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opencc-zeroDec 2020View details →

Effect of vitamin D supplementation in patients with chronic hepatitis C after direct-acting antiviral treatment: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background: Replacement of vitamin D (VD) among patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) before viral eradication has demonstrated a protective effect on serum markers associated with hepatic fibrogenesis. We therefore hypothesized that VD may facilitate further fibrosis amelioration following curative treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAA). Methods: This study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted between February 2018 and August 2018. Patients with CHC and VD deficiency were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either receive ergicalciferol or placebo over 6 weeks. Biochemical analysis indicators, including 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), fibrogenic markers [(transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) and tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases 1 (TIMP-1)], and fibrolytic markers [matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and amino terminal type III procollagen peptide (P3NP)], were assessed at baseline and at 6 weeks. Serum 25(OH)D was analyzed by a chemiluminescence immunoassay. Serum hepatic fibrogenesis markers were measured using a quantitative sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Seventy-five patients with CHC and VD deficiency were randomly assigned to VD (n=37) and placebo (n=38) groups. At the end of the study, the mean serum 25(OH)D level had risen to a normal level in the VD group, but was still deficient in the placebo group (41.8±9.1 vs. 18.1±4.6 ng/mL, p<0.001). Upon restoration of the VD level, there were no significant mean differences in the change from baseline for TGF-β1 (-0.6 ng/mL (95% confidence interval (95%CI) -2.8 – 1.7), p=0.63), TIMP-1 (-5.5 ng/mL (95%CI -26.4 – 15.3), p=0.60), MMP-9 (122.9 ng/mL (95%CI -69.0 – 314.8), p=0.21), and P3NP (-0.1 ng/mL (95%CI -2.4 – 2.2), p=0.92) between the VD and placebo groups. Conclusion: Short-term VD supplementation after DAA treatment in patients with CHC does not improve serum fibrogenesis markers and may not expedite the residual liver fibrosis healing process. Future studies are warranted to evaluate the long-term effect of VD supplementation on hepatic fibrosis regression.

opencc-zeroDec 2012View details →

Data from: Blind to morphology: genetics identifies several widespread ecologically common species and few endemics among Indo-Pacific cauliflower corals (Pocillopora, Scleractinia)

AIM: Using high-resolution genetic markers on samples gathered from across their wide distributional range, we endeavoured to delimit species diversity in reef-building Pocillopora corals. They are common, ecologically important, and widespread throughout the Indo-Pacific, but their phenotypic plasticity in response to environmental conditions and their nearly featureless microskeletal structures confound taxonomic assignments and limit an understanding of their ecology and evolution. LOCATION: Indo-Pacific, Red Sea, Arabian/Persian Gulf. METHODS: Sequence analysis of nuclear ribosomal (internal transcribed spacer 2, ITS2) and mitochondrial (open reading frame) loci were combined with population genetic data (seven microsatellite loci) for Pocillopora samples collected throughout the Indo-Pacific, Red Sea and Arabian Gulf, in order to assess the evolutionary divergence, reproductive isolation, frequency of hybridization and geographical distributions of the genus. RESULTS: Between five and eight genetically distinct lineages were identified that appear comparable to species with minimal or no hybridization. Colony morphology was generally incongruent with genetics across the full range of sampling, and the total number of species is apparently consistent with lower estimates from competing morphologically based hypotheses (c. seven or eight taxa). The most commonly occurring genetic lineages were widely distributed and exhibited high dispersal and gene flow, factors that have probably minimized allopatric speciation. Uniquely among scleractinian genera, this genus contains a monophyletic group of broadcast spawners that evolved recently from an ancestral brooder. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: The delineation of species diversity guided by genetics fundamentally advances our understanding of Pocillopora geographical distributions, ecology and evolution. Because traditional diagnostic features of colony and branch morphology are proving to be of limited utility, the identification of Pocillopora species for future ecological and experimental work should rely on genetic characters that will improve research and aid in conservation strategies for these and other reef-building corals, including the detection of real and mistaken endemic populations.

opencc-by-4.0Jun 2021View details →

SAMPL7 Blind Challenge : Quantum-Mechanical Prediction of Partition Coefficients and Acid Dissociation Constants for Small Drug-like Molecules

Global minima structures of N-acyl sulfonamides and sulfonamides derivatives (B3LYP-D3/6-311+G(d,p)) in gas phase.

opencc-zeroDec 2013View details →

Data from: Sexual signals for the colour-blind: cryptic female mantids signal quality through brightness

1. Cryptic coloration may evolve in response to selective pressure imposed by predators, yet effective intraspecific communication may require some level of detectability. This creates a tension between the benefits of sexually selected visual traits and the predatory costs imposed by greater conspicuousness, and little is known about how this tension may be ameliorated in highly cryptic species. 2. We explore these competing demands in the false garden mantid Pseudomantis albofimbriata, a colour-blind and seemingly cryptic insect. We use reflectance spectrometry and receptor-noise modelling to characterize the conspicuousness of mantid body regions in the visual systems of mates (mantids), as well as potential predators (birds) and prey (bees). We then use condition manipulation and conspecific choice tests to further explore the colour traits of interest. 3. Based on visual modelling, we find that male mantids are inconspicuous to conspecifics, prey and predators – that is, they are chromatically and achromatically cryptic. In contrast, female mantids are chromatically cryptic to all potential receivers, but their abdomens are achromatically conspicuous. Our food manipulation experiment shows that females in good condition (and therefore with more eggs) have brighter abdomens than females in poor condition. Choice assays show male mantids are consistently attracted to females bearing brighter abdomens. 4. Our results reveal brightness-mediated sexual signalling in a colour-blind and classically cryptic insect. By communicating in the only visual channel available to them, female mantids are conspicuously signalling their quality to mates, while potentially minimizing their conspicuousness to predators and prey. Furthermore, by signalling with only a single body region, female mantids are apparently using coincident disruptive coloration to further decrease detectability to potential eavesdroppers. 5. Our data reveal a novel example of the way in which the trade-off between sexual selection for conspicuousness and natural selection for crypsis may be mediated in a visual signalling system. Such signals may be common in apparently cryptic species, and this study once again demonstrates the importance of analysing visual signals beyond the capacity of human vision.

opencc-zeroJun 2019View details →

Data from: Auriculotherapy in the prevention of postoperative urinary retention in patients with thoracotomy and thoracic epidural analgesia: a randomized, double-blinded trial

Background: Thoracic epidural analgesia is associated with a high rate of postoperative urine retention (POUR). Auriculotherapy can reduce visceral dysfunction and can be helpful in anesthesiology and pain control. The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of preoperative auriculotherapy to decrease the occurrence of POUR. Methods: This single-center, double-blinded, two-arm randomized study was performed between January 2015 and May 2016 in a tertiary care university hospital. Male patients scheduled for an elective lung surgical procedure under combined general anesthesia and thoracic epidural analgesia were included. Auriculotherapy (A group) was performed once the patient was under general anesthesia with five semi-permanent needles inserted in both ears at the "Shen Men", "bladder", "pelvic parasympathetic", "anterior hypothalamus", and "frontal lobe" points). Five small round patches of adhesive pads were positioned bilaterally at the same points in the Control group (C group). The main outcome measure was the requirement for bladder catheterization during the day and the first night following surgery. Results: Fifty-three patients were randomized and 25 analyzed in each group. Requirement for bladder catheterization was different between groups: 24 C group patients (96%) and 18 A group patients (72%) (p=0.049, Fisher exact test; Odds Ratio=0.11 [0.01–0.95]. The number of patients needed to treat with auriculotherapy to avoid one case of bladder catheterization was four. No adverse effect was observed due to auriculotherapy. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that auriculotherapy is a safe and useful technique reducing POUR in thoracotomy patients benefiting from thoracic epidural analgesia.

opencc-zeroDec 2015View details →

Data from: Adjunctive use of modified Yunu-Jian in the non-surgical treatment of male smokers with chronic periodontitis: a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial

Background: Yunu-Jian (YJ) is a Chinese medicine (CM) heat purging formula, which is used to reduce wei huo (stomach-heat, SH) and enrich shen yin (kidney-yin, KY). This formula is also commonly used to manage diabetes mellitus and gum/oral inflammation. The activity of YJ can be modified or refined by the addition of other CM herbs and/or minor changes to one of its five key ingredients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the adjunctive use of modified YJ (mYJ) or YJ containing additional osteoblast-stimulating and inflammation-modulating CM herbs in the non-surgical periodontal treatment of smokers with chronic periodontitis in a randomized, double-blind, prospective, placebo-controlled study. Methods: Healthy adult male smokers with untreated chronic periodontitis who showed CM syndrome of SH and KY deficiency (KYD) whilst attending a dental teaching hospital from October to December, 2005, were invited to participate in a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. The trial itself involved the once-daily oral administration of a placebo or mYJ for 3 months as an adjunct to non-surgical periodontal therapy. Several periodontal parameters, including radiographic alveolar bone density, were measured by computer-assisted densitometric image analysis (CADIA) on selected sites, and CM signs of SH and KYD were followed from their baseline values to various time points up to 12 months or the end of study. Results: Twenty-five smokers (consumed 25.0 ± 15.3 smoking-pack years, ranged 7.5–80; aged 46.3 ± 6.8 years) with periodontitis and SH and KYD were recruited (Placebo, n = 14; mYJ, n = 11). All of the participants showed good tolerance towards the CM recipe. All of the periodontal parameters had improved after 12-month follow-up, and no statistically significant differences were detected between the control group and test group, except for the higher CADIA values observed compared with the baseline at 12 months for test sites (P = 0.025). 4/3/3 test vs 14/13/13 control participants had persisting SH and KYD at 6, 9 and 12 months (P < 0.001), respectively. Conclusions: The adjunctive use of mYJ preserved the post-treatment increases in the radiographic alveolar bone density at the study sites and led to an overall improvement in SH and KYD compared with the controls.

opencc-zeroJun 2021View details →

Captivity-induced behaviour and spatial learning abilities in an enigmatic, aquifer-dwelling blind eel, Rakthamichthys digressus

This dataset contains data from the exploratory behaviour and spatial learning experiments done. We investigated the impact of captive life on behaviour and learning abilities in an enigmatic, aquifer-dwelling blind eel, Rakthamichthys digressus. Of eight major behavioural traits related to exploration and activity in a novel arena, four were significantly altered by life in captivity. While the startle response upon introduction into the arena and overall swimming away from the walls increased after captivity, inactivity exhibited immediately after the startle and the reaction to an external disturbance decreased. We also observed behavioural syndromes between startle responses and horizontal wall following, and between overall activity and vertical wall following; however, these behavioural syndromes were not altered by maintenance in captivity. Interestingly, this blind-eel failed to learn a simple spatial task in a Y-maze apparatus. Captive-associated behavioural changes in R. digressus may influence their survival after reintroduction into natural habitats, and such changes must be taken into account while developing protocols for ex-situ conservation and subsequent release.

opencc-zeroDec 2014View details →

Data from: Umbilical vein oxytocin for the treatment of retained placenta (Release Study): a double-blind, randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Retained placenta is associated with post-partum haemorrhage. Meta-analysis has suggested that umbilical injection of oxytocin could increase placental expulsion without the need for a surgeon or anaesthetic. We assessed the effect of high-dose umbilical vein oxytocin as a treatment for retained placenta. METHODS: In this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, haemodynamically stable women with a retained placenta for more than 30 min were recruited from 13 sites in the UK, Uganda, and Pakistan. 577 women were randomly assigned by a computer-generated randomisation list stratified by centre to 30 mL saline containing either 50 IU oxytocin (n=292) or 5 mL water (n=285), which was injected into the placenta through an umbilical vein catheter. All trial participants, study workers, and data handlers were masked to individual allocations. The primary outcome was the need for manual removal of the placenta. Analysis was by intention to treat. This study is registered, number ISRCTN 13204258. FINDINGS: The primary outcome was recorded for all participants. We detected no difference between the groups in the need for manual removal of placenta (oxytocin 179/292 [61.3%] vs placebo 177/285 [62.1%]; relative risk 0.98, 95% CI 0.87-1.12; p=0.84). The need for manual removal was higher in the UK (overall 250/361 [69%]) than in Uganda (90/190 [47%]) or Pakistan (16/26 [62%]). Adverse events did not differ between the two groups. INTERPRETATION: Umbilical oxytocin has no clinically significant effect on the need for manual removal for women with retained placenta. FUNDING: WHO, WellBeing of Women, Pakistan Higher Education Commission.

FIGURES 510. Lamyctes hellyeri n in A new blind Lamyctes (Chilopoda: Lithobiomorpha) from Tasmania with an analysis of molecular sequence data for the Lamyctes Henicops Group

FIGURES 510. Lamyctes hellyeri n. sp. 5, 10, QVMAG 23:23044, holotype female. 5, dorsal habitus, scale 1 mm; 10, ventral view of posterior segments and gonopods, scale 100 m. 69, QVMAG 23:23045, female, scale 0.5 mm. 6, leg 12; 7, leg 13; 8, leg 14; 9, leg 15.

FIGURES 2633. Lamyctes hellyeri n in A new blind Lamyctes (Chilopoda: Lithobiomorpha) from Tasmania with an analysis of molecular sequence data for the Lamyctes Henicops Group

FIGURES 2633. Lamyctes hellyeri n. sp. 2631, QVMAG 23:23046, female. 2627, gnathal edge of mandible and detail of ventral part, scales 10 m; 28, aciculae, scale 10 m; 29, 30, fringe of branching bristles, on successively more dorsal part of mandible, scales 10 m; 31, sternite of segment 15 and posterior margin of sternite 14, scale 100 m. 3233, QVMAG 23:23047, female, gonopod and detail of spurs and claw, scales 50 m, 10 m.

FIGURE 38 in A new blind Lamyctes (Chilopoda: Lithobiomorpha) from Tasmania with an analysis of molecular sequence data for the Lamyctes Henicops Group

FIGURE 38. Cladograms based on molecular sequence data. Cladograms at left are shortest based on parameter set (121) that minimises incongruence between genes; cladograms at right are strict consensus of all 15 explored parameter sets. Numbers at nodes are parsimony jackknife frequencies. From left to right, top to bottom: cladograms based on combined molecular data (2198 steps); cladograms based on 18S rRNA (562 steps); cladograms based on 28S rRNA (98 steps); cladograms based on 16S rRNA (616 steps); cladograms based on COI (901 steps).

FIGURES 3437. Lamyctes hellyeri n in A new blind Lamyctes (Chilopoda: Lithobiomorpha) from Tasmania with an analysis of molecular sequence data for the Lamyctes Henicops Group

FIGURES 3437. Lamyctes hellyeri n. sp. QVMAG 23:23048, female, pretarsus of leg 14, scales 10 m. 3436, anterior, posterior, and ventral views; 37, detail of lateral pore and ornament on scutes of main claw.

FIGURES 1825. Lamyctes hellyeri n in A new blind Lamyctes (Chilopoda: Lithobiomorpha) from Tasmania with an analysis of molecular sequence data for the Lamyctes Henicops Group

FIGURES 1825. Lamyctes hellyeri n. sp. QVMAG 23:23046, female. 18, ventral view of maxillipede, scale 100 m; 1920, dental margin of maxillipede coxosternite, scales 50 m, 10 m; 21, tarsus and claw of second maxilla, scale 50 m; 22, distal part of tarsus and claw of second maxilla, scale 10 m; 23, coxal projections and telopods of first maxillae, scale 50 m; 24, first maxillae, scale 100 m; 25, plumose setae on inner margins of telopods of first maxillae, scale 10 m.

FIGURES 1117. Lamyctes hellyeri n in A new blind Lamyctes (Chilopoda: Lithobiomorpha) from Tasmania with an analysis of molecular sequence data for the Lamyctes Henicops Group

FIGURES 1117. Lamyctes hellyeri n. sp. 11, 1417, QVMAG 23:23046, female. 11, anterior part of head shield and basal part of antennae, scale 100 m; 14, sensilla on dorsal side of antenna, scale 10 m; 1516, antennal articles, dorsal side, scales 50 m; 17, cephalic pleurite with Tömösváry organ, scale 50 m. 1213, QVMAG 23:23047, female. 12, ventral view of clypeus and labrum, scale 100 m; 13, labral midpiece and inner parts of sidepieces, scale 30 m.

FIGURES 14 in A new blind Lamyctes (Chilopoda: Lithobiomorpha) from Tasmania with an analysis of molecular sequence data for the Lamyctes Henicops Group

FIGURES 14. Lamyctes coeculus (Brölemann). 1, 3, AM KS57961, female, Mellong Range, NSW, Australia. 2, 4, MCZ DNA100472, female, Cerro San Javier, Tucumán, Argentina. 12, ventral view of head, scales 100 m; 34, dental margin of maxillipede coxosternite, scales 50 m.

FIGURE 4 in Rediscovery of the enigmatic blind snake genus Xenotyphlops in northern Madagascar, with description of a new species (Serpentes: Typhlopidae)

FIGURE 4. The female (MRSN R3208) photographed in life at Ambodivahibe, northern Madagascar (by V. Mercurio).

FIGURE 3 in Rediscovery of the enigmatic blind snake genus Xenotyphlops in northern Madagascar, with description of a new species (Serpentes: Typhlopidae)

FIGURE 3. Ventrolateral view of head of the holotype (MRSN R3208) of Xenotyphlops mocquardi showing enlarged supralabial III, minute infranasal, and projecting mental with corresponding rostral notch.

FIGURE 2 in Rediscovery of the enigmatic blind snake genus Xenotyphlops in northern Madagascar, with description of a new species (Serpentes: Typhlopidae)

FIGURE 2. Dorsal view of head of the holotype (MRSN R3208) of Xenotyphlops mocquardi, with extremely large rostral, nearly as broad as the head.

FIGURE 1 in Rediscovery of the enigmatic blind snake genus Xenotyphlops in northern Madagascar, with description of a new species (Serpentes: Typhlopidae)

FIGURE 1. Lateral view of head of the holotype (MRSN R3208) of Xenotyphlops mocquardi, showing unique profile with verticallyoriented rostral.