bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Foreign body aspiration in children: A survey based study
Authors: KİLİÇASLAN Önder , TÜREN Betül , ÖZKAN Aybars , AK Gülden , TEMİZKAN Ramazan Cahit , KOCABAY Kenan
Published: November 2021

Abstract Aim: Foreign body aspiration (FBA) is a life-threatening emergency that causes airway obstruction. This study aims to investigate the amount of awareness there is about the life-threatening emergency FBA among Turkish mothers who are full-time carers of their children, and to provide these mothers with information regardless of their answers. Material and Method: 1034 mothers with children between 6 months and 5 years old were included in the study. Participants were asked to provide their sociodemographic information and to answer questions about FBA. Results: The majority of the mothers were aged between 21–30 years old (48.94%), primary school graduates (34.62%), and housewives (66.05%). The families had two to three children in general. Most of the mothers (65.73%) had not seen a child experiencing FBA. If we compared the mothers according to level of education, “1–3 years” was mostly selected by the university graduates (66.19%) as the age group in which FBA was most prevalent. As the level of education increased, the awareness regarding FBA’s potential lethality, the importance of preventive measures, the importance of first response, and sources for correct information on how to intervene were seen to increased. While most of the participants (72.74%) stated that they would take the child to the emergency room in the event of FBA. Conclusion: The most important step in reducing the morbidity and mortality of FBA is prevention. The easiest way to prevention is education of parents and the raising of public awareness.
The Effect of 'Pediatric Tracheostomy Care' Online Course on Nursing Students' Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Caregiver Roles
Authors: KOÇ ÖZKAN Tuba , KARACA Türkan
Published: November 2021

Aim: It is important for nurses to learn sufficient knowledge and skills about tracheostomy care during their undergraduate education. The study was conducted to determine the effect of pediatric tracheostomy care online course on nursing students' knowledge levels and attitudes regarding their role as caregivers.

Material and Method: The study was conducted between February and June 2020 at the faculty of health sciences at a state university in Turkey. A total of 76 third-year nursing students registered in the course of Child Health and Diseases Nursing were included in the study. The data were collected with a descriptive features form, a tracheostomy care knowledge test, an attitude scale regarding nurses' caregiver roles. Students were sent online pretest. After pretesting, students were assigned to experimental group (n=37) and control group (n=39) by randomization. The students in the experimental group were given pediatric tracheostomy online course on certain days using the distance education system of the university. After the course, all students in the groups were sent online post-test. The data were analyzed using t test and Chi-square test. Significance was assessed at the level of p
TİROİD NODÜLLERİNİN ULTRASONOGRAFİ, İNCE İĞNE ASPİRASYON VE PATOLOJİK OLARAK KARŞILAŞTIRMASI
Authors: GEZER Deniz , ECİN Seval
Published: November 2021

ÖZ

Amaç:. Çalışmada hastanemizde yapılan tiroid ultrason sonuçlarının TIRADS şekliyle yorumlanması, tiroid İİAB sonuçlarını, cerrahi uygulanan hastaların histopatolojik bulgularını güncel literatür eşliğinde retrospektif olarak değerlendirmeyi amaçladık.

Gereç ve Yöntemler: Mersin Şehir Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesinde, 01.01.2020-31.12.2020 tarihleri arasında 869 hastanın yapılan ultrason, ardışık tiroid İİAB işlemleri ve opere olan hastaların patoloji sonuçları retrospektif olarak incelenmiştir.

Bulgular: Nodüllerin 691(%79.5) solid, 142 (%16.3) mix ve 36 (%4.1) kistik yapıda olup, 296 (%34.1) hastada tek nodül saptanırken, 572 (%65.8) hastada multiple nodül mevcuttu. Nodül boyutunu küçüldükçe malign olma potansiyelindeki artış (p=0.008) istatiksel olarak anlamlı olarak değerlendirildi. Opere edilen 61(%7) hastanın histopatolojik sonuçları, 32 (%52.4) adet benign, 20 (%32.8) adet papiller karsinom, 8 (%13.1) adet papiller mikrokarsinom, 1(%1.6) adet foliküler neoplazi olarak rapor edildi. Benign sitolojiye sahip 32 (%52.4) olan hastalarda en çok 10(%16.4)’ü Bethesda 3/ TIRADS 4 olarak tespit edildi. En sık tespit edilen papiller karsinoma 20(%32.7) sahip olan hastaların 3 (%4.9) Bethesda 3/TRIADS 4 ;3 (%4.9) Bethesda 3/TRIADS 5 tespit edildi.

Sonuç: Çalışmada TIRADS’a göre malign olarak kategorize edilmesine rağmen Bethesda’ya göre benign grup olarak kabul edilen özellikle Bethesda 1-2-3 hastaları, TIRADS ve Bethesda sistemi birlikte değerlendirildiğinde erken dönemde maligniteyi yakalayabildiği gibi, gereksiz cerrahileri azaltılabileceğinin göz önünde tutulması önerilmektedir. Sonuç olarak iki yöntemin birleştirilerek kullanılması desteklenmektedir; tiroid ultrasonu yapan radyologların, klinisyenlerin ve cerrahların ultrason raporlarını ACR-TIRADS ile ilişkilendirmeleri ve sonuçlarını da takip etmeleri tavsiye edilmektedir..
Sağlık Turizmi Yetki Belgesine Sahip Sağlık Tesislerinin Web Sitelerinin İncelenmesi: Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesi Hastaneleri Üzerine Bir Araştırma
Authors: ÖZYURT Mehmet
Published: November 2021

Web siteleri içerikleri özellikle yabancı hastaların sağlık tesisi seçimlerinde önemli bir kriterdir. SGHM ’ye göre Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesinde 8 ilimizin 2’si (Siirt ve Kilis) hariç diğer 6 ilimizde (Gaziantep, Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa, Batman, Mardin ve Adıyaman) toplam 37 kurum sağlık turizmi yetki belgesine sahiptir. Bu çalışma ile, sağlık turizmi yetki belgesine sahip bu kurumların web sitelerinin Maifredi vd. (2010) tarafından geliştirilmiş ve Birbir ve Buzcu (2014) tarafından Türkiye’deki sağlık kuruluşlarına uyarlanan 5 boyut (hastane bilgileri- hizmetleri boyutu, teknik faktörler boyutu, kabul-sağlık hizmetleri boyutu, dış faaliyetler, interaktif çevrimiçi hizmetler) toplam 85 kriterden oluşan ölçekle içerik analizlerinin yapılması, web sitelerinin incelenen ölçeğe göre mevcut durumlarının belirlenmesi ve varsa eksik yönlerin geliştirilmesi için faydalı bir kaynak oluşturmak amaçlanmıştır. Ölçeğe göre incelenen web sitelerinde kamu hastanelerini %60 oranı ile ilgili ölçekteki kriterleri karşıladığı fakat genel ortalamanın tüm hastaneler türünde %54 olduğu, il bazında en yüksek oranda kriterleri karşılayan ilin Adıyaman (%63,6) en düşük ilin ise Mardin (48,3) olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Ayrıca web sitelerinin pek çok önemli kriterde eksikleri olduğu belirlenmiştir. İlgili sonuçlara göre hastane sağlık hizmetlerimizin sunumu kadar bunun uygun bir web sitesi ile tanıtılabiliyor olmasının önemine binaen, eksik kriterlerin giderilmesinin sağlık turizmi kapsamında tercih edilebilirliği yükseltebileceği belirtilebilir.
MONOPOLI IPA SEBAGAI MEDIA PEMBELAJARAN DI SMP/MTs KELAS VII PADA MATERI TATA SURYA
Authors: Shofroul Lailiyah  , Nur Kuswanti  , Lina Arifah Fitriyah
Published: November 2021

Pentingnya peran media dalam pembelajaran sehingga untuk tercapai suatu tujuan pembelajaran membutuhkan alat bantu yang dapat mempermudah siswa dalam menerima materi. Media edukatif yang dapat digunakan dalam pembelajaran dengan suasana menarik dan menyenangkan adalah monopoli..Tujuan penelitian ini adalah mengembangkan media pembelajaran monopoli IPA pada materi Tata Surya. Penelitian ini termasuk jenis pengembangan dengan menggunakan model ADDIE (Analyze, Design, Development, Implement, & Evaluate). Keterbatasan penelitian ini adalah tahapan Implement tidak bisa dilaksanakan karena pandemi covid-19. Data diperoleh dengan menggunakan instrument pengumpulan data berupa penilaian kelayakan berdasarkan validitas dari ahli media, ahli materi dan guru IPA. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa media monopoli IPA pada materi Tata Surya dinyatakan validitas. Aspek validitas ditunjukkan dari hasil validasi monopoli IPA Tata Surya dan mendapat rata-rata skor 3,78 dengan kategori sangat valid.

Kata Kunci: Media Pembelajaran, Monopoli IPA, Tata Surya.
STRATEGI KOMUNIKASI PARIWISATA OLEH DINAS PARIWISATA SUMATERA BARAT DALAM MENINGKATKAN BRAND IMAGE OBJEK WISATA DI SUMATERA BARAT
Authors: Defhany Defhany defhany , Edlina Ria , Eriend Dion
Published: November 2021

This study discusses the Tourism Communication Strategy by the West Sumatra Tourism Office in Improving the Brand Image of Tourism Objects in West Sumatra. The purpose of this research is to describe the things that become supporters and obstacles in the implementation of the tourism communication strategy by the West Sumatra Tourism Office in Increasing the Brand Image of Tourism Objects in West Sumatra. This is because there are still at least domestic tourists or foreign tourists visiting existing tourist objects. in West Sumatra, considering that many tourist objects in West Sumatra are not inferior to other provinces, this research can encourage the West Sumatra Tourism Office to improve the quality of tourist objects in the West Sumatera area. The research method used in this research is descriptive qualitative research conducted in 2019. The informants in this study consisted of 3 employees at the West Sumatra Tourism Office, namely Head of Marketing and Brand Strategies, head of Division Human Resources Development and Business Protection, and the Tourism Resources Development Section of the West Sumatra Provincial Tourism Office. Informants are determined by purposive sampling. The results of this study are, West Sumatra tourism communication strategy by promoting tourism using various social media such as Instagram and Facebook and optimizing the use of the West Sumatra Tourism Office website and through marketing and promotion of the advantages of tourism objects by involving various parties, such as the tourist business actors, investors, journalists from various media and visiting tourists. Always maintaining various interconnected tourism products, starting from cultural festival events, transportation to tourist objects, up-to-date information about tourist objects, tourism activities accompanied by promotions in various cities and the availability of communication media that are easy to find by tourists and a friendly communication culture with tourists visiting the tourist attraction.
The Analysis of Indoor Air Pollutants From Finishing Material of New Apartments at Business Bay, Dubai
Authors: Jung Chuloh , Al Qassimi Nahla , Arar Mohammad , Awad Jihad
Published: November 2021

Due to fast economic development, Dubai has built many high-rise apartments in a short period of time. The Dubai Municipality attempts to control indoor air quality with strict regulations, but the detailed provisions are still not comprehensive. The objective of this paper is to conduct on-site measurements for new high-rise apartments before moving on to investigate indoor air pollution and to analyze pollutant emissions by type of finishing material. As a methodology, on-site measurements were conducted fornine different housing units (three lower, three middle, and three higher floors) before moving on to investigate the status of indoor air pollution in new apartments. Based on the on-site measurements data, lab experiments with a small chamber for the same finishing materials from the most polluted housing unit (a lower two bedroom unit) were conducted to measure the emission of pollutants over 30 days. The result shows that the average of CH2O (64.4 μg/m3 for studio, 64.5 μg/m3 for one bedroom, and 83.4 μg/m3 for two bedroom) was lower than the standard (100 μg/m3) in all units, while the average TVOC (520.1 μg/m3 in the studio, 509.5 μg/m3 in one bedroom, and 754.7 μg/m3 in two bedroom) exceeded the standard (500 μg/m3) in most of the units. It was proven that regarding the CH2O, silk wallpaper, initial wallpaper, and wallpaper adhesive had the highest emissions and for the TVOC, tile and tile adhesive had the highest emission. During small chamber experiments, CH2O and TVOC emissions tended to decrease gradually over time, but the emission amount changed significantly in high pollutant emission material especially from day 1–10. Therefore, Dubai municipality should establish the regulation for residents to move into their new apartment after at least 10 days to avoid the high polluted emission from the curing process of the interior finishing material.
Establishment of a Prognostic Signature of Stromal/Immune-Related Genes for Gastric Adenocarcinoma Based on ESTIMATE Algorithm
Authors: Yu Shan , Wang Yan , Peng Ke , Lyu Minzhi , Liu Fenglin , Liu Tianshu
Published: November 2021

Different subtypes of gastric cancer differentially respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). This study aimed to investigate whether the Estimation of STromal and Immune cells in Malignant Tumor tissues using Expression data (ESTIMATE) algorithm is related to the classification and prognosis of gastric cancer and to establish an ESTIMATE-based gene signature to predict the prognosis for patients. The immune/stromal scores of 388 gastric cancer patients from TCGA were used in this analysis. The upregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in patients with high stromal/immune scores were identified. The immune-related hub DEGs were selected based on protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis. The prognostic values of the hub DEGs were evaluated in the TCGA dataset and validated in the GSE15460 dataset using the Kaplan-Meier curves. A prognostic signature was built using the hub DEGs by Cox proportional hazards model, and the accuracy was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Different subtypes of gastric cancer had significantly different immune/stromal scores. High stromal scores but not immune scores were significantly associated with short overall survivals of TCGA patients. Nine hub DEGs were identified in PPI analysisThe expression of these hub DEG negatively correlated with the overall survival in the TCGA cohort, which was validated in the GSE15460 cohort. A 9-gene prognostic signature was constructed. The risk factor of patients was calculated by this signature. High-risk patients had significantly shorter overall survival than low-risk patients. ROC analysis showed that the prognostic model accurately identified high-risk individuals within different time frames. We established an effective 9-gene-based risk signature to predict the prognosis of gastric cancer patients, providing guidance for prognostic stratification.
Metabolic Signature-Based Subtypes May Pave Novel Ways for Low-Grade Glioma Prognosis and Therapy
Authors: Li Ganglei , Wu Zhanxiong , Gu Jun , Zhu Yu , Zhang Tiesong , Wang Feng , Huang Kaiyuan , Gu Chenjie , Xu Kangli , Zhan Renya , Shen Jian
Published: November 2021

Metabolic signatures are frequently observed in cancer and are starting to be recognized as important regulators for tumor progression and therapy. Because metabolism genes are involved in tumor initiation and progression, little is known about the metabolic genomic profiles in low-grade glioma (LGG). Here, we applied bioinformatics analysis to determine the metabolic characteristics of patients with LGG from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA). We also performed the ConsensusClusterPlus, the CIBERSORT algorithm, the Estimate software, the R package “GSVA,” and TIDE to comprehensively describe and compare the characteristic difference between three metabolic subtypes. The R package WGCNA helped us to identify co-expression modules with associated metabolic subtypes. We found that LGG patients were classified into three subtypes based on 113 metabolic characteristics. MC1 patients had poor prognoses and MC3 patients obtained longer survival times. The different metabolic subtypes had different metabolic and immune characteristics, and may have different response patterns to immunotherapy. Based on the metabolic subtype, different patterns were exhibited that reflected the characteristics of each subtype. We also identified eight potential genetic markers associated with the characteristic index of metabolic subtypes. In conclusion, a comprehensive understanding of metabolism associated characteristics and classifications may improve clinical outcomes for LGG.
Hematogenous Macrophages: A New Therapeutic Target for Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Ding Yuanzhe , Zhang Di , Wang Sheng , Zhang Xiaolei , Yang Jingquan
Published: November 2021

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating disease leading to loss of sensory and motor functions, whose pathological process includes mechanical primary injury and secondary injury. Macrophages play an important role in SCI pathology. According to its origin, it can be divided into resident microglia and peripheral monocyte-derived macrophages (hematogenous Mφ). And it can also be divided into M1-type macrophages and M2-type macrophages on the basis of its functional characteristics. Hematogenous macrophages may contribute to the SCI process through infiltrating, scar forming, phagocytizing debris, and inducing inflammatory response. Although some of the activities of hematogenous macrophages are shown to be beneficial, the role of hematogenous macrophages in SCI remains controversial. In this review, following a brief introduction of hematogenous macrophages, we mainly focus on the function and the controversial role of hematogenous macrophages in SCI, and we propose that hematogenous macrophages may be a new therapeutic target for SCI.
Preparation and Application of Superhydrophobic Copper Mesh by Chemical Etching and In-situ Growth
Authors: Tong Qilei , Fan Zhenzhong , Wang Biao , Liu Qingwang , Bo Yunhe , Qian Liqing
Published: November 2021

Oily sewage and floating oil in the ocean post a huge threat to the ecological environment, therefore, developing an efficient separation for oil/water mixtures is an urgent need. Currently, superhydrophobic materials exhibit excellent oil/water separation ability. In this study, a superhydrophobic copper mesh prepared by the chemical etching method and the in-situ growth method and the performance evaluation are introduced. The oxide layer on the surface of the copper mesh is first removed by pickling, and then immersed in FeCl3 solution for chemical etching to make the surface rough, stearic acid (SA) is used for in-situ growth to reduce the surface energy, a superhydrophobic oil-water separation copper mesh is obtained. The water contact angle (WCA) of the copper mesh is more than 160°. The copper mesh is chemically stable and can effectively adsorb floating oil and separate the oil-water mixture. After several oil-water separation experiments, the oil-water separation efficiency can still be above 98%. The effects of the concentration of FeCl3 and SA on the contact angle and oil-water separation efficiency are investigated, the results show that when the concentration of FeCl3 is 2% and SA is 1.5%, the WCA and oil-water separation efficiency are the largest. The research used a simple and environmentally friendly method to prepare the oil-water separation copper mesh, which has important application significance for water quality restoration.
Characterizing Oligomeric Hydroxyl Silicon Oils by MALDI-TOF MS With the Pyridine-Modified Matrix
Authors: Zhang Xiaoxiao , Wang Yan , Hu Yiqiu , Guo Cheng , Li Chenghua , Jiang Kezhi
Published: November 2021

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) is a powerful technique for analysis of various polymers, but it is still very difficult to characterize silicone oil due to its poor ionization efficiency. In this work, oligomeric hydroxyl silicone oils were successfully characterized by MALDI-TOF, by using pyridine-modified 2,5-dihydroxylbenzoic acid (DHB) as the matrix. Furthermore, the mixed crystal of DHB and hydroxyl silicone oil was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy disperse spectroscopy (EDS), and the analytical results verified that modification with pyridine could remarkably improve the solubility of hydroxyl silicone oil in DHB, leading to the enhancement of its ionization efficiency in MALDI. The analysis of the MS spectra of a series of hydroxyl silicone oils indicated that they tended to be ionized by the attachment with Na+, and the average molecular weight and the degree of polymerization were measured for several oligomeric hydroxyl silicon oils.
A Facile Route to Synthesis of Hierarchically Porous Carbon via Micelle System for Bifunctional Electrochemical Application
Authors: Hou Xiaojian , Song Yi , Zhao Yueju , Li Wenxiu , Guo Zanwu , Tang Shaoru , Ma Yanan , Sun Ruiwen , Wang Qian , Li Wei
Published: November 2021

Well-ordered hierarchically porous carbon (HPC) nanomaterials have been successfully synthesized by a facile, efficient, and fast heated-evaporation induced self-assembly (HISA) method. A micelle system was employed as the template by using the HISA method for the first time, which possessed great potential in the large-scale production of HPC materials. Various surfactants, including triblock copolymer Pluronic F127, P123, F108, and cationic CTAB, were used in the polymerization process as templates to reveal the relationship between the structure of surfactants and architecture of the as-prepared HPCs. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Nitrogen adsorption, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) measurements were conducted to investigate the morphology, structure, and components of HPCs, which further confirmed the well-ordered and uniform mesoporous structure. The as-prepared HPC sample with F127 possessed the largest specific surface area, suitable pore size, and well-ordered mesoporous structure, resulting in better electrochemical performance as electrodes in the fields of energy storage and conversion system. Doped with the metallic oxide MnO2, the MnO2/HPC composites presented the outstanding electrochemical activity in supercapacitor with a high specific capacitance of 531.2 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and excellent cycling performance with little capacity fading, even after 5,000 cycles. Moreover, the obtained sample could also be applied in the fields of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) for its abundant active sites and regulate architecture. This versatile approach makes the mass industrial production of HPC materials possible in electrochemical applications through a facile and fast route.
Characterization of the Immune Response to Vibrio cholerae Infection in a Natural Host Model
Authors: Farr Dustin A. , Nag Dhrubajyoti , Withey Jeffrey H.
Published: November 2021

The gram-negative bacteriumVibrio choleraecauses the life-threatening diarrheal disease cholera, which is spread through the ingestion of contaminated food or water. Cholera epidemics occur largely in developing countries that lack proper infrastructure to treat sewage and provide clean water. Numerous vertebrate fish species have been found to be naturalV. choleraehosts. Based on these findings, zebrafish (Danio rerio) have been developed as a natural host model forV. cholerae.Diarrheal symptoms similar to those seen in humans are seen in zebrafish as early as 6 hours after exposure. Our understanding of basic zebrafish immunology is currently rudimentary, and no research has been done to date exploring the immune response of zebrafish toV. choleraeinfection. In the present study, zebrafish were infected with either pandemic El Tor or non-pandemic, environmentalV. choleraestrains and select immunological markers were assessed to determine cellular immunity and humoral immunity. Significant increases in the gene expression of two transcription factors, T-bet and GATA3, were observed in response to infection with bothV. choleraestrains, as were levels of mucosal related antibodies. Additionally, the cytokine IL-13 was shown to be significantly elevated and paralleled the mucin output in zebrafish excretions, strengthening our knowledge of IL-13 induced mucin production in cholera. The data presented here further solidify the relevancy of the zebrafish model in studyingV. cholerae, as well as expanding its utility in the field of cholera immunology.
Effects of Alcohol Binge Drinking and Oleoylethanolamide Pretreatment in the Gut Microbiota
Authors: Rodríguez-González Alicia , Vitali Francesco , Moya Marta , De Filippo Carlotta , Passani Maria Beatrice , Orio Laura
Published: November 2021

Introduction

Chronic alcohol consumption is known to cause gut dysbiosis (changes in microbiota composition and/or function, disruptive of the normal host–microbiota interactions). However, little is known about the changes that alcohol binge drinking induces in the gut microbiota. Here, we have tested the hypothesis that a protocol of alcohol binge drinking, known to induce neuroinflammation in previous studies, also promotes intestinal dysbiosis, and we explored how oleoylethanolamide (OEA, an acylethanolamide proven to counteract alcohol binge drinking-induced neuroinflammation) pretreatment modulates alcohol-induced dysbiosis.

Methods

Alcohol binges were forced by gavage three times per day during 4 consecutive days; OEA pretreatment (intraperitoneal or intragastric) was administered before each alcohol gavage. Stool microbiota composition was assessed by next-generation 16S rRNA gene sequencing, prior and after the 4-day alcohol binge protocol.

Results

Alcohol binge drinking reduced the richness of the gut microbiota and changed the microbial community, reducing Lactobacillus among other genera. Pretreatment with OEA in the alcohol-administered rats decreased the richness, evenness, and Shannon indices to a greater extent with respect to alcohol alone, also changing the community structure. Microbial interactions in the association network were further decreased following OEA administration in the alcohol group, with respect to the water administration. The synergistic interaction between alcohol binge and OEA was affected by the route of administration of OEA, since oral and i.p. administrations differently changed the community structure.

Conclusion

Results suggest that alcohol binge drinking produces a clear dysbiosis in animals; we observed that the well-known protective actions of OEA in the context of alcohol abuse might not be related to OEA-induced changes in alcohol-induced dysbiosis. These are observational results, and thus, further research will be needed for a complete understanding of the biological significance of the observed changes.
Activation of Toll-Like Receptors by Live Gram-Negative Bacterial Pathogens Reveals Mitigation of TLR4 Responses and Activation of TLR5 by Flagella
Authors: Amemiya Kei , Dankmeyer Jennifer L. , Bernhards Robert C. , Fetterer David P. , Waag David M. , Worsham Patricia L. , DeShazer David
Published: November 2021

Successful bacterial pathogens have evolved to avoid activating an innate immune system in the host that responds to the pathogen through distinct Toll-like receptors (TLRs). The general class of biochemical components that activate TLRs has been studied extensively, but less is known about how TLRs interact with the class of compounds that are still associated with the live pathogen. Accordingly, we examined the activation of surface assembled TLR 2, 4, and 5 with live Tier 1 Gram-negative pathogens that included Yersinia pestis (plague), Burkholderia mallei (glanders), Burkholderia pseudomallei (melioidosis), and Francisella tularensis (tularemia). We found that Y. pestis CO92 grown at 28°C activated TLR2 and TLR4, but at 37°C the pathogen activated primarily TLR2. Although B. mallei and B. pseudomallei are genetically related, the former microorganism activated predominately TLR4, while the latter activated predominately TLR2. The capsule of wild-type B. pseudomallei 1026b was found to mitigate the activation of TLR2 and TLR4 when compared to a capsule mutant. Live F. tularensis (Ft) Schu S4 did not activate TLR2 or 4, although the less virulent Ft LVS and F. novicida activated only TLR2. B. pseudomallei purified flagellin or flagella attached to the microorganism activated TLR5. Activation of TLR5 was abolished by an antibody to TLR5, or a mutation of fliC, or elimination of the pathogen by filtration. In conclusion, we have uncovered new properties of the Gram-negative pathogens, and their interaction with TLRs of the host. Further studies are needed to include other microorganism to extend our observations with their interaction with TLRs, and to the possibility of leading to new efforts in therapeutics against these pathogens.
Investigating the Transcriptome of Candida albicans in a Dual-Species Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm Model
Authors: Short Bryn , Delaney Christopher , McKloud Emily , Brown Jason L. , Kean Ryan , Litherland Gary J. , Williams Craig , Martin S. Lorraine , MacKay William G. , Ramage Gordon
Published: November 2021

Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogen found throughout multiple body sites and is frequently co-isolated from infections of the respiratory tract and oral cavity with Staphylococcus aureus. Herein we present the first report of the effects that S. aureus elicits on the C. albicans transcriptome. Dual-species biofilms containing S. aureus and C. albicans mutants defective in ALS3 or ECE1 were optimised and characterised, followed by transcriptional profiling of C. albicans by RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq). Altered phenotypes in C. albicans mutants revealed specific interaction profiles between fungus and bacteria. The major adhesion and virulence proteins Als3 and Ece1, respectively, were found to have substantial effects on the Candida transcriptome in early and mature biofilms. Despite this, deletion of ECE1 did not adversely affect biofilm formation or the ability of S. aureus to interact with C. albicans hyphae. Upregulated genes in dual-species biofilms corresponded to multiple gene ontology terms, including those attributed to virulence, biofilm formation and protein binding such as ACE2 and multiple heat-shock protein genes. This shows that S. aureus pushes C. albicans towards a more virulent genotype, helping us to understand the driving forces behind the increased severity of C. albicans-S. aureus infections.
Livelihood Strategies Shape Vulnerability of Households' Food Security to Climate in Senegal
Authors: Giannini Alessandra , Ilboudo Nébié Elisabeth Kago , Ba Diaba , Ndiaye Ousmane
Published: November 2021

We integrate long-term observations of rainfall and repeat, large-scale, nationwide household surveys of nutrition and socio-economic status to assess the vulnerability of food security to climate in Senegal. We use a mixed methods approach and a vulnerability framework to explain how it is that food security is on average lower, and more variable year-to-year, in the climatologically wetter south and east of the country than in the drier western center and north. We find that it is sensitivity to climate that explains the spatial variation in food security, while exposure explains its temporal variation, but only where sensitivity is high. While households in the western center and north, geographically closer to the political and economic center of action, are less dependent on livelihoods based on climate-sensitive activities, notably agriculture, these activities still dominate in the more remote, landlocked and at times conflict-ridden south and east, where sensitivity to the vagaries of rainfall persists. As they work to strengthen the resilience of climate-sensitive activities, food security and climate-risk management projects and policies should move beyond simplistic, deterministic assumptions about how climate affects food security outcomes, and invest in livelihood diversification to increase rural income and reduce vulnerability of food security to climate.
Wildlife Affordances of Urban Infrastructure: A Framework to Understand Human-Wildlife Space Use
Authors: Niesner Chase A. , Blakey Rachel V. , Blumstein Daniel T. , Abelson Eric S.
Published: November 2021

Landscape affordances, what the environment offers an animal, are inherently species-specific to the extent that each taxon has unique needs and responses to landscape characteristics. Wildlife responses to landscape features range on a continuum from avoidance to attraction and quantifying these habits are the backbone of wildlife movement ecology. In anthropogenically modified landscapes, many taxa do not occupy areas heavily influenced by humans, while some species seem to flourish, such as coyotes (Canis latrans) and pigeons (Columba livia). Sufficient overlap in landscapes designed for human purposes (e.g., freeway underpasses, channelized waterways, and cemeteries) but which are also suitable for wildlife (e.g., by providing sources of food, shelter, and refuge) underlies wildlife persistence in urban areas and is increasingly important in the world's largest metropoles. Studying these overlapping worlds of humans and wildlife in cities provides a rich foundation for broadening human perceptions of cities as ecosystems that exhibitemergent hybridity, whereby certain anthropogenic features of urban landscapes can be used by wildlife even as they maintain their utility for humans. By examining scaling dynamics of theinfrastructural signature, the phenomena of urban wildlife movement patterns conforming to the shapes of human infrastructural forms, we hope to expand on prior research in wildlife landscape ecology by stressing the importance of understanding the overlapping worlds of humans and wildlife. Further knowledge of theurban ecological commonsis necessary to better design cities where emergent hybridity is leveraged toward the management goals of reducing human wildlife conflict and promoting biodiversity.
Digital Tools as Parental Support—A Study Protocol Describing Prospective Development and Exploration of Two Digital Tools for Parents
Authors: Bäckström Caroline , Engström Henrik , Knez Rajna , Larsson Margaretha
Published: November 2021

Background: The access to digital tools for parents is increasing, and further exploration is needed to gain knowledge about parents' experiences in using such tools, for example, when preparing for childbirth and parenthood. This study protocol describes a prospective study that will explore serious games as digital tools for parental support, and both parents' and healthcare professionals' views will be included. The objectives of the prospective study are to explore two different serious games: (1) Childbirth Journey (Swedish: Förlossningsresan), relating to pregnancy, childbirth and parenthood; and (2) Interplay (Swedish: Samspel), relating to parental couple relationships and parenthood.

Methods: An intervention study will be conducted. The study will include four different sub-studies (A–D) with both qualitative and quantitative methods and a longitudinal design. Both parents (A, B and D) and healthcare professionals (C) will be included, and data will be collected through interviews (A–C) and repeated web-based questionnaires (D). Data will be analysed using phenomenography and qualitative content analysis (A–C), and descriptive and analytical analyses will be performed for comparisons and associations (D).

Discussion: The value of monitoring and reporting on developments and trends in digital innovation for public health has been stipulated by the World Health Organization. The prospective study will contribute further knowledge about multidisciplinary development of digital tools as professional support for parents, as well as knowledge about parents' and healthcare professionals' experiences using digital tools concerning pregnancy, labour, parenthood and parental couple relationships.

Trial Registration: This study was retrospectively registered (02/10/2020) within the ISRCTN with ID: ISRCTN18017741. http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN18017741.
Combined Magnetostratigraphy From Three Localities of the Rainstorm Member of the Johnnie Formation in California and Nevada, United States Calibrated by Cyclostratigraphy: A 13 R/Ma Reversal Frequency for the Ediacaran
Authors: Kodama Kenneth P.
Published: November 2021

A combined magnetostratigraphy for the Rainstorm Member of the Ediacaran Johnnie Formation was constructed using the sediment accumulation rates determined by rock magnetic cyclostratigraphy for three localities of the Rainstorm Member to provide a high resolution, time-calibrated record of geomagnetic field reversal frequency at a critical time period in Earth history. Two previously reported magnetostratigraphy records from Death Valley, California, the Nopah Range and Winters Pass Hills (Minguez et al., 2015), were combined with new paleomagnetic and cyclostratigraphic results from the Desert Range locality of the Rainstorm Member in south central Nevada, United States . The Johnnie oolite marker bed is at the base of each of the three sections and allows their regional correlation. The Nopah Range and Desert Range localities have similar sediment accumulation rates of ∼5 cm/ka, so their stratigraphic sections can be combined directly. The Winters Pass Hills locality has a higher sediment accumulation rate of 8.4 cm/ka, therefore its stratigraphic positions are multiplied by 0.6 to combine with the Desert Range and Nopah Range magnetostratigraphy. The thermal demagnetization results from the Desert Range locality isolates characteristic remanent magnetizations that indicate two nearly antipodal east-west and shallow directions and a mean paleopole (11.7˚N, 348.4˚E) that is consistent with “shallow” Ediacaran directions. The Desert Range also yields a magnetic susceptibility rock magnetic cyclostratigraphy that records short eccentricity, obliquity, and precession astronomically-forced climate cycles in the Ediacaran. The high-resolution combined magnetostratigraphy with nearly meter-scale stratigraphic spacing (nominally 23 ka, based on the Desert Range sediment accumulation rate), indicates 11 polarity intervals in a cyclostratigraphy-calibrated duration of 849 ka, indicating a reversal frequency of 13 R/Ma. The Rainstorm Member records the Shuram carbon isotope excursion, hence its age is ∼574 Ma. Given the recent cyclostratigraphy-calibrated reversal frequency of 20 R/Ma from the Zigan Formation (Levashova et al., 2021) at 547 Ma, our results show that reversal frequency was high but fluctuated during the Ediacaran.
Dual-Focused Transformational Leadership, Teachers’ Satisfaction of the Need for Relatedness, and the Mediating Role of Social Support
Authors: Schoch Simone , Keller Roger , Buff Alex , Maas Jasper , Rackow Pamela , Scholz Urte , Schüler Julia , Wegner Mirko
Published: November 2021

Basic psychological need satisfaction is essential for the wellbeing of teachers and motivation at work. Transformational leadership contributes to the development and maintenance of a respectful, constructive atmosphere, a supportive working climate, and has been suggested to be a crucial factor for the satisfaction of the need for relatedness of employees. Transformational leadership is also considered as an ideal leadership style in the school setting, but most studies did not distinguish between individual and team effects of this leadership behavior. In the present study, we applied the dual-focused model of transformational leadership and focused on social processes to address the question of whether individual- and group-focused transformational leadership behavior contribute differently to satisfaction of the need for relatedness of teachers. Based on longitudinal data with three measurement points across one school year of N = 1,217 teachers, results of structural equational models supported the notion of the dual effects of transformational leadership: Individual-focused transformational leadership was directly positively related to change in satisfaction of the need for relatedness of teachers. The relationship between group-focused transformational leadership and change in satisfaction of the need for relatedness was mediated by received social support from team members. These findings emphasize the importance of school leadership behavior of principals for satisfaction of the need for relatedness of teachers. The satisfaction of the need for relatedness is, therefore, not only satisfied through the direct interaction between the school principal and the individual teacher but also through interactions of the school principal with the whole team. Our results confirm that school principals should focus their leadership behavior both on individual need satisfaction of teachers as well as on team development.
Recurrence of Graves’ Disease: What Genetics of HLA and PTPN22 Can Tell Us
Authors: Vejrazkova Daniela , Vcelak Josef , Vaclavikova Eliska , Vankova Marketa , Zajickova Katerina , Vrbikova Jana , Duskova Michaela , Pacesova Petra , Novak Zdenek , Bendlova Bela
Published: November 2021

Background

Approximately half of patients diagnosed with Graves’ disease (GD) relapse within two years of thyreostatic drug withdrawal. It is then necessary to decide whether to reintroduce conservative treatment that can have serious side effects, or to choose a radical approach. Familial forms of GD indicate a significant genetic component. Our aim was to evaluate the practical benefits of HLA and PTPN22 genetic testing for the assessment of disease recurrence risk in the Czech population.

Methods

In 206 patients with GD, exon 2 in the HLA genes DRB1, DQA1, DQB1 and rs2476601 in the gene PTPN22 were sequenced.

Results

The risk HLA haplotype DRB1*03-DQA1*05-DQB1*02 was more frequent in our GD patients than in the general European population. During long-term retrospective follow-up (many-year to lifelong perspective), 87 patients relapsed and 26 achieved remission lasting over 2 years indicating a 23% success rate for conservative treatment of the disease. In 93 people, the success of conservative treatment could not be evaluated (thyroidectomy immediately after the first attack or ongoing antithyroid therapy). Of the examined genes, the HLA-DQA1*05 variant reached statistical significance in terms of the ability to predict relapse (p=0.03). Combinations with either both other HLA risk genes forming the risk haplotype DRB1*03-DQA1*05-DQB1*02 or with the PTPN22 SNP did not improve the predictive value.

Conclusion

the DQA1*05 variant may be a useful prognostic marker in patients with an unclear choice of treatment strategy.
Metabolomic Profiling of Poor Ovarian Response Identifies Potential Predictive Biomarkers
Authors: Song Haixia , Qin Qin , Yuan Caixia , Li Hong , Zhang Fang , Fan Lingling
Published: November 2021

Objective

To characterize the serum metabolomic profile and its role in the prediction of poor ovarian response (POR).

Patient(s)

Twenty-five women with normal ovarian reserve (24-33 years, antral follicle count [AFC] ≥5, anti-Müllerian hormone [AMH] ≥1.2 ng/ml) as the control group and another twenty-five women with POR (19-35 years, AFC <5, AMH < 1.2 ng/ml) as the study group were collected in our study. The serum levels of the women in both groups were determined from their whole blood by untargeted liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Multivariate statistical analysis and cell signal pathways analysis were used to reveal the results.

Results

A total of 538 different metabolites were finally identified in the two groups. Tetracosanoic acid, 2-arachidonoylglycerol, lidocaine, cortexolone, prostaglandin H2,1-naphthylamine, 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furancarboxaldehyde, 2,4-dinitrophenol, and D-erythrulose1-phosphate in POR were significantly different from control as were most important metabolites in support vector machines (p <0.05). Metabolomic profiling, together with support vector machines and pathway analysis found that the nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism pathway, including L-aspartic acid, 6-hydroxynicotinate, maleic acid, and succinic acid semialdehyde, was identified to have significant differences in POR women compared to control women, which may be associated with ovarian reserve.

Conclusion

This study indicated that LC–MS-based untargeted metabolomics analysis of serum provided biological markers for women with POR. The nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism pathway may offer new insight into the complementary prediction and therapeutic potential of POR. The functional associations of these metabolites need further investigation.
Environmental Impacts of a Solar Dish Coupled With a Micro-Gas Turbine for Power Generation
Authors: Agostini A. , Carbone C. , Lanchi M. , Miliozzi A. , Misceo M. , Russo V.
Published: November 2021

Concentrated solar power (CSP) systems are regarded as a renewable energy source technology that can contribute to decoupling the energy mix from fossil fuel combustion and related environmental impacts. However, current small-scale CSP technologies (e.g., Dish-Stirling) have not entered the market yet due to high costs, complexity, and poor reliability. The EU-funded OMSoP (Optimised Microturbine Solar Power) project aimed at solving the small-scale CSP shortcomings by coupling a solar dish with the consolidated and relatively cheap technology of the micro gas turbine (MGT). In this study, an environmental life cycle assessment analysis of the production and operation of a CSP-MGT system is performed following an eco-design approach, thus identifying the environmental hotspots and how the system can be improved in terms of environmental impacts. The results of the analysis, per unit of electricity produced, were compared to other renewable technologies with the same level of dispatchability to better evaluate strengths and weaknesses of the system under exam. With regard to climate change, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the CSP-MGT system resulted in the same range as those generated by photovoltaic systems. However, the system can substantially be optimized and the GHG emissions per kWh can be reduced up to 73% with respect to the built prototype. The GHG emissions are much lower than the current Italian energy mix (by up to 94%). To reduce the environmental burden of CSP-MGT plants, the system design here considered should be revised by improving the component’s performance and significantly reducing the reflective surface and therefore the structural materials for the dish foundation and frame. The replacement of steel in the dish frame with aluminum increases all the environmental impact parameters and primary energy demand (17%–27% depending on the environmental category considered) but slightly reduces abiotic element depletion (by 9%).
Size Effect of Fe3O4 Nanoparticles on Magnetism and Dispersion Stability of Magnetic Nanofluid
Authors: Chen Fang , Ilyas Nasir , Liu Xiaobing , Li Zhenggui , Yan Shengnan , Fu Hao
Published: November 2021

It is well known that magnetic nanofluids are widely applied in various fields ranging from heat transfer to miniature cooling, and from damping to sealing, due to the mobility and magnetism under magnetic field. Herein, the PFPE-oil based magnetic nanofluids with superior magnetization and dispersion stability were obtained via regulating reaction temperature. The structures of particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The size effects of particles on the magnetism and coating effect of particles, and on the stability and saturation magnetization of the fluids were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and density instrument, respectively. The results indicate that the impurity phase FeOOH only appear in the sample prepared at 18°C and the average size of Fe3O4 nanoparticles reduces from 120 to 20 nm with raising reaction temperature. The saturation magnetization of Fe3O4 particles increases firstly and then reduces with increasing particle size, which is affected by the thickness of magnetic dead layer and impurity phase FeOOH. The Fe3O4 particles could be chemically coated by PFPE-acids, and the coated mass is a little affected by particle size. The stability of the nanofluids lowers while the saturation magnetization increases firstly and then decrease with increasing particle size. At reaction temperature of 60°C, Fe3O4 particles of 25 nm and the nanofluids with superior stability and saturation magnetization were obtained. Our results indicate that the control of nanoparticles size by regulating reaction temperature can be a useful strategy for preparing magnetic nanofluids with desirable properties for various potential applications.