bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of regional arterial chemotherapy and systemic intravenous chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Li Chengqing , Guo Wenyi , Chen Shihong , Xu Jianwei , Li Feng , Wang Lei
Published: August 2022

Chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer (stage III/IV). However, conventional systemic intravenous chemotherapy (SIC) has been unsatisfactory for pancreatic cancer. In recent years, regional arterial infusion chemotherapy (RAIC) has been clinically used as a new chemotherapy regimen for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer, but its efficacy is controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of RAIC. We searched literatures in databases such as PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and CNKI. After screening, this meta-analysis finally included 9 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 444 patients (230 RAIC and 214 SIC). We used the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool to assess risk of bias for included RCTs. Outcomes were overall survival (OS), overall response rate (ORR), adverse events rate (AER), and pain remission rate. Outcome indicators used relative risk (RR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) as effect analysis statistics. The results showed that RAIC had some advantages over SIC in terms of ORR, OS, incidence of leukopenia, and pain remission. In conclusion, compared with SIC, RAIC has better clinical efficacy and lower toxicity in the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer.
Chinese expert consensus on minimally invasive radical surgery for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (version 2022)
Authors: Zhao Yupei , Yu Xianjun , Wang Wei , Mou Yiping , Jiang Chongyi ,   on behalf of Study Group of Minimally invasive Treatment for Pancreatic Cancer in China Anti-Cancer Association, Chinese Pancreatic Surgery Association
Published: August 2022

Various types of minimally invasive pancreatic surgery have been carried out in the last decades with promising outcomes reported by early explorers. Nevertheless, there are still controversies on oncologic outcomes and safety in the use of minimally invasive radical surgery for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). This consensus, referring to Chinese expert opinions and worldwide researches, aimed to discuss the related issues on minimally invasive radical surgery for PDAC to ensure the perioperative and oncological outcomes. Quality of evidence and strength of recommendations were evaluated based on the GRADE approach. The 15 recommendations covered 5 topics: oncological outcomes and patient safety of laparoscopic and robotic pancreatoduodenectomy, left-side pancreatectomy for PDAC, learning curve, safety of neoadjuvant therapy, and vascular resection in minimally invasive radical surgery for PDAC. This consensus gives reference and guidance to surgeons on the use of minimally invasive radical surgery for PDAC. Although this consensus is not sufficient to answer all the questions about minimally invasive radical surgery for PDAC, it represents the current consensus on the application of the techniques in the treatment of PDAC on the Chinese mainland.
Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Outcomes in Children With Wilms Tumor With Caval Thrombus: A Single Center Experience
Authors: Jain Vishesh , Krishnan Nellai , Agarwala Sandeep , Bishoi Akshay Kumar , Dhua Anjan , Bakhshi Sameer , Chauhan Sandeep , Biswas Ahitagni , Srinivas Maddur , Iyer Venkateswaran K. , Jana Manisha , Kandasamy Devasenathipathy , Yadav Devendra Kumar , Bajpai Minu
Published: August 2022

Aim:

The aim of our study is to present our experience in the management and outcome of Wilms tumor with intracaval thrombus.

Materials and Methods:

All children with Wilms tumor with intracaval thrombus who presented to us from July 2000 to December 2017 were reviewed retrospectively. We evaluated the tumor stage, management, and outcomes in these patients.

Results:

Thirty-four patients were included in the study. The median age of presentation was 48 months (11 to 84 mo). Preoperative chemotherapy was given in 32 (94%), with a median duration of 8 weeks. Intracaval thrombus completely resolved in 9 (26%) children after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Surgical intervention for residual inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombus was performed in 32 patients. The median follow-up was 30 months (5 to 150 mo). At the last follow-up, 24 patients (70%) were alive and disease free. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and event-free survival were 67% (95% confidence interval, 50% to 84%) and 59% (95% confidence interval, 42% to 76%). The OS in children with nonmetastatic disease (94%) was significantly higher than those with metastases (29%; P<0.01). The OS in children with complete resolution of IVC thrombus (100%) was significantly higher than those with persistent thrombus (48%; P=0.025). Analysis of survival outcomes in children with nonmetastatic disease (stage III) revealed no significant difference on comparison with cohort with stage III disease with absence of IVC thrombus. The P-value was 0.224 and 0.53 for 5-year OS and event-free survival, respectively.

Conclusion:

The management of Wilms tumor can be complicated by the presence of caval thrombus. Patients with metastasis have a significantly poor outcome. Patients in whom, there is complete resolution of intracaval thrombus on neoadjuvant chemotherapy have a significantly higher OS.
Respiratory Viral Infections in the Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Population
Authors: Demir Yenigurbuz Fatma , Atay Didem , Akinci Burcu , Akcay Arzu , Ozturk Gulyuz
Published: August 2022

Background:

Respiratory viral infections (RVIs) are important complications in pediatric patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT); however, risk factors for lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are not well characterized. The aim of this study was to determine risk factors for the progression to LRTIs in pediatric patients with respiratory symptoms who underwent HSCT.

Patients and Methods:

This retrospective study included 87 pediatric patients with respiratory symptoms who underwent HSCT. Respiratory viral polymerase chain reaction samples were obtained from all patients. The evaluated data included risk factors to progression to LRTIs, long-term pulmonary complications, transplantation-related mortality, and overall survival.

Results:

Viral pathogens were detected in 31 (48.4%) patients with upper respiratory tract infections and 13 (56.5%) patients with LRTIs. There was a statistically significant difference between the groups in engraftment delay and lymphocytopenia. Also it was determined that engraftment delay (odds ratio: 7.46 [95% CI, 1.99 to 27.86]; P = 0.003) and COVID-19 infection had statistically significant effects on overall survival in general (odds ratio: 8.06 [95% CI, 2.63 to 24.64]; P <0.001]).

Conclusion:

Not only host and transplant-related factors but also viral agent type were found to be effective in progression to LRTIs. As the available therapy for respiratory viral infections remains limited, the focus should be on the prevention of infection.
Psychotic Symptoms After SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Authors: Fiks Gerardo , Duarte Juan Manuel , Lisi Gisela Roxana , Garro Marcelo , Appiani Francisco
Published: August 2022

This case series reports three middle-aged male patients with no prior history of psychiatric disorders who developed psychotic symptoms with manic characteristics after COVID-19 infection. They presented mystic and paranoid delusions associated with euphoria, logorrheic, insomnia, and bizarre behaviors. Two of them required psychiatric hospitalization and one received corticosteroids. Treatment with antipsychotic medication improved their symptoms in a few weeks. This case series reports the new-onset psychosis probably due to COVID-19 infection. Pathogenetic speculation about the probable causes of COVID-19 psychosis, such as inflammatory reaction and corticosteroid use, was done. Moreover, other probable causes of manic psychosis, such as late-onset bipolar disorder, were also considered and ruled out. There is a need for more research to determine the causality between psychotic symptoms and COVID-19 infection.
Stigma as a Source of Stress for Adolescent Mothers and Their Babies
Authors: Wittenberg Jean-Victor P. , Flaherty Lois T. , Becker Daniel F. , Harper Gordon , Crookall Jake M. , Vianna Natasha ,   Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, Committee on Adolescence
Published: August 2022

Adolescent pregnancy and the babies of teen mothers have been a focus of attention and concern for many years. The literature on the health of pregnant and parenting teens, however, is largely silent about the impact of stigma on them and their children. Stigma is a pervasive cultural attitude, which leads us to overlook potentially good outcomes for this vulnerable population and contributes to poor outcomes for these mothers and babies. Stigma is a cause of stress leading to well-known adverse effects on health and development for both mothers and babies. This article reviews manifestations of social stigma in our communities, in the offices of professionals, and in policies that embed bias in our social systems. The impact of inequity has been vividly revealed over the course of the global pandemic. We review findings related to interventions associated with better outcomes and offer suggestions for more humane care and policies.
Measuring Return on Investment for Professional Development Activities
Authors: Opperman Cathleen , Liebig Debra , Bowling Judith , Johnson Carol Susan , Stiesmeyer Johanna , Miller Susi
Published: August 2022

Measurement of the economic impact of professional development activities is essential for resource decision-making. Part 1 of this series described recent literature on economic impact of educational activities and challenged readers to publish more on the financial impact of programs. This article uses scenarios to demonstrate how professional development activities can add value to resource decision-making as we navigate the pandemic and provides an update of the “Known Costs of Outcomes” table.
Tissue Selection for PD-L1 Testing in Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC)
Authors: Dobritoiu Florin , Baltan Adelina , Chefani Alina , Billingham Kim , Chenard Marie-Pierrette , Vaziri Reza , Lacroix-Triki Magali , Waydelich Anne , Erb Gilles , Andersson Emilia , Cañamero Marta , Toro Paula , Wedden Sarah , D’Arrigo Corrado
Published: August 2022

Atezolizumab in combination with nab-paclitaxel has been introduced for the treatment of locally advanced or recurrent triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Patient selection relies on the use of immunohistochemistry using a specific monoclonal PD-L1 antibody (clone SP142) in a tightly controlled companion diagnostic test (CDx) with a defined interpretative algorithm. Currently there are no standardized recommendations for selecting the optimal tissue to be tested and there is limited data to support decision making, raising the possibility that tissue selection may bias test results. We compared PD-L1 SP142 assessment in a collection of 73 TNBC cases with matched core biopsies and excision samples. There was good correlation between PD-L1-positive core biopsy and subsequent excision, but we found considerable discrepancy between PD-L1 negative core biopsy and matched excision, with a third of cases found negative on core biopsies converting to positive upon examination of the excision tissue. In view of these findings, we developed a workflow for the clinical testing of TNBC for PD-L1 and implemented it in a central referral laboratory. We present audit data from the clinical PD-L1 testing relating to 2 years of activities, indicating that implementation of this workflow results in positivity rates in our population of TNBC similar to those of IMpassion130 clinical trial. We also developed an online atlas with a precise numerical annotation to aid pathologists in the interpretation of PD-L1 scoring in TNBC.
COVID-19 Vaccine Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices in Alabama: The Case for Primary Health Care Providers
Authors: Bassler John R. , Redden David T. , Hall Allyson G. , Ford Eric T. , Chrapah Sandra , Erwin Paul C.
Published: August 2022

Objective:

To examine knowledge, attitudes, and practices about COVID-19 in Alabama, with a primary focus on vaccination perception and utilization.

Design:

We used a COVID-19 Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices survey and recruited adult Alabama residents in April-May 2021.

Participants:

Initial surveys from 1324 Alabamian participants were considered for analysis; after careful review of incomplete responses, 953 were ultimately included for analysis.

Main Outcome Measure:

Vaccine behavior and hesitancy comprise a self-reported response contained in the survey instrument. Three primary vaccine groups were used to assess differences in demographic characteristics, health status, perception of susceptibility and severity of COVID-19, sources of information, and trust about COVID-19.

Results:

Of the 953 survey participants included for analysis, 951 had self-identified vaccine status in which 153 (16.1%) reported to have received the vaccine at the time of the survey, 375 (39.4%) were very likely or somewhat likely to get an approved COVID-19 vaccine if it was offered, and 423 (44.5%) were somewhat unlikely or very unlikely to get an approved COVID-19 vaccine. Health care providers were the most trusted sources of information, regardless of vaccine status. For participants unlikely to receive a vaccine, social media and local news sources were consistently more trusted and utilized than those who were vaccinated or were likely to be.

Conclusions:

The perceptions among unvaccinated participants are actionable and provide teachable opportunities to decrease vaccine apprehension.
Risks of Severe COVID-19 Outcomes Among Patients With Diabetic Polyneuropathy in the United States
Authors: Tuan Wen-Jan , Lennon Robert P. , Zhang Alice , Macherla Ajay , Zgierska Aleksandra E.
Published: August 2022

Context:

Diabetic neuropathy (DN) affects more than 50% of diabetic patients who are also likely to have compromised immune system and respiratory function, both of which can make them susceptible to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Objective:

To assess the risk of severe COVID-19 illness among adults with DN, compared with those with no DN and those with no diabetes.

Setting:

The analysis utilized electronic health records from 55 US health care organizations in the TriNetX research database.

Design:

A retrospective cohort study.

Participants:

The analysis included 882 650 adults diagnosed with COVID-19 in January 2020 to June 2021, including 16 641 with DN, 81 329 with diabetes with no neuropathy, and 784 680 with no diabetes.

Outcome Measures:

The presence of health care utilization (admissions to emergency department, hospital, intensive care unit), 30-day mortality, clinical presentation (cough, fever, hypoxemia, dyspnea, or acute respiratory distress syndrome), and diagnostic test results after being infected affected by COVID-19.

Results:

The DN cohort was 1.19 to 2.47 times more likely than the non-DN cohorts to utilize care resources, receive critical care, and have higher 30-day mortality rates. Patients with DN also showed increased risk (1.13-2.18 times) of severe symptoms, such as hypoxemia, dyspnea, and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Conclusions:

Patients with DN had a significantly greater risk of developing severe COVID-19–related complications than those with no DN. It is critical for the public health community to continue preventive measures, such as social distancing, wearing masks, and vaccination, to reduce infection rates, particularly in higher risk groups, such as those with DN.
Assessment of Kentucky's Local Health Department Cross-Jurisdictional Sharing: Strategy for Maximizing Efficiency
Authors: Carman Angela L. , Gatton Kelsey , Hogg-Graham Rachel
Published: August 2022

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to examine patterns of cross-jurisdictional sharing across the 61 local public health jurisdictions (LHJs) in Kentucky. The opportunities to reduce the cost-of-service delivery for Kentucky's LHJs via cross-jurisdictional sharing present a mechanism to address financial instability across the state by achieving economies of scale, especially among smaller jurisdictions.

Design:

A cross-sectional study design was used to examine patterns of cross-jurisdictional sharing across the 61 LHJs in Kentucky. The survey tool utilized was designed by the Center for Sharing Public Health Services, an initiative managed by the Kansas Health Institute with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Results:

Seventy-two percent of the 61 LHJs in Kentucky responded to the survey. The majority of responding jurisdictions sharing services were rural, single-county jurisdictions, utilizing service-related informal sharing arrangements. The majority of health departments, when asked to identify which programmatic areas shared service arrangements were focused in, listed those services requiring intensive staff training such as Health Access Nurturing Development Services (HANDS) and epidemiology. Of particular interest were the services most infrequently shared such as communicable disease screening and treatment.

Conclusions:

This study suggests that, pre-COVID-19, a core group of primarily rural, single-county Kentucky local health departments has experience with cross-jurisdictional sharing. Among this group, engagement in informal arrangements was the form of cross-jurisdictional sharing predominantly used, with few jurisdictions reporting shared functions with joint oversight. When considering the potential benefits and efficiencies that cross-jurisdictional sharing can provide to public health departments and their communities, for some, COVID-19 may have been a catalyst to engage in sharing across health department jurisdictional lines.
Cognitive screening in persons with an amputation: A retrospective medical record audit
Authors: Dawes Erinn , Bliokas Vida , Hewitt Lyndel , Wilson Val
Published: August 2022

Objective:

To determine the rate of cognitive screening undertaken with patients undergoing amputation and to determine the demographics of the sample.

Study design:

Retrospective medical record audit.

Methods:

The medical records of a convenience sample of persons who had undergone amputation, upper and lower limb, from one local health district were reviewed. The sample date range was between January 1st, 2017, and December 31st, 2018. The incidence and type of cognitive screening were also recorded. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the results.

Results:

A total of 178 episodes of amputation care were identified during retrospective medical record auditing (mean age, 69.7 years). Thirty nine of the 178 (21.9%) episodes of care had a cognitive screening measure completed during that inpatient admission (24.2% vascular etiology and 12% nonvascular etiology). All cognitive screens were completed in persons with lower-limb amputations and were completed postoperatively.

Conclusion:

Cognitive screening is not a routine part of the health care journey for patients with an amputation in this health care district.
3D-printed medial arch supports of varying hardness versus a prefabricated arch support on plantar pressure: A 1-month randomized crossover study in healthy volunteers
Authors: Channasanon Somruethai , Praewpipat Bongkoch , Duangjinda Nitkamon , Sornchalerm Lertchai , Tesavibul Passakorn , Paecharoen Siranya , Tanodekaew Siriporn
Published: August 2022

Background:

Foot orthoses are commonly used as a noninvasive treatment to relieve foot pain. The custom full-length insoles with various materials and designs have been studied for their effectiveness in reducing plantar pressure. However, few studies have been conducted with respect to custom medial arch support on the relationships between material hardness and measured plantar pressure and level of comfort.

Objectives:

To evaluate the effects of the hardness of custom medial arch supports on plantar pressure and comfort perception.

Study design:

Randomized crossover study.

Methods:

Two custom silicone medial arch supports of varying hardness (A and B) were fabricated using 3D printing technology and tested in 12 healthy volunteers against a commercially prefabricated arch support (C). The volunteers wore three medial arch supports in a random order, one month for each arch support with 3–4 days of washout period before wearing the next one. The plantar pressure was measured and analyzed according to each foot zone: forefoot, midfoot, and hindfoot, comparing before intervention, immediately after intervention, and 1 month after intervention. The comfort perception was assessed by collecting volunteer feedback with a questionnaire after using each medial arch support.

Results:

After 1-month intervention, both 3D-printed and prefabricated medial arch supports demonstrated significantly higher average pressure in the midfoot (P < 0.001), whereas significantly lower average pressure in the forefoot (P < 0.001) and hindfoot (P = 0.014, 0.026, and 0.018 for A, B, and C, respectively), compared with those before intervention. There were no significant differences in plantar pressure distribution between the 3D-printed and prefabricated medial arch supports. However, the 3D-printed medial arch supports resulted in better comfort than the prefabricated arch support.

Conclusions:

The material hardness had no apparent effect on plantar pressure distribution. The three medial arch supports showed reducing plantar heel pressure. Further research is needed to investigate the potential effect of 3D-printed silicone medial arch supports on reducing foot pain in patients.
Retention Strategies for Segmental Lefort I Osteotomies Using Clear Aligners
Authors: Kierce Justin , Caminiti Marco
Published: August 2022

Clear aligner therapy is becoming a mainstay of contemporary orthodontic treatment. As such wide-spread adoption and case-selection for surgical-orthodontic treatment in patients with Clear aligner therapy is increasing. Passive aligners generally lack adequate rigidity for retention of segmental movements in the immediate postoperative period. In this report we discuss our techniques for maintaining retention in the weeks after segmental maxillary osteotomies by use of a modified clear aligner orthognathic splint, and a custom palatal horseshoe splint, including the relative indications of each method.
Determination of the Anthropometric Measures of the Lips by Age Groups in the Mestiza Population
Authors: Serrano-Andrade J. David , Apellaniz-Campo Armando , Ramírez-Fernández Francisco J. , Castillo-Moreno Julio , Morales Jesus M. , Gómez Karen C. , Alvarado Pedro A.
Published: August 2022

Measurements from a certain population may show a similar pattern that allows an alteration to be easily recognized and enable a better surgical approach. In our population, the changes in the anthropometric measurements of the lips are unknown, so our objective is to determine the variations in these measurements by decades of age to achieve a better aesthetic and reconstructive surgical approach. Anthropometric measurements of the lips were taken with a vernier in relation to the previously marked anatomical points. The sample consists of 174 patients who came for care not related to labial pathologies with ages between 20 and 80 years with Mexican nationality. We use the sample calculation formula to estimate an average, with an alpha error of 0.5 and a tolerance of 2 mm of the data for the measurements of the height of the lower face with an average measurement of 56.2 mm and a SD of 8.87 mm of the Marzena’s article. Wyganowska-Świątkowska and colleagues Average measurements were obtained, where a progressive longitudinal increase in measures: al-ch, sbl-cph, sn-Is, li-sto, cph-Is, li-sl, ch-li, li-pg according to aging is confirmed. In contrast, the ch-cph and ch-sbl measures, remain the same despite the aging, showing greater changes in the sagittal plane than in the parasagittal. The study only shows measures of length, so caring out a magnetic resonance imaging study to also measure the volume and perform it with a larger sample to have the optimal standard is further needed.
Gastric glomus tumor in a patient with biliary colic: a rare case report with literature review
Authors: Abdulla Karzan S. , Kaka Ali Hemn H. , Hassan Hemin A. , Ismaeil Deari A. , Ghalib Hawramy Omar H. , Salih Abdulwahid M. , Naqar Sharo , Abdulla Berun A. , Kakamad Fahmi H.
Published: August 2022

Introduction:

Glomus tumor (GT) mainly occurs in the extremities. Its appearance elsewhere has rarely been reported. This study aims to report an incidental finding of gastric GT in a patient with biliary colic.

Case presentation:

A 45-year-old female presents with moderate to severe upper abdominal pain. Physical examination was performed, the abdomen was soft, nontender, and no mass felt. Transabdominal ultrasound showed a single stone in the gallbladder, normal wall thickness, and no biliary dilatation. The diagnosis of biliary colic was achieved based on the clinical presentation, examination findings, and test results. Wedge resection of the stomach with open cholecystectomy was performed. Histopathology result was compatible with gastric GT.

Clinical discussion:

The clinical examination of GT is much similar to other tumors like hemangioma, lipoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, and leiomyoma. Concerning diagnosis, GT is mostly intersecting with gastrointestinal stromal tumors, mainly in small biopsy screening. For this reason, most of the gastric GT can be identified preoperatively as gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

Conclusion:

Gastric GT is an uncommon benign tumor that can be found incidentally during the diagnosis of other diseases or tumors because of its clinical and radiologic similarities.
Predatory journals in oncology: prevalence and impacts
Authors: Mohammed Shvan H. , Kakamad Fahmi H. , Salih Abdulwahid M. , Omar Diyar A. , Mikael Tomas M. , Hassan Marwan N. , Aziz Masrur S. , Baba Hiwa O. , Abdullah Hiwa O. , Mustafa Mohammed Q. , Essa Rawand A. , Kakamad Suhaib H. , Qadr Goran A. , Othman Snur , Salih Rawezh Q. , Abdulla Fakher , Abdulla Berwn A. , Najar Kayhan A. , Hussein Dahat A. , Sidiq Shadi H. , Rahim Hawbash M. , Mohammed Karokh K. , Ali Rebwar A. , Ahmed Jaafar O. , Hammood Zuhair D.
Published: August 2022

Objectives:

The aim of this report is to determine and present the prevalence and impact of predatory journals and publishers in the field of oncology.

Method:

All predatory journals specific to oncology were included in this study. The reference list was Kscien’s list.

Results:

Two hundred fifty-eight predatory oncology journals were identified. They distributed 33,069 papers. These publications have received 335,217 citations with a mean of 1250.81 citations per journal and 10.14 citations per paper. The majority of these citations (300,259, 89.57%) came from the legitimate journals. About 235,586 coauthors from 141 countries have published one or more articles in these journals.

Conclusion:

The huge number of papers and citations are a threatening alarm. Oncologists and oncology researchers must learn how to avoid these journals.
Musical Bridges to Memory
Authors: Schafer Rhiana , Karstens Aimee , Hospelhorn Emma , Wolfe Jeffrey , Ziemba Amanda , Wise Peggy , Crown Rickie , Rook Jenni , Bonakdarpour Borna
Published: August 2022

Background:

Music-based psychosocial interventions may provide effective management of behavioral symptoms in persons with dementia (PWDs). However, there has been a paucity of studies that measured their effect on social engagement. This proof-of-concept study evaluates efficacy of the Musical Bridges to Memory (MBM) intervention on PWD’s social engagement, behavioral symptoms, and associated caregiver distress.

Methods:

Twenty-nine PWDs and caregivers (8 control dyads, 21 intervention) participated in this dyadically designed, prospective, blinded, 12-week controlled interventional study. The intervention consisted of weekly MBM sessions, led by board-certified music therapists and performers, including caregiver training, live performances, and social breakout groups. Outcomes were measured by the Verbal and Nonverbal Interaction Scale for Care Receivers (VNVIS-CR) to code interactions between PWDs and caregivers for verbal and nonverbal sociable and unsociable behaviors. Symptom severity and caregiver distress were measured using Neuropsychiatric Inventory.

Results:

Nonverbal sociable interactions significantly increased (P=0.012) in those who completed the MBM program as compared with a decrease observed in the control group. Family/caregiver distress associated with PWDs neuropsychiatric symptoms showed significant improvement in the experimental group as compared with controls (P=0.045).

Conclusions:

This study provides proof-of-concept that MBM improves nonverbal sociable content of PWDs interactions and reduces caregivers’ distress.
Modelling brain tissue elasticity with the Ogden model and an alternative family of constitutive models
Authors: Anssari-Benam Afshin , Destrade Michel , Saccomandi Giuseppe
Published: August 2022

The Ogden model is often considered as a standard model in the literature for application to the deformation of brain tissue. Here, we show that, in some of those applications, the use of the Ogden model leads to the non-convexity of the strain-energy function and mis-prediction of the correct concavity of the experimental stress–stretch curves over a range of the deformation domain. By contrast, we propose a family of models which provides a favourable fit to the considered datasets while remaining free from the highlighted shortcomings of the Ogden model. While, as we discuss, those shortcomings might be due to the artefacts of the testing protocols, the proposed family of models proves impervious to such artefacts.

This article is part of the theme issue 'The Ogden model of rubber mechanics: Fifty years of impact on nonlinear elasticity'.
Exponents of the one-term Ogden model: insights from simple shear
Authors: Horgan Cornelius O. , Murphy Jeremiah G.
Published: August 2022

Isotropic one-term Ogden models are widely used to predict the mechanical response of both incompressible elastomers and soft tissue. Even though the exponent might be chosen to yield excellent agreement with some aspects of mechanical response, there is no guarantee that these models will be physically realistic in all situations. We show here that, in particular, the predictions of models with either negative or large positive exponents do not seem physically realistic in simple shear. The mechanical response of materials in shear should be physically realistic to ensure rational and reliable predictions for complex geometries and boundary conditions. We suggest that for problematic values of exponents of one-term models that extra Ogden invariants should necessarily be included in the model.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘The Ogden model of rubber mechanics: Fifty years of impact on nonlinear elasticity’.
An introduction to the Ogden model in biomechanics: benefits, implementation tools and limitations
Authors: Lohr Matthew J. , Sugerman Gabriella P. , Kakaletsis Sotirios , Lejeune Emma , Rausch Manuel K.
Published: August 2022

Constitutive models are important to biomechanics for two key reasons. First, constitutive modelling is an essential component of characterizing tissues’ mechanical properties for informing theoretical and computational models of biomechanical systems. Second, constitutive models can be used as a theoretical framework for extracting and comparing key quantities of interest from material characterization experiments. Over the past five decades, the Ogden model has emerged as a popular constitutive model in soft tissue biomechanics with relevance to both informing theoretical and computational models and to comparing material characterization experiments. The goal of this short review is threefold. First, we will discuss the broad relevance of the Ogden model to soft tissue biomechanics and the general characteristics of soft tissues that are suitable for approximating with the Ogden model. Second, we will highlight exemplary uses of the Ogden model in brain tissue, blood clot and other tissues. Finally, we offer a tutorial on fitting the one-term Ogden model to pure shear experimental data via both an analytical approximation of homogeneous deformation and a finite-element model of the tissue domain. Overall, we anticipate that this short review will serve as a practical introduction to the use of the Ogden model in biomechanics.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘The Ogden model of rubber mechanics: Fifty years of impact on nonlinear elasticity’.
Genetic Architecture of Heart Mitochondrial Proteome influencing Cardiac Hypertrophy
Authors: Krishnan Karthickeyan Chella , El Hachem Elie-Julien , Carroll Luke , Vegas Alexis Diaz , Light Christine , Cao Yang , Pan Calvin , Kaczor-Urbanowicz Karolina Elżbieta , Shravah Varun , Anum Diana , Pellegrini Matteo , Lee Chi Fung , Seldin Marcus M. , Parker Benjamin L. , James David E. , Lusis Aldons J.
Published: August 2022

Mitochondria play a key role in the normal function of the heart as well as in the pathogenesis of diseases. We report analysis of common genetic variations contributing to mitochondrial and heart functions using an integrative proteomics approach in a panel of inbred mouse strains called the Hybrid Mouse Diversity Panel (HMDP). We performed a whole heart proteomic analysis in the HMDP (72 strains, n=2-3 mice) and retrieved 840 mitochondrial proteins (quantified in ≥50 strains). High-resolution association mapping on their respective abundance levels identified three trans-acting genetic loci, located on chromosome (chr) 7, chr13 and chr17, that control distinct classes of mitochondrial proteins as well as heart hypertrophy. Follow-up high resolution regional mapping identified NDUFS4, LRPPRC and COQ7 as the candidate genes for chr13, chr17 and chr7 loci, respectively, and both experimental and statistical analyses supported their causal roles. Variations of all three were associated with heart mass in two independent heart stress models, namely, isoproterenol (ISO)-induced heart failure and diet-induced obesity (DIO) models. To identify the aspects of mitochondrial metabolism regulated by these loci, we constructed co-expression protein networks using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). DAVID enrichment analyses of genes regulated by each of the loci revealed that the chr13 locus was highly enriched for complex-I proteins (24 proteins, P = 2.2E-61), the chr17 locus for mitochondrial ribonucleoprotein complex (17 proteins, P = 3.1E-25) and the chr7 locus for ubiquinone biosynthesis (3 proteins, P = 6.9E-05). These results indicate that common variations of certain mitochondrial proteins can act in trans to influence mitochondrial functions and contribute to heart hypertrophy, elucidating mechanisms that may underlie genetic susceptibility to heart failure in human populations.
Synchrotron-based DEI and DEI-CT systems to image chick pea seeds, plant anatomy and the associated physiology at 30 keV
Authors: Rao D.V. , Gigante G.E. , Zhong Z. , Cesareo R. , Brunetti A. , Schiavon N. , Akatsuka T. , Yuasa T. , Takeda T.
Published: August 2022

The study the effect of contrast on seeds, growth and the associated anatomy and physiology, with upgraded imaging systems. The use of phase information to explore new information at various stage of the growth.

This work benefits, the use of Synchrotron-based DEI and DEI-CT systems to enhance the contrast in plant root architecture and contrast mechanisms, visibility of fine structures of root architecture growth and some aspects of physiology at acceptable level. These non-destructive, imaging systems available at the X-15A beamline, at NSLS, BNL, USA, are utilized.

Noticed detailed anatomical and physiological observations, contrast mechanisms, with these upgraded systems, compared to other conventional techniques, equipped with tube source of X-rays. Examined the potential of these systems to quantify the plant roots in situ. The acquired images provided good contrast, anatomical structures and physiology of the plant root micro-architecture. We observed some of the complex plant traits, such as growth, development, root architecture and the associated physiology. The interior structure, root architecture, root morphology, growth of laterals and subsequent laterals can be visualized directly by synchrotron-based imaging techniques.

Root architecture of the plant grown from seeds provides new information about the structure and enhancement of some desired property, for example, interior micro-structure of the root laterals and the subsequent laterals and the clear visibility of the leaves in detail. This way, it will be possible to differentiate the weakly and strongly attenuation of the signal traversing within the sample, clearly reflects the acceptable visibility in root laterals, subsequent laterals and the associated opaque matrix with enhanced contrast. The sample has a thin layer of hard structure outside and protein inside. Extinction properties of these samples will be characterized by Sy-DEI and Sy-DEI-CT. This way, we may be able to differentiate softly and weakly attenuation within the sample, to know more about the contrast mechanisms. The visibility, contrast and porosity, with finer details, can be noticed, with Sy-DEI-CT systems as distinguished from Sy-DEI. However, limited field of view, may limit the problems associated with Sy-DEI-CT.
Fibrillin microfibril structure identifies long-range effects of inherited pathogenic mutations affecting a key regulatory TGFβ-binding site
Authors: Godwin Alan RF , Thomson Jennifer , Holmes David F , Adamo Christin S , Sengle Gerhard , Sherratt Michael J , Roseman Alan M , Baldock Clair
Published: August 2022

Genetic mutations in fibrillin microfibrils cause a range of serious inherited diseases such as Marfan syndrome (MFS) and Weill-Marchesani syndrome (WMS). These diseases typically show major dysregulation of tissue development and growth, particularly in skeletal long bones, but links between the mutations and the diseases are unknown. In this study we reveal the detailed cryo-EM structure of native fibrillin microfibrils from mammalian tissue. The major bead region showed pseudo 8-fold symmetry and a buried protease resistant N-terminal core. Based on this structure, we show a WMS deletion mutant induces a rearrangement with long-range effects blocking interaction with latent TGFβ-binding protein (LTBP)-1 at a remote site. Separate deletion of this binding site resulted in the assembly of shorter fibrillin microfibrils with structural alterations. These results establish that in complex extracellular protein assemblies, such as in fibrillin, mutations may have long-range structural consequences to disrupt growth factor signalling and cause disease.
In vivo quantitative high-throughput screening for drug discovery and comparative toxicology
Authors: Dranchak Patricia K. , Oliphant Erin , Queme Bryan , Lamy Laurence , Wang Yuhong , Huang Ruili , Xia Menghang , Tao Dingyin , Inglese James
Published: August 2022

Quantitative high-throughput screening (qHTS) evaluates the pharmacology of drug and investigational agent libraries for potential therapeutic uses, toxicological risk assessment, and increasingly for academic chemical tool discovery. Phenotypic HTS assays aim to interrogate molecular pathways and networks, often relying on cell culture systems, historically with less emphasis on multicellular organisms. C. elegans has served as a powerful eukaryotic model organism for human biology and disease by virtue of genetic conservation and experimental tractability. Here we describe a paradigm to enable C. elegans in qHTS using 384-well microtiter plate laser scanning cytometry. GFP-expressing organisms are used to reveal phenotype-modifying structure-activity relationships to guide subsequent life stages and proteomic analysis. E. coli bacterial ghosts, a non-replicating nutrient source, allow compound exposures over 7-days spanning two life cycles to mitigate complications from bacterial overgrowth. We demonstrate the method with a library composed of anti-infective agents, or molecules of general toxicological concern. Each was tested in 7-point titration to assess the feasibility of nematode-based in vivo qHTS, and examples of follow-up strategies were provided to study organism-based chemotype selectivity and subsequent network perturbations having a physiological impact. We anticipate a broader application of this qHTS-coupled proteomics approach will enable the analysis of C. elegans orthologous transgenic phenotypes of human pathologies to facilitate drug and probe profiling from high-impact chemical libraries for a range of therapeutic indications and study of potential toxicological signatures.

Graphic Abstract
Cell Atlas at Single-Nuclei Resolution of the Adult Human Adrenal Gland and Adrenocortical Adenomas
Authors: Altieri Barbara , Secener A. Kerim , Sai Somesh , Fischer Cornelius , Sbiera Silviu , Arampatzi Panagiota , Herterich Sabine , Landwehr Laura-Sophie , Vitcetz Sarah N. , Braeuning Caroline , Fassnacht Martin , Ronchi Cristina L. , Sauer Sascha
Published: August 2022

The human adrenal gland is a complex endocrine tissue. Developmental studies on this tissue have been limited to animal models or human foetus. Here, we present a cell atlas analysis of the adult human normal adrenal gland, combining single-nuclei RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptome data to reconstruct adrenal gland development and tumourigenesis. We identified two populations of potential progenitor cells resident within the adrenal cortex: adrenocortical progenitors NR2F2+-ID1+cells, located within and underneath the capsule, and medullary progenitors SYT1+-CHGA−cells, located in islets in the subcapsular region. Using pseudotime analyses, we provided evidence of the centripetal nature of adrenocortical cell development and of the essential role played by the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in the adrenocortical self-renewal. By comparing transcriptional profiles of cells of normal adrenal glands and adrenocortical adenomas we revealed a high heterogeneity with six adenoma-specific clusters. Overall, our results give insights into adrenal plasticity and mechanisms underlying adrenocortical tumourigenesis.
Discovery of phage determinants that confer sensitivity to bacterial immune systems
Authors: Stokar-Avihail Avigail , Fedorenko Taya , Garb Jeremy , Leavitt Azita , Millman Adi , Shulman Gabriela , Wojtania Nicole , Melamed Sarah , Amitai Gil , Sorek Rotem
Published: August 2022

Over the past few years, numerous anti-phage defense systems have been discovered in bacteria. While the mechanism of defense for some of these systems is understood, a major unanswered question is how these systems sense phage infection. To systematically address this question, we isolated 192 phage mutants that escape 19 different defense systems. In many cases, these escaper phages were mutated in the gene sensed by the defense system, enabling us to map the phage determinants that confer sensitivity to bacterial immunity. Our data identify specificity determinants of diverse retron systems and reveal phage-encoded triggers for multiple abortive infection systems. We find general themes in phage sensing and demonstrate that mechanistically diverse systems have converged to sense either the core replication machinery of the phage, phage structural components, or host takeover mechanisms. Combining our data with previous findings, we formulate key principles on how bacterial immune systems sense phage invaders.
Borderline personality disorder following resection of large sagittal sinus meningioma is evidenced by a self-other voice discrimination task: a case report
Authors: Orepic Pavo , Iannotti Giannina Rita , Haemmerli Julien , Goga Cristina , Park Hyeong-Dong , Betka Sophie , Blanke Olaf , Michel Christoph M. , Bondolfi Guido , Schaller Karl
Published: August 2022

Personality changes following neurosurgical procedures pose a major concern for patients and remain poorly understood both by clinicians and neuroscientists. Here we report a case of a female patient in her 50s who underwent resection of a large sagittal sinus meningioma with bilateral extension, including resection and ligation of the superior sagittal sinus, that resulted in borderline personality disorder and symptoms resembling the Gastaut-Geschwind syndrome. Clinical observations were further reflected and experimentally quantified with a series of behavioral and neuroimaging tasks assessing self-other voice discrimination, one of the established markers for self-consciousness. In all tasks, the patient consistently confused self- and other voices – i.e., she misattributed other-voice stimuli to herself and self-voice stimuli to others. Moreover, behavioral findings were corroborated with scalp EEG results. Specifically, the same EEG microstate, that was in healthy participants associated with hearing their own voice, in this patient occurred more often for other-voice stimuli. We hypothesize that the patient’s preexisting psychological problems were significantly aggravated by postoperative decompensation of a fragile steady-state combination of direct frontal lobe compression and preoperative development of a large venous collateral hemodynamic network that followed gradual occlusion of the superior sagittal sinus. Resection of the sagittal sinus together with the tumor impacted venous drainage of brain areas associated with self-consciousness. These findings are of high relevance for developing experimental biomarkers of post-surgical personality alterations.
Structural basis of CBP/p300 recruitment by the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor
Authors: Brown Alexandra D. , Vergunst Kathleen L. , Branch Makenzie , Blair Connor M. , Dupré Denis J. , Baillie George S. , Langelaan David N.
Published: August 2022

The microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) is a master regulator of the melanocyte cell lineage. Aberrant MITF activity can lead to multiple malignancies including skin cancer, where it modulates the proliferation and invasiveness of melanoma. MITF-dependent gene expression requires recruitment of transcriptional co-activators such as CBP/p300, but details of this process are not fully defined. Here, we investigate the structural and functional interaction between the MITF N-terminal transactivation domain (MITFTAD) and CBP/p300. A combination of pulldown assays and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy determined that MITF binds both TAZ1 and TAZ2 domains of CBP/p300 with high affinity. The solution-state structure of the MITFTAD:TAZ2 complex reveals that MITF interacts with a hydrophobic surface of TAZ2, while remaining relatively dynamic. Peptide array and mutagenesis experiments determined that an acidic motif is integral to the MITFTAD:TAZ2 interaction and is necessary for transcriptional activity of MITF. Peptides that bind to the same surface of TAZ2 as MITFTAD, such as the adenoviral protein E1A, are capable of displacing MITF from TAZ2 and inhibiting transactivation. These results provide mechanistic insight into co-activator recruitment by MITF that are fundamental to our understanding of MITF targeted gene regulation and melanoma biology.