A partially linear regression model for data from an outcome-dependent sampling design: Model for Data from an Outcome-dependent Sampling Design

The outcome dependent sampling scheme has been gaining attention in both the statistical literature and applied fields. Epidemiological and environmental researchers have been using it to select the observations for more powerful and cost-effective studies. Motivated by a study of the effect of in utero exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls on children’s IQ at age 7, in which the effect of an important confounding variable is nonlinear, we consider a semi-parametric regression model for data from an outcome-dependent sampling scheme where the relationship between the response and covariates is only partially parameterized. We propose a penalized spline maximum likelihood estimation (PSMLE) for inference on both the parametric and the nonparametric components and develop their asymptotic properties. Through simulation studies and an analysis of the IQ study, we compare the proposed estimator with several competing estimators. Practical considerations of implementing those estimators are discussed

Picroside I inhibits asthma phenotypes by regulating Tbet/ GATA-3 ratio and Th1/Th2 balance in a murine model of asthma

Purpose: To examine the anti-asthmatic activity of picroside I in murine asthma model, and to elucidate the mechanism(s) involved.Methods: The study involved systematic sensitization of acclimatized BALB/c mice with ovalbumin (OVA), and subsequent exposure to aerosol allergens. The effect of picroside I on associated IgE formation was determined. All assays were performed using standard protocols. Protein expression was assessed using western blotting.Results: Picroside I inhibited allergic airway inflammation, AHR, and the production of OVA-associated IgE and Th2 cytokines. Moreover, it altered the T-bet/GATA3 ratio by suppressing the phosphorylation of STAT6 in a dose-dependent manner.Conclusion: These results indicate that the anti-asthmatic effect of picroside I occurs via a mechanism involving inhibition of Th2 cytokines by suppression of the expressions of pSTAT6 and GATA-3, and upregulation of the expression of T-bet. Thus, picroside I is a promising agent for the management of asthma.Keywords: Picroside, Asthma, Allergic response, IgE, GATA-3, pSTAT

One-step synthesis of thermally stable artificial multienzyme cascade system for efficient enzymatic electrochemical detection

Abstract(#br)Recently, metal-organic framework (MOF)-based multienzyme systems integrating different functional natural enzymes and/or nanomaterial-based artificial enzymes are attracting increasing attention due to their high catalytic efficiency and promising application in sensing. Simple and controllable integration of enzymes or nanozymes within MOFs is crucial for achieving efficient cascade catalysis and high stability. Here, we report a facile electrochemical assisted biomimetic mineralization strategy to prepare an artificial multienzyme system for efficient electrochemical detection of biomolecules. By using the GO x @Cu-MOF/copper foam (GO x @Cu-MOF/CF) architecture as a proof of concept, efficient enzyme immobilization and cascade catalysis were achieved by in situ..

Bacterial Communities in the Womb During Healthy Pregnancy

The idea that healthy uterine cavity is sterile is challenged nowadays. It is still debatable whether the bacteria present in the uterine cavity during pregnancy are residents or invaders. To reveal microbiome composition and its characteristics in the womb of pregnant women, 41 decidual tissue samples and 64 amniotic fluid samples were taken from pregnant Chinese women. DNA extraction was followed by pyrosequencing of the hypervariable V4 region of the 16S rDNA gene to characterize womb microbiome. Both types of samples had low diversity microbiome with Enterobacteriaceae being the dominant phylotypes at family level. To characterize the nature of colonization during pregnancy, the presence of endogenous biomass was confirmed by cultivation. Surprisingly, all of the 50 amniotic fluid samples studied were culture-negative, whereas 379 out of 1,832 placenta samples were culture-positive. Our results suggested that womb contained microbiome with low diversity. Culture-based investigation of amniotic fluid and placenta samples confirmed the presence of cultivable microorganisms in the placenta but not in amniotic fluid. Thus it suggests that bacterial colonization does occur during healthy pregnancy

Extracellular Proteome Analysis of Leptospira interrogans serovar Lai

Leptospirosis is one of the most important zoonoses. Leptospira interrogans serovar Lai is a pathogenic spirochete that is responsible for leptospirosis. Extracellular proteins play an important role in the pathogenicity of this bacterium. In this study, L. interrogans serovar Lai was grown in protein-free medium; the supernatant was collected and subsequently analyzed as the extracellular proteome. A total of 66 proteins with more than two unique peptides were detected by MS/MS, and 33 of these were predicted to be extracellular proteins by a combination of bioinformatics analyses, including Psortb, cello, SoSuiGramN and SignalP. Comparisons of the transcriptional levels of these 33 genes between in vivo and in vitro conditions revealed that 15 genes were upregulated and two genes were downregulated in vivo compared to in vitro. A BLAST search for the components of secretion system at the genomic and proteomic levels revealed the presence of the complete type I secretion system and type II secretion system in this strain. Moreover, this strain also exhibits complete Sec translocase and Tat translocase systems. The extracellular proteome analysis of L. interrogans will supplement the previously generated whole proteome data and provide more information for studying the functions of specific proteins in the infection process and for selecting candidate molecules for vaccines or diagnostic tools for leptospirosis.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140174/1/omi.2013.0043.pd

Learn from the best hospitals: a comparison of the mission, vision and values

Abstract Background The hospital’s mission, vision, and values are the core of the hospital’s culture and the most profound expression of the hospital’s culture. Although there have been many comparative studies on the mission, vision and values of organizations in the past, there have been few studies on the mission, vision and values of hospitals in the healthcare field. The purpose is to understand how the world’s top hospitals develop the use of mission, vision and values in their “day-to-day management” and this may help other hospitals to develop their mission, vision and value effectively. Methods This paper collects and discusses the approaches of the world’s top five hospitals in mission, vision and value through a qualitative analysis method. Documents for the study were collected from the publicly available information of the five hospitals, including their websites, annual reports, and relevant academic literature published in English on Google Scholar, PubMed, Medline, and Web of Science. Results These five hospitals have similarities and differences in the development of their missions, visions and values, which are worthy of study by other hospitals. The setting of a mission is a useful reflection of the hospital’s focus and direction showing the social responsibility and sustainability of the hospital. The development of a vision has a guiding role in the equity and development of patients and employees and can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of hospital management and ensure the quality of services. The elaboration of values can greatly help hospitals to develop strategic plans and improve daily management. Conclusion The top five hospitals in the world have several common valuable cultures in their missions, visions, and values, regardless of the properties of the hospitals or their management models. In addition, each hospital also has some enlightening descriptions that reflect their particularities

Modeling and Verification of Rolling Resistance Torque of High-Speed Rubber Track Assembly Considering Hysteresis Loss

Due to the viscoelasticity of rubber materials, hysteresis loss due to deformation is the main reason for the rolling resistance of high-speed rubber tracks. Since the structure and material of high-speed rubber track assemblies are different from traditional tires and metal tracks, the rolling resistance theory of traditional wheeled and tracked vehicles is not applicable. Therefore, in order to determine the rolling resistance scientifically and accurately, the mechanism research of the rolling resistance of high-speed rubber track assembly is the key to the design of high-speed rubber crawler vehicles. In this paper, the stress–strain characteristics of rubber track under the action of compression, tension, bending, and driving were studied. The strain load spectrum of rubber tracks was established, and the strain cyclic load was extracted by the rainflow method. The temperature model of the rubber track was developed based on its dynamic characteristics. On the basis of energy conservation, the hysteresis loss of rubber is equivalent to the energy consumption of rolling resistance, and the theoretical model of rolling resistance of high-speed rubber track assembly is established. In accordance with the model above, the key influencing factors and changing trends of rolling resistance are analyzed, which provides a theoretical basis for the performance optimization of high-speed rubber track assembly