bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pooled outcomes of performing freehand transperineal prostate biopsy with the PrecisionPoint Transperineal Access System
Authors: Tzeng Michael , Basourakos Spyridon P. , Patel Hiten D. , Allaway Matthew J. , Hu Jim C. , Gorin Michael A.
Published: June 2022

Objectives

To report the results of a pooled analysis evaluating the cancer detection rates, complications, and tolerability of prostate biopsies performed using the PrecisionPoint Transperineal Access System.

Patients and Methods

The medical literature was reviewed to identify studies published prior to 1 October 2021 evaluating the PrecisionPoint device for performance of transperineal prostate biopsy. Pooled analyses were performed to assess overall and clinically significant cancer detection rates. Additionally, data on complications as well as patient tolerability of the procedure when performed under local anaesthesia were extracted.

Results

Transperineal biopsy with the PrecisionPoint Transperineal Access System achieved overall and clinically significant cancer detection rates of 67.9% and 42.6%, respectively. Among patients with Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System 3, 4, and 5 lesions on prostate magnetic resonance imaging, clinically significant disease was found in 31.7%, 55.7%, and 71.8% of patients, respectively. Complications were rare, with sepsis reported in 4 (0.1%) of 3411 procedures despite frequent omission of antibiotic prophylaxis. Patients reported acceptable tolerability of the procedure when performed under local anaesthesia.

Conclusions

Within the available medical literature, there is uniform evidence supporting the use of the PrecisionPoint Transperineal Access System for performing prostate biopsy procedures. The reported cancer detection and infectious complication rates with this device are in line with other methods for performing transperineal prostate biopsy. A unique aspect of the PrecisionPoint device is its ability to facilitate performing transperineal prostate biopsy under local anaesthesia. This factor will likely lead to increased adoption of the beneficial transperineal approach to prostate biopsy.
Conjoined twins and conjoined triplets: At the heart of the matter
Authors: Oostra Roelof‐Jan , Schepens‐Franke Annelieke N. , Magno Giovanni , Zanatta Alberto , Boer Lucas L.
Published: June 2022

Conjoined triplets are among the rarest of human malformations, as are asymmetric or parasitic conjoined twins. Based on a very modest corpus of recent literature, we applied the embryonic disk model of conjoined twinning to 10 previously reported cases involving asymmetric anatomical multiplications to determine whether they concerned conjoined twins or conjoined triplets. In spite of their phenotypic similarities, we diagnosed four of these cases as conjoined twins and three of them as conjoined triplets. In the remaining three cases, no definite diagnosis could be made, as essential information was lacking from the reports. We conclude that it is not necessarily the expected duplication or triplication of structures that points to the correct diagnosis in these cases, but the number and mutual position of the hearts they presented with. Considering their rarity we stress to thoroughly investigate and describe internal (dys)morphology in novel cases of (asymmetric) conjoined twins and triplets to further unravel their pathogenicity and come to the correct diagnoses.
Guignardones Y–Z, Antiviral Meroterpenes from Penicillium sp. NBUF154 Associated with a Crella Sponge from the Marine Mesophotic Zone
Authors: Zou Jiabin , Wu Jialing , Ding Lijian , Wang Weiyi , Liu Yinghui , Feng Yunping , Lai Qiliang , Lin Wenhan , Wang Tingting , He Shan
Published: June 2022

Guignardones Y–Z (1–2), two new meroterpenoids, and six known metabolites involving guignardones A–H (3–4), gyorgy‐isoflavone (5), daidzein (6), blumenol A (7) and guignardianone A (8) were isolated from the fungus Penicillium sp. NBUF154, which was obtained from a 60 m deep Crella sponge. Their structures including absolute configurations were unambiguously elucidated by exhaustive spectroscopic analysis and ECD calculations. A putative biosynthetic pathway toward guignardones (1–4) is here proposed. Biological evaluation of compounds 1–8 showed that 1 and 7 exert potent inhibitory effects towards human enterovirus 71 (EV71).
Variation in practice for out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest treated with percutaneous coronary intervention in England and Wales
Authors: Rashid Muhammad , Kinnaird Tim , Ludman Peter , Keeble Thomas R. , Mamas Mamas , Curzen Nick
Published: June 2022

Objectives

We assessed the association between total center volume, operator volume, and out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) volume.

Background

Variations between OHCA PCI volume, hospital total PCI, and primary PCI volume are not well studied and are unlikely to be clinically justifiable.

Methods

Patients undergoing PCI for the acute coronary syndrome (ACS) between January 1, 2014, and March 31, 2019, in England and Wales were grouped as OHCA PCI and non‐OHCA PCI. Spearman's correlation was used to determine the degree of correlation between each hospital PCI volume and OHCA PCI volume.

Results

Out of 250,088 PCI procedures undertaken for ACS, 12,016 (4.8%) were performed for OHCA, and 238,072 (95.2%) were non‐OHCA PCI procedures. The OHCA PCI group were younger [mean age (SD) 63.2 (12.3) and 65.6 (12.5, p < 0.001)], less likely to be female (20.2% vs. 26.9%, p < 0.001) or Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnicity (11.5% vs. 14.8%, p < 0.001) compared to the non‐OHCA PCI group. Although there was a degree of correlation between total PCI and OHCA PCI, there was wide variation for both ACS cohort (Spearman correlation R2 = 0.50) and total PCI volume (Spearman correlation R2 = 0.60). Furthermore, the correlation between primary PCI volume and OHCA PCI within centers was weak (R2 = 0.10). Similarly, wide variations between operator PCI volume and OHCA PCI volume were observed.

Conclusion

These national data demonstrate wide variation in the practice of OHCA PCI both between centers and individuals. These variations are not expected according to clinical factors and require further investigation.
Reduced Graphene Oxide/Glucose Co‐Assisted Micro Titanium Niobium Oxide Hybrid Anodes for Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Lei Chanrong , Huang Shengyang , Qin Xue , Guo Zixiang , Wei Tianyu , Zhang Yuzhe
Published: June 2022

Titanium niobium oxide (TiNb2O7) has shown great potential to replace carbon‐based anode materials for lithium‐ion batteries because of its high theoretical specific capacity and high rate performance. However, the low intrinsic Li+/e− conductivity of TiNb2O7 restricts its extensive application. To overcome this disadvantage, a novel reduced graphene oxide/glucose co‐assisted micro titanium niobium oxide hybrid anodes (G/C/TNO) was designed by a bottom‐up one‐pot method. rGO mainly acted as the carrier to reach the goal of ameliorating electronic conductivity. Glucose, as the fixative and carbon source, chiefly played a protective role in the structural integrity during cycling and synergized with rGO to improve Li+/e− transport kinetics. Therefore, the novel G/C/TNO composite displayed a high specific capacity of 208.8 mAh g−1 at 2C after 500 cycles and a good cycling stability of 161.1 mAh g−1 at a high rate of 10C in the best case.
Direct Synthesis of Adipic Esters and Adiponitrile via Photoassisted Cobalt‐Catalyzed Alkene Hydrodimerization
Authors: Ren Cheng , Ji Guanghao , Li Xiankai , Zhang Jing
Published: June 2022

The direct hydrodimerization of acrylates and acrylonitrile offers a general streamlined access to industrially important intermediates to nylon 6,6. However, a practical catalytic method for this process has thus far underdeveloped owing to the challenges in regioselectivity and environmental compatibility of applied reagents. Here, we report a cobalt‐catalyzed tail‐to‐tail hydrodimerization of activated alkenes driven by a visible‐light photoredox catalysis at ambient temperature, which is applicable to both adipates and adiponitrile synthesis from potentially renewable feedstocks. This protocol utilizes half equivalent of hantzsch ester as a recyclable two‐electron and two‐proton donor with the assistance of catalytic amount of base as a proton shuttle, and has been shown to be highly regioselective and efficient for hydrodimerizing various activated alkenes to 1,4‐difunctionalized butane derivatives.
Intelligent sort‐timing prediction for image‐activated cell sorting
Authors: Zhao Yaqi , Isozaki Akihiro , Herbig Maik , Hayashi Mika , Hiramatsu Kotaro , Yamazaki Sota , Kondo Naoko , Ohnuki Shinsuke , Ohya Yoshikazu , Nitta Nao , Goda Keisuke
Published: June 2022

Intelligent image‐activated cell sorting (iIACS) has enabled high‐throughput image‐based sorting of single cells with artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. This AI‐on‐a‐chip technology combines fluorescence microscopy, AI‐based image processing, sort‐timing prediction, and cell sorting. Sort‐timing prediction is particularly essential due to the latency on the order of milliseconds between image acquisition and sort actuation, during which image processing is performed. The long latency amplifies the effects of the fluctuations in the flow speed of cells, leading to fluctuation and uncertainty in the arrival time of cells at the sort point on the microfluidic chip. To compensate for this fluctuation, iIACS measures the flow speed of each cell upstream, predicts the arrival timing of the cell at the sort point, and activates the actuation of the cell sorter appropriately. Here, we propose and demonstrate a machine learning technique to increase the accuracy of the sort‐timing prediction that would allow for the improvement of sort event rate, yield, and purity. Specifically, we trained an algorithm to predict the sort timing for morphologically heterogeneous budding yeast cells. The algorithm we developed used cell morphology, position, and flow speed as inputs for prediction and achieved 41.5% lower prediction error compared to the previously employed method based solely on flow speed. As a result, our technique would allow for an increase in the sort event rate of iIACS by a factor of ~2.
Distributed energy‐efficient data reduction approach based on prediction and compression to reduce data transmission in IoT networks
Authors: Hussein Ahmed Mohammed , Idrees Ali Kadhum , Couturier Raphael
Published: June 2022

In the modern world, it will be necessary to deploy a large number of sensor devices to sense everything around us in order to detect changes, risks, and hazards and to mitigate them. This increasing number of sensor devices represents an essential data provider in the Internet of Things (IoT). The devices generate and transmit a huge amounts of data which requires a large amount of storage and high processing power to come real‐time processing and speed up the network. It also leads to an increase in high energy consumption. Thus, it is important to remove redundant data to reduce the data transmission before sending it to the gateway while maintaining a good level of data quality. In this paper, a distributed energy‐efficient data reduction (DEDaR) approach based on prediction and compression to minimize the data transmission in IoT Networks is proposed. The DEDaR is used in periods to make decision. In each period, the autoregressive prediction (ARP) is used to predict the data of the next period and make a decision on whether to send the data of the current period to the gateway or not. In the case of data transmission, the redundant data are eliminated using an efficient compression approach based on adaptive piecewise constant approximation (APCA), symbolic aggregate approximation (SAX), and finally fixed code dictionary (FCD) based on Huffman encoding. The simulation results based on real‐sensed data show that the proposed DEDaR approach outperforms the other recent methods in terms of data reduction percentage, transmitted data size, energy consumption, and data accuracy.
The identification and classification of struggling readers based on the simple view of reading
Authors: Sleeman Mike , Everatt John , Arrow Alison , Denston Amanda
Published: June 2022

The simple view of reading (SVR) predicts that reading difficulties can result from decoding difficulties, language comprehension difficulties, or a combination of these difficulties. However, classification studies have identified a fourth group of children whose reading difficulties are unexplained by the model. This may be due to the type of classification model used. The current research included 209 children in Grades 3–5 (8–10 years of age) from New Zealand. Children were classified using the traditional approach and a cluster analysis. In contrast to the traditional classification model, the cluster analysis approach eliminated the unexplained reading difficulties group, suggesting that poor readers can be accurately assigned to one of three groups, which are consistent with those predicted by the SVR. The second set of analyses compared the three poor reader groups across 14 measures of reading comprehension, decoding, language comprehension, phonological awareness, and rapid naming. All three groups demonstrated reading comprehension difficulties, but the dyslexia group showed particular weaknesses in word processing and phonological areas, the SCD group showed problems deriving meaning from oral language, and the mixed group showed general deficits in most measures. The findings suggest that the SVR does have the potential to determine reading profiles and differential intervention methods.
A nomogram to predict the in‐hospital mortality of patients with congestive heart failure and chronic kidney disease
Authors: Chen Jiamin , Li Ying , Liu Peng , Wu Huihui , Su Guohai
Published: June 2022

Aims

Patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) may also suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD), and the two conditions may interact to increase the risk of death. The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors contributing to in‐hospital mortality in patients with CHF and CKD and to develop a nomogram to predict the risk of in‐hospital mortality.

Methods and results

This retrospective study used data from the Marketplace for Medical Information in Intensive Care (MIMIC‐IV, version 1.0). Patients diagnosed with CHF and CKD in MIMIC‐IV were included in this study. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression is used to select risk variables for the nomogram model, and bootstrap is used for internal validation. Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II) and Logistic Organ Dysfunction Score (LODS) were compared with the nomogram model by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and decision curve analysis (DCA). A total of 4638 adult patients with CHF and CKD were included in the final cohort; of them, 707 (15.2%) died and 3931 (84.8%) survived during hospitalization. Our final model included the following 13 variables: age, acute kidney injury, myocardial infarction, anaemia, heart rate ≥ 100 b.p.m., systolic blood pressure ≥ 130 mmHg, anion gap (AG) ≥ 20 mEq/L, sodium ≥ 145 mEq/L, red blood cell distribution width (RDW) ≥ 15.5%, white blood cell count ≥ 10 K/μL, continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers, and beta‐blocker. The corrected C‐statistic of the nomogram was 0.767, and the calibration curve indicating good concordance between the predicted and observed values. The nomogram demonstrated good accuracy for predicting the in‐hospital mortality with an AUC of 0.771 (95% CI: 0.752–0.790), while the AUC for SAPS II and LODS was 0.747 (95% CI: 0.726–0.767) and 0.752 (95% CI: 0.730–0.773), respectively. DCA found that when the threshold probability was 0.05 to 0.41, the nomogram model could provide a greater net benefit than SAPS II.

Conclusions

In this retrospective cohort analysis of patients with CHF and CKD, we identified 13 independent variables associated with in‐hospital mortality using LASSO logistic regression. RDW, AG, and CRRT were reported to play a significant role in in‐hospital mortality among patients with CHF and CKD for the first time. Based on a simplified model including 13 variables, a nomogram was drawn to predict the risk of in‐hospital mortality. In comparison with SAPS II and LODS, the nomogram model performed well.
Efficient Copper(I) Extraction by Ethylenediamine from Stable Catenane Complexes
Authors: Yao Yueliang , Deng Yulin , Kong Linghui , Au‐Yeung Ho Yu
Published: June 2022

A new demetallation method for Cu(I)‐bound catenanes that contain a strong binding bis(phenanthroline) cavity using the bidentate ethylenediamine is reported. Cu(I) extraction using the organic diamine is mild, convenient and efficient, and the metal can be removed from the kinetically stable catenane complexes in various solvents within 5 minutes, offering an alternative strategy to the use of toxic cyanide in competing for the Cu(I) coordination.
Microfluidic systems for the analysis of blood‐derived molecular biomarkers
Authors: Chavez‐Pineda Oriana G. , Rodriguez‐Moncayo Roberto , Cedillo‐Alcantar Diana F. , Guevara‐Pantoja Pablo E. , Amador‐Hernandez Josue U. , Garcia‐Cordero Jose L.
Published: June 2022

Biomarkers are relevant indicators of the physiological state of an individual. Although biomarkers can be found in diseased tissue and different biofluids, sampling from blood plasma is relatively easy and less invasive. Among the molecular biomarkers that can be found circulating in plasma are proteins, metabolites, nucleic acids, and exosomes. Some of these plasma‐circulating biomarkers are now employed for patient stratification in a broad range of diseases with high sensitivity and specificity and are useful in early diagnosis, initial risk assessment, and therapy selection. However, there is a pressing need to develop novel approaches for biomarker analysis that can be translated into clinical or other settings without complex methodologies or instrumentation. Microfluidics has been touted as a promising technology to carry out this task because it offers high‐throughput, automation, multiplexed detection, and portability, possibly overcoming the bottleneck that prevent the translation of novel biomarkers to the point‐of‐care (POC). Here, we provide a review of the microfluidic systems that have been engineered to detect circulating molecular biomarkers in blood plasma. We also review the different microfluidic approaches for plasma enrichment, which are now being integrated with microfluidic‐based biomarker analyzers. Such integration should lead to cost‐effective solutions in in vitro diagnostics, with special relevance to POC platforms.
Instrument reading recognition by deep learning of capsules network model for digitalization in Industrial Internet of Things
Authors: Li Dazhou , Hou Jingfei , Gao Wei
Published: June 2022

Using the intelligent image recognition method to recognize the reading of the unintelligent manual reading meter is an important approach to expand the sensing means and reduce the cost of transformation of the Industrial Internet of Things. Traditional methods based on morphology and back propagation neural networks are difficult to solve the problems of shadow, deflection, and dimness in the industrial environment. In this article, the deep learning‐based capsule networks for pointer instruments and digital display instruments were proposed to implement unintelligent manual reading meter recognition using. Due to the complex structure and a large number of parameters, the basic capsule network is difficult to run on devices with low computing resources. To overcome this issue, the improved capsule network model was designed to reduce the parameters of the model. The experimental results show that the improved capsule network improves the recognition accuracy by 13% and reduces the parameters by 23%.
Thiocyanate‐ and Thiol‐Functionalized p‐Doped Quantum Dot Colloids for the Development of Bulk Homojunction Solar Cells
Authors: Dambhare Neha V , Sharma Ashish , Mahajan Chandan , Rath Arup K.
Published: June 2022

Progress in device engineering and surface passivation strategies has led to steady progress in colloidal quantum dot (QD) solar cells. Bulk homojunction (BHJ) device architecture has several advantages over the conventional planar junction in developing QD solar cells. Herein, surface ligand chemistry is utilized to control the doping type and dispersibility of oppositely doped PbS QDs to develop BHJ solar cells. Thiocyanate and thiol ligand combination is introduced to develop p‐PbS QD ink, which is blended with halide‐passivated n‐PbS QDs to build BHJ solar cells. It is shown that BHJ solar cells are benefited from high energy offset and higher hole mobility. This leads to the superior carrier extraction from a thicker active layer without compromising fill factor and open circuit voltage. Power conversion efficiency has reached 10.7% in 530 nm‐thick BHJ solar cells, a 24% improvement over the best performing planar solar cells. With the help of the 1D solar cell capacitance simulator, it is shown that a 15% efficient QD solar cell can be realized by further improving the hole mobility above 0.1 cm2 V−1 s−1.
Control for population stratification in genetic association studies based on GWAS summary statistics
Authors: Yan Shijia , Sha Qiuying , Zhang Shuanglin
Published: June 2022

Over the past years, genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) have generated a wealth of new information. Summary data from many GWAS are now publicly available, promoting the development of many statistical methods for association studies based on GWAS summary statistics, which avoids the increasing challenges associated with individual‐level genotype and phenotype data sharing. However, for population‐based association studies such as GWAS, it has been long recognized that population stratification can seriously confound association results. For large GWAS, it is very likely that there exist population stratification and cryptic relatedness, which will result in inflated Type I error in association testing. Although many methods have been developed to control for population stratification, only two of these approaches can be used to control population stratification without individual‐level data: one is based on genomic control (GC) and the other one is based on linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC). However, the performance of these two approaches is currently unknown. In this study, we use extensive simulation studies including populations with subpopulations, spatially structured populations, and populations with cryptic relatedness to compare the performance of these two approaches to control for population stratification using only GWAS summary statistics without individual‐level data. Data sets from the genetic analysis workshop 19 and UK Biobank are also used to evaluate these two approaches. We demonstrate that the intercept of LDSC can be used as a more accurate correction factor than GC. The results from this study will provide very useful information for researchers using GWAS summary statistics while trying to control for population stratification.
Uranium enrichment associated with geothermal alteration: An example from Rehai, Tengchong volcanic area of China
Authors: Li Rong
Published: June 2022

For the continental rift‐related geothermal system, the hydrothermal alteration zones are rarely studied for uranium exploration. High uranium concentrations (up to 36 ppm) are shown in the altered sandstones at the Rehai geothermal field (RHGF) in Tengchong, China. To demonstrate the uranium enrichment mechanism, this study comparatively examines the trace element (uranium in particular) and rare earth element (REE + Y) concentrations of hot spring water, spring deposits (sinters and sulphates), and altered host sandstones from the RHGF of the Tengchong volcanic area. Along the central north‐south trending fault at Rehai, sinters and sulphates are precipitated from hot spring water, and the Neogene sandstones have been altered by hydrothermal fluids into zones formed of various clay minerals. The δD and δ18O values for the hot spring water indicate that the geothermal water originates from meteoric water. The spring water and hot spring deposits have identical REE distribution patterns which are featured with heavy REE (HREE) enrichment and negative Eu anomalies. Among the hot spring deposits, the yellowish earthy aggregates (tamarugite) deposited at the acidic Zhenzhu Spring have the maximum U concentration (27 ppm). The altered sandstones at Rehai, however, display the highest U concentrations (14–36 ppm). The U enrichment in the hot spring deposits and altered host rocks at the Rehai geothermal field is probably related to the multiple cycles of uranium leaching from granites, transportation upward along fault structures by geothermal water, decompression, and fixation in the hot spring deposits and/or alteration products. The results indicate that alteration zones associated with geothermal systems are also potential targets for uranium exploration.
Magnetoencephalography can reveal deep brain network activities linked to memory processes
Authors: López‐Madrona Víctor J. , Medina Villalon Samuel , Badier Jean‐Michel , Trébuchon Agnès , Jayabal Velmurugan , Bartolomei Fabrice , Carron Romain , Barborica Andrei , Vulliémoz Serge , Alario F.‐Xavier , Bénar Christian G.
Published: June 2022

Recording from deep neural structures such as hippocampus noninvasively and yet with high temporal resolution remains a major challenge for human neuroscience. Although it has been proposed that deep neuronal activity might be recordable during cognitive tasks using magnetoencephalography (MEG), this remains to be demonstrated as the contribution of deep structures to MEG recordings may be too small to be detected or might be eclipsed by the activity of large‐scale neocortical networks. In the present study, we disentangled mesial activity and large‐scale networks from the MEG signals thanks to blind source separation (BSS). We then validated the MEG BSS components using intracerebral EEG signals recorded simultaneously in patients during their presurgical evaluation of epilepsy. In the MEG signals obtained during a memory task involving the recognition of old and new images, we identified with BSS a putative mesial component, which was present in all patients and all control subjects. The time course of the component selectively correlated with stereo‐electroencephalography signals recorded from hippocampus and rhinal cortex, thus confirming its mesial origin. This finding complements previous studies with epileptic activity and opens new possibilities for using MEG to study deep brain structures in cognition and in brain disorders.
Augmenting inter‐rater concordance of radiologic extranodal extension in HPV‐positive oropharyngeal carcinoma: A multicenter study
Authors: Hoebers Frank , Yu Eugene , O'Sullivan Brian , Postma Alida A. , Palm Walter M. , Bartlett Eric , Lee Jonathan , Stock Sarah , Koyfman Shlomo , Su Jie , Xu Wei , Huang Shao Hui
Published: June 2022

Objectives

To assess intra‐ and inter‐institutional concordance and identify methods to increase precision in radiologic extranodal extension (rENE) ascertainment in HPV+ oropharyngeal carcinoma.

Methods

Six radiologists, blinded to clinical outcomes, from three centers assessed rENE in two phases: Phase‐I (20 cases) utilized each individual's a priori appreciation of the literature. Phase‐II (30 additional cases) was performed after deliberating experience and consolidating operating definitions. Intra‐ and inter‐institutional Kappa were calculated at >50% and >75% certainty levels, respectively.

Results

The Phase‐I intra‐institutional kappa was 0.76, 0.32, and 0.44 at >50% certainty and improved to 0.89, 0.61, and 0.66 at >75% certainty. Inter‐institutional Fleiss' kappa also improved with higher certainty (from 0.40 to 0.57, p = 0.039).  The Phase‐II inter‐rater kappa was significantly higher than Phase‐I at the same certainty level (both p < 0.001).

Conclusion

A learning curve exists for rENE assessment. Strategies to augment reliability include high certainty for declaration, consolidated operating definitions, and sharing experience among radiologists.
Statin use and risk of progression to liver cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis B independent of conventional risk factors: A nationwide study
Authors: Yun Byungyoon , Ahn Sang Hoon , Yoon Jin‐Ha , Kim Beom Kyung
Published: June 2022

Many studies have elucidated the protective associations of statin use with liver cancer or mortality, but studies examining statin's effect on the risk of progression to liver cirrhosis considering medical/metabolic conditions or lifestyle factors are lacking. We aimed to assess statin's benefit independent of conventional risk factors. We identified 25,033 pairs of statin users (using statins for ≥90 days) and nonusers among patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in the Republic of Korea's National Health Insurance Service database from 2010 to 2018. The primary endpoint was progression to cirrhosis from an inactive carrier or simple CHB. The cumulative probability was plotted using the Kaplan‐Meier method. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using the multivariable Cox proportional hazard model. During a 218,472 person‐year follow‐up, 2210 incident cases of progression to cirrhosis occurred. The 5‐year cumulative risks were 4.0% and 6.3% in statin users and nonusers, respectively (p < 0.001). Statin use was significantly associated with a decreased risk of progression to cirrhosis (aHR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.55–0.65; p < 0.001), after adjusting for age, sex, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, antiviral therapy, aspirin use, metformin use, nonstatin medication for dyslipidemia, smoking, drinking, obesity, exercise, and liver dysfunction. This protective association was still significant in a dose–response manner and with different time lags for outcomes. Conclusion: Statin use is associated with a decreased risk of progression to cirrhosis among patients with CHB, independent of metabolic and lifestyle factors. Future studies are required to validate this observation.
Impact of a single‐session psychosocial counseling intervention for women with vulvodynia
Authors: Moravek Molly B. , Legocki Laurie J. , Piper Claudia Kraus , Bernard Katie , Reed Barbara D. , Haefner Hope K.
Published: June 2022

Objective

To evaluate the impact of a single session of psychosocial counseling on patients with vulvodynia.

Methods

Patients diagnosed with vulvodynia at a vulvovaginal specialty clinic were randomly assigned to receive either a one‐on‐one 30‐ to 45‐min psychosocial counseling session with a psychosexual counselor plus written educational materials (intervention group) or written materials alone (control group). They completed a survey before and 6 weeks after randomization that included demographic information and validated measures of sexual function and illness perception.

Results

Thirty‐one of 38 (81.6%) women approached chose to participate; 26 of the 31 (83.9%) completed the 6‐week follow‐up survey. Only the intervention group showed improvement in knowledge about vulvovaginal and sexual health, as well as in most measures of improvement in illness perception, as measured by the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (P < 0.05). When compared directly with those in the control group, patients in the intervention group reported increased understanding of their vulvar symptoms (P < 0.005) and lessened emotional impact of these symptoms (P = 0.035).

Conclusion

Patients receiving one session of the one‐on‐one psychosocial counseling intervention reported improved understanding and lessened emotional impact of their vulvar symptoms, compared with the control group. This study suggests that improvement may occur following minimal intervention and supports the need for further study.
Quantification method to objectively evaluate the fibrous structural status of tendons based on polarization‐sensitive OCT
Authors: Lee Yong‐Jae , Park Eunwoo , Park Kwan Seob , Lim Jun‐Hyuk , Kim Sungmin , Kim Myung‐Sun , Eom Tae Joong
Published: June 2022

Histological analysis is widely used to evaluate injured tendons; however, it has the limitation of being semi‐quantitative. Hence, we developed a quantification method to objectively evaluate the fibrous structure of tendons, exhibiting the optical property of birefringence, using polarization‐sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS‐OCT). We used a partial‐rupture rat model in which the middle 0.75 cm of the Achilles tendon was cut with a blade. Rats were sacrificed at 2, 4 or 6 weeks after the injury, and PS‐OCT and histological analyzes were performed. The PS‐OCT phase retardation images and score well represented the structural changes of the injured tendon according to the wound healing state. Therefore, the proposed novel quantification method using PS‐OCT can be used to evaluate the fibrous structural status of tendons.
Hyaluronic acid/gelatin microcapsule functionalized with carbon nanotube through laccase‐catalyzed crosslinking for fabrication of cardiac microtissue
Authors: Sharifisistani Maryam , Khanmohammadi Mehdi , Badali Elham , Ghasemi Pouya , Hassanzadeh Sajad , Bahiraie Nafiseh , Lotfibakhshaiesh Nasrin , Ai Jafar
Published: June 2022

Carbon nanotube (CNT) and gelatin (Gela) molecules are effective substrates in promoting engineered cardiac tissue functions. This study developed a microfluidic‐based encapsulation process for biomimetic hydrogel microcapsule fabrication. The hydrogel microcapsule was produced through a coaxial double orifice microfluidic technique and a water‐in‐oil emulsion system in two sequential processes. The phenol (Ph) substituted Gela (Gela‐Ph) and CNT (CNT‐Ph), respectively as cell‐adhesive and electrically conductive substrates were incorporated in hyaluronic acid (HA)‐based hydrogel through laccase‐mediated crosslinking. The Cardiomyocyte‐enclosing microcapsule fabricated and cellular survival, function, and possible difference in the biological activity of encapsulated cells within micro vehicles were investigated. The coaxial microfluidic method and Lac‐mediated crosslinking reaction resulted in spherical vehicle production in 183 μm diameter at 500 capsules/min speed. The encapsulation process did not affect cellular viability and harvested cells from microcapsule proliferated well likewise subcultured cells in tissue culture plate. The biophysical properties of the designed hydrogel, including mechanical strength, swelling, biodegradability and electroconductivity upregulated significantly for hydrogels decorated covalently with Gela‐Ph and CNT‐Ph. The tendency of the microcapsule for the spheroid formation of cardiomyocytes inside the proposed microcapsule occurred 3 days after encapsulation. Interestingly, immobilized Gela‐Ph and CNT‐Ph promote cellular growth and specific cardiac markers. Overall, the microfluidic‐based encapsulation technology and synthesized biomimetic substrates with electroconductive properties demonstrate desirable cellular adhesion, proliferation, and cardiac functions for engineering cardiac tissue.
Solid‐State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (SSNMR) Characterization of Osteoblasts From Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Differentiation to Osteoblast Mineralization
Authors: Lin Jing‐Yu , Sun Ming‐Hui , Zhang Jing , Hu Meng , Zeng Yu‐Teng , Yi Qian‐Qian , Wang Jian , Bai Yun , Zhang Yifeng , Lu Jun‐Xia
Published: June 2022

Solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR), a technique capable of studying solid or semisolid biological samples, was first applied to study the cell differentiation and mineralization using the whole‐cell sample. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) with multipotent differentiation capacity were induced to differentiate into osteoblasts. The whole differentiation process, osteoblast mineralization and the mineral maturation, was investigated using SSNMR, providing intact, atomic level information on the cellular mineral structural transformation. Our research indicated the extent of osteoblast mineralization could vary significantly for different cell populations whereas the difference was not easily shown by other means of characterization. The SSNMR spectra revealed hydroxylapatite (or hydroxyapatite [HAP]) formation around 2 to 4 weeks after osteogenic induction for MSCs with a high differentiation potency. The early mineral phase deposit before HAP formation contained a high amount of HPO42−. The structures of minerals in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of osteoblasts could evolve for a period of time, even after the incubation of cells has been stopped. This observation was only possible by studying the sample in an intact state, where ECM was not disturbed. These findings improved our understanding of MSCs, which had wide applications in bone regeneration and tissue engineering. Meanwhile, this work demonstrated the advantage of studying these cellular systems as a whole without any mineral extraction, which had been largely overlooked. © 2022 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Rapid detection of the irinotecan‐related UGT1A1*28 polymorphism by asymmetric PCR melting curve analysis using one fluorescent probe
Authors: Kong Xiaomu , Xu Ye , Gao Peng , Liu Yi , Wang Xuran , Zhao Meimei , Jiang Yongwei , Yang Hui , Cao Yongtong , Ma Liang
Published: June 2022

Background

Determination of UGT1A1 (TA)n polymorphism prior to irinotecan therapy is necessary to avoid severe adverse drug effects. Thus, accurate and reliable genotyping methods for (TA)n polymorphism are highly desired. Here, we present a new method for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) melting curve analysis using one fluorescent probe to discriminate the UGT1A1*1 [(TA)6] and *28 [(TA)7] genotypes.

Methods

After protocol optimization, this technique was applied for genotyping of 64 patients (including 23 with UGT1A1*1/*1, 22 with *1/*28, and 19 with *28/*28) recruited between 2016 and 2021 in China‐Japan Friendship Hospital. The accuracy of the method was evaluated by comparing the results with those of direct sequencing and fragment analysis. The intra‐ and inter‐run precision of the melting temperatures (Tms) were calculated to assess the reliability, and the limit of detection was examined to assess the sensitivity.

Results

All genotypes were correctly identified with the new method, and its accuracy was higher than that of fragment analysis. The intra‐ and inter‐run coefficients of variation for the Tms were both ≤0.27%, with standard deviations ≤0.14°C. The limit of detection was 0.2 ng of input genomic DNA.

Conclusion

The developed PCR melting curve analysis using one fluorescent probe can provide accurate, reliable, rapid, simple, and low‐cost detection of UGT1A1 (TA)n polymorphism, and its use can be easily generalized in clinical laboratories with a fluorescent PCR platform.
Extrahepatic approach for taping the common trunk of the middle and left hepatic veins or the left hepatic vein alone in laparoscopic hepatectomy (with videos)
Authors: Nakano Yutaka , Abe Yuta , Kitago Minoru , Yagi Hiroshi , Hasegawa Yasushi , Hori Shutaro , Koizumi Wataru , Ojima Hidenori , Imanishi Nobuaki , Kitagawa Yuko
Published: June 2022

Background

Outflow control is difficult, and techniques required for effectively handling intraoperative hemorrhage during laparoscopic hepatectomy have not previously been adequately reported.

Methods

Sixteen patients underwent surgery, of which 15 underwent laparoscopic left hepatectomy and one underwent laparoscopic partial hepatectomy of the caudate lobe. Encircling and taping of the common trunk of the middle (MHV) and left hepatic veins (LHV) was performed in 12 patients, and that of the LHV alone in four patients. Surgical techniques based on anatomical landmarks and histological findings are presented with videos. Histological confirmation of the anatomical landmarks for these procedures was performed in fresh cadavers to understand the anatomical structures and layers involved.

Results

The median procedure duration was 15 (6‐25) minutes. All procedures were performed safely with no major bleeding. Histological findings showed fibrous connective tissue between the tunica adventitia of the inferior vena cava (IVC) and the Laennec’s capsule of the liver. The layer of dissection was along the tunica adventitia of the IVC.

Conclusions

The surgical techniques for encircling and taping of the common trunk of the MHV and LHV and the LHV alone based on anatomical landmarks were feasible and could allow for efficient outflow control in laparoscopic hepatectomy.
An innovative fluorometric bioanalysis strategy towards recognition of DNA methylation using opto‐active polymer: A new platform for DNA damage studies by genosensor technology
Authors: Adampourezare Mina , Hasanzadeh Mohammad , Dehghan Gholamreza , Hosseinpourefeizi Mohammad‐Ali , Seidi Farzad
Published: June 2022

Efficient pharmacotherapy of cancer is related to accurate recognition of genetic mutations and epigenetic alterations in the early‐stage diagnosis. In the present study, a novel optical genosensor based on toluidine blue as photonic probe was developed to detection of DNA methylation using hybridization of pDNA with cDNA. Biomedical analysis was performed using UV‐vis and fluorometric methods. For the first time, this strategy was applied for the distinction of methylated DNA from unmethylated‐DNA‐based on the interaction of optical probe with methylated‐DNA and unmethylated DNA. Fluorescence spectroscopic data showed that poly‐toluidine blue could be bind to DNA sequences and lead to different fluorescence patterns and could be used as an efficient geno‐platform for the sensitive bioassay of mutation. The excitation and emission wavelengths were 580 and 630 nm, respectively. Non‐binding of mismatch sequences with the optical probe was used as negative control. Under optimal conditions, linear range was 1 zM to 0.2 pm and the lower limit of quantitation was obtained as target concentrations ranging 1 zM. The designed genosensor showed high capability to distinct methylation from un‐methylated. Therefore, the designed DNA‐based bioassay could detect DNA methylation significantly. Finally, bioanalysis of real samples showed that the designed genosensor could use to detect DNA methylation which is a new platform for point of care analysis.
The Interfield Strength Agreement of Left Ventricular Strain Measurements at 1.5 T and 3 T Using Cardiac MRI Feature Tracking
Authors: Ayton Sarah L. , Alfuhied Aseel , Gulsin Gaurav S. , Parke Kelly S. , Wormleighton Joanne V. , Arnold J. Ranjit , Moss Alastair J. , Singh Anvesha , Xue Hui , Kellman Peter , Graham‐Brown Matthew P. M. , McCann Gerry P.
Published: June 2022

Background

Left ventricular (LV) strain measurements can be derived using cardiac MRI from routinely acquired balanced steady‐state free precession (bSSFP) cine images.

Purpose

To compare the interfield strength agreement of global systolic strain, peak strain rates and artificial intelligence (AI) landmark‐based global longitudinal shortening at 1.5 T and 3 T.

Study Type

Prospective.

Subjects

A total of 22 healthy individuals (mean age 36 ± 12 years; 45% male) completed two cardiac MRI scans at 1.5 T and 3 T in a randomized order within 30 minutes.

Field Strength/Sequence

bSSFP cine images at 1.5 T and 3 T.

Assessment

Two software packages, Tissue Tracking (cvi42, Circle Cardiovascular Imaging) and QStrain (Medis Suite, Medis Medical Imaging Systems), were used to derive LV global systolic strain in the longitudinal, circumferential and radial directions and peak (systolic, early diastolic, and late diastolic) strain rates. Global longitudinal shortening and mitral annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE) were measured using an AI deep neural network model.

Statistical Tests

Comparisons between field strengths were performed using Wilcoxon signed‐rank test (P value < 0.05 considered statistically significant). Agreement was determined using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Bland–Altman plots.

Results

Minimal bias was seen in all strain and strain rate measurements between field strengths. Using Tissue Tracking, strain and strain rate values derived from long‐axis images showed poor to fair agreement (ICC range 0.39–0.71), whereas global longitudinal shortening and MAPSE showed good agreement (ICC = 0.81 and 0.80, respectively). Measures derived from short‐axis images showed good to excellent agreement (ICC range 0.78–0.91). Similar results for the agreement of strain and strain rate measurements were observed with QStrain.

Conclusion

The interfield strength agreement of short‐axis derived LV strain and strain rate measurements at 1.5 T and 3 T was better than those derived from long‐axis images; however, the agreement of global longitudinal shortening and MAPSE was good.

Evidence Level

2

Technical Efficacy

Stage 2
Prevalence of anti‐parvovirus B19 IgG and IgM and parvovirus B19 viremia in pregnant women in an urban area of Northern Italy
Authors: De Paschale Massimo , Pavia Claudia , Cerulli Teresa , Cagnin Debora , Manco Maria T. , Belvisi Luisa , Paganini Alessia , Pogliani Laura , Ceriani Elena , Porta Alessandro , Parola Luciana , Mirri Paola , Osnaghi Bianca , Vismara Laura , Clerici Pierangelo
Published: June 2022

Parvovirus B19 (B19V) infection in pregnancy is mostly asymptomatic, but can cause complications including abortion and fetal hydrops. Although its infection is ubiquitous, seroprevalence among pregnant women varies according to different geographical areas. Since seroprevalence data in Italy are limited, the prevalence of antibodies and DNA in pregnant women was evaluated retrospectively, correlating the clinical situation of mothers and newborns. One thousand eight hundred and ninety‐three sequential sera were examined from pregnant women (60.8% in the first trimester, 16.6% in the second one, and 22.6% in the third one, respectively) for anti‐B19V IgG and IgM (confirmed by immunoblot); 1402 (74.1%) were of Italian origin and 491 (25.9%) non‐Italian women. Molecular tests were used to search for viral genome. One thousand three hundred and fifteen (69.5%) samples were IgG‐positive, 21 (1.1%) IgM‐positive, and 578 (30.5%) nonimmune. The difference in IgG seroprevalence between Italian (71.1%) and non‐Italian women (64.8%) was statistically significant. Of the 21 IgM‐positive women, 16 were confirmed positive also by immunoblot (prevalence: 0.8%), of which 11 were viraemic (prevalence: 0.6%; mean 1.3 × 104 geq/ml). Mothers were asymptomatic, and the newborns had no clinical signs of congenital infection. IgG seroprevalence in Italy is high, with differences between Italian women and non‐Italian women from geographic areas with lower endemic levels of B19V. The consistent migratory flows in place could lead to an increase in the number of susceptible women. The prevalence of viremia is low, and has not been associated with evident fetal damage at birth.