bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From Cloudy Trophies to Quiet Power: Keats’s Hyperions, the 1819 Odes, and Michael O’Neill’s Late Poetry
Authors: Thomson Heidi
Published: June 2022

This essay reads Keats’s 1819 poetry alongside Michael O’Neill’s poems about his terminal illness. It focuses on Keats’s abandonment of Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion in favour of ‘To Autumn’ through a juxtaposed reading of ‘cloudy trophies’ and ‘quiet power’. The Hyperion poems explore the collapse of the Poetical Character in the face of incurable, immortal suffering. While the spring odes, exemplified in a reading of ‘Ode on Melancholy’, attempt to balance the dynamic between a speaker and its poetic subject through apostrophe, the conclusions of the odes are self-cancelling. ‘To Autumn’ signals a breakthrough from curative to palliative poetics through the simultaneous celebration of life insisting on itself and the process of dying. The contrast between Guy’s Hospital and the Hospital of St Cross in Winchester underlines the shift in vision from incurable suffering to palliative, quiet power.
The Sense of an Ending: Poetic Spaces and Closure in Keats’s 1819 Odes
Authors: Sandy Mark
Published: June 2022

Following Frank Kermode’s distinction, in The Sense of an Ending, between the stability of myth and the changeability of fiction, Keats’s ‘Ode on Indolence’ offers an understated self-conscious presentation of myth and fiction in comparison with the Nightingale and Grecian Urn odes. All three of these odes invest in mythologies as much as they remain alert to their own poetic frames and the fictive nature of the fictions behind them. This poetic self-awareness reconnects Keats’s odes with the reality of death behind the mythic figures of nightingale, urn, and indolence. Such subtle, shifting, self-awareness is also the hallmark of Keats’s ‘To Autumn’ and the poetic legacy it bestows to Wallace Stevens’s ‘Sunday Morning’, ‘Autumn Refrain’, and ‘The Woman in Sunshine’.
Elever har låg kunskap om naturvetenskapliga undersökningar
Authors: Höst Gunnar
Published: June 2022

Naturvetenskapliga undersökningar är en viktig del av naturvetenskapen. Men trots att förmågan att genomföra dem är framskrivet i kursplanerna är det inte säkert att eleverna därmed också utvecklar kunskaper om vad som kännetecknar naturvetenskapliga undersökningar. En stor internationell studie har undersökt vilken syn elever har på detta. Resultaten från Sverige visar bland annat att de har svårt att skilja på data och evidens.
Locking Plates With Computationally Enhanced Screw Trajectories Provide Superior Biomechanical Fixation Stability of Complex Proximal Humerus Fractures
Authors: Mischler Dominic , Schader Jana Felicitas , Dauwe Jan , Tenisch Lara , Gueorguiev Boyko , Windolf Markus , Varga Peter
Published: June 2022

Joint-preserving surgical treatment of complex unstable proximal humerus fractures remains challenging, with high failure rates even following state-of-the-art locked plating. Enhancement of implants could help improve outcomes. By overcoming limitations of conventional biomechanical testing, finite element (FE) analysis enables design optimization but requires stringent validation. This study aimed to computationally enhance the design of an existing locking plate to provide superior fixation stability and evaluate the benefit experimentally in a matched-pair fashion. Further aims were the evaluation of instrumentation accuracy and its potential influence on the specimen-specific predictive ability of FE. Screw trajectories of an existing commercial plate were adjusted to reduce the predicted cyclic cut-out failure risk and define the enhanced (EH) implant design based on results of a previous parametric FE study using 19 left proximal humerus models (Set A). Superiority of EH versus the original (OG) design was tested using nine pairs of human proximal humeri (N = 18, Set B). Specimen-specific CT-based virtual preoperative planning defined osteotomies replicating a complex 3-part fracture and fixation with a locking plate using six screws. Bone specimens were prepared, osteotomized and instrumented according to the preoperative plan via a standardized procedure utilizing 3D-printed guides. Cut-out failure of OG and EH implant designs was compared in paired groups with both FE analysis and cyclic biomechanical testing. The computationally enhanced implant configuration achieved significantly more cycles to cut-out failure compared to the standard OG design (p < 0.01), confirming the significantly lower peri-implant bone strain predicted by FE for the EH versus OG groups (p < 0.001). The magnitude of instrumentation inaccuracies was small but had a significant effect on the predicted failure risk (p < 0.01). The sample-specific FE predictions strongly correlated with the experimental results (R2 = 0.70) when incorporating instrumentation inaccuracies. These findings demonstrate the power and validity of FE simulations in improving implant designs towards superior fixation stability of proximal humerus fractures. Computational optimization could be performed involving further implant features and help decrease failure rates. The results underline the importance of accurate surgical execution of implant fixations and the need for high consistency in validation studies.
KISS1R and ANKRD31 Cooperate to Enhance Leydig Cell Gene Expression via the Cytoskeletal-Nucleoskeletal Pathway
Authors: Ricci Giulia , Guillou Florian , Catizone Angela , Mele Vincenza Grazia , Moggio Martina , Chioccarelli Teresa , Diano Nadia , Meccariello Rosaria , Pierantoni Riccardo , Fasano Silvia , Cobellis Gilda , Chianese Rosanna , Manfrevola Francesco
Published: June 2022

Kisspeptins are involved in the regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, Leydig cell functions, and testosterone secretion, acting as endogenous ligands of the KISS1 receptor. ANKRD31 protein participates in male fertility, regulating meiotic progression, and epididymal sperm maturation. Here, we show that in Leydig cells, KISS1 receptor and ANKRD31 proteins physically interact; the formation of this protein complex is enhanced by Kisspeptin-10 that also modulates F-actin synthesis, favoring histone acetylation in chromatin and gene expression via the cytoskeletal–nucleoskeletal pathway. Kp/KISS1R system deregulation, expression impairment of cytoskeletal–nucleoskeletal mediators, Leydig gene targets, and the decreased testosterone secretion in Ankrd31−/− testis strongly supported our hypothesis. Furthermore, cytochalasin D treatment subverted the gene expression induction dependent on Kisspeptin-10 action. In conclusion, the current work highlights a novel role for the Kisspeptin-10 in the induction of the cytoskeletal–nucleoskeletal route, downstream a physical interaction between KISS1 receptor and ANKRD31, with gene expression activation as final effect, in Leydig cells.
Cochlear Development; New Tools and Approaches
Authors: Kelley Matthew W.
Published: June 2022

The sensory epithelium of the mammalian cochlea, the organ of Corti, is comprised of at least seven unique cell types including two functionally distinct types of mechanosensory hair cells. All of the cell types within the organ of Corti are believed to develop from a population of precursor cells referred to as prosensory cells. Results from previous studies have begun to identify the developmental processes, lineage restrictions and signaling networks that mediate the specification of many of these cell types, however, the small size of the organ and the limited number of each cell type has hampered progress. Recent technical advances, in particular relating to the ability to capture and characterize gene expression at the single cell level, have opened new avenues for understanding cellular specification in the organ of Corti. This review will cover our current understanding of cellular specification in the cochlea, discuss the most commonly used methods for single cell RNA sequencing and describe how results from a recent study using single cell sequencing provided new insights regarding cellular specification.
Targeting Novel Regulated Cell Death: Pyroptosis, Necroptosis, and Ferroptosis in Diabetic Retinopathy
Authors: Gao Sheng , Zhang Yun , Zhang Meixia
Published: June 2022

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the primary causes of visual impairment in the working-age population. Retinal cell death is recognized as a prominent feature in the pathological changes of DR. Several types of cell death occurrence have been confirmed in DR, which might be the underlying mechanisms of retinal cell loss. Regulated cell death (RCD) originates from too intense or prolonged perturbations of the intracellular or extracellular microenvironment for adaptative responses to cope with stress and restore cellular homeostasis. Pyroptosis, necroptosis, and ferroptosis represent the novel discovered RCD forms, which contribute to retinal cell death in the pathogenesis of DR. This evidence provides new therapeutic targets for DR. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms of three types of RCD and analyse recent advances on the association between novel RCD and DR, aiming to provide new insights into the underlying pathogenic mechanisms and propose a potential new strategy for DR therapy.
The Mechanism of Cardiac Sympathetic Activity Assessment Methods: Current Knowledge
Authors: Li Jiakun , Zheng Lihui
Published: June 2022

This review has summarized the methods currently available for cardiac sympathetic assessment in clinical or under research, with emphasis on the principles behind these methodologies. Heart rate variability (HRV) and other methods based on heart rate pattern analysis can reflect the dominance of sympathetic nerve to sinoatrial node function and indirectly show the average activity level of cardiac sympathetic nerve in a period of time. Sympathetic neurotransmitters play a key role of signal transduction after sympathetic nerve discharges. Plasma or local sympathetic neurotransmitter detection can mediately display sympathetic nerve activity. Given cardiac sympathetic nerve innervation, i.e., the distribution of stellate ganglion and its nerve fibers, stellate ganglion activity can be recorded either directly or subcutaneously, or through the surface of the skin using a neurophysiological approach. Stellate ganglion nerve activity (SGNA), subcutaneous nerve activity (SCNA), and skin sympathetic nerve activity (SKNA) can reflect immediate stellate ganglion discharge activity, i.e., cardiac sympathetic nerve activity. These cardiac sympathetic activity assessment methods are all based on the anatomy and physiology of the heart, especially the sympathetic innervation and the sympathetic regulation of the heart. Technological advances, discipline overlapping, and more understanding of the sympathetic innervation and sympathetic regulation of the heart will promote the development of cardiac sympathetic activity assessment methods.
Treatment of Esophageal Hematoma After Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion: A Case Report
Authors: Cheng Chaodi , Zhou Yang , Wang Yanjiang , Shi Liang , Tian Ying , Liu Xingpeng
Published: June 2022

Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) is an alternative to oral anticoagulation therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation who are at high risk for bleeding and thromboembolic events. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is the standard modality for intraprocedural imaging during LAAO. We report a rare case of extensive submucosal esophageal hematoma that developed after a TEE-guided LAAO procedure. The cause, management, and prevention of this complication are explored in depth in this report.
Research on Sequence Construction and Characteristics Diagnosis of Droughts and Floods in the Qinling Mountains of China From 1850 to 1959
Authors: Zhang Shanhong , Qi Guizeng , Su Kai , Zhou Linyan , Bai Hongying
Published: June 2022

In recent years, under the background of the global climate, drought and flood disasters have occurred frequently in China. Historical climate research is an important part of the international Climate Variability and Predictability project. Based on the existing historical documents and literatures about counties and distributions in the Qinling Mountains from 1850 to 1959, we reconstructed a sequence of drought and flood grades. The characteristics of droughts and floods, including their phases, periodicity, and mutability in all regions from 1850 to 1959, were analyzed by employing the accumulative anomaly, wavelet analysis, and sliding t-test techniques. The results showed that there were 76 droughts and floods in the Qinling Mountains from 1850 to 1959, with droughts and floods occurred 29 and 47 times, respectively, accounting for 38.16% and 61.84% of the total events, respectively. The changes in drought and flood grade sequences in the Qinling Mountains had obvious phases, showing alternating dry and wet periods. A fluctuating climatic phase with both floods and droughts occurred from 1850 to 1879 and from 1949 to 1959; the climate was relatively wet from 1880 to 1912; the climate was relatively dry from 1913 to 1948. The seasonal variation in droughts in the Qinling mountains was concentrated on spring, summer, and back-to-back summer and autumn seasons; while the seasonal variation in floods was concentrated on summer and autumn, and back-to-back summer and autumn seasons. Moreover, there were two periods, 5∼7 a and 11 a, that corresponded to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) activity cycle and were consistent with global climate change. Through the sliding t-test technique and comparison of the drought-flood change sequence, there were two common significant mutations on a decade scale and 20-year scale. The positive PSDI swings are conducive to increased flood occurrence and negative PSDI values to increased drought occurrence, and these changes have good consistency of changes in the two data sources, and also verify the good reliability of the reconstruction results in this paper.
Disentangling the Evidence of Milankovitch Forcing From Tree-Ring and Sedimentary Records
Authors: Helama Samuli , Herva Hannu , Arppe Laura , Gunnarson Björn , Frank Thomas , Holopainen Jari , Nöjd Pekka , Mäkinen Harri , Mielikäinen Kari , Sutinen Raimo , Timonen Mauri , Uusitalo Joonas , Oinonen Markku
Published: June 2022

Tree-ring records constitute excellent high-resolution data and provide valuable information for climate science and paleoclimatology. Tree-ring reconstructions of past temperature variations agree to show evidence for annual-to-centennial anomalies in past climate and place the industrial-era warming in the context of the late Holocene climate patterns and regimes. Despite their wide use in paleoclimate research, however, tree rings have also been deemed unsuitable as low-frequency indicators of past climate. The arising debate concerns whether the millennia-long tree-ring records show signals of orbital forcing due to the Milankovitch cycles. Here, we produce a summer-temperature reconstruction from tree-ring chronology running through mid- and late-Holocene times (since 5486 BCE) comprising minimum blue channel light intensity (BI). The BI reconstruction correlates with existing and new tree-ring chronologies built from maximum latewood density (MXD) and, unlike the MXD data, shows temperature trends on Milankovitch scales comparable to various types of sedimentary proxy across the circumpolar Arctic. Our results demonstrate an unrevealed potential of novel, unconventional tree-ring variables to contribute to geoscience and climate research by their capability to provide paleoclimate estimates from inter-annual scales up to those relevant to orbital forcing.
Two-Phase Modeling Technology and Subsection Modeling Method of Natural Gas Hydrate: A Case Study in the Shenhu Sea Area
Authors: Liu Fang , Liang Jinqiang , Lai Hongfei , Han Lei , Wang Xiaoxue , Li Tingwei , Wang Feifei
Published: June 2022

It is found that natural gas hydrate is not only a pore-filling material but also exists in the reservoir in the form of rock skeleton particles. Therefore, the traditional petrophysical simulation method cannot well describe the physical properties of natural gas hydrate reservoir. At the same time, the physical properties of the hydrate layer and its associated free gas layer are quite different, so it is difficult to fit the physical properties of the two media using traditional modeling methods. The two-phase modeling technology used in this paper is the equivalent medium modeling technology based on BK solid substitution theory and Gassmann fluid substitution theory, which simulates hydrate particles in rock skeleton and hydrate filling in pores, respectively. The forward simulation results show that the two-phase simulation technology of natural gas hydrate can well fit the P-wave and S-wave velocity information of the medium. At the same time, the equivalent medium model of the free gas reservoir is established by using only Gassmann fluid substitution theory. The practical application shows that the subsection modeling method can well solve the problem of the too large difference between the two sets of reservoir physical properties and make the calibration results of forward modeling synthetic records more accurate.
Mechanism and Sensitivity Analysis of Collapse in Large Section Mountain Neighborhood Tunnels
Authors: Zhang Yongjun , Wang Junyi , Liu Fei , Xia Huangshuai
Published: June 2022

Collapse is one of the most frequent geological disasters in mountain tunnel engineering, posing major safety concerns for underground structures and construction crews. According to a catastrophic collapse in the shallow buried area of the Huangjiakuang tunnel in Weihai City, Shandong Province, the contributing factors, that is, the surrounding rock property, influence of neighboring tunnel construction, and tunnel over-excavation are systematically investigated. The tunnel collapse, breaks through the ground surface, is inverted using MIDAS GTS NX. A tunnel deformation analysis model is created using the quantitative methods of grey relation analysis and entropy weight methods based on crown settlement and lateral wall horizontal contraction during tunnel excavation. The surrounding rock property, the distance between the left and right tunnel faces, and the over-excavation height have a significant effect on tunnel deformation, which are quantitatively interpreted using the tunnel deformation analysis model. This study is valuable for the multi-factor analysis of tunnel deformation and determining the main contributing factors to the collapse quantitatively.
The Hummocky Patches and Associated Sediment Dynamics Over an Accretional Intertidal Flat
Authors: Zhu Shibing , Chen Yining , Yan Weibing , Xing Fei , Li Renzhi , Li Mingliang , Shi Benwei , Wang Ya Ping
Published: June 2022

Tidal flat system is composed of multiple sub-scale geomorphological units. We found a new mesoscale geomorphological unit on sand-mud mixed intertidal zone along China coast, which was defined as hummocky patches. Hummock patches are most developed in middle tidal flat, with horizontal magnitude of 10–20 m and vertical magnitude of ∼15 cm. Hummocky patches significantly influence local sediment transport, thus affect morphological evolution of tidal flats. In order to understand the formation and development mechanisms of hummocky patches, we collected hydrodynamics, topography, sediment properties, and substrate erosion thresholds data through an in-situ field observation covering a spring-neap tidal cycle over an accretional intertidal flat in Jiangsu, China. We found that sediment characteristics including sorting coefficient (σ: measuring the uniformity of sediment particles) and silt/clay/organic matter/water content are essentially different between hummocky patches and nearby seabed, which leads to spatially varied substrate erosion resistance. The measured erosion thresholds for patches are two times higher comparing to surrounding seabed sediment, which provides foundation for the formation of hummocky patches. Under the impact of periodical tidal currents and waves, surrounding seabed experiences considerably more erosion than patch area, which finally develops to hummocky patches. Therefore, hydrodynamic forces drive the formation and development of patches. The erosion resistance of patches decreases vertically from seabed surface to sublayer, causing initial erosion in the lower sublayer, followed by a mass collapse of the seabed surface layer. Hummocky patches are commonly found in middle tidal zone and their sizes decrease to the shore as tidal currents and waves attenuate with shoreward propagation. Hummocky patches have distinct seasonal variations, which only appear in summer and autumn when wind waves are comparatively lower than winter and spring. We infer the reason is that the strong hydrodynamics caused by winter storms cause larger bottom shear stress than the erosion threshold of hummocky patches, leading to destruction of hummocky patches and a smooth tidal flat surface. This study shed new insight on the knowledge of mesoscale geomorphological units and their formation and development in intertidal flats, which provides crucial information for developing more realistic tidal flat sediment transport and morphological models.
Applications of Image-Based Computer Vision for Remote Surveillance of Slope Instability
Authors: Muhammad Mahmud , Williams-Jones Glyn , Stead Doug , Tortini Riccardo , Falorni Giacomo , Donati Davide
Published: June 2022

Landslides and slope failures represent critical hazards for both the safety of local communities and the potential damage to economically relevant infrastructure such as roads, hydroelectric plants, pipelines, etc. Numerous surveillance methods, including ground-based radar, InSAR, Lidar, seismometers, and more recently computer vision, are available to monitor landslides and slope instability. However, the high cost, complexity, and intrinsic technical limitations of these methods frequently require the design of alternative and complementary techniques. Here, we provide an improved methodology for the application of image-based computer vision in landslide and rockfall monitoring. The newly developed open access Python-based software, Akh-Defo, uses optical flow velocity, image differencing and similarity index map techniques to calculate land deformation including landslides and rockfall. Akh-Defo is applied to two different datasets, notably ground- and satellite-based optical imagery for the Plinth Peak slope in British Columbia, Canada, and satellite optical imagery for the Mud Creek landslide in California, USA. Ground-based optical images were processed to evaluate the capability of Akh-Defo to identify rockfalls and measure land displacement in steep-slope terrains to complement LOS limitations of radar satellite images. Similarly, satellite optical images were processed to evaluate the capability of Akh-Defo to identify ground displacement in active landslide regions a few weeks to months prior to initiation of landslides. The Akh-Defo results were validated from two independent datasets including radar-imagery, processed using state of the art SqueeSAR algorithm for the Plinth Peak case study and very high-resolution temporal Lidar and photogrammetry digital surface elevation datasets for the Mud Creek case study. Our study shows that the Akh-Defo software complements InSAR by mitigating LOS limitations via processing ground-based optical imagery. Additionally, if applied to satellite optical imagery, it can be used as a first stage preliminary warning system (particularly when run on the cloud allowing near real-time processing) prior to processing more expensive but more accurate InSAR products such as SqueeSAR.
Building a Culture of Peace in Everyday Life With Inter- and Transdisciplinary Perspectives
Authors: Roque-Hernández Ramón Ventura
Published: June 2022

In this article, peace is emphasized as a vital condition for all aspects of our existence, as individuals, as a society, and in our planet. The importance of inter- and transdisciplinarity in promoting a culture of peace and peace education is presented. Some examples of initiatives aimed at cultivating a culture of peace from diverse areas of knowledge are also provided. The paper presents a current and interconnected viewpoint on peace study, as well as some ideas for combining peace with education in the everyday routine of teaching and research work, regardless of discipline.
MicroRNA-574 Impacts Granulosa Cell Estradiol Production via Targeting TIMP3 and ERK1/2 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Pan Bo , Zhan Xiaoshu , Li Julang
Published: June 2022

Estradiol represents a key steroid ovarian hormone that not only plays a vital role in ovarian follicular development but also is associated with many other reproductive functions. Our primary study revealed that miR-574 expression decreased in porcine granulosa cells during development from small to large follicles, and the increase of ERK1/2 phosphorylation accompanies this change. Since it has been well established that the ERK1/2 activity is tightly associated with granulosa cell functions, including ovarian hormone production, we thus further investigate if the miRNA is involved in the regulation of estradiol production in granulosa cells. We found that overexpression of miR-574 decreased phosphorylated ERK1/2 without affecting the level of ERK1/2 protein, and on the other hand, the inhibition of miR-574 increased phosphorylated ERK1/2 level (P<0.05); meanwhile, overexpression of miR-574 increased estradiol production but knockdown of miR-574 decreased estradiol level in granulosa cells. To further identify the potential mechanism involved in the miR-574 regulatory effect, in silico screening was performed and revealed a potential binding site on the 3’UTR region of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 3 (TIMP3). Our gain-, loss- of function experiments, and luciferase reporter assay confirmed that TIMP3 is indeed the target of miR-574 in granulosa cell. Furthermore, the siRNA TIMP3 knockdown resulted in decreased phosphorylated ERK1/2, and an increase in estradiol production. In contrast, the addition of recombinant TIMP3 increased phosphorylated ERK1/2 level and decreased estradiol production. In summary, our results suggest that the miR-574-TIMP3-pERK1/2 cascade may be one of the pathways by which microRNAs regulate granulosa cell estradiol production.
Embryological Characteristics of Human Oocytes With Agar-Like Zona Pellucida and Its Clinical Treatment Strategy
Authors: Yang Dandan , Yang Han , Yang Bo , Wang Kaijuan , Zhu Qi , Wang Jing , Ding Fangfang , Rao Bihua , Xue Rufeng , Peng Jing , Wang Qiushuang , Cao Yunxia , Zou Weiwei , Chen Beili , Zhang Zhiguo
Published: June 2022

Zona pellucida (ZP) abnormalities are the cause of low fertility or infertility, agar-like ZP is more common in abnormal ZP. The purpose of this exploration is to systematically analyze the fertilization competence of agar-like ZP oocytes, the development characteristics of subsequent embryos as well as the results of embryo transfer, aiming to explore effective clinical treatment strategies. A total of 58 patients with agar-like ZP were set as the case group and the control group involved 3866 patients, in which the patients’ oocytes presented normal ZP. BMI, basal hormone levels, and hormone levels were similar in both groups. The case patients suffered significantly longer infertility years than control (p<0.05), and most patients were diagnosed with pelvic inflammatory diseases. A distinct difference was observed in the structure of oocyte corona cumulus complexes between the two groups. The embryo development parameters, which include the rates of cleavage, high-quality embryo, blastocyst, and high-quality blastocyst in the case group were greatly lower than that in the control group (p<0.05). The rates of cumulative clinical pregnancy and live birth were comparable between the two groups. In the subsequent follow-up, thirty-four of the 58 patients receiving intracytoplasmic single sperm injection (ICSI) or early rescue ICSI (R-ICSI) treatment successfully gave birth to babies, and all of the newborns were with no neonatal defects. In addition, the fertilization rate of the R-ICSI group was significantly lower than that of the ICSI group (p<0.05). The occurrence of agar-like ZP impairs the development competence of human oocytes, however, the human oocytes with agar-like ZP can develop into healthy offspring, and an ICSI regimen is the optimal treatment strategy for them.
Roles of EP Receptors in the Regulation of Fluid Balance and Blood Pressure
Authors: Wang Lu , Wu Yiqian , Jia Zhanjun , Yu Jing , Huang Songming
Published: June 2022

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is an important prostanoid expressing throughout the kidney and cardiovascular system. Despite the diverse effects on fluid metabolism and blood pressure, PGE2 is implicated in sustaining volume and hemodynamics homeostasis. PGE2 works through four distinct E-prostanoid (EP) receptors which are G protein-coupled receptors. To date, pharmacological specific antagonists and agonists of all four subtypes of EP receptors and genetic targeting knockout mice for each subtype have helped in uncoupling the diverse functions of PGE2 and discriminating the respective characteristics of each receptor. In this review, we summarized the functions of individual EP receptor subtypes in the renal and blood vessels and the molecular mechanism of PGE2-induced fluid metabolism and blood pressure homeostasis.
The Optimal Number of Oocytes Retrieved From PCOS Patients Receiving IVF to Obtain Associated With Maximum Cumulative Live Birth Rate and Live Birth After Fresh Embryo Transfer
Authors: Jia Rui , Liu Yuanyuan , Jiang Rulan , Zhu Xuli , Zhou Liang , Chen Peipei , Cao Mingya , Zhao Zhiming
Published: June 2022

Aims

This study aims to determine the optimal number of oocytes retrieved so that patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) receiving in vitro fertilization (IVF) can obtain the best cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) and live birth after fresh embryo transfer.

Methods

This is a retrospective study of 1,419 patients with PCOS who underwent their first IVF cycle at the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2014 to December 2021. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to adjust for factors known to independently affect cumulative live birth aspiration. The number of oocytes retrieved to obtain the best cumulative live birth rate was explored through curve fitting and threshold effect analysis. The decision tree method was used to explore the best number of oocytes retrieved to achieve live birth in the shortest time.

Results

(1) The number of oocytes retrieved was found to be an independent protective factor for the cumulative live birth rate (OR = 1.09 (95% CI: 1.06, 1.12)). When the number of oocytes retrieved was less than 15, CLBR increased by 16% with each increase in the number of oocytes retrieved (OR = 1.16 (95% CI: 1.11, 1.22)); and when more than 15, CLBR tended to be stable. (2) Live birth after the first fresh embryo transfer was analyzed through a classification decision tree. For patients younger than 35 years old, those with less than 6 oocytes and those with 7–16 oocytes had a similar proportion of live births with fresh embryo transfer but higher than 16 oocytes (53.7% vs. 53.8% vs. 18.4%). Patients older than 35 years old had a similar proportion of live births with fresh embryo transfer (35.7% vs. 39.0%) to those younger than 35 years old, but the proportion of no live births after using up all embryos was higher than those younger than 35 years old (39.3% vs. 19.2%).

Conclusions

In PCOS patients, high CLBR can be obtained when the number of oocytes retrieved was 15 or more. The number of oocytes retrieved from 7 to 16 could achieve more chance of live birth after fresh embryo transfer.
The Role of Slit-2 in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Its Effect on Pregnancy Outcome
Authors: Wang Yan , Zhao Shihua , Peng Wei , Chen Ying , Chi Jingwei , Che Kui , Wang Yangang
Published: June 2022

Background

Slit guidance ligand 2 (Slit-2), as a member of the Slit family, can regulate the inflammatory response and glucose metabolism. The purpose of this study was to explore the expression of Slit-2 in maternal peripheral blood and neonatal cord blood of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) patients and its potential importance in disease progression.

Methods

This study included 57 healthy pregnant women and 61 GDM patients. The levels of Slit-2, C-reactive protein (CRP), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), C-peptide (C-P), galectin-3(Gal-3), HbA1c, fasting blood glucose (FBG) and fasting insulin (FINS) in maternal peripheral blood and neonatal cord blood were detected by ELISA. Spearman’s rank correlation test was used to assess the association between peripheral Slit-2 and inflammatory indicators, insulin resistance, and pregnancy outcomes. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors of GDM.

Results

Slit-2 levels in maternal peripheral blood and neonatal cord blood of the GDM patients were higher than those of the HC. Slit-2 levels in maternal peripheral blood and neonatal cord blood of the GDM patients were positively correlated with inflammatory factors CRP and MCP-1 levels. The level of Slit-2 in the maternal peripheral blood of the GDM patients was positively correlated with the level of homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and HbA1c in maternal peripheral blood, but was negatively correlated with the level of homeostasis model assessment –β (HOMA-β). We also found that the Slit-2 level in the maternal peripheral blood of the GDM patients was negatively correlated with neonatal blood glucose, positively correlated with neonatal weight and independent of neonatal total bilirubin.

Conclusion

Our study suggests that the abnormal increase in Slit-2 in GDM may be related to its pathogenesis, and it was correlated with neonatal blood glucose and weight in patients with GDM, suggesting that Slit-2 may be a potential biomarker of GDM.
Clinical Outcomes and Live Birth Rate Resulted From Microdissection Testicular Sperm Extraction With ICSI-IVF in Non-Obstructive Azoospermia: A Single-Center Cohort Study
Authors: Lan Yu , Zheng Haiyan , Fu Xin , Peng Tianwen , Liao Chen , Liu Jianan , Liu Min , An Geng
Published: June 2022

Background

Most of data available in the literature reported the sperm retrieval rate and limited intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) results of microdissection testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE) in non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) patients with different etiologies. Unfortunately, there is currently a lack of comprehensive data to guide clinicians in conducting comprehensive consultations with NOA patients.

Objectives

To obtain more comprehensive evidence-based data and clinical outcomes for better consultation of NOA patients who opted to undergo micro-TESE combined with ICSI-IVF

Methods

It was a retrospective study involved 968 NOA patients underwent micro-TESE during January 2015 to December 2019. Embryological, clinical, and live birth outcomes were demonstrated comprehensively and three kinds of stratification analyses were performed based on ICSI-IVF cycles using frozen and fresh sperm, different etiologies of NOA and various amounts of sperm retrieved.

Results

The sperm retrieval rate was 44.6%, and ICSI was performed in 299 couples leading to 150 clinical pregnancies and 140 live-birth deliveries. The clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) was 50.17%, and the cumulative live birth rate (LBR) was 46.82%, and the low birth defects rate was 1.43%. No significant difference was observed about cumulative LBR in frozen sperm group and fresh sperm group (47.5% vs 42.9%,P>0.05). NOA patients with AZFc microdeletions had the lowest rate of a high-score embryo on day 3 (4.4%,P<0.05) and the lowest cumulative LBR (19.4%,P<0.05). NOA patients with lower sperm count (having fewer than 20 sperms retrieved) had significantly lower cumulative LBR than those with higher sperm count (having more than 20 sperms retrieved) (28.1% vs 51.9%,P<0.05).

Conclusions

For those NOA patients who stepped in ICSI-IVF cycles, the cumulative LBR was 46.82%. No significant difference was indicated in the LBR between ICSI-IVF cycles using frozen or fresh testicular sperm. Compared to other etiologies, NOA caused by AZFc microdeletions have the poorest embryological and clinical outcomes. Patients with less testicular sperm retrieved have poorer embryological and clinical outcomes.
A Reliable Estimate of Visceral Fat Area From Simple Anthropometric Measurements in Chinese Overweight and Obese Individuals
Authors: Liu Hanying , Yang Di , Li Shaobo , Xiao Yunfeng , Tu Yinfang , Peng Danfeng , Bao Yuqian , Han Junfeng , Yu Haoyong
Published: June 2022

Objective

Visceral obesity, reflected by the amount of visceral adipose tissue (VAT), is associated with multiple chronic diseases and metabolic disorders. The visceral fat area (VFA), measured by MRI, is the ‘gold standard’ for diagnosis of visceral obesity. In this study, a simple model to predict VFA was constructed to facilitate the identification and monitoring of patients who are at high risk of visceral obesity.

Methods

The 721 overweight and obese participants were divided into two groups according to sex, then randomly assigned to derivation and validation cohorts in a 1:2 ratio. Data from the derivation group were used to construct a multiple linear regression model; data from the validation group were used to verify the validity of the model.

Results

The following prediction equations, applicable to both sexes, were developed based on age, waist circumference (WC) and neck circumference (NC) that exhibited strong correlations with the VFA: VFA=3.7×age+2.4×WC+5.5×NC-443.6 (R2 = 0.511, adjusted R2 = 0.481, for men) and VFA=2.8×age+1.7×WC+6.5×NC-367.3 (R2 = 0.442, adjusted R2 = 0.433, for women). The data demonstrated good fit for both sexes. A comparison of the predicted and actual VFA in the verification group confirmed the accuracy of the equations: for men, R2 = 0.489, adjusted R2 = 0.484 and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.653 (p < 0.001) and for women: R2 = 0.538, adjusted R2= 0.536 and ICC = 0.672 (p < 0.001). The actual and predicted VFAs also showed good agreement in a Bland-Altman plot, indicating the significant correlations of both equations with the actual VFA.

Conclusions

Based on readily available anthropometric data, VFA prediction equations consisting of age, WC and NC were developed. The equations are robust, with good predictive power in both sexes; they provide ideal tools for the early detection of visceral obesity in Chinese overweight and obese individuals.
Application of Indocyanine Green Angiography in Bilateral Axillo-Breast Approach Robotic Thyroidectomy for Papillary Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Ouyang Hui , Wang Baojia , Sun Botao , Cong Rong , Xia Fada , Li Xinying
Published: June 2022

Background

Indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) has been used to identify and preserve the parathyroid glands (PGs), and to evaluate PGs viability and function during thyroid surgery. However, evidence on the utilization of IGCA in thyroid cancer and robotic surgery is lacking. The efficacy of IGCA remains to be evaluated in PTC patients undergoing bilateral axillo-breast approach robotic thyroidectomy (BABA RT) and central neck dissection (CND).

Methods

From March 2020 to August 2021, 81 papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) patients receiving total thyroidectomy and CND were enrolled in this retrospective analysis. An intravenous bolus of 7.5 mg ICG was administrated three times in the ICGA group (n=34). Medical records were reviewed and analyzed, including the baseline characteristics, surgical parameters, PGs-related parameters, and perioperative PTH and calcium levels.

Results

The mean number of total identified PGs and preserved PGs were significantly more in the ICG group than in the control group (3.74 ± 0.45 vs. 3.15 ± 0.55, P<0.001; 3.12 ± 0.64 vs. 2.74 ± 0.57, P=0.007, respectively), as were PTH and calcium levels on POD 1 (23.16 ± 18.32 vs. 6.06 ± 7.74, P=0.039; 2.13 ± 0.11 vs. 2.08 ± 0.08, P=0.024, respectively). While there were no differences in PTH levels on POD 30. Additionally, patients with at least one well vascularized PG had higher ioPTH 3 and PTH on POD 1, which significantly suggested the absence of postoperative hypocalcemia. Although not statistically significant, ICGA seemed superior to relative ioPTH decline and ioPTH 3 in predicting postoperative hypocalcemia.

Conclusion

In PTC patients undergoing BABA RT and CND, ICGA is a simple, safe, effective, and cost-effective tool in better identification and preservation of PGs as well as evaluation of PGs viability and function, with the potential to preserve more PGs, guide more appropriate autotransplantation, and accurately predict postoperative hypocalcemia.
Metabolic Stress Impairs Pericyte Response to Optogenetic Stimulation in Pancreatic Islets
Authors: Michau Aurélien , Lafont Chrystel , Bargi-Souza Paula , Kemkem Yasmine , Guillou Anne , Ravier Magalie A. , Bertrand Gyslaine , Varrault Annie , Fiordelisio Tatiana , Hodson David J. , Mollard Patrice , Schaeffer Marie
Published: June 2022

Pancreatic islets are highly vascularized micro-organs ensuring whole body glucose homeostasis. Islet vascular cells play an integral part in sustaining adequate insulin release by beta cells. In particular, recent studies have demonstrated that islet pericytes regulate local blood flow velocity and are required for maintenance of beta cell maturity and function. In addition, increased metabolic demand accompanying obesity alters islet pericyte morphology. Here, we sought to explore the effects of metabolic stress on islet pericyte functional response to stimulation in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes, directly in the pancreas in vivo . We found that high fat diet induced islet pericyte hypertrophy without alterations in basal local blood flow. However, optogenetic stimulation of pericyte activity revealed impaired islet vascular responses, despite increased expression of genes encoding proteins directly or indirectly involved in cell contraction. These findings suggest that metabolic stress impinges upon islet pericyte function, which may contribute to beta cell failure during T2D.
A Multicenter Cohort Study in Patients With Primary Empty Sella: Hormonal and Neuroradiological Features Over a Long Follow-Up
Authors: Carosi Giulia , Brunetti Alessandro , Mangone Alessandra , Baldelli Roberto , Tresoldi Alberto , Del Sindaco Giulia , Lavezzi Elisabetta , Sala Elisa , Mungari Roberta , Fatti Letizia Maria , Galazzi Elena , Ferrante Emanuele , Indirli Rita , Biamonte Emilia , Arosio Maura , Cozzi Renato , Lania Andrea , Mazziotti Gherardo , Mantovani Giovanna
Published: June 2022

Objective

primary empty sella (PES) represents a frequent finding, but data on hormonal alterations are heterogeneous, and its natural history is still unclear. Our aim was to evaluate the pituitary function of patients with PES over a long follow-up.

Design

multicenter retrospective cohort study enrolling patients referred between 1984-2020 to five Pituitary Units, with neuroradiological confirmed PES and a complete hormonal assessment.

Methods

we analyzed hormonal (including basal and dynamic evaluations), clinical and neuroradiological data collected at diagnosis and at the last visit (at least 6 months of follow-up).

Results

we recruited 402 patients (females=63%, mean age=51.5 ± 16 years) with PES (partial, total, undefined in 66%, 13% and 21%, respectively). Hypopituitarism was present in 40.5% (hypogonadism=20.4%, hypoadrenalism=14.7%, growth hormone deficiency=14.7%, hypothyroidism=10.2%, diabetes insipidus=1.5%; multiple deficiencies=11.4%) and hypeprolactinemia in 6.5%. Interestingly, hormonal alterations were diagnosed in 29% of incidental PES. Hypopituitarism was associated with male sex (p=0.02), suspected endocrinopathy (p<0.001), traumatic brain injury (p=0.003) and not with age, BMI, number of pregnancies and neuroradiological grade. A longitudinal assessment was possible in 166/402 (median follow-up=58 months). In 5/166 (3%), new deficiencies occurred, whereas 14/166 (8.4%) showed a hormonal recovery. A progression from partial to total PES, which was found in 6/98 patients assessed with a second imaging, was the only parameter significantly related to the hormonal deterioration (p=0.006).

Conclusions

this is the largest cohort of patients with PES reported. Hypopituitarism is frequent (40%) but hormonal deterioration seems uncommon (3%). Patients need to be carefully evaluated at diagnosis, even if PES is incidentally discovered.
Associations of Uric Acid With Liver Steatosis and Fibrosis Applying Vibration Controlled Transient Elastography in the United States: A Nationwide Cross-Section Study
Authors: Duan Hualin , Zhang Rong , Chen Xingying , Yu Genfeng , Song Cheng , Jiang Yuqi , He Yajun , Wan Heng , Shen Jie
Published: June 2022

Background and objective

Serum uric acid (UA) is related to many metabolic diseases. However, the association of UA with liver diseases was not very clear. The objective of this study is to clarify the relationship of UA with liver steatosis and fibrosis.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study of 4364 people of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2018. Liver steatosis and fibrosis were assessed by controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) and liver stiffness measurements (LSM) using Vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE). Linear and logistic regressions were performed.

Results

After adjusting for potential confounders, UA levels were associated with the prevalence of liver steatosis [OR=2.097 (95%CI: 1.245, 3.534)] and liver fibrosis [OR=2.983 (95%CI: 1.797, 4.952)]. Furthermore, the results were consistent in the subgroup analyses of males and females.

Conclusions

UA levels were positively associated with the prevalence of liver steatosis and fibrosis.
Physical Factors and Microbubble Formation Explain Differences in CH4 Dynamics Between Shallow Lakes Under Alternative States
Authors: Baliña Sofia , Sánchez Maria Laura , del Giorgio Paul A.
Published: June 2022

Submerged macrophytes play a key role in maintaining clear vegetated states in shallow lakes, but their role on methane (CH4) dynamics is less explored. They might enhance methanogenesis by providing organic matter but they can also supply oxygen to the sediments increasing methanotrophy. They may also affect gas exchange by diminishing wind turbulence in the water column. We previously measured seasonal CO2 and CH4 partial pressure (pCO2 and pCH4) and diffusive fluxes from two clear vegetated and two turbid algal shallow lakes of the Pampean Plain, Argentina, and we reported that clear lakes had higher mean annual pCH4 despite states having similar mean annual CH4 diffusive flux. In this study we explore the contribution of physical and biological factors regulating surface pCH4. Mean annual CH4 diffusive fluxes and CH4 fraction of oxidation (Fox) were similar between states, implying a comparable mean annual CH4 input. kCH4 was significantly higher than kCO2, suggesting occurrence of CH4 microbubbles, yet kCH4 was higher in turbid lakes than in clear lakes, implying a higher microbubble formation in turbid lakes. Furthermore, in turbid lakes there were positive relationships between k and wind speed, and between k and pCH4, yet in clear lakes these relations were absent. Results suggest that submerged vegetation suppresses wind induced turbulence in clear vegetated lakes, decoupling kCH4 from wind and reducing microbubble formation, therefore augmenting pCH4 in their surface waters. Overall, physical rather than biological factors appear to control the observed differences in pCH4 between states.