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Background: The poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae , is a serious problem in the laying hen industry worldwide. Currently, the foremost control method for D. gallinae is the implementation of integrated pest management, the effective application of which necessitates a precise monitoring method., Objectives: The aim of the study was to propose an accurate monitoring method with a reliable protocol for caged-layer poultry farms, and to suggest an objective classification for assessing D. gallinae infestation on caged-layer poultry farms according to the number of mites collected using the developed monitoring method., Methods: We compared the numbers of mites collected from corrugated cardboard traps, regarding with length of sampling periods, sampling sites on cage, and sampling positions in farm buildings. The study also compared the mean numbers of mites collected by the developed method with the infestation levels using by the conventional monitoring methods in 37 caged-layer farm buildings., Results: The statistical validation provided the suitable monitoring method that the traps were installed for 2 days on feed boxes at 27 sampling points which included three vertical levels across nine equally divided zones of farms. Using this monitoring method, the D. gallinae infestation level can be assessed objectively on caged-layer poultry farms. Moreover, the method is more sensitive than the conventional method in detecting very small populations of mites., Conclusions: This method can be used to identify the initial stages of D. gallinae infestation in the caged-layer poultry farms, and therefore, will contribute to establishment of effective control strategies for this mite., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (© 2020 The Korean Society of Veterinary Science.)

Background: with the advantage of sequencing technology, many novel porcine parvoviruses (PPV) rather than PPV1 has been reported. This study ultilized specific PCR- based method and gene- based analysis to study the presence and genetic diversity of porcine parvoviruses in South Korea in 2018., Results: The present study was conducted in 2018 and found PPV1 and PPV7 in nine out of 151 field samples (organs and semen) by the PCR method. Among these, the complete genome sequences of five strains (N2, N91, N108, N133, and N141) were recovered. Phylogenic analysis revealed that the strains N2, N91, and N108 belong to the PPV1 genotype, while N133 and N141 belong to PPV7 genotype. The PPV7 strains collected in this study had deletion mutations in the VP2 gene but differed from that of PPV7 strains collected in 2017. Among the PPV1 strains, the amino acid variations in the B cell epitopes of the VP2 protein were observed between three Korean PPV1 field strains (N2, N91, and N108) and the reference PPV1 strains. Those substitutions resulted in six out of 12 predicted epitopes having significant differences in antigenic index compared to the other PPV1 strains., Conclusions: This study confirmed the presence of different genotypes of porcine parvoviruses in South Korea. The PPVs circulating in South Korea were phylogenetically classified as PPV1 and PPV7 genotypes. Three Korean PPV1 strains collected in 2018 were predicted to have antigenic alteration in VP2 compared to several reference strains of PPV1.

Erythropoietin (EPO) is the primary regulator of erythropoiesis in the mammalian fetus and adult. Deficiency of EPO induces anemia. In this study, we investigated the effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on serum EPO levels and erythropoiesis in rats. Expression levels of Epo -related genes were measured by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and expression of Epo and Epo receptor (Epor) proteins were measured by immunohistochemistry. The gene and protein expression profiles of kidney tissue in GABA-treated rats were evaluated by ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequencing and two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE), respectively. GABA significantly increased serum EPO levels and expression levels of Epo and Epor. GABA increased expression levels of hypoxia-inducible factor (Hif)-1 and Hif-2. Seven proteins with expression levels showing >2-fold change were identified by 2-DE followed by MALDI-TOF MS in GABA-treated rat kidney. The top KEGG pathway from the identified proteins was the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase, and isocitrate dehydrogenase were identified as key proteins. GABA treatment significantly increased ATP levels and NADH dehydrogenase activity in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, GABA shows a new physiological role in EPO production, and it can thus can contribute to the prevention of anemia when used alone or in combination with other anemia treating drugs.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is becoming increasingly important in both human and veterinary medicine. According to the One Health concept, an important step is to monitor the resistance patterns of pathogenic bacteria. In this study, the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and trends of bacteria isolated from stray cats, hospital-admitted cats, and veterinary staff in South Korea between 2017 and 2018 were investigated., Results: The minimum inhibitory concentrations of different antibiotics for Staphylococcus spp., Enterobacteriaceae, and Enterococcus spp. were determined to establish representatives of different antibiotic classes relevant for treatment or surveillance. For Coagulase-positive and Coagulase-negative Staphylococci, resistance to fluoroquinolones was below 13%, but resistance to ampicillin and penicillin was high (20-88%). A total of 9.5, 12.1, and 40.3% of staphylococcal isolates from stray cats, hospital-admitted cats, and veterinary staff, respectively, were confirmed to be mecA positive. For Enterobacteriaceae, resistance to carbapenems, fluoroquinolones, and 3rd generation cephalosporins was low (0-11.1%). The Enterococcus spp. isolates showed no resistance to vancomycin. The antimicrobial resistance rates of the Staphylococcus spp. and Enterobacteriaceae isolates from stray cats were usually lower than those of isolates from hospital-admitted cats and veterinary staff, but the Enterococcus spp. isolates revealed the opposite. Thus, the antimicrobial resistance varied across bacterial species according to the source from which they were isolated., Conclusions: Resistance to critically important compounds were low. However, the presence of antimicrobial resistance in cat isolates is of both public health and animal health concern.

Fourteen new species of the Afrotropical genus Thubdora Park, 2018 (Lecithoceridae: Torodorinae) are described from Uganda: Thubdora afropyralidis Park, sp. nov., T. fruticosa Park, sp. nov., T. kibalensis Park, sp. nov., T. klenodes Park, sp. nov., T. latidiscalis Park, sp. nov., T. mirinae Park, sp. nov., T. nemorosa Park, sp. nov., T. retusivalva Park, sp. nov., T. umbratilis Park, sp. nov., and T. wooriana Park, sp. nov. in the aciphalla species-group (10 species); and T. corystos Park, sp. nov., T. narusia Park, sp. nov., T. trigonoides Park, sp. nov., and T. villosiphalla Park, sp. nov. in the acutalis species-group (four species). Four species are reported for the first time from Uganda: T. ambliodes Park, 2018, T. bilobella Park, 2018, T. ealaensis Park De Prins, 2019, and T. ghesquierei Park De Prins, 2019; and the females of T. ealaensis and T. ghesquierei are newly described, and their genitalia are illustrated. In addition, three species of Ptilothyris Walsingham, 1897 previously recorded from DR Congo are transferred to Thubdora: T. brachysema (Meyrick, 1938), comb. nov., T. crocophracta (Meyrick, 1938), comb. nov., and T. nemophorella (Ghesquière, 1940), comb. nov. Lectotypes for T. brachysema and T. crocophracta are designated herein. Identifications of the new species and corresponding females were confirmed based on the comparison of COI barcode sequences. Adults and genitalia of all the new species and the three species transferred from Ptilothyris are illustrated.

Two new species of the genus Protolychnis Meyrick are described: P. petiliella Park, sp. nov. from Uganda and P. bastini Park, sp. nov. from Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya. Adults, male and female genitalia of both new species are illustrated. A check-list for all known species of the genus is provided.

Ultra-thin two-dimensional semiconducting crystals in their monolayer and few-layer forms show promising aspects in nanoelectronic applications. However, the ultra-thin nature of two-dimensional crystals inevitably results in high contact resistance from limited channel/contact volume as well as device-to-device variability, which seriously limit reliable applications using two-dimensional semiconductors. Here, we incorporate rather thick two-dimensional layered semiconducting crystals for reliable vertical diodes showing excellent Ohmic and Schottky contacts. Using the vertical transport of WSe 2 , we demonstrate devices which are functional at various frequency ranges from megahertz AM demodulation of audio signals, to gigahertz rectification for fifth-generation wireless electronics, to ultraviolet-visible photodetection. The WSe 2 exhibits an excellent Ohmic contact to bottom platinum electrode with record-low contact resistance (~50 Ω) and an exemplary Schottky junction to top transparent conducting oxide electrode. Our semitransparent vertical WSe 2 Schottky diodes could be a key component of future high frequency electronics in the era of fifth-generation wireless communication.

Studies in cattle show CD8 cytotoxic T cells (CTL), with the ability to kill intracellular bacteria, develop following stimulation of monocyte-depleted peripheral blood mononuclear cells (mdPBMC) with antigen presenting cells (APC, i.e. conventional dendritic cells [cDC] and monocyte-derived DC [MoDC]) pulsed with MMP, a membrane protein from Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map) encoded by MAP2121c. CTL activity was diminished if CD4 T cells were depleted from mdPBMC before antigen (Ag) presentation by APC, suggesting simultaneous cognate recognition of MMP epitopes presented by MHC I and MHC II molecules to CD4 and CD8 T cells is essential for development of CTL activity. To explore this possibility, studies were conducted with mdPBMC cultures in the presence of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific for MHC class I and MHC class II molecules. The CTL response of mdPBMC to MMP-pulsed APC was completely blocked in the presence of mAbs to both MHC I and II molecules and also blocked in the presence of mAbs to either MHC I or MHC II alone. The results demonstrate simultaneous cognate recognition of Ag by CD4 and CD8 T cells is essential for delivery of CD4 T cell help to CD8 T cells to elicit development of CTL., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The emergence of livestock-associated (LA)-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in livestock animal has become a significant zoonotic concern. In the present study, we investigated nationwide prevalence of LA-MRSA across pork production chain including pig farms, slaughterhouses, and retail markets. A total of 40 MRSA strains were isolated during the investigation and the overall prevalence of MRSA was 3.4% (n = 37), 0.6% (n = 2), and 0.4% (n = 1) in pig farms, slaughterhouses, and retail markets, respectively. Multilocus sequence typing analyses revealed that the 2 most significant clonal lineages in pork production chain in Korea were ST398 (n = 25) and ST541 (n = 6). All of the 40 MRSA isolates were further characterized to investigate key genotypic and phenotypic correlates associated with the emergence and spread of clonal complex 398 (CC398; ST398, and ST541) LA-MRSA. Although the prevalence of swine-associated MRSA was still relatively low and mostly restricted to pig farms, multidrug-resistant CC398 LA-MRSA isolates with new spa types (t18102 and t18103) were identified as a major clonal lineage. The CC398 LA-MRSA strains tended to exhibit increased levels of multiple drug resistance (MDR) phenotype compared with non-CC398 MRSA strains. Of note, in comparison with non-CC398 MRSA isolates, CC398 LA-MRSA isolates exhibited significantly enhanced tetracycline (TET) and zinc resistance. These findings suggested that co-selection pressure associated with MDR phenotype, especially TET resistance, and zinc resistance may have played a significant role in the emergence and persistence of CC398 LA-MRSA in pig farms in Korea., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2020 The Korean Society of Veterinary Science.)

Studies with Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map) in cattle revealed deletion of relA, a global regulator gene, abrogated ability of the mutant to establish a persistent infection, attributed to development of an immune response that cleared infection. Analysis of the recall response demonstrated presence of CD8 cytotoxic T cells that kill intracellular bacteria. Replication of the primary response demonstrated the CTL response could be elicited with the ΔMap/relA mutant or the target of the immune response, a 35 kD membrane protein. Follow up comparative studies with Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and a BCG relA (ΔBCG/relA) deletion mutant revealed deletion of relA enhanced the CTL response compared to BCG. Analysis of the cytokine profile of cells proliferating in response to stimulation with BCG or BCG/relA showed increased expression of IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-17 by cells stimulated with ΔBCG/relA in comparison with BCG. The proliferative and CTL responses were markedly reduced in response to stimulation with heat killed BCG or ΔBCG/relA. Intracellular bacterial killing was mediated through the perforin, granzyme B (GnzB), and the granulysin pathway. The data indicate relA is the Achilles' heel for pathogenic mycobacteria and deletion may be key to improving efficacy of attenuated vaccines for mycobacterial pathogens., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation's Cost of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Care Initiative seeks to quantify the wide-ranging health care costs affecting patients living with IBD. We aimed to (1) describe the annualized direct and indirect costs of care for patients with Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC), (2) determine the longitudinal drivers of these costs, and (3) characterize the cost of care for newly diagnosed patients., Methods: We analyzed the Optum Research Database from the years 2007 to 2016, representing commercially insured and Medicare Advantage-insured patients in the United States. Inclusion for the study was limited to those who had continuous enrollment with medical and pharmacy benefit coverage for at least 24 months (12 months before through 12 months after the index date of diagnosis). The value of patient time spent on health care was calculated as number of workplace hours lost due to health care encounters multiplied by the patients' estimated average wage derived from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Comparisons between IBD patients and non-IBD patients were analyzed based on demographics, health plan type, and length of follow-up. We used generalized linear models to estimate the association between total annual costs and various patient variables., Results: There were 52,782 IBD patients (29,062 UC; 23,720 CD) included in the analysis (54.1% females). On a per-annual basis, patients with IBD incurred a greater than 3-fold higher direct cost of care compared with non-IBD controls ($22,987 vs $6956 per-member per-year paid claims) and more than twice the out-of-pocket costs ($2213 vs $979 per-year reported costs), with all-cause IBD costs rising after 2013. Patients with IBD also experienced significantly higher costs associated with time spent on health care as compared with controls. The burden of costs was most notable in the first year after initial IBD diagnosis (mean = $26,555). The study identified several key drivers of cost for IBD patients: treatment with specific therapeutics (biologics, opioids, or steroids); ED use; and health care services associated with relapsing disease, anemia, or mental health comorbidity., Conclusion: The costs of care for IBD have increased in the last 5 years and are driven by specific therapeutics and disease features. In addition, compared with non-IBD controls, IBD patients are increasingly incurring higher costs associated with health care utilization, out-of-pocket expenditures, and workplace productivity losses. There is a pressing need for cost-effective strategies to address these burdens on patients and families affected by IBD., (© 2019 Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.)

Studies focused on development of an attenuated vaccine against Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis ( Map ), the causative agent of paratuberculosis (Ptb) in cattle and other species, revealed that deletion of relA , a global gene regulator, abrogates the ability of Map to establish a persistent infection. In the absence of relA , cattle develop CD8 cytotoxic T cells (CTL) with the ability to kill intracellular bacteria. Analysis of the recall response to a relA mutant, Map /Δ relA , with cells from a vaccinated steer demonstrated that a 35-kDa membrane peptide (MMP) is one of the targets of the response. This observation suggested that it might be possible to develop a peptide-based vaccine. As reported here, the gene encoding the hypothetical MMP ORF, MAP2121c, was modified for expression in mammalian cells as a first step in developing an expression cassette for incorporation into a mammalian expression vector. The modified sequence of MMP, tPA-MMP, was mutated to generate two additional sequences for the study, one with substitutions to replace five potential residues that could be glycosylated, tPA-MMP-5mut, and one with substitutions to replace the first two potential residues that could be glycosylated, tPA-MMP-2mut. The sequences were placed in an expression cassette to produce peptides for analysis. An ex vivo platform was used with flow cytometry and a bacterium viability assay to determine if modifications in the gene encoding MMP for expression in mammalian cells altered its capacity to elicit development of CD8 CTL, essential for its use in a peptide-based vaccine. Monocyte-depleted PBMC (mdPBMC) were stimulated with antigen-presenting cells (APC) pulsed with different MMP constructs. CD4 and CD8 T cells proliferated in response to stimulation with MMP (control) expressed in Escherichia coli (eMMP), tPA-MMP, and tPA-MMP-2mut. CD8 T cells retained the capacity to kill intracellular bacteria. The tPA-MMP-5mut failed to elicit a proliferative response and was not included in further studies. The data show that the expression cassettes containing MMP and MMP-2mut can be used to screen and select a mammalian expression vector for the development of an efficacious peptide-based vaccine against Ptb., (Copyright © 2019 Franceschi, Mahmoud, Abdellrazeq, Tebaldi, Macchi, Russo, Fry, Elnaggar, Bannantine, Park, Hulubei, Cavirani, Davis and Donofrio.)

Aim: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease and their physicians must navigate ever-increasing options for treatment. The aim of this study was to elucidate the key drivers of treatment decision-making in inflammatory bowel disease., Methods: We conducted qualitative semi-structured in-person interviews of 20 adult patients undergoing treatment for inflammatory bowel disease at an academic medical centre who either recently initiated biologic therapy or underwent an operation or surgical evaluation. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, iteratively coded, and discussed to consensus by five researchers. We used thematic analysis to explore factors influencing decision-making., Results: Four major themes emerged as key drivers of treatment decision-making: perceived clinical state and disease severity, the patient-physician relationship, knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about treatment options, and social isolation and stigma. Patients described experiencing a clinical turning point as the impetus for proceeding with a previously undesired treatment such as infusion medication or surgery. Patients reported delays in care or diagnosis, inadequate communication with their physicians, and lack of control over their disease management. Patients often stated that they considered surgery to be the treatment of last resort, which further compounded the complexity of making treatment decisions., Conclusion: Patients described multiple barriers to making informed and collaborative decisions about treatment, especially when considering surgical options. Our study reveals a need for more comprehensive communication between the patient and their physician about the range of medical and surgical treatment options. We recommend a patient-centred approach toward the decision-making process that accounts for patient decision-making preferences, causes of social stress, and clinical status., (Colorectal Disease © 2019 The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.)

Background: Data on the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by age group are available in countries outside of the United States or localized populations within the United States. We aimed to estimate the incidence rates (IRs) of IBD by age group using a US multiregional data set., Methods: We used the Optum Research Database to identify incident IBD patients with a disease-free interval of 1.5 years between 2005 and 2015. Overall and age-specific IRs were calculated for 4 different age groups: pediatric (0-17 years), young adult (18-25 years), adult (26-59 years), elderly (>60 years). Time trends of incidence were evaluated in each age group. Perianal phenotype (in Crohn's disease [CD]) was also compared., Results: The mean IR for the cohort (n = 60,247) from 2005 to 2015 was 37.5/100,000. The IR was highest in adult and elderly cohorts (36.4 and 36.7/100,000 respectively). In the adult and elderly groups, the IR for UC was higher than that for CD, whereas the opposite was true in the pediatric and young adult groups. The IR increased over the 10-year study period for all age groups (time trends P < 0.001). The elderly group had less perianal disease than the adult group (20.8 vs 22.3%, respectively; P < 0.05)., Conclusions: In one of the most comprehensive evaluations of the incidence of IBD in the United States, we found an incidence rate similar to those of other national populations. We also confirmed differences of specific IBD phenotypes based on age groups, with lower rates of perianal disease in the elderly., (© 2019 Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The complete chloroplast genome of Centaurea maculosa (Asteraceae) was presented in this article. The genome size is 152,518 bp in length, with 43.1% of GC content. It consists of a large single-copy (LSC) region (83,959 bp) and a small single-copy region (SSC) (18,487 bp) which were separated by two inverted repeat (IRs) regions (25,218 bp). The complete chloroplast genome contains 111 unique genes, including 80 coding genes, 4 rRNA genes, and 27 tRNA genes., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors., (© 2019 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.)

As practical interest in stretchable electronics increases for future applications in wearables, healthcare, and robotics, the demand for electrical interconnects with high electrical conductivity, durability, printability, and adhesion is growing. Despite the high electrical conductivity and stretchability of most previous interconnects, they lack stable conductivity against strain and adhesion to stretchable substrates, leading to a limitation for their practical applications. Herein, we propose a stretchable conductive adhesive consisting of silver particles with carbon nanotube as an auxiliary filler in silicone adhesives. The conductive adhesive exhibits a high initial conductivity of 6450 S cm -1 . They show little change in conductivity over 3000 stretching cycles at 50% strain, currently the highest stability reported for elastic conductors. Based on strong adhesion to stretchable substrates, the gel-free, dry adhesives printed on an elastic bandage for electrocardiography monitoring exhibit an extremely stable performance upon movement of the subject, even after several cycles of detachment-reattachment and machine washing.

Aim: Few data are available on the gender-related differences in the prognostic impact of diabetes in people with heart failure. This study was performed to investigate whether there is a gender difference in the association between diabetes and long-term clinical outcomes in people hospitalized for heart failure., Methods: A total of 3162 people hospitalized with heart failure (aged 67.4 ± 14.1 years, 50.4% females) from the data set of the nationwide registry were analysed. The primary endpoint was a composite of all-cause mortality and heart failure readmission., Results: People with diabetes (30.5% for males vs. 31.1% for females, P = 0.740) were older and had more unfavourable risk factors and laboratory findings than those without diabetes in both genders. During a median follow-up period of 549 days, there were 1418 cases of composite events (44.8%). In univariable analysis, the coexistence of diabetes was significantly associated with a higher incidence of composite events in both genders (P < 0.05 each for males and females). In multivariable analysis, the prognostic impact of diabetes on the development of composite events remained significant in females even after controlling for potential confounders (hazard ratio 1.43, 95% confidence intervals 1.12-1.84; P = 0.004). However, an independent association between diabetes and composite events was not seen in males in the same multivariable analysis (P > 0.05)., Conclusions: In people with heart failure, the impact of diabetes on long-term mortality and heart failure readmission seems to be stronger in females than in males. More careful and intensive management is needed especially in females with heart failure and diabetes., (© 2019 Diabetes UK.)

Background: Among foreigners undergoing kidney transplantation (KT) in Korea, Mongolians are the most common, and most of these cases are conducted at our center. We report the immunologic characteristics and clinical outcomes of these patients., Methods: Consecutive Mongolian patients who underwent KT from September 2009 to August 2017 in our center were retrospectively analyzed. Pre- and post-transplant HLA antibody status and clinical data of the Mongolian patients were collected and compared with the Korean patients who underwent living donor KT during the same period., Results: Sixty-two Mongolian and 85 Korean patients received KT and were followed up for 20.9 and 50.8 months (P = .01), respectively. Before transplantation, 17.7% of the Mongolian patients and 7.1% of the Korean patients were highly sensitized (P = .05). The patients were monitored consistently throughout the entire post-transplant period. Follow-up loss occurred in some cases. Of the patients, 32 Mongolian patients and 79 Korean patients were monitored for post-transplant HLA antibodies at any time point. Estimated glomerular filtration rates were comparable between Mongolian and Korean patients at 1 month (77.1 vs 71.5 mL/min/1.73m 2 , P = .21) and 1 year (64.6 vs 68.7 mL/min/1.73m 2 , P = .25) after transplantation but tended to be different at 3 years (57.2 vs 67.3 mL/min/1.73m 2 , P = .06) and 5 years (56.9 vs 73.1 mL/min/1.73m 2 , P = .04) post transplant., Conclusions: Mongolian patients undergoing KT in Korea were often highly sensitized. Mean follow-up time was short and follow-up loss was common in Mongolian patients compared with Korean patients. Cautious follow-up is needed for foreigner transplant recipients, especially for those at high-risk immunologically, to achieve better outcomes., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To implement a quality improvement based system to measure and improve data quality in an observational clinical registry to support a Learning Healthcare System., Data Source: ImproveCareNow Network registry, which as of September 2019 contained data from 314,250 visits of 43,305 pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) patients at 109 participating care centers., Study Design: The impact of data quality improvement support to care centers was evaluated using statistical process control methodology. Data quality measures were defined, performance feedback of those measures using statistical process control charts was implemented, and reports that identified data items not following data quality checks were developed to enable centers to monitor and improve the quality of their data., Principal Findings: There was a pattern of improvement across measures of data quality. The proportion of visits with complete critical data increased from 72 percent to 82 percent. The percent of registered patients improved from 59 percent to 83 percent. Of three additional measures of data consistency and timeliness, one improved performance from 42 percent to 63 percent. Performance declined on one measure due to changes in network documentation practices and maturation. There was variation among care centers in data quality., Conclusions: A quality improvement based approach to data quality monitoring and improvement is feasible and effective., Competing Interests: The authors have no competing interests to declare., (Copyright: © 2019 The Author(s).)

The complete chloroplast genome of Lamium takesimense (Lamiaceae), an endemic species in South Korea, are presented in this article. The genome size is 150,626 bp in length, with 38.6% of GC content. It consists a large single-copy (LSC) region (82,527bp) and a small single-copy region (SSC) (17,185bp) which were separated by two inverted repeat (IRs) regions (25,457bp). The complete chloroplast genome contains 111 unique genes, including 77 protein-coding genes, 4 rRNA genes, and 30 tRNA genes., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors., (© 2019 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.)

With the increase in practical interest in flexible thermoelectric (TE) generators, the demand for high-performance alternatives to brittle TE materials is growing. Herein, we have demonstrated wet-spun CNT fibers with high TE performance by systematically controlling the longitudinal carrier mobility without a significant change in the carrier concentration. The carrier mobility optimized by CNT alignment increases the electrical conductivity without decreasing the thermopower, thus improving the power factor. On further adjusting the charge carriers via mild annealing, the CNT fibers exhibit a high power factor of 432 μW m-1 K-2. Based on the excellent TE performance and shape advantages for modular design of the CNT fiber, the all-carbon based flexible TE generator without an additional metal electrode has been fabricated. The flexible TE generator based on 40 pairs of p- and n-type CNT fibers shows the maximum power density of 15.4 and 259 μW g-1 at temperature differences (ΔT) of 5 and 20 K, respectively, currently one of the highest values reported for TE generators based on flexible materials. The strategy proposed here can improve the performance of flexible TE fibers by optimizing the carrier mobility without a change in the carrier concentration, and shows great potential for flexible TE generators.

The giant knotweed plant, Fallopia sachalinensis is confined to Ulleung and Dokdo islands, Korea. Here, we reported the complete chloroplast genome of F. sachalinensis . The chloroplast genome size was 163,485 bp in length, containing a couple of identical inverted repeat regions of 31,108 bp, a large single-copy region of 87,703 bp and small single-copy region of 13,566 bp. The genome encoded 129 genes, of which 112 were unique, including 78 protein-coding, 30 tRNA and 4 rRNA genes. The maximum-likelihood phylogenetic tree showed that F. sachalinensis is a basal group and sister to the rest of the Polygonaceae family plants., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2019 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.)

The aims of this study were to develop a technique for the extraction of cortisol from sturgeon fins using two washing solvents (water and isopropanol) and quantify any differences in fin cortisol levels among three main sturgeon species. Fins were harvested from 19 sacrificed sturgeons including seven beluga (Huso huso), seven Siberian (Acipenser baerii), and five sevruga (A. stellatus). The sturgeons were raised in Iranian farms for 2 years (2017-2018), and cortisol extraction analysis was conducted in South Korea (January-February 2019). Jawbones from five H. huso were also used for cortisol extraction. Data were analyzed using the general linear model (GLM) procedure in the SAS environment. The intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation were 14.15 and 7.70, respectively. Briefly, the cortisol extraction technique involved washing the samples (300 ± 10 mg) with 3 mL of solvent (ultrapure water and isopropanol) twice, rotation at 80 rpm for 2.5 min, air-drying the washed samples at room temperature (22-28 °C) for 7 days, further drying the samples using a bead beater at 50 Hz for 32 min and grinding them into powder, applying 1.5 mL methanol to the dried powder (75 ± 5 mg), and slow rotation (40 rpm) for 18 h at room temperature with continuous mixing. Following extraction, samples were centrifuged (9,500 x g for 10 min), and 1 mL supernatant was transferred into a new microcentrifuge tube (1.5 mL), incubated at 38 °C to evaporate the methanol, and analyzed via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). No differences were observed in fin cortisol levels among species or in fin and jawbone cortisol levels between washing solvents. The results of this study demonstrate that the sturgeon jawbone matrix is a promising alternative stress indicator to solid matrices.

Two new species of the genus Homaloxestis Meyrick, 1910 are described from Uganda, Africa: H. arcuatus sp. nov. and H. lactizonalis sp. nov. A previously known species of the genus from Uganda, H. hemigastra Meyrick, 1931 is transferred to the genus Furcalis Park as F. hemigastra (Meyrick, 1931), comb. nov. The female of F. hemigastra is reported for the first time and described and illustrated. New distributional data for H. lophophora Janse for DR Congo, Tanzania and Uganda are given, and a maximum likelihood-tree of the four COI barcoded species of Homaloxestis is provided to reconfirm the relationship of H. lophophora Janse and H. cholopis (Meyrick). Diagnosis, descriptions and illustrations of adults, male and/or female genitalia for the new species, and the venation of H. lactizonalis sp. nov. are provided. A checklist of the species of the genus Homaloxestis Meyrick in the Afrotropical region is given.

N/A.

The sources of primary and secondary aerosols in the Arctic are still poorly known. A number of surface seawater samples-with varying degrees of Arctic riverine and sea ice influences-were used in a sea spray generation chamber to test them for their potential to produce sea spray aerosols (SSA) and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Our interdisciplinary data showed that both sea salt and organic matter (OM) significantly influenced the SSA production. The number concentration of SSA in the coastal samples was negatively correlated with salinity and positively correlated with a number of OM tracers, including dissolved and chromophoric organic carbon (DOC, CDOM), marine microgels and chlorophyll a (Chl- a ) but not for viral and bacterial abundances; indicating that OM of riverine origin enhances primary aerosol production. When all samples were considered, transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) were found to be the best indicator correlating positively with the ratio number concentration of SSA/salinity. CCN efficiency was not observed to differ between the SSA from the various samples, despite differences in organic characteristics. It is suggested that the large amount of freshwater from river runoff have a substantial impact on primary aerosols production mechanisms, possibly affecting the cloud radiative forcing.

The flower of Pueraria lobata (family Fabaceae) has been clinically used in traditional Chinese medicine to counteract symptoms associated with drinking alcohol and liver injury and to alleviate inflammatory diseases. Its major constituent kakkalide is metabolized to irisolidone by gut microbiota. This research study was undertaken to understand the anti-colitis mechanism of kakkalide and irisolidone in vitro and in vivo. Kakkalide and its metabolite irisolidone inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated NF-κB activation and TNF-α expression in macrophages. They also inhibited LPS-induced phosphorylation of IRAK1 and TAK1 and activation of NF-κB by inhibiting the binding of Alexa Fluor 488-conjugated LPS in vitro. Orally administered irisolidone or kakkalide alleviated colon shortening and myeloperoxidase activity in mice with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis. Their treatments also protected epithelial cell disruption and infiltration of CD11b + /CD11c + cells in the colon. Furthermore, they suppressed TNBS-induced expression of M1 macrophage markers TNF-α, CD80, CD86, and Arg2 expression while the expression of M2 macrophage markers Arg1, CD163, CD206, and IL-10 was induced. They also suppressed the fecal Proteobacteria population. Overall, the anti-colitic effects of irisolidone were superior to those of kakkalide. Kakkalide and its metabolite irisolidone inhibited inflammation in vitro and in vivo by inhibiting LPS binding to toll-like receptor 4 and gut proteobacteria population., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The vasculature is an essential component of the circulatory system that plays a vital role in the development, homeostasis, and disease of various organs in the human body. The ability to emulate the architecture and transport function of blood vessels in the integrated context of their associated organs represents an important requirement for studying a wide range of physiological processes. Traditional in vitro models of the vasculature, however, largely fail to offer such capabilities. Here we combine microfluidic three-dimensional (3D) cell culture with the principle of vasculogenic self-assembly to engineer perfusable 3D microvascular beds in vitro . Our system is created in a micropatterned hydrogel construct housed in an elastomeric microdevice that enables coculture of primary human vascular endothelial cells and fibroblasts to achieve de novo formation, anastomosis, and controlled perfusion of 3D vascular networks. An open-top chamber design adopted in this hybrid platform also makes it possible to integrate the microengineered 3D vasculature with other cell types to recapitulate organ-specific cellular heterogeneity and structural organization of vascularized human tissues. Using these capabilities, we developed stem cell-derived microphysiological models of vascularized human adipose tissue and the blood-retinal barrier. Our approach was also leveraged to construct a 3D organotypic model of vascularized human lung adenocarcinoma as a high-content drug screening platform to simulate intravascular delivery, tumor-killing effects, and vascular toxicity of a clinical chemotherapeutic agent. Furthermore, we demonstrated the potential of our platform for applications in nanomedicine by creating microengineered models of vascular inflammation to evaluate a nanoengineered drug delivery system based on active targeting liposomal nanocarriers. These results represent a significant improvement in our ability to model the complexity of native human tissues and may provide a basis for developing predictive preclinical models for biopharmaceutical applications.

The Lecithoceridae of southern Africa are reviewed, based on material preserved in the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa. A total of 22 species are recognized including three new species: Idiopteryx jansei sp. nov., Lecithocera minyodes sp. nov. and Protolychnis natalensis sp. nov. Isotypa Janse, 1954 syn. nov. is synonymized with Idiopteryx Walsingham, 1891 and Homaloxestis lophophora Janse, 1954 stat. rev. is raised to species rank, separating it from H. cholopis Meyrick, 1906. In addition, Lecithocera ochrometra Meyrick, 1933 is transferred to Torodora Meyrick, 1894 as T. ochrometra (Meyrick, 1933) comb. nov., Lecithocera officialis Meyrick, 1911 is excluded from Lecithocera Herrich-Schäffer, 1853, and Dragmatucha proaula (Meyrick, 1908) is newly reported from Kenya. It is revealed that the male genital figure for Homaloxestis cholopis (Meyrick, 1906) by Janse (1954) was erroneously illustrated, based on a different species which is probably undescribed. Another miss-placed figure of the genitalia by Janse (1954) was also found for Lecithocera aenicta Janse, 1954. Diagnosis, descriptions (only for the new species), depositories of types, and distribution data of all the known species are provided. Images of adults, male and/or female genitalia, and the venation of a few species are illustrated.

Seven new species of the genus Deltoplastis Meyrick are described: D. acutangulata Wang et Yu, sp. nov., D. anatoliana Wang et Park, sp. nov., D. multidentalis Wang et Yu, sp. nov. and D. similihoristis Wang et Yu, sp. nov. from China; D. aculeata Wang et Yu, sp. nov. and D. spatuliunca Wang et Yu, sp. nov. from Malaysian Borneo; and D. ovidiscalis Park et Wang, sp. nov. from Vietnam. Deltoplastis horistis (Meyrick, 1910) is newly recorded in China and its female is described for the first time. Images of adults and genitalia of the new species are provided.

Objectives: Unnecessary use of antibiotics is an increasing problem. In this study, we sought to determine the diagnostic accuracy of procalcitonin in predicting bacteremia in children with a central line and fever, and we sought to determine optimal cutoff values to maximize sensitivity and specificity. This is the largest study to date in which procalcitonin is examined as a predictive marker of bacteremia in pediatric patients with a central line and fever., Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of children aged 0 to 23 years with a central line and fever of 38°C who had procalcitonin and blood cultures drawn before initiation of antibiotics and had no other identified bacterial infection. Patients were also prospectively monitored via a custom-built electronic medical record dashboard for eligibility., Results: There were 523 patients and >2500 procalcitonin values reviewed for eligibility. Of these, 169 (47%) patients and 335 blood cultures with procalcitonin were included. There were 94 (28%) positive bacterial blood cultures and 241 (72%) negative bacterial blood cultures. In bacteremic cultures, the mean procalcitonin level was 9.96 ± 15.96 ng/mL, and the median procalcitonin level was 4.85 ng/mL (interquartile range 18.5). In nonbacteremic cultures, the mean procalcitonin level was 1.23 ± 10.37 ng/mL, and the median procalcitonin level was 0.3 ng/mL (interquartile range 0.7). A receiver operating characteristic analysis indicated a procalcitonin level of ≥0.6 ng/mL as the best cutoff point that produced a sensitivity of 85.6% and a specificity of 65.7% (area under the curve 0.85)., Conclusions: Procalcitonin is a sensitive biomarker in predicting bacteremia in children with a central line and fever., Competing Interests: POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The authors have indicated they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2019 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Recent efforts to develop a live attenuated vaccine against Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map), the causative agent of Johne's disease (JD), revealed relA is important in Map virulence. Deletion of the relA gene impairs the ability of Map to establish a persistent infection. Analysis of the basis for this observation revealed infection with a relA deletion mutant (ΔrelA) elicits development of cytotoxic CD8 T cells (CTL) with the ability to kill intracellular bacteria. Further analysis of the recall response elicited by ΔrelA vaccination showed a 35 kDa membrane peptide (MMP) is one of the targets of the immune response, suggesting it might be possible to develop a peptide-based vaccine based on MMP. To explore this possibility, ex vivo vaccination studies were conducted with MMP alone and incorporated into a nanoparticle (NP) vector comprised of poly (D, L-lactide-co-glycolide) and monophosphoryl lipid A (PLGA/MPLA). As reported, ex vivo vaccination studies showed CD8 CTL were elicited with classic and monocyte derived dendritic cells (cDC and MoDC) pulsed with MMP alone and incorporated into a PGLA/MPLA vector. Incorporation of MMP into a NP vector enhanced the ability of CD8 CTL to kill intracellular bacteria. The findings indicate incorporation of MMP into a PGLA/MPLA nanoparticle vector is one of the possible ways to develop a MMP based vaccine for Johne's disease., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Sex-based treatment disparities occur in many diseases. Women undergo fewer procedural interventions, and their care is less consistent with guideline-based therapy. There is limited research exploring sex-based differences in ulcerative colitis treatment. We hypothesized that women are less likely to be treated with strategies consistent with long-term disease remission, including surgery and maintenance medications., Objective: The aim of this study was to determine if patient sex is associated with choice of treatment strategy for ulcerative colitis., Design: This is a retrospective cohort analysis., Setting: Data were gathered from a large commercial insurance claims database from 2007 to 2015., Patients: We identified a cohort of 38,851 patients newly diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, aged 12 to 64 years with at least 1 year of follow-up., Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcomes measured were the differences between male and female patients in 1) rates and types of index ulcerative colitis operations, 2) rates and types of ulcerative colitis medication prescriptions, and 3) rates of opioid prescriptions., Results: Men were more likely to undergo surgical treatment for ulcerative colitis (2.94% vs 1.97%, p < 0.001, OR 1.51, p < 0.001). The type of index operation performed did not vary by sex. Men were more likely to undergo treatment with maintenance medications, including biologic (12.4% vs 10.2%, p < 0.001, OR 1.22, p < 0.001), immunomodulatory (16.3% vs 14.9%, p < 0.001, OR 1.08, p = 0.006), and 5-aminosalicylate medications (67.0% vs 63.2%, p < 0.001, OR 1.18, p < 0.001). Women were more likely to undergo treatment with rescue therapies and symptomatic control with corticosteroids (55.5% vs 54.0%, p = 0.002, OR 1.07, p = 0.002) and opioids (50.2% vs 45.9%, p < 0.001, OR 1.17, p < 0.001)., Limitations: Claims data lack clinical characteristics acting as confounders., Conclusions: Men with ulcerative colitis were more likely to undergo treatment consistent with long-term remission or cure, including maintenance medications and definitive surgery. Women were more likely to undergo treatment consistent with short-term symptom management. Further studies to explore underlying mechanisms of sex-related differences in ulcerative colitis treatment strategies and disease trajectories are warranted. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A943.

In Korea, for the past 30 years (1987-present), porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) has been established as an endemic situation in which multiple genogroups of classical G1 and G2b, and the recently introduced pandemic G2a, coexisted. Because of the dynamic nature of the virus, continuous field monitoring for PEDV strains is required. This study is the first to reveal prevalence of PEDV in 9 sampling provinces, with an overall detection rate of 6.70%. Porcine endemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) was present in pigs of all ages, especially in the non-PED vaccinated groups. The highest detection rate was in the finisher group (2.34%), followed by that in the newborn group (1.56%). Secondly, using Sanger sequencing, this study recovered a complete genome (28 005 nucleotides long) of NB1 strain from a farm severely affected by PED. Analyses of nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences showed that NB1 differed from 18 other Korean PEDV mostly in 4 protein coding genes: ORF1a, ORF1b, S, and N. Two amino acid substitutions (V635E and Y681Q) in the COE and S1D neutralizing epitopes of NB1 resulted in antigenic index alteration of the adjacent sites, one of which contributed to a mutation that escaped neutralizing antibodies.

The type specimens of Lecithoceridae which are deposited in the Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA), Tervuren, Belgium (five species of Lecithocera Herrich-Schäffer and two of Homaloxestis Meyrick) were re-examined. The results are: 1) two species of Lecithocera are transferred to Thubdora Park and Torodora Meyrick respectively, with new combinations: Thubdora barbata (Meyrick, 1933), comb. nov. and Torodora semnodora (Meyrick, 1933), comb. nov.; 2) six species which were misidentified as L. barbata are described as new species in the genus Thubdora: T. ealeaensis sp. nov., T. ghesquierei sp. nov., T. gladiator sp. nov., T. kapangaensis sp. nov., T. neobarbata sp. nov. and T. seydeli sp. nov.; 3) four species which were misidentified as L. semnodora are described as new species in the genus Torodora: T. amplignathosa sp. nov. , T. lichanosa sp. nov., T. planusa sp. nov. and T. triloba sp. nov.; 4) L. schoutedeniella Ghesquière is transferred to Dichomeris Hübner of the family Gelechiidae; 5) Homaloxestis pancrocopa Meyrick does not belong to Homaloxestis nor to Lecithoceridae, and should be transferred to a different family of Gelechioidea; 6) a lectotype is designated for Lecithocera semnodora Meyrick, 1933; 7) the species names of Lecithocera eugenopa Meyrick and Homaloxestes chloromorpha Meyrick based on the type-labels under two specimens are revealed as unpublished manuscript names. Illustrations of the adults and their genitalia of all the types are provided.

Ptilothyris Walsingham, 1897, a poorly known Afrotropical genus of Lecithoceridae, is revised. Eight new species are described and illustrated: P. subcucullata Park, sp. nov., P. crassiella Park, sp. nov., P. drepanodes Park, sp. nov., P. enormisella Park, sp. nov., P. hylodes Park, sp. nov., P. leifaarviki Park, sp. nov., P. pilosa Park, sp. nov., and P. vokaensis Park, sp. nov. Each species is compared with type specimens of the related species deposited in various museums worldwide. COI barcode sequences of six species were successfully obtained and are provided. Of the 13 previously known African species of the genus, P. serangota ab. cyanea Ghesquière, 1940 is synonymized with P. serangota Meyrick, 1932, and the following three species are excluded from the genus: brachysema Meyrick, 1938, crocophracta Meyrick, 1938, and nemophorella Ghesquière, 1940. The latter three will be transferred to related genera in forthcoming studies. Adults and genitalia of all the known species including the new species are illustrated, and a key to the species is provided.

Importance: Through prescription writing, dental clinicians are a potential source of initial opioid exposure and subsequent abuse for adolescents and young adults., Objective: To examine the association between index dental opioid prescriptions from dental clinicians for opioid-naive adolescents and young adults in 2015 and new persistent use and subsequent diagnoses of abuse in this population., Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study examined outpatient opioid prescriptions for patients aged 16 to 25 years in the Optum Research Database in 2015. Prescriptions were linked by National Provider Identifier number to a clinician category., Exposures: Individuals were included in the index dental opioid (opioid-exposed) cohort if they filled an opioid prescription from a dental clinician in 2015, had continuous health plan coverage and no record of opioid prescriptions for 12 months before receiving the prescription, and had 12 months of health plan coverage after receiving the prescription. Two age- and sex-matched opioid-nonexposed control individuals were selected for each opioid-exposed individual and were assigned a corresponding phantom prescription date., Main Outcomes and Measures: Receipt of an opioid prescription within 90 to 365 days, a health care encounter diagnosis associated with opioid abuse within 365 days, and all-cause mortality within 365 days of the index opioid or phantom prescription date., Results: Among 754 002 individuals with continuous enrollment in 2015, 97 462 patients (12.9%) received 1 or more opioid prescriptions, of whom 29 791 (30.6%) received prescriptions supplied by a dental clinician. The opioid-exposed cohort included 14 888 participants (7882 women [52.9%], 11 273 white [75.7%], with mean [SD] age, 21.8 [2.4] years), and the randomly selected opioid-nonexposed cohort included 29 776 participants (15 764 women [52.9%], 20 078 [67.4%] white, with mean [SD] age, 21.8 [2.4] years). Among the 14 888 individuals in the index dental opioid cohort, 1021 (6.9%) received another opioid prescription 90 to 365 days later compared with 30 of 29 776 (0.1%) opioid-nonexposed controls (adjusted absolute risk difference, 6.8%; 95% CI, 6.3%-7.2%), and 866 opioid-exposed individuals (5.8%) experienced 1 or more subsequent health care encounters with an opioid abuse-related diagnosis compared with 115 opioid-nonexposed controls (0.4%) (adjusted absolute risk difference, 5.3%; 95% CI, 5.0%-5.7%). There was only 1 death in each cohort., Conclusions and Relevance: The findings suggest that a substantial proportion of adolescents and young adults are exposed to opioids through dental clinicians. Use of these prescriptions may be associated with an increased risk of subsequent opioid use and abuse.

Background and Objectives: There are no data comparing clinical outcomes of complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between biodegradable polymer-biolimus-eluting stents (BP-BES) and durable polymer-everolimus-eluting stents (DP-EES). We sought to evaluate the safety and efficacy of BP-BES compared with DP-EES in patients undergoing complex PCI., Methods: Patients enrolled in the SMART-DESK registry were stratified into 2 categories based on the complexity of PCI. Complex PCI was defined as having at least one of the following features: unprotected left main lesion, ≥2 lesions treated, total stent length >40 mm, minimal stent diameter ≤2.5 mm, or bifurcation as target lesion. The primary outcome was target lesion failure (TLF), defined as a composite of cardiac death, target vessel-related myocardial infarction (TV-MI), or target lesion revascularization (TLR) at 2 years of follow-up., Results: Of 1,999 patients, 1,145 (57.3%) underwent complex PCI: 521 patients were treated with BP-BES and 624 with DP-EES. In propensity-score matching analysis (481 pairs), the risks of TLF (3.8% vs. 5.2%, adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.578; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.246-1.359; p=0.209), cardiac death (2.5% vs. 2.5%, adjusted HR, 0.787; 95% CI, 0.244-2.539; p=0.689), TV-MI (0.5% vs. 0.4%, adjusted HR, 1.128; 95% CI, 0.157-8.093; p=0.905), and TLR (1.1% vs. 2.9%, adjusted HR, 0.390; 95% CI, 0.139-1.095; p=0.074) did not differ between 2 stent groups after complex PCI., Conclusions: Clinical outcomes of BP-BES were comparable to those of DP-EES at 2 years after complex PCI. Our data suggest that use of BP-BES is acceptable, even for complex PCI., Competing Interests: The authors have no financial conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2019. The Korean Society of Cardiology.)

The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation has facilitated transformational research in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), through the RISK and PROTECT studies, that has laid the groundwork for a comprehensive understanding of molecular mechanisms of disease and predictors of therapeutic response in children. Despite these advances, children have lacked timely and informed access to the latest therapeutic advancements in IBD. The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation convened a Pediatric Resource Organization for Kids with Inflammatory Intestinal Diseases (PRO-KIIDS) Clinical Innovations Meeting at the inaugural Crohn's and Colitis Congress in January 2018 to devise how to advance the care of children with IBD. The working group selected 2 priorities: (1) accelerating therapies to children with IBD and (2) stimulating investigator-initiated research while fostering sustainable collaboration; and proposed 2 actions: (a) the convening of a task force to specifically address how to accelerate pharmacotherapies to children with IBD and (b) the funding of a multicenter clinical and translational research study that incorporates the building of critical research infrastructure.10.1093/ibd/izy205&#95;video1izy205.video15799266615001.

Background: Depression frequently co-occurs in patients with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] and is a driver in health care costs and use., Aim: This study examined the associations between depression and total health care costs, emergency department [ED] visits, computed tomography [CT] during ED/inpatient visits, and IBD-related surgery among IBD patients., Methods: Our sample included 331772 IBD patients from a national administrative claims database [Truven Health MarketScan® Database]. Gamma and Poisson regression analyses assessed differences related to depression, controlling for key variables., Results: Approximately 16% of the IBD cohort was classified as having depression. Depression was associated with a $17,706 (95% confidence interval [CI] [$16,892, 18,521]) increase in mean annual IBD-related health care costs and an increased incidence of ED visits (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR] of 1.5; 95% CI [1.5, 1.6]). Among patients who had one or more ED/inpatient visits, depression was associated with an increased probability of receiving repeated CT [one to four scans, adjusted odds ratio [aOR] of 1.6; 95% CI [1.5, 1.7]; five or more scans, aOR of 4.6; 95% CI [2.9, 7.3]) and increased odds of undergoing an IBD-related surgery (aOR of 1.2; 95% CI [1.1, 1.2]). Secondary analysis with a paediatric subsample revealed that approximately 12% of this cohort was classified as having depression, and depression was associated with increased costs and incidence rates of ED visits and CT, but not of IBD-related surgery., Conclusions: Quantifiable differences in health care costs and patterns of use exist among patients with IBD and depression. Integration of mental health services within IBD care may improve overall health outcomes and costs of care.

Background Whether use of high-intensity statins is more important than achieving low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( LDL -C) target remains controversial in patients with coronary artery disease. We sought to investigate the association between statin intensity and long-term clinical outcomes in patients achieving treatment target for LDL -C after percutaneous coronary intervention. Methods and Results Between February 2003 and December 2014, 1746 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention and achieved treatment target for LDL -C (<70 mg/dL or >50% reduction from baseline level) were studied. We classified patients into 2 groups according to an intensity of statin prescribed after index percutaneous coronary intervention: high-intensity statin group (atorvastatin 40 or 80 mg, and rosuvastatin 20 mg, 372 patients) and non-high-intensity statin group (the other statin treatment, 1374 patients). The primary outcome was a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Difference in time-averaged LDL -C during follow-up was significant, but small, between the high-intensity statin group and non-high-intensity statin group (59±13 versus 61±12 mg/dL; P=0.04). At 5 years, patients receiving high-intensity statins had a significantly lower incidence of the primary outcome than those treated with non-high-intensity statins (4.1% versus 9.9%; hazard ratio, 0.42; 95% confidence interval, 0.23-0.79; P<0.01). Results were consistent after propensity-score matching (4.2% versus 11.2%; hazard ratio, 0.36; 95% confidence interval, 0.19-0.69; P<0.01) and across various subgroups. Conclusions Among patients achieving treatment target for LDL -C after percutaneous coronary intervention, high-intensity statins were associated with a lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events than non-high-intensity statins despite a small difference in achieved LDL -C level.

Oculodentodigital dysplasia (ODDD; MIM #164200), a rare genetic disorder characterized by abnormal craniofacial, dental, ocular, and digital features, is caused by mutations in the gap junction alpha-1 ( GJA1 ) gene. We report a case of a 6-year-old male who presented with dysmorphic facial features (short palpebral fissure, thin nose with hypoplastic alae nasi, and flat face), bilateral syndactyly, abnormal dentition, and proportionate short stature with growth hormone deficiency. A novel de novo heterozygous missense mutation (c.221A>C, p.H74P) in GJA1 was identified by targeted gene panel sequencing. This is the first case report of a novel ODDD-causing mutation in GJA1 confirmed by genetic analysis in Korea., (© 2018 by the Association of Clinical Scientists, Inc.)

Objective: This experiment was to investigate the effect of increasing levels of apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) on the laying performance, egg quality, blood parameters, blood biochemistry, intestinal morphology, and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of energy and nutrients in diets fed to laying hens., Methods: A total of three-hundred twenty 33-week-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens (Gallus domesticus) were evenly assigned to four experimental diets of 2,750, 2,850, 2,950, and 3,050 kcal AMEn/kg in pens with floors covered with deep litter of rice hulls. There were four replicates of each treatment, each consisting of 20 birds in a pen., Results: AMEn intake was increased (linear, p<0.05) with inclusion level of AMEn in diets increased. Feed intake and feed conversion ratio were improved (linear, p<0.01), but hen-day egg production tended to be increased with an increasing level of AMEn in diets. During the experiment, leukocyte concentration and blood biochemistry (total cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, total protein, calcium, asparate aminotransferase, and alanine transferase were not influenced by increasing level of AMEn in diets. Gross energy and ether extract were increased (linear, p<0.01) as the inclusion level of AMEn in diets increased., Conclusion: Laying hens fed high AMEn diet (i.e., 3,050 kcal/kg in the current experiment) tended to overconsume energy with a positive effect on feed intake, feed conversion ratio, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal morphology but not on egg production and egg mass.

CRA13 (CB-13; SAB-378) is a dual CB 1 R/CB 2 R agonist cannabinoid agent developed by Novartis Pharma. Upon administration, it undergoes metabolism to oxidative metabolites. Herein, the 1 H-NMR and 13 C-NMR dataset of some oxidative metabolites and analogs thereof are presented for further analysis and comparison purposes, for whom may be interested.

Long-term operation of wearable pressure sensors to detect body movement requires self-powered human-based energy sources to minimize the need for recharging. Recently, pressure sensors with thermoelectric properties based on conducting polymers have been reported; however, these devices are limited in their ability to simultaneously achieve sufficient power generation and sensitivity of the sensor. In this article, we suggest a coaxial strut structure of poly(styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene)(SEBS)-poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)(PEDOT:PSS)-melamine foam (MF) with a fractured microstructure for a highly sensitive, efficient self-powered pressure sensor. In the coaxial struts, the MF core provides a compressible and elastic framework; the intermediate PEDOT:PSS acts as a conductor and a thermoelectric material; and the SEBS shell ensures mechanical stability and resilience to stabilize the brittle PEDOT:PSS layer under high loading conditions. Additionally, by compressing the coaxial foam to 1/20, partial microfracture of PEDOT:PSS occurs only in the SEBS shell; thus, the pressure sensitivity increases significantly while maintaining high conductivity and thermoelectric performance. The coaxial foam was assembled into a wearable TEG to generate 338 nW from the forearms and demonstrate the high sensitivity of pressure sensors without an external power supply.

CRA13; a peripheral dual CB 1 R/CB 2 R agonist with clinically proven analgesic properties, infiltrates into CNS producing adverse effects due to central CB 1 R agonism. Such adverse effects might be circumvented by less lipophilic compounds with attenuated CB 1 R affinity. Metabolism produces less lipophilic metabolites that might be active metabolites. Some CRA13 oxidative metabolites and their analogues were synthesized as less lipophilic CRA13 analogues. Probing their CB 1 R and CB 2 R activity revealed the alcohol metabolite 8c as a more potent and more effective CB 2 R ligand with attenuated CB 1 R affinity relative to CRA13. Also, the alcohol analogue 8b and methyl ester 12a possessed enhanced CB 2 R affinity and reduced CB 1 R affinity. The CB 2 R binding affinity of alcohol analogue 8b was similar to CRA13 while that of methyl ester 12a was more potent. In silico study provided insights into the possible molecular interactions that might explain the difference in the elicited biological activity of these compounds., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Kidneys from acute kidney injury (AKI) donors are used for kidney transplantation. However, different Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) criteria may show varying results after transplantation. We investigated the clinical outcomes in kidney transplantation from deceased donors with AKI as defined by the AKIN criteria at a single center., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 101 consecutive deceased donors and kidney transplantation recipients from March 2009 to June 2015 in a single center. Donor and recipient clinical characteristics with creatinine level, delayed graft function, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), rejection, and graft survival were investigated., Results: Of the 101 deceased donor kidneys, AKI occurred in 64 (63.4%) deceased donors. No differences in eGFR and serum creatinine level were found according to AKIN criteria. However, the AKIN stage 3 group had a slightly decreased kidney function without statistical significance. In the older AKI donor group, creatinine level was significantly higher than in other groups at 1 month (P = .015). No differences were found between the 2 groups in patient survival, graft survival, or rejection-free survival (P = .359, P = .568, and P = .717, respectively)., Conclusions: Kidney transplantation from deceased donors with AKI showed comparable outcomes despite high rates of delayed graft function. AKIN stage 3 donors and aged-deceased donors with AKI showed a slightly reduced renal function without statistical significance; hence, use from donors with AKI needs to be considered to expand donor pools, but caution should be taken for AKIN stage 3 donors and aged donors with AKI., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)