bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intracranial vasculopathy: an important organ damage in young adult patients with late-onset Pompe disease
Authors: Zhao Yuying , Yu Xiaolin , Li Duoling , He Jingzhen , Li Yuzhi , Zhang Bin , Zhang Na , Wang Qian , Yan Chuanzhu
Published: July 2024

Background

Late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) is mainly characterized by progressive limb-girdle muscle weakness and respiratory impairment, whereas stroke and cerebrovascular abnormalities have been insufficiently studied in LOPD. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency and pattern of intracranial artery and brain parenchyma abnormalities in LOPD patients.

Results

Neuroimaging data from 30 Chinese adult LOPD patients were collected from our center. Seven patients (7/30) had acute cerebral infarction or hemorrhage. Brain magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) or computed tomography angiography (CTA) revealed artery abnormalities in 23 patients (23/30). Dilative arteriopathy was found in 19 patients (19/30), with vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia found in 17 patients and dilatation of the anterior circulation arteries found in 8 patients. The maximum diameter of the basilar artery was correlated with disease duration (p < 0.05). In addition, aneurysms (7/30) and fenestrations (3/30) were discovered. There were 14 patients with arterial stenosis (14/30), and both anterior and posterior circulation involvement occurred in 9 patients (9/14). Stenosis and dilative arteriopathy simultaneously occurred in 10 patients (10/30). White matter hyperintensities were present in 13 patients (13/28). Microbleeds, predominantly located in the cerebellum and brainstem, were detected in 7 patients (7/22) via susceptibility-weighted imaging.

Conclusions

Intracranial vasculopathy involving both large arteries and small vessels is an important organ damage in LOPD patients. LOPD should be considered a key differential diagnosis in young adults with cryptogenic stroke, and a series of imaging evaluations of the brain and intracranial blood vessels is recommended as a routine workup in adult LOPD patients.
Associations between quantitative measures of mammographic density and terminal ductal lobular unit involution in Chinese breast cancer patients
Authors: Mburu Waruiru , Guo Changyuan , Tian Yuan , Koka Hela , Fu Sheng , Lu Ning , Li Erni , Li Jing , Cora Renata , Chan Ariane , Guida Jennifer L. , Sung Hyuna , Gierach Gretchen L. , Abubakar Mustapha , Yu Kai , Yang Xiaohong R.
Published: July 2024

Background

Higher mammographic density (MD), a radiological measure of the proportion of fibroglandular tissue in the breast, and lower terminal duct lobular unit (TDLU) involution, a histological measure of the amount of epithelial tissue in the breast, are independent breast cancer risk factors. Previous studies among predominantly white women have associated reduced TDLU involution with higher MD.

Methods

In this cohort of 611 invasive breast cancer patients (ages 23–91 years [58.4% ≥ 50 years]) from China, where breast cancer incidence rates are lower and the prevalence of dense breasts is higher compared with Western countries, we examined the associations between TDLU involution assessed in tumor-adjacent normal breast tissue and quantitative MD assessed in the contralateral breast obtained from the VolparaDensity software. Associations were estimated using generalized linear models with MD measures as the outcome variables (log-transformed), TDLU measures as explanatory variables (categorized into quartiles or tertiles), and adjusted for age, body mass index, parity, age at menarche and breast cancer subtype.

Results

We found that, among all women, percent dense volume (PDV) was positively associated with TDLU count (highest tertile vs. zero: Expbeta = 1.28, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08–1.51, ptrend =  < .0001), TDLU span (highest vs. lowest tertile: Expbeta = 1.23, 95% CI 1.11–1.37, ptrend =  < .0001) and acini count/TDLU (highest vs. lowest tertile: Expbeta = 1.22, 95% CI 1.09–1.37, ptrend = 0.0005), while non-dense volume (NDV) was inversely associated with these measures. Similar trend was observed for absolute dense volume (ADV) after the adjustment of total breast volume, although the associations for ADV were in general weaker than those for PDV. The MD-TDLU associations were generally more pronounced among breast cancer patients ≥ 50 years and those with luminal A tumors compared with patients < 50 years and with luminal B tumors.

Conclusions

Our findings based on quantitative MD and TDLU involution measures among Chinese breast cancer patients are largely consistent with those reported in Western populations and may provide additional insights into the complexity of the relationship, which varies by age, and possibly breast cancer subtype.
Implementation of green-assessed nanotechnology and quality by design approach for development of optical sensor for determination of tobramycin in ophthalmic formulations and spiked human plasma
Authors: El-Maraghy Christine M. , Medhat Passant M. , Hathout Rania M. , Ayad Miriam F. , Fares Nermine V.
Published: July 2024

A fast eco-friendly colorimetric method was developed for the determination of Tobramycin in drug substance, ophthalmic formulations, and spiked human plasma using silver nanoparticles optical sensor. Even though tobramycin is non-UV–visible absorbing, the developed method is based on measuring the absorbance quenching of silver nanoparticles resulting from the interaction with tobramycin. Different factors affecting the absorbance intensity were studied as; silver nanoparticle concentration, pH, buffer type, and reaction time using quality by design approach. Validation of the proposed method was performed according to ICH guidelines and was found to be accurate, precise, and sensitive. The linearity range of tobramycin was 0.35–4.0 μg/mL. The optical sensor was successfully applied for the determination of Tobramycin in ophthalmic formulations and spiked human plasma without pre-treatment. Additionally, the binding between Tobramycin and PVP- capped silver nanoparticles was studied using molecular docking software. The method was assessed and compared to colorimetric reported methods for the green character using Green Analytical Procedure Index (GAPI) and Analytical GREEnness calculator (AGREE) tools and found to be greener.
Evaluation of chimeric recombinant antigens for the serodiagnosis of Trypanosoma cruzi in dogs: a promising tool for Chagas disease surveillance
Authors: Fontes Natália Dantas , Habib Fernanda Lopes , Leony Leonardo Maia , Freitas Natália Erdens Maron , Silva Ângelo Antônio Oliveira , Dantas-Torres Filipe , da Silva Sales Kamila Gaudêncio , da Câmara Antônia Cláudia Jácome , de Araújo-Neto Vicente Toscano , Amorim Leila Denise Alves Ferreira , Celedon Paola Alejandra Fiorani , Zanchin Nilson Ivo Tonin , Santos Fred Luciano Neves
Published: July 2024

﻿Abstract

Background

Chagas disease (CD), a neglected parasitic disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, poses a significant health threat in Latin America and has emerged globally because of human migration. Trypanosoma cruzi infects humans and over 100 other mammalian species, including dogs, which are important sentinels for assessing the risk of human infection. Nonetheless, the serodiagnosis of T. cruzi in dogs is still impaired by the absence of commercial tests. In this study, we investigated the diagnostic accuracy of four chimeric recombinant T. cruzi IBMP antigens (IBMP-8.1, IBMP-8.2, IBMP-8.3, and IBMP-8.4) for detecting anti-T. cruzi antibodies in dogs, using latent class analysis (LCA).

Methods

We examined 663 canine serum samples, employing indirect ELISA with the chimeric antigens. LCA was utilized to establish a latent variable as a gold standard for T. cruzi infection, revealing distinct response patterns for each antigen.

Results

The IBMP (Portuguese acronym for the Molecular Biology Institute of Paraná) antigens achieved area under the ROC curve (AUC) values ranging from 90.9% to 97.3%. The highest sensitivity was attributed to IBMP-8.2 (89.8%), while IBMP-8.1, IBMP-8.3, and IBMP-8.4 achieved 73.5%, 79.6%, and 85.7%, respectively. The highest specificity was observed for IBMP-8.4 (98.6%), followed by IBMP-8.2, IBMP-8.3, and IBMP-8.1 with specificities of 98.3%, 94.4%, and 92.7%, respectively. Predictive values varied according to prevalence, indicating higher effectiveness in endemic settings.

Conclusions

Our findings underscore the remarkable diagnostic performance of IBMP-8.2 and IBMP-8.4 for the serodiagnosis of Trypanosoma cruzi in dogs, representing a promising tool for the diagnosis of CD in dogs. These chimeric recombinant antigens may not only enhance CD surveillance strategies but also hold broader implications for public health, contributing to the global fight against this neglected tropical disease.

Graphical Abstract
Early changes of microRNAs in blood one month after bariatric surgery
Authors: Lu Guanhua , Gao Huanhuan , Hu Ruixiang , Miao Ji , Dong Zhiyong , Wang Cunchuan , Chen Xinxin
Published: July 2024

Background

Changes in microRNAs (miRNAs) are relevant to bariatric surgery and its comorbidities. The characteristics of changes in miRNAs of the early postoperative period following both bariatric procedures, sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), as well as the factors that related to the effectiveness of early weight loss remain unclear.

Methods

We recruited 18 patients who performed SG and 15 patients who performed RYGB. Their preoperative and 1-month postoperative clinical data and fasting serum samples were collected, and the latter were analyzed by RNA-sequencing. Differential expression analysis of miRNAs was performed by the R-tool. Functional classification annotation and pathway enrichment analysis of targeted genes were analyzed by KOBAS software. The change profiles of miRNAs for both surgeries and their correlation with clinical characteristics and weight loss effectiveness were further analyzed.

Results

A total of 85 differentially expressed miRNAs were identified before and after SG, while a total of 76 were found before and after RYGB. The target genes of these miRNAs were similar in the Gene Ontology enrichment analysis in SG and RYGB, and the enrichment analysis in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes was mainly related to metabolic pathways. Hsa-miR-493-5p, hsa-miR-184, and hsa-miR-3199 exhibited similar changes in SG and RYGB, and the former two were correlated with clinical characteristics. Hsa-miR-6729-5p, hsa-miR-4659b-5p, and hsa-miR-2277-5p were correlated with the weight loss effectiveness of SG, while hsa-miR-4662a-5p was correlated with the weight loss effectiveness of RYGB.

Conclusions

Short-term metabolic improvement and weight loss occurring after SG and RYGB surgery might be related to changes in miRNAs, which act on multiple biological pathways by regulating genes. In addition, some clinical characteristics and miRNAs were related to the effectiveness of early weight loss after SG and RYGB surgery.

Clinical Trial Registration

ChiCTR2200058333.
Genomic representativeness and chimerism in large collections of SAGs and MAGs of marine prokaryoplankton
Authors: Chang Tianyi , Gavelis Gregory S. , Brown Julia M. , Stepanauskas Ramunas
Published: July 2024

Background

Single amplified genomes (SAGs) and metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) are the predominant sources of information about the coding potential of uncultured microbial lineages, but their strengths and limitations remain poorly understood. Here, we performed a direct comparison of two previously published collections of thousands of SAGs and MAGs obtained from the same, global environment.

Results

We found that SAGs were less prone to chimerism and more accurately reflected the relative abundance and the pangenome content of microbial lineages inhabiting the epipelagic of the tropical and subtropical ocean, as compared to MAGs. SAGs were also better suited to link genome information with taxa discovered through 16S rRNA amplicon analyses. Meanwhile, MAGs had the advantage of more readily recovering genomes of rare lineages.

Conclusions

Our analyses revealed the relative strengths and weaknesses of the two most commonly used genome recovery approaches in environmental microbiology. These considerations, as well as the need for better tools for genome quality assessment, should be taken into account when designing studies and interpreting data that involve SAGs or MAGs.
A peer mentoring program for eating disorders: improved symptomatology and reduced hospital admissions, three years and a pandemic on
Authors: Raspovic Anita , Duck Rachael , Synnot Andrew , Caldwell Belinda , Phillipou Andrea , Castle David , Newton Richard , Brennan Leah , Jenkins Zoe , Cunich Michelle , Maguire Sarah , Miskovic-Wheatley Jane
Published: July 2024

Background

Peer support involves people (mentors) using their own experiences to assist others (mentees). The impetus to include peer support in eating disorder recovery is high, however research on implementation of peer roles in eating disorder management is limited. A previous pilot study found positive but preliminary results for a Peer Mentor Program (PMP) for eating disorders. The PMP has since developed over time, including broadening its eligibility criteria and shifting to predominantly online delivery during COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate the updated version of the PMP, on a larger and more diverse group of mentees.

Methods

Previously collected PMP service data from July 2020 to April 2022 (during COVID-19 lockdowns) was evaluated for fifty-one mentees using mixed methods. Data from program start (baseline), mid-point (3-months) and end (6-months) for measures of eating disorder symptoms as measured by the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and psychological wellbeing as measured by the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) was evaluated. Frequency of eating disorder-related hospital admissions during PMP participation versus the 6 months prior, direct program costs and qualitative mentee feedback were also analysed. One way ANOVA’s with post hoc tests were used to evaluate symptom change and thematic analysis was conducted on qualitative data.

Results

Program attendance averaged 12.12 (SD ± 1.57) of a possible 13 sessions. Statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements were demonstrated across all subscales of the eating disorder and psychological wellbeing symptom measures. EDE-Q Global score and DASS scores decreased significantly by program end. Fewer eating disorder-related hospital admissions were reported during PMP than the 6-months prior. Qualitative findings were positive and themed around the unique benefits of lived experience connection, a new kind of space for recovery, hope and motivation for change. Challenges with the time limited nature of the mentee-mentor relationship were expressed.

Conclusions

The important benefits of a PMP for individuals with eating disorders are further supported. There is a pressing need for high quality, co-produced research, utilising a mixture of designs and fidelity to core peer work principles, to inform further implementation of peer work into eating disorder policy and practice.
Normal saline versus Ringer’s solution and critical-illness mortality in acute pancreatitis: a nationwide inpatient database study
Authors: Horibe Masayasu , Kayashima Astuto , Ohbe Hiroyuki , Bazerbachi Fateh , Mizukami Yosuke , Iwasaki Eisuke , Matsui Hiroki , Yasunaga Hideo , Kanai Takanori
Published: July 2024

Background

Fluid resuscitation is fundamental in acute pancreatitis (AP) treatment. However, the optimal choice between normal saline (NS) and Ringer's solution (RS), and its impact on mortality in critically ill patients, remains controversial. This retrospective cohort study, utilizing a national Japanese inpatient database, investigates this question.

Methods

Using the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database between July 2010 and March 2021, we identified adult patients hospitalized in intensive care units (ICU) or high-dependency care units (HDU) for AP who survived at least three days and received sufficient fluid resuscitation (≥ [10 ml/kg/hr*1 h + 1 ml/kg/hr*71 h] ml) within three days of admission including emergency room infusions. Patients were classified into groups based on the predominant fluid type received: the NS group (> 80% normal saline) and the RS group (> 80% Ringer's solution). Propensity score matching was employed to reduce potential confounding factors and facilitate a balanced comparison of in-hospital mortality between the two groups.

Results

Our analysis included 8710 patients with AP. Of these, 657 (7.5%) received predominantly NS, and 8053 (92.5%) received predominantly RS. Propensity score matching yielded 578 well-balanced pairs for comparison.

The NS group demonstrated significantly higher in-hospital mortality than the RS group (12.8% [474/578] vs. 8.5% [49/578]; risk difference, 4.3%; 95% confidence interval, 0.3% to 8.3%).

Conclusions

In patients admitted to ICU or HDU with AP receiving adequate fluid resuscitation, RS can be a preferred infusion treatment compared to NS.
The influence of using instagram on EFL learners’ critical thinking in language institutes
Authors: Zalani Mahdi , Yousofi Nouroddin
Published: July 2024

This study examined the influence of using Instagram on EFL learners’ critical thinking in language institutes. The participants were 98 students (40 males and 58 females) studying English at three branches of a language institute in Iran who were 20–24 years old and shared the same L1 which was Persian. They were selected through purposive sampling. Their proficiency in English was checked by administering DIALANG. Based on their scores on DIALANG, two equal groups were formed as experimental and control. As the pretest, California Critical Thinking Skills Test and California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory were utilised. Afterward, the experimental group were taught in class and via Instagram, while the control group were taught only in class without using Instagram. The treatment lasted for 12 weeks each week for two sessions each session for 2 h. Then the posttest, which included administering California Critical Thinking Skills Test and California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory was administered. The two groups got nearly the same scores on the pretest which showed their same proficiency level, but, their performances on the posttest were significantly different and the experimental group performed much better than the control group. This study may have implications for teacher trainers, supervisors, teachers, and textbook writers.
Exploring the role of disciplinary knowledge in students’ covariational reasoning during graphical interpretation
Authors: Altindis Nigar , Bowe Kathleen A. , Couch Brock , Bauer Christopher F. , Aikens Melissa L.
Published: July 2024

Background

This study investigates undergraduate STEM students’ interpretation of quantities and quantitative relationships on graphical representations in biology (population growth) and chemistry (titration) contexts. Interviews (n = 15) were conducted to explore the interplay between students’ covariational reasoning skills and their use of disciplinary knowledge to form mental images during graphical interpretation.

Results

Our findings suggest that disciplinary knowledge plays an important role in students’ ability to interpret scientific graphs. Interviews revealed that using disciplinary knowledge to form mental images of represented quantities may enhance students’ covariational reasoning abilities, while lacking it may hinder more sophisticated covariational reasoning. Detailed descriptions of four students representing contrasting cases are analyzed, showing how mental imagery supports richer graphic sense-making.

Conclusions

In the cases examined here, students who have a deep understanding of the disciplinary concepts behind the graphs are better able to make accurate interpretations and predictions. These findings have implications for science education, as they suggest instructors should focus on helping students to develop a deep understanding of disciplinary knowledge in order to improve their ability to interpret scientific graphs.
Several outstanding issues concerning the ionosphere of Mars
Authors: Withers Paul , Felici Marianna , Segale Jennifer , Barbinis Elias , Kahan Danny , Oudrhiri Kamal
Published: July 2024

Several outstanding issues concerning the ionosphere of Mars can be addressed with the support of radio occultation observations acquired near the solar zenith angle limit of 45$$^{\circ }$$

∘

. First, two fundamentally different types of instruments (topside radar sounding, radio occultations) have been used to characterize how the subsolar peak density changes over the solar cycle. Here we find that their results for solar minimum and solar maximum values of peak density are consistent. This verifies that systematic errors do not affect peak density measurements from either type of instrument. Second, reported descriptions of how the peak altitude changes with solar zenith angle are inconsistent. Specifically, values reported by radio occultation and radar sounder instruments for the characteristic lengthscale used to describe changes in peak altitude with solar zenith angle vary by a factor of two. We find that the change in peak altitude with solar zenith angle is governed by a lengthscale that is close to the thermospheric scale height, as predicted theoretically. However, this behavior is only apparent when the Mars–Sun distance is held fixed. Reported smaller values of this lengthscale, which are not consistent with theoretical expectations, were adversely affected by using near-terminator peak altitude values only, which display marked variability. Third, Viking Lander entry science data have been interpreted to suggest that the M1 layer is not present in the ionosphere at solar zenith angles of 45$$^{\circ }$$

∘

or smaller. We show radio occultation observations at 45$$^{\circ }$$

∘

in which the M1 layer is present. This suggests that the basic structure of the dayside ionosphere remains the same at all solar zenith angles.

Graphical Abstract
Pareto optimization of SPECT acquisition and reconstruction settings for 177Lu activity quantification
Authors: Gustafsson Johan , Larsson Erik , Ljungberg Michael , Sjögreen Gleisner Katarina
Published: July 2024

Background

The aim was to investigate the noise and bias properties of quantitative177Lu-SPECT with respect to the number of projection angles, and the number of subsets and iterations in the OS-EM reconstruction, for different total acquisition times.

Methods

Experimental SPECT acquisition of six spheres in a NEMA body phantom filled with177Lu was performed, using medium-energy collimators and 120 projections with 180 s per projection. Bootstrapping was applied to generate data sets representing acquisitions with 20 to 120 projections for 10 min, 20 min, and 40 min, with 32 noise realizations per setting. Monte Carlo simulations were performed of177Lu-DOTA-TATE in an anthropomorphic computer phantom with three tumours (2.8 mL to 40.0 mL). Projections representing 24 h and 168 h post administration were simulated, each with 32 noise realizations. Images were reconstructed using OS-EM with compensation for attenuation, scatter, and distance-dependent resolution. The number of subsets and iterations were varied within a constrained range of the product number of iterations$$\times$$×number of projections$$\le 2400$$≤2400. Volumes-of-interest were defined following the physical size of the spheres and tumours, the mean activity-concentrations estimated, and the absolute mean relative error and coefficient of variation (CV) over noise realizations calculated. Pareto fronts were established by analysis of CV versus mean relative error.

Results

Points at the Pareto fronts with low CV and high mean error resulted from using a low number of subsets, whilst points at the Pareto fronts associated with high CV but low mean error resulted from reconstructions with a high number of subsets. The number of projection angles had limited impact.

Conclusions

For accurate estimation of the177Lu activity-concentration from SPECT images, the number of projection angles has limited importance, whilst the total acquisition time and the number of subsets and iterations are parameters of importance.
Impact of once-daily versus multiple-daily dosing of gentamicin on the incidence of acute kidney injury in patients treated with synergistic combinations of antibiotics
Authors: Sugiyama Kyohei , Hirai Keita , Suyama Yukako , Tsutsumi Masato
Published: July 2024

Background

Gentamicin is a commonly used antibiotic with synergistic effects that is administered once or multiple times daily. However, the influence of the daily administration frequency on renal function has not yet been identified. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the daily dosing frequency on worsening renal function in patients receiving gentamicin.

Methods

This study included 35 patients undergoing gentamicin treatment who had at least one serum trough level measured and underwent therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). We evaluated the influence of daily dosing frequency on gentamicin trough concentration and the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI).

Results

Compared to patients who received gentamicin once-daily dosing (n = 22), patients who received multiple-daily dosing (n = 13) had significantly higher initial and minimum trough concentrations after TDM. The proportion of patients with trough concentrations lower than 1.0 µg/mL was significantly higher in the once-daily dosing group at the initial trough concentration, whereas there was no significant difference at the minimum trough concentration after TDM. AKI developed in nine patients; however, there was no significant difference in the incidence of AKI according to the frequency of daily gentamicin dosing. In contrast, a higher minimum trough concentration after TDM was found to be a risk factor for AKI development with an odds ratio of 9.2 (95% confidence intervals; 1.3–65.5).

Conclusion

A higher trough concentration of gentamicin correlated with a higher incidence of AKI. The risk of developing AKI may be reduced by choosing a once-daily dosing regimen or implementing TDM.
A multidisciplinary group-based survivorship intervention for those living with multiple myeloma: a feasibility study
Authors: Eilert Nora , Murphy Norma-Jean , Cummins Hannah , Houlihan Emma , Krawczyk Janusz
Published: July 2024

Background

While multiple myeloma continues to be an incurable cancer, advances in its understanding and management have led to significantly improved survival rates. Survivorship interventions for those living with multiple myeloma remain scarce, despite mounting evidence for multiple unmet support needs among multiple myeloma survivors. The current study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a novel multidisciplinary group-based multiple myeloma survivorship intervention.

Methods

A mixed-method, repeated measures feasibility study was conducted within a routine cancer support service. Seven participants, aged over 18, who had a multiple myeloma diagnosis and were clinically assessed as suitable for the intervention by their haemato-oncologist, attended online for six weekly group sessions of physical exercise and self-management input, completing qualitative, physical and self-report measures at baseline, post-intervention and follow-up.

Results

The intervention was deemed overall feasible, with relatively high uptake, participants describing it as largely acceptable and appropriate and providing recommendations for feasibility-enhancing intervention refinements. Findings regarding the preliminary effectiveness of the intervention were mixed. While qualitative analyses stressed the benefits of the intervention (e.g. peer support, connectedness, improved well-being) and large effect sizes were observed for most physical outcomes, no improvements in self-reported outcomes (i.e. quality of life, fatigue) were reported.

Conclusions

This study represents the first investigation of a promising novel survivorship intervention for those living with multiple myeloma, highlighting the importance of peer support in particular, on which future clinical trials, aiming to establish the intervention’s effectiveness for routine care, will be able to build.
Scanning electron microscopy and morphometric analysis of the hair in dromedaries with SEM-EDX in relation to age
Authors: Alsafy Mohamed A.M. , El-Gendy Samir A.A. , Derbalah Amira , Rashwan Ahmed M. , Haddad Seham S.
Published: July 2024

Background

Hair characterization is critical for determining animal individuality throughout life. This study aimed to assess the morphological features of dromedary camel hair in relation to age.

Materials and methods

Hair samples were obtained from the camel humps of 30 dromedary camels separated into three groups: G1 (n:10) aged one-year, G2 (n:10) aged 3–5 years, and G3 (n:10) at the age of 8–10 years. The hair was examined using light microscopy, SEM, and SEM-EDX.

Results

The Maghrebi camel had varied medulla patterns and structures across the ages. In the G1 group 75% had continuous medulla patterns and amorphous medulla structures, compared to 70% in G2, and 90% in G3. The medulla index increased with age, rising from 0.3 to 0.77%. The shaft width grew in size from G1 to G2, then fell to approximately one-third of the G2 size at G3. The cortex and cuticle widths were also determined by age, and they increased in the G1 compared to G3 camels. The shape of the cuticle scales in G1 camels was wavy, like mountain tops with irregular edges, within G2 camels the scales were particularly long, oval-shaped scales with smooth, wavy borders. The scales of the older G3 camels were quite long and rectangular. SEM-EDX spectra recognized carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, calcium, aluminum, silicon, and potassium at the medulla and cortex. Sulfur levels were highest in the G2 samples but lowest in the G1 samples.

Conclusion

The dromedary camel’s hair structure and mineral content, particularly carbon and nitrogen, differed as camels aged.
Therapeutic modalities for iatrogenic late paresthesia in oral tissues innervated by mandibular branch of trigeminal nerve: a systematic review
Authors: Keykha Elham , Tahmasebi Elahe , Hadilou Mahdi
Published: July 2024

Background

The present systematic review intended to evaluate the current evidence on the modalities used for treating iatrogenic late paresthesia in the oral tissues innervated by the mandibular branch of the trigeminal nerve.

Main text

As a common side effect of dental procedures, paresthesia can exert a profound adverse effect on patients’ quality of life. The inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) and lingual nerve (LN) have the highest chance of injury during several dental procedures, including mandibular orthognathic surgeries, implant placement, extraction of the third molar, anesthetic injections, flap elevation, and endodontic treatments. Moreover, several methods have been proposed for treating iatrogenic late paresthesia, including photobiomodulation (PBM), microsurgery, medication, and close observation until achieving spontaneous recovery of sensation. However, no gold standard treatment for iatrogenic paresthesia has been agreed upon up to now. The present study included a comprehensive search of the databases of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science up to December 04, 2023, resulting in a total of 3122 related studies. Then, the titles, abstracts, and full texts of the studies were evaluated. Ultimately, seven controlled randomized trials (RCTs) were included in the final analysis. Also, the risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist. Among all fields, randomization, allocation concealment, and data analysis were found to have the highest chance of bias in the included studies.

Conclusions

In conclusion, PBM, vitamin B12, and corticosteroids could accelerate the recovery of late paresthesia. However, considering the low sample size of the included studies and the high risk of methodological bias, it is recommended to perform further RCTs with robust study designs following Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines to achieve more reliable results.
Cardiovascular events in CML patients treated with Nilotinib: validation of the HFA-ICOS baseline risk score
Authors: Fernando Fiona , Andres Maria Sol , Claudiani Simone , Kermani Nazanin Zounemat , Ceccarelli Giulia , Innes Andrew J. , Khan Afzal , Rosen Stuart D. , Apperley Jane F. , Lyon Alexander R. , Milojkovic Dragana
Published: July 2024

Background

The therapeutic landscape of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) has been transformed by tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). Nilotinib, showed higher rates of major molecular response than imatinib, however associated with higher cardiovascular (CV) toxicity. We sought to describe the CV events associated with nilotinib in a real-world population and assess the predictive value of the HFA-ICOS risk score.

Methods

The HFA-ICOS baseline risk was calculated for patients with CML treated with nilotinib beween 2006 and 2021. The primary end point was the incidence of all CV events. The secondary end point was the incidence of ischaemic events. Survival analysis evaluated the risk (hazard ratio [HR]) of events stratified by baseline risk category, whilst on nilotinib therapy.

Results

Two hundred and twenty-nine eligible patients were included. The incidence of CV events was 20.9% (95% CI: 15.7–26.2%) following a median duration of treatment of 34.4 months. The secondary end point occurred in 12.7% (95% CI: 8.4–16.9%) of the population. Patients with higher HFA-ICOS baseline score had higher rates of CV events (low: 11.2%, medium: 28.2% [HR: 2.51, 95% CI: 1.17–5.66], high/very high: 32.4% [HR: 3.57, 95% CI: 1.77–7.20]) and ischaemic events (low: 5.20%, medium: 17.9% [HR: 2.19, 95% CI: 0.97–4.96], high/very high: 21.6% [HR: 3.9, 95% CI: 1.91–7.89]). In patients who did not have a CV event, the median total dose at last follow up or cessation of nilotinib therapy was lower when compared to the total daily median dose of nilotinib in patients who had a CV event (450 mg vs. 600 mg, p = 0.0074).

Conclusions

The HFA-ICOS risk stratification tool is an efficient discriminator at low, medium and high/very high risk of developing cardiovascular events, with an overall positive trend towards increasing cardiotoxicity rates with rising risk catergories. This study provides evidence to support the use of this predictive tool in nilotinib treated patients.
Adaptation and validation for use in Brazil of the Confusion, Hubbub, and Order Scale (CHAOS)
Authors: de Espindola Marilia Ignácio , Pires Maria Laura Nogueira , Rafihi-Ferreira Renatha El , Noto Ana Regina , Pompéia Sabine
Published: July 2024

Background

The Confusion, Hubbub, and Order Scale (CHAOS in English Version) was originally developed in the USA by Matheny et al (Bringing order out of chaos: psychometric characteristics of the confusion, hubbub, and order scale. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology 16(3):429–444, 1995) to measure chaos in the family environment, characterized by confusion, lack of routine, and organization.

Objective

To present evidence of content validity, internal structure validity, and validity based on relationships with external measures of an adapted version of the CHAOS into Brasilian Portuguese with adolescents sample in São Paulo - Brasil.

Method

Study 1 involved the translation/back-translation and adaptation of the scale into Brazilian Portuguese [here named “Escala de Confusão, Alvoroço e Ordem no Sistema familiar” (CAOS)], assessed by 5 judges. In Study 2, we conducted an exploratory factor analyses (EFA) to determine the scale’s factor structure (N = 180 adults). In Study 3, we carried out confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) to confirm the internal validity of the scale, along with complete structural equation modeling to explore convergent validity in another sample (N = 239 adolescents).

Results

The CAOS scale displayed content validity, and the EFA and CFA showed a unifactorial structure (with some scale adjustments) with an acceptable fit. The family chaos latent factor was associated with externalizing symptoms and perceived stress in adolescents.

Conclusion

Overall, the Brazilian version of the scale presented evidence of construct, internal, and concurrent validity that indicate its usefulness in Brazil.
Improving hypertension control in Nigeria: early policy implications from the Hypertension Treatment in Nigeria program
Authors: Ogungbe Oluwabunmi , Abasilim Chibuzor , Huffman Mark D. , Ojji Dike ,   Hypertension Treatment in Nigeria Program Team
Published: July 2024

Hypertension poses a significant health burden globally. In Nigeria, hypertension prevalence is on the rise, with low rates of awareness, treatment, and control. This policy brief explores the critical gaps addressed by the Hypertension Treatment in Nigeria (HTN) Program, highlighting its strengths, initial outcomes, and scalability in primary care settings. The HTN Program employs an integrated, multilevel care model based on the World Health Organization’s HEARTS technical package, including patient registration and empanelment, team-based care, training and supervision, a standardized treatment protocol, a health information management system, and a drug revolving fund to improve medication accessibility. By December 2023, hypertension treatment and control rates reached surpassing 90% and 50%, respectively, thus underscoring the program’s impact. The HTN Program serves as a model for delivering integrated hypertension care in primary care. Results should be leveraged for political commitment and financing to evaluate and manage non-communicable diseases such as hypertension in primary care through federal and state primary health development agencies. Furthermore, incorporating metrics related to hypertension control and treatment into the Integrated Supportive Management Information System can enhance routine monitoring and evaluation.
Protocol for the development and validation of a Polypharmacy Assessment Score
Authors: Tsang Jung Yin , Sperrin Matthew , Blakeman Thomas , Payne Rupert A. , Ashcroft Darren M.
Published: July 2024

Background

An increasing number of people are using multiple medications each day, named polypharmacy. This is driven by an ageing population, increasing multimorbidity, and single disease-focussed guidelines. Medications carry obvious benefits, yet polypharmacy is also linked to adverse consequences including adverse drug events, drug-drug and drug-disease interactions, poor patient experience and wasted resources. Problematic polypharmacy is ‘the prescribing of multiple medicines inappropriately, or where the intended benefits are not realised’. Identifying people with problematic polypharmacy is complex, as multiple medicines can be suitable for people with several chronic conditions requiring more treatment. Hence, polypharmacy is often potentially problematic, rather than always inappropriate, dependent on clinical context and individual benefit vs risk. There is a need to improve how we identify and evaluate these patients by extending beyond simple counts of medicines to include individual factors and long-term conditions.

Aim

To produce a Polypharmacy Assessment Score to identify a population with unusual levels of prescribing who may be at risk of potentially problematic polypharmacy.

Methods

Analyses will be performed in three parts:

1. A prediction model will be constructed using observed medications count as the dependent variable, with age, gender and long-term conditions as independent variables. A ‘Polypharmacy Assessment Score’ will then be constructed through calculating the differences between the observed and expected count of prescribed medications, thereby highlighting people that have unexpected levels of prescribing.

Parts 2 and 3 will examine different aspects of validity of the Polypharmacy Assessment Score:

2. To assess ‘construct validity’, cross-sectional analyses will evaluate high-risk prescribing within populations defined by a range of Polypharmacy Assessment Scores, using both explicit (STOPP/START criteria) and implicit (Medication Appropriateness Index) measures of inappropriate prescribing.

3. To assess ‘predictive validity’, a retrospective cohort study will explore differences in clinical outcomes (adverse drug reactions, unplanned hospitalisation and all-cause mortality) between differing scores.

Discussion

Developing a cross-cutting measure of polypharmacy may allow healthcare professionals to prioritise and risk stratify patients with polypharmacy using unusual levels of prescribing. This would be an improvement from current approaches of either using simple cutoffs or narrow prescribing criteria.
Capturing patient-reported sleep disturbance in atopic dermatitis clinical trials
Authors: Dias-Barbosa Carla , Silverberg Jonathan I. , Ständer Sonja , Rodriguez Danielle , Fofana Fatoumata , Filipenko Dina , Ulianov Liliana , Piketty Christophe , Puelles Jorge
Published: July 2024

Background

Patient-focused approaches to capturing day-to-day variability in sleep disturbance are needed to properly evaluate the sleep benefits of new treatments. Such approaches rely on patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures validated in the target patient population.

Methods

Using atopic dermatitis (AD) as an example of a disease in which sleep is commonly disturbed, we developed a strategy for measuring sleep disturbance in AD trials. In developing this strategy, we conducted a targeted literature review and held concept elicitation interviews with adolescents and adults with AD. We subsequently identified potentially suitable PRO measures and cognitively debriefed them. Finally, we evaluated their psychometric properties using data from phase 2b (NCT03100344) and phase 3 (NCT03985943 and NCT03989349) clinical trials.

Results

The literature review confirmed that sleep disturbance is a key impact of AD but failed to identify validated PRO measures for assessing fluctuations in sleep disturbance. Subsequent concept elicitation interviews confirmed the multidimensional nature of sleep disturbance in AD and supported use of a single-item measure to assess overall sleep disturbance severity, complemented by a diary to capture individual components of sleep disturbance. The single-item sleep disturbance numerical rating scale (SD NRS) and multi-item Subject Sleep Diary (SSD)—an AD-adapted version of the Consensus Sleep Diary—were identified as potentially suitable PRO measures. Cognitive debriefing of the SD NRS and SSD demonstrated their content validity and their understandability to patients. Psychometric analyses based on AD trial data showed that the SD NRS is a well-defined, reliable, and fit-for-purpose measure of sleep disturbance in adults with AD. Furthermore, the SD NRS correlated with many SSD sleep parameters, suggesting that most concepts from the SSD can be covered using the SD NRS.

Conclusions

Using these findings, we developed an approach for measuring sleep disturbance in AD trials. Subject to further research, the same approach could also be applied to future trials of other skin diseases where itch causes sleep disturbance.
Deep transfer learning for detection of breast arterial calcifications on mammograms: a comparative study
Authors: Mobini Nazanin , Capra Davide , Colarieti Anna , Zanardo Moreno , Baselli Giuseppe , Sardanelli Francesco
Published: July 2024

Introduction

Breast arterial calcifications (BAC) are common incidental findings on routine mammograms, which have been suggested as a sex-specific biomarker of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Previous work showed the efficacy of a pretrained convolutional network (CNN), VCG16, for automatic BAC detection. In this study, we further tested the method by a comparative analysis with other ten CNNs.

Material and methods

Four-view standard mammography exams from 1,493 women were included in this retrospective study and labeled as BAC or non-BAC by experts. The comparative study was conducted using eleven pretrained convolutional networks (CNNs) with varying depths from five architectures including Xception, VGG, ResNetV2, MobileNet, and DenseNet, fine-tuned for the binary BAC classification task. Performance evaluation involved area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC-ROC) analysis, F1-score (harmonic mean of precision and recall), and generalized gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM++) for visual explanations.

Results

The dataset exhibited a BAC prevalence of 194/1,493 women (13.0%) and 581/5,972 images (9.7%). Among the retrained models, VGG, MobileNet, and DenseNet demonstrated the most promising results, achieving AUC-ROCs > 0.70 in both training and independent testing subsets. In terms of testing F1-score, VGG16 ranked first, higher than MobileNet (0.51) and VGG19 (0.46). Qualitative analysis showed that the Grad-CAM++ heatmaps generated by VGG16 consistently outperformed those produced by others, offering a finer-grained and discriminative localization of calcified regions within images.

Conclusion

Deep transfer learning showed promise in automated BAC detection on mammograms, where relatively shallow networks demonstrated superior performances requiring shorter training times and reduced resources.

Relevance statement

Deep transfer learning is a promising approach to enhance reporting BAC on mammograms and facilitate developing efficient tools for cardiovascular risk stratification in women, leveraging large-scale mammographic screening programs.

Key points

• We tested different pretrained convolutional networks (CNNs) for BAC detection on mammograms.

• VGG and MobileNet demonstrated promising performances, outperforming their deeper, more complex counterparts.

• Visual explanations using Grad-CAM++ highlighted VGG16’s superior performance in localizing BAC.

Graphical Abstract
Probiotics in poultry: a comprehensive review
Authors: Halder Neha , Sunder Jai , De Arun Kumar , Bhattacharya Debasis , Joardar Siddhartha Narayan
Published: July 2024

Background

The increase in global population has elevated the food demand which in turn escalated the food animal production systems, especially poultry industries. For a long time, antibiotics are used worldwide to safeguard animals from diseases and for high production performances. Over usage of antibiotics has led to severe side effects such as antibiotic resistance among pathogenic bacteria, harming the beneficial bacteria in the gut, and stacking up of residuals in animal food products. It is the need of the hour to find a competent alternative to antibiotics. Probiotics have gained major attention as safe, feasible, and efficient alternatives to commercial antibiotics.

Main body

Probiotics meaning “prolife” are live, non-pathogenic microorganisms that when given in sufficient amount confer an advantage to the host health and well-being. Probiotics are reported to improve growth, production performance, immunity, and digestibility, safeguard gut microflora, and enhance egg and meat quality traits in poultry. Proper selection of probiotics strains is crucial before their commercialization. This systematic review focuses on the mechanism of action of probiotics and summarizes the potential role of different probiotics supplementation for enhancing the production and shielding the health and immunity of poultry flocks.

Conclusions

Probiotics has got a beneficial impact on the health and immunity of poultry, showing their competence as an alternative to commercial antibiotics. Modern experimental techniques are required to shed more light on the capabilities of probiotics and their usage for animal health.