bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chromosomal‐level genomes of three rice planthoppers provide new insights into sex chromosome evolution
Authors: Ma Weihua , Xu Le , Hua Hongxia , Chen Mengyao , Guo Mengjian , He Kang , Zhao Jing , Li Fei
Published: August 2020

The brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens, white‐backed planthopper Sogatella furcifera, and small brown planthopper Laodelphax striatellus are three major insect pests of rice. They are genetically close; however, they differ in several ecological traits such as host range, migration capacity, and in their sex chromosomes. Though the draft genome of these three planthoppers have been previously released, the quality of genome assemblies need to be improved. The absence of chromosome‐level genome resources has hindered in‐depth research of these three species. Here, we performed a de novo genome assembly for N. lugens to increase its genome assembly quality with PacBio and Illumina platforms, increasing the contig N50 to 589.46 Kb. Then, with the new N. lugens genome and previously reported S. furcifera and L. striatellus genome assemblies, we generated chromosome‐level scaffold assemblies of these three planthopper species using HiC scaffolding technique. The scaffold N50s significantly increased to 77.63 Mb, 43.36 Mb and 29.24 Mb for N. lugens, S. furcifera and L. striatellus, respectively. To identify sex chromosomes of these three planthopper species, we carried out genome re‐sequencing of males and females and successfully determined the X and Y chromosomes for N. lugens, and X chromosome for S. furcifera and L. striatellus. The gene content of the sex chromosomes showed high diversity among these three planthoppers suggesting the rapid evolution of sex‐linked genes, and all chromosomes showed high synteny. The chromosome‐level genome assemblies of three planthoppers would provide a valuable resource for a broad range of future research in molecular ecology, and subsequently benefits development of modern pest control strategies.
Histone methyltransferase Smyd3 is a new regulator for vascular senescence
Authors: Yang Di , Wei Gang , Long Fen , Nie Hongbo , Tian Xiaoli , Qu Lefeng , Wang ShuangXi , Li Peng , Qiu Yue , Wang Yang , Hong Wanjin , Ni Ting , Liu Xinhua , Zhu Yi Zhun
Published: August 2020

Endothelial cell senescence is one of the main risk factors contributing to vascular diseases. As increasing number of “epigenetic drugs” entering clinical trials, understanding the mechanism of epigenetic regulation in vascular aging has significant implications in finding targets to cure vascular diseases. However, the epigenetic regulation of endothelial senescence remains unclear. Based on the findings that increased protein level of histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methyltransferase Smyd3 and elevated H3K4me3 modification happened in angiotensin II (Ang II)‐induced senescence in rat endothelial cells, we are curious about whether and how Smyd3 can regulate endothelial senescence. We found that an increase of Smyd3 alone promoted senescence‐associated phenotypes, while knockdown of Smyd3 blocked senescence in endothelial cells. Furthermore, Smyd3‐specific inhibitor reversed vascular senescence‐associated phenotypes at cellular level. Importantly, Ang II‐induced vascular senescence can be greatly alleviated in Smyd3 knockout (KO) mice and those treated with Smyd3 inhibitor. Mechanistically, Smyd3 directly bound to the promoter region of Cdkn1a (coding for p21), then caused its increased H3K4me3 level and elevated gene expression, and ultimately gave rise to senescence‐associated phenotypes. Intriguingly, Smyd3‐mediated p21 upregulated expression also exists in human tissues of vascular disease, indicating it is probably an evolutionarily conserved mechanism in regulating vascular senescence. Thus, Smyd3 can act as a novel factor regulating endothelial senescence through transcriptionally promoting p21 expression. Blocking the Smyd3‐p21 signaling axis may also have potential medical implications in treating diseases related to vascular aging.
SS‐31 and NMN: Two paths to improve metabolism and function in aged hearts
Authors: Whitson Jeremy A. , Bitto Alessandro , Zhang Huiliang , Sweetwyne Mariya T. , Coig Rene , Bhayana Saakshi , Shankland Eric G. , Wang Lu , Bammler Theo K. , Mills Kathryn F. , Imai Shin‐Ichiro , Conley Kevin E. , Marcinek David J. , Rabinovitch Peter S.
Published: August 2020

The effects of two different mitochondrial‐targeted drugs, SS‐31 and NMN, were tested on Old mouse hearts. After treatment with the drugs, individually or Combined, heart function was examined by echocardiography. SS‐31 partially reversed an age‐related decline in diastolic function while NMN fully reversed an age‐related deficiency in systolic function at a higher workload. Metabolomic analysis revealed that both NMN and the Combined treatment increased nicotinamide and 1‐methylnicotinamide levels, indicating greater NAD+ turnover, but only the Combined treatment resulted in significantly greater steady‐state NAD(H) levels. A novel magnetic resonance spectroscopy approach was used to assess how metabolite levels responded to changing cardiac workload. PCr/ATP decreased in response to increased workload in Old Control, but not Young, hearts, indicating an age‐related decline in energetic capacity. Both drugs were able to normalize the PCr/ATP dynamics. SS‐31 and NMN treatment also increased mitochondrial NAD(P)H production under the higher workload, while only NMN increased NAD+ in response to increased work. These measures did not shift in hearts given the Combined treatment, which may be owed to the enhanced NAD(H) levels in the resting state after this treatment. Overall, these results indicate that both drugs are effective at restoring different aspects of mitochondrial and heart health and that combining them results in a synergistic effect that rejuvenates Old hearts and best recapitulates the Young state.
Histopathological evaluation of different regenerative protocols using Chitosan‐based formulations for management of immature non‐vital teeth with apical periodontitis: In vivo study
Authors: Abbas Khaled Farouk , Tawfik Hossam , Hashem Ahmed Abdel Rahman , Ahmed Hany Mohamed Aly , Abu‐Seida Ashraf Mohamed , Refai Hanan Mohamed
Published: August 2020

This study aimed to assess regenerative treatment protocols for maturogenesis of immature teeth with apical periodontitis in dogs. Apical periodontitis was induced in immature premolars of 8 mongrel dogs teeth that were divided into 5 groups; regeneration via blood clotting (REG group); chitosan loaded with demineralised bone matrix (REG‐CD group); chitosan loaded with dexamethazone corticosteroid (REG‐CC group); and positive and negative control groups. All groups showed comparable apical hard tissue formation and significantly different from the control group. Results also showed decrease in inflammatory tissue reaction, bone resorption and periodontal ligament thickness. Tissue reaction and inflammatory infiltrates were significantly less in REG‐CC group compared to others. Other parameters showed no significant difference. In conclusion, regenerative endodontic techniques using chitosan‐based formulations have the potential to be used as an alternative for root maturation in teeth with apical periodontitis.
Can Technology Compensate for a Labor Shortage? Effects of 287(g) Immigration Policies on the U.S. Dairy Industry
Authors: Charlton Diane , Kostandini Genti
Published: August 2020

We leverage spatial and temporal variation in the implementation of county‐level 287(g) immigration enforcement policies as a quasi‐experiment to measure the effects of an inward shift in the local immigrant labor supply on U.S. dairy operations. Our findings show that 287(g) policies cause production and labor expenditures per farm to decrease and labor efficiency to increase. The primary dairy operator is more likely to have off‐farm income, and dairies are more likely to use select labor‐saving technologies after 287(g) is implemented. Nevertheless, the number of dairies in operation, total milk production, and average dairy size in the county decline. Our findings indicate that the dairy industry became more labor efficient and technologically advanced as a result of the 287(g) program. However, total production declined. We conclude that technological gains in the dairy industry were insufficient to entirely offset the negative shock to production resulting from an inward shift in labor supply, at least in the short run. These findings are of importance for labor‐intensive industries that could potentially experience an adverse labor supply shock.
Anaphylaxis to drugs: Overcoming mast cell unresponsiveness by fake antigens
Authors: Pichler Werner J.
Published: August 2020

Our understanding of IgE‐mediated drug allergy relies on the hapten concept, which is well established in inducing adaptive reactions of the immune system to small molecules like drugs. The role of hapten‐carrier adducts in re‐challenge reactions leading to mast cell degranulation and anaphylaxis is unclear. Based on clinical observations, the speed of adduct formation, skin and in vitro tests to inert drug molecules, a different explanation of IgE‐mediated reactions to drugs is proposed: These are (a) A natural role of reduced mast cell (MC) reactivity in developing IgE‐mediated reactions to drugs. This MC unresponsiveness is antigen‐specific and covers the serum drug concentrations, but allows reactivity to locally higher concentrations. (b) Some non‐covalent drug‐protein complexes rely on rather affine bindings and have a similar appearance as covalent hapten‐protein adducts. Such drug‐protein complexes represent so‐called “fake antigens,” as they are unable to induce immunity, but may react with and cross‐link preformed drug‐specific IgE. As they are formed very rapidly and in high concentrations, they may cause fulminant MC degranulation and anaphylaxis. (c) The generation of covalent hapten‐protein adducts requires hours, either because the formation of covalent bonds requires time or because first a metabolic step for forming a reactive metabolite is required. This slow process of stable adduct formation has the advantage that it may give time to desensitize mast cells, even in already sensitized individuals. The consequences of this new interpretation of IgE‐mediated reactions to drugs are potentially wide‐reaching for IgE‐mediated drug allergy but also allergy in general.
Comparison between video‐assisted retroperitoneal debridement and small incision pancreatic necrosectomy in infected pancreatic necrosis
Authors: Zhang Jin‐Bao , Sun Bei
Published: August 2020

Background

Debridement and drainage have always been mainstream treatment for infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN), and the application of minimally invasive necrosectomy is becoming increasingly widespread. However, few studies have compared video‐assisted retroperitoneal debridement (VARD) and small incision pancreatic necrosectomy (SIPN) individually. Our aim was to compare VARD and SIPN by evaluating outcomes.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed patients with IPN who underwent either VARD or SIPN between 2010 and 2019 in China. Data relative to patient demographics, major complications, health care resource utilization and mortality were collected. Statistical analyses used were the two‐tailed Student's t‐test and the chi‐squared test.

Results

Of 59 patients, 31 patients underwent SIPN and 28 patients were treated with VARD. SIPN and VARD had similar treatment success and mortality rates. The rate of reintervention due to lack of clinical improvement was significantly lower in the SIPN group (32% versus 61%; P = 0.028). In addition, the length of total hospital stay was 60 days in the SIPN group and 72 days in the VARD group (P < 0.0001) and mean total costs was significantly less in the SIPN group than in the VARD group (P = 0.008).

Conclusion

Given the shorter hospitalization period, lower total cost and lower rate of reinterventions, SIPN may be superior to the step‐up approach for patients with IPN than for those with VARD.
Incidentally discovered Meckel's diverticulum: should I stay or should I go?
Authors: Tartaglia Dario , Cremonini Camilla , Strambi Silvia , Ginesini Michael , Biloslavo Alan , Paiano Lucia , Quilici Francesca , Castagna Maura , Di Saverio Salomone , Coccolini Federico , Chiarugi Massimo
Published: August 2020

Background

The aim of this study was to assess the indication for surgical treatment of incidentally discovered Meckel's diverticulum (MD) on the basis of clinical and histological features.

Methods

The charts of patients undergoing surgery for MD were analysed. Two groups were identified: (1) patients who had incidentally discovered MD resected (incidental MD, IMD) and (2) patients who received first‐line surgery for a complicated MD (CMD). Demographics and intraoperative and post‐operative outcomes were compared. Histological findings were also analysed and compared.

Results

Sixty‐five patients were included in the study. IMD was observed in 39 patients (60%), while CMD was observed in 26 (40%). Male gender was significantly more frequent in CMD (P = 0.020), and mean age was significantly higher in IMD (P = 0.025). Body mass index and the American Society of Anesthesiologists score >2 were similar in both groups. Laparoscopy was carried out in 36% of IMD and in 50% of CMD patients (P = 0.309). A tangential resection was performed in 92% of IMD and 73% of CMD patients (P = 0.07). No complications related to diverticular resection were found in IMD, while they occurred in 8% of CMD patients (P = 0.931). Meanly, diverticula were longer when complicated (P = 0.001). CMD showed significant histological differences and more frequent gastric ectopic mucosa (P = 0.039). A malignant tumour was incidentally found in IMD.

Conclusion

As surgery is mandatory in CMD, the optimal management of IMD remains uncertain. Mucosal abnormalities may favour complications, but these cannot be identified before excision. Stapled diverticulectomy is safe and effective. A surgical approach to IMD may prevent complications at a very low cost.
Operative outcome of hernia repair with synthetic mesh in immunocompromised patients
Authors: Lee Lucas D. , Stroux Andrea , Nickisch Daniela , Wröbel Lea , Aschenbrenner Katja , Weixler Benjamin , Kreis Martin E. , Lauscher Johannes C.
Published: August 2020

Background

The safety of synthetic mesh in elective hernia repair in the setting of immunosuppression lacks national and international consensus. The aim of our analysis was to explore the effects of immunosuppression on the rates of wound complications.

Methods

Comparative analysis of immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients with elective mesh repair of inguinal, femoral, primary ventral, incisional or parastomal hernia between January 2001 and December 2013. Immunosuppression included glucocorticoids, biologicals, chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy. Primary outcome parameter was mesh infection rate. Follow‐up questionnaires were completed in written form or by telephone interview.

Results

Questionnaire response rate was 59.5% (n = 194) with a median follow‐up of 33 (interquartile range: 28–41) months. There were no differences between immunocompromised (n = 40, 20.6%) and immunocompetent patients (n = 154, 79.4%) based on hernia and patient characteristics. Immunosuppression was not associated with the rates of mesh infection (P = 1.000), surgical site infection (SSI, P = 0.330) or re‐operation for SSI (P = 0.365), but with higher rates (P = 0.007) and larger odds for hernia recurrence (odds ratio 3.264, 95% confidence interval 1.304–8.172; P = 0.012). Mesh infection also increased the odds for hernia recurrence (odds ratio 11.625; 95% confidence interval 1.754–77.057; P = 0.011). Only in the subset of ventral/incisional hernias, immunocompromised (n = 8, 40%) patients had higher recurrence rates than immunocompetent patients (n = 5, 11.6%; P = 0.017). Patients with SSI reported more frequently moderate to severe dysesthesia at the surgical site (P = 0.013) and would less frequently re‐consent to surgery (P = 0.006).

Conclusion

Immunosuppression does not increase the rate of wound infections after elective hernia repair with synthetic mesh. However, immunosuppression and mesh infection are risk factors for hernia recurrence.
Frontiers in hemodialysis: Innovations and technological advances
Authors: Basile Carlo , Davenport Andrew , Mitra Sandip , Pal Avishek , Stamatialis Dimitrios , Chrysochou Constantina , Kirmizis Dimitrios
Published: August 2020

As increasing demand for hemodialysis (HD) treatment incurs significant financial burden to healthcare systems and ecological burden as well, novel therapeutic approaches as well as innovations and technological advances are being sought that could lead to the development of purification devices such as dialyzers with improved characteristics and wearable technology. Novel knowledge such as the development of more accurate kinetic models, the development of novel HD membranes with the use of nanotechnology, novel manufacturing processes, and the latest technology in the science of materials have enabled novel solutions already marketed or on the verge of becoming commercially available. This collaborative article reviews the latest advances in HD as they were presented by the authors in a recent symposium titled “Frontiers in Haemodialysis,” held on 12th December 2019 at the Royal Society of Medicine in London.
Multifunctional activity of vitamin E in animal and animal products: A review
Authors: Idamokoro Emrobowansan M. , Falowo Andrew B. , Oyeagu Chika E. , Afolayan Anthony J.
Published: August 2020

Vitamin E is an essential nontoxic fat‐soluble micronutrient whose effects on livestock performance and products can be attributed to its antioxidant and nonantioxidant properties. Although it is needed in small quantity in the diet, its roles in livestock production are indispensable as it is required in boosting performance, nutritional qualities, and yield of animal and animal products. The dietary or oral supplementation of vitamin E is essential in reducing lipid oxidation in muscle, egg, and dairy products as well as lowering cholesterol concentrations and improving antioxidant status of livestock. Evidence has shown that bioavailability of vitamin E–enriched animal products could serve as an invaluable nutritional benefit to consumers; especially those in regions of limited resources where vitamin E deficiencies pose a risk that may be detrimental to some cellular activities of the body and on human health. It is therefore important to redirect research on the impact of vitamin E supplementation as antioxidant on livestock performance and animal products.
Solidagenone from Solidago chilensis Meyen inhibits skin inflammation in experimental models
Authors: Valverde Simone S. , Santos Bruna Celeida S. , de Oliveira Temístocles B. , Gonçalves Guilherme C. , de Sousa Orlando V.
Published: August 2020

Solidagenone (SOL) is a labdane‐type diterpenoid found in Solidago chilensis, a plant traditionally used to treat skin diseases, kidney pain and ovarian inflammation. In this study, the topical anti‐inflammatory activity of SOL was evaluated using in vivo and in silico assays. Croton oil‐, arachidonic acid (AA)‐ and phenol‐induced ear oedema mouse models were applied in the in vivo studies. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) and N‐acetyl‐β‐D‐glucosaminidase (NAG) activities and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and nitric oxide (NO) levels were determined, as well as histopathological analyses were conducted. Interaction profiles between SOL and cyclooxygenase‐1 (COX‐1), cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2), glucocorticoid receptor, estradiol‐17‐β‐dehydrogenase and prostaglandin‐E(2)‐9‐reductase were established using molecular docking. SOL significantly inhibited croton oil‐, AA‐ and phenol‐induced ear oedema (P < .001) at doses of 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/ear. The MPO and NAG activities and TNF‐α, IL‐6 and NO levels were decreased (P < .001). The histopathological data revealed that inflammatory parameters (oedema thickness, leucocyte infiltration and vasodilatation) were reduced by treatment with SOL at doses of 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/ear. The docking study showed that SOL interacts with COX‐1 and prostaglandin‐E(2)‐9‐reductase through hydrogen bonding, inhibiting these enzymes. These results indicate that SOL may be a promising compound for the treatment of cutaneous inflammatory disorders and has potential as a topical anti‐inflammatory agent.
BioMar‐ACG: A successful partnership to inventory and promulgate marine biodiversity
Authors: Cortés Jorge , Joyce Frank
Published: August 2020

Initiated in 2015, the marine inventory of Área de Conservación Guanacaste (BioMar‐ACG) is rapidly advancing knowledge of biodiversity. Key aspects include synergizing with parataxonomists, barcoding specimens and making information available. After 85 years, 594 species were reported. Now, after four years, BioMar‐ACG documented 1,123 species, for a total of 1,479.

Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.
Pharmacogenetics for severe adverse drug reactions induced by molecular‐targeted therapy
Authors: Udagawa Chihiro , Zembutsu Hitoshi
Published: August 2020

Molecular‐targeted drugs specifically interfere with molecules that are frequently overexpressed or mutated in cancer cells. As such, these drugs are generally considered to precisely attack cancer cells, thereby inducing fewer adverse drug reactions (ADRs). However, molecular‐targeted drugs can still cause characteristic ADRs that, although rarely severe, can be life‐threatening. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important to be able to predict which patients are at risk of developing ADRs after treatment with molecular‐targeted therapy. The emerging field of pharmacogenetics aims to better distinguish the genetic variants associated with drug toxicity and efficacy to improve the selection of therapeutic strategies for each genetic profile. Here, we provide an overview of the current reports on the relationship between genetic variants and molecular‐targeted drug‐induced severe ADRs in oncology.
Identification of three new compounds that directly target human serine hydroxymethyltransferase 2
Authors: Han Yanfang , He Liping , Qi Yifei , Zhao Yue , Pan Yue , Fang Bohuan , Li Sha , Zhang John Z. H. , Zhang Lujia
Published: August 2020

Mitochondrial serine hydroxymethyltransferase 2 (SHMT2) is an important drug target in the one‐carbon metabolic pathway, since its activity is critical for purine and pyrimidine biosynthesis. Additionally, it plays a prominent role during metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells, and SHMT2 inhibitors have proven useful as anticancer drugs. Compared to drugs targeting one‐carbon metabolic enzymes (mainly dihydrofolate reductase and thymidylate synthase) that have been used for clinical treatment of cancer, efficient SHMT2‐specific inhibitors are lacking. Therefore, we established a direct system for virtual screening, protein expression, and identification of inhibitors targeting SHMT2. First, 27 compounds qualifying as potential SHMT2 inhibitors were selected for biological activity verification through virtual screening of the 210 thousand compounds registered in the Specs database. Second, these 27 hits were subjected to quick screening by an in vitro non‐competitive kinetic assay of SHMT2 single‐enzyme catalysis. This allowed us to identify three compounds featuring medium‐strength and non‐competitive inhibition of SHMT2: AM‐807/42004511 (IC50 = 14.52 ± 4.1665 μM), AM‐807/40675298 (IC50 = 12.74 ± 5.8991 μM), and AM‐807/42004633 (IC50 = 9.43 ± 0.5646 μM). We describe a quick screening method for the identification of inhibitors targeting SHMT2, providing a basis for subsequent identification and screening of new inhibitors.
Do Children and Adults Take Social Relationship Into Account When Evaluating People’s Actions?
Authors: Marshall Julia , Wynn Karen , Bloom Paul
Published: August 2020

Two studies examined whether children (5‐ and 6‐year‐olds; 8‐ and 9‐year‐olds, n = 214) and adults (n = 72) consider social relationship when evaluating unhelpful or helpful actions. Participants learned about a person‐in‐need who was (or was not) helped by someone they knew (a friend) and someone they did not know (a stranger). Older children and adults judged an unhelpful friend as meaner than an unhelpful stranger, and judged a helpful stranger as nicer than a helpful friend. Younger children did not judge an unhelpful friend as any meaner than an unhelpful stranger, and they judged a helpful friend as nicer than a helpful stranger. These findings suggest that a mature appreciation of how social relationship matters for evaluation emerges relatively late in development.
Implant failures before and after peri‐implantitis surgery: A retrospective study on 207 consecutively treated patients
Authors: Jemt Torsten , Eriksson Julia
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This study aimed to report implant failures before and after peri‐implantitis surgery (P‐IS) and to compare the pattern of implant failures with in untreated at‐risk patients during the same period.

Materials and Methods

A total of 5628 untreated at‐risk patients (7240 jaws) and 207 consecutively patients treated with P‐IS (212 jaws) were included in two groups. Implants were placed and followed‐up between 1986 and 2018. Cumulative survival rates (CSR) for patients treated with P‐IS after 2003 were calculated before and after P‐IS and compared with those for nontreated patients.

Results

The overall 15‐year CSR was 91.2% (CI 95%; 90.5%‐91.9%) and 68.5%, (CI 95%, 62.1%‐75.5%) for untreated patients at risk and P‐IS patients, respectively (P < .05). The 10‐year CSR (baseline 1 year after implant surgery) was 97.2% (CI 95%, 95.2%‐100%) for treated patients before P‐IS which was comparable with that for untreated patients: 95.4% (CI 95%, 94.8%‐97.7%). The corresponding 10‐year CSR for P‐IS patients after surgery was significantly lower (71.6%: CI 95%, 63.1%‐81.3% (P < .05)).

Conclusion

CSR for patients/jaws without implant failures was comparable between untreated and treated P‐IS patients before, but lower for P‐IS patients after P‐IS (P < .05). A negative effect of P‐IS on implant survival after treatment cannot be disregarded.
Predictors for long‐term mortality in COPD patients requiring non‐invasive positive pressure ventilation for the treatment of acute respiratory failure
Authors: Sprooten Roy T. M. , Rohde Gernot G. U. , Janssen Marlou T. H. F. , Cobben Nicolle A. M. , Wouters Emiel F. M. , Franssen Frits M. E.
Published: August 2020

Introduction

The effectiveness of non‐invasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) in the management of COPD patients suffering from acute respiratory failure (ARF) as a consequence of exacerbation of the disease, is well established. However, data on long‐term outcomes and their predictors, including the individual response to NIV, are scarce.

Objectives

To investigate predictors for short‐ and long‐term mortality in this study population.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was performed including all patients admitted to the Medium Respiratory Care Unit of Maastricht University Medical Center in Maastricht, the Netherlands, with hospitalized exacerbation of COPD (H‐ECOPD) with ARF requiring NIV for the first time between January 2009 and December 2011. An extensive number of potential predictors of outcomes, including the response to NIV, were determined on admission and during hospitalization. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used for statistical analysis.

Results

Seventy‐eight consecutive patients with moderate to severe COPD (mean age 71.0 ± 10.7 years; 48.7% males) were included; In‐hospital, 1‐year and 2‐year mortality rates were 14.1%, 43.6% and 56.4%, respectively. Independent risk factors for 2‐year mortality were: advanced age (odds ratio(OR) 1.025; confidence interval (CI) 1.002‐1.049;P = 0.037), prolonged NIV use more than 8 days (OR:1.054;CI:1.006‐1.104;P = 0.027) and no successful response to NIV (OR:2.392;CI:1.297‐4.413;P = 0.005).

Conclusion

Patients with an H‐ECOPD requiring NIV for the first time, constitute a severely ill patient group with high in‐hospital and 2‐year mortality. This study identified advanced age, NIV use more than 8 days and unsuccessful response to NIV as clinical important independent predictors for long‐term mortality.
Role of a cardio‐renal multi‐disciplinary team meeting in managing cardiovascular risk in patients on kidney transplant waitlists
Authors: Junarta Joey , Fernandez Maria , Chung Isaac , Salha Ahmad , Klaud Francheska Bayiha D. , Lowe‐Jones Racquel , Sharma Rajan , Firoozi Sami , Banerjee Debasish
Published: August 2020

Background

Waitlisted kidney transplant patients suffer from excess cardiovascular events. The benefits of regular cardiac investigations, potentially harmful and expensive, are unknown. We investigate the effectiveness of a cardio‐renal MDT in managing high cardiovascular risk waitlisted transplant patients to prevent events and enable transplantation.

Methods

Clinical outcomes in waitlisted transplant candidates managed by our cardio‐renal MDT protocol were compared against our standard protocol. Data compared include the transplantation, event, and death rates, cost of cardiac investigations and procedures, and graft, patient survival, and re‐hospitalization rates in transplanted patients.

Results

207 patients were studied (81 standard, 126 cardio‐renal MDT). Over 2.7 years, the cardio‐renal MDT protocol transplanted more patients than the standard group (35% vs 21%; P = .02). The managing cost per patient per year was higher in the standard group (£692 vs £610). This was driven by more echocardiograms and more tests per patient in the standard group (P < .01). There was no difference in adverse events or death. There was no difference in re‐hospitalization, graft or patient survival rate in transplanted patients.

Conclusions

Our cardio‐renal MDT was effective in managing high‐risk kidney transplant candidates with greater rates of transplantation and low rates of events at a lower cost.
Subgroups of adults who drink alcohol at low‐risk levels: Diverse drinking patterns and demography
Authors: Mugavin Janette , MacLean Sarah , Room Robin , Callinan Sarah
Published: August 2020

Introduction

A significant minority of Australians drink within the 2009 national guidelines. Despite encouragement of low‐risk drinking as opposed to consumption patterns associated with greater harm, little is known about the drinking patterns of this group. This paper identifies subgroups of low‐risk drinkers and their distinguishable characteristics.

Methods

Data were sourced from the 2016 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, specifically 8492 adults (18+) who consumed 1–730 Australian standard drinks (ASD; 10 g ethanol) in the past year, and never 5+ ASD on a single occasion. Cluster analysis enabled identification of subgroups from drinking variables. Drinking patterns, socio‐demographic characteristics, drinking context and alcohol‐related perceptions of subgroups were examined.

Results

Three subgroups were identified. Special occasion drinkers (64.6%) drank low to moderate amounts very infrequently. Regular moderates (19.6%) and Regular sippers (15.8%) drank 5–6 days a week on average, with the average number of ASD per day 1.2 and 0.5, respectively. Special occasion drinkers tended to be younger than members of more regular drinking subgroups. Perceptions of regular alcohol use also differed between Special occasion drinkers and members of the other subgroups.

Discussion

Alcohol consumption patterns among low‐risk drinkers are not homogeneous. Younger drinkers who consume at low‐risk levels are more likely to report infrequent consumption than moderate regular consumption. A better understanding of low‐risk drinkers may help increase the prominence and acceptability of this type of drinking, challenge the normativity of heavier drinking norms and help target campaigns as new information emerges on health risks associated with low‐level drinking.
COVID‐19 Susceptibility in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Olloquequi Jordi
Published: August 2020

In barely nine months, the pandemic known as COVID‐19 has spread over 200 countries, affecting more than 22 million people and causing over than 786 000 deaths. Elderly people and patients with previous comorbidities such as hypertension and diabetes are at an increased risk to suffer a poor prognosis after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection.

Although the same could be expected from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), current epidemiological data are conflicting. This could lead to a reduction of precautionary measures in these patients, in the context of a particularly complex global health crisis.

Most COPD patients have a long history of smoking or exposure to other harmful particles or gases, capable of impairing pulmonary defences even years after the absence of exposure. Moreover, COPD is characterized by an ongoing immune dysfunction, which affects both pulmonary and systemic cellular and molecular inflammatory mediators. Consequently, increased susceptibility to viral respiratory infections have been reported in COPD, often worsened by bacterial co‐infections and leading to serious clinical outcomes.

The present paper is an up‐to‐date review that discusses the available research regarding the implications of coronavirus infection in COPD. Although validation in large studies is still needed, COPD likely increases SARS‐CoV‐2 susceptibility and increases COVID‐19 severity. Hence, specific mechanisms to monitor and assess COPD patients should be addressed in the current pandemic.
Exotic ladybirds for biological control of herbivorous insects – a review
Authors: Rondoni Gabriele , Borges Isabel , Collatz Jana , Conti Eric , Costamagna Alejandro C. , Dumont François , Evans Edward W. , Grez Audrey A. , Howe Andy G. , Lucas Eric , Maisonhaute Julie‐Éléonore , Onofre Soares António , Zaviezo Tania , Cock Matthew J.W.
Published: August 2020

Since the late 19th century, exotic ladybirds (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) have been used extensively for suppressing herbivorous insects of economic importance. In recent decades, the introduction of non‐native biological control (BC) agents has been greatly limited due to the awareness of the potential non‐target effects of introductions. Nonetheless, recent episodes of biological invasions of economically important pests have raised the need to carefully consider whether the expected benefits of pest control go beyond the possible environmental risks of introduction. To better understand the factors that contributed to successful BC programs, here we review the literature behind classical and augmentative BC using exotic ladybirds. Additionally, by means of case studies, we discuss the BC efficacy of selected exotic species, e.g.,Coccinella septempunctataL.,Harmonia axyridis(Pallas), andHippodamia variegata(Goeze), and their position within the communities of predators in the introduced areas of USA, Canada, and Chile. In Europe, much of the research on exotic ladybirds has been conducted on the undesired impact ofH. axyridis. Therefore, we summarize the risk assessment data for this species and review the field research investigating the ecological impact on European aphidophagous predators. According to the BIOCAT database of classical BC programs, 212 ladybird species belonging to 68 genera have been released in about 130 years of BC activity, with 14.6% of introductions having resulted in partial, substantial, or complete control of the target pest. However, because post‐release evaluation of establishment and BC success has not always been conducted, this rate could underestimate the successful cases. Among other factors, ladybird establishment and pest suppression mostly depend on (1) intrinsic factors, i.e., high voracity, synchronized predator‐prey life cycle, and high dispersal ability, and (2) extrinsic factors, i.e., adaptability to the new environment and landscape composition. This review contributes to improved understanding of ladybirds as exotic BC agents.
Distance learning during social seclusion by COVID‐19: Improving the quality of life of undergraduate dentistry students
Authors: Silva Paulo Goberlânio de Barros , de Oliveira Carlos Alysson Lima , Borges Marcela Maria Fontes , Moreira Danna Mota , Alencar Phillipe Nogueira Barbosa , Avelar Rafael Linard , Bitu Sousa Renata Mota Rodrigues , Sousa Fabrício Bitu
Published: August 2020

Background

Social isolation is ongoing worldwide with the aim to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus SARS‐CoV‐2 responsible for the COVID‐19 pandemic. However, social isolation leads to significant psycho‐emotional changes. This study aimed to assess the effect of distance education (DE) activities implemented due to social isolation, on the quality of life of undergraduate dentistry students.

Method

An e‐questionnaire (Google Forms®) was administered to identify specific DE activities after social isolation and included the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)‐Bref questionnaire. The e‐questionnaire was sent 14 days after the initiation of social isolation, remaining available for 48 hours. Cronbach's alpha and the means of the quality‐of‐life domains were calculated and analysed using the Friedman/Dunn and Spearman's correlation tests. After ranking, chi‐squared and Fisher's exact tests plus multinomial logistic regression were performed (SPSS, P < .05).

Result

There was an excellent internal consistency of WHOQOL‐Bref (α = 0.916), and the mean quality of life (0‐100) was 70.66 ± 12.61. The psychological domain was the most affected (P < .001). The social domain exhibited the weakest correlation with overall quality of life (P < .001, r = 0.688). The use of the Internet, cell phones and streaming media increased, although all students had DE activities. In the multivariate analysis, attending virtual meetings (P = .028) and performing DE activities in an office/study room (P = .034) were significantly associated with good quality of life.

Conclusion

Facing social isolation never previously experienced by this generation, undergraduate dentistry students are at risk of reduced quality of life. Therefore, performing DE activities through devices with teacher‐student interaction is a key coping tool.
Patient safety culture amongst dental students and interns in Dammam, Saudi Arabia
Authors: AlOlayan Reem , Alahmad Albandri , Buali Danah , Alonaizan Faisal , Alhareky Muhanad , Alhumaid Jehan , Nazir Muhammad Ashraf
Published: August 2020

Objective

To evaluate awareness and attitudes of dental students and interns about patient safety culture in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

Materials and methods

This cross‐sectional study was conducted on 272 undergraduate dental students and interns using the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ) from November 2019 to January 2020. The SAQ consists of six domains: teamwork climate, safety climate, job satisfaction, stress recognition, perception of management and work conditions. The score of SAQ ranges from 0 to 100, and a cut‐off ≥75 is considered a positive attitude of patient safety.

Results

The study included 47.1% of males and 52.9% of females with a mean age of 22.58 ± 1.3 years. Few participants (9.9%) showed a positive attitude of patient safety culture. Nearly one‐third of participants (35.7%) attended a course on patient safety and 31.6% reported experiencing adverse events by them or their families. Out of six domains, job satisfaction showed the highest mean score (70.25) and 75.4% of participants felt proud to practise in the dental clinic. Female students demonstrated a significantly higher mean score of stress recognition (64.28 ± 18.98) than male students (56.98 ± 22.53) (P 0.004). The mean SAQ score increased significantly from fourth year students to interns (P < .001).

Conclusions

A small percentage of students demonstrated a positive attitude of patient safety and only one‐third attended a patient safety course. The job satisfaction domain was highly rated and patient safety culture significantly improved from junior to senior students. Dental curricula should include patient safety courses to improve the quality and safety of patient care.
Two Countries, Two Stories of CSR, Customer Trust and Advocacy Attitudes and Behaviors? A Study in the Greek and Bulgarian Telecommunication Sectors
Authors: Glaveli Niki
Published: August 2020

The current study, conceptualizing corporate social responsibility (CSR) under the stakeholder theory, investigates the impact of CSR activities oriented to customers, employees and society/environment on customer trust and advocacy attitudes and behaviors in the Greek and Bulgarian telecommunication sectors. The results of surveys conducted in each country indicate that the pattern of a universal consumer is yet not a reality. Bulgarian customers appear more willing to trust responsible businesses and more likely to reciprocate a trustworthy relationship through repurchase behavior and willingness to recommend than their Greek counterparts. Moreover, customer trust holds a stronger position as a mediator in the Bulgarian sample. In both countries, however, customers seem to evaluate and be affected by, CSR actions in terms of their role not only as consumers but also as social actors. The study's findings provide useful guidance for the efficient management and communication of CSR initiatives globally and future academic inquiries.
Miller‐Fisher syndrome after COVID‐19: neurochemical markers as an early sign of nervous system involvement
Authors: Senel M. , Abu‐Rumeileh S. , Michel D. , Garibashvili T. , Althaus K. , Kassubek J. , Otto M.
Published: August 2020

Miller‐Fisher syndrome (MFS) is classified as a variant of Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS), accounting for 5%–25% of all GBS cases. Since the coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19) outbreak, increasing evidence has been reported of the neurological manifestations of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection, affecting both the central and peripheral nervous system. Here we report the clinical course, detailed cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) profile including CSF/blood antibody status, and neurochemical characteristics of a patient with a typical clinical presentation of MFS after a positive SARS‐CoV‐2 infection test.
Postinjury weight rather than cognitive or behavioral impairment predicts development of posttraumatic epilepsy after lateral fluid‐percussion injury in rats
Authors: Lapinlampi Niina , Andrade Pedro , Paananen Tomi , Hämäläinen Elina , Ekolle Ndode‐Ekane Xavier , Puhakka Noora , Pitkänen Asla
Published: August 2020

Objective

To identify postinjury physiologic, behavioral, and cognitive biomarkers for posttraumatic epilepsy to enrich study populations for long‐term antiepileptogenesis studies.

Methods

The EPITARGET cohort with behavioral follow‐up and 1‐month 24/7 video‐electroencephalography (vEEG) monitoring included 115 adult male Sprague‐Dawley rats with lateral fluid‐percussion–induced traumatic brain injury (TBI), 23 sham‐operated controls, and 13 naive rats. Animals underwent assessment of somatomotor performance (composite neuroscore), anxiety‐like behavior (elevated plus maze, open field), spatial memory (Morris water maze), and depression‐like behavior (Porsolt forced swim, sucrose preference). Impact force, postimpact apnea time, postimpact seizure‐like behavior, and body weight were monitored.

Results

TBI rats were impaired in the composite neuroscore (P < .001) on days (D) 2‐14 and in the spatial memory test (P < .001) on D35‐39 post‐TBI. Differences in the elevated plus‐maze (D28 and D126) and in the open field (D29 and D127) between TBI rats and controls were meager. No differences were observed in the Porsolt forced swim and sucrose preference tests as compared with sham‐operated controls. Epilepsy developed in 27% of rats by the end of the sixth month. None of the behavioral or cognitive outcome measures discriminated rats with or without epilepsy. The receiver‐operating characteristic analysis indicated that a decrease in body weight between D0 and D4 differentiated TBI rats with epilepsy from TBI rats without epilepsy (48% sensitivity, 83% specificity, area under the curve [AUC] 0.679, confidence interval [CI] 95% 0.56‐0.80, P < .01). A 16% body weight decrease during D0‐D4 could be used as a biomarker to enrich the study population from 27% (observed) to 50%.

Significance

Single behavioral and cognitive outcome measures showed no power as prognostic/diagnostic biomarkers for posttraumatic epilepsy. A reduction in body weight during the first postinjury week showed some prognostic value for posttraumatic epileptogenesis and could serve as a subacute measure for selectively enriching the study population for long‐term preclinical biomarker and therapy discovery studies of posttraumatic epileptogenesis.
CoGCN: Combining co‐attention with graph convolutional network for entity linking with knowledge graphs
Authors: Jia Ningning , Cheng Xiang , Su Sen , Ding Liyuan
Published: August 2020

Entity linking is a fundamental task in natural language processing. The task of entity linking with knowledge graphs aims at linking mentions in text to their correct entities in a knowledge graph like DBpedia or YAGO2. Most of existing methods rely on hand‐designed features to model the contexts of mentions and entities, which are sparse and hard to calibrate. In this paper, we present a neural model that first combines co‐attention mechanism with graph convolutional network for entity linking with knowledge graphs, which extracts features of mentions and entities from their contexts automatically. Specifically, given the context of a mention and one of its candidate entities' context, we introduce the co‐attention mechanism to learn the relatedness between the mention context and the candidate entity context, and build the mention representation in consideration of such relatedness. Moreover, we propose a context‐aware graph convolutional network for entity representation, which takes both the graph structure of the candidate entity and its relatedness with the mention context into consideration. Experimental results show that our model consistently outperforms the baseline methods on five widely used datasets.
Progress and outlook in studying the substrate specificities of PARPs and related enzymes
Authors: Suskiewicz Marcin J. , Palazzo Luca , Hughes Rebecca , Ahel Ivan
Published: August 2020

Despite decades of research on ADP‐ribosyltransferases (ARTs) from the poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase (PARP) family, one key aspect of these enzymes – their substrate specificity – has remained unclear. Here, we briefly discuss the history of this area and, more extensively, the recent breakthroughs, including the identification of protein serine residues as a major substrate of PARP1 and PARP2 in human cells and of cysteine and tyrosine as potential targets of specific PARPs. On the molecular level, the modification of serine residues requires a composite active site formed by PARP1 or PARP2 together with a specificity‐determining factor, HPF1; this represents a new paradigm not only for PARPs but generally for post‐translational modification (PTM) catalysis. Additionally, we discuss the identification of DNA as a substrate of PARP1, PARP2 and PARP3, and some bacterial ARTs and the discovery of noncanonical RNA capping by several PARP family members. Together, these recent findings shed new light on PARP‐mediated catalysis and caution to 'expect the unexpected' when it comes to further potential substrates.