bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Crosstalk between transforming growth factor β-2 and Autotaxin in trabecular meshwork and different subtypes of glaucoma
Authors: Igarashi Nozomi , Honjo Megumi , Yamagishi Reiko , Kurano Makoto , Yatomi Yutaka , Igarashi Koji , Kaburaki Toshikatsu , Aihara Makoto
Published: June 2021

Background

Elevated transforming growth factor (TGF)-β2 in aqueous humor (AH) has been suggested to contribute to trabecular meshwork (TM) fibrosis and intraocular pressure (IOP) regulation in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), but TGF-β2 is downregulated in secondary open-angle glaucoma (SOAG). Because autotaxin (ATX) is upregulated in SOAG, we investigated the relationships and trans-signaling interactions of these mediators.

Methods

The level of ATX in AH was determined using a two-site immunoenzymetric assay, and TGF-β levels were measured using the Bio-Plex Pro TGF-β Assay. RNA scope was used to assess the expression of ATX and TGF-β2 in human’s eye specimen. And in vitro studies were performed using hTM cells to explore if trans-signaling of TGF-β2 regulates ATX expressions.

Results

TGF-β2/ATX ratio was significantly high in AH of control or POAG compared with SOAG, and negatively correlated with IOP. RNA scope revelated positive expressions of both TGF-β2 and ATX in ciliary body (CB) and TM in control, but ATX expressions was significantly enhanced in SOAG. In hTM cells, ATX expressions were regulated by TGF-β2 with concentration-dependent manner. In counter, ATX also induced TGF-β1, TGF-β2 and TGFBI upregulations and activation of the Smad-sensitive promoter, as well as upregulation of fibrotic markers, and these upregulation was significantly suppressed by both TGF-β and ATX inhibition.

Conclusions

Trans-signaling of TGF-β2 regulates ATX expressions and thereby induced upregulations of TGF-βs or fibrosis of hTM. TGF-β2 trans-signaling potently regulate ATX transcription and signaling in hTM cells, which may reflect different profile of these mediators in glaucoma subtypes.

Trial Registration This prospective observational study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Tokyo and was registered with the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry of Japan (ID: UMIN000027137). All study procedures conformed to the Declaration of Helsinki. Written informed consent was obtained from each patient.
How much improvement can satisfy patients? Exploring patients’ satisfaction 3 years after total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Fan Xiao Yu , Ma Jin Hui , Wu Xinjie , Xu Xin , Shi Lijun , Li Tengqi , Wang Peixu , Li Chengxin , Li Zhizhuo , Zhang Qing Yu , Sun Wei
Published: June 2021

Background

Despite the innovations in total knee arthroplasty (TKA), there is still a subset of patients who do not acquire significant relief or expected satisfaction after primary TKA. However, this subgroup of patients still gains improvements more or less in terms of objective or quantified assessments after the procedure. The purpose of our study is to explore the factors that correlate with patients’ satisfaction and identify minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and minimum important change (MIC) in clinical parameters.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study of 161 patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis who underwent unilateral total knee arthroplasty from January 2017 to December 2017. We collected the following parameters: body mass index (BMI), duration of disease, education level, depression state, preoperative flexion contracture angle of knee, HSS scores, 11-point NRS scores, and radiological parameters (preoperative minimal joint space width and varus angle of knee). The satisfaction was graded by self-reported scores in percentage (0–100).

Results

We revealed that 80.8% of patients were satisfied 3 years overall after primary TKA. HSS score change, NRS-Walking score change, age, and pre-mJSW showed significant difference between satisfied and dissatisfied group. The varus angle change revealed statistical significance according to the levels of satisfaction. Simple linear regression identified the MCID for HSS score to be 5.41 and for the NRS-Walking to be 1.24. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve identified the MIC for HSS score to be 25.5 and for the NRS-Walking score to be 6.5.

Conclusions

In summary, we identified several factors that correlated with patients’ satisfaction independently after TKA in a long term. In addition, we revealed the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and minimum important change (MIC) for HSS and NRS score in these patients.
Circ-SPG11 knockdown hampers IL-1β-induced osteoarthritis progression via targeting miR-337-3p/ADAMTS5
Authors: Liu Yongqiang , Li Qian , Gao Zhida , Lei Fang , Gao Xuefeng
Published: June 2021

Background

Osteoarthritis (OA) is responsible for the impotent disability in old people. Circular RNA (circRNA) has been reported to be related to the development of diseases. The lack of research on the role of circRNA spastic paraplegia 11 (circ-SPG11) results in conducting this study.

Methods

The expression of circ-SPG11, microRNA-337-3p (miR-337-3p), and aggrecanases like a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 5 (ADAMTS5) mRNA was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Western blot was used to measure the protein expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation-related markers and ADAMTS5. Ribonuclease R (RNase R) was applied to test the stability of circ-SPG11 in CHON-001 cells. The viability, apoptosis, TNF-α and IL-6 production were determined by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, flow cytometry assay, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. Meanwhile, the interaction between miR-337-3p and circ-SPG11 or ADAMTS5 was respectively predicted by Circinteractome or Starbase2.0, which was further verified by dual-luciferase reporter system and RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay.

Results

Circ-SPG11 and ADAMTS5 were upregulated and miR-337-3p was downregulated in OA tissues and OA model cells. Circ-SPG11 knockdown allayed interleukin 1β (IL-1β)-induced restraint in viability and promotion in apoptosis, TNF-α, and IL-6 generation and ECM degradation in CHON-001 cells. Anti-miR-337-3p or ADAMTS5 overexpression correspondingly reversed si-circ-SPG11 or miR-337-3p overexpression-mediated facilitation in viability, and inhibition in apoptosis, TNF-α and IL-6 generation and ECM degradation in OA model cells. Moreover, anti-miR-337-3p ameliorated si-circ-SPG11-mediated inhibition in ADAMTS5 mRNA and protein expression in OA model cells.

Conclusion

Circ-SPG11 facilitated OA development via regulating miR-337-3p/ADAMTS5 axis. This finding might contribute to the improvement of OA therapy.
Did the events following the COVID-19 outbreak influence the incidents of violence against hospital staff?
Authors: Basis Fuad , Moskovitz Kobi , Tzafrir Shay
Published: June 2021

Background

During the COVID-19 outbreak, (March 1 - June 15, 2020) citizens expressed sympathy and gratitude towards medical staff through the media, while the entire hospital staff faced the same danger of infection as other citizens. This might have made hospital staff develop sympathy, understanding for the patients` and family’s needs, and a better communication.

Objectives

To investigate if there is a relation between the mutual change in attitude between citizens and hospital staff during the first COVID-19 outbreak, and the incidence of violence cases.

Materials and methods

This is a cross sectional study conducted at Rambam Medical Center (RMC) in Israel. The data about the number of violence cases were collected from the security department, and the data about hospital wards activity were collected from the hospital Business Intelligence (BI) software.

The number of violence cases in relation to the number of Emergency Department (ED) visits, admissions to hospital wards, and length of stay (LOS) were compared during the COVID-19 outbreak to the corresponding period in 2019 using the T- test. The difference in the incidence of violence between general population and people with a psychiatric or social disorder (like drug abuse and criminal background) in both periods were also compared using the Fisher exact test.

Results

During the first COVID-19 outbreak, there were 6 violence cases against medical staff out of 24,740 visits to the ED, vs. 21 cases out of 30,759 visits during the same periods in 2019 (P < 0.05). There were 19 violence cases in the whole hospital with 14,482 admissions in 2020 vs. 51 violence cases of 17,599 admissions in 2019 (P < 0.05). Violence against security guards in the entire hospital dropped from 20 to 11 cases, and in the set of the ED, from 13 to 4 cases in both periods respectively. A 20 % decrease in the number of visits to the ED, might have influenced the average LOS during the study period, 2020 compared to 2019 (4.4 + 0.45 vs. 5.4 + 0.36 h. (P < 0.001). The ratio of violence among general population vs. people with a psychiatric or social background revealed a non-significant change in both periods (P = 0.75 and P = 0.69) respectively.

Discussion

The COVID-19 outbreak supplied some evidence that a change in environmental conditions, trust, waiting time, personal attitude and communication might have reduced violence against hospital staff.

Conclusions

Except for violence coming from patients with psychiatric or social disorders, most other violence cases might be reduced if the environment conditions and attitudes of both citizens and staff are improved.
A case of resected hepatocellular carcinoma with gallbladder metastasis
Authors: Hanazawa Takaaki , Fukami Yasuyuki , Osawa Takaaki , Kurahashi Shintaro , Matsumura Tatsuki , Saito Takuya , Komatsu Shunichiro , Kaneko Kenitiro , Tsuzuki Toyonori , Sano Tsuyoshi
Published: June 2021

Background

Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can often spread as intrahepatic metastases. Extrahepatic metastasis (e.g., lung, lymph nodes, and bones) is rare, and gallbladder metastasis from HCC is extremely rare.

Case presentation

A 66-year-old woman who presented with right hypochondrial pain was referred to our hospital for further examination of a liver tumor. The blood chemistry data showed elevated levels of serum α-fetoprotein (AFP) (3730 ng/mL), protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist II (PIVKA-II) (130 mAU/mL), and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) (358.6 ng/mL). Hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis C virus antibody were negative. Dynamic computed tomography (CT) showed a tumor measuring 12 × 7 cm in the right lobe of the liver. This tumor was contrast-enhanced in the hepatic arterial phase and then became less dense than the liver parenchyma in the portal phase. A well-enhanced tumor was found in the gallbladder. No regional lymph nodes were enlarged. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated that the liver tumor showed a pattern of early enhancement and washout. The gallbladder tumor was also detected as an enhanced mass. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) showed compression of the left hepatic duct due to the liver tumor. The patient was diagnosed with simultaneous HCC and gallbladder cancer. Right hepatic trisectionectomy and caudate lobectomy with extrahepatic bile duct resection were performed. Histopathological examination of the resected liver specimen showed a poorly differentiated HCC cell component with a trabecular and solid growth, and diffuse invasion of the portal vein. The same tumor cells were found in the gallbladder, but no continuity with the liver tumor was identified. Immunohistochemistry of the liver tumor and gallbladder was positive for AFP, Glypican 3, and CK7, and negative for CK19. The final pathological diagnosis was the gallbladder metastasis from HCC. A follow-up diagnostic image 33 months after surgery showed a mass in the upper lobe of the left lung. The patient underwent left upper lobectomy. Postoperative pathology revealed that the lung lesion was a metastasis of HCC. The patient was still alive with lung metastasis and was being treated with a molecular-targeting drug in good health 42 months after the initial surgery.

Conclusions

The standard treatment for advanced HCC with extrahepatic metastases is molecularly targeted drugs, but surgery is also an option if the lesion can be resected en bloc without remnants.
Emerging magnetic resonance imaging techniques in open spina bifida in utero
Authors: Jakab Andras , Payette Kelly , Mazzone Luca , Schauer Sonja , Muller Cécile Olivia , Kottke Raimund , Ochsenbein-Kölble Nicole , Tuura Ruth , Moehrlen Ueli , Meuli Martin
Published: June 2021

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become an essential diagnostic modality for congenital disorders of the central nervous system. Recent advancements have transformed foetal MRI into a clinically feasible tool, and in an effort to find predictors of clinical outcomes in spinal dysraphism, foetal MRI began to unveil its potential. The purpose of our review is to introduce MRI techniques to experts with diverse backgrounds, who are involved in the management of spina bifida. We introduce advanced foetal MRI postprocessing potentially improving the diagnostic work-up. Importantly, we discuss how postprocessing can lead to a more efficient utilisation of foetal or neonatal MRI data to depict relevant anatomical characteristics. We provide a critical perspective on how structural, diffusion and metabolic MRI are utilised in an endeavour to shed light on the correlates of impaired development. We found that the literature is consistent about the value of MRI in providing morphological cues about hydrocephalus development, hindbrain herniation or outcomes related to shunting and motor functioning. MRI techniques, such as foetal diffusion MRI or diffusion tractography, are still far from clinical use; however, postnatal studies using these methods revealed findings that may reflect early neural correlates of upstream neuronal damage in spinal dysraphism.
Ray-illumination compensation for adjoint-state first-arrival traveltime tomography
Authors: Hu Jiangtao , Qian Jianliang , Cao Junxing , Wang Xingjian , Wang Huazhong , Leung Shingyu
Published: June 2021

First-arrival traveltime tomography is an essential method for obtaining near-surface velocity models. The adjoint-state first-arrival traveltime tomography is appealing due to its straightforward implementation, low computational cost, and low memory consumption. Because solving the point-source isotropic eikonal equation by either ray tracers or eikonal solvers intrinsically corresponds to emanating discrete rays from the source point, the resulting traveltime gradient is singular at the source point, and we denote such a singular pattern the imprint of ray-illumination. Because the adjoint-state equation propagates traveltime residuals back to the source point according to the negative traveltime gradient, the resulting adjoint state will inherit such an imprint of ray-illumination, leading to singular gradient-descent directions when updating the velocity model in the adjoint-state traveltime tomography. To mitigate this imprint, we solve the adjoint-state equation twice but with different boundary conditions: one being taken to be regular data residuals and the other taken to be ones uniformly, so that we are able to use the latter adjoint state to normalize the regular adjoint state and we further use the normalized quantity to serve as the gradient direction to update the velocity model; we call this process ray-illumination compensation. To overcome the issue of limited aperture, we have developed a spatially varying regularization method to stabilize the new gradient direction. A synthetic example demonstrates that our method is able to mitigate the imprint of ray-illumination, remove the footprint effect near source points, and provide uniform velocity updates along raypaths. A complex example extracted from the Marmousi2 model and a migration example illustrate that the new method accurately recovers the velocity model and that an offset-dependent inversion strategy can further improve the quality of recovered velocity models.
EM3DANI: A Julia package for fully anisotropic 3D forward modeling of electromagnetic data
Authors: Peng Ronghua , Han Bo , Liu Yajun , Hu Xiangyun
Published: June 2021

Forward modeling is vital for 3D inversion and interpretation of electromagnetic (EM) data in anisotropic media, which is one of the major challenges in the field of EM geophysics. However, there are few freely available 3D codes that are capable of modeling EM responses in fully anisotropic media. In addition, most existing 3D EM codes are written in low-level languages (LLs) such as C and Fortran, making them difficult to read, maintain, and extend. Taking advantage of recent progress in computer technology and numerical methods, we have developed an open-source package for forward modeling of frequency-domain EM fields in a fully 3D anisotropic earth (EM3DANI) using the Julia language, a relatively young, high-level programming language with a focus on high performance. Based on a mimetic finite-volume discretization of the governing equations, the modeling algorithm is expressed in an abstract form in terms of matrices/vectors and thus can be easily implemented by using any high-level language commonly used for numerical computing. Existing libraries written in LLs can be easily integrated into a Julia code without the so-called two-language problem; thus, we have exploited several mature third-party packages to deal with computationally intensive parts of the forward modeling, which guarantees high stability and efficiency. We have elaborated the structure of the package, paying special attention to code usability, readability, and extendability, while striving to retain versatility and high performance. The effectiveness of the code is demonstrated through two 1D synthetic examples for magnetotelluric and controlled-source EM (CSEM) problems, respectively. High accuracy and efficiency can be achieved for both 1D examples. Furthermore, we have developed a 3D example mimicking a marine CSEM survey scenario for hydrocarbon exploration. The simulation results indicate that the effect of the anisotropy on forward responses is significant and can be comparable to that of the target reservoir.
Multiparameter model building for the Qiuyue structure using 4C ocean-bottom seismometer data
Authors: Liu Yuzhu , Huang Xinquan , Yang Jizhong , Liu Xueyi , Li Bin , Dong Liangguo , Geng Jianhua , Cheng Jiubing
Published: June 2021

Thin sand-mud-coal interbedded layers and multiples caused by shallow water pose great challenges to conventional 3D multichannel seismic techniques used to detect the deeply buried reservoirs in the Qiuyue field. In 2017, a dense ocean-bottom-seismometer (OBS) acquisition program acquired a 4C data set in the East China Sea. To delineate the deep reservoir structures in the Qiuyue field, we have applied a full-waveform inversion (FWI) workflow to this dense 4C OBS data set. After preprocessing, including receiver geometry correction, moveout correction, component rotation, and energy transformation from three dimensions to two dimensions, preconditioned first-arrival traveltime tomography based on an improved scattering-integral algorithm is applied to construct an initial P-wave velocity model. To eliminate the influence of the wavelet estimation process, a convolutional-wavefield-based objective function for the preprocessed hydrophone component is used during acoustic FWI. By inverting the waveforms associated with early arrivals, a relatively high-resolution underground P-wave velocity model is obtained, with updates at a depth of 2.0 and 4.7 km. The initial S-wave velocity and density models are then constructed based on their prior relationships to the P-wave velocity, accompanied by a reciprocal source-independent elastic FWI to refine both velocity models. Compared with a traditional workflow, guided by stacking velocity analysis or migration velocity analysis, and using only the pressure component or other single component, the workflow presented in this study represents a good approach for inverting the 4C OBS data set to characterize subseafloor velocity structures.
Denoising for full-waveform inversion with expanded prediction-error filters
Authors: Bader Milad , Clapp Robert G. , Biondi Biondo
Published: June 2021

Low-frequency data of less than 5 Hz are essential to the convergence of full-waveform inversion (FWI) toward a useful solution. They help to build the velocity model low wavenumbers and reduce the risk of cycle skipping. In marine environments, low-frequency data are characterized by a low signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) and can lead to erroneous models when inverted, especially if the noise contains coherent components. Often, field data are high-pass filtered before any processing step, sacrificing weak but essential signal for FWI. We have denoised the low-frequency data using prediction-error filters that we estimate from a high-frequency component with a high S/N. The constructed filter captures the multidimensional spectrum of the high-frequency signal. We expand the filter’s axes in the time-space domain to compress its spectrum toward the low frequencies and wavenumbers. The expanded filter becomes a predictor of the target low-frequency signal, and we incorporate it in a minimization scheme to attenuate noise. To account for data nonstationarity while retaining the simplicity of stationary filters, we divide the data into nonoverlapping patches and linearly interpolate stationary filters at each data sample. We apply our method to synthetic stationary and nonstationary data, and we find that it improves the FWI results initialized at 2.5 Hz using the Marmousi model. We also demonstrate that the denoising attenuates nonstationary shear energy recorded by the vertical component of ocean-bottom nodes.
Up and down deconvolution in complex geological scenarios
Authors: Boiero Daniele , Bagaini Claudio
Published: June 2021

The redatuming approach, often referred to as up-down deconvolution, is well-known and is applied to remove water-layer and source-signature effects in seabed seismic surveys. The upgoing wavefield can be expressed as the multidimensional convolution of the downgoing wavefield with the earth’s reflectivity. Consequently, deconvolving the downgoing wavefield from the upgoing wavefield gives us the earth’s reflectivity response. The deconvolution process requires solving a multidimensional integral equation but, in a laterally invariant medium, after that wavefields are decomposed into plane-wave components, deconvolution can be enormously simplified if performed as a spectral division in the Fourier or Radon domain. It has been experimentally observed that deconvolution carried out one plane-wave component at a time gives good results, even in the presence of complex subsurface structures, provided that the seabed is relatively flat. When this geological condition is not satisfied, the same problem can be formulated in terms of interferometric redatuming using multidimensional deconvolution (MDD), in which the integral equation solution is achieved by introducing the point-spread function concept. We have developed a methodology based on numerical simulations to determine when the integral equations associated with the problem of up-down deconvolution can be solved under the assumption of shift-invariant wavefields and when it requires MDD. In the latter case, we have developed a regularized inverse procedure that mitigates the numerical problems due to the typically ill-posed nature of the inversion and that, combined with an interpolation strategy for the downgoing, enables the application of MDD within the range of sampling scenarios considered so far. We apply this methodology to synthetic data, and we discuss the potential to extend up-down deconvolution to a broader range of geological conditions.
Petrophysical modeling in the absence of core data in a small, marginal field in the Mumbai Offshore Basin, India
Authors: Biswal Debakanta , Prasad Kanchan , Nedeer Nasimudeen , Lerdsuwankij Thiti , Singh Kumar Hemant
Published: June 2021

The best petrophysical models are based on direct measurements from the core. Unfortunately, core is not available in many cases, either for economic, logistical, or historical reasons. In this study, we needed to construct a detailed Field Development Plan (FDP) for the small, marginal B-9 field in the Western Offshore Basin, India, which did not merit core acquisition. The objective is to propose a workflow for building a petrophysical model with limited data sets instead of a typical FDP workflow. After analyzing the assumptions, limitations, and uncertainties involved in the petrophysical model, we used advanced petrophysical logs to reduce uncertainty and create a robust petrophysical model. We carried out a log-based petrophysical study to determine the volume of shale, porosity, saturation, and permeability. The advanced petrophysical logs including spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), formation pressures, and well testing data are used to calibrate the petrophysical model. Spectroscopy data are used to calibrate the mineralogical volumes and grain density, whereas the porosity is calibrated from NMR data. We calibrated log-derived permeability results with NMR permeability and mobility from well test data. We used heterogeneous rock analysis on petrophysical outputs to carry out petrophysical rock typing (PRT). This has helped in establishing the porosity-permeability relationship and saturation-height model for each PRT. In the absence of irreducible water saturation ([Formula: see text]) information from the core, NMR-derived [Formula: see text] is calculated and then used to calibrate the saturation model. Log-derived permeability and saturation are estimated, which agrees well with the available testing data. This provided a robust petrophysical model that served as a basis for geologic static and reservoir dynamic models. The gas-down-to and water-up-to methods are used to establish the contacts. The resulting saturation height model agreed well with the saturations derived from the log, which gave us confidence in our dynamic model.
Attitudes toward veganism in eating disorder professionals
Authors: Fuller Sarah J. , Hill Kimberley M.
Published: June 2021

Aims and method

Veganism has increased in popularity in the past decade and, despite being a characteristic protected by law, is often viewed negatively by the general population. Little is known about the attitudes of healthcare professionals despite the potential influence on practice and eating disorder patient care. This is one of the first studies to investigate attitudes toward veganism within specialist eating disorder, general mental health and other professionals.

Results

A one-way ANOVA indicated all professionals held positive views toward veganism. General mental health professionals held statistically more positive veganism attitudes than specialist eating disorder and other professionals.

Clinical implications

As one of the first studies to suggest eating disorder professionals are not biased against veganism, it has important clinical practice implications, particularly when exploring motivations for adopting a vegan diet (health, weight loss, environmental or animal welfare concerns) in patients with eating disorders. Implications for further research are provided.
Racism and mental health and the role of mental health professionals
Authors: Schouler-Ocak M. , Bhugra D. , Kastrup M. C. , Dom G. , Heinz A. , Küey L. , Gorwood P.
Published: June 2021

The concept of “race” and consequently of racism is not a recent phenomenon, although it had profound effects on the lives of populations over the last several hundred years. Using slaves and indentured labor from racial groups designated to be “the others,” who was seen as inferior and thus did not deserve privileges, and who were often deprived of the right to life and basic needs as well as freedoms. Thus, creation of “the other” on the basis of physical characteristics and dehumanizing them became more prominent. Racism is significantly related to poor health, including mental health. The impact of racism in psychiatric research and clinical practice is not sufficiently investigated. Findings clearly show that the concept of “race” is genetically incorrect. Therefore, the implicit racism that underlies many established “scientific” paradigms need be changed. Furthermore, to overcome the internalized, interpersonal, and institutional racism, the impact of racism on health and on mental health must be an integral part of educational curricula, from undergraduate levels through continuing professional development, clinical work, and research. In awareness of the consequences of racism at all levels (micro, meso, and macro), recommendations for clinicians, policymakers, and researchers are worked out.
Incidence of Cancer in Adolescents and Young Adults in Jordan, 2000-2017
Authors: Amarin Justin Z. , Mansour Razan , Nimri Omar F. , Al-Hussaini Maysa
Published: June 2021

PURPOSE

The epidemiology of cancer in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) is distinct and underinvestigated. Therefore, we investigated the incidence of cancer in AYAs in Jordan.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We accessed all records submitted to the Jordan Cancer Registry between 2000 and 2017. We included all patients, age 15-39 years, who were ordinarily resident in Jordan. We then calculated frequencies, age-adjusted incidence rates (AAIRs), and annual percentage changes (APCs) and performed subgroup analyses by biologic sex, age subgroups, and site (SEER AYA site recode/WHO 2008). We also performed site-specific trend analyses using joinpoint models.

RESULTS

We identified 14,115 eligible patients, of whom 1,531 (10.8%), 4,278 (30.3%), and 8,306 (58.8%) were 15-19, 20-29, and 30-39 years old at diagnosis, respectively. The numbers of male and female AYAs were 5,792 (41.0%) and 8,323 (59.0%), respectively. The crude number of cases increased from 654 in 2000 to 954 in 2017 (APC, 2.6%). The overall AAIR ranged from 32.3 in 2000 to 24.3 in 2017 (APC, –1.7%). The AAIR was 27.6 over the full study period and was higher in females (34.1) than in males (21.6). Carcinomas, lymphomas, and leukemias were the most common cancers. The incidence rates of the majority of cancers trended downward over the study period.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of cancer in AYAs in Jordan is relatively low and declining. However, the absolute number of cases is increasing because this downtrend does not offset the effect of a high population growth rate; almost a 1,000 cases of cancer are now diagnosed every year, which represents a significant increase in the burden of cancer in a developing country with limited healthcare resources.
Superficial vs Deep Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue: Sex-Specific Associations With Hepatic Steatosis and Metabolic Traits
Authors: Brand Tessa , van den Munckhof Inge Christina Lamberta , van der Graaf Marinette , Schraa Kiki , Dekker Helena Maria , Joosten Leonardus Antonius Bernardus , Netea Mihai Gheorghe , Riksen Niels Peter , de Graaf Jacqueline , Rutten Joseph Henricus Wilhelmus
Published: June 2021

Context

Subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) is not homogeneous, as the fascia scarpa separates the deep SAT (dSAT) from the superficial SAT (sSAT).

Objective

The aim of this study is to evaluate the sex-specific associations of sSAT and dSAT with hepatic steatosis and metabolic syndrome in overweight individuals.

Methods

We recruited 285 individuals with a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 27 and aged 55 to 81 years. Abdominal magnetic resonance imaging was performed around level L4 to L5 to measure visceral adipose tissue (VAT), dSAT, and sSAT volumes. The amount of hepatic fat was quantified by MR spectroscopy.

Results

Men had significantly higher volumes of VAT (122.6 cm3 vs 98.7 cm3, P < .001) and had only half the volume of sSAT compared to women adjusted for BMI (50.3 cm3 in men vs 97.0 cm3 in women, P < .001). dSAT correlated significantly with hepatic fat content in univariate analysis (standardized β = .190, P < .05), while VAT correlated significantly with hepatic steatosis in a multivariate model, adjusted for age, alcohol use, and other abdominal fat compartments (standardized β = .184, P = .037). Moreover, dSAT in men correlated negatively with HDL cholesterol (standardized β = –0.165, P = .038) in multivariate analyses. In women with a BMI between 30 and 40, in a multivariate model adjusted for age, alcohol use, and other abdominal fat compartments, VAT correlated positively (standardized β = –.404, P = .003), and sSAT negatively (standardized β = –.300, P = .04) with hepatic fat content.

Conclusion

In men, dSAT is associated with hepatic steatosis and adverse metabolic traits, such as lower HDL cholesterol levels, whereas in women with obesity sSAT shows a beneficial relation with respect to hepatic fat content.
Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated With Higher Hospitalization Risk From COVID-19: A Retrospective Case-control Study
Authors: Jude Edward B , Ling Stephanie F , Allcock Rebecca , Yeap Beverly X Y , Pappachan Joseph M
Published: June 2021

Context

One risk factor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is postulated to be vitamin D deficiency. To better understand the role of vitamin D deficiency in the disease course of COVID-19, we undertook a retrospective case-control study in North West England.

Objective

To examine whether hospitalization with COVID-19 is more prevalent in individuals with lower vitamin D levels.

Methods

The study included individuals with test results for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) between April 1, 2020, and January 29, 2021, from 2 districts in North West England. The last 25(OH)D level in the previous 12 months was categorized as “deficient” if less than 25 nmol/L and “insufficient” if 25 to 50 nmol/L.

Results

The study included 80 670 participants. Of these, 1808 were admitted to the hospital with COVID-19, of whom 670 died. In a primary cohort, median serum 25(OH)D in nonhospitalized participants with COVID-19 was 50.0 nmol/L (interquartile range [IQR], 34.0-66.7) vs 35.0 nmol/L (IQR, 21.0-57.0) in those admitted with COVID-19 (P < 0.005). In a validation cohort, median serum 25(OH)D was 47.1 nmol/L (IQR, 31.8-64.7) in nonhospitalized vs 33.0 nmol/L (IQR, 19.4-54.1) in hospitalized patients. Age-, sex-, and season-adjusted odds ratios for hospital admission were 2.3 to 2.4 times higher among participants with serum 25(OH)D <50 nmol/L compared with those with normal serum 25(OH)D levels, without excess mortality risk.

Conclusion

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with higher risk of COVID-19 hospitalization. Widespread measurement of serum 25(OH)D and treatment of insufficiency or deficiency may reduce this risk.
Thyroid Hormone Therapy and Incident Stroke
Authors: Papaleontiou Maria , Levine Deborah A , Reyes-Gastelum David , Hawley Sarah T , Banerjee Mousumi , Haymart Megan R
Published: June 2021

Context

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability and there is a need to identify modifiable risk factors.

Objective

We aimed to determine the relationship between thyroid hormone treatment intensity and incidence of atrial fibrillation and stroke.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from the Veterans Health Administration between 2004 and 2017, with a median follow-up of 59 months. The study population comprised 733 208 thyroid hormone users aged ≥18 years with at least 2 thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) measurements between thyroid hormone initiation and incident event (atrial fibrillation or stroke) or study conclusion (406 030 thyroid hormone users with at least 2 free thyroxine [T4] measurements).

Results

Overall, 71 333/643 687 (11.08%) participants developed incident atrial fibrillation and 41 931/663 809 (6.32%) stroke. In multivariable analyses controlling for pertinent factors such as age, sex, and prior history of atrial fibrillation, higher incidence of stroke was associated with low TSH or high free T4 levels (ie, exogenous hyperthyroidism; eg, TSH <0.1 mIU/L; OR 1.33; 95% CI, 1.24-1.43; free T4>1.9 ng/dL, OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.06-1.30) and high TSH or low free T4 levels (ie, exogenous hypothyroidism; eg, TSH >5.5 mIU/L; OR 1.29; 95% CI, 1.26-1.33; free T4 <0.7 ng/dL; OR 1.29; 95% CI, 1.22-1.35) compared with euthyroidism (TSH >0.5-5.5 mIU/L and free T4 0.7-1.9 ng/dL). Risk of developing atrial fibrillation and stroke was cumulative over time for both patients with exogenous hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.

Conclusion

Both exogenous hyper- and hypothyroidism were associated with increased risk of stroke, highlighting the importance of patient medication safety.
Virginia Woolf, Anechoic Architecture, and the Acoustic Hermeneutic
Authors: Nathaniel Steve
Published: June 2021

This article describes Virginia Woolf's preoccupation with acoustics and its relationship both to her writing process and to the development of sensibility that she narrativizes in The Waves. It situates Woolf's theoretical and fictional models of listening with respect to the rising science of architectural acoustics and to the social imperative to control sound in urban spaces. It argues that Woolf responds to the psychological and social exigencies of modern sound by integrating textual and architectural listening modes in an acoustic hermeneutic: a listening practice common to the objects of architecture and text, one that accommodates both scientific and aesthetic ends. The acoustic hermeneutic marks the convergence of oft-estranged listening practices—one that apprehends the silent materiality of the text as if it were an audible room and, conversely, one that apprehends architecture with the auditory imagination traditionally exerted toward literature. While the article explores Woolf's particular invocations of auditory science in her formal innovation, it also aims toward a widely applicable critical approach to the inaudibilities of the novel.
MyomiRs and their multifaceted regulatory roles in muscle homeostasis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Giagnorio Eleonora , Malacarne Claudia , Mantegazza Renato , Bonanno Silvia , Marcuzzo Stefania
Published: June 2021

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by loss of both upper and lower motor neurons (MNs). The main clinical features of ALS are motor function impairment, progressive muscle weakness, muscle atrophy and, ultimately, paralysis. Intrinsic skeletal muscle deterioration plays a crucial role in the disease and contributes to ALS progression. Currently, there are no effective treatments for ALS, highlighting the need to obtain a deeper understanding of the molecular events underlying degeneration of both MNs and muscle tissue, with the aim of developing successful therapies. Muscle tissue is enriched in a group of microRNAs called myomiRs, which are effective regulators of muscle homeostasis, plasticity and myogenesis in both physiological and pathological conditions. After providing an overview of ALS pathophysiology, with a focus on the role of skeletal muscle, we review the current literature on myomiR network dysregulation as a contributing factor to myogenic perturbations and muscle atrophy in ALS. We argue that, in view of their critical regulatory function at the interface between MNs and skeletal muscle fiber, myomiRs are worthy of further investigation as potential molecular targets of therapeutic strategies to improve ALS symptoms and counteract disease progression.
Απόψεις για τη Διδακτική της Επιστήμης και της Τεχνολογίας
Authors: Μιχαηλίδης Παναγιώτης Γ.
Published: June 2021

Στις σύγχρονες και εξαρτώμενες από την Τεχνολογία κοινωνίες, η αποτελεσματικότητα της διδασκαλίας στην Επιστήμη (Science=Φυσικές επιστήμες) και στην Τεχνολογία αποκτά ιδιαίτερη σημασία και υπάρχουν πολλά σχετικά εμπειρικά και θεωρητικά έργα με συμπεράσματα είτε συντρέχοντα είτε αντικρουόμενα, ιδιαίτερα όταν συγκρίνονται ευρήματα από διαφορετικό πλαίσιο αναφοράς. Σε μια προσπάθεια κατανόησης των ευρημάτων, παρουσιάζονται εδώ ορισμένες παράμετροι που επηρεάζουν και πρέπει να λαμβάνονται υπόψη σε κάθε σχεδιασμό διδασκαλίας στην Επιστήμη και στην Τεχνολογία. Κυρίαρχη θέση του παρόντος άρθρου είναι, πως ο αποτελεσματικός αλφαβητισμός του πληθυσμού στην Επιστήμη και στην Τεχνολογία είναι αναγκαίος για τη διατήρηση της ευμάρειας και της δημοκρατίας στις σύγχρονες, βασισμένες στα τεχνολογικά επιτεύγματα, κοινωνίες μας και για την εξάλειψη δεισιδαιμονιών και παραλογισμών σχετικά με την Επιστήμη και την Τεχνολογία. Ο αποτελεσματικός αλφαβητισμός μπορεί να επιτευχθεί μόνο μέσα από την υποχρεωτική εκπαίδευση, της οποίας το περιεχόμενο πρέπει να προσαρμοστεί ώστε η Επιστήμη και η Τεχνολογία να αποτελούν τη σημαντικότερη συνιστώσα του.
Διδακτική Φυσικών Επιστημών και Ψηφιακές Τεχνολογίες: Όψεις και Μετασχηματισμοί
Authors: Ψύλλος Δημήτρης
Published: June 2021

Στην παρούσα εργασία, υποστηρίζουμε ότι η παιδαγωγική αξιοποίηση και ένταξη των ψηφιακών τεχνολογιών μπορεί να συντελέσει, σε κατάλληλες συνθήκες, στη βελτίωση ακόμα και στον δραστικό μετασχηματισμό της εκπαίδευσης στις Φυσικές Επιστήμες. Για τον σκοπό αυτό, εξετάζουμε τις παροχές και την αξιοποίηση των ψηφιακών τεχνολογιών, σε συνάρτηση με τις σύγχρονες έρευνες, τις διδακτικές προσεγγίσεις και τις θεωρίες στην περιοχή της Διδακτικής των Φυσικών Επιστημών. Αναλύεται και συζητείται η δημιουργική χρήση τους στη διδασκαλία και μάθηση των επιστημονικών εννοιών, των μεθόδων και της φύσης της επιστήμης. Η ένταξη των ψηφιακών τεχνολογιών έχει τη δυνατότητα υποστήριξης διδακτικών μετασχηματισμών του γνωστικού αντικειμένου, εργαστηριακής εργασίας και στρατηγικών μοντελοποίησης. Οι Διδακτικές Μαθησιακές Ακολουθίες είναι ένα κατάλληλο πλαίσιο έρευνας και ανάπτυξης, για την αξιοποίηση των ψηφιακών τεχνολογιών συνδυασμό με τη Διδακτική των Φυσικών Επιστημών.
Development and psychometric testing of the Thai impact and burden of care scale for caregivers of persons with schizophrenia and co-occurring methamphetamine use
Authors: Imkome Ek-uma
Published: June 2021

Objective: The objective of the present study was to develop the Thai version of the Impact and Burden of Care Scale for Caregivers of Persons with Schizophrenia and Co-occurring Methamphetamine Use (TIBSCSM) and test its psychometric properties.

Methods: This instrument development research subjects were 142 caregivers of persons with schizophrenia and co-occurring methamphetamine use. Sample size adequacy was tested by Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO), and Bartlett's test of sphericity tested the adequacy of the item correlation matrix. The second-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the theoretical model.

Results The 32-item TIBSCSM showed convergent validity correlations with two quality-of-life measures. Additionally, KMO=0.9, Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity χ2=5248.5, df=496, p<0.001, and internal consistency reliability was high (α=0.9). The CFA has shown that the findings are supported by the theoretical models (χ2=325.2, df=287, p<0.001, RMSEA=0.0, CFI =0.9).

Conclusion: The TIBSCSM scale has potential benefits for psychiatric nurses and psychiatric care teams to measure the impact and care burden of caregivers of persons with schizophrenia and methamphetamine use in the areas of nursing, research, education, and clinical determination.

The test results suggested that The TIBSCSM scale has potential benefits for psychiatric and mental health care team to assess the impact and burden care of schizophrenic caregiver for both research and clinical purposes, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic for providing care to relieve the impact and burden of care.
Recognizing and mediating bureaucratic barriers: increasing access to care through small private providers in Kenya
Authors: Suchman Lauren , Montagu Dominic
Published: June 2021

Background: Equitable access to health services can be constrained in countries where private practitioners make up a large portion of primary care providers, making affordability a challenge. Expanding purchasing arrangements in many countries has helped integrate private providers into government-supported payment schemes and reduced financial barriers to care. However, private providers often must go through an onerous accreditation process to enroll in government-supported financing arrangements. The difficulties of this process can be exacerbated where health policy is changed often and low-level bureaucrats must navigate these shifts at their own discretion, effectively re-interpreting or re-making policy in practice. This paper analyzes one initiative to increase private provider accreditation with social health insurance (SHI) in Kenya by creating an intermediary between providers and SHI officials.

Methods: This paper draws on 126 semi-structured interviews about SHI accreditation experience with private providers who were members of a franchise network in Kenya. It also draws on four focus group discussions conducted with franchise representatives who provided accreditation support to the providers and served as liaisons between the franchised providers and local SHI offices. There was a total of 20 participants across all four focus groups.

Results: In a regulatory environment where regulations are weak and impermanent, officials created an accreditation process that was inconsistent and opaque: applying rules unevenly, requesting bribes, and minimizing communication with providers. The support provided by the implementing organizations clarified rules, reduced the power of local bureaucrats to apply regulations at their own discretion, gave providers greater confidence in the system, and helped to standardize the accreditation process.

Conclusions: We conclude that intermediary organizations can mitigate institutional weaknesses, reduce barriers to effective care expansion caused by street-level bureaucrats, and facilitate the adoption of systems which reduce rent-seeking practices that might otherwise delay or derail initiatives to reach universal health coverage.
) TRANSITIONAL MYOCARDIAL HYPERTROPHY IN NEWBORNS (cases from practice)
Authors: Kudryavceva N. , Tokarev A. , Zharkova E. , Zykova V. , Savinyh O.
Published: June 2021

The introduction gives the morphological characteristics of myocardial hypertrophy, hy-pertrophic cardiomyopathy, as a subject of differential diagnosis. In the description of clinical cases of diagnostics of transient myocardial hypertrophy by echocardiographic method, the aim was to show the possibilities of such diagnostics in newborns
Senioritis: College Student Perceptions on Causes, Outcomes, and Support
Authors: Young-Jones Adena , McCain Jason , Burt Tracie , Drew Megan , Heim D. J.
Published: June 2021

Senioritis is characterized by tendencies such as arriving late or skipping class, decreased motivation, or behaving irresponsibly by investing little effort in schoolwork. Research on senioritis primarily focuses on high school seniors, so the present study explored the phenomenon at the college level by investigating perceptions of senioritis in college students. Results indicated that students believe senioritis exists at the college level and that supportive relationships with faculty members and advisors play a significant role in how senioritis is perceived. This study confirms the relevance of studying college-level senioritis and suggests future research to define and further explore the phenomenon.