bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Peri-urbanisation and the Quality of Life: Experiences of and Lessons from the Original Inhabitants of Domboshava Peri-urban area, Harare
Authors: Gweshengwe Blessing , Matai Jeofrey
Published: July 2022

Zimbabwe has been experiencing rapid peri-urbanisation. As a result, the way of life in most peri-urban areas is now mainly urban. What is yet to be determined, however, is whether peri-urbanisation within the country is a blessing or a scourge for the original inhabitants of peri-urban zones. This study therefore examined the Quality of Life of the original inhabitants of Domboshava peri-urban in the wake of peri-urbanisation. The study used a mixed-method approach and collected data from 80 original inhabitants sampled from the area. The majority of the study participants reported a low Quality of Life as a result of peri-urbanisation, which has brought about or exacerbated realities such as financial deprivation, unemployment, seasonality, energy, water and housing challenges. Assistance required to improve the Quality of Life of the original inhabitants includes entrepreneurial and job opportunities, provision of water, sanitation and energy facilities as well as financial and food aid. The study concluded that peri-urbanisation could be more of a scourge than a blessing for the original inhabitants of Domboshava peri-urban.
Bilateral ureteral ectopia with duplex collecting system and hypoplastic bladder: a rare variant
Authors: Kushwaha Swapnil Singh , Kalra Sidhartha , L. N. Dorairajan , R. Manikandan , K. S. Sreerag , Ali Mujahid
Published: July 2022

Background

Bilateral single system ectopic ureter is a rare congenital anomaly, but bilateral ureteral ectopia with duplex collecting system with bladder hypoplasia is even rarer. Urinary incontinence in such cases is dealt with various reconstructive procedures.

Case presentation

A 20-year-old female presented with continuous urinary incontinence without normal voiding since birth. Imaging revealed bilateral duplex collecting system with ectopic ureter draining into the vestibule, and hypoplastic bladder. The patient was managed with Mainz-II pouch creation with serous lined extramural ureteral reimplantation technique with complete resolution of incontinence.

Conclusion

Our article highlights the challenges in surgical planning, treatment and the patient perspectives for this rare congenital malformation presenting with incontinence.
Therapeutic potential of hair follicle-derived stem cell intranasal transplantation in a rat model of ischemic stroke
Authors: Mousavi Seyedeh Maryam , Akbarpour Bijan , Karimi-Haghighi Saeideh , Pandamooz Sareh , Belém-Filho Ivaldo Jesus Almeida , Masís-Calvo Marianella , Salimi Haniye , Lashanizadegan Ramin , Pouramini Alireza , Owjfard Maryam , Hooshmandi Etrat , Bayat Mahnaz , Zafarmand Seyedeh Shaghayegh , Dianatpour Mehdi , Salehi Mohammad Saied , Borhani-Haghighi Afshin
Published: July 2022

Background

Stem cell-based therapy has received considerable attention as a potential candidate in the treatment of ischemic stroke; however, employing an appropriate type of stem cells and an effective delivery route are still challenging. In the present study, we investigated the therapeutic effect of safe, noninvasive, and brain-targeted intranasal administration of hair follicle-derived stem cells (HFSCs) in a rat model of ischemic stroke.

Methods

Stem cells were obtained from the adult rat hair follicles. In experiment 1, stroke was induced by 30 min middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and stem cells were intranasally transplanted immediately after ischemia. In experiment 2, stroke was induced by 120 min MCAO and stem cells were administered 24 h after cerebral ischemia. In all experimental groups, neurological performance, short-term spatial working memory and infarct volume were assessed. Moreover, relative expression of major trophic factors in the striatum and cortex was evaluated by the quantitative PCR technique. The end point of experiment 1 was day 3 and the end point of experiment 2 was day 15.

Results

In both experiments, intranasal administration of HFSCs improved functional performance and decreased infarct volume compared to the MCAO rats. Furthermore, NeuN and VEGF expression were higher in the transplanted group and stem cell therapy partially prevented BDNF and neurotrophin-3 over-expression induced by cerebral ischemia.

Conclusions

These findings highlight the curative potential of HFSCs following intranasal transplantation in a rat model of ischemic stroke.
Usefulness of the d-dimer to albumin ratio for risk assessment in patients with acute variceal bleeding at the emergency department: retrospective observational study
Authors: Seo Jun Seok , Kim Yongwon , Lee Yoonsuk , Chung Ho Young , Kim Tae Youn
Published: July 2022

Background

Acute variceal bleeding (AVB) is a severe complication of portal hypertension that is caused by rupture of the esophageal or gastric varix. Scoring system for risk stratification of AVB is difficult to use because various variables must be entered, and it is difficult to apply early in the emergency department (ED). We compared and analyzed the usefulness of the D-dimer to albumin ratio (DAR) for risk stratification of AVB.

Methods

In this retrospective observational study, medical records of patients with AVB Between January 2019 and December 2020 were assessed. The primary endpoint was to evaluate whether DAR was a predictor of clinical outcomes for AVB. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed using cut-off values determined by the Youden Index. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the factors contributing to the development of outcomes.

Results

Overall, 67 patients required intensive care. The cut-off value of DAR for patients requiring intensive care was 400. A DAR > 400 (adjusted HR: 5.636 [95% CI: 2.216–14.332]) independently predicted the need for ICU admission in these patients. Overall, 13 patients required long-term hospitalization. The cut-off value of DAR for patients requiring long-term hospitalization was 403. A DAR > 403 (adjusted HR: 9.899 [95% CI: 2.012–48.694]) independently predicted the need for long-term hospitalization. Overall, 95 patients required transfusion. The cut-off value of DAR for patients requiring transfusion was 121. A DAR > 121 (adjusted HR: 4.680 [95% CI: 1.703–12.862]) independently predicted the need for transfusion. Overall, 11 patients died during study period. The cut-off value of DAR for mortality was 450. A DAR > 450 (adjusted HR: 26.261 [95% CI: 3.054–225.827]) independently predicted mortality.

Conclusions

The DAR can be used for outcome assessment in patients with AVB with various scoring systems, but its explanatory power is not high.
Evolutionary game model of health care and social care collaborative services for the elderly population in China
Authors: Sun Yin , Zhang Xudong , Han Yuehong , Yu Bo , Liu Haidan
Published: July 2022

Introduction

The synergy of health care and elderly social care organizations has become the focus of the research on integrated health care and social care. This study aims to propose a collaborative strategy among health care and elderly social care service providers.

Methods

An evolutionary game model is applied for performance analysis and optimization of the cooperation between health care and elderly social care organizations. The behavioural strategies and the impact of key parameters on promoting the cooperation of the players are presented in detail.

Results

Simulation experiments and sensitivity analysis results indicate that (1) the behavioural evolution of health care organizations and elderly social care organizations forms three types of integrated health care and social care services, namely, the bilateral cooperation type, health care organization-led type and elderly social care organization-led type. (2) Increasing the additional benefits for cooperation and reducing the additional costs for cooperation can promote the willingness to synergize to provide integrated health care and elderly social care services. At the early stage of evolution, increasing the costs that elderly social care organizations pay to purchase health care services or pay for negotiation in the bilateral cooperation type can provide incentives for health care organizations to cooperate while reducing the cooperation preferences of elderly social care organizations. However, the long-term impact of the costs on the behavioural strategies for cooperation of the two players cannot be determined.

Conclusion

The behavioural decisions on cooperation between health care and elderly social care organizations influence each other; commitment to integration and effective collaboration can be achieved by increasing the additional benefits and reducing the marginal costs. The findings suggest that the political-economic context and government policies have a greater influence on promoting cooperation, thus yielding positive or negative results for integrated care practice.
Extended middle meatal antrostomy via antidromic extended medial wall for the treatment of fungal maxillary sinusitis
Authors: Ding Lijun , Na-guo  , Lou Zhengcai
Published: July 2022

Objective

The objective of this study was to compare the long-term results of extended middle meatal antrostomy (MMA) and MMA combined with inferior meatal antrostomy (IMA, combined approach) for the treatment of fungal maxillary sinusitis (FMS).

Methods and materials

A retrospective analysis including 90 patients with non-invasive FMS was treated with endoscopic extended MMA via antidromic extended medial wall (extended MMA group), or with both MMA and IMA (combined approach group). The recurrence rate, operation time, and complications were evaluated at postoperative 12 and 36 months.

Results

Of the 90 patients, 52 patients were in the extended MMA group and 38 patients in the combined approach group. CT revealed the thin medial wall or bone defect in 63.33% (57/90) patients. The mean operation time in the extended MMA group was significantly shorter than that of combined approach group (42.5 ± 6.5 vs 57.4 ± 4.9, P < 0.01). At postoperative 12 months postoperatively, the recurrence rate was 3.85% (2/52) in the extended MMA group and 0.0% (0/38) in the combined approach group, the difference wasn’t significant (X2 = 0.618, P > 0.05). The recurrence rate wasn’t increased during the follow-up period over time in both groups.13.5% (7/52) patients complained of cheek numbness in the extended MMA group, 60.5% (23/38) patients complained of cheek numbness and epiphora in 5.3% (2/38) patients in the combined approach group, the difference was significant (X2 test, P < 0.01). However, no major complications were observed in both groups. In addition, IMA closure was observed in 4 (10.5%) in the combined approach group at 12 months postoperatively and in 9 (23.6%) at 36 months postoperatively.

Conclusions

Extended MMA via antidromic extended medial wall may effectively prevent the recurrence and reduce the complications of FMS, IMA wasn’t necessary for the treatment of FMS in most cases.
Individual and community-level determinants of cervical cancer screening in Zimbabwe: a multi-level analyses of a nationwide survey
Authors: Isabirye Alone , Elwange Bob Charlestine , Singh Kavita , De Allegri Manuela
Published: July 2022

Background

Despite the benefits of cervical cancer (CC) screening to reduce the disease burden, uptake remains limited in developing countries. This study aims to assess the individual and community-level determinants of cervical cancer screening among women of reproductive age in Zimbabwe.

Methods

We analyzed data collected from 400 communities from the 2015 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey with a sample size of 9955 women aged 15–49 years. The descriptive statistics and multi-level regression models adjusted for potential covariates were performed to examine the association between individual, household and community-level factors and the uptake of cervical cancer screening in women.

Results

The mean (SD) age of women in Zimbabwe using cervical cancer screening was 27.9 (9.9) years. A relatively small proportion of women, i.e., only 13.4% had ever screened for cervical cancer, with higher screening rates observed in the following sub-groups: middle aged women 31–49 years (odds ratio (OR) = 2.01; 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.72–2.34), and currently working (OR = 1.35; 95% CI 1.17–1.55), those with health insurance (OR = 1.95; 95% CI 1.63–2.34), used modern contraceptives (OR = 1.51; 95% CI 1.22–1.86), exposed to multiple media (OR = 1.27; 95% CI 1.03–1.58), those living in communities that had a high predominance of women with favorable attitude towards Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) against women (OR = 1.21; 95% CI 1.04–1.41) and a non-poor wealth index (OR = 1.54; 95% CI 1.14–2.05).

Conclusions

Our data shows a significantly low prevalence of cervical cancer screening among reproductive age women in Zimbabwe. To increase the uptake of cervical cancer screening, there is an urgent need both to implement behavioral interventions targeted at women from low socio-economic groups and to advocate for universal health coverage that includes financial risk protection to help all women realize their right to health.
Network pharmacology-based analysis and experimental in vitro validation on the mechanism of Paeonia lactiflora Pall. in the treatment for type I allergy
Authors: Zhao Yang , Li Hui , Li Xiangsheng , Sun Yizhao , Shao Yuxin , Zhang Yanfen , Liu Zhongcheng
Published: July 2022

Background

The incidence of allergic reaction is increasing year by year, but the specific mechanism is still unclear. Paeonia lactiflora Pall.(PLP) is a traditional Chinese medicine with various pharmacological effects such as anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and immune regulation. Previous studies have shown that PLP has potential anti-allergic activity. However, there is still no comprehensive analysis of the targeted effects and exact molecular mechanisms of the anti-allergic components of PLP. This study aimed to reveal the mechanism of PLP. in the treatment of type I allergy by combining network pharmacological methods and experimental verification.

Methods

First, we used the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology (TCMSP) database and analysis platform to screen the main components and targets of PLP, and then used databases such as GeneCards to retrieve target information related to ‘allergy’. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) analysis obtained the core target genes in the intersection target, and then imported the intersection target into the David database for gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) analysis. Furthermore, the therapeutic effect of paeoniflorin, the main component of PLP, on IgE-induced type I allergy was evaluated in vitro.

Results

GO analysis obtained the main biological processes, cell components and molecular functions involved in the target genes. KEGG analysis screened out MAPK1, MAPK10, MAPK14 and TNF that have a strong correlation with PLP anti-type I allergy, and showed that PLP may pass through signal pathways such as IgE/FcεR I, PI3K/Akt and MAPK to regulate type I allergy. RT-qPCR and Western Blot results confirmed that paeoniflorin can inhibit the expression of key genes and down-regulate the phosphorylation level of proteins in these signal pathways. It further proved the reliability of the results of network pharmacology research.

Conclusion

The results of this study will provide a basis for revealing the multi-dimensional regulatory mechanism of PLP for the treatment of type I allergy and the development of new drugs.
A process mining- deep learning approach to predict survival in a cohort of hospitalized COVID‐19 patients
Authors: Pishgar M. , Harford S. , Theis J. , Galanter W. , Rodríguez-Fernández J. M. , Chaisson L. H , Zhang Y. , Trotter A. , Kochendorfer K. M. , Boppana A. , Darabi H.
Published: July 2022

Background

Various machine learning and artificial intelligence methods have been used to predict outcomes of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. However, process mining has not yet been used for COVID-19 prediction. We developed a process mining/deep learning approach to predict mortality among COVID-19 patients and updated the prediction in 6-h intervals during the first 72 h after hospital admission.

Methods

The process mining/deep learning model produced temporal information related to the variables and incorporated demographic and clinical data to predict mortality. The mortality prediction was updated in 6-h intervals during the first 72 h after hospital admission. Moreover, the performance of the model was compared with published and self-developed traditional machine learning models that did not use time as a variable. The performance was compared using the Area Under the Receiver Operator Curve (AUROC), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity.

Results

The proposed process mining/deep learning model outperformed the comparison models in almost all time intervals with a robust AUROC above 80% on a dataset that was imbalanced.

Conclusions

Our proposed process mining/deep learning model performed significantly better than commonly used machine learning approaches that ignore time information. Thus, time information should be incorporated in models to predict outcomes more accurately.
Combining symbolic regression with the Cox proportional hazards model improves prediction of heart failure deaths
Authors: Wilstrup Casper , Cave Chris
Published: July 2022

Background

Heart failure is a clinical syndrome characterised by a reduced ability of the heart to pump blood. Patients with heart failure have a high mortality rate, and physicians need reliable prognostic predictions to make informed decisions about the appropriate application of devices, transplantation, medications, and palliative care. In this study, we demonstrate that combining symbolic regression with the Cox proportional hazards model improves the ability to predict death due to heart failure compared to using the Cox proportional hazards model alone.

Methods

We used a newly invented symbolic regression method called the QLattice to analyse a data set of medical records for 299 Pakistani patients diagnosed with heart failure. The QLattice identified non-linear mathematical transformations of the available covariates, which we then used in a Cox model to predict survival.

Results

An exponential function of age, the inverse of ejection fraction, and the inverse of serum creatinine were identified as the best risk factors for predicting heart failure deaths. A Cox model fitted on these transformed covariates had improved predictive performance compared with a Cox model on the same covariates without mathematical transformations.

Conclusion

Symbolic regression is a way to find transformations of covariates from patients’ medical records which can improve the performance of survival regression models. At the same time, these simple functions are intuitive and easy to apply in clinical settings. The direct interpretability of the simple forms may help researchers gain new insights into the actual causal pathways leading to deaths.
Factors influencing the professional identity of nursing interns: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Zeng Lihong , Chen Qirong , Fan Sisi , Yi Qifeng , An Wenhong , Liu Huan , Hua Wei , Huang Rong , Huang Hui
Published: July 2022

Background

Improving the professional identity of nursing intern is significant for enhancing the number of new registered nurses and easing the shortage of nursing personnel. The clinical internship is a key period for the formulation of professional identity. However, we know little about the factors influencing the nursing interns’ professional identity during clinical internship. Therefore, this study explore the influencing factors of nursing interns’ professional identity during clinical internship. This study will provide evidence and suggestions for generating effective strategies contributing to professional identity improvement of nursing interns.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study. The convenience sampling was used to recruit 398 nursing interns from a teaching hospital in Hunan, China. The demographic characteristics information was collected by a self-developed questionnaire. The nursing interns’ professional identity and potential influencing factors (e.g., work atmosphere, teacher capacity) were measured by questionnaires with good psychometric properties. The appropriate indicators were used for descriptive statistics, andt test, analysis of variance, Pearson’s correlation analysis and multiple linear regression were used to analyse the influencing factors.

Results

In this study, the influencing factors of nursing interns' professional identity are education level, first choice of major, residential status, work atmosphere, and teacher capacity. The results showed that: (1) the nursing interns with a higher education level reported a lower level of professional identity; (2) the nursing interns whose first choice of major was not nursing discipline reported a lower level of professional identity; (3) the nursing interns live in rural areas (compared to urban areas) reported a higher level of professional identity; (4) the nursing interns in better work atmosphere reported a higher level of professional identity; (5) the nursing interns under the guidance of the teachers equipped with better teaching capacity reported a higher level of professional identity.

Conclusion

The education level, first choice of major and residential status are influence factors of nursing interns’ professional identity. The nursing educators need to pay attention to nursing interns whose first choice is not nursing, and in a bachelor program, who may have a lower level of professional identity. It is crucial to enhance the nursing interns’ professional identity by improve the work atmosphere and clinical teachers’ capacity, to promote nursing interns to choose nursing as a profession and reduce the shortage of nursing workforce.
Analysis and prognostic significance of tumour immune infiltrates and immune microenvironment of m6A-related lncRNAs in patients with gastric cancer
Authors: Huang Jiarong , Song Jinxuan , Li xiangyu , Liu Shuangfei , Huang Wentao , Shen Ziyi , Cheng Yan , Kou Shien , Gao Zhenguo , Tian Yunhong , Hu Jiani
Published: July 2022

Background

Studies have shown that long noncoding RNAs and N6-methyladenosine play important roles in gastric cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation and prognostic value of m6A-related lncRNAs and immune infiltration in gastric cancer.

Methods

We downloaded the clinically related information and RNA-Seq transcriptome data of gastric cancer patients from the TCGA database. Univariate Cox regression analysis and Pearson analysis were used to screen out m6A-related lncRNAs. Consensus cluster analysis was used to divide the sample into two clusters, and LASSO analysis and Cox regression analysis were used to construct a risk scoring model.

Results

A total of 25 lncRNA expression profiles were screened, and gastric cancer patients were divided into different subtypes. Cluster 2 had a better prognosis, but its stromal score, ESTIMATE score and immune score were low. Cluster 1 was rich in resting memory CD4 T cells, regulatory T cells, monocytes, and resting mast cells, and Cluster 2 was rich in activated memory CD4 T cells and follicular helper T cells. Thirteen lncRNAs were selected to construct a risk model, and the prognosis of gastric cancer patients in the high-risk group was poor. The expression of PD-L1 in tumours is significantly higher than that in normal tissues. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis results showed that the overall survival rate was significantly related to stage and the risk score, which can be used as an independent prognostic factor. The results of the heatmap and scatter plot showed that clusters (P = 0.0045) and grade (G1–2, G3, P = 0.0037) were significantly related to prognosis. The relationship between the risk score and immune cell infiltration showed that memory B cells, resting dendritic cells, M0 macrophages, and M2 macrophages were positively correlated with the risk score, while resting mast cells, monocytes, activated NK cells, and follicular helper T cells were negatively correlated with the risk score.

Conclusion

The results of this study indicate that m6A-related lncRNAs may play an important role in the prognosis of gastric cancer patients and the tumour immune microenvironment and may provide help for the treatment of gastric cancer patients.
Feasibility research of enhanced recovery after surgery implemented in esophageal cancer patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Authors: Tang Zhanpeng , Zhu Xirui , Li Yanzhi , Qu Chenghao , Li Lin , Li Shuhai , Qi Lei , Lu Ming , Cheng Chuanle , Tian Hui
Published: July 2022

Background

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is a perioperative management protocol to accelerate patient recovery. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of ERAS protocols implemented in patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) before minimally invasive McKeown esophagectomy.

Methods

This retrospective study compared the short-term clinical outcomes in esophagectomy patients from June 2018 to June 2021. Subjects were divided into two categories: those who underwent NACT (NACT group) and the non-NACT group.

Results

There was no significant difference in total postoperative complication morbidity between the NACT and non-NACT groups (21.2% vs. 20.7%, P=0.936). In addition, the hospital length of stay post-surgery (7.90 vs. 7.71 days, P=0.424) was not significantly longer when compared to the non-NACT group. The time to chest tube removal (5.37 vs. 5.13 days, P=0.238) and first bowel movement (2.92 vs. 3.01 days, P=0.560) was also similar between the two groups.

Conclusions

There was no significant difference in postoperative complications rate, postoperative hospital length of stay, and readmission rate between the two group. This study proved that ERAS protocols seemed to be safe and feasible for patients who received NACT before esophagectomy.
Deep learning for detecting herbicide weed control spectrum in turfgrass
Authors: Jin Xiaojun , Bagavathiannan Muthukumar , Maity Aniruddha , Chen Yong , Yu Jialin
Published: July 2022

Background

Precision spraying of postemergence herbicides according to the herbicide weed control spectrum can substantially reduce herbicide input. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of using deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) for detecting and discriminating weeds growing in turfgrass based on their susceptibility to ACCase-inhibiting and synthetic auxin herbicides.

Results

GoogLeNet, MobileNet-v3, ShuffleNet-v2, and VGGNet were trained to discriminate the vegetation into three categories based on the herbicide weed control spectrum: weeds susceptible to ACCase-inhibiting herbicides, weeds susceptible to synthetic auxin herbicides, and turfgrass without weed infestation (no herbicide). ShuffleNet-v2 and VGGNet showed high overall accuracy (≥ 0.999) and F1 scores (≥ 0.998) in the validation and testing datasets to detect and discriminate weeds susceptible to ACCase-inhibiting and synthetic auxin herbicides. The inference time of ShuffleNet-v2 was similar to MobileNet-v3, but noticeably faster than GoogLeNet and VGGNet. ShuffleNet-v2 was the most efficient and reliable model among the neural networks evaluated.

Conclusion

These results demonstrated that the DCNNs trained based on the herbicide weed control spectrum could detect and discriminate weeds based on their susceptibility to selective herbicides, allowing the precision spraying of particular herbicides to susceptible weeds and thereby saving more herbicides. The proposed method can be used in a machine vision-based autonomous spot-spraying system of smart sprayers.
Retraction Note: LncGPR107 drives the self-renewal of liver tumor initiating cells and liver tumorigenesis through GPR107-dependent manner
Authors: Huang Guanqun , Jiang Hui , Lin Ye , Xia Wuzheng , Luo Yuanwei , Wu Yanpeng , Cai Weilong , Zhou Xinke , Jiang Xianhan
Published: July 2022

This article has been retracted. Please see the Retraction Notice for more detail: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13046-018-0794-3.
AMAZONE: prevention of persistent pain after breast cancer treatment by online cognitive behavioral therapy—study protocol of a randomized controlled multicenter trial
Authors: Lukas Anne , Theunissen Maurice , Boer Dianne de Korte-de , van Kuijk Sander , Van Noyen Lotte , Magerl Walter , Mess Werner , Buhre Wolfgang , Peters Madelon
Published: July 2022

Background

Surviving breast cancer does not necessarily mean complete recovery to a premorbid state of health. Among the multiple psychological and somatic symptoms that reduce the quality of life of breast cancer survivors, persistent pain after breast cancer treatment (PPBCT) with a prevalence of 15–65% is probably the most invalidating. Once chronic, PPBCT is difficult to treat and requires an individualized multidisciplinary approach. In the past decades, several somatic and psychological risk factors for PPBCT have been identified. Studies aiming to prevent PPBCT by reducing perioperative pain intensity have not yet shown a significant reduction of PPBCT prevalence. Only few studies have been performed to modify psychological distress around breast cancer surgery. The AMAZONE study aims to investigate the effect of online cognitive behavioral therapy (e-CBT) on the prevalence of PPBCT.

Methods

The AMAZONE study is a multicenter randomized controlled trial, with an additional control arm. Patients (n=138) scheduled for unilateral breast cancer surgery scoring high for surgical or cancer-related fears, general anxiety or pain catastrophizing are randomized to receive either five sessions of e-CBT or online education consisting of information about surgery and a healthy lifestyle (EDU). The first session is scheduled before surgery. In addition to the online sessions, patients have three online appointments with a psychotherapist. Patients with low anxiety or catastrophizing scores (n=322) receive treatment as usual (TAU, additional control arm).

Primary endpoint is PPBCT prevalence 6 months after surgery.

Secondary endpoints are PPBCT intensity, the intensity of acute postoperative pain during the first week after surgery, cessation of postoperative opioid use, PPBCT prevalence at 12 months, pain interference, the sensitivity of the nociceptive and non-nociceptive somatosensory system as measured by quantitative sensory testing (QST), the efficiency of endogenous pain modulation assessed by conditioned pain modulation (CPM) and quality of life, anxiety, depression, catastrophizing, and fear of recurrence until 12 months post-surgery.

Discussion

With perioperative e-CBT targeting preoperative anxiety and pain catastrophizing, we expect to reduce the prevalence and intensity of PPBCT. By means of QST and CPM, we aim to unravel underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. The online application facilitates accessibility and feasibility in a for breast cancer patients emotionally and physically burdened time period.

Trial registration

NTR NL9132, registered December 16 2020.
A multiscale brain network model links Alzheimer’s disease-mediated neuronal hyperactivity to large-scale oscillatory slowing
Authors: van Nifterick Anne M. , Gouw Alida A. , van Kesteren Ronald E. , Scheltens Philip , Stam Cornelis J. , de Haan Willem
Published: July 2022

Background

Neuronal hyperexcitability and inhibitory interneuron dysfunction are frequently observed in preclinical animal models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study investigates whether these microscale abnormalities explain characteristic large-scale magnetoencephalography (MEG) activity in human early-stage AD patients.

Methods

To simulate spontaneous electrophysiological activity, we used a whole-brain computational network model comprised of 78 neural masses coupled according to human structural brain topology. We modified relevant model parameters to simulate six literature-based cellular scenarios of AD and compare them to one healthy and six contrast (non-AD-like) scenarios. The parameters include excitability, postsynaptic potentials, and coupling strength of excitatory and inhibitory neuronal populations. Whole-brain spike density and spectral power analyses of the simulated data reveal mechanisms of neuronal hyperactivity that lead to oscillatory changes similar to those observed in MEG data of 18 human prodromal AD patients compared to 18 age-matched subjects with subjective cognitive decline.

Results

All but one of the AD-like scenarios showed higher spike density levels, and all but one of these scenarios had a lower peak frequency, higher spectral power in slower (theta, 4–8Hz) frequencies, and greater total power. Non-AD-like scenarios showed opposite patterns mainly, including reduced spike density and faster oscillatory activity. Human AD patients showed oscillatory slowing (i.e., higher relative power in the theta band mainly), a trend for lower peak frequency and higher total power compared to controls. Combining model and human data, the findings indicate that neuronal hyperactivity can lead to oscillatory slowing, likely due to hyperexcitation (by hyperexcitability of pyramidal neurons or greater long-range excitatory coupling) and/or disinhibition (by reduced excitability of inhibitory interneurons or weaker local inhibitory coupling strength) in early AD.

Conclusions

Using a computational brain network model, we link findings from different scales and models and support the hypothesis of early-stage neuronal hyperactivity underlying E/I imbalance and whole-brain network dysfunction in prodromal AD.
Bronze preservation by using composite hydrogel coating-loaded corrosion inhibitors
Authors: Zhou Sheng , Zhao Zongshen , Mao Heyi , Wang Lei , Chen Junyin , Chen Jiachang , Huang Xia
Published: July 2022

Bronze has been used for various applications since ancient times, and therefore, its preservation is critical. However, preserving bronze is challenging. The traditional inhibitor sealing method is limited by its toxicity and sealing effects. In this study, a benzotriazole (BTA) inhibitor loaded with a composite hydrogel of sodium alginate and cyclic-peptide-grafted β-cyclodextrin was prepared. The chemical structure of the components of the composite hydrogel coating was characterized through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The microstructure of the coating on bronzeware was characterized through scanning electronic microscopy. The thermal analysis of the composite hydrogel coating confirmed that BTA was introduced successfully into the composite hydrogel, and the coating exhibited the liquid crystalline property because of the mesogenic unit—cyclic peptide. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that the modified β-cyclodextrin-loaded benzotriazole considerably improved the corrosion resistance. In a certain range, the higher was the BTA-loaded Cyc-g-β-CD ratio, the stronger was the protective effect of the gel coating. In conclusion, corrosion inhibitors can considerably improve the corrosion resistance of gel coatings.
Seed Halopriming Improves Salinity Tolerance of Some Rice Cultivars During Seedling Stage
Authors: Hidayah Anik , Nisak Rizka Rohmatin , Susanto Febri Adi , Nuringtyas Tri Rini , Yamaguchi Nobutoshi , Purwestri Yekti Asih
Published: July 2022

Background

Saline land in coastal areas has great potential for crop cultivation. Improving salt tolerance in rice is a key to expanding the available area for its growth and thus improving global food security. Seed priming with salt (halopriming) can enhance plant growth and decrease saline intolerance under salt stress conditions during the subsequent seedling stage. However, there is little known about rice defense mechanisms against salinity at seedling stages after seed halopriming treatment. This study focused on the effect of seed halopriming treatment on salinity tolerance in a susceptible cultivar, IR 64, a resistant cultivar, Pokkali, and two pigmented rice cultivars, Merah Kalimantan Selatan (Merah Kalsel) and Cempo Ireng Pendek (CI Pendek). We grew these cultivars in hydroponic culture, with and without halopriming at the seed stage, under either non-salt or salt stress conditions during the seedling stage.

Results

The SES scoring assessment showed that the level of salinity tolerance in susceptible cultivar, IR 64, and moderate cultivar, Merah Kalsel, improved after seed halopriming treatment. Furthermore, seed halopriming improved the growth performance of IR 64 and Merah Kalsel rice seedlings. Quantitative PCR revealed that seed halopriming induced expression of the OsNHX1 and OsHKT1 genes in susceptible rice cultivar, IR 64 and Merah Kalsel thereby increasing the level of resistance to salinity. The expression levels of OsSOS1 and OsHKT1 genes in resistant cultivar, Pokkali, also increased but there was no affect on the level of salinity tolerance. On the contrary, seed halopriming decreased the expression level of OsSOS1 genes in pigmented rice cultivar, CI Pendek, but did not affect the level of salinity tolerance. The transporter gene expression induction significantly improved salinity tolerance in salinity-susceptible rice, IR 64, and moderately tolerant rice cultivar, Merah Kalsel. Induction of expression of the OsNHX1 and OsHKT1 genes in susceptible rice, IR 64, after halopriming seed treatment balances the osmotic pressure and prevents the accumulation of toxic concentrations of Na+, resulting in tolerance to salinity stress.

Conclusion

These results suggest that seed halopriming can improve salinity tolerance of salinity-susceptible and moderately tolerant rice cultivars.
Evaluation of different machine learning models and novel deep learning-based algorithm for landslide susceptibility mapping
Authors: Zhang Tingyu , Li Yanan , Wang Tao , Wang Huanyuan , Chen Tianqing , Sun Zenghui , Luo Dan , Li Chao , Han Ling
Published: July 2022

The losses and damage caused by landslide are countless in the world every year. However, the existing approaches of landslide susceptibility mapping cannot fully meet the requirement of landslide prevention, and further excavation and innovation are also needed. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to develop a novel deep learning model namely landslide net (LSNet) to assess the landslide susceptibility in Hanyin County, China, meanwhile, support vector machine model (SVM) and kernel logistic regression model (KLR) were employed as reference model. The inventory map was generated based on 259 landslides, the training dataset and validation dataset were, respectively, prepared using 70% landslides and the remaining 30% landslides. The variance inflation factor (VIF) was applied to optimize each landslide predisposing factor. Three benchmark indices were used to evaluate the result of susceptibility mapping and area under receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC) was used to compare the models. Result demonstrated that although the processing speed of LSNet model is the slowest, it still significantly outperformed its corresponding benchmark models with validation dataset, and has the highest accuracy (0.950), precision (0.951), F1 (0.951) and AUROC (0.941), which reflected excellent predictive ability in some degree. The achievements obtained in this study can improve the rapid response capability of landslide prevention for Hanyin County.
Outcomes of pars plana vitrectomy following ocular trauma at varying surgical time points
Authors: Chauhan Muhammad Z. , Georgiou Michalis , Al-Hindi Hytham , Uwaydat Sami H.
Published: July 2022

Background

The optimal timing of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) following ocular trauma is an ongoing debate. Early vitrectomy post-trauma enables the rapid assessment of retinal disease by removing the scaffold that fosters proliferative vitreoretinopathy. On the other hand, late vitrectomy is less challenging as there is a lower risk of bleeding and posterior vitreous detachment induction is easier. The purpose of this work is to report the functional and anatomical outcomes following ocular traumatic injuries in a United States-based cohort, emphasizing the time of intervention.

Methods

This was a retrospective case series of 110 patients with traumatic ocular injuries who underwent PPV between 2008 to 2020. Patients were grouped into four timing categories: same day (0 days), early (1–7 days), delayed (8–14 days), and late (> 14 days). Multivariable regression models controlling for confounding were implemented to assess the impact of vitrectomy timing on anatomical and functional outcomes. Visual acuity (VA) at baseline and after surgery, proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), and enucleation for each vitrectomy timing category were recorded.

Results

Patient demographics and severity of ocular trauma were comparable across timing categories. Final VA in LogMAR was found to have a stepwise worsening as the time of ocular trauma to vitrectomy was increased (p < 0.05). For every one-step increase in the vitrectomy timing category, there was an adjusted 0.24 (CI 0.04–0.44) increase in final VA. No patient in the same day vitrectomy group had an enucleation or PVR, while patients who had late vitrectomies had the largest number of both enucleations and PVR (44.4% and 52.0%, respectively). In adjusted analysis, there was 3.11 increased odds (CI 1.03–9.42) of developing PVR for a one-step increase in vitrectomy timing (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Vitrectomy on the same day of injury has the best final VA, and the lowest incidence rates of PVR and enucleation in comparison to other timing categories, regardless of etiology.
Alternative management of central serous chorioretinopathy using intravitreal metoprolol
Authors: Gonçalves Annelise Nicotti , Scott Ingrid U. , Jorge Rodrigo
Published: July 2022

Background

Beta-blockers may counteract the effect of catecholamines on central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) pathology and accelerate the improvement of neurosensory retinal detachment. Oral propranolol has been associated with decreased duration of CSC in some studies. We describe two patients with visually symptomatic chronic CSC (cCSC) treated successfully with intravitreal metoprolol.

Case presentations

After obtaining the patients’ informed consent, two eyes of two 43-year-old men diagnosed with cCSC treated unsuccessfully with oral spirolactone, micropulse laser and intravitreal anti‐vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents were treated with one off-label intravitreal injection of metoprolol (50 µg/0.05 ml). Baseline (pre-injection) and follow-up examinations (at 1 month post-injection) included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), anterior and posterior segment biomicroscopy, fundus autofluorescence, spectral domain optical coherence tomography (Spectralis, Heidelberg), and electroretinogaphy (ERG) according to International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision (ISCEV) full-field scotopic and photopic standard protocols. ERG results at baseline (pre-injection) and at 1 month post-injection were compared using paired t-tests.

Results

There was no significant difference in any of the ISCEV recommended ERG parameters with respect to a- and b-wave amplitude and implicit time, and oscillatory potentials maximal amplitude. BCVA improved in both patients. Neither patient developed clinical evidence of intraocular inflammation. Subretinal and/or intraretinal fluid had improved in both patients at 1 month after the metoprolol injection.

Conclusion

These preliminary findings suggest that intravitreal metoprolol may be a safe alternative therapy for patients with cCSC.
One-lung ventilation and 3D image analysis in a case of tracheal bronchus with steeply angled branching of left main bronchus: a case report
Authors: Onimaru Taichi , Kamata Mineto , Nakagawa Hideyuki
Published: July 2022

Background

Establishing one-lung ventilation (OLV) in patients with tracheal bronchus (TB) may be challenging due to its unusual bronchial anatomy. We present a case of difficult OLV in a patient with right TB and steeply angled bifurcation of the left main bronchus.

Case presentation

A 79-year-old woman was scheduled to undergo video-assisted thoracic surgery left upper lobectomy. We planned right OLV with a bronchial blocker; however, it was difficult to place the blocker in the left main bronchus due to a steep bifurcation angle. Therefore, we changed the entry angle of the lumen tip by advancing the tracheal tube to just above the tracheal bifurcation, allowing successful placement of the bronchial blocker into the bronchus.

Conclusion

For airway management in patients with TB, especially for OLV, it is essential to understand the anatomy of the trachea, bronchus, and TB and to select the appropriate device for each case.
Endovascular coiling versus microsurgical clipping for ruptured intracranial aneurysms: a meta-analysis and systematic review
Authors: Peng Chao , Diao Yu-hang , Cai Shi-fei , Yang Xin-yu
Published: July 2022

Background

The purpose of this analysis is to evaluate the current evidence with regard to the effectiveness and safety between coiling and clipping in patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysms (RIAs).

Methods

We performed a meta-analysis that compared clipping with coiling between July 2000 and September 2021. PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched for related articles systematically. And the treatment efficacy and postoperative complications were analyzed.

Results

We identified three randomized controlled trials and thirty-seven observational studies involving 60,875 patients with ruptured cerebral aneurysms. The summary results showed that coiling was related a better quality of life (mRS0-2; OR=1.327; CI=1.093–1.612; p<0.05), a higher risk of mortality (OR=1.116; CI=1.054–1.180; p<0.05), higher rate of rebleeding (RR=1.410; CI=1.092–1.822; p<0.05), lower incidence of vasospasm (OR=0.787; CI=0.649–0.954; p<0.05), higher risk of hydrocephalous (RR=1.143; CI=1.043–1.252; p<0.05), lower risk of cerebral infarction (RR=0.669; CI=0.596–0.751; p<0.05), lower risk of neuro deficits (RR=0.720; CI=0.582-0.892; p<0.05), and a lower rate of complete occlusion (OR=0.495; CI=0.280-0.876; p<0.05).

Conclusion

Coiling was significantly associated with a better life quality (mRS0-2), a lower incidence of postoperative complications, and a higher rate of mortality, rebleeding, hydrocephalous, and a lower rate of complete occlusion than clipping.