bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative Study Between Intravenous Clonidine and Preservative Free Intravenous Lignocaine in Attenuation of Pressor Response to Laryngoscopy and Endotracheal Intubation
Authors: Vazhakalayil Subha Teresa Jose , Haroon Shahbaz
Published: January 2023

Objectives

To compare the attenuation of pressor responses by intravenous clonidine and preservative-free lignocaine to laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation.

Materials and Methods

A randomized, prospective, comparative, double-blinded study was conducted in 80 adult patients who were randomized into two groups of 40 each, group clonidine (Group C) and group lignocaine (Group L). Group C patients were given 2 µg/kg clonidine in 20 ml of normal saline as a slow infusion over 10 min prior to intubation. Group L patients were given 1.5 mg/kg of preservative-free 2% lignocaine in 20 ml of normal saline as a single-dose infusion over 3 min prior to intubation. Baseline vital and hemodynamic parameters were monitored during the perioperative period at 1-, 5-, and 10-min post-intubation.

Results

The attenuation of heart rate (HR) after intubation was much better with clonidine than lignocaine as there is statistically significant difference in the mean HR between the two groups at 1, 5, and 10 min after intubation with the HR significantly lesser in the Group C than the Group L at all times after intubation. Both clonidine and lignocaine were effective in attenuating systolic blood pressure response after intubation, but clonidine was more effective than lignocaine as systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) in the Group C remained much lower than the Group L and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant at all times after intubation.

Conclusion

Premedicating with a single slow infusion of 2 µg/kg i.v. clonidine has been proven to be effective in maintaining perioperative hemodynamic stability at 1, 5, and 10 min post-intubation than lignocaine.
A single-item measure of self-rated mental health and psychological distress. In what situations can a single-item measure be useful?
Authors: Stubbs Joanne M , Achat Helen M
Published: January 2023

Objective

To examine the association between self-rated mental health (SRMH) and psychological distress (PD) at multiple periods and subsequently assess the potential of SRMH as a screening tool.

Method

Staff working at a designated COVID-19 hospital in Sydney, Australia during March to May 2020 completed the SRMH and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) within a larger survey examining the pandemic’s impact on health and well-being. SRMH was assessed before the pandemic (baseline), during its first peak in 2020 (time 2) and several months later (time 3). K10 was assessed for time 2 and time 3. All assessments took place at time 3.

Results

At time 2, 80% of respondents with high PD and 25% with low PD reported poor SRMH (χ2 = 21.3, p < .0001). At time 3, 90% with low PD reported good SRMH. Risk of high PD was greater for respondents with persistently poor SRMH (time 2: OR = 18.2, 95% CI = 7.7–42.8; time 3: OR = 14.4, 95% CI = 6.9–29.9) and, to a lesser extent, for those whose SRMH declined (time 2: OR = 11.6, 95% CI = 6.6–20.4; time 3: OR = 13.8, 95% CI = 2.9–66.9), compared to those with persistently good SRMH.

Conclusions

During a crisis SRMH can identify the majority of those most likely to benefit from additional assessment and support. Persistently poor SRMH indicates highest risk, detectable from routine screening.
Identifying Incarceration Turning Points Through Veteran Lived Experiences
Authors: Flake Jason , Arxer Steven , LePage James
Published: January 2023

Veteran incarceration presents numerous social and public health problems, which often include re-incarceration, homelessness, unemployment, and suicide. Contemporary literature on veteran incarceration often relies on quantitative-based data. While this data is useful in certain settings, it often limits our knowledge and understanding of the problem. Our study used qualitative interviews to focus on veteran-centric views, experiences, and behaviors associated with incarceration. Guided by the Life Course perspective, our interviews yielded several novel turning point behaviors. These novel turning point behaviors provide a more in-depth and nuanced understanding of veteran incarceration, blend veteran centric behaviors with known incarceration factors, and provide a glimpse into how these behaviors interact with other known factors, such as homelessness and unemployment. Understanding how veterans give meaning to these turning point behaviors may assist health care providers in altering veteran risk responses and interrupt these pathways to incarceration.
Real-World Efficacy and Safety of PARP Inhibitors in Recurrent Ovarian Cancer Patients With Somatic BRCA and Other Homologous Recombination Gene Mutations
Authors: Pan Yifang Eva , Hood Annette , Ahmad Hiba , Altwerger Gary
Published: January 2023

Background:

Real-world data regarding the use of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors in recurrent ovarian cancer patients with non-BRCA homologous recombination (HR) mutations or somatic BRCA mutations are lacking.

Objective:

The purpose of our study is to evaluate the response rate, duration of treatment, time to progression (TTP), and toxicities of olaparib, niraparib, and rucaparib in somatic BRCAm and non-BRCA HR-mutated patients.

Methods:

This was a retrospective study using the electronic medical record to identify patients across our health system who were initiated on a PARP inhibitor for ovarian cancer between December 2014 and December 2019. Patients were screened for the presence of a somatic BRCA1/2 mutation or a mutation in non-BRCA HR genes. Data were collected via chart review.

Results:

For the efficacy analysis, 8 patients had somatic BRCA mutations and 12 patients had HR mutations. The overall response rate (ORR) was 50% for BRCA-mutated (BRCAm) patients and 9.1% for non-BRCA HR-mutated (non-BRCA HRm) patients. 72.7% of patients with non-BRCA HR mutations had stable disease. The duration of therapy ranged from 2 to 66 months. The median TTP was 9.5 months. Overall, 66.7% of patients in the entire cohort started on a reduced dose of PARP inhibitor. Dose reductions due to AEs were observed in 52.4% of patients, while AEs requiring treatment interruption occurred in 61.9%.

Conclusion and Relevance:

We found that PARP inhibitors provided stable disease in a high proportion of recurrent ovarian cancer patients who had pathogenic HR mutations, with toxicities comparable to major trials. Patients with non-BRCA HR and somatic BRCA mutations could benefit from PARP inhibitors.
Promising Happiness in Light of International Advertising Standardization: Religiosity and Religious Priming Overshadow Cross-Cultural Factors
Authors: Khenfer Jamel
Published: January 2023

Advertising campaigns that explicitly claim that the advertised product can bring happiness to the consumer's life are often standardized across national markets. While it seems intuitive that most people want to be happy and might respond favorably to calls for happiness, the literature offers little to no evidence to support this common managerial practice. Through two studies conducted in cultural settings as different as the United Arab Emirates and the United States, this research shows that cross-cultural factors matter less than personal and situational factors such as religiosity and religious priming, respectively. Specifically, the author found that lower (higher) religiosity levels led to worse (better) ratings for happiness-based (vs. control) claims. Moreover, exposure to religious cues flipped the relationship between higher religiosity levels and liking for ads featuring happiness-based claims because of altered perceptions of the brand's control over the claim. This research sheds light on the interactive role of religiosity and religious priming on consumer response to standardized secular advertising.
“I wish people knew that there are other flavors” Reflections on the representation of poly-kink in mainstream media by polyamorous kinksters in the Netherlands
Authors: van der Beek Suzanne , Thomas Laura
Published: January 2023

Although studies have remarked upon the increase in representation of kinksters and BDSM practices in mainstream media narratives, community voices indicate that these narratives do not provide an authentic portrayal of their community. This misrepresentation of kinksters results in stigmatization and forces the community to manage its minority stress. This article reflects upon the results from a series of interviews with Dutch poly-kink-identified participants about mainstream representations of their community. The participants agree on several main objections to this representation: mainstream media narratives ignore community norms, while they actively sensationalize and pathologize kink, and insist on stereotypical gender relations. Together, this representation undermines the transgressive potential of poly-kink relations and increases the stigmatization of this community.
Sensitivity of structural responses to the processing of near-fault ground motion records containing fling-step
Authors: Daei Aydin , Poursha Mehdi , Zarrin Mohamad
Published: January 2023

Fling-step is one of the important characteristics of near-fault ground motions that is caused by a permanent static offset of the ground and appears as a one-sided velocity pulse and a large residual displacement at the end of the motion. Due to baseline errors in many ground motion records, they are processed (processing is a combination of baseline correction and filtering) before adding accelerograms to some earthquake databases whereby the residual displacements ( i.e., the permanent static offsets) in the fling records are typically eliminated. It is not clear to what extent the record processing can affect the nonlinear responses of structures subjected to fling-step records. To address this issue, the current study is conducted to investigate the sensitivity of the nonlinear structural responses to record processing. To achieve this goal, the seismic responses of three code-conforming reinforced concrete (RC) special moment-resisting frames with different heights subjected to two versions of fling-step ground motions including a processed version that static offsets are removed, and a baseline-corrected version with static offsets preserved are evaluated. The findings of this assessment indicate that even though the processing procedure does not preserve the static offsets of the fling-step ground motions, the seismic responses of the structures to the processed records may resemble those obtained under only the baseline-corrected ground motions (with static offsets preserved).
Prediction of acoustic pressure of thermoacoustic combustion instability based on Elman neural network
Authors: Zeng Qingwen , Hu Chunyan , Xu Hanling , Sun Jiaxian , Tan Xiangmin , Zhu Junqiang
Published: January 2023

Accurate prediction of thermoacoustic instability is a prerequisite for thermoacoustic control to avoid the damage of combustion chamber, however, this problem has not been completely solved yet. This paper proposes a data-driven method based on the Elman neural network (ENN) to predict the value of acoustic pressure of combustion instability. As a comparison, a model based on support vector machine (SVM) was built. It is proved that ENN has better prediction performance with a certain predicted time horizon compared to the SVM method. What is more, the prediction model based on ENN can adapt to time-varying characteristics of the transition scenario which is characterized by amplitude modulation, multiple frequencies, and irregular bursts. ENN model still maintains enough prediction accuracy for various input training sets, indicating that ENN can fully mine the features of data and has a strong feature extraction ability in combustion oscillation prediction. Hence, it is demonstrated that ENN is a promising prediction tool for thermoacoustic instability under various combustion conditions. These findings are of great significance for the accurate prediction and control of thermoacoustic instability.
Market Efficiency and Censoring Bias in College Football Gambling
Authors: Arscott Robert
Published: January 2023

The team totals and point spread betting lines jointly predict team scores in college football games. The gambling market’s score predictions are shown to be biased due to censoring at zero points. This presents arbitrage opportunities for gamblers who place wagers on the team totals line in cases for which expected bias is high. A naïve betting strategy that exploits this bias using only information contained within the two betting lines themselves yields a win percentage of over 55 percent over the past two decades. This significantly exceeds the typical transaction costs associated with wagers, indicating the market is semi-strong inefficient.
Division Play and Outcome Uncertainty in Sports Leagues
Authors: Lee Young Hoon , Fort Rodney
Published: January 2023

The analysis of outcome uncertainty (OU) and competitive balance (CB) has been of overwhelming importance in sports economics. Surprisingly, there is little work on the impact of the structure of play on either OU or CB. Balanced and unbalanced schedules, and division play have been used to analyze biasedness of CB measures. And the impact of the introduction of unbalanced schedules on OU has been analyzed. But the impact of the introduction of both unbalanced schedules and division play on OU has not been analyzed. In this paper, we assess the impacts on OU, for given choices of CB (OU/CB) of moving to division play. This includes the impact of schedule imbalance, division strength, the number of teams, and the number of divisions. We also obtain estimates of their marginal impacts on OU/CB via numerical analysis and regression. The results are compared to OU/CB from unbiased estimators, for the case of the introduction of division play in Major League Baseball. The results suggest that the approach is useful and there are policy implications.
Renal cancer
Authors: Carey Charles , Brown Benjamin , Smith Peter
Published: January 2023

Renal cancer is the seventh most common cancer in the UK and accounts for 4% of all new cancer diagnoses. The incidence of renal cancer is rising as a result of increased incidental diagnoses, an ageing population and higher prevalence of obesity. The classic presentation of renal cancer is as the triad of loin pain, a palpable loin mass and haematuria, but many cases of renal cancer do not present with clear symptoms. Late-stage diagnoses are common, necessitating more invasive treatments. Those suspected of having renal cancer should be referred and investigated without delay, with ultrasound and contrast computerised tomography being the best imaging modalities in most cases. Renal biopsies are not routinely necessary, although may be helpful in cases of diagnostic uncertainty such as lesions suspicious of metastatic deposits, benign tumours or to guide novel minimally invasive or oncological treatments. Between 80 and 90% of tumours are renal cell carcinomas, the vast majority of which are clear cell carcinomas, and only a small proportion of renal masses are completely benign. Surgery remains the key method of treatment in patients with local disease, with nephron sparing and radical methods being available depending on the disease stage. For patients with metastatic disease, the mainstay of treatment is oncological systemic therapies targeted at specific checkpoint markers.
State of the art: non-invasive electrical stimulation for the treatment of chronic tinnitus
Authors: Chen Shanwen , Du Maoshan , Wang Yang , Li Yifan , Tong Busheng , Qiu Jianxin , Wu Feihu , Liu Yehai
Published: January 2023

Subjective tinnitus is the perception of sound in the absence of external stimulation. Neuromodulation is a novel method with promising properties for application in tinnitus management. This study sought to review the types of non-invasive electrical stimulation in tinnitus to provide the foothold for further research. PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were searched for studies on the modulation of tinnitus by non-invasive electrical stimulation. Among the four forms of non-invasive electrical modulation, transcranial direct current stimulation, transcranial random noise stimulation, and transauricular vagus nerve stimulation yielded promising results, whereas the effect of transcranial alternating current stimulation in the treatment of tinnitus has not been confirmed. Non-invasive electrical stimulation can effectively suppress tinnitus perception in some patients. However, the heterogeneity in parameter settings leads to scattered and poorly replicated findings. Further high-quality studies are needed to identify optimal parameters to develop more acceptable protocols for tinnitus modulation.
The Impact of Patient-Centered Care on Cancer Patients’ QOC, Self-Efficacy, and Trust Towards Doctors: Analysis of a National Survey
Authors: Elkefi Safa , Asan Onur
Published: January 2023

Patient-centered approaches impact cancer patients’ perceptions and outcomes in different ways. This study explores the impact of patient-centered care practices on cancer patients’ quality-of-care (QOC), self-efficacy, and trust in their doctors. We utilized cross-sectional national survey data from the National Cancer Institute collected between 2017 and 2020. All estimates were weighted using the jackknife method. We used multivariable logistic regression to test our hypotheses adjusted for the demographics of the 1932 cancer patients that responded to the survey. Findings indicate that patient-centered communication resulted in better QOC, self-efficacy, and trust in doctors. In addition, engagement in their care improved patients’ trust in cancer-related information received from doctors. QOC and patients’ trust in doctors were significantly improved with the patients’ understanding of the next steps, addressing feelings, clear explanation of the problems, spending enough time with the clinicians, addressing uncertainty, and involvement in decisions. Patients who were given a chance to ask questions were significantly more likely to trust their doctors. Technology use did not impact any of these interactions. Patient-centered strategies should consider the needs of the patients in the cancer settings to improve overall outcomes. Organizations should also build strategies that are goal-oriented and centered around the patients’ needs, as standard strategies cannot induce the wanted results.
Which Hospitals Promote a Sleep-Friendly Patient Experience?
Authors: Gulati Jasmine , Arora Vineet , McDaniel Lauren , Affini Murtala , Mason Noah , Orlov Nicola
Published: January 2023

The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey measures patient perceptions of hospital experience to determine the annual Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reimbursement. This study focuses on the “Quiet at Night” variable and identifies institutions with the highest scores to determine characteristics that facilitate patient sleep. The key findings were as follows: CMS Top Rated Hospitals have a mean score of 5 on the “Quiet at Night” variable. US News Honor Roll Hospitals have a mean score of 2.67, with a statistically significant difference of P < .001 between the groups. The key characteristics of the CMS Hospitals are that they are predominantly privately owned, specialized, surgical facilities with few total hospital beds. Knowing that HCAHPS scores directly impact and reflect patient experience, the objective of this study was to better understand the hospital practices that facilitate a high score on the “Quiet at Night” question to empower low scoring hospitals to improve their sleep practices at night and to score higher on the HCAHPS survey.
Perspective of Patients and Stakeholders as Members of a Research Team
Authors: Poole Janet L , Newbill Sharon L
Published: January 2023

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare orphan disease, characterized by skin thickening, vascular insufficiency, and fibrosis of internal organs. SSc affects about 100,000 people in the United States. This study explored perceived benefits and challenges of patient partners and stakeholders, who were team members on a project to revise and test a self-management program (Taking Charge of Systemic Sclerosis). Five patient partners, 1 stakeholder from the Scleroderma Foundation and 1 stakeholder from a state chapter of the Scleroderma Foundation were interviewed. Conversations were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim and analyzed. Four themes emerged from the analysis with corresponding subthemes: contributions to study, benefits of involvement, challenges, and project leadership. The themes and subthemes were generally similar to those expressed in other studies. However, additional benefits from engagement were identified: acceptance, increased knowledge of SSc, and helping others. Participants reported feeling supported and valued as members of the team and that their opinions mattered which is in contrast with findings from other studies.
Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin-1-expressing vagus nerve fibers mediate IL-1β induced hypothermia and reflex anti-inflammatory responses
Authors: Silverman Harold A. , Tynan Aisling , Hepler Tyler D. , Chang Eric H. , Gunasekaran Manojkumar , Li Jian Hua , Huerta Tomás S. , Tsaava Tea , Chang Qing , Addorisio Meghan E. , Chen Adrian C. , Thompson Dane A. , Pavlov Valentin A. , Brines Michael , Tracey Kevin J. , Chavan Sangeeta S.
Published: January 2023

Background

Inflammation, the physiological response to infection and injury, is coordinated by the immune and nervous systems. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and other cytokines produced during inflammatory responses activate sensory neurons (nociceptors) to mediate the onset of pain, sickness behavior, and metabolic responses. Although nociceptors expressing Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin-1 (TRPA1) can initiate inflammation, comparatively little is known about the role of TRPA1 nociceptors in the physiological responses to specific cytokines.

Methods

To monitor body temperature in conscious and unrestrained mice, telemetry probes were implanted into peritoneal cavity of mice. Using transgenic and tissue specific knockouts and chemogenetic techniques, we recorded temperature responses to the potent pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β. Using calcium imaging, whole cell patch clamping and whole nerve recordings, we investigated the role of TRPA1 during IL-1β-mediated neuronal activation. Mouse models of acute endotoxemia and sepsis were used to elucidate how specific activation, with optogenetics and chemogenetics, or ablation of TRPA1 neurons can affect the outcomes of inflammatory insults. All statistical tests were performed with GraphPad Prism 9 software and for all analyses, P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Here, we describe a previously unrecognized mechanism by which IL-1β activates afferent vagus nerve fibers to trigger hypothermia, a response which is abolished by selective silencing of neuronal TRPA1. Afferent vagus nerve TRPA1 signaling also inhibits endotoxin-stimulated cytokine storm and significantly reduces the lethality of bacterial sepsis.

Conclusion

Thus, IL-1β activates TRPA1 vagus nerve signaling in the afferent arm of a reflex anti-inflammatory response which inhibits cytokine release, induces hypothermia, and reduces the mortality of infection. This discovery establishes that TRPA1, an ion channel known previously as a pro-inflammatory detector of cold, pain, itch, and a wide variety of noxious molecules, also plays a specific anti-inflammatory role via activating reflex anti-inflammatory activity.
Long noncoding RNA uc007nnj.1 mediates neuronal death induced by retinal ischemia/reperfusion in mice via the miR-155-5p/Tle4 axis
Authors: Feng Yuqing , Lu Jinfang , Peng Xujun , Ge Yanni , Zhang Ran , Li Huiling
Published: January 2023

Background

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) apoptosis is a vital manifestation of retinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, yet the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. The contribution of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) to this cellular process is currently being explored. Based on a lncRNA chip assay, we aimed to investigate the role of lncRNA uc007nnj.1 in the pathological process of ischemia-induced RGCs apoptosis.

Methods

Hank’s balanced salt solution containing 10 µM antimycin A and 2 µM calcium ionophore for 2 h to construct an ischemic model in RGCs, and elevation of intraocular pressure to 120 mm Hg for 1 h was used to construct a mouse model of retinal I/R injury.

Results

In this study, lncRNA uc007nnj.1 was highly upregulated in response to I/R injury in RGCs and mouse retinas. In addition, lncRNA uc007nnj.1 knockdown reduced retinal neuronal cell apoptosis in vitro and in vivo and significantly improved retinal function.

Discussion

Mechanistically, the results demonstrated that lncRNA uc007nnj.1 acts as ceRNA competitively binding miR-155-5p, thereby enhancing the expression levels of Tle4, thus aggravating ischemia-related apoptosis in RGCs.

Conclusions

Finally, our study identifies the lncRNA uc007nnj.1/miR-155-5p/Tle4 axis as a potential target for the prevention of I/R-induced retinal neuronal death.
Terahertz Spectroscopic Characterization and Thickness Evaluation of Internal Delamination Defects in GFRP Composites
Authors: Nsengiyumva Walter , Zhong Shuncong , Luo Manting , Wang Bing
Published: January 2023

The use of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) for the nondestructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) of materials and structural systems has attracted significant attention over the past two decades due to its superior spatial resolution and capabilities of detecting and characterizing defects and structural damage in non-conducting materials. In this study, the THz-TDS system is used to detect, localize and evaluate hidden multi-delamination defects (i.e., a three-level multi-delamination system) in multilayered GFRP composite laminates. To obtain accurate results, a wavelet shrinkage de-noising algorithm is used to remove the noise from the measured time-of-flight (TOF) signals. The thickness and location of each delamination defect in the z-direction (i.e., through-the-thickness direction) are calculated from the de-noised TOF signals considering the interaction between the pulsed THz waves and the different interfaces in the GFRP composite laminates. A comparison between the actual and the measured thickness values of the delamination defects before and after the wavelet shrinkage denoising process indicates that the latter provides better results with less than 3.712% relative error, while the relative error of the non-de-noised signals reaches 16.388%. Also, the power and absorbance levels of the THz waves at every interface with different refractive indices in the GFRP composite laminates are evaluated based on analytical and experimental approaches. The present study provides an adequate theoretical analysis that could help NDT&E specialists to estimate the maximum thickness of GFRP composite materials and/or structures with different interfaces that can be evaluated by the THz-TDS. Also, the accuracy of the obtained results highlights the capabilities of the THz-TDS for the NDT&E of multilayered GFRP composite laminates.
Prediction and validation of novel SigB regulon members in Bacillus subtilis and regulon structure comparison to Bacillales members
Authors: Yeak Kah Yen Claire , Boekhorst Jos , Wels Michiel , Abee Tjakko , Wells-Bennik Marjon H J
Published: January 2023

Background

Sigma factor B (SigB) is the central regulator of the general stress response in Bacillus subtilis and regulates a group of genes in response to various stressors, known as the SigB regulon members. Genes that are directly regulated by SigB contain a promotor binding motif (PBM) with a previously identified consensus sequence.

Results

In this study, refined SigB PBMs were derived and different spacer compositions and lengths (N12-N17) were taken into account. These were used to identify putative SigB-regulated genes in the B. subtilis genome, revealing 255 genes: 99 had been described in the literature and 156 genes were newly identified, increasing the number of SigB putative regulon members (with and without a SigB PBM) to > 500 in B. subtilis. The 255 genes were assigned to five categories (I-V) based on their similarity to the original SigB consensus sequences. The functionalities of selected representatives per category were assessed using promoter-reporter fusions in wt and ΔsigB mutants upon exposure to heat, ethanol, and salt stress. The activity of the PrsbV (I) positive control was induced upon exposure to all three stressors. PytoQ (II) showed SigB-dependent activity only upon exposure to ethanol, whereas PpucI (II) with a N17 spacer and PylaL (III) with a N16 spacer showed mild induction regardless of heat/ethanol/salt stress. PywzA (III) and PyaaI (IV) displayed ethanol-specific SigB-dependent activities despite a lower-level conserved − 10 binding motif. PgtaB (V) was SigB-induced under ethanol and salt stress while lacking a conserved − 10 binding region. The activities of PygaO and PykaA (III) did not show evident changes under the conditions tested despite having a SigB PBM that highly resembled the consensus. The identified extended SigB regulon candidates in B. subtilis are mainly involved in coping with stress but are also engaged in other cellular processes. Orthologs of SigB regulon candidates with SigB PBMs were identified in other Bacillales genomes, but not all showed a SigB PBM. Additionally, genes involved in the integration of stress signals to activate SigB were predicted in these genomes, indicating that SigB signaling and regulon genes are species-specific.

Conclusion

The entire SigB regulatory network is sophisticated and not yet fully understood even for the well-characterized organism B. subtilis 168. Knowledge and information gained in this study can be used in further SigB studies to uncover a complete picture of the role of SigB in B. subtilis and other species.
Causes and trends of adult mortality in southern Ethiopia: an eight-year follow up database study
Authors: Meles Gebrekiros Gebremichael , Ayele Gistane , Gutema Befikadu Tariku , Kondale Mekides , Zerdo Zerihun , Merdekios Behailu , Tsalla Tsegaye , Kote Mesfin , Baharu Alazar , Bekele Alemayehu , Gebremeskel Feleke , Shegaze Mulugeta , Gultie Teklemariam
Published: January 2023

Background

Broad and specific causes of adult mortalities are often neglected indicators of wellbeing in low-income countries like Ethiopia due to lack of strong vital statistics. Thus, this database study aimed to assess the causes of adult mortality using demographic surveillance data.

Methods

An 8-year (12 September 2009–11 September 2017) surveillance data from the Arba Minch Health and Demographic Surveillance Site was used for this study. Verbal autopsy methods and ICD codes were used to identify the causes of the adult deaths. The collected data were entered to the database by data clerks. We used Microsoft Excel and STATA version 16 software for data cleaning and analysis. Chi-squared test was used to see the significances of the trend analyses.

Result

From the 943 adult deaths from 2009 to 2017 in the Health and Demographic Surveillance Site in southern Ethiopia, more than half of them were females. The specific leading cause of death in the adults were tuberculosis (16.8%), malaria (9.7%), and intestinal infectious diseases (9.6%).

Communicable diseases (49.2%, 95% C.I 45.7, 52.7) accounted for about half of the deaths followed by non-communicable diseases (35%, 95% C.I 31.7, 38.4) where both categories showed an increasing trend.

Conclusion

Although pieces of evidences are showing the shift from communicable diseases to non-communicable diseases as the major causes of adult death in developing countries, this study showed that communicable diseases are still the major causes of adult deaths. Efforts and emphasis should be given to control infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria.
Ultrasound quadriceps muscle thickness is variably associated with frailty in haemodialysis recipients
Authors: Anderson Benjamin M. , Wilson Daisy V. , Qasim Muhammad , Correa Gonzalo , Evison Felicity , Gallier Suzy , Ferro Charles J. , Jackson Thomas A. , Sharif Adnan
Published: January 2023

Background

Ultrasonographic quantitation of quadriceps muscle mass is increasingly used for assessment of sarcopenia, but its relationship with frailty in haemodialysis recipients is not known. This study explores the relationship between ultrasound-derived bilateral anterior thigh thickness (BATT), sarcopenia, and frailty by common frailty tools (Frailty Phenotype [FP], Frailty Index [FI], Edmonton Frailty [EFS], and Clinical Frailty Scale [CFS]).

Methods

This was an exploratory analysis of a subgroup of adult prevalent (≥3 months) haemodialysis recipients deeply phenotyped for frailty. Ultrasound assessment of BATT was obtained with participants at an angle of ≤45°, with legs outstretched and knees resting at 10°-20°, according to an established protocol. Associations with frailty were explored via both linear and logistic regressions for BATT, Low Muscle Mass (LMM), and sarcopenia with stepwise adjustment for a priori covariables.

Results

In total 223 study participants had ultrasound measurements. Frailty ranged from 34% for FP to 58% for FI. BATT was associated with increasing frailty on simple linear regression by all frailty tools, but lost significance on addition of covariables. Upon dichotomising frailty tools into Frail/Not Frail, BATT was associated with frailty by all tools on univariable analyses, but only retained association for EFS on the fully adjusted model (OR 0.97, 95% C.I. 0.94–1.00, P = 0.05).

Conclusions

Ultrasound measures of quadriceps thickness is variably associated with frailty in prevalent haemodialysis recipients, dependent upon the frailty tool used, but not independent of other variables. Further work is required to establish the added value of sarcopenia measurement in frail haemodialysis patients.

Trial registration

Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03071107 registered 06/03/2017.
Clinical and laboratory characteristics of complex febrile seizures in the acute phase: a case-series study in Japan
Authors: Tanaka Tsukasa , Yamaguchi Hiroshi , Ishida Yusuke , Tomioka Kazumi , Nishiyama Masahiro , Toyoshima Daisaku , Maruyama Azusa , Takeda Hiroki , Kurosawa Hiroshi , Tanaka Ryojiro , Nozu Kandai , Nagase Hiroaki
Published: January 2023

Background

Patients with complex febrile seizures (CFS) often display abnormal laboratory results, unexpectedly prolonged seizures, and/or altered consciousness after admission. However, no standardized values have been established for the clinical and laboratory characteristics of CFS in the acute phase, making the management of CFS challenging. This study aimed to determine the clinical and laboratory characteristics of children with CFS during the acute phase. In particular, the duration of impaired consciousness and the detailed distribution of blood test values were focused.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed medical records of a consecutive pediatric cohort aged 6–60 months who were diagnosed with CFS and admitted to Kobe Children’s Hospital between October 2002 and March 2017. During the study period, 486 seizure episodes with confirmed CFS were initially reviewed, with 317 seizure episodes included in the analysis. Detailed clinical and laboratory characteristics were summarized.

Results

Among 317 seizure episodes (296 children with CFS), 302 required two or fewer anticonvulsants to be terminated. In 296 episodes showing convulsive seizures, median seizure duration was 30.5 min. The median time from onset to consciousness recovery was 175 min. Impaired consciousness lasting > 6, 8, and 12 h was observed in 13.9%, 7.6%, and 1.9% patients with CFS, respectively. Additionally, the distribution of aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, creatinine, and glucose were clarified with 3, 10, 50, 90, and 97 percentile values.

Conclusion

This study detailed the clinical and laboratory findings of acute-phase CFS using the data of the largest 15-year consecutive cohort of children with CFS. These results provide important information for appropriate acute management of CFS.
Joint effects of recent stressful life events and adverse childhood experiences on perinatal comorbid anxiety and depression
Authors: Hou Yanyan , Shang Mengqing , Yu Xiayan , Gu Yue , Li Haiyan , Lu Mengjuan , Jiang Minmin , Zhen Hualong , Zhu Beibei , Tao Fangbiao
Published: January 2023

Background

Stressful life events (SLEs) and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been reported to be associated with perinatal depression (PND) or perinatal anxiety (PNA) alone; however, in most cases, majority of PND and PNA coexist and could lead to more serious health consequences. The independent effect of recent SLEs and their joint effects with ACEs on perinatal comorbid anxiety and depression (CAD) remain inadequately explored.

Methods

Based on a longitudinal study, 1082 participants receiving prenatal care in Ma’anshan, China were included. Women were recruited in the first trimester (T1: ≤14+ 6 weeks) and followed up at 15 ~ 27 weeks (T2), 28 ~ 40 weeks (T3), and postpartum (T4). Depression and anxiety status were assessed at all time points, while recent SLEs and ACEs were measured at T1. Logistic regression was conducted to examine the associations of SLEs with the risks of CAD at different time points, as well as their joint effects with ACEs on CAD.

Results

Approximately 38.5% of women experienced at least one SLE, which was significantly associated with higher risks of CAD at all time points (p < 0.05). As the number of SLEs increased, the risk of CAD increased (p for trend < 0.05). Specific types of SLEs were associated with CAD in different periods, while only interpersonal events were consistently associated with risks of CAD throughout the whole perinatal period. The joint effects of SLEs with ACEs on CAD were identified throughout the perinatal period, with the highest observed in the first trimester (aOR = 7.47, 95% CI: 3.73–14.95; p for trend < 0.001).

Conclusion

Our study demonstrated independent associations of recent SLEs and their joint effects with ACEs with risks of perinatal CAD. SLEs combined with ACEs should be recognized as a major risk factor for perinatal CAD and managed at the earliest time to prevent and control CAD.
Enhancement of radiation therapy by indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase 1 inhibition through multimodal mechanisms
Authors: Nozawa Hiroaki , Taira Tetsuro , Sonoda Hirofumi , Sasaki Kazuhito , Murono Koji , Emoto Shigenobu , Yokoyama Yuichiro , Nagai Yuzo , Abe Shinya , Ishihara Soichiro
Published: January 2023

Background

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is an enzyme that converts tryptophan to kynurenine. IDO1 expression is found not only in tumor cells but also in immune cells and is associated with tumor proliferation and immune responses. IDO1 inhibitors and radiation may cooperatively suppress tumor proliferation through the alterations in the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, cell cycle, and immune response. We investigated the antitumor effects of combination therapy of an IDO1 inhibitor, 1-methyl tryptophan (1-MT), and radiation on colorectal cancer.

Methods

In vitro experiments were conducted using human and murine colon cancer cell lines (HCT116, HT-29, and Colon26). Cell growth inhibition was assessed using a MTS assay and Clonogenic assay. Cells were cultured for 48 h with or without 500 µM 1-MT after exposure to radiation (4 Gy). Cell cycle effects and modulation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway were evaluated using western blot analysis, flow cytometry, RT-PCR. Subcutaneous Colon26 tumors in BALB/c mice were treated by oral 1-MT (6 mg/mL) for 2 weeks and/or local radiation (10 Gy/10 fr). Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation in tumor cells and expression of differentiation markers of immune cells were evaluated using immunohistochemistry.

Results

1-MT and a small interfering RNA against IDO1 suppressed proliferation of all cell lines, which was rescued by kynurenine. Clonogenic assay showed that administration of 1-MT improved radiosensitivity by suppressing the Wnt/β-catenin pathway activated by radiation and enhancing cell cycle arrest induced by radiation. Combination therapy showed a further reduction in tumor burden compared with monotherapies or untreated control, inducing the highest numbers of intratumoral CD3 + and CD8 + T cells and the lowest numbers of Foxp3 + and BrdU-positive tumor cells.

Conclusions

The combination of 1-MT and radiation suppressed colon cancer cells in vitro and in vivo via multiple mechanisms.
Investigations on incidence and relevant factors of allergies in 5725 urban pregnant women: a cohort study in China
Authors: Qun Gao , He Sun , Bo Song , Jiangli Di , Tao Xu , Shuo Wang , Zechun Lu , Ailing Wang
Published: January 2023

Background

Allergic diseases are highly prevalent in the women of childbearing age. As we know, the immune system could change when pregnancy, which may affect the course of allergic diseases. Meanwhile, they also can affect the course and outcome of pregnancy. The data on incidence of allergies during pregnancy is lacking and conducting clinical trials in pregnant women was limited, therefore, we observed a prebirth cohort to supplement the relevant data and strengthen concerned research conductions.

Objective

We aim to obtain the incidence of allergies in urban pregnancy and explore the relevant factors of allergic diseases in urban pregnancy.

Methods

We design a multicenter and prospective cohort in 20 institutions above municipal level which were eligible according to the study design from 14 provinces covering all-side of China. This cohort was conducted from 13+6 weeks of gestation to 12 months postpartum and in our study, we chose the prenatal part to analyze. The outcome was developing allergies during pregnancy, which were diagnosed by clinicians according to the uniform criterion from National Health Commission. All the data was collected by electronic questionnaires through tablet computers.

Results

The incidence of allergic diseases in urban pregnant women was 21.0% (95%CI 20.0% ~ 22.0%). From social demography data, the history of allergies of pregnant women and their parents had statistical significance(p < 0.01); For exposure to living or working environment, house decoration for less than half a year, exposure to plush toys, disinfectants, insecticides, antihistamines, glucocorticoids, antipyretic analgesics, tocolytic agent and probiotics had statistical significance (all p < 0.05); For psychological status, self-rated depression and anxiety had statistical significance (p = 0.026;p = 0.006).

Conclusion

The incidence of allergic diseases in urban pregnant women was similar to the former study and kept a medium–high level. The history of allergies of pregnant women and their parents, house decoration time, exposure to plush toys, disinfectants, insecticides, antihistamines, glucocorticoids, antipyretic analgesics, tocolytic agents, probiotics, self-rated depression, and anxiety were relevant factors of allergic diseases during pregnancy.
Dry needling on latent and active myofascial trigger points versus oral diclofenac in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Ma Yan-Tao , Dong Yu-Lin , Wang Bo , Xie Wen-Pin , Huang Qiang-Min , Zheng Yong-Jun
Published: January 2023

Background

Latent and active myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) in knee-associated muscles may play a key role in pain management among patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dry needling treatment on pain intensity, disability, and range of motion (ROM) in patients with KOA.

Methods

This randomized, single-blinded, clinical trial was carried out for 6 weeks of treatment and 6-month follow-up. A total of 98 patients met the entry criteria and were randomly assigned to the dry needling latent and active myofascial trigger point (MTrPs) with the stretching group or the oral diclofenacwith the stretching group. Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and ROM were statistically analyzed before and after treatment and at the 6-month follow-up.

Results

A total of 42 patients in the dry needling group (DNG) and 35 patients in the diclofenac group (DG), respectively, completed the study, and there was no significant difference in the general data between the two groups. After treatments, both the groups showed a good effect in knee pain, function, and ROM, However, the DNG showed a significantly better result than the DG. Especially in the results of the 6-month follow-up, the DNG showed much better results than the DG.

Conclusions

Dry needling on latent and active MTrPs combined with stretching and oral diclofenac combined with stretching can effectively relieve pain, improve function, and restore knee ROM affected by KOA. However, the effects of dry needling and stretching are better and longer lasting than those of oral diclofenac and stretching for at least 6 months.

Trial registration

Registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (www.chictr.org.cn) in 17/11/2017 with the following code: ChiCTR-INR-17013432.
Biomechanical study of the stiffness of the femoral locking compression plate of an external fixator for lower tibial fractures
Authors: Su Huan , Zhong Siyang , Ma Tianyong , Wu Weidong , Lu Yihong , Wang Dewei
Published: January 2023

Background

A locking compression plate (LCP) of the distal femur is used as an external fixator for lower tibial fractures. However, in clinical practice, the technique lacks a standardized approach and a strong biomechanical basis for its stability.

Methods

In this paper, internal tibial LCP fixator (Group IT-44), external tibial LCP fixator (Group ET-44), external distal femoral LCP fixator (Group EF-44, group EF-33, group EF-22), and conventional external fixator (Group CEF-22) frames were used to fix unstable fracture models of the lower tibial segment, and anatomical studies were performed to standardize the operation as well as to assess the biomechanical stability and adjustability of the distal femoral LCP external fixator by biomechanical experiments.

Results

It was found that the torsional and flexural stiffnesses of group EF-44 and group EF-33 were higher than those of group IT-44 and group ET-44 (p < 0.05); the flexural stiffness of group EF-22 was similar to that of group IT-44 (p > 0.05); and the compressive stiffness of all three EF groups was higher than that of group ET-44 (p < 0.05). In addition, the flexural and compressive stiffnesses of the three EF groups decreased with the decrease in the number of screws (p < 0.05), while the torsional stiffness of the three groups did not differ significantly between the two adjacent groups (p > 0.05). Group CEF-22 showed the highest stiffnesses, while group ET-44 had the lowest stiffnesses (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

The study shows that the distal femoral LCP has good biomechanical stability and adjustability and is superior to the tibial LCP as an external fixator for distal tibial fractures, as long as the technique is used in a standardized manner according to the anatomical studies in this article.