bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Can the sedentary behavior of basketball and volleyball players impact bone mass and bone geometry?
Authors: Etchebehere Mauricio , Bergamo Raiany Rosa , Carvalho Humberto Moreira , de Moraes Anderson Marques , Guerra-Júnior Gil
Published: December 2021

The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between sedentary behavior, bone mass, and bone geometry among young male basketball and volleyball players. This cross-sectional study included 55 adolescent basketball ( n = 21) and volleyball ( n = 34) players (14–17 years). Body composition (body mass index, fat mass, and lean mass) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, comprising bone mineral density, bone mineral content at the lumbar spine, and femoral neck. Bone geometry considered the femur strength index, section modulus, cross-sectional moment of inertia, and cross-sectional area. Dietary intake was obtained through a semiquantitative questionnaire, and the sedentary behavior, by the Adolescent Sedentary Activity Questionnaire. Linear regression models, fitted by Bayesian methods, explored the variation of the variables by sport. Body composition and bone mass values were high for both sports, but there was no variation for body composition. Adjusting for age, there was no association of sedentary behavior on bone parameters. For femoral strength index, age had a moderate to large association with all bone indicators. Lastly, there was influence of sport (level-2 unit) on the estimates of the association between sedentary behavior and age with bone indicators, as uncertainty estimates for group-level effects were high. There is no association between sedentary behavior and bone parameters, showing that accumulated training loads (15+ h/wk) among young basketball and volleyball players are critical; producing a positive stimulus on bone parameters development.
Acute kidney injury and it's outcome following maternal near miss event: A prospective observational study from a tertiary care hospital
Authors: Thakur Geetika , Singh Aruna , Jain Vanita , Sikka Pooja , Arora Aashima , Suri Vanita
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Haemorrhage, preeclampsia and sepsis are the leading causes of renal dysfunction in women with a maternal nearmiss(MNM) complication. The study aimed to assess the prevalence, pattern and follow up of these women.

Methods

This was a hospital based prospective observational study, conducted over one year. All women with a MNM leading to acute kidney injury (AKI) were analysed for fetomaternal outcomes and renal function at 1 year of followup.

Results

The incidence of MNM was 43.04 per 1000 livebirths. 18.2% women developed AKI. 51.1% women developed AKI in the puerperal period. Most common cause of AKI was haemorrhage seen in 38.3% women. The majority of women had s.creatinine between 2.1 to 5 mg/dl and 44.68% required dialysis. 80.8% women recovered fully when the treatment was initiated within 24 h. One patient underwent renal transplant.

Conclusion

Early diagnosis and treatment of AKI results in full recovery.
Advances and challenges in the treatment of myasthenia gravis
Authors: Schneider-Gold Christiane , Gilhus Nils Erik
Published: December 2021

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a chronic autoimmune disease with fluctuating muscle weakness and fatigability. Standard immunomodulatory treatment may fail to achieve sufficient improvement with minimal symptom expression or remission of myasthenic symptoms, despite adequate dosing and duration of treatment. Treatment-resistant MG poses a challenge for both patients and treating neurologists and requires new therapeutic approaches. The spectrum of upcoming immunotherapies that more specifically address distinct targets of the main immunological players in MG pathogenesis includes T-cell directed monoclonal antibodies that block the intracellular cascade associated with T-cell activation, monoclonal antibodies directed against key B-cell molecules, as well as monoclonal antibodies against the fragment crystallizable neonatal receptor (FcRn), cytokines and transmigration molecules, and also drugs that inhibit distinct elements of the complement system activated by the pathogenic MG antibodies. The review gives an overview on new drugs being evaluated in still ongoing or recently finished controlled clinical trials and drugs of potential benefit in MG due to their mechanisms of action and positive effects in other autoimmune disorders. Also, the challenges associated with the new therapeutic options are discussed briefly.
Strengthening health promotion practice: capacity development for a transdisciplinary field
Authors: Van den Broucke Stephan
Published: December 2021

The growing burden of non-communicable and newly emerging communicable diseases, multi-morbidity, increasing health inequalities, the health effects of climate change and natural disasters and the revolution in communication technology require a shift of focus towards more preventive, people-centred and community-based health services. This has implications for the health workforce, which needs to develop new capacities and skills, many of which are at the core of health promotion. Health promotion is thus being mainstreamed into modern public health. For health promotion, this offers both opportunities and challenges. A stronger focus on the enablers of health enhances the strategic importance of health promotion’s whole-of-society approach to health, showcases the achievements of health promotion with regard to core professional competencies, and helps build public health capacity with health promotion accents. On the other hand, mainstreaming health promotion can weaken its organizational capacity and visibility, and bears the risk of it being absorbed into a traditional public health discourse dominated by medical professions. To address these challenges and grasp the opportunities, it is essential for the health promotion workforce to position itself within the diversifying primary care and public health field. Taking the transdisciplinary status of health promotion and existing capacity development systems in primary and secondary prevention and health promotion as reference points, this paper considers the possibilities to integrate and implement health promotion capacities within and across disciplinary boundaries, arguing that the contribution of health promotion to public health development lies in the complementary nature of specialist and mainstreamed health promotion.
Waiora: the importance of Indigenous worldviews and spirituality to inspire and inform Planetary Health Promotion in the Anthropocene
Authors: Tu’itahi Sione , Watson Huti , Egan Richard , Parkes Margot W. , Hancock Trevor
Published: December 2021

We now live in a new geological age, the Anthropocene – the age of humans – the start of which coincides with the founding of the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) 70 years ago. In this article, we address the fundamental challenge facing health promotion in its next 70 years, which takes us almost to 2100: how do we achieve planetary health? We begin with a brief overview of the massive and rapid global ecological changes we face, the social, economic and technological driving forces behind those changes, and their health implications. At the heart of these driving forces lie a set of core values that are incompatible with planetary health. Central to our argument is the need for a new set of values, which heed and privilege the wisdom of Indigenous worldviews, as well as a renewed sense of spirituality that can re-establish a reverence for nature. We propose an Indigenous-informed framing to inspire and inform what we call planetary health promotion so that, as the United Nations Secretary General wrote recently, we can make peace with nature.
Low on trust, high on use: Datafied media, trust and everyday life
Authors: Mathieu David , Møller Hartley Jannie
Published: December 2021

This article explores yet another paradox – aside from the privacy paradox – related to the datafication of media: citizens trust least the media they use most It investigates the role that daily life plays in shaping the trust that citizens place in datafied media. The study reveals five sets of heuristics guiding the trust assessments of citizens: (1) characteristics of media organisations, (2) old media standards, (3) context of use and purpose, (4) experiences of datafication and (5) understandings of datafication. The article discusses the use of these heuristics and the value that everyday life holds in assessing trust in datafied media. It concludes that, guided by a partial ‘structure of perception’ and enticed into trusting datafied media in the context of their daily lives, citizens may be highly concerned by the datafication of media but use them nevertheless.
Unveiling China's digital diplomacy: A comparative analysis of CGTN Africa and BBC News Africa on Facebook
Authors: Zhang Yanqiu , Ong'ong'a Daniel Oloo
Published: December 2021

This study explored social media use by CGTN Africa and BBC Africa under the concept of digital diplomacy. Digital diplomacy has been seen recently as an important component that international media adapt to set agendas, expand their online presence and create, engage and sustain relationships with their foreign audience. A content analysis was employed to analyse 1200 posts from Facebook accounts of the media. The study's findings show that the media set an agenda through actively posting stories that promote African values and culture to generate interaction among their readership. Also, findings indicate that foreign media prioritized reporting on specific issues in Uganda, Sudan, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Ethiopia over others. The audience engaged more with reports on sports and less with those on tourism and wildlife. CGTN Africa rarely engages in conversation with its audience. Thus, there is a need to build the capacity of its staff, which might help China's media perform better on social media.
Coordinating Supply Chain Financing for E-commerce Companies Through a Loan Contract
Authors: Zhang Jinjin , Li Xin , Kuo Yong-Hong , Chen Yan
Published: December 2021

This paper considers an online retailer and his or her manufacturer, both facing financial constraints and wishing to get loans from their e-commerce platform-backed finance company. Based on shared transaction data and monitored sales accounts, a tripartite loan contract is proposed to coordinate three parties’ actions in this supply chain financing problem. We prove that the proposed loan contract aligns the decentralized decision-makings of each party and duplicates the optimal channel performance under a fully integrated decision-making framework. A case study is then conducted to illustrate the performance of the proposed loan contract. The result shows that the proposed loan contract outperforms wholesale-price contracts, where coordination does not take place, and buyback contracts, where coordination happens between the retailer and the manufacturer only. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis reveals that profit allocations among the lender, the retailer, and the manufacturer resulted from the proposed loan contract are more balanced when the cost-to-retail ratio or risk premium is high.
Las preferencias musicales de los estudiantes de 5º y 6º de Educación Primaria. Una oportunidad para implementar un enfoque de tipo sociocrítico
Authors: Marín-Liébana Pablo , Botella Nicolás Ana María
Published: December 2021

La música juega un papel fundamental en la vida de los adolescentes, ya que influye en la construcción de sus identidades culturales. La implementación de un enfoque de tipo sociocrítico en la didáctica de la música implica la utilización de un repertorio vinculado a dichas identidades que permita reflexionar sobre las relaciones existentes entre música y sociedad y que ofrezca a los estudiantes herramientas para comprender su entorno social. Los objetivos de este estudio son c onocer cuáles son las preferencias musicales de los estudiantes de 5º y 6º de Educación Primaria, qué características tienen y el lugar que ocupan en el currículum. De esta forma, se ofrece a los docentes un conocimiento más profundo sobre la realidad musical extraescolar de sus alumnos, así como un marco de reflexión a partir del cual incorporar dicho repertorio en el aula desde una perspectiva crítica. Para ello, se ha aplicado un cuestionario a una muestra de 199 estudiantes de centros educativos de la ciudad de Valencia. Los resultados indican que la música popular urbana es el repertorio preferido por dichos estudiantes, especialmente los estilos de pop, hip-hop y música electrónica. Sin embargo, este repertorio tiene una representación prácticamente nula tanto en las prácticas educativas de los docentes como en los manuales escolares que estos utilizan.
Determinants of Mortality Among Severely Malnourished Children in Northern Nigeria
Authors: Nass Shafique Sani , Nass Nafisa Sani , Iliyasu Zubairu , Suleiman Bello , Yahaya Shamsuddeen , Habibu Bala , Bindawa Murtala Isa , Sani Aminu , Suleiman Medinat , Gachi Adamu Suleiman
Published: December 2021

Objectives

Severe Acute Malnutrition is a significant cause of mortality in children under the age of 5 years in low-resource settings, including Northern Nigeria. The study aimed to determine the associations between selected risk factors and mortality outcomes in children admitted with SAM in a facility in Katsina State, Northern Nigeria.

Methods

A prospective observational cohort of 201 children aged 6 to 59 months who were admitted with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in stabilization centers in Katsina State, Northern Nigeria between May 18, 2021, and July 20, 2021, (63 days) were assessed followed up. Outcomes were analyzed using Kaplan-Meir analysis to estimate time to death, and Cox proportional-hazard regression model was used to determine predictors of mortality.

Results

The log-rank test showed significant differences in the probability of death between categories of diarrheal status (log-rank statistic = 9.760, P = .021) and presence of existing disease (comorbidity) (log-rank statistic = 5.338, P = .021). The study identified that severely malnourished children admitted with comorbidities showed significant association with time to event (death) (AHR: 4.109, 95% CI: 1.51, 32.60). The estimated mean time until death was 57.9 days (±3.0) for children without comorbidities and 20.1 (±3.0) days for children with comorbidities. The median survival time was 18 days for children with comorbidities.

Conclusion

The presence of comorbidities was significantly associated with mortality. Severely malnourished children with comorbidities had 4 times higher mortality risk than severely malnourished children admitted without comorbidities. Clinicians and health workers should give due emphasis to the early detection and effective management of comorbidities in children with severe acute malnutrition.
Mifepristone Adverse Events Identified by Planned Parenthood in 2009 and 2010 Compared to Those in the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System and Those Obtained Through the Freedom of Information Act
Authors: Cirucci Christina A. , Aultman Kathi A. , Harrison Donna J.
Published: December 2021

Background

As part of the accelerated approval of mifepristone as an abortifacient in 2000, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required prescribers to report all serious adverse events (AEs) to the manufacturer who was required to report them to the FDA. This information is included in the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) and is available to the public online. The actual Adverse Event Reports (AERs) can be obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Methods

We compared the number of specific AEs and total AERs for mifepristone abortions from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2010 from 1. Planned Parenthood abortion data published by Cleland et al. 2. FAERS online dashboard, and 3. AERs provided through FOIA and analyzed by Aultman et al.

Results

Cleland identified 1530 Planned Parenthood mifepristone cases with specific AEs for 2009 and 2010. For this period, FAERS online dashboard includes a total (from all providers) of only 664, and the FDA released only 330 AERs through FOIA. Cleland identified 1158 ongoing pregnancies in 2009 and 2010. FAERs dashboard contains only 95, and only 39 were released via FOIA.

Conclusions

There are significant discrepancies in the total number of AERs and specific AEs for 2009 and 2010 mifepristone abortions reported in 1. Cleland's documentation of Planned Parenthood AEs, 2. FAERS dashboard, and 3. AERs provided through FOIA. These discrepancies render the FAERS inadequate to evaluate the safety of mifepristone abortions.
Extending the boundaries of ‘urban society’: The urban political ecologies and pathologies of Ebola Virus Disease in West Africa
Authors: Treffers Stefan , Ali S. Harris , Keil Roger , Fallah Mosoka
Published: December 2021

A disease outbreak is an emergent product of social and ecological processes. To more fully understand disease outbreaks and their response, we must therefore consider how these dual processes interact in specific locales within the context of an increasingly urbanized world. As such, in this paper we examine the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak and its response in West Africa by adopting the lenses of two approaches that are usually treated separately – namely, urban political ecology (UPE) and urban political pathology (UPP). The UPE approach sheds light on how the material/biophysical basis of the EVD outbreak was influenced by the socio-political-economic and vice versa. The UPP approach gives us insight into how the EVD response was influenced by broader socio-political-economic forces, particularly the historical legacy of colonialism. Through the adoption of this dual lens we are able to gain greater insights and a more comprehensive understanding of the EVD outbreak and response in West Africa.
Labour in transition: A value-theoretical approach to renewable energy labour
Authors: Pearse Rebecca , Bryant Gareth
Published: December 2021

This article analyses the conditions facing labour within the renewable energy (RE) accumulation strategies of electricity capital. We draw on value-theoretical perspectives developed within Marxist and feminist political economy to understand how labour is being reorganised within the transition to RE. We use value theory to identify key dimensions of RE labour across the exploitation of wage labour and the appropriation of labour-in-nature. We apply this lens to data from existing academic and policy studies on ‘employment’ and ‘environmental’ issues in RE value chains. We connect evidence on formal labour market issues such as employment numbers, job quality, and labour organising and state regulation, with research on the socio-ecological conditions of possibility for RE across materials, land and households. We argue that value theory reveals how distributive and sustainability outcomes of RE are a product of how labour is organised in the energy transition. We finish with considerations for union and social movement strategy regarding the scale and scope of green labour agendas within and beyond energy.
Multimorbidity in large Canadian urban centres: A multilevel analysis of pooled 2015–2018 cross-sectional cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey
Authors: Wilk Piotr , Stranges Saverio , Bellocco Rino , Bohn Torsten , Samouda Hanen , Nicholson Kathryn , Makovski Tatjana T , Maltby Alana
Published: December 2021

Background

There is limited knowledge on how the prevalence of multimorbidity varies within and across major Canadian urban centres. The objective of this study was to investigate the between-neighbourhood variation in the prevalence of multimorbidity in Canada’s large urban centres, controlling for compositional effects associated with individual-level demographic and socioeconomic factors.

Methods

Cross-sectional data from the 2015–2018 cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) were pooled at the microdata level. Respondents (20 years and older) residing in one of the 35 census metropolitan areas (CMAs) were included ( N = 100,803). Census tracts (CTs) were used as a measure of neighbourhood. To assess the between-neighbourhood differences in multimorbidity prevalence, we fitted three sequential random intercept logistic regression models.

Results

During the 2015–2018 period, 8.1% of residents of large urban centres had multimorbidity. The results from the unadjusted model indicate that 13.4% of the total individual variance in multimorbidity could be attributed to the between-neighbourhood differences. After adjustment for overall characteristics of the CMAs in which these neighbourhoods are located, as well as for individual-level demographic and socioeconomic factors related to compositional effects, 11.0% of the individual variance in multimorbidity could still be attributed to the between-neighbourhood differences.

Conclusion

There is significant and substantial geographic variation in multimorbidity prevalence across neighbourhoods in Canada’s large urban centres. Residing in some neighbourhoods could be associated with increased odds of having multimorbidity, even after accounting for overall characteristics of the CMAs in which these neighbourhoods are located, as well as individual-level factors.
Conditioning intensity and probability of live birth after blood or marrow transplantation, a BMTSS report
Authors: Balas Nora , Hageman Lindsey , Wu Jessica , Francisco Liton , Schlichting Elizabeth , Bosworth Alysia , Te Hok Sreng , Wong F. Lennie , Landier Wendy , Salzman Donna , Weisdorf Daniel J. , Forman Stephen J. , Arora Mukta , Armenian Saro H. , Bhatia Smita
Published: December 2021

We examine the impact of conditioning intensity (low intensity: nonmyeloablative/reduced intensity vs high intensity: myeloablative) and total body irradiation (TBI) on the probability of live birth after blood or marrow transplantation (BMT). Study participants were drawn from the BMT Survivor Study (BMTSS) and included 1607 transplant survivors between 1974 and 2014 at age ≤45 years, with survival ≥2 years post-BMT and age at study ≥18 years. Closest-age, same-sex biologic siblings (n = 172) were 1:1 matched with 172 survivors. Survivors and siblings self-reported information on sociodemographic, chronic health conditions, and pregnancies. Within survivor analysis: the association between the primary exposure variable (no TBI/low-intensity conditioning; 200 to 800 cGy TBI/low-intensity conditioning; no TBI/high-intensity conditioning; >800 cGy TBI/high-intensity conditioning) and the odds of no post-BMT live birth were examined using multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for clinical and demographic variables. Median age at BMT was 31 years (IQR, 0 to 45), and median length of follow-up was 14.3 years (IQR, 2.4 to 41.4); 39.3% were autologous BMT recipients, and 46.6% were female. Overall, 120 (8.7%) survivors reported post-BMT live births. Receipt of >800 cGy TBI/high-intensity conditioning (odds ratio [OR], 3.7; 95% CI, 1.9-7.0; ref: no TBI/low-intensity conditioning) was associated with higher odds of reporting no live birth post-BMT. In contrast, 200 to 800 cGy TBI/low-intensity conditioning (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 0.5-3.3), and no TBI/high-intensity conditioning (OR, 0.9; 95% CI, 0.5-1.7) were at similar risk of reporting post-BMT live birth as no TBI/low-intensity conditioning. Comparison with biologic siblings: Using conditional logistic regression, we found that BMT survivors were more likely to report no live birth (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.2-3.3) compared with siblings. These findings could inform conditioning intensity options for patients wishing to preserve fertility post-BMT.
Extracellular HMGB1 interacts with RAGE and promotes chemoresistance in acute leukemia cells
Authors: Lai Weixin , Li Xinyu , Kong Qian , Chen Han , Li Yunyao , Xu Lu-Hong , Fang Jianpei
Published: December 2021

Background

Nowadays, acute leukemia (AL) among children has favorable outcome, yet some of them get refractory or relapse mainly due to drug resistance. High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) has been proven to have a important role in drug resistance via upregulation of autophagy after chemotherapy treatment in acute leukemia. However, the mechanism how extracellular HMGB1 acts on AL cells and leads to chemoresistance remains elusive.

Method

CCK8 was used to examine the toxicity of chemotherapeutic drug. Elisa was performed to detect the release of HMGB1. Western blot and mRFP-GFP-LC3 adenoviral particles as well as transmission electron microscopy were used to detect the autophagy flux. Western blot and flow cytometry were applied to evaluate the apoptosis. qPCR and western blot were conducted to detect the expression of drug efflux protein. Lentivirus infection was applied to knock down RAGE. In addition, T-ALL NOD/SCID mice xenograft model was used to observe the effect of inhibiting HMGB1/RAGE axis.

Results

We found that extracellular HMGB1 do upregulate autophagy and in the meantime downregulate apoptosis, primarily through interaction with receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). Suppression of RAGE by RNA interference alleviated the level of autophagy and enhanced apoptosis. What’s more, HMGB1/RAGE induced autophagy was associated with the activation of ERK1/2 and decreased phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), while HMGB1/RAGE limited apoptosis in a Bcl-2-regulated way mediated by P53. On the other hand, we found that HMGB1/RAGE activated the NF-κB pathway and promoted the expression of P-glycation protein (P-gp) as well as multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP), both are ATP-binding cassette transporters. In vivo experiment, we found that blocking HMGB1/RAGE axis do have a mild pathological condition and a better survival in T-ALL mice.

Conclusion

HMGB1/RAGE have a important role in drug resistance after chemotherapy treatment, mainly by regulating autophagy and apoptosis as well as promoting the expression of drug efflux protein such as P-gp and MRP. HMGB1/RAGE might be a promising target to cure AL, especially for those met with relapse and refractory.
Measles in conflict-affected northern Syria: results from an ongoing outbreak surveillance program
Authors: Mehtar Sammy , AlMhawish Naser , Shobak Kasim , Reingold Art , Guha-Sapir Debarati , Haar Rohini J.
Published: December 2021

Background

The Syrian conflict has dramatically changed the public health landscape of Syria since its onset in March of 2011. Depleted resources, fractured health systems, and increased security risks have disrupted many routine services, including vaccinations, across several regions in Syria. Improving our understanding of infectious disease transmission in conflict-affected communities is imperative, particularly in the Syrian conflict. We utilize surveillance data from the Early Warning Alert and Response Network (EWARN) database managed by the Assistance Coordination Unit (ACU) to explore trends in the incidence of measles in conflict-affected northern Syria and analyze two consecutive epidemics in 2017 and 2018.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective time-series analysis of the incidence of clinically suspected cases of measles using EWARN data between January 2015 and June 2019. We compared regional and temporal trends to assess differences between geographic areas and across time.

Results

Between January 2015 and June 2019, there were 30,241 clinically suspected cases of measles reported, compared to 3193 cases reported across the whole country in the decade leading up to the conflict. There were 960 regional events that met the measles outbreak threshold and significant differences in the medians of measles incidence across all years (p-value < 0.001) and in each pairwise comparison of years as well as across all geographic regions (p-value < 0.001). Although most governorates faced an elevated burden of cases in every year of the study, the measles epidemics of 2017 and 2018 in the governorates of Ar-Raqqa, Deir-Ez-Zor, and Idlib accounted for over 71% of the total suspected cases over the entire study period.

Conclusions

The 2017 and 2018 measles epidemics were the largest since Syria eliminated the disease in 1999. The regions most affected by these outbreaks were areas of intense conflict and displacement between 2014 and 2018, including districts in Ar-Raqqa, Deir-Ez-Zor, and Idlib. The spread of measles in northern Syria serves as an indicator of low immunization coverage and limited access to care and highlights the Syrian peoples’ vulnerability to infectious diseases and vaccine preventable diseases in the setting of the current conflict.
An accessible, efficient and global approach for the large-scale sequencing of bacterial genomes
Authors: Perez-Sepulveda Blanca M. , Heavens Darren , Pulford Caisey V. , Predeus Alexander V. , Low Ross , Webster Hermione , Dykes Gregory F. , Schudoma Christian , Rowe Will , Lipscombe James , Watkins Chris , Kumwenda Benjamin , Shearer Neil , Costigan Karl , Baker Kate S. , Feasey Nicholas A. , Hinton Jay C. D. , Hall Neil ,   The 10KSG consortium, Perez-Sepulveda Blanca M. , Heavens Darren , Pulford Caisey V. , Acuña María Teresa , Antic Dragan , Antonio Martin , Baker Kate S. , Bernal Johan , Bolaños Hilda , Chattaway Marie , Cheesbrough John , Chirambo Angeziwa , Costigan Karl , Darboe Saffiatou , Díaz Paula , Donado Pilar , Duarte Carolina , Duarte Francisco , Everett Dean , Fanning Séamus , Feasey Nicholas A. , Feglo Patrick , Ferreira Adriano M. , Floyd Rachel , Gavilán Ronnie G. , Gordon Melita A. , Hall Neil , Hernandes Rodrigo T. , Hernández-Mora Gabriela , Hinton Jay C. D. , Hurley Daniel , Kasumba Irene N. , Kumwenda Benjamin , Kwambana-Adams Brenda , Lipscombe James , Low Ross , Mattar Salim , Montaño Lucy Angeline , Moreira Cristiano Gallina , Moreno Jaime , Muthappa Dechamma Mundanda , Nair Satheesh , Parry Chris M. , Peno Chikondi , Permala-Booth Jasnehta , Petrović Jelena , Predeus Alexander V. , Puente José Luis , Rebrie Getenet , Redway Martha , Rowe Will , Sadatsune Terue , Schudoma Christian , Shearer Neil , Silva Claudia , Smith Anthony M. , Tennant Sharon , Tran-Dien Alicia , Watkins Chris , Webster Hermione , Weill François-Xavier , Wiesner Magdalena , Wilson Catherine
Published: December 2021

We have developed an efficient and inexpensive pipeline for streamlining large-scale collection and genome sequencing of bacterial isolates. Evaluation of this method involved a worldwide research collaboration focused on the model organism Salmonella enterica, the 10KSG consortium. Following the optimization of a logistics pipeline that involved shipping isolates as thermolysates in ambient conditions, the project assembled a diverse collection of 10,419 isolates from low- and middle-income countries. The genomes were sequenced using the LITE pipeline for library construction, with a total reagent cost of less than USD$10 per genome. Our method can be applied to other large bacterial collections to underpin global collaborations.
Comprehensive analysis of PD-L1 expression, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and tumor microenvironment in LUAD: differences between Asians and Caucasians
Authors: Bie Fenglong , Tian He , Sun Nan , Zang Ruochuan , Zhang Moyan , Song Peng , Liu Lei , Peng Yue , Bai Guangyu , Zhou Bolun , Gao Shugeng
Published: December 2021

Backgrounds

The characteristics of programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-L1) expression, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), and tumor microenvironment (TME) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients are closely related to immunotherapy, and there are differences between Asians and Caucasians.

Methods

Acquire the transcriptome data of the Cancer Genome Atlas and Chinese LUAD patients. R software was used to analyze the differential expression of genes, prognosis, and gene function. Use CIBERSORT for TIL-related analysis and ESTIMATE for TME-related analysis.

Results

The expression of PD-L1 in tumor tissues of Caucasian LUAD patients was lower than that in normal tissues, while there was no significant difference in Asians. There was no statistical difference between PD-L1 expression and prognosis. The composition of TILs between Caucasian and Asian LUAD patients was quite different. There was no correlation between TILs and prognosis in Caucasians. However, the higher content of resting mast cells indicated a better prognosis in Asians. The Caucasian patients with higher immune and estimate scores had a better prognosis (p = 0.021, p = 0.025). However, the Asian patients with a higher estimate score had a worse prognosis (p = 0.024). The high expression of COL5A2 (p = 0.046, p = 0.027) and NOX4 (p = 0.020, p = 0.019) were both associated with the poor prognosis in Caucasians and Asians.

Conclusion

There are many differences in the characteristics of PD-L1 expression, TILs, and TME between Caucasian and Asian LUAD patients. This provides a certain hint for the selection of specific immunotherapy strategies separately for Caucasian and Asian LUAD patients.
Confirmed complete response to nivolumab for advanced gastric cancer with peritoneal dissemination: a case report
Authors: Takami Tomoya , Yasuda Koji , Uozumi Nozomi , Musiake Yutaka , Shintani Hiroshi , Kataoka Naoki , Yamaguchi Tomoyuki , Makimoto Shinichiro
Published: December 2021

Background

Recent advances in cancer immunotherapy have been remarkable, with many reports on the clinical effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Nivolumab has been covered by the national health insurance in Japan as a third-line agent for advanced and recurrent gastric cancer since September 2017. The objective response rate for nivolumab for gastric cancer is 11.2%. However, patients’ quality of life during this treatment has not been examined. Here, we report a case in which multidisciplinary treatment, including with nivolumab, resulted in long-term survival and improved quality of life.

Case presentation

A 70-year-old Asian woman was referred for surgery for gastric cancer. Postoperative pathological examination revealed peritoneal dissemination, and the patient was diagnosed with stage IV gastric cancer. Therefore, she was treated with S-1 and cisplatin based on negative immunohistochemical staining of resected specimens for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. However, owing to instability and adverse events, treatment was subsequently changed to S-1 monotherapy. Two years after changing to S-1 monotherapy, she developed recurrence of peritoneal dissemination and was treated with docetaxel. Radiation therapy was also used because the recurrent lesions were local. However, 6 months later, new peritoneal dissemination and lymph node metastasis were observed and nivolumab was started. Subsequent abdominal computed tomography revealed a marked reduction in the disseminated nodules and lymphadenopathy. After 54 cycles of nivolumab, the lesions had disappeared completely. The patient has not developed side effects, including immune-responsive adverse events, has improved quality of life, and is returning to work. She is currently taking nivolumab, and there is no evidence of recurrence approximately 3 years after starting nivolumab.

Conclusions

Nivolumab may have beneficial effects in some patients with advanced or recurrent gastric cancer. Although the prognosis for gastric cancer and peritoneal dissemination is poor, multidisciplinary treatment that includes nivolumab may lead to long-term survival.
Feminizing adrenocortical adenoma in a girl from a resource-limited setting: a case report
Authors: Elnaw Eman Abdalla Ali , Ibrahim Areej Ahmed Bashier , Abdullah Mohamed Ahmed
Published: December 2021

Background

An adrenocortical tumor is a rare tumor in pediatrics, which can be functional or nonfunctional. Functional tumors present with virilization, feminization, or hypercortisolism. Feminizing adrenal tumors, though rare in pediatrics, need to be excluded in any child presenting with features of feminization.

Case presentation

We report a case of a 4-year-old Sudanese girl who presented with gradually progressive bilateral breast enlargement and accelerated growth since the age of 6 months. The family had sought medical advice several times in numerous health facilities without much gain. Investigations showed pubertal luteinizing hormone levels, high estradiol E2, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, with normal early morning cortisol level. Abdominal ultrasound revealed a right-sided hypoechoic suprarenal mass. Abdominal computed tomography scan showed a right adrenal mass. The diagnosis of feminizing adrenal neoplasm was confirmed and right adrenalectomy was done. Histopathological examination of the resected adrenal gland showed adrenocortical adenoma. The patient was started on gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist for secondary central precocious puberty.

Conclusion

Adrenocortical tumors, though rare in pediatrics, are a documented cause of precocious puberty; biochemical and imaging screening protocol should be adopted for patients with precocious puberty, even in a resource-limited setting, for early detection and treatment.
Precise spectrophotometric method for semitransparent metallic thin-film index determination using interference enhancement
Authors: Shurvinton Riley , Lemarchand Fabien , Moreau Antonin , Lumeau Julien
Published: December 2021

A precise spectrophotometric method to determine the refractive index of a semitransparent metallic thin film is presented. This method relies on interference enhancement of the measured spectra, employing an opaque substrate with a dielectric spacer layer beneath the absorbing layer of interest to create interference fringes.The resulting spectral oscillations of the stack are highly sensitive to the properties of the top absorbing layer, allowing precise determination of the refractive index via fitting. The performance of this method is verified using simulations in comparison to the typical method of depositing the absorbing thin film directly onto a transparent substrate. An experimental demonstration is made for titanium thin films over the visible range (370-835 nm). The refractive index of these films is extracted from experimental data using a combination of the Modified Drude and Forouhi-Bloomer models. This method showed high repeatability and precision, and is verified for Ti films between 6-70 nm thickness.
Hepatic GIST metastases: an illustrative case series
Authors: Hui Cathryn , Sum Reuben
Published: December 2021

Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) are uncommon mesenchymal tumours affecting the gastrointestinal tract. The liver is one of the most common sites for metastatic disease from GISTs and may exhibit a variety of CT and MR imaging appearances. These imaging features can vary prior to and following treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. We report on the spectrum of imaging appearances of hepatic GIST metastases on multiphase contrast CT imaging and hepatocyte-specific contrast enhanced MR. To our knowledge, there are no published series specifically focusing on the appearances of liver metastases from GISTs.

An awareness of the protean appearances and pitfalls on CT and MRI of hepatic GIST metastases, prior to and at different times along the treatment pathway, will assist in early diagnosis of liver metastases, accurate assessment of tumour response and detection of recurrent metastatic disease.
The effect of a seven-step rehabilitation training program on cardiac function and quality of life after percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Peng Xuemei , Zhang Jianhui , Wan Lihong , Wang Hui , Zhang Wuning
Published: December 2021

Objectives: To study the effect of a seven-step rehabilitation training program on cardiac function and quality of life in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: In this study one hundred AMI patients undergoing emergency PCI at The First Hospital of Fangshan District between June 2019 and June 2020 were included. Patients were retrospectively divided into two equal groups based on the type of physiotherapy regiment. The training group included patients who underwent seven-step rehabilitation training while the control group had patients who received routine nursing. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), self-care capability, hospitalization duration, quality of life, and adverse cardiac event incidence were compared.

Results: The number of patients with LVEF values ≥ 50% was significantly higher in the training group after one week of training. Training group patients also showed decreased hospitalization duration and larger improvement in self-care capacity scores. At three months after training, training group patients had overall superior quality of life and lower incidence rates of arrhythmia and angina pectoris.

Conclusion: The seven-step rehabilitation training program has a significant effect on improving AMI patient quality of life and cardiac function post-PCI, and is worthy of continued study and promotion.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.1.4945

How to cite this:Peng X, Zhang J, Wan L, Wang H, Zhang W. The effect of a seven-step rehabilitation training program on cardiac function and quality of life after percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction. Pak J Med Sci. 2022;38(1):123-127.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.1.4945

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Estimating the duration of seropositivity of human seasonal coronaviruses using seroprevalence studies
Authors: Rees Eleanor M. , Waterlow Naomi R. ,   Centre for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases COVID-19 Working Group, Lowe Rachel , Kucharski Adam J.
Published: December 2021

Background: The duration of immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is still uncertain, but it is of key clinical and epidemiological importance. Seasonal human coronaviruses (HCoV) have been circulating for longer and, therefore, may offer insights into the long-term dynamics of reinfection for such viruses.

Methods: Combining historical seroprevalence data from five studies covering the four circulating HCoVs with an age-structured reverse catalytic model, we estimated the likely duration of seropositivity following seroconversion.

Results: We estimated that antibody persistence lasted between 0.9 (95% Credible interval: 0.6 - 1.6) and 3.8 (95% CrI: 2.0 - 7.4) years. Furthermore, we found the force of infection in older children and adults (those over 8.5 [95% CrI: 7.5 - 9.9] years) to be higher compared with young children in the majority of studies.

Conclusions: These estimates of endemic HCoV dynamics could provide an indication of the future long-term infection and reinfection patterns of SARS-CoV-2.
Desarrollo del contrato ficcional en dos subgéneros de la ciencia ficción: dura y prospectiva
Authors: Moreno Fernando Ángel
Published: December 2021

Desarrollo del contrato ficcional en dos subgéneros de la ciencia ficción: dura y prospectiva
Human Being as Defined by its Temporality: The Problem of Time in Salman Rushdie’s Grimus and Umberto Eco’s Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana
Authors: Bilban Tina
Published: December 2021

Salman Rushdie and Umberto Eco, two of the most established authors of the contemporary novel, both design their novels as complex reflections of the contemporary environment, usually by combining elements from other fields of human cognition (e.g. science and philosophy) and from the social and political reality. In Rushdie’s first novel – Grimus – and in Eco’s latest novel – The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana – the main theme that connects these elements is the problem of time. Through the literary plot, both authors develop detailed and unique concepts of time by utilizing elements from contemporary philosophy and science (especially physics and cognitive science). In both novels, time, although in quite different contexts, is essentially connected with the human defined by his being-in-time. Only as a finite being can a human being design himself as a complete and authentic Da-sein, if we use a phrase from Heidegger’s philosophy.
The Chthonic Realm of Our Psyche: Mythic and Moral Aspects of Dracula’s Nature
Authors: Muskovits Eszter
Published: December 2021

Myths reflect the collective experience of mankind. Certain things recur in world myths. Carl Gustav Jung, Swiss psychologist, psychiatrist and analyst noticed that his patients’ dreams contained a lot of similar motives without being acquainted with one another. He observed that these motives in dreams are akin to motives appearing in myths, tales and legends. These archaic pictures or symbols which are universally recognized, he entitled archetypes. The distant locations of vampiric entities prove that vampirism is also a universal phenomenon. In the following article I intend to explore the essential inherent mythic characteristics of Stoker’s Dracula, focusing on possible conceptions of morality.
Intertextualidad, traducción y reescritura: Edmond Jabès y Paul Celan en la poesía de José Ángel Valente
Authors: Martínez-Falero Luis
Published: December 2021

Intertextualidad, traducción y reescritura: Edmond Jabès y Paul Celan en la poesía de José Ángel Valente
The Beginning of Estonian City Writing – a Bird’s-Eye Overview
Authors: Talivee Elle-Mari
Published: December 2021

“The city is a state of mind,” observed the American urban sociologist Robert Ezra Park (Bennett et al. 2008: 35). The mapper of several literary cities, the Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk, concludes in his memoir about his home town Istanbul that, instead of the southern sun, it is the warmth of people that glows around this city. Nowadays Estonia is mainly characterized as an urbanized country. Although the city was for some authors a happy space as early as in the 19th century, beginning with C. R. Jakobson, it was generally common practice to disapprove of the city and city life in 19th century Estonian poetry and this lasted for quite a long time, until the 1920s (Kepp 2003: 378). How was the city portrayed in prose? This article concentrates on the beginning of city writing in Estonian literature: the transition from village stories to early urban prose. The first known original Estonian literary work was a poem, a lamentation titled “Oh, ma vaene Tarto liin!” (Oh Me, the Poor Town of Tartu!), dedicated to the town of Tartu, which had been ravaged in the Nordic War. The sacristan from the Puhja parish church, named Käsu Hans, wrote it in 1708, probably also inspired by a Biblical parallel, the destruction of Jerusalem. However, it was almost two hundred years later that the first equivalent efforts in prose occurred, during the original flourishing of Estonian literature of the National Awakening, in the middle of the nineteenth century.
Охота за ведьмами. Семиотика страха
Authors: Lotman Juri
Published: December 2021

Whitchhunts: semiotics of fear
Scientific thought and and work of Yuri Lotman
Authors: Cáceres Sánchez Manuel
Published: December 2021

Scientific thought and and work of Yuri Lotman
Communicative Features of Discrediting the Internal Affairs Bodies of the Russian Federation (Employees) in the Internet Space
Authors: Ivanova Regina
Published: December 2021

The article presents the results of a content analysis of negative publications about the internal affairs bodies of the Russian Federation, distributed on the Internet for 9 months of 2021. From them, information with signs of discrediting was selected and analyzed, as a result of which communicative features (subject composition, transmission channels, content, communicative intentions of the authors) discrediting the internal affairs bodies of the Russian Federation (employees) were revealed. From the obtained generalized picture, it follows that discrediting as a strategy in the fight against the legitimate activities of law enforcement agencies is actively used in the modern media space. In this regard, it is important to develop adequate measures to counter this negative social phenomenon by the information and public relations departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.