bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Case Report: Five-Level Unilateral Laminectomy Bilateral Decompression (ULBD) by Two-Stage Unilateral Biportal Endoscopy (UBE)
Authors: Wang Wen-long , Liu Zheng , Wu Si-jun
Published: July 2022

Introduction

Unilateral biportal endoscopy (UBE) is a relatively new yet common minimally invasive procedure in spine surgery, capable of achieving adequate decompression for lumbar spinal stenosis through unilateral laminectomy bilateral decompression (ULBD). Neither additional fusion nor rigid fixation is required, as UBE-ULBD rarely causes iatrogenic lumbar instability. However, to our knowledge, five-level ULBD via two-stage UBE without lumbar fusion has been yet to be reported in the treatment of multilevel lumbar spinal stenosis.

Case description

We present a case of an 80-year-old female patient who developed progressive paralysis of the lower extremities. Radiographic examinations showed multilevel degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis and extensive compression of the dural sac and nerve roots from L1-2 to L5-S1. The patient underwent five-level ULBD through two-stage UBE without lumbar fusion or fixation. One week after the final procedure, the patient could ambulate with walking aids and braces. Moreover, no back pain or limited lumbar motion was observed at the 6-month follow-up.

Conclusion

Multilevel ULBD through UBE may provide elderly patients with an alternative, minimally invasive procedure for treating spinal stenosis. This procedure could be achieved by staging surgeries. In this case, we reported complaints of little back pain, despite not needing to perform lumbar fusion or fixation.
Effects of Rust on Plant Growth and Stoichiometry of Leymuschinensis under Different Grazing Intensities in Hulunber Grassland
Authors: Zhang Yawen , Nan Zhibiao , Christensen Michael John , Xin Xiaoping , Zhang Nan
Published: July 2022

Grazing is the main utilization of native grassland, and forage fungal disease is one of the limiting factors of grassland productivity. The present research in the Hulunber meadow steppe grassland was conducted to investigate the responses of the dominant plant Leymus chinensis (Trin.) to beef cattle grazing, rust, and their interaction influence. Six grazing intensity treatments with three replicates were established. The response of L. chinensis to grazing and rust was systematically studied for two consecutive years. The main findings were that grazing and rust had significant effects (p < 0.05) on the growth and nutrient elements content of L. chinensis. Compared with the 0 cattle ha−1 treatment, the dry matter of L. chinensis in the 0.42, 0.63, and 1.67 cattle ha−1 treatments decreased by 42.2%, 90.5%, and 339.5%, respectively. Compared with non-infected plants, dry matter of rust-infected L. chinensis plants decreased by 45.6%. The N:C and P:C ratios of rust-infected plants were lower than in non-infected plants, and positively correlated with their relative growth rates. Therefore, we concluded that the growth rate hypothesis still applied in L. chinensis under the interactive effects of grazing and disease. Additionally, grazing can alleviate the loss of dry matter caused by disease.
Excessive Nitrogen Application Leads to Lower Rice Yield and Grain Quality by Inhibiting the Grain Filling of Inferior Grains
Authors: Zhao Can , Liu Guangming , Chen Yue , Jiang Yan , Shi Yi , Zhao Lingtian , Liao Pingqiang , Wang Weiling , Xu Ke , Dai Qigen , Huo Zhongyang
Published: July 2022

Nitrogen fertilizer is an important agronomic measure to regulate rice yield and grain quality. Grain filling is crucial for the formation of rice yield and grain quality. However, there are few studies on the effects of excessive nitrogen application (ENA) on grain filling rate and grain quality. A two-year field experiment was conducted to reveal the difference in grain filling characteristics and grain quality of superior grains (SG) and inferior grains (IG), as well as their responses to nitrogen fertilizer. We determined the grain appearance, the rice yield, the grain filling characteristics of SG and IG, and grain quality. We found that with the increasing nitrogen application level, grain yield of both varieties first increased and then decreased. The average yield of excessive nitrogen application (345 kg N ha−1) was 2.68–6.31% lower than that of appropriate nitrogen application (270 kg N ha−1). ENA reduced the grain filling rate by 12.7–25.8%, and the grain filling rate of SG was higher than that of IG. Increasing nitrogen application increased the processing quality and appearance quality of rice grain, but ENA deteriorated the appearance quality, eating quality and nutritional quality. The amylose content and taste value of SS were 3.1–9.7% and 7.1–20.2% higher than those of IS, respectively. The protein components of SG were lower than those of IG. Taken together, our results revealed that ENA leads to the lowering of rice grain yield and grain quality by suppressed grain filling of inferior grains.
Biopesticides: Naturally Originating Plant Protection Products and Biocides
Authors: Ntalli Nikoletta
Published: July 2022

Pesticides are substances that prevent, repel, suppress, mitigate, or eradicate harmful organisms [...]
Effects of Stand Density and N Fertilization on the Performance of Maize (Zea mays L.) Intercropped with Climbing Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)
Authors: Villwock Daniel , Kurz Sabine , Hartung Jens , Müller-Lindenlauf Maria
Published: July 2022

Maize is Germany’s most important fodder and energy crop. However, pure maize cultivation has ecological disadvantages. Moreover, its yield is low in crude protein, an important feed quality parameter. Maize–bean intercropping can potentially address both issues. A bean variety specially developed for intercropping was first introduced in 2016. Using this variety, a network of institutions conducted 13 field trials from 2017 to 2020 on four sites in Germany. We sought to determine the effects of stand density and nitrogen (N) fertilization on dry matter yield, crude protein yield, and soil mineral N content (Nmin) at harvest of intercropped vs. pure maize. The three intercropping bean densities we tested (7.5, 5.5, and 4 plants/m2) produced non-significantly different yields of dry matter or crude protein, given a maize density of 7.5–8 plants/m2. Intercropping was inferior to pure maize in dry matter yield, but non-significantly different in crude protein yield. Under neither cropping strategy were significant losses in dry matter or crude protein yield recorded with reduced compared to full N fertilization. At full fertilization, however, both pure maize systems and the 8/4 maize–bean intercrop system left significantly higher Nmin at harvest than the other variants of the corresponding system or N fertilization level and thus an increased risk of nitrate leaching. We encourage further optimization of yield performance in maize–bean intercropping, e.g., through breeding or promotion of biological N fixation via rhizobia inoculation. Furthermore, we recommend reducing N fertilization levels in maize cultivation.
Assessment of Natural Transmission of Bovine Leukemia Virus in Dairies from Southern Chile
Authors: Benavides Bibiana , Monti Gustavo
Published: July 2022

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is a retrovirus that affects cattle worldwide. A longitudinal study was conducted with the aim to (a) estimate the incidence rate of the BLV infection of dairy farms in the regions of Los Ríos and Los Lagos (Chile), and (b) describe the frequency and epidemiological association of risk management practices related to new cases in cattle on dairy farms in Southern Chile. Infection status was based on commercial blocking ELISA results, on serum and milk. Individual information on animals and management practices was extracted from farm records, and then the most likely date of infection for new cases was estimated. The number of new infections was used to calculate the within-herd incidence rate. Adult animals had an incidence rate of 1.16 (95% CI 0.96; 1.20) cases per 100 cow-months at risk, while for young animals it was 0.64 (95% CI 0.44; 1.00) cases per 100 animal-months at risk. Rectal palpation, artificial insemination, and injections were the most common practices related to infection. Further studies are needed to determine if these are the only practices that facilitate spreading or if there are other practices that can be handled better in order to reduce the spread of BLV.
FcγR-Mediated Trogocytosis 2.0: Revisiting History Gives Rise to a Unifying Hypothesis
Authors: Lindorfer Margaret A. , Taylor Ronald P.
Published: July 2022

There is increasing interest in the clinical implications and immunology of trogocytosis, a process in which the receptors on acceptor cells remove and internalize cognate ligands from donor cells. We have reported that this phenomenon occurs in cancer immunotherapy, in which cells that express FcγR remove and internalize CD20 and bound mAbs from malignant B cells. This process can be generalized to include other reactions including the immune adherence phenomenon and antibody-induced immunosuppression. We discuss in detail FcγR-mediated trogocytosis and the evidence supporting a proposed predominant role for liver sinusoidal endothelial cells via the action of the inhibitory receptor FcγRIIb2. We describe experiments to test the validity of this hypothesis. The elucidation of the details of FcγR-mediated trogocytosis has the potential to allow for the development of novel therapies that can potentially block or enhance this reaction, depending upon whether the process leads to unfavorable or positive biological effects.
Forced Degradation Studies and Development and Validation of HPLC-UV Method for the Analysis of Velpatasvir Copovidone Solid Dispersion
Authors: Zaman Bakht , Hassan Waseem , Khan Adnan , Mushtaq Ayesha , Ali Nisar , Bilal Muhammad , Ahmed Dina A.
Published: July 2022

Analytical methods for the drug substance and degradation products (DPs) are validated by performing forced degradation studies. Forced degradation studies of Velpatasvir (VEL) drug substance and Velpatasvir copovidone solid dispersion (VEL-CSD) were performed under the stressed alkaline, acidic, oxidative and thermal conditions according to ICH guidelines ICH Q1A (R2). VEL is labile to degrade in stressed alkaline, acidic, and oxidative conditions. It is also photolabile and degraded during photostability studies as described by ICH Q1B, and showed no degradation on exposure to extreme temperature when protected from light. A sensitive stability indicating HPLC-UV method was developed and validated for the separation of VEL and eight DPs. The DPs of VEL are separated using gradient elution of mobile phase containing 0.05% Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and methanol over symmetry analytical column C18 (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) with a flow rate of 0.8 mL min−1. Simultaneous detection of all DPs and VEL was performed on UV detector at 305 nm. The performance parameters like precision, specificity and linearity of the method were validated using reference standards as prescribed by ICHQ2 (R1). Limits of quantification and limits of detection were determined from calibration curve using the expression 10δ/slope and 3δ/slope respectively. The proposed method is stability-indicating and effectively applied to the analysis of process impurities and DPs in VEL drug substance and VEL-CSD.
Population Pharmacokinetics of Temocillin Administered by Continuous Infusion in Patients with Septic Shock Associated with Intra-Abdominal Infection and Ascitic Fluid Effusion
Authors: Ngougni Pokem Perrin , Wittebole Xavier , Collienne Christine , Rodriguez-Villalobos Hector , Tulkens Paul M. , Elens Laure , Van Bambeke Françoise , Laterre Pierre-François
Published: July 2022

Temocillin is active against Gram-negative bacteria, including many extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacterales. We studied its pharmacokinetics in plasma and ascitic fluid after intravenous administration of a loading dose of 2 g over 30 min, followed by continuous infusion of 6 g/24 h, to 19 critically-ill patients with septic shock associated with complicated intra-abdominal infection. We established a pharmacokinetic model describing unbound temocillin concentrations in plasma and ascitic fluid and performed Monte-Carlo simulations to evaluate the probability of target attainment (PTA) of unbound concentrations (100% fT > MIC, i.e., unbound concentrations remaining above the MIC during 100% of the time) for the applied and hypothetical dosing regimens. The temocillin AUC in ascitic fluid was 46% of the plasma AUC. Plasma unbound concentrations were best described by a two-compartment model, and an additional compartment was added to describe unbound concentration in ascitic fluid, with renal clearance as a covariate. Dosing simulations showed that 90% PTA was achieved in the plasma with the current dosing regimen for MIC ≤ 16 mg/L (EUCAST susceptibility breakpoint) but not in the ascitic fluid if renal clearance was ≥40 mL/min. Hypothetical dosing with a higher (a) loading dose or (b) infused dose allowed to reach target concentrations in ascitic fluid (a) more rapidly or (b) sustainably, but these simulations need to be evaluated in the clinics for safety and efficacy.
Numerical and Experimental Investigations of Humeral Greater Tuberosity Fractures with Plate Fixation under Different Shoulder Rehabilitation Activities
Authors: Muthusamy Balraj , Chao Ching-Kong , Hsu Ching-Chi , Lin Meng-Hua
Published: July 2022

The incidence of humerus greater tuberosity (GT) fractures is about 20% in patients with proximal humerus fractures. This study aimed to investigate the biomechanical performances of the humerus GT fracture stabilized by a locking plate with rotator cuff function for shoulder rehabilitation activities. A three-dimensional finite element model of the GT-fracture-treated humerus with a single traction force condition was analyzed for abduction, flexion, and horizontal flexion activities and validated by the biomechanical tests. The results showed that the stiffness calculated by the numerical models was closely related to that obtained by the mechanical tests with a correlation coefficient of 0.88. Under realistic rotator cuff muscle loading, the shoulder joint had a larger displacement at the fracture site (1.163 mm), as well as higher bone stress (60.6 MPa), higher plate stress (29.1 MPa), and higher mean screw stress (37.3 MPa) in horizontal flexion rehabilitation activity when compared to that abduction and flexion activities. The horizontal flexion may not be suggested in the early stage of shoulder joint rehabilitation activities. Numerical simulation techniques and experimental designs mimicked clinical treatment plans. These methodologies could be used to evaluate new implant designs and fixation strategies for the shoulder joint.
Similar Word Replacement Method for Improving News Commenter Analysis
Authors: Lee Deun , Choi Sunoh
Published: July 2022

In Korea, it is common to read and comment on news stories on portal sites. To influence public opinion, some people write comments repeatedly, some of which are similar to those posted by others. This has become a serious social issue. In our previous research, we collected approximately 2.68 million news comments posted in April 2017. We classified the political stance of each author using a deep learning model (seq2seq), and evaluated how many similar comments each user wrote, as well as how similar each comment was to those posted by other people, using the Jaccard similarity coefficient. However, as our previous model used Jaccard’s similarity only, the meaning of the comments was not considered. To solve this problem, we propose similar word replacement (SWR) using word2vec and a method to analyze the similarity between user comments and classify the political stance of each user. In this study, we showed that when our model used SWR rather than Jaccard’s similarity, its ability to detect similarity between comments increased 3.2 times, and the accuracy of political stance classification improved by 6%.
The Suppressive Activity of Water Mimosa Extract on Human Gastric Cancer Cells
Authors: Nguyen Thanh Quang , Nguyen Hoang Nhat Minh , Ngo Dai-Hung , Phan Phuoc-Hien , Vo Thanh Sang
Published: July 2022

Epidemiological studies have evidenced that natural dietary products can prevent or manage gastric cancer. Neptunia oleracea, an aquatic vegetable and edible plant, has been reported to have anti-cancer properties. In this study, N. oleracea extract’s suppression of gastric cancer cells was investigated on an in vitro experimental model. We found that ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract inhibited cell proliferation at IC50 value of 172 µg/mL. Moreover, the treatment of EtOAc extract at a concentration of 50 µg/mL for 24 h caused suppression of cancer cell migration. Notably, a real-time PCR assay revealed that EtOAc extract induced the process of apoptosis via upregulating the mRNA expression level of caspase-8, Bax, caspase-9, and caspase-3 in cancer cells. In conclusion, N. oleracea had potential anti-cancer activity against gastric cancer cells, suggesting its role in the prevention and management of gastric cancer.
A Review of Robots, Perception, and Tasks in Precision Agriculture
Authors: Botta Andrea , Cavallone Paride , Baglieri Lorenzo , Colucci Giovanni , Tagliavini Luigi , Quaglia Giuseppe
Published: July 2022

This review reports the recent state of the art in the field of mobile robots applied to precision agriculture. After a brief introduction to precision agriculture, the review focuses on two main topics. First, it provides a broad overview of the most widely used technologies in agriculture related to crop, field, and soil monitoring. Second, the main robotic solutions, with a focus on land-based robots, and their salient features are described. Finally, a short case study about a robot developed by the authors is introduced. This work aims to collect and highlight the most significant trends in research on robotics applied to agriculture. This review shows that the most studied perception solutions are those based on vision and cloud point detection and, following the same trend, most robotic solutions are small robots dedicated exclusively to monitoring tasks. However, the robotisation of other agricultural tasks is growing.
Serum Concentrations of the Endocannabinoid, 2-Arachidonoylglycerol, in the Peri-Trauma Period Are Positively Associated with Chronic Pain Months Later
Authors: Trevino Colleen M. , Hillard Cecilia J. , Szabo Aniko , deRoon-Cassini Terri A.
Published: July 2022

Endocannabinoid signaling and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis are activated by trauma and both stress systems regulate the transition from acute to chronic pain. This study aimed to develop a model of relationships among circulating concentrations of cortisol and endocannabinoids (eCBs) immediately after traumatic injury and the presence of chronic pain months later. Pain scores and serum concentrations of eCBs and cortisol were measured during hospitalization and 5–10 months later in 147 traumatically injured individuals. Exploratory correlational analyses and path analysis were completed. The study sample was 50% Black and Latino and primarily male (69%); 34% percent endorsed a pain score of 4 or greater at follow-up and were considered to have chronic pain. Path analysis was used to model relationships among eCB, 2-arachidonolyglycerol (2-AG), cortisol, and pain, adjusting for sex and injury severity (ISS). Serum 2-AG concentrations at the time of injury were associated with chronic pain in 3 ways: a highly significant, independent positive predictor; a mediator of the effect of ISS, and through a positive relationship with cortisol concentrations. These data indicate that 2-AG concentrations at the time of an injury are positively associated with chronic pain and suggest excessive activation of endocannabinoid signaling contributes to risk for chronic pain.
Role of Interleukins and New Perspectives in Mechanisms of Resistance to Chemotherapy in Gastric Cancer
Authors: Janiczek-Polewska Marlena , Szylberg Łukasz , Malicki Julian , Marszałek Andrzej
Published: July 2022

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth most common cancer in the world in terms of incidence and second in terms of mortality. Chemotherapy is the main treatment for GC. The greatest challenge and major cause of GC treatment failure is resistance to chemotherapy. As such, research is ongoing into molecular evaluation, investigating mechanisms, and screening therapeutic targets. Several mechanisms related to both the tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME) are involved in resistance to chemotherapy. TME promotes the secretion of various inflammatory cytokines. Recent studies have revealed that inflammatory cytokines affect not only tumor growth, but also chemoresistance. Cytokines in TME can be detected in blood circulation and TME cells. Inflammatory cytokines could serve as potential biomarkers in the assessment of chemoresistance and influence the management of therapeutics in GC. This review presents recent data concerning research on inflammatory cytokines involved in the mechanisms of chemoresistance and provides new clues in GC treatment.
Correlation of Construction Performance Indicators and Project Success in a Portfolio of Building Projects
Authors: Cleary Joseph P. , Lamanna Anthony J.
Published: July 2022

Construction management is a highly competitive project-based field of complex specialized services, creating or altering the built environment for a client. For construction projects to be successful, and in turn, for construction firms to be successful, understanding the relationship of performance statistics as indicators of project outcomes, such as cost, time, and profitability, is essential. There have been a number of efforts made to identify key performance indicators related to construction project success. However, due to lack of available data, many questions remain. There lies an opportunity to analyze project statistics as indicators of project success, similar to the way analytics have been used to predict success in sports. Construction firm project data for a portfolio of building projects were analyzed, and this study identifies correlated factors for completed building construction projects. A highlight of this correlation analysis identified profit differential as demonstrating a strong relationship with the number of requests for information and architects supplemental instructions on a project.
Development of Lymphopenia during Therapy with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Is Associated with Poor Outcome in Metastatic Cutaneous Melanoma
Authors: Tomsitz Dirk , Schlaak Max , Zierold Sarah , Pesch Giulia , Schulz Thomas U. , Müller Genoveva , Zecha Christine , French Lars E. , Heinzerling Lucie
Published: July 2022

Predictive markers for immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy are needed. Thus, baseline blood counts have been investigated as biomarkers, showing that lymphopenia at the start of therapy with (ICI) is associated with a worse outcome in metastatic melanoma. We investigated the relationship between the occurrence of lymphopenia under ICI and disease outcome. Patients with metastatic melanoma who had undergone therapy with ICI were identified in our database. Only patients with a normal lymphocyte count at baseline were included in this retrospective study. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between patients in which lymphopenia occurred during ICI therapy and those who did not develop lymphopenia. In total, 116 patients were analyzed. Lymphopenia occurred in 42.2% of patients, with a mean onset after 17 weeks (range 1–180 weeks). The occurrence of lymphopenia during immunotherapy was significantly associated with a shorter PFS and OS. Patients who developed lymphopenia (n = 49) had a mean PFS of 13.3 months (range 1–67 months) compared to 16.9 months (range 1–73 months) for patients who did not develop lymphopenia (n = 67; p = 0.025). Similarly, patients with lymphopenia had a significantly shorter OS of 28.1 months (range 2–70 months) compared with 36.8 months (range 4–106 months) in patients who did not develop lymphopenia (p = 0.01). Patients with metastatic melanoma who develop lymphopenia during ICI therapy have a worse prognosis with significantly shorter PFS and OS compared with patients who do not develop lymphopenia.
Impact of IKZF1 Deletions in the Prognosis of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Argentina
Authors: Felice María Sara , Rubio Patricia Laura , Digiorge Jorge , Barreda Frank Mariángeles , Martínez Celeste Sabrina , Guitter Myriam Ruth , Sajaroff Elisa Olga , Sánchez La Rosa Cristian Germán , Pennella Carla Luciana , Peruzzo Luisina Belén , Deu María Alejandra , Alfaro Elizabeth Melania , Guardia María Constanza , Gutierrez Gladys , Fernández Barbieri María Angelica , Recondo Ezequiel , Vides Herrera María Soledad , Livio Vanina , Arnaiz Constanza , Romero Carolina , Alonso Cristina Noemi , Rossi Jorge Gabriel
Published: July 2022

An association of deletions in the IKZF1 gene (IKZF1del) with poor prognosis in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has been demonstrated. Additional deletions in other genes (IKZF1plus) define different IKZF1del subsets. We analyzed the influence of IKZF1del and/or IKZF1plus in the survival of children with ALL. From October 2009 to July 2021, 1055 bone marrow samples from patients with ALL were processed by Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). Of them, 28 patients died during induction and 4 were lost-in-follow-up, resulting in an eligible 1023 cases. All patients were treated according to ALLIC-BFM-2009-protocol. Patients were classified into three subsets: IKZF1not-deleted (IKZFF1not-del), IKZF1deleted (IKZF1del) and IKZF1del plus deletion of PAX5, CDKN2A, CDKN2B and/or alterations in CRLF2 with ERG-not-deleted (IKZF1plus). The LFSp and SE were calculated with the Kaplan–Meier calculation and compared with a log-rank test. From the 1023 eligible patients, 835 (81.6%) were defined as IKZF1not-del, 94 (9.2%) as IKZF1del and 94 (9.2%) as IKZF1plus. Of them, 100 (9.8%) corresponded to Standard-Risk (SRG), 629 (61.5%) to Intermediate-Risk (IRG) and 294 (28.7%) to High-Risk (HRG) groups. LFSp(SE) was 7 5(2)% for IKZF1not-del, 51 (6)% for IKZF1del and 48 (6)% for IKZF1plus (p-value < 0.00001). LFSp(SE) according to the risk groups was: in SRG, 91 (4)% for IKZF1not-del, 50 (35)% IKZF1del and 100% IKZF1plus (p-value = ns); in IRG, 77 (2)% IKZF1not-del, 61 (10)% IKZF1del and 54 (7)% IKZF1plus (p-value = 0.0005) and in HRG, 61 (4)% IKZF1not-del, 38 (8)% IKZF1del and 35 (9)% IKZF1plus (p-value = 0.0102). The IKZF1 status defines a population of patients with a poor outcome, mainly in IRG. No differences were observed between IKZF1del versus IKZF1plus. MLPA studies should be incorporated into the risk-group stratification of pediatric ALL.
Effectiveness of Geriatric Assessment-Driven Interventions on Survival and Functional and Nutritional Status in Older Patients with Head and Neck Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial (EGeSOR)
Authors: Paillaud Elena , Brugel Lydia , Bertolus Chloe , Baron Melany , Bequignon Emilie , Caillet Philippe , Schouman Thomas , Lacau Saint Guily Jean , Périé Sophie , Bouvard Eric , Laurent Marie , Salvan Didier , Chaumette Laurence , de Decker Laure , Piot Benoit , Barry Beatrix , Raynaud-Simon Agathe , Sauvaget Elisabeth , Bach Christine , Bizard Antoine , Bounar Abderrahmane , Minard Aurelien , Aziz Bechara , Chevalier Eric , Chevalier Dominique , Gaxatte Cedric , Malard Olivier , Liuu Evelyne , Lacour Sandrine , Gregoire Laetitia , Lafont Charlotte , Canouï-Poitrine Florence
Published: July 2022

This study assesses the efficacy of Geriatric Assessment (GA)-driven interventions and follow-up on six-month mortality, functional, and nutritional status in older patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). HNC patients aged 65 years or over were included between November 2013 and September 2018 by 15 Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) and maxillofacial surgery departments at 13 centers in France. The study was of an open-label, multicenter, randomized, controlled, and parallel-group design, with independent outcome assessments. The patients were randomized 1:1 to benefit from GA-driven interventions and follow-up versus standard of care. The interventions consisted in a pre-therapeutic GA, a standardized geriatric intervention, and follow-up, tailored to the cancer-treatment plan for 24 months. The primary outcome was a composite criterion including six-month mortality, functional impairment (fall in the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) score ≥2), and weight loss ≥10%. Among the patients included (n = 499), 475 were randomized to the experimental (n = 238) or control arm (n = 237). The median age was 75.3 years [70.4–81.9]; 69.5% were men, and the principal tumor site was oral cavity (43.9%). There were no statistically significant differences regarding the primary endpoint (n = 98 events; 41.0% in the experimental arm versus 90 (38.0%); p = 0.53), or for each criterion (i.e., death (31 (13%) versus 27 (11.4%); p = 0.48), weight loss of ≥10% (69 (29%) versus 65 (27.4%); p = 0.73) and fall in ADL score ≥2 (9 (3.8%) versus 13 (5.5%); p = 0.35)). In older patients with HNC, GA-driven interventions and follow-up failed to improve six-month overall survival, functional, and nutritional status.
Formation of Lymphoma Hybrid Spheroids and Drug Testing in Real Time with the Use of Fluorescence Optical Tweezers
Authors: Duś-Szachniewicz Kamila , Gdesz-Birula Katarzyna , Nowosielska Emilia , Ziółkowski Piotr , Drobczyński Sławomir
Published: July 2022

Interactions between stromal and lymphoma cells in the bone marrow are closely related to drug resistance and therapy failure. Physiologically relevant pre-clinical three-dimensional (3D) models recapitulating lymphoma microenvironmental complexity do not currently exist. In this study, we proposed a scheme for optically controlled hybrid lymphoma spheroid formation with the use of optical tweezers (OT). Following the preparation of stromal spheroids using agarose hydrogel, two aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma B-cell lines, Ri-1 (DLBCL) and Raji (Burkitt lymphoma), were used to conduct multi-cellular spheroid formation driven by in-house-developed fluorescence optical tweezers. Importantly, the newly formed hybrid spheroid preserved the 3D architecture for the next 24 h. Our model was successfully used for the evaluation of the influence of the anticancer agents doxorubicin (DOX), ibrutinib (IBR), and AMD3100 (plerixafor) on the adhesive properties of lymphoma cells. Importantly, our study revealed that a co-treatment of DOX and IBR with AMD3100 affects the adhesion of B-NHL lymphoma cells.
MFAP4-Mediated Effects in Elastic Fiber Homeostasis, Integrin Signaling and Cancer, and Its Role in Teleost Fish
Authors: Mohammadi Ali , Sorensen Grith L. , Pilecki Bartosz
Published: July 2022

Microfibrillar-associated protein 4 (MFAP4) is an extracellular matrix (ECM) protein belonging to the fibrinogen-related domain superfamily. MFAP4 is highly expressed in elastin-rich tissues such as lung, blood vessels and skin. MFAP4 is involved in organization of the ECM, regulating proper elastic fiber assembly. On the other hand, during pathology MFAP4 actively contributes to disease development and progression due to its interactions with RGD-dependent integrin receptors. Both tissue expression and circulating MFAP4 levels are associated with various disorders, including liver fibrosis and cancer. In other experimental models, such as teleost fish, MFAP4 appears to participate in host defense as a macrophage-specific innate immune molecule. The aim of this review is to summarize the accumulating evidence that indicates the importance of MFAP4 in homeostasis as well as pathological conditions, discuss its known biological functions with special focus on elastic fiber assembly, integrin signaling and cancer, as well as describe the reported functions of non-mammalian MFAP4 in fish. Overall, our work provides a comprehensive overview on the role of MFAP4 in health and disease.
Elevated NF-κB/SHh/GLI1 Signature Denotes a Worse Prognosis and Represent a Novel Potential Therapeutic Target in Advanced Prostate Cancer
Authors: Vecchiotti Davide , Verzella Daniela , Di Vito Nolfi Mauro , D’Andrea Daniel , Flati Irene , Di Francesco Barbara , Cornice Jessica , Alesse Edoardo , Capece Daria , Zazzeroni Francesca
Published: July 2022

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most frequent cancer in men worldwide. NF-κB seems to play a key role in cell survival, proliferation and invasion, sustaining the heterogeneous multifocal nature of PCa. In recent years, the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway has attracted attention as a therapeutic target due to its implication in tumorigenesis and metastasis in several types of cancer, including PCa. Although it is well-known that Sonic Hedgehog (SHh) is a transcriptional target of NF-κB(p65), and that GLI1 is the effector of this crosstalk, the precise role played by this axis in PCa is still not completely clear. Here, we set out to explore the correlation between NF-κB activation and SHh pathways in PCa, investigating if the interplay between NF-κB(p65) and SHh-GLI1 in advanced PCa could be a prospective therapeutic target. Our findings demonstrate that a NF-κB-SHh-GLI1 gene signature is enriched in PCa patients featuring a higher Gleason score. Moreover, elevated levels of this signature are associated with worse prognosis, thus suggesting that this axis could provide a route to treat aggressive PCa.
Association of Clonal Hematopoiesis of Indeterminate Potential with Inflammatory Gene Expression in Patients with COPD
Authors: Kuhnert Stefan , Mansouri Siavash , Rieger Michael A. , Savai Rajkumar , Avci Edibe , Díaz-Piña Gabriela , Padmasekar Manju , Looso Mario , Hadzic Stefan , Acker Till , Klatt Stephan , Wilhelm Jochen , Fleming Ingrid , Sommer Natascha , Weissmann Norbert , Vogelmeier Claus , Bals Robert , Zeiher Andreas , Dimmeler Stefanie , Seeger Werner , Pullamsetti Soni S.
Published: July 2022

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease with an inflammatory phenotype with increasing prevalence in the elderly. Expanded population of mutant blood cells carrying somatic mutations is termed clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP). The association between CHIP and COPD and its relevant effects on DNA methylation in aging are mainly unknown. Analyzing the deep-targeted amplicon sequencing from 125 COPD patients, we found enhanced incidence of CHIP mutations (~20%) with a predominance of DNMT3A CHIP-mediated hypomethylation of Phospholipase D Family Member 5 (PLD5), which in turn is positively correlated with increased levels of glycerol phosphocholine, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and deteriorating lung function.
Bioactive Compounds and Adipocyte Browning Phenomenon
Authors: Manríquez-Núñez Josué , Ramos-Gómez Minerva
Published: July 2022

Overweight and obesity have become worldwide health issues in most countries. Current strategies aimed to prevent or reduce overweight and obesity have mainly focused on the genes and molecular mechanisms that give the functional characteristics to different types of adipose tissue. The Browning phenomenon in adipocytes consists of phenotypic and metabolic changes within white adipose tissue (WAT) activated by thermogenic mechanisms similar to that occurring in brown adipose tissue (BAT); this phenomenon has assumed great relevance due to its therapeutic potential against overweight and obesity. In addition, the study of inflammation in the development of overweight and obesity has also been included as a relevant factor, such as the pro-inflammatory mechanisms promoted by M1-type macrophages in adipose tissue. Studies carried out in this area are mainly performed by using the 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte cell line, testing different bioactive compound sources such as plants and foods; nevertheless, it is necessary to standardize protocols used in vitro as well to properly scale them to animal models and clinical tests in order to have a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in overweight and obesity.
Influence of a Deep Learning Noise Reduction on the CT Values, Image Noise and Characterization of Kidney and Ureter Stones
Authors: Steuwe Andrea , Valentin Birte , Bethge Oliver T. , Ljimani Alexandra , Niegisch Günter , Antoch Gerald , Aissa Joel
Published: July 2022

Deep-learning (DL) noise reduction techniques in computed tomography (CT) are expected to reduce the image noise while maintaining the clinically relevant information in reduced dose acquisitions. This study aimed to assess the size, attenuation, and objective image quality of reno-ureteric stones denoised using DL-software in comparison to traditionally reconstructed low-dose abdominal CT-images and evaluated its clinical impact. In this institutional review-board-approved retrospective study, 45 patients with renal and/or ureteral stones were included. All patients had undergone abdominal CT between August 2019 and October 2019. CT-images were reconstructed using the following three methods: filtered back-projection, iterative reconstruction, and PixelShine (DL-software) with both sharp and soft kernels. Stone size, CT attenuation, and objective image quality (signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR)) were evaluated and compared using Bonferroni-corrected Friedman tests. Objective image quality was measured in six regions-of-interest. Stone size ranged between 4.4 × 3.1–4.4 × 3.2 mm (sharp kernel) and 5.1 × 3.8–5.6 × 4.2 mm (soft kernel). Mean attenuation ranged between 704–717 Hounsfield Units (HU) (soft kernel) and 915–1047 HU (sharp kernel). Differences in measured stone sizes were ≤1.3 mm. DL-processed images resulted in significantly higher CNR and SNR values (p < 0.001) by decreasing image noise significantly (p < 0.001). DL-software significantly improved objective image quality while maintaining both correct stone size and CT-attenuation values. Therefore, the clinical impact of stone assessment in denoised image data sets remains unchanged. Through the relevant noise suppression, the software additionally offers the potential to further reduce radiation exposure.
Diffuse GFAP Immunopositivity in the Oligodendrocyte-like Component of Pilocytic Astrocytoma Distinguishes It from Mimickers
Authors: Alturkustani Murad
Published: July 2022

Pilocytic astrocytoma with a predominant oligodendrocyte-like component can be difficult to distinguish from oligodendroglioma, dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors (DNTs), central neurocytoma, and ependymoma (clear cell phenotype). The utility of GFAP immunostaining in this context is not well discussed. All cases with a diagnosis of pilocytic astrocytoma were retrieved from the pathological archives along with the following information: age, sex, and pathological description. The GFAP immunostaining was scored as score 1 (<25%), score 2 (25–50%), score 3 (50–75%), and score 4 (>75%). The comparison group included oligodendrogliomas, DNTs, ependymomas, and central neurocytomas. All 26 cases (16 males and 10 females) of pilocytic astrocytoma showed strong and diffuse (score 4) GFAP immunostaining in the neoplastic cells of both the solid fibrillary and oligodendrocyte-like components. The staining pattern in the neoplastic round cells in the oligodendrocyte-like areas was perinuclear cytoplasmic with no processes. In the comparison group, GFAP immunostaining was mostly restricted to the reactive astrocytes in the background. Focal areas of the neoplastic cells showed scores of 1–3 in the neoplastic cells, but the staining pattern was different from those in pilocytic astrocytoma. In the setting of tumors with predominant oligodendrocyte-like areas, the GFAP immunostaining score and pattern help distinguish pilocytic astrocytoma from its mimickers.
Prevalence and Risk of Dental Erosion in Patients with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Yanushevich Oleg O. , Maev Igor V. , Krikheli Natella I. , Andreev Dmitrii N. , Lyamina Svetlana V. , Sokolov Filipp S. , Bychkova Marina N. , Beliy Petr A. , Zaslavskaya Kira Y.
Published: July 2022

Aim: The present paper aims to systematize data concerning the prevalence and risk of dental erosion (DE) in adult patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) compared to controls. Materials and methods: Core electronic databases, i.e., MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Google Scholar, and the Russian Science Citation Index (RSCI), were searched for studies assessing the prevalence and risk of DE in adult GERD patients with publication dates ranging from 1 January 1985 to 20 January 2022. Publications with detailed descriptive statistics (the total sample size of patients with GERD, the total sample size of controls (if available), the number of patients with DE in the sample of GERD patients, the number of patients with DE in the controls (if available)) were selected for the final analysis. Results: The final analysis included 28 studies involving 4379 people (2309 GERD patients and 2070 control subjects). The pooled prevalence of DE was 51.524% (95 CI: 39.742–63.221) in GERD patients and 21.351% (95 CI: 9.234–36.807) in controls. An association was found between the presence of DE and GERD using the random-effects model (OR 5.000, 95% CI: 2.995–8.345; I2 = 79.78%) compared with controls. When analyzing studies that only used validated instrumental methods for diagnosing GERD, alongside validated DE criteria (studies that did not specify the methodologies used were excluded), a significant association between the presence of DE and GERD was revealed (OR 5.586, 95% CI: 2.311–13.503; I2 = 85.14%). Conclusion: The meta-analysis demonstrated that DE is quite often associated with GERD and is observed in about half of patients with this extremely common disease of the upper gastrointestinal tract.
Revealing the Dynamics of Neural Information Processing with Multivariate Information Decomposition
Authors: Newman Ehren , Varley Thomas , Parakkattu Vibin , Sherrill Samantha , Beggs John
Published: July 2022

The varied cognitive abilities and rich adaptive behaviors enabled by the animal nervous system are often described in terms of information processing. This framing raises the issue of how biological neural circuits actually process information, and some of the most fundamental outstanding questions in neuroscience center on understanding the mechanisms of neural information processing. Classical information theory has long been understood to be a natural framework within which information processing can be understood, and recent advances in the field of multivariate information theory offer new insights into the structure of computation in complex systems. In this review, we provide an introduction to the conceptual and practical issues associated with using multivariate information theory to analyze information processing in neural circuits, as well as discussing recent empirical work in this vein. Specifically, we provide an accessible introduction to the partial information decomposition (PID) framework. PID reveals redundant, unique, and synergistic modes by which neurons integrate information from multiple sources. We focus particularly on the synergistic mode, which quantifies the “higher-order” information carried in the patterns of multiple inputs and is not reducible to input from any single source. Recent work in a variety of model systems has revealed that synergistic dynamics are ubiquitous in neural circuitry and show reliable structure–function relationships, emerging disproportionately in neuronal rich clubs, downstream of recurrent connectivity, and in the convergence of correlated activity. We draw on the existing literature on higher-order information dynamics in neuronal networks to illustrate the insights that have been gained by taking an information decomposition perspective on neural activity. Finally, we briefly discuss future promising directions for information decomposition approaches to neuroscience, such as work on behaving animals, multi-target generalizations of PID, and time-resolved local analyses.
Research on Computer-Aided Diagnosis Method Based on Symptom Filtering and Weighted Network
Authors: Huang Xiaoxi , Wang Haoxin
Published: July 2022

In the process of disease identification, as the number of diseases increases, the collection of both diseases and symptoms becomes larger. However, existing computer-aided diagnosis systems do not completely solve the dimensional disaster caused by the increasing data set. To address the above problems, we propose methods of using symptom filtering and a weighted network with the goal of deeper processing of the collected symptom information. Symptom filtering is similar to a filter in signal transmission, which can filter the collected symptom information, further reduce the dimensional space of the system, and make the important symptoms more prominent. The weighted network, on the other hand, mines deeper disease information by modeling the channels of symptom information, amplifying important information, and suppressing unimportant information. Compared with existing hierarchical reinforcement learning models, the feature extraction methods proposed in this paper can help existing models improve their accuracy by more than 10%.
Enjoyment and Self-Efficacy in Oral Scientific Communication Are Positively Correlated to Postsecondary Students’ Oral Performance Skills
Authors: Cormier Caroline , Langlois Simon
Published: July 2022

Scientific oral communication is of major importance in democratic societies, but science students often dread giving oral presentations because of the stress they cause, and more generally, because of their attitude towards science communication. As attitude influences behavior, attitude towards science communication might have an impact on the performance students give during an oral presentation. This study was conducted with French-speaking postsecondary CEGEP (17–19 years old) science students in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In this mixed-methods study, students’ attitude towards oral communication in science (n = 1295) was measured using a five-component model (perceived relevance, anxiety, enjoyment, self-efficacy (S-E) and context dependency). We then observed, by video, a sample of 26 students and measured their oral performance skills during a presentation on a scientific topic. The results suggest a strong correlation between oral performance in science and two components of attitude: the enjoyment of doing oral presentations and a specific aspect of S-E we called Showmanship S-E. In addition, although most students had a high perception of the relevance of oral communication in science, this did not correlate to their oral performance and most experienced anxiety about their oral communication.
Examination of the Effect of RF Field on Fe-MWCNTs and Their Application in Medicine
Authors: Wojtera Katarzyna , Smółka Krzysztof , Szymański Łukasz , Wiak Sławomir , Urbanek Aleksandra
Published: July 2022

Carbon nanotubes are a material with excellent properties, which result in a wide range of possible applications, from electronics to medicine. This paper presents the investigation of the possibility of Fe-MWCNTs’ application as heating agents for targeted thermal ablation of cancer cells, which could lead to the development of an innovative cancer treatment method. The article describes the process of synthesis of multi-walled carbon nanotubes filled with iron (Fe-MWCNTs) and provides an examination of their magnetic properties. Fe-MWCNTs were synthesized by catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD). Relevant properties of the nanoparticles in terms of functionalization for biomedical applications were exploited and their magnetic properties were investigated to determine the heat generation efficiency induced by exposure of the particles to an external electromagnetic field. The reaction of the samples was measured for 40 min of exposure. The results showed an increase in sample temperature that was proportional to the concentration.