bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patterns of thromboembolic pulmonary vascular disease in COVID‐19
Authors: Shahin Yousef , Rajaram Smitha , Parkash Vivak , Wild James M , Kiely David G , Swift Andrew J
Published: November 2020

SARS‐CoV‐2 (COVID‐19) is associated with increased thrombosis. Here, we demonstrate patterns of pulmonary vascular disease in COVID‐19 including classical acute pulmonary embolism and subsegmental perfusion defects in the absence of acute pulmonary embolism suggestive of microvascular thrombosis.
A case of comorbidities highlighting cerebral stroke, vision impairment, and dementia
Authors: Hreha Kimberly , Gupta Praveena , Reistetter Timothy
Published: November 2020

This case report is of a two-time stroke survivor with significant health comorbidities. This report highlights A.R.’s pre-existing, non-neurological vision impairments, stroke-related vision impairments, in addition to cognitive impairment and possible dementia. Information including her past medical history, current functional status, and battery of assessments that were used in the acute care hospital are detailed. Conclusions include the need for comprehensive, valid, and adapted assessments especially when comorbidities are present. We suggest that cognitive assessments that do not rely on vision may have improved the test accuracy in this case.
Critical observations of the International Prostate Symptoms Score questionnaire and proposal for amendments to simplify and improve its quality: A review
Authors: Aminu Sani
Published: November 2020

The International Prostate Symptoms Score (IPSS) is an important tool for evaluation and research in benign prostatic hyperplasia related lower urinary tract symptoms in men. It has also been validated in many languages. This article discusses issues observed in the symptoms domains, as well as issues related to the intensity of the numeracy in the scoring parameters. The objectives of this article are to analyse what could be improved on the IPSS questionnaire and to discuss a proposal for amendments. Such amendments include putting nocturia as the first question, modifying other questions, allowing maximum subjectivity for the patient, modifying the scoring system to reduce intense numeracy for the patient and adding a new section on fluid intake and medication. This would hopefully simplify the questionnaire for patients, improve its quality as well as improve communication between patients, family physicians and urologists.

Level of evidence:

Not applicable for this multicentre audit.
Creating a toolkit with stakeholders for leveraging tablet computers to support person-centred dementia care in hospitals
Authors: Shadarevian John , Chan Cheryl , Berndt Annette , Son Cathy , Gregorio Mario , Horne Neil , Mann Jim , Wallsworth Christine , Chow Bryan , O’Neill Ryan , Hung Lillian
Published: November 2020

Introduction

People with dementia may refuse care because they feel overwhelmed by an unfamiliar environment. Everyday technology such as tablets have the potential to support person-centred dementia care in hospitals.

Aims

We aimed to identify barriers and enabling factors in order to develop a toolkit to support the use of tablets in engaging individual and group activities, especially to play family videos, for hospitalized older people with dementia.

Methods

A participatory action research approach was employed. We facilitated staff focus groups and conducted interviews with stakeholders. A toolkit was developed based on participants’ perspectives on how to support successful adoption.

Results

Our analysis identified two enabling factors: users’ engagement in developing a toolkit for support and adapting implementation to meet local needs. Barriers included staff and family inexperience, mechanical instability of hardware, issues around privacy and data access, technology use and personalization of messages. The toolkit includes short videos, a brochure for family caregivers, and a pocket card for staff. Discussion and implications: Staff, family and patients start with varying levels of experience with the use of tablets, making education and support vitally important to implementation. Health organizations should involve staff, patients, and families to find practical solutions.
Birds of a Feather Get Recommended Together: Algorithmic Homophily in YouTube’s Channel Recommendations in the United States and Germany
Authors: Kaiser Jonas , Rauchfleisch Adrian
Published: November 2020

Algorithms and especially recommendation algorithms play an important role online, most notably on YouTube. Yet, little is known about the network communities that these algorithms form. We analyzed the channel recommendations on YouTube to map the communities that the social network is creating through its algorithms and to test the network for homophily, that is, the connectedness between communities. We find that YouTube’s channel recommendation algorithm fosters the creation of highly homophilous communities in the United States ( n = 13,529 channels) and in Germany ( n = 8,000 channels). Factors that seem to drive YouTube’s recommendations are topics, language, and location. We highlight the issue of homophilous communities in the context of politics where YouTube’s algorithms create far-right communities in both countries.
Delighting and Detesting Engagement: Emotional Politics of Junk News
Authors: Savolainen Laura , Trilling Damian , Liotsiou Dimitra
Published: November 2020

How do audiences make sense of and interact with political junk news on Facebook? How does the platform’s “emotional architecture” intervene in these sense-making, interactive processes? What kinds of mediated publics emerge on and through Facebook as a result? We study these questions through topic modeling 40,500 junk news articles, quantitatively analyzing their engagement metrics, and a qualitative comment analysis. This exploratory research design allows us to move between levels of public discourse, zooming in from cross-outlet talking points to microsociological processes of meaning-making, interaction, and emotional entrainment taking place within the comment boxes themselves. We propose the concepts of delighting and detesting engagement to illustrate how the interplay between audiences, platform architecture, and political junk news generates a bivalent emotional dynamic that routinely divides posts into highly “loved” and highly “angering.” We argue that high-performing (or in everyday parlance, viral) junk news bring otherwise disparate audience members together and orient their dramatic focus toward objects of collective joy, anger, or concern. In this context, the nature of political junk news is performative as they become resources for emotional signaling and the construction of group identity and shared feeling on social media. The emotions that animate junk news audiences typically refer back to a transpiring social relationship between two political sides. This affectively loaded “us” versus “them” dynamic is both enforced by Facebook’s emotional architecture and made use of by junk news publishers.
Can Formalisation Ensure Ethical Behaviour Among Teachers? The Mediating Role of Moral Efficacy
Authors: Jino Malakkaran Johny , Mathew Hima Elizabeth
Published: November 2020

Formalisation emerges as an important aspect of organisational structure, especially in the wake of disruption of organisational routines. Also, there is a growing recognition that, in recent decades, higher educational institutions started adapting several business-like managerial practices into their system. In this context, the present study aims to determine the likely effect of organisational formalisation on ethical and unethical behaviour among teachers/faculty members. In addition, the study assesses the mediating mechanism of moral efficacy in the aforementioned relationships. A survey-based method was utilised to collect data from the 689 faculty members affiliated with different higher educational institutions in southern India. Structural equation modelling results revealed that formalisation has a significant positive relation with faculty member’s ethical behaviour. However, the study did not provide evidence for the predicted negative relationship between formalisation and unethical behaviour. Further, the results suggested that moral efficacy plays a significant mediating role in both these relations. Results reinforce the underlying theoretical mechanism of social cognitive theory that human function is a reciprocal determinism between person, his/her environment, and behaviour. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed.
Rate of Surgery and Baseline Characteristics Associated With Surgery Progression in Young Athletes With Prearthritic Hip Disorders
Authors: Collis Reid W. , McCullough Andrea B. , Ng Chris , Prather Heidi , Colditz Graham A. , Clohisy John C. , Cheng Abby L.
Published: November 2020

Background:

Prearthritic hip disorders (PAHD), such as femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), acetabular dysplasia, and acetabular labral tears, are a common cause of pain and dysfunction in adolescent and young adult athletes, and optimal patient-specific treatment has not been defined. Operative management is often recommended, but conservative management may be a reasonable approach for some athletes.

Purpose:

To identify (1) the relative rate of progression to surgery in self-reported competitive athletes versus nonathletes with PAHD and (2) baseline demographic, pain, and functional differences between athletes who proceeded versus those who did not proceed to surgery within 1 year of evaluation.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

An electronic medical record review was performed of middle school, high school, and college patients who were evaluated for PAHD at a single tertiary-care academic medical center between June 22, 2015, and May 1, 2018. Extracted variables included patients’ self-reported athlete status, decision to choose surgery within 1 year of evaluation, and baseline self-reported pain and functional scores on Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) domains, the Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS), and the modified Harris Hip Score.

Results:

Of 260 eligible patients (289 hips), 203 patients (78%; 227 hips) were athletes. Athletes were no more likely to choose surgery than nonathletes (130/227 hips [57%] vs 36/62 hips [58%]; relative risk [RR], 0.99 [95% CI, 0.78-1.25]). Among athletes, those who proceeded to surgery over conservative care were more likely to be female (81% vs 69%; RR, 1.34 [95% CI, 0.98-1.83]) and had more known imaging abnormalities (FAI: 82% vs 69%, RR, 1.47 [95% CI, 1.09-1.99]; dysplasia: 48% vs 27%, RR, 1.44 [95% CI, 1.16-1.79]; mixed deformity: 30% vs 10%, RR, 2.91 [95% CI, 1.53-5.54]; known labral tear: 84% vs 40%, RR, 2.79 [95% CI, 2.06-3.76]). Athletes who chose surgery also reported worse baseline hip-specific symptoms on all HOOS subscales (mean difference, 10.8-17.7; P < .01 for all).

Conclusion:

Similar to nonathletes, just over half of athletes with PAHD chose surgical management within 1 year of evaluation. Many competitive athletes with PAHD continued with conservative management and deferred surgery, but more structural hip pathology and worse hip-related baseline physical impairment were associated with the choice to pursue surgery.
Trends and opportunities in research on disability and work: An interdisciplinary perspective
Authors: Jurado-Caraballo M Ángeles , Quintana-García Cristina , Rodríguez-Fernández Mercedes
Published: November 2020

This study aims to analyze status, trends, and possible future research areas in the literature on “disability and work.” It is an in-depth analysis of articles related to this field, published during 1991–2017, in journals included in the Science and Social Sciences Citation Index. Bibliometric methods helped to describe evolution in publications, the most representative contributors, methods applied, main concepts and theories, and topics explored (content analysis). A co-word analysis allowed to create knowledge maps on topics and identify potential venues for future research. The contribution is threefold. First, it contributes to knowledge advancement concerning disability in workplaces, opening new possibilities to discover important research areas. Second, it offers conceptual, theoretical, and methodological suggestions for future research. Third, it has practical implications related to inclusive strategies and initiatives in the workplace which human resource practitioners can use to promote the participation of workers with disabilities improving their labor experience.

JEL CLASSIFICATION M14; J71; J140; I14
Female directors and corporate reputation
Authors: Navarro-García Juan Carlos , Ramón-Llorens M Camino , García-Meca Emma
Published: November 2020

This article analyzes the relationship between female directors and corporate reputation with a Spanish sample for the period 2008–2017. We also examine two background characteristics of women directors: their busyness and their educational background, suggesting that differences can exist among women according to their level of success (measured by the number of directorships) and their education. Our analyses show that female directors improve corporate reputation, but that neither women with multiple directorships nor the educational background of female directors increases corporate reputation, perhaps because stakeholders appreciate general attributes associated with women rather than the cognitive attributes of females on boards.

JEL CLASSIFICATION M14
Size-dependent mechanical properties of twin graphene
Authors: Zhu Fangyan , Leng Jiantao , Guo Zhengrong , Chang Tienchong
Published: November 2020

Twin Graphene, a novel 2D planar semiconducting carbon allotrope predicted recently, has attracted tremendous attention due to its potential applications in nano electromechanical systems (NEMS). In this paper, we use Molecular Dynamics simulations to investigate the mechanical properties of twin graphene. By performing uniaxial tensile loading, we find that the Young’s modulus, failure stress and fracture strain of a twin graphene sheet are strongly dependent on its size. Rectangular sheets show more apparent anisotropy of mechanical properties than square sheets. Our results also demonstrate that the fracture pattern of twin graphene is dependent on its geometry, as a result of its diverse bond types and orientations. These findings present an in-depth understanding of size dependent mechanical properties of twin graphene, and may benefit its future applications as building blocks of NEMS devices.
Does Antibiotic Therapy Affect Time to Clearance in Post-Active Phase Streptococcal Guttate Psoriasis—A Case Control Study
Authors: Farrell Joshua , Stewart Thomas Jonathan , Rosen Robert Howard
Published: November 2020

Background:

The extent of the role of streptococcal infection in the pathogenesis of guttate psoriasis is still unclear. Data on the efficacy of antibiotic therapy in guttate psoriasis is limited, heterogeneous and conflicting.

Objective:

We sought to ascertain whether single-course oral antibiotic therapy affects time to skin clearance in acute post-active phase streptococcal guttate psoriasis.

Methods:

We performed a 5-year case-control study of ASOT-positive guttate psoriasis treated with or without single-course oral antibiotic therapy with 8-week follow-up.

Results:

There was no significant difference between cases and controls for time to clearance (χ2 = 0.92, p = 0.82).

Conclusion:

Our findings suggest that single-course oral antibiotic therapy may not provide any adjunctive therapeutic benefit in the treatment of acute post-active phase streptococcal guttate psoriasis.
A database of seismic designs, nonlinear models, and seismic responses for steel moment-resisting frame buildings
Authors: Guan M.EERI Xingquan , Burton M.EERI Henry , Shokrabadi Mehrdad
Published: November 2020

A number of simplified methodologies have been developed and used to estimate seismic drift demands in buildings. However, none of them have been systematically tested against a large number of buildings subjected to a diverse set of ground motions. This is partly attributed to the lack of existing databases of building designs, nonlinear structural models, and simulated seismic responses. This article introduces the development of a comprehensive database, which includes 621 special steel moment-resisting frames designed in accordance with modern codes and standards and their corresponding nonlinear structural models and seismic responses (i.e. peak story drifts, peak floor accelerations, and residual story drifts). The seismic responses for a subgroup of 100 steel moment-resisting frames subjected to three groups of site-specific ground motions (with 40 records each), at the service-level, design-based, and maximum considered earthquakes, are also included. The database has been utilized by the authors (in a separate study) to evaluate the performance of existing methods and develop data-driven and hybrid (combination of mechanics-based and data-driven) models for estimating seismic structural drift demands. The database can also be utilized in the development and implementation of a performance-based analytics-driven seismic design methodology.
Spectator medicine at an international mega sports event: Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan
Authors: Tajima Takuya , Takazawa Yuji , Yamada Mutsuo , Moriya Takuro , Sato Haruhiko , Higashihara Junichiro , Toyama Yukimasa , Chosa Etsuo , Nakamura Akihiko , Kono Ichiro
Published: November 2020

Background

The Rugby World Cup (RWC) is one of the biggest international mega sports events in the world. This study was conducted to identify and evaluate the volume, nature, and severity of spectator medical care in the stadiums of 12 venues across Japan during RWC 2019.

Method

This was a retrospective review of medical records from spectator medical rooms of 45 official matches of RWC 2019 between September 20 and November 2, 2019. All patients in the stadium who visited the spectator medical room and were transferred to a hospital were included. The wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) value at the kick-off time of each match, the number of visits to the spectator medical room, and the number of transfers to a hospital were reviewed and analyzed. The patient presentation rate (PPR) was calculated per 10,000 attendees. Severity categories were defined as mild or severe. Mild cases were considered non-life threatening requiring minimal medical intervention, and severe cases required transport to a hospital.

Result

The total number of visits to the spectator medical room was 449 with a PPR of 2.63. Most cases (91.5%) were mild in severity. The PPR was significantly higher for the matches held with a WBGT over 25 °C than for the matches under 21 °C (PPR 4.27 vs 2.04, p = 0.04). Thirty-eight cases were transferred to a hospital by ambulance; the PPR was 0.22. The most common reasons for transfer to the hospital were heat illness and fracture/dislocation, at a rate of 15.8% each. The incidence rate of cardiopulmonary arrest per 10,000 attendees was 0.0059 during RWC 2019.

Conclusion

Preparation and provision of appropriate medical service for spectators is a key factor for mass-gathering events. During RWC 2019, the majority (91.5%) of patients who sought medical attention did so for minor complaints, which were easily assessed and managed. On the other hand, a higher WBGT situation contributes significantly to an increased PPR (< 21 versus > 25, 2.04 versus 4.27, p = 0.04). Careful medical preparation, management, and development of public education programs for higher WBGT situations will be required in the future for similar international mega sports events.
Crossed complete fused left to right renal ectopia with solitary left ureter: A rare ‘Case Report’
Authors: Kumawat Ghanshyam , Singla Mohit , Mehta Nishkarsh , Gupta Prashant , Yadav SS
Published: November 2020

Background

Crossed fused renal ectopia is a rare congenital anomaly where both the kidneys are fused and situated on one side and drain bilaterally into the urinary bladder. Rarely crossed fused ectopia can present with a single ureter draining ipsilaterally into the bladder, but here we are presenting for the first time a rare case of right crossed fused ectopia, where a solitary ureter crosses midline and drains contralaterally into the bladder.

Case presentation

A 19-year-old adolescent male patient presented with intermittent chronic right flank pain for 3 months. General physical and per abdominal examinations were normal. Computerized tomography (CT) urography showed right side crossed fused ectopic kidneys with a solitary ureter draining both the kidneys and opening into the left side of the urinary bladder. The patient was managed conservatively and is on regular follow-up.

Conclusion

Crossed complete renal fused ectopia with solitary contralateral ureteral is a rare case. Individualized case-based management is needed depending upon the symptoms, associated anomalies, and pathology. Reporting of all rare congenital cases will help in the future understanding and management of these conditions.
Regulatory effect of heat shock transcription factor-1 gene on heat shock proteins and its transcriptional regulation analysis in small abalone Haliotis diversicolor
Authors: Zhang Xin , Li Yuting , Sun Yulong , Guo Mingxing , Feng Jianjun , Wang Yilei , Zhang Ziping
Published: November 2020

Background

The effects of diverse stresses ultimately alter the structures and functions of proteins. As molecular chaperones, heat shock proteins (HSPs) are a group of highly conserved proteins that help in the refolding of misfolded proteins and the elimination of irreversibly damaged proteins. They are mediated by a family of transcription factors called heat shock factors (HSFs). The small abalone Haliotis diversicolor is a species naturally distributed along the southern coast of China. In this study, the expression of HdHSF1 was inhibited by RNAi in hemocytes in order to further elucidate the regulatory roles of HdHSF1 on heat shock responsive genes in abalone. Meanwhile, to understand the transcriptional regulation of the HdHSF1 gene, the 5′-upstream regulatory region of HdHSF1 was characterized, and the relative promoter activity was examined by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay system in HEK293T cell lines.

Results

After the inhibition of the H. diversicolor HSF1 gene (HdHSF1) by dsRNA (double-stranded RNA), the expression of most heat shock related-genes was down-regulated (p < 0.05). It indicated the importance of HdHSF1 in the heat shock response of H. diversicolor. Meanwhile, 5′-flanking region sequence (2633 bp) of the HdHSF1 gene was cloned; it contained a putative core promoter region, TATA box, CAAT box, CpG island, and many transcription elements. In HEK293T cells, the 5′-flanking region sequence can drive expression of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), proving its promoter function. Exposure of cells to the high-temperature (39 °C and 42 °C) resulted in the activation of HdHSF1 promoter activity, which may explain why the expression of the HdHSF1 gene participates in heat shock response. Luciferase activity of different recombinant plasmids, which contained different truncated promoter fragments of the HdHSF1 gene in HEK293T cells, revealed the possible active regions of the promoter. To further identify the binding site of the critical transcription factor in the region, an expression vector with the site-directed mutation was constructed. After being mutated on the GATA-1 binding site, we found that the luciferase activity was significantly increased, which suggested that the GATA-1 binding site has a certain weakening effect on the activity of the HdHSF1 promoter.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that GATA-1 may be one of the transcription factors of HdHSF1, and a possible signaling pathway mediated by HdHSF1 may exist in H. diversicolor to counteract the adverse effects of heat shock stress.
Comprehensive dissection into morpho-physiologic responses, ionomic homeostasis, and transcriptomic profiling reveals the systematic resistance of allotetraploid rapeseed to salinity
Authors: Feng Ying-na , Cui Jia-qian , Zhou Ting , Liu Ying , Yue Cai-peng , Huang Jin-yong , Hua Ying-peng
Published: November 2020

Background

Salinity severely inhibit crop growth, yield, and quality worldwide. Allotetraploid rapeseed (Brassica napus L.), a major glycophyte oil crop, is susceptible to salinity. Understanding the physiological and molecular strategies of rapeseed salinity resistance is a promising and cost-effective strategy for developing highly resistant cultivars.

Results

First, early leaf senescence was identified and root system growth was inhibited in rapeseed plants under severe salinity conditions. Electron microscopic analysis revealed that 200 mM NaCl induced fewer leaf trichomes and stoma, cell plasmolysis, and chloroplast degradation. Primary and secondary metabolite assays showed that salinity led to an obviously increased anthocyanin, osmoregulatory substances, abscisic acid, jasmonic acid, pectin, cellulose, reactive oxygen species, and antioxidant activity, and resulted in markedly decreased photosynthetic pigments, indoleacetic acid, cytokinin, gibberellin, and lignin. ICP-MS assisted ionomics showed that salinity significantly constrained the absorption of essential elements, including the nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, mangnese, copper, zinc, and boron nutrients, and induced the increase in the sodium/potassium ratio. Genome-wide transcriptomics revealed that the differentially expressed genes were involved mainly in photosynthesis, stimulus response, hormone signal biosynthesis/transduction, and nutrient transport under salinity.

Conclusions

The high-resolution salt-responsive gene expression profiling helped the efficient characterization of central members regulating plant salinity resistance. These findings might enhance integrated comprehensive understanding of the morpho-physiologic and molecular responses to salinity and provide elite genetic resources for the genetic modification of salinity-resistant crop species.
The soybean gene GmHsp22.4 is involved in the resistance response to Meloidogyne javanica in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Hishinuma-Silva Suellen Mika , Lopes-Caitar Valéria Stefania , Nomura Rafael Bruno Guayato , Sercero Bruna Caroline , da Silva Aline Garcia , da Cruz Gallo De Carvalho Mayra Costa , de Oliveira Negrão Lopes Ivani , Dias Waldir Pereira , Marcelino-Guimarães Francismar Corrêa
Published: November 2020

Background

Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) belong to the class of molecular chaperones that respond to biotic and abiotic stresses in plants. A previous study has showed strong induction of the gene GmHsp22.4 in response to the nematodeMeloidogyne javanicain a resistant soybean genotype, while repression in a susceptible one. This study aimed to investigate the functional involvement of this small chaperone in response toM. javanicainArabidopsis thaliana. First, it was evaluated the activation of the promoter region after the nematode inoculation, and the occurrence of polymorphisms between resistant and susceptible re-sequenced soybean accessions. Then functional analysis usingA. thalianalines overexpressing the soybean GmHsp22.4 gene, and knocked-out mutants were challenged withM. javanicainfestation.

Results

High expression levels of the GFP gene marker in transformedA. thalianaplants revealed that the promoter region of GmHsp22.4 was strongly activated after nematode inoculation. Moreover, the multiplication of the nematode was significantly reduced in plants overexpressing GmHsp22.4 gene inA. thalianacompared to the wild type. Additionally, the multiplication ofM. javanicain theA. thalianamutants was significantly increased mainly in the eventathsp22.0–2. This increase was not that evident in the eventathsp22.0–1, the one that preserved a portion of the promoter region, including the HSEs in the region around − 83 bp. However, structural analysis at sequence level among soybean resistant and susceptible genotypes did not detect any polymorphisms in the whole gene model.

Conclusions

The soybean chaperone GmHsp22.4 is involved in the defense response to root-knot nematodeM. javanicainA. thaliana. Specifically, the promoter region covering until − 191 from the transcriptional start site (TSS) is necessary to promoter activation after nematode infection in Arabidopsis. No polymorphisms that could explain these differences in the defense response were detected in the GmHsp22.4 gene between resistant and susceptible soybean genotypes. Therefore, further investigation is needed to elucidate the triggering factor of the plant’s defense mechanism, both at the sequence level of the soybean genotypes presenting contrasting reaction to root-knot nematode and by detecting cis-elements that are essential for the activation of the GmHsp22.4 gene promoter.
Initial results from a multi-center population-based cluster randomized trial of esophageal and gastric cancer screening in China
Authors: Zeng Hongmei , Sun Kexin , Cao Maomao , Zheng Rongshou , Sun Xibin , Liu Shuzheng , Zhang Zhiyi , Liu Yuqin , Guo Guizhou , Song Guohui , Zhu Yigong , Wu Xianghong , Song Bingbing , Liao Xianzhen , Chen Yanfang , Song Mingyang , Giovannucci Edward , Zhuang Guihua , Wei Wenqiang , Chen Wanqing , He Jie
Published: November 2020

Background

We initiated the first multi-center cluster randomized trial of endoscopic screening for esophageal cancer and gastric cancer in China. The objective of the study was to report the baseline screening findings in this trial.

Methods

We recruited a total of 345 eligible clusters from seven screening centers. In the intervention group, participants from high-risk areas were screened by endoscopy; in non-high-risk areas, high-risk individuals were identified using a questionnaire and advised for endoscopy. Lugol’s iodine staining in esophagus and indigo carmine dye in stomach were performed to aid in the diagnosis of suspicious lesions. The primary outcomes of this study were the detection rate (proportion of positive cases among individuals who underwent endoscopic screening) and early detection rate (the proportion of positive cases with stage 0/I among all positive cases).

Results

A total of 149,956 eligible subjects were included. The detection rate was 0.7% in esophagus and 0.8% in stomach, respectively. Compared with non-high-risk areas, the detection rates in high-risk areas were higher, both in esophagus (0.9% vs. 0.1%) and in stomach (0.9% vs. 0.3%). The same difference was found for early-detection rate (esophagus: 92.9% vs. 53.3%; stomach: 81.5% vs. 33.3%).

Conclusions

The diagnostic yield of both esophagus and stomach were higher in high-risk areas than in non-high-risk areas, even though in non-high-risk areas, only high-risk individuals were screened. Our study may provide important clues for evaluating and improving the effectiveness of upper-endoscopic screening in China.

Trial registration: Protocol Registration System in Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-EOR-16008577. Registered 01 June 2016-Retrospectively registered, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showprojen.aspx?proj=14372
Clinical and pathological findings of SARS-CoV-2 infection and concurrent IgA nephropathy: a case report
Authors: Huang Yi , Li Xiao-Juan , Li Yue-Qiang , Dai Wei , Shao Tiffany , Liu Wei-Yong , Han Min , Xu Gang , Liu Liu
Published: November 2020

Background

Since the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, there is accumulating data on the clinical characteristics, treatment strategies and prognosis of COVID-19 in patients with concurrent renal disease. Postmortem investigations reveal renal involvement in COVID-19, and most recently, several biopsy researches reveal that acute tubular injury, as well as glomerular nephropathy such as collapsing glomerulopathy were common histological findings. However, to our best knowledge, there is limited data regarding IgA nephropathy in the setting of COVID-19.

Case presentation

In the present case, we report a 65-year old Chinese woman who presented with dark-colored urine, worsening proteinuria and decreased renal function after COVID-19 infection. She received a renal biopsy during COVID-19 infection. The renal biopsy revealed IgA nephropathy without any evidence for SARS-Cov-2. The findings suggest that the renal abnormalities were a consequence of exacerbation of this patient’s underlying glomerular disease after COVID-19 infection. After a regimen of 3-day course of glucocorticoid and angiotensin II receptor blocker therapy, the patient recovered and remained stable upon follow-up.

Conclusions

It is important to consider the underlying glomerular disease exacerbation as well as virus induced injury when dealing with renal abnormalities in patients with COVID-19. A kidney biopsy may be indicated to exclude a rapidly progressive glomerular disease.
Hyperacute relapse of Lewis-Sumner syndrome during influenza A (H1N1) virus infection
Authors: Ribeiro Luís , Monteiro Ana , Martins João
Published: November 2020

Background

Lewis-Sumner Syndrome (LSS) is considered an asymmetric sensory-motor variant of Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP), mostly affecting the limbs distally, with electrophysiological evidence of multifocal motor conduction blocks. Cranial nerve involvement is present in a minority. Various well-known infectious agents, directly or via the host’s immune responses, may trigger or exacerbate acute and chronic peripheral neuropathies, which may manifest clinically through a multitude of signs and symptoms.

Case presentation

We present the case of a 57-year-old male with Lewis-Sumner Syndrome, whose clinical course was quite stable over many years. He developed severe hyperacute relapse of his neuropathic disease in the context of active pneumonia due to influenza A (H1N1) virus infection. During this exacerbation, besides the obvious worsening of the previous asymmetric limb involvement, the patient also manifested left peripheral facial palsy and dysphagia that rapidly evolved over minutes, mimicking a stroke. The patient also showed rapid recovery, with marked improvement of the acute neuropathic dysfunction, immediately after initiation of treatment with oseltamivir. Our hypothesis is that the direct modulation of Na + ion channel activity in the host’s peripheral nerve cell by H1N1 viral proteins could cause acute and potentially reversible dysfunction in the conduction of nerve action potentials. Direct viral neuritis could also have been the cause. Immunomodulatory agents, namely IVIg, were not administered due to the swift clinical improvement noticed in the following days.

Conclusions

We aim to raise awareness of the possibility of atypical neurological presentations of viral infections, especially relevant in the context of the pandemic the world is now facing.
Carboxymethyl chitosan reduces inflammation and promotes osteogenesis in a rabbit knee replacement model
Authors: Liu Feng , Li Hai-Yan , Wang Zhen , Zhang Hai-Ning , Wang Ying-Zhen , Xu Hao
Published: November 2020

Background

The major causes of failure after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) include prosthesis loosening and infection. This study aimed to investigate the role of carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) in knee arthroplasty.

Methods

A total of 20 New Zealand white rabbits that were divided into two groups (10 in the control group and 10 in the chitosan group) were included in the study. They underwent TKA surgery, and all were implanted with titanium rod prostheses; the prosthesis in the chitosan group was coated with CMC. After 12 weeks, all rabbits were euthanized, and the following analyses of some specific surface membrane tissues around the prosthesis were performed: X-ray analysis; micro-computed tomography scan; haematoxylin and eosin, Van Gieson, and Von Kossa staining; reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; and Western Blotting.

Results

The result of CCK8 test showed CMC can promote cell proliferation and increase cell viability. Radiological result showed better amount of bone deposits and more bone formation in the chitosan group. HE staining result showed CMC reduces inflammation around the prosthesis. The VG and Von Kossa staining results showed CMC can promote bone deposition around prosthesis. And according to the results of PCR and WB, the OCN content was higher in the chitosan group, while the MMPs content was lower. The chitosan group has an increased OPG/RANKL ratio than the control group.

Conclusion

CMC can effectively inhibit the inflammatory response around the prosthesis and osteoclast activation and promote osteogenesis by interfering with the osteoprotegerin/receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-Β ligand/receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-Β signalling pathway.
A comparative case study of prescribing and non-prescribing physiotherapists and podiatrists
Authors: Carey Nicola , Edwards Judith , Otter Simon , Gage Heather , Williams Peter , Courtenay Molly , Moore Ann , Stenner Karen
Published: November 2020

Background

Increasing numbers of nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals across the world have prescribing rights for medicines: over 90,000 of the eligible United Kingdom workforce are qualified as non-doctor prescribers. In order to inform future developments, it is important to understand the benefits and impact of prescribing by allied health professionals including physiotherapists and podiatrists.

Aim

to compare outcomes of physiotherapist and podiatrist Independent Prescriber (PP- IP) patients with those of physiotherapist and podiatrist non-prescribers (PP-NPs). Outcome measures included patient satisfaction, ease of access to services, quality of life and cost implications.

Design: a mixed method comparative case study.

Methods

Using mixed methods of data collection, outcomes were compared between 7 sites where care was provided from a PP-IP (3 podiatrist and 4 physiotherapist IPs) and 7 sites from a PP-NP (3 podiatrist and 4 physiotherapist NPs). Patients were followed up for 2 months (2015–2016).

Results

489 patients were recruited: n = 243 IP sites, and n = 246 NP sites. Independent prescribing was found to be highly acceptable, and equivalent in terms of quality of life (p > 0.05) and patient satisfaction (p ≤ 0.05) compared to care provided by NPs. PP-IP care delivery was found to be more resource intensive than PP-NP, with longer consultation duration for IPs (around 6.5 mins), and a higher proportion of physiotherapy patients discussed with medical colleagues (around 9.5 min).

Conclusion

This study provides new knowledge that PP-IPs provide high levels of care. PP-IP care delivery was found to be more resource intensive. Further research is required to explore cost effectiveness. A more focussed exploration within each profession using targeted outcome measures would enable a more robust comparison, inform future developments around the world and help ensure non-doctor prescribing is recognised as an effective way to alleviate shortfalls in the global workforce.
CloneSifter: enrichment of rare clones from heterogeneous cell populations
Authors: Feldman David , Tsai FuNien , Garrity Anthony J. , O’Rourke Ryan , Brenan Lisa , Ho Patricia , Gonzalez Elizabeth , Konermann Silvana , Johannessen Cory M. , Beroukhim Rameen , Bandopadhayay Pratiti , Blainey Paul C.
Published: November 2020

Background

Many biological processes, such as cancer metastasis, organismal development, and acquisition of resistance to cytotoxic therapy, rely on the emergence of rare sub-clones from a larger population. Understanding how the genetic and epigenetic features of diverse clones affect clonal fitness provides insight into molecular mechanisms underlying selective processes. While large-scale barcoding with NGS readout has facilitated cellular fitness assessment at the population level, this approach does not support characterization of clones prior to selection. Single-cell genomics methods provide high biological resolution, but are challenging to scale across large populations to probe rare clones and are destructive, limiting further functional analysis of important clones.

Results

Here, we develop CloneSifter, a methodology for tracking and enriching rare clones throughout their response to selection. CloneSifter utilizes a CRISPR sgRNA-barcode library that facilitates the isolation of viable cells from specific clones within the barcoded population using a sequence-specific retrieval reporter. We demonstrate that CloneSifter can measure clonal fitness of cancer cell models in vitro and retrieve targeted clones at abundance as low as 1 in 1883 in a heterogeneous cell population.

Conclusions

CloneSifter provides a means to track and access specific and rare clones of interest across dynamic changes in population structure to comprehensively explore the basis of these changes.
Open questions: how do engineered nanomaterials affect our cells?
Authors: Barrios Daniela , Segatori Laura
Published: November 2020

Our cells have evolutionarily conserved mechanisms that battle foreign and toxic materials to maintain cellular homeostasis and viability. How do these cellular machineries respond to engineered nanomaterials?
The dynamic wound microbiome
Authors: Liu Chunan , Ponsero Alise J. , Armstrong David G. , Lipsky Benjamin A. , Hurwitz Bonnie L.
Published: November 2020

Background

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) account for the majority of all limb amputations and hospitalizations due to diabetes complications. With 30 million cases of diabetes in the USA and 500,000 new diagnoses each year, DFUs are a growing health problem. Diabetes patients with limb amputations have high postoperative mortality, a high rate of secondary amputation, prolonged inpatient hospital stays, and a high incidence of re-hospitalization. DFU-associated amputations constitute a significant burden on healthcare resources that cost more than 10 billion dollars per year. Currently, there is no way to identify wounds that will heal versus those that will become severely infected and require amputation.

Main body

Accurate identification of causative pathogens in diabetic foot ulcers is a critical component of effective treatment. Compared to traditional culture-based methods, advanced sequencing technologies provide more comprehensive and unbiased profiling on wound microbiome with a higher taxonomic resolution, as well as functional annotation such as virulence and antibiotic resistance. In this review, we summarize the latest developments in defining the microbiology of diabetic foot ulcers that have been unveiled by sequencing technologies and discuss both the future promises and current limitations of these approaches. In particular, we highlight the temporal patterns and system dynamics in the diabetic foot microbiome monitored and measured during wound progression and medical intervention, and explore the feasibility of molecular diagnostics in clinics.

Conclusion

Molecular tests conducted during weekly office visits to clean and examine DFUs would allow clinicians to offer personalized treatment and antibiotic therapy. Personalized wound management could reduce healthcare costs, improve quality of life for patients, and recoup lost productivity that is important not only to the patient, but also to healthcare payers and providers. These efforts could also improve antibiotic stewardship and control the rise of “superbugs” vital to global health.
circPARD3 drives malignant progression and chemoresistance of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma by inhibiting autophagy through the PRKCI-Akt-mTOR pathway
Authors: Gao Wei , Guo Huina , Niu Min , Zheng Xiwang , Zhang Yuliang , Xue Xuting , Bo Yunfeng , Guan Xiaoya , Li Zhongxun , Guo Yujia , He Long , Zhang Yu , Li Li , Cao Jimin , Wu Yongyan
Published: November 2020

Background

Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is the second most common malignant tumor in head and neck. Autophagy and circular RNAs (circRNAs) play critical roles in cancer progression and chemoresistance. However, the function and mechanism of circRNA in autophagy regulation of LSCC remain unclear.

Methods

The autophagy-suppressive circRNA circPARD3 was identified via RNA sequencing of 107 LSCC tissues and paired adjacent normal mucosal (ANM) tissues and high-content screening. RT-PCR, Sanger sequencing, qPCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization were performed to detect circPARD3 expression and subcellular localization. Biological functions of circPARD3 were assessed by proliferation, migration, invasion, autophagic flux, and chemoresistance assays using in vitro and in vivo models. The mechanism of circPARD3 was investigated by RNA immunoprecipitation, RNA pulldown, luciferase reporter assays, western blotting and immunohistochemical staining.

Results

Autophagy was inhibited in LSCC, and circPARD3 was upregulated in the LSCC tissues (n = 100, p < 0.001). High circPARD3 level was associated with advanced T stages (p < 0.05), N stages (p = 0.001), clinical stages (p < 0.001), poor differentiation degree (p = 0.025), and poor prognosis (p = 0.002) of LSCC patients (n = 100). Functionally, circPARD3 inhibited autophagy and promoted LSCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion and chemoresistance. We further revealed that activation of the PRKCI-Akt-mTOR pathway through sponging miR-145-5p was the main mechanism of circPARD3 inhibited autophagy, promoting LSCC progression and chemoresistance.

Conclusion

Our study reveals that the novel autophagy-suppressive circPARD3 promotes LSCC progression and chemoresistance through the PRKCI-Akt-mTOR pathway, providing new insights into circRNA-mediated autophagy regulation and potential biomarker and target for LSCC treatment.

Graphical abstract
Correction to: Substrate utilization and energy expenditure pattern in sepsis by indirect calorimetry
Authors: Li Andrew , Mukhopadhyay Amartya
Published: November 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.