bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Kif15 Is Required in the Development of Auditory System Using Zebrafish as a Model
Authors: Zheng Shimei , Tang Dongmei , Wang Xin , Liu Chang , Zuo Na , Yan Renchun , Wu Cheng , Ma Jun , Wang Chuanxi , Xu Hongfei , He Yingzi , Liu Dong , Liu Shaofeng
Published: March 2022

Kif15, a kinesin family member, is powerful in the formation of bipolar spindles. There is emerging evidence indicating that Kif15 plays vital roles in influencing the growth of axons and interference with the progression of the tumor. However, the function of Kif15 in the auditory organs remains unknown. The Western blotting test was used to examine the effect of Kif15 downregulation by specific morpholino targeting Kif15 (Kif15-MO). The development of the inner ear and posterior lateral line (PLL) system in zebrafish was under continuous observation from spawns to 96 h postfertilization (hpf) to investigate the potential role of Kif15 in the auditory and vestibular system. We uncovered that Kif15 inhibition induced otic organ deformities in zebrafish, including malformed semicircular canals, abnormal number and location of otoliths, and reduced number of hair cells (HCs) both in utricle and saccule. Furthermore, a remarkable reduction in the number of PLL neuromasts was also explored in Kif15-MO morphants compared to the normal larvae. We also detected notably reduced activity in locomotion after Kif15 was knocked down. Additionally, we performed rescue experiments with co-injection of Kif15 mRNA and found that the Kif15 splicing MO-induced deformities in otic vesicle and PLL of zebrafish were successfully rescued, and the severely reduced locomotor activity caused by Kif15-MO was partially rescued compared to the control-MO (Con-MO) embryos. Our findings uncover that Kif15 is essential in the early development of auditory and vestibular organs using zebrafish as models.
Impact of IDH1 c.315C>T SNP on Outcomes in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Propensity Score-Adjusted Cohort Study
Authors: Corley Elizabeth M. , Mustafa Ali Moaath K. , Alharthy Hanan , Kline Kathryn A. F. , Sewell Danielle , Law Jennie Y. , Lee Seung Tae , Niyongere Sandrine , Duong Vu H. , Baer Maria R. , Emadi Ashkan
Published: March 2022

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the common type of acute leukemia in adults. Definitive prognostic significance of variants of unknown significance lacks for many commonly mutated genes, including the isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variant c.315C>T. In this retrospective cohort study of 248 AML patients at the University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, we show that the IDH1 c.315C>T SNP, previously reported to be associated with poor prognosis by other studies with conflicting data, does not confer worse prognosis, with a median overall survival (OS) of 17.1 months compared to 15.1 months for patients without this SNP (P=0.57). The lack of negative effect on prognosis by IDH1 SNP c.315C>T is consistent with the absence of amino acid alteration (p.Gly105Gly).
Phase 1 Clinical Trial Evaluating the Safety and Anti-Tumor Activity of ADP-A2M10 SPEAR T-Cells in Patients With MAGE-A10+ Head and Neck, Melanoma, or Urothelial Tumors
Authors: Hong David S. , Butler Marcus O. , Pachynski Russell K. , Sullivan Ryan , Kebriaei Partow , Boross-Harmer Sarah , Ghobadi Armin , Frigault Matthew J. , Dumbrava Ecaterina E. , Sauer Amy , Brophy Francine , Navenot Jean-Marc , Fayngerts Svetlana , Wolchinsky Zohar , Broad Robyn , Batrakou Dzmitry G. , Wang Ruoxi , Solis Luisa M. , Duose Dzifa Yawa , Sanderson Joseph P. , Gerry Andrew B. , Marks Diane , Bai Jane , Norry Elliot , Fracasso Paula M.
Published: March 2022

Background

ADP-A2M10 specific peptide enhanced affinity receptor (SPEAR) T-cells are genetically engineered autologous T-cells that express a high-affinity melanoma-associated antigen (MAGE)-A10-specific T-cell receptor (TCR) targeting MAGE-A10-positive tumors in the context of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A*02. ADP-0022-004 is a phase 1, dose-escalation trial to evaluate the safety and anti-tumor activity of ADP-A2M10 in three malignancies (https://clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02989064).

Methods

Eligible patients were HLA-A*02 positive with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), melanoma, or urothelial carcinoma (UC) expressing MAGE-A10. Patients underwent apheresis; T-cells were isolated, transduced with a lentiviral vector containing the MAGE-A10 TCR, and expanded. Patients underwent lymphodepletion with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide prior to receiving ADP-A2M10. ADP-A2M10 was administered in two dose groups receiving 0.1×109 and >1.2 to 6×109 transduced cells, respectively, and an expansion group receiving 1.2 to 15×109 transduced cells.

Results

Ten patients (eight male and two female) with HNSCC (four), melanoma (three), and UC (three) were treated. Three patients were treated in each of the two dose groups, and four patients were treated in the expansion group. The most frequently reported adverse events grade ≥3 were leukopenia (10), lymphopenia (10), neutropenia (10), anemia (nine), and thrombocytopenia (five). Two patients reported cytokine release syndrome (one each with grade 1 and grade 3), with resolution. Best response included stable disease in four patients, progressive disease in five patients, and not evaluable in one patient. ADP-A2M10 cells were detectable in peripheral blood from patients in each dose group and the expansion group and in tumor tissues from patients in the higher dose group and the expansion group. Peak persistence was greater in patients from the higher dose group and the expansion group compared with the lower dose group.

Conclusions

ADP-A2M10 has shown an acceptable safety profile with no evidence of toxicity related to off-target binding or alloreactivity in these malignancies. Persistence of ADP-A2M10 in the peripheral blood and trafficking of ADP-A2M10 into the tumor was demonstrated. Because MAGE-A10 expression frequently overlaps with MAGE-A4 expression in tumors and responses were observed in the MAGE-A4 trial (NCT03132922), this clinical program closed, and trials with SPEAR T-cells targeting the MAGE-A4 antigen are ongoing.
Multiscale Local Enhancement Deep Convolutional Networks for the Automated 3D Segmentation of Gross Tumor Volumes in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Multi-Institutional Dataset Study
Authors: Yang Geng , Dai Zhenhui , Zhang Yiwen , Zhu Lin , Tan Junwen , Chen Zefeiyun , Zhang Bailin , Cai Chunya , He Qiang , Li Fei , Wang Xuetao , Yang Wei
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Accurate segmentation of gross target volume (GTV) from computed tomography (CT) images is a prerequisite in radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, this task is very challenging due to the low contrast at the boundary of the tumor and the great variety of sizes and morphologies of tumors between different stages. Meanwhile, the data source also seriously affect the results of segmentation. In this paper, we propose a novel three-dimensional (3D) automatic segmentation algorithm that adopts cascaded multiscale local enhancement of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and conduct experiments on multi-institutional datasets to address the above problems.

Materials and Methods

In this study, we retrospectively collected CT images of 257 NPC patients to test the performance of the proposed automatic segmentation model, and conducted experiments on two additional multi-institutional datasets. Our novel segmentation framework consists of three parts. First, the segmentation framework is based on a 3D Res-UNet backbone model that has excellent segmentation performance. Then, we adopt a multiscale dilated convolution block to enhance the receptive field and focus on the target area and boundary for segmentation improvement. Finally, a central localization cascade model for local enhancement is designed to concentrate on the GTV region for fine segmentation to improve the robustness. The Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), positive predictive value (PPV), sensitivity (SEN), average symmetric surface distance (ASSD) and 95% Hausdorff distance (HD95) are utilized as qualitative evaluation criteria to estimate the performance of our automated segmentation algorithm.

Results

The experimental results show that compared with other state-of-the-art methods, our modified version 3D Res-UNet backbone has excellent performance and achieves the best results in terms of the quantitative metrics DSC, PPR, ASSD and HD95, which reached 74.49 ± 7.81%, 79.97 ± 13.90%, 1.49 ± 0.65 mm and 5.06 ± 3.30 mm, respectively. It should be noted that the receptive field enhancement mechanism and cascade architecture can have a great impact on the stable output of automatic segmentation results with high accuracy, which is critical for an algorithm. The final DSC, SEN, ASSD and HD95 values can be increased to 76.23 ± 6.45%, 79.14 ± 12.48%, 1.39 ± 5.44mm, 4.72 ± 3.04mm. In addition, the outcomes of multi-institution experiments demonstrate that our model is robust and generalizable and can achieve good performance through transfer learning.

Conclusions

The proposed algorithm could accurately segment NPC in CT images from multi-institutional datasets and thereby may improve and facilitate clinical applications.
Flavonoids Inhibit Cancer by Regulating the Competing Endogenous RNA Network
Authors: Li Chengshun , Li Xiaolan , Jiang Ziping , Wang Dongxu , Sun Liqun , Li Jiaqi , Han Yang
Published: March 2022

Flavonoids are present in a wide range of plants. They have been used in the treatment of cancer, but the mechanism underlying this activity is unclear. In recent years, microRNA (miRNA) and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) levels have been observed to differ between normal tissues and cancer cells, and both types of RNA have been shown to have a role in tumor treatment. In addition, flavonoids have been proven to regulate miRNAs and LncRNAs in the treatment of cancer. The competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network is a complex post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism in cells, in which coding and non-coding RNAs competitively bind miRNAs to regulate messenger RNAs (mRNAs). This review focused on the role of the ceRNA network in the treatment of cancer by flavonoids.
ITGA5 Is a Novel Oncogenic Biomarker and Correlates With Tumor Immune Microenvironment in Gliomas
Authors: Li Shuyu , Zhang Nan , Liu Shiyang , Zhang Hao , Liu Jiajing , Qi Yiwei , Zhang Qi , Li Xingrui
Published: March 2022

Gliomas are the most aggressive primary intracranial malignancies with poor overall survival. ITGA5 is one member of the integrin adhesion molecule family and is implicated in cancer metastasis and oncogenesis. However, few studies have explored the association between tumor immune microenvironment and ITGA5 expression level in gliomas. Firstly, we analyzed 3,047 glioma patient samples collected from the TCGA, the CGGA, and the GEO databases, proving that high ITGA5 expression positively related to aggressive clinicopathological features and poor survival in glioma patients. Then, based on the ITGA5 level, immunological characteristics and genomic alteration were explored through multiple algorithms. We observed that ITGA5 was involved in pivotal oncological pathways, immune-related processes, and distinct typical genomic alterations in gliomas. Notably, ITGA5 was found to engage in remolding glioma immune infiltration and immune microenvironment, manifested by higher immune cell infiltration when ITGA5 is highly expressed. We also demonstrated a strong correlation between ITGA5 and immune checkpoint molecules that may be beneficial from immune checkpoint blockade strategies. In addition, ITGA5 was found to be a robust and sensitive indicator for plenty of chemotherapy drugs through drug sensitivity prediction. Altogether, our comprehensive analyses deciphered the prognostic, immunological, and therapeutic value of ITGA5 in glioma, thus improving individual and precise therapy for combating gliomas.
Exploration of Novel Pathways Underlying Irreversible Electroporation Induced Anti-Tumor Immunity in Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Imran Khan Mohammad , Nagai-Singer Margaret A. , Brock Rebecca M. , Alinezhadbalalami Nastaran , Davalos Rafael V. , Allen Irving Coy
Published: March 2022

Advancements in medical sciences and technologies have significantly improved the survival of many cancers; however, pancreatic cancer remains a deadly diagnosis. This malignancy is often diagnosed late in the disease when metastases have already occurred. Additionally, the location of the pancreas near vital organs limits surgical candidacy, the tumor’s immunosuppressive environment limits immunotherapy success, and it is highly resistant to radiation and chemotherapy. Hence, clinicians and patients alike need a treatment paradigm that reduces primary tumor burden, activates systemic anti-tumor immunity, and reverses the local immunosuppressive microenvironment to eventually clear distant metastases. Irreversible electroporation (IRE), a novel non-thermal tumor ablation technique, applies high‐voltage ultra-short pulses to permeabilize targeted cell membranes and induce cell death. Progression with IRE technology and an array of research studies have shown that beyond tumor debulking, IRE can induce anti-tumor immune responses possibly through tumor neo-antigen release. However, the success of IRE treatment (i.e. full ablation and tumor recurrence) is variable. We believe that IRE treatment induces IFNγ expression, which then modulates immune checkpoint molecules and thus leads to tumor recurrence. This indicates a co-therapeutic use of IRE and immune checkpoint inhibitors as a promising treatment for pancreatic cancer patients. Here, we review the well-defined and speculated pathways involved in the immunostimulatory effects of IRE treatment for pancreatic cancer, as well as the regulatory pathways that may negate these anti-tumor responses. By defining these underlying mechanisms, future studies may identify improvements to systemic immune system engagement following local tumor ablation with IRE and beyond.
Prognostic Implication of Patient Age in H3K27M-Mutant Midline Gliomas
Authors: Vuong Huy Gia , Ngo Tam N. M. , Le Hieu Trong , Jea Andrew , Hrachova Maya , Battiste James , McNall-Knapp Rene , Dunn Ian F.
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Pediatric and adult H3K27M-mutant midline gliomas have variable clinical presentations, prognoses, and molecular backgrounds. In this study, we integrated data from published studies to investigate the differences between these two groups.

Methods

PubMed and Web of Science were searched for potential data. Studies were included if they had available individual participant data on patients age of H3K27M-mutant midline gliomas. For time-to-event analyses, Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression models were carried out; corresponding hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed to analyze the impact of age and clinical covariates on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Results

We included 43 studies comprising 272 adults and 657 pediatric midline gliomas with H3K27M mutation for analyses. In adults, there was a male predilection whereas females were slightly more common than males in the pediatric group. Spinal cord tumors were more frequent in adults. The prevalence of H3.1 K27M mutation was significantly higher in the pediatric cohort. Compared to adult patients, pediatric H3K27M-mutant midline gliomas exhibited more aggressive features including higher rates of pathologic features of high-grade tumors and Ki67 proliferation index, and had a shorter PFS and OS. Genetically, ACVR1 mutations were more common whereas MGMT methylation, FGFR1, and NF1 mutations were less prevalent in the pediatric cohort.

Conclusion

Pediatric H3K27M-mutant midline gliomas were demographically, clinically, and molecularly distinct from adult patients, highlighting an opportunity to refine the risk stratification for these neoplasms.
Determinants for Perinatal Mortality in South China: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Liu Yiping , Li Qiongxuan , Wang Tingting , Zhang Senmao , Chen Letao , Li Yihuan , Diao Jingyi , Li Jinqi , Song Xinli , Sun Mengting , Wei Jianhui , Shu Jing , Yang Tubao , Qin Jiabi
Published: March 2022

Objective

To estimate the association of selected maternal and fetal characteristics with the risk of perinatal mortality in South China.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was conducted from March 2013 to December 2019. The exposures of interest were maternal sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle and habits during early pregnancy, and complications of pregnancy. Their effects on the development of perinatal death were analyzed in our study.

Results

A total of 44,048 eligible pregnant women were included in the analysis. Of these, 596 fetuses were perinatal deaths (perinatal mortality was 13.5 per 1,000 births). After adjustment, maternal obesity, being employed, history of gestational hypertension, taking antidepressants during early pregnancy, history of gestational diabetes mellitus, gestational diabetes mellitus, infertility drug treatment and assisted reproductive techniques, history of neonatal death, preterm birth, and congenital malformations all significantly increased the risk of perinatal death. Ethnic minority, income > 5,000, multiparous women, and cesarean section associated with reduced risk of perinatal death.

Conclusion

Some factors of maternal sociodemographic characteristics, abnormal pregnancy history, lifestyle and habits during early pregnancy, and complications of pregnancy were associated with the risk of perinatal death.
Extracallosal Structural Connectivity Is Positively Associated With Language Performance in Well-Performing Children Born Extremely Preterm
Authors: Barnes-Davis Maria E. , Williamson Brady J. , Merhar Stephanie L. , Nagaraj Usha D. , Parikh Nehal A. , Kadis Darren S.
Published: March 2022

Children born extremely preterm (<28 weeks gestation) are at risk for language delay or disorders. Decreased structural connectivity in preterm children has been associated with poor language outcome. Previously, we used multimodal imaging techniques to demonstrate that increased functional connectivity during a stories listening task was positively associated with language scores for preterm children. This functional connectivity was supported by extracallosal structural hyperconnectivity when compared to term-born children. Here, we attempt to validate this finding in a distinct cohort of well-performing extremely preterm children (EPT, n = 16) vs. term comparisons (TC, n = 28) and also compare this to structural connectivity in a group of extremely preterm children with a history of language delay or disorder (EPT-HLD, n = 8). All participants are 4–6 years of age. We perform q-space diffeomorphic reconstruction and functionally-constrained structural connectometry (based on fMRI activation), including a novel extension enabling between-groups comparisons with non-parametric ANOVA. There were no significant differences between groups in age, sex, race, ethnicity, parental education, family income, or language scores. For EPT, tracks positively associated with language scores included the bilateral posterior inferior fronto-occipital fasciculi and bilateral cerebellar peduncles and additional cerebellar white matter. Quantitative anisotropy in these pathways accounted for 55% of the variance in standardized language scores for the EPT group specifically. Future work will expand this cohort and follow longitudinally to investigate the impact of environmental factors on developing language networks and resiliency in the preterm brain.
α-Asarone Attenuates Osteoclastogenesis and Prevents Against Oestrogen-Deficiency Induced Osteoporosis
Authors: Tian Hao , Jiang Tao , Yang Kai , Ning Ruonan , Wang Tianqi , Zhou Qi , Qian Niandong , Huang Ping , Guo Lei , Jiang Min , Xi Xiaobing , Xu Xing , Deng Lianfu
Published: March 2022

Osteoporosis (OP) is defined as low bone mineral density which features over activated osteoclasts (OCs) and bone resorption. Targeting excessive OCs activity is thought to be an effective therapeutic approach for OP treatment. α-asarone (ASA), a compound from the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Acorus tatarinowii, has been widely used as a therapeutic agent against several diseases such as epilepsy, cough, bronchitis and asthma for many years. Recently, it was reported that ASA-derived lignins which were purified from Acorus tatarinowii root tissues effectively suppressed both RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption. Besides, a classic Chinese formulation Bajitianwan (BJTW) which consisted of root and rhizome of Acorus tatarinowii Schott also showed positive effects on age-related bone loss. In the present study, we aimed to study the effects of ASA on osteoclastogenesis in vitro and in vivo. As illustrated by TRAP staining, ASA was capable of inhibiting RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis in a dose-dependent manner, not only at an early-stage, but also in the late-stage. Besides, it also effectively suppressed bone resorption of mature OCs in a pit resorption assay. The formation of F-actin ring during osteoclastogenesis, which was important in OCs bone-resorption, was impaired as well. Subsequent mechanism experiments exposed that ASA inhibited osteoclastogenesis related genes in a time-dependent manner through AKT, p38 and NF-κB, followed by NFATc1/c-fos signaling pathway. Notably, our in vivo study uncovered that ASA was capable of improving the bone microstructure in oestrogen-deficiency induced OP models. Thus, our current work highlighted the important role of an old drug ASA in bone metabolism especially in OCs differentiation. ASA may find its potential as a lead compound to treat excessive OCs activity-induced bone loss diseases and more structure optimization is further needed.
Safety Assessment of Ultrasound-Assisted Intravesical Chemotherapy in Normal Dogs: A Pilot Study
Authors: Sasaki Noboru , Ikenaka Yoshinori , Aoshima Keisuke , Aoyagi Teiichiro , Kudo Nobuki , Nakamura Kensuke , Takiguchi Mitsuyoshi
Published: March 2022

Intravesical chemotherapy after transurethral resection is a treatment option in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. The efficacy of intravesical chemotherapy is determined by the cellular uptake of intravesical drugs. Therefore, drug delivery technologies in the urinary bladder are promising tools for enhancing the efficacy of intravesical chemotherapy. Ultrasound-triggered microbubble cavitation may enhance the permeability of the urothelium, and thus may have potential as a drug delivery technology in the urinary bladder. Meanwhile, the enhanced permeability may increase systemic absorption of intravesical drugs, which may increase the adverse effects of the drug. The aim of this preliminary safety study was to assess the systemic absorption of an intravesical drug that was delivered by ultrasound-triggered microbubble cavitation in the urinary bladder of normal dogs. Pirarubicin, a derivative of doxorubicin, and an ultrasound contrast agent (Sonazoid) microbubbles were administered in the urinary bladder. Ultrasound (transmitting frequency 5 MHz; pulse duration 0.44 μsec; pulse repetition frequency 7.7 kHz; peak negative pressure −1.2 MPa) was exposed to the bladder using a diagnostic ultrasound probe (PLT-704SBT). The combination of ultrasound and microbubbles did not increase the plasma concentration of intravesical pirarubicin. In addition, hematoxylin and eosin staining showed that the combination of ultrasound and microbubble did not cause observable damages to the urothelium. Tissue pirarubicin concentration in the sonicated region was higher than that of the non-sonicated region in two of three dogs. The results of this pilot study demonstrate the safety of the combination of intravesical pirarubicin and ultrasound-triggered microbubble cavitation, that is, ultrasound-assisted intravesical chemotherapy.
C1q/Tumor Necrosis Factor-Related Protein 9: Basics and Therapeutic Potentials
Authors: Guan Hua , Wang Yanli , Li Xiangyu , Xiang Aoqi , Guo Fengwei , Fan Jianglin , Yu Qi
Published: March 2022

C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein 9 (CTRP9) is a newly discovered adipokine that is the closest paralog of adiponectin. Proteolytic cleavage of CTRP9 leads to the release of the globular domain (gCTRP9), which serves as the major circulating subtype. After binding with adiponectin receptor 1 (AdipoR1) and N-cadherin, CTRP9 activates various signaling pathways to regulate glucose and lipid metabolism, vasodilation and cell differentiation. Throughout human development and adult life, CTRP9 controls many biological phenomena. simultaneously, abnormal gene or protein expression of CTRP9 is accompanied by a wide range of human pathological phenomena. In this review, we briefly introduce CTRP9 and its associated signaling pathways and physiological functions, which may be helpful in the understanding of the occurrence of diseases. Moreover, we summarize the broader research prospects of CTRP9 and advances in therapeutic intervention. In recent years, CTRP9 has attracted extensive attention due to its role in the pathogenesis of various diseases, providing further avenues for its exploitation as a potential biomarker or therapeutic target.
Can Seismocardiogram Fiducial Points Be Used for the Routine Estimation of Cardiac Time Intervals in Cardiac Patients?
Authors: Işilay Zeybek Zeynep Melike , Racca Vittorio , Pezzano Antonio , Tavanelli Monica , Di Rienzo Marco
Published: March 2022

The indexes of cardiac mechanics can be derived from the cardiac time intervals, CTIs, i.e., the timings among the opening and closure of the aortic and mitral valves and the Q wave in the ECG. Traditionally, CTIs are estimated by ultrasound (US) techniques, but they may also be more easily assessed by the identification of specific fiducial points (FPs) inside the waveform of the seismocardiogram (SCG), i.e., the measure of the thorax micro-accelerations produced by the heart motion. While the correspondence of the FPs with the valve movements has been verified in healthy subjects, less information is available on whether this methodology may be routinely employed in the clinical practice for the monitoring of cardiac patients, in which an SCG waveform distortion is expected because of the heart dysfunction. In this study we checked the SCG shape in 90 patients with myocardial infarction (MI), heart failure (HF), or transplanted heart (TX), referred to our hospital for rehabilitation after an acute event or after surgery. The SCG shapes were classified as traditional (T) or non-traditional (NT) on whether the FPs were visible or not on the basis of nomenclature previously proposed in literature. The T shape was present in 62% of the patients, with a higher ∓ prevalence in MI (79%). No relationship was found between T prevalence and ejection fraction (EF). In 20 patients with T shape, we checked the FPs correspondence with the real valve movements by concomitant SCG and US measures. When compared with reference values in healthy subjects available in the literature, we observed that the Echo vs. FP differences are significantly more dispersed in the patients than in the healthy population with higher differences for the estimation of the mitral valve closure (−17 vs. 4 ms on average). Our results indicate that not every cardiac patient has an SCG waveform suitable for the CTI estimation, thus before starting an SCG-based CTI monitoring a preliminary check by a simultaneous SCG-US measure is advisable to verify the applicability of the methodology.
Estimating Bulk Stomatal Conductance in Grapevine Canopies
Authors: Gowdy Mark , Pieri Philippe , Suter Bruno , Marguerit Elisa , Destrac-Irvine Agnès , Gambetta Gregory , van Leeuwen Cornelis
Published: March 2022

In response to changes in their environments, grapevines regulate transpiration using various physiological mechanisms that alter conductance of water through the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. Expressed asbulk stomatal conductanceat the canopy scale, it varies diurnally in response to changes in vapor pressure deficit and net radiation, and over the season to changes in soil water deficits and hydraulic conductivity of both the soil and plant. To help with future characterization of this dynamic response, a simplified method is presented for determining bulk stomatal conductance based on the crop canopy energy flux model by Shuttleworth and Wallace using measurements of individual vine sap flow, temperature and humidity within the vine canopy, and estimates of net radiation absorbed by the vine canopy. The methodology presented respects the energy flux dynamics of vineyards with open canopies, while avoiding problematic measurements of soil heat flux and boundary layer conductance needed by other methods, which might otherwise interfere with ongoing vineyard management practices. Based on this method and measurements taken on several vines in a non-irrigated vineyard in Bordeaux France, bulk stomatal conductance was estimated on 15-minute intervals from July to mid-September 2020 producing values similar to those presented for vineyards in the literature. Time-series plots of this conductance show significant diurnal variation and seasonal decreases in conductance associated with increased vine water stress as measured by predawn leaf water potential. Global sensitivity analysis using non-parametric regression found transpiration flux and vapor pressure deficit to be the most important input variables to the calculation of bulk stomatal conductance, with absorbed net radiation and bulk boundary layer conductance being much less important. Conversely, bulk stomatal conductance was one of the most important inputs when calculating vine transpiration, emphasizing the usefulness of characterizing its dynamic response for the purpose of estimating vine canopy transpiration in water use models.
Gender Differences in the Perceived Behavior of Narcissistic Leaders
Authors: Van Gerven Emma J. G. , De Hoogh Annebel H. B. , Den Hartog Deanne N. , Belschak Frank D.
Published: March 2022

Although narcissists often emerge as leaders, the relationship between leader narcissism and follower performance is ambiguous and often even found to be negative. For women, narcissism seems especially likely to lead to negative evaluations. Since narcissists have the tendency to be impulsive and change their minds on a whim, they may come across as inconsistent. We propose “inconsistent leader behavior” as a new mechanism in the relationship between leader narcissism and follower performance and argue that leader gender plays an important role in whether narcissistic leaders are perceived as inconsistent. Specifically, we expect leader narcissism to have a negative relationship with follower performance through perceived inconsistent leader behavior, especially for female leaders. Thus, we examine leader gender as a personal factor moderating the relationship between narcissism and perceived inconsistent behavior. Also, as perceived inconsistency is likely less problematic when a good relationship exists, we examine leader–member exchange (LMX) as a contextual condition moderating the relationship between leader behavior and follower performance. We test our moderated mediation model in a multi-source study with 165 unique leader–follower dyads. As expected, leader narcissism was positively related to perceived inconsistent leader behavior, and this relationship was stronger for female leaders. Inconsistent leader behavior was negatively related to follower performance, but only when LMX was low. Our research highlights that perceived behavioral inconsistency can be problematic and—for female leaders—provides an explanation of the negative relation of leader narcissism with follower performance and of the inconsistencies in evaluations of narcissistic leaders’ effectiveness.
Socio-Demographic Factors Associated With COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Middle-Aged Adults During the Quebec's Vaccination Campaign
Authors: Jantzen Rodolphe , Maltais Mathieu , Broët Philippe
Published: March 2022

Introduction

The objective of this study was to characterize the combinations of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics associated to the unwillingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccines during the 2021 Quebec's vaccination campaign.

Materials and Methods

In March-June 2021, we conducted an online survey of the participants of the CARTaGENE population-based cohort, composed of middle-aged and older adults. After comparing the vaccinated and unvaccinated participants, we investigated vaccine hesitancy among participants who were unvaccinated. For identifying homogeneous groups of individuals with respect to vaccine hesitancy, we used a machine learning approach based on a hybrid tree-based model.

Results

Among the 6,105 participants of the vaccine cohort, 3,553 (58.2%) had at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Among the 2,552 participants, 221 (8.7%) did not want to be vaccinated (91) or were uncertain (130). The median age for the unvaccinated participants was 59.3 years [IQR 54.7–63.9]. The optimal hybrid tree-based model identified seven groups. Individuals having a household income lower than $100,000 and being born outside of Canada had the highest rate of vaccine hesitancy (28% [95% CI 19.8–36.3]). For those born in Canada, the vaccine hesitancy rate among the individuals who have a household income below $50,000 before the pandemic or are Non-retired was of 12.1% [95% CI 8.7–15.5] and 10.6% [95% CI 7.6–13.7], respectively. For the participants with a high household income before the pandemic (more than $100,000) and a low level of education, those who experienced a loss of income during the pandemic had a high level of hesitancy (19.2% [8.5–29.9]) whereas others who did not experience a loss of income had a lower level of hesitancy (6.0% [2.8–9.2]). For the other groups, the level of hesitancy was low of around 3% (3.2% [95% CI 1.9–4.4] and 3.4% [95% CI 1.5–5.2]).

Discussion

Public health initiatives to tackle vaccine hesitancy should take into account these socio-economic determinants and deliver personalized messages toward people having socio-economic difficulties and/or being part of socio-cultural minorities.
Effect of Acupuncture for Mixed Urinary Incontinence in Women: A Systematic Review
Authors: Long Zilin , Chen Huan , Yu Shudan , Wang Xinlu , Liu Zhishun
Published: March 2022

Background

Mixed urinary incontinence increasingly undermines women's quality of life. Previous studies showed some effects of acupuncture for MUI, but no systematic review has been done to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for MUI in women.

Objective

To systematically review the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for women with MUI.

Methods

Ten databases (i.e., PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, the Cochrane Library, CBM, Scoups, CNKI, VIP and WANFANG DATA) were searched up to July 19th, 2021, using tailored search strategies with keywords not limited to “female,” “mixed urinary incontinence,” “acupuncture,” and “randomized controlled trial,” etc. RCTs and quasi-RCTs were included if investigating effect of any type of acupuncture for female patients with MUI. Data were extracted from eligible studies, and risks of bias were assessed according to the Cochrane Handbook from seven aspects using the RevMan 5.4 software.

Results

A total of three randomized studies with 591 women were included. The risk of bias among the studies varied, with major concerns on blinding of participants and outcome assessor. Liu's study (497) mainly showed that electroacupuncture's effect on reduction of numbers of incontinence, urgency, nocturia episodes, and amount of urine leakage etc. was not inferior to that of PFMT-Solifenacin group at 12, 24, and 36 weeks. Zhan's study (60) showed that electroacupuncture reduced significantly more amount of urine leakage than Tolterodine at 8 weeks, with no data on incontinence episodes frequency. All 3 studies reported that acupuncture significantly increased the quality of life assessed by ICIQ score. In addition, incidence of acupuncture-related adverse events was rare, while antimuscarinic agents related adverse events were common in two studies.

Conclusion

Although acupuncture showed some benefit for women with MUI, more evidences were required to draw a solid conclusion of effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for women with MUI.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42021224600.
Food Consumption Frequency, Perceived Stress, and Depressive Symptoms Among Female University Students in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Authors: Mohamad Ohoud , Al Sabbah Haleama , Smail Linda , Hermena Ehab W. , Al Ghali Rola
Published: March 2022

Background

This study assessed whether perceived stress and depressive symptoms were associated with the frequency of consumption of specific food groups among female university students.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among female university students using a simple random sampling method. The response rate was 97%, with a total number of 385 participants. The associations between stress levels and most/least-consumed food groups, and between depressive symptoms levels and most/least-consumed food groups were assessed. The questionnaire included a 12-item self-administered food frequency questionnaire, Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory-II. The study was approved by the University Ethical Committee prior to the data collection. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and an independent-sample t-test were performed to test the equality of population means across the categories of each independent variable depending on the number of categories of the independent variable.

Results

Overall, this group of female university students fell under the mild mood disturbance category (depressive symptoms) (BDI-II) and had moderate perceived stress (PSS). Perceived stress was associated with more frequent consumption of salad/raw vegetables and cooked vegetables and less frequent consumption of cake/cookies and meat/sausage products (p < 0.05). Additionally, depressive symptoms were associated with less frequent consumption of fresh fruits and increased consumption of fast food/canned food and soft drinks (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The data showed that stress and depression were associated with different dietary preferences, which is consistent with the distinctions between stress and depression in human behavior. Specifically, the results revealed associations between soft drinks consumption and higher depressive symptoms and between frequent consumption of salad/raw vegetables and cooked vegetables and higher perceived stress among this group of female university students.
Case Report: Not a Mediastinal Mass! a Ruptured Giant Coronary Aneurysm That Occurred in a Young Man
Authors: Yao Peng , Shen Cheng , Xu Zhi-Jie , Lin Yi-dan
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Coronary artery aneurysm (CAA) is a localized coronary artery dilatation that exceeds 1. 5 times the diameter of a standard adjacent segment or the largest coronary vessel. When the expansion is > 2 cm, it is called a “giant” coronary artery aneurysm. Giant coronary artery aneurysm rupture is extremely rare and fatal.

Case presentation

We present a rare case of a 27 years old male with a giant coronary artery aneurysm rupture, but no catastrophic events occurred immediately. He was initially misdiagnosed as having a mediastinal mass with CT (computed tomography). The cardiac ultrasound showed no pericardial effusion. But The cardiac CTA (computed tomography angiography) showed a giant coronary aneurysm rupture with hematoma formation. He eventually underwent surgery and was followed up for 2 months without complications.

Conclusion

We report this case of a ruptured giant coronary aneurysm because of its infrequent occurrence in coronary artery disease. It is tough to distinguish this disease from a mediastinal tumor, and chest MRI and cardiac CTA are crucial tests. Finally, surgical resection may be the right choice for coronary aneurysm rupture. More cases need to be reported to facilitate the preoperative diagnosis of this rare coronary aneurysm.
Electrospun Polycaprolactone (PCL)-Amnion Nanofibrous Membrane Promotes Nerve Regeneration and Prevents Fibrosis in a Rat Sciatic Nerve Transection Model
Authors: Bai Jiangbo , Liu Chunjie , Kong Lingde , Tian Siyu , Yu Kunlun , Tian Dehu
Published: March 2022

Functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury repair is typically unsatisfactory. An anastomotically poor microenvironment and scarring at the repair site are important factors impeding nerve regeneration. In this study, an electrospun poly-e-caprolactone (PCL)-amnion nanofibrous membrane comprising an amnion membrane and nonwoven electrospun PCL was used to wrap the sciatic nerve repair site in the rat model of a sciatic nerve transection. The effect of the PCL-amnion nanofibrous membrane on improving nerve regeneration and preventing scarring at the repair site was evaluated by expression of the inflammatory cytokine, sciatic functional index (SFI), electrophysiology, and histological analyses. Four weeks after repair, the degree of nerve adhesion, collagen deposition, and intraneural macrophage invasion of the PCL-amnion nanofibrous membrane group were significantly decreased compared with those of the Control group. Moreover, the PCL-amnion nanofibrous membrane decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin(IL)-6, Tumor Necrosis Factor(TNF)-a and the number of pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages, and increased the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokine such as IL-10, IL-13 and anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages. At 16 weeks, the PCL-amnion nanofibrous membrane improved functional recovery, including promoting nerve Schwann cell proliferation, axon regeneration, and reducing the time of muscle denervation. In summary, the PCL-amnion nanofibrous membrane effectively improved nerve regeneration and prevent fibrosis after nerve repair, which has good clinical application prospect for tissue repair.
risco para a História
Authors: Abal Felipe Cittolin
Published: March 2022

Este artigo trata do uso da História como ferramenta para a normalização de determinados conceitos e acontecimentos históricos, como o nazismo ou o fascismo, usando a metapolítica, conceito oriundo da chamada nova direita. Por meio da análise de alguns discursos políticos, busca-se verificar o uso de “pequenas verdades” para operar revisionismos históricos e trazer ao debate público certos argumentos, legitimando-os e operando no campo ideológico com fins de normalizar determinados pensamentos e, ao mesmo tempo, atacar ideias e ideologias opostas. O uso da História como campo de disputa não é novo, porém, cabe aos historiadores cumprir seu papel de defender esse campo do conhecimento contra os constantes ataques que vem sofrendo no Brasil e em outros países do mundo.
Historiador e o Engajamento Intelectual
Authors: Linard Danilo
Published: March 2022

Considerando os debates públicos sobre temas históricos/historiográficos, refletimos sobre a questão do engajamento intelectual em uma perspectiva histórica, teórica e conceitual. Nesse movimento, discutimos, ainda, como tal questão se impõe ao historiador, evidenciando os usos, os riscos de abuso, os limites e as possibilidades da adoção dessa postura. Em nossa perspectiva, a presente análise pode contribuir para que os profissionais que trabalham no campo da história, seja na pesquisa e / ou no ensino, tornem seu provável envolvimento nessas discussões mais fértil e relevante, afastando-se, portanto, de práticas inadequadas (ou negligentes) que podem causar danos não apenas a outros historiadores, mas também àqueles que consomem conteúdo e conhecimento históricos.
Júlio Pernetta e a série “Costumes Paranaenses”
Authors: Vaz de Camargo Junior Mauro Cezar
Published: March 2022

O processo de construção da identidade nacional durante a instalação da República utilizou como uma de suas estratégias a afirmação de um discurso de origem comum para os habitantes locais, o que resultou na exaltação de um “tipo” marcado pela união de indígenas, negros e portugueses. O reconhecimento deste imaginário étnico foi apropriado de diferentes formas nos espaços periféricos da nação, nosso estudo se detém sobre uma das formas de apreensão desta discussão, mais especificamente sobre os escritos do paranaense Júlio Pernetta na revista O Cenáculo.
Legislação e Igreja em Wessex
Authors: Pereira Rodrigues Lucas
Published: March 2022

O Domboc, código de leis do rei Alfredo, o Grande, escrito na década de 890, é geralmente tido como uma obra legislativa cujos objetivos centrais foram os de afirmar o poder régio e auxiliar na criação de uma identidade inglesa. Enquanto diversos trabalhos se direcionaram para a análise de aspectos referentes a estes objetivos, poucos se voltaram para assuntos mais periféricos, como o tratamento dispensado pelo Domboc a outras esferas da sociedade, como, por exemplo, a Igreja. Tendo isso em vista, o presente artigo objetiva, em permanente diálogo com outros autores que trataram de semelhantes temas, verificar de que forma as leis de Alfredo, o Grande, tratam questões relativas à Igreja e à autoridade eclesiástica e leiga, no contexto de secularização da Igreja durante o século IX. Buscaremos, assim, entender as leis como reveladoras da percepção régia sobre tal processo e como atuantes na conformação do contexto em que se inscrevem.
década de 1850 e as epidemias que assolaram Itapemirim-ES
Authors: Da Silva Machado Laryssa
Published: March 2022

O presente artigo pretende realizar uma breve análise sobre as epidemias que assolaram a região de Itapemirim durante o século XIX, com destaque para as epidemias ocorridas durante a década de 1850. Ao longo dos Oitocentos, o mundo presenciou surtos epidêmicos causados pela revolução nos transportes. O encurtamento das fronteiras fez com que a circulação de pessoas, mercadorias e doenças cruzassem oceanos, alcançando vários continentes. Assim, o Espírito Santo e Itapemirim conheceram a varíola, a febre amarela e a cólera. Durante a década de 1850 a febre amarela e a cólera vitimaram uma série de pessoas em vários municípios da província, porém, Itapemirim, por ser o porto mais perto da Corte, além de porta de entrada para os males, foi uma das localidades com maior número de vítimas. A epidemia da cólera fez tantas vítimas na região, que foi preciso solicitar ao Imperador ajuda com alimentos, feita pelo Barão de Itapemirim. A quantidade de mortos por dia e os relatos de corpos esperando pelo sepultamento são amostras da situação caótica em que a região se encontrava.
Papai Félix e Vovó Thomazia
Authors: Perez da Cunha Lima Fernando
Published: March 2022

Por meio do presente trabalho, pretende-se tecer breves considerações acerca das possíveis relações existentes entre a História da Saúde no Brasil e a História das Religiões Afro-brasileiras. Isto é, a correlação entre o fortalecimento e a institucionalização da chamada medicina acadêmica, ocorrido durante o século XIX, e o recrudescimento da perseguição às práticas populares de cura, notadamente aos feiticeiros e curandeiros de cultos afro-brasileiros. Visa-se, ainda, traçar linhas para que se possa vislumbrar as relações de tais fenômenos com o Direito, precipuamente no que tange às garantias constitucionais de liberdade de culto e a influência da institucionalização da medicina na codificação criminal de 1890. Para tanto, partir-se-á de notícias extraídas do, que relatam episódios dos notáveis curandeiros Papai Félix e Vovó Thomazia, tomados de forma a ilustrar os processos e fenômenos já mencionados.
Liberdade e Autonomia
Authors: De Almeida Jorge
Published: March 2022

Este ensaio tem como objetivo refletir sobre algumas questões importantes da história da recepção da obra de Ludwig van Beethoven, por ocasião dos 250 anos de seu nascimento. Diante das descobertas de John Eliot Gardiner sobre a existência de “citações subversivas” inseridas em suas sinfonias, argumentamos que é necessário repensar os fundamentos de uma tradição filosófica de interpretação estética (cujos representantes principais são E. T. A. Hoffmann e Theodor Adorno) que elegeu a autonomia como critério histórico, crítico e filosófico para a justa apreciação das relações entre música e política na obra de Beethoven.