bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biomimetic nanoprobe-augmented triple therapy with photothermal, sonodynamic and checkpoint blockade inhibits tumor growth and metastasis
Authors: Lin Xiaohong , He Tao , Tang Rui , Li Qianru , Wu Nianhong , Zhou Yin , He Hongye , Wan Li , Huang Ju , Jiang Qinqin , Zhong Yixin , Xie Zhuoyan , Hu Zhongqian , Zhou Yang , Li Pan
Published: February 2022

Background

Comprehensive antitumor therapy through integrated multimodal means has drawn increasing attention owing to its high efficiency and metastasis suppression.

Results

We describe a synergistic triple protocol combining photothermal and sonodynamic therapy (PTT and SDT), together with immune checkpoint blockade for the inhibition of breast cancer growth and metastases in the 4T1 mouse model. PTT and SDT are synergistically augmented by a novel multimodal imaging nanoprobe integrated with cancer cell membrane-biomimetic nanoparticles (CHINPs) loaded with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) and hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether (HMME). CHINPs exhibit excellent homologous tumor targeting, and are sequentially triggered by ultrasound and near infrared (NIR) light under the guidance of magnetic resonance, photoacoustic and photothermal imaging, leading to complete in situ tumor eradication and systemic anti-tumor immune activation. Further combination of this approach with immune checkpoint blockade therapy is shown to suppress tumor metastasis.

Conclusion

This work provides proof-of-principle for triple therapy using multimodal imaging-guided PTT/SDT based on biomimetic nanoprobes in combination with immunotherapy to eliminate tumors.

Graphical Abstract
The alcohol industry’s involvement with road safety NGOs
Authors: Stein Ivy , Bachani Abdulgafoor M. , Hoe Connie
Published: February 2022

Background

Road crashes are a major cause of death among all age groups and the leading cause of death among persons 5–29 years, according to the World Health Organization. One key risk factor is drink-driving. While the world’s leading beer, wine, and spirit producers have pledged to combat drink-driving, there is increasing evidence showing the alcohol industry’s promotion of solutions which minimally impact sales. One strategy is forming partnerships with road safety non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Given this, the primary objective of this study is to understand the extent to which the alcohol industry is involved with road safety NGOs around the world.

Methods

A desk review from July 2020 to March 2021 was conducted to assess the alcohol industry’s involvement with various road safety NGOs (n = 256) in 92 countries. Financial documents press releases, annual reports, social media platforms, and other resources were analyzed to uncover relationships between the alcohol industry and NGOs.

Results

Out of 256 NGOs, n = 11 (4%) showed direct ties to the alcohol industry, and n = 3 (1%) showed indirect ties. NGOs involved with the alcohol industry were found in five continents and n = 8 of the 11 NGOs (73%) partnered with transnational alcohol manufacturers. Interventions supported by these partnerships were primarily mass media campaigns, free-ride and ride-sharing campaigns, and drink-driving educational events where alcoholic or zero-percent alcoholic beverages were sold or provided. These interventions are largely inconsistent with evidence-based best practice recommendations. Relationships between the alcohol industry and road safety NGOs lacked public transparency on key details such as terms of partnerships and funding amount and terms.

Conclusions

The study showed a clear effort on behalf of the alcohol industry to partner with road safety NGOs around the world. Findings underscore the need for the road safety community to generate consensus on involvement of the alcohol industry and suggest the need for more transparency on details of partnerships involving road safety. Findings also highlight the importance of local and national government support of road safety initiatives and road safety NGOs to avoid dependence on controversial funding from the alcohol industry.
Does Weaver–Dunn procedure have a role in chronic acromioclavicular dislocations? A meta-analysis
Authors: Chang Hao-Ming , Wang Chi-Hsiu , Hsu Kai-Lan , Kuan Fa-Chuan , Chen Yueh , Su Wei-Ren , Hong Chih-Kai
Published: February 2022

Background

In treatment of chronic acromioclavicular (AC) joint dislocations, both the Weaver–Dunn procedure (WD) and CC ligament reconstruction (CCR) are recommended options due to the low possibility of healing of the coracoclavicular (CC) ligaments. The aim of this review was to determine whether CCR will yield favorable clinical and radiographic outcomes in the treatment of chronic AC dislocations.

Method

The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and PubMed databases were searched for literature on chronic AC dislocations from data inception to June 30, 2021. Patient data were pooled using standard meta-analytic approaches. The Cochrane-Mantel–Haenszel method and variance-weighted means were used to analyze the outcomes. The Review Manager version 5.3 software (The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, Denmark) was used to calculate the heterogenicity, mean difference, and relative risk (RR) for all outcomes in the meta-analysis.

Results

The current analysis included four trials on this topic, and all AC joint dislocations were classified as Rockwood types III to VI. The pooled data showed that the CCR group had significantly better post-operative American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Shoulder (ASES) scores, Oxford Shoulder Scores (OSSs), and Nottingham Clavicle Scores (NCSs) than the WD group, with a significant difference (p < 0.001, p = 0.020, and p < 0.001, respectively). In terms of the post-operative Constant-Murley Scores (CMSs), there were no significant differences between the CCR group and the WD group (p = 0.100). The CCR group had significantly better post-operative abduction and flexion of the index shoulder than the WD group (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). In terms of radiological outcomes, the post-operative coracoclavicular distance (CCD) with a 10 kg load was smaller in the CCR group compared to that in the WD group (p < 0.001). The overall surgical wound infection rate was 11.6% in the WD group and 12.9% in the CCR, respectively (p = 0.82).

Conclusion

The CCR group had better clinical outcome scores in the ASES, OOS, NCS, abduction, flexion, and external rotation than the WD group. In terms of radiological outcomes, the CCR group showed less displacement in weight-loaded post-CCD than the WD group, which indicated that the CCR provided more stability and resistance to deformation forces.
Perioperative varus alignment does not affect short-term patient-reported outcome measures following mobile-bearing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty
Authors: Itou Junya , Kuwashima Umito , Itoh Masafumi , Okazaki Ken
Published: February 2022

Background

Although favorable long-term survival of Oxford unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) has been reported regardless of postoperative varus alignment, the effect of degree of varus alignment on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) remains unclear. Furthermore, the Forgotten Joint Score-12 (FJS-12), which has a low ceiling effect, may be useful for such assessment. The objective of this study was to evaluate short-term clinical outcomes after Oxford UKA in knees with a greater degree of preoperative varus alignment focusing on use of the FJS-12.

Methods

This retrospective study involved 66 knees that had undergone primary Oxford UKA. Based on the hip-knee-ankle angle, the knees were divided into two alignment groups: severe varus group (≥ 185° varus alignment) and a mild varus group (< 185° varus alignment). PROMs, including the FJS-12, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, and Knee Society Score, were obtained pre- and postoperatively for assessment of clinical outcomes. In addition, the ceiling effect of the FJS-12 was evaluated.

Results

All PROMs showed significant improvement after surgery. However, there were no statistically significant differences between the severe varus group and the mild varus group. Moreover, no ceiling effect was found for the FJS-12 in this study.

Conclusion

Short-term results were good for Oxford UKA in knees with a greater degree of varus alignment and were not significantly different from those in knees with mild varus alignment.
Retraction Note: Ethaselen synergizes with oxaliplatin in tumor growth inhibition by inducing ROS production and inhibiting TrxR1 activity in gastric cancer
Authors: Zhang Haiyong , Wu Jing , Yuan Jinqiu , Li Huafu , Zhang Yawei , Wu Wang , Chen Wei , Wang Chunming , Meng Sijun , Chen Songyao , Huo Mingyu , He Yulong , Zhang Changhua
Published: February 2022

This article has been retracted. Please see the Retraction Notice for more detail: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13046-021-02052-z.
CircCDK17 knockdown inhibits tumor progression and cell glycolysis by downregulaing YWHAZ expression through sponging miR-1294 in cervical cancer
Authors: Chen Rui , Liang Fei , Yan Jun , Wang Yu
Published: February 2022

Background

Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth aggressive tumor affecting women worldwide. Circular RNA (circRNA) is enrolled in CC process. This study aims to unveil the profiles of circ_101119 (circCDK17) in cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis and glycolysis in CC.

Methods

The expression levels of circCDK17, microRNA-1294 (miR-1294) and tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein zeta (YWHAZ) mRNA were detected by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The protein expression levels of YWHAZ, recombinant glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) and hexokinase 2 (HK2) were determined by western blot. Cell proliferation, migratory and invasive abilities and apoptosis were illustrated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, transwell assay and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. Cell lactate production, glucose uptake and adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) level were severally elucidated by lactate assay kit, glucose assay kit and ATP detection kit.

Results

CircCDK17 expression and the mRNA and protein expression levels of YWHAZ were dramatically upregulated, while miR-1294 expression was obviously downregulated in CC tissues or cells compared with control groups. CircCDK17 silencing suppressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion and glycolysis, and induced cell apoptosis in CC; however, miR-1294 inhibitor restrained these effects. Additionally, circCDK17 was a sponge of miR-1294 and miR-1294 bound to YWHAZ. Furthermore, circCDK17 knockdown inhibited tumor formation in vivo.

Conclusion

CircCDK17 knockdown repressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion and glycolysis, and promoted cell apoptosis via miR-1294/YWHAZ axis in CC. This finding provides a theoretical basis in studying circRNA-mediated therapy in CC.
Assessing the effectiveness of a community health advisor plus screen to save educational intervention on stool-based testing adherence in an African American safety net clinic population: study protocol for a randomized pragmatic trial
Authors: Luque John S. , Matthew Olayemi O. , Jackson Deloria R. , Vargas Matthew A. , Austin Tifini , Ali Askal , Kiros Gebre E. , Harris Cynthia M. , Tawk Rima , Gwede Clement K. , Wallace Kristin , Jean-Pierre Pascal
Published: February 2022

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most deadly cancer affecting US adults and is also one of the most treatable cancers when detected at an earlier clinical stage of disease through screening. CRC health disparities experienced by African Americans are due in part to the later stage of diagnosis, suggesting the importance of improving African Americans’ CRC screening participation. The national Screen to Save (S2S) initiative employs a community health educator to deliver CRC screening education which can be tailored for specific populations, and such approaches have increased CRC screening rates in disadvantaged and racial/ethnic minority populations.

Methods/design

In this trial emphasizing stool-based CRC screening, focus groups informed the development of an adapted S2S video and brochure tailored for African Americans and identified preferred motivational text messages for a multicomponent community health advisor (CHA) intervention. A CHA hired from the community was trained to deliver a 6-week CRC educational intervention consisting of an initial face-to-face meeting followed by 5 weeks of calls and texts. Interested eligible persons are enrolled primarily through recruitment by two partnering community health centers (CHCs) and secondarily through various outreach channels and, after consenting and completing a baseline survey, are randomly assigned to one of two study arms. The CHCs are blinded to study arm assignment. Intervention arm participants receive the brochure and CHA intervention while participants assigned to the control group receive only the brochure. All participants receive a stool-based CRC screening test from their health center, and the primary outcome is the completion of the screening test at 12 months. Secondary objectives are to estimate the effect of the intervention on mediating factors, explore the effect of moderating factors, and perform a cost-effectiveness analysis of the CHA intervention.

Discussion

The TUNE-UP study will enhance understanding about CRC screening in African Americans obtaining primary health care through CHCs and is one of the very few studies to examine a CHA intervention in this context. A better understanding of the mechanisms by which the intervention affects patient beliefs and behaviors will help focus future research while the exploratory cost-effectiveness analysis will inform CHCs’ decision-making about implementing a CHA program to increase screening and reduce cancer health disparities.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.govNCT04304001. Registered on March 11, 2020.
The effects of acupuncture on psychological symptoms in patients with insomnia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Wang Lifen , Wang Ruisen , Yao Yanling , Bai Xue , Sheng Gang
Published: February 2022

Background

Insomnia is a common sleep-related condition that includes dissatisfaction with sleep quality, difficulty in initiating or maintaining sleep, and early morning waking. Insomnia can affect daytime functioning by causing fatigue, depression, and anxiety. Medications are the most common method for the management of insomnia but can cause adverse effects, including psychological and physical dependence, residual daytime sedation, and cognitive impairment. Acupuncture is a common traditional Chinese therapy. It has been used in the treatment of insomnia, depression, and anxiety in China. However, there are no high-quality studies focusing on acupuncture for insomnia, especially for depression and anxiety due to insomnia. Therefore, we have designed a randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving a placebo control to ensure blinding of participants to investigate the effects of acupuncture on insomnia in improving sleep quality and psychosocial symptoms.

Methods

We have designed a single-center, parallel-group, single-blinded RCT. A total of 252 participants who meet the eligibility criteria will be randomly allocated into a manual acupuncture group or sham acupuncture group in a 1:1 ratio. All participants will receive 24 sessions of acupuncture (30 min per session, three sessions per week for 8 weeks). Participants will be assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score, self-assessment anxiety scale, self-assessment depression scale, and Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey at baseline and 8 weeks. All analyses will be based on an intention-to-treat principle. The results will be published in an international peer-reviewed journal.

Discussion

The results of this study are expected to clarify the effects of acupuncture on sleep quality and psychosocial symptoms in patients with insomnia. This will contribute to the clinical practice of acupuncture in the management of insomnia.

Trial registration

Chinese Clinical Trail Registry ChiCTR2100049172. Registered on 24 July 2021.
Optimization of an economical medium composition for the coculture of Clostridium butyricum and Bacillus coagulans
Authors: Li Yonghong , Wang Yun , Liu Yingying , Li Xuan , Feng Lifei , Li Keke
Published: February 2022

Clostridium butyricum is a spore-forming probiotic which can promote the enhancement of beneficial bacteria and maintain intestinal microecological balance. However, it is difficult to improve the production level of C. butyricum by conventional fermentation process. In this study, a co-fermentation process of C. butyricum DL-1 and Bacillus coagulans ZC2-1 was established to improve the viable counts and spore yield of C. butyricum, and the formula of coculture medium was optimized by flask fermentation. The results showed that the optimum medium composition is 10 g/L bran, 15 g/L corn steep powder, 15 g/L peptone, 1 g/L K2HPO4 and 0.5 g/L MnSO4.Cultured stationarily in the optimal medium for 36 h, the number of viable bacteria of C. butyricum DL-1 reached 1.5 × 108 cfu/mL, Which was 375 times higher than that incubated in the initial medium. The sporulation rate reach 92.6%. The results revealed an economical and effective medium composition for the coculture of C. butyricum and B. coagulans, which achieved a 64.6% cost reduction. The co-fermentation process established in this study provides a new fermentation mode for the industrial production of other absolute anerobic bacteria.
Physicians’ perceptions and preferences for implementing venous thromboembolism (VTE) clinical practice guidelines: a qualitative study using the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF)
Authors: Abboud Juliana , Rahman Abir Abdel , Shaikh Niaz , Dempster Martin , Adair Pauline
Published: February 2022

Background

Venous thromboembolism is a primary cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalised patients. Clinical practice guidelines were developed to prevent venous thromboembolism events. This study adopted the Theoretical Domains Framework to explore the beliefs and perceptions of physicians adoption of clinical practice guidelines for the uptake of venous thromboembolism prevention guidelines.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a stratified purposive sample of internal medicine physicians in an acute hospital. The interview topic guide was developed using the Theoretical Domains Framework to identify the factors perceived to influence the practice. Two researchers coded the interview transcripts using thematic content analysis. Emerging relevant themes were mapped to TDF domains.

Results

A total of sixteen medical physicians were interviewed over a six-month period. Nine theoretical domains derived from thirty-three belief statements were identified as relevant to the target behaviour; knowledge (education about the importance of VTE guidelines); beliefs about capabilities (with practice VTE tool easier to implement); beliefs about consequences (positive consequences in reducing the development of VTE, length of stay, financial burden and support physician decision) and (negative consequence risk of bleeding); reinforcement (recognition and continuous reminders); goals (patient safety goal); environmental context and resources (workload and availability of medications were barriers, VTE coordinator and electronic medical record were enablers); social influences (senior physicians and patient/family influence the VTE practice); behavioural regulation (monitoring and mandatory hospital policy); and nature of the behaviour.

Conclusions

Using the Theoretical Domains Framework, factors thought to influence the implementation of VTE clinical practice guidelines were identified which can be used to design theoretically based interventions by targeting specific psychological constructs and linking them to behaviour change techniques to change the clinical practice of physicians.
The cultivation of five microalgae species and their potential for biodiesel production
Authors: Rodríguez-Palacio Mónica Cristina , Cabrera-Cruz René Bernardo Elías , Rolón-Aguilar Julio Cesar , Tobías-Jaramillo Ricardo , Martínez-Hernández Marisol , Lozano-Ramírez Cruz
Published: February 2022

Background

Due to the problems we face today, such as wastewater pollution of aquifers and climate change, it is necessary to search for environmental solutions that help us minimize this problem. An alternative solution might be the cultivation of microalgae that are efficient in the purification of wastewater, removal of greenhouse gases and production of biomass that can be used for the production of biofuels such as biodiesel, methane, bioethanol, among others. The aim of this work is to cultivate five strains of microalgae native in Mexico: Chlorella miniata, Coelastrella sp., Desmodesmus quadricauda, Neochloris oleoabundans and Verrucodesmus verrucosus. The cultivations were performed using municipal wastewater and a foliar fertilizer with the further purpose of assessing their capacity to produce various types of biomass, in particular lipids.

Methods

The experiments were carried out using triplicate 16-L glass bioreactors assays with a 12:12 light–darkness cycle at 25 °C ± 1 under constant aeration. Every 3rd day, a 1-mL sample was taken to determine cell density. In the stationary growth phase, each culture was harvested by sedimentation and lipid content analysis was performed. The biomass with the highest concentration of total lipids was subjected to an analysis of the methyl esters of fatty acids.

Results

An ANOVA test showed significant differences between the growth rates (F = 6.8, p = 0.0001). The species that were able to produce biomass with the highest concentrations of total lipids were Coelastrella sp. with 44–46%; Verrucodesmus verrucosus with 43–44% and Neochloris oleoabundans 35–37%. As the analysis of the methyl esters of fatty acids showed, the species Coelastrella sp. and V. verrucosus produced lipids composed of 82.9% and 91.28% of fatty acids, respectively, containing C16–C18 carbon chains.

Conclusions

All the species used in the present study were able to grow on wastewater and produce high concentrations of lipids. Therefore, the demands for biodiesel production could be met in the immediate future after continuing working with different microalgae species. Therefore, it is necessary to determine their adaptation potential to grow on contaminated effluents and produce lipids that can be used for the benefit of people and environment.
Postoperative decrease of albumin (ΔAlb) as early predictor of complications after gastrointestinal surgery: a systematic review
Authors: Joliat Gaëtan-Romain , Schoor Arnaud , Schäfer Markus , Demartines Nicolas , Hübner Martin , Labgaa Ismail
Published: February 2022

Background

Postoperative complications are frequent after gastrointestinal surgery and early prediction remains an unmet need. Serum albumin shows a rapid decrease after surgery, and this decline (ΔAlb) may reflect the intensity of the surgical stress response and thereby be a predictor of postoperative complications. This study aimed to comprehensively review the available data on ΔAlb in gastrointestinal surgery.

Methods

PRISMA guidelines were followed to conduct a systematic review of the literature in MEDLINE and Embase. Studies assessing the role of ΔAlb to predict complications after gastrointestinal surgery were included.

Results

A total of 1256 articles were screened, and 16 studies were included in the final analysis: 7 prospective and 9 retrospective trials. Sensitivity of ΔAlb to predict postoperative complications ranged from 63 to 84%, whereas specificity ranged from 61 to 86%. Nine out of the 16 included studies established a threshold of ΔAlb to predict morbidity (range: 5–11 g/l or 14–27%).

Conclusion

ΔAlb appeared as a valuable and promising biomarker to anticipate complications after gastrointestinal surgery. Future efforts are needed to determine whether and how ΔAlb may be integrated in clinical practice to guide clinicians in the perioperative management of patients.
A review of Japanese-style bathing: its demerits and merits
Authors: Tochihara Yutaka
Published: February 2022

Japanese-style bathing (JSB), which involves soaking in hot water up to the shoulders in deep bathtubs for a long time in the evening to night, is unique. Many experimental and epidemiological studies and surveys have shown that JSB improve sleep quality, especially shortens sleep onset latency in winter. In addition, repeated JSB lead the improvement of depressive symptoms. JSB is a simple and low-cost non-pharmacological measure to sleep difficulty in winter and mental disorders, especially for the elderly. On the contrary, drowning, while soaking in a bathtub, is the most common of accidental death at home in Japan. It is estimated that approximately 19,000 Japanese individuals die annually while taking a bath, mostly during winter, and most victims are elderly people. Elderly Japanese people tend to prefer a higher-risk JSB because the temperature inside the house during winter, especially the dressing room/bathroom temperature, is very low. Since the physiological thermal effect of the elderly associated with bathing is relatively lower among the elderly than the young, the elderly prefer to take a long hot bath. This elderly’s favorite style of JSB results in larger increased blood pressure in dressing rooms and larger decreased in blood pressure during hot bathing. A sudden drop in blood pressure while immersed in the bathtub leads to fainting and drowning. Furthermore, elderly people are less sensitive to cold air or hot water, therefore, it is difficult to take appropriate measures to prevent large fluctuations in blood pressure. To ensure a safe and comfortable winter bathing, the dressing room/bathroom temperature needs to be maintained at 20 °C or higher, and several degrees higher would be recommended for the elderly.
Terminal anorexia nervosa: three cases and proposed clinical characteristics
Authors: Gaudiani Jennifer L. , Bogetz Alyssa , Yager Joel
Published: February 2022

Background

Most individuals with eating disorders will either recover, settle into an unrecovered but self-defined acceptable quality of life, or continue to cycle from crisis to relative stability over time. However, a minority of those with severe and enduring eating disorders recognize after years of trying that recovery remains elusive, and further treatment seems both futile and harmful. No level of harm reduction proves achievable or adequately ameliorates their suffering. In this subgroup, many of those with anorexia nervosa will experience the medical consequences of malnutrition as their future cause of death. Whereas anyone who wishes to keep striving for recovery despite exhaustion and depletion should wholeheartedly be supported in doing so, some patients simply cannot continue to fight. They recognize that death from anorexia nervosa, while perhaps not welcome, will be inevitable. Unfortunately, these patients and their carers often receive minimal support from eating disorders health professionals who are conflicted about terminal care, and who are hampered and limited by the paucity of literature on end-of-life care for those with anorexia nervosa.

Case presentation

Three case studies elucidate this condition. One patient was so passionate about this topic that she asked to be a posthumous co-author of this paper.

Conclusions

Consistent with literature on managing terminal illness, this article proposes clinical characteristics of patients who may be considered to have a terminal eating disorder: diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, older age (e.g. age over 30), previous participation in high quality care, and clear and consistent determination by a patient who possesses decision-making capacity that additional treatment would be futile, knowing their actions will result in death. By proposing the clinical characteristics of terminal anorexia nervosa, we hope to educate, inspire compassion, and help providers properly assess these patients and provide appropriate care. We hope that this proposal stimulates further expert consensus definitions and clinical guidelines for management of this population. In our view, these patients deserve the same attendant care and rights as all other patients with terminal illness, up to and including medical aid in dying in jurisdictions where such care is legal.
Role of strain echocardiography in patients with hypertension
Authors: Oh Jin Kyung , Park Jae-Hyeong
Published: February 2022

Hypertension is a well-recognized risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease, and the early detection of cardiac changes from hypertension can allow reversing these. Hypertensive heart diseases (HHD) refer to the complex and diverse change of the cardiac structure and function secondary to hypertension. Although conventional echocardiography is the most common imaging modality in detecting HHD, it cannot detect subtle changes of cardiac structure in subclinical states. Because strain echocardiography is another echocardiographic modality can detect subclinical myocardial dysfunction by measuring intrinsic myocardial deformation, it became more and more popular in clinical and research fields. In this review article, we described the basic concept of strain echocardiography and summarized several clinical studies showing its clinical utilities in the detection of HHD.
Analysis of nucleotide insertion opposite urea and translesion synthesis across urea by DNA polymerases
Authors: Kawada Taishu , Kino Katsuhito , Tokorodani Kyousuke , Anabuki Ryuto , Morikawa Masayuki , Kobayashi Takanobu , Ohara Kazuaki , Ohshima Takayuki , Miyazawa Hiroshi
Published: February 2022

Urea (Ua) is produced in DNA as the result of oxidative damage to thymine and guanine. It was previously reported that Klenow fragment (Kf) exo− incorporated dATP opposite Ua, and that DNA polymerase β was blocked by Ua. We report here the following nucleotide incorporations opposite Ua by various DNA polymerases: DNA polymerase α, dATP and dGTP (dATP > dGTP); DNA polymerase δ, dATP; DNA polymerase ζ, dATP; Kf exo−, dATP; Sulfolobus solfataricus P2 DNA polymerase IV (Dpo4), dGTP and dATP (dGTP > dATP); and DNA polymerase η, dCTP, dGTP, dATP, and dTTP (dCTP > dGTP > dATP > dTTP). DNA polymerases β and ε were blocked by Ua. Elongation by DNA polymerases δ and ζ stopped after inserting dATP opposite Ua. Importantly, the elongation efficiency to full-length beyond Ua using DNA polymerase η and Dpo4 were almost the same as that of natural DNA.

Graphical abstract
Why many African countries may not achieve the 2022 COVID-19 vaccination coverage target
Authors: Idris Israel Oluwaseyidayo , Ayeni Gabriel Omoniyi , Adebisi Yusuff Adebayo
Published: February 2022

COVID-19 continues to strain, stress, and stretch health systems globally. With the development of the COVID-19 vaccines, there are many issues still lurking behind the widespread coverage; one of which is COVID-19 vaccine nationalism and African countries are not exempted from these issues. This is evident in that many countries in the African region missed the earlier targets set by World Health Organization (WHO) for COVID-19 vaccination coverage. The WHO further set a target of 70% coverage of the COVID-19 vaccines for all countries by June 2022. In this article, we discuss the possible reasons why many African countries are struggling and may not achieve the COVID-19 vaccination target in 2022. With the fundamental issues facing COVID-19 vaccination ranging from nationalism to hesitancy, it is important that stakeholders continue to work harder to ensure that the continent is not left behind in the race to keep the world free and safe from the sting of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The application of a novel perfectly matched layer in magnetotelluric simulations
Authors: Lei Da , Yang Liangyong , Fu Changmin , Wang Ruo , Wang Zhongxing
Published: February 2022

Truncation boundaries are needed when simulating a region in magnetotelluric (MT) modeling. As an efficient alternative truncation boundary, perfectly matched layers (PMLs) have been widely applied in many high-frequency wavefield simulations. However, the governing equation of most electromagnetic exploration methods is for the diffusion field, in which the conduction current is significantly greater than the displacement current. Because the wave and diffusion fields have completely different relations for the frequency and constitutive parameters, conventional PMLs, which are mainly designed for the wavefield, are not a good choice for the diffusion field. For this reason, we propose a formula for a PML that covers the entire frequency band, including the wave and the diffusion fields. It is based on a uniaxial PML. Moreover, we derive a simplified form for the diffusion field. To check the feasibility and application potential of the proposed formula for a PML in MT simulations, we have implemented PMLs using a finite-element method and compared our results with those for a conventional long-distance extended grid. The results of the 1D simulation demonstrate that PMLs can achieve high accuracy and stable performance and have a broad application range. In 2D and 3D models, the air layer is an obstacle in the application of a PML. By selecting appropriate parameters for the PML, 2D and 3D models can achieve satisfactory performance. Therefore, the proposed PML is useful for MT simulations and can achieve satisfactory truncation performance.
In-patient psychiatric care and non-substance-related psychiatric diagnoses among individuals seeking treatment for alcohol and substance use disorders: associations with all-cause mortality and suicide
Authors: Levola Jonna , Laine Riku , Pitkänen Tuuli
Published: February 2022

Background

The largest excess mortality risk has been reported for combinations of psychiatric disorders that included substance use disorders.

Aims

To study the associations of different non-substance-related in-patient psychiatric diagnoses with all-cause mortality and suicide up to 28 years of age after entering substance use treatment.

Method

National register data on psychiatric hospital admissions and death were combined with the treatment records of over 10 000 individuals in substance use treatment between 1990 and 2009. Cox regression was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs for all-cause and suicide-specific mortality from the time of entering substance use treatment.

Results

Nearly one-third (31.4%; n = 3330) of the study population had died during follow-up or by their 65th birthday, with more than one in ten (n = 385) from suicide. Over half of the study population (53.2%) had undergone psychiatric in-patient care and 14.1% involuntary psychiatric care during the study period. Bipolar disorder and unipolar depression were associated with a 57% (HR 1.57, 95% CI 1.18–2.10) and 132% (HR 2.32, 95% CI 1.21–4.46) increase in risk of suicide, respectively. Involuntary psychiatric care was associated with a 40% increase in risk of suicide (HR 1.42, 95% CI 1.05–1.94).

Conclusion

Severe psychiatric morbidity is common among individuals seeking treatment for alcohol and/or substance use and specifically mood disorders appear to increase the risk of suicide. Treatment service planning needs to focus on integrated care for concomitant substance use and psychiatric disorders to address this risk.
Adjuvant Systemic Therapy and Adjuvant Radiation Therapy for Stage I-IIIA Completely Resected Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: ASCO Guideline Rapid Recommendation Update
Authors: Pisters Katherine , Kris Mark G. , Gaspar Laurie E. , Ismaila Nofisat ,   for the Adjuvant Systemic Therapy and Adjuvant Radiation Therapy for Stage I to IIIA NSCLC Guideline Expert Panel
Published: February 2022

ASCO Rapid Recommendations Updates highlight revisions to select ASCO guideline recommendations as a response to the emergence of new and practice-changing data. The rapid updates are supported by an evidence review and follow the guideline development processes outlined in the ASCO Guideline Methodology Manual. The goal of these articles is to disseminate updated recommendations, in a timely manner, to better inform health practitioners and the public on the best available cancer care options.
Henry C. Carey's Monetary Thought and American Industrialization in the Greenback Debate
Authors: Valeonti Sofia
Published: February 2022

This article seeks to reveal the links between Henry C. Carey's monetary theory in the greenback debate and the sectionalist issue within the US Reconstruction period. Sectionalism refers to the economic, political, and cultural differences between the North and South that led to the Civil War and persisted during Reconstruction. It is well known that Carey perceived those differences before the war and proposed, on grounds of his economic development theory, to alleviate sectionalism through a protective tariff. What is hardly known is that Carey continued to engage with the sectionalist issue in its new form during the Reconstruction period and tried to offer a solution to it via protectionism and greenbacks. He showed how greenbacks could put in motion a virtuous cycle of economic development and tied his solution to sectionalism to national independence.
Avoiding obstacles while intercepting a moving target: a miniature fly's solution
Authors: Fabian Samuel T. , Sumner Mary E. , Wardill Trevor J. , Gonzalez-Bellido Paloma T.
Published: February 2022

The miniature robber fly Holcocephala fusca intercepts its targets with behaviour that is approximated by the proportional navigation guidance law. During predatory trials, we challenged the interception of H. fusca performance by placing a large object in its potential flight path. In response, H. fusca deviated from the path predicted by pure proportional navigation, but in many cases still eventually contacted the target. We show that such flight deviations can be explained as the output of two competing navigational systems: pure-proportional navigation and a simple obstacle avoidance algorithm. Obstacle avoidance by H. fusca is here described by a simple feedback loop that uses the visual expansion of the approaching obstacle to mediate the magnitude of the turning-away response. We name the integration of this steering law with proportional navigation ‘combined guidance’. The results demonstrate that predatory intent does not operate a monopoly on the fly's steering when attacking a target, and that simple guidance combinations can explain obstacle avoidance during interceptive tasks.
Correlation between serum methotrexate-polyglutamate 3 (MTX-PG3) level and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis patients: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Musdalita Eva , Hidayat Rudy , Sumariyono Sumariyono , Kusumo Wibowo Suryo Anggoro , Ariane Anna , Shatri Hamzah , Rengganis Iris , Antono Dono
Published: February 2022

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most common autoimmune diseases, characterized by systemic inflammation, joint destruction and disability. Methotrexate (MTX) is used as the primary treatment for RA patients. However, the response to MTX therapy is highly varied and difficult to predict. This study sought to determine the role of MTX by measuring the MTX polyglutamate 3 (MTX-PG3) levels and the disease activity score 28 based on C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) of RA patients.

Method: A prospective cohort study was conducted at the Rheumatology Polyclinic of Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital. Thirty-four patients with RA were included and followed up to 12 weeks. The RA patients were treated with MTX 10 mg per week and an increased dose of 5 mg per week every month. DAS28-CRP and MTX-PG3 level were assessed at week 8 and 12. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the correlation between MTX-PG3 and DAS28-CRP.

Result: A total of 34 RA patients were followed and the MTX was well tolerated in which no increase of serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were observed. The mean scores of DAS28-CRP decreased following the MTX-treatment: 3.93, 3.22 and 2.82 at week 0, 8 and 12, respectively. In contrast, the median concentration of MTX-PG3 increased from week 8 to week 12 followed by increasing the dose of MTX. Our analysis suggested there was a moderate positive correlation between MTX-PG3 levels and DAS28-CRP score at week 8 and week 12 post-MTX treatment.

Conclusion: The level of MTX-PG3 is correlated with DAS28-CRP score suggesting that MTX-PG3 could be used as an indicator to assess the disease activity in RA patients. Nevertheless, a prospective study with a higher number of patients is needed to confirm this finding.
Rice husk and melaleuca biochar additions reduce soil CH4 and N2O emissions and increase soil physicochemical properties
Authors: Tran Sy Nam , Huynh Van Thao , Chiem Nguyen Huu , Nguyen Van Cong , Mitsunori Tarao
Published: February 2022

Background: Biochar is a promising material in mitigating greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions from paddy fields due to its remarkable structural properties. Rice husk biochar (RhB) and melaleuca biochar (MB) are amendment materials that could be used to potentially reduce emissions in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD). However, their effects on CH4 and N2O emissions and soil under local water management and conventional rice cultivation have not been thoroughly investigated.

Methods: We conducted a field experiment using biochar additions to the topsoil layer (0-20 cm). Five treatments comprising 0 t ha-1 (CT0); 5 t ha-1 (RhB5) and 10 t ha-1 (RhB10), and 5 t ha-1 (MB5) and 10 t ha-1 (MB10) were designed plot-by-plot (20 m2) in triplicates.

Results: The results showed that biochar application from 5 to 10 t ha-1 significantly decreased cumulative CH4 (24.2-28.0%, RhB; 22.0-14.1%, MB) and N2O (25.6-41.0%, RhB; 38.4–56.4%, MB) fluxes without a reduction in grain yield. Increasing the biochar application rate further did not decrease significantly total CH4 and N2O fluxes but was seen to significantly reduce the global warming potential (GWP) and yield-scale GWP in the RhB treatments. Biochar application improved soil Eh but had no effects on soil pH. Whereas CH4 flux correlated negatively with soil Eh (P < 0.001; r2 = 0.552, RhB; P < 0.001; r2 = 0.502, MB). Ameliorating soil aeration and functions by adding RhB and MB resulted in improving soil physicochemical properties, especially significant SOM and AN boosting, which indicate better soil health, structure, and fertility.

Conclusions: Biochar supplementation significantly reduced CH4 and N2O fluxes and improved soil mineralization and physicochemical properties toward beneficial for rice plants. The results suggest that the optimal combination of biochar-application rates and effective water-irrigation techniques for soil types in the MD should be further studied in future works.
SASCRiP: A Python workflow for preprocessing UMI count-based scRNA-seq data
Authors: Moonsamy Darisia , Gentle Nikki
Published: February 2022

In order to reduce the impact of technical variation inherent in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technologies on biological interpretation of experiments, rigorous preprocessing and quality control is required to transform raw sequencing reads into high-quality, gene and transcript counts. While hundreds of tools have been developed for this purpose, the vast majority of the most widely used tools are built for the R software environment. With an increasing number of new tools now being developed using Python, it is necessary to develop integrative workflows that leverage tools from both platforms. We have therefore developed, SASCRiP (Sequencing Analysis of Single-Cell RNA in Python), a modular single-cell preprocessing workflow that integrates functionality from existing, widely used R and Python packages, and additional custom features and visualizations, to enable preprocessing of scRNA-seq data derived from technologies that use unique molecular identifier (UMI) sequences in a single Python analysis workflow. We describe the utility of SASCRiP using datasets derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells sequenced using droplet-based, 3′-end sequencing technology. We highlight SASCRiP’s diagnostic visualizations and fully customizable functions, and demonstrate how SASCRiP provides a highly flexible, integrative Python workflow for preparing unprocessed UMI count-based scRNA-seq data for subsequent downstream analyses. SASCRiP is freely available through PyPi or from the GitHub page.
Juggling Information Technology (IT) Exploration and Exploitation: A Proportional Balance View of IT Ambidexterity
Authors: Liang Huigang , Wang Nianxin , Xue Yajiong
Published: February 2022

Firms in the digital age often do not know whether they should focus on exploiting their existing information technology (IT) resources or focus on exploring novel IT resources. They are often told to maintain a perfect balance between IT exploitation and IT exploration. In this study, we show that firms do not need to have the same levels of IT exploitation and exploration simultaneously to improve organizational agility. IT ambidexterity can be achieved by proportional balance between IT exploitation and exploration without forcing the perfect balance between the two. With finite resources, the maximal agility is not associated the perfect balance between IT exploitation and exploration; instead, it is associated with the proportional balance between IT exploitation and exploration, and the optimal proportional balance could vary based on the firm’s total resources allocated for IT ambidexterity. Our findings on proportional balance between IT exploitation and exploration could profoundly influence how firms make IT investment decisions. Rather than pursuing a perfect balance between IT exploitation and IT exploration, firms should consider both their organizational characteristics and environmental conditions to identify optimal levels of proportional balance between the two.
Regulatory Spillovers and Data Governance: Evidence from the GDPR
Authors: Peukert Christian , Bechtold Stefan , Batikas Michail , Kretschmer Tobias
Published: February 2022

Privacy regulation by the European Union has had effects for websites beyond the European Union and lead to an increase in market concentration of web technology vendors
Incentivizing Effort Allocation Through Resource Allocation: Evidence from Scientists’ Response to Changes in Funding Policy
Authors: Blomfield Michael , Vakili Keyvan
Published: February 2022

Prior research in management and economics has predominantly focused on how managers or policymakers can shape workers’ allocation of effort using output-based or effort-based incentives. In many settings, however, managers may seek to influence workers’ effort choices through resource allocation—that is, changing the cost of securing resources for different projects or activities. In this paper, we develop a formal model to investigate how a worker changes the allocation of a fixed amount of effort across different projects in response to changes in the cost of securing resources for each project. Our model shows how cutting resources available to one project, under certain circumstances, can inadvertently reduce the share of effort allocated to other projects and vice versa. We use the insights from the model to explore the effectiveness of funding strategies designed to influence the research direction of academic scientists. We specifically examine how U.S. scientists working in stem cell research responded to a 2001 policy change that restricted access to federal funding for research in the human embryonic stem cell (hESC) area. In line with our model’s predictions, we find that cutting resources for hESC research inadvertently reduced U.S. scientists’ output in non-hESC areas of stem cell research—an effect that is strongest among the highest-ability scientists. Our findings highlight the complexities of incentivizing effort allocation using resource-based incentives. In particular, we show how altering resource-based incentives in one area can have unforeseen spillover effects on effort allocation in other areas.

Funding: Financial support from the London Business School is gratefully acknowledged.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2021.1565 .