bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Discovery of pan-cancer related genes via integrative network analysis
Authors: Zhu Yuan , Zhang Houwang , Yang Yuanhang , Zhang Chaoyang , Ou-Yang Le , Bai Litai , Deng Minghua , Yi Ming , Liu Song , Wang Chao
Published: June 2022

Identification of cancer-related genes is helpful for understanding the pathogenesis of cancer, developing targeted drugs and creating new diagnostic and therapeutic methods. Considering the complexity of the biological laboratory methods, many network-based methods have been proposed to identify cancer-related genes at the global perspective with the increasing availability of high-throughput data. Some studies have focused on the tissue-specific cancer networks. However, cancers from different tissues may share common features, and those methods may ignore the differences and similarities across cancers during the establishment of modeling. In this work, in order to make full use of global information of the network, we first establish the pan-cancer network via differential network algorithm, which not only contains heterogeneous data across multiple cancer types but also contains heterogeneous data between tumor samples and normal samples. Second, the node representation vectors are learned by network embedding. In contrast to ranking analysis-based methods, with the help of integrative network analysis, we transform the cancer-related gene identification problem into a binary classification problem. The final results are obtained via ensemble classification. We further applied these methods to the most commonly used gene expression data involving six tissue-specific cancer types. As a result, an integrative pan-cancer network and several biologically meaningful results were obtained. As examples, nine genes were ultimately identified as potential pan-cancer-related genes. Most of these genes have been reported in published studies, thus showing our method’s potential for application in identifying driver gene candidates for further biological experimental verification.
RegEl corpus: identifying DNA regulatory elements in the scientific literature
Authors: Garda Samuele , Lenihan-Geels Freyda , Proft Sebastian , Hochmuth Stefanie , Schülke Markus , Seelow Dominik , Leser Ulf
Published: June 2022

High-throughput technologies led to the generation of a wealth of data on regulatory DNA elements in the human genome. However, results from disease-driven studies are primarily shared in textual form as scientific articles. Information extraction (IE) algorithms allow this information to be (semi-)automatically accessed. Their development, however, is dependent on the availability of annotated corpora. Therefore, we introduce RegEl (Regulatory Elements), the first freely available corpus annotated with regulatory DNA elements comprising 305 PubMed abstracts for a total of 2690 sentences. We focus on enhancers, promoters and transcription factor binding sites. Three annotators worked in two stages, achieving an overall 0.73 F1 inter-annotator agreement and 0.46 for regulatory elements. Depending on the entity type, IE baselines reach F1-scores of 0.48–0.91 for entity detection and 0.71–0.88 for entity normalization. Next, we apply our entity detection models to the entire PubMed collection and extract co-occurrences of genes or diseases with regulatory elements. This generates large collections of regulatory elements associated with 137 870 unique genes and 7420 diseases, which we make openly available.

Database URL: https://zenodo.org/record/6418451#.YqcLHvexVqg
Robust prestack seismic facies analysis using shearlet transform-based deep learning
Authors: Liu Pu , Li Rui , Yue Yuehua , Liao Songjie , Qian Feng
Published: June 2022

One of the primary purposes of seismic stratigraphy is to evaluate the components of seismic layer relationships within a depositional chronology. Prestack seismic images contain a wealth of information, such as variations in the offset and azimuth of a seismic event, and naturally produce higher-resolution seismic facies analysis results than poststack data. However, prestack data usually suffer from potential unreliability issues due to low signal-to-noise ratios. As this is often overlooked, the present facies analysis methods sometimes fail to extract accurate features from prestack images, which inevitably influences the facies analysis results. To address this issue, this article provides a robust data-driven technique for extracting offset-temporal features via shearlet transform-based deep convolution autoencoders (STCAEs). Unlike the present facies analysis in the time domain, STCAE can optimally represent prestack images at multiple scales and directions through the two-dimensional shearlet transform, which preserves fine edges while suppressing noise in prestack images. Subsequently, robust features are extracted from prestack images in a data-driven manner through a contractive convolutional autoencoder network. We compare our method with other advanced methods and demonstrate the advantages of the proposed approach in classifying seismic layers in prestack data.
What the harm principle says about vaccination and healthcare rationing
Authors: Robertson Christopher
Published: June 2022

Clinical ethicists hold near consensus on the view that healthcare should be provided regardless of patients’ past behaviors. In classic cases, the consensus can be explained by two key rationales—a lack of acute scarcity and the intractability of the facts around those behaviors, which make discrimination on past behavior gratuitous and infeasible to do fairly. Healthcare providers have a duty to help those who can be helped. In contrast, the COVID-19 pandemic suggests the possible recurrence of a very different situation, where a foreseeable acute shortage of healthcare resources means that some cannot be helped. And that shortage is exacerbated by the discrete decision of some to decline a free, safe, and highly effective vaccine, where the facts are clear. In such a future case, if healthcare must be denied to some patients, rationers who ignore vaccination status will become complicit in externalizing the consequences of refusing vaccination onto those who did not refuse. I argue that giving the unvaccinated person healthcare resources that would have otherwise gone to other patients is to wrongfully set back the interests of, or harm, those patients. The article considers rejoinders around the voluntariness of the vaccination choice, which impinges both access and information, and how to scale this criterion proportionally with other rationing criteria that serve utility. Ultimately, the article speculates on why there will be some cognitive dissonance under this approach, while upholding a more general solidarity with and concern for all those seeking healthcare.
Nanotechnology for the management of COVID-19 during the pandemic and in the post-pandemic era
Authors: Xu Chun , Lei Chang , Hosseinpour Sepanta , Ivanovski Saso , Walsh Laurence J , Khademhosseini Ali
Published: June 2022

Following the global COVID-19 pandemic, nanotechnology has been at the forefront of research efforts and enables the fast development of diagnostic tools, vaccines and antiviral treatment for this novel virus (SARS-CoV-2). In this review, we first summarize nanotechnology with regard to the detection of SARS-CoV-2, including nanoparticle-based techniques such as rapid antigen testing, and nanopore-based sequencing and sensing techniques. Then we investigate nanotechnology as it applies to the development of COVID-19 vaccines and anti-SARS-CoV-2 nanomaterials. We also highlight nanotechnology for the post-pandemic era, by providing tools for the battle with SARS-CoV-2 variants and for enhancing the global distribution of vaccines. Nanotechnology not only contributes to the management of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic but also provides platforms for the prevention, rapid diagnosis, vaccines and antiviral drugs of possible future virus outbreaks.
Self-Evaluation in Competition Pools
Authors: Alicke Mark D. , Zhang Yiyue , Stephenson Nicole B. , Zell Ethan
Published: June 2022

This chapter provides an overview of theory and research on competition pools, namely, salient groups in which social comparisons occur routinely and exert a significant impact on self-evaluations. The authors conceptualize competition pools broadly to include competitions among friends, family, coworkers, teammates, and classmates. After a brief overview of social comparison theory, the authors describe the impact of social comparisons that arise in competition pools. Further, the authors note that effects of social comparisons often occur alongside effects of intrapersonal or temporal comparisons. Next, the authors discuss research on how people evaluate referents who outperform them in competition pools. This research, including work on the genius effect and referent status neglect, suggests that people selectively consider the skill level of the referent in order to maintain a positive self-image. The authors then turn to the distinction between local versus global competition pools. Informed by research on the big-fish-little-pond effect and local dominance, the authors argue that social comparisons are most impactful when made locally, among a few immediate others, as opposed to globally, with larger groups. Finally, the chapter concludes by highlighting broader implications of research on competition pools for social comparison theory as well as directions for future research.
W. E. B. Du Bois’s International Lens on Modern US Philanthropy and His Fleeting Hopes for Reform
Authors: Morey Maribel
Published: June 2022

This chapter calls on Du Boisian and US philanthropy scholars alike to acknowledge W. E. B. Du Bois’s breadth of knowledge on, and critique of, modern US philanthropic organizations at the international level during the first half of the twentieth century. Describing Du Bois as an avant-garde critical scholar of these elite US organizations across disciplines and oceans, this chapter furthermore describes his fleeting hopes in the 1930s that they would reform their white supremacist ways. Du Bois then was hopeful that these US foundations—established by US titans of industry and their heirs—would alter their longstanding practices of privileging the work, advice, and interests of white people over Black people in the US and throughout colonial Africa and, in doing so, would finance a pan-African encyclopedia shaped by a leading Black scholar such as himself. However, as Du Bois long had known and painfully experienced firsthand in the 1930s, he never would live through a moment of meaningful reform in these key institutions of US capitalism on the world stage.
The Rise and Fall of Fossil Fuels
Authors: Rabinowitz Dan
Published: June 2022

The nexus of modernity, energy, and climate is analyzed along five interconnected processes: industrial mechanization, the ascent of fossil fuels, material growth in late modernity, greenhouse gas emissions and climate change as unintended consequences, and the current eclipse of fossil fuels in favor of renewables as response. Consequential everywhere, these dynamics have had particularly dramatic impacts in the oil-rich countries of the Persian/Arabian Gulf. Two of them—the ascent of Middle-Eastern oil as pillar of the global economy and the role the region could play in the transition to renewables—have global gravitas. As the oil economy runs its course and as post-normal climate becomes a reality, the Gulf’s future is uncertain. Responding to this dual threat, could countries in the Gulf divert from opposition to the global energy transition to becoming part of it? Should that happen, how will liberal-minded environmentalists, now at the helm of mainstream global efforts to curb climate change, view such intervention? Will despots with tainted records in the realms of human rights, equality, and democratic principles who now seek to steer the global energy transition in their favor be seen as worthy partners to the urgent effort to save the planet’s climate?
War and Environmental Politics
Authors: Sowers Jeannie , Weinthal Erika
Published: June 2022

The natural environment continues to be a casualty of war and a weapon in war. Yet the effects of war on civilian populations and environments remain understudied in comparative environmental politics (CEP). This chapter surveys the different ways that the environment and natural resources are linked to armed conflict and to preparations for war across time and space. Through a comparative politics lens, we analyze the environmental impacts of war, linking these to “peacetime” political economies and the continued expansion of military-security complexes in both authoritarian and democratic regimes. We examine the intensifying environmental impacts of military activities, focusing on the examples of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, military land use, the nuclear arms race, and toxic contamination, and the widespread secrecy and lack of accountability around these issues. The chapter then turns to how renewable and non-renewable natural resources are exploited in conflict, and how warring parties target and weaponize environments and natural resources during war. We further highlight how attacks on civilian infrastructure create long-lasting reverberating harm on ecosystems and human health. This chapter thus calls for greater attention in CEP to understanding the environmental impacts of both war and permanent preparation for war.
Climate and Conflict
Authors: Daoudy Marwa
Published: June 2022

Does climate change cause conflict? Syria is often mentioned as a key case where climate change caused social protest and revolt. Specifically, some scholars and analysts invoke droughts from climate change as an independent variable that caused the 2011 uprisings and civil war. Drawing on various subfields of environmental politics, security studies, and political economy, this case study of Syria focuses specifically on one key facet of how systems of power shape environmental precarity: the relationship between ideology and resource policy. Drawing on primary sources and interviews, this research shows how the exigencies of political ideology and its contingent infrastructure policies exacerbated environmental and socio-economic vulnerabilities. This analysis tells an alternative story of resource scarcity and conflict with the aim of refining the critical study of environmental security and conflict. Lessons drawn from this case help illuminate other instances in the Global South where climate change conflates with conflict.
Jane Addams on Play, Education, and Ethical Teaching
Authors: Boronat Núria Sara Miras
Published: June 2022

This chapter addresses Addams’s contribution to childhood education. In Democracy and Social Ethics (1902), Addams claims that the cause of many of our problems is a lack of imagination that prevents us from understanding the experience of other people. Although Addams never wrote a treatise on education (with the exception of The Spirit of the Youth and the City Streets, 1909), notes on play, the arts, and education are scattered throughout all her main works. Not only was her development of these concepts was not only inspired by John Dewey’s work in Chicago’s Laboratory School, but she was also acquainted with the advances of play and education theorists such as Friedrich Frobel, Karl Groos, and Maria Montessori. She expanded these ideas in ways that could be useful for today’s educational challenges. Addams’s revolutionary views are presented regarding (a) the social value of children’s experience and its relation to democracy; (b) the conceptual interdependence of play, the arts, and recreation for children and adults; and (c) the criticism of college education and the possibility of “ethical teaching” with a special focus on service-learning.
Superdiversity and the Everyday
Authors: Wise Amanda
Published: June 2022

The chapter situates superdiversity as an enriching paradigm for the concept of everyday multiculturalism, one that demands more granular assessment of power and inequality in relation to quotidian coexistence. It argues that temporary legal status gives shape to the politics, sociabilities, possibilities, and outcomes of lived diversity in everyday multiculturalism. The domains of work and neighborhood are highlighted as spaces of encounter, and the core variable is not racial, ethnic, or national origin, but temporary visa status. Challenging colloquial “too local” understandings of “everyday multiculturalism,” the chapter shows how the wider economic and institutional forces that underpin temporariness as an increasingly typical mode of migrant existence profoundly shape opportunity structures for convivial encounter, social relations, and the formation of communities-in-difference.
ACT for Children and Adolescents
Authors: Petersen Julie M. , Hayes Louise , Gillard Duncan , Ciarrochi Joseph
Published: June 2022

Mental health concerns among children and adolescents are a common and growing international concern. Working with youth requires a developmental lens in order to capture the range of changes and contexts that younger populations experience. This article reviews the rationale, implementation, and research on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for youth, with a specific focus on the DNA-V (Discoverer, Noticer, Advisor, and Values) model. Discussed here are challenges (e.g., working with parents) and future directions (e.g., diverse samples, longitudinal study designs) in researching and applying ACT. Overall, significant preliminary evidence supports the use of ACT with younger populations, particularly within certain conditions (e.g., chronic pain).
Historical Origins of Many Commonly Used Neuropsychological Tests
Authors: Barr William B.
Published: June 2022

Results of practice surveys indicate that clinical neuropsychologists tend to use a clinical test battery consisting of a flexible collection of tests. This chapter traces the origins and history of many of the tests commonly employed in a neuropsychological test battery. What is evident is that approximately 30% of the tests that are employed in contemporary test batteries have origins more than 100 years old. Many of the tests currently used by neuropsychologists are based on dated theories, have not been updated for use with modern digital technology, and fail to address the needs of an increasingly diverse population. Although learning the historical origins of commonly used neuropsychological tests enriches our knowledge and appreciation for how the field has developed, it also places our methodology in a context that makes it clear that there is a need for a continuing evolution of the field’s methodology in order to keep current in an ever-changing world.
Over 40 Years of Teacher Self-Efficacy Research
Authors: Berg David A. G.
Published: June 2022

Raising the academic achievement of school-aged children has become a pressing concern of societies the world over. This has led to an extensive examination of the skills and attributes necessary for teachers to facilitate student achievement. Following from this, there has been an increasing appreciation of the importance of teachers’ affective states and beliefs. Indeed, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, 2020) has noted that teachers need to have strong self-efficacy, confidence, and well-being if teaching and learning are to be effective. This chapter is concerned with the first of these, teacher self-efficacy: teachers’ beliefs about their ability to use their knowledge and skills to overcome challenges and execute specific teaching behaviors that bring about positive outcomes for their students. It is hoped that the chapter will offer researchers and educators who are new to the topic a solid grasp of what teacher self-efficacy is, why it is important, and to draw attention to some of the thorny issues that are evident in the field. In order to do that, the language, history, and evolution of the theoretical underpinning of teacher self-efficacy are examined; challenges and opportunities related to its measurement outlined; key research findings critically reviewed, implications explored, and future directions discussed.
Comparative study of FLACS vs conventional phacoemulsification for complex cataracts in vitrectomized eyes
Authors: Cai Lei , Ma Dongmei , Xu Xujiong , Han Xiaoyan , Qiu Xiaodi , Lu Yi , Yang Jin
Published: June 2022

Purpose:

To compare the visual outcomes and complications of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) and conventional phacoemulsification (CPS) in patients with prior pars plana vitrectomy (PPV).

Setting:

Department of Ophthalmology, Eye and Ears, Nose, and Throat Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Design:

Prospective randomized controlled cohort study.

Method:

According to the Lens Opacity Classification System III, cataract patients with nucleus grade 3 to 6 after prior PPV were randomized to 2 groups (FLACS or CPS). Endothelial cell density (ECD), central corneal thickness (CCT), and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) were evaluated preoperatively and at 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months postoperatively. Intraoperative parameters and intraoperative and postoperative complications were recorded.

Results:

86 eyes (45 and 41 in the FLACS and CPS groups, respectively) were included and analyzed, among which 43 had hard nuclei (grade 5 or 6). Cumulative dissipated energy was lower and ultrasound time was shorter among FLACS patients with hard nuclei (P < .001). CDVA was similar in both groups at the final visit (P > .05). ECD decreased in both groups but was lower among CPS patients with hard nuclei throughout the follow-up period (P < .05). CCT had returned to preoperative levels at the final visit in both groups; however, eyes with hard cataract in the FLACS group recovered sooner. No serious complications occurred in either group.

Conclusions:

FLACS is beneficial in improving surgical safety and providing quicker visual rehabilitation in vitrectomized eyes with hard nuclear cataracts.
Spontaneous resolution of a unilateral cataract in an adult
Authors: Choe Woo Seok , Kim Moosang , Kim Tae Gi
Published: June 2022

Rationale:

Cataracts are a disease that is usually caused by aging and involve the irreversible degeneration of the lens material. On the other hand, transient cataracts have also been reported, mainly due to systemic hyperglycemia, which often occurs bilaterally. However, reports of the spontaneous regression of unilaterally occurring cataracts in patients with normal blood glucose levels are rare. Here, we report a rare case of spontaneous regression of unilateral posterior subcapsular cataracts in an adult with normal blood glucose levels.

Patient concerns:

A 42-year-old woman presented with distorted vision in her right eye. The patient was taking medication for diabetes, and her blood sugar level was well-controlled.

Diagnosis:

Upon examination, her uncorrected visual acuity and best-corrected visual acuity were 20/70 in her right eye. Slit lamp microscopy revealed fine, feathery, and streak-like posterior subcapsular opacities. Color fundus photography revealed a star-shaped shadow due to the cataract, and no diabetic retinopathy was observed. Her two hour postprandial glucose level was 115 mg/dL. The patient was diagnosed with posterior subcapsular cataracts, and cataract surgery was planned. The patient was scheduled to visit the clinic again after seven days.

Interventions:

Close observation for one week without any intervention.

Outcomes:

After one week, most of the posterior subcapsular opacities disappeared, and the uncorrected visual acuity and best-corrected visual acuity in the right eye improved to 20/40 and 20/30, respectively.

Lessons:

This case report demonstrates that unilateral posterior subcapsular cataracts may spontaneously regress in patients with normal blood glucose levels. Therefore, it is important to check whether cataracts improve spontaneously through short-term close follow-up before planning cataract surgery to avoid unnecessary surgery.
Diagnostic Value of the Iliac Vein Stenosis Percentage Combined With Indicators of Venous Reflux for Iliac Vein Compression Syndrome With Computed Tomography Venography
Authors: Yin Lei , Wang Xiaoyi , Wei Xiaoqi , Lin Yanqing , Chen Zhihai , You Haole , Bian Liyong , Zheng Weiping
Published: June 2022

Objectives

To identify a cutoff value of iliac vein stenosis in computed tomography venography (CTV) for assisting in the diagnosis of iliac vein compression syndrome (IVCS). Meanwhile, determining whether the inclusion of venous return and collateral imaging findings could further enhance the diagnostic performance.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study on 264 patients suspected of IVCS who underwent both CTV and digital subtraction venography (DSV) from January 2016 to December 2020; they were assigned to either a control group (n = 101) or an IVCS group (n = 163) based on the DSV results. The narrowest anteroposterior diameter of the common iliac vein and the anteroposterior diameter of the distal end were measured to calculate the percentage of iliac vein stenosis. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to determine the predictive accuracy of the percentage of iliac vein stenosis for IVCS and whether the inclusion of venous reflux indicators can further improve the diagnostic accuracy.

Results

With respect to the DSV results, the area under the curve was 0.797 (P < 0.001). The best cutoff value was 46.67%, corresponding to a sensitivity of 83.44% and a specificity of 69.31% for predicting IVCS. Moreover, the combination diagnostic method had higher sensitivity and accuracy (94.48% vs 83.44% [P = 0.01] and 84.85% vs 78.03% [P = 0.04], respectively).

Conclusions

The best cutoff percentage of iliac vein stenosis to diagnose IVCS was 46.67% with CTV. The sensitivity and accuracy of the combined diagnostic method were higher than those of the iliac vein stenosis ratio diagnostic method.
Cauda Equina Atrophy in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis on Routine Lumbar Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Matsushima Satoshi , Omoto Shusaku , Shimizu Tetsuya , Baba Akira , Ojiri Hiroya
Published: June 2022

Objective

The aim of the study was to evaluate the cross-sectional area of the cauda equina in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on routine lumbar magnetic resonance imaging and investigate the diagnostic accuracy in comparison with age- and sex-matched non-ALS controls.

Methods

This retrospective study included 15 ALS patients and 15 age- and sex-matched non-ALS controls. Two independent neuroradiologists measured and compared the total cross-sectional area of the cauda equina of ALS patients and the non-ALS controls at the level of the L3 and L4 using axial T2-weighted images. The cutoff value, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve were measured. The interobserver reproducibility of the 2 independently obtained measurements was evaluated.

Results

The total cross-sectional area of the cauda equina in the ALS group was significantly smaller than that in the non-ALS group (L3: median, 66.73 vs 90.19 mm2, P < 0.001; L4: median, 52.9 vs 67.63 mm2, P < 0.001). The cutoff values at L3 and L4 were 76.95 and 61.04 mm2 with a sensitivity and specificity of 1 and 0.87 and 0.8 and 0.87, respectively. The area under the curve at L3 and L4 were high at 0.96 and 0.94, respectively. The interobserver reproducibility was 0.88 at L3 and 0.89 at L4.

Conclusions

The ALS patients showed significant atrophy of the cauda equina compared with non-ALS patients.
Effects of Two Botulinum Toxin Type a Evaluated by Shear Wave Elastography and Electromyographic Measurements of Masseter Reduction
Authors: Guo Yu , Diao Xuehong , Dong Dong , Xia Wen , Liu Tianyi , Zhou Yiqun , Zhu Jingjing , Chen Liang , Chen Yue
Published: June 2022

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of onabotulinumtoxin A and Chinese botulinum toxin type A (CBA) for masseter reduction using elastography and electromyographic measurement. Female subjects aged 21 to 38 years with benign masseter hypertrophy received 1 treatment of either 50 units onabotulinumtoxin A or 50 units CBA in a double-blind clinical trial. The study enrolled 102 subjects (204 sides of masseters); 51 subjects per group. The thickness and stiffness of the masseter muscle and the electromyographic changes were evaluated before and 1, 4, 12, and 24 weeks after injection. One week after injection, the thickness of the masseter muscle did not change significantly, but the stiffness was reduced by 5% to 9%. After 4 weeks of injection, masseter muscle thickness, stiffness and strength decreased significantly compared with before injection. The changes were significantly at 12 weeks. Muscle stiffness measured by Shear-wave elastography was significantly reduced by 20% to 32% in the relaxed state and 25% to 47% in the contractile state. The electromyography showed that masseter muscle strength changed consistently with Shear-wave elastography value before and after injection. Six months after injection, ultrasound and electromyography showed that the masseter muscle thickness and stiffness began to recover. Between the 2 groups, there are no significant difference in thickness, stiffness and muscle strength reduction of masseters after treatment (P > 0.05), as well as in side effects (P > 0.05). Onabotulinumtoxin A and CBA were comparable in the efficacy and safety for masseter reduction.
Multi-Staged Surgeries for Coexisting Facial Asymmetry and Strabismus in Parry-Romberg Syndrome
Authors: Fang Chien-Liang , Tsai Chong-Bin , Chen Ming-Shan
Published: June 2022

Parry-Romberg syndrome (PRS) is a rare disorder resulting in disfiguring facial asymmetry. Ocular manifestations can result in complex strabismus. There were limited reports on the treatment of PRS with coexisting strabismus. We present a multistaged surgical approach to manage the facial asymmetry and strabismus.
Prenatal Diagnosis of Cleft and Craniofacial Conditions: An International Analysis of Practice Patterns
Authors: Morales Carrie Z. , Wagner Connor S. , Humphries Laura S. , Vu Giap H. , Kalmar Christopher L. , Bartlett Scott P. , Taylor Jesse , Swanson Jordan
Published: June 2022

Prenatal diagnosis of congenital anomalies is associated with increased parental stress. Surgical prenatal counseling for parents expecting a child with an orofacial cleft has been shown to reduce parental anxiety through education and expectation setting. Despite the prevalence and significance of these conditions throughout the world, little is known of international counseling practices as they pertain to clefts and other craniofacial conditions, specifically regarding topics of counseling and discussions of ethical issues including interruption of pregnancy (IOP).

In this study, 50 members of the International Society of Craniofacial Surgery, representing 18 countries, were surveyed. The questionnaire included questions about the number of consultations performed, for which conditions, setting of practice, and regional regulations pertaining to IOP. The authors report that the most frequent topics of discussion included initial treatment of clefts (89%), future surgeries (89%), and speech/language difficulties (85%). North American surgeons more frequently discussed cleft appearance (100%) thansurgeons from Central/SouthAmerica (64%) or Europe (64%, P = 0.019). Overall, 46% of surgeons surveyed believe it is ethical to give parents their opinion on IOP when asked. European surgeons were more likely to report that parents want to receive information about IOP at prenatal consultations (82%), compared to 25% from North America and 8% from Central/South America (P < 0.001). The authors conclude that despite a lack of standard guidelines on conducting prenatal counseling appointments for cleft and craniofacial conditions, discussion topics were similar across country, practice type, and surgeon experience.
Special Considerations in Face Transplantation: A Systematic Review
Authors: Shpigel Melanie , Othman Sammy , Cohn Jason E. , Hill Christopher , Bundrick Paige , Santiago Gabriel F. , Gordon Chad
Published: June 2022

Vascularized composite allotransplantation of the face is an exceedingly complex procedure, requiring extensive planning and surgical precision in order to successfully manage patients with facial disfigurements. This review aims to present an overview of the salient anatomic considerations in facial transplantation, as well as give attention to unique patient populations and special considerations.

A literature review was performed in search of articles pertaining to considerations in facial transplantation using the databases PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane. Articles selected for further review included full-text articles with an emphasis on specific anatomic defects and how they were addressed in the transplant process, as well as management of special patient populations undergoing facial transplantation. In total, 19 articles were deemed appropriate for inclusion.

The use of computer-assisted technologies for the planning portion of the procedure, as well as intraoperative efficiency, has yielded favorable results and can be considered as part of the operative plan. The ultimate outcome is dependent upon the synchronization of subunits of the allograft and the desired functional outcomes, including osseous, ocular, oral, and otologic considerations. Management of specific pathology and subgroups of patients are critical aspects. Although pediatric face transplantation has not yet been performed, it is a likely a future step in the evolution of this procedure.

When performing a face transplantation, many components must be considered pre-, intra-, and post-operatively. This systematic review presents specific anatomic considerations, as well as information about special patient populations within this crosssection of multidisciplinary microsurgery, psychiatry, and transplant immunology.
Pediatric Dog Bite Injuries: A 5-Year Nationwide Study and Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Plana Natalie M. , Kalmar Christopher L. , Cheung Liana , Swanson Jordan W. , Taylor Jesse A.
Published: June 2022

Introduction:

Although single institution studies have analyzed various animal attacks, there has not been multicenter investigation into dog bites in children. The purpose of this study was to characterize national trends and investigate the characteristics of pediatric dog bites.

Methods:

Aretrospective cohort study was conducted of pediatric dog bite injuries in the United States from 2015 to 2020 using the Pediatric Health Information System national database. Patient characteristics, injury locations, and need for intervention were analyzed. Mann–Whitney U test, Pearson chi-square, and Fisher exact test, and linear multivariate regressions were performed for statistical analysis of data values; statistical significance was maintained at P < 0.05.

Results:

A total of 56,106 patients were included, majority male (55.1%) with a median age 6.8 years (interquartile range 3.5–10.6). Incidence peaked in July (median =1217) with nadirs in February (median = 760). A substantial increase in bites was seen per overall Emergency Department presentations during the pandemic. Most common bite location was the head (62.1%), followed by the upper extremity (25.1%). Relative proportions of dog bites to the face gradually decreased with age (B = –3.4%/year, P< 0.001), whereas proportions to the upper extremities (B = + 1.9%/year, P < 0.001) and lower extremities (B = + 1.6%/year, P = 0.002) gradually increased with age. Overall, 8.0% patients required repair in the operating suite. injuries isolated to the head (OR= 2.6, P< 0.001) and those to multiple anatomic regions were more likely to require operative intervention [operating room (OR= 2.6, P< 0.001)].

Conclusions:

Dog bites most commonly occur during the summer in school-aged boys. Toddlers disproportionately suffer injuries to the head, with a trend towards upper extremity bites in teenagers. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic ushered a spike in dog bite presentations among Emergency Department visits, further underscoring the need for targeted educational initiatives to halt the persistence of these preventable injuries.
Radiographic and Clinical Analysis of Cranio-Maxillofacial Complications of Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis Among 256 COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Shukhrat Boymuradov A. , Dar-Odeh Najla , Dilnoza Bobamuratova T. , Dildora Rustamova A. , Matluba Khalmatova A. , Yokub Kurbanov K. , Ravshan Umarov Z. , Gulbahor Rakhmonova E.
Published: June 2022

Background:

A heavy burden of cranio-maxillofacial complications may be encountered in corona virus disease-2019 patients due to the associated coagulopathy and inflammatory consequences of the disease. This study aims to describe clinical and radiographic features of these complications in 256 patients who developed 1 or more of the following complications: cavernous sinus thrombosis, osteomyelitis or necrosis of the jaws.

Methods:

Clinical assessment of cranial nerve function and general clinical assessment were performed. Imaging techniques used were multi-slice computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and MRI with contrast enhancement.

Results:

Thromboembolism of brain and facial blood vessels were associated with inflammation and necrosis. Multi-slice computed tomography/MR angiography showed thrombotic occlusions of the internal carotid artery in the area of the cavernous sinus, and in the ophthalmic veins. Cavernous sinus thrombosis was attributed to coagulopathy and, inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, especially sphenoiditis. A noticeable increase in the size of the cavernous sinus was detected. Compression of the cranial nerves in the cavernous sinus (CS) region causes dysfunction and pathology in the corresponding regions.
Fecal Microbiota Transfer Attenuates Gut Dysbiosis and Functional Deficits After Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Davis Booker T. , Chen Zhangying , Islam Mecca B.A.R. , Timken Madeline E. , Procissi Daniele , Schwulst Steven J.
Published: June 2022

Background:

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an underrecognized public health threat. Survivors of TBI often suffer long-term neurocognitive deficits leading to the progressive onset of neurodegenerative disease. Recent data suggests that the gut-brain axis is complicit in this process. However, no study has specifically addressed whether fecal microbiota transfer (FMT) attenuates neurologic deficits after TBI.

Hypothesis:

We hypothesized that fecal microbiota transfer would attenuate neurocognitive, anatomic, and pathologic deficits after TBI.

Methods:

C57Bl/6 mice were subjected to severe TBI (n = 20) or sham-injury (n = 20) via an open-head controlled cortical impact. Post-injury, this cohort of mice underwent weekly oral gavage with a slurry of healthy mouse stool or vehicle alone beginning 1 h post-TBI followed by behavioral testing and neuropathologic analysis. 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing of fecal samples was performed to characterize gut microbial community structure pre- and post-injury. Zero maze and open field testing were used to evaluate post-traumatic anxiety, exploratory behavior, and generalized activity. 3D, contrast enhanced, magnetic resonance imaging was used to determine differences in cortical volume loss and white matter connectivity. Prior to euthanasia, brains were harvested for neuropathologic analysis.

Results:

Fecal microbiome analysis revealed a large variance between TBI, and sham animals treated with vehicle, while FMT treated TBI mice had restoration of gut dysbiosis back to levels of control mice. Neurocognitive testing demonstrated a rescue of normal anxiety-like and exploratory behavior in TBI mice treated with FMT. FMT treated TBI mice spent a greater percentage of time (22%, P = 0.0001) in the center regions of the Open Field as compared to vehicle treated TBI mice (13%). Vehicle-treated TBI animals also spent less time (19%) in the open areas of zero maze than FMT treated TBI mice (30%, P = 0.0001). Comparing in TBI mice treated with FMT, MRI demonstrated a marked attenuation in ventriculomegaly (P < 0.002) and a significant change in fractional anisotropy (i.e., loss of white matter connectivity) (P < 0.0001). Histologic analysis of brain sections revealed a FMT- injury dependent interaction in the microglia/macrophage-specific ionized calcium-binding protein, Iba1 (P = 0.002).

Conclusion:

These data suggest that restoring a pre-injury gut microbial community structure may be a promising therapeutic intervention after TBI.
Circular RNA UBAP2 (hsa_circ_0007367) Correlates with Microcirculatory Perfusion and Predicts Outcomes of Cardiogenic Shock Patients Undergoing Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support
Authors: Li Jiani , Yu Zhexuan , Zeng Jianfeng , Liu Zhaoyuan , Zhao Zongkai , Zhang Yu , Li Guanhua
Published: June 2022

Background:

Severe microcirculatory disturbance is common in patients with cardiogenic shock necessitating extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), however, biomarkers linked to microcirculation and clinical outcome are scarce. Herein we identified a circular RNA, hsa_circ_0007367, rooted from the ubiquitin-associated protein 2 (UBAP2) gene, namely circUBAP2, and evaluated its biological function and the associations with microcirculation and the prognosis.

Methods:

Patients on ECMO with cardiogenic shock were included if qualified sublingual microcirculation parameters could be obtained and were categorized into the survivor group or non-survivor group. Macro-circulatory, microcirculatory data, cytokine levels, and relative circUBAP2 expressions were collected before, at 24 h, and at ECMO weaning off, respectively. The effects of circUBAP2 on the migration, polarization, cytokine productions, and inflammatory pathways in macrophage NR8383 cells were investigated using in vitro methods.

Results:

Thirty-three patients with an average age of 58.0 years were enrolled, including 19 survivors and 14 non-survivors. The survivors had higher small vessel density, perfused small vessel density (PSVD), and microvascular flow index (MFI) throughout the ECMO course than did the non-survivors. Relative expression of circUBAP2 (hsa_circ_0007367) correlated with the microcirculatory parameters and satisfactorily predicted the 30-day in-hospital mortality. A multivariable logistic model was developed, showing following four predictors: age (odds ratio [OR] 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00–1.12), time from shock to ECMO (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.01–1.20), PVSD (OR 0.14, 95% CI 0.02–0.89), and the circUBAP2 expression (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.08–0.78). In addition, circUBAP2 inhibited the migratory activity and promoted M2 polarization in macrophages, declining the productions of cytokines (tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α, interleukin [IL]-1β, and monocyte chemotactic protein [MCP]-1) and the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

Conclusion:

The expression of circUBAP2 correlates with microcirculatory perfusion and has the potential in predicting outcomes for on-ECMO patients with cardiogenic shock.
Length of Stay and 30-Day Postoperative Complications Following Minimally Invasive Apical Prolapse Repair
Authors: Dieter Alexis A. , Moore Kristin J. , Willis-Gray Marcella G. , Gutman Robert E. , Iglesia Cheryl B. , Carey Erin T.
Published: June 2022

Importance

Data on the correlation between length of stay and postoperative complications following urogynecologic surgery are limited.

Objectives

The objective of this study was to use a nationwide database to examine the correlation between length of stay and 30-day postoperative complications following minimally invasive apical prolapse repair.

Study Design

This retrospective cohort study included women in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database from 2008 to 2018 who underwent laparoscopic/robotic sacrocolpopexy or uterosacral/sacrospinous repair and were discharged on postoperative day 0 (POD0) or 1 (POD1). The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative complication rate.

Results

Of the 28,269 women discharged home on POD0/1, 12,663 (45%) underwent laparoscopic/robotic sacrocolpopexy, and 15,606 (55%) underwent uterosacral/sacrospinous repair. Women discharged on POD0 were less likely to be White, less likely to have diabetes or hypertension, had lower mean body mass index, and were less likely to have undergone a hysterectomy (P < 0.05 for all). Within 30 days of surgery, 7% had a postoperative complication, and 3% had a major complication. Women discharged on POD0 had a lower risk of any complication or any major complication. The most common complication, urinary tract infection, was lower in women discharged on POD0 (3% vs 4%, P < 0.01). Women discharged home on the same day had a higher risk of superficial surgical site infection after undergoing laparoscopic/robotic sacrocolpopexy (1.3% vs 0.5%, P < 0.01) and a higher risk of myocardial infarction/cardiac arrest after uterosacral/sacrospinous repair (0.2% vs 0%, P < 0.04).

Conclusions

In women undergoing minimally invasive reconstructive apical repair, discharge on POD0 is correlated with similar or better (lower) 30-day postoperative complication rates compared with women discharged on POD1.
Prevalence of various inappropriate antibiotic doses among pediatric patients of in-patient, out-patient, and emergency care units in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Islam A F M Mahmudul , Raihan Md Abu , Emran Md. Galib Ishraq , Ahmed Khandaker Tanveer , Nusrat Nahria Amin , Hasan Md. Asif , Ahmed Tania , Lamisa Anika Bushra , Happy Halima Akter , Khatoon Mst. Mahfuza
Published: June 2022

Antibiotics are the most frequently recommended medications for the treatment of bacterial infections. In most instances, pediatric patients have been prescribed antibiotics without a suitable dosage. Furthermore, existing antibiotic dosages in the market are not appropriate for pediatric patients. As a result, the complication brought on by antibiotic resistance increases day by day. This study was conducted to examine and evaluate the appropriateness of antibiotic doses. This study used a convenient sampling method to collect 300 filled prescription orders from heterogeneous pediatric patients prescribed by physicians from three different patient care departments: emergency patient care, inpatient care, and outpatient care, of various clinics, hospitals, and health care centers. There were 165 male responders and 135 female respondents in all. This study rated the 12 most prevalent diseases diagnosed in pediatric patients of various ages. This study revealed that prescribers recommended antibiotic overdoses for patients in the outdoor unit and that antibiotic underdoses were more prevalent among pediatric patients in the outdoor unit. According to this finding, it is straightforward to conclude that prescribers underestimated the doses and could not change the dosage for kids of early childhood and toddler age. Unfamiliar prescribers with the correct pediatric dose standards may have committed prescription dosing errors repeatedly, leading to the development of multi-drug resistance. More research can be conducted on these antibiotics' effects or potential adverse effects on pediatric patients.