bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of herpes zoster vaccination and antiviral treatment on the risk of stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Jia Yong-hui , Dong Yu-bo , Jiang Hai-yin , Li Ai-juan
Published: May 2023

Background

Evidence suggests that there is an increased risk of stroke after herpes zoster (HZ). However, reports on the effects of HZ vaccination (HZV) and antiviral treatment on stroke risk are inconsistent. Thus, we examined these associations in a meta-analysis.

Methods

To identify relevant studies, we searched three databases for articles published up to January 2023. Random-effect models were examined to determine overall pooled estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

This review included 12 observational studies (six on HZV and seven on antiviral treatment). When comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated patients, vaccination was found to be associated with a lower risk of stroke (OR, 0.78; 95% CI 0.68–0.9; P = 0.001). A meta-analysis of self-controlled case series (SCCS) revealed evidence of a reduced OR in individuals who received the vaccine (OR, 1.14; 95% CI 0.94–1.37; P = 0.181) compared with unvaccinated individuals (OR, 1.36; 95% CI 1.15–1.61; P < 0.001). Compared with untreated patients, antiviral therapy was not associated with a reduced risk of stroke (OR, 1.13; 95% CI 0.94–1.36; P = 0.201). The meta-analysis of the SCCS showed no evidence of a reduced OR in individuals who received antiviral therapy (OR, 1.33; 95% CI 1.17–1.51; P < 0.001) compared to untreated individuals (OR, 1.45; 95% CI 1.25–1.69; P < 0.001).

Conclusions

This meta-analysis suggests that the HZV, but not antiviral treatment, decreases the odds of developing stroke.
Deficits in the thalamocortical pathway associated with hypersensitivity to pain in patients with frozen shoulder
Authors: Li Tengshuai , Li Jie , Zhao Rui , Zhou Jiaming , Chu Xu
Published: May 2023

Background and purpose

Frozen shoulder (FS) is a chronic pain condition and has been shown to be associated with pain sensitization. However, the underyling brain mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we aimed to explore brain alterations and their association with pain sensitization in patients with FS.

Materials and methods

A total of 54 FS patients and 52 healthy controls (HCs) were included in this study. Here, we applied both structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to investigate brain abnormalities in FS patients. Voxel-wise comparisons were performed to reveal the differences in the gray matter volume (GMV) and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) between FS patients and HCs. Furthermore, the region of interest (ROI) to whole-brain functional connectivity (FC) was calculated and compared between groups. Finally, Pearson's correlation coefficients were computed to reveal the association between clinical data and brain alterations.

Results

Four main findings were observed: (1) FS patients exhibited decreased thalamus GMV, which correlated with pain intensity and pain threshold; (2) relative to HCs, FS patients exhibited a higher level of ALFF within the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the thalamus; (3) FS patients exhibited a significant increase in Tha-S1 FC compared to HCs; and (4) the effect of thalamus GMV on pain intensity was mediated by pain threshold in FS patients.

Conclusion

The dysfunctional thalamus might induce pain hypersensitivity, which further aggravates the pain in FS patients.
Cerebrospinal fluid protein levels are elevated 100 times in a Leptomeningeal metastasis patient: a case report and literature review
Authors: Wang Shengnan , Yang Wenzhuo , Zhu Mingqin , Wang Xiaochuang , Pan Lin , Jin Tao , Chen Youqi , Xi Jianxin , Yang Laiyu , Cui Run
Published: May 2023

Leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) has a high degree of malignancy and high mortality. We describe a patient admitted to hospital with acute lower extremity weakness, dysuria, and high intracranial pressure. Enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed extensive enhancement of the leptomeningeal and spinal meninges with multiple nodular changes and extensive fusion. His cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was yellow and cloudy, the Pandy test was strongly positive (++++), the protein was 46 g/L (normal range 0.15–0.45 g/L), which attracted our attention. Initially, miliary TB with associated tuberculous meningitis (TBM) was diagnosed, and neurosarcoidosis cannot be ruled out. After poor therapeutic effect of standard antituberculosis (anti-TB) therapy, further inspection found that malignant cells were detected by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytology. PET/CT suggested the diagnosis of LM. The purpose of this paper is to describe the characteristics of atypical diffuse LM. In conclusion, when patient with unexplained high levels of CSF protein, it is necessary to be alert to the diagnosis of LM. Multiple examinations of fresh CSF are helpful to increase the positive detection rate of tumor cells. Early diagnosis and active treatment are conducive to improving survival rate.
Transcriptome-wide selection and validation of a solid set of reference genes for gene expression studies in the cephalopod mollusk Octopus vulgaris
Authors: Imperadore Pamela , Cagnin Stefano , Allegretti Vittoria , Millino Caterina , Raffini Francesca , Fiorito Graziano , Ponte Giovanna
Published: May 2023

Octopus vulgaris is a cephalopod mollusk and an active marine predator that has been at the center of a number of studies focused on the understanding of neural and biological plasticity. Studies on the machinery involved in e.g., learning and memory, regeneration, and neuromodulation are required to shed light on the conserved and/or unique mechanisms that these animals have evolved. Analysis of gene expression is one of the most essential means to expand our understanding of biological machinery, and the selection of an appropriate set of reference genes is the prerequisite for the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Here we selected 77 candidate reference genes (RGs) from a pool of stable and relatively high-expressed transcripts identified from the full-length transcriptome of O. vulgaris, and we evaluated their expression stabilities in different tissues through geNorm, NormFinder, Bestkeeper, Delta-CT method, and RefFinder. Although various algorithms provided different assemblages of the most stable reference genes for the different kinds of tissues tested here, a comprehensive ranking revealed RGs specific to the nervous system (Ov-RNF7 and Ov-RIOK2) and Ov-EIF2A and Ov-CUL1 across all considered tissues. Furthermore, we validated RGs by assessing the expression profiles of nine target genes (Ov-Naa15, Ov-Ltv1, Ov-CG9286, Ov-EIF3M, Ov-NOB1, Ov-CSDE1, Ov-Abi2, Ov-Homer2, and Ov-Snx20) in different areas of the octopus nervous system (gastric ganglion, as control). Our study allowed us to identify the most extensive set of stable reference genes currently available for the nervous system and appendages of adult O. vulgaris.
Development and validation of radiomic signature for predicting overall survival in advanced-stage cervical cancer
Authors: Jha Ashish Kumar , Mithun Sneha , Sherkhane Umeshkumar B. , Jaiswar Vinay , Shah Sneha , Purandare Nilendu , Prabhash Kumar , Maheshwari Amita , Gupta Sudeep , Wee Leonard , Rangarajan V. , Dekker Andre
Published: May 2023

Background

The role of artificial intelligence and radiomics in prediction model development in cancer has been increasing every passing day. Cervical cancer is the 4th most common cancer in women worldwide, contributing to 6.5% of all cancer types. The treatment outcome of cervical cancer patients varies and individualized prediction of disease outcome is of paramount importance.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop and validate the digital signature for 5-year overall survival prediction in cervical cancer using robust CT radiomic and clinical features.

Materials and Methods

Pretreatment clinical features and CT radiomic features of 68 patients, who were treated with chemoradiation therapy in our hospital, were used in this study. Radiomic features were extracted using an in-house developed python script and pyradiomic package. Clinical features were selected by the recursive feature elimination technique. Whereas radiomic feature selection was performed using a multi-step process i.e., step-1: only robust radiomic features were selected based on our previous study, step-2: a hierarchical clustering was performed to eliminate feature redundancy, and step-3: recursive feature elimination was performed to select the best features for prediction model development. Four machine algorithms i.e., Logistic regression (LR), Random Forest (RF), Support vector classifier (SVC), and Gradient boosting classifier (GBC), were used to develop 24 models (six models using each algorithm) using clinical, radiomic and combined features. Models were compared based on the prediction score in the internal validation.

Results

The average prediction accuracy was found to be 0.65 (95% CI: 0.60–0.70), 0.72 (95% CI: 0.63–0.81), and 0.77 (95% CI: 0.72–0.82) for clinical, radiomic, and combined models developed using four prediction algorithms respectively. The average prediction accuracy was found to be 0.69 (95% CI: 0.62–0.76), 0.79 (95% CI: 0.72–0.86), 0.71 (95% CI: 0.62–0.80), and 0.72 (95% CI: 0.66–0.78) for LR, RF, SVC and GBC models developed on three datasets respectively.

Conclusion

Our study shows the promising predictive performance of a robust radiomic signature to predict 5-year overall survival in cervical cancer patients.
Case report: Intraosseous hibernoma (IOH) mimics osseous metastasis: another rare pitfall in FDG-PET-CT
Authors: Stolte Sebastian J. , Geiger Hanna , Forrer Flavio , Rodriguez Regulo , Müller Joachim
Published: May 2023

Intraosseous hibernoma (IOH) mimicking osseous metastasis is a rare and little-known pitfall in nuclear medicine and radiology. Referring to a clinical case, we show imaging features in FDG-PET and CT as well as pathological characteristics and discuss MRI and differential diagnoses. A 73-year-old woman was assigned for an FDG-PET/CT examination after the incidental finding of a suspicious pulmonary nodule. The FDG-PET/CT examination detected a small slightly FDG-avid pulmonary nodule suspicious for malignancy and a small slightly sclerotic lesion with mild FDG-uptake in the upper pubic bone. Histopathology revealed an intraosseous hibernoma, a rare benign soft-tissue tumor arising from brown fat. In the sparse literature available, intraosseous hibernomas may or may not be positive on bone scans. As in our case, most are slightly sclerotic on CT but lytic lesions have also been described. On MRI, they are T1 hypointense to subcutaneous fat and hyperintense to skeletal muscle; they are usually T2 hyperintense and may show peripheral contrast enhancement. According to the literature, IOHs are mostly incidental findings with solitary lesions in the spine, pelvis, ribs, or, very rarely, in the extremities with low to moderately increased glucose metabolism. IOHs present as painless tumors in general; a few painful cases could be successfully treated with radiofrequency ablation or surgery. Differential diagnoses include metastases, lymphoma, fibrous dysplasia, and non-ossifying fibroma among others. Intraosseous hibernoma is a rare benign tumor that can mimic metastases in FDG-PET, CT, bone scan, and MRI. IOHs might be indistinguishable from metastases or malignant lesions, which makes a biopsy or follow-up mandatory in clinically relevant cases. Given the benign nature of IOHs, radiofrequency ablation or surgery is only an option in symptomatic cases.
Development and validity of a short web-based semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire applicable in both clinical and research setting: an evolution over time
Authors: Verbeke Joke , Boedt Tessy , Matthys Christophe
Published: May 2023

Background

Assessing dietary intake is valuable both in clinical practice and in research. In research and in clinical practice, long-term habitual dietary intake is most often of interest. Therefore, a web-based semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was developed to measure habitual intake of nutrients and foods.

Aim

This study aimed to assess content validity, convergent validity, and reliability of a 32-item semi-quantitative FFQ for adults.

Methods

A total of three different cohorts of Flemish adults were recruited in the past 10 years. The first cross-sectional validation study took place in 2013, consequently in 2019 and 2021. Content validity was assessed in 2019 through a semi-structured cognitive interview. Convergent validity was assessed by examining mean differences, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Spearman's correlation coefficients (SCC), and Bland–Altman analysis for energy, nutrient, and food group intake compared with a 3-day food record (FR). Additionally, consumers-only analysis was performed together with cross-classification analysis by assessing the ranking capabilities of the FFQ into quartiles and weighted kappa. Reliability was assessed through the evaluation of SCC and intra-class correlation (ICC) of test–retest assessment of the FFQ.

Results

Spearman's correlation coefficient (SCC) for energy and absolute nutrient intake between the FFQ and the FR ranged from 0.02 to 0.54. Compared with absolute macronutrients, higher SCC was found for the majority of the relative macronutrient intake and most food groups. Bland–Altman plots showed improved agreement and decreasing bias between the FFQ and the FR over time. Misclassification of the FFQ for nutrients was acceptable and decreased over time (7.4, 7.5, and 6.8% in 2013, 2019, and 2021, respectively), but weighted kappa remained mostly fair (κ ≤ 0.20). The reliability of the FFQ was good and improved over time (mean SCC of 0.65 and 0.66 p <0.001 in 2013 and 2019).

Conclusion

The short web-based FFQ is an easy, low-cost, and feasible tool with good reliability, low misclassification, and acceptable validity to compare nutrient densities and food group intake at the population level. The measurement of absolute intake remains debatable.
Dietary patterns and diabetes mellitus among people living with and without HIV: a cross-sectional study in Tanzania
Authors: Malindisa Evangelista , Dika Haruna , Rehman Andrea M. , Olsen Mette Frahm , Francis Filbert , Friis Henrik , Faurholt-Jepsen Daniel , Filteau Suzanne , PrayGod George
Published: May 2023

Background

Due to the complexity of human diets, it is difficult to relate single foods to health outcomes. We aimed to identify the dietary patterns and associated factors and to assess the association of dietary patterns with prediabetes/diabetes among adults living with and without HIV in Tanzania.

Methods

Diet data were collected by a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and dietary patterns were derived by principal component analysis (PCA) and reduced rank regression (RRR). The associations between dietary patterns and associated factors as well as with prediabetes/diabetes were assessed using multinomial logistic regression and presented by marginal plots.

Results

Of 572 recruited, 63% were people living with HIV. The mean (±SD) age was 42.6 (±11.7) years and 60% were females. The PCA identified two major dietary patterns, i.e., vegetable-rich pattern (VRP) and vegetable-poor pattern (VPP) whereas RRR identified one dietary pattern, i.e., carbohydrate-dense pattern (CDP). In comparison to females, males had higher adherence to VPP and CDP, but less to VRP. Higher socioeconomic status was associated with higher adherence to VRP and VPP but low adherence to CDP. Compared to HIV-negative participants, people living with HIV had higher adherence to VRP but less adherence to CDP. Compared to younger people, older people had lower adherence to VPP. High adherence to CDP or VRP was positively associated with prediabetes. Higher adherence to VRP was associated with a borderline decrease in diabetes. No association was observed between VPP with either prediabetes or diabetes.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that dietary patterns may impact the risk of prediabetes and diabetes differently. Awareness of the health benefits of VRP should be encouraged in the community, especially for men who seem to consume fewer vegetables. Longitudinal studies are needed to explore the contribution of dietary patterns to prediabetes/diabetes development in sub-Saharan Africa.
Food groups and urologic cancers risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies
Authors: Qi Jingyi , An Peng , Jin Dekui , Ji Yuting , Wan Sitong , Zhang Xu , Luo Yongting , Luo Junjie , Zhang Chengying
Published: May 2023

Background

To assess the association between 12 food groups intake and the risk of urologic cancers.

Methods

We scanned PubMed and Web of Science databases up to April 1st, 2023, and 73 publications met the inclusion criteria in the meta-analysis. We used a random effects model to estimate the summary risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

Results

In the linear dose–response meta-analysis, an inverse association was found between each additional daily 100 g of fruits [RR: 0.89, 95%CI = (0.83, 0.97)], 100 g of vegetables [RR: 0.92, 95%CI = (0.85, 0.99)], 12 g of alcohol [RR: 0.91, 95%CI = (0.88, 0.94)] and 1 cup of coffee [RR: 0.95, 95%CI = (0.83, 0.97)] intake and the risk of renal cell carcinoma. Conversely, each additional daily 100 g of red meat intake was positively associated with renal cell carcinoma [RR: 1.41, 95%CI = (1.03, 2.10)]. Inverse associations were observed between each additional daily 50 g of egg [RR: 0.73, 95%CI = (0.62, 0.87)] and each additional daily 1 cup of tea consumption and bladder cancer risk [RR: 0.97, 95%CI = (0.94, 0.99)]. There were no significant associations for nonlinear dose–response relationships between 12 food groups and urological cancers.

Conclusion

Our meta-analysis strengthens the evidence that appropriate intake of specific food groups, such as fruits, vegetables, alcohol, tea, and coffee, is associated with the risk of renal cell carcinoma or bladder cancer. More studies are required to fill the knowledge gap on the links between various food groups and urologic cancers because the evidence was less credible in this meta-analysis.

Systematic Review Registration

This study was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022340336).
Case report: Neuroendocrine breast carcinoma with a germline EGFR T790M mutation
Authors: Sagan Olivia A. , Rothstein Anna , Jambunathan Bhaghyasree , Hadziahmetovic Mersiha , Antoniolli Anita , Rashid M. Hammad
Published: May 2023

Background

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) p.Thr790Met (T790M) mutation was discovered as a resistance mechanism in patients with lung cancer treated with first- and second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Further studies revealed the EGFR T790M mutation in treatment-naive non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) and as a rare germline mutation strongly associated with NSCLC. Somatic EGFR T790M mutations have been reported in a limited population of patients with triple-negative breast cancer. There are no previous reports of a germline EGFR T790M mutation found in a patient with breast cancer.

Case presentation

We present a rare case of a 42-year-old woman with a rapidly progressing 8 cm mass in the right lateral breast. An additional right breast mass with multiple lymph nodes characteristic or suspicious of metastasis was found. Ultrasound-guided biopsy showed high-grade, poorly differentiated invasive neuroendocrine carcinoma of the right breast and metastatic carcinoma of a right axillary lymph node. Genetic testing revealed a germline EGFR T790M mutation. The patient underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy, right mastectomy with lymph node dissection, adjuvant radiation to the right chest wall and axilla, and adjuvant chemotherapy.

Conclusion

This is the first reported case of a patient with high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma, triple-negative breast cancer and a germline EGFR T790M mutation. Further investigation is needed to find a possible correlation between the cancer in this patient and her mutation. Since there are no current guidelines, further research is also needed to define screening protocols for patients with germline EGFR T790M mutations. Additional treatment options and cancer risk could also be found with further research, which would benefit all patients with a germline EGFR T790M mutation.
Comparative efficacy and safety of molecular targeted agents combined with transarterial chemoembolization in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a network meta-analysis
Authors: Long Jiaye , Chen Baoxiang , Liu Zhaohui
Published: May 2023

Objective

At present, several molecular targeted agents(MTAs) combined with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) have been employed to treat unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this meta-analysis, we compared the efficacy and safety of different MTAs combined with TACE to enable effective decision-making for the clinical treatment of unresectable HCC.

Methods

Pubmed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were retrieved to evaluate the efficacy and safety of different MTAs combined with TACE in cohort studies and randomized controlled trials. The hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to investigate the impact of various therapies on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival. However, the objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), adverse events (AEs), and ≥grade-3 adverse events (≥G3-AEs) were calculated using odd ratios and 95% CIs. The node-splitting approach was used to test the heterogeneity. The funnel plot was utilized to analyze the publication bias. Additionally, according to the ranking plots, we ranked various treatments.

Results

A total of 45 studies involving 10,774 patients with 8 treatment strategies were included in our network meta-analysis. Our network meta-analysis showed that apatinib+TACE provided the highest OS (62.2%), ORR (44.7%), and DCR (45.6%), while and lenvatinib+TACE offered the best PFS (78.9%). Besides, there was no statistically significant difference in AEs and ≥G3-AEs among treatment options.

Conclusion

Apatinib+TACE demonstrated the best OS, ORR, and DCR with no additional AEs and ≥G3-AEs. Therefore, for the treatment scheme of MTAs combined with TACE, apatinib+TACE may be the best option for patients with unresectable HCC.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD42023388609.
Signaling – transcription interactions in mouse retinal ganglion cells early axon pathfinding –a literature review
Authors: Paşcalău Raluca , Badea Tudor Constantin
Published: May 2023

Sending an axon out of the eye and into the target brain nuclei is the defining feature of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). The literature on RGC axon pathfinding is vast, but it focuses mostly on decision making events such as midline crossing at the optic chiasm or retinotopic mapping at the target nuclei. In comparison, the exit of RGC axons out of the eye is much less explored. The first checkpoint on the RGC axons’ path is the optic cup - optic stalk junction (OC-OS). OC-OS development and the exit of the RGC pioneer axons out of the eye are coordinated spatially and temporally. By the time the optic nerve head domain is specified, the optic fissure margins are in contact and the fusion process is ongoing, the first RGCs are born in its proximity and send pioneer axons in the optic stalk. RGC differentiation continues in centrifugal waves. Later born RGC axons fasciculate with the more mature axons. Growth cones at the end of the axons respond to guidance cues to adopt a centripetal direction, maintain nerve fiber layer restriction and to leave the optic cup. Although there is extensive information on OC-OS development, we still have important unanswered questions regarding its contribution to the exit of the RGC axons out of the eye. We are still to distinguish the morphogens of the OC-OS from the axon guidance molecules which are expressed in the same place at the same time. The early RGC transcription programs responsible for axon emergence and pathfinding are also unknown. This review summarizes the molecular mechanisms for early RGC axon guidance by contextualizing mouse knock-out studies on OC-OS development with the recent transcriptomic studies on developing RGCs in an attempt to contribute to the understanding of human optic nerve developmental anomalies. The published data summarized here suggests that the developing optic nerve head provides a physical channel (the closing optic fissure) as well as molecular guidance cues for the pioneer RGC axons to exit the eye.
Traffic management protocols for advanced air mobility
Authors: Chin Christopher , Qin Victor , Gopalakrishnan Karthik , Balakrishnan Hamsa
Published: May 2023

The demand for advanced air mobility (AAM) operations is expected to be at a much larger scale than conventional aviation. Additionally, AAM flight operators are likely to compete in providing a range of on-demand services in congested airspaces, with varying operational costs. These characteristics motivate the need for the development of new traffic management algorithms for advanced air mobility. In this paper, we explore the use of traffic management protocols (“rules-of-the-road” for airspace access) to enable efficient and fair operations. First, we show that it is possible to avoid gridlock and improve efficiency by leveraging the concepts of cycle detection and backpressure. We then develop a cost-aware traffic management protocol based on the second-price auction. Using simulations of representative advanced air mobility scenarios, we demonstrate that our traffic management protocols can help balance efficiency and fairness, in both the operational and the economic contexts.
Testicular tumor arising from an intra-abdominal undescended testis in a 1-year-old child: a case report and literature review
Authors: Xia Qiongzhang , Kuang Tongshuai , Lin Xiaokun , Zhang Hua
Published: May 2023

Objectives

Testicular tumors in the intra-abdominal undescended testis are rare in children, and their management remains challenging. The aim was to present a case report and review of the literature about diagnosis and treatment of testicular tumors arising from undescended intra-abdominal testis in children.

Methods

In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical records of a 1-year-old male patient admitted to pediatric surgery in March 2022 with a testicular tumor originating in the intra-abdominal undescended testis. Furthermore, medical literature published in English during the last three decades was systematically searched through the databases of Medline, PubMed, and Google Scholar.

Results

The patient underwent laparoscopic orchiopexy and tumor excision. The operation was uneventful, and the patient recovered well without complications. An 8-month follow-up showed no recurrence of the teratoma after postoperative pathology. The literature search resulted in the retrieval of 16 non-duplicate articles, and 16 patients were included in this review. The cases included six cases of left cryptorchidism and 10 cases of right cryptorchidism, with an average age of 15.3 months. The largest transverse diameter of the tumors ranged from 1.8 to 12.5 cm, with an average tumor length of 6.7 cm. All patients underwent surgical treatment, including three cases of laparoscopic orchiectomy, a sole case of a conversion of inguinal incision to laparotomy and orchiectomy, and 12 cases of laparotomy and orchiectomy. Postoperative pathology revealed 12 cases of mature teratoma, two cases of immature teratoma, one case of yolk sac tumor, and a single case of embryonic carcinoma combined with yolk sac tumor. 11 patients were followed up, and one of them recurred.

Conclusion

Abdominal ultrasound (US) or abdominal computer tomography (CT) should be performed in cases of undescended testis suspected to have testicular tumors on clinical findings. The most common type of intra-abdominal testicular tumor is mature teratomas. Early diagnosis and prompt surgical intervention resulted in an excellent outcome.
Fault-tolerant quaternary belief propagation decoding based on a neural network
Authors: Ji Naihua , Chen Zhao , Qu Yingjie , Bao Rongyi , Yang Xin , Wang Shumei
Published: May 2023

The article discusses the challenge of finding an efficient decoder for quantum error correction codes for fault-tolerant experiments in quantum computing. The study aims to develop a better decoding scheme based on the flag-bridge fault tolerance experiment. The research compares two decoding algorithms, a deep neural network decoding scheme and a simple decoder, and a recurrent neural network decoding scheme based on the belief propagation algorithm variant MBP4 algorithm. The study improved the syndrome extraction circuit based on the flag-bridge method to meet the requirements of fault-tolerant experiments better. Two decoding schemes were studied, a combination of a deep neural network and a simple decoder and a recurrent neural network structure based on the MBP4 algorithm. The first scheme used neural networks to assist simple decoders in determining whether additional logical corrections need to be added. The second scheme used a recurrent neural network structure designed through the variant MBP4 algorithm, along with a post-processing method to pinpoint the error qubit position for decoding. Experimental results showed that the decoding scheme developed in the study improved the pseudo-threshold by 39.52% compared to the minimum-weight perfect matching decoder. The two decoders had thresholds of approximately 15.8% and 16.4%, respectively. The study’s findings suggest that the proposed decoding schemes could improve quantum error correction and fault-tolerant experiments in quantum computing.
Frustrated opinion dynamics on real networks and its predictors
Authors: Kuroda Daichi , Kaski Kimmo , Shimada Takashi
Published: May 2023

Indirect reciprocity is a type of social dynamics in which the attitude of an individual toward another individual is either cooperative or antagonistic, and it can change over time through their actions and mutual monitoring. This opinion dynamics is found to be frustrating in certain edge density regimes on random graphs when all the components adopt the Kandori rule, which is one of the norms of indirect reciprocity. In this study, we conducted an exhaustive analysis of so-called “leading-eight” norms of indirect reciprocity dynamics and found that three of them (the Kandori and other two rules) keep the opinion dynamics frustrated on random graphs. We investigated the frustrated opinion dynamics of these three norms on real acquaintance networks and observed that the degree of frustration of the system can be inferred when the network properties such as the number of triangular connections and number of quads are properly taken into account. This study also reveals that the closeness centrality of a triangular representation is a good predictor of the degree of local frustration. Furthermore, it is also found that better prediction is achieved when we do not consider all the reachable triads in the calculation of a focal triad’s closeness centrality. This result suggests that it is sufficient to predict the opinion dynamics by considering only the proximity triads within a certain observation radius from that triad. This finding may facilitate the analysis of real-world cooperative relationships consisting of a vast number of triads.
Physical activity and combined hormonal contraception: association with female students’ perception of menstrual symptoms
Authors: Bougault Valérie , Schiano-Lomoriello Sandrine , Castanier Carole , Buisson Corinne , Ericsson Magnus , Teulier Caroline , Collomp Katia
Published: May 2023

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the association between physical activity (PA) and combined hormonal contraceptive (CHC) on female students’ self perceptio of their menstrual cycle symptoms.

Methods: Healthy French female students (n = 834) completed an online questionnaire to assess their PA level (Group 1: non-active; Group 2: moderate physical activity; Group 3: high physical activity; Group 4: very high physical activity), menstrual status or contraception use, self-reported diet and medication, impact on engagement in some social activities, and self-assessment of perceived mental and physical symptoms during the week prior to menses (PM) for students with a normal menstrual cycle (NMC), and the week of menses (ME) for normal menstrual cycle students and those using combined hormonal contraception.

Results: Whatever the conditions (PM and ME, NMC and CHC), fewer self-perceived symptoms and self-reported alteration in fat intake were reported by the students in Group 4, and more analgesic and anti-inflammatory medication use was reported by Group 1. Fewer self-perceived symptoms were also found in CHC vs NMC female students for all physical activity levels, but in a more marked way when associated with very high physical activity. In addition, less university and sports practice absenteeism was observed with high and very high physical activity.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the perception of menstrual cycle symptoms was lower with very high physical activity, as with combined hormonal contraception. Moreover, female students training more than 5 h/week also reported less university absenteeism and impairment in physical activities. Further studies are necessary to establish the causal link of physical activity and combined hormonal contraception on menstrual symptoms.
Impact of meteorological conditions, canopy shading and leaf removal on yield, must quality, and norisoprenoid compounds content in Franciacorta sparkling wine
Authors: Ghiglieno Isabella , Carlin Silvia , Cola Gabriele , Vrhovsek Urska , Valenti Leonardo , Garcia-Aloy Mar , Mattivi Fulvio
Published: May 2023

Climate change is a major concern in agriculture; in grapevine production, climate change can affect yield and wine quality as they depend on the complex interactions between weather, plant material, and viticultural techniques. Wine characteristics are strongly influenced by microclimate of the canopy affecting primary and secondary metabolites of the grapevine. Air temperature and water availability can influence sugar and acid concentration in grapes and relative wines, and their content of volatile compounds such as norisoprenoids. This becomes relevant in sparkling wine production where grapes are generally harvested at a relatively low pH, high acidity, and low sugar content and where the norisoprenoids significantly contributes to the final aroma of the wine. The effect of climate change on grapevine and wine, therefore, calls for the implementation of on-field adaptation strategies. Among them canopy management through leaf removal and shading have been largely investigated in the wine growing sector. The present study, conducted over 4 years (2010-2013) aims at investigating how leaf removal and artificial shading strategies affect grape maturation, must quality and the production of norisoprenoids, analyzed using an untargeted approach, in sparkling wine. Specifically, this paper investigates the effect of meteorological conditions (i.e., water availability and temperatures) and the effect of leaf removal and shading on Vitis vinifera L. cv. Chardonnay and Pinot noir, which are suitable to produce sparkling wine in the DOCG Franciacorta wine growing area (Lombardy, Italy). The effect of leaf removal and shading practices on norisoprenoids has been the focus of the study. No defoliation and artificial shading treatments play an important role in the preservation of the acidity in warm seasons and this suggests calibrating defoliation activities in relation to the meteorological trend without standardized procedures. This is particularly relevant in the case of sparkling wine, where the acidity is essential to determine wine quality. The enhanced norisoprenoid aromas obtained with a total defoliation represent a further element to direct defoliation and shading strategies. The obtained results increase knowledge about the effect of different defoliation and artificial shading applications in relation to meteorological condition supporting the management decision-making in the Franciacorta wine growing area.
Combined LC-MS-based metabolomics and GC-IMS analysis reveal changes in chemical components and aroma components of Jujube leaf tea during processing
Authors: Jiang Nan , Hou Shujuan , Liu Yuye , Ren Peixing , Xie Nuoyu , Yuan Ye , Hao Qing , Liu Mengjun , Zhao Zhihui
Published: May 2023

Making tea from jujube leaves changed the chemical composition and aroma composition of jujube leaves. Here, Through LC-MS, GC-IMS, and GC-MS technology, we have revealed the effect of jujube leaf processing changes on metabolites. LC-MS identified 468 non-volatile metabolites, while GC-IMS and GC-MS detected 52 and 24 volatile metabolites, respectively. 109 non-volatile metabolites exhibiting more pronounced differences were screened. Most lipids and lipid-like molecules, organic acids, amino acids, and flavonoids increased significantly after processing. GC-IMS and GC-MS analysis revealed that the contents of aldehydes and ketones were significantly increased, while esters and partial alcohols were decreased after processing into jujube leaf tea. The main flavor substances of fresh jujube leaf and jujube leaf tea were eugenol and (E) - 2-Hexenal, respectively. Furthermore, amino acids and lipids were closely linked to the formation of volatile metabolites. Our study provided new insights into the changes in metabolites of jujube leaves processed into jujube leaf tea, and had great potential for industrial application. It laid a foundation for further research on fruit tree leaf tea.
Effects of achievement goals on learning interests and mathematics performances for kindergarteners
Authors: Wu Chung Chin
Published: May 2023

Background

Studies have investigated the effects of achievement goals on learning interests and mathematics performance above the elementary-school level. However, few studies have explored this topic among kindergarteners based on sound theoretical frameworks.

Methods

Through the enrollment of 15 kindergarten teachers and 180 kindergarteners, this study re-validated newly developed measurements of kindergarteners’ achievement goals and learning interests and used these measures to further clarify the effects of achievement goals on learning interests and mathematics performances using structural equation modeling.

Results

The results indicate that (1) task-approach goals have positive effects on situational interest and advanced arithmetic performance, whereas task-avoidance goals have positive effects on individual interest. (2) Self-based goals have null effects on most learning interests and mathematics performance, but they have significant negative effects on numbering and counting performance. However, most of these null effects represent negative tendencies. (3) Other-approach goals have positive effects on situational interest and basic arithmetic performance, whereas other-avoidance goals have null effects on these outcomes but have an almost significant positive effect on numbering and counting performance. (4) Task-based goals and self-approach goals are generally beneficial for learning interests and mathematics performance.

Conclusion

These results suggest that task-based goals and other-approach goals may be implemented with consideration of the potential long-term detrimental effects of social comparison on learning outcomes. Furthermore, possible negative effects of self-based goals must be monitored to prevent them from undermining learning outcomes. This study revealed consistent, inconsistent, and new evidence that, respectively, verifies, complements, and contradicts findings on the learning outcomes of students above the elementary-school level.
Association of serum alkaline phosphatase and depression in US adults: a population-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Liang Yujiang , Mao Yafei , Liang Weizhong , Liang Liping , Suo Min , Xue Juan , Yang Hui
Published: May 2023

Background

Depression, a serious public health disorder, is increasingly prevalent worldwide. An association between alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and neurological disorders has been reported. However, data on ALP and depression risk are scarce, which warrants attention.

Methods

We assessed the association between ALP and risk of depression in adults from the 2007–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to assess the association between ALP and risk of depression, and subgroup analyses were also performed.

Results

A total of 17,485 participants were included. The prevalence of depression was 9.3% (1,631/17,485) and ALP was significantly associated with the risk of depression when ALP was a categorical variable (quadratic or categorized by 79 U/L) in a multivariate logistic regression model after adjusting for confounding factors (≥79 U/L vs. <79 U/L, adjusted OR, 1.15; 95%CI, 1.02–1.29). Each 1-unit increase in ALP (log2) was associated with a 20% increase in depression prevalence (adjusted OR, 1.20; 95%CI, 1.06–1.36) when ALP was used as a continuous variable. Subgroup analysis showed that ALP was positively associated with the risk of depression with different characteristics.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that higher alkaline phosphatase levels, even within the normal range, are significantly associated with a higher risk of depression in US adults. Such findings require further prospective studies to provide more evidence.
Impact of campus living conditions on Chinese medical school students’ mental health during the COVID-19 campus lockdown: the chain mediating role of cognitive reappraisal and expression suppression
Authors: Zhang Wei , Huang Long , Xu Fengyun , Liu Hairong , Wang Guoping
Published: May 2023

Objective

To investigate the effect of changes in campus living conditions related to the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on medical school students’ mental health status, to explore the mediating role of emotion regulation strategies, and to provide effective suggestions for promoting medical school students’ mental health.

Methods

A self-report questionnaire, an emotion regulation questionnaire (ERQ), and psychological questionnaires for emergent events of public health (PQEEPH) were used to interview 998 medical school students who experienced campus lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Results

The mean total PQEEPH score was 3.66 ± 3.06. The degrees of inconvenience in daily life and change in routine and expression suppression as an emotion regulation strategy were significantly positively correlated with all PQEEPH dimensions. Cognitive reappraisal was significantly negatively associated with depression, neurosis, obsessive–compulsive anxiety, and hypochondriasis (ps < 0.05). Cognitive reappraisal and expression suppression demonstrated a chain mediating role between the degree of inconvenience in life and mental health and between the degree of change in routine and mental health (F = 32.883, 41.051, ps < 0.05).

Conclusion

Campus lockdown management significantly impacts medical school students’ mental health. Extensive use of cognitive reappraisal and expression suppression can reduce students’ adverse psychological reactions during campus lockdowns to an extent.
Revised Chinese resident health literacy scale for the older adults in China: simplified version and initial validity testing
Authors: Wang Yilin , Jia Qiaoling , Wang Haiyan , Zou Kaiwen , Li Lu , Yu Bing , Wang Li , Wang Yanhong
Published: May 2023

Objective

This study aimed to develop a short version of the Chinese Resident Health Literacy Scale focused on older adults in China, and further assess the reliability and validity of this short version.

Methods

The data was from a cross-sectional community-based older adults health survey conducted in 2020. The total of 5,829 older adults were randomly divided into two parts using for the simplification and assessment of the scale, respectively. Item Response Theory (IRT) and Differential Item Functioning (DIF) were used for item analysis and scale simplification. Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega were used to assess the reliability and three factors Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to assess the validity, which were compared to the original version. Moreover, Multi-group Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MCFA) was used to test the model invariance of the short version across groups of gender, age groups, level of education, and cognitive status.

Results

The simplified version consisted of 27 items taken from 50 original items, of them 11 items from the dimension of knowledge and attitudes, 9 items from the dimension of behavior and lifestyle, and 7 items from the dimension of health-related skills. The overall Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega were both 0.87 (95%CI: 0.86–0.88). The goodness-of-fits of CFA in simplified version were still acceptable in CFI, TLI, GFI, and RMSEA, even improved in CFI, TLI, and GFI compared to those of original version. Also, the model was stable and invariant in MCFA across gender, cognitive status, and educational level groups.

Conclusion

In this study, we formed a simplified instrument for measuring health literacy focused on older adults in China. This short version might be more suitable for the priority recommendation in extended tracking of the dynamic changes on the levels of health literacy in the whole life cycle in public health settings. Further research might be to identify the cut-off values to distinguish the older adults with different levels of health literacy.