bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genetic and epigenetic insights into cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
Authors: Tensen Cornelis P. , Quint Koen D. , Vermeer Maarten H.
Published: September 2021

Primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) constitute a heterogeneous group of non-Hodgkin T-cell lymphomas that present in the skin. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the understanding of the pathogenesis of CTCLs. Progress in CTCL classifications combined with technical advances, in particular next-generation sequencing, enabled a more detailed analysis of the genetic and epigenetic landscape and transcriptional changes in clearly defined diagnostic entities. These studies not only demonstrated extensive heterogeneity between different CTCL subtypes but also identified recurrent alterations that are highly characteristic for diagnostic subgroups of CTCLs. The identified alterations, in particular, involve epigenetic remodeling, cell cycle regulation, and the constitutive activation of targetable oncogenic pathways. In this respect, aberrant JAK-STAT signaling is a recurrent theme; however, it is not universal for all CTCLs and has seemingly different underlaying causes in different entities. A number of the mutated genes identified are potentially actionable targets for the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Moreover, these studies have produced an enormous amount of information that will be critically important for the further development of improved diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers that can assist in the clinical management of patients with CTCL. In the present review, the main findings of these studies in relation to their functional impact on the malignant transformation process are discussed for different subtypes of CTCLs.
The megakaryocytic transcription factor ARID3A suppresses leukemia pathogenesis
Authors: Alejo-Valle Oriol , Weigert Karoline , Bhayadia Raj , Ng Michelle , Issa Hasan , Beyer Christoph , Emmrich Stephan , Schuschel Konstantin , Ihling Christian , Sinz Andrea , Zimmermann Martin , Wickenhauser Claudia , Flasinski Marius , Regenyi Eniko , Labuhn Maurice , Reinhardt Dirk , Yaspo Marie-Laure , Heckl Dirk , Klusmann Jan-Henning
Published: September 2021

Given the plasticity of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, multiple routes of differentiation must be blocked in the the pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukemia, the molecular basis of which is incompletely understood. We report that posttranscriptional repression of the transcription factor ARID3A by miR-125b is a key event in the pathogenesis of acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL). AMKL is frequently associated with trisomy 21 and GATA1 mutations (GATA1s), and children with Down syndrome are at a high risk of developing the disease. The results of our study showed that chromosome 21–encoded miR-125b synergizes with Gata1s to drive leukemogenesis in this context. Leveraging forward and reverse genetics, we uncovered Arid3a as the main miR-125b target behind this synergy. We demonstrated that, during normal hematopoiesis, this transcription factor promotes megakaryocytic differentiation in concert with GATA1 and mediates TGFβ-induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in complex with SMAD2/3. Although Gata1s mutations perturb erythroid differentiation and induce hyperproliferation of megakaryocytic progenitors, intact ARID3A expression assures their megakaryocytic differentiation and growth restriction. Upon knockdown, these tumor suppressive functions are revoked, causing a blockade of dual megakaryocytic/erythroid differentiation and subsequently of AMKL. Inversely, restoring ARID3A expression relieves the arrest of megakaryocytic differentiation in AMKL patient-derived xenografts. This work illustrates how mutations in lineage-determining transcription factors and perturbation of posttranscriptional gene regulation can interact to block multiple routes of hematopoietic differentiation and cause leukemia. In AMKL, surmounting this differentiation blockade through restoration of the tumor suppressor ARID3A represents a promising strategy for treating this lethal pediatric disease.
Impact of a grant program to spur advances in sickle cell disease research
Authors: Escobar Alvarez Sindy N. , Myers Elizabeth R.
Published: September 2021

More than 20 years ago, clinical trials and federal grant support for sickle cell disease (SCD) research were not on par with support for other genetic diseases. Faced with the opportunity to spur research and advance treatments for SCD, and at the recommendation of advisors, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) offered an SCD research funding opportunity starting in 2009 through its Innovations in Clinical Research Awards (ICRA) program. Twenty-eight new grants of $450 000 for direct costs over 3 years and 7 renewals were awarded, for a total investment of $17 million. Only about half the research teams garnered follow-on funding directly related to their ICRA projects, but the financial return on the research investment was substantial (∼4 times the original $17 million or 300%). All but 1 of the ICRA investigative teams published original research reports that acknowledged DDCF as a source of funding; the median number of publications per team was 3. Major innovations in the diagnosis and treatment of SCD included but were not limited to a demonstration that genetic modification of BCL11A enhancer is a potentially important treatment modality, establishment that plerixafor mobilization is safe and effective for those with SCD, development and validation of a new diagnostic called SCD BioChip, and evidence that hydroxyurea treatment is safe and efficacious in African children. These outcomes show that relatively small research grants can have a substantial return on investment and result in significant advances for a disease such as SCD.
Predicting metabolic pathway membership with deep neural networks by integrating sequential and ontology information
Authors: Cartealy Imam , Liao Li
Published: September 2021

Background

Inference of protein’s membership in metabolic pathways has become an important task in functional annotation of protein. The membership information can provide valuable context to the basic functional annotation and also aid reconstruction of incomplete pathways. Previous works have shown success of inference by using various similarity measures of gene ontology.

Results

In this work, we set out to explore integrating ontology and sequential information to further improve the accuracy. Specifically, we developed a neural network model with an architecture tailored to facilitate the integration of features from different sources. Furthermore, we built models that are able to perform predictions from pathway-centric or protein-centric perspectives. We tested the classifiers using 5-fold cross validation for all metabolic pathways reported in KEGG database.

Conclusions

The testing results demonstrate that by integrating ontology and sequential information with a tailored architecture our deep neural network method outperforms the existing methods significantly in the pathway-centric mode, and in the protein-centric mode, our method either outperforms or performs comparably with a suite of existing GO term based semantic similarity methods.
Isotopic signatures reveal zinc cycling in the natural habitat of hyperaccumulator Dichapetalum gelonioides subspecies from Malaysian Borneo
Authors: van der Ent Antony , Nkrumah Philip Nti , Aarts Mark G. M. , Baker Alan J. M. , Degryse Fien , Wawryk Chris , Kirby Jason K.
Published: September 2021

Background

Some subspecies of Dichapetalum gelonioides are the only tropical woody zinc (Zn)-hyperaccumulator plants described so far and the first Zn hyperaccumulators identified to occur exclusively on non-Zn enriched 'normal' soils. The aim of this study was to investigate Zn cycling in the parent rock-soil-plant interface in the native habitats of hyperaccumulating Dichapetalum gelonioides subspecies (subsp. pilosum and subsp. sumatranum). We measured the Zn isotope ratios (δ66Zn) of Dichapetalum plant material, and associated soil and parent rock materials collected from Sabah (Malaysian Borneo).

Results

We found enrichment in heavy Zn isotopes in the topsoil (δ66Zn 0.13 ‰) relative to deep soil (δ66Zn -0.15 ‰) and bedrock (δ66Zn -0.90 ‰). This finding suggests that both weathering and organic matter influenced the Zn isotope pattern in the soil-plant system, with leaf litter cycling contributing significantly to enriched heavier Zn in topsoil. Within the plant, the roots were enriched in heavy Zn isotopes (δ66Zn ~ 0.60 ‰) compared to mature leaves (δ66Zn ~ 0.30 ‰), which suggests highly expressed membrane transporters in these Dichapetalum subspecies preferentially transporting lighter Zn isotopes during root-to-shoot translocation. The shoots, mature leaves and phloem tissues were enriched in heavy Zn isotopes (δ66Zn 0.34–0.70 ‰) relative to young leaves (δ66Zn 0.25 ‰). Thisindicates that phloem sources are enriched in heavy Zn isotopes relative to phloem sinks, likely because of apoplastic retention and compartmentalization in the Dichapetalum subspecies.

Conclusions

The findings of this study reveal Zn cycling in the rock-soil-plant continuum within the natural habitat of Zn hyperaccumulating subspecies of Dichapetalum gelonioides from Malaysian Borneo. This study broadens our understanding of the role of a tropical woody Zn hyperaccumulator plant in local Zn cycling, and highlights the important role of leaf litter recycling in the topsoil Zn budget. Within the plant, phloem plays key role in Zn accumulation and redistribution during growth and development. This study provides an improved understanding of the fate and behaviour of Zn in hyperaccumulator soil-plant systems, and these insights may be applied in the biofortification of crops with Zn.
Infective endocarditis in intravenous drug abusers: clinical challenges emerging from a single-centre experience
Authors: Scheggi Valentina , Del Pace Stefano , Ceschia Nicole , Vanni Francesco , Merilli Irene , Sottili Edoardo , Salcuni Leonardo , Zoppetti Nicola , Alterini Bruno , Cerillo Alfredo , Marchionni Niccolò , Stefàno Pier Luigi
Published: September 2021

Background

Intravenous drug abuse (IDA) is a known risk factor for infective endocarditis (IE) and is associated with frequent relapses, but its prognostic impact is still debated. The potential futility of surgery in this population is a further issue under discussion. We aimed to describe the clinical characteristics, the therapeutic strategy, and the prognosis associated with IDA in IE.

Methods

We retrospectively analysed 440 patients admitted to a single surgical centre for definite active IE from January 2012 to December 2020.

Results

Patients reporting IDA (N = 54; 12.2%) were significantly younger (p < 0.001) and presented fewer comorbidities (p < 0.001). IDA was associated with a higher proportion of relapses (27.8 vs. 3.3%, p < 0.001) and, at multivariable analysis, was an independent predictor of long-term mortality (HR 2.3, 95%CI 1.1–4.7, p = 0.015). We did not register multiple relapses in non-IDA patients. Among IDA patients, we observed 1 relapse after discharge in 9 patients, 2 relapses in 5 patients and 3 relapses in 1 patient. In IDA patients, neither clinical and laboratory variables nor the occurrence of even multiple relapses emerged as indicators of an adverse risk–benefit ratio of surgery in patients with surgical indication.

Conclusions

IE secondary to IDA affects younger patients than those with IE not associated with IDA. Probably due to this difference, IE secondary to IDA is not associated with significantly higher mortality, whereas the negative, long-term prognostic impact of IDA emerges in multivariate analysis. Considering the good prognosis of patients with uncomplicated IE treated medically, surgery should be reserved to patients with a strict- guidelines-based indication. However, since there are no clear predictors of an unfavourable risk–benefit ratio of surgery in patients with surgical indication, all patients with a complicated IE should be operated, irrespective of a history of IDA.
The effects of insulin therapy on maternal blood pressure and weight in women with gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: Sun Tiange , Meng Fanhua , Zang Shufei , Li Yue , Zhang Rui , Yu Zhiyan , Huang Xinmei , Wang Fang , Zhang Liwen , Liu Jun
Published: September 2021

Background

Although insulin therapy achieves effective glycemic control, it may aggravate hyperinsulinemia. Nonetheless the benefits of insulin as first-line treatment for women with GDM are controversial. This work aimed to investigate the effect of insulin on maternal GDM.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study recruited 708 women with GDM of whom 616 underwent lifestyle intervention and 92 were prescribed insulin therapy. Differences in variables between the two groups were analyzed by univariate analysis and multivariate analysis. Propensity score matching was used to control for age, pre-pregnancy BMI, time and BP at GDM diagnosis, and family history of diabetes and hypertension. Paired sample test was applied to evaluate the changes in BP after intervention in the two groups of women.

Results

There was no significant difference in mode of delivery, newborn weight or incidence of macrosomia between women prescribed insulin and those who adopted lifestyle modifications. Insulin therapy was associated with a slight increase in maternal weight compared with the lifestyle intervention group and was attributed to short-term treatment (about 12 weeks). In addition, insulin therapy remarkably increased maternal blood pressure, an effect that persisted after matching age, pre-pregnancy BMI, time and BP at GDM diagnosis, and family history of diabetes and hypertension. Between commencing insulin therapy and delivery, systolic blood pressure significantly increased by 6mmHg (P = 0.015) and diastolic blood pressure by 9 mmHg (P < 0.001). Increase in BP was significantly higher in the insulin group compared with the lifestyle intervention group (P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis with enter selection confirmed that insulin therapy was closely correlated with development of gestational hypertension (GH).

Conclusions

This work suggested that short-term insulin therapy for GDM was associated with a slight increase in maternal weight but a significant risk of increasing maternal blood pressure.
Neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio for the prediction of histological chorioamnionitis in cases of preterm premature rupture of membranes: a case-control study
Authors: Balciuniene Greta , Kvederaite-Budre Greta , Gulbiniene Violeta , Dumalakiene Irena , Viliene Rita , Pilypiene Ingrida , Drasutiene Grazina S. , Ramasauskaite Diana
Published: September 2021

Background

The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is easily calculated blood test parameter, which can be used as marker to predict many inflammatory disorders. The aim of this study was to assess and compare the NLR in maternal blood with the white blood cell (WBC) count and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration for the prediction of histological chorioamnionitis.

Methods

This was a case-control study of 137 woman with preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) at a gestational age between 22+ 0and 34+ 6weeks. Blood samples, collected less than 48 h before delivery and at least 48 h after the administration of corticosteroids, were selected for the analysis. The NLR was calculated by dividing the number of neutrophils by the number of lymphocytes. Chorioamnionitis was diagnosed by the histopathological evaluation of placental membranes and chorionic plate.

Results

Patients with diagnosed histological chorioamnionitis (HCA) had significantly higher levels of WBC, CRP and NLR (p-value < 0.001). Levels of WBC, CRP and NLR predicted HCA with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.81, 0.81 and 0.89, respectively. NLR had statistically significantly higher AUC than WBC, but no significant difference was found between AUCs of NLR and CRP. The cut-off level of NLR was found to be 5,97, which had a sensitivity of 77 % and a specificity of 95 %.

Conclusion

NLR has a good predictive value for HCA and could be used as an additional diagnostic marker for predicting histological chorioamnionitis in cases with preterm premature rupture of membranes before 34 weeks of gestation.
Comparison between the English and Bahasa Malaysia language versions of the Visual Functioning Questionnaire (VFQ-25) for use in patients with cataracts
Authors: Thevi Thanigasalam , Abas Adinegara Lutfi , Stephanie Yen Li Chang
Published: September 2021

Background

We conducted the study to compare the psychometric properties of the English version of the Questionnaire and the Bahasa Malaysia (Malay Language) version regarding the vision-related Quality of Life of patients with cataracts.

Methods

The Malay version was translated by two independent translators who were well versed in both languages. We carried out a cross-sectional study collecting data between June 2017 and March 2018 in the pre-operative Eye Clinic of Hospital Melaka with 224 respondents (mean age 66.8 years) and another 204 respondents (mean age 64.3 years) participating in the English version and Malay version of the Questionnaire respectively.

Methods used to validate the standard questionnaire included the use of construct validity via factor analysis and the deployment of reliability test through assessment of internal consistency via Cronbach’s alpha.

Results

We observed both English and Bahasa Malaysia versions to have high reliability with Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.90 and above in factors on difficulty with activities and responses to vision problems.

Exploratory factor analysis performed revealed that the three-factor model fits the data well for the English version of the questionnaire - difficulty with activities (23.81 % of variance), responses to vision problem (22.22 % of variance) and general health and vision (14.68 % of variance).

The Bahasa Malaysia version of the questionnaire produced three factors with two of the factors resembling the factors from the original version of the questionnaire - difficulty with activities (24.3 % of variance) and responses to vision problem (23.7 % of variance).

Item response theory analysis revealed that these factors for both English and Bahasa Malaysia versions comprised of adequately fitted items.

Conclusion

The present study observed that both the English and Bahasa Malaysia versions of the NEI VFQ-25 have comparable construct validity to the original American version. With high validity and reliability, the tool shall be able to provide health care providers the assessment of impact due to cataract and other ophthalmic conditions on the vision-related quality of life of ophthalmic patients.
Modeling the effect of age on quantiles of the incubation period distribution of COVID-19
Authors: Liu Xiaohui , Wang Lei , Ma Xiansi , Wang Jiewen , Wu Liwen
Published: September 2021

Background

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19) has caused serious consequences on many aspects of social life throughout the world since the first case of pneumonia with unknown etiology was identified in Wuhan, Hubei province in China in December 2019. Note that the incubation period distribution is key to the prevention and control efforts of COVID-19. This study aimed to investigate the conditional distribution of the incubation period of COVID-19 given the age of infected cases and estimate its corresponding quantiles from the information of 2172 confirmed cases from 29 provinces outside Hubei in China.

Methods

We collected data on the infection dates, onset dates, and ages of the confirmed cases through February 16th, 2020. All the data were downloaded from the official websites of the health commission. As the epidemic was still ongoing at the time we collected data, the observations subject to biased sampling. To address this issue, we developed a new maximum likelihood method, which enables us to comprehensively study the effect of age on the incubation period.

Results

Based on the collected data, we found that the conditional quantiles of the incubation period distribution of COVID-19 vary by age. In detail, the high conditional quantiles of people in the middle age group are shorter than those of others while the low quantiles did not show the same differences. We estimated that the 0.95-th quantile related to people in the age group 23 ∼55 is less than 15 days.

Conclusions

Observing that the conditional quantiles vary across age, we may take more precise measures for people of different ages. For example, we may consider carrying out an age-dependent quarantine duration in practice, rather than a uniform 14-days quarantine period. Remarkably, we may need to extend the current quarantine duration for people aged 0 ∼22 and over 55 because the related 0.95-th quantiles are much greater than 14 days.
Effects of various walking intensities on leg muscle fatigue and plantar pressure distributions
Authors: Lung Chi-Wen , Liau Ben-Yi , Peters Joseph A. , He Li , Townsend Runnell , Jan Yih-Kuen
Published: September 2021

Background

Physical activity may benefit health and reduce risk for chronic complications in normal and people with diabetes and peripheral vascular diseases. However, it is unclear whether leg muscle fatigue after weight-bearing physical activities, such as brisk walking, may increase risk for plantar tissue injury. In the literature, there is no evidence on the effect of muscle fatigue on plantar pressure after various walking intensities. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of various walking intensities on leg muscle fatigue and plantar pressure patterns.

Methods

A 3 × 2 factorial design, including 3 walking speeds (1.8 (slow and normal walking), 3.6 (brisk walking), and 5.4 (slow running) mph) and 2 walking durations (10 and 20 min) for a total of 6 walking intensities, was tested in 12 healthy participants in 3 consecutive weeks. The median frequency and complexity of electromyographic (EMG) signals of tibialis anterior (TA) and gastrocnemius medialis (GM) were used to quantify muscle fatigue. Fourier transform was used to compute the median frequency and multiscale entropy was used to calculate complexity of EMG signals. Peak plantar pressure (PPP) values at the 4 plantar regions (big toe, first metatarsal head, second metatarsal head, and heel) were calculated.

Results

Two-way ANOVA showed that the walking speed (at 1.8, 3.6, 5.4 mph) significantly affected leg muscle fatigue, and the duration factor (at 10 and 20 min) did not. The one-way ANOVA showed that there were four significant pairwise differences of the median frequency of TA, including walking speed of 1.8 and 3.6 mph (185.7 ± 6.1 vs. 164.9 ± 3.0 Hz, P = 0.006) and 1.8 and 5.4 mph (185.7 ± 6.1 vs. 164.5 ± 5.5 Hz, P = 0.006) for the 10-min duration; and walking speed of 1.8 and 3.6 mph (180.0 ± 5.9 vs. 163.1 ± 4.4 Hz, P = 0.024) and 1.8 and 5.4 mph (180.0 ± 5.9 vs. 162.8 ± 4.9 Hz, P = 0.023) for the 20-min duration. The complexity of TA showed a similar trend with the median frequency of TA. The median frequency of TA has a significant negative correlation with PPP on the big toe ( r = -0.954, P = 0.003) and the first metatarsal head ( r = -0.896, P = 0.016).

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that brisk walking and slow running speeds (3.6 and 5.4 mph) cause an increase in muscle fatigue of TA compared to slow walking speed (1.8 mph); and the increased muscle fatigue is significantly related to a higher PPP.
Application of an index derived from the area under a neutrophil curve as a predictor of surgical site infection after spinal surgery
Authors: Inose Hiroyuki , Kobayashi Yutaka , Morishita Shingo , Matsukura Yu , Yuasa Masato , Hirai Takashi , Yoshii Toshitaka , Okawa Atsushi
Published: September 2021

Background

Patients with prolonged and intense neutrophilia after spinal surgery are at high risk of developing surgical site infection (SSI). To date, there is no standard method for the objective assessment of the intensity and duration of neutrophilia. Thus, this retrospective observational study aimed to test a new index (I-index), developed by combining the duration and intensity of neutrophilia, as a predictor of SSI.

Methods

I-index was calculated based on the postoperative neutrophil percentage. A total of 17 patients with SSI were enrolled as cases, and 51 patients without SSI were selected as controls. The groups were matched at a ratio of 1:3 by age, sex, and surgery type. The differences in the I-index were compared between the groups. Moreover, we checked the cumulative I-index (c-I-index), which we defined as the area under the neutrophil curve from postoperative day 1 until the first clinical manifestation of SSI in each case. Furthermore, a cutoff for SSI was defined using the receiver operating characteristic curve.

Results

The median I-index-7, I-index-14, and c-I-index were significantly higher in the SSI group than those in the control group. For a cutoff point of 42.1 of the I-index-7, the sensitivity and specificity were 0.706 and 0.882, respectively. For a cutoff point of 45.95 of the I-index-14, the sensitivity and specificity were 0.824 and 0.804, respectively. For a cutoff point of 45.95 of the c-I-index, the sensitivity and specificity were 0.824 and 0.804, respectively.

Conclusion

We devised a new indicator of infection, i.e., the I-Index and c-I-index, and confirmed its usefulness in predicting SSI.
Isolation and characterization of urine microvesicles from prostate cancer patients: different approaches, different visions
Authors: García-Flores María , Sánchez-López Christian M. , Ramírez-Calvo Marta , Fernández-Serra Antonio , Marcilla Antonio , López-Guerrero José Antonio
Published: September 2021

Background

Because of their specific and biologically relevant cargo, urine extracellular vesicles (EVs) constitute a valuable source of potential non-invasive biomarkers that could support the clinical decision-making to improve the management of prostate cancer (PCa) patients. Different EV isolation methods differ in terms of complexity and yield, conditioning, as consequence, the analytical result.

Methods

The aim of this study was to compare three different isolation methods for urine EVs: ultracentrifugation (UC), size exclusion chromatography (SEC), and a commercial kit (Exolute® Urine Kit). Urine samples were collected from 6 PCa patients and 4 healthy donors. After filtered through 0.22 µm filters, urine was divided in 3 equal volumes to perform EVs isolation with each of the three approaches. Isolated EVs were characterized by spectrophotometric protein quantification, nanoparticle tracking analysis, transmission electron microscopy, AlphaScreen Technology, and whole miRNA Transcriptome.

Results

Our results showed that UC and SEC provided better results in terms of EVs yield and purity than Exolute®, non-significant differences were observed in terms of EV-size. Interestingly, luminescent AlphaScreen assay demonstrated a significant enrichment of CD9 and CD63 positive microvesicles in SEC and UC methods compared with Exolute®. This heterogeneity was also demonstrated in terms of miRNA content indicating that the best correlation was observed between UC and SEC.

Conclusions

Our study highlights the importance of standardizing the urine EV isolation methods to guaranty the analytical reproducibility necessary for their implementation in a clinical setting.
Evaluation of a rapid one-step PSA test for primary prostate cancer screening
Authors: Ashida Shingo , Yamasaki Ichiro , Kawada Chiaki , Fukuhara Hideo , Fukata Satoshi , Tamura Kenji , Karashima Takashi , Inoue Keiji , Shuin Taro
Published: September 2021

Background

To enhance the convenience and reduce the cost of prostate cancer (PC) screening, a one-step prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test was evaluated in a large population. The PSA SPOT test kit enables rapid detection of human PSA in serum or plasma at or above a cutoff level of 4 ng/mL to aid in the diagnosis of PC.

Methods

PC screening using the PSA SPOT test was offered to male participants in educational public lectures that we conducted in various cities. Test results were reported to participants at the end of the lectures. Blood samples from 1429 men were evaluated. Two independent observers interpreted the tests at 15 and 30 min. The remaining serum samples were subsequently tested using a conventional quantitative assay.

Results

The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of the test were 79.9, 93.0, 65.4, 96.6, and 91.2%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the test changed with variations in the reading time. Quantitative assessment of the intensity of the band was correlated with the PSA value.

Conclusions

PSA testing using this kit can be easily performed. The low cost and speed of the test make it a useful and convenient tool for primary PC screening.
The effect of conventional versus electronic cigarette use on treatment outcomes of peri-implant disease
Authors: AlJasser Reham , Zahid Mohammed , AlSarhan Mohammed , AlOtaibi Dalal , AlOraini Saleh
Published: September 2021

Aim

To compare changes in clinical periodontal parameters (gingival consistency, colour, BOP, PI, PD) and changes of salivary inflammatory biomarkers (IL-1 β, IL-6, MMP-8, TNF- α and TIMP-1 between conventional, electronic cigarette smokers and non-smokers after peri-implant treatment.

Methods

Study participants were grouped into three groups (i) Conventional cigarette smokers (ii) Electronic cigarette smokers and (iii) non-smokers respectively. A total of 60 adult patients aged (40–56 years) with 60 implants with active per-impantitis was included.Clinical and Biological parameters were evaluated before surgical treatment at baseline, one, six and twelve month post treatment. Pearson’s chi-square test was used to compare the distribution of the categorical while Two-way repeated analysis of variance was used to compare the mean values of quantitative outcome variables among all study groups across the 4 time points.

Results

A total of 60 subjects (60 implants) were selected and classified into three groups as per their smoking method 20 participants in each group with one single targeted implant diagnosis with active peri-implantitis. The gingival colour, the change was statistically significant at one year of post treatment.The gingival consistency distribution across the three groups is not statistically significant at baseline, but it is statistically significant at one-month (p = 0.001), six months (p = 0.029) and at the completion of one-year (p = 0.018) post treatment. The plaque index of 100% of non-smokers had changed to ‘0’ and 35% change in cigarettes and 30% change in electronic smokers which is statistically significant (p = 0.016).The prevalence of BOP was observed in the three groups as 72%, 76.5% and 88.9% at baseline. The mean values of PD have shown statistically significant change across the three groups over the four-time intervals of observation (p = 0.024). The comparison of mean values of IL-1 β, IL-6 and TIMP-1 has shown statistically significant change across the three groups over the four intervals of observation (p < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Electronic cigarette smoking was found to be most prevalent risk indicator for peri-implantitis. Compromised response of peri-implantitis treatment both clinically and biologically was found more among electronic cigarette smokers when compared to conventional cigarette smokers and non-smokers.

Trial registration: This case-control study was conducted at King Saud University’s Dental College, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in accordance with “Helsinki Declaration of Human Studies” and approved by the Institutional Review Board (Reference no: 87563).
Self-perceived competence of dental students regarding the management of orofacial pain: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Taqi Muhammad , Mirza Asaad Javed , Javed Maaz Asaad , Asghar Shama , Khadija Maria , Raza Syed Ali
Published: September 2021

Background

There is limited data on Pakistani dental students perceived competence in managing orofacial pain (OFP). This study aims to evaluate dental students self-perceived competence regarding the management of orofacial pain.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted in Karachi at randomly selected two public and four private dental schools. This survey was conducted online from November 2020 to December 2020 in six dental schools. A questionnaire link was sent to the 475 students. A chi-square test and independent-sample t-test were conducted to assess the frequency distribution and compare mean scores of knowledge, diagnosis, and management parameters.

Results

Of the 475 students, 280 students filled the online survey leaving a response rate of 59%. A significant number of fourth-year students, 65 (51%, p = 0.005), feels knowledgeable regarding neuropathic pain compared to third-year students. The majority of the fourth-year students, 100 (78%, p = 0.010), feel comfortable managing intraoral pain. Almost all the students reported thinking that they need more knowledge related to five types of OFP. The fourth-year students had high mean scores related to knowledge, comfort in diagnosing and managing OFP categories.

Conclusion

This study found that dental students perceived competence regarding orofacial pain management varies in relation to specific categories, being lowest for psychogenic pain.
Determinants of wife-beating acceptance among reproductive age women in Ethiopia: a multilevel analysis of 2016 Ethiopian demographic and health survey
Authors: Arefaynie Mastewal , Bitew Gedamnesh , Amsalu Erkihun Tadesse , Kefale Bereket , Muche Amare , Fentaw Zinabu , Dewau Reta , Melaku Mequannent Sharew , Yalew Melaku , Adane Bezawit , Adane Metadel , Chanie Muluken Genetu , Ayele Wolde Melese , Damtie Yitayish
Published: September 2021

Background

There is limited national representative evidence on determinants of women’s acceptance of wife-beating especially; community level factors are not investigated in Ethiopia. Thus, this study aimed to assess individual and community-level factors associated with acceptance of wife beating among reproductive age women in Ethiopia.

Methods

Secondary data analysis was done on 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey data. A total of 15,683 weighted reproductive age group women were included in the analysis. Multi-level mixed-effect logistic regression analysis was done by Stata version 14.0 to identify individual and community-level factors. An adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was used to show the strength and direction of the association. Statistical significance was declared at p value less than 0.05 at the final model.

Result

Individual-level factors significantly associated with acceptance of wife-beating among women were; being Muslim follower [AOR = 1.3, 95% CI = (1.1, 1.5)], Being married [AOR = 1.3, 95% CI = (1.1, 1.6)], attending primary, secondary and higher education [AOR = 0.8, 95% CI = (0.7, 0.9)], [AOR = 0.4, 95% CI = (0.3, 0.5)], [AOR = 0.3, 95% CI (0.2, 0.4)] respectively. From community level factors, living in Somali [AOR = 0.2 95% CI = (0.1, 0.3)], Addis Ababa [AOR = 0.3, 95%CI = (0.2, 0.5)] and Dire Dawa [AOR = 0.5, 95% CI = (0.3, 0.7)] were 80%, 70% and 50% less likely accept wife-beating when compare to women who live in Tigray region, respectively. Live in high proportion of poor community [AOR = 1.2, 95% CI = (1.1, 1.3)], live in low proportion of television exposure communities [AOR = 1.4, 95% CI = (1.2, 2.2)] were significantly associated with acceptance of wife-beating among women in Ethiopia.

Conclusion

Educational status, religion, marital status, region, community-level wealth, and community level of television exposure had a statistical association with women’s acceptance of wife-beating. Improving educational coverage, community-level of media exposure, community-level wealth status and providing community-friendly interventions are important to reduce the acceptance of wife-beating among women in Ethiopia.
Detrimental changes to the health and well-being of healthcare workers in an Australian COVID-19 hospital
Authors: Stubbs Joanne M , Achat Helen M , Schindeler Suzanne
Published: September 2021

Background

Most studies examining the psychological impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers (HCWs) have assessed well-being during the initial stages or the peak of the first wave of the pandemic. We aimed to measure the impact of COVID-19 and potential changes over time in its impact, on the health and well-being of HCWs in an Australian COVID-19 hospital.

Methods

An online questionnaire assessed current and retrospective physical and mental health; psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale); lifestyle behaviours; and demographics, providing measures of health and wellbeing at three phases of the pandemic. Targeted staff were invited to participate via email and in-person. Additional promotional activities were directed to all staff. Changes in general health, mental health and psychological distress were examined using McNemar’s Chi-square. Associations between other categorical variables were tested using Chi-Square or non-parametric equivalents as appropriate. Logistic regression explored risk factors for current distress.

Results

Four hundred thirty-three eligible HCWs answered all (74 %) or part of the questionnaire. Current self-rated health and mental health were significantly better than during the height of the pandemic, but had not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Psychological distress was significantly more common during the height of the pandemic (34.2 %) than currently (22.4 %), and during the height of the pandemic distress was significantly more common among younger than older HCWs. Females were significantly more likely to be distressed that males currently, but not during the height of the pandemic. High distress during the height of the pandemic was more likely to be maintained by HCWs who were less physically active than usual during the height of the pandemic (OR = 5.5); had low self-rated mental health before the pandemic (OR = 4.8); and who had 10 or more years of professional experience (OR = 3.9).

Conclusions

The adverse effects of the pandemic on HCWs have lessened with the easing of pandemic demands, but health and well-being have not reverted to pre-pandemic levels. This indicates continued exposure to elevated levels of stress and/or a sustained effect of earlier exposure. Initiatives that provide ongoing support beyond the pandemic are needed to ensure that HCWs remain physically and mentally healthy and are able to continue their invaluable work.
Health care utilization among patients with oesophageal and gastric cancer: the impact of initial treatment strategy and assignment of a contact nurse
Authors: Dalhammar Karin , Malmström Marlene , Sandberg Magnus , Falkenback Dan , Kristensson Jimmie
Published: September 2021

Background

Patients diagnosed with oesophageal and gastric cancer face a poor prognosis and numerous challenges of symptom management, lifestyle adjustments and complex treatment regimens. The multifaceted care needs and rapid disease progression reinforce the need for proactive and coherent health care. According to the national cancer strategy, providing coherent health care and palliative support is an area of priority. More knowledge is needed about health care utilization and the characteristics of the health care service in order to understand the readiness, accessibility and quality of current health care. The aim of this study was to describe individuals’ health care use from the time of treatment decision until death, and investigate the impact of the initial treatment strategy and assignment of a contact nurse (CN) on health care use among patients with oesophageal and gastric cancer.

Methods

This population-based cohort study included patients who died from oesophageal and gastric cancer in Sweden during 2014–2016. Through linking data from the National Register for Oesophageal and Gastric Cancer, the National Cause of Death Register, and the National Patient Register, 2614 individuals were identified. Associations between the initial treatment strategy and CN assignment, and health care use were investigated. Adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using Poisson regression.

Results

Patients receiving palliative treatment and those receiving no tumour-directed treatment had a higher IRR for unplanned hospital stays and unplanned outpatient care visits compared with patients who received curative treatment. Patients receiving no tumour-directed treatment also had a lower IRR for planned hospital stays and planned outpatient care visits compared with patients given curative treatment. Compared with this latter group, patients with palliative treatment had a higher IRR for planned outpatient care visits. Patients assigned a CN had a higher IRR for unplanned hospital stays, unplanned outpatient care visits and planned outpatient care visits, compared with patients not assigned a CN.

Conclusions

A palliative treatment strategy and no tumour-directed treatment were associated with higher rates of unplanned health care compared with a curative treatment strategy, suggesting that a proactive approach is imperative to ensure quality palliative care.
Performance of rapid diagnostic tests, microscopy, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and PCR for malaria diagnosis in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Feleke Daniel Getacher , Alemu Yonas , Yemanebirhane Nebiyou
Published: September 2021

Background

Rapid accurate diagnosis followed by effective treatment is very important for malaria control. Light microscopy remains the “golden standard” method for malaria diagnosis. Diagnostic test method must have sufficient level of accuracy for detecting malaria parasites. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), microscopy, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and/or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the malaria diagnosis in Ethiopia.

Methods

Data bases such as PubMed, PubMed central, Science direct databases, Google scholar, and Scopus were searched from September to October, 2020 for studies assessing the diagnostic accuracy of RDTs, microscopy, LAMP and PCR methods for malaria diagnosis.

Results

A total of 29 studies published between 2001 and 2020 were analysed using review manager, Midas (Stata) and Meta-disc. The sensitivity and specificity of studies comparing RDT with microscopy varies from 79%–100% to 80%–100%, respectively. The sensitivity of LAMP (731 tests) was 100% and its specificity was varies from 85 to 99% when compared with microscopy and PCR. Considerable heterogeneity was observed between studies included in this meta-analysis. Meta-regression showed that blinding status and target antigens were the major sources of heterogeneity (P < 0.05). RDT had an excellent diagnostic accuracy (Area under the ROC Curve = 0.99) when compared with microscopy. Its specificity was quite good (93%–100%) except for one outlier (28%), but lower “sensitivity” was observed when PCR is a reference test. This indicates RDT had a good diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.83). Microscopy showed a very good diagnostic accuracy when compared with PCR.

Conclusions

The present study showed that microscopy and RDTs had high efficiency for diagnosing febrile malaria patients. The diagnostic accuracy of RDT was excellent when compared with microscopy. This indicates RDTs have acceptable sensitivities and specificities to be used in resource poor settings as an alternative for microscopy. In this study, LAMP showed an excellent sensitivities and specificities. Furthermore, the need of minimum equipment and relatively short time for obtaining results can made LAMP one of the best alternatives especially for accurate diagnosis of asymptomatic malaria.
Psychometric properties of the patient-reported outcomes measurement information system scale v1.2: global health (PROMIS-GH) in a Dutch general population
Authors: Pellicciari Leonardo , Chiarotto Alessandro , Giusti Emanuele , Crins Martine H. P. , Roorda Leo D. , Terwee Caroline B.
Published: September 2021

Purpose

To assess the psychometric properties of the Dutch-Flemish Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System Scale v1.2 – Global Health (PROMIS-GH).

Methods

The PROMIS-GH (also referred to as PROMIS-10) was administered to 4370 persons from the Dutch general population. Unidimensionality (CFI ≥ 0.95; TLI ≥ 0.95; RMSEA ≤ 0.06; SRMR ≤ 0.08), local independence (residual correlations < 0.20), monotonicity (H > 0.30), model fit with the Graded Response Model (GRM,p < 0.001), internal consistency (alpha > 0.75), precision (total score information across the latent trait), measurement invariance (no Differential Item Functioning [DIF]), and cross-cultural validity (no DIF for language, Dutch vs. United States English) of its subscales, composed of four items each, Global Mental Health (GMH) and Global Physical Health (GPH), were assessed.

Results

Confirmatory factor analyses, on both subscales, revealed slight departures from unidimensionality for GMH (CFI = 0.98; TLI = 0.95, RMSEA = 0.22; SRMR = 0.04) and GPH (CFI = 0.99; TLI = 0.97; RMSEA = 0.12; SRMR = 0.03). Local independence, monotonicity, GRM model fit, internal consistency, precision and cross-cultural validity were supported. However, Global10 (emotional problems) showed misfit on the GMH subscale, while Global08 (fatigue) presented DIF for age.

Conclusion

The psychometric properties of the PROMIS-GH in the Dutch population were considered acceptable. Sufficient local independence, monotonicity, GRM fit, internal consistency, measurement invariance and cross-cultural validity were found. If future studies find similar results, structural validity of the GMH could be enhanced by improving or replacing Global10 (emotional problems).
T stage and venous invasion are crucial prognostic factors for long-term survival of patients with remnant gastric cancer: a cohort study
Authors: Matsuo Kentaro , Lee Sang-Woong , Tanaka Ryo , Imai Yoshiro , Honda Kotaro , Taniguchi Kohei , Tomiyama Hideki , Uchiyama Kazuhisa
Published: September 2021

Background

The incidence of remnant gastric cancer (RGC) after distal gastrectomy is 1–5%. However, as the survival rate of patients with gastric cancer improves due to early detection and treatment, more patients may develop RGC. There is no consensus on the surgical and postoperative management of RGC, and the clinicopathological characteristics correlated with the long-term outcomes remain unclear. Therefore, we investigated the clinicopathological factors associated with the long-term outcomes of RGC.

Methods

We included 65 consecutive patients who underwent gastrectomy for RGC from January 2000 to December 2015 at the Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University Hospital, Japan. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to create survival curves, and differences in survival were compared between the groups (clinical factors, pathological factors, and surgical factors) using the log-rank test. Multivariate analyses using the Cox proportional hazard model were used to identify factors associated with long-term survival.

Results

No significant differences were noted in the survival rate based on clinical factors (age, body mass index, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary complications, liver disease, diet, history of alcohol drinking, and history of smoking) or the type of remnant gastrectomy. Significant differences were noted in the survival rate based on pathological factors and surgical characteristics (intraoperative blood loss, operation time, and the number of positive lymph nodes). Multivariate analysis revealed that the T stage (hazard ratio, 5.593; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.183–26.452; p = 0.030) and venous invasion (hazard ratio, 3.351; 95% CI, 1.030–10.903; p = 0.045) were significant independent risk factors for long-term survival in patients who underwent radical resection for RGC.

Conclusions

T stage and venous invasion are important prognostic factors of long-term survival after remnant gastrectomy for RGC and may be keys to managing and identifying therapeutic strategies for improving prognosis in RGC.