bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A multimodal critical discourse analysis of city as text: investigation of meaning metafunctions of Rasht’s Imam Khomeini Street
Authors: Hosseini Aref , Barekat Behzad
Published: December 2022

Studying the city as text is influenced by a phenomenon called the linguistic turn. This is because the text of the city is composed of different semiotic systems. This study employs multimodal discourse analysis as its theoretical framework. Through a close examination of the organizational, interactional and representational metafunction of the city text, the authors aim to highlight its characteristics as a communicational resource to provide a multimodal reading of the city. They demonstrate how applying a social semiotic approach to the physical dimensions of a street contributes to a particular understanding of how this public space is used or navigated and how the formal management of the flow of cars and people is materialized. Here the city is classified into different levels of resolution based on urban morphology’s description of the urban tissue. The text of the city is constructed through dialogue among meaning metafunctions on one level and among different levels. Examining different aspects of meaning in the text of Imam Khomeini Street and the city of Rasht indicates how, in such a text, the producers and participants communicate through the material aspect of the city. Uses of semiotic materials are ideological and their affordances have evolved in specific socio-political moments. In this street, the city as an institution and as a place of authority having the biggest share in the production of this text persuades other participants to follow and reproduce a certain narration of the reality. Controlling and training the body, on one hand, and using the urban space for advertising the dominant discourse, on the other hand, are the boldest motives of this street’s design, and the formation of the different dimensions of meaning is somehow at the service of the consolidation of a particular kind of everyday life.
A 2-year Comparative Analysis of Outcomes and Endovascular Interventions in Radio-Cephalic vs. Brachio-Cephalic Fistulae
Authors: Fallon John , Kirkham Emily , Chana Manik , Kulkarni Sachin R. , Cooper David , Paravastu Sharath
Published: December 2022

Background

Arterio-venous fistulae are often compromised by complications, notably thrombosis. We assess the 2 year follow-up data of a cohort of patients from a single vascular centre in the UK who underwent BCF or RCF creation with the objective of assessing the outcome differences and intervention rates between fistula types.

Materials and Methods

We retrospectively assessed a cohort of 195 patients who underwent creation of arterio-venous fistula (100 BCF, 95 RCF) between January 2016 and December 2018, following them up for 2 years assessing the outcomes and interventions on their AVFs. The outcomes assessed were primary and cumulative patency at 6 weeks, 6, 12 and 24 months. Multinomial logistic regression to account for confounding variables age, gender, procedure, side, anticoagulant, vessel size and co-morbidities was performed. A Kaplan-Meier analysis of time to endovascular intervention was also performed comparing RCF and BCF.

Results

Cumulative patency rates for BCF vs RCF were 91% vs. 89% at 6 weeks ( X 2 (3, N = 194) = 4.70, P = .19), 83% vs. 76% at 6 months ( X 2 (3, N = 188) = 7.72, P = .05), 78% vs. 69% at 12 months ( X 2 (4, N = 175) = 5.37, P = .25) and 68% vs. 65% at 24 months ( X 2 (4, N = 161) = 5.24, P = .24). Endovascular intervention rate becomes divergent at 5 months, with the steepest difference between 6 and 12 months. Comparative endovascular intervention rates between BCF and RCF were 20% vs. 31% at 6 months, 41% vs. 40% at 12 months and 40% vs. 49% at 24 months.

Conclusion

RCF seem to have significantly lower patency at 6 months and have higher endovascular intervention rates compared to BCF. A focussed surveillance protocol could prove effective in improving outcomes for RCF.
Successful Treatment of a Left Gastric Artery Pseudoaneurysm by Image Guided Percutaneous Thrombin Injection
Authors: Thomson Benedict , Patel Virjen , Moser Steven , Diamantopoulos Athanasios
Published: December 2022

Visceral artery pseudoaneurysms are common complications of pancreatitis that carry a high mortality rate. The splenic artery is the commonest artery involved. Gastric artery pseudoaneurysms are less common with less than 50 cases reported in the literature. A 58-year-old female was referred to the Interventional Radiology department with a left gastric artery pseudoaneurysm secondary to acute pancreatitis. Initial Digital Subtraction Angiography revealed the pseudoaneurysm arising from the left gastric artery. Several attempts to cannulate the pseudoaneurysm were unsuccessful due to arterial spasm. Consequently, the left gastric artery proximal to the pseudoaneurysm was embolised with 300 microns of polyvinyl alcohol and two coils. 24 hours post-procedure, a computed tomography (CT) scan was performed which revealed a blush of contrast enhancement within the pseudoaneurysm sac, consistent with unsuccessful embolisation. Using a combination of ultrasound and cone beam CT guidance, a 22-gauge Chiba needle was advanced percutaneously via a transhepatic approach to the patent segment of the pseudoaneurysm. 2.5 ml of human thrombin was then injected directly into the pseudoaneurysm. Image guided injection of thrombin has become a well-recognised treatment for a variety of peripheral and visceral pseudoaneurysms and is often performed following a failed attempt of routine endovascular embolisation. We report the case of a patient affected by a pseudoaneurysm of the left gastric artery, treated with a CT guided percutaneous thrombin injection directly into the pseudoaneurysm. This demonstrates that percutaneous coagulation can be an adjunct or an alternative to endovascular embolisation.
Factors Influencing Hospital Readmission after Lower Extremity Bypass for Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia
Authors: Kim Young , Feldman Zachary M. , Majumdar Monica , DeCarlo Charles S. , Pendleton Anna Alaska , Zacharias Nikolaos , Mohapatra Abhisekh , Dua Anahita
Published: December 2022

Objectives: Unplanned hospital readmission is a leading source of hospital resource expenditure, and preventing readmission may improve both patient quality of life and healthcare costs. The factors influencing hospital readmission after lower extremity bypass (LEB) for chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) remain incompletely investigated. Methods: A regional, multi-institutional database was retrospectively reviewed for all patients who underwent LEB for CLTI between 1995 to 2020. The primary outcome was unplanned hospital readmission up to 30 days following bypass. Results: A total of 1315 patients underwent LEB across all institutions, of whom 843 (64.1%) underwent bypass for CLTI. The 30-day hospital readmission rate was 25.3%, and the leading causes of readmission were wound-related complications (51.6%). There was no difference in age, sex, or race between readmitted and non-readmitted patients. Conduit type and bypass target were also similar between groups. Readmitted patients more frequently underwent LEB for tissue loss (58.2% vs 50.2%, P = 0.042). On multivariable analysis, wound infection (odds ratio [OR] 9.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 6.2-13.2, P < 0.001) and non-infectious wound complications (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.0-3.9, P = 0.041) were independently associated with hospital readmission. Factors not associated with hospital readmission included patient age, conduit type, distal bypass target, and other medical comorbidities. Conclusions: One quarter of patients are readmitted within 30 days following lower extremity bypass for chronic limb-threatening ischemia. Efforts to mitigate wound infection and non-infectious wound complications may decrease rates of unplanned hospital readmission.
The effect of procedural end-tidal CO2 on infarct expansion during anterior circulation thrombectomy
Authors: Parr Matthew S , Salehani Arsalaan , Ogilvie Mark , Ethan Tabibian B , Rahm Sage , Hale Andrew T , Tsemo Georges Bouobda , Aluri Akshay , Kim Jinsuh , Mathru Mali , Jones Jesse G A
Published: December 2022

Background

Carbon dioxide is a potent cerebral vasodilator that may influence outcomes after ischemic stroke. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of intraprocedural mean end-tidal CO2 (ETCO2) levels on core infarct expansion and neurologic outcome following thrombectomy for anterior circulation ischemic stroke.

Methods

A retrospective review was conducted of consecutive patients from March 2020 to June 2021 who underwent mechanical thrombectomy for acute anterior circulation ischemic stroke under general anesthesia and achieved successful recanalization (Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction [TICI] ≥ 2b). Only patients with CT perfusion, procedural ETCO2, and postoperative MRI data were included. Segmentation software was used for multi-parametric image analysis. Normocarbia defined as mean ETCO2 of 35 mmHg was used to dichotomize subjects. Univariate and multivariate statistics were applied.

Results

Fifty-eight patients met criteria for analysis. Of these, 44 had TICI 3 recanalization, 9 had TICI 2c, and 5 had TICI 2b. Within this combined recanalization group, patients with mean ETCO2 > 35 had significantly higher rates of functional independence at 90 days. Although patients tended to salvage more penumbra and experience smaller final infarcts when ETCO2 exceeded 35 mmHg, this did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusions

Stroke patients who underwent successful thrombectomy with general anesthesia achieved higher rates of functional independence when procedural ETCO2 exceeded 35 mmHg. Further studies to confirm this effect and investigate optimal ETCO2 parameters should be considered.
Mother-in-law childcare and perinatal depression in rural Pakistan
Authors: Chung Esther O , Hagaman Ashley , Bibi Amina , Frost Allison , Haight Sarah C , Sikander Siham , Maselko Joanna
Published: December 2022

Background:

Mothers-in-law often provide key childcare support to daughters-in-law during the perinatal period that may enhance maternal mental health. Yet, poor mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationships may be associated with maternal depression. The extent to which mother-in-law childcare involvement affects perinatal depression may differ across contexts of family conflict.

Objective:

We explored the relationship between mother-in-law childcare and daughter-in-law perinatal depression in rural Pakistan across contexts of family conflict.

Methods:

Data on 783 women came from the Bachpan Cohort, a birth cohort in Pakistan. Maternally-reported mother-in-law childcare was assessed at 3 and 12 months postpartum using a 24-h recall and categorized into no, low, and high involvement. Major depression was captured at 3 and 12 months using the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV. Family conflict was captured using three items from the Life Events Checklist. Log-Poisson models were used to estimate cross-sectional associations between mother-in-law childcare and perinatal depression, stratified by family conflict.

Results:

Mother-in-law childcare was common in the first year postpartum. The association between mother-in-law childcare and perinatal depression differed by the presence of family conflict and postpartum timing. At 3 months postpartum, low and high mother-in-law childcare (vs no involvement) were associated with a lower prevalence of depression regardless of family conflict. At 12 months postpartum, among families with no conflict, low mother-in-law childcare (vs no involvement) was associated with lower perinatal depression; however, among families with conflict, high mother-in-law childcare was associated with increased perinatal depression.

Conclusion:

Our findings highlight the complexities of associations between mother-in-law childcare support and perinatal depression in the first year after birth. Mother-in-law childcare in the immediate postpartum period was beneficial for mothers. Understanding the source, amount, timing, and context of social support is necessary to inform research and interventions that aim to improve maternal mental health.
The Role of Subjective Expectations for Exhaustion and Recovery: The Sample Case of Work and Leisure
Authors: Schüttengruber Victoria , Freund Alexandra M.
Published: December 2022

We propose a new model of exhaustion and recovery that posits that people evaluate an activity as exhausting or recovering on the basis of the subjective expectation about how exhausting or recovering activities related to a certain life domain are. To exemplify the model, we focus as a first step on the widely shared expectations that work is exhausting and leisure is recovering. We assume that the association of an activity related to a life domain associated with exhaustion (e.g., work) leads people to monitor their experiences and selectively attend to signs of exhaustion; in contrast, while pursuing an activity related to a life domain associated with recovery (e.g., leisure), people preferentially process signs of recovery. We further posit that the preferential processing of signs of exhaustion (vs. recovery) leads to experiencing more exhaustion when pursuing activities expected to be exhausting (e.g., work activities) and more recovery when pursuing activities expected to be recovering (e.g., leisure activities). This motivational process model of exhaustion and recovery provides new testable hypotheses that differ from predictions derived from limited-resource models.
In-game winner prediction and winning strategy generation in cricket: A machine learning approach
Authors: Pussella Pranath , Silva Rajitha M , Egodawatta Chaminda
Published: December 2022

This study provides an in-game prediction of the winner for Twenty20 (T20) cricket by focusing on the matches played in the Indian Premier League. For the analysis, data were collected from 812 completed matches played between 2008 and 2020. Initially, several candidate features were identified, and then the LASSO method was applied as a feature selection technique to identify the most important set of features. Based on the identified important features, predictions are provided for each stage of a match where a T20 match can consist of a maximum of 240 stages. For each stage, three classification models were formed using Naive Bayes, Logistic Regression and Support Vector Machines. The prediction accuracy was used for evaluating the findings of the study, and the prediction accuracy of each model indicates the ratio between the number of correctly predicted instances and the total number of predicted instances. Naive Bayes demonstrated prediction accuracies ranging from 53.08% to 91.76% between the first and the 240th stage of matches, whereas the accuracy of Logistic Regression varied from 56.92% to 97.65%. In comparison, Support Vector Machines also displayed comparable outcomes with a prediction accuracy of 55.00% at the first stage, and 90.59% at the 240th stage. Furthermore, a strategy generator that assists the competing teams in the second innings to devise winning strategies, is presented in this study alongside an interactive web-based application for making in-game predictions, and for assisting the end users (players and coaching/managing staff) in decision making, based on the generated winning strategies.
Legal design in commercial contracting and business sustainability New legal quality metrics standards
Authors: Nousiainen Katri
Published: December 2022

There is surely room for improvement in commercial contracting practice. The current contracting evolution often leads to a situation where contracts become increasingly and may be needlessly, complex. The paper discusses how complex contracts evolve and how the proposed legal design approach can bring comprehensibility for tackling complexity in contracting. This approach is providing for various benefits and incentives, such as business sustainability, reduced transaction costs, and competitive business advantage. A novel legal quality metric is introduced. This metric will foster the measuring of quality in the legal profession. The metric, comprehensibility, would better serve both lawyers and clients in measuring the true quality of legal services, processes, and products – than the often used, easily misleading metrics such as time spent, cases won, and hours billed. Through this innovative approach to legal quality metrics, the paper will bring further understanding of the impact of comprehensibility in commercial contracting.
#HaStatoPutin Affinity Space: From Political Work to Autotelic Humor
Authors: Dynel Marta
Published: December 2022

This article reports the findings of a diachronic sociopragmatic study on the politically loaded Italian hashtag #HaStatoPutin based on an automatically generated corpus of tweets ( N = 31,334), encompassing two datasets from before and after what Putin originally called Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine that commenced on 24 February 2022. #HaStatoPutin appeared on Twitter in 2015 to mark tweets criticizing what Italian users considered to be unsupported conspiracy theories targeting Vladimir Putin, viewed by these users as a scapegoat in mainstream political rhetoric spread in the Western world. As this comparative study shows, the emergent applications of the hashtag are hardly affected by the events of 2022, indicating the stability of the expression and the political opinions of polarized Italian society, regardless of the socio-political context. Specifically, four tweet categories, which express tweeters’ political opinions or serve humorous purposes, are identified in both datasets: dissociative echo, counter-criticism, mock conspiracy theories, and metacomments. Given the specificity of #HaStatoPutin, its political contextualization, and applications, with which the users need to be familiar to create and understand tagged tweets, it is proposed that the tweeting practice makes for a “hashtag affinity space” on Twitter.
Heating Up: How Early Twitter Marketing Gave Rise to Organic Word-of-Mouth About Heated Tobacco Products
Authors: Kostygina Ganna , Tran Hy , Kim Yoonsang , Czaplicki Lauren , Kierstead Elexis , Kreslake Jennifer , Emery Sherry , Schillo Barbara
Published: December 2022

Social media are an important marketing platform for emerging tobacco products. Heated tobacco products (HTPs) have been introduced in a limited number of local test markets in the United States as potentially reduced-exposure tobacco products. HTPs can be used to heat tobacco as well as marijuana. However, due to growing digital media promotion of these products, it is possible that public knowledge and purchasing opportunities extend beyond test markets. Research on HTP social media promotion is sparse. The objective of the present study is to assess the amount and characterize the content of HTP-related messages on Twitter. We used keyword rules to collect HTP-related posts from the Twitter Historical Powertrack from 1 August 2016 to 31 July 2021. Posts were coded for type (organic, commercial), promotional strategies (e.g., discounts, event promotion), and marijuana co-use mentions using a combination of machine learning methods and human coding. Keyword filters captured 121,012 relevant tweets posted over the period of data collection, with 46,013 (38.02%) tweets featuring commercial content. Findings revealed that there was a two-fold increase in the monthly volume of messages from August 2016 to July 2021. The proportion of organic tweets increased from 29% of all tweets in August 2016 to 73.5% in July 2021. Approximately 20.6% of tweets included mentions of marijuana, and 5,243 posts (4.3%) contained links to online retailers. Promotional tweets featured event promotion, discounts, reduced harm appeals, and fashion appeals. Tobacco control and substance use prevention initiatives should include efforts to monitor the role of social media in promoting organic word-of-mouth and normalizing novel tobacco products.
Refinement of the Lakaev Academic Stress Response Scale (LASRS-2) for Research, Clinical, and Educational Settings Using Rasch Modeling
Authors: Lakaev Natasha
Published: December 2022

Rasch Analysis suggested the Lakaev Academic Stress Response Scale-1 (LASRS-1) would benefit from refinement by the addition of items and changes to the wording of other items. It was named the LASRS-2 and contained Four Domains (Affective, Behavioral, Cognitive, and Physiological). Rasch Model Analysis tested construct validity and internal reliability on a population of tertiary (university or college) level students ( n = 2,000). Good person separation and item reliability estimates provided evidence that this tool was a reliable measure of academic stress. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of Rasch residuals showed the scale to be unidimensional. The results confirmed confidence in the replicability of scores due to sufficient item separation, agreeability, and that scores formed a continuum. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used as a secondary check to support findings of Rasch Modeling outcomes. The LASRS-2 was shown to be a valid and reliable psychometric tool that measured academic stress.
Social Network Strategy to Promote HIV Testing and Linkage to HIV Services among Young men who Have sex with men and Transgender Women in Thailand
Authors: Paiboon Nantika , Songtaweesin Wipaporn Natalie , Wongharn Prissana , Moonwong Jutamanee , Khamthi Sasiprapha , Premgamone Athiporn , Theerawit Tuangtip , Saisaengjan Chutima , Kawichai Surinda , Anugulruengkitt Suvaporn , Puthanakit Thanyawee
Published: December 2022

Background: Social network strategies (SNS) assumes that people in the same social share similar HIV risk. Methods: This study evaluated SNS to promote HIV testing of young men who have sex with men (YMSM) and transgender women (YTGW) aged 15–24 years. “Recruiters” referred their ‘network members’ (NMs) to clinic. NMs were provided HIV testing. Proportions of first-time HIV testers and number of NMs were analyzed. Results: Between April 2021 to March 2022, 83 recruiters referred 202 NMs. Median age of NMs was 19 years (IQR 17-20), 62% were YMSM. One-hundred-and-twenty-four NMs (61%) were first-time HIV testers. YTGW recruited more NMs per recruiter (5.4 vs 1.4, p  =  0.002). HIV prevalence was 3.0% (95% CI 1.1-6.4). Thirty-one-point-three percent of NMs at HIV risk initiated oral HIV preexposure prophylaxis. Conclusions: SNS is a good strategy to reach adolescents at risk of HIV infection. More than half of NMs were first-time HIV testers.
TG2 as a novel breast cancer prognostic marker promotes cell proliferation and glycolysis by activating the MEK/ERK/LDH pathway
Authors: Xu Dahai , Xu Ning , Sun Liang , Yang Zhaoying , He Miao , Li Youjun
Published: December 2022

Background

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignant tumor among women worldwide. Tissue transglutaminase 2 (TG2) has been reported as a major player across several types of cancer. However, the effects of TG2 in breast cancer are less known.

Methods

The expression of TG2 in patients with BC was detected by immunochemistry staining and RT-qPCR. The correlation of TG2 expression and clinicopathological factors or overall survival (OS) was analyzed by Chi-square test, Kaplan-Meier, and Cox-regression analysis. The effects of TG2 on cell proliferation and glycolysis were investigated in vivo and in vitro by gain- and loss-of-function experiments.

Result

Both mRNA and protein levels of TG2 were overexpressed in BC tissues and cultured cells. Clinical stage (p = 0.011), molecular subtype (p<0.001) and survival status (p<0.001) were significantly correlated with TG2 expression. Specifically, TG2 expression was positively associated with the clinical stage (r = 0.193, p = 0.005) and OS (r = 0.230, p = 0.001), while negatively associated with molecular subtype (r = − 0.161, p = 0.020). Overexpressed TG2 was a prognostic factor of poor OS by Cox-regression analysis. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments indicated that cell proliferation and glycolysis were regulated by TG2 via the MEK/ERK/LDH pathway. TG2-induced activation of the MEK/ERK/LDH pathway and glycolysis were attenuated by MEK inhibitor U0126.

Conclusion

TG2 is overexpressed in BC, which can serve as an independent prognostic factor for OS. TG2 promotes tumor cell proliferation and increases glycolysis associated with the activation of the MEK/ERK/LHD pathway.
Preschoolers’ parent and teacher/director perceptions of returning to early childcare education during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Bruening Meg , Nadalet Camila , Ashok Nathan , Suh Bin C. , Lee Rebecca E.
Published: December 2022

Background

Early Care and Education (ECE) sites are critical hubs for social, emotional, and physical learning development of preschool children (ages 3–5). The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted ECE enrollment and participation; until June 2022, preschool children in the US were ineligible for COVID-19 vaccines. It is critical to identify perceptions of teachers/directors and parents to enhance safe return-to-school efforts.

Methods

Focus groups (n = 7; 22 participants) were conducted with ECE teachers/directors throughout Arizona to examine perceptions of COVID-19 testing for families and staff at ECE sites, and current and possible COVID-19 mitigation strategies during Summer 2021. Preschool parents from underserved families in Phoenix (n = 41) completed a brief survey on their perceptions of benefits of ECE for themselves and their children, thoughts on COVID-19 mitigation strategies, and timing for safe return to school during Spring 2021. Focus groups were transcribed and analyzed for themes using constant comparison.

Results

There were 4 focus group themes: 1) perceptions of saliva-based COVID-19 testing, 2) logistical strategies for COVID-19 testing at ECE sites; 3) successes and challenges with current COVID-19 mitigation strategies; 4) ideas to support improved COVID-19 mitigation, including outdoor gardening. Parents rated peace of mind about the child’s education as the most important benefit for themselves of in-person ECE (74.6%), and social development for children as the most important benefit for their children (54.4%). Over 40% of parents reported it would not be safe to send children back until 2022.

Conclusions

COVID-19 continues to impact attendance at ECE sites, despite parents reporting key benefits to attending ECE sites. Teachers/directors supported COVID-19 mitigation strategies including saliva-based testing and gardening education to improve safe return to schools.
Explicating gender disparity in wearing face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Looi Kim Hoe
Published: December 2022

Background

The available evidence suggests that women were more likely to wear face masks as a precaution during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, few studies have explicated this gender disparity in wearing face masks. This study investigates associations of demographic factors with wearing face masks in Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic, then explicates gender disparity in wearing face masks from the lens of the Protection Motivation Theory.

Methods

The first part of this study employed a structured online survey of 708 Malaysian adult participants. Data collected were quantitatively analyzed by means of descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple linear regression. The second part of this study was conducted among 28 women to better understand gender disparity in protection motivations from the perspectives of women.

Results

Gender has the strongest positive association with wearing face masks (p-value < .001), followed by age (p-value = .028). The Protection Motivation Theory adequately explicated the gender disparity in wearing face masks. Additionally, women were motivated to wear face masks beyond protection from the SARS-CoV-2.

Conclusion

Understanding the underlying motivations for wearing face masks informs design of gender-based public health messages to increase compliance with public health regulations and reduce morbidity and mortality for present and future public health crises.
Forearm T-score as a predictor of cage subsidence in patients with degenerative lumbar spine disease following posterior single-segment lumbar interbody fusion
Authors: Pu Hong-yu , Chen Qian , Huang Kun , Zeng Rui , Wei Peng
Published: December 2022

Background

Posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) has become a classic treatment modality for lumbar degenerative diseases, with cage subsidence as a potentially fatal complication due to low bone mineral density (BMD), which can be measured by forearm T-score. Hounsfield units (HU) derived from computed tomography have been a reliable method for assessing BMD.

Objective

To determine the accuracy of forearm T-score in predicting cage subsidence after PLIF compared with lumbar spine HU values.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 71 patients who underwent PLIF and divided them into cage subsidence group and nonsubsidence group. The differences in preoperative HU value and forearm T-score were compared between groups, and the correlation between cage subsidence and clinical efficacy was analyzed.

Results

The subsidence rate for all 71 patients (31 men and 40 women) was 23.9%. There was no significant difference in age, sex ratio, body mass index, smoking status, follow-up time, spine BMD, and spine T-score between groups, except in the forearm T-score and lumbar spine HU values (P < 0.05). The forearm T-score (AUC, 0.840; 95% CI, 0.672–1.000) predicted cage subsidence more accurately than the mean global HU value (AUC, 0.744; 95% CI, 0.544–0.943). In logistic regression analysis, both forearm T-score and mean global HU value were found to be independent risk factors for cage subsidence (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Lower forearm T-scores and lower lumbar spine HU values were significantly associated with the occurrence of cage subsidence. Lower forearm T-scores indicated a higher risk of cage subsidence than lumbar spine HU values. Forearm T-score is more effective in predicting cage subsidence than spine T-score. Therefore, forearm dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry may be a fast, simple, and reliable method for predicting cage subsidence following PLIF. However, our results suggest that the degree of cage subsidence is not associated with clinical efficacy.
Prevalence of late and long-term effects of cancer (treatment) and use of complementary and alternative medicine in Norway
Authors: Kristoffersen Agnete E. , Wider Barbara , Nilsen Jorunn V. , Bjelland Mona , Mora Dana C. , Nordberg Johanna Hök , Broderstad Ann Ragnhild , Nakandi Kiwumulo , Stub Trine
Published: December 2022

Background

The increasing number of patients surviving cancer leads to more people experiencing late and long term-effects from the disease and its treatment. Fatigue, sleep disorders, early menopause, pain, and nerve damage are commonly reported. Methods helping people to recover after cancer treatment are therefore essential. The aims of this study were threefold; (1) to determine the level of cancer patients suffering from late and long-term effects of cancer diagnosis and treatment in Norway, (2) explore complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities used for managing these adversities, and (3) describe self-perceived benefits and harms of the CAM interventions.

Methods

The study was conducted in cooperation with the Norwegian Cancer Society (NCS) and consisted of an online cross-sectional study among members of the NCS user panel with present or previous cancer (n = 706). The study was carried out in September/October 2021 using a modified cancer-specific version of the International Questionnaire to Measure Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (I-CAM-Q). A total of 315 women and 153 men agreed to participate, resulting in a response rate of 67%.

Results

Most of the participants (83%) suffered from late and long-term effects of cancer treatment; mostly fatigue (59.2%), sleep disorder (41.5%), hot flashes (39.2%), nerve damage (polyneuropathy, 38.0%), and pain (36.6%) with a mean number of 5.1 different late and long-term effects. Late and long-term effects were positively associated with younger age and college/university education. Nearly half of the participants experiencing late and long-term effects (43%) reported having used CAM to treat these complaints. Most frequently used were self-help practices (26%) such as relaxation therapy (19%), yoga (14%) and meditation (13%), but also visits to CAM providers were reported by 22%. Herbal- and other natural remedies to treat late and long-term effects were used by 13%. A high percentage of CAM users reported self-perceived improvements of their symptoms (86% for self-help practices, 90% for visits to CAM providers). Few experienced adverse effects of the CAM treatment.

Conclusion

A large proportion of cancer patients suffered from a wide range of late and long-term effects of cancer diagnosis and treatment, and they use CAM to treat these complaints to a rather high degree. Relaxation therapy, yoga, meditation, massage, and acupuncture were the most frequently used therapies regardless of complaint. The therapies used are generally considered to be both safe and beneficial for the respective complaint, indicating that the participants seem to be well informed about the choices they make.
The significance of thymoquinone administration on liver toxicity of diazinon and cholinesterase activity; a recommendation for prophylaxis among individuals at risk
Authors: Danaei Gholam-Hassan , Amali Arian , Karami Mohammad , Khorrami Mohammad-Bagher , Riahi-Zanjani Bamdad , Sadeghi Mahmood
Published: December 2022

Background

Diazinon (DZN), a widely used chemical herbicide for controlling agricultural pests, is an important organophosphorus pesticide and an environmental pollutant which induces toxic effects on living organisms during long-term exposure. Thymoquinone (TQ) is a phytochemical bioactive compound with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. We aimed to evaluate the protective effects of TQ against DZN-induced hepatotoxicity through alleviating oxidative stress and enhancing cholinesterase (ChE) enzyme activity.

Methods

Rats were randomly divided into six groups (n = 8); a negative control group receiving corn oil; a group only receiving DZN (20 mg/kg/day); a group treated with TQ (10 mg/kg/day), and three treatment groups as TQ + DZN, receiving different doses of TQ (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg/day). All experimental animals were orally treated for 28 consecutive days. The levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH) were determined. In addition, ChE activity and histopathological changes were evaluated.

Results

The results showed that DZN decreased GSH level (p < 0.01) and SOD activity (p < 0.01) in parallel to an increase in MDA level (p < 0.01) and increased the activity of AST, ALT, ALP, and LDH (p < 0.01) in comparison to the negative control group. Our findings demonstrated that TQ administration could diminish hepatotoxicity and reduce oxidative damage in DZN-treated rats, which could be linked to its antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties. It was also observed that TQ 10 mg/kg remarkably increased the activity of acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, and SOD enzymes, elevated GSH, decreased MDA, and reduced pathological alternations of the liver induced by DZN.

Conclusion

Thymoquinone 10 mg/kg increased the activity of plasma and blood cholinesterases and reduced DZN-induced alternations of the liver. Improvement of butyryl- and acetylcholinesterase activity suggests that maybe TQ supplement could be beneficial as pre-exposure prophylaxis among farm workers spraying pesticides.
A randomized controlled study of an e-learning program (YURAIKU-PRO) for public health nurses to support parents with severe and persistent mental illness and their family members
Authors: Kageyama Masako , Koide Keiko , Saita Ryotaro , Iwasaki-Motegi Riho , Ichihashi Kayo , Nemoto Kiyotaka , Sakae Setsuko , Yokoyama Keiko
Published: December 2022

Background

Supporting parents with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI) requires knowledge, skills, and a positive attitude toward parenthood. We developed a Japanese e-learning program for public health nurses (PHNs) to enable them to support parents with SPMI and their family members. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the program in improving the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and self-efficacy of PHNs in supporting them.

Methods

A three-hour video-based e-learning program was developed. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 176 PHNs responsible for maternal and child health in Japan. The outcome measures included the Sense of Coping Difficulty/Possibility Scale, skills to support people with SPMI, and achievement of program goals. Outcome data were collected at three time points during the study: baseline (T1), post-intervention (T2), and one month after T2 (T3) using self-administered electronic questionnaires. Outcome measures were assessed by comparing the two groups at the endpoint (T3) using t-tests and ANOVA. Effectiveness over time was assessed using a mixed model for repeated measures, with group and time interactions as fixed effects.

Results

The study participants were randomly allocated to two groups:89 in the intervention group, and 87 in the control group. The total score and the scores in the two subscales of the Sense of Coping Difficulty/Possibility Scale in the intervention group at T3 were significantly higher than those in the control group, as shown by the t-test and ANOVA (all p<0.001). The Sense of Coping Difficulty subscale had a large effect size (Cohen’s d=1.27). The analysis of the results of a mixed model for repeated measures showed that the group and time interactions on all outcome measures were not significantly different at T1 but were significantly different at T2 and T3.

Conclusions

The program was effective one month after its completion, particularly in reducing PHNs’ difficulties in supporting parents with SPMI.

Trial registration

UMIN000045765, November 1, 2021.
Time-resolved microfluidics unravels individual cellular fates during double-strand break repair
Authors: Vertti-Quintero Nadia , Levien Ethan , Poggi Lucie , Amir Ariel , Richard Guy-Franck , Baroud Charles N.
Published: December 2022

Background

Double-strand break repair (DSBR) is a highly regulated process involving dozens of proteins acting in a defined order to repair a DNA lesion that is fatal for any living cell. Model organisms such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been used to study the mechanisms underlying DSBR, including factors influencing its efficiency such as the presence of distinct combinations of microsatellites and endonucleases, mainly by bulk analysis of millions of cells undergoing repair of a broken chromosome. Here, we use a microfluidic device to demonstrate in yeast that DSBR may be studied at a single-cell level in a time-resolved manner, on a large number of independent lineages undergoing repair.

Results

We used engineered S. cerevisiae cells in which GFP is expressed following the successful repair of a DSB induced by Cas9 or Cpf1 endonucleases, and different genetic backgrounds were screened to detect key events leading to the DSBR efficiency. Per condition, the progenies of 80–150 individual cells were analyzed over 24 h. The observed DSBR dynamics, which revealed heterogeneity of individual cell fates and their contributions to global repair efficacy, was confronted with a coupled differential equation model to obtain repair process rates. Good agreement was found between the mathematical model and experimental results at different scales, and quantitative comparisons of the different experimental conditions with image analysis of cell shape enabled the identification of three types of DSB repair events previously not recognized: high-efficacy error-free, low-efficacy error-free, and low-efficacy error-prone repair.

Conclusions

Our analysis paves the way to a significant advance in understanding the complex molecular mechanism of DSB repair, with potential implications beyond yeast cell biology. This multiscale and multidisciplinary approach more generally allows unique insights into the relation between in vivo microscopic processes within each cell and their impact on the population dynamics, which were inaccessible by previous approaches using molecular genetics tools alone.
The microbiome’s fiber degradation profile and its relationship with the host diet
Authors: Cohen Yotam , Borenstein Elhanan
Published: December 2022

Background

The relationship between the gut microbiome and diet has been the focus of numerous recent studies. Such studies aim to characterize the impact of diet on the composition of the microbiome, as well as the microbiome’s ability to utilize various compounds in the diet and produce metabolites that may be beneficial for the host. Consumption of dietary fibers (DFs)—polysaccharides that cannot be broken down by the host’s endogenous enzymes and are degraded primarily by members of the microbiome—is known to have a profound effect on the microbiome. Yet, a comprehensive characterization of microbiome compositional and functional shifts in response to the consumption of specific DFs is still lacking.

Results

Here, we introduce a computational framework, coupling metagenomic sequencing with careful annotation of polysaccharide degrading enzymes and DF structures, for inferring the metabolic ability of a given microbiome sample to utilize a broad catalog of DFs. We demonstrate that the inferred fiber degradation profile (IFDP) generated by our framework accurately reflects the dietary habits of various hosts across four independent datasets. We further demonstrate that IFDPs are more tightly linked to the host diet than commonly used taxonomic and functional microbiome-based profiles. Finally, applying our framework to a set of ~700 metagenomes that represents large human population cohorts from 9 different countries, we highlight intriguing global patterns linking DF consumption habits with microbiome capacities.

Conclusions

Combined, our findings serve as a proof-of-concept for the use of DF-specific analysis for providing important complementary information for better understanding the relationship between dietary habits and the gut microbiome.
Visualizing extracellular vesicle biogenesis in gram-positive bacteria using super-resolution microscopy
Authors: Jeong Dokyung , Kim Min Jeong , Park Yejin , Chung Jinkyoung , Kweon Hee-Seok , Kang Nae-Gyu , Hwang Seung Jin , Youn Sung Hun , Hwang Bo Kyoung , Kim Doory
Published: December 2022

Background

Recently, bacterial extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been considered to play crucial roles in various biological processes and have great potential for developing cancer therapeutics and biomedicine. However, studies on bacterial EVs have mainly focused on outer membrane vesicles released from gram-negative bacteria since the outermost peptidoglycan layer in gram-positive bacteria is thought to preclude the release of EVs as a physical barrier.

Results

Here, we examined the ultrastructural organization of the EV produced by gram-positive bacteria using super-resolution stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) at the nanoscale, which has not been resolved using conventional microscopy. Based on the super-resolution images of EVs, we propose three major mechanisms of EV biogenesis, i.e., membrane blebbing (mechanisms 1 and 2) or explosive cell lysis (mechanism 3), which are different from the mechanisms in gram-negative bacteria, despite some similarities.

Conclusions

These findings highlight the significant role of cell wall degradation in regulating various mechanisms of EV biogenesis and call for a reassessment of previously unresolved EV biogenesis in gram-positive bacteria.
Role of apolipoprotein C1 in lipoprotein metabolism, atherosclerosis and diabetes: a systematic review
Authors: Rouland Alexia , Masson David , Lagrost Laurent , Vergès Bruno , Gautier Thomas , Bouillet Benjamin
Published: December 2022

Apolipoprotein C1 (apoC1) is a small size apolipoprotein whose exact role is not totally clarified but which seems to modulate significantly the metabolism of lipoproteins. ApoC1 is involved in the metabolism of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins by inhibiting the binding of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) to VLDL-receptor (VLDL-R), to low density lipoprotein receptor (LDL-R) and to LDL receptor related protein (LRP), by reducing the activity of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and by stimulating VLDL production, all these effects leading to increase plasma triglycerides. ApoC1 takes also part in the metabolism of high density lipoproteins (HDL) by inhibiting Cholesterol Ester Transfer Protein (CETP). The functionality of apoC1 on CETP activity is impaired in diabetes that might account, at least in part, for the increased plasma CETP activity observed in patients with diabetes. Its different effects on lipoprotein metabolism with a possible role in the modulation of inflammation makes the net impact of apoC1 on cardiometabolic risk difficult to figure out and apoC1 might be considered as pro-atherogenic or anti-atherogenic depending on the overall metabolic context. Making the link between total plasma apoC1 levels and the risk of cardio-metabolic diseases is difficult due to the high exchangeability of this small protein whose biological effects might depend essentially on its association with VLDL or HDL. The role of apoC1 in humans is not entirely elucidated and further studies are needed to determine its precise role in lipid metabolism and its possible pleiotropic effects on inflammation and vascular wall biology. In this review, we will present data on apoC1 structure and distribution among lipoproteins, on the effects of apoC1 on VLDL metabolism and HDL metabolism and we will discuss the possible links between apoC1, atherosclerosis and diabetes.