bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Membrane pervaporation performance applied for brackish water prepared by vacuum impregnation method
Authors: Huda N , Lulu Atika Rampun E , Ayu Lestari R , Raharjo Y , Heri Yuli Yanto D , Elma M
Published: November 2021

Coating method and number of membrane layer are crucial factors on membrane performance. Through a vacuum impregnation method allows a sol solution uniformly fill into membrane support and it is required only less solution. The aim of this study is to apply vacuum impregnation method through vacuum calcination and air calcination during fabrication of silica membranes and to investigate the effect of layer variations on silica membranes performance to apply for brackish water. The sol solution was made from TEOS as silane precursor, ethanol and dual catalysts (citric acid + ammonia). Alumina membrane support was coated by vacuum impregnation method and calcined the membrane under air and vacuum condition. From the FTIR result, it indicates that silica membranes calcined in air and vacuum calcination have Si-O-Si and Si-OH. The vacuum impregnation obtained smoother surface membranes. The silica membrane calcinedviavacuum calcination performs excellent water fluxes and salt rejection of 22.01 kg.m−2.h−1and 98.98 %. If compare to silica membranes calcined in air, the water flux (19.11 kg.m−2.h−1) and salt rejection (98.75 %). It also found the two layers silica membrane is better than three layers for the membrane performance result.
Chemical cleaning to evaluate the performance of silica-pectin membrane on acid mine drainage desalination
Authors: Mustalifah F R , Rahma A , Mahmud  , Sunardi  , Elma M
Published: November 2021

Pervaporation process is an excellent and potential way applied for desalting acid mine drainage water. Nevertheless, the water flux was reduced gradually due to the issue of membrane fouling. To resolve this problem, cleaning process was chosen to maintain the water flux of silica-pectin membranes. This study aims to recover the water flux and salt rejection of the silica-pectin membranes via chemical cleaning process applied for acid mine drainage water desalination with various temperature of feed water (25-60 °C). Silica-pectin membrane was formulated by employing TEOS functioning as silica precursor and pectin as carbon template from banana peels. Chemical cleaning of the membrane carried out by employing TiO2 solution + UV light radiation for an hour. Performance of the silica-pectin membrane was evaluated via pervaporation process under dead-end system. The performance of silica-pectin banana peels membrane found flux recovery from 10.6 kg.m−
2.h−1 and flux recovery of 17.54 kg.m−
2.h−1. It shows that flux recovery higher than before backwashing process. Also, silica-pectin membrane results in all of the salt rejection <99 %. It is concluded that the chemical backwashing process is important to apply to recover the water flux of membrane, also, this process considers to save and reduce the operational costs.
Prospective determination of the incidence and severity of hyponatraemia in older hospitalised patients with acute urinary tract obstruction
Authors: Shapiro Dvorah S , Alexandrovich Irina , Sonnenblick Moshe , Shavit Linda , Munter Gabriel , Friedmann Reuven
Published: November 2021

Introduction

acute urinary tract obstruction (aUTO) is a common finding in older hospitalised patients. Anecdotal reports described hyponatraemia in patients with aUTO, which subsides rapidly with relief of the obstruction.

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence, severity and subsequent correction of hyponatraemia in patients with aUTO.

Methods

this is a prospective, single-centre, observational study including inpatients in the internal medicine and geriatric wards. A total of 204 patients were investigated, 104 with aUTO and 100 controls. The prevalence, severity and associations of hyponatraemia between aUTO and control patients were compared.

Results

the incidence of hyponatraemia was similar in aUTO and control groups 28% versus 22%, respectively (P = 0.42). However, the incidence of severe hyponatraemia was significantly higher in the study group 7% versus 1% (P = 0.04). Mean sodium level was lower in hyponatremic patients with aUTO 127.7 ± 5.9 mEq/l versus 130.8 ± 3 mEq/l (P = 0.013). Serum sodium remained largely unchanged in the control group (∆Na 1.5 ± 2.3 mEq/l) but increased significantly within 48 hours following catheter insertion in patients with urinary retention (∆Na 5.3 ± 4.2 mEq/l overall in the aUTO group and 9.6 ± 3 mEq/l in those with urinary retention and severe hyponatraemia (P = 0.002)).
DoE Screening and Optimization of Liquid Chromatographic Determination of Nicotinic Acid and Six Statins: Application to Pharmaceutical Preparations and Counterfeit Detection
Authors: Salem Wadhah Atef , Elkady Ehab Farouk , Fouad Marwa Ahmed , Mohammad Mohammad Abdul-Azim
Published: November 2021

An isocratic reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed and validated to simultaneously determine nicotinic acid, pravastatin sodium, rosuvastatin calcium, atorvastatin calcium, pitavastatin calcium, lovastatin sodium and simvastatin sodium in focus on counterfeit drug detection. Thin-layer chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry have been additionally performed to verify the identification of adulterants of counterfeit herbal medicines. Chromatographic separation was carried out on Inertsil® ODS-3 C18 (4.6 × 150 mm, 5 μm) with isocratic mobile phase elution containing a mixture of acetonitrile: methanol: 25 mM potassium dihydrogen phosphate buffer, pH 2.86 adjusted with 0.1 M o-phosphoric acid (48: 30: 22, v/v/v), at a flow rate of 1 mL/min and with UV detection at 238 nm. The design of experiment methodology, Plackett–Burman and Box–Behnken designs, was used to screen and optimize the mobile phase composition. The validation of the method was also carried out under the International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. The developed method was sensitive, accurate, simple, economical and highly robust, in addition to the comprehensiveness and novelty of this method for separating the seven drugs. The results were statistically compared with the reference methods used Student’s t-test and variance ratio F-test at P < 0.05.
Convergence analysis of explicit stabilized integrators for parabolic semilinear stochastic PDEs
Authors: Abdulle Assyr , Bréhier Charles-Edouard , Vilmart Gilles
Published: November 2021

Explicit stabilized integrators are an efficient alternative to implicit or semiimplicit methods to avoid the severe time-step restriction faced by standard explicit integrators applied to stiff diffusion problems. In this paper we provide a fully discrete strong convergence analysis of a family of explicit stabilized methods coupled with finite element methods for a class of parabolic semilinear deterministic and stochastic partial differential equations. Numerical experiments including the semilinear stochastic heat equation with space-time white noise confirm the theoretical findings.
Circ_UTRN ameliorates caerulein-induced acute pancreatitis in vitro via reducing inflammation and promoting apoptosis through miR-320-3p/PTK2 axis
Authors: Sun Qiang , Liang Ran , Li Mingdong , Zhou Hua
Published: November 2021

Objectives

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been demonstrated to play important roles in acute pancreatitis (AP). Herein, this study aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of circRNAs utrophin (circ_UTRN) in AP.

Methods

In vitro cultured rat pancreatic acinar cell line AR42J was exposed to caerulein (10 nmol/L) to mimic an AP cell model. The levels of circ_UTRN and microRNA (miR)-320-3p and protein tyrosine kinase 2 (PTK2) were examined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot assays. Cell apoptosis was analysed by flow cytometry and Western blot assays. ELISA was employed to detect the levels of tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-1β and IL-6. The binding interaction between miR-320-3p and circ_UTRN or PTK2 was verified using dual-luciferase reporter assay.

Key findings

The expression of circ_UTRN was decreased by caerulein in pancreatic acinar cells, ectopic overexpression of circ_UTRN reduced inflammation and promoted apoptosis in caerulein-mediated pancreatic acinar cells. In a mechanical study, circ_UTRN served as a sponge of miR-320-3p, and miR-320-3p directly targeted PTK2. Rescue assay suggested that the promotion of apoptosis and inhibition of inflammation induced by circ_UTRN re-expression in caerulein-mediated pancreatic acinar cells were partially abolished by miR-320-3p overexpression or PTK2 knockdown. Besides that, miR-320-3p inhibition impaired caerulein-induced cell apoptosis arrest and inflammation via targeting PTK2.

Conclusions

Up-regulation of circ_UTRN in pancreatic acinar cells attenuates caerulein-evoked cell apoptosis arrest and inflammation enhancement via miR-320-3p/PTK2, suggesting that circ_UTRN/miR-320-3p/PTK2 axis might be engaged in caerulein-induced AP.
Social bonds, care, and successful ageing
Authors: Tesch-Römer Clemens , Wahl Hans-Werner , Rattan Suresh I. S. , Ayalon Liat
Published: November 2021

Social bonds and care are important factors for successful ageing. Most people do not grow old in isolation, but together with other people, supporting them and being supported by them. While ageing, people are embedded into a social network formed by family, friends, and neighbours. These social bonds are a necessary precondition for successful self-development over the course of our lives. The process of growing very old is characterized by morbidity, functional loss, and care needs. Hence, it is important to account for factors that enable successful ageing even in a life phase when social support and long-term care are becoming more important for a good life. Therefore, successful ageing must be seen in the context of advanced old age.
Disability associated with sacroiliac joint diseases
Authors: Kroopf Lisa R. , Philip Kemly , Dang Michelle N. , Shipon Samara
Published: November 2021

There is a relatively high incidence of sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain and dysfunction among patients undergoing evaluation for low back pain. Low back pain is a leading cause of disability globally. SIJ dysfunction can affect people of varying age ranges, with a higher distribution in several clusters, including pregnant women and adults who have undergone lumbar or lumbosacral fusion surgery. SIJ pain or dysfunction is estimated to account for 15% to 30% of all cases of axial low back pain and is an often underrecognized and undertreated cause of chronic low back pain. This chapter will provide information on the physiologic, psychologic, and physical effects of SIJ pain and how those factors impact the personal, societal, and global burden of disability from SIJ pain. Tools for the evaluation of disability are briefly discussed.
Patient selection and instruments used for peripheral nerve stimulation of the sacroiliac joint
Authors: Jameson Jessica
Published: November 2021

Sacroiliac joint pain is a very common cause of low back pain. Treatments such as physical therapy, medications, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and nerve blocks or injections can often improve symptoms. However, when these techniques are unsuccessful, consideration should be given to peripheral nerve stimulation as a long-term solution for chronic sacroiliac joint pain. Case reports over the previous decade have indicated that peripheral nerve stimulation can be useful in treating sacroiliac joint pain. This chapter provides an overview of this technique. The topics include the patient selection process (including the importance of obtaining a psychological evaluation), contraindications, and instruments used during the procedure.
Outcome measures and outcomes of peripheral nerve stimulation of the sacroiliac joint
Authors: Hoopes Hunter , Gupta Mayank
Published: November 2021

This chapter focuses on the most commonly used questionnaires and pain assessment scales that are used both clinically and in the research setting, and it compares and contrasts their validity and accuracy. Reliable outcome measures are essential to translate the complex perception of pain into measurable data. Several questionnaires and grading scales have been developed, each with their own inherent advantages and disadvantages. In addition to quantitative measures of pain, this chapter explores what other qualitative measures are useful to understand a patient’s perception of pain, their functional ability, and even potential adverse outcomes. Finally, this chapter demonstrates how some of these measures have already been used in the literature specifically in the context of peripheral nerve stimulation of the sacroiliac joint.
Patient selection
Authors: Kankam Sarafina , Smith Gregory Lawson , Goree Johnathan
Published: November 2021

Sacroiliac joint fusion has become a mainstay of the treatment of low back pain for both surgeons and interventionalists. This chapter discusses proper patient selection for both open and minimally invasive sacroiliac joint fusion techniques. Topics covered are indications and contraindications for surgery as well as imaging modalities that the provider can use to ascertain the integrity of the sacroiliac joint when fusion is being considered. It is important to assess each patient’s psychiatric history and current psychiatric symptoms, weigh the benefits and the risks of the procedure, and then use clinical judgment before proceeding with surgery. A brief overview of the two most common surgical approaches (lateral and posterior), along with survivorship data, is provided. Other patient considerations include bone density, previous lumbar spine surgery, smoking history, and comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus.
Surgical instrumentation
Authors: Azeem Nomen
Published: November 2021

This chapter discusses the instrumentation needed to perform minimally invasive sacroiliac joint fusion, a novel treatment for sacroiliac joint pain or chronic sacroiliitis. As in any surgical procedure, access to the appropriate surgical instrumentation is imperative for a safe and successful outcome. Topics covered include patient positioning and preparation for sacroiliac joint fusion; sterile preparation and surgical drapes are used. Nonsurgical items needed during the procedure for planning, administration of local anesthetic, absorption of blood or fluid, infection prevention, and wound dressing are detailed. The surgical instruments used to incise, maintain hemostasis, and close the incision are described. Device manufacturers provide prepacked kits that may contain a guide pin, a series of dilators, broach, screws, implant, and implant delivery system.
Lateral fusion
Authors: Acker Gustaf Van , Belding Jonathon , Kim Chong H.
Published: November 2021

Sacroiliac joint pain and dysfunction has increasingly been identified as an important pain generator in patients with chronic back pain or failed back surgery syndrome, and it is estimated to account for 15% to 30% of low back pain cases. Historically, fusion of the joint has been performed with an open posterior or posterolateral approach. Minimally invasive surgical (MIS) approaches were introduced in 2008, and since that time MIS posterior and lateral approaches have become common. Numerous medical device companies have marketed MIS systems, and evidence of their safety and efficacy is mounting. This chapter will detail lateral MIS approaches using fluoroscopic and navigation system guidance, as well as the posterolateral open approach, also known as the modified Smith-Petersen approach. Evidence for safety and efficacy of lateral sacroiliac joint fusion will also be discussed.
Complications and their management
Authors: Kalia Hemant
Published: November 2021

This chapter reviews the complications that can occur after minimally invasive surgical fusion of the sacroiliac joint, focusing on infection and neurovascular injuries and their prevention and treatment. The sacroiliac joint has been identified as a potential pain generator in 15% to 30% of chronic low back pain and post-laminectomy syndrome patients. Minimally invasive sacroiliac joint fusion via the lateral approach is effective and better tolerated than the open surgical approach. Most of the current studies have focused on efficacy and patient satisfaction as opposed to the safety profile of the procedure. There is a dearth of literature regarding the safety of minimally invasive sacroiliac joint fusion. Over the past few years, a novel posterior approach to sacroiliac joint fusion has become more common that theoretically is safer and potentially as efficacious as the lateral approach.
The nose and paranasal sinuses
Authors: van Gijn Daniel R. , Dunne Jonathan
Published: November 2021

The external nose is pyramidal and consists of a bony cartilaginous framework. The root/radix is continuous with the forehead an inferiorly terminates at the nasal tip. The dorsum of the nose is formed by two lateral surfaces that converge in the midline. The cartilaginous structure of the nose is formed by paired upper (lateral) cartilages that contribute to the internal nasal valve with the nasal bones, and lower lateral cartilages, combined with additional minor nasal cartilages that surround the ala. The nasal septum relies upon anastomoses from five vessels: two from the ophthalmic, two from the maxillary and one from the facial. Collectively, they form Kieselbach’s plexus. The paranasal sinuses are the frontal, sphenoidal, ethmoidal and maxillary – located within the bones of the same name. They are paired structures lined with mucosa that is continuous with the lateral nasal side wall into which they drain, facilitating clearance of mucus by way of the mucociliary escalator.
Neurology
Authors: Hoang Mai Nguyen Thi , Warrell Mary , Newton Charles , Lockwood Diana
Published: November 2021

Impaired consciousness, Headache, Raised intracranial pressure, Acute bacterial meningitis, Epidemic meningococcal disease, Viral meningitis, Chronic meningitis, Encephalitis, Rabies, Tetanus, Stroke, Subarachnoid haemorrhage, Subdural haemorrhage, Extradural haematoma, Blackouts/syncope, Space-occupying lesions (SOL), Brain abscess, Hydrocephalus, Epilepsy, Status epilepticus, Cysticercosis, Weak legs and spinal cord disease, Guillain-Barré syndrome, Poliomyelitis (polio), Peripheral neuropathy, Leprosy, Dementia
Haematology
Authors: Ghorashian Sara , Ghara Niharendu
Published: November 2021

Anaemia?, Clinical features of anaemia?, Iron-deficiency anaemia?, Anaemia of inflammation?, Macrocytic anaemias?, Haemolytic anaemias?, Red cell membranopathies?, Glucose--phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency?, Sickle cell anaemia?, Thalassaemia?, Blood transfusion?, Effects of HIV/AIDS?, Acute leukaemias?, Lymphoproliferative disorders?, Myeloproliferative disorders?, Splenomegaly?, Disorders of haemostasis?, Acquired coagulation disorders?, Laboratory issues?
Bone, joint, and soft tissue infections
Authors: Scarborough Matthew
Published: November 2021

Infections of skin?, Infections of muscle?, Septic arthritis?, Osteomyelitis?, The diabetic foot?, Fungal skin infections?
Prediction of Individual Analgesic Response to Intravenous Lidocaine in Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy
Authors: Todorovic Marko S. , Frey Karen , Swarm Robert A. , Bottros Michael , Rao Lesley , Tallchief Danielle , Kraus Kristin , Meacham Kathleen , Bakos Kristopher , Zang Xiaowei , Lee Jong Bong , Kagan Leonid , Haroutounian Simon
Published: November 2021

Objectives:

Intravenous lidocaine can alleviate painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in some patients. Whether quantitative sensory testing (QST) can identify treatment responders has not been prospectively tested.

Materials and Methods:

This was a prospective, randomized, double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled trial comparing intravenous lidocaine to normal saline (placebo) for painful DPN. Thirty-four participants with painful DPN were enrolled and administered intravenous lidocaine (5 mg/kg ideal body weight) or placebo as a 40-minute infusion, after a battery of QST parameters were tested on the dorsal foot, with a 3-week washout period between infusions.

Results:

Thirty-one participants completed both study sessions and were included in the final analysis. Lidocaine resulted in a 51% pain reduction 60 to 120 minutes after infusion initiation, as assessed on a 0 to 10 numerical rating scale, while placebo resulted in a 33.5% pain reduction (difference=17.6%, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.9%-33.3%, P=0.03). Neither mechanical pain threshold, heat pain threshold, or any of the other measured QST parameters predicted the response to treatment. Lidocaine administration reduced mean Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory paresthesia/dysesthesia scores when compared with placebo by 1.29 points (95% CI, −2.03 to −0.55, P=0.001), and paroxysmal pain scores by 0.84 points (95% CI, −1.62 to −0.56, P=0.04), without significant changes in burning, pressing or evoked pain subscores.

Discussion:

While some participants reported therapeutic benefit from lidocaine administration, QST measures alone were not predictive of response to treatment. Further studies, powered to test more complex phenotypic interactions, are required to identify reliable predictors of response to pharmacotherapy in patients with DPN.
Prediction of Bedridden Duration of Hospitalized Patients by Machine Learning Based on EMRs at Admission
Authors: Lin Weijie , Tian Xiulin , Lu Xin , Ma Dongfang , Wu Yifan , Hong Jianqiao , Yan Ruijian , Feng Gang , Cheng Zhiyuan
Published: November 2021

Being bedridden is a frequent comorbid condition that leads to a series of complications in clinical practice. The present study aimed to predict bedridden duration of hospitalized patients based on EMR at admission by machine learning. The medical data of 4345 hospitalized patients who were bedridden for at least 24 hours after admission were retrospectively collected. After preprocessing of the data, features for modeling were selected by support vector machine recursive feature elimination. Thereafter, logistic regression, support vector machine, and extreme gradient boosting algorithms were adopted to predict the bedridden duration. The feasibility and efficacy of above models were evaluated by performance indicators. Our results demonstrated that the most important features related to bedridden duration were Charlson Comorbidity Index, age, bedridden duration before admission, mobility capability, and perceptual ability. The extreme gradient boosting algorithm showed the best performance (accuracy, 0.797; area under the curve, 0.841) when compared with support vector machine (accuracy, 0.771; area under the curve, 0.803) and logistic regression (accuracy, 0.765; area under the curve, 0.809) algorithms. Meanwhile, the extreme gradient boosting algorithm had a higher sensitivity (0.856), specificity (0.650), and F1 score (0.858) than that of support vector machine algorithm (0.843, 0.589, and 0.841) and logistic regression (0.852, 0.545, and 0.839), respectively. These findings indicate that machine learning based on EMRs at admission is a feasible avenue to predict the bedridden duration. The extreme gradient boosting algorithm shows great potential for further clinical application.
PARACENTRAL ACUTE MIDDLE MACULOPATHY IN GIANT CELL ARTERITIS
Authors: Mairot Kevin , Sené Thomas , Lecler Augustin , Philibert Manon , Clavel Gaëlle , Hemmendinger Anaelle , Denis Danièle , Vignal-Clermont Catherine , Mauget-Faÿsse Martine , Hage Rabih
Published: November 2021

Purpose:

To report the occurrence of paracentral acute middle maculopathy (PAMM) in giant cell arteritis (GCA), describe its features and outcomes, and identify risk factors associated with PAMM in patients with GCA.

Methods:

Review of medical records of patients with GCA who were examined in the Rothschild Foundation Hospital. Patients were divided into three groups: GCA with PAMM (Group 1), GCA with ophthalmic involvement but without PAMM (Group 2), and GCA without ophthalmic involvement (Group 3). We analyzed the data for age, sex, medical history, laboratory testing, visual acuity, and posterior segment vascular involvement.

Results:

Among the 96 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 52 had ophthalmic involvement, and 16 patients were included in Group 1 (GCA with PAMM). In this subgroup, the mean age was 81.6 years and was found to be older than other groups. The visual prognosis was similar between Groups 1 and 2. Of the 20 eyes with PAMM, 35% were also associated with homolateral anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. No statistical difference was found in initial symptoms, signs, and laboratory testing.

Conclusion:

Paracentral acute middle maculopathy is frequently observed lesions in ocular GCA. Patients can present with isolated findings of PAMM as the only indication of GCA. Optical coherence tomography of the macula should be routinely performed in patients with suspected GCA, specifically if they complain of visual changes, to look for signs of ischemia in the middle layers of the retina. Isolated PAMM should raise suspicion for GCA in patients at risk.
It Takes a Village
Authors: Risbud Rashmi D. , Kim Juliah Shay , Trivedi Ranak B.
Published: November 2021

Background

Heart failure (HF) management can be improved by involving framily (family and friends) who provide valuable support. Less is known about how dyadic interactions or interactions between dyads and their extended care networks positively impact life with HF.

Objectives

This study aimed to understand the positive behavioral, cognitive, and social factors through which patient-framily dyads manage health together.

Methods

Heart failure patient-framily dyads were recruited through Stanford heart failure clinics. Participants completed a 45-minute semistructured interview that elicited their experiences with managing HF. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed for analysis, and independently coded by 2 team members using thematic analyses.

Results

Seventeen dyads (n = 34) participated in the study; 47% of patients and 78% of framily were women. Mean (SD) age of patients was 66 (14) years, and mean (SD) age of framily caregivers was 59 (12.3) years. Three themes showcased the positive contributions of dyadic HF management: (1) management of HF was perceived as successful when individuals in a dyad both received support from a shared care network; (2) when strength of the interpersonal relationship and love were the main motivators for care, dyads reported a positive outlook on quality of life with HF; and (3) the framily caregivers' own health conditions affected the dyadic relationship and perceived success with HF management.

Conclusions

Social support by an external network and mutual support within a patient-framily dyad both create an environment of optimism and effective coping, making successful HF management possible. A dyad's success with these factors may result in better condition management and perceived quality of life.
Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Commonly Failed in Children With Co‐Morbidities
Authors: Kellermayer Richard , Wu Qinglong , Nagy‐Szakal Dorottya , Queliza Karen , Ihekweazu Faith D. , Bocchini Claire E. , Magee Abria R. , Oezguen Numan , Spinler Jennifer K. , Hollister Emily B. , Shulman Robert J. , Versalovic James , Luna Ruth Ann , Savidge Tor C.
Published: November 2021

Objectives:

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is arguably the most effective treatment for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI). Clinical reports on pediatric FMT have not systematically evaluated microbiome restoration in patients with co‐morbidities. Here, we determined whether FMT recipient age and underlying co‐morbidity influenced clinical outcomes and microbiome restoration when treated from shared fecal donor sources.

Methods:

Eighteen rCDI patients participating in a single‐center, open‐label prospective cohort study received fecal preparation from a self‐designated (single case) or two universal donors. Twelve age‐matched healthy children and four pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC) cases from an independent serial FMT trial, but with a shared fecal donor were examined as controls for microbiome restoration using 16S rRNA gene sequencing of longitudinal fecal specimens.

Results:

FMT was significantly more effective in rCDI recipients without underlying chronic co‐morbidities where fecal microbiome composition in post‐transplant responders was restored to levels of healthy children. Microbiome reconstitution was not associated with symptomatic resolution in some rCDI patients who had co‐morbidities. Significant elevation in Bacteroidaceae, Bifidobacteriaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Erysipelotrichaceae was consistently observed in pediatric rCDI responders, while Enterobacteriaceae decreased, correlating with augmented complex carbohydrate degradation capacity.

Conclusion:

Recipient background disease was a significant risk factor influencing FMT outcomes. Special attention should be taken when considering FMT for pediatric rCDI patients with underlying co‐morbidities.
De Novo Food Allergy in Pediatric Recipients of Liver Transplant
Authors: Mori Francesca , Giovannini Mattia , Barni Simona , Trapani Sandra , Indolfi Giuseppe
Published: November 2021

Allergic and atopic conditions, including food allergy, asthma, eczema and eosinophilic disease of the gastrointestinal tract after liver transplant in previously non‐allergic children have been increasingly described. After a liver transplant, children can present mild to severe reactions to food allergens (ie, from urticaria‐angioedema to life‐threatening anaphylactic reactions). De novo post‐transplant food allergy may become clinically evident in children who undergo liver transplant between a few months and a few years of transplant. The present narrative review aims to describe the spectrum of de novo post‐transplant food allergy development, the current theories of pathogenesis, risk factors and to suggest possible clinical management strategies.
HIV-1 Treatment Failure, Drug Resistance, and Clinical Outcomes in Perinatally Infected Children and Adolescents Failing First-Line Antiretroviral Therapy in Western Kenya
Authors: Nyandiko Winstone , Holland Sabina , Vreeman Rachel , DeLong Allison K. , Manne Akarsh , Novitsky Vladimir , Sang Festus , Ashimosi Celestine , Ngeresa Anthony , Chory Ashley , Aluoch Josephine , Orido Millicent , Jepkemboi Eslyne , Sam Soya S. , Caliendo Angela M. , Ayaya Samuel , Hogan Joseph W. , Kantor Rami ,   for the Resistance in a Pediatric Cohort (RESPECT) Study
Published: November 2021

Background:

Long-term impact of drug resistance in perinatally infected children and adolescents living with HIV (CALWH) is poorly understood. We determined drug resistance and examined its long-term impact on failure and mortality in Kenyan CALWH failing first-line non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor–based antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Setting:

Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare, western Kenya.

Methods:

Participants were enrolled in 2010–2013 (timepoint 1) and a subsample re-enrolled after 4–7 years (timepoint 2). Viral load (VL) was performed on timepoint 1 samples, with genotyping of those with detectable VL. Primary endpoints were treatment failure (VL >1000 copies/mL) at and death before timepoint 2. Multinomial regression analysis was used to characterize resistance effect on death, failure, and loss-to-follow-up, adjusting for key variables.

Results:

The initial cohort (n = 480) was 52% (n = 251) female, median age 8 years, median CD4% 31%, 79% (n = 379) on zidovudine/abacavir + lamivudine + efavirenz/nevirapine for median 2 years. Of these, 31% (n = 149) failed at timepoint 1. Genotypes at timepoint 1, available on n = 128, demonstrated 93% (n = 119) extensive resistance, affecting second line. Of 128, 22 failed at timepoint 2, 17 died, and 32 were lost to follow-up before timepoint 2. Having >5 resistance mutations at timepoint 1 was associated with higher mortality [relative risk ratio (RRR) = 8.7, confidence interval (CI) 2.1 to 36.3] and loss to follow-up (RRR = 3.2, CI 1.1 to 9.2). Switching to second line was associated with lower mortality (RRR <0.05, CI <0.05 to 0.1) and loss to follow-up (RRR = 0.1, CI <0.05 to 0.3).

Conclusion:

Extensive resistance and limited switch to second line in perinatally infected Kenyan CALWH failing first-line ART were associated with long-term failure and mortality. Findings emphasize urgency for interventions to sustain effective, life-long ART in this vulnerable population.
The Role of Interleukin 10 in Keloid Therapy
Authors: Harsono Anastasia Dessy , Prasetyono Theddeus Octavianus Hari , Dilogo Ismail Hadisoebroto
Published: November 2021

Introduction

Keloids are pathological wound healing responses to dermal injuries. These scars may lead to considerable morbidity, but treatments remain challenging for physicians. Interleukin 10 (IL-10), a potent anti-inflammatory cytokine, plays a prominent role in fetal scarless regenerative healing; therefore, it may become a more targeted and effective therapy for keloids. This review aimed to obtain an overview of the background of keloid and IL-10 functions as its promising forthcoming treatment.

Materials and Methods

Studies were sought from Pubmed, ScienceDirect, PLOS, and Clinical Key. Keywords are interleukin 10, keloid, and wound healing as Medical Subject Headings terms.

Results and Discussion

Keloids and fetal scarless healing represent 2 opposing ends of the tissue repair spectrum. Promising multiple animal models have demonstrated successful regenerative healing promotion through IL-10 overexpression by its ability to minimize inflammatory wound microenvironment, downregulate transforming growth factor β/SMAD signaling pathway, increase extracellular matrix breakdown, and regulate extracellular matrix. These results have led to the development of clinical trials investigating human recombinant IL-10.

Conclusions

Interleukin 10 has the potential to become a more targeted and promising therapy of keloids owing to its pleiotropic effects.
Plastic Surgery Away Rotations During the Coronavirus Disease Pandemic
Authors: Tucker A. Blake , Pakvasa Mikhail , Shakir Afaaf , Chang David W. , Reid Russell R. , Silva Amanda K.
Published: November 2021

Background

Plastic surgery has traditionally been a specialty that places a strong emphasis on away rotations during the final year of medical school. These rotations allow the program and residency candidates to become better acquainted and are often crucial, as a large portion of applicants match at programs where they rotated. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic forced many institutions to modify their educational curriculums when away rotations were canceled. We present our experience creating and implementing a virtual plastic surgery rotation.

Methods

Our virtual program was designed to mirror the in-person away rotations as much as possible. Prerotation and postrotation surveys from the students as well as feedback interviews with the students, residents, and faculty were used to gather information on the experience.

Results

We created a 2-week curriculum including approximately 20 hours of lecture time, 28 hours of operating room time, 2.5 hours of one-on-one mentorship, and 3 hours of social opportunities. Students reported that they learned more about plastic surgery and the residency program, but in contrast to this, some found it difficult to make an impression.

Conclusions

We developed a novel 2-week virtual curriculum that provided visiting medical students from across the country an opportunity to learn more about plastic surgery and our residency program. Virtual learning is becoming a vital part of education, and our study provides pearls and pitfalls when structuring these experiences.
Extended Scalp Expansion for Larger Defects During Staged Cranioplasty
Authors: Dinis Jacob , Junn Alexandra , Kahle Kristopher , Alperovich Michael
Published: November 2021

Background:

Secondary cranioplasty is often required following trauma, infection, radiation, or oncologic care, but is complicated by soft-tissue deficits with limited regional options. Scalp tissue expanders can provide hair-bearing, vascularized tissue for tension- free closure yielding optimal aesthetic results. However, the upper limit of safe scalp expansion has not been explored. This study sought to evaluate the efficacy of extended scalp tissue expansion for challenging cranioplasties in a consecutive series.

Methods:

Patients who underwent scalp tissue expansion before cranioplasty were retrospectively identified from a single institution between the years 2017 and 2020. Patient demographics, tissue expansion characteristics, and complications during expansion and after cranioplasty were collected.

Results:

Six patients were identified who underwent staged scalp expansion for cranioplasty; 5 were male (83.3%) with a mean age of 43.8 ± 12.5 years. Indications for cranioplasty included 2 epilepsy- related procedures, 1 oligodendroglioma, 2 infectious processes, and 1 traumatic incident. A single expander was used in 5 cases, whereas 2 were used in the remaining case. The average expander fill volume was 434.3 ± 115 ccs with a mean expansion time of 3.3 ± 1.4  months. Expander infection occurred in 1 case and expander exposure in another, but adequate scalp expansion was still achieved in both. Successful closure over cranioplasty was obtained in 5 cases (83.3%); 1 patient ultimately required free flap reconstruction for soft-tissue coverage.

Conclusions:

In cases of extended scalp defects, scalp tissue expansion remains the preferred method for recruiting large quantities of like tissue before implant cranioplasty.
Vocal modulation in human mating and competition
Authors: Hughes Susan M. , Puts David A.
Published: November 2021

The human voice is dynamic, and people modulate their voices across different social interactions. This article presents a review of the literature examining natural vocal modulation in social contexts relevant to human mating and intrasexual competition. Altering acoustic parameters during speech, particularly pitch, in response to mating and competitive contexts can influence social perception and indicate certain qualities of the speaker. For instance, a lowered voice pitch is often used to exert dominance, display status and compete with rivals. Changes in voice can also serve as a salient medium for signalling a person's attraction to another, and there is evidence to support the notion that attraction and/or romantic interest can be distinguished through vocal tones alone. Individuals can purposely change their vocal behaviour in attempt to sound more attractive and to facilitate courtship success. Several findings also point to the effectiveness of vocal change as a mechanism for communicating relationship status. As future studies continue to explore vocal modulation in the arena of human mating, we will gain a better understanding of how and why vocal modulation varies across social contexts and its impact on receiver psychology.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Voice modulation: from origin and mechanism to social impact (Part I)’.
Singers show enhanced performance and neural representation of vocal imitation
Authors: Waters Sheena , Kanber Elise , Lavan Nadine , Belyk Michel , Carey Daniel , Cartei Valentina , Lally Clare , Miquel Marc , McGettigan Carolyn
Published: November 2021

Humans have a remarkable capacity to finely control the muscles of the larynx, via distinct patterns of cortical topography and innervation that may underpin our sophisticated vocal capabilities compared with non-human primates. Here, we investigated the behavioural and neural correlates of laryngeal control, and their relationship to vocal expertise, using an imitation task that required adjustments of larynx musculature during speech. Highly trained human singers and non-singer control participants modulated voice pitch and vocal tract length (VTL) to mimic auditory speech targets, while undergoing real-time anatomical scans of the vocal tract and functional scans of brain activity. Multivariate analyses of speech acoustics, larynx movements and brain activation data were used to quantify vocal modulation behaviour and to search for neural representations of the two modulated vocal parameters during the preparation and execution of speech. We found that singers showed more accurate task-relevant modulations of speech pitch and VTL (i.e. larynx height, as measured with vocal tract MRI) during speech imitation; this was accompanied by stronger representation of VTL within a region of the right somatosensory cortex. Our findings suggest a common neural basis for enhanced vocal control in speech and song.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Voice modulation: from origin and mechanism to social impact (Part I)’.
Biological Insights Knowledge Graph: an integrated knowledge graph to support drug development
Authors: Geleta David , Nikolov Andriy , Edwards Gavin , Gogleva Anna , Jackson Richard , Jansson Erik , Lamov Andrej , Nilsson Sebastian , Pettersson Marina , Poroshin Vladimir , Rozemberczki Benedek , Scrivener Timothy , Ughetto Michael , Papa Eliseo
Published: November 2021

The use of knowledge graphs as a data source for machine learning methods to solve complex problems in life sciences has rapidly become popular in recent years. Our Biological Insights Knowledge Graph (BIKG) combines relevant data for drug development from public as well as internal data sources to provide insights for a range of tasks: from identifying new targets to repurposing existing drugs. Besides the common requirements to organisational knowledge graphs such as being able to capture the domain precisely and give the users the ability to search and query the data, the focus on handling multiple use cases and supporting use case-specific machine learning models presents additional challenges: the data models must also be streamlined for the performance of downstream tasks; graph content must be easily customisable for different use cases; different projections of the graph content are required to support a wider range of different consumption modes. In this paper we describe our main design choices in implementation of the BIKG graph and discuss different aspects of its life cycle: from graph construction to exploitation.
Global transcriptome analysis reveals partial estrogen-like effects of karanjin in MCF-7 breast cancer cells
Authors: Bhatt Gaurav , Gupta Akshita , Rangan Latha , Limaye Anil Mukund
Published: November 2021

Karanjin, an abundantly occurring furanoflavonoid in edible and non-edible legumes, exerts diverse biological effectsin vivo, andin vitro. Its potential as an anticancer agent is also gaining traction following recent demonstrations of its anti-proliferative, cell cycle inhibitory, and pro-apoptotic effects. However, the universality of its anticancer potential is yet to be scrutinized, particularly so because flavonoids can act as selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs). Even the genomic correlates of its biological activities are yet to be examined in hormone responsive cells. This paper presents the early and direct transcriptomic footprint of 10 μM karanjin in MCF-7 breast cancer cells, using next generation sequencing technology (RNA-seq). We show that karanjin-modulated gene-expression repertoire is enriched in several hallmark gene sets, which include early estrogen-response, and G2/M checkpoint genes. Genes modulated by karanjin overlapped with those modulated by 1 nM 17β-estradiol (E2), or 1 μM tamoxifen. Karanjin altered the expression of selected estrogen-regulated genes in a cell-type, and concentration dependent manner. It downmodulated the expression of ERα protein in MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, ERα knockdown negatively impacted karanjin’s ability to modulate the expression of selected E2 target genes. Our data suggest that karanjin exerts its effects on ERα-positive breast cancer cells, at least in part, via ERα. The apparent SERM-like effects of karanjin pose a caveat to the anticancer potential of karanjin. In-depth studies on cell-type and concentration-dependent effects of karanjin may bring out its true potential in endocrine therapies.
Multi-attribute Glycan Identification and FDR Control for Glycoproteomics
Authors: Polasky Daniel A. , Geiszler Daniel J. , Yu Fengchao , Nesvizhskii Alexey I.
Published: November 2021

Rapidly improving methods for glycoproteomics have enabled increasingly large-scale analyses of complex glycopeptide samples, but annotating the resulting mass spectrometry data with high confidence remains a major bottleneck. We recently introduced a fast and sensitive glycoproteomics search method in our MSFragger search engine, which reports glycopeptides as a combination of a peptide sequence and the mass of the attached glycan. In samples with complex glycosylation patterns, converting this mass to a specific glycan composition is not straightforward, however, as many glycans have similar or identical masses. Here, we have developed a new method for determining the glycan composition of N-linked glycopeptides fragmented by collision or hybrid activation that uses multiple sources of information from the spectrum, including observed glycan B- (oxonium) and Y-type ions and mass and precursor monoisotopic selection errors to discriminate between possible glycan candidates. Combined with false discovery rate estimation for the glycan assignment, we show this method is capable of specifically and sensitively identifying glycans in complex glycopeptide analyses and effectively controls the rate of false glycan assignments. The new method has been incorporated into the PTM-Shepherd modification analysis tool to work directly with the MSFragger glyco search in the FragPipe graphical user interface, providing a complete computational pipeline for annotation of N-glycopeptide spectra with FDR control of both peptide and glycan components that is both sensitive and robust against false identifications.
Removing Inter-Experimental Variability from Functional Data in Systems Neuroscience
Authors: Gonschorek Dominic , Höfling Larissa , Szatko Klaudia P. , Franke Katrin , Schubert Timm , Dunn Benjamin A. , Berens Philipp , Klindt David A. , Euler Thomas
Published: November 2021

Integrating data from multiple experiments is common practice in systems neuroscience but it requiresinter-experimental variabilityto be negligible compared to the biological signal of interest. This requirement is rarely fulfilled; systematic changes between experiments can drastically affect the outcome of complex analysis pipelines. Modern machine learning approaches designed to adapt models across multiple data domains offer flexible ways of removing inter-experimental variability where classical statistical methods often fail. While applications of these methods have been mostly limited to single-cell genomics, in this work, we develop a theoretical framework for domain adaptation in systems neuroscience. We implement this in an adversarial optimization scheme that removes inter-experimental variability while preserving the biological signal. We compare our method to previous approaches on a large-scale dataset of two-photon imaging recordings of retinal bipolar cell responses to visual stimuli. This dataset provides a unique benchmark as it contains biological signal from well-defined cell types that is obscured by large inter-experimental variability. In a supervised setting, we compare the generalization performance of cell type classifiers across experiments, which we validate with anatomical cell type distributions from electron microscopy data. In an unsupervised setting, we remove inter-experimental variability from data which can then be fed into arbitrary downstream analyses. In both settings, we find that our method achieves the best trade-off between removing inter-experimental variability and preserving biological signal. Thus, we offer a flexible approach to remove inter-experimental variability and integrate datasets across experiments in systems neuroscience. Code available athttps://github.com/eulerlab/rave.