bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acute Ischemic Stroke in Patients With Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformations: Paradoxical Embolism or Epiphenomenon?
Authors: Das Ankita , Greisman Jacob D. , Vazquez Sima , Feldstein Eric , Spirollari Eris , Lui Aiden , Yang Katie , Dominguez Jose F. , Epelbaum Oleg , Harris Kassem , Patel Neisha , Chong Ji , Mayer Stephan , Gandhi Chirag , Al‐Mufti Fawaz
Published: November 2022

Background

Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVM) are pathological connections between arterial and venous circulations in the lung. The anomalous channel provides a conduit for emboli of venous origin to migrate paradoxically. With access to systemic circulation, thromboembolic processes such as deep vein thrombosis may increase the risk of cerebrovascular accidents such as acute ischemic strokes (AIS). This retrospective cross‐sectional study aims to characterize the contribution of PAVMs to the development of AIS in the setting of thromboembolic processes.

Methods

The 2010 to 2019 National Inpatient Sample was queried for patients with PAVM and AIS usingInternational Classification of Diseases, Ninth/Tenth Revision(ICD‐9;ICD‐10) codes. Baseline demographics and outcomes of interest, including complications and hospitalization metrics, were retrospectively analyzed.

Results

Of 7 465 187 patients treated for an AIS, 1 864 (0.02%) were found to have a concomitant PAVM. Multivariate regression found patients with AIS‐PAVM were more likely to be aged <65 years and less likely to have traditional stroke risk factors such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, or smoking. Furthermore, in propensity‐matched analysis, patients with AIS‐PAVM were more likely to experience thrombosis‐related pathologies and vascular complications. Patients with AIS‐PAVM were also more likely to receive a mechanical thrombectomy or intravenous thrombolysis, yet the mortality between those with PAVMs and those without did not differ significantly. Still, patients with AIS‐PAVM incurred significantly prolonged stays in the hospital and increased total charges.

Conclusion

Given the relative rarity of PAVMs, a high index of suspicion, especially in the setting of deep vein thrombosis, is necessary to identify this condition in a timely manner when evaluating cryptogenic AIS. Abnormal right‐to‐left shunting through pulmonary vasculature may serve as a conduit for the translation of a deep vein thrombosis paradoxically into a distal occlusion of cerebral arteries. Our findings substantiate that AIS may follow a vastly different disease process in patients with PAVM.
An Experimental Comparison of the Availability of Inverse Scope in English and German
Authors: Philipp Mareike , Zimmermann Malte
Published: November 2022

We present two offline experiments on the interpretation in German and English of doubly quantified sentences with an existential subject and a universal object, which have been reported to allow for inverse readings only in English. We show for this specific syntactic configuration that there is no categorical crosslinguistic difference, but only a gradual one, with English more readily allowing for inverse scope than German. These results support a crosslinguistically unified analysis of inverse scope on which gradual differences between languages follow from language-specific properties and exposure effects. Moreover, they suggest that relative clauses with indefinite head NPs allow for inverse readings, thereby challenging the status of these clauses as scope islands (May 1977, Huang 1995), while according with introspective claims in semantic accounts (Barker 2012, 2019). Finally, our results suggest a high between-speaker variability and a strong impact of pragmatics.
Confluence and Implications of Cats, Coyotes, and Other Mesopredators at a Feral Cat Feeding Station
Authors: Mitchell Numi C. , Strohbach Michael W. , Sorlien Mariel N. , Marshall Scott N.
Published: November 2022

Trap-neuter-return (TNR) is promoted as a “humane” alternative to lethal methods for population control of feral domestic cats (Felis catus). This paper explores feedbacks between feral domestic cats, coyotes (Canis latrans), raccoons (Procyon lotor), and skunks (Mephitis mephitis) at a TNR feral cat colony in Rhode Island, USA. A total of 12,272 photographs from a motion-activated camera were analyzed. Cat population size and visitation frequency of wildlife were estimated during three different feeding regimes. Abundant food on the ground was associated with increased wildlife visits, while elevated or limited food was associated with decreased wildlife visits. During the two-year study period, the population of cats dropped from 17 to 12 individuals and the cats appeared to have short life spans, which could have been due to predation by coyotes. Our results suggest that wildlife confluence and predation risks can be influenced by feeding regime.
Raising Thalictrum uncatum var. angustialatum (Ranunculaceae) from China to T. angustialatum as an independent species based on evidence from morphology, geographical distribution, cytology and molecular systematics
Authors: ZENG YOU-PAI , YUAN QIONG , YANG QIN-ER
Published: November 2022

Critical observations on living plants in the wild revealed remarkable differences in floral and achene characters between Thalictrum uncatum var. angustialatum (Ranunculaceae) and its type variety, T. uncatum var. uncatum, both from China. Their geographical distributions are basically independent, only slightly overlapping in western Sichuan and northwestern Yunnan. Moreover, T. uncatum var. angustialatum was found to be a tetraploid with the chromosome number of 2n = 4x = 28, whereas T. uncatum var. uncatum a diploid with 2n = 2x = 14. Furthermore, molecular phylogenetic analyses indicated that T. uncatum var. angustialatum was more closely related to T. sinomacrostigma, also a tetraploid, than to T. uncatum var. uncatum. Evidence from morphology, geographical distribution, cytology and molecular systematics, therefore, all indicates that T. uncatum var. angustialatum may better be raised to the specific rank as an independent species of its own, i.e. T. angustialatum. A full description is provided for T. angustialatum.
Evaluating the taxonomy of macrofossils used in macroevolution: a case study of Artemisia (Asteraceae)
Authors: JIAO BO-HAN , LU LI-LI , CHEN CHEN , WEI MENG , SHEN JIA-HAO , YUAN YUAN , WANG YU-FEI , GAO TIAN-GANG
Published: November 2022

Fossils recorded information of the past phenotype and geographic distribution directly. Incorporating fossils information into phylogenies of living taxa would deepen our understanding of their macroevolution. Accurate taxonomy of these fossils is the first step before employing them. However, the taxonomy of some fossils has not been evaluated carefully. Here we take Artemisia as an example. We investigated the morphology of all the available Artemisia macrofossils based on the latest phylogeny and evaluated their taxonomic identities by comparing them with extant representative species. Our result showed that the taxonomic identities of these macrofossils are doubted. They would better not be treated as members of Artemisia for subsequent phylogenetic or biogeographic studies. This study improves our knowledge of the morphology of Artemisia, highlights the importance of careful morphological comparisons between fossils and living taxa, and reveals that attention should be given to the uncertainty of the fossil taxonomy.
Seasonality of MJO Impacts on Precipitation Extremes over the Western United States
Authors: Wang Jiabao , DeFlorio Michael J. , Guan Bin , Castellano Christopher M.
Published: November 2022

The Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) is a unique type of organized tropical convection varying primarily on subseasonal time scales and is recognized as an important source of subseasonal predictability for midlatitude weather phenomena. This study provides observational evidence of MJO impacts on precipitation extreme intensity, frequency, and duration over the western United States. The results suggest a robust increase in precipitation extremes, especially in frequency, relative to climatological conditions over most of the western United States when the MJO is in its western Pacific phases during the extended boreal winter (October–March). Opposite changes are observed when the MJO is located over the Indian Ocean and Maritime Continent. The above MJO influence is characterized by strong seasonality, with the increase in extreme frequency mainly found in late autumn/early winter (OND) over California and a weaker or opposite response found in late winter (JFM). Also, MJO impacts have stronger regional consistency and persist for a longer time in OND compared to JFM. The seasonality of MJO impacts largely originates from the different amplitudes and patterns of both the MJO and basic states that are weaker and located/retreated more northwestward in OND than in JFM. This leads to different responses in MJO teleconnections including moisture transport and AR activity that contribute to the different precipitation extreme changes. The strong seasonality of the relationship between the MJO and western U.S. extreme precipitation shown in this study has implications to the source of subseasonal-to-seasonal predictions, which has a potential value to stakeholders including water resource managers.
Costs of Providing Preexposure Prophylaxis for HIV Prevention at Community Health Centers in the United States
Authors: Shrestha Ram K. , Davis Nicholas , Coleman Megan , Rusie Laura K. , Smith Dawn K.
Published: November 2022

Objective:

Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is recommended for people at risk of acquiring HIV. We assessed billable costs associated with PrEP delivery at community health centers.

Methods:

The Sustainable Health Center Implementation PrEP Pilot (SHIPP) study is an observational cohort of people receiving daily oral PrEP at participating federally qualified health centers and other community health centers. We assessed health care utilization and billable costs of providing PrEP at 2 health centers, 1 in Chicago, Illinois, and 1 in Washington, DC, from 2014 to 2018. The health centers followed the clinical practice guidelines for PrEP provision, including regular visits with health care providers and ongoing laboratory monitoring. Using clinic billing records and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) coding, we retrospectively extracted data on the frequency and costs (in 2017 US dollars) of PrEP clinic visits and laboratory screening, for each patient, for 12 months since first PrEP prescription.

Results:

The average annual number of PrEP clinic visits and associated laboratory screens per patient was 5.1 visits and 25.2 screens in Chicago (n = 482 patients) and 5.4 visits and 24.8 screens in Washington, DC (n = 56 patients). The average annual PrEP billable cost per patient was $583 for clinic visits and $1070 for laboratory screens in Chicago and $923 for clinic visits and $1018 for laboratory screens in Washington, DC. The average annual total cost per patient was $1653 (95% CI, $1639-$1668) in Chicago and $1941 (95% CI, $1811-$2071) in Washington, DC.

Conclusions:

Our analysis, which provides PrEP billable cost estimates based on empirical data, may help inform health care providers who are considering implementing this HIV prevention strategy.
How the Drafting of the Clayton Antitrust Act Helped Spread the Managerial Approach to Efficiency
Authors: Agulhon Sophie , Mueller Thomas Michael
Published: November 2022

Managerial sciences are generally considered to be the art of efficiently running business. Their influence, though, extends far beyond the corporate sphere, and they play an important part in public administration and in particular in its dialog with society at large. Here, from the viewpoint of historical institutionalism, we document one of the earliest successful examples of the wider application of management science: the 1914 antitrust rules (the Clayton Antitrust and Federal Trade Commission Acts) from the perspectives of economic scholars as technical experts, the early years of the Wilson administration, and the spheres of business and society. The societal debate about business and efficiency and the successive implementation of scientific managerial ideas in the administrative sphere, saw management science permeate the whole of American society and become an almost irrefutable aspect of everyday life and representations, thereby enabling it to spread well beyond the boundaries of the firm.
Nasopharyngeal Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma Synchronized With Nasopharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report and Review of Literature
Authors: Lin Yu-Wen , Ting Ching-Heng , Chen Tung-Ying , Leu Yi-Shing
Published: November 2022

Neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) are poorly differentiated neuroendocrine tumors of the upper respiratory tract. We present an extremely rare case of nasopharyngeal large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) synchronized with nasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Both SCC and LCNEC are associated with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection, supported by the positive result of Epstein–Barr encoding region in-situ hybridization. Strong correlation is found between EBV infection and nasopharyngeal malignancies. Furthermore, the EBV status might be a crucial prognostic factor in nasopharyngeal LCNEC. EBV-positive LCNEC is effective to chemoradiotherapy, and may have preferable outcome than EBV-negative LCNEC arising in the nasopharynx or other sites. The recognition of the EBV status is important for patients to receive appropriate treatment.
Cost-effectiveness of poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-inhibitors for the maintenance treatment after responding to first- and second-line chemotherapy in advanced ovarian cancer
Authors: Giuliani Jacopo , Mantoan Beatrice , Ferrario Lucrezia , Candela Maria Viviana , Aprile Giuseppe
Published: November 2022

The introduction of inhibitors of poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) for the treatment of women with epithelial ovarian cancers (EOC) has radically changed the treatment in maintenance setting after responding to first- and second-line chemotherapy. The aim of this paper was to assess the pharmacological costs of PARP inhibitors (olaparib, niraparib, rucaparib and veliparib) in maintenance treatment after responding to first-line chemotherapy in EOC. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated as the ratio between the difference of the costs in the intervention and in the control groups (pharmacy costs) and the difference between the effect in the intervention and in the control groups (progression-free survival (PFS)). We have considered the pivotal phase III randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Three different populations were considered: the overall population, patients with germline BRCA mutation (gBRCA) and homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) patients non-gBRCA mutation. Three thousand four hundred and twenty patients and 1209 patients were considered in maintenance treatment after responding to first- and second-line chemotherapy in EOC, respectively. At the actual price, the treatment with PARP inhibitors is not cost-effective in maintenance treatment after responding to first-line and second-line chemotherapy in EOC. A reduction in pharmacological costs is mandatory.
Comparison of Community and Expert Samples in the Perceived Risk of Individuals Who Have Sexually Offended
Authors: Calobrisi Emily A. , Knight Raymond A.
Published: November 2022

Public and clinician attitudes are important to consider when studying the reentry of individuals who sexually offend. Uninformed public attitudes drive the continued use of ineffective policies like registries and residential restrictions in the United States, and experts must assess risk to decide what level of supervision and control to recommend upon release from prison. This study investigated whether actuarial feedback could change participant attitudes about recidivism risk and disposition. Association for the Treatment and Prevention of Sexual Abuse (ATSA) members and a sample from MTurk completed a survey using vignettes to assess recidivism risk and dispositional outcomes of individuals who had sexually offended and varied in their risk to reoffend. They received feedback about the individuals' Static-99R risk levels and adjusted their initial ratings. ATSA members were less punitive than MTurk participants, initially predicted risk that was more consistent with actuarial data, and adjusted when incorrect. MTurk participants held more negative attitudes towards individuals who sexually offend, as measured by the ATS-21. They adjusted their risk ratings more than ATSA members, though their estimates were still higher than the ATSA members after feedback. Implications for US public policy, including the recommendation to use actuarials across the country, are discussed.
The effect of thickness on the transverse shear strength of nomex honeycomb cores
Authors: Battley Mark A , Stone Samuel J , Allen Tom D
Published: November 2022

Honeycomb materials are commonly used as cores for sandwich panels. While empirical evidence exists showing that the transverse shear strength of a honeycomb core is affected by its thickness, the accuracy of empirical guidelines and the reasons for the changes in strength are not well understood. Four-point flexural testing of sandwich beams and a detailed cellular finite element model are used to investigate transverse shear failure of Nomex™ honeycomb core material. Transverse shear strengths at varying core thicknesses were compared to manufacturer specifications and used to determine normalised strength correction factors for thickness. These factors correlated well with trends shown in previous literature, where core shear strength decreases with increasing core thickness. The failure mode investigation showed a transition between modes as core thickness increased. The thinner cores experience shear fracturing of individual cell walls followed by local cell wall buckling, intermediate thickness cores initially failed by cell wall local buckling, then fractured and larger thickness cores appeared to fail by overall cell column buckling.
Solar radiation effects on unsteady bio convectional flow of viscoelastic nanofluid confined by a wedge
Authors: Naqvi Syed Muhammad Raza Shah , Farooq Umar , Waqas Hassan , Muhammad Taseer , Abid Muhammad
Published: November 2022

Nanofluid suspension comprises a chip-sized rigid particle trapped in the convection fluid. These forms of fluids are known as nanofluids. Nanofluid is more user-friendly in engineering including fuel cells, cooling systems, and a wide range of applications of technologies to improve. The idea of this work is to analyze the Bio convectional stream characteristics and Solutal boundary characteristics of nanofluid flow via a wedge. Furthermore, the consequences of motile bacteria and heat conductivity are considered. When the boundary layer is estimated, the governing equations will be seen. Coupled PDEs are reduced into nonlinear ODEs using the required similarity vector, and the resultant structures are shown using the MATLAB computational tool bvp4c firing (Labotto IIIA formula). The implications of fluid velocity, temperature area, nanoparticles concentration, and microorganism concentration on the induced parameters are shown in graphical and numerical values. The velocity field is booming up for higher fluid parameter values and depressed for larger buoyancy ratio parameter estimations. For increasing levels of both the thermal conductivity parameter and the thermal Biot number, the temperature field rises. The microorganism’s field has dropped for Peclet number values and increased for Microorganisms Biot number values. The concentration field is lowered for the Lewis number while it is increased for the concentration Biot number. The current implications are novel and original for the investigation of flow and heat transfer over a wedge in a viscoelastic nanofluid with thermal conductivity, motile microorganisms, and bioconvection.
Objective and self-perceived lower limb weakness in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Alonso-Juarez Marlene , Fekete Robert , Baizabal-Carvallo José Fidel
Published: November 2022

Background:

Lower limb weakness is a long-recognized symptom in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), described by James Parkinson in his seminal report on ‘paralysis agitans’. However, little is known on the frequency, clinical correlations, and association with objective decrease in muscle strength in such patients.

Objective:

The objective of this study was to assess the frequency of objective and perceived lower limb weakness in patients with PD.

Methods:

We studied 90 consecutive patients with PD and 52 age-matched controls. We recorded clinical and demographic variables, as well as perceived weakness and allied abnormal lower limb sensations, including ‘heavy legs’, ‘fatigued legs’, and ‘pain’. Symptoms consistent with restless legs syndrome were not considered. Lower limb strength was determined in both legs by means of the Medical Research Council scale, dynamometric (leg flexion) and weighting machine (leg pressure) measures.

Results:

Weakness and allied abnormal lower limb sensations were reported in 69% of patients with PD and 21% of healthy controls. Patients with PD had decreased leg pressure compared with healthy controls ( p = 0.002). Among patients with PD, an association between perceived leg weakness (and allied sensations) and gait freezing ( p = 0.001) was observed in the multivariate regression analysis; however, these variables only explained 30.4% of the variance. Moreover, PD patients with and without abnormal lower limb sensations had similar muscle strength by objective measurements.

Conclusion:

Perceived lower limb weakness and allied abnormal sensations are common in patients with PD. However, there is a dissociation between perceived weakness and objective muscle strength in the lower limbs. These abnormal sensations were mostly related to gait freezing but a causal association is questionable.
“Best Employers”: The Impacts of Employee Reviews and Employer Awards on Job Seekers’ Application Intentions
Authors: Zhang Yunxuan (Carrie) , Shum Cass , Belarmino Amanda
Published: November 2022

While hospitality researchers have examined the impacts of user-generated content on customers, research regarding the impacts of employee reviews on job seekers’ application intentions is scarce. Yet, labor shortages in the hospitality industry have been amplified in recent years. The tight job market requires organizations to use aggressive and proactive recruitment strategies. As online employee reviews can attract both active and passive job seekers, organizations are increasingly advertising their jobs on these sites. This study draws on the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) and tests the boundary condition of work experience on the effects of overall star-ratings and employer awards on job seekers’ application intention. Through an experimental survey, this study sought to fill the gap regarding the impacts of employee-generated star-ratings and employer awards on job seekers’ application intentions. Both star-ratings and employer awards are positively related to organizational prestige. Hospitality work experience moderates the relationship between star-ratings and organizational prestige. The relationship is stronger for novice job seekers than for experienced job seekers. Organizational prestige, in turn, increases job seekers’ application intentions. Our findings extend the recruitment literature and highlight the potential usage of ELM as an explorative framework in hospitality recruitment research. The study also provides suggestions for hospitality employers to attract job seekers.
Transnational organized crime and COVID: A book review essay
Authors: Jones Nathan P
Published: November 2022

COVID-19, Gangs, and Conflict. Edited by John P. Sullivan and Robert J. Bunker. A Small Wars Journal–El Centro Reader. Bloomington: Xlibris. 2020. Photos. Endnotes. Contributor biographies. Prologue. Foreword. Postscript. Afterword. Selected References. pp. 153. Paperback $12.17. Kindle $3.99. Criminal Contagion: How Mafias, Gangsters and Scammers Profit from a Pandemic. By Tuesday Reitano and Mark Shaw. London: Hurst and Company, 2021. ISBN 9781787384460. Notes. Index. pp. 320. Hardcover $26.95.
Natural killer T cells and other innate-like T lymphocytes as emerging platforms for allogeneic cancer cell therapy
Authors: Courtney Amy N. , Tian Gengwen , Metelitsa Leonid S.
Published: November 2022

T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) have achieved major clinical success in patients with hematologic malignancies. However, these treatments remain largely ineffective for solid cancers and require significant time and resources to be manufactured in an autologous setting. Developing alternative immune effector cells as cancer immunotherapy agents that can be employed in allogeneic settings is crucial for the advancement of cell therapy. Unlike T cells, Vα24-invariant natural killer T cells (NKTs) are not alloreactive and can therefore be generated from allogeneic donors for rapid infusion into numerous patients without the risk of graft-versus-host disease. Additionally, NKT cells demonstrate inherent advantages over T-cell products, including the ability to traffic to tumor tissues, target tumor-associated macrophages, transactivate NK cells, and cross-prime tumor-specific CD8 T cells. Both unmodified NKTs, which specifically recognize CD1d-bound glycolipid antigens expressed by certain types of tumors, and CAR-redirected NKTs are being developed as the next generation of allogeneic cell therapy products. In this review, we describe studies on the biology of NKTs and other types of innate-like T cells and summarize the clinical experiences of unmodified and CAR-redirected NKTs, including recent interim reports on allogeneic NKTs.
Informing about the invisible: communicating en route air pollution and noise exposure to cyclists and pedestrians using focus groups
Authors: Marquart Heike
Published: November 2022

Active mobility and public transport are considered beneficial for health and wellbeing and valuable for climate change mitigation. However, cyclists and pedestrians have high air pollution and noise exposure alongside traffic, which adversely impact health and wellbeing. The measured exposure can differ from the perceived exposure, hence, communicating en route exposure is crucial. Therefore, this study investigates how to communicate route-based exposure to cyclists and pedestrians and explores if exposure communication, e.g. via smartphones, is worthwhile for healthy and pleasant commute. It is investigated how exposure feedback influences the motivation to protect oneself and how exposure information should be designed. Three focus groups with 20 cyclists/pedestrians living in Berlin, Germany, were conducted. Based on Protection Motivation Theory and Environmental Health Literacy concept, (1) experiences and practices after recognizing exposure were discussed and (2) information needs and communication strategies were developed. The results reveal a feeling of helplessness regarding the ubiquity and uncertainty of pollution and a heightened threat appraisal. Anger, anxiety and rejection were stated. Making sense of pollution levels and protective alternatives were central. A healthy routing app, including also pleasant route factors, was desired. However, information provision was also denied. Participants argued the responsibility should not be left to the commuters and planning for exposed road users would be crucial. Information provision may not be worthwhile if planning authorities do not provide healthy alternatives. People-centered approaches for tackling air pollution and noise exposure en route should be investigated further.
Phylogenetic analysis and stress response of the plant U2 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein B″ gene family
Authors: Gao Cong , Lu Shuai , Zhou Rong , Ding Junjie , Fan Jialiang , Han Binying , Chen Moxian , Wang Baohua , Cao Yunying
Published: November 2022

Background

Alternative splicing (AS) is an important channel for gene expression regulation and protein diversification, in addition to a major reason for the considerable differences in the number of genes and proteins in eukaryotes. In plants, U2 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein B″ (U2B″), a component of splicing complex U2 snRNP, plays an important role in AS. Currently, few studies have investigated plant U2B″, and its mechanism remains unclear.

Result

Phylogenetic analysis, including gene and protein structures, revealed that U2B″ is highly conserved in plants and typically contains two RNA recognition motifs. Subcellular localisation showed that OsU2B″ is located in the nucleus and cytoplasm, indicating that it has broad functions throughout the cell. Elemental analysis of the promoter region showed that it responded to numerous external stimuli, including hormones, stress, and light. Subsequent qPCR experiments examining response to stress (cold, salt, drought, and heavy metal cadmium) corroborated the findings. The prediction results of protein–protein interactions showed that its function is largely through a single pathway, mainly through interaction with snRNP proteins.

Conclusion

U2B″ is highly conserved in the plant kingdom, functions in the nucleus and cytoplasm, and participates in a wide range of processes in plant growth and development.
Comparative genomics to examine the endophytic potential of Pantoea agglomerans DAPP-PG 734
Authors: Sulja Arburon , Pothier Joël F. , Blom Jochen , Moretti Chiaraluce , Buonaurio Roberto , Rezzonico Fabio , Smits Theo H. M.
Published: November 2022

Pantoea agglomeransDAPP-PG 734 was isolated as endophyte from knots (tumors) caused byPseudomonas savastanoipv. savastanoi DAPP-PG 722 in olive trees. To understand the plant pathogen-endophyte interaction on a genomic level, the whole genome ofP. agglomeransDAPP-PG 734 was sequenced and annotated. The complete genome had a total size of 5′396′424 bp, containing one circular chromosome and four large circular plasmids. The aim of this study was to identify genomic features that could play a potential role in the interaction betweenP. agglomeransDAPP-PG 734 andP. savastanoipv. savastanoi DAPP-PG 722. For this purpose, a comparative genomic analysis between the genome ofP. agglomeransDAPP-PG 734 and those of relatedPantoeaspp. was carried out. InP. agglomeransDAPP-PG 734, gene clusters for the synthesis of the Hrp-1 type III secretion system (T3SS), type VI secretion systems (T6SS) and autoinducer, which could play an important role in a plant-pathogenic community enhancing knot formation in olive trees, were identified. Additional gene clusters for the biosynthesis of two different antibiotics, namely dapdiamide E and antibiotic B025670, which were found in regions between integrative conjugative elements (ICE), were observed. The in-depth analysis of the whole genome suggested a characterization of theP. agglomeransDAPP-PG 734 isolate as endophytic bacterium with biocontrol activity rather than as a plant pathogen.
Correlation between galectin-3, RDW, Hepc, HS and ferritin and prognosis of patients with acute onset of chronic heart failure
Authors: Yao Lingling , Tan Yanjie , Chen Fei
Published: November 2022

Background

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is characterized by a high hospitalization rate and a high mortality rate. It is particularly important to identify biomarkers for predicting the prognosis of patients with acute attack of CHF.

Purpose

To observe the correlation between galectin-3, RDW, Hepc, HS and ferritin and the prognosis of patients with acute onset of CHF.

Methods

The study included 92 patients with acute onset of CHF who received treatment at our hospital between August 2020 and December 2021. After treatment, the patients were divided into the effective group and the non-effective group based on the effectiveness of treatment. The levels of galectin-3, RDW, Hepc, HS and ferritin before and after treatment were compared between the two groups and the correlation between prognosis of patients with acute attack of CHF and galectin-3, RDW, Hepc, HS and ferritin was observed.

Results

The effective rate was 71.74% (66/92) and the ineffective rate was 28.26% (26/92) in the 92 patients with acute attack of CHF in the study. Before and after treatment, the levels of galectin-3, RDW, Hepc, and HS were lower in the effective group than those of the non-effective group while the level of ferritin was higher in the effective group than that of the non-effective group (P < 0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that the level of prognosis of patients with acute attack of CHF was positively correlated with galectin-3, RDW, Hepc, and HS (r = 0.217, 0.109, 0.376, 0.765, P = 0.026, 0.032, 0.021, 0.006), and negatively correlated with ferritin (r = − 0.127, P = 0.037). The independent variables were galectin-3, RDW, Hepc, HS and ferritin and the dependent variable was prognosis of patients with acute attack of CHF. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that alectin-3, RDW, Hepc, HS, and ferritin were protective factors for the prognosis of patients with acute attack of CHF. The independent variables were galectin-3, RDW, Hepc, HS and ferritin, dependent variables and the dependent variable was prognosis of patients with acute attack of CHF. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that galectin-3, RDW, and Hepc were risk factors of the prognosis of patients with acute attack of CHF.

Conclusion

Galectin-3, RDW, Hepc, HS and ferritin were closely related with the prognosis of patients with acute attack of CHF and galectin-3, RDW, and Hepc were risk factors of the prognosis of patients with acute attack of CHF.
Association between changes in depressive symptoms and hip fracture among middle-aged and older Chinese individuals: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Lian Zhiwei , Zhu Chunsu , Yuan Haowen , Wang Jianmin
Published: November 2022

Background

Although studies have shown that depressive symptoms are associated with an increased risk of hip fracture (HF). Depressive symptoms are dynamic, and it is unclear whether HF risk persists if depressive symptoms remit. This study aims to examine the associations between changes in depressive symptoms and HF risk.

Methods

Data were from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study from 2011 to 2018. Depressive symptoms were measured using the 10-item version of the Center for Epidemiological Studied Depression scale (cutoff ≥ 10). Changes in depressive symptoms were classified into four groups by two successive surveys (stable low/no, recent-onset, recently remitted, and stable high depressive symptoms). Multivariable logistic regressions were performed to assess whether changes in depressive symptoms were associated with HF incidents reported through 2018, adjusting for age, sex, educational level, marital status and other potential confounding factors.

Results

In total, 8574 participants were included, 265 (3.1%) of whom had reported HF incidents in the subsequent 5-year period. Participants with recent-onset (OR = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.40–2.77) or stable high (OR = 2.15, 95% CI = 1.53–3.02) symptoms had a higher risk of HF than those with stable low/no depressive symptoms, whereas those with improved depressive symptoms (OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 0.89–1.82) had no elevation in HF risk.

Conclusion

Stable high and recent-onset depressive symptoms were associated with increased HF risk, and no elevated HF risk was observed if symptoms remitted, suggesting that strategies to reduce depressive symptoms may be beneficial for HF prevention.
Description and comparison of postoperative functioning of patients with hip fracture 2018 and 2008 at the Örebro University Hospital - a comparative cross-sectional study
Authors: Hammer Amanda , Ljungberg Katarina , Bohman Tony , Andersson Åsa G
Published: November 2022

Background

Hip fractures are a global problem, and it will probably increase. Hip fractures impair health aspects which creates demands on postoperative care. This study describes and compares patients with hip fracture in 2008 and in 2018. An increased knowledge of this group could be a basis how to optimize aftercare and dimension rehabilitation.

Methods

Using a comparative cross-sectional study to describe and compare patients with hip fracture from 2018 and 2008 at Örebro University Hospital regarding age, sex, multimorbidity, fracture type, surgical materials, surgery within 24 hours, length of stay, postoperative walking ability, physical activity level and hand grip strength. Data was collected from 76 patients with hip fracture from 2018 and 78 patients from 2008. Outcome measures considering functioning were walking ability (Functional Ambulation Categories), physical activity level (Classification system of physical activity) and hand grip strength (Jamar hand dynamometer). Statistical analyses used were hypothesis tests and regressions analysis.

Results

No differences in age, sex, fracture type, proportion of surgery within 24 hours or length of stay between the cohorts. The cohort 2018 had more multimorbidity in number of diagnoses and ASA-classification preoperatively. In 2018 70% of the participants were dependent in walking ability (physical human support) compared to 43% 2008 (p = 0.007). Proportion of physically inactive was 9% in 2018 compared to 21% 2008 (p = 0.047). Hand grip strength was 5.1 kg better in 2018 (p = 0.011). Adjusted for age, sex, ASA-classification (American Society of Anaesthesiologists Classification System), surgical materials and number of days between surgery and testing the cohort of 2018 had a lower odds to have independent walking ability and higher odds to be physical active. Differences in hand grip strength decreased to 4.7 kg. Participants in 2018 suffered significantly more multimorbidity.

Conclusions

Study indicated differences in patients’ postoperative functioning between 2018 and 2008 with more impaired walking ability, more multimorbidity, higher proportion of physically active and better hand grip strength 2018. The results are important for future reasoning regarding care needs of patients with hip fracture.
Preparation, characterization, and in-vitro cytotoxicity of nanoliposomes loaded with anti-tubercular drugs and TGF-β1 siRNA for improving spinal tuberculosis therapy
Authors: Yang Zongqiang , Lou Caili , Wang Xuewei , Wang Chaoran , Shi Zhiyun , Niu Ningkui
Published: November 2022

Background

Tuberculosis (TB) represents a bacterial infection affecting many individuals each year and potentially leading to death. Overexpression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 has a primary immunomodulatory function in human tuberculosis. This work aimed to develop nanoliposomes to facilitate the delivery of anti-tubercular products to THP-1-derived human macrophages as Mycobacterium host cells and to evaluate drug efficiencies as well as the effects of a TGF-β1-specific short interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery system employing nanoliposomes.

Methods

In the current study, siTGF-β1 nanoliposomes loaded with the anti-TB drugs HRZ (isoniazid, rifampicin, and pyrazinamide) were prepared and characterized in vitro, determining the size, zeta potential, morphology, drug encapsulation efficiency (EE), cytotoxicity, and gene silencing efficiency of TGF-β1 siRNA.

Results

HRZ/siTGF-β1 nanoliposomes appeared as smooth spheres showing the size and positive zeta potential of 168.135 ± 0.5444 nm and + 4.03 ± 1.32 mV, respectively. Drug EEs were 90%, 88%, and 37% for INH, RIF, and PZA, respectively. Meanwhile, the nanoliposomes were weakly cytotoxic towards human macrophages as assessed by the MTT assay. Nanoliposomal siTGF-β1 could significantly downregulate TGF-β1 in THP-1-derived human macrophages in vitro.

Conclusion

These findings suggested that HRZ-loaded nanoliposomes with siTGF-β1 have the potential for improving spinal tuberculosis chemotherapy via nano-encapsulation of anti-TB drugs.
Development and testing of a new application for measuring motion at the cervical spine
Authors: Fujita Koji , Matsuo Kana , Koyama Takafumi , Utagawa Kurando , Morishita Shingo , Sugiura Yuta
Published: November 2022

Background

Cervical myelopathy is a progressive disease, and early detection and treatment contribute to prognosis. Evaluation of cervical intervertebral instability by simple X-ray is used in clinical setting and the information about instability is important to understand the cause of myelopathy, but evaluation of the intervertebral instability by X-ray is complicated. To reduce the burden of clinicians, a system that automatically measures the range of motion was developed by comparing the flexed and extended positions in the lateral view of a simple X-ray of the cervical spine. The accuracy of the system was verified by comparison with spine surgeons and residents to determine whether the system could withstand actual use.

Methods

An algorithm was created to recognize the four corners of the vertebral bodies in a lateral cervical spine X-ray image, and a system was constructed to automatically measure the range of motion between each vertebra by comparing X-ray images of the cervical spine in extension and flexion. Two experienced spine surgeons and two residents performed the study on the remaining 23 cases. Cervical spine range of motion was measured manually on X-ray images and compared with automatic measurement by this system.

Results

Of a total of 322 cervical vertebrae in 46 images, 313 (97%) were successfully estimated by our learning model. The mean intersection over union value for all the 46-test data was 0.85. The results of measuring the CRoM angle with the proposed cervical spine motion angle measurement system showed that the mean error from the true value was 3.5° and the standard deviation was 2.8°. The average standard deviations for each measurement by specialist and residents are 2.9° and 3.2°.

Conclusions

A system for measuring cervical spine range of motion on X-ray images was constructed and showed accuracy comparable to that of spine surgeons. This system will be effective in reducing the burden on and saving time of orthopedic surgeons by avoiding manually measuring X-ray images.

Trial registration Retrospectively registered with opt-out agreement.
Body mass index and incidence of lung cancer in the HUNT study: using observational and Mendelian randomization approaches
Authors: Jiang Lin , Sun Yi-Qian , Brumpton Ben Michael , Langhammer Arnulf , Chen Yue , Mai Xiao-Mei
Published: November 2022

Background

Traditional observational studies have shown an inverse association between body mass index (BMI) and lung cancer risk. Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis using genetic variants as instruments for BMI may clarify the nature of the association.

Aims

We studied the causal association between BMI and lung cancer incidence using observational and MR approaches.

Methods

We followed up 62,453 cancer-free Norwegian adults from 1995–97 (HUNT2) until 2017. BMI at baseline in HUNT2 was classified as < 25.0, 25.0–29.9 and ≥ 30.0 kg/m2. BMI change over ten years between HUNT1 (1984–86) and HUNT2 was calculated and classified into quartiles. Seventy-five genetic variants were included as instruments for BMI (among which 14 also associated with smoking behavior). Incident lung cancer cases were ascertained from the Cancer Registry of Norway. Cox regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Multivariable MR was used to examine the effect of BMI after genetically controlling for smoking.

Results

During a median follow-up of 21.1 years, 1009 participants developed lung cancer including 327 with lung adenocarcinoma. The HRs and 95% CIs for incidence of adenocarcinoma were 0.73 (0.58–0.92) for BMI 25.0–29.9 kg/m2 and 0.53 (0.37–0.76) for BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 compared with BMI < 25.0 kg/m2 in HUNT2 (P for trend < 0.001). However, there was little evidence of a dose–response relationship between the BMI change from HUNT1 to HUNT2 in quartiles and the incidence of adenocarcinoma (P for trend = 0.08). Furthermore, multivariable MR approach suggested a positive association between genetically determined 1 kg/m2 increase in BMI and the incidence of adenocarcinoma (HR 1.25, 95% CI 1.02–1.53). No associations were found with other lung cancer histologic types.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that the inverse association between baseline BMI and lung adenocarcinoma in observational analysis may not be causal. More MR studies are needed to confirm our finding of a positive association between BMI and lung adenocarcinoma.
Effect evaluation of kangaroo mother care in Liping area, Guizhou province,China
Authors: Li Wu , Yu Zhao , Jing Yang
Published: November 2022

Backgroud

Kangaroo mother care (KMC) refers to the mother and baby after the birth of the early start of continuous skin contact way of a newborn care, which is a simple operation, easy controlled and with low cost, no large or high consumption of equipment.So it is very suitable for developing in areas where medical resources are relatively scarce, such as GuiZhou province where is a relatively poor province in China with many ethnic minorities.

Methods

This study selected the pregnant women who gave birth in Liping County, Guizhou Province, China, as the research object, to explore the impact of kangaroo mother care on the physiologic status of newborns in liping county, Guizhou Province.

Results

A total of 347 hospitalized parturient women were divided into the KMC group and the control group. The results showed that the KMC group showed obvious advantages in stabilizing newborn vital signs, health indicators, promoting the success rate of breastfeeding and reducing newborn pain.

Conclusions

Research shows that kangaroo mother care is beneficial to postpartum maternal and infant health, and has advantages suitable for local characteristics, which is worth further promotion in minority areas of Guizhou Province.