bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Development and validation of the EQ-5D in Taiwan using item response theory
Authors: Liu Tzu-Hung , Ho Andrew Dean , Hsu Yu-Tien , Hsu Chih-Cheng 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Background:
Our study aims to provide validity evidence for the EuroQol five dimensions questionnaire (EQ-5D) in the National Health Interview Survey of Taiwan in the 2013 wave and further interpret the EQ-5D scores for patients with chronic diseases. Another goal of the study was to use item response theory (IRT) to identify items that are informative for assessing quality of life using EQ-5D.
Methods:
There were 17,260 participants, aged 12–64, who completed the interviews in our study. Psychometric methods, including factor analysis and the IRT model known as the Graded Response Model (GRM), were used to assess the unidimensionality of EQ-5D and its item properties. Correlation analysis was used to assess whether EQ-5D scores are associated with scores from the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36).
Results:
The EQ-5D scores have moderate internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.60) and a scree plot suggests that the EQ-5D measure is unidimensional. The item information function analysis from the IRT model demonstrates that the first 3 items, “mobility,” “self-care,” and “usual activities” are the most informative items for patients who have chronic diseases and health-related quality of life below the 10th percentile. The EQ-5D scores have a moderate correlation (r: 0.61) with SF-36 scores.
Conclusions:
The EQ-5D scale shows promise for use in the general population. The IRT model informs our interpretation of the EQ-5D scores. Given the time constraints in clinical settings, we suggest using the first three items in EQ-5D to measure the health-related quality of life for patients with chronic diseases.
Production of bio-xylitol from&nbsp;D-xylose by an engineered&nbsp;Pichia pastoris&nbsp;expressing a recombinant xylose reductase did not require any auxiliary substrate as electron donor
Authors: Louie Michael , Louie Kailin , DenHartog Samuel , Gopishetty Sridhar , Subramanian Mani , Arnold Mark , Das Shuvendu 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Background: Xylitol is a five-carbon sugar alcohol that has numerous beneficial health properties. It has almost the same sweetness as sucrose but has lower energy value compared to the sucrose. Metabolism of xylitol is insulin independent and thus it is an ideal sweetener for diabetics. It is widely used in food products, oral and personal care, and animal nutrition as well. Here we present a two-stage strategy to produce bio-xylitol from D-xylose using a recombinant Pichia pastoris expressing a heterologous xylose reductase gene. The recombinant P. pastoris cells were first generated by a low-cost, standard procedure. The cells were then used as a catalyst to make the bio-xylitol from D-xylose. Results: P. pastoris expressing XYL1 from P. stipitis and gdh from B. subtilis demonstrated that the biotransformation was very efficient with as high as 80% (w/w) conversion within two hours. The whole cells could be re-used for multiple rounds of catalysis without loss of activity. Also, the cells could directly transform D-xylose in a non-detoxified hemicelluloses hydrolysate to xylitol at 70% (w/w) yield. Conclusions: We demonstrated here that the recombinant P. pastoris expressing xylose reductase could transform D-xylose, either in pure form or in crude hemicelluloses hydrolysate, to bio-xylitol very efficiently. This biocatalytic reaction happened without the external addition of any NAD(P)H, NAD(P) + , and auxiliary substrate as an electron donor. Our experimental design & findings reported here are not limited to the conversion of D-xylose to xylitol only but can be used with other many oxidoreductase reactions also, such as ketone reductases/alcohol dehydrogenases and amino acid dehydrogenases, which are widely used for the synthesis of high-value chemicals and pharmaceutical intermediates.
Distraction by a cognitive task has a higher impact on electrophysiological measures compared with conditioned pain modulation
Authors: Do A. T. Lisa , Enax-Krumova Elena , Özgül Özüm , Eitner Lynn B. , Heba Stefanie , Tegenthoff Martin , Maier Christoph , Höffken Oliver 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
BackgroundConditioned pain modulation (CPM) evaluates the effect of a painful conditioning stimulus (CS) on a painful test stimulus (TS). Using painful cutaneous electrical stimulation (PCES) as TS and painful cold water as CS, the pain relief was paralleled by a decrease in evoked potentials (PCES-EPs). We now aimed to compare the effect of CPM with cognitive distraction on PCES-induced pain and PCES-EP amplitudes. MethodsPCES was performed using surface electrodes inducing a painful sensation of 60 (NRS 0-100) on one hand. In a crossover design healthy subjects (included: n=38, analyzed: n=23) immersed the contralateral hand into 10°C cold water (CS) for CPM evaluation and performed the 1-back task for cognitive distraction. Before and during the CS and 1-back task, respectively, subjects rated the pain intensity of PCES and simultaneously cortical evoked potentials were recorded. ResultsBoth CPM and cognitive distraction significantly reduced PCES-EP amplitudes (CPM: 27.6±12.0μV to 20.2±9.5μV, cognitive distraction: 30.3±14.2µV to 13.6±5.2μV, p<0.001) and PCES-induced pain (on a 0–100 numerical rating scale: CPM: 58±4 to 41.1±12.3, cognitive distraction: 58.3±4.4 to 38.0±13.0, p<0.001), though the changes in pain intensity and PCES-amplitude did not correlate. The changes of the PCES-EP amplitudes during cognitive distraction were more pronounced than during CPM (p=0.001).ConclusionsCPM and cognitive distraction reduced the PCES-induced pain to a similar extent. The more pronounced decrease of PCES-EP amplitudes after distraction by a cognitive task implies that both conditions might not represent the general pain modulatory capacity of individuals, but may underlie different neuronal mechanisms with the final common pathway of perceived pain reduction.
Glucose-lactose mixture feeds in industry-like conditions: a gene regulatory network analysis on the hyperproducing Trichoderma reesei strain&nbsp;Rut-C30
Authors: Pirayre Aurélie , Duval Laurent , Blugeon Corinne , Firmo Cyril , Perrin Sandrine , Jourdier Etienne , Margeot Antoine , Bidard Frédérique 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Background: The degradation of cellulose and hemicellulose molecules into simpler sugars such as glucose is part of the second generation biofuel production process. Hydrolysis of lignocellulosic substrates is usually performed by enzymes produced and secreted by the fungus Trichoderma reesei. Studies identifying transcription factors involved in the regulation of cellulase production have been conducted but no overview of the whole regulation network is available. A transcriptomic approach with mixtures of glucose and lactose, used as a substrate for cellulase induction, was used to help us decipher missing parts in the network of T. reesei Rut-C30. Results: Experimental results on the Rut-C30 hyperproducing strain confirmed the impact of sugar mixtures on the enzymatic cocktail composition. The transcriptomic study shows a temporal regulation of the main transcription factors and a lactose concentration impact on the transcriptional profile. A gene regulatory network built using BRANE Cut software reveals three sub-networks related to i) a positive correlation between lactose concentration and cellulase production, ii) a particular dependence of the lactose onto the β-glucosidase regulation and iii) a negative regulation of the development process and growth. Conclusions: This work is the first investigating a transcriptomic study regarding the effects of pure and mixed carbon sources in a fed-batch mode. Our study expose a co-orchestration of xyr1, clr2 and ace3 for cellulase and hemicellulase induction and production, a fine regulation of the β-glucosidase and a decrease of growth in favor of cellulase production. These conclusions provide us with potential targets for further genetic engineering leading to better cellulase-producing strains in industry-like conditions.
Estimating Economic Burden and Factors Perceived to Be Associated With Lumpy Skin Disease in Cattle in Namisindwa District, Eastern Uganda
Authors: Ongom Isaac , Odongo Steven , Siya Aggrey , Ejobi Francis 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
BackgroundGlobally, livestock contributes about 40% of agricultural output sustaining livelihoods and food security of almost a billion people. In Uganda, livestock contributes 5.2% and 12.7% to the total national GDP and agricultural GDP, respectively. In districts like Namisindwa, diseases like Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) affect the sector undermining its trade and production. Studies on the economic impact and risk factors have not been undertaken in such areas. This study thus sought to unravel information regarding economic impact and perceived risk factors associated with LSD in Namisindwa district. A cross sectional study involving quantitative approaches was employed in this study. Dependent variables were period prevalence and associated economic losses due effect of LSD on cattle herds while independent variable were potential factors influencing spread of the disease among cattle herds. The financial impact assessment was based on the farmers’ calendar year. Results The total economic losses incurred by farmers in Namisindwa district in a single outbreak of LSD was estimated at UGX 574,999,741 (USD 155,405). The most prominent economic loss due to LSD was attributed to low milk yield in lactating cattle as well as poor draught power performance. Other major contributions to economic losses due to LSD after the aforementioned two factors were cost of veterinary services and mortalities of cattle. Economic losses associated with loss of calves, and skin losses were perceived to be the lowest. Introduction of new animals, communal grazing and access to veterinary services were significantly associated with outbreaks of Lumpy Skin Disease. Specifically, farmers with access to veterinary services were less likely to be affected with the rampant spread of the LSD in their cattle, OR = .03361 and P-value < .05. Conclusion There is need for Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries in Uganda to advance interventions for prevention and control of LSD in the district. Larger scale and rigorous studies ought to be undertaken also to understand the risk factors and economic impact of LSD outbreaks.
Multiple Sclerosis incidence rate in southern Iran: A Bayesian epidemiological study
Authors: Asmarian Naeimehossadat , Sharafi Zahra , Mousavi Amin , Jacques Reis , Tamayo Ibon , Bind Marie-Abèle , abutorabi-zarchi Marzie , Moradian Mohammad Javad , Izadi Sadegh 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Background: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) remains to be a public health challenge, due to its unknown biological mechanisms and clinical impacts on young people. The prevalence of this disease in Iran is reported to be 5.30 to 74.28 per 100,000-person. Because of high prevalence of this disease in Fars province, the purpose of this study was to assess the spatial pattern of MS incidence rate by modeling both the effects of spatial dependence between neighboring regions and risk factors in a Bayesian Poisson model, which can lead to the improvement of health resource allocation decisions.
Method: Data from 5,468 patients diagnosed with MS were collected, according to the McDonald’s criteria. New cases of MS were reported by the MS Society of Fars province from 1991 until 2016. The association between the percentage of people with low vitamin D intake, smoking, abnormal BMI and alcohol consumption in addition to spatial structure in a Bayesian spatio-temporal hierarchical model were used to determine the relative risk and trend of MS incidence rate in 29 counties of Fars province.
Results: County-level crude incidence rates ranged from 0.22 to 11.31 cases per 100,000-person population. The highest relative risk was estimated at 1.80 in the county of Shiraz, the capital of Fars province, while the lowest relative risk was estimated at 0.11 in Zarindasht county in southern of Fars. The percentages of vitamin D supplementation intake and smoking were significantly associated with the incidence rate of MS. The results showed that 1% increase in vitamin D supplementation intake is associated with 2% decrease in the risk of MS and 1% increase in smoking is associated with 16% increase in the risk of MS.
Conclusion: Bayesian spatio-temporal analysis of MS incidence rate revealed that trend is less steep than the mean trend of this disease in the south and south east of Fars province, which is due to the association between the higher percentage of vitamin D supplementation intake and the lower percentage of smoking. Previous studies have also shown that smoking and low vitamin D, among all covariates might be associated with high incidence of MS
Transferability, development of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and application to the analysis of genetic diversity and population structure of the African fan palm (Borassus aethiopum Mart.) in Benin
Authors: Kpatènon Mariano Joly , Salako Kolawolé Valère , Santoni Sylvain , Zekraoui Leila , Latreille Muriel , Tollon-Cordet Christine , Mariac Cédric , Jaligot Estelle , Beulé Thierry , ADEOTI Kifouli 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Background: In Sub-Saharan Africa, Borassus aethiopum Mart. (African fan palm) is an important non-timber forest product-providing palm that faces multiple anthropogenic threats to its genetic diversity. However, this species is so far under-studied, which prevents its sustainable development as a resource. The present work is a first attempt at characterizing the genetic diversity and population structure of B. aethiopum across nine collection sites spanning the three climatic regions of Benin, West Africa, through the use of microsatellite markers. Results: During a first phase we relied on the reported transferability of primers developed in other palm species. We find that, in disagreement with previously published results, only 22.5% of the markers tested enable amplification of B. aethiopum DNA and polymorphism detection is very low. In a second phase, we generated a B. aethiopum-specific genomic dataset through high-throughput sequencing and used it for the de novo detection of microsatellite loci. Among the primer pairs targeting these, 11 detected polymorphisms and were further used for analyzing genetic diversity. Across the nine sites, expected heterozygosity (He) ranges from 0.263 to 0.451 with an overall average of 0.354, showing a low genetic diversity. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) shows that within-site variation accounts for 53% of the genetic variation. Accordingly, the low number of migrants and positive values of the fixation index (F) in sites from both the Central (Sudano-Guinean) and the Southern (Guinean) climatic regions suggest limited gene flow between sites. The global correlation between genetic and geographic distances is weak; however, our clustering analyses indicate that B. aethiopum palms from Savè (Center) are genetically more similar to those from the North than to samples from other Central sites. Conclusions: In the light of our results, we discuss the use of inter-species transfer vs. de novo development of microsatellite markers in genetic diversity analyses targeting under-studied species, and suggest future applications for our molecular resources. We propose that, while prominent short-range pollen and seed dispersal in Benin explain most of our results, gene flux between the Central and Northern regions, as a result of animal and/or human migrations, might underlie the Savè discrepancy.
Defining malaria risks among forest workers in Aceh, Indonesia: a formative assessment
Authors: Ekawati Lenny Lia , Johnson Kelly C. , Jacobson Jerry O. , Cueto Carmen A. , Zarlinda Iska , Elyazar Iqbal RF , Fatah Abdul , Sumiwi Maria E. , Noviyanti Rintis , Cotter Chris , Smith Jennifer L. , Coutrier Farah N. , Bennett Adam 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Background Following a dramatic decline of malaria cases in Aceh province, geographically-based reactive case detection (RACD) was recently evaluated as a tool to improve surveillance with the goal of malaria elimination. While RACD detected few cases in households surrounding index cases, engaging in forest work was identified as a risk factor for malaria and infections from Plasmodium knowlesi—a non-human primate malaria parasite—were more common than expected. This qualitative formative assessment was conducted to improve understanding of malaria risk from forest work and identify strategies for targeted surveillance among forest workers, including adapting reactive case detection. Methods Between June and August, 2016, five focus groups and 18 in-depth interviews with forest workers and key informants were conducted in each of four subdistricts in Aceh Besar and Aceh Jaya districts. Themes included: types of forest activities, mobility of workers, interactions with non-human primates, malaria prevention and treatment-seeking behaviours, and willingness to participate in malaria surveys at forest work sites and using peer-referral. Results Reported forest activities included mining, logging, and agriculture in the deep forest and along the forest fringe. Forest workers, particularly miners and loggers, described often spending weeks to months at work sites in makeshift housing, rarely utilizing mosquito prevention and, upon fever, self-medicating and seeking care from traditional healers or pharmacies rather than health facilities. Non-human primates are frequently observed near work sites, and most forest work locations are within a day’s journey of health clinics. Employers and workers expressed interest in undertaking malaria testing and in participating in survey recruitment by peer-referral and at work sites. Conclusions Diverse groups of forest workers in Aceh are potentially exposed to malaria through forest work. Passive surveillance and household-based screening may under-estimate malaria burden due to extended stays in the forest and health-seeking behaviours. Adapting active surveillance to specifically target forest workers through work-site screening and/or peer-referral appears promising for addressing currently undetected infections.
Engineering of a genome-reduced strain Bacillus amyloliquefaciens for enhancing surfactin production
Authors: Zhang Fang , Huo Kaiyue , Song Xingyi , Quan Yufen , Wang Shufang , Zhang Zhiling , Gao Weixia , Yang Chao 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Background: Genome reduction and metabolic engineering have emerged as intensive research hotspots for constructing the promising functional chassis and various microbial cell factories. Surfactin, a lipopeptide-type biosurfactant with broad spectrum antibiotic activity, has wide application prospects in anticancer therapy, biocontrol and bioremediation. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens LL3, previously isolated by our lab, contains an intact srfA operon in the genome for surfactin biosynthesis.

Results: In this study, a genome-reduced strain GR167 lacking ~4.18% of the B. amyloliquefaciens LL3 genome was constructed by deleting some unnecessary genomic regions. Compared with the strain NK-1 (LL3 derivative, ΔuppΔpMC1), GR167 exhibited faster growth rate, higher transformation efficiency, increased intracellular reducing power level and higher heterologous protein expression capacity. Furthermore, the chassis strain GR167 was engineered for enhanced surfactin production. Firstly, the iturin and fengycin biosynthetic gene clusters were deleted from GR167 to generate GR167ID. Subsequently, two promoters PRsuc and PRtpxi from LL3 were obtained by RNA-seq and promoter strength characterization, and then they were individually substituted for the native srfA promoter in GR167ID to generate GR167IDS and GR167IDT. The best mutant GR167IDS showed a 678-fold improvement in the transcriptional level of the srfA operon relative to GR167ID, and it produced 311.35 mg/L surfactin, with a 10.4-fold increase relative to GR167.

Conclusions: The genome-reduced strain GR167 was advantageous over the parental strain in several industrially relevant physiological traits assessed and it was highlighted as a chassis strain for further genetic modification. In future studies, further reduction of the LL3 genome can be expected to create high-performance chassis for synthetic biology applications.
DV-DVFS: Merging Data variety and DVFS Technique to Manage the Energy Consumption of Big Data Processing
Authors: Ahmadvand Hossein , Foroutan Fouzhan , Fathy Mahmood 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Data variety is one of the most important features of Big Data. Data variety is the result of aggregating data from multiple sources and uneven distribution of data. This feature of Big Data causes high variation in the consumption of processing resources such as CPU consumption. This issue has been overlooked from previous work. To overcome the mentioned problem, in the present work, we used Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS) to reduce the energy consumption of computation. To this goal, we consider two types of deadlines as our constraint. Before applying the DVFS technique to computer nodes, we estimate the processing time and the frequency needed to meet the deadline. In the evaluation phase, we have used a set of data sets and applications. The experimental results show that our proposed approach surpasses the other scenarios in processing real datasets. Based on the experimental results in this paper, DV-DVFS can achieve up to 15% improvement in energy consumption.
Soot removal from ancient Egyptian complex painted surfaces using a double network gel: Empirical tests on the ceiling of the sanctuary of Osiris in the temple of Seti I – Abydos
Authors: Al-Emam Ehab Awad , Motawea Abdel Ghafour , Caen Joost , Janssens Koen 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
In this study, we evaluated the ease of removal of soot layers from ancient wall paintings by employing double network gels as a controllable and safe cleaning method. The ceiling of the temple of Seti I (Abydos, Egypt) is covered with thick layers of soot; this is especially the case in the sanctuary of Osiris. These layers may have been accumulated during the occupation of the temple by Christians, fleeing the Romans in the first centuries A.D.. Soot particulates are one of the most common deposits to be removed during conservation-restoration activities of ancient Egyptian wall paintings. They usually mask the painted reliefs and reduce the permeability of the painted surface. A Polyvinyl alcohol-borax/agarose (PVA-B/AG) double network gel was selected for this task since its properties were expected to be compatible with the cleaning treatment requirements. The gel is characterized by its flexibility, permitting to take the shape of the reliefs, while also having self-healing properties, featuring shape stability and an appropriate capacity to retain liquid. The gel was loaded with several cleaning reagents that proved to be effective for soot removal. Soot removal tests were conducted with these gel composites. The cleaned surfaces were evaluated with the naked eye, a digital microscope, and color measurements in order to select the best gel composite. The gel composite, loaded with a solution of 5% ammonia, 0.3% ammonium carbonate, and 0.3% EDTA yielded the most satisfactory results and allowed to safely remove a crust of thick soot layers from the surface. Thus, during the final phase of the study, it was used successfully to clean a larger area of the ceiling.