bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trends and gaps in precision health research: a scoping review
Authors: Viana John Noel , Edney Sarah , Gondalia Shakuntla , Mauch Chelsea , Sellak Hamza , O'Callaghan Nathan , Ryan Jillian C
Published: October 2021

Objective

To determine progress and gaps in global precision health research, examining whether precision health studies integrate multiple types of information for health promotion or restoration.

Design

Scoping review.

Data sources

Searches in Medline (OVID), PsycINFO (OVID), Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and grey literature (Google Scholar) were carried out in June 2020.

Eligibility criteria

Studies should describe original precision health research; involve human participants, datasets or samples; and collect health-related information. Reviews, editorial articles, conference abstracts or posters, dissertations and articles not published in English were excluded.

Data extraction and synthesis

The following data were extracted in independent duplicate: author details, study objectives, technology developed, study design, health conditions addressed, precision health focus, data collected for personalisation, participant characteristics and sentence defining ‘precision health’. Quantitative and qualitative data were summarised narratively in text and presented in tables and graphs.

Results

After screening 8053 articles, 225 studies were reviewed. Almost half (105/225, 46.7%) of the studies focused on developing an intervention, primarily digital health promotion tools (80/225, 35.6%). Only 28.9% (65/225) of the studies used at least four types of participant data for tailoring, with personalisation usually based on behavioural (108/225, 48%), sociodemographic (100/225, 44.4%) and/or clinical (98/225, 43.6%) information. Participant median age was 48 years old (IQR 28–61), and the top three health conditions addressed were metabolic disorders (35/225, 15.6%), cardiovascular disease (29/225, 12.9%) and cancer (26/225, 11.6%). Only 68% of the studies (153/225) reported participants’ gender, 38.7% (87/225) provided participants’ race/ethnicity, and 20.4% (46/225) included people from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. More than 57% of the articles (130/225) have authors from only one discipline.

Conclusions

Although there is a growing number of precision health studies that test or develop interventions, there is a significant gap in the integration of multiple data types, systematic intervention assessment using randomised controlled trials and reporting of participant gender and ethnicity. Greater interdisciplinary collaboration is needed to gather multiple data types; collectively analyse big and complex data; and provide interventions that restore, maintain and/or promote good health for all, from birth to old age.
Neuropathic agents in the management of pruritus in burn injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: McGovern Christopher , Quasim Tara , Puxty Kathryn , Shaw Martin , Ng Wijnand , Gilhooly Charlotte , Arkoulis Nikolaos , Basler Michael , Macfarlane Alan , Paton Lia
Published: October 2021

Objectives

Pruritus is a common and often distressing complication after a burn injury. The purpose of this review is to explore the efficacy of drugs classically used to treat neuropathic pain in the management of pruritus after burn injury.

Methods

A systematic literature search of medical databases was conducted to find studies investigating drugs listed in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline (CG173, “neuropathic pain in adults”) for the management of pruritus after burn injury in patients of any age. Controlled studies were stratified by the drug class studied and their risk of bias before conducting meta-analysis. A narrative review of case series or observational studies was presented. Severity of pruritus at any time point, with all quantitative and qualitative measures, was included.

Results

Fifteen studies were included in the final analysis, 10 investigated the use of gabapentinoids, 4 studied doxepin, and 1 local anesthetic agents. Meta-analysis of three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) demonstrated that the use of gabapentinoids was associated with an improvement in mean VAS (Visual Analog Scale) 0–10 scores of 2.96 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.20 to 4.73, p<0.001) when compared with placebo or antihistamine. A meta-analysis of four RCTs investigating topical doxepin showed an improvement in mean VAS scores of 1.82 (95% CI 0.55 to 3.09, p<0.001). However, when excluding two studies found to be at high risk of bias, no such improvement was found (−0.32, 95% CI −1.64 to –0.99, p=0.83).

Conclusion

This study suggests that gabapentinoids are beneficial in the management of burn-related pruritus. There is a lack of evidence to suggest that doxepin is an effective treatment. Topical local anesthetic agents may be safe and beneficial, but studies are scarce.

Level of evidence

Systematic review, level II.
Self-Organization in a Plankton Community with Herd Predation and Weakly Nonlinear Diffusion
Authors: Liu Zhi-Bin , Liu Shutang , Wang Wen , Tian Da-Dong
Published: October 2021

We studied a plankton community composed of phytoplankton (prey) and zooplankton (predators). The zooplankton forms small groups, cooperatively forages phytoplankton, and disperses nonlinearly to adapt to predation strategies and to avoid fierce interspecific competition. First, through linear stability analysis, we obtained the conditions of Hopf stability and the Turing bifurcation. Second, weakly nonlinear analysis helped us establish the amplitude equations that determine the type of patterns: spot patterns, stripe patterns, and mixed patterns of both kinds. Finally, the numerical simulations illustrate the stability of the system and the self-organizing behaviors of planktons. The results partly validate our analysis and help us better understand the dynamics of the algae ecosystem in the real world. Furthermore, we found that the weakly nonlinear analysis, as a tool, can be applied to the model without linearizing the weakly nonlinear diffusion, which extends the application scope of the tool.
Classical BV formalism for group actions
Authors: Benini Marco , Safronov Pavel , Schenkel Alexander
Published: October 2021

We study the derived critical locus of a function [Formula: see text] on the quotient stack of a smooth affine scheme [Formula: see text] by the action of a smooth affine group scheme G. It is shown that [Formula: see text] is a derived quotient stack for a derived affine scheme Z, whose dg-algebra of functions is described explicitly. Our results generalize the classical BV formalism in finite dimensions from Lie algebra to group actions.
Micromechanical Modeling of Unidirectional CFRP Composites with Proportional Stressing
Authors: Su Zhoucheng , Wang Dan , Guo Tianfu , Sridhar N.
Published: October 2021

In this paper, we present a computational micromechanical analysis of unidirectional (UD) carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRPs) using representative volume elements (RVEs). The RVEs consist of randomly distributed fibers, matrix, and interfaces between the fibers and matrix. Periodic boundary conditions (PBCs) and proportional stressing are implemented to facilitate micromechanical analysis of the composites under controlled stress states. In particular, the failure mechanisms of the RVEs under combined transverse and in-plane shear stressing are investigated. The ratio of in-plane shear stress over transverse stress is kept constant during each simulation. By varying this ratio, the mechanical responses of composites under different stress states are systematically studied and the failure envelopes for different fiber volume fractions are extracted. We find the failure envelope converges as the fiber volume fraction increases. The framework developed in this study can be extended to different stress states allowing us to conveniently examine the failure criteria for UD CFRP composites comprehensively.
Designing IDE Interventions to Promote Social Interaction and Improved Programming Outcomes in Early Computing Courses
Authors: Olivares Daniel , Hundhausen Christopher , Ray Namrata
Published: October 2021

As in other STEM disciplines, early computing courses tend to stress individual assignments and discourage collaboration. This can lead to negative learning experiences that compel some students to give up. According to social learning theory, one way to improve students’ learning experiences is to help them form and participate actively in vibrant social learning communities. Building on social learning theory, we have designed a set of software interventions (scaffolds and prompts) that leverage automatically collected learning process data to promote increased social interactions and better learning outcomes in individual programming assignments, which are a key component of early undergraduate computing courses. In an empirical study, we found that students’ interaction with the interventions was correlated with increased social activity, improved attitudes toward peer learning, more closely coupled social networks, and higher performance on programming assignments. Our work contributes a theoretically motivated technological design for social programming interventions; an understanding of computing students’ willingness to interact with the interventions; and insights into how students’ interactions with the interventions are associated with their social behaviors, attitudes, connectedness with others in the class, and their course outcomes.
The practice of speech and language processing in China
Authors: Jia Jia , Chen Wei , Yu Kai , He Xiaodong , Du Jun , Shum Heung-Yeung
Published: October 2021

Several companies are trying push automatic speech recognition and other technologies past their current limitations.
Holograms on the horizon?
Authors: Edwards Chris
Published: October 2021

Machine learning drives toward 3D imaging on the move.
MIP* = RE
Authors: Ji Zhengfeng , Natarajan Anand , Vidick Thomas , Wright John , Yuen Henry
Published: October 2021

Note from the Research Highlights Co-Chairs: A Research Highlights paper appearing in
Communications
is usually peer-reviewed prior to publication. The following paper is unusual in that it is still under review. However, the result has generated enormous excitement in the research community, and came strongly nominated by SIGACT, a nomination seconded by external reviewers.

The complexity class NP characterizes the collection of computational problems that have
efficiently verifiable solutions.
With the goal of classifying computational problems that seem to lie beyond NP, starting in the 1980s complexity theorists have considered extensions of the notion of efficient verification that allow for the use of
randomness
(the class MA),
interaction
(the class IP), and the possibility to interact with
multiple
proofs, or
provers
(the class MIP). The study of these extensions led to the celebrated PCP theorem and its applications to hardness of approximation and the design of cryptographic protocols.

In this work, we study a fourth modification to the notion of efficient verification that originates in the study of
quantum entanglement.
We prove the surprising result that every problem that is recursively enumerable, including the Halting problem, can be efficiently verified by a classical probabilistic polynomial-time verifier interacting with two all-powerful but noncommunicating provers sharing entanglement. The result resolves long-standing open problems in the foundations of quantum mechanics (Tsirelson's problem) and operator algebras (Connes' embedding problem).
[Retracted] Sleep Status and Menstrual Problems among Chinese Young Females
Authors: He Hong , Yu Xiaoxuan , Chen Tingjia , Yang Fei , Zhang Min , Ge Hui
Published: October 2021

Background. The association between sleep disturbance and the menstruation in the young women population has been scarcely studied. The aim of this study is to assess the association between sleep status and phase of the menstrual cycle in healthy, young, ovulating women. Methods. This cross‐sectional study used the data collected from healthy young, ovulating Chinese females from September to December 2018. The association was analyzed by using linear regression and binary logistic analyses. Results. 2260 women aged 17 to 30 were included in the analysis. The average sleep duration of the respondents was 7.24 hours (SD = 0.92). 61.7% of them admitted that they were accompanied by at least one of sleep symptoms including difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, dreaminess, early morning awakening, and somnolence. Sleep quality was significantly associated with dysmenorrhea (OR [95%CI] = 1.74 [1.40‐2.17], P < 0.001) and self‐awareness menstrual regularity (OR [95%CI] = 1.29 [1.06‐1.56], P = 0.011). Conclusion. This study found that poor sleep quality is significantly associated with dysmenorrhea and self‐awareness menstrual irregularity among healthy, young, ovulating, Chinese females.
Exosomes Derived from Bone Mesenchymal Stem Cells Alleviate Compression‐Induced Nucleus Pulposus Cell Apoptosis by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress
Authors: Hu Yiqiang , Tao Ranyang , Wang Linfang , Chen Lang , Lin Ze , Panayi Adriana C. , Xue Hang , Li Hui , Xiong Liming , Liu Guohui
Published: October 2021

Oxidative stress is relevant in compression‐induced nucleus pulposus (NP) cell apoptosis and intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. Exosomes derived from bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs‐Exos) are key secretory products of MSCs, with important roles in tissue regeneration. This research is aimed at studying the protective impact of BMSCs‐Exos on NP cell apoptosis caused by compression and investigating the underlying mechanisms. Our results indicated that we isolated BMSCs successfully. Exosomes were isolated from the BMSCs and found to alleviate the inhibitory effect that compression has on proliferation and viability in NP cells, decreasing the toxic effects of compression‐induced NP cells. AnnexinV/PI double staining and TUNEL assays indicated that the BMSCs‐Exos reduced compression‐induced apoptosis. In addition, our research found that BMSCs‐Exos suppressed compression‐mediated NP oxidative stress by detecting the ROS and malondialdehyde level. Furthermore, BMSCs‐Exos increased the mitochondrial membrane potential and alleviated compression‐induced mitochondrial damage. These results indicate that BMSCs‐Exos alleviate compression‐mediated NP apoptosis by suppressing oxidative stress, which may provide a promising cell‐free therapy for treating IVD degeneration.
Efficacy of Applying Kanglaite Injection under Incentive Nursing Intervention in Treating Patients with Advanced Penile Carcinoma and Its Effect on Treatment Compliance
Authors: Wang Juan , Liu Qingyan , Hong Mei , Li Ge , Cheng Yong
Published: October 2021

Objective. To explore the efficacy of applying Kanglaite (KLT) injection under incentive nursing intervention (INI) in treating patients with advanced penile carcinoma and its effect on patient treatment compliance. Methods. The clinical data of 120 patients with advanced penile carcinoma treated in the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from February 2019 to February 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, and the patients were equally divided into the experimental group (n = 60) and control group (n = 60) according to their admission order. All patients received the KLT injection treatment; those in the control group accepted the conventional nursing; and on this basis, those in the experimental group accepted INI, including psychological nursing intervention, which was conducted concurrently with the treatment, to compare their short-term efficacy, treatment compliance, degree of cancer-related fatigue (Brief Fatigue Inventory), and negative emotion scores (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) between the two groups. Results. Compared with the control group, the experimental group presented a significantly higher objective remission rate (58.3%) (

P
<
0.05

), higher rates of excellent and good treatment compliance (

P
<
0.05

), and lower degree of cancer-related fatigue and negative emotion scores (

P
<
0.001

). Conclusion. INI can improve the negative emotions in patients with advanced carcinoma of the penis, alleviate their degree of cancer-related fatigue, promote their treatment compliance, and achieve a more significant efficacy of applying the KLT injection treatment, so it should be promoted in practice.
Lie Symmetry Analysis for the General Classes of Generalized Modified Kuramoto-Sivashinsky Equation
Authors: Qi Rong , Munir Muhammad Mobeen , Younas Nazish , Idrees Muhammad , Liu Jia-Bao
Published: October 2021

Lie symmetry analysis of differential equations proves to be a powerful tool to solve or at least reduce the order and nonlinearity of the equation. Symmetries of differential equations is the most significant concept in the study of DE’s and other branches of science like physics and chemistry. In this present work, we focus on Lie symmetry analysis to find symmetries of some general classes of KS-type equation. We also compute transformed equivalent equations and some invariant solutions of this equation.
Treatment of Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis and Risk Factors for New Vertebral Fractures in Female Patients with Autoimmune Diseases
Authors: Shinoda Koichiro , Taki Hirofumi
Published: October 2021

We aimed to evaluate the compliance of physicians with the 2014 guidelines of the Japanese Society for Bone and Mineral Research, for the prevention and treatment of glucocorticoid (GC) induced osteoporosis (GIO) and to investigate the risk of fracture and other associated risk factors in bisphosphonate-treated patients. We evaluated 90 female patients with nonrheumatoid arthritis autoimmune diseases who received long-term GC treatment (≥12 months). Clinical characteristics, including age, GC dose, history of fragility fractures, osteoporosis treatments, as well as lumbar (L2–L4) and femoral neck bone mineral density, were collected from the patients’ medical charts. New vertebral fractures during the study period were evaluated using thoracic and lumbar spine radiographs by quantitative measurements. The GIO score was calculated for each patient according to 2014 Japanese guidelines. Of the 90 patients evaluated, 60 were indicated for osteoporosis treatment, based on the 2014 guidelines of Japan. We observed a high compliance rate, with 93% of patients receiving osteoporosis treatment and 50% receiving bisphosphonates. In total, eight patients developed new vertebral fractures during the study, six of whom received bisphosphonates. In bisphosphonate-treated patients, fracture risk was associated with GC treatment and a lack of active vitamin D3 supplementation. The compliance rate with the updated Japanese 2014 guidelines at our institution was very high. Large randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm our findings that suggest that active vitamin D3 should be used in combination with bisphosphonates for the treatment of GIO to reduce fracture risk.
New Fractional Hermite–Hadamard–Mercer Inequalities for Harmonically Convex Function
Authors: Butt Saad Ihsan , Yousaf Saba , Asghar Atifa , Khan Khuram Ali , Moradi Hamid Reza
Published: October 2021

In 2003, Mercer presented an interesting variation of Jensen’s inequality called Jensen–Mercer inequality for convex function. In the present paper, by employing harmonically convex function, we introduce analogous versions of Hermite–Hadamard inequalities of the Jensen–Mercer type via fractional integrals. As a result, we introduce several related fractional inequalities connected with the right and left differences of obtained new inequalities for differentiable harmonically convex mappings. As an application viewpoint, new estimates regarding hypergeometric functions and special means of real numbers are exemplified to determine the pertinence and validity of the suggested scheme. Our results presented here provide extensions of others given in the literature. The results proved in this paper may stimulate further research in this fascinating area.
Diffusion Tensor Imaging Features of Watershed Segmentation Algorithm for Analysis of the Relationship between Depression and Brain Nerve Function of Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease
Authors: Zhu Feng , Xu Jiao , Yang Mei , Chi Haitao
Published: October 2021

The aim of this research was to explore the relationship between depression and brain nerve function in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and long-term maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) based on watershed segmentation algorithm using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) technology. A total of 29 ESRD patients with depression who received MHD treatment in the hemodialysis center of hospital were included as the research subjects (case group). A total of 29 healthy volunteers were recruited as the control group, and a total of 29 ESRD patients with depression and brain lesions were recruited as the control group (HC group). Within 24 h after hemodialysis, the blood biochemical indexes were collected before this DTI examination. All participants completed the neuropsychological scale (MoCA, TMT A, DST, SAS, and SDS) test. The original DTI data of all subjects were collected and processed based on watershed segmentation algorithm, and the results of automatic segmentation according to the image were evaluated as DSC = 0.9446, MPA = 0.9352, and IOU = 0.8911. Finally, the average value of imaging brain neuropathy in patients with depression in the department of nephrology was obtained. The differences in neuropsychological scale scores (PSQI, MoCA, TMTA, DST, SAS, and SDS) between the two groups were statistically significant (

P
<
0.05

). The differences of FA values in all the white matter partitions of Fu organs, except the cingulum of hippocampus (CgH) between the two groups, were statistically significant (

P
<
0.05

). ESRD and DTI quantitative detection under the guidance of watershed segmentation algorithm in MHD patients showed that ESRD patients can be early identified, so as to carry out psychological nursing as soon as possible to reduce the occurrence of depression, and then protect the brain nerve to reduce brain neuropathy.
A Study on RB‐XGBoost Algorithm‐Based e‐Commerce Credit Risk Assessment Model
Authors: Yang Weimin , Gao Lili
Published: October 2021

The current method’s e‐commerce credit risk assessment is prone to poor data balance and low evaluation accuracy. An RB‐XGBoost algorithm‐based e‐commerce credit risk assessment model is proposed in this study. The adaptive random balance (RB) method is used to sample and process the obtained data to improve the balance degree of the data. An assessment index system is constructed based on the processed data. Based on the risk evaluation index system and the XGBoost algorithm, this paper constructed an e‐commerce risk assessment model and assessed the e‐commerce credit risk using this model. The experimental results show that the proposed method has good data balance, a high kappa coefficient, and a large receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve area, which can effectively improve e‐commerce credit risk assessment accuracy.
Speckle Tracking Algorithm-Based Ultrasonic Cardiogram in Evaluation of the Efficacy of Dexmedetomidine Combined with Bundle Strategy on Patients with Severe Sepsis
Authors: Lv Chang’an , Wang Guan , Chen Aidong
Published: October 2021

The research aimed to study the effect of dexmedetomidine combined with bundle strategy on the cardiac function of patients with severe sepsis through pyramid speckle tracking algorithm-based echocardiography, expected to provide reference for its clinical treatment. 98 patients with severe sepsis or septic shock admitted to the hospital were selected as the research subjects, and they were equally divided into experimental group (dexmedetomidine + bundle strategy) and control group (dexmedetomidine + routine nursing), with 49 in each. Ultrasonic cardiogram examination was performed on patients before and after treatment, and the pyramid-based speckle tracking (PST) algorithm was designed and used. The results showed that the running time of the PST algorithm (105.25 s) was less than that of the BM algorithm (336.41 s), and the difference was statistically significant (

P
<
0.05

), and the systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, left ventricular wall, and heart rate of the experimental group before treatment were not significantly different from those of the control group (

P
>
0.05

). The ultrasound index results found that the ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS) of the two groups of patients showed a downward trend over time (1–7 days), while the E/A ratio showed an upward trend, and the E/A ratio of the experimental group was significantly greater than the control group (

P
<
0.05

). The systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, left ventricular wall, and heart rate of the two groups of patients showed a downward trend over time (1–7 days), and the systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, left ventricular wall, and heart rate of the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the control group (

P
<
0.05

). The 28-day mechanical ventilation time (6.97 ± 3.11 days), intensive care unit (ICU) stay time (9.18 ± 2.86 days), and the 28-day mortality rate (15.31%) of the experimental group were lower than those of the control group (6.97 ± 3.11 days; 13.08 ± 2.53 days; 31.95%) (

P
<
0.05

). In conclusion, the PST algorithm can effectively improve the quality of echocardiography and assist physicians in clinical evaluation, and dexmedetomidine combined with bundle strategy can stabilize the heart rate and reduce myocardial oxygen consumption in severe sepsis, while effectively shortens the recovery time and improves the overall prognosis.
Birnbaum‐Saunders Durability Life Prediction Model of Site‐Exposed Concrete in the Saline Soil Area
Authors: Lu Chenggong , Wei Zhiqiang , Qiao Hongxia , Hakuzweyezu Theogene , Li Kan
Published: October 2021

Aiming at the prominent problem of short durability life of concrete in saline soil area and the shortcomings of indoor accelerated test, an outdoor field exposure test was designed. The concrete specimens were semiburied in the Tianshui area with salinized soil characteristics, and nondestructive testing was conducted every 180d (days). The durability evaluation parameters and mechanical performance indexes were selected for macroscopic analysis, and the corrosion mechanism was analyzed by using the SEM image and the XRD phase. The Birnbaum‐Saunders model based on physical failure and probability statistics was used for life prediction. The results show that there are rod‐shaped and chip‐shaped crystals growing from the surface of the gel and the internal holes in the exposed end and the embedded end of the concrete. However, the damage and deterioration of the buried end are more serious than those of the exposed end. The corrosion products mainly included ettringite, gypsum, calcium carbonate, sodium sulfate hydrate, carbosilite, and Friedel’s salt. The reliability life curve based on the Birnbaum‐Saunders model can describe the whole process of exposed concrete from damage accumulation to failure. In addition, the dynamic modulus degradation index is more sensitive to concrete durability damage, and the life obtained by the Birnbaum‐Saunders model is shorter than the quality degradation index. The life obtained by this degradation index is taken as the life of the concrete exposed in the saline soil site, and the concrete life of C30, C40, and C50 is about 3340d, 3930d, and 4360d, respectively.
Psychiatric Emergency in Children and Adolescents: A Retrospective Study in Parma Local Health Unit
Authors: Deolmi Michela , Turco Emanuela Claudia , Pellegrini Pietro , Marchesi Carlo , Pisani Francesco
Published: October 2021

The mental health care system in Italy is based on Law 180/70 which leaves great regional autonomy about the management of adolescent patients suffering from psychiatric diseases. The aim of this study is the evaluation of demographic, social, and clinical features of minors admitted to psychiatric wards, as starting point to improve individualized services for them. Data about all under 18s consecutively admitted to Parma’s psychiatric wards from 2013 to 2015 were retrospectively collected from medical records. Diagnoses were classified according to ICD-10 criteria, and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS statistical software (IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0) for Windows. Clinical samples include 51 cases, 30 males (mean age: 15.5 years, ranging from 12 to 17 years) and 21 females (mean age: 15.9, ranging from 14 to 17 years). The most frequent diagnosis is conduct disorder (39.2%), with higher prevalence among males. Following this, 23.5% of the patients present comorbidity issues and 9.8% suffer from personality disorders, which is more frequent among females. High percentages of foreigners (31.4%), adopted minors (15.7%), and drug users (40%) are reported. Furthermore, data reveal that unprotective family environment, registered in 80.4% of cases, plays an important role as risk factor for the development of mental disease, readmissions in psychiatric wards, and discharge to residential facilities. Readmissions, as well as compulsory treatments (11 cases), are mainly required in case of conduct disorders and comorbidity diagnosis. Lastly, in contrast with the situation before hospital admission, most patients (63.3%) are discharged and sent to community residential facilities. Findings can be useful to improve the management of psychiatric emergencies in minors, focusing on their specific needs, such as conduct disorders and substance abuse, and to face emerging challenges, for example, mental health disease associated with the growing phenomenon of immigration.
lncRNA SNHG15 Promotes Ovarian Cancer Progression through Regulated CDK6 via Sponging miR‐370‐3p
Authors: Wang Yi , Ding Minghong , Yuan Xiaoqing , Jiao Ruibao , Zhu Dagao , Huang Wanzhong , Deng Wenxia , Liu Yulong
Published: October 2021

Ovarian cancer is a kind of cancer from the female genital tract; the molecular mechanism still needs to be explored. lncRNA plays a vital role in tumorigenesis and development. Our aim was to identify oncogenic lncRNAs in ovarian cancer and explore the potential molecular mechanism. SNHG15 was initially identified by using GEO datasets (GSE135886 and GSE119054) and validated by tumor tissues and the cell line, identifying that SNHG15 was upregulated in ovarian cancer. Besides, high SNHG15 indicated poor prognosis in ovarian cancer. Furthermore, knockdown SNHG15 suppresses ovarian cancer proliferation and promotes apoptosis. Mechanistically, SNHG15 promotes proliferation through upregulated CDK6 via sponging miR‐370‐3p. Taken together, our findings emphasize the important role of SNHG15 in ovarian cancer, suggesting that SNHG15 may be a promising target for ovarian cancer.
Cancer Mortality in U.S.-Born versus Foreign-Born Asian American Groups (2008–2017)
Authors: Tripathi Osika , He Yuelin , Han Bridgette Y. , Paragas Darynn G. , Sharp Nora , Dan Shozen , Srinivasan Malathi , Palaniappan Latha P. , Thompson Caroline A.
Published: October 2021

Background:

Asian Americans (AA) are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States with high proportions of immigrants. Nativity is important as cancer risk factors vary by country. We sought to understand differences in cancer mortality among AAs by nativity (foreign-born vs. U.S.-born).

Methods:

Ninety-eight thousand eight hundred and twenty-six AA (Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese) decedents with cancer-related deaths from U.S. death certificates (2008–2017) were analyzed. Thirteen cancers that contribute significantly to Asian-American cancer mortality were selected and categorized by etiology: tobacco-related, screen-detected, diet-/obesity-related, and infection-related. Ten-year age-adjusted mortality rates [AAMR; 95% confidence interval (CI); per 100,00] and standardized mortality ratios (SMR; 95% CI) using foreign-born as the reference group were calculated.

Results:

Overall, foreign-born AAs had higher mortality rates than U.S.-born. Japanese U.S.-born males had the highest tobacco-related mortality rates [foreign-born AAMR: 43.02 (38.72, 47.31); U.S.-born AAMR: 55.38 (53.05, 57.72)]. Screen-detected death rates were higher for foreign-born than U.S.-born, except for among Japanese males [SMR 1.28 (1.21–1.35)]. Diet-/obesity-related AAMRs were higher among females than males and highest among foreign-born females. Foreign-born males and females had higher infection-related AAMRs than U.S.-born; the highest rates were foreign-born males—Korean [AAMR 41.54 (39.54, 43.53)] and Vietnamese [AAMR 41.39 (39.68, 43.09)].

Conclusions:

We observed substantial heterogeneity in mortality rates across AA groups and by nativity. Contrary to the Healthy Immigrant Effect, most foreign-born Asians were dying at higher rates than U.S.-born AAs.

Impact:

Disaggregated analysis of AA cancers, targeted and culturally tailored cancer screening, and treatments for infections among foreign-born Asians is critical for cancer prevention efforts.
Impact of Risk-Stratified Therapy on Health Status in Survivors of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study
Authors: Dixon Stephanie B. , Chen Yan , Yasui Yutaka , Pui Ching-Hon , Hunger Stephen P. , Silverman Lewis B. , Ness Kirsten K. , Green Daniel M. , Howell Rebecca M. , Leisenring Wendy M. , Kadan-Lottick Nina S. , Krull Kevin R. , Oeffinger Kevin C. , Neglia Joseph P. , Hudson Melissa M. , Robison Leslie L. , Mertens Ann C. , Armstrong Gregory T. , Nathan Paul C.
Published: October 2021

Background:

Prior studies have identified that survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) report poor health status. It is unknown how risk-stratified therapy impacts the health status of ALL survivors.

Methods:

We estimated and compared the prevalence of self-reported poor health status among adult (≥18 years) survivors of childhood ALL diagnosed at age <21 years from 1970 to 1999 and sibling controls, excluding proxy reports. Therapy combinations defined treatment groups representative of 1970s therapy (70s), standard- and high-risk 1980s and 1990s therapy (80sSR, 80sHR, 90sSR, 90sHR), and relapse/bone marrow transplant (R/BMT). Log-binomial models, adjusted for clinical and demographic factors, compared outcomes between groups using prevalence ratios (PR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results:

Among 5,119 survivors and 4,693 siblings, survivors were more likely to report poor health status in each domain including poor general health (13.5% vs. 7.4%; PR = 1.92; 95% CI, 1.69–2.19). Compared with 70s, 90sSR and 90sHR were less likely to report poor general health (90sSR: PR = 0.75; 95% CI, 0.57–0.98; 90sHR: PR = 0.58; 95% CI, 0.39–0.87), functional impairment (90sSR: PR = 0.56; 95% CI, 0.42–0.76; 90sHR: PR = 0.63; 95% CI, 0.42–0.95), and activity limitations (90sSR: 0.61; 95% CI, 0.45–0.83; 90sHR: PR = 0.59; 95% CI, 0.38–0.91). An added adjustment for chronic conditions in multivariable models partially attenuated 90sSR risk estimates.

Conclusions:

Risk-stratified ALL therapy has succeeded in reducing risk for poor general health, functional impairment, and activity limitations among more recent survivors of standard- and high-risk therapy.

Impact:

Future research into the relationship between risk-stratified therapy, health status, and late health outcomes may provide new opportunities to further improve late morbidity among survivors.
Phthalates and Phenols, Leukocyte Telomere Length, and Breast Cancer Risk and Mortality in the Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project
Authors: Zhang Xueying , Wolff Mary S. , Shen Jing , Parada Humberto , Santella Regina M. , Neugut Alfred I. , Chen Jia , Teitelbaum Susan L.
Published: October 2021

Background:

Phthalates and phenols from the environment have been inconsistently associated with breast cancer risk or mortality. Studies on the potential modifying role of leukocyte telomere length (LTL), a biomarker of biological aging, on these associations are lacking.

Methods:

We included 1,268 women from the Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project with available data on phthalate and phenol analytes and LTL measurements. Twenty-two phthalate and phenol analytes were measured in spot urines and LTL was measured in blood. The modifying effect of LTL on the associations of individual analyte with breast cancer risk as well as mortalities was estimated using interaction terms between LTL and urinary concentrations of analyte in logistic regression and Cox regression models, respectively. ORs, HRs, and corresponding 95% confidence intervals for a one-unit (ln μg/g creatinine) increase of urinary phthalate/phenol level were estimated at 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles of LTL.

Results:

LTL significantly (P < 0.05) modified associations between 11 of 22 of urinary phthalate/phenols analytes and breast cancer risk. An inverse association between phthalate/phenols analytes and breast cancer risk at shorter LTL and a positive association at longer LTL was generally suggested. No modifying effect was found for LTL on the association between these phthalate/phenols analytes and breast cancer mortalities.

Conclusions:

LTL may modify the associations between phthalate and phenol exposures and breast cancer risk.

Impact:

This study is the first study that determined the modifying effect of biological aging in the association between environmental chemical exposure and breast cancer risk.
Hepatitis E Virus Capsid as a Carrier of Exogenous Antigens for the Development of Chimeric Virus-Like Particles
Authors: Lu Tianyu , Behloul Nouredine , Zhou Yi , Baha Sarra , Liu Zhenzhen , Wei Wenjuan , Shi Rui-Hua , Meng Jihong
Published: October 2021

Introduction: Virus-like particles (VLPs), self-assembled multiprotein structures, can stimulate robust immune responses due to their structural similarity to native virions that allow the presentation of multiple copies of the target epitopes. Utilizing VLPs as vaccine platforms to present exogenous antigens is a promising and challenging approach in the vaccine development field. This study investigates the potential of the truncated hepatitis E virus (HEV) capsid as a VLP platform to present foreign antigens. Methods: The S and M domains of the HEV capsid protein were selected as the optimal carrier (CaSM). The exogenous antigen Seq8 containing 3 neutralizing epitopes from 3 different foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) strains was linked to the C-terminal of CaSM to construct a chimeric VLP (CaSM-Seq8). The chimeric particles were produced in Escherichia coli, and their morphology, physicochemical properties, antigenicity, and immunogenicity were analyzed. Results: Morphological analysis showed that CaSM-Seq8 self-assembled into VLPs similar to CaSM VLPs (∼26 nm in diameter) but smaller than native HEV virions. Further, the thermal stability and the resistance to enzymatic proteolysis of Seq8 were enhanced when it was attached to the CaSM carrier. The antigenicity analysis revealed a more robust reactivity against anti-FMDV antibodies when Seq8 was presented on CaSM particles. Upon injection into mice, FMDV-specific IgGs induced by CaSM-Seq8 appeared earlier, increased faster, and maintained higher levels for a longer time than those induced by Seq8 alone or the inactivated FMDV vaccine. Conclusion: This study demonstrated the potential of utilizing the truncated HEV capsid as an antigen-presenting platform for the development of chimeric VLP immunogens.
The Effect of Supervision and Out-of-Hours Surgery on the Outcomes of Primary Macula-On Retinal Detachments Operated by Vitreoretinal Fellows: A Review of 435 Surgeries
Authors: Moussa George , Kalogeropoulos Dimitrios , Wai Ch’ng Soon , Lett Kim Son , Mitra Arijit , Tyagi Ajai K. , Sharma Ash , Andreatta Walter
Published: October 2021

Purpose: During bank holidays and weekends (BHWE), many primary macula-on retinal detachments (RD) across the United Kingdom are performed unsupervised out-of-hours by experienced vitreoretinal (VR) fellows. We aimed to determine whether first-year (F1) and second-year (F2) fellows could safely operate out-of-hours independently with remote supervision on primary macula-on RDs. Methods: This is a retrospective consecutive series of 435 patients attending the Birmingham and Midlands Eye Centre from January 2017 to July 2020. We evaluated (i) 6-month re-detachment rate and (ii) visual outcomes of F1, F2, and consultants during office hours and BHWE as well as the effects of supervision versus non-supervision. Results: For the re-detachment rate, no difference was found between surgeon grade (p = 0.821), whether supervised (p = 1.000), whether BHWE (p = 1.000), unsupervised BHWE and supervised mid-week (p = 0.757), and unsupervised F1 and F2 (p = 1.000), with non-significance maintained on multivariate regression. No difference was detected in the level of supervision (15.7%) between fellow grades during BHWE (p = 0.761) or mid-week (p = 0.295) or between surgeon grade and logMAR letters gained pre-postoperatively (p = 0.834). Conclusion: Safe VR services can be provided by experienced VR fellows during office hours, BHWE, supervised, or unsupervised, with similar primary success and visual outcomes to consultants in this patient subgroup. Initial intensive supervision and feedback and a gradual increase in independence is fundamental for VR fellows to gain confidence and become safe independent surgeons.
Priorities for Medical Marijuana Research from the Perspective of Physicians, Dispensary Owners/Staff, and Patients: A Survey Study
Authors: Jean-Jacques Jennifer , Cook Robert , Winterstein Almut G. , Goodin Amie , Brown Joshua D. , Jugl Sebastian , Wang Yan
Published: October 2021

Objective: More patients are turning to medical marijuana as an alternative treatment, yet there are apparent knowledge gaps on the risk benefit of medical marijuana for a variety of indications. This study aimed to determine the priorities for medical marijuana research from the perspective of multiple stakeholders including patients, clinicians, and industry representatives. Methods: An anonymous survey was administered to attendees of the 2019 American Medical Marijuana Physicians Association annual meeting in Orlando, Florida. Respondents completed the survey on paper or smartphone via Qualtrics. The survey included questions on demographics and medical marijuana research priorities under the following broad categories: clinical conditions, safety issues, marijuana types, populations, and others. Results: Forty-six participants (56.5% female, mean age = 51.6 ± 14.1) responded to the survey. A majority were medical marijuana qualified physicians in Florida (56.5%), 30.5% other physicians or clinicians, and 21.7% medical marijuana patients (multiple choices allowed). The top conditions prioritized for research by this group were chronic pain, cancer, and anxiety, and the top priority safety issues were dosing/product choice, complications from smoking/vaping, and drug interactions. Regarding marijuana types, the group prioritized research on THC/CBD ratios, different modes of consumption, and terpenes. Conclusions: Findings from this survey indicate that medical marijuana stakeholders perceived a broad range of research topics as priorities. More research is needed to advance the evidence in these areas and provide guidance to patients, physicians, and the medical marijuana industry.
Isolated Intracardiac Metastasis: The First Sign of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Paixão Anusca , Silva Rita , Lopes Natália , Carvalho Sónia , Carrola Paulo , Presa Ramos José
Published: October 2021

Metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to the right atrium without invasion of the inferior vena cava is a very rare and difficult diagnosis, especially when the primary tumour is yet to be known. A 68-year-old man with symptoms of heart failure was admitted to the emergency department; his transthoracic echocardiogram showed a mass comprehending almost the totality of the right atrium, obliterating its entrance nearly completely and impeding the normal auricular–ventricular flux, described as a possible auricular myxoma. The patient was promptly transferred to cardiothoracic surgery and submitted to an urgent surgery to completely remove the mass, which was macroscopically described as suspected of malignancy. Further investigation demonstrated a single nodule in the liver with malignant imaging characteristics, and the histology confirmed the diagnosis of metastatic HCC of the right atrium, without metastatic disease elsewhere. He was then submitted to radiofrequency ablation and medicated with sorafenib. The disease progressed slowly but subsequently involved the inferior vena cava and portal vein, culminating in his death 4 years and 3 months after the diagnosis. Although the prognosis for metastatic HCC may be poor, especially with intracavitary heart metastasis, this case shows that an aggressive initial approach with surgical metastasectomy may prolong the median survival of the patients.
Recurrence of Pancreatic Cancer Presenting as Choroidal Metastasis: A Case Report
Authors: Smith Ebony , Tran Tuan
Published: October 2021

A patient initially diagnosed as having central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) presented to a clinic with recurrence of pancreatic cancer manifesting as choroidal metastasis. He was initially diagnosed with CSC by a local ophthalmologist 8 weeks earlier and subsequently presented to our clinic for second opinion after further loss of vision. His medical history was significant for locally advanced pancreatic cancer that was resected by pancreaticoduodenectomy and was treated with adjuvant Folfirinox chemotherapy that was completed 12 months earlier. On examination, there was a large serous retinal detachment overlying a large pale ill-defined elevated choroidal lesion. A diagnosis of choroidal metastasis from recurrence of his pancreatic cancer was made. The diagnosis of choroidal metastasis of his pancreatic cancer represented recurrence of his pancreatic cancer that is associated with high mortality. Early recognition by clinical assessment may allow timely management with chemotherapy and radiation, and potentially prolong survival.
Serologische Autoimmunmarker können Hinweise auf das Therapieansprechen bei chronischer spontaner Urtikaria geben
Authors: Adler Sabine
Published: October 2021

In dieser retrospektiven multizentrischen Studie wurden Daten von 1199 Patienten mit chronischer spontaner Urtikaria (CSU) analysiert, um die Assoziation zu autoimmunen Komorbiditäten und das therapeutische Ansprechen auf Omalizumab zu untersuchen. Die Diagnose Typ IIb autoimmune CSU (aiCSU) wurde gestellt, wenn folgende 3 Tests positiv ausfielen: autologer Serum-Haut-Test, Basophilen-Histamin-Freisetzungs- und/oder Basophilenaktivierungstest und IgG-Autoantikörpertest gegen spezifische IgE-Rezeptoren. 28% der CSU-Patienten hatten mindestens eine Autoimmunerkrankung, 2% der Patienten zwei oder mehr. Außerdem zeigte sich, dass Patienten, bei denen Marker für Autoimmunerkrankungen, antinukleäre Antikörper und/oder IgG für Anti-TPO-Antikörper vorlagen, gehäuft nicht auf die Therapie mit Omalizumab ansprachen.