bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Spinal Anesthesia is Safe and Cost-effective for Laparoscopic Appendectomy in Children: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Hannan Md Jafrul , Parveenl Mosammat Kohinoor , Nandy Alak , Hasan Md Samiul 
Published: October 2020

STRUCTURED ABSTRACTBackgroundOwing to the widespread use of general anesthesia, administration of spinal anesthesia in pediatrics is not widely practiced. Yet there is ample positive evidence demonstrating its safety, effectiveness and success.ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to demonstrate that laparoscopic appendectomies are successful under spinal anesthesia and elicit clear advantages over general anesthesia.MethodsThis was a retrospective analysis of 77 pediatric (5-8 year old) laparoscopic appendectomies that took place in a Hospital in Chittagong, Bangladesh in 2019. Approximately half of the patients underwent spinal anesthesia while the other half underwent general anesthesia. Variables such as surgery and operation theatre times, pain score, incidence of post-surgery vomiting, analgesic usage, discharge times and hospital costs were recorded. Statistical analysis was used to analyze the data as a function of form of anesthesia.ResultsThe probability of vomiting when using spinal compared to general anesthesia was much lower within the first 5 hours (P < .001) and after 6 hours (P = .008) of operation. Highly significant difference (P < .001) was observed in the total costs of the procedures. A significantly higher likelihood of patients being discharged the same day of the procedure was noted if spinal anesthesia was used (P = .008).ConclusionsSpinal anesthesia is superior to general anesthesia for pediatric laparoscopic appendectomies. Patient comfort is improved through a significant decrease in vomiting. This enables more rapid hospital discharges and a significant cost saving, without compromising the outcome of the procedure.MINI-ABSTRACTSpinal anesthesia is seldom used for laparoscopy in children. This retrospective case-controlled study compared spinal anesthesia with general anesthesia in children between 5 and 8 years of age. Spinal anesthesia proved to be safer and cost-effective for laparoscopy in children.
Sleep disturbances and related factors among preschool children in rural areas of China: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Zhao Tianming , Xuan Kun , Liu Haixia , Chen Xin , Qu Guangbo , Wu Yile , Zhang Jian , Sun Yehuan 
Published: October 2020

AbstractObjectiveSleep disturbances have been serious since they are believed to be associated with various health problems in preschool children. In this study, we aimed to explore the prevalence of sleep disturbances amongst preschool children in rural areas of China and examine the underlying associated factors.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in rural areas of Anhui province, China from September 2019 to January 2020. To explore the potential associated factors comprehensively, caregivers of children completed a structured questionnaire, the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and the Chinese version of the adapted Identification and Management of Feeding Difficulties (IMFeD). One-way ANOVA and hierarchical multiple regression are conducted to explore the potential influencing factors of sleep disturbances in preschool children.ResultsAbout 89.3% of the preschool children aged from 3 to 6 years had potential sleep disturbances (scored above the cutoff value). Besides, ages of children, discipline attitudes of father and mother, main educational methods, caregivers of children, caregiver anxiety and hyperactivity/inattention, prosocial behavior, conduct problems, emotional symptoms, peer problems, food preference, fear of feeding, parental misperception and organic disease all contributed significantly to CSHQ total score by accounting for approximately 27.4% (R2=0.274) of the variation.ConclusionsOur study indicated that the prevalence of sleep disturbances among preschool children in rural area of China is quite high. Furthermore, the potential risk factors are complicated which include factors related to both children and caregivers especially their parents.
Prognosis of stage IV bone cancer based on pattern of metastasis: a retrospective survival analysis of patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database
Authors: Ayaz Talha , Panchbhavi Megna A. , Kashif Muhammad T. , Abdullah Mohammed S. , Akhtar Zahra 
Published: October 2020

AbstractBackgroundPrognosis in bone cancer patients with metastatic disease is believed to vary based on site/pattern of spread. In 2003, the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) incorporated this observation into the TNM Staging System by subclassifying metastatic disease into M1a or M1b. We conducted a retrospective survival analysis of patients with primary bone cancer to characterize prognosis and assess outcomes in M1a versus M1b disease.MethodsThe Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database was searched for cases of primary bone cancer presenting with metastasis from 2010 to 2015. Cases were grouped using AJCC metastatic staging as metastasis to the lung only (M1a) or other pattern of metastasis (M1b). Overall survival and cause-specific survival were assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis and multivariate cox regression models. Multivariate models adjusted for multiple demographic, tumor characteristic, and treatment covariates.ResultsFive hundred and twenty-six cases met the inclusion criteria for this study. Two hundred and forty-eight were staged as M1a, and 278 were staged as M1b. Mean follow-up time for the cohort was 18.21 months (SD = 16.76). Fifty percent (124 of 248) of M1a and 59.4% (165 of 278) of M1b patients had died by the end of the study. Overall (P = .003) and cause-specific survival (P = .010) times were significantly lower for M1b patients via log-rank test. Adjusted analysis showed that M1b patients had poorer overall survival (HR, 1.505; 95% CI, 1.138-1.989; P = .004) and cause-specific survival (HR, 1.446; 95% CI, 1.091-1.918; P = .010) compared to M1a patients.ConclusionMetastasis pattern is an independent predictor of survival. M1a metastatic disease tends to have a better prognosis compared to M1b. This study supports the decision of the AJCC to subclassify metastatic disease for the purposes of staging and highlights the differences in prognosis between these two patterns of disease.
Differential Impact of Mitigation Policies and Socioeconomic Status on COVID-19 Prevalence and Social Distancing in the United States
Authors: Chang Hsien-Yen , Tang Wenze , Hatef Elham , Kitchen Christopher , Weiner Jonathan P. , Kharrazi Hadi 
Published: October 2020

AbstractBackgroundThe spread of COVID-19 has highlighted the long-standing health inequalities across the U.S. as neighborhoods with fewer resources were associated with higher rates of COVID-19 transmission. Although the stay-at-home order was one of the most effective methods to contain its spread, residents in lower-income neighborhoods faced barriers to practicing social distancing. We aimed to quantify the differential impact of stay-at-home policy on COVID-19 transmission and residents’ mobility across neighborhoods of different levels of socioeconomic disadvantage.MethodsThis was a comparative interrupted time-series analysis at the county level. We included 2,087 counties from 38 states which both implemented and lifted the state-wide stay-at-home order. Every county was assigned to one of four equally-sized groups based on its levels of disadvantage, represented by the Area Deprivation Index. Prevalence of COVID-19 was calculated by dividing the daily number of cumulative confirmed COVID-19 cases by the number of residents from the 2010 Census. We used the Social Distancing Index, derived from the COVID-19 Impact Analysis Platform, to measure the social distancing practice. For the evaluation of implementation, the observation started from Mar 1St2020 to one day before lifting; and, for lifting, it ranged from one day after implementation to Jul 5th2020. We calculated a comparative change of daily trends in COVID-19 prevalence and Social Distancing Index between counties with three highest disadvantage levels and those with the least level before and after the implementation and lifting of the stay-at-home order, separately.ResultsOn both stay-at-home implementation and lifting dates, COVID-19 prevalence was much higher among counties with the highest or lowest disadvantage level, while mobility decreased as the disadvantage level increased. Mobility of the most disadvantaged counties was least impacted by stay-at-home implementation and relaxation compared to counties with the most resources; however, disadvantaged counties experienced the largest relative increase in COVID-19 infection after both stay-at-home implementation and relaxation.ConclusionsNeighborhoods with varying levels of socioeconomic disadvantage reacted differently to the implementation and relaxation of COVID-19 mitigation policies. Policymakers should consider investing more resources in disadvantaged counties as the pandemic may not stop until most neighborhoods have it under control.
The cell cycle state defines TACC3 as a regulator gene in glioblastoma
Authors: Briggs Holly , Polson Euan S. , Irving Bronwyn K. , Zougman Alexandre , Mathew Ryan K. , Gendoo Deena M.A. , Wurdak Heiko 
Published: October 2020

AbstractOverexpression and mitosis-promoting roles of Transforming acidic coiled-coil containing protein 3 (TACC3) are well-established in many cancers, including glioblastoma (GBM). However, the effector gene networks downstream of TACC3 remain poorly defined, partly due to an incomplete understanding of TACC3 cell lineage specificity and its dynamic role during the cell cycle. Here, we use a patient-derived GBM model to report that TACC3 predominantly resides in the GBM cell cytoplasm, while engaging in gene regulation temporally as defined by the cell cycle state. TACC3 loss-of-function, cell cycle stage-specific transcriptomics, and unsupervised self-organizing feature maps revealed pathways (including Hedgehog signalling) and individual genes (including HOTAIR) that exhibited anticorrelated expression phenotypes across interphase and mitosis. Furthermore, this approach identified a set of 22 TACC3-dependent transcripts in publicly-available clinical databases that predicted poor overall and progression-free survival in 162 GBM and 514 low-grade glioma patient samples. These findings uncover TACC3-dependent genes as a function of TACC3 cell cycle oscillation, which is important for TACC3-targeting strategies, and for predicting poor outcomes in brain cancer patients.
A Novel Design of Transcriptional Factor-mediated Dynamic Control of DNA Recombination
Authors: Li Jiayang , Zhang Yihao , Zong Yeqing 
Published: October 2020

AbstractGenetic regulation is achieved by monitoring multiple levels of gene expression, from transcription to protein interaction. Unlike common temporary transcriptional regulation methods such as the use of inducible promoters, integrases permanently edit DNA sequences. Integrases, however, require especially strict regulation when implemented in synthetic genetic systems because of the irreversible result. Here we propose to improve the regulation of site-specific integrase-based genetic system by dynamically hiding one of the attB/P sites that are essential for recombination with transcriptional factors. After effectively suppressing excessive recombination, we also validated the necessity of each of the essential components in our transcriptional factor-controlled recombination (TFCR) system. The system applied transcriptional-level regulators directly on controlling the activity of existing non-transcriptional-level trans-factor proteins by inhibiting its binding to the cis-regulatory elements. We anticipate my results to provide greater robustness for integrase components to enable safer use in systems as well as be a starting point for future cross-expression level gene regulations.
An amplified derepression controller with multisite inhibition and positive feedback
Authors: Drobac Gorana , Waheed Qaiser , Heidari Behzad , Ruoff Peter 
Published: October 2020

AbstractHow organisms are able to maintain robust homeostasis has in recent years received increased attention by the use of combined control engineering and kinetic concepts, which led to the discovery of robust controller motifs. While these motifs employ kinetic conditions showing integral feedback and homeostasis for step-wise perturbations, the motifs’ performance differ significantly when exposing them to time dependent perturbations. One type of controller motifs which are able to handle exponentially and even hyperbolically growing perturbations are based on derepression. In these controllers the compensatory reaction, which neutralizes the perturbation, is derepressed, i.e. its reaction rate is increased by the decrease of an inhibitor acting on the compensatory flux. While controllers in this category can deal well with different time-dependent perturbations they have the disadvantage that they break down once the concentration of the regulatory inhibitor becomes too low and the compensatory flux has gained its maximum value. We wondered whether it would be possible to bypass this restriction, while still keeping the advantages of derepression kinetics. In this paper we show how the inclusion of multisite inhibition and the presence of positive feedback loops lead to an amplified controller which is still based on derepression kinetics but without showing the breakdown due to low inhibitor concentrations. By searching for the amplified feedback motif in natural systems, we found it as a part of the plant circadian clock where it is highly interlocked with other feedback loops.
Contact-dependent traits in Pseudomonas syringae B728a
Authors: Hernandez Monica N. , Lindow Steven E. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractProduction of the biosurfactant syringafactin by the plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae B728a is a surface contact-dependent trait. Expression of syfA, as measured using a gfp reporter gene fusion was low in planktonic cells in liquid cultures but over 4-fold higher in cells immobilized on surfaces as varied as glass, plastic, paper, parafilm, agar, membrane filters, and leaves. Induction of syfA as measured by GFP fluorescence was rapid, occurring within two hours after immobilization of cells on surfaces. Comparison of the global transcriptome by RNA sequencing of planktonic cells in a nutrient medium with that of cells immobilized for 2 hours on filters placed on this solidified medium revealed that, in addition to syfA, 3156 other genes were differentially expressed. Genes repressed in immobilized cells included those involved in quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) metabolism and transport, compatible solute production, carbohydrate metabolism and transport, organic acid metabolism and transport, phytotoxin synthesis and transport, amino acid metabolism and transport, and secondary metabolism. Genes induced in immobilized cells included syfA plus those involved in translation, siderophore synthesis and transport, nucleotide metabolism and transport, flagellar synthesis and motility, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) synthesis and transport, energy generation, transcription, chemosensing and chemotaxis, replication and DNA repair, iron-sulfur proteins, peptidoglycan/cell wall polymers, terpenoid backbone synthesis, iron metabolism and transport, and cell division. That many genes are rapidly differentially expressed upon transfer of cells from a planktonic to an immobilized state suggests that cells experience the two environments differently. It seems possible that surface contact initiates anticipatory changes in P. syringae gene expression, which enables rapid and appropriate physiological responses to the new environmental conditions. Such responses could help cells survive transitions from aquatic habitats fostering planktonic traits to attachment on surfaces, conditions that alternatively occur on leaves.
Mechanism of bacterial adhesion and embedment in a DNA biofilm matrix: Evidence that binding of outer membrane lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to HU is key
Authors: Thakur Bhishem , Arora Kanika , Gupta Archit , Guptasarma Purnananda 
Published: October 2020

AbstractIn biofilms, bacteria are embedded within a matrix of extracellular DNA (e-DNA). Since bacterial cells and e-DNA are both negatively-charged, a positively-charged substance must act like a ‘glue’ to allow bacteria to be embedded within the DNA matrix. Here we show that HU (a highly-abundant, histone-like, nucleoid-associated, DNA-binding protein) facilitates bacterium-bacterium and bacterium-DNA interactions by binding to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a bacterial outer membrane component. We demonstrate that LPS binds to both the canonical and non-canonical DNA-binding sites on HU. We propose that the hexose sugar-terminal phosphate moieties present in the lipid A head-group of LPS bind to the same lysine/arginine residues that are involved in binding of the pentose sugar-phosphate groups in DNA. Alternate binding of LPS and DNA by HU’s DNA-binding sites could allow HU to bind to bacterial cells surfaces and thus elicit bacterium-bacterium and bacterium-DNA interactions in biofilms.
Isolation of cross-reactive monoclonal antibodies against divergent human coronaviruses that delineate a conserved and vulnerable site on the spike protein
Authors: Wang Chunyan , van Haperen Rien , Gutiérrez-Álvarez Javier , Li Wentao , Okba Nisreen M.A. , Albulescu Irina , Widjaja Ivy , van Dieren Brenda , Fernandez-Delgado Raul , Sola Isabel , Hurdiss Daniel L. , Daramola Olalekan , Grosveld Frank , van Kuppeveld Frank J.M. , Haagmans Bart L. , Enjuanes Luis , Drabek Dubravka , Bosch Berend-Jan 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe coronavirus spike glycoprotein, located on the virion surface, is the key mediator of cell entry. As such, it is an attractive target for the development of protective antibodies and vaccines. Here we describe two human monoclonal antibodies, 1.6C7 and 28D9, that display a remarkable cross-reactivity against distinct species from threeBetacoronavirussubgenera, capable of binding the spike proteins of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV and the endemic human coronavirus HCoV-OC43. Both antibodies, derived from immunized transgenic mice carrying a human immunoglobulin repertoire, blocked MERS-CoV infection in cells, whereas 28D9 also showed weak cross-neutralizing potential against HCoV-OC43, SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 in a neutralization-sensitive virus pseudotyping system, but not against authentic virus. Both cross-reactive monoclonal antibodies were found to target the stem helix in the spike protein S2 fusion subunit which, in the prefusion conformation of trimeric spike, forms a surface exposed membrane-proximal helical bundle, that is antibody-accessible. We demonstrate that administration of these antibodies in mice protects from a lethal MERS-CoV challenge in both prophylactic and/or therapeutic models. Collectively, these antibodies delineate a conserved, immunogenic and vulnerabe site on the spike protein which spurs the development of broad-range diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic measures against coronaviruses.
Direct observation of the mechanical role of bacterial chaperones in protein folding
Authors: Chaudhuri Deep , Banerjee Souradeep , Chakraborty Soham , Haldar Shubhasis 
Published: October 2020

AbstractProtein folding under force is an integral source of generating mechanical energy in various cellular processes, ranging from protein translation to degradation. Although chaperones are well known to interact with proteins under mechanical force, how they respond to force and control cellular energetics remains unknown.To address this question, we introduce novel real-time magnetic-tweezers technology to mimic physiological force environment on client proteins, keeping the chaperones unperturbed. We studied two structurally distinct client proteins with seven different chaperones, independently and in combination, and proposed novel mechanical activity of chaperones. We found chaperones behave differently, while these client proteins are under force than its previously known functions. For instance, tunnel associated chaperones (DsbA and trigger factor), otherwise working as holdase without force, assist folding under force. This process generates an additional mechanical energy up to ∼147 zJ to facilitate translation or translocation. However, well-known cytoplasmic foldase chaperones (PDI, thioredoxin, or DnaKJE), does not possess the mechanical folding ability under force. Notably, the transferring chaperones (DnaK, DnaJ, SecB), act as unfoldase and slow down folding process, both in the presence and absence of force, to prevent misfolding of the client proteins. This provides an emerging insight of mechanical roles of chaperones: they can generate or consume energy by shifting energy landscape of the client proteins towards folded or unfolded state; suggesting an evolutionary mechanism to minimize the energy consumption in various biological processes.
Temporal prediction elicits rhythmic pre-activation of relevant sensory cortices
Authors: Barne Louise Catheryne , Cravo André Mascioli , de Lange Floris P. , Spaak Eelke 
Published: October 2020

AbstractBeing able to anticipate events before they happen facilitates stimulus processing. The anticipation of the contents of events is thought to be implemented by the elicitation of prestimulus templates in sensory cortex. In contrast, the anticipation of the timing of events is typically associated with entrainment of neural oscillations. It is so far unknown whether and in which conditions temporal expectations interact with feature-based expectations, and, consequently, whether entrainment modulates the generation of content-specific sensory templates. In this study, we investigated the role of temporal expectations in a sensory discrimination task. We presented participants with rhythmically interleaved visual and auditory streams of relevant and irrelevant stimuli while measuring neural activity using magnetoencephalography. We found no evidence that rhythmic stimulation induced prestimulus feature templates. However, we did observe clear anticipatory rhythmic pre-activation of the relevant sensory cortices. This oscillatory activity peaked at behaviourally relevant, in-phase, intervals. Our results suggest that temporal expectations about stimulus features do not behave similarly to explicitly cued, non-rhythmic, expectations; yet elicit a distinct form of modality-specific pre-activation.Graphical abstractThe brain extracts temporal regularities from the environment to anticipate upcoming events. Furthermore, with prior knowledge about their contents, the brain is thought to leverage this by instantiating anticipatory sensory templates. We investigated if sensory templates occur in response to a rhythmic stimulus stream with predictable temporal structure. We found that temporal rhythmic predictions did not induce sensory templates, but rather modulated the excitability in early sensory cortices.