bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Uni-port total thoracoscopic surgery versus median sternotomy for redo tricuspid valve replacement: A retrospective study
Authors: Yan Licheng , Zheng Fuzhen , Chen Haiyu , Bao Jiayin , Weng Guoxing
Published: March 2020

BACKGROUNDː This study compared the perioperative and follow-up period data of patients who underwent redo tricuspid valve replacements performed via thoracoscopic surgery or median sternotomy. The purpose was to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and surgical outcomes of redo tricuspid valve replacement via uni-port thoracoscopic surgery. METHODSː Forty-nine patients with severe tricuspid valve regurgitation after left-side valve replacement underwent redo tricuspid valve replacements in our hospital from April 2012 to September 2019. 26 patients underwent uni-port total thoracoscopy surgery, whereas 23 patients had the surgery performed via median sternotomy. We collected perioperative and 3- to 36-month postoperative data. RESULTSː No deaths occurred in the intraoperative period. Time of cardiopulmonary bypass in the study group was significantly longer than that in the control group (P<0.05), but the operative times in the study and control groups were not significantly different. Thoracic drainage, length of ICU stay, postoperative hospital stay and complication rates in the study group were significantly different from those in the control group (P<0.05). Throughout the follow-up period, uni-port total thoracoscopic TVR is not inferior to traditional surgery with respect to cardiac function and recurrence of tricuspid valve regurgitation. CONCLUSIONSː Uni-port total thoracoscopic tricuspid valve replacement is safe, feasible and effective, and that can be considered as a primary treatment strategy for patients with severe TR after previous left-sided valve procedure.
Long non-coding RNA LINC00662 facilitates bladder cancer progression through modulating miR-195-5p/VEGFA/Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway
Authors: Wang Hengbing , Niu Xiaobing , Jiang Hesong , Zhong Bing , Jiang Xi , Fu Guangbo
Published: March 2020

Background: Bladder cancer (BC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in the urinary system. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plays an important role in BC. Methods: LINC00662 expression was identified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and in situ hybridization (ISH). The effect of LINC00662 on cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion was measured by CCK8 assay, colony formation assay, transwell assay, and western blot. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay, RNA pull-down and RIP assay confirm the interaction between LINC00662 and miR-195-5p/VEGFA. The in vivo effect of LINC00662 on BC was investigated using a mouse tumorigenicity model. Results: LINC00662 was overexpressed in BC tissues and cell lines, and negatively correlated with the survival of BC patients. Overexpression of LINC00662 promoted proliferation, migration and invasion and inhibited apoptosis of BC cells, and LINC00662 knockdown abrogated this effect. Silencing LINC00662 inhibited BC growth in a subcutaneous BC tumor mouse model. LINC00662 acted as an oncogene through regulating miR-195-5p/VEGFA axes. Decreased VEGFA expression caused by LINC00662 knockdown inhibited the phosphorylation of Raf-1, MEK1/2, and ERK1/2, while this regulation effect was abrogated by miR-195-5p inhibitor. Conclusion: LINC00662 regulated the proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of BC cells probably via miR-195-5p-mediated VEGFA/Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway.
Synthesis and Structural characterization of hydroxyapatite nanorods: Antibacterial activity and dermal irritation
Authors: Domínguez G. García , Hernández Aristeo Garrido , Torre S. Díaz de la , Guitrón L. Chávez , Quezada M. Cruz , Hernández E. Vergara
Published: March 2020

Hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles with homogeneous rod morphology were successfully synthesized by the hydrothermal method. The use of cationic and anionic surfactants (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB, and sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS) does not change the morphology, but the length/diameter ratio of HA nanorods did. The structural characterizations revealed well-crystallized samples in the hexagonal phase. The HA samples with a smaller Ca/P ratio presented larger crystalline size. The CTAB- sample present antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus anginosus, Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, and Klebsiella pneumoniae suggesting that the bacteria nature and surface charge of nanoparticles affect the susceptibility.
Estimating hemodynamic risks of tandem stenoses in posterior cerebral circulation: a computational study
Authors: Liu Haipeng , Wang Defeng , Leng Xinyi , Lan Linfang , Ip Vicent Hing Lung , Wong Lawrence Ka Sing , Zheng Dingchang , Chen Fei , Shi Lin , Leung Thomas Wai Hong
Published: March 2020

Background: Tandem stenoses were widely observed in acute stroke cases. High pressure drop and low fractional flow (FF) indicate the risk of ischemia caused by intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis. Low wall shear stress (WSS) and high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) filtration rate indicate the risk of atherosclerotic plaque growth. High WSS is related to the risk of plaque rupture. The hemodynamic parameters (pressure drop, FF, WSS, and LDL filtration rate) could be estimated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. Few studies have investigated the hemodynamics of intracranial tandem stenoses. This study aims to estimate the clinical risks of intracranial tandem stenoses using CFD simulation.Methods: With identical radius and length, 4 cylindrical tube models were developed with different stenoses (severity in area: 75% single, 75%-84% tandem, 75%-84%-89% tandem, and 89% single). The pressure drop and FF of each stenosis were derived from static CFD simulation and compared between models. A transient CFD simulation was performed on a patient-specific intracranial arterial model with three (56.2%, 51.3%, and 89.8%) tandem stenoses using boundary conditions derived from patient-specific measurements. For the three stenoses, pressure drop, FF, WSS, and LDL filtration rate were calculated and compared.Results: Independent from other stenoses, 89% single stenosis caused comparable pressure drops in four tube models (difference less than 10%), larger than those of 75%-84% tandem stenoses. 89% stenosis had the lowest FF (less than 0.85). In the patient-specific model, the 56.2% and 51.3% stenoses had pressure drops less than 2mmHg with FFs higher than 0.98, while the 89.8% stenosis caused a pressure drop more than 10mmHg with FF lower than 0.90, where a high WSS belt extended distally. Compared with low WSS (less than 0.5Pa), high LDL filtration rate appeared in smaller areas on arterial wall, with less temporal fluctuations.Conclusions: 1. Tandem stenoses are independent in pressure drop and FF. Pressure drop increases sharply with the severity of stenosis. 2. Compared with low WSS, high LDL filtration rate is more specific and stable in reflecting the risk of intracranial atherosclerotic plaque growth. 3. The risks of both plaque growth and rupture should be considered in severe stenoses.
Investigation of Human Cardiac Fiber Architecture with Multiple diffusion MRI schemes at Multi-Scales based on Simulation Data
Authors: DU Hongbo , wang Lihui , HUANG Jianping
Published: March 2020

Background Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), diffusion spectrum imaging (DSI) and Q-ball imaging (QBI) are currently three main diffusion MRI (dMRI) schemes available for non-invasive investigation of cardiac fiber architecture. Although DSI and QBI have undoubtedly greater potential to reveal complex cardiac fiber structures than DTI, it however remains unclear to which level and at which scale they provide more gain for investigating cardiac fiber structure.Method This work attends to provide a quantitative description of cardiac fiber architecture derived from different schemes at various scales. Due to the limit of the spatial resolution of clinical MRI scanner and with the absence of the ground-truth, it is difficult to give the accurate description. To deal with this issue, we simulate firstly DTI, DSI and QBI of a cardiac fiber model with the structure a priori known at different scales, and then the estimation accuracy, the diffusion metrics and the helix and transverse angles of cardiac fiber obtained by different schemes at different scales are calculated. Results The results show that although DSI and QBI can distinguish multiple fiber orientations, they are readily to generate false positive and false negative fibers which influence therefore the estimation accuracy. When there are multiple fiber orientations in one voxel, the diffusion anisotropy detected by DTI is higher than DSI and QBI, the range of helix and transverse angle decreases with increasing of the scales, and that detected by DSI is larger than DTI and QBI. Conclusion The results showed that the proposed dMRI simulator provides a valuable tool for simulating realistic DW images of whole human hearts, which can be used as the gold standard to study the fiber structures of the heart.
Effects of Wearing Raised Heel Insoles (RHI) for a Long Term on Physical Functions: Focused on an Adult Male in Their Twenties
Authors: Cha Yu-Jin
Published: March 2020

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the long-term wear of raised heel insoles (RHI) on the changes in overall body functions and mechanical adaption.Methods: This study measured pelvic range of motion (ROM), balance, sensory, ankle joint ROM, lower back pain (LBP), muscle tone, and the muscle stiffness and decrement of male subjects in their 20s. The subjects wore RHI (5cm) for 8 hours per day for 8 weeks (60 days) and measurements were conducted three times (0th, 30th, and 60th days from the experiment start date).Results: Pelvic ROM increased and static balance decreased when the duration of wearing the RHI increased. Moreover, when the duration of wearing the RHI increased, the sensory function of two-point discrimination (2PD) decreased, the state of tension of the medial gastrocnemius (MG) increased, and the dynamic stiffness worsened. Conclusions: This study provides baseline data for presenting guidelines for preventing the musculoskeletal deformity and degeneration of the body by revealing changes in overall physical functions due to the extended wearing of RHI.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced enteropathy as a major risk factor for small bowel bleeding
Authors: Lim Doo-Ho , Jung Kyoungwon , Lee Seung Bum , Park In Kyu , Cha Hee Jeong , Park Jae Ho , Kim Byung Gyu , Jung Seok Won , Du Jeong In , Kim Jae Hyun , Kim Sung Eun , Moon Won , Park Moo In , Park Seun Ja
Published: March 2020

Background: Small bowel (SB) bleeding accounts for 5% of all gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding cases and 80% of obscure GI bleeding cases. Although angioectasia is the common etiology of SB bleeding, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-induced SB lesions are also reported as a major cause in studies from Eastern countries. Herein, we assessed the frequency of occurrence of NSAID-induced SB lesions in Korean patients with obscure GI bleeding.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed medical records of all consecutive patients aged ≥18 years that underwent capsule endoscopy from March 2018 to February 2019 at Ulsan University Hospital and Kosin University Gospel Hospital.Results: Of the 83 subjects (all were Korean; mean age ± standard deviation: 59 ± 18 years; age range: 18–84 years; men: n=52; women: n=31), 55 (66.2%) had stools with clear blood and 28 (33.8%) had normal stools with iron deficiency anemia . The detection rate of SB bleeding and lesions using capsule endoscopy was 72.3% (60 of 83 patients). A significantly higher frequency (40 of 51) of ulcerative/erosive lesions than other causes was observed in patients with inactive bleeding but visible SB lesions. As a result, NSAID-induced enteropathy accounted for 41.7% (25 of 60) of all SB bleeding cases.Conclusions: Contrary to what is reported for patients in Western countries, this study in Korean patients showed an improved diagnostic yield of capsule endoscopy for obscure GI bleeding and that NSAID-induced enteropathy was the most common etiology of SB bleeding. Aggressive small intestine examination is required for patients with unexplained GI bleeding.
The influence of time of elimination communication on the prevalence of infantile daytime urination control - a survey from Mainland China
Authors: Wang JianJian , Wang Yan , Wang Yi He , Wen Yi Bo , Jiang Chun Zi , Wen Jian Guo
Published: March 2020

Background: Child self-administration of urination is one of the most challenging stages of development in early childhood, and it is also an important manifestation of family development in parenting. But a pilot survey shows that urination control has decreased significantly during the past decade in Mainland China.Whether it is related to delay of elimination communication (EC) is unclear.Methods A cross-sectional study in children (aged 3-10 years) was performed by distributing 10 010 anonymous self-administered questionnaires to parents in Mainland China from March to September 2017. T The questionnaires included sociodemographic data,caregivers’ information,and details about the disposable diapers (DD) usage,EC commencement date.Results A total of 8 629 ( 86.22% ) children were qualified to enter the final statistical analysis.The urinary control rates at 2 years old in children with EC starting before 12 months of age was significantly higher than those who start after 12 months of age ( 70.72 %vs 59.02 %,p<0.001),and significantly higher than those no EC ( 70.72 %vs 42.48 %,p<0.001). In addition,there was no significant difference in the rate of urinary control at 2 years old between the subgroups at different EC start times within 12 months. After 12 months, the urinary control rate at 2 years old of different subgroups decreased with the start time of EC, which were: 59.97% and 54.10%. The results of urinary control rates at several other ages (ie, 0.5 years,1 year,and 1.5 years) are similar to those at 2 years of age. There was no difference between groups of different genders. The later the beginning of EC, the lower the urination control was found . EC helps infants move quite easily into traditional toilet training when they are old enough.Conclusions Infants and young children start EC as soon as possible at the age of 3 to 12 months is conducive to the development of daytime urination control. A later onset of EC may be risk factors for urination control.
Is Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy Indicated in Hepatobiliary Malignancies?
Authors: Leigh Natasha , Solomon Daniel , Pletcher Eric , Labow Daniel M. , Magge Deepa R. , Sarpel Umut , Golas Benjamin J.
Published: March 2020

Background Hepatopancreaticobiliary malignancies with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) exhibit poor survival with current therapies; HCC 11 months with sorafenib, pancreaticobiliary 9-14 months with systemic chemotherapy. Methods We retrospectively reviewed our institutional hepatopancreaticobiliary malignancies with PC which underwent CRS/HIPEC from 2007-2017 and analyzed perioperative and oncologic outcomes. Results 17 patients were included; 9 HCC, 8 pancreaticobiliary (4 cholangiocarcinoma, 3 gallbladder, 1 pancreatic). PCI (12 vs. 9), completeness of cytoreduction (78% vs. 75%) and 30-day morbidity (11% vs. 13%) were equivalent. HCC received less neoadjuvant therapy (11% vs. 75%, p=0.008), though adjuvant therapy rates were similar (78% vs. 100%, p=0.156). At a median follow-up of 15 months, PFS was similar (7 vs. 10 months p=0.957). However, OS was longer in HCC (42 vs. 15 months p=0.206) with 59% 3-year OS (vs. 0% pancreaticobiliary). Conclusions CRS/HIPEC may offer a survival benefit in select HCC patients with PC, though has dubious utility in PB malignancies.
Coexistence of lung squamous cell carcinoma and pulmonary tuberculosis within a single lesion: a case report
Authors: Xiao Guoliang , Chen Shengjie
Published: March 2020

Background: Tuberculosis and lung cancer are common high-mortality lung diseases, but it is rare that lung cancer and tuberculosis exist in the same lesion. In addition, lung cancer with pulmonary tuberculosis is similar in morphology to lung cancer without tuberculosis. For these reasons, lung cancer patients with tuberculosis are often misdiagnosed and mistreated, so these patients have a poorer prognosis than lung cancer patients without tuberculosis. Therefore, a full understanding of such cases can help early diagnosis, so that appropriate treatments can be performed timely. Case presentations: A 52-year-old male. The physical examination revealed a cavity-like nodule in the upper left lung and the first diagnosis was tuberculosis. There was no significant change in lung nodules after anti-tuberculosis treatment. So the patient was admitted to the hospital for surgical treatment of lung cancer. Postoperative pathological showed that the lesion was lung squamous cell carcinoma with tuberculosis.Conclusion: the survival rate of patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer is lower than those with lung cancer or tuberculosis alone. Which is mainly due to incomplete diagnosis. if we find hollow shadows in the lungs on CT, we should think about the possibility of coexistence of lung cancer and tuberculosis, and then the appropriate treatment and management strategies should be developed.
INTRABEAM intraoperative radiotherapy combined with portal vein infusion chemotherapy for treating hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombus
Authors: Song Xiaodong , He Yong , Liang Huihong , Han Menling , Shao Zili
Published: March 2020

Background: Portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) is common in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recent studies indicate that more aggressive treatments, including surgical resection or locoregional treatment, may benefit select HCC patients with PVTT. External radiation therapy and infusion chemotherapy were found to achieve good outcomes; however, the use of low-energy x-ray radiation system (INTRABEAM), intraoperative radiation therapy, and portal vein infusion chemotherapy for PVTT has not been reported. Case Summary: We present a case of HCC with PVTT. The patient underwent hemihepatectomy and thrombectomy along with intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) using a portable INTRABEAM radiation system. Subsequently, to treat PVTT, portal vein infusion chemotherapy with of FOLFOX (leucovorin [Folinic acid], fluorouracil, and oxaliplatin) regimen was administered. There were no obvious post-operative complications. After 14 months follow-up period, no obvious tumor recurrence had been observed, and PVTT gradually disappeared completely. Conclusions: IORT using the INTRABEAM radiation system combined with portal vein infusion chemotherapy is promising for select patients with PVTT.
Knockdown of Son, a mouse homologue of the ZTTK syndrome gene, causes neuronal migration defects and dendritic spine dysgenesis
Authors: Ueda Masashi , Matsuki Tohru , Fukada Masahide , Eda Shima , Toya Akie , Iio Akio , Tabata Hidenori , Nakayama Atsuo
Published: March 2020

Zhu-Tokita-Takenouchi-Kim (ZTTK) syndrome, a rare congenital anomaly syndrome characterized by intellectual disability, brain malformation, facial dysmorphism, musculoskeletal abnormalities, and some visceral malformations is caused by de novo heterozygous mutations of the SON gene. The nuclear protein SON is involved in gene transcription and RNA splicing; however, the roles of SON in neural development remain undetermined. We investigated the effects of Son knockdown on neural development in mice and found that Son knockdown in neural progenitors resulted in defective migration during corticogenesis and reduced spine density on mature cortical neurons. The induction of human wild-type SON expression rescued these neural abnormalities, confirming that the abnormalities were caused by SON insufficiency. We also applied truncated SON proteins encoded by disease-associated mutant SON genes for rescue experiments and found that a truncated SON protein encoded by the most prevalent SON mutant found in ZTTK syndrome rescued the neural abnormalities while another much shorter mutant SON protein did not. These data indicate that SON insufficiency causes neuronal migration defects and dendritic spine dysgenesis, which seem neuropathological bases of the neural symptoms of ZTTK syndrome. In addition, the results strongly suggest that the neural abnormalities in ZTTK syndrome are caused by SON haploinsufficiency independent of the types of mutation that results in functional or dysfunctional proteins.
Seafloor observatory capable of automatically adjusting attitude and maintaining the fixed position for observation
Authors: Tian Wen-Jie , Deng Lu-Ke , Qi Zhan-feng , Zhai Jing-Sheng , Shen Zi-Qian , Yang Guang
Published: March 2020

Seafloor observatory are becoming more and more important in multidisciplinary observations of the seabed, but real-time, long-term and fixed locations observation are still difficult to achieve. This paper describes a new technology that divides the seafloor observatory into three modules: mobile docker, scientific instrument cabin and in-situ gravity station and uses buoys or photoelectric composite cables to meet the above three requirements. After design and manufacture, the workflow of the seafloor observatory was simulated through a pool test. The handling performance of the mobile docker, the reliability of the docking between the three modules and the performance of the in-situ gravity station to adjust its attitude were proved. It has been preliminarily proved that this seafloor observatory has application value.
Direct and indirect costs of cluster headache: a prospective analysis in a tertiary level headache centre
Authors: Negro Andrea , Sciattella Paolo , Spuntarelli Valerio , Martelletti Paolo , Mennini Francesco Saverio
Published: March 2020

Background: Cluster headache (CH) is the most frequent trigemino-autonomic cephalgia. CH can manifest as episodic (ECH) or chronic cluster headache (CCH) causing significant burden of disease and requiring attack therapy and prophylactic treatment. The few data available on the economic burden of CH come from retrospective studies based on questionnaires, population surveys and medical insurance claims database. Although all these studies showed an important economic burden, they provided different estimates depending on variability of CH awareness and management, healthcare systems, available therapies and use of treatments according to different guidelines.Methods: This prospective study aimed to quantify the total direct and indirect cost of ECH and CCH over a cluster period, both for the patient and for the National Health System (NHS), using data from subjects who consecutively attended an Italian tertiary headache centre between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018.Results: A total 109 patients (89 ECH, 19 CCH) were included. Mean attack frequency was 2.3±1.4 per day. Mean total cost of a CH bout was €4,398 per patient and total cost of CCH was 5.4 times higher than ECH (€13,350 vs. €2,487, p < 0.001). Direct costs represented the 72.1% of total cost and were covered for the 94.8% by the NHS. The costs for any item of expense were higher for CCH than for ECH (p < 0.001). Mean indirect costs for a CH bout were €1,226 per patient and were higher for CCH compared to ECH (€3.538 vs. €732), but the difference was not significant. Days with reduced productive capacity impacted for the 64.6% of the total indirect costs. The analysis of the impact CH on work showed that 27%% of patients felt that CH had limited their career, 40% had changed their work pattern, 20% had changed their place of employment and 10% had lost a job due to the disease.Conclusion: Our results provide a valuable estimate of the direct and indirect costs of ECH and CCH in the specific setting of a tertiary headache centre and confirm the high economic impact of CH on both the NHS and patients.
β2-AR Activation promotes cleavage and nuclear translocation of Her2 and metastatic potential of cancer cells
Authors: Liu Dan , Xu Xiyue , Liu Shuci , Zhao Xuan , Tang Anqun , Zha Li , Ma Wen , Zheng Junnian , Shi Ming
Published: March 2020

Background The prolonged hypersecretion of catecholamine induced by chronic stress may correlate with various steps of malignant progression of cancer and β2-AR overexpressed in certain cancer cells may translate the signals from neuroendocrine system to malignant signals by interacting with oncoproteins such as Her2. Crosstalk of the cell signaling pathways mediated by β2-AR and Her2 may promote a stronger or more sustained biological response. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying cross-communication between β2-AR and Her2 mediated signaling pathways are not fully understood. Methods In this study, the effects of adrenergic signaling on Her2 cleavage were evaluated by various assays, such as western blot, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. In order to reveal the mechanism about Her2 cleavage triggered by β2-AR activation, the molecular and pharmacological means were employed. By using in vitro and in vivo assay, the influences of the crosstalk between β2-AR and Her2 on the bio-behaviors of tumor cells were demonstrated. Results Our data demonstrate that catecholamine stimulation activates the expression and proteolytic activity of ADAM10 by modulating the expression of miR-199a-5p and SIRT1 and also confirm that catecholamine induction triggers the activities of γ-secretase, leading to shedding of Her2 ECD by ADAM10 and subsequent intramembranous cleavage of Her2 ICD by presenilin-dependent γ-secretase, nuclear translocation of Her2 ICD and enhanced transcription of tumor metastasis-associated gene COX-2 . Chronic stimulation of catecholamine strongly promotes the invasive activities of cancer cells in vitro and spontaneous tumor lung metastasis in mice. Furthermore, the nuclear localization of Her2 was significantly correlated with overexpression of β2-AR in human breast cancer tissues. Conclusion This study illustrates that adrenergic signaling activation triggers Her2 cleavage, resulting in enhanced invasive and metastasis activities of cancer cells. Our data also reveal that an unknown mechanism by which the regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP) initiated by β2-AR activation controls a novel Her2-mediated signaling transduction under physiological and pathological conditions.
Influence of publication year, add-on design, and geographical region on the progression of Alzheimer’s disease: a modeling analysis of literature aggregate data
Authors: zhang ningyuan , Zheng Xijun , Liu Hongxia , Zheng Qingshan , Li Lujin
Published: March 2020

Background Our objective was to develop a disease progression model for cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and to determine whether disease progression of AD is related to the year of publication, add-on trial design, and geographical regions. Methods Placebo-controlled randomized AD clinical trials were systemically searched in public databases. Longitudinal placebo response (mean change from baseline in the cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale [ADAS-cog]) and the corresponding demographic information were extracted to establish a disease progression model. Covariate screening and subgroup analyses were performed to identify potential factors affecting the disease progression rate. Results A total of 142 publications (148 trials) were included in this model-based meta-analysis. The typical disease progression rate was 5.82 points per year. The baseline ADAS-cog score was included in the final model using an inverse-U type function. Age was found to be negatively correlated with disease progression rate. After correcting the baseline ADAS-cog score and the age effect, no significant difference in disease progression rate was found between trials published before and after 2008, and between trials using add-on design and those that did not use add-on design. However, a significant difference was found among different trial regions. Trials in East Asian countries showed the slowest decline rate and the largest placebo effect. Conclusions Our model successfully quantified AD disease progression by integrating baseline ADAS-cog score and age as important predictors. These factors and geographic location should be considered when optimizing future trial designs and conducting indirect comparisons of clinical outcomes.
Associations between eating behaviors and muscle strength among Chinese adults: A population-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Ding Liang , Zhang Wenbo , Sun Xijun , Wang Yongxiang , Chen Shulei
Published: March 2020

Background: Poor eating behaviors are associated with imbalances in energy and food intake, which may directly or indirectly contribute to muscle strength loss. This study aimed to investigate the association between eating behaviors and muscle strength in Chinese adults. Methods: We designed a cross-sectional study of 2,036 Chinese individuals aged 25–68 years, conducted in 2017. Eating behaviors, including breakfast consumption, snacking after dinner, and eating rate, were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. Muscle strength was determined by grip strength and assessed using a digital grip dynamometer. Results: After final adjustments for confounding factors, grip strength was measured as 35.2 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 34.6–35.8), 36.0 (95%CI: 35.6–36.4), and 36.9 (95%CI: 36.6–37.2) for those who skipped, occasionally ate, and regularly ate breakfast, respectively (p for trend < 0.001). Those who always, sometimes, and seldom snacked after dinner, respectively (p for trend <0.001), reported the following grip strength: 34.6 (95%CI: 33.9–35.2), 36.2 (95%CI: 35.8–36.6), and 36.8 (95%CI: 36.5–37.2). Significant associations were not found between eating rate and grip strength. Conclusions: Present study showed that higher frequency of breakfast consumption and lower frequency of snacking after dinner were associated with better muscle strength in Chinese adults. Therefore, eating behaviors may be involved in muscle function.
Personal values in adolescence and their associations with metabolic biomarkers in adulthood: a population-based study in Japan
Authors: Sasaki Natsu , Watanabe Kazuhiro , Kawakami Norito
Published: March 2020

Background: Personal values, which are formed in early life, can have an impact on the health outcome later in life. Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between personal values in adolescence and bio-indicators related to metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adulthood.Participant and Methods: The longitudinal data was used from the Japanese Study on Stratification, Health, Income, and Neighborhood (J-SHINE) in 2012 and 2017. Personal values in adolescence were retrospectively obtained in 2017 from a self-reporting questionnaire, composed of value priorities and commitment to the values. Venous samples were collected in 2012 for low and high-density lipoprotein (LDL, HDL) cholesterol and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP) were also measured. The associations of each variable were examined by partial correlation analysis. In addition, multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to examine overall associations between personal values and the sum of standardized scores (Z-score) of the biomarkers as a proxy of MetS. Furthermore, cluster analysis was conducted to identify groups of the participants who have some specific values and to examine their associations with the Z-score. Results: The total population (n=668) included 261 men and 407 women. Among men, the personal value priority of “Having influence on society” was associated with high HDL cholesterol (partial r=0.13, p=0.032) and “Cherishing familiar people” with low waist circumference (r=-0.129, p=0.049), low SBP, and high DBP (r=-0.135, p=0.039; r=0.134, p=0.041). In women, “Not bothering others” was associated with high SBP and low DBP (r=0.125, p=0.015; r=-0.123, p=0.017). "Economically succeeding" were associated with worse outcome (β=0.162, p=0.042). In the cluster analysis, both in men and women, the cluster which had highest openness to change value; “Having and keeping a belief”, “Exploring what you were interested in” and “Actively challenging” with the highest commitment showed worst proxy outcomes although there were no significant differences.Conclusions: Although some significant associations were found between personal values in adolescence and MetS-related markers in adulthood, overall associations were not strong. Culturally prevailing values were likely to be associated with a good outcome of metabolic health.
Validation of the parent version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to screen child and adolescent mental health problems in Mongolia
Authors: Aoki Ai , Ganchimeg Togoobaatar , Naranbaatar Nyam , Khishigsuren Zuunnast , Gundegmaa Lkagvasuren , Bat-Erdene Shagdar , Munkhbaatar Bolorchimeg , Mori Rintaro , Kikuchi Akihito , Soya Hideaki , Kasai Kiyoto , Takehara Kenji
Published: March 2020

BackgroundChild and adolescent mental health problems are urgent health issues in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). To promote mental health services for child and adolescent mental problems, simple validated screening tools are helpful. In Mongolia, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), an internationally used child and adolescent mental health screening tool for children aged 4 to 17, was translated but not yet validated. To use the questionnaire for surveillance, research, and clinical purpose, validation is necessary.MethodsA community sample and a clinical sample were used. The discriminating ability of the parental version of the SDQ was examined using Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analysis on the SDQ total difficulties score. The area under the ROC curve was used as a measure. Cut-off score was determined by normative banding that categorizes children with the highest 10% score range as abnormal and the second highest 10% score as borderline following the original method; this cut-off score was compared with the cut-off score candidates with good balance between sensitivity and specificity using ROC analysis.ResultsWe included 2301 children in the community sample, and 429 children in the clinical sample. Mean age was 9.7 years (SD 0.4) among the community sample and 10.4 years (SD 3.8) among the clinical sample. A total of 88.8% of the community sample and 98.8% of the clinical sample answered the SDQ. Using ROC analysis, the area under the curve was 0.82 (95% confident interval 0.80-0.85), which meant moderate discriminating ability. The mean total difficulties score was 12.9 (SD 4.8) among the community sample and 20.4 (SD 6.2) among the clinical sample. Using normative banding, the cut-off score between normal and borderline was 16/17 and between borderline and abnormal was 19/20. Sensitivity was 71.9% and 53.8% and specificity was 78.5% and 90.5% for cut-off scores of 16/17 and 19/20, respectively. The cut-off score candidates by ROC analysis was 16/17 and 17/18.ConclusionsThe parental version of the SDQ had moderate discriminating ability in Mongolia. For the screening of mental health problems among community children, cut-off score of 16/17 is recommended.
Correlates of relationship issues among youth: Findings from a large scale youth mental health promotion program in India
Authors: Banandur Pradeep , Kalpana Gopalan , Pai Shikha G , Arelingaiah Mutharaju , Velu Sathya R , Garady Lavanya , Koujageri Jyoti M , Sajjanar Sateesh L , Ramesh M S , K Srinivas , Gururaj Gopalakrishna
Published: March 2020

Background : Relationships and mental health have a bidirectional effect. The effect of relationships on mental health is stronger than vice versa. We analyzed two-year case records of 8595 beneficiaries aged 15-35 years attending youth guidance centres (Yuva Spandana Kendras) in Karnataka, India to understand factors affecting relationship issues. Methods : Multivariate logistic regression was performed with any beneficiary reporting having a relationship issue as outcome. Results : Occupation, marital status, health and lifestyle issues, personality issues, safety issues, gender, sex, & sexuality issues, suicidality, alcohol, and different emotions experienced,had significant association with relationship issues. Investing in health promotion interventions focusing on these precursors of relationship issues amongst youth seems strategic. Conclusion : Our findings have implications for other states in India and other low-middle-income countries like India.
Development and validation of the isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification assays for rapid detection of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae
Authors: Wang Jinfeng , Li Ruiwen , Sun Xiaoxia , Liu Libing , Hao Xuepiao , Wang Jianchang , Yuan Wanzhe
Published: March 2020

Background

Mycoplasmal pneumonia is an important infectious disease that threatens sheep and goat production worldwide, and Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae is one of major etiological agent causing mycoplasmal pneumonia. It is an urgent need to develop a rapid and accurate method to detect M. ovipneumoniae . Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) is an isothermal nucleic acid amplification technique, and RPA-based diagnostic assays have been described for the detection of different types of pathogens.

Results

The RPA assays using real-time fluorescence detection (real-time RPA) and lateral flow strip detection (LFS RPA) were developed to detect M. ovipneumoniae targeting a conserved region of the 16SrRNA gene. Real-time RPA was performed in a portable florescence scanner at 39 °C for 20 min. LFS RPA was performed in a portable metal bath incubator at 39 °C for 15 min, and the amplicons were visualized with the naked eyes within 5 min on the lateral flow strip. Both assays were highly specific for M. ovipneumoniae , as there were no cross-reactions with other pathogens tested, especially the M. capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae . The limit of detection of LFS RPA assay was 1.0×10 1 copies per reaction using a recombinant plasmid containing target gene as template, which is 10 times higher than the limit of detection of the real-time RPA and real-time PCR assays. The RPA assays were further validated on 46 clinical sheep nasal swab and fresh lung samples, and M. ovipneumoniae DNA was detected in 17 samples in the RPA assays and 19 samples in the real-time PCR assay. The real-time RPA and LFS RPA showed diagnostic specificity of 100%, diagnostic sensitivity of 89.47%, and a kappa coefficient of 0.909.

Conclusions

The developed real-time RPA and LFS RPA assays provide the attractive and promising tools for rapid, convenient and reliable detection of M. ovipneumoniae , especially in resource-limited settings.
Integrated miRNA-mRNA expression profiles revealing key molecules in ovarian cancer based on bioinformatics analysis
Authors: Li Chao , Zhu Xiaodan , Zhang Linghua , Ou Miaoling , Hong Zhantong
Published: March 2020

Background: Ovarian cancer was one of the leading causes of death in gynecological malignancies, of which molecular mechanism hadn’t been elucidated clearly yet. Our research aimed to reveal the potential key molecular and biological processes of ovarian cancer by means of bioinformatics.Methods: The microarray sets of miRNA and mRNA expression profiles were downloaded from the GEO database. The target prediction was performed on the differentially expressed miRNAs identified and the overlapped differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained combined with miRNA and mRNA datasets. The regulatory network of miRNA-gene was further constructed by cytoscape software. The overlapped DEGs in the network were analyzed to explore the biological processes involved by enrichment analysis. The molecular protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was used to identify key genes among the DEGs.Results: A total of 167 overlapped DEGs were identified. The miRNA-gene network analysis found that miR-29c-3p, miR-1271-5p, and miR-133b, existed the most extensive targeting relationship with overlapped DEGs, being three key miRNAs of the regulatory network, and played the role of tumor suppressor. The GO enrichment showed that the overlapped DEGs were mainly involved in process named extracellular related organization, embryonic organ development, postsynaptic specialization, collagen trimer and DNA−binding transcription activator et al. The KEGG pathway analysis showed that these DEGs were involved in protein digestion and absorption and relaxin signaling pathway. The PPI network identified 10 key genes, playing the role in promoting tumor.Conclusion: The methodology used and identification of key molecules in our study contributed to understanding the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer and providing new candidate biomarkers for early screening of ovarian cancer.
Clinical characteristics of 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia and risk factors for severe cases: a meta-analysis involving 5,729 patients
Authors: Zhang Zhongheng , Chen Lin , Ni Hongying , Yao Min , Erika Casarotta , Abele Donati , Andrea Carsetti , Guo Yizhan , Wang Qing
Published: March 2020

Objective: 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) has become a global health emergency. However, the clinical presentations are not well characterized. The study aimed to describe clinical characteristics of 2019-nCov pneumonia with meta-analytic approach, and to identify risk factors for developing severe cases.Methods: The electronic databases of PubMed, Google Scholar and MedRxiv were searched from December 2019 to February 2020. Records were included if they reported clinical characteristics of 2019-nCov pneumonia. Studies using crowd sourcing data for mathematical modeling but not reporting clinical data were excluded. The study was reported according to the PRISMA guideline. Data were extracted by independent reviewers. Proportions and mean values were pooled across component studies by using the meta-analytic approach. Data were pooled with fixed or random-effects model as appropriate. Clinical characteristics such as age, gender, symptoms, treatment and mortality outcome were pooled across studies if appropriate. Risk factors for development of severe cases were reported.Results: A total of 13 studies involving 5,729 patients were included for quantitative analysis. The mean age of the study population was 50 years (95% CI: 47 to 53). The most common initial symptoms were cough (68.0%; 95% CI: 65.6 to 70.4%), followed by fever (56.5%; 95% CI: 53.9 to 58.9%), fatigue (42.5%; 95% CI: 39.9 to 45.1%) and anorexia (31.7%; 95% CI: 26.5 to 38.4%). The severe cases accounts for 22.5% of the whole population (95% CI: 21.4 to 23.6%). The overall mortality rate was 1.8% (95% CI: 1.5 to 2.2%), which was consistent with the real time epidemic tracking data. There was substantial heterogeneity across included studies (O = 0.84; p < 0.001). A number of comorbidities and symptoms such as hypertension, COPD, dyspnea, elevated C-reactive protein and procalcitonin were found to be associated with increased risk of developing severe cases.Conclusions: Our study described clinical characteristics of the 2019-nCov pneumonia in a systematic way. Multiple risk factors were identified for severe cases.
Comparative Analysis of Clinical Characteristics in Children and Adults with 2019 Novel Coronavirus Infection: A Descriptive Study
Authors: Han Ya-nan , Feng Zhan-wei , Sun Li-na , Ren Xiao-xia , Wang Hua , Xue Yong-ming , Wang Yi , Fang Ying
Published: March 2020

Background: Since December 2019, acute respiratory disease (ARD) caused by 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) rapidly spread throughout China. Children and adults seemed to differ in the clinical course of the disease. The purpose of the current study is to comparatively analyze the clinical characteristics of children and adult patients with 2019-nCoV infection and to explore the possible causes for the discrepant aspects.Methods: In this retrospective study, the medical records of 32 cases confirmed with 2019-nCoV ARD from Xi'an eighth hospital (Shaanxi, China) from January 31 to February 16, 2020 were reviewed.Results: In all 32 patients contained 7 children and 25 adults. All children were family cluster. For adult patients, local residents of Wuhan, recently travelled to Wuhan, patient contacted with people from Wuhan were 14 (56%), 10 (40%), 1 (4%), respectively. The median incubation period of children and adult was 5 days (range, 3 to 12) and 4 days (range, 2 to 12), respectively. Altogether 10 (40%) adult patients had underlying conditions significantly, but no children had. Fever (Children 71.4% vs. Adult 96%) and cough (Children 71.4% vs. Adult 76%) were the most common symptoms in both groups. The third symptom observed in children was diarrhea and/or vomiting (57.1%), for adult it was myalgia or fatigue (52%). On admission, 5 (71.4%) children patients showed pneumonia roughly the same as adult patients (20, 80%), and that the two group shared a multitude of common imaging characteristics. 20% of adult with leucopoenia, but leukocytosis was significantly more frequently in children (28.6%, P=0.014). More children had elevated creatine kinase isoenzyme (57.1% vs. 4%, P=0.004). All patients were discharged after symptomatic treatment, including oxygen therapy, antiviral treatment, antibiotic treatment. Only one infant was intravenously injected low-dose glucocorticoids.Conclusions: Our results multi-dimensionally demonstrate that children with 2019-nCoV infection present a clinical picture which is often distinct from that of adults. Knowledge of these differences will be helpful for the clinical diagnosis of 2019 novel coronavirus diseases (COVID-19) and for a future discussion on age specific infection case definitions.
Use of a proximity extension proteomics assay to discover novel biomarkers associated with circulating leptin levels in two populations with type 2 diabetics
Authors: Vavruch Camilla , Nowak Christoph , Feldreich Tobias , Östgren Carl Johan , Sundström Johan , Söderberg Stefan , Lind Lars , Nyström Fredrik , Ärnlöv Johan
Published: March 2020

Background We used a multiplex proteomics assay with the aim to discover novel associations between leptin and 88 circulating proteins in order to provide additional insights into the role of leptin in the development of CVD in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Material and methods In a discovery phase, we investigated associations between 88 plasma proteins, assessed with a proximity extension assay, and plasma leptin in a cohort of middle-aged patients with T2DM (CARDIPP, n=661). Associations that passed the significance threshold of a False discovery rate of 5% (corresponding to p <0.0017) were replicated in diabetes patients in an independent cohort (PIVUS, n=116). We also investigated if proteins mediated the longitudinal association between plasma leptin and the incidence of major cardiovascular events (MACE). Results Two proteins were significantly associated with leptin in the discovery phase, adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP) (regression coefficient .118, 95% CI (.064, .173) p =0.000024) and adrenomedullin ( p =0.000002) but only A-FABP was significantly associated with leptin in the replication cohort (regression coefficient .0254, 95% CI (.119, .39) p =0.0003). Multiplicative interaction analyses in the two cohorts suggest a stronger association between A-FABP and leptin in men than in women. In longitudinal analyses, the association between leptin and MACE was slightly attenuated after adding A-FABP to the multivariate model. Conclusions Our analysis identified a consistent association between leptin and A-FABP in two independent cohorts of patients with T2DM, particularly in men. Our data encourage future large-scale proteomics analyses for additional insights into leptin biology.