bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pre-tibial myopericytoma: a case report
Authors: Cockburn Claudia J K , Crene Elliot J D , Cockburn William J
Published: January 2022

Myopericytoma (MPC) is a rare, benign tumour often presenting as a cutaneous growth commonly in the lower extremities. It is distinguished by its concentric layering of spindle shaped myoid appearing cells perivascularly. These cells diagnostically stain positive to alpha smooth-muscle actin and rarely positive to desmin stain. This case study reviews the presentation of a 56-year-old male with a slow-growing, pre-tibial lesion developing over a 7–8 year period. This lesion was asymptomatic and demonstrated vascular involvement on ultrasound scan. This lesion measured 19 × 15 × 9 mm histologically and contained bland spindle cells surrounding vessels that interestingly stained positive to both alpha smooth-muscle actin and desmin. The histological findings in correlation to clinical presentation and imaging led to a diagnosis of MPC.
A naturally evolved mutation (Ser59Gly) in glutamine synthetase confers glufosinate resistance in plants
Authors: Zhang Chun , Yu Qin , Han Heping , Yu Chaojie , Nyporko Alex , Tian Xingshan , Beckie Hugh , Powles Stephen
Published: January 2022

Glufosinate is an important and widely used non-selective herbicide active on a wide range of plant species. Evolution of resistance to glufosinate in weedy plant species (including the global weed Eleusine indica) is underway. Here, we established the molecular basis of target site glufosinate resistance in Eleusine indica. Full-length E. indica glutamine synthetase (GS) iso-genes (EiGS1-1, 1-2, 1-3, and EiGS2) were cloned, and expression of EiGS1-1 and EiGS1-2 was higher than that of EiGS2. A novel point mutation resulting in a Ser59Gly substitution in EiGS1-1 was identified in glufosinate-resistant plants. Rice calli and seedlings transformed with the mutant EiGS1-1 gene were resistant to glufosinate. Purified mutant EiGS1-1 expressed in yeast was more tolerant to glufosinate than the wild-type variant. These transgenic results correlate with a more glufosinate-resistant GS in the crude tissue extract of resistant versus susceptible E. indica plants. Structural modelling of the mutant EiGS1-1 revealed that Ser59 is not directly involved in glufosinate binding but is in contact with some important binding residues (e.g. Glu297) and especially with Asp56 that forms an intratoroidal contact interface. Importantly, the same Ser59Gly mutation was also found in geographically isolated glufosinate-resistant populations from Malaysia and China, suggesting parallel evolution of this resistance mutation.
Cost-effectiveness of single-dose AmBisome pre-emptive treatment for the prevention of cryptococcal meningitis in African low and middle-income countries
Authors: Rajasingham Radha , Nalintya Elizabeth , Israelski Dennis M , Meya David B , Larson Bruce A , Boulware David R
Published: January 2022

Cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) screening is recommended for patients with advanced HIV to reduce AIDS-related mortality. For asymptomatic CrAg-positive persons, fluconazole pre-emptive therapy is standard, despite a ∼25% failure rate. Single-dose liposomal amphotericin B (AmBisome) is non-inferior to standard treatment for cryptococcal meningitis. We evaluate the threshold of efficacy necessary for AmBisome + fluconazole to be cost-effective as pre-emptive therapy for CrAg-positive persons.

We created a decision analytic model to evaluate CrAg screening and treatment in HIV-infected persons with CD4 < 100 cells/μL. Costs were estimated for screening, pre-emptive therapy, and hospitalization for an example low-income country (Uganda) and middle-income country (South Africa). We used a discounted price range of AmBisome® at ${\$}$16.25 to ${\$}$40 per 50 mg vial for both Uganda and South Africa. We estimated AmBisome efficacy from 75 to 95%. Parameter assumptions were based on prospective CrAg screening studies and clinical trials in Africa. Disability adjusted life years (DALYs) were calculated using the age-specific life expectancy in Uganda, per WHO Global Health Observatory data. We modeled the theoretical efficacy of adjunctive AmBisome to determine cost per DALY averted.

In South Africa, at ${\$}$16.25 per vial cost and a minimum efficacy of 85%, adjunctive AmBisome is cost-saving compared to fluconazole monotherapy. Compared to fluconazole pre-emptive therapy in Uganda, AmBisome + fluconazole would cost ${\$}$475, ${\$}$220, or ${\$}$136 per DALY averted if meningitis-free survival efficacy was 80, 85, or 90% at ${\$}$24 per vial cost.

Investing in AmBisome may be cost-effective in low-income settings compared to using fluconazole pre-emptive therapy alone, if efficacy is 85% or greater. AmBisome pre-emptive therapy appears more cost-efficient in middle-income settings where hospitalization costs for meningitis, and GDP per capita are higher.

Lay Summary

We evaluate the efficacy necessary for AmBisome + fluconazole to be cost-effective to prevent cryptococcal meningitis. We found that if AmBisome pre-emptive therapy has an efficacy of 85% or greater, it is likely to be cost-effective in low-income settings.
Collision of two stellar associations in the nearby Gum Nebula
Authors: Yep Alexandra C , White Russel J
Published: January 2022

Based on Gaia DR2 data and new CHIRON radial velocities, we have discovered that two nearby stellar associations UPK 535 (318.08 ± 0.29 pc, $25^{+15}_{-10}$ Myr, 174 stars) and Yep 3 (339.54 ± 0.25 pc, $45^{+55}_{-20}$ Myr, 297 stars) in the Gum Nebula have recently collided. We project stars’ current positions, motions, and measurement uncertainties backward and forward through time in a 10 000-trial Monte Carlo simulation. On average, the associations’ centres of mass come within 18.89 ± 0.73 pc of each other 0.84 ± 0.03 Myr ago. A mode of 54 ± 7 close (<1 pc) stellar encounters occur during the collision. We cannot predict specific star–star close encounters with our current ∼7.6 pc distance precision and 21.5 per cent complete radial velocity sample. Never the less, we find that two stars in UPK 535 and two stars in Yep 3 undergo a nonspecific close encounter in >70 per cent of trials and multiple close encounters in ∼30 per cent. On average, the closest approach of any two stars is 0.13 ± 0.06 pc, or 27 000 ± 12 000 au. With impulse-tracing values up to $2.7^{+3.1}_{-1.1}$ M⊙ pc−2 km−1 s, such close encounters could perturb stars’ Oort cloud comets (if present), cause heavy bombardment events for exoplanets (if present), and reshape Solar system architectures. Finally, an expansion of our simulation suggests other associations in the region are also interacting. Association collisions may be commonplace, at least in the Gum Nebula straddling the Galactic plane, and may spur Solar system evolution more than previously recognized.
APEX at the QSO MUSEUM: molecular gas reservoirs associated with z ∼ 3 quasars and their link to the extended Ly α emission
Authors: Muñoz-Elgueta N , Arrigoni Battaia F , Kauffmann G , De Breuck C , García-Vergara C , Zanella A , Farina E P , Decarli R
Published: January 2022

Cool gas (T∼104 K) traced by hydrogen Ly α emission is now routinely detected around z ∼ 3 quasars, but little is known about their molecular gas reservoirs. Here, we present an APEX spectroscopic survey of the CO(6-5), CO(7-6), and [C i](2-1) emission lines for nine quasars from the QSO MUSEUM survey, which have similar UV luminosities, but very diverse Ly α nebulae. These observations ($\lesssim ngle ~\rm rms~\rangle =2.6$ mJy in 300 km s−1) detected three CO(6-5) lines with 3.4≤ICO(6-5) ≤5.1 Jy km s−1, 620≤FWHM≤707 km s−1, and three [C i](2-1) lines with 2.3$\le I_{\rm [C{\small I}](2-1)} \le$15.7 Jy km s−1, 329≤FWHM≤943 km s−1. For the CO and [C i] detected sources, we constrain the molecular gas reservoirs to be $\rm M_{H_{2}} = (0.4-6.9) \times 10^{11}\, M_{\odot }$, while the non-detections imply $\rm M_{H_{2}} \lt 1.1\times 10^{11}\, M_{\odot }$. We compare our observations with the extended Ly α properties to understand the link between the cool and the molecular gas phases. We find large velocity shifts between the bulk of Ly α and the molecular gas systemic redshift in five sources (from ∼−400 to ∼+1200 km s−1). The sources with the largest shifts have the largest Ly α line widths in the sample, suggesting more turbulent gas conditions and/or large-scale inflows/outflows around these quasars. We also find that the brightest ($I_{\rm [C{\small I}](2-1)}=15.7\pm 3.7~\rm Jy~km~s^{-1}$) and the widest (FWHM∼900 km s−1) lines are detected for the smallest and dimmest Ly α nebulae. From this, we speculate that host galaxy obscuration can play an important role in reducing the ionizing and Ly α photons able to escape to halo scales, and/or that these systems are hosted by more massive haloes.
On-ground and on-orbit time calibrations of GECAM
Authors: Xiao S , Liu Y Q , Peng W X , An Z H , Xiong S L , Tuo Y L , Gong K , Zhang P , Zhang K , Zheng S J , Li C Y , Gao M , Guo D Y , Li X Q , Liang X H , Liu X J , Qiao R , Sun X L , Wang J Z , Wen X Y , Xu Y B , Yang S , Zhang D L , Zhang Fan , Zhang Fei , Zhao X Y , Qi J L , Han X B , Li Z D , Huang J , Song L M , Cai C , Yi Q B , Zhao Y , Song X Y , Huang Y , Ge M Y , Ma X , Li X B , Li B , Wang P , Wang J , Zhang Y Q , Zhang Z , Zhang X L , Zhao H Y , Guo Z W , Chen C , Xie S L , Zhang S N
Published: January 2022

High time resolution and accuracy are of critical importance in the studies of timing analysis and time delay localization of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs) and pulsars. The Gravitational wave high-energy Electromagnetic Counterpart All-sky Monitor (GECAM) consisting of two micro-satellites, GECAM-A and GECAM-B, launched on 2020 December 10, is aimed at monitoring and locating X-ray and GRBs all over the sky. To achieve its scientific goals, GECAM is designed to have the highest time resolution (0.1 $\mu {\rm s}$) among all GRB detectors ever flown. Here, we make a comprehensive time calibration campaign including both on-ground and on-orbit tests to derive not only the relative time accuracy of GECAM satellites and detectors, but also the absolute time accuracy of GECAM-B. Using the on-ground calibration with a $\rm ^{22}Na$ radioactive source, we find that the relative time accuracy between GECAM-A and GECAM-B is about 0.15 $\mu {\rm s}$ (1σ). To measure the relative time accuracy between all detectors of a single GECAM satellite, cosmic-ray events detected on orbit are utilized since they could produce many secondary particles simultaneously record by multiple detectors. We find that the relative time accuracy among all detectors onboard GECAM-B is about 0.12 $\mu {\rm s}$ (1σ). Finally, we use the novel Li-CCF method to perform the absolute time calibration with Crab pulsar and SGR J1935+2154, both of which were jointly observed by GECAM-B and Fermi/GBM, and obtain that the time difference between GECAM-B and Fermi/GBM is 3.06 ± 6.04 $\mu {\rm s}$ (1σ).
Multivariate analysis of associations between clinical sequencing and outcome in glioblastoma
Authors: Yang Peter H , Tao Yu , Luo Jingqin , Paturu Mounica , Lu Hsiang-Chih , Ramkissoon Shakti , Heusel Jonathan W , Leuthardt Eric C , Chicoine Michael R , Dowling Joshua L , Dunn Gavin P , Duncavage Eric , Dahiya Sonika , Chattherjee Arindam R , Kim Albert H
Published: January 2022

Background

Many factors impact survival in patients with glioblastoma, including age, Karnofsky Performance Status, postoperative chemoradiation, IDH1/2 mutation status, MGMT promoter methylation status, and extent of resection. High-throughput next-generation sequencing is a widely available diagnostic tool, but the independent impact of tumors harboring specific mutant genes on survival and the efficacy of extent of resection are not clear.

Methods

We utilized a widely available diagnostic platform (FoundationOne CDx) to perform high-throughput next-generation sequencing on 185 patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma in our tertiary care center. We performed multivariate analysis to control for clinical parameters with known impact on survival to elucidate the independent prognostic value of prevalent mutant genes and the independent impact of gross total resection.

Results

When controlling for factors with known prognostic significance including IDH1/2 mutation and after multiple comparisons analysis, CDKN2B and EGFR mutations were associated with reduced overall survival while PTEN mutation was associated with improved overall survival. Gross total resection, compared to other extent of resection, was associated with improved overall survival in patients with tumors harboring mutations in CDKN2A, CDKN2B, EGFR, PTEN, TERT promoter, and TP53. All patients possessed at least one of these 6 mutant genes.

Conclusions

This study verifies the independent prognostic value of several mutant genes in glioblastoma. Six commonly found mutant genes were associated with improved survival when gross total resection was achieved. Thus, even when accounting for known predictors of survival and multiple mutant gene comparisons, extent of resection continues to be strongly associated with survival.
Changes in Smoking Behavior, Stress, and Sleep Duration Among Israeli Hospital Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Bar-Zeev Yael , Shauly-Aharonov Michal , Neumark Yehuda , Hirshoren Nir
Published: January 2022

Introduction

Being on the COVID-19 frontline could negatively impact healthcare workers mental health.

Aims and Methods

We examined smoking behavior changes and the association with changes in stress levels and sleeping patterns among hospital workers during the pandemic. An online survey was conducted among employees of a large tertiary medical center in Israel. Data collected included sociodemographic characteristics, smoking status, changes in smoking behavior (for smokers only), stress levels, and sleeping duration during the pandemic, perceptions of risk for COVID-19 infection and disease severity, presence of a chronic illness, COVID-19 exposure and infection status, and involvement in treating COVID-19 patients. Multinominal logistic regression modeling assessed the effects of covariates on smoking behavior change.

Results

Overall, 920 healthcare workers participated. More than half (59%) reported an increase in stress and 28% reported changes in sleep duration. Thirty-five percent of current smokers (n = 132), reported smoking more. Increased stress was associated with an increase in smoking (odds ratio [OR] = 3.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2–9.4, p = .016), and an increase in sleeping hours was significantly associated with a decrease in smoking (OR = 6.42, 95% CI 1.2–32, p = .02). Among smokers who reported perceived levels of stress to be the same or slightly higher than prepandemic, a strong inverse association was observed between sleep and smoking.

Conclusions

The mental health consequences of the pandemic, specifically for health workers, could lead to negative changes in smoking behaviors. Together with offering stress-management skills and coping strategies, mental health support should target smoking behaviors and sleep disturbances.

Implications

A high proportion of healthcare employees working in a large tertiary medical center in Israel reported increased stress levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among smokers, increased stress levels were associated with increased smoking, suggesting that smoking may be a coping mechanism for COVID-19-related stress. Offering stress-management skills and coping strategies can mitigate the negative impact on health workers’ smoking behavior, and reduce stress-related increases in smoking behavior.
In Reply
Authors: Von Hoff Daniel , Cridebring Derek , Han Haiyong
Published: January 2022

This letter to the editor responds to Zhu and colleagues regarding remarks on a recently published study that analyzed the role of vitamin D levels in survival outcomes in patients with pancreatic cancer.
Optimizing the shape of PCM container to enhance the melting process
Authors: Huang Bingkun , Yang Shimi , Wang Jun , Lund Peter D
Published: January 2022

The shape of container influences natural convection inside a latent heat storage with a phase change material (PCM). Often, the geometrical design of a PCM container is based on empirical observations. To enhance convection and melting of the PCM, authors propose here new design guidelines for an improved container. Using the so-called Co-factor method as the optimized basis, which is defined as the vector product of the velocity and temperature gradient, the new design method strives to raise the velocity of natural convection in liquid PCM, increase the amount of PCM in the direction of the convective flow, and reduce the amount of PCM far from the heating surface. Following these guidelines and Co-factor, an optimized PCM container with an elongated and curved shape is proposed and compared with a rectangular container. Numerical simulations indicated that the total melting time of the PCM in the optimized container could be reduced by more than 20% compared with the rectangular one. The higher natural convection velocity and the better use of it to melt the PCM in the optimized container space attributed to the better performance than that in rectangular container. The results can be used to design more effective PCM storage systems.
Multivariate competing endogenous RNA network characterization for cancer microRNA biomarker discovery: a novel bioinformatics model with application to prostate cancer metastasis
Authors: Lin Yuxin , Qi Xin , Chen Jing , Shen Bairong
Published: January 2022

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are post-transcriptional regulators with potential as biomarkers for cancer management. Data-driven competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network modeling is an effective way to decipher the complex interplay between miRNAs and spongers. However, there are currently no general rules for ceRNA network-based biomarker prioritization.

Methods and results

In this study, a novel bioinformatics model was developed by integrating gene expression with multivariate miRNA-target data for ceRNA network-based biomarker discovery. Compared with traditional methods, the structural vulnerability in the human long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)–miRNA–messenger RNAs (mRNA) network was comprehensively analyzed, and the single-line regulatory or competing mode among miRNAs, lncRNAs, and mRNAs was characterized and quantified as statistical evidence for miRNA biomarker identification. The application of this model to prostate cancer (PCa) metastasis identified a total of 12 miRNAs as putative biomarkers from the metastatic PCa-specific lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA network and nine of them have been previously reported as biomarkers for PCa metastasis. The receiver operating characteristic curve and cell line qRT-PCR experiments demonstrated the power of miR-26b-5p, miR-130a-3p, and miR-363-3p as novel candidates for predicting PCa metastasis. Moreover, PCa-associated pathways such as prostate cancer signaling, ERK/MAPK signaling, and TGF-β signaling were significantly enriched by targets of identified miRNAs, indicating the underlying mechanisms of miRNAs in PCa carcinogenesis.

Conclusions

A novel ceRNA-based bioinformatics model was proposed and applied to screen candidate miRNA biomarkers for PCa metastasis. Functional validations using human samples and clinical data will be performed for future translational studies on the identified miRNAs.
Dysregulation of the gene signature of effector regulatory T cells in the early phase of systemic sclerosis
Authors: Kobayashi Satomi , Nagafuchi Yasuo , Okubo Mai , Sugimori Yusuke , Hatano Hiroaki , Yamada Saeko , Nakano Masahiro , Yoshida Ryochi , Takeshima Yusuke , Ota Mineto , Tsuchida Yumi , Iwasaki Yukiko , Setoguchi Keigo , Kubo Kanae , Okamura Tomohisa , Yamamoto Kazuhiko , Shoda Hirofumi , Fujio Keishi
Published: January 2022

Objectives

We evaluated flow-cytometric and transcriptome features of peripheral blood immune cells from early-phase (disease duration <5 years) SSc in comparison with late-phase SSc.

Methods

Fifty Japanese patients with SSc (12 early SSc cases and 38 late SSc cases) and 50 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled. A comparison of flow-cytometric subset proportions and RNA-sequencing of 24 peripheral blood immune cell subsets was performed. We evaluated differentially expressed genes (DEGs), characterized the co-expressed gene modules, and estimated the composition of subpopulations by deconvolution based on single-cell RNA-sequencing data. As a disease control, idiopathic inflammatory myositis (IIM) patients were also evaluated.

Results

Analysing the data from early and late SSc, fraction II effector regulatory T cell (Fr. II eTreg) genes showed a remarkable differential gene expression, enriched for genes related to oxidative phosphorylation. Although the flow-cytometric proportion of Fr. II eTregs was not changed in early SSc, deconvolution indicated expansion of the activated subpopulation. Co-expressed gene modules of Fr. II eTregs demonstrated enrichment of the DEGs of early SSc and correlation with the proportion of the activated subpopulation. These results suggested that DEGs in Fr. II eTregs from patients with early SSc were closely associated with the increased proportion of the activated subpopulation. Similar dysregulation of Fr. II eTregs was also observed in data from patients with early IIM.

Conclusions

RNA-seq of immune cells indicated the dysregulation of Fr. II eTregs in early SSc with increased proportion of the activated subpopulation.
What Do Local Government Education Managers Do to Boost Learning Outcomes?
Authors: Cilliers Jacobus , Dunford Eric , Habyarimana James
Published: January 2022

Recent public sector reforms have shifted responsibility for public service delivery to local governments, yet little is known about how their management practices or behavior shape performance. This study reports on a comprehensive management survey of district education bureaucrats and their staff that was conducted in every district in Tanzania, and employs flexible machine-learning techniques to identify important management practices associated with learning outcomes. It finds that management practices explain 10 percent of variation in a district’s exam performance. The three management practices most predictive of performance are (a) the frequency of school visits, (b) school and teacher incentives administered by the district manager, and (c) performance review of staff. Although the model is not causal, these findings suggest the importance of incentives and active monitoring to motivate district staff, schools, and teachers, that include frequent monitoring of schools.
Intracranial Hemorrhages on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: Differences Between COVID-19 and Other Viral Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Authors: Seeliger Benjamin , Doebler Michael , Hofmaenner Daniel Andrea , Wendel-Garcia Pedro D. , Schuepbach Reto A. , Schmidt Julius J. , Welte Tobias , Hoeper Marius M. , Gillmann Hans-Jörg , Kuehn Christian , Ehrentraut Stefan Felix , Schewe Jens-Christian , Putensen Christian , Stahl Klaus , Bode Christian , David Sascha
Published: January 2022

OBJECTIVES:

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a potentially lifesaving procedure in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to COVID-19. Previous studies have shown a high prevalence of clinically silent cerebral microbleeds in patients with COVID-19. Based on this fact, together with the hemotrauma and the requirement of therapeutic anticoagulation on ECMO support, we hypothesized an increased risk of intracranial hemorrhages (ICHs). We analyzed ICH occurrence rate, circumstances and clinical outcome in patients that received ECMO support due to COVID-19–induced ARDS in comparison to viral non-COVID-19–induced ARDS intracerebral hemorrhage.

DESIGN:

Multicenter, retrospective analysis between January 2010 and May 2021.

SETTING:

Three tertiary care ECMO centers in Germany and Switzerland.

PATIENTS:

Two-hundred ten ARDS patients on ECMO support (COVID-19, n = 142 vs viral non-COVID, n = 68).

INTERVENTIONS:

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:

Evaluation of ICH occurrence rate, parameters of coagulation and anticoagulation strategies, inflammation, and ICU survival. COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 ARDS patients showed comparable disease severity regarding Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score, while the oxygenation index before ECMO cannulation was higher in the COVID group (82 vs 65 mm Hg). Overall, ICH of any severity occurred in 29 of 142 COVID-19 patients (20%) versus four of 68 patients in the control ECMO group (6%). Fifteen of those 29 ICH events in the COVID-19 group were classified as major (52%) including nine fatal cases (9/29, 31%). In the control group, there was only one major ICH event (1/4, 25%). The adjusted subhazard ratio for the occurrence of an ICH in the COVID-19 group was 5.82 (97.5% CI, 1.9–17.8; p = 0.002). The overall ICU mortality in the presence of ICH of any severity was 88%.

CONCLUSIONS:

This retrospective multicenter analysis showed a six-fold increased adjusted risk for ICH and a 3.5-fold increased incidence of ICH in COVID-19 patients on ECMO. Prospective studies are needed to confirm this observation and to determine whether the bleeding risk can be reduced by adjusting anticoagulation strategies.
LAWN TRIMMER–RELATED OPEN-GLOBE INJURIES IN TAIWAN
Authors: Zhang Jia-Rong , Hsieh Tsung-Cheng , Chang Fang-Ling , He Ming-Shan
Published: January 2022

Purpose:

Work-related ocular trauma remains the leading cause of unilateral visual impairment worldwide. Many preventable work-related ocular injuries continue to occur, even at home. This study describes the characteristics, surgical techniques, and prognostic factors of lawn trimmer–related open-globe injuries in eastern Taiwan.

Methods:

This was a retrospective, consecutive case series study. Slit-lamp biomicroscopy, dilated fundoscopy, and orbital computed tomography (CT) images were collected.

Results:

Twenty-six eyes of 26 patients were enrolled in the study. Fifteen patients (57.7%) had an intraocular foreign body (IOFB). The IOFB was metallic in 13 cases and glass and stone in the other 2 cases. Seven IOFBs (46.7%) were retained in the anterior chamber, 7 (46.7%) in the posterior segment, and 1 (6.7%) in the intraconal space. Univariate analysis showed that the presence of IOFB trended toward the development of endophthalmitis; however, this was not statistically significant (hazard ratio, 2.25; 95% confidence interval 0.35–14.61; P = 0.658). Eleven patients had metallic IOFBs noted on CT scans with metal artifacts, whereas two patients had small metallic IOFBs without metal artifacts. One patient had a glass IOFB mimicking metal artifacts on the CT scan. In one case, CT failed to reveal the IOFB, and an intralenticular metallic foreign body was incidentally found intraoperatively.

Conclusion:

Our study provides a broad characterization of lawn trimmer–related open-globe injuries. The informative and diverse findings of IOFBs on CT scans will help clinicians detect and recognize IOFBs more precisely and perform the surgery without causing further damage.
Diabetes associated with hypertension exacerbated oxidative stress–mediated inflammation, apoptosis and autophagy leading to erectile dysfunction in rats
Authors: Yang Chih-Ching , Liao Pin-Hao , Cheng Yu-Hsiuan , Chien Chen-Yen , Cheng Kuo-Hsin , Chien Chiang-Ting
Published: January 2022

Background:

Diabetes or hypertension contributes to erectile dysfunction (ED). We hypothesized that excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) production evoked by diabetes combined with hypertension may further suppress endothelial nitric oxide (NO) expression/activity and promote oxidative stress in the ED penis.

Methods:

Twenty-four adult male Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were divided into four groups: normal WKY, diabetic WKY, normal SHR and diabetic SHR. Intraperitoneal streptozotocin (65 mg/kg) was applied to induce type I diabetes. After 4-week diabetes and/or hypertension induction, we determined the intra-cavernous pressure (ICP) using electrical stimulation of cavernous nerves, intra-cavernosum NO amount using an electrochemical NO probe, and blood ROS using an ultrasensitive chemiluminescence-amplified analyzer. Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry were used to explore the pathophysiologic mechanisms of inflammation, apoptosis and autophagy in the penis. A novel NO donor, CysaCysd Lu-5 (CCL5, (RCH2CH2S)(R’R”CHCH2S)Fe(NO)2, 1-4 µg), was intravenously administered to these ED rats for evaluating their ICP responses.

Results:

In the baseline status, the lucigenin- and luminol-amplified blood ROS were significantly enhanced in the diabetic SHR rats vs normal WKY rats. Significantly decreased ICP, eNOS expression and NO amount were found in the normal SHR, diabetic WKY, and diabetic SHR vs normal WKY rats. Intravenous NO donor L-Arginine markedly increased ICP and NO amount, whereas eNOS inhibitor, Nω-Nitro-L-Arginine methyl ester hydrochloride depressed ICP in all four groups. Diabetes and/or hypertension alone increased fibrosis, proinflammatory NF-kB/ICAM-1 expression, mast cell numbers, CD68 expression and infiltration, Caspase 3-mediated apoptosis, Beclin-1/LC3-II–mediated autophagy and mild Nrf-2/HO-1 expression and depressed eNOS expression in the ED penis. The novel NO donor, CCL5, was more efficient than L-arginine to improve diabetes and/or hypertension–induced ED by the significant increase of ICP.

Conclusion:

Diabetes combined with hypertension synergistically exacerbated ED through enhanced oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis and autophagy and depressed eNOS activity and NO production.
Patella cryo-free technique with recycled frozen autograft reconstruction preserves extensor mechanism for proximal tibial malignancy
Authors: Chen Chao-Ming , Chen Cheng-Fong , Wang Jir-You , Chen Tain-Hsiung , Wu Po-Kuei , Chen Wei-Ming
Published: January 2022

Backgrounds:

We designed a patella cryo-free method to protect patella from cryoinjury during recycled frozen bone-prosthesis-composite reconstruction for proximal tibial malignancy. This study aimed to use animal model to ensure safety and efficacy of this method and reported our clinical outcomes.

Methods:

Six swine proximal tibias along with patella and patellar tendon were harvested and dived into group A (n = 3, traditional patella freezing) and group B (n = 3, patella cryo-free). Temperature curve measurement, histological analysis, and TUNEL assay were performed in both groups. Clinically, we retrospectively reviewed 23 patients with proximal tibia malignant bone tumor (13: traditional patella freezing method; 10: patella cryo-free method). The clinical and functional outcomes were reported and compared in both groups.

Results:

Temperature curve of the group B showed that ideal therapeutic temperature (<−60°C) required to kill tumor cells can be achieved in the proximal tibia while the innocent patella can be kept in room temperature at all time. Histological analysis showed better preservation of the cartilage tissue in patella of group B. TUNEL assay showed significantly more apoptotic cells in the frozen tibia of both groups and frozen patella of group A. When reviewing our clinical results, less complication of the patella as well as better functional preservation were found in patients subjecting to patella cryo-free method. No local recurrence was observed in either group.

Conclusion:

Patellar cryo-free technique could protect patella from cryoinjury during freezing and therefore preserve more extensor functions for patients with proximal tibial malignant bone tumors.
[18F]FDG PET/MRI in the follow-up of hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation
Authors: Zucchetta Pietro , Lacognata Carmelo , Girardi Francesca , Spimpolo Alessandro , Crimì Filippo , Cabrelle Giulio , Zanon Chiara , Boccagni Patrizia , Evangelista Laura , Cecchin Diego , Cillo Umberto
Published: January 2022

Background

There is limited evidence regarding the application of [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET/MRI in patients with a suspected clinical recurrence, who underwent liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, we compared the accuracy of PET/MR and standard-of-care (SOC) imaging in these patients.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 26 patients, whose liver were transplanted for HCC and were suspected of disease relapse based on biochemical analysis or SOC follow-up imaging, and carried out PET/MRI with diffusion-weighted imaging sequences on them. All patients underwent SOC imaging within the 2 months prior to the PET/MRI examination and had follow-up data for at least 12 months after. Reference standards were histopathology, clinical and imaging follow-up data.

Results

Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy for PET/MRI were 100, 94, 91, 100 and 96%, whereas for SOC imaging were 80, 69, 61, 85 and 73%. The accuracy of PET/MRI was higher with respect to SOC imaging, although not significantly.

Conclusions

PET/MRI is useful for oncological surveillance of patients who have undergone liver transplantation for HCC, particularly in cases of allergy to contrast media, renal failure or persistently elevated alpha-fetoprotein levels, and with no identification of metastatic/relapsing foci at standard-of-care imaging.
Health-Related Quality of Life in Primary Caregivers of People Receiving Palliative Home Care
Authors: Reina-Gamba Nadia Carolina , Medellin-Olaya Judith , Burbano-Rivera Daira Vanesa , Miranda-Rojas Hilda Mireya , Vargas-Escobar Lina Maria , Colmenares-Tovar Carolina
Published: January 2022

Primary caregivers face constant challenges because of changes in the clinical situation of the person receiving palliative home care. These changes can alter the health-related quality of life and all its dimensions. This study aimed to describe the health-related quality of life of 137 primary caregivers of people enrolled in a palliative home care program in Bogotá, Colombia, applying a quantitative, descriptive, and cross-sectional research design. The Caregiver's Quality of Life Instrument, initially developed by Ferrell, and the sociodemographic characteristics form for caregivers of people with chronic disease, both previously validated in the Colombian population, were used. The results showed that the primary caregivers have a good and adequate overall health-related quality of life; however, they presented some alterations in the physical, psychological, and social dimensions. Therefore, nursing and interdisciplinary palliative care teams should aim their interventions not only at patients but also at primary caregivers during palliative home care.
Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anesthesia of the Femoral Nerve in the Pediatric Emergency Department
Authors: Heffler Michael A. , Brant Julia A. , Singh Amar , Toney Amanda G. , Harel-Sterling Maya , Grandjean-Blanchet Charlotte , Riera Antonio , Khalil Paul A. , Starr-Seal Rebecca L. , Binder Zachary W.
Published: January 2022

Objectives

Femur fractures are painful, and use of systemic opioids and other sedatives can be dangerous in pediatric patients. The fascia iliaca compartment nerve block and femoral nerve block are regional anesthesia techniques to provide analgesia by anesthetizing the femoral nerve. They are widely used in adult patients and are associated with good effect and reduced opioid use. Ultrasound (US) guidance of nerve blocks can increase their safety and efficacy. We sought to report on the use and safety of US-guided regional anesthesia of the femoral nerve performed by emergency physicians for femur fractures in 6 pediatric emergency departments.

Methods

Records were queried at 6 pediatric EDs across North America to identify patients with femur fractures managed with US-guided regional anesthesia of the femoral nerve between January 1, 2016, and May 1, 2021. Data were abstracted regarding demographics, injury pattern, nerve block technique, and analgesic use before and after nerve block.

Results

Eighty-five cases were identified. Median age was 5 years (interquartile range, 2–9 years). Most patients were male and had sustained blunt trauma (59% low-mechanism falls). Ninety-four percent of injuries were managed operatively. Most patients (79%) received intravenous opioid analgesia before their nerve block. Ropivacaine was the most common local anesthetic used (69% of blocks). No procedural complications or adverse effects were identified.

Conclusions

Ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia of the femoral nerve is widely performed and can be performed safely on pediatric patients by emergency physicians and trainees in the pediatric emergency department.
68Ga-FAPI PET/CT Findings in a Rare Presacral Myxopapillary Ependymoma
Authors: Li Chongjiao , Wen Bing , Tian Yueli , Chen Jie , He Yong
Published: January 2022

Myxopapillary ependymoma is a rare tumor. Most of them occur exclusively in the conus medullaris, cauda equina, or filum terminale. Here, we present the 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT findings in a 37-year-old woman with presacral myxopapillary ependymoma.
Rare Distribution of Sclerotic Bony Lesions in Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Wang Yuhua , Liu Ye , Ma Le , An Caixia , Zhang Wanchun
Published: January 2022

A 66-year-old man was referred to our hospital due to a newly discovered left chest wall mass, which was diagnosed as plasmacytoma on biopsy. The patient underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT scanning before treatment. PET imaging revealed intense FDG signal in osseous lesions, and the CT showed most of the lesions were osteoblastic. The osseous lesions were predominantly localized to the humerus, femur, tibia, and phalanx of toe.
Diffuse Tracheobronchial Tuberculosis With Left Pulmonary Tuberculosis Displayed on 18F-FDG PET/CT
Authors: Li Qiang , Jiang Lei
Published: January 2022

A 57-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital with persisting cough and sputum for 2 months. Chest CT revealed multiple nodules in the left lung. 18F-FDG PET/CT scan was carried out to further evaluate these pulmonary lesions. In addition to multiple hypermetabolic nodules in the upper lobe of left lung, diffuse thickening of the trachea and left bronchial wall with increased FDG uptake was also found. Inflammatory granulation tissue with Mycobacterium tuberculosis was confirmed through the pathological examination of bronchoscopy.
Orbital Granulomatous Inflammation Mimicking Malignancy on 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT
Authors: Wang Yong , Yang Xiao , Tian Min , Lv Hongbin , Liu Huipan
Published: January 2022

A 31-year-old man presented with a left orbital mass for 3 months traumatic enucleation of the left eye. On 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT images, the lesion presented as a soft tissue mass with irregular shape, filling the left orbital cavity and showing intense FAPI uptake. Based on imaging findings, a malignancy was suspected. However, the orbital mass was diagnosed as granulomatous inflammation by pathological biopsy.
Into the second decade
Authors: Pines Jon
Published: January 2022

Open Biology
is 10 years old and we have much to celebrate.
Open Biology
launched as the Royal Society's first fully online, open access journal dedicated to cell and molecular biology. The underlying principle of
Open Biology
is to enable discoveries to be quickly and easily disseminated through the community, and in this vein in the first 10 years of the journal we have introduced format-free submission, mandated open peer review where the reviews and author responses are published with the paper, and established our enthusiastic Preprint Team under the guidance of Prof. Michael Ginger. Credit for most of this success is due to the guiding hand of David Glover, our founding editor, and the team at Royal Society Publishing.
Effects of an impermeable layer on pore pressure response to tsunami-like inundation
Authors: Exton Margaret , Yeh Harry
Published: January 2022

Tsunami hazards have been observed to cause soil instability resulting in substantial damage to coastal infrastructure. Studying this problem is difficult owing to tsunamis’ transient, non-uniform and large loading characteristics. To create realistic tsunami conditions in a laboratory environment, we control the body force using a centrifuge facility. With an apparatus specifically designed to mimic tsunami inundation in a scaled-down model, we examine the effects of an embedded impermeable layer on soil instability: the impermeable layer represents a man-made pavement, a building foundation, a clay layer and alike. The results reveal that the effective vertical soil stress is substantially reduced at the underside of the impermeable layer. During the sudden runup flow, this instability is caused by a combination of temporal dislocation of soil grains and an increase in pore pressure under the impermeable layer. The instability during the drawdown phase is caused by the development of excess pore-pressure gradients, and the presence of the impermeable layer substantially enhances the pressure gradients leading to greater soil instability. The laboratory results demonstrate that the presence of an impermeable layer plays an important role in weakening the soil resistance under tsunami-like rapid runup and drawdown processes.
On the force of vertical winds in the upper atmosphere: consequences for small biological particles
Authors: Berera A. , Brener D. J.
Published: January 2022

For many decades, vertical winds have been observed at high altitudes of the Earth’s atmosphere, in the mesosphere and thermosphere layers. These observations have been used with a simple one-dimensional model to make estimates of possible altitude climbs by biologically sized particles deeper into the thermosphere, in the rare occurrence where such a particle has been propelled to these altitudes. A particle transport mechanism is suggested from the literature on auroral arcs, indicating that an altitude of 120 km could be reached by a nanometre-sized particle, which is higher than the measured 77 km limit on the biosphere. Vertical wind observations in the upper mesophere and lower thermosphere are challenging to make and so we suggest that particles could reach altitudes greater than 120 km, depending on the magnitude of the vertical wind. Applications of the larger vertical winds in the upper atmosphere to astrobiology and climate science are explored.
Strong and weak interactions of rational vector rogue waves and solitons to anyn-component nonlinear Schrödinger system with higher-order effects
Authors: Weng Weifang , Zhang Guoqiang , Yan Zhenya 
Published: January 2022

The higher-order effects play an important role in the wave propagations of ultrashort (e.g. subpicosecond or femtosecond) light pulses in optical fibres. In this paper, we investigate anyn-component fourth-order nonlinear Schrödinger (n-FONLS) system with non-zero backgrounds containing then-Hirota equation and then-Lakshmanan–Porsezian–Daniel equation. Based on the loop group theory, we find the multi-parameter family of novel rational vector rogue waves (RVRWs) of then-FONLS equation starting from the plane-wave solutions. Moreover, we exhibit the weak and strong interactions of some representative RVRW structures. In particular, we also find that the W-shaped rational vector dark and bright solitons of then-FONLS equation as the second- and fourth-order dispersion coefficients satisfy some relation. Furthermore, we find the higher-order RVRWs of then-FONLS equation. These obtained rational solutions will be useful in the study of RVRW phenomena of multi-component nonlinear wave models in nonlinear optics, deep ocean and Bose–Einstein condensates.
Conical Kresling origami and its applications to curvature and energy programming
Authors: Lu Lu , Dang Xiangxin , Feng Fan , Lv Pengyu , Duan Huiling
Published: January 2022

Kresling origami has recently been widely used to design mechanical metamaterials, soft robots and smart devices, benefiting from its bistability and compression-twist coupling deformation. However, previous studies mostly focus on the traditional parallelogram Kresling patterns which can only be folded to cylindrical configurations. In this paper, we generalize the Kresling patterns by introducing free-form quadrilateral unit cells, leading to diverse conical folded configurations. The conical Kresling origami is modelled with a truss system, by which the stable states and energy landscapes are derived analytically. We find that the generalization preserves the bistable nature of parallelogram Kresling patterns, while enabling an enlarged design space of geometric parameters for structural and mechanical applications. To demonstrate this, we develop inverse design frameworks to employ conical Kresling origami to approximate arbitrary target surfaces of revolution and achieve prescribed energy landscapes. Various numerical examples obtained from our framework are presented, which agree well with the paper models and the finite-element simulations. We envision that the proposed conical Kresling pattern and inverse design framework can provide a new perspective for applications in deployable structures, shape-morphing devices, multi-modal robots and multistable metamaterials.
Third-party punishers do not compete to be chosen as partners in an experimental game
Authors: Batistoni Tommaso , Barclay Pat , Raihani Nichola J.
Published: January 2022

Third-party punishment is thought to act as an honest signal of cooperative intent and such signals might escalate when competing to be chosen as a partner. Here, we investigate whether partner choice competition prompts escalating investment in third-party punishment. We also consider the case of signalling via helpful acts to provide a direct test of the relative strength of the two types of signals. Individuals invested more in third-party helping than third-party punishment and invested more in both signals when observed compared to when investments would be unseen. We found no clear effect of partner choice (over and above mere observation) on investments in either punishment or helping. Third-parties who invested more than a partner were preferentially chosen for a subsequent Trust Game although the preference to interact with the higher investor was more pronounced in the help than in the punishment condition. Third-parties who invested more were entrusted with more money and investments in third-party punishment or helping reliably signalled trustworthiness. Individuals who did not invest in third-party helping were more likely to be untrustworthy than those who did not invest in third-party punishment. This supports the conception of punishment as a more ambiguous signal of cooperative intent compared to help.