bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Musculoskeletal disorders and the physical activity of territorial army soldiers during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Grabara Małgorzata , Sadowska-Krępa Ewa
Published: September 2021

Background

The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence of self-reported musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) among Polish territorial army soldiers during the COVID-19 pandemic and to investigate whether there was a relationship between occupational physical activity (OPA), leisure time physical activity (LTPA), and MSD.

Methods

The study used a cross-sectional design with a sample of 373 territorial army soldiers ages 18–55 who had not previously suffered from COVID-19 and were not convalescents. The symptoms prevalence data was collected using the standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. OPA and LTPA data was collected using the Seven-Day Physical Activity Recall (SDPAR).

Results

The OPA, LTPA, and total physical activity (PA) among the studied soldiers was very diverse and the mean level of PA was relatively high. A total of 56 and 40% of territorial army soldiers had experienced pain or other discomfort in one or more of nine body regions during the past 12 months and during the past 7 days, respectively. The most common MSD among Polish territorial army soldiers were low back pain, followed by pain in the neck and knees.

Conclusions

The study revealed that the OPA of the studied soldiers, especially vigorous-intensity and high vigorous-intensity OPA, was associated with a higher prevalence of MSD in several regions of the body, i.e. the lower back, elbows, wrists or hands, hips or thighs, and ankles or feet. Along with the increase in energy expenditure on total PA, a greater percentage of respondents experienced low back pain. Vigorous and high vigorous-intensity PA may contribute to the occurrence of MSD.
Management of pertrochanteric fractures in patients over 90 years: In-hospital mortality rate, complications and associated risk factors
Authors: Ghanem Mohamed , Garthmann Jonas , Redecker Anja , Ahrberg-Spiegl Annette Brigitte , Fakler Johannes Karl Maria , Spiegl Ulrich Josef Albert
Published: September 2021

Purpose

This study aims primarily to investigate the outcome following surgical management of pertrochanteric fractures of patients over 90 years compared to the outcome of a control group below 90 years under special consideration of the timing of surgery. The second aim was to analyze potential risk factors for early deaths in very old patients. This study allows us to draw conclusions to minimize complications linked to this particular age segment.

Methods

The study group consisted of very old patients aged 90 years and older. Geriatric patients aged between 60 and 89 years of age were part of the control group. Type A1 pertrochanteric fractures were typically treated by dynamic hip crews, type A2 and A3 fractures by femoral nails. Full weight bearing physiotherapy was initiated on the day after surgery to improve mobility and muscle strength.

Results

A total of 71 patients belonged to the study group (mean age: 92.5 years ±2.3 years), whereas 223 patients formed the control group (mean age: 79.9 ± 7.4 years). The mortality rate and the number of detected and documented complications were significantly higher in the study group (p = 0.001; p = 0.009, respectively). Despite the significantly higher complication rate in the > 90-year-old patients, there was no significant difference in the mean length of in-hospital-stay between the both groups (> 90 yrs.: 12.1d; < 90 yrs.: 13.1 d) and the timing of surgery.

Conclusion

The number of co-morbidities, number of daily-administered medications and the time between admission and surgery have no impact on the outcome. We noticed a longer period between admission and surgery in very old patients who survived. Patients with pertrochanteric fractures should be screened for multimorbidity and cognitive disorders in a standardized manner.
The association between overweight/obesity and double diabetes in adults with type 1 diabetes; a cross-sectional study
Authors: Cantley Nathan WP , Lonnen Kathryn , Kyrou Ioannis , Tahrani Abd A , Kahal Hassan
Published: September 2021

Background

Double Diabetes (DD), type 1 diabetes (T1DM) + insulin resistance (IR), is associated with increased risk of micro/macro-vascular complications and mortality. Obesity can contribute to the development of DD. This study explored the prevalence of overweight/obesity and their association with DD in adults with T1DM.

Methods

Cross-sectional study of consecutive adults with T1DM attending diabetes clinics in a secondary care hospital (January-November 2019). Estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR) was used as a marker of IR, and an eGDR < 8 was used to identify individuals with DD.

Results

One hundred seven adults with T1DM were included; female/male: 51/56; age [median (inter-quartile range): 30.0 (23–51) years]; BMI 25.4 (22.8–30.0) kg/m2. Overweight/obesity prevalence was 57/107 (53.3 %) [overweight: 30/107 (28 %); obesity: 27/107 (25.2 %)]. Compared to those with normal BMI, individuals with T1DM and overweight/obesity had longer diabetes duration; higher total daily insulin dose; and higher DD prevalence: 48/57 (84.2 %) vs. 14/50 (28 %) (p < 0.01); with similar HbA1c. BMI correlated with total daily insulin dose (rho = 0.55; p < 0.01). Individuals with DD were older, had longer duration of diabetes, higher HbA1c, and more adverse lipid profile and microalbuminuria compared to those without DD.

Conclusions

Overweight/obesity is very common in adults with T1DM, and is associated with double diabetes. BMI is positively associated with total insulin dose. Double diabetes is associated with adverse cardiovascular risk profile and is also common in lean individuals with T1DM. Further research is needed to examine the impact of overweight/obesity in people with T1DM and whether weight loss in this population can improve diabetes-related outcomes.
Morphometric and histomorphometric evaluations of high-purity macro/microporous beta-tricalcium phosphate in maxillary sinus floor elevation: preliminary results on a retrospective, multi-center, observational study
Authors: Fujita Atsushi , Fukumoto Chonji , Hasegawa Tomonori , Sawatani Yuta , Kawamata Hitoshi
Published: September 2021

Background

The present study examined the effectiveness of high-purity macro/microporous beta-tricalcium phosphate (HPMM β-TCP) as a bone grafting material for maxillary sinus floor elevation by morphometric, histopathological, and histomorphometric evaluations.

Methods

Ten unilateral maxillary sinus floor elevation procedures using 100% HPMM β-TCP were performed in 10 patients. Morphometric evaluation was carried out by computed tomography (CT) imaging immediately after augmentation and prior to dental implant placement 7 months later. Histopathological and histomorphometric evaluations were carried out by bone biopsy retrieval at the time of dental implant placement 7 months after sinus floor elevation.

Results

All 10 sinus floor elevations were successful. Morphometric evaluation by CT showed that the vertical height and volume gained by sinus floor elevation decreased 7 months after surgery. Histopathological evaluation of bone biopsy retrieval specimens showed no signs of inflammation at the newly formed bone area and the native alveolar bone area. New bone formation was observed at the cranial side from the native alveolar bone. The newly formed bone had a trabecular structure and was in intimate contact with the HPMM β-TCP material. Histomorphometric evaluation of bone biopsy retrieval specimens showed an average new bone volume of 33.97% ± 2.79% and an average residual HPMM β-TCP volume of 15.81% ± 4.52%.

Conclusions

In this study, HPMM β-TCP showed osteoconductive properties for vertical augmentation of the atrophied maxilla by means of a maxillary sinus floor elevation procedure allowing subsequent dental implant placement after a 7-month healing period.
Health-related quality of life in patients with colorectal cancer in the palliative phase: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Flyum Ida Røed , Mahic Seila , Grov Ellen Karine , Joranger Pål
Published: September 2021

Background

The occurrence of colorectal cancer has doubled over the last 50 years and many people are living with the disease in the palliative phase. Therefore, it is important that healthcare personnel have knowledge about the patient’s health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The aim of this review is to investigate how HRQoL is reported by means of different measures for patients in the palliative phase of colorectal cancer and examine which sociodemographic and clinical factors are associated with the mean scores reported for HRQoL.

Method

A systematic review and meta-analysis using forest plots in STATA were conducted. The databases MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Amed, and SveMed+ were used for the systematic searches with combinations of terms for colorectal cancer, the palliative phase and HRQoL. The Cochrane handbook and the PRISMA checklist from 2009 were utilised.

Results

In total, 710 articles were identified. Eleven quantitative studies met the inclusion criteria and six were included in the meta-analysis. Five of the 11 studies had a longitudinal design, while the other six had a cross-sectional design. The meta-analyzes shows that the average HRQoL in palliative phase was 62.9 (56.8–69.0) 15D was 0.76 (0.73–0.79), EQ-5D was 0.67 (0.62–0.73), and VAS was 64.1 (53.7–74.4). Multiple sociodemographic and clinical variables were associated with HRQoL and a higher prevalence of common cancer symptoms were reported than gastrointestinal symptoms.

Conclusion

This systematic review revealed that patients with colorectal cancer report low HRQoL. Furthermore, it shows that what affects HRQoL is complicated, including multiple clinical and sociodemographic variables. This underlines the need for further research. To ensure the best possible care, it is important that all healthcare professionals have easy access to knowledge about HRQoL in patients with colorectal cancer, and what impacts it in the last phase of life.
Women’s autonomy in refusing risky sex and associated factors in Ethiopia: evidence from 2011 to 2016 EDHS data
Authors: Asabu Melkamu Dires
Published: September 2021

Background

Risky sexual behavior is a major public health concern of Ethiopians. Although studying the autonomy of women in refusing risky sex is significant to take proper actions, the issue is not yet studied. Accordingly, this population-based nationwide study was aimed at assessing women’s autonomy in refusing risky sex and its associated factors in Ethiopia.

Method

The sample was limited to married women of 2011 (n = 8369) and 2016 (n = 8403) Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey data. Women's autonomy in refusing risky sex was measured based on wives' response to 'not having sex because husbands have other women. To examine associated factors, socio-demographic variables were computed using binary logistic regression.

Result

The finding revealed that the trend of women’s autonomy in refusing risky sex had declined from 78.9% in 2011 to 69.5% in 2016. Women aged from 25 to 34 were less likely autonomous in refusing sex compared to those who aged less than 24 years old (AOR = .7064; 95% CI 0.605, 0.965). The autonomy of women with higher educational status was three times more likely higher than those who have no formal education (AOR = 3.221; 95% CI 1.647, 6.300 respectively. The autonomy of women who are from rich households was more likely higher in comparison to women from poor households (AOR = 1.523; 95% CI 1.28, 1.813). The autonomy of women those who live in Tigray 2.9 times (AOR = 2.938; 95% CI 2.025, 4.263), Amhara 4.8 times (AOR = 4.870; 95% CI 3.388, 7.000), SNNP 1.9 times (AOR = 1.900; 95% CI 1.355, 2.664), and Addis Ababa 3.8 times (AOR = 3.809; 95% CI 2.227, 6.516) more likely higher than those who reside in Dire Dawa.

Conclusion

The autonomy of women in refusing risky sex has declined from 2011 to 2016. This infers that currently, women are more victimized than previously. Hence, possible interventions like empowering women shall be taken to protect women from certain health problems of risky sexual behavior.
Barriers and facilitators to the implementation of nurse’s role in primary care settings: an integrative review
Authors: Busca Erica , Savatteri Alessia , Calafato Tania Lorenza , Mazzoleni Beatrice , Barisone Michela , Dal Molin Alberto
Published: September 2021

Background

The rapid evolution of the epidemiological picture and the recent SARS-COV-2 pandemic has expressed the vulnerabilities of health systems and focuses attention on the population’s needs.

The nurse’s figure in the care teams is universally identified; however, the implementation of the role within some care settings turns out to be complex and challenging. This integrative review aims to identify the barriers and facilitators in implementing the role of the nurse in primary care settings.

Methods

An integrative review was conducted on the Medline and Cinahl databases until 9 June 2020. Qualitative, quantitative, and Mixed-method research studies were selected to identify studies related to the barriers and facilitators of the nurse’s role in nursing facilities’ primary care. For the extraction of the results, the Consolidating Framework for Research Implementation (CFIR) was used to identify the factors that influence implementation in health care.

Results

Following the duplicates’ removal, the search identified 18,257 articles, of which 56 were relevant to the inclusion criteria; therefore, they were included in the summary.

The selected studies were conducted in thirteen countries, most from Oceania, Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

The barriers reported most frequently concern the nursing profession’s regulatory and regulatory aspects within the contexts of care, cultural and organizational aspects, training, and the transfer of specific skills, which were previously designated to doctors.

The facilitators are mainly linked to the nurse’s adaptability to the various contexts of care, recognizing the patient’s role, and the desire to develop multidisciplinary and effective working groups to respond to the health needs of the population in primary care contexts.

Conclusion

This review highlighted the main barriers and facilitators in implementing the nurse’s role in primary care settings. These results offer useful elements for stakeholders to identify effective strategies in preparing programs and activities for implementing the nurse’s role, acting on the elements identified as barriers and favouring the aspects that emerge as facilitators.
Implementation of a proactive referral tool for child healthcare professionals to encourage and facilitate parental smoking cessation in the Netherlands: a mixed-methods study
Authors: Scheffers-van Schayck Tessa , Hipple Walters Bethany , Otten Roy , Kleinjan Marloes
Published: September 2021

Background

Recently, the parent-tailored telephone based smoking cessation counseling program ‘Smoke-free Parents’ was shown to be effective in helping parents to quit smoking. To implement this program in child healthcare settings in the Netherlands, the research team developed a proactive referral tool to refer parents to Smoke-free Parents. The aim of the present implementation study was to explore the facilitators, barriers, and suggestions for improvement in the implementation of this referral tool.

Methods

Child healthcare professionals (N = 68) were recruited via multiple strategies (e.g., social media, mailings, and word of mouth among healthcare professionals) and invited to complete two online (quantitative and qualitative) questionnaires and to participate in a telephone semi-structured qualitative interview between April 2017 and February 2019. In total, 65 child healthcare professionals were included in the analyses. After inductive coding, thematic analyses were performed on the qualitative data. Descriptive analyses were performed on the quantitative data.

Results

The data from both questionnaires and the telephone interview revealed that the majority of the child healthcare professionals (92.3 % female; average years of working as a healthcare professional: 23.0) found the Smoke-free Parents referral tool accessible and convenient to use. Yet there were several barriers that limited their use of the tool. The data revealed that one of the main barriers that healthcare professionals experienced was parental resistance to smoking cessation assistance. In addition, healthcare professionals noted that they experienced tension when motivating parents to quit smoking, as they were not the parent’s, but the child’s healthcare provider. Additionally, healthcare professionals reported being concerned about the lack of information about the costs of Smoke-free Parents, which limited professionals referring parents to the service.

Conclusions

Although healthcare professionals reported rather positive experiences with the Smoke-free Parents referral tool, the use of the tool was limited due to barriers. To increase the impact of the Smoke-free Parents telephone-based smoking cessation counseling program via child healthcare settings, it is important to overcome these barriers. Suggestions for improvement in the implementation of the referral tool in child healthcare settings are discussed.
Implementation of social needs screening in primary care: a qualitative study using the health equity implementation framework
Authors: Drake Connor , Batchelder Heather , Lian Tyler , Cannady Meagan , Weinberger Morris , Eisenson Howard , Esmaili Emily , Lewinski Allison , Zullig Leah L. , Haley Amber , Edelman David , Shea Christopher M.
Published: September 2021

Background

Screening in primary care for unmet individual social needs (e.g., housing instability, food insecurity, unemployment, social isolation) is critical to addressing their deleterious effects on patients’ health outcomes. To our knowledge, this is the first study to apply an implementation science framework to identify implementation factors and best practices for social needs screening and response.

Methods

Guided by the Health Equity Implementation Framework (HEIF), we collected qualitative data from clinicians and patients to evaluate barriers and facilitators to implementing the Protocol for Responding to and Assessing Patients’ Assets, Risks, and Experiences (PRAPARE), a standardized social needs screening and response protocol, in a federally qualified health center. Eligible patients who received the PRAPARE as a standard of care were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews. We also obtained front-line clinician perspectives in a semi-structured focus group. HEIF domains informed a directed content analysis.

Results

Patients and clinicians (i.e., case managers) reported implementation barriers and facilitators across multiple domains (e.g., clinical encounters, patient and provider factors, inner context, outer context, and societal influence). Implementation barriers included structural and policy level determinants related to resource availability, discrimination, and administrative burden. Facilitators included evidence-based clinical techniques for shared decision making (e.g., motivational interviewing), team-based staffing models, and beliefs related to alignment of the PRAPARE with patient-centered care. We found high levels of patient acceptability and opportunities for adaptation to increase equitable adoption and reach.

Conclusion

Our results provide practical insight into the implementation of the PRAPARE or similar social needs screening and response protocols in primary care at the individual encounter, organizational, community, and societal levels. Future research should focus on developing discrete implementation strategies to promote social needs screening and response, and associated multisector care coordination to improve health outcomes and equity for vulnerable and marginalized patient populations.
An association study in the Taiwan Biobank elicits the GABAA receptor genes GABRB3, GABRA5, and GABRG3 as candidate loci for sleep duration in the Taiwanese population
Authors: Hou Sheue-Jane , Tsai Shih-Jen , Kuo Po-Hsiu , Lin Wan-Yu , Liu Yu-Li , Yang Albert C. , Lin Eugene , Lan Tsuo-Hung
Published: September 2021

Background

Gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptors mainly mediate the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid, which is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. Abundant evidence suggests that GABAA receptors play a key role in sleep-regulating processes. No genetic association study has explored the relationships between GABAA receptor genes and sleep duration, sleep quality, and sleep timing in humans.

Methods

We determined the association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the GABAA receptor genes GABRA1, GABRA2, GABRB3, GABRA5, and GABRG3 and sleep duration, sleep quality, and sleep timing in the Taiwan Biobank with a sample of 10,127 Taiwanese subjects. There were 10,142 subjects in the original study cohort. We excluded 15 subjects with a medication history of sedative-hypnotics.

Results

Our data revealed an association of the GABRB3-GABRA5-GABRG3 gene cluster with sleep duration, which has not been previously identified: rs79333046 (beta = − 0.07; P = 1.21 × 10–3) in GABRB3, rs189790076 (beta = 0.92; P = 1.04 × 10–3) in GABRA5, and rs147619342 (beta = − 0.72; P = 3.97 × 10–3) in GABRG3. The association between rs189790076 in GABRA5 and sleep duration remained significant after Bonferroni correction. A variant (rs12438141) in GABRB3 was also found to act as a potential expression quantitative trait locus. Additionally, we discovered interactions between variants in the GABRB3-GABRA5-GABRG3 gene cluster and lifestyle factors, such as tea and coffee consumption, smoking, and physical activity, that influenced sleep duration, although some interactions became nonsignificant after Bonferroni correction. We also found interactions among GABRB3, GABRA5, and GABRG3 that affected sleep duration. Furthermore, we identified an association of rs7165524 (beta = − 0.06; P = 2.20 × 10–3) in GABRA5 with sleep quality and an association of rs79465949 (beta = − 0.12; P = 3.95 × 10–3) in GABRB3 with sleep timing, although these associations became nonsignificant after Bonferroni correction. However, we detected no evidence of an association of individual SNPs in GABRA1 and GABRA2.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that rs189790076 in GABRA5 and gene–gene interactions among GABRB3, GABRA5, and GABRG3 may contribute to sleep duration in the Taiwanese population.
Pathological cytomorphologic features and the percentage of ALK FISH-positive cells predict pulmonary adenocarcinoma prognosis: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Jiang Fenge , Wang Congcong , Yang Ping , Sun Ping , Liu Jiannan
Published: September 2021

Background

We conducted a study to explore the relationship between pathological cytomorphologic features and the percentage of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive cells to better predict pulmonary adenocarcinoma prognosis with crizotinib treatment.

Patients and methods

We investigated 60 cases of patients with ALK-positive advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Immunohistochemistry was performed to screen for ALK rearrangement. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was used to detect the percentage of ALK-positive cells. The primary objectives of the study were the progression-free survival (PFS), the 3-year overall survival, and the 3-year overall survival (OS) rates. The secondary objectives of the study were the disease control rate (DCR) and the overall response rate (ORR).

Results

We compared the pathological cytomorphologic features of 60 cases of ALK-positive pulmonary adenocarcinoma, of which 21 cases were ALK-positive with signet ring cell cytomorphologic characteristics. There were statistical differences in the ORR (p = 0.019), DCR (p = 0.032), and PFS (p = 0.047) between the signet ring cell group and group without signet ring cells. Of these, 37 cases were ALK-positive with EML4 (echinoderm microtubule associated protein like 4)-ALK high percentage of positivity group. These cases benefited more from crizotinib treatment in the ORR (p = 0.046) and achieved a longer PFS (p = 0.036) compared to those with EML4-ALK low percentage of positivity group.

Conclusions

Signet ring cell cytomorphologic characteristics of pulmonary adenocarcinoma are associated with the percentage of ALK-positive cells. Signet ring cell cytomorphologic characteristics and the percentage of ALK-positive cells might predict the prognosis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma with crizotinib treatment.

Trial registration

The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (Medical Ethics Committee of Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital). The registration number is NO.2016[193].
HSF1 is involved in suppressing A1 phenotype conversion of astrocytes following spinal cord injury in rats
Authors: Li Lilan , Li Yu , He Bingqiang , Li Hui , Ji Huiyuan , Wang Yingjie , Zhu Zhenjie , Hu Yuming , Zhou Yue , Yang Ting , Sun Chunshuai , Yuan Ying , Wang Yongjun
Published: September 2021

Background

Two activation states of reactive astrocytes termed A1 and A2 subtypes emerge at the lesion sites following spinal cord injury (SCI). A1 astrocytes are known to be neurotoxic that participate in neuropathogenesis, whereas A2 astrocytes have been assigned the neuroprotective activity. Heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1) plays roles in protecting cells from stress-induced apoptosis and in controlling inflammatory activation. It is unknown whether HSF1 is involved in suppressing the conversion of A1 astrocytes following SCI.

Methods

A contusion model of the rat spinal cord was established, and the correlations between HSF1 expression and onset of A1 and A2 astrocytes were assayed by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. 17-AAG, the agonist of HSF1, was employed to treat the primary cultured astrocytes following a challenge by an A1-astrocyte-conditioned medium (ACM) containing 3 ng/ml of IL-1α, 30 ng/ml of TNF-α, and 400 ng/ml of C1q for induction of the A1 subtype. The effects of 17-AAG on the phenotype conversion of astrocytes, as well as underlying signal pathways, were examined by Western blot or immunohistochemistry.

Results

The protein levels of HSF1 were significantly increased at 4 days and 7 days following rat SCI, showing colocalization with astrocytes. Meanwhile, C3-positive A1 astrocytes were observed to accumulate at lesion sites with a peak at 1 day and 4 days. Distinctively, the S100A10-positive A2 subtype reached its peak at 4 days and 7 days. Incubation of the primary astrocytes with ACM markedly induced the conversion of the A1 phenotype, whereas an addition of 17-AAG significantly suppressed such inducible effects without conversion of the A2 subtype. Activation of HSF1 remarkably inhibited the activities of MAPKs and NFκB, which was responsible for the regulation of C3 expression. Administration of 17-AAG at the lesion sites of rats was able to reduce the accumulation of A1 astrocytes.

Conclusion

Collectively, these data reveal a novel mechanism of astrocyte phenotype conversion following SCI, and HSF1 plays key roles in suppressing excessive increase of neurotoxic A1 astrocytes.
Effects of weekly pain monitoring on back pain outcomes: a non-randomised controlled study
Authors: Kongsted Alice , Jensen Tue Secher , Doktor Klaus , Hestbæk Lise
Published: September 2021

Background

Disease monitoring is an important element of self-management of several chronic diseases. Pain monitoring has become very easily available, but the role in musculoskeletal pain conditions is not clear. Awareness of pain might be helpful for people to understand pain, but focusing on pain may on the contrary negatively affect pain experience and behaviours. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential impact of pain monitoring on low back pain (LBP), specifically to determine if pain intensity, activity limitation and pain control, differed between patients with weekly pain monitoring over 12 months and patients with follow-ups at 2 weeks, 3 months and 12 months.

Methods

This was a non-randomised controlled study embedded in a cohort study with data collection November 1st 2016 to December 21st 2018. Adults seeking care for LBP were enrolled at the first visit to a chiropractor and followed with surveys after 2 weeks, 3 months and 12 months. Those enrolled first, n = 1,623, furthermore received weekly SMS-questions about pain frequency and pain intensity, whereas those enrolled next was the control group, n = 1,269 followed only by surveys. Outcomes at 12-months were compared, adjusting for group differences on baseline parameters.

Results

LBP intensity (0–10) was slightly lower at 12-months follow-up in the SMS group than the control group (adjusted beta − 0.40 (95% CI: − 0.62; − 0.19)). No relevant between-group differences were observed for activity limitation (0–100) (1.51 (95% CI: − 0.83; 3.85)) or ability to control pain (0–10) (− 0.08 (95% CI − 0.31; 0.15)).

Conclusions

Frequent pain monitoring did not demonstrate any negative effects of weekly pain monitoring, and it was perhaps even helpful. The role of self-monitoring as part of self-managing LBP should be explored further including optimal frequencies, formats, and methods for feedback.

Trial registration

The study was not registered as a clinical trial.
Creating a novel petal regeneration system for function identification of colour gene of grape hyacinth
Authors: Lou Qian , Liu Hongli , Luo Wen , Chen Kaili , Liu Yali
Published: September 2021

Background

Grape hyacinth (Muscari spp.) is one of the most important ornamental bulbous plants. However, its lengthy juvenile period and time-consuming transformation approaches under the available protocols impedes the functional characterisation of its genes in flower tissues. In vitro flower organogenesis has long been used to hasten the breeding cycle of plants but has not been exploited for shortening the period of gene transformation and characterisation in flowers.

Results

A petal regeneration system was established for stable transformation and function identification of colour gene in grape hyacinth. By culturing on Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) with 0.45 μM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 8.88 μM 6-benzyladenine (6-BA), during the colour-changing period, the flower bud explants gave rise to regeneration petals in less than 3 months, instead of the 3 years required in field-grown plants. By combining this system with Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, a glucuronidase reporter gene (GUS) was delivered into grape hyacinth petals. Ultimately, 214 transgenic petals were regenerated from 24 resistant explants. PCR and GUS quantitative analyses confirmed that these putative transgenic petals have stably overexpressed GUS genes. Furthermore, an RNAi vector of the anthocyanidin 3-O-glucosyltransferase gene (MaGT) was integrated into grape hyacinth petals using the same strategy. Compared with the non-transgenic controls, reduced expression of the MaGT occurred in all transgenic petals, which caused pigmentation loss by repressing anthocyanin accumulation.

Conclusion

The Agrobacterium transformation method via petal organogenesis of grape hyacinth took only 3–4 months to implement, and was faster and easier to perform than other gene-overexpressing or -silencing techniques that are currently available.
Open source 3D phenotyping of chickpea plant architecture across plant development
Authors: Salter William T. , Shrestha Arjina , Barbour Margaret M.
Published: September 2021

Background

Being able to accurately assess the 3D architecture of plant canopies can allow us to better estimate plant productivity and improve our understanding of underlying plant processes. This is especially true if we can monitor these traits across plant development. Photogrammetry techniques, such as structure from motion, have been shown to provide accurate 3D reconstructions of monocot crop species such as wheat and rice, yet there has been little success reconstructing crop species with smaller leaves and more complex branching architectures, such as chickpea.

Results

In this work, we developed a low-cost 3D scanner and used an open-source data processing pipeline to assess the 3D structure of individual chickpea plants. The imaging system we developed consists of a user programmable turntable and three cameras that automatically captures 120 images of each plant and offloads these to a computer for processing. The capture process takes 5–10 min for each plant and the majority of the reconstruction process on a Windows PC is automated. Plant height and total plant surface area were validated against “ground truth” measurements, producing R2 > 0.99 and a mean absolute percentage error < 10%. We demonstrate the ability to assess several important architectural traits, including canopy volume and projected area, and estimate relative growth rate in commercial chickpea cultivars and lines from local and international breeding collections. Detailed analysis of individual reconstructions also allowed us to investigate partitioning of plant surface area, and by proxy plant biomass.

Conclusions

Our results show that it is possible to use low-cost photogrammetry techniques to accurately reconstruct individual chickpea plants, a crop with a complex architecture consisting of many small leaves and a highly branching structure. We hope that our use of open-source software and low-cost hardware will encourage others to use this promising technique for more architecturally complex species.
Microwave technology: a novel approach to the transformation of natural metabolites
Authors: Hu Qi , He Yanan , Wang Fang , Wu Jing , Ci Zhimin , Chen Lumeng , Xu Runchun , Yang Ming , Lin Junzhi , Han Li , Zhang Dingkun
Published: September 2021

Microwave technology is used throughout the world to generate heat using energy from the microwave range of the electromagnetic spectrum. It is characterized by uniform energy transfer, low energy consumption, and rapid heating which preserves much of the nutritional value in food products. Microwave technology is widely used to process food such as drying, because food and medicinal plants are the same organisms. Microwave technology is also used to process and extract parts of plants for medicinal purposes; however, the special principle of microwave radiation provide energy to reaction for transforming chemical components, creating a variety of compounds through oxidation, hydrolysis, rearrangement, esterification, condensation and other reactions that transform original components into new ones. In this paper, the principles, influencing factors of microwave technology, and the transformation of natural metabolites using microwave technology are reviewed, with an aim to provide a theoretical basis for the further study of microwave technology in the processing of medicinal materials.
KAI1(CD82) is a key molecule to control angiogenesis and switch angiogenic milieu to quiescent state
Authors: Lee Jin-Woo , Hur Jin , Kwon Yoo-Wook , Chae Cheong-Whan , Choi Jae-Il , Hwang Injoo , Yun Ji-Yeon , Kang Jin-A , Choi Young-Eun , Kim Young Hyun , Lee Sang Eun , Lee Cheol , Jo Dong Hyun , Seok Heeyoung , Cho Byong Seung , Baek Sung Hee , Kim Hyo-Soo
Published: September 2021

Background

Little is known about endogenous inhibitors of angiogenic growth factors. In this study, we identified a novel endogenous anti-angiogenic factor expressed in pericytes and clarified its underlying mechanism and clinical significance.

Methods

Herein, we found Kai1 knockout mice showed significantly enhanced angiogenesis. Then, we investigated the anti-angiogenic roll of Kai1 in vitro and in vivo.

Results

KAI1 was mainly expressed in pericytes rather than in endothelial cells. It localized at the membrane surface after palmitoylation by zDHHC4 enzyme and induced LIF through the Src/p53 pathway. LIF released from pericytes in turn suppressed angiogenic factors in endothelial cells as well as in pericytes themselves, leading to inhibition of angiogenesis. Interestingly, KAI1 had another mechanism to inhibit angiogenesis: It directly bound to VEGF and PDGF and inhibited activation of their receptors. In the two different in vivo cancer models, KAI1 supplementation significantly inhibited tumor angiogenesis and growth. A peptide derived from the large extracellular loop of KAI1 has been shown to have anti-angiogenic effects to block the progression of breast cancer and retinal neovascularization in vivo.

Conclusions

KAI1 from PC is a novel molecular regulator that counterbalances the effect of angiogenic factors.
15q26 deletion in a patient with congenital heart defect, growth restriction and intellectual disability: case report and literature review
Authors: Benbouchta Yahya , De Leeuw Nicole , Amasdl Saadia , Sbiti Aziza , Smeets Dominique , Sadki Khalid , Sefiani Abdelaziz
Published: September 2021

Background

15q26 deletion is a relatively rare chromosomal disorder, and it is described only in few cases. Patients with this aberration show many signs and symptoms, particularly pre- and postnatal growth restriction, developmental delay, microcephaly, intellectual disability and various congenital malformations.

Case presentation

We report on a girl, 4 years old, of consanguineous parents, with a 15q26 deletion. Clinical manifestations included failure to thrive, developmental delay, microcephaly, dysmorphic facies with broad forehead, hypertelorism, narrowed eyelid slits and protruding columella. The patient also showed skeletal abnormalities, especially clinodactyly of the 5th finger, varus equine right foot and left club foot. Additionally, she had teething delay and divergent strabismus. Heart ultrasound displayed two atrial septal defects with left-to-right shunt, enlarging the right cavities. Routine cytogenetic analysis revealed a shortened 15q chromosome. Subsequent array analysis disclosed a terminal 9.15 Mb deletion at subband 15q26.1-q26.3. Four candidate genes associated with 15q26 deletion phenotype were within the deleted region, i.e. IGF1R, NR2F2, CHD2 and MEF2A.

Conclusion

We report on an additional case of 15q26 monosomy, characterized by array-CGH. Molecular cytogenetic analysis allowed us to identify the exact size of the deletion, and four candidate genes for genotype-phenotype correlation. 15q26 monosomy should be considered when growth retardation is associated with hearing anomalies and congenital heart defect, especially atrioventricular septal defects (AVSDs) and/or aortic arch anomaly (AAA).
Balloon dilation and rapid maxillary expansion: a novel combination treatment for congenital nasal pyriform aperture stenosis in an infant
Authors: Sitzia Emanuela , Santarsiero Sara , Tucci Filippo Maria , De Vincentiis Giovanni , Galeotti Angela , Festa Paola
Published: September 2021

Background

Congenital nasal pyriform aperture stenosis (CNPAS) is a rare condition that may occur alone or as part of a multi-formative syndrome. Management remains difficult. There is no specific treatment protocol. Traditional surgery would be anachronistic; a non-invasive or minimally invasive therapeutic option is required. However, the rarity of the disease and the infantile context render randomised clinical trials difficult.

Case presentation

We present the case of a one-month-old Caucasian boy with CNPAS. He presented to the Emergency Department of the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital with nasal obstruction, noisy breathing, feeding difficulties, and suspected sleep apnoea. During hospitalisation, he underwent overnight pulse oximetry, airway endoscopy, and maxillofacial computed tomography (CT); the final diagnosis was CNPAS with moderate obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome. We successfully treated the patient using an innovative strategy that involved collaboration between ear-nose-and-throat surgeons and orthodontists.

Conclusions

A combination of minimally invasive balloon surgery and placement of a palatal device may successfully treat CNPAS; it may also treat other types of nasal bone stenosis. Future studies may allow the development of practice consensus treatment strategies.
Analysis of fitness among Korean adults by the cause–effect relation in lump mean scheme
Authors: Kang Nam Lyong
Published: September 2021

Background

The aim of this study was to examine whether the fitness of Korean adults can be analyzed by the cause-effect relation using the linearity or Gaussianity in the lump mean scheme (LMS).

Methods

This study analyzed previous results for the sit-up test obtained in the LMS by regression analysis in Sigmaplot 14. The effects of the body mass index (BMI) and new waist-to-height ratio (WHT2R) introduced by the present author on fitness were investigated.

Results

The distribution of the sit-up test score with respect to the BMI and WHT2R were interpreted by their Gaussianity and linearity, respectively. This means that the muscular endurance of males is determined by two causes (fat and muscle) when the BMI is a variable and one cause (abdominal fat) when the WHT2R is a variable.

Conclusions

Personal exercise aims were simpler to establish using WHT2R than using BMI. On the other hand, it was recommended for people with a low BMI to increase their fitness using exercises that increase their muscle mass.
Transcriptome profiles of the skeletal muscle of mature cows during feed restriction and realimentation
Authors: Cunningham-Hollinger Hannah C. , Kuehn Larry A. , Cammack Kristi M. , Hales Kristin E. , Oliver William T. , Crouse Matthew S. , Chen Celine , Freetly Harvey C. , Lindholm-Perry Amanda K.
Published: September 2021

Objective

Realimentation can compensate for weight loss from poor-quality feedstuffs or drought. Mature cows fluctuate in body weight throughout the year due to nutrient availability. The objective of this study was to determine whether cows that differ in weight gain during realimentation also differ in the abundance of transcripts for enzymes associated with energy utilization in skeletal muscle. Mature cows were subjected to feed restriction followed by ad libitum feed. Skeletal muscle transcriptome expression differences during the two feeding periods were determined from cows with greater (n = 6) and less (n = 6) weight gain during the ad libitum feeding period.

Results

A total of 567 differentially expressed genes (408 up- and 159 down-regulated) were identified for the comparison of restriction and ad libitum periods (PBonferroni < 0.05). These genes were over-represented in lysosome, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, and glutathione metabolism pathways. Validation of the expression of five of the genes was performed and four were confirmed. These data suggest that realimentation weight gain for all cows is partially controlled by protein turnover, but oxidative stress and cellular signaling pathways are also involved in the muscle tissue. This dataset provides insight into molecular mechanisms utilized by mature cows during realimentation after a period of low abundance feed.
METTL3-dependent MALAT1 delocalization drives c-Myc induction in thymic epithelial tumors
Authors: Iaiza Alessia , Tito Claudia , Ianniello Zaira , Ganci Federica , Laquintana Valentina , Gallo Enzo , Sacconi Andrea , Masciarelli Silvia , De Angelis Luciana , Aversa Sara , Diso Daniele , Anile Marco , Petrozza Vincenzo , Facciolo Francesco , Melis Enrico , Pescarmona Edoardo , Venuta Federico , Marino Mirella , Blandino Giovanni , Fontemaggi Giulia , Fatica Alessandro , Fazi Francesco
Published: September 2021

Background

Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) are rare neoplasms, originating from epithelial thymic cells. The oncogenic potential of these rare neoplasms is still largely undefined, and a deeper molecular characterization could result in a relevant advance in their management, greatly improving diagnosis, prognosis and treatment choice. Deregulation of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification, catalyzed by the METTL3/METTL14 methyltransferase complex, is emerging as a relevant event in cell differentiation and carcinogenesis. Various studies have reported that altered expression of METTL3 is associated with an aggressive malignant phenotype and favors migration and invasiveness, but its role in Thymic Tumors remains unknown.

Results

In this study, we characterized that METTL3 contributes to Thymic Epithelial Tumor phenotype. We evidenced that METTL3 is overexpressed in tumor tissue compared to normal counterpart. Silencing of METTL3 expression in thymic carcinoma cells results in reduced cell proliferation and overall translation rate. Of note, METTL3 is responsible for the induction of c-MYC expression in TET cells. Specifically, high expression of c-MYC protein is enabled by lncRNA MALAT1, which is methylated and delocalized by METTL3. Interestingly, blocking of c-MYC by using JQ1 inhibitor cooperates with METTL3 depletion in the inhibition of proliferation and induction of cell death.

Conclusion

This study highlighted METTL3 as a tumor promoter in Thymic tumors and c-MYC as a promising target to be exploited for the treatment of TET.
Sympathetic activity is correlated with satellite cell aging and myogenesis via β2-adrenoceptor
Authors: Yuan Shiguo , Zheng Sheng , Zheng Kai , Gao Yanping , Chen Meixiong , Li Yikai , Bai Xiaochun
Published: September 2021

Background and objective

Sympathetic activity plays an important role in the proliferation and differentiation of stem cells, and it changes over time, thereby exerting differential effects on various stem cell types. Aging causes sympathetic hyperactivity in aged tissues and blunts sympathetic nerves regulation, and sympathetic abnormalities play a role in aging-related diseases. Currently, the effect of sympathetic activity on skeletal muscle stem cells, namely satellite cells (SCs), is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of skeletal muscle sympathetic activity on SC aging and skeletal muscle repair.

Materials and methods

To evaluate skeletal muscle and fibrotic areas, numbers of SCs and myonuclei per muscle fiber, β2-adrenoceptor (β2-ADR) expression, muscle repair, and sympathetic innervation in skeletal muscle, aged mice, young mice that underwent chemical sympathectomy (CS) were utilized. Mice with a tibialis anterior muscle injury were treated by barium chloride (BaCl2) and clenbuterol (CLB) in vivo. SCs or C2C12 cells were differentiated into myotubes and treated with or without CLB. Immunofluorescence, western blot, sirius red, and hematoxylin–eosin were used to evaluate SCs, myogenic repair and differentiation.

Results

The number of SCs, sympathetic activity, and reparability of muscle injury in aged mice were significantly decreased, compared with those in young mice. The above characteristics of young mice that underwent CS were similar to those of aged mice. While CLB promoted the repair of muscle injury in aged and CS mice and ameliorated the reduction in the SC number and sympathetic activity, the effects of CLB on the SCs and sympathetic nerves in young mice were not significant. CLB inhibited the myogenic differentiation of C2C12 cells in vitro. We further found that NF-κB and ERK1/2 signaling pathways were activated during myogenic differentiation, and this process could be inhibited by CLB.

Conclusion

Normal sympathetic activity promoted the stemness of SCs to thereby maintain a steady state. It also could maintain total and self-renewing number of SCs and maintain a quiescent state, which was correlated with skeletal SCs via β2-ADR. Normal sympathetic activity was also beneficial for the myogenic repair of injured skeletal muscle.