bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The success of vaginal birth by use of trans-labial ultrasound plus vaginal examination and vaginal examination only in pregnant women with labor induction: a comparative study
Authors: Nouri-Khasheh-Heiran Elmira , Montazeri Ali , Conversano Francesco , Kashanian Maryam , Rasuli Mahboubeh , Rahimi Maryam , Mirpour Maryam , Akbari Nahid
Published: January 2023

Background

Predicting the success of vaginal delivery is an important issue in preventing adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Thus, this study aimed to compare the success rate of vaginal birth by using trans-labial ultrasound and vaginal examination, and vaginal examination only in pregnant women with labor induction.

Methods

This was a comparative study including 392 eligible pregnant women with labor induction attending to a teaching hospital affiliated with Iran University of Medical Sciences from April to October 2018 in Tehran, Iran. Women were randomly assigned to two groups; the trans-labial ultrasound plus vaginal examination (group A), and the vaginal examination only (group B). Women were included in the study if they satisfied the following criteria: singleton pregnancy, 37 to 42 weeks of gestational age, fetal head presentation, a living fetus with no abnormalities, uncomplicated pregnancy, and no previous cesarean section or any uterine surgery. We used a partograph for both groups to assess the fetal head position and the fetal head station. In group 1, the Angle of Progression (AoP) and Rotation Angle (RA) were also assessed. Finally, the success and progression of vaginal delivery in two groups were compared by predicting the duration of delivery and mode of delivery.

Results

The findings showed that 8.68% of women in the trans-labial plus vaginal examination group delivered by cesarean section, while 6.13% in the vaginal examination only group delivered by cesarean section (P = 0.55). In women with cesarean section in positive fetal head stations, Angle of Progression (AoP) was significantly decreased ranging from 90 to 135 degrees compared to women who delivered vaginally (135–180 degrees; P <  0.001). In addition, the Rotation Angle (RA) was significantly decreased in women with cesarean section ranging from 0 to 30 degrees compared to women who delivered vaginally (60-90degrees; P <  0.001). Further analysis indicated that a higher risk of cesarean section was associated with vaginal examination only as compared to trans-labial ultrasound plus vaginal examination (HR: 8.65, P <  0.001).

Conclusion

Angle of Progression (AoP) and Rotation Angle (RA) indexes might be useful parameters to predict labor progression and successful vaginal delivery among women undergoing labor induction.
ARC/Arg3.1 expression in the lateral geniculate body of monocular form deprivation amblyopic kittens
Authors: Fan Haobo , Wang Ying , Zou Yunchun , Song Weiqi , Xie Juan , Tang Xiuping , Chen Siyu
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The present study compared the expression of activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (ARC/Arg3.1) in the lateral geniculate body between form deprivation amblyopia kittens and normal kittens to examine the significance of ARC/Arg3.1 in the lateral geniculate body in the pathogenesis of amblyopia.

Methods

Twenty kittens were randomly divided into an experimental group (n = 10) and a control group (n = 10). Black opaque covering cloth was used to cover the right eye of kittens in the experimental group. Pattern visual evoked potentials (PVEP) were detected weekly in all kittens. The expression of the ARC/Arg3.1 gene was detected by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, and apoptosis of lateral geniculate body cells was detected by TUNEL.

Results

PVEP detection showed that at the age of 5 and 7 weeks, the latency of P100 in the right eye of the experimental group was higher than that of the other three groups (P < 0.05), and the amplitude of P100 was lower than that of the other three groups (P < 0.05). The expression of ARC/Arg3.1 protein (P < 0.05) and mRNA (P < 0.05) in the lateral geniculate body of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group. The level of neuronal apoptosis in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The expression of the ARC/Arg3.1 gene was negatively correlated with the apoptosis level of lateral geniculate body neurons.

Conclusions

The expression of ARC/Arg3.1 is associated with monocular form deprivation amblyopia and apoptosis of lateral geniculate body cells.
A look through Latin America truck drivers’ health, a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zamparoni Victorino Silvia Veridiana , Oliveira Fernanda Silva , Marques Vlaudimir Dias , Pujals Constanza , Bitencourt Mariá Romanio , Alarcão Ana Carolina Jacinto , Santos Thais Silva , Silva Mariana Teixeira da , Pelloso Fernando Castilho , Salvarani Wagner Sebastião , Egger Paulo Acácio , Barbanti Patrícia Costa Mincoff , Santos Lander dos , Romani Isaac , Borghesan Deise Helena Pelloso , Santos Daniel Augusto Message dos , Pelloso Sandra Marisa , Pedroso Raíssa Bocchi , Barros Carvalho Maria Dalva de
Published: January 2023

Heavy truck drivers represent a social group of great importance to any country's economy. Their professional activity requires a high level of dedication. Due to the irregular hours in their work routine and adopted habits, they mostly predispose them to a diversity of health problems. The purpose of this study is to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis aiming to identify the prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity in Latin American Truck Drivers. We searched the PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and LILACS databases, for scientific publications articles, as reported by The PRISMA Statement. From 1,382, 7 studies were included according to the established criteria. The hypertension prevalence found was 34.2%, diabetes was of 9.2% and the highest prevalence found was for overweight and obesity (56%). Meta-analysis presented that drivers have a higher prevalence of overweight or obesity when compared to eutrophic individuals and that drivers with diabetes and hyperglycemia have a lower prevalence. Due to their work activity, their access to the health system is compromised limiting any type of monitoring of their health. This study showed that there is, in Latin America, an investment and assistance gap, both in the health sector and in the research section, for this professional category, which is so important to the economy of these countries. These data should help to identify the difficulties faced by this professional in health assistance, road safety, public safety, leisure and social life. This research also highlighted that they are young and already have the first sign of non-transmissible chronic diseases, which is overweight and obesity.
Effect of an educational intervention for telephone triage nurses on out-of-hours attendance: a pragmatic randomized controlled study
Authors: Lindberg Bent Håkan , Rebnord Ingrid Keilegavlen , Høye Sigurd
Published: January 2023

Background

Telephone triage has been established in many countries as a response to the challenge of non-urgent use of out-of-hours primary care services. However, limited evidence is available regarding the effect of training interventions on clinicians’ telephone consultation skills and patient outcomes.

Methods

This was a pragmatic randomized controlled educational intervention for telephone triage nurses in 59 Norwegian out-of-hours general practitioners’ (GPs) cooperatives, serving 59% of the Norwegian population. Computer-generated randomization was performed at the level of out-of-hours GP cooperatives, stratified by the population size. Thirty-two out-of-hours GP cooperatives were randomized to intervention. One cooperative did not accept the invitation to participate in the educational programme, leaving 31 cooperatives in the intervention group. The intervention comprised a 90-minute e-learning course and 90-minute group discussion about respiratory tract infections (RTIs), telephone communication skills and local practices.

We aimed to assess the effect of the intervention on out-of-hours attendance and describe the distribution of RTIs between out-of-hours GP cooperatives and list-holding GPs.

The outcome was the difference in the number of doctor’s consultations per 1000 inhabitants between the intervention and control groups during the winter months before and after the intervention. A negative binomial regression model was used for the statistical analyses. The model was adjusted for the number of nurses who had participated in the e-learning course, the population size and patients’ age groups, with the out-of-hours GP cooperatives defined as clusters.

Results

The regression showed that the intervention did not change the number of consultations for RTIs between the two groups of out-of-hours GP cooperatives (incidence rate ratio 0.99, 95% confidence interval 0.91–1.07). The winter season’s out-of-hours patient population was younger and had a higher proportion of RTIs than the patient population in the list-holding GP offices. Laryngitis, sore throat, and pneumonia were the most common diagnoses during the out-of-hours primary care service.

Conclusions

The intervention did not influence the out-of-hours attendance. This finding may be due to the intervention’s limited scope and the intention-to-treat design. Changing a population’s out-of-hours attendance is complicated and needs to be targeted at several organizational levels.
Prerequisites of sexual health literacy promoting service: a qualitative study in Iran
Authors: Maasoumi Raziyeh , Jamali Bita , Zarei Fatemeh , Tavousi Mahmood
Published: January 2023

Background

Sexual health literacy is one of the determinants of the rate, factors, and outcomes of problems associated with sexual health and reproductive. The prerequisite of having and promoting this type of literacy is the appropriate organization and access to sexual health services. The current study was conducted with the objective of describing the perceptions and experiences of health care providers and recipients of sexual health literacy promoting services.

Methods

The current qualitative study was conducted on 37 individuals in the form of 3 individual in-depth and semi-structured interviews and 4 focus group discussions (26 individuals) with service recipients (women of reproductive age), and 8 in-depth and semi-structured interviews with service providers in Amol from September 2019 to March 2020. The recorded interviews were transcribed and analyzed through content analysis.

Results

Data analysis resulted in the extraction of the theme titled “prerequisites of sexual health literacy promoting service” which consisted of two subthemes ‘client-oriented service’ and ‘efficient service’. In the client-oriented service attention must be paid to the client’s age, sex, needs and socio-cultural background. Efficient service is a service which is based on continuing sexual education, can reconstruct sexual attitudes, is professional, team-based, integrated into other services, and has a follow-up structure.

Conclusions

The results outline the requirements for sexual health literacy promoting services which should be taken into consideration during the policymaking, planning and design of relevant health programs.
Generalized anxiety disorder in Berlin school children after the third COVID-19 wave in Germany: a cohort study between June and September 2021
Authors: Theuring Stefanie , Kern Mascha , Hommes Franziska , Mall Marcus A. , Seybold Joachim , Mockenhaupt Frank P. , Glatz Toivo , Kurth Tobias
Published: January 2023

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic, children and adolescents worldwide have disproportionally been affected in their psychological health and wellbeing. We conducted a cohort study among German school children, aiming at assessing levels of general anxiety disorder (GAD) and identifying associated factors in the second pandemic year.

Methods

A cohort of 660 students from 24 Berlin schools was recruited to fill in questionnaires including the GAD-7 tool on anxiety symptoms at three time points between June and September 2021. To adjust for non-random attrition, we applied inverse probability weighting. We describe reported GAD levels stratified by time point, sex, and school type and report odds ratios from univariate logistic regression.

Results

In total, 551 participants (83%) filled in at least one questionnaire at any time point. At the first time point in June 2021, 25% of the children and adolescents reported anxiety symptoms with a GAD-7 score ≥ 5, decreasing to 16% in August 2021 directly after the summer holidays and rising again to 26% in September 2021. The majority of reported anxiety levels belonged to the least severe category. Being female, attending secondary school, coming from a household with lower education or with lower income level, and being vaccinated against COVID-19 were significantly linked with reporting anxiety symptoms. Preceding COVID-19 infection and anxiety were negatively associated.

Conclusion

Overall, anxiety in school children was lower in mid-2021 than in the first pandemic year, but still double compared to pre-pandemic data. Reporting of anxiety symptoms during the second pandemic year was especially high in females and in secondary school students. Policy makers should pay additional attention to the mental health status of school children, even as the pandemic situation might stabilize.
Central Serous Chorioretinopathy in a 14-year-old atopic boy: a case report
Authors: Ranno Stefano , Fontanel Liviana , Ruggiero Edoardo , Nucci Paolo , Radice Paolo , Donati Simone
Published: January 2023

Background

Corticosteroids are widely used in medicine. Few cases of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) have been reported following topical corticosteroid administration. We describe the first case of pediatric CSC related to topical corticosteroid administration.

Case presentation

A 14-year-old boy presented with decreased vision, pigment epithelial detachments, and serous retinal detachments in the right eye after starting treatment for atopic dermatitis with Betamethasone Valerate 0.1% topical ointment. His condition resolved 2 weeks after discontinuing the steroid and administering Bromfenac 0.9 mg/ml eyedrops.

Conclusions

Although the pathogenesis of CSC is poorly understood, ophthalmologists should be informed about the potential link between CSC and topical corticosteroid treatment, and they should be aware that CSC might, albeit infrequently, affect children.
The effects of adjunctive treatment with l-carnitine on monitoring laboratory variables in ICU patients: a double-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial
Authors: Yahyapoor Farveh , Keshani Mahdi , Sedaghat Alireza , Feizi Awat , Clark Cain C. T. , Bagherniya Mohammad , Safarian Mohammad , Badpeyma Mohaddeseh , Norouzy Abdolreza
Published: January 2023

Background

Critically ill patients must be monitored constantly in intensive care units (ICUs). Among many laboratory variables, nutritional status indicators are a key role in the prognosis of diseases. We investigated the effects of l-carnitine adjunctive therapy on monitoring variables in critical illness.

Method

A prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial was implemented in a medical ICU. Participants were 54 patients, aged > 18 years, with multiple conditions, randomly assigned to receive 3 g l-carnitine per day or placebo, along with enteral feeding, for 1 week. Primary outcomes included monitoring variables related to nutritional status.

Result

Of 54 patients randomly assigned, 51 completed the trial. Serum albumin (Alb) (P-value: 0.001), total protein (P-value: 0.003), and calcium (Ca) (0.044) significantly increased in the intervention vs. control group. Alanine transaminase (ALT) (0.022), lactate (<0.001), creatinine (Cr) (0.005), and international normalized ratio (INR) (0.049) decreased meaningfully in the intervention vs. control group.

Conclusion

l-Carnitine supplementation in critically ill patients can improve several parameters including INR, Cr, ALT, lactate, Ca, Alb, and total protein.

Trial registration

Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials IRCT 20151108024938N2. This trial was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (registration code: IR.MUMS.fm.REC.1396.671) (available at https://en.irct.ir/trial/30748, May 2018).
Unsupervised title and abstract screening for systematic review: a retrospective case-study using topic modelling methodology
Authors: Natukunda Agnes , Muchene Leacky K.
Published: January 2023

Background

The importance of systematic reviews in collating and summarising available research output on a particular topic cannot be over-emphasized. However, initial screening of retrieved literature is significantly time and labour intensive. Attempts at automating parts of the systematic review process have been made with varying degree of success partly due to being domain-specific, requiring vendor-specific software or manually labelled training data.

Our primary objective was to develop statistical methodology for performing automated title and abstract screening for systematic reviews. Secondary objectives included (1) to retrospectively apply the automated screening methodology to previously manually screened systematic reviews and (2) to characterize the performance of the automated screening methodology scoring algorithm in a simulation study.

Methods

We implemented a Latent Dirichlet Allocation-based topic model to derive representative topics from the retrieved documents’ title and abstract. The second step involves defining a score threshold for classifying the documents as relevant for full-text review or not. The score is derived based on a set of search keywords (often the database retrieval search terms). Two systematic review studies were retrospectively used to illustrate the methodology.

Results

In one case study (helminth dataset), $$69.83\%$$

69.83
%

sensitivity compared to manual title and abstract screening was achieved. This is against a false positive rate of $$22.63\%$$

22.63
%

. For the second case study (Wilson disease dataset), a sensitivity of $$54.02\%$$

54.02
%

and specificity of $$67.03\%$$

67.03
%

were achieved.

Conclusions

Unsupervised title and abstract screening has the potential to reduce the workload involved in conducting systematic review. While sensitivity of the methodology on the tested data is low, approximately $$70\%$$

70
%

specificity was achieved. Users ought to keep in mind that potentially low sensitivity might occur. One approach to mitigate this might be to incorporate additional targeted search keywords such as the indexing databases terms into the search term copora. Moreover, automated screening can be used as an additional screener to the manual screeners.
Household food insecurity and associated factors in the Northeast of Iran: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Honarvar Mohammad Reza , Gholami Masoomeh , Abdollahi Zahra , Ghotbabadi Farzaneh Sadeghi , Lashkarboluki Farhad , Najafzadeh Majid , Mansouri Mohsen , Veghari Gholamreza , Behnampour Nasser
Published: January 2023

Background

Food Insecurity (FI) is a global health concern. For the first time, this study evaluated households’ food insecurity and factors related to it in Golestan province, North of Iran.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 5129 randomly selected households in the Golestan Province in 2016. Sociodemographic characteristics, including age, ethnicity, household size, education level, and occupation status, were collected via interview. The prevalence and severity of food insecurity were identified by the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), whose scores are between 0 and 27, with larger values indicating more severe food insecurity. The prevalence of food insecurity based on the geographical area was presented using GIS.

Results

Out of 5129 households, 2216 (43.21%) had food security, and 2913 (56.79%) households had food insecurity, with a Mean ± SD HFIAS score of 4.86 ± 5.95. Out of 2913 households with FI, 1526 (52.39%), 956 (32.82%), and 431 (14.79%) had mild, moderate, and severe food insecurity, respectively. Among 14 regions of the province, three regions had the most cases of food insecurity. Food insecurity (moderate or severe) was significantly associated with mothers as the household head (adjusted OR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.03–2.70) and lower education level of the household head.

Conclusion

The prevalence of household food insecurity in the Golestan Province is higher than the national average. Factors such as literacy, employment status, and gender of the household head can be significantly associated with food insecurity.
Obstetric fistula-induced incontinence and WASH programming in humanitarian settings: agenda for research, innovation, and practice
Authors: Adjorlolo Samuel , Ani-Amponsah Mary , Hammond Emily , Nyame Maame Esi Pantsiwaa
Published: January 2023

Women living with obstetric fistula-induced incontinence (OFII) have heightened need for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services because they experience involuntary leaking of urine, feces, or both. In humanitarian settings where access to WASH services is notably limited, research and innovation relating to OFII and WASH programming has not been granted the requisite attention, relative to menstrual hygiene management. The paper is intended to bring to the attention of humanitarian researchers and practitioners the research needs of women living with OFII. Three thematic areas that have the propensity to arouse interest in this neglected topical issue and help to set the stage for research and actions are discussed. These are the prevalence of OFII, prevention of OFII, and WASH programming for women living with OFII. Empirical studies dedicated to the above thematic issues will generate the needed evidence base to inform decision-making processes relating to improving the WASH needs of women living with OFII.
Impact of combining human and analytics feedback on students’ engagement with, and performance in, reflective writing tasks
Authors: Suraworachet Wannapon , Zhou Qi , Cukurova Mutlu
Published: January 2023

Reflective writing is part of many higher education courses across the globe. It is often considered a challenging task for students as it requires self-regulated learning skills to appropriately plan, timely engage and deeply reflect on learning experiences. Despite an advance in writing analytics and the pervasiveness of human feedback aimed to support student reflections, little is known about how to integrate feedback from humans and analytics to improve students’ learning engagement and performance in reflective writing tasks. This study proposes a personalised behavioural feedback intervention based on students’ writing engagement analytics utilising time-series analysis of digital traces from a ubiquitous online word processing platform. In a semester-long experimental study involving 81 postgraduate students, its impact on learning engagement and performance was studied. The results showed that the intervention cohort engaged statistically significantly more in their reflective writing task after receiving the combined feedback compared to the control cohort which only received human feedback on their reflective writing content. Further analyses revealed that the intervention cohort reflected more regularly at the weekly level, the regularity of weekly reflection led to better performance grades, and the impact on students with low self-regulated learning skills was higher. This study emphasizes the powerful benefits of implementing combined feedback approaches in which the strengths of analytics and human feedback are synthesized to improve student engagement and performance. Further research should explore the long-term sustainability of the observed effects and their validity in other contexts.
Anesthetic implications for transurethral resection of prostate in a COVID-19 survivor with Stanford-A aortic dissection with acute urinary retention due to metastatic carcinoma prostate: a case report
Authors: Shah Shagun Bhatia , Chowdhury Itee , Pally Venkatesh , Jain Chamound Rai
Published: January 2023

Background

Aortic dissection is a new addition to the long COVID-19 complication catalog. We report this rare and novel complication, which can be missed without a high index of suspicion in the ever-burgeoning population of COVID-survivors presenting for un-related surgery. We emphasize the importance of recording blood pressure in both the upper limbs in COVID-survivors during pre-anesthetic checkup, especially in patients with a dilated aorta on the chest radiograph to identify any interarm blood pressure discrepancy characteristic of aortic dissection. Discontinuation of antihypertensive based on low/normal blood pressure in left upper limb can precipitate concealed and catastrophic rise in blood pressure in the right upper-limb propagating the dissection of aorta to a fatal conclusion. The cardinal anesthetic consideration is to mitigate the effect of hemodynamic perturbations on the dissected aorta.

Case presentation

We report the successful management of the case of a 76-year-old male prostatic cancer patient with COVID-induced aortic-dissection and acute urinary retention, posted for transurethral resection of prostate. CT angiography revealed an intimal flap in the ascending aortic lumen and aortic arch till the origin of left subclavian artery resulting in a double-barreled aorta. An arterial line was secured in right radial artery and non-invasive blood pressure recorded in left arm simultaneously (202/60 mmHg in right upper-limb and 92/70 mmHg in the left upper-limb on wheeling into the operation theatre). He underwent transurethral prostatic resection and bilateral orchidectomy under low-dose subarachnoid block with prophylactic use of labetalol infusion.

Conclusions

The importance of recording blood pressure in both the upper limbs in COVID survivors maintaining a high index of suspicion for aortic dissection cannot be overemphasized. Transurethral prostatic resection surgery under low-dose subarachnoid block is possible under the umbrella of judicious selection and optimal use of cardiac medication with an interventional cardiologist as standby in patients with aortic dissection.
Flight simulation from takeoff to yawing of eVTOL airplane with coaxial propellers by fluid-rigid body interaction
Authors: Gomi Ritsuka , Takii Ayato , Yamakawa Masashi , Asao Shinichi , Takeuchi Seiichi , Nishimura Momoha
Published: January 2023

In this study, we adopt a coupled fluid-rigid body simulation using the moving computational domain method and multi-axis sliding mesh method for the takeoff, hovering, and yawing flight of an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL). The aircraft model has four pairs of coaxial propellers, and the computational domain is divided into three domains to move the aircraft and eight propeller domains to rotate the propellers. As a result, we clarify the behavior and aerodynamic force of the aircraft when the input values are determined by the automatic control. The results in the flow field also show that the downwash spreads in a crisscross pattern on the ground, the wind reaches different ranges on the ground depending on the flight altitude, and that the coaxial propeller causes an asymmetry in the velocity field during yawing. Consequently, we conclude that this method is effective for the flight simulation of an eVTOL.
Improvement of the intestinal epithelial barrier during laxative effects of phlorotannin in loperamide-induced constipation of SD rats
Authors: Kim Ji Eun , Song Hee Jin , Choi Yun Ju , Jin You Jeong , Roh Yu Jeong , Seol Ayun , Park So Hae , Park Ju Min , Kang Hyun Gu , Hwang Dae Youn
Published: January 2023

Background

Disruptions of the intestinal epithelial barrier (IEB) are frequently observed in various digestive diseases, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study assessed the improvement in the IEB during the laxative activity of phlorotannin (Pt) harvested from Ecklonia cava in constipation by examining the changes in the expression of the regulatory proteins for the tight junction (TJ) and adherens junction (AJ), and inflammatory cytokines in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats with loperamide (Lm)-induced constipation after a Pt treatment.

Results

The Pt treatment induced laxative activity, including the improvement of feces-related parameters, gastrointestinal transit rate, and histological structure of the mid colon in Lm-treated SD rats. In addition, significant recovery effects were detected in the histology of IEB, including the mucus layer, epithelial cells, and lamina propria in the mid colon of Lm + Pt treated SD rats. The expression levels of E-cadherin and p120-catenin for AJ and the ZO-1, occludin, and Claudin-1 genes for TJ in epithelial cells were improved remarkably after the Pt treatment, but the rate of increase was different. Furthermore, the Pt treatment increased the expression level of several inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, IL-13, and IL-4 in Lm + Pt treated SD rats.

Conclusions

These results provide the first evidence that the laxative activity of Pt in SD rats with Lm-induced constipation phenotypes involve improvements in the IEB.
Chest CT features of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in pediatric patients and its correlation with the clinical condition
Authors: Gabr Abeer El-Sayed , Abdelhameed Abeer Maghawry , Mohammad Shaimaa Abdelsattar , Fouda Eman Mahmoud , Maher Shimaa Ahmed , Fathallah Samah Khalaf , Alkaphoury Mona Gamalludin Alsayed Muhammed
Published: January 2023

Background

All pediatric health organizations are concerned about the impact of coronavirus disease on children, especially on those with other comorbidities; fortunately, pediatric cases appear to be less severe than in adults (De Luca et al. in Pediatr Respir Rev 5:9–14, 2020). The purpose of this study is to characterize chest CT findings of children with and without comorbidities who had confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and to investigate the relation between chest CT findings and the clinical severity of COVID-19 pneumonia and their laboratory findings.

Results

The study was conducted on 36 patients, 72.2% of whom had associated comorbidities. Twenty-three patients (63.88%) had abnormal CT findings. Consolidative patches were the most common radiological sign (55.6%) followed by ground glass opacities (50%). The lesions were bilateral (58.3%), having predominantly peripheral distribution (38.9%) with predominant left lower lobe affection (25%). Cases with clinically severe chest conditions had significantly more prevalent consolidative patches (p = 0.026) which show a higher CT density (p = 0.01) and a significantly higher CT severity score (SS) compared to other groups (p = 0.029). The cutoff of severity score 4/20 had 100% sensitivity and 78.12% specificity in the diagnosis of severe cases. There were no statistically significant differences between patients with or without comorbidities regarding CT-SS or any radiological signs.

Conclusions

Consolidation was the most common radiological finding in children with COVID-19 and was more prevalent and denser in severe cases. The CT-SS may be used as a complementary tool for the evaluation of the severity of the chest condition. Chest CT-SS more than 4 can be used as an indicator of severe cases, yet no significant difference in CT-SS between patients with associated comorbidities or not.
Ewing’s sarcoma of the right kidney with multiple metastasis on PET/CT
Authors: Singh Man Mohan , Verma Shashwat , Kakkar Lavish , Deswal Satyawati , Husain Nuzhat
Published: January 2023

Background

Ewing’s sarcoma is categorized as small round cell aggressive tumor which commonly occurs in bone and soft tissue. Primary renal Ewing’s sarcoma is an extremely rare entity and accounts for less than 1% of renal masses. It is characterized by a very aggressive course, with very few reported cases in the literature. Primary renal Ewing’s sarcoma is indistinguishable from renal cell carcinoma on anatomical imaging and therefore need histopathological correlation for confirmation. The positron emission tomography (PET) fused with computed tomography (CT) helps in the evaluation of disease, for staging and metastatic workup.

Case presentation

We present a case of 48-year-old lady who presented to urology department with difficulty in passing urine for 5 months associated with pain in the right flank region. She had an episode of haematuria 5 months back. Contrast enhanced CT showed a large lobulated heterogeneously enhancing right retroperitoneal mass in renal fossa. Histopathological examination and immunohistochemistry were suggestive of Ewing’s sarcoma. The PET/CT revealed FDG avid right renal mass with lymph nodal and skeletal metastasis.

Conclusions

Ewing’s sarcoma being aggressive tumour usually present with bone, liver and lung metastasis along with lymph nodal metastasis at time of diagnosis. The 18 F FDG PET/CT helps in diagnosis, staging, appropriate treatment planning, restaging, response evaluation and prognostication of Ewing’s sarcoma.
Reviews
Authors: Green William
Published: January 2023

Introduction to Water Resources and Environmental Issues, second edition, by Karrie Lynn Pennington and Thomas V. Cech, 2021.
Clinician Perspectives on Managing Chronic Pain After Curative-Intent Cancer Treatment
Authors: Check Devon K. , Jones Katie F. , Fish Laura J. , Dinan Michaela A. , Dunbar T. Kayla , Farley Samantha , Ma Jessica , Merlin Jessica S. , O'Regan Amy , Oeffinger Kevin C.
Published: January 2023

PURPOSE:

Among cancer survivors who have completed curative-intent treatment, the high prevalence and adverse consequences of chronic pain are well documented. Yet, research on clinicians' experiences with and perspectives on managing chronic pain among cancer survivors is critically lacking.

METHODS:

We conducted semistructured interviews with 17 clinicians (six oncology, three palliative care, and eight primary care) affiliated with an academic medical center. Interview questions addressed clinicians' experiences with and perspectives on managing chronic pain (with or without opioid therapy) during the transition from active treatment to survivorship. A multidisciplinary team conducted content analysis of interview transcripts to identify and refine themes related to current practices and challenges in managing chronic pain in this context.

RESULTS:

Overall, clinicians perceived chronic pain to be relatively uncommon among cancer survivors. Identified challenges included a lack of clarity about which clinician (or clinicians) are best positioned to manage chronic pain among cancer survivors, and (relatedly) complexities introduced by long-term opioid management, with many clinicians describing this practice as outside their skill set. Additionally, although most clinicians recognized chronic pain as a biopsychosocial phenomenon, they described challenges with effectively managing psychosocial stressors, including difficulty accessing mental or behavioral health services for cancer survivors.

CONCLUSION:

Discovered challenges highlight unmet needs related to cancer survivor-clinician communication about chronic pain and the absence of a chronic pain management home for cancer survivors, including those requiring long-term opioid therapy. Research evaluating routine pain monitoring and accessible, tailored models of multimodal pain care in survivorship may help to address these challenges.
Genotypic and Phenotypic Spectrum and Pathogenesis of WNT1 Variants in a Large Cohort of Patients With OI/Osteoporosis
Authors: Hu Jing , Lin Xiaoyun , Gao Peng , Zhang Qian , Zhou Bingna , Wang Ou , Jiang Yan , Xia Weibo , Xing Xiaoping , Li Mei
Published: January 2023

Context

Mutations in WNT1 can cause rare inherited disorders such as osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) and early-onset osteoporosis (EOOP). Owing to its rarity, the clinical characteristics and pathogenic mechanism of WNT1 mutations remain unclear.

Objective

We aimed to explore the phenotypic and genotypic spectrum and treatment responses of a large cohort of patients with WNT1-related OI/OP and the molecular mechanisms of WNT1 variants.

Methods

The phenotypes and genotypes of patients and their responses to bisphosphonates or denosumab were evaluated. Western blot analysis, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and immunofluorescence staining were used to evaluate the expression levels of WNT1, total β-catenin, and type I collagen in the tibial bone or skin from one patient.

Results

We included 16 patients with 16 mutations identified in WNT1, including a novel mutation. The types of WNT1 mutations were related to skeletal phenotypes, and biallelic nonsense mutations or frameshift mutations could lead to an earlier occurrence of fragility fractures and more severe skeletal phenotypes. Some rare comorbidities were identified in this cohort, including cerebral abnormalities, hematologic diseases, and pituitary adenoma. Bisphosphonates and denosumab significantly increased the spine and proximal hip BMD of patients with WNT1 mutations and reshaped the compressed vertebrae. We report for the first time a decreased β-catenin level in the bone of patient 10 with c.677C > T and c.502G > A compared to the healthy control, which revealed the potential mechanisms of WNT1-induced skeletal phenotypes.

Conclusion

Biallelic nonsense mutations or frameshift mutations of WNT1 could lead to an earlier occurrence of fragility fractures and a more severe skeletal phenotype in OI and EOOP induced by WNT1 mutations. The reduced osteogenic activity caused by WNT pathway downregulation could be a potential pathogenic mechanism of WNT1-related OI and EOOP.
Face Value: Toward a Theory of Eighteenth-Century Portraiture
Authors: Mudge Bradford
Published: January 2023

This essay postulates a field theory of the portrait, one capable of explaining both portrait objects and the forces to which they were subject. It does so not with the intention of celebrating theoretical mastery, but to facilitate three comparatively modest claims: first, that eighteenth-century portraiture was, and always has been, a vibrant conglomeration of disparate portrait types, in which knowledge of any one type encouraged knowledge of the whole; second, that the objects themselves made frequent reference to the generic and media networks of which they were a part; and third, that many contemporary viewers became adept at negotiating these networks and were motivated to do so by the larger cultural demands that portraiture served.
Postcolonial Configurations
Authors: Diaz Josen Masangkay
Published: January 2023

In Postcolonial Configurations Josen Masangkay Diaz examines the making of Filipino America through the dynamics of dictatorship, coloniality, and subjectivity. Diaz explores how the Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship and US policies during the Cold War that supported the regime defined the relationship between “Filipino” and “America” in ways that influenced the creation of a gendered and racialized Filipino American subject. By analyzing Philippine-US state programs for military operations, labor and immigration reform, and development and modernization plans, she shows how anticommunist liberalism and authoritarianism shaped the visibility and recognition of new forms of Filipino subjectivity. Tracing the rise of various social formations that emerged under the Marcos regime and US programs for liberal reform, from transnational Filipino and US culture and the immigrant returnee to the New Filipina woman and the humanitarian English teacher, Diaz positions literature, film, periodicals, and other cultural texts against official state records in ways that reconceptualize the meanings of Filipino America in the Cold War.
Signaling through the dystrophin glycoprotein complex affects the stress-dependent transcriptome in Drosophila
Authors: Carney Travis D. , Hebalkar Rucha Y. , Edeleva Evgeniia , Çiçek Ibrahim Ömer , Shcherbata Halyna R.
Published: January 2023

Deficiencies in the human dystrophin glycoprotein complex (DGC), which links the extracellular matrix with the intracellular cytoskeleton, cause muscular dystrophies, a group of incurable disorders associated with heterogeneous muscle, brain and eye abnormalities. Stresses such as nutrient deprivation and aging cause muscle wasting, which can be exacerbated by reduced levels of the DGC in membranes, the integrity of which is vital for muscle health and function. Moreover, the DGC operates in multiple signaling pathways, demonstrating an important function in gene expression regulation. To advance disease diagnostics and treatment strategies, we strive to understand the genetic pathways that are perturbed by DGC mutations. Here, we utilized a Drosophila model to investigate the transcriptomic changes in mutants of four DGC components under temperature and metabolic stress. We identified DGC-dependent genes, stress-dependent genes and genes dependent on the DGC for a proper stress response, confirming a novel function of the DGC in stress-response signaling. This perspective yields new insights into the etiology of muscular dystrophy symptoms, possible treatment directions and a better understanding of DGC signaling and regulation under normal and stress conditions.
Meeting report – Desmosome dysfunction and disease: Alpine desmosome disease meeting
Authors: Spindler Volker , Gerull Brenda , Green Kathleen J. , Kowalczyk Andrew P. , Leube Rudolf , Marian Ali J. , Milting Hendrik , Müller Eliane J. , Niessen Carien , Payne Aimee S. , Schlegel Nicolas , Schmidt Enno , Strnad Pavel , Tikkanen Ritva , Vielmuth Franziska , Waschke Jens
Published: January 2023

Desmosome diseases are caused by dysfunction of desmosomes, which anchor intermediate filaments (IFs) at sites of cell–cell adhesion. For many decades, the focus of attention has been on the role of actin filament-associated adherens junctions in development and disease, especially cancer. However, interference with the function of desmosomes, their molecular constituents or their attachments to IFs has now emerged as a major contributor to a variety of diseases affecting different tissues and organs including skin, heart and the digestive tract. The first Alpine desmosome disease meeting (ADDM) held in Grainau, Germany, in October 2022 brought together international researchers from the basic sciences with clinical experts from diverse fields to share and discuss their ideas and concepts on desmosome function and dysfunction in the different cell types involved in desmosome diseases. Besides the prototypic desmosomal diseases pemphigus and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, the role of desmosome dysfunction in inflammatory bowel diseases and eosinophilic esophagitis was discussed.
Fertility in Mice
Authors: Parkes A. S.
Published: January 2023

The average size of 267 litters of albino mice totalling 1795 animals was 6.72; in addition, the distribution of fertility between the two cornua of the uterus was found to be very even. Seasonal variation in fertility was found to be slightly in favour of the summer months. Without artificially maintaining an optimum temperature, the mice were found not to breed in the months November to February. Of consecutive pregnancies the second was found to produce the largest number of young, while concurrent lactation was found to decrease the size of litter, as also, to a lesser degree, did polygyny. The interpretation of these results is attempted in the light of the two factors which govern the size of litter at birth, i.e. the number of ova ovulated and the amount of prenatal mortality.
Efficacy of magnetic resonance imaging texture features of the lateral pterygoid muscle in distinguishing rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis of the temporomandibular joint
Authors: Muraoka Hirotaka , Kaneda Takashi , Hirahara Naohisa , Ito Kotaro , Okada Shunya , Kondo Takumi
Published: January 2023

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to assess whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) texture features of the lateral pterygoid muscle can distinguish between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).

Methods:

The authors extracted 279 texture features from 36 patients with RA and OA from the region of interest set for the lateral pterygoid muscle on short tau inversion recovery (STIR) images using MaZda Ver.3.3. A total of 10 texture features were selected using Fisher’s coefficients, as well as probability of error and average correlation coefficients. Data observed to have a non-normal distribution using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test were compared using the Mann–Whitney U-test. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the ability of the 10 texture features to distinguish RA and OA of the TMJ.

Results:

A total of 10 features (5 Correlation, 3 Run Length Nonuniformity, 1 Sigma, and 1 Teta) were selected from 279 texture features. These texture features revealed significant differences between the RA and OA groups (p < 0.01). The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under the ROC curve of the texture features for distinguishing RA from OA were 0.78–0.94, 0.89–1.0, 0.86–0.92, and 0.89–0.95, respectively.

Conclusion:

MRI texture analysis of the lateral pterygoid muscle may be useful for distinguishing between RA and OA of the TMJ.
Characteristics of TL Signal and Multi-wavelength OSL Signal against Firing Temperature of White Porcelain
Authors: Choi Jae Won , Kim Bom Sok , Kim Myung Jin , Han Min Su
Published: January 2023

We analyzed the characteristics of white porcelain fired at different temperatures (800, 1200, 1350℃) by measuring changes in thermal luminescence(TL) and multi-wavelength (IR, orange, green, blue, UVA) optically stimulated luminescence(OSL) signal. White porcelain fired at 800℃ showed high intensity TL signals over a wide temperature range of 100 to 400℃, whereas white porcelain fired at 1200 and 1350℃ showed TL peaks at 100 and 210℃. Moreover, the OSL signals of white porcelain fired at 800℃, increased linearly according to the amount of irradiation, under IR, orange, green, blue and UVA stimulation. However, the OSL signals of white porcelain fired at 1200℃ increased linearly only under blue and UVA stimulation, while those of white porcelain fired at 1350℃ increased linearly only under UVA stimulation. In general, the strength of the TL/OSL signal was weakened as the firing temperature increased, which seems to be due to the vitrification caused by the high-temperature firing process. Therefore, it was found that it is important to select the optical stimulation source of the proper wavelength during TL/OSL dating to white porcelain.
A Comparative Study on Surface Change by Silica Filler of Epoxy Resin Used for Conservation Treatment of Stone Cultural Heritage
Authors: Park Hee Jeong , Lee Tae Jong , Park Se Rin , Kim Myoung Nam
Published: January 2023

This study aimed to relieve the stress on outdoor stone cultural heritages that undergo frequent re-conservation treatment owing to the surface change and discoloration of treated areas. To this end, we selected and prepared 19 types of silica fillers as research samples. Half of the surface of each sample was processed, and the accelerated aging test was conducted in accordance with KS M ISO 4892-2. Changes in chromaticity, luster, powderization, pore and crack formation, and roughened surface bluntness depending on the type of silica powder and surface processing applied were determined before and after the test. Comparative studies revealed that the roughened surface of the filler sample made of high-quality amorphous silica (A1), which was mixed with angular and spherical particles, had excellent color and luster stability, with a ◿E*ab of 0.54 (Mean: 9.91) and ◿GU of –0.07 (M: 25.10) respectively; changes in its other properties were negligible. The results of this research indicate that the sustainability of treated areas can be extended by applying favorable conditions during conservation treatment.