bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dare to Dream: The Changing Role of Social Work in Supporting Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Authors: Neuman Ran , Bryen Diane N
Published: September 2021

Despite the recognition that adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) have the right to lead a fulfilling life, support staff continue to focus on normalisation and mainstreaming. The present research aimed to promote a change in the focus of the support provided to adults with IDD, stressing the importance of assisting them to pursue their desires and wishes. Towards that goal, a study with ten pairs of service providers and recipients was conducted, in which the ‘Dare to Dream’ (Bryen, 2012) process was introduced and its initial stages were implemented. Thus, each pair of provider and recipient focused on the recipients’ dreams and their realisation. Data were collected through interviews with the support staff regarding their experience with the ‘Dare to Dream’ approach. Findings indicated that participation led to a change in support staff’s perceptions of their aims and role as supporters in line with the humanistic orientation. The new objectives of supports should focus on encouraging adults with IDD to express their desires and dreams, as well as helping them internalise a new way of achieving autonomy. Further investigation of the use and cross-cultural applications of the ‘Dare to Dream’ process is recommended.
Some Remarks on International Health Legislation and the WHO
Authors: Lamm Vanda
Published: September 2021

The establishment of the WHO was a milestone in the development of international health law, not only because it has been a worldwide international organization having global competence in public health matters, but by reason of being vested with wide legislative purview and having competence to adopt conventions, agreements and regulations with binding effects. After a short survey of the development and characteristics of international health law, the article analyses the WHO’s law-making purview and the results of that law-making activity. It demonstrates that under the auspices of the organization very few binding norms were adopted. Instead, the organisation excelled in the creation of soft law norms, and even in some areas of health law the organization has showed no interest. According to this author, the WHO’s passivity in law-making of binding norms is attributable not only to the organization but to its Member States as well.
Podocytopathy in patients with monoclonal gammopathy: three patients and literature review
Authors: Ribas Andrés , Puche Adrián , Gimeno Javier , Sans Laia , Barrios Clara , Márquez Eva , Naranjo Dolores , Lloveras Belén , Lop Joan , Ramos Natàlia , Soler Maria José , Gabaldon Alejandra , Crespo Marta , Rodríguez Eva
Published: September 2021

Background

Renal manifestations of monoclonal gammopathies are of increasing interest among nephrologists. Typical manifestations include light chain cast nephropathy, amyloidosis or renal damage mediated by monoclonal immunoglobulin deposition. Podocytopathies in the setting of an underlying monoclonal gammopathy constitute a rare manifestation of these diseases and, although being described in the literature, remain a challenge since most data derive from case reports.

Methods

A retrospective review of the clinical data of Hospital del Mar and Hospital Vall d’Hebron was performed to identify patients with minimal change disease (MCD) or focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in the setting of neoplasms that produce monoclonal (M) protein. Additionally, a literature review on this topic was performed. This study aims to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of these patients.

Results

Three patients were identified to have podocytopathy and monoclonal gammopathy between the years 2013 and 2020. All three were males and  >65 years of age. Two patients were diagnosed with MCD and one patient was diagnosed with FSGS. All patients underwent a kidney biopsy and light and electron microscopic studies were performed. The underlying causes of monoclonal gammopathy were multiple myeloma in two cases and Waldeström macroglobulinemia in one case. Two patients developed nephrotic syndrome during the follow-up. All patients were under active hematological treatment. One patient presented a complete remission of proteinuria whereas the other two presented a partial remission.

Conclusions

Podocytopathies may infrequently be found in patients with monoclonal gammopathies. Patients with overt glomerular proteinuria and hematological disorders with M protein should undergo a kidney biopsy for prompt diagnosis and to specify a prognosis. In addition, further study on this matter must be done to understand the pathophysiology and treat these patients appropriately.
Multi-key Fully Homomorphic Encryption from Additive Homomorphism
Authors: Xu Wenju , Wang Baocang , Hu Yupu , Duan Pu , Zhang Benyu , Liu Momeng
Published: September 2021

Fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) allows direct computations over the encrypted data without access to the decryption. Hence multi-key FHE is well suitable for secure multiparty computation. Recently, Brakerski et al. (TCC 2019 and EUROCRYPT 2020) utilized additively homomorphic encryption to construct FHE schemes with different properties. Motivated by their work, we are attempting to construct multi-key FHE schemes via additively homomorphic encryption. In this paper, we propose a general framework of constructing multi-key FHE, combining the additively homomorphic encryption with specific multiparty computation protocols constructed from encryption switching protocol. Concretely, every involved party encrypts his plaintexts with an additively homomorphic encryption under his own public key. Then the ciphertexts are evaluated by suitable multiparty computation protocols performed by two cooperative servers without collusion. Furthermore, an instantiation with an ElGamal variant scheme is presented. Performance comparisons show that our multi-key FHE from additively homomorphic encryption is more efficient and practical.
Pearson correlations on complex networks
Authors: Coscia Michele
Published: September 2021

Complex networks are useful tools to understand propagation events like epidemics, word-of-mouth, adoption of habits and innovations. Estimating the correlation between two processes happening on the same network is therefore an important problem with a number of applications. However, at present there is no way to do so: current methods either correlate a network with itself, a single process with the network structure or calculate a network distance between two processes. In this article, we propose to extend the Pearson correlation coefficient to work on complex networks. Given two vectors, we define a function that uses the topology of the network to return a correlation coefficient. We show that our formulation is intuitive and returns the expected values in a number of scenarios. We also demonstrate how the classical the Pearson correlation coefficient is unable to do so. We conclude the article with two case studies, showcasing how our network correlation can facilitate tasks in social network analysis and economics. We provide examples of how we could use our network correlation to infer user characteristics from their activities on social media; and relationships between industrial products, under some assumptions as to what should make two exporting countries similar.
Long-read metagenomics of multiple displacement amplified DNA of low-biomass human gut phageomes by SACRA pre-processing chimeric reads
Authors: Kiguchi Yuya , Nishijima Suguru , Kumar Naveen , Hattori Masahira , Suda Wataru
Published: September 2021

The human gut bacteriophage community (phageome) plays an important role in the host’s health and disease; however, the entire structure is poorly understood, partly owing to the generation of many incomplete genomes in conventional short-read metagenomics. Here, we show long-read metagenomics of amplified DNA of low-biomass phageomes with multiple displacement amplification (MDA), involving the development of a novel bioinformatics tool, split amplified chimeric read algorithm (SACRA), that efficiently pre-processed numerous chimeric reads generated through MDA. Using five samples, SACRA markedly reduced the average chimera ratio from 72% to 1.5% in PacBio reads with an average length of 1.8 kb. De novo assembly of chimera-less PacBio long reads reconstructed contigs of ≥5 kb with an average proportion of 27%, which was 1% in contigs from MiSeq short reads, thereby dramatically improving contig length and genome completeness. Comparison of PacBio and MiSeq contigs found MiSeq contig fragmentations frequently near local repeats and hypervariable regions in the phage genomes, and those caused by multiple homologous phage genomes coexisting in the community. We also developed a reference-independent method to assess the completeness of the linear phage genomes. Overall, we established a SACRA-coupled long-read metagenomics robust to highly diverse gut phageomes, identifying high-quality circular and linear phage genomes with adequate sequence quantity.
Cardiac device troubleshooting in the intensive care unit: an educational review
Authors: Dauw Jeroen , Dupont Matthias , Martens Pieter , Nijst Petra , Mullens Wilfried
Published: September 2021

Numerous patients with a cardiac implantable electronic device are admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit (ICU). When taking care of these patients, it is essential to have basic knowledge of potential device problems and how they could be tackled. This review summarizes common issues with pacemakers, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, and cardiac resynchronization devices and provides a framework for troubleshooting in the ICU. In addition, specific aspects of intensive care that might interfere with cardiac devices are discussed.
The PRECISE-DAPT score and 5-year outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention: a large-scale, real-world study from China
Authors: Zhao Xueyan , Li Jiawen , Liu Fangchao , Zhu Pei , Jiang Lin , Tang Xiaofang , Xu Jingjing , Song Ying , Chen Jue , Qiao Shubin , Yang Yuejin , Gao Runlin , Xu Bo , Han Yaling , Yuan Jinqing
Published: September 2021

Aims

The PRECISE-DAPT (predicting bleeding complications in patients undergoing stent implantation and subsequent dual-antiplatelet therapy) score is recommended by guidelines for predicting out-of-hospital bleeding in patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, the long-term prognostic value of the PRECISE-DAPT score in patients after PCI remains unclear.

Methods and results

We performed a prospective study of 10 724 patients who underwent PCI throughout 2013 in Fuwai Hospital. The bleeding endpoint was Bleeding Academic Research Consortium 2, 3, or 5 bleeding. The ischaemic endpoints were all-cause death and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE). After a 5-year follow-up, 10 109 patients were finally analysed. A total of 415 (4.11%) patients experienced bleeding, 364 (3.60%) experienced all-cause death, and 2049 (20.27%) had MACCE. Using Cox regression, the risks of bleeding [hazard ratio (HR): 1.721, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.180–2.511, P = 0.005], MACCE (HR: 1.607, 95% CI: 1.347–1.917, P < 0.001), and all-cause-death (HR: 3.902, 95% CI: 2.916–5.221, P < 0.001) in patients with a high score were significantly higher than those in patients with a low score. The PRECISE-DAPT score showed prognostic value for 5-year events of bleeding (C-statistic: 0.566, 95% CI: 0.537–0.594), MACCE (C-statistic: 0.540, 95% CI: 0.527–0.553), and all-cause death (C-statistic: 0.673, 95% CI: 0.644–0.702).

Conclusion

After 5 years of follow-up, the PRECISE-DAPT score has a statistically significant predictive value for long-term bleeding events in the Chinese PCI population, and also some prognostic value for death and MACCE.

One-sentence Summary

In this real-world, large-sample study, the PRECISE-DAPT (predicting bleeding complications in patients undergoing stent implantation and subsequent dual-antiplatelet therapy) score shows a statistically significant 5-year predictive value for bleeding in Chinese patients with percutaneous coronary intervention and dual-antiplatelet therapy. The study also shows that the PRECISE-DAPT score has moderate predictive value for all-cause death.
Orthodontic tooth movement-activated sensory neurons contribute to enhancing osteoclast activity and tooth movement through sympathetic nervous signalling
Authors: Kondo Hisataka , Kondo Mayo , Hayashi Kaori , Kusafuka Sae , Hamamura Kazunori , Tanaka Kenjiro , Kodama Daisuke , Hirai Takao , Sato Takuma , Ariji Yoshiko , Miyazawa Ken , Ariji Eiichiro , Goto Shigemi , Togari Akifumi
Published: September 2021

Objectives

Orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) increases sympathetic and sensory neurological markers in periodontal tissue. However, the relationship between the sympathetic and sensory nervous systems during OTM remains unclear. Therefore, the present study investigated the relationship between the sympathetic and sensory nervous systems activated by OTM using pharmacological methods.

Materials and Methods

We compared the effects of sympathectomy and sensory nerve injury during OTM in C57BL6/J mice. Capsaicin (CAP) was used to induce sensory nerve injury. Sympathectomy was performed using 6-hydroxydopamine. To investigate the effects of a β-agonist on sensory nerve injury, isoproterenol (ISO) was administered to CAP-treated mice. Furthermore, to examine the role of the central nervous system in OTM, the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH) was ablated using gold thioglucose.

Results

Sensory nerve injury and sympathectomy both suppressed OTM and decreased the percent of the alveolar socket covered with osteoclasts (Oc.S/AS) in periodontal tissue. Sensory nerve injury inhibited increases in OTM-induced calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) immunoreactivity (IR), a marker of sensory neurons, and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) IR, a marker of sympathetic neurons, in periodontal tissue. Although sympathectomy did not decrease the number of CGRP-IR neurons in periodontal tissue, OTM-induced increases in the number of TH-IR neurons were suppressed. The ISO treatment restored sensory nerve injury-inhibited tooth movement and Oc.S/AS. Furthermore, the ablation of VMH, the centre of the sympathetic nervous system, suppressed OTM-induced increases in tooth movement and Oc.S/AS.

Conclusions

The present results suggest that OTM-activated sensory neurons contribute to enhancements in osteoclast activity and tooth movement through sympathetic nervous signalling.
Assumptions Not Often Assessed or Satisfied in Published Mediation Analyses in Psychology and Psychiatry
Authors: Stuart Elizabeth A , Schmid Ian , Nguyen Trang , Sarker Elizabeth , Pittman Adam , Benke Kelly , Rudolph Kara , Badillo-Goicoechea Elena , Leoutsakos Jeannie-Marie
Published: September 2021

Mediation analysis aims to investigate the mechanisms of action behind the effects of interventions or treatments. Given the history and common use of mediation in mental health research, we conducted this review to understand how mediation analysis is implemented in psychology and psychiatry and whether analyses adhere to, address, or justify the key underlying assumptions of their approaches. All articles (n = 206) were from top academic psychiatry or psychology journals in the PsycInfo database and were published in English from 2013 to 2018. Information extracted from each article related to study design, covariates adjusted for in the analysis, temporal ordering of variables, and the specific method used to perform the mediation analysis. In most studies, underlying assumptions were not adhered to. Only approximately 20% of articles had full temporal ordering of exposure, mediator, and outcome. Confounding of the exposure–mediator and/or mediator–outcome relationships was controlled for in fewer than half of the studies. In almost none of the articles were the underlying assumptions of their approaches discussed or causal mediation methods used. These results provide insights to how methodologists should aim to communicate methods, and motivation for more outreach to the research community on best practices for mediation analysis.
Spreading Clio: a quantitative analysis of the first 25 years of theEuropean Review of Economic History
Authors: Cioni Martina , Federico Giovanni , Vasta Michelangelo
Published: September 2021

This paper traces the history of the first 25 years of the European Economic History Review (EREH) comparing its initial agenda with its actual publication record and measuring its success with citation data. We rely on a database of all articles published in the EREH and in the four other top field journals from 1997 to 2020. The EREH has been a great success becoming, as planned at its establishment, the main outlet for continental European scholars and expanding somewhat its remit. Nonetheless, EREH needs to do an extra mile to fill the remaining gap with the more established field journals.
AI ethical bias: a case for AI vigilantism (AIlantism) in shaping the regulation of AI
Authors: Nwafor Ifeoma Elizabeth
Published: September 2021

The debate on the ethical challenges of artificial intelligence (AI) is nothing new. Researchers and commentators have highlighted the deficiencies of AI technology regarding visible minorities, women, youth, seniors and indigenous people. Currently, there are several ethical guidelines and recommendations for AI. These guidelines provide ethical principles and humancentred values to guide the creation of responsible AI. Since these guidelines are non-binding, it has no significant effect. It is time to harness initiatives to regulate AI globally and incorporate human rights and ethical standards in AI creation. The government need to intervene, and discriminated groups should lend their voice to shape AI regulation to suit their circumstances. This study highlights the discriminatory and technological risks suffered by minority/marginalised groups owing to AI’s ethical dilemma. As a result, it recommends the guarded deployment of AI vigilantism to regulate the use of AI technologies and prevent harm arising from AI systems’ operations. The appointed AI vigilantes will comprise mainly persons/groups with an increased risk of their rights being disproportionately impacted by AI. It is a well-intentioned group that will work with the government to avoid abuse of powers.
Thermomechanical Combination Injuries: A Rare But Life-Threatening Entity
Authors: Muenzberg Matthias , Kaeppler Kathrin , Hundeshagen Gabriel , Kenngott Theresa , Ziegler Benjamin , Gruetzner Paul Alfred , Kneser Ulrich , Hirche Christoph
Published: September 2021

Thermomechanical combination injuries (TMCIs) are feared for their demanding preclinical and clinical management and bear the risk of high mortality compared to the single injury of a severe burn or multiple trauma. There remains a significant lack of standardized algorithms for diagnostics and therapy of this rare entity. The objective of the present study was to profile TMCI aiming at standardized procedures. In this study, TMCIs were extracted from our burn database of a level 1 burn and trauma center. From 2004 to 2017, all patients with TMCI were retrospectively analyzed. Further inclusion criteria were multiple trauma accompanied by burn with ≥10% TBSA. Patient and injury characteristics including injury severity score and outcome parameter were analyzed. A total of 45 patients matched the selective inclusion criteria of TMCI, comprising 4% of all burn injuries during the period. The average age was 38 years (range: 14–86), with a mean TBSA of 43% (range: 10–97%). The mean recorded temperature at admission was 34.8°C (range: 29.6–37.1) with 2215 ml volume of resuscitation fluids (range: 500–8000) administered preclinically in total. The mean injury severity score was 16. The overall mortality rate was 22%. TMCIs are rare and life-threatening events that require highly qualified management in combined level 1 trauma and burn centers to address both burn and trauma treatment. The multiple injury pattern is diverse, complicating standardized management in view of burn care-specific measures, as normothermia and restrictive volume management. The present study reveals further profiles and underlines the need for addressing TMCIs in ABLS®, ATLS®, and PHTLS® programs.
Engineering robust microorganisms for organic acid production
Authors: Tran Vinh G , Zhao Huimin
Published: September 2021

Organic acids are an important class of compounds that can be produced by microbial conversion of renewable feedstocks and have huge demands and broad applications in food, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. An economically viable fermentation process for production of organic acids requires robust microbial cell factories with excellent tolerance to low pH conditions, high concentrations of organic acids, and lignocellulosic inhibitors. In this review, we summarize various strategies to engineer robust microorganisms for organic acid production and highlight their applications in a few recent examples.
Validation of Diagnostic Methods for European Foulbrood on Commercial Honey Bee Colonies in the United States
Authors: Milbrath Meghan O’Grady , Fowler Peter Daniel , Abban Samuel K , Lopez Dawn , Evans Jay D
Published: September 2021

One of the most serious bacterial pathogens of Western honey bees (Apis mellifera Linnaeus [Hymenoptera: Apidae]) is Melissococcus plutonius, the cause of the disease European foulbrood. Because European foulbrood is highly variable, with diverse outcomes at both the individual and colony levels, it is difficult to diagnose through visual inspection alone. Common lab diagnostic techniques include microscopic examination and molecular detection through PCR. In 2009, a lateral flow device was developed and validated for field diagnosis of European foulbrood. At the time, M. plutonius was thought to be genetically homogenous, but we have subsequently learned that this bacterium exists as multiple strains, including some strains that are classified as ‘atypical’ for which the lateral flow device is potentially less effective. These devices are increasingly used in the United States, though they have never been validated using strains from North America. It is essential to validate this device in multiple locations as different strains of M. plutonius circulate in different geographical regions. In this study, we validate the field use of the lateral flow device compared to microscopic examination and qPCR on larval samples from 78 commercial honey bee colonies in the United States with visual signs of infection. In this study, microscopic diagnosis was more sensitive than the lateral flow device (sensitivity = 97.40% and 89.47%, respectively), and we found no false positive results with the lateral flow device. We find high concurrence between the three diagnostic techniques, and all three methods are highly sensitive for diagnosing European foulbrood.
Absolute lymphocyte count is an independent predictor of survival in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with nivolumab
Authors: Ueda Kosuke , Suekane Shigetaka , Kurose Hirofumi , Ogasawara Naoyuki , Hiroshige Tasuku , Chikui Katsuaki , Uemura Keiichiro , Nakiri Makoto , Nishihara Kiyoaki , Matsuo Mitsunori , Igawa Tsukasa
Published: September 2021

Objective

Programmed cell death-1 antibody therapy has demonstrated improved progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. However, there are limited studies on biomarkers that can predict the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors. We examined the influence of peripheral inflammatory biomarkers on the clinical outcomes of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with nivolumab.

Methods

Data of 38 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma, who were treated with nivolumab monotherapy after receiving at least one molecular targeted therapy from November 2016 to February 2021, were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed.

Results

Median progression-free survival and overall survival were significantly shorter in patients with low absolute lymphocyte count (<1300/μl) versus those with high absolute lymphocyte count (progression-free survival: P = 0.0102; overall survival: P = 0.0026). Median overall survival was shorter in patients with high neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (≥3.0) versus those with low neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (P = 0.0344). Multivariate analysis showed that absolute lymphocyte count was an independent factor for progression-free survival (hazard ratio = 2.332, 95% confidence interval = 1.012–5.375, P = 0.0468) and overall survival (hazard ratio = 4.153, 95% confidence interval = 1.108–15.570, P = 0.0347). Increased absolute lymphocyte count, 1 month after nivolumab initiation, was a positive predictive factor for progression-free survival (hazard ratio = 0.419, 95% confidence interval = 0.189–0.926, P = 0.0317) and overall survival (hazard ratio = 0.285, 95% confidence interval = 0.091–0.890, P = 0.0308).

Conclusion

Our study indicates that peripheral absolute lymphocyte count, before nivolumab initiation, is a predictor of poor response in metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Additionally, increased absolute lymphocyte count, 1 month post-nivolumab initiation, can be a predictor of the effects of nivolumab.
Once We Were Refugees: Refugees, Security, Solidarity and a View from the Global South—A Case Study of the Rohingya Reception in Bangladesh
Authors: Sajjad Tazreena
Published: September 2021

The 2017 violence in Myanmar led to an exodus of Rohingya to Bangladesh. Today, it hosts a million refugees and is home to the world’s largest camp. Bangladesh’s response to the new arrivals was described as ‘exemplary’, defined by widespread assistance and messages of solidarity expressed by the current government towards the Rohingya. Yet, Bangladesh is not a state party to the Refugee Convention, is reluctant to serve as a long-term host, and is serving as one within a global context that has popularized fortifications as a means of migrant deterrence. Given its own strained resources and security concerns, what explains Bangladesh’s approach? And what produced the shift towards the security narrative within three years of the Rohingya crisis? This project traces the discursive frameworks through which Bangladesh legitimized its policies towards the Rohingya and the sources from which its norms of solidarity and that of refugee restriction were generated.
Gallbladder adenosquamous carcinoma: a case report and literature review
Authors: Davis Tyler , Moudy Paige , Abdelgawad Mohamed , Barghuthi Lutfi , Ismael Hishaam
Published: September 2021

Representing 90–95% of all malignant gallbladder neoplasms, adenocarcinoma is by far the most common subtype. Adenosquamous carcinoma is a rare subtype, accounting for only 1–5% of all gallbladder carcinomas. These tumors have been shown to have aggressive biologic behavior, commonly extending to adjacent structures. Some studies have shown that the squamous component often displayed a greater proliferative capacity than the adenocarcinomatous component (possibly even up to twice as fast). Complete surgical resection is currently the mainstay of treatment but the prognosis is often poor. In this paper, we present a case of a 69-year-old male with an AJCC Stage IV moderately differentiated adenosquamous carcinoma of the gallbladder treated with radical cholecystectomy including liver segments IVb, V, VI.
SMARCB1 (INI1) retained but SMARCA4 (BRG1) negative atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor arising at the bilateral cerebellopontine angles: a case report
Authors: Mitsui Nobuyuki , Oikawa Kensuke , Tanino Mishie , Kinoshita Manabu
Published: September 2021

Most atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT) of the central nervous system shows an inactivation of SMARCB1 (INI1) and is considered as the hallmark of this neoplasm. However, AT/RT could exceptionally rarely present retained SMARCB1 (INI1) but inactivated SMARCA4 (BRG1). Here, the authors report a rare case of a 2-year-old boy with a SMARCB1 (INI1) retained but SMARCA4 (BRG1) negative AT/RT arising at the bilateral cerebellopontine angles mimicking neurofibromatosis type 2. The tumor was highly aggressive and was refractory to all treatment modalities. This case highlights the challenges during differential diagnosis of atypical cerebellopontine angle tumors of childhood and the importance of thoroughly investigating SMARCB1 (INI1) and SMARCA4 (BRG1) when AT/RT is suspected.
A case from the future of HPB surgical oncology: resection of biliary tract cancer after immunotherapy
Authors: Satyananda Vikas , Chouliaras Konstantinos , Cherkassky Leonid , Schwarz Roderich E
Published: September 2021

Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) have limited response to systemic therapy and poor prognosis. Immunotherapy in BTCs has been investigated in recent years. Here, we report a case of locally advanced, unresectable gallbladder adenocarcinoma that progressed on chemotherapy. The patient was then treated with ipilimumab and nivolumab, which resulted in tumor shrinkage and autoimmune hepatitis, but established technical resectability. He underwent complete resection through extended right hepatectomy with en bloc cholecystectomy bile duct resection, hepatic and portal lymphadenectomy and Roux-Y hepaticojejunostomy reconstruction. The final pathology revealed a pathologic complete response. The scope of operative intervention after immunotherapy is still evolving for BTCs. Establishing resectability in tumors not susceptible to cytotoxic agents but responding to immunotherapy not only facilitates curative intent resection but also enhances the importance of infection prevention through operative stent-free long-term biliary decompression. Immunotherapy may also carry a unique risk profile for post-operative morbidity potential as in this case with autoimmune hepatitis.
Perforated viscus as first presentation of Crohn’s disease: a case report
Authors: Lee Jia Hui , Tey Tze Tong , Foo Fung Joon , Koh Frederick
Published: September 2021

Bowel perforation as the first presentation of inflammatory bowel disease is rare and unusual in young patients. A previously asymptomatic 21-year-old Asian male presented with perforated small bowel secondary to previously undiagnosed Crohn’s disease. He underwent an exploratory laparotomy and subsequent small bowel resection and was commenced on mesalazine post-operation. He recovered well with subsequent regular follow-up with gastroenterology. The main management of Crohn’s disease is multidisciplinary in nature, and collaboration between different disciplines is inherent with the aim of reducing symptoms and maximizing patient quality of life.
Multifidus muscle retracted and preserved in resection of malignant bone tumor in the sacral ala
Authors: Sakamoto Akio , Otsuki Bungo , Noguchi Takashi , Matsuda Shuichi
Published: September 2021

Resection of malignant tumors in the posterior pelvis requires multidirectional approaches for the resection and the subsequent spine-pelvic fixation. The multifidus muscle can be scarified during the operation. This is a case report of a 44-year-old male with a secondary chondrosarcoma arising from an osteochondroma in the sacral ala. Recurrence occurred 11 months after the initial operation, and the resected tissue from the recurrence was diagnosed as a chondrosarcoma. In both operations, the multifidus muscle was elevated from its distal attachment to provide an adequate view of the tumor resection and insertion of spine-pelvic instrumentation. An adequate view by elevation of the multifidus muscle is useful for a safe operation. A preserved multifidus muscle covering the instrumentation may reduce the risk of infection. The elevation and preservation of the multifidus muscle is an easy and simple method that contributes to successful resection of a malignant tumor of the pelvis.
Postoperative chylous leak after a laparoscopic low anterior resection: a case report
Authors: La Francesca Matías Ezequiel , López Carolina , Kraiñski María Sol , Hanndorf Fiorela , Laporte Mariano
Published: September 2021

Chylous leakage is an unusual event after abdominal surgery and even more during colorectal procedures. The management of this complication is already discussed in medical literature. In our case a laparoscopic low anterior resection to an 81-year-old woman with a sigmoid and rectum colon tumor was done. The fourth day after surgery postoperative chylous leakage was diagnosed. It was treated with suspension of oral feeding, total parenteral nutrition and Octreotide with a favorable resolution.
On Certain Types of Nonstandard Compounds in Contemporary Hebrew
Authors: Shatil Nimrod
Published: September 2021

This article deals with nominal phrases which are similar to appositions in their form (glída vanil) and sometimes parallel to construct states (glidat vanil) in their function (both exam ples meaning ‘vanilla ice cream’). These phrases are termed here juxtapositions. The article examines the semantic relationship between construct states and juxtapositions with identical components, whether they constitute opposition, synonymy or complementary distribution. The corpus is based primarily on Web data and other contemporary sources, but a diachronic view is provided as well. The article describes a number of domains in which juxtapositions are prevalent. These include expression of quantities, as in recipes (giv’olim ’aspragus) (asparagus stalks); commercial catalogue item listings such as xultsa géver (a man’s shirt; a kind of shirt); and colloquial emotional expressions like ’aruxa zva’a (lit. a horror meal, ‘a dreadful meal’). Other domains are described as well.1
Environmental contamination of a quarantine hotel via SARS-CoV-2 positive travellers
Authors: Hu Xiaowen , Liu Ziran , Liang Jiwei , Song Xin , Wang Zhaoguo , Gao Ruqin , Jiang Fachun
Published: September 2021

We report on the extent of environmental contamination of a quarantine hotel in China via two SARS-CoV-2 VOCs positive travellers.
Local hydrological gradients structure high intraspecific variability in plant hydraulic traits in two dominant central Amazonian tree species
Authors: Garcia Maquelle N , Hu Jia , Domingues Tomas F , Groenendijk Peter , Oliveira Rafael S , Costa Flávia R C
Published: September 2021

Addressing the intraspecific variability of functional traits helps understand how climate change might influence the distribution of organismal traits across environments, but this is notably understudied in the Amazon, especially for plant hydraulic traits commonly used to project drought responses. We quantified the intraspecific trait variability of leaf mass per area, wood density, and xylem embolism resistance for two dominant central Amazonian tree species, along gradients of water and light availability, while accounting for tree age and height. Intraspecific variability in hydraulic traits was high, with within-species variability comparable to the whole-community variation. Hydraulic trait variation was modulated mostly by the hydrological environment, with higher embolism resistance of trees growing on deep-water-table plateaus compared with shallow-water-table valleys. Intraspecific variability of leaf mass per area and wood density was mostly modulated by intrinsic factors and light. The different environmental and intrinsic drivers of variation among and within individuals lead to an uncoupled coordination among carbon acquisition/conservation and water-use traits. Our findings suggest multivariate ecological strategies driving tropical tree distributions even within species, and reflect differential within-population sensitivities along environmental gradients. Therefore, intraspecific trait variability must be considered for accurate predictions of the responses of tropical forests to climate change.
Is Cryoprecipitate-Reduced Plasma an Efficacious Replacement Fluid for Therapeutic Plasma Exchange for Patients with Thrombotic Microangiopathy? A Single-Center Retrospective Experience
Authors: Kim Han Joo , Yang John Jeongseok , Kim Hyungsuk , Hwang Sang-Hyun , Oh Heung-Bum , Chung Yousun , Ko Dae-Hyun
Published: September 2021

Objective

We designed a study to compare the efficacy of cryoprecipitate-reduced plasma (CRP) and fresh frozen plasma (FFP), at the level of individual sessions, for treating refractory thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) with therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE).

Materials and Methods

Platelet counts (× 10³/μL) and lactate dehydrogenase (LD; IU/L) levels were measured before and after each session. We compared the mean-percentage and absolute changes in platelet count and LD after each TPE session.

Results

The data from 33 patients treated for TMA between 2009 and 2018 were collected for this study. Both absolute and percentage increases in the platelet count were statistically significant (P = .003 and P = .011, respectively) when CRP was used. However, when patients were divided into subgroups according to specific diagnosis, no significant differences were found among the groups, except in terms of the absolute platelet count increase in the thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura group (P <.001).

Conclusion

The platelet count increase was higher when patients received CRP than when they received FFP. We found that CRP may be a rescue option for patients with refractory TMA.
Validation of an In-House-Developed GC-MS Method for 5α-Cholestanol According to ISO 15189:2012 Requirements
Authors: Coker Canan , Uysal Sezer
Published: September 2021

Objective

The aim of this study was to validate a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method for the measurement of 5α-cholestanol in the clinical laboratory in agreement with ISO 15189:2012.

Materials and Methods

The GC-MS performance was evaluated and proficiency testing data were used to estimate the measurement uncertainty of the method considering the recommendations of international guidelines.

Results

The calibration curves were linear from 6 to 50 μmol/L, with r2 >.99. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation were determined to be 0.36 and 2.58 μmol/L, respectively. The bias ranged from –18.9% to 15.2% for 6.5, 18.3, and 66 μmol/L. The intra- and interassay reproducibility was <20% at the various concentrations studied. The expanded uncertainty was determined to be 50.9%.

Conclusion

The GC-MS method for the measurement of 5α-cholestanol has proved to have acceptable analytical performance for use in the clinical laboratory.
The Medicalisation of Childbirth and Access to homebirth in the UK: Covid-19 and Beyond
Authors: Nelson Anna , Romanis Elizabeth C.
Published: September 2021

In this article, we explore how the law has perpetuated the medicalisation of childbirth, and outline why this may limit the ability of birthing persons to access and opt for homebirth. We argue that this is inherently problematic because it restricts choice and autonomy in childbirth. We suggest that the widespread blanket withdrawals of homebirthing services by National Health Service trusts during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic serves as an illustrative example of the broader failure to recognise, both socially and legally, the significance of homebirth for some. We argue that, if framed correctly, the law has the potential to support, rather than restrict, choice regarding place of birth.
Galaxy and mass assembly (GAMA): The environmental impact on SFR and metallicity in galaxy groups
Authors: Sotillo-Ramos D , Lara-López M A , Pérez-García A M , Pérez-Martínez R , Hopkins A M , Holwerda B W , Liske J , López-Sánchez A R , Owers M S , Pimbblet K A
Published: September 2021

We present a study of the relationships and environmental dependencies between stellar mass, star formation rate, and gas metallicity for more than 700 galaxies in groups up to redshift 0.35 from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey. To identify the main drivers, our sample was analysed as a function of group-centric distance, projected galaxy number density, and stellar mass. By using control samples of more than 16 000 star-forming field galaxies and volume-limited samples, we find that the highest enhancement in SFR (0.3 dex) occurs in galaxies with the lowest local density. In contrast to previous work, our data show small enhancements of ∼0.1 dex in SFR for galaxies at the highest local densities or group-centric distances. Our data indicates quenching in SFR only for massive galaxies, suggesting that stellar mass might be the main driver of quenching processes for star forming galaxies. We can discard a morphological driven quenching, since the Sérsic index distribution for group and control galaxies are similar. The gas metallicity does not vary drastically. It increases ∼0.08 dex for galaxies at the highest local densities, and decreases for galaxies at the highest group-centric distances, in agreement with previous work. Altogether, the local density, rather than group-centric distance, shows the stronger impact in enhancing both, the SFR and gas metallicity. We applied the same methodology to galaxies from the IllustrisTNG simulations, and although we were able to reproduce the general observational trends, the differences between group and control samples only partially agree with the observations.
Phenotype Bias Determines How Natural RNA Structures Occupy the Morphospace of All Possible Shapes
Authors: Dingle Kamaludin , Ghaddar Fatme , Šulc Petr , Louis Ard A
Published: September 2021

Morphospaces—representations of phenotypic characteristics—are often populated unevenly, leaving large parts unoccupied. Such patterns are typically ascribed to contingency, or else to natural selection disfavoring certain parts of the morphospace. The extent to which developmental bias, the tendency of certain phenotypes to preferentially appear as potential variation, also explains these patterns is hotly debated. Here we demonstrate quantitatively that developmental bias is the primary explanation for the occupation of the morphospace of RNA secondary structure (SS) shapes. Upon random mutations, some RNA SS shapes (the frequent ones) are much more likely to appear than others. By using the RNAshapes method to define coarse-grained SS classes, we can directly compare the frequencies that noncoding RNA SS shapes appear in the RNAcentral database to frequencies obtained upon a random sampling of sequences. We show that: 1) only the most frequent structures appear in nature; the vast majority of possible structures in the morphospace have not yet been explored; 2) remarkably small numbers of random sequences are needed to produce all the RNA SS shapes found in nature so far; and 3) perhaps most surprisingly, the natural frequencies are accurately predicted, over several orders of magnitude in variation, by the likelihood that structures appear upon a uniform random sampling of sequences. The ultimate cause of these patterns is not natural selection, but rather a strong phenotype bias in the RNA genotype–phenotype map, a type of developmental bias or “findability constraint,” which limits evolutionary dynamics to a hugely reduced subset of structures that are easy to “find.”
Visual Gene Expression Reveals a cone-to-rod Developmental Progression in Deep-Sea Fishes
Authors: Lupše Nik , Cortesi Fabio , Freese Marko , Marohn Lasse , Pohlmann Jan-Dag , Wysujack Klaus , Hanel Reinhold , Musilova Zuzana
Published: September 2021

Vertebrates use cone cells in the retina for color vision and rod cells to see in dim light. Many deep-sea fishes have adapted to their environment to have only rod cells in the retina, while both rod and cone genes are still preserved in their genomes. As deep-sea fish larvae start their lives in the shallow, and only later submerge to the depth, they have to cope with diverse environmental conditions during ontogeny. Using a comparative transcriptomic approach in 20 deep-sea fish species from eight teleost orders, we report on a developmental cone-to-rod switch. While adults mostly rely on rod opsin (RH1) for vision in dim light, larvae almost exclusively express middle-wavelength-sensitive (“green”) cone opsins (RH2) in their retinas. The phototransduction cascade genes follow a similar ontogenetic pattern of cone—followed by rod-specific gene expression in most species, except for the pearleye and sabretooth (Aulopiformes), in which the cone cascade remains dominant throughout development, casting doubts on the photoreceptor cell identity. By inspecting the whole genomes of five deep-sea species (four of them sequenced within this study: Idiacanthus fasciola, Chauliodus sloani; Stomiiformes; Coccorella atlantica, and Scopelarchus michaelsarsi; Aulopiformes), we found that they possess one or two copies of the rod RH1 opsin gene, and up to seven copies of the cone RH2 opsin genes in their genomes, while other cone opsin classes have been mostly lost. Our findings hence provide molecular evidence for a limited opsin gene repertoire in deep-sea fishes and a conserved vertebrate pattern whereby cone photoreceptors develop first and rod photoreceptors are added only at later developmental stages.
The health benefits of anthocyanins: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies and controlled clinical trials
Authors: Sandoval-Ramírez Berner-Andrée , Catalán Úrsula , Llauradó Elisabet , Valls Rosa-María , Salamanca Patricia , Rubió Laura , Yuste Silvia , Solà Rosa
Published: September 2021

Anthocyanins (ACNs) are phenolic compounds present in foods and have undefined health benefits. The present umbrella review aimed to analyze the effects of ACNs on multiple aspects of human health (from systematic reviews and meta-analyses [SRMs] of randomized controlled trials [RCTs]), and the associations of ACNs with the risk of various diseases (from SRMs of observational studies [OSs]). Following the PRISMA methodology, the PubMed, SCOPUS, and Cochrane databases were searched up to November 1, 2020 for OS-SRMs and RCT-SRMs that examined the effects of ACNs on health. The risk of bias of RCT-SRMs was assessed using the AMSTAR 2, and that of OS-SRMs was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. Based on 5 OS-SRMs (57 studies and 2 134 336 participants), ACNs of various sources were significantly associated with a reduction in the risks of hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus. According to 8 RCT-SRMs (139 interventions and >4984 participants), ACNs improved plasmatic lipids, glucose metabolism, and endothelial function, without affecting blood pressure. No associations between ACNs and breast or gastric cancer risks were found. ACN intake opens new pathways for the management of glucose metabolism, the plasmatic lipid profile, and the improvement of endothelial function in humans.