bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A technical review of bail-out procedures to place Najuta stent-graft into the ascending aorta
Authors: Berchiolli Raffaella , Troisi Nicola , Bertagna Giulia , Colli Andrea , Besola Laura , Silingardi Roberto , Simonte Gioele , Isernia Giacomo ,   Italian Najuta registry collaborators, Orrico Matteo , Lenti Massimo , Parlani Gianbattista , Fino Gianluigi , Covic Tea , Gennai Stefano , Ferri Michelangelo , Ferrero Emanuele , Quaglino Simone , Rizza Antonio , Maritati Gabriele , Portoghese Michele , Verzini Fabio , Discalzi Andrea , Pulli Raffaele , Fargion Aaron , Bonvini Stefano , Intrieri Francesco , Speziale Francesco , Mansour Wassim , Moniaci Diego , Troisi Nicola , Colli Andrea , Camparini Stefano , Genavi Genadiev , Pratesi Giovanni , Massi Francesco , Michelagnoli Stefano , Chisci Emiliano , Bonardelli Stefano , Maione Massimo , Angiletta Domenico , Zacà Sergio , Veraldi Gian Franco , Mezzetto Luca
Published: February 2023

Background

The Najuta stent-graft (Kawasumi Laboratories Inc., Tokyo, Japan) is usually easily advanced to the correct deployment position in the ascending aorta thanks to the pre-curved delivery J-sheath with all fenestrations automatically oriented towards the supra-aortic vessels. Aortic arch anatomy and delivery system stiffness could however represent limitations for proper endograft advancement, especially when the aortic arch bends sharply. The aim of this technical note is to report a series of bail-out procedures that could be useful to overcome the difficulties encountered during the Najuta stent-graft advancement up to the ascending aorta.

Main body

The insertion, positioning and deployment of a Najuta stent-graft requires a through-and-through guidewire technique using a .035″ 400 cm hydrophilic nitinol guidewire (Radifocus™ Guidewire M Non-Vascular, Terumo Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) with right brachial and both femoral accesses. When standard maneuver to put the endograft tip into the aortic arch, some bail-out procedures can be applied to obtain proper positioning. Five techniques are described into the text: positioning of a coaxial extra-stiff guidewire; positioning of a long introducer sheath down to the aortic root from the right brachial access; inflation of a balloon inside the ostia of the supra-aortic vessels; inflation of a balloon inside the aortic arch (coaxial to the device); and transapical access technique. This is a troubleshooting guide for allowing physicians to overcome various difficulties with the Najuta endograft as well as for other similar devices.

Short conclusion

Technical issues in advancing the delivery system of Najuta stent-graft could occur. Therefore, the rescue procedures described in this technical note could be useful to guarantee the correct positioning and deployment of the stent-graft.
Spontaneous antenatal uterine rupture in a primiparous patient with placenta praevia: Does previous laparoscopic treatment of endometriosis increase the risk?
Authors: Datta Sujata , Basu Ritisha
Published: February 2023

Background

Unprovoked spontaneous uterine rupture in a primigravid unscarred uterus is a rare but serious obstetric complication. Our case highlights a prelabour uterine rupture in a primiparous patient with an anterior placenta praevia and transverse lie at 32 weeks.

Case presentation

The patient presented with severe continuous abdominal pain and an abnormal Cardiotocograph antenatally. An emergency Caesarean section done with suspicion of concealed abruption revealed a cornual uterine rupture with 2 L of hemoperitoneum.

Conclusion

The patient and her baby recovered well from surgery, thus, emphasizing the necessity of timely intervention. An association with previous laparoscopic treatment of severe endometriosis and adenomyosis is explored.
3′ UTR is critical for viral RNA accumulation of jasmine virus H
Authors: Zhu Li-Juan , Zhang Chong-Tao , Bai Ya-Ni , Jiang Chao-Yang , He Shi-Yun , Chang Qing , Xu Qian , Han Yan-Hong
Published: February 2023

Jasmine virus H (JaVH) is a newly reported viral pathogen of jasmine in China and USA. To study the viral gene function and pathogenic mechanism, a full-length infectious clone of JaVH (pXT-JaVHFJ) was constructed under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. pXT-JaVHFJ induced a systemic infection in Nicotiana benthamiana plants by Agro-infiltration, which demonstrated that pXT-JaVHFJ was biologically active. Jasmine showed yellow spots after rubbing with total RNA extracted from Agro-infiltrated N. benthamiana, indicating that JaVH was highly associated with yellow mosaic symptoms observed on jasmine. To investigate the occurrence and mutations of the virus, jasmine samples were collected from eight provinces of China and were tested for JaVH. The samples that were tested positive for JaVH were used to determine the complete genome sequences. They were comprised of 3867 or 3868 nucleotides and their genome organizations resembled that we previous reported for JaVH-FJ. Phylogenetic analyses and sequence comparisons suggest that the eight virus isolates were close isolates of JaVH-FJ and the isolate from Jilin Province was most closely related to JaVH-FJ with 99.2% nucleotide identity over the entire genome and 99.7% identity of coat protein. Further comparative analyses of JaVH-FJ and JaVH-JL revealed additional nucleotide differences in the 3′-untranslated region (3′ UTR). An infectious clone of JaVH-JL and chimeric mutants containing JaVH-FJ or JaVH-JL 3′ UTRs were then constructed for further study. The differential accumulation of JaVH with distinct 3′ UTR suggested that the 3′ UTR of JaVH plays a crucial role in viral RNA accumulation.
The experience of informal caregiving within Saudi society: expressed needs and expectations
Authors: Almehmadi Soha , Alrashed Abeer M.
Published: February 2023

Background

Even though informal caregivers have always been a major element within any society, their contribution to the healthcare system has only recently been recognized. Accordingly, the sustainability of their informal social role is becoming a major concern to policymakers. In Saudi Arabia, recognition of informal caregiving is still limited. This study was carried out to investigate the experience of caregiving in informal settings through identifying the needs of the caregivers along with their expectations of the formal system.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted to measure the experience of Saudi informal caregivers who were caring for at least one individual with a dependency resulting from either disability, aging, or both. A self-administered questionnaire was designed specifically for this study with 88% reliability. A convenient sample of 300 caregivers was invited electronically through 14 websites supporting families with dependent individuals.

Results

Of the eligible participants (n = 271), about two-thirds were caring for one elderly person or more, while one-third were caring for individual(s) with disabilities. The two groups did not differ in their needs; their greatest perceived needs were necessary equipment for care recipients, free time to socialize, alternative care setting, and proper income. Overall, the needs on the system level were the highest, followed by the needs on the financial level, then on the social level. On the other hand, the caregivers of individuals with disabilities had greater expectations of formal support than caregivers of the elderly. The greatest expectation among the participants was facilitating care recipients’ mobility within their communities. Overall, the expectations of information support were the highest followed by the expectations of financial support and then material support.

Conclusion

The participants expressed great expectations of formal support along with some unmet needs. Further research is recommended to emphasize the role of primary caregivers along with the nature of the assistance received throughout the caregiving process. The needs of individuals with dependencies along with those of the caregivers must be considered in the planning process of healthcare services. Finally, the expectations of informal caregivers should lead the priorities of the development decisions of long-term care services.
Relationship between expression levels of TDRD7 and CRYBB3 and development of age-related cortico-nuclear cataracts
Authors: Yildiz Saliha Handan , Karaosmanoğlu Cem , Duman Rahmi , Varol Nuray , Özdemir Erdoğan Müjgan , Solak Mustafa , Duman Reşat , Elmas Muhsin
Published: February 2023

Background

The human lens develops age-related cataracts (ARCs) because of the complicated effects of aging and stressful conditions. Under conditions involving oxidative stress, cells form stress granules (SGs). TDRD7 has been identified as an RNA granule component and an important component of SGs. TDRD7 plays a role in the post-transcriptional expression of genes, such as the crystallin gene CRYBB3. Therefore, the present study investigated TDRD7 and CRYBB3 mRNA expressions in relation to age-related cortico-nuclear cataracts.

Methods

Quantitative real-time PCR was used to determine the expression levels of TDRD7 and CRYBB3 in 52 patients with ARC and 52 healthy controls. Anterior lens capsules and peripheral blood samples from patients with ARC were included in the patient group, and peripheral blood samples from healthy subjects and human lens epithelial cells (HLE-B3) were included in the control group. Gene expression levels in the different age groups were compared. Correlation analysis was used to assess the gene expression levels and age.

Results

The expression of TDRD7 and CRYBB3 was significantly up-regulated (P < 0.0001) in anterior lens capsules compared to that in HLE-B3 cells. Similarly, the expression of TDRD7 (P = 0.0004) and CRYBB3 (P < 0.0001) was higher in the peripheral blood samples of patients with ARC than in those of healthy subjects. Significant upregulation (P < 0.05) was observed in the 71–81-year age group of patients. No correlation was found between gene expression levels and age.

Conclusion

Significantly higher expression levels of TDRD7 and CRYBB3 in patients with ARC than in controls suggest that TDRD7 and CRYBB3 are associated with the development of age-related cortico-nuclear cataracts and the aging process under chronic stress.
Electrocardiographic substrates of arrhythmias in patients with end-stage and chronic kidney diseases: a case–control study
Authors: Yehia Hesham , Youssef Ghada , Gamil Mona , Elsaeed Mahmoud , Sadek Khaled M.
Published: February 2023

Background

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most common cause of death in patients with renal diseases. Cardiac arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death are particularly important, and the burden is higher in patients on hemodialysis. The aim of this study is to compare specific ECG changes as markers of arrhythmias in patients with CKD and patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD); all without clinically manifest heart disease, with normal control subjects.

Results

Seventy-five ESRD patients on regular hemodialysis, 75 patients with stage 3–5 CKD and 40 healthy control subjects were included. All candidates were subjected to thorough clinical evaluation and laboratory tests including serum creatinine, glomerular filtration rate calculation, serum potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, parathyroid hormone, and total iron binding capacity (TIBC). Resting twelve-lead ECG was done to calculate P wave dispersion (P-WD), corrected QT interval, QTc dispersion, Tpeak-Tend interval (Tp-e), and Tp-e/QT. Patients with ESRD had a significantly higher QTc dispersion (p < 0.001) and P-WD (p = 0.001) when compared to the other 2 groups. In the ESRD group, males had a significantly higher P-WD (p = 0.045), insignificantly higher QTc dispersion (p = 0.445), and insignificantly lower Tp-e/QT ratio (p = 0.252) as compared to females. Multivariate linear regression analysis for ESRD patients showed that serum creatinine (β = 0.279, p = 0.012) and transferrin saturation (β =  − 0.333, p = 0.003) were independent predictors of increased QTc dispersion while ejection fraction (β = 0.320, p = 0.002), hypertension (β =  − 0.319, p = 0.002), hemoglobin level (β =  − 0.345, p = 0.001), male gender (β =  − 0.274, p = 0.009) and TIBC (β =  − 0.220, p = 0.030) were independent predictors of increased P wave dispersion. In the CKD group, TIBC (β =  − 0.285, p = 0.013) was an independent predictor of QTc dispersion while serum calcium (β = 0.320, p = 0.002) and male gender (β =  − 0.274, p = 0.009) were independent predictors of Tp-e/QT ratio.

Conclusions

Patients with stage 3–5 CKD and those with ESRD on regular hemodialysis exhibit significant ECG changes that are considered substrates for ventricular as well as supraventricular arrhythmias. Those changes were more evident in patients on hemodialysis.
Perioptic cerebro-spinal fluid transudation: case report of an unusual finding of optic hydrops in idiopathic intracranial hypertension
Authors: Kuroedov Danila Sergeyevich , Lobo Gonçalo Gama , Morais Teresa P. , Vieira José Pedro , Conceição Carla
Published: February 2023

Background

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) has well-described imaging findings, typically reversible with the adequate treatment. We hereby report a case of IIH with a peculiar imaging finding, that to our knowledge and by the research conducted, has never been described before—cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) transudation across the optic nerve sheath.

Case presentation

A 15-year-old girl with a 2-week history of occipital headache, nausea and vomiting, diplopia, blurred vision and tinnitus in her right ear, was admitted in the neuropediatric department and after extensive diagnostic work-up was diagnosed with IIH. The MRI showed typical signs of idiopathic intracranial hypertension, including enlargement of the perioptic CSF spaces associated with a peculiar finding described as a blurred hyperintensity T2/FLAIR of the perioptic fat, which was likely related to transudation of CSF. The adequate medical therapy (including corticosteroids and acetazolamide) for 2 weeks didn’t revert the signs and symptoms and so a lumboperitoneal shunt was placed with complete resolution of the clinical picture and the imaging findings described.

Conclusions

The documentation of CSF transudation around the optic nerve in the setting of hydrops has never been reported before and should be recognized by the neuroradiologist. It seems to be reversible, like the other findings of IIH and its physiopathology is not clear.
Anticancer plant-derivatives: deciphering their oncopreventive and therapeutic potential in molecular terms
Authors: Gahtori Rekha , Tripathi Ankita H. , Kumari Amrita , Negi Nidhi , Paliwal Ashutosh , Tripathi Prabhanshu , Joshi Penny , Rai Ramesh C. , Upadhyay Santosh K.
Published: February 2023

Background

Over the years, phytomedicines have been widely used as natural modalities for the treatment and prevention of various diseases by different ethnic groups across the globe. Although, 25% of drugs in the USA contain at least one plant-derived therapeutic compound, currently there is a paucity of plant-derived active medicinal ingredients in the pharmaceutical industry. Scientific evidence-based translation of plant-derived ethnomedicines for their clinical application is an urgent need. The anticancer and associated properties (antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, pro-apoptotic and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) inhibition) of various plant extracts and phytochemicals have been elucidated earlier. Several of the plant derivatives are already in use under prophylactic/therapeutic settings against cancer and many are being investigated under different phases of clinical trials.

Main body

The purpose of this study is to systematically comprehend the progress made in the area of prophylactic and therapeutic potential of the anticancerous plant derivatives. Besides, we aim to understand their anticancer potential in terms of specific sub-phenomena, such as anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, pro-apoptotic and inhibition of EMT, with an insight of the molecules/pathways associated with them. The study also provides details of classes of anticancer compounds, their plant source(s) and the molecular pathway(s) targeted by them. In addition to the antioxidative and antiproliferative potentials of anticancer plant derivatives, this study emphasizes on their EMT-inhibition potential and other ‘anticancer related’ properties. The EMT is highlighted as a phenomenon of choice for targeting cancer due to its role in the induction of metastasis and drug resistance. Different phytochemicals in pre-clinical or clinical trials, with promising chemopreventive/anticancer activities have been enlisted and the plant compounds showing synergistic anticancer activity in combination with the existing drugs have been discussed. The review also unravels the need of carrying out pan-signalome studies for identifying the cardinal pathways modulated by phytomedicine(s), as in many cases, the molecular pathway(s) has/have been randomly studied.

Conclusion

This review systematically compiles the studies regarding the impact of various plant derivatives in different cancers and oncogenic processes, as tested in diverse experimental model systems. Availability of more comprehensive information on anticancer phyto-constituents, their relative abundance in crude drugs, pathways/molecules targeted by phytomedicines, their long-term toxicity data and information regarding their safe use under the combinatorial settings, would open greater avenues of their utilization in future against this dreaded disease.

Graphical Abstract
Cost-effectiveness of polymyxin B hemoperfusion for septic shock: an observational study using a Japanese nationwide administrative database
Authors: Fujimori Kenji , Tarasawa Kunio , Fushimi Kiyohide
Published: February 2023

Background

Polymyxin B hemoperfusion (PMX) removes endotoxin from septic shock patients. Although the treatment has been clinically used for more than 20 years, its cost-effectiveness has not been evaluated in detail.

Methods

This study used the Japanese diagnosis procedure combination (DPC) administrative database from April 2018 to March 2021. We selected adult patients with a primary diagnosis of sepsis and the SOFA score at the sepsis diagnosis was between 7 and 12. The patients were divided into the PMX group that received PMX treatment and the control group that did not receive PMX. After adjusting the patient background by propensity score matching, we calculated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) by determining the difference in quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) and medical cost between the PMX and the control groups.

Results

Nineteen thousand two hundred eighty-three patients were included in the study. Among them, 1492 patients received PMX treatment, and 17,791 did not. As a result of 1:3 propensity score matching, 965 patients in the PMX group and 2895 patients in the control group were selected and analyzed. Twenty-eight-day mortality and hospital mortality were significantly lower in the PMX group. The average medical cost per patient of the PMX group was 31,418 ± 21,144 Euro and that of the control group was 24,483 ± 21,762 Euro, with a difference of 6935 Euro. Life expectancy, life year-gained (LYG), and the QALY were 1.70, 0.86, and 0.60 years longer in the PMX group, respectively. The ICER was calculated to be 11,592 Euro/year, which was lower than the reported willingness-to-pay threshold of 38,462 Euro/year.

Conclusion

Polymyxin B hemoperfusion was shown to be an acceptable treatment in terms of the medical economy.
Toward Predicting 30-Day Readmission Among Oncology Patients: Identifying Timely and Actionable Risk Factors
Authors: Hwang Sy , Urbanowicz Ryan , Lynch Selah , Vernon Tawnya , Bresz Kellie , Giraldo Carolina , Kennedy Erin , Leabhart Max , Bleacher Troy , Ripchinski Michael R. , Mowery Danielle L. , Oyer Randall A.
Published: February 2023

PURPOSE

Predicting 30-day readmission risk is paramount to improving the quality of patient care. In this study, we compare sets of patient-, provider-, and community-level variables that are available at two different points of a patient's inpatient encounter (first 48 hours and the full encounter) to train readmission prediction models and identify possible targets for appropriate interventions that can potentially reduce avoidable readmissions.

METHODS

Using electronic health record data from a retrospective cohort of 2,460 oncology patients and a comprehensive machine learning analysis pipeline, we trained and tested models predicting 30-day readmission on the basis of data available within the first 48 hours of admission and from the entire hospital encounter.

RESULTS

Leveraging all features, the light gradient boosting model produced higher, but comparable performance (area under receiver operating characteristic curve [AUROC]: 0.711) with the Epic model (AUROC: 0.697). Given features in the first 48 hours, the random forest model produces higher AUROC (0.684) than the Epic model (AUROC: 0.676). Both models flagged patients with a similar distribution of race and sex; however, our light gradient boosting and random forest models were more inclusive, flagging more patients among younger age groups. The Epic models were more sensitive to identifying patients with an average lower zip income. Our 48-hour models were powered by novel features at various levels: patient (weight change over 365 days, depression symptoms, laboratory values, and cancer type), hospital (winter discharge and hospital admission type), and community (zip income and marital status of partner).

CONCLUSION

We developed and validated models comparable with the existing Epic 30-day readmission models with several novel actionable insights that could create service interventions deployed by the case management or discharge planning teams that may decrease readmission rates over time.
Therapy for Stage IV Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer Without Driver Alterations: ASCO Living Guideline, Version 2022.3
Authors: Jaiyesimi Ishmael A. , Owen Dwight H. , Ismaila Nofisat , Blanchard Elizabeth , Celano Paul , Florez Narjust , Jain Dharamvir , Singh Navneet
Published: February 2023

Living guidelines are developed for selected topic areas with rapidly evolving evidence that drives frequent change in recommended clinical practice. Living guidelines are updated on a regular schedule by a standing expert panel that systematically reviews the health literature on a continuous basis, as described in the ASCO Guidelines Methodology Manual . ASCO Living Guidelines follow the ASCO Conflict of Interest Policy Implementation for Clinical Practice Guidelines . Living Guidelines and updates are not intended to substitute for independent professional judgment of the treating provider and do not account for individual variation among patients. See appendix for disclaimers and other important information ( Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 ). Updates are published regularly and can be found at https://ascopubs.org/nsclc-non-da-living-guideline .
Delirium as a Risk Factor for Mortality in Critically Ill Patients With Cancer
Authors: Tao Jing , Seier Kenneth , Marasigan-Stone Carina B. , Simondac Justina-Sheila S. , Pascual Analin V. , Kostelecky Natalie T. , SantaTeresa Evangelina , Nwogugu Stella O. , Yang Jennifer J. , Schmeltz Joseph , Tan Kay See , Chawla Sanjay , Voigt Louis P.
Published: February 2023

PURPOSE:

Although delirium is known to negatively affect critically ill patients, little data exist on delirium in critically ill patients with cancer.

METHODS:

We analyzed 915 critically ill patients with cancer between January and December 2018. Delirium screening was performed using the Confusion Assessment Method for the intensive care unit (ICU), performed twice daily. Confusion Assessment Method-ICU incorporates four features of delirium: acute fluctuations in mental status, inattention, disorganized thinking, and altered levels of consciousness. Multivariable analysis controlling for admitting service, pre-ICU hospital length of stay (LOS), metastatic disease, CNS involvement, Mortality Probability Model II score on ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and others was performed to determine precipitating factors for delirium, ICU, and hospital mortality and LOS.

RESULTS:

Delirium occurred in 40.5% (n = 317) of patients; 43.8% (n = 401) were female; the median age was 64.9 (interquartile range, 54.6-73.2) years; 70.8% (n = 647) were White, 9.3% (n = 85) were Black, and 8.9% (n = 81) were Asian. The most common cancer types were hematologic (25.7%, n = 244) and gastrointestinal (20.9%, n = 191). Delirium was independently associated with age (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.02; P = .038), longer pre-ICU hospital LOS (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.06; P < .001), not resuscitating on admission (OR, 2.18; 95% CI, 1.07 to 4.44; P = .032), CNS involvement (OR, 2.25; 95% CI, 1.20 to 4.20; P = .011), higher Mortality Probability Model II score (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.02; P < .001), mechanical ventilation (OR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.84 to 3.87; P < .001), and sepsis diagnosis (OR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.43 to 0.99; P = .046). Delirium was also independently associated with higher ICU mortality (OR, 10.75; 95% CI, 5.91 to 19.55; P < .001), hospital mortality (OR, 5.84; 95% CI, 4.03 to 8.46; P < .001), and ICU LOS (estimate, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.54 to 1.81; P < .001).

CONCLUSION:

Delirium significantly worsens outcome in critically ill patients with cancer. Delirium screening and management should be integrated into the care of this patient subgroup.
Spin-multiplexing phase-driven varifocal metalenses for multidimensional beam splitting and binary switching
Authors: Huang Yafeng , Xu Junwei , Tian Ximin , Ding Pei , Yu Zhanjun , Li Jie , Xu Yaning , Zhang Shenglan , Ma Xiaolong , Duan Xiangyang , Li Zhi-Yuan
Published: February 2023

The Pancharatnam-Berry (PB) phase, subject to geometric phase, is currently utilized to implement spin-dependent optical functions. Simultaneously achieving spin-multiplexing and varifocal performances via a single-cell-designed metasurface that purely relies on PB phases has been scarcely proposed due to the quite sophisticated degrees of freedom to be taken into account. Here, by virtue of pure PB phases composed of convex and concave phases, spin-multiplexing and varifocal metalenses based on a single-cell-designed approach are developed. The unit cell consists of Ge2Sb2Se4Te1 (GSST) nanopillar pairs setting on CaF2 substrate. By adopting the specified pure PB phases, the proposed metalenses can focus the left-handed and right-handed circularly polarized (LCP and RCP) incidences into different positions. By ingenious design, the Ge2Sb2Se4Te1-based unit cell can work like a half-wave plate at two wavelength bands depending on the Ge2Sb2Se4Te1 phase states, enabling the proposed metalenses phase-driven zoom focusing. Particularly, the unique phase transition of GSST empowers the proposed schemes with binary switching focusing merit and large switching contrast ratio. The new design strategy constitutes a novel avenue in designing spin-multiplexing and varifocal optical devices, showing great potential in imaging, optical storage and optical interconnections.
Pelvis Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Diagnose Familial Partial Lipodystrophy
Authors: Adiyaman Suleyman Cem , Altay Canan , Kamisli Berfu Y , Avci Emre Ruhat , Basara Isil , Simsir Ilgin Yildirim , Atik Tahir , Secil Mustafa , Oral Elif A , Akinci Baris
Published: February 2023

Context

The diagnosis of familial partial lipodystrophy (FPLD) is currently made based on clinical judgment.

Objective

There is a need for objective diagnostic tools that can diagnose FPLD accurately.

Methods

We have developed a new method that uses measurements from pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the pubis level. We evaluated measurements from a lipodystrophy cohort (n = 59; median age [25th-75th percentiles]: 32 [24-44]; 48 females and 11 males) and age- and sex-matched controls (n = 29). Another dataset included MRIs from 289 consecutive patients.

Results

Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed a potential cut-point of ≤13 mm gluteal fat thickness for the diagnosis of FPLD. A combination of gluteal fat thickness ≤13 mm and pubic/gluteal fat ratio ≥2.5 (based on a receiver operating characteristic curve) provided 96.67% (95% CI, 82.78-99.92) sensitivity and 91.38% (95% CI, 81.02-97.14) specificity in the overall cohort and 100.00% (95% CI, 87.23-100.00) sensitivity and 90.00% (95% CI, 76.34-97.21) specificity in females for the diagnosis of FPLD. When this approach was tested in a larger dataset of random patients, FPLD was differentiated from subjects without lipodystrophy with 96.67% (95% CI, 82.78-99.92) sensitivity and 100.00% (95% CI, 98.73-100.00) specificity. When only women were analyzed, the sensitivity and the specificity was 100.00% (95% CI, 87.23-100.00 and 97.95-100.00, respectively). The performance of gluteal fat thickness and pubic/gluteal fat thickness ratio was comparable to readouts performed by radiologists with expertise in lipodystrophy.

Conclusion

The combined use of gluteal fat thickness and pubic/gluteal fat ratio from pelvic MRI is a promising method to diagnose FPLD that can reliably identify FPLD in women. Our findings need to be tested in larger populations and prospectively.
Diabetic Muscle Infarction: An Uncommon Diabetic Complication With a Lack of Standardized Treatment
Authors: Botero Suarez Carlos S , Matos Moises , Suryanarayanan Sowmya
Published: February 2023

Diabetic muscle infarction (DMI) is a rare yet serious complication that has been strongly associated with uncontrolled diabetes, although other risk factors are unclear. DMI is an uncommon complication of diabetes with a lack of structured guidelines for evaluation or management. End-stage renal disease (ESRD) could have further implications in patients with DMI in terms of management given that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which have been shown to reduce the recovery times and recurrence of DMI, could be contraindicated. We present a rare case of DMI in an African American man with ESRD who presented for new-onset right lower-extremity pain and swelling. We discuss the challenges involved with the diagnosis and treatment of this rare condition. This case adds to the knowledge of DMI, which is limited because of the low incidence of this condition, and it helps us understand how this condition affects the African American population and patients with ESRD.
Cyclin A participates in the TSO1-MYB3R1 regulatory module to maintain shoot meristem size and fertility in Arabidopsis
Authors: Wang Fuxi , Wang Wanpeng , Liu Zhongchi
Published: February 2023

The stem cell pools at the shoot apex and root tip give rise to all the above- and below-ground tissues of a plant. Previous studies in Arabidopsis identified a TSO1-MYB3R1 transcriptional module that controls the number and size of the stem cell pools at the shoot apex and root tip. As TSO1 and MYB3R1 are homologous to components of an animal cell cycle regulatory complex, DREAM, Arabidopsis mutants of TSO1 and MYB3R1 provide valuable tools for investigations into the link between cell cycle regulation and stem cell maintenance in plants. In this study, an Arabidopsis cyclin A gene, CYCA3;4, was identified as a member of the TSO1-MYB3R1 regulatory module and cyca3;4 mutations suppressed the tso1-1 mutant phenotype specifically in the shoot. The work reveals how the TSO1-MYB3R1 module is integrated with the cell cycle machinery to control cell division at the shoot meristem.
Drosophilaembryos spatially sort their nutrient stores to facilitate their utilization
Authors: Kilwein Marcus D. , Johnson Matthew R. , Thomalla Jonathon M. , Mahowald Anthony P. , Welte Michael A.
Published: February 2023

Animal embryos are provided by their mothers with a diverse nutrient supply that is crucial for development. In Drosophila, the three most abundant nutrients (triglycerides, proteins and glycogen) are sequestered in distinct storage structures: lipid droplets (LDs), yolk vesicles (YVs) and glycogen granules (GGs). Using transmission electron microscopy as well as live and fixed sample fluorescence imaging, we find that all three storage structures are dispersed throughout the egg but are then spatially allocated to distinct tissues by gastrulation: LDs largely to the peripheral epithelium, YVs and GGs to the central yolk cell. To confound the embryo's ability to sort its nutrients, we employ Jabba and mauve mutants to generate LD-GG and LD-YV compound structures. In these mutants, LDs are mis-sorted to the yolk cell and their turnover is delayed. Our observations demonstrate dramatic spatial nutrient sorting in early embryos and provide the first evidence for its functional importance.
Multidimensional plasticity jointly contributes to rapid acclimation to environmental challenges during biological invasions
Authors: Huang Xuena , Li Hanxi , Shenkar Noa , Zhan Aibin
Published: February 2023

Rapid plastic response to environmental changes, which involves extremely complex underlying mechanisms, is crucial for organismal survival during many ecological and evolutionary processes such as those in global change and biological invasions. Gene expression is among the most studied molecular plasticity, while co- or posttranscriptional mechanisms are still largely unexplored. Using a model invasive ascidianCiona savignyi, we studied multidimensional short-term plasticity in response to hyper- and hyposalinity stresses, covering the physiological adjustment, gene expression, alternative splicing (AS), and alternative polyadenylation (APA) regulations. Our results demonstrated that rapid plastic response varied with environmental context, timescales, and molecular regulatory levels. Gene expression, AS, and APA regulations independently acted on different gene sets and corresponding biological functions, highlighting their nonredundant roles in rapid environmental adaptation. Stress-induced gene expression changes illustrated the use of a strategy of accumulating free amino acids under high salinity and losing/reducing them during low salinity to maintain the osmotic homoeostasis. Genes with more exons were inclined to use AS regulations, and isoform switches in functional genes such asSLC2a5andCyb5r3resulted in enhanced transporting activities by up-regulating the isoforms with more transmembrane regions. The extensive 3′-untranslated region (3′UTR) shortening through APA was induced by both salinity stresses, and APA regulation predominated transcriptomic changes at some stages of stress response. The findings here provide evidence for complex plastic mechanisms to environmental changes, and thereby highlight the importance of systemically integrating different levels of regulatory mechanisms in studying initial plasticity in evolutionary trajectories.
The importance of m6A topology in chicken embryo mRNA: a precise mapping of m6A at the conserved chicken β-actin zipcode
Authors: Baron Francis , Zhang Mi , Archer Nathan , Bellows Eleanor , Knight Helen M. , Welham Simon , Rutland Catrin S. , Mongan Nigel P. , Hayes Christopher J. , Fray Rupert G. , Bodi Zsuzsa
Published: February 2023

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) in mRNA regulates almost every stage in the mRNA life cycle, and the development of methodologies for the high-throughput detection of methylated sites in mRNA using m6A-specific methylated RNA immunoprecipitation with next-generation sequencing (MeRIPSeq) or m6A individual-nucleotide-resolution cross-linking and immunoprecipitation (miCLIP) have revolutionized the m6A research field. Both of these methods are based on immunoprecipitation of fragmented mRNA. However, it is well documented that antibodies often have nonspecific activities, thus verification of identified m6A sites using an antibody-independent method would be highly desirable. We mapped and quantified the m6A site in the chicken β-actin zipcode based on the data from chicken embryo MeRIPSeq results and ourRNA-EpimodificationDetection andBase-Recognition(RedBaron) antibody-independent assay. We also demonstrated that methylation of this site in the β-actin zipcode enhances ZBP1 binding in vitro, while methylation of a nearby adenosine abolishes binding. This suggests that m6A may play a role in regulating localized translation of β-actin mRNA, and the ability of m6A to enhance or inhibit a reader protein's RNA binding highlights the importance of m6A detection at nucleotide resolution.
GAF-RCNN: Grid attention fusion 3D object detection from point cloud
Authors: Li Zheng , Tong Guofeng , Peng Hao , Ma Mingwei
Published: February 2023

Background: Due to the refinement of region of the interests (RoIs), two-stage 3D detection algorithms can usually obtain better performance compared with most single-stage detectors. However, most two-stage methods adopt feature connection, to aggregate the grid point features using multi-scale RoI pooling in the second stage. This connection mode does not consider the correlation between multi-scale grid features.

Methods: In the first stage, we employ 3D sparse convolution and 2D convolution to fully extract rich semantic features. Then, a small number of coarse RoIs are predicted based region proposal network (RPN) on generated bird’s eye view (BEV) map. After that, we adopt voxel RoI-pooling strategy to aggregate the neighborhood nonempty voxel features of each grid point in RoI in the last two layers of 3D sparse convolution. In this way, we obtain two aggregated features from 3D sparse voxel space for each grid point. Next, we design an attention feature fusion module. This module includes a local and a global attention layer, which can fully integrate the grid point features from different voxel layers.

Results: We carry out relevant experiments on the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Toyota Technological Institute (KITTI) dataset. The average precisions of our proposed method are 88.21%, 81.51%, 77.07% on three difficulty levels (easy, moderate, and hard, respectively) for 3D detection, and 92.30%, 90.19%, 86.00% on three difficulty levels (easy, moderate, and hard, respectively) for BEV detection.

Conclusions: In this paper, we propose a novel two-stage 3D detection algorithm named Grid Attention Fusion Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (GAF-RCNN) from point cloud. Because we integrate multi-scale RoI grid features with attention mechanism in the refinement stage, different multi-scale features can be better correlated, achieving a competitive level compared with other well tested detection algorithms. This 3D object detection has important implications for robot and cobot technology.
“« Coffee agroforestry business-driven clusters »: an innovative social and environmental organisational model for coffee farm renovation
Authors: Meter Andrew , Penot Eric , Vaast Philippe , Etienne Hervé , Ponçon Eric , Bertrand Benoit
Published: February 2023

Background: Worldwide coffee production, especially Arabica coffee, is threatened by climatic change, plants diseases and vulnerability of smallholders. Meanwhile, consumers’ demand for socially and environmentally sustainable products is steadily increasing, driving the engagement of stakeholders in agro-ecological and social initiatives. Here we present a new organizational model, the “Coffee agroforestry business-driven cluster” (CaFC), which aims at preserving ecosystems while offering producers a fair income. Based on an original local micro value-chain dedicated to sustainable production of high-quality Arabica coffee under agroforestry systems, the CaFC model stands out by addressing the issues around plantation renovation, a crucial process that requires considerable investments from producers.

Methods: Based on a pilot project in Nicaragua, we illustrate how the operational principles of CaFC can be applied in a real setting. Using data shared by key stakeholders involved in the project, we assess the profitability of the CaFC model by comparing different scenarios and applying sensitivity analysis. We then reflect on the reproducibility of the model in other contexts, building on lessons learned from ongoing implementations in Vietnam and Cameroon.

Results: For producers renovating their plantations, the CaFC model consistently outperforms other scenarios, offering high quality premiums coupled with capacity building, access to highly productive varieties that perform well under agroforestry systems and adapted credit with favourable repayment schemes. Implementation in Vietnam and Cameroon show that the model can be successfully replicated with some adaptation to local contexts. These cases also highlight the importance of mutual interests, trust and communication in enabling collaboration between stakeholders.

Conclusions: The CaFC model has great potential for positive environmental and economic impact and offers strong incentives for stakeholders involved in its resulting micro value-chain. The concept was initially developed in Nicaragua for coffee but could also be adapted in other countries or even to other commodities such as cocoa.
Investigating the effect of cardio-visual synchrony on prosocial behavior towards a social robot
Authors: Riddoch Katie A. , Cross Emily S.
Published: February 2023

Background: Robots are being designed to alleviate the burden of social isolation and loneliness, particularly among older adults for whom these issues are more widespread. While good intentions underpin these developments, the reality is that many of these robots are abandoned within a short period of time. To encourage the longer-term use and utility of such robots, researchers are exploring ways to increase robot likeability and facilitate attachment. Results from experimental psychology suggest that interpersonal synchrony (the overlap of movement/sensation between two agents) increases the extent to which people like one another. Methods: To investigate the possibility that synchrony could facilitate people’s liking towards a robot, we undertook a between-subjects experiment in which participants interacted with a robot programmed to illuminate at the same rate, or 20% slower, than their heart rate. To quantify the impact of cardio-visual synchrony on prosocial attitudes and behaviors toward this robot, participants completed self-report questionnaires, a gaze-cueing task, and were asked to strike the robot with a mallet.

Results: Contrary to pre-registered hypotheses, results revealed no differences in self-reported liking of the robot, gaze cueing effects, or the extent to which participants hesitated to hit the robot between the synchronous and asynchronous groups.

Conclusions: The quantitative data described above, as well as qualitative data collected in semi-structured interviews, provided rich insights into people’s behaviours and thoughts when socially engaging with a humanoid social robot, and call into question the use of the broad “Likeability” measurement, and the appropriateness of the ‘hesitance to hit’ paradigm as a measure of attachment to a robotic system.
Effects of nebulised beta-2 agonists on clinical observations in asthma exacerbations
Authors: Mortimer Craig , Nikoletou Dimitra , Ooms Ann , Williams Julia
Published: February 2023

Background:

Despite concerns over their side effects, short-acting beta-2 agonists are still used in high doses in prehospital care internationally to treat asthma exacerbations. This systematic review set out to identify the physiological effects associated with this treatment and determine their potential impact on the patient's presenting or underlying conditions.

Methods:

A systematic search of literature published from 2010 to 2020 focusing on asthmatic patients receiving nebulised beta-2 agonists during an acute exacerbation was undertaken and relevant articles reviewed.

Findings:

Eight out of 897 studies met the inclusion criteria. While the studies were heterogeneous with a range of outcome measures, synthesis showed evidence of bronchodilator action throughout, with reductions in potassium levels and cardiovascular changes reported in several studies.

Conclusions:

Therapeutic effects demonstrated within the data support the use of nebulised beta-2 agonists in these patients and, while adverse effects are frequently seen in the cardiovascular and endocrine systems, their impact on the patient's overall condition remains unclear.
Extensió de la marca /g/ i desaparació del sincretisme formal en els verbs de la segona conjugació del català
Authors: Badal Bertolín Manuel
Published: February 2023

En català antic, verbs com beure o moldre, amb perfet fort llatí en -ui-, presentaven inicialment extensió velar només en el morfoma pita (acrònim de perfecto y tiempos afines): 3a *bibuit > bec, 3a moluit > molc. En canvi, les formes del morfoma L, constituït per la primera persona del present d’indicatiu i tot el present de subjuntiu, presentaven un radical sense consonant velar: 1a bibō > beu, 1a molō > mol. En aquest treball, partint d’un corpus que inclou obres del segle xiiial xix, datem el procés de velarització del morfoma L en aquesta subclasse verbal, coincident en el temps amb el canvi del model fort al feble en el perfet simple (3a bec >> begué). L’adopció de l’extensió /g/, que resol l’homofonia entre la primera i la tercera persona del present d'indicatiu (1a beu >> bec vs. 3a beu), es produeix simultàniament en tot el morfoma L, a diferència d’altres subclasses verbals. Com a conseqüència de la reorganització, al final del procés evolutiu es crea una nova subclasse verbal dins de la segona conjugació, caracteritzada per la presència de /g/ tant en el morfoma pita com en el morfoma L.
Rapid quantitative analysis of calcium in infant formula powder assisted by long short-term memory with variable importance using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy
Authors: Ding Yu , Yang Linyu , Chen Wenjie , Chen Jing , Zhao Xingqiang , Luo Yong , Zhou Wangping
Published: February 2023

Calcium is the main mineral responsible for healthy bone growth in
infants. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was combined with
a variable importance-based long short-term memory (VI-LSTM) for the
quantitative analysis of calcium in infant formula powder. First, the
full spectra were used to establish PLS (partial least squares) and
LSTM models. The R2 and root-mean-square error (RMSE) of the test set (R
P
2 and RMSE
P
) were 0.1460 and 0.0093 in the PLS
method, respectively, and 0.1454 and 0.0091 in the LSTM model,
respectively. To improve the quantitative performance, variable
selection based on variable importance was introduced to evaluate the
contribution of input variables. The variable importance-based PLS
(VI-PLS) model had R
P
2 and RMSE
P
of 0.1454 and 0.0091, respectively,
whereas the VI-LSTM model had R
P
2 and RMSE
P
of 0.9845 and 0.0037, respectively.
Compared with the LSTM model, the number of input variables in the
VI-LSTM model was reduced to 276, R
P
2 was improved by 114.63%, and RMSE
P
was reduced by 46.38%. The mean
relative error of the VI-LSTM model was 3.33%. We confirm the
predictive ability of the VI-LSTM model for the calcium element in
infant formula powder. Thus, combining VI-LSTM modeling and LIBS has
great potential for the quantitative elemental analysis of dairy
products.
Synthesis and nonlinear optical properties of polyurethane composites containing a pyrene derivative
Authors: Gao Lijun , Li Liuyang , Li Bin , Yi Haoyue , Zhou Liming , Qu Xiongwei , Fang Shaoming
Published: February 2023

The pyrene derivative (PD) was synthesized with pyrene-1-carboxaldehyde and p-aminoazobenzene by a Schiff base reaction. Then the obtained PD was dispersed in polyurethane (PU) prepolymer to prepare polyurethane/pyrene derivative PU/PD materials with good transmittance. The nonlinear optical (NLO) performances of the PD and PU/PD materials were studied by the Z-scan technique under picosecond and femtosecond laser pulses. The PD has reverse saturable absorption (RSA) properties under the excitation of 532 nm 15 ps pulses, 650 and 800 nm 180 fs pulses, and a low optical limiting (OL) threshold (0.01J/cm2). The PU/PD has a larger RSA coefficient than that of the PD under 532 nm 15 ps pulses. With the enhanced RSA, the PU/PD materials exhibit excellent OL (OL) performance. Good NLO properties, high transparency, and easy processing performances make the PU/PD an excellent choice for use in OL and laser protection fields.