bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Melatonin protects against tenofovir-induced nephrotoxicity in rats by targeting multiple cellular pathways
Authors: Ramamoorthy Hemalatha , Abraham Premila , Isaac Bina
Published: November 2020

Nephrotoxicity is a dose-limiting side effect of long-term use of tenofovir, a reverse transcriptase inhibitor that is used for the treatment of HIV infection and chronic hepatitis B infection. Identifying an agent that prevents tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)-induced renal injury can lead to its better tolerance, and a more effective treatment can be achieved. The present study is aimed at investigating whether melatonin, a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, protects against TDF nephrotoxicity in rats and to determine its cellular targets. Rats were divided into groups and treated as follows. Group I (control): Rats in this group (n = 6) received sterile water only by gavage for 35 days. Group II: Rats (n = 6) in this group received 600 mg/kg body weight TDF in sterile water by gavage for 35 days. Group III: Rats (n = 6) in this group received once daily 20 mg/kg bodyweight melatonin i.p. 2 h before the administration of 600 mg/kg body weight TDF in sterile water by gavage for 35 days. Group IV: Rats were pretreated daily with 20 mg/kg body weight melatonin i.p. 2 h before the administration of sterile water by gavage. All the rats were sacrificed on the 36th day, after overnight fast. Melatonin pretreatment protected the rats against TDF nephrotoxicity both histologically and biochemically. Biochemically, melatonin pretreatment attenuated TDF-induced, oxidative stress, nitrosative stress, mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis, PARP overactivation and preserved proximal tubular function (p < 0.01). This suggests that melatonin may be useful in ameliorating TDF nephrotoxicity.
Barriers to Addressing the Spiritual and Religious Needs of Patients and Families in the Intensive Care Unit: A Qualitative Study of Critical Care Physicians
Authors: Alch Christian K. , Wright Christina L. , Collier Kristin M. , Choi Philip J.
Published: November 2020

Objectives:

Though critical care physicians feel responsible to address spiritual and religious needs with patients and families, and feel comfortable in doing so, they rarely address these needs in practice. We seek to explore this discrepancy through a qualitative interview process among physicians in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Methods:

A qualitative research design was constructed using semi-structured interviews among 11 volunteer critical care physicians at a single institution in the Midwest. The physicians discussed barriers to addressing spiritual and religious needs in the ICU. A code book of themes was created and developed through a regular and iterative process involving 4 investigators. Data saturation was reached as no new themes emerged.

Results:

Physicians reported feeling uncomfortable in addressing the spiritual needs of patients with different religious views. Physicians reported time limitations, and prioritized biomedical needs over spiritual needs. Many physicians delegate these conversations to more experienced spiritual care providers. Physicians cited uncertainty into how to access spiritual care services when they were desired. Additionally, physicians reported a lack of reminders to meet these needs, mentioning frequently the ICU bundle as one example.

Conclusions:

Barriers were identified among critical care physicians as to why spiritual and religious needs are rarely addressed. This may help inform institutions on how to better meet these needs in practice.
How to successfully introduce concurrent engineering into new product development?
Authors: Rihar Lidija , Žužek Tena , Kušar Janez
Published: November 2020

Today, three conditions are crucial for a company to be competitive on the market: quality, reduced time and low costs for the development of new products. The paper shows how companies developing new products (NPD) for the market can successfully implement concurrent engineering as an improvement of project management, in order to reduce product development time and costs and to ensure the quality expected by customers. The methodology presented in this paper is based on three main pillars of knowledge: project management, teamwork and concurrent engineering. The methodology provides a step-by-step guideline for the introduction of concurrent engineering in a company. This paper also presents the results of 10 Slovenian companies where this methodology has been tested on 20 pilot projects. The results show that managed projects upgraded with the principles of concurrent engineering lead to cost reduction, shorter development time and fewer discrepancies.
Post-surgical left oculomotor nerve neuromyotonia: Cause or coincidence?
Authors: Ballez Cédric , Deleu Laurent , Bostan Alionka , Cordonnier Monique
Published: November 2020

Ocular neuromyotonia (ONM) is characterized by episodes of binocular diplopia usually triggered by an eye movement requiring contraction of the affected extraocular muscle. It consists of an involuntary, sometimes painful contraction of one or more extraocular muscles. It is most often secondary to radiotherapy of the para-sellar region, although other aetiologies have been reported. Some cases do not have a clearly identified aetiology and are classified as idiopathic. Most cases of ONMs are unilateral but bilateral ONMs have also been described.1–4 We report a case of left ONM in a 55-year-old female patient, several weeks after simultaneous surgical resection of two meningiomas, situated on the right side (Simpson II). The particularity of this case is linked to its puzzling presentation, its similarity with spasm of the near reflex and the putative mechanism through which surgery might have precipitated the symptoms.
Unilateral papilledema in idiopathic intracranial hypertension: A rare entity
Authors: Banerjee Mousumi , Aalok Swati Phuljhele , Vibha Deepti
Published: November 2020

Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH), also known as pseudotumor cerebri is a clinical syndrome of unknown etiology, which typically affects young, obese women of childbearing age and is characterized by increased intracranial pressure and bilateral papilledema. Unilateral and highly asymmetrical papilledema is a rare presentation in IIH occurring in less than 4% of patients with definite IIH and can poses a diagnostic challenge for the treating physician as it usually raises the suspicion of localized ocular pathology. As per current consensus, papilledema results in stasis of axoplasmic transport due to mechanical compression, leading to secondary vascular changes of venous dilation and hemorrhage. Given this mechanism, the underlying reasons for unilateral and asymmetrical papilledema remain unclear.
Acetabular impaction grafting with mesh for acetabular bone defects: a systematic review
Authors: Malahias Michael-Alexander , Mancino Fabio , Gu Alex , Adriani Marco , De Martino Ivan , Boettner Friedrich , Sculco Peter K
Published: November 2020

Introduction:

In conjunction with impaction bone grafting (IBG), metal meshes have been proposed to minimise defects of the medial and superolateral walls in order to convert combined complex uncontained segmental defects into contained cavitary defects to facilitate IBG.

Methods:

The US National Library of Medicine (PubMed/MEDLINE), EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were queried for publications from January 1980 to March 2019 utilising keywords pertinent to total hip arthroplasty (THA), acetabular impaction bone grafting, clinical or functional outcomes, revision THA, or postoperative complications.

Results:

7 articles were found to be suitable for inclusion in the present study. The mean modified Coleman methodology score for methodological deficiencies of the studies was 45.3 (range 38–59). Severe acetabular bone loss was present in 56% of cases having moderate bone loss in 18%, and mild in 26%. The all-cause reoperation rate was 7.4%, while the all-cause revision rate of the acetabular component was 6.2%.

Conclusions:

IBG with mesh is effective for selected patients with acetabular bone defects. Most patients with moderate bone loss as well as selected patients with large superolateral defects can be successfully treated with IBG combined with mesh. There is limited data to show that IBG with mesh might be associated with decreased survival rates in patients with severe lateral defects (Paprosky IIIA) combined with ischial or medial wall osteolysis who require combined medial and lateral meshes. In addition, patients with severe superomedial migration of the cup (Paprosky IIIB) should not be treated with IBG and mesh.
The effect of time to surgery in neck of femur fracture patients with ASA Grade of 3 and above
Authors: Khan Hiba , Khoriati Al-Achraf , Lazic Stefan , Navein Jack , Sharma Ritesh , Ellahee Najab
Published: November 2020

Introduction:

Hip fractures are an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Early surgery has been shown to reduce mortality rates and surgical complications. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade is a widely used tool to assess preoperative health of patients. This study aims to assess is whether delay in surgical time has a greater impact on the mortality rates for high risk patients.

Method:

Retrospective study using the National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) of 4883 neck of femur fracture patients. Time of surgery, ASA grade, reason for delay and mortality at 120 days was analysed, using statistical analysis software.

Results:

There was a significant increase in mortality ( p < 0.001) with increasing ASA grade. Surgical delays of more than 36 hours increased mortality by 2.9%. The impact of delaying surgery became more pronounced as the ASA grade increased. ASA 3 and above had an optimum time to surgery of between 12 and 24 hours giving the statistically significant lowest mortality rate ( p = 0.004).

Discussion:

Surgical delay beyond the 36-hour target for surgery has a greater impact on mortality for patients with higher ASA grades. The effect is most profound in the high-risk ASA grade 5 patients with delayed patients showing a 37.5% increase in mortality in this group. This would imply that by prioritising this higher risk group and operating on it within a specific time frame there would be a subsequent fall in mortality associated with neck of femur fractures.
Role of Emergency Automated Red Cell Exchange in Sickle Cell Crisis: A Case Report
Authors: Gupta Anubhav , Chaudhary Kiran , Kaushik Rajnish
Published: November 2020

For many years main stay of treatment for sickle cell anaemia was transfusion therapy. But repeated transfusions put the patient at risk of iron overload. Automated red cell exchange is an evolving and newer technique which rapidly removes the sickle cells and has benefit in decreasing sickle cell load and related complications. Red cell exchange is a therapeutic procedure in which the patient’s whole blood is processed centrifugally in cell separator. Patient’s red cells are separated from other blood components and removed and replaced with donor red cells and colloids. We report our first experience of automated red cell exchange in 24-year-old female diagnosed case of sickle cell anaemia presented to us with acute chest syndrome with septic shock. Red cell exchange was planned to tide over the acute sickle cell crisis and provide symptomatic improvement. We also highlight that compound heterozygous thalassaemia could be associated with sickle cell disease which could make the diagnosis difficult. New generation automated Apheresis equipment’s provides better monitoring of the procedure that can be useful in severely ill patients also.
Classifying multiple sclerosis patients on the basis of SDMT performance using machine learning
Authors: Buyukturkoglu Korhan , Zeng Dana , Bharadwaj Srinidhi , Tozlu Ceren , Mormina Enricomaria , Igwe Kay C , Lee Seonjoo , Habeck Christian , Brickman Adam M , Riley Claire S , De Jager Philip L , Sumowski James F , Leavitt Victoria M
Published: November 2020

Objective:

To build a model to predict cognitive status reflecting structural, functional, and white matter integrity changes in early multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods:

Based on Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) performance, 183 early MS patients were assigned “lower” or “higher” performance groups. Three-dimensional (3D)-T2, T1, diffusion weighted, and resting-state magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were acquired in 3T. Using Random Forest, five models were trained to classify patients into two groups based on 1—demographic/clinical, 2—lesion volume/location, 3—local/global tissue volume, 4—local/global diffusion tensor imaging, and 5—whole-brain resting-state-functional-connectivity measures. In a final model, all important features from previous models were concatenated. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) values were calculated to evaluate classifier performance.

Results:

The highest AUC value (0.90) was achieved by concatenating all important features from neuroimaging models. The top 10 contributing variables included volumes of bilateral nucleus accumbens and right thalamus, mean diffusivity of left cingulum-angular bundle, and functional connectivity among hubs of seven large-scale networks.

Conclusion:

These results provide an indication of a non-random brain pattern mostly compromising areas involved in attentional processes specific to patients who perform worse in SDMT. High accuracy of the final model supports this pattern as a potential neuroimaging biomarker of subtle cognitive changes in early MS.
Using self-report and skin conductance measures to evaluate theme park experiences
Authors: Li Shanshi
Published: November 2020

This study examines the impact of the key affective moments of a theme park experience on visitors’ post-trip evaluations measured immediately after their visits. One hundred and twenty-three participants visited a theme park while their real-time skin conductance and self-report data were collected. Results indicate that visitors’ pleasure levels (i.e. average, beginning, peak, and end) consistently correlate with satisfaction, which in turn, positively influences behavioural intention. In particular, visitors’ satisfaction levels are better aligned with the affective intensity at the end moment and the average emotion intensity of a theme park experience. Arousal, however, was not found to be a significant indicator of post-trip evaluation. The study extends literature on key moments and retrospective evaluation by illustrating how visitors rely on affective moments of a theme park experience to construct overall evaluations. The study concludes with practical implications and scope for future research.
Research priorities of the autism community: A systematic review of key stakeholder perspectives
Authors: Roche Laura , Adams Dawn , Clark Megan
Published: November 2020

In recent years, a shift in focus has seen researchers seek to identify the priorities and preferences of key stakeholders to shape the direction of future research for those on the autism spectrum. The process of synthesising the views, knowledge and expertise of key stakeholders with either a lived or shared experience of autism is invaluable and can inform future research to ensure that it is meaningful and has the greatest impact. A number of studies have reported on the research priorities of groups within the autism community, but to date, these studies stand alone and priorities have not been considered collectively. This systematic review identified seven studies that reported on key stakeholders’ priorities for autism research. Studies were synthesised according to (a) the target participant group and method of recruitment, (b) the methodology used to elucidate the viewpoint of stakeholders, (c) the country of stakeholders and (d) commonly identified priorities. Common features across studies note the importance of prioritising initiatives that will result in real-world changes in the lives of the autism community and more research across the lifespan. There is an identified need for more diverse stakeholder voices to influence the identification of priorities for future research foci. Continued inclusion of the autistic and autism communities in priority-setting research is imperative for achieving significant outcomes in autism research and to progress the field in an effective and socio-ethical way.

Lay abstract

It has become very important in autism research to ask the autistic community about what kinds of research they think should be done in order to improve the lives of people with autism. Many studies have reported on research goals from people within the autism community, such as parents of people on the autism spectrum, and practitioners and clinicians who support people on the autism spectrum. So far, the research goals from all of these studies have not been considered together, which is important so that all autism research can be working towards the same goals. We reviewed seven studies that looked at the priorities for autism research from key people within the autism community. Each of the reviewed studies are described according to (a) the types of people involved in the study, (b) the way the research goals from each group of people were identified, (c) the country where they were from and (d) the most common research goals from across all of the studies. Within these seven studies, research that will lead to real-world changes in the daily lives of the autism community and a greater focus on skill training for people with autism across their lives were found to be very important. From this review, we found that it is also very important to include a range of different people from the autism community when deciding what autism research goals should be focused on so that future research can be more helpful for the autism community.
Cultural populism in new populist times
Authors: Moran Marie , Littler Jo
Published: November 2020

This article unpacks the concept of ‘cultural populism’ in multiple ways, and explores its value for the critical analysis of new formations and expressions of populism in the current conjuncture. Taking Jim McGuigan’s influential book, Cultural Populism, as our point of departure, we begin by exploring its earlier use in cultural studies as a critical term for apolitical/celebratory modes of analysis, and then argue it may be usefully extended today to refer to popular and political efforts to construct a ‘people’ in overtly cultural terms. Second, we make the case for renewing an expressly ‘critical populist’ stance, one that is attentive to ordinary tastes and pleasures, while also locating and analysing them in relation to the production of needs and desires within a capitalist political economy, and that is attuned to the political possibilities for change. Third, we argue that the resources of cultural studies should be mobilised to redress some of the deficiencies of dominant accounts of populism from political science, and suggest that the twin concepts of cultural and critical populism offer an advance over the elitist and culturally reductive mode of analysis associated with Inglehart and Norris’ conception of ‘cultural backlash’. We conclude by offering an overview of the other contributions to the special issue, as they seek to push the concept of cultural populism in new directions, while also critically engaging with residual, dominant and emergent popular and populist currents in these new populist times.
Experimental study on low-strength concrete joint core strengthened with steel meshes for connecting PFCC column and RC beam
Authors: Yu Feng , Feng Chaochao , Fang Yuan , Liu Qiqi , Hu Yi , Bu Shuangshuang
Published: November 2020

This paper presented a new joint core strengthened with multi-layer steel meshes for connecting the PVC-FRP Confined Concrete (PFCC) column and Reinforce Concrete (RC) beam. Seven specimens were tested under concentric compression and the effects of several parameters including the height, diameter of specimen and volume ratio of steel mesh on the compressive behaviors were investigated. Test results showed that all the reinforcement yielded successively and eventually the crushing of the concrete dominated the failures of specimens. The ultimate bearing capacity and ultimate equivalent axial strain decreased as the height of specimen increased, while they increased as the diameter of specimen or the volume ratio of steel mesh increased. The ultimate strains of all the reinforcement and concrete increased as the height of specimen increased while they decreased as the diameter of specimen or the volume ratio of steel mesh increased. Considering the influence of height of specimen, a modified formula for conveniently predicting the ultimate bearing capacity of the joint core strengthened with steel meshes was proposed based on the theory of confined concrete and superposition principle of multiple confinement. The predicted results were in good agreement with the experimental data. Additionally, an equivalent stress–strain relationship model of the joint core strengthened with steel meshes was suggested based on the experimental research. The predicted curves agreed well with the measured equivalent stress–strain curves. Moreover, a validated Finite Element (FE) model for the joint core strengthened with steel meshes was developed to conduct parametric studies, which broadened the available experimental results about the mechanical performances of the joint.
‘Surfing’ burglaries with forced entry in Catalonia: Large-scale testing of near repeat victimization theory
Authors: Boqué Pere , Serra Laura , Saez Marc
Published: November 2020

In recent years, various academic studies have proposed crime forecasting models based on the concept of repeat victimization. Some of them have been modelled from the area of differential equations and others from the perspective of spatio-temporal statistics, within the framework of point processes. These models have tended towards a certain sophistication in their formulation, which at times impedes understanding of the predictive mechanism and how it adapts to different realities. Predictive models that function well in one environment or society do not appear to do so in others. In this article, the possibility of crime forecasting for burglaries with forced entry in Catalonia is studied from the perspective of near repeat victimization on a larger territorial scale than is usual. To this effect, the explicative and predictive possibilities of this criminological theory are explored and a predictive system that does not require mathematical or statistical models is proposed. We found that a large part of the series of burglaries with forced entry in residences in Catalonia between 2014 and 2015 follow patterns of near repeat victimization. In addition, the average intensity of burglaries in space–time was high, as was the standard deviation. This system is adaptable to different environments and gives police forces the opportunity to improve preventative strategies and to optimize resources using standard tools. Last, the limitations of this approach are debated and new lines of investigation proposed that could increase its predictive capacity without abandoning the concept of repeat victimization.
Kayfabe, Smartdom and Marking Out: Can Pro-Wrestling Help Us Understand Donald Trump?
Authors: Moon David S
Published: November 2020

Donald Trump has enjoyed a nearly 30-year relationship with World Wrestling Entertainment as a business partner, fan, in-ring performer and 2013 Hall of Fame Inductee. Noting this long running involvement, it has become a widespread contention that Trump’s style as a political campaigner owes a debt to his experiences within the world of professional wrestling. Taking such claims seriously, this article argues that an engagement with concepts developed within professional wrestling studies would benefit political studies by offering new analytical approaches for the study of the political phenomenon that is Donald Trump. Providing a brief introduction to professional wrestling studies, this article outlines how the concepts of kayfabe, smart fandom and marking out help address a key question for political scholars: how to explain a cynical American electorate’s engagement with and emotional investment in the campaign of such an obvious political fraudster.
Properties and mechanism of antistatic biodegradable polylactic acid/multi-walled carbon nanotube composites
Authors: Pan Lisha , Lv Qiaoqiang , Xu Nai
Published: November 2020

In this study, antistatic biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA)/multi-walled carbon nanotube (PLA/MWCNT) composites were prepared by the melt-blending of MWCNT with PLA. The conductive, mechanical, thermal properties and microstructure of the PLA/MWCNT composites were investigated. Results revealed that with the loading of 1.0 to 1.5 wt% of MWCNT, the tensile strength, elongation at break, and crystallinity of the composites slightly increase, followed by a downward trend with the further increase in the loading amount of MWCNT. With the increase in the MWCNT loading amount to 3.0%, the volume resistivity and surface resistivity of the composites were reduced by nine orders of magnitude. According to the internal microstructure of PLA/MWCNT, by the loading of 1.5 wt% of MWCNT, the MWCNT formed a conductive network in the composite matrix, reaching the percolation threshold. The new composties can be applicated in medical protective clothing for protecting the electronic instrument.
Experiences of a multiple intervention trial to increase maternity care access in rural Tanzania: Focus group findings with women, nurses and community health workers
Authors: Webber Gail , Chirangi Bwire , Magatti Nyamusi
Published: November 2020

Objectives:

In order to improve maternal health and women’s access to maternity care services in Rorya District, Mara, Northern Tanzania, we introduced several interventions across the district from 2018 to 2019. The interventions were workshops with nurses to encourage respectful care of women and transportation subsidies for women to reach the health facilities for delivery. In addition, we trained community health workers to educate couples about safe birthing options using m-health applications, to collaborate with nurses to distribute clean birth kits with misoprostol and to hold village meetings to shift community norms. This article reports on the experiences of women, community health workers and nurses during the study.

Methods:

Focus group discussions were conducted with a convenience sample of these groups to understand the successes and challenges of the interventions.

Results:

The workshops with nurses to encourage respectful maternity care and the birth kits with misoprostol were appreciated by all and were an incentive for women to seek health services. While the m-health applications were innovative, the system required significant oversight and a stable network. The village meetings demonstrated some success and should be expanded. Travel subsidies were problematic to implement and only helpful to the minority who received them.

Conclusion:

Multiple intervention strategies are needed to help women access maternity care services in rural locations and should be designed to meet needs within the local context. In Rorya District, access to quality health care was improved through training nurses to provide respectful care and using community health workers to educate the population about safe birthing practices and to provide women with clean birth kits. Despite the current limitations of m-health, there is much potential for development. Finding solutions to women’s need for transport is a particular challenge and will likely require innovative community-based approaches.
The development of a novel Wellness Assessment Instrument and its use in the assessment of wellness status in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Ansari KA , Keaney N , Farooqi F
Published: November 2020

Aims:

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic respiratory disorder that affects health outcomes on multiple levels including overall wellbeing. More specifically, factors such as spiritual wellbeing, and psychological, mental and motivational status which may be at least as important as others, have been rarely studied. This article reports the method of validating a new wellness assessment questionnaire and the status of several wellness domains in patients with COPD.

Methods:

The study consisted of two phases: first, the development of a new Wellness Questionnaire with the help of focus groups; second, the validation and use of the questionnaire in a cohort of patients with COPD. For focus groups, healthy people ⩾45 years of age with no known comorbidity as well as people with a clinical diagnosis of COPD were invited to participate in the study.

Results:

Thematic analysis of findings from focus groups and original cohort respondents highlighted some factors that appear to influence wellness status. Five domains were explored as potential markers of wellness in patients with COPD. Quantitative analysis with Spearman correlation demonstrated a significant correlation between Physical/Personal Wellness and other markers of COPD progression such as Global Initiative Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD; 0.006), force expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1%; 0.01), health-related quality of life (0.009), multidimensional BOD score and quartile (0.003 and 0.02).

Conclusion:

The findings suggest that a combination of personal, physical, emotional, mental and other psychological factors is responsible for negative COPD outcomes. While there is a need to validate this new wellness questionnaire in further research, it incorporates new markers of wellness that could benefit management of COPD.
Incorporation of zinc oxide nanoparticles in cotton textiles for ultraviolet light protection and antibacterial activities
Authors: Belay Abebe , Mekuria Melaku , Adam Getachew
Published: November 2020

The textile materials functionalized with nanostructures have proven to be useful for many applications, such as antimicrobial, ultraviolet (UV) light protection, and self-cleaning substrates. The objective of this research is to synthesize and characterize zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) for the applications of UV absorbers and antibacterial activities. ZnO NPs were synthesized at different temperatures and reaction media of water (S-1) and 1,2-ethanediol (S-2) using precipitation and in situ methods on the surface of cotton fabric. The average crystalline size of the ZnO NPs estimated from the Debye Scherrer formula was found to be 32 and 26 nm for S-1 and S-2, respectively. The morphology of ZnO NPs characterized by scanning electron microscope revealed that agglomerated nanostructures were homogeneously formed on the fabric surface for S-1 and S-2; on the other hand, bundle-/flower-like particles having different sizes were observed for synthesis using an in situ method. The UV protection ability of ZnO NPs coated on textiles was investigated using UV-Vis spectroscopy by measuring the UV protection factor (UPF) in the range of 280–400 nm. Higher values of UPF were obtained for ZnO NPs prepared using an in situ method. The UPF value obtained by this method was found to be 320, which demonstrates its excellent ability to block UV radiation. The antibacterial activities of ZnO NPs synthesized by the two methods possess very good bacteriostatic activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria demonstrated by the zone of inhibition.
Nanotherapeutic modulation of excitotoxicity and oxidative stress in acute brain injury
Authors: Liao Rick , Wood Thomas R , Nance Elizabeth
Published: November 2020

Excitotoxicity is a primary pathological process that occurs during stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and global brain ischemia such as perinatal asphyxia. Excitotoxicity is triggered by an overabundance of excitatory neurotransmitters within the synapse, causing a detrimental cascade of excessive sodium and calcium influx, generation of reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial damage, and ultimately cell death. There are multiple potential points of intervention to combat excitotoxicity and downstream oxidative stress, yet there are currently no therapeutics clinically approved for this specific purpose. For a therapeutic to be effective against excitotoxicity, the therapeutic must accumulate at the disease site at the appropriate concentration at the right time. Nanotechnology can provide benefits for therapeutic delivery, including overcoming physiological obstacles such as the blood–brain barrier, protect cargo from degradation, and provide controlled release of a drug. This review evaluates the use of nano-based therapeutics to combat excitotoxicity in stroke, TBI, and hypoxia–ischemia with an emphasis on mitigating oxidative stress, and consideration of the path forward toward clinical translation.
An Analysis of K-12 School Reopening and Its’ Impact on Teachers
Authors: Lambert Juli Anna , Trott Kim , Baugh Reginald F.
Published: November 2020

Teachers are vulnerable non-essential workers that continue to have significant misgivings about in-person school reopening. Dialogue around pandemic management has relatively neglected these concerns so far. This perspective offers a broad framework for risk assessment related to COVID-19 and in-person instruction. The accumulated general body of knowledge related to COVID-19 is particularized to the special dynamics of education. We highlight the impact of historic investments and underinvestment in education on the viability of adapting best practices to mitigate risk. Gaps in public health planning to supply educators with needed personal protective equipment and vaccination are explored. The challenges for low-income and minority-predominant districts receive special attention. We place these problems within the broader context of socioeconomic disparities and the societal consequences of the pandemic. The local level of community transmission, resources, and circumstances should dictate reopening dates. Without effective infection control, teachers are justified to fear infection. The transparency and scientific rigor that would allow teachers to assess their personal health risk and characterize the process for decision-making has been largely absent.
Dietary Inflammatory Index score and risk of developing endometriosis: A case–control study
Authors: Demézio da Silva Clarissa Viana , Felipe Valéria Lauriana , Shivappa Nitin , Hebert James R , Perini Jamila Alessandra , de Brito Patricia Dias , Cardoso Jéssica Vilarinho , Ferrari Renato , de Almeida Filho Gutemberg Leão
Published: November 2020

The possible relationship between chronic inflammation from dietary exposure and endometriosis has not been investigated. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®) and endometriosis. Women with endometriotic lesions were defined as cases ( n = 59), and controls ( n = 59) had no visible ectopic endometrium sites. Body mass index (BMI=weight(kg)/height(m)2) was calculated from measured height and weight and waist circumference was measured. A validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire was used to calculate the DII score. Women with endometriosis were younger, thinner; and had a more pro-inflammatory diet and more pain (dysmenorrhea, chronic pelvic pain, deep dyspareunia), than controls. Women with higher DII scores (>0.86) were more likely to have endometriosis and to present with dyspareunia. Results obtained from modeling DII as a categorical variable in relation to risk of endometriosis showed a near tripling of risk (OR = 2.77; 95% CI = 1.13–6.77) for women with DII >0.86 versus those with DII ⩽ 0.86, after adjusting for age and BMI. After multivariable adjustment, women with DII > 0.86 were four times more likely to have endometriosis compared to women with DII ⩽ 0.86 (OR = 4.14; 95% CI= 1.50–11.4). In conclusion, a pro-inflammatory diet was significantly associated with endometriosis.
When Is Retaliation Respected? Status and Vengefulness in Intergroup and Interpersonal Contexts
Authors: Benard Stephen , Doan Long
Published: November 2020

The authors investigate how conflict between groups shapes social status within groups. Conflict may create opportunities for individuals to gain or lose status by demonstrating group commitment. Pursuing revenge for an intergroup affront can serve as a source of status in settings characterized by a “culture of honor” or “code of the street.” Yet little is known about whether this holds in everyday settings. The authors develop a theoretical account of the relationship between vengeful behavior and social status. They test their predictions with four online survey experiments. Respondents generally perceive intergroup retaliation as more status-worthy than interpersonal retaliation, and these status rewards are similar for men and women, are specific to retaliation rather than initiating aggression, and are diminished by premeditation. Broader implications include understanding how status shapes the social organization of aggression, why trivial disputes escalate, and the link between inter- and intragroup relations.
Synergistic Antitumor Effect and Mechanism of Chidamide Combined with Gemcitabine, Oxaliplatin or Zanubrutinib in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Authors: Cai Qingqing , Huang Tianying , Su Ning , Xu Xiaolu , Wang Fengwei , Fang Yu , Tian Xiaopeng , Cai Jun , Ma Shuyun , Liang Yang
Published: November 2020

Aims: To observe the synergistic antitumor effect of chidamide (a novel orally benzamide class of histone deacetylase inhibitors, HDACi) combined with gemcitabine, oxaliplatin or zanubrutinib (a second generation Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor) in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cell lines and explore the possible mechanisms.

Methods: We used CCK-8 assay to test the inhibitory efficacy of single agent chidamide, gemcitabine, oxaliplatin, zanubrutinib and their combinations on DLBCL cell lines, respectively. And the combination index (CI) was calculated by the CalcuSyn software. The apoptosis and the cell cycle analysis of DLBCL cell lines under different treatments were assessed by Annexin V-APC/PI double-staining and PI staining using flow cytometry, respectively. The expression levels of acetylated histone and apoptosis-related proteins were detected by Western Blot.

Results:Single-agent chidamide, gemcitabine and oxaliplatin caused growth arrest of the DLBCL cell lines (OCL-LY3、OCL-LY19、U2932、DOHH2) in a dose and time dependent manner, respectively(Figure1a,1b,1c). Single-agent zanubrutinib showed antitumor activity in two activated B-cell like DLBCL (U2932 and OCI-LY3) cell lines in a dose and time dependent manner while no antitumor activity in other two GCB-DLBCL (OCI-LY19 and DOHH2) cell lines (Figure1d). Chidamide combined with gemcitabine or oxaliplatin synergistically inhibited the proliferative viability of DLBCL cell lines. Also, chidamide could enhance the inhibitory effect of zanubrutinib in the two ABC-DLBCL cell lines. And the CI values of all groups were more than 1(Fig2-1~2-8). Chidamide could significantly increase the proportion of DLBCL cells in the G0/G1 phase in a dose-dependent manner(Figure 3). And chidamide combined with gemcitabine can synergistically enhance the cell cycle arrest in U2932 cells (Figure 4). Cell apoptosis rate increased along with the ascending dosage of chidamide in the four DLBCL cell lines. The effect of cell apoptosis became more obviously when combined with oxaliplatin or zanubrutinib (Figure 5.1~5.4). Chidamide significantly up-regulated the levels of acetylated H3 (Lys 9) and cleaved-caspase 3 while down-regulated Bcl-2 (Figure 6~7). Furthermore, PD-L1 protein was upregulated in chidamide-exposed DLBCL cell lines (Figure 8).

Conclusion:Chidamide combined with gemcitabine, oxaliplatin or zanubrutinib synergistically inhibited the proliferative viability and cell apoptosis rate in DLBCL cell lines. Therefore, it is worthy to further explore the value of Chidamide combination therapy in DLBCL.

Figure

Disclosures

No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Atypical Presentation of COVID-19 Infection
Authors: Mellon Cory , Ferouz Salma , Mubarak Tariq , Koko Isoken
Published: November 2020

Unusual manifestation of hemolytic anemia due to COVID-19 in an otherwise healthy older male patient without any significant co-morbidity. The presentation consisted of features typical of hemolytic anemia with other causes excluded, signifying a viral etiology of this disease process that has not yet been reported. Other known etiologies of hemolytic anemia were ruled out with extensive history and laboratory data, implying the SARS-COV2 virus was the only determining factor.

Disclosures

No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
The Role of Fibrinolytic Factors, a Subset of Angiocrine Factors in Cytokine Storm-Associated Diseases
Authors: Hattori Koichi , Shimazu Hiroshi , Takahashi Satoshi , Heissig Beate
Published: November 2020

Cytokine storm syndrome is a general term applied to maladaptive cytokine release in response to infection and other stimuli. It occurs during graft versus host disease after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Recent evidence suggested that, during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, the severe deterioration of some patient`s health with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) was compatible with symptoms as they are known for the cytokine storm syndrome. The cytokine storm syndrome in COVID-19 is associated with the development and progression of macrophage activation syndrome (MAS), vascular endotheliitis like Kawasaki disease, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Abnormalities of coagulation and fibrinolysis are known clinical features of COVID-19 or MAS. We reported previously that plasmin inhibition reduced GVHD associated lethality and prevented increases in inflammatory cytokines in mice. But the role of the fibrinolytic system and its key player, plasmin, in the development of COVID-19 is not well defined. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) might contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease.

We established a murine model of fulminant MAS by repeated injections of TLR-9 agonist and D-galactosamine in immunocompetent mice. We found increases in circulating urokinase and the angiocrine factor tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) levels during the progression of fulminant MAS in mice, which causes the enhanced conversion of the proenzyme plasminogen into plasmin. Genetic and pharmacological inhibition of plasmin counteracted MAS-associated lethality and other related symptoms. We show that plasmin regulates the influx of inflammatory cells and the production of inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and proteases like soluble forms or membrane forms of matrix metalloproteases generating an amplification loop. Based on these data, we hypothesize that COVID-19-induced vascular endothelial dysfunction causes the aggravation of COVID-19 leading up to cytokine storm or MAS syndrome, endotheliitis, and hypercoagulability with the induction of disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome(Fig.1.). In summary, we propose that plasmin and potentially MMPs inhibitors might offer a novel treatment to control the deadly cytokine storm syndrome in patients with MAS or COVID-19, thereby preventing multiple organ failure.

Figure

Disclosures

No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Risk-Adapted Therapy with ABVD for Low- and Intermediate-Risk Patients and Oepa-Copdac for High Risk Patients Plus Involved-Field Radiation Therapy (IFRT) Based on Prognosis at Diagnosis and Early Response: Results from Pediatric Argentinian Collaborative Group Gatla Study for Children and Adolescents with Hodgkin Lymphoma
Authors: Veron David Alejandro , Streitenberger Patricia , Riccheri Cecilia , Matus Monica , Negri Aranguren Pedro , Costa Maria Alejandra , Rossi Nestor Alfredo , Hiramatsu Elizabeth , Cedola Maria Alejandra , Drozdowski María Constanza , Borchichi Sandra , Coirini Marcelo , Murray María Cecilia , D'Aloi Karina , Holmann Carlos , Gomel Matilde , Drago Gisela , Caferri Horacio Daniel , Fernandez Barbieri Maria Angelica , Villamil Mara , Ruiz Claudia Mabel , Zirone Sandra Ethel , Makiya Monica
Published: November 2020

Background: The GATLA Collaborative Group has a 50 year (y) long experience of running cooperative trials for lymphomas in Argentina.

Aim: Describe the outcome of pediatric patients(pts) treated according to the international cooperative work with AHOPCA and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (11-EHP-12) adopting OEPA/COPDAC strategy for High Risk (HR) pts and ABVD for Intermediate (IR) and Low Risk (LR) pts.

Methods: 11-EHP-12: Risk assignment according Stanford/Danna Farber/ SJCRH Consortium classification. LR: ABVD x 4± IFRT (20 Gy). IR: ABVD x 6 ± IFRT (20 Gy). HR: OEPA-COPDAC+IFRT (20/25 Gy). Response evaluation: LR after 4th cycle, IR and HR after the 2nd cycle. Complete Remission (CR): response > 80% reduction and PET negative. Partial Remission (PR): response >50% and <80% reduction and/or PET positive. 170 pediatric patients (pts) were enrolled since November 2012. 133 evaluable pts. 37 on treatment and/or a follow up of less than 5 years. Sex: M/F: 85 (63,9%) /48. Median age: 13 y (range 4-18 y). Histology: nodular sclerosis 91 (68,4%), mixed celularity 31 (23.3%), lymphocyte rich 1 (0,7%), lymphocyte depleted 1 (0,7%), nodular lymphocyte predominant 8 (6,9%). Stage: I :16 (12%), II: 51 (38.4%), III: 27 (20.3%), IV: 39 (29.3%). B Symptoms: 66 (49.6%). Interim evaluation: PET/TC: 109/133 (82%), TC: 24. Distribution by risk groups: HR pts.: 77 (57,9%), IR: 35 (26,3%), LR: 21 (15,8%).

Results: 5 y OS was 94% (100% for LR and IR, and 91% HR) and 5y EFS was 88% (100% for LR, 91% IR, and 84% HR). 95% of the LR pts and 72% of the IR pts did not undergo radiotherapy. 70% of the HR pts achieved CR after the 2nd OEPA and received 20 Gy IFRT. According PR or CR after 2nd OEPA, the 5y EFS in HR pts was 84% and 90% respectively.

Conclusion: Thanks to this international cooperation We could significantly improve the results in Argentina compared to our previous experience (7-PHD-96: COPP-ABV x 6 + IFRT Bulky disease or PR (20/25Gy): 5yOS:85%, 5yEFS:67%), reduce the number of patients who required radiotherapy and reproduce the Euronet experience for HR pts in a different context.

Figure

Disclosures

No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.