bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High expression of HNRNPR in ESCA combined with 18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters are novel biomarkers for preoperative diagnosis of ESCA
Authors: Liu Xiao-Yu , Gao Yan , Kui Xue-Yan , Liu Xu-Sheng , Zhang Yao-hua , Zhang Yu , Ke Chang-Bin , Pei Zhi-Jun
Published: October 2022

Background

The aim of this study was to determine the expression and function of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein R (HNRNPR) in esophageal carcinoma (ESCA), the correlation between its expression and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computerized tomography scan (PET/CT)-related parameters. We also investigated whether 18F-FDG PET/CT can be used to predict the expression of HNRNPR in ESCA.

Methods

We analyzed patients with ESCA who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT before surgery, and their tissues were stained with HNRNPR IHC. The associated parameters were derived using the 18F-FDG PET imaging data, and the correlation with the IHC score was evaluated. The Oncomine, TCGA, and GEO datasets were used to investigate HNRNPR expression in the pan- and esophageal cancers, as well as its relationship with N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification and glycolysis. The R software, LinkedOmics, GeneMANIA, and StringOnline tools were used to perform GO/KEGG, GGI, and PPI analyses on the HNRNPR.

Results

HNRNPR is highly expressed in the majority of pan-cancers, including ESCA, and is associated with BMI, weight, and history of reflux in patients with ESCA. HNRNPR is somewhat accurate in predicting the clinical prognosis of ESCA. HNRNPR expression was positively correlated with SUVmax, SUVmean, and TLG in ESCA (p < 0.05). The combination of these three variables provides a strong predictive value for HNRNPR expression in ESCA. GO/KEGG analysis showed that HNRNPR played a role in the regulation of cell cycle, DNA replication, and the Fannie anemia pathway. The analysis of the TCGA and GEO data sets revealed a significant correlation between HNRNPR expression and m6A and glycolysis-related genes. GSEA analysis revealed that HNRNPR was involved in various m6A and glycolysis related-pathways.

Conclusion

HNRNPR overexpression correlates with 18F-FDG uptake in ESCA and may be involved in the regulation of the cell cycle, m6A modification, and cell glycolysis. 18F-FDG PET/CT-related parameters can predict the diagnostic accuracy of HNRNPR expression in ESCA.
Multi-perspective comparison of the immune microenvironment of primary colorectal cancer and liver metastases
Authors: He Yangsong , Han Yanan , Fan A-hui , Li Danxiu , Wang Boda , Ji Kun , Wang Xin , Zhao Xiaodi , Lu Yuanyuan
Published: October 2022

Background

Liver metastases are a major contributor to the poor immunotherapy response in colorectal cancer patients. However, the distinctions in the immune microenvironment between primary tumors and liver metastases are poorly characterized. The goal of this study was to compare the expression profile of multiple immune cells to further analyze the similarities and differences between the microenvironments of liver metastases and the primary tumor.

Methods

Tissues from 17 patients with colorectal cancer who underwent resection of primary and liver metastases was analyzed using multispectral immunofluorescence. The expression of multiple immune cells (CD8, Foxp3, CD68, CD163, CD20, CD11c, CD66b, CD56, PD-L1, INF-γ, Ki67 and VEGFR-2) in the tumor center (TC), tumor invasive front (< 150 µm from the tumor center, TF) and peritumoral region (≥ 150 µm from the tumor center, PT) was evaluated via comparison. The expression of CD68 and CD163 in different regions was further analyzed based on the cell colocalization method. In addition, different immune phenotypes were studied and compared according to the degree of CD8 infiltration.

Results

The expression trends of 12 markers in the TF and TC regions were basically the same in the primary tumor and liver metastasis lesions. However, in comparison of the TF and PT regions, the expression trends were not identical between primary and liver metastases, especially CD163, which was more highly expressed in the PT region relative to the TF region. In the contrast of different space distribution, the expression of CD163 was higher in liver metastases than in the primary foci. Further analysis of CD68 and CD163 via colocalization revealed that the distribution of macrophages in liver metastases was significantly different from that in the primary foci, with CD68−CD163+ macrophages predominating in liver metastases. In addition, among the three immunophenotypes, CD163 expression was highest in the immune rejection phenotype.

Conclusions

The immune cells found in the primary tumors of colorectal cancer differed from those in liver metastases in terms of their spatial distribution. More immunosuppressive cells were present in the liver metastases, with the most pronounced differential distribution found for macrophages. CD68−CD163+ macrophages may be associated with intrahepatic immunosuppression and weak immunotherapeutic effects.
Treadmill exercise promotes E3 ubiquitin ligase to remove amyloid β and P-tau and improve cognitive ability in APP/PS1 transgenic mice
Authors: Xu Longfei , Li Mingzhe , Wei Aili , Yang Miaomiao , Li Chao , Liu Ran , Zheng Yuejun , Chen Yuxin , Wang Zixi , Wang Kun , Wang Tianhui
Published: October 2022

Background

Moderate physical exercise is conducive to the brains of healthy humans and AD patients. Previous reports have suggested that treadmill exercise plays an anti-AD role and improves cognitive ability by promoting amyloid clearance, inhibiting neuronal apoptosis, reducing oxidative stress level, alleviating brain inflammation, and promoting autophagy–lysosome pathway in AD mice. However, few studies have explored the relationships between the ubiquitin–proteasome system and proper exercise in AD. The current study was intended to investigate the mechanism by which the exercise-regulated E3 ubiquitin ligase improves AD.

Methods

Both wild type and APP/PS1 transgenic mice were divided into sedentary (WTC and ADC) and exercise (WTE and ADE) groups (n = 12 for each group). WTE and ADE mice were subjected to treadmill exercise of 12 weeks in order to assess the effect of treadmill running on learning and memory ability, Aβ plaque burden, hyperphosphorylated Tau protein and E3 ubiquitin ligase.

Results

The results indicated that exercise restored learning and memory ability, reduced Aβ plaque areas, inhibited the hyperphosphorylation of Tau protein activated PI3K/Akt/Hsp70 signaling pathway, and improved the function of the ubiquitin–proteasome system (increased UCHL-1 and CHIP levels, decreased BACE1 levels) in APP/PS1 transgenic mice.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that exercise may promote the E3 ubiquitin ligase to clear β-amyloid and hyperphosphorylated Tau by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in the hippocampus of AD mice, which is efficient in ameliorating pathological phenotypes and improving learning and memory ability.
Implementing a school-based HIV prevention program during public health emergencies: lessons learned in The Bahamas
Authors: Deveaux Lynette , Schieber Elizabeth , Cottrell Lesley , Firpo-Triplett Regina , Adderley Richard , MacDonell Karen , Forbes Nikkiah , Wang Bo
Published: October 2022

Background

Natural disasters and public health crises can disrupt communities’ capacities to implement important public health programs. A nationwide implementation of an evidence-based HIV prevention program, Focus on Youth in The Caribbean (FOYC) and Caribbean Informed Parents and Children Together (CImPACT), in The Bahamas was disrupted by Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in its more remote, Family Islands. We explored the teacher- and school-level factors that affected implementation of the program in these islands during those disruptions.

Methods

Data were collected from 47 Grade 6 teachers and 984 students in 34 government elementary schools during the 2020–2021 school year. Teachers completed a pre-implementation questionnaire to record their characteristics and perceptions that might affect their implementation fidelity and an annual program training workshop. School coordinators and high-performing teachers acting as mentors received additional training to provide teachers with monitoring, feedback, and additional support. Teachers submitted data on their completion of the 9 sessions and 35 core activities of FOYC + CImPACT. The fidelity outcomes were the number of sessions and core activities taught by teachers.

Results

On average, teachers taught 60% of sessions and 53% of core activities. Teachers with “very good” school coordinators (34% of teachers) taught more activities than those with “satisfactory” (43%) or no (34%) school coordinator (27.5 vs. 16.8 vs. 14.8, F = 12.86, P < 0.001). Teachers who had attended online training or both online and in-person training taught more sessions (6.1 vs. 6.2 vs. 3.6, F = 4.76, P < 0.01) and more core activities (21.1 vs. 20.8 vs. 12.6, F = 3.35, P < 0.05) than those who received no training. Teachers’ implementation was associated with improved student outcomes (preventive reproductive health skills, self-efficacy, and intention).

Conclusions

The Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic greatly disrupted education in The Bahamas Family Islands and affected implementation of FOYC + CImPACT. However, we identified several strategies that supported teachers’ implementation following these events. Teacher training and implementation monitoring increased implementation fidelity despite external challenges, and students achieved the desired learning outcomes. These strategies can better support teachers’ implementation of school-based interventions during future crises.
Clinical effect of soft coagulation for air leak treatment during pulmonary lobectomy
Authors: Takahashi Yuki , Maki Ryunosuke , Tsuruta Kodai , Tada Makoto , Arai Wataru , Shindo Yuma , Nakamura Yasuyuki , Miyajima Masahiro , Watanabe Atsushi
Published: October 2022

Background

Soft coagulation using the VIO soft coagulation system is used to treat minor lung air leaks during pulmonary resection in Japan. We previously reported that it has a similar effect as the air leak treatment with fibrin glue. We evaluated the efficacy of soft coagulation using the VIO soft coagulation system for lung air leakage during pulmonary resection.

Methods

Intraoperative air leaks from the interlobar lung parenchyma were observed in 42 of the 283 patients who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy between 2016 and 2018. We retrospectively reviewed these 42 patients who were treated using the VIO soft coagulation system for air leaks. We classified the air leaks in to grades using the Macchiarini scale score and evaluated the surgical outcomes of air leak treatment.

Results

Air leaks from the interlobar lung parenchyma having Macchiarini scale scores 1, 2, and 3 occurred in 8, 17, and 17 patients, respectively. In all the 8 patients with score 1 air leaks (100%), the air leaks could be controlled using the VIO soft coagulation system alone, and none had delayed pneumothorax requiring intervention. Of the score 2 and 3 air leaks, 52.9% and 35.3% were controlled using the VIO soft coagulation system alone, respectively.

Conclusions

Macchiarini scale score 1 air leaks from the interlobar lung parenchyma could be well controlled using the VIO soft coagulation system. Therefore, soft coagulation with this system may be an alternative method for treating minor air leaks during pulmonary resection surgery.
The predictive value of C-reactive protein to albümin ratio for ascending aort progression in patients with ascending aortic diameter of 40–50 mm
Authors: Dolapoglu Ahmet , Avci Eyüp , Kiris Tuncay
Published: October 2022

We aimed to investigate the ability of the C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR) to predict ascending aorta progression in patients with 40–50 mm diameter of ascending aortic dilatation. A total of 182 diagnosed patients with ascending aortic diameters of 40–50 mm were enrolled in this study. The study population was divided into tertiles based on yearly ascending aortic growth rate values. Group I (n = 137) was defined as a value in the lower 2 tertiles (ascending aorta growth ≤ 1.00 mm/year), and group II (n = 45) was defined as a value in the third tertile (ascending aorta growth > 1.00 mm/year). Hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, positive family history, and CAR were found to be independent risk factors for ascending aorta growth > 1.00 mm/year. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of CAR was 0.771(95% CI 0.689–0.854) for predicting ascending aorta growth > 1.00 mm/year. In patients with 40–50 mm ascending aneurysms, CAR may be useful to predict ascending aorta progression.
Axonal degeneration and amyloid pathology predict cognitive decline beyond cortical atrophy
Authors: Svenningsson Anna Linnéa , Stomrud Erik , Palmqvist Sebastian , Hansson Oskar , Ossenkoppele Rik
Published: October 2022

Background

Cortical atrophy is associated with cognitive decline, but the association is not perfect. We aimed to identify factors explaining the discrepancy between the degree of cortical atrophy and cognitive decline in cognitively unimpaired elderly.

Methods

The discrepancy between atrophy and cognitive decline was measured using the residuals from a linear regression analysis between change in whole brain cortical thickness over time and change in a cognitive composite measure over time in 395 cognitively unimpaired participants from the Swedish BioFINDER study. We tested for bivariate associations of this residual measure with demographic, imaging, and fluid biomarker variables using Pearson correlations and independent-samples t-tests, and for multivariate associations using linear regression models. Mediation analyses were performed to explore possible paths between the included variables.

Results

In bivariate analyses, older age (r = −0.11, p = 0.029), male sex (t = −3.00, p = 0.003), larger intracranial volume (r = −0.17, p < 0.001), carrying an APOEe4 allele (t = −2.71, p = 0.007), larger white matter lesion volume (r = −0.16, p = 0.002), lower cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) β-amyloid (Aβ) 42/40 ratio (t = −4.05, p < 0.001), and higher CSF levels of phosphorylated tau (p-tau) 181 (r = −0.22, p < 0.001), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP; r = −0.15, p = 0.003), and neurofilament light (NfL; r = −0.34, p < 0.001) were negatively associated with the residual measure, i.e., associated with worse than expected cognitive trajectory given the level of atrophy. In a multivariate analysis, only lower CSF Aβ42/40 ratio and higher CSF NfL levels explained cognition beyond brain atrophy. Mediation analyses showed that associations between the residual measure and APOEe4 allele, CSF Aβ42/40 ratio, and CSF GFAP and p-tau181 levels were mediated by levels of CSF NfL, as were the associations with the residual measure for age, sex, and WML volume.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that axonal degeneration and amyloid pathology independently affect the rate of cognitive decline beyond the degree of cortical atrophy. Furthermore, axonal degeneration mediated the negative effects of old age, male sex, and white matter lesions, and in part also amyloid and tau pathology, on cognition over time when accounting for cortical atrophy.
Treatment-related hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis due to atezolizumab: a case report and review of the literature
Authors: Rubio-Perez Jaime , Rodríguez-Perez Ángel Ricardo , Díaz-Blázquez María , Moreno-García Victor , Dómine-Gómez Manuel
Published: October 2022

Background

Immune checkpoint inhibitors avoid inhibition of T-cell responses, upregulating antitumor immune response. Moreover, a dysregulation with hyperactive immune response can be caused, some of them underdiagnosed. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis is a rare and often fatal syndrome of uncontrolled and ineffective hyperinflammatory response that triggers an inflammatory cascade that can lead in many cases to death.

Case presentation

We report the case of a 67-year-old Caucasian man with stage IV lung adenocarcinoma who developed hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis after initiation of atezolizumab, an antagonist of programmed death-ligand 1. Even with early diagnosis and proper treatment, death occurs in approximately half of all cases reported.

Conclusion

Key markers are needed to better identify patients at risk of developing severe immune-related adverse events. In addition to key markers, a higher degree of suspicion and early intervention are needed to improve outcomes in acquired hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, especially with the increasingly and expanding use of immune activation.
Modelling the effects of antimicrobial metaphylaxis and pen size on bovine respiratory disease in high and low risk fattening cattle
Authors: Picault Sébastien , Ezanno Pauline , Smith Kristen , Amrine David , White Brad , Assié Sébastien
Published: October 2022

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) dramatically affects young calves, especially in fattening facilities, and is difficult to understand, anticipate and control due to the multiplicity of factors involved in the onset and impact of this disease. In this study we aimed to compare the impact of farming practices on BRD severity and on antimicrobial usage. We designed a stochastic individual-based mechanistic BRD model which incorporates not only the infectious process, but also clinical signs, detection methods and treatment protocols. We investigated twelve contrasted scenarios which reflect farming practices in various fattening systems, based on pen sizes, risk level, and individual treatment vs. collective treatment (metaphylaxis) before or during fattening. We calibrated model parameters from existing observation data or literature and compared scenario outputs regarding disease dynamics, severity and mortality. The comparison of the trade-off between cumulative BRD duration and number of antimicrobial doses highlighted the added value of risk reduction at pen formation even in small pens, and acknowledges the interest of collective treatments for high-risk pens, with a better efficacy of treatments triggered during fattening based on the number of detected cases.
An enhanced ACO-based mobile sink path determination for data gathering in wireless sensor networks
Authors: Wu Zhou , Wan Gang
Published: October 2022

By facilitating the data delivery in wireless sensor networks, the movement of mobile sink can enhance the network connectivity and sensory coverage. However, the optimal path determination of mobile sink is a NP-hard optimization problem. By jointly considering the cluster-based routing and sink mobility, this paper proposes an enhanced ACO-based movement scheduling of mobile sink for data gathering in wireless sensor networks. To meet the delay requirements and balance the energy consumption of the sensor nodes, the optimal cluster heads selection is introduced. Then, an enhanced ACO-based movement scheduling algorithm is proposed to obtain the shortest path of mobile sink by traversing the network. The simulation results show that our proposed method can offer a promising performance in terms of reducing data delivery latency and extending the lifetime of the network.
Anomaly detection in multi-tiered cellular networks using LSTM and 1D CNN
Authors: Oğuz Hasan Tahsin , Kalaycıoğlu Aykut
Published: October 2022

Self-organizing networks (SONs) are considered as one of the key features for automation of network management in new generation of mobile communications. The upcoming fifth-generation mobile networks and beyond are likely to offer new advancements for SON solutions. In SON concept, self-healing is a prominent task which comes along with cell outage detection and cell outage compensation. Next-generation cellular networks are supposed to have ultra-dense deployments which make cell outage detection critical and harder for network maintenance. Therefore, by imitating the ultra-dense multi-tiered scenarios, this study scrutinizes femtocell outage detection with the help of long short-term memory and one-dimensional convolutional neural networks by using time sequences of key performance indicator parameters generated in user equipment. In both the proposed schemes, probable outage-related anomalies in femto access points (FAP) are detected and classified within predetermined time sequence intervals. Moreover, aggregation decision methods are also incorporated into the proposed framework for boosting cell outage detection procedure on FAP level. Our findings show that proposed deep learning approaches outperform existing feed-forward neural networks, and on the average, in more than 80% of the cases the outage states of the femtocells are correctly predicted among healthy and three anomalous states.
Cost-effective land cover classification for remote sensing images
Authors: Li Dongwei , Wang Shuliang , He Qiang , Yang Yun
Published: October 2022

Land cover maps are of vital importance to various fields such as land use policy development, ecosystem services, urban planning and agriculture monitoring, which are mainly generated from remote sensing image classification techniques. Traditional land cover classification usually needs tremendous computational resources, which often becomes a huge burden to the remote sensing community. Undoubtedly cloud computing is one of the best choices for land cover classification, however, if not managed properly, the computation cost on the cloud could be surprisingly high. Recently, cutting the unnecessary computation long tail has become a promising solution for saving cost in the cloud. For land cover classification, it is generally not necessary to achieve the best accuracy and 85% can be regarded as a reliable land cover classification. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a framework for cost-effective remote sensing classification. Given the desired accuracy, the clustering algorithm can stop early for cost-saving whilst achieving sufficient accuracy for land cover image classification. Experimental results show that achieving 85%-99.9% accuracy needs only 27.34%-60.83% of the total cloud computation cost for achieving a 100% accuracy. To put it into perspective, for the US land cover classification example, the proposed approach can save over $1,593,490.18 for the government in each single-use when the desired accuracy is 90%.
Using mixed methods to establish tobacco treatment acceptability from the perspective of clients and clinicians of antenatal substance use services
Authors: Jackson Melissa A. , Buykx Penny , Brown Amanda L. , Baker Amanda L. , Dunlop Adrian J. , Gould Gillian S.
Published: October 2022

Background

Up to 95% of pregnant women with alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems also smoke tobacco. Challenging psychosocial circumstances and a lack of targeted tobacco interventions contribute to low rates of prenatal abstinence and more effective treatment strategies are required. This study explores smoking in pregnant clients of AOD treatment services from a consumer and healthcare provider perspective to examine characteristics of behaviour change and the acceptability of evidence-based tobacco treatment strategies. Outcomes will support the design and implementation of a comprehensive tobacco intervention.

Methods

A mixed methods triangulated design was used. Thirteen women who smoked and attended antenatal AOD services in New South Wales, Australia, were interviewed and 28 clinicians from the same services were surveyed. Domains including experiences of tobacco smoking in pregnancy, motivators and barriers to cessation and evidence-based strategies to assist cessation during pregnancy were explored. Interviews were analysed using Iterative Categorization, with interpretation guided by Qualitative Description. Online surveys were analysed descriptively. A convergent-parallel mixed methods analysis was performed.

Results

Women and clinicians agreed that improving baby’s health outcomes was the primary motivation to stop smoking. Negative experiences with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), financial constraints and maternal contraindications restricted its uptake and effectiveness during pregnancy. Both groups agreed that other AOD use, stopping multiple substances concurrently, difficulty coping with stress and the influence of partners who smoke had the biggest impacts on cessation efforts. Clinicians favoured harm-reduction rather than abstinence-based tobacco interventions and women appeared satisfied with reduction efforts. Both views may influence the attainment of prenatal abstinence-based goals. Although previous evidence suggested the contrary, clinicians were willing to encourage simultaneous cessation of tobacco and other substances. Non-judgmental treatment approaches that provide extra support, education and motivation were important for women. Women and clinicians supported use of NRT despite concerns. Financial incentives, counselling, partner support and offering tobacco treatment with antenatal AOD care were considered acceptable treatment options.

Conclusions

NRT, incentives, counselling and partner support could be utilized in a tobacco intervention for pregnant women with substance use concerns. Non-judgmental education, motivation, and provision of NRT including instruction for correct use are important considerations.
Surgical margins of the oral cavity: Is 5 mm really necessary?
Authors: Fowler James , Campanile Yael , Warner Andrew , Laxague Francisco , Fnais Naif , Fung Kevin , Mendez Adrian , MacNeil Danielle , Yoo John , Palma David , Nichols Anthony
Published: October 2022

Background

Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common malignancy of the oral cavity. Primary treatment involves surgical resection of the tumour with a surrounding margin. Historically, the most commonly accepted margin clearance is 5 mm. This distance is controversial, with recent publications suggesting closer margins do not impact local recurrence and survival. The objective of this study is to determine the closest surgical margin that does not impact local recurrence and overall survival.

Methods

A retrospective review of the London Health Sciences Centre Head and Neck Multidisciplinary Clinic between 2010 and 2018 was performed. Demographic data, subsite, tumour staging, treatment modality, margins, and survival outcomes were analyzed. The primary endpoint was local recurrence free survival. Secondary endpoints included recurrence-free survival and overall survival. Descriptive statistics, as well as univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression modelling were performed for all patients.

Results

Four-hundred and twelve patients were included in the study, with a median follow-up of 3.3 years. On univariable analysis, positive margins and margins < 1 mm were associated with significantly worse local recurrence-free survival, recurrence-free survival, and overall survival ( p < 0.05), compared to margins > 5 mm. Patients with surgical margins > 1 mm experienced similar outcomes to those with margins > 5 mm. Multivariable analysis identified age of diagnosis, alcohol consumption, pathological tumour and nodal category as predictors of local recurrence free survival.

Conclusions

Although historical margins for head and neck surgery are 5 mm, similar outcomes were observed for margins greater than 1 mm in our cohort. These findings require validation through multi-institutional collaborative efforts.

Graphical Abstract
Prone positioning in ARDS patients supported with VV ECMO, what we should explore?
Authors: Zhang Hongling , Liu Zhengdong , Shu Huaqing , Yu Yuan , Yang Xiaobo , Li Ruiting , Xu Jiqian , Zou Xiaojing , Shang You
Published: October 2022

Background

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a prevalent cause of admittance to intensive care units, is associated with high mortality. Prone positioning has been proven to improve the outcomes of moderate to severe ARDS patients owing to its physiological effects. Venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO) will be considered in patients with severe hypoxemia. However, for patients with severe hypoxemia supported with VV ECMO, the potential effects and optimal strategies of prone positioning remain unclear. This review aimed to present these controversial questions and highlight directions for future research.

Main body

The clinically significant benefit of prone positioning and early VV ECMO alone was confirmed in patients with severe ARDS. However, a number of questions regarding the combination of VV ECMO and prone positioning remain unanswered. We discussed the potential effects of prone positioning on gas exchange, respiratory mechanics, hemodynamics, and outcomes. Strategies to achieve optimal outcomes, including indications, timing, duration, and frequency of prone positioning, as well as the management of respiratory drive during prone positioning sessions in ARDS patients receiving VV ECMO, are challenging and controversial. Additionally, whether and how to implement prone positioning according to ARDS phenotypes should be evaluated. Lung morphology monitored by computed tomography, lung ultrasound, or electrical impedance tomography might be a potential indication to make an individualized plan for prone positioning therapy in patients supported with VV ECMO.

Conclusion

For patients with ARDS supported with VV ECMO, the potential effects of prone positioning have yet to be clarified. Ensuring an optimal strategy, especially an individualized plan for prone positioning therapy during VV ECMO, is particularly challenging and requires further research.
Nutritional needs of children with disabilities in the UAE: understanding predictors and mediators of nutritional knowledge and practices
Authors: Opoku Maxwell Peprah , Moustafa Ashraf , Anwahi Noora , Elhoweris Hala , Alkatheeri Fatima , Alhosani Najwa , Alameri Anwar , Belbase Shashidhar
Published: October 2022

Background

There is a high estimated prevalence of obesity and poor eating habits among children with disabilities. Unfortunately, the extent of parental and teachers’ awareness of the dietary needs and nutritional requirements of children with disabilities has been understudied. This study aims to explore the predictors and mediators of nutritional knowledge and practices among parents and teachers of children with disabilities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) using Nutbeam’s hierarchical health literacy model as a framework to test three hypotheses.

Methods

A total of 149 parents and teachers were recruited from rehabilitation centres in two of the seven Emirates in the UAE. The revised Food and Nutritional Literacy Scale (FNLIT) was used for data collection. The revised scale was validated and its reliability was assessed using SPSS and AMOS version 28 to compute exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling (confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis), respectively.

Results

The results confirmed a four-factor structure for FNLIT, and all three hypotheses were supported by the study findings. We confirmed a relationship between understanding and practical nutritional skills (Hypothesis I), and found that two practical nutritional skills, functional and interactive, combined to predict the understanding of nutritional needs of children with disabilities (Hypothesis II). Hypothesis III was partially supported in that participant type mediated the relationship between functional, interactive, and understanding factors. The convergent and discriminant validities of the scale were confirmed, and path analysis showed the ability of practical skills to predict knowledge.

Conclusion

The study concludes on the need for public education on nutritional needs as well as developing the capacity of teachers and parents to implement appropriate eating programmes for children with disabilities.
Accelerating skin regeneration and wound healing by controlled ROS from photodynamic treatment
Authors: Khorsandi Khatereh , Hosseinzadeh Reza , Esfahani HomaSadat , Zandsalimi Kavosh , Shahidi Fedora Khatibi , Abrahamse Heidi
Published: October 2022

Cellular metabolisms produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) which are essential for cellular signaling pathways and physiological functions. Nevertheless, ROS act as “double-edged swords” that have an unstable redox balance between ROS production and removal. A little raise of ROS results in cell proliferation enhancement, survival, and soft immune responses, while a high level of ROS could lead to cellular damage consequently protein, nucleic acid, and lipid damages and finally cell death. ROS play an important role in various pathological circumstances. On the contrary, ROS can show selective toxicity which is used against cancer cells and pathogens. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is based on three important components including a photosensitizer (PS), oxygen, and light. Upon excitation of the PS at a specific wavelength, the PDT process begins which leads to ROS generation. ROS produced during PDT could induce two different pathways. If PDT produces control and low ROS, it can lead to cell proliferation and differentiation. However, excess production of ROS by PDT causes cellular photo damage which is the main mechanism used in cancer treatment. This review summarizes the functions of ROS in living systems and describes role of PDT in production of controllable ROS and finally a special focus on current ROS-generating therapeutic protocols for regeneration and wound healing.
Self-accelerating solitons
Authors: Malomed Boris A.
Published: October 2022

Basic models which give rise to one- and two-dimensional (1D and 2D) solitons, such as the Gross-Pitaevskii (GP) equations for BEC, feature the Galilean invariance, which makes it possible to generate families of moving solitons from quiescent ones. A challenging problem is to find models admitting stable self-accelerating (SA) motion of solitons. SA modes are known in linear systems in the form of Airy waves, but they are poorly localized states. This brief review presents two-component BEC models which make it possible to predict SA solitons. In one system, a pair of interacting 1D solitons with opposite signs of the effective mass is created in a binary BEC trapped in an optical-lattice potential. In that case, opposite interaction forces, acting on the solitons with positive and negative masses, produce equal accelerations, while the total momentum is conserved. The second model is based on a system of GP equations for two atomic components, which are resonantly coupled by a microwave field. The latter model produces an exact transformation to an accelerating references frame, thus predicting 1D and 2D stable SA solitons, including vortex rings.
Appropriate Use of Telehealth Visits in Endocrinology: Policy Perspective of the Endocrine Society
Authors: Vimalananda Varsha G , Brito Juan P , Eiland Leslie A , Lal Rayhan A , Maraka Spyridoula , McDonnell Marie E , Narla Radhika R , Roth Mara Y , Crossen Stephanie S
Published: October 2022

Objective

This work aims to guide clinicians practicing endocrinology in the use of telehealth (synchronous patient-clinician visits conducted over video or telephone) for outpatient care.

Participants

The Endocrine Society convened a 9-member panel of US endocrinologists with expertise in telehealth clinical care, telehealth operations, patient-centered care, health care delivery research, and/or evidence-based medicine.

Evidence

The panel conducted a literature search to identify studies published since 2000 about telehealth in endocrinology. One member extracted a list of factors affecting the quality of endocrine care via telehealth from the extant literature. The panel grouped these factors into 5 domains: clinical, patient, patient-clinician relationship, clinician, and health care setting and technology.

Consensus Process

For each domain, 2 or 3 members drew on existing literature and their expert opinions to draft a section examining the effect of the domain’s component factors on the appropriateness of telehealth use within endocrine practice. Appropriateness was evaluated in the context of the 6 Institute of Medicine aims for health care quality: patient-centeredness, equity, safety, effectiveness, timeliness, and efficiency. The panel held monthly virtual meetings to discuss and revise each domain. Two members wrote the remaining sections and integrated them with the domains to create the full policy perspective, which was reviewed and revised by all members.

Conclusions

Telehealth has become a common care modality within endocrinology. This policy perspective summarizes the factors determining telehealth appropriateness in various patient care scenarios. Strategies to increase the quality of telehealth care are offered. More research is needed to develop a robust evidence base for future guideline development.
Acute Development of a Traumatic Pseudoaneurysm of the Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery Due to a Fracture of the Clivus
Authors: Nishihiro Shingo , Ichikawa Tomotsugu , Takahashi Yu , Tsuyuguchi Yuta , Hirata Yuichi , Kuramoto Satoshi , Ono Yasuhiro , Goda Yuji , Kawauchi Masamitsu
Published: October 2022

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE:

Traumatic intracranial aneurysms are uncommon and are mostly located in the anterior circulation. Aneurysms involving the posterior circulation are extremely rare and account for less than 10% of traumatic aneurysms. In this study, we describe an extremely rare case of a traumatic pseudoaneurysm of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery due to a fracture of the clivus that ruptured in the acute stage after blunt brain injury and that was successfully cured endovascularly.

CLINICAL PRESENTATION:

A 68-year-old man presented with loss of consciousness because of a severe subarachnoid hemorrhage and multiple contusions after blunt brain injury. Angiography the day after trauma revealed a traumatic pseudoaneurysm near the clivus fracture that had not been identified on the first day of trauma. The aneurysm's location was consistent with the location of the increased thick subarachnoid hemorrhage. The aneurysm was successfully occluded endovascularly through posterior inferior cerebellar artery parent artery occlusion. The patient survived the acute stage because of management that included endovascular treatment followed by decompressive craniectomy.

CONCLUSION:

A traumatic pseudoaneurysm that is likely to rupture due to the fragility of the aneurysm wall can be identified within 1 day after trauma. Neurosurgeons should pay careful attention to the aneurysm formation and perform early treatment to prevent its rupture, which could lead to a fatal hemorrhage.
Dysregulation of integrin αvβ3 and α5β1 impedes migration of placental endothelial cells in fetal growth restriction
Authors: Gumina Diane L. , Ji Shuhan , Flockton Amanda , McPeak Kathryn , Stich Dominik , Moldovan Radu , Su Emily J.
Published: October 2022

Placentas from pregnancies complicated by severe early-onset fetal growth restriction (FGR) exhibit diminished vascular development mediated by impaired angiogenesis, but underlying mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we show that FGR endothelial cells demonstrate inherently reduced migratory capacity despite the presence of fibronectin, a matrix protein abundant in placental stroma that displays abnormal organization in FGR placentas. Thus, we hypothesized that aberrant endothelial-fibronectin interactions in FGR are a key mechanism underlying impaired FGR endothelial migration. Using human fetoplacental endothelial cells isolated from uncomplicated term control and FGR pregnancies, we assessed integrin α5β1 and αvβ3 regulation during cell migration. We show that endothelial integrin α5β1 and αvβ3 interactions with fibronectin are required for migration and that FGR endothelial cells responded differentially to integrin inhibition, indicating integrin dysregulation in FGR. Whole-cell expression was not different between groups. However, there were significantly more integrins in focal adhesions and reduced intracellular trafficking in FGR. These newly identified changes in FGR endothelial cellular processes represent previously unidentified mechanisms contributing to persistent angiogenic deficiencies in FGR.
Acidic Devinylation of Nickel Chlorophyll Derivatives
Authors: Hisayasu Takumi , Hara Nobuyuki , Tamiaki Hitoshi
Published: October 2022

A nickel(II) complex of methyl pyropheophorbide-a bearing a vinyl group at the 3-position was treated with methanesulfonic acid in refluxing benzene to give smoothly the corresponding 3-devinylated product. The 7- and 8-vinyl groups in the related chlorophyll-a/b derivatives were readily removed under the same conditions, while the 12-vinyl group neighboring the electron-withdrawing 13-keto carbonyl moiety was hardly defunctionalized. The devinylations blue-shifted all the visible absorption bands in dichloromethane. The deethylation at the 3-position bathochromically moved the redmost Qy maximum, and the dealkylations at the 7-, 8-, and 12-positions hypsochromically moved the Qy(0,0) maxima, which were reproduced by time-dependent density functional theory calculation. Since no vinyl periphery in the free base counterparts was removed under the mild conditions, nickel 3-unsubstituted deoxophylloerythroporphyrin in geological samples would be produced via the nickel metalation of chlorophylls-a/b/c from ancient phototrophs or their derivatives followed by the acidic 3-devinylation.
COVID-protected pathways for image-guided lung cancer intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cohort study
Authors: Sheeka Alexander , Singaravelou Ajay , Bartlett Emily , Sivarasan Nishanth , Rawal Bhavin , Devaraj Anand , Desai Sujal , Padley Simon , Ridge Carole A
Published: October 2022

Objectives:

To compare the experience of COVID-protected and mixed cohort pathways in COVID-19 transmission at a tertiary referral hospital for elective CT-guided lung biopsy and ablation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods:

From September 2020 to August 2021, patients admitted for elective thoracic intervention were treated at a tertiary hospital (Site 1). Site 1 received patients for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and invasive ventilation in the treatment of COVID-19. Shared imaging, theater, and hallway facilities were used.

From April 2020 to August 2020, patients admitted for elective thoracic intervention were treated at a COVID-protected hospital (Site 2). No patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 were treated at Site 2.

Patients were surveyed for clinical and laboratory signs of COVID-19 infection up to 30 days post-procedure.

Results:

At Sites 1 and 2, patients (2.4%) were tested positive for COVID-19 at 10 and 14 days post-procedure.

At Site 2, there were no COVID-19 positive cases within 30 days of undergoing elective thoracic intervention.

Conclusion:

A mixed-site method for infection control could represent a pragmatic approach to the management of elective procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic or for similar illnesses.

Advances in knowledge:

Mixed-cohort infection control is possible in the prevention of nosocomial COVID-19 infection.
Application of copper and aluminium electrode in electro coagulation process for municipal wastewater treatment: A case study at Karachi
Authors: Rafique Lubna , Adnan Anila , Taha Anam , Bano Shella , Vambol Sergij , Mushtaq Tahira , Ilyas Nabila , Hussain Shehnaz , Borysova Larisa , Kovalov Oleksandr
Published: October 2022

The reuse of treated domestic wastewater is an imperative source of water for numerous purposes. The treatment of municipal wastewater can be process by utilizing the technique for electrocoagulation. Electrocoagulation (EC) is an eco-friendly technique that combines the functions and advantages of conventional coagulation, flotation, and electrochemistry in water and wastewater treatment. The aim of present study was to assess the potential of electrocoagulation process in removing COD, BOD, TSS, turbidity, sulphate, nitrate, chloride and TDS from municipal wastewater. This experimental study was carried out at a batch system by using copper and aluminium electrodes aiming to treat the municipal wastewater at (0, 7, 14, and 21 volts, 50mamp for 60minutes) from Sample Baloch Colony (SBC), Sample Rind Goth (SRG), Sample Cattle Colony (SCC), Sample Pakistan Machine Tool Factory (SPMTF) and Sample Mehran Highway (SMH). The results revealed that the maximum removal efficiency of COD 96% for SPMTF, BOD 38.5% for SPMTF, TSS 98.14% for SMH, Turbidity 95.7% for SPMTF, Sulphate 95.9% for SRG, Nitrate 95.23% for SMH, Chloride 97.92% for SMH and TDS 96.9% for SRG at 21 volt. The present study suggested that the treated wastewater could be safely reuse for lawns, parks, tree plantation and recreation purpose.
Delegation Decisions in Finance
Authors: Holzmeister Felix , Holmén Martin , Kirchler Michael , Stefan Matthias , Wengström Erik
Published: October 2022

Based on an online experiment with a sample of finance professionals and participants from the general population (acting as clients), we examine drivers and motives of clients’ choices to delegate investment decisions to agents. We find that clients favor delegation to investment algorithms, followed by delegation to finance professionals compensated with an aligned incentive scheme, and lastly to finance professionals receiving a fixed payment for investing on behalf of others. We show that trust in investment algorithms or finance professionals, and clients’ propensity to shift blame on others increase the likelihood of delegation, whereas clients’ own decision-making quality is associated with a decrease in delegation frequency.

This paper was accepted by Bruno Biais, finance.

Funding: This work was supported by Austrian Science Fund [Grants SFB F63 and Y617-G11], Vetenskapsrådet (Swedish Research Council) [Grant 2015-01713], and Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian National Bank) [Grant 17788]. M. Holmén and E. Wengström acknowledge funding from the Swedish House of Finance.

Supplemental Material: Data and the online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4555 .
What is the contribution of piglet waste in the first week after weaning to greenhouse gas emissions?
Authors: Oliveira Juliana Dias de , Orrico Ana Carolina Amorim , Pietramale Rita Theresinha Rolim , Rosa Carolina Obregão da , Ruviaro Clandio Favarini , Leite Brenda Kelly Viana , Machado Janaina Freire
Published: October 2022

This study aims to characterize the waste of weaned piglets and estimate the emissions of N2O in kg of CO2 eq/kg of weight gain in the first week of housing. Primary data were obtained in the first week after weaning of piglets to identify how much waste from this animal category may affect the environment. The life cycle assessment was applied to verify the amount of manure and the emission of nitrous oxide (N2O) considering the weight gain (WG) of piglets in the first post-weaning week. Eight waste collections were carried out in two lots representing an average of 8,099 animals with initial and final weight of 5.01 and 5.84 kg, respectively. The production of residues was 0.128 kg of dry matter (DM) for each kilogram of WG produced. This waste production has an emission capacity of approximately 4x10-4 kg N2O/kg WG in the first post-weaning week. Considering that N2O has a global warming potential almost 300 times higher in retaining heat than CO2, each 1 kg of piglet produced can emit about 0.129 kg of CO2 equivalent from the N2O produced. According to the number of piglets evaluated in this study, the total emission can reach 1.85 tons of CO2 equivalent in the first post-weaning week alone.
Comparison of fluorescence lifetime and multispectral imaging for quantitative multiplexing in biological tissue: erratum
Authors: Pal Rahul , Kumar Anand T. N.
Published: October 2022

This erratum corrects an error in Fig. 1 of our paper [Biomed. Opt. Express 13, 3854 (2022)10.1364/BOE.459935].