bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ursodeoxycholic acid for the prevention of gallstone and subsequent cholecystectomy following gastric surgery: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Choi Jin Ho , Lee Sang Hyub , Cho In Rae , Paik Woo Hyun , Ryu Ji Kon , Kim Yong‐Tae
Published: March 2021

Background/Purpose

Patients who undergo gastric surgery are prone to form postsurgical gallstones. Debates still exist about the need for prevention and the selection of preventive methods. No studies had been reported comparing the efficacy of prophylactic ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and prophylactic cholecystectomy (PC) for lowering postsurgical gallstone formation and subsequent cholecystectomy (SC) in patients who have undergone gastric surgery.

Methods

We did a systematic review to identify studies from PUBMED, EMBASE, and the Cochrane database through 30 June 2020. We conducted direct and indirect comparisons of each prophylaxis using conventional and network meta‐analysis. Studies with patients who have no history of cholecystectomy and who have not had preoperative gallstone were included.

Results

The excellent preventive effects of PC and UDCA were demonstrated for gallstone formation (odds ratio [OR] 0.05, [95% CI 0.01, 0.22] and 0.20, [95% CI 0.16, 0.24], respectively) and the need for SC (OR 0.10, [95% CI 0.02, 0.57] and OR 0.22, [95% CI 0.14, 0.35], respectively) than control group. The UDCA group showed a tendency to generate more gallstones (OR 3.74, [95% CI 0.88, 15.82]) and a greater need for SC (OR 2.19, [95% CI 0.47‐10.14]) than did the PC group without statistical significance.

Conclusions

Prophylaxis for gallstone formation may be needed for patients who undergo gastric surgery to reduce troublesome morbidities. Prophylactic UDCA seems to be a reasonable preventive method for postsurgical gallstone formation to ensure clinical benefit while reducing the burden of subsequent cholecystectomy for the patient as compared to a PC.
Point‐of‐care testing can achieve same‐day diagnosis for infants and rapid ART initiation: results from government programmes across six African countries
Authors: Boeke Caroline E , Joseph Jessica , Wang Melody , Abate Zelalem M , Atem Charles , Coulibaly Khady Diatou , Kebede Adisu , Kiernan Brianán , Kingwara Leonard , Mangwendeza Phibeon , Maparo Tatenda , Mbaye Rose Nadege , Mukungunugwa Solomon , Ngugi Catherine , Nzuobontane Divine , Okomo Assoumou Marie Claire , Reta Yemsirach , Wambugu Barbara , Rioja Maria R , Peter Trevor , Doi Naoko , Vojnov Lara , Khan Shaukat , Sacks Jilian A
Published: March 2021

Introduction

Point‐of‐care (POC) early infant diagnosis (EID) testing has been shown to dramatically decrease turnaround times from sample collection to caregiver result receipt and time to ART initiation for HIV‐positive infants compared to centralized laboratory testing. As governments in sub‐Saharan Africa implement POC EID technologies, we report on the feasibility and effectiveness of POC EID testing and the impact of same‐day result delivery on rapid ART initiation within national programmes across six countries.

Methods

This pre‐/post‐evaluation compared centralized laboratory‐based (pre) with POC (post) EID testing in 52 facilities across Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal and Zimbabwe between April 2017 and October 2019 (country‐dependent). Data were collected retrospectively from routine records at health facilities for all infants tested under two years of age. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to compare time‐to‐event outcomes, visualized with Kaplan–Meier curves, and the Somers’ D test was used to compare continuous outcomes.

Results

Data were collected for 2892 EID tests conducted on centralized laboratory‐based platforms and 4610 EID tests on POC devices with 127 (4%) and 192 (4%) HIV‐positive infants identified, respectively. POC EID significantly reduced the time from sample collection to caregiver result receipt (POC median: 0 days, IQR: 0 to 0 vs. centralized: 35 days, IQR: 26 to 56) and time from sample collection to ART initiation for HIV‐positive infants (POC median: 1 day, IQR: 0 to 7 vs. centralized: 39 days, IQR: 26 to 57). With POC testing, 72% of infants received results on the same day as sample collection; HIV‐positive infants with a same‐day diagnosis had six times the rate of ART initiation compared to those diagnosed one or more days after sample collection (HR: 6.39; 95% CI: 3.44 to 11.85).

Conclusions

Same‐day diagnosis and treatment initiation for infants is possible with POC EID within routine government‐led and ‐supported public sector healthcare facilities in resource‐limited settings. Given that POC EID allows for rapid ART initiation, aligning to the World Health Organization’s recommendation of ART initiation within seven days, its use in public sector programmes has the potential to reduce overall mortality for infants with HIV through early treatment initiation.
Half‐cascaded multilevel inverter coupled to photovoltaic power source for AC‐voltage synthesizer of dynamic voltage restorer to enhance voltage quality
Authors: Darvish Falehi Ali
Published: March 2021

Due to significant growth of the industrial companies and domestic electricity consumers along with appearance of the sensitive electrical and electronic equipment, the proper standard services have been more requested to provide high‐quality electrical energy. Dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) is a custom power electronic which is located in series with sensitive load and grid to mitigate the voltage sag and swell by injecting the relevant compensating voltage. High cost price of this compensator is related to its power supplies that it is replaced with renewable energy to make it cost‐effectiveness and eco‐friendly. Furthermore, the structure of multilevel inverter has a significant effect on providing high‐quality compensating voltage. In this paper, a novel HCMLI coupled to photovoltaic power source is proposed as AC‐voltage synthesizer for DVR to accurately compensate any voltage disturbances. Photovoltaic system can provide the required DC voltage with respect to voltage fluctuation range with low distortion. The step‐creation capability and cost‐effectiveness of the DVR based on proposed AC voltage synthesizer have been thoroughly evaluated. Feasibility of this multilevel inverter has correspondingly validated by the experimental results. Likewise, the performance of proposed DVR has been compared with conventional DVR and evaluated under different types of voltage disturbances. At last, the simulation results have confirmed the compensation capability of proposed DVR with proposed AC‐voltage synthesizer as compared with the conventional DVR to mitigate different sags and swells.
Evaluation of precipitation datasets available on Google earth engine over India
Authors: Dubey Saket , Gupta Harshit , Goyal Manish Kumar , Joshi Nitin
Published: March 2021

Monthly mean precipitation estimates of seven products (TerraClimate, TRMM, CHIRPS, PERSIANN‐CDR, GPM‐IMERG, ERA5 and CFSR) available on Google earth engine (GEE) are evaluated against gridded gauge‐based precipitation product available from Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) for their skills and presence of systematic biases (during 2001–2018). All these products represent the climatological features reasonably well. Presence of systematic biases in these products is also observed from their evaluation. Biases across the periphery of the country are relatively on the higher side in comparison to the central regions. The magnitude of spatial variability is represented better for winter precipitation in comparison to summer precipitation. During both winter and summer, ensemble mean of various products outperforms individual products in terms of both RMSE and correlation. Performance of these products is also assessed across various Indian states, elevation bands and climate zones. The ability of these products to represent the seasonality was observed to be highest for the states with mid‐ranged peaks (10–20 mm·day−1) which tend to decrease with both increasing and decreasing peaks. Ability of the precipitation products to resemble the annual cycle does not vary with the amount of precipitation, although individual disparity among the products exists. Additionally, an alternative approach for data evaluation using Multiple Triple Collocation (MTC) was performed for the period 2001–2015 using an additional dataset obtained from soil‐moisture‐based rainfall estimates (SM2RAIN). Results from MTC convey that ERA5 performs relatively poor in comparison to the other products for central India followed by CFSR. In brief, the comprehensive evaluation of precipitation products reported herein will act a valuable reference for the researchers as well as decision makers to select the optimal product for their intended application and will inform the users about the various uncertainties in the foundations and specification of these products.
Comparison of ERA5 surface wind speed climatologies over Europe with observations from the HadISD dataset
Authors: Molina María O. , Gutiérrez Claudia , Sánchez Enrique
Published: March 2021

Understanding space–time features of wind speed is of high interest in meteorology and several applied sciences. Accurate wind speed measurements in combination with reliable gridded products, such as reanalyses, are needed to address the main characteristics of the wind field. Hourly 10 m wind speed from the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) latest reanalysis (ERA5) is compared with HadISD wind observations from 245 stations across Europe. Averaged ERA5 hourly data is able to reproduce the annual cycle of monthly wind speed in Europe. ERA5 presents slightly larger (shorter) monthly medians in winter (summer) than observations. ERA5 is compared against observations for each station using a frequency distribution‐based score (score, from 0 to 1). Most of the stations exhibit hourly scores ranging from 0.8 to 0.9, indicating that ERA5 is able to reproduce the wind speed spectrum range, from light to strong relative frequencies, for any location over Europe. Ranges of mean values, variability, distribution function parameters and high or low wind thresholds frequencies are shown for this ensemble of European stations, allowing for an overall description of wind features. Generally, there is no clear relationship between scores and the variables analysed. The correlation and scores between ERA5 and HadISD is even further increased at longer time frequencies (6–24 hourly), together with centred root‐mean‐square error (RMSE) and standard deviation decreases. Hourly wind data from ERA5 reanalysis is, despite some shortcomings, valuable information to perform further detailed studies with a regular spatial and time wind distribution, from the climatological or renewable energy perspectives, for example.
A historical climate dataset for southwestern Australia, 1830–1875
Authors: Gergis Joëlle , Baillie Zak , Ingallina Stefan , Ashcroft Linden , Ellwood Tessa
Published: March 2021

Southwestern Australia is a high priority area for climate research as there has been a significant, anthropogenically influenced winter rainfall decline detected in the region since 1970. Here we present the oldest daily historical climate dataset for Perth, southwestern Australia, to provide an extended record for analysing pre‐industrial climate variability and extremes from the region. This newly digitized record contains sub‐daily observations of temperature, barometric pressure, wind direction and weather remarks, including rain days, from 1830 to 1875. Following quality control and homogeneity adjustments, we demonstrate that the historical dataset reliably resolves modern characteristics of Perth's weather and climate variability, including the seasonal cycle and the ability to capture daily extremes like storm and heatwave events. We compare covariations in temperature, pressure, wind and rain days to cross‐verify our historical dataset against modern observations for Perth. We also use the historical dataset, modern Australian Bureau of Meteorology observations, the Twentieth Century Reanalysis, and historical documents to further validate our results. The multivariate method introduced in this study demonstrates that using multiple variables and data sources is a useful approach to reconstruct past variability, extremes and their societal impacts from historical observations. This is the first long instrumental record to be developed for southwestern Australia; an important region for observing pre‐industrial Indian and Southern Ocean variability and extremes. The new record from Perth provides 19th century data from a data sparse region of the Southern Hemisphere that can now be compared with daily observations from South Africa, New Zealand and southeastern Australia. This comparison will improve our understanding of contemporary changes in Southern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation.
Comprehensive evaluation of an improved large‐scale multi‐site weather generator for Germany
Authors: Nguyen Viet Dung , Merz Bruno , Hundecha Yeshewatesfa , Haberlandt Uwe , Vorogushyn Sergiy
Published: March 2021

In this work, we present a comprehensive evaluation of a stochastic multi‐site, multi‐variate weather generator at the scale of entire Germany and parts of the neighbouring countries covering the major German river basins Elbe, Upper Danube, Rhine, Weser and Ems with a total area of approximately 580,000 km2. The regional weather generator, which is based on a first‐order multi‐variate auto‐regressive model, is setup using 53‐year long daily observational data at 528 locations. The performance is evaluated by investigating the ability of the weather generator to replicate various important statistical properties of the observed variables including precipitation occurrence and dry/wet transition probabilities, mean daily and extreme precipitation, multi‐day precipitation sums, spatial correlation structure, areal precipitation, mean daily and extreme temperature and solar radiation. We explore two marginal distributions for daily precipitation amount: mixed Gamma‐Generalized Pareto and extended Generalized Pareto. Furthermore, we introduce a new procedure to estimate the spatial correlation matrix and model mean daily temperature and solar radiation. The extensive evaluation reveals that the weather generator is greatly capable of capturing most of the crucial properties of the weather variables, particularly of extreme precipitation at individual locations. Some deficiencies are detected in capturing spatial precipitation correlation structure that leads to an overestimation of areal precipitation extremes. Further improvement of the spatial correlation structure is envisaged for future research. The mixed marginal model found to outperform the extended Generalized Pareto in our case. The use of power transformation in combination with normal distribution significantly improves the performance for non‐precipitation variables. The weather generator can be used to generate synthetic event footprints for large‐scale trans‐basin flood risk assessment.
Formation and thermal and colloidal stability of oil‐in‐water emulsions stabilized using quinoa and lentil protein blends
Authors: Alonso‐Miravalles Loreto , Zannini Emanuele , Bez Juergen , Arendt Elke K , O'Mahony James A
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND

The amino acid composition, and rheological, thermal and colloidal stability of plant protein‐based oil‐in‐water emulsion systems containing 1.90, 3.50 and 7.70 g 100 mL−1 protein, fat and carbohydrate, respectively, using quinoa and lentil protein ratios of 100:0 and 60:40 were investigated. The emulsion containing lentil protein showed lower initial, peak and final viscosity values (22.7, 61.7 and 61.6 mPa s, respectively) than the emulsion formulated with quinoa protein alone (34.3, 102 and 80.0 mPa s, respectively) on heat treatment.

RESULTS

Particle size analysis showed that both samples had small particle sizes (~1.36 μm) after homogenization; however, the sample with 60:40 quinoa:lentil protein ratio showed greater physical stability, likely related to the superior emulsifying properties of lentil protein. However, upon heat treatment, large aggregates (~100 μm) were formed in both samples, reducing the physical stability of the samples. This physical stability was increased with the addition of 0.20% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), whereas it was negatively affected by the addition of α‐amylase. Addition of α‐amylase led to lower viscosity for both emulsion samples, with measured values of 41.8 and 46.0 mPa s for the 100:0 and 60:40 samples, respectively. This suggests that the heat‐induced increases in particle size were partially due to hydrophobic interactions between the proteins as SDS disrupts hydrophobic bonds between proteins.

CONCLUSION

These results demonstrated that using a mixture of lentil and quinoa proteins positively affected the physical stability of plant protein‐based emulsions, in addition to contributing to a more nutritionally complete amino acid profile – both important considerations in the development of plant‐based beverages. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Mediterranean lifestyle patterns are associated with cognition in older adults
Authors: Mamalaki Eirini , Poulimeneas Dimitrios , Kosmidis Mary H. , Yannakoulia Mary
Published: March 2021

Introduction

In recent years, research interest has shifted to the study of overall lifestyle, rather than individual lifestyle factors, in relation to health outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of different lifestyle patterns, close to the concept of the Mediterranean lifestyle, using both a priori and a posteriori methods, with cognition of older adults, free of dementia.

Methods

A total of 1726 participants ≥65 years old (59% women) from the HELIAD study were included in the present cross‐sectional analysis. Diet, physical activity, sleep, social life, and daily functioning were assessed using standard, validated questionnaires. A comprehensive neurological and neuropsychological assessment was conducted, evaluating all cognitive domains: memory, executive functions, visual–spatial perception, language, and attention‐processing speed, as well as global cognitive functioning.

Results

Two lifestyle indices were constructed on the basis of the Mediterranean lifestyle, whereas principal component analysis was used to generate lifestyle patterns. The results showed that the two indices and the Mediterranean diet and activities pattern as well as the Mediterranean diet and social contacts pattern were positively associated with almost all major cognitive domains as well as global cognitive functioning. Specifically, every unit increase in one of the lifestyle indices, consisting of adherence to the Mediterranean diet, sleep quality, physical activity, and daily functioning, was associated with 9.8%, 7.1%, 6.8%, 7.2%, and 8.5% increased odds of better memory, executive function, visual–spatial perception, language, and global cognitive functioning, respectively.

Conclusions

Our results showed that a healthy lifestyle, close to the concept of the Mediterranean lifestyle, independently of the approach used to define it, was positively associated with cognitive function in older adults. Thus, health experts should also consider overall lifestyle when screening for cognitive deficits in this vulnerable age group.
Patients who meet electrodiagnostic criteria for CIDP rarely present with a sensory predominant DSP phenotype
Authors: Davalos Long , London Zachary N. , Stino Amro M. , Gallagher Gary W. , Callaghan Brian C. , Wieland Clare M. , Nowacek Dustin G.
Published: March 2021

Introduction

It is unknown how often patients with electrodiagnostic evidence of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP), a potentially treatable condition, present with a distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSP) phenotype.

Methods

We reviewed the records of patients who presented to our electrodiagnostic laboratory between January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2019, and fulfilled electrodiagnostic criteria for CIDP to identify those who presented with a sensory predominant DSP phenotype.

Results

One hundred sixty‐two patients had a chronic acquired demyelinating neuropathy, of whom 138 met criteria for typical or atypical CIDP. Nine of these patients presented with a sensory predominant DSP phenotype, among whom six were eventually diagnosed with distal acquired demyelinating symmetric (DADS) neuropathy; one with Polyneuropathy, Organomegaly, Endocrinopathy, Monoclonal protein, Skin changes (POEMS) syndrome; and two with idiopathic DSP. The prevalence of acquired chronic demyelinating neuropathies among all patients presenting with a DSP phenotype was estimated to be 0.34%.

Discussion

Patients who meet electrodiagnostic criteria for CIDP rarely present with a sensory predominant DSP phenotype, and electrodiagnostic testing rarely identifies treatable demyelinating neuropathies in patients who present with a DSP phenotype.
Point‐Counterpoint: Indirect Calorimetry Is not Necessary for Optimal Nutrition Therapy in Critical Illness
Authors: McClave Stephen A. , Omer Endashaw
Published: March 2021

Clinicians have widely recognized that indirect calorimetry (IC) is the “gold standard” for measuring energy expenditure (EE) and thus would intuitively anticipate that its use would be needed to provide optimal nutrition support in critical illness. Recent studies in the literature as well as dramatic changes in clinical practice over the past decade, though, would suggest that such a precise measure by IC to set energy goals is not required to maximize clinical benefit from early feeding in the intensive care unit (ICU). Results from randomized controlled trials evaluating permissive underfeeding, use of supplemental parenteral nutrition to achieve tight calorie control, and caloric density of formulas to increase energy delivery have provided an important perspective on 3 pertinent issues. First, a simple weight‐based predictive equation (25 kcal/kg/day) provides a clinically useful approximation of EE. Second, a precise measure of EE by IC does not appear to improve outcomes compared with use of this less accurate estimation of energy requirements. And third, providing some percentage of requirements (50%–80%), achieves similar clinical benefit to full feeding (100%) in the early phases of critical illness. The value from IC use lies in the determination of caloric requirements in conditions for which weight‐based equations are rendered inaccurate (anasarca, amputation, severe obesity) or the clinical state is markedly altered (such as the prolonged hyperinflammatory state of coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID‐19]). In most other circumstances, routine use of IC would not be expected to change clinical outcomes from early nutrition therapy in the ICU.
Fear of COVID‐19 Scale (FCV‐19S) across countries: Measurement invariance issues
Authors: Lin Chung‐Ying , Hou Wen‐Li , Mamun Mohammed A. , Aparecido da Silva José , Broche‐Pérez Yunier , Ullah Irfan , Masuyama Akihiro , Wakashima Koubun , Mailliez Mélody , Carre Arnaud , Chen Yu‐Pin , Chang Kun‐Chia , Kuo Yi‐Jie , Soraci Paolo , Scarf Damian , Broström Anders , Griffiths Mark D. , Pakpour Amir H.
Published: March 2021

Aim

The threats of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) have caused fears worldwide. The Fear of COVID‐19 Scale (FCV‐19S) was recently developed to assess the fear of COVID‐19. Although many studies found that the FCV‐19S is psychometrically sound, it is unclear whether the FCV‐19S is invariant across countries. The present study aimed to examine the measurement invariance of the FCV‐19S across eleven countries.

Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Methods

Using data collected from prior research on Bangladesh (N = 8,550), United Kingdom (N = 344), Brazil (N = 1,843), Taiwan (N = 539), Italy (N = 249), New Zealand (N = 317), Iran (N = 717), Cuba (N = 772), Pakistan (N = 937), Japan (N = 1,079) and France (N = 316), comprising a total 15,663 participants, the present study used the multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Rasch differential item functioning (DIF) to examine the measurement invariance of the FCV‐19S across country, gender and age (children aged below 18 years, young to middle‐aged adults aged between 18 and 60 years, and older people aged above 60 years).

Results

The unidimensional structure of the FCV‐19S was confirmed. Multigroup CFA showed that FCV‐19S was partially invariant across country and fully invariant across gender and age. DIF findings were consistent with the findings from multigroup CFA. Many DIF items were displayed for country, few DIF items were displayed for age, and no DIF items were displayed for gender.

Conclusion

Based on the results of the present study, the FCV‐19S is a good psychometric instrument to assess fear of COVID‐19 during the pandemic period. Moreover, the use of FCV‐19S is supported in at least ten countries with satisfactory psychometric properties.
Diagnostic accuracy and cytomorphological spectrum of Wilms tumour in fine needle aspiration biopsy cytology samples supplemented with cell blocks
Authors: Gupta Shruti , Srinivasan Radhika , Trehan Amita , Rohilla Manish , Kakkar Nandita , Bansal Deepak , Dey Pranab , Gupta Nalini , Gupta Parikshaa , Gupta Kirti , Saxena Akshay , Menon Prema , Rajwanshi Arvind
Published: March 2021

Objective

Paediatric malignant renal neoplasms are subjected to neoadjuvant chemotherapy as per Societe Internationale d'Oncologie Pediatrique; International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP) protocol. An accurate tissue diagnosis is required prior to institution of chemotherapy, and hence the aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of fine needle aspiration biopsy cytology (FNABC) along with cell block histology.

Materials and Methods

A retrospective audit of all paediatric renal neoplasms diagnosed by FNABC between 2015 and 2019 was performed. Histopathology correlation was done wherever available. WT cases were subjected to detailed cytomorphological evaluation.

Results

A total of 121 cases of paediatric renal neoplasms including 109 WT, four clear cell sarcoma, one malignant rhabdoid tumour and three mesoblastic nephroma were evaluated. The age range was 4 weeks to 8 years. FNABC samples were adequate for diagnosis in 120 of 121 cases (99.18%) and a definitive cytological diagnosis was achieved in 117 cases (96.7%). The specificity and sensitivity for a cytopathological diagnosis of WT were 98.7% and 97.4%, respectively. On detailed cytomorphological analysis of 68 histopathology‐proven WT, 40 (58.8%) cases were triphasic, 23 (35.3%) were biphasic and four were composed of blastema only. The corresponding cell blocks provided additional information over the conventional smears in 23 (33.8%) cases, with epithelial or mesenchymal elements recognised and evidence of rhabdomyoblastic differentiation.

Conclusion

FNABC along with cell block histology is highly accurate for diagnosis of WT and other malignant paediatric renal neoplasms and is recommended as the technique of choice in centres with cytopathology expertise for establishing a cellular diagnosis prior to commencement of neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
Proteomic analysis of tyrosine phosphorylation induced by exogenous expression of oncogenic kinase fusions identified in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Wagner Sebastian A. , Szczesniak Pawel P. , Voigt Andrea , Gräf Justus F. , Beli Petra
Published: March 2021

Kinase fusions are considered oncogenic drivers in numerous types of cancer. In lung adenocarcinoma 5–10% of patients harbor kinase fusions. The most frequently detected kinase fusion involves the Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) and Echinoderm Microtubule‐associated protein‐Like 4 (EML4). In addition, oncogenic kinase fusions involving the tyrosine kinases RET and ROS1 are found in smaller subsets of patients. In this study, we employed quantitative mass spectrometry‐based phosphoproteomics to define the cellular tyrosine phosphorylation patterns induced by different oncogenic kinase fusions identified in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. We show that exogenous expression of the kinase fusions in HEK 293T cells leads to widespread tyrosine phosphorylation. Direct comparison of different kinase fusions demonstrates that the kinase part and not the fusion partner primarily defines the phosphorylation pattern. The tyrosine phosphorylation patterns differed between ALK, ROS1, and RET fusions, suggesting that oncogenic signaling induced by these kinases involves the modulation of different cellular processes.
The impact of a sacroiliac joint belt on function and pain using the active straight leg raise in pregnancy‐related pelvic girdle pain
Authors: Fitzgerald Colleen M. , Bennis Stacey , Marcotte Marissa L. , Shannon Megan B. , Iqbal Sana , Adams William H.
Published: March 2021

Introduction

Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) is the most common musculoskeletal concern in pregnancy. The Active Straight Leg Raise (ASLR) test is diagnostic. Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) belts are included in multimodal therapy, but there is no established predictive measure to determine which pregnant women will benefit.

Objective

To determine if the ASLR score is immediately reduced by SIJ belt application and whether PGP pain and function improves after 4 weeks of belt use.

Design

Prospective observational cohort study.

Setting

Academic medical center.

Participants

Pregnant women at least 18 years of age in the second or third trimester of pregnancy with posterior PGP and ASLR score of 2 to 10.

Interventions

Four‐week SIJ belt use.

Main Outcome Measures

ASLR, Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), Pelvic Girdle Questionnaire (PGQ), Perceived Global Impression of Improvement (PGII).

Results

Sixty‐three women enrolled. On multivariable analysis, immediate belted ASLR score was −2.70 points lower than the non‐belted ASLR score (P < .001). Four weeks later there was significant improvement in the ASLR score with a belt (Mdiff = −0.99; P = .001) and without a belt (Mdiff = −1.94; P < .001); the decline was more precipitous for the non‐belted response (Mdiff = −0.96; P = .02). Current NRS pain scores declined from baseline by approximately −0.94 points (P < .001). This decline did not depend on ASLR scores (interaction P = .43) or wearing a belt at the time of testing (interaction P = .51). Similar conclusions held for participants' usual NRS score and average PGQ score. After 4 weeks, 82% reported improvement based on the PGII.

Conclusions

SIJ belts are a safe, well‐tolerated, and effective therapeutic option for pregnancy‐related PGP. The ASLR score is immediately reduced following SIJ belt application but does not predict pain score 4 weeks later. SIJ belt leads to significant improvements in pain and function over time.
Cerebral and splanchnic oxygenation during automated control of inspired oxygen (FiO2) in preterm infants
Authors: Dani Carlo , Pratesi Simone , Luzzati Michele , Petrolini Chiara , Montano Simona , Remaschi Giulia , Coviello Caterina
Published: March 2021

Objectives

Our aim in this study was to assess the effect of the Predictive Intelligent Control of Oxygenation (PRICO®) system on cerebral (rSO2C) and splanchnic (rSO2S) oxygenation in a cohort of preterm infants with frequent desaturations.

Methods

Twenty infants with gestational age <32 weeks (n = 20) were assigned in random sequence to 12 h of automated or manual adjustment of FiO2. Over this period, they were studied continuously by near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS).

Results

We found that rSO2C [68.0% (60.5%–74.7%) vs. 68.5% (62%–72%); p = .824] and rSO2S [27.0% (17.3%–45.7%) vs. 27.0% (15%–53%); p = .878] were similar during automatic and manual control of FiO2. Time spent with SpO2 90%–95% was higher during the automatic than manual control of FiO2, while time spent with SpO2 <80% or >95% was lower.

Conclusions

Automated control of FiO2 with PRICO® system did not improve brain and splanchnic oxygenation in comparison with manual control in a cohort of preterm infants, but it significantly decreased SpO2 fluctuations and limited the duration of both hypoxemia and hyperoxemia.
Ultrasound performed shortly after birth can predict the respiratory support needs of late preterm and term infants: A diagnostic accuracy study
Authors: Xi Guannan , Dai Jiale , Wang Xuefeng , Luo Fei , Lu Chengqiu , Yang Yun , Wang Jimei
Published: March 2021

Background

Late preterm and term infants may develop respiratory issues with severe outcomes. Early identification of these diseases shortly after infants' birth can improve their management. Lung ultrasound (LUS) has been used to diagnose neonatal respiratory diseases. However, few LUS methods have been reported to predict the need for respiratory support, the basis of infant respiratory diseases management.

Methods

We conducted a prospective diagnostic accuracy study following the Standards for the Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies guidelines at a tertiary academic hospital between 2019 and 2020. A total of 310 late preterm and term infants with mild respiratory symptoms were enrolled. The LUS assessment was performed for each participant at one of the following times: 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, or 4.0 h after birth. Predictive reliability was tested by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The main outcome was the need for any respiratory support determined according to international guidelines.

Results

Seventy‐four infants needed respiratory support, and 236 were healthy according to a 3‐day follow‐up confirmation. Six LUS imaging patterns were found. Two “high‐risk” patterns were strongly correlated with respiratory support needs (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.92–0.98, p < .001). The optimal cut‐off value for “high‐risk” patterns was 2 (sensitivity = 87.8% and specificity = 91.1%). The predictive value of LUS was greater than that of a symptom‐based method (the Acute Care of at‐Risk Newborns assessment score) (AUCs' p < .01).

Conclusions

LUS can be used to predict the need for respiratory support in late preterm and term infants and is more reliable than tools based on respiratory symptoms.
CCN5 activation by free or encapsulated EGCG is required to render triple‐negative breast cancer cell viability and tumor progression
Authors: Das Amlan , Haque Inamul , Ray Priyanka , Ghosh Arnab , Dutta Debasmita , Quadir Mohiuddin , De Archana , Gunewardena Sumedha , Chatterjee Indranil , Banerjee Snigdha , Weir Scott , Banerjee Sushanta K.
Published: March 2021

Epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate (EGCG) has been considered an anticancer agent despite conflicting and discrepant bioavailability views. EGCG impairs the viability and self‐renewal capacity of triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells and makes them sensitive to estrogen via activating ER‐α. Surprisingly, the mechanism of EGCG’s action on TNBC cells remains unclear. CCN5/WISP‐2 is a gatekeeper gene that regulates viability, ER‐α, and stemness in TNBC and other types of cancers. This study aimed to investigate whether EGCG (free or encapsulated in nanoparticles) interacts with the CCN5 protein by emphasizing its bioavailability and enhancing its anticancer effect. We demonstrate that EGCG activates CCN5 to inhibit in vitro cell viability through apoptosis, the sphere‐forming ability via reversing TNBC cells’ stemness, and suppressing tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, we found EGCG‐loaded nanoparticles to be functionally more active and superior in their tumor‐suppressing ability than free‐EGCG. Together, these studies identify EGCG (free or encapsulated) as a novel activator of CCN5 in TNBC cells and hold promise as a future therapeutic option for TNBC with upregulated CCN5 expression.
Unraveling the complexity of therapeutic drug monitoring for monoclonal antibody therapies to individualize dose in oncology
Authors: Chatelut Etienne , Hendrikx Jeroen J. M. A. , Martin Jennifer , Ciccolini Joseph , Moes Dirk Jan A. R.
Published: March 2021

Monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) have become key drugs in cancer treatment, either as targeted therapies or more recently as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). The fact that only some patients benefit from these drugs poses the usual question in the field of onco‐hematology: that of the benefit of individual dosing and the potential of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) to carry out this individualization. However, Mabs present unique pharmacological characteristics for TDM, and the pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic relationship observed should be interpreted differently than that observed for conventional drugs and small molecules. This pharmacology practice review has been summarized from a public debate between the authors at the International TDM and Clinical Toxicology meeting in Banff, 2020, regarding the potential roles of TDM in the Mab/ICI setting.
The effect of trehalose, antioxidants, and acetate buffer concentration on oxytocin stability
Authors: Ghasemisarabbadieh Mostafa , Gizurarson Sveinbjörn , Sveinbjörnsson Benjamín Ragnar
Published: March 2021

Oxytocin is a cyclic nonapeptide used to induce labor and prevent bleeding after childbirth. Due to its instability, storage and transport of oxytocin formulations can be problematic in hot/tropical climates. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of trehalose and select antioxidants (uric acid, butylated hydroxytoluene, and l‐ascorbic acid) on oxytocin stability in solution. The effect of buffer composition and acetate buffer concentration was also studied. Acetate buffer was found to work better than citrate/phosphate buffer for the oxytocin stability. Lower acetate buffer concentrations (0.025 M or less) were also found to yield improved oxytocin stability compared to higher concentrations. Although known degradation pathways of oxytocin include oxidation, the antioxidants uric acid and butylated hydroxytoluene had negligible effect on the oxytocin stability while l‐ascorbic acid led to significantly faster degradation. Despite trehalose's reputation as a great stabilizer for biomolecules, it also had small to negligible effect on oxytocin stability at concentrations up to 1 M in acetate buffer. These results were surprising given the present literature on trehalose as a stabilizer for various biomolecules, including proteins and lipids.
Visible Light Mediated, Photocatalyst‐Free Condensation of Barbituric Acid with Carbonyl Compounds
Authors: Kumari Savita , Kumar Maury Suresh , Kumar Singh Himanshu , Kamal Arsala , Kumar Dhirendra , Singh Sundaram , Srivastava Vandana
Published: March 2021

An economical and efficient method has been developed for the production of dibarbiturates of oxindole and arylidene barbituric acid derivatives via condensation of of isatin/aryl aldehyde with barbituric acid, through irradiation of visible light. Under the similar conditions 2 molecules of barbituric acid react with 1 molecule of isatin while only 1 molecule of barbituric acid reacts with 1 molecule of aldehyde. This transformation involves catalyst free pathway for the formation of desired products under mild reaction conditions. Metal free reaction conditions, high yield of products along with the absence of side‐products are additional green features of this protocol.
Antibacterial and Cytotoxic Activity of Ruthenium‐p‐cymene Complexes with 2‐Methylquinolin‐8‐ol Derivatives
Authors: Nain‐Perez Amalyn , Barbosa Luiz C. A. , Araujo Maria H. , Martins João P. A. , Takahashi Jacqueline A. , Oliveira Geane , Diniz Renata , Heller Lucie , Hoenke Sophie , Csuk René
Published: March 2021

Eight 5‐aryl‐2‐methylquinolin‐8‐ol ligands (2–9) were prepared by a cross‐coupling Suzuki reaction from precursors brominated at position 5 (10), and positions 5 and 7 (11). These ligands were converted into new ruthenium(II)‐p‐cymene complexes (12–22) (51–94 %). The cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities of all compounds were investigated. Ligands showed higher cytotoxicity (EC50=3.1–4.8 μM) than ruthenium complexes (EC50=5.2–7.8 μM) against human melanoma cancer cells (A375). The most potent compound 7 has been shown to act via apoptosis. Some compounds were more potent as anticancer than cisplatin. Several ruthenium complexes selectively inhibited S. typhimurium and S. aureus (IC50=4.64–146.15 and 9.37–125.95 μg/mL, respectively), while most ligands were potent against C. albicans. Molecular docking studies with a protein from S. aureus suggest four key amino acids interactions, in agreement with the inhibitory potential against this bacterium.
Chemically tailored molecular surface modifiers for efficient and stable perovskite photovoltaics
Authors: Liu Yuhang , Dong Bitao , Hagfeldt Anders , Luo Jingshan , Graetzel Michael
Published: March 2021

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted intense attention based on their high power conversion efficiency and low production cost. However, due to the polycrystalline nature and the intrinsic hydrophilicity of the metal halide perovskite moieties, the photovoltaic performance of PSCs is largely limited by defects within the polycrystalline perovskites and the sensitivity to moisture. In this perspective, we focus on the chemically tailored interface materials to passivate the defects and improve the moisture stability of PSCs. First, we provide a brief overview of various molecular interface modifiers. Thereafter we provide examples from our recent work on organic ammonium halide‐based passivation materials as representatives to illustrate the design strategies and the modification effects. In the end, we shed light on the future development of organic ammonium halides for applications in PSCs.
Characterization on Highly Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells Made from One‐Step and Two‐Step Solution Processes
Authors: Su Tzu-Sen , Fan Tzu-En , Si Hio-Kun , Le Duc-Anh , Perumbalathodi Nideesh , Wei Tzu-Chien
Published: March 2021

One‐step and two‐step methods are regarded as the main solution processes for preparing organic metal halide perovskite (PVSK) films. Both of them are also reported to produce high‐quality PVSK films and high‐performance devices. Herein, two highly efficient perovskite solar cells (PSCs) made by one‐step (19.91%) and two‐step (20.63%) methods are analyzed in detail. Particularly, the nucleation mechanism and structural characteristics of the PVSK films made from different methods are systematically discussed. Characterizations from field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM), and time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) show that the ion distribution in the PVSK film made by the one‐step method is less uniform horizontally, while the PVSK film made by the two‐step method is less uniform vertically. Both films contain a considerable amount of unreacted species, including PbI2, cations, and halides, which are relics from their parental fabricating process. Despite these significant differences, both films are capable to deliver nearly 20% conversion efficiency. This study depicts a clear picture of the PVSK film properties made by one‐step and two‐step methods and provides plentiful information for further improvement in the future.
Öffentliche Gesundheitsdienste in der COVID-19-Pandemie: Strategien und Praktiken in ausgewählten europäischen Nachbarländern
Authors: Gerlinger Thomas , Schmidt Phillip Florian , Lückenbach Caspar
Published: March 2021

Die Herausforderungen der COVID-19-Pandemie stoßen in europäischen Gesundheitssystemen auf unterschiedliche institutionelle Strukturen und Handlungstraditionen. Dieser Beitrag befasst sich am Beispiel der öffentlichen Gesundheitsdienste (ÖGD) Schwedens, Frankreichs und Österreichs mit der Frage nach den Gemeinsamkeiten und Unterschieden bei den Maßnahmen zur Pandemiebekämpfung (Stand: November 2020).

Österreich ist das unter den Vergleichsländern am wenigsten, Frankreich das am stärksten von der Pandemie betroffene Land. In allen analysierten Gesundheitssystemen existiert ein Spannungsverhältnis zwischen nationalstaatlichen und regionalen Zuständigkeiten. Frankreichs Gesundheitssystem ist besonders zentralistisch ausgerichtet, das schwedische stark regional und kommunal organisiert. Die Regierungen in den Nationalstaaten sind bestrebt, von Parlamentsentscheidungen unabhängige Kompetenzen zur Pandemieeindämmung zu erhalten. Schweden unterscheidet sich bei der Pandemieeindämmung von Österreich und Frankreich durch eine vornehmlich auf Empfehlung und Appelle statt auf Ge- und Verbote stützende Strategie. Dabei ähneln sich die Handlungssequenzen im Pandemieverlauf und, abgesehen von Schweden, auch die zur Pandemieeindämmung eingesetzten Instrumente. Der Verlauf und die getroffenen Maßnahmen in Österreich und Frankreich zeigen deutliche Parallelen zu denen in Deutschland. Der Schutz besonders vulnerabler Gruppen ist in allen Ländern nur unzureichend gelungen und bleibt eine beständige Herausforderung.
Meiotic regulation of the Ndc80 complex composition and function
Authors: Chen Jingxun , Ünal Elçin
Published: March 2021

This review describes the current models for how the subunit abundance of the Ndc80 complex, a key kinetochore component, is regulated in budding yeast and metazoan meiosis. The past decades of kinetochore research have established the Ndc80 complex to be a key microtubule interactor and a central hub for regulating chromosome segregation. Recent studies further demonstrate that Ndc80 is the limiting kinetochore subunit that dictates the timing of kinetochore activation in budding yeast meiosis. Here, we discuss the molecular circuits that regulate Ndc80 protein synthesis and degradation in budding yeast meiosis and compare the findings with those from metazoans. We envision the regulatory principles discovered in budding yeast to be conserved in metazoans, thereby providing guidance into future investigations on kinetochore regulation in human health and disease.
Does a central limit theorem hold for the k-skeleton of Poisson hyperplanes in hyperbolic space?
Authors: Herold Felix , Hug Daniel , Thäle Christoph
Published: March 2021

Poisson processes in the space of$$(d-1)$$(d-1)-dimensional totally geodesic subspaces (hyperplanes) in ad-dimensional hyperbolic space of constant curvature$$-1$$-1are studied. Thek-dimensional Hausdorff measure of theirk-skeleton is considered. Explicit formulas for first- and second-order quantities restricted to bounded observation windows are obtained. The central limit problem for thek-dimensional Hausdorff measure of thek-skeleton is approached in two different set-ups: (i) for a fixed window and growing intensities, and (ii) for fixed intensity and growing spherical windows. While in case (i) the central limit theorem is valid for all$$d\ge 2$$d≥2, it is shown that in case (ii) the central limit theorem holds for$$d\in \{2,3\}$$d∈{2,3}and fails if$$d\ge 4$$d≥4and$$k=d-1$$k=d-1or if$$d\ge 7$$d≥7and for generalk. Also rates of convergence are studied and multivariate central limit theorems are obtained. Moreover, the situation in which the intensity and the spherical window are growing simultaneously is discussed. In the background are the Malliavin–Stein method for normal approximation and the combinatorial moment structure of Poisson U-statistics as well as tools from hyperbolic integral geometry.