bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of pulmonary rehabilitation in extracellular matrix protein expression in vastus lateralis muscle in atrophic and nonatrophic patients with COPD
Authors: Kritikaki Efpraxia , Terzis Gerasimos , Soundararajan Meera , Vogiatzis Ioannis , Simoes Davina C.M.
Published: August 2024

Background

In response to exercise-based pulmonary rehabilitation (PR), the type of muscle fibre remodelling differs between COPD patients with peripheral muscle wasting (atrophic patients with COPD) and those without wasting (nonatrophic patients with COPD). Extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins are major constituents of the cell micro-environment steering cell behaviour and regeneration. We investigated whether the composition of ECM in atrophic compared to nonatrophic patients with COPD differs in response to PR.

Methods

Vastus lateralis muscle biopsies from 29 male COPD patients (mean±semforced expiratory volume in 1 s: 43±6% predicted) classified according to their fat-free mass index as atrophic (<17 kg·m−2, n=10) or nonatrophic (≥17 kg·m−2, n=19) were analysed before and after a 10-week PR programme for myofibre distribution and size, whereas a selection of ECM molecules was quantified using ELISA and real-time PCR.

Results

In nonatrophic patients with COPD PR was associated with increased myofibre type I distribution (by 6.6±2.3%) and cross-sectional area (CSA) (by 16.4±4.8%), whereas in atrophic patients with COPD, PR induced increased myofibre type IIa distribution (by 9.6±2.8%) and CSA (by 12.1±3.2%). PR induced diverse intramuscular ECM adaptations in atrophic compared to nonatrophic patients with COPD. Accordingly, following PR there was a significant increase in protein levels of ECM biomarkers (collagen type I by 90 pg·mL−1; collagen type IV by 120 pg·mL−1; decorin by 70 pg·mL−1) only in nonatrophic patients with COPD. Conversely, post-PR, osteopontin, a protein known for its dystrophic effects, and tenacin C, a necroptosis compensatory factor facilitating muscle regeneration, were upregulated at protein levels (by 280 pg·mL−1and 40 pg·mL−1, respectively) in atrophic patients with COPD, whereas fibronectin protein levels were decreased.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that the differential PR-induced myofibre adaptations in atrophic compared to nonatrophic patients with COPD could be associated with inadequate remodelling of the intramuscular ECM environment.
Incremental high power radiofrequency ablation with multi-electrodes for small hepatocellular carcinoma: a prospective study
Authors: Hwang Sungjun , Kim Jae Hyun , Yu Su Jong , Lee Jeong Min
Published: August 2024

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) offers a minimally invasive treatment for small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but it faces challenges such as high local recurrence rates. This prospective study, conducted from January 2020 to July 2022, evaluated a novel approach using a three-channel, dual radiofrequency (RF) generator with separable clustered electrodes to improve RFA’s efficacy and safety. The study employed a high-power, gradual, stepwise RFA method on HCCs (≤ 4 cm), utilizing real-time ultrasound-computed tomography (CT)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) fusion imaging. Involving 110 participants with 116 HCCs, the study reported no major complications. Local tumor progression (LTP) and intrahepatic remote recurrence (IRR) rates were low, with promising cumulative incidences at 1, 2, and 3 years for LTP (0.9%, 3.6%, 7.0%) and IRR (13.9%, 20.5%, 31.4%). Recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were similarly encouraging: LTP (99.1%, 96.4%, 93.0%) and IRR (86.1%, 79.5%, 68.6%). This innovative gradual, incremental high-power RFA technique, featuring a dual switching monopolar mode and three electrodes, represents an effective and safer management option for small HCCs.

Trial registration

clinicaltrial.gov identifier: NCT05397860, first registered on 26/05/2022.
Has cross-level clinical coordination changed in the context of the pandemic? The case of the Catalan health system
Authors: Campaz-Landazabal Daniela , Vargas Ingrid , Sánchez Elvira , Cots Francesc , Plaja Pere , Perez-Castejón Joan Manuel , Sánchez-Hidalgo Antonio , Vázquez María Luisa
Published: August 2024

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered numerous changes in health services organisation, whose effects on clinical coordination are unknown. The aim is to analyse changes in the experience and perception of cross-level clinical coordination and related factors of primary (PC) and secondary care (SC) doctors in the Catalan health system between 2017 and 2022.

Methods

Comparison of two cross-sectional studies based on online surveys by means of the self-administration of the COORDENA-CAT (2017) and COORDENA-TICs (2022) questionnaires to PC and SC doctors. Final sample n = 3308 in 2017 and n = 2277 in 2022. Outcome variables: experience of cross-level information and clinical management coordination and perception of cross-level clinical coordination in the healthcare area and related factors. Stratification variables: level of care and year. Adjusting variables: sex, years of experience, type of specialty, type of hospital, type of management of PC/SC. Descriptive bivariate and multivariate analysis using Poisson regressions models to detect changes between years in total and by levels of care.

Results

Compared with 2017, while cross-level clinical information coordination remained relatively high, with a slight improvement, doctors of both care levels reported a worse experience of cross-level clinical management coordination, particularly of care consistency (repetition of test) and accessibility to PC and, of general perception, which was worse in SC doctors. There was also a worsening in organisational (institutional support, set objectives, time available for coordination), attitudinal (job satisfaction) and interactional factors (knowledge between doctors). The use of ICT-based coordination mechanisms such as shared electronic medical records and electronic consultations between PC and SC increased, while the participation in virtual joint clinical conferences was limited.

Conclusions

Results show a slight improvement in clinical information but also less expected setbacks in some dimensions of clinical management coordination and in the perception of clinical coordination, suggesting that the increased use of some ICT-based coordination mechanisms did not counteract the effect of the worsened organisational, interactional, and attitudinal factors during the pandemic. Strategies are needed to facilitate direct communication, to improve conditions for the effective use of mechanisms and policies to protect healthcare professionals and services in order to better cope with new crises.
Beyond glycan barriers: non-cognate ligands and protein mimicry approaches to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies for HIV-1
Authors: Walimbwa Stephen Ian , Maly Petr , Kafkova Leona Raskova , Raska Milan
Published: August 2024

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) vaccine immunogens capable of inducing broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) remain obscure. HIV-1 evades immune responses through enormous diversity and hides its conserved vulnerable epitopes on the envelope glycoprotein (Env) by displaying an extensive immunodominant glycan shield. In elite HIV-1 viremic controllers, glycan-dependent bNAbs targeting conserved Env epitopes have been isolated and are utilized as vaccine design templates. However, immunological tolerance mechanisms limit the development of these antibodies in the general population. The well characterized bNAbs monoclonal variants frequently exhibit extensive levels of somatic hypermutation, a long third heavy chain complementary determining region, or a short third light chain complementarity determining region, and some exhibit poly-reactivity to autoantigens. This review elaborates on the obstacles to engaging and manipulating the Env glycoprotein as an effective immunogen and describes an alternative reverse vaccinology approach to develop a novel category of bNAb-epitope-derived non-cognate immunogens for HIV-1 vaccine design.

Graphical Abstract
Reliability and validity of the German version of the Iowa infant feeding attitude scale (IIFAS-G) and relations to breastfeeding duration and feeding method
Authors: Suppiger Debora , Natalucci Giancarlo , Reinelt Tilman
Published: August 2024

Background

Public health initiatives (e.g., the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative) have led to an increase in breastfeeding rates worldwide. However, as (exclusive) breastfeeding duration is still below WHO recommendations, it is crucial to understand the factors that influence decisions on breastfeeding practice. Modifiable psychological factors such as intention to breastfeed have therefore become targets of recent interventions. As the intention to breastfeed is among the strongest predictors of breastfeeding duration, reliable tools for measuring the intention to breastfeed are needed. The Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS) measures attitudes towards infant feeding and is used in various languages and across different cultural contexts. However, there has been no German version of the IIFAS (IIFAS-G) so far. The aim of this study was to investigate reliability, validity, and associations of the IIFAS-G with feeding method and breastfeeding duration.

Methods

Between August and November 2022, a total of 353 mothers (Mage = 35 years, SDage = 4.2 years) of singleton infants (47.3% female (1 undetermined), Mage = 10.8 months, SDage = 4.7 months, age range: 3-547 days; 90.4% living in Switzerland) participated in an online survey. The IIFAS-G was administered as a part of a larger study on early child development and infant feeding method.

Results

The translated IIFAS-G showed unsatisfactory model fit for the two factor 17-item solution. Four items showed low factor loadings. After item reduction, a 13-item two factor solution showed satisfactory model fit (CFI = 0.92, TLI = 0.90, RMSEA = 0.07) and high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.85). The IIFAS-G score was higher for mothers who exclusively breastfed their infants compared to mothers who additionally or exclusively fed infant formula. Moreover, mothers with higher IIFAS-G scores were less likely to stop breastfeeding their child over the course of 1.5years (HR = 0.87).

Conclusion

A shorter two-factor IIFAS-G is proposed to investigate attitudes towards breastfeeding and formula feeding in German-speaking mothers.
Identification of circulating tumor cells captured by the FDA-cleared Parsortix® PC1 system from the peripheral blood of metastatic breast cancer patients using immunofluorescence and cytopathological evaluations
Authors: Ciccioli Mariacristina , Kim Kyukwang , Khazan Negar , Khoury Joseph D , Cooke Martin J , Miller M Craig , O’Shannessy Daniel J , Pailhes-Jimenez Anne-Sophie , Moore Richard G
Published: August 2024

Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) may serve as a non-invasive source of tumor material to investigate an individual’s disease in real-time. The Parsortix® PC1 System, the first FDA-cleared medical device for the capture and harvest of CTCs from peripheral blood of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients for use in subsequent user-validated downstream analyses, enables the epitope-independent capture of CTCs with diverse phenotypes based on cell size and deformability. The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of MBC patients and self-declared female healthy volunteers (HVs) that had CTCs identified using immunofluorescence (IF) or Wright-Giemsa (WG) staining. Peripheral blood from 76 HVs and 76 MBC patients was processed on Parsortix® PC1 Systems. Harvested cells were cytospun onto a charged slide and immunofluorescently stained for identification of CTCs expressing epithelial markers. The IF slides were subsequently WG-stained and analyzed for CTC identification based on morphological features of malignant cells. All testing was performed by operators blinded to the clinical status of each subject. CTCs were identified on the IF slides in 45.3% (≥ 1) / 24.0% (≥ 5) of the MBC patients (range = 0 – 125, mean = 7) and in 6.9% (≥ 1) / 2.8% (≥ 5) of the HVs (range = 0 – 28, mean = 1). Among the MBC patients with ≥ 1 CTC, 70.6% had only CK + /EpCAM- CTCs, with none having EpCAM + /CK- CTCs. CTC clusters were identified in 56.0% of the CTC-positive patients. On the WG-stained slides, CTCs were identified in 42.9% (≥ 1) / 21.4% (≥ 5) of the MBC patients (range = 0 – 41, mean = 4) and 4.3% (≥ 1) / 2.9% (≥ 5) of the HVs (range = 0 – 14, mean = 0). This study demonstrated the ability of the Parsortix® PC1 System to capture and harvest CTCs from a significantly larger proportion of MBC patients compared to HVs when coupled with both IF and WG cytomorphological assessment. The presence of epithelial cells in subjects without diagnosed disease has been previously described, with their significance being unclear. Interestingly, a high proportion of the identified CTCs did not express EpCAM, highlighting the limitations of using EpCAM-based approaches.
Two-polarized roles of transcription factor FOSB in lung cancer progression and prognosis: dependent on p53 status
Authors: Zhang Hongchao , Zhang Guopei , Xiao Mingyang , Cui Su , Jin Cuihong , Yang Jinghua , Wu Shengwen , Lu Xiaobo
Published: August 2024

Background

Activator protein-1 (AP-1) represents a transcription factor family that has garnered growing attention for its extensive involvement in tumor biology. However, the roles of the AP-1 family in the evolution of lung cancer remain poorly characterized. FBJ Murine Osteosarcoma Viral Oncogene Homolog B (FOSB), a classic AP-1 family member, was previously reported to play bewilderingly two-polarized roles in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as an enigmatic double-edged sword, for which the reasons and significance warrant further elucidation.

Methods and Results

Based on the bioinformatics analysis of a large NSCLC cohort from the TCGA database, our current work found the well-known tumor suppressor gene TP53 served as a key code to decipher the two sides of FOSB – its expression indicated a positive prognosis in NSCLC patients harboring wild-type TP53 while a negative one in those harboring mutant TP53. By constructing a panel of syngeneically derived NSCLC cells expressing p53 in different statuses, the radically opposite prognostic effects of FOSB expression in NSCLC population were validated, with the TP53-R248Q mutation site emerging as particularly meaningful. Transcriptome sequencing showed that FOSB overexpression elicited diversifying transcriptomic landscapes across NSCLC cells with varying genetic backgrounds of TP53 and, combined with the validation by RT-qPCR, PREX1 (TP53-Null), IGFBP5 (TP53-WT), AKR1C3, and ALDH3A1 (TP53-R248Q) were respectively identified as p53-dependent transcriptional targets of FOSB. Subsequently, the heterogenous impacts of FOSB on the tumor biology in NSCLC cells via the above selective transcriptional targets were confirmed in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic investigations revealed that wild-type or mutant p53 might guide FOSB to recognize and bind to distinct promoter sequences via protein-protein interactions to transcriptionally activate specific target genes, thereby creating disparate influences on the progression and prognosis in NSCLC.

Conclusions

FOSB expression holds promise as a novel prognostic biomarker for NSCLC in combination with a given genetic background of TP53, and the unique interactions between FOSB and p53 may serve as underlying intervention targets for NSCLC.
Optimization of a DiCre recombinase system with reduced leakage for conditional genome editing of Cryptosporidium
Authors: Huang Yue , Li Jinli , Pei Shifeng , You Heng , Liu Huimin , Guo Yaqiong , Xu Rui , Li Na , Feng Yaoyu , Xiao Lihua
Published: August 2024

Background

The dimerizable Cre recombinase system (DiCre) exhibits increased leaky activity in Cryptosporidium, leading to unintended gene editing in the absence of induction. Therefore, optimization of the current DiCre technique is necessary for functional studies of essential Cryptosporidium genes.

Methods

Based on the results of transcriptomic analysis of Cryptosporidium parvum stages, seven promoters with different transcriptional capabilities were screened to drive the expression of Cre fragments (FKBP-Cre59 and FRB-Cre60). Transient transfection was performed to assess the effect of promoter strength on leakage activity. In vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to evaluate the leaky activity and cleavage efficiency of the optimized DiCre system by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), nanoluciferase, and fluorescence analyses.

Results

The use of promoters with lower transcriptional activity, such as pcgd6_4110 and pcgd3_260, as opposed to strong promoters such as pActin, pα-Tubulin, and pEnolase, reduced the leakage rate of the system from 35–75% to nearly undetectable levels, as verified by transient transfection. Subsequent in vitro and in vivo experiments using stable lines further demonstrated that the optimized DiCre system had no detectable leaky activity. The system achieved 71% cleavage efficiency in vitro. In mice, a single dose of the inducer resulted in a 10% conditional gene knockout and fluorescent protein expression in oocysts. These fluorescently tagged transgenic oocysts could be enriched by flow sorting for further infection studies.

Conclusions

A DiCre conditional gene knockout system for Cryptosporidium with good cleavage efficiency and reduced leaky activity has been successfully established.

Graphical Abstract
Is environmental regulation conducive to the reduction of residents’ health costs? – evidence from the Chinese Family Panel Survey
Authors: Xu Zhihua , He Haibo , Qin Ying , Li Shuqin , Wang Chuwei , Li Mengjia
Published: August 2024

Background

In response to environmental degradation and the associated health challenges, the Chinese government has implemented a comprehensive array of environmental protection measures. Given the health enhancement objective of environmental protection measures and the considerable costs involved in the implementation process, evaluating whether environmental regulation is beneficial to reducing the health costs of the population is of great significance for enhancing environmental governance efficiency and social welfare. The data from the Chinese Family Panel Survey (CFPS) is applied to examine the effect of environmental regulation on the reduction of residents’ health costs from a microscopic perspective.

Results

The results indicate that for a 1% increase in total investment in environmental governance, residents’ health costs will decrease by 0.189%. The examination of the causal pathway suggests that implementing environmental regulation can diminish residents’ health costs through improving air quality and residents’ health status. Concurrently, there exist significant heterogeneities in the role of environmental regulation in reducing residents’ health costs. The effect of environmental regulation is more pronounced for the young, males, and individuals with better self-perceived health. Furthermore, the outcome of environmental regulation exhibits greater efficacy in urban areas compared to rural areas. Lastly, market-incentive environmental regulation in reducing health costs is more effective than command-controlled regulation.

Conclusions

Enhancing the intensity of environmental regulation contributes to decreasing residents’ health costs. The findings can provide policy reference for implementing environmental governance and achieving tangible enhancements in individuals' life quality.
Acute sleep deprivation-induced hepatotoxicity and dyslipidemia in middle-aged female rats and its amelioration by butanol extract of Tinospora cordifolia
Authors: Bajaj Payal , Kaur Tajpreet , Singh Amrit Pal , Kaur Gurcharan
Published: August 2024

Background

Sleep deprivation (SD) due to an unhealthy lifestyle poses an oxidative challenge and is closely associated with an increased risk and prevalence of different metabolic disorders. Although the negative consequences of SD are well reported on mental health little is known about its detrimental effects on liver function and lipid metabolism. Tinospora cordifolia is reported for its hepatoprotective activity in different pre-clinical model systems. The current study was designed to elucidate the cumulative effects of aging and acute SD on liver functions, oxidative stress, and lipid metabolism, and their management by butanol extract of T. cordifolia (B-TCE) using middle-aged female acyclic rats as the model system.

Results

Rats were divided into 4 groups: (1) Vehicle-undisturbed (VUD) (2) Vehicle-sleep deprived (VSD) (3) B-TCE pre-treated sleep-deprived (TSD) (4) B-TCE pre-treated undisturbed sleep (TUD). TSD and TUD groups were given 35 mg/kg of B-TCE once daily for 15 days followed by 12 h of sleep deprivation (6 a.m.–6 p.m.) of VSD and TSD group animals using the gentle-handling method while VUD and TUD group animals were left undisturbed. SD of VSD group animals increased oxidative stress, liver function disruption, and dyslipidemia which were ameliorated by B-TCE pre-treatment. Further, B-TCE was observed to target AMPK and its downstream lipid metabolism pathways as well as the p-Akt/cyclinD1/p-bad pathway of cell survival as possible underlying mechanisms of its hepatoprotective activity.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that B-TCE being a multi-component extract may be a potential agent in curtailing sleep-related problems and preventing SD-associated hepatotoxicity and dyslipidemia in postmenopausal women.

Graphical abstract

Graphical abstract to depict mechanism of action of B-TCE on liver function and lipid metabolism.
Personalized Chemotherapy on the Basis of Tumor Marker Decline in Poor-Prognosis Germ-Cell Tumors: Updated Analysis of the GETUG-13 Phase III Trial
Authors: Fizazi Karim , Le Teuff Gwénaël , Fléchon Aude , Pagliaro Lance , Mardiak Josef , Geoffrois Lionnel , Laguerre Brigitte , Chevreau Christine , Delva Remy , Rolland Frederic , Theodore Christine , Roubaud Guilhem , Gravis Gwenaëlle , Eymard Jean-Christophe , Cancel Mathilde , Juzyna Beata , Reckova Maria , Naoun Natacha , Logothetis Christopher , Culine Stephane
Published: August 2024

Clinical trials frequently include multiple end points that mature at different times. The initial report, typically based on the primary end point, may be published when key planned co-primary or secondary analyses are not yet available. Clinical Trial Updates provide an opportunity to disseminate additional results from studies, published in
JCO
or elsewhere, for which the primary end point has already been reported.

GETUG-13 established that switching patients with poor-prognosis nonseminomatous germ-cell tumors with an unfavorable marker decline to intensified chemotherapy resulted in improved outcomes. Here, we report the GETUG-13 long-term efficacy and toxicity. Two hundred and sixty-three patients with International Germ Cell Cancer Consensus Group poor prognosis received one cycle of bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEP): 51 with a favorable tumor marker decline continued with three cycles of BEP (Fav-BEP) and 203 with an unfavorable decline were randomly treated with three BEP (Unfav-BEP) cycles or a dose-dense regimen (Unfav-dose-dense; two cycles of paclitaxel-BEP-oxaliplatin + two cycles of cisplatin, ifosfamide, and bleomycin). The median follow-up was 7.1 years (range, 0.3-13.3). Five-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 58.9% in the Unfav-dose-dense arm and 46.7% in the Unfav-BEP arm (hazard ratio [HR], 0.65 [95% CI, 0.44 to 0.97];
P
= .036). Five-year overall survival rates were 70.9% and 61.3% (HR, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.46 to 1.20];
P
= .22). Side effects evolved favorably, with only three patients in the Unfav-dose-dense arm reporting grade 3 motor neurotoxicity at 1 year and no reported toxicity over grade 1 after year 2. Salvage high-dose chemotherapy plus a stem-cell transplant was used in 8% in the Unfav-dose-dense arm and 17% in the Unfav-BEP arm (
P
= .035). Long-term outcomes suggest a sustained benefit of intensified chemotherapy in terms of PFS and numerically better survival, with a minimal toxicity and reduced use of salvage high-dose chemotherapy plus stem-cell transplant.
Cancer Survivors' Experience of Care and Financial Toxicity: Results From a National Survey
Authors: Halpern Michael T. , Thamm Carla , Knowles Reegan , Chan Raymond J.
Published: August 2024

PURPOSE

Financial toxicity (FT) can adversely affect quality of life, treatment adherence, and clinical outcomes. Patient experience of care (PEC) captures patient's perspectives on interactions with health care providers (HCPs) and systems, but the impact of PEC on FT is unknown. This study examined the relationship between PEC and FT.

METHODS

We used data from the 2016-2017 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) Experience with Cancer Survivorship Supplement. PEC was assessed by patient-reported frequencies of their HCPs providing explanations that were easy to understand, listening carefully, showing respect, and spending enough time with the patient. FT was assessed by nine items to measure material, psychological, and behavioral FT. Analyses were performed using multivariable logistic regression controlling for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and weighted to produce nationally representative estimates and account for survey nonresponse.

RESULTS

Data from 1,068 individuals diagnosed with cancer at age >18 years were assessed. A total of 30% reported material FT, 35% reported psychological FT, and 27% reported behavioral FT. Examining PEC, 64% of respondents indicated that HCPs always explained things, 60% always listened, 66% always showed respect, and 57% always spent adequate time with them. Odds of psychological FT were significantly (
P
< .05) lower among patients reporting HCPs always (
v
never/sometimes) listened to them (odds ratio [OR], 0.37 [95% CI, 0.19 to 0.70]), showed them respect (OR, 0.36 [95% CI, 0.16 to 0.81]), and spent enough time with them (OR, 0.47 [95% CI, 0.26 to 0.86]). Significant associations with PEC were also found with MEPS psychological FT items on worry about paying medical bills, family's financial stability, and keeping job/income because of cancer.

CONCLUSION

Worry/anxiety regarding costs can be a major factor affecting individuals diagnosed with cancer. Improving patient-provider interactions to enhance patient experience of care may reduce psychological financial toxicity.
A lightweight attention-based multi-frequency topology learning framework for driving fatigue detection
Authors: Lv DongMei , Dang WeiDong , Xia LiLi , Gao ZhongKe , Grebogi Celso
Published: August 2024

Driving fatigue has been one of the major causes of traffic accident. Efficient and accurate detection of driving fatigue are a legitimate public concern. In this paper, we conduct the simulated driving experiments and an EEG-based driving fatigue detection framework integrating multilayer brain network and convolutional neural network (CNN) is developed. This lightweight attention-based multi-frequency topology learning (AMFTL) framework first captures the fatigue-related multi-frequency brain topological information and then feeds it into a CNN-based topology feature extraction (TFE) module to fully explore and integrate the critical topological features. The quantitative analysis results show that there are significant differences in brain topologies between the alert and fatigue states. And experimental results show that our proposed framework achieves an average detection accuracy of 94.71% for driving fatigue, which outperforms the current state-of-the-art methods. This proposed framework is expected to open new venues for EEG-based brain state analysis, and holds promising practical application potential.
Postprandial Glucose Turnover Differs Between Adolescents and Adults With Type 1 Diabetes: Triple Tracer Mixed Meal Study
Authors: Romeres Davide , Ruchi F N U , Breton Marc D , Basu Ananda , DeBoer Mark D
Published: August 2024

Context

Insulin sensitivity (SI) varies with age in type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Objective

To compare postprandial glucose turnover and SI between adolescents and adults with T1D.

Design

This cross-sectional comparison at a clinical research unit included 21 early adolescents with T1D (T1D-adol) (12 F; age, 11.5 ± 0.5 years; BMI 19 ± 2 kg/m2), 13 adults with T1D (T1D-adult) (5 F; 37.8 ± 9.1 years; BMI 27 ± 2 kg/m2), and 14 anthropometrically matched adults without diabetes (ND) (7 F; 26.9 ± 7.0 years; BMI 25 ± 2.5 kg/m2). Using triple tracer mixed meal and oral glucose models, SI in T1D-adol and T1D-adult was compared.

Results

Postprandial glucose excursions were not different in T1D-adol vs T1D-adult (P = .111) but higher than in ND (P < .01). Insulin excursions were also similar in T1D-adol vs T1D-adult (P = .600) and they were both lower (P < .05) compared to ND, while glucagon excursions were lower (P < .01) in T1D-adol than in T1D-adult and ND. Integrated rates of endogenous glucose production and glucose disappearance were lower in T1D-adol than in T1D-adult and in ND vs T1D-adult but did not differ between T1D-adol and ND. Meal glucose appearance did not differ between groups. While SI in T1D-adol vs ND was similar (P = .299), it was higher in T1D-adol and ND vs T1D-adult (P < .01).

Conclusion

We report differences in parameters of postprandial glucose turnover and insulin sensitivity between adults and early adolescents with T1D that could, at least in part, be due to the shorter duration of diabetes among T1D-adol. These data support the concept that over time with T1D, endogenous glucose production increases and SI deteriorates.
Macrophages play a crucial role in vascular smooth muscle cell coverage
Authors: Niimi Kenta , Nakae Jun , Kubota Yoshiaki , Inagaki Shinobu , Furuyama Tatsuo
Published: August 2024

The microvascular system consists of two cell types: endothelial and mural (pericytes and vascular smooth muscle cells; VSMCs) cells. Communication between endothelial and mural cells plays a pivotal role in the maintenance of vascular homeostasis; however, in vivo molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying mural cell development remain unclear. In this study, we found that macrophages played a crucial role in TGFβ-dependent pericyte-to-VSMC differentiation during retinal vasculature development. In mice with constitutively active Foxo1 overexpression, substantial accumulation of TGFβ1-producing macrophages and pericytes around the angiogenic front region was observed. Additionally, the TGFβ-SMAD pathway was activated in pericytes adjacent to macrophages, resulting in excess ectopic α-smooth muscle actin-positive VSMCs. Furthermore, we identified endothelial SEMA3C as an attractant for macrophages. In vivo neutralization of SEMA3C rescued macrophage accumulation and ectopic VSMC phenotypes in the mice, as well as drug-induced macrophage depletion. Therefore, macrophages play an important physiological role in VSMC development via the FOXO1-SEMA3C pathway.
In-depth assessment of Iraqi physicians' adherence to treatment guidelines for different diseases: a qualitative study
Authors: Anwer Ibrahim Yawer , Yawuz Mohammed Jamal , Al-Jumaili Ali Azeez
Published: August 2024

Background: In healthcare settings, specialists from different fields may follow the most well-known, reliable, and easy-to-understand medical guidelines. This study aimed to determine Iraqi physicians’ adherence to treatment guidelines, to specify which treatment guidelines are utilized for each disease and identify their barriers to follow the guidelines. Methods: This was qualitative study including face-to-face and virtual semi-structured interviews with specialist physicians from different disciplines. The interviews were conducted between December 2021 and May 2022 in Kirkuk province, Iraq. The qualitative data generated through interviews was analyzed using thematic analysis. Result: The study recruited 48 specialists (27 male and 21 female) from seven medical specialties at two large government hospitals. Most physicians (38 /48) revealed that healthcare settings implement treatment guidelines in more than half of cases. American guideline was the most used among the participating physicians. European and British guidelines and textbooks were also used by some specialties. Unfortunately, most (43 out of 48) physicians were unaware of Iraqi treatment guideline. Most senior physicians often followed the same guidelines for one speciality, with little variation in approach based on their experience and flexibility. Almost all participating physicians believed that shortages in treatment (46/48) and investigation/lab materials (45/48) and low patient adherence (44/48) are major barriers to implement the guideline(s). Six out of seven specialties experienced shortage in the essential medications that recommended by the guidelines Conclusions: Most physicians followed well-known international guidelines. Each specialty follows different guidelines relying on the disease. Medication shortage in the public hospitals was the main barrier facing physicians to implement treatment guidelines. Enhancing physician awareness of the Iraqi guidelines should be encouraged. Finally, securing essential medicines in public hospitals is pivotal to adopt evidence-based guidelines effectively.
Evaluation and comparison of the effectiveness of kaleidoscope and virtual reality goggles to reduce dental anxiety in young children undergoing administration of local anesthesia.
Authors: Parakh Himani , Thosar Nilima
Published: August 2024

Administration of local anesthesia via injection is the main reason for inducing anxiety in children and if not intervened it aggravates the anxiety in subsequent appointments. There are many approaches, including pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods that can be used to reduce children’s perception of pain and anxiety. A frequently used non-pharmacological behaviour management method to reduce anxiety and procedure pain is distraction. The rationale of distraction is to shift the attention to avert the brain from receiving unwanted stimulus which induce anxiousness. Many approaches including music, television, portable video games, virtual reality (VR) helmet, and virtual reality audio-visual eyewear, have been implemented so far. Kaleidoscope and virtual reality goggles may help as distraction techniques in reducing the levels of anxiety caused during administration of local anesthesia. By the aid of which the operator may be able to make the dental experience child friendly and ultimately provide quality dental care to anxious children. Non pharmacological measures of reducing pain are cost effective and best means that can be used while performing dental procedures. This is a research protocol for a study aimed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of kaleidoscope and virtual reality goggles to reduce dental anxiety in young children.
Mechanisms of Selected Cassipourea Metabolites for Melasma Treatment: Network Pharmacology and Molecular Dynamics Study
Authors: Mpofana Nomakhosi , Peter Christina , Lukman Halimat Yusuf , Makgobole Mokgadi Ursula , Dlova Ncoza Cordelia , Gqaleni Nceba , Hussein Ahmed , Sabiu Saheed
Published: August 2024

Background Melasma is a common dyschromia, mainly found in women with darker skin types. Although asymptomatic, melasma significantly impacts patients’ quality of life. Due to this complex pathogenesis, melasma is difficult to treat. Plant and plant-derived products have been explored as alternatives for the treatment of melasma. Methods This study utilized network pharmacology coupled with molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the molecular mechanisms of three selected Cassipourea metabolites in the treatment of melasma. Results Of the 202 genes obtained from the 14 profiled metabolites, only PTGS2, TYR, ESR2, and ESR1 were common among metabolites and targets implicated in melasma. From this, The gene ontology highlighted the intracellular steroid hormone receptor, signalling pathway, macromolecular complex, and estrogen receptor activity as the top enriched functional annotations, while the KEGG pathway analysis identified five signalling pathways, from which the prolactin signalling pathway, endocrine resistance, and estrogen signalling pathway were implicated in the pathogenesis of melasma. These pathways were further connected by their linkage to ESR2 and ESR1., Of all Cassipourea metabolites and standards, with afzelechin having the highest docking score for both gens. Further binding interaction analysis showed that ESR2-bound tamoxifen had the highest binding free energy of -47.68 kcal/mol, however, among the interacting Cassipourea metabolites, sitosterol-glycoside exhibited the highest negative binding affinity for both ESR2 (-40.50 kcal/mol) and ESR1 (-78.97 kcal/mol) over 150 ns simulation, suggesting its potential as a dual modulator. Altogether, the metabolites presented remarkable binding stability and thermodynamic compactness with the apo-genes. Conclusion The finding that the selected Cassipourea metabolites are associated with the genes and enzymes implicated in melasma pathogenesis, together with their significant binding effects on the enriched genes, suggests their regulatory potential on the profiled targets and, consequently, in the treatment of melasma.
Case Report: Binocular blindness in reversible posterior encephalopathy syndrome revealing lupus
Authors: Hammami Olfa , guissouma jihene , trabelsi insaf , allouche hend , ben ali hana , gadhoune hatem
Published: August 2024

Optic neuropathy is very rare and exceptionally inaugural in systemic erythematous lupus erythematosus (SLE), and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a novel clinical disorder. What makes this observation unique is the combination of these two pathologies. We Hereby present the case of a severe presentation of PRES in a 15-year-old girl who was transferred to the intensive care unit for worsening hypertension and abdominal pain. The patient was first admitted to the adult medical department for sudden onset of binocular blindness. Therefore, antihypertensive drugs were prescribed and mechanical ventilation was required. A head computed tomography and MRI supported the diagnosis of PRES. The course was marked by a progressive improvement in blood pressure and recovery of normal vision after 2 days. The patient was transferred to the nephrology department for renal biopsy. The diagnosis of SLE was based on four ACR criteria: positive ANA, positive anti-DNA, proteinuria greater than 0.5 g/l and lymphopenia. In the presence of PRES, there should be no hesitation in requesting an immunological workup to look for a systemic disease. Despite a worrying clinical and radiological presentation, the prognosis of PRES remains favorable.
The epidemiologic case for urban health: conceptualizing and measuring the magnitude of challenges and potential benefits
Authors: Garber Michael D. , Benmarhnia Tarik , de Nazelle Audrey , Nieuwenhuijsen Mark , Rojas-Rueda David
Published: August 2024

We discuss how epidemiology has been and can continue to be used to advance understanding of the links between urban areas and health informed by an existing urban-health conceptual framework. This framework considers urban areas as contexts for health, determinants of health and modifiers of health pathways, and part of a complex system that affects health. We highlight opportunities for descriptive epidemiology to inform the context of urban health, for example, by characterizing the social and physical environments that give rise to health and the actions that change those conditions. We then describe inferential tools for evaluating the impact of group-level actions (e.g., interventions, policies) on urban health, providing some examples, and describing assumptions and challenges. Finally, we discuss opportunities and challenges of applying systems thinking and methods to advance urban health. While different conceptual frames lead to different insights, each perspective demonstrates that urban health is a major and growing challenge. The effectiveness of urban health knowledge, action, and policy as the world continues to urbanize can be informed by applying and expanding upon research and surveillance methods described here.
Labour process theory and research on the changing nature of work and employment in China
Authors: Zhang Lu
Published: August 2024

China has undergone profound social and economic transformations over the last four decades. Deeply influenced by globalisation and capital-oriented marketisation, China has transitioned from a planned economy under state socialism to a market economy integrated into the global economy. As China becomes the ‘world’s workshop’, it has also experienced rapid industrialisation, the transformation of work and employment, and the reformation of the Chinese working class. Based on a review of the engagement of labour process theory (LPT) in China labour studies, this article suggests that the LTP has provided important insights and a theoretical framework for scholars to understand the empirical reality of the changing nature of work and employment in China in the reform era. The LPT’s capacity to connect the workplace to a broader political economy has allowed it to continue to expand its scope of analysis and engage with new developments and emerging issues in the Chinese workplace, such as the rise of digital platform labour, informal and precarious work, and workplace regimes in global value chains. Meanwhile, China labour scholars have made important contributions to the LPT by adapting it to the Chinese context and theorising the Chinese experience. Through a workplace-based approach, China labour scholars have theorised the role of the Chinese central and local states in shaping various factory regimes, expanded on Chinese workers’ diverse subjectivities in research on labour process, and developed new concepts such as the ‘dormitory labour regime’ that connects productive and social reproductive spheres.
Optical multiscale model for quantification of photon recycling including incoherent light scattering
Authors: Zeder Simon J. , Blülle Balthasar , Ruhstaller Beat , Aeberhard Urs
Published: August 2024

A comprehensive multiscale modeling framework for photon recycling in textured solar cells and LEDs is introduced, treating light absorption and emission on an equal footing under consideration of the full internal mode spectrum in the device. The framework seamlessly merges a coherent emission model, free from unphysical divergence and ensuring consistency with detailed balance principles, with an incoherent net-radiation model applied to optically thick layers. The scattering of light at nonplanar interfaces is taken into consideration through four characteristic mappings that depict the microscopic scattering process, which are calculated analytically or by using a Monte-Carlo ray-tracing method. The final output of the model consists of energy- and angle-resolved local emission, re-absorption, and energy flux rates for further coupling to electronic transport. To validate the model, it has been compared with analytical solutions for the re-absorption probability in an ideal semiconductor slab with either ideal Lambertian or flat surfaces. The comparison between analytical and numerical calculations shows excellent agreement.
Predicting ptychography probe positions using single-shot phase retrieval neural network
Authors: Du Ming , Zhou Tao , Deng Junjing , Ching Daniel J. , Henke Steven , Cherukara Mathew J.
Published: August 2024

Ptychography is a powerful imaging technique that is used in a variety of fields, including materials science, biology, and nanotechnology. However, the accuracy of the reconstructed ptychography image is highly dependent on the accuracy of the recorded probe positions which often contain errors. These errors are typically corrected jointly with phase retrieval through numerical optimization approaches. When the error accumulates along the scan path or when the error magnitude is large, these approaches may not converge with satisfactory result. We propose a fundamentally new approach for ptychography probe position prediction for data with large position errors, where a neural network is used to make single-shot phase retrieval on individual diffraction patterns, yielding the object image at each scan point. The pairwise offsets among these images are then found using a robust image registration method, and the results are combined to yield the complete scan path by constructing and solving a linear equation. We show that our method can achieve good position prediction accuracy for data with large and accumulating errors on the order of 102 pixels, a magnitude that often makes optimization-based algorithms fail to converge. For ptychography instruments without sophisticated position control equipment such as interferometers, our method is of significant practical potential.
Enhanced denoising for weak signal preservation in structured illumination microscopy
Authors: Fu Zhengan , Dai Junkang , Liu Bowen , Jin Zitong , Zheng JinJin , Chen Huaian , Jin Yi
Published: August 2024

Structured illumination microscopy (SIM) is a powerful super-resolution technology in biological science because of its fast imaging speed, low phototoxicity, and full-field imaging. Despite this, SIM is hampered by out-of-focus background noise, which can obscure weak fluorescence signals and render them unrecognizable. Previous denoising algorithms tended to eliminate the noise along with the weak signals, causing a decrease in image quality. To address this issue, we propose a denoising algorithm based on out-of-focus plane information extraction (OPIE-SIM) that salvages the weak signal from the out-of-focus background noise. The OPIE-SIM algorithm enhances weak fluorescence signals by combining out-of-focus layer information with focal plane data and correcting the differences in point spread functions (PSF). This approach eliminates out-of-focus background noise and preserves the integrity of weak fluorescence structures while significantly reducing image acquisition time compared to traditional over-focusing imaging techniques. Through extensive simulations and experiments, we verified the feasibility of our approach. Compared with other denoising algorithms, our method generates images with a higher signal-to-noise ratio while maintaining the integrity of weak fluorescence structures.
Active dual quasi-BICs in a dielectric metasurface with VO2 for slow light and optical modulation
Authors: Zhong Ying , Guo Tian , Wang Qianqian , Du Wei , Tang Chaojun , Yan Zhendong
Published: August 2024

We investigate the temperature tunable dual quasi-bound states in the continuum (qBICs) in a silicon/vanadium dioxide (Si/VO2) hybrid metasurface with Q-factor being as large as 9.3 × 106 and 2.8 × 107 by breaking the in-plane C2 symmetry. The far-field scattering of multipoles and near-field distributions confirm that the toroidal dipole and magnetic quadrupole dominate the dual qBICs resonance. The high performance of slow light with ultralarge group index exceeding 5.6 × 105 and the inverse quadratic law between the group index and asymmetric parameter are achieved. By temperature tuning of the VO2 thin film at the sub-10 K scale, a modulation depth of 90% and the ON/OFF ratio exceeding 12.8 dB are obtained. The proposed temperature tunable dual qBICs have potential applications in the fields of tunable slow light, temperature switches, and sensors.