bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Entropy-driven cell decision-making predicts ‘fluid-to-solid’ transition in multicellular systems
Authors: Barua Arnab , Syga Simon , Mascheroni Pietro , Kavallaris Nikos , Meyer-Hermann Michael , Deutsch Andreas , Hatzikirou Haralampos
Published: November 2020

Cellular decision making allows cells to assume functionally different phenotypes in response to microenvironmental cues, with or without genetic change. It is an open question, how individual cell decisions influence the dynamics at the tissue level. Here, we study spatio-temporal pattern formation in a population of cells exhibiting phenotypic plasticity, which is a paradigm of cell decision making. We focus on the migration/resting and the migration/proliferation plasticity which underly the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the go or grow dichotomy. We assume that cells change their phenotype in order to minimize their microenvironmental entropy following the LEUP (Least microEnvironmental Uncertainty Principle) hypothesis. In turn, we study the impact of the LEUP-driven migration/resting and migration/proliferation plasticity on the corresponding multicellular spatio-temporal dynamics with a stochastic cell-based mathematical model for the spatio-temporal dynamics of the cell phenotypes. In the case of the go or rest plasticity, a corresponding mean-field approximation allows to identify a bistable switching mechanism between a diffusive (fluid) and an epithelial (solid) tissue phase which depends on the sensitivity of the phenotypes to the environment. For the go or grow plasticity, we show the possibility of Turing pattern formation for the ‘solid’ tissue phase and its relation with the parameters of the LEUP-driven cell decisions.
Dimensionless parameter scaling of intrinsic torque in C-Mod enhanced confinement plasmas
Authors: Rice J.E. , Cao N.M. , Tala T. , Chrystal C. , Greenwald M.J. , Hughes J.W. , Marmar E.S. , Reinke M.L. , Rodriguez Fernandez P. , Salmi A.
Published: November 2020

A dimensionless parameter dependence study of intrinsic torque has been performed on a database of H- and I-mode plasmas from the Alcator C-Mod tokamak. The torque was determined by comparing intrinsic angular momentum density profiles just before and just after L–H and L–I transitions. The intrinsic torque has been found to scale as

β

N

1.5

ρ

*

−
1.0

ν

*

0.1

, with the parameter ranges 0.3 ⩽ β

N
⩽ 1.5, 0.004 ⩽ ρ
* ⩽ 0.011 and 0.04 ⩽ ν
* ⩽ 0.9. Comparison with results from JET and DIII-D suggests that the intrinsic torque should be normalized by some measure of the device size. Depending upon this normalization, the estimated total intrinsic torques for ITER, SPARC and ARC are ∼20, ∼4 and ∼8 Nm, respectively.
A statistical approach for the automatic identification of the start of the chain of events leading to the disruptions at JET
Authors: Aymerich E. , Fanni A. , Sias G. , Carcangiu S. , Cannas B. , Murari A. , Pau A. , JET contributors the
Published: November 2020

This paper reports an algorithm to automatically identify the chain of events leading to a disruption, evaluating the so-called reference warning time. This time separates the plasma current flat-top of each disrupted discharge into two parts: a non-disrupted part and a pre-disrupted one. The algorithm can be framed into the anomaly detection techniques as it aims to detect the off-normal behavior of the plasma. It is based on a statistical analysis of a set of dimensionless plasma parameters computed for a selection of discharges from the JET experimental campaigns. In every data-driven model, such as the generative topographic mapping (GTM) predictor proposed in this paper, it is indeed necessary to label the samples needed for training the model itself. The samples describing the disruption-free behavior are extracted from the plasma current flat-top phase of the regularly terminated discharges. The disrupted space is described by all the samples belonging to the pre-disruptive phase of each disruptive discharge in the training set. Note that a proper selection of the pre-disruptive phase plays a key role in the prediction performance of the model. Moreover, these models, which are highly dependent on the training input space, may be particularly prone to degradation as the operational space of any experimental machine is continuously evolving. Hence, a regular schedule of model review and retrain must be planned. The proposed algorithm avoids the cumbersome and time-consuming manual identification of the warning times, helping to implement a continuous learning system that could be automated, despite being offline. In this paper, the automatically evaluated warning times are compared with those obtained with a manual analysis in terms of the impact on the mapping of the JET input parameter space using the GTM methodology. Moreover, the algorithm has been used to build the GTM of recent experimental campaigns, with promising results.
Natural evolution strategies and variational Monte Carlo
Authors: Zhao Tianchen , Carleo Giuseppe , Stokes James , Veerapaneni Shravan
Published: November 2020

A notion of quantum natural evolution strategies is introduced, which provides a geometric synthesis of a number of known quantum/classical algorithms for performing classical black-box optimization. The recent work of Gomes et al (2019 arXiv:1910.10675) on heuristic combinatorial optimization using neural quantum states is pedagogically reviewed in this context, emphasizing the connection with natural evolution strategies (NES). The algorithmic framework is illustrated for approximate combinatorial optimization problems, and a systematic strategy is found for improving the approximation ratios. In particular, it is found that NES can achieve approximation ratios competitive with widely used heuristic algorithms for Max-Cut, at the expense of increased computation time.
The Grassmann algebra over arbitrary rings and minus sign in arbitrary characteristic
Authors: Dor Gal , Kanel-Belov Alexei , Vishne Uzi
Published: November 2020

An analog in characteristic

2
2

for the Grassmann algebra

G
G

was essential in a counterexample to the long standing Specht conjecture. We define a generalization

G

\mathfrak {G}

of the Grassmann algebra, which is well-behaved over arbitrary commutative rings

C
C

, even when 

2
2

is not invertible. This lays the foundation for a supertheory over arbitrary base ring, allowing one to consider general deformations of superalgebras.

The construction is based on a generalized sign function. It enables us to provide a basis of the non-graded multilinear identities of the free superalgebra with supertrace, valid over any ring.

We also show that all identities of

G

\mathfrak {G}

follow from the Grassmann identity, and explicitly give its co-modules, which turn out to be generalizations of the sign representation. In particular, we show that the

n
n

th co-module is a free

C
C

-module of rank

2

n
−
1

2^{n-1}

.
Equisingularity and EIDS
Authors: Gaffney Terence , Ruas Maria Aparecida
Published: November 2020

We continue the study of the equisingularity of determinantal singularities for essentially isolated singularities (EIDS). These singularities are generic except at isolated points.
A Comparison of Self- and Proxy-Reported Subjective Sleep Durations With Objective Actigraphy Measurements in a Survey of Wisconsin Children 6–17 Years of Age
Authors: Holzhausen Elizabeth A , Hagen Erika W , LeCaire Tamara , Cadmus-Bertram Lisa , Malecki Kristen C , Peppard Paul E
Published: November 2020

Children’s sleep quality and duration are important to overall development, health, and wellbeing. However, measuring children’s sleep is challenging, especially in situations where objective assessment is impractical. This study aimed to assess age and proxy effects in comparing subjective sleep duration with objective measures, in a community-based sample of Wisconsin children (aged 6–17 years), recruited from 2014–2017. The sample participants had a mean age of 11.4 (standard deviation, 3.3) years and 52% of them were male. We used linear mixed effects models to test for age effects in proxy- and self-report groups separately, and a quasiexperimental regression discontinuity approach to compare subjective sleep duration with objective actigraphy estimates across proxy- and self-report groups. We found evidence of systematic overestimation of sleep duration when using subjective measurements but did not find evidence of age effects in either group. Based on these analyses, we found evidence of differential overestimation by proxy- or self-report condition. Proxy reporters overestimated sleep duration by 2.3 hours (95% confidence interval: 2.2, 2.4), compared with 1.0 hour (95% confidence interval: 0.7, 1.2) for self-reporters. These findings suggest that proxy- versus self-reporting conditions are an important consideration when designing a study, and that it might be beneficial to reduce the age at which children self-report.
MOSGA: Modular Open-Source Genome Annotator
Authors: Martin Roman , Hackl Thomas , Hattab Georges , Fischer Matthias G , Heider Dominik
Published: November 2020

Motivation

The generation of high-quality assemblies, even for large eukaryotic genomes, has become a routine task for many biologists thanks to recent advances in sequencing technologies. However, the annotation of these assemblies—a crucial step toward unlocking the biology of the organism of interest—has remained a complex challenge that often requires advanced bioinformatics expertise.

Results

Here, we present MOSGA (Modular Open-Source Genome Annotator), a genome annotation framework for eukaryotic genomes with a user-friendly web-interface that generates and integrates annotations from various tools. The aggregated results can be analyzed with a fully integrated genome browser and are provided in a format ready for submission to NCBI. MOSGA is built on a portable, customizable and easily extendible Snakemake backend, and thus, can be tailored to a wide range of users and projects.

Availability and implementation

We provide MOSGA as a web service at https://mosga.mathematik.uni-marburg.de and as a docker container at registry.gitlab.com/mosga/mosga: latest. Source code can be found at https://gitlab.com/mosga/mosga

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Activation of Oxytocin Receptors Excites Subicular Neurons by Multiple Signaling and Ionic Mechanisms
Authors: Hu Binqi , Boyle Cody A , Lei Saobo
Published: November 2020

Oxytocin (OXT) is a nonapeptide that serves as a neuromodulator in the brain and a hormone participating in parturition and lactation in the periphery. The subiculum is the major output region of the hippocampus and an integral component in the networks that process sensory and motor cues to form a cognitive map encoding spatial, contextual, and emotional information. Whilst the subiculum expresses the highest OXT-binding sites and is the first brain region to be activated by peripheral application of OXT, the precise actions of OXT in the subiculum have not been determined. Our results demonstrate that application of the selective OXT receptor (OXTR) agonist, [Thr4,Gly7]-oxytocin (TGOT), excited subicular neurons via activation of TRPV1 channels, and depression of K+ channels. The OXTR-mediated excitation of subicular neurons required the functions of phospholipase Cβ, protein kinase C, and degradation of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2). OXTR-elicited excitation of subicular neurons enhanced long-term potentiation via activation of TRPV1 channels. Our results provide a cellular and molecular mechanism to explain the physiological functions of OXT in the brain.
Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV2 in IBD Patients Treated with Biologic Therapy
Authors: Berte’ Roberto , Mazza Stefano , Stefanucci Marta Rachele , Noviello Daniele , Costa Stefania , Ciafardini Clorinda , Mileti Erika , Mapelli Marina , Pasqualato Sebastiano , Pinto Sergio , Favale Agnese , Vecchi Maurizio , Neurath Markus F , Atreya Raja , Fantini Massimo Claudio , Facciotti Federica , Caprioli Flavio
Published: November 2020

Background and Aims

A similar course of COVID-19 in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases [IBD] and in the general population has been reported. However, disease prevalence in IBD patients is presently unknown. In this prospective observational study, we aimed at determining SARS-CoV2 infection prevalence in IBD patients treated with biologic therapy.

Methods

From IBD patients under biologic therapy and recruited from three different locations in Italy and Germany, 354 sera were evaluated for antibody presence by RBD ELISA. Control groups were: i] age-matched healthy subjects tested in the same time period in Milan, Italy; ii] healthy subjects collected in the pre-COVID era; iii] IBD patients under biologic therapy collected in the pre-COVID era.

Results

Eight out of 354 patients tested positive for the anti-RBD-SARS-CoV2 IgG antibody [prevalence 2.3%]. The percentage of IgG-positive patients among those recruited from Milan was significantly higher than among those recruited from other locations [prevalence 5.4% vs 0.4%, p <0.005]. IgG-positive patients reported a significantly higher incidence of fever, anosmia, and ageusia, and were more likely to have entered into close contact with COVID-19-positive subjects before the study enrolment.

Conclusions

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV2 in IBD patients treated with biologic therapy reflects values measured in the local general population. Specific symptoms and contact history with SARS-CoV2-infected individuals strongly increase the likelihood of SARS-CoV2 seropositivity.
Communicating science: epigenetics in the spotlight
Authors: Dyke Stephanie O M , Ennis Catherine A , Joly Yann , Walter Jörn , Siebert Reiner , Pastinen Tomi
Published: November 2020

Given the public interest in epigenetic science, this study aimed to better understand media representations of epigenetics in national newspaper coverage in various regions in North America, Europe, and Asia. Content analysis was used to study media messages about epigenetics, their policy focus, and the balance of the reporting. We identified several recurring themes in the news reports, including policy messages relating to individual and societal responsibilities. We also found shortcomings in the media’s portrayal of epigenetic science, and sought to identify potential causes by considering the underlying scientific evidence that the media reported on. A case study analysis showed that the results of epigenetic studies were often overstated in academic research publications due to common experimental limitations. We suggest that defining standardized criteria with which to evaluate epigenetic studies could help to overcome some of the challenges inherent in translating complex epigenetic research findings for non-technical audiences, and present a Press Kit template that researchers can adapt and use to aid in the development of accurate and balanced press releases.
New and old echographic parameters in heart failure
Authors: La Canna Giovanni , Scarfo’ Iside
Published: November 2020

Echography (ECHO) is a first-line technology for diagnostic evaluation and prognostic stratification of patients with heart failure (HF). Recognizing specific diseases or conditions amenable to specific treatment is a crucial step in the work-up of patients with HF. Left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) measurement, despite its pathophysiological and methodological limitations, is the primary parameter for the HF classification, incorporating forms with reduced, moderately reduced, and preserved ejection fraction. The cardiac filling parameters could characterize the haemodynamic profile of the various forms of HF and guide different clinical therapeutic strategies. Besides the conventional parameters, widely validated by the clinical practice (old parameters), ECHO provides new information on cardiac function (deformation index), which prospectively could refine our phenotypic classification, beyond EF, thus opening new prospects in the pre-clinical identification, and in the selection of the appropriate treatment for HF patients Stemming from the recent technologic improvements, it is possible to analyse conventional parameters with innovative and automatic approaches, which are quickly available, and able to open new perspectives in the treatment of patients with HF.
Relapse of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and myocardial infarction: what is the connection?
Authors: Terrosu Pierfranco
Published: November 2020

Albeit largely underappreciated, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) constitutes a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in general and for coronary disease in particular. The incidence of myocardial infarction, in fact increases rapidly, after relapse of COPD, with a peak event rate during the first week in the worst forms (those requiring hospitalization). Even though the precise mechanism is not completely defined, it is likely derived from two pathogenetic causes: (i) mismatch between myocardial demand and offer of O2 (not fully demonstrated and limited to few cases); (ii) acute coronary thrombosis, probably due to a systemic inflammatory reaction, brought upon by multiple interaction between the infective agent and the host immune system.
Renal arteries denervation with second generation systems: a remedy for resistant hypertension?
Authors: Versaci Francesco , Sciarretta Sebastiano , Scappaticci Massimiliano , Calcagno Simone , di Pietro Riccardo , Sbandi Francesca , Dei Giudici Angela , Del Prete Armando , de Angelis Stefano , Biondi-Zoccai Giuseppe
Published: November 2020

Initial studies on renal denervation (RDN) for the treatment of non-controlled arterial hypertension (HTN) through radiofrequency ablation of renal arteries demonstrated that RDN is an effective therapeutic strategy to reduce arterial blood pressure (BP). Nonetheless, the first randomized study, SYMPLICITY-HTN-3, failed to demonstrate a clear benefit for RND over the control group. Technologic evolution, with the introduction of new second generation multi-electrode devices, allowed deep energy delivery along the full circumference of the vessel. Two recent randomized studies involving patients assuming (SPYRAL HTN-ON MED) or not (SPYRAL HTN-OFF MED) antihypertensive pharmacologic treatment, demonstrated the efficacy and safety of RDN using second generation systems for radiofrequency ablation. Another recent randomized study demonstrated that RDN with ultrasounds (RADIANCE-HTN SOLO) of the main renal arteries led to a significant BP reduction compared to the control group. These studies have once again raised the interest of the scientific community towards attempting to define the appropriate role of RDN in the treatment of hypertension. Nonetheless, larger and longer clinical trials will be necessary to draw further conclusions.
Genetic Adaptation in New York City Rats
Authors: Harpak Arbel , Garud Nandita , Rosenberg Noah A , Petrov Dmitri A , Combs Matthew , Pennings Pleuni S , Munshi-South Jason
Published: November 2020

Brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) thrive in urban environments by navigating the anthropocentric environment and taking advantage of human resources and by-products. From the human perspective, rats are a chronic problem that causes billions of dollars in damage to agriculture, health, and infrastructure. Did genetic adaptation play a role in the spread of rats in cities? To approach this question, we collected whole-genome sequences from 29 brown rats from New York City (NYC) and scanned for genetic signatures of adaptation. We tested for 1) high-frequency, extended haplotypes that could indicate selective sweeps and 2) loci of extreme genetic differentiation between the NYC sample and a sample from the presumed ancestral range of brown rats in northeast China. We found candidate selective sweeps near or inside genes associated with metabolism, diet, the nervous system, and locomotory behavior. Patterns of differentiation between NYC and Chinese rats at putative sweep loci suggest that many sweeps began after the split from the ancestral population. Together, our results suggest several hypotheses on adaptation in rats living in proximity to humans.
Development of physical activity and food built environment quality indicators for chronic diseases in Argentina
Authors: Seijo Mariana , Spira Cintia , Chaparro Martín , Elorriaga Natalia , Rubinstein Adolfo , García-Elorrio Ezequiel , Irazola Vilma
Published: November 2020

Although obesity and non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention efforts to-date have focused mainly on individual level factors, the social and physical environments in which people live are now widely recognized as important social determinants of health. Obesogenic environments promote higher dietary energy intakes and sedentary behaviors, thus contributing to the obesity/NCD burden. To develop quality indicators (QIs) for measuring food and physical activity (PA)-built environments in municipalities. A literature review was conducted. Based on the best practices identified from this review, a draft set of candidate QI was retrieved. The initial 67 QIs were then evaluated by a modified Delphi panel of multidisciplinary health professionals (n = 40) to determine their relevance, validity, and feasibility in 3 rounds of voting and threaded discussion using a modified RAND/University of California, Los Angeles Appropriateness Methodology. Response rate for the panel was 89.4%. All final 42 QIs were rated as highly relevant, valid, and feasible (median rating ≥ 7 on a 1–9 scale), with no significant disagreement. The final QI set addresses for the PA domain: (i) promotion of PA; and (ii) improvements in the environment to strengthen the practice of PA; and for Food environment domain: (i) promotion of healthy eating; (ii) access to healthy foods; and (iii) promotion of responsible advertising. We generated a set of indicators to evaluate the PA and food built environment, which can be adapted for use in Latin American and other low- and middle-income countries.
Paediatric surgery and COVID-19: urgent lessons to be learned
Authors: TURNER Alexander M , ALBOLINO Sara , MORABITO Antonino
Published: November 2020

Background

The dissemination of scientific data on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continually builds but, in April 2020, could not keep up with the spread of the disease. Through technology, surgeons in Italy and the UK, representing both peak and pre-peak infective time zones, were able to communicate so that the urgent lessons on the huge expected demands of care learned in Italy could be brought to the UK in advance. This paper specifically discusses the issues related to paediatric surgery, currently under-reported in the literature.

Methods

The aim of this paper is to conjoin experience from the field to provide a framework for a safe assessment and treatment of paediatric patients by adopting a systemic approach aimed at reducing the risk of contamination. We reviewed the processes and good practices that were undertaken in contexts of emergency such as in Italy and the UK and then adapted them within the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) framework to provide an assessment of how to reorganize the services in order to cope with an unexpected situation. The SEIPS model is the adopted theoretical framework, which allows to analyse the system in its main components with a human factors and ergonomics (HFE) perspective.

Results

The results introduce some of the good practices and recommendations developed during the emergency in the surgical scenario with a focus on the paediatric patients. They represent the lessons learned from the combination of the little existing evidence of literature and the experience from surgical teams who responded in an impromptu and unrehearsed way.

Conclusions

Lessons learned from the frontline ‘on the fly’ during COVID-19 emergency should be consolidated and taken into the future. In order to prepare proactively for the next phases and get ahead of the curve of these hospital accesses, there is a need for a risk assessment of the new clinical pathways with a multidisciplinary approach centred on HFE with the adoption of the SEIPS model and an involvement of all the surgical teams.
Transmission of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae: the role of infection control
Authors: Tsioutis Constantinos , Eichel Vanessa M , Mutters Nico T
Published: November 2020

Background

The worldwide spread of carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) in healthcare settings is worrying. Of particular concern is the occurrence of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP). In recent years, several guidelines and recommendations have focused on the control of carbapenem-resistant GNB. It remains, however, unknown to what extent individual infection control measures are effective. Our aim was to critically review the recent evidence regarding the effectiveness of measures to control KPC-KP spread in healthcare settings.

Methods

Critical review of the literature aiming to evaluate, in accordance with published recommendations, all available studies reporting infection control (IC) measures to control KPC-KP published in the past 5 years.

Results

Among 11 included studies, the majority consisted of outbreak reports, where application of measures was reported in the absence of control groups. Variability was observed related to the frequency of application of recommended measures for control of KPC-KP. Additional measures were recorded, such as environmental sampling and staff screening, whereas compliance with hand hygiene was measured in relatively few studies. Finally, mortality in patients harbouring KPC-KP was notable, reaching 42.9% of included patients.

Conclusions

Despite successful control of KPC-KP spread during outbreaks, the impact of individual IC measures is difficult to assess, as the quality of published evidence is low and controlled intervention studies are lacking. The distribution of studies, the number of reported cases and the high mortality rates, clearly show that KPC-KP remains a major healthcare problem worldwide.
Surgical antibiotic prophylaxis in patients colonized with multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria: practical and conceptual aspects
Authors: Temkin Elizabeth , Margalit Ili , Nutman Amir , Carmeli Yehuda
Published: November 2020

Antibiotic resistance threatens the effectiveness of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP) regimens aimed at preventing surgical site infection (SSI). With a focus on procedures in which Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) are the main pathogens causing SSI, this review summarizes the evidence and describes how SAP must evolve in response to carriage of MDR GNB among surgical patients. Randomized controlled trials of SAP for carriers of resistant GNB require prohibitively large sample sizes. No professional guidelines address the topic of adapting SAP for known carriers of resistant GNB. For patients whose carrier status is unknown, the effects of different SAP strategies have been studied for transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy and colorectal surgery. The four possible strategies for SAP in the era of antibiotic resistance are: no SAP; universal standard SAP; pre-surgical screening for carriage of antibiotic-resistant pathogens before surgery and targeted SAP (i.e. broad-spectrum antibiotics only for those who screen positive); and universal broad-spectrum SAP. The prevalence of carriage determines the efficiency of each strategy. Decolonization is a potential adjunct to SAP.
How to build a catalogue of linearly evolving cosmic voids
Authors: Stopyra Stephen , Peiris Hiranya V , Pontzen Andrew
Published: November 2020

Cosmic voids provide a powerful probe of the origin and evolution of structures in the Universe because their dynamics can remain near-linear to the present day. As a result, they have the potential to connect large-scale structure at late times to early Universe physics. Existing ‘watershed’-based algorithms, however, define voids in terms of their morphological properties at low redshift. The degree to which the resulting regions exhibit linear dynamics is consequently uncertain, and there is no direct connection to their evolution from the initial density field. A recent void definition addresses these issues by considering ‘anti-haloes’. This approach consists of inverting the initial conditions of an N-body simulation to swap overdensities and underdensities. After evolving the pair of initial conditions, anti-haloes are defined by the particles within the inverted simulation that are inside haloes in the original (uninverted) simulation. In this work, we quantify the degree of non-linearity of both anti-haloes and watershed voids using the Zel’dovich approximation. We find that non-linearities are introduced by voids with radii less than $5\, \mathrm{Mpc}\, h^{-1}$, and that both anti-haloes and watershed voids can be made into highly linear sets by removing these voids.
The Hubble constant from eight time-delay galaxy lenses
Authors: Denzel Philipp , Coles Jonathan P , Saha Prasenjit , Williams Liliya L R
Published: November 2020

We present a determination of the Hubble constant from the joint, free-form analysis of eight strongly, quadruply lensing systems. In the concordance cosmology, we find $H_0{} = 71.8^{+3.9}_{-3.3}\, \mathrm{km}\, \mathrm{s}^{-1}\, \mathrm{Mpc}^{-1}{}{}$ with a precision of $4.97{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$. This is in agreement with the latest measurements from supernovae Type Ia and Planck observations of the cosmic microwave background. Our precision is lower compared to these and other recent time-delay cosmography determinations, because our modelling strategies reflect the systematic uncertainties of lensing degeneracies. We furthermore are able to find reasonable lensed image reconstructions by constraining to either value of H0 from local and early Universe measurements. This leads us to conclude that current lensing constraints on H0 are not strong enough to break the ‘Hubble tension’ problem of cosmology.
Identification of genes associated with endometrial cell ageing
Authors: Kawamura Teruhiko , Tomari Hiroyuki , Onoyama Ichiro , Araki Hiromitsu , Yasunaga Masafumi , Lin Cui , Kawamura Keiko , Yokota Natsuko , Yoshida Sachiko , Yagi Hiroshi , Asanoma Kazuo , Sonoda Kenzo , Egashira Katsuko , Ito Takashi , Kato Kiyoko
Published: November 2020

Ageing of the uterine endometrium is a critical factor that affects reproductive success, but the mechanisms associated with uterine ageing are unclear. In this study, we conducted a qualitative examination of age-related changes in endometrial tissues and identified candidate genes as markers for uterine ageing. Gene expression patterns were assessed by two RNA-sequencing experiments using uterine tissues from wild type (WT) C57BL/6 mice. Gene expression data obtained by RNA-sequencing were validated by real-time PCR. Genes expressing the pro-inflammatory cytokines Il17rb and chemokines Cxcl12 and Cxcl14 showed differential expression between aged WT mice and a group of mice composed of 5- and 8-week-old WT (young) animals. Protein expression levels of the above-mentioned genes and of IL8, which functions downstream of IL17RB, were analysed by quantitative immunohistochemistry of unaffected human endometrium tissue samples from patients in their 20s and 40s (10 cases each). In the secretory phase samples, 3,3ʹ- diaminobenzidine staining intensities of IL17RB, CXCL12 and CXCL14 for patients in their 40s were significantly higher than that for patients in their 20s, as detected by a Mann–hitney U test. These results suggest that these genes are candidate markers for endometrial ageing and for prediction of age-related infertility, although confirmation of these findings is needed in larger studies involving fertile and infertile women.
Water spines and networks in G-quadruplex structures
Authors: Li Kevin , Yatsunyk Liliya , Neidle Stephen
Published: November 2020

Quadruplex DNAs can fold into a variety of distinct topologies, depending in part on loop types and orientations of individual strands, as shown by high-resolution crystal and NMR structures. Crystal structures also show associated water molecules. We report here on an analysis of the hydration arrangements around selected folded quadruplex DNAs, which has revealed several prominent features that re-occur in related structures. Many of the primary-sphere water molecules are found in the grooves and loop regions of these structures. At least one groove in anti-parallel and hybrid quadruplex structures is long and narrow and contains an extensive spine of linked primary-sphere water molecules. This spine is analogous to but fundamentally distinct from the well-characterized spine observed in the minor groove of A/T-rich duplex DNA, in that every water molecule in the continuous quadruplex spines makes a direct hydrogen bond contact with groove atoms, principally phosphate oxygen atoms lining groove walls and guanine base nitrogen atoms on the groove floor. By contrast, parallel quadruplexes do not have extended grooves, but primary-sphere water molecules still cluster in them and are especially associated with the loops, helping to stabilize loop conformations.
Linear Headache: A Novel Entity or a Variant of Nummular Headache? Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Response in a Series of 16 Patients
Authors: Chavarría-Miranda Alba , Guerrero Ángel L , Talavera Blanca , Martínez-Pías Enrique , Trigo-López Javier , Sierra Álvaro , García-Azorín David
Published: November 2020

Objective

Linear headache has been recently described as an episodic or chronic unilateral pain distributed along a fixed linear trajectory, which combines some characteristics of epicrania fugax and nummular headache. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics and therapeutic response of a series of 16 new patients.

Design

This is an observational study with a series of cases.

Setting

The study period encompassed June 2014 to June 2019. Demographic, clinical, and therapeutic response data were recorded.

Methods

We included all consecutive patients who presented pain with the following characteristics: sharply contoured, fixed in size and shape, with linear shape, without movement along a trajectory, and not circumscribed to the territory of any nerve.

Results

Twelve patients were women, and four were men. The mean age at onset was 40.1 years. Pain was described as pressing in seven patients, burning in five, and electric or stabbing in two each. Symptomatic treatment had been used by 13 patients (81.2%), with analgesics being the most frequent treatment used. Thirteen patients received preventive treatment. The response to oral medications and anesthetic blockade was insufficient. OnabotulinumtoxinA was used in six cases, with an optimal (>75%) response observed in half.

Conclusion

Linear headache appears to be a distinct headache syndrome from epicrania fugax or nummular headache. Preventive treatment is often required. The drug with the best response was onabotulinumtoxinA.
Wounded healers: a call for spiritual care towards healthcare professionals in time of COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Sarmiento Philip Joseph D
Published: November 2020

In recent correspondences and articles published, the role of religious and spiritual interventions has been discussed for the attention of the medical community in the time of COVID-19 pandemic and part of these interventions is to provide spiritual care. Attention has been given to provide spiritual care among COVID-19 patients. However, there is also a dire need to offer spiritual care towards healthcare professionals because they, too, are ‘wounded healers’. This paper discusses the urgent call for the medical and spiritual communities to come up with comprehensive spiritual care programme for healthcare professionals so that they may attain spiritual well-being as they serve in the frontlines, risking their lives and providing spiritual care to patients especially in this trying times of the pandemic as a public health crisis.
Elevated carcinoembryonic antigen predicts rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease in clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis
Authors: Zhu Dingxian , Qiao Jianjun , Tang Shunli , Pan Yunlei , Li Sheng , Yang Changyi , Fang Hong
Published: November 2020

Objectives

The present study aimed to determine the correlation between serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level and the severity of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in clinically amyopathic DM (CADM) patients.

Methods

We performed a retrospective study including 41 Chinese CADM patients without malignancy. Serum CEA levels, clinical and laboratory findings were collected. Association tests between CEA levels and disease activity parameters were performed.

Results

Among the 41 patients, 16 (39.0%) developed rapidly progressive (RP)-ILD; of them, 14 (87.5%) had elevated serum CEA levels. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that an elevated serum CEA level was an independent risk factor for RP-ILD. The incidence of elevated CEA level was significantly higher in patients with RP-ILD than in those without RP-ILD (87.5 vs 16.0%, P < 0.001). Furthermore, CEA levels were higher in patients with CADM with RP-ILD [26.87 (6.71) μg/l] than in those without RP-ILD [3.23 (0.64) μg/l] (P < 0.001). CEA levels in CADM patients were associated with the ferritin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase levels, and CT scores of the lungs. Also, elevated CEA levels are related to the organizing pneumonia pattern and lower lung zone consolidation in high-resolution CT. Moreover, the cumulative survival rate was significantly lower (68.4 vs 31.6%, P < 0.001) in the group with a CEA level >8.75 μg/l than that in the group with a CEA level <8.75 μg/l.

Conclusions

An elevated serum CEA level is common in patients with CADM, and a higher serum CEA level is a powerful indicator of RP-ILD and poor prognosis in those patients.
A Review of Peripheral Nerve Blocks for Cesarean Delivery Analgesia
Authors: Mitchell K.D. , Smith C.T. , Mechling C. , Wessel C.B. , Orebaugh S. , Lim G.
Published: November 2020

(Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2020;45:52–62)

Peripheral nerve blocks are used in nonobstetrical surgery as part of a multimodal analgesic strategy. These blocks have been associated with reduced opioid requirements, better quality of recovery, and reduced hospital utilization. Yet, peripheral nerve blocks are not routinely performed for cesarean delivery. This review article discussed several peripheral nerve block options for cesarean delivery, including lumbar sympathetic paravertebral (PVB), transversus abdominis plane (TAP), quadratus lumborum (QL), ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric (II-IH), continuous wound infiltration (CWI), and erector spinae plane blocks.
The Effect of Chitosan in Wound Healing: A Systematic Review
Authors: Liu Ying , Chen JiaLi , Li PeiFang , Ning Ning
Published: November 2020

OBJECTIVE

To systematically review the effectiveness of chitosan in wound healing.

DATA SOURCES

References were retrieved from PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane library, and Web of Science based on Medical Subject Headings and keywords (“chitosan” OR “chitin” OR “poliglusam” AND “wound healing”).

STUDY SELECTION

Eligible articles were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that required interventions for chitosan and its derivative dressings and included endpoints associated with wound healing. In summary, five RCTs (N = 319) were included in the final analysis.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Only two RCTS (40%) reported significant beneficial effects of chitosan on wound healing compared with conventional gauze dressings (eg, tulle gras, petroleum jelly). The remaining three studies reported that chitosan had no significant effect on clinical wound healing compared with other biologic dressings (eg, alginate, hydrocolloid).

CONCLUSIONS

Although the number of trials of new chitosan dressings has been increasing, studies on the relationship between chitosan and wound healing have been limited. Current data suggest that chitosan does not slow wound healing. However, the small number of available trials restricted adequate interpretation of the existing results. Future research needs to be rigorously designed to confirm any clinically relevant effect of chitosan in wound healing.
Histopathology of Pemphigus Vulgaris Revisited
Authors: Manocha Anisha , Tirumalae Rajalakshmi
Published: November 2020

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a severe, potentially life-threatening autoimmune blistering disease, which is common in India. Although there is abundant literature on clinical and immunologic features, comprehensive studies on its histopathology are lacking. The aim of this study was to describe the histopathologic and immunofluorescence features as well as discuss various diagnostic pitfalls of PV. Histopathologic and immunofluorescence (DIF/IIF) findings were reviewed for 169 biopsies from 2007 to 2017 (11 years). The 169 samples included 152 skin, 16 oral mucosal, and 1 corneal biopsy. Maximum prevalence was noted in the fifth decade (57%) with a slight male preponderance. Vesicles were seen in 149 cases (88%), the level of which was suprabasal in 91(61%) and both suprabasal and intraepidermal in 50 cases (33.5%). Acantholytic cells were present in 142 cases (95%). Acantholytic keratinocytes showed rounded and polygonal acantholysis. 86 (51%) cases showed evidence of regeneration. Adnexal involvement was seen in 92 cases, commonest in the hair follicles. Unusual histologic findings included: intraepidermal bulla, absence of dermal inflammation, free floating hair shafts, multinucleated epithelial cells, eosinophil predominance; all of which are discussed. DIF was performed in 166 cases, of which 163 were positive (98%), and IgG was the commonest immunoreactant (96%). IIF was performed in 11 cases, of which 9 cases were positive for Dsg3. Although the diagnosis of PV rests on combined clinical, histologic, and IF features, histopathology as the sole means is also a powerful tool. It is important to be aware of the diagnostic pitfalls to optimize its utility.
Syringotropic Melanoma: A Diagnostic Challenge With Prognostic Implications
Authors: Torre-Castro Juan , Haya-Martínez Lara , Moya-Martínez Cristina , Núñez-Hipólito Lucía , Mendoza-Cembranos María Dolores , Sabaris María del Carmen Fariña , Eraña-Tomás Itziar , Santonja Carlos , Suárez Massa María Dolores , Cerroni Lorenzo , Requena Luis
Published: November 2020

The presence of neoplastic melanocytes within the eccrine apparatus into the reticular dermis and/or subcutaneous tissue is extremely rare. The staging of syringotropic melanomas and their biological behavior are still controversial. We present 6 new cases of syringotropic melanoma and their main histopathologic features; review the previous literature; and discuss about the origin, staging, and prognosis of this rare variant of melanoma.
Seizures after percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy
Authors: Wu Junbei , Fang Yin , Jin Wenjie
Published: November 2020

Rationale:

Percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) is a minimally invasive technique for removing nucleus pulposus and achieving neural decompression via a posterolateral approach. PELD is known to have a very low rate of complications during the perioperative period. Although quite rare, seizures can occur in patients undergoing PELD.

Patient concerns:

A 58-year-old man with severe low back pain underwent the PELD procedure under general anesthesia. During the recovery phase after general anesthesia, the patient developed a tonic-clonic seizure. Two additional episodes occurred subsequently.

Diagnoses:

Bilateral disc swelling indirectly supports the diagnosis of intracranial hypertension.

Interventions:

Midazolam and propofol were administered to control seizures. 1.0 g phenobarbital sodium was administered by intravenous injection. Ten milligrams of furosemide and 250 mL of mannitol (20%) were prescribed sequentially. Two hundred milligrams of hydrocortisone and an ice bag were used to protect the brain. Urapidil, metoprolol, and nicardipine were intermittently used to control his blood pressure. A sustained release of sodium valproate was administered and continued prophylactically for 4 weeks.

Outcomes:

No further seizures were recorded and the patient recovered well.

Lessons:

We conclude that total volume of fluid used for irrigation was considered a possible cause of seizure. This case illustrates the fact that irrigation should be performed cautiously in PELD procedure. And anesthesiologists should be familiar with the management strategies of perioperative acute seizures.
Identification of grade-related genes and construction of a robust genomic-clinicopathologic nomogram for predicting recurrence of bladder cancer
Authors: Peng Xiqi , Wang Jingyao , Li Dongna , Chen Xuan , Liu Kaihao , Zhang Chunduo , Lai Yongqing
Published: November 2020

Background:

Bladder cancer (BC) is a common tumor in the urinary system with a high recurrence rate. The individualized treatment and follow-up after surgery is the key to a successful outcome. Currently, the surveillance strategies are mainly depending on tumor stage and grade. Previous evidence has proved that tumor grade was a significant and independent risk factor of BC recurrence. Exploring the grade-related genes may provide us a new approach to predict prognosis and guide the post-operative treatment in BC patients.

Methods:

In this study, the weighted gene co-expression network analysis was applied to identify the hub gene module correlated with BC grade using GSE71576. After constructing a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network with the hub genes inside the hub gene module, we identified some potential core genes. TCGA and another independent dataset were used for further validation.

Results:

The results revealed that the expression of AURKA, CCNA2, CCNB1, KIF11, TTK, BUB1B, BUB1, and CDK1 were significantly higher in high-grade BC, showing a strong ability to distinguish BC grade. The expression levels of the 8 genes in normal, paracancerous, tumorous, and recurrent bladder tissues were progressively increased. By conducting survival analysis, we proved their prognostic value in predicting the recurrence of BC. Eventually, we constructed a prognostic nomogram by combining the 8-core-gene panel with clinicopathologic features, which had shown great performance in predicting the recurrence of BC.

Conclusion:

We identified 8 core genes that revealed a significant correlation with the tumor grade as well as the recurrence of BC. Finally, we proved the value of a novel prognostic nomogram for predicting the relapse-free survival of BC patients after surgery, which could guide their treatment and follow-up.