Tag: pubmed

ChemSusChem. 2021 Mar 23. doi: 10.1002/cssc.202100294. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

A cross-laboratory study on microbial fuel cells (MFC) is presented, which involved different institutions around the world is presented. The study aimed to assess the development of autochthone microbial pool enriched from domestic wastewater from different locations, cultivated in identical single chamber MFCs, operated the same way, thereby approaching the idea of developing common standards for MFCs. The MFCs were inoculated with domestic wastewater in different geographic locations. The acclimation stage and consequently the startup time, was longer or shorter depending on the inoculum, but all MFCs reached similar maximum power outputs (55±22 μWcm-2) and COD removal efficiencies (87±9%), despite the diversity of the bacterial communities. It is inferred that the MFCs performance starts when the syntrophic interaction of fermentative and electrogenic bacteria stabilizes under anaerobic conditions at the anode. The generated power is mostly limited by electrolytic conductivity, electrode overpotentials and an unbalanced external resistance. The enriched microbial consortia, although composed of different bacterial groups, share similar functions both on anode and cathode of the different MFCs resulting in similar electrochemical output.

PMID:33755321 | DOI:10.1002/cssc.202100294

Nurs Open. 2021 Mar 23. doi: 10.1002/nop2.773. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIMS: The aim of this study was to determine what kinds of unmet information needs people with COPD have and whether there are differences in information needs between genders or based on the time since COPD diagnosis.

DESIGN: A descriptive cross-sectional study.

METHODS: Data on people with COPD (N = 169) were collected from a two-part questionnaire distributed via website. On the first part, information needs concerning the medical aspects of self-management were measured by the Lung Information Needs Questionnaire (LINQ). On the second part, which was developed specifically for this study, a more holistic view of self-management counselling was sought. Statistical methods were used to analyse the data.

RESULTS: The respondents had wide-ranging information needs in many areas of COPD self-management. The most often reported areas of unmet information needs included exacerbations, diet, fatigue, stress and anxiety, palliative care and sexual life. The information needs varied by gender and time since COPD diagnosis.

PMID:33755324 | DOI:10.1002/nop2.773

Hum Brain Mapp. 2021 Mar 23. doi: 10.1002/hbm.25423. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Currently, it is still unknown whether human immune deficiency virus (HIV)-related structural alterations in the brain are dependent on age. With people living with HIV at different ages, we aim to investigate age-specific structural alterations in HIV patients. Eighty-three male HIV patients and eighty-three age-matched male controls were enrolled, and high-resolution T1 weighted images were collected and analyzed with four morphological metrics. Then, statistical analyses were respectively conducted to ascertain HIV effects, age effects, and medication effects in brain structure of HIV patients, and the relationship with neuropsychological evaluations were further explored. Finally, discriminative performances of these structural abnormalities were quantitatively testified with three machine learning models. Compared with healthy controls, HIV patients displayed lower gray matter volumes (GMV), lower gyrification index, deeper sulcus depth, and larger cortical thickness (CTH). Age-specific differences were found in GMV and CTH: young-aged HIV patients displayed more obvious morphological alterations than middle-aged HIV patients when comparing corresponding age-matched healthy controls. Furthermore, age-specific long-term medication effect of combination antiretroviral therapy were also presented. Additionally, several subcortical structural changes were negatively associated with language, attention and motor functions. Finally, three machine learning models demonstrated young-aged HIV patients were easier to be recognized than middle-aged HIV patients. Our study indicated young-aged HIV patients were more vulnerable to HIV infection in brain structure than middle-aged patients, and future studies should not ignore the age effect in studying the HIV-related abnormalities.

PMID:33755269 | DOI:10.1002/hbm.25423

Chemphyschem. 2021 Mar 23. doi: 10.1002/cphc.202100150. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The computed fluoride ion affinity (FIA) is a widely applied descriptor to gauge Lewis acidity. Like every other single-parameter Lewis acidity scale, the FIA metric suffers from the one-dimensionality, that prohibits addressing Lewis acidity by the multidimensionality it inherently requires (i.e., reference Lewis base dependency). However, a systematic screening of computed affinities other than the FIA is much less developed. Herein, we extended our CCSD(T)/CBS benchmark of different density functionals and the DLPNO-CCSD(T) method for chloride (CIA), methide (MIA), hydride (HIA), water (WA), and ammonia (AA) affinities. The best performing methods are subsequently applied to yield nearly 800 affinities for 183 p-block element compounds of group 13 – 16 with an estimated accuracy of <10 kJ mol -1 . The study’s output serves as a consistent library for qualitative analyses and a training set for future statistical approaches. A first holistic correlation analysis underscores the need for a multidimensional description of Lewis acidity.

PMID:33755288 | DOI:10.1002/cphc.202100150

Health Info Libr J. 2021 Mar 23. doi: 10.1111/hir.12365. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Indications on the development of the health library and knowledge workforce (LKS) in England suggest that more staff may need to shift into clinical librarian (CL) roles. Anecdotal evidence suggested that CL roles have changed recently.

OBJECTIVES: To examine perceptions of CL tasks and required personal characteristics of CLs, amongst both practising CLs and other LKS staff in England.

METHODS: An online survey was followed by descriptive statistical and content analysis to identify any differences in perceptions between the CL and non-CL staff groups.

RESULTS: Response rate: 10% (123/1181). Both staff groups identified literature searching as the top core task and agreed on the main CL roles. Perceptions on the necessary personal characteristics were also similar. Ranking differed for a few tasks: non-CL staff may ascribe more importance to some tasks (evidence synthesis, critical appraisal training and attending ward rounds/team meetings) than the CL staff state. CLs spent more time on staff management, and less time on study skills training than non-CL staff perceived.

DISCUSSION: Results indicated that CL roles are continuing to develop, but that CLs are more integrated into library administration than some non-CL staff believe.

CONCLUSION: Shared perceptions around CL roles should help workforce development.

PMID:33755303 | DOI:10.1111/hir.12365

Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2021 Mar 23. doi: 10.1111/cdoe.12631. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Despite great efforts to improve paediatric dental care access in the last two decades, the use of emergency departments (ED) for dental conditions among children that are more appropriately addressed in dental offices remains a public health concern in the United States. We examined factors associated with ED visits for nontraumatic dental conditions or NTDCs and ED visits for any other reason among children and adolescents.

METHODS: A retrospective secondary data analysis of ED visits was conducted using the 2014-2015 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) data. NTDCs were further categorized as diseases of hard tissue (eg dental caries), pulp/periapical (eg root canal infections), gingival/periodontal (eg conditions that affect the supporting tissues) and other. We included patient/socioeconomic characteristics, disposition, time of visit, and the Grouped Charlson Comorbidity Index (GRPCI) in our analysis. Bivariate associations were tested using chi-squared test (α = 0.05).

RESULTS: There were 70 616 194 ED visits in 2014-15, with 465 353 (0.7%) visits for NTDCs. Statistically significant differences were observed for all patient characteristics tested, except for gender when comparing children visiting the ED for NTDCs and children visiting for any other reason. Medicaid was the expected payer for nearly 60% of all ED visits, and the uninsured shared a larger proportion of NTDC visits (19.4%) than other visits (8.8%). Late adolescents (aged 18-21) accounted for over 50% of NTDC visits but only one-fifth of all other types of ED visits. Late adolescents (18-21 years old) who were uninsured had a significantly higher proportion of NTDC visits. Of all NTDC visits, 19.1% were related to hard tissue disease, 25.3% pulp/periapical, 7.9% periodontal disease, and the remaining were grouped as other dental diseases.

CONCLUSIONS: The ED use for NTDCs is more common among late adolescents, Medicaid and uninsured groups. Examining and implementing new approaches that improve access to routine dental care for these groups may help in reducing inefficient ED use related to NTDCs.

PMID:33755217 | DOI:10.1111/cdoe.12631

Andrologia. 2021 Mar 23:e14030. doi: 10.1111/and.14030. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Lumbosacral pathologies can lead to infertility. Onuf’s nucleus changes in these pathologies may have a role in low sperm number. This study aims to investigate the relationship between Onuf’s nucleus degeneration and sperm number following spinal subarachnoid haemorrhage. 22 rabbits were used. They were divided into three groups; five of them were used as the control (GI), five as the SHAM (GII) and twelve as the study groups (GIII). The study group received 0.7 ccs autologous blood into the spinal subarachnoid space at the T12-L1 level. After two weeks, all animals were decapitated, and S1-S3 laminectomy was done. Neurodegenerative changes of Onuf’s nucleus, pudendal ganglia (S3) following two weeks after spinal SAH, were examined; sperm numbers were calculated. Degenerated neuron density of the Onuf’s nucleus (n/mm³ ), the pudendal ganglia (S3) (n/mm³ ) and mean sperm numbers were calculated as 5 ± 2, 8 ± 3/mm³ and 98.345 ± 12.776/mm³ in the control (GI), 20 ± 5/mm³ , 243 ± 66/mm³ and 91.841 ± 9.654/mm³ in the SHAM (GII), 143 ± 39/mm³ , 2,350 ± 320/mm³ and 68.549 ± 5.540/mm³ in the study group (GIII). In conclusion, there were statistically significant differences between groups. Onuf’s nucleus may be responsible for decreased sperm number following spinal SAH.

PMID:33755239 | DOI:10.1111/and.14030

J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2021 Mar 23. doi: 10.1111/jgh.15504. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Quinolones are globally popular antibiotics with proven potency, broad coverage and reasonable safety. However, some concerns were raised as to their possible association with acute liver failure (ALF).

OBJECTIVE: To assess ALF risk within 30 days of receiving a systemically administered quinolone antibiotic, in individuals with no history of liver/diseases.

METHODS: We conducted a nested case-control study using electronic health records from the Cerner Health Facts®. The initial cohort (n= 35,349,943) included all patients who were admitted between 2000-2016, with no history of liver diseases, and had a minimum medical history of one year. Eligible cases were inpatients who were first diagnosed with ALF between 2010-2015. Using incidence density sampling, each case was matched with up to five unique controls by sex, race, age at index encounter, and period-at-risk. We used conditional logistic regression to calculate the ORs and 95% CI for ALF risk, upon adjusting for exposure to other medications, and major confounders (diabetes mellitus and alcohol abuse). We used the STROBE Statement for reporting on our study.

RESULTS: We identified 3,151 cases and 15,657 controls. Our primary analysis did not reveal an association between quinolones and ALF risk. However, some risk was identified among those with no or few comorbidities, those ≤60 years of age, women, men, African Americans and Caucasians.

CONCLUSION: Although our study does not suggest an overall association between quinolones and ALF, elevated risks seen in some subgroups warrant further investigation.

PMID:33755266 | DOI:10.1111/jgh.15504

J Anim Sci. 2021 Mar 23:skab090. doi: 10.1093/jas/skab090. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Two experiments determined the effects of crude protein (CP) in diets containing coarse wheat bran (CWB) with or without pharmacological levels of Zn on weanling pig growth performance. In Exp. 1, treatments included a positive control (21% CP) with 3,000 mg/kg Zn in phase 1 and 2,000 mg/kg in phase 2; negative control (21% CP) with 110 mg/kg Zn, and four diets containing 4% CWB and 110 mg/kg Zn formulated to 21, 19.5, 18, or 16.5% CP. The three diets with 21% CP and CWB contained 1.40% standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys in phase 1 and 1.35% SID Lys in phase 2, while the 19.5, 18, and 16.5% CP diets contained 1.35, 1.25 and 1.20% Lys, respectively. Pigs fed the diet containing pharmacological Zn had increased (P < 0.05) ADG and G:F compared to the negative control and the 21% CP CWB diet. Reducing CP decreased ADG and G:F (linear, P = 0.002). In Exp. 2, diets consisted of: 1) positive control with 2,000 mg/kg of Zn and 21% CP (1.35% SID Lys); 2) 110 mg/kg Zn and 21% CP; and 3 diets with 110 mg/kg Zn and 18% CP with 3) 1.2% SID Lys; 4) 1.35% SID Lys by the addition of crystalline AA, and 5) diet 4 with added non-essential AA. Pigs fed 21% CP with Zn had increased (P = 0.001) ADG compared to those fed 18% CP (1.35% SID Lys) or 1.2% SID Lys. In summary, added Zn improved growth performance, but reducing CP did not.

PMID:33755175 | DOI:10.1093/jas/skab090

J Cell Physiol. 2021 Mar 23. doi: 10.1002/jcp.30367. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 new variants reported to be 70% more contagious than the earlier one is now spreading fast worldwide. There is an instant need to discover how the new variants interact with the host receptor (ACE2). Among the reported mutations in the Spike glycoprotein of the new variants, three are specific to the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and required insightful scrutiny for new therapeutic options. These structural evolutions in the RBD domain may impart a critical role to the unique pathogenicity of the SARS-CoV-2 new variants. Herein, using structural and biophysical approaches, we explored that the specific mutations in the UK (N501Y), South African (K417N-E484K-N501Y), Brazilian (K417T-E484K-N501Y), and hypothetical (N501Y-E484K) variants alter the binding affinity, create new inter-protein contacts and changes the internal structural dynamics thereby increases the binding and eventually the infectivity. Our investigation highlighted that the South African (K417N-E484K-N501Y), Brazilian (K417T-E484K-N501Y) variants are more lethal than the UK variant (N501Y). The behavior of the wild type and N501Y is comparable. Free energy calculations further confirmed that increased binding of the spike RBD to the ACE2 is mainly due to the electrostatic contribution. Further, we find that the unusual virulence of this virus is potentially the consequence of Darwinian selection-driven epistasis in protein evolution. The triple mutants (South African and Brazilian) may pose a serious threat to the efficacy of the already developed vaccine. Our analysis would help to understand the binding and structural dynamics of the new mutations in the RBD domain of the Spike protein and demand further investigation in in vitro and in vivo models to design potential therapeutics against the new variants.

PMID:33755190 | DOI:10.1002/jcp.30367