bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous surgical management of unilateral limbal stem cell deficiency and symblepharon post chemical burn
Authors: Shanbhag Swapna S , Tarini Shilpa , Kunapuli Anuradha , Basu Sayan
Published: December 2020

A 6-year-old female child presented with severe acute ocular chemical burn in the right eye 2 days after injury with cement. She underwent removal of all foreign bodies from the ocular surface and amniotic membrane transplantation. Three months later, she developed unilateral total limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) with symblepharon in two quadrants. Three months after the acute injury, the patient underwent autologous simple limbal epithelial transplant in the right eye with one-clock hour of limbus harvested from the left eye. At the same sitting, she underwent symblepharon release in two quadrants of the right eye with conjunctival autograft harvested from the left eye followed by conjunctival graft suturing to the areas of bare sclera in the right eye. One year after surgery, the patient’s visual acuity improved from counting fingers close to face preoperatively to 20/50 (uncorrected) with no recurrence of LSCD or symblepharon.
Squamous metaplasia of lactiferous ducts (SMOLD): an under-recognised entity
Authors: Ofri Adam , Dona Eddy , O'Toole Sandra
Published: December 2020

Breast abscesses are a common surgical problem, typically occurring secondary to lactation mastitis. Recurrent subareolar abscesses are rarely reported and may be poorly recognised as a presentation of squamous metaplasia of lactiferous ducts, known eponymously as ‘Zuska’s disease’. Other synonyms include subareolar breast abscess and lactiferous or mammary fistulas. Recognition of this painful entity is crucial for optimal outcomes since typical breast abscess management of recurrent aspiration or incision and drainage can lead to recurrence and chronic complications, such as fistula formation.
Massive airway myiasis: an extreme rarity
Authors: Teah Ming Kai , Chu Yeen Mei , Shanmuganathan Sakuntala Dewi , Yeap Tat Boon
Published: December 2020

Intubations are important live saving skills to maintain adequate ventilation and oxygenation. Common indications include impending upper airway obstruction, respiratory failure and impaired conscious level. Oral myiasis is an infrequently found disease which is characterised by ectoparasitic infestation of body tissues by fly maggots.

We present a case report and share valuable experiences on a patient with massive airway myiasis causing upper airway obstruction which require emergency intubation.
Rare aggressive solid pseudopapillary neoplasm of the ovary with metastatic disease following surgical resection
Authors: Kushner Bradley S , Chatterjee Deyali , Hammill Chet
Published: December 2020

Extra-pancreatic solid pseudopapillary neoplasms (SPNs) are rare tumours with an overall favourable prognosis and low malignant potential. SPNs with metastatic spread, distant lymph node metastasis and extrapancreatic origin are exceedingly rare. Significant controversy regarding the treatment and the management of metastatic disease exists and, currently, there are no standardised guidelines or treatment recommendations for the use of adjuvant therapy. In this case report, the authors present a patient with widely metastatic SPN of likely ovarian origin with the invasion of the inguinal lymph nodes and multiple abdominal metastatic deposits. Using the currently available literature, the authors discuss treatment options for metastatic SPN of the ovary and highlight the need for continued research in this important field.
Cervical ganglioneuroma mimicking a carotid body tumour
Authors: Britten Alexandra G , Entezami Payam , Chang Brent A
Published: December 2020

A 30-year-old woman was referred to the ear, nose and throat clinic by her primary care physician for a 10-year history of an asymptomatic, large, right-sided neck mass. On examination, the patient had a palpable, non-tender, five-by-four centimetre, mobile, right-sided level II neck mass. CT scan with intravenous contrast showed an enhancing mass with multiple fluid cavities, splaying the external carotid and internal carotid arteries, concerning for a carotid body tumour. Patient was then referred to interventional radiology for angiography and embolisation prior to definitive surgical excision. However, when the mass was then excised surgically, final pathology identified the mass as a ganglioneuroma. Patient recovered well postoperatively with some ptosis of the right eye and symptoms consistent with first bite syndrome, treated with conservative measures.
Craniectomy with microvascular flap reconstruction in a patient taking infliximab for vasculitis
Authors: Nnamani Silva Ogonna N , Nguyen Audrey B , Hoffman William Y
Published: December 2020

For patients whose vasculitis is managed with biologic medications, no reports or evidence-based guidance exists regarding the perioperative management of microvascular flaps. We present a case of a 78-year-old patient with Takayasu’s arteritis (TA) and diabetes mellitus who was taking infliximab and underwent wide local excision of squamous cell carcinoma, craniectomy and reconstruction with a latissimus dorsi flap. TA, an immune-mediated large cell vasculitis characterised by granuloma formation, tends to affect larger vessels and aortic branches. The typical localisation of this condition raises concerns about potentially compromised pedicle and recipient vessels (ie, superficial temporal arteries), which could hinder postoperative flap success. Discontinuation of infliximab 4 weeks before surgery and resumption 6 weeks after led to favourable results. This case addresses the gap in the literature concerning stopping and restarting biologic drugs in the perioperative setting and documents a successful course of a microvascular procedure in a patient with vasculitis.
Timing and determinants of age at menarche in low-income and middle-income countries
Authors: Leone Tiziana , Brown Laura J
Published: December 2020

Introduction

Understanding the timing and determinants of age at menarche is key to determining potential linkages between onset of puberty and health outcomes from a life-course perspective. Yet, we have little information in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) mainly due to lack of data. The aim of this study was to analyse trends in the timing and the determinants of menarche in LMICs.

Methods

Using 16 World Fertility Survey and 28 Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) from 27 countries, we analysed cohort trends and used fixed-effects models for DHS surveys to investigate sociodemographic and regional effects in the timing of age at menarche.

Results

Trends of the mean age at menarche across time within and between countries show a declining or stalling path. Results of the determinant modelling show the relationship with wealth changes over time although not consistently across countries. We see a shift from poorer women having earlier menarche in earlier surveys to richer women having earlier menarche in later surveys in Indonesia, the Philippines and Yemen, while in Egypt, the reverse pattern is evident.

Conclusions

There is a considerable gap in both literature and data on menarche. We see a trend which is declining rapidly (from 14.66 to 12.86 years for the 1932 and 2002 cohorts, respectively), possibly at a faster pace than high-income countries and with a strong link to socioeconomic status. This study calls for menarche questions to be included in more nationally representative surveys and greater use of existing data because of its impact on life-course health in fast-ageing settings. Further studies will need to investigate further the use of the age at menarche as an indicator of global health.
National primary care responses to COVID-19: a rapid review of the literature
Authors: Haldane Victoria , Zhang Zhitong , Abbas Raja Faisal , Dodd Warren , Lau Lincoln L , Kidd Michael R , Rouleau Katherine , Zou Guanyang , Chao Zhuo , Upshur Ross E G , Walley John , Wei Xiaolin
Published: December 2020

Objective

The aim of this review, conducted in April 2020, is to examine available national primary care guidelines for COVID-19 and to explore the ways in which these guidelines support primary care facilities in responding to the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design

Rapid review and narrative synthesis.

Data sources

PubMed, Embase and Google, as well as the websites of relevant national health departments, were searched from 1 January 2020 to 24 April 2020.

Eligibility criteria

Documents included must be issued by a national health authority, must be specific to COVID-19 care, directed at healthcare workers or managers, and must refer to the role of primary care in the COVID-19 response.

Results

We identified 17 documents from 14 countries. An adapted framework on primary care challenges and responses to pandemic influenza framed our analysis. Guidelines generally reported on COVID-19 service delivery and mostly made specific recommendations for ensuring continued delivery of essential primary care services through telehealth or other virtual care modalities. Few offered guidance to support surveillance as a public health function. All offered guidance on implementing outbreak control measures, largely through flexible and coordinated organisational models with partners from various sectors. There was a lack of guidance to support supply chain management and practice resilience in primary care, and lack of personal protective equipment represents a serious threat to the provision of quality care during the pandemic.

Conclusions

Current national primary care guidelines for COVID-19 provide guidance on infection control and minimising the risk of spread in primary care practices, while supporting the use of new technology and coordinated partnerships. However, to ensure primary care practice resilience and quality of care are upheld, guidelines must offer recommendations on supply chain management and operational continuity, supported by adequate resources.
Association between the occurrence of albuminuria and the risk of early dementia among older people upon health examination: a community-based cohort study in Taiwan
Authors: Tseng Tzu-Jung , Yen Yun-Ting , Yang Yuan-Han , Chen Yen-Hsu , Chan Ta-Chien
Published: December 2020

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate the associations between biochemical markers, renal function, health behaviours and dementia among older people.

Design

A retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Community-based health examination database from Taipei city.

Participants

In total, 35 434 older people were included from February 2005 to December 2012. To assess changes in renal function, we selected participants who attended health examinations at least twice and responded to the AD8 questionnaire in 2012. We excluded those with dementia at baseline.

Primary outcome measures

Early dementia was assessed using the AD8 questionnaire in 2012. Explanatory variables included demographic factors, health behaviours, biochemical markers and renal function. We used a Cox proportional hazard model to estimate the HR for early dementia onset.

Results

Individuals with mild albuminuria (HR 1.228; 95% CI 1.066 to 1.414), lower eGFR (HR 1.549; 95% CI 1.319 to 1.820) and higher age (HR 1.022; 95% CI 1.015 to 1.028) were associated with a high risk of early dementia. Older people with no alcohol intake (HR 0.872; 95% CI 0.794 to 0.958), and higher education levels (HR 0.647; 95% CI 0.589 to 0.710) were at a low risk of early dementia.

Conclusions

Elevated mild albuminuria and low eGFR were associated with a high risk of early dementia in this community-based cohort. Routine health examinations for older people can help screen out the high-risk population, and clinical management might reduce or delay the risk of early dementia.
Understanding ethnic inequalities in hearing health in the UK: a cross-sectional study of the link between language proficiency and performance on the Digit Triplet Test
Authors: Taylor Harry , Shryane Nick , Kapadia Dharmi , Dawes Piers , Norman Paul
Published: December 2020

Introduction

Research using the UK Biobank data has shown ethnic inequalities in hearing health; however, the hearing test used may exhibit a disadvantage for non-native language speakers.

Objectives

To validate the results of the UK Biobank hearing test (Digit Triplet Test, DTT) against self-reported measures of hearing in the dataset and create classifications of hearing health. To observe if language proficiency and migration age have the same effect on hearing health classification as on the DTT in isolation. Our hypothesis is that language proficiency acts differently on the DTT, demonstrating that the DTT is biased for non-native speakers of English.

Design

Latent classes representing profiles of hearing health were identified from the available hearing measures. Factors associated with class membership were tested using multinomial logistic regression models. Ethnicity was defined as (1) White, native English-speaking, (2) ethnic minority, arrived in the UK aged <12 or (3) ethnic minority, arrived aged >12.

Participants

The UK Biobank participants with valid hearing test results and associated covariates (N=151 268).

Outcome measures

DTT score, self-reported hearing difficulty, self-reported hearing difficulty in noise and hearing aid use.

Results

Three classes of hearing health were found: ‘normal’, ‘generally poor’ and ‘only subjectively poor’. In a model adjusting for known confounders of hearing loss, a poor or insufficient hearing test result was less likely for those with better language (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.74) or numerical ability (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.75) but more likely for those having migrated aged >12 (OR 3.85, 95% CI 3.64 to 4.07).

Conclusions

The DTT showed evidence of bias, having greater dependence on language ability and migration age than other hearing indicators. Designers of future surveys and hearing screening applications may wish to consider the limitations of speech-in-noise tests in evaluating hearing acuity for populations that include non-native speakers.
Diagnostic accuracy of inferior vena cava ultrasound for heart failure in patients with acute dyspnoea: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Squizzato Alessandro , Maroni Lorenzo , Marrazzo Cristina , Riva Nicoletta , Guasti Luigina
Published: December 2020

Background

Dyspnoea is the most common sign of heart failure (HF). Patients accessing the ED for HF-related symptoms require fast diagnosis and early treatment. Transthoracic echocardiography has a crucial role in HF diagnosis, but requires qualified staff and adequate time for execution. The measurement of inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter has been recently proposed as a rapid, simple and reliable marker of volume overload. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the accuracy of IVC-ultrasound as a stand-alone test for HF diagnosis in patients presenting to the ED with acute dyspnoea.

Methods

Studies evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of the inferior vena cava collapsibility index (IVC-CIx) for HF diagnosis were systematically searched in the EMBASE and MEDLINE databases (up to January 2018). Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 tool was used for the quality assessment of the primary studies. A bivariate random-effects regression approach was used for summary estimates of both sensitivity and specificity.

Results

Seven studies, for a total of 591 patients, were included. Three studies were at low-risk of bias. All studies used a proper reference test. Weighted mean prevalence of HF was 49.3% at random-effect model (I2index for heterogeneity=74.7%). IVC-CIx bivariate weighted mean sensitivity was 79.1% (95% CI 68.5% to 86.8%) and bivariate weighted mean specificity was 81.8% (95% CI 75.0% to 87.0%).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that the sensitivity and specificity of IVC-CIx are suboptimal to rule in or rule out HF diagnosis in patients with acute dyspnoea in the ED setting. Therefore, IVC-CIx is not advisable as a stand-alone test, but may be useful when integrated in a specific diagnostic algorithm for the differential diagnosis of acute dyspnoea.
Patients’ and health professionals’ perceptions of the LoDED (limit of detection and ECG discharge) strategy for low-risk chest pain management: a qualitative study
Authors: Beasant Lucy , Carlton Edward , Williams Gareth , Benger Jonathan , Ingram Jenny
Published: December 2020

Background

Rapid discharge strategies for patients with low-risk chest pain using high-sensitivity troponin assays have been extensively evaluated. The adherence to, and acceptability of such strategies, has largely been explored using quantitative data. The aims of this integrated qualitative study were to explore the acceptability of the limit of detection and ECG discharge strategy (LoDED) to patients and health professionals, and to refine a discharge information leaflet for patients with low-risk chest pain.

Methods

Patients with low-risk chest pain who consented to a semi-structured interview were purposively sampled for maximum variation from four of the participating National Health Service sites between October 2018 and May 2019. Two focus groups with ED health professionals at two of the participating sites were completed in April and June 2019.

Results

A discharge strategy based on a single undetectable hs-cTn test (LoDED) was acceptable to patients. They trusted the health professionals who were treating them and felt reassured by other tests, (ECG) alongside blood test(s), even when the clinical assessment did not provide a firm diagnosis. In contrast, health professionals had reservations about the LoDED strategy, including concern about identifying low-risk patients and a shortened patient observation period. Findings from 11 patient interviews and 2 staff focus groups (with 20 clinicians) centred around three overarching themes: acceptability of the LoDED strategy, perceptions of symptom severity and uncertainty, and patient discharge information.

Conclusion

Rapid discharge for low-risk chest pain is acceptable to patients, but clinicians reported some reticence in implementing the LoDED strategy. Further work is required to optimise discharge discussions and information provision for patients.
Roles of genetics and blood type in clinical responses to COVID-19: ethical and policy concerns
Authors: Klitzman Robert
Published: December 2020

Recently, several genetic variants have been associated with increased or decreased risks of becoming infected and/or seriously ill with COVID-19—not only offering important potential medical benefits but also posing critical ethical questions. These genetic factors, some of which are associated with blood type, may account for variations in observed responses to COVID-19. Hence, assessments of these genetic differences and blood type could provide possible benefits in gauging patients’ risks of disease acquisition and prioritising allocation of interventions or vaccines, if supplies are limited. The media has widely reported these findings, and people online are now discussing their blood type and its possible effects on their COVID-19 risks, but several ethical concerns arise. Individuals possessing genetic variants or blood types associated with lower risk may engage in ‘risk compensation’, erroneously assuming that they can protect themselves less, and hence less frequently wearing masks or washing hands. Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many physicians, hospitals, patients, policymakers, members of the public, testing companies and others may well consider these factors in making critical prevention/treatment decisions. Researchers, providers and others should thus begin to address these concerns. Increased awareness and education aimed at providers, patients, family members, public health officials, political leaders and the public-at-large are critical. Attitudinal research is vital to examine how providers, patients and the public understand these findings. Ethical frameworks and guidelines are needed, addressing whether such genetic information should be incorporated into decisions regarding allocation of scarce resources—including hospital and ICU beds, ventilators, medications (eg, remdesivir) and vaccines—and if so, how.
Ischemic stroke in COVID-19-positive patients: an overview of SARS-CoV-2 and thrombotic mechanisms for the neurointerventionalist
Authors: Zakeri Amanda , Jadhav Ashutosh P , Sullenger Bruce A , Nimjee Shahid M
Published: December 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) results from infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It was first reported in Wuhan, China in patients suffering from severe pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome and has now grown into the first pandemic in over 100 years. Patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 develop arterial thrombosis including stroke, myocardial infarction and peripheral arterial thrombosis, all of which result in poor outcomes despite maximal medical, endovascular, and microsurgical treatment compared with non-COVID-19-infected patients. In this review we provide a brief overview of SARS-CoV-2, the infectious agent responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, and describe the mechanisms responsible for COVID-19-associated coagulopathy. Finally, we discuss the impact of COVID-19 on ischemic stroke, focusing on large vessel occlusion.
Investigating microsized anthropogenic particles in Norwegian fjords using opportunistic nondisruptive sampling
Authors: Nerheim Magnus S. , Lusher Amy L.
Published: December 2020

Norwegian fjord systems provide a host of ecosystem services and are important for recreational and industrial use. The biodiversity of Norwegian fjords has been—and still is—extensively studied since they are important for fishing and aquaculture industries. However, threats from plastic and microplastic pollution within the fjord systems are largely undocumented. Monitoring efforts of microplastic in Norway are limited to coastal biota monitoring, offshore sediments, and some investigations within Oslofjord. Here, we quantify anthropogenic microparticles in Norwegian fjord subsurface waters, including an analysis of distribution effects. Fifty-two samples were collected during repeated transits from Bergen to Masfjorden covering 250 km. Anthropogenic particles were identified in 89% of samples, with an average abundance within the fjord estimated to be 1.9 particles m−3. This report shows the ubiquitous nature of anthropogenic particles in the subsurface waters of a Norwegian Fjord system. Additionally, methods were validated for opportunistic nondisruptive sampling on-board vessels where microplastics are seldom monitored, including research vessels, commercial freight and transport, and recreational vessels. Further development and implementation of these methods in terms of sampling, chemical characterisation, and long-term monitoring will allow for microplastic quantification and can be easily adapted for worldwide implementation.
Effect of dietary inclusion ofAchyranthes japonicaextract on growth performance, fecal microbiota, fecal gas emission, nutrient digestibility, and meat-carcass grade quality traits in finishing pigs
Authors: Mohankumar Thamaraikannan , Kim Yong Min , Kim In Ho
Published: December 2020

A 10 wk experimental trial was carried out to determine the effect of dietary inclusion of Achyranthes japonica extract (AJE) on finishing pigs’ overall performance. A total of 150 finishing pigs with initial body weight (BW) of 54.17 ± 2.27 kg were randomly allocated to five dietary treatments. The dietary treatments were CON (basal diet), TRT1 (basal diet + 0.025% AJE), TRT2 (basal diet + 0.05% AJE), TRT3 (basal diet + 0.1% AJE), and TRT4 (basal diet + 0.2% AJE). Dietary AJE supplementation linearly increased BW, average daily gain (ADG), and gain to feed ratio (G/F) during week 5. At week 10 and overall experiment, there was tendency for linear increase in BW, ADG, and average daily feed intake. Dietary supplementation of AJE failed to show significant effects on nutrient digestibility, fecal microbiota, meat quality, and fecal gas emission. The dietary supplementation of AJE showed a linear increase in the backfat thickness (BFT) at week 10, and there was no significant difference observed on the lean meat percentage. In summary, AJE supplementation had a beneficial effect on the growth performance, BFT, and also no effects on nutrient digestibility and fecal microbiota of the finishing pigs.
ArborX
Authors: Lebrun-Grandié D. , Prokopenko A. , Turcksin B. , Slattery S. R.
Published: December 2020

Searching for geometric objects that are close in space is a fundamental component of many applications. The performance of search algorithms comes to the forefront as the size of a problem increases both in terms of total object count as well as in the total number of search queries performed. Scientific applications requiring modern leadership-class supercomputers also pose an additional requirement of performance portability, i.e., being able to efficiently utilize a variety of hardware architectures. In this article, we introduce a new open-source C++ search library, ArborX, which we have designed for modern supercomputing architectures. We examine scalable search algorithms with a focus on performance, including a highly efficient parallel bounding volume hierarchy implementation, and propose a flexible interface making it easy to integrate with existing applications. We demonstrate the performance portability of ArborX on multi-core CPUs and GPUs and compare it to the state-of-the-art libraries such as Boost.Geometry.Index and nanoflann.
Processing Continuous
k
Nearest Neighbor Queries in Obstructed Space with Voronoi Diagrams
Authors: Zhu Huaijie , Yang Xiaochun , Wang Bin , Lee Wang-Chien , Yin Jian , Xu Jianliang
Published: December 2020

With the emergence and growing popularity of and location-based service (LBS) technologies, the continuous
k
nearest neighbor (CO
k
NN) query in obstructed space is becoming a very important service. In this article, we study the CO
k
NN in obstructed space, which retrieves
k
obstructed nearest neighbors (ONNs)
for every point on a query segment
q̄
. The state-of-the-art approach, called Euclidean based CONN (E-CONN), exploits an R-tree to traverse the dataset
P
in ascending order of their Euclidean distances to
q̄
. Taking a different point of view, in this article, we explore the idea of Voronoi diagram to define the notion of
obstructed Voronoi diagram (OVD)
. The Voronoi cells with obstacles are divided into
visible
and
invisible regions
for quickly answering nearest neighbor queries. To facilitate efficient retrieval of Voronoi cells and processing of continuous nearest neighbor (CONN) queries, we propose a new grid-based index, called
Voronoi diagram with Obstacles in Grid (VO-Grid)
, which indexes Voronoi cells and associated obstacle information with a grid file. Based on VO-Grid, we propose an efficient algorithm, called CONN with VO-Grid Acceleration (CONN-VOA), to accelerate the CONN query processing. Moreover, we extend CONN-VOA to the CO
k
NN query, which also explores effective filtering and early termination for reducing redundant access of data objects. A comprehensive performance evaluation using both real and synthetic datasets is conducted to validate the proposed ideas and demonstrate the efficiency of our algorithms. The experimental results show that the CONN-VOA algorithm substantially outperforms E-CONN algorithm.
lncRNAs in T lymphocytes: RNA regulation at the heart of the immune response
Authors: Plasek Leah M. , Valadkhan Saba
Published: December 2020

Genome-wide analyses in the last decade have uncovered the presence of a large number of long non-protein-coding transcripts that show highly tissue- and state-specific expression patterns. High-throughput sequencing analyses in diverse subsets of immune cells have revealed a complex and dynamic expression pattern for these long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) that correlate with the functional states of immune cells. Although the vast majority of lncRNAs expressed in immune cells remain unstudied, functional studies performed on a small subset have indicated that their state-specific expressions pattern frequently has a regulatory impact on the function of immune cells. In vivo and in vitro studies have pointed to the involvement of lncRNAs in a wide variety of cellular processes, including both the innate and adaptive immune response through mechanisms ranging from epigenetic and transcriptional regulation to sequestration of functional molecules in subcellular compartments. This review will focus mainly on the role of lncRNAs in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, which play pivotal roles in adaptive immunity. Recent studies have pointed to key physiological functions for lncRNAs during several developmental and functional stages of the life cycle of lymphocytes. Although lncRNAs play important physiological roles in lymphocytic response to antigenic stimulation, differentiation into effector cells, and secretion of cytokines, their dysregulated expression can promote or sustain pathological states such as autoimmunity, chronic inflammation, cancer, and viremia. This, together with their highly cell type-specific expression patterns, makes lncRNAs ideal therapeutic targets and underscores the need for additional studies into the role of these understudied transcripts in adaptive immune response.
Role of the COX2-PGE2 axis in S. pneumoniae-induced exacerbation of experimental fibrosis
Authors: Bormann Tina , Maus Regina , Stolper Jennifer , Jonigk Danny , Welte Tobias , Gauldie Jack , Kolb Martin , Maus Ulrich A.
Published: December 2020

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an interstitial lung disease (ILD) associated with high morbidity and mortality. Patients with ILD frequently develop an acute exacerbation of their disease, which may be triggered by viral and/or bacterial infections. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is an eicosanoid released in a cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2)–dependent manner and is considered to contribute to regulation of lung fibrosis. However, its role in infection-induced exacerbation of lung fibrosis is poorly defined. We found significantly increased levels of PGE2 in lung tissue of patients with ILD. Increased levels of PGE2 were also found in lung tissue of mice with AdTGF-β1–induced lung fibrosis and even more so in Streptococcus pneumoniae exacerbated lung fibrosis. Type II alveolar epithelial cells (AT II cells) and alveolar macrophages (AM) contributed to PGE2 release during exacerbating fibrosis. Application of parecoxib to inhibit PGE2 synthesis ameliorated lung fibrosis, whereas intratracheal application of PGE2 worsened lung fibrosis in mice. Both interventions had no effect on S. pneumoniae-exacerbated lung fibrosis. Together, we found that the COX2-PGE2 axis has dual roles in fibrosis that may offset each other: PGE2 helps resolve infection/attenuate inflammation in fibrosis exacerbation but accentuates TGF-β/AT II cell–mediated fibrosis. These data support the efficacy of COX/PGE2 interventions in the setting of non-exacerbating lung fibrosis
GABA receptor inhibition and severe hypoxia induce a paroxysmal depolarization shift in goldfish neurons
Authors: Hossein-Javaheri Nariman , Buck Leslie Thomas
Published: December 2020

This work shows that the combination of anoxia and inhibition of GABA receptors induces seizure-like activities in goldfish telencephalic pyramidal and stellate neurons. Importantly, to prevent seizure-like activity, an intact GABA-mediated inhibitory pathway is required.
TRPM3 expression and control of glutamate release from primary vagal afferent neurons
Authors: Ragozzino Forrest J. , Arnold Rachel A. , Fenwick Axel J. , Riley Timothy P. , Lindberg Jonathan E.M. , Peterson BreeAnne , Peters James H.
Published: December 2020

Vagal afferent signaling coordinates autonomic reflex function and informs associated behaviors. Thermosensitive transient receptor potential (TRP) channels detect temperature and nociceptive stimuli in somatosensory afferent neurons, however their role in vagal signaling remains less well understood. We report that the TRPM3 ion channel provides a major thermosensitive point of control over vagal signaling and synaptic transmission. We conclude that TRPM3 translates physiological changes in temperature to neurophysiological outputs and can serve as a cellular integrator in vagal afferent signaling.
Numerical Analysis and Entropy Generation of Electrokinetic Flow of Power-Law Fluid in a Microtriangular Prism
Authors: Alshammari Fehaid Salem
Published: December 2020

This research aims to study the characteristics of thermal transport and analyse the entropy generation of electroosmotic flow of power-law fluids in a microtriangular prism in the presence of pressure gradient. Considering a fully developed flow subject to constant wall heat flux, the nonlinear electric potential, momentum, and linear heat transfer equations are solved numerically by developing an iterative finite difference method with a nonuniform grid. The thermal efficiency of the model is explored under the light of the second law of thermodynamics. Effect/impact of governing physical parameters on velocity, temperature, Nusselt number, and entropy distributions is studied, and the results are demonstrated graphically; we found that the Nusselt number decreases with the increase of power-law index, and average entropy generation increases with power-law index. We believe that the obtained result in the present study shall be useful for design of energy efficient microsystems which utilize the dual electrokinetic and centrifugal pumping effects.
The Impact of Fermented Wheat Germ Extract on Porcine Epithelial Cell Line Exposed to Deoxynivalenol and T-2 Mycotoxins
Authors: Pomothy Judit Mercédesz , Pászti-Gere Erzsébet , Barna Réka Fanni , Prokoly Dorottya , Jerzsele Ákos
Published: December 2020

The effect of fermented wheat germ extract (FWGE) (Immunovet®) was evaluated with cotreatments with deoxynivalenol (DON) and T-2 toxin (T-2). These mycotoxins are produced by Fusarium mold species. The effects of FWGE on IPEC-J2 with DON and T-2 have not been studied until now. The IPEC-J2 porcine, nontumorigenic cell line was selected to investigate the outcome of the individually and simultaneously added compounds, as it has in vivo-like properties. The cells were treated for 24 h with the selected solutions; then, the IPEC-J2 cells were allowed to regenerate in a culture medium for an additional 24 h. In our results, DON and T-2 significantly increased the adverse impacts on cell viability and integrity of the cell monolayer. To elucidate the extent of oxidative stress, extracellular H2O2 concentrations and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured. FWGE appeared to be beneficial to IPEC-J2 cells given the separately and significantly decreased ROS levels. 1% and 2% FWGE could significantly reduce mycotoxin-induced oxidative stress. In conclusion, the results demonstrate that FWGE exerted protective effects to counteract the oxidative stress-provoking properties of applied fusariotoxins in the nontumorigenic IPEC-J2 cell line.
The Prognosis Role of AST/ALT (De Ritis) Ratio in Patients with Adult Secondary Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis
Authors: Yin Guangli , Man Changfeng , Liao Shengen , Qiu Hongxia
Published: December 2020

Purpose. Secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH) accompanied by liver involvement, characterized by hepatomegaly and increased liver enzymes, is usually associated with elevated mortality. However, the magnitude of these associations remains unknown. Our objective was to assess the associations of the aspartate transaminase/alanine transaminase (AST/ALT, De Ritis) ratio with overall survival among adult patients with sHLH. Methods. A retrospective analysis was performed on 289 patients aged 18–86 years with complete serum transaminase data at diagnosis of sHLH. Multivariate Cox regression analyses and restricted cubic splines were conducted to address the association between the De Ritis ratio and the risk of mortality. Results. The median De Ritis ratio for the entire study population was 1.34 (IQR: 0.84-2.29). After a median follow-up time of 60 (range 17-227.5) days, 205 deaths occurred. After fully adjusting for hepatomegaly, albumin, fibrinogen, EBV, ferritin, etiologies, and treatment strategies, the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with corresponding confidence intervals (CIs) of mortality for the 2 st tertile and 3 st tertile were 1.2 (0.8-1.7) and 1.6 (1.1-2.2), respectively (

P
<
0.01

for trends). Restricted cubic spline confirmed a linear association between the log2-transformed De Ritis ratio and the risk of mortality. Moreover, this trend persisted in subgroups with MHLH, hyperferrinaemia,

sCD
25
≤
20,000
 
ng
/
L

, patients without EBV infection, and those received treatment. Conclusions. The De Ritis ratio is a strong and independent predictor for overall survival in patients with sHLH. As a readily available biomarker in routine clinical practice, it is used to identify patients with sHLH with inferior overall survival.
Multiple Antibiotic Resistance-Coliform Bacteria in Some Selected Fish Farms of the Central Region of Ghana
Authors: Adinortey Cynthia Ayefoumi , Aheto Denis Worlanyo , Boateng Alex Asomeni , Agbeko Rosemary
Published: December 2020

This study aimed at assessing the quality of water and fishery products as well as the antibiotic resistance status of some selected fish farms of the Central Region of Ghana. Interview guides were administered to farmers to get data on farming practices and antibiotic use. Total coliform loads of catfish (Clarias gariepinus), tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), and water samples were determined. Coliforms were identified through various biochemical assays, and their antibiotic resistance patterns were determined. Generally, the total coliform loads of water samples significantly surpassed those of fish samples

p
<
0.05

. The maximum and minimum antibiotic resistance percentages were recorded for ampicillin (96.83%) and gentamicin (6.35%), respectively. Although farmers stated that antibiotics were sparingly used, coliform bacteria isolated exhibited various antibiotic resistance patterns. Four out of six fish farms harboured some coliforms with multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) indices above 0.2, an indication that these bacteria originated from potentially dangerous sources where antibiotics are regularly used.
Beneficial Effects of Spirulina Aqueous Extract on Vasodilator Function of Arteries from Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Villalpando Diva M. , Verdasco-Martín Carlos M. , Plaza Ignacio , Gómez-Rivas Juan , R de Bethencourt Fermín , Villarroel Morris , García José L. , Otero Cristina , Ferrer Mercedes
Published: December 2020

Hypertension is a multifactorial disorder considered one of the major causes of premature death worldwide. This pathology is associated with vascular functional/structural alterations in which nitric oxide (NO) and oxygen reactive species participate. On the other hand, the use of microalgae extracts in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases is increasing. Based on the antioxidant and antihypertensive properties of Spirulina, this study aims to investigate the effect of an aqueous extract of Spirulina on the vasodilator function of the aorta from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), analyzing the functional role of NO. For this, aortic segments from male SHR were divided into two groups, one control and the other exposed to an Spirulina aqueous extract (0.1% w/v, for 3 hours), to analyze (i) the production of NO, superoxide anion, and hydrogen peroxide; (ii) the vasodilator response induced by acetylcholine (ACh), by the NO donor and sodium nitroprusside (SNP), and by the KATP channel opener and pinacidil; and (iii) the expression of the p-Akt, p-eNOS, and HO-1 proteins. The results showed that the aqueous Spirulina extract (i) increased the production of NO, did not significantly modify that of superoxide, while decreased that of hydrogen peroxide; (ii) increased the vasodilatory responses induced by ACh, NPS, and pinacidil; and (iii) increased the expression of p-Akt and HO-1. These results suggest that incubation with the aqueous Spirulina extract improves the vascular function of arteries from SHR by increasing the release/bioavailability/function of NO. Increased KATP channel activation and expression of pAkt and HO-1 appear to be participating in these actions.
Optimum Scheduling the Electric Distribution Substations with a Case Study: An Integer Gaining-Sharing Knowledge-Based Metaheuristic Algorithm
Authors: Hassan Said Ali , Alnowibet Khalid , Agrawal Prachi , Mohamed Ali Wagdy
Published: December 2020

This work is dedicated to the economic scheduling of the required electric stations in the upcoming 10-year long-term plan. The calculation of the required electric stations is carried out by estimating the yearly consumption of electricity over a long-time plan and then determining the required number of stations. The aim is to minimize the total establishing and operating costs of the stations based on a mathematical programming model with nonlinear objective function and integer decision variables. The introduced model is applied for a real practical case study to conclude the number of yearly constructed stations over a long-term plan in the electricity sector in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia. The current planning method is based only on intuition by constructing the same number of required stations in each year without searching for better solutions. To solve the introduced mathematical model, a novel recent gaining sharing knowledge-based algorithm, named GSK, has been used. The Augmented Lagrangian Method (ALM) is applied to transform the constrained formulation to become unconstrained with penalization to the objective function. According to the obtained results of the real case study, the proposed GSK with ALM approved an ability to solve this case with respect to convergence, efficiency, quality, and robustness.
Review on the Millimeter-Wave Generation Techniques Based on Photon Assisted for the RoF Network System
Authors: Xiao Jiangnan , Zhao Chuang , Feng Xingxing , Dong Xu , Zuo Jiangli , Ming Jun , Zhou Ye
Published: December 2020

With the development trend of wireless and broadband in the communication link and even the whole information industry, the demand of high-frequency microwave bandwidth has been increasing. The RoF network system solves the problem of spectrum congestion in low-frequency band by providing an effective technology for the distribution of high-frequency microwave signals over optical fiber links. However, the traditional mm-wave generation technique is limited by the bandwidth of electronic devices. It is difficult to generate high-frequency and low-phase noise mm-wave signals with pure electrical components. The mm-wave communication technology based on photon assisted can overcome the bandwidth bottleneck of electronic devices and provide the potential for developing the low-cost infrastructure demand of broadband mobile services. This paper will briefly explain the characteristics of the RoF network system and the advantages of high-frequency mm-wave. Then we, respectively, introduce the modulation schemes of RoF mm-wave generation based on photon assisted including directly modulated laser (DML), external modulation, and optical heterodyne. The review mainly focuses on a variety of different mm-wave generation technologies including multifrequency vector mm-wave. Furthermore, we list several approaches to realize the large capacity data transmission techniques and describe the digital signal processing (DSP) algorithm flow in the receiver. In the end, we summarize the RoF network system and look forward to the future.
CAREA: Cotraining Attribute and Relation Embeddings for Cross-Lingual Entity Alignment in Knowledge Graphs
Authors: Chen Baiyang , Chen Xiaoliang , Lu Peng , Du Yajun
Published: December 2020

Knowledge graphs (KGs) are one of the most widely used techniques of knowledge organizations and have been extensively used in many application fields related to artificial intelligence, for example, web search and recommendations. Entity alignment provides a useful tool for how to integrate multilingual KGs automatically. However, most of the existing studies evaluated ignore the abundant information of entity attributes except for entity relationships. This paper sets out to investigate cross-lingual entity alignment and proposes an iterative cotraining approach (CAREA) to train a pair of independent models. The two models can extract the attribute and the relation features of multilingual KGs, respectively. In each iteration, the two models alternate to predict a new set of potentially aligned entity pairs. Besides, this method further filters through the dynamic threshold value to enhance the two models’ supervision. Experimental results on three real-world datasets demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method. The CAREA model improves the performance with at least an absolute increase of 3.9%across all experiment datasets. The code is available at https://github.com/ChenBaiyang/CAREA.
Synergistic Utilization of Necrostatin‐1 and Z‐VAD‐FMK Efficiently Promotes the Survival of Compression‐Induced Nucleus Pulposus Cells via Alleviating Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Authors: Chen Songfeng , Tian Qing , Shang Chunfeng , Yang Lin , Wei Na , Shang Guowei , Ji Yanhui , Kou Hongwei , Lu Shitao , Liu Hongjian
Published: December 2020

We recently reported that necroptosis contributed to compression‐induced nucleus pulposus (NP) cells death. In the current study, we investigated the regulative effect of necroptosis inhibitor Necrostatin‐1 on NP cells apoptosis and autophagy. Necrostatin‐1, autophagy inhibitor 3‐Methyladenine and apoptosis inhibitor Z‐VAD‐FMK were employed, and NP cells were exposed to 1.0 MPa compression for 0, 24 and 36 h. Necroptosis‐associated molecules were measured by Western blot and RT‐PCR. Autophagy and apoptosis levels were evaluated by Western blot and quantified by flow cytometry after monodansylcadaverine and Annexin V‐FITC/propidium iodide staining, respectively. The cell viability and cell death were also examined. Furthermore, we measured mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) and indices of oxidative stress to assess mitochondrial dysfunction. The results established that Necrostatin‐1 blocked NP cells autophagy, and 3‐Methyladenine had little influence on NP cells necroptosis. The Necrostatin‐1+3‐Methyladenine treatment exerted almost the same role as Necrostatin‐1 in reducing NP cells death. Necrostatin‐1 restrained NP cells apoptosis, while Z‐VAD‐FMK enhanced NP cells necroptosis. The Necrostatin‐1+Z‐VAD‐FMK treatment provided more prominent role in blocking NP cells death compared with Necrostatin‐1, consistent with increased MMP, reduced opening of MPTP and oxidative stress. In summary, the synergistic utilization of Necrostatin‐1 and Z‐VAD‐FMK is a very worthwhile solution in preventing compression‐mediated NP cells death, which might be largely attributed to restored mitochondrial function.