bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanism by Which Tong Xie Yao Fang Heals the Intestinal Mucosa of Rats with Ulcerative Colitis through the Hippo Pathway
Authors: You Wenli , Xu Zitong , Di Aiting , Liu Penglin , Pang Chengjian , Wang Jianheng , Li Xiaoyu , Wang Yingying , Yu Bin , Liu Xishuang , Zhao Gang
Published: August 2021

Objective. Tong Xie Yao Fang (TXYF) is a classic and effective prescription in traditional Chinese medicine which is used to treat ulcerative colitis (UC). Our study investigated the effect of TXYF on Hippo pathway activation in UC-induced intestinal mucosa injury and explored the possible mechanism. Method. After ulcerative colitis was successfully induced by trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS), 48 Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into a control group, model group, TXYF group, and sulfasalazine group and treated with the corresponding drugs for 28 days. The parameters including body weight, colon length, spleen index, and disease activity index (DAI) and histopathological characteristics were assessed. The myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and IL-6 level in the colon mucosa were determined with the corresponding commercial kits. The expressions of the Hippo pathway components YAP1, TAZ, P-YAP, and LATS1 were detected in the colon mucosa of each group on different stages by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blotting. Immunohistochemical staining was used to evaluate the growth and apoptosis of the colon epithelium. Result. TXYF significantly improved the weight loss, colonic shortening, DAI, spleen enlargement, and histopathological score of the rats with TNBS-induced UC. TXYF also reduced the MPO activity and expression of IL-6 in the colon mucosa. Furthermore, treatment with TXYF significantly increased YAP1 expression in the early stage (3–7 days) and significantly decreased YAP1 expression in the late stage (14–28 days). In the early stage, TXYF inhibited Hippo pathway activity, which promoted proliferation and regeneration of the intestinal mucosa. In the late stage, the Hippo pathway was activated, thereby inhibiting apoptosis and promoting intestinal mucosal differentiation. Conclusion. TXYF alleviated the inflammatory response and promoted mucosal healing in rats with UC, which was probably achieved through the Hippo pathway. These results indicated that TXYF was a potential therapy for treating UC.
Neuroprotective Effect of Intrastriatal Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester Treatment in 6-OH Dopamine Model of Parkinson’s Disease in Rats
Authors: Soner Burak Cem , Acikgoz Eda , Inan Salim Yalcin , Ayla Sule , Sahin Ayse Saide , Oktem Gulperi
Published: August 2021

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, and the main cause of PD is still not known. Until now, no cure for Parkinson’s disease is yet in sight. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is a polyphenolic component of the propolis, which can be derived from honeybee hive propolis. We aimed to determine the effect of intrastriatal CAPE administration as a neuroprotective agent on 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced PD model. Adult male Wistar rats weighing 280–320 g were used. The PD model was induced with unilateral intrastriatal 6-OHDA injection. Treatment groups received 20 μmol/5 μL/4 day and 80 μmol/5 μL/4 day CAPE 24 h after 6-OHDA injection. Eight days after 6-OHDA application, behavioral studies (adhesive tape removal test, open-field test, cylinder test, and apomorphine-induced asymmetric rotational behavior) were performed once more to compare the effects of CAPE on behavior tests. Striatal histological verifications, immunohistochemistry, and stereological quantitation were performed. Our results for the first time showed that, besides improving the motor performance, CAPE treatment also prevents 6-OHDA-induced loss of TH-positive neurons. From our results, CAPE may be a promising clinical agent in the treatment of PD.
Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1‐Transfected Mouse Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells as Targeted Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Hu Qiong-ying , Yuan Yun , Li Yu-chen , Yang Lu-yao , Zhou Xiang-yu , Xiong Da-qian , Zhao Zi-yi
Published: August 2021

Programmed cell death 1 ligand (PD‐L1) and its receptor (PD‐1) are key molecules for immunoregulation and immunotherapy. PD‐L1 binding PD‐1 is an effective way to regulate T or B cell immunity in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In our study, we overexpressed PD‐L1 by constructing a recombinant of PD‐L1‐lentiviral vector, which was subsequently used to transfect mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MBMMSCs) and significantly suppressed the development of collagen‐induced arthritis (CIA) in DBA/1j mice. In addition, PD‐L1‐transfected MBMMSCs (PD‐L1‐MBMMSCs) ameliorated joint damage, reduced proinflammatory cytokine expression, and inhibited T and B cell activation. Furthermore, PD‐L1‐MBMMSCs decreased the number of dendritic cells and increased the numbers of regulatory T cells and regulatory B cells in joints of CIA mice. In conclusion, our results provided a potential therapeutic strategy for RA treatment with PD‐L1‐MBMMSC‐targeted therapy.
Geospatial Analysis and Research on Social and Spatial Inequality of Compulsory Education: A Case Study of Hangzhou, China
Authors: He Ge , Huang Qinshi
Published: August 2021

Equal compulsory education is an important way to realize social and spatial equality, while the uneven allocation of educational resources in different regions and groups results in inequality of opportunity and solidification of social strata. Traditional research conducted on the basis of fixed search range ignores the special institutional background of Chinese school district system. In this paper, an improved Gaussian two‐step floating catchment area model is developed taking into consideration the school district system, while the bivariate local spatial analysis method and geographically weighted regression model are employed to study the social and spatial differentiation of compulsory education accessibility and its capitalization effects in Hangzhou. Results show that (1) the improved Gaussian two‐step floating catchment area model is more in line with the national condition of China’s “nearby schooling” policy; (2) the accessibility of compulsory schools in Hangzhou shows an obvious core‐periphery typology, and the aggregation effect of primary school accessibility is more significant than that of secondary schools; (3) compared to groups with high socioeconomic status, vulnerable groups are highly disadvantaged in terms of access to educational services; (4) spatial heterogeneity exists in education capitalization, and the areas where education accessibility has the strongest impact on housing prices are in the central city with rich high‐quality educational resources; (5) high‐quality educational resources, high‐priced communities, clusters of high socioeconomic status groups, and communities enjoying high‐level education accessibility are highly consistent in all spaces, which is the spatial expression of educational inequality. The research on Hangzhou, a regional central city, provides a theoretical basis and technical support for the humanistic shift in the allocation of educational resources.
Anonymous Certificate-Based Inner Product Broadcast Encryption
Authors: Yao Shuang , Zhang Dawei
Published: August 2021

Broadcast encryption scheme enables a sender distribute the confidential content to a certain set of intended recipients. It has been applied in cloud computing, TV broadcasts, and many other scenarios. Inner product broadcast encryption takes merits of both broadcast encryption and inner product encryption. However, it is crucial to reduce the computation cost and to take the recipient’s privacy into consideration in the inner product broadcast encryption scheme. In order to address these problems, we focus on constructing a secure and practical inner product broadcast encryption scheme in this paper. First, we build an anonymous certificate-based inner product broadcast encryption scheme. Especially, we give the concrete construction and security analysis. Second, compared with the existing inner product broadcast encryption schemes, the proposed scheme has an advantage of anonymity. Security proofs show that the proposed scheme achieves confidentiality and anonymity against adaptive chosen-ciphertext attacks. Finally, we implement the proposed anonymous inner product broadcast encryption scheme and evaluate its performance. Test results show that the proposed scheme supports faster decryption operations and has higher efficiency.
Dual‐Path Attention Compensation U‐Net for Stroke Lesion Segmentation
Authors: Hui Haisheng , Zhang Xueying , Wu Zelin , Li Fenlian
Published: August 2021

For the segmentation task of stroke lesions, using the attention U‐Net model based on the self‐attention mechanism can suppress irrelevant regions in an input image while highlighting salient features useful for specific tasks. However, when the lesion is small and the lesion contour is blurred, attention U‐Net may generate wrong attention coefficient maps, leading to incorrect segmentation results. To cope with this issue, we propose a dual‐path attention compensation U‐Net (DPAC‐UNet) network, which consists of a primary network and auxiliary path network. Both networks are attention U‐Net models and identical in structure. The primary path network is the core network that performs accurate lesion segmentation and outputting of the final segmentation result. The auxiliary path network generates auxiliary attention compensation coefficients and sends them to the primary path network to compensate for and correct possible attention coefficient errors. To realize the compensation mechanism of DPAC‐UNet, we propose a weighted binary cross‐entropy Tversky (WBCE‐Tversky) loss to train the primary path network to achieve accurate segmentation and propose another compound loss function called tolerance loss to train the auxiliary path network to generate auxiliary compensation attention coefficient maps with expanded coverage area to perform compensate operations. We conducted segmentation experiments using the 239 MRI scans of the anatomical tracings of lesions after stroke (ATLAS) dataset to evaluate the performance and effectiveness of our method. The experimental results show that the DSC score of the proposed DPAC‐UNet network is 6% higher than the single‐path attention U‐Net. It is also higher than the existing segmentation methods of the related literature. Therefore, our method demonstrates powerful abilities in the application of stroke lesion segmentation.
The Biological Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs and the Risk of Cardiovascular Events: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Hu Suiyuan , Lin Chu , Cai Xiaoling , Zhu Xingyun , Lv Fang , Nie Lin , Ji Linong
Published: August 2021

Objective. To assess the association between the use of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) and the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with systemic inflammatory conditions. Methods. Eligible cohort studies or randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from inception to January 2021 were included. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for cardiovascular outcomes were calculated in the fixed- and random-effects model accordingly. Associated factors with risks of cardiovascular events were also studied in sensitivity analyses and metaregression analyses. Results. Compared with non-bDMARD users, the risks of myocardial infarction (MI) (

OR
=
0.74

, 95% CI, 0.63 to 0.87), heart failure (

OR
=
0.84

, 95% CI, 0.74 to 0.95), cardiovascular (CV) death (

OR
=
0.62

, 95% CI, 0.40 to 0.95), all-cause mortality (

OR
=
0.64

, 95% CI, 0.58 to 0.70), and 3P-MACE (composite endpoint of MI, stroke, and CV death) (

OR
=
0.69

, 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.89) were significantly reduced in bDMARD users, which were mainly driven by the risk reduction in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). TNF-α inhibitors exhibited consistent benefits in reducing the risks of MI, heart failure, CV death, all-cause mortality, and 3P-MACE. Moreover, the risks of heart failure, CV death, all-cause mortality, and 3P-MACE were significantly reduced in bDMARD users with follow-up over one year. Conclusions. The use of bDMARDs might be associated with the reduced risks of CV events, especially in patients with RA. The CV events might be less frequent in bDMARD users with TNF-α inhibitors or follow-up over one year. More investigations are needed to validate conclusions.
Construction of Wireless Underground Footwork Mobile Training and Monitoring Sensor Network in Venues of Major Sports Events
Authors: Wen Yang , Yu Fangliang
Published: August 2021

At the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, technology was used extensively in major sports events. The level of foot movement ability greatly affects the performance of sports technology. Modern sports are developing in the direction of high speed, high skills, flexibility, and rapidity, and more and more reflect the important position of reasonable and accurate foot movement ability in sports. This article uses wireless sensor technology and wireless communication technology to design the overall architecture of the wireless underground footwork mobile training and monitoring network in venues of major sports events. According to the determined monitoring parameters and data transmission plan, a wireless remote monitoring data acquisition system is designed, and the hardware design, software design, and networking of the wireless monitoring node are completed, so as to realize the real‐time monitoring and remote transmission of the underlying data. This paper proposes a wireless sensor network management architecture and method based on multiagent cooperation and combines active and passive wireless underground footwork mobile training and monitoring for experimental verification. A multitask allocation strategy optimized for network working life is proposed. A genetic algorithm is used to model and optimize the task data report routing of cluster head nodes. The simulation experiment results show that the wireless sensor network management method based on multiagent cooperation can effectively coordinate different monitoring sensor nodes to complete the assigned monitoring tasks; the multitask assignment strategy based on a genetic algorithm can optimize the working life of the application network.
Stability Analysis and Protection Measures of Large Section Tunnel in Coal Rich Weak Rock Stratum
Authors: Zhou Guannan , Zhao Zijiang , Song Zhanping , Wang Hongjian
Published: August 2021

Due to poor engineering geological conditions of Liujiazhuang tunnel on Shanghai-Kunming Passenger Dedicated Line, the large deformation of weak rock occurs repeatedly during tunnel construction. In this paper, the large-scale finite element software ABAQUS is used to simulate the construction process of a large-section tunnel in weak surrounding rock. It is found that when tunnel face passes through the coal seam, the displacement and stress simulated by the bench method increase abruptly. The maximum stress reaches up to 18 MPa, and displacement reaches 45 mm, which is about twice when without crossing coal seam. It is technically feasible to use the bench method for tunnel construction, under the condition when large settlements is allowed; additionally, the bench method has better technical and economic benefits than that of the CD method. Through the comparative analysis of onsite monitoring data and numerical simulation results, it can be seen that the tunnel is in a dangerous state when passing through the coal seam and measures such as strengthening support or auxiliary advance support should be taken immediately to control the surrounding rock and to ensure tunnel construction safety.
Mechanical Parameters of Deep‐Buried Coal Goaf Rock Mass Based on Optimized GSI Quantitative Analysis
Authors: Wang Qingqiu , Xu Mo , Zhang Yunhui , Cen Xinyu , Chang Xingwang
Published: August 2021

In order to obtain the accurate mechanical parameters of deep‐buried coal goaf rock mass, the limitation of geological strength index (GSI) in concealed rock mass is analyzed. Based on the test result and analysis of the current normative standards, the classification indexes of rock mass structural are optimized based on discontinuity distance d and rock mass integrity index Kv. The ratio of rock mass saturated strength to dry strength, η, is introduced, quantization formula of structural surface conditions is proposed, and the influence of groundwater and rock types is included in structural surface condition classification. The GSI system is improved to better suit all types of deep‐buried and water‐rich rock masses. Furthermore, the rock mass disturbance factor D’s quantitative formula is listed according to the Hoek–Brown (HB) criterion. Taking the goaf roof under railway as an example, the parameters of deep‐buried rock mass are obtained based on the improved quantitative GSI system and HB criterion. This research provides a scientific reference for achieving geological parameters and engineering designing in goaf areas.
Strength and Expansion and Deformation Characteristics of Modified Expansive Soil by Octadecylamine
Authors: Wu Jun-Hua , Ao Wei-Chao , Wang Mao-Sheng , Liu Jia-Ming , Fu Fang-Yuan
Published: August 2021

Octadecylamine was used as a primary water repellent and mixed into the remodeled expansive soil, and modified expansive soils with different water contents and octadecylamine contents were configured. The water repellency level of the modified expansive soil was determined by the drip penetration time method, the corresponding free, unloaded, and loaded swelling rate tests were carried out, and the law of the influence of octadecylamine content and water content on the expansion and deformation of expansive soil was obtained. It can be shown that the modified expansive soil with an octadecylamine content of 0.8% (mass fraction) had an extreme water repellent grade, and the water repellency remained stable. The more the water content and octadecylamine content, the lower the free swelling rate, and the unloaded swelling rate and loaded swelling rate of modified expansive soil tended to be stable. When the octadecylamine content was 0.5% and 0.8%, the free expansion rate was significantly reduced, and the maximum drop was 42%. When the octadecylamine content was increased from 0% to 0.8%, the uncharged expansion stability duration was shortened from 97 h to 47 h, and the expansion rate was reduced from 12.9% to 9.4%. When the mass fraction of octadecylamine was 0.8%, the modified expansive soil with a water content of 20% would decrease its load expansion rate from 2.14% at 50 kPa to 0.01% at 400 kPa. When the load was small, the octadecylamine content and initial water content had a greater impact on the loaded expansion rate; when the load was large, the load became the main factor affecting the loaded expansion rate. Under the same overburden pressure, the more the octadecylamine content was, the lower the soil shear strength was and the more it tended to be stable.
Short‐Term Traffic State Prediction Based on the Critical Road Selection Optimization in Transportation Networks
Authors: Ma Tian , Gong Guanghong , Ren Yilong
Published: August 2021

Short‐term traffic prediction under corrupted or missing data for large‐scale transportation networks has become an important and challenging topic in recent decades. Since the critical roads have predictive power on their adjacent roads, this paper proposes a novel hybrid short‐term traffic state prediction method based on critical road selection optimization. First, the utility function of the quality of service (QoS) for the critical roads in a large‐scale road network is proposed based on the coverage and the data score. Then, the critical road selection optimization model in the transportation networks is presented by selecting an appropriate set of critical roads with the maximum proportion of the total calculation resources to maximize the utility value of the QoS. Also, an innovative critical road selection method is introduced, which is considering the topological structure and the mobility of the urban road network. Subsequently, the traffic speed of the critical roads is regarded as the input of the convolutional long short‐term memory neural network to predict the future traffic states of the entire network. Experiment results on the Beijing traffic network indicate that the proposed method outperforms prevailing DL approaches in the case of considering critical road sections.
Association of Endogenous Pregnenolone, Progesterone, and Related Metabolites with Risk of Endometrial and Ovarian Cancers in Postmenopausal Women: The B∼FIT Cohort
Authors: Trabert Britton , Geczik Ashley M. , Bauer Doug C. , Buist Diana S.M. , Cauley Jane A. , Falk Roni T. , Gierach Gretchen L. , Hue Trisha F. , Lacey James V. , LaCroix Andrea Z. , Michels Kara A. , Tice Jeffrey A. , Xu Xia , Brinton Louise A. , Dallal Cher M.
Published: August 2021

Background:

Postmenopausal pregnenolone and/or progesterone levels in relation to endometrial and ovarian cancer risks have been infrequently evaluated. To address this, we utilized a sensitive and reliable assay to quantify prediagnostic levels of seven markers related to endogenous hormone metabolism.

Methods:

Hormones were quantified in baseline serum collected from postmenopausal women in a cohort study nested within the Breast and Bone Follow-up to the Fracture Intervention Trial (B∼FIT). Women using exogenous hormones at baseline (1992–1993) were excluded. Incident endometrial (n = 65) and ovarian (n = 67) cancers were diagnosed during 12 follow-up years and compared with a subcohort of 345 women (no hysterectomy) and 413 women (no oophorectomy), respectively. Cox models with robust variance were used to estimate cancer risk.

Results:

Circulating progesterone levels were not associated with endometrial [tertile (T)3 vs. T1 HR (95% confidence interval): 1.87 (0.85–4.11); Ptrend = 0.17] or ovarian cancer risk [1.16 (0.58–2.33); 0.73]. Increasing levels of the progesterone-to-estradiol ratio were inversely associated with endometrial cancer risk [T3 vs. T1: 0.29 (0.09–0.95); 0.03]. Increasing levels of 17-hydroxypregnenolone were inversely associated with endometrial cancer risk [0.40 (0.18–0.91); 0.03] and positively associated with ovarian cancer risk [3.11 (1.39–6.93); 0.01].

Conclusions:

Using sensitive and reliable assays, this study provides novel data that endogenous progesterone levels are not strongly associated with incident endometrial or ovarian cancer risks. 17-hydroxypregnenolone was positively associated with ovarian cancer and inversely associated with endometrial cancer.

Impact:

While our results require replication in large studies, they provide further support of the hormonal etiology of endometrial and ovarian cancers.
Antibody–Drug Conjugate Efficacy in Neuroblastoma: Role of Payload, Resistance Mechanisms, Target Density, and Antibody Internalization
Authors: Buongervino Samantha , Lane Maria V. , Garrigan Emily , Zhelev Doncho V. , Dimitrov Dimiter S. , Bosse Kristopher R.
Published: August 2021

Antibody–drug conjugates (ADC) are a targeted cancer therapy that utilize the specificity of antibodies to deliver potent drugs selectively to tumors. Here we define the complex interaction among factors that dictate ADC efficacy in neuroblastoma by testing both a comprehensive panel of ADC payloads in a diverse set of neuroblastoma cell lines and utilizing the glypican 2 (GPC2)-targeting D3-GPC2-PBD ADC to study the role of target antigen density and antibody internalization in ADC efficacy in neuroblastoma. We first find that DNA binding drugs are significantly more cytotoxic to neuroblastomas than payloads that bind tubulin or inhibit DNA topoisomerase 1. We additionally show that neuroblastomas with high expression of the ABCB1 drug transporter or that harbor a TP53 mutation are significantly more resistant to tubulin and DNA/DNA topoisomerase 1 binding payloads, respectively. Next, we utilized the GPC2-specific D3-GPC2-IgG1 antibody to show that neuroblastomas internalize this antibody/GPC2 complex at significantly different rates and that these antibody internalization kinetics correlate significantly with GPC2 cell surface density. However, sensitivity to pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) dimers primarily dictated sensitivity to the corresponding D3-GPC2-PBD ADC, overall having a larger influence on ADC efficacy than GPC2 cell surface density or antibody internalization. Finally, we utilized GPC2 isogenic Kelly neuroblastoma cells with different levels of cell surface GPC2 expression to define the threshold of target density required for ADC efficacy. Taken together, DNA binding ADC payloads should be prioritized for development for neuroblastoma given their superior efficacy and considering that ADC payload sensitivity is a major determinant of ADC efficacy.
Centromere Protein A Goes Far Beyond the Centromere in Cancers
Authors: Liu Xiaolan , Wang Haiping , Zhao Guojun
Published: August 2021

Centromere dysfunctions leading to numerical chromosome alterations are believed to be closely related to human cancers. As a centromere-specific protein, centromere protein A (CENP-A) replaces the histone H3 in centromeres and is therefore considered a key factor of centromere identity. Researches have shown that CENP-A is overexpressed in many types of human cancers. However, the behavior and function of CENP-A in tumorigenesis have not yet been systematically summarized. In this article, we describe the pleiotropic roles of CENP-A in human cells. Moreover, we provide a comprehensive review of the current knowledge on the relationship between aberrant expression and ectopic localization of CENP-A and tumorigenesis, and the mechanism of the ectopic deposition of CENP-A in cancers. Furthermore, we note that some oncogenic viruses can modulate the expression and localization of this centromere protein along with its chaperone. At last, we also discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting CENP-A for cancer therapy.
Development and Validation of HSCAPS-1: A Clinical Decision Support Tool for Diagnosis of Hidradenitis Suppurativa over Cutaneous Abscess
Authors: Garg Amit , Reddy Sarah , Kirby Joslyn , Strunk Andrew
Published: August 2021

Background: A clinical decision support tool may improve recognition of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) and reduce diagnosis delay. Objective: To develop and initially validate a clinical decision support to predict diagnosis of HS and distinguish it from cutaneous abscess of the axilla, groin, perineum, and buttock. Methods: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis between January 2012 and June 2017 (development set) and July 2017 and March 2019 (validation set). We used an electronic records sample of 56 million patients from the Explorys database to identify patients with an ambulatory visit associated with either HS or cutaneous of the axilla, groin, perineum, and buttock. The outcome was predicted probability of HS diagnosis. Results: Development set included 7,974 patients with mean age of 41.4 years, who were predominantly female (66%) and white (62%). Validation set included 1,560 patients with similar demographic composition. Factors which were stronger independent predictors of HS included female sex (OR 2.17 [95% CI 1.96–2.40]); African American race (1.28 [95% CI 1.15–1.44]); increasing BMI (OR 1.05 [95% CI 1.05–1.06)]; history of acne (OR 3.46 [95% CI 2.83–4.23]); Down syndrome (OR 5.35 [95% CI 2.03–14.12]); and prescription for at least 7 opioid medications in the past year (OR 1.05 [95% CI 0.83–1.33]). Up to age 45 years, increasing age was a stronger predictor of HS diagnosis. The simplified model showed good discrimination (c-statistic 0.746 [SE 0.013]) and moderate calibration (calibration intercept –0.260 [SE 0.055]; calibration slope 1.142 [SE 0.076]). Conclusion: This clinical decision support tool shows good performance in predicting diagnosis of HS and distinguishing it from cutaneous abscess that involves the axilla, groin, perineum, and buttock.
Coprevalence of Hidradenitis Suppurativa and Psoriasis: Detailed Demographic, Disease Severity and Comorbidity Pattern
Authors: Pinter Andreas , Sarlak Mana , Zeiner Kim Nicola , Malisiewicz Bartosz , Kaufmann Roland , Romanelli Marco , Koenig Anke , Chiricozzi Andrea
Published: August 2021

Background and Objectives: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) and plaque psoriasis (Pso) are supposed to have a coprevalence. However, data showing a more detailed description of patients with both diseases are rare. In this study, we characterized patients with both skin diseases in terms of onset, disease course, severity, concomitant diseases and therapeutical management. Patients and Methods: Data from 28 patients with a confirmed codiagnosis of HS and Pso from 2 university hospitals presented between 2015 and 2019 were evaluated retrospectively. For further characterization, patients were divided into different cohorts depending on whether HS or Pso was diagnosed as the first disease. Results: The average age of patients with a coprevalence of both diseases was 44.4 years with a female/male ratio of 1:1.15. Fifteen patients were diagnosed first with HS at an average age of 22.8 years, 13 patients first showed symptoms of Pso at a mean age of 21.7 years. The average time to the onset of the corresponding second disease was 14.3 years. Patients with HS as first disease showed a significantly severer form of HS compared to patients with a first diagnosis of Pso (mean highest International Hidradenitis Suppurativa Severity Score System: 23.5 vs. 8.2; p = 0.02). Severity of psoriatic disease in patients with HS at first diagnosis was numerically lower but not significant compared to the cohort with Pso at first diagnosis (mean highest Psoriasis Area and Severity Index: 7.8 vs. 13.2; p = 0.299). The most frequent comorbidity in all patients was obesity (64.3%; mean body mass index: 32.2) followed by psychiatric complaints (25%) and psoriatic arthritis (21.4%). Adalimumab was the most commonly used drug that had a positive effect on both diseases, HS and Pso. Conclusions: In patients with a coprevalence of HS and Pso, the disease which occurs first appears to take a severer course, with an increased risk of development of obesity and psychiatric comorbidity in both cohorts.
Age, Serum Creatinine, and Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Improved the Performance of the CatLet Angiographic Scoring System in Terms of Outcome Predictions for Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Median 4.3-Year Follow-Up Study
Authors: Teng Ruo-Ling , Liu Ming , Sun Bei-Chen , Xu Jian-Ping , He Yang , He Yong-Ming
Published: August 2021

Background: We recently developed the Coronary Artery Tree description and Lesion EvaluaTion (CatLet) angiographic scoring system. Our preliminary study demonstrated that the CatLet score better predicted clinical outcomes than the SYNTAX score. The current study aimed at assessing whether 3 clinical variables (CVs) – age, serum creatinine, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) – improved the performance of the CatLet score in outcome predictions in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods: This study was a post hoc study of the CatLet score validation trial. Primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events (MACCEs), and secondary endpoints were all-cause deaths and cardiac deaths. Results: Over 1,185 person-years (median [interquartile range], 4.3 [3.8–4.9] years), there were 64 MACCEs (20.8%), 56 all-cause deaths (18.2%), and 47 cardiac deaths (15.2%). The addition of the 3 CVs to the stand-alone CatLet score significantly increased the Harrell’s C-index by 0.0967 (p = 0.002) in MACCEs, by 0.1354 (p < 0.001) in all-cause deaths, and by 0.1187 (p = 0.001) in cardiac deaths. When compared with the stand-alone CatLet score, improved discrimination and better calibration led to a significantly refined risk stratification, particularly at the intermediate-risk category. Conclusions: CatLet score had a predicting value for clinical outcome in AMI patients. This predicting value can be improved through a combination with age, serum creatinine, and LVEF (http://www.chictr.org.cn; unique identifier: ChiCTR-POC-17013536).
Awake Rhinology Surgery in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Europe
Authors: Andrews Peter , Anschuetz Lukas , Baptista Peter M. , Bast Florian , Beule Achim G. , De Carpentier John , Fitzgerald Deirdre , Furtado Luis Miguel Pinto Correia , Knox Barton , Marzetti Andrea , Perkins Nora W. , Randhawa Prem Singh
Published: August 2021

Background: European health-care systems are faced with a backlog of surgical procedures following the suspension of routine surgery during the COVID-19 crisis. Routine rhinology surgery under general anaesthetic (GA) is now faced with significant challenges which include limited theatre capacity, the negative ramifications of surgical prioritization, reduced patient throughput in secondary care, and additional personal protective equipment requirements. Delayed surgery in rhinology, particularly with regards to chronic rhinosinusitis, has previously been shown to have poorer surgical outcomes, a detrimental effect on quality of life and long-term negative health socio-economic effects. Awake rhinology surgery under local anaesthetic (LA) provides an ideal alternative to GA. It provides a means of operating on patients in a setting alternative to currently oversubscribed main theatres, by utilizing satellite facilities, while ensuring identical surgical outcomes for patients who may otherwise have been forced to wait a long time for their procedure. It also confers additional benefits in terms of shorter recovery time and hospital stay for patients. Objectives: We have developed a set of recommendations that are intended to help support clinicians and managers to better adopt LA rhinology protocols and minimize the risk to the patient and health-care professionals involved. Methodology: International roundtable forums were conducted and supplemented by individual interviews. The international board consisted of 12 rhinologists experienced in awake rhinology surgery. Feedback was analysed and shared to develop a consensus of best practice. Recommendations: Local and national guidelines need to be adhered to with specific focus on patient and clinician safety. When performing awake rhinology procedures in the COVID-19 recovery process, consider implementing specific safety measures and workflow practices to safeguard patients and staff and minimize the risk of infection. Conclusion: Awake surgery potentially provides quicker access to routine rhinology surgery in the post-COVID-19 recovery phase, ensuring patients are treated in a timely matter, thereby avoiding higher downstream costs, and improving outcomes.
Clinical and Molecular Update on the Fourth Reported Family with Hamamy Syndrome
Authors: Mégarbané André , Hana Sayeeda , Mégarbané Hala , Castro Christel , Baulande Sylvain , Criqui Audrey , Roëckel-Trevisiol Nathalie , Dagher Christel , Al-Ali Mahmoud Taleb , Desvignes Jean-Pierre , Mahfoud Daniel , El-Hayek Stephany , Delague Valérie
Published: August 2021

We report on 2 cousins, a girl and a boy, born to first-cousin Lebanese parents with Hamamy syndrome, exhibiting developmental delay, intellectual disability, severe telecanthus, abnormal ears, dentinogenesis imperfecta, and bone fragility. Whole-exome sequencing studies performed on the 2 affected individuals and one obligate carrier revealed the presence of a homozygous c.503G>A (p.Arg168His) missense mutation in IRX5 in both sibs, not reported in any other family. Review of the literature and differential diagnoses are discussed.
Growth Velocity and Doppler Evaluation to Predict Nonreassuring Fetal Heart Rate at Birth in Low-Risk Women: A Prospective, Longitudinal Study
Authors: Schreiber Hanoch , Toledano Hen , Weissbach Tal , Kassif Eran , Tsur Abraham , Biron-Shental Tal , Weisz Boaz
Published: August 2021

Introduction: This study investigated whether fetal growth deceleration in term, appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) fetuses is associated with placental insufficiency and nonreassuring fetal heart rate (NRFHR) at birth. Methods: In this prospective study, 246 low-risk, singleton pregnancies at term with AGA fetuses were recruited. Correlation between decreased growth velocity (decline in estimated fetal weight [EFW] percentile), low EFW (EFWQ1 = latest EFW between 11 and 25% percentiles), umbilical artery (UA) pulsatility index (PI), middle cerebral artery (MCA) PI, and cerebro-placental ratio (CPR) with cesarean and instrumental deliveries due to NRFHR were tested. Results: The median change between fetal weight estimates (percentiles/week) was +0.49% (95% CI: −4 to +5%). Ten percent had decreased EFW percentile >3.5%/week. Fetal growth velocity/week was associated with MCA (r = 0.21, p < 0.001) and CPR (r = 0.24, p < 0.001) and inversely correlated with UA PI (r = −0.28, p < 0.001). NRFHR and cesarean section (CS) rates due to NRFHR were associated with decreased growth velocity, EFWQ1, and low CPR. The combination of abnormal CPR with decreased growth velocity occurred in 12 pregnancies, of which 5 (42%) had urgent CS due to NRFHR. The combination of abnormal CPR with EFWQ1 occurred in 9 pregnancies, of which 4 (44%) had urgent CS due to NRFHR. These combinations increased the likelihood ratio of CS due to NRFHR two-fold (8.41; 2.54–24.5) but did not significantly alter the number needed to treat by elective CS (3.78–4.68). Conclusion: Fetal growth velocity, EFW between 10 and 25th percentiles (EFWQ1), and abnormal CPR improves prediction of unplanned CS due to NRFHR among term AGA fetuses. This should be considered when counseling about the delivery method.
Physician’s Subjective Increase in Awareness towards Perioperative Anaemia, Patient’s Blood Resource, and Transfusion after the Implementation of Patient Blood Management: A Nationwide Multicentre Survey
Authors: Neef Vanessa , Piekarski Florian , Choorapoikayil Suma , Helmer Philipp , Zacharowski Kai , Meybohm Patrick , Raimann Florian J. ,   German PBM (Patient Blood Management) Network Group
Published: August 2021

Introduction: Patient blood management (PBM) is a clinical and multidisciplinary, 3-pillar concept. The aim of this study was to detect the subjective increase in physician’s awareness towards perioperative anaemia, patient’s blood resource, and transfusion after the implementation of PBM in German hospitals. Material and Methods: A survey among 56 hospitals from the German PBM Network group was conducted from October 27 to December 19, 2020. An electronic questionnaire with 28 questions was sent to the local PBM coordinator for the distribution at the hospital level. For assessment of the physician’s subjective increase in awareness, numeric rating scales (0 [no increase] – 10 [maximum increase]) were used. Results: In total, 404 clinicians from 56 hospitals completed the survey. The mean (±standard deviation) time of an existing PBM program was 4.8 (±2.2) years. The physician’s subjective increase in awareness towards anaemia (8.2 [±2.0]), patient’s blood resource (7.6 [±2.5]), and transfusion (8.1 [±1.9]) was the highest in physicians from hospitals with ≥21 implemented PBM measures. In addition, a subjective increase in awareness towards anaemia (6.6 [±3.3]), patient’s blood resource (7.0 [±3.3]), and transfusion (6.6 [±3.4]) was the highest in physicians with daily PBM contact. Conclusion: Results suggest that physician’s awareness towards perioperative anaemia, patient’s blood resource, and transfusion has increased, depending on the hospital’s number of implemented PBM measures and physician’s PBM contact in everyday clinical practice.
Association of Elevated Cord Blood Oxidative Stress Biomarkers with Neonatal Outcomes in Mothers with Pre-Eclampsia: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Liu Linli , Zheng Beihong , Jiang ZhongQing , Wu SanShan , Jin Qiong , Lin PeiHong , Lin Zhou , Wang Lanlan
Published: August 2021

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between the levels of stress biomarkers in cord blood and pre-eclampsia (PE) in a hospital-based population of pregnant patients and evaluate the effects on pregnancy outcomes. Design: This was an observational, case-control study. Participants/Materials, Setting, Methods: This case-control study included 282 patients with severe PE and 534 women with normal pregnancy. The umbilical cord was collected at delivery and tested for malonaldehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase, and homocysteine (Hcy) analysis. We performed a univariate general linear regression model analysis to control potential confounders and determined the underlying influencing factors for high MDA and ROS. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was conducted to determine the cutoff values for identifying severe PE. Further, the severe PE group was divided into the low- or high-MDA and low- or high-ROS subgroups according to the cutoff values. Finally, we created logistic regression models to estimate the adjusted odds ratio for each perinatal outcome in the high-MDA and high-ROS subgroup. Results: The levels of MDA and ROS levels were higher in women with severe PE than in normotensive pregnant patients. However, when adjusted for cord blood Hcy levels, the difference was insignificant. Additionally, both MDA (r = 0.359, p < 0.001) and ROS (r = 0.473, p < 0.001) were positively correlated with the cord blood Hcy level. The areas under the curve of MDA and ROS levels were 0.65 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.60–0.69) and 0.88 (95% CI: 0.86–0.90), respectively. Higher MDA and ROS levels were associated with increased risks of a low Apgar score, admission to the NICU, and assisted ventilation for the newborn. Limitations: The study design led to the exclusion of several participants. Conclusions: Increased levels of oxidative stress markers in the cord blood might be significantly associated with negative effects on newborns. High levels of Hcy in the cord blood might be associated with elevated MDA and ROS concentrations in women with severe PE.
Prognostic Significance of Chest Imaging by LUS and CT in COVID-19 Inpatients: The ECOVID Multicenter Study
Authors: Tana Claudio , Ricci Fabrizio , Coppola Maria Gabriella , Mantini Cesare , Lauretani Fulvio , Campanozzi Daniele , Renda Giulia , Gallina Sabina , Lugará Marina , Cipollone Francesco , Giamberardino Maria Adele , Mucci Luciano
Published: August 2021

Background: Point-of-care lung ultrasound (LUS) score is a semiquantitative score of lung damage severity. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is the gold standard method to evaluate the severity of lung involvement from the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Few studies have investigated the clinical significance of LUS and HRCT scores in patients with COVID-19. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic yield of LUS and of HRCT in COVID-19 patients. Methods: We carried out a multicenter, retrospective study aimed at evaluating the prognostic yield of LUS and HRCT by exploring the survival curve of COVID-19 inpatients. LUS and chest CT scores were calculated retrospectively by 2 radiologists with >10 years of experience in chest imaging, and the decisions were reached in consensus. LUS score was calculated on the basis of the presence or not of pleural line abnormalities, B-lines, and lung consolidations. The total score (range 0–36) was obtained from the sum of the highest scores obtained in each region. CT score was calculated for each of the 5 lobes considering the anatomical extension according to the percentage parenchymal involvement. The resulting overall global semiquantitative CT score was the sum of each single lobar score and ranged from 0 (no involvement) to 25 (maximum involvement). Results: One hundred fifty-three COVID-19 inpatients (mean age 65 ± 15 years; 65% M), including 23 (15%) in-hospital deaths for any cause over a mean follow-up of 14 days were included. Mean LUS and CT scores were 19 ± 12 and 10 ± 7, respectively. A strong positive linear correlation between LUS and CT scores (Pearson correlation r = 0.754; R2 = 0.568; p < 0.001) was observed. By ROC curve analysis, the optimal cut-point for mortality prediction was 20 for LUS score and 4.5 for chest CT score. According to Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, in-hospital mortality significantly increased among COVID-19 patients presenting with an LUS score ≥20 (log-rank 0.003; HR 9.87, 95% CI: 2.22–43.83) or a chest CT score ≥4.5 (HR 4.34, 95% CI: 0.97–19.41). At multivariate Cox regression analysis, LUS score was the sole independent predictor of in-hospital mortality yielding an adjusted HR of 7.42 (95% CI: 1.59–34.5). Conclusion: LUS score is useful to stratify the risk in COVID-19 patients, predicting those that are at high risk of mortality.
A Novel Variant of the KIF11 Gene, c.2922G>T, Is Associated with Microcephaly by Affecting RNA Splicing
Authors: Guo Zhenglong , Huo Xiaodong , Wu Dong , Hao Bingtao , Liao Shixiu
Published: August 2021

Microcephaly with or without chorioretinopathy, lymphedema, or mental retardation (MCLMR) is an inherited disorder characterized by severe microcephaly and abnormal facial features. Kinesin family member 11 (KIF11) mutations have been reported closely related to microcephaly in different cases, while the pathogenicity was still unclear. Here, we report a de novo heterozygous mutation in exon 20 of the KIF11 (c.2922G>T; p.Pro974=) from a microcephaly patient through whole-exome sequencing. Further studies identified that this variant affected the normal splicing of KIF11 pre-mRNA, thus leading to the c.2815_2922 deletion of exon 20 through PBMC-derived pre-mRNA splicing assay and minigene experiment. Moreover, c.2815_2922 deletion would produce a shortened KIF11 protein, which may competitively bind to the normal KIF11 protein, suggesting a dominant negative effect mechanism in c.2922G>T mutation-induced MCLMR.
The rediscovery of Pimelodella longipinnis (Borodin, 1927), an enigmatic Atlantic Rainforest catfish species from Southeastern Brazil (Siluriformes: Heptapteridae)
Authors: Slobodian Veronica , Abreu-Santos Bruno , Pastana Murilo Nogueira de Lima
Published: August 2021

This article is a redescription of Pimelodella longipinnis, an enigmatic catfish previously known only from its holotype and with uncertain type locality. The species is redescribed based on recently collected materials from streams of the Mata Atlântica bioregion, in Santos municipality, São Paulo State, Brazil. Pimelodella longipinnis is assigned to a putatively monophyletic group, the Pimelodella leptosoma-group, diagnosed by the presence of a supraoccipital process not reaching the anterior nuchal plate, with a gap of ca. 20-25% of the supraoccipital process total length, and whose tip notably surpasses the midpoint of the complex vertebra in dorsal view. We also present a list of fish species described from a shipping sent to the American Museum of Natural History from the former Museu Paulista (now Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo), of which P. longipinnis was part.
Covid-19: o vírus e suas variantes semióticas
Authors: Bertrand Denis , Darrault-Harris Ivan
Published: August 2021

A reflexão aqui proposta parte das perturbações causadas pela pandemia de Covid-19 e procura entender se ela produz um “mundo” paradigmaticamente distinto. Assim, são estudadas a flutuação do gênero, a disseminação do Destinador, a proliferação de variantes de antissujeitos. São, porém, a crise da verdade e o desaparecimento das certezas que, acima de tudo, marcam o possível surgimento de uma subcultura alternativa àquela que precedeu o início da pandemia. Mais precisamente, são examinadas a transformação radical das relações proxêmicas ou, ainda, as modificações, devido ao uso da máscara, na qualidade fática das interações. No entanto, apesar das recategorizações impostas, essa pandemia poderia provocar a ressurreição da Humanidade, unidade actancial coletiva engajada unissonamente, dentro de uma nova cultura e de uma nova narrativa, na luta contra um inimigo muito mais perigoso que ameaça o mundo, a mudança climática.