bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chemoresistance-Related Stem Cell Signaling in Osteosarcoma and Its Plausible Contribution to Poor Therapeutic Response: A Discussion That Still Matters
Authors: Martins-Neves Sara R. , Sampaio-Ribeiro Gabriela , Gomes Célia M. F.
Published: September 2022

Osteosarcoma is amongst the most prevalent bone sarcomas and majorly afflicts children and adolescents. Therapeutic regimens based on the triad of doxorubicin, cisplatin and methotrexate have been used as the state-of-the-art approach to clinical treatment and management, with no significant improvements in the general outcomes since their inception in the early 1970s. This fact raises the following problematic questions: Why do some patients still relapse despite an initial good response to therapy? Why do nearly 30% of patients not respond to neoadjuvant therapies? Does residual persistent disease contribute to relapses and possible metastatic dissemination? Accumulating evidence suggests that chemoresistant cancer stem cells may be the major culprits contributing to those challenging clinical outcomes. Herein, we revisit the maneuvers that cancer stem cells devise for eluding cell killing by the classic cytotoxic therapies used in osteosarcoma, highlighting studies that demonstrate the complex crosstalk of signaling pathways that cancer stem cells can recruit to become chemoresistant.
Deciphering the Basis of Molecular Biology of Selected Cardiovascular Diseases: A View on Network Medicine
Authors: Alhajri Noora , Rustom Mohammad , Adegbile Adedayo , Ahmed Weshah , Kilidar Salsabeel , Afify Nariman
Published: September 2022

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death across the world. For decades, researchers have been studying the causes of cardiovascular disease, yet many of them remain undiscovered or poorly understood. Network medicine is a recently expanding, integrative field that attempts to elucidate this issue by conceiving of disease as the result of disruptive links between multiple interconnected biological components. Still in its nascent stages, this revolutionary application of network science facilitated a number of important discoveries in complex disease mechanisms. As methodologies become more advanced, network medicine harbors the potential to expound on the molecular and genetic complexities of disease to differentiate how these intricacies govern disease manifestations, prognosis, and therapy. This is of paramount importance for confronting the incredible challenges of current and future cardiovascular disease research. In this review, we summarize the principal molecular and genetic mechanisms of common cardiac pathophysiologies as well as discuss the existing knowledge on therapeutic strategies to prevent, halt, or reverse these pathologies.
Functional Plasmon-Activated Water Increases Akkermansia muciniphila Abundance in Gut Microbiota to Ameliorate Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Chang Chun-Chao , Liu Chih-Yi , Su I-Chia , Lee Yuarn-Jang , Yeh Hsing-Jung , Chen Wen-Chao , Yu Chih-Jui , Kao Wei-Yu , Liu Yu-Chuan , Huang Chi-Jung
Published: September 2022

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with dysbiosis and intestinal barrier dysfunction, as indicated by epithelial hyperpermeability and high levels of mucosal-associated bacteria. Changes in gut microbiota may be correlated with IBD pathogenesis. Additionally, microbe-based treatments could mitigate clinical IBD symptoms. Plasmon-activated water (PAW) is known to have an anti-inflammatory potential. In this work, we studied the association between the anti-inflammatory ability of PAW and intestinal microbes, thereby improving IBD treatment. We examined the PAW-induced changes in the colonic immune activity and microbiota of mice by immunohistochemistry and next generation sequencing, determined whether drinking PAW can mitigate IBD induced by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) and dysbiosis through mice animal models. The effects of specific probiotic species on mice with TNBS-induced IBD were also investigated. Experimental results indicated that PAW could change the local inflammation in the intestinal microenvironment. Moreover, the abundance of Akkermansia spp. was degraded in the TNBS-treated mice but elevated in the PAW-drinking mice. Daily rectal injection of Akkermansia muciniphila, a potential probiotic species in Akkermansia spp., also improved the health of the mice. Correspondingly, both PAW consumption and increasing the intestinal abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila can mitigate IBD in mice. These findings indicate that increasing the abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila in the gut through PAW consumption or other methods may mitigate IBD in mice with clinically significant IBD.
Postsynaptic Proteins at Excitatory Synapses in the Brain—Relationship with Depressive Disorders
Authors: Samojedny Sylwia , Czechowska Ewelina , Pańczyszyn-Trzewik Patrycja , Sowa-Kućma Magdalena
Published: September 2022

Depressive disorders (DDs) are an increasingly common health problem that affects all age groups. DDs pathogenesis is multifactorial. However, it was proven that stress is one of the most important environmental factors contributing to the development of these conditions. In recent years, there has been growing interest in the role of the glutamatergic system in the context of pharmacotherapy of DDs. Thus, it has become increasingly important to explore the functioning of excitatory synapses in pathogenesis and pharmacological treatment of psychiatric disorders (including DDs). This knowledge may lead to the description of new mechanisms of depression and indicate new potential targets for the pharmacotherapy of illness. An excitatory synapse is a highly complex and very dynamic structure, containing a vast number of proteins. This review aimed to discuss in detail the role of the key postsynaptic proteins (e.g., NMDAR, AMPAR, mGluR5, PSD-95, Homer, NOS etc.) in the excitatory synapse and to systematize the knowledge about changes that occur in the clinical course of depression and after antidepressant treatment. In addition, a discussion on the potential use of ligands and/or modulators of postsynaptic proteins at the excitatory synapse has been presented.
Development of a Transformation System and Locus Identification Pipeline for T-DNA in Chrysanthemum seticuspe, A Model Species for Hexaploid Cultivated Chrysanthemum
Authors: Zhang Jiali , Zhang Jing , Li Peiling , Gao Yuan , Yu Qi , Sun Daojin , Zhang Lingling , Wang Siqi , Tian Jing , Wang Zhenxing , Jiang Jiafu , Chen Fadi , Song Aiping
Published: September 2022

Chrysanthemum is one of the most popular flowers worldwide and has high aesthetic and commercial value. However, the cultivated varieties of chrysanthemum are hexaploid and highly heterozygous, which makes gene editing and gene function research difficult. Gojo-0 is a diploid homozygous line bred from a self-compatible mutant of Chrysanthemum seticuspe and is expected to become a model plant of the genus Chrysanthemum. After assessment of different growth regulator combinations, the optimal concentrations of α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 6-benzyladenine (6-BA) in the regeneration system were 1.0 mg·L−1 and 0.2 mg·L−1, respectively. In the genetic transformation system, the selected concentrations of kanamycin, hygromycin and glufosinate-ammonium were 10 mg·L−1, 2.5 mg·L−1 and 0.6 mg·L−1 for bud generation and 12 mg L−1, 1.5 mg·L−1 and 0.5 mg·L−1 for rooting. The transgenic plants were verified by not only PCR detection and GUS staining, but also identification of the T-DNA insertion locus using high-throughput sequencing. Our results lay the foundation for gene functional research on chrysanthemum and will help with the identification of transgenic plants.
In Vitro Models for Studying Chronic Drug-Induced Liver Injury
Authors: Donato M. Teresa , Gallego-Ferrer Gloria , Tolosa Laia
Published: September 2022

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a major clinical problem in terms of patient morbidity and mortality, cost to healthcare systems and failure of the development of new drugs. The need for consistent safety strategies capable of identifying a potential toxicity risk early in the drug discovery pipeline is key. Human DILI is poorly predicted in animals, probably due to the well-known interspecies differences in drug metabolism, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity targets. For this reason, distinct cellular models from primary human hepatocytes or hepatoma cell lines cultured as 2D monolayers to emerging 3D culture systems or the use of multi-cellular systems have been proposed for hepatotoxicity studies. In order to mimic long-term hepatotoxicity in vitro, cell models, which maintain hepatic phenotype for a suitably long period, should be used. On the other hand, repeated-dose administration is a more relevant scenario for therapeutics, providing information not only about toxicity, but also about cumulative effects and/or delayed responses. In this review, we evaluate the existing cell models for DILI prediction focusing on chronic hepatotoxicity, highlighting how better characterization and mechanistic studies could lead to advance DILI prediction.
Theoretical Study of the Exciton Binding Energy and Exciton Absorption in Different Hyperbolic-Type Quantum Wells under Applied Electric, Magnetic, and Intense Laser Fields
Authors: Yücel Melike Behiye , Sari Huseyin , Duque Carlos M. , Duque Carlos A. , Kasapoglu Esin
Published: September 2022

In this study, we investigated the exciton binding energy and interband transition between the electron and heavy-hole for the single and double quantum wells which have different hyperbolic-type potential functions subject to electric, magnetic, and non-resonant intense laser fields. The results obtained show that the geometric shapes of the structure and the applied external fields are very effective on the electronic and optical properties. In the absence of the external fields, the exciton binding energy is a decreasing function of increasing well sizes except for the strong confinement regime. Therefore, for all applied external fields, the increase in the well widths produces a red-shift at the absorption peak positions. The magnetic field causes an increase in the exciton binding energy and provides a blue-shift of the absorption peak positions corresponding to interband transitions. The effect of the electric field is quite pronounced in the weak confinement regime, it causes localization in opposite directions of the quantum wells of the electron and hole, thereby weakening the Coulomb interaction between them, causing a decrease in exciton binding energy, and a red-shift of the peak positions corresponding to the interband transitions. Generally, an intense laser field causes a decrease in the exciton binding energy and produces a red-shift of the peak positions corresponding to interband transitions.
Measurement of Hepatic CYP3A4 and 2D6 Activity Using Radioiodine-Labeled O-Desmethylvenlafaxine
Authors: Mizutani Asuka , Kobayashi Masato , Aibe Riku , Muranaka Yuka , Nishi Kodai , Kitamura Masanori , Suzuki Chie , Nishii Ryuichi , Shikano Naoto , Magata Yasuhiro , Ishida Yasushi , Kunishima Munetaka , Kawai Keiichi
Published: September 2022

Drug metabolizing enzyme activity is affected by various factors such as drug–drug interactions, and a method to quantify drug metabolizing enzyme activity in real time is needed. In this study, we developed a novel radiopharmaceutical for quantitative imaging to estimate hepatic CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 activity. Iodine-123- and 125-labeled O-desmethylvenlafaxine (123/125I-ODV) was obtained with high labeling and purity, and its metabolism was found to strongly involve CYP3A4 and CYP2D6. SPECT imaging in normal mice showed that the administered 123I-ODV accumulated early in the liver and was excreted into the gallbladder, as evaluated by time activity curves. In its biological distribution, 125I-ODV administered to mice accumulated early in the liver, and only the metabolite of 125I-ODV was quickly excreted into the bile. In CYP3A4- and CYP2D6-inhibited model mice, the accumulation in bile decreased more than in normal mice, indicating inhibition of metabolite production. These results indicated that imaging and quantifying the accumulation of radioactive metabolites in excretory organs will aid in determining the dosages of various drugs metabolized by CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 for individualized medicine. Thus, 123/125I-ODV has the potential to direct, comprehensive detection and measurement of hepatic CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 activity by a simple and less invasive approach.
Newborn Screening Is on a Collision Course with Public Health Ethics
Authors: Currier Robert J.
Published: September 2022

Newborn screening was established over 50 years ago to identify cases of disorders that were serious, urgent, and treatable, mirroring the criteria of Wilson and Jungner. In the last decade, conditions have been added to newborn screening that do not strictly meet these criteria, and genomic newborn screening is beginning to be discussed. Some of these new and proposed additions to newborn screening entail serious public health ethical issues that need to be explored.
Changes in the Incidence of Infantile Spinal Muscular Atrophy in Shikoku, Japan between 2011 and 2020
Authors: Okamoto Kentaro , Nishio Hisahide , Motoki Takahiro , Jogamoto Toshihiro , Aibara Kaori , Kondo Yoichi , Kawamura Kentaro , Konishi Yukihiko , Tokorodani Chiho , Nishiuchi Ritsuo , Eguchi Mariko
Published: September 2022

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive neuromuscular disorder. Al-though there was no cure for SMA, newly developed therapeutic drugs (nusinersen, onasemnogene abeparvovec, and risdiplam) have been proven effective for the improvement of motor function and prevention of respiratory insufficiency of infants with SMA. Nusinersen was introduced in Japan in 2017 and onasemnogene abeparvovec in 2020. We hypothesized that the introduction of these drugs might influence the incidence of SMA (more precisely, increase the diagnosis rate of SMA) in Japan. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a second epidemiological study of infantile SMA using questionnaires in Shikoku, Japan between October 2021 and February 2022. The incidence of infantile SMA during the period 2016–2020 was 7.08 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.45–11.71) per 100,000 live births. According to our previous epidemiological study, the incidence of infantile SMA during 2011–2015 was 2.70 (95% CI 0.05–5.35) per 100,000 live births. The increased incidence of infantile SMA suggests that the widespread news in Japan regarding the introduction of therapeutic agents, nusinersen and onasemnogene abeparvovec, raised clinicians’ awareness about SMA, leading to increased and earlier diagnosis of SMA in Shikoku.
UGC Knowledge Features and Their Influences on the Stock Market: An Empirical Study Based on Topic Modeling
Authors: Li Ning , Chen Kefu , He Huixin
Published: September 2022

According to the natural language perspective, UGC has been significantly used for the screening of key nodes in knowledge discovery and strategic investment. This article presents a new research framework that is proposed for the decomposition of UGC knowledge feature extraction into topic recognition and language analysis, mainly. For visual analysis of associated topics, the LDAvis approach is utilized. Then, risk features of UGC knowledge are assigned according to language attribution. Based on previous studies, the risk attribute lexicon is further updated by judging semantic distance through word vectors. This research uses platform data and individual stock data as samples for subject recognition and knowledge feature extraction. A regression model is constructed based on the panel data after natural language processing to verify the feedback effect of the market at strategic risk measurement. It can be found from the conclusion that the change in market behavior is regular and correlates with the change in the UGC risk degree of individual stocks. The purpose of this paper is to examine the value of UGC in investment decision-making from the perspective of knowledge discovery. The research content can provide a reference for data mining, fintech, strategic risk monitoring, and other related works.
Empirical Comparison between Deep and Classical Classifiers for Speaker Verification in Emotional Talking Environments
Authors: Nassif Ali Bou , Shahin Ismail , Lataifeh Mohammed , Elnagar Ashraf , Nemmour Nawel
Published: September 2022

Speech signals carry various bits of information relevant to the speaker such as age, gender, accent, language, health, and emotions. Emotions are conveyed through modulations of facial and vocal expressions. This paper conducts an empirical comparison of performances between the classical classifiers: Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM), Support Vector Machine (SVM), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Artificial neural networks (ANN); and the deep learning classifiers, i.e., Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), and Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) in addition to the ivector approach for a text-independent speaker verification task in neutral and emotional talking environments. The deep models undergo hyperparameter tuning using the Grid Search optimization algorithm. The models are trained and tested using a private Arabic Emirati Speech Database, Ryerson Audio–Visual Database of Emotional Speech and Song dataset (RAVDESS) database, and a public Crowd-Sourced Emotional Multimodal Actors (CREMA) database. Experimental results illustrate that deep architectures do not necessarily outperform classical classifiers. In fact, evaluation was carried out through Equal Error Rate (EER) along with Area Under the Curve (AUC) scores. The findings reveal that the GMM model yields the lowest EER values and the best AUC scores across all datasets, amongst classical classifiers. In addition, the ivector model surpasses all the fine-tuned deep models (CNN, LSTM, and GRU) based on both evaluation metrics in the neutral, as well as the emotional speech. In addition, the GMM outperforms the ivector using the Emirati and RAVDESS databases.
Long-Term Temperature Effects on the Natural Linen Aging of the Turin Shroud
Authors: De Caro Liberato , Barta César , Fanti Giulio , Matricciani Emilio , Sibillano Teresa , Giannini Cinzia
Published: September 2022

In 2021, Wide-angle X-ray Scattering (WAXS) was applied to a sample of the Turin Shroud as a new method for dating ancient linen threads by inspecting their structural degradation. The major result of the research was to estimate the natural aging of the linen of the Shroud, through which it was found to be compatible with the hypothesis of a 2000-year-old relic, and not a medieval fabric. The present work regards the theoretical natural aging of the linen versus different alleged historical–geographical paths of the Shroud through cities where the presence of icons of Jesus Christ is attested. The theoretical results of the natural aging of the Shroud, calculated for the year 2021, agree extremely well with the experimental results for at least one alleged path. The results also show that if the Shroud were medieval and kept in Europe for 7 centuries, natural aging that is one order of magnitude less than that measured by WAXS would have resulted. Today, the Shroud is kept in a reliquary with a controlled atmosphere, at 19~20 °C temperature, and 50% relative humidity. These values are shown to be unsuitable for maintaining the depolymerization of the cellulose at a level that is sufficiently low enough to preserve the image visible on the Shroud for a long time.
Predicting Future Promising Technologies Using LSTM
Authors: Noh Seol-Hyun
Published: September 2022

With advances in science and technology and changes in industry, research on promising future technologies has emerged as important. Furthermore, with the advent of a ubiquitous and smart environment, governments and enterprises are required to predict future promising technologies on which new important core technologies will be developed. Therefore, this study aimed to establish science and technology development strategies and support business activities by predicting future promising technologies using big data and deep learning models. The names of the “TOP 10 Emerging Technologies” from 2018 to 2021 selected by the World Economic Forum were used as keywords. Next, patents collected from the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the Science Citation Index (SCI) papers collected from the Web of Science database were analyzed using a time-series forecast. For each technology, the number of patents and SCI papers in 2022, 2023 and 2024 were predicted using the long short-term memory model with the number of patents and SCI papers from 1980 to 2021 as input data. Promising technologies are determined based on the predicted number of patents and SCI papers for the next three years. Keywords characterizing future promising technologies are extracted by analyzing abstracts of patent data collected for each technology and the term frequency-inverse document frequency is measured for each patent abstract. The research results can help business managers make optimal decisions in the present situation and provide researchers with an understanding of the direction of technology development.
First-Principles Calculations to Investigate the Effect of Van der Waals Interactions on the Crystal and Electronic Structures of Tin-Based 0D Hybrid Perovskites
Authors: Ferjani Hela , Smida Youssef Ben , Al-Douri Yarub
Published: September 2022

The electronic structures of four tin-based 0D hybrid perovskites ((NH3(CH2)2C6H5)2[SnCl6], (C6H10N2)[SnCl6], (C9H14N)2[SnCl6], and (C8H12N)2[SnCl6]) were determined by the DFT method employing the pseudopotential plane wave as implemented in the CASTEP code, and the first transition in each compound has been investigated based on the partial density states and dielectric function. According to the structural properties, incorporating organic cations with the appropriate structure, shape, and strong H-bonding functionality into hybrid perovskite crystals is very beneficial for preventing ion migration and thus enhances the efficiency of hybrid perovskite-based devices. Based on those properties employing the DFT+D method for the dispersion force, the effect of Van der Waals interaction on electronic structure was explained based on the nature of the first electronic transition. The similarity between the experimental and optimized structure was investigated by using a Bilbao crystallographic server. The study of optical properties shows that the Van der Waals interactions have a slight effect on the energy level of the curves. However, the profiles of curves are conserved. The absorption curves of the researched compounds are elaborated.
Co, Cu, Fe, and Ni Deposited over TiO2 and Their Photocatalytic Activity in the Degradation of 2,4-Dichlorophenol and 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid
Authors: Limón-Rocha Isaias , Marizcal-Barba Adriana , Guzmán-González C. A. , Anaya-Esparza Luis M. , Ghotekar Suresh , González-Vargas O. A. , Pérez-Larios A.
Published: September 2022

Pure TiO2 synthesized by the sol-gel method and subsequently deposited at 5% by weight with Co, Cu, Fe, and Ni ions by the deposition–precipitation method was studied as photocatalysts. The nanomaterials were analyzed by SEM, TEM, UV-Vis DRS, DRX, Physisorption N2, and XPS. The SEM and TEM images present a semi-spherical shape with small agglomerations of particles and average size between 63 and 65 nm. UV-Vis results show that a reduction below 3.2 eV exhibits a redshift displacement and increment in the optical absorption of the nanoparticles promoting the absorption in the UV-visible region. XRD spectra and analysis SAED suggest the characteristic anatase phase in TiO2 and deposited materials according to JCPDS 21-1272. The specific surface area was calculated and the nanomaterial Ni/TiO2 (21.3 m2 g−1) presents a slight increment when comparing to TiO2 (20.37 m2g−1). The information generated by the XPS spectra present the deposition of metallic ions on the support and the presence of different valence states for each photocatalyst. The photocatalytic activity was carried out in an aqueous solution with 80 mg L−1 of 2,4-D or 2,4-DCP under UV light (285 nm) with 100 mg L−1 of each photocatalysts for 360 min. The nanomaterial that presented the best efficiency was Ni/TiO2, obtaining a degradation of 85.6% and 90.3% for 2,4-D and 2,4-DCP, respectively. Similarly, this material was the one that presented the highest mineralization, 68.3% and 86.5% for 2,4-D and 2,4-DCP, respectively. Photocatalytic reactions correspond to the pseudo-first-order Langmuir–Hinshelwood model.
Tracker-in-Calorimeter (TIC) Project: A Calorimetric New Solution for Space Experiments
Authors: Bigongiari Gabriele , Adriani Oscar , Ambrosi Giovanni , Azzarello Philipp , Basti Andrea , Berti Eugenio , Bertucci Bruna , Bonechi Lorenzo , Bongi Massimo , Bottai Sergio , Brianzi Mirko , Brogi Paolo , Castellini Guido , Catanzani Enrico , Checchia Caterina , D’Alessandro Raffaello , Detti Sebastiano , Duranti Matteo , Finetti Noemi , Formato Valerio , Ionica Maria , Maestro Paolo , Maletta Fernando , Marrocchesi Pier Simone , Mori Nicola , Pacini Lorenzo , Papini Paolo , Ricciarini Sergio Bruno , Silvestre Gianluigi , Spillantini Piero , Starodubtsev Oleksandr , Stolzi Francesco , Suh Jung Eun , Sulaj Arta , Tiberio Alessio , Vannuccini Elena
Published: September 2022

A space-based detector dedicated to measurements of γ-rays and charged particles has to achieve a balance between different instrumental requirements. A good angular resolution is necessary for the γ-rays, whereas an excellent geometric factor is needed for the charged particles. The tracking reference technique of γ-ray physics is based on a pair-conversion telescope made of passive material (e.g., tungsten) coupled with sensitive layers (e.g., silicon microstrip). However, this kind of detector has a limited acceptance because of the large lever arm between the active layers, needed to improve the track reconstruction capability. Moreover, the passive material can induce fragmentation of nuclei, thus worsening charge reconstruction performances. The Tracker-In-Calorimeter (TIC) project aims to solve all these drawbacks. In the TIC proposal, the silicon sensors are moved inside a highly-segmented isotropic calorimeter with a couple of external scintillators dedicated to charge reconstruction. In principle, this configuration has a good geometrical factor, and the angle of the γ-rays can be precisely reconstructed from the lateral profile of the electromagnetic shower sampled, at different depths in the calorimeter, by silicon strips. The effectiveness of this approach has been studied with Monte Carlo simulations and validated with beam test data of a small prototype.
Attention-Based UNet Deep Learning Model for Plaque Segmentation in Carotid Ultrasound for Stroke Risk Stratification: An Artificial Intelligence Paradigm
Authors: Jain Pankaj K. , Dubey Abhishek , Saba Luca , Khanna Narender N. , Laird John R. , Nicolaides Andrew , Fouda Mostafa M. , Suri Jasjit S. , Sharma Neeraj
Published: September 2022

Stroke and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) significantly affect the world population. The early detection of such events may prevent the burden of death and costly surgery. Conventional methods are neither automated nor clinically accurate. Artificial Intelligence-based methods of automatically detecting and predicting the severity of CVD and stroke in their early stages are of prime importance. This study proposes an attention-channel-based UNet deep learning (DL) model that identifies the carotid plaques in the internal carotid artery (ICA) and common carotid artery (CCA) images. Our experiments consist of 970 ICA images from the UK, 379 CCA images from diabetic Japanese patients, and 300 CCA images from post-menopausal women from Hong Kong. We combined both CCA images to form an integrated database of 679 images. A rotation transformation technique was applied to 679 CCA images, doubling the database for the experiments. The cross-validation K5 (80% training: 20% testing) protocol was applied for accuracy determination. The results of the Attention-UNet model are benchmarked against UNet, UNet++, and UNet3P models. Visual plaque segmentation showed improvement in the Attention-UNet results compared to the other three models. The correlation coefficient (CC) value for Attention-UNet is 0.96, compared to 0.93, 0.96, and 0.92 for UNet, UNet++, and UNet3P models. Similarly, the AUC value for Attention-UNet is 0.97, compared to 0.964, 0.966, and 0.965 for other models. Conclusively, the Attention-UNet model is beneficial in segmenting very bright and fuzzy plaque images that are hard to diagnose using other methods. Further, we present a multi-ethnic, multi-center, racial bias-free study of stroke risk assessment.
Effect of Stenting Strategy on the Outcome in Patients with Non-Left Main Bifurcation Lesions
Authors: Lim Yongwhan , Kim Min Chul , Ahn Youngkeun , Sim Doo Sun , Hong Young Joon , Kim Ju Han , Jeong Myung Ho , Gwon Hyeon-Cheol , Kim Hyo-Soo , Rha Seung Woon , Yoon Jung Han , Jang Yangsoo , Tahk Seung-Jea , Seung Ki Bae
Published: September 2022

Previous studies have not compared outcomes between different percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) strategies and lesion locations in non-left main (LM) bifurcation lesions. We enrolled 2044 patients from a multicenter registry with an LAD bifurcation lesion (n = 1551) or non-LAD bifurcation lesion (n = 493). The primary outcome was target lesion failure (TLF), a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and target lesion revascularization (TLR). During a median follow-up period of 38 months, non-LAD bifurcation lesions treated with the two-stent strategy, compared with the one-stent strategy, were associated with more frequent TLF (20.7% vs. 6.3%, p < 0.01), TLR (16.7% vs. 4.7%, p < 0.01), and target vessel revascularization (TVR; 18.2% vs. 6.3%, p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in outcome among LAD bifurcation lesions treated with different PCI strategies. The two-stent strategy was associated with a higher risk of TLF (adjusted HR 4.34, CI 1.93–9.76, p < 0.01), TLR (adjusted HR 4.30, CI 1.64–11.27, p < 0.01), and TVR (adjusted HR 5.07, CI 1.69–9.74, p < 0.01) in the non-LAD bifurcation lesions. The planned one-stent strategy is preferable to the two-stent strategy for the treatment of non-LAD bifurcation lesions.
Silodosin Improves Pain and Urinary Frequency in Bladder Pain Syndrome/Interstitial Cystitis Patients
Authors: Abreu-Mendes Pedro , Araújo-Silva Beatriz , Charrua Ana , Cruz Francisco , Pinto Rui
Published: September 2022

Purpose: Bladder Pain Syndrome/Interstitial Cystitis (BPS/IC) is a bladder-related chronic inflammatory disease. Data indicate that stress enhances the excitability of bladder nociceptors through the stimulation of alpha1A-adrenoceptors. Stress is known to play a crucial role in BPS/IC patients. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of daily silodosin in refractory BPS/IC female patients and its correlation with stress coping. Materials and Methods: An open-label trial was conducted with 20 refractory BPS/IC patients. Evaluations occurred at baseline and the 8th and 12th weeks. Primary endpoint was bladder pain evaluated by visual analogue scale (VAS). Secondary endpoints included daily frequency, nocturia and maximum voided volume obtained from a 3-day bladder diary, the O’Leary–Sant Symptom Score, and two questions accessing stress coping. Patients initiated daily doses of 8 mg silodosin, which could be titrated to 16 mg. Median values with percentiles 25 and 75 (25; 75) were used. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for comparisons. A minimally important difference of 3 points for pain was established to define clinically relevant improvement. Results: Median age was 56 years. Median pain score decreased from 8.00 (6.00; 8.00) at baseline to 4.00 (2.00; 5.50) (p < 0.001), meaning that the primary endpoint was reached. Total urinary frequency decreased from 14.00 (13.00; 21.00) to 9.00 (7.50; 11.00) (p < 0.05), and all the other secondary endpoints also showed a statistically significant improvement. Eleven patients improved by ≥3 pain points in VAS, meaning that 65% of patients that ended the study protocol achieved clinical significant improvement or, in the full analysis set, that 55% of the 20 initial patients improved significantly. Fourteen (82%) decreased by ≥2 micturitions/day. Overall, the cohort’s stress coping was low. Conclusions: Silodosin can be an effective and well-tolerated treatment for refractory BPS/IC female patients.
Clinical Management of New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in COVID-19 Patients Referred to a Tertiary Cardiac Arrhythmia Center after Hospital Discharge
Authors: Schiavone Marco , Sozzi Fabiola B. , Gasperetti Alessio , Gobbi Cecilia , Gherbesi Elisa , Barbieri Lucia , Arosio Roberto , Mitacchione Gianfranco , Toriello Filippo , Faggiano Andrea , Viecca Maurizio , Forleo Giovanni B. , Carugo Stefano
Published: September 2022

Background: Available reports on the post-discharge management of atrial fibrillation (AF) in COVID-19 patients are scarce. The aim of this case series was to describe the clinical outcomes of new-onset AF in COVID-19 patients referred to a tertiary cardiac arrhythmia center after hospital discharge. Methods: All consecutive patients referred to our center for an ambulatory evaluation from 18 May 2020 to 15 March 2022 were retrospectively screened. Patients were included in the current analysis if new-onset AF was diagnosed during hospitalization for COVID-19 and then referred to our clinic. Results: Among 946 patients, 23 (2.4%) were evaluated for new-onset AF during COVID-19. The mean age of the study cohort was 71.5 ± 8.1 years; 87.0% were male. Median time from COVID-19 discharge and the first ambulatory evaluation was 53 (41.5–127) days; median follow-up time was 175 (83–336) days. At the in-office evaluation, 14 (60.9%) patients were in sinus rhythm, and nine patients were in AF. In 13.0% of cases, oral anticoagulation was stopped according to CHADS-VASc. Eight patients in AF were scheduled for electrical cardioversion; one patient was rate-controlled. Four patients were treated with catheter ablation (CA) during follow-up. Two post-cardioversion AF recurrences were detected during follow-up, while no recurrences were diagnosed among patients who underwent CA. Conclusion: Our data suggest that AF may not be considered as a simple bystander of the in-hospital COVID-19 course. Management of new-onset AF in post-COVID-19 patients referred to our clinic did not significantly differ from our usual practice, both in terms of long-term oral anticoagulation and in terms of rhythm control strategy.
Comparison of Emergency Room Visits and Rehospitalization for Bleeding Complications following Transurethral Procedures for the Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Chen Shih-Liang , Hsu Chih-Kai , Wang Chun-Hsiang , Yang Che-Jui , Chang Ting-Jui , Chuang Yu-Hsuan , Tseng Yuan-Tsung
Published: September 2022

Background: The postoperative bleeding complications associated with laser surgery of the prostate and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) were compared. Methods: We used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database to conduct an observational population-based cohort study. All eligible patients who received transurethral procedures between January 2015 and September 2018 were enrolled. Patients who received laser surgery or TURP were matched at a ratio of 1:1 by using propensity score matching, and the association of these procedures with bleeding events was evaluated. Results: A total of 3302 patients who underwent elective transurethral procedures were included. The multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that diode laser enucleation of the prostate (DiLEP) resulted in significantly higher emergency room risks within 90 days after surgery due to clot retention than the Monopolar transurethral resection of the prostate (M-TURP) (Hazard Ratio: 1.52; 95% Confidence Interval [CI], 1.06–2.16, p = 0.022). Moreover, GreenLight photovaporization of the prostate (PVP) (0.61; 95% CI, 0.38–1.00 p = 0.050) and thulium laser vaporesection of the prostate (ThuVARP) (0.67; 95% CI, 0.47–0.95, p = 0.024) resulted in significantly fewer rehospitalization due to clot retention than did M-TURP. No significant increase in blood clots were observed in patients using comedications and those with different demographic characteristics and comorbidities. Conclusions: Among the investigated six transurethral procedures for Benign prostatic hyperplasia, PVP and ThuVARP were safer than M-TURP because bleeding events and clot retention were less likely to occur, even in patients receiving anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy. However, DiLEP and holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) did not result in fewer bleeding events than M-TURP.
Multimodality Imaging of Sudden Cardiac Death and Acute Complications in Acute Coronary Syndrome
Authors: Muscogiuri Giuseppe , Guaricci Andrea Igoren , Soldato Nicola , Cau Riccardo , Saba Luca , Siena Paola , Tarsitano Maria Grazia , Giannetta Elisa , Sala Davide , Sganzerla Paolo , Gatti Marco , Faletti Riccardo , Senatieri Alberto , Chierchia Gregorio , Pontone Gianluca , Marra Paolo , Rabbat Mark G. , Sironi Sandro
Published: September 2022

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a potentially fatal event usually caused by a cardiac arrhythmia, which is often the result of coronary artery disease (CAD). Up to 80% of patients suffering from SCD have concomitant CAD. Arrhythmic complications may occur in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) before admission, during revascularization procedures, and in hospital intensive care monitoring. In addition, about 20% of patients who survive cardiac arrest develop a transmural myocardial infarction (MI). Prevention of ACS can be evaluated in selected patients using cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA), while diagnosis can be depicted using electrocardiography (ECG), and complications can be evaluated with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and echocardiography. CCTA can evaluate plaque, burden of disease, stenosis, and adverse plaque characteristics, in patients with chest pain. ECG and echocardiography are the first-line tests for ACS and are affordable and useful for diagnosis. CMR can evaluate function and the presence of complications after ACS, such as development of ventricular thrombus and presence of myocardial tissue characterization abnormalities that can be the substrate of ventricular arrhythmias.
Short- and Long-Term Effect of Cochlear Implantation on Disabling Tinnitus in Single-Sided Deafness Patients: A Systematic Review
Authors: Idriss Samar A. , Reynard Pierre , Marx Mathieu , Mainguy Albane , Joly Charles-Alexandre , Ionescu Eugen Constant , Assouly Kelly K. S. , Thai-Van Hung
Published: September 2022

Patients with single-sided deafness can experience an ipsilateral disabling tinnitus that has a major impact on individuals’ social communication and quality of life. Cochlear implants appear to be superior to conventional treatments to alleviate tinnitus in single-sided deafness. We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of cochlear implants in single-sided deafness with disabling tinnitus when conventional treatments fail to alleviate tinnitus (PROSPERO ID: CRD42022353292). All published studies in PubMed/MEDLINE and SCOPUS databases until December 2021 were included. A total of 474 records were retrieved, 31 studies were included and were divided into two categories according to whether tinnitus was assessed as a primary complaint or not. In all studies, cochlear implantation, evaluated using subjective validated tools, succeeded in reducing tinnitus significantly. Objective evaluation tools were less likely to be used but showed similar results. A short-(3 months) and long-(up to 72 months) term tinnitus suppression was reported. When the cochlear implant is disactivated, complete residual tinnitus inhibition was reported to persist up to 24 h. The results followed a similar pattern in studies where tinnitus was assesed as a primary complaint or not. In conclusion, the present review confirmed the effectiveness of cochlear implantation in sustainably reducing disabling tinnitus in single-sided deafness patients.
TCR CDR3 Sequencing as a Clue to Elucidate the Landscape of Dysimmunity in Patients with Primary Immune Thrombocytopenia
Authors: Ji Lili , Zhan Yanxia , Wu Boting , Chen Pu , Cheng Luya , Ke Yang , Zhuang Xibing , Hua Fanli , Sun Lihua , Chen Hao , Li Feng , Cheng Yunfeng
Published: September 2022

Background: Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disorder. The existence of autoreactive T cells has long been proposed in ITP. Yet the identification of autoreactive T cells has not been achieved, which is an important step to elucidate the pathogenesis of ITP. Methods: ITP patients’ peripheral blood was collected prior to the treatment and one month after initiating dexamethasone treatment per related therapeutic guideline. Serum cytokines were profiled to examine T cell subtypes imbalance using a protein chip. TCR Vβ analysis in CD8+T cells of ITP patients, and TCR CDR3 DNA sequencing of CD4+T and CD8+T cells were performed to determine the autoreactive T cells’ clones. Results: Cytokine profiling revealed imbalanced distribution of T cells subtypes, which was confirmed by CD4+T and CD8+T cells’ oligoclonal expansion of TCR Vβ analysis and TCR CDR3 DNA sequencing. VDJ segments were found to be more frequently presented in ITP patients, when compared with health controls. There was an individualized CD4+T cell or CD8+T cell CDR3 sequence in each ITP patient. Conclusions: The present study revealed that T cell clones expanded in ITP patients’ peripheral blood, and each clone had an individualized TCR CDR3 sequence. The expanded T cell clones preferred to use some specific VDJ segment. Further studies are warranted to get access to individualized treatment such as Car-T in patients with ITP.
New Treatment Concepts in Implantology—The Role of Digital Innovations for an Individualized Dental Implant Rehabilitation
Authors: Bohner Lauren , Hanisch Marcel
Published: September 2022

In the last few years, technological innovations have been changing the field of implantology [...]
Uptake of a Switching Program for Patients Receiving Intravenous Infliximab and Vedolizumab to Subcutaneous Preparations
Authors: Burdge Gemma , Hardman Alice , Carbery Isabel , Broglio Giacomo , Greer Dan , Selinger Christian P.
Published: September 2022

Background: Recent trials support the clinical efficacy and safety of subcutaneous infliximab (IFX) or vedolizumab (VDZ) for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). We evaluated the uptake and rationale for choosing to switch from intravenous infusions to subcutaneous injections. Methods: Retrospective analysis of all adult patients receiving standard dosing IFX or VDZ maintenance therapy to investigate uptake of subcutaneous injections and the rationale for switching to subcutaneous injections. Results: Of 232 eligible patients (total = 258: IFX = 190, VDZ = 68, and no longer eligible = 26), 58% of patients on IFX and 59% of patients on VDZ chose to switch to subcutaneous treatment. Age, sex, diagnosis, drug, line of treatment, and duration of treatment were not predictors for willingness to switch. Questionnaire responses (n = 51) demonstrate that the decision to switch was not influenced by COVID-19 exposure risk, impact on wider IBD service provision, impact on patient mental health, financial savings, seeking support following a switch, or a sense of independence managing IBD. Switchers (68%) were more motivated by time savings than non-switchers (25%; p = 0.0042). Conclusions: Switch uptake rates were 58%, with 90% of patients eligible to switch. Switch decision was influenced by time savings for patients but not by other patient-related factors.
Depressive and Anxiety Disorders of Parents of Children with Cancer
Authors: Mess Eleonora , Misiąg Weronika , Klaszczyk Tomasz , Kryś Kamila
Published: September 2022

Every year in Poland there are approximately 1200 new cases of malignant tumours in children and adolescents. Leukaemia, CNS tumours, and lymphomas are the most frequently diagnosed cancers. Coping with a child’s illness is challenging, which is why many parents suffer from anxiety, depression disorders, and even PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). The aim of this study is to assess the anxiety and depression levels of carers of children with cancer. Method: The study participants were 101 carers of children suffering from cancer. The study was conducted using standardized questionnaires: the Zung ccale, HADS scale, and Karnofsky scale, and three questionnaires designed by the author. Results: According to the results of the Karnofsky scale, carers’ anxiety and depression levels were negatively affected by their children’s poor performance. The younger age of children significantly correlated with the severity of depression in their parents. HADS and Zung scale anxiety levels were observed to have statistically significant effect on the severity of depressive disorders. Conclusions: Receiving a diagnosis of childhood cancer contributes to the incidence of depression and anxiety disorders among carers. Carers’ anxiety and depression levels were strongly associated with their child’s age and their child’s performance.
Cardiac Biomarkers and Risk Scores in Relation with History of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Patients Admitted with COVID-19: The Experience of an Eastern European Center
Authors: Lionte Catalina , Sorodoc Victorita , Haliga Raluca Ecaterina , Bologa Cristina , Ceasovschih Alexandr , Sirbu Oana , Gorciac Victoria , Chelariu Andrei-Costin , Stoica Alexandra , Tocila Roxana Elena , Badescu Minerva Codruta , Costache Irina-Iuliana , Sandu Christiana Brigitte , Jaba Elisabeta , Sorodoc Laurentiu
Published: September 2022

Background: Data regarding the combined prognostic role of biomarkers and risk scores in relation with the history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in COVID-19 patients are lacking. Methods: The aim of this observational cohort study was to evaluate the combined prognostic value of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro BNP), troponin and risk scores in relation with ASCVD history in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The primary composite endpoint was Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission and death. Results: From April 2020 to June 2022, 1066 consecutive COVID-19 patients with available biomarkers upon admission were included. During a median follow-up period of 12 days, 176 patients (16.5%) died. Independent predictors of ICU admission and death in patients with ASCVD were NT-pro BNP (HR 2.63; 95% CI, 1.65–4.18) and troponin (HR 1.51; 95% CI, 1.13–2.03). In patients without ASCVD, only NT-pro BNP was predictive for the primary endpoint (HR 1.66; 95% CI, 1.10–2.53). This remained significant after adjustment for other relevant covariates (HR 3.54; 95% CI, 1.98–6.33) in patients with ASCVD and in patients without ASCVD (HR 1.82; 95% CI, 1.02–3.26). Conclusions: These data showed the combined prognostic accuracy of NT-pro BNP and troponin in relation with ASCVD history for ICU admission and death in COVID-19 patients.