bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Increased PD1 and Glycolysis in CD4+ T Cell Promotes Lymph Node Metastasis in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients
Authors: Wu Kun , Han Nan-nan , Zhang Sheng , Li Yan
Published: April 2021

Background: The presence of cervical lymph node metastasis is one of the poorest prognostic factors in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) with 50% reduction in survival of patients with lymph node positive involvement compared to those without. However, it is unknown whether immune checkpoint contributed to metastatic lymph nodes in OSCC patients. Methods: Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence staining were used to analyze the differences of CD4+ PD1+ T cells between metastatic and negative lymph nodes. RT-PCR was performed to clarify the expression of immune checkpoints and glycolysis related enzymes in metastatic and negative lymph nodes. Kruskal-Wallis tests, Mann-Whitney tests or nonparametric paired test (Wilcoxon matched paired test) were used to analyze the non-parametric distribution of samples. Results: We found that frequency of CD4+ T cells decreased in metastatic lymph nodes (p = 0.0019). In following experiments, immune checkpoints (PD1, PDL1 and CTLA4) of CD4+ T cells were detected in metastatic lymph node (LN+) and paired negative lymph node (LN-) of OSCC patients. The PD1 expression of LN+ was increased markedly compared to LN- (p = 0.0205). Similarly, the PD1 of CD4+ T cells in LN+ was increased significantly compared to LN-. We also found that glycolysis related enzymes levels in CD4+ T cells from LN+ were elevated dramatically compared to LN-. Moreover, PD1 and Hk2 expression of CD4+ T cells was increased in metastatic lymph nodes of OSCC patients with prior surgical treatment compared to those without. Conclusions: These findings suggested that increased PD1 and glycolysis in CD4+ T cell may serve as a pivotal regulator of OSCC metastatic lymph nodes via elevating glycolysis related enzymes level, especially in Hk2.
Understanding Voter Turnout Through Big Data Analytics
Authors: Hua Kueh Chong , Jamil Jastini Mohd , Shaharanee Izwan Nizal Mohd , Sheng Ang Jin
Published: April 2021

In the concept of democracy, citizens can come out to vote and choose who they would prefer to lead the country in a competitive election. Malaysia is one of the countries that practicing democracy in shaping the country’s future. There is a total of 14 general elections held in Malaysia. The turnout rate of the 2013 general election, 84.8% is the highest record in Malaysia history. However, the actual participation rate is considered lower when voter turnout is compared to voting age population and the number of eligible voters. Thus, this study’s objective is to predict Malaysian turnout in the general election in Malaysia using classification tree algorithms. This dataset used in this study are the Asian Barometer Survey 2010 and 2014 dataset. The three selection decision tree algorithms used in this study are CHAID, CART, and C5.0. Among these three methods, CHAID perform the best to predict the Malaysian turnout in Malaysia’s general election.
Overexpression of the dystrophins Dp40 and Dp40L170P modifies neurite outgrowth and the protein expression profile of PC12 cells
Authors: García-Cruz César , Merino-Jiménez Candelaria , Aragón Jorge , Ceja Víctor , González-Assad Brenda , Reyes-Grajeda Juan Pablo , Montanez Cecilia
Published: April 2021

Dp40 is ubiquitously expressed, including in the central nervous system. Dp40 mRNA and protein are detected in the early stages and postnatal stages of the mouse brain, respectively. In addition to being present in the nucleus, membrane, and cytoplasm, Dp40 is detected in neurites and postsynaptic spines in hippocampal neurons. Although Dp40 is expressed from the same promoter as Dp71, its role in the cognitive impairment present in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients is still unknown. Here, we studied the effects of overexpression of Dp40 and Dp40L170P (a mutant of Dp40) during the neuronal differentiation process of PC12 Tet-On cells. We found that Dp40 overexpression increased the percentage of PC12 cells with neurites and neurite length, while Dp40L170P overexpression decreased them compared to Dp40 overexpression. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis analysis carried out in nerve growth factor-differentiated PC12-Dp40L170P cells showed that the protein expression profile was modified compared to that of the control cells (PC12 Tet-On). The proteins with the highest upregulated expression were α-internexin and S100a6, which are involved in cytoskeletal structure. The expression of vesicle-associated membrane proteins increased in differentiated PC12-Dp40 cells, in contrast to PC12-Dp40L170P cells, while neurofilament light-chain was decreased in both differentiated cells. HspB1 was absent in undifferentiated cells and weakly detected in all differentiated cells. These results suggest that the subcellular distribution and expression of Dp40 has an important role in the neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells through the regulation of proteins involved in neurofilaments and exocytosis of synaptic vesicles, functions that might be affected in PC12-Dp40L170P.
Why Clinical Nurses Couldn’t Adhere to Standard Precautions Adequately Despite their High Adherence Intention? A Quantile Regression Approach
Authors: Kim Jin Suk , Lee Eunhee
Published: April 2021

Background: Standard precautions (SPs) are the minimum healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevention practice, which is important for preventing HAIs in all healthcare settings. This study aimed to investigate adherence to SPs using a survey and surveillance, and the factors affecting observed adherence to SPs. Methods: This study included 163 clinical nurses who were directly involved in patient care to examine the adherence to SPs. We compared the adherence according to the investigative methods and represented them by box plots. Quantile regression analysis was used to identify the factors affecting the observed adherence to SPs to determine the factors influencing each adherence quantile. Results: The observed adherence to SPs was 76.8 out of 100 points, while the self-reported adherence to SPs was approximately 95 points. Among the SP components, the observed adherence to hand hygiene was under 70 points, which was the lowest score. The statistically significant factors were self-reported adherence and work experience in the 25% quantile, self-reported adherence and working department in the 50% quantile, and nothing in the 75% quantile. Conclusion: Since inadequate adherence to SPs might lead to increase HAIs, we should consider both individual and organizational risk factors and construct prevention strategies for adequate adherence to SPs.
The Effect of Thyroid Hormones on Sarcopenia in a Chinese Elderly Population
Authors: Chen Jihai , Xu Wenli , Zhu Xiaoxia , Shi Xiaolan , Ren Jia , Sheng Yunlu , Ding Guoxian , Ouyang Xiaojun , Duan Yu
Published: April 2021

Purpose Sarcopenia is a common disease in the elderly. The change of hormone levels with age is proposed to be involved in the pathogenesis of sarcopenia, but the effect of thyroid hormones (THs) on sarcopenia is unclear. In this study, we aimed to analyze the effect of THs on sarcopenia.Methods Total 309 elderly subjects (122 females and 187 males) with an average age of 85.19 ± 7.8 years were enrolled. Participants were divided into four groups (non-sarcopenia, sarcopenia, possible sarcopenia and serve sarcopenia) based on the consensus of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia in 2019. Serum levels of total triiodothyronine (TT3), free triiodothyronine (FT3), thyroxine (T4), free thyroxine (FT4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), reverse triiodothyronine (rT3), and thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) were measured. Muscle mass was measured by multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Grip was measured by spring-type dynamometer. Walking speed was represented by 6-minute walk test. Results The levels of FT3, TT3 and TSH were significantly different in four groups. Partial correlation analysis (adjusted by age and gender) indicated that FT3, TT3 and TSH had significant correlation with hand grip. In addition, TT3 was correlated with walking speed. Regression analysis showed that TT3 was a protective factor for sarcopenia and hand grip, and TSH was a protective factor for severe sarcopenia. Conclusions T3 plays a protective role in sarcopenia, and this effect is achieved by affecting muscle strength but not muscle mass and gait speed. Moreover, compared with FT3, this study suggested that TT3 was more suitable to evaluate the relationship between thyroid and sarcopenia in elderly.
Study Cellular Hypoxic Response under Cyclic Oxygen Gradients Generated in Microfluidic Devices Using Real-Time Fluorescence Imaging
Authors: Chang Dao-Ming , Tung Yi-Chung
Published: April 2021

In this paper, an integrated approach to study cellular hypoxic response under cyclic oxygen gradients is developed. In the experiments, a cell culture system based on a microfluidic device is constructed to generate cyclic oxygen gradients with fast response. The oxygen gradient is generated by alternatively introducing gases with specific compositions by a computer-controlled gas supply system into the microfluidic channels next to the cell culture one separated by thin channel walls. Observation of cellular hypoxic responses is performed using real-time fluorescence imaging of dyes sensitive to extra-and intra-cellular oxygen tensions as well as intracellular calcium concentrations. The capability of consistent cyclic oxygen gradient generation is confirmed by characterizing spatiotemporal oxygen tension profiles within the device. In the cell experiments, cellular hypoxic responses of human aortic smooth muscle cells (AoSMCs) and lung carcinoma epithelium (A549) cells including intracellular oxygen and calcium levels are measured. The relationships between the oxygen probe intensity and extracellular oxygen tension for both cell types are highly linear, and difference between the intensity measured from the two cell types is observed between 4 to 8% O2 culture environment. In addition, both cell types show detectable intracellular calcium concentration variation when the environmental O2 varies between normoxia and lower than 4%. The AoSMCs and A549 cells show decrease and increase of the intracellular calcium concentration during hypoxic response when facing change from normoxia to hypoxia environments, respectively. With the capability of real-time cellular responses monitoring under cyclic oxygen gradients, the developed approach provides a useful scheme to investigate cellular hypoxic response in vitro under microenvironments mimicking various in vivo physiological and pathological conditions.
Laser ablation of silicon with THz bursts of femtosecond pulses: an experimental and theoretical investigation
Authors: Gaudiuso Caterina , Terekhin Pavel N. , Volpe Annalisa , Nolte Stefan , Rethfeld Bärbel , Ancona Antonio
Published: April 2021

In this work, we performed an experimental investigation supported by a theoretical analysis, to improve knowledge on the laser ablation of silicon with THz bursts of femtosecond laser pulses. Laser ablated craters have been created using 200 fs pulses at a wavelength of 1030 nm on silicon samples systematically varying the burst features and comparing to the Normal Pulse Mode (NPM). Using bursts in general allowed reducing the thermal load to the material, however, at the expense of the ablation rate. The higher the number of pulses in the bursts and the lower the intra-burst frequency, the lower is the specific ablation rate. However, bursts at 2 THz led to a higher specific ablation rate compared to NPM, in a narrow window of parameters. Theoretical investigations based on the numerical solution of the density-dependent two temperature model revealed that lower lattice temperatures are reached with more pulses and lower intra-burst frequencies, thus supporting the experimental evidence of the lower thermal load in Burst Mode (BM). This is ascribed to the weaker transient drop of reflectivity, which suggests that with bursts less energy is transferred from the laser to the material. This also explains the trends of the specific ablation rates. Moreover, we found that two-photon absorption plays a fundamental role during BM processing in the THz frequency range.
Arthrospira platensis Mediated Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles as Breast Cancer Proliferation and Differentiation Controlling agent: In-vitro and In-vivo Safety Approach
Authors: Deeb Nehal El , Abo-Eleneen Mai , Awad Omyma , Aboshady Atef
Published: April 2021

Biogenic Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are one of the most fascinating nanomaterials used in biomedical purposes. In the current study, we biosynthesized AgNPs using Arthrospira platensis, Microcystis aeruginosa and Chlorella vulgarisactive metabolites and evaluate their efficacy against breast cancer. The recovered AgNPs was characterized using scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM). The safety usage of bio-AgNPs was tested in-vitro on PBMCs cells and in-vivo. The obtained results indicated the safety usage of bio-AgNPs at concentration 0.1 mg/ml on PBMCs cells and 1.5mg/ml on the tested Albino mice. The bio-AgNPs displayed dose-dependent cytotoxicity (0.1 mg/ml) against HepG-2, CaCO-2 and MCF-7 cell lines via ROS induction and arresting treated cells in G0/G1 and sub G0 phases. In addition, Arthrospira bio-AgNPs treatment induced cellular apoptosis in breast cancer cells via the down regulation of survivin, MMP7, TGF and Bcl2 genes expressions. Upon Arthrospira bio-AgNPs treatment, a great delay in tumor growth and prolonged survival were recorded in breast cancer mice model. Furthermore, after Arthrospira bio-AgNPs treatment, a great reduction in Ki 67 protein marker from 60% to be 20% and was recorded and an elevation in Caspase 3 protein levels was recorded in treated groups with percentage 65% comparing with 45% in Doxorubicin treated groups.
Detection of Cataract Through Feature Extraction by the Novel Angular Binary Pattern (NABP) and Classification by Kernel Based Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Sirajudeen A , balasubramaniam Anuradha , Karthikeyan S
Published: April 2021

Cataract is a condition of the opacity in the lenticular regions, which usually results in bad visual interpretation of the viewed object or any entity. Hence the timely detection of cataract is considered to be significant and can even contribute in the prevention from loss of fight that might occur if the cataract is left untreated. In this paper, detection of cataract disease is carried out based on the image processing technique. Color features, texture features and shape features are extracted separately. This study proposed a Novel Angular Binary Pattern (NABP) for the extraction of texture features. And after the extraction of features, the images are subjected to classification through the implementation of the proposed novel Kernel Based Convolutional Neural Networks. Results are obtained separately for all the three types of features. A comparison is carried out for the proposed work with existing works and based on the results obtained it can be seen that the proposed work comes up with the enhanced results than the traditional methods.
Controlling the Friction of Gels by Regulating Interfacial Oxygen During Polymerization
Authors: Simič Rok , Spencer Nicholas D.
Published: April 2021

Hydrogel surfaces are of great interest in applications ranging from cell scaffolds and transdermal drug-delivery patches to catheter coatings and contact lenses. In this work we propose a method to control the surface structure of hydrogels, thereby tailoring their frictional properties. The method is based on oxygen inhibition of the free-radical polymerization reaction during synthesis and enables (i) control of friction over more than an order in magnitude and (ii) spatial control of friction as either a continuous gradient or a distinct pattern. The presented method has successfully been applied to acrylamide-, diacrylate- and methacrylate-based gels, illustrating the universality of the presented method, and its potential use in the above-mentioned applications.
Peer influence and sexual debut : A mathematical approach
Authors: Mhlanga Adequate
Published: April 2021

Objectives: Early sexual debut is one of the major causes of STIs and unwanted pregnancy. A deterministic mathematical model to attempt to understand the role of prostitution and peer influence on early sexual debut is developed and analyzed. Results: The thresholds known as the reproduction number and equilibria for the model are determined and stabilities analyzed. Analysis of the reproduction number suggests that prostitution and economic hardships enhance early sexual debut. Sensitivity analysis of the reproduction number is carried out and it suggests that a reduction in prostitution has the greatest impact in reducing the reproduction number. Using the multi-domain pseudo-spectral relaxation method (MD-SRM), numerical simulations are carried out. Numerical simulations suggest that prostitution and peer influence enhances early sexual debut.
Polyglutamine-expanded ataxin-3: a target engagement marker for Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 in peripheral blood
Authors: Huebener-Schmid Jeannette , Kuhlbrodt Kirsten , Peladan Julien , Faber Jennifer , Santana Magda M , Hengel Holger , Jacobi Heike , Reetz Kathrin , Garcia-Moreno Hector , Raposo Mafalda , Gaalen Judith van , Infante Jon , Steiner Katharina M , Vries Jeroen de , Verbeek Marcel M , Giunti Paola , Almeida Luis Pereira de , Lima Manuela , Warrenburg Bart van de , Schöls Ludger , Klockgether Thomas , Synofzik Matthis , Rieß Olaf H
Published: April 2021

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 is a rare neurodegenerative disease, caused by a CAG repeat expansion leading to polyglutamine elongation in the ataxin-3 protein. While no curative therapy is yet available, preclinical gene silencing approaches to reduce polyglutamine-toxicity demonstrate promising results. In view of upcoming clinical trials, quantitative and easily accessible molecular markers are of critical importance as pharmacodynamic and particularly as target engagement markers. We developed a novel ultrasensitive immunoassay to measure specifically polyQ-expanded ataxin-3 in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid. Statistical analyses revealed a correlation with clinical parameters and a stability of polyglutamine-expanded ataxin-3 during conversion from the pre-ataxic to the ataxic phase.
Gravitational Fields and Gravitational Waves
Authors: Yuan Tony
Published: April 2021

For any object with finite velocity, the relative velocity between them will affect the effect between them. This effect can be called the chasing effect (general Doppler effect). LIGO discovered gravitational waves and measured the speed of gravitational waves equal to the speed of light c. Gravitational waves are generated due to the disturbance of the gravitational field, and the gravitational waves will affect the gravitational force on the object. We know that light waves have the Doppler effect, and gravitational waves also have this characteristic. The article studies the following questions around gravitational waves: What is the spatial distribution of gravitational waves? Can the speed of the gravitational wave represent the speed of the gravitational field (the speed of the action of the gravitational field on the object)? What is the speed of the gravitational field? Will gravitational waves caused by the revolution of the sun affect planetary precession?
The Impact of Payer Status on Hospital Admissions: Evidence from an Academic Medical Center
Authors: Zhao Yanying , Paschalidis Ioannis Ch. , Hu Jianqiang
Published: April 2021

Background: Inequity exists in accessing to care for patients with different payer statuses. However, there are few studies on the difference of hospital admissions. This study aims to examine how the payer status affects patients hospitalization from the perspective of a safety-net hospital. Methods: We extracted all patients with visiting record in this medical center between 5/1/2009-4/30/2014, and then linked the outpatient and inpatient records three year before target admission time to patients. We conduct a retrospective observational study using a conditional logistic regression methodology. To control the illness of patients with different diseases in training the model, we construct a three-dimension variable with data stratification technology. The model is validated on a dataset distinct from the one used for training. Results: Payer status is strongly associated with a patient’s admission. Patients covered by private insurance or uninsured are less likely to be admitted than those totally or partially insured by government. For uninsured patients, inequity in access to hospitalization is observed. Among all non-clinical influential factors considered in our study, payer status is a significant important factor. Conclusion: Attention is needed on improving the access to care for vulnerable (low-income) patients, for example, by actively advertising free care programs, reaching out to community organizations with better access to these individuals, or offering assurances that access to care is not linked to immigration procedures. Also, in order to reduce preventable admissions, basic preventive care services should be enhanced.
Survival After Lobectomy Versus Sublobar Resection for Stage IA Large-Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Lung: A Population-Based Study
Authors: yu xiangyang , Huang Zirui , Zhang Mengqi , Lin Yongbin , Zhang Rusi , Wen Yingsheng , Zhang Xuewen , Yang Longjun , Zhao Dechang , Zhang Lanjun
Published: April 2021

Background: Due to the low incidence of pulmonary large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC), the survival analysis for comparing lobectomy and sublobar resection (SLR) for stage IA LCNEC remains scarce. Methods: Patients diagnosed with pathological stage IA LCNEC between 1998 and 2016 were extracted from the Survenillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The oncological outcomes were cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS). Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox multivariate analysis were used to identify the independent prognostic factors for OS and CSS. Furthermore, propensity score matching (PSM) was performed between SLR and lobectomy to adjust the confounding factors. Results: A total of 308 patients with stage IA LCNEC met the inclusion criteria: 229 patients (74.4%) received lobectomy and 79 patients (25.6%) received SLR. Patients who underwent SLR were older (P<0.001), had smaller tumor size (P=0.010) and fewer lymph nodes dissection (P<0.001). The 5-year CSS and OS rates were 56.5% and 42.9% for SLR, and 67.8% and 55.7% for lobectomy, respectively (P=0.037 and 0.019, respectively). However, multivariate analysis did not identify any differences between SLR group and lobectomy group in CSS (P=0.135) and OS (P=0.285); and the PSM also supported these results. In addition, age at diagnosis and laterality of tumor were identified as significant predictors for CSS and OS, whereas the number of lymph nodes dissection was a significant predictor for CSS. Conclusions: Although SLR is not inferior to lobectomy in terms of oncological outcomes for patients with stage IA LCNEC, more lymph nodes can be dissected or sampled during lobectomy. Lobectomy should be considered as a standard procedure for patients with early-stage LCNEC who are able to withstand lobectomy.
What is The Effect of Sleeve Gastrectomy in Patients with a BMI ≥ 50 kg/m2?
Authors: Ozturk Alper , Celik Yusuf
Published: April 2021

Background: To investigate the effect of Sleeve Gastrectomy (SG) in patient with a Body Mass Index (BMI)≥50 kg/m² groups on weight loss and comorbidities as the first and alone option. Methods: The prospectively maintained data obtained from patients with a BMI ≥ 50 who underwent SG between February, 2016 - February, 2020 were evaluated. Results: 138 patient with a BMI≥50 kg/m² underwent surgery. Average BMI: 56.36±7.661, age 37.41±12.33. Forty eight patients underwent cholecystectomy and/or hiatal hernia repair (HHR), as well. The percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL) values of patients in months 3, 6, 12 and 24 were 36.70%, 54.34%, 67.58%, 72.45%, 74.14% and the percentage of total weight loss (TWL%) values were 20.17%, 29.59%, 36.93%, 39.62%, 40.65%, respectively. The mean BMI values in month 0 and in the 3rd, 6th, 12th, 18th, 24th months were 56.36, 45.10, 39.76, 35.48, 33.96 and 33.42 respectively. The values measured in the month 0 and in the 3rd, 6th, 12th, 18th, 24th months were significantly different for EWL%, TWL% and BMI variables (p<0.001), but EWL% (p = 0.527), TWL% (p = 0.396) and BMI (p=0.657) were not found significantly different between the 18th and 24th months. When EWL% was accepted as ≥50, the success rate was found to be 93.55%(n=93) and 92%(n=50) in months 12 and 24, respectively. Conclusion: SG appears to be an effective and safe treatment method as the first option for weight loss and for treatment of concomitant disorders in patient with a BMI ≥ 50 kg/m² groups. Further long-term studies are needed to confirm these results.
Inflammatory Modulation of Bronchial Epithelial Cells’ Response to Lipopolysaccharide with Pretreatment by Montelukast
Authors: Jendrisek Gorana , Nikolic Aleksandra , Dragicevic Sandra
Published: April 2021

Purpose

Montelukast, a leukotriene receptor antagonist, is the most prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used as add-on therapy at later stages of asthma to prevent disease progression. Besides its direct anti-inflammatory effect due to blocking leukotriene action, montelukast has been proposed to have secondary anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic properties. This study aimed to investigate the modulatory effect of montelukast on the expression of major genes involved in airway inflammation (TNF, IL6) and remodeling (MMP9, TGFB1) in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vitro.
Methods

Effect of montelukast on LPS-induced acute inflammation was analyzed in the immortalized cell line derived from human bronchial epithelium, BEAS-2B. The expression of selected genes was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction 0h and 24h after LPS stimulation in cells pretreated with montelukast.
Results

Montelukast was found to significantly attenuate increased TNF and IL6 gene expression, has a mild effect on MMP9, and has no effect on TGFB1 expression upon stimulation with LPS.
Conclusion

The results of our study indicate that that patients already using montelukast therapy would have adequate response to acute microorganism-induced inflammation. Additional anti-inflammatory effects of montelukast could be better exploited in clinical practice and modes of montelukast use should be reconsidered to improve the therapeutic approaches in asthma.
Identification of Key Pathways and Establishment of a Seven-Gene Prognostic Signature in Cervical Cancer
Authors: Meng Silu , Ning Ruoqi , Zhang Jianwei , Wang Shennan , Fan Xinran , Xiao Bing , Li Shuang
Published: April 2021

Background: Cervical cancer (CC) remains high morbidity and mortality. We aimed to identify critical pathways underlying cervical carcinogenesis and establish a prognostic signature.Methods: Six datasets from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database were used to screen the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between CC and normal tissues. We used the unions of the DEGs to perform functional analysis. The 108 overlapped DEGs were analyzed to determine a prognostic signature by Cox regression and Lasso analysis based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and Immune Cell Abundance Identifier (ImmuCellAI) were used to determine the relationships between the signature and biological functions.Results: The PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, the Ras signaling pathway, and the viral carcinogenesis pathway may be the critical pathways for CC development. We identified 7 genes to construct a risk score formula. Survival analysis showed that the high-risk group indicated a worse prognosis than the low-risk group (p < 0.0001). The AUC of the prognostic signature was 0.7449, 0.7641, and 0.8146 at 1, 3, and 5 years. We also identified that the signature is an independent prognostic factor. GSEA showed five pathways were relevant to the signature, such as the adherens junction pathway. The abundances of various types of immune cells, such as B cell, CD4+ T cell and CD8+ T cell, were also affected by the signature.Conclusion: In conclusion, the present study explored the key pathways for CC development and the seven-gene signature can effectively make the prognosis evaluation of CC patients.
Identification of Prognostic Markers For Hepatocellular Carcinoma Based On the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition-Related Gene BIRC5
Authors: li yan , li yiping , xu rongzhong , lin liubing , zhang bo , wang jian , zhao fanchen , liu xiaolin
Published: April 2021

Background: The baculoviral IAP repeat containing 5 (BIRC5) related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, it remains unclear whether BIRC5-related genes can be used as prognostic markers of HCC. Methods: Kaplan-Meier (K-M) survival curve was used to assess the Overall Survival (OS) of high- and low-expression group divided by the median of BIRC5 expression. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the two groups were screened using the limma package, and performed the functional enrichment analysis by the clusterProfiler package. WGCNA was used to analyze the relationship of the module and the clinical traits. The risk signature was constructed by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses and the enrichment analysis of genes in the risk signature was performed by the Intelligent pathway analysis (IPA). The immunophenoscore (IPS) and the tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) were used to estimate the clinical significance of the risk groups.Results: BIRC5 was high-expressed in HCC samples and associated with a poor prognosis (p-value < 0.0001). WGCNA screened 180 module genes which were overlapped with the 241 DEGs, ultimately getting 33 candidate genes. After the Cox regression analyses, CENPA, CDCA8, EZH2, KIF20A, KPNA2, CCNB1, KIF18B and MCM4 were preserved and used to construct risk signature, followed by calculating the risk score. The patients in high-risk groups stratified by median of the risk score were associated with a poor prognosis. The risk score had high accuracy [the area under the curve (AUC) >0.72] and was closely associated with clinicopathological characteristics of HCC patients. IPA suggested that the 8 genes were enriched in Cancer and Immunological disease related pathways. IPS and TIDE score indicated that the genes in low-risk group could cause an immune response, and patients in the low-risk group may be more sensitive to the immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy.Conclusion: The risk score constructed by the 8 genes could not only predict the clinical outcome but also distinguish the cohort of ICB therapy in HCC, which exerted a vital value in treatment and prognosis of HCC.
Nurse Versus Clinician Symptomatic Adverse Events Assessment Based on Patient-Reported Outcomes Version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE): Results of a Questionnaire-Based Study
Authors: Liu Lei , Wang Jian-xin , Zhang Li-na , zhang Yan-shou , Liu Feng-xia , Kang Lin , Wang Xin-le , Liu Zhanlun
Published: April 2021

Background: Monitoring adverse Events (AEs) is a standard practice for clinician to assess the overall effect of anti-cancer treatment on patients. However, studies have found clinicians have difficulty in capturing nuance aspects of patient-centered AEs. We aimed to explore the differences between nurses and clinicians in term of subjective AEs assessment and discuss the nurses’ role in subjective AEs assessment.Methods: From April and July, 2020, a questionnaires based study was conducted in Day Chemotherapy ward of Breast Center in Hebei Cancer Hospital. Six common subjective AEs were assessed by nurses and clinicians utilizing Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE). Patients needed to self-report their own subject AEs by filling up a Simplified Chinese version of PRO-CTCAE containing the same AEs. Results from the three different pairs (Nurse/Patient, Nurse/ Clinician, and Clinician/Patient) were collected and analyzed. Chi-square test and kappa coefficient were utilized to analysis the differences and consistency among different pairs.Results: of 417 patients were asked to participate in the study, 384 pairs surveys were collected. Nurses detected more AEs than clinicians, and the differences were statistically significant (P＜0.00). Nurse/patient pair scored the highest agreement in terms of reporting rate and toxicity grade for most of AEs except the toxicity grade for the frequency of vomiting and pain which were as consistent as nurse/clinician.Conclusions: The results of this study support nurses can be successfully enrolled in the assessment of subjective AEs because of the greater ability to elicit more patient-centered information than clinicians.
Low Expression of RILPL2 Predicts Poor Prognosis and Correlates with Immune Infiltration in Endometrial Carcinoma
Authors: Liu Jinihui , Mengtimg Xu , Wu Zhipemg , Liamg Jianqiamg , Zhu Hongjun
Published: April 2021

Increasing numbers of biomarkers have been identified for various cancers. However, biomarkers associated with endometrial carcinoma (EC) remain largely to be explored. In the current research, we downloaded the RNA-seq data and corresponding clinicopathological features from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. We conducted expression analysis, which resulted in identification of RILPL2 as a novel diagnostic biomarker in EC. The dysregulation of RILPL2 in EC was also validated in multiple datasets. The correlations between clinical features and RILPL2 expression were assessed by logistic regression analysis. Then, Kaplan-Meier analysis, univariate, and multivariate Cox regression analysis were performed to estimate prgnostic values of RILPL2 in the TCGA cohort, which unveiled that increased level of RILPL2 was remarkably associated with better prognosis and could be severd as an independent prognostic biomarker in patients with EC. Moreover, correlation analysis of RILPL2 and tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) indicated that RILPL2 might play a critical role in regulating immune cell infiltration in EC and is related to immune response. Besides, high methylation level was a significant cause for RILPL2 low expression in EC. Subsequently, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and enrichment analysis were conducted to explore the RILPL2-involved underlyingl oncogenic mechanisms, and the results indicated that RILPL2 mainly regulated cell cycle. In conclusion, our findings provided evidence that downregulation of RILPL2 in EC is an indicator of adverse prognosis and RILPL2 may act as a promising target for the theraputics of EC.
Frequency and Clinicopathological Features of Distant Metastasis of Bladder Cancer: A SEER-Based Study
Authors: Miao Jia , Wei Haibin , Cui Jianxin , Chen Xinpeng , Zhang Qi , Liu Feng , Mao Zujie , Zheng Wei , Zhang Yunxiao , Zhang Dahong
Published: April 2021

Background: bladder cancer (BCa) is a common malignancy in the urinary system. But the hematogenous metastatic pattern of it was poorly explored. The aim of this study was to provide a better understanding of the prognosis of the different distant metastatic pattern from stage IV BCa patients and support for making a suitable clinical decision.Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Result database (SEER) provided data for this study include BCa from 2010 to 2015. Kaplan–Meier method was used to evaluate the survival prognosis of patients of metastatic BCa. Cox proportional hazards regression model was utilized to analyzed risk factors. All statistical tests were two-sided.Results: At the time of diagnosis, a total of 6808 eligible patients at stage IV were extracted from SEER database. Patients who suffered metastasis to either one of the four sites occupied 25.31% (1723/6808) of BCa. Bone was the most common distant metastatic site of BCa (1225 cases), and brain metastases had the worst prognosis whose mean survival was 6.282 months. The results of univariate survival analysis presented that diagnostic age, race, gender, primary site surgery, tumor size, T stage, N stage, primary tumor site, histology, marital status and metastatic number were independent prognostic factors affecting overall survival (OS) (P<0.05). On multivariable Cox regression, squamous cell carcinoma was an independent risk factor affecting the overall survival (P < 0.05). The nomogram model was constructed to show the 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates of patients.Conclusion: In analysis of single metastatic sites, patients with brain metastasis had the worst overall survival and lung metastasis had the best outcomes than other three distant metastases. Knowledge of these differences in metastatic patterns is helpful for clinicians to make better pre-treatment evaluation and clinical decisions.
Identification of RB1 Gene as a Immune-Related Prognostic Signature Based on Tumor Mutation Burdens in Bladder Cancer
Authors: Chen Ming , Cheng Hong , Wu Tiange , Gui Zeping , Gao Ying , Gan Xinqiang , Xu Bin
Published: April 2021

Background: Bladder cancer (BC) is known as the eleventh most common malignant tumor all over the world, for either males or females. Developing effective regimens targeting more promising biomarkers aiming for better prognosis are required. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have been demonstrated as a prospective and practical means to resist cancers. Theoretically, adequate infiltration of immune cells indicates more immunotherapy targets and may promise better prognosis.Methods: Full transcriptome data (n=433), clinical information (n=581) and mutation sequencing (n=412) were obtained freely from The Cancer Genome Atlas and independent mutation sequencing data of 101 samples were acquired from International Cancer Genome Consortium. Statistical processing was conducted using R packages with R x64 4.0.2. Gene biologically functional research was performed with gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) based on Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. 22 types of immune cell infiltration were assessed and calculated in 398 samples of BC tumors.Results: Tumor mutation burdens (TMB) of mutant type groups were higher than wild type groups for 19 genes, except for FGFR3 and CREBBP verifying that genomic mutation associates positively with TMB in BC tumor. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed high mutation frequency on RB1 had a negative effect on prognosis of BC patients and RB1 was an independent prognostic factor (p=0.004, HR=1.776) in BC. It was also demonstrated that RB1 mainly participate in singling pathways of cell proliferation and cell cycle. Proportions and correlation of 22 types of immune cells in 433 samples were determined. Immune cells with similar function are inclined to co-exist in tumor microenvironment of BC. Among them, regulatory T cells (Tregs) were detected as a negatively correlated type immune cell to mutation of RB1 that probably increases the incidence of tumor immune escaping in BC.Conclusion: RB1 can be identified as an independent prognostic predictor, and there is a chance for contribution to poor overall survival as the mutation occurs. What's more, mutation of RB1 also functions as a biomarker that represses the infiltration of Tregs, increasing the incidence of tumor immune escaping in BC.
Correlation between Low-Level Viremia and Hepatitis B-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Recurrence: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Sun Furong , Liu Zhifei , Wang Bingyuan
Published: April 2021

Background

Low-level viremia generally refers to detectable HBV DNA levels lower than 2,000 IU/mL. Studies show that low-level viremia is a risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of this study was to explore the characteristics of low-level viremia patients with hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma and identify patient prognostic factors following curative hepatectomy.
Methods

Data from chronic hepatitis B patients with hepatocellular carcinoma receiving curative hepatectomy for the first time in the first hospital of China Medical University were studied. Patients were divided into two groups based on preoperative HBV DNA levels: group 1 (low-level viremia group, HBV DNA < 2,000 IU/mL) and group 2 (HBV DNA ≥ 2,000 IU/mL).
Results

Of the 212 patients, 104 patients were in group 1 and 108 patients were in group 2. There was a lower proportion of patients with HBsAg levels > 250 IU/mL in group 1 than in group 2 (71.2% vs. 86.1%, P < 0.01). The proportion of patients with a tumor diameter < 5 cm was 67.3% in group 1 and 37.0% in group 2 (P < 0.000). Tumor recurrence was 40.4% (42) in group 1 and 54.6% (59) in group 2 (P < 0.05). Median recurrence-free survival was 30.1 months in group 1 and 17.6 months in group 2 (P < 0.01). Multivariate analysis showed that a tumor diameter > 5 cm (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.819, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.193–2.775, P = 0.005), intrahepatic metastasis (HR = 1.916, 95% CI 1.077–3.407, P = 0.027), and an HBV DNA level > 100 IU/mL (HR = 2.943, 95% CI 1.916–4.520, P < 0.000) were independent prognostic factors associated with an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence.
Conclusion

Preoperative low-level viremia was related to a long tumor recurrence interval and post-operative virologic response was associated with a lower risk of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence.
Comparison of Radiofrequency Ablation with or without Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Wang Xinxin , Che Yang , Chen Shiyong , Wu Biao , He Yu , Dong Baolong , Yang Xiaojun
Published: April 2021

Background

To evaluate the curative effect and safety of compare radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with or without transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)with the help of a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) .
Materials and Methods

RCTs comparing TACE combined with RFA and RFA alone were searched electronically using PubMed, The Cochrane Library, and EMBASE. Fixed and random-effects were used to measure pooled estimates. Research indicators included overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFA), tumor progression and complications.
Results

Overall, 6 RCTs were included in this meta-analysis, with a total of 527 patients (TACE-RFA: 271; RFA: 256). 3- and5-year OS rate was higher in the TACE-RFA group than in the RFA group (OR = 1.74; 95% CI: 1.17–2.59; p = 0.006; OR = 2.19; 95% CI: 1.49–3.22; p < 0.0001). The 3- and 5-year RFS rate in the TACE-RFA group was higher than that in the RFA group (OR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.30 ~ 2.82, p = 0.0009; OR = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.21 ~ 2.70, p = 0.004, respectively). The rate of tumor progression was lower in the TACE-RFA group than in the RFA group (OR = 0.57; 95% CI: 0.38 ~ 0.85; p = 0.005). No significant differences in terms of 1-year OS rate and complications rate were observed between groups.
Effects on oxygenation and tissue perfusion of preoperative administration of levosimendan in hip fractures and left ventricular dysfunction 
Authors: Lorenzo María C Martín
Published: April 2021

Background: Hip fracture is common in elderly and has high morbidity and mortality. Many present left ventricular dysfunction, the use of inotropics may reduce perioperative cardiovascular complications. The objective of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a perioperative hemodynamic optimization protocol based on goal-guided therapy with levosimendan in these patients.Methods: In this prospective study 19 patients with LVEF <45% were recruited forhip surgery. They received an infusion of levosimendan 24h (0.1μg/kg/min) before surgery. Hemodynamic, oxygenation, tissue perfusion and analytical parameters; and ultrasound measurements of cardiac function were obtained before and at 24, 48 hours and 7 days later.Results: Patients mean age was 86±7 years. Both cardiac index, from 2.9±0.6 L.min–1m–2 at baseline to 3.7±0.8 L.min–1m–2 (P <0.001) and stroke volume index, from 36 ± 10 to 44 ± 8 mL/ m–2 (P =0.003) increased significantly at 24 h after drug initiation and remained significantly increased for 48 h. Systemic vascular resistance index decreased significantly (from 2302 ± 726 dyn.s.cm–5 m–2 to 1676 ± 530 dyn.s.cm–5 m–2 , P <0.001). Ejection fraction and left ventricular outflow tract velocity time integral also increased without reaching significance. A decrease in the NT-proBNP values was observed without statistical significance. Troponin I decreased non-significant until day 7, from 0.143 ± 0.42 pg/mL to 0.113 ± 0.15 pg/mL (P=0.17). DO2 increased significantly in parallel to CI from 751 ± 196 mL/min to 854 ± 340 mL/min (P =0.04) at 48 h, while O2 ER decreased significantly during infusion, 36 ± 7% to 32 ± 8% (P =0.04) ScvO2 significantly increased from 61 ± 7% to 69 ± 8% (P =<0.001) 48 h after infusion.Conclusions: The implementation of a preoperative optimization protocol based on goal-directed therapy with levosimendan in patients with left ventricular dysfunction and hip fractures did not present major complications. An improvement in perioperative haemodynamic parameters and also in the balance between oxygen delivery and consumption at tissue level was found. Levosimendan decreased mortality a year with respect to a retrospective case registry
Labor conditions at enterprises of Irkutsk region and implementation of the risk-based approach
Authors: Timofeeva S. S. , Gruzdeva O. E.
Published: April 2021

One of the serious economic problems of modern production is losses caused by work-related injuries and occupational diseases, which amount to 4% of GDP. One of the ways to reduce significant economic losses is to change the paradigm from responding to an accident and occupational diseases to preventing negative factors of production processes. Russia is undergoing a large-scale reform of control and supervisory activities and transition to the risk-based approach is under way. According to the risk-based approach, attention of the regulatory authorities should be focused on potentially dangerous objects related to risks 1, 2. The purpose of this article is to analyze innovations in labor protection within the ʺregulatory guillotineʺ in assessing working conditions and managing occupational risks using the example of economic facilities in Irkutsk region and determining economic costs depending on the working conditions. The methods of statistical research, assessment of professional risks and economic costs were used. It was found that every second employee has performed his labor duties under harmful and (or) dangerous working conditions. The most difficult working conditions are typical of extraction, processing and agricultural enterprises, the intensity of labor is maximum during storage and transportation. When predicting professional risks for the main factors of the production process by economic activities, it was found that the maximum risk is observed in the construction, transportation and mining industries. The main reasons for high risks were identified. In Irkutsk region, the actual expenses for compensation and personal protective equipment amounted to 11,235 rubles per one person. Mining enterprises have the highest expenses (95,156.5 thousand rubles); the amount of expenses in the construction industry is 47440.6 thousand rubles; in transportation and storage organizations, it is 359,602.5 thousand rubles. The minimum costs are in companies engaged in agriculture, forestry, hunting, fishing and fish farming. Economic costs are significant and require measures to improve working conditions and ensure the effective modernization of the OSH management system. Currently, transition to the risk-based approach and creation of a system for managing industrial risks are the main tasks of managers at different levels.