell density reached only 13.38% of that in +DIP treatments while photochemical efficiency was comparable during the whole experiment. Luxury uptake of phosphate as PPB in the +DIP treatments was consistent to the canonical view of polyphosphate as P storage.

Conclusion

Aphanizomenon flos-aquae could achieve an instantaneous growth in response to P deficiency with the coordination of P utilization strategies, while it maintained a long-term sustainable growth but not reproduction under sole DOP supply. Persistent and active reproduction could only be achieved in high Pi supply, which implying that an effective consequence can be expected for combating the bloom of A. flos-aquae when controlling P supply.
First line in psychiatric emergency: pre-hospital emergency protocol for mental disorders in Iran
Authors: Shirzad Fatemeh , Hadi Fatemeh , Mortazavi Seyede Salehe , Biglari Maryam , Sari Hassan Noori , Mohammadi Zeinab , Atoofi Mehrdad Kazemzade , Shariat Seyed Vahid
Published: March 2020

Introduction

This article is a report of designing a rapid and effective guide for paramedics who take care of patients in a pre-hospital setting to answer developing demands.

Methods

The relevant literature was reviewed, and the topics were extracted. Then, the extracted items were discussed in an expert panel. Finally, items were discussed in a meeting including emergency technicians and emergency technical assistants to identify implementation problems.

Results

Important topics for managing psychiatric patients were categorized at three levels: 1) Patient safety and security issues, 2) Patient status assessment and diagnosis, and 3) Patient management (medical, behavioral management, and referral to a treatment center).

Discussion

This protocol can be a solution to improve emergency technician training. Such summarized protocols can be used for rapid review immediately before exposing a patient with an acute psychiatric condition. Due to specific cultural and different access to medicines in Iran, some issues are different.
A rare cause of dysphagia due to esophageal intramural pseudodiverticulosis: a case report and review of literature
Authors: Ali Osman , Asumu Hazel , Kaur Tanisha , Mathew Angelina , Kim Raymond
Published: March 2020

Background

Esophageal intramural pseudodiverticulosis is an uncommon, idiopathic disorder characterized by multiple small outpouchings protruding from the esophageal lumen. Esophageal intramural pseudodiverticulosis is associated with conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease and diabetes mellitus, as well as emergent complications including pneumomediastinum. The most common presenting symptom is dysphagia with associated esophageal stricture formation. While the pathogenesis of EIP has yet to be determined, it is important to bring awareness to this unique disease with distinctive diagnostic findings and treatment options.

Case presentation

In this case, we present a 62-year-old woman who suffered from dysphagia, an inability to tolerate a regular diet, and unintentional weight loss for several years prior to her diagnoses. She was diagnosed by esophagram and esophagogastroduodenoscopy to have esophageal intramural pseudodiverticulosis, complicated by severe stricture formation. Following treatment with sequential dilatation and maintenance H2-blocker therapy, she achieved significant symptomatic improvement.

Conclusions

This case highlights the importance of accurate identification and treatment of an uncommon cause of dysphagia, esophageal intramural pseudodiverticulosis. Treatment includes dilatational therapy, as successfully demonstrated in our patient. Furthermore, treatment is focused on optimizing medical management, as demonstrated in our patient with the addition of an H2-blocker for GERD, or addressing potentially serious underlying causes, such as carcinoma, with surgery.
Impact of preoperative fecal short chain fatty acids on postoperative infectious complications in esophageal cancer patients
Authors: Motoori Masaaki , Tanaka Koji , Sugimura Keijiro , Miyata Hiroshi , Saito Takuro , Miyazaki Yasuhiro , Fujitani Kazumasa , Kado Yukiko , Asahara Takashi , Yano Masahiko
Published: March 2020

Background

The intestinal epithelial barrier allows absorption of dietary nutrients and prevents passage of pathogens and toxins into the body. Severe insults have a negative impact on the intestinal environment, which may decrease intestinal barrier function and cause bacterial translocation. Bacterial translocation, which can cause infectious complications, is defined as the passage of microbes from the gastrointestinal tract across the mucosal barrier to extraintestinal sites. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between concentrations of preoperative fecal organic acids and the occurrence of postoperative infectious complications in patients with esophageal cancer.

Methods

Fifty-five patients with esophageal cancer who underwent esophagectomy were enrolled in this study. Perioperative synbiotics were administered to all patients. Perioperative clinical characteristics and concentrations of preoperative fecal organic acids were compared between patients with and without postoperative infectious complications.

Results

Postoperative infectious complications occurred in 10 patients. In patients with complications, the concentrations of acetic acid and propionic acid were significantly lower than in patients without complications (p = 0.044 and 0.032, respectively). The concentration of butyric acid was nonsignificantly lower in patients with complications, while the concentration of lactic acid was nonsignificantly higher. The calculated gap between the concentrations of fecal acetic acid plus propionic acid plus butyric acid minus lactic acid was significantly lower in patients with complications. Multivariate analysis revealed that a low gap between acetic acid plus propionic acid plus butyric acid minus lactic acid was an independent risk factor for postoperative infectious complications (p = 0.027).

Conclusions

Preoperative fecal concentrations of organic acids had a clinically important impact on the occurrence of postoperative infectious complications in patients with esophageal cancer. To reduce postoperative infectious complications, it may be useful to modulate the intestinal environment and maintain concentrations of fecal organic acids before surgery.
Study protocol: a randomized controlled trial comparing the efficacy of therapist guided internet-delivered cognitive therapy (TG-iConquerFear) with augmented treatment as usual in reducing fear of cancer recurrence in Danish colorectal cancer survivors
Authors: Lyhne Johanne Dam , Smith Allan ‘ Ben’ , Frostholm Lisbeth , Fink Per , Jensen Lars Henrik
Published: March 2020

Background

Cognitive therapy has been shown to reduce fear of cancer recurrence (FCR), mainly in breast cancer survivors. The accessibility of cognitive behavioural interventions could be further improved by Internet delivery, but self-guided interventions have shown limited efficacy. The aim of this study is to test the efficacy of a therapist guided internet-delivered intervention (TG-iConquerFear) vs. augmented treatment as usual (aTAU) in Danish colorectal cancer survivors.

Methods/design

A population-based randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing TG-iConquerFear with aTAU (1:1) in n = 246 colorectal cancer survivors who suffer from clinically significant FCR (Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory Short Form (FCRI-SF) ≥ 22 and semi-structured interview). Evaluation will be conducted at 2 weeks, 3 and 6 months post-treatment and between-group differences will be evaluated. Long-term effects will be evaluated after one year. Primary outcome will be post-treatment FCR (FCRI-SF). Secondary outcomes are global overall health and global quality of life (Visual Analogue Scales 0–100), bodily distress syndrome (BDS checklist), health anxiety (Whiteley-6), anxiety (SCL4-anx), depression (SCL6-dep) and sickness absence and health expenditure (register data). Explanatory outcomes include: Uncertainty in illness (Mishels uncertainty of illness scale, short form, MUIS), metacognitions (MCQ-30 negative beliefs about worry subscale), and perceived risk of cancer recurrence (Visual analogue Scale 1–100).

Discussion

This RCT will provide valuable information on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of TG-iConquerFear vs. aTAU for CRC survivors with clinical FCR, as well as explanatory variables that may act as outcome moderators or mediators.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT04287218, registered 25.02.2020.

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=&term=NCT04287218&cntry=&state=&city=&dist=.
A randomised controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of surgical and nonsurgical treatment for cervical radiculopathy
Authors: Taso Mirad , Sommernes Jon Håvard , Kolstad Frode , Sundseth Jarle , Bjorland Siri , Pripp Are Hugo , Zwart John Anker , Brox Jens Ivar
Published: March 2020

Background

Cervical radiculopathy is usually caused by disc herniation or spondylosis. The prognosis is expected to be good in most patients, but there is limited scientific evidence on the indications for nonsurgical and surgical treatments. The aim of the present study is to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of surgical and nonsurgical treatment in two trials – including disc herniation and spondylosis, respectively, and to evaluate factors that contribute to better decision making.

Methods/design

Patients with disabling radicular arm pain and MRI-proven cervical disc herniation or spondylosis will be randomised to receive nonsurgical or surgical treatment. The follow-up period is one year and the sample size is estimated to be 50 for each arm in the two trials, giving a total of 200 patients. The primary outcomes are the Neck Disability Index and arm pain. Secondary outcomes include neck pain; EQ-5D and costs to evaluate cost-effectiveness; prognostic factors; CT and MRI scans, to estimate intervertebral foraminal area and nerve root compression; and the expected minimal improvement for willingness to undergo treatment.

Discussion

The outcomes of this study will contribute to better decision making in the treatment of cervical radiculopathy.

Trial registration

This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT03674619, on September 17, 2018.
Determinants of aggression against all health care workers in a large-sized university hospital
Authors: Viottini Elena , Politano Gianfranco , Fornero Giulio , Pavanelli Pier Luigi , Borelli Paola , Bonaudo Marco , Gianino Maria Michela
Published: March 2020

Background

The paper aims to describe the 3-year incidence (2015/17) of aggressive acts against all healthcare workers to identify risk factors associated to violence among a variety of demographic and professional determinants of assaulted, and risk factors related to the circumstances surrounding these events.

Methods

A retrospective observational study of all 10,970 health workers in a large-sized Italian university hospital was performed.

The data, obtained from the “Aggression Reporting Form”, which must be completed by assaulted workers within 72 h of aggression, were collected for the following domains: worker assaulted (sex, age class, years worked); profession (nurses, medical doctors, non-medical support staff, administrative staff, midwives); aggressive acts (activity type during aggressive acts, season, time and location of aggressive acts); and type of aggressive acts (verbal, non-verbal, consequences, aggressors).

Results

Three hundred sixty-four (3.3%) workers experienced almost one aggression. The majority of the assaulted workers were female (77.5%), had worked for 6/15 years and were Nurses (64.3%). The majority of aggressive acts occurred during assistance and patient care (38.2%), in the spring and during the afternoon/morning shifts and took place in locations where patients were present (47.3%). The most prevalent aggression type was verbal (76.9%). The patient was the most common aggressor (46.7%). 56% of those assaulted experienced interruptions in their work.

Being female, being < 50 years of age, having worked for 6–15 years were significant risk factors for aggression. Midwives suffered the highest risk of experiencing aggression (RR = 12.95).

The risk analysis showed that non-verbally aggressive acts were related to assistance and patient care with respect to activity type, to the presence of patients and during the spring and afternoon/evening.

Conclusions

The findings suggest the parallel use of future qualitative studies to clarify the motivation behind aggression. These suggestions are needed for the implementation of additional adequate prevention strategies on either an organizational or a personal level.
Safety of occasional ingestion of gluten in patients with celiac disease: a real-life study
Authors: Elli Luca , Bascuñán Karla , di Lernia Lorenzo , Bardella Maria Teresa , Doneda Luisa , Soldati Laura , Orlando Stefania , Ferretti Francesca , Lombardo Vincenza , Barigelletti Giulio , Scricciolo Alice , Fabiano Sabrina , Vecchi Maurizio , Roncoroni Leda
Published: March 2020

Background

Gluten-free diet (GFD) decreases the quality of life of celiac disease (CD) patients, who frequently ask to occasionally ingest gluten-containing food. We evaluated CD patients reporting voluntary and occasional transgressions to their GFD.

Methods

From October 2017 to September 2018, the patients reporting occasional and voluntary gluten ingestion (GFD-noncompliant) were prospectively enrolled. These patients underwent clinical examination, blood tests, duodenal biopsy, capsule enteroscopy (CE), and a validated food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) assessing the frequency and quantity of gluten intake. Mortality was calculated and compared to the general population. A group of patients on strict GFD (GFD-adherent) acted as controls.

Results

One thousand three hundred seventy-eight CD patients were evaluated during the study period. One hundred nine (8%) reported occasional (weekly or monthly) voluntary ingestion of gluten. The mean gluten intake was 185.2 ± 336.9 g/year, and the duration of their incorrect GFD was 8.6 ± 6.9 years. Among the noncompliant patients, 57% did not present any histological alteration; furthermore, the Marsh score profile was not different between compliant and noncompliant patients. Seventy percent did not present any alteration at CE. Seventy-five percent of patients reported no gastrointestinal symptoms after gluten ingestion. Twenty-three percent of patients in the GFD-noncompliant group presented positive tTG-IgA. No association was found between gluten intake, clinical symptoms, and biomarkers. Mortality was not different between the groups and the general population.

Conclusions

Our results are that in a real-life scenario, a group of CD patients on long-term gluten intake showed no significant clinical symptoms or small bowel damage, thus suggesting that a degree of tolerance towards gluten consumption can be reached.
Robust microorganisms for biofuel and chemical production from municipal solid waste
Authors: Dornau Aritha , Robson James F. , Thomas Gavin H. , McQueen-Mason Simon J.
Published: March 2020

Background

Worldwide 3.4 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW) will be produced annually by 2050, however, current approaches to MSW management predominantly involve unsustainable practices like landfilling and incineration. The organic fraction of MSW (OMSW) typically comprises ~ 50% lignocellulose-rich material but is underexplored as a biomanufacturing feedstock due to its highly inconsistent and heterogeneous composition. This study sought to overcome the limitations associated with studying MSW-derived feedstocks by using OMSW produced from a realistic and reproducible MSW mixture on a commercial autoclave system. The resulting OMSW fibre was enzymatically hydrolysed and used to screen diverse microorganisms of biotechnological interest to identify robust species capable of fermenting this complex feedstock.

Results

The autoclave pre-treated OMSW fibre contained a polysaccharide fraction comprising 38% cellulose and 4% hemicellulose. Enzymatic hydrolysate of OMSW fibre was high in d-glucose (5.5% w/v) and d-xylose (1.8%w/v) but deficient in nitrogen and phosphate. Although relatively low levels of levulinic acid (30 mM) and vanillin (2 mM) were detected and furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural were absent, the hydrolysate contained an abundance of potentially toxic metals (0.6% w/v). Hydrolysate supplemented with 1% yeast extract to alleviate nutrient limitation was used in a substrate-oriented shake-flask screen with eight biotechnologically useful microorganisms (Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum, Escherichia coli, Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius, Pseudomonas putida, Rhodococcus opacus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Zymomonas mobilis). Each species’ growth and productivity were characterised and three species were identified that robustly and efficiently fermented OMSW fibre hydrolysate without significant substrate inhibition: Z. mobilis, S. cerevisiae and R. opacus, respectively produced product to 69%, 70% and 72% of the maximum theoretical fermentation yield and could theoretically produce 136 kg and 139 kg of ethanol and 91 kg of triacylglycerol (TAG) per tonne of OMSW.

Conclusions

Developing an integrated biorefinery around MSW has the potential to significantly alleviate the environmental burden of current waste management practices. Substrate-oriented screening of a representative and reproducible OMSW-derived fibre identified microorganisms intrinsically suited to growth on OMSW hydrolysates. These species are promising candidates for developing an MSW biorefining platform and provide a foundation for future studies aiming to valorise this underexplored feedstock.
Endotoxin clustering with allergens in house dust and asthma outcomes in a U.S. national study
Authors: Mendy Angelico , Wilkerson Jesse , Salo Pӓivi M. , Zeldin Darryl C. , Thorne Peter S.
Published: March 2020

Background

Endotoxin is ubiquitous in the environment, but its clustering with indoor allergens is not well characterized. This study examined the clustering patterns of endotoxin with allergens in house dust and their association with asthma outcomes.

Methods

We analyzed data from 6963 participants of the 2005–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. House dust sampled from bedroom floor and bedding was evaluated for endotoxin and allergens from fungi, cockroach, dog, cat, mites, and rodents. Two-step cluster analysis and logistic regressions were performed to identify the clustering patterns and their associations with current asthma and wheeze in the past 12 months, adjusting for covariates.

Results

Of the homes, 17.8% had low endotoxin and allergen levels in house dust (Cluster 1). High endotoxin level clustered withAlternariaand pet allergens in the homes of participants with a high socioeconomic status who own pets (Cluster 2) (48.9%). High endotoxin clustered withAspergillus, dust mites, cockroach, and rodent allergens in the homes of participants with low socioeconomic status (Cluster 3) (33.3%). Compared to Cluster 1, Cluster 2 was associated with higher asthma prevalence (OR 1.42, 95% CI: 1.06–1.91) and wheeze (OR 1.32, 95% CI: 1.07–1.63). Cluster 3 was positively associated with wheeze only in participants sensitized to inhalant allergens (OR 1.42, 95% CI: 1.06–1.91) or exposed to tobacco smoke (OR 1.72, 95% CI: 1.15–2.60).

Conclusions

The clustering of endotoxin with allergens in dust from homes with pets or of people with low socioeconomic status is associated with asthma and wheeze.
Exosomal miRNA-128-3p from mesenchymal stem cells of aged rats regulates osteogenesis and bone fracture healing by targeting Smad5
Authors: Xu Tao , Luo Yongjun , Wang Jiaxing , Zhang Ning , Gu Changjiang , Li Linwei , Qian Dingfei , Cai Weihua , Fan Jin , Yin Guoyong
Published: March 2020

Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been considered an effective therapeutic treatment for a variety of diseases including bone fracture. However, there are associated complications along with MSCs transplantation. There is evidence to show that exosomes (Exos) derived from MSCs exert a similar paracrine function. In addition, repair capabilities of MSCs decline with age. Hence, this study aims to confirm whether the Exos protective function on osteogenic differentiation and fracture healing from aged MSCs was attenuated. This information was used in order to investigate the underlying mechanism. MSCs were successfully isolated and identified from young and aged rats, and Exos were then obtained. Aged-Exos exhibited significantly attenuated effects on MSCs osteogenic differentiation in vitro and facture healing in vivo. Using miRNA array analysis, it was shown that miR-128-3p was markedly upregulated in Aged-Exos. In vitro experiments confirmed that Smad5 is a direct downstream target of miR-128-3p, and was inhibited by overexpressed miR-128-3p. A series gain- and loss- function experiment indicated that miR-128-3P serves a suppressor role in the process of fracture healing. Furthermore, effects caused by miR-128-3P mimic/inhibitor were reversed by the application of Smad5/siSmad5. Taken together, these results suggest that the therapeutic effects of MSCs-derived Exos may vary according to differential expression of miRNAs. Exosomal miR-128-3P antagomir may act as a promising therapeutic strategy for bone fracture healing, especially for the elderly.
Determinants of health-related quality of life: a cross-sectional investigation in physician-managed anticoagulated patients using vitamin K antagonists
Authors: Magon Arianna , Arrigoni Cristina , Moia Marco , Mancini Michela , Dellafiore Federica , Manara Duilio F. , Caruso Rosario
Published: March 2020

Background

Literature has paid little attention in describing the specific contribution of each modifiable and non-modifiable characteristics on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in physician-managed anticoagulated patients using vitamin K antagonists (VKAs). To describe how patients’ treatment-specific knowledge, health literacy, treatment beliefs, clinical, and socio-demographic characteristics influence HRQoL in Italian physician-managed anticoagulated patients using VKAs.

Methods

Cross-sectional multicentre study with a consecutive sampling strategy, enrolling 164 long-term anticoagulated patients. Clinical and socio-demographic characteristics were collected from electronic medical records. Valid and reliable questionnaires were used to collect patients’ treatment-specific knowledge, health literacy, beliefs about VKAs, physical and health perceptions.

Results

Obtaining and understanding health information (i.e., communicative health literacy) positively predicts both adequate mental (ORadjusted = 10.9; 95%CI = 1.99–19.10) and physical (ORadjusted = 11.54; 95%CI = 1.99–34.45) health perceptions. Conversely, the ability to perform proper health decision making (i.e., critical health literacy) was associated with lower rates of adequate mental health perception (ORadjusted = 0.13; 95%CI = 0.03–0.63). Further, age negatively predicted physical health perception (ORadjusted = 0.87; 95%CI = 0.81–0.93).

Conclusions

Health literacy plays an interesting role in predicting HRQoL. The relationship between critical health literacy and mental health perception could be influenced by some psychological variables, such as distress and frustration, which could be present in patients with higher levels of critical health literacy, as they could be more inclined for self-monitoring. For this reason, future research are needed to identify the most suitable patients’ profile for each OAC-management model, by longitudinally describing the predictive performance of each modifiable and non-modifiable determinant of HRQoL.
Estimating physical activity from self-reported behaviours in large-scale population studies using network harmonisation: findings from UK Biobank and associations with disease outcomes
Authors: Pearce Matthew , Strain Tessa , Kim Youngwon , Sharp Stephen J. , Westgate Kate , Wijndaele Katrien , Gonzales Tomas , Wareham Nicholas J. , Brage Søren
Published: March 2020

Background

UK Biobank is a large prospective cohort study containing accelerometer-based physical activity data with strong validity collected from 100,000 participants approximately 5 years after baseline. In contrast, the main cohort has multiple self-reported physical behaviours from > 500,000 participants with longer follow-up time, offering several epidemiological advantages. However, questionnaire methods typically suffer from greater measurement error, and at present there is no tested method for combining these diverse self-reported data to more comprehensively assess the overall dose of physical activity. This study aimed to use the accelerometry sub-cohort to calibrate the self-reported behavioural variables to produce a harmonised estimate of physical activity energy expenditure, and subsequently examine its reliability, validity, and associations with disease outcomes.

Methods

We calibrated 14 self-reported behavioural variables from the UK Biobank main cohort using the wrist accelerometry sub-cohort (n = 93,425), and used published equations to estimate physical activity energy expenditure (PAEESR). For comparison, we estimated physical activity based on the scoring criteria of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and by summing variables for occupational and leisure-time physical activity with no calibration. Test-retest reliability was assessed using data from the UK Biobank repeat assessment (n = 18,905) collected a mean of 4.3 years after baseline. Validity was assessed in an independent validation study (n = 98) with estimates based on doubly labelled water (PAEEDLW). In the main UK Biobank cohort (n = 374,352), Cox regression was used to estimate associations between PAEESR and fatal and non-fatal outcomes including all-cause, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, and cancers.

Results

PAEESR explained 27% variance in gold-standard PAEEDLW estimates, with no mean bias. However, error was strongly correlated with PAEEDLW (r = −.98; p < 0.001), and PAEESR had narrower range than the criterion. Test-retest reliability (Λ = .67) and relative validity (Spearman = .52) of PAEESR outperformed two common approaches for processing self-report data with no calibration. Predictive validity was demonstrated by associations with morbidity and mortality, e.g. 14% (95%CI: 11–17%) lower mortality for individuals meeting lower physical activity guidelines.

Conclusions

The PAEESR variable has good reliability and validity for ranking individuals, with no mean bias but correlated error at individual-level. PAEESR outperformed uncalibrated estimates and showed stronger inverse associations with disease outcomes.
A peripheral neutrophil-related inflammatory factor predicts a decline in executive function in mild Alzheimer’s disease
Authors:   for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, Bawa Kritleen K. , Krance Saffire H. , Herrmann Nathan , Cogo-Moreira Hugo , Ouk Michael , Yu Di , Wu Che-Yuan , Black Sandra E. , Lanctôt Krista L. , Swardfager Walter
Published: March 2020

Background

Studies suggest a role of the innate immune system, including the activity of neutrophils, in neurodegeneration related to Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but prospective cognitive data remain lacking in humans. We aimed to investigate the predictive relationship between neutrophil-associated inflammatory proteins in peripheral blood and changes in memory and executive function over 1 year in patients with AD.

Methods

Participants with AD were identified from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), myeloperoxidase (MPO), interleukin-8 (IL-8), macrophage inflammatory protein-1 beta (MIP-1β), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) were assayed by luminex immunofluorescence multiplex assay at baseline. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test an underlying neutrophil associated plasma inflammatory factor. Compositez-scores for memory and executive function were generated from multiple tests at baseline and at 1 year. A multiple linear regression model was used to investigate the association of the baseline inflammatory factor with changes in memory and executive function over 1 year.

Results

Among AD patients (n = 109, age = 74.8 ± 8.1, 42% women, Mini Mental State Examination [MMSE] = 23.6 ± 1.9), the neutrophil-related inflammatory proteins NGAL (λ = 0.595,p < .001), MPO (λ = 0.575,p < .001), IL-8 (λ = 0.525,p < .001), MIP-1β (λ = 0.411,p = .008), and TNF (λ = 0.475,p < .001) were found to inform an underlying factor. Over 1 year, this inflammatory factor predicted a decline in executive function (β = − 0.152,p = 0.015) but not memory (β = 0.030,p = 0.577) in models controlling for demographics, brain atrophy, white matter hyperintensities, the ApoE ε4 allele, concomitant medications, and baseline cognitive performance.

Conclusions

An inflammatory factor constructed from five neutrophil-related markers in peripheral blood predicted a decline in executive function over 1 year in people with mild AD.
Low grade malignant eccrine spiradenoma of the vulva: case report, review of the literature and discussion about the role of p53 and HPV
Authors: Catteau Xavier , D’haene Nicky , Noël Jean-Christophe
Published: March 2020

Background

Malignant eccrine spiradenoma is one of the rarest sweat-gland tumors. Here, we describe a rare case of low grade malignant eccrine spiradenoma located at the vulva.

Case presentation

The vulvar lesion was described as a mass measured 3.5 cm and located in the dermis and subcutis with no attachment to the epidermis. The neoplasm was arranged in ragged sheets or solid nodules sometimes with focal necrosis. The tumor cells had hyperchromatism, pleomorphism, and prominent nucleoli with high mitotic index and KI-67 estimated at 70–80%.

Conclusions

It’s only the fifth case of malignant eccrine spiradenoma localized at the vulva. This is the first time that an HPV genotyping was made in this type of lesion with no HPV found while the p16 expression was diffuse. Moreover, it’s the first time that a p53 mutation is detected by sequencing in this location.
The histone methyltransferase Setd8 alters the chromatin landscape and regulates the expression of key transcription factors during erythroid differentiation
Authors: Myers Jacquelyn A. , Couch Tyler , Murphy Zachary , Malik Jeffrey , Getman Michael , Steiner Laurie A.
Published: March 2020

Background

SETD8 is the sole methyltransferase capable of mono-methylating histone H4, lysine 20. SETD8 and H4K20me1 play a role in a number of essential biologic processes, including cell cycle progression, establishment of higher order chromatin structure, and transcriptional regulation. SETD8 is highly expressed in erythroid cells and erythroid deletion of Setd8 is embryonic lethal by embryonic day 11.5 (E11.5) due to profound anemia, suggesting that it has an erythroid-specific function. The function of SETD8 in the hemopoietic system is poorly understood. The goal of our study was to gain insights into the function of SETD8 during erythroid differentiation.

Results

We performed ATAC-seq (assay for transposase-accessible chromatin) on sorted populations of E10.5 Setd8 mutant and control erythroblasts. Accessibility profiles were integrated with expression changes and a mark of heterochromatin (H3K27me3) performed in wild-type E10.5 erythroblasts to further understand the role of SETD8 in erythropoiesis. Data integration identified regions of greater chromatin accessibility in Setd8 mutant cells that co-located with H3K27me3 in wild-type E10.5 erythroblasts suggesting that these regions, and their associated genes, are repressed during normal erythropoiesis. The majority of these more accessible regions were located in promoters and they frequently co-located with the NFY complex. Pathway analysis of genes identified through data integration revealed stemness-related pathways. Among those genes were multiple transcriptional regulators active in multipotent progenitors, but repressed during erythroid differentiation including Hhex, Hlx, and Gata2. Consistent with a role for SETD8 in erythroid specification, SETD8 expression is up-regulated upon erythroid commitment, and Setd8 disruption impairs erythroid colony forming ability.

Conclusion

Taken together, our results suggest that SETD8 is an important regulator of the chromatin landscape during erythroid differentiation, particularly at promoters. Our results also identify a novel role for Setd8 in the establishment of appropriate patterns of lineage-restricted gene expression during erythroid differentiation.
Relationship of Leishmania RNA Virus (LRV) and treatment failure in clinical isolates of Leishmania major
Authors: Abtahi Mohsen , Eslami Gilda , Cavallero Serena , Vakili Mahmood , Hosseini Saeedeh Sadat , Ahmadian Salman , Boozhmehrani Mohammad Javad , Khamesipour Ali
Published: March 2020

Objective

Leishmaniasis is caused by differentLeishmaniaspp. Treatment failure (TF) of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a serious issue that may be due to various reasons, previous studies suggested Leishmania RNA virus (LRV) as a potential cause of TF. Two variant groups of LRV1 and LRV2 are reported. In this study, the presence of LRV1/LRV2 was compared in TF with treatment response (TR) isolates ofL. major. Clinical isolates of 15 TF and 15 TR were collected from CL patients referred to the Health Centers of Isfahan. Genomic DNA was extracted to identifyLeishmaniaspp. using ITS1-PCR–RFLP. Identification of LRV1/LRV2 was performed using SYBR Green Real-Time PCR. The statistical analysis to test relationship between the treatment response with Glucantime and the presence of LRV were performed using SPSS 16.0 with Fisher’s Exact test.Pvalue of less than 0.05 was considered significant.

Results

ITS1-PCR–RFLP results showed that every isolate was identified asL. major. The results showed no LRV1 in any of the samples but 7 TR isolates and 2 TF isolates showed positive for LRV2. Statistical analysis showed no significant difference between the presence of LRV2 and response to Glucantime (p-value = 0.1086). Therefore, other mechanisms might be responsible for TF.
Downregulation of circulating miR-320a and target gene prediction in patients with diabetic retinopathy
Authors: Prado Marcelle SanJuan Ganem , de Jesus Mirthz Lemos , de Goes Thaline Cunha , Mendonça Lucilla Silva Oliveira , Kaneto Carla Martins
Published: March 2020

Objective

To evaluate the expression of a set of miRNAs to identify differentially expressed miRNAs that might be considered reliable biomarkers on Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) blood samples.

Results

Expression levels of MiR-320a, MiR-342-3p, MiR-155, MiR-99a, MiR-29a and MiR-27b were analyzed in 60 healthy controls, 48 Diabetes Melitus (DM) without DR patients and 62 DR patients by qRT-PCR. MiR-320a was shown to be downregulated in the plasma of DR patients compared with DM patients without DR and healthy subjects. Target genes were predicted using miRWalk3.0, miR targeting data and target gene interaction data were imported to Cytoscape to visualize and merge networks and top ranked predicted genes were run through Ontology Genes to perform enrichment analysis on gene sets and classification system to identify biological processes and reactome pathways associated with DR. Highly scored target genes of miR-320a were categorized for various biological processes, including negative regulation of cell aging, negative regulation of cellular protein metabolic process and regulation of cellular response to stress that are critical to the development of DR. Our findings suggest that MiR-320a may have a role in the pathogenesis of DR and may represent novel biomarkers for this disease.
Fanconi anemia pathway as a prospective target for cancer intervention
Authors: Liu Wenjun , Palovcak Anna , Li Fang , Zafar Alyan , Yuan Fenghua , Zhang Yanbin
Published: March 2020

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a recessive genetic disorder caused by biallelic mutations in at least one of 22 FA genes. Beyond its pathological presentation of bone marrow failure and congenital abnormalities, FA is associated with chromosomal abnormality and genomic instability, and thus represents a genetic vulnerability for cancer predisposition. The cancer relevance of the FA pathway is further established with the pervasive occurrence of FA gene alterations in somatic cancers and observations of FA pathway activation-associated chemotherapy resistance. In this article we describe the role of the FA pathway in canonical interstrand crosslink (ICL) repair and possible contributions of FA gene alterations to cancer development. We also discuss the perspectives and potential of targeting the FA pathway for cancer intervention.
Zoom motion estimation for color and depth videos using depth information
Authors: Kwon Soon-kak , Lee Dong-seok
Published: March 2020

In this paper, two methods of zoom motion estimation for color and depth videos by using depth information are proposed. Color and depth videos are independently estimated for zoom motion. Zoom for color video is scaled by spatial domain, and depth video is scaled by both spatial and depth domains. For color video, instead of existing methods of zoom motion estimation that apply all of possible zoom ratios for a current block, the zoom ratio of the proposed method is determined as the ratio of the average depth values of the current and reference blocks. Then, the reference block is resized by multiplying the zoom ratio and the reference block is mapped to the current block. For depth video, the reference block is first scaled in the spatial direction by the same methodology used for color video and then scaled by a distance ratio from a camera to the objects. Compared to the conventional motion estimation method, the proposed method reduces MSE by up to about 30% for the color video and up to about 85% for the depth video.
On Copson’s inequalities for $0< p<1$
Authors: Gao Peng , Zhao HuaYu
Published: March 2020

Let $(\lambda_{n})_{n \geq1}$(λn)n≥1 be a positive sequence and let $\varLambda_{n}=\sum^{n}_{i=1}\lambda_{i}$Λn=∑i=1nλi. We study the following Copson inequality for $0< p<1$0
p$L>p: $$\begin{aligned} \sum^{\infty}_{n=1} \Biggl(\frac{1}{\varLambda_{n}} \sum^{\infty }_{k=n}\lambda_{k} x_{k} \Biggr)^{p} \geq \biggl( \frac{p}{L-p} \biggr)^{p} \sum^{\infty}_{n=1}x^{p}_{n}. \end{aligned}$$ ∑n=1∞(1Λn∑k=n∞λkxk)p≥(pL−p)p∑n=1∞xnp. We find conditions on $\lambda_{n}$λn such that the above inequality is valid with the constant being the best possible.
Spatial distribution and associated factors of health insurance coverage in Ethiopia: further analysis of Ethiopia demographic and health survey, 2016
Authors: Kebede Sewnet Adem , Liyew Alemneh Mekuriaw , Tesema Getayeneh Antehunegn , Agegnehu Chilot Desta , Teshale Achamyeleh Birhanu , Alem Adugnaw Zeleke , Yeshaw Yigizie
Published: March 2020

Background

Health insurance is one of the instruments to achieve universal health coverage. However, in Ethiopia, the coverage of health insurance is very low and varies from place to place as well. Therefore, exploring the spatial distribution of health insurance is important to prioritize and design targeted intervention programs in the country.

Methods

A total of 16,583 reproductive age group women (15–49 years) were included in this study. The Bernoulli model was used by applying Kulldorff methods using the SaTScan software to analyse the purely spatial clusters of health insurance coverage. ArcGIS version 10.3 was used to visualize the distribution of health insurance coverage across the country. Mixed-effect logistic regression analysis was also used to identify predictors of health insurance coverage.

Results

Health insurance coverage among women aged 15–49 years had spatial variations across the country (Moran’s I: 0.115,p < 0.001). Health insurance coverage in Amhara (p < 0.001) and Tigray (p < 0.001) National Regional States clustered spatially. Reading newspapers at least once a week (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 1.78, 95% CI: (1.18–2.68))), 40–44 years of age (AOR = 2.14, 95% CI: (1.37–3.35)), clerical working mothers (AOR = 4.33, 95% CI: (2.50–7.49)), mothers’ with secondary school education (AOR = 1.77; 95% CI: (1.21–2.58)), mothers’ with higher school education (AOR = 2.62; 95% CI: (1.63–4.23)), having more than 5 family members (AOR = 1.25; 95% CI: (1.01–1.55)) and richest wealth quantile (AOR = 3.43, 95% CI: (1.96–6.01)) were predictors of health insurance coverage among reproductive age group women in Ethiopia.

Conclusion

Health insurance coverage was very low in Ethiopia and had spatial variations across the country. The hot spot areas with low health insurance coverage need more coherent and harmonized action such as strengthening financial protection through national health packages, sharing experience from regions which have better health insurance coverage and using mass media to increase awareness and confidence of potentials in the systems, which may encourage them to enrol.
Probabilistic upscaling and aggregation of wind power forecasts
Authors: Henze Janosch , Siefert Malte , Bremicker-Trübelhorn Sascha , Asanalieva Nazgul , Sick Bernhard
Published: March 2020

Background

Wind power forecasts of the expected wind feed-in for the next hours or days are necessary to integrate the generated volatile wind energy into power systems. Most forecasting models predict in some sense the best value, but they ignore the other possible outcomes which may arise because of forecasting uncertainties. Probabilistic forecasts, on the other hand, also predict a distribution of possible outcomes with their respective probabilities that specific power values will occur and therefore have higher information content. In this work, we address two problems that hinder the introduction of probabilistic forecasts in practice: (1) no measurement data are available for some wind farms and (2) the flexible aggregation of probabilistic forecasts for changing wind farm portfolios.

Methods

We present an approach based on copulas that can solve both problems by modeling the spatial correlation structure between reference wind farms. By sampling from the resulting joint probability distribution, probability forecasts can be upscaled from reference wind farms to wind farms without power measurements. Furthermore, the results can be aggregated to probability forecasts of portfolios of arbitrary and changing size.

Results

We perform experiments by applying our procedure to three use cases. The results are quantitatively evaluated with different probabilistic scores. For single target wind farms, our approach is as good as a state-of-the-art reference even if no data are available for the wind farm under consideration. For portfolios, our approach also allows forecasts to be made if no data is available for some wind farms and also to aggregate flexible portfolios of changing sizes, which was not possible before.

Conclusion

Our work solves two problems that hindered the introduction of quantile probabilistic forecasts in the application. This work opens a pathway for many different applications, e.g., predictive grid securities with stochastic optimization, better marketing of renewable energies, or allow to compensate for forecast errors in various applications.
Isoniazid causes heart looping disorder in zebrafish embryos by the induction of oxidative stress
Authors: Ni Jie , Wang Hongye , Wei Xiyi , Shen Kangjie , Sha Yeqin , Dong Yuxiang , Shu Yimei , Wan Xiaojie , Cheng Jingwen , Wang Fang , Liu Yihai
Published: March 2020

Background

The cardiotoxicity of isoniazid on zebrafish embryos and its underlying mechanism is unclear.

Methods

Here, we exposed zebrafish embryos at 4 h post-fertilization to different levels of isoniazid and recorded the morphology and number of malformed and dead embryos under the microscope.

Results

The high concentration of isoniazid group showed more malformed and dead embryos than the low concentration of isoniazid group and control group. The morphology of the heart and its alteration were visualized using transgenic zebrafish (cmlc2: GFP) and confirmed by in situ hybridization. The negative effects of isoniazid on the developing heart were characterized by lower heart rate and more heart looping disorders. Mechanistically, PCR showed decreased expression of heart-specific transcription factors when exposed to isoniazid. Oxidative stress was induced by isoniazid in cardiomyocytes, mediated by decreased activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase, which were rescued by scavengers of reactive oxygen species.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this study demonstrated that isoniazid led to heart looping disturbance by the downregulation of cardiac-specific transcription factors and induction of cardiomyocyte apoptosis.