bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploratory Search for Characteristic Symptoms to Distinguish Meibomian Gland Dysfunction from Dry Eye in a Population-Based Study in Japan
Authors: Arita Reiko , Mizoguchi Takanori , Kawashima Motoko , Fukuoka Shima , Koh Shizuka , Shirakawa Rika , Suzuki Takashi , Morishige Naoyuki
Published: March 2022

Symptom overlap between meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) and dry eye (DE) makes it difficult to distinguish between these two conditions on the basis of symptoms alone. We searched for characteristic symptoms that might help to distinguish MGD from DE on the basis of a population-based study. Subjects comprised 311 residents of Takushima island (18 to 96 years), including 117 individuals with MGD and 114 with DE. Responses to a symptom-related questionnaire (19 items) were subjected to factor analysis, and univariate regression analysis was performed to identify ocular surface parameters associated with characteristic symptoms of MGD. Factor analysis revealed aggregation of symptoms according to three factors: Factor 1 related to Symptom Score, Factor 2 to DE, and Factor 3 to MGD. Symptoms associated with DE included 11 items, whereas the only item related to MGD was tearing sensation. Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed that tearing sensation was associated with tear meniscus height (TMH), noninvasive tear-film breakup time, fluorescein staining score, meiboscore, meibum grade, and Schirmer value. Subjects with MGD experienced significantly more tearing and had a larger TMH than did those without MGD (p = 0.0334). Tearing sensation may thus be a characteristic symptom of MGD. Physicians should suspect MGD who complain of tearing sensation.
Profile of Clinical and Analytical Parameters in Bronchiectasis Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A One-Year Follow-Up Pilot Study
Authors: Qin Liyun , Gonçalves-Carvalho Filipe , Xia Yingchen , Zha Jianhua , Admetlló Mireia , Maiques José María , Esteban-Cucó Sandra , Duran Xavier , Marín Alicia , Barreiro Esther
Published: March 2022

Whether the COVID-19 pandemic may have modified the clinical planning and course in bronchiectasis patients remains to be fully elucidated. We hypothesized that the COVID-19 pandemic may have influenced the management and clinical outcomes of bronchiectasis patients who were followed up for 12 months. In bronchiectasis patients (n = 30, 23 females, 66 years), lung function testing, disease severity [FEV1, age, colonization, radiological extension, dyspnea (FACED), exacerbation (EFACED)] and dyspnea scores, exacerbation numbers and hospitalizations, body composition, sputum microbiology, and blood analytical biomarkers were determined at baseline and after a one-year follow-up. Compared to baseline (n = 27, three patients dropped out), in bronchiectasis patients, a significant increase in FACED and EFACED scores, number of exacerbations, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was observed, while FEV1, ceruloplasmin, IgE, IgG, IgG aspergillus, IgM, and IgA significantly decreased. Patients presenting colonization by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) remained unchanged (27%) during follow-up. In bronchiectasis patients, FEV1 declined only after a one-year follow-up along with increased exacerbation numbers and disease severity scores, but not hospitalizations. However, a significant decrease in acute phase-reactants and immunoglobulins was observed at the one-year follow-up compared to baseline. Despite the relatively small cohort, the reported findings suggest that lung function impairment may not rely entirely on the patients’ inflammatory status.
Trends in the Comprehension and Management of Gastrointestinal Tract Disorders
Authors: Durazzo Marilena , Ferro Arianna , Fagoonee Sharmila , Pellicano Rinaldo
Published: March 2022

During the last decade, relevant advances have been made in the knowledge of the pathogenetic mechanisms of gastrointestinal (GI) tract disorders [...]
Characterization of Distinct Microbiota Associated with Scalp Dermatitis in Patients with Atopic Dermatitis
Authors: Woo Yu Ri , Cho Minah , Han Yujin , Lee Se Hoon , Cho Sang Hyun , Lee Jeong Deuk , Kim Hei Sung
Published: March 2022

Recent studies have focused on the role of skin microbiota in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD). Among the various clinical phenotypes of AD, scalp dermatitis is a commonly observed clinical feature of AD. However, little is known about the pathogenesis of scalp dermatitis in AD. Hence, the aim of this study was to identify the distinct microbiota associated with scalp dermatitis in patients with AD. Using scalp swab samples from 10 patients with AD and 10 healthy controls, this study characterized the scalp microbiota in patients with AD via V3–V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene sequencing for bacterial identification, and ITS2 gene sequencing for fungal identification. Among bacterial genera, Staphylococcus was the most abundant in AD than in healthy controls, whereas Cutibacterium was the most abundant species in the healthy controls. The most predominant scalp fungal microbiota was Malassezia both in AD and healthy controls, while a higher diversity of non-Malassezia fungi was observed in AD than in healthy controls. The study findings indicate the dysbiosis of scalp microbiota in AD and highlight the potential biomarker role of specific microbiota in AD on the scalp dermatitis.
The Role of Radiomics in the Era of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A New Protagonist in the Jungle of Response Criteria
Authors: Castello Angelo , Castellani Massimo , Florimonte Luigia , Urso Luca , Mansi Luigi , Lopci Egesta
Published: March 2022

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have demonstrated encouraging results in terms of durable clinical benefit and survival in several malignancies. Nevertheless, the search to identify an “ideal” biomarker for predicting response to ICI is still far from over. Radiomics is a new translational field of study aiming to extract, by dedicated software, several features from a given medical image, ranging from intensity distribution and spatial heterogeneity to higher-order statistical parameters. Based on these premises, our review aims to summarize the current status of radiomics as a potential predictor of clinical response following immunotherapy treatment. A comprehensive search of PubMed results was conducted. All studies published in English up to and including December 2021 were selected, comprising those that explored computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET) for radiomic analyses in the setting of ICI. Several studies have demonstrated the potential applicability of radiomic features in the monitoring of the therapeutic response beyond the traditional morphologic and metabolic criteria, as well as in the prediction of survival or non-invasive assessment of the tumor microenvironment. Nevertheless, important limitations emerge from our review in terms of standardization in feature selection, data sharing, and methods, as well as in external validation. Additionally, there is still need for prospective clinical trials to confirm the potential significant role of radiomics during immunotherapy.
Risk of Mortality among Patients with Gastrointestinal Bleeding with Early and Late Treatment with Tranexamic Acid: A Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Ting Ke-Hsin , Shiu Bei-Hao , Yang Shun-Fa , Liao Pei-Lun , Huang Jing-Yang , Chen Yin-Yang , Yeh Chao-Bin
Published: March 2022

Tranexamic acid (TXA) is an antifibrinolytic pharmacological agent, but its use in gastrointestinal bleeding remains contentious. Moreover, studies on the timing of TXA administration are limited. We examined whether early TXA administration reduced the risk of mortality in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding in a Taiwanese population. We used the National Health Insurance Research Database to identify patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal bleeding with early and late TXA treatment. We defined early treatment as initial TXA treatment in an emergency department and late treatment as initial TXA treatment after hospitalization. Mortality within 52 weeks was the primary outcome. A multivariable analysis using a multiple Cox regression model was applied for data analysis. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to reduce the potential for bias caused by measured confounding variables. Of the 52,949 selected patients with gastrointestinal bleeding, 5127 were assigned to either an early or late TXA treatment group after PSM. The incidence of mortality was significantly decreased during the first and fourth weeks (adjusted HR (aHR): 0.65, 95% CI: 0.56–0.75). A Kaplan–Meier curve revealed a significant decrease in cumulative incidence of mortality in the early TXA treatment group (log-rank test: p < 0.0001). Multiple Cox regression analysis revealed significantly lower mortality in the early TXA treatment group compared with the late treatment group (aHR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.57–0.73). Thromboembolic events were not significantly associated with early or late TXA treatment (aHR: 1.03, 95% CI: 0.94–1.12). A Kaplan–Meier curve also revealed no significant difference in either venous or arterial events (log-rank test: p = 0.3654 and 0.0975, respectively). In conclusion, early TXA treatment was associated with a reduced risk of mortality in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding compared with late treatment, without an increase in thromboembolic events. The risk of rebleeding and need for urgent endoscopic intervention require further randomized clinical trials.
Attention to Speech and Music in Young Children with Bilateral Cochlear Implants: A Pupillometry Study
Authors: Saksida Amanda , Ghiselli Sara , Picinali Lorenzo , Pintonello Sara , Battelino Saba , Orzan Eva
Published: March 2022

Early bilateral cochlear implants (CIs) may enhance attention to speech, and reduce cognitive load in noisy environments. However, it is sometimes difficult to measure speech perception and listening effort, especially in very young children. Behavioral measures cannot always be obtained in young/uncooperative children, whereas objective measures are either difficult to assess or do not reliably correlate with behavioral measures. Recent studies have thus explored pupillometry as a possible objective measure. Here, pupillometry is introduced to assess attention to speech and music in noise in very young children with bilateral CIs (N = 14, age: 17–47 months), and in the age-matched group of normally-hearing (NH) children (N = 14, age: 22–48 months). The results show that the response to speech was affected by the presence of background noise only in children with CIs, but not NH children. Conversely, the presence of background noise altered pupil response to music only in in NH children. We conclude that whereas speech and music may receive comparable attention in comparable listening conditions, in young children with CIs, controlling for background noise affects attention to speech and speech processing more than in NH children. Potential implementations of the results for rehabilitation procedures are discussed.
Respiratory Follow Up of the Premature Neonates—Rationale and Practical Issues
Authors: Bogdan Raluca Daniela , Bohiltea Roxana Elena , Toma Adrian Ioan
Published: March 2022

The aim of the review was to present the state of knowledge about the respiratory pathology in former premature neonates (children that were born preterm—before 37 weeks of gestation—and are examined and evaluated after 40 weeks corrected age) other than chronic lung disease, in order to provide reasons for a respiratory follow-up program for this category of patients. After a search of the current evidence, we found that premature infants are prone to long-term respiratory consequences due to several reasons: development of the lung outside of the uterus, leading to dysmaturation of the structures, pulmonary pathology due to immaturity, infectious agents or mechanical ventilation and deficient control of breathing. The medium- to long-term respiratory consequences of being born before term are represented by an increased risk of respiratory infections (especially viral) during the first years of life, a risk of recurrent wheezing and asthma and a decrease in pulmonary volumes and airway flows. Late preterm infants have risks of pulmonary long-term consequences similar to other former premature infants. Due to all the above risks, premature neonates should be followed in an organized fashion, being examined at regular time intervals from discharge from the maternity hospital until adulthood—this could lead to an early detection of the risks and preventive therapies in order to improve their prognosis and assure a normal and productive life. The difficulties related to establishing such programs are represented by the insufficient standardization of the data gathering forms, clinical examinations and lung function tests, but it is our belief that if more premature infants are followed, the experience will allow standards to be established in these fields and the methods of data gathering and evaluation to be unified.
Etiologic Classification of Diffuse Parenchymal (Interstitial) Lung Diseases
Authors: Griese Matthias
Published: March 2022

Interstitial lung diseases (ILD) or diffuse parenchymal lung diseases (DPLD) comprise a large number of disorders. Disease definition and classification allow advanced and personalized judgements on clinical disease, risks for genetic or environmental transmissions, and precision medicine treatments. Registers collect specific rare entities and use ontologies for a precise description of complex phenotypes. Here we present a brief history of ILD classification systems from adult and pediatric pneumology. We center on an etiologic classification, with four main categories: lung-only (native parenchymal) disorders, systemic disease-related disorders, exposure-related disorders, and vascular disorders. Splitting diseases into molecularly defined entities is key for precision medicine and the identification of novel entities. Lumping diseases targeted by similar diagnostic or therapeutic principles is key for clinical practice and register work, as our experience with the European children’s ILD register (chILD-EU) demonstrates. The etiologic classification favored combines pediatric and adult lung diseases in a single system and considers genomics and other -omics as central steps towards the solution of “idiopathic” lung diseases. Future tasks focus on a systems’ medicine approach integrating all data and bringing precision medicine closer to the patients.
Prescription of Blood Lymphocyte Immunophenotyping in the Diagnosis of Lymphoid Neoplasms in Older Adults
Authors: Vovelle Jérémie , Row Céline , Larosa Fabrice , Guy Julien , Mihai Anca-Maria , Maynadié Marc , Barben Jérémy , Manckoundia Patrick
Published: March 2022

Lymphoid neoplasms are a heterogeneous group of lymphoid neoplastic diseases with multiple presentations, and varying prognoses. They are especially frequent in older patients (OPs) and the atypism of this frail elderly population can make the diagnostic process even more difficult. Blood lymphocyte immunophenotyping (BLI) is essential in rapid noninvasive diagnosis orientation and guides complementary investigations. To our knowledge, BLI prescription has never been evaluated in OPs. We hypothesized that, when there is a suspicion of lymphoid neoplasm in the geriatric population, a BLI is performed in view of various clinical or biological abnormalities. This study aimed to: (1) describe the characteristics of hospitalized OPs having undergone BLI for suspected lymphoid neoplasm, (2) identify the causes leading to BLI prescription, and (3) identify the most profitable criteria for BLI prescription. This was a descriptive retrospective study on 151 OPs aged ≥75 years who underwent BLI over a 2-year period. Regarding BLI prescriptions, eight had lymphocytosis, constituting the “lymphocytosis group” (LG+), while the 143 others had BLI prescribed for reasons other than lymphocytosis (LG−), mainly general weakness and anemia. In the LG−, we compared OPs with positive and negative BLI results. The criteria found to be profitable for BLI prescription were lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, lymphocytosis, and thrombocytopenia. BLI identified circulating lymphoid neoplasms (positive BLI) in 21/151 OPs, mainly marginal zone lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. In polymorbid OPs, as per our study population, the diagnostic and therapeutic complexity explained in part the sole use of indirect and minimally invasive diagnostic techniques such as BLI.
On Numerical Models for Cube Drop Test of Bladder Fuel Tank for Aeronautical Applications
Authors: Cristillo Domenico , Di Caprio Francesco , Pezzella Claudio , Paciello Carmen , Magistro Simone , Di Palma Luigi , Belardo Marika
Published: March 2022

For some categories of aircraft, such as helicopters and tiltrotors, fuel storage systems must satisfy challenging crash resistance requirements in order to reduce or eliminate the possibility of fuel fires and thus increase the chances of passenger survival. Therefore, for such applications, fuel tanks with high flexibility (bladder) are increasingly used, which are able to withstand catastrophic events and avoid fuel leakages. The verification of these capabilities must be demonstrated by means of experimental tests, such as the cube drop test (MIL-DTL-27422). In order to reduce development costs, it is necessary to execute experimental tests with a high confidence of success, and, therefore, it is essential to have reliable and robust numerical analysis methodologies. The present work aims to provide a comparison between two explicit FE codes (i.e., Abaqus and Ls-Dyna), which are the most frequently used for such applications according to experimental data in the literature. Both codes offer different material models suitable for simulating the tank structure, and therefore, the most suitable one must be selected by means of a specific trade-off and calibration activity. Both are able to accurately simulate the complex fluid–structure interaction thanks to the use of the SPH approach, even if the resulting sloshing capabilities are quite different from each other. Additionally, the evolution of the tank’s deformed shape highlights some differences, and, in particular, Abaqus seems to return a more natural and less artificial behavior. For both codes, the error in terms of maximum impact force is less than 5%, but, even in this case, Abaqus is able to return slightly more accurate results.
Experimental Study on Silty Seabed Liquefaction and Its Impact on Sediment Resuspension by Random Waves
Authors: Dong Jiangfeng , Xu Jishang , Li Guangxue , Li Anlong , Zhang Shaotong , Niu Jianwei , Xu Xingyu , Wu Lindong
Published: March 2022

Seabed liquefaction and sediment resuspension under wave loading are key issues in marine engineering, but are usually regarded as independent processes (instead of coexisting and interacting processes). Here, we analyzed random wave-induced seabed liquefaction and its impact on sediment resuspension using flume experiments. Results show that in a nonliquefaction scenario, excess pore pressure in the seabed oscillates with wave fluctuations, but pressure accumulation is low, while a consistent upward pressure gradient promotes sediment suspension. Wave-induced shear stress was the key driver of sediment resuspension in a nonliquefaction scenario. In the liquefied state, waves with different amplitudes differently responded to excess pore pressure; small-amplitude waves accumulated pressure, while large-amplitude waves dissipated it. Liquefied soil formed mud waves, creating elliptical motion along with random waves. Seabed liquefaction accelerated sediment resuspension in the following ways: reducing soil critical shear stress; forming seepage channels inside the seabed; forming mud waves, resulting in increased turbulent kinetic energy; dissipating excess pore pressure and releasing porewater, expelling fine-grained sediment from the liquefied soil. Our study reveals the variation in excess pore pressure in silty seabed under random waves and its effect on sediment resuspension, which is significant for understanding soil liquefaction and sediment movement of silt.
Estimation of Total Suspended Matter Concentration of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, from Formosat-5 Image
Authors: Chau Pham-Minh , Wang Chi-Kuei
Published: March 2022

This study proposes the use of spatial high-resolution Formosat-5 (FS5) images for estimating total suspended matter (TSM) concentrations in a coastal region. Although many atmospheric correction methods are available, none of them are proposed to apply to FS5. Therefore, to remove the atmospheric effect, we performed a linear regression between the digital number (DN) of an FS5 image and the Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) level-2 remote-sensing reflectance (Rrs) by using 160 samples of five ground targets. The ground targets, namely roof material, asphalt, water, vegetation, and other materials (sand and soil), were assumed to have negligible differences within 24 h. The results show that the linear model used for computing FS5 reflectance exhibited good coefficients of determination (R2) ranging from 0.87 to 0.96 for blue, green, red, and near-infrared bands. Next, in situ TSM measurements were not collected during the FS5 overpassing in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, so we used two existing algorithms with a red band to estimate the TSM concentration. These algorithms developed for different coastal waters exhibited satisfactory agreement between derived field data and observed TSM concentrations with R2 ranging from 0.86 to 0.95. We also cross-checked the accuracy of the FS5-derived TSM concentration through comparison with an OLI-derived TSM image. The OLI-derived TSM image was validated and discussed for Vietnamese coastal waters, including Ha Long Bay. Lastly, based on comparisons between FS5- and OLI-derived TSM images in terms of spatial distribution, histograms, and root mean square error, we indicated the FS5 images after the removal of atmospheric effects could be totally used for estimating TSM in coastal water regions.
Influence of Anaerobic Degradation of Organic Matter on the Rheological Properties of Cohesive Mud from Different European Ports
Authors: Shakeel Ahmad , Zander Florian , Gebert Julia , Chassagne Claire , Kirichek Alex
Published: March 2022

The presence of clay-organic flocs in cohesive mud results in a complex rheological behavior of mud, including viscoelasticity, shear-thinning, thixotropy and two-step yielding. In this study, the effect of microbial degradation of organic matter on the rheological properties of mud samples, collected from different ports, was examined. The mud samples were collected from five different European ports (Port of Antwerp (PoA), Port of Bremerhaven (PoB), Port of Emden (PoE), Port of Hamburg (PoH) and Port of Rotterdam (PoR)), displaying varying sediment properties. The rheological analysis of fresh and degraded mud samples was performed with the help of several tests, including stress ramp-up tests, amplitude sweep tests, frequency sweep tests, time-dependent tests and structural recovery tests. The results showed: (i) a significant decrease in yield stresses and complex modulus after organic matter degradation for mud samples from PoA, PoH and PoR, (ii) a negligible change in rheological properties (yield stresses, crossover amplitude and complex modulus) for mud samples from PoB, and (iii) a significant increase in rheological properties for mud samples from PoE. For time-dependent tests, mud samples from PoB showed a substantial increase in hysteresis (~50% mean value) as compared to the changes in yield stresses and crossover amplitude. The analysis of gas production during degradation of organic matter showed a (i) significant release of carbon per g dry matter for mud samples from PoA, PoH and PoR, (ii) lower carbon release per g dry matter for mud samples from PoB, and (iii) a negligible carbon release per g dry matter for mud samples from PoE, which corresponded well with the change in rheological properties.
Combined Use of Presepsin and (1,3)-β-D-glucan as Biomarkers for Diagnosing Candida Sepsis and Monitoring the Effectiveness of Treatment in Critically Ill Patients
Authors: Dobiáš Radim , Káňová Marcela , Petejová Naděžda , Pisti Štefan Kis , Bocek Robert , Krejčí Eva , Stružková Helena , Cachová Michaela , Tomášková Hana , Hamal Petr , Havlíček Vladimír , Raška Milan
Published: March 2022

New biomarker panel was developed and validated on 165 critically ill adult patients to enable a more accurate invasive candidiasis (IC) diagnosis. Serum levels of the panfungal biomarker (1,3)-β-D-glucan (BDG) and the inflammatory biomarkers C-reactive protein, presepsin (PSEP), and procalcitonin (PCT) were correlated with culture-confirmed candidemia or bacteremia in 58 and 107 patients, respectively. The diagnostic utility was evaluated in sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV). BDG was the best marker for IC, achieving 96.6% sensitivity, 97.2% specificity, 94.9% PPV, and 98.1% NPV at a cut-off of 200 pg/mL (p ≤ 0.001). PSEP exhibited 100% sensitivity and 100% NPV at a cut-off of 700 pg/mL but had a lower PPV (36.5%) and low specificity (5.6%). Combined use of PSEP and BDG, thus, seems to be the most powerful laboratory approach for diagnosing IC. Furthermore, PSEP was more accurate for 28-day mortality prediction the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC = 0.74) than PCT (AUC = 0.31; PCT cut-off = 0.5 ng/mL). Finally, serum PSEP levels decreased significantly after only 14 days of echinocandin therapy (p = 0.0012). The probability of IC is almost 100% in critically ill adults with serum BDG and PSEP concentrations > 200 pg/mL and >700 pg/mL, respectively, defining a borderline between non-invasive superficial Candida colonization and IC.
Commercial Methods for Antifungal Susceptibility Testing of Yeasts: Strengths and Limitations as Predictors of Resistance
Authors: Espinel-Ingroff Ana
Published: March 2022

Susceptibility testing can yield variable results because it is method (commercial or reference), agent, and species dependent. Therefore, in order for results to be clinically relevant, MICs (minimal inhibitory concentrations) or MECs (minimal effective concentrations) should help in selecting the best treatment agent in the clinical setting. This is accomplished by categorical endpoints, ideally, breakpoints (BPs) and/or ECVs/ECOFFs (epidemiological cutoff values). BPs and ECVs are available by the reference methods (CLSI [Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute] and EUCAST [European Committee on Antifungal Susceptibility Testing]) for a variety of species/agent combinations. The lack of clinical data precludes establishment of BPs for susceptibility testing by the commercial methods and ECVs have only been calculated for the Etest and SYO assays. The goal of this review is to summarize the variety of commercial methods for antifungal susceptibility testing and the potential value of Etest and SYO ECVs for detecting mutants/non-wild type (NWT) Candida isolates. Therefore, the literature search focused on publications where the commercial method, meaning MICs and ECVs, were reported for specific NWT isolates; genetic mutations have also been listed. For the Etest, the best performers recognizing the NWT were anidulafungin ECVs: 92% for the common species; 97% for C. glabrata and fluconazole ECVs, mostly for C. parapsilosis (45 NWT isolates). By the SYO, posaconazole ECVs recognized 93% of the C. albicans and 96% of the C. parapsilosis NWT isolates and micafungin ECVs 94% (mostly C. albicans and C. glabrata). Smaller sets, some with clinical data, were also listed. These are promising results for the use of both commercial methods to identify antifungal resistance (NWT isolates). However, ECVs for other species and methods need to be defined, including the C. neoformans complex and emerging species.
Distribution of Yeast Species and Risk Factors of Oral Colonization after Oral-Care Education among the Residents of Nursing Homes
Authors: Tu Ming-Gene , Lin Chih-Chao , Chiang Ya-Ting , Zhou Zi-Li , Hsieh Li-Yun , Chen Kai-Ting , Chen Yin-Zhi , Cheng Wen-Chi , Lo Hsiu-Jung
Published: March 2022

Most yeasts causing infections in humans are part of commensal microflora and etiological agents of different infections when hosts become susceptible, usually due to becoming immunocompromised. The colonization of potentially pathogenic microbes in the oral cavity is increased by poor oral hygiene. This follow-up survey was conducted approximately two months after providing information on proper oral care at 10 nursing homes in Taiwan. Among the 117 of 165 residents colonized by yeasts, 67 were colonized by more than one yeast species. A total of 231 isolates comprising eight fungal genera and 25 species were identified. Candida albicans (44.6%) was the dominant species, followed by Candida glabrata (17.7%), Candida parapsilosis (8.7%), Candida tropicalis (7.8%), and Candida pararugosa (7.3%). Residents having a yeast colony-forming unit >10 (OR, 8.897; 95% CI 2.972–26.634; p < 0.001) or using a wheelchair (OR, 4.682; 95% CI 1.599–13.705; p = 0.005) were more likely to be colonized by multiple species. By comparing before and after oral-care education, dry mouth (OR, 3.199; 95% CI 1.448–7.068; p = 0.011) and having heart disease (OR, 2.681; 95% CI 1.068–6.732; p = 0.036) emerged as two independent risk factors for increased density of colonizing yeast.
Phylogenomics and Comparative Genomics Highlight Specific Genetic Features in Ganoderma Species
Authors: Sun Yi-Fei , Lebreton Annie , Xing Jia-Hui , Fang Yu-Xuan , Si Jing , Morin Emmanuelle , Miyauchi Shingo , Drula Elodie , Ahrendt Steven , Cobaugh Kelly , Lipzen Anna , Koriabine Maxim , Riley Robert , Kohler Annegret , Barry Kerrie , Henrissat Bernard , Grigoriev Igor V. , Martin Francis M. , Cui Bao-Kai
Published: March 2022

The Ganoderma species in Polyporales are ecologically and economically relevant wood decayers used in traditional medicine, but their genomic traits are still poorly documented. In the present study, we carried out a phylogenomic and comparative genomic analyses to better understand the genetic blueprint of this fungal lineage. We investigated seven Ganoderma genomes, including three new genomes, G. australe, G. leucocontextum, and G. lingzhi. The size of the newly sequenced genomes ranged from 60.34 to 84.27 Mb and they encoded 15,007 to 20,460 genes. A total of 58 species, including 40 white-rot fungi, 11 brown-rot fungi, four ectomycorrhizal fungi, one endophyte fungus, and two pathogens in Basidiomycota, were used for phylogenomic analyses based on 143 single-copy genes. It confirmed that Ganoderma species belong to the core polyporoid clade. Comparing to the other selected species, the genomes of the Ganoderma species encoded a larger set of genes involved in terpene metabolism and coding for secreted proteins (CAZymes, lipases, proteases and SSPs). Of note, G. australe has the largest genome size with no obvious genome wide duplication, but showed transposable elements (TEs) expansion and the largest set of terpene gene clusters, suggesting a high ability to produce terpenoids for medicinal treatment. G. australe also encoded the largest set of proteins containing domains for cytochrome P450s, heterokaryon incompatibility and major facilitator families. Besides, the size of G. australe secretome is the largest, including CAZymes (AA9, GH18, A01A), proteases G01, and lipases GGGX, which may enhance the catabolism of cell wall carbohydrates, proteins, and fats during hosts colonization. The current genomic resource will be used to develop further biotechnology and medicinal applications, together with ecological studies of the Ganoderma species.
Colletotrichum Species Associated with Peaches in China
Authors: Tan Qin , Schnabel Guido , Chaisiri Chingchai , Yin Liang-Fen , Yin Wei-Xiao , Luo Chao-Xi
Published: March 2022

Colletotrichum is regarded as one of the 10 most important genera of plant pathogens in the world. It causes diseases in a wide range of economically important plants, including peaches. China is the largest producer of peaches in the world but little is known about the Colletotrichum spp. affecting the crop. In 2017 and 2018, a total of 286 Colletotrichum isolates were isolated from symptomatic fruit and leaves in 11 peach production provinces of China. Based on multilocus phylogenetic analyses (ITS, ACT, CAL, CHS-1, GAPDH, TUB2, and HIS3) and morphological characterization, the isolates were identified to be C. nymphaeae, C. fioriniae, and C. godetiae of the C. acutatum species complex, C. fructicola and C. siamense of the C. gloeosporioides species complex, C. karsti of the C. boninense species complex, and one newly identified species, C. folicola sp. nov. This study is the first report of C. karsti and C. godetiae in peaches, and the first report of C. nymphaeae, C. fioriniae, C. fructicola, and C. siamense in peaches in China. C. nymphaeae is the most prevalent species of Colletotrichum in peaches in China, which may be the result of fungicide selection. Pathogenicity tests revealed that all species found in this study were pathogenic on both the leaves and fruit of peaches, except for C. folicola, which only infected the leaves. The present study substantially improves our understanding of the causal agents of anthracnose on peaches in China.
Chemical Constituents and Molecular Mechanism of the Yellow Phenotype of Yellow Mushroom (Floccularia luteovirens)
Authors: Gan Xiaolong , Bao Xuemei , Liu Baolong , Li Yun , Cao Dong , Zhang Hg , Zong Yuan
Published: March 2022

(1) Background: Yellow mushroom (Floccularia luteovirens) is a natural resource that is highly nutritional, has a high economic value, and is found in Northwest China. Despite its value, the chemical and molecular mechanisms of yellow phenotype formation are still unclear. (2) Methods: This study uses the combined analysis of transcriptome and metabolome to explain the molecular mechanism of the formation of yellow mushroom. Subcellular localization and transgene overexpression techniques were used to verify the function of the candidate gene. (3) Results: 112 compounds had a higher expression in yellow mushroom; riboflavin was the ninth most-expressed compound. HPLC showed that a key target peak at 23.128 min under visible light at 444 nm was Vb2. All proteins exhibited the closest relationship with Agaricus bisporus var. bisporus H97. One riboflavin transporter, CL911.Contig3_All (FlMCH5), was highly expressed in yellow mushrooms with a different value (log2 fold change) of −12.98, whereas it was not detected in white mushrooms. FlMCH5 was homologous to the riboflavin transporter MCH5 or MFS transporter in other strains, and the FlMCH5-GFP fusion protein was mainly located in the cell membrane. Overexpression of FlMCH5 in tobacco increased the content of riboflavin in three transgenic plants to 26 μg/g, 26.52 μg/g, and 36.94 μg/g, respectively. (4) Conclusions: In this study, it is clear that riboflavin is the main coloring compound of yellow mushrooms, and FlMCH5 is the key transport regulatory gene that produces the yellow phenotype.
COVID-19 Associated Pulmonary Aspergillosis (CAPA): Hospital or Home Environment as a Source of Life-Threatening Aspergillus fumigatus Infection?
Authors: Peláez-García de la Rasilla Teresa , González-Jiménez Irene , Fernández-Arroyo Andrea , Roldán Alejandra , Carretero-Ares Jose Luis , García-Clemente Marta , Telenti-Asensio Mauricio , García-Prieto Emilio , Martínez-Suarez Mar , Vázquez-Valdés Fernando , Melón-García Santiago , Caminal-Montero Luis , Fernández-Simón Inmaculada , Mellado Emilia , Sánchez-Núñez María Luisa
Published: March 2022

Most cases of invasive aspergillosis are caused by Aspergillus fumigatus, whose conidia are ubiquitous in the environment. Additionally, in indoor environments, such as houses or hospitals, conidia are frequently detected too. Hospital-acquired aspergillosis is usually associated with airborne fungal contamination of the hospital air, especially after building construction events. A. fumigatus strain typing can fulfill many needs both in clinical settings and otherwise. The high incidence of aspergillosis in COVID patients from our hospital, made us wonder if they were hospital-acquired aspergillosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the hospital environment was the source of aspergillosis infection in CAPA patients, admitted to the Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, during the first and second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, or whether it was community-acquired aspergillosis before admission. During 2020, sixty-nine A. fumigatus strains were collected for this study: 59 were clinical isolates from 28 COVID-19 patients, and 10 strains were environmentally isolated from seven hospital rooms and intensive care units. A diagnosis of pulmonary aspergillosis was based on the ECCM/ISHAM criteria. Strains were genotyped by PCR amplification and sequencing of a panel of four hypervariable tandem repeats within exons of surface protein coding genes (TRESPERG). A total of seven genotypes among the 10 environmental strains and 28 genotypes among the 59 clinical strains were identified. Genotyping revealed that only one environmental A. fumigatus from UCI 5 (box 54) isolated in October (30 October 2020) and one A. fumigatus isolated from a COVID-19 patient admitted in Pneumology (Room 532-B) in November (24 November 2020) had the same genotype, but there was a significant difference in time and location. There was also no relationship in time and location between similar A. fumigatus genotypes of patients. The global A. fumigatus, environmental and clinical isolates, showed a wide diversity of genotypes. To our knowledge, this is the first study monitoring and genotyping A. fumigatus isolates obtained from hospital air and COVID-19 patients, admitted with aspergillosis, during one year. Our work shows that patients do not acquire A. fumigatus in the hospital. This proves that COVID-associated aspergillosis in our hospital is not a nosocomial infection, but supports the hypothesis of “community aspergillosis” acquisition outside the hospital, having the home environment (pandemic period at home) as the main suspected focus of infection.
Health Information on COVID-19 Vaccination: Readability of Online Sources and Newspapers in Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Philippines
Authors: Costantini Hiroko , Fuse Rie
Published: March 2022

To address the COVID-19 pandemic, as with other infectious diseases, a key intervention is vaccination. Health communications are thus of vital importance for informing the public on the benefits and risks of vaccines. This in turn makes the readability of media content fundamental. Previous studies of COVID-19-related information have found the readability of online information considerably more difficult than recommended. However, studies on the readability of information related to COVID-19 vaccination in Asian contexts have yet to be carried out. Furthermore, especially in the case of the current pandemic, health information is communicated by a variety of information channels, including the internet and mass media. This paper investigates the readability of textual information on COVID-19 vaccination found online and in newspaper articles in parts of Asia where English is one of the main languages, namely Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Philippines. Readability was assessed using a set of readability tests (Flesch–Kincaid Reading Ease, Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level, Gunning Fog Index, Coleman–Liau Index, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook Grade level). It was found that a low proportion of URLs scored within recommended readability thresholds, and did so consistently across locations and types of sources. Furthermore, a relatively low proportion of web searches returned information from local sources; most URLs linked to sources outside of Singapore, Hong Kong, or the Philippines. Further, local online and newspaper sources scored similarly poorly on readability on average compared to non-local sources. Understanding of fast-evolving health communications concerning COVID-19 vaccination encompasses information about vaccine development and deployment from other locations, as well as locally. Nevertheless, these findings indicated a fairly low proportion of local sources among the top search results, and relatively low (i.e., difficult-to-read) readability scores for top search results and for local newspapers. An important issue for health communications strategies addressing COVID-19 vaccination will therefore be to consider different types of media sources in order to achieve the right mix of local and non-local sources while also ensuring appropriate readability.
Daratumumab in AL Amyloidosis: A Real-Life Experience of the “RTM” (Regional Tuscan Myeloma Network)
Authors: Sammartano Vincenzo , Antonioli Elisabetta , Buda Gabriele , Ciofini Sara , Candi Veronica , Pengue Ludovica , Del Giudice Maria , Attucci Irene , Bacchiarri Francesca , Occhini Ubaldo , Pirrotta Maria , Perfetto Federico , Bocchia Monica , Gozzetti Alessandro
Published: March 2022

Systemic amyloidosis arises from monoclonal CD38+ plasma cells that produce misfolded immunoglobulin light chains, which form amyloid fibrils that are deposited into different tissues, leading to organ damage. Daratumumab is a human IgG/k monoclonal antibody that targets CD38, a glycoprotein uniformly expressed on human plasma cells. Daratumumab has been utilized in recent years with unprecedented responses in multiple myeloma. In patients with relapsed or refractory AL amyloidosis, daratumumab has shown promising efficacy in terms of hematologic responses and improvement in organ function. Here, we report real-life treatment with Daratumumab in 33 AL amyloidosis patients treated within the Regional Tuscan Myeloma network at 5 centers with associated MGUS or SMM (n = 15) or symptomatic MM (n = 18). Patients were treated at relapsed/refractory disease stages (n = 29) with a median of one previous line of therapy or at diagnosis (n = 4). Daratumumab showed good efficacy, representing 60% of good hematological responses and 50% of organ responses in a real-life population of patients with an acceptable toxicity profile.
Depression, Insomnia and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in COVID-19 Survivors: Role of Gender and Impact on Quality of Life
Authors: Pappa Sofia , Barmparessou Zafeiria , Athanasiou Nikolaos , Sakka Elpitha , Eleftheriou Kostas , Patrinos Stavros , Sakkas Nikolaos , Pappas Apostolis , Kalomenidis Ioannis , Katsaounou Paraskevi
Published: March 2022

Evidence to date suggests that a significant proportion of COVID-19 patients experience adverse psychological outcomes and neuropsychiatric complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection and subsequent hospitalization on the mental health, sleep, and quality of life of COVID-19 survivors. Patients were assessed 1–2 months after hospital discharge using standardized screening tools for depression and anxiety (HADS), post-traumatic stress disorder (IES-R), insomnia (AIS), and quality of life (EQ-5D-5L). Sociodemographic factors, comorbidities, disease severity and type of hospitalization were also collected. Amongst the 143 patients included, mental health symptoms were common (depression—19%; anxiety—27%; traumatic stress—39%; insomnia—33%) and more frequently reported in female than in male patients. Age, smoking status, comorbidities and illness severity were not found to significantly correlate with the presence of mood, sleep, or stress disorders. Finally, quality of life was worse for patients requiring ICU (p = 0.0057) or a longer hospital stay (p < 0.001) but was unaffected by factors such as sex and other measured outcomes. These findings highlight the need for appropriate intervention to properly manage the immediate and enduring mental health complications of COVID-19.
Role of Catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met Polymorphism on Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Swallowing
Authors: Hwang Hyemi , Han Yeonjae , Park Geun-Young , Lee Soohwan , Park Hae-Yeon , Im Sun
Published: March 2022

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is one of the latest post-stroke dysphagia treatment modalities, and the effect of tDCS is known to be affected by various factors including genetic polymorphisms. However, the role of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) polymorphisms on tDCS in swallowing is unclear. In this prospective pilot study, we aim to explore the effect of tDCS on the swallowing cortex and subsequent swallowing motor function according to COMT polymorphism. Twenty-four healthy participants received either anodal tDCS or sham mode tDCS on the mylohyoid motor cortex at random order, after inhibitory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for preconditioning. The primary outcome was the changes of mylohyoid-motor-evoked potentials (MH-MEP) amplitude in each COMT polymorphism group, from the post-inhibitory rTMS baseline state to immediate, 30, and 60 min after tDCS. The secondary outcomes were the changes in swallowing function. The results showed that COMT Val/Val polymorphism showed improvement across time in the MH-MEP amplitudes and triggering time of swallowing after tDCS, whereas COMT Met carrier group did not show significant changes of MH-MEP or swallowing function across time. This therapeutic response variability of tDCS in the mylohyoid motor system according to COMT polymorphism support the importance of genetic analysis in individualized dysphagia treatment.
Poly(styrene-co-maleic acid) Micelle of Photosensitizers for Targeted Photodynamic Therapy, Exhibits Prolonged Singlet Oxygen Generating Capacity and Superior Intracellular Uptake
Authors: Bharate Gahininath Yadavrao , Qin Haibo , Fang Jun
Published: March 2022

Targeted therapy by using nanomedicines based on the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect is becoming a promising anticancer strategy. Many nano-designed photosensitizers (PSs) for photodynamic therapy (PDT) have been developed which show superior therapeutic potentials than free PS. To further understand the advantages of nano-designed PS, in this study, we used styrene-co-maleyl telomer (SMA) as a polymer platform to prepare a micellar type of PS with two well-characterized PSs—rose bengal (RB) and methylene blue (MB)—and evaluated the outmatching benefits of SMA-PS micelles, especially focusing on the singlet oxygen (1O2) generation capacity and intracellular uptake profiles. In aqueous solutions, SMA-PS self-assembles to form micelles by non-covalent interactions between PS and SMA. SMA-PS micelles showed discrete distributions by dynamic light scattering having a mean particle size of 18–30 nm depending on the types of SMA and different PSs. The hydrodynamic size of SMA-PS was evaluated by Sephadex chromatography and it found to be 30–50 kDa. In the presence of human serum albumin, the sizes of SMA-PS remarkably increased, suggesting the albumin-binding property. 1O2 generation from the SMA-PS micelle was determined by electron spin resonance, in which the SMA-PS micelle showed comparatively more photo-stable, and consequently a more durable and constant, 1O2 generation capability than free PS. Moreover, intracellular uptake of SMA-PS micelles was extensively faster and higher than free PS, especially in tumor cells. Taken together, SMA-PS micelles appear highly advantageous for photodynamic therapy in addition to its capacity in utilizing the EPR effect for tumor targeted delivery.