Notes

Heroin use is linked to hard working liver fibrosis from the Miami Adult Research on Aids (MASH) cohort.
nificant differences in perioperative and anesthesia-related mortality rates between the assessed time periods.Inflammatory biomarkers have been associated with clinical outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the best prognostic marker(s) has not been identified, and the association between inflammatory markers and clinical characteristics is poorly understood. We selected 1,237 patients with resected NSCLC from Kyushu University (2003-2015) and Kyushu Cancer Center (2009-2015) in Japan. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient among inflammatory markers and area under curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses for overall survival (OS) were calculated. We analyzed the associations between inflammatory markers and clinical factors using Student's t-test. Univariate and multivariate analyses with Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between survival and clinical factors. The cut-off values for neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio, and derived NLR (dNLR) were determined by ROC curve analyses for OS. We found a strong positive correlation between NLR and dNLR (r = 0.9629). The AUC of LMR was the highest amongst the measured metrics, and the AUC of NLR was higher than dNLR. Levels of some inflammatory markers were associated with sex, smoking, squamous cell carcinoma, and pathological stage. LMR ≥ 5.11 and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) concentration ≥ 222 (U/L) were independent predictors of both disease-free survival (DFS) and OS (LMR; P = 0.0009 and 0.0008, LDH; P = 0.0195 and 0.0187, respectively). Certain inflammatory markers, potentially linked to smoking, were associated with an advanced pathological stage in NSCLC. LMR and LDH were independent predictors of both DFS and OS.The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of short duration electrocardiographic (ECG) recordings extracted from ambulatory continuous ECG (Holter) to assess 24-hour mean heart rate in dogs with atrial fibrillation. In this retrospective study, Holter recordings obtained from 20 dogs with atrial fibrillation were selected for analysis. Ten out of 20 dogs were receiving drugs to control heart rate at the time of Holter evaluation. From the Holter recordings, heart rate averages were calculated for various sample durations (five-minutes, 30 minutes, one-hour, two-hours, and three-hours) for each dog. Percentage of these shorter duration ECG obtained HR averages that fell within ±10%, ±15% and ± 20% of 24-hour mean heart rate was determined for each sample duration and for each dog. Seventy five percent of heart rate averages obtained from three-hour ECG recordings fell within ±10% of 24-hour mean HR. All the heart rate averages obtained from two-hour ECG recordings fell within ±20% of 24-hour mean heart rate. Based on the results of this study it can be concluded that the duration of the ECG recording affects the prediction accuracy for 24-hour Holter mean HR. Only two and three hours of Holter recordings provided all heart rate averages within ±20% of 24-hour mean heart rate. No significant differences were noted in the prediction accuracy of shorter duration ECG recordings based on rate control therapy status. Further prospective studies are needed to assess the accuracy of HR obtained at home using various ECG recording devices to predict 24-hour mean heart rate in dogs with atrial fibrillation.
Studies of the delay between when companies file a New Drug Submission (NDS) and when drugs reach Canadian patients typically focus on the time in the regulatory review process and do not analyze the time between when approval is granted and the drug is available for purchase (company decision time). This study looks at the length of the two different time periods. Secondarily, it examines whether there is a difference in these time periods for drugs that received a standard review and those that received an expedited review.

A list of all New Active Substances approved in Canada between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2018 was compiled and the dates when the companies applied for a NDS, the dates when the drugs received a market authorization (Notice of Compliance, NOC) and whether the drugs received a standard review or an expedited review were recorded. The date of original marketing comes from Health Canada's Drug Product Database. Times in days were calculated between NDS and NOC (review time), betwrug is available is due to decisions made by companies. Company decision times are shorter for drugs with expedited approvals compared to drugs with standard approvals.
Poor housing conditions have been linked with worse health outcomes and infectious disease spread. Since the relationship of poor housing conditions with incidence and mortality of COVID-19 is unknown, we investigated the association between poor housing condition and COVID-19 incidence and mortality in US counties.

We conducted cross-sectional analysis of county-level data from the US Centers for Disease Control, US Census Bureau and John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center for 3135 US counties. The exposure of interest was percentage of households with poor housing conditions (one or greater of overcrowding, high housing cost, incomplete kitchen facilities, or incomplete plumbing facilities). Outcomes were incidence rate ratios (IRR) and mortality rate ratios (MRR) of COVID-19 across US counties through 4/21/2020. Multilevel generalized linear modeling (with total population of each county as a denominator) was utilized to estimate relative risk of incidence and mortality related to poor housing conditiies with a higher percentage of households with poor housing had higher incidence of, and mortality associated with, COVID-19. These findings suggest targeted health policies to support individuals living in poor housing conditions should be considered in further efforts to mitigate adverse outcomes associated with COVID-19.
Counties with a higher percentage of households with poor housing had higher incidence of, and mortality associated with, COVID-19. These findings suggest targeted health policies to support individuals living in poor housing conditions should be considered in further efforts to mitigate adverse outcomes associated with COVID-19.At least two real-time PCRs for the early diagnosis of leptospirosis have been described, evaluated and validated. However, at least one other report suggested adaptation and modification of primers and probes used in these assays since additional Leptospira species have been described and the primers and probe in use possess a serious mismatch to corresponding target sequence. In this study we developed a real-time PCR for detection of pathogenic Leptospira based on the lipL32 gene. The present method consists of generic primers and probes based on target sequence of 10 pathogenic Leptospira species including Leptospira interrogans. The hybridization, annealing and extension temperature (60°C) were optimized as the optimal temperature of the DNA polymerase enzyme which is used in the amplification reaction. The present assay has a high analytical sensitivity and specificity; the calculated diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were 93.0% and 98.3% respectively. Moreover, the present method includes an internal control which enables easy detection of false negative results and an optional extraction control which enables the estimation of the DNA extraction efficiency.Female sterilization is the most popular contraceptive method among Indian couples, and the public sector is the major source of sterilization services in the country. However, concerns remain on the quality of services provided, deaths, failures, and complications following sterilization. In this paper, we study the complexities around the quality of care in female sterilization services at public health facilities and identify strategies for improving the measurement of such quality. A better understanding of these issues could inform pragmatic strategies for enhancing quality. This study uses data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2015-16 and District Level Household and Facility Survey (DLHS) 2012-13. The study is limited to only districts whose data are available in both DLHS 2012-13 and NFHS 2015-16. The methods of analysis include bivariate statistics, Pearson's chi-square test, and two-level mixed-effects logistic regression. We found that the quality of care (QoC) in sterilization service at the public health facilities in India is associated with facility readiness and the socio-economic characteristics of the clients. There is a significant association between household wealth and the QoC received. Our study provides empirical shreds of evidence on the role of structural attributes in delivering quality sterilization services. The spatial analyses revealed the geographies in the country where the QoC and facility readiness are low. Quality should be an overriding priority to establish the credibility of any health care delivery system. It is essential to provide safeguards against adverse events to develop the client's confidence in the services, which is the key to success for any voluntary family planning program like in India.Ceramides, a type of sphingolipid, are cell membrane components and lipid mediators that modulate a variety of cell functions. In plants, ceramides are mostly present in a glucosylated glucosylceramide (GlcCer) form. We previously showed that oral administration of konjac-derived GlcCer to a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease reduced brain amyloid-β and amyloid plaques. Dietary plant GlcCer compounds are absorbed as ceramides, but it is unclear whether they can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Herein, we evaluated the BBB permeability of synthetic plant-type ceramides (4, 8-sphingadienine, d182) using mouse and BBB cell culture models, and found that they could permeate the BBB both in vivo and in vitro. In addition, administrated ceramides were partially metabolized to other sphingolipid species, namely sphingomyelin (SM) and GlcCer, while crossing the BBB. Thus, plant ceramides can cross the BBB, suggesting that ceramides and their metabolites might affect brain functions.The choice of colony size may have profound consequences for individual fitness in colonially breeding birds, but at the same time it may require certain behavioural adaptations. Here, we aimed to examine behavioural divergence of common terns Sterna hirundo nesting in colonies of different size. For this purpose, we promoted establishment of small (100 pairs) tern colonies under uniform ecological and environmental conditions by providing attractive patches of nesting substrate (floating rafts) at a single site. We combined video recording and GPS-tracking to assess communal and individual defence initiation rate, intra-specific aggression rate, and foraging flight characteristics. We found that birds from larger colonies more frequently engaged in communal defence and they performed longer foraging flights, while terns from smaller colonies more frequently showed individual defence behaviours. Also, intra-specific aggression rate was higher in smaller colonies, but this effect was primarily attributed to a higher proportion of edge breeding pairs, which were more aggressive. Our results suggest that various colony sizes may be associated with different behavioural syndromes, which comprise of diverse personality traits, such as social responsiveness, social tolerance, or propensity for aggression. It remains to be tested whether these behavioural differences reflect processes of phenotypic sorting among colonies of different size or whether they are a result of behavioural plasticity under different social contexts.
The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is rising at an alarming rate and more common among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients in the world. The risk for cardiovascular disease is greater among individuals who have a combination of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and metabolic syndrome compared to those who have either alone.

To assess the proportion of metabolic syndrome and lifestyle factors among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients in Dessie Referral Hospital, Amhara Region, Ethiopia.

A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February to March 2017 among 343 randomly selected Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients. Three definitions of Metabolic syndrome were considered. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with metabolic syndrome. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported to show the strength of association. Statistical significance was declared at P-value < 0.05.

The proportion of metabolic syndrome was 50.3%, 59trol of body weight, and avoidance of regular red meat consumption is recommended.
The proportion of metabolic syndrome was high among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients. Overweight and obesity, being female, age of respondent, intake of coffee, regular red meat consumption, and sedentary leisure-time activity were factors associated with metabolic syndrome. Counseling of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients on the need for spending leisure time with activities, intake of coffee, control of body weight, and avoidance of regular red meat consumption is recommended.There is substantial experimental evidence to indicate that Leishmania infections that are transmitted naturally by the bites of infected sand flies differ in fundamental ways from those initiated by needle inocula. We have used flow cytometry and intravital microscopy (IVM) to reveal the heterogeneity of sand fly transmission sites with respect to the subsets of phagocytes in the skin that harbor L. major within the first hours and days after infection. By flow cytometry analysis, dermis resident macrophages (TRMs) were on average the predominant infected cell type at 1 hr and 24 hr. By confocal IVM, the co-localization of L. major and neutrophils varied depending on the proximity of deposited parasites to the presumed site of vascular damage, defined by the highly localized swarming of neutrophils. Some of the dermal TRMs could be visualized acquiring their infections via transfer from or efferocytosis of parasitized neutrophils, providing direct evidence for the "Trojan Horse" model. The role of neutrophil engulfment by dermal TRMs and the involvement of the Tyro3/Axl/Mertk family of receptor tyrosine kinases in these interactions and in sustaining the anti-inflammatory program of dermal TRMs was supported by the effects observed in neutrophil depleted and in Axl-/-Mertk-/- mice. The Axl-/-Mertk-/- mice also displayed reduced parasite burdens but more severe pathology following L. major infection transmitted by sand fly bite.Influenza virus infection is a global public health threat. Current seasonal influenza vaccines are efficacious only when vaccine strains are matched with circulating strains. There is a critical need for developing "universal" vaccines that protect against all influenza viruses. HA stem is a promising target for developing broad-spectrum influenza vaccines due to its relatively conserved feature. However, HA stem is weakly immunogenic when administered alone in a soluble form. Several approaches have been employed to improve the immunogenicity of HA stem, including conjugation of HA stem with a highly immunogenic carrier protein or displaying HA stem on a nanoparticle scaffold. Converting a weakly immunologic protein into a multimer through aggregation can significantly enhance its immunogenicity, with some multimeric protein aggregates previously shown to be more immunogenic than their soluble counterparts in animal models. Here, we show that a chemically coupling a peptide derived from the head domain of PR8 HA (P35) with the poorly immunogenic HA stem protein results in aggregation of the HA stem which significantly increases stem-specific B cell responses following vaccination. Importantly, vaccination with this conjugate in the absence of adjuvant still induced robust B cell responses against stem in vivo. Improving HA stem immunogenicity by aggregation provides an alternative avenue to conjugation with exotic carrier proteins or nanoparticle formulation.In this study, it was investigated whether early tweets counts could differentially benefit female and male (first, last) authors in terms of the later citation counts received. The data for this study comprised 47,961 articles in the research area of Life Sciences & Biomedicine from 2014-2016, retrieved from Web of Science's Medline. For each article, the number of received citations per year was downloaded from WOS, while the number of received tweets per year was obtained from PlumX. Using the hurdle regression model, I compared the number of received citations by female and male (first, last) authored papers and then I investigated whether early tweet counts could predict the later citation counts received by female and male (first, last) authored papers. In the regression models, I controlled for several important factors that were investigated in previous research in relation to citation counts, gender or Altmetrics. These included journal impact (SNIP), number of authors, open access, research funding, topic of an article, international collaboration, lay summary, F1000 Score and mega journal. The findings showed that the percentage of papers with male authors in first or last authorship positions was higher than that for female authors. However, female first and last-authored papers had a small but significant citation advantage of 4.7% and 5.5% compared to male-authored papers. The findings also showed that irrespective of whether the factors were included in regression models or not, early tweet counts had a weak positive and significant association with the later citations counts (3.3%) and the probability of a paper being cited (21.1%). Regarding gender, the findings showed that when all variables were controlled, female (first, last) authored papers had a small citation advantage of 3.7% and 4.2% in comparison to the male authored papers for the same number of tweets.In a genetic study on brown bears (Ursus arctos) in the Cantabrian Mountains, Gregório et al. (2020) interpreted the asymmetrical gene flow they found from the eastern subpopulation towards the western one as an exodus of bears forced to flee from the eastern nucleus "with higher human disturbance and poaching", concluding that connectivity may be operating as a means for eastern Cantabrian bears to find more suitable territories. In this reply, we maintain that the explanations of Gregorio et al. contradict the source-sink theory and we also present demographic data not considered by these authors showing that the eastern subpopulation is not declining, but persistently increasing. After reviewing the demographic and genetic studies published during the last 20 years, we conclude that the connectivity between the two subpopulations is operating as a route which allows the regular movement of males and the restoration of the gene flow across the whole Cantabrian population.
Electronic cigarette use (vaping) has become popular in recent years. The number of Americans with a variety of cognitive deficits has been increasing dramatically. This study aimed to examine the potential association of vaping with subjective cognitive complaints in US adults.

A combined 2016 and 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) national survey dataset yielded 886,603 adults who indicated their smoking and vaping status, as well as whether they had subjective cognitive complaints. With this dataset, the cross-sectional association of electronic cigarette use with subjective cognitive complaints was examined using multivariable weighted logistic regression models.

Both dual users (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] = 2.07; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.66 to 2.60) and current vapers who were either ex-smokers (aOR = 1.94; 95% CI = 1.40 to 2.71) or never smoked (aOR = 1.96; 95% CI = 1.16 to 3.30) showed a significantly higher association with subjective cognitive complaints than never users. Current smokers (aOR = 1.49; 95% CI = 1.32 to 1.69) and ex-smokers (aOR = 1.25; 95% CI = 1.11 to 1.41) had a significantly higher association with subjective cognitive complaints compared to never users. Compared to current smokers, the ex-smokers showed a lower association with subjective cognitive complaints (aOR = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.73 to 0.96). Finally, the association of vaping with subjective cognitive complaints was not statistically significant in individual age group.

Similar to smoking, vaping is associated with subjective cognitive complaints in US adults. These results provide preliminary evidence for a cross-sectional association of vaping with potential cognitive health effects in adults.
Similar to smoking, vaping is associated with subjective cognitive complaints in US adults. These results provide preliminary evidence for a cross-sectional association of vaping with potential cognitive health effects in adults.
A key component to analyzing wearable sensor data is identifying periods of non-wear. Traditionally, strings of consecutive zero counts (e.g. >60-minutes) are identified indicating periods of non-movement. The non-movement window length is then evaluated as wear or non-wear. Given that non-movement is not equivalent to non-wear, additional criteria should be evaluated to objectively identify periods of non-wear. Identifying non-wear is especially challenging in infants due to their sporadic movement, sleep frequency, and proportion of caregiver-generated movement.

To use hip- and ankle-worn ActiGraph wGT3X-BT (wGT3X-BT) data to identify non-wear in infants.

Fifteen infant participants [mean±SD; age, 8.7±1.7 weeks (range 5.4-11.3 weeks); 5.1±0.8 kg; 56.2±2.1 cm; n = 8 females] wore a wGT3X-BT on the hip and ankle. Criterion data were collected during two, 2-hour directly observed periods in the laboratory. Using raw 30 Hz acceleration data, a vector magnitude and the inclination angle of each individuapproach provides an advancement in the identification of device wear status using wearable sensor data in infants.The core of urbanization is land use change, resulting in the urban sprawl and urban population explosion. The problem of land resources shortage and ecological environment destruction has become increasingly prominent. Land use change and human activities can directly lead to urban soil pollution. This study analyzed the concentration of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Hg and As in the original site of Xi'an chlor-alkali chemical plant, which was know as a brownfield. The results showed the concentrations of Hg, Pb and Zn in research areas were obviously higher than soil background value. Through pollution index (PI) method and Geo-accumulation Index (Igeo) method, totally 26 sample points in different areas (A, B, C, D) were classified into different pollution degrees. The CPI results indicated 9 sample points were heavily polluted, accounting for 34.6% of the total. Among them, 6 out of 9 were located in area A. 12 samples points were not polluted. The average Igeo values of single heavy metal were arranged in the order of Hg (1.83) > Zn (1.26) > Pb (0.33). The pollution of Hg was relatively serious and extensive, especially in area A. It was mainly because of the historical pollution produced by chemical plant. The pollution of Pb in each point was quite different. Mainly influenced by automobile related activities, Igeo(Pb) in sample point 15 and 16 were all beyond 4.00. The average potential ecological risk (PER) of each area was in the order of A (1428) > B (297) > D (249) > C (163). The ecological risk was mainly determined by previous industrial production and present human activity at the same time. People and land are interdependent and interactive. The understanding on the mechanism of man-land interralations, regarding to urban land use and ecological environment, will promote urban sustainability.Qinling-Daba Mountains (QDM), which are located in central China, are considered as a significant climatic boundary delimiting north and south. However, the influence of complex topographic and climatic features makes it challenging to identify the exact location of the boundary, and different scholars delimit the boundary with significant differences. In addition, there is a gradual transition between climate zones, and no real dividing line exists. To explore the climate regionalization of the QDM, we focused on the identification of the transition zone rather than the exact location of the boundary between subtropical and temperate zones. Thus, we proposed a new workflow for climate regionalization based on the Geodetector-SVM model (a combination of Geodetector and support vector machines). First, we selected the spatial distribution data of six vegetation types (including typical subtropical and temperate vegetation) to represent the spatial distribution of climatic zones. Environmental factors (such as topography, temperature, precipitation, and soil) were used as explanatory variables for the spatial distribution of vegetation. Second, using the Geodetector-SVM model, the distribution characteristics and suitable environment of typical vegetation in different climatic zones are comprehensively explored. By analyzing the multiple boundaries between subtropical and temperate vegetation, the location of the transition zone of the QDM was identified. The results revealed the following (1) The new workflow for climate regionalization based on the Geodetector-SVM model is powerful for the identification of the transition zone. The q-statistics are generally greater than 0.35, indicating that the transition zone between subtropical and temperate zones can highly reflect the character of the QDM; (2) From west to east, the transition zone mainly passes through the cities of Heishui County, Kang County, Liuba County, and Yichuan County and is approximately 30 km wide.
Excessive alcohol consumption in adolescents is one of the most significant public health problems currently facing society. Social and geographical contexts contribute to the development of alcohol-related behavior in adolescents. The aim of this research is to analyze the social pattern related to alcohol consumption in adolescents based on their geographical environment.

We designed a descriptive cross-sectional study based on social network analysis. We recruited 196 high school students between 16 and 18 years of age to participate in the study. The methodology applied was social network analysis by means of transitivity and homophily social triads. The data were analyzed using STATA statistical software.

A total of 58.48% of rural adolescents consumed alcohol compared to 49.52% of urban adolescents. These results demonstrate that adolescents who live in rural areas exhibit a greater risk of drinking alcohol than those who live in urban areas. The presence of transitive triads increases the probability of sharing sociodemographic attributes in such a way that it may be considered one of the causes of homophily, contributing to adolescents taking greater risks, such as consuming alcohol.
A total of 58.48% of rural adolescents consumed alcohol compared to 49.52% of urban adolescents. These results demonstrate that adolescents who live in rural areas exhibit a greater risk of drinking alcohol than those who live in urban areas. The presence of transitive triads increases the probability of sharing sociodemographic attributes in such a way that it may be considered one of the causes of homophily, contributing to adolescents taking greater risks, such as consuming alcohol.Monitoring aboveground carbon stocks and fluxes from tropical deforestation and forest degradation is important for mitigating climate change and improving forest management. However, high temporal and spatial resolution analyses are rare. This study presents the most detailed tracking of aboveground carbon over time, with yearly, quarterly and monthly estimations of emissions using the stock-difference approach and masked by the forest loss layer of Global Forest Watch. We generated high spatial resolution (1-ha) monitoring of aboveground carbon density (ACD) and emissions (ACE) in Peru by incorporating hundreds of thousands of Planet Dove satellite images, Sentinel-1 radar, topography and airborne LiDAR, embedded into a deep learning regression workflow using high-performance computing. Consistent ACD results were obtained for all quarters and months analyzed, with R2 values of 0.75-0.78, and root mean square errors (RMSE) between 20.6 and 22.0 Mg C ha-1. A total of 7.138 Pg C was estimated for Peru with annual ACE of 20.08 Tg C between the third quarters of 2017 and 2018, respectively, or 23.4% higher than estimates from the FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment. Analyzed quarterly, the spatial evolution of ACE revealed 11.5 Tg C, 6.6 Tg C, 8.6 Tg C, and 10.1 Tg C lost between the third quarters of 2017 and 2018. Moreover, our monthly analysis for the dry season reveals the evolution of ACE at unprecedented temporal detail. We discuss environmental controls over ACE and provide a spatially explicit tool for enhanced forest carbon management at scale.In 2014, the Danish Government implemented an active labour market reform directed at unemployed young adults under 30 years of age with low educational qualifications. The reform replaced the (unemployment) cash benefits with a lower education benefit for many of the unemployed aged under 30 and obliged the low-skilled in this group to enrol in a regular general or vocational (VET) education program. This paper exploits the sharp discontinuity that occurs at age 30 to estimate the joint effect of higher benefits and the cessation of educational obligations on the share receiving cash benefits and the share enrolled in education. We estimate the effects by applying a regression discontinuity design. We report results for the group of low educated young adults and for subgroups facing different economic incentives. The results establish that reaching age 30 creates an incentive to apply for cash benefits, and we find strong evidence that a significant increase in the share of cash benefit recipients relates to a corresponding reduction in the share of young adults enrolled in education. When including subgroups the size of the effect increases, and the results demonstrate that the effects are strongest among previous education benefit recipients. This indicates that the results are mainly driven mainly by individuals reverting to cash benefits.There is an urgent need for an accurate antibody test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We have developed 3 ELISA methods, trimer spike IgA, trimer spike IgG, and nucleocapsid IgG, for detecting anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. We evaluated their performance along with four commercial ELISAs, EDI™ Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 ELISA IgG and IgM, Euroimmun Anti-SARS-CoV-2 ELISA IgG and IgA, and one lateral flow assay, DPP® COVID-19 IgM/IgG System (Chembio). Both sensitivity and specificity were evaluated and the probable causes of false-positive reactions were determined. The assays were evaluated using 300 pre-epidemic samples and 100 PCR-confirmed COVID-19 samples. The sensitivities and specificities of the assays were as follows 90%/100% (in-house trimer spike IgA), 90%/99.3% (in-house trimer spike IgG), 89%/98.3% (in-house nucleocapsid IgG), 73.7%/100% (EDI nucleocapsid IgM), 84.5%/95.1% (EDI nucleocapsid IgG), 95%/93.7% (Euroimmun S1 IgA), 82.8%/99.7% (Euroimmun S1 IgG), 82.0%/91.7e directed against non-specific components in the assay system. Identification of these targets will be essential to improving assay performance.
Improper breastfeeding practices significantly impair the health, development, and survival of infants, children, and mothers. A Breastfeeding Performance Index (BPI) is a composite index to describe overall maternal breastfeeding practice with infants under six months of age. To date, there is insufficient evidence on breastfeeding performance index and its associated factors in Ethiopia.

To assess the breastfeeding performance index and its associated factors in Sekela District, Northwest Ethiopia, 2019.

A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 605 randomly selected mothers having infants aged 6 to 12 months from April 02, 2019 to May 13, 2019. Data was collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to identify independent predictors of BPI.

Two hundred forty-six (40.7%) of mothers had low BPI scores. Mothers who lived alone (AOR = 3.18; 95%CI 1.15, 8.82), mothers who were merchants (AOR = 2.75; 95%CI1.05, 7.15), attebreastfeeding were independent predictors of low BPI scores. Nutrition promotion should be implemented by considering the above significant factors to decrease inappropriate breastfeeding practice in Northwest Ethiopia.Sex determination pathways are astoundingly diverse in insects. For instance, the silk moth Bombyx mori uniquely use various components of the piRNA pathway to produce the Fem signal for specification of the female fate. In this study, we identified BmGTSF1 as a novel piRNA factor which participates in B. mori sex determination. We found that BmGtsf1 has a distinct expression pattern compared to Drosophila and mouse. CRISPR/Cas9 induced mutation in BmGtsf1 resulted in partial sex reversal in genotypically female animals by shifting expression of the downstream targets BmMasc and Bmdsx to the male pattern. As levels of Fem piRNAs were substantially reduced in female mutants, we concluded that BmGtsf1 plays a critical role in the biogenesis of the feminizing signal. We also demonstrated that BmGTSF1 physically interacted with BmSIWI, a protein previously reported to be involved in female sex determination, indicating BmGTSF1 function as the cofactor of BmSIWI. BmGtsf1 mutation resulted in piRNA pathway dysregulation, including piRNA biogenesis defects and transposon derepression, suggesting BmGtsf1 is also a piRNA factor in the silkworm. Furthermore, we found that BmGtsf1 mutation leads to gametogenesis defects in both male and female. Our data suggested that BmGtsf1 is a new component involved in the sex determination pathway in B. mori.
Uterine rupture has a significant public health importance, contributing to 13% of maternal mortality and 74%-92% of perinatal mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa, and 36% of maternal mortality in Ethiopia. The prevalence and predictors of uterine rupture were highly variable and inconclusive across studies in the country. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence and predictor of uterine rupture in Ethiopia.

This systematic review and meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2009 checklist. PubMed, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and African Journals Online databases were searched. The Newcastle- Ottawa quality assessment tool was used for critical appraisal. I2 statistic and Egger's tests were used to assess the heterogeneity and publication bias, respectively. The random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence and odds ratios with a 95% confidence interval.

Sixteen studies were includess of cesarean section and proper labor monitoring, improving antenatal care visit, and birth preparedness and complication readiness plan are needed. Moreover, early referral and family planning utilization are the recommended interventions to reduce the burden of uterine rupture among Ethiopia women.The lack of information regarding the water requirement of tree species results in water waste in the seedlings production in nurseries. Water requirement, the growth plant factors and water efficiencies for height and diameter were determined for Schizolobium parahyba (Vell.) Blake, Cytharexylum myrianthum Cham. and Ceiba speciosa Ravenna seedlings, under automated irrigation management and greenhouse conditions, located at 22o45'53" S and 43o41'50" W. We used sewage sludge biosolids as substrate in the seedling phase (280 cm-3 tube), and sandy soil material in the initial pot growth phase (18 dm-3 pot). In the seedlings phase, four water replacement levels were applied to the substrate, by drip irrigation, corresponding to average replacement ranging from 40 (V1) to 100% (V4) of the species water requirement. Seedlings developed properly and 80 days after emergence, S. parahyba, C. myrianthum and C. speciosa seedlings received, respectively, 2.40, 1.08 and 0.85 L per plant, for V4. After growth phase (230 DAE), the total water volumes were, respectively, 70.0, 50.3 and 52.7 L per plant. Under adequate water supply, there were rapid recovery and growth of the species, even for the seedlings which showed different height and diameter in the tube phase. The growth plant factors values found were below 0.5 for all species indicating low sensitivity to growth, both in height and in diameter, in response to water deficit. Water efficiency indicators point to distinct trends between the two phases, and C. speciosa has higher values of water efficiencies for height (80.7 and 17.0 cm L-1) and diameter (2.1 and 0.5 mm L-1) in both phases.Autophagy is an important factor in liver ischemia-reperfusion injury. In the current study we investigate the function of interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF1) in regulating autophagy to promote hepatic ischemia reperfusion injury (IR). The high expression of IRF1 during hepatic IR exhibited increased liver damage and was associated with activation of autophagy shown by Western blot markers, as well as immunofluorescent staining for autophagosomes. These effects were diminished by IRF1 deficiency in IRF1 knock out (KO) mice. Moreover, the autophagy inhibitor 3-MA decreased IR-induced liver necrosis and markedly abrogated the rise in liver injury tests (AST/ALT). β-catenin expression decreased during liver IR and was increased in the IRF1 KO mice. Immunoprecipitation assay showed the binding between IRF1 and β-catenin. Overexpression of IRF1 induced autophagy and also inhibited the expression of β-catenin. β-catenin inhibitor increased autophagy while β-catenin agonist suppressed autophagy in primary mouse hepatocytes. These results indicate that IRF1 induced autophagy aggravates hepatic IR injury in part by inhibiting β-catenin and suggests that targeting IRF1 may be an effective strategy in reducing hepatic IR injury.Vulnerable narcissism and grandiose narcissism share the core of the narcissistic self but are considered as separate forms of this personality trait. While previous research mainly focused on the mechanisms that connect grandiose narcissism and addictive use of the social platform Facebook, it remained unclear why individuals with enhanced levels of vulnerable narcissism are at risk to develop Facebook Addiction (FA). The present study investigated the links between vulnerable and grandiose narcissism, anxiety symptoms, and FA. In a sample of 327 Facebook users (age M(SD) = 23.67(3.96), range 18-56), both forms of narcissism were positively related to anxiety symptoms and FA. Moreover, the association between both forms of narcissism and FA was partly mediated by anxiety symptoms. Results enter new territory by revealing hidden similarities between vulnerable and grandiose narcissists, emphasizing that similar mechanisms might explain their enhanced risk to develop addictive tendencies of Facebook use. These findings should be considered when assessing individuals at risk for FA and when developing (therapeutic) intervention programs to deal with problematic use of social platforms.
To determine the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on utilization of benefits of both eye care and primary care examinations in individuals who did not have health insurance prior to the ACA.

Patients examined in an urban eye clinic from 2017 to 2018 were invited to participate. Patients were classified into two groups Insured Group, who had health insurance before and after the ACA; The ACA Group, who had insurance only after the ACA. Patients were surveyed on how often they were examined by their eye care and primary care physicians before and after the ACA. The care utilization frequency was categorized into 3 levels Frequent Care Use, Rare Care Use, and Never. To test the utilization of benefits frequency difference between two groups, the z-ratio was calculated.

A total of 4,355 patients were enrolled with 87.1% in the Insured Group and 12.9% in the ACA Group. After the ACA implementation, the percentage of "Frequent Care Use" of the eye care and primary care in the ACA Group patients significantly increased from 31.2% and 53.7% to 57.9% and 74.9%, respectively (P<0.001), but were significantly lower than those in the Insured Group (76.6% and 93.9%, P < 0.001).

The ACA significantly improved utilization of benefits of eye care and primary care for individuals in the ACA Group. Although improved, those patients who received health insurance through the ACA still had lower utilization of benefits than those in the Insured Group.
The ACA significantly improved utilization of benefits of eye care and primary care for individuals in the ACA Group. Although improved, those patients who received health insurance through the ACA still had lower utilization of benefits than those in the Insured Group.Alginetin is the major product formed from pentoses and hexurionic acids. Alginetin is producted by cooking process of food including pection, a naturally-occurring polysacharride found in many plants. However, the biological interaction and toxicity of alginetin are not known at all. The aim of the present study was to investigate the cellular actions of alginetin on rat thymic lymphocytes. The effects of alginetin on the cell were examined using flow cytometry with fluorescent probes. Alginetin increased cellular content of non-protein thiols ([NPT]i) and elevated intracellular Zn2+ levels ([Zn2+]i). Chelation of intracellular Zn2+ reduced the effect of alginetin on [NPT]i, and chelation of external Zn2+ almost completely diminished alginetin-induced elevation of [Zn2+]i, indicating that alginetin treatment increased Zn2+ influx. Increased [NPT]i and [Zn2+]i levels in response to alginetin were positively correlated. Alginetin protected cells against oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide and Ca2+ overload by calcium ionophore. It is considered that the increases in [NPT]i and [Zn2+]i are responsible for the cytoprotective activity of alginetin because NPT attenuates oxidative stress and Zn2+ competes with Ca2+. Alginetin may be produced during manufacturing of jam, which may provide additional health benefits of jam.
To evaluate the long-term benefits in hearing-related quality of life, patient satisfaction and wearing time of patients rehabilitated with an active transcutaneous bone-conduction device. Adverse events and audiological outcomes are reported as secondary outcomes.

This retrospective, mono-centric cohort analysis involves 16 adults with conductive or mixed hearing loss with a mean device experience of 51.25 months. Patient-reported outcome measures were assessed using the short version of the Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ12-B) and the German version of the Audio Processor Satisfaction Questionnaire (APSQ). Audiological outcomes as well as incidence of adverse events were obtained from patients´ charts.

The hearing-related quality of life improved significantly within all subscales of the SSQ12-B scoring a mean overall of 2.95 points. Patient satisfaction measured with the APSQ scored 8.8 points on average. Wearing times differed considerably and patients with lower levels of education seemed to use their device longer compared to patients with academic education. Eight minor adverse events were documented, all of which resolved during follow-up. The mean gain in word recognition score at the last follow-up measured at 65 dB was 75.9%, while speech reception threshold was lowered by 35.1 dB.

Even after several years, patients report significant benefits in hearing-related quality of life and device satisfaction. In combination with a low rate of minor adverse events and significantly improved audiological outcomes, the device is considered as a comfortable and effective option in hearing rehabilitation.
Even after several years, patients report significant benefits in hearing-related quality of life and device satisfaction. In combination with a low rate of minor adverse events and significantly improved audiological outcomes, the device is considered as a comfortable and effective option in hearing rehabilitation.Social axioms or general social beliefs represent people's cognitive map of their social world acquired through social experiences. Empirical research has related the central constructs in the study of psychology and social axioms, establishing a broad nomological network in various cultural settings. This paper studies the validity of the Social Axioms Survey II (SAS-II) short form, Spanish version, on the individual level in Melilla as North Africa´s borderland. Participants were 410 high school students from 14 to 18 years of age. The reliability analysis, the discriminant validity analysis, and the confirmatory factor analysis through the structural model equation, showed similar results to previous studies in other contexts and allowing the use of the survey in Melilla. In addition it is presented a fitted model that improves the psychometric results showing significant differences with the initial model. The confirmatory multi-group analysis of the fitted model shows measurement invariance across educational centers, allowing new research possibilities in the cultural context of Melilla.Microtubules play a critical role in multiple aspects of neurodevelopment, including the generation, migration and differentiation of neurons. A recurrent mutation (R402H) in the α-tubulin gene TUBA1A is known to cause lissencephaly with cerebellar and striatal phenotypes. Previous work has shown that this mutation does not perturb the chaperone-mediated folding of tubulin heterodimers, which are able to assemble and incorporate into the microtubule lattice. To explore the molecular mechanisms that cause the disease state we generated a new conditional mouse line that recapitulates the R402H variant. We show that heterozygous mutants present with laminar phenotypes in the cortex and hippocampus, as well as a reduction in striatal size and cerebellar abnormalities. We demonstrate that homozygous expression of the R402H allele causes neuronal death and exacerbates a cell intrinsic defect in cortical neuronal migration. Microtubule sedimentation assays coupled with quantitative mass spectrometry demonstrated that the binding and/or levels of multiple microtubule associated proteins (MAPs) are perturbed by the R402H mutation including VAPB, REEP1, EZRIN, PRNP and DYNC1l1/2. Consistent with these data we show that the R402H mutation impairs dynein-mediated transport which is associated with a decoupling of the nucleus to the microtubule organising center. Our data support a model whereby the R402H variant is able to fold and incorporate into microtubules, but acts as a gain of function by perturbing the binding of MAPs.Our previously study shown that Lysophosphatidylcholine Acyltransferase1 (LPCAT1) is overexpressed in castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) relative to primary prostate cancer (PCa), and androgen controls its expression via the Wnt signaling pathway. While highly expressed in CRPC, the role of LPCAT1 remains unclear. In vitro cell experiments referred to cell transfection, mutagenesis, proliferation, migration, invasion, cell cycle progression and apoptosis, Western blotting, Pulse-chase RNA labeling. BALB/c nude mice were used for in vivo experiments. We found that LPCAT1 overexpression enhanced the proliferation, migration, and invasion of CRPC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Silencing of LPCAT1 reduced the proliferation and the invasive capabilities of CRPC cells. Providing exogenous PAF to LPCAT1 knockdown cells increased their invasive capabilities; however platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) and the PAFR antagonist ABT-491 both reversed this phenotype; proliferation of CRPC cells was not affected in either model. LPCAT1 was found to mediate CRPC growth via nuclear re-localization and Histone H4 palmitoylation in an androgen-dependent fashion, increasing mRNA synthesis rates. We also found that LPCAT1 overexpression led to CRPC cell resistance to treatment with paclitaxel. LPCAT1 overexpression in CRPC cells drives tumor progression via increased mRNA synthesis and PAF production. Our results highlight LPCAT1 as a viable therapeutic target in the context of CRPC.The level of antibiotic resistance exhibited by bacteria can vary as a function of environmental conditions. Here, we report that phenazine-methosulfate (PMS), a redox-cycling compound (RCC) enhances resistance to fluoroquinolone (FQ) norfloxacin. Genetic analysis showed that E. coli adapts to PMS stress by making Fe-S clusters with the SUF machinery instead of the ISC one. Based upon phenotypic analysis of soxR, acrA, and micF mutants, we showed that PMS antagonizes fluoroquinolone toxicity by SoxR-mediated up-regulation of the AcrAB drug efflux pump. Subsequently, we showed that despite the fact that SoxR could receive its cluster from either ISC or SUF, only SUF is able to sustain efficient SoxR maturation under exposure to prolonged PMS period or high PMS concentrations. This study furthers the idea that Fe-S cluster homeostasis acts as a sensor of environmental conditions, and because its broad influence on cell metabolism, modifies the antibiotic resistance profile of E. coli.
Mobile health apps (MHA) have the potential to improve health care. The commercial MHA market is rapidly growing, but the content and quality of available MHA are unknown. Instruments for the assessment of the quality and content of MHA are highly needed. The Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) is one of the most widely used tools to evaluate the quality of MHA. Only few validation studies investigated its metric quality. No study has evaluated the construct validity and concurrent validity.

This study evaluates the construct validity, concurrent validity, reliability, and objectivity, of the MARS.

Data was pooled from 15 international app quality reviews to evaluate the metric properties of the MARS. The MARS measures app quality across four dimensions engagement, functionality, aesthetics and information quality. Construct validity was evaluated by assessing related competing confirmatory models by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Non-centrality (RMSEA), incremental (CFI, TLI) and residual (SRMR) fit indices were used to evaluate the goodness of fit.
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