bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Directs estimates and a Voronovskaja-type formula for Mihesan operators
Authors: Bustamante Jorge
Published: November 2022

We present an estimate for the rate of convergence of Mihesan operators in polynomial weighted spaces. A Voronovskaja-type theorem is included.
Investigation of the Effect of Atmospheric Pollution Components of Livestock Premises on the Moisture Absorption of an Anti-corrosion Film
Authors:   Ryazan State Agrotechnological University named after P.A.Kostychev, Uspensky I.A. , Yukhin I.A. ,   Ryazan State Agrotechnological University named after P.A.Kostychev, Stepanova E.I. ,   Ryazan State Agrotechnological University named after P.A.Kostychev, Kulik S.N. ,   Ryazan State Agrotechnological University named after P.A.Kostychev, Murog I.A. ,   Ryazan Institute (branch) of Moscow Polytechnic University
Published: November 2022

Using a multifactorial experiment of the plan N = 2(4), the influence of the components of air pollution in livestock buildings on the moisture absorption of a film of D-11A plastisol mastic was studied by the gravimetric method. The corresponding dependence equations are obtained, which show a more aggressive effect of hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide on the protective film.
Bacteriological Study on Surgical Site Infection in Rangpur Medical College and Hospital
Authors: Islam Md Hamidul , Mishu Minim Parvin , Afroze Nusrat , Mahmud MH , Islam Md Shariful , Shah Md Shahin
Published: November 2022

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) is a major problem in both developed and developing countries. In developing countries like Bangladesh, infection in surgical patients has been appearing as a serious risk due to insurgence of drug resistance. Surgical site infections (SSIs) contribute significantly to increased health care costs in terms of prolonged hospital stay and lost working days. The problem was largely unexplored in Rangpur Medical College and Hospital, Rangpur.

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the bacteriological study on surgical site infections in Rangpur Medical College & Hospital.

Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the Department of Surgery at Rangpur Medical College Hospital. 72 patients of all ages, sex who developed surgical site infection were included through purposive sampling for observation and clinical follow up and wound swab was microbiologically evaluated.

Results: Of the 72 cases, SSI developed 30.6% (22) following elective surgery and 69.4% (50) following emergency surgery. 7 cases were associated with co-morbid conditions like diabetes mellitus (2), malignancy (4) and tuberculosis (1). Most common organisms were Escherichia coli (30 /54) followed by Staphylococcous aureus (14/54), Pseudomonas (07/54) and Klebsiella (03/54).The antibiogram pattern of the organism isolated from wound swab of SSIs were analyzed with commonly used antibiotics. Resistance of Escherichia coli to Amoxycillin, Cotrimoxazole, Doxycycline and Nalidixic acid were 100%, 91.5%, 71.4% and 60.5% respectively. In case of, Staphylococcus aureus 87.5% were resistant to penicillin and Cotrimoxazole. Resistance of Pseudomonas spp. to Ciprofloxacin, Ceftazidime and Gentamicin were 31.2%. 6.3% and 50% respectively. In case of Klebsiella spp, it showed that 100% strains were resistant to Amoxycillin like Esch. coli but all strains were sensitive to both Ceftriaxon and Imipenem.

Conclusion: The study emphasizes the need for the evidence-based infection control and antibiotic prescription policies in the hospital.

J Rang Med Col. September 2022; Vol. 7, No. 2:12-19
Eating Disorders: Reviews on Update in Diagnosis and Management
Authors: Hossain Md Shakhawat , Ul Anwar Md Mahfuj , Maknunnahar - , Motin Md Abdul , Alam Md Shafiul , Hossain Jimma , Ali Md Naushad , Rana Abu Hena Md Shohel
Published: November 2022

Eating disorders are common and frequently missed behavioral disorders associated with significant physical, mental and social morbidity and mortality. Among psychiatric illness, mortality rate of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa is about 10% and 1% at 10 years of diagnosis respectively. All clinicians should ask about eating habits (such as dieting, binge-eating, and weight control behaviors etc) and weight concerns in high risk groups, even when they have no concerns about eating or weight. The DSM-5 and ICD-11 list 6 distinct eating disorders: 1) Anorexia nervosa, 2) Bulimia nervosa, 3) Binge-eating disorder (BED), 4) Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), 5) Rumination disorder and 6) Pica. Since the incidence of eating disordered patients in appears to be rising, it is a time demanding issue to deliver multidisciplinary treatment for them. As eating disorders frequently involve multi-system disorders such as gastrointestinal, neurological and endocrine, early screening and assessment of patients with eating disorders is essential. Treatments for eating disorders depend on its types and focus on behavioral change, targeting normalizes the weight and eating habits. Depending on the severity of malnutrition and associated medical conditions, eating disorders may be treated with patient education , cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), family-based treatment (FBT), specialist supportive clinical management (SSCM) and Pharmacotherapy (TCAs, MAOIs, and SSRIs).

J Rang Med Col. September 2022; Vol. 7, No. 2:63-68
Evaluation of the influence of patients' diet on the system of forces applied by nickel-titanium closed springs: an in vitro study
Authors: Louly Fabiane , Loureiro Gabriela Soares , Santiago Junior Joel Ferreira , Pedrin Renata Rodrigues de Almeida , Freire Fernandes Thais Maria , Oltramari Paula Vanessa Pedron , Conti Ana Claudia de Castro Ferreira
Published: November 2022

The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of the patients' diet on the strength degradation of Nickel-titanium closed springs. Forty 9mm nickel titanium springs from the Morelli brand were used, divided into 2 groups of 20 according to the immersed solution. These springs were stretched to 100% of their original length and kept in devices immersed in recipients with the evaluated solutions (artificial saliva and distilled water with coke). The resulting forces were measured with a precision orthodontic dynamometer (grams) performed shortly after initial distension (T0) and after 28 days of distension (T1), then at the end of 20 and 30 months, T2 and T3 respectively. To compare times and groups, analysis of variance for repeated measures and Tukey's test were used. A significance value of 5% was adopted for the analyses. In the intragroup results, the springs showed a significant decrease in force between the evaluated periods. When comparing the values ​​of forces between the groups (artificial saliva vs coke) in each period, it was observed that there was no significant difference, indicating that the type of solution did not influence the degradation of the forces of the springs. It was concluded that, regardless of the ingestion of liquids such as coke, NITI springs show significant strength degradation during the first 3 months. It is necessary to measure the forces of the springs during orthodontic treatment, aiming to establish an adequate force for movement and optimization of treatment time.
Instrumentalização do artefato simbólico equações do 1º grau com duas incógnitas em um ambiente não digital
Authors: Rodrigues Roberta dos Santos , Lira Ana Beatriz Pinheiro , Conceição Ewerly Reis , Souza Kassio Kevy Alves de , Costa Thamillie Ketelen da , Feitosa Francisco Eteval da Silva
Published: November 2022

Este artigo tem como objetivo analisar o processo de instrumentalização do artefato simbólico equação do 1º grau com duas incógnitas em estudantes do 8º ano do ensino fundamental. O referencial teórico utilizado foi a Teoria da Instrumentação sob a ótica de Pierre Rabardel. De abordagem qualitativa e com delineamento de uma pesquisa-ação, os dados foram coletados a partir de observação, registros em áudio e vídeo e material produzido pelos estudantes. Reconhecer que a representação gráfica de uma equação linear de 1º grau com duas incógnitas é uma reta no plano cartesiano é o principal objetivo de um processo de instrumentalização desse objeto matemático e constitui-se como ponto de partida do fenômeno da Gênese Instrumental. A partir das observações feitas da etapa, foi possível evidenciar que os grupos perceberam que, mesmo cada um tendo construído retângulos de dimensões diferentes, o que, evidentemente, resultou em tabelas com valores diferentes, a expressão algébrica para representar a regularidade observada nas tabelas era a mesma, diferindo apenas nas letras escolhidas por cada grupo para representar as dimensões do retângulo. Ademais, os grupos perceberam que suas representações gráficas diferiam apenas nos pontos escolhidos, mas que se tratava da mesma reta, evidenciando, dessa forma, o processo de instrumentalização do objeto matemático em questão.
A literatura infantil com protagonismo negro: uma análise de sequências didáticas para uma educação antirracista
Authors: Barbosa Amanda Basílio , Rostas Márcia Helena Sauáia Guimarães
Published: November 2022

O presente artigo é um recorte da dissertação intitulada “As relações étnico-raciais na Educação Infantil: a literatura como ferramenta pedagógica para a implementação da Lei nº 10.639/03 com vistas à construção de uma educação antirracista” que teve como objetivo identificar a contribuição da utilização da literatura infantil com protagonistas negros como um potente instrumento para a implementação da Lei nº 10.639/03. Adotou metodologicamente a pesquisa-ação colaborativa de Ibiapina (2008), tendo, como sujeitos envolvidos, uma professora de Educação Infantil, a pesquisadora (como agente colaborador na classe – leitor de história) e 17 alunos(as) da Educação Infantil de uma escola municipal de Canguçu/RS. Empregou-se para a coleta de dados: registro em fotos, áudios, vídeos e diário de campo. Para tratamento e análise do corpus, recorreu-se aos estudos de Análise de Conteúdo (AC) de Bardin (2016). Esse recorte, apresenta a análise das intervenções pedagógicas ancoradas nas obras “Amoras” (EMICIDA, 2018) e “O Pequeno Príncipe Preto para Pequenos” (FRANÇA, 2020). Os resultados evidenciaram que o trabalho com a literatura com protagonismo negro pode ser um desafio para os docentes, tendo em vista o enraizamento do racismo estrutural no ambiente escolar, no entanto, essa prática pedagógica mostrou-se promissora na efetivação da Lei nº 10.639/03.
PENGARUH DUE PROFESSIONAL CARE, INDEPENDENSI, PENGALAMAN AUDITOR DAN KOMPETENSI AUDITOR TERHADAP KUALITAS AUDIT DENGAN LOCUS OF CONTROL INTERNAL SEBAGAI VARIABEL MODERASI
Authors: Yuhan Elvira
Published: November 2022

Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk menguji pengaruh due professional care, independensi, pengalaman, dan kompetensi terhadap kualitas audit di Kota Malang dengan dimoderasi oleh locus of control. jumlah responden yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini yaitu sebanyak 40 orang yang berasal dari 11 kantor akuntan publik. Penelitian ini menggunakan Moderated Regression Analysis sebagai alat uji. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa due professional care berpengaruh positif terhadap kualitas audit pada auditor di Kota Malang. sedangkan independensi, pengalaman, dan keahlihan tidak berpengaruh terhadap pengambilan keputusan investor di Kota Malang. Variabel moderasi locus of control tidak memperkuat pengaruh seluruh variabel penelitian yaitu due professional care, independensi, pengalaman, dan kompetensi terhadap kualitas audit. Penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa terdapat beberapa variabel yang tidak memengaruhi kualitas audit dapat disebabkan oleh banyak auditor berpegang pada prinsip yang sudah sesuai peraturan yang berlaku. Setiap wilayah memiliki karakteristik yang berbeda, latar belakang pendidikan juga memiliki peran dalam memengaruhi karakteristik individu dalam pengambilan keputusan, karena setiap individu memiliki keragaman dan level yang berbeda tentang pendidikan tergantung dari kemampuan individu untuk menafsirkan pengetahuan yang diperoleh.
Partial Clinical Remission of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Children: Clinical Applications and Challenges with its Definitions
Authors: Udoka Nwosu Benjamin
Published: November 2022

The honeymoon phase, or partial clinical remission (PCR) phase, of Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a transitory period that is marked by endogenous insulin production by surviving β cells following a diabetes diagnosis and the introduction of insulin therapy. It is a critical window in the course of the disease that has short and long-term implications for the patient, such as a significant reduction in the risk of long-term complications of T1DM. To promote long-term cardiovascular health in children with newly diagnosed T1DM, three key steps are necessary: the generation of a predictive model for non-remission, the adoption of a user-friendly monitoring tool for remission and non-remission, and the establishment of the magnitude of the early-phase cardiovascular disease risk in these children in objective terms through changes in lipid profile. However, only about 50% of children diagnosed with T1DM experience the honeymoon phase. Accurate and prompt detection of the honeymoon phase has been hampered by the lack of an objective and easily applicable predictive model for its detection at the time of T1DM diagnosis, the complex formulas needed to confirm and monitor PCR, and the absence of a straightforward, user-friendly tool for monitoring PCR. This literature review discusses the most up-to-date information in this field by describing an objective predictive model for non-remission, an easy tool for monitoring remission or non-remission, and objective evidence for the cardiovascular protective effect of PCR in the early phase of the disease. The goal is to present non-remission as an independent clinical entity with significantly poorer long-term prognosis than partial remission.
EASD 2022 Abstract Highlights
Authors: Wolf Theo , Smith Jaki , Hewitt Kirsty , Fouarge Noemie , Richards Darcy
Published: November 2022

The following highlights spotlight several standout abstracts presented at the 58th European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Annual Meeting, covering topics such as the effects of extended overnight fasting, the incidence of congenital heart defects in the offspring of females diagnosed with pregestational diabetes, and telehealth for the metabolic control of Type 1 diabetes.
Knowledge, Practices, and Risk of Diabetic Foot Syndrome Among Diabetic Patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Bengaluru, India
Authors: John Deign Maria , John Jomol , Ronit Raj Mervyn , Naaz Fathima Farah
Published: November 2022

Diabetic foot syndrome is common in uncontrolled diabetes and is a constellation of symptoms and signs that include neuropathy, infection, and ischaemia. It has become a global concern and a frequent cause of hospitalisation among diabetics. In this study, the authors’ objective was to assess the knowledge, practices, and risk of diabetic foot syndrome among diabetic patients seeking outpatient care at a tertiary hospital in Bengaluru, India. A cross-sectional study involving 198 patients with diabetes aged ≥18 years was conducted using a structured questionnaire, followed by examination using Inlow’s 60-second diabetic foot screen tool. The results were based on the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) risk classification system. The knowledge regarding diabetic foot syndrome was inadequate for fungal infections (23.5%), shoe bites (26.5%), and changes in foot colour and temperature. Footcare practices were satisfactory, with the exception of wearing footwear indoors (25.0%) and applying moisturiser to feet (19.0%). Lack of education, diabetic neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease, history of foot ulcer, and a lack of knowledge regarding dry skin, special footwear, and inappropriate footwear were important risk factors. The researchers concluded that the knowledge level of the subjects was relatively poor. Foot practices, such as inspecting and washing feet every day, were followed by the majority of subjects. Lack of education, complications such as neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease, dry skin, and lack of information obtained on foot care practices were significantly associated with diabetic foot syndrome.
Evaluation of The Relationship Between Glycaemic Regulation Parameters and Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Type 2 Diabetic Patients
Authors: Akin Seydahmet , Aydin Zeki , Yilmaz Guven , Aliustaoglu Mehmet , Keskin Ozcan
Published: November 2022

Background: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a simple and inexpensive examination that is considered to show inflammation. In this study, which included a control group, the authors aimed to investigate if there was a relationship between glycaemic regulation parameters and NLR in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Material and Methods: A total of 278 Type 2 diabetic patients were included in the study. An additional total of 148 healthy people were also included as a control group. NLR was calculated by dividing the absolute neutrophil number by the absolute lymphocyte number. The patients were divided into two groups: the good glycaemic control group (HbA1c ≤7.5%) and the poor glycaemic control group (HbA1c >7.5%). NLR was compared between the diabetic groups. In addition, NLR was compared with diabetic patients and control group.

Results: The NLR was statistically and significantly higher in the poor glycaemic control group compared to the good glycaemic control group (2.48 [1.97–2.60] to 2.07 [1.72–2.40], respectively; p=0.020). In addition, NLR was significantly higher in the patients than in the control group (2.30 [2.04–2.49] to 2.01 [1.85–2.18], respectively; p=0.002).

Conclusion: According to the authors’ knowledge, increased NLR may be associated with poor glycaemic control in Type 2 diabetic patients. NLR may be useful used as an easily measurable, noninvasive, available, and cost-effective parameter for the follow-up of diabetic patients.
Implication of the MAPK Signalling Pathway in the Pathogenesis of Diabetic Nephropathy
Authors: Barletto Sousa Barros Jéssica , da Silva Santos Rodrigo , Adamski da Silva Reis Angela
Published: November 2022

Diabetes has become an emerging public health problem because of its serious complications, and high mortality and morbidity rates. Among the most common microvascular complications of diabetes is diabetic nephropathy (DN), which is a major cause of development of end-stage renal disease worldwide. The aetiopathogenesis of DN is not completely elucidated; however, studies have shown that the components of the MAPK signalling pathway play an essential role in the development and progression of the disease. The MAPK family is mainly composed of three subgroups: extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2, c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) 1–3, and p38 MAPK, all of which are related to several cellular functions, such as cell death, differentiation, proliferation, motility, survival, stress response, and cell growth. In diabetic kidney disease, the MAPK pathway can be activated by processes resulting from hyperglycaemia (polyol pathway products, oxidative stress, and accumulation of advanced glycosylation end-products) and by angiotensin II, and it is related to several renal pathological processes. This review aims to summarise the role of the MAPK signalling pathway in diabetic nephropathy, as well as to link the biological aspects that contribute to clarify the pathological process behind the disease.
Biomechanical evaluation of an allograft fixation system for ACL reconstruction
Authors: Benca Emir , van Knegsel Kenneth P. , Zderic Ivan , Caspar Jan , Strassl Andreas , Hirtler Lena , Fuchssteiner Christoph , Gueorguiev Boyko , Windhager Reinhard , Widhalm Harald , Varga Peter
Published: November 2022

The purpose of this study was to compare the biomechanical stability, especially graft slippage of an allograft screw and a conventional interference screw for tibial implant fixation in ACL reconstruction. Twenty-four paired human proximal tibia specimens underwent ACL reconstruction, with the graft in one specimen of each pair fixed using the allograft screw and the other using the conventional interference screw. Specimens were subjected to cyclic tensile loading until failure. The two fixation methods did not show any statistical difference in load at graft slippage (p = 0.241) or estimated mean survival until slippage onset (p = 0.061). The ultimate load and the estimated mean survival until failure were higher for the interference screw (p = 0.04, and p = 0.018, respectively). Graft displacement at ultimate load reached values of up to 7.2 (interference screw) and 11.3 mm (allograft screw). The allograft screw for implant fixation in ACL reconstruction demonstrated comparable behavior in terms of graft slippage to the interference screw but underperformed in terms of ultimate load. However, the ultimate load, occurring at progressive graft slippage, may not be considered a direct indicator of clinical failure.
RNA sensor response in HeLa cells for transfected mRNAs prepared in vitro by SP6 and HiT7 RNA polymerases: A comparative study
Authors: Nagaraj Siranjeevi , Stankiewicz-Drogon Anna , Darzynkiewicz Edward , Grzela Renata
Published: November 2022

In vitro transcribed (IVT) synthetic mRNAs are in high demand due to their attractive bench to clinic translational processes. Mainly, the procedure to make IVT mRNA using bacteriophage RNA polymerases (RNAP) is relatively uncomplicated and scalable to produce large quantities in a short time period. However, IVT mRNA preparations are accompanied by contaminants such as double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) as by-products that elicit undesired cellular immune responses upon transfections. Therefore, removing dsRNA contaminants is critical in IVT mRNA preparations for therapeutic applications. One such method to minimize dsRNA contaminants is to use genetically modified thermostable bacteriophage polymerase, HiT7 RNAP that performs IVT reaction at a higher temperature than typically used. However, the cellular RNA sensor response for IVT mRNA preparations by HiT7 RNAP is not characterized. Here, we compared the cellular RNA sensor response for mRNAs prepared by HiT7 RNAP (at 50°C) and SP6 RNAP (at 37°C) in HeLa cells. We show that IVT mRNA preparations by HiT7 RNAP reduced the dsRNA levels and dsRNA specific RNA sensor response (retinoic acid-inducible gene I, RIG-I and melanoma differentiation-associated 5, MDA5) compared to the IVT mRNA preparations by SP6 RNAP. Similarly, the incorporation of pseudouridine nucleotides instead of uridine nucleotides reduced dsRNA sensor response and increased the mRNA translation. Overall, the least dsRNA mediated RNA sensor response is observed when mRNA is synthesized by HiT7 RNAP and incorporated with pseudouridine nucleotides.
Photothermal nanohybrid hydrogels for biomedical applications
Authors: Ding Fan , Zhang Linlin , Chen Xu , Yin Weiling , Ni Li , Wang Miao
Published: November 2022

In the past decades, diseases such as wound infection, cancer, bone defect and osteoarthritis have constantly threatened the public health. However, the traditional treatment has many insufficiencies, such as high cost, easy recurrence and high biological toxicity. Hydrogel is a material with three-dimensional network structure, which has a series of advantages, such as injectability, self-heal ability, easy loading and controllability of drug release, and excellent biocompatibility. Therefore, it is extensively used in drug delivery, antibacterial, anti-cancer and other fields. However, the traditional hydrogels have the single performance, and therapeutic efficacy is often rely on the drugs loaded on them to cure diseases, which cannot achieve sustainable therapeutic effect. In order to solve this problem, photothermal nano hydrogel with photothermal agent (PTA) has become an ideal material due to its excellent physical and chemical properties. Photothermal nano hydrogels used in photothermal therapy (PTT) can exploit the photothermal effect of photothermal agent to increase local temperature and control the sol-gel phase transition behavior of hydrogels, so they are widely used in drug release, photothermal sterilization, photothermal inhibition of cancer cells and enhancement of bone repair. To sum up, this paper introduces the preparation of hydrogels with photothermal nanomaterials, and discusses their applications in the fields of drug release, photothermal sterilization, photothermal cancer cell inhibition and enhanced bone repair.
Studying the interaction between PEX5 and its full-length cargo proteins in living cells by a novel Försteŕs resonance energy transfer-based competition assay
Authors: Hochreiter Bernhard , Malagon-Vina Hugo , Schmid Johannes A. , Berger Johannes , Kunze Markus
Published: November 2022

The import of the majority of soluble peroxisomal proteins is initiated by the interaction between type-1 peroxisomal targeting signals (PTS1) and their receptor PEX5. PTS1 motifs reside at the extreme C-terminus of proteins and consist of a characteristic tripeptide and a modulatory upstream region. Various PTS1-PEX5 interactions have been studied by biophysical methods using isolated proteins or in heterologous systems such as two-hybrid assays, but a recently established approach based on Försters resonance energy transfer (FRET) allows a quantifying investigation in living cells. FRET is the radiation-free energy transfer between two fluorophores in close proximity and can be used to estimate the fraction of acceptor molecules bound to a donor molecule. For PTS1-PEX5 this method relies on the measurement of FRET-efficiency between the PTS1-binding TPR-domain of PEX5 tagged with mCherry and EGFP fused to a PTS1 peptide. However, this method is less suitable for binding partners with low affinity and protein complexes involving large proteins such as the interaction between full-length PTS1-carrying cargo proteins and PEX5. To overcome this limitation, we introduce a life-cell competition assay based on the same FRET approach but including a fusion protein of Cerulean with the protein of interest as a competitor. After implementing the mathematical description of competitive binding experiments into a fitting algorithm, we demonstrate the functionality of this approach using known interaction partners, its ability to circumvent previous limitations of FRET-measurements and its ability to study the interaction between PEX5 and its full-length cargo proteins. We find that some proteins (SCP2 and AGXT) bind PEX5 with higher affinity than their PTS1-peptides alone, but other proteins (ACOX3, DAO, PerCR-SRL) bind with lower but reasonable affinity, whereas GSTK1 binds with very low affinity. This binding strength was not increased upon elongating the PEX5 TPR-domain at its N-terminus, PEX5(N-TPR), although it interacts specifically with the N-terminal domain of PEX14. Finally, we demonstrate that the latter reduces the interaction strength between PEX5(N-TPR) and PTS1 by a dose-dependent but apparently non-competitive mechanism. Altogether, this demonstrates the power of this novel FRET-based competition approach for studying cargo recognition by PEX5 and protein complexes including large proteins in general.
Accuracy and feasibility with AI-assisted OCT in retinal disorder community screening
Authors: Bai Jianhao , Wan Zhongqi , Li Ping , Chen Lei , Wang Jingcheng , Fan Yu , Chen Xinjian , Peng Qing , Gao Peng
Published: November 2022

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy and feasibility of the auto-detection of 15 retinal disorders with artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted optical coherence tomography (OCT) in community screening.

Methods: A total of 954 eyes of 477 subjects from four local communities were enrolled in this study from September to December 2021. They received OCT scans covering an area of 12 mm × 9 mm at the posterior pole retina involving the macular and optic disc, as well as other ophthalmic examinations performed using their demographic information recorded. The OCT images were analyzed using integrated software with the previously established algorithm based on the deep-learning method and trained to detect 15 kinds of retinal disorders, namely, pigment epithelial detachment (PED), posterior vitreous detachment (PVD), epiretinal membranes (ERMs), sub-retinal fluid (SRF), choroidal neovascularization (CNV), drusen, retinoschisis, cystoid macular edema (CME), exudation, macular hole (MH), retinal detachment (RD), ellipsoid zone disruption, focal choroidal excavation (FCE), choroid atrophy, and retinal hemorrhage. Meanwhile, the diagnosis was also generated from three groups of individual ophthalmologists (group of retina specialists, senior ophthalmologists, and junior ophthalmologists) and compared with those by the AI. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity were calculated, and kappa statistics were performed.

Results: A total of 878 eyes were finally enrolled, with 76 excluded due to poor image quality. In the detection of 15 retinal disorders, the ROC curve comparison between AI and professors’ presented relatively large AUC (0.891–0.997), high sensitivity (87.65–100%), and high specificity (80.12–99.41%). Among the ROC curve comparisons with those by the retina specialists, AI was the closest one to the professors’ compared to senior and junior ophthalmologists (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: AI-assisted OCT is highly accurate, sensitive, and specific in auto-detection of 15 kinds of retinal disorders, certifying its feasibility and effectiveness in community ophthalmic screening.
Temporal trends of arrhythmias at delivery hospitalizations in the United States: Analysis from the National Inpatient Sample, 2009–2019
Authors: Thakkar Aarti , Kwapong Yaa A. , Patel Harsh , Minhas Anum S. , Vaught Arthur J. , Gavin Nicole , Zakaria Sammy , Blumenthal Roger S. , Wu Katherine C. , Chrispin Jonathan , Dani Sourbha S. , Sharma Garima
Published: November 2022

Background

Cardiac arrhythmias are associated with increased maternal morbidity. There are limited data on trends of arrhythmias among women hospitalized for delivery.

Materials and methods

We used the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database to identify delivery hospitalizations for individuals aged 18–49 years between 2009 to 2019 and utilized coding data from the 9th and 10th editions of the International Classification of Diseases to identify supraventricular tachycardias (SVT), atrial fibrillation (AF), atrial flutter, ventricular tachycardia (VT), and ventricular fibrillation (VF). Arrhythmia trends were analyzed by age, race-ethnicity, hospital setting, and hospital geographic regions. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of demographic, clinical, and socioeconomic characteristics with arrhythmias.

Results

Among 41,576,442 delivery hospitalizations, the most common arrhythmia was SVT (53%), followed by AF (31%) and VT (13%). The prevalence of arrhythmia among delivery hospitalizations increased between 2009 and 2019. Age > 35 years and Black race were associated with a higher arrhythmia burden. Factors associated with an increased risk of arrhythmias included valvular disease (OR: 12.77; 95% C1:1.98–13.61), heart failure (OR:7.13; 95% CI: 6.49–7.83), prior myocardial infarction (OR: 5.41, 95% CI: 4.01–7.30), peripheral vascular disease (OR: 3.19, 95% CI: 2.51–4.06), hypertension (OR: 2.18; 95% CI: 2.07–2.28), and obesity (OR 1.69; 95% CI: 1.63–1.76). Delivery hospitalizations complicated by arrhythmias compared with those with no arrhythmias had a higher proportion of all-cause in-hospital mortality (0.95% vs. 0.01%), cardiogenic shock (0.48% vs. 0.00%), preeclampsia (6.96% vs. 3.58%), and preterm labor (2.95% vs. 2.41%) (all p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Pregnant individuals with age > 35 years, obesity, hypertension, valvular heart disease, or severe pulmonary disease are more likely to have an arrhythmia history or an arrhythmia during a delivery hospitalization. Delivery hospitalizations with a history of arrhythmia are more likely to be complicated by all-cause in-hospital mortality, cardiovascular, and adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs). These data highlight the increased risk associated with pregnancies among individuals with arrhythmias.
Effectiveness and safety of Linggui Zhugan decoction for the treatment of premature contraction in patients with coronary heart disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Liu Longkun , Zhao Yan , Birling Yoann , Sun Yuxin , Shang Qinghua , Hu Zhong-Jing , Liu Jianping , Liu Zhaolan
Published: November 2022

Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Linggui Zhugan decoction (LZD) as an adjunct treatment of premature contraction in patients with coronary heart disease.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov Cochrane Library, Chinese Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang database, Sino Med, and VIP database were searched from inception until July 2022. Two reviewers independently selected randomized controlled trials assessing the effectiveness of LZD combined with conventional antiarrhythmic drugs in treating premature contraction in patients with coronary heart disease compared to conventional antiarrhythmic drugs only. The clinical effectiveness was considered as the primary outcome, and the times of premature junctional beats in 24 h after treatment along with adverse reactions were considered secondary outcomes. The Cochrane risk of bias 2 tool was used for the risk of bias assessment. Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.4.1. and RStudio software.

Results

A total of 14 studies including 1,236 participants were included. The primary outcome indicated that, compared with antiarrhythmic drugs alone (especially β receptor blockers), the combination of LZD and conventional antiarrhythmic drugs resulted in higher clinical effectiveness (RR = 1.29, 95% CI: [1.22,1.36]) and lower number of premature junctional beats in 24 h (MD = −71.14, 95% CI: [−76.23, −66.06]) at end-of-intervention. The differences in adverse reactions (RR = 0.42, 95%CI: [0.15, 1.14], p = 0.09) were not significant. The risk of bias was marginally high among the studies. Funnel plot and Harbord’s test (t = 1.63, p = 0.1346) indicated no existence of publication bias.

Conclusion

The current evidence shows that LZD can increase the effectiveness of conventional antiarrhythmic drugs for treating premature contraction in patients with coronary heart disease. However, the results should be interpreted with caution because of the high overall risk of bias. Future studies with appropriate randomization and double-blind methods are warranted to confirm these findings.

Systematic review registration

[https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=296628], identifier [CRD42022296628].
Orexin/hypocretin system dysfunction in patients with Takotsubo syndrome: A novel pathophysiological explanation
Authors: Knez Rajna , Niksic Milan , Omerovic Elmir
Published: November 2022

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is an acute heart failure syndrome. Emotional or physical stressors are believed to precipitate TTS, while the pathophysiological mechanism is not yet completely understood. During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, an increased incidence of TTS has been reported in some countries; however, the precise pathophysiological mechanism for developing TTS with acute COVID-19 infection is unknown. Nevertheless, observing the symptoms of COVID-19 might lead to new perspectives in understanding TTS pathophysiology, as some of the symptoms of the COVID-19 infection could be assessed in the context of an orexin/hypocretin-system dysfunction. Orexin/hypocretin is a cardiorespiratory neuromodulator that acts on two orexin receptors widely distributed in the brain and peripheral tissues. In COVID-19 patients, autoantibodies against one of these orexin receptors have been reported. Orexin-system dysfunction affects a variety of systems in an organism. Here, we review the influence of orexin-system dysfunction on the cardiovascular system to propose its connection with TTS. We propose that orexin-system dysfunction is a potential novel explanation for the pathophysiology of TTS due to direct or indirect dynamics of orexin signaling, which could influence cardiac contractility. This is in line with the conceptualization of TTS as a cardiovascular syndrome rather than merely a cardiac abnormality or cardiomyopathy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first publication to present a plausible connection between TTS and orexin-system dysfunction. We hope that this novel hypothesis will inspire comprehensive studies regarding orexin's role in TTS pathophysiology. Furthermore, confirmation of this plausible pathophysiological mechanism could contribute to the development of orexin-based therapeutics in the treatment and prevention of TTS.
Optimization of intra-operative electrophysiological localization of the ligament of Marshall
Authors: Langmuur Sanne J. J. , Taverne Yannick J. H. J. , van Schie Mathijs S. , Bogers Ad J. J. C. , de Groot Natasja M. S.
Published: November 2022

Background

The ligament of Marshall (LOM) may play a role in the pathophysiology of several tachyarrhythmias and accurate electrophysiological localization of this structure is crucial for effective ablation therapy. This study therefore quantifies electrophysiological properties of the LOM, and identifies which electrogram (EGM) recording (uni- or bipolar) and processing technologies [local activation time (LAT) and/or voltage mapping] are most suitable for accurate localization of the LOM.

Methods

The LOM was electrophysiologically identified in 19 patients (mean age 66 ± 14 years; 12 male) undergoing elective cardiac surgery using intra-operative high-density epicardial mapping, to quantify and visualize EGM features during sinus rhythm.

Results

Only a third of LOM potentials that were visualized using unipolar EGMs, were still visible in bipolar activation maps. Unipolar LOM potentials had lower voltages (P50: LOM: 1.51 (0.42–4.29) mV vs. left atrium (LA): 8.34 (1.50–17.91) mV, p < 0.001), less steep slopes (P50: LOM: –0.48 (–1.96 to –0.17) V/s vs. LA: –1.24 (–2.59 to –0.21) V/s, p < 0.001), and prolonged activation duration (LOM: 20 (7.5–30.5) ms vs. LA: 16.5 (6–28) ms, p = 0.008) compared to LA potentials. Likewise, bipolar LOM voltages were also smaller (P50: LOM: 1.54 (0.48–3.28) mV vs. LA: 3.12 (0.50–7.19) mV, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The LOM was most accurately localized in activation and voltage maps by using unipolar EGMs with annotation of primary deflections in case of single potentials and secondary deflections in case of double or fractionated potentials.
Multi-omics of in vitro aortic valve calcification
Authors: Semenova Daria , Zabirnyk Arsenii , Lobov Arseniy , Boyarskaya Nadezda , Kachanova Olga , Uspensky Vladimir , Zainullina Bozhana , Denisov Evgeny , Gerashchenko Tatiana , Kvitting John-Peder Escobar , Kaljusto Mari-Liis , Thiede Bernd , Kostareva Anna , Stensløkken Kåre-Olav , Vaage Jarle , Malashicheva Anna
Published: November 2022

Heart valve calcification is an active cellular and molecular process that partly remains unknown. Osteogenic differentiation of valve interstitial cells (VIC) is a central mechanism in calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD). Studying mechanisms in CAVD progression is clearly needed. In this study, we compared molecular mechanisms of osteogenic differentiation of human VIC isolated from healthy donors or patients with CAVD by RNA-seq transcriptomics in early timepoint (48 h) and by shotgun proteomics at later timepoint (10th day). Bioinformatic analysis revealed genes and pathways involved in the regulation of VIC osteogenic differentiation. We found a high amount of stage-specific differentially expressed genes and good accordance between transcriptomic and proteomic data. Functional annotation of differentially expressed proteins revealed that osteogenic differentiation of VIC involved many signaling cascades such as: PI3K-Akt, MAPK, Ras, TNF signaling pathways. Wnt, FoxO, and HIF-1 signaling pathways were modulated only at the early timepoint and thus probably involved in the commitment of VIC to osteogenic differentiation. We also observed a significant shift of some metabolic pathways in the early stage of VIC osteogenic differentiation. Lentiviral overexpression of one of the most upregulated genes (ZBTB16, PLZF) increased calcification of VIC after osteogenic stimulation. Analysis with qPCR and shotgun proteomics suggested a proosteogenic role of ZBTB16 in the early stages of osteogenic differentiation.
Oral anticoagulant therapy for patients with new-onset atrial fibrillation following acute myocardial infarction: A narrative review
Authors: Yu Shenglong , Li Chenxi , Guo Huizhuang
Published: November 2022

Background

To evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of anticoagulant therapy and provide a piece of information on anti-thrombotic treatment strategies for patients with new-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Methods

Literature from PubMed and Google scholar were screened until August 2022. Studies assessing oral anticoagulant (OAC) treatments for NOAF in patients with AMI were evaluated for inclusion.

Results

Three retrospective cohort studies were included. In the study performed by Madsen et al., patients with previously diagnosed AMI with or without NOAF were followed up for 5.8 years. About 38% of NOAF patients with anticoagulant therapies, which could reduce long-term mortality [adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 0.69; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.47–1.00]. Hofer et al. performed a single-center cohort study containing 1,372 patients with AMI with an 8.6-year follow-up period. Dual anti-thrombotic therapy (DAT) did not show the effect on the survival in NOAF (adjusted HR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.65–1.57), while triple antithrombotic therapy (TAT) could reduce long-term cardiovascular mortality (adjusted HR: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.45–0.92). Petersen et al. also did a cohort study with 1-year follow-up duration. It showed that anticoagulant therapies demonstrated positive results (HR: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.41–1.47).

Conclusion

Recent studies have shown that anticoagulant therapy in AMI-NOAF patients can obviously reduce the mortality of AMI-NOAF patients, especially OAC therapy. Further clinical trials could confirm these findings.
Case report: Stereotactic body radiation therapy with 12 Gy for silencing refractory ventricular tachycardia
Authors: Huang Shan-Hui , Wu Yen-Wen , Shueng Pei-Wei , Wang Shan-Ying , Tsai Meng-Chieh , Liu Yuan-Hung , Chuang Wen-Po , Lin Heng-Hsu , Tien Hui-Ju , Yeh Hsin-Pei , Hsieh Chen-Hsi
Published: November 2022

Background

Encouraging results have been reported for the treatment of ventricular tachycardia (VT) with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) with 25 Gy. SBRT with 12 Gy for refractory VT was designed to reduce long-term cardiac toxicity.

Methods

Stereotactic body radiation therapy-VT simulation, planning, and treatment were performed using standard techniques. A patient was treated with a marginal dose of 12 Gy in a single fraction to the planning target volume (PTV). The goal was for at least ≥ 95% of the PTV to be covered by at least 95% of 12 Gy radiation.

Results

From April 2021 through June 2022, a patient with refractory VT underwent treatment. The volume for PTV was 65.8 cm3. The mean radiation dose administered to the heart (the heart volume excluding the PTV) was 2.2 Gy. No acute or late toxicity was observed after SBRT. Six months after SBRT, the patient experienced new monomorphic right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) VT. Interestingly, the substrate of the left ventricular basal to middle posteroseptal wall before SBRT was turned into scar zones with a local voltage < 0.5 mV. Catheter ablation to treat RVOT VT was performed, and the situation remains stable to date.

Conclusion

This study reports the first patient with refractory VT successfully treated with 12.0 Gy SBRT, suggesting that 12 Gy is a potential dose to treat refractory VT. Further investigations and enrollment of more patients are warranted to assess the long-term efficacy and side effects of this treatment.
Dynamic transfer learning with progressive meta-task scheduler
Authors: Wu Jun , He Jingrui
Published: November 2022

Dynamic transfer learning refers to the knowledge transfer from a static source task with adequate label information to a dynamic target task with little or no label information. However, most existing theoretical studies and practical algorithms of dynamic transfer learning assume that the target task is continuously evolving over time. This strong assumption is often violated in real world applications, e.g., the target distribution is suddenly changing at some time stamp. To solve this problem, in this paper, we propose a novel meta-learning framework L2S based on a progressive meta-task scheduler for dynamic transfer learning. The crucial idea of L2S is to incrementally learn to schedule the meta-pairs of tasks and then learn the optimal model initialization from those meta-pairs of tasks for fast adaptation to the newest target task. The effectiveness of our L2S framework is verified both theoretically and empirically.
Knowledge in digital environments: A systematic review of literature
Authors: Platonova Raisa I. , Khuziakhmetov Anvar N. , Prokopyev Alexey I. , Rastorgueva Natalia E. , Rushina Marina A. , Chistyakov Alexey A.
Published: November 2022

There are several meanings of the term “knowledge” that match to the diverse study areas. A knowledge creation, sharing, dissemination, and presentation environment is required. Digital platforms and technology lead to the development of innovative methods of teaching and learning in a digital environment. It is of intellectual and academic interest to determine if knowledge processes change in digital contexts, which provide more options than conventional environments such as books and newspapers. The study is built on an exhaustive examination of prior studies on knowledge in digital contexts. The databases ERIC and Scopus served as the search grounds for the keyword-based inquiry. The collected documents were evaluated to determine whether or not they contributed to the investigation's objective. The cornerstone of our inquiry was a careful review of the remaining 14 studies. For quantitative investigations, the experimental design was the most desired approach, but the case study method was the most preferred method for qualitative research. The objectives of the research employ the terms “knowledge” and “digital environments” either directly or implicitly. Studies were designated as “creating” “creating with cooperation” “acquiring” “presenting” and “sharing” In the research, data was coded in accordance with the responsibilities assigned in digital worlds. In the study, 10 distinct theories and models were referenced. These models and hypotheses are categorized based such as creating, acquiring, designing, and using their interaction with data. In the investigations, the existence of traditional knowledge creation and application has been investigated. In addition, the process's distinction owing to the capabilities of digital environments has been investigated.