bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Highly significant differences in HBsAg kinetics among patients with two types of hepatitis B flare, with and without retreatment
Authors: Jeng Wen-Juei , Liu Yen-Chun , Peng Chien-Wei , Chien Rong-Nan , Liaw Yun-Fan
Published: September 2021

Background

Off-therapy hepatitis flare may be detrimental or, conversely, facilitate hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) decline. Retreatment decisions are crucial.

Methods

HBsAg was quantified before and during flares, at peak/retreatment start and at Months 6 and 12 in 336 entecavir/tenofovir-retreated and 105 non-retreated hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative patients. Increasing HBsAg during ALT flare defined a ‘virus-dominating flare’ and decreasing HBsAg a ‘host-dominating flare’.

Results

Two hundred and eighty-eight retreated patients with a virus-dominating flare showed greater 1 year HBsAg decline (−1.0 versus −0.01 log10 IU/mL; P < 0.0001), more frequent rapid decline (69.8% versus 8.3%; P < 0001) and higher 3 year incidence of HBsAg < 100 IU/mL (32% versus 12%; P = 0.026) than 48 patients with a host-dominating flare, of whom 16 (33.3%) showed 3.8-fold (2 to 52-fold) HBsAg rebound on retreatment (versus 2/288; P < 0.0001). Compared with non-retreated controls, 1 year HBsAg decline was greater (−1.0 versus −0.47 log10 IU/mL; P < 0.0001) and faster (69.8% versus 42.5%; P < 0.0001) in patients with a virus-dominating flare, whereas 1 year HBsAg decline (−0.01 versus −0.16 log10 IU/mL) and 3 year HBsAg loss rate (0% versus 21%; P = 0.009) were lower in patients with a host-dominating flare.

Conclusions

Entecavir/tenofovir retreatment effectively decreases HBsAg level in patients with a virus-dominating flare but is ineffective/worse in patients with a host-dominating flare. These results support the use of combined HBsAg/ALT kinetics for the decision to retreat patients with a virus-dominating flare and withhold retreatment for patients with a host-dominating flare.
No Coming Back to Sick Society: The Emergence of New Drug User Segment in the Järvenpää Social Hospital in Finland, 1965–1975
Authors: Parhi Katariina
Published: September 2021

This article explores the emergence of “new” drug users by taking a closer look at the medical records of individuals who received inpatient treatment in the Järvenpää Social Hospital in Finland due to their drug consumption during the years 1965–1975. The hospital focused on social and psychiatric care. The Social Hospital patients differentiated themselves between “classical narcomaniacs” and new users, which indicates that a new user segment had emerged. The hospital staff described the new patients’ personalities as shortsighted and dependent on others but avoided making homogenic or dogmatic psychiatric interpretations. Both the patients and the staff referred to “drug philosophy” or “drug ideology,” which positioned drug consumption in a certain work-avoiding societal context. The main argument is that the Social Hospital archive provides an invaluable source by offering a combination of medical and societal analysis together with patients’ perspectives. Drug use was seen as a social problem that was never simplified into any one cause. Instead, the files offer a nuanced view to drug use and youth culture in Finland.
Meta-Analysis of Quality of Life in Cancer Patients Treated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
Authors: Gonzalez Brian D , Eisel Sarah L , Bowles Kristina E , Hoogland Aasha I , James Brian W , Small Brent J , Sharpe Susan , Hyland Kelly A , Bulls Hailey W , Christy Shannon M , Mansfield Jori , Nelson Ashley M , Alla Raviteja , Maharaj Kelly , Kennedy Brittany , Lafranchise Elizabeth , Williams Noelle L , Jennewein Sarah , Oswald Laura B , Postow Michael A , Dicker Adam P , Jim Heather S L
Published: September 2021

Background

Trials of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have published patient-reported quality of life (QOL), but the size and heterogeneity of this literature can make patient education difficult. This meta-analysis aimed to describe change in QOL and symptomatology in patients receiving ICIs for cancer.

Methods

Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, databases were searched through November 2019 for articles or abstracts of prospective, original studies reporting longitudinal QOL in adult cancer patients treated with ICIs. The prespecified primary outcomes were change in global QOL among patients treated with ICIs and difference in change since baseline in global QOL between patients treated with ICI vs non-ICI active treatment. Secondary outcomes included physical functioning and symptomatology. All statistical tests were 2-sided.

Results

Of 20 323 publications, 26 met inclusion criteria. Global QOL did not change over time in patients treated with ICIs (k = 26, n = 6974; P = .19). Larger improvements in global QOL was observed in patients receiving ICI vs non-ICI regimens (k = 16, ICI: n = 3588; non-ICI: n = 2948; P < .001). Physical functioning did not change in patients treated with ICIs (k = 14, n = 3169; P = .47); there were no differences in mean change between ICI vs non-ICI regimens (k = 11, n = 4630; P = .94). Regarding symptoms, appetite loss, insomnia, and pain severity decreased, but dyspnea severity increased in patients treated with ICIs (k = 14, n = 3243-3499; P < .001). Insomnia severity was higher in patients treated with ICIs than non-ICI regimens (k = 11, n = 4791; P < .001).

Conclusions

This study is among the first to quantitatively summarize QOL in patients treated with ICIs. Findings suggest ICI recipients report no change in global QOL and higher QOL than patients treated with non-ICI regimens.
Local 3-Dimensional Printing of a Calvarium-Anchored Ventricular Catheter Occlusion Device
Authors: Cole Tyler S , Graham Dakota T , Wakim Andre A , Bohl Michael A , Morgan Clinton D , Catapano Joshua S , Smith Kris A , Sanai Nader , Lawton Michael T
Published: September 2021

Three-dimensional (3D)-printed objects have been incorporated into many surgical specialties for various purposes. These devices can be customized and used as implants or surgical instruments. This study describes the use of a 3D-printed device that eliminates the need for a surgical assistant to occlude and retain the intracranial catheter during ventriculoperitoneal shunt creation and revision. After we identified design considerations and solutions, we modeled the device dimensions using computer-aided design software. Prototypes were 3D printed using stereolithography. Iterative design improvements were tested on cadaveric cranial samples. A final design was established, prepared by the in-hospital sterile processing department, and deployed successfully for clinical use. The design process for 3D-printed surgical instruments can produce straightforward idea-to-prototype pipelines. Because 3D-printed devices are easily duplicated and modified, small adjustments and new models can be developed, printed, and tested in a short time span.
Cardiometabolic health benefits of dairy-milk polar lipids
Authors: Bruno Richard S , Pokala Avinash , Torres-Gonzalez Moises , Blesso Christopher N
Published: September 2021

Low-quality dietary patterns impair cardiometabolic health by increasing the risk of obesity-related disorders. Cardiometabolic risk relative to dairy-food consumption continues to be a controversial topic, due to recommendations that endorse low-fat and nonfat dairy foods over full-fat varieties despite accumulated evidence that does not strongly support these recommendations. Controlled human studies and mechanistic preclinical investigations support that full-fat dairy foods decrease cardiometabolic risk by promoting gut health, reducing inflammation, and managing dyslipidemia. These gut- and systemic-level cardiometabolic benefits are attributed, at least in part, to milk polar lipids (MPLs) derived from the phospholipid- and sphingolipid-rich milk fat globule membrane that is of higher abundance in full-fat dairy milk. The controversy surrounding full-fat dairy food consumption is discussed in this review relative to cardiometabolic health and MPL bioactivities that alleviate dyslipidemia, shift gut microbiota composition, and reduce inflammation. This summary, therefore, is expected to advance the understanding of full-fat dairy foods through their MPLs and the need for translational research to establish evidence-based dietary recommendations.
Political Surveys Bias Self-Reported Economic Perceptions
Authors: Bailey Jack
Published: September 2021

If voters are to hold governments to account for the state of the economy, they must know how it has changed. Indeed, this is a prerequisite for democratic accountability. Yet the perceptions that voters report often show signs of clear partisan bias. At present, we do not know if this bias is real or instead due to priming in political surveys. To test this, I assign subjects at random to either a political or nonpolitical survey. I then record their economic perceptions and compare the results for each group. I show that political surveys do worsen partisan bias, though only among supporters of the incumbent party. Still, much partisan bias remains unexplained, even in the nonpolitical condition. So, while economic perception items remain biased, we can at least be sure that most people respond to them in a similar way no matter the survey context.
Neuro-computational foundations of moral preferences
Authors: Ugazio Giuseppe , Grueschow Marcus , Polania Rafael , Lamm Claus , Tobler Philippe , Ruff Christian
Published: September 2021

Moral preferences pervade many aspects of our lives, dictating how we ought to behave, whom we can marry and even what we eat. Despite their relevance, one fundamental question remains unanswered: where do individual moral preferences come from? It is often thought that all types of preferences reflect properties of domain-general neural decision mechanisms that employ a common ‘neural currency’ to value choice options in many different contexts. This view, however, appears at odds with the observation that many humans consider it intuitively wrong to employ the same scale to compare moral value (e.g. of a human life) with material value (e.g. of money). In this paper, we directly test if moral subjective values are represented by similar neural processes as financial subjective values. In a study combining functional magnetic resonance imaging with a novel behavioral paradigm, we identify neural representations of the subjective values of human lives or financial payoffs by means of structurally identical computational models. Correlating isomorphic model variables from both domains with brain activity reveals specific patterns of neural activity that selectively represent values in the moral (right temporo-parietal junction) or financial (ventral-medial prefrontal cortex) domain. Intriguingly, our findings show that human lives and money are valued in (at least partially) distinct neural currencies, supporting theoretical proposals that human moral behavior is guided by processes that are distinct from those underlying behavior driven by personal material benefit.
Snakebite frequencies and envenomation case management in primary health centers of the Bobo-Dioulasso health district (Burkina Faso) from 2014 to 2018
Authors: Bamogo Rabila , Thiam Massamba , Nikièma Achille Sindimbasba , Somé Fabrice Anyirekun , Mané Youssouph , Sawadogo Simon Péguédwindé , Sow Bazoumana , Diabaté Abdoulaye , Diatta Youssouph , Dabiré Roch Kounbobr
Published: September 2021

Background

Snakebite envenomation is a significant public health problem in Burkina Faso. Our study describes the epidemiological and therapeutic aspects of snakebite cases at primary health centers in Houet Province, which is located in the western area of Burkina Faso.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study of 664 snakebite cases occurring at 10 primary health centers in Houet Province from January 2014 to December 2018. Data were collected from the patient consultation recording database registry system.

Results

Affected individuals had a male/female ratio of 1.31. The lowest annual incidences (0.02 [95% CI –0.01 to 0.05] and 0.24 [95% CI 0.05 to 0.43]) were observed in the urban primary health centers of Bolomakoté and Sarfalao, respectively. Rural primary health centers in Nasso in 2016 and in Soumousso in 2014 had the highest annual incidence (13.80 [95% CI 7.59 to 20.00] and 3.92 [95% CI 2.99 to 4.86], respectively). Of the 664 registered snakebite victims, none received antivenom immunotherapy treatment.

Conclusion

Our study shows that snakebite envenomation incidents are common at the 10 primary health centers in Houet Province. Furthermore, despite the lack of antivenom and often inadequate treatment at these primary health centers, they remain the first point of care for snakebite victims.
The Intergenerational Effects of Economic Sanctions
Authors: Moeeni Safoura
Published: September 2021

While economic sanctions are successful in achieving political goals, they can hurt the civilian population. These negative effects could be even more detrimental and long lasting for future generations. This study estimates the effects of economic sanctions on children’s education by exploiting the United Nations sanctions imposed on Iran in 2006. Using the variation in the strength of sanctions across industries and difference-in-differences with synthetic control analyses, this study finds that the sanctions decreased children’s total years of schooling by 0.1 years and the probability of attending college by 4.8 percentage points. Moreover, households reduced education spending by 58 percent—particularly on school tuition. These effects are larger for children who were exposed to the sanctions for longer. The results imply that sanctions have a larger effect on the income of children than their parents. Therefore, ignoring the effects of sanctions on future generations significantly understates their total economic costs.
The Contributions to Virulence of the Effectors Eop1 and DspE Differ Between Two Clades of Erwinia tracheiphila Strains
Authors: Olawole Olakunle I. , Liu Qian , Chen Chiliang , Gleason Mark L. , Beattie Gwyn A.
Published: September 2021

Strains of Erwinia tracheiphila, causal agent of bacterial wilt of cucurbits, are divided into distinct clades. Et-melo clade strains wilt Cucumis spp. but not Cucurbita spp., thus exhibiting host specificity, whereas Et-C1 clade strains wilt Cucurbita spp. more rapidly than Cucumis melo, thus exhibiting a host preference. This study investigated the contribution of the effector proteins Eop1 and DspE to E. tracheiphila pathogenicity and host adaptation. Loss of eop1 did not enable Et-melo strains to infect squash (Cucurbita pepo) or an Et-C1 strain to induce a more rapid wilt of muskmelon (Cucumis melo), indicating that Eop1 did not function in host specificity or preference as in the related pathogen E. amylovora. However, overexpression of eop1 from Et-melo strain MDCuke but not from Et-C1 strain BHKY increased the virulence of a BHKY eop1 deletion mutant on muskmelon, demonstrating that the Eop1 variants in the two clades are distinct in their virulence functions. Loss of dspE from Et-melo strains reduced but did not eliminate virulence on hosts muskmelon and cucumber, whereas loss of dspE from an Et-C1 strain eliminated pathogenicity on hosts squash, muskmelon, and cucumber. Thus, the centrality of DspE to virulence differs in the two clades. Et-melo mutants lacking the chaperone DspF exhibited similar virulence to mutants lacking DspE, indicating that DspF is the sole chaperone for DspE in E. tracheiphila, unlike in E. amylovora. Collectively, these results provide the first functional evaluation of effectors in E. tracheiphila and demonstrate clade-specific differences in the roles of Eop1 and DspE.

[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license .
Current Alzheimer disease research highlights: evidence for novel risk factors
Authors: Brenowitz Willa D. , Xiang Yang , McEvoy Claire T. , Yang Cui , Yaffe Kristine , Le Wei-Dong , Leng Yue
Published: September 2021

Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia characterized by the progressive cognitive and social decline. Clinical drug targets have heavily focused on the amyloid hypothesis, with amyloid beta (Aβ), and tau proteins as key pathophysiologic markers of AD. However, no effective treatment has been developed so far, which prompts researchers to focus on other aspects of AD beyond Aβ, and tau proteins. Additionally, there is a mounting epidemiologic evidence that various environmental factors influence the development of dementia and that dementia etiology is likely heterogenous. In the past decades, new risk factors or potential etiologies have been widely studied. Here, we review several novel epidemiologic and clinical research developments that focus on sleep, hypoxia, diet, gut microbiota, and hearing impairment and their links to AD published in recent years. At the frontiers of AD research, these findings and updates could be worthy of further attention.
How is Video Efficient to Diagnose Sport-Related Concussion? A Cross-Sectional Study in the French TOP14 Rugby Championship
Authors: Gil Charlotte , Jacota Madalina , Caudron Yohan , Heynard Caroline , Rubio Elliot , Berkal Miassa , Dusfour Bernard , Faillot Thierry , Gault Nathalie , Decq Philippe
Published: September 2021

Objective:

To describe the frequency of clinical signs and the accuracy of video diagnosis of sport-related concussion.

Design:

An observational cross-sectional study.

Setting and Participants:

Videos from a database of all suspected sport-related concussion in TOP14 matches (French professional male rugby Championship) were used, from 2012 to 2015 seasons. The videos were analyzed by 4 observers, blinded to the concussion diagnosis, after a training phase, and an inter-rater reliability analysis.

Interventions:

N/A.

Main Outcome Measures:

Video analysis for clinical signs and presumed diagnosis of sport-related concussion. The observer's diagnosis was compared with the team physicians' diagnosis.

Results:

Four hundred seventeen videos were analyzed with 142 concussed players. Sport-related concussions happened mostly from an impact to the head (seen by the observers in 98.4%), against an opponent (73.2%), and during a tackle (74.6%). Video signs were observable in 98.6% for suspected loss of consciousness, tonic posturing (95%), ataxia (77.2%), dazed look (35.7%), abnormal behavior (18.2%), and seizures (96.2%). Ataxia was seen in 77.7% of concussed players, suspected loss of consciousness in 61.4%, dazed look in 63.2%, abnormal behavior in 55%, and tonic posturing in 7.1%. The observers diagnosed 79.8% of concussions.

Conclusions:

We described the frequency of video clinical signs of sport-related concussion, with a good accuracy of the blinded observers for the diagnosis. This emphasizes the importance of pitch-side video analysis as an extra tool for sport-related concussion diagnosis.
The association between sarcopenia and endotoxin in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis
Authors: Sato Shinya , Namisaki Tadashi , Murata Koji , Fujimoto Yuki , Takeda Soichi , Enomoto Masahide , Shibamoto Akihiko , Ishida Koji , Ogawa Hiroyuki , Takagi Hirotetsu , Tsuji Yuki , Kaya Daisuke , Fujinaga Yukihisa , Furukawa Masanori , Inoue Takashi , Sawada Yasuhiko , Nishimura Norihisa , Kitagawa Koh , Ozutsumi Takahiro , Takaya Hiroaki , Kaji Kosuke , Shimozato Naotaka , Kawaratani Hideto , Moriya Kei , Akahane Takemi , Mitoro Akira , Yoshiji Hitoshi
Published: September 2021

We aimed to prospectively identify the risk factors of sarcopenia in patients with cirrhosis.

Patients (n = 193) included in a discovery cohort (January 2011 and December 2014) were categorized into alcoholic (A1; n = 55) and non-alcoholic cirrhosis (NA; n = 138) groups, and those (n = 235) in a validation cohort (January 2015 to December 2019) were categorized into alcoholic (n = 92), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis-related (n = 27), and hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis groups (n = 116). Skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) was determined using computed tomography (SMI-CT) and bioelectrical impedance analysis (SMI-BIA). Endotoxin activity (EA) was measured with an EA assay.

SMI-CT correlated with grip strength in all the groups but significantly correlated with SMI-BIA of the men in group A1 (R = 0.64, P < .0001) and both sexes in group NA (male: R = 0.44, P = .0001; female: R = 0.35, P = .003). SMI-CT inversely correlated with the EA levels of the men in group A1 (R = −0.67, P < .0001) and myostatin levels in group NA (R = −0.53, P < .0001). Lower extremity SMI had a strong negative correlation with the EA levels of the men in group A1 (R = −0.58, P < .001), whereas upper extremity SMI showed an inverse trend with EA levels (R = −0.28, P = .08). SMI-CT also inversely correlated with the EA levels in groups A2 (R = −0.52, P = .003) and N (R = −0.67, P < .0001) and myostatin levels in group C (R = −0.65, P < .0001). Moreover, SMI-CT correlated with nutritional factors, including cholinesterase (R = 0.50, P = .005), zinc (R = 0.45, P = .01), branched amino acid-to-tyrosine ratio (R = 0.39, P = .02), and triglyceride (R = 0.33, P = .03) in group N.

Sarcopenia risk factors differ among cirrhosis etiologies. Alcohol-induced, intestine-mediated peripheral endotoxemia could participate in sarcopenia development in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis.
Pilot Testing of a Nurse-Led Basic Symptom Self-management Support for Patients Receiving First-Line Systemic Outpatient Anticancer Treatment
Authors: Bana Marika , Ribi Karin , Peters Solange , Kropf-Staub Susanne , Näf Ernst , Zürcher-Florin Sabin , Stoffel Barbara , Blaeuer Cornelia , Borner Markus , Malin Diana , Biber Rebecca , Betticher Daniel , Kuhn-Bächler Trudy , Cantoni Nathan , Seeger Thomas , Bütikofer Lukas , Eicher Manuela ,   On behalf of the Symptom Navi Program Group
Published: September 2021

Background

The Symptom Navi Program (SNP) is a nurse-led intervention supporting basic symptom self-management for patients with any cancer diagnosis. The SNP has been accepted by patients and healthcare professionals alike.

Objective

The aims of this study were to pilot the SNP and evaluate patient-reported symptom outcomes, nursing support for symptom management, and patient safety.

Methods

Using a cluster-randomized design, we randomized centers to the intervention (SNP) or control group (usual care). Adult patients starting first-line systemic cancer treatment were included. The primary outcome was the change in symptom interference with daily functions from treatment onset to 16 weeks. Secondary outcomes included changes in symptom severity, symptom burden, self-efficacy, and perceived symptom management support and patient safety. We used linear and logistic mixed-effects models to pilot-test differences in mean changes between groups. The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03649984).

Results

Changes in symptom interference with daily functions did not differ (mean difference at 16 weeks: −0.50; 95% confidence interval, −1.38 to 0.38; P = 0.25) between SNP (3 centers, 49 patients) and control (5 centers, 85 patients) as for all other outcomes. No adverse events were reported.

Conclusions

Our preliminary findings did not indicate an effect of the SNP on patient-reported symptom outcomes, self-efficacy, or symptom management support. Inadequate power and SNP components (eg, insufficient training, low number of follow-up consultations) may be attributed to the lack of an observed effect.

Implications for Practice

The SNP training content and intervention procedures merit reconsideration.
Fluid Cognition Relates to Locomotor Switching in Neurotypical Adults, Not Individuals After Stroke
Authors: French Margaret A. , Cohen Matthew L. , Pohlig Ryan T. , Reisman Darcy S.
Published: September 2021

Background and Purpose:

The ability to switch between walking patterns (ie, locomotor switching) is vital for successful community navigation and may be impacted by poststroke impairments. Thus, the purpose of this work was to examine locomotor switching and the relationship between locomotor switching and fluid cognition in individuals after stroke compared with neurotypical adults.

Methods:

Twenty-nine individuals more than 6 months after stroke and 18 neurotypical adults participated in a 2-day study. On day 1, participants were taught a new walking pattern on the treadmill and then locomotor switching was assessed by instructing participants to switch between the new walking pattern and their usual walking pattern. The change between these 2 patterns was calculated as the switching index. On day 2, the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery was administered to obtain the Fluid Cognition Composite Score (FCCS), which reflected fluid cognition. The switching index was compared between groups using an analysis of covariance, and the relationship between locomotor switching and fluid cognition was assessed with regression.

Results:

Individuals after stroke had significantly lower switching indexes compared with neurotypical adults (P = 0.03). The regression showed a significant interaction between group and FCCS (P = 0.002), with the FCCS predicting the switching index in neurotypical adults but not in individuals after stroke.

Discussion and Conclusions:

Individuals after stroke appear to have deficits in locomotor switching compared with neurotypical adults. The relationship between fluid cognition and locomotor switching was significant in neurotypical adults but not in individuals after stroke. Future work to understand the relationship between specific cognitive domains and locomotor switching is needed (see the Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, available at: http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A361).
Incidental Finding of Pulmonary Embolism at Workup Before SIRT
Authors: Kramer Stine Jentoft , Amanavicius Nerijus , Staanum Peter Frøhlich , Villadsen Gerda Elisabeth , Arveschoug Anne Kirstine
Published: September 2021

Selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) is a catheter-guided treatment offered to selected patients with primary and secondary liver malignancies. SIRT is preceded by a workup procedure, where 99mTc-MAA (macroaggregated albumin) is injected in the tumor supplying artery/arteries followed by MAA scintigraphy. SIRT is frequently offered to patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but large HCCs are known to be associated with a high risk of liver-to-lung shunting. We present a HCC patient case where a large lung-shunt enabled diagnosis of pulmonary embolism.
Macula structural and vascular differences in glaucoma eyes with and without high axial myopia
Authors: Rezapour Jasmin , Bowd Christopher , Dohleman Jade , Belghith Akram , Proudfoot James A. , Christopher Mark , Hyman Leslie , Jonas Jost B. , Penteado Rafaella C. , Moghimi Sasan , Hou Huiyuan , Fazio Massimo A. , Weinreb Robert N. , Zangwill Linda M.
Published: September 2021

Aims

To assess the thickness of various retinal layers, and the superficial vessel density (sVD) in the macula of glaucomatous eyes and their associations with axial length (AL) and visual field mean deviation (VFMD) to identify parameters useful for glaucoma management in myopic eyes.

Methods

248 glaucoma patients (401 eyes) participating in the Diagnostic Innovations in Glaucoma Study observational cohort representing 3 axial myopia groups (non-myopia: n=146 eyes; mild myopia: n=208 eyes; high myopia (AL>26 mm): n=47 eyes) who completed macular OCT and OCT-Angiography imaging were included. The cross-sectional associations of AL and VFMD with the thickness of the ganglion cell inner plexiform layer (GCIPL), macular retinal nerve fiber layer (mRNFL), ganglion cell complex (GCC), sVD and macular choroidal thickness (mCT) were evaluated.

Results

Thinner Global GCIPL and GCC were significantly associated with worse VFMD (R2=35.1%; and R2=33.4%; respectively p<0.001), but not with AL (all p>0.350). Thicker mRNFL showed a weak association with increasing AL (R2=3.4%; p=0.001) and a positive association with VFMD (global R2=20.5%; p<0.001). Lower sVD was weakly associated with increasing AL (R2=2.3%; p=0.016) and more strongly associated with more severe glaucoma VFMD (R2=31.8%; p<0.001). Thinner mCT was associated with increasing AL (R2=17.3% p<0.001) and not associated with VFMD (P=0.262). mRNFL was thickest while mCT was thinnest in all sectors of high myopic eyes.

Conclusions

GCIPL and GCC thinned with increasing severity of glaucoma but were not significantly associated with axial length. GCIPL and GCC thickness may be useful clinical parameters to identify glaucoma in myopic eyes.
Induction of trained immunity by influenza vaccination - impact on COVID-19
Authors: Debisarun Priya A. , Gössling Katharina L. , Bulut Ozlem , Kilic Gizem , Zoodsma Martijn , Liu Zhaoli , Oldenburg Marina , Rüchel Nadine , Zhang Bowen , Xu Cheng-Jian , Struycken Patrick , Koeken Valerie A.C.M. , Domínguez-Andrés Jorge , Moorlag Simone J.C.F.M. , Taks Esther , Ostermann Philipp N. , Müller Lisa , Schaal Heiner , Adams Ortwin , Borkhardt Arndt , Oever Jaap ten , van Crevel Reinout , Li Yang , Netea Mihai G.
Published: September 2021

Non-specific protective effects of certain vaccines have been reported, and long-term boosting of innate immunity, termedtrained immunity, has been proposed as one of the mechanisms mediating these effects. Several epidemiological studies suggested cross-protection between influenza vaccination and COVID-19. In a large academic Dutch hospital, we found that SARS-CoV-2 infection was less common among employees who had received a previous influenza vaccination: relative risk reductions of 37% and 49% were observed following influenza vaccination during the first and second COVID-19 waves, respectively. The quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine induced a trained immunity program that boosted innate immune responses against various viral stimuli and fine-tuned the anti-SARS-CoV-2 response, which may result in better protection against COVID-19. Influenza vaccination led to transcriptional reprogramming of monocytes and reduced systemic inflammation. These epidemiological and immunological data argue for potential benefits of influenza vaccination against COVID-19, and future randomized trials are warranted to test this possibility.
Infant Vaccination Does Not Predict Increased Infant Mortality Rate: Correcting Past Misinformation
Authors: Nysetvold Ella , Mika Tess , Elison Weston , Garrett Daniel , Hunt Justin , Tsuchiya Inori , Brugger S William , Davis Mary F , Payne Samuel H , Bailey Elizabeth G
Published: September 2021

Despite extensive scientific research supporting the safety and effectiveness of approved vaccines, debates about their use continue in the public sphere. A paper prominently circulated on social media concluded that countries requiring more infant vaccinations have higher infant mortality rates (IMR), which has serious public health implications. However, inappropriate data exclusion and other statistical flaws in that paper merit a closer examination of this correlation. We re-analyzed the original data used in Miller and Goldman’s study to investigate the relationship between vaccine doses and IMR. We show that the sub-sample of 30 countries used in the original paper was an unlikely random sample from the entire dataset, as the correlation coefficient of 0.49 reported in that study would only arise about 1 in 100,000 times from random sampling. If we investigate only countries with high or very high development, human development index explains the variability in IMR, and vaccine dose number does not. Next, we show IMR as a function of countries’ actual vaccination rates, rather than vaccination schedule, and show a strong negative correlation between vaccination rates and IMR. Finally, we analyze United States IMR data as a function of Hepatitis B vaccination rate to show an example of increased vaccination rates corresponding with reduced infant death over time. From our analyses, it is clear that vaccination does not predict higher IMR as previously reported.
KMSubtraction: Reconstruction of unreported subgroup survival data utilizing published Kaplan-Meier survival curves
Authors: Zhao Joseph J. , Syn Nicholas L. , Tan Benjamin Kye Jyn , Yap Dominic Wei Ting , Teo Chong Boon , Chan Yiong Huak , Sundar Raghav
Published: September 2021

BACKGROUND

Data from certain subgroups of clinical interest may not be presented in primary manuscripts or conference abstract presentations. In an effort to enable secondary data analyses, we propose a workflow to retrieve unreported subgroup survival data from published Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves.

METHODS

We developed KMSubtraction, an R-package that retrieves patients from unreported subgroups by matching participants on KM curves of the overall cohort to participants on KM curves of a known subgroup with follow-up time. By excluding matched patients, the opposing unreported subgroup may be retrieved. Reproducibility and limits of error of the KMSubtraction workflow were assessed by comparing unmatched patients against the original survival data of subgroups from published datasets and simulations. Monte Carlo simulations were utilized to evaluate the effect of the reported subgroup proportion, missing data, censorship proportion in the overall and subgroup cohort, sample size and number-at-risk table intervals on the limits of error of KMSubtraction. 3 matching algorithms were explored – minimal cost bipartite matching, Mahalanobis distance matching, and nearest neighbor matching by logistic regression.

RESULTS

The validation exercise found no material systematic error and demonstrates the robustness of KMSubtraction in deriving unreported subgroup survival data. Limits of error were small and negligible on marginal Cox proportional hazard models comparing reconstructed and original survival data of unreported subgroups. Extensive Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate that datasets with high reported subgroup proportion (r=0.467, p<0.001), small dataset size (r=-0.374, p<0.001) and high proportion of missing data in the unreported subgroup (r=0.553, p<0.001) were associated with uncertainty are likely to yield high limits of error with KMSubtraction.

CONCLUSION

While KMSubtraction demonstrates robustness in deriving survival data from unreported subgroups, the implementation of KMSubtraction should take into consideration the aforementioned limitations. The limits of error of KMSubtraction, as reflected by the mean |ln(HR)| from converged Monte Carlo simulations may guide the interpretation of reconstructed survival data of unreported subgroups.
Prediction and action in cortical pain processing
Authors: Koppel Lina , Novembre Giovanni , Kämpe Robin , Savallampi Mattias , Morrison India
Published: September 2021

Predicting that a stimulus is painful facilitates action to avoid harm. But how distinct are the neural processes underlying the prediction of upcoming painful events, and those taking action to avoid or prevent them? In this fMRI experiment, we addressed this by investigating brain activity as a function of current and predicted painful or nonpainful thermal stimulation, and the ability of voluntary action to affect the duration of the upcoming stimulation. Participants (n= 30) performed a task which involved the administration of a painful or nonpainful stimulus (S1), which predicted an immediately subsequent very painful or nonpainful stimulus (S2). Onaction-effectivetrials, pressing a response button within a specified time window during S1 reduced the duration of the upcoming stimulation in S2. Onaction-ineffectivetrials, pressing the button had no effect on upcoming stimulation. Predicted pain increased activation in regions including anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), midcingulate cortex (MCC), and insula; however, activation in ACC and MCC depended on whether a meaningful action was performed, with MCC activation showing a direct relationship with motor output. Region-of-interest analyses revealed that insula’s responses for predicted pain were also modulated by potential action consequences, especially in the left hemisphere, albeit without a direct relationship with motor output. Taken together, these findings suggest that cortical pain processing is not specifically tied to the sensory stimulus, but instead depends on the consequences of that stimulus for sensorimotor control of behavior.

Significance statement

During acute pain, the processing of an acute sensory event likely occurs in parallel with predictive processing about its relevance for current and upcoming voluntary behavior. Here, we temporally separated the functional processes underlying current and predicted pain and found that activation in regions typically implicated in acute pain is modulated both by the noxious nature of upcoming events and by the possibility to affect those events via voluntary action (a button press). Our findings suggest that cortical pain processing is not specifically tied to the sensory stimulus, but instead is processed in “consequence-level” terms based on what the stimulus implies for sensorimotor control of behavior.
Metallothionein-2A protect Cardiomyocytes from Ischemia/Reperfusion through inhibiting p38
Authors: Zhao Ying , Huang Xiaoli , Lei Yuanlin , Li Jike
Published: September 2021

The resumption of coronary artery blood supply is often accompanied by myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury after the occurrence of myocardial infarction, shock, cardiac surgery and other events. Metallothionein-2A (MT2A) has the functions of scavenging free radicals, anti-oxidative stress, anti-apoptosis, anti-autophagy, promoting vascular growth. The activation of p38 MAPK pathway can induce cardiomyocyte apoptosis in H9c2 cardiomyocytes during I/R, thereby aggravating the myocardial I/R injury. However, it is not clear that the effect of MT2A on p38 in cardiomyocytes under I/R. A simulated I/R model was used. Our objective was to investigate the protective effect of MT2A on I/R-caused mortality in H9c2 cardiomyocytes through its influence on p38, as well as the relationships among these processes. The results indicate that both endogenously overexpressed MT2A and exogenously added MT2A can inhibit the active expression of p38 during I/R. Based on these results, I/R induces apoptosis and p-p38 in cardiomyocytes. MT2A can inhibit the active expression of p38. MT2A protects cardiomyocytes from I/R injury, and that p38 is one of the molecules of MT2A against I/R injury in cardiomyocytes.
Distinct, opposing functions for CFIm59 and CFIm68 in mRNA alternative polyadenylation of Pten and in the PI3K/Akt signalling cascade
Authors: Tseng Hsin-Wei , Mota-Sydor Anthony , Leventis Rania , Topisirovic Ivan , Duchaine Thomas F.
Published: September 2021

The precise maintenance of PTEN dosage is crucial for tumor suppression across a wide variety of cancers. Post-transcriptional regulation of Pten heavily relies on regulatory elements encoded by its 3’UTR. We previously reported the important diversity of 3’UTR isoforms of Pten mRNAs produced through alternative polyadenylation (APA). Here, we reveal the direct regulation of Pten APA by the mammalian cleavage factor I (CFIm) complex, which in turn contributes to PTEN protein dosage. CFIm consists of the UGUA-binding CFIm25 and APA regulatory subunits CFIm59 or CFIm68. Deep sequencing analyses of perturbed (KO and KD) cell lines uncovered the differential regulation of Pten APA by CFIm59 and CFIm68 and further revealed that their divergent functions have widespread impact for APA in transcriptomes. Differentially regulated genes include numerous factors within the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signalling pathway that PTEN counter-regulates. We further reveal a stratification of APA dysregulation among a subset of PTEN-driven cancers, with recurrent alterations among PI3K/Akt pathway genes regulated by CFIm. Our results refine the transcriptome selectivity of the CFIm complex in APA regulation, and the breadth of its impact in PTEN-driven cancers.
The evolution of sustainable innovation: from the past to the future
Authors: Afeltra Giovanna , Alerasoul Sayed Alireza , Strozzi Fernanda
Published: September 2021

Purpose

Over the last few decades, more emphasis has been placed on those innovations that can reconcile economic, social and environmental goals in order to achieve a “win-win-win” situation. This paper aims to systematise the scientific literature on Sustainable Innovation as a broad field in order to identify the most relevant scholars and their significant contributions as well as existing lines of research. Finally, future research directions are suggested.

Design/methodology/approach

A novel methodology, the Systematic Literature Network Analysis, has been applied. By using a dynamic approach to the traditional Systematic Literature Review, the present review investigates the creation, transfer, and development of knowledge throughout the epistemic community of Sustainable Innovation.

Findings

Starting from a sample of 1,108 articles, the critical assessment of the results detected five main themes: (1) “the role of Regulation, Market and Technology”; (2) “Eco-Innovation determinants and firm specific factors and the debate between corporate environmental performance and corporate financial performance”; (3) “Green innovation and internal and external drivers”; (4) “The strategic determinants of green (non-green) innovation”; (5) “The interplay between policy, regulations and the green innovation”.

Practical implications

From a practitioner's perspective, this study provides an objective view on the current internal, external drivers and strategic determinants of sustainability-oriented innovations and relevant studies that can guide managers in their decision-making processes and enhance sustainable innovation performance.

Originality/value

This study is a first attempt to unveil the evolution of knowledge in the field of sustainable innovation by utilizing bibliometric tools.
The role of women's leadership in environmental NGOs' online accountability
Authors: Saraite-Sariene Laura , Galán-Valdivieso Federico , Alonso-Cañadas Juana , García-Tabuyo Manuela
Published: September 2021

Purpose

The role of female managers has been of increasing interest among scholars in recent years, especially regarding sustainability issues. The same could be said about the usefulness of social media in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in demonstrating accountability to their stakeholders and attracting and keeping donors and volunteers. This paper aims to meet both research interests by analyzing to what extent women in top positions can foster stakeholders' engagement via social media.

Design/methodology/approach

Online engagement can be proxied using data from social media to develop a measure that summarizes the main actions social media users are able to use in order to show their reactions to social media publications. Facebook data were obtained using proprietary software (Facebook data model) developed by the research team to carry out data massive extraction, processing and exploration.

Findings

The results of the multivariate analysis show that female leadership in both top and environmental-specific positions enhance social media engagement, while a higher percentage of women on the board of directors exert the opposite effect.

Research limitations/implications

This study is not without limitations. First, this research is focused on a specific type of non-governmental organization (environmental NGO). Second, this study does not include economic variables such as donation income or expense structure. Third, data come only from Facebook as the leading social network.

Originality/value

This paper advances in the scarce knowledge about the role of women and the levels of online engagement (interactive conversations) in NGOs focused on sustainability.
Discrimination between organic and conventional raw and UHT milk by fatty acid profile in Inner Mongolia,China
Authors: Bai Yang , Zhang Bin , Zhang Xin , Zhao Shanshan , Qie Mengjie , Wang Qian , Zhao Yan , Guo Jun
Published: September 2021

The fatty acid content of organic and conventional raw and ultra‐high temperature (UHT) milk collected in Inner Mongolia, China was determined by gas chromatography. The results showed seasonal variation of the fatty acid content in milk. The fatty acid content of raw milk was significantly affected by the conventional and organic systems, by which 97.8% of the samples were correctly classified through linear discriminant analysis as from an organic or conventional milking system. A clear difference was observed in the fatty acid profiles of organic and conventional UHT milk of the same brand.
The relationship of ocular parameters with clinical parameters and disease‐related quality of life in patients with systemic sclerosis: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Kaymaz Serdar , Halil Yılmaz , Kaya Hüseyin , Karasu Ugur , Cobankara Veli
Published: September 2021

Objective

To evaluate choroidal thickness (CT), corneal parameters, and scleral thickness (ST) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and to determine their relationship with disease‐related quality of life (QoL).

Methods

The study included 38 patients with SSc and 40 healthy controls. A detailed ocular examination was performed on all participants. Corneal parameters such as K1, K2, Km, corneal volume (CV), central corneal thickness (CCT), and ST at a distance of 1000, 2000, and 3000 μm from the scleral spur were measured. CT was measured at five points, including the subfoveal area and the temporal and nasal points at radii of 750.0 and 1500.0 μm. The scleroderma health assessment questionnaire (SHAQ) was administered to SSc patients to investigate the disease‐related QoL.

Results

Individuals with SSc had thicker ST at all distances from the scleral spur (P=0.008, P=0.001, P=0.002, respectively). All corneal parameters were significantly lower in the SSc group than in the control group (P < 0.05). Moreover, SSc patients had significantly lower median CT at N750.0, N1500.0, T750.0, and T1500.0 points and thinner subfoveal CT than healthy controls (P < 0.05). There was a weak‐moderate negative correlation between ST and the components of the SHAQ scale and SHAQ‐global.

Conclusion

Despite not having ocular involvement, SSc patients had thicker ST but thinner CT and corneal parameters than healthy controls. This may indicate subclinical inflammation in patients with SSc. Only ST was affected by organ involvement and QoL among the ocular parameters.