bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Self-Assessed Life Expectancy Among Older Adults in Côte D’Ivoire
Authors: Moussa Richard K , Diaby Vakaramoko 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Background The purpose of this study was to estimate individuals’ expected longevity based on self-assessed survival probabilities and determine the predictors of such subjective life expectancy in a sample of elderly people (50 years and older) in Côte d’Ivoire. Methods Paper-based questionnaires were administered to a sample (n=267) of older adults residing in the city of Dabou, Côte d’Ivoire in May 2017. Information on subjective expectations regarding health, comorbidities, and self-assessed survival probabilities were collected. We estimated self-assessed life expectancy and its determinants using a two-pronged approach by: (i) estimating individuals’ life expectancy using the self-assessed survival probabilities (SSPs), and (ii) applying a finite mixture of regression models to form homogenous groups of individuals (clusters/components) and investigate the determinants. A spline-based approach was used to estimate the overall distribution of life expectancy for each individual using two to four points of self-assessed survival probabilities. A finite mixture of regression models was used to identify homogeneous groups of individuals (i.e. clusters/components) of the overall subjective life expectancy distribution of the study participants. Results The mean subjective life expectancy in older people varied according to four components/clusters. The average subjective life expectancy among the elderly was 79.51, 78.89, 80.02 and 77.79 years in the first, second, third and fourth component of the subjects' overall subjective life expectancy, respectively. The effect of sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities, and lifestyle on subjective life expectancy varied across components. For instance, a U-shape relationship between household per capita income and subjective life expectancy was found for individuals classified into the third component, and an inverse U-shape relationship was found for individuals classified into the fourth component. Conclusions We extended the estimation of subjective life expectancy by accounting for heterogeneity in the distribution of the estimated subjective life expectancy. This approach improved the usual methods for estimating individual subjective life expectancies and may provide insight into the elderly’s perception of aging, which could be used to forecast the demand for health services and long-term care needs.
Functional MYB transcription factor gene HtMYB2 is associated with anthocyanin biosynthesis in Helianthus tuberosus L.
Authors: Gao Jieming , Sun Xuemei , Zong Yuan , Yang Shipeng , Wang Lihui , Liu Baolong 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Background: Tuber color is an important trait for Helianthus tuberosus L. (Jerusalem artichoke), but the molecular mechanism underlying it is unknown. Results: In the current study, high-throughput RNA-sequencing was used to compare the transcriptomes between plants with tubers with red or white epidermis. Compared with the white-skinned tubers of cultivar QY3, anthocyanin biosynthesis structural genes had greater expression in the red-skinned tubers of cultivar QY1, indicating that the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway was activated in ‘QY1’; quantitative PCR confirmed this difference in expression. HtMYB2 (Unigene44371_All) was the only MYB transcription factor，homologous to the MYB transcription factor regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis, expressed in the red tuber epidermis of ‘QY1’. HtMYB2 resembled an MYB transcription factor, regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis, and possessing an intact SANT/MYB and MYB-like DNA-binding domain. The anthocyanin concentration in the root, stem, leaf, flower, and tuber epidermis of ‘QY1’ was higher than in ‘QY3’, especially tuber epidermis. Correspondingly, HtMYB2 had greater expression in these tissues of ‘QY1’ than in ‘QY3’. The expression of HtMYB2 was associated with anthocyanin accumulation in the different tissues. Overexpression of HtMYB2 activated the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway, accumulating the pigment in leaves of transgenic tobacco, supporting the model that HtMYB2 regulated anthocyanin biosynthesis. Further experiments found that HtMYB2 had the same coding sequence and genomic sequence in ‘QY1’ and ‘QY3’, but that there were several single nucleotide polymorphisms and one insertion–deletion (indel) mutation of 21 nucleotides in the promoter region between the two alleles. The deletion of three nucleotides “AAA” made the promoter of ‘QY1’ predicted to contain one more possible promoter region. A specific primer, based on the indel, could differentiate between cultivars with red or white tuber epidermis. The genetic variation in HtMYB2 was associated with the tuber skin color in a natural population.Conclusions: RNA-seq can successfully isolate the candidate gene (HTMYB2) controlling anthocyanin biosynthesis in purple epidermis of Jerusalem artichoke tuber. HTMYB2 can regulate anthocyanin biosynthesis in plants and is closely related to the formation of purple phenotype in tubers. This study should be useful in understanding the genetic mechanism underlying different tuber skin colors and in breeding new H. tuberosus cultivars with different tuber skin colors.
A modified surgical technique of shortening renal ischemia time in left renal cancer patients with Mayo level II-IV tumor thrombus
Authors: Zhuo Liu , Guodong Zhu , Xun Zhao , Shiying Tang , Peng Hong , Li Zhang , Liwei Li , Shudong Zhang , Guoliang Wang , Xiaojun Tian , Cheng Liu , Ma Lulin , Hongxian Zhang 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Background to explore the safety and effectiveness of a modified surgical technique which could shorten the time of renal ischemia in left renal cancer and Mayo level II to IV inferior vena cava (IVC) tumor thrombusMethod We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 14 cases with left renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and Mayo level II to IV IVC tumor thrombus from February 2015 to July 2019. Preoperative imaging showed that there was no obvious sign of tumor thrombus invading the blood vessel wall. During the surgery, after the right renal artery, the right renal vein and the distal end of IVC were blocked, the balloon catheter was used and the tumor thrombus was removed completely from the IVC. The incision of IVC was closed by Satinsky clamp to make IVC partially blocked. Then the right renal artery and right renal vein were released. The incision of IVC was sutured continuously. At last, the Satinsky clamp and the blocking band at the distal end of the IVC were released.Result There were 8 cases (57.1%) of Mayo level II, 3 cases (21.4%) of Mayo level III and 3 cases (21.4%) of Mayo level IV. The operation was successfully completed in all 14 patients. There were 2 cases (14.3%) operated by complete laparoscopic approach, 8 cases (57.1%) by open approach, and 4 patients (28.6%) by laparoscopic conversion to open approach. The occlusion time of right renal artery and vein (renal ischemia time) was 3 to 15 minutes, with an average of (6.8±3.2) minutes. The mean time of IVC occlusion was (19.4±4.9) min. Preoperative creatinine was 66 to 130 μmol/L, with an average of (96.6 ± 21.2) μmol/L. One week after operation, serum creatinine was 64 to 632 μmol/L, with an average of (132.4 ± 144.9) μmol/L. Among the 14 cases, 5 (42.9%) had early postoperative complications. Besides one of the 14 patients died in perioperative period, the median follow-up of other 13 cases was 10 months (range: 4-29 months). The 5 (35.7%) of the 14 cases were died of disease.Conclusion This modified procedure was relatively safe and effective in shortening the time of renal ischemia in left RCC patients with Mayo II to IV IVC tumor thrombus.
Effect of silver diammine fluoride on micro-ecology of plaque from extensive caries of deciduous teeth - in vitro study
Authors: Liu Baoying , LIU Jin , ZHANG Di , YANG Zhi lei , FENG Ya ping , WANG Meng 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Background: The mechanism of action of silver diammine fluoride (SDF) on plaque micro-ecology is seldom studied. This study investigated micro-ecological changes in dental plaque on extensive caries of deciduous teeth after topical SDF treatment. Methods: Deciduous teeth with extensive caries freshly removed from school children were collected in clinic. Unstimulated saliva collection and initial plaque sampling were done before tooth extraction, then each caries was topically treated with 38% SDF in vitro. After intervention, each tooth was stored respectively in artificial saliva at 37℃. Repeated plaque collections were done at 24 hours and 1 week post-intervention. Post-intervention micro-ecological changes including microbial diversity, microbial metabolism function as well as species correlations were analyzed and compared after pyrosequencing of the DNA from the plaque sample using Illumina MiSeq platform. Results: After SDF application, microbial diversity decreased (P>0.05), although not statistically significant. Microbial community composition post-intervention was noticeably different from that of supragingival and pre-intervention plaque as well as saliva. At 1 week post-intervention, the relative content of Pseudomonas, Fusobacterium and Pseudoramibacter was noticeably higher than before, while most of the other bacteria was noticeably reduced, although not statistically significant (P>0.05). The inter-microbial associations became more complex, much more positive associations among survived bacteria were observed than negative ones. COG function classification diagram showed carbohydrate transportation and metabolic functions in the plaque were significantly reduced at 24 hours and 1 week post-intervention. Conclusions: SDF has extensive antimicrobial effect on dental plaque, which may reduce carbohydrate metabolism in dental plaque and help promote new balance of the plaque flora.
Determining Healthcare Workforce Requirements for Kuluva Hospital in West Nile-Uganda, using the Workload Indicators of Staffing Need (WISN)
Authors: Onzima Robert Anguyo DDM , Govule Philip , Apangu Titus , Harogha Alan , Wibale Wilson , Debo Ronald , Ambayo Richard , Awudo Jimmy Lulua , Maryekmungu Immaculate , Bayoru Aziku Celina Likico , Nanyingi Miisa , Karengera Innocent 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Introduction:

Health workforce shortage is a major threat to global public health with a greater implication for low-resourced countries. The right placement of the available staff in many health facilities remains a challenge due to inadequate information on exact workload and work pressure that staff undergo in course of work. This study aimed to determine the need for key health workforce cadre in Kuluva hospital using Workload Indicators of Staffing Need (WISN) methodology.
Method:

The study followed a predominantly quantitative approach of Workload Indicator Staffing Needs (WISN) methodology. We held a meeting with hospital management to understand policy issues and procedures. The key staff were interviewed in departments, available records reviewed, practices observed to establish the available working time, activity standards and time taken to perform other supportive activities. Service statistics was generated from HMIS data of 2016/17. Data was analyzed manually using calculator and Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
Results

All cadre categories had the same available working time of 1,504 hours in a year with 105 staff of the studied cadres required to perform all activities in Kuluva hospital based on WISN calculation. Although overall work pressure was 30%, 5 out of 7 staff cadre categories experienced work pressure of varying degrees – medical officers (70%), laboratory staff (70%) and clinical officers (60%) were most affected compared to nurses (30%) and midwives (10%). There was perfect number of anesthetists but surplus nursing assistants than needed by the hospital. Amidst shortage, the critical cadres still spent significant time on non-professional activities; medical officers (24%) and midwives (25%).
Conclusion

These findings can provide insight into the management of Kuluva hospital to address the current disparities in the health workforce in terms of numbers and skill mix for continuous improvement of health service delivery to the population it serves.
The molecular effect of a polymorphic microRNA binding site of Wolfram Syndrome 1 gene in dogs
Authors: Koller Dora , Kubinyi Eniko , Elek Zsuzsanna , Nemeth Helga , Miklosi Adam , Sasvari-Szekely Maria , Ronai Zsolt 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Background
Although the molecular function of wolframin remains unclear, the lack of this protein is known to cause stress in the endoplasmic reticulum. Some variants in the Wolfram Syndrome 1 gene (WFS1) were associated with various neuropsychiatric disorders in humans, such as aggressiveness, impulsivity and anxiety.
Results
Here we present an in silico study predicting a single nucleotide polymorphism (rs852850348) in the canine WFS1 gene which was verified by direct sequencing and was genotyped by a PCR-based technique. We found that the rs852850348 polymorphism is located in a putative microRNA (cfa-miR-8834a and cfa-miR-1838) binding site. Therefore, the molecular effect of allelic variants was studied in a luciferase reporter system that allowed assessing gene expression. We demonstrated that the variant reduced the activity of the reporter protein expression in an allele-specific manner. Additionally, we performed a behavioral experiment and investigated the association with this locus to different performance in this test. Association was found between food possessivity and the studied WFS1 gene polymorphism in the Border collie breed.
Conclusions
Based on our findings, the rs852850348 locus might contribute to the genetic risk of possessivity behavior of dogs in at least one breed and might influence the regulation of wolframin expression.
Prediction and Analysis of Hub Genes in Ovarian Cancer Based on Network Analysis
Authors: Li Yan , Wang Juan , Zhu Yan , Chen Youguo 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Objective

The aim of the present study was to identify the interactions among transcription factors (TFs), microRNAs (miRNAs) and mRNAs in ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma (OV) to investigate the mechanisms.
Method:

Gene expression data were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened between tumor and nontumor samples using the online tool GEO2R based on the limma package of R language. The coexpression between genes was identified using the weighted gene corepression analysis (WGCNA) package of R language to construct a coding-noncoding network. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were conducted for the genes in the coexpression network. The expression and prognostic value of the hub genes in coexpression were further validated in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. The interactions among miRNAs, mRNAs and TFs were predicted using miRGen and mirWalk to construct the TF-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network.
Result

The blue module was identified as significantly associated with OV, and a coexpression network were constructed through WGCNA analysis. The expression and prognostic value of the hub genes in the blue module were validated in the TCGA dataset. A total of 164 common differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were screened from 2 miRNA datasets. A TF-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network composed of 2 TFs, 6 miRNAs and 199 mRNAs was constructed. QRT-PCR was also conducted to identify the expression of the 6 key miRNAs (hsa-mir-193b, hsa-mir-296, hsa-mir-29b-2, hsa-mir-29c, hsa-mir-34a and hsa-mir-421) in ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma.
Conclusion

We constructed a validated TF-miRNA-mRNA network in OV, and TFs might regulate mRNAs by regulating miRNAs to act on the progression of OV.
Autophagy in spinal ligament fibroblasts: evidence and possible implications for ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament
Authors: yang yuehua , Lin zunwen , Chen Jiangwei , Ding Sheng , Mao Weiwei , shi sheng , Liang Biru 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Background
The molecular mechanisms of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) remains to be elucidated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the autophagy of spinal ligament fibroblasts derived from patients with OPLL and to examine whether autophagy associated gene expression was correlated with the expression of osteogenic differentiation genes.
Methods
Expression of autophagy associated genes was detected in 21 samples from patients with OPLL patients and 16 non-OPLL patients. The correlation of autophagy associated gene expression and the expression of osteogenic differentiation genes was analyzed by Pearson’s correlation. The expression of autophagy associated genes of fibroblasts was assessed by reverse transcription-quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR), western blotting and immunofluorescence. The rate of autophagy was assessed by flow cytometry. After knockdown using small interfering RNA targeting Beclin1, the expression of osteogenic differentiation genes were compared in spinal ligament fibroblasts.
Results
In clinical specimens, mRNA expression levels of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 and Beclin1 were higher in the OPLL group compared with the non-OPLL group. Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated that Beclin1 expression was positively correlated with expression of osteocalcin (OCN) (r = 0.8233, P < 0.001), alkaline phosphatase, biomineralization associated (ALP) (r = 0.7821, P < 0.001) and collagen type 1 (COL I) (r = 0.6078, P = 0.001). Consistently, the upregulation of autophagy associated genes in fibroblasts from patients with OPLL were further confirmed by western blotting and immunofluorescence. The rate of autophagy was also increased in fibroblasts from patients with OPLL. Furthermore, knockdown of Beclin1 led to a decrease in the expression of OCN, ALP and COL I by 63.2% (P < 0.01), 52% (P < 0.01) and 53.2% (P < 0.01) in ligament fibroblasts from patients with OPLL, respectively.
Conclusions
Beclin1-mediated autophagy was involved in the osteogenic differentiation of ligament fibroblasts, and promoted the development of OPLL.
FibroBox: a novel noninvasive tool for predicting significant liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in HBV infected patients
Authors: Lu Xiao-Jie , Li Xiu-Hui , Sun Jing-Yu , Zhang Xin , Yuan Zhao-Xin , Yang Xiao-Jun 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Background China is a highly endemic area of chronic hepatitis B. The accuracy of common noninvasive biomarkers including TE, APRI and FIB-4 for staging fibrosis is not enough in Chinese cohort.Methods Using liver biopsy as a gold standard, a novel noninvasive indicator was developed using laboratory tests, ultrasound measurements and liver stiffness measurements with machine learning techniques to predict significant fibrosis and cirrhosis in patients infected with HBV in north and east part of China. We retrospectively evaluated the diagnostic performance of the novel indicator named FibroBox, Fibroscan, aspartate transaminase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), and FIB-4 in HBV patients from Jilin and Huai’an (training sets) and also in Anhui and Beijing cohorts (validation sets).Results Of 1289 eligible HBV patients who had liver histological data, 63.2% had significant fibrosis and 22.5% had cirrhosis. In lasso regression and filter methods, fibroscan results, platelet count, alanine transaminase (ALT), prothrombin time (PT), type III procollagen aminoterminal peptide (PIIINP), type IV collagen, laminin, hyaluronic acid (HA) and diameter of spleen vein were finally selected as input variables in FibroBox. Consequently, FibroBox was developed of which the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was significantly higher than that of TE, APRI and FIB-4 to predicting significant fibrosis and cirrhosis. In the Anhui and Beijing cohort, the AUROC of FibroBox was higher than TE, APRI and FIB-4 for significant fibrosis (0.88, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.82; 0.87, 95% CI 0.83 to 0.91, respectively) and cirrhosis (0.87, 95% CI 0.82 to 0.92; 0.90, 95% CI 0.85 to 0.94, respectively).Conclusions FibroBox, compared with TE, APRI and FIB-4, has a better performance in predicting liver fibrosis in Chinese cohorts, which may serve as a feasible alternative to liver biopsy.
Clinical Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Haikou: a study of a family cluster
Authors: Chen Hui Juan , Qiu Jie , Wu Biao , Wang Zhen Ping , Chen Yang , Chen Feng 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Background: The outbreak of sever acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2) has become a great threat to the world. No study has been done on the mild or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 in a family cluster.Methods: We report the epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, radiological, and clinical outcomes of five patients in a family cluster.Results: We enrolled a family of five patients who was confirmed with SARS-CoV-2 infection. One of them worked in Wuhan and returned to Danzhou, Hainan on January 22,2020. The other four family members, who did not travel to Wuhan, became infected with the virus after several days of contact with the family member. Five family members (aged 33–57years) presented with fever, cough or no symptom onset. Three of them had negative nucleic test on first swab sampling. One of them was not confirmed until the third nucleic acid test. Two of them had radiological ground-glass lung opacities. Two patients presenting with fever had lymphopenia or decreased white blood cells. No one had increased C-reactive protein or lactate dehydrogenase levels. After treatment, they were discharged.Conclusions: Person-to-person transmission of SARS-CoV-2 was confirmed in family setting. Concerns should be raised for the asymptomatic persons in a family cluster.