Articles

Performance characteristics of a quantitative PCR assay on repository stool specimens and smeared filter-paper cards

Stool repositories are a valuable resource for retrospective analyses including quantitative PCR assays to distinguish between asymptomatic shedding and clinical disease. The suitability of archival specimens ...

Authors: Michele D. Tisdale, Indrani Mitra, Andrea J. McCoy, Mark P. Simons, Nathanael D. Reynolds, Brett E. Swierczewski, Jie Liu, Eric R. Houpt, Jamie A. Fraser, Mark S. Riddle, David R. Tribble and Tahaniyat Lalani

Association of microRNA-224-3p and microRNA-155-5p expressions with plasma long pentraxin 3 concentration and coronary microvascular obstruction following primary angioplasty for acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

Pro-inflammatory stimuli induce a variety set of microRNAs (miRs) expression that regulate long pentraxin-3 (PTX3) protein, which associates with a procoagulant state in the endothelial cells. We evaluated, fo...

Authors: Surya Dharma, Iwan Dakota, Shoma Wijaya, Elok Ekawati, Renan Sukmawan and Bambang Budi Siswanto

Work environment factors and provider performance in health houses: a case study of a developing country

Primary Health Care has determined the path to the goal of "Health for All". Defining standards in health facilities play a crucial role in achieving acceptable performance by Community Health Workers. The stu...

Authors: Hasan Yusefzadeh and Bahram Nabilou

Molecular detection of drug resistant polymorphisms in Plasmodium falciparum isolates from Southwest, Nigeria

Nigeria bears 25% of global malaria burden despite concerted efforts towards its control and elimination. The emergence of drug resistance to first line drugs, artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs), indicat...

Authors: Monday Tola, Olumide Ajibola, Emmanuel Taiwo Idowu, Olusesan Omidiji, Samson Taiwo Awolola and Alfred Amambua-Ngwa

The presence of membrane bound CD99 ligands on leukocyte surface

CD99, a leukocyte surface molecule, reportedly plays an important role in several cellular processes. However, the role of CD99 in T cell regulation remains unclear, as the CD99 ligand associated with T-cell r...

Authors: Nuchjira Takheaw, Supansa Pata, Witida Laopajon, Sittiruk Roytrakul and Watchara Kasinrerk

Reliability and minimal detectable change of the ‘Imperial Spine’ marker set for the evaluation of spinal and lower limb kinematics in adults

As a step towards the comprehensive evaluation of movement in patients with low back pain, the aim of this study is to design a marker set (three rigid segment spine, pelvic and lower limb model) and evaluate ...

Authors: J. A. Deane, E. Papi, A. T. M. Phillips and A. H. McGregor

Immediate impact of stay-at-home orders to control COVID-19 transmission on mental well-being in Bangladeshi adults: Patterns, Explanations, and future directions

We aim to evaluate the immediate impacts of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders on the mental well-being of Bangladeshi adults. We recruited 1404 healthy adults following the Bangladesh government's lockdown announce...

Authors: Mohammad Ali, Gias U. Ahsan, Risliana Khan, Hasinur Rahman Khan and Ahmed Hossain

Sleep disturbances among physicians during COVID-19 pandemic

To assess prevalence and related factors of sleep disturbances among Saudi physicians during COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected through a questionnaire including items about demographic characters, knowled...

Authors: Yasser H. Alnofaiey, Haneen A. Alshehri, Maram M. Alosaimi, Shrooq H. Alswat, Raghad H. Alswat, Rahaf M. Alhulayfi, Meteb A. Alghamdi and Reem M. Alsubaie

In vitro biological assessment of the stability of cigarette smoke aqueous aerosol extracts

Cigarette smoke aqueous aerosol extracts (AqE) have been used for assessing tobacco products, particularly with in vitro models such as oxidative stress and inflammation. These test articles can be generated e...

Authors: Mark Taylor, Simone Santopietro, Andrew Baxter, Nicole East, Damien Breheny, David Thorne and Marianna Gaça

Use of spinal anaesthesia in neonates and infants in Antananarivo, Madagascar: a retrospective descriptive study

The aim of this study was to present the first cases of spinal anesthesia, in newborns and infants, preterm/ex-prematures, in order to determine its feasibility and its potential harmlessness, in Antananarivo—...

Authors: Harifetra M. R. Randriamizao, Aurélia Rakotondrainibe, Lova D. E. Razafindrabekoto, Prisca F. Ravoaviarivelo, Andriambelo T. Rajaonera and Mamy L. Andriamanarivo

Prevalence of Panton-Valentine leukocidin in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates at a university hospital in Northern Cyprus: a pilot study

Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a healthcare problem worldwide. There are no reports on the virulence characteristics of MRSA in Northern Cyprus (N...

Authors: Danyar Hameed M. Amin, Emrah Guler and Buket Baddal

Enhancement of intestinal epithelial barrier function by Weissella confusa F213 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus FBB81 probiotic candidates in an in vitro model of hydrogen peroxide-induced inflammatory bowel disease

Weissella confusa F213 (WCF213) and Lactobacillus rhamnosus FBB81 (LrFBB81) are two probiotic candidates isolated from humans in our previous study. Their functional activity on the mucosal barrier has not yet be...

Authors: Ni Nengah Dwi Fatmawati, Kazuyoshi Gotoh, I. Putu Bayu Mayura, Komang Ayu Nocianitri, Gede Ngurah Rsi Suwardana, Ni Luh Gede Yoni Komalasari, Yan Ramona, Masakiyo Sakaguchi, Osamu Matsushita and I. Nengah Sujaya

A comparative study of Candida species diversity among patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma and oral potentially malignant disorders

To determine the prevalence of Candida species by PCR–RFLP method in the saliva of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) and healthy cohorts. Unstimulat...

Authors: Sankar Leena Sankari, Krishnan Mahalakshmi and Venkatesan Naveen Kumar

Sequencing of E. coli strain UTI89 on multiple sequencing platforms

The availability of matched sequencing data for the same sample across different sequencing platforms is a necessity for validation and effective comparison of sequencing platforms. A commonly sequenced sample...

Authors: Shannon N. Fenlon, Yuemin Celina Chee, Jacqueline Lai Yuen Chee, Yeen Hui Choy, Alexis Jiaying Khng, Lu Ting Liow, Kurosh S. Mehershahi, Xiaoan Ruan, Stephen W. Turner, Fei Yao and Swaine L. Chen

The frequency of radial artery occlusion following cardiac catheterization with the use of transradial pneumatic compression band

Radial artery occlusion is a silent complication of a transradial approach to cardiac catheterization that may complicate subsequent transradial procedures in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization. A tra...

Authors: Kashif Ali Hashmi, Zahid Iqbal, Atif Ali Hashmi, Maira Shoaib, Muhammad Irfan, Rabeet Khan, Nauman Ali, Amir khan and Muhammad M. Edhi

Molecular characteristics of rotavirus genotypes circulating in the south of Benin, 2016–2018

Rotavirus remains the main causative agent of gastroenteritis in young children in countries that have not yet introduced the vaccine. In Benin, rotavirus vaccine was introduced late December 2019 into the EPI...

Authors: Jijoho Michel Agbla, Mathew D. Esona, Alidehou Jerrold Agbankpe, Annick Capo-Chichi, Rashi Gautam, Tamegnon Victorien Dougnon, Osseni Razack, Michael D. Bowen and Honore Sourou Bankole

Validation of the REduction of Atherothrombosis for Continued Health (REACH) prediction model for recurrent cardiovascular disease among United Arab Emirates Nationals

Prediction models assist health-care providers in making patient care decisions. This study aimed to externally validate the REduction of Atherothrombosis for Continued Health (REACH) prediction model for recu...

Authors: Saif Al-Shamsi and Romona D. Govender

Lessons learned from a periodontal intervention to reduce progression of chronic kidney disease among Aboriginal Australians

Periodontal disease is associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD), with both conditions being highly prevalent among Australia’s Aboriginal population. This paper reflects on the lessons learned following im...

Authors: Lisa M. Jamieson, Cherian Sajiv, Alan Cass, Louise J. Maple-Brown, Michael R. Skilton, Kostas Kapellas, Basant Pawar, Peter Arrow, Lisa M. Askie, Wendy Hoy, David Harris, Alex Brown and Jaquelyne T. Hughes

Doppler radar rainfall prediction and gauge data

The data herein represents multiple gauge sets and multiple radar sites of like-type Doppler data sets combined to produce populations of ordered pairs. Publications spanning decades yet specific to Doppler ra...

Authors: Jesse W. Lansford, Tyson H. Walsh, T. V. Hromadka II and P. Rao

Analysis of the virus propagation profile of 14 dengue virus isolates in Aedes albopictus C6/36 cells

The mosquito transmitted RNA virus dengue virus (DENV) shows significant variation as a consequence of the lack of proofreading activity of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase that synthesizes new virus genomes. ...

Authors: Atitaya Hitakarun, Suwipa Ramphan, Nitwara Wikan and Duncan R. Smith

In invasion assays, the breast cancer cell nucleus leads the way

Cancer cell metastasis determines disease prognosis. During cancer cell metastasis, the cancer cell and the cancer cell nucleus have to undergo extreme shape changes. To monitor shape changes of cancer cells a...

Authors: Malte Renz

Radiological staging of rectal cancer in a resource limited setting

Current guidelines on rectal cancer (RC) management recommend pre-operative MRI for loco-regional staging and CT for staging of metastases. This allows appropriate selection of patients for chemo-radiotherapy ...

Authors: Naradha Lokuhetty, Suranjith L. Seneviratne, Fathima Asma Rahman, Thanushka Marapana, Roshan Niloofa and Ishan De Zoysa

Molecular characterization of Ribosomal DNA (ITS2) of hard ticks in Iran: understanding the conspecificity of Dermacentor marginatus and D. niveus

Hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are ectoparasites of medical and veterinary importance. They are obligate blood-feeding vectors with the ability to transmit a wide variety of pathogens. Standard morphological key...

Authors: Parisa Soltan-Alinejad, Zahra Ramezani, Hamideh Edalat, Zakkyeh Telmadarraiy, Farrokh Dabiri, Hassan Vatandoost, Mohammad Ali Oshaghi, Mehdi Mohebali, Seyyed Javad Seyyed-Zadeh, Zabihollah Zarei, Haleh Hanifian, Faham Faghihi, Mandan Abolhasani, Mulood Mohammadi Bavani, Jalil Musavi, Olle Terenius…

Chromosome segregation in B. subtilis is highly heterogeneous

The bacterial cell cycle comprises initiation of replication and ensuing elongation, concomitant chromosome segregation (in some organisms with a delay termed cohesion), and finally cell division. By quantifyi...

Authors: Nina El Najjar and Peter L. Graumann

The association between dietary acid load and muscle strength among Iranian adults

There is limited evidence regarding the association between dietary acid load and muscle strength. Thus, in this study, we investigated the association between dietary acid–base load indices and muscle strengt...

Authors: Saba Mohammadpour, Farhang Djafari, Samira Davarzani, Kurosh Djafarian, Cain C. T. Clark and Sakineh Shab-Bidar

Spad value varies with age and leaf of maize plant and its relationship with grain yield

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD) value in different age and leaf of maize hybrid and correlating with grain yield. Ten maize hybrids were replicated thricely ...

Authors: Bishnu Prasad Kandel

An ecological study of the association between environmental indicators and early childhood caries

A prior study described the association between ecosystem vitality, environmental health, and early childhood caries (ECC). The objective of this study was to determine the association between 24 global enviro...

Authors: Morenike Oluwatoyin Folayan, Maha El Tantawi, Balgis Gaffar, Robert J. Schroth, Jorge L. Catillo, Ola B. Al-Batayneh, Arthur Kemoli, Aída Carolina Medina Díaz, Verica Pavlic, Maher Raswhan and for Early Childhood Caries Advocacy Group

Recruiting migrant workers in Australia for Public Health surveys: how sampling strategy make a difference in estimates of workplace hazards

One third of the Australian work force are immigrants. Relatively little is known about working conditions for specific migrant groups. The objectives of this paper are to describe and compare the sampling str...

Authors: Alison Daly and Alison Reid

Increased levels of circulating IL-10 in persons recovered from hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection compared with persons with active HCV infection

Approximately 70% of all hepatitis C (HCV) infections develop chronic disease. Active or exacerbated chronic hepatitis C infection subsequently progress to liver disease. The role of T-cells secretions in achi...

Authors: Dorcas Ohui Owusu, Richard Phillips, Michael Owusu, Fred Stephen Sarfo and Margaret Frempong

Effects of hydroxyapatite-coated nonwoven polyethylene/polypropylene fabric on non-mesodermal lineage-specific differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells

Compared to other stem cells, the multipotency of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) is limited. Effective approaches that trigger or enhance lineage-specific transdifferentiation are highly e...

Authors: Edward Hosea Ntege, Hiroshi Sunami, Junko Denda, Naoko Futenma and Yusuke Shimizu

Heterologous microsatellite primers are informative for paca (Cuniculus paca), a large rodent with economic and ecological importance

This study was designed to facilitate genetic studies that would allow information on population structure and genetic diversity of natural or captive stocks of paca (Cuniculus paca), a species of ecological and ...

Authors: Franco F. Roldán Gallardo, Karen E. DeMatteo, Miguel A. Rinas and Carina F. Argüelles

A spatio-temporal geodatabase of mortalities due to respiratory tract diseases in Tehran, Iran between 2008 and 2018: a data note

Respiratory tract diseases (RTDs) are among the top five leading causes of death worldwide. Mortality rates due to respiratory tract diseases (MRRTDs) follow a spatial pattern and this may suggest a potential ...

Authors: Elahe Pishgar, Alireza Mohammadi, Nasser Bagheri and Behzad Kiani

Network pharmacology study of Curcuma longa L.: potential target proteins and their functional enrichment analysis

This study’s primary goal is unraveling the mechanism of action of bioactives of Curcuma longa L. at the molecular level using protein–protein interaction network.

Authors: Sangeeta Kumari and Hosahalli S. Subramanya

Unidentified dengue serotypes in DENV positive samples and detection of other pathogens responsible for an acute febrile illness outbreak 2016 in Cajamarca, Peru

To describe the prevalence of dengue virus serotypes, as well as other viral and bacterial pathogens that cause acute febrile illness during an outbreak in Cajamarca in 2016.

Authors: Juana del Valle-Mendoza, Fernando Vasquez-Achaya, Miguel Angel Aguilar-Luis, Johanna Martins-Luna, Jorge Bazán-Mayra, Victor Zavaleta-Gavidia, Wilmer Silva-Caso, Hugo Carrillo-Ng, Yordi Tarazona-Castro, Ronald Aquino-Ortega and Luis J. del Valle

Rapid and easy-to-use ES cell manipulation device with a small groove near culturing wells

Production of genetically modified mice including Knock-out (KO) or Knock-in (KI) mice is necessary for organism-level phenotype analysis. Embryonic stem cell (ESC)-based technologies can produce many genetica...

Authors: Shun-ichi Funano, Daisuke Tone, Hideki Ukai, Hiroki R. Ueda and Yo Tanaka

A spatial database of colorectal cancer patients and potential nutritional risk factors in an urban area in the Middle East

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer across the world that multiple risk factors together contribute to CRC development. There is a limited research report on impact of nutritional risk fact...

Authors: Neda Firouraghi, Nasser Bagheri, Fatemeh Kiani, Ladan Goshayeshi, Majid Ghayour-Mobarhan, Khalil Kimiafar, Saeid Eslami and Behzad Kiani

Contribution of calcium in drinking water from a South American country to dietary calcium intake

To describe the calcium concentration of tap and bottled waters from Argentina and to estimate the contribution of drinking water to calcium recommendations.

Authors: Gabriela Cormick, Mercedes Lombarte, Nicole Minckas, Andrés Porta, Alfredo Rigalli, Jose M. Belizán, Natalia Matamoros and Maela Lupo

Effect of vitamin A on intestinal mucosal injury in pediatric patients receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and chemotherapy: a quasai-randomized trial

Vitamin A is involved in maintenance of gut mucosal integrity and normal immune function. However, it is unclear whether these functions of vitamin A have any beneficial effects in patients undergoing hematopo...

Authors: Ploy Pattanakitsakul, Nalinee Chongviriyaphan, Samart Pakakasama and Nopporn Apiwattanakul

A comparison of bupivacaine lavage and diclofenac suppository effects on post-operative pain of laparascopic transabdominal pre-peritoneal herniorrhaphy: a randomized clinical trial study

Injection of a topical anaesthetic has been proved to be helpful with reducing pain after laparoscopic herniorrhaphy. We aimed to assess the effect of bupivacaine lavage on postoperative pain and compare it wi...

Authors: Alireza Negahi, Seyed Hamzeh Mousavi, Vahid Abbasnezhad and Fatemeh Jahanshahi

MamA essentiality in Mycobacterium smegmatis is explained by the presence of an apparent cognate restriction endonuclease

Restriction-Modification (R-M) systems are ubiquitous in bacteria and were considered for years as rudimentary immune systems that protect bacterial cells from foreign DNA. Currently, these R-M systems are rec...

Authors: Samantha E. Randall, Maria Carla Martini, Ying Zhou, Samantha R. Joubran and Scarlet S. Shell

Intestinal helminthic parasites of rodents in the central region of Iran: first report of a capillariid nematode from Dryomys nitedula

Rodents play an important role to spread zoonotic diseases through society. The current study was carried out to collect informative data on the intestinal helminthic infections of wild rodents in Taleqan Coun...

Authors: Sina Mohtasebi, Aref Teimouri, Iraj Mobedi, Alireza Mohtasebi, Hamed Abbasian and Mohammad Javad Abbaszadeh Afshar

The expression profile of virus-recognizing toll-like receptors in natural killer cells of Cypriot multiple sclerosis patients

The exact aetiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) remains elusive, although several environmental and genetic risk factors have been implicated to varying degrees. Among the environmental risk factors, viral infe...

Authors: Elie Deeba, Anastasia Lambrianides, Marios Pantzaris, George Krashias and Christina Christodoulou

Psyllium supplementation is associated with changes in the fecal microbiota of horses

Prophylactic supplementation of psyllium husk is recommended to enhance passage of ingested sand from the gastrointestinal tracts of horses. We hypothesized that psyllium supplementation would increase fecal s...

Authors: Michael J. Mienaltowski, Ashley Belt, John D. Henderson, Tannah N. Boyd, Nicole Marter, Elizabeth A. Maga and Edward J. DePeters

High prevalence of hepatitis A in indigenous population in north Brazil

Little is known about hepatitis A virus (HAV) prevalence in indigenous communities. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of HAV in indigenous community compared to urban population located at Western Ama...

Authors: Vanessa Salete de Paula, Flavio Augusto Pádua Milagres, Guilherme de Macêdo Oliveira, Juliana Custódio Miguel, Helena Medina Cruz, Leticia de Paula Scalioni, Vanessa Alves Marques, Monica de Avelar Figueiredo Mafra Magalhães, Anselmo Rocha Romão, Renata Gracie and Livia Melo Villar

Development of diagnostic PCR and LAMP markers for MALE STERILITY 1 (MS1) in Cryptomeria japonica D. Don

Due to the allergic nature of the pollen of Cryptomeria japonica, the most important Japanese forestry conifer, a pollen-free cultivar is preferred. Mutant trees detected in nature have been used to produce a pol...

Authors: Yoichi Hasegawa, Saneyoshi Ueno, Fu-Jin Wei, Asako Matsumoto, Tokuko Ujino-Ihara, Kentaro Uchiyama, Yoshinari Moriguchi, Masahiro Kasahara, Takeshi Fujino, Shuji Shigenobu, Katsushi Yamaguchi, Takahiro Bino and Tetsuji Hakamata

Correction to: Energy-dense nutrient-poor snacks and risk of non-alcoholic fattyliver disease: a case–control study in Iran

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Authors: Zahra Yari, Makan Cheraghpour, Vahideh Aghamohammadi, Meysam Alipour, Nila Ghanei and Azita Hekmatdoost

Effect of dapsone alone and in combination with intracellular antibiotics against the biofilm form of B. burgdorferi

Lyme disease is a tick-borne, multisystemic disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi. Standard treatments for early Lyme disease include short courses of oral antibiotics but relapses often occur after discontinuat...

Authors: Richard I. Horowitz, Krithika Murali, Gauri Gaur, Phyllis R. Freeman and Eva Sapi

The effects of hedgehog ligand neutralising antibody 5E1 in a mouse model of endometriosis

Endometriosis is a common and painful condition characterised by the formation of endometrial lesions within the peritoneal cavity. Previous studies have suggested a role for hedgehog signalling in the pathoge...

Authors: F. L. Cousins, J. K. Farley, R. Kerrigan, S. Mukherjee, S. Darzi, C. E. Gargett and J. A. Deane

Simulation data for the analysis of Bayesian posterior significance and effect size indices for the two-sample t-test to support reproducible medical research

The data presented herein represents the simulated datasets of a recently conducted larger study which investigated the behaviour of Bayesian indices of significance and effect size as alternatives to traditio...

Authors: Riko Kelter

Fixed point theorems for nonlinear contractive mappings in ordered b-metric space with auxiliary function

Authors: Namana Seshagiri Rao, Karusala Kalyani and Belay Mitiku