bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microscopic Observations on Form and Structure of the Worm Enchytraeus Buchholzi (Clitellata: Enchytraeidae)
Authors: ZHAO Limin , XIE Xiuchao , CHEN Dejing , MA Guilan , SUN Ya
Published: March 2022

Background: The worm Enchytraeus buchholzi is a new record species for Shaanxi, China, and a key pest on American ginseng Panax quinquefolium. To distinguish the species, the authors prepared its whole mounts and paraffin-embedded sections, and microscopically observed, photographed and measured. Besides, they conducted an experimental study on its DNA barcode. Results: Cells, tissues and organs related to nervous, digestive, circulatory, excretory and reproductive systems were found, photomicrographed and described, including prostomium, peristomium, segments, clitellum, pygidium, lateral and ventral chaetae; brain, cranial nerves, sensory papillae, ventral nerve cord; pharyngeal pad and glands, retractor muscles and muscular bundles, peptonephridia, esophagus, intestine; dorsal, lateral, ventral and intestinal parietal vessels, coelomocytes, coelomic cavity; nephridia, chloragogen cells; ovaries, vitelline glandular cells, immature and mature eggs, spermathecae; testes, seminal vesicles, sperm funnels, penial bulbs. Their shapes and sizes were given, and functions discussed briefly. The visual effect of staining specimens with hematoxylin plus eosin ranked the first, and that with acetocarmine the second. Conclusions: The supplementary and objective descriptions, with the microphotographs as forceful pieces of evidence, have expanded biological knowledge in aspects of the form, structure and function of the worm, which is helpful for professionals to recognize and understand this species and provide a solid basis for its integrated pest management.
Programmed cell death 1 pathway inhibitors improved overall survival of small cell lung cancer patients with brain metastases
Authors: chang Jia yu , Jing Xu Quan , Ying Hua , Geng Kai Xing , Li Ru Yue , Lu ShuangQing , Zhu Hui , Zhang Yan
Published: March 2022

Purpose
The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors applied in the small cell lung cancer patients with brain metastases.
Methods
We retrospectively reviewed the records of small cell lung cancer patients with brain metastases treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy for brain metastases with or without immune checkpoint inhibitors at our institution from January 2019 to January 2021. Patients were divided into two groups. In Group A, patients received chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In Group B, patients received chemotherapy, radiotherapy and at least four cycles of immunotherapy. Overall survival and intracranial progression-free survival were assessed using Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox regression models.
Results
A total of 295 patients were enrolled in our study. By the end of the study (March 12, 2021), the median overall survival was 28.1 months among 64 patients in Group B, and 13.2months among 231 patients in Group A respectively (hazards ratio [HR] 0.450, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.263–0.769, P = 0.004). Both the univariate analysis and multivariate analysis suggested two factors were significantly correlated with overall survival, including immunotherapy, presence of extracranial metastases. The median intracranial progression-free survival was 7.63months in Group A, 10.47 months in Group B (HR = 0.716, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.326–0.973, P = 0.040). The intracranial objective response rate and intracranial disease control rate was similar between them.
Conclusion
Immunotherapy plus chemotherapy and radiotherapy for brain metastases showed promising efficacy for small cell lung cancer patients with brain metastases.
The Design and Evaluation of Hybrid Controlled Trials that Leverage External Data and Randomization
Authors: Ventz Steffen , Khozin Sean , Louv Bill , Sands Jacob , Wen Patrick Y. , Comment Leah , Alexander Brian M. , Trippa Lorenzo
Published: March 2022

Patient-level data from completed clinical studies or electronic health records can be used in the design and analysis of clinical trials. However, these external data can bias the evaluation of the experimental treatment when the statistical design does not appropriately account for potential confounders. In this work, we introduce a hybrid clinical trial design that combines the use of external control datasets and randomization to experimental and control arms, with the aim of producing efficient inference on the experimental treatment effects. Our analysis of the hybrid trial design includes scenarios where the distributions of measured and unmeasured prognostic patient characteristics differ across studies. Using simulations and datasets from clinical studies in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer and glioblastoma, we illustrate the potential advantages of hybrid trial designs compared to externally controlled trials and randomized trial designs.
Ridge and Furrow Configuration Optimized Soil Hydrothermal Environment, Maize Canopy Traits and Improved Grain Yield in Northwest China
Authors: Liu Pengzhao , Chen Xiaoli , Zhao Xining
Published: March 2022

Ridge and furrow planting system is widely used for yield-increasing in Northwest area of China. However, the effect of optimized ridge and furrow configuration (planting both on ridges and in furrows) to soil hydrothermal environment, maize canopy structure and grain yield are still not clear. Therefore, a 2-year (2015—2016) field experiment was conducted to investigate the regulatory effects of different planting systems [conventional flat planting without ridge (CK), ridge-furrow planting system with two row plants in both ridge and furrow (R2F2), and with three rows in a ridge and two rows in a furrow (R3F2)] on maize growth, grain yield and resource utilization. The results showed that soil hydrothermal environment and canopy structure were improved under the optimized ridge and furrow configuration, but not caused excessive water consumption. Compared with CK, the ridge and furrow configuration showed a greater advantage in virtue of coordinating water and temperature allocation, which increased LAI, photosynthetic capacity per plant and dry matter accumulation for plants in furrows. In addition, ridge and furrow systems represented a higher canopy light transmission rate of bottom layers, which contribute to more light interception capacity for plants. In comparison with CK, grain yield of R2F2 and R3F2 significantly improved by 20.5% and 12.4%, water use efficiency by 26.2% and 20.1%, radiation use efficiency by 28.2% and 17.8%, respectively. Overall, the optimized ridge and furrow configuration (R2F2) brought an improvement of soil hydrothermal environment, optimize canopy structure, and ultimately obtained an increase of grain yield.
Association Between A Child’s Health Status, Type Of Health Insurance And Characteristics Of Their Health Care Access And Quality
Authors: Adigun Ayoola , Duro Debora
Published: March 2022

BACKGROUND: The healthcare system and healthcare providers are constantly navigating the increasingly complex world of the healthcare environment. Understanding how the delivery of healthcare services affects their patients is critical to becoming more proficient and competent in carrying out their Hippocratic oath. Our objective is to use the nationally representative data to estimate and compare the health status of children and its association with the type of health insurance and the characteristics of their health care access and quality. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) combined dataset from June 2018 to January 2020 for children age 0-17 years old. We examined 59,818 randomly selected surveys (weighted, n = 73,122,698) for the 2019-2019 combined NSCH. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to examine the associations between child functional health status and their access to health care, quality and insurance coverage. The health status of children were measured and grouped into 3 categories; excellent or very good, good and fair or poor. Measures are related to healthcare access and quality.RESULTS: 33.6% of the children population who had excellent of very good health status were ages 6-11 and almost 50% of children with fair or poor health status are ages 12-17 years old. Children with no access to medical health care are more likely (AOR: 4.41, 95% CI: 3.13 – 6.19) to have fair or poor health status compared to those who did not. Children who have ≥2 hospital emergency visits are (AOR: 10.00, 95% CI: 6.95 – 14.38) more likely to have fair or poor health status compared to those who have none. Private health insurees are more likely (AOR: 2.84, 95% CI: 2.19 – 3.69) to have excellent or very good health status compared to those who are not insured.CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare access and utilization of its services affects the overall functional health status of children in the US.
Understanding the Effects of Subsidence on Unconfined Aquifer Parameters by Integration of Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) and Genetic Algorithm (GA)
Authors: Yousefi Roghayeh , Talebbeydokhti Nasser , Afzali Seyyed Hosein , Dehghani Maryam , Hekmetzadeh Ali Akbar
Published: March 2022

Excessive exploitation of groundwater has led to a significant subsidence in Darab plain, located in Fars province, Iran. The compaction of aquifer layers especially in fine-grain sediments leads to changes in aquifer parameters including hydraulic conductivity, specific yield, and compressibility which consequently changes the permeability and storage of the aquifer. Accordingly, a precise estimation of aquifer parameters are essential for both future water resources planning and management. The main objective of this paper is to determine the most optimum values of aquifer parameters based on the groundwater information and subsidence measurements spanning from 2010 to 2016. The proposed approach for inverse solution of groundwater flow is based on Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) integrated with Genetic Algorithm for optimization (GA). Subsidence measurements made by previous studies as well as the initial values of unknown parameters obtained from piezometric information are incorporated into the inverse modeling. The whole process of inverse modeling is repeated from 2010 to 2016 which leads to annually estimation of the aquifer parameters. Due to the compaction occurring in the aquifer system, a decreasing temporal trend is observed in the aquifer parameters in most parts of the plain. By fitting a function to time-dependent aquifer parameters, their corresponding values and consequently the amount of subsidence in 2017 are predicted. The small average relative error (~ 3.5%) between the predicted land subsidence and the measurements demonstrates the high performance of the proposed inverse modeling approach.
Alternative stopping rules for random forest models fitted to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey glycohemoglobin data
Authors: Little Mark P. , Rosenberg Philip S. , Arsham Aryana
Published: March 2022

Random forests are a popular type of machine learning model, which are relatively robust to overfitting, unlike some other machine learning models, but can still adequately capture non-linear relationships between an outcome of interest and multiple independent variables. There are relatively few adjustable feature in the standard random forest models, among them the minimum size of the terminal nodes on each tree. The usual stopping rule, as proposed by Breiman, stops tree expansion by limiting the size of the parent node, so that a node cannot be split if it has less than a specified number of observations. Recently an alternative stopping criterion has been proposed, stopping tree expansion so that all terminal nodes have at least at least minimum number of observations. We propose three generalisations of this, based on the variance, range, or inter-centile range. We apply the new approaches to diabetes data obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The new stopping rules yield roughly equivalent mean square prediction error as the standard ones.
Design and Dynamic Analysis of the Recirculating Planetary Roller Screw Mechanism
Authors: Qiao Guan , Liao Rong , Guo Shijie , Shi Zhenghong , Ma Shangjun
Published: March 2022

The recirculating planetary roller screw mechanism (RPRSM) is a transmission mechanism that engages the screw and nut threaded by multiple grooved rollers. In this paper, firstly, the design method of RPRSM nut threadless area is proposed, and the equations related to the structural parameters of nut threadless area are derived. On this basis, the cross-section design method of roller, screw and nut is constructed according to the actual situation of engagements between the screw/nut and the roller. By adjusting the gap between the two beveled edges and that between the arc and the beveled edge, the accuracy of the thread engagements between the screw/nut and the roller can be improved. Secondly, to ensure the engagements of the screw/nut and the roller, the distance formula from the center surface of the different rollers to the end surface of cam ring is given. Thirdly, combined with the working principle and structural composition of RPRSM, the component model is established according to its relevant structural parameters, and the virtual assembly is completed. Finally, the 3D model is imported into the ADAMS simulation software for multi-rigid body dynamics. The dynamic characteristic is analyzed and the simulated values are compared with the theoretical values. The results show that the contact forces between the screw/nut and the roller are sinusoidal, mainly due to the existence of a small gap between the roller and the carrier. The maximum collision forces between the roller and cam ring are independent from load magnitude. Normally, the collision force between the roller and the carrier increases as the load increases. When RPRSM is in the transmission process, the roller angular speed in nut threadless area begins to appear abruptly, and the position of the maximum change is at the contact between the roller and the convex platform of cam ring. The design of the nut threadless area and the virtual assembly method proposed in this paper can provide a theoretical guidance for RPRSM research, as well as a reference for overall performance optimization.
TMEM16A Inhibits Autophagy and Promotes the Invasion of Hypopharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Through mTOR Pathway
Authors: Yang Xin , Cui Limei , Liu Zhonglu , Li Yumei , Wu Xinxin , Tian Ruxian , Jia Chuanliang , Ren chao , Mou Yakui , Song Xincheng
Published: March 2022

Background
Previous investigations indicated that transmembrane protein 16A (TMEM16A) mediates the pathogenesis and malignant of many tumors through regulating multiple pathways. However, whether TMEM16A could regulate autophagy via mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway to modulate hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HSCC) occurrence and development or not is still unclear.
Methods
The expression of TMEM16A in HSCC and metastatic lymph nodes was detected by immunohistochemistry and western blot. TMEM16A was overexpressed or knocked down in FaDu cell line to evaluate its effects on the biological function by cell colony formation experiment, wound healing assay, trans well assay, and invasion assay. TMEM16A was knocked down or over expression in FaDu cells to test apoptosis and autophagy related protein and autophagosome formation by western blot, transmission electron microscopy and immunofluorescence.
Results
In the present study, we observe that the expression level of TMEM16A in HSCC and metastatic lymph nodes are significantly higher than that in normal tissues. The results of in-vitro experiments showed that silencing TMEM16A significantly inhibited the proliferation, invasion and migration of HSCC cells. Silencing TMEM16A inhibited tumor formation in xenografted mice. Further experiments demonstrated that knocking down TMEM16A in HSCC cells could block the activation of mTOR, and thus promote the initiation of the autophagic death by activating sequestosome-1 (SQSTM1/P62) and protein light chain 3II (LC3II).
Conclusion
Therefore, TMEM16A displays an important effect on autophagy in HSCC, which may provide a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of HSCC.
The extended disordered sequences in ribosome-associated germline-specific NAC proteins are their feature compared to the ubiquitously expressed paralog
Authors: Kogan Galina L. , Mikhaleva Elena A. , Olenkina Oxana M. , Ryazansky Sergei S. , Galzitskaya Oxana V. , Abramov Yuri A. , Leinsoo Toomas A. , Akulenko Natalia V. , Lavrov Sergei A. , Gvozdev Vladimir A.
Published: March 2022

The nascent polypeptide-associated complex (NAC) consisting of α- and β-subunits is an essential conserved ribosome-associated protein in eukaryotes. NAC is considered as a ubiquitously expressed co-translational regulator of nascent protein folding and sorting providing homeostasis of cellular proteins. Here we discovered the germline-specific NACαβ paralogs (gNACs), whose β-subunits, non-distinguishable by ordinary immunodetection, being encoded by five highly homologous gene copies while α-subunit is encoded by the single αNAC gene. Immunostaining detects the gNAC expression in the primordial embryonic and adult gonads. The germline specific α and β subunits differ from the ubiquitously expressed paralogs by the acquisition of extended intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) at the N- and C-ends of coding regions, respectively, which were predicted to be phosphorylated. The presence of distinct phosphorylated isoforms of gNAC-β subunits is confirmed by comparison of their profiles by 2D-isoeletrophocusing resolution before and after phosphatase treatment of testis ribosomes. We propose IDR-dependent molecular crowding and specific coordination of the NAC and other proteostasis regulatory factors in the ribosomes of germinal cells. A possibility of the functional crosstalk’s between the germinal and ubiquitous α- and β- subunits is revealed by assessing their depletion effects on the fly viability and gonad development.
A broadly neutralising monoclonal antibody overcomes the mutational landscape of emerging SARS-CoV2 variant of concerns
Authors: Kumar Rajesh , Parray Hilal , Narayan Naveen , Garg Sonal , Rizvi Zaigham Abbas , Shrivastava Tripti , Kushwaha Sachin , Singh Janmejay , Murugavelu Praveenkumar , Anantharaj Anbalagan , Mehdi Farha , Raj Nisha , Singh Shivam , Dandotiya Jyotsna , Lukose Asha , Jamwal Deepti , Kumar Sandeep , Chiranjivi Adarsh , Dhyani Samridhi , Mishra Nitesh , Jakhar Kamini , Sonar Sudipta , Chowdhury Shirlie , Panchal Anil , Tripathy Manas , Ahmed Shubbir , Samal Sweety , Mani Shailendra , Bhattacharyya Sankar , Das Supratik , Sinha Subrata , Batra Gaurav , Sehgal Devinder , Medigeshi Guruprasad , Sharma Chandresh , Awasthi Amit , Garg Pramod , Nair Deepak
Published: March 2022

The emergence of new variants of SARS-CoV-2 necessitates unremitting efforts to discover novel therapeutic mAbs. Here, we report an extremely potent mAb named P4A2 that can neutralize all the circulating variants of concerns (VOCs) with high efficiency, including the highly transmissible Omicron. The crystal structure of the P4A2 Fab:RBD complex revealed that the residues of the RBD that interact with P4A2 are part of the ACE2-receptor-binding motif and are not mutated in any of the VOCs. The pan coronavirus pseudotyped neutralization assay confirmed that the P4A2 mAb is specific for SARS-CoV-2 and its VOCs. Passive administration of P4A2 to K18-hACE2 transgenic mice conferred protection, both prophylactically and therapeutically, against challenge with VOCs. Overall, our data shows that, the P4A2 mAb has immense therapeutic potential to neutralize the current circulating VOCs and will be highly effective against future variants as well due to its unique mode of binding.
Effects of Near-fault Pulse-type Ground Motions on High-speed Railway Simply Supported Bridge and Pulse Parameter Analysis
Authors: Zhou Tuo , Jiang Lizhong , Xiang Ping , Lai Zhipeng , Zhang Yuntai , Liu Xiang
Published: March 2022

Based on an innovative high-speed railway simply supported bridge (HSRSSB) model, this paper conducts the investigation of potential influence of near-fault pulse-type ground motions on a 49-span HSRSSB. To obtain target conclusion, 85 original records of near-fault pulse-type ground motions are collected and are imposed on the simulation model as excitation, dynamic responses including girder displacement, rail displacement, pier moment, bearing deformation, and residual displacement are gathered as well. Linear regression analysis reveals the relationship between dynamic response results mentioned above and intensity measures (IMs). Moreover, 6 typical ground motions are chosen from the 85 records as prototype for pulse parameter analysis. Through the artificial ground motions synthesis, the effects of parameters consisted with pulse amplitude, pulse period, and pulse number on HSRSSB are investigated and discussed. It is concluded that responses of HSRSSB are sensitive to acceleration-type IMs and have the strongest linear relationship with spectral IMs at fundamental period of structure. For pulse parameter, the HSRSSB dynamic responses show positive correlation relationship with pulse amplitude, but negative correlation with pulse period.
Predicting Outcome Of Mini Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy Using STONE Nephrolithometry Score – A Single Centre Experience
Authors: Sigdel Bidhan , Shrestha Samir , Maskey Pukar
Published: March 2022

Objective: To predict stone free rate and complication rate following mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (m-PCNL) using STONE nephrolithometry score.Methods: This was a prospective observational study conducted in Department of Surgery, Urology Unit, Patan Hospital. All the patients undergoing m-PCNL were included. The cases were conducted in prone position, single tract less than 18 french was made and pneumatic lithotripsy was done. Stone free rates were assessed with plain X-ray kidney, ureter and bladder (X-ray KUB) at first post-operative day or at 15 days follow up. Complication within 30 days were graded using modified Clavien grading.Results: Total of 106 patients were included in the final analysis. The overall stone free rate was 83%. Among the individual variables, only staghorn calculus was associated with residual stone (p = 0.007). Patients who were rendered stone free had statistically significant lower STONE score than those with residual stone (p <0.001). The complication rate was 23%, majority were Clavien grade I complications. Higher STONE score had greater risk of having complications but was not statistically significant (p = 0.11).Conclusion: STONE nephrolithometry score can predict stone complexity pre-operatively and subsequent stone free status and thus helps in pre-operative surgical planning and counseling for possible outcomes following m-PCNL.
Toxoplasma and Toxocara Seroprevalence in children and adolescents with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and Its relation to disease activity and Type of Therapies: Should We Screen Before Treatment?
Authors: Salem Doaa A. , Salem Nanees A. , Ismail Amira , Abdelrazek Eman , ghamdi Jameel Al
Published: March 2022

Background
In children, juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most frequently encountered autoimmune rheumatic disease. A relationship between Toxoplasma gondii and Toxocara spp. infections and a variety of autoimmune diseases has been reported. However, there are no studies on the epidemiology and impact of Toxoplasma and Toxocara infections in juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Aim
To estimate the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) and Toxocara in JIA children and adolescents and assess its relation to the disease activity and type of therapy.
Methods
A case-control study was designed to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of T. gondii and Toxocara infection in 43 JIA patients in comparison to 50 healthy controls using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
Results
There was a significant difference between JIA patients and healthy control subjects as regard anti-T. gondii IgG seroprevalence (P = 0.02) and a non-significant difference in Toxocara seropositivity (P = 0.41). Demographic factors did not affect T. gondii and Toxocara infection prevalence. Seropositive anti-T. gondii IgG cases had a significantly higher disease activity score (JADAS)-27 than seronegative anti-T. gondii IgG cases (p = 0.05); with no significant differences regarding anti-Toxocara IgG (p > 0.05). The highest T. gondii infection seropositivity rate was detected in patients with extended oligoarthritis (4 cases in seropositive vs. two among seronegative, p = 0.34). There was a significant association between immunosuppressive including biological therapies, and T. gondii IgG seropositivity (p < 0.05).
Conclusions
The findings of this study support a link between T. gondii infection and JIA, disease activity score, and biologic Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) therapies. As a result, a recommendation for screening tests for T. gondii infection among JIA patients is crucial prior to and during commencing biological therapies and closely monitoring early signs of infection.
Sigmoidal-shaped Colour Discrimination Functions of the Humming Bird Hawkmoth (Macroglosum Stellatarum)
Authors: Garcia Jair E. , Dyer Adrian G.
Published: March 2022

The hummingbird hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum) is a diurnal, visually oriented insect that has become an important animal model for comparative studies. Hawkmoths use colour information to find and identify profitable flowers, and they are major pollinators in various regions of the world. Recent research on other flower visiting animals including bees, hoverflies and birds shows that their respective colour choices for target-distractor stimuli of varying similarity can be reliably modelled using sigmoidal-type continuous functions, as postulated by von Helversen 50 years ago. We formally test if colour choices by M. stellatarum can also be reliably explained by these sigmoidal functions that are important for modelling plant-pollinator interactions in other animals. We fit multiple formulations of sigmoidal functions selecting those which best fit the observed data. We show that colour vision in hawkmoths varies across various regions of colour space. Our results are consistent with theories that colour choices are principally mediated by higher level neural processes in the animal brain, since it is at this level physiological signal modulation varies with stimulus modulation in a probabilistic fashion. These functions thus enable important insights into how to model how animals interact with colour stimuli like flowers in complex environments.
A Case Study of a Small Ovarian Teratoma: Histological and Molecular Characteristics
Authors: Teshima Shinichi , Sakurai Urara , Kishi Hirohisa , Itoh Junko , Yanai Hiroyuki , Yano Ryo , Onuma Kazuya , Noguchi Masayuki
Published: March 2022

Background: Ovarian teratomas are ovarian tumors composed of three germ layers. They are rarely detected early, and the early stages have neither been reported often nor well characterized.Case presentation: We describe a teratoma measuring 2 × 0.8 mm, one of 1254 consecutive ovarian teratomas diagnosed at three institutions. This is the smallest ovarian teratoma reported in the available literature in English. The teratoma bud contained primitive glandular structures, mesoderm-like cells, cord- and sinus-like structures, and surface cells that were flat-to-cuboidal. To characterize this small teratoma, RNA sequencing was performed; 60 RNAs involved in embryonic morphogenesis were detected. The genes SHH, SOX2, and SOX9, which are involved in maturation and differentiation of the early embryo, were expressed in the tumor and evaluated with RNA in situ hybridization. We found distinct expression patterns corresponding to the histological components of the teratoma bud that were identified in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections.Conclusions: The results of the histological and molecular analyses indicated that ovarian teratomas contain rudimentary organ-like features in the early stage of development, and as the tumor grows, these components differentiate into well-developed somatic tissues through the co-expression of RNAs involved in embryonic morphogenesis.
Successful Surgical Treatment of Congenital Tracheal Stenosis Combined with Tracheal Bronchus and Left Pulmonary Artery Sling : A 10-Year Single-Institution Experience
Authors: Harumatsu Toshio , Shimojima Naoki , Tomita Hirofumi , Shimotakahara Akihiro , Komori Koji , Ieiri Satoshi , Hirobe Seiichi
Published: March 2022

Purpose: Radical surgery for congenital tracheal stenosis (CTS) is technically demanding. CTS combined with tracheal bronchus (TB) and pulmonary artery (PA) sling is a particularly challenging condition. We herein report our successfully modified surgical techniques for CTS combined with TB and PA sling. Methods: Nine patients treated at our institution from July 2010 to December 2020 for CTS with TB and PA sling were enrolled. The patients’ characteristics, operative results, and clinical outcomes were reviewed and analyzed retrospectively. Results: The mean age at the operation and body weight were 8.0±4.4 months old and 6.5±0.8 kg, respectively. The mean tracheal diameter and length of stenotic lesion were 3.2±1.0 mm (mean stenosis rate: 46.2%) and 25.4±4.9 mm, respectively. All cases were complicated with PA sling at bifurcation stenosis with tracheobronchomalacia. All patients underwent modified posterior-anterior slide tracheoplasty with an inverted Y-shaped incision at the bifurcation and repositioning of the PA. The mean postoperative intubation period was 25.0±32.1 days. There were no major intraoperative or postoperative complications, including hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. The mean hospital stay was 92.2±73.4 days. All patients were discharged home without tracheostomy or oxygen support.Conclusion: Our slide tracheoplasty technique for CTS with TB and PA sling achieved excellent outcomes.
The Anatomy of the Obturator Nerve and Its Branches in a South African Cadaver Population
Authors: Tshabalala¹ Zithulele N. , Human-Baron René , Walt Soné , Louw Elizabeth M. , Schoor Albert-Neels
Published: March 2022

Purpose: Several surgical and clinical procedures are performed in the area of the medial compartment of the thigh. This places the obturator nerve and its branches in potential danger of injury. This study aimed to provide a clear description of the anatomy and course of the obturator nerve and its branches to assist surgeons and clinicians in the safe performance of various pelvic procedures. Methods: One hundred and one (101) formalin-fixed were dissected. Dissections were performed just lateral to the lumbar vertebra to describe the origin of the obturator nerve. The course of the nerve, with its relations, was observed and recorded until it terminated in the medial thigh. The location of the obturator nerve within the obturator foramen was quantified by measuring the distance from three bony landmarks of the obturator foramen to the nerve. Findings: Variations were observed in the root origins of the obturator nerve, its course in the abdomen, bifurcation patterns and the innervation patterns of its terminal branches. Conclusion: The results of this study may be used in the pre-operative preparation of surgeons that are to perform surgery in the area of the obturator foramen. The study serves to assist in expanding the knowledge on the anatomy of the obturator nerve and its branches in a South African context. These results should be verified in a clinical setting.
The sustainable two-echelon location-routing problem considering combined open and closed routes under uncertainty
Authors: Khalilzadeh Mohammad , Hajghani Masoud , Forghani Mohammad Ali , Heidari Ali , Kebriyaii Omid
Published: March 2022

Location-routing is an extremely important problem in supply chain management. In the location-routing problem, decisions are made about the location of facilities such as distribution centers as well as the set of vehicle routes. Today, organizations seek to reduce the transportation cost by outsourcing which leads to a specific type of transportation problems called open routing. On the other hand, the growing concerns of environmental impacts have led to paying more attention to environmental issues and reducing the environmental impacts of logistics activities. To this end, in this paper, both open and closed routes are simultaneously addressed by developing a multi-objective mixed integer linear programming model that included three economic, environmental, and social responsibility aspects. The three objective functions of the proposed model encompass the minimization of total costs and greenhouse gas emissions, and the maximization of employment rate and economic development. Also, in this study, a different type of routing is considered in each echelon. A small-sized problem instance is solved using the Augmented Epsilon Constraint (AEC) method with the CPLEX Optimizer Solver for the validation of the proposed model. Due to the NP-Hardness of the problem, two efficient metaheuristic algorithms of Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II) and Multi-Objective Stochastic Fractal Search (MOSFS) are exploited to solve the medium and large size problems. The performance of the algorithms is compared in terms of time, MID, diversity, spacing, SNS, and RAS indexes. The results show that the MOSFS algorithm outperforms the NSGA-II based on several indexes.
TPPP3 Promote Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition via Snail1 in Glioblastoma
Authors: Xu Xu , Xiao Zumu , Long Niya , Hou Yunan , Yan Zhangwei , Xu Yuan , Lv Ying , Xiang Xin , Yang Hua , Qi Xiaolan , Chu Liangzhao
Published: March 2022

Glioma is a common primary malignant brain tumor. Accurate molecular typing is very important for glioma diagnosis, treatment, risk factors identification and prognosis judgment. With the advancement and innovation of molecular biology technology, scientists have discovered that cell movement in organisms is closely related to the regulation of cytoskeletal proteins and microtubule dynamics. We investigated the role and application value of TPPP3, a member of the tubulin polymerization family, in gliomas. The expression of TPPP3 in glioma was higher than that in normal brain tissue (NBT), and increased with the grade of glioma. Inhibition of TPPP3 expression in glioma could reduce the proliferation, migration and invasion of glioma cells. TPPP3 affected the process of EMT by regulating the expression of Snail 1 protein. In clinical data analysis, we found a positive correlation between TPPP3 and Snail 1 protein expression levels in gliomas. Inhibition of TPPP3 expression leads to better survival expectations in glioma patients. The content of this study paves the way for further in-depth exploration of the role of TPPP3 in glioma in the future, and provides new treatment and research directions.
CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Knockdown Of BRCA1/2 Restores Response To Olaparib In Pancreatic Cancer Cell Lines
Authors: Witz Andréa , Dardare Julie , Francois Aurélie , Husson Marie , Rouyer Marie , Demange Jessica , Gilson Pauline , Merlin Jean-Louis , Harlé Alexandre
Published: March 2022

Background: Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive diseases with a very poor outcome. Olaparib, a PARP inhibitor, as maintenance therapy showed benefits in patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma bearing germline BRCA1/2 mutations and that did not undergo progression during at least 16 weeks of a prior platinum-based chemotherapy regimen. However, germline BRCA mutation has been described in only 4 to 7% of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Methods: A CRISPR/Cas9-mediated system was used to knock-in the c.763G>T (p.Glu255*) and c.2133C>A (p.Cys711*) mutations in cell lines to obtain truncated BRCA1 and BRCA2 proteins, respectively. A CRISPR/Cas9 ribonucleoprotein (RNP) was assembled for each mutation and transfected into two PDAC cell lines (T3M4 and Capan-2) and into a breast cancer cell lines (MCF7) as control. Expected mutations were detected using ddPCR assay. Results: Allelic frequencies of 85% for MCF7, 65% for T3M4 and 20% for Capan-2 were found for both BRCA mutations, proving the transfection efficiency of our CRISPR/Cas9 systems. Calculated olaparib IC50 were significantly reduced for all cell lines harbored BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations compared to wild-type BRCA1/2 cells (P < 0.01). Furthermore, we find that olaparib induces more apoptosis after 72h treatment in BRCA knockdown cells than in wild-type cells. Conclusions: The different CRISPR/Cas9 systems allow the in vitro induction of deleterious BRCA1/2 mutations by knock-in in different pancreatic cancer cell lines and increase their sensitivity to olaparib. This strategy might offer a new insight for the management of patients with pancreatic cancer and open new perspective based on the use of CRISPR/Cas9 strategy in vivo.
COVID-19 Vaccination in the Gaza Strip: a Cross-sectional Study of Vaccine Coverage, Hesitancy, and Associated Risk Factors Among Community Members and Healthcare Workers
Authors: Majer Jennifer , Elhissi Jehad H. , Mousa Nabil , Kostandova Natalya
Published: March 2022

Background: The Gaza Strip, like other settings of complex humanitarian emergencies, faces immense challenges in vaccinating its population against COVID-19. This study was conducted in October 2021 and aimed to estimate coverage of COVID-19 vaccination, levels of vaccine hesitancy, and associations with risk factors among the adult population and healthcare workers (HCWs). Methods: The study used a mixed methods design comprised of a cross-sectional survey of adults, purposive survey of HCWs, and qualitative discussions with key informants and community members. Quantitative data was summarized as univariable descriptive statistics with unweighted and weighted point estimates. Logistic regression was used to evaluate associations of risk factors with vaccination status and vaccine hesitancy.Results: A total of 1,075 individuals were reached in the survey, of whom 906 were community members. Population-weighted vaccine coverage was estimated to be 49.08% (95% CI: 43.10-55.08). 89.35% of HCWs were vaccinated. Population-weighted vaccine hesitancy was estimated to be 34.08% (95% CI: 28.14-40.56) among both vaccinated and unvaccinated respondents, and 67.24% (95% CI: 49.04-81.41) among the unvaccinated. In logistic regression vaccination was independently associated with male sex (aOR 1.88, 95% CI: 1.20-2.95), older age (40 or more years old) (aOR: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.73-2.13), higher education (aOR 2.19, 95% CI: 1.51-3.17), and confidence in the safety of the vaccine (aOR 13.8, 95% CI: 10.1-18.8). Risk factors for hesitancy were similar, however hesitant individuals were more likely to obtain vaccine information from family members (aOR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.00-1.67) and less likely to trust healthcare providers (aOR: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.49-0.68). Qualitative interviews corroborated the survey results, although skepticism expressed by HCWs interviewed raises the possibility of hidden hesitancy.Conclusions: The continued emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants reinforces the importance of achieving high levels of vaccination coverage globally – a uniquely challenging objective in Gaza. This study estimated half of Gaza’s adult population received at least one dose of any COVID-19 vaccine by October 2021, and the majority of unvaccinated individuals were hesitant. Disparities in vaccination across the territory’s demographic groups underscores the need for targeted outreach to these populations and messaging through community-based channels to permeate social networks of the unvaccinated.
Diversity of Endophytic Fungal Community in Huperzia Serrata from Different Ecological Areas and Their Correlation with Hup A Content
Authors: Pang Bo , Yin Dengpan , Zhai Yufeng , Qiu LinLin , Liu Qiao , Ma Nan , Shen Hongjun , Jia Qiaojun , Liang Zongsuo , Wang Dekai
Published: March 2022

Hup A has attracted considerable attention as an effective therapeutic candidate drug used for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. However, till now, very few comprehensive studies are available on the biological diversity and structural composition of endophytic fungi and the effects of endophytic fungi on the Hup A accumulation in H. serrata. In this research, the composition and diversity of fungal communities were deciphered comparative sequence analysis of the ITS2 region of the fungal rRNA genes based on high-throughput sequencing technology. The correlation between endophytic fungal community and Hup A content was investigated as well. Results revealed that the richness as well as diversity of endophytic fungi was various according to different tissues and different ecological areas. The endophytic fungal communities of H. serrata exhibit specie-specific, ecological-specific and tissue-specific characteristic. This study will provide realistic basis and theoretical significance for understanding the biological diversity and structural composition of endophytic fungal communities in H. serrata, as well as providing novel insights into the interaction between endophytic fungi and Hup A content.
Energy Optimization Of Two-Level Quantum Otto Machines
Authors: Singh Satnam , Abah Obinna
Published: March 2022

We present the quantum Otto machine under different optimization criterion when function either as a heat engine or a refrigerator. We examine the optimal performance of the heat engine and refrigerator depending on their efficiency, output power and maximum entropy production. For heat engine case, we obtain the expression for the upper and lower bounds efficiencies at maximum power and maximum ecological function. The optimal ecological performance is laying between the maximum efficiency and the maximum power output. On the other hand, the quantum Otto refrigerator coefficient of performance is optimized for three different criterion – cooling power, χ criterion(product of performance and power) and ecological function. We further study the dimen-sionless power loss to the cold reservoir when the machine is operating as a heat engine as well as its counterpart for the refrigerator case. We find that the maximum operation of the heat engine (refrigerator) cycle is when optimized with respect to hot (cold) reservoir frequency.
Robustness Of Radiomics To Variations In Segmentation Methods In Multimodal Brain MRI
Authors: Poirot Maarten Gijsbert , Caan Matthan , Ruhe Henricus Gerardus , Bjørnerud Atle , Groote Inge , Reneman Liesbeth , Marquering Henk
Published: March 2022

Background: Radiomics in neuroimaging uses fully automatic segmentation to delineate the anatomical areas for which radiomic features are computed. However, differences among these segmentation methods affect radiomic features to an unknown extent.Method: A scan-rescan dataset (n=46) of T1-weighted and diffusion tensor images was used. Subjects were split into a sleep-deprivation and a control group. Scans were segmented using four segmentation methods from which radiomic features were computed. First, we measured segmentation agreement using the Dice-coefficient. Second, robustness and reproducibility of radiomic features were measured using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Last, difference in predictive power was assessed using the Friedman-test on performance in a radiomics-based sleep deprivation classification application.Results: Segmentation agreement was generally high (interquartile range=0.77-0.90) and median feature robustness to segmentation method variation was higher (ICC>0.7) than scan-rescan reproducibility (ICC 0.3-0.8). However, classification performance differed significantly among segmentation methods (p<0.001) ranging from 77% to 84%. Accuracy was higher for more recent deep learning-based segmentation methods.Conclusion: Despite high agreement among segmentation methods, subtle differences significantly affected radiomic features and their predictive power. Consequently, the effect of differences in segmentation methods should be taken into account when designing and evaluating radiomics-based research methods.
Implementation Rate and Effects of Multidisciplinary Team Meetings on Decision Making about Radiotherapy : An Observational Study at a Single Japanese Institution
Authors: Ichikawa Mayumi , Uematsu Ken , Yano Natsuko , Yamada Masayoshi , Ono Takashi , Kawashiro Shohei , Akamatsu Hiroko , Hagiwara Yasuhito , Sato Hiraku , Nemoto Kenji
Published: March 2022

Background: Cancer treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach. Therefore, multidisciplinary team meetings (MDTMs) have been widely used to determine the direction of treatment. However, no standard provisions exist for conducting MDTMs, and recommendations discussed in MDTMs are sometimes not implemented. ​This study analyzed the indications for radiotherapy discussed and recommended at MDTMs, identified the rate of radiotherapy recommendations for patients that were not implemented, and clarified the reasons at a single academic center in Japan.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that analyzed the minutes and electronic medical records of cases discussed at MDTMs held between April 2012-March 2017 at Yamagata University Hospital. We categorized how radiotherapy was initially presented at MDTMs, determined the rate of radiotherapy recommendations made through MDTMs, analyzed whether treatment recommendations were subsequently implemented, and examined the causes of non-implementation. We performed a statistical analysis to assess some clinical factors (sex, age, number of multidisciplinary team meetings, and classification of planned treatment) associated with the non-implementation of radiotherapy recommendations from MDTMs.Results: A total of 1,813 cases were discussed at MDTMs, of which 71% (1,293 cases) were presented with treatment plans, including radiotherapy. Further, 66% (1,205 cases) were recommended for radiotherapy through the MDTMs. Recommendations from MDTMs were not implemented in 7% (142 cases). The most typical reason for non-implementation was the clinician’s opinion (30%), followed by patient preferences (27%) and disease progression (20%). Change in cancer stage and improvement in symptoms were 12% and 4%, respectively. These ratios were similar each year. We could not find the factors associated with the non-implementation of radiotherapy recommendations from MDTMs.Conclusions: MDTMs had a significant effect on the recommendation of radiotherapy for each patient with a tumor. The primary reason for the non-implementation of decisions made at MDTMs was the opinion of clinicians and the patient’s preference. These results were similar to previous studies. We need to establish a monitoring system where patients themselves can decide the treatments based on their choices while using the recommendations from MDTMs.