bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reconstitution of succinate dehydrogenase in Bacillus subtilis by protoplast fusion
Authors: Hederstedt L , Magnusson K , Rutberg L
Published: June 2021

Bacillus subtilis succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) is composed of two unequal subunits designated Fp (Mr, 65,000) and Ip (Mr. 28,000). The enzyme is structurally and functionally complexed to cytochrome b 558 (Mr, 19,000) in the membrane. A total of 21 B. subtilis SDH-negative mutants were isolated. The mutants fall into five phenotypic classes with respect to the presence and localization of the subunits of the SDH-cytochrome b558 complex. One class contains mutants with an inactive membrane-bound complex. Membrane-bound enzymatically active SDH could be reconstituted in fused protoplasts of selected pairs of SDH-negative mutants. Most likely reconstitution is due to the assembly of preformed subunits in the fused cells. On the basis of the reconstitution data, the mutants tested could be divided into three complementation groups. The combined data of the present and previous work indicate that the complementation groups correspond to the structural genes for the three subunits of the membrane-bound SDH-cytochrome b558 complex. A total of 31 SDH-negative mutants of B. subtilis have now been characterized. The respective mutations all map in the citF locus at 255 degrees on the B. subtilis chromosomal map. In the present paper, we have revised the nomenclature for the genetics of SDH in B. subtilis. All mutations which give an SDH-negative phenotype will be called sdh followed by an isolation number. The designation citF will be omitted, and the citF locus will be divided into three genes: sdhA, sdhB, and sdhC. Mutations in sdhA affect cytochrome b558, mutations in sdhB affect Fp, and mutations in sdhC affect Ip.
Unstable association in vitro between donor and recipient DNA in Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Van Randen J , Wiersma K , Venema G
Published: June 2021

In addition to stable donor-recipient DNA complexes, unstable complexes between donor and recipient DNA were formed in vitro with Bacillus subtilis. Whereas the stable complexes survived CsCl gradient centrifugation at pH 11.2 and phenol plus sodium p-aminosalicylate extraction with 0.17 M NaCl, the unstable complexes dissociated during these manipulations. The donor moiety from the unstable complexes remained associated with the recipient DNA during phenol plus sodium p-aminosalicylate treatment at 0.85 M NaCl. The unstable complexes could be stabilized artificially by cross-linking with 4,5',8-trimethylpsoralen. Dissociation of the complexes during CsCl gradient centrifugation could be prevented by centrifuging at pH 10. Heterologous DNA fragments derived from phage H1 DNA appeared to be unable to form complexes with the recipient B. subtilis DNA. Unstable complexes were also formed with Escherichia coli DNA, although under all conditions tested, more complex was detectable by using homologous B. subtilis DNA.
Regulation of D-arabinose utilization in Escherichia coli K-12
Authors: Skjold A C , Ezekiel D H
Published: June 2021

Studies involving lambda phage transduction of the D-arabinose utilization gene (dar+) in Escherichia coli K-12 indicated the product of this gene to be a transdominant activator. An apparent anomaly regarding this hypothesis exists in that a diploid recessive lysogen (lambda dar-/dar-) can spontaneously become capable of growth on D-arabinose.
Potentiation by L-cysteine of the bactericidal effect of hydrogen peroxide in Escherichia coli
Authors: Berglin E H , Edlund M B , Nyberg G K , Carlsson J
Published: June 2021

Under anaerobic conditions an exponentially growing culture of Escherichia coli K-12 was exposed to hydrogen peroxide in the presence of various compounds. Hydrogen peroxide (0.1 mM) together with 0.1 mM L-cysteine or L-cystine killed the organisms more rapidly than 10 mM hydrogen peroxide alone. The exposure of E. coli to hydrogen peroxide in the presence of L-cysteine inhibited some of the catalase. This inhibition, however, could not fully explain the 100-fold increase in hydrogen peroxide sensitivity of the organism in the presence of L-cysteine. Of other compounds tested only some thiols potentiated the bactericidal effect of hydrogen peroxide. These thiols were effective, however, only at concentrations significantly higher than 0.1 mM. The effect of L-cysteine and L-cystine could be annihilated by the metal ion chelating agent 2,2'-bipyridyl. DNA breakage in E. coli K-12 was demonstrated under conditions where the organisms were killed by hydrogen peroxide.
Biosynthesis of glucosyl monophosphoryl undecaprenol and its role in lipoteichoic acid biosynthesis
Authors: Mancuso D J , Chiu T H
Published: June 2021

A glucophospholipid was detected in an incubation mixture containing UDP-glucose, MgCl2, ATP, and a particulate enzyme prepared from Streptococcus sanguis. The synthesis of this lipid was inhibited strongly by UDP and moderately by UMP. The molar ratio of glucose to phosphate in the purified lipid was found to be 1:1. Glucose and glucose 1-phosphate were released by mild alkaline hydrolysis of the glucophospholipid. The lipid produced by mild acid degradation of the purified lipid yielded a thin-layer chromatographic profile similar to that of acid-treated undecaprenol. One of the minor components exhibited the same mobility as untreated undecaprenol. To characterize further the lipid moiety of the glucophospholipid, a polyisoprenol was purified from the neutral lipid of S. sanguis. The polyisoprenol was converted in the presence of ATP, UDP-glucose, and the particulate enzyme into a lipid which exhibited the same thin-layer chromatographic mobility as the glucophospholipid. The structure of the polyisoprenol was determined by nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry to be an undecaprenol with an internal cis-trans ratio of 7:2. These results indicate that the glucophospholipid is glucosyl monophosphoryl undecaprenol. The glucosyl moiety of the glucophospholipid was shown to be incorporated in the presence of the particulate enzyme into a macromolecule which was characterized as a lipoteichoic acid by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. This result indicates that glucosyl monophosphoryl undecaprenol is the direct glucosyl donor in the synthesis of lipoteichoic acid.
Permeability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa outer membrane to hydrophilic solutes
Authors: Yoshimura F , Nikaido H
Published: June 2021

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is usually resistant to a wide variety of antibacterial agents, and it has been inferred, on the basis of indirect evidence, that this was due to the low permeability of its outer membrane. We determined the permeability of P. aeruginosa outer membrane directly, by measuring the rates of hydrolysis of cephacetrile, cephaloridine, and various phosphate esters by hydrolytic enzymes located in the periplasm. The permeability to these compounds was about 100-fold lower than in the outer membrane of Escherichia coli K-12. Also, we found that the apparent Km values for active transport of various carbon and energy source compounds were typically higher than 20 microM in P. aeruginosa, in contrast to E. coli in which the values are usually lower than 5 microM. These results also are consistent with the notion that the P. aeruginosa outer membrane indeed has a low permeability to most hydrophilic compounds and that this membrane acts as a rate limiting step in active transport processes with high Vmax values.
Volume growth, murein synthesis, and murein cross-linkage during the division cycle of Escherichia coli PA3092
Authors: Olijhoek A J , Klencke S , Pas E , Nanninga N , Schwarz U
Published: June 2021

Cells of Escherichia coli PA3092 were synchronized by centrifugal elutriation. The synchronously growing cells were double labeled with -3H or DL-[meso-2,6-14C]diaminopimelic acid (DAP) at different times. Cells incorporated [3H]DAP at a continuously increasing rate during their cycle, with a maximum occurring at about 30 min before division for trichloroacetic acid-precipitated cells (whole cells) and about 10 min before division for sodium dodecyl sulfate-treated cells (sacculi). This was in good agreement with the observed kinetics of volume growth under these conditions. Furazlocillin, which preferentially interacts with penicillin-binding protein 3, modified the pattern of incorporation of [3H]DAP. Electron microscopy indicated that furazlocillin did not inhibit the initiation of division but rather its completion. In addition, we measured the cross-linking of the murein inserted at different times during synchronous growth. The highest percentages were found to occur around division. At this same time, the cross-linking of old peptidoglycan was found to be decreased.
Recombination analysis of naturally diploid Candida albicans
Authors: Poulter R , Hanrahan V , Jeffery K , Markie D , Shepherd M G , Sullivan P A
Published: June 2021

A multiply auxotrophic strain, hOG45, was derived from Candida albicans ATCC 10261. Prototrophic revertants of this multiple auxotroph were selected after mutagenesis. These prototrophic revertants were distinguishable from the original prototroph, ATCC 10261, because of their mitotic instability. They gave rise to auxotrophic derivatives which displayed one or more of the auxotrophic requirements characteristic of hOG45. Two of the auxotrophic requirements, those for adenine and methionine, frequently reappeared together in the auxotrophic derivatives of the prototrophic revertants. This apparent linkage of ade and met was confirmed by protoplast fusion analysis of the original auxotroph. These data indicate that C. albicans ATCC 10261 is diploid, the multiple auxotroph h0G45 is homozygous for recessive auxotrophic alleles, the prototrophic revertants are multiple heterozygotes, the auxotrophic derivatives are homozygotes produced by mitotic crossing-over, and the association between the ade and met alleles is due to linkage.
Yersinia enterocolitica: serotypes and biotypes isolated from humans and the environment in Quebec, Canada
Authors: Caprioli T , Drapeau A J , Kasatiya S
Published: June 2021

Thirty-one strains of Yersinia enterocolitica were isolated from food and surface water. During the period of January 1975 to June 1977, 157 strains from 143 human cases were also isolated. Among the different serotypes from nonhuman sources, serotypes 6,30 and 4,32 were the most common. Serotype 4,32 was present only in food and not in water. Serotype 3 was isolated only from humans. Among the different serotypes from human cases, 73.9% belonged to serotype 3. Only serotype 3 was isolated from children under 4 years old. The presence of other serotypes increased and that of serotype 3 decreased in frequency as the age progressed. No serotype 3 was isolated from human cases aged 50 years and more.
Immunoglobulin M antibody response against Mycoplasma pneumoniae lipid antigen in patients with acute pancreatitis
Authors: Leinikki P O , Panzar P , Tykkä H
Published: June 2021

Serial serum samples from patients with acute pancreatitis showed a significant increase in antibodies against methanol-chloroform-extracted lipid antigen from Mycoplasma pneumoniae when tested by complement fixation. The antibodies did not react with antigens prepared from other human mycoplasmas or from pancreatic tissue by lipid extraction. The antibodies were predominantly immunoglobulin M (IgM). No correlation with cold agglutinins or cardiolipid complement-fixing antibodies was found. The IgM antibody response seemed to be prolonged: after 3 to 4 weeks the antibodies were still in many cases exclusively IgM. Similar IgM responses were also found in certain cases of acute meningoencephalitis. We postulate that during the disease antigenic components identical or very similar to major determinants in the M. pneumoniae lipid antigen are revealed and elicit the IgM antibody response. Their resemblance to natural antibodies and their possible biological role is discussed.
Abortion in mice associated with Pasteurella pneumotropica
Authors: Ward G E , Moffatt R , Olfert E
Published: June 2021

Pasteurella pneumotropica was isolated from the uteri, fetuses, lungs, and spleens of aborting Swiss Carworth mice. Male mice in the colony carried P. pneumotropica in pharynges, testes, and seminal vesicles. Normal pregnant and nongravid females carried P. pneumotropica in the eye of 1 and in the uteri of 4 of 11. Pregnant mice from another colony did not abort when injected with P. pneumotropica. Necrotizing and suppurative metritis was found among aborting females with P. pneumotropica infections. Occurrence of malignant lymphoma and mammary adenocarcinoma among animals in this colony likely resulted in immunosuppression which could have predisposed animals to the diseases seen.
Enzymatic and immunological characterization of the Mycobacterium fortuitum complex
Authors: Binko B P , Bartholomew W R
Published: June 2021

The arylsulfatase isozymes of Mycobacterium fortuitum, M. peregrinum, M. chelonei subsp. chelonei, and M. chelonei subsp. abscessus were examined to determine the isozymal and immunological relationship among the members of the M. fortuitum complex. Cell extracts were subjected to electrophoresis on agarose and polyacrylamide gel, and arylsulfatase activity was localized using beta-naphthyl sulfate as substrate. Unique zymograms were produced for M. fortuitum, M. peregrinum, and M. chelonei which were characteristic for each species. The immunological relationship among the sulfatases was assayed by using immunodiffusion and immunoelectrophoresis followed by sulfatase staining for the enzyme. One of the isozymes of M. fortuitum and M. peregrinum cross-reacted, showing immunological identity. Antisera to sulfatases of M. fortuitum and M. peregrinum did not react with sulfatases of M. chelonei. The characterization of sulfatase isozymes in extracts of organisms in the M. fortuitum complex suggests the division of the M. fortuitum complex into two species, M. fortuitum and M. chelonei, with subspecies designations.
Evaluation of routine subcultures of macroscopically negative blood cultures for detection of anaerobes
Authors: Murray P R , Sondag J E
Published: June 2021

Routine anaerobic subcultures of macroscopically negative blood culture bottles, performed within 1 day of receipt of the culture and after 5 days of incubation, were evaluated. Anaerobes were recovered from 207 (12.3%) of the total 1,688 positive cultures and, of these, 154 were only detected macroscopically, 11 only by subculture, and 42 by both procedures. In no instance was the anaerobe detected earlier with the subculture, and the time required for a definitive identification was reduced for only 10 isolates. Since the subcultures did not significantly improve the detection or early identification of anaerobes, routine anaerobic subcultures are not recommended.
Simple assay for staphylococcal enterotoxins A, B, and C: modification of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
Authors: Stiffler-Rosenberg G , Fey H
Published: June 2021

The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) introduced for the detection of staphylococcal enterotoxins by Saunders et al., Simon and Terplan, and ourselves has proved to be a simple, reliable, and sensitive test. A new modification is described that uses polystyrene balls (diameter, 6 mm) coated individually with antibody against one of the toxins A, B, or C. In a single tube, 20 ml of the food extract was incubated with the three balls differently stained, which were then each tested for the uptake of enterotoxin by a competitive ELISA. A concentration of 0.1 ng or less of enterotoxin per ml can be measured, making tedious concentration procedures of the extracts superfluous. Culture supernatants and extracts from foods artificially or naturally contaminated with toxin were successfully examined. Cross-reactions did not occur, and nonspecific interfering substances did not create serious problems.
Synergistic hemolysis phenomenon shown by an alpha-toxin-producing Clostridium perfingens and streptococcal CAMP factor in presumptive streptococcal grouping
Authors: Gubash S M
Published: June 2021

A new phenomenon of synergistic hemolysis by Clostridium perfringens alpha-toxin and the streptococcal CAMP factor on human and guinea pig erythrocytes is described. A possible mode of action of the CAMP factors is suggested. On human blood agar all of the tested isolates of group B streptococci gave an arrowhead-shaped zone of hemolysis; 74% of group A gave a crescent-shaped lytic zone, whereas all isolates of groups C and G and the remaining 26% of group A streptococci gave a bullet-shaped lytic zone. By comparison, in the CAMP test incubated aerobically and anaerobically, 70 and 91%, respectively, of streptococci other than group B gave positive, arrowhead-shaped lytic zones. If all intermediate positive reactions in the CAMP tests were read as negative after aerobic incubation, only 89% of group B streptococci would be properly identified. The synergistic hemolysis phenomenon, using an alpha-toxin-producing C. perfringens and human blood agar, provided a reliable test for presumptive identification of group B streptococci, with promising potential to differentiate in the same test group A streptococci from other groups.
Type-specific indirect hemagglutinating antibody in patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection
Authors: Shigeta S , Yasunaga Y , Ogata M
Published: June 2021

Lipopolysaccharide antigens were extracted from heated cell extracts of several serotypes of Pseudonomas aeruginosa. Indirect hemagglutination with the extracts indicated specific reactivity with sera from rabbits immunized with homologous serotypes of P. aeruginosa. Sera from healthy adults and patients infected with P. aeruginosa were studied subsequently and shown to possess antibodies against P. aeurginosa. In patients infected with P. aeruginosa type E, indirect hemagglutination antibody against type E was resistant to 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) and classified as immunoglobulin G. In patients infected with any other type of P. aeruginosa and in healthy adults, it was sensitive to 2-ME and classified as immunoglobulin M. The antibody in the seven patients infected with P. aeruginosa was titrated during the course of infection with lipopolysaccharide antigen prepared from the infecting strain. As a result, all patients either possessed 2-ME-resistant antibody or showed antibody rise to homotypic antigen during the infection. However, no patient showed 2-ME-resistant antibody against hetero-typic lipopolysaccharide antigens. In hospitalized patients, the incidence of anti body against type E, G, and I Pseudomonas strains was greater than that against type A. In particular, 2-ME-resistant antibody to all four serotypes was detected at a higher rate in hospitalized patients than in healthy adults.
Serological Typing of
Ureaplasma urealyticum
Isolates from Urethritis Patients by an Agar Growth Inhibition Method
Authors: Shepard Maurice C. , Lunceford Carl D.
Published: June 2021

An agar growth inhibition method for serotyping
Ureaplasma urealyticum
is described, and the results of applying this method to serotyping 338 strains of the organism are presented. The serotyped strains consisted of cloned isolates from male patients with primary and recurrent nongonococcal urethritis (NGU), isolates from symptomatic patients with other genitourinary tract infections and disorders, and isolates from asymptomatic carriers of
U. urealyticum
in the genitourinary tract (controls). Among 122 male patients with NGU, serotype 4 was associated most frequently (52%) with this disease at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Seventeen percent of the isolates were type 2. The remaining isolates consisted of types 1, 3, 6, and 8 and accounted for 6 to 9% each of the serotypes isolated from the NGU group. Types 5 and 7 were not isolated. Among 91 symptomatic patients with other genitourinary tract infections and disorders,
U. urealyticum
type 4 also was associated most frequently (37%) with these disorders. The remaining isolates, represented by types 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 8, accounted for 9 to 15% each of the types isolated from this group. Type 5 was not isolated. Among 125 symptomfree carriers of
U. urealyticum
in the genitourinary tract, type 8 was recovered most frequently (30%), whereas type 4 was isolated next most frequently (24%). The remaining isolates consisted of types 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 and accounted for 2 to 15% each in this asymptomatic control group. Type 7 was not isolated. Of the present eight serotypes of
U. urealyticum
studied in this investigation, type 4 was associated most frequently with disease (NGU) and certain other disorders of the genitourinary tract at Camp Lejeune. A previously unknown association of
U. urealyticum
with frequently abacteriuric, unexplained pyuria (with or without urethral pruritis and dysuria) is reported, suggesting the existence of asymptomatic
Ureaplasma
urethritis.
Plaque Assay for Measuring Serum Bactericidal Activity Against Gonococci
Authors: Corbeil Lynete B. , Wunderlich Annette C. , Ito James I. , McCutchan J. Allen
Published: June 2021

A new semiquantitative plaque assay was developed to measure killing of gonococci by serum. Results compare well with an established quantitative method, but the plaque assay is faster, simpler, and less expensive.
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of antibodies to influenza A and B and parainfluenza type 1 in sera of patients
Authors: Bishai F R , Galli R
Published: June 2021

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for the detection of antibodies to influenza A/Hong Kong/1/68, influenza A/Victoria/3/75, influenza B/Hong Kong/5/72, and parainfluenza type 1 viruses. Development and standardization of the method indicated that an acetone-ethyl alcohol mixture was a suitable fixative for the preparation of the solid-phase coupled antigen. The addition of sodium azide to the enzyme-conjugated solution and the concentrations of the enzyme-conjugate antiglobulin and test sera employed were all critical factors in the success of the ELISA procedure. The ELISA test was specific; there was no cross-reaction between influenza A and B or parainfluenza type 1 viruses. The concordance between ELISA and hemagglutination inhibition results suggested that both tests probably detected the same type of antibodies. The ELISA procedure was 8 to 64 times more sensitive than complement fixation and/or hemagglutination inhibition tests. Low levels of antibody in patients' sera were detected only by the ELISA test. During the course of the testing period false positive reactions were not encountered. The results of ELISA could be obtained within 3 h. The ELISA test required a very small amount of serum and, therefore, offered an opportunity to detect the presence of maternal antibodies to influenza viruses in blood collected from infants by heel prick.
Quantitative microbiology of traumatic orthopedic wounds
Authors: Lawrence R M , Hoeprich P D , Huston A C , Benson D R , Riggins R S
Published: June 2021

Quantitative bacterial and fungal cultures carried out on 116 speciments of tissue debrided from traumatic orthopedic wounds yielded 118 bacterial and 8 fungal isolates. The organisms obtained reflected primarily the resident flora of the skin.
Monitoring of Palliative Care Symptoms and Concerns in Specialized Palliative Home Care Using an Electronic Version of the Integrated Palliative care Outcome Scale (Palli-MONITOR): protocol for a mixed-methods study
Authors: Bolzani Anna , Ramsenthaler Christina , Hodiamont Farina , Burner-Fritsch Isabel Sophie , Bausewein Claudia
Published: June 2021

Introduction

Over the last decades, patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures have been developed to better understand the patient’s perspective and enable patient-centred care. In palliative care, the Integrated Palliative care Outcome Scale (IPOS) is recommended as a PRO tool. Its implementation in specialised palliative home care (SPHC) would benefit from an electronic version validated for the setting.

Following the Medical Research Council (MRC) guidance, the study Palli-MONITOR is developing (phase 1) and testing the feasibility (phase 2) of implementing the electronic version of IPOS (eIPOS) in the SPHC setting to inform a cluster-randomised phase 3 trial.

Methods and analysis

Palli-MONITOR is a multicentre, sequential mixed-methods, two-phase development and feasibility study. The study consists of four substudies. In phase 1 (MRC development phase), qualitative patient interviews and focus groups with SPHC professionals are used to identify barriers and facilitators of eIPOS (substudy I). Substudy II tests the equivalence of eIPOS and IPOS in a crossover randomised controlled trial. Phase 2 (MRC feasibility/piloting phase) includes a quasi-experimental study with two control groups (substudy III), and qualitative interviews as well as focus groups to explore the feasibility and acceptability of the developed intervention (substudy IV).

Qualitative data will be analysed with thematic analysis following the framework approach. Quantitative analysis uses a two-way intraclass correlation coefficients model for the equivalence testing. Quantitative analysis of the quasi-experimental study will focus on the primary outcomes, recruitment rates and completeness of eIPOS. Secondary outcomes will include intraindividual change in palliative symptoms and concerns, quality of life and symptom burden.

Ethics and dissemination

Approval of the ethics committee of the Ludwig Maximilian University Munich was received for all study parts. Results and experiences will be presented at congresses and in written form. Additionally, participating SPHC teams will receive summarised results.

Trial registration number

NCT03879668.
Association between end-of-life cancer care and immigrant status: a retrospective cohort study in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Chu Anna , Barbera Lisa , Sutradhar Rinku , Oz Urun Erbas , O'Leary Erin , Seow Hsien
Published: June 2021

Objective

To compare recent immigrants and long-term residents in Ontario, Canada, on established health service quality indicators of end-of-life cancer care.

Design

Retrospective, population-based cohort study of cancer decedents between 2004 and 2015.

Setting

Ontario, Canada.

Participants

We grouped 13 085 immigrants who arrived in Ontario in 1985 or later into eight major ethnic groups based on birth country, mother tongue and surname, and compared them to 229 471 long-term residents who were ≥18 years at the time of death.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Aggressive care, defined as a composite of ≥2 emergency department visits, ≥2 new hospitalisations or an intensive care unit admission within 30 days of death; and supportive care, defined as a physician house call within 2 weeks, or palliative nursing or personal support worker home visit within 6 months of death. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association between immigration status and the odds of each main outcome.

Results

Compared with long-term residents, immigrants overall and by ethnic group had higher rates of aggressive care (13.7% vs 17.5%, respectively; p<0.001). Among immigrants, Southeast Asians had the highest use while White-Eastern and Western Europeans had the lowest. Supportive care use was similar between long-term residents and immigrants (50.0% vs 50.5%, respectively; p=0.36), though lower among Southeast Asians (46.6%) and higher among White-Western Europeans (55.6%). After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidities, immigrants remained more likely than long-term residents to receive aggressive care (OR: 1.15, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.21), yet were less likely to receive supportive care (OR: 0.95, 95% CI 0.91 to 0.98).

Conclusions

Among cancer decedents in Ontario, immigrants are more likely to use aggressive healthcare services at the end of life than long-term residents, while supportive care varies by ethnicity. Contributors to variation in end-of-life care require further study.
Daily intake of yogurt drink fortified either with vitamin D alone or in combination with added calcium causes a thyroid-independent increase of resting metabolic rate in adults with type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, clinical trial
Authors: Nikooyeh Bahareh , Shariatzadeh Nastaran , Rismanchi Marjan , Hollis Bruce W. , Neyestani Tirang R.
Published: June 2021

We investigated the effect of daily intake of yogurt drink fortified with either vitamin D alone or with added calcium on resting metabolic rate (RMR), thyroid hormones and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance in subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D). A total of 75 adult subjects with T2D were randomly assigned to 1 of the 3 groups to receive either D-fortified yogurt drink (DY; 1000 IU vitamin D/day), Ca-D-fortified yogurt drink (CDY; 1000 IU vitamin D plus 500 mg calcium), or plain yogurt drink for 12 weeks. All assessments were done at the baseline and after the intervention. The concentrations of anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (anti-TPO-Ab), intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) had declined significantly compared with baseline values only in the CDY group. The mean RMR increased in both DY and CDY groups (p < 0.001 for both). Also, changes of serum concentrations of 25-hydroxycalciferol (B = 2.96, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.3 to 4.6, p = 0.001) and iPTH (B = –2.41, 95% CI = –4.5 to –0.31, p = 0.025) remained significant predictors of RMR changes even after adjustment for changes of serum concentrations of TSH (B = –18.2, 95% CI = –61.7 to 25.2, p = 0.406). Daily intake of vitamin D together with calcium at physiological doses has attenuating effect on anti-TPO-Ab and TSH. Also, vitamin D with or without added calcium causes a significant thyroid-independent increase in RMR in euthyroid subjects with T2D. Registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01229891.

Novelty: Daily intake of vitamin D with calcium at physiological doses has attenuating effect on anti-TPO-Ab and TSH. Vitamin D with or without added calcium causes a thyroid-independent increase in RMR in euthyroid subjects with T2D.
Temporal change in the molluscan assemblages (bivalves and gastropods) of Frobisher Bay, Nunavut, Canada, over 50 years
Authors: Herder Erin C. , Aitken Alec , Edinger Evan
Published: June 2021

Long-term studies provide an effective way to assess the ecological impacts of decades-long environmental change in Arctic coastal benthic environments, but are rarely undertaken in the Canadian Arctic. In light of this, historical datasets can be compared with modern samples to examine temporal differences in benthic community structure. Frobisher Bay, Nunavut, provides a unique opportunity to use a historical census to examine the impacts that long-term environmental changes have had on the marine benthos. Between 1967 and 1976, and in 2016, infaunal samples were collected in inner Frobisher Bay and were compared to determine how the molluscan assemblages have changed between the two time periods. Molluscan assemblages in two regions of inner Frobisher Bay (Iqaluit and Cairn Island) were examined to minimize sampling discrepancies between the two time periods. A long-term increase in mean annual air temperature and a decline in the length of the ice cover season were observed. Both regions exhibited some change in sediment composition and quality as well as in molluscan assemblage between the two time periods, and species diversity indices also indicated some change between these time periods. Both the 1967–1976 and 2016 molluscan datasets provide a baseline for future long-term studies in a changing Arctic.
Rice stripe virus: Exploring Molecular Weapons in the Arsenal of a Negative-Sense RNA Virus
Authors: Xu Yi , Fu Shuai , Tao Xiaorong , Zhou Xueping
Published: June 2021

Rice stripe disease caused by Rice stripe virus (RSV) is one of the most devastating plant viruses of rice and causes enormous losses in production. RSV is transmitted from plant to plant by the small brown planthopper ( Laodelphax striatellus) in a circulative–propagative manner. The recent reemergence of this pathogen in East Asia since 2000 has made RSV one of the most studied plant viruses over the past two decades. Extensive studies of RSV have resulted in substantial advances regarding fundamental aspects of the virus infection. Here, we compile and analyze recent information on RSV with a special emphasis on the strategies that RSV has adopted to establish infections. These advances include RSV replication and movement in host plants and the small brown planthopper vector, innate immunity defenses against RSV infection, epidemiology, and recent advances in the management of rice stripe disease. Understanding these issues will facilitate the design of novel antiviral therapies for management and contribute to a more detailed understanding of negative-sense virus–host interactions at the molecular level.
On the Coevolution of Economic and Ecological Systems
Authors: Levin Simon , Xepapadeas Anastasios
Published: June 2021

This review provides a description of common and distinct characteristics of economic and ecological systems; examples of the ways in which these characteristics can be incorporated into models adequately describing the coevolution of the two-component systems to produce a unified ecological-economic system in time, space, and appropriate scale; and a discussion of policy design when the policy maker takes into account this coevolution, along with potential biases when the coevolution is ignored. We propose the development of integrated assessment models of the coevolving systems that will embody the variety of common and distinct characteristics identified in this survey. We expect that such an approach will provide useful insights into the efficient management of coevolving ecological-economic systems.
Imoxin inhibits tunicamycin-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress and restores insulin signaling in C2C12 myotubes
Authors: Eo Hyeyoon , Valentine Rudy J.
Published: June 2021

Prolonged endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress can mediate inflammatory myopathies and insulin signaling pathways. The double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-activated protein kinase R (PKR) has been implicated in skeletal muscle dysfunction. However, pathological roles of PKR in ER stress in muscle are not fully understood. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of imoxin (IMX), a selective PKR inhibitor, on tunicamycin (TN)-induced promotion of ER stress and suppression of insulin signaling in C2C12 myotubes. Cells were pretreated with 5 µM IMX for 1 h and exposed to 0.5 µg/mL TN for 23 h. A subset of cells was stimulated with 100 nM insulin for the last 15 min. mRNA expression and protein levels involved in ER stress were measured by RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. TN significantly augmented PKR phosphorylation by 231%, which was prevented by IMX. In addition, IMX reduced mRNA and protein levels of ER stress-related markers, including CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP, mRNA: 95% decrease; protein: 98% decrease), activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4, mRNA: 69% decrease; protein: 99% decrease), cleavage of ATF6, and spliced X-box-binding protein 1 (XBP-1s, mRNA: 88% decrease; protein: 79% decrease), which were induced by TN. Furthermore, IMX ameliorated TN-induced suppression of phospho-insulin receptor β (317% increase) and Akt phosphorylation (by 36% at Ser473 and 30% at Thr308) in myotubes, while augmenting insulin-stimulated AS160 phosphorylation and glucose uptake (by ∼30%). These findings suggest that IMX may protect against TN-induced skeletal muscle ER stress and insulin resistance, which are potentially mediated by PKR.
Impact of acute antioxidant supplementation on vascular function and autonomic nervous system modulation in young adults with PTSD
Authors: Weggen Jennifer B. , Darling Ashley M. , Autler Aaron S. , Hogwood Austin C. , Decker Kevin P. , Imthurn Brandon , Tuzzolo Gina M. , Garten Ryan S.
Published: June 2021

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been associated with an increase in risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The goal of this study was to determine if peripheral vascular dysfunction, a precursor to CVD, was present in young adults with PTSD, and if an acute antioxidant (AO) supplementation could modify this potential PTSD-induced vascular dysfunction. Thirteen individuals with PTSD were recruited for this investigation and were compared with 35 age- and sex-matched controls (CTRL). The PTSD group participated in two visits, consuming either a placebo (PTSD-PL) or antioxidants (PTSD-AO; vitamins C and E; α-lipoic acid) before their visits, whereas the CTRL subjects only participated in one visit. Upper and lower limb vascular functions were assessed via flow-mediated dilation and passive leg movement technique. Heart rate variability was utilized to assess autonomic nervous system modulation. The PTSD-PL condition, when compared with the CTRL group, reported lower arm and leg microvascular function as well as sympathetic nervous system (SNS) predominance. After acute AO supplementation, arm, but not leg, microvascular function was improved and SNS predominance was lowered to which the prior difference between PTSD group and CTRL was no longer significant. Young individuals with PTSD demonstrated lower arm and leg microvascular function as well as greater SNS predominance when compared with age- and sex-matched controls. Furthermore, this lower vascular/autonomic function was augmented by an acute AO supplementation to the level of the healthy controls, potentially implicating oxidative stress as a contributor to this blunted vascular/autonomic function.
Tubulointerstitial Nephritis and Uveitis Syndrome: Case Series and Literature Review
Authors: Lopes Beatriz Oliveira , Brízido Margarida Sena , Costa Ana Cortesão , Raimundo Mário , Miranda Margarida Maria , Pina Susana Morais
Published: June 2021

Tubulointerstitial nephritis and uveitis syndrome (TINU) is a rare oculorenal inflammatory entity with a probable autoimmune etiology. Interstitial nephritis may be asymptomatic and usually has a benign course with spontaneous resolution. Uveitis, instead, is classically anterior, bilateral, and nongranulomatous, but it can be unilateral and presents as posterior uveitis or panuveitis, sometimes with a chronic or recurrent evolution. The frequent time lag of ocular and renal manifestations makes this diagnosis particularly challenging. The authors describe four cases of this rare entity, two with tubulointerstitial nephritis preceding ocular manifestations and the remaining, instead, with uveitis preceding renal involvement. The therapeutic approach included systemic corticosteroids in all cases. The addition of immunosuppressive therapy was required in three patients to achieve uveitis control. TINU is probably an underrecognized entity and should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of a chronic or recurrent idiopathic uveitis, especially in young patients who may have mild and asymptomatic renal disease.
PvCT: A Publicly Verifiable Contact Tracing Algorithm in Cloud Computing
Authors: Zhu Yixiao , Ma Wenjie , Cui Jiangtao , Xia Xiaofang , Peng Yanguo , Ning Jianting
Published: June 2021

Contact tracing is a critical tool in containing epidemics such as COVID-19. Researchers have carried out a lot of work on contact tracing. However, almost all of the existing works assume that their clients and authorities have large storage space and powerful computation capability and clients can implement contact tracing on their own mobile devices such as mobile phones, tablet computers, and wearable computers. With the widespread outbreaks of the epidemics, these approaches are of less robustness to a larger scale of datasets when it comes to resource-constrained clients. To address this limitation, we propose a publicly verifiable contact tracing algorithm in cloud computing (PvCT), which utilizes cloud services to provide storage and computation capability in contact tracing. To guarantee the integrity and accuracy of contact tracing results, PvCT applies a novel set accumulator-based authentication data structure whose computation is outsourced, and the client can check whether returned results are valid. Furthermore, we provide rigorous security proof of our algorithm based on the

q

-Strong Bilinear Diffie–Hellman assumption. Detailed experimental evaluation is also conducted on three real-world datasets. The results show that our algorithm is feasible within milliseconds of client CPU time and can significantly reduce the storage overhead from the size of datasets to a constant 128 bytes.
The Analysis and Simulation with the Fatigue Life of Hemispherical Resonator Gyro
Authors: Song Lijun , Ni Jiayao , Zhou Lei , Zhao Wangliang , Li Shaoliang , Lu Minghui
Published: June 2021

The life and damage of hemispherical resonator are important factors that directly affect the service time and safety of high‐precision hemispherical resonator gyro. However, the fused silica glass material used in the hemispherical resonator which was processed in China is mainly imported, and it is too expensive to use the traditional fatigue life experiment, so it is necessary to use the software of fatigue life analysis to analyze its fatigue life. In the paper, the ANSYS software is used to analyze the fatigue life of fused silica hemispherical resonator, to determine the dangerous parts caused by the residual stress to analyze the crack propagation in the fatigue parts, and to obtain the sum stress intensity factor, so as to effectively monitor and prevent the fatigue‐prone parts in the process of structural design and use of the hemispherical resonator.
A Tripartite Evolutionary Game Analysis of the Co-Construction of an International Transport Corridor
Authors: Lei Yang
Published: June 2021

The construction and development of international transport corridors have become a means of cross-border space governance and promote the flexibility of international industrial chains and supply chains. Due to the uncertainty of cooperation, the development of international transport corridors entails a long-term and complex system of engineering. This paper evaluates a tripartite evolutionary game model on the cooperative construction of international transport corridors (including origin, transit, and destination countries) and analyzes the cooperation mechanism and influencing factors. The cooperative construction of international transport corridors is complex. Factors such as willingness to cooperate, transfer payments, sunk costs, and reputation have a positive impact on the cooperative construction of international transport corridors, but excessive transfer payments hinder cooperation. To promote the construction of international transport corridors, all parties need to have a strong willingness to cooperate; otherwise, the cooperation agreement has a greater probability of becoming invalid. International transport corridors with good development prospects and benefits would accelerate construction progress with the active efforts of participating countries.
Research on Regional High‐Tech Innovation Efficiency and Influence Factors: Evidence from Yangtze River Economic Belt in China
Authors: Zou Lin , Cao Xian-zhong , Zhu Yi-wen
Published: June 2021

China’s high‐tech innovation and marketization efficiency still need to be optimized, which restricts the promotion of regional innovation and economic development. On such practical problem, this paper mainly focuses on improvement of high‐tech efficiency of China, with the hope that the research can help to find ways to improve efficiency in both regions and industry development. Moreover, the impact on the high‐tech innovation stage and the marketization stage are analyzed, in order to make clear the main problems in the complex process of high‐tech innovation. This paper proposed the super‐SBM model and the panel regression model. The conclusions are as follows. (1) The efficiency of high‐tech innovation in China is improving, but there are great differences within regions. Therefore, the heterogeneous regional innovation context should be taken into consideration in the institutional management policies. (2) There is a significant positive correlation between government subsidies and R&D intensity in improving the high‐tech innovation efficiency. Government needs to carry out appropriate policy guidance, increase financial support, and encourage high‐tech enterprises to increase R&D investment. (3) Openness and better innovation environment play a positive role in the technology marketization stage; thus, the establishment of inter‐regional cooperation or transnational relations is an effect way. Forming a better innovation environment can also help to enhance international high‐technology cooperation and improve marketization efficiency.
Effect of Tailings Fine Content on the Properties of Cemented Paste Backfill from the Perspective Packing Density
Authors: Wang Haijun , Sun Xiaogang , Wang Jianwen , Duan Yun , Zhang Changsuo , Qiu Jingping , Guo Zhenbang
Published: June 2021

In order to quantitatively study the influence of tailings fine content on the properties of cemented paste backfill (CPB) and further understand the mechanism of tailings fine content acting, the concept of packing density was introduced in this study. The packing density of each tailings sample was measured by the wet packing method after the samples with various fine contents were prepared. Moreover, CPBs with different tailings fine contents were tested by the mini slump test, rheological test, uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) test, and mercury intrusion porosimetry test. The results demonstrated that the flow spread and UCS both increase first and then decrease with the increase of tailings fine content, while the yield stress shows an opposite trend. The fine content of tailings affects the flowability of fresh CPB mainly through the packing density. When the fine content is high, the influence of the specific surface area of tailings cannot be ignored. The packing density is an important factor affecting the strength of CPB, and there is an obvious linear relationship between the packing density and UCS. The pore structure of CPB samples with different tailing fine contents is significantly different, and the macroscopic packing density changes the strength of CPB by affecting the microscopic pores.
Influence of Rapid Urbanization on Thyroid Autoimmune Disease in China
Authors: Chen Yingchao , Han Bing , Yu Jie , Chen Yi , Cheng Jing , Zhu Chunfang , Xia Fangzhen , Wang Ningjian , Lu Yingli
Published: June 2021

Background. The prevalence of autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITDs), especially Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT), has increased dramatically in China. Moreover, China is experiencing the largest scale of urbanization in the world. We intended to explore the relationship between rapid urbanization and HT. Methods. A total of 2946 subjects in Zhejiang Shangyu (SY) (n = 1546) and Jiangsu Nanjing (NJ) (n = 1400) were enrolled in this study. Serum TPOAb, TGAb, and thyrotropin (TSH) were measured, and ultrasonography of the thyroid was performed in all subjects. DNA was extracted from all subjects, and four SNPs were selected for genotyping. Generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) was used to screen the best interaction between genetic factors and environment factors. Results. TPOAb and TGAb concentrations were higher in NJ than in SY (34.60 vs. 14.00 IU/ml and 21.05 vs. 7.50 IU/ml). People in NJ also had higher TPOAb and TGAb positivity rates than those in SY (7.8% vs. 12.7% and 8.7% vs. 16.3%). Logistic regression analysis indicated that rapid urbanization was an independent risk factor for TPOAb (OR = 1.473) and TGAb (OR = 1.689). Genotype TT in rs11675434 was associated with an increased risk of TPOAb positivity both in SY (OR = 2.955) and in NJ (OR = 1.819). GMDR analysis showed a two-locus model (SNP2 × urbanization) and a three-locus model (SNP2 × SNP3 × urbanization), which had testing accuracies of 56.88% and 57.25%, respectively (

P

values were 0.001 and 0.001). Conclusion. Rapid urbanization influences the incidence of TPOAb and TGAb positivity. We should pay more attention to thyroid autoimmune disease in areas of China experiencing rapid urbanization.