bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MiR-326 inhibits trophoblast growth, migration, and invasion by targeting PAX8 via Hippo pathway
Authors: Zang Junjie , Yan Min , Zhang Yan , Peng Wei , Zuo Jianxin , Zhou Huansheng , Gao Guoqiang , Li Min , Chu Yijing , Ye Yuanhua
Published: February 2022

Preeclampsia (PE), a pregnancy disorder that affects 5–7% of pregnant women, is among the primary causes for maternal and perinatal mortality. PE is believed to be associated with insufficient invasion of villous and extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs), which hampers uterine spiral artery remodeling and finally induces PE. But the mechanism responsible for reduction of trophoblast invasion remains unclear. In this study, placental tissues taken from healthy donors and PE patients were used to evaluate the miR-326 expression; CCK8 and colony formation assays were used to confirm the effect of miR-326 on cell proliferation; transwell assay was used to demonstrate the effect of miR-326 on cell invasion capability; western blot was used to investigate the underlying mechanism; and luciferase assay was used to detect the effect of miR-326 on YAP/TAZ-mediated transcription activity. It was revealed the miR-326 expression was higher in placentas from PE patients than from healthy donors. After transfection of miR-326 mimics, trophoblast proliferation and invasion were impaired. Using TargetScan, we speculated that PAX8 was a target of miR-326, which was later confirmed by western blot. The YAP/TAZ expression was also downregulated after transfection with miR-326. Luciferase assay demonstrated that overexpression of miR-326 suppressed YAP/TAZ-mediated transcription activity by targeting PAX8. Overexpression of PAX8 could partly rescue miR-326-induced suppression of trophoblast proliferation and invasion. Taken together, our result indicated that miR-326 suppresses trophoblast growth, invasion, and migration by means of targeting PAX8 via the Hippo pathway.
Rheumatoid arthritis, as a clinical disease, but not rheumatoid arthritis-associated autoimmunity, is linked to cardiovascular events
Authors: Gouze Hélène , Aegerter Philippe , Said-Nahal Roula , Zins Marie , Goldberg Marcel , Morelle Guillaume , Schett Georg , Breban Maxime , D’Agostino Maria Antonietta
Published: February 2022

Background

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by increased cardiovascular (CV) mortality. CV events are particularly high in patients with RA-specific autoimmunity, including rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA), raising the question whether RA-specific autoimmunity itself is associated with CV events.

Methods

New CV events (myocardial infarction, stroke or death by CV cause) were recorded in 20,625 subjects of the Electricité de France – Gaz de France (GAZEL) cohort. Self-reported RA cases in the GAZEL cohort were validated by phone interview on the basis of a specific questionnaire. In 1618 subjects, in whom plasma was available, RF and ACPA were measured. A piecewise exponential Poisson regression was used to analyze the association of CV events with presence of RA as well as RA-specific autoimmunity (without RA).

Results

CV events in GAZEL were associated with age, male sex, smoking, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes mellitus (HR from 1.06 to 1.87, p < 0.05). Forty-two confirmed RA cases were identified. Confirmed RA was significantly associated with CV risk increase (HR of 3.03; 95% CI: 1.13–8.11, p = 0.03) independently of conventional CV risk factors. One hundred seventy-eight subjects showed RF or ACPA positivity without presence of RA. CV events were not associated with ACPA positivity (HR: 1.52, 95% CI: 0.47–4.84, p = 0.48) or RF positivity (HR: 1.15, 95% CI: 0.55–2.40, p = 0.70) in the absence of RA.

Conclusions

RA, as a clinical chronic inflammatory disease, but not mere positivity for RF or ACPA in the absence of clinical disease is associated with increased CV risk.
Automated segmentation of liver segment on portal venous phase MR images using a 3D convolutional neural network
Authors: Han Xinjun , Wu Xinru , Wang Shuhui , Xu Lixue , Xu Hui , Zheng Dandan , Yu Niange , Hong Yanjie , Yu Zhixuan , Yang Dawei , Yang Zhenghan
Published: February 2022

Objective

We aim to develop and validate a three-dimensional convolutional neural network (3D-CNN) model for automatic liver segment segmentation on MRI images.

Methods

This retrospective study evaluated an automated method using a deep neural network that was trained, validated, and tested with 367, 157, and 158 portal venous phase MR images, respectively. The Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), mean surface distance (MSD), Hausdorff distance (HD), and volume ratio (RV) were used to quantitatively measure the accuracy of segmentation. The time consumed for model and manual segmentation was also compared. In addition, the model was applied to 100 consecutive cases from real clinical scenario for a qualitative evaluation and indirect evaluation.

Results

In quantitative evaluation, the model achieved high accuracy for DSC, MSD, HD and RV (0.920, 3.34, 3.61 and 1.01, respectively). Compared to manual segmentation, the automated method reduced the segmentation time from 26 min to 8 s. In qualitative evaluation, the segmentation quality was rated as good in 79% of the cases, moderate in 15% and poor in 6%. In indirect evaluation, 93.4% (99/106) of lesions could be assigned to the correct segment by only referring to the results from automated segmentation.

Conclusion

The proposed model may serve as an effective tool for automated anatomical region annotation of the liver on MRI images.
Desiccation does not increase frost resistance of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) seeds
Authors: Chmielarz Paweł , Suszka Jan , Wawrzyniak Mikołaj Krzysztof
Published: February 2022

Key message

Decreasing acorns moisture content does not significantly increase the frost resistance of pedunculate oak seeds. Slight reduction in acorn moisture content below the relatively high, optimal level decreased seed survival at temperatures below − 5 °C. The limiting temperature for pedunculate oak’s acorns below which they lose their ability to germinate is about − 10 °C.

Context

Seed moisture content plays an important role in successful seed storage of many species, as desiccation increases frost resistance; however, oak seeds tolerate desiccation only to a very small extent.

Aims

In our study, we examined the impact of decreasing moisture content in acorns of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) on their frost resistance (below − 3 °C) and the growth of seedling derived from frozen seeds.

Methods

Germination and seedling emergence of individual seeds, as well as the dry mass of their 3-month-old seedlings, were measured after acorn desiccation (24–40%, fresh weight basis) and desiccation followed by freezing at temperatures from − 3 °C to − 18 °C for 2 weeks.

Results

Decreasing acorns moisture content did not significantly increase the frost resistance of pedunculate oak seeds. The lowest temperature at which at least half seeds remain viable was − 10 °C. Slight acorns desiccation had only a small positive effect on seeds frozen below − 11 °C (down to − 13 °C), but in this case (acorn moisture content of 33%), low germinability after freezing made storage uneconomic because of the high mortality of seeds. Germinated seeds after desiccation and freezing showed no significant difference in later growth.

Conclusion

Fresh pedunculate oak seed can survive freezing temperature down to − 10 °C and produce good quality seedlings. Temperatures around − 11° to − 13 °C are near lethal to acorns and significantly reduce their viability. Overall, desiccation does not increase their frost resistance; therefore, in practice, it is important to keep acorns during a cold storage in the highly hydrated state.
Establishment of the basidiomycete Fomes fomentarius for the production of composite materials
Authors: Pohl Carsten , Schmidt Bertram , Nunez Guitar Tamara , Klemm Sophie , Gusovius Hans-Jörg , Platzk Stefan , Kruggel-Emden Harald , Klunker Andre , Völlmecke Christina , Fleck Claudia , Meyer Vera
Published: February 2022

Background

Filamentous fungi of the phylum Basidiomycota are considered as an attractive source for the biotechnological production of composite materials. The ability of many basidiomycetes to accept residual lignocellulosic plant biomass from agriculture and forestry such as straw, shives and sawdust as substrates and to bind and glue together these otherwise loose but reinforcing substrate particles into their mycelial network, makes them ideal candidates to produce biological composites to replace petroleum-based synthetic plastics and foams in the near future.

Results

Here, we describe for the first time the application potential of the tinder fungus Fomes fomentarius for lab-scale production of mycelium composites. We used fine, medium and coarse particle fractions of hemp shives and rapeseed straw to produce a set of diverse composite materials and show that the mechanical materials properties are dependent on the nature and particle size of the substrates. Compression tests and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize composite material properties and to model their compression behaviour by numerical simulations. Their properties were compared amongst each other and with the benchmark expanded polystyrene (EPS), a petroleum-based foam used for thermal isolation in the construction industry. Our analyses uncovered that EPS shows an elastic modulus of 2.37 ± 0.17 MPa which is 4-times higher compared to the F. fomentarius composite materials whereas the compressive strength of 0.09 ± 0.003 MPa is in the range of the fungal composite material. However, when comparing the ability to take up compressive forces at higher strain values, the fungal composites performed better than EPS. Hemp-shive based composites were able to resist a compressive force of 0.2 MPa at 50% compression, rapeseed composites 0.3 MPa but EPS only 0.15 MPa.

Conclusion

The data obtained in this study suggest that F. fomentarius constitutes a promising cell factory for the future production of fungal composite materials with similar mechanical behaviour as synthetic foams such as EPS. Future work will focus on designing materials characteristics through optimizing substrate properties, cultivation conditions and by modulating growth and cell wall composition of F. fomentarius, i.e. factors that contribute on the meso- and microscale level to the composite behaviour.
Optimised passive marker device visibility and automatic marker detection for 3-T MRI-guided endovascular interventions: a pulsatile flow phantom study
Authors: Nijsink Han , Overduin Christiaan G. , Brand Patrick , De Jong Sytse F. , Borm Paul J. A. , Warlé Michiel C. , Fütterer Jurgen J.
Published: February 2022

Background

Passive paramagnetic markers on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-compatible endovascular devices induce susceptibility artifacts, enabling MRI-visibility and real-time MRI-guidance. Optimised visibility is crucial for automatic detection and device tracking but depends on MRI technical parameters and marker characteristics. We assessed marker visibility and automatic detection robustness for varying MRI parameters and marker characteristics in a pulsatile flow phantom.

Methods

Guidewires with varying iron(II,III) oxide nanoparticle (IONP) concentration markers were imaged using gradient-echo (GRE) and balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) sequences at 3 T. Furthermore, echo time (TE), slice thickness (ST) and phase encoding direction (PED) were varied. Artifact width was measured and contrast-to-noise ratios were calculated. Marker visibility and image quality were scored by two MRI interventional radiologists. Additionally, a deep learning model for automatic marker detection was trained and the effects of the parameters on detection performance were evaluated. Two-tailed Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used (significance level, p < 0.05).

Results

Medan artifact width (IQR) was larger in bSSFP compared to GRE images (12.7 mm (11.0–15.2) versus 8.4 mm (6.5–11.0)) (p < 0.001) and showed a positive relation with TE and IONP concentration. Switching PED and doubling ST had limited effect on artifact width. Image quality assessment scores were higher for GRE compared to bSSFP images. The deep learning model automatically detected the markers. However, the model performance was reduced after adjusting PED, TE, and IONP concentration.

Conclusion

Marker visibility was sufficient and a large range of artifact sizes was generated by adjusting TE and IONP concentration. Deep learning-based marker detection was feasible but performance decreased for altered MR parameters. These factors should be considered to optimise device visibility and ensure reliable automatic marker detectability in MRI-guided endovascular interventions.
A critical evaluation of Nigeria’s response to the first wave of COVID-19
Authors: Jacobs Ezekiel Damilare , Okeke Malachy Ifeanyi
Published: February 2022

Background

The first wave of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began when the first index case was reported in Nigeria on the 27th of February 2020, and since then, more than 68,000 cases of the disease were confirmed, with 1173 deaths as of November 30, 2020.

Main body

Daily situation reports from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control spanning February 27–November 30, 2020, were fully considered in this review. Further literature search was performed using PubMed and Google Scholar databases for articles related to response measures adopted by Nigeria. The instantaneous reproduction number (R) was then estimated as a metric to investigate the non-pharmaceutical intervention measures. Nigeria responded to COVID-19 pandemic by implementing anti-COVID-19 mitigation strategies in travel restrictions, social distancing, source control, contact tracing, self-isolation, and quarantine, as well as in clinical interventions. Our epidemiological model estimated the R-value of more than 1.0 in Nigeria and in each of all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Conclusion

Nigeria implemented containment and mitigation measures in response to the first wave of COVID-19 and these measures may have contributed to the mild COVID-19 outcome in Nigeria compared to the global trend. However, inadequate PCR testing capacity, lack or suboptimal utilization of epidemic metrics like the virus reproduction number (R) to inform decision making, and premature easing of lockdown measures among others were major challenges to the effective implementation of the COVID-19 response measures.
Toxicological outcome of phthalate exposure on male fertility: Ameliorative impacts of the co-administration of N-acetylcysteine and zinc sulfate in rats
Authors: Emojevwe V. , Nwangwa E. K. , Naiho A. O. , Oyovwi M. O. , Ben-Azu B.
Published: February 2022

Background

Reports have shown that humans are consistently exposed to environmental toxicants such as phthalate (PHT) during their daily activities. This results in reproductive dysfunction and infertility-related issues as already noted in human and experimental animals. We therefore designed this study to investigate fertility outcome in phthalate-exposed male rats treated with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) with the view of providing a therapeutic alternative to reproductive toxicity caused by phthalate. The research was done in two phases. In phase 1, thirty-five male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to one of five (n= 7) groups given the following treatments for 21 days: group A was given distilled water as a control, while groups B, C, D, and E were given phthalate (750 mg/kg/day). Animals in groups C to E were also given ZnSO4 (0.5 mg/kg/day), N-acetylcysteine (100 mg/kg/day), and ZnSO4 (0.5 mg/kg/day) + N-acetylcysteine (100 mg/kg/day) in addition to phthalate. In phase 2, animals from groups in phase 1 were mated with females for fecundity testing.

Results

The result shows alteration in testicular and epididymis weight and testis/epididymis ratio, semen parameters, sperm capacitation and acrosome reaction, sperm DNA, serum Zn and Mg, testicular mitochondria apoptosis mechanisms (TNF-α and BCL-2), and testicularCa2+-ATPaseas well as fecundity outcome in the phthalate-treated group. However, ZnSO4and NAC successfully ameliorated the deleterious effects of phthalate on semen parameters, sperm capacitation and acrosome reaction, serum electrolyte and mitochondria apoptosis mechanisms, and testicular electrogenicCa2+-ATPasein phthalate-induced male rats with a better outcome in the combined therapy. Pregnancy outcome and litter sizes were also higher in the combined therapy when also compared with the phthalate-treated groups.

Conclusion

According to the result, ZnSO4and NAC increased fertility outcome in phthalate-treated male rats through enhancement of testicular BCL-2, serum electrolyte, testicularCa2+ATPasepumps, and cytoprotection.
Evaluation of micronutrients among pediatric liver cirrhosis in Shiraz, Iran
Authors: Dehghani Seyed Mohsen , Amirhakimi Anis , Baligh Parisa , Javaherizadeh Hazhir
Published: February 2022

Background

Cirrhosis is the final result of most types of liver disease. Zinc, magnesium, and vitamin D have a significantly vital role in the immunologic and physiologic mechanisms in the body. The current study aimed to measure magnesium, zinc, and vitamin D level among children with liver cirrhosis.

Results

One hundred cases were included in the current study. Vitamin D deficiency was found in 53% of the cases. Zinc deficiency was present in 23% of the cases. The magnesium level was more than the normal level among 99% of the cases. There is a significant inverse correlation between zinc level and PELD score (Pearson correlation = − 0.314, P = 0.007).

Conclusion

Zinc deficiency and vitamin D deficiency were seen in children with liver cirrhosis. Serum magnesium level in children with liver cirrhosis was higher than standard. A significant correlation was seen between zinc level and PELD score.
Emergency department-based cancer screening interventions
Authors: Adler David , Abar Beau , Chiao Elizabeth Yu
Published: February 2022

Background

Emergency department patients are disproportionately non-adherent with the United States Preventive Services Task Force cancer screening recommendations, making the emergency department a target-rich environment for interventions aimed at increasing the uptake of cancer screening. Promotion of cancer screening in the emergency department has the potential to address health disparities and to reach patients that experience significant barriers to accessing preventive care.

Topics of review

This narrative review presents concise summaries of the four types of cancer screenings with grade A or B recommendations from the United States Preventive Services Task Force (breast, cervical, colorectal, and lung) and presents the potential enabling factors and challenges of utilizing the emergency department setting to increase cancer screening uptake. Past and ongoing efforts to promote cancer screening among emergency department patients are discussed, and critical knowledge gaps and research opportunities are highlighted.

Conclusion

Although there has been a paucity of research evaluating interventions that have the potential to increase cancer screening uptake among emergency department patients, the emergency department setting is uniquely positioned to address disparities in cancer screening uptake and contribute to progress towards national cancer screening goals. To be effective, interventions that aim to achieve this purpose must identify patients with screening needs, engage with patients regarding their knowledge and beliefs about screening, and provide an effective method to conduct or connect patients with screening procedures and subsequent follow-up.
Balancing Risk and Efficiency in Drug Development for Rare and Challenging Tumors: A New Paradigm for Glioma
Authors: Mellinghoff Ingo K. , Cloughesy Timothy F.
Published: February 2022

The process of developing cancer therapies is well established and has enabled the incorporation of many new drugs and classes of agents into the standard of care for common cancers. Clinical drug development is fundamentally different for rare and difficult-to-treat solid tumors, such as glioma or pancreatic cancer. The failure to develop effective new agents for the latter diseases has discouraged the development of therapeutics for these cancers. Using glioma as an example, we describe a process toward obtaining more reliable early-stage signals of drug activity and a process toward translating those signals into clinical benefits with more efficient late-stage development. If linked together, these processes should increase the likelihood of benefit in late-stage settings at a lower cost and encourage more drug development for patients with rare and difficult-to-treat cancers.
Dirac cones and higher-order topology in quasi-continuous media
Authors: Lin Zhi-Kang , Jiang Jian-Hua
Published: February 2022

We consider the Dirac cones and higher-order topological phases in quasi-continuous media of classical waves (e.g., photonic and sonic crystals). Using sonic crystals as prototype examples, we revisit some of the known systems in the study of topological acoustics. We show the emergence of various Dirac cones and higher-order topological band gaps in the same framework by tuning the geometry of the system. We provide a pedagogical review of the underlying physics and methodology via the bulk-edge-corner correspondence, symmetry-based indicators, Wannier representations, filling anomaly, and fractional corner charges. In particular, the theory of the Dirac cones and the higher-order topology are put in the same framework. These examples and the underlying physics principles can be inspiring and useful in the future study of higher-order topological metamaterials.
The Weight of Place: Built Environment Correlates of Obesity and Diabetes
Authors: Howell Nicholas A , Booth Gillian L
Published: February 2022

In recent decades, the prevalence of obesity and diabetes has risen substantially in North America and worldwide. To address these dual epidemics, researchers and policymakers alike have been searching for effective means to promote healthy lifestyles at a population level. As a consequence, there has been a proliferation of research examining how the “built” environment in which we live influences physical activity levels, by promoting active forms of transportation, such as walking and cycling, over passive ones, such as car use. Shifting the transportation choices of local residents may mean that more members of the population can participate in physical activity during their daily routine without structured exercise programs. Increasingly, this line of research has considered the downstream metabolic consequences of the environment in which we live, raising the possibility that “healthier” community designs could help mitigate the rise in obesity and diabetes prevalence. This review discusses the evidence examining the relationship between the built environment, physical activity, and obesity-related diseases. We also consider how other environmental factors may interact with the built environment to influence metabolic health, highlighting challenges in understanding causal relationships in this area of research.
A Rare Hemoglobin Variant (β51Pro → His) Causing Misleading Measurements of Hemoglobin A1c
Authors: Mackley Michael P , Morgenthau Ari , Elnenaei Manal , MacKenzie Heather
Published: February 2022

Glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is considered the standard of care for the testing and monitoring of diabetes. Its ability to accurately reflect glycemia, however, is imperfect. Hemoglobin variants—mutant forms of hemoglobin caused by genetic variation present in 7% of the population—are known to adversely affect the ability of HbA1c measurement to reflect glycemic control. We report an illustrative case of a 64-year-old nondiabetic man with a steadily decreasing HbA1c and no symptoms of hypoglycemia or concerning family history. Preliminary investigative workup returned nothing of significance. Genetic sequencing, however, identified a rare benign hemoglobin variant: a heterozygous missense mutation in the gene encoding the hemoglobin β chain (c.155C > A, p.Pro51His). This variant has been reported only once previously, and the report predates genetic sequence data of the variant. Although this variant had no clinical implications for the patient, it was the cause of falsely low HbA1c levels on high-performance ion-exchange chromatography. This case highlights the importance of considering the effect of hemoglobin variants on the measurement of HbA1c. When available, family history should be carefully considered. Clinicians should suspect hemoglobin variants when HbA1c is too high or low, or discordant with the clinical picture.
Early Vasopressor Utilization Strategies and Outcomes in Critically Ill Patients With Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Toro Camilo , Ohnuma Tetsu , Komisarow Jordan , Vavilala Monica S. , Laskowitz Daniel T. , James Michael L. , Mathew Joseph P. , Hernandez Adrian F. , Goldstein Ben A. , Sampson John H. , Krishnamoorthy Vijay
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND:

Early hypotension after severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI) is associated with increased mortality and poor long-term outcomes. Current guidelines suggest the use of intravenous vasopressors, commonly norepinephrine and phenylephrine, to support blood pressure after TBI. However, guidelines do not specify vasopressor type, resulting in variation in clinical practice. We describe early vasopressor utilization patterns in critically ill patients with TBI and examine the association between utilization of norepinephrine, compared to phenylephrine, with hospital mortality after sTBI.

METHODS:

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of US hospitals participating in the Premier Healthcare Database between 2009 and 2018. We examined adult patients (>17 years of age) with a primary diagnosis of sTBI who were treated in an intensive care unit (ICU) after injury. The primary exposure was vasopressor choice (phenylephrine versus norepinephrine) within the first 2 days of hospital admission. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes examined included hospital length of stay (LOS) and ICU LOS. We conducted a post hoc subgroup analysis in all patients with intracranial pressure (ICP) monitor placement. Regression analysis was used to assess differences in outcomes between patients exposed to phenylephrine versus norepinephrine, with propensity matching to address selection bias due to the nonrandom allocation of treatment groups.

RESULTS:

From 2009 to 2018, 24,718 (37.1%) of 66,610 sTBI patients received vasopressors within the first 2 days of hospitalization. Among these patients, 60.6% (n = 14,991) received only phenylephrine, 10.8% (n = 2668) received only norepinephrine, 3.5% (n = 877) received other vasopressors, and 25.0% (n = 6182) received multiple vasopressors. In that time period, the use of all vasopressors after sTBI increased. A moderate degree of variation in vasopressor choice was explained at the individual hospital level (23.1%). In propensity-matched analysis, the use of norepinephrine compared to phenylephrine was associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality (OR, 1.65; CI, 1.46–1.86; P < .0001).

CONCLUSIONS:

Early vasopressor utilization among critically ill patients with sTBI is common, increasing over the last decade, and varies across hospitals caring for TBI patients. Compared to phenylephrine, norepinephrine was associated with increased risk of in-hospital mortality in propensity-matched analysis. Given the wide variation in vasopressor utilization and possible differences in efficacy, our analysis suggests the need for randomized controlled trials to better inform vasopressor choice for patients with sTBI.
Artificial Intelligence for Perioperative Medicine: Perioperative Intelligence
Authors: Maheshwari Kamal , Cywinski Jacek B. , Papay Frank , Khanna Ashish K. , Mathur Piyush
Published: February 2022

The anesthesiologist’s role has expanded beyond the operating room, and anesthesiologist-led care teams can deliver coordinated care that spans the entire surgical experience, from preoperative optimization to long-term recovery of surgical patients. This expanded role can help reduce postoperative morbidity and mortality, which are regrettably common, unlike rare intraoperative mortality. Postoperative mortality, if considered a disease category, will be the third leading cause of death just after heart disease and cancer. Rapid advances in technologies like artificial intelligence provide an opportunity to build safe perioperative practices. Artificial intelligence helps by analyzing complex data across disparate systems and producing actionable information. Using artificial intelligence technologies, we can critically examine every aspect of perioperative medicine and devise innovative value-based solutions that can potentially improve patient safety and care delivery, while optimizing cost of care. In this narrative review, we discuss specific applications of artificial intelligence that may help advance all aspects of perioperative medicine, including clinical care, education, quality improvement, and research. We also discuss potential limitations of technology and provide our recommendations for successful adoption.
Building a database for energy sufficiency policies
Authors: Best Benjamin , Thema Johannes , Zell-Ziegler Carina , Wiese Frauke , Barth Jonathan , Breidenbach Stephan , Nascimento Leonardo , Wilke Henry
Published: February 2022

Sufficiency measures are potentially decisive for the decarbonisation of energy systems but rarely considered in energy policy and modelling. Just as efficiency and renewable energies, the diffusion of demand-side solutions to climate change also relies on policy-making. Our extensive literature review of European and national sufficiency policies fills a gap in existing databases. We present almost 300 policy instruments clustered into relevant categories and publish them as "Energy Sufficiency Policy Database". This paper provides a description of the data clustering, the set-up of the database and an analysis of the policy instruments. A key insight is that sufficiency policy includes much more than bans of products or information tools leaving the responsibility to individuals. It is a comprehensive instrument mix of all policy types, not only enabling sufficiency action, but also reducing currently existing barriers. A policy database can serve as a good starting point for policy recommendations and modelling, further research is needed on barriers and demand-reduction potentials of sufficiency policy instruments.
miND (miRNA NGS Discovery pipeline): a small RNA-seq analysis pipeline and report generator for microRNA biomarker discovery studies
Authors: Diendorfer Andreas , Khamina Kseniya , Pultar Marianne , Hackl Matthias
Published: February 2022

In contrast to traditional methods like real-time polymerase chain reaction, next-generation sequencing (NGS), and especially small RNA-seq, enables the untargeted investigation of the whole small RNAome, including microRNAs (miRNAs) but also a multitude of other RNA species. With the promising application of small RNAs as biofluid-based biomarkers, small RNA-seq is the method of choice for an initial discovery study. However, the presentation of specific quality aspects of small RNA-seq data varies significantly between laboratories and is lacking a common (minimal) standard.

The miRNA NGS Discovery pipeline (miND) aims to bridge the gap between wet lab scientist and bioinformatics with an easy to setup configuration sheet and an automatically generated comprehensive report that contains all essential qualitative and quantitative results that should be reported. Besides the standard steps like preprocessing, mapping, visualization, and quantification of reads, the pipeline also incorporates differential expression analysis when given the appropriate information regarding sample groups.

Although miND has a focus on miRNAs, other RNA species like tRNAs, piRNA, snRNA, or snoRNA are included and mapping statistics are available for further analysis. miND has been developed and tested on a multitude of data sets with various RNA sources (tissue, plasma, extracellular vesicles, urine, etc.) and different species.

miND is a Snakemake based pipeline and thus incorporates all advantages using a flexible workflow management system. Reference databases are downloaded, prepared and built with an included (but separate) workflow and thus can easily be updated to the most recent version but also stored for reproducibility.

In conclusion, the miND pipeline aims to streamline the bioinformatics processing of small RNA-seq data by standardizing the processing from raw data to a final, comprehensive and reproducible report.
Investigating the impact of adapted physical education service-learning projects on preservice teachers’ attitudes toward individuals with disabilities
Authors: Kwon Eun Hye , Park Jinho , Kim Taeeung
Published: February 2022

Service-learning (SL) has been implemented widely in teacher education to connect knowledge and practical experiences. In the field of Physical Education Teacher Education, Adapted Physical Education (APE) Courses have been implemented SL to provide hands-on experiences to promote preservice teachers’ attitudes toward individuals with disabilities. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of two SL projects, the volunteer project, and the parasports project, in the Intro APE course on preservice teachers’ attitudes toward individuals with disabilities. A total of 130 preservice teachers participated in this study taking the Multidimensional Attitude Scale Toward Persons with Disabilities (MAS) before and after completing two SL projects. The result of the t-test indicated that there is no difference in overall MAS scores between pre- and posttest (Meanpre = 2.954, SDpre = 0.689, Meanpost = 3.01, SDpost = 0.679; t(129) = 0.390, P = 0.784). However, the significant increase observed in affects subscale of MAS (Meanpre = 3.47, SDpre = 0.374, Meanpost = 3.52, SDpost = 0.188; t(129) = 0.347, P = 0.327). Our finding indicated cognition and behavior of preservice teachers toward individuals with disabilities were positively increased, but not significantly improved yet. Evidence suggested that two SL projects in this study did not significantly improve the overall positive attitudes of preservice teachers toward individuals with disabilities, but it was meaningful to observe that preservice teachers increased their affects toward individuals with disabilities.
High-intensity interval training for chronic pain conditions: a narrative review
Authors: Botta Riccardo Maria , Palermi Stefano , Tarantino Domiziano
Published: February 2022

Chronic pain is defined as pain that persists past the normal healing time. Physical activity and exercise programs are increasingly being promoted and used for a variety of chronic pain conditions. Evidence suggests that physical exercise is an intervention with few adverse events that may improve pain severity and physical function, thus improving the quality of life. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been shown to improve physical outcome measures and to decrease disorder-related disability in people with chronic disorders. Since an overview of the benefits of HIIT on chronic pain conditions has not been published yet, this review aims to report the effects of HIIT alone or in combination with other forms of training on different kind of chronic pain conditions. A search in the main scientific electronic databases was performed. The results of the studies included in this review showed that HIIT is beneficial for several chronic pain conditions, improving pain and physical function. Since HIIT could represent a valid help to conventional drug therapies, it could improve the quality of life of these subjects. The actual quality of evidence remains very low, and further high evidence studies are needed to confirm the promising outcomes reported in this review.
The 24-hour interval compression plan: part 2—lifestyle and therapeutic regimens to manage chronic oedema case series
Authors: Bock Karen J , Ehmann J Suzie , Muldoon Jeanette
Published: February 2022

Objective:

The aim of this case series was to retrospectively assess the impact on volume control and patients' quality of life (QOL) when a night-time garment was added to their previous compression regimen for a full 24-hour interval compression plan.

Method:

Patients who had a history of chronic oedema presented to one of two oedema management centres in the US for treatment for oedema exacerbation and/or suboptimal performance of their current garments. Objective data examined were circumferential limb volume (cm3) measurements and QOL measured with the Lymphoedema QOL Tool (LYMQOL-Leg and LYMQOL-Arm). Subjective comments on functional abilities and perception of improvement with a compression plan that comprised a 24-hour interval were documented.

Results:

All three patients presented in this case series had a reduction in limb volume and improvement in QOL when their daytime regimen of garments was updated and new night-time garments were added. Their subjective comments indicated improvement in activities of daily living and ease of controlling daytime oedema with a 24-hour interval compression plan.

Conclusion:

This case series illustrates the need for clinicians to create a partnership with the patient to promote concordance and adherence as part of their individual 24-hour interval compression plan. This partnership allows the plan to be uniquely changed and adjusted to allow each patient to feel in control of refreshing their mood, their skin and their garments.
Treatment of Pasteurella multocida infection with dressings containing honey and antibacterials: a case report
Authors: Hu Xiao-hua , Li Ming , Yang Lei , Chen Hui , Chen Zhong , Du Wei-li , Shen Yu-ming
Published: February 2022

Infections secondary to Pasteurella multocida frequently occur in patients who have been exposed to domestic pets. Human infections caused by Pasteurella multocida vary in severity, and clinical features include localised cellulitis, osteomyelitis, systemic bacteraemia, meningitis and pneumonia. No vaccine has been developed against Pasteurella multocida; it is treated with antibacterial agents and, in most cases, surgical intervention. This article discusses the authors' experience in treating a woman with severe cellulitis and osteomyelitis on her hand caused by Pasteurella multocida. She refused surgical intervention and was successfully treated with honey-containing dressings and antibiotics after failure to heal following conservative treatment using conventional wound dressings combined with antibiotics.
Bid from the Malaysian Society of Wound Care Professionals
Authors: Nair Harikrishna KR
Published: February 2022

The Malaysian Society of Wound Care Professionals sets out its bid for the WUWHS 2026 Congress to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Healing outcomes and predictors among patients with venous leg ulcers treated with compression therapy
Authors: Aloweni Fazila , Mei Chew Suet , Lixuan Nicole Lee , Fook-Chong Stephanie , Yobas Piyanee , Yuh Ang Shin , Xian Tan Wei , Maniya Sivagame
Published: February 2022

Objective:

This study aimed to compare the healing outcomes between three types of compression therapy—two-layer bandage (2LB), four-layer bandage (4LB), and compression stockings, and to identify the predictors of venous leg ulcer (VLU) healing

Method:

A retrospective review of the medical records of patients diagnosed with VLU between 2011 and 2016 in Singapore was conducted. Univariate and multivariate analyses were done between healed and unhealed VLU patients at three and six months, based on potential factors, ranging from demographic profile to comorbidities and treatment-related variables.

Results:

Data from 377 patients' medical records were analysed. The healing rates with the three types of compression system, 4LB, 2LB and compression stockings, were 22.3%, 34.9% and 8.7% respectively at three months; at six months they were 44.2%, 41.9% and 34.8% respectively. Patients on 2LB reported a significantly higher proportion of healed ulcers at three months (p=0.003) but at six months there was no difference in healing rates between the three types of therapy. At three and six months, the duration of compression therapy was found to be an independent predictor of healing (p<0.001).

Conclusion:

In this study, the 2LB appeared to show the most favourable healing outcome in the short-term but as VLUs persisted beyond the months, the type of compression system used did not make a difference in the healing outcome. Our findings suggested that, as the duration became more prolonged, VLUs became more resistant to healing despite compression therapy. Therefore, it may be necessary for clinicians to consider adjuvant therapies for hard-to-heal ulcers at an earlier stage.
Paisaje e identidad en la sierra andina: literatura y fotografía
Authors: Fierros Gustavo
Published: February 2022

El paisaje de la sierra andina ha sido una constante presencia no sólo en el arte y en la literatura peruana, sino también en los discursos de representatividad estética e identitaria en el Perú. Su aparición coincidió con el desarrollo de la fotografía, con el desarrollo del turismo en la región andina, así como con el indigenismo peruano. Este trabajo sostiene que tanto la construcción del paisaje de la sierra andina como de la imagen del indio en la obra del fotógrafo Martín Chambi, aunque son imágenes opuestas a las propuestas por José De la Riva Agüero y por Mariano Iberico, son, por otro lado, similares: imágenes a-históricas de la identidad indígena en la sierra peruana.
Classification of steel using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy combined with deep belief network
Authors: Chen Guanghui , Zeng Qingdong , Li Wenxin , Chen Xiangang , Yuan Mengtian , Liu Lin , Ma Honghua , Wang Boyun , Liu Yang , Guo Lianbo , Yu Huaqing
Published: February 2022

The identification of steels is a crucial step in the process of recycling and reusing steel waste. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) coupled with machine learning is a convenient method to classify the types of materials. LIBS can generate characteristic spectra of various samples as input variable for steel classification in real time. However, the performance of classification model is limited to the complex input due to similar chemical composition in samples and nonlinearity problems between spectral intensities and elemental concentrations. In this study, we developed a method of LIBS coupled with deep belief network (DBN), which is suitable to deal with a nonlinear problem, to classify 13 brands of special steels. The performance of the training and validation sets were used as the standard to optimize the structure of DBN. For different input, such as the intensities of full-spectra signals and characteristic spectra lines, the accuracies of the optimized DBN model in the training, validation, and test set are all over 98%. Moreover, compared with the self-organizing maps, linear discriminant analysis (LDA), k-nearest neighbor (KNN) and back-propagation artificial neural networks (BPANN), the result of the test set showed that the optimized DBN model performed second best (98.46%) in all methods using characteristic spectra lines as input. The test accuracy of the DBN model could reach 100% and the maximum accuracy of other methods ranged from 62.31% to 96.16% using full-spectra signals as input. This study demonstrates that DBN can extract representative feature information from high-dimensional input, and that LIBS coupled with DBN has great potential for steel classification.
Immunofluorescence Detection of Plasma Membranous PTEN in Cultured Cells
Authors: Kato Takashi
Published: February 2022

PTEN is a well-known tumor suppressor with various functions that depend on its intracellular localization. Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged live-cell images clarified the crucial amino acids needed to regulate the localization of PTEN in cells. However, it currently remains unknown whether GFP itself affects the intracellular localization of PTEN and its mutants, and the establishment of fixed-cell imaging is important for identifying the exact location of PTEN in cells. I herein investigated a number of immunofluorescence strategies for cell fixation, membrane permeabilization, and antigen retrieval. Permeabilization by detergents was necessary to observe nuclear and cytosolic PTEN in paraformaldehyde (PFA)-fixed cells; however, this permeabilization was not always valid. On the other hand, antigen retrieval by the pre-boiled EDTA treatment was useful for detecting plasma membranous PTEN in PFA-fixed cells in the same manner as in in vivo studies. Furthermore, methanol-fixed images of PTEN were consistent with GFP-tagged live-cell images. Two immunofluorescence methods (the PFA-fixed/pre-boiled EDTA treatment and methanol fixation) are applicable to investigations of the intracellular localization of PTEN without a GFP tag in cultured cells. In conclusion, live-cell imaging and appropriate immunofluorescence including a novel antigen retrieval treatment were both useful for detecting the cellular localization of PTEN, particularly at the plasma membrane.
The ReIMAGINE prostate cancer risk study protocol: A prospective cohort study in men with a suspicion of prostate cancer who are referred onto an MRI-based diagnostic pathway with donation of tissue, blood and urine for biomarker analyses.
Authors: Marsden Teresa , McCartan Neil , Brown Louise , Rodriguez-Justo Manuel , Syer Tom , Brembilla Giorgio , Van Hemelrijck Mieke , Coolen Ton , Attard Gerhardt , Punwani Shonit , Moore Caroline M. , Ahmed Hashim U. , Emberton Mark ,   on behalf of the ReIMAGINE Study Group
Published: February 2022

Introduction

The ReIMAGINE Consortium was conceived to develop risk-stratification models that might incorporate the full range of novel prostate cancer (PCa) diagnostics (both commercial and academic).

Methods

ReIMAGINE Risk is an ethics approved (19/LO/1128) multicentre, prospective, observational cohort study which will recruit 1000 treatment-naive men undergoing a multi-parametric MRI (mpMRI) due to an elevated PSA (≤20ng/ml) or abnormal prostate examination who subsequently had a suspicious mpMRI (score≥3, stage ≤T3bN0M0). Primary outcomes include the detection of ≥Gleason 7 PCa at baseline and time to clinical progression, metastasis and death. Baseline blood, urine, and biopsy cores for fresh prostate tissue samples (2 targeted and 1 non-targeted) will be biobanked for future analysis. High-resolution scanning of pathology whole-slide imaging and MRI-DICOM images will be collected. Consortium partners will be granted access to data and biobanks to develop and validate biomarkers using correlation to mpMRI, biopsy-based disease status and long-term clinical outcomes.

Results

Recruitment began in September 2019(n = 533). A first site opened in September 2019 (n = 296), a second in November 2019 (n = 210) and a third in December 2020 (n = 27). Acceptance to the study has been 65% and a mean of 36.5ml(SD+/-10.0), 12.9ml(SD+/-3.7) and 2.8ml(SD+/-0.7) urine, plasma and serum donated for research, respectively. There are currently 4 academic and 15 commercial partners spanning imaging (~9 radiomics, artificial intelligence/machine learning), fluidic (~3 blood-based and ~2urine-based) and tissue-based (~1) biomarkers.

Conclusion

The consortium will develop, or adjust, risk models for PCa, and provide a platform for evaluating the role of novel diagnostics in the era of pre-biopsy MRI and targeted biopsy.