bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Clinical and Genetic Characterization of Three Ataxia–Telangiectasia Pedigrees With Novel ATM Gene Mutations
Authors: Huang Peng , Zhang Lu , Tang Li , Ren Yi , Peng Hong , Xiong Jie , Liu Lingjuan , Xu Jie , Xiao Yangyang , Li Jian , Mao Dingan , Liu Liqun
Published: May 2022

Objective

The clinical manifestations of ataxia–telangiectasia (AT) are very complex and are easily misdiagnosed and missed. The purpose of this study was to explore the clinical characteristics and genetic features of five pediatric patients with AT from three pedigrees in china.

Methods

Retrospectively collected and analyzed the clinical data and genetic testing results of five AT patients diagnosed by the Whole-exome sequencing followed by Sanger sequencing. The five patients with AT were from three pedigrees, including two female patients (case 1 and case 2) in pedigree I, one male patient (case 3) in pedigree II, and two male patients (case 4 and case 5) in pedigree III. According to the United Kingdom Association for Clinical Genomic Science Best Practice Guidelines for Variants Classification in Rare Disease 2020 to grade the genetic variants.

Results

Five patients had mainly clinical presentations including unsteady gait, dysarthria, bulbar conjunctive telangiectasia, cerebellar atrophy, intellectual disability, stunted growth, increase of alpha-fetoprotein in serum, lymphopenia. Notably, one patient with classical AT presented dystonia as the first symptom. One patient had recurrent infections, five patients had serum Immunoglobulin (Ig) A deficiency, and two patients had IgG deficiency. In three pedigrees, we observed five pathogenic variants of the ATM gene, which were c.1339C>T (p.Arg447Ter), c.7141_7151delAATGGAAAAAT (p.Asn2381GlufsTer18), c.437_440delTCAA (p.Leu146GlnfsTer6), c.2482A>T (p.Lys828Ter), and c.5495_5496+2delAAGT (p.Glu1832GlyfsTer4). Moreover, the c.437_440delTCAA, c.2482A>T, and c.5495_5496+2delAAGT were previously unreported variants.

Conclusions

Pediatric patients with classical AT may present dystonia as the main manifestation, or even a first symptom, besides typical cerebellar ataxia, bulbar conjunctive telangiectasia, etc. Crucially, we also found three novel pathogenic ATM gene variants (c.437_440delTCAA, c.2482A>T, and c.5495_5496+2delAAGT), expanding the ATM pathogenic gene mutation spectrum.
Hepatoprotective Effect of Oplopanax elatus Nakai Adventitious Roots Extract by Regulating CYP450 and PPAR Signaling Pathway
Authors: Jiang Xiao-Long , Luo Pan-Yue , Zhou Yan-Ying , Luo Zhi-Hui , Hao Yue-Jun , Fan Ming-Zhi , Wu Xiao-Han , Gao Hao , Bi Hui-Chang , Zhao Zhi-Bin , Lian Mei-Lan , Lian Zhe-Xiong
Published: May 2022

O. elatus Nakai is a traditional medicine that has been confirmed to exert effective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions, and is used for the treatment of different disorders. However, its potential beneficial effects on drug induced hepatotoxicity and relevant molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigated the protective effect and further elucidated the mechanisms of action of O. elatus on liver protection. O. elatus chlorogenic acids-enriched fraction (OEB), which included chlorogenic acid and isochlorogenic acid A, were identified by HPLC-MS/MS. OEB was administrated orally daily for seven consecutive days, followed by a single intraperitoneal injection of an overdose of APAP after the final OEB administration. The effects of OEB on immune cells in mice liver were analyzed using flow cytometry. APAP metabolite content in serum was detected using HPLC-MS/MS in order to investigate whether OEB affects CYP450 activities. The intestinal content samples were processed for 16 s microbiota sequencing. Results demonstrated that OEB decreased alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase contents, affected the metabolism of APAP, and decreased the concentrates of APAP, APAP-CYS and APAP-NAC by inhibiting CYP2E1 and CYP3A11 activity. Furthermore, OEB pretreatment regulated lipid metabolism by affecting the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) signaling pathway in mice and also increased the abundance of Akkermansia and Parabacteroides. This study indicated that OEB is a potential drug candidate for treating hepatotoxicity because of its ability to affect drug metabolism and regulate lipid metabolism.
Characteristics of Early Phase Clinical Trials for Rare Cancers: Insights From Interviews With Stakeholders
Authors: Dooms M , Saesen R , Steemans I , Lansens J , Huys I
Published: May 2022

Background: Rare cancers occur with an incidence of no more than six cases per 100,000 people according to the definition used by the Surveillance of Rare Cancers in Europe project. For a variety of reasons (low prevalence, cytotoxicity), it is challenging to perform the necessary clinical studies to investigate the safety and efficacy of investigational medicines against such rare malignancies, reformulating even at the earliest stages of the drug development process. This article investigates the differences between phase I rare cancer trials performed in commercial (companies) and non-commercial settings (academic hospitals).

Materials and Methods: The differences were explored through the conduct of semi-structured interviews with three different stakeholder groups: representatives from academia (n = 7), representatives from companies (n = 4) and representatives from patient organizations (n = 4). All the interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed in NVivo using the framework method.

Results: According to the interviewees, the academic and commercial stakeholders collaborate in the majority of phase I rare cancer trials. In general, the commercial partner finances the trial, whereas academia is responsible for the execution of the study procedures. The average cost of undertaking these trials is difficult to estimate because it depends on what is specifically requested during the trial. The 3 + 3 study design remains the most widely used design and the use of expansion cohorts is controversial. With regard to the regulatory aspects of phase I rare cancer trials, it was expressed that a good regulatory framework facilitates the conduct of these studies, but that increased regulation and oversight also has drawbacks, e.g., differences in standards between different ethics committees, over interpretation of the rules, insufficient availability of qualified personnel and higher workloads. The patient organization representatives claimed that patients experience no differences in terms of accommodation, compensation and paperwork between the academic and commercial settings or the degree of follow-up. They also believed that the direct input of patients can bring added value to such studies not only with regard to the recruitment process and the feasibility of the study but also the legibility of the informed consent forms.

Conclusion: The growing need for first-in-man trials in rare malignancies needs to be highlighted, as difficult as they are to undertake and to co-develop, not only because rare cancer patients deserve an appropriate treatment, but also because these medicines represent the future of cancer therapy in the precision medicine era. Cooperation of commercial and academic sites are needed. Patient organizations need to be educated to take part in this process.
Developing a Core Outcome Set for Clinical Trials of Chinese Medicine for Hyperlipidemia
Authors: Li Geng , Han Ruxue , Lin Mingjun , Wen Zehuai , Chen Xiankun
Published: May 2022

Background: Chinese medicine (CM) is widely used for treating hyperlipidemias, especially in China. However, the heterogeneity of outcomes measured and reported across trials exacerbates the obstacles of evidence synthesis and effectiveness comparison. In this study, we develop a core outcome set (COS) for CM clinical trials for hyperlipidemia (COS-CM-Hyperlipidemia) to tackle the outcome issues.

Methods: We generated candidate outcomes through a systematic review of interventional and observational studies of Chinese medicine for hyperlipidemias. The comprehensive search strategy was employed. Study selection and data collection were independently done by two researchers. We searched clinical trial registry platform to supplement the outcomes list extracted by systematic review. Then, we conducted a three-round Delphi survey. The stakeholders were hyperlipidemia patients, clinicians or researchers, in either CM/integrated Chinese or Western medicine, clinical pharmacy, clinical epidemiology or statisticians, or editors of important relevant journals and an ethicist. They used a 9-point Likert scale to determine how important they felt each outcome was in determining treatment success. A consensus meeting was held to confirm the final COS, based on the Delphi survey results.

Results: We identified a total of 433 outcomes from 3,547 articles, and 28 outcomes from 367 registered trials. After standardization, we selected 71 outcomes to develop a preliminary outcome list for further consensus. After three Delphi survey rounds and one consensus meeting, the most important outcomes were determined for COS-CM-Hyperlipidemia. It included cardiovascular events, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, risk of cardiovascular disease, total cholesterol, carotid intima-media thickness, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, cerebrovascular events, adverse drug reactions and patient-reported symptoms.

Conclusion: COS-CM-Hyperlipidemia may improve outcome reporting consistency in clinical trials. Further work is needed to explore the optimal methods for measuring these outcomes.

Registration: The Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials Initiative (COMET): http://www.cometinitiative.org/studies/details/983. Registered on 25 April 2017.
c-Myc-PD-L1 Axis Sustained Gemcitabine-Resistance in Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Yao Jingjing , Huang Min , Shen Qinghong , Ding Ming , Yu Shaofang , Guo Yajuan , Lin Yuefang , Zheng Yaqiu , Chen Wenbo , Yan Wenxin , Liu Zhongqiu , Wang Dawei , Hu Ming , Lu Linlin
Published: May 2022

Pancreatic cancer ranks fourth among cancer-related deaths, with a 5-years overall survival rate being below 10%. Gemcitabine (dFdC) has been considered the first-line drug for patients with pancreatic cancer. However, the clinical effectiveness is less than 20% due to drug resistance. Most importantly, overwhelming evidence suggested c-Myc and PD-L1 were generally highly expressed in pancreatic cancer patients. However, whether dFdC-resistant pancreatic cancer is associated with c-Myc and PD-L1 has not been elucidated. In our present study, we found that the expression of c-Myc and PD-L1 was markedly increased in pancreatic tumor tissues compared with adjacent tissues. Similarly, c-Myc and PD-L1 expression were also remarkably elevated in dFdC-resistant Panc-1 cells compared with parental cells. In addition, dFdC sensitivity was enhanced by the combination of dFdC and c-Myc inhibitors in Panc-1 cells. Interestingly, its sensitivity was reduced when c-Myc was overexpressed. Moreover, PD-L1 protein expression was dramatically down-regulated when treated with c-Myc inhibitors. Furthermore, artesunate (ARTS) screened from 18 compounds could reverse dFdC resistance in combination with dFdC in dFdC-resistant Panc-1 cells in vitro and suppressed DMBA-induced pancreatic cancer in vivo. In summary, our data revealed that the mechanism of dFdC resistance may be that c-Myc overexpression contributed to increased PD-L1 expression, and ARTS could overcome dFdC-resistant pancreatic cancer by inhibiting c-Myc and PD-L1. Our findings not only suggest c-Myc and PD-L1 as novel prognostic biomarkers in dFdC-resistant pancreatic cancer, but also provide ARTS as a promising candidate for overcoming dFdC resistance.
Diaphragm Dysfunction and Rehabilitation Strategy in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Authors: Cao Yuanyuan , Li Peijun , Wang Yingqi , Liu Xiaodan , Wu Weibing
Published: May 2022

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects the whole body and causes many extrapulmonary adverse effects, amongst which diaphragm dysfunction is one of the prominent manifestations. Diaphragm dysfunction in patients with COPD is manifested as structural changes, such as diaphragm atrophy, single-fibre dysfunction, sarcomere injury and fibre type transformation, and functional changes such as muscle strength decline, endurance change, diaphragm fatigue, decreased diaphragm mobility, etc. Diaphragm dysfunction directly affects the respiratory efficiency of patients and is one of the important pathological mechanisms leading to progressive exacerbation of COPD and respiratory failure, which is closely related to disease mortality. At present, the possible mechanisms of diaphragm dysfunction in patients with COPD include systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, hyperinflation, chronic hypoxia and malnutrition. However, the specific mechanism of diaphragm dysfunction in COPD is still unclear, which, to some extent, increases the difficulty of treatment and rehabilitation. Therefore, on the basis of the review of changes in the structure and function of COPD diaphragm, the potential mechanism of diaphragm dysfunction in COPD was discussed, the current effective rehabilitation methods were also summarised in this paper. In order to provide direction reference and new ideas for the mechanism research and rehabilitation treatment of diaphragm dysfunction in COPD.
Genomics and Pathways Involved in Maize Resistance to Fusarium Ear Rot and Kernel Contamination With Fumonisins
Authors: Cao Ana , de la Fuente María , Gesteiro Noemi , Santiago Rogelio , Malvar Rosa Ana , Butrón Ana
Published: May 2022

Fusarium verticillioides is a causal agent of maize ear rot and produces fumonisins, which are mycotoxins that are toxic to animals and humans. In this study, quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and bulk-segregant RNA-seq approaches were used to uncover genomic regions and pathways involved in resistance to Fusarium ear rot (FER) and to fumonisin accumulation in maize kernels. Genomic regions at bins 4.07–4.1, 6–6.01, 6.04–6.05, and 8.05–8.08 were related to FER resistance and/or reduced fumonisin levels in kernels. A comparison of transcriptomes between resistant and susceptible inbred bulks 10 days after inoculation with F. verticillioides revealed 364 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). In the resistant inbred bulks, genes involved in sink metabolic processes such as fatty acid and starch biosynthesis were downregulated, as well as those involved in phytosulfokine signaling and many other genes involved in cell division; while genes involved in secondary metabolism and compounds/processes related to resistance were upregulated, especially those related to cell wall biosynthesis/rearrangement and flavonoid biosynthesis. These trends are indicative of a growth–defense trade-off. Among the DEGs, Zm00001d053603, Zm00001d035562, Zm00001d037810, Zm00001d037921, and Zm00001d010840 were polymorphic between resistant and susceptible bulks, were located in the confidence intervals of detected QTLs, and showed large differences in transcript levels between the resistant and susceptible bulks. Thus, they were identified as candidate genes involved in resistance to FER and/or reduced fumonisin accumulation.
Efficacy of Metribuzin Doses on Physiological, Growth, and Yield Characteristics of Wheat and Its Associated Weeds
Authors: Javaid Muhammad Mansoor , Mahmood Athar , Bhatti Muhammad Izhar Naeem , Waheed Hasnain , Attia Kotb , Aziz Ahsan , Nadeem Muhammad Ather , Khan Naeem , Al-Doss Abdullah A. , Fiaz Sajid , Wang Xiukang
Published: May 2022

Weeds cause a serious constraint to wheat productivity. Chemical weed control is considered the most effective method to control weeds; however, a suitable dose and combination of herbicide with adjuvants play a vital role in controlling weeds and producing maximum wheat production. A field study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of various doses of metribuzin alone or in combination with adjuvants [Bio-power (alkyl ether sulfates and sodium salts) and Ad-500 (fatty alcohol ethoxylate)] on the growth and yield of wheat and its associated weeds. Metribuzin at 175, 140, and 105 g a.i ha–1, each in combination with adjuvants (Bio-power or Ad-500) at 400 ml ha–1, were sprayed. A weedy check was also included as a control treatment. The wheat crop was infested with Fumaria indica, Melilotus indica, Anagallis arvensis, and Phalaris minor, and metribuzin with or without adjuvant was sprayed at two- to four-leaf stage of the weeds. The photosynthetic activity, weed population of each weed, and biomass of each weed was significantly affected by all herbicides along with the adjuvant. However, maximum inhibition of tested weeds was observed where metribuzin at 175 g a.i ha–1 + Bio-power at 400 ml ha–1 were sprayed. Metribuzin sprayed at 175 g a.i ha–1 with or without Bio-power recorded a maximum 1,000-grain weight, biological yield, and grain yield. Conclusively, metribuzin sprayed at 175 g a.i ha–1 + Bio-power at 400 at ml ha–1 have the potential to improve wheat yield by inhibiting weed growth, and Bio-power was superior to Ad-500 in improving the efficacy of metribuzin against weeds of wheat crop.
The Selectivity and Suitability of Online Learning Resources as Predictor of the Effects of Self-Efficacy on Teacher Satisfaction During the COVID-19 Lockdown
Authors: Zhu Yonghai , Xu Yingying , Wang Xinyu , Yan Shiyu , Zhao Li
Published: May 2022

Online learning resources (OLR) play an important role in teaching and learning in the process of online learning. Teachers will be satisfied with selectable and suitable online learning resources, which can promote their self-efficacy to facilitate online teaching and learning. This study proposed a model to examine the effects of the selectivity of online learning resources (SE-OLR) and the suitability of online learning resources (SU-OLR) on teachers’ online teaching satisfaction, and the mediating role of technology self-efficacy (TECHN-SE) and online teaching self-efficacy (OT-SE) between them. The results indicated that SE-OLR and SU-OLR positively affected teachers’ online teaching satisfaction; TECHN-SE and OT-SE positively influenced teachers’ online teaching satisfaction, while TECHN-SE and OT-SE played mediating roles between SE-OLR and SU-OLR and teachers’ online teaching satisfaction. The findings have implications for the design and development of online learning resources to improve teachers’ satisfaction and facilitate students’ learning effectiveness and teachers’ online teaching.
Parent-Child Play and the Emergence of Externalizing and Internalizing Behavior Problems in Childhood: A Systematic Review
Authors: Schneider Mirjam , Falkenberg Irina , Berger Philipp
Published: May 2022

It has widely been accepted that play has a major role in human development. The play situation is considered a save and controlled space in which children can learn to express their problems and to regulate their emotions, thus promoting emotional and behavioral adjustment. In early childhood, this process is thought to emerge in close interaction with caregivers. Parent-child play is thus viewed as an ideal window for parents to connect with their children and to support them in their social-emotional development. In this preregistered systematic review, we sought to integrate evidence from developmental and clinical psychology to shed more light on the role of parents in the relationship between parent-child play and children's behavioral adjustment as expressed in internalizing or externalizing behavior. Our review revealed that increased harsh control during play interactions as well as a lack of parental responsiveness, warmth and sensitivity were found to be associated with increased behavioral problems. Yet, no protective effect of warmth or responsiveness could be found in the context of risk groups. Moreover, the included studies indicated that positive affect expressed by parents during parent-child play was associated with fewer behavior problems in children, while negative affect was associated with more behavior problems. In general, this review revealed that quality and quantity of playful parent-child interactions were reduced in children with behavioral problems of both domains compared to children without behavioral problems. These findings illustrate the important role of parental characteristics during play interactions and their possible impact on children's behavioral adjustment.
The Test Based on Meta-Analysis on “Does Workaholism Prefer Task Performance or Contextual Performance?”
Authors: Cheng Bang , Gu Jiajun
Published: May 2022

The relationship between workaholism and work performance is explored by meta-analysis in this article. After searching relevant references, we had gained 94 individual effect sizes (n = 57,352), 45 individual samples, and 37 references. Through the heterogeneity test, it was shown that the random effect model is more suitable. The main effect analysis showed that there is a significant positive correlation between workaholism, working excessively, working compulsively, and work performance, and further analysis showed that workaholism emphasizes the improvement of contextual performance. The subgroup test showed that the relationship between workaholism, working excessively, working compulsively, and work performance is influenced by the measurement tools of workaholism, but not influenced by the cultural background differences and time-lag research. The above results show that workaholism and its dimensions have different influences on different aspects of work performance. Besides, it is worthy to consider the moderating function of the measurement tools of workaholism in the relationship between workaholism and work performance.
The Relation Between College Students’ Social Anxiety and Mobile Phone Addiction: The Mediating Role of Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy and Subjective Well-Being
Authors: Xiao Zhenlei , Huang Jianhao
Published: May 2022

The present study explores the underlying mechanism of the relationship between college students’ social anxiety and mobile phone addiction. Adopting college students’ social anxiety scale, regulatory emotional self-efficacy scale, subjective well-being scale and mobile phone addiction scale, this research tested valid samples of 680 Chinese college students. The results indicated that social anxiety exerted a significant and positive impact on mobile phone addiction. Regulatory emotional self-efficacy played a partial mediating role between social anxiety and mobile phone addiction. Subjective well-being also played a partial mediating role between social anxiety and mobile phone addiction. Moreover, both regulatory emotional self-efficacy and subjective well-being were found to play a chain mediating role between social anxiety and mobile phone addiction. The study provides valuable insights into the impact of college students’ social anxiety on mobile phone addiction.
Altered Spontaneous Brain Activity in Betel Quid Dependence Chewers: A Resting-State Functional MRI Study With Percent Amplitude of Fluctuation
Authors: Fu Lili , Chen Huijuan , Liu Tao , Liu Liting , Fu Qingqing , Huang Weiyuan , Chen Feng
Published: May 2022

Objective

This study aimed to investigate brain spontaneous neural activity changes in betel quid dependence (BQD) chewers using the percent amplitude of fluctuation (PerAF) method.

Methods

This study included 48 BQD chewers. The healthy control (HC) group comprised 35 volunteers who were matched with BQD chewers in age, gender, and educational status. All subjects underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and neuropsychological tests. The PerAF method was used to identify BQD-related regional brain activity changes. An independent samples t-test was used to evaluate the PerAF difference across two groups. The association between PerAF changes and clinical features such as BQD scores, duration of BQD, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-24 item (HAMD-24), and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale-14 item (HAMA-14) was evaluated by using Spearman's correlation analysis. It assessed the ability of the PerAF method to distinguish between BQD chewers and HCs using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

Results

Compared to the control group, BQD chewers showed decreased PerAF in right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), right middle frontal gyrus (MFG), right insula, right precuneus, left putamen, left supramarginal gyrus (SMG), and left cerebellum and increased PerAF in right orbitofrontal and left superior temporal gyrus (STG) [P < 0.05, Gaussian random field (GRF) corrected]. PerAF values of the right MFG and right ACC had a significant negative relationship with the duration of BQD (P < 0.05). The average values of PerAF in the left putamen, left cerebellum, and left STG showed significant discriminatory power in distinguishing BQD chewers from HCs, with relatively prime area under the curve (AUC) values.

Conclusion

Our findings suggested that betel quid chewing is associated with spontaneous neural activity alterations in the impulsivity areas (MFG and ACC), cognitive (MFG, ACC, precuneus, and the cerebellum), and reward (orbitofrontal, putamen, and insula) systems, which may be correlated with neuropathological mechanisms of BQD. Also, PerAF may be useful as a potential sensitive biomarker for identifying spontaneous brain activity changes in BQD chewers.
Anti-Neuronal Autoantibodies (Cell Surface and Onconeural) and Their Association With Natural Autoantibodies in Synthetic Cannabinoid-Induced Psychosis
Authors: Hau Lídia , Tényi Tamás , László Natália , Kovács Márton Áron , Erdö-Bonyár Szabina , Csizmadia Zsuzsanna , Berki Tímea , Simon Diána , Csábi Györgyi
Published: May 2022

Patients suffering from encephalitis may present psychiatric symptoms; however, the clinical relevance of anti-neuronal antibodies in patients experiencing a psychotic episode without encephalitis is still unclear. In this study, we examined the presence of anti-neuronal cell surface autoantibodies and onconeural autoantibodies in serum samples of 22 synthetic cannabinoid users presenting with psychosis. We found only two positive cases; however, seven patients had borderline results. Nonetheless, we found no significant correlation between anti-neuronal autoantibodies and the intensity of psychosis indicated by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores. The length of drug use and the combination of other drugs with synthetic cannabinoids have no significant effect on anti-neuronal autoantibody positivity. Nonetheless, the ratio of anti-citrate synthase (anti-CS) IgM and IgG natural autoantibodies was significantly lower (p = 0.036) in the anti-neuronal autoantibody-positive/borderline samples, than in the negative group. Interestingly, anti-CS IgM/IgG showed a significant negative correlation with PANSS-positive score (p = 0.04, r = −0.464). Our results demonstrated that anti-neuronal autoantibody positivity occurs in synthetic cannabinoid users, and the alteration of anti-CS IgM/IgG natural autoantibody levels points to immunological dysfunctions in these cases.
Case Report: Auditory Hallucination Induced by Amitriptyline for the Treatment of Atypical Odontalgia
Authors: Watanabe Motoko , Nakabayashi Tetsuo , Nayanar Gayatri , Takao Chihiro , Maeda Chizuko , Tu Trang Thi Huyen , Motomura Haruhiko , Toyofuku Akira
Published: May 2022

Auditory hallucination is usually associated with psychiatric diseases and organic brain illness. It was rarely found as adverse events of antidepressants. Amitriptyline is considered as one of the first line medications for the psychopharmacotherapy of chronic pain including atypical odontalgia (AO) which shows chronic tooth pain without corresponding abnormalities. Anticholinergic adverse events induced by amitriptyline are usually bearable and not critical since the prescription dose is very low for the patients with AO. This is a first case report about the AO patients who showed auditory hallucination by the low dose of amitriptyline. A 43-years-old female, housewife, complained chronic toothache following dental procedures and was diagnosed as AO. Amitriptyline was initially prescribed 25 mg and gradually increased up to 60 mg with the improvement of AO symptoms in 7 months. Although the temporary recurrence was observed following to the retreatment of prosthodontic dental procedures, it improved in a few weeks. Therefore, the dose of amitriptyline was decreased, and the continuation dose was set 30 mg. In 24 months, the AO symptoms were very much improved; however, she reported that she had been heard the voices at midnight for a year. The voices were neighborhoods' and talking about the noise troubles she had claimed before. She had not realized that the voices were auditory hallucination since they were heard only at midnight infrequent and not bothering her daily life. At the time she reported auditory hallucination, she worried whether organic brain diseases are hiding because the frequency of voices was increased and sometimes occurred in daytime. The adverse event of amitriptyline was suspected since she had never had psychotic symptoms before. Amitriptyline was decreased and continued with the dose of 25 mg. Magnetic resonance imaging and psychiatric consultation revealed no abnormality of brain and in psychiatric aspects. After final prosthodontic treatment, the amitriptyline was discontinued in 30 months. Two months after the discontinuation, auditory hallucination was almost disappeared with no recurrence of AO. The present case report suggests that amitriptyline has possibility to induce auditory hallucination even in conventional dose throughout the treatment of chronic pain including AO.
The Sleep Quality of the Frontline Healthcare Workers and the Improving Effect of Tai Chi
Authors: Zhan Jingye , Yang Kangdi , Sun Zhuoer , Bai Lingling , Lu Xiaoying , Wang Xiuhong , Liu Weizhi , Yi Chen , Wang Lina
Published: May 2022

Background

A number of studies have documented that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) brought more negative impact on the physical and psychological functioning of frontline healthcare workers. Especially, sleep quality was focused. This study aimed to investigate the sleep quality of frontline healthcare workers, risk factors for sleep quality, and the effect of Tai Chi training.

Methods

A total of 98 frontline healthcare workers were recruited, coming from the infection department, fever clinic, laboratory, and medical imaging department in a COVID-19-designated hospital in Shanghai. Of them, 50 participated in a 2-week intervention and were randomized to receive a Tai Chi training or relaxation training. Participants were assessed at baseline, 7 and 14 days after participation. Demographic information, sleep quality, and anxiety were measured by using the demographic questionnaire, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI).

Results

13.3% participants were above the cut-off score (>10) for the PSQI. Regression analysis showed gender, age, working years, and job category had effect on sleep quality. Compared to the control group, participants in the Tai Chi training group had lower scores on both PSQI (p < 0.05) and BAI (p < 0.01) after the 2-week intervention.

Conclusion

It was demonstrated that poor sleep quality existed in the frontline healthcare workers, which was related to gender, age, working years, and job category. Tai Chi training can dramatically improve their sleep quality and reduce anxiety symptoms.
Wishes of Children With ADHD
Authors: Furukawa Emi , Uchida Ryoko , Tatsuki Miho Otomo , Fitts Margaret , Tripp Gail
Published: May 2022

Understanding the desires and motivations of children with ADHD is important in helping them thrive. Their inner worlds, however, have not been well captured. The Three Wishes task provides minimal cues and structure to elicit their desires and hopes in an unbiased manner. The wishes of 299 school-aged children with ADHD (193 boys, aged 6–12) were elicited during a research diagnostic assessment. We developed a coding scheme to characterize different aspects of their wishes, including beneficiary, valence, and immediacy. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, adapted to take account of the participants’ ages, was used to identify the motivations underlying the children’s wishes. As expected, many of the wishes reported were for immediate fulfillment, with many reflecting material desires. Affiliative wishes, highlighting the children’s desire for positive interpersonal relationships, were also common. There was some evidence for self-actualization/self-betterment goals and a small number of altruistic wishes. A word cloud presents the content of the children’s wishes grouped according to this hierarchy. This study highlights the diversity and typicality of the self-reported needs, desires and hopes of children with ADHD. It also serves as a timely reminder of the value of seeking such information directly from children themselves.
Risky Sexual Practice and Associated Factors Among Youth Preparatory Students in Gondar City, Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Azene Zelalem Nigussie , Tsegaye Lanchisl , W/Gebriel Mekdes , Tadesse Adamu , Tadele Abreham , Aynalem Getie Lake , Andualem Zewudu , Taye Birhan Tsegaw
Published: May 2022

Background

Risky sexual practices can negatively affect the health of youths by predisposing them to a variety of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancy, which, in turn, would lead to serious lifelong deleterious health, social, and economic consequences. While youths tend to be less well-informed and require more information, little has been known in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of risky sexual practices and associated factors among youth students in Gondar city, northwest Ethiopia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 414 regularly attending youth students in Gondar city from April to May 2019. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data were collected by using a pre-tested, structured, and self-administered questionnaire. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed, and a multivariable binary logistic regression model was used to identify the effect of independent variables on the outcome variable at p < 0.05 with its 95%CI.

Result

The prevalence of risky sexual practices was 49.3%. Peer pressure (AOR = 1.99, 95%CI: 1.21, 3.26), drinking alcohol (AOR = 4.88 95%CI: 3.06, 7.79), and watching pornography (AOR = 2.82, 95%CI: 1.74, 4.56) were positively associated with the risky sexual practice of youths. Whereas, age, gender, and pocket money did not have any association with risky sexual practice in this study.

Conclusion

In this study, the prevalence of risky sexual practices was found to be high. Thus, multisector collaboration efforts are needed from parents, schools, health facilities, and the government to tackle the exposure of in-school youth toward peer pressure, drinking alcohol, and watching pornographic films, which in turn helps to bring about healthy sexual practices among them.
Development and Validation of a Self-Quantification Scale for Patients With Hypertension
Authors: Ma Guiyue , Zhong Zhuqing , Duan Yinglong , Shen Zhiying , Qin Ning , Hu Dehua
Published: May 2022

Background

The self-management ability of patients with hypertension is poor, and self-quantification increases gradually with the development of electronics. Self-quantification for patients with hypertension has important implications for individual health. However, there is a lack of relevant scales at present, and we aim to develop a self-quantified scale for patients with hypertension.

Methods

The instrument was developed based on protection motivation theory with literature review, a qualitative interview study and focus group discussions, and pilot testing. A total of 360 patients with hypertension were investigated using the scale. The psychometric properties of the scale were evaluated concerning validity and reliability employing internal consistency reliability, split-half reliability, test-retest reliability, content validity (S-CVI/Ave and I-CVI), and construct validity (exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis).

Results

The final scale had 30 items with seven sub-domains. The Cronbach's α for all domains was 0.900 with a range of 0.817–0.938. The split-half reliability coefficient for all domains was 0.743 with a range of 0.700–0.888. The test-retest reliability coefficient for all domains was 0.880 with a range of 0.849–0.943. The S-CVI/Ave for all domains was 0.922 with a range of 0.906- 0.950, and the I-CVI of each item was a range of 0.800–1.000. The result of confirmatory factor analysis of this scale showed that χ2/df was 2.499, RMSEA = 0.065, GFI=0.865, NFI=0.894, IFI=0.934, TLI=0.914, CFI=0.933, RFI=0.865. The Pearson's coefficients between the total scale and every domain were ranging from 0.347 to 0.695, and each domain ranged from 0.130 to 0.481.

Conclusion

The scale has good validity and reliability and can be used as a self-quantification scale for patients with hypertension.
Occupational Health Center as a Novel Model of Health Care Organization in Tertiary Educational Setting
Authors: Felszeghi Sára
Published: May 2022

The activity of the Occupational Health Center of the University of Miskolc was awarded the Best practice in Occupational Medicine by the European Network for Workplace Health Promotion in 2013. This study presents the model, which promotes multidisciplinary health service, combined with education and research as a novel element, and will outline its impact on national and international research.
Green Space Cooling Effect and Contribution to Mitigate Heat Island Effect of Surrounding Communities in Beijing Metropolitan Area
Authors: Liu Wei , Zhao Haiyue , Sun Shibo , Xu Xiyan , Huang Tingting , Zhu Jianning
Published: May 2022

With the rapid process of urbanization and global warming, many metropolises are vulnerable to high temperatures in summer, threatening the health of residents. However, green spaces can generate a cooling effect to mitigate the urban heat island effect in big cities. They can also help to improve the living quality and wellbeing of surrounding residents. In this paper, we utilized the radiative transfer equation algorithm, k-means clustering algorithm, big data crawling, and spatial analysis to quantify and map the spatial distribution, cooling capacity, and cooling contribution for surrounding communities of 1,157 green spaces within Beijing Fifth Ring Road, a typical metropolitan area. The findings showed that (1) the area proportion of the heat island in the study area is larger than that of the cooling island. Accounting for only about 30% area in the study area, the green spaces reduce the average land surface temperature by 1.32°C. (2) The spatial features of green space, such as area and shape complexity, have a significant influence on its cooling effect. (3) Four clusters of green spaces with specific spatial features and cooling capacity were identified. And there were differences among these clusters in green space cooling contribution for the surrounding communities. (4) The differences in green space cooling contribution also existed in different urban zones. Specifically, the middle zone performed significantly better than the inner and outer zones. (5) We furthered in finding that some green spaces with medium and high cooling contributions need to improve their cooling capacity soon, and some green spaces with low cooling contributions or no contributions have a good potential for constructing new communities in the future. Our study could help planners and government understand the current cooling condition of green spaces, to improve their cooling capacity, mitigate the urban heat island effect, and create a comfortable and healthy thermal environment in summer.
Gender Differences for the Prevalence and Risk Factors of Workplace Violence Among Healthcare Professionals in Shandong, China
Authors: Sun Long , Zhang Wen , Qi Fei , Wang Yani
Published: May 2022

Background

Workplace violence (WPV) against healthcare professionals (HPs) has been recognized as important occupational health and societal problem in the world. Many studies were also conducted to explore the prevalence, risk factors, and adverse outcomes of WPV against HPs. Although the gender differences in the prevalence and risk factors of WPV against HPs have been implied in many studies, fewer studies were conducted to explore the gender differences for WPV against HPs, especially in China. In this study, we aim to analyze the gender differences in the prevalence and risk factors of WPV against HPs in Shandong, China.

Methods

This study was conducted among HPs with a cross-sectional design. WPV, social-demographic variables, occupational characteristics, physical disease, social support, and depression were evaluated for the participated HPs. The prevalence and risk factors of WPV among male healthcare professionals (MHPs) and female healthcare professionals (FHPs) were analyzed in this study. Student'st-tests, one-way ANOVA, and logistic regressions were performed to test the associated factors of WPV among MHPs and FHPs.

Results

The prevalence of WPV among MHPs and FHPs was 61.4 and 48.8%, respectively. Being silent was the most common method of response to WPV among MHPs (52.3%) and FHPs (59.2%). For MHPs, the associated factors of WPV were master's degree (odds ratio (OR) =2.20,P< 0.05), bachelor's degree (OR = 2.49,P< 0.001), lower income level (OR = 1.81,P< 0.05), manager (OR = 1.81,P< 0.05), and depression (OR = 1.05,P< 0.001). For FHPs, the associated factors of WPV were a master's degree (OR = 1.58,P< 0.05), more working hours per week (OR = 1.02,P< 0.001), and depression (OR = 1.05,P< 0.001).

Conclusion

The prevalence of WPV among MHPs was higher than FHPs, and the associated factors for WPV against HPs were also different among MHPs and FHPs. The findings remind us that some gender-specific interventions are needed to control WPV against HPs.
IFN-Aging: Coupling Aging With Interferon Response
Authors: Cao Wei
Published: May 2022

Chronic inflammation affects many diseases and conditions, including aging. Interferons are a part of the immune defense against viral infections. Paradoxically, various aging tissues and organs from mammalian hosts perpetually accumulate changes brought by interferon pathway activation. Herein, we connote the mechanisms behind this phenomenon and discuss its implications in age-related pathology.
Augmenting Heritage Ocean-Color Aerosol Models for Enhanced Remote Sensing of Inland and Nearshore Coastal Waters
Authors: Montes Martin , Pahlevan Nima , Giles David M. , Roger Jean-Claude , Zhai Peng-wang , Smith Brandon , Levy Robert , Werdell P. Jeremy , Smirnov Alexander
Published: May 2022

Satellite remote sensing of near-surface water composition in terrestrial and coastal regions is challenging largely due to uncertainties linked to a lack of representative continental aerosols in the atmospheric correction (AC) framework. A comprehensive family of absorbing aerosols is proposed by analyzing global AERONET measurements using the Partition Around Medoids (PAM) classifier. The input to the classifier is composed of Version 3, Level 2.0 daily average aerosol properties [i.e., single scattering albedo at λ = 0.44 μm, (SSA(0.44)) and the Angstrom exponents for extinction and absorption AEe(0.44–0.87) and AEa(0.44–0.87), respectively from observations from June 1993 to September 2019. The PAM classification based on low daily aerosol optical depth (AOD(0.44) ≤ 0.4) suggested 27 distinct aerosol clusters encompassing five major absorbing aerosol types (Dust (DU), Marine (MAR), Mixed (MIX), Urban/Industrial (U/I), and Biomass Burning (BB)). Seasonal patterns of dominant PAM-derived clusters at three AERONET sites (GSFC, Kanpur, and Banizoumbou) strongly influenced by U/I, DU, and BB types, respectively, showed a satisfactory agreement with variations of aerosol mixtures reported in the literature. These PAM-derived models augment the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) aerosol models (A2010) applied in its operational AC. To demonstrate the validity and complementary nature of our models, a coupled ocean-atmosphere radiative transfer code is employed to create a simulated dataset for developing two experimental machine-learning AC processors. These two processors differ only in their aerosol models used in training: 1) a processor trained with the A2010 aerosol models (ACI) and 2) a processor trained with both PAM and A2010 aerosol models (ACII). These processors are applied to Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) matchups (N = 173) from selected AERONET sites equipped with ocean color radiometers (AERONET-OC). Our assessments showed improvements of up to 30% in retrieving remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) in the blue bands. In general, our empirically derived PAM aerosol models complement A2010 models (designed for regions strongly influenced by marine conditions) over continental and coastal waters where absorbing aerosols are present (e.g., urban environments, areas impacted by dust, or wildfire events). With the expected geographic expansion of in situ aquatic validation networks (e.g., AERONET-OC), the advantages of our models will be accentuated, particularly in the ultraviolet and short blue bands.
WTL-I: Mutual Information-Based Wavelet Transform Learning for Hyperspectral Imaging
Authors: Gehlot Shiv , Ansari Naushad , Gupta Anubha
Published: May 2022

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is useful in many applications, including healthcare, geosciences, and remote surveillance. In general, the HSI data set is large. The use of compressive sensing can reduce these data considerably, provided there is a robust methodology to reconstruct the full image data with quality. This article proposes a method, namely, WTL-I, that is mutual information-based wavelet transform learning for the reconstruction of compressively sensed three-dimensional (3D) hyperspectral image data. Here, wavelet transform is learned from the compressively sensed HSI data in 3D by exploiting mutual information across spectral bands and spatial information within the spectral bands. This learned wavelet basis is subsequently used as the sparsifying basis for the recovery of full HSI data. Elaborate experiments have been conducted on three benchmark HSI data sets. In addition to evaluating the quantitative and qualitative results on the reconstructed HSI data, performance of the proposed method has also been validated in the application of HSI data classification using a deep learning classifier.