bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deviations From the Ideal Plasma Volume and Isolated Tricuspid Valve Surgery—Paving the Way for New Risk Stratification Parameters
Authors: Hasimbegovic Ena , Russo Marco , Andreas Martin , Werner Paul , Coti Iuliana , Wiedemann Dominik , Kocher Alfred , Laufer Günther , Hofer Benedikt S. , Mach Markus
Published: March 2022

Background

Congestion and plasma volume expansion are important features of heart failure, whose prognostic significance has been investigated in a range of surgical and non-surgical settings. The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of the estimated plasma volume status (ePVS) in patients undergoing isolated tricuspid valve surgery.

Methods

This study included patients who underwent isolated tricuspid valve surgery at the Vienna General Hospital (Austria) between July 2008 and November 2018. The PVS cut-off was calculated using ROC analysis and Youden's Index.

Results

Eighty eight patients (median age: 58 [IQR: 35-70] years; 44.3% male; 75.6% NYHA III/IV; median EuroSCORE II 2.65 [IQR: 1.70-5.10]; 33.0% endocarditis-related regurgitation; 60.2% isolated repair; 39.8% isolated replacement) were included in this study. Patients who died within 1 year following surgery had significantly higher baseline ePVS values than survivors (median ePVS 5.29 [IQR: −1.55-13.55] vs. −3.68 [IQR: −10.92-4.22]; p = 0.005). During a median actuarial follow-up of 3.02 (IQR: 0.36-6.80) years, patients with a preoperative ePVS ≥ −4.17 had a significantly increased mortality (log-rank p = 0.006).

Conclusions

ePVS is an easily obtainable risk parameter for patients undergoing isolated tricuspid valve surgery capable of predicting mid- and long-term outcomes after isolated tricuspid valve surgery.
Study on Optimization of the Dedusting Air Duct Layout in Coal Mine Roadway
Authors: Zhang Huangqing , Liu Rong , Chun Junwei , Xue Quanwen , Fan Jinyang
Published: March 2022

Coal dust pollution in fully mechanized excavation faces not only affects the safety production of the coal mine but also threatens the health of workers. In order to reduce coal dust pollution and improve work conditions in mines, the layout of the dedusting-air duct in the dry dust collector and the influence of the duct position on the dust-producing area were studied. In addition, the effects of different cutting positions on dust removal efficiency were also studied. A full-scale model of mine roadway is established by CFD, and the influence of the position of the dedusting-air duct on dust diffusion and the distance between the tunneling head and the dedusting air duct on dust removal efficiency are studied. The results show that the higher the cutting position, the higher the dust concentration, and the longer the dust diffusion time in the coal roadway. When the distance between the dedusting-air duct and the tunneling head is set to 4 or 5 m, the dust removal efficiency is the highest. Moreover, the dust removal efficiency of the dry dust collector with the dedusting air duct arranged on the opposite side of the roadway is higher than that of the collector with the duct in the middle of the roadway.
Tailored Approach in Adrenal Surgery: Retroperitoneoscopic Partial Adrenalectomy
Authors: Alesina Pier Francesco , Knyazeva Polina , Hinrichs Jakob , Walz Martin K.
Published: March 2022

The interest on partial adrenalectomy has steadily increased over the past twenty years. Adrenal pathologies are mostly benign, making an organ-preserving procedure attractive for many patients. The introduction of minimally invasive techniques played probably an important role in this process because they transformed a complex surgical procedure, related to the difficult access to the retroperitoneal space, into a simple operation improving the accessibility to this organ. In this review we summarize the role of partial retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy over the years and the current indications and technique.
Analysis of Current Differential Protection Considering Rated Capacity of Inverter-Interfaced Renewable Plant
Authors: Zhang Hao , Li Zhongqing , Liu Sumei , Wang Danfeng , Dou Xuewei
Published: March 2022

With the increasing capacity of grid-connected renewable energy power plants (REPPs), the fault current characteristics are remarkably altered. The limited amplitude and controlled initial phase angle of REPPs’ short-circuit current become highlighted. As a result, the differential current is no longer greater than restraint current on both sides of the protected devices when a fault occurs. It may lead to mal-operation of the current differential protection, which is used widely. It is necessary to demonstrate the cause-and-effect relationship between REPPs’ rated capacity and the protection adaptability. To solve this problem, the relationship between the rated capacity of inverter-interfaced REPP (IIREPP) and fault current amplitude, as well as its initial phase angle, is deduced first based on the IIREPPs’ fault behaviors. Further, by analyzing the influence of different rated capacity of REPPs on the ratio of operate to restraint current, the analytical expression of the IIREPP’s maximum rated capacity is deduced, which is suitable for analyzing the adaptability of differential protection. Finally, the simulation tests were carried out based on PSCAD/EMTDC. The test results show that the aforementioned expression is effective for evaluating the adaptability of current differential protection.
Artificial Intelligence Influences Intelligent Automation in Tourism: A Mediating Role of Internet of Things and Environmental, Social, and Governance Investment
Authors: Tong Lei , Yan Wei , Manta Otilia
Published: March 2022

Intelligent automation in travel and tourism is likely to grow in the future, which is possible due to advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and associated technologies. Intelligent automation in tourism is a socio-economic activity, which needs an explanation of theory and practice. The study objective is to know the predictive relationship between AI and intelligent automation in tourism with mediating role of the internet of things (IoT), sustainability, facilitating adoption, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investment. Designing valuable AI, promoting adoption, analyzing the implications of intelligent automation, and establishing a sustainable future with artificial intelligence are the fundamental constructs of this study. Research in these areas enables a systematic knowledge creation that shows a concentrated effort on the part of the scientific community to ensure the positive uses of intelligent automation in the tourist industry. A quantitative research approach was used to collect and analyze data. A purposive sampling technique was applied, and data were collected from four hundred two (N= 402) respondents. The results revealed that AI has a predictive relationship with intelligent automated tourism. Similarly, IoT, sustainability, facilitating adoption, and ESG have influenced tourism. As a conclusion, AI design can improve tourism department if the intelligent automated framework was applied to it.
SNP–SNP Interactions of Surfactant Protein Genes in Persistent Respiratory Morbidity Susceptibility in Previously Healthy Children
Authors: Gandhi Chintan K. , Thomas Neal J. , Meixia Ye , Spear Debbie , Fu Chenqi , Zhou Shouhao , Wu Rongling , Keim Garrett , Yehya Nadir , Floros Joanna
Published: March 2022

We studied associations of persistent respiratory morbidity (PRM) at 6 and 12 months after acute respiratory failure (ARF) in previously healthy children with single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of surfactant protein (SP) genes. Of the 250 enrolled subjects, 155 and 127 were followed at 6 and 12 months after an ARF episode, respectively. Logistic regression analysis and SNP–SNP interaction models were used. We found that 1) in the multivariate analysis, an increased risk at 6 and 12 months was associated with rs1124_A and rs4715_A of SFTPC, respectively; 2) in a single SNP model, increased and decreased risks of PRM at both timepoints were associated with rs1124 of SFTPC and rs721917 of SFTPD, respectively; an increased risk at 6 months was associated with rs1130866 of SFTPB and rs4715 of SFTPC, and increased and decreased risks at 12 months were associated with rs17886395 of SFTPA2 and rs2243639 of SFTPD, respectively; 3) in a two-SNP model, PRM susceptibility at both timepoints was associated with a number of intergenic interactions between SNPs of the studied SP genes. An increased risk at 12 months was associated with one intragenic (rs1965708 and rs113645 of SFTPA2) interaction; 4) in a three-SNP model, decreased and increased risks at 6 and 12 months, respectively, were associated with an interaction among rs1130866 of SFTPB, rs721917 of SFTPD, and rs1059046 of SFTPA2. A decreased risk at 6 months was associated with an interaction among the same SNPs of SFTPB and SFTPD and the rs1136450 of SFTPA1. The findings revealed that SNPs of all SFTPs appear to play a role in long-term outcomes of ARF survivors and may serve as markers for disease susceptibility.
The Influence of Microenvironment on Survival of Intraportal Transplanted Islets
Authors: Yan Ling-ling , Ye Li-ping , Chen Ya-hong , He Sai-qin , Zhang Chen-yang , Mao Xin-li , Li Shao-wei
Published: March 2022

Clinical islet transplantation has the potential to cure type 1 diabetes. Despite recent therapeutic success, it is still uncommon because transplanted islets are damaged by multiple challenges, including instant blood mediated inflammatory reaction (IBMIR), inflammatory cytokines, hypoxia/reperfusion injury, and immune rejection. The transplantation microenvironment plays a vital role especially in intraportal islet transplantation. The identification and targeting of pathways that function as “master regulators” during deleterious inflammatory events after transplantation, and the induction of immune tolerance, are necessary to improve the survival of transplanted islets. In this article, we attempt to provide an overview of the influence of microenvironment on the survival of transplanted islets, as well as possible therapeutic targets.
Sirolimus Monotherapy for Thrombocytopenia in Primary Antiphospholipid Syndrome: A Pilot Study From a Tertiary Referral Center
Authors: Xie Wenhui , Ji Lanlan , Zhang Zhuoli
Published: March 2022

Background

Thrombocytopenia (TP) is considered as a warning sign of high-risk antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and sometimes a paradoxical sign of anti-thrombosis treatment. Currently, there is an extreme paucity of effective and safe drugs for long-term management of TP in primary APS patients; therefore, we explored the efficacy and safety of sirolimus monotherapy.

Methods

In this real-world study, we included 7 consecutive patients with primary APS who received sirolimus monotherapy for TP. Oral sirolimus was initiated at a dose of 1–2 mg once daily and then adjusted primarily based on clinical efficacy and tolerance, with consideration of the sirolimus trough concentration of ≤15 ng/ml.

Results

Of included patients, the median age was 58 years with a median disease course of 1.5 years and 4 patients were treatment-naïve. All patients completed 6 months of sirolimus therapy with a median follow-up of 6 months (range: 6–15). All patients received sirolimus monotherapy for TP during the entire follow-up, without any additional agents. Overall, the platelet count exhibited a substantially increasing trend after sirolimus administration during the first 6 months (p < 0.001) and stability later. Specifically, the median platelet count was significantly increased from 59 × 109/l before sirolimus to 90 × 109/l at month 1 (p = 0.028), 131 × 109/l at 3 months (p = 0.028), and 178 × 109/l at 6 months (p = 0.018). Overall and complete responses were respectively achieved in 6 (85.7%) and 5 (71.4%) patients at month 6. Importantly, overall response was achieved in all 4 treatment-naïve patients. Additionally, there were different extents of decline in the titers of antiphospholipid antibodies after sirolimus treatment. Regarding safety, only one patient experienced an elevated cholesterol level with recovery after atorvastatin treatment.

Conclusion

Sirolimus monotherapy confers good efficacy and tolerance for TP in primary APS patients and therefore may be considered as a first-line therapy.
Leukemia’s Next Top Model? Syngeneic Models to Advance Adoptive Cellular Therapy
Authors: Zoine Jaquelyn T. , Moore Sarah E. , Velasquez M. Paulina
Published: March 2022

In recent years, there has been an emphasis on harnessing the immune system for therapeutic interventions. Adoptive cell therapies (ACT) have emerged as an effective option for B-cell derived hematological malignancies. Despite remarkable successes with ACT, immune dysregulation and the leukemia microenvironment can critically alter clinical responses. Therefore, preclinical modeling can contribute to the advancement of ACT for leukemias. Human xenografts, the current mainstay of ACTin vivomodels, cannot evaluate the impact of the immunosuppressive leukemia microenvironment on adoptively transferred cells. Syngeneic mouse models utilize murine tumor models and implant them into immunocompetent mice. This provides an alternative model, reducing the need for complicated breeding strategies while maintaining a matched immune system, stromal compartment, and leukemia burden. Syngeneic models that evaluate ACT have analyzed the complexity of cytotoxic T lymphocytes, T cell receptor transgenics, and chimeric antigen receptors. This review examines the immunosuppressive features of the leukemia microenvironment, discusses how preclinical modeling helps predict ACT associated toxicities and dysfunction, and explores publications that have employed syngeneic modeling in ACT studies for the improvement of therapy for leukemias.
Dinoflagellate Assemblages in the West Iberian Upwelling Region (Sagres, Portugal) During 1994–2001
Authors: Danchenko Sergei , Dodge John David , Icely John David , Newton Alice
Published: March 2022

Changes in the composition of dinoflagellates from 1994 to 2001 at a station influenced by wind-induced seasonal upwelling off SW Portugal were analyzed in relation to oceanography. 194 taxa of dinoflagellates were detected, the most frequent belonged to the genera Tripos, Protoperidinium, Dinophysis, Diplopsalopsis, Prorocentrum and Lingulodinium. The composition of dinoflagellate communities followed a seasonal pattern, in association with oceanographic forcing and change of upwelling conditions. Harmful species such as Dinophysis acuminata, D. acuta, D. caudata, Gonyaulax spp. and Lingulodinium polyedra were found to develop during the upwelling season, typically comprising summer and early autumn in the West Iberian upwelling system, and also occasionally in the conditions following upwelling events in other seasons.
Redefine Sustainable Fisheries Targets Under the Impact of the Southern Yellow Sea Green Tide: Mitigating the Recurring Surge in Natural Mortality
Authors: Sun Ming , Li Yunzhou , Ren Yiping , Chen Yong
Published: March 2022

The massive green tide blooms caused by macroalgae Ulva in the Southern Yellow Sea, China, threaten the local fish populations. However, green tides are not factored into the determination of sustainable fisheries targets, which hinders the achievement of the maximum sustainable yield (MSY). Using a local fishery as a case study we highlighted the need to redefine the MSY-based targets in the face of green tides. We modeled the green tide blooms as natural mortality events and evaluated their effects on fisheries with the “green-tide-free” sustainable fishing intensity FMSY. We then recalculated these targets by accounting for the surges in natural mortality. We found that green tides caused at least 10% losses in biomass and catch when unaccounted for. Additionally, FMSY must be reduced by 4–8% to achieve MSY in the face of the green tide, which was approximately 20% lower than the “green-tide-free” value, indicating the damages of green tides could be partially mitigated.
A Multi-Tissue, Multi-Species Assessment of Lipid and Urea Stable Isotope Biases in Mesopredator Elasmobranchs
Authors: Bennett-Williams Joshua , Skinner Christina , Wyatt Alex S. J. , McGill Rona A. R. , Willis Trevor J.
Published: March 2022

The application of stable isotope analysis (SIA) is increasing in elasmobranch trophic ecology, but inconsistency remains in terms of the tissue pre-treatment methods chosen to remove biases introduced by lipids and urea. SIA of a range of non-lethally extracted tissues from a diverse group of elasmobranchs, including mesopredators, is increasing, yet most studies assume that isotope biases from lipid and urea are the same across tissues and species. To determine tissue- and species-specific isotope biases across treatment methods, three tissues and their components [muscle, fin, and blood separated into plasma and red blood cells (RBC)] were non-lethally extracted from three species of mesopredatory elasmobranchs and subjected to one of three treatment methods: (1) deionized water rinse [DW], (2) chloroform/methanol lipid extraction [LE], or (3) deionized water followed by chloroform/methanol [DW+LE]. In muscle δ13C, all treatments displayed minimal variation (∼ 0‰) but large increases in δ15N (∼ 1‰) indicated urea removal. Fin δ13C values decreased with DW but increased with LE and DW+LE, whilst all treatments increased fin δ15N (∼ 0.5‰), suggesting removal of both lipid and urea. Plasma δ13C and δ15N displayed high individual variation; large decreases in δ13C (∼−0.8‰) across all treatments, but particularly DW, suggested the removal of13C-enriched compounds while a small increase in δ15N (∼ 0.2‰) suggested minimal urea removal. In RBC, all treatments showed small δ13C declines (∼−0.5‰), with no difference in δ15N, suggesting minimal removal of13C-enriched compounds and urea. For muscle and fin, DW+LE is the most appropriate treatment to standardize δ13C and δ15N consistently across individuals and tissues. The large individual variation in treatment effects on plasma suggests it is unsuitable for current treatment methods. Consistent treatment effects for RBC allow for DW+LE standardization, however, broader species-specific effects are unknown. The importance of treatment choice for accurately estimating prey contributions to elasmobranch diet was highlighted using Bayesian stable isotope mixing model comparisons, with prey contributions varying significantly among treatments. This variability suggests that ecological inferences from elasmobranch tissue SIA are not robust to different treatment methods. It is recommended that studies employ standardized corrections using a combined DW+LE treatment where applicable.
Welding Residual Stress Distribution of U-Rib Stiffened Plates of Steel Box Girders and its Influence on Structural Natural Frequencies
Authors: Chen Li , Wang Tianqi , Pan Jianrong , Ma Niujing , Wang Ronghui
Published: March 2022

This paper mainly explores the distribution of welding residual stress of U-rib stiffened plates of steel box girders and examines the influence of welding residual stress over the natural frequencies of these plates. The research focuses on two aspects, namely, the distribution of welding residual stress, and the dynamic behavior of U-rib stiffened plates in the context of that distribution. Firstly, we build two finite element models to analyses the welding process and study the dynamic behavior. Next, the authors discussed how different geometric parameters, as well as welding parameters, affect the residual stress distribution. In addition, the welding residual stress curves were fitted for steel box girders of varied sizes, and a simplified formula was deduced for the distribution of welding residual stress. After that, the simplified formula was applied to analyze the natural frequencies of stiffened plates in multiple sets of models. Through the analysis of natural frequency under different boundary conditions, it was learned that the welding residual stress has a remarkable influence on the natural frequencies of stiffened plates.
The Influence of Past Metronidazole Exposure on the Outcome of Helicobacter pylori Eradication
Authors: Choe Younghee , Kim Joon Sung , Choi Hyun Ho , Kim Dae Bum , Park Jae Myung , Oh Jung Hwan , Kim Tae Ho , Cheung Dae Young , Chung Woo Chul , Kim Byung-Wook , Kim Sung Soo
Published: March 2022

Background

Bismuth quadruple therapy (BQT) is recommended as empirical first-line therapy because it is not affected by antibiotic resistance. We examined whether past exposure to metronidazole affected BQT outcomes.

Methods

The records of seven hospitals were searched for patients who received BQT for Helicobacter pylori eradication between 2009 and 2020. The association between past metronidazole exposure and the eradication rate was evaluated.

Results

This study was a multicenter retrospective study. Around 37,602 people tested for H. pylori infection were identified, and 7,233 received BQT. About 2,802 (38.7%) underwent a 13C-urea breath test to confirm eradication. The BQT efficacy was 86.4% among patients without metronidazole exposure and 72.8% among patients with exposure (p < 0.001). The eradication rate of BQT 14 days in patients with past exposure was higher than that of BQT <14 days (85.5 vs. 66.0%, p = 0.009). Multivariate analysis revealed that past metronidazole exposure [odds ratio (OR) 2.6, 95% CI 1.8–3.7; p < 0.001] and BQT <14 days (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.2–2.0; p = 0.002) were independent risk factors for eradication failure.

Conclusion

Past metronidazole exposure significantly lowered the BQT eradication rate. BQT 14 days should be recommended for patients with suspected metronidazole exposure.
Predictors of First-Pass Effect in Endovascular Thrombectomy With Stent-Retriever Devices for Acute Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke
Authors: Chen Chu , Zhang Tangqin , Xu Youqing , Xu Xiangjun , Xu Junfeng , Yang Ke , Yuan Lili , Yang Qian , Huang Xianjun , Zhou Zhiming
Published: March 2022

Background and Purpose

Successful recanalization after the first pass of the device in endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) can significantly improve patients' prognosis. We aimed to investigate the possible factors that influence achieving the first-pass effect (FPE).

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the patients who underwent EVT caused by anterior circulation large vessel occlusion stroke (ALVOS) in our center. The FPE was defined as a successful recanalization [modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) 2b/3 defined as modified FPE (mFPE); mTICI 3 as true FPE (tFPE)] after one pass of the device without rescue therapy. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to explore the predictors of FPE and the relationship between FPE and prognosis.

Results

There were 278 patients (age, 69.3 ± 10.9 years, male, 51.1%) included, 30.2% of them achieved mFPE, while 21.2% achieved tFPE. We found the higher clot burden score (CBS), the truncal-type occlusion, and the favorable anatomy of both extracranial and intracranial segments of the internal carotid artery (ICA) were associated with achieving mFPE. The higher CBS and truncal-type occlusion were statistically significant predictors of tFPE. Moreover, FPE was significantly associated with improved clinical outcomes, regardless of mFPE and tFPE.

Conclusions

The CBS, tortuosity of ICA, and angiographic occlusion type were independent predictors of achieving FPE. The rate of improved clinical and safety outcomes was higher in patients with FPE, which has important clinical significance.
Short-Term Prognostic Predictive Evaluation in Female Patients With Ischemic Stroke: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Eren Fettah , Ozguncu Cihat , Ozturk Serefnur
Published: March 2022

Introduction and Aim

Stroke is a disease with high mortality and morbidity. Although studies are generally performed on all patients with stroke, it is known that gender has an effect on etiology and prognosis. This study aimed to determine the importance of clinical stroke scales and laboratory markers in determining the short-term prognosis of female patients with ischemic stroke of anterior circulation.

Materials and Methods

The study was planned as a retrospective and cross-sectional study. SEDAN score, the National Institutes of Health stroke scale (NIHSS), the Modified Rankin Scale (mRS), the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), and THRIVE score applied to the patients at the time of admission were recorded. Admission blood glucose, hemoglobin, leukocyte, urea, albumin, and blood lipid levels were evaluated. The relationship of all these parameters with in-hospital prognosis, mortality, and disability at discharge was examined. The relationship between groups and data was analyzed using the SPSS package program after the normality analysis.

Results

In this study, there were 733 female patients with stroke with a mean age of 69.53 ± 14.51 years and 858 male patients with stroke with a mean age of 64.27 ± 13.29 years. Hospitalization time, length of stay in the intensive care unit, ventilation need rate, mortality, and dependency rate were higher in female patients (p = 0.001). The NIHSS, SEDAN, and THRIVE scores were higher in female patients who had in-hospital mortality, had a poor prognosis, and who were discharged as dependent (p = 0.001). GCS was lower in this patient group (p = 0.001). Blood glucose, creatinine, leukocytes, urea, and CRP levels were higher; the albumin and hemoglobin levels was lower in female patients who had fatal outcomes (p = 0.009, 0.001, 0.001, 0.001, 0.001, and 0.020; respectively). In female patients who were dependent at discharge, blood urea, glucose, and CRP levels were higher and the albumin levels were lower than those in female patients who achieved functional independence (p = 0.001, 0.016, 0.002, and 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion

Our study showed that the short-term prognosis is worse in female patients who had an ischemic stroke of anterior circulation. It also revealed some clinical and laboratory parameters that could predict this situation. More intensive monitoring may be needed to improve prognosis in female patients.
Balance Adaptation While Standing on a Compliant Base Depends on the Current Sensory Condition in Healthy Young Adults
Authors: Sozzi Stefania , Schieppati Marco
Published: March 2022

Background

Several investigations have addressed the process of balance adaptation to external perturbations. The adaptation during unperturbed stance has received little attention. Further, whether the current sensory conditions affect the adaptation rate has not been established. We have addressed the role of vision and haptic feedback on adaptation while standing on foam.

Methods

In 22 young subjects, the analysis of geometric (path length and sway area) and spectral variables (median frequency and mean level of both total spectrum and selected frequency windows) of the oscillation of the centre of feet pressure (CoP) identified the effects of vision, light-touch (LT) or both in the anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) direction over 8 consecutive 90 s standing trials.

Results

Adaptation was obvious without vision (eyes closed; EC) and tenuous with vision (eyes open; EO). With trial repetition, path length and median frequency diminished with EC (p < 0.001) while sway area and mean level of the spectrum increased (p < 0.001). The low- and high-frequency range of the spectrum increased and decreased in AP and ML directions, respectively. Touch compared to no-touch enhanced the rate of increase of the low-frequency power (p < 0.05). Spectral differences in distinct sensory conditions persisted after adaptation.

Conclusion

Balance adaptation occurs during standing on foam. Adaptation leads to a progressive increase in the amplitude of the lowest frequencies of the spectrum and a concurrent decrease in the high-frequency range. Within this common behaviour, touch adds to its stabilising action a modest effect on the adaptation rate. Stabilisation is improved by favouring slow oscillations at the expense of sway minimisation. These findings are preliminary to investigations of balance problems in persons with sensory deficits, ageing, and peripheral or central nervous lesion.
Brain Morphological Modifications in Congenital and Acquired Auditory Deprivation: A Systematic Review and Coordinate-Based Meta-Analysis
Authors: Grégoire Anaïs , Deggouj Naïma , Dricot Laurence , Decat Monique , Kupers Ron
Published: March 2022

Neuroplasticity following deafness has been widely demonstrated in both humans and animals, but the anatomical substrate of these changes is not yet clear in human brain. However, it is of high importance since hearing loss is a growing problem due to aging population. Moreover, knowing these brain changes could help to understand some disappointing results with cochlear implant, and therefore could improve hearing rehabilitation. A systematic review and a coordinate-based meta-analysis were realized about the morphological brain changes highlighted by MRI in severe to profound hearing loss, congenital and acquired before or after language onset. 25 papers were included in our review, concerning more than 400 deaf subjects, most of them presenting prelingual deafness. The most consistent finding is a volumetric decrease in white matter around bilateral auditory cortex. This change was confirmed by the coordinate-based meta-analysis which shows three converging clusters in this region. The visual areas of deaf children is also significantly impacted, with a decrease of the volume of both gray and white matters. Finally, deafness is responsible of a gray matter increase within the cerebellum, especially at the right side. These results are largely discussed and compared with those from deaf animal models and blind humans, which demonstrate for example a much more consistent gray matter decrease along their respective primary sensory pathway. In human deafness, a lot of other factors than deafness could interact on the brain plasticity. One of the most important is the use of sign language and its age of acquisition, which induce among others changes within the hand motor region and the visual cortex. But other confounding factors exist which have been too little considered in the current literature, such as the etiology of the hearing impairment, the speech-reading ability, the hearing aid use, the frequent associated vestibular dysfunction or neurocognitive impairment. Another important weakness highlighted by this review concern the lack of papers about postlingual deafness, whereas it represents most of the deaf population. Further studies are needed to better understand these issues, and finally try to improve deafness rehabilitation.
Skeletal Muscle Mass Has Stronger Association With the Risk of Hyperuricemia Than Body Fat Mass in Obese Children and Adolescents
Authors: Xie Luyao , Mo Phoenix K. H. , Tang Qingya , Zhao Xuan , Zhao Xuelin , Cai Wei , Feng Yi , Niu Yang
Published: March 2022

Background

Hyperuricemia has been increasing among children with obesity in recent years. However, few studies in such a study group had explored the relationship between obesity-anthropometric indexes and hyperuricemia. This study aimed to examine the associations between hyperuricemia and different body components in children and adolescents with obesity, and further explore gender differences in these associations.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, a total of 271 obese children and adolescents (153 boys and 118 girls) aged 6–17 years were recruited from Shanghai Xinhua Hospital. Data about basic information, anthropometric assessments, body composition, and laboratory tests of participants were collected.

Results

In this study, 73 boys (47.71%) and 57 girls (48.31%) were diagnosed to have hyperuricemia. The impacts of percentage of skeletal muscle (PSM) (OR = 1.221, P < 0.001) and skeletal muscle mass (SMM) (OR = 1.179, P < 0.001) on the risk of hyperuricemia was the largest, followed by hip circumference (HC) (OR = 1.109, P < 0.001), waist circumference (WC) (OR = 1.073, P < 0.001), and body fat mass (BFM) (OR = 1.056, P < 0.05) in whole sample, which was adjusted for age, gender and body mass index (BMI). After being stratified by gender, PSM (boys: OR = 1.309, P < 0.001) and SMM (boys: OR = 1.200, P < 0.001; girls: OR = 1.147, P < 0.05) were still the most predictors of hyperuricemia, followed by HC (boys: OR = 1.147, P < 0.001; girls: OR = 1.080, P < 0.05). WC showed a significant association with hyperuricemia only in boys (OR = 1.083, P < 0.05), while BFM showed no association with hyperuricemia in both gender groups after adjusting for age and BMI.

Conclusion

Our findings suggested that SMM was a stronger predictor of hyperuricemia than BFM in children and adolescents with obesity, especially in boys.
Systematic Lymphadenectomy and Oncological Outcomes of Women With Apparent Early-Stage Clear Cell Carcinoma of the Endometrium: A Multi-Institutional Cohort Study
Authors: Tian Yong , Ran Lin , Liu Yi , Xu Yu , Shen Juan , Mi Gong-sheng , Ke Feng-mei
Published: March 2022

Objective

The survival value of systematic lymphadenectomy for endometrial cancer is ambiguous and controversial. The current study aimed to evaluate the long-term survival role of combined pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy in patients with presumed early-stage clear cell carcinoma of the endometrium.

Methods

Patients in three Chinese teaching hospitals who presented between 2012 and 2017 with apparent early-stage clear cell carcinoma of the endometrium and underwent surgical staging were selected. Patients who did and did not undergo systematic lymphadenectomy were identified and clinicopathological characteristics were compared. Disease-free survival and overall survival were evaluated following the generation of the Kaplan-Meier curves and the comparison using the log-rank test. A Cox proportional hazards model was employed to control for confounders.

Results

A total of 244 patients underwent systematic lymphadenectomy and 89 did not receive lymph node dissection. The demographic and baseline data were comparable between the two groups. The rate of disease-free survival at 5 years was 64.10% in patients who underwent systematic lymphadenectomy and 45.05% in patients who did not undergo lymphadenectomy. Patients who underwent systematic lymphadenectomy had better disease-free survival than those who did not receive lymphadenectomy (HR, 0.54. 95% CI, 0.38-0.76. P=0.000). The rate of 5-year overall survival was 68.87% in the lymphadenectomy group and 53.33% in patients who did not undergo systematic lymphadenectomy. Systematic lymphadenectomy was also associated with improved 5-year overall survival for women with presumed early-stage clear cell carcinoma of the endometrium (HR, 0.58. 95% CI, 0.39-0.85. P=0.005). After adjusting for confounders, systematic lymphadenectomy was still independently associated with improved disease-free survival and overall survival.

Conclusion

Patients with apparent early-stage clear cell carcinoma of the endometrium who underwent systematic lymphadenectomy had better long-term survival than those who did not undergo systematic lymphadenectomy.
Community Structure and Ecological Network's Changes of Vaginal Microbiome in Women Right After Delivery
Authors: Li Hongping , Jiang Jingbo , Nie Chuan , Xiao Bin , Li Qingxia , Yu Jieyang
Published: March 2022

Objectives

Vaginal microbiota is not only an important source of bacterial colonization for neonates, but also plays a crucial role in maternal and neonatal health. This study aimed to investigate the vaginal microbial community structure right after delivery and its impact on the neonatal oral microbiome.

Methods

In this study, 27 women were recruited from Bao'an Maternal and Child Health Hospital. Bacterial compositions of vaginal samples before and right after delivery and neonatal oral samples right after birth were investigated using 16S rRNA sequencing of V3–V4 hyperregions.

Results

Vaginal microbiome before delivery was dominated by the genus Lactobacillus. After delivery, the vaginal microbial community was altered, with significantly decreased proportion of Lactobacillus, increased alpha-diversity, and a more diverse ecological network. A large number subjects dominated by Lactobacillus species before delivery shifted to CST (community state type) IV after delivery. In addition, similar changes were observed in the neonatal oral microbiome, and its community profile was closer to vaginal samples after delivery than before delivery with principal coordinates analysis and microbial source tracking analysis.

Conclusion

The vaginal microbiome was altered right after delivery and impacted the colonization of the neonatal oral microbiome in China. Further, it is vital to understand the longitudinal influence on maternal and neonatal health of vaginal microbiome community changes after delivery.
Early Oral Nutritional Supplements in the Prevention of Wheezing, Asthma, and Respiratory Infections
Authors: Trivillin Anna , Zanella Sara , Castaldo Raimondo Junior , Prati Francesco , Zanconato Stefania , Carraro Silvia , Ferraro Valentina Agnese
Published: March 2022

Wheezing, asthma, and respiratory infections (RTI) are among the most common causes of morbidity in children and their economic and social burden could be significantly reduced by specific prevention strategies. Epidemiological studies suggest that lower levels of some nutrients are associated with higher prevalence of these conditions, but the possible protective effect of early supplementation with these nutrients has not yet been established. Aim of our review is to synthetize the available scientific evidence on the role of supplementation with pre- and probiotics, vitamin D, fish and poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), vitamin A, C, and E, given during the first year of life, in the prevention of wheezing, asthma and RTI. We searched studies published on this topic in the PubMed database between January 2000 and September 2021. As for pre- and probiotics, most of the studies showed that an early supplementation had no protective effect toward the development of asthma and wheezing, while conflicting results were reported on their role in the reduction of RTI. As for vitamin D, the available data suggest that early and regular (on a daily or weekly base) supplementation of vitamin D during infancy could have a role in the prevention of RTI, while most studies showed no effect in the prevention of wheezing or asthma. Finally, early introduction of fish in the diet in most studies has proved protective toward wheezing and asthma development.
Potential Natural Small Molecular Compounds for the Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: An Overview
Authors: Li Liu-Ying , Zhang Chuan-Tao , Zhu Feng-Ya , Zheng Gang , Liu Yu-Fei , Liu Ke , Zhang Chen-Hui , Zhang Hong
Published: March 2022

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the major diseases threatening human life and health. According to the report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020, COPD has become the third leading cause of death in the world, featuring a sustainable growth of incidence rate as well as population age. The purpose of this review focuses on the advancement of bioactive natural compounds, such as baicalin, quercetin, resveratrol, and curcumin, which demonstrate promising therapeutic/interventional effects on CODP in vitro and in vivo. Information emphasizing on COPD was systematically collected from several authoritative internet databases including Web of Science, PubMed, Elsevier, Wiley Online Library, and Europe PMC, with a combination of keywords containing “COPD” and “natural small molecular compounds”. The new evidence indicated that these valuable molecules featured unique functions in the treatment of COPD through various biological processes such as anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-apoptosis, and anti-airway fibrosis. Moreover, we found that the promising effects of these natural compounds on COPD were mainly achieved through JAK3/STAT3/NF-κB and MAPK inflammatory signaling pathways, Nrf2 oxidative stress signaling pathway, and TGF-β1/Smad 2/3 fibrosis signaling pathway, which referenced to multiple targets like TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, TIMP-1, MMP, AKT, JAK3, IKK, PI3K, HO-1, MAPK, P38, ERK, etc. Current challenges and future directions in this promising field are also discussed at the end of this review. For the convenience of the readers, this review is divided into ten parts according to the structures of potential natural small molecular compounds. We hope that this review brings a quick look and provides some inspiration for the research of COPD.
A Structural and Functional Perspective of Death Receptor 6
Authors: Ren Xiuying , Lin Zhi , Yuan Wensu
Published: March 2022

As a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily (TNFRSF), death receptor 6 (DR6) has a similar structural architecture to other family members. The extracellular region of DR6 contains four cysteine-rich domains, followed by a single-pass transmembrane domain and an intracellular region. Since its discovery, DR6 has become an orphan receptor ubiquitously expressed to transduce unique signaling pathways. Although the free ectodomains of β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) can bind to DR6 to induce apoptotic signals, the natural ligands of DR6 still remain largely unknown. In this review, we focus on recent research progress of structural and functional studies on DR6 for better understanding DR6-mediated signaling and the treatment of DR6-related diseases.
Simplifying the Process of Going From Cells to Tissues Using Statistical Mechanics
Authors: Hussan Jagir R. , Trew Mark L. , Hunter Peter J.
Published: March 2022

The value of digital twins for prototyping controllers or interventions in a sandbox environment are well-established in engineering and physics. However, this is challenging for biophysics trying to seamlessly compose models of multiple spatial and temporal scale behavior into the digital twin. Two challenges stand out as constraining progress: (i) ensuring physical consistency of conservation laws across composite models and (ii) drawing useful and timely clinical and scientific information from conceptually and computationally complex models. Challenge (i) can be robustly addressed with bondgraphs. However, challenge (ii) is exacerbated using this approach. The complexity question can be looked at from multiple angles. First from the perspective of discretizations that reflect underlying biophysics (functional tissue units) and secondly by exploring maximum entropy as the principle guiding multicellular biophysics. Statistical mechanics, long applied to understanding emergent phenomena from atomic physics, coupled with the observation that cellular architecture in tissue is orchestrated by biophysical constraints on metabolism and communication, shows conceptual promise. This architecture along with cell specific properties can be used to define tissue specific network motifs associated with energetic contributions. Complexity can be addressed based on energy considerations and finding mean measures of dependent variables. A probability distribution of the tissue's network motif can be approximated with exponential random graph models. A prototype problem shows how these approaches could be implemented in practice and the type of information that could be extracted.
Exploring the Possible: A Unifying Cognitive and Evolutionary Approach to Art
Authors: Steen Francis F. , Chakraborty Santanu
Published: March 2022

The subjective delight associated with the creative arts poses a well-known challenge to an integrated causal analysis of human psychology. Here we examine the distal causes of art in terms of an irreducibly risky search in a vast phase space of cognition and behavior. To explore means to engage in an activity that may result in a zero or negative payoff. Moreover, you may be unable to assess the risks with any certainty; the costs might spiral out of control. At the same time, the known alternatives may simply not be viable; natural selection has no problems acting on the failure to locate new habitable subspaces. This represents the hard problem of evolution: there is no recurring procedure that will reliably deliver the benefits of a successful exploration. We propose to locate the emergence of play and art in the tension between the irreducible risks of exploration and its potential benefits and examine the complex suite of adaptations that has emerged to solve, however, imperfectly, the hard problem of evolution. This includes adaptations for lowering the cost of exploration and strategies for open-ended yet loosely targeted searches. We argue that the ability to become aware of possible actions, to evaluate their respective merits, and to explore and develop new strategies of perception, thinking, and action have had a major impact on human survival and reproduction and have been subject to persistent natural selection. The arts, we suggest, represent a distinct cognitive mode of pushing the boundaries of what is familiar and known into new areas of perceptual, emotional, and agentive exploration and discovery, characterized by a proximal motivation of intrinsic enjoyment.
Parenting With a Kind Mind: Exploring Kindness as a Potentiator for Enhanced Brain Health
Authors: Johnson Maria Teresa , Fratantoni Julie M. , Tate Kathleen , Moran Antonia Solari
Published: March 2022

A growing body of research has suggested that high levels of family functioning—often measured as positive parent–child communication and low levels of parental stress—are associated with stronger cognitive development, higher levels of school engagement, and more successful peer relations as youth age. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought tremendous disruption to various aspects of daily life, especially for parents of young children, ages 3–5, who face isolation, disconnection, and unprecedented changes to how they engage and socialize. Fortunately, both youth and parent brains are plastic and receptive to change. Resilience research shows that factors such as engaging in acts of kindness, developing trusting relationships, and responding compassionately to the feelings of others can help lay new neural pathways and improve quality of life. Yet, little research has investigated the effects of brain healthy parental practices of kindness with pre-school aged children. The current study examines whether an interactive, parent–child kindness curriculum can serve as a potentiator for brain health as measured by resilience and child empathy levels. During a peak of the pandemic, mother participants between the ages of 26–46 (n = 38, completion rate 75%) completed questionnaires on parental resilience levels and parent-reported child empathic pro-social behaviors before and after engaging in a 4 weeks online, self-paced, kindness curriculum. Half of the group received additional brain health education explaining the principles of neuroplasticity, empathy, perspective taking, and resiliency. Mothers in both groups showed increased resilience ( p < 0.001) and reported higher levels of empathic behavior in their child ( p < 0.001) after completing the curriculum. There was no significant difference between groups. Comparison of mean resilience levels during COVID-19 to pre-pandemic general means indicated that mothers are reporting significantly lower levels of resilience as well as decreased empathetic behaviors in their children. These results support the notion that kindness is a powerful brain health booster that can increase resilience and empathy. This research study was timely and relevant for parents in light of the myriad of stresses brought about by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. There are broader public health implications for equipping individuals with tools to take a proactive and preventative approach to their brain health.