bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Violence against Housemaids and associated factors in Jimma Town, Southwest Ethiopia, 2023: a mixed-method study
Authors: Aynalem Hiwot , Abdulahi Misra , Diribsa Tujuba , Tadele Esayas
Published: July 2024

Background
Violence against women is a pervasive public health problem that remains hidden and largely underreported. Although all women are vulnerable to violence, the probability of experiencing violence against housemaids seems to be particularly high. However, evidence on the prevalence of violence against housemaids and associated factors is scarce.
Objectives
To assess the prevalence and factors associated with violence against housemaids in Jimma town, southwestern Ethiopia, in 2023.
Methods
Parallel sampling was used in a community-based mixed-methods study of 422 housemaids living in Jimma town. Simple random sampling was used to select participants. To collect the data, a questionnaire administered during a pretested structured interview was used. Qualitative data from fifteen in-depth interviews were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. Quantitative data were collected using an open data kit and then exported to SPSS version 26. Bivariate analysis was performed to select candidate variables with P values < 0.25. Then, multivariable logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with P values less than 0.05 with their respective AORs and 95% CIs. Finally, a report was presented. Thematic analysis was performed using ATLASti software after the audio recordings were transcribed.
Results
The work lifetime prevalence of violence against housemaids was 61.7%. Violence against housemaids during their work lifetime was associated with having no formal education (AOR = 3.7; 95% CI: 1.22–11.33), having a duration of work greater than four years (AOR = 2.6; 95% CI:1.44–4.99), having two to four durations of work (AOR = 2.4; 95% CI:1.29–4.61), having a job by broker (AOR = 2.8; 95% CI:1.72–4.62), lacking a specific task (AOR = 1.8: 95% CI:1.07–2.90), no social support (AOR = 4.5; 95% CI:1.56–12.89), and having more than six families (AOR = 5.4; 95% CI,2.19–13.49). The qualitative findings also revealed that there was no legal work agreement.
CD74 is a functional MIF receptor on activated CD4+ T cells
Authors: Zhang Lin , Woltering Iris , Holzner Mathias , Brandhofer Markus , Schaefer Carl-Christian , Bushati Genta , Ebert Simon , Yang Bishan , Muenchhoff Maximilian , Hellmuth Johannes C. , Scherer Clemens , Wichmann Christian , Effinger David , Hübner Max , Bounkari Omar El , Scheiermann Patrick , Bernhagen Jürgen , Hoffmann Adrian
Published: July 2024

Next to its classical role in MHC II-mediated antigen presentation, CD74 was identified as a high-affinity receptor for macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a pleiotropic cytokine and major determinant of various acute and chronic inflammatory conditions, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Recent evidence suggests that CD74 is expressed in T cells, but the functional relevance of this observation is poorly understood. Here, we characterized the regulation of CD74 expression and that of the MIF chemokine receptors during activation of human CD4+ T cells and studied links to MIF-induced T-cell migration, function, and COVID-19 disease stage. MIF receptor profiling of resting primary human CD4+ T cells via flow cytometry revealed high surface expression of CXCR4, while CD74, CXCR2 and ACKR3/CXCR7 were not measurably expressed. However, CD4+ T cells constitutively expressed CD74 intracellularly, which upon T-cell activation was significantly upregulated, post-translationally modified by chondroitin sulfate and could be detected on the cell surface, as determined by flow cytometry, Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and re-analysis of available RNA-sequencing and proteomic data sets. Applying 3D-matrix-based live cell-imaging and receptor pathway-specific inhibitors, we determined a causal involvement of CD74 and CXCR4 in MIF-induced CD4+ T-cell migration. Mechanistically, proximity ligation assay visualized CD74/CXCR4 heterocomplexes on activated CD4+ T cells, which were significantly diminished after MIF treatment, pointing towards a MIF-mediated internalization process. Lastly, in a cohort of 30 COVID-19 patients, CD74 surface expression was found to be significantly upregulated on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in patients with severe compared to patients with only mild disease course. Together, our study characterizes the MIF receptor network in the course of T-cell activation and reveals CD74 as a novel functional MIF receptor and MHC II-independent activation marker of primary human CD4+ T cells.
Comparison of clinical and pathological characteristics between localized giant cell and fibroadenoma of tendon sheath
Authors: Jin Linfang , Wang Shuai , Zhang Ya
Published: July 2024

Objective: To explore the clinical and pathological characteristics of localized giant cell tumor of tendon sheath (L-GCTS) and fibroma of tendon sheath (FTS), and to compare and analyze them.
Methods: 241 cases of L-GCTS and 41 cases of FTS who underwent surgical resection and diagnosis at Wuxi Ninth People's Hospital from 2019 to 2023 were collected. Clinical and pathological data of all cases were organized for retrospective analysis. Chi-square test was used to analyze differences between groups.
Results: Comparing our two groups of cases, we found that L-GCTS is more common, while FTS is less common. However, the two were very similar in clinical features, disease course, age of onset, tumor size and overall appearance, as well as imaging manifestations; In our case, L-GCTS was more common in female patients, and there was no significant gender difference in FTS; L-GCTS was more common in the right hand, FTS was also more common in the hand, but the left incidence rate is slightly higher than the right, with no significant difference; In addition, a small number of L-GCTS were accompanied by damage to surrounding tissues, and 41 cases of FTS did not cause damage to surrounding tissues; L-GCTS and FTS are mostly single lesions, with a few being multiple lesions; Among 241 cases of L-GCTS, 235 were primary cases, 6 were recurrent cases, and 41 cases of FTS were all primary cases; The coincidence rate between preoperative imaging diagnosis and postoperative pathological diagnosis of L-GCTS was 89%, and the coincidence rate between preoperative imaging diagnosis and postoperative pathological diagnosis of FTS was 55.3%. The main reason was that it is easier to misdiagnose FTS as L-GCTS before surgery; There were certain differences in pathological and immunohistochemical manifestations between the two.
Conclusion: L-GCTS and FTS are very similar in clinical features, disease course, predilection site, predilection age, tumor size, and tumor appearance. Imaging examination methods are difficult to distinguish between the two before surgery. The differentiation between the two mainly relies on histopathology and immunohistochemistry, and the two also exhibit different molecular genetics. Although both L-GCTS and FTS are benign tumors, their recurrence rates and other prognostic factors are different. Therefore, it is necessary to clearly distinguish between the two.
An integrated model of electric bus energy consumption and optimised depot charging
Authors: Sturmberg Bjorn C.P. , Hendriks Johannes N.
Published: July 2024

The electrification of buses, and the depots servicing them, is a high priority for creating a more sustainable transport system. Challenges to electrification arise at the intersection of the mobility and electricity systems, as materialised in the costs and complexities of configuring the charging infrastructure to meet scheduled bus trips while minimising the impacts on the power grid.

This paper presents an integrated model of the energy consumed by electric buses on specific routes and the optimal way to charge a fleet of electric buses servicing a schedule of routes.
The energy consumption model reveals the dominant importance of a route's local topology, temperature, and traffic.
The depot charging model highlights the interdependencies of bus energy consumption, route timetables, charging infrastructure, batteries, and load placed on the power grid at the depot connection point and throughout the upstream grid.

The model provides a way to study and co-optimise these, and has the unique feature that it requires as inputs only publicly available data. This makes it easy for researchers and transport system practitioners to study their specific routes and regions.
Global Warming Increases Fire Emissions but Resulting Aerosol Forcing is Uncertain.
Authors: Hamilton Douglas , Kasoar Matt , Bergas-Massó Elisa , Dalmonech Daniela , Hantson Stijn , Lasslop Gitta , Voulgarakis Apostolos , Wells Christopher
Published: July 2024

Rapid shifts in fire regimes around the world raise critical questions about the rising impact of fire on climate, policy, and planetary health in the coming decades. To quantify these impacts, global climate modelling is needed to project how future fire regimes may evolve. One set of future fire estimates are included in the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) scenarios that represent how emissions evolve under a range of socioeconomic trajectories the world could take. Yet, a critical component for fire science is missing: no SSP scenario includes the impacts of human-driven climate change on the fire regime. The result of not including how changes in temperature, precipitation, and vegetation alter future fire properties is that, globally, fire emissions are projected to decrease over this century under all SSP scenarios. An alternate set of estimates are a subsection of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase Six climate models that explicitly represent how fire responds to a warming world. Combining this novel dataset with the SSPs produces a harmonized set of fire emission projections that incorporates both climate and socioeconomic activity modulation. Comparison reveals a robust increase in global fire emissions when additionally accounting for the climate feedback on fire activity, determined primarily by increasing extra-tropical fires. A complementary statistical modelling-based approach identified fire drivers across scenarios: climate drives changes outside the tropics with increasing influence in higher forcing scenarios, while human and vegetation drivers are more important within the tropics and at lower forcing scenarios. We diagnose how updated fire emissions alter projections of end-of-century changes in atmospheric fire-aerosol burden and aerosol radiative forcing in two Earth System models. Large extra-tropical increases in fire-aerosol concentrations were predicted in both models, increasing pollution exposure and nutrient deposition to sensitive ecosystems. However, the predicted climate forcing diverged: one model predicts a large aerosol cooling effect (-0.5 to -0.9 Wm-2) while the second predicts a much smaller negative forcing (-0.1 to -0.2 Wm-2). Understanding how increasing fire activity impacts climate therefore relies not only on robust emission projections but also on a much deeper understanding of how fire is an integrated Earth System component and how best to replicate its myriad interactions within models.
The Models for End-stage Liver Disease as prognostic assessment and risk stratification tools in sepsis: a study based on MIMIC-IV database
Authors: Shen Tuo , Lv Xingping , Shen Yezhou , Zhou Wei , Liu Xiaobin , Ma Qimin , Ma Shaolin , Sheng Shuyue , Zhu Feng
Published: July 2024

Background
The Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) and its modifications have been used to predict mortality and stratify risk for a variety of non-hepatic diseases with good stability. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of the MELD and its modifications in evaluating the prognosis of patients with sepsis.
Methods
This study is based on the MIMIC-IV database. A total of 15,882 patients were included. The correlation between the three models and the mortality rate of patients with sepsis was evaluated, and the optimal cut-off values were calculated. Then, further subgroup analysis was performed to seek better stratification criteria. Finally, stratification was performed according to comorbidities to observe the predictive value of the MELDs in patients with different comorbidities.
Results
MELD, MELD including Na (MELD-Na) and MELD excluding INR (MELD-XI) were all independent predictors of in-hospital mortality, and the optimal cut-off values were 22.5, 22.5 and 19.5, respectively. When grouped by cut-off values, high score groups were significantly associated with increased in-hospital mortality. Further subgroup analysis based on lactate revealed that patients with high MELD score and lactate level (> 4 mmol/L) had higher in-hospital mortality.
Conclusions
The MELDs can effectively predict the in-hospital mortality of sepsis patients and stratify their risk. The MELDs combined with lactate can provide convenient risk stratification for sepsis patients, thus guiding clinicians to better intervene in sepsis patients at an early stage.
Novel mutation in Patients with Microcephalic Osteodysplastic Primordial Dwarfism Type II (MOPD II)
Authors: Gharehdaghi Elika Esmaeilzadeh , Zakeri Sina , Tale Ali , Klashami Zeynab Nickhah , Sedghi Maryam , Amoli Mahsa M.
Published: July 2024

Background
A rare type of autosomal recessive skeletal disorder known as microcephalic osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism (MOPD) type II causes a wide range of clinical abnormalities, including skeletal dysplasia, microcephaly, abnormal skin pigmentation, Insulin resistance, typical facial features and severe tooth deformities. Owing to the diverse nature of MOPD disorders and common clinical characteristics of the Primordial dwarfism (PD) subtypes, mutation analysis is deemed essential for the precise diagnosis and validation of MOPD II. Here, Solo whole-exome sequencing (WES) and GAP-PCR were utilized to find relevant genetic variant(s) in three suspected MOPD patients.
Method
We assessed clinical characteristics of three Iranian patients with hallmarks of MOPD. There were two girls, ages 3 and 4, and a 2-year-old boy. All patients were the results of consanguineous marriages and referred to us from different provinces of Iran. WES was performed and the resulted variants were prioritized according to the standard filtration. In the next step, Sanger sequencing confirmation was conducted for validation of the derived variants by WES in the patients and their parents. Finally, we set up a GAP-PCR, based on conflicting results between WES and Sanger sequencing in one of the patients.
Results
Our results revealed a novel homozygous deletion (384bp) harboring exon 19 of PCNT in a 2-year-old boy. Additionally, we found a nonsense homozygous variant in PCNT gene (c.2812 C > T, p.Gln 938*) in two other patients. This pathogenic variant was clinically reported previously.
Conclusion
Reporting a novel deletion in PCNT gene leads to improvement in genetic testing services, including PND and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) for MOPDII.
Oncometabolic Surgery: The Metabolic Effects and Effectiveness of the Different Reconstruction Methods used in Gastric Cancer Surgery. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Costa Maria Pinho , Santos-Sousa Hugo , Oliveira Carolina Rodrigues , Amorim-Cruz Filipe , Bouça Raquel , Barbosa Elisabete , Carneiro Silvestre , Sousa-Pinto Bernardo
Published: July 2024

Background
Gastric Cancer (GC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide. Early stages of GC began being detected, giving rise to a new concern, Quality of Life. This study aimed to systematically assess the effects of different GC reconstruction techniques on postoperative type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypertension (HBP), and body mass index (BMI) reduction rate and to provide an overview of recent research on oncometabolic surgery (OS).
Methods
We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis by searching three databases according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We performed a meta-analysis of risk ratios and mean differences to estimate the impact of duodenal bypass, Roux-en-Y reconstruction, and residual stomach on T2DM, HBP, and BMI reduction rate. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistics.
Results
At the end of the follow-up, the duodenal bypass group compared to Billroth I had a significantly higher postoperative remission of T2DM and HBP, with a relative risk (RR) of 1.43 (95%confidence interval (95%CI)[1.27; 1.62]) and 1.3 (95%CI[1.00; 1.69]), respectively. Compared with the Billroth II group, Roux-en-Y reconstruction had significantly greater T2DM remission after gastrectomy (RR = 1.19; 95%CI[1.08; 1.31]), while HBP showed no significant differences. Regarding the improvement of HBP, total gastrectomy was significantly superior to subtotal gastrectomy (95%CI[1.01; 2.64]). A trend towards Roux-en-Y Esophagojejunostomy as the best option for T2DM remission was observed (95%CI[0.98; 2.77]; p = 0.06).
Discussion
Gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction appears to be the most effective treatment for T2DM remission. Further research is needed to assess the impact of OS on metabolic diseases.
Feasibility and safety evaluation of remimazolam tosylate in geriatric patients during bronchoscopy ： A single-centre randomized controlled trial
Authors: Huang Yaqin , Yu Yang , Lei Weiping , Sun Jianliang
Published: July 2024

Background: Fiberoptic bronchoscopy has developed rapidly as a routine test, especially it played an important role during the COVID-19. The suitable options for moderate sedation medications is necessary. The present study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of remimazolam tosylate in geriatric patients undergoing fiberoptic bronchoscopy.
Methods This study is a single-center randomized controlled trial. A total of 105 geriatric patients undergoing fiberoptic bronchoscopy were divided into 3 groups (n=35) randomly. Group A (remimazolam group); Group B (midazolam group); in Group C (control group). Record the all patients’ vital signs and the rate of adverse events.
Results A total of 105 patients were enrolled and 97 actual patients (34 patients in group A, 30 patients in group B, and 33 patients in group C) were analyzed in the end. Compared with group C, the vital sign in group A and B are more stable at T1, T2, T3, and T4 (P<0.05).The frequency of hypertension in group A and group B was significantly lower than that in group C(P<0.05). Compared with group B, the onset time and recovery time of group A were shortened (both P<0.05). The satisfaction of patients and operators in group A and group B was higher than that in group C (P<0.05).
Conclusions In the sduty we found that intravenous injection of remazolam tosylate 0.2 mg/kg, fentanyl 0.5 μg/kg for sedation, and additional anesthesia with fentanyl 25 μg every 5 to 10 minutes if necessary is effictive and safe for geriatricpatients during fiberoptic bronchoscopy .
Trial registration:This study was registered with the Chinese clinical trial registry (ChiCTR2100047459),the Registration Date is 2021/06/19.
Assessing the practice of Total Neoadjuvant Therapy for rectal cancer: an online survey among Radiation Oncology Departments in Germany and German-Speaking Regions of Austria and Switzerland
Authors: Knippen Stefan , Hildebrandt Guido , Putz Florian , Gossé Lasse Leon , Ritz Jörg-Peter , Duma Marciana-Nona
Published: July 2024

Background
Total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) of rectal cancer improves rates of pathological complete remission and progression-free survival. With improved clinical response rates, interest grew in a non-operative approach/Watch and Wait (WaW) for this disease. In 2020, the working groups of ACO/AIO/ARO published a consensus statement on the use of TNT, including a non-operative approach. However, the best combination scheme remains unclear. Despite the increasing use of TNT, there is a lack of comprehensive data on its current implementation and practices. To address this knowledge gap, a multicenter survey was conducted to capture the use of TNT protocols in German-speaking radiotherapy departments.
Methods
At the beginning of 2023, a GDPR-compliant online survey was conducted in Germany, Austria, and German speaking Switzerland. The questionnaire comprised 43 questions covering various aspects of TNT, including chemotherapy and WaW concepts.
Results
Most respondents (98.4%) confirmed awareness of the consensus on TNT for rectal cancer. Institutions treated an average of 30.22 rectal cancer patients annually. Most respondents (76.2%) reported treating over 80% of patients neoadjuvantly. Regarding TNT, 33.3% treated 21-50% with such a protocol. No significant association was found between the institution type and TNT application.
In 62/63 cases, tumor board discussion was standard before offering TNT. VMAT was the predominant technique (82.5%). For rectal cancer dosing, the 50/50.4Gy scheme was most common, followed by 45Gy with a boost and the 5x5Gy scheme. Dosing schemes for TNT varied slightly, with more participants reporting the use of 5x5Gy compared to radiation therapy for rectal cancer in general. CBCT was the primary IGRT method (88.9%). Larger hospitals typically administered chemotherapy themselves, while private practices collaborated with medical oncologists (p<0.0001). The most common concurrent chemotherapy drugs were 5-Fluorouracil/Capecitabine (64.4%) and Oxaliplatin (37.3%). A WaW strategy was reported to be institutional implemented by 63.8%. The timing of offering WaW was split, with 50% offering it after radiochemotherapy and 47% during the informed consent talk. For planned WaW 62% prefer normofractionated TNT.
Conclusion
TNT appears to be widely implemented in the German-speaking radio-oncological community, regardless of the type of institution. Image-guided therapy, multidisciplinary team decisions, and internal guidelines play an important role. TNT seems to have already altered treatment protocols for rectal cancer towards an organ-preserving approach in selected cases. In these WaW cases, normofractionation appears to be preferred over hypofractionation.
Experimental Temperature Monitoring of ISRU Moon Bricks with Embedded FBG Sensors
Authors: Ferro Carlo Giovanni , Aimasso Alessandro , Bertone Matteo , Torre Roberto , Pietro Gabriele Di , Vedova Matteo Davide Lorenzo Dalla
Published: July 2024

The construction of lunar infrastructure requires innovative materials and technologies to ensure sustainability and safety in the harsh lunar environment. This paper presents the development of "moon bricks" fabricated using in situ lunar regolith and a minimal binder, integrated with Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors. These sensors transform the bricks into smart components capable of monitoring temperature or stress induced deformation during both manufacturing phase and operational lifespan. The incorporation of FBG sensors facilitates real-time, on-condition maintenance, thereby enhancing the safety and reliability of lunar outposts and associated infrastructures.This study focuses on the experimental validation of temperature monitoring within smart bricks under low-temperature conditions in a climatic chamber. The results demonstrate good agreement for static measurements, providing a preliminary validation for the instrumentation. This research marks a significant step towards realizing sensorized building blocks with local resources, thus paving the way for advanced, intelligent lunar construction, ensuring long-term structural integrity and operational safety.
Microcephaly with or without chorioretinopathy, lymphedema, or mental retardation (MCLMR)- The new lacunae: A case report
Authors: Silva Nuno Álvaro Ferreira , Silva Renato Emílio Santos , Magalhães António Augusto
Published: July 2024

Background: Microcephaly with or without chorioretinopathy, lymphedema, or mental retardation is a rare autosomal dominant disease caused by mutations in KIF11 which disrupt EG5 protein function, impacting the development and maintenance of retinal and lymphatic structures due to its expression in the retinal photoreceptor cilia.
The primary ocular finding in MCLMR is chorioretinopathy. Additional features can include microphthalmia, angle-closure glaucoma, persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous, cataract, pseudo-coloboma, persistent hyaloid artery, and myopic or hypermetropic astigmatism.
The appearance of the chorioretinal lesions as white to pinkish, round, non-elevated atrophic areas devoid of blood vessels resembles the lacunae in Aicardy syndrome. Due to the lack of systematic description of the lesions and significant phenotypical variability, there is an impending need for a detailed report of each case.
Case presentation: A child with microcephaly detected in the third trimester of gestation began her following in the ophthalmology department due to a non-visually significant cataract. Shortly after, she developed nystagmus and large-angle alternating esotropia with cross-fixation. Her fundus initially showed a pallid optic disc and pigmentary changes, developing thereafter retinal lacunae and a retinal fold. Her differential diagnosis accompanied the dynamic changes in her fundus, which included congenital infections, Leber´s congenital and Aicardy syndrome. At 19 months old, genetic testing identified a heterozygous mutation (c.1159C>T, p.Arg387*) in the KIF11 gene. The patient underwent bilateral medial rectus muscle recession surgery at 2 years old for persistent esotropia, with significant improvement. Refraction revealed a hyperopic astigmatism in both eyes (+0.25 -2.50x180 OD and +0.75 -2.00x170 OS). She continues to require right eye patching for 2 hours daily.
Conclusions: This case report expands the phenotypic spectrum of MCLMR by demonstrating a unique combination of retinal features which sheds new light on differential diagnosis from Aicardy syndrome. Our findings emphasize the significant phenotypic variability associated with MCLMR, particularly regarding ocular involvement. This underscores the importance of detailed clinical evaluation and comprehensive reporting of cases to improve our understanding of the disease spectrum and genotype-phenotype correlations.
Mortality prediction in Mexican older COVID-19 patients using the Charlson comorbidity index: a case- control study from a reconverted COVID-19 hospital
Authors: Camacho-Moll María Elena , Medina-Gauna César Eduardo , Garza Brenda Ludmila Rodríguez-de la , Dávila-Valero Julio Cesar , de León Mario Bermúdez -
Published: July 2024

Objectives: We aim to describe the predisposing factors for COVID-19 pneumonia and in-hospital death as an outcome of COVID-19 in a Mexican aged cohort of northeast Mexico. The use of CCI to predict mortality in this population will also be investigated.
Study design: A case-control study was performed in a total of 356 records from patients of 60 years old and above. Records were collected from November 2019 to August 2022 from a reconverted COVID-19 hospital located in Nuevo León, Mexico, from which 332 records were included in the study.
Main outcome measures: Stepwise multivariate logistical regression models were used to determine COVID-19 pneumonia or outcome odds ratio (OR) and 95% Confidence Interval (CI).
Results: Age, dyspnea, sO2/FiO2, and body mass index (BMI) were associated with COVID-19 pneumonia whereas respiratory frequency, BMI, sO2/FiO2 (Saturation of oxygen/Fraction of inspired oxygen ratio) and CCI were associated with death due to COVID-19. An increased hazard ratio of mortality of 2.1 (p < 0.001) was observed in patients with a CCI below 3.
Conclusions: CCI revealed to be not appropriate to predict mortality in geriatric Mexican population, a deeper analysis is required when using CCI in such population.
The reconstruction of fingertip injury with partial defect of nailbed and skin by hallux toenail flap pedicled with the end of hallux digital artery and toe pulp vein transplantation：a retropective study
Authors: Zheng Peng , Wang Lina , Zhou Yimin , Lao Kecheng , Li Xiuzhong , Fan Xiao
Published: July 2024

Introduction:How to reconstruct fingertip injury with partial defect of nailbed and skin is a clinical problem. Our team design the hallux toenail flap pedicled with the end of hallux digital artery and toe pulp vein to reconstruct fingertip injury with partial defect of nailbed and skin for a long time. Thus, we perform the retrospective study to evaluate the effects of this technique on fingertip injury with partial defect of nailbed and skin.
Materials and methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 40 patients with fingertip injury with partial defect of nailbed and skin admitted to our hospital from January 2016 to January 2020 who were treated by the hallux toenail flap pedicled with the end of hallux digital artery and toe pulp vein. During the follow-up, we recorded the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, the size of the transplanted flap, complications, the survival rate of the transplanted flap, total nail growth time, Semmes-Weinstein evaluating tactile sensation, two-point discrimination testing (TPD) and observed the appearance of reconstructed fingertip.
Results:The operation time was (3.62±0.47) hours, the intraoperative blood loss was (31.77±4.54) ml, the size of transplanted flap was 12 mm × 7 mm to 19 mm × 10 mm, the survival rate of the transplanted flap was 100%. During the (26.82±4.47) months follow-up, the total nail growth time was (9.14±1.78) months and there is no complications. The average tactile sensation evaluated by the Semmes-Weinstein test and the average TPD of reconstructed fingertip was (0.31±0.15) g and (7.26±1.26) mm separately. The reconstructed fingertips had beautiful appearance and walking function of foots providing flaps was not influenced.
Conclusions:The hallux toenail flap pedicled with the end of hallux digital artery and toe pulp vein transplantation is an effective method to reconstruct fingertip injury with partial defect of nailbed and skin with a beautiful appearance and excellent function.
Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic IV.
Feasibility discrimination of anchor-relieving robot anchor-relieving operation based on anchor cable state image recognition
Authors: Liu Zhixiang , Li Zhenyu , Xie Chunxue
Published: July 2024

Considering that the dispersion and bending state of the anchor cable will affect the breaking operation of the anchor cable cutting tool to the anchor cable, this paper studies the anchor cable state recognition method based on image recognition. Firstly, the YOLOv8 algorithm is used to distinguish the dispersion state of the anchor cable, and then the semantic segmentation and image processing methods are used to identify the bending state of the anchor cable.The average detection accuracy of the anchor cable dispersion state recognition method based on YOLOv8 algorithm for the five types of targets of intact anchor cable, slight dispersion and complete dispersion, and locks and trays reached 89.4%.The detection accuracy of the three states of intact anchor cable, slight dispersion and complete dispersion reached more than 90%, indicating that the detection model has a good recognition effect of anchor cable dispersion state.The bending state discrimination method of anchor cable based on semantic segmentation and image processing method can realize the bending angle discrimination of intact anchor cable, overall bending and partial bending anchor cable.Firstly, the YOLOv8 target detection model is used to detect the target position of the anchor cable and the lock, and then the target is framed.Then the image in the target box is cut off, and the target segmentation of the lock and anchor cable is performed by the PSPnet semantic segmentation model.Then, the segmented mask map is transformed into an hsv color gamut, and then the lock and anchor cable are screened out by red threshold and green threshold respectively.Then, the contours of the lock and the anchor cable are detected respectively, and the minimum circumscribed rectangle of the contour is calculated.Finally, the midline of the minimum outer rectangular long side of the lock and the anchor cable is calculated respectively, and the angle between the two midlines is calculated, that is, the bending angle of the anchor cable.When the camera is perpendicular to the anchor plane, the calculated angle error is less than 2°.Through the identification of the dispersion and bending state of the anchor cable, it can be judged whether the anchor withdrawal device can complete the breaking operation of the anchor cable.
Failure Of Gallium-68 Citrate Scan To Detect Large, Enhancing Central Nervous System Tuberculomas: A Cautionary Tale
Authors: Kumar Selwyn Selva , Noronha Adrian Keith , Hephzibah Julie , Vanjare Harshad Arvind , Manesh Abi
Published: July 2024

Background Gallium-68 citrate is an emerging diagnostic tool for the evaluation of infections. Its performance in brain infections, specifically central nervous system (CNS) tuberculosis, is unknown. The available diagnostics for CNS tuberculosis are imprecise.Case Presentation We report a patient with large, active, enhancing, microbiologically confirmed tuberculomas in the right frontal lobe who underwent Gallium-68 PET CT. It did not show any tracer uptake in the tuberculous lesions.Conclusions We report caution in the use of Gallium-68 PET CT for CNS TB, especially with concomitant steroid use.
Stretcher Angles: Impact on Vital Signs and Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter in Prehospital Stroke Patients
Authors: BAKIRCI Bektas , OZHASENEKLER Ayhan , OZENSOY Habibe Selmin , BEKGOZ Burak , SENER Alp
Published: July 2024

Objectives
Post-stroke hypoperfusion of brain tissue often results from increased intracranial pressure (ICP), which compromises cerebral blood flow. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between the stretcher angles of stroke patients brought to the emergency department by emergency medical services (EMS) and the optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) and vital signs.
Methods
This was a prospective, cross-sectional, single-center study. The study included individuals over 18 years of age at stroke according to the Cincinnati Stroke Scale. Patient age, sex, time to hospital arrival with an EMS, the ONSD, vital signs, clinical findings, the stretcher angle, and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores were recorded. Stretcher angles were adjusted to 4 different groups. Group 1, 0–30°; Group 2, 31–45°; Group 3, 46–60°; and Group 4, 61–90°.
Results
The study included 82 patients, 42.7% of whom were male, and the average age was 74 years. Group 1 had 16 patients (19.5%), Group 2 had 27 patients (32.9%), Group 3 had 22 patients (26.8%), and Group 4 had 17 patients (20.7%). The mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) was 163 ± 35 mmHg, the mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was 91 ± 17 mmHg, the mean right ONSD was 0.36 ± 0.07 cm, and the mean left ONSD was 0.37 ± 0.07 cm. The mean GCS of the patients was 13. The GCS was lower in Group 1 than in Group 3 (p = 0.002), the DBP was greater in Group 4 than in Group 3 (0.023), and the ONSD was greater in Group 4 than in Group 2 (p = 0.007).
Conclusion
The stretcher angle of patients transported by the EMS is related to the patient's GCS, ONSD, and DBP. We recommend that EMS personnel carry stroke patients at 46–60° at a stretcher angle during transport. Prehospital EMS personnel need to pay more attention to the stretcher angle and be informed about it when transporting patients with suspected strokes.
Clinical Significance, Immune Landscape and Immunotherapy Efficacy Analyses of Cuproptosis-Tumor Immunological Phenotype-Related Gene Score Based Prognostic Model in Breast Cancer
Authors: Hu Fengyuan , Wang JunYang , Chen YanKe , Wang WenJuan , Jiao Min , Bai ShuHeng , Zhang XiangXiang , Li Wenyang , Liu Wanyi , Wu Fang , Chen Min , Meng Ruijie , Wang Siyi , Duan Yile , Gao Ying , Ren Juan
Published: July 2024

Breast invasive carcinoma (BRCA) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women and exhibits the highest mortality rate among female cancers. Furthermore, the tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a crucial role in the progression of BRCA. Copper ions are essential metal elements in vivo, and cuproptosis, a recently identified mode of cell death, significantly influences tumor progression, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Utilizing 10 cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs), we developed a novel cuproptosis-tumor immunological phenotype-related gene score (CTIPRGs) comprising 14 genes through Univariate Cox (UniCOX) regression and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm to predict prognosis and response to immunotherapy in BRCA. Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that CTIPRGs serve as an independent prognostic predictor. Subsequently, we constructed nomograms to provide quantitative tools for clinical practice. Kaplan-Meier (KM) plot analysis demonstrated that CTIPRGs could significantly distinguish overall survival (OS) in BRCA patients, with low-CTIPRGs groups exhibiting better prognosis. High and low-CTIPRGs groups exhibited distinct biological behaviors, mutational characteristics, and immune cell infiltration patterns. Notably, low-CTIPRGs groups were classified as an immune-inflamed phenotype with abundant immune cells, whereas high-CTIPRGs groups were identified as immune-desert phenotypes characterized by extensive stromal cell infiltration. Additionally, notable differences in tumor immunogenicity, tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE), and tumor mutation burden (TMB) were observed between high and low-CTIPRGs groups, indicating that low-CTIPRGs groups exhibited higher sensitivity to immunotherapy. In conclusion, the identified CTIPRGs can facilitate the prediction of prognosis and treatment efficacy in BRCA patients.
Using X-ray Velocimetry to measure lung function and assess the efficacy of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteriophage therapy for cystic fibrosis
Authors: Harker Stephanie A. , Preissner Melissa , Chang Rachel Yoon , Trevascus David , Liu Chengxi , Wang Yuncheng , Chow Michael Yee , Cmielewski Patricia , Reyne Nicole , How Ying Ying , Pollock James A. , Klein Mitzi , Wright Christopher A. , Dubsky Stephen , Donnelley Martin , Chan Hak-Kim , Morgan Kaye S.
Published: July 2024

Phase contrast x-ray imaging (PCXI) provides high-contrast images of weakly-attenuating structures like the lungs. PCXI, when paired with 4D X-ray Velocimetry (XV), can measure regional lung function and non-invasively assess the efficacy of emerging therapeutics. Bacteriophage therapy is an emerging antimicrobial treatment option for lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis (CF), particularly with increasing rates of multi-drug-resistant infections. Current efficacy assessment in animal models is highly invasive, typically requiring histological assessment. We aim to use XV techniques as non-invasive alternatives to demonstrate efficacy of bacteriophage therapy for treating Pseudomonas aeruginosa CF lung infections, measuring functional changes post-treatment. Time-resolved in vivo PCXI-CT scans of control, Pseudomonas-infected, and phage-treated mouse lungs were taken at the Australian Synchrotron Imaging and Medical Beamline. Using XV we measured local lung expansion and ventilation throughout the breath cycle, analysing the skew of the lung expansion distribution. CT images allowed visualisation of the projected air volume in the lungs, assessing structural lung damage. XV analysis demonstrated changes in lung expansion between infection and control groups, however there were no statistically significant differences between treated and placebo groups. In some cases where structural changes were not evident in the CT scans, XV successfully detected changes in lung function.
Molecular assays versus mycological methods for diagnosis of rhino orbital mucormycosis: analysis of 120 fresh clinical specimens from COVID-19 patients
Authors: Soltani Sajedeh , Erami Mahzad , Ahmadikia Kazem , Aboutalebian Shima , Rouhi Faezeh , Fakhrei Mojtaba , Mohammadimanesh Reza , Mirhendi Hossein
Published: July 2024

Mucormycosis, a fungal emergency, poses a serious threat to both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 individuals due to its invasive nature, rapid progression, and high rates of morbidity and mortality which highlights the crucial need for its timely detection and management. Here, we investigated the utility of Mucorales-specific real-time PCR (rt-PCR) assays for the detection of mucormycosis from clinical specimens and compared with conventional methods and duplex PCR. Methods: Both SYBR Green and TaqMan rt-PCR methodologies were optimized using Mucorales-specific oligonucleotides to amplify the conserved 18S rDNA targets. DNAs extracted from 120 rhino sinus specimens, which all were collected from COVID-19 patients upon suspicion of invasive fungal infections, were used for molecular diagnosis. The results of both rt PCR assays were compared with the result of direct microscopy, culture, and duplex Mucorales-specific PCR assay. Results: SYBR Green rt-PCR detected Mucorales in 51 out of 120 (91.67% of K0H-positive samples), yielding a unique Tm pattern (80.24 ± 0.70°C), whereas TaqMan-probe PCR and culture methods detected it in 34 (73.84%) and 24 samples, respectively. The SYBR Green-based PCR was also more sensitive/specific than the duplex PCR technique. The lower sensitivity in probe-based PCR can be influenced by various factors such as probe degeneracy, which can lead to false-negative results. Conclusion: SYBR Green-based PCR showed superiority over duplex PCR, culture, and TaqMan-probe PCR in terms of cost-effectiveness, rapidness, and sensitivity for the diagnosis of mucormycosis. As there is no serological test, SYBR Green-based PCR can be used as an affirmatory test to rule in or rule out mucormycosis, particularly in cases with atypical hyphae or septate and non-septate hyphae suggestive of mixed infections in direct examination but negative culture.
Social isolation and loneliness among people living with experience of homelessness: A scoping review
Authors: Lachaud James , Yusuf Ayan A. , Maelzer Faith , Perri Melissa , Gogosis Evie , Ziegler Carolyn , Mejia-Lancheros Cilia , Hwang Stephen W.
Published: July 2024

Social isolation and loneliness (SIL) are public health challenges that disproportionally affect individuals who experience structural and socio-economic exclusion. The social and health outcomes of SIL for people with experiences of being unhoused have largely remained unexplored. Yet, there is limited synthesis of literature that focused on SIL to appropriately inform policy and facilitate targeted social interventions for people with homelessness experience. The aim of this scoping review is to synthesize evidence on SIL among people with lived experience of homelessness and explore how it negatively impacts their wellbeing. We carried out a comprehensive literature search from Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Sociological Abstracts, and Web of Science's Social Sciences Citation Index and Science Citation Index for peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 to on January 3rd, 2023. Studies went through title, abstract and full-text screening conducted independently by at least two reviewers. Included studies were then analyzed and synthesized to identify the conceptualizations of SIL, measurement tools and approaches, prevalence characterization, and relationship with social and health outcomes. The literature search yielded 5,294 papers after removing duplicate records. After screening, we retained 27 qualitative studies, 23 quantitative studies and two mixed method studies. SIL was not the primary objective of most of the included articles. The prevalence of SIL among people with homelessness experience varied from 25–90% across studies. A range of measurement tools were used to measure SIL making it difficult to compare results across studies. Though the studies reported association between SIL, health, wellbeing, and substance, we found substantial gaps in the existing literature. Most of the quantitative studies were cross-sectional, and no study reported on interventions that targeted SIL as a main or secondary outcome. More studies are needed to better understand SIL among this population and to build evidence for actionable strategies and policies to address its social and health impacts.
Large-vocabulary forensic pathological analyses via prototypical cross-modal contrastive learning
Authors: Lian Chunfeng , Chen Shen , Zhang Wanqing , Wang Fan , Zhang Jianhua , Fan Shuanliang , Wei Xin , Wang Gongji , Li Kehan , Mu Hongshu , Wu Hao , Liang Xinggong , Ma Jianhua , Wang Zhenyuan
Published: July 2024

Forensic pathology is critical in determining the cause and manner of death through post-mortem examinations, both macroscopic and microscopic. The field, however, grapples with issues such as outcome variability, laborious processes, and a scarcity of trained professionals. This paper presents SongCi, an innovative visual-language model (VLM) designed specifically for forensic pathology. SongCi utilizes advanced prototypical cross-modal self-supervised contrastive learning to enhance the accuracy, efficiency, and generalizability of forensic analyses. It was pre-trained and evaluated on a comprehensive multi-center dataset, which includes over 16 million high-resolution image patches, 2,228 vision-language pairs of post-mortem whole slide images (WSIs), and corresponding gross key findings, along with 471 distinct diagnostic outcomes. Our findings indicate that SongCi surpasses existing multi-modal AI models in many forensic pathology tasks, performs comparably to experienced forensic pathologists and significantly better than less experienced ones, and provides detailed multi-modal explainability, offering critical assistance in forensic investigations. To the best of our knowledge, SongCi is the first VLM specifically developed for forensic pathological analysis and the first large-vocabulary computational pathology (CPath) model that directly processes gigapixel WSIs in forensic science.
Different MRI-based radiomics machine learning models to predict CD3+ Tumor-infiltrating Lymphocytes (TILs) in rectal cancer
Authors: ma Weili , Hou Chuanling , Yang Minxia , Wei Yuguo , Mao Jiwei , Guan Le , Zhao Zhenhua
Published: July 2024

Objectives
We aim to develop various machine learning models using contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging (T1-CE) to differentiate between low-/high-infiltration of total T lymphocytes (CD3) in rectal cancer.
Methods
We retrospectively selected 157 patients (103 men, 54 women) with pathologically confirmed rectal cancer diagnosed between March 2015 and October 2019. The patients were randomly split into training (n = 109) and test (n = 48) datasets for further analysis. Seven radiomic features were selected to generate three models: LR, RF, and SVM. Diagnostic performance of the four models was compared using the Delong test. To assess DFS in patients with high and low CD3 + TIL density, Kaplan-Meier analysis was used.
Results
The three radiomics models perform well in predicting the infiltration of CD3 + TILS, with AUC values of 0.871, 0.982, and 0.913, respectively, in the training set for the LR, RF, and SVM models. The AUC values in the validation group were 0.869, 0.794, and 0.837, respectively. The LR model exhibited superior diagnostic performance and robustness among the radiomics models. The merged model, composed of radiomics features from SVM model and clinical features from clinical model, outperformed the radiomics models in terms of diagnostic performance, with AUCs of 0.8932 and 0.8829 in the training and test cohorts, respectively. A lower expression level of CD3 + TILs cohort was independently correlated with disease-free survival (DFS) (P = 0.0041).
Conclusion
The combined model showed higher discriminatory capability of an abundance of CD3 + TILs in rectal cancer. The expression of CD3 + TILs was significantly correlated with DFS.
Advances in knowledge:
This study is the first attempt to compare the predictive TILs performance of three machine learning models, logistic regression (LR), random forests (RF), and support vector machine (SVM) models, based on the combination of radiomics and immunohistochemistry. MRI-based combined model, composed of radiomics features from SVM model and clinical features from clinical model, exhibited higher discriminatory capability of an abundance of CD3 + TILs in rectal cancer.