Studies regarding coxsackievirus (CV) tend to focus on epidemic outbreaks, an imbalanced topology is considered to be an indication of acute infection with partial cross-immunity. In enteroviruses, a ...clear understanding of the characteristics of tree topology, transmission, and its demographic dynamics in viral succession and circulation are essential for identifying prevalence trends in endemic pathogens such as coxsackievirus B2 (CV-B2). This study applied a novel Bayesian evolutionary approach to elucidate the phylodynamic characteristics of CV-B2. A dataset containing 51 VP1 sequences and a dataset containing 34 partial 3D(pol) sequencing were analyzed, where each dataset included Taiwan sequences isolated during 1988-2013.
Four and five genotypes were determined based on the 846-nucleotide VP1 and 441-nucleotide 3D(pol) (6641-7087) regions, respectively, with spatiotemporally structured topologies in both trees. Some strains with tree discordance indicated the occurrence of recombination in the region between the VP1 and 3D(pol) genes. The similarities of VP1 and 3D(pol) gene were 80.0%-96.8% and 74.7%-91.9%, respectively. Analyses of population dynamics using VP1 dataset indicated that the endemic CV-B2 has a small effective population size. The balance indices, high similarity, and low evolutionary rate in the VP1 region indicated mild herd immunity selection in the major capsid region.
Phylodynamic analysis can reveal demographic trends and herd immunity in endemic pathogens.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Background
Ingestion of plant parts purportedly for their non-nutritive and/or bioactive properties has been widely reported across the animal kingdom. Many of these examples are viewed as behavioral ...strategies to maintain health by controlling the level of parasite infections. One such behavior is leaf swallowing, the folding and swallowing of whole leaves without chewing. Void of any nutritional benefit, defecation of the whole leaves is associated with the physical expulsion of intestinal parasites. Fecal samples of the Chinese lesser civet
Viverricula indica
were collected along a fixed transect line monthly for 17 months in the Fushan Experimental Forest, northeastern Taiwan. We inspected samples for the occurrence of undigested leaves and parasite worms to test the possible antiparasitic function of the behavior in this species.
Results
Of the collected feces, 14.3% contained whole, folded, undigested leaves of grass. The co-occurrence of undigested grass and
Toxocara paradoxura
worms in the feces was statistically significant. Adult worms of
T. paradoxura
were trapped inside the fecal-grass mass or on the surface of leaves in these samples. Increases in the
T. paradoxura
prevalence and infection intensity were associated with a higher presence of whole leaves in the feces.
Conclusions
Reported for the first time in the context of self-medication for civet species, we propose that swallowing grass may facilitate expulsion of adult worms of
T. paradoxura
, which resembles behaviors widely reported in African great apes, bears, and geese.
Monitoring lifestyle to maintain health is an important issue for breast cancer survivors. No multidimensional instrument has previously been available specifically for assessing overall healthiness ...of lifestyle among breast cancer survivors. This study aims (i) to establish the Healthy Lifestyle Instrument for Breast Cancer Survivors (HLI‐BCS) and (ii) to examine the reliability and validity of the established scale. A quantitative cross‐sectional design was used. This project was conducted in four phases. In phase I, using the Health‐Promoting Lifestyle Profile as the core concept, we created 50 preliminary measurement items. In phase II, we invited 10 breast cancer survivors and five professional experts to conduct a content validity assessment. In phases III and IV, a total of 220 breast cancer survivors were enrolled to assess the construct validity and the internal consistency and reliability. The final HLI‐BCS contains 20 items across five domains: dietary habits, environment and physiology, health responsibility and stress management, social and interpersonal relations and spiritual growth. Through the information presented in the HLI‐BCS, breast cancer survivors can assess their lifestyles on multiple dimensions and subsequently adjust their lifestyles to enhance their recovery and quality of life.
The lack of expression of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) is frequently associated with KMT2A-rearranged subtype of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, this association ...has not been investigated extensively in the Asian population. A retrospective analysis of TdT expression in pediatric B-cell ALL (B-ALL) was performed in patients treated using the Taiwan Pediatric Oncology Group (TPOG) ALL 2002 and 2013 protocols. Among the 331 patients with B-ALL, 12 patients showed TdT negativity at initial diagnosis. Among these, eight patients showed KMT2A rearrangement (66.7%). Other patients showing negative TdT expression had ETV6::RUNX1, MEF2D-rearranged, and other B-ALL subtypes. However, in the context of KMT2A-rearranged B-ALL (n = 20), only eight patients showed TdT negativity. The 5-year event-free survival and overall survival of patients with and without TdT expression were 83.8% versus 46.8% (P <0.001) and 86.3% versus 55.4% (P = 0.004), respectively. Moreover, several aberrant markers, such as CD2, CD56, CD7, and CD117, were rarely expressed in the B-ALL samples, and if expressed, they were enriched in specific genetic subtypes. The results of this study indicate that immunophenotypic features are correlated with specific genetic subtypes of childhood B-ALL.
Using mobile phones for communication in emergency departments is a common practice; however, several studies have demonstrated that they may act as vectors for bacteria and viruses. This study ...evaluated the effectiveness of plastic wrapping in decreasing bacterial contamination on mobile phone surfaces.
We used culture dishes and a luminometer to detect bacterial colonies and contamination on the phone surfaces.
Our experiment showed that bacterial colonies exist on mobile phones before and after work. We found that wiping with 75% alcohol sanitizers effectively reduces the number of colonies on either a mobile phone or a temporary plastic covering. In addition, we found that bacterial colonies do not contaminate or adhere to plastic wrap any easier than to mobile phones.
These results demonstrated the effectiveness of plastic wrap for protecting mobile phone surfaces against bacterial colonization. In addition, applying a layer of plastic wrap protects the phone from potential damage due to the alcohol.
N
6
-Methyladenosine (m
6
A) modifications of RNA are diverse and ubiquitous amongst eukaryotes. They occur in mRNA, rRNA, tRNA, and microRNA. Recent studies have revealed that these reversible RNA ...modifications affect RNA splicing, translation, degradation, and localization. Multiple physiological processes, like circadian rhythms, stem cell pluripotency, fibrosis, triglyceride metabolism, and obesity are also controlled by m
6
A modifications. Immunoprecipitation/sequencing, mass spectrometry, and modified northern blotting are some of the methods commonly employed to measure m
6
A modifications. Herein, we present a northeastern blotting technique for measuring m
6
A modifications. The current protocol provides good size separation of RNA, better accommodation and standardization for various experimental designs, and clear delineation of m
6
A modifications in various sources of RNA. While m
6
A modifications are known to have a crucial impact on human physiology relating to circadian rhythms and obesity, their roles in other (patho)physiological states are unclear. Therefore, investigations on m
6
A modifications have immense possibility to provide key insights into molecular physiology.
The role of primates in seed dispersal is well recognized. Macaques (
Macaca
spp.) are major primate seed dispersers in Asia, and recent studies have revealed their role as seed dispersal agents in ...this region. Here, we review present knowledge of the traits that define the role of macaques as seed dispersers. The size of seeds in fruit influences whether macaques swallow (0.5–17.1 mm; median: 3.0), spit (1–37 mm; median: 7.6), or drop (8.2–57.7 mm; median: 20.5) them. Dispersal distances via defecation are several hundreds of meters (median: 259 m, range: 0–1300 m), shorter than those achieved by some mammals and birds in tropical and temperate regions. However, macaques disperse seeds by defecation at comparable distances to omnivorous carnivores, and further than passerines. Seed dispersal distance by spitting is much shorter (median: 20 m, range: 0–405 m) than by defecation. Among Asian primates, seed dispersal distances resulting from macaque defecation are shorter than those for gibbons and longer than those for langurs. The effects of seed ingestion on the percentage and speed of germination vary among both plant and macaque species. The degree of frugivory, fruit/seed handling methods, seed dispersal distance, microhabitats of dispersed seeds, and effects of dispersal on seed germination vary seasonally and interannually, and long-term studies of the ecological role of macaques are needed. Researchers have begun to assess the effectiveness of seed dispersal by macaques, secondary dispersal of seeds originally dispersed by macaques, and the effects of provisioning on seed dispersal. Future studies should also test the effects of social factors (such as age and rank), which have received little attention in studies of seed dispersal.
Abstract Background Acral volar melanocytic lesions have a high potential for malignancy. Dermoscopy is a useful, noninvasive tool for the diagnosis of such malignancies. The use of immersion fluids ...can provide better visual effects and improve the diagnostic accuracy of dermoscopic examinations. Methods Fifteen volar melanocytic lesions, including two palmar and 13 plantar lesions, were included in our study. We compared the visual effects of two different immersion fluids as an interface for dermoscopy. Four combinations of immersion fluid (ultrasound jelly or mineral oil) and observation mode (polarized or nonpolarized light) were compared for visual effects during the dermoscopic examination of lesions based on air bubble inclusion and microstructure visibility. Results Both the mineral oil and the ultrasound jelly allowed at least one microstructure to be clearly visible in each image of the acral volar melanocytic lesions examined. All modes of observation achieved acceptable visual effects. The use of mineral oil and the polarized light mode resulted in the formation of fewer bubbles than the use of mineral oil and the nonpolarized light mode ( p < 0.05). The use of ultrasound jelly and the polarized light mode resulted in significantly better visual effects ( p < 0.05) than that of ultrasound jelly or mineral oil and the nonpolarized light mode. Conclusion The use of either mineral oil or ultrasound jelly as interface provides acceptable visual effects for the dermoscopic examination of acral volar melanocytic lesions. The use of the polarized light mode reduced the reflection and scattering of light, resulting in better visual effect than that achieved using the nonpolarized light mode. In the early diagnosis of acral melanoma, choosing the appropriate application of immersion fluid and observation mode yields the optimal visual effect.
Aim. The aim of this study was to understand the health care needs and related factors for patients with knee osteoarthritis during the early recovery period after total knee‐replacement surgery.
...Background. Knee‐replacement surgery effectively relieves pain and improves mobility for patients with knee osteoarthritis. With shorter hospital stays, postoperative knee‐replacement patients need guidance from medical personnel about self‐care, but little is known about these patients’ health care needs.
Design. This descriptive, correlational study used a longitudinal design.
Method. A convenience sample of 85 patients undergoing total knee‐replacement surgery in northern Taiwan was interviewed before and 1–2 weeks after hospital discharge. Data were collected on participants’ demographic characteristics, disease characteristics, symptom distress and health care needs.
Results. Participants’ health care needs diminished significantly after hospital discharge. Before hospital discharge, the most important need was medical personnel to help relieve postoperative pain, and health care needs were predicted by symptom distress and age. After hospital discharge, the most important need was medical personnel to help understand the conditions requiring a return visit to hospital, and health care needs were predicted by symptom distress, health care needs before discharge, age and gender.
Conclusions. The results of this study provide a comprehensive understanding of health care needs before and after discharge, as well as predictive factors for patients undergoing total knee‐replacement surgery.
Relevance to clinical practice. Given today’s shorter hospital stays, clinicians need to prioritise health care needs indicated by predictive variables. This strategy would help optimise assessment and care management by focusing on patients’ greater health care needs and by tailoring care information and skills to patients’ individual needs.
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