bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Droplet epitaxy of InGaN quantum dots on Si (111) by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy
Authors: Nurzal Nurzal , Hsu Ting-Yu , Susanto Iwan , Yu Ing-Song
Published: April 2023

The droplet epitaxy of indium gallium nitride quantum dots (InGaN QDs), the formation of In–Ga alloy droplets in ultra-high vacuum and then surface nitridation by plasma treatment, is firstly investigated by using plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. During the droplet epitaxy process, in-situ reflection high energy electron diffraction patterns performs the amorphous In–Ga alloy droplets transform to polycrystalline InGaN QDs, which are also confirmed by the characterizations of transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The substrate temperature, In–Ga droplet deposition time, and duration of nitridation are set as parameters to study the growth mechanism of InGaN QDs on Si. Self-assembled InGaN QDs with a density of 1.33 × 1011 cm−2 and an average size of 13.3 ± 3 nm can be obtained at the growth temperature of 350 °C. The photoluminescence emissions of uncapped InGaN QDs in wavelength of the visible red (715 nm) and infrared region (795 and 857 nm) are observed. The formation of high-indium composition of InGaN QDs via droplet epitaxy technique could be applied in long wavelength optoelectronic devices.
Primary health care research in COVID-19: analysis of the protocols reviewed by the ethics committee of IDIAPJGol, Catalonia
Authors: Moleras-Serra Anna , Morros-Pedros Rosa , Monteagudo Mónica , Vedia-Urgell Cristina , Gómez-Lumbreras Ainhoa
Published: April 2023

Background

Since March of 2020, the scientific community has been engaged a marathon to answer the different questions that COVID-19 pandemic has brought. During this time, Ethics Committees played an important role in reviewing the research protocols, COVID-19 or not, ensuring that the quality of scientific research is not relaxed by the hasty need for answers.

Methods

Descriptive study from January 2019 to December 2021, comparing COVID-19 protocols to those not COVID-19 related protocols and comparing the work overload.

Variables related to the characteristics of the research protocols (i.e. study design, funding…), the principal investigators (gender, PhD degree, professional role…) and outcomes of the Ethics Committee process (requirements of modifications and time until approval) were analyze.

Results

The number of sessions increased during COVID-19 pandemics (12 in 2019, 25 in 2020 and 18 in 2021). In total 751 protocols were evaluated during the study period; 513 (68.3%) had an observational design and 434 (57.8%) had no funding. The principal investigator was a woman in 491 (65.4%) studies and a General Practitioner in 330 (43.9%). The mean of the days until the protocol approval was 42.09 days (SD 60.2) with a decrease of 20.1 days from 2019 to 2021. A total of 614 (81.7%) protocols were approved, 336 (54.7%) within the first month after their initial evaluation. Less than half of the protocols were COVID-19 related (208, 44.3%). The COVID-19 protocols main topics were impact on the population (71, 34.1%); and COVID-19 pharmacological treatments (including vaccines) showed a higher increase in 2021 (37, 30.3%).

Conclusions

Despite the work overload during the pandemic due to the increase in the number of meetings and protocols, the IDIAPJGol EC reviewed all of them (COVID-19 or not) adapting to the new situation but according to its criteria of good practices to provide a quick response in the EC opinion. In Primary Health Care the most study designs have been observational studies, many of them with no funding and led by GPs. In 2021 there was an increase in the number of protocols focused on drugs, most likely related to COVID-19 vaccines studies.
CHFR promotes metastasis of human gastric carcinoma by activating AKT and ERK via NRF2- ROS axis
Authors: He Feiyun , Ye Bin , Wu Xiaomeng , Pan Jundi , Wang Jianbo , Wang Xiaojing
Published: April 2023

Tumor suppressor gene CHFR (The Checkpoint with Forkhead-associated and Ring finger domains) is a mitotic checkpoint and frequently hypermethylated in gastric cancer. Our previous study found CHFR played a certain extent pro-tumor function in gastric cancer. However, little is known about the underlying mechanism. In this study, we tried to further elucidate the role and mechanism for CHFR in gastric cancer (GC) by constructing CHFR stably expressed cell lines. As expected, the ectopic expression of CHFR slowed the cell proliferation in both two SGC-7901 and AGS cells, while significantly promoted the potential of cell migration and invasion. For the first time, our data indicated that stable expression of CHFR in SGC-7901 and AGS restrained cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and promoted the activation of AKT and ERK, two regulators of redox hemostasis. Furthermore, H2O2 treatment effectively elevated ROS level and reversed CHFR-induced cell invasion in stable SGC-7901 and AGS cells with the decreased phosphorylation of AKT and ERK. We also confirmed that CHFR exerted its function by promoting NRF2 expression. The most important is, the ectopic expression of CHFR significantly inhibited SGC-7901 cell-derived xenografts and obviously promoted lung metastasis of GC cell with NRF2, p-AKT and p-ERK increased. Taken together, our findings suggested that CHFR might take part in gastric cancer progression especially cancer metastasis by activating AKT and ERK via NRF2- ROS axis.
Using machine learning methods to predict 28-day mortality in patients with hepatic encephalopathy
Authors: Zhang Zhe , Wang Jian , Han Wei , Zhao Li
Published: April 2023

Background

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is associated with marked increases in morbidity and mortality for cirrhosis patients. This study aimed to develop and validate machine learning (ML) models to predict 28-day mortality for patients with HE.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC)-IV database. Patients from MIMIC-IV were randomized into training and validation cohorts in a ratio of 7:3. Training cohort was used for establishing the model while validation cohort was used for validation. The outcome was defined as 28-day mortality. Predictors were identified by recursive feature elimination (RFE) within 24 h of intensive care unit (ICU) admission. The area under the curve (AUC) and calibration curve were used to determine the predictive performance of different ML models.

Results

In the MIMIC-IV database, 601 patients were eventually diagnosed with HE. Of these, 112 (18.64%) experienced death within 28 days. Acute physiology score III (APSIII), sepsis related organ failure assessment (SOFA), international normalized ratio (INR), total bilirubin (TBIL), albumin, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), acute kidney injury (AKI) and mechanical ventilation were identified as independent risk factors. Validation set indicated that the artificial neural network (NNET) model had the highest AUC of 0.837 (95% CI:0.774–0.901). Furthermore, in the calibration curve, the NNET model was also well-calibrated (P = 0.323), which means that it can better predict the 28-day mortality in HE patients. Additionally, the performance of the NNET is superior to existing scores, including Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease-Sodium (MELD-Na).

Conclusions

In this study, the NNET model demonstrated better discrimination in predicting 28-day mortality as compared to other models. This developed model could potentially improve the early detection of HE with high mortality, subsequently improving clinical outcomes in these patients with HE, but further external prospective validation is still required.
Activity engagement and cognitive function among chinese older adults: moderating roles of gender and age
Authors: Mao Shan , Xie Lili , Lu Nan
Published: April 2023

Background

Many studies have found that engaging in activities, including physical exercise, social interaction, and cognitive training, is beneficial for preventing cognitive decline among older adults; however, the demographic differences in the association between activity engagement and cognitive functions remain understudied. This study investigates: (a) the influence of activity engagement on cognitive functions among Chinese older adults, and (b) the moderating roles of age and gender in these associations .

Methods

The data were derived from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study in 2018, which included 9803 participants aged 60 or older. A multiple regression model was used to test the study hypotheses.

Results

Engaging in physical activity (b = 1.578, p < .001), social interaction (b = 1.199, p < .001), and cognitive activity (b = 1.468, p < .001) was positively associated with cognitive functions, whereas the effect of volunteer activities on cognitive functions was not significant (b = -.167, p = .390). Light- and moderate-intensity activities were beneficial for cognition (light: b = .847, p < .001; moderate: b = 1.189, p < .001), but vigorous-intensity activity was negatively related to cognition (b = -.767, p < .001). In addition, women and participants with advanced age appeared to benefit more from cognitive activities than their male and younger counterparts, respectively (gender: b = 1.217, p = .002; age: b = .086, p = .004). The adverse effects of vigorous-intensity activities (including agricultural work) on cognitive health were stronger for women and younger participants (gender: b = -1.472, p < .001; age: b = .115, p < .001). The protective effects of moderate-intensity activities on people’s cognition increased with increasing age (b = .055, p = .012).

Conclusions

The findings indicate that participating in physical, social, and cognitive activities can help older adults to maintain cognitive health. They suggest that older adults should select activities while considering activity intensity and their individual characteristics.
Herpesvirus immunology in solid organ transplant recipients – liver transplant study (HISTORY): a retrospective and prospective observational cohort study
Authors: Suarez-Zdunek Moises Alberto , Saini Sunil Kumar , Pedersen Christian Ross , Hamm Sebastian Rask , Hald Annemette , Rasmussen Allan , Hillingsø Jens Georg , Hadrup Sine Reker , Nielsen Susanne Dam
Published: April 2023

Background

Life-long immunosuppressive treatment after liver transplantation (LT) prevents graft rejection but predisposes the LT recipient to infections. Herpesvirus infections are associated with morbidity and mortality among LT recipients. Among those, especially cytomegalovirus (CMV) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) pose challenges after LT. The aim of this study is to provide an in-depth characterization of the cellular immune response against CMV and VZV infections in LT recipients and identify potential risk factors for infection.

Methods

The Herpesvirus Infections in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients – Liver Transplant Study (HISTORY) consists of an epidemiological and immunological substudy. The epidemiological substudy is a retrospective observational cohort study that includes all patients who underwent LT in Denmark between 2010 and 2023 (N ≈ 500). Using data from nationwide hospital records and national health registries, the incidence of and clinical risk factors for CMV and VZV infections will be determined. The immunological substudy is an explorative prospective observational cohort study including patients enlisted for LT in Denmark during a 1.5-year period (N > 80). Participants will be followed with scheduled blood samples until 12 months after LT. CMV- and VZV-derived peptides will be predicted for their likelihood to be presented in participants based on their HLA type. Peptide-MHC complexes (pMHC) will be produced to isolate CMV- and VZV-specific T cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells before and after CMV and VZV infection. Their frequency, T cell receptor sequences, and phenotypic characteristics will be examined, and in a subset of participants, CMV- and VZV-specific T cells will be expanded ex vivo.

Discussion

This study will provide novel insight into T cell immunity required for viral control of CMV and VZV and has the potential to develop a prediction model to identify LT recipients at high risk for infection based on a combination of clinical and immunological data. Furthermore, this study has the potential to provide proof-of-concept for adoptive T cell therapy against CMV and VZV. Combined, this study has the potential to reduce the burden and consequence of CMV and VZV infections and improve health and survival in LT recipients.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05532540), registered 8 September 2022.
Arteriovenous fistula creation by nephrologist and its outcomes: a prospective cohort study from Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen Bach , Duong Minh Cuong , Diem Tran Huynh Ngoc , Do Kim Que , Nguyen Kim Thai Thien
Published: April 2023

Background

Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the gold standard vascular access for effective hemodialysis. There is a growing interest in AVF creations performed by nephrologists to help reduce vascular surgeons’ workload and enhance the timely treatment of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). However, little is known about the feasibility and effectiveness of this approach in the low-resource settings. We examined the AVF surgical success and failure rates and associated predictors as well as early complications of AVF creations by a trained nephrologist with supports from vascular surgeons in Vietnam.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was conducted on all adult ESRD patients at the Hemodialysis Department of Thong Nhat Hospital between April 2018 and October 2020. Information on demographic characteristics, comorbidities, and AVF creations was collected using a standardized questionnaire. All patients were followed up until 18 weeks post-surgery.

Results

Among 100 patients with a mean age of 61.22 ± 17.11 years old, male accounted for 54%. Common causes of ESRD included hypertension (57%) and diabetes (32%). Just more than half (52%) of them reported having an AVF creation prior to ESRD. The successful first-time AVF creation rate was 98% (13/99, 95%CI: 8.74–21.18%). The primary and secondary AVF failure rates were 13.13% (13/99, 95%CI: 8.74–21.18%) and 16.87% (14/83, 95%CI: 10.32–26.25%), respectively. Early complications included bleeding (1%) and early thrombosis of the anastomosis (2%). There was a statistically significant association between age and primary AVF failure (P = 0.005) and between operation time and secondary AVF failure (P = 0.038).

Conclusions

AVF creations performed by well-trained and skilled interventional nephrologists with supports from vascular surgeons can result in favorable short- and long-term outcomes. It is important to follow up older patients and those with a long operation time to detect AVF failures. A standardized AVF creation training program and practice for nephrologists is needed to increase successful rates.
Virtual prenatal visits associated with high measures of patient experience and satisfaction among average-risk patients: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Bruno Bethany , Mercer Mary Beth , Hizlan Sabahat , Peskin Julian , Ford Paul J. , Farrell Ruth M. , Rose Susannah L.
Published: April 2023

Background

Virtual visits have the potential to decrease barriers to prenatal care stemming from transportation, work, and childcare concerns. However, data regarding patient experience and satisfaction with virtual visits remain limited in obstetrics. To address this gap, we explore average-risk pregnant women’s experiences with virtual visits and compare satisfaction with virtual vs. in-person visits as a secondary aim.

Methods

In this IRB-approved, prospective cohort study, we surveyed pregnant women after their first virtual visit between October 7, 2019 and March 20, 2020. Using heterogeneous purposive sampling, we identified a subset of respondents with diverse experiences and opinions for interviews. For comparison, Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) satisfaction data were collected after in-person visits during the study timeframe from a control cohort with the same prenatal providers. Logistic regression controlling for age, previous pregnancies, and prior live births compared satisfaction data between virtual and in-person visits. Other quantitative survey data were analyzed through descriptive statistics. Free text survey responses and interview data were analyzed using content analysis.

Results

Ninety five percent (n = 165/174) of surveys and 90% (n = 18/20) of interviews were completed. Most participants were Caucasian, married, and of middle to high income. 69% (114/165) agreed that their virtual appointment was as good as in-person; only 13% (21/165) disagreed. Almost all (148/165, 90%) would make another virtual appointment. Qualitative data highlighted ease of access, comparable provider-patient communication, confidence in care quality, and positive remote monitoring experiences. Recognizing these advantages but also inherent limitations, interviews emphasized interspersing telemedicine with in-person prenatal encounters. CAHPS responses after in-person visits were available for 60 patients. Logistic regression revealed no significant difference in three measures of satisfaction (p = 0.16, 0.09, 0.13) between virtual and in-person visits.

Conclusions

In an average-risk population, virtual prenatal visits provide a patient-centered alternative to traditional in-person encounters with high measures of patient experience and no significant difference in satisfaction. Obstetric providers should explore telemedicine to improve access – and, during the ongoing pandemic, to minimize exposures – using patients’ experiences for guidance. More research is needed regarding virtual visits’ medical quality, integration into prenatal schedules, and provision of equitable care for diverse populations.
Whole-exome mutational landscape and molecular marker study in mucinous and clear cell ovarian cancer cell lines 3AO and ES2
Authors: Li Jianxiong , Liang Huaguo , Xiao Wentao , Wei Peng , Chen Hongmei , Chen Zexin , Yang Ruihui , Jiang Huan , Zhang Yongli
Published: April 2023

Background

Ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal cancers in women because it is often diagnosed at an advanced stage. The molecular markers investigated thus far have been unsatisfactory.

Methods

We performed whole-exome sequencing on the human ovarian cancer cell lines 3AO and ES2 and the normal ovarian epithelial cell line IOSE-80. Molecular markers of ovarian cancer were screened from shared mutation genes and copy number variation genes in the 6q21-qter region.

Results

We found that missense mutations were the most common mutations in the gene (93%). The MUC12, FLG and MUC16 genes were highly mutated in 3AO and ES2 cells. Copy number amplification occurred mainly in 4p16.1 and 11q14.3, and copy number deletions occurred in 4q34.3 and 18p11.21. A total of 23 hub genes were screened, of which 16 were closely related to the survival of ovarian cancer patients. The three genes CCDC170, THBS2 and COL14A1 are most significantly correlated with the survival and prognosis of ovarian cancer. In particular, the overall survival of ovarian cancer patients with high CCDC170 gene expression was significantly prolonged (P < 0.001). The expression of CCDC170 in normal tissues was significantly higher than that in ovarian cancer tissues (P < 0.05), and its expression was significantly decreased in advanced ovarian cancer. Western blotting and immunofluorescence assays also showed that the expression of CCDC170 in ovarian cancer cells was significantly lower than that in normal cells (P < 0.001, P < 0.01).

Conclusions

CCDC170 is expected to become a new diagnostic molecular target and prognostic indicator for ovarian cancer patients, which can provide new ideas for the design of antitumor drugs.
Efficacy of adjuvant TACE on the prognosis of patients with HCC after hepatectomy: a multicenter propensity score matching from China
Authors: Wu Zhao , Cui Lifeng , Qian Junlin , Luo Laihui , Tu Shuju , Cheng Fei , Yuan Lebin , Zhang WenJian , Lin Wei , Tang Hongtao , Li Xiaodong , Li Hui , Zhang Yang , Zhu Jisheng , Li Yong , Xiong Yuanpeng , Hu Zemin , Peng Peng , He Yongzhu , Liu Liping , He Kun , Shen Wei
Published: April 2023

Background

The survival benefit of adjuvant transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after hepatectomy remains controversial. We aimed to investigate the survival efficacy of adjuvant TACE after hepatectomy for HCC.

Methods

1491 patients with HCC who underwent hepatectomy between January 2018 and September 2021 at four medical centers in China were retrospectively analyzed, including 782 patients who received adjuvant TACE and 709 patients who did not receive adjuvant TACE. Propensity score matching (PSM) (1:1) was performed to minimize selection bias, which balanced the clinical characteristics of the two groups.

Results

A total of 1254 patients were enrolled after PSM, including 627 patients who received adjuvant TACE and 627 patients who did not receive adjuvant TACE. Patients who received adjuvant TACE had higher disease-free survival (DFS, 1- ,2-, and 3-year: 78%-68%-62% vs. 69%-57%-50%, p < 0.001) and overall survival (OS, 1- ,2-, and 3-year: 96%-88%-80% vs. 90%-77%-66%, p < 0.001) than those who did not receive adjuvant TACE (Median DFS was 39 months). Among the different levels of risk factors affecting prognosis [AFP, Lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio, Maximum tumor diameter, Number of tumors, Child-Pugh classification, Liver cirrhosis, Vascular invasion (imaging), Microvascular invasion, Satellite nodules, Differentiation, Chinese liver cancer stage II-IIIa], the majority of patients who received adjuvant TACE had higher DFS or OS than those who did not receive adjuvant TACE. More patients who received adjuvant TACE accepted subsequent antitumor therapy such as liver transplantation, re-hepatectomy and local ablation after tumor recurrence, while more patients who did not receive adjuvant TACE accepted subsequent antitumor therapy with TACE after tumor recurrence (All p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Adjuvant TACE may be a potential way to monitor early tumor recurrence and improve postoperative survival in patients with HCC.
Clinical and prognostic significance of perioperative change in red cell distribution width in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Peng , Wang Sheng , Wu Jun-zhou , Song Qian
Published: April 2023

Background

Numerous studies have reported the prognostic significance of the red cell distribution width (RDW) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), but the relationship between the perioperative change in RDW (delta RDW) and survival in patients with ESCC after surgery has not been evaluated.

Methods

A total of 594 patients with newly diagnosed ESCC after surgery were enrolled in the study. Delta RDW (delta RDW = Postoperative RDW–Preoperative RDW) was counted based on data within one week before surgery and two weeks after surgery. To investigate the relationship between delta RDW and overall survival (OS), the median delta RDW was chosen as the cut-off value.

Results

99 (16.7%) patients had pathological stage 1a-1b, 202 (34.0%) patients had pathological stage 2a-2b, and 293 (49.3%) patients had pathological stage 3a-3c.There were 179 (30.1%) patients who had vessel invasive, and 415 (69.9%) patients without vessel invasive. There were 216 (36.4%) patients with nerve infiltration, and 378 (63.6%) without nerve infiltration. In univariate analysis, five parameters including delta RDW(≥ 0.44 vs.<0.44) (P = 0.039, HR = 1.337, 95% CI = 1.014–1.762) significantly correlated with worse OS. Multivariate analysis revealed that delta RDW(≥ 0.44 vs.<0.44) was an independent prognostic marker for OS (P = 0.033, HR = 1.356, 95% CI = 1.025–1.793). Kaplan-Meier curves showed that delta RDW ≥ 0.44 was significantly associated with worse OS (P = 0.039). Subgroup analysis suggested that delta RDW ≥ 0.44 indicated worse survival in patients with ESCC exclusively in these subtypes such as female patients, age > 60 patients, patients with lymph node metastasis, and patients with vessel invasive.

Conclusions

Perioperative change in red cell distribution width predicts worse survival in patients with ESCC after surgery.
Estimates of disease burden caused by foodborne pathogens in contaminated dairy products in Rwanda
Authors: Sapp Amanda C. , Nane Gabriela F. , Amaya Mirna P. , Niyonzima Eugène , Hategekimana Jean Paul , VanSickle John J. , Gordon Ronald M. , Havelaar Arie H.
Published: April 2023

Background

The Girinka program in Rwanda has contributed to an increase in milk production, as well as to reduced malnutrition and increased incomes. But dairy products can be hazardous to health, potentially transmitting diseases such as bovine brucellosis, tuberculosis, and cause diarrhea. We analyzed the burden of foodborne disease due to consumption of raw milk and other dairy products in Rwanda to support the development of policy options for the improvement of the quality and safety of milk.

Methods

Disease burden data for five pathogens (Campylobacter spp., nontyphoidal Salmonella enterica, Cryptosporidium spp., Brucella spp., and Mycobacterium bovis) were extracted from the 2010 WHO Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group (FERG) database and merged with data of the proportion of foodborne disease attributable to consuming dairy products from FERG and a separately published Structured Expert Elicitation study to generate estimates of the uncertainty distributions of the disease burden by Monte Carlo simulation.

Results

According to WHO, the foodborne disease burden (all foods) of these five pathogens in Rwanda in 2010 was like or lower than in the Africa E subregion as defined by FERG. There were 57,500 illnesses occurring in Rwanda owing to consumption of dairy products, 55 deaths and 3,870 Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) causing a cost-of-illness of $3.2 million. 44% of the burden (in DALYs) was attributed to drinking raw milk and sizeable proportions were also attributed to traditionally (16–23%) or industrially (6–22%) fermented milk. More recent data are not available, but the burden (in DALYs) of tuberculosis and diarrheal disease by all causes in Rwanda has declined between 2010 and 2019 by 33% and 46%, respectively.

Conclusion

This is the first study examining the WHO estimates of the burden of foodborne disease on a national level in Rwanda. Transitioning from consuming raw to processed milk (fermented, heat treated or otherwise) may prevent a considerable disease burden and cost-of-illness, but the full benefits will only be achieved if there is a simultaneous improvement of pathogen inactivation during processing, and prevention of recontamination of processed products.
Impacts of COVID-19 crisis and some related factors on the mental health of 37150 Vietnamese students: a cross-sectional online study
Authors: Duong Chau Bao , Van Tran Nhi , Nguyen An Hoang , Le Thong Nhat , Ha Bien Huy , Do Chau Ngoc Phuc , Huynh Khon , Le Thong Minh , Nguyen Thao Phuong , Nguyen Hoai Thi Thu
Published: April 2023

Background

University students are vulnerable to changes due to COVID-19 pandemic. Although warning has been made about the impact of this crisis on students’ mental health, there are barely any sufficient study. This work investigated how the pandemic affected the mental health of students at the Vietnam National University of Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCMC) and efficiency of available mental health supportive methods.

Methods

An online survey was conducted among students at Vietnam National University of Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCMC) from October 18, 2021, to October 25, 2021. Microsoft Excel 16.51 (Microsoft, USA) and R language, Epi packages 2.44 and 4.1.1 (rdrr.io) were used for data analysis.

Results

Thirty-seven thousand one hundred fifty students participated in the survey, including 48.4% female and 51.6% male. Online learning pressure was mainly recorded (65.1%). Many students suffered from sleeping disorders (56.2%). Some reported being victims of abuse (5.9%). Female students expressed a significantly higher level of distress than males, particularly the feeling of ambiguity about the purpose of life (p-value < 0.0001, OR: 0.94, 95% CI: [0.95–0.98]). Third-year students suffered higher stress levels than others, especially in online learning (68.8%,p-value < 0.05). Mental health statuses among students of different lockdown status regions were not significantly different. Therefore, lockdown status did not affect the stress levels of students which suggested that poor mental health outcomes seemed to root in the suspension of everyday university life rather than the prohibition of going out.

Conclusions

During COVID-19, students experienced lots of stress and mental problems. These findings underscore the importance of academic and innovative activities, bringing attention to the needs of interactive study and extra-curricular activities.
Characteristics and treatment results of patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in a tertiary care centre
Authors: Bazarbashi Shouki , Aseafan Mohamed , Elgazzar Tasnim , Alkhayat Maha , Alghabban Abdulrahman , Abdelgawad Marwa I. , Alshamsan Bader , Alshibany Aisha , Elhassan Tusneem , Aljubran Ali , Alzahrani Ahmed , Alhindi Hindi , Raef Hussein
Published: April 2023

Background

Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NET) are rare neoplasms with limited reported data from the Middle East. Our study aims to report the clinicopathological feature, treatment patterns, and survival outcomes of patients with GEP-NET from our part of the world.

Methods

Medical records of patients diagnosed with GEP-NET between January 2011 and December 2016 at a single center in Saudi Arabia were reviewed retrospectively, and complete clinicopathological and treatment data were collected. Patients’ survival was estimated by the Kaplan–Meier method.

Results

A total of 72 patients were identified with a median age of 51 years (range 27–82) and male-to-female ratio of (1.1). The most common tumor location was the pancreas (29.1%), followed by small bowel (25%), stomach (12.5%), rectum (8.3%), colon (8.3%), and appendix (6.9%). Forty-one patients (57%) had well-differentiated grade (G)1, 21 (29%) had G2, and 4 (6%) had G3. In five patients, the pathology was neuroendocrine carcinoma and in one it could not be classified. 54.2% of the patients were metastatic at diagnosis. Forty-two patients underwent surgical resection as primary management while 26 underwent systemic therapy, three patients were put on active surveillance, and one was treated endoscopically with polypectomy. The 5-year overall survival and progression-free survivals were 77.2% and 49%, respectively, for the whole group. Patients with G1 and 2 disease, lower Ki-67 index, and surgically treated as primary management had significantly better survival outcomes.

Conclusion

Our study suggests that the most common tumor locations are similar to western reported data. However, there seems to be a higher incidence of metastatic disease at presentation than in the rest of the world.
Differential attitudes and outcomes of endodontics education between mainland and non-mainland chinese students during COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Zhong Ting , Liao Chufang , Shi Haishan
Published: April 2023

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the learning style and campus life of dental students. This study aimed to evaluate the learning attitudes and outcomes of endodontics among mainland Chinese students and non-mainland Chinese students (students from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) during the pandemic.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in November 2022 at the School of Stomatology, Jinan University, utilizing a self-report online questionnaire, including demographic characteristics and attitudes toward the endodontic course and the COVID-19 pandemic. The endodontics scores were collected from recruited students for further analysis. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 software, with independent two-sample t-tests to compare continuous variables and chi-square tests for categorical variables.

Results

A total of 215 dental students completed the survey, with 126 (58.6%) of them being non-mainland Chinese students. Compared to mainland Chinese students, non-mainland Chinese students had lower scores in both theoretical (63.6 ± 13.5 vs. 83.2 ± 8.00) and skill (88.4 ± 5.38 vs. 90.0 ± 4.91) endodontic assessments. Non-mainland Chinese students reported significantly greater impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on their learning emotions, personal hygiene, and future career choices compared to mainland Chinese students.

Conclusions

Non-mainland Chinese students had poorer academic performance in endodontics and experienced a greater impact from the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of their studies and lives. Dental educators should consider the diversity of students and take necessary measures to support their mental health and enhance learning outcomes in the post-COVID-19 era.
Adjuvant music therapy for patients with hypertension: a meta-analysis and systematic review
Authors: Cao Min , Zhang Zhiyuan
Published: April 2023

Background

High blood pressure, anxiety, depression and sleep disorder is very common in patients with hypertension. We aimed to perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of adjuvant music therapy for patients with hypertension, to provide insights to the clinical management of hypertension.

Methods

Two authors searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Biomedical Literature Database, Wanfang Databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the role of music therapy in hypertension up to Oct 15, 2022. RevMan 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis.

Results

A total of 20 RCTs including 2306 patients were finally included. 1154 patients received music therapy. Meta-analysis showed that music therapy can effectively reduce the systolic blood pressure(MD = − 9.00, 95%CI: − 11.99~- 6.00), diastolic blood pressure(MD = -6.53, 95%CI: -9.12~- 3.93), heart rate (MD = -3.76, 95%CI: -7.32~- 0.20), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) score(MD =-8.55, 95%CI: -12.04~-4.12), self-rating depression scale (SDS) score(MD = -9.17, 95%CI: -13.85~-5.18), Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA), score(MD = -3.37, 95%CI: − 5.38~- 1.36), PSQI score(MD =-1.61, 95%CI:-2.30~- 0.93) compared with routine therapy in patients with hypertension(all P < 0.05). No publication bias in the synthesized outcomes were found (all P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Music therapy can effectively control blood pressure and heart rate, reduce anxiety and depression levels, and improve sleep quality in hypertensive patients. Limited by the quantity and quality of included studies, the above conclusions need to be verified by more high-quality studies.
Similarity matching of medical question based on Siamese network
Authors: Li Qing , He Song
Published: April 2023

Background

With the rapid development of the medical industry and the gradual increase in people’s awareness of their health, the use of the Internet for medical question and answer, to obtain more accurate medical answers. It is necessary to first calculate the similarity of the questions asked by users, which further matches professional medical answers. Improving the efficiency of online medical question and answer sessions will not only reduce the burden on doctors, but also enhance the patient’s experience of online medical diagnosis.

Method

This paper focuses on building a bidirectional gated recurrent unit(BiGRU) deep learning model based on Siamese network for medical interrogative similarity matching, using Word2Vec word embedding tool for word vector processing of ethnic-medical corpus, and introducing an attention mechanism and convolutional neural network. Bidirectional gated recurrent unit extracts contextual semantic information and long-distance dependency features of interrogative sentences; Similar ethnic medicine interrogatives vary in length and structure, and the key information in the interrogative is crucial to similarity identification. By introducing an attention mechanism higher weight can be given to the keywords in the question, further improving the recognition of similar words in the question. Convolutional neural network takes into account the local information of interrogative sentences and can capture local position invariance, allowing feature extraction for words of different granularity through convolutional operations; By comparing the Euclidean distance, cosine distance and Manhattan distance to calculate the spatial distance of medical interrogatives, the Manhattan distance produced the best similarity result.

Result

Based on the ethnic medical question dataset constructed in this paper, the accuracy and F1-score reached 97.24% and 97.98%, which is a significant improvement compared to several other models.

Conclusion

By comparing with other models, the model proposed in this paper has better performance and achieve accurate matching of similar semantic question data of ethnic medicine.
Communication competence, self-efficacy, and spiritual intelligence: evidence from nurses
Authors: Mehralian Gholamhossein , Yusefi Ali Reza , Dastyar Neda , Bordbar Shima
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Communication skills and acceptable levels of spiritual intelligence (SI) are the prerequisites of the nursing profession, which can significantly impact the individual and organizational performance of nurses. This study aimed to investigate the competency and self-efficacy of communication and its relationship with the SI of nurses.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021 and included 312 nurses working in a COVID-19 hospital in the south of Iran. The data collection instruments were the Standard Communication Competence Scale, Communication Self-Efficacy, and SI Questionnaires. Data were analyzed with SPSS software version 23 using descriptive and inferential statistics, and t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression were performed at 5% significance level.

Results

The mean scores of nurses’ communication competence, communication self-efficacy, and SI were 89.11 ± 7.32 out of 180, 64.45 ± 5.61 out of 120, and 147.13 ± 11.26 out of 210, respectively. A direct and significant correlation was observed between competence (r = 0.527, p<0.001) and communication self-efficacy (r = 0.556, p<0.001) with spiritual intelligence. The dimensions of spiritual intelligence, including the ability to deal with and interact with problems, self-awareness, love and affection, general thinking and doctrinal dimension, and dealing with moral issues, were identified as predictors of nurses’ communicative competence and self-efficacy (p<0.05). There was a positive and significant correlation between nurses’ competence and self-efficacy with their age (p<0.05). The nurses’ mean communication competence and self-efficacy score were different regarding their level of education and the number of shifts (p<0.05). The mean scores of self-efficacy revealed a statistically significant difference between the participants’ gender and the number of patients under observation (p<0.05). Moreover, the nurses’ SI significantly correlated with age, and the mean scores of this intelligence had statistically significant differences regarding gender (p<0.05).

Conclusion

The nurses’ communication competence and self-efficacy were at a moderate level. Considering the correlation and predictive role of SI and its dimensions, it is recommended to promote problem-solving skills, improve self-awareness, and pay attention to moral standards to nurture communication competence and self-efficacy among nurses.
Association between progression-free survival and overall survival in women receiving first-line treatment for metastatic breast cancer: evidence from the ESME real-world database
Authors: Courtinard Coralie , Gourgou Sophie , Jacot William , Carton Matthieu , Guérin Olivier , Vacher Laure , Bertaut Aurélie , Le Deley Marie-Cécile , Pérol David , Marino Patricia , Levy Christelle , Uwer Lionel , Perrocheau Geneviève , Schiappa Renaud , Bachelot Florence , Parent Damien , Breton Mathias , Petit Thierry , Filleron Thomas , Loeb Agnès , Mathoulin-Pélissier Simone , Robain Mathieu , Delaloge Suzette , Bellera Carine
Published: April 2023

Background

Overall survival (OS) is the gold standard endpoint to assess treatment efficacy in cancer clinical trials. In metastatic breast cancer (mBC), progression-free survival (PFS) is commonly used as an intermediate endpoint. Evidence remains scarce regarding the degree of association between PFS and OS. Our study aimed to describe the individual-level association between real-world PFS (rwPFS) and OS according to first-line treatment in female patients with mBC managed in real-world setting for each BC subtype (defined by status for both hormone-receptor [HR] expression and HER2 protein expression/gene amplification).

Methods

We extracted data from the ESME mBC database (NCT03275311) which gathers deidentified data from consecutive patients managed in 18 French Comprehensive Cancer Centers. Adult women diagnosed with mBC between 2008 and 2017 were included. Endpoints (PFS, OS) were described using the Kaplan–Meier method. Individual-level associations between rwPFS and OS were estimated using the Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Analyses were conducted by tumor subtype.

Results

20,033 women were eligible. Median age was 60.0 years. Median follow-up duration was 62.3 months. Median rwPFS ranged from 6.0 months (95% CI 5.8–6.2) for HR-/HER2 − subtype to 13.3 months (36% CI 12.7–14.3) for HR + /HER2 + subtype. Correlation coefficients were highly variable across subtypes and first-line (L1) treatments. Among patients with HR − /HER2 − mBC, correlation coefficients ranged from 0.73 to 0.81, suggesting a strong rwPFS/OS association. For HR + /HER2 + mBC patients, the individual-level associations were weak to strong with coefficients ranging from 0.33 to 0.43 for monotherapy and from 0.67 to 0.78 for combined therapies.

Conclusions

Our study provides comprehensive information on individual-level association between rwPFS and OS for L1 treatments in mBC women managed in real-life practice. Our results could be used as a basis for future research dedicated to surrogate endpoint candidates.
Identification immune response genes in psoriasis after treatment with secukinumab
Authors: Wang Jing , Liu Yufang , Zhang Yuxin , Wang Shiyan , Kang Shaomei , Mi Ningyu , Li Ruxin , Zou Yulin
Published: April 2023

Background

Secukinumab is a fully human IgG1κ MoAb that selectively binds to IL-17A with high affinity, and it has been proven effective for the treatment of psoriasis. However, the immune response pathways and mechanisms during the treatment are still masked. Therefore, the current study was designed to investigate the potential immune response genes via bioinformatics approaches.

Methods

Gene expression data of severe plaque-type psoriasis was retrieved from the GEO database. Quantification of immune infiltration by ssGSEA and identification of differentially infiltrated immune cells were conducted to validate the treatment effect of secukinumab. After data processing, differentially expressed genes were identified between the treatment and untreated group. TC-seq was employed to analyze the trend of gene expression and clustering analysis. IL-17 therapeutic immune response genes were selected by taking the intersection of the genes inside the key cluster set and the MAD3-PSO geneset. Based on these therapeutic response genes, protein–protein interaction networks were built for key hub gene selection. These hub genes would work as potential immune response genes, and be validated via an external dataset.

Results

Enrichment scores calculated by ssGSEA illustrated that the immune infiltration level of T cells had a strong difference before and after medication, which validated the treatment effect of Secukinumab. 1525 genes that have significantly different expression patterns before and after treatment were extracted for further analysis, and the enrichment result shows that these genes have the function related to epidermal development, differentiation, and keratinocytes differentiation. After overlapping candidate genes with MAD3-PSO gene set, 695 genes were defined as anti-IL7A treatment immune response genes, which were mainly enriched in receptor signaling and IL-17 signaling pathways. Hub gene were pinpointed from the PPI network constructed by anti-IL7A treatment immune response genes, their expression pattern fits TC-seq gene expression pattern.

Conclusion

Our study revealed the potential anti-IL7A treatment immune response genes, and the central hub genes, which may act critical roles in Secukinumab, induced immune response. This would open up a novel and effective avenue for the treatment of psoriasis.
Myocardial fat accumulation is associated with cardiac dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes, especially in elderly or female patients: a retrospective observational study
Authors: Kashiwagi-Takayama Risa , Kozawa Junji , Hosokawa Yoshiya , Kato Sarasa , Kawata Satoshi , Ozawa Harutoshi , Mineo Ryohei , Ishibashi Chisaki , Baden Megu Y. , Iwamoto Ryuya , Saisho Kenji , Fujita Yukari , Tamba Sachiko , Sugiyama Takuya , Nishizawa Hitoshi , Maeda Norikazu , Yamamoto Koji , Higashi Masahiro , Yamada Yuya , Sakata Yasushi , Matsuzawa Yuji , Shimomura Iichiro
Published: April 2023

Background

Ectopic fat is fat that accumulates in or around specific organs or compartments of the body including myocardium. The clinical features of type 2 diabetes patients with high fat accumulation in the myocardium remain unknown. Moreover, little is known about the influence of myocardial fat accumulation in type 2 diabetes on coronary artery disease and cardiac dysfunction. We aimed to clarify the clinical features, including cardiac functions, of type 2 diabetes patients with myocardial fat accumulation.

Methods

We retrospectively enrolled type 2 diabetes patients who underwent ECG-gated coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) and abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan examinations within 1 year of CCTA from January 2000 to March 2021. High fat accumulation in the myocardium was defined as the low mean myocardial CT value of three regions of interest, and the associations between CT values and clinical characteristics or cardiac functions were assessed.

Results

In total, 124 patients were enrolled (72 males and 52 females). The mean age was 66.6 years, the mean BMI was 26.2 kg/m2, the mean ejection fraction (EF) was 67.6%, and the mean myocardial CT value was 47.7 Hounsfield unit. A significant positive correlation was found between myocardial CT value and EF (r = 0.3644, p = 0.0004). The multiple regression analyses also showed that myocardial CT value was independently associated with EF (estimate, 0.304; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.092 to 0.517; p = 0.0056). Myocardial CT value showed significant negative correlations with BMI, visceral fat area and subcutaneous fat area (r = − 0.1923, − 0.2654, and -0.3569, respectively, p < 0.05). In patients who were ≥ 65 years or female, myocardial CT value showed significant positive correlations with not only EF (r = 0.3542 and 0.4085, respectively, p < 0.01) but also early lateral annular tissue Doppler velocity (Lat e’) (r = 0.5148 and 0.5361, respectively, p < 0.05). The multiple regression analyses showed that myocardial CT value was independently associated with EF and Lat e’ in these subgroups (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Patients with type 2 diabetes, especially in elderly or female patients, who had more myocardial fat had more severe left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunctions. Reducing myocardial fat accumulation may be a therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes patients.