bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and Testing of “Is Lung Cancer Screening for You?”: A Computer-Based Decision Aid
Authors: Owens Otis L , McDonnell Karen Kane , Newsome Brandi R , Humphrey Mark E
Published: October 2021

Purpose

To reduce lung cancer mortality, individuals at high risk should receive a low-dose computed tomography screening annually. To increase the likelihood of screening, interventions that promote shared decision-making are needed. The goal of this study was to investigate the feasibility, acceptability, usability, and preliminary effectiveness of a computer-based decision aid.
Methods

Thirty-three participants were recruited through primary-care clinics in a small southeastern-US city. Participants used a computer-based decision aid (“Is Lung Cancer Screening for You?”) during a clinic appointment. Paper surveys collected self-reported feasibility, acceptability, and usability data. A research coordinator was present to observe each patient’s and health-care provider’s interactions, and to assess the fidelity of shared decision-making.
Results

The decision aid was feasible, acceptable for use in a clinic setting, and easy for participants to use. Patients had low decisional conflict following use of the decision aid and had high screening intention and actual screening rates. Shared decision-making discussions using the decision aid were nearly 6 minutes on average.
Conclusion

Computer-based decision aids are feasible for promoting shared lung cancer–screening decisions. A more robust study is warranted to measure the added value of a computer-based version of this aid versus a paper-based aid.
Toughen and Strengthen Alginate Fiber by Incorporation of Polyethylene Glycol Grafted Cellulose Nanocrystals
Authors: Wang Yaqi , Chen Hang , Cui Li , Tu Chao , Yan Chao
Published: October 2021

Alginate fibers have great potential in many applications, such as medical dressings, surgical sutures, and masks, etc. owing to their good biocompatibility and other properties. However, for alginate fibers prepared by wet spinning, the fibers have disadvantages such as low strength, poor toughness, and brittleness. Herein, a simple, scalable, and cost-effective blending spinning strategy was developed to produce the alginate composite fibers with excellent mechanical properties. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were incorporated directly in the wet spinning solution to improve its strength, wherein the CNCs were prepared from waste cotton fabrics. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecular chain was grafted onto the CNC surface to be used as a plasticizer while increasing the dispersibility of CNCs in alginate matrix. It was worth noting that modification of alginate fibers with PEG grafted cellulose nanocrystals (CNC-g-PEG) enhanced the tensile strength and elongation at break, simultaneously. In addition, the CNC-g-PEG modified alginate fibers exhibited improved salt tolerance and reduced water absorbency. This work may make high-value utilization of waste cotton fabrics, and pave the way for the development of high-performance, green alginate fibers.
Hurst Exponent-Based Nonlinear Analysis for the Identification of Arrhythmia-Affected Cardiac Systems
Authors: Maji Chiranjit , Sengupta Pratyay , Batabyal Anandi , Chaudhuri Hirok
Published: October 2021

The stochastic nature of the human heart, a complex biological system, is evident from electrocardiogram (ECG) signals, which are weak, non-linear and non-stationary signals. These temporal variations of electromagnetic pulses emanated from the heart are instrumental in indicating the cardiac health. The Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) technique was employed in order to decompose a total of 64 ECG signal data of arrhythmic and normal subjects, obtained from widely used MIT-BIH databases, into a finite number of Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs). The rationale behind using this strategy was to extract non-linear features of ECG signals which are not explicitly expressed, while keeping the original signal unaltered. Following removal of non-stationary noises from the ECG signals by the Savitzky-Golay (SG) filter, popular non-linear parameter Hurst Exponent (H) was estimated for every IMF by employing the R/S technique. A distinct difference between H values of 1st IMFs between normal individuals and arrhythmia affected patients was identified. This observation was further validated through an age-based and gender-based analysis, which demonstrated a unique alteration pattern with age. The study showed 94.92% probability in detection of arrhythmia in a patient. Adopting this EMD-based procedure for ECG data analysis and disease prediction may assist in reducing our dependence on intuition-based diagnosis of ECG reports by medical practitioners and may provide novel insights into the functioning of the human heart which might help develop new biomedical strategies to combat cardiac disorders.
Establishment of Reference Intervals For Serum Liver Function Tests Among Healthy Elderly Population In Northeast China: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Sun Zeyu , Chai Jiatong , Zhou Qi , Xu Jiancheng
Published: October 2021

Background: Liver function changes with age, however, there are few studies that are specific for the elderly. This study is aimed to establish reference intervals (RIs) of serum liver function tests among healthy elderly population aged between 60-89 in northeast China.Methods: Subjects were colleted from laboratory information system (LIS) in the First Hospital of Jilin University. The following parameters were collected: aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total protein (TP) albumin (ALB), total bilirubin (TBIL), and direct bilirubin (DBIL). Tukey method was used to eliminate outliers. The Harris and Boyd method and Mann-Whitney U-test were performed to evaluate significant differences between subgroups of sex and age. The lambda-mu-sigma (LMS) method was used to analyze the dynamic changes of analytes. RIs were established by the non-parametric method.Results: A total of 23597 healthy individuals, including 20048 subjects (18-59 years old) and 3549 subjects (60-89 years old) were enrolled in the study. AST, ALT, TP and ALB required no sex partition. Except for AST, ALP and TBIL, ALT, GGT, TP, ALB and DBIL required different levels of age partitions. Serum ALT and ALB levels decreased with age, ALB showed apparent decreases throughout the aging process. DBIL showed an increase trend over time. This study showed different results compared with RIs in other studies.Conclusions: The RIs for liver function tests among healthy elderly population were different from those of other young individuals. There were apparent sex or age differences in the RIs of liver function for the elderly. Therefore, it is necessary to establish sex- and age-specific RIs of serum liver function tests among elderly population.
Failure of Stereotactic Core Needle Biopsy in Women Recalled for Suspicious Calcifications at Screening Mammography: Frequency, Causes and Final Outcome in a Multi-institutional, Observational Follow-up Study
Authors: Duijm Lucien EM , Strobbe Luc J , Smallenburg Vivian van Breest , Vreuls Willem , Boerman Thom , Beek Hermen C van , de Coul-Froger Clemence L op , Setz-Pels Wikke , Voogd Adri C
Published: October 2021

PurposeWe determined the failure rate of stereotactic core needle biopsy (SCNB) and its causes and final outcome in women recalled for calcifications at screening mammography.MethodsWe included a consecutive series of 624,039 screens obtained in a Dutch screening region between January 2009 and July 2019. Radiology reports and pathology results were obtained of all recalled women during two-year follow-up. ResultsA total of 3,495 women (19.6% of 17,809 recalls) were recalled for suspicious calcifications. SCNB was indicated in 2,818 women, of whom 12 had incomplete follow-up and another 12 women refused biopsy. DCIS or invasive cancer was diagnosed in 880 of the remaining 2,794 women (31.5%). SCNB failed in 62 women (2.2%, 36/2,794). These failures were mainly due to a too posterior (n=30) or too superficial location (n=17) of the calcifications or calcifications too faint for biopsy (n=13). Of these 62 women, 10 underwent surgical biopsy, yielding one DCIS (intermediate grade) and two invasive cancers (one intermediate grade and one high grade) and another two women were diagnosed with DCIS (both high grade) at follow-up. Thus, the malignancy rate after SCNB failure was 8.1% (5/62). Calcifications were neither depicted at SCNB specimen radiography nor at pathology in 16 women after (repeated) SCNB (0.6%, 31/2,732). None of them proved to have breast cancer at 2 year follow-up. ConclusionThe failure rate of SCNB for suspicious calcifications is low but close surveillance is warranted, as breast cancer may be present in up to 8% of these women.
Tissue-wide Metabolomics Reveals Wide Impact of Gut Microbiota on Mice Metabolite Composition
Authors: Zarei Iman , Koistinen Ville M. , Kokla Marietta , Klåvus Anton , Babu Ambrin Farizah , Lehtonen Marko , Auriola Seppo , Hanhineva Kati
Published: October 2021

BackgroundThe essential role of gut microbiota in health and disease is well recognized, but the biochemical details that underlie the beneficial impact remain largely undefined. To maintain its stability, microbiota participates in an interactive host-microbiota metabolic signaling, impacting the metabolic phenotypes of the host. Dysbiosis of gut bacteria results in the alteration of certain microbial and host metabolites, and identifying these markers could enhance the early detection of certain diseases. Herein, we report LC-MS based non-targeted metabolic profiling that demonstrates a large effect of gut microbiota on mammalian tissue metabolites. It was hypothesized that gut microbiota influences the overall biochemistry of the host metabolome and this effect is tissue-specific. ResultsThirteen different tissues from germ-free (GF) and conventional (MPF) C57BL/6NTac mice were selected and their metabolic differences were analyzed. Our study demonstrated a large effect of the microbiome on mammalian biochemistry at different tissue levels and resulted in statistically significant modulation of metabolites from multiple metabolic pathway and subpathway classifications (p ≤ 0.05). Hundreds of molecular features were detected exclusively in one mouse group, with the majority of these being unique to specific tissue. A significantly large number of chemical classes were found in the gastrointestinal tissues and arose because of the presence of the microbiome, wherein at least 59% of all detectable features vary in abundance between the two mouse lines. ConclusionsA vast metabolic response of host to metabolites generated by the microbiota was observed, suggesting that the gut microbiota has a direct impact on host metabolism.
Machine Learning based Genome-Wide Association Studies for Uncovering QTL Underlying Soybean Yield and its Components
Authors: Yoosefzadeh-Najafabadi Mohsen , Torabi Sepideh , Torkamaneh Davoud , Tulpan Dan , Rajcan Istvan , Eskandari Milad M
Published: October 2021

Genome-wide association study (GWAS) is currently one of the most recommended approaches for discovering quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with complex traits in plant species. Insufficient statistical power is a limiting factor that current conventional GWAS methods are suffering from, especially in narrow genetic bases plants such as soybean. In this study, we evaluated the potential use of two machine learning (ML) algorithms, support vector machine (SVR) and random forest (RF), in GWAS and compared them with two conventional methods of mixed linear models (MLM) and fixed and random model circulating probability unification (FarmCPU), for identifying QTL associated with soybean yield and its components. In this study, important soybean yield component traits, including the number of reproductive nodes (RNP), non-reproductive nodes (NRNP), total nodes (NP), and total pods (PP) per plant along with yield and date to maturity were assessed using a panel of 227 soybean genotypes evaluated across four environments. Using the SVR-mediated GWAS method, we were able to discover a greater number and most relevant QTL associated with the target traits, supported by the functional annotation of candidate gene analyses. This study for the first time demonstrated the potential benefit of using sophisticated mathematical approaches, such as ML algorithms, in GWAS for identifying QTL that can improve the efficiency of genomic-based breeding programs.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Adipose Accelerate the Progression of Colon Cancer by Inducing a MT-CAFs Phenotype via TRPC3/NF-KB Axis
Authors: Xue Chunling , Gao Yang , Li Xuechun , Zhang Mingjia , Yang Ying , Han Qin , Sun Zhao , Bai Chunmei , Zhao Robert Chunhua
Published: October 2021

Background: There is increasing evidence that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) help shape the tumor microenvironment and promote tumor progression, and ion channels might play a critical role in this process. Methods: Gene chip was used for a general analysis of gene expression changes in MSC-transformed CAF cells (MT-CAFs). We screened out the ion channel protein TRPC3 with WB detecion and lentivirus knockdown. Calcium influx was detected by two-photon microscope. MTS and Transwell detected growth, migration, and invasion of MT-CAFs and HCT116 cells. Bioinformatic tools and clinical specimens were to assess the relationship between TRPC3 and surrvival.Results: We screened out the ion channel protein TRPC3 with significantly increased expression, which caused calcium influx, and further activated the NF-KB signaling pathway. Knockdown or inhibition of TRPC3 in MSCs significantly reduced the activation of NF-KB, and decreased the growth, migration, and invasion of MT-CAFs. After TRPC3 knockdown, the ability of MT- CAFs to promote tumor migration and invasion was impaired. Conversely, the upregulation of TRPC3 expression in MT-CAFs had the opposite effect. In vivo, TRPC3 expressed on MSCs also contributed to the tumorigenesis and progression of cancer cells. In addition, the Oncomine and GEPIA databases showed that TRPC3 expression is higher in colon cancer tissue compared with normal colon tissues, and is positively correlated with the expression of the CAF genes alpha-smooth muscle (α-SMA/ACTA2) and fibroblast activation protein Alpha (FAP). The disease-free survival of patients with positive TRPC3 expression in mesenchymal cells was significantly shorter than in those with negative expression. Conclusions: These results indicate that TRPC3 expressed on MT-CAFs plays a critical role in tumor progression via the NF-KB signaling pathway, and is correlated with poor prognosis in colon cancer patients. Therefore, TRPC3 may be a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of colon cancer.
EventSKG: a Framework for Public Safety Event Knowledge Graph Construction using Social Network Data
Authors: Yang Xing , Xu Chenhui , Zhu Dongtao , Gui Yuanmiao , Sun Shaomin , Li Wenbo , Tang Yuyang
Published: October 2021

The social network data contain a great deal of unstructured knowledge which is useful to understand public safety incidents. The structure of social network data, such as news, statistical statements, social network messages, government reports and so on, is complicated. So, it is difficult to obtain knowledge from social network data because social network data are multi-source heterogeneous. Knowledge graph is one of the effective tools for processing such multi-source heterogeneous data. However, the previous works didn’t notice the particularity of entities in public safety incidents and the linguistic characteristics of Chinese. Moreover, previous works on event knowledge graph mainly focus on single data source which make it is difficult to process multi-source social network data. Thus, the construction of a public safety incident knowledge graph using complex social network data in the Chinese environment is still a difficult problem. In this paper, a framework for public safety event knowledge graph construction towards Chinese social network data, namely EventSKG, is proposed. EventSKG contains a direct mapping module for knowledge extraction from structured data, an Event-Specific FLAT model for entity extraction from unstructured data, a manual template for relation extraction from unstructured data, and an integration surgery to connect the triples obtained from different data source. An event knowledge graph related to the flood disaster in 2020 in China is constructed via EventSKG framework, which contains 14397 entities and 43168 relations. The event knowledge graph will form associations around network data from various sources for the same event, not only enabling humans to better understand the event, but also providing basic knowledge base for future intelligent understanding of events.
Assessment of Neuroendocrine Changes and the Hypothalamo-Pituitary Autoimmunity in Patients With COVID-19
Authors: Gonen Mustafa Sait , De Bellis Annamaria , Durcan Emre , Bellastella Giuseppe , Cirillo Paolo , Scappaticcio Lorenzo , Longo Miriam , Bircan Basak Ecem , Sahin Serdar , Sulu Cem , Ozkaya Hande Mefkure , Konukoglu Dildar , Kartufan Fatma Ferda , Kelestimur Fahrettin
Published: October 2021

Purpose: The SARS-CoV-2 may affect the hypothalamic-pituitary axis and pituitary dysfunction may occur. Therefore, we investigated neuroendocrine changes, particularly, secondary adrenal insufficiency using a dynamic test and the role of autoimmunity in pituitary dysfunction in the patients with COVID-19.Methods: The single-center, prospective, case-control study included PCR-confirmed COVID-19 patients and healthy controls. Basal hormone levels were measured and ACTH stimulation test was performed. Anti-pituitary (APA) and anti-hypothalamic antibodies (AHA) were also determined. Results: We examined a total of 49 patients with COVID-19 and 28 healthy controls. The frequency of adrenal insufficiency in patients with COVID-19 was found as 8.2%. The patients with COVID-19 had lower free T3, IGF-1, total testosterone levels, and higher cortisol and prolactin levels when compared with controls. We also, demonstrated the presence of APA in three and AHA in one of four patients with adrenal insufficiency. Conclusions: The COVID-19 may result in adrenal insufficiency, so the routine screening of adrenal functions is these patients is needed. Endocrine disturbances in COVID-19 are similar to those seen in acute stressful conditions or infections. Also, pituitary or hypothalamic autoimmunity may play a role in neuroendocrine abnormality in COVID-19.
Agrobacterium Rhizogenes Influences Bioactive Metabolites in Hairy Root Culture of Aerva Javanica (Burm.f.) Juss. ex Schult and in Silico Assessment of Human Breast Cancer Activity
Authors: Sriniva Ramasamy , Boobalan Selvakumar , Saranyaa Venkatachalam , Mouliganesh Sekar , Seenivasagan Renganathan , Kamalanathan D.
Published: October 2021

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
DFB Suppresses Obesity-Driven CRC Via Restricting Progenitor to Terminally Exhausted T Cell Differentiation
Authors: Xu Yihua , Wang Hao , Wang Tao , Chen Chunhui , Yao Wanyu , Sun Ruibo , Ma Ye , Zhang Qingyuan , Wu Liyi , Zeng Shanmei , Sun Xuegang
Published: October 2021

Background: Obesity contributes to about 30% incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC). Obese tumor microenvironment compromises anti-tumor immunity by eliciting exhausted T cells (Tex). Hypothesizing that Dahuang Fuzi Baijiang Decoction (DFB), a combined classical prescription from “Synopsis of Golden Chamber”, modulates the differentiation of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cellsMethods: Our present study was to use transgenic ob/ob mice to examine the effects of DFB and to explore its novel mechanism on modulating the differentiation of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells.Results: DFB regresses tumor growth in high-fat diet induced obese mice via expanding PD-1intTIM3- and restricting PD-1hiTIM3+ subset. TCF1 is highly expressed in PD-1intTIM3- subset but is absent in PD-1hiTIM3+ cells. We next confirm that progenitor PD-1intTCF+ cells robustly produce TNFɑ and IFNγ while terminally differentiated PD-1intTCF+ cells have defects in generating TNFɑ. With transgenic ob/ob mice, we find that DFB produces cooperative efficacy with anti-PD-1 (ɑPD-1) by limiting PD-1hiTim3+ subset and amplifying PD-1intTCF+ population. Finally, we identify that the differentiation from progenitor to terminal Tex is driven, at least in part, by CCL2. CCR2 inhibitor enhances the response to ɑPD-1 by promoting the counts of progenitor Tex. Conclusion: Altogether, DFB dampens CCL2 and preserves progenitor Tex in obese microenvironment to restrain CRC progression. These finds provide unambiguous evidence that traditional Chinese formula DFB can prevent tumor progression by modulating adaptive immunity and give rise to strong rationale for further clinical verification.
Stochastic Variational Variable Selection for High-Dimensional Microbiome Data
Authors: Dang Tung , Kumaishi Kie , Usui Erika , Kobori Shungo , Sato Takumi , Toda Yusuke , Yamasaki Yuji , Tsujimoto Hisashi , Ichihashi Yasunori , Iwata Hiroyoshi
Published: October 2021

Background: The rapid and accurate identification of a minimal-size core set of representative microbial species plays an important role in the clustering of microbial community data and interpretation of the clustering results. However, the huge dimensionality of microbial metagenomics data sets is a major challenge for the existing methods such as Dirichlet multinomial mixture (DMM) models. In the framework of the existing methods, computational burdens for identifying a small number of representative species from a huge number of observed species remain a challenge. Results: We proposed a novel framework to improve the performance of the widely used DMM approach by combining three ideas: (i) We extended the finite DMM model to the infinite case, via the consideration of Dirichlet process mixtures and estimate the number of clusters as a random variables. (ii) We proposed an indicator variable to identify representative operational taxonomic units that substantially contribute to the differentiation among clusters. (iii) To address the computational burdens of the high-dimensional microbiome data, we proposed are a stochastic variational inference, which approximates the posterior distribution using a controllable distribution called variational distribution, and stochastic optimization algorithms for fast computation. With the proposed method named stochastic variational variable selection (SVVS), we analyzed the root microbiome data collected in our soybean field experiment and the human gut microbiome data from three published data sets of large-scale case-control studies. Conclusions: SVVS demonstrated a better performance and significantly faster computation than existing methods in all cases of testing data sets. In particular, SVVS is the only method that can analyze the massive high-dimensional microbial data with above 50,000 microbial species and 1,000 samples. Furthermore, it was suggested that microbial species selected as a core set played important roles in the recent microbiome studies.
Comparison of quadriceps and hamstring muscle strength after exercises with and without blood flow restriction in the postoperative period of the anterior cruciate ligament: a randomized controlled trial.
Authors: Melo Rafael Francisco Vieira , Cohen Moises , Komatsu William Ricardo , Melo Maria Eduarda Vieira , Freitas Mellissa Sales
Published: October 2021

BACKGROUND
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery takes the patient through a period where muscle mass loss occurs. The blood flow restriction combined with strengthening exercises can be an alternative to improve the muscle strength of the quadriceps and hamstrings in the postoperative period of ACL reconstruction.
Objective
Compare the gain in muscle strength between exercises with and without occlusion in the quadriceps and hamstring muscles in the postoperative period of reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament.
Methods
This is a randomized, prospective, longitudinal clinical trial, parallel, analytical, experimental type, with random allocation.The study included the participation of postoperative patients, with reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament. The isometric muscle strength of knee extension and flexion was evaluated using a digital hand dynamometer and the physical function of the knee, using the Lysholm, KOOS and IKDC questionnaires in the pre -operative and after 4, 8 and 12 weeks. All patients signed a written informed consent form prior to the start of the study
Results
After comparing the rehabilitation of the groups, a statistical difference was observed in quadriceps muscle strength (p <0.01) after 12 weeks and hamstrings (p <0.01) after 8 and 12 weeks in the injured legs. In the analysis of the participants' physical function, there was a significant difference in the Lysholm questionnaire (p <0.01) after 8 and 12 weeks, in the KOOS pain questionnaire (p <0.01) after 4 weeks, symptoms and daily activities (p <0, 01) after 8 and 12 weeks, quality of life (p <0.01) after 12 weeks, and in the IKDC questionnaire (p <0.01) after 8 and 12 weeks.
Conclusion
The blood flow restriction has proved to be efficient for improving muscle strength of the quadriceps, hamstrings and physical function of the knee after reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament in early rehabilitation.
A Noninvasive Quantification Approach for Monitoring Brain Metabolic Alterations After Surgical Intervention in Ischemic Cerebrovascular Disease
Authors: Wang Min , Cui Bixiao , Shan Yi , Yang Hongwei , Yan Zhuangzhi , Sundar Lalith Kumar Shiyam , Alberts Ian , Rominger Axel , Shi Kuangyu , Ma Yan , Jiang Jiehui , Lu Jie
Published: October 2021

Purpose: Non-invasive quantification of cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (CMRGlc) and characterizing cerebral metabolism of cerebrovascular territories are useful for the understanding of ischemic cerebrovascular disease (ICVD). Here, we proposed a non-invasive quantification approach based on image-derived input function (IDIF) suitable for ICVD patients and monitored the pathophysiological changes after surgical intervention.Methods: Sixteen healthy controls and 26 ischemic cerebrovascular disease patients with baseline and after surgical visits underwent 18F-FDG PET/MR imaging. The voxel-wise CMRGlc maps were derived via our proposed IDIF method. The CMRGlc and standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) maps were subsequently used to extract quantitative values within 7 volumes of interest (gray matter, white matter, anterior, middle, and posterior cerebral artery, basilar artery, and cerebellar artery territory). Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and absolute percentage error were employed to measure consistency in healthy controls. The quantitative differences of healthy controls and patients at baseline and after surgical visits were statistically analyzed. Results: For healthy controls, there were no significant differences for region CMRGlc values across bilateral and unilateral IDIF measurements (ICC: 0.91-0.98). Significant differences in CMRGlc were observed across the cohorts in all territories (P< 0.001). The CMRGlc values in the ipsilateral side were significantly increased after surgery intervention (P < 0.05) for all territories (percentage changes: 7.4%~22.5%). Only the posterior cerebral artery and basilar artery territories (-2.8% and 1.9%) were significant differences for SUVR (P < 0.05). The diagnostic ability of CMRGlc in various territories (area under curve: 0.923-0.966) was significantly higher than of SUVR. There was a significant association between CMRGlc with the national institutes of health stroke scores (r: -0.54, P = 0.0041).Conclusion: These observations suggested the non-invasive quantification approach based on IDIF allowed the individual metabolism measurement of cerebrovascular territories after surgery and identified the glucose pathology changes underlying territories.
Lack of An Association Between Dietary Patterns and Adiposity Among Primary School Children in Kilimanjaro Tanzania
Authors: Mosha Mary Vincent , Paulo Heavenlight A , Msuya Sia E. , Grosskurth Heiner , Filteau Suzanne
Published: October 2021

Introduction: Good dietary habits for children should be shaped while children are still growing so these behaviours benefit children in their later life. We examined dietary patterns and their association with adiposity among primary school children from northern Tanzania. Methods: We collected dietary data by 24-hour recall and food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for 1170 primary school children aged 9 – 11 years from 20 primary schools in the Kilimanjaro region. We used factor analysis and FFQ data to identify dietary patterns. Children were categorised into terciles of their adherence to each dietary pattern. We used multilevel logistic regression to evaluate the association of dietary pattern terciles with adiposity indicators: body mass index z–scores (BMI z scores), body fat percentage by bioelectrical impedance, triceps and subscapular skinfold thicknesses, and waist circumference. Results: Fifteen percent of children had BMI Z> 1.0, indicating overweight or obesity. We identified two dietary patterns by factor analysis: a healthy pattern characterised by frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables and a mixed dietary pattern characterised by intake of fatty snacks, sweets and sugar snacks, sugary beverages, meat and alternatives, milk, and milk products. After adjusting for potential confounders, for both models: model 1 (age and sex) and model 2 (age, sex, school type, time spent walking to school, district (urban/ rural), availability of television and electronic gadgets at home and neighbourhood playground), we found no evidence of associations of adherence to either dietary pattern with adiposity measures. Conclusion: Dietary patterns were not associated with adiposity in Tanzanian primary school children, possibly because of limitations of the FFQ, which did not record information on portion sizes. Future research should focus on understanding the key foods / snacks consumed by school children, portion sizes and their long-term effects on adiposity in children.
A Prognostic Nomogram based on Risk Assessment for Invasive Micropapillary Carcinoma of the Breast after Surgery
Authors: Chen Yuyuan , Yu Caixian , Tang Yiyin , Chen Dedian , Zhu Keying , Guo Rong , Li Zheng , Huang Sheng
Published: October 2021

Background: Invasive micropapillary carcinoma (IMPC) is one of the rare subtypes of breast cancer. This study aimed to explore a novel predictive nomogram model for IMPC prognosis.Methods: A total of 1855 IMPC patients diagnosed after surgery between 2004 and 2014 were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database to build and validate nomograms. All the patients included were divided into a training group (n=1300) and a validation group (n=555). A nomogram was created based on univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. In addition, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to demonstrate the accuracy of the prognostic model. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was performed to evaluate the safety of the model in the range of clinical applications, while calibration curves were used to validate the prediction consistency.Results: Cox regression analysis indicated that age ≥62 at diagnosis, negative ER status, and tumor stage were considered adverse independent factors for overall survival (OS), while patients who were married, white or of other races, received chemotherapy or radiotherapy, had a better postoperative prognosis. The nomogram accurately predicted OS with high internal and external validation consistency index (C index) (0.756 and 0.742, respectively). The areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) of the training group were 0.787, 0.774 and 0.764 for 3 years, 5 years and 10 years, respectively, while those of the validation group were 0.756, 0.766 and 0.762, respectively. The results of both DCA and calibration curves demonstrated the good performance of the model.Conclusion: A novel nomogram for IMPC of the breast patients after surgery was developed to estimate 3- and 5-OS based on independent risk factors. This model has good accuracy and consistency in predicting prognosis and has clinical application value.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance-based Metabolomics of Blood Plasma from Dairy Calves Infected with the Main Causal Agents of Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD)
Authors: Santos-Rivera Mariana , Fitzkee Nicholas C. , Hill Rebecca A. , Baird Richard E. , Blair Ellianna , Thoresen Merrilee , Woolums Amelia R. , Meyer Florencia , Vance Carrie K.
Published: October 2021

Each year, Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) results in significant economic loss in the cattle sector, and novel metabolic profiling and early diagnosis techniques represent a promising tool for developing effective measures for disease management. Here, proton - Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H - NMR) spectra were used to characterize metabolites from blood plasma collected from dairy calves intentionally infected with the main BRD causal agents, bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) and Mannheimia haemolytica (MH), to generate a well-defined metabolomic profile under controlled conditions. In response to infection, 42 metabolites (BRSV = 27, MH = 24) changed in concentration compared to the Baseline (non-infected) state. Fuel substrates and products exhibited a particularly strong effect, reflecting imbalances that occur during the immune response. Glucose levels decreased only during bacterial infection, suggesting that the clinical signs of bacterial BRD are more energetically taxing than those of viral BRD. Furthermore, 1H - NMR spectra from Baseline and Infected samples were discriminated with an accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity ≥ 95% using chemometrics to model the changes associated with disease, suggesting that metabolic profiles can be used for further development and validation of diagnostic tools.
A Cross-sectional Study of the Association between Workplace Bullying or Harassment and Severe Psychological Distress in the US: Stratified by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity
Authors: Lee Jusung , Manalew Wondi , Oh Mihyun
Published: October 2021

BackgroundWe examined the association between bullying/harassment and severe psychological distress (SPD), and the association was stratified by age, gender, and race/ethnicity among working Americans. MethodsThe data for this study came from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey, the most recent data that contains the key outcome, a bullying/harassment measure. A total of 19,456 working Americans over the age of 18 were included for analysis. A dichotomous measure for SPD was constructed using the Kessler-Psychological Distress Scale (K6), and bullying/harassment was dichotomized. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios were estimated from the logistic regression model to determine the association between bullying/harassment and SPD. Additionally, the association was stratified by age, gender, and race/ethnicity. Results The study results showed that adults who experienced bullying/harassment had a higher proportion of SPD (20.3% vs 9.4%; p=<.0001). In the multivariable regression model, bullying/harassment was associated with a greater odd of SPD (AOR 1.71, 95% CI 1.38-2.11). Significant variations existed in the extent to which bullying/harassment impacts SDP across sub-population. Adults ages 18-29 (AOR 2.23, 95% CI 1.59-3.13) and 30-44 (AOR 2.04, 95% CI 1.43-2.91) showed significantly higher odds of SPD in the presence of workplace harassment or bullying experience, while those 45-59 and 60 or above did not show a considerable difference. Both men (AOR 1.93, 95% CI1.43-2.58) and women (AOR 1.59, 95% CI 1.21-2.09) who had workplace bullying or harassment reported increased SPD. The greater SPD associated with bullying or harassment was also found in black (AOR 2.30, 95% CI 1.43-3.69) and the racial/ethnic ‘minority’ (AOR 2.81, 95% CI 1.50-5.28). The results show that workplace bullying/harassment disproportionately impact young adults, women, and racial/ethnic minorities. ConclusionsThe findings increase the knowledge base on the harms of workplace misbehaviors on the worker’s mental health. The study highlights the importance of workplace measures along with individuals’ precautionary behaviors to mitigate prevalent workplace hazards and to make a safe and healthy work environment.
Severe Hemorrhage Secondary To IgA Vasculitis With Varicella Infection: A Case Report
Authors: Jiang Jing , Liao Kai , Guo Hui
Published: October 2021

IgA vasculitis (IgAV), formerly named as Henoch Schönlein Purpura, is an IgA-mediated systemic small vessel vasculitis with skin, gastrointestinal tract, joints, and kidneys involvement. It is the most common vasculitis in childhood. Varicella-zoster virus-associated IgA vasculitis has been reported previously in few cases. However, IgA vasculitis complicated by chickenpox rarely occurred severe hemorrhagic manifestation and had not yet been reported. Herein, we present a case of an eight-year-old girl who developed IgA vasculitis complicated by disseminated intravascular coagulation and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, including severe acute pancreatitis and acute liver failure secondary to varicella-zoster virus infection and finally underwent blood purification including hemoperfusion, plasmapheresis, and continuous renal replacement therapy. Tumors and other diseases affecting coagulation and platelet function, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, ANCA-associated vasculitis, primary thrombocytopenia, and secondary thrombotic microangiopathies, have been excluded during her hospitalization. Varicella was considered to be the cause of the severe complications. A possible mechanism for the occurrence of severe complications is that chickenpox infection induces the production of heparin-like substances disturbing normal coagulation function, and finally occurs uncontrolled hemorrhage manifestation including gastrointestinal hemorrhage, uncontrolled bleeding at the catheter placement and injection site. She eventually was discharged after undergoing 37 days of treatment by antibiotics, antiviral drugs, protamine neutralizing heparin therapy and various blood products transfusion including platelets, red cells, fresh frozen plasma, cryoprecipitate, fibrinogen, and prothrombin complex transfusions. At the end of a month follow-up, the patient showed the purpuric rashes had nearly faded and had no sign of complication including the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and pancreas. Renal function tests and routine analysis of blood were normal. Hematuria(3+~4+) and proteinuria(1+~2+) can be seen in her urinalyses. At the 5th month follow-up, her renal function test and her urinalysis were normal, and her oral steroids were stopped completely. On this occasion, we should reduce the dose of heparin or no heparin in blood purification for IgA vasculitis complicated by chickenpox to reduce the incidence of severe bleeding or death.
HERQL, a Mobile App to Enhance the Long-term Follow-up of Hernia Patients
Authors: Huang Ching-Shui , Lien Heng-Hui , Tai Feng-Chuan , Wong Jia-Uei , Huang Chi-Cheng
Published: October 2021

Purpose: Hernia repair is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures worldwide with long-term outcomes less appraised, mainly due to high loss of follow up rate and poor patients’ compliance, which result in a biased estimate of recurrence, complication, and patients’ subjective quality-of-life perception. To overcome these limitations, we developed a novel mobile app to enhance the follow up and outcomes assessment of hernia patients. Materials and Methods: The mobile app was empowered by a cloud-based corroborative system. Hernia patients could administer a quality-of-life measuring instrument, HERQL, to assess outcomes of hernia repair. The HERQL questionnaire comprises a 4-item summative pain score measuring pain and discomfort resulted from various strenuous activities. Symptomatic burden, functional domains, and post-operative satisfaction and potential complications were evaluated. Results:During the one year’s enrollment period, 2615 patients who had their hernias repaired at our hospital were identified from medical records and an invitation was sent through post. Response rate was 11.9% (311 patients followed the instruction, successfully logged on and completed HERQL survey). There were 93 ventral/incisional hernias, 202 groin hernias, and 16 both. The earliest repair took place more than 13 years ago. Overall recurrence rate was 0.96% (n=3), and 88.7% (n=276) of participants rated their last hernia repair as satisfactory/very satisfactory. Around seventy percent of patients (n=213, 68.5%) reported no discomfort relevant to hernia repairs, and 61.1% (n=190) never experience mesh foreign body sensation. Conclusion: The establishment of the mobile app platform could enhance the quality of care for hernia patients and facilitate outcomes research for this common disease with a more comprehensive and complete follow up. The experiences learnt from this study could project to other surgical diseases as well.
Performance and Evolutionary Adaptation of Bulk Populations of Wheat
Authors: Baresel Jörg Peter , Bülow Lorenz , FInckh Maria R. , Frese Lothar , Knapp Samuel , Schmidhalter Urs , Weedon Odette
Published: October 2021

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of highly heterogeneous bulk populations ("Composite CrossPopulations", CCP) to increase sustainability and resilience of wheat cropping, a so far largely neglected approach. For this purpose, 10 CCP, generated in 2001, based on the same set of 20 older varieties, but evolved under different environmental conditions were compared with 10 recent cultivars and 10 inbred lines extracted randomly from the populations. The trials were performed over 2 years at 4 locations. Despite the older germplasm, the yields of the CCPs were similar to those of recent commercial varieties with comparable protein content, and considerably higher than that of the inbred lines. CCPs that had evolved in different environments differed in some morphological and phenological traits, indicating that adaptation to environmental conditions had taken place through natural selection. The yield stability and health of CCPs was on average higher than that of commercial varieties and considerably higher than that of inbred lines, the latter indicating that the higher stability was due to their high genetic diversity, not to their genetic background. Higher crop densities and a stronger soil cover in the juvenile stage indicate that niche complementarity among the genotypes occurs, which may contribute to an improved use of the available resources. We conclude, that the cultivation of CCP or similar heterogeneous populations represents an important opportunity to increase the resilience of wheat cultivation, which should be given greater consideration in future research and breeding.
Low Serum Osteocalcin Level as a Risk Factor for Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Men: A Retrospective Longitudinal Study
Authors: Moon Jin-Sook , Jin Mi Hyeon
Published: October 2021

Background: Recent studies have suggested that low serum osteocalcin levels are associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, the association between serum osteocalcin levels and the incidence of MetS remains unclear. This aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum osteocalcin levels and MetS development in Korean men.Methods: This retrospective study included 2,837 Korean men who were not diagnosed with MetS and recruited from the Health Promotion Center from January 2003 through December 2018. They were followed up at the center until the participant was newly diagnosed with MetS or until the last follow-up visit if the participant was not diagnosed with MetS. Serum osteocalcin levels were measured using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. The participants were divided into quartiles (Q1–Q4) based on their serum osteocalcin levels. Cox proportional hazard models were used to test the independent association of serum osteocalcin levels with the development of MetS, and hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.Results: In the baseline analysis, blood pressure, body mass index, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, body fat mass, fasting glucose, hemoglobin A1c (P for trend < 0.001 for all), total cholesterol (P for trend = 0.026), triglyceride (P for trend = 0.003), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P for trend = 0.031) varied inversely with the osteocalcin quartile. In addition, the prevalence of abdominal obesity (P for trend = 0.001), high blood pressure (P for trend = 0.008), and hyperglycemia (P for trend < 0.001) decreased as the osteocalcin quartile increased. After a mean follow-up time of 2.76 years, MetS occurred in 518 participants (18.26%), and baseline serum osteocalcin levels were found to be inversely associated with the incident risk of MetS (P for trend < 0.001 across quartiles of osteocalcin levels). In a fully adjusted model, HR for MetS in the first quartile (the lowest osteocalcin concentration) was significantly higher than that for MetS in the fourth quartile (HR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.06–1.84).Conclusion: Low serum osteocalcin levels at baseline were associated with unfavorable metabolic profiles and a higher risk of incident MetS in Korean men.
Lifespan of Catalase-Deficient Mice Decreases Due to Lysosomal Dysfunction
Authors: Dutta Raghbendra Kumar , Lee Joon No , Maharjan Yunash , Park Channy , Choe Seong-Kyu , Park Raekil
Published: October 2021

Background: Lysosomes are a central hub for cellular metabolism and are involved in the regulation of cell homeostasis through the degradation or recycling of unwanted or dysfunctional organelles through the autophagy pathway. Catalase, a peroxisomal enzyme, plays an important role in cellular antioxidant defense by decomposing hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. In accordance with pleiotropic significance, both impaired lysosomes and catalase have been linked to many age-related pathologies with a decline in lifespan. Aging is characterized by progressive accumulation of macromolecular damage and the production of high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Although lysosomes degrade the most long-lived proteins and organelles via the autophagic pathway, the role of lysosomes and their effect on peroxisomes during aging is not known. The present study investigated the role of catalase and lysosomal function in catalase-knockout (KO) mice.Results: We found that catalase-deficient mice exhibited an aging phenotype faster than wild-type (WT) mice. We also found that aged catalase-KO mice induced leaky lysosomes by progressive accumulation of lysosomal contents, such as cathespin D, into the cytosol. Leaky lysosomes inhibited autophagosome formation and triggered impaired autophagy. The dysregulation of autophagy triggered mTORC1 (mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1) activation, which plays a pivotal role in modulating aging. However, the antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) and mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin rescued leaky lysosomes and aging phenotypes in catalase-deficient aged mice.Conclusion: This study unveils the new role of catalase and its role in lysosomal function during aging.