bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Functional Outcome Oxford Shoulder Score After Modified Weaver Dunn Technique Reconstruction in Patients with Acromioclavicular Injuries
Authors: Hendra  , Nasution Nino , Andriandi
Published: November 2019

Objectives:

This study aimed to compare the clinical outcome of the Oxford Shoulder Score in patients with acromioclavicular injuries that were operated with Modified Weaver Dunn Technique Reconstruction compared with the healthy side.

Methods:

A total of 8 patients with acromioclavicular injuries from 2011 until 2019 that were included in the study that were treated with the Modified Weaver Dunn Technique. Age, gender, range of motion and OSS score that was followed for a minimum of 6 months after surgery (Oxford Shoulder Score [OSS]) were recorded.

Results:

Patients’ gender characteristics totaled three females (3) and five males (5). There weren’t significant differences with regard to the OSS at minimum six months prior to surgery (p<0,05) with OSS score of joints that were treated with Modified Weaver Dunn Technique (44 ± 1,309) compared to healthy side (46,88 ± 0,835), range of motion forward flexion (169,63±0,835) and healthy side (177,88±2,1), extension (50±2,673) and healthy side (58,25±2,188), abduction (169,38±3623) and healthy side (178,±2,070), internal rotation (58,63±2,326) and healthy side (63,36±4,173), and also external rotation (49,38±3,204) and healthy side (56,88±3,720).

Conclusion:

Modified Weaver Dunn Reconstruction Technique can give good functional outcome and has no differences with the healthy side.
Platelet-Rich Plasma and Osteoarthritis of the Knee: A Literature Review
Authors: Rosandi Monica Elizabeth Tanod
Published: November 2019

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating disease affecting people worldwide that affects weight-bearing joints, including the knee. Pharmacological options should be attempted before surgical therapy, especially for the younger population where there is a likelihood of residual symptoms and risk of revision post-surgery. There are several injection therapies available to treat symptoms and slow degenerative process. One option is platelet-rich plasma (PRP).

The study aims to answer the following questions: What effect does PRP have on osteoarthritic chondrocytes? What are the current results on the clinical outcomes of PRP on knee OA?

A search was conducted on Google Scholar and PubMed to find studies from the past five years on “knee osteoarthritis” and ”platelet-rich plasma”.

Results from current findings demonstrate that PRP induces chondroprotection in vitro. Clinically, PRP improves short-term outcomes of symptomatic knee OA. Although the results look promising; unfortunately, a standardized PRP protocol has not been established and several studies are biased, thus the efficacy of PRP is still inconclusive.
Strategic Human Resource Management in Small and Medium Enterprises: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Krishnan T. N.
Published: November 2019

This article provides a snapshot of the challenges and opportunities of emerging small and medium enterprises. It initially provides a brief overview of the categorisation of SMEs across the globe and alludes to the theoretical rationale for the attraction and challenges experienced by a small firm. Further on, it provides reasons for studying this set of organisations. Strategic and practical concerns in the areas of employee attraction and selection, managerial and leadership development, and engagement and retention of talent are elaborated.
On the preparation and properties investigations of highly performant MXene (Ti3C2(OH)2) nanosheets-reinforced phthalonitrile nanocomposites
Authors: Derradji Mehdi , Trache Djalal , Henniche Abdelkhalek , Zegaoui Abdeljalil , Medjahed Aboubakr , Tarchoun Ahmed Fouzi , Belgacemi Raouf
Published: November 2019

Taking into consideration the latest advances in both ceramic and polymer fields, a new generation of high-performance polymer composites based on the state-of-the-art MXene (Ti3C2(OH)2) ceramics and one of the leading high-performance thermosets, namely the phthalonitrile resins, is presented. The synergistic combination between the two phases led to nanocomposites exhibiting an outstanding thermal stability with starting decomposition temperatures not less than 484°C for 3 wt% of nanoloading. The tensile properties were as high as those obtained with fiber-reinforced polymer composites. For instance, the tensile strength reached its highest value of 276 MPa for the maximum loading of 3 wt%. The morphological studies carried out by scanning and transmission electron microscopies corroborated the improvements of the thermal and mechanical properties. Undoubtfully, such materials expected to be used in extreme conditions can be seen as the next generation of ceramics-reinforced polymer composites.
Infant Music Development and Music Experiences: A Literature Review
Authors: Arrasmith Kathleen
Published: November 2019

Each infant is born with music potential, and early exposure to music and social music interactions may positively affect music development. Researchers have found that infants perceive music, attend to music, respond to music, and engage in social music interactions. Caregivers may enhance their music practices by deepening their infant music development understanding. This literature review includes information about infant development, music perception and preference, music responses, and music-making with caregivers. With the intention of providing insights and practical suggestions that may inform interactions between infants and caregivers (such as parents, guardians, and music educators), the purpose of this literature review was to synthesize research on the topic of infant music development and music experiences. Recommendations for caregivers and music educators are discussed.
Gene alterations in epigenetic modifiers and JAK-STAT signaling are frequent in breast implant-associated ALCL.
Authors: Laurent Camille , Nicolae Alina , Laurent Cécile , Le Bras Fabien , Haioun Corinne , Fataccioli Virginie , Amara Nadia , Adélaïde José , Guille Arnaud , Schiano Jean-Marc , Tesson Bruno , Traverse-Glehen Alexandra , Chenard Marie-Pierre , Mescam Lénaïg , Moreau Anne , Chassagne-Clement Catherine , Somja Joan , Escudié Fréderic , André Marc , Martin Nadine , Lacroix Laetitia , Lemonnier François , Hamy Anne-Sophie , Reyal Fabien , Bannier Marie , Oberic Lucie , Prade Nais , Frénois François-Xavier , Beldi-Ferchiou Asma , Delfau-Larue Marie-Helene , Bouabdallah Reda , Birnbaum Daniel , Brousset Pierre , Xerri Luc , Gaulard Philippe
Published: November 2019

Key Points

An accumulation of alterations in epigenetic modifiers and genes in the JAK/STAT pathway likely drives BI-ALCL oncogenesis. Whole exome sequencing of a large series of BI-ALCL demonstrates recurrent mutations in epigenetic regulators.
Present Status and Prospect of High-Frequency Electro-hydraulic Vibration Control Technology
Authors: Liu Yi , Wang Tao , Gong Guofang , Gao Rujun
Published: November 2019

Electro-hydraulic vibration equipment (EHVE) is widely used in vibration environment simulation tests, such as vehicles, weapons, ships, aerospace, nuclear industries and seismic waves replication, etc., due to its large output power, displacement and thrust, as well as good workload adaptation and multi-controllable parameters. Based on the domestic and overseas development of high-frequency EHVE, dividing them into servo-valve controlled vibration equipment and rotary-valve controlled vibration equipment. The research status and progress of high-frequency electro-hydraulic vibration control technology (EHVCT) are discussed, from the perspective of vibration waveform control and vibration controller. The problems of current electro-hydraulic vibration system bandwidth and waveform distortion control, stability control, offset control and complex vibration waveform generation in high-frequency vibration conditions are pointed out. Combining the existing rotary-valve controlled high-frequency electro-hydraulic vibration method, a new twin-valve independently controlled high-frequency electro-hydraulic vibration method is proposed to break through the limitations of current electro-hydraulic vibration technology in terms of system frequency bandwidth and waveform distortion. The new method can realize independent adjustment and control of vibration waveform frequency, amplitude and offset under high-frequency vibration conditions, and provide a new idea for accurate simulation of high-frequency vibration waveform.
Deep gene selection method to select genes from microarray datasets for cancer classification
Authors: Alanni Russul , Hou Jingyu , Azzawi Hasseeb , Xiang Yong
Published: November 2019

Background

Microarray datasets consist of complex and high-dimensional samples and genes, and generally the number of samples is much smaller than the number of genes. Due to this data imbalance, gene selection is a demanding task for microarray expression data analysis.

Results

The gene set selected by DGS has shown its superior performances in cancer classification. DGS has a high capability of reducing the number of genes in the original microarray datasets. The experimental comparisons with other representative and state-of-the-art gene selection methods also showed that DGS achieved the best performance in terms of the number of selected genes, classification accuracy, and computational cost.

Conclusions

We provide an efficient gene selection algorithm can select relevant genes which are significantly sensitive to the samples’ classes. With the few discriminative genes and less cost time by the proposed algorithm achieved much high prediction accuracy on several public microarray data, which in turn verifies the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed gene selection method.
Polysaccharide biosynthetic pathway profiling and putative gene mining of Dendrobium moniliforme using RNA-Seq in different tissues
Authors: Yuan Yingdan , Zhang Jinchi , Kallman Justin , Liu Xin , Meng Miaojing , Lin Jie
Published: November 2019

Background

Dendrobium moniliforme (Linnaeus) Swartz is a well-known plant used in traditional Chinese medicine due to bioactive constituents. Polysaccharides are the main medicinal ingredients, yet no studies have been published on polysaccharide biosynthesis in D. moniliforme. To comprehensively investigate the polysaccharide at the transcription level, we performed de novo transcriptome sequencing for the first time to produce a comprehensive transcriptome of D. moniliforme.

Results

In our study, a database of 562,580 unigenes (average length = 1115.67 bases) was generated by performing transcriptome sequencing. Based on the gene annotation of the transcriptome, we identified 1204 carbohydrate-active related unigenes against CAZy database, including 417 glycosyltransferase genes (GTs), 780 glycoside hydrolases (GHs), 19 carbohydrate esterases (CEs), 75 carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs), and 44 polysaccharide lyases (PLs). In the cellulose synthase family, 21 differential expression genes (DEGs) related to polysaccharide were identified. Subsequently, the tissue-specific expression patterns of the genes involved in polysaccharide pathway were investigated, which provide understanding of the biosynthesis and regulation of DMP at the molecular level. The two key enzyme genes (Susy and SPS) involved in the polysaccharide pathway were identified, and their expression patterns in different tissues were further analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR.

Conclusions

We determined the content of polysaccharides from Dendrobium moniliforme under different tissues, and we obtained a large number of differential genes by transcriptome sequencing. This database provides a pool of candidate genes involved in biosynthesis of polysaccharides in D. moniliforme. Furthermore, the comprehensive analysis and characterization of the significant pathways are expected to give a better insight regarding the diversity of chemical composition, synthetic characteristics, and the regulatory mechanism which operate in this medical herb.
The impact of sample selection strategies on genetic diversity and representativeness in germplasm bank collections
Authors: Franco-Duran Jorge , Crossa José , Chen Jiafa , Hearne Sarah Jane
Published: November 2019

Background

Germplasm banks maintain collections representing the most comprehensive catalogue of native genetic diversity available for crop improvement. Users of germplasm banks are interested in a fixed number of samples representing as broadly as possible the diversity present in the wider collection. A relevant question is whether it is necessary to develop completely independent germplasm samples or it is possible to select nested sets from a pre-defined core set panel not from the whole collection. We used data from 15,384, maize landraces stored in the CIMMYT germplasm bank to study the impact on 8 diversity criteria and the sample representativeness of: (1) two core selection strategies, a statistical sampling (DM), or a numerical maximization method (CH); (2) selecting samples of varying sizes; and (3) selecting samples of different sizes independently of each other or in a nested manner.

Results

Sample sizes greater than 10% of the whole population size retained more than 75% of the polymorphic markers for all selection strategies and types of sample; lower sample sizes showed more variability (instability) among repetitions; the strongest effect of sample size was observed on the CH-independent combination. Independent and nested samples showed similar performance for all the criteria for the DM method, but there were differences between them for the CH method. The DM method achieved better approximations to the known values in the population than the CH method; 2-d multidimensional scaling plots of the collection and samples highlighted tendency of sample selection towards the extremes of diversity in the CH method, compared with sampling more representative of the overall genotypic distribution of diversity under the DM method.

Conclusions

The use of core subsets of size greater than or equal to 10% of the whole collection satisfied well the requirement of representativeness and diversity. Nested samples showed similar diversity and representativeness characteristics as independent samples offering a cost effective method of sample definition for germplasm banks. For most criteria assessed the DM method achieved better approximations to the known values in the whole population than the CH method, that is, it generated more statistically representative samples from collections.
Perioperative poor grip strength recovery is associated with 30-day complication rate after cardiac surgery discharge in middle-aged and older adults - a prospective observational study
Authors: Fu Liyuan , Zhang Yuanyuan , Shao Bohan , Liu Xiangjing , Yuan Bo , Wang Zhengqing , Chen Tienan , Liu Zhigang , Liu Xiaocheng , Guo Qi
Published: November 2019

Background

Although perioperative care during heart surgery has improved considerably, the rate of postoperative complications has remained stable. It has not been concluded how to better apply grip strength to clinical, postoperative complications. So our study aimed at researching the best way for using grip value for predicting early postoperative complications.

Methods

A total of 212 patients with mean age 63.8 ± 6.3 who underwent cardiac surgery participated in our study. We analyzed the ROC curve of grip strength, grip/weight and grip recovery with complications, found the best cutoff point. Logistic regression confirmed the association between grip strength grouping and complications.

Results

We found that 36 patients had 30-day complications. EuroSCORE were 2.15 ± 1.52 and 2.42 ± 1.58 between normal and complication groups, respectively. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) of grip recovery take the most area (0.837, p < 0.001), and the cutoff point was 83.92%. In logistic regression, lower grip recovery has higher risk impact on 30-day complications for 25.68 times than normal group, after adjusted surgery-related factors. After regrouped characteristic information by grip recovery cutoff point, we found that percentage of the estimated 6 min walk distance (41.5 vs 48.3, p = 0.028) and hospitalization time (7.2 vs 6.1, p = 0.042) had worse trends in lower recovery group.

Conclusions

Poor grip recovery may be related to higher risk of postoperative complications within 30 days after discharge in middle-aged and older people independent of surgical risk. The results of this study provide a reference for the development of rehabilitation programs in the early postoperative recovery, and may also be a prognostic indicator for postoperative high-risk groups.

Trial registration

Our research was registered on Research Registry website, the registry number was ChiCTR1800018465. Date: 2018/9/20. Status: Successful.
A comparison of machine learning techniques for classification of HIV patients with antiretroviral therapy-induced mitochondrial toxicity from those without mitochondrial toxicity
Authors: Lee Jong Soo , Paintsil Elijah , Gopalakrishnan Vivek , Ghebremichael Musie
Published: November 2019

Background

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has significantly reduced HIV-related morbidity and mortality. However, therapeutic benefit of ART is often limited by delayed drug-associated toxicity. Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) are the backbone of ART regimens. NRTIs compete with endogenous deoxyribonucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs) in incorporation into elongating DNA chain resulting in their cytotoxic or antiviral effect. Thus, the efficacy of NRTIs could be affected by direct competition with endogenous dNTPs and/or feedback inhibition of their metabolic enzymes. In this paper, we assessed whether the levels of ribonucleotides (RN) and dNTP pool sizes can be used as biomarkers in distinguishing between HIV-infected patients with ART-induced mitochondrial toxicity and HIV-infected patients without toxicity.

Methods

We used data collected through a case-control study from 50 subjects. Cases were defined as HIV-infected individuals with clinical and/or laboratory evidence of mitochondrial toxicity. Each case was age, gender, and race matched with an HIV-positive without evidence of toxicity. We used a range of machine learning procedures to distinguish between patients with and without toxicity. Using resampling methods like Monte Carlok-fold cross validation, we compared the accuracy of several machine learning algorithms applied to our data. We used the algorithm with highest classification accuracy rate in evaluating the diagnostic performance of 12 RN and 14 dNTP pool sizes as biomarkers of mitochondrial toxicity.

Results

We used eight classification algorithms to assess the diagnostic performance of RN and dNTP pool sizes distinguishing HIV patients with and without NRTI-associated mitochondrial toxicity. The algorithms resulted in cross-validated classification rates of 0.65–0.76 for dNTP and 0.72–0.83 for RN, following reduction of the dimensionality of the input data. The reduction of input variables improved the classification performance of the algorithms, with the most pronounced improvement for RN. Complex tree-based methods worked the best for both the deoxyribose dataset (Random Forest) and the ribose dataset (Classification Tree and AdaBoost), but it is worth noting that simple methods such as Linear Discriminant Analysis and Logistic Regression were very competitive in terms of classification performance.

Conclusions

Our finding of changes in RN and dNTP pools in participants with mitochondrial toxicity validates the importance of dNTP pools in mitochondrial function. Hence, levels of RN and dNTP pools can be used as biomarkers of ART-induced mitochondrial toxicity.
Risk-adjusted CUSUM control charts for shared frailty survival models with application to hip replacement outcomes: a study using the NJR dataset
Authors: Begun Alexander , Kulinskaya Elena , MacGregor Alexander J
Published: November 2019

Background

Continuous monitoring of surgical outcomes after joint replacement is needed to detect which brands’ components have a higher than expected failure rate and are therefore no longer recommended to be used in surgical practice. We developed a monitoring method based on cumulative sum (CUSUM) chart specifically for this application.

Methods

Our method entails the use of the competing risks model with the Weibull and the Gompertz hazard functions adjusted for observed covariates to approximate the baseline time-to-revision and time-to-death distributions, respectively. The correlated shared frailty terms for competing risks, corresponding to the operating unit, are also included in the model. A bootstrap-based boundary adjustment is then required for risk-adjusted CUSUM charts to guarantee a given probability of the false alarm rates. We propose a method to evaluate the CUSUM scores and the adjusted boundary for a survival model with the shared frailty terms. We also introduce a unit performance quality score based on the posterior frailty distribution. This method is illustrated using the 2003-2012 hip replacement data from the UK National Joint Registry (NJR).

Results

We found that the best model included the shared frailty for revision but not for death. This means that the competing risks of revision and death are independent in NJR data. Our method was superior to the standard NJR methodology. For one of the two monitored components, it produced alarms four years before the increased failure rate came to the attention of the UK regulatory authorities. The hazard ratios of revision across the units varied from 0.38 to 2.28.

Conclusions

An earlier detection of failure signal by our method in comparison to the standard method used by the NJR may be explained by proper risk-adjustment and the ability to accommodate time-dependent hazards. The continuous monitoring of hip replacement outcomes should include risk adjustment at both the individual and unit level.
True and false positive rates for different criteria of evaluating statistical evidence from clinical trials
Authors: van Ravenzwaaij Don , Ioannidis John P. A.
Published: November 2019

Background

Until recently a typical rule that has often been used for the endorsement of new medications by the Food and Drug Administration has been the existence of at least two statistically significant clinical trials favoring the new medication. This rule has consequences for the true positive (endorsement of an effective treatment) and false positive rates (endorsement of an ineffective treatment).

Methods

In this paper, we compare true positive and false positive rates for different evaluation criteria through simulations that rely on (1) conventional p-values; (2) confidence intervals based on meta-analyses assuming fixed or random effects; and (3) Bayes factors. We varied threshold levels for statistical evidence, thresholds for what constitutes a clinically meaningful treatment effect, and number of trials conducted.

Results

Our results show that Bayes factors, meta-analytic confidence intervals, and p-values often have similar performance. Bayes factors may perform better when the number of trials conducted is high and when trials have small sample sizes and clinically meaningful effects are not small, particularly in fields where the number of non-zero effects is relatively large.

Conclusions

Thinking about realistic effect sizes in conjunction with desirable levels of statistical evidence, as well as quantifying statistical evidence with Bayes factors may help improve decision-making in some circumstances.
B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in an elderly man with plasma cell myeloma and long-term exposure to thalidomide and lenalidomide: a case report and literature review
Authors: Sinit Ryan B. , Hwang Dick G. , Vishnu Prakash , Peterson Jess F. , Aboulafia David M.
Published: November 2019

Background

The advent of the immunomodulatory imide drugs (IMiDs) lenalidomide and thalidomide for the treatment of patients with plasma cell myeloma (PCM), has contributed to more than a doubling of the overall survival of these individuals. As a result, PCM patients join survivors of other malignancies such as breast and prostate cancer with a relatively new clinical problem – second primary malignancies (SPMs) – many of which are a result of the treatment of the initial cancer. PCM patients have a statistically significant increased risk for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and Kaposi sarcoma. IMiD treatment has also been associated with an increased risk of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), AML, and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. However, within these overlapping groups, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is much less common.

Case presentation

Herein, we describe an elderly man with PCM and a 14-year cumulative history of IMiD therapy who developed persistent pancytopenia and was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). He joins a group of 17 other patients documented in the literature who have followed a similar sequence of events starting with worsening cytopenias while on IMiD maintenance for PCM. These PCM patients were diagnosed with B-ALL after a median time of 36 months after starting IMiD therapy and at a median age of 61.5 years old.

Conclusions

PCM patients with subsequent B-ALL have a poorer prognosis than their de novo B-ALL counterparts, however, the very low prevalence rate of subsequent B-ALL and high efficacy of IMiD maintenance therapy in PCM should not alter physicians’ current practice. Instead, there should be a low threshold for bone marrow biopsy for unexplained cytopenias.
Vaccine confidence in China after the Changsheng vaccine incident: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Liu Baohua , Chen Ruohui , Zhao Miaomiao , Zhang Xin , Wang Jiahui , Gao Lijun , Xu Jiao , Wu Qunhong , Ning Ning
Published: November 2019

Background

China’s achievements in immunization are being threatened by a vaccine crisis. This paper aims to investigate vaccine confidence in China after the Changsheng vaccine incident and attempts to identify the factors contributing to it.

Methods

An online cross-sectional investigation was conducted from 1 to 25 September 2018. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression were performed to examine the associations between socio-demographic factors, cognition and attitudes towards the Changsheng vaccine incident and vaccine confidence.

Results

We included 1115 respondents in the final analysis, and found that approximately 70% (783) of the respondents did not have vaccine confidence. More than half of the respondents (54.53%) were dissatisfied with the government’s response measures to the Changsheng vaccine incident. The logistic regression model indicated that vaccine confidence was positively associated with the degree of satisfaction with the government’s response measures (OR = 1.621, 95% CI = 1.215–2.163), attitudes towards the risks and benefits of vaccination (OR = 1.501, 95% CI = 1.119–2.013), concerns about vaccine safety (OR = 0.480, 95% CI = 0.317–0.726), and vaccine efficacy (OR = 0.594, 95% CI = 0.394–0.895).

Conclusions

A majority of the respondents held negative attitudes towards vaccines after the Changsheng vaccine incident. A coordinated effort is required to restore public confidence in vaccines, especially in China, where a nationwide mandatory immunization policy is implemented. To end dissent towards inoculation, a series of actions is crucial and multiple parties should work together to advance efforts and explore the possibility of establishing an open and transparent regulatory system.
Determinants of breast self-examination practice among women in Surabaya, Indonesia: an application of the health belief model
Authors: Dewi Triana Kesuma , Massar Karlijn , Ruiter Robert A. C. , Leonardi Tino
Published: November 2019

Background

Breast cancer has become one of the most common causes of mortality among Indonesian women. Many women in Indonesia present with late-stage breast cancer, negatively affecting prognosis and treatment outcomes. Better prognosis of breast cancer will be achieved if it is diagnosed in an earlier stage, thus efforts to detect breast cancer earlier are important. Breast Self-Examination (BSE) is considered as an important first step to encourage women to actively be responsible for their own health, especially for women in low-and middle-income countries with limited resources and access to other forms of preventive healthcare (e.g., screening programs). The present study aimed to predict BSE practice among women in Surabaya, Indonesia using the Health Belief Model (HBM).

Methods

This investigation was a cross-sectional survey which was distributed among 1967 women aged 20–60 years. The Indonesian version of Champion’s Health Belief Model Scale (I-CHBMS) was used to explain self-reported BSE practice. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association of HBM variables with BSE practice.

Results

44.4% of the respondents indicated they had performed BSE. Further, the results indicated that the HBM variables were significantly associated with BSE practice. Specifically, higher perceived benefits and self-efficacy, lower perceived barriers and less cues to action were unique correlates of BSE practice. The result also showed that perceived severity and susceptibility were not associated with BSE practice.

Conclusion

This study indicated that several HBM constructs significantly associated with BSE practice among Indonesian women, suggesting that BSE health education programs should emphasize the perceived benefits of BSE, focus on increasing women’s self-efficacy to address and overcome perceived barriers in performing BSE, and help them in identifying personally relevant cues to action.
Retrorectal adenocarcinoma arising from tailgut cysts: a rare case report
Authors: Li Wei , Li Jian , Yu Ke , Zhang Kai , Li Jiannan
Published: November 2019

Background

Tailgut cysts arise from the remnants of the tailgut during the embryonic period. Although malignant transition of tailgut cysts is very rarely observed in the clinic, this congenital condition should be carefully monitored for early diagnosis and appropriate treatment, especially when the tailgut cysts are malignant.

Case presentation

Here, we report the case of a 33-year-old man with retrorectal adenocarcinoma originating from the tailgut cysts. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed many cystic masses in the posterior rectal space, the largest of which was approximately 100 mm × 59 mm × 53 mm in size and compressed the rectum. The patient underwent surgical resection of the masses located in the retrorectal and anterior sacral spaces. Histological and immunohistological examinations confirmed adenocarcinoma transition of the tailgut cysts. The patient recovered well and was discharged 10 days after surgery.

Conclusions

We have reported a rare case of retrorectal adenocarcinoma originating from tailgut cysts. MRI, histological, and immunohistological examinations are vital for the diagnosis of tailgut cysts. Complete surgical resection of the tumor should be better performed.
Fracture behavior of root-amputated teeth at different amount of periodontal support – a preliminary in vitro study
Authors: Szabó Balázs , Garoushi Sufyan , Braunitzer Gábor , Szabó P. Balázs , Baráth Zoltán , Fráter Márk
Published: November 2019

Background

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the amount of periodontal support on the fracture resistance of root-amputated maxillary molar teeth restored with either direct class. I. restorations or class II. mesio-occluso-distal (MOD) indirect overlay restorations with cuspal coverage.

Methods

Sixty sound maxillary first molars were collected and randomly divided into four groups. In Groups 1 and 2, MOD cavities were prepared and all cusps were reduced by 2 mm, whereas in Group 3 and 4, only a conservative Class I. cavity was prepared. Subsequently, root canal treatment was performed and the mesio-buccal roots were amputated. Groups 1 and 2 were restored with indirect composite overlay, while Groups 3 and 4 received direct composite fillings. After restoration, teeth were embedded as follows: Groups 1 and 3: normal bone level, Groups 2 and 4: furcation involvement. The specimens were submitted to static fracture resistance testing. Fracture thresholds and fracture patterns were measured and evaluated.

Results

Group 1 had the highest fracture resistance (2311,6 N) among the restored groups and showed statistically significant difference compared to Group 2 (p = 0.038) and Group 4 (p = 0.011). There was no statistically significant difference in terms of fracture resistance between the rest of the groups. In terms of the fracture patterns, Group 3 was characterized by the highest percentage (60%) of mostly favorable fractures, while the rest of the groups showed predominantly unfavorable ones.

Conclusions

The amount of periodontal support seems to influence the fracture resistance of root-amputated and restored maxillary molars.
Tong-Xie-Yao-Fang improves intestinal permeability in diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome rats by inhibiting the NF-κB and notch signalling pathways
Authors: Hou Qiuke , Huang Yongquan , Zhu Zhaoyang , Liao Liu , Chen Xinlin , Han Quanbin , Liu Fengbin
Published: November 2019

Background

Tong-Xie-Yao-Fang (TXYF) has been shown to be effective in diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) patients. However, the underlying mechanism remains to be clarified. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and related mechanisms of TXYF in an IBS-D rat model.

Methods

The IBS-D rat model was established with 4% acetic acid and evaluated by haematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Then, IBS-D rats were divided into control, TXYF and rifaximin groups and treated intragastrically with normal saline, TXYF and rifaximin, respectively, for 14 days. The following indicators were measured before and after treatment: defecation frequency, faecal water content (FWC) and colorectal distension (CRD). Histopathological changes in the distal colon were observed after treatment. The expression of OCLN and ZO1 in the distal colon of IBS-D rats reflected the intestinal mucosal permeability, as measured by qRT-PCR, western blot, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). The NF-κB and Notch signalling pathways and inflammation-related factors were investigated.

Results

After treatment with TXYF, the defecation frequency, FWC and CRD were significantly lower than those in the model group (P < 0.05). HE staining showed that colonic epithelial cells (CECs) in the IBS-D rats displayed significant oedema, impaired intestinal mucosal integrity and an increased influx of inflammatory cells. A significant reduction in granulocyte and CEC oedema was observed after the administration of TXYF and rifaximin compared to that of the model group and blank group (P < 0.05). TXYF significantly upregulated the expression of OCLN and ZO-1 and downregulated inflammation-related factors (IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α and the chemokine KC) in IBS-D rats compared to those in the model group rats (P < 0.05). In terms of the NF-κB and Notch signalling pathways, the expression of NICD, p-ERK, Hes-1 and p-P65 decreased significantly in the TXYF and rifaximin groups, while the expression of ATOH1 increased significantly compared to that in the model group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

TXYF can effectively improve intestinal permeability and enhance intestinal mucosal barrier function, which may be related to inhibition of the inflammatory cascade and the NF-κB and Notch signalling pathways.
Professional Values of Nurses and Nursing Students: a comparative study
Authors: Poorchangizi Batool , Borhani Fariba , Abbaszadeh Abbas , Mirzaee Moghaddameh , Farokhzadian Jamileh
Published: November 2019

Background

The process of learning the professional values is started from the student’s entering to the university and to the workplace. This study compared the importance of professional values from the perspectives of nurses and nursing students.

Methods

This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 250 nurses and 100 nursing students. Data were collected using the Nursing Professional Values Scale-Revised.

Results

According to the findings, the mean scores of nurses (3.68 ± 0.16) and nursing students’ (3.86 ± 0.17) perspective toward professional values were at an important level. Furthermore, the students’ perspective toward the professional values’ importance was significantly more favorable than those of nurses. The highest mean scores of professional values in the two groups were related to the caring and justice domains. Both groups considered activism and professionalism as the least important domains among the others.

Conclusions

As the findings suggest, we need to pay more attention to values training, especially professionalism and activism, during undergraduate education for preparing the nurses to work in today’s complex healthcare context. It is necessary to conduct more comprehensive studies for exploring the gap between theory and practice in different cultures and contexts.
Delivery of a patient-friendly functioning report to improve patient-centeredness of dialysis care: a pilot study
Authors: Plantinga Laura C. , Jones Brian , Johnson Jeremy , Lambeth Amelia , Lea Janice P. , Nadel Leigh , Vandenberg Ann E. , Bowling C. Barrett
Published: November 2019

Background

Provider recognition of level of functioning may be suboptimal in the dialysis setting, and this lack of recognition may lead to less patient-centered care. We aimed to assess whether delivery of an app-based, individualized functioning report would improve patients’ perceptions of patient-centeredness of care.

Methods

In this pre-post pilot study at three outpatient dialysis facilities in metropolitan Atlanta, an individualized functioning report—including information on physical performance, perceived physical functioning, and community mobility—was delivered to patients receiving hemodialysis (n = 43) and their providers. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to gather patient and provider feedback to develop and assess the report and app. Paired t test was used to test for differences in patient perception of patient-centeredness of care (PPPC) scores (range, 1 = most patient-centered to 4 = least patient-centered) 1 month after report delivery.

Results

Delivery of the reports to both patients and providers was not associated with a subsequent change in patients’ perceptions of patient-centeredness of their care (follow-up vs. baseline PPPC scores of 2.35 vs. 2.36; P > 0.9). However, patients and providers generally saw the potential of the report to improve the patient-centeredness of care and reacted positively to the individualized reports delivered in the pilot. Patients also reported willingness to undergo future assessments. However, while two-thirds of surveyed providers reported always or sometimes discussing the reports they received, most (98%) participating patients reported that no one on the dialysis care team had discussed the report with them within 1 month.

Conclusions

Potential lack of fidelity to the intervention precludes definitive conclusions about effects of the report on patient-centeredness of care. The disconnect between patients’ and providers’ perceptions of discussions of the report warrants future study. However, this study introduces a novel, individualized, multi-domain functional report that is easily implemented in the setting of hemodialysis. Our pilot study provides guidance for improving its use both clinically and in future pragmatic research studies, both within and beyond the dialysis population.
Comparison of immunogenicity and safety outcomes of a malaria vaccine FMP013/ALFQ in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) of Indian and Chinese origin
Authors: Martin Monica L. , Bitzer Alexis A. , Schrader Andrew , Bergmann-Leitner Elke S. , Soto Kim , Zou Xiaoyan , Beck Zoltan , Matyas Gary R. , Dutta Sheetij
Published: November 2019

Background

Indian-origin rhesus (InR) are preferred for research, but strict export restrictions continue to limit their use. Chinese-origin rhesus (ChR), although easier to procure, are genetically distinct from InR and differ in their immune response to infectious agents, such as the Simian Immunodeficiency Virus. The most advanced malaria vaccine, RTS,S (GlaxoSmithKline), is based on the circumsporozoite protein (CSP) ofPlasmodium falciparum. The efficacy of RTS,S vaccine in the field remains low and short-lived; efforts are underway to improve CSP-based vaccines. Rhesus models can accelerate preclinical down-selection of the next generation of malaria vaccines. This study was used to determine if the safety and immunogenicity outcomes following vaccination with a CSP vaccine would differ in the InR and ChR models, given the genetic differences between the two sub-populations of rhesus.

Methods

The FMP013 vaccine, was composed of nearly full-length solubleP. falciparumCSP produced inEscherichia coliand was adjuvanted with the Army liposomal formulation (ALFQ). Three doses of the vaccine were administered in InR and ChR (n = 6) at 1-month intervals and the antibody and T cell responses were assessed.

Results

Local and systemic toxicity profile of FMP013 vaccine in InR and ChR were similar and they revealed that the FMP013 vaccine was safe and caused only mild and transient inflammatory adverse reactions. Following the first 2 vaccines, there was a slower acquisition of antibodies to the CSP repeat region in ChR. However after the 3rd vaccination the titers in the two models were comparable. The ChR group repeat-specific antibodies had higher avidity and ChR group showed higher inhibition of liver stage development activity compared to InR. There was no difference in T-cell responses to the FMP013 vaccine between the two models.

Conclusions

A difference in the quality of serological responses was detected between the two sub-populations of rhesus. However, both models confirmed that FMP013/ALFQ vaccine was safe, highly immunogenic, elicited functional antibodies and T-cell responses. Overall, the data suggests that rhesus of Indian and Chinese origins can be interchangeably used to compare the safety and immunogenicity of next-generation of malaria vaccines and adjuvants.
Saliva cortisol in relation to aircraft noise exposure: pooled-analysis results from seven European countries
Authors: Baudin Clémence , Lefèvre Marie , Selander Jenny , Babisch Wolfgang , Cadum Ennio , Carlier Marie-Christine , Champelovier Patricia , Dimakopoulou Konstantina , Huithuijs Danny , Lambert Jacques , Laumon Bernard , Pershagen Göran , Theorell Töres , Velonaki Venetia , Hansell Anna , Evrard Anne-Sophie
Published: November 2019

Background

Many studies have demonstrated adverse effects of exposure to aircraft noise on health. Possible biological pathways for these effects include hormonal disturbances. Few studies deal with aircraft noise effects on saliva cortisol in adults, and results are inconsistent.

Objective

We aimed to assess the effects of aircraft noise exposure on saliva cortisol levels and its variation in people living near airports.

Methods

This study focused on the 1300 residents included in the HYENA and DEBATS cross-sectional studies, with complete information on cortisol sampling. All the participants followed a similar procedure aiming to collect both a morning and an evening saliva cortisol samples. Socioeconomic and lifestyle information were obtained during a face-to-face interview. Outdoor aircraft noise exposure was estimated for each participant’s home address. Associations between aircraft noise exposure and cortisol outcomes were investigated a priori for male and female separately, using linear regression models adjusted for relevant confounders. Different approaches were used to characterize cortisol levels, such as morning and evening cortisol concentrations and the absolute and relative variations between morning and evening levels.

Results

Statistically significant increases of evening cortisol levels were shown in women with a 10-dB(A) increase in aircraft noise exposure in terms of LAeq, 16h (exp(β) = 1.08; CI95% = 1.00–1.16), Lden (exp(β) = 1.09; CI95% = 1.01–1.18), Lnight (exp(β) = 1.11; CI95% = 1.02–1.20). A statistically significant association was also found in women between a 10-dB(A) increase in terms of Lnight and the absolute variation per hour (exp(β) = 0.90; CI95% = 0.80–1.00). Statistically significant decreases in relative variation per hour were also evidenced in women, with stronger effects with the Lnight (exp(β) = 0.89; CI95% = 0.83–0.96) than with other noise indicators. The morning cortisol levels were unchanged whatever noise exposure indicator considered. There was no statistically significant association between aircraft noise exposure and cortisol outcomes in men.

Conclusions

The results of the present study show statistically significant associations between aircraft noise exposure and evening cortisol levels and related flattening in the (absolute and relative) variations per hour in women. Further biological research is needed to deepen knowledge of the pathway between noise exposure and disturbed hormonal regulation, and specially the difference in effects between genders.
Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 regulates endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial function to preserve skeletal muscle lipid metabolism
Authors: Cao Xi , Lu Xin-Meng , Tuo Xiu , Liu Jing-Yi , Zhang Yi-Chen , Song Li-Ni , Cheng Zhi-Qiang , Yang Jin-Kui , Xin Zhong
Published: November 2019

Objective

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and mitochondrial function affected intramuscular fat accumulation. However, there is no clear evident on the effect of the regulation of ER stress and mitochondrial function by Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on the prevention of intramuscular fat metabolism. We investigated the effects of ACE2 on ER stress and mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle lipid metabolism.

Methods

The triglyceride (TG) content in skeletal muscle of ACE2 knockout mice and Ad-ACE2-treated db/db mice were detected by assay kits. Meanwhile, the expression of lipogenic genes (ACCα, SREBP-1c, LXRα, CPT-1α, PGC-1α and PPARα), ER stress and mitochondrial function related genes (GRP78, eIF2α, ATF4, BCL-2, and SDH6) were analyzed by RT-PCR. Lipid metabolism, ER stress and mitochondrial function related genes were analyzed by RT-PCR in ACE2-overexpression C2C12 cell. Moreover, the IKKβ/NFκB/IRS-1 pathway was determined using lysate sample from skeletal muscle of ACE2 knockout mice.

Results

ACE2 deficiency in vivo is associated with increased lipid accumulation in skeletal muscle. The ACE2 knockout mice displayed an elevated level of ER stress and mitochondrial dysfunctions in skeletal muscle. In contrast, activation of ACE2 can ameliorate ER stress and mitochondrial function, which slightly accompanied by reduced TG content and down-regulated the expression of skeletal muscle lipogenic proteins in the db/db mice. Additionally, ACE2 improved skeletal muscle lipid metabolism and ER stress genes in the C2C12 cells. Mechanistically, endogenous ACE2 improved lipid metabolism through the IKKβ/NFκB/IRS-1 pathway in skeletal muscle.

Conclusions

ACE2 was first reported to play a notable role on intramuscular fat regulation by improving endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial function. This study may provide a strategy for treating insulin resistance in skeletal muscle.