Acute kidney injury (AKI) from leptospirosis is frequently nonoliguric with hypo- or normokalemia. Higher serum potassium levels are observed in non-survivor patients and may have been caused by more ...severe AKI, metabolic disarrangement, or rhabdomyolysis. An association between the creatine phosphokinase (CPK) level and maximum serum creatinine level has been observed in these patients, which suggests that rhabdomyolysis contributes to severe AKI and hyperkalemia. LipL32 and Lp25 are conserved proteins in pathogenic strains of Leptospira spp., but these proteins have no known function. This study evaluated the effect of these proteins on renal function in guinea pigs. Lp25 is an outer membrane protein that appears responsible for the development of oliguric AKI associated with hyperkalemia induced by rhabdomyolysis (e.g., elevated CPK, uric acid and serum phosphate). This study is the first characterization of a leptospiral outer membrane protein that is associated with severe manifestations of leptospirosis. Therapeutic methods to attenuate this protein and inhibit rhabdomyolysis-induced AKI could protect animals and patients from severe forms of this disease and decrease mortality.
The Puerto Rico Census of Agriculture (Census) is the leading source of statistics about the island’s agricultural production. The Census is conducted every 5 years, in years ending in 2 and 7. ...However, the most recent Census was administered in 2018 due to delays caused by Hurricane Maria. Because the Census list frame is incomplete, a separate survey is conducted to inform measures of undercoverage, nonresponse, and misclassification, leading to adjusted weights. At the time of Hurricane Maria, the 2017 survey had already been conducted in preparation for the planned Census that year. In 2018, the survey was repeated using the same sample. Linking and analyzing the 2017 and 2018 survey data provide insights into the impacts of Hurricane Maria on the island’s agriculture. Furthermore, the 2018 survey gives an opportunity to evaluate the 2018 Census results. Although the same sample was used in 2017 and 2018, automated record linkage methods are not suitable to link records from the two surveys. This paper discusses record linkage and estimation approaches used to determine the number of farms and land in farms in Puerto Rico before and after Hurricane Maria based on the two surveys and the Census of Agriculture.
Dyslipidemias are associated with the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, hypertension and hepatic steatosis, being the cause of morbidity and mortality. This study investigated ...the effects of lychee peel flour (PF) on serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-c), triacylglycerols (TAG) and various parameters related to obesity, in rats fed a hypercholesterolemic diet. Therefore, 20 male rats were used. In the first 21 days, the animals were fed a hypercholesterolemic diet, except for control group. In the following 21 days, their diets were modified, and they received a standard diet (Control); hypercholesterolemic (Hyper); hypercholesterolemic + 5% PF (PF5) and hypercholesterolemic + 10% PF (PF10). The results revealed that PF intake attenuated weight gain, reduced body mass index, glucose and the levels of TAG, TC, LDL-c, hepatic enzymes and leptin, besides the percentage of hepatic lipids, liver lipid peroxidation and frequency of severe steatosis. Histological studies of the aorta did not show the formation of the atheromatous plaque. These results reinforce its potential to reduce the risk of diseases associated with obesity.
The Census of Agriculture is conducted every 5 years, in years ending in 2 and 7. The Census list frame is incomplete, resulting in undercoverage. Not all operations on the list frame respond, and, ...based on the response, some misclassification occurs. In 2012, a capture–recapture analysis was conducted to adjust for undercoverage, nonresponse, and misclassification. This was the first time capture–recapture methods were used to produce official statistics for an establishment survey. The number of records on the Census Mailing List that were classified as farms was 1,382,099, and the published estimate of the number of farms was 2,109,303, a 34.5% adjustment. The adjustment was greatest for farms with low production levels and for specialty farms, both of which are difficult to identify and add to the list. The methods used are described. Challenges that arose in the implementation process are discussed. Areas for enhancement being targeted for the 2017 Census of Agriculture are highlighted.
The United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts the June Agricultural Survey (JAS) annually. Substantial misclassification occurs during the ...prescreening process and from field-estimating farm status for nonresponse and inaccessible records, resulting in a biased estimate of the number of US farms from the JAS. Here, the Annual Land Utilization Survey (ALUS) is proposed as a follow-on survey to the JAS to adjust the estimates of the number of US farms and other important variables. A three-phase survey design-based estimator is developed for the JAS-ALUS with nonresponse adjustment for the second phase (ALUS). A design-unbiased estimator of the variance is provided in explicit form.
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common complication of pregnancy. It may predispose offspring to increased fat mass (FM) and the development of obesity, however few data from Latin America ...exist.
To investigate the influence of GDM on newborn FM in mother-newborn pairs recruited from a public maternity care center in São Paulo, Brazil.
Data were collected cross-sectionally in 2013-2014 from 72 mothers diagnosed with GDM, and 211 mothers with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). Newborn FM was evaluated by air-displacement plethysmography (PEA POD), and relevant demographic and obstetric data were collected from hospital records. Associations between maternal GDM status and newborn FM were investigated by multiple linear regression analysis, with adjustment for maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain, type of delivery, sex of the child, and gestational age.
FM was greater in GDM versus NGT newborns in a bivariable model (Median (IQR), GDM: 0.35 (0.3) kg vs. NGT: 0.27 (0.2) kg, p = 0.02), however GDM status was not a significant predictor of FM with adjustment for other variables. Rather, pre-pregnancy BMI (coefficient (β) 1.46; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.66, 2.27), gestational weight gain (β 1.32; 95% CI 0.49, 2.15), and male sex (β -17.8; 95% CI -27.2, -8.29) predicted newborn FM. Analyzing GDM and NGT groups separately, pre-pregnancy BMI (β 6.75; 95% CI 2.36, 11.1) and gestational weight gain (β 5.64; 95% CI 1.16, 10.1) predicted FM in the GDM group, while male sex alone predicted FM in the NGT group (β -12.3; 95% CI -18.3, -6.34).
Combined model results suggest that in our cohort, pre-pregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain are more important risk factors for increased neonatal FM than GDM. However, group-specific model results suggest that GDM status may contribute to variation in the relationship between maternal/offspring factors and FM. Our use of a binary GDM variable in the combined model may have precluded clearer results on this point. Prospective cohort studies including data on maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, GWG, and glycemic profile are needed to better understand associations among these variables and their relative influence on offspring FM.
We report neurodevelopmental outcomes in 216 infants followed since the time of PCR-confirmed maternal Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in pregnancy during the Rio de Janeiro epidemic of 2015-2016 (refs.
...). Neurodevelopment was assessed by Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, third edition (Bayley-III; cognitive, language and motor domains) in 146 children and through neurodevelopment questionnaires/neurological examinations in 70 remaining children. Complete eye exams (n = 137) and hearing assessments (n = 114) were also performed. Below-average neurodevelopment and/or abnormal eye or hearing assessments were noted in 31.5% of children between 7 and 32 months of age. Among children assessed by Bayley-III, 12% scored below -2 s.d. (score <70; a score of 100 ± 2 s.d. is the range) in at least one domain; and 28% scored between -1 and -2 s.d. in any domain (scores <85-70). Language function was most affected, with 35% of 146 children below average. Improved neurodevelopmental outcomes were noted in female children, term babies, children with normal eye exams and maternal infection later in pregnancy (P = 0.01). We noted resolution of microcephaly with normal neurodevelopment in two of eight children, development of secondary microcephaly in two other children and autism spectrum disorder in three previously healthy children in the second year of life.
Diarrhea is a prevalent pathological condition frequently associated to the colonization of the small intestine by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strains, known to be endemic in developing ...countries. These strains can produce two enterotoxins associated with the manifestation of clinical symptoms that can be used to detect these pathogens. Although several detection tests have been developed, minimally equipped laboratories are still in need of simple and cost-effective methods. With the aim to contribute to the development of such diagnostic approaches, we describe here two mouse hybridoma-derived single chain fragment variable (scFv) that were produced in E. coli against enterotoxins of ETEC strains.
Recombinant scFv were developed against ETEC heat-labile toxin (LT) and heat-stable toxin (ST), from previously isolated hybridoma clones. This work reports their design, construction, molecular and functional characterization against LT and ST toxins. Both antibody fragments were able to recognize the cell-interacting toxins by immunofluorescence, the purified toxins by ELISA and also LT-, ST- and LT/ST-producing ETEC strains.
The developed recombinant scFvs against LT and ST constitute promising starting point for simple and cost-effective ETEC diagnosis.
The United States Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts the June Agricultural Survey (JAS) annually. Substantial misclassification occurs during the ...pre-screening process and from field-estimating farm status for non-response and inaccessible records, resulting in a biased estimate of the number of US farms from the JAS. Here the Annual Land Utilization Survey (ALUS) is proposed as a follow-on survey to the JAS to adjust the estimates of the number of US farms and other important variables. A three-phase survey design-based estimator is developed for the JAS-ALUS with non-response adjustment for the second phase (ALUS). A design-unbiased estimator of the variance is provided in explicit form.
New Findings
What is the central question of this study?
A heterogeneous cerebral blood flow (CBF) response in the cerebral arteries has been demonstrated in several physiological conditions, and it ...might be attributable to different physiological properties. However, the whole cerebral haemodynamic response to weightlessness remains unknown.
What is the main finding and its importance?
Long‐term head‐down bed rest caused a heterogeneous CBF response between the anterior and posterior cerebral arteries and between the cerebral arteries and veins. Especially, in contrast to the anterior cerebral circulation, the posterior arterial and venous CBFs were well maintained throughout weightlessness.
In this study, we investigated the whole cerebral haemodynamic response to long‐term head‐down bed rest (HDBR). We hypothesized that long‐term exposure to weightlessness influences cerebral blood flow (CBF) or CBF distribution among cerebral arteries and veins because of the different physiological roles of each cerebral vessel. To test this hypothesis, 10 male volunteers were exposed to −6 deg HDBR for 60 days. Blood flows in the internal carotid artery, external carotid artery and vertebral artery or internal jugular vein and vertebral vein were measured using ultrasonography before and on days 30 and 57 of the HDBR. The internal carotid artery blood flow was reduced on day 30 (P = 0.019) and had returned to the baseline level by day 57. In contrast, the vertebral artery blood flow remained unaltered throughout the HDBR (P = 0.626). The internal jugular vein blood flow was reduced on day 30 (P = 0.009), whereas the vertebral vein blood flow remained unaltered (P = 0.397). These findings suggest that long‐term HDBR causes a heterogeneous CBF response between the anterior and posterior cerebral circulation in the both arteries and veins. The posterior arterial and venous CBFs were well maintained throughout HDBR, and these CBF responses to HDBR were different from the anterior cerebral circulation.