bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of a karyotype associated with the genome map and its applications in identification and characterization of chromosomes in peanut
Authors: Fu Liuyang , Wang Qian , Li Lina , Lang Tao , Guo Junjia , Wang Siyu , Sun Ziqi , Han Suoyi , Huang Bingyan , Dong Wenzhao , Zhang Xinyou , Du Pei
Published: July 2020

Background
Chromosomal structural variants are important materials for crop breeding and genetic research. Oligo fluorescence in situ hybridization (oligo FISH) is a useful tool for the identification of chromosomal structural variants.
Results
We developed 114 new repetitive oligos based on genome-wide tandem repeats (TRs) using genomic reference sequences of the cultivar Tifrunner and the diploid species Arachis ipaensis by bioinformatics and FISH. These oligo probes were positioned and classified into 28 types. Signals produced by representative probes from eight types were in the secondary constriction, middle arm, and terminal regions; signals of four probe types were on the B subgenome; and one probe being able to produce signals on only one pair of chromosomes could be used to recognize a special genome or chromosomes of peanut. Based on new and previous oligo probes, we developed a cocktail Multiplex #3 including FAM modified TIF-439, TIF-185-1, TIF-134-3, TIF-165-3, and TAMRA modified Ipa-1162, Ipa-1137, DP-1, and DP-5, which combined with the total genomic DNA of A. duranensis and A. ipaensis probes, and 45S rDNA and 5S rDNA probes to establish a karyotype associated with the genome map of peanut and identify 14 chromosomal structural variants.
Conclusions
The new oligo probes are useful and convenient for distinguishing peanut chromosomes or specific segments of peanut chromosomes. Comparisons of oligo sites in the karyotype and chromosome plots of electronic location revealed the characteristics of repeated sequences, and showed that the assembly of repeated sequence in peanut genomic reference sequence was incomplete. We therefor demonstrated the great potentials of the new oligo probes in facilitating chromosome identification and characterization, and provided novel materials for further study and genetic improvement of peanut.
A comprehensive study on chloroplast RNA editing by performing a broad-spectrum RNA-seq analysis
Authors: zhang aidi , fang jing , jiang xiaohan , wang tengfei , zhang xiujun
Published: July 2020

Background

RNA editing is a post-transcriptional modification that complement variation at the DNA level. Until now, different RNA editing systems were found in the major eukaryotic lineages. However, the evolution trajectory in plant chloroplast remains unclear. To gain a better understanding of RNA editing in plant chloroplast, in this study, based on publicly available RNA-seq data across three clades (fern, gymnosperm, and angiosperm), we provided a detailed analysis of RNA editing events in plant chloroplasts and discussed the evolution of RNA editing in land plants.
Results

There were a total of 5,389 editing sites located in leaf chloroplast identified across 21 plants after rigorous screening. We found that the cluster of RNA editing sites across 21 plants complied with the phylogenetic tree based on linked protein sequences approximately, there is a common phenomenon that more editing sites occurred in ancient plants for all the three clades. Statistics results revealed that majority (~ 95%) of the editing events resulted in non-synonymous codon changes, RNA editing occurred in second codon position was mainly the largest, and RNA editing caused an overall increase in hydrophobicity of the resulting proteins. The analyses also revealed that there was an uneven distribution of editing sites among species, genes, and codon positions, the average RNA editing extent varied among different plants as well as genes, a lowest RNA editing extent (0.43) was detected in Selaginella moellendorffii. Finally, we found that the loss of editing sites along angiosperm evolution is mainly occurring by reduce of cytosines content, where fern plants has the highest cytosine content.
Conclusions

Many of the RNA sites identified in our study have not been previously reported and provide a valuable data set for future research community. Our findings also provide valuable information for evolution of RNA editing in plants.
Abnormal rich club organization in end-stage renal disease patients before dialysis initiation and undergoing maintenance hemodialysis
Authors: Ma Shaohui , Zhang Ming , Liu Yang , Ding Dun , Li Peng , Ma Xueying , Liu Hongjuan , Mu Junya
Published: July 2020

Background
End-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients are at substantially higher risk for developing cognitive impairment compared with the healthy population. Dialysis is an essential way to maintain the life of ESRD patients. Based on previous research, there did not provide an uncontested result whether cognition was improved or worsened during dialysis.
Methods
To explore the impact of dialysis treatment on cognitive performance, we recruited healthy controls (HCs), ESRD patients before dialysis initiation (bESRD) and those undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (mESRD). All ESRD patients performed a serious of blood biochemistry tests (hemoglobin, urea, cystatin C, Na+, K + and parathyroid hormone). Neuropsychological tests were used to measure cognitive function. By using diffusion tensor imaging and graph-theory approaches, the topological organization of the whole-brain structural network was investigated. Generalized linear models (GLMs) were performed to investigate blood biochemistry predictors of the neuropsychological tests and the results of graph analyses in mESRD and bESRD groups.
Results
Neuropsychological analysis showed mESRD exhibited greater cognitive function than bESRD, but both were worse than HCs. Whole-brain graph analyses revealed that increased global efficiency and normalized shortest path length remained in the bESRD and mESRD than the HCs. Besides, lower normalized clustering coefficient was in bESRD relative to the HCs and mESRD. For the GLMs analysis, only the Cystatin C level was significantly associated with the average fiber length of rich club connections in bESRD.
Conclusions
Our study revealed that dialysis had a limited effect on cognitive improvement. Cystatin C may be a risk feature of cognitive decline of bESRD.
Association Between Chronic Kidney Disease and the Most Common Corneal Ectasia Disease (Keratoconus): A Nationwide Cohort Study
Authors: Jan Ren-Long , Weng Shih-Feng , Wang Jhi-Joung , Chang Yuh-Shin
Published: July 2020

Background
The retrospective, nationwide, matched cohort study investigated the association between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and keratoconus (KCN), the most common corneal ectasia disease.
Methods
The study cohort included 4,609 new-onset keratoconus patients ≥ 12 years identified by the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, code 371.6 and recruited between 2004 and 2011 from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. The age-, sex-, and comorbidity-matched control group included 27,654 non-KCN patients, selected from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database, 2000. Information for each patient was collected and tracked from the index date until December 2013. The incidence and risk of CKD were compared between the two groups. The adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for CKD were calculated with Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. Kaplan–Meier analysis was used to calculate the cumulative CKD incidence rate.
Results
The incidence rate of CKD was 1.36 times higher in KCN patients than in controls without statistically significant difference (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.99–1.86, p = 0.0566). In total, 29 male KCN patients and 90 controls developed CKD during the follow-up period. The incidence rate of CKD was 1.92 times (95% [CI] = 1.26–2.91; p = 0.0023) higher in male KCN patients than in controls. After adjusting for potential confounders, including hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, and diabetes mellitus, male KCN patients and male patients ≥ 40 years were 1.75 times (adjusted HR = 1.75, 95% [CI] = 1.14–2.68, p < 0.05), and 19.83 times (adjusted HR = 19.83, 95% CI = 8.75–44.97, p < 0.05) more likely to develop CKD, respectively.
Conclusions
We found that male KCN patients, particular male patients ≥ 40 years of age have an increased risk of CKD. Therefore, it is recommended that male KCN patients should be aware of CKD.
Hydroxychloroquine with or without macrolide and standard of care versus standard of care alone for COVID-19 cases: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Shrestha Dhan Bahadur , Budhathoki Pravash , Khadka Sitaram , Rawal Era
Published: July 2020

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has been a global health threat. The specific treatment of this disease has not yet been approved. In this review, we aimed at assessing the role of hydroxychloroquine with/without macrolide in terms of efficacy and adverse effects against the standard of care. Methods: Pubmed, Medline, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and Clinicaltrials.gov were searched for the quantitative and qualitative synthesis of 13 studies using PRISMA guidelines for a proper review. Assessment of heterogeneity was done using the I-squared (I2) test and fixed/random effect analysis was done to determine the odds/risk ratio among the selected studies.Results: Meta-analysis of our study demonstrated no significant differences in improvement for the virological cure (RR 0.95, 0.67-1.34), whereas a significant relationship was there in radiological progression (pneumonia resolution) (RR 1.40, 1.03-1.91) between the two arms. There are 1.52 times the odds of intubation during treatment (CI 0.61-3.77), 1.08 times the risk of mortality (CI 0.65-1.79), and about 2.21 times increased risk of development of adverse effect (OR 2.21, 0.95-5.17). Though overall it is of no statistical significance, clinical relevance to thinking while using the treatment for COVID-19 is advised. Among randomized controlled trials, the treatment group has 3.5 times (OR 3.48, 1.64-7.42) higher risk of developing adverse effects. There is 2.5 times the likelihood of severe arrhythmias and QT prolongation (OR 2.49, 1.67-3.70) on the treatment arm compared to control.Conclusion: Hydroxychloroquine with/without macrolide has shown no beneficial effect in viral clearance, survival rates while shows significant relation with the radiological improvement compared to standard of care but may increase the risk of intubation, overall side effects, and cardiac complications like arrhythmias and QT prolongation. Thus utilizing this treatment needs to be judged in clinical relevance and proper monitoring.
Similarities and differences between the ‘cytokine storms’ in acute dengue and COVID-19
Authors: Dayarathna Shashika , Jeewandara Chandima , Gomes Laksiri , Somathilaka Gayasha , Jayathilaka Deshni , Vimalachandran Vimal , Wijewickrama Ananda , Narangoda Eranga , Idampitiya Damayanthi , Ogg Graham , Malavige Gathsaurie Neelika
Published: July 2020

Severe pneumonia and multiorgan dysfunction in COVID-19 and dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) are two diseases that can associate with an altered immune response to the infecting virus. To determine the similarities and differences in the cytokine and chemokine responses in these two infections, we compared responses in patients with varying severity of COVID-19 and acute dengue at different time points of illness.During early disease, patients who proceeded to develop COVID-19 severe pneumonia (SP) and DHF had significantly higher levels of IL-6, IL-10 and MIP3α than those who developed mild illness. The lowest levels of IFNγ in early illness were seen in those who succumbed to their illness due to COVID-19. Levels of serum IL-10 (p=0.0001), IL-6 (p=0.002), MIP-3α (p=0.02) and CD40-L levels (p=0.002) significantly increased from 5-9 day of illness to 10-21 day of illness in patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19, but not in those with mild illness. In contrast, these cytokine/chemokine levels remained unchanged in those with DHF or dengue fever (DF) during febrile and critical phases. Although IL-10 levels were significantly higher in COVID-19 patients with SP, patients with DHF had 25-fold higher levels, whereas IL-6 levels were 11-fold higher in those with COVID-19 SP. IL-10 and other cytokines were evaluated in a larger cohort of patients during early illness (≤ 4 days) who proceeded to develop DF (n=71) or DHF (n=64). Of the cytokines evaluated, IL-10 was significantly higher (p<0.0001) in those who went on to develop DHF compared to DF. Low IFNγ response to the SARS-CoV2 and high levels of immunosuppressive IL-10 in both COVID-19 and dengue during early illness are indicators of an altered antiviral response potentially contributing to disease severity.
Melatonin Reduce Morphine-Induced Hyperalgesia and Tolerance of Rats via melatonin-MT1-PKCγ Pathway.
Authors: Fan Yuchao , Liang Xiao , Zheng Bixin , Song Li
Published: July 2020

Background: Morphine is commonly used for treating acute and chronic pain. However, its using is complicated with tolerance and hyperalgesia. Endogenous melatoninergic system is involved in development of tolerance and hyperalgesia induced by chronic morphine administration, but the precise mechanism remains unknown. Methods: 18 male SD rats were randomly divided into Saline(Sal), Morphine(Mor) and Morphine+Chelerythrine (Mor+Che) group (n = 6, respectively). Each group were received twice-daily intrathecal injections of saline (10μl), morphine (15μg/10μl) or morphine (15μg/5μl)+ chelerythrine (5μg/5μl) for consecutive 9 days, respectively. MWT and TWL of all animals were recorded on day 1, 3, 5, 7, 9. The morphine tolerance was depicted as MPAE on day 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and on day 10 which can be used to calculate for ED50 of each group. Then we determined the serum level of melatonin by ELISA and expression of MOR , MT1, MT2 and PKCγ by RT-qPCR and WB in spinal dorsal horn of three group rats.Results: Comparing with Sal group, the Mor group exhibited a significant lower serum melatonin level and up-regulation of expression of the MT1, MT2 and PKCγ in the spinal dorsal horn. Co-administration of chelerythrine with morphine not only attenuates morphine-induced hyperalgesia and tolerance, but also increases the down-regulation of serum melatonin level) and reduces the up-regulation of expression of MT1 and PKCγ in spinal dorsal horn compared with Mor group. Conclusion：Melatonin can reduce morphine-induced hyperalgesia and tolerance of rats via melatonin-MT1-PKCγ pathway.
Ultrasonic Detection of Fetal Persistent Right Umbilical Vein and Incidence and Significance of Concomitant Anomalies
Authors: Li Jingyu , Yuan Qian , Ding Hao , Yang Zeyu , Wang Bing , Wang Bin
Published: July 2020

Background: Persistent right umbilical vein (PRUV) is characterized by atresia of the left umbilical vein while the right umbilical vein remains open. Given the limited sample size of most studies, the incidence of PRUV and the status of concomitant anomalies may not be fully reflected. Thus, we studied the incidence of fetal PRUV and its concomitant anomalies on a larger scale using our hospital database. This study hoped to address the following questions: Does PRUV increase the risk of fetal anomalies? If the PRUV fetus also has a single umbilical artery (SUA), does the risk of fetal anomaly increase further? What is the positive predictive value of PRUV for fetal anomalies?Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 756 cases of fetal PRUV at our hospital from January 2007 to April 2017. Prenatal ultrasound and color Doppler images were assessed. All PRUV fetuses underwent echocardiography and detailed ultrasound examinations of other systems. Newborn status was obtained via the database or by telephone follow-up.Results: A total of 435,428 pregnant women underwent prenatal ultrasonography at 16–40 weeks, the incidence of fetal PRUV was 0.17%, and 102 fetuses (13.5%) developed other anomalies. Two complicated cases had trisomy 18. PRUV was associated with a higher incidence of fetal anomalies. When fetal anomalies were classified by body systems, PRUV was associated with a higher incidence of cardiovascular, nervous, urinary, skeletal, digestive, and respiratory system anomalies. The positive predictive values of a PRUV for any fetal anomalies and cardiovascular anomalies were 13.5% (95%CI, 11.2%–16.2%) and 5.4% (95%CI, 4.0%–7.3%), respectively. SUA further increases the risk of PRUV fetuses with other anomalies and cardiovascular anomalies.Conclusions: Detailed prenatal ultrasonography and echocardiography should be performed in fetuses with PRUV to rule out anomalies in other systems. When the PRUV is combined with SUA, echocardiography is particularly important. Fetuses with complicated PRUV should undergo chromosomal examination. Although isolated fetal PRUV prognosis is good, complicated PRUV prognosis depends on the type and severity of the concomitant anomalies.
I Don’t Want to Think About It: A Qualitative Study of Children’s and Parents' Experiences with Regular Needle Injections at Home
Authors: Sørensen Kari , Skirbekk Helge , Kvarstein Gunnvald , Wøien Hilde
Published: July 2020

Background Overall outcomes of pediatric rheumatic diseases (RD) have improved due to treatment with biologic agents and methotrexate. For many children, this treatment often entails regular needle injections. Pain and fair of needle injections are common in childhood, but how children and parents handle long-term needle injections at home has not been fully explored. This study aimed to explore how regular needle injections affect children with RD and their parents in their daily living.Methods This explorative qualitative study used individual interviews and focus groups to ensure a comprehensive investigation of the topic. Children aged 6 to 16 years (n = 7) and their parents (n = 8) were interviewed individually 4 to 6 months after the onset of needle injection treatment. The focus groups included children aged 11 to 17 years (n = 9) and parents (n = 8) with a minimum of 6 months of experience with injection treatment. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results The main themes; “challenges,” “motivational factors,” and “routines” captured experiences and strategies that influenced the continuation of needle injections at home. Many children feared the moment immediately before the needle stick, although they had become accustomed to the pain. Most parents felt insecure about handling needle injections and lacked follow-up from healthcare providers. The experience of treatment effects and self-confidence were essential to maintain motivation for further injections. A number of coping strategies helped children focus away from injection related discomfort, often discovered by chance. Facilitating firm routines and shared responsibility within families helped children develop self-confidence during the procedure. Children and parents struggled to find suitable information on the Internet. Conclusions Children and parents experienced long-term needle injections challenging. They used their own limited resources and cooperated within the families to create routines and to introduce coping strategies necessary to manage and keep up with the procedure. Although the injection itself was not experienced very painful, the discomfort, worries and impact on daily life represented far more than a little needle stick, and thus needs more attention from healthcare providers.
An Alternative Approach to Mapping Pigments in Paintings With Hyperspectral Reflectance Image Cubes Using Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Kleynhans Tania , Patterson Catherine M. Schmidt , Dooley Kathryn A. , Messinger David W. , Delaney John K.
Published: July 2020

Spectral imaging modalities, including reflectance and X-ray fluorescence, play an important role in conservation science. In reflectance hyperspectral imaging, the data are classified into areas having similar spectra and turned into labeled pigment maps using spectral features and fusing with other information. Direct classification and labeling remain challenging because many paints are intimate pigment mixtures that require a non-linear unmixing model for a robust solution. Neural networks have been successful in modeling non-linear mixtures in remote sensing with large training datasets. For paintings, however, existing spectral databases are small and do not encompass the diversity encountered. Given that painting practices are relatively consistent within schools of artistic practices, we tested the suitability of using reflectance spectra from a subgroup of well-characterized paintings to build a large database to train a one-dimensional (spectral) convolutional neural network. The labeled pigment maps produced were found to be robust within similar styles of paintings.
Driving Stress and Seismotectonic Implications of the 2013 Mw5.8 Awaji Island Earthquake, Southwestern Japan, Based on Earthquake Focal Mechanisms Before and After the Mainshock
Authors: Imanishi Kazutoshi , Ohtani Makiko , Uchide Takahiko
Published: July 2020

A driving stress of the M w 5.8 reverse-faulting Awaji Island earthquake (2013), southwest Japan, was investigated using focal mechanism solutions of earthquakes before and after the mainshock. The seismic records from regional high-sensitivity seismic stations were used. Further, the stress tensor inversion method was applied to infer the stress fields in the source region. The results of the stress tensor inversion and the slip tendency analysis revealed that the stress field within the source region deviates from the surrounding area, in which the stress field locally contains a reverse-faulting component with ENE-WSW compression. This local fluctuation in the stress field is key to producing reverse-faulting earthquakes. The existing knowledge on regional-scale stress (tens to hundreds of km) cannot predict the occurrence of the Awaji Island earthquake, emphasizing the importance of estimating local-scale (< tens of km) stress information. It is possible that the local-scale stress heterogeneity has been formed by local tectonic movement, i.e., the formation of flexures in combination with recurring deep aseismic slips. The coseismic Coulomb stress change, induced by the disastrous 1995 M w 6.9 Kobe earthquake, increased along the fault plane of the Awaji Island earthquake; however, the postseismic stress change was negative. We concluded that the gradual stress build-up, due to the interseismic plate locking along the Nankai trough, overcame the postseismic stress reduction in a few years, pushing the Awaji Island earthquake fault over its failure threshold in 2013. The observation that the earthquake occurred in response to the interseismic plate locking has an important implication in terms of seismotectonics in southwest Japan, facilitating further research on the causal relationship between the inland earthquake activity and the Nankai trough earthquake. Furthermore, this study highlighted that the dataset before the mainshock may not have sufficient information to reflect the stress field in the source region due to the lack of earthquakes in that region. This is because the earthquake fault is generally locked prior to the mainshock. Further research is needed for estimating the stress field in the vicinity of an earthquake fault via seismicity before the mainshock alone.
Eco-Mechanisms Within Economic Evolution – Schumpeterian Approach
Authors: Lipieta Agnieszka , Malawski Andrzej
Published: July 2020

Supporting eco-innovations and economic eco-activities is one of a very important challenge to decision makers. The above is related to the problem of specification of mechanisms resulting in introducing eco-innovations.The original vision of the economic evolution determined by innovation was firstly presented by Joseph Schumpeter who identified essential innovative changes as well as indicated different mechanisms governing the economic evolution.The aim of the paper is to suggest a cohesive topological approach maintained in the stream of Schumpeter’s thought, to study changes in the economy, which result in the elimination of at least one harmful commodity or technology from the market, by incorporating Hurwicz apparatus in a suitably modified competitive economy.Qualitative properties of mechanisms which can occur within the economic evolution are also analyzed.JEL: D41, D50, O31
Analyzing indoor mycobiomes through a large-scale citizen science study of houses from Norway
Authors: Martin-Sanchez Pedro M. , Estensmo Eva-Lena F. , Morgado Luis N. , Maurice Sundy , Engh Ingeborg B. , Skrede Inger , Kauserud Håvard
Published: July 2020

Background: In the built environment, fungi can cause important deterioration of building materials and have adverse health effects on occupants. We here investigate what are the most important environmental variables (climate, building features or occupant characteristics) driving the indoor mycobiome structure and diversity in houses. We used Norway as study area since it spans a wide range of environmental gradients such as temperature and precipitation. We organized a large citizen science sampling campaign including 271 houses and 807 dust samples collected from three different house compartments: outside of the building, living room and bathroom. Fungal community composition and diversity were determined by DNA metabarcoding, and correlated to the environmental variables by multivariate statistical analyses.Results: The fungal community composition was clearly different between indoor and outdoor samples, but there were no significant differences between the two indoor compartments (i.e living room vs. bathroom). The 32 selected variables, related to the outdoor environment, building features and occupant characteristics, accounted for 15% of the overall variation in community composition, with the house compartment as the most important factor (7.6%). Next, the regional-scale climate was the main driver of the dust mycobiomes (4.2%), while building and occupant variables had significant but minor influences (1.4% and 1.1%, respectively). The house dust mycobiomes were mainly dominated by ascomycetes (⁓70%) with Capnodiales and Eurotiales as the most abundant orders. Compared to the outdoor, the indoor mycobiomes showed higher species richness, which is probably due to the mixture of fungi from outdoor and indoor sources. The main indoor indicator fungi belonged to two ecological groups with allergenic potential: xerophilic molds (mainly Penicillium and Aspergillus) and skin-associated yeasts (Malassezia, Debaryomyces, Candida and Rhodotorula).Conclusions: We show that indoor mycobiomes represent a mixture of fungi from indoor and outdoor sources, and that a multitude of indoor and outdoor variables structure indoor mycobiomes. We also demonstrate that citizen science is a successful and effective strategy to obtain samples for characterizing the indoor microbiomes at large geographical scales.
DSSAM: Digitally Signed Secure Acknowledgement Method for Mobile Ad-hoc Network
Authors: Srivast Ashutosh , Gupta Sachin Kumar , Najim Mohd , Sahu Nitesh , Aggarwal Geetika , Mazumdar Bireshwar Dass
Published: July 2020

Mobile Ad-hoc Networks (MANETs) is an infrastructure-less, self-motivated, arbitrary, self-configuring, rapidly changing, multi-hop network that is self-possessing wireless bandwidth-conscious links without centrally managed router support. In such a network, wireless media is easy to snoop. It is firm to the surety to access any node, easier to insertion of bad elements or attackers for malicious activities in the network. Therefore, security issues become one of the significant considerations for such kind of networks. The deployment of an effective intrusion detection system is important in order to provide protection against various attacks. In this paper, a Digitally Signed Secure Acknowledgement Method (DSSAM) with the use of the RSA digital signature has been proposed and simulated. Three different parameters are considered viz. secure acknowledgment, node authentication and packet authentication for study. This article observes the DSSAM performance and compares it with two existing standard methods, namely, Watchdog and 2-ACK under standard Dynamic Source Routing (DSR) routing environment. In the end, it is noticed that the rate of detection of malicious behaviour is better in the case of the proposed method. However, associated overheads are high. A trade-off between performance and overhead has been considered.
Evaluating Documentation of Social History in Paediatric Medical Notes at a Regional Paediatric Centre – A Quality Improvement Initiative.
Authors: Foley DF , Hannon JK , O'Gorman CS , Murphy AM
Published: July 2020

Background A child’s home and family environment plays a vital role in neuro-cognitive and emotional development. Assessment of a child’s home environment and social circumstances is an crucial part of holistic Paediatric assessment.Aims Our aim is to achieve full compliance with comprehensive documentation of biopsychosocial history, for all children medically admitted to the children’s inpatient unit in University Hospital Limerick.Methods We performed a retrospective chart review to audit documentation within our department. This was followed by teaching interventions and a survey on knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of paediatric non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) towards the social history. We performed two subsequent re-audits to assess response to our interventions, and provided educational sessions to seek improvement in quality of care.Results Results showed a significant improvement in quality of documentation following interventions, demonstrated by a net increase of 53% in levels of documentation of some social history on first re-audit. Though this was not maintained at an optimum level throughout the course of the year with compliance reduced from 95% to 82.5% on second re-audit, there was nonetheless a sustained improvement from our baseline. Our qualitative survey suggested further initiatives and educational tools that may be helpful in supporting the ongoing optimisation of the quality of documentation of social history in our paediatric department.Conclusion We hope this quality improvement initiative will ultimately lead to sustained improvements in the quality of patient-centred care, and early identification and intervention for children at risk in our community.
Analysis of the expression and potential molecular mechanism of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL1RN) in papillary thyroid cancer via bioinformatics methods
Authors: Xie Zhenyu , Li Xin , He Yuzhen , Wu Song , Wang Shiyue , Sun Jianjian , He Yuchen , Lun Yu , Xin Shijie , Zhang Jian
Published: July 2020

Background: Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL1RN) has been reported as a biomarker of many cancers. However, the biological function of IL1RN in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) remains undetermined.
Methods: We obtained IL1RN expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Enrichment analysis of coexpressed genes and IL1RN methylation analysis were performed via LinkedOmics. The correlations between IL1RN and immune infiltrates were investigated via ESTIMATE, TIMER and TISIDB. We analyzed the association of IL1RN expression with pancancer overall survival (OS) via Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA).
Results: IL1RN showed higher expression levels and lower methylation levels in PTC tissues than in normal tissues. Higher IL1RN expression was significantly associated with shorter progression-free survival (PFS), advanced tumor stage, tumor metastasis, increased incidence of BRAF mutations, and decreased incidence of N-RAS and H-RAS mutations. Genes coexpressed with IL1RN participate primarily in immune-related pathways. IL1RN expression was positively correlated with immune infiltration, tumor progression and poor overall survival for all cancers.
Conclusions: IL1RN is a good prognostic and diagnostic biomarker for PTC. IL1RN may promote thyroid cancer progression through immune-related pathways. Methylation may act as an upstream regulator of IL1RN expression and biological function. Additionally, IL1RN was shown to have broad prognostic value in a pancancer cohort.
On the Temporal Analysis of COVID-19 Pandemic and Prediction of R0
Authors: Patil Kshitij , Murali Anirudh , Ganguli Piyali , Nandi Sutanu , Sarkar Ram Rup
Published: July 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected millions of people and claimed numerous lives already. As of now, there are no available treatments and it has become both imperative and challenging to forecast the COVID-19 cases, which will help to design effective clinical management and policy to fight the pandemic. With the objective to forecast the COVID-19 cases and Basic Reproductive Number (R0) country-wise, for more than a month ahead, we have adopted a data driven approach that employs Multiple Aggregation Prediction Algorithm (MAPA) for temporal predictions. Our strategy applies MAPA in two ways. The first is the direct application on the number of cases and second is by calculation of R0, followed by MAPA. This novel workflow generates a Principal and an Exponential Prediction that provides a range of values within which the total number of cases is expected to lie. The strategy and workflow have been validated for long term predictions with 51 countries in different growth phases. Thereafter, we have made predictions of the possible number of COVID-19 cases for the next 45 days of these 51 countries, the world as a whole and the other 160 countries combined, that are affected by the pandemic.
Tokopherols in Okara (Soy Pulp): Highly Efficient Liquid Chromatography
Authors: Petrova Svetlana , Maksimova Irina
Published: July 2020

Introduction. Soy pulp, or okara, is a soy milk by-product. It contains a complex of valuable macro- and micronutrients, including fat-soluble vitamins. Recently, there has been a growing interest in replacing synthetic antioxidants with a mix of natural tocopherols. Soy beans and their by-products contain vitamin E and therefore can be used in food production, cosmetic, etc.

Study objects and methods. The present research featured soy pulp. The content of tocopherols in the soy product was determined by high performance liquid chromatography using Sigma Aldrich standards and corresponding calibration dependencies. The research also involved spectrophotometry for determining tocopherols in standard solutions followed by chromatographic separation using fluorimetric detection.

Results and discussion. To determine tocopherols in the okara, the test samples were treated with hexane. The filtered solution was exposed to low temperatures, after which the phases formed by centrifugation were separated. The samples were tested for all forms of tocopherols with the exception of β- and γ-forms. The chromatographic separation of the peaks of these forms was difficult due to the fact that their structural formulas were similar and differed only in the arrangement of methyl groups, i.e. the ortho- and paraposition. As a result, it was decided to determine the sum of the β- and γ-forms, which did not affect the objectivity of the analysis, since, according to published data, the content of β-tocopherol in soy products stays within 5%.

Conclusion. The proposed method for sample preparation made it possible to improve the separation of the lipid fraction, which had a positive effect on the results of the analysis. The method also determined not only the quantitative, but also the qualitative content of tocopherols in the product. This reduced the risk of malfunctioning chromatographic equipment: the method proved more economical in terms of labor and reagent use. The obtained results corresponded to the existing scientific data on the content of tocopherols in soy products. The content of tocopherols in soy okara was 109 mg%.
Advanced Production Technology of Flour-Based Foods with Chlorella Concentrate
Authors: Bochkareva Zenfira , Volshenkova Ekaterina
Published: July 2020

Introduction. Semi-finished products require various additives that increase shelf life, improve sensory properties, or decrease raw material costs. Unfortunately, most additives improve neither nutrition nor biological value of the finished product. The present research featured precooked thin pancakes fortified with a chlorella concentrate. This microalgal supplement with scientific-based healthy properties is a unique project of Russian developers. The chlorella concentrate possesses a balanced amino acid composition, vitamins, major nutrient elements, and dietary minerals. Therefore, it can improve the nutrient and biological value of the pancakes.

Study objects and methods. The research featured laboratory and industrial samples of precooked pancakes. 3%, 6%, and 10% of the milk were replaced with chlorella concentrate. The quantitative ratio of the components was determined empirically to obtain pancakes of the optimal quality. The batter-making and baking technologies were traditional. The mixing of milk and chlorella concentrate caused no protein aggregation.

Results and discussion. The obtained batter was similar with the control sample in viscosity. The sensory properties did not deteriorate. As the proportion of the concentrate increased, the color of the batter changed from pale green to bright green. The sample with 10% of chlorella concentrate had a distinct algae smell. After the milk was replaced with the chlorella concentrate in the amount of 3%, 6%, and 10%, the amino acid composition demonstrated the following changes. The amount of lysine increased by 4.36%, 8.54%, and 14.72%, respectively. The amount of tryptophan increased by 5.46%, 10.75%, and 18.37, respectively. The amount of methionine + cystine increased by 4.04%, 7.94%, and 13.61%, respectively. The introduction of chlorella concentrate raised the content of certain minerals and vitamins, e.g. iron, vitamins of β-carotene, and vitamin C.

Conclusions. Chlorella concentrate improved the production technology of flour-based foods. Therefore, it helps to expand the range of this group of precooked products while improving their biological and nutrition value.
Selenium Content in Spelt, Buckwheat, and Vegetable Pasta
Authors: Fazullina Oliya , Ponomareva Svetlana , Smirnov Stanislav , Semyonova Lyudmila
Published: July 2020

Introduction. As a trace element, selenium is present in humans as part of selenoproteins. It improves the work of the antioxidant defense system and produces a strong immunomodulatory effect. Selenium is part of about 30 biologically active compounds of human body. However, selenium deficiency is considered a global problem. The research objective was to determine the selenium content in the developed pasta products. Study objects and methods. The study featured laboratory samples of pasta made from a mix of whole wheat spelt flour, buckwheat, and low-temperature drying powders of broccoli and celery. The selenium content was determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy with electrothermal atomization with a palladium nitric acid matrix modifier. The experiment employed a Hitachi 180-80 atomic absorption spectrophotometer. To determine the selenium content, the samples underwent wet mineralization in nitric and perchloric acids. Adding hydrogen peroxide and ethanol made it possible to convert selenium from inorganic and organic forms into selenite ions. Results and discussion. The research involved domestic natural raw materials. The components proved to be good sources of selenium, which means that they can be used to produce functional products. The selenium content ranged from 105.7 ± 22 mkg/kg to 302.5 ± 17 mkg/kg in the samples. Taking into account the loss of selenium during cooking, the selenium content in 100 g of the finished product ranged from 13.5% to 38.5 %. Conclusion. The developed pasta products proved excellent sources of selenium. The use of buckwheat flour and vegetable powders in the formulation of wholegrain spelt dough increased the selenium content in the pasta by 40.7–186.2 %. The obtained results can be used for tables of the chemical composition of Russian food products.
Prospects for Increasing the Vitamin Value of Food Concentrates: Bouillon Cubes
Authors: Shatnyuk Lyudmila , Vrzhesinskaya Oksana , Kodencova Vera , Matveeva Anna
Published: July 2020

Introduction. The lack of micronutrients in the diet of the Russian population continues to arouse the interest of the scientific community in the development of fortified foods. The range of enriched products on the domestic market remains quite poor. Bouillon cubes are popular in home cooking and catering. The data of the scientific and technical literature indicate an almost complete absence of micronutrients, e.g. vitamins, minerals, and trace elements, in bouillon cubes, with the exception of iodine when the formulation included iodized salt. There have also been successful attempts to fortify bouillon cubes with iron. Taking into consideration the high level of vitamin B deficiency in Russian population, the research objective was to assess the possibility of fortification of dry food concentrates to obtain bouillons rich in vitamins and iron. Study objects and methods. The research featured dry food concentrate “Dry bouillon with chicken flavor” and the vitamin and mineral premix “Kolos Forte” containing five B vitamins and iron in the form of sulfate. The content of vitamin B1 was determined fluorometrically by thiochrome method, and vitamin B2 was determined by fluorometric titration with riboflavin-binding protein. Results and discussion. The premix was selected based on a thorough analysis and systematization of the material on the research topic. The addition of a vitamin-mineral premix to the food concentrate did not affect the sensory properties of both dry concentrate and reconstituted bouillon. The added vitamins proved highly stable, amounting to 95–100%. The vitamin-mineral premix containing B vitamins and iron made it possible to increase the content of these micronutrients in a 200 mL bouillon portion to 19–30% of the recommended daily intake. Conclusion. The diet of different population groups still remains poor in micronutrients, which makes food fortification an urgent task. The present article offers a comparative analysis of the nutritional value of chicken broths and those obtained from cubes fortified with vitamin and mineral premix. The vitamin value of one portion of reconstituted broth fortified with a vitamin and mineral premix which contained 19–30% of the recommended daily intake of vitamins and iron proved 2–5 times higher than that of actual meat broths. The research resulted in a new formulation for bouillon cubes with a vitamin-mineral premix containing five B vitamins and iron. The increased micronutrient value of the developed fortified product made it possible to recommend it as an additional source of vitamins and iron.
Repurposing Drugs for the Management of Patients with Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Authors: Lovato Evellyn Claudia Wietzikoski , Barboza Lorena Neris , Wietzikoski Samantha , de Souza Amanda Nascimento Vasques , Auth Pablo Alvarez , Junior Arquimedes Gasparotto , dos Reis Lívero Francislaine Aparecida
Published: July 2020

Background:

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), termed coronavirus
disease 2019 (COVID-19) by the World Health Organization, is a newly emerging zoonotic agent that emerged in
China in December 2019. No specific treatment for COVID-19 is currently available. Usual palliative treatment
includes maintaining hydration and nutrition and controlling fever and cough. The clinical severity and extent of
transmission need to be determined, and therapeutic options need to be developed and optimized.

Methods:

The present review discusses the recent repurposing of drugs for COVID-19 treatment.

Results:

Several compounds, including remdesivir, lopinavir, ritonavir, interferon-β, ribavirin, chloroquine/
hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, tocilizumab, and ivermectin, have emerged as promising alternatives.
They block the virus from entering host cells, prevent viral replication, and attenuate exacerbation of the host's
immune response.

Conclusion:

Although some evidence indicates the positive actions of different classes of compounds for the
treatment of COVID-19, few clinical assays have been established to definitively demonstrate their therapeutic
value in humans. Multicenter clinical studies are urgently needed to validate and standardize therapeutic regimens
that involve these agents. Although science has not yet presented us with a specific drug against COVID-19, the
repurposing of drugs appears to be promising in our fight against this devastating disease.
The Roles of LncRNAs in Osteogenesis, Adipogenesis and Osteoporosis
Authors: Guo Bo , Zhu Xiaokang , Li Xinzhi , Yuan C.F.
Published: July 2020

Background:

Osteoporosis (OP) is the most common bone disease, which is listed by the World
Health Organization (WHO) as the third major threat to life and health among the elderly. The etiology of OP is
multifactorial, and its potential regulatory mechanism remains unclear. Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) are
the non-coding RNAs that are over 200 bases in the chain length. Increasing evidence indicates that LncRNAs are
the important regulators of osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation, and the occurrence of OP is greatly related
to the dysregulation of the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) differentiation lineage. Meanwhile,
LncRNAs affect the occurrence and development of OP by regulating OP-related biological processes.

Methods:

In the review, we summarized and analyzed the latest findings of LncRNAs in the pathogenesis, diagnosis
and related biological processes of OP. Relevant studies published in the last five years were retrieved and
selected from the PubMed database using the keywords of LncRNA and OP.

Results/Conclusion:

The present study aimed to examine the underlying mechanisms and biological roles of
LncRNAs in OP, as well as osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation. Our results contributed to providing new
clues for the epigenetic regulation of OP, making LncRNAs the new targets for OP therapy.
Antioxidant Activity of Encapsulated Extracts and Bioactives from Natural Sources
Authors: Gonçalves Odinei H. , Moreira Thaysa F.M. , de Oliveira Anielle , Bracht Lívia , Ineu Rafael P. , Leimann Fernanda V.
Published: July 2020

The low water solubility and low bioavailability of natural bioactive substances such as polyphenols
and flavonoids, either in pure form or extracts, are a major concern in the pharmaceutical field and even on the
food development sector. Although encapsulation has demonstrated success in addressing these drawbacks, it is
important to evaluate the antioxidant activity of the encapsulated compounds. This article reviews the encapsulation
of bioactive compounds from natural sources focusing their antioxidant activity after encapsulation. Attention
is given to the methods and wall materials used, and the antioxidant activity methodologies (classical in vitro
techniques such as DPPH, ORAC, FRAP and others, as well as in vivo/ex vivo tests to evaluate endogenous antioxidant
enzymes or oxidative stress) applied to assess the antioxidant capacity are also comprehensively summarized.
Immunosuppression in Visceral Transplantation: Current Trends and Future Perspectives
Authors: Backes Ariane , Vianna Rodrigo , Beduschi Thiago
Published: July 2020

:

Visceral transplant represents an immunologic challenge due to high intestinal graft immunogenicity.
Over the last 20 years, significant advances in immunosuppression regimens have resulted in excellent short-term
outcomes.

:

Currently, visceral transplant is the standard of care for patients with gut failure having life-threatening complications
and complex abdominal pathology. In this review, we describe immunosuppressive strategies in the visceral
transplant field.