bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interdependency of regulatory effects of iron and riboflavin in the foodborne pathogen Shigella flexneri determined by integral transcriptomics
Authors: Lozano Aguirre Luis Fernando , Salazar Juan Carlos , Vásquez José Ignacio , García-Angulo Víctor Antonio
Published: September 2020

Shigella flexneri is the causative agent of dysentery. For pathogens, iron is a critical micronutrient as its bioavailability is usually low in bacterial niches. This metal is involved in critical physiological processes mainly as a component of important metabolic molecules involved in redox reactions. Usually bacteria respond to fluctuations in iron availability to regulate iron acquisition and other iron-related functions. Recently the close metabolic feedback between iron and riboflavin, another pivotal biological redox agent, began to draw attention in bacteria. This is a widespread biological phenomenon, partly characterized by the coordination of regulatory responses to iron and riboflavin, probably owed to the involvement of these cofactors in common processes. Nonetheless, no systematic analyses to determine the extent of this regulatory effect have been performed in any species. Here, the transcriptomics responses to iron, riboflavin, iron in the presence of riboflavin and riboflavin in the presence of iron were assessed and compared in S. flexneri. The riboflavin regulon had a 43% overlap with the iron regulon. Notably, the presence of riboflavin highly increased the number of iron-responsive genes. Reciprocally, iron drastically changed the pool of riboflavin-responsive genes. Gene ontology (GO) functional terms enrichment analysis showed that biological processes were distinctively enriched for each subgroup of responsive genes. Among the biological processes regulated by iron and riboflavin were iron uptake, amino acids metabolism and electron transfer for ATP synthesis. Thus, iron and riboflavin highly affect the transcriptomics responses induced by each other in S. flexneri. GO terms analysis suggests that iron and riboflavin coordinately regulate specific physiological functions involving redox metabolism.
Obstructed Labour and Maternal Outcome at the Intensive Care Unit of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital: A Ten Year Review
Authors: Eli S. , Enyida E. Nonye- , Kalio D. G. B. , Abam D. S. , Okagua K.
Published: September 2020

Introduction: Obstructed labour is a major cause of maternal mortality. Admissions into the intensive care unit (ICU) especially for post-delivery monitoring and treatment of patients with obstructed labour entails critical care for favourable outcome for the mother.

Aim: To evaluate the maternal outcome of mothers admitted into the intensive care unit who had obstructed labour at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH).

Methodology: The study was a retrospective study of all the cases of obstructed labour admitted into the ICU of UPTH between 1st January, 2007 to 31st December, 2016. Information were retrieved from the patients case note and analyzed using SPSS version 20.

Results: A total of 1549 patients were admitted into the ICU for the period under review, of which 218(14.1%) were obstetric admissions. One hundred and forty were unbooked mothers while 78 were booked. The mean age was 30 ± 2 years and the modal parity was 2. All the 64 cases of obstructed labour were unbooked mothers and comprised 29.4% of the obstetric admissions. The number of maternal deaths from obstructed labour were 23, which comprised of 10.6% of the obstetric admissions.

Conclusion: The study revealed that the maternal deaths following obstructed labour admitted into the ICU was high. The reason is that these patients present late. There is therefore need for patients at risk of obstructed labour to register for antenatal care early and delivery conducted by skilled birth attendant for improved outcome.
A Study of the Awareness and Acceptabilty of Labour Epidural Analgesia amongst Antenatal Clinic Attendees in One Tertiary Hospital
Authors: Eli S. , Kalio D. G. B. , Okeji N. A. E. , Altraide B. O. A. , Kua P. , Ogan S. Fyneface-
Published: September 2020

Background: The benefits of Pain relief to parturients in labour cannot be over-emphasized. However, in low middle income countries accessibility, availability and affordability these services are not optimum. This has made it near impossible for women in labour to benefit from epidural analgesia.

Aim: This study was aimed to assess the knowledge of availability and level of acceptance of labour analgesia amongst antenatal clinic attendees at the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH).

Methods: The present observational study was conducted after informed consent was given by antenatal clinic attendees. Data was collected using a pretested questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS Version 25.

Results: Response from 200 women with mean ± SD age and gestational age of 31.49 ± 4.89 years and 34.25 ± 4.75 weeks respectively. The modal Parity was 1. 56; while 106/200 (53%) were aware of pain relief in labour, 94/200 (47%) had no knowledge of pain relief in labour. Twenty eight (28/106) constituting 26.42% had knowledge of the pharmacological methods while 78 (73.59%) had non-specific ideas about pain relief in labour. Twenty six (26/28) (92.86%) of the respondents will accept epidural analgesia in labour.

Conclusion: Knowledge of availability and acceptance of labour analgesia was poor. Lack of information is a major contributor for non-acceptance of labour analgesia. The inclusion and dissemination of information about labour analgesia by anaesthetists and obstetricians during antenatal classes would increase the knowledge about its availability and wide acceptance to these parturients.
Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus in Pregnancy amongst Antenatal Clinic Attendees at Booking at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital
Authors: Eli S. , Kalio D. G. B. , Okagua K. E. , Aloku A. A. , Atraide B. O. A. , Kua P. , Amah Iwo-
Published: September 2020

Background: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) have tripled from 1980 till date as a result of many factors of which obesity/excessive weight gain is a closely related factor of DM. There are many adverse challenges of DM in pregnancy with its associated fetal and maternal consequences.

Aim: To determine the prevalence of DM in pregnancy amongst antenatal clinic (ANC) at booking at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH).

Methods: It was a cross sectional study of ANC attendees at booking at the RSUTH. Simple random sampling method was used. The Information was coded and analyzed using SPSS version 25.

Results: A total of 99 pregnant women were recruited at booking in the ANC of the RSUTH. The mean age was 32.2 years and the modal parity was 1.0.The number of ANC attendees with weight equal to or greater than 90 Kg were 21 (21.2%), number with weight greater than equal to 90 Kg with glucose in urine were 10 (10.1%) Three (3.0%) of the subjects were known diabetic whereas 12 (12.1%) had family history of DM.

Conclusion: The study revealed the prevalence of DM amongst ANC attendees at the RSUTH as 3.0%. There was corresponding glycosuria in 10.1% of the ANC attendees. ANC attendees had family history of DM were 12.1%. Advocacy is needed to educate the populace on the predisposing factors of DM and its adverse effect on maternal and child health.
Learning and transfer of calorie information
Authors: Wohldmann Erica L. , Healy Alice F.
Published: September 2020

This study compared generating information about food to viewing and verbally producing that information for learning and transfer. Specifically, during training, a list of food items was shown, and some participants generated either real calories (Experiment 1) or fabricated prices (Experiment 2) associated with those foods with feedback provided (seeding), some viewed and read aloud values provided (viewing), and others read aloud the names of the items with no values provided (control). All participants were tested immediately and 1 week later on both old and new foods. In both experiments, the seeding and viewing conditions showed more learning than the control condition, and only the experimental conditions showed transfer of learning from old to new foods, with advantages found for seeding over viewing only in some cases. The results are discussed in terms of the seeding, testing, generation, and production effects, as well as their applications to health and policy.
Composition and Larvicidal Activity of the Oil of Dizygostemon riparius (Plantaginaceae), a New Aromatic Species Occurring in Maranhão, Brazil
Authors: Brandão Clenilma M. , Cavalcante Kiany Sirley B. , de M. Teles Rogério , de C. Marques Georgiana E. , Monteiro Odair S. , Andrade Eloisa Helena A. , Maia José Guilherme S.
Published: September 2020

Dizygostemon riparius (Plantaginaceae) is a new aromatic herbaceous species occurring in Maranhão State, Brazil. It is used as flavorings to remove domestic animal parasites and preventing mosquitoes. GC and GC/MS were used to analyze its essential oil, and a larvicidal bioassay was performed against Aedes albopictus larvae, a vector of arboviruses in Brazil. endo‐Fenchyl acetate, endo‐fenchol, (E)‐caryophyllene, and caryophyllene oxide were the oil's primary constituents, totalizing 88.0 %. The two morphotypes of D. riparius, with purple and white flowers, did not present a significant difference in the oils’ composition. From a chemotaxonomic point of view, D. riparius oil showed some similarities with other oils of Plantaginaceae, suggesting (E)‐caryophyllene and caryophyllene oxide as possible chemical markers. The oil larvicidal action displayed the lowest and highest mortality percentage at 50 mg/L (2.0 %) and 600 mg/L (88.0 %). The fenchyl acetate and fenchol standards showed a lower and higher mortality percentage at a concentration of 300 mg/L (42.0 % and 26.0 %) and 900 mg/L (96.0 % and 98.0 %), respectively. The present study results with the D. riparius oil point to a new bioproduct with significant larvicidal activity.
CO2 Hydrogenation to CH3OH over PdZn Catalysts, with Reduced CH4 Production
Authors: Ruiz Esquius Jonathan , Bahruji Hasliza , Taylor Stuart H. , Bowker Michael , Hutchings Graham J.
Published: September 2020

Metallic Pd, under CO2 hydrogenation conditions (>175 °C, 20 bar in this work), promotes CO formation via the reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction. Pd‐based catalysts can show high selectivity to methanol when alloyed with Zn, and PdZn alloy catalysts are commonly reported as a stable alternative to Cu‐based catalysts for the CO2 hydrogenation to methanol. The production of CH4 is sometimes reported as a minor by‐product, but nevertheless this can be a major detriment for an industrial process, because methane builds up in the recycle loop, and hence would have to be purged periodically. Thus, it is extremely important to reduce methane production for future green methanol synthesis processes. In this work we have investigated TiO2 as a support for such catalysts, with Pd, or PdZn deposited by chemical vapour impregnation (CVI). Although titania‐supported PdZn materials show excellent performance, with high selectivity to CH3OH+CO, they suffer from methane formation (>0.01 %). However, when ZnTiO3 is used instead as a support medium for the PdZn alloy, methane production is greatly suppressed. The site for methane production appears to be the TiO2, which reduces methanol to methane at anion vacancy sites.
Prognostic assessment of resected colorectal liver metastases integrating pathological features, RAS mutation and Immunoscore
Authors: Baldin Pamela , Van den Eynde Marc , Mlecnik Bernhard , Bindea Gabriela , Beniuga Gabriela , Carrasco Javier , Haicheur Nacilla , Marliot Florence , Lafontaine Lucie , Fredriksen Tessa , Lanthier Nicolas , Hubert Catherine , Navez Benoît , Huyghe Nicolas , Pagès Franck , Jouret‐Mourin Anne , Galon Jérôme , Komuta Mina
Published: September 2020

Surgical resection of colorectal liver metastases combined with systemic treatment aims to maximize patient survival. However, recurrence rates are very high postsurgery. In order to assess patient prognosis after metastasis resection, we evaluated the main patho‐molecular and immune parameters of all surgical specimens. Two hundred twenty‐one patients who underwent, after different preoperative treatment, curative resection of 582 metastases were analyzed. Clinicopathological parameters, RAS tumor mutation, and the consensus Immunoscore (I) were assessed for all patients. Overall survival (OS) and time to relapse (TTR) were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method and compared by log‐rank tests. Cox proportional hazard models were used for uni‐ and multivariate analysis. Immunoscore and clinicopathological parameters (number of metastases, surgical margin, histopathological growth pattern, and steatohepatitis) were associated with relapse in multivariate analysis. Overall, pathological score (PS) that combines relevant clinicopathological factors for relapse, and I, were prognostic for TTR (2‐year TTR rate PS 0–1: 49.8.% (95% CI: 42.2–58.8) versus PS 2–4: 20.9% (95% CI: 13.4–32.8), hazard ratio (HR) = 2.54 (95% CI: 1.82–3.53), p < 0.0000; and 2‐year TTR rate I 0: 25.7% (95% CI: 16.3–40.5) versus I 3–4: 60% (95% CI: 47.2–76.3), HR = 2.87 (95% CI: 1.73–4.75), p = 0.0000). Immunoscore was also prognostic for OS (HR [I 3–4 versus I 0] = 4.25, 95% CI: 1.95–9.23; p = 0.0001). Immunoscore (HR [I 3–4 versus I 0] = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.12–0.58; p = 0.0009) and RAS mutation (HR [mutated versus WT] = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.06–2.58; p = 0.0265) were significant for OS. In conclusion, PS including relevant clinicopathological parameters and Immunoscore permit stratification of stage IV colorectal cancer patient prognosis in terms of TTR and identify patients with higher risk of recurrence. Immunoscore remains the major prognostic factor for OS.
Cytomorphologic features of thyroid disease in patients with DICER1 mutations: A report of cytology–histopathology correlation in 7 patients
Authors: Darbinyan Armine , Morotti Raffaella , Cai Guoping , Prasad Manju Lata , Christison‐Lagay Emily , Dinauer Catherine , Adeniran Adebowale J.
Published: September 2020

Background

Germline and somatic mutations of DICER1 have been identified in various types of neoplastic lesions, with germline DICER1 mutation being linked to autosomal dominant hereditary pleiotropic tumor syndrome (DICER1 syndrome). Patients with DICER1 syndrome are at increased risk of developing thyroid disease, including thyroid cancer. The goal of this study was to identify diagnostic cytologic features in thyroid fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) samples from patients with DICER1 mutation.

Methods

Cytology cases of thyroid FNA from 7 patients with DICER1 mutation were identified. Clinical, imaging, cytomorphologic, and molecular data were analyzed.

Results

Cytologic preparations from reviewed cases showed thyroid lesions of follicular derivation with scant colloid, moderate cellularity, uniform follicular cells with round nuclei and inconspicuous nucleoli arranged in small crowded groups and microfollicles. Follicular neoplasm was diagnosed in 4 cases and follicular lesion of undetermined significance in 3 cases, based on the Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology. Histopathological analysis of thyroid tissue confirmed neoplastic process in 6 out of 7 cases: follicular carcinoma (FC, 3 cases), papillary thyroid carcinoma (2 cases), poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma (PDTC, 1 case). Genetic studies identified 3 different somatic variants of DICER1 gene, including transcript consequence c.5428G>T, which was detected in FC and PDTC (and has been described previously in multinodular goiter).

Conclusion

DICER1 mutation in all analyzed patients was identified as a result of thyroid FNA evaluation, emphasizing the critical role of FNA in the screening of patients with thyroid nodules, proper diagnosis of thyroid disease, and monitoring of patients with DICER1 mutation.
Age and shock severity predict mortality in cardiac intensive care unit patients with and without heart failure
Authors: Padkins Mitchell , Breen Thomas , Anavekar Nandan , van Diepen Sean , Henry Timothy D. , Baran David A. , Barsness Gregory W. , Kashani Kianoush , Holmes David R. , Jentzer Jacob C.
Published: September 2020

Aims

Age is an important risk factor for mortality among patients with cardiogenic shock and heart failure (HF). We sought to assess the extent to which age modified the performance of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) shock stage for in‐hospital and 1 year mortality in cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) patients with and without HF.

Methods and results

We retrospectively reviewed unique admissions to the Mayo Clinic CICU during 2007–2015 and stratified patients by age and SCAI shock stage. The association between age and in‐hospital mortality was analysed using multivariable logistic regression, and 1 year mortality was analysed using Cox proportional hazards analysis, both in the entire cohort and among patients with an admission diagnosis of HF or acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The final study population included 10 004 unique patients with a mean age of 67 ± 15 years, including 46.1% with HF and 43.1% with ACS. Older patients more frequently had HF and had more extensive co‐morbidities, higher illness severity, more organ failure, and differential use of critical care therapies. The percentage of patients with SCAI shock stages A, B, C, D, and E were 46%, 30%, 16%, 7%, and 1%, respectively. Patients with HF were older, had greater severity of illness and higher SCAI shock stage, and had higher rates of death at all time points. In‐hospital mortality occurred in 908 (9%) patients, including 549 (12%) patients with HF (61% of all hospital deaths). Age was independently associated with hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio per 10 years 1.3, 95% confidence interval 1.2–1.4, P < 0.001) and 1 year mortality (adjusted hazard ratio per 10 years 1.2, 95% confidence interval 1.2–1.3, P < 0.001) in the overall cohort. The associations of age with both hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio 1.6 vs. 1.3 per 10 years older) and 1 year mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 1.5 vs. 1.3 per 10 years older) were higher for patients with ACS compared with patients with HF. Older age was associated with higher adjusted hospital mortality and 1 year mortality in each SCAI shock stage (all P < 0.05). Additive increases in both hospital mortality and 1 year mortality were observed with increasing age and SCAI shock stage.

Conclusions

Age is an independent risk factor for mortality that modifies the relationship between the SCAI shock stage and mortality risk in CICU patients, providing robust risk stratification for in‐hospital and 1 year mortality. Although patients with HF had a higher risk of dying, age was more strongly associated with mortality among patients with ACS.
Evaluation of efficiency enhancement in Iran Health Insurance Organization: a policy brief for pharmaceutical cost containment
Authors: Yousefi Nazila , Polroudi Moghaddam Mahyar , Afsharmanesh Gita , Peiravian Farzad
Published: September 2020

Background

Rapid increasing pharmaceutical spending on the one hand and limited budgets on the other hand are problems confronting health expenditure. Policymakers have realized that without the negative effect on quality of care, they can control pharmaceutical spending.

Methods

The study methodology involved a targeted review of the literature on cost containment policies, their implementation issues, advantages, and disadvantages.

Then, all proposed strategies were investigated through interviewing insurance experts. Finally, these policies were prioritized with respect to their adherence to the main issues of performance.

Results

Considering implementation costs, durability, and feasibility, six policy options have been proposed as follows: stopping non‐prescription medicine reimbursement, using a tiered‐coinsurance mechanism, establishing prescription‐guidelines, implementing cost‐effectiveness‐studies, employing scientific bargaining methods, and using different levels of reference pricing.

Conclusions

Despite the possibility of some physicians' resistance, preparing prescription guidelines and their gradual enforcement is considered as the first choice. Next, it seems that reference pricing is the most feasible policy. It is in spite of some confusion and dissatisfaction, which might arise due to lack of knowledge and an increase in out‐of‐pocket expenses. Then, all pricing methods, including cost‐effectiveness studies and internal and external reference pricing, should be used as negotiation leverage with pharmaceutical companies. Afterward, stopping non‐prescription medicine reimbursement should be implemented by good media communication in view of its effects on a wide range of population. Finally, implementation of tiered‐coinsurance mechanism should be considered with special attention to some inherent technical complexity.
Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction in Hypertension Patients: A Myocardial MR Strain Study
Authors: He Jian , Sirajuddin Arlene , Li Shuang , Zhuang Baiyan , Xu Jing , Zhou Di , Wu Weichun , Sun Xiaoxin , Fan Xiaohan , Ji Keshan , Chen Lin , Zhao Shihua , Arai Andrew E. , Lu Minjie
Published: September 2020

Background

Despite current recommendations for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), few studies have demonstrated the ability of MRI to identify subtle functional differences between HFpEF with essential hypertension (HFpEF‐HTN) patients and hypertension patients (HTN).

Purpose

This study aimed to detect and evaluate HFpEF in patients with HTN using feature‐tracking (FT) and to ascertain optimal strain cutoffs for the diagnosis of HFpEF‐HTN.

Study Type

Retrospective study.

Population

Three groups (84 with HFpEF‐HTN; 72 with HTN; and 70 healthy controls).

Field Strength

1.5T, steady‐state free precession (SSFP), and half‐Fourier single‐shot turbo spin‐echo (HASTE) sequences.

Assessment

All patients underwent laboratory testing and imaging protocols (echocardiography and MRI). FT‐derived left ventricular (LV) strain and strain rate (SR) were measured and compared among the three groups with adjustment for confounding factors.

Statistical Tests

Kolmogorov–Smirnov's test, independent‐sample t‐tests, one‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson's correlation coefficient, area under the receiver‐operator characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC), and logistic regression.

Results

Compared to 72 HTN patients and 70 healthy controls, HFpEF‐HTN patients (84 patients) demonstrated significantly impaired LV strains (except for global peak systolic radial strain, GRS, P < 0.05 for all). Only LV global peak systolic longitudinal strain (GLS) was significantly impaired in HTN patients vs. controls (P < 0.05). The global peak systolic circumferential SR (sGCSR) showed the highest diagnostic value for the differentiation of HFpEF‐HTN patients from HTN patients (AUC, 0.731; cutoff value, −1.11/s; sensitivity, 56.0%; specificity, 84.7%). Only global peak early diastolic longitudinal SR (eGLSR) remained independently associated with a diagnosis of HFpEF‐HTN in multilogistic analysis. The major strain parameters significantly correlated with LV ejection fraction, end‐systolic volume index, and N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide (P < 0.05 for all) and also demonstrated differences between NYHA functional class.

Data Conclusion

HFpEF‐HTN patients suffer from both systolic and diastolic cardiac dysfunction. FT‐derived strain parameters have potential value for the diagnosis and risk stratification of HFpEF‐HTN patients.

Level of Evidence 3.

Technical Efficacy Stage 2.
Photopatterning of Azobenzene‐Containing Liquid Crystalline Triblock Copolymers: Light‐Induced Anisotropy and Photostabilization
Authors: Audia Biagio , Bugakov Miron A. , Boiko Natalia I. , Pagliusi Pasquale , Cipparrone Gabriella , Shibaev Valery P.
Published: September 2020

Photochromic liquid crystalline block copolymers (PLCBCs) are currently playing a significant role as light‐responsive materials because of their light controllable features over multiple length scales. Herein, a study of the photoinduced optical anisotropy derived by the combination of orientation phenomena at molecular and supramolecular levels in a novel kind of side‐chain PLCBCs with mesogenic phenyl benzoate groups and pyridine units that is hydrogen bonded with azobenzene‐containing phenol is reported. Based on the polymeric architectures and composition, the supramolecular configuration self‐organizes in different microphases that affect the material response to the external stimuli. Simple, 1D, polarization holograms are recorded to evaluate the photoinduced birefringence. The first step, light patterning, involves the orientation of the azobenzene units and precedes a thermal treatment that amplifies the induced anisotropy through the cooperative orientation of the mesogenic units. By selective extraction, the azobenzene units can be removed, making the material transparent to the visible light. Excellent photostability of the material birefringence is obtained, whose final value is strongly affected by the block copolymer's architecture. The versatility in the molecular design, the fine control of the photoinduced features by external parameters, and, finally, the possibility to achieve photostability make these materials of great potential for developing optical and photonic devices.
Risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus by antimuscarinic agents among adult females receiving care in the military health system
Authors: Selig Daniel J. , Brown Aaron J. , DeLuca Jesse P. , Kress Adrian T. , Livezey Jeffrey R. , Oliver Thomas G. , Por Elaine D. , Thelus Jean Rosenie
Published: September 2020

Purpose

To explore patterns of antimuscarinic medication as a risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods

This is a retrospective cohort study of females 18 years or older within the Military Health System from 2006 to 2016. Administrative and claims data were used to select patients who initiated therapy with tolterodine, fesoterodine, oxybutynin, darifenacin, solifenacin, or trospium. Patients with no documented history of T2DM were followed for the occurrence of T2DM, the end of the study or loss of eligibility. Rates of T2DM were calculated for the overall population, by duration of therapy and by individual drugs. Crude and adjusted Cox proportional hazards were calculated to assess differences by duration of use and specific muscarinic antagonist.

Results

Over 2.6 million antimuscarinic prescriptions were dispensed to 241 829 females (mean age/SD, 62 ± 18 years). Patients exposed to M3 selective antagonists had highest risk of developing T2DM compared to those exposed to nonselective antagonists. Using oxybutynin, a nonselective antagonist as a comparator, adjusted rate ratios of T2DM were 57% (HR 1.57, 95%CI 1.48‐1.67) and 29% (HR 1.29, 95%CI 1.24‐1.35) significantly higher for darifenacin and solifenacin, respectively (both M3 selective).

Conclusions

We found exposure to M3 selective antagonists darifenacin and solifenacin had the highest risk of developing T2DM compared to nonselective antagonist oxybutynin. This is supported by well described physiologic mechanisms and may allow for more informed prescribing decisions, particularly if minimizing risk of T2DM is a priority.
Glycyrrhizin: An old weapon against a novel coronavirus
Authors: Chrzanowski Julian , Chrzanowska Alicja , Graboń Wojciech
Published: September 2020

Currently, over 100 countries are fighting against a common enemy, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS‐CoV)‐2, which causes COVID‐19. This has created a demand for a substance whose effectiveness has already been demonstrated in a similar scenario. Glycyrrhizin (GZ) is a promising agent against SARS‐CoV‐2 as its antiviral activity against SARS‐CoV has already been confirmed. It is worthwhile to extrapolate from its proven therapeutic effects as there is a high similarity in the structure and genome of SARS‐CoV and SARS‐CoV‐2. There are many possible mechanisms through which GZ acts against viruses: increasing nitrous oxide production in macrophages, affecting transcription factors and cellular signalling pathways, directly altering the viral lipid‐bilayer membrane, and binding to the ACE2 receptor. In this review, we discuss the possible use of GZ in the COVID‐19 setting, where topical administration appears to be promising, with the nasal and oral cavity notably being the potent location in terms of viral load. The most recently published papers on the distribution of ACE2 in the human body and documented binding of GZ to this receptor, as well as its antiviral activity, suggest that GZ can be used as a therapeutic for COVID‐19 and as a preventive agent against SARS‐CoV‐2.
Conditional mean‐ and median‐based cumulative sum control charts for Weibull data
Authors: Raza Syed Muhammad Muslim , Ali Sajid , Shah Ismail , Butt Muhammad Moeen
Published: September 2020

This article deals with the monitoring of censored data using the cumulative sum (CUSUM) control charts for Weibull lifetimes under type‐I censoring. To develop an efficient CUSUM structure for censored data, we use the conditional expected value (CEV) and conditional median (CM) approaches. In particular, we focus on the detection of shifts in the mean of Weibull lifetimes assuming censored data. In addition to fixed/known parameter values, the effect of estimation is assessed on the detection power of control charts. The performance of the proposed charts is evaluated by the average run length (ARL). Furthermore, the ARL performance of CUSUM charts is compared with CEV‐ and CM‐based exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) control charts. Besides an extensive simulation study, the significance of the current work is illustrated by a data set on the response time of a thermostat experiment.
Dynamic homogenization approach for in‐plane and out‐of‐plane linear vibration analysis of masonry wall structures
Authors: Atailia Sarra , Meftah Sid Ahmed , Fouchal Fazia , Laib Salah‐eddine
Published: September 2020

In the present paper, a constitutive viscoelastic model for periodic masonry structures is proposed. Using a dynamic homogenization approach of the continuous and discrete‐based model leads to the determination of the anisotropic material properties by assigning the fictitious stress and strains of the homogeneous cell masonry unit. These properties are defined as complex moduli, which consist of real parts representing elastic stiffness and imaginary ones referring to energy dissipations. The advantage of the proposed model is that the damping properties associated to different modes of vibrations can be easily evaluated. Numerical and parametric investigations are conducted that reveal the capabilities of the model to an accurate prediction of the dynamic properties of the masonry walls mainly under both in‐plane and out‐of‐plane vibrations.
Ludwig Föppl and Gerhard Schubert: Unknown classics of contact mechanics
Authors: Popova Elena , Popov Valentin L.
Published: September 2020

At the beginning of 1941, Professor Ludwig Föppl published an eight‐page paper “Elastische Beanspruchung des Erdbodens unter Fundamenten” (Elastic stress in the ground under foundations). It was further developed by his doctoral student Gerhard Schubert and led to a publication by Schubert in 1942, which contains many results obtained by researchers in contact mechanics in the subsequent decades of the 20th century and would make many of these efforts unnecessary… if it had become known. Unfortunately, both papers have been forgotten, which is not particularly surprising considering the years when they appeared (1941–1942), the language (German), as well as the location of the publisher (Munich). Yet, these are true classic works that are still very worth reading, not just as historical artifacts, but also in terms of content. It is most regrettable that this excellent work, which in itself nearly represents a small “handbook of contact mechanics”, remained essentially unknown for a long time and has only been “rediscovered” in recent years. The present paper provides a historical background and a guideline to the mentioned works by Föppl and Schubert, followed by a complete English translation of Schubert's paper.
Non-perturbative renormalization scheme for the C P -odd three-gluon operator
Authors: Cirigliano Vincenzo , Mereghetti Emanuele , Stoffer Peter
Published: September 2020

Abstract

We define a regularization-independent momentum-subtraction scheme for the C P -odd three-gluon operator at dimension six. This operator appears in effective field theories for heavy physics beyond the Standard Model, describing the indirect effect of new sources of C P-violation at low energies. In a hadronic context, it induces permanent electric dipole moments. The hadronic matrix elements of the three-gluon operator are non-perturbative objects that should ideally be evaluated with lattice QCD. We define a non-perturbative renormalization scheme that can be implemented on the lattice and we compute the scheme transformation to $$ \overline{\mathrm{MS}} $$

MS
¯

at one loop. Our calculation can be used as an interface to future lattice-QCD calculations of the matrix elements of the three-gluon operator, in order to obtain theoretically robust constraints on physics beyond the Standard Model from measurements of the neutron electric dipole moment.
Chirurgische Techniken in der Therapie des Basalzellkarzinoms – eine prospektive Untersuchung
Authors: Kofler Lukas , Häfner Hans-Martin , Schulz Claudia , Eichner Martin , Kofler Katrin , Schnabl Saskia Maria , Breuninger Helmut
Published: September 2020

Hintergrund

Basalzellkarzinome sind die häufigsten epithelialen Hauttumoren und eine häufige Indikation für dermatologische Eingriffe. Trotz der Etablierung medikamentöser Therapieoptionen stellt die Operation weiterhin die Therapie der Wahl dar. Hierbei stehen verschiedene Möglichkeiten zur Verfügung, die von der Kürettage bis hin zu komplexen dermatochirurgischen Eingriffen reichen. Neben dem Hauptaspekt der geringen lokalen Rezidivraten sind auch ästhetische Faktoren und die Anzahl der Eingriffe für die Wahl der Therapie wichtig.

Methoden

In dieser Studie wurden 347 Patienten mit 398 Basalzellkarzinomen (nodulärer Typ, Durchmesser bis 10 mm) prospektiv untersucht. Die Patienten wurden randomisiert in 2 Behandlungsarme eingeteilt: In einer Gruppe wurden die Tumoren kürettiert, in der anderen Gruppe exzidiert. Als Kontrolle dienten Patienten, die im gleichen Untersuchungszeitraum 3‑D-histologisch kontrolliert operiert wurden.

Ergebnisse

Die höchste lokale Rezidivrate wurde nach der Kürettage (14,0 %) beobachtet, während die Gruppe mit 3‑D-Histologie die niedrigste Rezidivrate (0,9 %; p < 0,001) aufwies. In der 3‑D-Gruppe waren mehr Re-Exzisionen erforderlich, um eine vollständige Entfernung des Tumors zu erreichen, als in der Gruppe mit histologischen Serienschnitten. Die Patienten bewerteten das ästhetische Ergebnis am besten nach der Kürettage. Die mittlere Nachbeobachtungszeit betrug 3,9 Jahre.

Schlussfolgerung

Die Wahl der chirurgischen Therapie bei kleinen nodulären Basalzellkarzinomen hängt von den individuellen Gegebenheiten ab. 3‑D-histologisch kontrollierte Exzisionen mit Wundverschluss nach vollständiger Tumorentfernung zeigten in unserer Studie die geringste Rezidivrate. Aber auch die Kürettage stellt eine mögliche chirurgische Therapieoption mit minimalem Aufwand und einer akzeptablen Rezidivrate dar, die zu guten ästhetischen Ergebnissen führen kann.
Die chirurgische Therapie der benignen Prostataobstruktion (BPO) beim antikoagulierten Patienten: eine Übersichtsarbeit über die Blutungsrisiken etablierter Techniken
Authors: Deininger S. , Herrmann T. , Schönburg S. , Törzsök P. , Kunit T. , Lusuardi L.
Published: September 2020

Hintergrund

Bei einer alternden Gesellschaft ist mit einer Zunahme der therapiebedürftigen benignen Prostataobstruktion (BPO) zu rechnen, auch der Anteil an Patienten mit kardiovaskulären Komorbiditäten unter Antikoagulation steigt an. Hier kann die operative Therapie der BPO problematisch sein. Die blutstillende Wirkung der Techniken ist von besonderer Bedeutung.

Fragestellung

Die folgende Übersichtsarbeit diskutiert die Datenlage zum Blutungsrisiko etablierter operativer Techniken und die Stellungnahme der EAU-Leitlinie „EAU Guidelines on Management of Non-Neurogenic Male Lower Urinary Tract symptoms (LUTS) incl. Benign Prostatic Obstruction (BPO)“ zu diesem Thema.

Material und Methoden

Es wurde eine Datenanalyse aus PubMed erstellt.

Ergebnisse

Die EAU-Leitlinie gibt der transurethralen Vaporisation der Prostata mittels Greenlight‑, Thulium- oder Diodenlaser und der Enukleation mittels Holmium- oder Thuliumlaser bei diesem Patientengut den Vorzug. Die bipolare ist der monopolaren transurethralen Resektion der Prostata (TURP) bei der Blutstillung überlegen. Die bipolare Enukleation der Prostata (BipoLEP) kann bei guter Hämostase zukünftig eine Alternative darstellen. Neuere minimal-invasive Techniken wie Urolift® (NeoTract, Pleasanton, USA), I‑TIND© (MediTate, Or-Akiva, Israel) und Rezūm™ (Boston Scientific, Boston, USA) zeigen ein geringes Blutungsrisiko, dies gilt auch für die Prostataarterienembolisation. Nicht geeignet erscheint die Aquaablation/AquaBeam® bei häufigen Nachblutungen. Die chirurgische Adenomektomie kann mit hoher Blutungsgefahr verbunden sein.

Schlussfolgerung

Transurethrale Laservaporisation und -enukleation der Prostata sind die Therapie der Wahl beim antikoagulierten Patienten, jedoch haben auch andere transurethrale Techniken, wie die BipoLEP, ein akzeptables Blutungsrisiko und können je nach lokalen Ressourcen eine Alternative darstellen. Neuere minimal-invasive Ansätze können zukünftig mehr an Bedeutung gewinnen.
Cichoń’s diagram and localisation cardinals
Authors: Goldstern Martin , Klausner Lukas Daniel
Published: September 2020

We reimplement the creature forcing construction used by Fischer et al. (Arch Math Log 56(7–8):1045–1103, 2017. 10.1007/S00153-017-0553-8. arXiv:1402.0367 [math.LO]) to separate Cichoń’s diagram into five cardinals as a countable support product. Using the fact that it is of countable support, we augment our construction by adding uncountably many additional cardinal characteristics, sometimes referred to as localisation cardinals.
Financialization and unconventional monetary policy: a financial-network analysis
Authors: Perillo Chiara , Battiston Stefano
Published: September 2020

Over the last decades, both advanced and emerging economies have experienced the emergence of the phenomenon known as financialization, that, until some time ago, was generally considered beneficial for the economy. The 2007-2008 crisis and the severe post-crisis recession called into question the assumptions underlying the positive perception of the role played by financialization in the economy. In particular, the effects of financialization on financial stability and inequality are now widely recognized. A recent debate focused on the effectiveness of unconventional monetary policy tools in transferring their effects on the financial sphere to the economic sphere (e.g., via stimulating the transmission of resources from the banking system to the real economy). Among these unconventional policy measures, Quantitative Easing (QE) has been recently implemented by the European Central Bank (ECB). In this context, two questions deserve more attention in the literature. First, to what extent QE may generate net flows of additional resources to the real economy. Second, to what extent QE may also alter the pattern of intra-financial exposures among financial actors and what are the implications in terms of financialization. Here, we address these two questions by mapping and analyzing the euro area multilayer macro-network of financial exposures among institutional sectors across financial instruments (i.e., loans, bonds, equity, and insurance and pension schemes) and we illustrate our approach on recently available data. We then test the effect of the implementation of ECB’s QE on some novel measures of financialization that we derive from the time evolution of the financial linkages in the multilayer macro-network of the euro area.
Isolated rectal buttonhole tears in obstetrics: case series and review of the literature
Authors: Roper Joanna C. , Thakar Ranee , Sultan Abdul H.
Published: September 2020

Introduction and hypothesis

The management of isolated rectal buttonhole tears is not standardised and can be challenging in an acute obstetric setting. Our aim was to review the published literature and describe management and repair techniques in a case series.

Methods

A literature search was carried out. All results were screened and reviewed. Rectal buttonhole tears following vaginal delivery between April 2012 and January 2020 in our institution were identified. Repair technique and post-operative management were recorded.

Results

There were nine published case reports (four instrumental deliveries, two vaginal breech and three normal vaginal deliveries). Four case reports described a two-layer closure and five described a three-layer closure. Two cases were repaired in collaboration with colorectal surgeons. All nine cases made an uneventful recovery. We identified three patients with buttonhole tears all of whom had instrumental deliveries. A colorectal surgeon repaired the tear in two layers in one case, and an obstetrician performed the repair in the other two cases, one in three layers and the other in two layers. One patient had a de-functioning stoma at a later date due to a second breakdown of the recto-vaginal fistula repair.

Conclusion

Buttonhole tears are rare but techniques of repair vary. Most cases reviewed had an uneventful recovery after repair. We provide standardised steps for repair and management of isolated rectal buttonhole tears along with a video demonstrating the repair technique in an animal tissue (pig) model.
Sample preparation of bone tissue for MALDI-MSI for forensic and (pre)clinical applications
Authors: Vandenbosch Michiel , Nauta Sylvia P. , Svirkova Anastasiya , Poeze Martijn , Heeren Ron M.A. , Siegel Tiffany Porta , Cuypers Eva , Marchetti-Deschmann Martina
Published: September 2020

In the past decades, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) has been applied to a broad range of biological samples, e.g., forensics and preclinical samples. The use of MALDI-MSI for the analysis of bone tissue has been limited due to the insulating properties of the material but more importantly the absence of a proper sample preparation protocol for undecalcified bone tissue. Undecalcified sections are preferred to retain sample integrity as much as possible or to study the tissue-bone bio interface in particular. Here, we optimized the sample preparation protocol of undecalcified bone samples, aimed at both targeted and untargeted applications for forensic and preclinical applications, respectively. Different concentrations of gelatin and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) were tested as embedding materials. The composition of 20% gelatin and 7.5% CMC showed to support the tissue best while sectioning. Bone tissue has to be sectioned with a tungsten carbide knife in a longitudinal fashion, while the sections need to be supported with double-sided tapes to maintain the morphology of the tissue. The developed sectioning method was shown to be applicable on rat and mouse as well as human bone samples. Targeted (methadone and EDDP) as well as untargeted (unknown lipids) detection was demonstrated. DHB proved to be the most suitable matrix for the detection of methadone and EDDP in positive ion mode. The limit of detection (LOD) is estimated to approximately 50 pg/spot on bone tissue. The protocol was successfully applied to detect the presence of methadone and EDDP in a dosed rat femur and a dosed human clavicle. The best matrices for the untargeted detection of unknown lipids in mouse hind legs in positive ion mode were CHCA and DHB based on the number of tissue-specific peaks and signal-to-noise ratios. The developed and optimized sample preparation method, applicable on animal and human bones, opens the door for future forensic and (pre)clinical investigations.
Reevaluation of reference values for bone marrow differential counts in 236 healthy bone marrow donors
Authors: Parmentier Stefani , Kramer Michael , Weller Swetlana , Schuler Ulrich , Ordemann Rainer , Rall Gabi , Schaich Markus , Bornhäuser Martin , Ehninger Gerhard , Kroschinsky Frank
Published: September 2020

Despite the increasing role of molecular markers, differential counts and morphology of hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow (BM) remain essential diagnostic criteria in hematological diseases. However, the respective reference values for BM myelogram commonly used came from small series with limited numbers of healthy individuals. We evaluated the myelograms of 236 healthy individuals who underwent unrelated bone marrow donation. Health check-ups were performed 4 weeks prior to harvest. Samples for this study, taken from the first aspiration, were stained according to the standardPappenheimmethod. Three experienced investigators assessed cellularity, megakaryopoiesis, and differential counts independently. The median donor age was 31 (range 18–51) years. Predonation tests did not reveal any relevant morbidity. Thirty-seven out of 42 hypocellular marrow samples were from younger donors up to 39 years. Content of megakaryocytes was normal in 210 specimens (89%). Gender and body mass index had significant impact on hematopoiesis, whereas age had not. The number of erythroblasts was higher (about 32%) and the proportion granulopoiesis slightly lower (about 50%) compared with previous studies. Differential counts showed also some differences with respect to individual maturation stages in these lines. Interrater comparisons showed greater reliability for the assignment of cells to the different hematopoietic cell lines than for single-cell diagnoses. This study largely confirms the results for cell counts in normal human bone marrow available from previous reports and provides some insights into factors that affect individual cell populations. It also reveals substantial variability among even experienced investigators in cytological diagnoses.