bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy and Safety of Acupuncture and or Moxibustion for Managing Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Liu Weiting , Wang Carol Chunfeng , Lee Khui Hung , Ma Xiaopeng , Kang Timothy Leen
Published: May 2022

Acupuncture and moxibustion have been accepted as add-on options for primary dysmenorrhea (PD); however, the clinical evidence is still inadequate. We searched AMED, CENTRAL, EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, CBM, CNKI, VIP, Wangfang database, ANZCTR, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the WHO ICTRP, from their inception to February 2021. The pooled analysis of 13 RCTs with 675 participants for VAS showed that acupuncture and moxibustion were more effective in managing PD than the control group with the MD of −1.93 (95% CI [−2.80, −1.06] and −2.67 (95% CI [−4.96, −0.38]). With the CMSS, seven studies with 487 participants showed that these modalities were more effective than the control group with the MD of −7.58 (95% CI [−10.97, −4.19]) and −3.78 (95% CI [−6.90, −0.66]). The findings indicated that acupuncture and moxibustion could relieve pain effectively and has fewer adverse events (AEs) in managing PD.
Validation of a Risk Assessment Tool for Unplanned Endotracheal Extubation: An Observational Study
Authors: Zhang Ping , Liu Li-Ping
Published: May 2022

The purpose of this study was to validate and determine the sensitivity and specificity of the risk assessment tool for unplanned endotracheal extubation. Unplanned endotracheal extubation is a common adverse event. The rate of unplanned endotracheal extubation is an indicator to measure patient safety and medical quality. This study was conducted in five intensive care units in a tertiary-A hospital. A total of 227 samples encounters were obtained from 147 unique patients. The content validity was 0.91, and the item content validity ranged from 0.80 to 1.00. Cronbach’s α was .58, the interrater reliability was .93. The area under the curve was 0.89 (95% CI [0.84, 0.94], p < 0.01), the sensitivity was 87.80%, and the specificity was 74.20%. This tool presented good reliability and validity and can be used to assess the risk of unplanned endotracheal extubation in patients with artificial airways.
Appendiceal Well-Differentiated Neuroendocrine Tumors: A Single-Center Experience and New Insights into the Effective Use of Immunohistochemistry
Authors: Shibahara Yukiko , Krzyzanowska Monika , Vajpeyi Rajkumar
Published: May 2022

Background. Appendiceal well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor is the most common histological type of appendiceal tumor. The majority of tumors are found incidentally at the tip of the appendix, with few exceptions. Due to its primarily indolent nature, this entity presents unique pathological challenges, particularly in the appropriate use of immunohistochemistry which this study aims to clarify. Patients and methods. Patients diagnosed at University Health Network (Canada) between 2005–2019 were selected and reviewed. Results. We identified 70 patients and sex distribution was female 60%; median age 36.5 years. Among them, 63 patients underwent appendectomy, and seven had initial right hemicolectomy for non-appendix lesions. Mean tumor size was 5.0 mm. Tumor extent was submucosa (15%); muscularis propria (34%); subserosa or mesoappendix (42%); visceral peritoneum (8%). All were clinically non-functional and negative for nodal and distant metastasis. Ninety percent of tumors were WHO Grade 1; 10% were WHO Grade 2. Immunohistochemically, an average of six stains were performed per patient. Nearly all tumors were positive for chromogranin A, synaptophysin, CAM5.2, and CDX2. MIB-1 staining was < 3% in 58/63 tumors. Other immunohistochemical stainings performed were hormonal markers (serotonin, glucagon, pancreatic peptide, peptide YY). Subsequent right hemicolectomy was performed on five patients. All were followed up (median 4 years 8 months), and all were alive without recurrence except for one patient who died of another comorbidity. Conclusion. Tumors that are small, localized, and of low grade can be reasonably exempt from an extensive immunohistochemical panel in the absence of non-typical clinical and morphological features.
Measurement of two-dimensional residual stress in nanocrystalline superelastic NiTi fabricated with pre-strain laser shock peening
Authors: Yan Kai , Wei Pengbo , Chu Kangjie , He Weifeng , Yu Chao , Ren Fuzeng , Sun Qingping
Published: May 2022

The measurement of residual stress is a challenging issue in industrial fields. In this work, focused ion beam (FIB) and digital image correlation (DIC) are combined together to measure the two-dimensional residual stress in nanocrystalline NiTi plates processed with pre-strain laser shock peening (LSP). A four-point bending experiment verifies the accuracy of this measurement method. The pre-strain LSP-treated surfaces are found to have significant compressive residual stress along the pre-strain direction and tensile residual stress along the vertical to pre-strain direction, which verifies pre-strain LSP as an efficient approach to create gradient residual stress layers in nanocrystalline NiTi plates. The FIB-DIC method has also proven to be an attractive tool to measure the two-dimensional residual stress in phase transition nanocrystalline materials.
Ethnocultural Diversity in Homicide Crime Scene Staging
Authors: Dayan Hava
Published: May 2022

Homicide crime scene staging (HCSS) involves purposefully altering the death scene to obstruct the criminal justice process by concealing the true nature of a crime. It is one of the most perplexing and intriguing homicidal behaviors and one of the least systematically studied, particularly in non-Western societies. As the first systematic study of HCSS in a non-Western society, this paper contributes to the ethnocultural understanding of HCSS by analyzing nation-based data regarding 56 HCSS events in Israel (excluding the West Bank and Gaza) during a 40-year period (1980–2019). Descriptive statistics demonstrate HCSS in Israel differs from that reported by studies in Western societies regarding weapon of choice and the death scene scenario offenders tend to stage. Comparative analysis of the two main ethnic groups in Israel, Jewish and Arab, demonstrates ethnic diversity in HCSS frequency, killing motive, victim characteristics, and victim–offender relations.
Place, Memory, and Justice: Critical Perspectives on Sites of Conscience
Authors: Lloyd Justine , Steele Linda
Published: May 2022

In disrupting the singularity of official histories and memorials, some scholars, activists, and members of marginalized populations have approached memory as a concept that accommodates a multiplicity of subjugated experiences, knowledges, and narratives of place and event, and thus gives rise to a set of memory practices that serve as useful tools for anti-oppression and social justice activism. For these reasons, this memory work has a clear spatial dimension and focuses on place. One such movement in this vein, referred to as “Sites of Conscience,” forms the focus of this special issue. This editorial introduction to this special issue of Space and Culture takes Sites of Conscience as a prism through which to consider relations between history, memory, politics, temporality, ethics, and justice within a spatial framework. Given the increasing pressures to simplify and “purify” national narratives and to pathologize multiple forms of difference, we urgently need activist scholarship on the salient relations between place, history, memory, memorialization, and social justice.
When vulnerability got mainstream: Reading the pandemic through disability and illness
Authors: Pieri Mara
Published: May 2022

Since its outbreak, the COVID-19 pandemic has generated discourses and practices that directly refer to the semantic universe usually connected to disability and illness. Words such as ‘pre-existing conditions’, ‘risk groups’, ‘accessibility’, and ‘vulnerability’ have become everyday elements of official and informal communications across the globe. In this article, I explore the contradictions that arise from such uses through the lens of crip studies. In the first part, I observe how the idea of vulnerability became mainstream, moving from being usually attached to disability and illness to being depicted as a universal condition. Such a shift serves the double purpose of reinstating the predominance of able-bodiedness as the preferable normalcy and invisibilising the particular conditions of disabled and chronically ill people in the pandemic. In the second part, I discuss the perverse use of the expressions ‘risk group’ and ‘underlying conditions’ as biopolitical tools to reinforce already existing forms of oppression. The third part comprises a reflection on accessibility and the sudden advent of working-from-home. Finally, I reflect on confinement and interdependence as key concepts to draft a politics of transformation that moves from disability and chronic illness to include all experiences of intersectional oppression. As other markers of oppression, illness and disability can determine the possibilities of survival through the crisis, not only because they are linked to bodily fragility but also because of the systemic violence they are immersed in. The knowledge produced from a place of vulnerability can hence show interesting elements to better understand the challenges of this pandemic through an intersectional perspective.
Inclusion done differently? Representations of inclusion and exclusion in the discourse of alternative organizations
Authors: Bendl Regine , Fleischmann Alexander , Schmidt Angelika
Published: May 2022

This paper brings together two separate fields—inclusion and alternative organizations—to study the relational aspects of inclusion and exclusion both within and beyond organizations. By analyzing reports and websites of organizations committed to the network “Economy for the Common Good,” we empirically explore, first, how these organizations represent their “alternativeness” and how this relates to inclusion and exclusion; and second, we address the question of who is included in these alternative ventures by examining both their inclusionary and exclusionary potential in terms of diversity. Introducing a conceptual framework to distinguish between internal and external perspectives on inclusion and exclusion, our qualitative analysis reveals the simultaneity of two contradictory phenomena: On the one hand, these alternative organizations offer a new inclusionary potential that encompasses both the social and natural environments; on the other, they tend to ignore internal and external inclusion along diversity dimensions. Hence, we conclude that while there exists the potential to link inclusion with alternative organizations, a commitment to an alternative economy does not automatically lead to an engagement with issues of diversity and inclusion.
Case study of hepatitis C virus control in Egypt: impact of access program
Authors: Waked Imam
Published: May 2022

Background

Although Egypt was the country with the highest prevalence of hepatitis C in the world, the availability of sofosbuvir based therapies enabled Egypt to be the first country to eliminate hepatitis C and cure more than 4 million chronically infected patients.

Purpose

This is a small tribute to John Martin.

Methodology and conclusion

Here I present a summary of the HCV problem in Egypt, and how we, through Gilead's Access program under his leadership, were able to eliminate the disease.
Discovery and development of oseltamivir at Gilead Sciences
Authors: Schmitz Uli , Swaminathan Swami
Published: May 2022

John Martin’s untimely death in March 2021 was a huge loss for us personally, Gilead Sciences, the company he built over 30 years and the scientific community concerned with antiviral therapies. We wish to honor John’s legacy by retelling the discovery and history of Tamiflu and his contributions to it. Without his vision, persistence, and keen eye for opportunities, Tamiflu would not exist and Gilead’s path would not have been the same. His strategic thinking around the first oral flu drug is still quite relevant today, when we are still in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. John explained it simply in an interview with the Science History Institute in May 2020: “… most of my colleagues, we travel with Tamiflu when we go internationally, because it works for treatment and prevention, and hopefully, there will be a solution like that, eventually, for the Covid virus in addition to vaccines. Most people will get a flu vaccine every year, but there is still disease, we need a pill for treatment and prevention.”
The curing regimens of HCV: A SWOT analysis
Authors: Cornberg Markus , Manns Michael P
Published: May 2022

The development of direct-acting antivirals (DAA) has revolutionized the treatment of chronic hepatitis C, enabling cure of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in more than 95% of cases. There are essentially no contraindications, so almost any patient can now be successfully treated. The result is the prevention or amelioration of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and extrahepatic manifestations. Consequently, the 2020 Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology was awarded for the discovery of HCV. Due to the high efficacy of therapy, even global HCV elimination is conceivable even without a vaccine. Here, we would like to venture a SWOT analysis of current HCV therapies aimed at HCV elimination.
Verbal fluency in bilingual school-age children: Looking at switching, clustering, and the effect of language experience
Authors: Brandeker Myrto , Thordardottir Elin
Published: May 2022

Aims:

The sparse available evidence on verbal fluency in bilingual children shows them to perform lower than monolinguals on semantic fluency (taken as indicating vocabulary) but on par or better on phonemic fluency (taken as indicating executive functioning). This study takes a more detailed look at verbal fluency skills in bilingual children by examining their search strategies, the extent to which verbal fluency skills are related to bilingual exposure, and how bilinguals perform on verbal fluency across their languages.

Data and Analysis:

First-graders ( n = 43) and third-graders ( n = 45) included monolingual speakers of French and French bilinguals who varied in their overall exposure to French and age of acquisition (AoA) to French. Participants were tested in French or in French and English on vocabulary and semantic and phonemic fluency. Language exposure was measured through detailed parent report. Group analyses, correlations, and regressions were conducted to examine performance and the involvement of language experience and vocabulary.

Findings:

Bilinguals performed lower than monolinguals on semantic fluency, but on par on phonemic fluency. Bilingual performance was not affected significantly by AoA or bilingual exposure. For all participants, performance was predicted by vocabulary size as well as cluster size and switching. However, the groups showed different use of search strategies. In semantic fluency, bilinguals relied more on switching, whereas monolinguals relied on both.

Originality:

The current paper related the measurement of search strategies (cluster size, switching) and the effect of language experience to the examination of verbal fluency in bilingual children.

Implications:

The results suggest that verbal fluency is dependent on vocabulary size, regardless of amounts of language exposure or AoA, and highlights need for more research into the relationship with other language skills, such as phonological awareness and reading ability.
Don’t judge a book by its cover: Exploring low self-reported distress and repressive coping in a pediatric chronic pain population
Authors: Ruskin Danielle A , Dentakos Stella , Craig Stephanie , Campbell Fiona , Isaac Lisa , Stinson Jennifer , Tyrrell Jennifer , Lyon Rachael E , O’Connor Kathleen , Brown Stephen C
Published: May 2022

Repression has been linked to greater illness, somatic symptoms, and poorer physical health, both in adult and pediatric populations. The current study examined psychological and pain profiles of children with chronic pain who may under-report levels of psychological distress at a first interdisciplinary chronic pain assessment. Children and their caregiver completed measures of psychopathology and pain intensity, while clinicians rated their levels of disability. Based on self-report measures, children were classified as “repressors” (low anxiety/high social desirability) or as “true low anxious” (low anxiety/low social desirability). Groups were then compared on psychological and pain characteristics. Compared to children with true low anxiety, repressors reported lower levels of depressive and somatic symptoms but provided higher ratings on pain intensity, pain–unpleasantness, and self-oriented perfectionism. Caregivers of repressors rated their children as having higher levels of adaptability compared to caregivers of children in the true low anxious group. Groups did not differ on clinician-rated level of disability. Children classified as repressors exhibited different profiles than children classified as having true low anxiety on both psychological outcomes and pain characteristics. Repression may be an important factor to consider for those assessing and treating children with chronic pain.
Health promoting schools and COVID-19: preparing for the future
Authors: Sormunen Marjorita , Lattke Lynda , Leksy Karina , Dadaczynski Kevin , Sakellari Evanthia , Velasco Veronica , Borzucka-sitkiewicz Katarzyna , Miranda-velasco María J. , Rabaglietti Emanuela , Rosário Rafaela
Published: May 2022

We face an unprecedented period of history during which COVID-19 is clustered with other global conditions, such as obesity, undernutrition, an infodemic, and climate change. This syndemic (synergy of epidemics) calls for the development of children’s and youth’s health literacy and socioemotional skills, support for behavioural hygiene (e.g. washing hands, wearing masks), and adults’ responsibility and caring. Moreover, it calls for creating conditions for healthy living and learning for all and paying extra attention to inequalities that have increased during the pandemic. Today, more than ever, there is an essential demand for schools to create environments that maintain and promote health for all. Within this commentary, we argue that whole-school approaches, such as the health promoting school, are essential to fight against the pandemic and to prepare schools for future challenges.
Calories, commerce, and culture: The multiple valuations of food in prison
Authors: Ifeonu Collins , Haggerty Kevin D. , Bucerius Sandra M.
Published: May 2022

In the last two decades, a body of critical scholarship has emerged accentuating the social and cultural importance of food in prison. This article employs a tripartite conceptual framework for contemplating and demarcating food's different valuations in prison. We draw from our interviews with over 500 incarcerated individuals to demonstrate how acquiring, trading, and preparing food is inscribed with use, exchange, and sign values. In doing so, we provide illustrative examples of how food informs processes of stratification, distinction, and violence in prison.
Intention to adopt user generated content on virtual travel communities: Exploring the mediating role of attitude
Authors: Zaidi Neha , Khan Mohammed Naved , Ahuja Vandana
Published: May 2022

Online communities have brought major changes in the behaviour of consumers in the travel and tourism industry. Travellers frequently rely on the User General Content (UGC) to make their travel-related decisions. Avid travellers join travel communities and actively look for unbiased information, and share their own experiences. This paper explores the predictors of consumer attitude and intention to follow UGC posted on online travel communities. Further, this study attempts to analyze the influence of Customer Value Creation (CVC) on attitude and traveller’s intention to adopt UGC posted on online travel communities. Data collected from 246 members of online travel communities were analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling. Empirical results show that CVC has a significant direct and positive impact on travel information adoption intention and indirect influence through attitude. This study is among the few on the impact of CVC on attitude towards UGC posted on an online travel community and advances the literature on the subject by explaining the relative impact of CVC on attitude from a different theoretical perspective.
The past as battlefield
Authors: Tomba Massimiliano
Published: May 2022

What is the practice and the role of the historian? What does it mean to dig into marginalized and silenced histories? What does it mean to reactivate the contents of past insurgent moments? And who has the power to do it? These are some of the important questions that my generous interlocutors raise in their comments regarding the methodology, and the historiographical and political approach of my book. Indeed, Insurgent Universality outlines an alternative historiography capable of reactivating the histories of the struggling oppressed by putting their past attempts of liberation at the service of political and social alternatives to the present.

The task of my historiography is to present the past as a battlefield, which begins from the very political assumptions that often operate behind the historian's back, and to provide a new viewpoint from which other political trajectories of modernity can be disclosed.
Adult unmet educational needs: Higher education options amongst adults in rural and small towns in Ghana
Authors: Agyekum Boadi
Published: May 2022

Access to higher education is often limited to adults because of their location. This is particularly challenging for adults who live in rural communities and small towns and can lead to unmet expectations. While policy makers have long recognised the potential impact of lifelong education for adults, the educational needs of adults have received relatively less attention. For adults residing in rural areas who rely, more often than not, on distance education, mostly in the form of blended learning there is usually limited access to public universities. For policy makers to respond effectively to the educational needs of the adult population in the rural areas, the first step is to understand the educational barriers of adults living in such areas, particularly as they are constrained with lack of minimal transportation and information communications technology. This paper reports on qualitative research exploring the educational challenges and needs faced by adults in rural areas of Ghana.
Enhancing the interfacial adhesion between continuous basalt fibers and epoxy resin by depositing silicon dioxide nanonparticles
Authors: Zhou Jianbo , Chen Chaofeng , Zhang Shengchang , Zhong Tianhaoyue , Xu Qibin , Su Zexi , Jiang Mengjin , Liu Pengqing
Published: May 2022

Herein, inorganic silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticles are deposited on the surface of continuous basalt fibers (CBFs) to enhance the interfacial interactions between CBFs and epoxy matrix (EP) and the tensile strength of composites. According to results from scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, the surface morphology of CBFs changes from smooth to rough with the increase of SiO2 deposition content. The rough surface plays a role of chock to make CBFs implant into the EP better, offering strong mechanical engagement effect to the interface between CBFs and EP. Therefore, the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) between CBFs and EP and the tensile strength of composites both increase. However, depositing excessive SiO2 nanoparticles also brings some porous structures on CBFs surface, becoming defects and stress concentration points to weaken the IFSS and the tensile strength of composites. Finally, a comparison between grafting organic aliphatic chains and depositing inorganic rigid nanoparticles about their effects on the surface roughness of modified CBFs and the interfacial interactions between modified fibers and matrix is carried out to clarify the reinforcing mechanisms of interfacial adhesion and the tensile strength of composites.
Participation of Students With Intellectual Disability in Community-Based Work Experiences: A Scoping Review
Authors: Rooney-Kron Magen , Dymond Stacy K.
Published: May 2022

The purpose of this scoping review was to examine the literature about the participation of students with intellectual disability in community-based work experiences (CBWEs). We analyzed 54 original research articles written in English, conducted in the United States, and published between 1975 and 2020 in peer-reviewed journals. We identified study characteristics (e.g., research design, participants, data sources, and CBWEs) and the focus of each study. Studies focused on five areas: descriptions of student participation in CBWEs, correlates of student participation in CBWEs, relations between student participation in CBWEs and post-CBWEs outcomes, descriptions of transition programs that include CBWEs, and descriptions of stakeholders’ perceptions of student participation in CBWEs. Implications for how teachers plan CBWEs and how researchers can address gaps in the literature are discussed.
How Do Peers Benefit From Peer-Mediated Interventions? Examining Impact Within Secondary and Postsecondary Programs
Authors: Travers Hilary E. , Carter Erik W.
Published: May 2022

Peer-mediated interventions (PMIs) are evidence-based practices that improve outcomes for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Determining whether peers also benefit substantively from their involvement in these widely used practices is key to establishing the reciprocity of PMIs. This study examined the breadth and depth of ways that peers perceive they are impacted by their experiences in PMIs and the factors that shape this impact. More than 250 secondary and postsecondary peers completed the Peer-Mediated Impact Survey for Peers ( PMIS:P). Peers reported being impacted in multiple positive ways clustered within seven thematic areas: rewarding impact, advocacy impact, changes in views, future impact, social impact, skill and intrapersonal development, and self-worth impact. Several factors were associated with variations in peer impact, including having supported at least one student with autism, supported at least one student who was nonverbal, prior familiarity with a student, received ongoing support from an educator or other school staff, and more time spent together. We provide recommendations for research and practice aimed at addressing the myriad benefits of involving peers in PMIs.
Bilateral Ulnar Nerve Injury in the Wrist: Comparison of First Webspace Muscle Reconstruction by Opponens Nerve Transfer in the Right Hand Versus Direct Ulnar Nerve Repair in the Left Hand
Authors: Bertelli Jayme A. , Hill Elspeth J. R. , Arami Amir , Seltser Anna
Published: May 2022

We report a case of a bilateral glass injury to the wrist with transection of flexor tendons and the ulnar nerve and artery in a 60-year-old male patient. Two days after his accident, we repaired all divided structures, and on the right hand, we added the transfer of the opponens motor branch to the deep terminal division of the ulnar nerve aimed at first dorsal interosseous and adductor pollicis muscle reinnervation. After surgery, the patient was followed over 24 months. Postoperative dynamometry of the hand, which included grasping, key-pinch, subterminal-key-pinch, pinch-to-zoom, and first dorsal interosseous muscle strength, indicated recovery only in the nerve transfer side.
The Role of Nutrition in COVID-19: Taking a Lesson from the 1918 H1N1 Pandemic
Authors: Kahleova Hana , Barnard Neal D.
Published: May 2022

In looking for solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic, important lessons come from the H1N1 influenza pandemic of 1918–1919. During the H1N1 influenza pandemic, the soldiers had better outcomes than the civilian populations, but the best outcomes were reported by a Seventh-day Adventist seminary, where a plant-based diet was provided. The diet has been described as including grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables. A few clinical trials have also assessed the role of nutrition in COVID-19. One study with almost six hundred thousand participants showed that those with a high consumption of fruits and vegetables had a reduced risk of COVID-19 of any severity by 9% and a reduced risk of severe COVID-19 by 41%. Another study in healthcare workers who were frequently exposed to COVID-19 in their clinical practice has demonstrated that those who reported being on a plant-based diet had a 73% lower risk of moderate-to-severe COVID-19. Based on the lessons from 1918 and the recent nutrition research in COVID-19, it seems plausible that a healthful plant-based diet may be a powerful tool to decrease the risk of severe COVID-19 and should be promoted as one of the public health safety measures.
Combined technique as first approach in mechanical thrombectomy: Efficacy and safety of REACT catheter combined with stent retriever
Authors: Requena Manuel , Piñana Carlos , Olive-Gadea Marta , Hernández David , Boned Sandra , De Dios Marta , Rodrigo Marc , Rivera Eila , Muchada Marián , Cuevas José Luis , Rubiera Marta , García-Tornel Álvaro , Gramegna Laura Ludovica , Molina Carlos , Ribo Marc , Tomasello Alejandro
Published: May 2022

Introduction

Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) with combined treatment including both a stent retriever and distal aspiration catheter may improve recanalization rates in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to large vessel occlusion (LVO). Here, we evaluated the effectiveness and safety of the REACT aspiration catheter used with a stent retriever.

Methods

This prospective study included consecutive adult patients who underwent MT with a combined technique using REACT 68 and/or 71 between June 2020 and July 2021. The primary endpoints were final and first pass mTICI 2b-3 and mTICI 2c-3 recanalization. Analysis was performed after first pass and after each attempt. Secondary safety outcomes included procedural complications, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) at 24 h, in-hospital mortality, and 90-day functional independence (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] 0–2).

Results

A total of 102 patients were included (median age 78; IQR: 73–87; 50.0% female). At baseline, median NIHSS score was 19 (IQR: 11–21), and ASPECTS was 9 (IQR: 8–10). Final mTICI 2b-3 recanalization was achieved in 91 (89.2%) patients and mTICI 2c-3 was achieved in 66 (64.7%). At first pass, mTICI 2b-3 was achieved in 55 (53.9%) patients, and mTICI 2c-3 in 37 (36.3%). The rate of procedural complications was 3.9% (4/102), sICH was 6.8% (7/102), in-hospital mortality was 12.7% (13/102), and 90-day functional independence was 35.6% (36/102).

Conclusion

A combined MT technique using a stent retriever and REACT catheter resulted in a high rate of successful recanalization and first pass recanalization in a sample of consecutive patients with AIS due to LVO in clinical use.
Adipose-derived stem cells in patients with venous ulcers: Systematic review
Authors: Elsharkawi Mohamed , Ghoneim Baker , Westby Daniel , Jones Deirdre , Tawfick Wael , Walsh Stewart R
Published: May 2022

Objectives

Few studies have reported on the safety and durability of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) to support healing in patients with venous leg ulcers (VLU). To establish if there is any evidence to support ADSC use in VLU patients, a systematic review was conducted.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. PubMed and Embase databases were searched for relevant papers. References from retrieved papers were reviewed to identify any extra eligible studies.

Results

After duplicate removal, 950 papers were screened for eligibility of which 932 were excluded based on title and abstract. Four papers were included in the final analysis (one randomised study and three non-randomised studies). 66 patients in total received ADSCs for VLU treatment. The only randomised paper reported 6-month healing rates of 75% with ADSCs compared to 50% in controls. 100% healing was achieved in one study. The remaining 2 studies reported 25% and 58% healing; however, they included patients with relatively large VLUs. Pain scores decreased after ADSCs application where reported. No serious procedure related complications were reported.

Conclusion

ADSCs may enhance ulcer healing in patients with chronic VLU and appears safe based on initial reports. Large, randomised trials are needed to definitively establish the technique’s role in VLU patients.
Outcomes of simultaneous carotid endarterectomy and coronary artery bypass grafting: A single centre experience
Authors: Antuševas Aleksandras , Aladaitis Adomas , Velička Linas , Černevičiūtė Raminta , Gimžauskaitė Agnė , Bernotaitė Emilija , Inčiūra Donatas
Published: May 2022

Objective

Stroke following a coronary artery bypass surgery is a well-known complication often predisposed by carotid artery disease. Perioperative risk of stroke after on-pump cardiac surgery can overall affect 2% of patients. Patients with 80–99% unilateral carotid artery stenosis carry a 4% risk of stroke. Significant carotid artery stenosis is present in 3–10% of patients who are candidates for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Those patients might be considered for either simultaneous or staged carotid endarterectomy and CABG to reduce the risk of stroke and death. The purpose of this study was to evaluate preoperative and intraoperative risk factors for myocardial infarction (MI), stroke and death and assess complications occurring during the early postoperative period after simultaneous CABG/CAE procedure.

Methods

A single centre retrospective analysis of 134 patients from 2015 to 2019 who underwent simultaneous CABG/CEA was performed. At the same period, a total of 2827 CABG were performed, of which 4.7% were simultaneous interventions. We excluded staged CEA/CABG procedures, off-pump CABG and urgent CABG patients. All patients included in the study met the criteria for elective CABG for triple-vessel or left main trunk symptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD) with asymptomatic >70% carotid stenosis or symptomatic ipsilateral >50% carotid stenosis regardless of the degree of contralateral carotid artery stenosis. Patient demographics, comorbidities and operative details were reviewed. The primary endpoint was to assess the intraoperative and 30-day risk of stroke and death after simultaneous CEA/CABG procedure.

Results

Simultaneous CEA/CABG is effective procedure that can be performed in high-risk symptomatic patients with acceptable results. Predictors of postoperative stroke were smoking ( P = 0.011), history of MI ( P = 0.046), history of CABG ( P = 0.013), and history of stroke/TIA ( P = 0.005). Significant risk factors for adverse major postoperative complications after simultaneous CEA/CABG procedure were cardiac arrhythmia (AF or AFL) ( P = 0.045), previous MI ( P < 0.001), and smoking ( P = 0.001).

Conclusions

Synchronous CEA/CABG procedure can be performed with acceptable results in patients having a high risk of stroke, septuagenarians and older.
The monocyte activation test detects potentiated cytokine release resulting from the synergistic effect of endotoxin and non-endotoxin pyrogens
Authors: Solati Shabnam , Zhang Ting , Timman Shahrzad
Published: May 2022

Pyrogens are classified in two groups, endotoxin pyrogens and non-endotoxin pyrogens (NEPs). The presence of either in parenteral pharmaceuticals or medical devices can cause severe harm to subjects, and when occurring in combination, synergistic potentiation effects can occur. As the standard in vitro pyrogen test, the Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) assay can detect LPS only, an endotoxin, but not NEPs. We tested whether the Monocyte Activation Test (MAT) that measures IL-6 induction, is suited for detecting synergistic pyrogen effects. Here we show that MAT reliably detects the NEPs heat-killed Staphylococcus aureus, R848 and lipoteichoic acid, in addition to LPS. When combinations of these pyrogens were tested, a potentiation of IL-6 production was seen beyond an additive effect, apparently reflecting on in-vivo synergisms. The current study therefore demonstrates that MAT not only is a reliable and reproducible assay for the sensitive detection of both endotoxin and non-endotoxin pyrogens, but also for identifying synergistic effects when parenteral drugs are contaminated with multiple pyrogens.
The long-term management of COVID-19 and post COVID-19 syndrome
Authors: Allsopp Gail , Blythe Jenny
Published: May 2022

‘Long COVID’ is a patient-derived term used widely, with varying definitions, to describe ongoing symptoms following a COVID-19 infection. In this article, we outline a definition of long COVID and aspects of clinical management relevant to GPs.
A Controlled Trial of the Effects of Neuromuscular Training on Physical Performance in Male and Female High School Athletes
Authors: Ling Daphne I. , Janosky Joseph , Schneider Brandon , Russomano James , Boyle Caroline , Kinderknecht James , Marx Robert G.
Published: May 2022

Background:

Neuromuscular training (NMT) has demonstrated efficacy as an intervention to decrease the risk of anterior cruciate ligament injuries and improve sports performance. The effect of this training on the mechanisms that contribute to improved physical performance has not been well defined.

Hypothesis:

Athletes in the NMT group will have better mechanisms of fundamental movements and agility tests that may contribute to improved sports performance.

Study Design:

Prospective cohort study

Level of Evidence:

Level 2

Methods:

Eight high school teams (111 athletes, 53% male, mean age 16 years) participated, with half performing NMT. Physical performance was measured using the dorsaVi ViPerform system, a US Food and Drug Administration-cleared wireless sensor system. Agility was assessed using a timed 3-cone test. Independent sample t tests were used to compare differences between the intervention and control groups.

Results:

Matched pre- and postseason data were collected from 74 athletes after excluding athletes with injury and those lost to follow-up. Significant improvements were observed in the NMT group for loading/landing speed ratios during a single-leg hop test (right lower extremity = −0.19 [–0.37, 0.03], P = 0.03 and left lower extremity = −0.27 [–0.50, −0.03], P = 0.03). The control group had lower ground reaction forces compared with the NMT group ( P < 0.02), while significant improvements were found in the NMT group for initial peak acceleration ( P < 0.02) and cadence ( P = 0.01) during a straight-line acceleration/deceleration test. For the 3-cone agility test, the postseason time decreased compared with preseason in the NMT group, whereas the time for the control group increased (–0.37 s vs 0.14 s, P < 0.00).

Conclusion:

The results demonstrate that NMT administered by sports medicine clinicians can significantly improve some physical performance of fundamental movements in high school athletes.

Clinical Relevance:

Coaches should be trained to effectively deliver NMT in order to improve sports performance.
The Utility of Postoperative Bracing on Radiographic and Clinical Outcomes Following Cervical Spine Surgery: A Systematic Review
Authors: Hasan Sazid , Babrowicz Joseph , Waheed Muhammad A. , Piche Joshua David , Patel Rakesh , Aleem Ilyas
Published: May 2022

Study Design:

Systematic Review

Objectives:

To determine the radiographic and clinical utility of postoperative orthoses following cervical spine surgery.

Methods:

We performed a search of the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Medline Ovid, and SCOPUS databases from inception until November 2021. Eligible studies included outcomes of postoperative bracing vs no bracing following cervical spine surgery. The primary outcome of interest was fusion rates after cervical surgery in braced vs unbraced patients. Secondary outcomes included patient reported outcomes and complication rates.

Results:

A total of 3232 titles were initially screened. After inclusion criteria were applied, 7 studies (550 patients) were included, which compared results of braced vs unbraced patients after cervical spine surgery. These studies showed acceptable reliability for inclusion based on the Methodical Index for Non-Randomized studies and Critical Appraisal Skills Programme assessment tools. There were no significant differences in fusion rates or complications between braced vs unbraced patients identified in any study. Patient reported pain and quality of life measures between braced and unbraced groups varied amongst studies, without any clear overall advantages favoring either method.

Conclusions:

This systematic review found that external bracing, though widely used following cervical spine surgery, may not offer any advantages in patient-reported outcomes, as compared to not bracing. In regard to the effect of bracing on fusion rates, no strong consensus can be made as the methods of fusion assessment in the included studies were heterogenous and suboptimal. Future high-quality studies using recommended methods of fusion assessment are needed to adequately address this important question.
Systematic evaluation and optimization of protein extraction parameters in diagnostic FFPE specimens
Authors: Dressler Franz F. , Schoenfeld Jana , Revyakina Olga , Vogele Daniel , Kiefer Selina , Kirfel Jutta , Gemoll Timo , Perner Sven
Published: May 2022

Objectives

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue is the standard material for diagnostic pathology but poses relevant hurdles to accurate protein extraction due to cross-linking and chemical alterations. While numerous extraction protocols and chemicals have been described, systematic comparative analyses are limited. Various parameters were thus investigated in their qualitative and quantitative effects on protein extraction (PE) efficacy. Special emphasis was put on preservation of membrane proteins (MP) as key subgroup of functionally relevant proteins.

Methods

Using the example of urothelial carcinoma, FFPE tissue sections were subjected to various deparaffinization, protein extraction and antigen retrieval protocols and buffers as well as different extraction techniques. Performance was measured by protein concentration and western blot analysis of cellular compartment markers as well as liquid chromatography-coupled mass spectrometry (LC–MS).

Results

Commercially available extraction buffers showed reduced extraction of MPs and came at considerably increased costs. On-slide extraction did not improve PE whereas several other preanalytical steps could be simplified. Systematic variation of temperature and exposure duration demonstrated a quantitatively relevant corridor of optimal antigen retrieval.

Conclusions

Preanalytical protein extraction can be optimized at various levels to improve unbiased protein extraction and to reduce time and costs.
GEMmaker: process massive RNA-seq datasets on heterogeneous computational infrastructure
Authors: Hadish John A. , Biggs Tyler D. , Shealy Benjamin T. , Bender M. Reed , McKnight Coleman B. , Wytko Connor , Smith Melissa C. , Feltus F. Alex , Honaas Loren , Ficklin Stephen P.
Published: May 2022

Background

Quantification of gene expression from RNA-seq data is a prerequisite for transcriptome analysis such as differential gene expression analysis and gene co-expression network construction. Individual RNA-seq experiments are larger and combining multiple experiments from sequence repositories can result in datasets with thousands of samples. Processing hundreds to thousands of RNA-seq data can result in challenges related to data management, access to sufficient computational resources, navigation of high-performance computing (HPC) systems, installation of required software dependencies, and reproducibility. Processing of larger and deeper RNA-seq experiments will become more common as sequencing technology matures.

Results

GEMmaker, is a nf-core compliant, Nextflow workflow, that quantifies gene expression from small to massive RNA-seq datasets. GEMmaker ensures results are highly reproducible through the use of versioned containerized software that can be executed on a single workstation, institutional compute cluster, Kubernetes platform or the cloud. GEMmaker supports popular alignment and quantification tools providing results in raw and normalized formats. GEMmaker is unique in that it can scale to process thousands of local or remote stored samples without exceeding available data storage.

Conclusions

Workflows that quantify gene expression are not new, and many already address issues of portability, reusability, and scale in terms of access to CPUs. GEMmaker provides these benefits and adds the ability to scale despite low data storage infrastructure. This allows users to process hundreds to thousands of RNA-seq samples even when data storage resources are limited. GEMmaker is freely available and fully documented with step-by-step setup and execution instructions.
Expression-based species deconvolution and realignment removes misalignment error in multispecies single-cell data
Authors: Choi Jaeyong , Lee Woochan , Yoon Jung-Ki , Choi Sun Mi , Lee Chang-Hoon , Moon Hyeong-Gon , Cho Sukki , Chung Jin-Haeng , Yang Han-Kwang , Kim Jong-Il
Published: May 2022

Background

Although single-cell RNA sequencing of xenograft samples has been widely used, no comprehensive bioinformatics pipeline is available for human and mouse mixed single-cell analyses. Considering the numerous homologous genes across the human and mouse genomes, misalignment errors should be evaluated, and a new algorithm is required. We assessed the extents and effects of misalignment errors and exonic multi-mapping events when using human and mouse combined reference data and developed a new bioinformatics pipeline with expression-based species deconvolution to minimize errors. We also evaluated false-positive signals presumed to originate from ambient RNA of the other species and address the importance to computationally remove them.

Result

Error when using combined reference account for an average of 0.78% of total reads, but such reads were concentrated to few genes that were greatly affected. Human and mouse mixed single-cell data, analyzed using our pipeline, clustered well with unmixed data and showed higher k-nearest-neighbor batch effect test and Local Inverse Simpson’s Index scores than those derived from Cell Ranger (10 × Genomics). We also applied our pipeline to multispecies multisample single-cell library containing breast cancer xenograft tissue and successfully identified all samples using genomic array and expression. Moreover, diverse cell types in the tumor microenvironment were well captured.

Conclusion

We present our bioinformatics pipeline for mixed human and mouse single-cell data, which can also be applied to pooled libraries to obtain cost-effective single-cell data. We also address misalignment, multi-mapping error, and ambient RNA as a major consideration points when analyzing multispecies single-cell data.