bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Isolation, culture and, characterization of Cardiosphere-Derived Cells (CDCs)
Authors: Álvarez Verónica , Casado Javier García , Blázquez Rebeca , Marinaro Federica , de Pedro María de los Ángeles , Pulido María , Nieto Esther López
Published: December 2022

Cardiosphere-derived Cells (CDCs) can be isolated from cardiac tissues of pigs. The protocol begins with an enzymatic digestion followed by a pre-culture in a specific cell culture medium. Adherent cells from digested tissue are detached and seeded with the Cardiosphere Growing Medium (CGM). Under these conditions, cells clusters are formed and migrating cells are selected and seeded again to expand CDCs. Phenotypical, functional and molecular assays are necessary for the characterization of isolated cells. Phenotypic analysis is performed by flow cytometry to identify surface markers. For functional analysis, cells are in vitro differentiated using different culture media, then stained and observed by optical microscopy. Finally, PCR can be used to analyse the gene expression profile.This protocol is suitable for establishing a CDCs culture for multiples applications: in vitro assays, preclinical studies, “omics” analyses, etc.
Closed–loop Oxygen Control Improves Oxygenation in Paediatric Patients Under High–flow Nasal Oxygen––a randomised crossover study
Authors: Sandal Ozlem , Ceylan Gokhan , Topal Sevgi , Hepduman Pinar , Colak Mustafa , Novotni Dominik , Soydan Ekin , Karaarslan Utku , Schultz Marcus J. , Agin Hasan
Published: December 2022

Recently, high flow oxygen therapy (HFOT) is becoming more popular in the treatment of any kind of respiratory failure. Pediatric mechanical ventilation consensus conference (PEMVECC) guidelines suggest measuring oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry (SpO2) in all ventilated children and furthermore to measure partial arterial oxygen pressure (PaO2) in moderate‑to‑severe disease in order to prevent excessive use of oxygen while preventing hypoxemia and hyperoxemia. However, from a practical point of view, this may require frequent manual adjustments of the inspired oxygen, which might be unfeasible, especially in high-demand periods, such as the recent COVID19 pandemic. Moreover, the COVID19 pandemic has also highlighted the need for optimizing oxygen usage at the hospital level, since medical oxygen can become a scarce resource in high-demand periods, such as a pandemic. Two proof-of-concept studies showed that automatic oxygen titration (AOT) is feasible in patients receiving high flow nasal oxygen therapy (HFNT) in an exercise-induced desaturation model and in patients with mild acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. This study aims to compare the safety and efficacy of a closed- loop FiO2 controller with conventional manual control of FiO2 during HFOT of pediatric patients in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). The hypothesis of this study is: Close-loop FiO2 controller increases the time spent within clinically targeted SpO2 ranges and decreases the time spent outside clinical target SpO2 ranges as compared to manual oxygen control in PICU patients treated with HFOT. This study was registered to clinical trials with the registration number NCT05032365.
Cultivation, differentiation, and lentiviral transduction of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived glutamatergic neurons for studying human TAU
Authors: Buchholz Sarah , Bell-Simons Michael , Cakmak Cagla , Klimek Jennifer , Zempel Hans
Published: December 2022

TAU pathology is a major hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases summarized under the term tauopathies. In most of these diseases, e.g., Alzheimer’s Disease, the neuronal axonal microtubule-binding TAU protein becomes mislocalized to the somatodendritic compartment. In human disease, this missorting of TAU is accompanied by an abnormally high phosphorylation state of the TAU protein, and several downstream pathological consequences (e.g. loss of microtubules, degradation of postsynaptic spines, impaired synaptic transmission, neuronal death). While some mechanisms of TAU sorting, missorting and associated pathologies have been addressed in rodent models, few studies have addressed human TAU in physiological disease-relevant human neurons. Suitable human-derived in vitro models are necessary. This protocol provides a simple step-by-step protocol for generating homogeneous cultures of cortical glutamatergic neurons using an engineered Ngn2 transgene carrying WTC11 iPSC line. We further demonstrate strategies to improve neuronal maturity, i.e., synapse formation, TAU isoform expression, and neuronal activity by co-culturing hiPSC-derived glutamatergic neurons with mouse-derived astrocytes. Finally, we explain a simple way for high-efficiency lentiviral transduction of hiPSC-derived neurons at almost all stages of differentiation.
Efficient Non-Linear Equalization Scheme for Performance Enhancement of MIMO-OFDM Communication Systems Using Walsh Transform
Authors: Ramadan Khaled
Published: December 2022

The Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) scheme offers efficient spectrum use and simple frequency domain equalization. Instead of a bank of modulators or demodulators, the OFDM system can be implemented using the Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) or FFT. The OFDM system can also be implemented using the Inverse Fast Walsh Hadamard Transform (IFWHT) or the Fast Walsh Hadamard Transform (FWHT). In this article, we use IFWHT and FWHT to implement the OFDM implementation. Following that, a suggestion for a Joint Low-Complexity Regularized Zero Forcing-Successive Interference Cancellation (JLCRZF-SIC) equalizer is made. With a low-complexity implementation, the suggested equalizer conducts both equalization and Carrier Frequency Offset (CFO) correction procedures. The simulation results reveal that the suggested equalizer plays a significant role in comparison to the traditional one.
Patients’ and healthcare professionals’ perceived facilitators and barriers for shared decision-making for frail and elderly patients in perioperative care: A scoping review
Authors: Vogel Amyn , Guinemer Camille , Fürstenau Daniel
Published: December 2022

BACKGROUND: Shared decision-making (SDM) in perioperative care, an organizational approach to instituting sharing of information and decision-making around surgery, aims at enabling patient-centric treatment and alignment of care to individual patient needs. Frail and elderly patients suffering from multiple health conditions and increased surgical vulnerability require individualized healthcare and may benefit. However, little is known about the facilitators and barriers to implementing SDM in perioperative care for the specific needs of frail and elderly patients.
Our objective is twofold: First, we aim at collecting and communicating facilitators and barriers. Second, we aim at collecting conceptual approaches and methods employed in determining and analyzing these facilitators and barriers.
METHODS: The search strategy focused on peer-reviewed studies. We employed a taxonomy which is based on the SPIDER framework and added the items general article information, stakeholder, barriers/facilitators, category, subcategory, and setting/contextual information. This taxonomy is based on preceding studies. The scoping review is reported under the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. Based on the databases MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science, we identified and reviewed 13 original studies.
RESULTS: The major result is that patients want to be informed on their medical condition and procedures. The results further indicate that patients prefer sharing decisions over taking decisions on their own or physician induced decision-making. Communication barriers and asymmetric power relationships between patients and clinical healthcare professionals are barriers to SDM. Regarding the methodological approaches, the evaluation demonstrates that the selected articles are primarily concerned with the collection of determinants that enable or impede the implementation of SDM. These approaches lack employing a distinct theoretical framework for explaining these determinants. Second, the selected studies mainly used surveys and interviews, ethnographic studies are absent.
CONCLUSION: Diverging findings perceived by patients or clinical healthcare professionals were identified. These imply that SDM research related to elderly and frail patients should become more encompassing by employing research that incorporates theory-based qualitative analysis, and ethnographic studies of SDM consultations for understanding practices by patients and clinical healthcare professionals. Ethnographic studies are particularly relevant as these were not conducted.
REGISTRATION: https://osf.io/8fjnb/
Development and external validation of a clinical prediction model for predicting quality of recovery up to one week after surgery
Authors: Beek Stefan , Nieboer Daan , Klimek Markus , Stolker Robert Jan , Mijderwijk Hendrik-Jan
Published: December 2022

The Quality of Recovery Score-40 (QoR-40) has been increasingly used for assessing recovery after patients undergoing surgery. However, a prediction model estimating quality of recovery is lacking. The aim of the present study was to develop and externally validate a clinical prediction model that predicts quality of recovery up to one week after surgery. The modelling procedure consisted of two models of increasing complexity (basic and full model). To assess the internal validity of the developed model, bootstrapping (1000 times) was applied. At external validation, the model performance was evaluated according to measures for overall model performance (explained variance (R2)) and calibration (calibration plot and slope). The full model consisted of age, sex, previous surgery, BMI, ASA classification, duration of surgery, HADS and preoperative QoR-40 score. At model development, the R2 of the full model was 0.24. At external validation the R2 dropped as expected. The calibration analysis showed that the QoR-40 predictions provided by the developed prediction models are reliable. The presented models can be used as a starting point for future updating in prediction studies, to implement them clinically in the future.
Feasibility and acceptability of developing a culturally and linguistically congruent digital storytelling intervention among Vietnamese and Korean American mothers of HPV-vaccinated children
Authors: Kim Wonsun (Sunny) , Chen Angela Chia-Chen , Ou Lihong , Larkey Linda , Todd Michael , Han Yooro
Published: December 2022

Background
The high morbidity, mortality, and economic burden attributed to cancer-causing HPV call for researchers to address this public health concern through human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. Disparities of HPV-associated cancers in Vietnamese and Korean Americans (VA, KA) exist, yet their vaccination rates remain low. Evidence points to the importance of developing culturally and linguistically congruent interventions to improve their HPV vaccination rates. This paper aimed to assess feasibility acceptability and the process and mothers’ lived experience of creating and sharing personal stories.
Methods
Through community partner, social media and snowballing, we recruited two VA and six KA mothers (mean age = 41.4 years old; SD = 5.8) who had children vaccinated against HPV. Three virtual digital storytelling (DST) workshops were conducted between July 2021 and January 2022. Our team supported mothers to develop their own stories, practice digital editing and helped with editing by combining written and oral narratives, photos/images, voiceover, and soundtrack. Mothers filled out online surveys before and after the workshop and provided feedback on each other’s story ideas and the workshop experience. We used descriptive statistics to summarize the quantitative data and constant comparative analysis to analyze qualitative data collected in the workshop and field notes.
Results
Eight digital stories were developed in the DST workshops. They were well accepted, shown in the mothers’ overall satisfaction and relevant indicators (i.e., would recommend it to others, would watch more stories and attend a similar workshop, it was worth their time and appropriate; mean = 4.6–4.8, range 1–5). They found the process rewarding and appreciated the opportunity to share their stories in group settings and learn from each other. Six themes (e.g., cultural perspectives to healthcare and HPV vaccination) emerged from the data reflected the mothers’ rich personal experiences, attitudes, and perceptions about their child’s HPV vaccination.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that virtual DST workshop is a highly feasible and acceptable approach to engage VA and KA immigrant mothers in developing culturally and linguistically congruent interventions. Further research is needed to test the efficacy and effectiveness of the digital stories as an intervention for promoting HPV vaccination among these populations.
Development of a patient assessment to meet the needs of patients suffering from advanced non-oncological diseases – the KOPAL study
Authors: Marx Gabriella , Mallon Tina , Stanze Henrikje , Zimansky Manuel , Schneider Nils , Nauck Friedemann , Scherer Martin , Pohontsch Nadine
Published: December 2022

Background
To develop an aide memoire for patients diagnosed with advanced non-oncological chronic diseases, the KOPAL conversation guide, to foster interprofessional counselling between GPs and specialist palliative home care teams.
Methods
As part of the multi-centre, two-arm, cluster randomised controlled KOPAL study, the draft of the conversation guide was discussed and consented in three focus groups with 4 patients, 7 health care providers, and 5 stakeholders.
Results
The final version of the KOPAL conversation guide contains eight key topics: living with the illness, physical situation, emotional situation, personal situation, social situation, information and communication, control and autonomy, emergency management. Each topic refers to different general points, which are listed on top of the respective thematic section. The conversation should start by addressing the patient’s today’s well-being and end by asking for the patient’s main topic based on the discussed issues.
Conclusions
The KOPAL conversation guide is a broad evaluation and communication tool that covers potential palliative care (PC) needs of non-oncological patients and provides a basis for interprofessional case planning and counselling. Applying the KOPAL conversation guide may help to bridge the communicative gap between general and specialist PC professionals and between professionals and patients.
Contrast Enhanced Mammography in Breast Cancer Surveillance
Authors: Elder Kenneth , Matheson Julia , Nickson Carolyn , Box Georgia , Ellis Jennifer , Mou Arlene , Shadbolt Clair , Park Allan , Tay Jia , Rose Allison , Mann Gregory Bruce
Published: December 2022

Purpose: Women with a personal history of breast cancer or DCIS (PHBC) are at increased risk of either a local recurrence or a new primary breast cancer. Adjunctive screening ultrasound or MRI is often used to supplement mammography. Contrast enhanced mammography (CEM) is reported to have higher sensitivity than MG and ultrasound, and similar performance with better accessibility than MRI.
Methods: We introduced CEM as a routine single imaging modality for surveillance of those with PHBC. This report is of the first surveillance round outcomes comparing CEM with digital mammography.
Results: 73/1191 (6.1%) patients were recalled for further assessment. 35 (48%) were true positives (TP), with 26 invasive cancers and 9 cases of DCIS, while 38 (52%) were false positive (FP) with a positive predictive value (PPV) 47.9%. 32/73 were recalled due to findings on MG, while 41/73 were only recalled due to Contrast. 14/73 had ‘minimal signs’ with a lesion identifiable with knowledge of the Contrast finding while 27/73 were ‘contrast only’. 41% (17/41) of those recalled due to contrast were TP. Contrast-only TPs were found in those with low and high mammographic density (MD). Bilateral screening breast US reduced by 55% in the year after routine surveillance CEM was implemented.
Conclusion: Compared to MG, CEM as a single surveillance modality for those with PHBC has higher sensitivity and comparable specificity, identifying additional malignant lesions that appear to be clinically significant. Further investigation of interval cancer and subsequent round cancer detection rates is warranted.
Percutaneous Transforaminal Endoscopic Surgery (PTES) and mini-incision L5/S1 OLIF with self-lock cage for surgical treatment of L5 spondylolisthesis
Authors: Zhou Tianyao , Ma Tianle , Gu Yutong , Che Wu , Zhang Liang , Wang Yichao
Published: December 2022

Objectives
We designed Percutaneous Transforaminal Endoscopic Surgery (PTES) technique under local anesthesia and L5/S1 OLIF (OLIF51) with self-lock cage through mini-incision for the treatment of L5 spondylolisthesis. The purpose of study is to evaluate the feasibility, efficacy and safety of this method.
Methods
Thirteen cases of L5 spondylolisthesis with nerve root symptoms were included in this study. The patients underwent PTES under local anesthesia in a prone position, and then OLIF51 with self-lock cage and allograft was performed through left abdominal mini-incision and oblique retroperitoneal approach between bilateral iliac vessels with the external oblique, internal oblique and transverse abdominal muscles bluntly separated in turn for L5/S1 in a right oblique position under general anesthesia. Back and leg pain were preoperatively and postoperatively evaluated using VAS, and the clinical outcomes were evaluated with ODI before surgery and at 2-year follow-up. Anterior and posterior intervertebral space height, lumbar lordotic angle, and operative segmental lordotic angle were measured on lumbar spine X-rays preoperatively and postoperatively. The fusion status was assessed according to the Bridwell’s fusion grades.
Results
The operation duration was 49.1 ± 5.6 minutes for PTES and 73.6 ± 8.2 minutes for OLIF. There was a blood loss of 25(15–45) ml. The incision length was 7.5 ± 1.1 mm for PTES and 46.8 ± 3.8 mm for OLIF. The hospital stay was 5(4–6) days. The follow-up duration was 29(24–37) months. For the clinical evaluation, the VAS of back and leg pain significantly dropped after surgery (p < 0.001) and the ODI significantly decreased from 64.7 ± 7.8% to 12.9 ± 4.3% 2 years after surgery (p < 0.001). Anterior and posterior intervertebral space height, and operative segmental lordotic angle significantly improved after surgery (p < 0.05). Fusion grades based on the Bridwell grading system at 2-year follow-up were grade I in 9 segments (69.2%), grade II in 4 segments (30.8%). No patients had any form of permanent iatrogenic nerve damage and a major complication. No failure of instruments was observed.
Conclusions
PTES and mini-incision OLIF51 with self-lock cage is a good choice of minimally invasive surgery for L5 spondylolisthesis, which can get direct neurologic decompression and satisfying fusion, and hardly destroy the rectus abdominis and its sheath, paraspinal muscles and bone structures.
Analytical Study of Energy, Exergy and Thermohydraulic Performance Enhancement of Sustainable Solar Air Heater with C-Shape roughness
Authors: Pachori Himanshu , Mishra Shivam , Sheorey Tanuja , Choudhary Tushar , Hanamura Katsunori
Published: December 2022

A solar air heater is a simple, low-cost, sustainable heat exchanger that may be used for industrial, household, and agricultural drying processes. It can also be used to heat homes and other buildings. In comparison to smooth absorbers, artificially roughened absorbers can greatly increase the thermal performance of solar air heaters. In this study, the thermohydraulic performance of a solar air heater with rough C-shaped ribs was analytically investigated. The findings of the examination of the thermal efficiency, exergy, and entropy were compared to the results of a smooth duct. The thermal-performance of the C-ribs absorber is significantly greater than that of the smooth duct. The Nu is 4 times the smooth duct, and the mean thermal efficiency percentage growth is around 40%. This study presents a novel approach to SAH sustainability. The optimum values for maximum thermal performance are (e/D) = 0.0422, (α/90) = 0.33, and P/e = 10. The several thermal energy losses that cause the SAH's thermal performance to deteriorate have been identified. According to the current study, the typical thermohydraulic performance parameter is 3, which is greater than the typical roughness.
Temporal Variation of Q Factor Before and after Kumamoto earthquake
Authors: Saffari Maryam , Mahood Majid , Heidari Reza , Mehramuz Mahmoud
Published: December 2022

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the temporal changes in the attenuation of coda waves before and after the 7.3 magnitude Kumamoto earthquake in the Kumamoto region of Japan. In this study, the single back scattering method has been used to estimate the attenuation of coda waves. The attenuation was estimated using 474 local earthquakes recorded at 306 seismic stations with a magnitude between 2.5 and 5.5 and the focal depth of less than 200 km. 18,810 records were processed in seven frequency ranges of 1.5, 3, 4.5, 6, 9, 12 and 18 Hz and in three time intervals of 20, 30 and 40 seconds. The frequency ratio of quality coefficient for three lapsed time 20, 30 and 40 seconds as Qc = (53 ± 3) f (0.86 ± 0.06), Qc = (65 ± 4) f (0.87 ± 0.06) and Qc = (79 ± 4) f (0.88 ± 0.07). The results show that the study area is tectonically highly active and has a high seismicity rate. Increasing the quality coefficient along with increasing the lapse time shows that shallow structures have more heterogeneity than the deeper ones. Investigating the temporal attenuation changes in this region shows that by approaching the main Kumamoto earthquake, the number of earthquakes increases while the quality factor of coda waves decreases. This negative correlation can be justified by the increased stress in the region that will cause to earthquakes increases. Having more earthquakes in the region have caused fractures to increase and thus led to decrease the quality coefficient. After the main Kumamoto earthquake, there were results being observed in opposite to the foreshock results. The average quality coefficient before and after the main earthquake is respectively 68 and 60, which shows that the heterogeneity in the region has increased. The increase in heterogeneity in the region can be due to the increase in the aftershocks and consequently an increase in the cracks and fractures.
Pruned tea leaves as biomass to green prepare nano zero-valent iron embedded biochar for efficient removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions
Authors: Ma Fang , Zhang Chenguang , Zhou Hongxia , Ji Yajun
Published: December 2022

Pruned tea leaves are discarded or burned as agricultural residue, causing resource waste and serious environmental problems. Pruned tea leaves with a rich number of cellulosic and polyphenolic components could be used as biomass feedstocks and reducing agents to synthesize ZVI-embedded biochar. In this work, a green, inexpensive and convenient method was developed for the synthesis of nanoscale zero-valent iron embedded biochar (TLBC-nZVI) using pruned tea leaves. TLBC-nZVI showed excellent performance in Cr(VI) removal (166.65 mg g−1) from aqueous solutions. Isothermal, kinetic and thermodynamic studies showed that Cr(VI) removal fit well with the Freundlich model and pseudo-second order model. Additionally, the removal process was a chemical, spontaneous and endothermic reaction. The removal mechanisms were as follows: (i) protonated TLBC-nZVI adsorbed anionic Cr(VI) by electrostatic interaction under acidic conditions; (ii) Fe0, Fe(II) and some surface functional groups (such as –NH2 and –OH) reduced Cr(VI) to Cr(III); and (iii) Cr(III) was removed through complexation, physical adsorption and coprecipitation.
Infection and vaccine induced Spike antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 Variants of concern in immune naïve children and adults
Authors: Pillay Aleha , Yeola Avani , Tea Fiona , Denkova Martina , Houston Samuel , Burrell Rebecca , Merheb Vera , Lee Fiona X. Z. , Moran Lilly , Jadhav Ajay , Sterling Katrina , Lai Catherine L , Vitagliano Tennille L. , Aggarwal Anupriya , Catchpoole Daniel , Wood Nicholas , Phan Tri Giang , Nanan Ralph , Hsu Peter , Turville Stuart G , Britton Philip N , Brilot Fabienne
Published: December 2022

A more efficient and effective adaptive humoral immune response has been proposed as the basis of the usually favourable outcome of paediatric COVID-19. The breadth of virus and vaccine immunogenicity towards the ever-mutating Spike protein amongst variants of concern (VOC) have not yet been compared between children and adults. We utilized molecular cloning and sensitive antibody detection against conformational Spike by flow cytometry to assess Spike antibodies and delineate the immunogenic region in immune naïve children and adults vaccinated by BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1, and naturally infected with Early Clade, Delta, and Omicron variants. Patient sera were analysed against SARS-CoV-2 Spike antigens including naturally occurring VOCs Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Omicron BA.1, BA.2, and BA.5 variants of interest Epsilon, Kappa, Eta, D.2, and artificial Spike mutants. There was no notable difference between breadth and longevity of antibody responses generated against VOCs in children and adults. Vaccinated individuals displayed similar immunoreactivity profiles across variants to naturally infected individuals. Delta-infected patients had an enhanced immunogenicity toward Delta and some VOCs compared to patients infected by Early Clade SARS-CoV-2. Although Omicron BA.1, BA.2, and BA.5 antibody levels were increased after Omicron infection in both children and adults, immunogenicity against Omicron subvariants was reduced. This decrease was observed across VOC infection, immunization, and age groups. Selected epistatically combined mutations led to an increase of immunogenicity in artificial Spikes, but were unable to compensate overall within Omicron. Our results reveal important molecular features central to the generation of high antibody titers and broad immunoreactivity that should be considered in future vaccine design and global serosurveillance.
Implications of Serum Uric Acid for Female Fertility: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2013–2020
Authors: LIANG Jiemei , CHEN Xiting , HUANG Jinfa , Nie Weizhe , YANG Qian , HUANG Qitao , Deng Kaixian
Published: December 2022

Background

Reproductive health is a public health concern among young women. Due to nutritional composition and unhealthy lifestyle choices, the health effects of hyperuricemia on female fertility have come under scrutiny. We set out to investigate this relationship among adult female Americans.

Methods

In this cross-sectional investigation, the total sample of 5872 selected female participants aged 18 to 49 was identified from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013–2020. Each participant's serum uric acid levels (mg/dl) were measured, and the Reproductive Health Questionnaire was used to determine each subject's reproductive status. Logistic regression models were employed to assess the association between two variables in total subjects and subgroup analyses. The stratified multivariate logistic regression model was used to perform the subgroup analysis by serum uric acid levels. The subgroup analysis based on serum uric acid levels was carried out using the stratified multivariate logistic regression model.

Results

Among 5872 female adults included in this study, 649 (11.1%) had infertility, which had a higher mean of SUA levels (4.7mg/dl vs. 4.5mg/dl). In the initial and adjusted models, SUA levels were positively associated with infertility. Multivariate logistic regression revealed the odds of female infertility were significantly greater with increasing SUA levels (Q4 [≥ 5.2mg/dl] vs. Q1 [≤ 3.6mg/dl]), adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.59, p = 0.002]. The data suggests that there is a dose-response relationship between the two.

Conclusion

In this cross-sectional study, a sample of American women between the ages of 18 and 49 showed that SUA was positively related to infertility.
Intracranial Aneurysms in the Pediatric Population: Case Series
Authors: Demart Zeferino Jr , Pardins Junio Pereira , Koppe Gelson Luis , Maeda Adriano Keijiro , Mattozo Carlos Alberto , Cardoso-Demartini Adriane
Published: December 2022

Introduction: Aneurysms are rare in the pediatric population and its diagnosis can be challenging. They differ from their adult counterparts in several aspects, and hemorrhage is the most frequent presentation.
Objective: To evaluate clinical data, aneurysms characteristics and therapeutic results in a series of patients <18 years of age with intracranial aneurysms.
Method: A retrospective cross-sectional observational study design through the analysis of medical records and imaging studies. Analyzed data included age, sex, presentation, comorbidities, aneurysmal characteristics, treatment modality and clinical outcomes.
Results: 15 intracranial aneurysms were identified in 11 patients (6 male), with ages ranging from 3 months to 15 years (mean 5.2 years). Five patients had associated medical conditions, and hemorrhage was the most frequent clinical presentation (45%). Three patients (27%) had multiple aneurysms, and 7 aneurysms were fusiform or dysplastic. The internal carotid artery was the most affected site, occurring in 47% of cases. Aneurysm size ranged from 2 mm to 60 mm (mean 16.8 mm), with giant aneurysms in 27%. Seven patients were treated via endovascular procedures and three aneurysms were clipped. Symptomatic vasospasm requiring angioplasty occurred in two patients. One patient died due to severe aspiration pneumonia and sepsis that precluded treatment. Good functional outcome (mRS < 2) was achieved in all patients submitted to treatment (91%).
Conclusion: The patients with aneurysms in this series were characterized by hemorrhagic presentation, mild male predominance, and internal carotid artery involvement. The outcome of treated patients was favorable, regardless of the treatment modality.
Measurement of craving among gamers with internet gaming disorder using repeated presentations of game videos: A resting-state electroencephalography study
Authors: Park Sangin , Ha Jihyeon , Ahn Wonbin , Kim Laehyun
Published: December 2022

Background
Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is receiving increasing attention owing to its effects on daily living and psychological function.
Methods
In this study, electroencephalography was used to compare neural activity triggered by repeated presentation of a stimulus in healthy controls (HCs) and those with IGD. A total of 42 adult men were categorized into two groups (IGD, n = 21) based on Y-IAT-K scores. Participants were required to watch repeated presentations of video games while wearing a head-mounted display, and the delta (D), theta (T), alpha (A), beta (B), and gamma (G) activities in the prefrontal (PF), central (C), and parieto-occipital (PO) regions were analyzed.
Results
The IGD group exhibited higher absolute powers of DC, DPO, TPF, TC, TPO, BC, and BPO than HCs. The proposed method for identifying IGD was implemented in a linear support vector machine via cross-validation, and the classification result was 74%.
Conclusions
These findings may significantly contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the neurological features associated with IGD and provide potential neurological markers that can be used to distinguish between individuals with IGD and HCs.
The road to desired aging in place outcomes: Co-development of a theory of change with suburban-dwelling older adults
Authors: Balog Emily J. , Figueiredo Sabrina , Vause-Earland Tracey , Ragusa Elena , Wees Phillipus Van der
Published: December 2022

Background
Ninety-five percent of all older adults live in community settings and have expressed a desire to remain in their homes and communities (aging in place). Communities have recognized the need for action planning to support the needs for aging in place. However, plans often lack empirical evidence, they leave out older adults, particularly those with disabilities, and the planning process takes a top-down approach from the perspective of policy makers.
Methods
This mixed methods study aimed to develop and initiate use of a theory of change to understand processes to elicit older adult participation in community action planning answering the question: In what ways do the themes derived from older adult participants provide insight to a theory of change process for engaging older adults in community action plan development in middle income, suburban Southern New Jersey communities? Older adults from three suburban communities were surveyed (n = 64) and interviewed (n = 14).
Results
Three variables, functional mobility (WHODAS-score; B= -0.266, 95% CI [-.470, − .062]), availability of healthcare services (B = 8.20, 95%CI [1.46, 14.93]), and availability of information to events, services and programs (B = 8.905, 95% CI[1.59, 16.23]) were significantly associated (p < .05) with the dependent variable satisfaction with participation. Three overarching domains emerged from the qualitative findings: basic and home living needs, options for participation matching one’s level of ability, interest, and values, and invitation and knowing where to find information about programs, services, or events. The theory of change articulates that older adults are empowered to participate in their community when there is support for Basic, Social, and Growth needs.
Conclusion
The results were discussed at a stakeholder meeting. Steps to embed a theory of change into action planning were reviewed. Stakeholders identified four processes required to induce person-centered community action planning: leveled engagement, communication, enfranchisement and champions, and social/cultural capital. Planning teams now have translational tools to create customizable, theory-driven, and evidence-based strategies to engage diverse older adults.
Comparative Evaluation of Transformer-Based Nepali Language Models
Authors: Tamrakar Suyogya Ratna , Silpasuwanchai Chaklam
Published: December 2022

Large pre-trained transformer models using self-supervised learning have achieved state-of-the-art performances in various NLP tasks. However, for low-resource language like Nepali, pre-training of monolingual models remains a problem due to lack of training data and well-designed and balanced benchmark datasets. Furthermore, several multilingual pre-trained models such as mBERT and XLM-RoBERTa have been released, but their performance remains unknown for Nepali language. We compared Nepali monolingual pre-trained transformer models with multilingual models to determine their performance using a Nepali text classification dataset as a downstream task based on different number of classes and data sizes, taking machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) algorithms as baselines. Under-representation of Nepali language in mBERT resulted in overall poor performance, but, XLM-RoBERTa, which has a larger vocabulary size, produced state-of-the-art performance which is relatively similar to that of Nepali DistilBERT and DeBERTa, which outperformed all of the baseline algorithms. Bi-LSTM and SVM from the baselines also performed very well in variety of settings. Moreover, to assess the cross-language knowledge transfer for the cases when mono-lingual models are not available, we also evaluated HindiRoBERTa, a monolingual Indian language model on Nepali text dataset. This research mainly contributes to the Nepali NLP community by creation of news classification dataset with 20 classes, with over 200,000 articles and performance evaluation of various pre-trained monolingual Nepali transformers with multilingual transformers, DL and ML algorithms.
Avian influenza A (H5N6) virus combined with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy treated with veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: a case report
Authors: Zhang Juan , Xie Hong , Zhang Lian , xiao Xiao , He Jian-Qing , Wang mao-juan
Published: December 2022

Background: Avian influenza A H5N6 is considered to be extremely lethal, and when combined with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy （HOCM）, difficulty of treatment and risk of death are highly increased. In case report described the treatment of a patient with H5N6 combined with HOCM, in which lessons learned regarding treatment failure were discussed. The information provided by this report may provide a reference for treatment. Thus far, no cases of H5N6 combined with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy have been reported in literature.
Case Presentation: A 56-year-old male diagnosed with Avian influenza A H5N6 combined with HOCM who was treated with veno‑venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation（VV-ECMO ）for thirty-two days presented to hospital. Oseltamivir, immunoglobulin, methylprednisolone and continuous renal replacement therapy were also given; however, the patient unfortunately died given H5N6’s high pathogenicity.
Conclusions: Avian influenza A (H5N6) has a high fatality rate. Multiple organ failure can lead to the death of patients in a short period of time, and HOCM is prone to diastolic dysfunction and arrhythmia. According to its pathophysiological characteristics, an appropriate preload should be maintained, though it is not conducive in reducing pulmonary exudation. Therefore, H5N6 combined with HOCM can increase the difficulty of volume management. Accordingly, prompt treatment, early antiviral therapy, strong organ support, and enhanced infection control may improve patient outcomes. In particular, attention should be given to the possibility of secondary bacterial and fungal infections after influenza.
Impact of fermented cow milk versus soy milk supplemented with water- soluble curcumin on inhibition of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma in female Swiss mice
Authors: Abdelrazik Tay Elsayed , Badr Abeer , Elshaghabee Fouad M. F.
Published: December 2022

Background
Fermented dietary products have been found to increase anti-carcinogenic activity and modulate immunological and physiological functions. This study assessed the preventive effect of fermented cow and soy milk supplemented with water-soluble curcumin against Ehrlich ascites tumor.
Methods
Both types of milk were prepared in the presence of Lactobacillus plantarum EMCC 1027. Ninety-five grams of basal diet mixed with 5g of either fermented cow or soy milk and supplemented with 150 mg of soluble curcumin. Induction of Ehrlich tumor-bearing mice synergized with the feeding of a prepared special diet for 20 days.
Results
Both fermented cow and soy milk increased the survival rate to 117% while the supplementation with curcumin improved the survival rate to 150% combined with soy milk. The decreased concentration of glutathione and superoxide dismutase in Ehrlich tumor-bearing was markedly increased after feeding by any kind of a special diet. In Ehrlich tumor-bearing mice, fermented soy milk plus curcumin showed the highest reduction levels of the augmented levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α or interleukin-6. The relative gene expression TNF-α was significantly (P < 0.05) down-regulated in all treated Ehrlich tumor-bearing while fermented soy milk plus curcumin demonstrated the highest reduced levels. Fermented cow and soy milk with or without curcumin significantly (P < 0.05) caused a rise in the viable count of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.
Conclusions
Collectively, the dietary feeding with fermented cow or soy milk displayed beneficially protective effects, and the best results were recorded in combination with soluble curcumin.
Genetic correlations between gut microbiome genera, Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis, and APOE genotypes: a polygenic risk score study
Authors: Cammann Davis , Lu Yimei , Cummings Melika J. , Zhang Mark L. , Cue Joan Manual , Do Jenifer , Ebersole Jeffrey , Chen Xiangning , Oh Edwin C. , Cummings Jeffrey L. , Chen Jingchun
Published: December 2022

Background: A growing body of evidence suggests that dysbiosis of the human gut microbiota is associated with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease (AD) via neuroinflammatory processes across the microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA). The gut microbiota affects brain health through the secretion of toxins and short-chain fatty acids, which modulates gut permeability and numerous immune functions. Observational studies indicate that AD patients have reduced microbiome diversity, which could contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease. Uncovering the genetic basis of microbial abundance and its effect on AD could suggest lifestyle changes that may reduce an individual’s risk for the disease.
Methods: Using the largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) of gut microbiota genera from the MiBioGen consortium, we conducted the polygenic risk score (PRS) analysis with the “best-fit” model implemented in PRSice-2 and determine the genetic correlation between 119 genera and AD in a discovery sample (case/control: 1,278/1,293). We then replicated our findings in an independent sample (case/control: 799/778) and further confirmed the correlation with meta-analysis. Finally, we conducted a linear regression analysis to assess the correlation between the PRSs for the significant genera and the APOE genotypes.
Results: In the discovery sample, 20 gut microbiota genera were initially identified as genetically associated with AD case/control status. Three genera (Eubacterium fissicatena as a protective factor, Collinsella, and Veillonella as a risk factor) were replicated in the replication sample. The meta-analysis confirmed that ten genera have a significant correlation with AD, four of which were significantly associated with the APOErs429358 risk allele in a direction consistent with their protective/risk designation in AD association. Notably, the proinflammatory genus Collinsella, identified as a risk factor for AD, was positively correlated with the APOErs429358 risk allele in both samples.
Conclusion: Host genetic factors influencing the abundance of ten genera are significantly associated with AD, suggesting that these genera may serve as biomarkers and targets for AD treatment and intervention. Our results highlight that proinflammatory gut microbiota might promote AD development through interaction with APOE. Larger datasets and functional studies are required to understand their causal relationships.
Phosphorylation of TOPK at Y272 by FYN enhances proliferation and metastasis of gastric cancer
Authors: Peng SanFei , Yin YuHan , Zhang YiZheng , zhu feng , Yang Ge , Fu Yang
Published: December 2022

Background
FYN is a nonreceptor tyrosine kinase that regulates diverse pathological processes. The pro-cancer role of FYN in multiple malignancies has been elucidated. However, the mechanisms that FYN promotes gastric cancer(GC) progression remain largely unknown.
Methods
In vitro and in vivo assays were used to investigate the function of FYN. FYN, TOPK, p-TOPK expression in GC specimens were detected by immunohistochemistry. Phosphoproteomics assays identify TOPK downstream substrate molecules. The molecular mechanism was determined using COIP assays, pull-down assays, immunofluorescence co-localization assays, western blotting, 32p-labeled isotope radioautography assays, vitro kinase assays ,and TOPK knockout mice.
Results
FYN was found to be significantly upregulated in GC as well as in GC cells. Knockdown of FYN expression markedly attenuated the malignant phenotype of GC cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we identified TOPK/PBK as a novel downstream substrate of FYN, FYN directly phosphorylates TOPK at Y272. One phosphospecific antibodies against Y272 was developed to validate the phosphorylation of TOPK by FYN. Moreover, the TOPK-272F mutation impaired the interaction between TOPK and FYN, leading to disappeared TOPK phosphorylation. Consistently, human GC tissues displayed increased p-TOPK(Y272), which correlated with poor survival. Phosphoproteomics results showed a significant downregulation of both HSPB1 and p-HSPB1(ser15) in TOPK-knockdown cells, which was confirmed by TOPK-konckout mice.
Conclusions
FYN directly binds to TOPK in GC cells and phosphorylates TOPK at the Y272, which leads to proliferation and metastasis of GC. FYN-TOPK axis facilitates GC progression by phosphorylating HSPB1 at S15. Collectively, our study elucidates the pivotal role of the FYN-TOPK-HSPB1 cascade in GC.
Sensitivity of extreme precipitation to climate change inferred using artificial intelligence shows high spatial variability
Authors: Bird Leroy , Bodeker Gregory , Clem Kyle
Published: December 2022

Evaluating changes in extreme precipitation, and how those extremes will change with climate, is challenged by the paucity, brevity and inhomogeneity of observational time series. Using global precipitation measurements from 10,000 stations, we successfully demonstrate an artificial intelligence-based method for quantifying the sensitivity of extreme precipitation to climate change that is robust against the limitations of the observational record; a convolutional neural network (CNN) is trained to learn the spatial structure of Generalized Extreme Value (GEV) parameters describing the statistics of precipitation extremes. Given an annual mean, global mean surface temperature time series as a climate covariate, the CNN also learns the non-stationarity of the GEV fit parameters. The trained CNN is used to generate maps of the sensitivity of extreme precipitation to global temperature change on ∼1.5km×1.5km grids over North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. This observations based method avoids the short-comings of regional and global climate models in simulating expected changes in extreme precipitation.
Spontaneous rupture of the renal pelvis caused by advanced cervical cancer: A case report
Authors: Peng Cheng-Xia , Xu Li , Wu Guang-Hao , Feng Chao , Zhou Xie-lai , Wang Kang-Er , Ye Chun-Hua
Published: December 2022

Background: Spontaneous rupture of the renal pelvis (SRRP) is a rare clinical condition caused by stone obstruction, and characterized by lumbar and abdominal pain. However, SRRP caused by gynecological tumors has not been reported to date. Here, we describe a case of SRRP caused by cervical cancer and discuss its pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment.
Case presentation: A 38-year-old woman was hospitalized due to right low back pain with a history of irregular vaginal bleeding. Computed tomography urography (CTU) showed right renal pelvis dilatation and massive extravasation. Thinprepcytologic test (TCT) suggested cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Thus, a diagnosis of SRRP caused by advanced cervical cancer was made. After two months of intravenous chemotherapy and conservative therapy, computed tomography (CT) showed an intact renal pelvis.
Conclusion: Upon clinical diagnosis of SRRP, its cause should be identified and treatment should be administered to achieve a satisfying outcome.