bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Weight underestimation linked to anxiety and depression in a cross-sectional study of overweight individuals in a Sami and non-Sami Norwegian population: the SAMINOR Study
Authors: Kvaløy Kirsti , Melhus Marita , Silviken Anne , Broderstad Ann Ragnhild
Published: November 2019

Objectives

Underestimation of overweight/obesity may prevent weight loss attempts, resulting in further weight gain and maintenance of overweight. Mental health benefits may nevertheless surpass negative consequences. Our main objective was to study the association between underestimation of overweight/obesity and symptoms of anxiety and depression in Sami and non-Sami populations.

Design

Population-based cross-sectional study.

Setting

The SAMINOR 2 Clinical Study with participants from 10 municipalities in Northern Norway enrolled between 2012 and 2014.

Participants

The study included 3266 adults of multiethnic rural origin with overweight/obesity (body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m2) whereof 1384 underestimated their weight (42%).

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Primary outcome measure was symptoms of anxiety and depression and secondary outcome measures were BMI and the demographic variables: sex, age, education and marital status.

Results

A higher proportion of Sami men compared with non-Sami men were obese, and reported more symptoms of anxiety and depression. More men than women, and a higher proportion of Sami women compared with non-Sami women, underestimated their weight. Multivariable-adjusted analyses showed that women were less likely to underestimate their weight compared with men (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.55 in Sami and OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.42 in non-Sami), higher BMI was protective against weight underestimation (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.75 in Sami and OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.67 in non-Sami), slightly higher odds of weight underestimation were observed with increasing age in both ethnic groups (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.05 in Sami and OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.03 in non-Sami), while higher education lowered the odds in non-Sami (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.87). Weight underestimation was protectively associated with anxiety and depression in Sami men (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.84) and in non-Sami women (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.78) adjusted for age, BMI, education and marital status.

Conclusions

Independent of ethnicity, more men than women underestimated their weight. Underestimation of weight was protectively associated with anxiety and depression in Sami men and non-Sami women.
Gastropexy can be as safe as conventional percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG), and biomarkers do not predict short-term or long-term outcomes: a 7-year follow-up audit
Authors: Porter Ross J , McKinlay Alastair W , Metcalfe Emma L
Published: November 2019

Objective

Gastrostomy facilitates artificial enteral feeding but controversy exists around associated morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to report short and long-term outcomes, and identify parameters associated with overall survival.

Methods

A 7-year follow-up audit was undertaken at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, UK. All patients undergoing endoscopic gastrostomy insertion October 2011–September 2018 were included. Last follow-up was February 2019. Clinical data were prospectively collected. Blood results were retrospectively obtained from electronic records. Statistical analysis was with IBM SPSS V.25.

Results

691 procedures were performed over the 7-year period (520 traditional pull-through percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) and 171 gastropexy procedures to facilitate gastrostomy). Frequency of complications (gastrointestinal bleeding, perforation and peritonitis) was low (each n=1). Overall 7-day and 30-day mortality was 2.2% and 8.4%, respectively. One-year mortality reached 47.6%. There was no difference in survival between PEG and gastropexy procedures (p=0.410). Multivariate analysis reported increased age (p<0.001), increased alkaline phosphatase (p<0.001) and clinical indication (p=0.002) as independently associated with an increased hazard of death. Only age was moderately predictive of mortality (area under the curve 0.74, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.78, p<0.001) in the PEG group. Clinical indication was the only parameter independently associated with mortality in the gastropexy cohort (p=0.003).

Conclusion

Endoscopic gastrostomy placement can be safe with a low mortality and low risk of serious complications. Blood markers were not associated with short-term or long-term outcomes. Gastropexy to facilitate gastrostomy is a safe alternative to traditional pull-through PEG procedures. Future work should consider quality of life outcomes to assess the benefit of gastrostomy from a patient perspective.
Intersectional community correlates of married women’s experiences of male intimate partner physical violence in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Rahman Laila , Du Mont Janice , O'Campo Patricia , Einstein Gillian
Published: November 2019

Background

In Bangladesh, little is known about community-level factors shaping married women’s experiences of male intimate partner physical violence (MIPPV); it is also unknown if these factors interact with each other. We examined the (1) association between four residential community characteristics defined by the attributes of ever married women in those communities–younger age, lower education, higher participation in earning an income and poverty; and (2) two-way interactions between these community-level MIPPV correlates.

Methods

We used a cross-sectional sample comprising 14 557 currently married women who were living with their spouses from 911 Bangladeshi communities. Data were collected during 13–22 August 2015. Conflict Tactics Scale-2 measured the outcome–women’s current MIPPV experiences; and multilevel logistic regression models predicted this outcome.

Results

Four community characteristics including higher proportions of women’s earning an income and achieving higher education were not associated with their increased likelihood of experiencing MIPPV. However, women living inhigher earning participation, higher educatedcommunities were significantly more likely to experience MIPPV than those inlower earning participation, higher educatedcommunities (predicted probability, p=0.30, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.34 vs p=0.24, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.25).

Conclusion

This is the first study to examine interactions between women’s community-level MIPPV correlates in Bangladesh. Although we did not find support for the relationship between women’s most intersectional community-level locations and MIPPV, we did find a currently invisible vulnerable intersectional location:higher earning participation, higher educatedcommunities. Bangladeshi violence against women prevention policies and programmes, therefore, need to engage with these particular communities to tackle head on male responses to these locations to reduce MIPPV.
Assessment of two novel renal tubular proteins in type 2 diabetic patients with nephropathy
Authors: Abdel Ghafar Muhammad Tarek , Shalaby Khaled Hamed , Okda Hanaa Ibrahim , Abo El gheit Rehab E , Soliman Nema Ali , Keshk Walaa Arafa
Published: November 2019

Nephropathy is a common health issue associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Treatment of diabetic nephropathy (DN) in an early stage can effectively inhibit its progression. Albuminuria is the currently accepted marker for detection of DN. This study aims to evaluate the urinary level of two novel renal tubular proteins (cyclophilin A and periostin) in patients with T2DM and among different nephropathy stages and also to validate the diagnostic accuracy of both cyclophilin A and periostin as potential markers for early prediction of DN relative to albuminuria. This cross-sectional study recruited 137 patients with T2DM, and they were divided based on their urinary albumin:creatinine ratio into T2DM with normoalbuminuria ( group II), incipient T2DN with microalbuminuria ( group III) and overt T2DN with macroalbuminuria ( group IV) beside 41 healthy subjects as group I. Cyclophilin A and periostin were measured in the urine using ELISA. Diagnostic accuracy of both markers was determined for prediction of DN via receiver operating characteristic curve analyses. Urinary cyclophilin A and periostin levels were significantly higher in DN groups when compared with T2DM with normoalbuminuria group. For prediction of incipient and overt DN, areas under the curve (AUCs) of periostin were 0.954, 0.997 and cyclophilin A were 0.914, 0.937, respectively. AUCs of periostin were higher than that for cyclophilin A with a significant AUC difference (p=0.022) in overt DN stage. Periostin and cyclophilin A could be regarded as a potential urinary biomarker for early prediction of DN. Periostin exhibits a higher diagnostic accuracy than urinary cyclophilin A specifically in overt DN stage.
Barley or black oat silages in feeding strategies for small-scale dairy systems in the highlands of Mexico
Authors: Gómez-Miranda Aída , Estrada-Flores Julieta Gertrudis , Morales-Almaraz Ernesto , López-González Felipe , Flores-Calvete Gonzalo , Arriaga-Jordán Carlos Manuel
Published: November 2019

High costs from external inputs in small-scale dairy systems (SSDS) and possible effects of climate change, require forage alternatives as silage for the dry season, from small-grain cereals that have short cropping cycles, winter hardiness, and good nutritional quality. The objective was to assess the provision of 10 kg dry matter (DM) cow−1d−1of barley (BLY) or black oat (BKO) silages in three treatments: T1 = 100% BLY; T2 = 50% BLY + 50% BKO; T3 = 100% BKO for milking cows. All treatments also received 4.6 kg DM cow−1d−1of concentrates and access to pasture. Nine Holstein cows in groups of three were randomly assigned to a 3 × 3 Latin square design repeated three times, with 14 d experimental periods. Measurements of animal variables and sampling for chemical analyses of feeds were done during the last 4 d of each period. Feeding costs were by partial budgets. There were no differences (P > 0.05) for milk yield, milk fat and protein content, milk urea nitrogen, body condition score, or live weight. The cost of BLY silage was 8% less than BKO silage. T1 had the higher margin over cost of feeds followed by T2. Both silages alone or in combination are viable options for SSDS, as there were no differences in performance, or in feeding costs or margins.
Continuous monitoring of growth detects photoperiod-dependent oscillations in growth rates ofChlorella vulgaris
Authors: Hollis Lauren , Trick Charles G. , Hüner Norman P.A.
Published: November 2019

The green alga Chlorella vulgaris Beij. exhibits minimal capacity to adjust exponential growth rates in response to photon flux density (PFD) when monitored on a discontinuous basis. We hypothesized that modulation of maximum growth rates in C. vulgaris by PFD is a photoperiod-dependent phenomenon. The use of the photobioreactors to monitor continuous growth allowed us to detect repetitive daily oscillations in growth which were photoperiod-dependent. The rate of change in optical density (OD735) during the daily light period was two-fold greater in cells grown at 28 °C with a PFD of either 2000 or 150 μmol photons·m−2·s−1when C. vulgaris was grown under a daily light–dark cycle. Concomitantly, oscillations of the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters paralleled the oscillations observed in growth rate. When cultures were shifted from a 12 h photoperiod with low light to continuous light (CL), the growth oscillations disappeared. In contrast, oscillations in the fluorescence parameters persisted even after the shift from a 12 h photoperiod to CL. We suggest that the nocturnal catabolism of starch reserves in conjunction with changes in cellular volume coupled with the diurnal changes in DNA content, as quantified by changes in Vybrant Green fluorescence yield, indicate that these growth oscillations reflect synchronized cellular division in C. vulgaris that is not evident when growth is assayed discontinuously.
Mycorrhizal inoculation mitigates damage from an intermediate, but not severe, frost event for a cool-season perennial bunchgrass
Authors: Connolly Brian M. , Guiden Peter W. , Orrock John L.
Published: November 2019

Extreme cold events can damage plant tissues, altering growth and reproduction. Soil fungi may help plants tolerate environmental stressors, but the role these microbes play during episodes of severe cold warrants further examination. Using the bunchgrass Elymus canadensis L., we tested how inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi alters plant tolerance to freezing temperatures (tested at –8 °C and –16 °C). We found that, regardless of mycorrhizal inoculation, E. canadensis exposed to –16 °C exhibited greater tissue damage, less tiller growth, and fewer reproductive tillers than plants exposed to the control or –8 °C conditions. Plants exposed to –8 °C and –16 °C displayed greater levels of visible damage compared with the control plants. Mycorrhizae reduced damage to tillers in the –8 °C treatment, but had less effect on tiller damage in the control or –16 °C treatments. Inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi limited the tiller number for E. canadensis, but only at the control temperature, suggesting that mycorrhizae may impose costs on E. canadensis under benign thermal conditions. Our study demonstrates that extreme temperatures can affect multiple components of growth in E. canadensis, and that the costs and benefits of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, where found, depend upon the thermal environment. Our findings reinforce the overarching importance of historically rare, but increasingly common, environmental extremes in shaping the growth of plants.
Wear performance of selective laser melted Ti-6Al-4V alloy in situ modified with oxygen and boron
Authors: Jackson Ben , Torrens Rob , Bolzoni Leandro , Yang Fei , Ross Nigel , Fry Mike
Published: November 2019

Titanium alloys have poor wear performance, with severe adhesive wear and three-body abrasion being dominant mechanisms. To extend the use of titanium to applications demanding better wear properties, modifications can be made to the alloys. This can include the addition of hard particulates or interstitial strengthening, by increasing the oxygen or nitrogen content. The metal additive manufacturing process of selective laser melting (SLM) has been shown to enable manufacture of these modified titanium alloys in situ. In this study, small amounts of boron and titanium dioxide powders were added to Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) and processed using SLM. To compare wear performance of these modified materials, reciprocating pin on plate tests in brine solution were performed. Increased oxygen content increased the hardness of the material, which reduced wear. The presence of boron increased wear in the short term but reduced the long-term wear rate. Incorporating of oxygen and boron has been shown to improve the saline solution wear properties of Ti64 against silicon nitride.
Study of parameters affecting microcontact printing of thiols on gold-coated substrate
Authors: Jaywant Swapna A. , Arif Khalid Mahmood
Published: November 2019

Microcontact printing ([Formula: see text]CP) is a type of soft-lithography technique, which is widely used for patterning self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). It is a convenient method to form SAMs of bio/chemical ink onto different surfaces such as polymers, palladium, silver and gold. A wide range of applications of this technology includes micromachining, patterning proteins, cells or DNA in biosensors. However, the application primarily depends on the type of the ink used. Here, we present an experimental study that provides information about the parameters that affect the [Formula: see text]CP process. Two different thiol inks (dithiothreitol (DTT) and glutathione (GSH)) have been used for obtaining SAMs on gold-coated substrates. Our findings suggest that transferring the alkanethiols over the gold surface is extremely dependent upon the molecular weight of thiol compound, concentration of the thiol solution and pH value of the buffer used. Furthermore, higher the molecular weight, concentration and pH value of the ink, lower is the time required for the process of [Formula: see text]CP.
Gender-based speaker recognition from speech signals using GMM model
Authors: Gupta Manish , Bharti Shambhu Shankar , Agarwal Suneeta
Published: November 2019

Speech is a convenient medium for communication among human beings. Speaker recognition is a process of automatically recognizing the speaker by processing the information included in the speech signal. In this paper, a new approach is proposed for speaker recognition through speech signal. Here, a two-level approach is proposed. In the first-level, the gender of the speaker is recognized, and in the second-level speaker is recognized based on recognized gender at first-level. After recognizing the gender of the speaker, search space is reduced to half for the second-level as speaker recognition system searches only in a set of speech signals belonging to identified gender. To identify gender, gender-specific features: Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC) and pitch are used. Speaker is recognized by using speaker specific features: MFCC, Pitch and RASTA-PLP. Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) classifiers are used for identifying the gender and recognizing the speaker, respectively. Experiments are performed on speech signals of two databases: “IIT-Madras speech synthesis and recognition” (containing speech samples spoken by eight male and eight female speakers of eight different regions in English language) and “ELSDSR” (containing speech samples spoken by five male and five female in English language). Experimentally, it is observed that by using two-level approach, time taken for speaker recognition is reduced by 30–32% as compared to the approach when speaker is recognized without identifying the gender (single-level approach). The accuracy of speaker recognition in this proposed approach is also improved from 99.7% to 99.9% as compared to single-level approach. It is concluded through the experiments that speech signal of a minimum 1.12 duration (after neglecting silence parts) is sufficient for recognizing the speaker.
Method to Design Pattern Classification Model with Block Missing Training Data
Authors: Yang Won-Chol
Published: November 2019

Missing data is a usual drawback in many real-world applications of pattern classification. Methods of pattern classification with missing data are grouped into four types: (a) deletion of incomplete samples and classifier design using only the complete data portion, (b) imputation of missing data and learning of the classifier using the edited set, (c) use of model-based procedures and (d) use of machine learning procedures. These methods can be useful in case of small amount of missing values, but they may be unsuitable in case of relatively large amount of missing values. We proposed a method to design pattern classification model with block missing training data. First, we separated submatrices from the block missing training data. Second, we designed classification submodels using each submatrix. Third, we designed final classification model using a linear combination of these submodels. We tested the classifying accuracy rate and data usage rate of the classification model designed by means of the proposed method by simulation experiments on some datasets, and verified that the proposed method was effective from the viewpoint of classifying accuracy rate and data usage rate.
INVESTIGATION OF POROUS ANODIC FILM FORMATION ON AA1050 BY ELECTROCHEMICAL IMPEDANCE SPECTROSCOPY
Authors: DANIŞMAN M. , KOCABAŞ M. , CURIONI M. , CANSEVER N.
Published: November 2019

In this study, the formation of porous Al2O3on commercial 1050 aluminium alloy (AA1050) in 2[Formula: see text]M sulfuric acid (H2SO4) electrolyte was investigated. Anodization was performed at 12[Formula: see text]V and 15[Formula: see text]V specimens for a charge density of 757[Formula: see text]mC/cm2and 3231[Formula: see text]mC/cm2. The resulting oxides were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). According to analysis, a hexagonal oxide formation containing more than one nano pore was observed on the surface of the specimen. The structural properties of the porous oxide film were analyzed with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis and film-related features such as thickness of the porous and the barrier layer were obtained.
DEPOSITION OF TiAlV THIN FILMS BY PULSED LASER AND DC MAGNETRON SPUTTERING: STRUCTURAL, COMPOSITIONAL AND ELECTROCHEMICAL CORROSION STUDY
Authors: ALKHAWWAM A. , ABDALLAH B. , JAZMATI A. K. , TOOTANJI M. , LAHLAH F.
Published: November 2019

In this work, TiAlV thin films have been prepared on two different types of substrates: silicon and stainless steel (SS304) by two deposition methods: Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) and DC magnetron sputtering. Different techniques have been employed in order to characterize film properties such as: Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) equipped with Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), microhardness and corrosion test. EDX analysis showed that the deposited films are slightly different from that of the target material Ti6Al4V alloy. The measured microhardness values are about 11.7[Formula: see text]GPa and 4.7[Formula: see text]GPa for films prepared by PLD and DC magnetron sputtering, respectively. Corrosion test indicated that the corrosion resistance of the two TiAlV films deposited on SS304 substrates in (0.9% NaCl) physiological normal saline medium was significantly improved compared with the SS304 substrates. These attractive results could permit applications of our films in the medical implants fabrication.
Understanding the Knowledge Gaps of Software Engineers
Authors: Garousi Vahid , Giray Gorkem , Tuzun Eray
Published: November 2019

Context:Knowledge level and productivity of the software engineering (SE) workforce are the subject of regular discussions among practitioners, educators, and researchers. There have been many efforts to measure and improve the knowledge gap between SE education and industrial needs.

Objective:Although the existing efforts for aligning SE education and industrial needs have provided valuable insights, there is a need for analyzing the SE topics in a more “fine-grained” manner; i.e., knowing that SE university graduates should know more about requirements engineering is important, but it is more valuable to know the exact topics of requirements engineering that are most important in the industry.

Method:We achieve the above objective by assessing the knowledge gaps of software engineers by designing and executing an opinion survey on levels of knowledge learned in universities versus skills needed in industry. We designed the survey by using the SE knowledge areas (KAs) from the latest version of the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge (SWEBOK v3), which classifies the SE knowledge into 12 KAs, which are themselves broken down into 67 subareas (sub-KAs) in total. Our analysis is based on (opinion) data gathered from 129 practitioners, who are mostly based in Turkey.

Results:Based on our findings, we recommend that educators should include more materials on software maintenance, software configuration management, and testing in their SE curriculum. Based on the literature as well as the current trends in industry, we provide actionable suggestions to improve SE curriculum to decrease the knowledge gap.
In Search of a Stochastic Model for the E-News Reader
Authors: Veloso Bráulio M. , Assunção Renato M. , Ferreira Anderson A. , Ziviani Nivio
Published: November 2019

E-news readers have increasingly at their disposal a broad set of news articles to read. Online newspaper sites use recommender systems to predict and to offer relevant articles to their users. Typically, these recommender systems do not leverage users’ reading behavior. If we know how the topics-reads change in a reading session, we may lead to fine-tuned recommendations, for example, after reading a certain number of sports items, it may be counter-productive to keep recommending other sports news. The motivation for this article is the assumption that understanding user behavior when reading successive online news articles can help in developing better recommender systems. We propose five categories of stochastic models to describe this behavior depending on how the previous reading history affects the future choices of topics. We instantiated these five classes with many different stochastic processes covering short-term memory, revealed-preference, cumulative advantage, and geometric sojourn models. Our empirical study is based on large datasets of E-news from two online newspapers. We collected data from more than 13 million users who generated more than 23 million reading sessions, each one composed by the successive clicks of the users on the posted news. We reduce each user session to the sequence of reading news topics. The models were fitted and compared using the Akaike Information Criterion and the Brier Score. We found that the best models are those in which the user moves through topics influenced only by their most recent readings. Our models were also better to predict the next reading than the recommender systems currently used in these journals showing that our models can improve user satisfaction.
Increased DMT1 and FPN1 expression with enhanced iron absorption in ulcerative colitis human colon
Authors: Minor Emily A. , Kupec Justin T. , Nickerson Andrew J. , Narayanan Karthikeyan , Rajendran Vazhaikkurichi M.
Published: November 2019

Iron deficiency anemia is a common complication of ulcerative colitis (UC) that can profoundly impact quality of life. Most iron absorption occurs in the duodenum via divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1)-mediated uptake and ferroportin-1 (FPN1)-mediated export across the apical and basolateral membranes, respectively. However, the colon also contains iron transporters and can participate in iron absorption. Studies have shown increased duodenal DMT1 and FPN1 in patients with UC, but there is conflicting evidence about whether expression is altered in UC colon. We hypothesized that expression of colonic DMT1 and FPN1 will also increase to compensate for iron deficiency. Quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot analyses were performed on duodenal and colonic segmental (right colon, transverse colon, left colon, and rectum) biopsies obtained during colonoscopy. DMT1 mRNA and protein abundances in colonic segments were approximately equal to those in the duodenum, whereas colonic FPN1 mRNA and protein abundances of colonic segments were about one-quarter of those of the duodenum. DMT1 specific mRNA and protein abundances were increased twofold, whereas FPN1 mRNA and protein expressions were increased fivefold in UC distal colon. Immunofluorescence studies revealed enhanced expression of apical membrane- and basolateral membrane-localized DMT1 and FPN1 in UC human colon, respectively. Increased DMT1 expression was associated with enhanced 2-(3-carbamimidoylsulfanylmethyl-benzyl)-isothiourea (CISMBI, DMT1 specific inhibitor)-sensitive 59Fe uptake in UC human colon. We conclude from these results that patients with active UC have increased expression of colonic iron transporters and increased iron absorption, which may be targeted in the treatment of UC-related anemia.
Keratin 18 is an integral part of the intermediate filament network in murine skeletal muscle
Authors: Muriel Joaquin M. , O’Neill Andrea , Kerr Jaclyn P. , Kleinhans-Welte Emily , Lovering Richard M. , Bloch Robert J.
Published: November 2019

Intermediate filaments (IFs) contribute to force transmission, cellular integrity, and signaling in skeletal muscle. We previously identified keratin 19 (Krt19) as a muscle IF protein. We now report the presence of a second type I muscle keratin, Krt18. Krt18 mRNA levels are about half those for Krt19 and only 1:1,000th those for desmin; the protein was nevertheless detectable in immunoblots. Muscle function, measured by maximal isometric force in vivo, was moderately compromised in Krt18-knockout ( Krt18-KO) or dominant-negative mutant mice ( Krt18 DN), but structure was unaltered. Exogenous Krt18, introduced by electroporation, was localized in a reticulum around the contractile apparatus in wild-type muscle and to a lesser extent in muscle lacking Krt19 or desmin or both proteins. Exogenous Krt19, which was either reticular or aggregated in controls, became reticular more frequently in Krt19-null than in Krt18-null, desmin-null, or double-null muscles. Desmin was assembled into the reticulum normally in all genotypes. Notably, all three IF proteins appeared in overlapping reticular structures. We assessed the effect of Krt18 on susceptibility to injury in vivo by electroporating siRNA into tibialis anterior (TA) muscles of control and Krt19-KO mice and testing 2 wk later. Results showed a 33% strength deficit (reduction in maximal torque after injury) compared with siRNA-treated controls. Conversely, electroporation of siRNA to Krt19 into Krt18-null TA yielded a strength deficit of 18% after injury compared with controls. Our results suggest that Krt18 plays a complementary role to Krt19 in skeletal muscle in both assembling keratin-based filaments and transducing contractile force.
Environmental consistency modulation of error sensitivity during motor adaptation is explicitly controlled
Authors: Avraham Guy , Keizman Matan , Shmuelof Lior
Published: November 2019

Motor adaptation, the adjustment of a motor output in face of changes in the environment, may operate at different rates. When human participants encounter repeated or consistent perturbations, their corrections for the experienced errors are larger compared with when the perturbations are new or inconsistent. Such modulations of error sensitivity were traditionally considered to be an implicit process that does not require attentional resources. In recent years, the implicit view of motor adaptation has been challenged by evidence showing a contribution of explicit strategies to learning. These findings raise a fundamental question regarding the nature of the error sensitivity modulation processes. We tested the effect of explicit control on error sensitivity in a series of experiments, in which participants controlled a screen cursor to virtual targets. We manipulated environmental consistency by presenting rotations in random (low consistency) or random walk (high consistency) sequences and illustrated that perturbation consistency affects the rate of adaptation, corroborating previous studies. When participants were instructed to ignore the cursor and move directly to the target, thus eliminating the contribution of explicit strategies, consistency-driven error sensitivity modulation was not detected. In addition, delaying the visual feedback, a manipulation that affects implicit learning, did not influence error sensitivity under consistent perturbations. These results suggest that increases of learning rate in consistent environments are attributable to an explicit rather than implicit process in sensorimotor adaptation.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY The consistency of an external perturbation modulates error sensitivity and the motor response. The roles of explicit and implicit processes in this modulation are unknown. We show that when humans are asked to ignore the perturbation, they do not show increased error sensitivity in consistent environments. When the implicit system is manipulated by delaying feedback, sensitivity to a consistent perturbation does not change. Overall, our results suggest that consistency affects adaptation mainly through explicit control.
GABAA receptors contribute more to rate than temporal coding in the IC of awake mice
Authors: Gourévitch Boris , Mahrt Elena J. , Bakay Warren , Elde Cameron , Portfors Christine V.
Published: November 2019

Speech is our most important form of communication, yet we have a poor understanding of how communication sounds are processed by the brain. Mice make great model organisms to study neural processing of communication sounds because of their rich repertoire of social vocalizations and because they have brain structures analogous to humans, such as the auditory midbrain nucleus inferior colliculus (IC). Although the combined roles of GABAergic and glycinergic inhibition on vocalization selectivity in the IC have been studied to a limited degree, the discrete contributions of GABAergic inhibition have only rarely been examined. In this study, we examined how GABAergic inhibition contributes to shaping responses to pure tones as well as selectivity to complex sounds in the IC of awake mice. In our set of long-latency neurons, we found that GABAergic inhibition extends the evoked firing rate range of IC neurons by lowering the baseline firing rate but maintaining the highest probability of firing rate. GABAergic inhibition also prevented IC neurons from bursting in a spontaneous state. Finally, we found that although GABAergic inhibition shaped the spectrotemporal response to vocalizations in a nonlinear fashion, it did not affect the neural code needed to discriminate vocalizations, based either on spiking patterns or on firing rate. Overall, our results emphasize that even if GABAergic inhibition generally decreases the firing rate, it does so while maintaining or extending the abilities of neurons in the IC to code the wide variety of sounds that mammals are exposed to in their daily lives.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY GABAergic inhibition adds nonlinearity to neuronal response curves. This increases the neuronal range of evoked firing rate by reducing baseline firing. GABAergic inhibition prevents bursting responses from neurons in a spontaneous state, reducing noise in the temporal coding of the neuron. This could result in improved signal transmission to the cortex.
District Effect Appraisal in East Sub-Saharan Africa: Combating Childhood Anaemia
Authors: Roberts Danielle J. , Zewotir Temesgen
Published: November 2019

Background. Anaemia in children is a significant health problem that receives little attention. This study aimed at determining the factors significantly associated with anaemia in children aged 6 to 59 months in Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda while accounting for the spatial heterogeneity within and between the districts of the four countries. In addition, the performance of the districts with regard to their impact on anaemia was assessed and ranked. Methods. A generalised additive mixed model with a spatial effect based on the geographical coordinates of the clusters was used. A district-level random effect was included to further account for the heterogeneity as well as to rank the performance of the districts based on the best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP). Results. The results depicted significant spatial heterogeneity between and within the districts of the countries. After accounting for such spatial heterogeneity, child-level characteristics (gender, malaria test result, and mother’s highest education level), household-level characteristics (household size, household’s wealth index Z-score, the type of toilet facility available, and the type of place of residence), and the country of residence were found to be significantly associated with the child’s anaemia status. There was a significant interaction between the type of place of residence and the country of residence. Based on the BLUP for the district-level random effect, the top 3 best- and worst-performing districts within each country were identified. Conclusion. The ranking of the performance of the districts allows for the worst-performing districts to be targeted for further research in order to improve their anaemia control strategies, as well as for the best-performing districts to be identified to further determine why they are performing better and then to use these districts as role models in efforts to overcome childhood anaemia.
SmoPSI: Analysis and Prediction of Small Molecule Binding Sites Based on Protein Sequence Information
Authors: Wang Wei , Li Keliang , Lv Hehe , Zhang Hongjun , Wang Shixun , Huang Junwei
Published: November 2019

The analysis and prediction of small molecule binding sites is very important for drug discovery and drug design. The traditional experimental methods for detecting small molecule binding sites are usually expensive and time consuming, and the tools for single species small molecule research are equally inefficient. In recent years, some algorithms for predicting binding sites of protein-small molecules have been developed based on the geometric and sequence characteristics of proteins. In this paper, we have proposed SmoPSI, a classification model based on the XGBoost algorithm for predicting the binding sites of small molecules, using protein sequence information. The model achieved better results with an AUC of 0.918 and an ACC of 0.913. The experimental results demonstrate that our method achieves high performances and outperforms many existing predictors. In addition, we also analyzed the binding residues and nonbinding residues and finally found the PSSM; hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity, charge, and hydrogen bonding have obviously different effects on the binding-site predictions.
Association between Aspartate Aminotransferase-to-Platelet Ratio Index and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis: A Meta-Analysis of Cohort Study
Authors: Zhang Chuanmeng , Wu Jiayuan , Xu Juan , Xu Jie , Xian Jianchun , Xue Shanshan , Ye Jun
Published: November 2019

Background and Aim. Aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) is widely used in the assessment of fibrosis and cirrhosis, especially in patients with chronic hepatitis. However, the prognostic value of APRI in patients with chronic hepatitis with regard to the prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurrence remains controversial. The objective of this meta-analysis is to investigate the association between APRI and HCC risk on the basis of cohort studies. Methods. We systematically reviewed PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure databases for relevant cohort studies up to May 1, 2019. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for total and subgroup analyses were calculated with Stata 12.0 software for the assessment of the relationship between APRI and HCC risk. Results. A total of 13 studies, involving 8897 patients, were included in the meta-analysis, of which 11 explored the association between pretreatment APRI and HCC risk and four reported the relationship between posttreatment APRI and HCC risk. Pooled results showed that an elevated level of pretreatment APRI was associated with increased HCC risk (HR=2.56, 95% CI: 1.78–3.68). When stratified by hepatitis type, high pretreatment APRI predicted HCC development in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and C (CHC) but not in alcoholic liver cirrhosis (ALC). In the subgroup analyses of study region, cut-off value, sample size, and analysis method, the relationship between high pretreatment APRI and increased HCC risk was significant. Meanwhile, patients with a high level of posttreatment APRI suffered from high HCC risk (HR=3.69, 95% CI: 2.52–5.42). Conclusion: Results revealed a significant association between elevated APRI and HCC development in patients with chronic hepatitis, suggesting that APRI might serve as a valuable predictor for HCC risk in patients with chronic hepatitis.
Antimalarial Activity and Toxicological Assessment of Betula alnoides Extract against Plasmodium berghei Infections in Mice
Authors: Chaniad Prapaporn , Techarang Tachpon , Phuwajaroanpong Arisara , Punsawad Chuchard
Published: November 2019

The resistance of malaria parasites to the current antimalarial drugs has led to the search for novel effective drugs. Betula alnoides has been traditionally used for the treatment of malaria, but the scientific evidence to substantiate this claim is still lacking. Therefore, the present study aimed at evaluating the antimalarial activity and toxicity of an aqueous stem extract of B. alnoides in a mouse model. The in vivo antimalarial activity of an aqueous stem extract of B. alnoides was determined by a 4-day suppressive test in mice infected with chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium berghei ANKA. The B. alnoides extract was administered orally at different doses of 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg body weight. The levels of parasitaemia, survival time, body weight change, and food and water consumption of the mice were determined. The acute toxicity of the extract was assessed in the mice for 14 days after the administration of a single oral dose of 5000 mg/kg. An aqueous stem extract of B. alnoides exhibited a significant dose-dependent reduction of parasitaemia in P. berghei-infected mice at all dose levels compared to the reduction in the negative control. Extract doses of 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg body weight suppressed the levels of parasitaemia by 46.90, 58.39, and 71.26%, respectively. The extract also significantly prolonged the survival times of the P. berghei-infected mice compared to the survival times of the negative control mice. In addition, at all dose levels, the extract prevented body weight loss in P. berghei-infected mice. For the acute toxicity, there were no significant alterations in the biochemical parameters and in the histopathology. In conclusion, the aqueous stem extract of B. alnoides possesses antimalarial properties. A single oral dose of 5000 mg/kg body weight had no significant toxic effects on the function and structure of the kidneys and liver. These results support its use in traditional medicine for the treatment of malaria.
A Simple and Reliable Synthesis of Superparamagnetic Magnetite Nanoparticles by Thermal Decomposition of Fe(acac)3
Authors: Toyos-Rodríguez C. , Calleja-García J. , Torres-Sánchez L. , López A. , Abu-Dief Ahmed M. , Costa A. , Elbaile L. , Crespo R. D. , Garitaonandia J. S. , Lastra E. , García J. A. , García-Alonso F. J.
Published: November 2019

Magnetic nanoparticles have been largely proposed as means of technological tools due to its value in different fields, especially in biomedicine. Herein, we present a robust, highly reproducible and low-cost method to obtain superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticles (MNP-II) of about 15±5 nm diameter by thermal decomposition of [Fe(acac)3] in a one-pot, two-step method. In the first step, magnetite nanoparticles (MNP-I) of lower size, 9±4 nm, with a saturation magnetization (MS) of 65 emu/g and a coercive field (Hc) of 1 Oe are obtained. In the second step, those particles MNP-I act as seeds for the final MNP-II which present a saturation magnetization of 70 emu/g and a coercive field of 12 Oe.
Fibrinogen and Albumin Score Changes during Preoperative Treatment Can Predict Prognosis in Patients with Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer
Authors: Tang Meng-Jun , Ding Shu-Bo , Hu Wang-Yuan
Published: November 2019

Background. Fibrinogen (Fib) and albumin (Alb) levels are indicators of systemic inflammatory responses. Elevated Fib and decreased Alb levels are considered negative prognostic factors in different types of cancer. Here, we explored the prognostic value of changes in pre- and post- neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) plasma fibrinogen and serum albumin (FA) scores in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Methods. A total of 106 patients with LARC who underwent NCRT followed by surgical resection at Jinhua Municipal Central Hospital between 2011 and 2015 were analyzed. In addition, plasma Fib and serum Alb levels before and after NCRT were collected. FA scores were calculated based on the Fib and Alb levels dichotomized by clinical reference values. Patients were classified into two groups based on the changes in FA scores during NCRT: in group A, FA scores decreased or remained unchanged (n=84), and in group B, FA scores increased (n=22). Changes in FA scores were compared with patient outcomes. Results. Increased FA scores were associated with worse disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with LARC. The occurrence of systemic failure was higher in group B than in group A (40.9% vs. 19%, P=0.032). In multivariate analysis, changes in FA scores, pretreatment carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels, and pathologic differentiation were independent prognostic parameters for DFS and changes in FA scores and pretreatment CEA levels were independent prognostic parameters for OS. Conclusions. Increased FA score after NCRT was an independent negative prognostic factor for DFS and OS in patients with NCRT-treated LARC.
Astrocyte-Targeted Transporter-Utilizing Derivatives of Ferulic Acid Can Have Multifunctional Effects Ameliorating Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in the Brain
Authors: Montaser Ahmed , Huttunen Johanna , Ibrahim Sherihan Abdelhamid , Huttunen Kristiina M.
Published: November 2019

Ferulic acid (FA) is a natural phenolic antioxidant, which can exert also several other beneficial effects to combat neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease. One of these properties is the inhibition of several enzymes and factors, such as β-site amyloid precursor protein (APP) cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1), cyclooxygenases (COXs), lipoxygenases (LOXs), mammalian (or mechanistic) target for rapamycin (mTOR), and transcription factor NF-κB. We have previously synthesized three L-type amino acid transporter 1- (LAT1-) utilizing FA-derivatives with the aim to develop brain-targeted prodrugs of FA. In the present study, the cellular uptake and bioavailability of these FA-derivatives were evaluated in mouse primary astrocytic cell cultures together with their inhibitory effects towards BACE1, COX/LOX, mTOR, NF-κB, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and oxidative stress. According to the results, all three FA-derivatives were taken up 200–600 times more effectively at 10 μM concentration into the astrocytes than FA, with one derivative having a high intracellular bioavailability (Kp,uu), particularly at low concentrations. Moreover, all of the derivatives were able to inhibit BACE1, COX/LOX, AChE, and oxidative stress measured as decreased cellular lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, one of the derivatives modified the total mTOR amount. Therefore, these derivatives have the potential to act as multifunctional compounds preventing β-amyloid accumulation as well as combating inflammation and reducing oxidative stress in the brain. Thus, this study shows that converting a parent drug into a transporter-utilizing derivative not only may increase its brain and cellular uptake, and bioavailability but can also broaden the spectrum of pharmacological effects elicited by the derivative.