bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Purposive sampling: complex or simple? Research case examples
Authors: Campbell Steve , Greenwood Melanie , Prior Sarah , Shearer Toniele , Walkem Kerrie , Young Sarah , Bywaters Danielle , Walker Kim
Published: June 2020

Background

Purposive sampling has a long developmental history and there are as many views that it is simple and straightforward as there are about its complexity. The reason for purposive sampling is the better matching of the sample to the aims and objectives of the research, thus improving the rigour of the study and trustworthiness of the data and results. Four aspects to this concept have previously been described: credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability.

Aims

The aim of this paper is to outline the nature and intent of purposive sampling, presenting three different case studies as examples of its application in different contexts.

Results

Presenting individual case studies has highlighted how purposive sampling can be integrated into varying contexts dependent on study design. The sampling strategies clearly situate each study in terms of trustworthiness for data collection and analysis. The selected approach to purposive sampling used in each case aligns to the research methodology, aims and objectives, thus addressing each of the aspects of rigour.

Conclusions

Making explicit the approach used for participant sampling provides improved methodological rigour as judged by the four aspects of trustworthiness. The cases presented provide a guide for novice researchers of how rigour may be addressed in qualitative research.
Exploiting a new europium(III) coordination polymer based on a zwitterionic ligand as a fluorescent probe for uranyl cations
Authors: Cai Bin , Meng Yu-Ning , Zhu Meng-En , Yang Youming
Published: June 2020

Two new isostructural lanthanide(III) coordination polymers based on an unreported zwitterionic ligand, namely, [Ln(ox)(L)]n (ox = oxalate, HL = N,N'-dipropionic acid imidazolium, Ln = Eu or La), are synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. The fluorescence properties of the europium coordination polymer are investigated. In addition, the europium-based coordination polymer is utilized for specific sensing of UO22+ ions, showing high selectivity, a fast response time (8 min) and high sensitivity with noticeable quenching ( Ksv = 6.19 × 104 M−1) and limit of detection of 1.95 µM.
Involvement of digestive system in COVID-19: manifestations, pathology, management and challenges
Authors: Su Song , Shen Jun , Zhu Liangru , Qiu Yun , He Jin-Shen , Tan Jin-Yu , Iacucci Marietta , Ng Siew C , Ghosh Subrata , Mao Ren , Liang Jie
Published: June 2020

The pandemic of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has developed as a tremendous threat to global health. Although most COVID-19 patients present with respiratory symptoms, some present with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms like diarrhoea, loss of appetite, nausea/vomiting and abdominal pain as the major complaints. These features may be attributable to the following facts: (a) COVID-19 is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and its receptor angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) was found to be highly expressed in GI epithelial cells, providing a prerequisite for SARS-CoV-2 infection; (b) SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA has been found in stool specimens of infected patients, and 20% of patients showed prolonged presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in faecal samples after the virus converting to negative in the respiratory system. These findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 may be able to actively infect and replicate in the GI tract. Moreover, GI infection could be the first manifestation antedating respiratory symptoms; patients suffering only digestive symptoms but no respiratory symptoms as clinical manifestation have also been reported. Thus, the implications of digestive symptoms in patients with COVID-19 is of great importance. In this review, we summarise recent findings on the epidemiology of GI tract involvement, potential mechanisms of faecal–oral transmission, GI and liver manifestation, pathological/histological features in patients with COVID-19 and the diagnosis, management of patients with pre-existing GI and liver diseases as well as precautions for preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection during GI endoscopy procedures.
Periorbital and Globe Injuries in Pediatric Orbital Fractures: A Retrospective Review of 116 Patients at a Level 1 Trauma Center
Authors: Halsey Jordan , Argüello-Angarita Marvin , Carrasquillo Osward Y. , Hoppe Ian C. , Lee Edward S. , Granick Mark S.
Published: June 2020

Study Design:

Retrospective chart review of pediatric and globe injuries associated with orbital fractures.

Objective:

Our study seeks to examine these injuries and their association with orbital fractures at our trauma center to gain a better understanding of how to approach pediatric patients with orbital fractures.

Methods:

A retrospective review of all facial fractures in pediatric patients at an urban level 1 trauma center was performed for the years 2002 to 2014. Patient demographics were collected, as well as orbital fracture location, mechanism of injury, concomitant injuries, ophthalmologic documentation, imaging, and perioperative records.

Results:

One hundred sixteen pediatric patients over a 12-year period sustained an orbital fracture. The orbital floor was the most commonly fractured orbital bone in our series (60%). Thirty-four (30%) of the pediatric patients with orbital fractures had documented periorbital and/or globe injuries at the time of presentation. The most common periorbital injury was entrapment related to orbital floor fractures. Significant eyelid lacerations were present in seven patients, with five of these patients had canalicular injuries and two had canthal malposition. Five pediatric patients presented with traumatic optic neuropathy. Two patients had ruptured globes requiring enucleation.

Conclusions:

Periorbital soft tissue and globe injuries associated with orbital fractures occurs in a substantial number of pediatric patients. There are no guidelines for treatment of these type of injuries in the pediatric population. Further research should be performed to better understand the appropriate management of periorbital injuries in conjunction with surgical management of the orbital fractures.
Back from the Future: The Backcasting Wheel for Mapping a Pathway to a Preferred Future
Authors: Bengston David N. , Westphal Lynne M. , Dockry Michael J.
Published: June 2020

Backcasting is a Futures method that starts with a preferred future and works back to the present, identifying actions over time needed to achieve the preferred future. But there are few specifics in the Backcasting literature on how to develop the pathway that connects a preferred future to the present. This article describes a participatory process for Backcasting that uses a structure similar to the Futures Wheel to develop the pathway from the preferred future back to the present. A case study of U.S. Forest Service organizational planning is used to illustrate the method.
Security-Based Differences in Touch Behavior and Its Relational Benefits
Authors: Carmichael Cheryl L. , Goldberg Matthew H. , Coyle Maureen A.
Published: June 2020

Affectionate touch is crucial to the development of attachment security in infancy, yet little is known about how attachment and touch are related in adulthood. For adults high in anxiety, touch provision can maintain proximity, and received touch can signal reassurance of a partner’s affections that relatively anxious people desperately desire. Adults high in avoidance likely view touch as a threat to independence, should be less inclined to provide touch, and may perceive received touch as intrusive. In two studies, we demonstrated that attachment anxiety was associated with positive feelings about touch but unrelated to daily touch provision. However, the benefits associated with daily received touch were amplified among people higher in anxiety. Conversely, attachment avoidance was associated with negative feelings about touch, and reductions in daily touch provision, but did not moderate the benefits associated with received touch.
Effect of whole soy and isoflavones daidzein on bone turnover and inflammatory markers: a 6-month double-blind, randomized controlled trial in Chinese postmenopausal women who are equol producers
Authors: Liu Zhao-min , Chen Bailing , Li Shuyi , Li Guoyi , Zhang Di , Ho Suzanne C. , Chen Yu-ming , Ma Jing , Qi Huang , Ling Wen-hua
Published: June 2020

Background:

Human studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of soy or isoflavones on bone metabolism. However, conflicting data remain. Equol is the intestinal metabolite of the isoflavone daidzein. The health benefits of soy are more pronounced in equol producers than those not producing equol. This 6-month randomized controlled trial aimed to examine the effect of whole soy (soy flour) and purified daidzein on bone turnover markers (BTMs) in Chinese postmenopausal women who are equol producers.

Methods:

A total of 270 eligible women were randomized to either one of the three isocaloric supplements as follows: 40 g soy flour (whole soy group), 40 g low-fat milk powder + 63 mg daidzein (daidzein group), or 40 g low-fat milk powder (placebo group) given as a solid beverage daily for 6 months. The following fasting venous samples were collected at the baseline and end of the trial to analyze BTMs: serum cross-linked C-telopeptides of type I collagen, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide, and 25(OH)D3. Inflammation-related biomarkers, such as serum interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, C-reactive protein, transferrin, and homocysteine, were also tested to explore potential mechanisms.

Results:

A total of 253 subjects validly completed the study protocol. Urinary isoflavones suggested a good compliance to the treatments. Intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses indicated no significant difference in the 6-month or percentage changes in the parameters of bone metabolism and inflammatory markers among the three treatment groups.

Conclusions:

Whole soy and purified daidzein at provided dosages exhibited no significant effect on the bone metabolism and inflammation levels among Chinese equol-producing postmenopausal women.

Trial registration:

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01270737.
Learning about principles or prospects for success? An experimental analysis of information support for nonviolent resistance
Authors: RezaeeDaryakenari Babak , Asadzade Peyman
Published: June 2020

The color revolutions in Eastern Europe and the recent waves of protests in the Middle East and North Africa show that nonviolent conflicts, like violent conflicts, spread across countries. Scholars argue that the idea of adopting nonviolent resistance travels across borders because dissidents learn from foreign protestors about the principles of nonviolent campaigns and their success in changing the status quo. However, the commonly used country-level data do not allow scholars to distinguish between these two learning mechanisms and to establish a causal association between exposure to information about nonviolent resistance and changing individuals’ attitudes. Therefore, we conduct an experimental survey to analyze and distinguish individuals’ responses to information about the principles of nonviolent campaigns and their higher prospects for success. Our findings show both types of information increase individuals’ evaluation of nonviolent resistance. However, exposure to information on the principles of nonviolent campaigns yields different results than exposure to information on the success rate of nonviolent campaigns.
Data for queer lives: How LGBTQ gender and sexuality identities challenge norms of demographics
Authors: Ruberg Bonnie , Ruelos Spencer
Published: June 2020

In this article, we argue that dominant norms of demographic data are insufficient for accounting for the complexities that characterize many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ, or broadly “queer”) lives. Here, we draw from the responses of 178 people who identified as non-heterosexual or non-cisgender to demographic questions we developed regarding gender and sexual orientation. Demographic data commonly imagines identity as fixed, singular, and discrete. However, our findings suggest that, for LGBTQ people, gender and sexual identities are often multiple and in flux. An overwhelming majority of our respondents reported shifting in their understandings of their sexual identities over time. In addition, for many of our respondents, gender identity was made up of overlapping factors, including the relationship between gender and transgender identities. These findings challenge researchers to reconsider how identity is understood as and through data. Drawing from critical data studies, feminist and queer digital media studies, and social justice initiatives like Data for Black Lives, we call for a reimagining of identity-based data as “queer data” or “data for queer lives.” We offer also recommendations for researchers to develop more inclusive survey questions. At the same time, we address the ways that queer perspectives destabilize the underlying logics of data by resisting classification and “capture.” For marginalized people, the stakes of this work extend beyond academia, especially in the era of algorithms and big data when the issue of who is or is not “counted” profoundly affects visibility, access, and power in the digital realm.
Doing nothing does something: Embodiment and data in the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Vallee Mickey
Published: June 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic redefines how we think about the body, physiologically and socially. But what does it mean to have and to be a body in the COVID-19 pandemic? The COVID-19 pandemic offers data scholars the unique opportunity, and perhaps obligation, to revisit and reinvent the fundamental concepts of our mediated experiences. The article critiques the data double, a longstanding concept in critical data and media studies, as incompatible with the current public health and social distancing imperative. The data double, instead, is now the presupposition of a new data entity, which will emerge out of a current data shimmer: a long-sustaining transition that blurs the older boundaries of bodies and the social, and establishes new ethical boundaries around the (in)activity and (im)mobility of doing nothing to do something. The data double faces a unique dynamic in the COVID-19 pandemic between boredom and exhaustion. Following the currently simple rule to stay home presents data scholars the opportunity to revisit the meaning of data as something given, a shimmering embodied relationship with data that contributes to the common good in a global health crisis.
Third-Person Effect and Hate Speech Censorship on Facebook
Authors: Guo Lei , Johnson Brett G.
Published: June 2020

By recruiting 368 US university students, this study adopted an online posttest-only between-subjects experiment to analyze the impact of several types of hate speech on their attitudes toward hate speech censorship. Results showed that students tended to think the influence of hate speech on others was greater than on themselves. Their perception of such messages’ effect on themselves was a significant indicator of supportive attitudes toward hate speech censorship and of their willingness to flag hateful messages.
Quick-DASH as a main early outcome of humeral shaft fractures: A Latin American multicenter prospective study
Authors: Belangero William Dias , Zublin Carlos Miguel , Quintero Renny Augusto Cardenas , Romero Fabio Alfonso Suarez , Fernandes Hélio Jorge Alvachian , Siekavizza Sergio Nicolas Martinez , Rosenberg Guillermo Francisco Sánchez , Azi Matheus Lemos , Elguezaba Igor Escalante , Badell Gerardo , Mouraria Guilherme , Kojima Kodi Edson , Triana Miguel , Mere Jose Antonio Prieto , Baldo Manuel Jose Malaret , Mariolani José Ricardo Lenzi
Published: June 2020

Purpose:

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the Quick-Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Score (DASH) score as the main early (90 days) outcome in a prospective multicenter observational Latin American study on isolated humeral shaft fractures.

Methods:

From December 2015 to April 2017, in six Latin American countries, patients 18 years or older with a closed, isolated nonpathological 12A, 12B, or 12C AO/OTA (Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen/Orthopaedic Trauma Association) fractures were included. The 90 (±10)-day Quick-DASH score was used to compare the results of the different treatments. The secondary outcomes were patient treatment satisfaction, shoulder and elbow range of motion, and radiographic evaluation.

Results:

A total of 92 patients successfully completed the Quick-DASH questionnaire. Surgical treatments resulted in better outcomes than nonsurgical treatment, but only minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis produced significantly lower Quick-DASH scores than nonsurgical treatment ( p < 0.05). There were strong correlations between patient self-evaluation and the Quick-DASH score ( p < 0.0005) but not between the Quick-DASH score and radiographic fracture healing. No significant difference was found between the treatments regarding the rate of return to work, but the medical center had a significant influence on treatment choice ( p < 0.0005).

Conclusion:

The high correlation between Quick-DASH score and patient satisfaction and functional outcome indicates that the Quick-DASH questionnaire is a suitable tool for evaluating adult humeral shaft fracture outcomes. Patients with a Quick-DASH score below 15 could be considered recovered, and patients with a Quick-DASH score above 40 could be considered not yet recovered. Quick-DASH scores were not significantly associated with radiographic fracture healing.
Conservative versus repair of medial patellofemoral ligament for the treatment of patients with acute primary patellar dislocations: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Tian Gengshuang , Yang Guangmin , Zuo Lixiong , Li Faquan , Wang Fei
Published: June 2020

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis to compare the effects of repair of medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) and conservative treatment in patients with acute primary patellar dislocation (PPD).

Method:

The databases we used to search the studies included MEDILINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane registry of controlled clinical trials. Five randomized controlled studies comparing the effects of MPFL repair versus conservative treatment with 300 acute PPD patients were included in the present meta-analysis. Primary outcome was redislocation rate and secondary outcomes included Kujala score, percentage of excellent or good subjective opinion, Tegner activity score, and knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS; pain, symptoms, and activities of daily living).

Results:

The outcome of the Kujala score was statistically significant between the two treatments and indicated that MPFL repair had a higher Kujala score than conservative treatment in patients with acute PPD. There was no significant difference between the two treatments regarding the redislocation rate ( p = 0.32), percentage of excellent or good subjective opinion ( p = 0.15), Tegner activity score ( p = 0.24), and KOOS ( p > 0.05).

Conclusions:

Based on the available data, MPFL repair did not reduce the risk of redislocation nor did it produce any significantly better outcome based on the clinical manifestations, including anterior knee pain and knee activities. Only the Kujala score was improved by MPFL repair compared with conservative treatment.
Multimodality Imaging Demonstrating an Apical Variant Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in an Uncommon Pentad
Authors: Fath Ayman R. , Jokerst Clinton E. , Aglan Amro , Mihyawi Nawfal , Mookadam Farouk
Published: June 2020

A 79-year-old man was admitted for a transcatheter aortic valve replacement due to severe aortic stenosis. A preoperative chest computed tomography with angiography revealed an apical variant hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with a prominent apical pouch. In addition, there was near-complete obliteration of the left ventricle in the mid to apical aspect during systole suggesting a midventricular gradient. Postoperative transthoracic echocardiography confirmed the apical variant hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with an apical aneurysm and a gradient with a peak velocity of 2 m/s, and mid-cavitary gradient with a peak velocity of 3 m/s. It also revealed a fusiform aneurysmal dilatation of the ascending aorta.
Admission Decision-Making in Hospital Emergency Departments: The Role of the Accompanying Person
Authors: Rance Susanna , Westlake Debra , Brant Heather , Holme Ingrid , Endacott Ruth , Pinkney Jonathan , Byng Richard
Published: June 2020

In resource-stretched emergency departments, people accompanying patients play key roles in patients’ care. This article presents analysis of the ways health professionals and accompanying persons talked about admission decisions and caring roles. The authors used an ethnographic case study design involving participant observation and semi-structured interviews with 13 patients, 17 accompanying persons and 26 health care professionals in four National Health Service hospitals in south-west England. Focused analysis of interactional data revealed that professionals’ standardization of the patient–carer relationship contrasted with accompanying persons’ varied connections with patients. Accompanying persons could directly or obliquely express willingness, ambivalence and resistance to supporting patients’ care. The drive to avoid admissions can lead health professionals to deploy conversational skills to enlist accompanying persons for discharge care without exploring the meanings of their particular relationship with the patients. Taking a relationship-centered approach could improve the attention to accompanying persons as co-producers of health care and participants in decision-making.
Effects of Gene-Eden-VIR and Novirin on SARS-CoV: Implications for COVID-19
Authors: Polansky Hanan , Lori Gillad
Published: June 2020

The coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), which causes COVID-19, is a betacoronavirus closely related to the human severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-coronavirus (SARS-CoV). The recent COVID-19 outbreak created an urgent need for treatment. To expedite the development of such treatment, pharmaceutical companies and government agencies are currently testing several existing drugs for their effect on the virus. Gene-Eden-VIR and Novirin are natural, broad-spectrum, antiviral treatments proven to be safe and effective in several clinical studies. In this article, we present evidence indicating that the 5 Gene-Eden-VIR/Novirin ingredients have anti-betacoronavirus, and specifically, anti-SARS-CoV effects. We consider this evidence as a first indication of the anti-coronavirus effects of Gene-Eden-VIR/Novirin. Next, we are planning to conduct a clinical study with users of the treatments to test the effects of Gene-Eden-VIR/Novirin on individuals at risk and those infected with the virus.
The insulin signaling pathway is dysregulated in cumulus cells from obese, infertile women with polycystic ovarian syndrome with an absence of clinical insulin resistance
Authors: Chehin Mauricio B. , Fraietta Renato , Lorenzon Aline R. , Bonetti Tatiana C.S. , Motta Eduardo L.A.
Published: June 2020

Methods:

This is a cohort study, conducted at a university-based reproductive medicine center and private reproductive medicine center that aimed to evaluate granulosa cumulus cell gene expression in the insulin signaling pathway in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment and to compare the cumulus gene expression between normal weight and obese women without clinical insulin resistance. Fifteen PCOS patients, nine normal weight patients and six obese patients presenting normal HOMA IR (Homeostasis Model Assessment–Insulin Resistance), participated. Patients underwent oocyte retrieval for IVF and after the procedure, granulosa cumulus cells were removed from the oocytes for RNA extraction. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) array analysis of 84 genes from insulin signaling pathway was conducted. The results were expressed as fold up- or fold down-expression in obese patients compared with normal weight patients. Any fold change ⩾3 or ⩽3 and any p ⩽ 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results:

There were 10 genes that were overexpressed in obese compared with normal weight women, BCL2L1, BRAF, CBL, DOK1, FBP1, FRS2, MTOR, PCK2, RPS6KA1, and SORBS1, that had a fold change ⩾3 and p ⩽ 0.05.

Discussion:

In the obese group, the overexpressed genes are mainly responsible for the proliferation and differentiation of cumulus cells during oocyte maturation, insulin resistance, apoptosis regulation, and glucose metabolism during early embryogenesis, suggesting that in the follicular environment, insulin resistance is present even in the absence of clinical signs.

Conclusion:

Together, our findings and the related literature suggest that those alterations may be associated with the worse prognosis of follicular development and oocyte maturation observed in PCOS obese women.
Fragility curves for toppling of railroad locomotives
Authors: Maison Bruce F
Published: June 2020

Three locomotives that overturned (toppled) during strong earthquakes (>6.5M) are used as computer analytical case studies. The locomotives were at rest or traveling very slowly at the time of the earthquakes. Fragility curves are presented relating ground shaking intensity to likelihood of toppling. Supplemental studies determine the influence of various parameters, including track gauge, damping, sway-roll period, and size effect. The shaking intensities necessary for standard gauge (56.5 in) locomotives to topple are much greater than the median intensities of 2475-year earthquakes representative of those in high seismic regions of the western United States. A general conclusion is that standard gauge locomotives at rest are not susceptible to toppling in such earthquakes (≪50% chance). This can be expected to be the case as well for freight and passenger cars having sizes and slenderness similar to the case study locomotives. The study also provides insights about the toppling fragility of other large unanchored objects having similar proportions.
Sequencing of RNA in single cells reveals a distinct transcriptome signature of hematopoiesis in GATA2 deficiency
Authors: Wu Zhijie , Gao Shouguo , Diamond Carrie , Kajigaya Sachiko , Chen Jinguo , Shi Rongye , Palmer Cindy , Hsu Amy P. , Calvo Katherine R. , Hickstein Dennis D. , Holland Steven M. , Young Neal S.
Published: June 2020

Constitutional GATA2 deficiency caused by heterozygous germline GATA2 mutations has a broad spectrum of clinical phenotypes, including systemic infections, lymphedema, cytopenias, and myeloid neoplasms. Genotype–phenotype correlation is not well understood mechanistically in GATA2 deficiency. We performed whole transcriptome sequencing of single hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells from 8 patients, who had pathogenic GATA2 mutations and myelodysplasia. Mapping patients’ cells onto normal hematopoiesis, we observed deficiency in lymphoid/myeloid progenitors, also evident from highly constrained gene correlations. HSPCs of patients exhibited distinct patterns of gene expression and coexpression compared with counterparts from healthy donors. Distinct lineages showed differently altered transcriptional profiles. Stem cells in patients had dysregulated gene expression related to apoptosis, cell cycle, and quiescence; increased expression of erythroid/megakaryocytic priming genes; and decreased lymphoid priming genes. The prominent deficiency in lympho-myeloid lineages in GATA2 deficiency appeared at least partly due to the expression of aberrant gene programs in stem cells prior to lineage commitment. We computationally imputed cells with chromosomal abnormalities and determined their gene expression; DNA repair genes were downregulated in trisomy 8 cells, potentially rendering these cells vulnerable to second-hit somatic mutations and additional chromosomal abnormalities. Cells with complex cytogenetic abnormalities showed defects in genes related to multilineage differentiation and cell cycle. Single-cell RNA sequencing is powerful in resolving transcriptomes of cell subpopulations despite a paucity of cells in marrow failure. Our study discloses previously uncharacterized transcriptome signatures of stem cells and progenitors in GATA2 deficiency, providing a broad perspective of potential mechanisms by which germline mutations modulate early hematopoiesis in a human disease. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01905826, NCT01861106, and NCT00001620.
Multiple functions of the scaffold protein Discs large 5 in the control of growth, cell polarity and cell adhesion in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Venugopal Parvathy , Veyssière Hugo , Couderc Jean-Louis , Richard Graziella , Vachias Caroline , Mirouse Vincent
Published: June 2020

Background

Scaffold proteins support a variety of key processes during animal development. Mutant mouse for the MAGUK protein Discs large 5 (Dlg5) presents a general growth impairment and moderate morphogenetic defects.

Results

Here, we generated null mutants for Drosophila Dlg5 and show that it owns similar functions in growth and epithelial architecture. Dlg5 is required for growth at a cell autonomous level in several tissues and at the organism level, affecting cell size and proliferation. Our results are consistent with Dlg5 modulating hippo pathway in the wing disc, including the impact on cell size, a defect that is reproduced by the loss of yorkie. However, other observations indicate that Dlg5 regulates growth by at least another way that may involve Myc protein but nor PI3K neither TOR pathways. Moreover, epithelia cells mutant for Dlg5 also show a reduction of apical domain determinants, though not sufficient to induce a complete loss of cell polarity. Dlg5 is also essential, in the same cells, for the presence at Adherens junctions of N-Cadherin, but not E-Cadherin. Genetic analyses indicate that junction and polarity defects are independent.

Conclusions

Together our data show that Dlg5 own several conserved functions that are independent of each other in regulating growth, cell polarity and cell adhesion. Moreover, they reveal a differential regulation of E-cadherin and N-cadherin apical localization.
Further identification of a 140bp sequence from amid intron 9 of human FMR1 gene as a new exon
Authors: Yang Wen-jing , Yan Ai-zhen , Xu Yong-jun , Guo Xiao-yan , Fu Xian-guo , Li Dan , Liao Juan , Zhang Duo , Lan Feng-hua
Published: June 2020

Background

The disease gene of fragile X syndrome, FMR1 gene, encodes fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP). The alternative splicing (AS) of FMR1 can affect the structure and function of FMRP. However, the biological functions of alternatively spliced isoforms remain elusive. In a previous study, we identified a new 140bp exon from the intron 9 of human FMR1 gene. In this study, we further examined the biological functions of this new exon and its underlying signaling pathways.

Results

qRT-PCR results showed that this novel exon is commonly expressed in the peripheral blood of normal individuals. Comparative genomics showed that sequences paralogous to the 140 bp sequence only exist in the genomes of primates. To explore the biological functions of the new transcript, we constructed recombinant eukaryotic expression vectors and lentiviral overexpression vectors. Results showed that the spliced transcript encoded a truncated protein which was expressed mainly in the cell nucleus. Additionally, several genes, including the BEX1 gene involved in mGluR-LTP or mGluR-LTD signaling pathways were significantly influenced when the truncated FMRP was overexpressed.

Conclusions

our work identified a new exon from amid intron 9 of human FMR1 gene with wide expression in normal healthy individuals, which emphasizes the notion that the AS of FMR1 gene is complex and may in a large part account for the multiple functions of FMRP.
Prevalence of crowding, boarding and staffing levels in Swedish emergency departments - a National Cross Sectional Study
Authors: Wretborn Jens , Henricson Joakim , Ekelund Ulf , Wilhelms Daniel B.
Published: June 2020

Background

Emergency Department (ED) crowding occurs when demand for care exceeds the available resources. Crowding has been associated with decreased quality of care and increased mortality, but the prevalence on a national level is unknown in most countries.

Method

We performed a national, cross-sectional study on staffing levels, staff workload, occupancy rate and patients waiting for an in-hospital bed (boarding) at five time points during 24 h in Swedish EDs.

Results

Complete data were collected from 37 (51% of all) EDs in Sweden. High occupancy rate indicated crowding at 12 hospitals (37.5%) at 31 out of 170 (18.2%) time points. Mean workload (measured on a scale from 1, no workload to 6, very high workload) was moderate at 2.65 (±1.25). Boarding was more prevalent in academic EDs than rural EDs (median 3 vs 0). There were an average of 2.6, 4.6 and 3.2 patients per registered nurse, enrolled nurse and physician, respectively.

Conclusion

ED crowding based on occupancy rate was prevalent on a national level in Sweden and comparable with international data. Staff workload, boarding and patient to staff ratios were generally lower than previously described.
Epidemiology and risk factors of infective endocarditis in a tertiary hospital in China from 2007 to 2016
Authors: Wu Zhenzhu , Chen Yi , Xiao Tingting , Niu Tianshui , Shi Qingyi , Xiao Yonghong
Published: June 2020

Background

To explore the trends in epidemiology and the risk factors related to the prognosis of infective endocarditis in a tertiary hospital over the past ten years.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was performed. A total of 407 consecutive patients who were admitted with infective endocarditis were included. The clinical characteristics and the risk factors related to the prognosis of infective endocarditis during this period were analyzed.

Results

A total of 407 patients with infective endocarditis were included, the average age was 48 ± 16 years old with an increasing trend and in-hospital mortality rate was 10.6% and one-year mortality rate was 11.3%. Among patients with underlying heart disease, congenital heart disease was the most common (25.8%), followed by rheumatic heart disease (17.0%) which showed a decreased trend during this period (P < 0.001). There were 222(54.5%) patients with positive blood cultures results and Streptococci (24.6%) was the main pathogens with an increasing trend. There were 403 patients (99%) with surgical indications, but only 235 patients (57.7%) received surgical treatment. Hemodialysis (P = 0.041, OR = 4.697, 95% CI 1.068–20.665), pulmonary hypertension (P = 0.001, OR = 5.308, 95% CI 2.034–13.852), Pitt score ≥ 4 (P < 0.001, OR = 28.594, 95% CI 5.561–148.173) and vegetation length>30 mm (P = 0.011, OR = 13.754, 95% CI 1.832–103.250) were independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality.

Conclusions

There were no significant changes in the overall incidence of infective endocarditis, but the clinical features of infective endocarditis had slightly changed during the past ten years. Streptococci infective endocarditis was still the predominant. Patients with hemodialysis, pulmonary hypertension, Pitt score ≥ 4 and vegetation length>30 mm had an worse in-hospital outcome.
Vascular access type and mortality in haemodialysis: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: De Clerck Dieter , Bonkain Florence , Cools Wilfried , Van der Niepen Patricia
Published: June 2020

Background

Haemodialysis patients have a high mortality rate. Part of this can be attributed to vascular access complications. Large retrospective studies have shown a higher mortality in patients dialysed with a catheter, which is mostly ascribed to infectious complications. Since we observe very little infectious complications in our haemodialysis patients, the aim of our study was to assess if we could still detect a difference in survival according to vascular access type.

Methods

Patients that started chronic haemodialysis treatment between 1/1/2007 and 31/12/2016 at the ‘Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel’ were retrospectively studied. The time to death was studied as a function of the two main vascular access types using survival analysis, considering the type of vascular access at the initiation of dialysis or as time varying, and accounting for the available baseline characteristics.

Results

Of 374 patients 309 (82.6%) initiated haemodialysis with a catheter, while 65 patients initiated with an arteriovenous access. Vascular access type during follow-up did not change in 74% of all patients. A Kaplan Meier plot did not suggest a survival dependent on the vascular access type at start. An extended cox proportional hazard analysis showed that vascular access type was not independently correlated with mortality. However, age, history of congestive heart failure and active cancer at initiation of dialysis were independently associated with mortality.

Conclusions

In this retrospective cohort study, haemodialysis vascular access type was not independently correlated with patient survival, even after taking into account change of vascular access over time.
Successful treatment of ciliary body medulloepithelioma with intraocular melphalan chemotherapy: a case report
Authors: Stathopoulos Christina , Gaillard Marie-Claire , Schneider Julie , Munier Francis L.
Published: June 2020

Background

Intraocular medulloepithelioma is commonly treated with primary enucleation. Conservative treatment options include brachytherapy, local resection and/or cryotherapy in selected cases. We report for the first time the use of targeted chemotherapy to treat a ciliary body medulloepithelioma with aqueous and vitreous seeding.

Case presentation

A 17-month-old boy with a diagnosis of ciliary body medulloepithelioma with concomitant seeding and neovascular glaucoma in the right eye was seen for a second opinion after parental refusal of enucleation. Examination under anesthesia showed multiple free-floating cysts in the pupillary area associated with iris neovascularization and a subluxated and notched lens. Ultrasound biomicroscopy revealed a partially cystic mass adjacent to the ciliary body between the 5 and 9 o’clock meridians as well as multiple nodules in the posterior chamber invading the anterior vitreous inferiorly. Fluorescein angiography demonstrated peripheral retinal ischemia. Left eye was unremarkable. Diagnosis of intraocular medulloepithelioma with no extraocular invasion was confirmed and conservative treatment initiated with combined intracameral and intravitreal melphalan injections given according to the previously described safety-enhanced technique. Ciliary tumor and seeding totally regressed after a total of 3 combined intracameral (total dose 8.1 μg) and intravitreal (total dose 70 μg) melphalan injections given every 7–10 days. Ischemic retina was treated with cryoablation as necessary. Three years later, ab interno trabeculotomy followed by 360° gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy 6 months later was performed for uncontrolled intraocular pressure despite antihypertensive drugs combined to cyclophotocoagulation and 7 intravitreal anti-VEGF injections for recurrent iris neovascularization. Cataract was removed at the same operative time. The child has remained disease- and metastasis-free at a 5-year follow-up since the last melphalan injection (25-month follow-up after the combined lensectomy-trabeculotomy) with a controlled intraocular pressure under topical quadritherapy and a best corrected Snellen visual acuity of 0.08.

Conclusions

We report for the first time complete regression of a non-infiltrating ciliary body medulloepithelioma with seeding achieved with only a small number of intracameral and intravitreal melphalan injections. Concomitant secondary neovascular glaucoma and cataract needed appropriate management to allow long-term eye and vision preservation.
Patient experiences of psychological therapy for depression: a qualitative metasynthesis
Authors: McPherson Susan , Wicks Claire , Tercelli Ilaria
Published: June 2020

Background

Globally, national guidelines for depression have prioritised evidence from randomised controlled trials and quantitative meta-analyses, omitting qualitative research concerning patient experience of treatments. A review of patient experience research can provide a comprehensive overview of this important form of evidence and thus enable the voices and subjectivities of those affected by depression to have an impact on the treatments and services they are offered. This review aims to seek a comprehensive understanding of patient experiences of psychological therapies for depression using a systematic and rigorous approach to review and synthesis of qualitative research.

Method

PsychINFO, PsychARTICLES, MEDLINE, and CINAHL were searched for published articles using a qualitative approach to examine experiences of psychological therapies for depression. All types of psychological therapy were included irrespective of model or modes of delivery (e.g. remote or in person; group or individual). Each article was assessed following guidance provided by the Critical Appraisal Skill Programme tool. Articles were entered in full into NVIVO and themes were extracted and synthesized following inductive thematic analysis.

Results

Thirty-seven studies, representing 671 patients were included. Three main themes are described; the role of therapy features and setting; therapy processes and how they impact on outcomes; and therapy outcomes (benefits and limitations). Subthemes are described within these themes and include discussion of what works and what’s unhelpful; issues integrating therapy with real life; patient preferences and individual difference; challenges of undertaking therapy; influence of the therapist; benefits of therapy; limits of therapy and what happens when therapy ends.

Conclusions

Findings point to the importance of common factors in psychotherapies; highlight the need to assess negative outcomes; and indicate the need for patients to be more involved in discussions and decisions about therapy, including tailoring therapy to individual needs and taking social and cultural contexts into account.
The neuropsychiatric effects of vitamin C deficiency: a systematic review
Authors: Plevin David , Galletly Cherrie
Published: June 2020

Background

Vitamin C deficiency may be more common than is generally assumed, and the association between vitamin C deficiency and adverse psychiatric effects has been known for centuries. This paper aims to systematically review the evidence base for the neuropsychiatric effects of vitamin C deficiency.

Methods

Relevant studies were identified via systematic literature review.

Results

Nine studies of vitamin C deficiency, including subjects both with and without the associated physical manifestations of scurvy, were included in this review. Vitamin C deficiency, including scurvy, has been linked to depression and cognitive impairment. No effect on affective or non-affective psychosis was identified.

Conclusions

Disparate measurement techniques for vitamin C, and differing definitions of vitamin C deficiency were apparent, complicating comparisons between studies. However, there is evidence suggesting that vitamin C deficiency is related to adverse mood and cognitive effects. The vitamin C blood levels associated with depression and cognitive impairment are higher than those implicated in clinical manifestations of scurvy. While laboratory testing for ascorbic acid can be practically difficult, these findings nonetheless suggest that mental health clinicians should be alerted to the possibility of vitamin C deficiency in patients with depression or cognitive impairment. Vitamin C replacement is inexpensive and easy to deliver, although as of yet there are no outcome studies investigating the neuropsychiatric impact of vitamin C replacement in those who are deficient.
The frequency of impairments in everyday activities due to the overuse of the internet, gaming, or smartphone, and its relationship to health-related quality of life in Korea
Authors: Jeong Yeo-Won , Han Young-Ran , Kim Sang-Kyu , Jeong Han-Seok
Published: June 2020

Background

This study aimed to investigate the relationships between the frequency of impairments in daily activities due to the overuse of the Internet, gaming, or smartphones (IGS) and sociodemographic characteristics, social relationships (including family) & activities, psychosocial characteristics, health status, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of Korean adults.

Methods

Secondary data from the 2017 Community Health Survey, a large-scale sample survey conducted yearly in South Korea, were analyzed for 190,066 adults over 19 years of age. Three categories were created for impairment groups due to IGS overuse: No Impairment, Mild Impairment, and Moderate-to-Severe groups. And between-group differences were examined using a one-way ANOVA for health status measured with the EQ-5D-3 L and chi-square tests for all categorical dependent variables, which included sociodemographic characteristics, social relationships & activities, and psychosocial factors. The association between frequencies of daily activity impairments due to IGS overuse and the dependent variables were examined using a multivariate logistic regression analysis and a linear regression model.

Results

Approximately 21,345 (11.23%) of the 190,066 participants reported experiencing impairments in daily activities due to IGS overuse at least once in the previous year and the impairments were more severe in males than females. Participants experiencing impairments in daily activities contacted their friends a significantly higher number of times (4 times or more per month) and engaged in leisure activities more frequently (more than once per month) than those without impairments. There was also a significant positive relationship between IGS overuse and stress, depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. Among participants aged 19–64, impairments in daily activities due to IGS overuse were associated with a lower HRQoL. Conversely, for those aged 65 and over, mild and moderate-to-severe impairments due to IGS overuse were associated with a significantly higher HRQoL.

Conclusions

Increased impairments in daily activities due to IGS overuse may negatively affect mental health. However, among older adults, the frequency of such impairments was positively associated with HRQoL. This finding could be considered to apply interventions with Internet usage or ICT devices for older adults to enhance their quality of life.