bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Racial Ingroup Bias and Efficiency Consideration Influence Distributive Decisions: A Dynamic Analysis of Time Domain and Time Frequency
Authors: Yu Jiaxin , Wang Yan , Yu Jianling , Zeng Jianmin
Published: May 2021

Although previous studies have demonstrated that identity had effect on justice norms and behavioral decisions, the neural mechanism of that effect remains unclear. In this study, the subjects made their distributive decisions on the trade-off between equity and efficiency among Chinese and foreign children and their scalp potentials were recorded. Behavioral results showed that efficiency consideration played an important part in the distribution task. Meanwhile, participants gave preferential treatment to same-race children. Relative to the distribution within ingroup children, the distribution involving outgroup children induced higher N170 amplitude. The distribution involving outgroup children also elicited weakened P300 amplitude and enhanced delta response than the distribution within ingroup children when subjects are facing the conflict between equality and efficiency. In other words, ingroup bias affected the neural process of the trade-off between equality and efficiency. The combination of time-domain and time-frequency analyses provided spatiotemporal and spectral results for a better understanding of racial ingroup favoritism on distributive justice.
Comparative Effectiveness of Intracerebroventricular, Intrathecal, and Intranasal Routes of AAV9 Vector Administration for Genetic Therapy of Neurologic Disease in Murine Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I
Authors: Belur Lalitha R. , Romero Megan , Lee Junggu , Podetz-Pedersen Kelly M. , Nan Zhenhong , Riedl Maureen S. , Vulchanova Lucy , Kitto Kelley F. , Fairbanks Carolyn A. , Kozarsky Karen F. , Orchard Paul J. , Frey William H. , Low Walter C. , McIvor R. Scott
Published: May 2021

Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) is an inherited metabolic disorder caused by deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme alpha-L-iduronidase (IDUA). The two current treatments [hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and enzyme replacement therapy (ERT)], are insufficiently effective in addressing neurologic disease, in part due to the inability of lysosomal enzyme to cross the blood brain barrier. With a goal to more effectively treat neurologic disease, we have investigated the effectiveness of AAV-mediated IDUA gene delivery to the brain using several different routes of administration. Animals were treated by either direct intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection, by intrathecal (IT) infusion into the cerebrospinal fluid, or by intranasal (IN) instillation of AAV9-IDUA vector. AAV9-IDUA was administered to IDUA-deficient mice that were either immunosuppressed with cyclophosphamide (CP), or immunotolerized at birth by weekly injections of human iduronidase. In animals treated by ICV or IT administration, levels of IDUA enzyme ranged from 3- to 1000-fold that of wild type levels in all parts of the microdissected brain. In animals administered vector intranasally, enzyme levels were 100-fold that of wild type in the olfactory bulb, but enzyme expression was close to wild type levels in other parts of the brain. Glycosaminoglycan levels were reduced to normal in ICV and IT treated mice, and in IN treated mice they were normalized in the olfactory bulb, or reduced in other parts of the brain. Immunohistochemical analysis showed extensive IDUA expression in all parts of the brain of ICV treated mice, while IT treated animals showed transduction that was primarily restricted to the hind brain with some sporadic labeling seen in the mid- and fore brain. At 6 months of age, animals were tested for spatial navigation, memory, and neurocognitive function in the Barnes maze; all treated animals were indistinguishable from normal heterozygous control animals, while untreated IDUA deficient animals exhibited significant learning and spatial navigation deficits. We conclude that IT and IN routes are acceptable and alternate routes of administration, respectively, of AAV vector delivery to the brain with effective IDUA expression, while all three routes of administration prevent the emergence of neurocognitive deficiency in a mouse MPS I model.
Impact of Perineuronal Nets on Electrophysiology of Parvalbumin Interneurons, Principal Neurons, and Brain Oscillations: A Review
Authors: Wingert Jereme C. , Sorg Barbara A.
Published: May 2021

Perineuronal nets (PNNs) are specialized extracellular matrix structures that surround specific neurons in the brain and spinal cord, appear during critical periods of development, and restrict plasticity during adulthood. Removal of PNNs can reinstate juvenile-like plasticity or, in cases of PNN removal during early developmental stages, PNN removal extends the critical plasticity period. PNNs surround mainly parvalbumin (PV)-containing, fast-spiking GABAergic interneurons in several brain regions. These inhibitory interneurons profoundly inhibit the network of surrounding neurons via their elaborate contacts with local pyramidal neurons, and they are key contributors to gamma oscillations generated across several brain regions. Among other functions, these gamma oscillations regulate plasticity associated with learning, decision making, attention, cognitive flexibility, and working memory. The detailed mechanisms by which PNN removal increases plasticity are only beginning to be understood. Here, we review the impact of PNN removal on several electrophysiological features of their underlying PV interneurons and nearby pyramidal neurons, including changes in intrinsic and synaptic membrane properties, brain oscillations, and how these changes may alter the integration of memory-related information. Additionally, we review how PNN removal affects plasticity-associated phenomena such as long-term potentiation (LTP), long-term depression (LTD), and paired-pulse ratio (PPR). The results are discussed in the context of the role of PV interneurons in circuit function and how PNN removal alters this function.
RNA Sequencing Reveals Key Metabolic Pathways Are Modified by Short-Term Whole Egg Consumption
Authors: Bries Amanda E. , Webb Joe L. , Vogel Brooke , Carrillo Claudia , Day Timothy A. , Kimber Michael J. , Valentine Rudy J. , Rowling Matthew J. , Clark Stephanie , Schalinske Kevin L. , McNeill Elizabeth M.
Published: May 2021

Eggs are protein-rich, nutrient-dense, and contain bioactive ingredients that have been shown to modify gene expression and impact health. To understand the effects of egg consumption on tissue-specific mRNA and microRNA expression, we examined the role of whole egg consumption (20% protein, w/w) on differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between rat (n = 12) transcriptomes in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), liver, kidney, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Principal component analysis with hierarchical clustering was used to examine transcriptome profiles between dietary treatment groups. We performed Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis as well as genetic network and disease enrichment analysis to examine which metabolic pathways were the most predominantly altered in each tissue. Overall, our data demonstrates that whole egg consumption for 2 weeks modified the expression of 52 genes in the PFC, 22 genes in VAT, and two genes in the liver (adj p < 0.05). Additionally, 16 miRNAs were found to be differentially regulated in the PFC, VAT, and liver, but none survived multiple testing correction. The main pathways influenced by WE consumption were glutathione metabolism in VAT and cholesterol biosynthesis in the PFC. These data highlight key pathways that may be involved in diseases and are impacted by acute consumption of a diet containing whole eggs.
The Activation of Endothelial Cells Relies on a Ferroptosis-Like Mechanism: Novel Perspectives in Management of Angiogenesis and Cancer Therapy
Authors: Lopes-Coelho Filipa , Martins Filipa , Hipólito Ana , Mendes Cindy , Sequeira Catarina O. , Pires Rita F. , Almeida António M. , Bonifácio Vasco D. B. , Pereira Sofia A. , Serpa Jacinta
Published: May 2021

The activation of endothelial cells (ECs) is a crucial step on the road map of tumor angiogenesis and expanding evidence indicates that a pro-oxidant tumor microenvironment, conditioned by cancer metabolic rewiring, is a relevant controller of this process. Herein, we investigated the contribution of oxidative stress-induced ferroptosis to ECs activation. Moreover, we also addressed the anti-angiogenic effect of Propranolol. We observed that a ferroptosis-like mechanism, induced by xCT inhibition with Erastin, at a non-lethal level, promoted features of ECs activation, such as proliferation, migration and vessel-like structures formation, concomitantly with the depletion of reduced glutathione (GSH) and increased levels of oxidative stress and lipid peroxides. Additionally, this ferroptosis-like mechanism promoted vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin) junctional gaps and potentiated cancer cell adhesion to ECs and transendothelial migration. Propranolol was able to revert Erastin-dependent activation of ECs and increased levels of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) underlie the mechanism of action of Propranolol. Furthermore, we tested a dual-effect therapy by promoting ECs stability with Propranolol and boosting oxidative stress to induce cancer cell death with a nanoformulation comprising selenium-containing chrysin (SeChry) encapsulated in a fourth generation polyurea dendrimer (SeChry@PUREG4). Our data showed that novel developments in cancer treatment may rely on multi-targeting strategies focusing on nanoformulations for a safer induction of cancer cell death, taking advantage of tumor vasculature stabilization.
Comparison of Posterior Retroperitoneoscopic Adrenalectomy Versus Lateral Transperitoneal Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy for Adrenal Tumors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Meng Chunyang , Du Chunxiao , Peng Lei , Li Jinze , Li Jinming , Li Yunxiang , Wu Ji
Published: May 2021

Objective

To discuss the differences in the effectiveness and security for adrenal tumors by posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy (PRA) and lateral transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LTA).

Methods

We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus database and Cochrane Library, and the date was from above database establishment to November 2020. Stata 16 was used for calculation and statistical analyses.

Results

Nine studies involving eight hundred patients were included. The following differences were observed in favor of PRA vs LTA: less operative time (MD: −22.5; 95% CI −32.57 to −12.45; P=0.000), Fewer estimated blood loss (MD: −15.17; 95% CI −26.63 to −3.72; P=0.009), lower intensity of postoperative pain (MD: −0.56; 95% CI, −1.05 to −0.07; P=0.026), shorter length of hospital stay (MD: −1.15; 95% CI −1.94 to −0.36; P=0.04). No differences were shown in conversion rate (OR 2.07; 95%CI 0.71 to 6.03; P=0.181) and complications (OR 0.85;95% CI 0.46 to 1.56; P=0.597).

Conclusions

Posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy was clinically superior to lateral transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy for adrenal tumors in operative time, estimated blood loss, length of hospital stay, and postoperative pain. Only in term of conversion rate and complications, both were similar
Radiomics Based on T2-Weighted Imaging and Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Images for Preoperative Evaluation of Lymph Node Metastasis in Rectal Cancer Patients
Authors: Li Chunli , Yin Jiandong
Published: May 2021

Purpose

To develop and validate a radiomics nomogram based on T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) features for the preoperative prediction of lymph node (LN) metastasis in rectal cancer patients.

Materials and Methods

One hundred and sixty-two patients with rectal cancer confirmed by pathology were retrospectively analyzed, who underwent T2WI and DWI sequences. The data sets were divided into training (n = 97) and validation (n = 65) cohorts. For each case, a total of 2,752 radiomic features were extracted from T2WI, and ADC images derived from diffusion-weighted imaging. A two-sample t-test was used for prefiltering. The least absolute shrinkage selection operator method was used for feature selection. Three radiomics scores (rad-scores) (rad-score 1 for T2WI, rad-score 2 for ADC, and rad-score 3 for the combination of both) were calculated using the support vector machine classifier. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was then used to construct a radiomics nomogram combining rad-score 3 and independent risk factors. The performances of three rad-scores and the nomogram were evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to assess the clinical usefulness of the radiomics nomogram.

Results

The AUCs of the rad-score 1 and rad-score 2 were 0.805, 0.749 and 0.828, 0.770 in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. The rad-score 3 achieved an AUC of 0.879 in the training cohort and an AUC of 0.822 in the validation cohort. The radiomics nomogram, incorporating the rad-score 3, age, and LN size, showed good discrimination with the AUC of 0.937 for the training cohort and 0.884 for the validation cohort. DCA confirmed that the radiomics nomogram had clinical utility.

Conclusions

The radiomics nomogram, incorporating rad-score based on features from the T2WI and ADC images, and clinical factors, has favorable predictive performance for preoperative prediction of LN metastasis in patients with rectal cancer.
Making a Cold Tumor Hot: The Role of Vaccines in the Treatment of Glioblastoma
Authors: Frederico Stephen C. , Hancock John C. , Brettschneider Emily E. S. , Ratnam Nivedita M. , Gilbert Mark R. , Terabe Masaki
Published: May 2021

The use of immunotherapies for the treatment of brain tumors is a topic that has garnered considerable excitement in recent years. Discoveries such as the presence of a glymphatic system and immune surveillance in the central nervous system (CNS) have shattered the theory of immune privilege and opened up the possibility of treating CNS malignancies with immunotherapies. However, despite many immunotherapy clinical trials aimed at treating glioblastoma (GBM), very few have demonstrated a significant survival benefit. Several factors for this have been identified, one of which is that GBMs are immunologically “cold,” implying that the cancer does not induce a strong T cell response. It is postulated that this is why clinical trials using an immune checkpoint inhibitor alone have not demonstrated efficacy. While it is well established that anti-cancer T cell responses can be facilitated by the presentation of tumor-specific antigens to the immune system, treatment-related death of GBM cells and subsequent release of molecules have not been shown to be sufficient to evoke an anti-tumor immune response effective enough to have a significant impact. To overcome this limitation, vaccines can be used to introduce exogenous antigens at higher concentrations to the immune system to induce strong tumor antigen-specific T cell responses. In this review, we will describe vaccination strategies that are under investigation to treat GBM; categorizing them based on their target antigens, form of antigens, vehicles used, and pairing with specific adjuvants. We will review the concept of vaccine therapy in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors, as it is hypothesized that this approach may be more effective in overcoming the immunosuppressive milieu of GBM. Clinical trial design and the need for incorporating robust immune monitoring into future studies will also be discussed here. We believe that the integration of evolving technologies of vaccine development, delivery, and immune monitoring will further enhance the role of these therapies and will likely remain an important area of investigation for future treatment strategies for GBM patients.
Copy Number Variations of CEP63, FOSL2 and PAQR6 Serve as Novel Signatures for the Prognosis of Bladder Cancer
Authors: Cai Zhao , Chen Huang , Bai Jingqiao , Zheng Yang , Ma Jianhui , Cai Xiongwei , Liu Yu , Zhang Kaitai , Shou Jianzhong , Gao Yanning
Published: May 2021

Background

Finding effective prognostic signatures is of great urgency due to the high risk of recurrence and progression of bladder cancer (BC). Although a lot of genetic alterations are involved in the carcinogenesis, none of them were referred in the current risk group stratifications. In this study, we aimed to find significant copy number variations (CNVs) to predict prognosis for BC patients.

Methods

CNVs with high aberration frequencies in BC were explored by array-based comparative genomic hybridization in 65 tumor samples. Candidates were validated in independent groups of BC tumor samples (n=219) and urine samples (n=123). 3D digital PCR was applied for detecting accurate gene copy numbers in BC urine. In order to explore the prognostic value of candidate CNVs, all enrolled patients were followed up for the disease-free survival (DFS). Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to find the independent prognostic factors for DFS.

Results

CNVs of CEP63, FOSL2 and PAQR6 with high aberration frequencies (67.7%, 56.9% and 60.0%, respectively) were found in BC tumors. Copy numbers of CEP63, FOSL2 and PAQR6 were gained in 219 tumor samples. CNVs of CEP63 and FOSL2 were correlated with advanced tumor stage and high grade. Retrospective analysis (median follow-up time: 69 months) revealed that CNVs of CEP63 and FOSL2 were independent prognostic factors for DFS of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) patients, while CNVs of FOSL2 and PAQR6 were independent prognostic factors for DFS of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) patients. Models for predicting DFS were constructed based on CNVs of three genes. Patients with high prognostic indexes tended to have poor DFS. Prognostic index can also help to identify those with worse outcomes among high risk NMIBC patients. Copy number gains of CEP63 and FOSL2 in urine were found to be significantly correlated with poor DFS of NMIBC patients.

Conclusions

CNVs of CEP63, FOSL2 and PAQR6 were capable of predicting DFS and may serve as promising signatures for prognosis of BC.
Toxicity Evaluation of the Naphthalen-2-yl 3,5-Dinitrobenzoate: A Drug Candidate for Alzheimer Disease
Authors: Anwar Fareeha , Saleem Uzma , Rehman Atta-Ur , Ahmad Bashir , Froeyen Matheus , Mirza Muhammad Usman , Kee Lee Yean , Abdullah Iskandar , Ahmad Sarfraz
Published: May 2021

The presented study was designed to probe the toxicity potential of newly identified compound naphthalen-2-yl 3,5-dinitrobenzoate (SF1). Acute, subacute toxicity and teratogenicity studies were performed as per Organization of economic cooperation and development (OECD) 425, 407, and 414 test guidelines, respectively. An oral dose of 2000 mg/kg to rats for acute toxicity. Furthermore, 5, 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg doses were administered once daily for 28 days in subacute toxicity study. Teratogenicity study was performed with 40 mg/kg due to its excellent anti-Alzheimer results at this dose. SF1 induced a significant rise in Alkaline Phosphatases (ALP), bilirubin, white blood cells (WBC), and lymphocyte levels with a decrease in platelet count. Furthermore, the reduction in urea, uric acid, and aspartate transaminase (AST) levels and an increase in total protein levels were measured in subacute toxicity. SF1 increased spermatogenesis at 5 and 10 mg/kg doses. Teratogenicity study depicted no resorptions, early abortions, cleft palate, spina bifida and any skeletal abnormalities in the fetuses. Oxidative stress markers (Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH) were increased in all the experiments, whereas the effect on melanoaldehyde Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels was variable. Histopathology further corroborated these results with no change in the architectures of selected organs. Consequently, a 2000 mg/kg dose of SF1 tends to induce minor liver dysfunction along with immunomodulation, and it is well below itsLD50. Moreover, it can be safely used in pregnancy owing to its no detectable teratogenicity.
A Novel Role of A2AR in the Maintenance of Intestinal Barrier Function of Enteric Glia from Hypoxia-Induced Injury by Combining with mGluR5
Authors: Sun Lihua , Li Xiang , Guan Haidi , Chen Shuaishuai , Fan Xin , Zhou Chao , Yang Hua , Xiao Weidong
Published: May 2021

During acute intestinal ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury, the intestinal epithelial barrier (IEB) function is often disrupted. Enteric glial cells (EGCs) play an important role in maintaining the integrity of IEB functions. However, how EGCs regulate IEB function under IR stimulation is unknown. The present study reveals that the adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) is important for mediating the barrier-modulating roles of EGCs. A2AR knockout (KO) experiments revealed more serious intestinal injury in A2AR KO mice than in WT mice after IR stimulation. Moreover, A2AR expression was significantly increased in WT mice when challenged by IR. To further investigate the role of A2AR in IEB, we established an in vitro EGC-Caco-2 co-culture system. Hypoxia stimulation was used to mimic the process of in vivo IR. Treating EGCs with the CGS21680 A2AR agonist attenuated hypoxia-induced intestinal epithelium damage through up-regulating ZO-1 and occludin expression in cocultured Caco-2 monolayers. Furthermore, we showed that A2AR and metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) combine to activate the PKCα-dependent pathway in conditions of hypoxia. This study shows, for the first time, that hypoxia induces A2AR-mGluR5 interaction in EGCs to protect IEB function via the PKCα pathway.
The Characteristics, Prevalence, and Risk Factors of Drug-Induced Liver Injury Among Brucellosis Inpatients in Xinjiang, China
Authors: Tuohutaerbieke Maermaer , Li Xinjie , Yin Yue , Chen Wei , Wu Dongmei , Mao Zhize , Mamuerjiang Jiamixi , Mao Yimin , Shen Tao
Published: May 2021

Background: We investigated the prevalence, demographic and clinical features, and risk factors associated with drug-induced liver injury (DILI) during the treatment of brucellosis inpatients in a retrospective study.

Methods: We collected the clinical data of 782 brucellosis inpatients admitted at the Shawan County People’s Hospital, Xinjiang, from 2015–2019. All cases were re-evaluated using the international consensus of DILI criteria and RUCAM rating scale. 71 patients were confirmed as DILI cases and compared with 523 other patients with normal liver function.

Results: It was indicated that DILI occurred with a prevalence of about 9.08% among brucellosis inpatients receiving drug therapy. Hepatocellular injury was the most common type of DILI (61.97%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 50.34–72.37), followed by mixed (23.94%, 95% CI 15.52–35.04) and cholestatic types (14.08%, 95% CI 7.83–24.02). In addition, 13.64% of the hepatocellular DILI cases fulfilled Hy’s law criteria and only two cases (2.82%) progressed to severe DILI. Most patients adopted the combination of rifampicin, antipyretic analgesics, anti-infective agents, and traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of brucellosis, with all the 71 patients taking rifampicin as the drug of choice. Multivariable logistic regression analyses indicated that obesity, regular alcohol intake, and decreased serum albumin were the independent risk factors of DILI in patients with brucellosis after adjusting for gender, age, and ethnicity.

Conclusion: DILI occurred in a minority of inpatients diagnosed with brucellosis receiving rifampicin-based therapeutic regimen. In addition, obesity, alcohol abuse, and decreased serum albumin were valuable predictors of the risk of DILI in patients with brucellosis.
Assessment of Anti-Hypertensive Drug Adherence by Serial Aldosterone-To-Renin Ratio Measurement
Authors: Buffolo Fabrizio , Sconfienza Elisa , Burrello Jacopo , Losano Isabel , Mengozzi Giulio , Priolo Gabriella , Avataneo Valeria , D’Avolio Antonio , Veglio Franco , Rabbia Franco , Mulatero Paolo , Monticone Silvia
Published: May 2021

Reduced or absent compliance to anti-hypertensive treatment is a major obstacle to the achievement of blood pressure target in patients with arterial hypertension. Current available methods for therapeutic adherence assessment display low accuracy, limited applicability in clinical practice and/or high costs. We designed a prospective study to evaluate the accuracy of serial measurement of ARR to assess the therapeutic compliance to RAAS inhibitors. We prospectively enrolled 80 subjects: 40 patients with arterial hypertension and 40 normotensive controls. The ARR was evaluated at baseline and 2 and 8 week after initiation of a RAAS inhibitor in patients with hypertension, and at baseline and 2 weeks for the control group. Adherence to the prescribed therapy was confirmed by therapeutic drug monitoring. We observed a significant increase of renin levels and reduction of aldosterone levels after RAAS inhibitors initiation, with consequent reduction of ARR. Delta ARR (ΔARR), defined as relative change in ARR before and after treatment initiation, provided high accuracy for determination of therapeutic compliance, with an AUC of 0.900 at 2 weeks and 0.886 at 8 weeks. A cut-off of −48% of ΔARR provided 90% sensitivity and 75% specificity, at 2 and 8 weeks. In conclusion, the measurement of ΔARR is a powerful test, cheap and widely available to accurately identify the non-adherence to RAAS inhibitors treatment. Herein we propose the implementation of ΔARR in clinical practice through a multi-step flow-chart for the management of patients with uncontrolled blood pressure, with identification of those suspected of non-adherence, reserving therapeutic drug monitoring for non-adherence confirmation.
Routine Clinical Practice Treatment Outcomes of Eplerenone in Acute and Chronic Central Serous Chorioretinopathy
Authors: Fasler Katrin , Gunzinger Jeanne M. , Barthelmes Daniel , Zweifel Sandrine A.
Published: May 2021

Purpose: To evaluate efficacy of eplerenone therapy vs. observation on resolution of subretinal fluid (SRF) in patients with acute and chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) in routine clinical practice.

Methods: Retrospective comparative case series of eyes diagnosed with CSCR treated with eplerenone or observation. Primary outcome measure was maximum height of SRF at 12 months. Secondary outcome was percentage of eyes with complete resolution of SRF, percentage of eyes with reduction of SRF ≥50%, and best corrected visual acuity (VA) at 12 months. Separate analysis was conducted for eyes with acute and chronic CSCR.

Results: Sixty-eight eyes of 60 patients (82% male) were included. Eleven of the 38 eyes with acute CSCR, and seven of the 30 eyes with chronic CSCR, received eplerenone. Subretinal fluid decreased from baseline to 12 months in acute (287 ± 221 to 31 ± 63 µm) and chronic (148 ± 134 to 40 ± 42 µm) CSCR. Kaplan-Meier curves were similar for treated and observed eyes and COX regression analysis did not show a significant difference in SRF resolution in treated vs. observed eyes (p = 0.6 for acute, p = 0.2 for chronic CSCR).

Conclusion: This routine clinical practice outcome study did not show evidence of efficacy of eplerenone on resolution of SRF in acute nor chronic CSCR.
WDM-Based 160 Gbps Radio Over Fiber System With the Application of Dispersion Compensation Fiber and Fiber Bragg Grating
Authors: Kumar Suresh , Sharma Sonia , Dahiya Sandeep
Published: May 2021

The demand for data transmission is rising expensively for the applications of biomedical sensors data, multimedia technologies, and ultrahigh-definition online video streaming. Such applications require larger bandwidth with minimum latency and seamless service delivery. Radio-over-fiber (RoF), integrated with wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technology, is being considered one of the promising technologies. However, the integration of optical fiber and wireless communication also generates non-linear effects as and when the number of users increases. That results in the introduction of signal noise, unwanted frequencies, low quality of signals, and increased latency. In this paper, a 16-channel 160 Gbps data rate WDM-based RoF system has been simulated and evaluated for optimum performance at a variable input power level, from 5 to −15 dBm, with the application of dispersion compensation fiber (DCF) and fiber Bragg grating (FBG), with channel spacing of 50 and 100 GHz. The performance of the system is evaluated with the existing WDM-RoF system. The performance metrics parameters chosen for evaluation are bit error rate (BER), quality factor (Q-factor), and eye diagrams and simulated on opti-system simulator. The optimum performance has been observed at a power level of −5 dBm for all these elected evaluation parameters. It has also been observed that, for channel spacing of 100 GHz, the network performed better in comparison with 50 GHz.
Vaping Exacerbates Coronavirus-Related Pulmonary Infection in a Murine Model
Authors: Sivaraman Vijay , Parker De’Jana , Zhang Rui , Jones Myles M. , Onyenwoke Rob U.
Published: May 2021

Though the current preponderance of evidence indicates the toxicity associated with the smoking of tobacco products through conventional means, less is known about the role of “vaping” in respiratory disease. “Vaping” is described as the use of electronic cigarettes (E-Cigarettes or E-Cigs), which has only more recently been available to the public (∼10 years) but has quickly emerged as a popular means of tobacco consumption worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak as a global pandemic in March 2020. SARS-CoV-2 can easily be transmitted between people in close proximity through direct contact or respiratory droplets to develop coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19). Symptoms of COVID-19 range from a mild flu-like illness with high fever to severe respiratory distress syndrome and death. The risk factors for increased disease severity remain unclear. Herein, we utilize a murine-tropic coronavirus (beta coronavirus) MHV-A59 along with a mouse model and measures of pathology (lung weight/dry ratios and histopathology) and inflammation (ELISAs and cytokine array panels) to examine whether vaping may exacerbate the pulmonary disease severity of coronavirus disease. While vaping alone did result in some noted pathology, mice exposed with intranasal vaped e-liquid suffered more severe mortality due to pulmonary inflammation than controls when exposed to coronavirus infection. Our data suggest a role for vaping in increased coronavirus pulmonary disease in a mouse model. Furthermore, our data indicate that disease exacerbation may involve calcium (Ca2+) dysregulation, identifying a potential therapeutic intervention.
The Effects of Sex-Type, the Sex of the Avatar, and Salience of the Sex of the Avatar on Emotional Valence and Arousal
Authors: Prettyman Duncan V. , Bolls Paul D.
Published: May 2021

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of avatar sex, salience of avatar sex, and player sex-type on less conscious embodied emotional arousal and valence vs. consciously perceived emotional arousal and valence elicited by a gaming experience. The experiment conducted a 2 avatar sex (female × male) × 2 salience of avatar sex (high × low) × 2 player sex-type (sex-typed × non-sex-typed) mixed model factorial design. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two gameplay conditions (high-salience male and female avatar or low-salience male and female avatar) and then played two 15-min sessions of a video game—one session playing the game as a male avatar and one session playing the game as a female avatar. The order in which participants played as either a male or female avatar was randomized. Psychophysiological indicators of arousal (skin conductance) and valence (facial electromyography) were recorded during gameplay. Self-report measures of arousal and valence were obtained immediately after each 15-min session of gameplay. Data analysis tested hypotheses concerning the effects of avatar sex, salience of avatar sex, and player sex-type separately on real-time embodied variation in arousal and valence as revealed through physiological indicators and conscious perception of arousal and valence obtained through self-report measures.
Attentional Focus Instructions Do Not Affect Choice Reaction Time
Authors: Ziv Gal , Lidor Ronnie
Published: May 2021

The majority of the studies on attentional focus have shown that participants who were instructed to focus externally performed better than those who were taught to focus internally. However, in most of these studies the participants performed complex motor tasks. Due to the scarcity of data on the effects of attentional focus specifically on simple motor tasks, our purpose in the current study was to examine these effects on two simple reaction time (RT) tasks. The study was conducted on a cloud-based experimental software. Participants were allocated to three experimental groups: an external focus group (n = 44), an internal focus group (n = 46), and a control group (no attentional instructions; n = 47). The participants performed two tasks: a choice-RT task and a Simon task. Participants in all three groups practiced eight blocks of 20 trials from each task in a counterbalanced order – a total of 180 trials for each task. The sole difference between the three groups was the administered attentional focus instructions. The findings suggest that attentional focus instructions do not affect the performance of a choice-RT task or a Simon-task in a computerized online study. It is possible that the simple RT-based tasks in the current study were not sensitive to the attentional focus manipulation, since in such simple tasks there are not many actions that internal focus can disrupt. Although we asked the participants to what extent they followed the instructions, we cannot say whether their responses represent their actual attentional focus when performing the tasks.
Confinement and the Hatred of Sound in Times of COVID-19: A Molotov Cocktail for People With Misophonia
Authors: Ferrer-Torres Antonia , Giménez-Llort Lydia
Published: May 2021

Forced strict confinement to hamper the COVID-19 pandemic seriously affected people suffering from misophonia (M+) and those living with them. Misophonia is a complex neurophysiological and behavioral disorder of multifactorial origin, characterized by an intense physiological and emotional response produced by intolerance to auditory stimuli of the same pattern, regardless of physical properties. The present work studied the secondary impact that strict confinement caused in 342 adults (224 women: 118 men) regularly attending a medical psychological center in Barcelona. Misophonia, usually underdiagnosed, showed a prevalence of 35%, the same for women (37%) than men (31%). A retrospective analysis using a physical-psychological-social inventory of 10 variables evaluated the number of individuals that during confinement and self-confinement (March 11 - June 29, 2020) canceled (mostly M-) and/or requested a therapeutic intervention, the reasons for their request, and the strategies they used to self-manage the situation. Ten main variables indicated that the confinement exponentially increased the effects of misophonia compared with results from the same individuals during the last quarter of 2019. Most people diagnosed with misophonia continued with tele-assistance during the confinement because of this impact's self-concern. Besides the impacts as part of the general population, M+ also developed different symptoms causing significant personal, social, and job/occupational imbalance, as compared to M-. Health, fears, conflicts with neighbors, study-related difficulties were outstanding reasons for consultations. The LSB-50 test for ‘Psychological and Psychosomatic Symptoms’ applied to M+ revealed the increase of 8 of 9 items of this psychopathological test. Sleep disorders (coronasomnia), hostility, depression, and somatization were more severe than in previous assessments. Women presented the worst psychological and psychosomatic states (eight out of nine, as compared to one out of nine in males). The study unveiled the complex physical-psychological-social burden, the need for dissemination and a gender perspective to understand the secondary impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of the population with misophonia. The results also show that in this new COVID era people suffering from misophonia need to develop coping strategies addressing modifiable risk and protective factors. They deserve familial/social comprehension, stronger clinical support and a gender medicine perspective.
Gender Bias Impacts Top-Merited Candidates
Authors: Andersson Emma Rachel , Hagberg Carolina E. , Hägg Sara
Published: May 2021

Expectations of fair competition underlie the assumption that academia is a meritocracy. However, bias may reinforce gender inequality in peer review processes, unfairly eliminating outstanding individuals. Here, we ask whether applicant gender biases peer review in a country top ranked for gender equality. We analyzed peer review assessments for recruitment grants at a Swedish medical university, Karolinska Institutet (KI), during four consecutive years (2014–2017) for Assistant Professor (n = 207) and Senior Researcher (n = 153). We derived a composite bibliometric score to quantify applicant productivity and compared this score with subjective external (non-KI) peer reviewer scores of applicants' merits to test their association for men and women, separately. To determine whether there was gender segregation in research fields, we analyzed publication list MeSH terms, for men and women, and analyzed their overlap. There was no gendered MeSH topic segregation, yet men and women with equal merits are scored unequally by reviewers. Men receive external reviewer scores resulting in stronger associations (steeper slopes) between computed productivity and subjective external reviewer scores, meaning that peer reviewers “reward” men's productivity with proportional merit scores. However, women applying for assistant professor or senior researcher receive only 32 or 92% of the score men receive, respectively, for each additional composite bibliometric score point. As productivity increases, the differences in merit scores between men and women increases. Accumulating gender bias is thus quantifiable and impacts the highest tier of competition, the pool from which successful candidates are ultimately chosen. Track record can be computed, and granting organizations could therefore implement a computed track record as quality control to assess whether bias affects reviewer assessments.
An Origami-Based Soft Robotic Actuator for Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Applications
Authors: Chauhan Manish , Chandler James H. , Jha Animesh , Subramaniam Venkataraman , Obstein Keith L. , Valdastri Pietro
Published: May 2021

Soft pneumatic actuators have been explored for endoscopic applications, but challenges in fabricating complex geometry with desirable dimensions and compliance remain. The addition of an endoscopic camera or tool channel is generally not possible without significant change in the diameter of the actuator. Radial expansion and ballooning of actuator walls during bending is undesirable for endoscopic applications. The inclusion of strain limiting methods like, wound fibre, mesh, or multi-material molding have been explored, but the integration of these design approaches with endoscopic requirements drastically increases fabrication complexity, precluding reliable translation into functional endoscopes. For the first time in soft robotics, we present a multi-channel, single material elastomeric actuator with a fully corrugated design (inspired by origami); offering specific functionality for endoscopic applications. The features introduced in this design include i) fabrication of multi-channel monolithic structure of 8.5 mm diameter, ii) incorporation of the benefits of corrugated design in a single material (i.e., limited radial expansion and improved bending efficiency), iii) design scalability (length and diameter), and iv) incorporation of a central hollow channel for the inclusion of an endoscopic camera. Two variants of the actuator are fabricated which have different corrugated or origami length, i.e., 30 mm and 40 mm respectively). Each of the three actuator channels is evaluated under varying volumetric (0.5 mls-1 and 1.5 mls-1 feed rate) and pressurized control to achieve a similar bending profile with the maximum bending angle of 150°. With the intended use for single use upper gastrointestinal endoscopic application, it is desirable to have linear relationships between actuation and angular position in soft pneumatic actuators with high bending response at low pressures; this is where the origami actuator offers contribution. The soft pneumatic actuator has been demonstrated to achieve a maximum bending angle of 200° when integrated with manually driven endoscope. The simple 3-step fabrication technique produces a complex origami pattern in a soft robotic structure, which promotes low pressure bending through the opening of the corrugation while retaining a small diameter and a central lumen, required for successful endoscope integration.
Body-Mounted Robotic System for MRI-Guided Shoulder Arthrography: Cadaver and Clinical Workflow Studies
Authors: Patel Niravkumar , Yan Jiawen , Li Gang , Monfaredi Reza , Priba Lukasz , Donald-Simpson Helen , Joy Joyce , Dennison Andrew , Melzer Andreas , Sharma Karun , Iordachita Iulian , Cleary Kevin
Published: May 2021

This paper presents an intraoperative MRI-guided, patient-mounted robotic system for shoulder arthrography procedures in pediatric patients. The robot is designed to be compact and lightweight and is constructed with nonmagnetic materials for MRI safety. Our goal is to transform the current two-step arthrography procedure (CT/x-ray-guided needle insertion followed by diagnostic MRI) into a streamlined single-step ionizing radiation-free procedure under MRI guidance. The MR-conditional robot was evaluated in a Thiel embalmed cadaver study and healthy volunteer studies. The robot was attached to the shoulder using straps and ten locations in the shoulder joint space were selected as targets. For the first target, contrast agent (saline) was injected to complete the clinical workflow. After each targeting attempt, a confirmation scan was acquired to analyze the needle placement accuracy. During the volunteer studies, a more comfortable and ergonomic shoulder brace was used, and the complete clinical workflow was followed to measure the total procedure time. In the cadaver study, the needle was successfully placed in the shoulder joint space in all the targeting attempts with translational and rotational accuracy of 2.07 ± 1.22 mm and 1.46 ± 1.06 degrees, respectively. The total time for the entire procedure was 94 min and the average time for each targeting attempt was 20 min in the cadaver study, while the average time for the entire workflow for the volunteer studies was 36 min. No image quality degradation due to the presence of the robot was detected. This Thiel-embalmed cadaver study along with the clinical workflow studies on human volunteers demonstrated the feasibility of using an MR-conditional, patient-mounted robotic system for MRI-guided shoulder arthrography procedure. Future work will be focused on moving the technology to clinical practice.
Exilic (Art) Narratives of Queer Refugees Challenging Dominant Hegemonies
Authors: Holle Fabian , Rast Maria Charlotte , Ghorashi Halleh
Published: May 2021

Within the Dutch hegemonic discourse, the “migrant other” is portrayed as almost incompatible with “national culture” while it is simultaneously pressured to assimilate. This creates paradoxes for the queer refugee participants in this study. When these refugees assimilate, they risk reinforcing the dominant discourse considering their group as the “backward other”. When they do not assimilate, they are considered not “properly” Dutch. This paper explores how queer refugee artists can unsettle such dominant exclusionary discourses through exilic (art) narratives. Their experiences of exilic positioning (being neither there nor here) and queer liminality (e.g., nonbinary gender identifications) and their intersectional positionalities situate these artists in various “states of in-betweenness”. Although these states may be challenging, this paper shows how they can also stimulate agency. Inspired by a feminist approach, this study aimed to co-create knowledge with rather than about participants, focusing on creativity and resilience. Methods included biographical interviews and an arts-informed component in which participants were invited to create artistic works concerning their experiences during COVID-19 for an online platform. This study shows how the research participants challenge hegemonic discourses at various levels, using multiple modes of reflection and creation while engaging with their in-between situatedness. At the individual level, they challenge discourses by exploring (or performing) their non-conforming queer positioning through their art practices. At the communal level, plural reflexivity is triggered via art shared within and outside the community. At the societal level, queer refugees exercise activism creatively through images, songs or performances.
Renal Cell Carcinoma With Inferior Vena Cava Tumor Thrombus in Two Patients With Previous Coronary Artery Bypass Graft: Strategy for Surgical Removal
Authors: Ciancio Gaetano , Farag Ahmed , Salerno Tomas
Published: May 2021

Surgical management of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with tumor thrombus (TT) extending into the inferior vena cava (IVC) and up to the hepatic veins and right atrium (RA) continues to be problematic and a challenging surgical operation. It becomes even more complicated when performing a re-sternotomy and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in patients with previous coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Here, we report on two patients with previous CABG who presented with RCC and TT extending into the hepatic vein and above the diaphragm. These two patients underwent successful surgical resection and TT thrombectomy without the need of CBP. Recommendations are made for successfully accomplishing such surgical resections, including adequate prior preparation for the possible need to perform re-sternotomy and CPB with a coordinated team effort.