bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predicting Drosha and Dicer Cleavage Sites with DeepMirCut
Authors: Bell Jimmy , Hendrix David A.
Published: January 2022

MicroRNAs are a class of small RNAs involved in post-transcriptional gene silencing with roles in disease and development. Many computational tools have been developed to identify novel microRNAs. However, there have been no attempts to predict cleavage sites for Drosha from primary sequence, or to identify cleavage sites using deep neural networks. Here, we present DeepMirCut, a recurrent neural network-based software that predicts both Dicer and Drosha cleavage sites. We built a microRNA primary sequence database including flanking genomic sequences for 34,713 microRNA annotations. We compare models trained on sequence data, sequence and secondary structure data, as well as input data with annotated structures. Our best model is able to predict cuts within closer average proximity than results reported for other methods. We show that a guanine nucleotide before and a uracil nucleotide after Dicer cleavage sites on the 3′ arm of the microRNA precursor had a positive effect on predictions while the opposite order (U before, G after) had a negative effect. Our analysis was also able to predict several positions where bulges had either positive or negative effects on the score. We expect that our approach and the data we have curated will enable several future studies.
High Expression of Long Non-Coding RNA TMCO1-AS1 is Associated With Poor Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Huang Xuelian , Zhu Sicong , Zhang Kelin , Tan Wenliang , Chen Yajin , Shang Changzhen
Published: January 2022

Background: The molecular pathways along with the clinical significance of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain uncertain. Our study sought to identify and characterize lncRNAs associated with HCC.

Methods: LncRNA TMCO1-AS1 was identified by differential expression analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, and univariate analysis using RNA sequencing and clinical information of HCC from the public database. Then clinical correlations and survival analysis were conducted to further appraise the prognostic significance of lncRNA TMCO1-AS1 in HCC. Hepatoma and adjoining normal tissues from 66 patients who received surgical operation at our center were used to verify the results of the bioinformatics analysis. A survival prognostic model was established combining TMCO1-AS1 expression and other clinical characteristics.

Results: Bioinformatics analysis showed the aberrant high expression of TMCO1-AS1 in HCC tissue. TMCO1-AS1 expression was positively correlated with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, vascular invasion, tumor stage, as well as tumor differentiation. Moreover, survival analysis found a significant inverse association between the expression of TMCO1-AS1 and the survival of patients with HCC. Cox analysis indicated that TMCO1-AS1 was an independent factor for HCC prognosis. Analysis of the HCC tissues from patients at our center provided results similar to those of the bioinformatics analysis. Risk models for overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) incorporating TMCO1-AS1 exhibited better sensitivity and specificity than using clinical characteristics alone.

Conclusion: High TMCO1-AS1 expression is significantly correlated with the unfavorable poor prognosis of HCC, indicating its potential of being a novel prognostic marker for HCC.
Electrocortical Activity in Older Adults Is More Influenced by Cognitive Task Complexity Than Concurrent Walking
Authors: Vila-Chã Carolina , Vaz Cláudia , Oliveira Anderson Souza
Published: January 2022

Human cognitive-motor performance largely depends on how brain resources are allocated during simultaneous tasks. Nonetheless, little is known regarding the age-related changes in electrocortical activity when dual-task during walking presents higher complexity levels. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether there are distinct changes in walking performance and electrocortical activation between young and older adults performing simple and complex upper limb response time tasks. Physically active young (23 ± 3 years, n = 21) and older adults (69 ± 5 years, n = 19) were asked to respond as fast as possible to a single stimuli or a double stimuli appearing on a touch screen during standing and walking. Response time, step frequency, step frequency variability and electroencephalographic (EEG) N200 and P300 amplitudes and latencies from frontal central and parietal brain regions were recorded. The results demonstrated that older adults were 23% slower to respond to double stimuli, whereas younger adults were only 12% slower (p < 0.01). The longer response time for older adults was accompanied by greater step frequency variability following double-stimuli presentations (p < 0.01). Older adults presented reduced N200 and P300 amplitudes compared to younger participants across all conditions (p < 0.001), with no effects of posture (standing vs walking) on both groups (p > 0.05). More importantly, the P300 amplitude was significantly reduced for older adults when responding to double stimuli regardless of standing or walking tasks (p < 0.05), with no changes in younger participants. Therefore, physically active older adults can attenuate potential walking deficits experienced during dual-task walking in simple cognitive tasks. However, cognitive tasks involving decision making influence electrocortical activation due to reduced cognitive resources to cope with the task demands.
A Hybrid 3D Printed Hand Prosthesis Prototype Based on sEMG and a Fully Embedded Computer Vision System
Authors: Castro Maria Claudia F. , Pinheiro Wellington C. , Rigolin Glauco
Published: January 2022

This study presents a new approach for an sEMG hand prosthesis based on a 3D printed model with a fully embedded computer vision (CV) system in a hybrid version. A modified 5-layer Smaller Visual Geometry Group (VGG) convolutional neural network (CNN), running on a Raspberry Pi 3 microcomputer connected to a webcam, recognizes the shape of daily use objects, and defines the pattern of the prosthetic grasp/gesture among five classes: Palmar Neutral, Palmar Pronated, Tripod Pinch, Key Grasp, and Index Finger Extension. Using the Myoware board and a finite state machine, the user's intention, depicted by a myoelectric signal, starts the process, photographing the object, proceeding to the grasp/gesture classification, and commands the prosthetic motors to execute the movements. Keras software was used as an application programming interface and TensorFlow as numerical computing software. The proposed system obtained 99% accuracy, 97% sensitivity, and 99% specificity, showing that the CV system is a promising technology to assist the definition of the grasp pattern in prosthetic devices.
The Role of the Extracellular Matrix in Neural Progenitor Cell Proliferation and Cortical Folding During Human Neocortex Development
Authors: Long Katherine R. , Huttner Wieland B.
Published: January 2022

Extracellular matrix (ECM) has long been known to regulate many aspects of neural development in many different species. However, the role of the ECM in the development of the human neocortex is not yet fully understood. In this review we discuss the role of the ECM in human neocortex development and the different model systems that can be used to investigate this. In particular, we will focus on how the ECM regulates human neural stem and progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation, how the ECM regulates the architecture of the developing human neocortex and the effect of mutations in ECM and ECM-associated genes in neurodevelopmental disorders.
Histology-Verified Intracranial Artery Calcification and Its Clinical Relevance With Cerebrovascular Disease
Authors: Du Heng , Yang Wenjie , Chen Xiangyan
Published: January 2022

Intracranial artery calcification (IAC) was regarded as a proxy for intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS). IAC could be easily detected on routine computer tomography (CT), which was neglected by clinicians in the previous years. The evolution of advanced imaging technologies, especially vessel wall scanning using high resolution-magnetic resonance imaging (HR-MRI), has aroused the interest of researchers to further explore the characteristics and clinical impacts of IAC. Recent histological evidence acquired from the human cerebral artery specimens demonstrated that IAC could mainly involve two layers: the intima and the media. Accumulating evidence from histological and clinical imaging studies verified that intimal calcification is more associated with ICAS, while medial calcification, especially the internal elastic lamina, contributes to arterial stiffness rather than ICAS. Considering the highly improved abilities of novel imaging technologies in differentiating intimal and medial calcification within the large intracranial arteries, this review aimed to describe the histological and imaging features of two types of IAC, as well as the risk factors, the hemodynamic influences, and other clinical impacts of IAC occurring in intimal or media layers.
Therapeutic Effects of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Visuospatial Neglect Revealed With Event-Related Potentials
Authors: Ye Lin-lin , Xie Huan-xin , Cao Lei , Song Wei-qun
Published: January 2022

This study aimed to investigate changes in attention processing after low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the left posterior parietal cortex to better understand its role in visuospatial neglect (VSN) rehabilitation. The current study included 10 subacute stroke patients with VSN consecutively recruited from the inpatient stroke rehabilitation center at Xuanwu Hospital (the teaching hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University) between March and November 2019. All patients performed a battery of tasks (including line bisection, line cancellation, and star cancellation tests) two weeks before treatment and at the beginning and end of treatment; the attentive components of the test results were analyzed. In addition, low-frequency rTMS was used to stimulate the left posterior parietal cortex for 14 days and event-related potential data were collected before and after the stimulation. Participants were evaluated using a target-cue paradigm and pencil-paper tests. No significant differences were detected on the battery of tasks before rTMS. However, we found that rTMS treatment significantly improved the response times and accuracy rates of patients with VSN. After rTMS, the treatment side (left) amplitude of P300 following an event-related potential was higher than that before treatment (left target, p = 0.002; right target, p = 0.047). Thus, our findings suggest that rTMS may be an effective treatment for VSN. The observed increase in event-related potential amplitude supports the hypothesized compensational role of the contralesional hemisphere in terms of residual performance. Our results provide electrophysiological evidence that may help determine the mechanisms mediating the therapeutic effects of rTMS.
Case Report: Not All Neurological Symptoms Respond Well to Penicillin in Patients With Neurosyphilis
Authors: Wang Xiaoli , Mu Pengying , Zhang Wenjuan , Liu Yonghong
Published: January 2022

Patients with neurosyphilis present with a wide range of neurological symptoms, the response of which to penicillin is not well known. In this paper, we analyzed the clinical video-electroencephalogram (EEG) features of neurosyphilis in a 54-year-old man who exhibited with rhythmic orofacial involuntary movements, Argyll Robertson pupil, frequent paroxysmal oral-automatism seizures, periodic lateralized discharges (PLEDs) with triphasic waves, behavioral changes, and memory decline. After treatment with penicillin, PLED and seizures disappeared and behavioral changes and memory decline were significantly improved, but rhythmic orofacial involuntary movements and Argyll Robertson pupil persisted, which indicates an irreversible characteristic of late stage neurosyphilis syndromes.
Contribution of Cervical Proprioception, Vision, and Vestibular Feedback on Reducing Dynamic Head–Trunk Orientation Error in the Yaw Direction
Authors: Mooti Rami , Park Hangue
Published: January 2022

The contribution of cervical proprioception, vision, and vestibular feedback to the dynamic head–trunk orientation error in the yaw direction was investigated to further the understanding over the mechanism of coordination among different sensory modalities for dynamic head–trunk orientation. To test the contribution of each sensory modality, individually and together, to dynamic head–trunk orientation, 10 healthy human subjects participated in the extended cervical joint position error test, measuring the ability of repositioning the head back to the reference orientation after 45° yaw rotation of head or trunk. The error between initial and returned angles was measured. The test was repeated under eight different conditions of sensory feedback, with or without each of three sensory modalities. Each subject completed 64 trials (8 per condition) in a random order for fair comparison. No change was found in bias when one of the three modalities was missing, while variance was largest at the lack of dynamic cervical proprioception. When two of the three modalities were missing (i.e., one of the three modalities was present), both bias and variance were minimum at the presence of cervical proprioception. Additionally, both visual and vestibular feedback was redundant (i.e., no further improvement in both bias and variance), if the other one (visual or vestibular feedback) was present with dynamic cervical proprioception. In sum, the experimental results suggest that dynamic cervical proprioception is the most significant sensory modality for reducing the dynamic head–trunk orientation error in the yaw direction.
Clinical and Structural Differences in Delusions Across Diagnoses: A Systematic Review
Authors: Rootes-Murdy Kelly , Goldsmith David R. , Turner Jessica A.
Published: January 2022

Delusions are marked, fixed beliefs that are incongruent with reality. Delusions, with comorbid hallucinations, are a hallmark of certain psychotic disorders (e.g., schizophrenia). Delusions can present transdiagnostically, in neurodegenerative (e.g., Alzheimer's disease and fronto-temporal dementia), nervous system disorders (e.g., Parkinson's disease) and across other psychiatric disorders (e.g., bipolar disorder). The burden of delusions is severe and understanding the heterogeneity of delusions may delineate a more valid nosology of not only psychiatric disorders but also neurodegenerative and nervous system disorders. We systematically reviewed structural neuroimaging studies reporting on delusions in four disorder types [schizophrenia (SZ), bipolar disorder (BP), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and Parkinson's disease (PD)] to provide a comprehensive overview of neural changes and clinical presentations associated with delusions. Twenty-eight eligible studies were identified. This review found delusions were most associated with gray matter reductions in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (SZ, BP, and AD), left claustrum (SZ and AD), hippocampus (SZ and AD), insula (SZ, BP, and AD), amygdala (SZ and BP), thalamus (SZ and AD), superior temporal gyrus (SZ, BP, and AD), and middle frontal gyrus (SZ, BP, AD, and PD). However, there was a great deal of variability in the findings of each disorder. There is some support for the current dopaminergic hypothesis of psychosis, but we also propose new hypotheses related to the belief formation network and cognitive biases. We also propose a standardization of assessments to aid future transdiagnostic study approaches. Future studies should explore the neural and biological underpinnings of delusions to hopefully, inform future treatment.
“How to Select a Representative Product Set From Market Inventory?” A Multicriteria Approach as a Base for Future Reformulation of Cookies
Authors: Liechti Carole , Delarue Julien , Souchon Isabelle , Bosc Véronique , Saint-Eve Anne
Published: January 2022

Consuming too much fat, sugar, and salt is associated with adverse health outcomes. Food reformulation is one possible strategy to enhance the food environment by improving the nutritional quality of commercial products. However, food reformulation faces many hindrances. One way to alleviate some of these hindrances is to embrace a multicriteria approach that is based on a market inventory. In this objective, additional sensory screening and water content analyses allow going beyond nutrition and composition information on the packaging. However, due to feasibility reasons for later in-depth analyses, it is necessary to work with several reduced and manageable products. To the best of the authors' knowledge, in the literature, there is no sample selection approach taking into account multiple criteria as a base for future food reformulation. The overall aim of this paper is to propose a method to select the best representative products from the market base, for future reformulation by going beyond nutrition and composition information on the packaging. This approach considered therefore nutrition, composition, economic, water content, and sensory information with the example of the cookies market. The first step is the creation of an extensive cookie database including sensory and water content information. In total 178 cookies among the French market were identified, then focus was placed on 62 chocolate chip cookies only. Sensory screening and water content analyses of all 62 products were conducted. The second step is to make an informed subset selection, thanks to a cluster analysis based on 11 nutrition, composition, and water content variables. A representative subset of 18 cookies could be derived from the obtained clusters. The representativity was evaluated with statistical uni- and multivariate analyses. Results showed a broad variety of chocolate chips cookies with a large nutritional, compositional, water content, and sensory differences. These results highlighted the first paths for future reformulation in this product category and showed the importance to include physical product information beyond the information on the packaging. This complete database on the selected cookies constituted a solid base for identifying future reformulation levers, in order to improve the nutritional quality and health.
Defining a Standard Set of Health Outcomes for Patients With Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck in Spain
Authors: Arrazubi Virginia , Cajaraville Gerardo , Cantero David , Giralt Jordi , Mesia Ricard , Monje Florencio , Rueda Antonio , Sistiaga Alexander , Suarez Jorge , Mut Alejandro , Comellas Marta , Lizán Luis
Published: January 2022

Purpose

A systematic, standardized collection of health outcomes during patient treatment and follow-up, relevant from the perspective of all stakeholders, is a crucial step toward effective and efficient disease management. This project aimed to define a standard set of health outcomes for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).

Methods

The project was led and coordinated by a scientific committee (SC). It comprised: (1) a literature review (to identify variables used during SCCHN management); (2) 1st-SC meeting (to select the variables for presentation during nominal groups-NG); (3) five NG (n=42 experts) and four interviews with patients (to reach consensus on the variables for inclusion); and (4) final-SC meeting (to review the results of NG ensuring consensus on the variables where consensus was not reached).

Results

Experts agreed to include the following variables in the standard set: treatment-related (treatment intent and type, response to treatment, treatment toxicity/complication, treatment completion), degree of health (performance status, patient-reported health status, pain, dysphonia, feeding and speech limitations, body image alteration, tracheotomy), survival (overall and progression-free survival, cause of death), nutritional (weight, nutritional intervention), other variables (smoking status, alcohol consumption, patient satisfaction with aftermath care, employment status), and case-mix variables (demographic, tumor-related, clinical and nutritional factors).

Conclusions

This project may pave the way to standardizing the collection of health outcomes in SCCHN and promote the incorporation of patients’ perspective in its management. The information provided through the systematic compilation of this standard set may define strategies to achieve high-quality, patient-centered care.
Seven Genes Associated With Lymphatic Metastasis in Thyroid Cancer That Is Linked to Tumor Immune Cell Infiltration
Authors: Wu Linfeng , Zhou Yuying , Guan Yaoyao , Xiao Rongyao , Cai Jiaohao , Chen Weike , Zheng Mengmeng , Sun Kaiting , Chen Chao , Huang Guanli , Zhang Xiaogang , Qian Ziliang , Shen Shurong
Published: January 2022

Objective

Since there are few studies exploring genes associated with lymphatic metastasis of thyroid carcinoma (THCA), this study was conducted to explore genes associated with lymphatic metastasis of THCA and to investigate the relationship with immune infiltration.

Methods

Differentially expressed genes associated with THCA lymphatic metastasis were analyzed based on The Cancer Genome Atlas Program (TCGA) database; a protein-protein interaction(PPI)network was constructed to screen for pivotal genes. Based on the identified hub genes, their expression in THCA with and without lymphatic metastasis were determined. Functional enrichment analysis was performed. The correlation between the identified genes and immune cell infiltration was explored. LASSO logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the risk score of the most relevant gene constructs and multifactor COX regression analysis based on genes in the risk score formula.

Results

A total of 115 genes were differentially expressed in THCA with and without lymphatic metastasis, including 28 upregulated genes and 87 downregulated genes. The PPI network identified seven hub genes (EVA1A, TIMP1, SERPINA1, FAM20A, FN1, TNC, MXRA8); the expression of all seven genes was upregulated in the group with lymphatic metastasis; Immuno-infiltration analysis showed that all seven genes were significantly positively correlated with macrophage M1 and NK cells and negatively correlated with T-cell CD4+ and myeloid dendritic cells. LASSO logistic regression analysis identified the five most relevant genes (EVA1A, SERPINA1, FN1, TNC, MXRA8), and multi-factor COX regression analysis showed EVA1A, SERPINA1 and FN1 as independent prognostic factors.

Conclusion

Seven genes were associated with lymphatic metastasis of THCA and with tumor immune cell infiltration.
Thoracoscopic Lobectomy Versus Sublobar Resection for pStage I Geriatric Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Lin Young-Jen , Chiang Xu-Heng , Lu Tzu-Pin , Hsieh Min-Shu , Lin Mong-Wei , Hsu Hsao-Hsun , Chen Jin-Shing
Published: January 2022

Objectives

The choice of resection method for geriatric patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains contentious. This study aimed to evaluate survival and perioperative outcomes after thoracoscopic lobectomy resection (LR) or sublobar resection (SR) in patients aged ≥75 years with pathologic stage (pStage) I NSCLC.

Materials and Methods

We retrospectively examined 258 consecutive patients aged ≥75 years with pStage I NSCLC who underwent thoracoscopic tumor resection at our institute from 2011 to 2018. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis identified 60 patients in each group for comparison of survival-related parameters, including disease-free survival (DFS), lung cancer-specific overall survival (OS), and non-lung cancer-specific OS, using the Kaplan-Meier analysis.

Results

LR and SR were performed in 84 (32.6%) and 174 (67.4%) patients aged ≥75 years, respectively. The LR group had younger patients, better performance status, larger tumor sizes, and deeper tumor location than the SR group. Multivariate studies showed that the resection method was not a prognostic factor for OS. The two PSM-matched groups were not significantly different with respect to lung cancer-specific OS (p = 0.116), non-lung cancer-specific OS (p = 0.408), and DFS (p = 0.597). SR helped achieve better perioperative outcomes than LR, including fewer postoperative complications (10.0% vs. 28.3%, p = 0.011), shorter operative times (p < 0.001), decreased blood loss (p = 0.026), and shorter chest tube duration (p = 0.010) and hospital stays (p = 0.035).

Conclusions

Thoracoscopic SR may provide similar oncological outcomes to LR, but may be a safer and more feasible surgical method for geriatric patients with pStage I NSCLC.
Acidic Urine Is Associated With Poor Prognosis of Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma
Authors: Han Jang Hee , Jeong Seung-hwan , Yuk Hyeong Dong , Jeong Chang Wook , Kwak Cheol , Ku Ja Hyeon
Published: January 2022

Purpose

To assess the prognostic role of acidic urine (low urine pH) in upper tract urothelial cancer (UTUC).

Materials and Methods

We reviewed patients enrolled in Seoul National University Prospectively Enrolled Registry for Urothelial Cancer-Upper Tract Urothelial Cancer (SUPER-UC-UTUC) who underwent surgical resection from March 2016 to December 2020 in Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH). Patients with non-urothelial cancer or those who are in condition at end-stage renal disease were excluded. Acidic urine was defined as urine pH ≤ 5.5.

Results

A total of 293 patients with a mean age of 70.7 ± 9.5 years were enrolled in this study. Pre-operative laboratory results showed a mean estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 64.1 ± 19.2 mL/min/1.73m2 and a mean urine pH of 5.86 ± 0.66. Patients were subdivided into low (pH ≤ 5.5) and high (pH > 5.5) urine pH for comparison. As a result, all variables were comparable except for the T stage, which was significantly higher in the low urine pH group (p = 0.017). Cox regression analysis was performed to assess the clinical impact of acidic urine on patient survival. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that tumor multifocality (HR 2.07, p = 0.015), higher T stage (HR 1.54, p = 0.036), lymphovascular invasion (HR 1.69, p = 0.033), eGFR < 60 mL/min per 1.73 m2 (HR 1.56, p = 0.017), and acidic urine (HR 1.63, p < 0.01) independently decreased disease-free survival (DFS), while multifocality (HR 9.50, p < 0.01), higher T stage (HR 9.51, p = 0.001) and acidic urine (HR 10.36, p = 0.004) independently reduced the overall survival (OS).

Conclusions

Acidic urine is independently associated with reduced DFS and OS in UTUC. Acidic urine contributing to acidic environment may promote acquisition of agressive behavior of UTUC.
Intranasal Fentanyl for Procedural Analgesia in Preterm Infants
Authors: Cheng Charles , Tabbara Najla , Cheng Carol , Shah Vibhuti
Published: January 2022

Background

Despite the availability of evidence-based analgesic strategies, neonatal pain management continues to be suboptimal. Intranasal (IN) fentanyl is an alternative pharmacotherapy for procedural pain in neonatal units. The objective was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of IN fentanyl for procedural pain in preterm infants.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted in infants who received IN fentanyl between May 2019 and December 2020 at an academic neonatal intensive care unit. Main outcome measures were pain responses, physiological parameters before and up to 60 min after IN fentanyl administration, and adverse events. Paired t-test and analysis of variance were used to compare pain scores and physiological parameters, respectively.

Results

Thirteen infants received IN fentanyl on 22 occasions. Median (interquartile range [IQR]) gestational age and birthweight were 27 (25, 27.6) weeks and 850 (530, 1,030) grams, while median (IQR) post-menstrual age and weight were 30.9 (28.9, 32.9) weeks and 1,280 (945, 1,623) grams at the time of IN fentanyl administration. IN fentanyl was most used for lumbar puncture (55%) followed by insertion of epicutaneo-caval catheters (27%). There was a difference between the mean pre- and post-procedure Premature Infant Pain Profile scores of 1.3 (95% CI = 0.07, 2.5; p = 0.04). Physiological parameters did not differ before and up to 60 min post IN fentanyl administration (p > 0.05). Two adverse events (one apnea and one desaturation) were noted.

Conclusion

In our limited experience, IN fentanyl appears to be an alternative pharmacotherapy for procedural pain management in the absence of intravenous access in preterm infants.
Risk Factors Associated With Renal and Urinary Tract Anomalies Delineated by an Ultrasound Screening Program in Infants
Authors: Liu Yuling , Shi Hua , Yu Xiaojing , Xiang Tianchao , Fang Ye , Xie Xian , Pan Xiaofen , Li Xiaolin , Sun Zhicai , Zhang Bihong , Fu Simao , Rao Jia
Published: January 2022

Objective

To evaluate the value of ultrasound screening for congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) during the early postnatal period.

Methods

This is a prospective study that enrolled all neonates born from August 2019 to July 2020 at one medical center. Postnatal ultrasound screening was conducted in all neonates at 1, 3, and 6 months old, respectively. Information on antenatal detection and pregnancy was collected. We performed logistic regression analyses and established a predictive model to assess the potential risk factors of abnormal ultrasound screening results.

Results

Postnatal ultrasound scanning in 4,877 infants identified 268 cases (5.5%) of anomalies of kidney and urinary tract by primary screening and 92 cases (1.9%) by tertiary screening. A specific diagnosis was identified in 47 cases within the 6-month screening and follow-up program. Logistic regression revealed that preterm birth, oligohydramnios, antenatal ultrasound screening anomalies, and gestational hypothyroidism were independent risk factors for the early detection of CAKUT by postnatal ultrasound screening. The above factors were adopted to develop a predictive model that showed good calibration in predicting ultrasound findings of CAKUT. Decision curve analysis demonstrated good clinical utility.

Conclusions

Postnatal ultrasound screening should be conducted in infants with risk factors associated with CAKUT. Further study on prenatal and fetal factors could help establish the predictive model for the early detection of CAKUT.
Thrombolysis in Children: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Woods Gary M. , Kim Dennis W. , Paden Matthew L. , Viamonte Heather K.
Published: January 2022

Thromboembolism (TE), including venous thromboembolism (VTE), arterial TE, arterial ischemic stroke (AIS), and myocardial infarction (MI), is considered a relatively rare complication in the pediatric population. Yet, the incidence is rising, especially in hospitalized children. The vast majority of pediatric TE occurs in the setting of at least one identifiable risk factor. Most recently, acute COVID-19 and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) have demonstrated an increased risk for TE development. The mainstay for the management pediatric TE has been anticoagulation. Thrombolytic therapy is employed more frequently in adult patients with ample data supporting its use. The data for thrombolysis in pediatric patients is more limited, but the utilization of this therapy is becoming more commonplace in tertiary care pediatric hospitals. Understanding the data on thrombolysis use in pediatric TE and the involved risks is critical before initiating one of these therapies. In this paper, we present the case of an adolescent male with acute fulminant myocarditis and cardiogenic shock likely secondary to MIS-C requiring extracorporeal life support (ECLS) who developed an extensive thrombus burden that was successfully resolved utilizing four simultaneous catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) infusions in addition to a review of the literature on the use of thrombolytic therapy in children.
The Potency of Moringa oleifera Lam. as Protective Agent in Cardiac Damage and Vascular Dysfunction
Authors: Alia Fenty , Putri Mirasari , Anggraeni Neni , Syamsunarno Mas Rizky A. A
Published: January 2022

Cardiac damage and vascular dysfunction due to underlying diseases, such as hypertension and cardiac thrombosis, or side effects from certain drugs may lead to critical illness conditions and even death. The phytochemical compounds in natural products are being prospected to protect the heart and vascular system from further damage. Moringa genus is a subtropical tree native to Asia and Africa, which includes 13 species; Moringa oleifera Lam. (MO) is the most cultivated for its beneficial uses. MO is also known as the “miracle tree” because it has been used traditionally as a food source and medicine to treat various diseases such as anemia, diabetes, and infectious or cardiovascular diseases. The phytochemical compounds identified in MO with functional activities associated with cardiovascular diseases are N,α-L-rhamnopyranosyl vincosamide, isoquercetin, quercetin, quercetrin, and isothiocyanate. This study aims to investigate the potency of the phytochemical compounds in MO as a protective agent to cardiac damage and vascular dysfunction in the cardiovascular disease model. This is a scoping review by studying publications from the reputed database that assessed the functional activities of MO, which contribute to the improvement of cardiac and vascular dysfunctions. Studies show that the phytochemical compounds, for example, N,α-L-rhamnopyranosyl vincosamide and quercetin, have the molecular function of antioxidant, anti-inflammation, and anti-apoptosis. These lead to improving cardiac contractility and protecting cardiac structural integrity from damage. These compounds also act as natural vasorelaxants and endothelium protective agents. Most of the studies were conducted on in vivo studies; therefore, further studies should be applied in a clinical setting.
Intermedin Reduces Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Ventilator-Induced Lung Injury via JAK2/STAT3
Authors: Fan Shulei , He Jing , Yang Yanli , Wang Daoxin
Published: January 2022

Mechanical ventilation is an effective treatment for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which can improve the prognosis of ARDS to a certain extent. However, it may further aggravate lung tissue injury, which is defined as ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). Intermedin (IMD) belongs to the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CPRP) superfamily. Our previous studies have found that IMD reduces the expression proinflammatory cytokines, down-regulates nuclear translocation and improves the integrity of endothelial barrier in ARDS. However, the effect of IMD on VILI has not been clarified. Oxidative stress imbalance and apoptosis are the main pathophysiological characteristics of VILI. In the current study, we used C57B6/J mice and human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMECs) to establish a VILI model to analyze the effects of IMD on VILI and explore its potential mechanism. We found that IMD alleviated lung injury and inflammatory response in VILI, mainly in reducing ROS levels, upregulating SOD content, downregulating MDA content, reducing the expression of Bax and caspase-3, and increasing the expression of Bcl-2. In addition, we also found that IMD played its anti-oxidative stress and anti-apoptotic effects via JAK2/STAT3 signaling. Our study may provide some help for the prevention and treatment of VILI.
Understanding the Gut-Kidney Axis in Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis: An Analysis of Gut Microbiota Composition
Authors: Yu Meilian , Li Lingzhi , Ren Qian , Feng Han , Tao Sibei , Cheng Lu , Ma Liang , Gou Shen-Ju , Fu Ping
Published: January 2022

Increasing evidence suggested that gut microbiota played critical roles in developing autoimmune diseases. This study investigated the correlation between gut microbiota and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV) with kidney injury. We analyzed the fecal samples of 23 AAV patients with kidney injury using a 16s RNA microbial profiling approach. The alpha-diversity indexes were significantly lower in AAV patients with kidney injury than healthy controls (Sobs P < 0.001, Shannon P < 0.001, Chao P < 0.001). The beta-diversity difference demonstrated a significant difference among AAV patients with kidney injury, patients with lupus nephritis (LN), and health controls (ANOSIM, p = 0.001). Among these AAV patients, the Deltaproteobacteria, unclassified_o_Bacteroidales, Prevotellaceae, Desulfovibrionaceae Paraprevotella, and Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group were correlated negatively with serum creatinine, and the proportion of Deltaproteobacteria, unclassified_o_Bacteroidales, Desulfovibrionaceae, Paraprevotella, and Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group had a positive correlation with eGFR. In conclusion, the richness and diversity of gut microbiota were reduced in AAV patients with kidney injury, and the alteration of gut microbiota might be related with the severity of kidney injury of AAV patients. Targeted regulation of gut microbiota disorder might be a potential treatment for AAV patients with kidney injury.
ER/AR Multi-Conformational Docking Server: A Tool for Discovering and Studying Estrogen and Androgen Receptor Modulators
Authors: Wang Feng , Hu Shuai , Ma De-Qing , Li Qiuye , Li Hong-Cheng , Liang Jia-Yi , Chang Shan , Kong Ren
Published: January 2022

The prediction of the estrogen receptor (ER) and androgen receptor (AR) activity of a compound is quite important to avoid the environmental exposures of endocrine-disrupting chemicals. The Estrogen and Androgen Receptor Database (EARDB, http://eardb.schanglab.org.cn/) provides a unique collection of reported ERα, ERβ, or AR protein structures and known small molecule modulators. With the user-uploaded query molecules, molecular docking based on multi-conformations of a single target will be performed. Moreover, the 2D similarity search against known modulators is also provided. Molecules predicted with a low binding energy or high similarity to known ERα, ERβ, or AR modulators may be potential endocrine-disrupting chemicals or new modulators. The server provides a tool to predict the endocrine activity for compounds of interests, benefiting for the ER and AR drug design and endocrine-disrupting chemical identification.
Shugan Jieyu Capsule in Post-Stroke Depression Treatment: From Molecules to Systems
Authors: Zhang Meng , Bai Xue
Published: January 2022

Post-stroke depression (PSD) is the most common non-cognitive neuropsychiatric complication after stroke, and about a third of patients with stroke have depression. Although a great deal of effort has been made to treat PSD, the efficacy thereof has not been satisfactory, due to the complex pathological mechanism underlying PSD. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory, PSD is considered to be a combination of “stroke” and “Yu Zheng.” The holistic, multi-drug, and multi-objective nature of TCM is consistent with the treatment concept of systems medicine for PSD. TCM has a very long history of being used to treat depression, and various TCM prescriptions have been clinically proven to be effective in improving depression. Among the numerous prescriptions for treating depression, Shugan Jieyu capsule (SG) is one of the classic prescriptions. Additionally, clinical studies have increasingly confirmed that using SG alone or in combination with Western medicine can significantly improve the psychiatric symptoms of PSD patients. Here, we reviewed the mechanism of antidepressant action of SG and its targets in PSD pathologic systems. This review provides further insights into the pharmacological mechanism, drug interaction, and clinical application of TCM prescriptions, as well as a basis for the development of new drugs to treat PSD.
Effects of Pharmacological Inhibitors of NADPH Oxidase on Myogenic Contractility and Evoked Vasoactive Responses in Rat Resistance Arteries
Authors: Kendrick Dylan J. , Mishra Ramesh C. , John Cini Mathew , Zhu Hai-Lei , Braun Andrew P.
Published: January 2022

Reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide, are reported to contribute to the dynamic regulation of contractility in various arterial preparations, however, the situation in pressurized, myogenically active resistance arteries is much less clear. In the present study, we have utilized established pharmacological inhibitors of NADPH oxidase activity to examine the potential contribution of ROS to intrinsic myogenic contractility in adult Sprague–Dawley rat resistance arteries and responses to vasoactive agents acting via the endothelium (i.e., acetylcholine, SKA-31) or smooth muscle (i.e., sodium nitroprusside, phenylephrine). In cannulated and pressurized cremaster skeletal muscle and middle cerebral arteries, the NOX inhibitors 2-acetylphenothiazine (2-APT) and VAS2870, selective for NOX1 and NOX2, respectively, evoked concentration-dependent inhibition of basal myogenic tone in a reversible and irreversible manner, respectively, whereas the non-selective inhibitor apocynin augmented myogenic contractility. The vasodilatory actions of 2-APT and VAS2870 occurred primarily via the vascular endothelium and smooth muscle, respectively. Functional responses to established endothelium-dependent and –independent vasoactive agents were largely unaltered in the presence of either 2-APT or apocynin. In cremaster arteries from Type 2 Diabetic (T2D) Goto-Kakizaki rats with endothelial dysfunction, treatment with either 2-APT or apocynin did not modify stimulus-evoked vasoactive responses, but did affect basal myogenic tone. These same NOX inhibitors produced robust inhibition of total NADPH oxidase activity in aortic tissue homogenates from control and T2D rats, and NOX isozymes 1, 2 and 4, along with superoxide dismutase 1, were detected by qPCR in cremaster arteries and aorta from both species. Based on the diverse effects that we observed for established, chemically distinct NOX inhibitors, the functional contribution of vascular NADPH oxidase activity to stimulus-evoked vasoactive signaling in myogenically active, small resistance arteries remains unclear.
Issues on Trainability
Authors: Radak Zsolt , Taylor Albert W.
Published: January 2022

Trainability is an adaptive response to given exercise loads and must be localized to the targeted physiological function since exercise-induced acute and chronic adaptations are systemic. Lack of adaptation or moderate level of adaptation in one organ or one physiological function would not mean that other organs or functions would not benefit from exercise training. The most beneficial training load could easily be different for skeletal muscle, brain, the gastro-intestinal track, or the immune systems. Hence, the term of non-responders should be used with caution and just referred to a given organ, cell type, molecular signaling, or function. The present paper aims to highlight some, certainly not all, issues on trainability especially related to muscle and cardiovascular system. The specificity of trainability and the systemic nature of exercise-induced adaptation are discussed, and the paper aims to provide suggestions on how to improve performance when faced with non-responders.
Detection Method of Citrus Psyllids With Field High-Definition Camera Based on Improved Cascade Region-Based Convolution Neural Networks
Authors: Dai Fen , Wang Fengcheng , Yang Dongzi , Lin Shaoming , Chen Xin , Lan Yubin , Deng Xiaoling
Published: January 2022

Citrus psyllid is the only insect vector of citrus Huanglongbing (HLB), which is the most destructive disease in the citrus industry. There is no effective treatment for HLB, so detecting citrus psyllids as soon as possible is the key prevention measure for citrus HLB. It is time-consuming and laborious to search for citrus psyllids through artificial patrol, which is inconvenient for the management of citrus orchards. With the development of artificial intelligence technology, a computer vision method instead of the artificial patrol can be adopted for orchard management to reduce the cost and time. The citrus psyllid is small in shape and gray in color, similar to the stem, stump, and withered part of the leaves, leading to difficulty for the traditional target detection algorithm to achieve a good recognition effect. In this work, in order to make the model have good generalization ability under outdoor light condition, a high-definition camera to collect data set of citrus psyllids and citrus fruit flies under natural light condition was used, a method to increase the number of small target pests in citrus based on semantic segmentation algorithm was proposed, and the cascade region-based convolution neural networks (R-CNN) (convolutional neural network) algorithm was improved to enhance the recognition effect of small target pests using multiscale training, combining CBAM attention mechanism with high-resolution feature retention network high-resoultion network (HRNet) as feature extraction network, adding sawtooth atrous spatial pyramid pooling (ASPP) structure to fully extract high-resolution features from different scales, and adding feature pyramid networks (FPN) structure for feature fusion at different scales. To mine difficult samples more deeply, an online hard sample mining strategy was adopted in the process of model sampling. The results show that the improved cascade R-CNN algorithm after training has an average recognition accuracy of 88.78% for citrus psyllids. Compared with VGG16, ResNet50, and other common networks, the improved small target recognition algorithm obtains the highest recognition performance. Experimental results also show that the improved cascade R-CNN algorithm not only performs well in citrus psylla identification but also in other small targets such as citrus fruit flies, which makes it possible and feasible to detect small target pests with a field high-definition camera.
The Ethylene Biosynthesis Gene CpACO1A: A New Player in the Regulation of Sex Determination and Female Flower Development in Cucurbita pepo
Authors: Cebrián Gustavo , Iglesias-Moya Jessica , Romero Jonathan , Martínez Cecilia , Garrido Dolores , Jamilena Manuel
Published: January 2022

A methanesulfonate-generated mutant has been identified in Cucurbita pepo that alters sex determination. The mutation converts female into hermaphrodite flowers and disrupts the growth rate and maturation of petals and carpels, delaying female flower opening, and promoting the growth rate of ovaries and the parthenocarpic development of the fruit. Whole-genome resequencing allowed identification of the causal mutation of the phenotypes as a missense mutation in the coding region of CpACO1A, which encodes for a type I ACO enzyme that shares a high identity with Cucumis sativus CsACO3 and Cucumis melo CmACO1. The so-called aco1a reduced ACO1 activity and ethylene production in the different organs where the gene is expressed, and reduced ethylene sensitivity in flowers. Other sex-determining genes, such as CpACO2B, CpACS11A, and CpACS27A, were differentially expressed in the mutant, indicating that ethylene provided by CpACO1A but also the transcriptional regulation of CpACO1A, CpACO2B, CpACS11A, and CpACS27A are responsible for determining the fate of the floral meristem toward a female flower, promoting the development of carpels and arresting the development of stamens. The positive regulation of ethylene on petal maturation and flower opening can be mediated by inducing the biosynthesis of JA, while its negative control on ovary growth and fruit set could be mediated by its repressive effect on IAA biosynthesis.