bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Automated Workflow to Screen Alkene Reductases Using High-throughput Thin Layer Chromatography
Authors: Garabedian Brett M. , Meadows Corey W. , Mingardon Florence , Guenther Joel M. , de Rond Tristan , Abourjeily Raya , Lee Taek Soon
Published: August 2020

Background: Synthetic biology efforts often require high-throughput screening tools for enzyme engineering campaigns. While innovations in chromatographic and mass spectrometry-based techniques provide relevant structural information associated with enzyme activity, these approaches can require cost-intensive instrumentation and technical expertise not broadly available. Moreover, complex workflows and analysis time can significantly impact throughput. To this end, we develop an automated, 96-well screening platform based on thin layer chromatography (TLC) and use it to monitor in vitro activity of a geranylgeranyl reductase isolated from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius (SaGGR). Results: Unreduced SaGGR products are oxidized to their corresponding epoxide and applied to thin layer silica plates by acoustic printing. These derivatives are chromatographically separated based on the number of epoxides they possess and are covalently ligated to a chromophore, allowing detection of enzyme variants with unique product distributions or enhanced reductase activity. Herein, we employ this workflow to examine farnesol reduction using a codon-saturation mutagenesis library at site Leu377 of SaGGR. We show this TLC-based screen can distinguish between 4-fold differences in enzyme activity for select mutants and validated those results by GC-MS. Conclusions: With appropriate quantitation methods, this workflow can be used to screen polyprenyl reductase activity and can be readily adapted to analyze broader catalyst libraries whose products are amenable to TLC analysis.
Host genetics affected the resistome and its expression patterns in the rumen of beef cattle raised without antibiotics used in humans
Authors: Ma Tao , Li Fuyong , Zaheer Rahat , McAllister Tim A. , Guan Le Luo
Published: August 2020

Background: The rumen microbiome is a potential reservoir of antimicrobial-resistant genes (ARGs), termly resistome. However, the activity of ARGs and what factors affect expression of ARGs in the rumen is unknown. Here, the rumen resistome was evaluated using metagenomic and metatranscriptomic datasets, with the aim to identify the active rumen resistome and whether it can be affected by cattle breed and feed efficiency.Results: Genes encoding resistance to 12 ARG classes representing 62 individual ARGs were detected in the rumen metagenomes of Angus, Charolais or Kinsella composite hybrid (KC) beef steers (n = 48) with high and low feed efficiency. Three genes encoding tetracycline (tetQ, tetW) and macrolide (mefA) resistance constituted 75.3% of abundance of total ARGs identified in all animals, suggesting they are ‘core’ resistome in the rumen of steers. Only about 20.96% (13/62) of the total ARGs identified were expressed, among which genes encoding resistance to tetracycline, macrolide-licosamide-streptogramin (MLS), aminoglycoside, and multidrug exhibited the highest level of expression. More than half (56.2%) of the ARGs identified were plasmid-associated, while only 5 plasmid-associated ARGs were expressed. The abundance of 17, 14, and 5 individual ARGs were significantly affected by breed, feed efficiency, and breed × feed efficiency, respectively, while the expression of ARGs did not differ among breeds or between feed efficiency groups. In KC cattle, less number of total ARGs, ARG transcripts, as well as total active bacteria (estimated by 16S rRNA copies) was observed than AN. The total active bacteria were negatively correlated with expression of MLS and tetracycline ARG (mefA, tet40, tetM, tetW, and an unidentified tet), and tended to be negatively correlated with the expression of plasmid-associated tetracycline ARG t only in the rumen of KC cattle.Conclusions: Our results suggest that a large portion of the ARGs are not expressed in the rumen of cattle raised without antibiotics used in humans. The identified less diversified active resistome and total active bacteria, and the significant correlation between total active bacteria and the abundance of ARG transcripts in KC cattle suggest that the expression of resistome in the rumen may be breed specific and driven by ruminal microbiota.
Neonatal Oculocutaneous Albinism Type 2 With Prader-Willi Syndrome
Authors: Wu Gaohong , Yan Dongya , Zhou Meijuan , Li Wenmei , Jiang Ping , Zhu Xueping
Published: August 2020

Background: To investigate the pathogenesis and clinical characteristics of Oculocutaneous albinism type 2 (OCA2), a genetic condition in the etiology of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS).Case presentation: A retrospective study of one case presented with poor response to stimuli, difficultfeeding, poor crying, with yellow hair and white skin. We performed genetic testing and investigated disease pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis, and discussed the characteristics of the disease through a literature review. HiSeq high-throughput sequencing result suggested a deletion with 105 genes, including UBE3A, SNRPN, OCA2, and other genes up to 5.18 Mb on the long arm of chromosome (15q11-13 region), a critical region, susceptible to the PWS. A paternally derived deletion Del (15q11. 2q13. 1) [GRCh37 / hg19] (23, 378, 392-28, 563, 050) × 1, and a maternal missense mutation were identified in the OCA2 gene (chr15: 28171296 c .2056G> A (p.A686T). During the period of hospitalization, the child still suffered from poor milk intake, and she was discharged from the hospital at the request of her parents. After discharge, the patient was followed up for two months by telephone. However, the patient died of feeding difficulties and pulmonary infection.Conclusions: OCA2 combined with PWS due to OCA2 gene missense mutation combined with large fragment deletion of 15q11-13 region was first reported in this study, of which the clinical signs can be subtle and symptoms can be more severe, therefore, early genetic testing is crucial for those patients to yield an accurate diagnosis and initiate aggressive interventions to optimize the outcomes.
Investigation of TAp63 gene Expression and Follicle Count Using Melatonin in Cisplatin-induced Ovarian Toxicity
Authors: Şahin Hacı Öztürk , Duran Mehmet Nuri , Sılan Fatma , Sılan Ece , Sıddıkoglu Duygu , Kılınç Nihal
Published: August 2020

Background: Premature ovarian failure is among the most important side effects of chemotherapy during reproductive period. Preserving ovarian function is gradually gaining importance during oncologic treatment. The present study aims to investigate the potential of melatonin to protect from cisplatin-induced ovarian toxicity in rats. Twenty nine female rats were divided to three groups: Saline control group (Group 1), cisplatin group (Group 2), and cisplatin+melatonin group (Group 3). While the rats in Groups 2 and 3 were administered 5 mg/kg single dose of cisplatin via intra-peritoneal (IP) route, the rats in Group 3 were started on melatonin (20 mg/kg IP) before cisplatin administration and continued during 3 consecutive days. Ovaries were removed one week after cisplatin administration in all groups. Blood samples were obtained before the rats were decapited. Histological evaluation, follicle count, and classification were performed. TAp63 mRNA expression was evaluated using mRNA extraction and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Serum estradiol (E2) and anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) values were measured with enzyme immune-assay technology. Results: While primordial follicles were seen to decrease in Group 2 as compared to Group 1 (p:0.023), primordial follicle count was observed to be preserved significantly in melatonin group as compared to Group 2 (p:0.047). Moreover, cisplatin-induced histo-pathological morphology was preserved in favor of normal histology in melatonin group. A significant difference was not observed between groups with regard to mean serum AMH and E2 values (p:0.102 and p:0.411, respectively). While TAp63 gene expression significantly increased in Group 2 as compared to control group (p:0.001), we did not detect a statistically significant difference in cisplatin+melatonin group, although gene expression decreased (p:0.34). Conclusion: We conclude that concurrent administration of melatonin and cisplatin may protect from ovarian damage.
Left Atrial Functional Assessment and Mortality in Patients with Severe Aortic Stenosis
Authors: Ferreira João , Gonçalves Valdirene , Marques-Alves Patrícia , Martins Rui , Monteiro Sílvia , Teixeira Rogério , Gonçalves Lino
Published: August 2020

Background: Aortic valve stenosis (AS) is the most common primary valvular heart disease leading to surgical or percutaneous aortic valve replacement (AVR) in Europe and its prevalence is growing. While other risk factors in severe AS are well documented, less is known about the association between left atrial (LA) function and prognosis in AS. Our aim is to clarify the relationship between LA function measured at severe AS diagnosis (evaluated by means of volumetric assessment) and all-cause mortality during follow-up.Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients diagnosed with severe AS for the first time at our echocardiography laboratory. We evaluated LA reservoir, conduit and pump function by measuring LA volumes at different timings of cardiac cycle. Treatment strategy was decided according to heart team consensus and patient decision. We divided patients into groups according to terciles of LA reservoir, conduit and pump function. Primary outcome was defined by the occurrence of all-cause mortality during follow-up.Results: A total of 451 patients were included in the analysis, with a median follow-up time of 73 months (interquartile range 44.5). 55.8% of patients underwent AVR and 45.5% of patients registered the primary outcome during follow-up. Left atrial emptying fraction (LAEF) was the best LA functional parameter and the best overall parameter in discriminating primary outcome (AUC 0.840, 95% CI 0.803-0.872, p<0.001). After adjustment for clinical, demographic and echocardiographic variables, cumulative survival of patients with LAEF <37% and LAEF 37 to 53% relative to patients with LAEF ≥54% remained significantly lower (hazard ratio 19.04, 95% CI 8.30-43.67, P<0.001 and hazard ratio 4.09, 95% CI 1.85-9.06, p=0.001, respectively). After adjustment for AVR, excess risk of LAEF <37% and LAEF 37 to 53% relative to LAEF ≥54% remained significant (hazard ratio 13.95, 95% CI 5.98-32.54, P<0.001 and hazard ratio 3.97, 95% CI 1.80-8.78, P=0.001, respectively).Conclusions: In patients with a first diagnosis of severe AS, LA function, evaluated by means of volumetric assessment, is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality and a more potent predictor of death compared to classical severity parameters. These data can be useful to identify high-risk patients who might benefit of AVR.
Quantifying the information content of lake microbiomes using a machine learning-based framework
Authors: Sperlea Theodor , Kreuder Nico , Beisser Daniela , Hattab Georges , Boenigk Jens , Heider Dominik
Published: August 2020

Background: Bacteria and microbial eukaryotes occupy a wide range of ecological niches and are essential for the functioning of ecosystems. The advent of next-generation sequencing methods enabled the study of environmental microbial community compositions. Yet, many questions regarding the stability and functioning of environmental microbiomes remain open. Results: In the current study, we present a methodological framework to quantify the information shared between the microbial community of a habitat and the abiotic parameters of this habitat. It is built on theoretical considerations of systems ecology and makes use of state-of-the-art machine learning techniques. It can also be used to identify bioindicators. We apply the framework to a dataset containing operational taxonomic units (OTUs) as well as more than twenty physico-chemical and geographic parameters measured in a large-scale survey of European lakes. While a large part of variation (up to 61\%) in many physico-chemical parameters can be explained by microbial community composition, some of the examined parameters only share little information with the microbiome. Moreover, we have identified OTUs that act as `multi-task’ bioindicators that could be potential candidates for lake water monitoring schemes. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the benefits of machine learning approaches in microbial ecology. Our results represent, for the first time, a quantification of information shared between the lake microbiome and a wide array of ecosystem parameters. Building on the results and methodology presented here, it will be possible to identify microbial taxa and processes central for the functioning and stability of lake ecosystems.
Communication strategies in the prevention of type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes in vulnerable groups: A scoping review
Authors: Breuing Jessica , Graf Christine , Neuhaus Annika Lena , Heß Simone , Lütkemeier Lena , Haas Fabiola , Spiller Mark , Pieper Dawid
Published: August 2020

Background
The global prevalence of diabetes is nearly 9%, with an upward trend in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and gestational diabetes (GDM). Although evidence shows that vulnerable groups are affected disproportionally, these groups are difficult to reach in terms of preventive measures. Currently, there is no gold standard regarding communication strategies and/or public awareness campaigns.
Methods
We conducted a scoping review in September 2019. Two reviewers independently screened the results of the electronic literature search in several databases, including Medline, EMBASE, and PsycINFO. Extracted data were charted, categorized, and summarized.
Results
All of the included articles (n = 24) targeted T2DM; none targeted GDM. We identified the following five different vulnerable groups within the identified studies: migrants (n = 9), ethnic groups such as African Americans (n = 8), people with low socioeconomic status (n = 3), older people (n = 1) and people in need of care (n = 1). Three categories of communication strategies were identified as follows: adapted diabetes prevention programs (n = 21), community health workers (n = 5), and technical approaches (n = 9).
Conclusion
We found different approaches for preventive interventions for T2DM. Some of these approaches were already adapted to known barriers. Communication strategies should be adapted to barriers and facilitating factors to increase participation and motivation.
Visceral obesity on chronic constipation, inflammation, immune function and cognitive function in patients with inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Wan Yemin , Zhang Dan , Qian Yunzhi , Chang Shuchen , Qian Haihua
Published: August 2020

Objective: Obesity has gained attention among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The impact of visceral obesity on chronic constipation, inflammation, immune function and cognition after diagnosis of IBD is still unknown.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 140 IBD patients. Patients’ visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were measured by abdominal computerized tomography (CT) scans and were grouped according to visceral obesity. Baseline variables, chronic constipation status, inflammation status and immune function were compared. The implications of visceral obesity on cognitive function were evaluated using Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).Results: The prevalence of visceral obesity was 51% (37 out of 72) for CD patients and 26% for UC patients (18 out of 68 patients). CD patients with visceral obesity has higher incidence of chronic constipation (81% vs. 57%, P = 0.028), higher IL-6 levels (15.28 pg/ml vs. 9.429 pg/ml, P = 0.0073) and lower CD4+ T cells (32.7% vs. 44.0%, P < 0.001). For UC patients, patients with visceral obesity have the tendency of higher IL-6 levels (7.2 vs. 6.0 pg/ml, P = 0.053). VAT/SAT ratio is associated with BMI (r = 0.652, P < 0.001).Conclusions: IBD patients had high risks of visceral obesity. CD Patients with visceral obesity had higher prevalence of chronic constipation, higher inflammation levels, decreased immune function.
Computer-Aided Age-Related Macular Degeneration Diagnosis with the Fusion of Both Color Fundus and Fluorescein Angiography
Authors: Yu Zekuan , Hao Jianchen , Tian Zifeng , Qiu Bin , Zhu Shujin , Zhang Wenbo , Nie Hongping , Zhang Shijie , Li Jun , Yang Liu , Ren Qiushi , Lu Yanye
Published: August 2020

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the most severe vision-threatening diseases, and yet Fundus Fluorescein Angiography (FFA) is the gold standard for AMD diagnosis. In recent years, many AMD computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems have been developed based on either color fundus images or OCT images. However, there is no CAD technique that integrates FFA with other ophthalmic imaging so far. Methods: In order to improve the performance of AMD CAD system, we propose a pioneering CAD pipeline that combines color fundus and FFA photography. This novel pipeline is the first work that incorporates FFA with any other modality. Six deep neural networks (ResNet-18, ResNet-50, ResNet-101, Inception-V3, Inception-ResNetV2, and DenseNet-201) were utilized to extract feature vectors to facilitate five classifiers (Random Forest, K-Nearest Neighbor, and Support Vector Machine with Linear, Gaussian, and Quadratic functions) for AMD diagnosis. The pipeline was validated on 664 pairs of color fundus and FFA images using 10-fold cross-validation. Results and conclusion: The accuracy and area under curve (AUC) value achieves 93.8% and 0.97, respectively. The results demonstrate that combining color fundus images and FFA images in CAD system is beneficial for AMD diagnosis, indicating promising potential to clinical practice in the future.
Weighted Multilevel Models for Malaria Indicator Survey
Authors: Zewude Bereket Tessema , Debusho Legesse Kassa
Published: August 2020

Background: The data generated from malaria indicator surveys have a multilevel structure where children or households are nested within cluster and this may result in dependent data. In a survey, clusters or units within clusters may be selected with unequal probabilities and often surveys are subjected to non-response. Modeling of these data must take into consideration these aspects as these could lead to incorrect inferences. The main purpose of this study is to assess the factors that affect child malaria diagnostic outcomes and to estimate the proportion of overall child-level variation in malaria outcome that is attributable to child and household-level predictors and the cluster-level predictors using various weighted multilevel models. In this study, cluster represents a "Kebele", which is the smallest administrative unit in regional states in Ethiopia. Methods: A sample of 4,384 under five years age children were in this study from three regional states of Ethiopia. Various multilevel models with random cluster effects were used taking into account the survey design weights. These weights are scaled to address unequal probabilities of selection within clusters. Results: The asymptotic chi-square mixture distribution test results suggested the need for the cluster-level random effects in all the models. The findings related to child / household- and cluster-level predictors are consistent with those available in existing literature. The overall variability has been partitioned into child/household-level and cluster-level variability and the results revealed that some of the differences between clusters in under five years age children malaria RDT outcomes explained by child/household factors. Conclusions: The use of weighted multilevel model to examine within- and between cluster variability in malaria RDT outcomes for under five years age children and of the extent to which between clusters variability is explained by child / household and cluster-level factors. The approach used in this paper allows investigation of how individual- and cluster-level factors including the public health authorities’ interventions plans related to health outcomes simultaneously. Such collective assessment approach may lead to more effective public health strategies and could have important policy implications for health promotion and for the reduction of health disparities.
Aberrant Activation of the Hedgehog Signaling Pathway in Granulosa Cells from Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Authors: Li You , Xiong Guohui , Tan Jun , Wang Shudi , Wu Qiongfang , Wan Lei , Zhang ZiYu , Huang Ouping
Published: August 2020

The molecular mechanism that triggers polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is mysterious. Abnormal development of ovarian granulosa cells(GCs) is one of the causes of PCOS. Herein, we carried out RNA-seq to detect the different gene expression levels in ovarian GCs between 3 patients with PCOS and 4 normal controls, and found that Hedgehog signaling pathway(Hh) members, Ihh and Ptch2 were abnormally highly expressed in the PCOS group. To further verify the above results, GCs from 22 patients with PCOS and 21 controls with normal ovulation were collected to perform the RT-PCR analysis. The qPCR results also indicated that the expression levels of other Hh signaling pathway downstream members, Ptch1, Gli1, and Gli2 in the PCOS group were significantly higher than those in the control group. Besides, the expression of TNF-α mRNA in PCOS patients was higher than that in the control group. Finally, the Hh signaling pathway inhibitor, cyclopamine, can decrease the apoptosis of PCOS ovarian granulosa cells. These results suggest that abnormally activated Hh signaling pathway, especially Ihh signal, may have a profound influence on PCOS.
A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for Craving and Cessation in Marijuana Use Disorder Patients: Feasibility, Acceptability, and Appropriateness
Authors: davoudi Mohammadreza , allame Zahra , Foroughi Aliakbar , taheri Amir Abbas
Published: August 2020

Purpose: This study has investigated the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of DBT for Marijuana cessation and craving reduction as a pilot RCT.Methods: Sixty-one participants were randomly assigned to one of the DBT or psycho-education as active control-group with two-month follow-up. Patients completed measures at pre-interventions, post-interventions, and a two-month follow-up.Results: feasibility in DBT is significantly higher than the control group. In the DBT group 29/30 (96% retention) and in control group 24/31 (77% retention) completed all sessions (χ2= 4.95, p = 0.02). Moreover, 29/30 (96%) in the DBT group and 20/31 (64.5%) in the control group completed the two-month follow-up (χ2= 9.97, p = 0.002). For the acceptability of the intervention, results showed 16.57 (agree) in DBT and 9.6 (neither agree nor disagree) in control groups for p < 0.05. For appropriateness, results showed 17.03 (completely agree) in DBT and 10.7 (neither agree nor disagree) in control-groups for p < 0.05. for craving, results confirmed that there is no significant difference between groups (F = 3.52, p > 0.05); however, in “emotionality,” subscale DBT showed a significant reduction rather than the control group (F = 19.94, p < 0.05). For cessation rates, DBT was compared with the control group at the posttest (46% vs. 16%) and follow-up (40% vs. 9.5%), and results proved higher effectiveness in the DBT group for p < 0.05. Furthermore, among those who have lapsed, participation in the DBT group had fewer days than consume for p <0.05.Conclusions: DBT shows feasibility, acceptability, and promise in improving cessation rate in Marijuana use disorder and warrants further investigations.
Network Analysis of Assistive Technology Stakeholders in Malawi
Authors: Smith Emma M , Ebuenyi Ikenna D. , Kafumba Juba A , Jamali-Phiri Monica , Munthali Alister , MacLachlan Malcolm
Published: August 2020

Background Assistive technologies promote participation and quality of life for people with disabilities and other functional limitations. There is a global call to develop and implement policies to improve access to assistive technologies. In response, a stakeholder led initiative in Malawi is working towards the development of such a policy. The objective of this study was to assess the existing network of stakeholders, and the strength of relationship between organizations who deliver assistive products and related services. We conducted a survey-based network analysis of assistive technology stakeholder organizations in Malawi.Results Stakeholders (n = 19) reported a range of connections, from no awareness to collaboration with organizations within the assistive technology network. No single organization or government ministry was most central to the network. International NGOs were less central to the network than local organizations for disabled people, service providers, and ministries.Conclusions The assistive technology stakeholder network in Malawi is distributed, with a range of responsibility across a variety of stakeholders, including three government ministries. An effective assistive technology policy must engage all stakeholders and may benefit from a collective leadership approach that spans the inter-sectoral need for a cohesive assistive technology system.
Does the Gap Between Health Workers’ Expectations and the Realities of Implementing a Performance-Based Financing Project in Mali Create Frustration?
Authors: ZITTI Tony , FILLOL Amandine , LOHMANN Julia , COULIBALY Abdourahmane , RIDDE Valéry
Published: August 2020

Background: Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have seen a shift in the health financing architecture in recent years, particularly in Africa. Performance-Based Financing (PBF) is one of these recent initiatives. Motivating health workers is one of the mechanisms through which PBF is assumed to improve the quality of care. Our study offers the opportunity to identify and understand, from the first days of implementation of PBF in Mali, how the expectations of health workers related to implementation realities of the first cycle of PBF subsidy payment, and how correspondences and discrepancies affected health worker motivation.Methods: We adopted a qualitative approach using multiple explanatory and contrasting case studies with nested levels of analysis. We conducted 53 semi-structured interviews with health workers in three of ten district hospitals in the Koulikoro region. Data was analyzed in a mixed deductive and inductive manner.Results: The results show that the PBF subsidies led to health workers feeling more motivated to perform their tasks overall. Beyond financial motivation, this was primarily due to PBF allowing them to work better. However, respondents perceived a discrepancy between the efforts made and the subsidies received. The fact that their expectations were not met led to a sense of frustration and disappointment. Similarly, the way in which the subsidies were distributed and the lack of transparency in the distribution process led to feelings of unfairness among the vast majority of respondents. The results show that frustrations can build up in the early days of the intervention.Conclusion: The PBF implementation in Mali left health workers initial frustrations. The short overall implementation period did not allow actors to adjust their initial expectations and motivational responses, neither positive and negative. This underlines how short-term interventions might not just lack impact, but instill negative sentiments likely to carry on into the future.
Varicella Zoster Virus Induced Acute Retinal Necrosis Following Acute Meningoencephalitis in a Patient with Presumed COVID-19
Authors: Hassanpour Kiana , Khorasanizadeh Faezeh , Ahmadieh Hamid , Nabavi Mahmood , Daftarian Narsis , Ramezani Alireza
Published: August 2020

Background: To report the coincidence of acute retinal necrosis syndrome (ARN) following acute meningoencephalitis and presumed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in an immunocompetent patient. Case presentation: A 58-year old female presented to our emergency department complaining of sudden unilateral visual loss following a recent hospitalization for a viral meningoencephalitis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the aqueous humor, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of the nasopharyngeal swab specimen, chest computed tomography (CT), and fundus photography were performed for the patient. Ophthalmic examination revealed severe ocular inflammation and yellowish patches of necrotizing retinitis in the right eye compatible with the diagnosis of ARN. The result of PCR on the aqueous humor was positive for VZV. The patient received one intravitreal ganciclovir injection and 10 days intravenous ganciclovir followed by oral acyclovir. The patient underwent COVID-19 screening tests; chest CT-scan showed the features highly suggestive for COVID-19 while the RT-PCR was negative two times. Two months later, BCVA reached 20/70 in the right eye. The anterior chamber reaction and KPs resolved and the vitreous haziness significantly decreased Conclusion: A case of VZV induced ARN following acute meningoencephalitis was observed in association with presumed COVID-19. This could be an incidental finding in the pandemic era of COVID-19; however, it could also suggest that COVID-19 might trigger ARN in cases having latent herpes family viruses.
Repurposing drugs for treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection: Computational design insights into mechanisms of action
Authors: Kandwal Shubhangi , Fayne Darren
Published: August 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected human life globally. It has led to economic crises and health emergencies across the world, spreading rapidly among the human population and has caused many deaths. Currently, there are no treatments available for COVID-19 so there is an urgent need to develop therapeutic interventions that could be used against the novel coronavirus infection. In this research, we used computational drug design technologies to repurpose existing drugs as inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins. The Broad Institute’s Drug Repurposing Hub consists of in-development/approved drugs and was computationally screened to identify potential hits which could inhibit protein targets encoded by the SARS-CoV-2 genome. By virtually screening the Broad collection, using rationally designed pharmacophore features, we identified molecules which may be repurposed against viral nucleocapsid and non-structural proteins. The pharmacophore features were generated after careful visualisation of the interactions between co-crystalised ligands and the protein binding site. The ChEMBL database was used to determine the compound’s level of inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 and correlate the predicted viral protein target with whole virus in vitro data. The results from this study may help to accelerate drug development against COVID-19 and the hit compounds should be progressed through further in vitro and in vivo studies on SARS-CoV-2.
Cell Membrane Stability and Relative Cell Injury in Response to Heat Stress during Early and Late Seedling Stages of Diverse Carrot (Daucus carota L.) Germplasm
Authors: Nijabat Aneela , Bolton Adam , Mahmood-ur-Rehman Muhammad , Shah Adeel Ijaz , Hussain Rameez , Naveed Naima Huma , Ali Aamir , Simon Philipp
Published: August 2020

Heat waves occur with more regularity and they adversely affect the yield of cool season crops including carrot (Daucus carota L.). Heat stress influences various biochemical and physiological processes including cell membrane permeability. Ion leakage and increase in cell permeability are indicators of cell membrane stability and have been used to evaluate the stress tolerance response in numerous crops and inform plant breeders for improving heat tolerance. No study has been published about the effects of heat stress on cell membrane stability and relative cell injury of carrot. Therefore, the present study was designed to estimate these stress indicators in response to heat stress at the early and late seedling developmental stages of 215 diverse accessions of wild and cultivated carrot germplasm. The article identifies the relationship between early and late stages of seedling tolerance across carrot genotypes and identifies heat-tolerant genotypes for further genetic analysis. Significant genetic variation among these stress indicators was identified with cell membrane stability and relative cell injury ranging from 6.3% to 97.3% and 2.8% to 76.6% at the early seedling stage, respectively; whereas cell membrane stability and relative cell injury ranged from 2.0% to 94.0% and 2.5% to 78.5%, respectively, at the late seedling stage under heat stress. Broad-sense heritability ranged from 0.64 to 0.91 for traits of interest under study, which indicates a relatively strong contribution of genetic factors in phenotypic variation among accessions. Heat tolerance varied widely among both wild and cultivated accessions, but the incidence of tolerance was higher in cultivated carrots than in wild carrots. The cultivated carrot accessions PI 326009 (Uzbekistan), PI 451754 (Netherlands), L2450 (USA), and PI 502654 (Pakistan) were identified as the most heat-tolerant accessions with highest cell membrane stability. This is the first evaluation of cell membrane stability and relative cell injury in response to heat stress during carrot development.
Lithium and Lithium Isotopes in Earth’s Surface Cycles
Authors: von Strandmann Philip A.E. Pogge , Kasemann Simone A. , Wimpenny Josh B.
Published: August 2020

Lithium and its isotopes can provide information on continental silicate weathering, which is the primary natural drawdown process of atmospheric CO2 and a major control on climate. Lithium isotopes themselves can help our understanding of weathering, via globally important processes such as clay formation and cation retention. Both these processes occur as part of weathering in modern surface environments, such as rivers, soil pore waters, and groundwaters, but Li isotopes can also be used to track weathering changes across major climate-change events. Lithium isotope evidence from several past climatic warming and cooling episodes shows that weathering processes respond rapidly to changes in temperature, meaning that weathering is capable of bringing climate back under control within a few tens of thousands of years.
Awareness of Oral Cancer Among Dental Patients in Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alqahtani Mashael , Nahhas Alla , Malibari Lujain , Alghamdi Maryam , Bazuhier Sara , Abdulrahman Somaya , Aboalshamat Khalid , Salama Rabab
Published: August 2020

Background:

Oral Cancer (OC) is a serious health problem affecting the oral cavity, which may lead to death. Alcohol, tobacco, and chewing betel are the main risk factors. Early diagnosis and adequate knowledge of OC may improve the survival rate.

Objective:

This study aimed to assess the knowledge about oral cancer among dental patients in Mecca.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was conducted in the dental clinics of Mecca. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were distributed to 416 respondents aged 18 or older, who spoke Arabic or English, had no history of OC, and participated voluntarily. The questionnaire consisted of three sections. The first regarded demographical data, the second measured knowledge about OC, and the third was concerned with education regarding OC provided by health-care providers. The interviewers also educated the participants by handing brochures with information about OC.

Results:

Knowledge about OC among dental patients in Mecca was found to be significantly low. Only 102 of the 416 participants (24.5%) had any knowledge. Only 3.4% of all participants had been educated about OC by their health-care providers.

Conclusion:

The results of this study show a considerable lack of general knowledge about OC among dental patients in Mecca. Health programs should be developed to raise the community’s awareness.
Conjoint Vehicle License Plate Identification System
Authors: Wiseman Yair
Published: August 2020

Background:

An autonomous vehicle will go unaccompanied to park itself in a remote parking lot without a driver or a passenger inside. Unlike traditional vehicles, an autonomous vehicle can drop passengers off near any location. Afterward, instead of cruising for a nearby free parking, the vehicle can be automatically parked in a remote parking lot which can be in a rural fringe of the city where inexpensive land is more readily available.

Objective:

The study aimed at avoidance of mistakes in the identification of the vehicle with the help of the automatic identification device.

Methods:

It is proposed to back up license plate identification procedure by making use of three distinct identification techniques: RFID, Bluetooth and OCR with the aim of considerably reducing identification mistakes.

Results:

The RFID is the most reliable identification device but the Bluetooth and the OCR can improve the reliability of RFID.

Conclusion:

A very high level of reliable vehicle identification device is achievable. Parking lots for autonomous vehicles can be very efficient and low-priced. The critical difficulty is to automatically make sure that the autonomous vehicle is correctly identified at the gate.
Intake of iron and inhibitor are not related with anemia on the premarriage women
Authors: Lestari Prasetya , Paratmanitya Yhona , Suliyah Siti
Published: August 2020

ABSTRACT

Background: One of the most frequent nutritional problems in Indonesia occurs is anemia due to iron deficiency. Forty-nine point one percent of women of childbearing age in Indonesia are anemic. Especially on groups of women of childbearing age are usually preparing themselves for married and will become a mother. Factors causing anemia among others insufficient iron intake and high absorption of Fe inhibitors (tannin, phytate, and oxalic acid). If the bride is married to status anemia will affect the birth of a less qualified generation.

Objectives: To know the relationship between iron intake and Fe inhibitor with the incidence of anemia in the bride in the District Area Bantul Yogyakarta. type of research conducted was observational research using a cross sectional design. Number of study subjects as many as 68 respondents in the bride with the picking technique the sample uses quota sampling that meets the inclusion criteria and exclusion. Data collected were data of iron intake and Fe Inhibitors. The data were obtained by interview using SQFFQ. Statistic test used were Mann Whitney and Chi Square test with level of 90% confidence.

Results: The incidence of anemia was 44.1%. Based on the results there was no significant difference between the mean intake of Fe anemia group with anemia not with (p = 0.387). There is no Tanin intake differences were significant between the anemia group and the not anemia with (p = 0.512). There was no difference in intake of Fitat was significant between the anemia group and the non-anemic with (p = 0.335). There was no significant difference in intake of  xalates between groups of anemia with no anemia with (p = 0.537). Based on Chi Square Test as well it was known that there is no significant relationship between intake of Fe and Fe inhibitor with anemia incidence (p> 0.05)

Conclusions: There was no significant relationship between intake of Fe and Fe inhibitor with anemia incidence

KEYWORDS: anemia, iron intake, inhibitor Fe, prospective bride
Evaluation of a Heart Failure Telemonitoring Program Through a Microsimulation Model: Cost-Utility Analysis
Authors: Boodoo Chris , Zhang Qi , Ross Heather J , Alba Ana Carolina , Laporte Audrey , Seto Emily
Published: August 2020

Background

Heart failure (HF) is a major public health issue in Canada that is associated with high prevalence, morbidity, and mortality rates and high financial and social burdens. Telemonitoring (TM) has been shown to improve all-cause mortality and hospitalization rates in patients with HF. The Medly program is a TM intervention integrated as standard of care at a large Canadian academic hospital for ambulatory patients with HF that has been found to improve patient outcomes. However, the cost-effectiveness of the Medly program is yet to be determined.

Objective

This study aims to conduct a cost-utility analysis of the Medly program compared with the standard of care for HF in Ontario, Canada, from the perspective of the public health care payer.

Methods

Using a microsimulation model, individual patient data were simulated over a 25-year time horizon to compare the costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) between the Medly program and standard care for patients with HF treated in the ambulatory care setting. Data were sourced from a Medly Program Evaluation study and literature to inform model parameters, such as Medly’s effectiveness in reducing mortality and hospitalizations, health care and intervention costs, and model transition probabilities. Scenario analyses were conducted in relation to HF severity and TM deployment models. One-way deterministic effectiveness analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were performed to explore the impact on the results of uncertainty in model parameters.

Results

The Medly program was associated with an average total cost of Can $102,508 (US $77,626) per patient and total QALYs of 5.51 per patient compared with the average cost of Can $97,497 (US $73,831) and QALYs of 4.95 per patient in the Standard Care Group. This led to an incremental cost of Can $5011 (US $3794) and incremental QALY of 0.566, resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of Can $8850 (US $6701)/QALY. Cost-effectiveness improved in relation to patients with advanced HF and with deployment models in which patients used their own equipment. Baseline and alternative scenarios consistently showed probabilities of cost-effectiveness greater than 85% at a willingness-to-pay threshold of Can $50,000 (US $37,718). Although the results showed some sensitivity to assumptions about effectiveness parameters, the intervention was found to remain cost-effective.

Conclusions

The Medly program for patients with HF is cost-effective compared with standard care using commonly reported willingness-to-pay thresholds. This study provides evidence for decision makers on the use of TM for HF, supports the use of a nurse-led model of TM that embeds clinically validated algorithms, and informs the use of economic modeling for future evaluations of early-stage health informatics technology.
Young Adults’ Perspectives on the Use of Symptom Checkers for Self-Triage and Self-Diagnosis: Qualitative Study (Preprint)
Authors: Aboueid Stephanie , Meyer Samantha , Wallace James R , Mahajan Shreya , Chaurasia Ashok
Published: August 2020

BACKGROUND

Young adults often browse the internet for self-triage and diagnosis. More sophisticated digital platforms such as symptom checkers have recently become pervasive; however, little is known about their use.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to understand young adults’ (18-34 years old) perspectives on the use of the Google search engine versus a symptom checker, as well as to identify the barriers and enablers for using a symptom checker for self-triage and self-diagnosis.

METHODS

A qualitative descriptive case study research design was used. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 24 young adults enrolled in a university in Ontario, Canada. All participants were given a clinical vignette and were asked to use a symptom checker (WebMD Symptom Checker or Babylon Health) while thinking out loud, and were asked questions regarding their experience. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and imported into the NVivo software program. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted independently by two researchers.

RESULTS

Using the Google search engine was perceived to be faster and more customizable (ie, ability to enter symptoms freely in the search engine) than a symptom checker; however, a symptom checker was perceived to be useful for a more personalized assessment. After having used a symptom checker, most of the participants believed that the platform needed improvement in the areas of accuracy, security and privacy, and medical jargon used. Given these limitations, most participants believed that symptom checkers could be more useful for self-triage than for self-diagnosis. Interestingly, more than half of the participants were not aware of symptom checkers prior to this study and most believed that this lack of awareness about the existence of symptom checkers hindered their use.

CONCLUSIONS

Awareness related to the existence of symptom checkers and their integration into the health care system are required to maximize benefits related to these platforms. Addressing the barriers identified in this study is likely to increase the acceptance and use of symptom checkers by young adults.
A Provider-Facing eHealth Tool for Transitioning Youth With Special Health Care Needs From Pediatric to Adult Care: Mixed Methods, User-Engaged Usability Study (Preprint)
Authors: McMaughan Darcy Jones , Lin Sherry , Ozmetin Jennifer , Beverly Judith Gayle , Brog Joshua , Naiser Emily
Published: August 2020

BACKGROUND

There is a need for medical education on health care transitions for youth with special health care needs. The Texas Transition Toolkit (the tool) supports providers through a one-stop shop for researching literature on care transitions, a catalog of care transition tools, and guides for developing care transition programs.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to assess the functionality and usability of the tool with providers working with transition-aged children and youth with special health care needs (representative users).

METHODS

The tool was evaluated using a triangulated mixed methods case study approach consisting of a concurrent think-aloud phase, a satisfaction survey, and a survey of problem relevance and task performance to operationalize and capture functionality and usability. Our mixed methods deep dive into the functionality and usability of the tool focused on 10 representative users from one medical home in Texas and 5 website design experts.

RESULTS

Representative users found the tool to be highly relevant, as demonstrated by the satisfaction score for relevance (138/150, 92%). According to the users, the tool provided comprehensive information related to health care transitions for youth with special health care needs, with a satisfaction score of 87.3% (131/150) for comprehensive. Overall satisfaction with the tool was high at 81.92% (1065/1300) with a cutoff score of 73.33% (953.4/1300) indicating high satisfaction, but users reported relatively lower satisfaction with search (114/150, 76%) and navigation (ease of use: 114/150, 76%; hyperlinks: 163/200, 81.5%; structure: 159/200, 79.5%). They experienced search- and navigation-related problems (total problems detected: 21/31, 68%) and, based on quality checks, had a relatively low task completion rate for tasks involving finding information (60/80, 75%), which required searching and navigation. The problems identified around search and navigation functionality were relevant (relevance scores ranging from 14.5 to 22, with a cutoff score of 11.7 indicating relevance).

CONCLUSIONS

The tool may help bridge the gaps in training on health care transitions for youth with special health care needs in US medical education. The tool can be used to create structured protocols to help improve provider knowledge, collaboration across pediatric and adult care providers, and the continuity of care as youth with special health care needs transition from pediatric to adult care. The results provided a road map for optimizing the tool and highlighted the importance of evaluating eHealth technologies with representative users.
Quality of Information and Future Directions. Comment on “Influence of Mass and Social Media on Psychobehavioral Responses Among Medical Students During the Downward Trend of COVID-19 in Fujian, China: Cross-Sectional Study” (Preprint)
Authors: Sasikumar Smriti , Sulaiman Hafsa Omer , Bedi Simran , Nozdrin Mikhail , Rundell Caroline , Zaman Sadia
Published: August 2020

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