bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CD90low glioma-associated mesenchymal stromal/stem cells promote temozolomide resistance by activating FOXS1-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition in glioma cells
Authors: Xue Bing-zhou , Xiang Wei , Zhang Qing , Wang Hao-fei , Zhou Yu-jie , Tian Han , Abdelmaksou Ahmed , Xue Jian , Sun Min-xuan , Yi Dong-ye , Xiong Nan-xiang , Jiang Xiao-bing , Zhao Hong-yang , Fu Peng
Published: July 2021

Background

The tumour microenvironment contributes to chemotherapy resistance in gliomas, and glioma-associated mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (gaMSCs) are important stromal cell components that play multiple roles in tumour progression. However, whether gaMSCs affect chemotherapy resistance to the first-line agent temozolomide (TMZ) remains unclear. Herein, we explored the effect and mechanism of gaMSCs on resistance to TMZ in glioma cells.

Methods

Human glioma cells (cell line U87MG and primary glioblastoma cell line GBM-1) were cultured in conditioned media of gaMSCs and further treated with TMZ. The proliferation, apoptosis and migration of glioma cells were detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), flow cytometry and wound-healing assays. The expression of FOXS1 in glioma cells was analysed by gene microarray, PCR and Western blotting. Then, FOXS1 expression in glioma cells was up- and downregulated by lentivirus transfection, and markers of the epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) process were detected. Tumour-bearing nude mice were established with different glioma cells and treated with TMZ to measure tumour size, survival time and Ki-67 expression. Finally, the expression of IL-6 in gaMSC subpopulations and its effects on FOXS1 expression in glioma cells were also investigated.

Results

Conditioned media of gaMSCs promoted the proliferation, migration and chemotherapy resistance of glioma cells. The increased expression of FOXS1 and activation of the EMT process in glioma cells under gaMSC-conditioned media were detected. The relationship of FOXS1, EMT and chemotherapy resistance in glioma cells was demonstrated through the regulation of FOXS1 expression in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, FOXS1 expression in glioma cells was increased by secretion of IL-6 mainly from the CD90low gaMSC subpopulation.

Conclusions

CD90low gaMSCs could increase FOXS1 expression in glioma cells by IL-6 secretion, thereby activating epithelial-mesenchymal transition and resistance to TMZ in glioma cells. These results indicate a new role of gaMSCs in chemotherapy resistance and provide novel therapeutic targets.
Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells improve the function of liver in rats with acute-on-chronic liver failure via downregulating Notch and Stat1/Stat3 signaling
Authors: He Yulin , Guo Xingrong , Lan Tingyu , Xia Jianbo , Wang Jinsong , Li Bei , Peng Chunyan , Chen Yue , Hu Xiang , Meng Zhongji
Published: July 2021

Background

Effective treatments for acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) are lacking. Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) have been applied in tissue regeneration and repair, acting through paracrine effects, cell fusion, and actual transdifferentiation. The present study was designed to investigate the therapeutic potential of hUC-MSCs in acute-on-chronic liver injury (ACLI) and ACLF rat models.

Methods

Wistar rats aged 6 weeks were intraperitoneally administered porcine serum (PS) at a dose of 0.5 mL twice per week for 11 weeks to generate an immune liver fibrosis model. After 11 weeks, rats with immune liver fibrosis were injected intravenously with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce an ACLI model or combined LPS and D-galactosamine (D-GalN) to induce an ACLF model. The rats with ACLI or ACLF were injected intravenously with 2×106 hUC-MSCs, 4×106 hUC-MSCs, or 0.9% sodium chloride as a control. The rats were sacrificed at 1, 2, 4, and 6 weeks (ACLI rats) or 4, 12, and 24 h (ACLF rats). The blood and liver tissues were collected for biochemical and histological investigation.

Results

The application of hUC-MSCs in rats with ACLI and ACLF led to a significant decrease in the serum levels of ALT, AST, TBil, DBil, ALP, ammonia, and PT, with ALB gradually returned to normal levels. Inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen fiber deposition in liver tissues were significantly attenuated in ACLI rats that received hUC-MSCs. Inflammatory cell infiltration and apoptosis in liver tissues of ACLF rats that received hUC-MSCs were significantly attenuated. Compared with those in the rats that received 0.9% sodium chloride, a significant reduction in proinflammatory cytokine levels and elevated serum levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) were found in ACLF rats that received hUC-MSCs. Furthermore, Notch, IFN-γ/Stat1, and IL-6/Stat3 signaling were inhibited in ACLI/ACLF rats that received hUC-MSCs.

Conclusions

hUC-MSC transplantation can improve liver function, the degree of fibrosis, and liver damage and promote liver repair in rats with ACLI or ACLF, mediated most likely by inhibiting Notch signaling and reversing the imbalance of the Stat1/Stat3 pathway.
A focus on allogeneic mesenchymal stromal cells as a versatile therapeutic tool for treating multiple sclerosis
Authors: Shokati Ameneh , Naser Moghadasi Abdorreza , Nikbakht Mohsen , Sahraian Mohammad Ali , Mousavi Seyed Asadollah , Ai Jafar
Published: July 2021

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a central nervous system (CNS) chronic illness with autoimmune, inflammatory, and neurodegenerative effects characterized by neurological disorder and axonal loss signs due to myelin sheath autoimmune T cell attacks. Existing drugs, including disease-modifying drugs (DMD), help decrease the intensity and frequency of MS attacks, inflammatory conditions, and CNS protection from axonal damage. As they cannot improve axonal repair and show side effects, new therapeutic options are required. In this regard, due to their neuroprotection properties, immunomodulatory effects, and the ability to differentiate into neurons, the transplantation of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) can be used for MS therapy. The use of adipose-derived MSCs (AdMSCs) or autologous bone marrow MSCs (BMSCs) has demonstrated unexpected effects including the invasive and painful isolation method, inadequate amounts of bone marrow (BM) stem cells, the anti-inflammatory impact reduction of AdMSCs that are isolated from fat patients, and the cell number and differentiation potential decrease with an increase in the age of BMSCs donor. Researchers have been trying to search for alternate tissue sources for MSCs, especially fetal annexes, which could offer a novel therapeutic choice for MS therapy due to the limitation of low cell yield and invasive collection methods of autologous MSCs. The transplantation of MSCs for MS treatment is discussed in this review. Finally, it is suggested that allogeneic sources of MSCs are an appealing alternative to autologous MSCs and could hence be a potential novel solution to MS therapy.
Multi-source and multi-fault condition monitoring based on parallel factor analysis and sequential probability ratio test
Authors: Yang Liu , Chen Hanxin , Ke Yao , Li Menglong , Huang Lang , Miao Yuzhuo
Published: July 2021

The monitoring of mechanical equipment systems contains an increasing number of complex content, expanding from traditional time, and frequency information to three-dimensional data of the time, space, and frequency information, and even higher-dimensional data containing subjects, experimental conditions. For high-dimensional data analysis, traditional decomposition methods such as Hilbert transform, fast Fourier transformation, and Gabor transformation not only lose the integrity of the data, but also increase the amount of calculation and introduce a lot of redundant information. The phenomenon of feature coupling, aliasing, and redundancy between the mechanical multi-source data signals will cause the inaccuracy of the evaluation, diagnosis, and prediction of industrial production operation status. The analysis of the three-way tensor composed of channel, frequency, and time is called parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). The properties between the parallel factor analysis results and the input signals are studied through simulation experiments. Parallel factor analysis is used to decompose the third-order tensor composed of channel-time-frequency after continuous wavelet transformation of vibration signal into channel, time, and frequency characteristics. Multi-scale parallel factor analysis successfully extracted non-linear multi-dimensional dynamic fault characteristics by generating the spatial, spectral, time-domain signal loading value and three-dimensional fault characteristic expression. In order to verify the effectiveness of the space, frequency, and time domain signal loading values of the fault characteristic factors generated by the centrifugal pump system after parallel factor analysis, the characteristic factors obtained after parallel factor analysis are used as the SPRT test sequence for identification and verification. The results indicate that the method proposed in this article improves the measurement accuracy and intelligence of mechanical fault detection.
Nesting attempts and success of Arctic-breeding geese can be derived with high precision from accelerometry and GPS-tracking
Authors: Schreven Kees H. T. , Stolz Christian , Madsen Jesper , Nolet Bart A.
Published: July 2021

Sensors, such as accelerometers, in tracking devices allow for detailed bio-logging to understand animal behaviour, even in remote places where direct observation is difficult. To study breeding in birds remotely, one needs to understand how to recognise a breeding event from tracking data, and ideally validate this by direct observation. We tagged 49 adult female pink-footed geese (Anser brachyrhynchus) with transmitter neckbands in Finland in spring of 2018 and 2019, and in Svalbard in summer 2018, and validated inferences from tracking by field observations of nesting sites and family status in 2018–2020 (54 spring–summer tracks). We estimated nesting locations by taking the median coordinates of GPS-fixes at which the goose was motionless (overall dynamic body acceleration, ODBA  <  1) on days with a daily median ODBA  <  1, which approached the real nesting locations closely (within 1.6–3.7 m,n =  6). The start of nesting was defined as the first day on which the goose spent  >  75% of time within 50 m of the nest, because nest site attendances steeply increased within one day to above this threshold. Nesting duration (number of consecutive days with  >  75% nest site attendance) ranged between 3 and 44 days (n =  28), but was 30–34 days in confirmed successful nests (n = 9). The prolonged nesting of 39–44 days (n = 3) suggested incubation on unhatchable egg(s). Nest losses before hatching time occurred mostly in day 3–10 and 23–29 of nesting, periods with an increased frequency of nest site recesses. As alternative method, allowing for non-simultaneous GPS and accelerometer data, we show that nesting days were classified with 98.6% success by two general characteristics of breeding: low body motion (daily median ODBA) and low geographic mobility (daily SD of latitude). Median coordinates on nesting days approached real nest sites closely (within 0.8–3.6 m,n =  6). When considering only geographic mobility (allowing for GPS data only) nesting locations were similarly accurate, but some short nesting attempts were undetected and non-breeding tracks misclassified. We show that nesting attempts, as short as 3 days, and nesting success can be detected remotely with good precision using GPS-tracking and accelerometry. Our method may be generalised to other (precocial) bird species with similar incubation behaviour.
Review of eating disorders and oxytocin receptor polymorphisms
Authors: Burmester Victoria , Nicholls Dasha , Buckle Alexis , Stanojevic Boban , Crous-Bou Marta
Published: July 2021

Background and aims

Oxytocin, a nine amino acid peptide synthesised in the hypothalamus, has been widely recognised for its role in anxiolysis, bonding, sociality, and appetite. It binds to the oxytocin receptor (OXTR)—a G-protein coupled receptor—that is stimulated by the actions of oestrogen both peripherally and centrally. Studies have implicated OXTR genotypes in conferring either a risk or protective effect in autism, schizophrenia, and eating disorders (ED). There are numerous DNA variations of this receptor, with the most common DNA variation being in the form of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Two OXTR SNPs have been most studied in relation to ED: rs53576 and rs2254298. Each SNP has the same allelic variant that produces genotypes AA, AG, and GG. In this critical review we will evaluate the putative role of rs53576 and rs2254298 SNPs in ED. Additionally, this narrative review will consider the role of gene-environment interactions in the development of ED pathology.

Findings

The OXTR SNPs rs53576 and rs2254298 show independent associations between the A allele and restrictive eating behaviours. Conversely, the G allele of the OXTR rs53576 SNP is associated with binging behaviours, findings that were also evident in neuroanatomy. One study found the A allele of both OXTR SNPs to confer risk for more severe ED symptomatology while the G allele conferred some protective effect. An interaction between poor maternal care and rs2254298 AG/AA genotype conferred increased risk for binge eating and purging in women.

Conclusions

Individual OXTR SNP are unlikely in themselves to explain complex eating disorders but may affect the expression of and/or effectiveness of the OXTR. A growing body of G x E work is indicating that rs53576G homozygosity becomes disadvantageous for later mental health under early adverse conditions but further research to extend these findings to eating pathology is needed. The GWAS approach would benefit this area of knowledge.
Advances in chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Yin Zixun , Zhang Ya , Wang Xin
Published: July 2021

B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) is a group of heterogeneous disease which remains incurable despite developments of standard chemotherapy regimens and new therapeutic agents in decades. Some individuals could have promising response to standard therapy while others are unresponsive to standard chemotherapy or relapse after autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (ASCT), which indicates the necessity to develop novel therapies for refractory or relapsed B-NHLs. In recent years, a novel cell therapy, chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR-T), was invented to overcome the limitation of traditional treatments. Patients with aggressive B-NHL are considered for CAR-T cell therapy when they have progressive lymphoma after second-line chemotherapy, relapse after ASCT, or require a third-line therapy. Clinical trials of anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy have manifested encouraging efficacy in refractory or relapsed B-NHL. However, adverse effects of this cellular therapy including cytokine release syndrome, neurotoxicity, tumor lysis syndrome and on-target, off-tumor toxicities should attract our enough attention despite the great anti-tumor effects of CAR-T cell therapy. Although CAR-T cell therapy has shown remarkable results in patients with B-NHL, the outcomes of patients with B-NHL were inferior to patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The inferior response rate may be associated with physical barrier of lymphoma, tumor microenvironment and low quality of CAR-T cells manufactured from B-NHL patients. Besides, some patients relapsed after anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy, which possibly were due to limited CAR-T cells persistence, CD19 antigen escape or antigen down-regulation. Quite a few new antigen-targeted CAR-T products and new-generation CAR-T, for example, CD20-targeted CAR-T, CD79b-targeted CAR-T, CD37-targeted CAR-T, multi-antigen-targeted CAR-T, armored CAR-T and four-generation CAR-T are developing rapidly to figure out these deficiencies.
Development of the Departmental Climate around Teaching (DCaT) survey: neither psychological collective climate nor departmental collective climate predicts STEM faculty’s instructional practices
Authors: Shi Lu , Stains Marilyne
Published: July 2021

Background

Investigations into drivers and barriers to the uptake of learner-centered instructional practices in STEM courses have identified the climate within a department as a potential influential factor. However, few studies have explored the relationship between adoption of learner-centered instructional practices and departmental climate around teaching. Moreover, surveys that have been designed to measure climate around teaching have been focused on measuring individual faculty member’s description of their colleagues’ perceptions of the climate within their department (psychological collective climate) and ignored whether there was a consensus among respondents within the same department on these descriptions. This latter measure (departmental collective climate) is best aligned with the definition of organizational climate. There is thus a need to explore whether departmental climate measured at the individual or collective level relate to the use of learner-centered instructional practices.

Results

This study demonstrates that the Departmental Climate around Teaching (DCaT) survey provides valid and reliable data that can be used to measure psychological collective climate within a STEM department. Analysis of the 166 faculty members who responded to the survey indicated that (1) four different types of psychological collective climate existed among our population and (2) multiple types could be present within the same STEM department. Moreover, it showed that measuring departmental collective climate is challenging as few constructs measured by the DCaT survey reached high level of consensus within faculty members from the same department. Finally, the analysis found no relationship between psychological collective climate and the level of use of learner-centered instructional practices.

Conclusions

Results from the validation studies conducted on the DCaT survey that most elements that define a climate (e.g., policies, practices, expectations) are lacking when it comes to teaching. These findings could explain the challenges experienced in this study in measuring departmental collective climate. Without these climate elements, faculty members are left to work autonomously with little expectations for growth in their instructional practices. Establishing policies, practices, and expectations with respect to teaching is thus an essential step toward instructional change at a departmental level.
Strawberry agro-industrial by-products as a source of bioactive compounds: effect of cultivar on the phenolic profile and the antioxidant capacity
Authors: Villamil-Galindo Esteban , Van de Velde Franco , Piagentini Andrea M.
Published: July 2021

The post-harvest processing of strawberries generates considerable amounts of by-products that consist of the inedible parts of the fruit (sepal, calyx, stem, and non-marketable portion of the fruit), which is an environmental problem for local producers and industries. This study aimed to revalue these kinds of tissues through identifying and quantifying the genotype influence on the total phenolic content, phenolic profile, and the antioxidant activity of the by-products from three strawberry cultivars: ‘Festival’ (FE), ‘San Andreas ‘ (SA), and ‘Camino Real’ (CR). The total phenolic content was determined by the Folin–Ciocalteu method, in-vitro antioxidant activity by the DPPH* radical scavenging method and the phenolic profile by PAD–HPLC. The different genotypes showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in total phenolic content (TPC), FE being the one with the highest TPC (14.97 g of gallic acid equivalents < GAE > /Kg of by-product < R >), followed by SA and CR cultivars. The antioxidant capacity of the SA and FE tissues were similar (p > 0.05) and higher (15.1–16.3 mmol Trolox equivalents < TE > /Kg R) than CR. Eight main phenolic compounds were identified and quantified on the three cultivars. Agrimoniin was the principal polyphenol (0.38–1.56 g/Kg R), and the cultivar FE had the highest concentration. This compound showed the highest correlation coefficient with the antioxidant capacity (R2 0.87; p < 0.001). This study highlighted the impact of the multi-cultivar systems in strawberry production on the bioactive potential and the diversity of secondary metabolites obtained from strawberry agro-industrial by-products at a low cost.
Association between milk and yogurt intake and mortality: a community-based cohort study (Yamagata study)
Authors: Nakanishi Akiko , Homma Erika , Osaki Tsukasa , Sho Ri , Souri Masayoshi , Sato Hidenori , Watanabe Masafumi , Ishizawa Kenichi , Ueno Yoshiyuki , Kayama Takamasa , Konta Tsuneo
Published: July 2021

Background

Dairy products are known as health-promoting foods. This study prospectively examined the association between milk and yogurt intake and mortality in a community-based population.

Methods

The study population comprised of 14,264 subjects aged 40–74 years who participated in an annual health checkup. The frequency of yogurt and milk intake was categorized as none (< 1/month), low (< 1/week), moderate (1–6/week), and high (> 1/day) intake. The association between yogurt and milk intake and total, cardiovascular, and cancer-related mortalities was determined using the Cox proportional hazards model.

Results

During the follow-up period, there were 265 total deaths, 40 cardiovascular deaths and 90 cancer-related deaths. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that the total mortality in high/moderate/low yogurt intake and moderate/low milk intake groups was lower than that in none group (log-rank, P < 0.01). In the multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis adjusted for possible confounders, the hazard ratio (HR) for total mortality significantly decreased in high/moderate yogurt intake group (HR: 0.62, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.42–0.91 for high intake, HR: 0.70, 95%CI: 0.49–0.99 for moderate intake) and moderate milk intake group (HR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.46–0.97) compared with the none yogurt and milk intake groups. A similar association was observed for cancer-related mortality, but not for cardiovascular mortality.

Conclusions

Our study showed that yogurt and milk intake was independently associated with a decrease in total and cancer-related mortalities in the Japanese population.
Successive perioperative management of laparoscopic liver resection in the reverse Trendelenburg position for a patient with Fontan physiology: a case report
Authors: Saito Kazutomo , Toyama Hiroaki , Saito Moeka , Yamauchi Masanori
Published: July 2021

Background

Laparoscopic surgery for a patient with Fontan physiology is challenging because pneumoperitoneum and positive pressure ventilation could decrease venous return and the accumulated partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO2) could increase pulmonary vascular resistance, which might lead to disruption of the hemodynamics.

Case presentation

A 25-year-old man with Fontan physiology was scheduled to undergo laparoscopic liver resection for Fontan-associated liver disease (FALD) with noninvasive monitoring of cardiac output (CO) by transpulmonary thermodilution in addition to transesophageal echocardiography. The abdominal air pressure was maintained low, and we planned to switch to open abdominal surgery promptly if hemodynamic instability became apparent because of the accumulated PaCO2 or postural change. Consequently, the pneumoperitoneum had limited influence on circulatory dynamics, but central venous pressure significantly decreased with postural change to the reverse Trendelenburg position. Laparoscopic liver resection for FALD was performed successfully with no significant changes in CO and central venous saturation.

Conclusions

With strict circulation management, laparoscopic surgery for a patient with Fontan physiology can be performed safely. Comprehensive hemodynamic assessment by noninvasive transpulmonary thermodilution can provide valuable information to determine the time for shift to open abdominal surgery.
Annual dialysis data report of the 2018 JSDT Renal Data Registry: dementia, performance status, and exercise habits
Authors: Nitta Kosaku , Nakai Shigeru , Masakane Ikuto , Hanafusa Norio , Goto Shunsuke , Taniguchi Masatomo , Hasegawa Takeshi , Wada Atsushi , Hamano Takayuki , Hoshino Junichi , Joki Nobuhiko , Yamamoto Keichi , Miura Kenichiro , Abe Masanori , Nakamoto Hidetomo ,   on behalf of Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy Renal Data Registry Committee, Maeno Kazuyuki , Kawata Tetsuya , Oyama Chikara , Seino Koji , Sato Toshinobu , Sato Shigeru , Ito Minoru , Kazama Junichiro , Ueda Atsushi , Saito Osamu , Ando Tetsuo , Ogawa Tomonari , Kumagai Hiroo , Terawaki Hiroyuki , Ando Ryoichi , Abe Masaki , Kashiwagi Tetsuya , Hamada Chieko , Shibagaki Yugo , Hirawa Nobuhito , Shimada Hisaki , Ishida Yoichi , Yokoyama Hitoshi , Miyazaki Ryoichi , Fukasawa Mizuya , Kamijyo Yuji , Matsuoka Teppei , Kato Akihiko , Mori Noriko , Ito Yasuhiko , Kasuga Hirotake , Koyabu Sukenari , Arimura Tetsuro , Hashimoto Tetsuya , Inaba Masaaki , Hayashi Terumasa , Yamakawa Tomoyuki , Nishi Shinichi , Fujimori Akira , Yoneda Tatsuo , Negi Shigeo , Nakaoka Akihisa , Ito Takafumi , Sugiyama Hitoshi , Masaki Takao , Nitta Yutaka , Okada Kazuyoshi , Yamanaka Masahito , Kan Masaharu , Ota Kazumichi , Tamura Masahito , Mitsuiki Koji , Ikeda Yuji , Nishikido Masaharu , Miyata Akira , Tomo Tadashi , Fujimoto Shoichi , Nosaki Tsuyoshi , Oshiro Yoshinori
Published: July 2021

According to the annual survey of the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy Renal Data Registry (JRDR) conducted at the end of 2018, there were a total of 339,841 patients receiving dialysis (hereinafter, dialysis patients) in Japan. The survey included questions regarding the presence/absence of dementia, the performance status (PS), and the exercise habits of individual patients. The survey revealed that 10.8% of all dialysis patients had dementia (1.8% in the age group of less than 65 years, 6.8% in the age group of 65–74 years, and 22.7% in the age group of 75 years or older). These prevalences of dementia were approximately equal to those estimated from the survey conducted in 2010. Regarding PS, the percentage of patients with lower activity levels tended to be relatively high among patients who were less than 15 years old and those who were 60 years old or older. Concerning the exercise habits of dialysis patients, the percentage of patients who were classified as “not at all or hardly” in response to the question about exercise habit was the highest (60–80%) of all the exercise habit classifications in each of the age groups analyzed.
Exploring the effect of three scaffoldings on the collaborative problem-solving processes in China’s higher education
Authors: Ouyang Fan , Chen Zixuan , Cheng Mengting , Tang Zifan , Su Chien-Yuan
Published: July 2021

Collaborative problem-solving (CPS) engages students in solving ill-structured problems, creating group knowledge, and developing self-regulation and collaboration skills. Different scaffoldings, such as minimal-guided, task-oriented, and idea-oriented, can be used to facilitate students’ CPS activities, but their effects have not been comprehensively explored. In this research, we use minimally-guided, task-oriented, and idea-oriented scaffoldings to promote Chinese university students’ online CPS activities and use a multi-method approach to analyze the effects of three scaffolding on collaboration. The results indicate relatively complicated collaborative processes and outcomes supported by three scaffoldings. It is initially shown that the idea-centered scaffolding strengthens students’ connections between idea contribution, metacognitive regulation, and knowledge artifact behaviors, which are critical factors for improving the CPS quality. Based on the empirical research results, we conclude that future instructional design should carefully consider the educational culture, time constraint, and student regulation to better facilitate CPS practices.
The role of appendectomy in the development of Parkinson’s disease: a retrospective study in a teaching hospital in Jordan
Authors: Dahbour Said Salah , Subuh Aseel , Haddad Rama , Al-Samardali Tulay , Dahbour Aladdin
Published: July 2021

Background

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative brain disease related to the accumulation of an abnormally aggregated alpha-synuclein protein. A hypothesis was presumed that this protein will be transported retrogradely from the gastrointestinal tract ultimately leading to the disease. Various epidemiologic studies have shown conflicting results. This study reports the prevalence of appendectomy in Jordanian parkinsonian patients and compares it to controls seen at one major teaching hospital in Jordan. This is a retrospective study of 266 patients compared to a control group of 500 patients randomly selected from the hospital. The prevalence of appendectomy in the 2 groups was studied.

Results

The rate of appendectomy in patients and controls was 26/266 (9.8%) and 27/500 (5.4%), respectively (relative risk 1.30, odds ratio 1.81, χ2, p = 0.026). Appendectomy in the patients was independent of gender (χ2, p = 0.297). Also, there was no difference in patients with and without appendectomy regarding their age, age at diagnosis of PD, and duration of use of levodopa (p = 0.827, 0.960, and 0.688, respectively, Student t test). The mean duration from appendectomy to the diagnosis of the disease varied widely 23 ± 18.7 years, range −12–59 years.

Conclusions

Appendectomy occurred significantly more frequent in patients with Parkinson’s disease than in control. There was no difference regarding the age of onset of disease in the patients with and without appendectomy. Though the appendix in this study seems to have a protective role against the development of the disease, the relationship is quite complex requiring prospective in-depth evaluation.
Delayed post-traumatic stress and memory inflation of life-threatening events following a natural disaster: prospective study
Authors: Heir Trond , Hussain Ajmal , Kristensen Pål , Weisæth Lars
Published: July 2021

Background

The causes of delayed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are debated, and the validity of late-onset PTSD has been questioned.

Aims

We aimed to examine predictors of delayed PTSD in a community sample of survivors of a natural disaster.

Method

Norwegian survivors of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami (n = 532) responded to a questionnaire at 6 and 24 months post-disaster. The questionnaire measured PTSD symptoms, recalled exposure and immediate stress responses to the disaster, recalled perceived life threat, personality dimensions, social support and other subsequent adverse life events.

Results

When dichotomising PTSD symptom scores, 331 participants had low and 194 had high PTSD scores (early-onset PTSD) at 6 months. Of those with initially low scores, 43 (13.0%) had high symptom scores (delayed PTSD) at 24 months. The delayed PTSD group had a lower degree of initially assessed threat and witness experiences of death or suffering, lower immediate stress response and higher degree of memory inflation of perceived threat than the early-onset PTSD group. Among those with low PTSD scores at 6 months, onset of delayed PTSD was associated with neuroticism and memory inflation of life threat, but not with the degree of initially assessed disaster exposure or reports of subsequent adverse life events.

Conclusions

Lack of association between trauma exposure and delayed onset of PTSD symptoms casts doubt on whether the traumatic event is actually the primary causative factor for delayed PTSD. Our findings suggest that delayed PTSD may be a manifestation of personality factors and memory inflation of the severity of an event.
Pregnancy-specific Adaptations in Leptin and Melanocortin Neuropeptides in Early Human Gestation
Authors: Andrikopoulou Maria , Panigrahi Sunil K , Jaconia Giselle D , Gyamfi-Bannerman Cynthia , Smiley Richard M , Page-Wilson Gabrielle
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Pregnancy is characterized by increased appetitive drive beginning early in gestation, yet the central mechanisms underlying this adaptation are poorly understood in humans. To elucidate central mechanisms underlying appetite regulation in early pregnancy, we examine plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leptin and Agouti-related peptide (AgRP) as well as CSF proopiomelanocortin (POMC) as surrogates for brain melanocortin activity.

Methods

Plasma leptin, soluble leptin receptor, AgRP, and CSF leptin, POMC, and AgRP were collected from pregnant women before cerclage placement (16.6 ± 1.1 weeks; N = 24), scheduled cesarean section (39.2 ± 0.2 weeks; N = 24), and from nonpregnant controls (N = 24), matched for age and body mass index.

Results

Plasma leptin was 1.5 times higher in pregnancy vs controls (P = 0.01), but CSF leptin did not differ. CSF/plasma leptin percentage was lower in early pregnancy vs controls (0.8 ± 0.1 vs 1.7 ± 0.2; P < 0.0001) and remained unchanged at term (0.9 ± 0.1), supporting a decrease in leptin transport into CSF in pregnancy. Plasma AgRP, a peripheral biomarker of the orexigenic hypothalamic neuropeptide, was higher in early pregnancy vs controls (95.0 ± 7.8 vs 67.5 ± 5.3; P = 0.005). In early gestation, CSF AgRP did not differ from controls, but CSF POMC was 25% lower (P = 0.006). In contrast, at term, CSF AgRP was 42% higher vs controls (P = 0.0001), but CSF POMC no longer differed. Overall, the CSF AgRP/POMC ratio was 1.5-fold higher in early pregnancy vs controls, reflecting a decrease in melanocortin tone favoring appetitive drive.

Conclusions

Pregnancy-specific adaptions in the central regulation of energy balance occur early in human gestation and are consistent with decreased leptin transport into brain and resistance to the effects of leptin on target melanocortin neuropeptides.
Maternal Metabolites Associated With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and a Postpartum Disorder of Glucose Metabolism
Authors: Liu Yu , Kuang Alan , Bain James R , Muehlbauer Michael J , Ilkayeva Olga R , Lowe Lynn P , Metzger Boyd E , Newgard Christopher B , Scholtens Denise M , Lowe William L
Published: July 2021

Context

Gestational diabetes is associated with a long-term risk of developing a disorder of glucose metabolism. However, neither the metabolic changes characteristic of gestational diabetes in a large, multi-ancestry cohort nor the ability of metabolic changes during pregnancy, beyond glucose levels, to identify women at high risk for progression to a disorder of glucose metabolism has been examined.

Objective

This work aims to identify circulating metabolites present at approximately 28 weeks’ gestation associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and development of a disorder of glucose metabolism 10 to 14 years later.

Methods

Conventional clinical and targeted metabolomics analyses were performed on fasting and 1-hour serum samples following a 75-g glucose load at approximately 28 weeks’ gestation from 2290 women who participated in the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome (HAPO) Study. Postpartum metabolic traits included fasting and 2-hour plasma glucose following a 75-g glucose load, insulin resistance estimated by the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, and disorders of glucose metabolism (prediabetes and type 2 diabetes) during the HAPO Follow-Up Study.

Results

Per-metabolite analyses identified numerous metabolites, ranging from amino acids and carbohydrates to fatty acids and lipids, before and 1-hour after a glucose load that were associated with GDM as well as development of a disorder of glucose metabolism and metabolic traits 10 to 14 years post partum. A core group of fasting and 1-hour metabolites mediated, in part, the relationship between GDM and postpartum disorders of glucose metabolism, with the fasting and 1-hour metabolites accounting for 15.7% (7.1%-30.8%) and 35.4% (14.3%-101.0%) of the total effect size, respectively. For prediction of a postpartum disorder of glucose metabolism, the addition of circulating fasting or 1-hour metabolites at approximately 28 weeks’ gestation showed little improvement in prediction performance compared to clinical factors alone.

Conclusion

The results demonstrate an association of multiple metabolites with GDM and postpartum metabolic traits and begin to define the underlying pathophysiology of the transition from GDM to a postpartum disorder of glucose metabolism.
In1-Ghrelin Splicing Variant as a Key Element in the Pathophysiological Association Between Obesity and Prostate Cancer
Authors: Jiménez-Vacas Juan M , Montero-Hidalgo Antonio J , Gómez-Gómez Enrique , Fuentes-Fayos Antonio C , Ruiz-Pino Francisco , Guler Ipek , Camargo Antonio , Anglada Francisco J , Carrasco-Valiente Julia , Tena-Sempere Manuel , Sarmento-Cabral André , Castaño Justo P , Gahete Manuel D , Luque Raúl M
Published: July 2021

Context

Recent studies emphasize the importance of considering the metabolic status to develop personalized medicine approaches. This is especially relevant in prostate cancer (PCa), wherein the diagnostic capability of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) dramatically drops when considering patients with PSA levels ranging from 3 to 10 ng/mL, the so-called grey zone. Hence, additional noninvasive diagnostic and/or prognostic PCa biomarkers are urgently needed, especially in the metabolic-status context.

Objective

To assess the potential relation of urine In1-ghrelin (a ghrelin-splicing variant) levels with metabolic-related/pathological conditions (eg, obesity, diabetes, body mass index, insulin and glucose levels) and to define its potential clinical value in PCa (diagnostic/prognostic capacity) and relationship with PCa risk in patients with PSA in the grey zone.

Methods

Urine In1-ghrelin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in a clinically, metabolically, pathologically well-characterized cohort of patients without (n = 397) and with (n = 213) PCa with PSA in the grey zone.

Results

Key obesity-related factors associated with PCa risk (BMI, diabetes, glucose and insulin levels) were strongly correlated to In1-ghrelin levels. Importantly, In1-ghrelin levels were higher in PCa patients compared to control patients with suspect of PCa but negative biopsy). Moreover, high In1-ghrelin levels were associated with increased PCa risk and linked to PCa aggressiveness (eg, tumor stage, lymphovascular invasion). In1-ghrelin levels added significant diagnostic value to a clinical model consisting of age, suspicious digital rectal exam, previous biopsy, and PSA levels. Furthermore, a multivariate model consisting of clinical and metabolic variables, including In1-ghrelin levels, showed high specificity and sensitivity to diagnose PCa (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.740).

Conclusions

Urine In1-ghrelin levels are associated with obesity-related factors and PCa risk and aggressiveness and could represent a novel and valuable noninvasive PCa biomarker, as well as a potential link in the pathophysiological relationship between obesity and PCa.
Prescribing cascades in community-dwelling adults: protocol for a systematic review
Authors: Doherty Ann , Moriarty Frank , Boland Fiona , Clyne Barbara , Fahey Tom , Kennelly Seán , Wallace Emma
Published: July 2021

Introduction: Internationally, health systems face the challenge of managing a growing ageing population living with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. Potentially inappropriate prescribing is common among patients with polypharmacy, increasing the risk for adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Several prescribing indicator sets exist to improve prescribing and reduce potentially inappropriate prescribing, but do not address prescribing cascades. Prescribing cascades occur when a medication is prescribed to treat an ADR to another prescribed medication, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and constitute an important area to consider when characterising problematic polypharmacy. This is a protocol for a systematic review examining prescribing cascades in community-dwelling adults.

Methods: The review will be reported adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A systematic search of Medline (Ovid), EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library will be conducted from inception to March 2021, using a predetermined strategy. Grey literature will be searched using Open Grey, MedNar, Dart Europe, and the Turning Research Into Practice (TRIP) databases. No restrictions will be placed on language or publication year. Inclusion criteria are: population - community-dwelling adults (≥18 years), including those in residential or nursing homes; risk - prescription medication with the potential to cause side effects; outcomes - initiation of a new medicine to ‘treat’ or reduce the risk of experiencing an ADR. Prospective and retrospective cohort studies, case control and case series studies will be included. Two reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts; studies meeting inclusion criteria will undergo independent full-text screening by two reviewers.  A narrative synthesis will be conducted. Study quality will be independently assessed using the relevant Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist.

Discussion: This systematic review will identify examples of prescribing cascades for community-dwelling adults and contribute to developing an evidence base regarding such cascades.

Registration: PROSPERO [CRD42021243163, 31/03/2021].
Effects of iron intake on neurobehavioural outcomes in African children: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Mutua Agnes M. , Mwangi Kelvinson , Abubakar Amina , Atkinson Sarah H.
Published: July 2021

Background:Iron deficiency and developmental delay are common in African children. While experimental studies indicate an important role of iron in brain development, effects of iron on child development remain unclear. We aimed to evaluate the effects of iron supplementation or fortification on neurobehavioural outcomes in African children and further summarise these effects in children living in non-African countries for comparison.

Methods:We searched PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Scopus and Cochrane Library for studies published up to 9thMarch 2021. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating effects of iron supplementation or fortification on neurobehavioural outcomes in children. Due to heterogeneity in study methods, we analysed the studies qualitatively and only seven RCTs with 11 arms were meta-analysed.

Results:We identified 2155 studies and included 34 studies (n=9808) in the systematic review. Only five studies (n=1294) included African children while 29 (n=8514) included children living in non-African countries. Of the five African studies, two (n=647) reported beneficial effects of iron supplementation on neurobehavioural outcomes in anaemic children while three (n=647) found no beneficial effects. Of 29 studies in children living in non-African countries, nine (n=2925) reported beneficial effects of iron supplementation or fortification on neurobehavioural outcomes, seven (n=786) reported beneficial effects only in children who had iron deficiency, iron deficiency anaemia or anaemia while 13 (n=4803) reported no beneficial effects. Meta-analysis of seven studies (n=775) in non-African countries showed no beneficial effects of iron supplementation on cognitive or motor development in children.

Conclusions:There are few studies in African children despite the high burden of iron deficiency and developmental delay in this population. Evidence on the effects of iron supplementation on neurobehavioural outcomes remains unclear and there is need for further well-powered studies evaluating these effects in African populations.

PROSPERO registration:CRD42018091278 (20/03/2018)
Cephalic Vein Supercharging to Prevent Venous Congestion for a Reverse Radial Forearm Flap Used in the Reconstruction of Dorsum of Hand: A Case Report
Authors: Kim Jong-Lim , Chun Jae Young , Lee Nae-Ho , Shin Jin Yong , Roh Si-Gyun
Published: July 2021

The reverse radial forearm flap is often co-opted for soft tissue reconstruction of the dorsum of hand. Venous congestion can lead to flap necrosis or failure. To improve dorsum hand reconstruction outcomes, sufficient venous drainage is very important. In this case report, we discuss the situation of a 66-year-old male patient with a serious degloving injury on the dorsum of his right hand. After reverse radial forearm flap adaptation, venous anastomosis between the cephalic vein and the dorsal superficial vein was performed prophylactically and the patient recovered well without congestion or complications. We implemented venous supercharging, which is a relatively easy and simple procedure, to prevent venous congestion. The success of the procedure shows that venous supercharging can aid in the prevention of venous congestion.
Wpływ wojen północnych XVII i XVIII w. na postawy i relacje mieszkańców Poznania różnych wyznań
Authors: Kościelniak Karol
Published: July 2021

Impact of the Northern Wars of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries on Attitudes and Relations Between Various Religious Denominations Among Poznań Burghers
Wars often result in changes of peoples’ attitudes and approach towards others and social, economic and religious reality around them. This is especially true among those who have personally experienced atrocities of military conflicts. The aim of this paper is to reveal the impact of the Northern Wars (i.e. the 1655-1660 and 1700-1712 conflicts) on attitudes and relations between burghers of the city of Poznań representing various religious denominations. Examination of evidence shows that citizens of Poznań displayed usually toleration for other religions groups. This circumstance, of course, did not exclude occasional religious upheaval.
Case Article—Using Moneyball to Introduce Students to Data Analytics: Illustrating the Data Analytics Life Cycle
Authors: Roth Wendy Swenson , Matherne Brett P.
Published: July 2021

In this data-dependent world, competency in data analytics is quickly becoming critical for success in business. In a quantitative-intensive course that introduces data analytics concepts, engaging students quickly and exposing them to more nuanced parts of the data analytics lifecycle is critical. This exercise uses the movie Moneyball as a framing tool to achieve these goals. Leveraging an appealing movie can help increase student engagement in the subject by presenting concepts in a less foreboding way. This exercise highlights scenes in the movie which embody the various stages of the data analytics lifecycle and allows faculty to present concepts via an engaging story adapted from a real-world example. This exercise provides faculty with different options of how to incorporate this movie into classes to introduce and develop a better understanding of the various steps of the data analytics lifecycle for students.

Supplemental Material: The Teaching Note and supplemental material are available at https://www.informs.org/Publications/Subscribe/Access-Restricted-Materials .
A Case of Ticagrelor Resistance
Authors: Malik Jahanzeb
Published: July 2021

Ticagrelor is a directly acting cyclopentyltriazolo-pyrimidine which does not require conversion into an active metabolite. It inhibits the P2Y12 receptors on platelets reversibly. Unlike clopidogrel and prasugrel, resistance to ticagrelor is rarely reported. Various mechanisms have been proposed for this resistance. The case of a 62-year-old man with diabetes who had undergone index percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) 22 days previously is described. The patient presented to us with stent thrombosis. His primary PCI was successfully carried out with a drug-eluting stent. He showed resistance to ticagrelor on thromboelastography platelet mapping. He responded well to prasugrel (another P2Y12 inhibitor) in combination with aspirin.