bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Brasenia Schreberi mucilage as a green lubricant additive exhibiting good tribological properties for steel/steel and steel/aluminium friction pairs
Authors: Chen Chuan , Xia Yanqiu , Cao Zhengfeng
Published: January 2022

It is still necessary to continue exploring green lubricant additive. This study collected a kind of mucilage from the Brasenia Schreberi (BS) leaves which was an aquatic plant. The BS mucilage was dispersed in synthetic ester (SE) and then employed as a green lubricant under the friction pairs composed of steel/steel and steel/aluminium. The tribological tests of the lubricants were carried out under different friction pairs in details and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were utilized to characterize the worn out surfaces to understand the lubrication mechanisms. The experimental results suggested that as compared with stearic acid (SA) and Ag, BS mucilage in SE could dramatically improve the friction reducing and anti-wear of SE for both steel/steel and steel/aluminium friction pairs. Based on the SEM and XPS analysis of the worn out surfaces, it suggests that the preferable tribological properties of BS mucilage was mainly related to the effective lubricating films including physical adsorption and tribochemcial lubricating films in the process of the friction.
Improved performance of flexible citrus resistive memory device through air plasma
Authors: Chang Yu-Chi , Jian Jia-Cheng , Hsu Ya Lan , Choy Wallace C H , Chang Sheng-Po , Chang Shoou-Jinn
Published: January 2022

Flexible natural material-based electronics have attracted considerable attention because it can be applied in wearable applications and bio smart electronics. Natural material citrus is used as the dielectric layer in this work to develop flexible resistive switching memory devices, with plasma ITO surface as the bottom electrode (BE) to investigate the effects of air plasma on device performances. The work function difference between the top electrodes (TE) and BE can be increased with plasma treatment. After optimization, the flexible citrus resistive memory device with a large work function difference between the TE and BE exhibits a good ON/OFF ratio of larger than 103, a low set voltage of around 0.76 V, uniform distribution of set voltages, small coefficients of variation of high resistance state, and low resistance state currents, and a long retention time of more than 104 s. The air plasma can also modify the ITO surface to make the surface more hydrophilic. Thus, the citrus film is easier to attach to ITO, which improves the bending performance of the device. The device under a bending radius of 4.9 mm showed no significant ON/OFF ratio changes when compared with that of the flat state. This information on the correlation between the plasma treatment time and the work function of the ITO electrode would be very useful in obtaining stable and uniform resistive switching properties in the flexible natural material-based resistive memory.
QFold: quantum walks and deep learning to solve protein folding
Authors: Casares P A M , Campos Roberto , Martin-Delgado M A
Published: January 2022

We develop quantum computational tools to predict the 3D structure of proteins, one of the most important problems in current biochemical research. We explain how to combine recent deep learning advances with the well known technique of quantum walks applied to a Metropolis algorithm. The result, QFold, is a fully scalable hybrid quantum algorithm that, in contrast to previous quantum approaches, does not require a lattice model simplification and instead relies on the much more realistic assumption of parameterization in terms of torsion angles of the amino acids. We compare it with its classical analog for different annealing schedules and find a polynomial quantum advantage, and implement a minimal realization of the quantum Metropolis in IBMQ Casablanca quantum system.
One-pot synthesis of 1T MoS2/MWCNT hybrids for enhanced zinc-ion storage
Authors: Wang Yu-Ting , Zhang Ze-Zhi , Li Ming-Xue
Published: January 2022

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides are regarded as the ideal hosts for zinc-ions. Herein, a facile hydrothermal method is proposed to fabricate the metallic phase (1T phase) MoS2/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) hybrids serving as the cathode materials for zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs). By virtue of the exertion of phase engineering and the synergy between the 1T MoS2 nanosheets and MWCNT framework, the transfer kinetics of zinc-ions of the prepared hybrid are remarkably accelerated, leading to boosted electrochemical properties at both room temperature and low temperatures. The hybrid electrode delivers a high reversible capacity of 161.5 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 0.1 A g−1, and good cycling stability with a desired capacity retention of 84.6% over 500 cycles at 1 A g−1. Furthermore, its boosted capability of zinc-ion storage in a low-temperature atmosphere is revealed. This work not only provides an effective way to squeeze the values of phase engineering of MoS2 in ZIBs, but also reveals the great potential of MoS2-based composites in low-temperature energy storage devices.
A Gaussian version of Littlewood’s theorem for random power series
Authors: Cheng Guozheng , Fang Xiang , Guo Kunyu , Liu Chao
Published: January 2022

We prove a Littlewood-type theorem for random analytic functions associated with not necessarily independent Gaussian processes. We show that if we randomize a function in the Hardy space

H
2

(

D

)

H^2(\mathbb {D})

by a Gaussian process whose covariance matrix

K
K

induces a bounded operator on

l
2

l^2

, then the resulting random function is almost surely in

H
p

(

D

)

H^p(\mathbb {D})

for any

p
>
0

p>0

. The case

K
=

I
d

K=\mathrm {Id}

, the identity operator, recovers Littlewood’s theorem. A new ingredient in our proof is to recast the membership problem as the boundedness of an operator. This reformulation enables us to use tools in functional analysis and is applicable to other situations.
On deformation spaces of toric singularities and on singularities of K-moduli of Fano varieties
Authors: Petracci Andrea
Published: January 2022

Firstly, we see that the bases of the miniversal deformations of isolated

Q

\mathbb {Q}

-Gorenstein toric singularities are quite restricted. In particular, we classify the analytic germs of embedding dimension

≤
2

\leq 2

which are the bases of the miniversal deformations of isolated

Q

\mathbb {Q}

-Gorenstein toric singularities.

Secondly, we show that the deformation spaces of isolated Gorenstein toric

3
3

-fold singularities appear, in a weak sense, as singularities of the K-moduli stack of K-semistable Fano varieties of every dimension

≥
3

\geq 3

. As a consequence, we prove that the number of local branches of the K-moduli stack of K-semistable Fano varieties and of the K-moduli space of K-polystable Fano varieties is unbounded in each dimension

≥
3

\geq 3

.
Mapping class group actions on configuration spaces and the Johnson filtration
Authors: Bianchi Andrea , Miller Jeremy , Wilson Jennifer
Published: January 2022

Let

F
n

(

Σ

g
,
1

)

F_n(\Sigma _{g,1})

denote the configuration space of

n
n

ordered points on the surface

Σ

g
,
1

\Sigma _{g,1}

and let

Γ

g
,
1

\Gamma _{g,1}

denote the mapping class group of

Σ

g
,
1

\Sigma _{g,1}

. We prove that the action of

Γ

g
,
1

\Gamma _{g,1}

on

H
i

(

F
n

(

Σ

g
,
1

)
;

Z

)

H_i(F_n(\Sigma _{g,1});\mathbb {Z})

is trivial when restricted to the

i
i

th stage of the Johnson filtration

J

(
i
)
⊂

Γ

g
,
1

\mathcal {J}(i)\subset \Gamma _{g,1}

. We give examples showing that

J

(
2
)

\mathcal {J}(2)

acts nontrivially on

H
3

(

F
3

(

Σ

g
,
1

)
)

H_3(F_3(\Sigma _{g,1}))

for

g
≥
2

g\ge 2

, and provide two new conceptual reinterpretations of a certain group introduced by Moriyama.
Analysis of blood pressure and blood pressure variability pattern among older patients in long-term care hospitals: an observational study analysing the Health-RESPECT (integrated caRE Systems for elderly PatiEnts using iCT) dataset
Authors: Choi Jung-Yeon , Chun Seungyeon , Kim Hongsoo , Jung Young-il , Yoo Sooyoung , Kim Kwang-il
Published: January 2022

Objectives

There are limited data regarding blood pressure (BP) variability among older adults living in long-term care hospitals (LTCHs). We aimed to collect data from LTCH and analyse BP characteristics and its variability among these patients using a novel platform.

Methods

The Health-RESPECT (integrated caRE Systems for elderly PatiEnts using iCT) platform was used to construct a daily BP dataset using data of 394 older patients from 6 LTCHs. BP variability was expressed as coefficient of variation (CV = standard deviation/mean of BP × 100). Physical frailty and cognitive function were evaluated using the K-FRAIL questionnaire and the Cognitive Performance Scale of the interRAI Long-Term Care Facilities tool, respectively.

Results

From September 2019 to September 2020, 151,092 BP measurements, 346.5 (IQR 290.8–486.3) measurements per patient, were included. The mean BP was 123.4 ± 10.8/71.3 ± 6.5 mmHg. BP was significantly lower in frail patients (122.2 ± 11.3/70.4 ± 6.8 mmHg) than in pre-frail/robust patients (124.4 ± 10.4/72.1 ± 6.1 mmHg, P < 0.05). However, CV of systolic (10.7 ± 2.3% versus 11.3 ± 2.3%, P = 0.005) and diastolic (11.6 ± 2.3% versus 12.4 ± 2.4%, P < 0.001) BP was higher in frail patients. The mean BP was lower, but BP variability was higher in patients with cognitive impairment. The mean BP, but not BP variability, was higher in treated hypertensive patients, as the number of antihypertensive medications increased.

Conclusion

Older patients with physical or cognitive frailty had lower BP but higher BP variability. Relationship among frailty, increased BP variability and adverse clinical outcomes should be investigated.
A clinical tool to identify older women with back pain at high risk of osteoporotic vertebral fractures (Vfrac): a population-based cohort study with exploratory economic evaluation
Authors: Khera Tarnjit K , Hunt Linda P , Davis Sarah , Gooberman-Hill Rachael , Thom Howard , Xu Yixin , Paskins Zoe , Peters Tim J , Tobias Jon H , Clark Emma M
Published: January 2022

Background

osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVFs) identify people at high risk of future fractures, but despite this, less than a third come to clinical attention. The objective of this study was to develop a clinical tool to aid health care professionals decide which older women with back pain should have a spinal radiograph.

Methods

a population-based cohort of 1,635 women aged 65+ years with self-reported back pain in the previous 4 months were recruited from primary care. Exposure data were collected through self-completion questionnaires and physical examination, including descriptions of back pain and traditional risk factors for osteoporosis. Outcome was the presence/absence of OVFs on spinal radiographs. Logistic regression models identified independent predictors of OVFs, with the area under the (receiver operating) curve calculated for the final model, and a cut-point was identified.

Results

mean age was 73.9 years and 209 (12.8%) had OVFs. The final Vfrac model comprised 15 predictors of OVF, with an AUC of 0.802 (95% CI: 0.764–0.840). Sensitivity was 72.4% and specificity was 72.9%. Vfrac identified 93% of those with more than one OVF and two-thirds of those with one OVF. Performance was enhanced by inclusion of self-reported back pain descriptors, removal of which reduced AUC to 0.742 (95% CI: 0.696–0.788) and sensitivity to 66.5%. Health economic modelling to support a future trial was favourable.

Conclusions

the Vfrac clinical tool appears to be valid and is improved by the addition of self-reported back pain symptoms. The tool now requires testing to establish real-world clinical and cost-effectiveness.
Prospective Analyses of Sedentary Behavior in Relation to Risk of Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Buras Andrea L , Wang Tianyi , Whiting Junmin , Townsend Mary K , Fridley Brooke L , Tworoger Shelley S
Published: January 2022

We examined the association of sedentary behavior with risk of ovarian cancer overall, by tumor subtype, and by participant characteristics in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and Nurses’ Health Study II (NHS II). A total of 69,558 NHS participants (1992–2016) and 104,130 NHS II participants (1991–2015) who reported on time spent sitting at home, at work, and while watching television were included in the analysis, which included 884 histologically confirmed ovarian cancer cases. Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for ovarian cancer by sitting time (no mutual adjustment for individual sitting types in primary analyses). We examined potential heterogeneity by tumor histological type (type I or II), body mass index (weight (kg)/height (m)2; < 25 or ≥25), and total physical activity (<15 or ≥15 metabolic equivalent of task–hours/week). We observed an increased risk of ovarian cancer for women who sat at work for 10–19 hours/week (HR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.51) and ≥20 hours/week (HR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.14, 1.71) versus <5 hours/week. This association did not vary by body mass index, physical activity, or histotype (P for heterogeneity ≥ 0.43). No associations were observed for overall sitting, sitting while watching television, or other sitting at home. Longer sitting time at work was associated with elevated risk of ovarian cancer. Further investigations are required to confirm these findings and elucidate underlying mechanisms.
Incorporating Social Networks and Event-Specific Information in a Personalized Feedback Intervention to Reduce Drinking Among Young Adults
Authors: Angosta Joanne , Tomkins Mary M , Neighbors Clayton
Published: January 2022

Aims

To correct risky alcohol use among young adults, current personalized feedback interventions (PFIs) use social influence information related to distal referent groups. Although current PFIs have been effective, little consideration has been given to strategies applying more concrete sources of social influence, namely the influence of specific people within one’s social network during actual drinking contexts. The current study evaluated a novel PFI, providing feedback regarding the presence or absence of particular individuals within a participant’s close network along with the number of drinks consumed and consequences experienced during several specific drinking occasions.

Methods

TurkPrime users (N = 338) identified five close others with whom they sometimes drank. They also provided details about their five most recent drinking occasions and noted which of their network members were present. Participants were then randomized to receive or not receive feedback consisting of a list of drinking events, negative consequences and who was present.

Results

Feedback participants intended to consume fewer drinks over the next month relative to control (b = −0.25, P = 0.001). Analyses were inconclusive as to whether this effect was stronger for those who received more feedback (b = −0.01, P = 0.857).

Conclusions

Results provide preliminary support for the efficacy of a novel social influence-based intervention, which provides personalized feedback indicating social contexts that are more and less likely to lead to negative alcohol-related experiences.
Tradeoffs associated with autotomy and regeneration and their potential role in the evolution of regenerative abilities
Authors: Prestholdt Tara , White-Toney Tai , Bates Katie , Termulo Kara , Reid Sawyer , Kennedy Katy , Turley Zach , Steed Clayton , Kain Ryan , Ortman Matt , Luethke Tim , Degerstedt Spencer , Isikbay Masis
Published: January 2022

The capacity of certain animals to regrow a lost appendage has been exploited as a powerful tool to study development. As a result, we now understand many of the proximate details of the regeneration process. Ironically, despite being one of the oldest studied developmental phenomena, regeneration is not often considered in the context of natural selection and evolution. Why do select species retain the capacity to shed and regrow body parts, whereas more derived lineages do not? We conducted a comprehensive study on the costs and benefits of autotomy and regeneration on Hemigrapsus nudus, the purple shore crab. In the realms of feeding and locomotion, regeneration restored fitness to what it otherwise would have been; autotomized animals showed decreases in feeding and locomotion, but regenerated animals performed no differently than intact crabs. However, for fecundity and male–male competition, regenerated animals had the lowest fitness compared with control and autotomized crabs. Our results raise the intriguing possibility that tradeoffs associated with reproduction may have led to the loss of regenerative abilities in derived lineages such as mammals and birds. Future work on the hundreds of species that regenerate lost body parts will reveal if and how this hypothesis can address the pervasive speculation plaguing the ultimate causes of regenerative losses.
Adapt-Kcr: a novel deep learning framework for accurate prediction of lysine crotonylation sites based on learning embedding features and attention architecture
Authors: Li Zutan , Fang Jingya , Wang Shining , Zhang Liangyun , Chen Yuanyuan , Pian Cong
Published: January 2022

Protein lysine crotonylation (Kcr) is an important type of posttranslational modification that is associated with a wide range of biological processes. The identification of Kcr sites is critical to better understanding their functional mechanisms. However, the existing experimental techniques for detecting Kcr sites are cost-ineffective, to a great need for new computational methods to address this problem. We here describe Adapt-Kcr, an advanced deep learning model that utilizes adaptive embedding and is based on a convolutional neural network together with a bidirectional long short-term memory network and attention architecture. On the independent testing set, Adapt-Kcr outperformed the current state-of-the-art Kcr prediction model, with an improvement of 3.2% in accuracy and 1.9% in the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Compared to other Kcr models, Adapt-Kcr additionally had a more robust ability to distinguish between crotonylation and other lysine modifications. Another model (Adapt-ST) was trained to predict phosphorylation sites in SARS-CoV-2, and outperformed the equivalent state-of-the-art phosphorylation site prediction model. These results indicate that self-adaptive embedding features perform better than handcrafted features in capturing discriminative information; when used in attention architecture, this could be an effective way of identifying protein Kcr sites. Together, our Adapt framework (including learning embedding features and attention architecture) has a strong potential for prediction of other protein posttranslational modification sites.
TMQuery: a database of precomputed template modeling scores for assessment of protein structural similarity
Authors: Price Stephen , Tombeur Stéphane , Hudson Alexander , Sathiyamoorthy Nanda Kumar , Smyth Paul , Singh Anjana , Peccianti Mara , Baroncelli Elisa , Essaghir Ahmed , Ferlenghi Ilaria , Phogat Sanjay Kumar , Singh Gurpreet
Published: January 2022

Comparisons of protein structures are critical for developing novel protein designs, annotating protein functions and predicting protein structure. The template modeling score (TM-score) is a widely used but computationally expensive measure of protein similarity that is applicable to a wide variety of structural biology problems. We introduce TMQuery—a continuously updated database containing over eight billion pre-computed TM-score values for every pair of proteins in the Protein Data Bank, allowing researchers to quickly query and download TM-scores via a web interface.

Availability and implementation

Publicly available at https://tmquery.gsk.com/.
A correlation-shrinkage prior for Bayesian prediction of the two-dimensional Wishart model
Authors: Sei T , Komaki F
Published: January 2022

A Bayesian prediction problem for the two-dimensional Wishart model is investigated within the framework of decision theory. The loss function is the Kullback–Leibler divergence. We construct a scale-invariant and permutation-invariant prior distribution that shrinks the correlation coefficient. The prior is the geometric mean of the right invariant prior with respect to permutation of the indices, and is characterized by a uniform distribution for Fisher’s $z$-transformation of the correlation coefficient. The Bayesian predictive density based on the prior is shown to be minimax.
Dissolution improvement of binary solid dispersions of erlotinib prepared by one-step electrospray method
Authors: Jahangiri Azin , Khalilzad Fakhronnesa , Barghi Leila
Published: January 2022

Erlotinib hydrochloride, a selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for treatment of non-small cell lung cancer firstly. Erlotinib classified as class II drugs in the Biopharmaceutical Classification System (BCS), which characterized by low solubility and high permeability. The aim of this study was to enhance the dissolution rate of this drug. The binary solid dispersions of erlotinib: PVP prepared at different ratios (1:3, 1:5, and 1:8) by electrospray technique. The characterization of formulations performed using differential scanning calorimetery (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and dissolution rate test. The dissolution results showed that the dissolution rate of erlotinib from binary solid dispersions improved in comparison to pure drug. FTIR spectrum results showed that all peaks of erlotinib functional groups are also observable in the prepared solid dispersions. The FTIR results demonstrated that there was no interaction between drug and polymer. DSC thermograms of the prepared solid dispersions showed no drug-related peak, which is probably related to reduced crystallinity and drug amorphization. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that the erlotinib solid dispersion systems displayed improved dissolution rate compared to the pure drug. This will likely lead to increased drug bioavailability.
Systematic review and validation of clinical models predicting survival after oesophagectomy for adenocarcinoma
Authors: Boshier Piers R , Swaray Alison , Vadhwana Bhamini , O’Sullivan Arun , Low Donald E , Hanna George B , Peters Christopher J
Published: January 2022

Background

Oesophageal adenocarcinoma poses a significant global health burden, yet the staging used to predict survival has limited ability to stratify patients by outcome. This study aimed to identify published clinical models that predict survival in oesophageal adenocarcinoma and to evaluate them using an independent international multicentre dataset.

Methods

A systematic literature search (title and abstract) using the Ovid Embase and MEDLINE databases (from 1947 to 11 July 2020) was performed. Inclusion criteria were studies that developed or validated a clinical prognostication model to predict either overall or disease-specific survival in patients with oesophageal adenocarcinoma undergoing surgical treatment with curative intent. Published models were validated using an independent dataset of 2450 patients who underwent oesophagectomy for oesophageal adenocarcinoma with curative intent.

Results

Seventeen articles were eligible for inclusion in the study. Eleven models were suitable for testing in the independent validation dataset and nine of these were able to stratify patients successfully into groups with significantly different survival outcomes. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curves for individual survival prediction models ranged from 0.658 to 0.705, suggesting poor-to-fair accuracy.

Conclusion

This study highlights the need to concentrate on robust methodologies and improved, independent, validation, to increase the likelihood of clinical adoption of survival predictions models.
Prediction and consequences of postoperative pancreatitis after pancreaticoduodenectomy
Authors: Bonsdorff Akseli , Helanterä Ilkka , Tarvainen Timo , Sirén Jukka , Kokkola Arto , Sallinen Ville
Published: January 2022

Background

Recent studies have suggested postoperative acute pancreatitis (POAP) as a serious complication after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and have speculated on its possible role in the pathogenesis of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF). This study aimed to assess the impact of POAP on post-PD outcomes and fistula risk score (FRS) performance in predicting POAP.

Methods

All PDs at Helsinki University Hospital between 2013 and 2020 were analysed. POAP was defined as a plasma amylase activity greater than the normal upper limit on postoperative day (POD) 1 and stratified as clinically relevant (CR)-POAP once C-reactive protein (CRP) reached or exceeded 180 mg/l, and non-CR-POAP once CRP was less than 180 mg/l on POD 2. The Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI) was used to assess total postoperative morbidity. Different FRSs were assessed using receiver operating characteristic curves.

Results

Of the 508 patients included, POAP occurred in 202 (39.8 per cent) patients, of whom 91 (17.9 per cent) had CR-POAP. The incidence of CR-POPF was 12.6 per cent (64 patients). Patients with non-CR-POAP had a similar morbidity to patients with no POAP (median CCI score 24.2 versus 22.6; P = 0.142), while CCI score was significantly higher (37.2) in patients with CR-POAP (P < 0.001). CR-POAP was associated with increased rates of CR-POPF, delayed gastric emptying, haemorrhage, and bile leak, while non-CR-POAP was associated only with CR-POPF. Ninety-day mortality was 1.6 per cent, 0.9 per cent, and 3.3 per cent in patients with no-POAP, non-CR-POAP, and CR-POAP, respectively. Updated alternative FRS showed the best performance in predicting CR-POAP (area under the curve 0.834).

Conclusion

CR-POAP was associated with a higher CCI score, suggesting CR-POAP as a distinct entity from non-CR-POAP. FRSs can be used to assess the risk of CR-POAP.
Three-port versus four-port technique for laparoscopic cholecystectomy: systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Nip Lawrence , Tong Kin-Seng , Borg Cynthia M.
Published: January 2022

Background

The four-port laparoscopic technique is the standard approach for cholecystectomy. A three-port technique has been described, but there is no consensus over the outcomes and efficacy of this approach. The aim was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the three- and four-port techniques in laparoscopic cholecystectomy for benign diseases of the gallbladder.

Methods

The review was conducted according to a predefined protocol registered on PROSPERO. Two authors independently conducted an electronic database search of CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry, and ClinicalTrials.gov. Outcomes are reported as risk ratios (RR), mean difference (m.d.), or standardized mean difference (s.m.d.) with 95 per cent confidence intervals.

Results

Eighteen trials were included with 2085 patients. Length of hospital stay and postoperative analgesia requirement favoured the three-port group (m.d. −0.29, 95 per cent c.i. −0.43 to −0.16 (P < 0.001); and s.m.d. −0.68, 95 per cent c.i. −1.03 to −0.33 (P < 0.001), respectively). There were no differences in length of procedure or success rate between the two groups (m.d. 0.90, 95 per cent c.i. −3.78 to 5.58 (P = 0.71) and RR 0.99, 95 per cent c.i. 0.97 to 1.01 (P = 0.17), respectively). There were no differences in adverse events. The overall quality of evidence was low.

Conclusion

The three-port technique for laparoscopic cholecystectomy is an option for appropriately trained surgeons who perform it regularly. However, the decision to use three ports should not be at the expense of safe dissection of Calot’s triangle.
Abdominal versus perineal approach for external rectal prolapse: systematic review with meta-analysis
Authors: Pellino Gianluca , Fuschillo Giacomo , Simillis Costantinos , Selvaggi Lucio , Signoriello Giuseppe , Vinci Danilo , Kontovounisios Christos , Selvaggi Francesco , Sciaudone Guido
Published: January 2022

Background

External rectal prolapse (ERP) is a debilitating condition in which surgery plays an important role. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of abdominal approaches (AA) and perineal approaches (PA) to ERP.

Methods

This was a PRISMA-compliant systematic review with meta-analysis. Studies published between 1990 and 2021 were retrieved. The primary endpoint was recurrence at the last available follow-up. Secondary endpoints included factors associated with recurrence and function. All studies were assessed for bias using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale and Cochrane tool.

Results

Fifteen studies involving 1611 patients (AA = 817; PA = 794) treated for ERP were included, three of which were randomized controlled trials (RCTs; 114 patients (AA = 54; PA = 60)). Duration of follow-up ranged from 12 to 82 months. Recurrence in non-randomized studies was 7.7 per cent in AA versus 20.1 per cent in PA (odds ratio (OR) 0.29, 95 per cent confidence interval (c.i.) 0.17 to 0.50; P < 0.001, I2 = 45 per cent). In RCTs, there was no significant difference (9.8 per cent versus 16.3 per cent, AA versus PA (OR 0.82, 95 per cent c.i. 0.29 to 2.37; P = 0.72, I2 = 0.0 per cent)). Age at surgery and duration of follow-up were risk factors for recurrence. Following AA, the recurrence rates were 10.1 per cent and 6.2 per cent in patients aged 65 years and older and less than 65 years of age, respectively (effect size [e.s.] 7.7, 95 per cent c.i. 4.5 to 11.5). Following PA, rates were 27 per cent and 16.3 per cent (e.s. 20.1, 95 per cent c.i. 13 to 28.2). Extending follow-up to at least 40 months increased the likelihood of recurrence. The median duration of hospital stay was 4.9 days after PA versus 7.2 days after AA. Overall, incontinence was less likely after AA (OR 0.32), but constipation occurred more frequently (OR 1.68). Most studies were retrospective, and several outcomes from RCTs were not consistent with those observed in non-RCTs.

Conclusion

The overall risk of recurrence of ERP appears to be higher with PA versus AA. Incontinence is less frequent after AA but at the cost of increased constipation. Age at surgery and duration of follow-up are associated with increased risk of recurrence, which warrants adequate reporting of future studies on this topic.
The Challenges Faced by Korean Social Workers at the Community Welfare Centres for People with Disabilities during COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Kim Kyung Mee , Hwang Se Kwang
Published: January 2022

This study was intended to explore the experiences of social workers in Community Welfare Centres for People with Disabilities (CWCPDs) to understand their practices and challenges during COVID-19. It considered the essential role that CWCPD social workers play in responding to ‘new normal’ settings. Zoom interviews were conducted with twenty supervisory and manager-level social workers of CWCPDs nationwide. This study showed the unexpected cross-regional nature of risks and burdens. The high level of uncertainty and complexity allowed for the centres to operate safely under the COVID-19 legislation and for them to change and deliver alternative service provisions. Social workers had to develop new ways to deal with unprecedented risks, challenges, and dilemmas within ‘the new normal’. COVID-19 means that centres must recalibrate their relationships with service users, communities and the government. CWCPDs need to change their service provision model from a large group-centred to a person-centred model to meet individual demands. Changes are needed in terms of clarity of communication, the application of step-by-step guidelines to service provisions and a shift away from an exclusive focus on quantitative performance needs in how centres are evaluated. In all these processes, both close cooperation and support from local authorities are needed.
Autophagy and skin wound healing
Authors: Ren Haiyue , Zhao Feng , Zhang Qiqi , Huang Xing , Wang Zhe
Published: January 2022

Autophagy is a lysosome-dependent, self-renewal mechanism that can degrade and recycle cellular components in eukaryotic cells to maintain the stability of the intracellular environment and the cells ability to cope with unfavorable environments. Numerous studies suggest that autophagy participates in regulating various cellular functions and is closely associated with the onset and progression of various diseases. Wound healing is a complex, multistep biological process that involves multiple cell types. Refractory wounds, which include diabetic skin ulcers, can seriously endanger human health. Previous studies have confirmed that autophagy plays an essential role in various phases of wound healing. Specifically, in the inflammatory phase, autophagy has an anti-infection effect and it negatively regulates the inflammatory response, which prevents excessive inflammation from causing tissue damage. In the proliferative phase, local hypoxia in the wound can induce autophagy, which plays a role in anti-apoptosis and anti-oxidative stress and promotes cell survival. Autophagy of vascular endothelial cells promotes wound angiogenesis and that of keratinocytes promotes their differentiation, proliferation and migration, which is conducive to the completion of wound re-epithelialisation. In the remodeling phase, autophagy of fibroblasts affects the formation of hypertrophic scars. Additionally, a refractory diabetic wound may be associated with increased levels of autophagy, and the regulation of mesenchymal stem cell autophagy may improve its application to wound healing. Therefore, understanding the relationship between autophagy and skin wound healing and exploring the molecular mechanism of autophagy regulation may provide novel strategies for the clinical treatment of wound healing.
Identification of biomarkers for the diagnosis and targets for therapy in patients with clear cell ovarian cancer: a systematic literature review
Authors: Butler Holly , Saulat Omar , Guinn Barbara-ann
Published: January 2022

Clear cell ovarian cancer (CCOC) is a rare type of epithelial cancer often resistant to platinum-based chemotherapy. Biomarkers for the diagnosis of CCOC, and targets for immunotherapy, both have the potential to improve outcomes for patients. Our review aims to determine whether any antigens already identified in the literature could fulfil this remit. PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane, CINAHL and EMBASE were searched and included all reported studies up until August 2021. Primary research articles on human adult females including at least 10 CCOC patients were included. Quality assurance was carried out using a modified version of the QUADAS-2 tool. Sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve were extracted from each included study by two independent reviewers. Twenty-three articles were included which identified 19 gene transcripts/proteins and one antibody, with reported sensitivities between 21% and 100% and specificities between 0% and 100% for expression in CCOC and differentiation from other epithelial ovarian cancer subtypes, benign gynaecological disease or normal tissue. Twelve studies identified biomarkers with a sensitivity and specificity above 80%. A panel of biomarkers consisting of IMP3, napsin A and hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 beta achieved the highest area under the curve of 0.954. This review demonstrates that there are promising candidate biomarkers for the diagnosis of CCOC, some of which are highly specific, and have the potential to act as targets for therapy. However, larger cohort studies are needed to validate these biomarkers and their potential use in clinical practice.
Relationships between interoceptive sensibility and resting-state functional connectivity of the insula in obsessive–compulsive disorder
Authors: Eng Goi Khia , Collins Katherine A , Brown Carina , Ludlow Molly , Tobe Russell H , Iosifescu Dan V , Stern Emily R
Published: January 2022

Patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) exhibit abnormality in their subjective perception of internal sensation, a process known as interoceptive sensibility (IS), as well as altered functioning of the insula, a key neural structure for interoception. We investigated the multivariate structure of IS in 77 OCD patients and 53 controls and examined associations of IS with resting-state functional connectivity (FC) of the insula within the OCD group. For each group, principal component analysis was performed on 8 subscales of the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness assessing putatively “adaptive” and “maladaptive” aspects of IS. Associations between IS components and insula FC in the OCD group were evaluated using seed regions placed in each of 3 subdivisions of the insula (posterior, anterior dorsal, and anterior ventral). Behaviorally, controls showed a 2-component solution broadly categorized into “adaptive” and “maladaptive” IS, while OCD patients exhibited a 3-component solution. The general tendency to notice or be aware of sensation loaded onto an “adaptive” IS component in controls but loaded onto both “adaptive” and “maladaptive” IS components in OCD. Within OCD, insula FC was differentially associated with distinct aspects of IS, identifying network connections that could serve as future targets for the modulation of IS in OCD.
Simultaneous Determination and Comparison of Phenolic Bioactives among Three Main Kinds of Edible Chrysanthemums
Authors: Long Tao , Xu Yin , Kong Wen , Xiao Wen-Ping , Xu Lan-Ying
Published: January 2022

In this study, we report a simple and reliable high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection method for simultaneous and quantitative analysis and comparison of major phenolic compounds dominant phytochemicals in Chrysanthemum morifolium, Florists chrysanthemum and snow chrysanthemum (Coreopsis tinctoria or C. tinctoria). The chromatographic separation was achieved using a reversed phase C18 column with a mobile phase of water [containing 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA)] and acetonitrile. The major phenolic compounds were completely separated within 16 min at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. Flavonoid and phenolic acid profiles of the ethanol extracts of the three flowers were analyzed. The results revealed that C. tinctoria possessed the highest amount of flavonoids (flavanomarein, flavanokanin, marein and okanin) and relative lower content of phenolic acid (chlorogenic acid and 3,5-dicafeoylquinic acid). The total content of the four flavonoids in C. tinctoria reached 53.99 ± 1.32 mg/g. In particular, the marein content in C. tinctoria was as high as 36.50 mg/g. Flavanomarein was only detected in C. tinctoria, whereas chlorogenic acid and 3,5-dicafeoylquinic acid were abundant in Chrysanthemum morifolium and Florists chrysanthemum. The content of marein in Chrysanthemum morifolium was slightly higher than that in Florists chrysanthemum, whereas no okanin was detected in Florists chrysanthemum under these high-performance liquid chromatography conditions. The results indicated phenolic components differ significantly depending on the cultivar, especially between C. tinctoria and common commercially available chrysanthemums. The method adopted in this study is helpful for quality control of different chrysanthemum species as well as their products, which is essential for usage and functionality clarification.
Creating Effective Infographics and Visual Abstracts to Disseminate Research and Facilitate Medical Education on Social Media
Authors: Spicer Jennifer O , Coleman Caroline G
Published: January 2022

Presenting information in a visual format helps viewers digest complex concepts in an efficient, effective manner. Recently, infographics have been used on social media and other digital platforms to educate health professionals, trainees, and patients about medical and public health topics. In addition, visual abstracts, visual representations of a research article’s written abstract, have been increasingly used to disseminate new research findings to other health professionals. In this review article, we will define infographics and visual abstracts, describe why they are useful, outline how to create them, and explain how researchers, educators, and clinicians can use them effectively. We share resources and a stepwise approach that allows readers to create their own infographics and visual abstracts for research dissemination, medical education, and patient communication.
Consensus Definitions of BK Polyomavirus Nephropathy in Renal Transplant Recipients for Clinical Trials
Authors: Imlay Hannah , Baum Paul , Brennan Daniel C , Hanson Kimberly E , Hodges Michael R , Hodowanec Aimee C , Komatsu Takashi E , Ljungman Per , Miller Veronica , Natori Yoichiro , Nickeleit Volker , O’Rear Jules , Pikis Andreas , Randhawa Parmjeet S , Sawinski Deirdre , Singh Harsharan K , Westman Gabriel , Limaye Ajit P
Published: January 2022

Background

BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) infection and BK polyomavirus nephropathy (BKPyVAN) are important causes of allograft dysfunction and premature allograft loss in renal transplant recipients.

Results and Discussion

Controlled clinical trials to evaluate new agents for prevention and treatment are needed but are hampered by the lack of outcome measures that accurately assess the effect of the intervention, are clinically relevant, and are acceptable from a regulatory perspective.

Methods

To facilitate consistent end points in clinical trials and to support clinical research and drug development, definitions of BKPyV infection and disease have been developed by the BK Disease Definitions Working Group of the Transplantation Associated Virus Infection Forum with the Forum for Collaborative Research, which consists of scientists, clinicians, regulators, and industry representatives.

Conclusions

These definitions refine established principles of “proven” BKPyV disease and introduce a “probable” disease category that could be used in clinical trials to prevent or treat BKPyVAN in renal transplant recipients.
Coagulation-independent effects of thrombin and Factor Xa: role of protease-activated receptors in pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Joseph Christine , Berghausen Eva Maria , Behringer Arnica , Rauch Bernhard , ten Freyhaus Henrik , Gnatzy-Feik Leoni Luisa , Krause Max , Wong Dickson W L , Boor Peter , Baldus Stephan , Vantler Marius , Rosenkranz Stephan
Published: January 2022

Aims

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a devastating disease with limited therapeutic options. Vascular remodelling of pulmonary arteries, characterized by increased proliferation and migration of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), is a hallmark of PAH. Here, we aimed to systematically characterize coagulation-independent effects of key coagulation proteases thrombin and Factor Xa (FXa) and their designated receptors, protease-activated receptor (PAR)-1 and -2, on PASMCs in vitro and experimental PAH in vivo.

Methods and results

In human and murine PASMCs, both thrombin and FXa were identified as potent mitogens, and chemoattractants. FXa mediated its responses via PAR-1 and PAR-2, whereas thrombin signalled through PAR-1. Extracellular-signal regulated kinases 1/2, protein kinase B (AKT), and sphingosine kinase 1 were identified as downstream mediators of PAR-1 and PAR-2. Inhibition of FXa or thrombin blunted cellular responses in vitro, but unexpectedly failed to protect against hypoxia-induced PAH in vivo. However, pharmacological inhibition as well as genetic deficiency of both PAR-1 and PAR-2 significantly reduced vascular muscularization of small pulmonary arteries, diminished right ventricular systolic pressure, and right ventricular hypertrophy upon chronic hypoxia compared to wild-type controls.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate a coagulation-independent pathogenic potential of thrombin and FXa for pulmonary vascular remodelling via acting through PAR-1 and PAR-2, respectively. While inhibition of single coagulation proteases was ineffective in preventing experimental PAH, our results propose a crucial role for PAR-1 and PAR-2 in its pathobiology, thus identifying PARs but not their dedicated activators FXa and thrombin as suitable targets for the treatment of PAH.
Community Structure and Diversity of Hymenopteran Parasitoids of Chromatomyia horticola (Diptera: Agromyzidae) in Different Habitats in Changchun, China
Authors: Tao Shu-xia , Liang Bo-wen , Huang Kun , Li Cheng-cheng , Huang Hai-long
Published: January 2022

The community structure and diversity of hymenopteran parasitoids of the agromyzid leafminer Chromatomyia horticola (Diptera: Agromyzidae) were studied in agricultural, urban, and natural habitats in Changchun, Northeast China. In agricultural habitats, a total of 3,380 individuals and 19 species were collected, and the dominant species were Diglyphus isaea (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) (71.15%) and Chrysocharis pentheus (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) (12.10%). In urban habitats, a total of 5,996 individuals and 21 species were collected. There were three dominant species, C. pentheus (26.68%), Chrysocharis phryne (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) (22.18%), and D. isaea (22.13%). In natural habitats, a total of 1,566 individuals and 26 species were collected. There were three dominant species, C. pentheus (30.52%), D. isaea (15.52%), and Pediobius metallicus (Nees) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) (12.26%). The diversity indices of the parasitoid community in urban and natural habitats were higher than that in agricultural habitats, and the richness index in natural habitats was higher than that in agricultural and urban habitats. These results suggest that there are differences in the community composition and dynamics of parasitoids in different habitats. Hymenopteran parasitoids of C. horticola are less abundant in natural habitats; however, species richness is greater, and can be used as a species reserve for biological control.
Terrestrial Ant Assemblages (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Protected Forests and Grasslands in Three Ecoregions of Corrientes Province, Argentina
Authors: Larrea Darío D , Dufek Matias I , Damborsky Miryam P
Published: January 2022

A comparative study on forests and grasslands in three ecoregions (Humid Chaco, Espinal, and Paranaense) was conducted in two protected areas in northeastern Argentina: Iberá National Park and Mburucuyá National Park. The effects of habitat heterogeneity (vegetation cover) on terrestrial ant (Formicidae) assemblages were analyzed and compared. The habitat heterogeneity hypothesis—which predicts that when environmental structural complexity increases, the species richness will also increase—was tested. Two sites were selected in each ecoregion. A forest and a grassland were surveyed in each site, using unbaited pitfall traps from October 2013 to February 2014. Overall, 5,465 ants belonging to 37 species were collected, 32 of which were present in forests and 26 in grasslands. Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and Pheidole radoszkowskii Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) were the most abundant species. Formicidae assemblages were compared in terms of abundance, species richness, and diversity between habitats and ecoregions. The results of this study support the habitat heterogeneity hypothesis, since we found a higher diversity of ants in more structured habitats (i.e., forest) in the three ecoregions analyzed. Also, the ant assemblages differed both between habitats and between ecoregions. Our findings provide the first assessment of terrestrial ant assemblages in natural habitats of the three ecoregions in Corrientes Province, Argentina.