bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Application of lipid nanovesicle drug delivery system in cancer immunotherapy
Authors: Ding Yinan , Wang Luhong , Li Han , Miao Fengqin , Zhang Zhiyuan , Hu Chunmei , Yu Weiping , Tang Qiusha , Shao Guoliang
Published: May 2022

Immunotherapy has gradually emerged as the most promising anticancer therapy. In addition to conventional anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy, anti-CTLA-4 therapy, CAR-T therapy, etc., immunotherapy can also be induced by stimulating the maturation of immune cells or inhibiting negative immune cells, regulating the tumor immune microenvironment and cancer vaccines. Lipid nanovesicle drug delivery system includes liposomes, cell membrane vesicles, bacterial outer membrane vesicles, extracellular vesicles and hybrid vesicles. Lipid nanovesicles can be used as functional vesicles for cancer immunotherapy, and can also be used as drug carriers to deliver immunotherapy drugs to the tumor site for cancer immunotherapy. Here, we review recent advances in five kinds of lipid nanovesicles in cancer immunotherapy and assess the clinical application prospects of various lipid nanovesicles, hoping to provide valuable information for clinical translation in the future.
Maelstrom promotes tumor metastasis through regulation of FGFR4 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in epithelial ovarian cancer
Authors: He Wei-Peng , Yang Gui-Ping , Yang Zun-Xian , Shen Hong-Wei , You Ze-Shan , Yang Guo-Fen
Published: May 2022

Background

Increasing evidence has indicated that Maelstrom (MAEL) plays an oncogenic role in various human carcinomas. However, the exact function and mechanisms by which MAEL acts in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) remain unclear.

Results

This study demonstrated that MAEL was frequently overexpressed in EOC tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of MAEL was positively correlated with the histological grade of tumors, FIGO stage, and pT/pN/pM status (p < 0.05), and it also acted as an independent predictor of poor patient survival (p < 0.001). Ectopic overexpression of MAEL substantially promoted invasiveness/metastasis and induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), whereas silencing MAEL by short hairpin RNA effectively inhibited its oncogenic function and attenuated EMT. Further study demonstrated that fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) was a critical downstream target of MAEL in EOC, and the expression levels of FGFR4 were significantly associated with MAEL. (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that overexpression of MAEL plays a crucial oncogenic role in the development and progression of EOC through the upregulation of FGFR4 and subsequent induction of EMT, and also provide new insights on its potential as a therapeutic target for EOC.
Effects on health-related quality of life of interventions affecting survival in critically ill patients: a systematic review
Authors: Pallanch Ottavia , Ortalda Alessandro , Pelosi Paolo , Latronico Nicola , Sartini Chiara , Lombardi Gaetano , Marchetti Cristiano , Maimeri Nicolò , Zangrillo Alberto , Cabrini Luca
Published: May 2022

Survival has been considered the cornerstone for clinical outcome evaluation in critically ill patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU). There is evidence that ICU survivors commonly show impairments in long-term outcomes such as quality of life (QoL) considering them as the most relevant ones. In the last years, the concept of patient-important outcomes has been introduced and increasingly reported in peer-reviewed publications. In the present systematic review, we evaluated how many randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were conducted on critically ill patients and reporting a benefit on survival reported also data on QoL. All RCTs investigating nonsurgical interventions that significantly reduced mortality in critically ill patients were searched on MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus and Embase from inception until August 2021. In a second stage, for all the included studies, the outcome QoL was investigated. The primary outcome was to evaluate how many RCTs analyzing interventions reducing mortality reported also data on QoL. The secondary endpoint was to investigate if QoL resulted improved, worsened or not modified. Data on QoL were reported as evaluated outcome in 7 of the 239 studies (2.9%). The tools to evaluate QoL and QoL time points were heterogeneous. Four interventions showed a significant impact on QoL: Two interventions improved survival and QoL (pravastatin in subarachnoid hemorrhage, dexmedetomidine in elderly patients after noncardiac surgery), while two interventions reduced mortality but negatively influenced QoL (caloric restriction in patients with refeeding syndrome and systematic ICU admission in elderly patients). In conclusion, only a minority of RCTs in which an intervention demonstrated to affect mortality in critically ill patients reported also data on QoL. Future research in critical care should include patient-important outcomes like QoL besides mortality. Data on this topic should be collected in conformity with PROs statement and core outcome sets to guarantee quality and comparability of results.
Androgen receptor reprogramming demarcates prognostic, context-dependent gene sets in primary and metastatic prostate cancer
Authors: Severson Tesa , Qiu Xintao , Alshalalfa Mohammed , Sjöström Martin , Quigley David , Bergman Andries , Long Henry , Feng Felix , Freedman Matthew L. , Zwart Wilbert , Pomerantz Mark M.
Published: May 2022

The androgen receptor (AR) is a prostate master transcription factor. It binds to genetic enhancers, where it regulates gene activity and plays a fundamental role in prostate pathophysiology. Previous work has demonstrated that AR-DNA binding is systematically and consistently reprogrammed during prostate tumorigenesis and disease progression. We charted these reprogrammed AR sites and identified genes proximal to them. We were able to devise gene lists based on AR status within specific histological contexts: normal prostate epithelium, primary prostate tumor, and metastatic prostate cancer. We evaluated expression of the genes in these gene sets in subjects from two distinct clinical cohorts—men treated with surgery for localized prostate cancer and men with metastatic prostate cancer. Among men with localized prostate cancer, expression of genes proximal to AR sites lost in the transition from normal prostate to prostate tumor was associated with clinical outcome. Among men with metastatic disease, expression of genes proximal to AR sites gained in metastatic tumors was associated with clinical outcome. These results are consistent with the notion that AR is fundamental to both maintaining differentiation in normal prostate tissue and driving de-differentiation in advanced prostate cancer. More broadly, the study demonstrates the power of incorporating context-dependent epigenetic data into genetic analyses.
Quantitative methods used to evaluate impact of health promotion interventions to prevent HIV infections: a methodological systematic review protocol
Authors: Ravalihasy Andrainolo , Kardaś-Słoma Lidia , Yazdanpanah Yazdan , Ridde Valéry
Published: May 2022

Background

Combination prevention is currently considered the best approach to combat HIV epidemic. It is based upon the combination of structural, behavioral, and biomedical interventions. Such interventions are frequently implemented in a health-promoting manner due to their aims, the approach that was adopted, and their complexity. The impact evaluation of these interventions often relies on methods inherited from the biomedical field. However, these methods have limitations and should be adapted to be relevant for these complex interventions. This systematic review aims to map the evidence-based methods used to quantify the impact of these interventions and analyze how these methods are implemented.

Methods

Three databases (Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed) will be used to identify impact evaluation studies of health promotion interventions that aimed at reducing the incidence or prevalence of HIV infection. Only studies based on quantitative design assessing intervention impact on HIV prevalence or incidence will be included. Two reviewers will independently screen studies based on titles and abstracts and then on the full text. The information about study characteristics will be extracted to understand the context in which the interventions are implemented. The information specific to quantitative methods of impact evaluation will be extracted using items from the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), the guidelines for reporting Statistical Analyses and Methods in the Published Literature (SAMPL), and the guidelines for Strengthening The Reporting of Empirical Simulation Studies (STRESS). This review will be conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement.

Discussion

The impact evaluation of HIV prevention interventions is a matter of substantial importance given the growing need for evidence of the effectiveness of these interventions, whereas they are increasingly complex. These evaluations allow to identify the most effective strategies to be implemented to fight the epidemic. It is therefore relevant to map the methods to better implement them and adapt them according to the type of intervention to be evaluated.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO CRD42020210825
Heterogeneity in subnational mortality in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: the case of Belgian districts in 2020
Authors: Schlüter Benjamin-Samuel , Masquelier Bruno , Camarda Carlo Giovanni
Published: May 2022

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to major shocks in mortality trends in many countries. Yet few studies have evaluated the heterogeneity of the mortality shocks at the sub-national level, rigorously accounting for the different sources of uncertainty.

Methods

Using death registration data from Belgium, we first assess change in the heterogeneity of districts’ standardized mortality ratios in 2020, when compared to previous years. We then measure the shock effect of the pandemic using district-level values of life expectancy, comparing districts’ observed and projected life expectancy, accounting for all sources of uncertainty (stemming from life-table construction at district level and from projection methods at country and district levels). Bayesian modelling makes it easy to combine the different sources of uncertainty in the assessment of the shock. This is of particular interest at a finer geographical scale characterized by high stochastic variation in annual death counts.

Results

The heterogeneity in the impact of the pandemic on all-cause mortality across districts is substantial: while some districts barely show any impact, the Bruxelles-Capitale and Mons districts experienced a decrease in life expectancy at birth of 2.24 (95% CI:1.33–3.05) and 2.10 (95% CI:0.86–3.30) years, respectively. The year 2020 was associated with an increase in the heterogeneity of mortality levels at a subnational scale in comparison to past years, measured in terms of both standardized mortality ratios and life expectancies at birth. Decisions on uncertainty thresholds have a large bearing on the interpretation of the results.

Conclusion

Developing sub-national mortality estimates taking careful account of uncertainty is key to identifying which areas have been disproportionately affected.
Evaluating metagenomic assembly approaches for biome-specific gene catalogues
Authors: Delgado Luis Fernando , Andersson Anders F.
Published: May 2022

Background

For many environments, biome-specific microbial gene catalogues are being recovered using shotgun metagenomics followed by assembly and gene calling on the assembled contigs. The assembly is typically conducted either by individually assembling each sample or by co-assembling reads from all the samples. The co-assembly approach can potentially recover genes that display too low abundance to be assembled from individual samples. On the other hand, combining samples increases the risk of mixing data from closely related strains, which can hamper the assembly process. In this respect, assembly on individual samples followed by clustering of (near) identical genes is preferable. Thus, both approaches have potential pros and cons, but it remains to be evaluated which assembly strategy is most effective. Here, we have evaluated three assembly strategies for generating gene catalogues from metagenomes using a dataset of 124 samples from the Baltic Sea: (1) assembly on individual samples followed by clustering of the resulting genes, (2) co-assembly on all samples, and (3) mix assembly, combining individual and co-assembly.

Results

The mix-assembly approach resulted in a more extensive nonredundant gene set than the other approaches and with more genes predicted to be complete and that could be functionally annotated. The mix assembly consists of 67 million genes (Baltic Sea gene set, BAGS) that have been functionally and taxonomically annotated. The majority of the BAGS genes are dissimilar (< 95% amino acid identity) to the Tara Oceans gene dataset, and hence, BAGS represents a valuable resource for brackish water research.

Conclusion

The mix-assembly approach represents a feasible approach to increase the information obtained from metagenomic samples.
Mature Australian VET markets: a data-driven case study of public policy implementation
Authors: Zoellner Don
Published: May 2022

Australian vocational education and training (VET) policy makers have persistently proposed more user choice when reforming the national training system. Increasing alternatives by encouraging multiple providers to trade in regulated contestable markets remains the cornerstone of governments’ policies. However, despite policy intentions, students’ options are declining. Longitudinal quantitative jurisdiction-level statistics identify well-established trends of a reduced variety of providers, a smaller range of qualifications on offer and decreased public funding. These outcomes are occurring notwithstanding the continuous supportive policy environment for intensified competition and amplified choice. Rather than portray reduced choice as policy failure, this research makes novel use of large nationally consistent regulatory and enrolment data sets to provide evidence of successful public policy implementation that is approaching the end of the market life cycle. The results invite an exploration of issues that arise when VET markets are considered to be mature rather than unrealised aspirations. Choices provided in these fully-fledged markets that balance public and private provision are still necessary, but no longer sufficient, to meet national skills needs. It is argued that policy success is not permanent and should be revisited in light of contemporary economic alternatives to guide future VET policy making.
Acute and Chronic Physical Activity Increases Creative Ideation Performance: A Systematic Review and Multilevel Meta-analysis
Authors: Rominger Christian , Schneider Martha , Fink Andreas , Tran Ulrich S. , Perchtold-Stefan Corinna M. , Schwerdtfeger Andreas R.
Published: May 2022

Background

Physical activity is a health-relevant lifestyle factor associated with various benefits on physical and mental health. Several meta-analyses indicated effects of acute and chronic physical activities on elementary cognitive functions such as executive control processes, memory, and attention. Meta-analytic evidence on the effects of physical activity on creative idea generation, which involves a conglomerate of these elementary cognitive functions, is largely missing.

Objective

A twofold approach was used to evaluate (1) if there is an association between habitual physical activity and creative ideation and (2) if physical activity interventions (acute and chronic) enhance creative ideation performance.

Methods

Multilevel meta-analytic methods were applied to (1) evaluate the cross-sectional association between creative ideation performance and measures of habitual physical activity and (2) the effect of physical activity on creative ideation performance. Indicators of creative ideation (fluency, flexibility, originality, elaboration, or composite score), creativity domain (verbal, figural), population (adults, children), gender, study quality, and publication year served as moderator variables for both meta-analyses. Analyses of intervention studies additionally examined the moderator variables study design (between, within), time of measurement (during, after), and implementation of intervention (acute, chronic).

Results

The applied meta-analytic multilevel analysis indicated a medium effect for cross-sectional studies (r = 0.22, SE = 0.06, p = 0.002, 95% CI [0.10–0.34]) based on 17 effects sizes from seven studies. The pooled effects of 28 intervention studies, providing 115 effect sizes, indicated a medium effect size of Hedges’ g = 0.47 (SE = 0.09, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.30–0.65]). Furthermore, a stronger effect was observed for chronic interventions of several days or weeks in comparison with acute interventions of one single bout.

Conclusion

This study adds important new meta-analytic evidence on the beneficial role of physical activity beyond mental and physical health outcomes: Physical activity has a positive impact on creative ideation, which expands the literature on the role of physical activity in more elementary cognitive functions such as executive control, memory, and attention. Moderator analyses suggested that chronic interventions showed stronger effects than single bouts of physical activity. Rigorously conducted randomized controlled intervention studies and more cross-sectional studies are needed to broaden the evidence in this nascent field of research.
Reading digital- versus print-easy texts: a study with university students who prefer digital sources
Authors: Bresó-Grancha Noemí , Jorques-Infante María José , Moret-Tatay Carmen
Published: May 2022

The transition from on-paper to on-screen reading seems to make it necessary to raise some considerations, as a greater attentional effort has been claimed for print texts than digital ones. Not surprisingly, most university students prefer this digital medium. This research aims to examine reading times by contextualizing this phenomenon into two processes: namely, word recognition and reading comprehension task on paper and on screen. Thus, two different tasks—counterbalanced into digital and print mediums—were carried out per each participant with a preference for a digital medium: a reading comprehension task (RCT) and a lexical decision task (LDT) after reading a specific story. Participants were slower reading print texts and no statistically significant differences were found in RCT accuracy. This result suggests that the task required more cognitive resources under the print medium for those with a worse comprehension performance in reading, and a more conservative pattern in digital RCT for those with a better performance.
Molecular characterization and identification of bhendi yellow vein mosaic virus with satellite DNAs infecting okra plants of district Mardan, Pakistan
Authors: Shuja Malik Nawaz , Riaz Hasan , Ali Muhammad , Qasim Muhammad , Anees Muhammad , Winter Stephan , Hassan Sabry , Hassan Mohamed M. , Elsharkawy Mohsen Mohamed
Published: May 2022

Background

Bhendi or okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is an important crop widely cultivated in the Indian subcontinent. The production of okra in tropical regions is constrained by several abiotic and biotic factors. Among biotic stresses, yellow vein mosaic disease (YVMD), transmitted by the whitefly (Bemisia tabaci Genn.), causes significant production losses.

Results

Leaves showing symptoms of YVMD were collected from okra plants in the district of Mardan, Pakistan, from which the total nucleic acid was extracted. It was found that the viral genome was 2739 bp in the length and had seven conserved open reading frames, comparable to those of monopartite begomovirus species from the Old World. Nucleotide sequence comparison revealed that the genome has 97.7% identity with bhendi yellow vein mosaic virus (BYVMV). Additionally, alpha- and betasatellite DNA components were amplified and sequenced. The alpha- and betasatellite DNA sequences were 1367 and 1346 nt in length, respectively. Sequence analysis revealed that the alpha- and betasatellite sequences shared 97.9 and 98.7% similarity with cotton leaf curl Multan alphasatellite DNA (CLCuMuA) and croton yellow vein mosaic betasatellite DNA (CroYVMB), respectively.

Conclusions

Based on the prevailing classification system, the isolate was identified as a variant of BYVMV, CLCuMuA, and CroYVB. Alphasatellite presence in the begomovirus betasatellite complex detected in the present study indicated a recent mobilization into the viral complex infecting okra in this region. The study findings may facilitate the design of new management strategies to protect this valuable crop against begomovirus infection.
Bridging New Technology Into Clinical Practice With Mobile Apps, Electronic Patient-Reported Outcomes, and Wearables
Authors: Dzimitrowicz Hannah E. , Blakely L. Johnetta , Jones Lee W. , LeBlanc Thomas W.
Published: May 2022

With sophisticated mobile and wearable technologies available, there has been interest in leveraging these devices to help gather and analyze patient-generated health data (PGHD). This information could be used to better address health concerns, aid in treatment decision-making, and guide interventional strategies to improve outcomes. Among PGHD, electronic patient-reported outcomes, direct reports of patient experience usually collected via validated scales and questionnaires, are increasingly integrated into routine clinical practice to monitor patient status. Electronic patient-reported outcomes have been shown to improve outcomes, including symptom control, quality of life, and overall survival, in several clinical trials. Electronic patient-reported outcome collection is now being implemented across broader clinical practice settings but with limited evaluation of impact thus far. Wearable devices and mobile apps provide opportunities to collect additional PGHD, including continuous physiologic measures, and to generate algorithms with which to monitor patients with cancer and guide interventions. In this article, we discuss several topics related to PGHD and technology, including electronic patient-reported outcomes, mobile apps, and wearable devices and how their introduction into oncology care has the potential to improve the collection and use of PGHD in the future. We also highlight the challenges and future directions needed for mobile and wearable technologies to provide meaningful information that can be acted upon and thus can improve oncologic care.
Association of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1α Gene Polymorphisms With Breast Cancer Susceptibility: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Islam Md. Shihabul , Jesmin
Published: May 2022

PURPOSE

Overexpression of the hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1A) gene is significantly associated with different types of cancers, including breast cancer. In this study, the effects of single-nucleotide polymorphisms rs11549465, rs11549467, and rs2057482 of the HIF1A gene and their association with breast cancer were systematically investigated through meta-analysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

After a systematic review, nine case-control studies of the HIF1A rs11549465 C/T polymorphism, six case-control studies of the HIF1A rs11549467 G/A polymorphism, and one case-control study of the HIF1A rs2057482 C/T polymorphism were included in this meta-analysis. The summary pooled odds ratios with 95% CIs were evaluated to detect the relationship between HIF1A polymorphisms and breast cancer susceptibility.

RESULTS

Subgroup-stratified analyses showed that the T and TT genotypes of the HIF1A rs11549465 C/T polymorphism were significantly associated with increased breast cancer risk in the Asian population under three genetic models (allele, homozygous, and recessive). HIF1A rs11549467 G/A analyses indicated that the A and AA genotypes were significantly associated with increased breast cancer risk in the Asian population under allele and dominant models. However, no association with breast cancer was observed in the White population for the HIF1A rs11549465 C/T and rs11549467 G/A polymorphisms. In addition, the HIF1A rs2057482 C/T polymorphism showed no association with breast cancer under any genetic models or by ethnicity-stratified analyses.

CONCLUSION

The results of this meta-analysis suggested that the HIF1A rs11549465 C/T and rs1154946 G/A polymorphisms were significantly associated with increased breast cancer risk in the Asian population, but no associations were found in the White population. Thus, HIF1A could be an important biomarker for population-based breast cancer screening.
Genomic Features of Lung-Recurrent Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer
Authors: Fonseca Nicolette M. , Van der Eecken Kim , Herberts Cameron , Verbeke Sofie , Ng Sarah W.S. , Lumen Nicolaas , Ritch Elie , Murtha Andrew J. , Bernales Cecily Q. , Schönlau Elena , Moris Lisa , Van Dorpe Jo , Annala Matti , Wyatt Alexander W. , Ost Piet
Published: May 2022

PURPOSE

Pulmonary involvement is rare in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) that recurs after treatment for localized disease. Guidelines recommend intensive systemic therapy, similar to patients with liver metastases, but some lung-recurrent mHSPC may have good outcomes. Genomic features of lung metastases may clarify disease aggression, but are poorly understood since lung biopsy is rarely performed. We present a comparative assessment of genomic drivers and heterogeneity in metachronous prostate tumors and lung metastases.

METHODS

We leveraged a prospective functional imaging study of 208 biochemically recurrent prostate cancers to identify 10 patients with lung-recurrent mHSPC. Histologic diagnosis was attained via thoracic surgery or fine-needle lung biopsy. We retrieved clinical data and performed multiregion sampling of primary tumors and metastases. Targeted and/or whole-exome sequencing was applied to 46 primary and 32 metastatic foci.

RESULTS

Unusually for mHSPC, all patients remained alive despite a median follow-up of 11.5 years. Several patients experienced long-term freedom from systemic treatment. The genomic landscape of lung-recurrent mHSPC was typical of curable prostate cancer with frequent PTEN, SPOP, and chromosome 8p alterations, and there were no deleterious TP53 and DNA damage repair gene mutations that characterize aggressive prostate cancer. Despite a long median time to recurrence (76.8 months), copy number alterations and clonal mutations were highly conserved between metastatic and primary foci, consistent with intrapatient homogeneity and limited genomic evolution.

CONCLUSION

In this retrospective hypothesis-generating study, we observed indolent genomic etiology in selected lung-recurrent mHSPC, cautioning against grouping these patients together with liver or bone-predominant mHSPC. Although our data do not generalize to all patients with lung metastases, the results encourage prospective efforts to stratify lung-recurrent mHSPC by genomic features.
Short-Term Fasting Attenuates Overall Steroid Hormone Biosynthesis in Healthy Young Women
Authors: Magyar Benjamin P , Santi Maristella , Sommer Grit , Nuoffer Jean-Marc , Leichtle Alexander , Grössl Michael , Fluck Christa E
Published: May 2022

Context

Fasting is stressful for the human body. It is managed by metabolic adaptations maintaining energy homeostasis and involves steroid hormone biosynthesis, but the exact interplay between energy and steroid metabolism remains elusive. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) suffer from disturbed metabolism and androgen excess, while in women with anorexia nervosa, cortisol and androgen production are decreased. By contrast, starvation of steroidogenic cells shifts adrenal steroid biosynthesis toward enhanced androgen production.

Aim

This study investigated the effect of fasting on steroid production in healthy women.

Methods

Twenty healthy young women fasted for 48 hours; steroid profiles from plasma and urine samples were assessed at baseline, after 24 hours, and 48 hours by liquid and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry.

Results

Fasting did not change overall steroidogenesis, although it increased progestogen production and lowered relative mineralocorticoid, glucocorticoid, and androgen production. The largest decrease in urine metabolites was seen for β-cortol, dehydroepiandrosterone, and androstenediol; higher levels were found for pregnanediol in urine and progesterone and aldosterone in serum. Activity of 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase (CYP17A1), essential for androgen biosynthesis, was decreased after fasting in healthy women as were 21-hydroxylase (CYP21A2) and 5α-reductase activities. By contrast, hydroxysteroid 11-beta dehydrogenase 1 (HSD11B1) activity for cortisol inactivation seemed to increase with fasting.

Conclusion

Significant changes in steroid metabolism occurred after 48 hours of fasting in healthy women. In contrast to metabolic changes seen at baseline in PCOS women compared to healthy women, and after starving of steroidogenic cells, no androgen excess was observed after short-term fasting in healthy young women.
A View of a Landscapeand Other Church Problems
Authors: Raengo Alessandra
Published: May 2022

Thinking with Fred Moten's approach to aesthetics in the trilogy consent not to be a single being and Kevin Beasley's A view of a landscape: A cotton gin motor, 2012–18, this introduction reflects on the way the philosophical project of aesthetics is entangled in the relationships between the legal and the paralegal, law and lawlessness, sensibility and sensoriality, form and informality, nonsense and common sense, exclusion and invagination, objecthood and thingness, motion and stillness, as well as the previousness, prematurity, and postexpectancy of black generativity. Inspired by the issue's contributions’ option for incompleteness and canted temporality and by Moten's description of a “church problem” as the problem of the togetherness of things, it then approaches the issue's content thinking, practicing, or witnessing “undercommonsense” in the making, whereby the aesthetic can be understood not only as a processing site but also as a space of congregation.
Doing It, Fluid
Authors: Prettyman Michele
Published: May 2022

In this interview essay Michele Prettyman talks with filmmaker, moving image artist, curator, and producer Elissa Blount Moorhead about her work, the power of collaboration, and her innovative praxis. Taking some inspiration from black musical traditions, which are central to Blount Moorhead's roots, Prettyman borrows the essay's title phrasing, “Doing It, Fluid,” from a song by the group the Blackbyrds. The song's aggregation of an array of sonic components embodies the capacities of black expressive life to animate multiple creative impulses at once, providing a compelling analogy to Blount Moorhead's “fluid” practices of black making, gathering, and collaboration. The introductory essay outlines ways in which fluidity is useful both as an analytic and as an approach to studying Blount Moorhead's work, which often reveals unseen nuances in Black life by visually reconstituting images, artifacts, memories, and speculative histories. Prettyman also explores Blount Moorhead's role in shaping an art and moving image collective of Black media makers in Baltimore, coining the phrase “the Baltimore Arts and Image Renaissance (BAIR),” and citing Baltimore as an important base for Blount Moorhead, Bradford Young, and filmmaker Radha Blank, among others, and as a hub for TNEG, a film production studio helmed by Blount Moorhead, Malik Hassan Sayeed, and Arthur Jafa. Together the essay and interview reveal the impact of Blount Moorhead's praxis and the ways in which contemporary Black filmmakers remain connected to histories of Black creative collectives while also reimagining black aesthetic and technological possibilities.
Accessible analysis of longitudinal data with linear mixed effects models
Authors: Murphy Jessica I. , Weaver Nicholas E. , Hendricks Audrey E.
Published: May 2022

Longitudinal studies are commonly used to examine possible causal factors associated with human health and disease. However, the statistical models, such as two-way ANOVA, often applied in these studies do not appropriately model the experimental design, resulting in biased and imprecise results. Here, we describe the linear mixed effects (LME) model and how to use it for longitudinal studies. We re-analyze a dataset published by Blanton et al. in 2016 that modeled growth trajectories in mice after microbiome implantation from nourished or malnourished children. We compare the fit and stability of different parameterizations of ANOVA and LME models; most models found that the nourished versus malnourished growth trajectories differed significantly. We show through simulation that the results from the two-way ANOVA and LME models are not always consistent. Incorrectly modeling correlated data can result in increased rates of false positives or false negatives, supporting the need to model correlated data correctly. We provide an interactive Shiny App to enable accessible and appropriate analysis of longitudinal data using LME models.
Clay Column Chromatography for Optical Resolution: A Series of Derivatized Amino Acids
Authors: Yamagishi Akihiko , Yamamoto Shohei , Takimoto Kazuyoshi , Tamura Kenji , Kamon Masumi , Sato Fumi , Sato Hisako
Published: May 2022

Chromatographic resolution of a series of derivatized amino acids was attempted on a column packed with an ion-exchange adduct of Δ-[Ru(phen)3]2+ (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) and synthetic hectorite. An amino acid was modified to N-3, 5-dinitrobenzoyl amino acid methyl ester (denoted by DNB-aa-me). For aa = Ala, Phe, Leu, Ile, Ser, Val, Thr, Tyr, Asp and Glu, racemic DNB-aa-me was resolved nearly to baseline separation on being eluted with methanol. For aa = Trp and His, racemic DNB-aa-me was resolved partially. No resolution was achieved for Pro and Lys. The mechanism of chiral discrimination was investigated by means of solid-state vibrational circular dichroism spectroscopy.
Mechanisms of Exercise-Induced Cardiac Remodeling Differ Between Young and Aged Hearts
Authors: Schmitt Emily E. , McNair Benjamin D. , Polson Sydney M. , Cook Ross F. , Bruns Danielle R.
Published: May 2022

Aging induces physiological and molecular changes in the heart that increase the risk for heart disease. Several of these changes are targetable by exercise. We hypothesize that the mechanisms by which exercise improves cardiac function in the aged heart differ from those in the young exercised heart.
Effects of Exercise Training Intensity and Duration on Skeletal Muscle Capillarization in Healthy Subjects: A Meta-analysis
Authors: LIU YUJIA , CHRISTENSEN PETER M. , HELLSTEN YLVA , GLIEMANN LASSE
Published: May 2022

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the effect of intensity and duration of continuous and interval exercise training on capillarization in skeletal muscle of healthy adults.

Methods

PubMed and Web of Science were searched from inception to June 2021. Eligibility criteria for studies were endurance exercise training >2 wk in healthy adults, and the capillary to fiber ratio (C:F) and/or capillary density (CD) reported. Meta-analyses were performed, and subsequent subgroup analyses were conducted by the characteristics of participants and training scheme.

Results

Fifty-seven trials from 38 studies were included (10%/90%, athletic/sedentary). C:F was measured in 391 subjects from 47 trials, whereas CD was measured in 428 subjects from 50 trials. Exercise training increased C:F (mean difference, 0.33 (95% confidence interval, 0.30–0.37)) with low heterogeneity (I
2 = 45.08%) and CD (mean difference, 49.8 (36.9–62.6) capillaries per millimeter squared) with moderate heterogeneity (I
2 = 68.82%). Compared with low-intensity training (<50% of maximal oxygen consumption (V̇O2max)), 21% higher relative change in C:F was observed after continuous moderate-intensity training (50%–80% of V̇O2max) and 54% higher change after interval training with high intensity (80%–100% of V̇O2max) in sedentary subjects. The magnitude of capillary growth was not dependent on training intervention duration. In already trained subjects, no additional increase in capillarization was observed with various types of training.

Conclusions

In sedentary subjects, continuous moderate-intensity training and interval training with high intensity lead to increases in capillarization, whereas low-intensity training has less effect. Within the time frame studied, no effect on capillarization was established regarding training duration in sedentary subjects. The meta-analysis highlights the need for further studies in athlete groups to discern if increased capillarization can be obtained, and if so, which combination is optimal (time vs intensity).
Virtual hepatectomy and metastasectomy 3D simulation using an automated and semiautomated tool applied to preoperative CT in the treatment of colorectal cancer metastases
Authors: Torre Giovanna Sawaya , Gomes Andressa Inacio , Viveiros Marcelo de Melo , Sant Anna Raoni , Ogawa Renata Emy , Rezende Marcelo Bruno , Baroni Ronaldo Hueb , Tachibana Adriano
Published: May 2022

Colorectal cancer represents the most common malignancy of the gastrointestinal tract and the second most frequently diagnosed malignancy in adults. The most common site of metastases is the liver and 40% of patients in stage IV have liver only disease. 1 Hepatic metastases are the major determinants of morbidity and mortality in these patients, with surgery being the treatment of choice or even curative in these cases. 2 Therefore, aggressive surgeries should be considered in patients with liver only disease. In this context, hepatectomy and metastasectomy have emerged as promising techniques for improving survival in patients with metastatic disease, also providing long-term cure. 3 The use of liver volumetrics, tridimensional reconstructions with vessel extraction and 3D virtual surgery simulations allows better surgical planning and potentially decrease transfusions, surgery time and complications. 4 For major hepatectomies (>4 resected segments), surgical planning with computed angiotomography and liver remnant volume calculation potentially increases the safety of surgery. We report a case in which preoperative 3D surgical simulation was crucial for conducting a safe major hepatectomy in a patient with multiple colorectal liver metastases.
Sociodemographic characteristics of community eye screening participants: protocol for cross-sectional equity analyses in Botswana, Kenya, and Nepal
Authors: Allen Luke N , Nkomazana Oathokwa , Kumar Mishra Sailesh , Ratshaa Bakgaki , Ho-Foster Ari , Rono Hillary , Roshan Abhiskek , Macleod David , Kim Min , Patricia Marques Ana , Bolster Nigel M , Burton Matthew J , Gichangi Michael , Karanja Sarah , Bastawrous Andrew
Published: May 2022

Background: Attendance rates for eye clinics are low across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and exhibit marked sociodemographic (SD) inequalities. We aimed to quantify the association between a range of SD domains and attendance rates from vision screening in programmes launching in Botswana, Kenya and Nepal.

Methods: We will develop a set of sociodemographic questions and introduce them into routine community-based eye screening programmes in Kenya, Botswana and Nepal, targeting children aged 5-18 years and adults. Our study design is a rolling survey, embedded within the Peek screening programme. The sociodemographic questions will be asked of 10% of all those presenting to be screened, and 100% of those identified with an eye problem. We will also collect data on whether people referred to ophthalmic clinic for treatment or further assessment attended, and we will use logistic regression to report odds ratios for this outcome attendance) for each socioeconomic domain in each country. We hypothesise that attendance rates will be lowest among marginalised sociodemographic groups such as older, less educated, less wealthy women. To identify the most appropriate sociodemographic items we will perform a literature review, and then hold workshops with researchers, academics, programme implementers, and programme designers in each country to tailor the domains and response options to the national context. We will report outcome data at 6 and 12 months, identifying the groups facing the highest barriers to access.

Discussion: This low-risk, embedded, pragmatic, observational data collection will enable eye screening programme managers to accurately identify which sociodemographic groups are facing the highest systematic barriers to accessing care at any point in time. This information will be used to inform the development of service improvements to improve equity.
Comparative evaluation of different types of bariatric surgery
Authors: Prodan A. , Dzhyvak V.
Published: May 2022

Introduction. The use of bariatric surgery as a treatment for obesity has increased dramatically over the past few years. Because the results in obese patients with type 2 diabetes were so impressive, the International Diabetes Federation recommended considering bariatric surgery as an acceptable treatment option in patients with a BMI of 30-35 kg / m2 when diabetes cannot be adequately controlled with traditional therapies.

The aim of the study is to compare the results of bariatric surgery in patients with metabolic syndrome according to the dynamics of body mass index and major orexigenic and anorexigenic hormones.

Material and Methods. The results of surgical treatment of 19 patients with morbid obesity (5 men and 14 women) aged 44 ± 3.26 years with a body mass index ˃40 kg / m2 were evaluated. The control group consisted of 12 patients with normal body mass index and no manifestations of metabolic syndrome.

Results. Our study also demonstrated the positive effect of LGAE on hormonal parameters with a decrease in ghrelin and leptin. This helped reduce BMI by 10.12% after 6 months. At the same time there is an increase in adiponectin and resistin.

Conclusions. LGAE in patients with ghrelin-associated obesity is possible as an alternative intervention, given its good tolerability. Or, as the first preparatory stage of comprehensive surgical treatment in obese patients who are not good candidates for standard bariatric surgery.
Mismanaging Diagnostic Accuracy Under Congestion
Authors: Kremer Mirko , de Véricourt Francis
Published: May 2022

Diagnostic processes are difficult to manage because they require the decision maker (DM) to dynamically balance the benefit of acquiring more diagnostic information against the cost of doing so. When additional and unattended diagnostic tasks build up over time, making this tradeoff becomes especially challenging. In their study “Mismanaging Diagnostic Accuracy Under Congestion,” Kremer and de Véricourt uncover different biases to which DMs are subject when making diagnostic decisions while unattended diagnostic tasks accumulate over time. The authors find that, in their experiments, DMs are overall insufficiently sensitive to congestion. As a result, DMs acquire too little information at low congestion levels, but too much at high levels, compared with an optimal normative benchmark. This in fact increases both the diagnostic errors and congestion levels in the system. The authors disentangle the underlying mechanisms for these effects and suggests different approaches to debias the DMs.
Narrativas de Pessoas LGBTQIA+ Universitárias acerca do Suicídio
Authors: Sousa Alexia Jade Machado , Nogueira Francisco Jander de Sousa
Published: May 2022

O objetivo principal deste trabalho é discutir e compreender quais questões estão em volta do suicídio na comunidade LGBTQIA+ de acordo com a narrativa de alguns estudantes universitários participantes dessa comunidade. Para construção do estudo, utilizou-se da pesquisa social em saúde, apresentando uma abordagem qualitativa. Na produção de dados, foi utilizado um roteiro de entrevista semiestruturado que foi realizado, em sua maioria, de maneira remota. O estudo contou com 11 interlocutores. Os resultados foram analisados por meio da análise do discurso, emergindo quatro categorias extraídas das entrevistas: a invisibilidade; o preconceito; a violência; e o acesso ao serviço de saúde. Nos resultados e na discussão elencaram-se narrativas dos interlocutores com temáticas levantadas por autores como Foucault, Butler, Mbembe, entre outros. Assim, a partir de questões como biopoder, necropolítica e vidas precárias, discutiu-se sobre as vulnerabilidades e atravessamentos que perpassam a vida de um corpo LGBTQIA+ em relação ao suicídio através da narrativa de estudantes universitários.
Técnicas para Manejo da Emoção de Raiva: Uma Revisão Sistemática
Authors: Rech Dyane Lombardi , Schmidt Karine Elisa Schwarzer , Rudnicki Tania , Schmidt Marcia Moura
Published: May 2022

Introdução: Dentre as inúmeras possibilidades que um indivíduo possui de experienciar e expressar a raiva ou a ira, não é raro que o sentimento fuja do controle e termine em hostilidade e agressões, podendo gerar consequências importantes na vida de uma pessoa e de outros ao seu redor. Diante disso, torna-se fundamental a aplicação de técnicas comprovadamente eficazes, objetivando uma maior qualidade de vida ao indivíduo e às pessoas que com ele convivem. Objetivos: Identificar as principais técnicas no manejo da raiva em adultos. Método: Revisão sistemática de artigos científicos de estudos clínicos. Resultados: Nove estudos clínicos randomizados com utilização de técnicas psicológicas para o manejo da ira foram utilizados na análise. A Terapia Cognitivo-Comportamental mostrou-se predominante nas intervenções analisadas e provou-se eficaz para o controle da ira. Conclusão: Técnicas cognitivo-comportamentais, em especial a psicoeducação e a reestruturação cognitiva, são as ferramentas mais frequentemente usadas para o manejo da raiva em distintos grupos clínicos de pacientes, com resultados positivos na regulação emocional.
Passagens pela História da Gestalt: de Mach/Ehrenfels a Wertheimer, Koffka e Köhler
Authors: Freitas Jorge Américo Vargas
Published: May 2022

O artigo pretende fazer a leitura de textos que marcaram a história da teoria da Gestalt nas suas fases iniciais de desenvolvimento. Assim, procura redescobrir as origens do termo a partir de conceitos como Tongestalt, de Ernst Mach, e Gestaltqualitäten, de Christian von Ehrenfels, para alcançar as raízes filosóficas da psicologia da Gestalt. Em seguida, focando sobre a base da psicologia da Gestalt, a pesquisa se dedica aos fatores da Gestalt descritos por Max Wertheimer como leis gerais da teoria da Gestalt, à introdução da Gestalt theory nos Estados Unidos por Kurt Koffka a partir da apresentação do ponto de vista da Gestalt sobre a teoria da percepção e ao esclarecimento sobre o conceito de insight por Wolfgang Köhler por meio da abordagem exaustiva da perspectiva do leigo. Logo, o texto tenta ser capaz de dar mostras da evolução do conceito de Gestalt ao longo do tempo e ao mesmo tempo conectar uma variedade de definições e facetas da Gestalt.