bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trial of ultrasound guided carpal tunnel release versus traditional open release (TUTOR)
Authors: Eberlin Kyle R. , Dy Christopher J. , Fischer Mark D. , Gluck James L. , Kaplan F. Thomas D. , McDonald Thomas J. , Miller Larry E. , Palmer Alexander , Walker Marc E. , Watt James F.
Published: October 2022

Background:

Carpal tunnel release (CTR) is a surgical treatment option for patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) symptoms that are unresponsive to conservative treatment. Most patients experience symptomatic relief after CTR regardless of the surgical technique. However, direct comparisons of the safety and effectiveness between CTR surgical techniques are limited. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to compare the safety and effectiveness of CTR with ultrasound guidance (CTR-US) versus mini-open CTR (mOCTR) in subjects with symptomatic CTS.

Design and methods:

TUTOR (Trial of Ultrasound guided CTR versus Traditional Open Release) is a randomized controlled trial in which 120 subjects at up to 12 sites in the United States will be randomized (2:1) to receive CTR-US or mOCTR. The primary endpoint of the study is the percentage of patients who return to normal daily activities within 3 days of the procedure. Secondary endpoints of the study are median time to return to normal daily activities, percentage of patients who return to work within 3 days of the procedure, median time to return to work, Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire Symptom Severity Scale (BCTQ-SSS) change score at 3 months, BCTQ Functional Status Scale (BCTQ-FSS) change score at 3 months, Numeric Pain Scale change score at 3 months, EuroQoL-5 Dimension 5-Level (EQ-5D-5L) change score at 3 months, and the incidence of device- or procedure-related adverse events at 3 months. Patient follow-up in this trial will continue for 1 year.

Ethics and dissemination:

This study was approved by a central institutional review board and ongoing trial oversight will be provided by a data safety monitoring board (DSMB). The authors intend to report the results of this trial at medical conferences and peer-reviewed journals. The outcomes of TUTOR will have important clinical and economic implications for all stakeholders involved in treating patients with CTS.

Study registration:

ClinicalTrials.gov (https://clinicaltrials.gov): NCT05405218.

Level of evidence:

1
The effectiveness of massage interventions on procedural pain in neonates: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Liu Jiang , Fang Shirong , Wang Yuxia , Gao Lunan , Xin Tingting , Liu Yuxiu
Published: October 2022

Background:

The painful procedures experienced by neonates during hospitalization have short-term or long-term effects on neonates. While the limitations of previous interventions make it imperative to explore effective interventions that are readily available. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of massage for pain management in neonates.

Methods:

This systematic review was registered in PROSPER. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and the Clinical Trials Registry were searched to December 2021. Two reviewers independently carried out study selection, data extraction, bias risk assessment. Continuous data were analyzed by mean differences (MD). Dichotomous data were reported using relative risk. If at least two studies reported identical results by the same pain assessment tool, a meta-analysis was conducted using random effect model and inverse variance.

Results:

Total 11 included studies involving 755 neonates investigated the effects of massage on neonatal pain response compared to standard care. The meta-analysis showed that massage could effectively improve pain response in neonates compared to standard care no matter whether neonatal infant pain scale (NIPS) or premature infant pain profile (PIPP) was used as an assessment tool. Besides, massage was also effective for crying duration, blood oxygen saturation both during and after the procedure, but non-effective for the variation of respiratory rate after the procedure, and heart rate both during and after the procedure.

Conclusions:

Massage may have a positive effect on pain relief of neonate, and rigorous trials are needed in the future to determine the most effective massage method.
Serum leptin differs in children with obstructive sleep apnea: A meta-analysis and PRISMA compliant article
Authors: He Yao , Zhou Liu-Qing , Hu Yao , Cheng Qing , Niu Xun
Published: October 2022

Background:

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as an independent cardiovascular risk factor has been proposed, but the mechanisms underlying cardiovascular disease is far from being completely elucidated. Leptin, an inflammatory cytokine produced by adipocytes, contributes to the modulation of metabolism, respiratory control, and inflammation, which are factors associated with cardiovascular disease. Serum levels of leptin in children with OSA have shown conflicting results in previous studies.

Methods:

We performed a meta-analysis to clarify the correlation between leptin expression of the OSA patients following the PRISMA. PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were systematically searched for relevant studies, and then independently screened by two researchers, and analyzed the data through STATA version 12.0.

Results:

In a total of 5 articles including 469 participants, the data analysis showed that serum leptin levels were elevated in children with OSA (MD, 6.36; 95% CI, 0.24–12.49, P < .001), compared to the control group. Subgroup analysis were performed based on body mass index. The results of subgroup analysis demonstrated that the serum leptin concentration was correlated with body mass index in children with OSA (MD, 9.70; 95% CI, 0.22–11.18, P < .001).

Conclusions:

The serum leptin levels were elevated in children with OSA, compared to the control group. It could add to our developing understanding of the pathogenesis and potential treatments for children with OSA, and help us to recognize the relevance of OSA in determining cardiovascular issues among children.
Endoscopic findings of gastric neoplasms in familial adenomatous polyposis are associated with the phenotypic variations and grades of dysplasia
Authors: Kobashi Mayu , Iwamuro Masaya , Kuraoka Sakiko , Inoo Shoko , Okanoue Shotaro , Satomi Takuya , Hamada Kenta , Abe Makoto , Kono Yoshiyasu , Kanzaki Hiromitsu , Kawano Seiji , Tanaka Takehiro , Kawahara Yoshiro , Okada Hiroyuki
Published: October 2022

Patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) are at increased risk of developing gastric neoplasms. However, endoscopic findings have not been sufficiently investigated. We investigated the phenotypic expression of gastric adenoma (low-grade dysplasia) and gastric cancer (high-grade dysplasia or carcinoma) in patients with FAP and clarified their relationships to endoscopic findings. Of 29 patients with FAP who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy between 2005 and 2020, 11 (38%) had histologically confirmed gastric neoplasms, including 23 lesions of gastric adenoma and 9 lesions of gastric cancer. The gastric neoplasms were classified into 3 phenotypes (gastric, mixed, or intestinal type) according to the immunostaining results and evaluated for location (U or M region: upper or middle third of the stomach or L region: lower third of the stomach), color (same as the background mucosa, whitish, or reddish), macroscopic type (elevated, flat, or depressed), background mucosal atrophy (present or absent), fundic gland polyps in the surrounding mucosa (present or absent), and morphologic changes in tumor size. Elevated whitish gastric adenomas were further subdivided by macroscopic type (flat elevated, protruded, or elevated with a central depression) and color (milky- or pinkish-white). The gastric adenomas included gastric (11/23, 48%), mixed (4/23, 17%), and intestinal (8/23, 35%) phenotypes. In contrast, no lesions of gastric cancers showed a gastric phenotype (0/9, 0%), while 5 (56%) and 4 (44%) lesions were intestinal and mixed phenotypes, respectively. Gastric cancers were significantly more likely than gastric adenomas to present as reddish depressed lesions with gastric atrophy. All gastric-type adenomas occurred in non-atrophic mucosa, in mucosa with fundic gland polyps in the periphery, in the U or M region, and as flat elevated or protruded lesions with a milky-white color. Half of the lesions increased in size. Meanwhile, the typical endoscopic features of intestinal-type adenomas included occurrence in the L region and elevated pinkish-white lesions with central depression. None of the intestinal-type adenomas increased in size during the observation period. We believe that these endoscopic features will be useful for the prompt diagnosis and appropriate management of gastric neoplasms in patients with FAP.
Dietary β-carotene and vitamin A and risk of Parkinson disease: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Wu Ling-Yu , Chen Jing-Xin , Chen Gui-Sheng , Gao Hua , Huo Jing-Hong , Pang Yu-Fei , Gao Qing-Han
Published: October 2022

Background:

The beneficial effects of dietary β-carotene and vitamin A on Parkinson disease (PD) have been confirmed, but some studies have yielded questionable results. Therefore, this meta-analysis investigated the effect of dietary β-carotene and vitamin A on the risk of PD.

Methods:

The following databases were searched for relevant paper: PubMed, Embase, Medline, Scopus, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang Med online, and Weipu databases for the relevant paper from 1990 to March 28, 2022. The studies included were as follows: β-carotene and vitamin A intake was measured using scientifically recognized approaches, such as food frequency questionnaire (FFQ); evaluation of odds ratios using OR, RR, or HR; β-carotene and vitamin A intake for three or more quantitative categories; and PD diagnosed by a neurologist or hospital records.

Results:

This study included 11 studies (four cohort studies, six case–control studies, and one cross-sectional study). The high β-carotene intake was associated with a significantly lower chance of developing PD than low β-carotene intake (pooled OR = 0.83, 95%CI = 0.74‐0.94). Whereas the risk of advancement of PD was not significantly distinctive among the highest and lowest vitamin A intake (pooled OR = 1.08, 95%CI = 0.91‐1.29).

Conclusions:

Dietary β-carotene intake may have a protective effect against PD, whereas dietary vitamin A does not appear to have the same effect. More relevant studies are needed to include into meta-analysis in the further, as the recall bias and selection bias in retrospective and cross-sectional studies cause misclassifications in the assessment of nutrient intake.
Association of serum leptin and insulin levels among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: A case–control study
Authors: Zhao Yanfei , Li Huihui
Published: October 2022

Secretion of insulin is compromised in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) individuals and inadequate to accommodate for insulin resistance (IR) in peripheral tissue. Hyperleptinemia reflects leptin resistance, which is a key factor in the production of IR in T2DM patients, making leptin a potential biomarker for evaluating IR levels. The objective of the study was to assess the association of serum leptin and insulin levels among T2DM patients. This case-control research was carried out on T2DM patients. A total of 73 patients diagnosed with T2DM (the case group) and 40 healthy participants (control; group 3) were enrolled according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) criteria. In the case group, T2DM patients were enrolled with metabolic syndrome (group 1, n = 38) or without metabolic syndrome (group 2, n = 35) according to the WHO criteria. Metabolic profiles of T2DM patients with or without metabolic syndrome were evaluated, and compare these two groups with healthy controls. The subjects of all groups were age- and gender-matched. Body mass index (BMI, P < .01), fasting (P = .0133) and postprandial (P < .01) blood sugar levels, % glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c, P < .01), and lipid profile (P < .01) were found significantly different and higher in group 1 as compared to groups 2 and 3. Serum leptin and insulin levels were found higher and significant in patients with metabolic syndrome (P < .01 for both). The values of serum leptin levels were 10.01 ± 2.7 ng/mL, 6.9 ± 2.4 ng/mL, and 4.11 ± 1.8 ng/mL, and those of serum insulin 120 ± 40.7 µIU/mL, 20.43 ± 5.2 µIU/mL, and 11.4 ± 2.5 µIU/mL in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. There was a positive linear correlation between BMI, blood sugar, HbA1c, serum cholesterol (TC), and triglycerides (TG) with serum insulin and leptin levels in the case group. An extremely significant correlation (R = 0.74, P < .001) was found in BMI and serum leptin level in the case group. Serum leptin and insulin levels have a positive association, with serum leptin being a significant predictor of IR syndrome (Evidence Level: 5; Technical Efficacy: Stage 3).
Research features between Urology and Nephrology authors in articles regarding UTI related to CKD, HD, PD, and renal transplantation
Authors: Tan Keng-Kok , Chien Tsair-Wei , Kan Wei-Chih , Wang Chen-Yu , Chou Willy , Wang Hsien-Yi
Published: October 2022

Background:

A urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common types of infections affecting the urinary tract. When bacteria enter the bladder or kidney and multiply in the urine, a URI can occur. The urethra is shorter in women than in men, which makes it easier for bacteria to reach the bladder or kidneys and cause infection. A comparison of the research differences between Urology and Nephrology (UN) authors regarding UTI pertaining to the 4 areas (i.e., Chronic Kidney Disease, Hemodialysis, Peritoneal Dialysis, and Renal Transplantation [CHPR]) is thus necessary. We propose and verify 2 hypotheses: CHPR-related articles on UTI have equal journal impact factors (JIFs) in research achievements (RAs) and UN authors have similar research features (RFs).

Methods:

Based on keywords associated with UTI and CHPR in titles, subject areas, and abstracts since 2013, we obtained 1284 abstracts and their associated metadata (e.g., citations, authors, research institutes, departments, countries of origin) from the Web of Science core collection. There were 1030 corresponding and first (co-first) authors with hT-JIF-indices (i.e., JIF was computed using hT-index rather than citations as usual). The following 5 visualizations were used to present the author’s RA: radar, Sankey, time-to-event, impact beam plot, and choropleth map. The forest plot was used to distinguish RFs by observing the proportional counts of keyword plus in Web of Science core collection between UN authors.

Results:

It was observed that CHPR-related articles had unequal JIFs (χ2 = 13.08, P = .004, df = 3, n = 1030) and UN departments had different RFs (Q = 53.24, df = 29, P = .004). In terms of countries, institutes, departments, and authors, the United States (hT-JIF = 38.30), Mayo Clinic (12.9), Nephrology (19.14), and Diana Karpman (10.34) from Sweden had the highest hT-JIF index.

Conclusion:

With the aid of visualizations, the hT-JIF-index and keyword plus were demonstrated to assess RAs and distinguish RFs between UN authors. A replication of this study under other topics and in other disciplines is recommended in the future, rather than limiting it to UN authors only, as we did in this study.
A nomogram model of postoperative prognosis for metastatic lung adenocarcinoma: A study based on the SEER database
Authors: Tie Xiaowei , Chen Lianlian , Li Xiaomin , Zha Wenjuan , Liu Yangchen
Published: October 2022

We have observed that patients with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma can obtain survival benefits from surgical resection of the primary tumor. A model was developed to evaluate the prognosis of patients. The patients with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database and divided into surgery group and non-surgical group. Through Kaplan–Meier analysis, the survival rate of the non-surgical group was found to be significantly lower no matter before or after propensity score matching. One thousand one hundred and seventy surgical patients were divided into a training group and a verification group. In the training group, univariate and multivariate Cox models were used to explore the prognostic factors, and logistic regression was used to establish a nomogram based on significant predictors. In total, 12,228 patients with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma were recognized; primary tumor surgery accounted for 9.5%. After propensity score matching, the median survival time of 2 groups was significantly different. For the training group, univariate and multivariate COX analysis was conducted, and a nomogram was constructed. Acceptable agreement has been achieved between the predicted and observed survival rates, and the nomogram can divide patients with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma into different risk groups and predict their prognostic survival rate.
Relationship between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and bone mineral density in adolescents
Authors: Xie Ruijie , Zhang Ya , Yan Tao , Huang Xiongjie , Xie Songlin , Liu Changxiong , Liu Mingjiang
Published: October 2022

Liver metabolism is strongly linked to bone metabolism, and a significant correlation between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and bone mineral density (BMD) in adults has been demonstrated. However, the current relationship between NAFLD and BMD in the adolescent population remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate the specific relationship between NAFLD and BMD in adolescents aged 12 to 19 years in the United States.

The quantitative relationship between NAFLD and total BMD was investigated using multivariate logistic regression and smoothed fitted curve curves based on multiperspective data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

A total of 740 adolescents were included in this study after excluding unusable samples. The results showed that NAFLD was positively associated with total BMD in adolescents. The results of the subgroup analysis showed that this positive association was mainly found in boys, whites and blacks. The association was not significant in girls, Mexican Americans and other racial groups.

Among US adolescents, there was a significant positive association between NAFLD and total BMD, and this relationship varied by gender and race.
Equivalence of Paper and Electronic-Based Patient Reported Outcome Measures for Children: A Systematic Review
Authors: Kortbeek Simone , Pawaria Arti , Ng Vicky Lee
Published: October 2022

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) exist for a variety of chronic gastrointestinal disorders in children. The availability of electronic (e-)formats of PROMs enhance the accessibility of these tools. The International Society for Pharmacoeconomic and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) defines measurement equivalence (ME) as “comparability of the psychometric properties of data” obtained from the administration of original and adapted versions of PROMs. Consideration of proxy PROM versions is unique to pediatrics and must be included in ME evaluations. We conducted a systematic review (SR) of the literature evaluating ME of e-versions adapted from pediatric paper-based PROMs. A literature search was conducted through Medline, Embase, APA PsychInfo, and the Cochrane Library. Titles, abstracts, and manuscripts were reviewed by 2 independent reviewers. The search yielded 19 studies meeting pre-defined criteria. Just over half (52.6%) of 19 PROMs were disease-specific ones. ME between paper- and e-PROM versions was reported as present in all 19 studies evaluating 5653 participants under the age of 18 years. However, only 6 (31.6%) studies evaluated ME in proxy reported e-versions. Despite the use of PROMs for children with a variety of chronic gastrointestinal disorders, only 1 study evaluated a PROM in this population (IMPACT III for inflammatory bowel disease). Findings from this SR highlight strategic opportunities for the pediatric gastroenterologist to broaden the clinical and research armamentarium to include e-PROMs.
Mid-Regional Pro-Adrenomedullin in Combination With Pediatric Early Warning Scores for Risk Stratification of Febrile Children Presenting to the Emergency Department: Secondary Analysis of a Nonprespecified United Kingdom Cohort Study*
Authors: Lenihan Rebecca A. F. , Ang Juliana , Pallmann Philip , Romaine Sam T. , Waldron Cherry-Ann , Thomas-Jones Emma , Miah Nahida , Carrol Enitan D.
Published: October 2022

OBJECTIVES:

Current sepsis guidelines do not provide good risk stratification of subgroups in whom prompt IV antibiotics and fluid resuscitation might of benefit. We evaluated the utility of mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) in identification of patient subgroups at risk of requiring PICU or high-dependency unit (HDU) admission or fluid resuscitation.

DESIGN:

Secondary, nonprespecified analysis of prospectively collected dataset.

SETTING:

Pediatric Emergency Department in a United Kingdom tertiary center.

PATIENTS:

Children less than 16 years old presenting with fever and clinical indication for venous blood sampling (n = 1,183).

INTERVENTIONS:

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:

Primary outcome measures were PICU/HDU admission or administration of fluid resuscitation, with a secondary outcome of definite or probable bacterial infection. Biomarkers were measured on stored plasma samples and children phenotyped into bacterial and viral groups using a previously published algorithm. Of the 1,183 cases, 146 children (12.3%) required fluids, 48 (4.1%) were admitted to the PICU/HDU, and 244 (20.6%) had definite or probable bacterial infection. Area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC) was used to assess performance. MR-proADM better predicted fluid resuscitation (AUC, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.67–0.78), than both procalcitonin (AUC, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.59–0.71) and Pediatric Early Warning Score (PEWS: AUC, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.56–0.67). PEWS alone showed good accuracy for PICU/HDU admission 0.83 (0.78–0.89). Patient subgroups with high MR-proADM (≥ 0.7 nmol/L) and high procalcitonin (≥ 0.5 ng/mL) had increased association with PICU/HDU admission, fluid resuscitation, and bacterial infection compared with subgroups with low MR-proADM (< 0.7 nmol/L). For children with procalcitonin less than 0.5 ng/mL, high MR-proADM improved stratification for fluid resuscitation only.

CONCLUSIONS:

High MR-proADM and high procalcitonin were associated with increased likelihood of subsequent disease progression. Incorporating MR-proADM into clinical risk stratification may be useful in clinician decision-making regarding initiation of IV antibiotics, fluid resuscitation, and escalation to PICU/HDU admission.
Improving Older Adult Health by Operationalizing State Plans on Aging and Health Improvement
Authors: Sands Talyah , Wolfe Megan , Bayer Erin , Donnellan Kelsey , Shah Priya
Published: October 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic, a growing aging population, and inconsistent equity in aging have prompted more public health departments and agencies that focus on older adult services to establish partnerships to improve older adult health. To develop a model for strengthening and better aligning public health-aging partnerships, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and Trust for America's Health engaged the Georgia Division of Aging Services (DAS) and Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) to participate in a pilot project. ASTHO conducted an intensive qualitative analysis of Georgia's State Health Improvement Plan and State Plan on Aging to systematically assess shared priorities and differences. Through facilitated discussions about the results, prioritization, and planning, DAS and DPH developed an action plan with 2 priority areas to collaborate on and further their partnership. This process can be replicated by other jurisdictions seeking to enhance public health-aging collaboration.
18F-Flutemetamol PET/CT for Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Han Eun Ji , Sung Yeoun Eun , Jung Mi-Hyang , O Joo Hyun , Youn Jong-Chan
Published: October 2022

We report 18F-flutemetamol PET/CT finding in an 88-year-old man with cognitive impairment and transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy. Early phase PET/CT images showed significantly increased myocardial uptake, but there was no myocardial uptake in delayed phase PET/CT images. A dual-time-point amyloid PET/CT imaging may be helpful to diagnose and differentiate subtypes of amyloid cardiomyopathy in patients with suspected cardiac amyloidosis.
Comparison of 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT With 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT for Initial Staging in Intermediate- and High-Risk Prostate Cancer
Authors: Chandekar Kunal Ramesh , Singh Harmandeep , Kumar Rajender , Kumar Santosh , Kakkar Nandita , Mittal Bhagwant Rai , Singh Shrawan Kumar
Published: October 2022

Purpose

This study aimed to compare 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT with 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT for initial staging in intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer (PCa) patients.

Methods

Forty treatment-naive, biopsy-proven, intermediate- or high-risk PCa patients were prospectively recruited. Each patient underwent PET/CT with 68Ga-PSMA-11 and 18F-PSMA-1007 (within 2 weeks). Assessment of both set of images included delineating number and characteristics of lesions, measurement of tracer uptake (SUVmax), miPSMA scoring, and PET-based stage categorization.

Results

Intraprostatic lesions were detected in all patients by both tracers with concordant PET-based T stage. Median SUVmax of the dominant PSMA-positive prostatic lesions was not significantly different with 18F-PSMA-1007 and 68Ga-PSMA-11 (19.9 vs 19.4, P = 0.127, n = 40). Prostatic miPSMA scores were similar in 31/40 (77.5%) patients with both tracers (weighted κ = 0.71). In 23/40 (57.5%) patients, regional lymph nodes (n = 171) were detected by both tracers. Few additional PET-positive regional lymph nodes (n = 3) were exclusively detected by 18F-PSMA in 2 patients without altering PET-based N stage. Extraregional lymph nodes (n = 123 in 17/40 patients) and visceral metastatic lesions (n = 18 in 3/40 patients) were detected concordantly by both tracers. PET-positive marrow based and skeletal metastases (n = 71) were detected in 14/40 (35%) patients by both tracers. Few additional marrow and skeletal lesions (n = 7) were exclusively detected on 18F-PSMA-1007 in 5/14 patients, potentially upstaging PET-based M stage in 2/5 patients. Both radiotracers showed excellent interreader agreement for region-wise detection of lesions.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT is comparable to 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT in detecting primary and metastatic lesions of PCa.
Chronic Gastritis Mimicking Malignancy on 68Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT
Authors: Beyhan Ediz , Erol Fenercioğlu Özge , Yarikkaya Enver , Çermik Tevfik Fikret , Ergül Nurhan
Published: October 2022

We present 2 patients mimicking malignancy with intense gastric 68Ga-FAPI-04 uptake on PET/CT. Both patients showed low to moderate 18F-FDG uptake. Histopathology revealed chronic active gastritis. Chronic gastritis may resemble gastric malignancies by showing false-positive 68Ga-FAPI-04 uptake.
Implementing the evidence translation-based resilience care model on family caregivers of stroke patients: a best-practice implementation project
Authors: Chang Cheng-Yu , Wu Fu-Mei , Lin Hsu-Nu , Ho Lun-Hui , Su Jui Yuan , Liang Ching-Chuan , Yang Shu-Hua , Huang Tzyy-Jen , Mu Pei-Fan
Published: October 2022

Objectives:

The aim of this project was to promote for the family caregivers of stroke patients the resilience evidence translation care model in the community.

Introduction:

Stroke is the main cause of disability among many patients with chronic diseases. Resilience helps family caregivers facing the consequences of adversity and stress to have a positive outcome.

Methods:

The study utilized clinical audit strategies under the JBI Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System module. Three audit criteria for the caregivers of stroke patients were considered. A preimplementation audit was conducted with eight nurses and 30 caregivers to measure compliance between current practice and best practice. From that audit we identified barriers and facilitators to practice change by undertaking a Getting Research into Practice analysis. A postimplementation audit was conducted using the same number of samples at 8 weeks for the caregivers to evaluation, and the outcomes using follow-up audit.

Results:

The three criteria showed an improvement: nurses who received education about resilience care protocols, criterion 1 from 0 to 100%, criterion 2 from 0 to 100%, criterion 3 from 0 to 90%. The results showed that the average resilience of caregivers increased from 17.47 (SD ± 1.94) to 18.33 (SD ± 1.54). The resilience scale of pretest and posttest scores were significantly improved (P ≤ 0.001).

Conclusion:

The implementation of best practice for enhancing resilience of the family caregivers of stroke patients on the resilience evidence translation care model: a best practice implementation project in community settings is possible. The results indicate that evidence-based practice is an effective method for enhancing the resilience of family caregivers. The strategies contributed to the success of this project, such as scenario simulation education, Objective Structured Clinical Examination, regular weekly audits, and collaboration with project leaders when carrying out caregiver case discussion during clinical practice.
Measuring lactulose and mannitol levels using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrum: application to clinical study of intestinal epithelium barrier function
Authors: Magalhães Lyvia M. V. C. , Rodrigues Francisco A. P. , Quirino-Filho José , Gondim Rafhaella N.D.G. , Ribeiro Samilly , K. Sousa José , Clementino Marco , Maciel Bruna L.L. , Havt Alexandre , Santos Armênio A. , Magalhães Pedro J.C. , Lima Aldo A.M.
Published: October 2022

Lactulose and mannitol have been used to assess intestinal permeability and several methodologies have been used.

Objectives

This study aimed to validate the high-performance liquid chromatography method coupled with tandem mass spectrometry to measure mannitol and lactulose sugars.

Material and Methods

We used a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system coupled to an ABsciex Q-TRAP 5500 triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (MS/MS) with an ABSciex Electro Nebulization Interface (ESI) (Framingham, MA, USA). For the separation of lactulose and mannitol compounds in the HLPC, the analytical column HILIC-ZIC® from ES Industries (West Berlin, USA) was used. The parameters analyzed for analytical validation were specificity/selectivity, linearity, LD, LQ accuracy, precision (repeatability and intermediate precision) and matrix effect.

Results

The accuracy was demonstrated from the recovery at three concentration levels (100, 500 and 1000 ng/mL) and in triplicate, which showed recovery values above the recommended (>120%). Intermediate precision was determined at 24-hour intervals and the coefficients of variation found were less than 8.7%. The matrix effect was measured through the retention times in the standard samples and in the samples of the spiked standards in dilutions with urine samples, which varied between 99.3% and 100.3%. Urine samples from malnourished and healthy children were analyzed. The L:M ratio was considerably lower in the control group compared to the MN group (p<0.0001) and the mannitol excretion rate was higher (p<0.0001).

Conclusions

The results showed that the HPLC-MS/MS method was sensitive, specific, and accurate for the determination of molecular biomarkers of lactulose and mannitol. In addition, the L:M test is a functional test capable of determining with high sensitivity the barrier function damage of the intestinal epithelium in children with malnutrition compared to health control children.
A gelatin-based feed for individually tailored drug delivery to adult zebrafish
Authors: Ochocki Aleksander J. , Kenney Justin W.
Published: October 2022

Current approaches to drug delivery in adult zebrafish have significant limitations such as need for confinement, anesthesia, and/or dosing that is not based on body weight. To circumvent these challenges, we developed a non-invasive gelatin-based feed that is easily pipette into individually tailored morsels according to weight. Our feed was readily eaten by zebrafish (< 1 minute) with minimal leaching of compound (< 5%) when placed in water. We used our feed to deliver an NMDAR antagonist (MK-801, 4 mg/kg) prior to exposure to a novel tank. Consistent with prior work, we found that MK-801 caused a decrease in predator-avoidance/anxiety-like behaviors. We also found that MK-801 increased locomotion in male fish, but not females. Our simple, easy to prepare, and individually tailored gelatin-based feed now brings pharmacological manipulations of adult zebrafish in line with best practices used in other vertebrate model organisms.
Independent innexin radiation shaped signaling in ctenophores
Authors: Ortiz Jennifer , Bobkov Yuriy V. , DeBiasse Melissa B. , Mitchell Dorothy G , Edgar Allison , Martindale Mark Q. , Moss Anthony G. , Babonis Leslie S. , Ryan Joseph F.
Published: October 2022

Innexins facilitate cell-cell communication by forming gap junctions or non-junctional hemichannels, which play important roles in metabolic, chemical, ionic, and electrical coupling. The lack of knowledge regarding the evolution and role of these channels in ctenophores (comb jellies), the likely sister group to the rest of animals, represents a substantial gap in our understanding of the evolution of intercellular communication in animals. Here we identify and phylogenetically characterize the complete set of innexins of four ctenophores:Mnemiopsis leidyi, Hormiphora californensis, Pleurobrachia bachei, andBeroe ovata. Our phylogenetic analyses suggest that ctenophore innexins diversified independently from those of other animals and were established early in the emergence of ctenophores. We identified a four-innexin genomic cluster, which was present in the last common ancestor of these four species and has been largely maintained in these lineages. Evidence from correlated spatial and temporal gene expression of theM. leidyiinnexin cluster suggest that this cluster has been maintained due to constraints related to gene regulation. We describe basic electrophysiological properties of putative ctenophore hemichannels from muscle cells using intracellular recording techniques, showing substantial overlap with the properties of bilaterian innexin channels. Together, our results suggest that the last common ancestor of animals had gap junctional channels also capable of forming functional innexin hemichannels, and that innexin genes have independently evolved in major lineages throughout Metazoa.
Population spiking and bursting in next generation neural masses with spike-frequency adaptation
Authors: Ferrara Alberto , Angulo-Garcia David , Torcini Alessandro , Olmi Simona
Published: October 2022

Spike-frequency adaptation (SFA) is a fundamental neuronal mechanism taking into account the fatigue due to spike emissions and the consequent reduction of the firing activity. We have studied the effect of this adaptation mechanism on the macroscopic dynamics of excitatory and inhibitory networks of quadratic integrate-and-fire (QIF) neurons coupled via exponentially decaying post-synaptic potentials. In particular, we have studied the population activities by employing an exact mean field reduction, which gives rise to next generation neural mass models. This low-dimensional reduction allows for the derivation of bifurcation diagrams and the identification of the possible macroscopic regimes emerging both in a single and in two identically coupled neural masses. In single popukations SFA favours the emergence of population bursts in excitatory networks, while it hinders tonic population spiking for inhibitory ones. The symmetric coupling of two neural masses, in absence of adaptation, leads to the emergence of macroscopic solutions with broken symmetry : namely, chimera-like solutions in the inhibitory case and anti-phase population spikes in the excitatory one. The addition of SFA leads to new collective dynamical regimes exhibiting cross-frequency coupling (CFC) among the fast synaptic time scale and the slow adaptation one, ranging from anti-phase slow-fast nested oscillations to symmetric and asymmetric bursting phenomena. The analysis of these CFC rhythms in theθ-γrange has revealed that a reduction of SFA leads to an increase of theθfrequency joined to a decrease of theγone. This is analogous to what reported experimentally for the hippocampus and the olfactory cortex of rodents under cholinergic modulation, that is known to reduce SFA.
Emergence of the cortical encoding of phonetic features in the first year of life
Authors: Di Liberto Giovanni M. , Attaheri Adam , Cantisani Giorgia , Reilly Richard B. , Choisdealbha Áine Ní , Rocha Sinead , Brusini Perrine , Goswami Usha
Published: October 2022

Even prior to producing their first words, infants are developing a sophisticated speech processing system, with robust word recognition present by 4-6 months of age. These emergent linguistic skills, observed with behavioural investigations, are likely to rely on increasingly sophisticated neural underpinnings. The infant brain is known to robustly track the speech envelope, however to date no cortical tracking study could investigate the emergence of phonetic feature encoding. Here we utilise temporal response functions computed from electrophysiological responses to nursery rhymes to investigate the cortical encoding of phonetic features in a longitudinal cohort of infants when aged 4, 7 and 11 months, as well as adults. The analyses reveal an increasingly detailed and acoustically-invariant phonetic encoding over the first year of life, providing the first direct evidence that the pre-verbal human cortex learns phonetic categories. By 11 months of age, however, infants still did not exhibit adult-like encoding.
Transcription factor expression is the main determinant of variability in gene co-activity
Authors: van Duin Lucas , Krautz Robert , Rennie Sarah , Andersson Robin
Published: October 2022

Many genes are co-expressed and form genomic domains of coordinated gene activity. However, the regulatory determinants of domain co-activity remain unclear. Here, we leverage human individual variation in gene expression to characterize the co-regulatory processes underlying domain co-activity and systematically quantify their effect sizes. We employ transcriptional decomposition to extract from RNA expression data an expression component related to co-activity revealed by genomic positioning. This strategy reveals close to 1,500 co-activity domains, covering most expressed genes, of which the large majority are invariable across individuals. Focusing specifically on domains with high variability in co-activity reveals that contained genes have a higher sharing of eQTLs, a higher variability in enhancer interactions, and an enrichment of binding by variably expressed transcription factors compared to genes within non-variable domains. Through careful quantification of the relative contributions of regulatory processes underlying co-activity, we find transcription factor expression levels to be the main determinant of gene co-activity. Our results indicate that distaltranseffects contribute more than local genetic variation to individual variation in co-activity domains.
Local exclusion and regional decline of an endemic Galápagos tree species (Psidium galapageium) by an invasive relative (P. guajava)
Authors: Reatini Bryan , de Lourdes Torres María , Vision Todd J.
Published: October 2022

Invasive species can interact with native relatives in a variety of ways which may jeopardize their long-term coexistence. Here we show that interactions with an invasive species of guava (Psidium guajava) appear to be driving the local exclusion and regional decline of guayabillo (Psidium galapageium), a tree species endemic to the Galápagos archipelago. We find evidence consistent with recent historic exclusion of guayabillo from the highlands of San Cristóbal Island, signatures of ongoing demographic decline in sympatric populations at lower elevations, and evidence suggesting that the four coinhabited islands represent points along a time series of regional decline, with the extent of guayabillo decline depending on the date that guava was introduced to each island. Based on these results, we then use the percentage of guava cover surrounding guayabillo populations to target populations that are at imminent risk of exclusion to aid in prioritizing management targets.
The virome of bats inhabiting Brazilian biomes: knowledge gaps and biases towards zoonotic viruses
Authors: Wallau Gabriel Luz , Barbier Eder , Tomazatos Alexandru , Schmidt-Chanasit Jonas , Bernard Enrico
Published: October 2022

Bats are hosts of a large variety of viruses including some that may infect other vertebrates and humans. Research on bat-borne viruses attracted significant attention in recent years mainly due to epizootics caused by viruses having bats as hosts. The characterization of the viral communities of bats was then prioritized, but despite increasing efforts, there are large disparities in the geographical ranges covered and the methodologies employed around the world. As a result, large gaps remain in our current understanding of bat viromes and their role in disease emergence. This is particularly true for megadiverse regions in Latin America. This review aims to summarize the current understanding about bat-viruses that inhabit Brazilian biomes, one of the most bat species-rich and diverse regions of the globe. Taking into account all known bat-associated viral families studied in Brazilian biomes, we found that almost half of all bat species (86/181 species) were not investigated for viruses at all. Moreover, only a small fraction of viral lineages or families have been studied more in depth, usually employing targeted methods with limited power to characterize a broad virus diversity. Additionally, these studies relied on limited spatio-temporal sampling and small sample sizes. Therefore, our current understanding of bat viral communities in the Brazilian biomes is limited and biased at different levels, limiting zoonotic risk assessments of bat-borne viruses. Considering these limitations, we propose strategies to bridge the existing gaps in the near future.
Long-range inhibitory neurons mediate cortical neurovascular coupling
Authors: Ruff Catherine F. , Anaya Fernanda Juarez , Dienel Samuel J. , Rakymzhan Adiya , Altamirano-Espinoza Alain , Couey Jay , Watson Alan M. , Fish Kenneth N. , Hooks Bryan M. , Rubio Maria E. , Su Aihua , Ross Sarah E. , Vazquez Alberto L.
Published: October 2022

Neuronal activity evokes a vascular response that is essential to sustain brain function. We show that neurovascular coupling (NVC) is mediated by long-range projecting GABAergic neurons that express Tacr1. Whisker stimulation elicited Tacr1 neuron activity in the barrel cortex through feed-forward excitatory pathways. Optogenetic activation of Tacr1 neurons elicited vasodilation, whereas inhibition significantly reduced whisker-evoked hemodynamic responses. Moreover, vasodilation was preceded by capillary pericyte activity, demonstrating a mechanism for NVC.
Pre-saccadic neural enhancements in marmoset area MT
Authors: Coop Shanna H. , Yates Jacob L. , Mitchell Jude F
Published: October 2022

Each time we make an eye movement, attention moves before the eyes, resulting in a perceptual enhancement at the target. Recent psychophysical studies suggest that this pre-saccadic attention enhances the visual features at the saccade target, whereas covert attention causes only spatially-selective enhancements. While previous non-human primate studies have found that pre-saccadic attention does enhance neural responses spatially, no studies have tested if changes in neural tuning reflects an automatic feature enhancement. Here we examined pre-saccadic attention using a saccade foraging task developed for marmoset monkeys. We recorded from neurons in the middle temporal (MT) area with peripheral receptive fields that contained a motion stimulus which would either be the target of a saccade or a distracter as a saccade was made to another location. We established that marmosets, like macaques, show enhanced pre-saccadic neural responses for saccades towards the receptive field, including increases in firing rate and motion information. We then examined if the specific changes in neural tuning might support feature enhancements for the target. Neurons exhibited diverse changes in tuning, but predominantly showed additive and multiplicative increases that were uniformly applied across motion directions. These findings confirm that marmoset monkeys, like macaques, exhibit pre-saccadic neural enhancements during saccade foraging tasks with minimal training requirements. However, at the level of individual neurons, the lack of feature-tuned enhancements is similar to neural effects reported during covert spatial attention.

Significance Statement

Attention leads eye movements producing perceptual enhancements at saccade targets. Recent psychophysical studies indicate that increases in pre-saccadic sensitivity are concentrated around features of the target. We tested at the neural level how pre-saccadic attention modulates the tuning curves of visual neurons in area MT of marmoset monkeys. While neurons exhibited clear pre-saccadic enhancements that were consistent with previous studies in macaques, the changes in tuning were uniform across tuning. These results show pre-saccadic enhancements are a general feature of visual processing, shared by New World monkeys, but at the level of individual neuron’s enhancements are uniform across features much like what has been reported previously for covert attention.
TopFD - A Proteoform Feature Detection Tool for Top-Down Proteomics
Authors: Basharat Abdul Rehman , Zang Yong , Sun Liangliang , Liu Xiaowen
Published: October 2022

Top-down liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analyzes intact proteoforms and generates mass spectra containing peaks of proteoforms with various isotopic compositions, charge states, and retention times. An essential step in top-down MS data analysis is proteoform feature detection, which aims to group these peaks into peak sets (features), each containing all peaks of a proteoform. Accurate protein feature detection enhances the accuracy in MS-based proteoform identification and quantification. Here we present TopFD, a software tool for top-down MS feature detection that integrates algorithms for proteoform feature detection, feature boundary refinement, and machine learning models for proteoform feature evaluation. We performed extensive benchmarking of TopFD, Promex, FlashDeconv, and Xtract using five top-down MS data sets and demonstrated that TopFD outperforms other tools in feature accuracy, reproducibility, and feature abundance reproducibility.