bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydrological and Isotopic Variability of Perched Wetlands on North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah), Australia: Implications for Understanding the Effects of Past and Future Climate Change
Authors: Tyler Jonathan J. , Marshall Jonathan C. , Schulz Cameron , Barr Cameron , Hofmann Harald , Blessing Joanna J. , McCoy Kelsey , McGregor Glenn B. , Tibby John
Published: July 2022

Over the first two decades of the 21st century, many wetlands in eastern Australia exhibited declining water levels, causing concern for communities and environmental managers and raising questions about the roles of climate change and other human activity in these water level declines. In this context we examine the causes of water level variability in four wetlands on North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah), in the humid subtropics of south-eastern Queensland, Australia, using a combination of hydrological and water isotope monitoring and modelling. North Stradbroke Island has a high concentration of wetlands perched above the regional water table, with cultural and ecological significance, and value for palaeoclimate research. From 2015 to 2019, wetland water depths decreased markedly at all sites, coinciding with increases in oxygen isotope ratios in surface waters. The data indicate that climate, specifically a decrease in precipitation relative to evaporation, was responsible for those declining water levels, and that groundwater extraction did not play a critical role. At two of the sites—both palustrine wetlands—declining surface water levels led to intermittent connectivity with the local perched aquifers. At the other two sites, which are both shallow lakes, the surface waters were constantly fed by perched groundwater. The hydrology of the two lakes was modelled using simple mass balance. However, in order to accurately model lake level change, it was necessary to vary catchment runoff and lake outflow via groundwater through time, highlighting complexity in projecting future hydrological change in these lakes. The long term resilience of these lakes depends on a combination of rainfall regime and the balance between catchment runoff and groundwater throughflow, the future of which is highly uncertain. As a consequence, continued efforts to project future hydroclimate and to model the complex hydrology of subtropical wetlands are essential.
A Nexus of CO2, Tourism Industry, GDP Growth, and Fossil Fuels
Authors: Shang Yunfeng , Zhang Ming , Chen Mengya , Wang Xueying , Dong Yuting
Published: July 2022

The study investigates the nexus of CO2 emissions, tourism, fossil fuels, and GDP growth using China’s data from 1970 to 2019. The research applied the upset U-molded EKC and the ARDL -models to calculate the time series stationarity variables. The results showed that in the initial enlargement phases, a sophisticated GDP adversely impacts CO2 emissions, then a higher GDP positively influences CO2 emissions. The development of tourism, use of fossil fuels (coal and oil), and population growth show an important influence on CO2 emissions but the use of gas and electricity has little effect on CO2 emissions. In contrast, foreign direct investment besides population development had little effect on increasing CO2 emissions. Retreating foreign direct investment, strengthening the use of sustainable electricity, and improving transportation for explorers, especially the green tourism business, are excellent ways to reduce environmental degradation in China.
Impact of Forest Canopy Closure on Snow Processes in the Changbai Mountains, Northeast China
Authors: Gao Yuan , Shen Lidu , Cai Rongrong , Wang Anzhi , Yuan Fenghui , Wu Jiabing , Guan Dexin , Yao Huaxia
Published: July 2022

Forest canopy closure affects snow processes by changing the redistribution of snowfall, snow interception, accumulation, sublimation, and melt. However, how the forest closure impacts snow processes at different periods has not been well explored. We conducted 3-year measurements of snow density and depth and carried out snow process calculations (i.e., interception, sublimation, and snowmelt) from 2018 to 2021 in four mixed forests with different canopy closures and an open site in the Changbai Mountains, northeast China. We found that the snow density of the five study sites varied greatly (0.14–0.45 g/cm3). The snow depth (SD) at four mixed forests sites was smaller than that of the nearby open site. The SD decreased as the forest canopy closure increased. Additionally, the forest interception effect increased with the canopy closure and decreased as the snowfall intensity increased. The total interception efficiency of the four mixed forests in normal snow years changed from 34% to 73% and increased with forest canopy closure. The averaged sublimation rate (Ss) and snowmelt rate (Sr) of the four mixed forests varied during different periods of snow process. The Ss was 0.1–0.4 mm/day during the accumulation period and 0.2–1.0 mm/day during the ablation period, and the Sr was 1.5–10.5 mm/day during the ablation period. There was a good correlation between Ss, or Sr, and canopy closure, but interannual variation was observed in the correlation. The mean values of the effect of the four mixed forests on understory SWE (snow water equivalent) over the 3 years ranged from −45% to −65%. Moreover, the impact effect was correlated with the forest canopy closure and enhanced with the canopy closure. This study provided more scientific information for studies of snow cover response to forest management.
Impact of a Low-Permeability Layer on the Pumping Efficiency Under Threats of Saltwater Up-Coning
Authors: Wu Zhenyu , Tang Maozhu , Daly Edoardo , Lu Chunhui
Published: July 2022

Previous studies on saltwater up-coning are mostly based on the assumption of a homogeneous aquifer and neglect the effect of heterogeneity. A numerical study was carried out to explore the impact of a low-permeability (k) layer on the pumping efficiency under threats of saltwater up-coning. It is found that the presence of the low-k layer could impede up-coning of saltwater, thereby improving significantly pumping efficiency, as expected. For the cases adopted, when the permeability of the 2 m thick low-k layer is three orders of magnitude less than that of the corresponding homogeneous aquifer, the pumping duration (i.e., the time before the salinity of pumped water reaches 2%) can be up to about 10 times longer than that of the homogeneous aquifer case. Additionally, a sound linear relationship could be developed between the normalized pumping duration of the layered case (E) (defined as the difference of the pumping duration between layered and homogeneous cases relative to the pumping duration in the homogeneous case) and the permeability of the homogeneous aquifer relative to that of the low-k layer (β). However, a short low-k layer may lead to the failure of this linear relationship. Moreover, a thicker low-k layer leads to a larger E when all other conditions are unchanged. When varying the location of the low-k layer, the large E occurs for the low-k layer located below and near the well bottom. The results obtained in the current study offer significant implications for preventing saltwater up-coning and improving the pumping efficiency through natural and artificial barriers.
Body Size and Symmetry Properties of Termite Soldiers Under Two Intraspecific Competition Scenarios
Authors: Aguilera-Olivares Daniel , Torres-Guzmán Bárbara , Arab Alberto , Flores-Prado Luis , Niemeyer Hermann M.
Published: July 2022

Single-piece nesting termites live and forage in the same piece of wood throughout their life, which limit their colony size. In certain species, more than one colony thrive in a given piece of wood (multicolonial substrate) and intraspecific competition become important in this limited resource, as has been reported in Zootermopsis nevadensis (Hagen, 1858) and Neotermes chilensis (Blattodea: Kalotermitidae) (Blanchard, 1851). The effects of such competition have been described mainly at population and colony levels rather than at the individual level. In eusocial insects such as termites, intraspecific competition constitutes a stress factor imposed to a colony as a whole and should also cause developmental instability in soldiers produced under such conditions. Investment in the production of soldiers involves a trade-off between colony maintenance costs and defense benefits. Hence, we hypothesize that body size and fluctuating asymmetry, two indicators of developmental instability, will increase when two or more colonies of N. chilensis share a piece of wood (high intraspecific competition scenario). Our results showed that soldiers developing in multicolonial substrates were indeed larger and more asymmetric than soldiers developing in unicolonial substrates. The large body size in a soldier could improve its chance to win a physical contest with a non-nestmate opponent; thus, despite the high cost to produce large soldiers in small colonies, larger soldier production could be an adaptative strategy to avoid being outcompeted. However, the effects of deviations from perfect symmetry on soldier performance are not clear.
Novel Variant Expands the Clinical Spectrum of CUX2-Associated Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathies
Authors: Zhang Feng , Li Fuwei , Chen Fujian , Huang Jinrong , Luo Qiong , Du Xilong , Zhou Jiapeng , Gu Weiyue , Xu Kaishou
Published: July 2022

Developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEE) caused by heterozygous deleterious variants in Cut Like Homeobox2 (CUX2) is rare. To the best of our knowledge the only variant associated with a phenotype in this gene is the de novo missense variant c.1768G > A, p.Glu590Lys; however, further additional research is needed to characterize the relationship between disease and variants in this gene. In this study, we reported a patient from a non-consanguineous Chinese family presenting with epilepsy, developmental delay, and speech delay. Additionally, the patient responded well to levetiracetam, and at his last follow-up (5.5 years old), he had discontinued antiepileptic drug treatment and remained seizure-free for 6 months. To identify possible causative variants, trio-whole exome sequencing was performed. We identified a novel de novo missense CUX2 c.2834C > T, p. Thr945Met variant in the patient. Based on clinical and genetics information associated with the bioinformatics analyses, we hypothesized that this variant was the cause of the reported phenotype. AlphaFold and SWISS-MODEL homology modeling servers were used to predict the three-dimensional (3D) structure of CUX2 protein. Predictions based on the 3D-structure modeling indicated that the p.Thr945Met substitution was likely to alter the DNA-binding specificities and affect protein function. On the basis of clinical characteristics and genetic analysis, we presented one case diagnosed with DEE67. Our finding expanded the clinical and molecular spectrum of CUX2 variants.
BTC as a Novel Biomarker Contributing to EMT via the PI3K-AKT Pathway in OSCC
Authors: Shen Ting , Yang Tianru , Yao Mianfeng , Zheng Ziran , He Mi , Shao Mengying , Li Jiang , Fang Changyun
Published: July 2022

Purpose: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors of the head and neck, while metastasis is the main cause of OSCC-related death. There is an urgent need to explore novel prognostic biomarkers and identify biological targets related to metastasis in OSCC treatment.

Methods: Analysis of differential expression was performed using datasets in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was conducted to assess the expression of betacellulin (BTC) in OSCC. SCC4 and CAL27 cells were used for in vitro experiments, in which CCK-8, transwell assays, and wounding healing assays were performed to verify the biological functions of BTC. The role of BTC in EMT was analyzed by EMT score and Western blot.

Results: Through the analysis of the mRNA expression profile data from TCGA database in OSCC, we found that only low expression of BTC was significantly correlated with a poor prognosis in OSCC patients. The results of IHC assays and TCGA databases showed that the expression level of BTC was related to the tumor stage, histological grade, and metastasis status. In vitro analysis showed that overexpression of BTC significantly suppressed the proliferation and migration of OSCC cells. Furthermore, we confirmed that BTC could affect EMT through the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway.

Conclusion: The overexpression of BTC suppresses the proliferation, migration, and EMT of OSCC cells via the PI3K-AKT pathways, leading to a better prognosis in OSCC. BTC may be used as a novel molecular marker to assess the prognosis of OSCC patients.
Elucidation of the Application of Blood Test Biomarkers to Predict Immune-Related Adverse Events in Atezolizumab-Treated NSCLC Patients Using Machine Learning Methods
Authors: Zhou Jian-Guo , Wong Ada Hang-Heng , Wang Haitao , Tan Fangya , Chen Xiaofei , Jin Su-Han , He Si-Si , Shen Gang , Wang Yun-Jia , Frey Benjamin , Fietkau Rainer , Hecht Markus , Ma Hu , Gaipl Udo S.
Published: July 2022

Background

Development of severe immune-related adverse events (irAEs) is a major predicament to stop treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors, even though tumor progression is suppressed. However, no effective early phase biomarker has been established to predict irAE until now.

Method

This study retrospectively used the data of four international, multi-center clinical trials to investigate the application of blood test biomarkers to predict irAEs in atezolizumab-treated advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Seven machine learning methods were exploited to dissect the importance score of 21 blood test biomarkers after 1,000 simulations by the training cohort consisting of 80%, 70%, and 60% of the combined cohort with 1,320 eligible patients.

Results

XGBoost and LASSO exhibited the best performance in this study with relatively higher consistency between the training and test cohorts. The best area under the curve (AUC) was obtained by a 10-biomarker panel using the XGBoost method for the 8:2 training:test cohort ratio (training cohort AUC = 0.692, test cohort AUC = 0.681). This panel could be further narrowed down to a three-biomarker panel consisting of C-reactive protein (CRP), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) with a small median AUC difference using the XGBoost method [for the 8:2 training:test cohort ratio, training cohort AUC difference = −0.035 (p < 0.0001), and test cohort AUC difference = 0.001 (p=0.965)].

Conclusion

Blood test biomarkers currently do not have sufficient predictive power to predict irAE development in atezolizumab-treated advanced NSCLC patients. Nevertheless, biomarkers related to adaptive immunity and liver or thyroid dysfunction warrant further investigation.
The Role of Intestinal Mucosal Barrier in Autoimmune Disease: A Potential Target
Authors: An Jia , Liu Yuqing , Wang Yiqi , Fan Ru , Hu Xiaorong , Zhang Fen , Yang Jinhua , Chen Junwei
Published: July 2022

Autoimmune diseases are a series of diseases involving multiple tissues and organs, characterized by the over production of abnormal multiple antibodies. Although most studies support that the impaired immune balance participates in the development of autoimmune diseases, the specific pathogenesis of it is not fully understood. Intestinal immunity, especially the intestinal mucosal barrier has become a research hotspot, which is considered to be an upstream mechanism leading to the impaired immune balance. As an important defense barrier, the intestinal mucosal barrier regulates and maintains the homeostasis of internal environment. Once the intestinal barrier function is impaired under the effect of multiple factors, it will destroy the immune homeostasis, trigger inflammatory response, and participate in the development of autoimmune diseases in the final. However, the mechanism of the intestinal mucosal barrier how to regulate the homeostasis and inflammation is not clear. Some studies suggest that it maintains the balance of immune homeostasis through the zonulin pathway, intestinal microbiome, and Toll-like receptor signaling pathway. Our review focused on the composition and the function of the intestinal mucosal barrier to describe the research progress of it in regulating the immune homeostasis and inflammation, and also pointed that the intestinal mucosal barrier was the potential targets in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
Case Report: A Programmed Cell Death-1 Inhibitor-Related Abdominal Fibroinflammatory Reaction Affecting Multiple Organs in A Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patient
Authors: Chen An-Tian , Shi Yue-Quan , Tan Bei , Zhu Liang , Luo Ya-Ping , Zhong Wei , Wang Meng-Zhao , Xu Yan
Published: July 2022

Immunotherapy utilizing programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 inhibitors has been regarded as a rising hope for tumor patients, and their effects have been demonstrated in many clinical trials. However, immune-related adverse events also occur in patients and can sometimes have severe consequences. Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) is a humanized monoclonal anti-PD-1 antibody that has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for non-small-cell lung cancer. Here, we report a rare case of an abdominal fibroinflammatory reaction that affected multiple organs during anti-PD-1 immunotherapy using pembrolizumab in a non-small-cell lung cancer patient. The patient’s case demonstrates that immunotherapy-related abdominal fibroinflammatory reactions need to be considered, especially for patients with a history of pre-existing conditions in the abdomen. Glucocorticoids may be useful as a treatment when a diagnosis is confirmed.
A Structure-Based B-cell Epitope Prediction Model Through Combing Local and Global Features
Authors: Lu Shuai , Li Yuguang , Ma Qiang , Nan Xiaofei , Zhang Shoutao
Published: July 2022

B-cell epitopes (BCEs) are a set of specific sites on the surface of an antigen that binds to an antibody produced by B-cell. The recognition of BCEs is a major challenge for drug design and vaccines development. Compared with experimental methods, computational approaches have strong potential for BCEs prediction at much lower cost. Moreover, most of the currently methods focus on using local information around target residue without taking the global information of the whole antigen sequence into consideration. We propose a novel deep leaning method through combing local features and global features for BCEs prediction. In our model, two parallel modules are built to extract local and global features from the antigen separately. For local features, we use Graph Convolutional Networks (GCNs) to capture information of spatial neighbors of a target residue. For global features, Attention-Based Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (Att-BLSTM) networks are applied to extract information from the whole antigen sequence. Then the local and global features are combined to predict BCEs. The experiments show that the proposed method achieves superior performance over the state-of-the-art BCEs prediction methods on benchmark datasets. Also, we compare the performance differences between data with or without global features. The experimental results show that global features play an important role in BCEs prediction. Our detailed case study on the BCEs prediction for SARS-Cov-2 receptor binding domain confirms that our method is effective for predicting and clustering true BCEs.
Cellular and Humoral Immune Response to a Third Dose of BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccine – A Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Herzberg Jonas , Fischer Bastian , Becher Heiko , Becker Ann-Kristin , Honarpisheh Human , Guraya Salman Yousuf , Strate Tim , Knabbe Cornelius
Published: July 2022

Background

Since the introduction of various vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 at the end of 2020, infection rates have continued to climb worldwide. This led to the establishment of a third dose vaccination in several countries, known as a booster. To date, there has been little real-world data about the immunological effect of this strategy.

Methods

We compared the humoral- and cellular immune response before and after the third dose of BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine BNT162b2, following different prime-boost regimen in a prospective observational study. Humoral immunity was assessed by determining anti-SARS-CoV-2 binding antibodies using a standardized quantitative assay. In addition, neutralizing antibodies were measured using a commercial surrogate ELISA-assay. Interferon-gamma release was measured after stimulating blood-cells with SARS-CoV-2 specific peptides using a commercial assay to evaluate the cellular immune response.

Results

We included 243 health-care workers who provided blood samples and questionnaires pre- and post- third vaccination. The median antibody level increased significantly after the third vaccination dose to 2663.1 BAU/ml vs. 101.4 BAU/ml (p < 0.001) before administration of the booster dose. This was also detected for neutralizing antibodies with a binding inhibition of 99.68% ± 0.36% vs. 69.06% ± 19.88% after the second dose (p < 0.001). 96.3% of the participants showed a detectable T-cell-response after the booster dose with a mean interferon-gamma level of 2207.07 mIU/ml ± 1905 mIU/ml.

Conclusion

This study detected a BMI-dependent antibody increase after the third dose of BNT162b2 following different vaccination protocols. All participants showed a significant increase in their immune response. This, in combination with the low rate of post-vaccination-symptoms underlines the potential beneficial effect of a BNT162b2-booster dose.
Blockage of Galectin-Receptor Interactions Attenuates Mouse Hepatic Pathology Induced by Toxoplasma gondii Infection
Authors: He Jian , Hou Yongheng , Lu Fangli
Published: July 2022

Toxoplasma gondii(T. gondii), one of the most important Apicomplexan protozoa, causes toxoplasmosis in human throughout the world. Galectin (Gal)-9 triggers a series of immune eventsviabinding to its receptors, including T cell immunoglobulin and mucin-containing molecule 3, CD137, CD44, and protein disulfide isomerase. To examine the regulatory role of galectin-receptor interactions in anti-toxoplasmic activities, C57BL/6 mice were infected withT. gondiiRH strain and intraperitoneally injected with alpha (α)-lactose to block the interactions of galectins and their receptors. Heatmaps showed upregulated values for Gal-9 and CD137 in the livers ofT. gondii-infected mice andT. gondii-infected mice treated with α-lactose. Compared withT. gondii-infected mice,T. gondii-infected mice treated with α-lactose showed significantly increased survival rate, decreased tissue parasite burden, attenuated liver histopathology, increased mRNA expression levels of CD137, IFNγ, IL-4, and IL-10 in the liver, and increased Gal-9 mRNA expression level in the spleen. Correlation analysis showed that significant positive correlations existed between the mRNA expression levels of Gal-9 and CD137, Gal-9 and IFNγ, as well as between CD137 and IFNγ in the liver and spleen ofT. gondii-infected mice; between CD137 and IFNγ in the liver ofT. gondii-infected mice treated with α-lactose. In addition, blockage of galectin-receptor interactions showed enhanced M2 macrophage polarization in the liver ofT. gondii-infected mice. Our data indicate that Gal-9-CD137 interaction may play an important role inT. gondiiproliferation and liver inflammation in mice during acuteT. gondiiinfection, through regulating T cell and macrophage immune responses.
TNF-α Inhibitors and Other Biologic Agents for the Treatment of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Induced Myocarditis
Authors: Liu Xiaohang , Wu Wei , Fang Ligang , Liu Yingxian , Chen Wei
Published: July 2022

With anti-PD-1 antibodies serving as a representative drug, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have become the main drugs used to treat many advanced malignant tumors. However, immune-related adverse events (irAEs), which might involve multiple organ disorders, should not be ignored. ICI-induced myocarditis is an uncommon but life-threatening irAE. Glucocorticoids are the first choice of treatment for patients with ICI-induced myocarditis, but high proportions of steroid-refractory and steroid-resistant cases persist. According to present guidelines, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) inhibitors are recommended for patients who fail to respond to steroid therapy and suffer from severe cardiac toxicity, although evidence-based studies are lacking. On the other hand, TNF-α inhibitors are contraindicated in patients with moderate-to-severe heart failure. This review summarizes real-world data from TNF-α inhibitors and other biologic agents for ICI-induced myocarditis to provide more evidence of the efficacy and safety of TNF-α inhibitors and other biologic agents.
Omic Technologies in HIV: Searching Transcriptional Signatures Involved in Long-Term Non-Progressor and HIV Controller Phenotypes
Authors: De La Torre-Tarazona Erick , Ayala-Suárez Rubén , Díez-Fuertes Francisco , Alcamí José
Published: July 2022

This article reviews the main discoveries achieved by transcriptomic approaches on HIV controller (HIC) and long-term non-progressor (LTNP) individuals, who are able to suppress HIV replication and maintain high CD4+ T cell levels, respectively, in the absence of antiretroviral therapy. Different studies using high throughput techniques have elucidated multifactorial causes implied in natural control of HIV infection. Genes related to IFN response, calcium metabolism, ribosome biogenesis, among others, are commonly differentially expressed in LTNP/HIC individuals. Additionally, pathways related with activation, survival, proliferation, apoptosis and inflammation, can be deregulated in these individuals. Likewise, recent transcriptomic studies include high-throughput sequencing in specific immune cell subpopulations, finding additional gene expression patterns associated to viral control and/or non-progression in immune cell subsets. Herein, we provide an overview of the main differentially expressed genes and biological routes commonly observed on immune cells involved in HIV infection from HIC and LTNP individuals, analyzing also different technical aspects that could affect the data analysis and the future perspectives and gaps to be addressed in this field.
Adenosine Triphosphate in Serum as a Promising Biomarker for Differential Diagnosis of Hepatitis B Disease Progression
Authors: Lin Caorui , Huang Ying , Luo Linjie , Fang Fengling , Zhang Jiawei , Xun Zhen , Fu Ya , Shang Hongyan , Liu Can , Ou Qishui
Published: July 2022

The need to be diagnosed with liver biopsy makes the clinical progression of chronic HBV infection diagnosis a challenge. Existing HBV serum biochemical assays are used throughout clinical but have limited effects. Studies have shown that mitochondrial function is tightly coupled to HBV infection. Here, we verified the diagnostic value of serum Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) as a potential marker for differential HBV infection progress by detecting the level of ATP in the serum from a wide spectrum of HBV-infected populations, and confirmed the role of ATP in the deterioration of HBV infection-related diseases through HBV-infected cells and mouse models. The results showed that there were significantly lower serum ATP levels in HBeAg-positive CHB patients compared with healthy controls. And during the progression of CHB to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, the ATP level was increased but not higher than healthy controls. The area under the curve (AUC) of serum ATP was 0.9063 to distinguish HBeAg-positive CHB from healthy, and another AUC was 0.8328 in the CHB against the HCC group. Preliminary exploration of the mechanism indicated that the decline of serum ATP was due to impaired mitochondria in CHB patients. Our data provide evidence that serum ATP distinguishes the various progress of HBV infection-related diseases and expands diagnostic biomarkers for HBeAg-positive CHB patients with healthy controls.
Case Report: Combined Cataract Surgery and Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery Provide an Alternative Treatment Approach for Lowe Syndrome
Authors: Wang Chen , Zhang Wenzhe , Wang Leyi , Liu Wenhui , Guo Hui
Published: July 2022

We describe the case of a 4-month-old boy who presented with bilateral congenital cataract and high intraocular pressure (IOP) in the left eye, followed by mental retardation and delayed motor development. Genetic investigation revealed the boy had a splicing variant (c.940-11G>A) of the oculocerebrorenal syndrome of Lowe (OCRL) gene. The boy underwent a lensectomy for congenital cataract in his right eye, and lensectomy combined with a 360° suture trabeculotomy to remove the clouded lens and to control IOP of the left eye. During postoperative one-and-a-half-year follow-up, the boy exhibited an improved visual acuity and a well-controlled IOP without the use of topical IOP-lowering medications. Lowe syndrome is a rare multisystemic disorder that is diagnosed through clinical manifestation and genetic testing. The possibility of Lowe syndrome should be considered in patients presenting with typical triad, and genetic analysis should be performed in time to confirm the diagnosis. We recommend combined cataract surgery and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) as a safe, feasible, and efficient method to treat congenital cataract and glaucoma in Lowe syndrome patients.
Healthcare Workers From Diverse Ethnicities and Their Perceptions of Risk and Experiences of Risk Management During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Qualitative Insights From the United Kingdom-REACH Study
Authors: Qureshi Irtiza , Gogoi Mayuri , Wobi Fatimah , Chaloner Jonathan , Al-Oraibi Amani , Hassan Osama , Pan Daniel , Nellums Laura B. , Pareek Manish
Published: July 2022

Introduction

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at higher risk of being infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Previous studies have examined factors relating to infection amongst HCWs, including those from ethnic minority groups, but there is limited data regarding the lived experiences of HCWs in relation to self-protection and how they deal with SARS-CoV-2 infection prevention. In this study, we presented data from an ethnically diverse sample of HCWs in the United Kingdom (UK) to understand their perceptions of risks and experiences with risk management whilst working throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

We undertook a qualitative study as part of the United Kingdom Research study into Ethnicity and COVID-19 outcomes among Healthcare workers (United Kingdom-REACH) conducting semi-structured interviews and focus groups which were recorded with participants’ permission. Recordings were transcribed and thematically analyzed.

Findings

A total of 84 participants were included in the analysis. Five broad themes emerged. First, ethnic minority HCWs spoke about specific risks and vulnerabilities they faced in relation to their ethnicity. Second, participants’ experience of risk assessments at work varied; some expressed satisfaction while many critiqued it as a “tick-box” exercise. Third, most participants shared about risks related to shortages, ambiguity in guidance, and inequitable distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), particularly during the start of the pandemic. Fourth, participants reported risks resulting from understaffing and inappropriate redeployment. Finally, HCWs shared the risk mitigation strategies which they had personally employed to protect themselves, their families, and the public.

Conclusion

Healthcare workers identified several areas where they felt at risk and/or had negative experiences of risk management during the pandemic. Our findings indicate that organizational shortcomings may have exposed some HCWs to greater risks of infection compared with others, thereby increasing their emotional and mental burden. Ethnic minority HCWs in particular experienced risks stemming from what they perceived to be institutional and structural racism, thus leading to a loss of trust in employers. These findings have significance in understanding staff safety, wellbeing, and workforce retention in multiethnic staff groups and also highlight the need for more robust, inclusive, and equitable approaches to protect HCWs going forward.
A Prospective Study Evaluating Cumulative Incidence and a Specific Prediction Rule in Pulmonary Embolism in COVID-19
Authors: Suarez Castillejo Carla , Toledo-Pons Nuria , Calvo Néstor , Ramon-Clar Luisa , Martínez Joaquín , Hermoso de Mendoza Sara , Morell-García Daniel , Bauça Josep Miquel , Berga Francisco , Núñez Belén , Preda Luminita , Sauleda Jaume , Argente Castillo Paula , Ballesteros Antonieta , Martín Luisa , Sala-Llinas Ernest , Alonso-Fernández Alberto
Published: July 2022

Rationale

Abnormal values of hypercoagulability biomarkers, such as D-dimer, have been described in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has also been associated with disease severity and in-hospital mortality. COVID-19 patients with pneumonia are at greater risk of pulmonary embolism (PE). However, the real incidence of PE is not yet clear, since studies have been limited in size, mostly retrospective, and PE diagnostic procedures were only performed when PE was clinically suspected.

Objectives

(1) To determine the incidence, clinical, radiological, and biological characteristics, and clinical outcomes of PE among patients hospitalized for COVID-19 pneumonia with D-dimer > 1,000 ng/mL. (2) To develop a prognostic model to predict PE in these patients.

Methods

Single-center prospective cohort study. Consecutive confirmed cases of COVID-19 pneumonia with D-dimer > 1,000 ng/mL underwent computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA). Demographic and laboratory data, comorbidities, CTPA scores, treatments administered, and clinical outcomes were analyzed and compared between patients with and without PE. A risk score was constructed from all these variables.

Results

Between 6 April 2020 and 2 February 2021, 179 consecutive patients were included. The overall incidence of PE was 39.7% (71 patients) (CI 95%, 32–47%). In patients with PE, emboli were located mainly in segmental/subsegmental arteries (67%). Patients with PE did not differ from the non-PE group in sex, age, or risk factors for thromboembolic disease. Higher urea, D-Dimer, D-dimer-to-ferritin and D-dimer-to-lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) ratios, platelet distribution width (PDW), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) values were found in patients with PE when compared to patients with non-PE. Besides, lymphocyte counts turned out to be lower in patients with PE. A score for PE prediction was constructed with excellent overall performance [area under the ROC curve-receiver operating characteristic (AUC-ROC) 0.81 (95% CI: 0.73–0.89)]. The PATCOM score stands for Pulmonary Artery Thrombosis in COVID-19 Mallorca and includes platelet count, PDW, urea concentration, and D-dimer-to-ferritin ratio.

Conclusion

COVID-19 patients with pneumonia and D-dimer values > 1,000 ng/mL were presented with a very high incidence of PE, regardless of clinical suspicion. Significant differences in urea, D-dimer, PDW, NLR, and lymphocyte count were found between patients with PE and non-PE. The PATCOM score is presented in this study as a promising PE prediction rule, although validation in further studies is required.
Iron-Modified Biochar Strengthens Simazine Adsorption and Decreases Simazine Decomposition in the Soil
Authors: Cheng Hongguang , Xing Dan , Lin Shan , Deng Zhaoxia , Wang Xi , Ning Wenjing , Hill Paul W. , Chadwick David R. , Jones Davey L.
Published: July 2022

Currently, modified biochar has been successfully used in the remediation of soil polluted with heavy metals. However, the effects of the modified biochar on pesticides (such as simazine) are still unclear. Herein, the environmental fate of simazine, such as decomposition, leaching, and adsorption in unamended soil, in the soil amended with unmodified and modified biochar (biochar + FeCl3, biochar + FeOS, biochar + Fe) were evaluated. In addition, an incubation experiment was also performed to observe the influence of modified biochar on the microbial community and diversity in the soil. The results showed that modified biochar significantly decreased the decomposition of simazine in the soil compared to its counterpart. Modified biochar also reduced the concentration of simazine in the leachate. Compared with the control, soil microbial biomass in the soil amended with unmodified biochar, biochar + FeCl3, biochar + Fe, and biochar + FeOS was decreased by 5.3%, 18.8%, 8.7%, and 18.1%, respectively. Furthermore, modified biochar changed the structure of the microbial community. This shows that modified biochar could increase the soil adsorption capacity for simazine and change the amount and microbial community that regulates the fate of simazine in the soil. This study concludes that iron-modified biochar has positive and negative effects on the soil. Therefore, its advantages and side effects should be considered before applying it to the soil.
Alterations of Gut Microbiome and Fecal Fatty Acids in Patients With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Central China
Authors: Li Gailing , Liu Zhenguo , Ren Fang , Shi Huirong , Zhao Qian , Song Yi , Fan Xunjie , Ma Xiaojun , Qin Guijun
Published: July 2022

Objective

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the characteristics of the gut microbiome in patients with Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and analyze the alterations of fecal fatty acid metabolism, so as to further provide the pathogenesis of PCOS.

Methods

Fecal samples from the PCOS group (n = 31) and healthy control group (n = 27) were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and untargeted metabolomics. Peripheral venous blood was collected to measure serum inflammation and intestinal permeability. Finally, the correlation analysis of intestinal flora, fecal metabolites, and laboratory indicators was carried out.

Results

Serum D-lactate content in the PCOS group was higher than that in the control group. There was no significant difference in microbial α diversity and β diversity between PCOS patients and healthy controls. Peptostreptococcaceae and Bacteroidales S24-7 group existed significant differences between PCOS patients and healthy controls. Based on linear discriminant analysis selection, 14 genera including Klebsiella, Enterobacteriaceae, and Gammaproteobacteria were dominant in patients with PCOS, while 4 genera, including rumenococcus (Ruminocaccaceae UCG 013), prewortella (Prevotellaceae UCG 001), and erysipelas (Erysipelatoclostridium), were dominant in healthy controls. Compared with PCOS with Body mass index (BMI) < 24, patients with BMI ≥ 24 have multiple dominant genera including Abiotrophia and Peptostreptococcaceae. Moreover, serum levels of free testosterone and androstenedione were positively correlated with Megamonas, while total testosterone was negatively correlated with Alistipes. Additionally, fecal contents of acetic acid and propionic acid in patients with PCOS were significantly higher than those in healthy controls. Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group and Alistipes were positively correlated with 6 kinds of fatty acids.

Conclusion

Specific intestinal flora fecal fatty acids and serum metabolites may mediate the occurrence and development of PCOS. PCOS patients with different body sizes have specific intestinal flora.
Maintained and Delayed Benefits of Executive Function Training and Low-Intensity Aerobic Exercise Over a 3.5-Year Period in Older Adults
Authors: Yang Lixia
Published: July 2022

This is a follow-up study of our previous work, with a specific goal to examine whether older adults are able to maintain or show delayed cognitive and psychosocial benefits of executive function training and physical exercise over a period of 3.5 years on average. Thirty-four participants from the original training study (17 from the executive function training and 17 from the aerobic exercise group) returned and completed a single follow-up session on a set of cognitive and psychosocial outcome measures. The results of the returned follow-up sample showed some significant original training transfer effects in WCST-64 performance but failed to maintain these benefits at the follow-up session. Surprisingly, episodic memory performance showed some significant improvement at the follow-up relative to baseline, signaling delayed benefits. The findings add some novel implications for cognitive training schedule and highlight the possible importance of continuous engagement in long-term cognitive enhancement in healthy older adults.
Efficacy of Traditional Chinese Exercise in Improving Gait and Balance in Cases of Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Wu Minmin , Tang Qiang , Wang Linjing , Zhang Mei , Song Wenjing , Teng Lili , Zhu Luwen
Published: July 2022

Background

The efficacy of traditional Chinese exercise (TCE)-based intervention in the improvement of motor function in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) is controversial. The present study aimed to assess the effects of TCE on balance and gait outcomes, as well as motor symptoms in individuals with PD, and evaluate potential discrete moderators such as TCE dosage-related variables.

Method

PubMed, Embase, Cochrane's Library, Web of Science, Medline, and Scopus were systematically searched from their dates of inception to February 2022. All studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of TCE-based interventions for PD. The treatment effects were estimated using a random-effect meta-analysis model with standardized mean differences (Hedges' g). The Physiotherapy Evidence Database was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the study.

Result

Fifteen studies involving a total of 873 participants were included in the final analysis. The meta-analytic findings revealed significant improvements in balance outcomes [Berg Balance Scales (BBS) (g = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.37–1.29, p = 0.000, I2 = 84%), time up and go (TUG) (g = −0.80, 95% CI = −1.13– −0.47, p = 0.000, I2 = 81%), and the one legged blind balance test (g = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.13–0.86, p = 0.01, I2 = 10%)], as well as gait outcomes [gait velocity (g = 0.28, 95% CI = 0.02–0.54, p = 0.04, I2 = 64%), 6-min walking test (6MWT) (g = 0.32, 95% CI 0.01–0.62, p = 0.04, I2= 15%), stride length (g = 0.25, 95% CI = 0.08–0.41, p = 0.003, I2 = 42%)], and motor symptoms [Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part III (UPDRS-III) (g = −0.77, 95% CI = −1.06– −0.48, p = 0.000, I2 = 76%)]. However, cadence (g = −0.03) and step length (g = 0.02) did not differ significantly. The moderator shows that the effects of TCE on BBS and gait velocity were moderated by Pedro score, exercise type, control group type, and number of sessions. Meta-regression found that TCE (exercise duration, number of sessions, and session duration) was significantly associated with improved UPDRS-III and BBS scores.

Conclusion

These findings provide evidence for the therapeutic benefits of TCE as an adjunct therapy for patients with PD. TEC dosage (high-intensity long sessions) may moderate some favorable effects.

Systematic Review Registration

PROSPERO, identifier CRD42022314686.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy as a Complementary Treatment in Glioblastoma—A Scoping Review
Authors: Alpuim Costa Diogo , Sampaio-Alves Mafalda , Netto Eduardo , Fernandez Gonçalo , Oliveira Edson , Teixeira Andreia , Daniel Pedro Modas , Bernardo Guilherme Silva , Amaro Carla
Published: July 2022

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive malignant brain tumor in adults. The mainstay of management for GBM is surgical resection, radiation (RT), and chemotherapy (CT). Even with optimized multimodal treatment, GBM has a high recurrence and poor survival rates ranging from 12 to 24 months in most patients. Recently, relevant advances in understanding GBM pathophysiology have opened new avenues for therapies for recurrent and newly diagnosed diseases. GBM's hypoxic microenvironment has been shown to be highly associated with aggressive biology and resistance to RT and CT. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) may increase anticancer therapy sensitivity by increasing oxygen tension within the hypoxic regions of the neoplastic tissue. Previous data have investigated HBOT in combination with cytostatic compounds, with an improvement of neoplastic tissue oxygenation, inhibition of HIF-1α activity, and a significant reduction in the proliferation of GBM cells. The biological effect of ionizing radiation has been reported to be higher when it is delivered under well-oxygenated rather than anoxic conditions. Several hypoxia-targeting strategies reported that HBOT showed the most significant effect that could potentially improve RT outcomes, with higher response rates and survival and no serious adverse events. However, further prospective and randomized studies are necessary to validate HBOT's effectiveness in the ‘real world' GBM clinical practice.
Xenon LFP Analysis Platform Is a Novel Graphical User Interface for Analysis of Local Field Potential From Large-Scale MEA Recordings
Authors: Mahadevan Arjun , Codadu Neela K. , Parrish R. Ryley
Published: July 2022

High-density multi-electrode array (HD-MEA) has enabled neuronal measurements at high spatial resolution to record local field potentials (LFP), extracellular action potentials, and network-wide extracellular recording on an extended spatial scale. While we have advanced recording systems with over 4,000 electrodes capable of recording data at over 20 kHz, it still presents computational challenges to handle, process, extract, and view information from these large recordings. We have created a computational method, and an open-source toolkit built in Python, rendered on a web browser using Plotly’s Dash for extracting and viewing the data and creating interactive visualization. In addition to extracting and viewing entire or small chunks of data sampled at lower or higher frequencies, respectively, it provides a framework to collect user inputs, analyze channel groups, generate raster plots, view quick summary measures for LFP activity, detect and isolate noise channels, and generate plots and visualization in both time and frequency domain. Incorporated into our Graphical User Interface (GUI), we also created a novel seizure detection method, which can be used to detect the onset of seizures in all or a selected group of channels and provide the following measures of seizures: distance, duration, and propagation across the region of interest. We demonstrate the utility of this toolkit, using datasets collected from an HD-MEA device comprising of 4,096 recording electrodes. For the current analysis, we demonstrate the toolkit and methods with a low sampling frequency dataset (300 Hz) and a group of approximately 400 channels. Using this toolkit, we present novel data demonstrating increased seizure propagation speed from brain slices of Scn1aHet mice compared to littermate controls. While there have been advances in HD-MEA recording systems with high spatial and temporal resolution, limited tools are available for researchers to view and process these big datasets. We now provide a user-friendly toolkit to analyze LFP activity obtained from large-scale MEA recordings with translatable applications to EEG recordings and demonstrate the utility of this new graphic user interface with novel biological findings.