bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Living-Apart-Together (LAT) in Contemporary Sweden: (How) Does It Relate to Vulnerability?
Authors: Oláh Livia Sz. , Karlsson Lena , Sandström Glenn
Published: December 2022

Sweden is among the countries with the highest share of single households in Europe, but not all are truly partnerless. We examine the potential vulnerability of individuals in living-apart-together relationships at age 30 and above, analyzing data from the Swedish GGS. We apply multinomial logistic regression. The results show that individuals engaging in LAT occupy an intermediate position in terms of socioeconomic resources (homeownership and economic situation), being less advantaged than co-residents but better-off than singles, especially men. We find no association between ill-health and living in a LAT arrangement. Having previous family experiences (unions with or without children) is positively associated with LAT, but childhood family composition does not matter. The majority of LAT individuals claim to be constrained to living-apart-together rather than LAT being their preferred alternative. Women and the elderly (aged 70+) are, however, more likely to engage in LAT by choice and appreciate their non-residential partnerships.
Path tracing in the study of agency and structures: Methodological considerations
Authors: Sotarauta Markku , Grillitsch Markus
Published: December 2022

Despite the rapidly expanding literature on agency in regional development, the methodological approaches available to study it have not followed theoretical development and empirical studies. This article aims to shed light on methodological issues related to the study of path dependence, path creation and agency. The article’s main purpose is to construct a methodology - path tracing - that would allow studying path development by scrutinising how structures constrain actors and how actors work to shape the very same structures in which they are embedded. Path tracing draws on critical realism, process tracing and structured narrative analysis.
Antibiotic prophylaxis prior to transrectal prostate biopsy in Croatia: A national survey
Authors: Neretljak Ivan , Jurinčić Mario , Smojver Hrvoje , Jurenec Franjo , Vuković Jurica , Orešković Janko , Šanjek-Muren Tvrtko , Sučić Mario
Published: December 2022

Objectives:

Transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy (TRUSPB) is the standard of care for diagnosis of prostate cancer. Increased antibiotic resistance has led to the suspension of indication for fluoroquinolones use in prostate biopsy prophylaxis. Several classes of antibiotics have been recommended for routine use. Unequivocal consensus regarding antibiotic prophylaxis has not been made to date. The objective of the study was to assess the diversity of antimicrobial prophylaxis among Croatian urologists.

Materials and methods:

An online questionnaire was designed using Google Forms® and distributed to 19 urology public hospital’s departments. Answers regarding infection risk assessment, type and duration of antimicrobial prophylaxis were accumulated. Descriptive statistical analysis was preformed using Statistica 10.0® analytics software.

Results:

Twelve urology departments answered the questionnaire, representing 63% of urology departments in Croatia. Six different antibiotic protocols have been reported. Fluoroquinolones were the most commonly prescribed class of antibiotics (84%). Antibiotic prophylaxis started 1 day before the procedure (92%). Average duration of antibiotic prophylaxis was 5 days (75%). In case of increased risk of urinary tract infection, 42% of departments changed the type, and 8% changed the duration of antibiotic prophylaxis. Neither department performed a rectal swab prior to prostate biopsy.

Conclusions:

Various antimicrobial prophylaxis protocols are currently being used among Croatian urology departments. Lack of uniform guidelines contributes to protocol diverseness that inevitably leads to further increase in antibiotic resistance. New high quality studies are needed to reverse this trend and to facilitate the establishment of a uniform antimicrobial stewardship strategy.
Experimental and simulation investigation of surgical needle insertion into soft tissue mimic biomaterial for minimally invasive surgery (MIS)
Authors: Barua Ranjit , Das Surajit , Roy Chowdhury Amit , Datta Pallab
Published: December 2022

The surgical needle insertion process is widely applied in medical interference. During the insertion process, the inhomogeneity and denseness of the soft tissues make it tough to detect the essential tissue damage, a rupture occurs that contains huge forces and material deformations. This study is very important, as all the above-mentioned factors are very significant for modern invasive surgery so that the success rate of the surgery can increase and the patient recovers smoothly. This investigation intends to perform minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedures and reduce the living tissue damage while performing the biopsy, PCNL, etc. A fracture mechanics method was analyzed to create a needle insertion model which can estimate the needle insertion force during inset in tissue-like PVA gel. The force model was calculated by needle insertion experimentally, and also estimated the needle tip geometry, and diameter influences the fracture toughness. Validate exp. results with simulation results and other papers. It is observed that needle diameter has a significant effect on fracture toughness, whereas the insertion velocity has a slight impact on the fracture toughness. During the rotational needle insertion process, the winds-up of the gel occurs and the diameter of the hole was increasing with increased rpm. Maximum insertion force was noticed in the 27 G needle at 5 mm/s. The interaction function will be less at the maximum fracture development region.
Discrete-time event-based coordinated formation control of multiple AUVs with time-varying delay and alterable topology
Authors: Yu Haomiao , Zeng Zhenfang , Li Ke
Published: December 2022

This article considers the issue of event-based coordinated formation control for multiple autonomous underwater vehicles subject to time-varying communication delay and alterable topology under discretized time. First, to derive the dynamics model in the discrete-time domain, the state feedback technique and the forward difference approach are employed for the continuous-time nonlinear model of autonomous underwater vehicle. For each follower, the event-triggering function and the coordinated controller are designed, using only discrete-time state information of the leader or other followers. Under this control strategy, the controller will not be updated at each discrete-time instant. Then, the coordinated control problem is turned into the asymptotic stability problem of the multi-autonomous underwater vehicle system. According to the stability analysis, sufficient conditions are presented for successfully completing the formation assignment without and with time-varying delay, respectively. Finally, by performing some numerical simulation experiments, the efficacity of our proposed event-based controller and the correctness of the main theoretical results are demonstrated. The impact of different communication conditions on the control system is revealed by the comparison of several scenarios.
General Criminal Dynamic Risk and Strength Factors Predict Short-Term General Recidivism Outcomes Among People Convicted of Sexual Crime During Community Supervision
Authors: de Roos Melissa S. , Lloyd Caleb D. , Serin Ralph C.
Published: December 2022

There are clinical practice and operational reasons why it may be appropriate to primarily focus on general risk factors when supervising people convicted of sexual crime in the community. General risk domains may be particularly relevant when supervision officers engage in frequent reassessment of acute dynamic risk factors. We tested the ability of a case management tool, the Dynamic Risk Assessment for Offender Re-entry, to discriminate community based, short-term general (all outcome) recidivism versus nonrecidivism among people convicted of sexual crime ( n = 562). We tested the predictive discrimination validity of each DRAOR item and then subscale scores in univariate and multivariate models (also controlling for general static risk). DRAOR scores were associated with general recidivism outcomes and effect sizes were generally similar or stronger compared to models with people convicted of nonsexual crime ( n = 2854). DRAOR Acute scores were consistently and incrementally related to general recidivism outcomes beyond other scores. In practice, case managers should remain aware that people convicted of sexual crime are at risk for nonsexual recidivism outcomes and assess problematic functioning broadly alongside problems in sexual domains. Clinically, interconnection among domains potentially provides multiple avenues for effective intervention.
Midgut Atresia: Diagnostic and Management Challenges From Northern Tanzania
Authors: Lodhia Jay , Chipongo Hilary , Mathew Beatrice , Msuya David , Chugulu Samwel , Philemon Rune
Published: December 2022

Intestinal obstruction is one of the most common surgical emergencies in the neonatal period. Early diagnosis is vital for proper management and good outcome. Intestinal obstruction can be divided into high, for example, duodenal atresia and jejunal atresia, or low, for example, ileal atresia, colonic atresia, and Meckel’s diverticulum. The most common cause of intestinal obstruction in neonates is midgut atresia. Surgical correction is needed and is a challenge in the developing countries where there is lack of pediatric surgeons, anesthesiologists, and intensive care. More research and data is also needed across countries to show the uneven distribution of the available resources.
Treatment of severe Class II skeletal malocclusion in a hyperdivergent adult patient via hybrid clear aligner approach: A case report
Authors: Palone Mario , Brucculeri L , Cremonini F , Albertini P , Lombardo L
Published: December 2022

This case report describes the camouflage treatment of an adult patient with hyperdivergent facial pattern presenting with severe Class II skeletal malocclusion, through the use of a hybrid clear aligner approach, that relies on both a partial lingual fixed appliance and the continuous use of Class II elastics throughout therapy. After 11 months of treatment, the goals had been achieved, highlighting that the correct diagnostic framework, proper patient selection and careful digital planning of a compromise treatment can provide satisfactory aesthetic and functional outcomes.
Research on non-parametric prediction method of reciprocating compressor time series based on prediction credibility scale
Authors: Li Ying , Pan Yunjie , Liu Yan , Ba Peng , Wu Shihu
Published: December 2022

Aiming at the long-term unpredictability of the reciprocating compressor vibration signal, a non-parametric prediction method of reciprocating compressor time series based on the prediction credibility scale is proposed in this paper. The method is to take the multifractal singular spectrum as the prediction parameter and use the Smoothness Priors Approach (SPA) method to obtain the singular spectrum parameters of different components, and construct the phase space reconstruction dynamic modeling domains. It enables the prediction model to reflect the real-time characteristics of the dynamics evolution of complex systems and highlights the independent influence of each component on the prediction. Meanwhile, the information entropy saturation principle is introduced into the K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) model to establish the improved K neighborhood dynamic non-parametric prediction model based on the maximum prediction credibility scale, which improves the credibility of the prediction results. Finally, a complete SPA&PSR_KNN prediction algorithm is proposed. Through example validation and error analysis, compared with KNN, BP, and SVM, it can be seen that the prediction results of spectral characteristic parameters obtained by this algorithm have smaller error and higher reliability, and faster operation speed. Thus, the prediction of vibration signal time series of reciprocating compressor is realized.
Reliability of isokinetic hip abductor and adductor strength measurements: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Contreras-Diaz Guido , Chirosa-Rios Luis Javier , Martinez-Garcia Darío , Intelangelo Leonardo , Chirosa-Rios Ignacio , Jerez-Mayorga Daniel
Published: December 2022

The aims of this study were to: (I) examine the reliability of the abduction and adduction isokinetic strength measurements in healthy subjects and athletes; (II) determine which position is the most valid and reliable for strength measurement; and (III) determine the most reliable velocity to assess hip abductor and adductor strength. The databases used were Web of Science, SCOPUS, MedLine and PubMed. The metafor package of R software was used to conduct meta-analysis. A total of 767 studies were identified through a search of electronic databases, of which 10 were included in this meta-analysis. The main finding of the study revealed; (I) the reliability of isokinetic force measurement is good in abduction (ICC = 0.83) and adduction (ICC = 0.81); (II) standing position presents good reliability in abduction (ICC = 0.83) and adduction (ICC = 0.79); (III) the lateral position presents good reliability in abduction (ICC = 0.83) and adduction (ICC = 0.82); (IV) the velocity of 60°/s (ICC = 0.84), 90°/s (ICC = 0.84) and 120°/s (ICC = 0.86) show good reliability for abduction, and; (V) the velocity of 30°/s (ICC = 0.76), 60°/s (ICC = 0.83), and 120°/s (ICC = 0.89) show good reliability for adduction. Many factors influence the reliability of isokinetic assessments of the hip abductors and adductors, the best known of which are body position, isokinetic velocity, and type of muscle contraction. And although most of the researchers opt for the evaluation in lateral position, and at low velocities, our results conclude that the standing position, at a velocity of 120°/s is a better alternative to evaluate these movements (ABD-ADD), and not only because of its good reliability, but also because of the similarity of the evaluation with the gestures developed within the sport.
Upper and lower musculoskeletal back pain, stress, physical activity, and organisational work support: An exploratory study of police investigative interviewers
Authors: Rabbing Lillis , Bjørkelo Brita , Langvik Eva
Published: December 2022

Police investigative interviewers in special victims’ units have particularly stressing work conditions. Being few in numbers, with highly specialised competence, the health and well-being of this workgroup are key. This study explores the prevalence of muscular lower and upper back pain and stress and associations with physical activity and organisational work support among 77 police investigators. The police investigative interviewers reported high levels of physical activity. Compared to other police employees, they reported similar levels of musculoskeletal back pain, higher levels of upper back pain, and higher levels of stress. Physical activity was not related to musculoskeletal back pain. In the regression analysis, musculoskeletal back pain was negatively associated with organisational work support. Limitations due to low statistical power and a cross-sectional design apply. However, the study provides interesting insight into the prevalence of musculoskeletal back pain and its association with organisational work support and stress among police employees.
Folk Theories of Avoiding Content Moderation: How Vaccine-Opposed Influencers Amplify Vaccine Opposition on Instagram
Authors: Moran Rachel E. , Grasso Izzi , Koltai Kolina
Published: December 2022

This study analyzes how vaccine-opposed users on Instagram share anti-vaccine content despite facing growing moderation attempts by the platform. Through a thematic analysis of Instagram content (in-feed and ephemeral “stories”) of a sample of vaccine-opposed Instagram users, we explore the observable tactics deployed by vaccine-opposed users in their attempts to avoid content moderation and amplify anti-vaccination content. Tactics range from lexical variations to encode vaccine-related keywords, to the creative use of Instagram features and affordances. The emergence of such tactics exists as a type of “folk theorization”—the cultivation of non-professional knowledge of how visibility on the platform works. Findings highlight the complications of content moderation as a route to minimizing misinformation, the consequences of algorithmic opacity and knowledge-building within problematic online communities.
Systemically Important Bank: A Bibliometric Analysis for the Period of 2002 to 2022
Authors: Alzoubi Marwan , Alsmadi Ayman Abdalmajeed , kasasbeh Hamad
Published: December 2022

This paper aims to analyzes the English-language literature related to Systemically Important Banks (SIBs) by applying the bibliometric methodology to present the current state of SIBs’ intellectual structure and emerging trends from a large quantity of data for the period 2002 to first 2 months of 2022 from Scopus, which is which is considered the most widely used database. SIBs are large and powerful, their contribution to economic growth is significant but their failure is usually systematic and contagious. Regulators subsidize them with public money to avoid systematic financial crises. It is striking that smaller banks do not receive the same treatment, which places them under competitive disadvantage. The bibliometric methodology helps in focusing on this issue for being a rigorous way for exploring and evaluating large volumes of data, identifying gaps, deriving unique research ideas, and resulting in a significant research impact. Therefore, we apply the bibliometric analysis to describe the field’s evolution and structure, including co-authorship, bibliographical coupling, and co-citation. The findings reveal that, the USA is the most relevant country, the University of Southeast is the most relevant institution, and the Journal of Banking and Finance is the most relevant journal. We contribute to the literature mainly by: (1) identifying the benchmark authors, locations of SIBs, and journals; (2) specifying the research streams and summarizing the most cited papers; and (3) identifying the research gaps and future directions.
Cognitive Flexibility and Decision Making Predicts Expertise in the MOBA Esport, League of Legends
Authors: Valls-Serrano Carlos , de Francisco Cristina , Caballero-López Eduardo , Caracuel Alfonso
Published: December 2022

In recent years, esports (the competitive video game industry) have evolved significantly, revolutionizing not only the competitive scene but also the teams and their professional staff. Sports psychologists need to face with cognitive demands related to this activity primarily mental, to respond to the specific needs of the sector (e.g., high performance interventions). The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between cognitive performance in tests and the MOBA League of Legends (LOL) game scores. A group of 36 pure-genre LOL players was evaluated with behavioral tests of fluid intelligence, attentional control inhibition, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and decision making. Furthermore, their in-game performance (rank percentile, kills death assists, minions per minute, and vision score) was recorded during a complete season (approximately 1 year). Data was analyzed by means of correlation and multiple regression analysis. Results showed that cognitive flexibility was positively related to the “rank percentile” ( p < .001; R = .442; 95% CI [2.97, 74.76]). Besides, a positive relationship was found between decision making and the in-game performance variable “minions per minute” ( p = .009; R = .236; 95% CI [−8.46, 5.26]). These findings point that it is possible predict performance on specific variables, in esports with high cognitive impact throughout neuropsychological assessment. These results provide a starting point for research in the field of esports, sports psychology, and high-performance-oriented intervention.
Sexual Assault Case Attrition: The Voices of Survivors
Authors: Murphy-Oikonen Jodie , Chambers Lori , Miller Ainsley , McQueen Karen
Published: December 2022

Sexual assault case attrition is pervasive within the criminal justice process. Despite initiating a police report following sexual victimization, many survivors make the decision to withdraw their police report and do not proceed with charges. Attrition of sexual assault cases at the point of entry to the criminal justice system is problematic for survivors as justice is not achieved and connections to support services are lacking. As such, the purpose of this research was to explore the first-hand account of sexual assault survivors who withdrew their report of sexual assault after disclosing the victimization to the police. Qualitative research was used to explore the experience of 14 sexual assault survivors who met the inclusion criteria for the study. Data collection included open-ended interviews that were audio-recorded, transcribed, and entered into NVIVO for analysis. Colaizzi’s analytic method was used to analyze the data and resulted in the identification of three themes related to the decision not to pursue charges and a fourth theme describing the overall essence of the decision-making process. These themes included: (1) Overwhelming Police Process, (2) Police Communication about Charging/Process, (3) Loss of Faith in Justice System, and (4) No Hope. These findings provide insight from survivors supporting the saliency of the disclosure experience and the power of police communication. A trauma-informed police response during sexual assault disclosures is recommended based on the critical importance of supporting survivors, improving the investigative process, and holding perpetrators accountable. This approach may decrease attrition and improve justice for victims.
Azaan as a Form of Chanting: The Islamic Sound World of Kolkata
Authors: Maitra Srishti
Published: December 2022

This article is an attempt to explore the Islamic sound world of Kolkata, a space created by the everyday recitation of Azaan (adhan). It speaks about the properties of listening and utterance, and how ‘repeatedness’ in chanting seems to be an essential factor, which in turn also enhances the sense of ‘deep listening’ rather than just hearing. Hence, it also brings to light, the importance of the performer and the listener, and the duality which creates an interconnectedness of sound, spirituality, space and listening. The Azaan with its mystic and sonic effect, not only forms a part of the Muslim community but also reaches out beyond the boundaries of communities and religiosity and instils a sense of time as well. In this vast sonic space, a significant contributor happens to be the loudspeaker, which acts as a medium to deliver the Azaan. Hence, who then is the essential proponent of the sound world in the city, the one who recites the Azaan or the one who delivers it across spaces?
Enriching single-arm clinical trials with external controls: possibilities and pitfalls
Authors: Lambert Jérôme , Lengliné Etienne , Porcher Raphaël , Thiébaut Rodolphe , Zohar Sarah , Chevret Sylvie
Published: December 2022

For the past decade, it has become commonplace to provide rapid answers and early patient access to innovative treatments in the absence of randomized clinical trials (RCT), with benefits estimated from single-arm trials. This trend is important in oncology, notably when assessing new targeted therapies. Some of those uncontrolled trials further include an external/synthetic control group as an innovative way to provide an indirect comparison with a pertinent control group. We aimed to provide some guidelines as a comprehensive tool for (1) the critical appraisal of those comparisons or (2) for performing a single-arm trial. We used the example of ciltacabtagene autoleucel for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma after 3 or more treatment lines as an illustrative example. We propose a 3-step guidance. The first step includes the definition of an estimand, which encompasses the treatment effect and the targeted population (whole population or restricted to single-arm trial or external controls), reflecting a clinical question. The second step relies on the adequate selection of external controls from previous RCTs or real-world data from patient cohorts, registries, or electronic patient files. The third step consists of choosing the statistical approach targeting the treatment effect defined above and depends on the available data (individual-level data or aggregated external data). The validity of the treatment effect derived from indirect comparisons heavily depends on careful methodological considerations included in the proposed 3-step procedure. Because the level of evidence of a well-conducted RCT cannot be guaranteed, the evaluation is more important than in standard settings.
PSMC3 promotes RNAi by maintaining AGO2 stability through USP14
Authors: Jia Yan , Zhao Jianing , Yu Tao , Zhang Xue , Qi Xiaozhen , Hao Tongxin , Jin Zeyuan , Zhao Xiaoqing
Published: December 2022

Background

Argonaute 2 (AGO2), the only protein with catalytic activity in the human Argonaute family, is considered as a key component of RNA interference (RNAi) pathway. Here we performed a yeast two-hybrid screen using the human Argonaute 2 PIWI domain as bait to screen for new AGO2-interacting proteins and explored the specific mechanism through a series of molecular biology and biochemistry experiments.

Methods

The yeast two-hybrid system was used to screen for AGO2-interacting proteins. Co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence assays were used to further determine interactions and co-localization. Truncated plasmids were constructed to clarify the interaction domain. EGFP fluorescence assay was performed to determine the effect of PSMC3 on RNAi. Regulation of AGO2 protein expression and ubiquitination by PSMC3 and USP14 was examined by western blotting. RT-qPCR assays were applied to assess the level of AGO2 mRNA. Rescue assays were also performed.

Results

We identified PSMC3 (proteasome 26S subunit, ATPase, 3) as a novel AGO2 binding partner. Biochemical and bioinformatic analysis demonstrates that this interaction is performed in an RNA-independent manner and the N-terminal coiled-coil motif of PSMC3 is required. Depletion of PSMC3 impairs the activity of the targeted cleavage mediated by small RNAs. Further studies showed that depletion of PSMC3 decreased AGO2 protein amount, whereas PSMC3 overexpression increased the expression of AGO2 at a post-translational level. Cycloheximide treatment indicated that PSMC3 depletion resulted in a decrease in cytoplasmic AGO2 amount due to an increase in AGO2 protein turnover. The absence of PSMC3 promoted ubiquitination of AGO2, resulting in its degradation by the 26S proteasome. Mechanistically, PSMC3 assists in the interaction of AGO2 with the deubiquitylase USP14(ubiquitin specific peptidase 14) and facilitates USP14-mediated deubiquitination of AGO2. As a result, AGO2 is stabilized, which then promotes RNAi.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrate that PSMC3 plays an essential role in regulating the stability of AGO2 and thus in maintaining effective RNAi.
Decreased histidine-rich glycoprotein and increased complement C4-B protein levels in follicular fluid predict the IVF outcomes of recurrent spontaneous abortion
Authors: Sun Xiaohe , Jin Jiamin , Zhang Yin-Li , Ma Yerong , Zhang Songying , Tong Xiaomei
Published: December 2022

Background

Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) is a common and complicated pregnancy-related disease that lacks a suitable biomarker to predict its recrudescence.

Methods

Tandem mass tag (TMT) analysis was conducted to obtain quantitative proteomic profiles in follicular fluid from patients with a history of RSA and from control group. ELISA validation of candidate differentially expressed proteins was conducted in a larger group of patients.

Results

A total of 836 proteins were identified by TMT analysis; 51 were upregulated and 47 were downregulated in follicular fluid from cases of RSA versus control group. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis revealed several important pathways were enriched, involving a dysregulated immunoglobulin Fc receptor signaling pathway and overactivated complement cascade pathways. ELISA validated the differential expression of two proteins, histidine-rich globulin (HRG) and complement C4-B (C4B), which were downregulated and upregulated, respectively, in follicular fluid of patients with RSA. We performed receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of the ELISA results with the outcomes of current IVF cycles as classification variables. The area under the curve results for HRG alone, C4B alone and HRG-C4B combined were 0.785, 0.710 and 0.895, respectively.

Conclusions

TMT analysis identified 98 differentially expressed proteins in follicular fluid from patients with RSA, indicating follicle factors that act as early warning factors for the occurrence of RSA. Among them, HRG and C4B provide candidate markers to predict the clinical outcomes of IVF/ICSI cycles, and the potential for modeling an early detection system for RSA.
Proteomic profiling of end-stage COVID-19 lung biopsies
Authors: Gindlhuber Juergen , Tomin Tamara , Wiesenhofer Florian , Zacharias Martin , Liesinger Laura , Demichev Vadim , Kratochwill Klaus , Gorkiewicz Gregor , Schittmayer Matthias , Birner-Gruenberger Ruth
Published: December 2022

The outbreak of a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in 2019 led to a worldwide pandemic, which remains an integral part of our lives to this day. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a flu like condition, often accompanied by high fever and respiratory distress. In some cases, conjointly with other co-morbidities, COVID-19 can become severe, leading to lung arrest and even death. Although well-known from a clinical standpoint, the mechanistic understanding of lethal COVID-19 is still rudimentary. Studying the pathology and changes on a molecular level associated with the resulting COVID-19 disease is impeded by the highly infectious nature of the virus and the concomitant sampling challenges. We were able to procure COVID-19 post-mortem lung tissue specimens by our collaboration with the BSL-3 laboratory of the Biobanking and BioMolecular resources Research Infrastructure Austria which we subjected to state-of-the-art quantitative proteomic analysis to better understand the pulmonary manifestations of lethal COVID-19. Lung tissue samples from age-matched non-COVID-19 patients who died within the same period were used as controls. Samples were subjected to parallel accumulation–serial fragmentation combined with data-independent acquisition (diaPASEF) on a timsTOF Pro and obtained raw data was processed using DIA-NN software. Here we report that terminal COVID-19 patients display an increase in inflammation, acute immune response and blood clot formation (with concomitant triggering of fibrinolysis). Furthermore, we describe that COVID-19 diseased lungs undergo severe extracellular matrix restructuring, which was corroborated on the histopathological level. However, although undergoing an injury, diseased lungs seem to have impaired proliferative and tissue repair signalling, with several key kinase-mediated signalling pathways being less active. This might provide a mechanistic link to post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC; “Long COVID”). Overall, we emphasize the importance of histopathological patient stratification when interpreting molecular COVID-19 data.
Unsupervised outlier detection applied to SARS-CoV-2 nucleotide sequences can identify sequences of common variants and other variants of interest
Authors: Hahn Georg , Lee Sanghun , Prokopenko Dmitry , Abraham Jonathan , Novak Tanya , Hecker Julian , Cho Michael , Khurana Surender , Baden Lindsey R. , Randolph Adrienne G. , Weiss Scott T. , Lange Christoph
Published: December 2022

As of June 2022, the GISAID database contains more than 11 million SARS-CoV-2 genomes, including several thousand nucleotide sequences for the most common variants such as delta or omicron. These SARS-CoV-2 strains have been collected from patients around the world since the beginning of the pandemic. We start by assessing the similarity of all pairs of nucleotide sequences using the Jaccard index and principal component analysis. As shown previously in the literature, an unsupervised cluster analysis applied to the SARS-CoV-2 genomes results in clusters of sequences according to certain characteristics such as their strain or their clade. Importantly, we observe that nucleotide sequences of common variants are often outliers in clusters of sequences stemming from variants identified earlier on during the pandemic. Motivated by this finding, we are interested in applying outlier detection to nucleotide sequences. We demonstrate that nucleotide sequences of common variants (such as alpha, delta, or omicron) can be identified solely based on a statistical outlier criterion. We argue that outlier detection might be a useful surveillance tool to identify emerging variants in real time as the pandemic progresses.
Overexpression of lncRNA HOXA-AS2 promotes the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma by mediating SNX5 expression
Authors: Li Zhangyi
Published: December 2022

Background

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common head and neck cancers. Long non-coding RNA HOXA-AS2 (lncRNA HOXA-AS2) have been extensively studied in various cancers. However, the expression and function of HOXA-AS2 in OSCC still remain unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the roles of HOXA-AS2 in OSCC.

Methods

OSCC tissues and adjacent normal tissues were obtained from OSCC patients. RT-qPCR and Western blot assays were used to detect the expression of target genes in OSCC tissues or cells. Cells proliferation, migration and invasion were detected by CCK-8 and transwell assays, respectively. The target gene of HOXA-AS2 was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay.

Results

We found that HOXA-AS2 expression was remarkably upregulated in OSCC tissues and cell lines. The downregulation of HOXA-AS2 inhibited cells proliferation, migration and invasion. Our bioinformatics analysis found that HOXA-AS2 can target miR-520c-3p, which was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. The expression of HOXA-AS2 was found to be negatively associated with miR-520c-3p in OSCC tissues. Moreover, sorting nexin 5 (SNX5), a downstream target of miR-520c-3p, was inhibited by miR-520c-3p overexpression. SNX5 was also increased in OSCC tissues and cell lines. Additionally, we found that the higher expression of SNX5 was strongly associated with the tumor grade of OSCC patients in Oncomine database. Most importantly, the knockdown of HOXA-AS2 induced cells apoptosis by promoting autophagy by regulating SNX5.

Conclusion

HOXA-AS2 served an oncogene and promoted OSCC progression via the miR-520c-3p/SNX5 axis. Thus, HOXA-AS2 may be a new biomarker for diagnosis and treatment of OSCC.
Selection and validation of appropriate reference genes for RT–qPCR analysis of Nitraria sibirica under various abiotic stresses
Authors: Hu Aishuang , Yang Xiuyan , Zhu Jianfeng , Wang Xiuping , Liu Jiaxin , Wang Jiping , Wu Haiwen , Zhang Huilong , Zhang Huaxin
Published: December 2022

Background

Nitraria sibirica Pall. is a halophytic shrub with strong environmental adaptability that can survive in extremely saline-alkali and drought-impacted environments. Gene expression analysis aids in the exploration of the molecular mechanisms of plant responses to abiotic stresses. RT–qPCR is the most common technique for studying gene expression. Stable reference genes are a prerequisite for obtaining accurate target gene expression results in RT–qPCR analysis.

Results

In this study, a total of 10 candidate reference genes were selected from the transcriptome of N. sibirica, and their expression stability in leaves and roots under different treatment conditions (salt, alkali, drought, cold, heat and ABA) was evaluated with the geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, comparative ΔCt and RefFinder programs. The results showed that the expression stability of the candidate reference genes was dependent on the tissue and experimental conditions tested. ACT7 combined with R3H, GAPDH, TUB or His were the most stable reference genes in the salt- or alkali-treated leaves, salt-treated roots and drought-treated roots, respectively; R3H and GAPDH were the most suitable combination for drought-treated leaves, heat-treated root samples and ABA-treated leaves; DIM1 and His maintained stable expression in roots under alkali stress; and TUB combined with R3H was stable in ABA-treated roots. TBCB and GAPDH exhibited stable expression in heat-treated leaves; TBCB, R3H, and ERF3A were stable in cold-treated leaves; and the three most stable reference genes for cold-treated roots were TBCB, ACT11 and DIM1. The reliability of the selected reference genes was further confirmed by evaluating the expression patterns of the NsP5CS gene under the six treatment conditions.

Conclusion

This study provides a theoretical reference for N. sibirica gene expression standardization and quantification under various abiotic stress conditions and will help to reveal the molecular mechanisms that confer stress tolerance to N. sibirica.
Quality of life in pregnancy after percutaneous closure of atrial septal defect guided by transthoracic echocardiography
Authors: Qiu Zhi-Huang , Zong Zhen-Fang , Wu Qing-Song , Xiao Jun , Chai Tian-Ci , Chen Xiao-Dong , Shen Yue , Chen Liang-Wan
Published: December 2022

Purpose

We evaluated quality of life (QoL) in pregnant women who underwent transthoracic echocardiography-guided percutaneous closure of atrial septal defect (ASD).

Methods

A total of 45 pregnant women underwent transthoracic echocardiography-guided percutaneous closure of ASD. We assessed QoL using the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) and compared results between pre- and post-procedure patients, as well as between those with ASD and healthy women in their second and third trimesters of pregnancy.

Results

All patients showed improved right ventricular function and were classified as Class I, post-procedure. Mean SF-36 scores of the post-procedure group were better on all sub-scales than those of the pre-procedure group (p < 0.05), with the exception of role-emotional and mental health. Mean SF-36 scores for the pre-procedure group were also lower on all sub-scales than those of healthy pregnant controls (p < 0.05), with the exception of role physical, role emotional, and mental health. There was no difference between the post-procedure group and healthy pregnant controls. In a subgroup analysis, scores were better in some dimensions (social functioning and role emotional) for post-procedure patients in the 31–40 years of age group and the group on their second or third pregnancies than those of the 20–30 years of age group and the group on their first pregnancies (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

After closure of ASD, QoL in pregnant women was improved. In a subgroup analysis, the younger women and those on their first pregnancy performed more poorly in some dimensions (social functioning and role emotional); this suggested that these groups should receive more proactive intervention.
Safety and efficacy analysis of chemoradiotherapy/radiotherapy combined with nimotuzumab for treating unresectable oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma in elderly patients: a retrospective analysis
Authors: Zhang Yu , Wang Jidong , Cui Di , Kong Lei , Wang Peng , Fu Zhixue , Su Mengmeng , Li Bin , Liang Jun
Published: December 2022

Objective

To investigate the safety and efficacy of chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy combined with nimotuzumab in the treatment of unresectable oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in elderly patients.

Methods

This study retrospectively analysed 54 cases of elderly patients (aged over 70 years) with unresectable ESCC in our centre between December 2016 and November 2019. The patients were treated with a radiation dose of 50–61.6 Gy (25–30 fractions) combined with nimotuzumab for targeted therapy with or without chemotherapy according to each patient’s condition. The patients were observed for quality of life, safety, side effects and survival before and after the treatment.

Results

Among the 54 patients, 26 were treated with nimotuzumab combined with chemoradiotherapy and 28 were treated with nimotuzumab combined with radiotherapy. Toxicities were mainly oesophagitis (≥ Grade 2, 38.9%), myelosuppression (≥ Grade 3, 24.1%) and hypoproteinaemia (any grade, 94.4%). The rates of complete response, partial response, disease stability and disease progression were 11.1% (6/54), 81.5% (44/54), 3.7% (2/54) and 3.7% (2/54), respectively, and the overall objective response rate was 92.6% (50/54). The median follow-up time was 35.1 months, and the 1- and 2-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 61.1% (1 year OS) and 35.2% (2 year OS), 42.6% (1 year PFS) and 16.7% (2 year PFS), respectively. The median OS and PFS rates were 16.0 and 10.0 months, respectively.

Conclusion

Nimotuzumab combined with chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy was well tolerated in elderly patients with unresectable ESCC. This combination can achieve a good treatment response and enhance survival.
Development of a behavioural framework for dementia care partners’ fall risk management
Authors: Zhou Yuanjin , Berridge Clara , Hooyman Nancy R. , Sadak Tatiana , Mroz Tracy M. , Phelan Elizabeth A.
Published: December 2022

Background

Although older adults living with dementia (OLWD) are at high risk for falls, few strategies that effectively reduce falls among OLWD have been identified. Dementia care partners (hereinafter referred to as “care partners”) may have a critical role in fall risk management (FRM). However, little is known about the ways care partners behave that may be relevant to FRM and how to effectively engage them in FRM.

Methods

Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 14 primary care partners (age: 48–87; 79% women; 50% spouses/partners; 64% completed college; 21% people of colour) of community-dwelling OLWD to examine their FRM behaviours, and their observations of behaviours adopted by other care partners who were secondary in the caring role.

Results

The analysis of interview data suggested a novel behavioural framework that consisted of eight domains of FRM behaviours adopted across four stages. The domains of FRM behaviours were 1. functional mobility assistance, 2. assessing and addressing health conditions, 3. health promotion support, 4. safety supervision, 5. modification of the physical environment, 6. receiving, seeking, and coordinating care, 7. learning, and 8. self-adjustment. Four stages of FRM included 1. supporting before dementia onset, 2. preventing falls, 3. preparing to respond to falls, and 4. responding to falls. FRM behaviours varied by the care partners’ caring responsibilities. Primary care partners engaged in behaviours from all eight behavioural domains; they often provided functional mobility assistance, safety supervision, and modification of the physical environment for managing fall risk. They also adopted behaviours of assessing and addressing health conditions, health promotion support, and receiving, seeking and coordinating care without realizing their relevance to FRM. Secondary care partners were reported to assist in health promotion support, safety supervision, modification of the physical environment, and receiving, seeking, and coordinating care.

Conclusions

The multi-domain and multi-stage framework derived from this study can inform the development of tools and interventions to effectively engage care partners in managing fall risk for community-dwelling OLWD.
Recent hospitalization and risk of antidepressant initiation in people with Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Hämäläinen Iida , Tiihonen Miia , Hartikainen Sirpa , Tolppanen Anna-Maija
Published: December 2022

Background

People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) are more likely to be hospitalized and initiate antidepressant use compared to people without PD. It is not known if hospitalization increases the risk of antidepressant initiation. We studied whether a recent hospitalization associates with antidepressant initiation in people with PD.

Methods

A nested case-control study within the nationwide register-based FINPARK cohort which includes community-dwelling Finnish residents diagnosed with PD between years 1996 and 2015 (N = 22,189) was conducted. Initiation of antidepressant use after PD diagnosis was identified from Prescription Register with 1-year washout period (cases). One matched non-initiator control for each case was identified (N = 5492 age, sex, and time since PD diagnosis-matched case-control pairs). Hospitalizations within the 14 day-period preceding the antidepressant initiation were identified from the Care Register for Health Care.

Results

The mean age at antidepressant initiation was 73.5 years with median time since PD diagnosis 2.9 years. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (48.1%) and mirtazapine (35.7%) were the most commonly initiated antidepressants. Recent hospitalization was more common among antidepressant initiators than non-initiators (48.3 and 14.3%, respectively) and was associated with antidepressant initiation also after adjusting for comorbidities and use of medications during the washout (adjusted OR, 95% CI 5.85, 5.20–6.59). The initiators also had longer hospitalizations than non-initiators. PD was the most common main discharge diagnosis among both initiators (54.6%) and non-initiators (28.8%). Discharge diagnoses of mental and behavioral disorders and dementia were more common among initiators.

Conclusions

Hospitalisation is an opportunity to identify and assess depressive symptoms, sleep disorders and pain, which may partially explain the association. Alternatively, the indication for antidepressant initiation may have led to hospitalisation, or hospitalisation to aggravation of, e.g., neuropsychiatric symptoms leading to antidepressant initiation.
Virological failure among people living with HIV receiving second-line antiretroviral therapy in Pune, India
Authors: Salvi Sonali , Raichur Priyanka , Kadam Dileep , Sangle Shashikala , Gupte Nikhil , Nevrekar Neetal , Patil Sandesh , Chavan Amol , Nimkar Smita , Marbaniang Ivan , Mave Vidya
Published: December 2022

Background

The number of people receiving second-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) has increased as global access to ART has expanded. Data on the burden and factors associated with second-line ART virologic failure (VF) from India remain limited.

Methods

We conducted cross-sectional viral load (VL) testing among adults (≥ 18 years) who were registered at a publicly funded ART center in western India between 2014 and 2015 and had received second-line ART for at least 6 months. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were abstracted from routinely collected programmatic data. Logistic regression evaluated factors associated with VF (defined as VL > 1000 copies/mL).

Results

Among 400 participants, median age was 40 years (IQR 34–44), 71% (285/400) were male, and 15% (59/400) had VF. Relative to participants without VF, those with VF had lower median CD4 counts (230 vs 406 cells/mm3, p < 0.0001), lower weight at first-line failure (49 vs 52 kg, p = 0.003), were more likely to have an opportunistic infection (17% vs 3%, p < 0.0001) and less likely to have optimal ART adherence (71% vs 87%, p = 0.005). In multivariable analysis, VF was associated with opportunistic infection (aOR, 4.84; 95% CI, 1.77–13.24), lower CD4 count (aOR 4.15; 95% CI, 1.98–8.71) and lower weight at first-line failure (aOR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.33–5.34).

Conclusions

We found second-line VF in about a sixth of participants in our setting, which was associated with nearly fivefold increased odds in the context of opportunistic infection. Weight could be a useful clinical indicator for second-line VF.