bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lateral Transtumoral Transforaminal Removal of Cervical Dumbbell Tumors
Authors: Dubey Sudhir , Agrawal Amit
Published: February 2022

Background Cervical dumbbell tumors constitute 15% of cervical nerve sheath tumors. These tumors occupy intraspinal, foraminal, and extraspinal compartments. Laminectomy, laminectomy and facetectomy and anterolateral partial vertebrectomy are the approaches used to address these multicompartment tumors. Laminectomy leads to incomplete tumor removal. Other approaches ensure complete tumor excision but involve more extensive bone work.

Objective We describe our surgical technique and clinical experiences of six patients treated through single lateral approach, addressing all compartments (transforaminal approach) with minimal or no bony resection.

Methods Six patients with cervical dumbbell tumors underwent minimally invasive transforaminal approach and tumor excision. The cohort consisted of four women and two men. All patients underwent complete tumor excision

Technique Intraoperative X-ray and ultrasound are used to localize the respective foramen. Skin is entered from the lateral side and sequential dilatation is done through muscles. The dilators and port are docked to the lateral surface of articular facets. Standard technique of capsule dissection, internal decompression and capsule mobilization is done to remove the tumor. Arachnoid is seen at the end. Tumor cavity is obliterated with fat graft.

Results Total excision of tumor was documented in all patients with postoperative MRI scan. The mean blood loss was 100 mL. The patients could be discharged on second or third postoperative day. Mean follow-up is of 48 months (18–70 months) and all patients had resolution in features of myelopathy.

Conclusions Endoportal transforaminal approach is technically feasible and minimally invasive option to remove the dumbbell schwannomas.
Clinical Predictors of Postintubation Bilateral Vocal Fold Immobility
Authors: Cohen Erin Rachel , Dable Cortney Lee , Iglesias Thomas , Singh Eshita , Ma Ruixuan , Rosow David Edward
Published: February 2022

Introduction Iatrogenic bilateral vocal fold immobility (BVFI) often arises from posterior glottic stenosis (PGS) after endotracheal intubation, whereby posterior commissure mucosal disruption leads to fibrosis and ankylosis of the cricoarytenoid joints. Sequelae can be devastating, resulting in dyspnea, stridor, and death due to asphyxiation.

Objectives We sought to review features associated with PGS to better understand how to prevent this condition. A secondary aim is to analyze factors correlating to tracheostomy dependence.

Methods Charts from January 2010 to November 2020 were retrospectively reviewed, and adult patients with the diagnosis of BVFI after intubation were included. Data on comorbidities, duration of intubation, laryngoscopy, and decannulation status was analyzed.

Results Out of the 68 patients included in the present study, 60.3% were male, and the mean duration of intubation 14.3 ± 8.5 days. A total of 94% of the patients were intubated for at least 7 days, diabetic, and/or obese. Although association with prolonged intubation >7 days was not significant (p = 0.064), complete BVFI on fiberoptic exam (n = 47) was significantly associated with tracheostomy dependence both in the entire cohort (p = 0.036) and in the 56 patients with tracheostomy (p = 0.0086). Patients without cardiovascular disease (CVD) were less likely to be tracheostomy dependent compared with those with CVD (odds ratio [OR]: 0.23 [0.053–0.79]; p = 0.028).

Conclusions We identified duration of intubation, DM, and obesity as potential risk factors for PGS. Complete immobility and CVD were significantly associated with tracheostomy dependence. Our findings may have important implications for earlier tracheostomy in high-risk intubated patients, as well as for closer monitoring of disease progression and earlier intervention in those predisposed to tracheostomy dependence.
Conservative Approach is Safe for Perfused-Pulseless Hands Following Blunt Brachial Artery Injury in Children
Authors: Naga Ahmad R. , Elemam Ali A. , Elaskary Nagib A. , Elsharkawy Ashraf E. , Lotfy Hassan
Published: February 2022

Blunt trauma of the brachial artery (BA) in pediatric age is often associated with neurological and orthopaedic injuries. Acute ischemic hands warrant immediate exploration, but the management of warm-pulseless hands following elbow trauma is controversial. This study evaluates the role of conservative treatment of blunt BA injuries in children with non-threatened hands. Eleven children with blunt trauma onto the BA having warm-pulseless hands were studied retrospectively. After a mean follow-up period of 2.5 ± 0.9 years, all cases had thorough clinical examination and duplex scan to assess the treatment outcomes. At the end of follow-up period, all subjects had well-perfused hands with intact wrist pulses. The duplex scan revealed those who had interposition grafts to be patent and one case had an aneurysmal dilatation. There was no statistical significance difference between affected and healthy forearms regarding the mean peak systolic velocity at the wrist, affected side was 62 ± 0.82 cm/s versus 68 ± 0.57 cm/s for opposite side (p-value = 0.14). Patients with blunt BA trauma and warm-pulseless hands could be managed safely with conservative treatment, leaving surgical exploration for those who did not regain pulses after 48 hours. Duplex ultrasound can safely verify the patency of surgical repair and can be used for surveillance to detect future complications.
Prenatal Genetic Screening and Diagnostic Testing: Assessing Patients' Knowledge, Clinical Experiences, and Utilized Resources in Comparison to Provider's Perceptions
Authors: Delgado Arlin , Schulkin Jay , Macri Charles J.
Published: February 2022

Objective This survey study aimed to assess patient knowledge, clinical resources, and utilized resources about genetic screening and diagnostic testing.

Study Design A one-time anonymous paper survey was distributed to 500 patients at a major urban obstetrics and gynecology department, and an online survey was sent to 229 providers. Descriptive statistics and chi-squared analyses were performed.

Results In all, 466 of 500 patient surveys were completed, and 441 analyzed (88.2% response rate). Among providers, 66 of 229 (29.0% response rate) responded. Patients were on average 32 years old, 27 weeks pregnant, and most often reported a graduate degree level of education (47.4%). Over 75% of patients reported accurate knowledge of basic genetic statements. Patients reported that discussing screening and diagnostic testing with their provider was significantly associated with properly defining screening and diagnostic testing (p < 0.001). Less than 10% of patients reported providers distributing web/video links, books, or any other resource; however, patients most often independently accessed web links (40.1%).

Conclusion Our findings suggest a positive impact from patient and provider discussions in office on patient knowledge and understanding. Discrepancies between educational resources distributed in the clinic and individually accessed resources highlight possible areas of change. Future work should evaluate and implement differing resources to increase patient knowledge.
COVID-19-Associated Coagulopathy in the Peripartum Setting: A Case Report
Authors: Allen Ashley , Hoang Christine , Sangha Roopina
Published: February 2022

Sepsis-induced coagulopathy (SIC) scoring and D-dimer can be used to recognize COVID-19-induced coagulopathy, but the utility of these is largely unknown in the peripartum setting and leaves anticoagulation guidance unclear. We present the case of a critically ill postpartum patient with COVID-19 infection. This patient presented with clinical signs of COVID-19 infection and developed acute respiratory failure requiring invasive mechanical ventilation and subsequent cesarean delivery at 34 weeks. She initially improved postoperatively but deteriorated after postoperative day 5. She was found to have a very elevated D-dimer of 58 μg/mL and anticoagulation was escalated to full dosing. She required prolonged mechanical ventilation and deceased after developing gram-positive cocci bacteremia. This case demonstrates that recognition and management of COVID-19-associated coagulopathy can be confusing in the peripartum period and studies are needed to validate D-dimer and SIC scoring in this population of patients.
Hemodynamic Assessment of Pregnant People with and without Obesity by Noninvasive Bioreactance: A Pilot Study
Authors: Figueiro-Filho Ernesto A. , Robinson Na T. S. , Carvalho Jose , Keunen Johannes , Robinson Monique , Maxwell Cynthia
Published: February 2022

Objective This study aimed to identify cardiovascular differences between pregnant people with and without obesity for trimester-specific changes in hemodynamic parameters using noninvasive cardiac output monitoring (NICOM).

Study Design This study is a pilot prospective comparative cohort between pregnant people with and without obesity. Hemodynamic assessment was performed with NICOM (12–14, 21–23, and 34–36 weeks) during pregnancy.

Results In first trimester, pregnant people with obesity had higher blood pressure, stroke volume (SV), total peripheral resistance index (TPRI), and cardiac output (CO). Pregnant people with obesity continued to have higher SV and cardiac index (second and third trimesters). During the first trimester, body mass index (BMI) positively correlated with SV, TPRI, and CO. Fat mass showed a strong correlation with TPRI. BMI positively correlated with CO during the second trimester and fat mass was positively associated with CO. During the third trimester, TPR negatively correlated with BMI and fat mass.

Conclusion Fat mass gain in the period between the first and second trimesters in addition to the hemodynamic changes due to obesity and pregnancy contribute to some degree of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction which was manifested by lower SVs. Future work should investigate the possible causative role of obesity in the cardiovascular changes identified in people with obesity.
Rate of Revision Hip Arthroscopy for Pediatric Femoroacetabular Impingement: A Systematic Review
Authors: Mojica Edward S. , Yedikian Teren , DeClouette Brittany , Hurley Eoghan T. , Gipsman Aaron , Castañeda Pablo , Youm Thomas
Published: February 2022

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) can cause pain, dysfunction, and early arthritic progression in young patients. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the evidence in literature to determine patient-reported outcomes and failure rates as defined by the need for revision surgery, following hip arthroscopy for pediatric patients with FAI. The literature search was performed based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Clinical studies evaluating the outcomes following primary hip arthroscopy for pediatric patients with FAI were included. Clinical outcomes evaluated included revisions, complications, functional outcome scores (modified Hip Harris Score [mHHS], Non-Arthritis Hip Score, and Visual Analogue Score), and return to play. Statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism version 7. This study is a level IV systematic review. Overall, 20 clinical studies with 1,136 patients (1,223 hips) were included in this review, with an average age of 16.3 years. Overall, 8.6% patients experienced revision surgery. The mHHS was the most widely used metric, present in 17 of the 20 studies. The mHHS was reported as excellent (> 90) in six of these studies and good (80–89) in 11. The weighted mean of the post-operative mHHS found across reporting studies was 84.3, from a baseline score of 58.1. The overall return to play rate was 91%. This study reports excellent post-hip arthroscopy clinical outcomes for FAI and labral tears in the pediatric population. However, revision rates for this surgical procedure are higher than previously documented.
The Concept of a Rupture Risk Envelope for the Cochleo-Saccular Membranes
Authors: Pender Daniel J.
Published: February 2022

Introduction Alterations in endolymphatic pressure have long been suspected of being associated with the development of endolymphatic hydrops and rupture of the membranous labyrinth. More recently, there has been a focus on how membrane mechanics might contribute to membrane rupture. This is suspected to involve the viscoelastoplastic properties of these membranes.

Objective To construct a rupture risk envelope for the cochleo-saccular membranes based on viscoelastoplasticity to provide insight into lesion behavior in Meniere disease.

Methods Reported deformation data from a collagen model of the cochleo-saccular membranes was utilized. Yield stress was defined as 80% of ultimate failure stress. The yield points at various strain rates were used to construct a rupture risk envelope for the membranes.

Results The rupture risk envelope was found to be downward sloping in configuration. At the highest strain rate of 385% per minute, the membrane yield was associated with greater stress (7.0 kPa) and lesser strain (30%); while at the lowest strain rate of 19.2% per minute, there was substantially less membrane yield stress (4.3 kPa) but it was associated with greater strain (44%).

Conclusion The concept of a rupture risk envelope based on viscoelastoplasticity provides insight into hydropic lesion behavior in Meniere disease. This concept helps to explain how variations in membrane distensibility might occur as suspected in the double hit theory of lesion generation in Meniere disease. Slowly developing lesions would appear have a lower rupture risk while rapidly developing lesions would appear to have a greater risk of early membrane rupture.
Fat embolism syndrome in a patient with a right undisplaced femoral neck fracture
Authors: Ishikawa Junta , Sato Nobuhiro , Ishigame Naho , Ono Ayaka , Yamagishi Ikumi , Sakagami Atsushi , Sakai Yoshinori , Hirose Yasuo , Yabe Masahiro
Published: February 2022

Fat embolism syndrome (FES) is a rare condition characterised by the classic triad of respiratory distress, neurologic symptoms and petechial rash. Here, we encountered a case of FES in a patient with an asymptomatic right undisplaced femoral neck fracture (Garden Stage II). FES was diagnosed based on the Gurd and Willson’s diagnostic criteria and brain magnetic resonance imaging features. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of FES in a patient with an undisplaced femoral neck fracture. This study highlights the importance of considering the possibility of FES even in patients with undisplaced femoral neck fractures.
Challenges in Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Mediation Analyses
Authors: Vo Tat-Thang , Vansteelandt Stijn
Published: February 2022

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of mediation studies are increasingly being implemented in practice. Nonetheless, the methodology for conducting such review and analysis is still in a development phase, with much room for improvement. In this paper, we highlight and discuss challenges that investigators face in systematic reviews and meta-analyses of mediation studies and propose ways of accommodating these in practice.
Computational analyses of bacterial strains from shotgun reads
Authors: Ventolero Minerva Fatimae , Wang Saidi , Hu Haiyan , Li Xiaoman
Published: February 2022

Shotgun sequencing is routinely employed to study bacteria in microbial communities. With the vast amount of shotgun sequencing reads generated in a metagenomic project, it is crucial to determine the microbial composition at the strain level. This study investigated 20 computational tools that attempt to infer bacterial strain genomes from shotgun reads. For the first time, we discussed the methodology behind these tools. We also systematically evaluated six novel-strain-targeting tools on the same datasets and found that BHap, mixtureS and StrainFinder performed better than other tools. Because the performance of the best tools is still suboptimal, we discussed future directions that may address the limitations.
PST-PRNA: prediction of RNA-binding sites using protein surface topography and deep learning
Authors: Li Pengpai , Liu Zhi-Ping
Published: February 2022

Motivation

Protein–RNA interactions play essential roles in many biological processes, including pre-mRNA processing, post-transcriptional gene regulation and RNA degradation. Accurate identification of binding sites on RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) is important for functional annotation and site-directed mutagenesis. Experimental assays to sparse RBPs are precise and convincing but also costly and time consuming. Therefore, flexible and reliable computational methods are required to recognize RNA-binding residues.

Results

In this work, we propose PST-PRNA, a novel model for predicting RNA-binding sites (PRNA) based on protein surface topography (PST). Taking full advantage of the 3D structural information of protein, PST-PRNA creates representative topography images of the entire protein surface by mapping it onto a unit spherical surface. Four kinds of descriptors are encoded to represent residues on the surface. Then, the potential features are integrated and optimized by using deep learning models. We compile a comprehensive non-redundant RBP dataset to train and test PST-PRNA using 10-fold cross-validation. Numerous experiments demonstrate PST-PRNA learns successfully the latent structural information of protein surface. On the non-redundant dataset with sequence identity of 0.3, PST-PRNA achieves area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) value of 0.860 and Matthew’s correlation coefficient value of 0.420. Furthermore, we construct a completely independent test dataset for justification and comparison. PST-PRNA achieves AUC value of 0.913 on the independent dataset, which is superior to the other state-of-the-art methods.

Availability and implementation

The code and data are available at https://www.github.com/zpliulab/PST-PRNA. A web server is freely available at http://www.zpliulab.cn/PSTPRNA.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Accuracy of MRI in early rectal cancer: national cohort study
Authors: Rosén Roberto , Nilsson Emelie , Rahman Milladur , Rönnow Carl-Fredrik
Published: February 2022

MRI plays a pivotal role in the staging of early rectal cancer, resulting in allocation of patients to surgery or organ-sparing treatment. In this large population-based retrospective cohort study, MRI substantially understaged pT3 and overstaged pT1 rectal cancer, in addition to unreliable nodal staging. Based on these findings, MRI is not adequate in allocating patients with rectal cancer to organ-sparing treatment.
Psychiatric symptoms of frontotemporal dementia and subcortical (co-)pathology burden: new insights
Authors: Scarioni Marta , Gami-Patel Priya , Peeters Carel F W , de Koning Florianne , Seelaar Harro , Mol Merel O , van Swieten John C ,   Netherlands Brain Bank, Rozemuller Annemieke J M , Hoozemans Jeroen J M , Pijnenburg Yolande A L , Dijkstra Anke A
Published: February 2022

Three subtypes of distinct pathological proteins accumulate throughout multiple brain regions and shape the heterogeneous clinical presentation of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Besides the main pathological subtypes, co-occurring pathologies are common in FTLD brain donors. The objective of this study was to investigate how the location and burden of (co-)pathology correlate to early psychiatric and behavioural symptoms of FTLD.

Eighty-seven brain donors from The Netherlands Brain Bank cohort (2008–2017) diagnosed with FTLD were included: 46 FTLD-TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (FTLD-TDP), 34 FTLD-tau, and seven FTLD-fused-in-sarcoma (FTLD-FUS). Post-mortem brain tissue was dissected into 20 standard regions and stained for phosphorylated TDP-43, phosphorylated tau, FUS, amyloid-β, and α-synuclein. The burden of each pathological protein in each brain region was assessed with a semi-quantitative score. Clinical records were reviewed for early psychiatric and behavioural symptoms. Whole-brain clinico-pathological partial correlations were calculated (local false discovery rate threshold = 0.01). Elaborating on the results, we validated one finding using a quantitative assessment of TDP-43 pathology in the granular layer of the hippocampus in FTLD-TDP brain donors with (n = 15) and without (n = 15) hallucinations.

In subcortical regions, the presence of psychiatric symptoms showed positive correlations with increased hippocampal pathology burden: hallucinations with TDP-43 in the granular layer (R = 0.33), mania with TDP-43 in CA1 (R = 0.35), depression with TDP-43 in CA3 and with parahippocampal tau (R = 0.30 and R = 0.23), and delusions with CA3 tau (R = 0.26) and subicular amyloid-β (R = 0.25). Behavioural disinhibition showed positive correlations with tau burden in the thalamus (R = 0.29) and with both TDP-43 and amyloid-β burden in the subthalamus (R = 0.23 and R = 0.24). In the brainstem, the presence of α-synuclein co-pathology in the substantia nigra correlated with disinhibition (R = 0.24), tau pathology in the substantia nigra correlated with depression (R = 0.25) and in the locus coeruleus with both depression and perseverative/compulsive behaviour (R = 0.26 and R = 0.32). The quantitative assessment of TDP-43 in the granular layer validated the higher burden of TDP-43 pathology in brain donors with hallucinations compared to those without hallucinations (P = 0.007).

Our results show that psychiatric symptoms of FTLD are linked to subcortical pathology burden in the hippocampus, and hallucinations are linked to a higher burden of TDP-43 in the granular layer. Co-occurring non-FTLD pathologies in subcortical regions could contribute to configuring the clinical phenotype of FTLD.
Spatiotemporal and sensory modality attention processing with domain-specific representations in frontoparietal areas
Authors: Wang Luyao , Li Chunlin , Han Ziteng , Wu Qiong , Sun Liwei , Zhang Xu , Go Ritsu , Wu Jinglong , Yan Tianyi
Published: February 2022

The frontoparietal network (FPN), including bilateral frontal eye field, inferior parietal sulcus, and supplementary motor area, has been linked to attention processing, including spatiotemporal and sensory modality domains. However, it is unclear whether FPN encodes representations of these domains that are generalizable across subdomains. We decomposed multivariate patterns of functional magnetic resonance imaging activity from 20 participants into domain-specific components and identified latent multivariate representations that generalized across subdomains. The 30 experimental conditions were organized into unimodal–bimodal and spatial–temporal models. We found that brain areas in the FPN, form the primary network that modulated during attention across domains. However, the activation patterns of areas within the FPN were reorganized according to the specific attentional demand, especially when pay attention to different sensory, suggesting distinct regional neural representations associated with specific attentional processes within FPN. In addition, there were also other domain-specific areas outside the FPN, such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Our conclusion is that, according to the results of the analysis of representation similarity, 2 types of activated brain regions, related to attention domain detailed information processing and general information processing, can be revealed.
Infectious Diseases-Related Hospitalizations During Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) and Non-OPV Immunization Periods: An Empirical Evaluation of all Hospital Discharges in California (1985–2010)
Authors: Contopoulos-Ioannidis Despina G , Altamirano Jonathan , Maldonado Yvonne
Published: February 2022

Background

Live attenuated vaccines such as oral polio vaccine (OPV) can stimulate innate immunity and may have off-target protective effects on other pathogens. We aimed to address this hypothesis by examining changes in infectious diseases (ID)-related hospitalizations in all hospital discharges in California during OPV (1985–1996) and non-OPV immunization periods (2000–2010).

Methods

We searched the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development database for all hospital discharges with any ID-related discharge diagnosis code during 1985–2010. We compared the proportion of ID-related hospitalizations (with at least  1 ID-related discharge diagnosis) among total hospitalizations during OPV immunization (1985–1996) versus non-OPV immunization (2000–2010) periods.

Results

There were 19 281 039 ID-related hospitalizations (8 464 037 with an ID-related discharge diagnosis as the principal discharge diagnosis for the hospitalization) among 98 117 475 hospitalizations in 1985–2010; 9 520 810 ID hospitalizations/43 456 484 total hospitalizations in 2000–2010 versus 7 526 957/43 472 796 in 1985–1996. The risk ratio for ID-related hospitalizations in 2000–2010 versus 1985–1996 was 1.27 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26–1.27) for all diagnoses and 1.15 (95% CI: 1.15–1.16) for principal diagnoses. Increases also existed in the proportion of lower respiratory and gastrointestinal infections.

Discussion

The proportion of ID-related hospitalizations was lower in the OPV immunization period compared to the period after OPV was discontinued. When focused only on hospitalizations with ID as the principal discharge diagnosis, the signal remained significant but was smaller. These findings require replication in additional studies.
A Posture of Protestation: Civil Litigation and Constitutional Culture in the Reformation-Era Holy Roman Empire
Authors: Ludin Sarah
Published: February 2022

What role did judicial courts play in the constitution of the early modern Holy Roman Empire? Scholars have shown that the frameworks of judicialization (which highlights the peaceful channelling mechanisms of law) and of instrumentalization (which underscores the political uses and abuses of law) are unsatisfactory for fully describing the ways in which high courts shaped and participated in the constitutional landscape of the early modern Empire. Yet historiography on the Reformation cases continues to operate within this rule-of-law/politics dichotomy. This article offers a new way of considering the constitutional significance of the Reformation cases by analysing uses of a legal instrument—the protestatio—in the context of civil litigation. While the protestation is well-known for its uses in the context of imperial diets, its uses in court—and in particular its centrality to the Protestant litigation strategy—have been ignored. This study illuminates not only a more complete account of the role of law and litigation in the history of the Reformation, but also a hitherto neglected dimension of the role of courts in constituting relations among the Empire’s rulers, centred on litigative practices and techniques—the constitutional culture of litigation. It argues that the work of litigation itself—not only in its jurisprudence or the substantive interpretations made, but also in the forms and language through which litigants were required to operate and argue—had a distinctively important role in constituting relations among the rulers of the early modern Holy Roman Empire.
A dominant negative splice variant of the heparan sulfate biosynthesis enzyme NDST1 reduces heparan sulfate sulfation
Authors: Missaghian Parisa , Dierker Tabea , Khosrowabadi Elham , Axling Fredrik , Eriksson Inger , Ghanem Abdurrahman , Kusche-Gullberg Marion , Kellokumpu Sakari , Kjellén Lena
Published: February 2022

NDST1 (glucosaminyl N-deacetylase/N-sulfotransferase) is a key enzyme in heparan sulfate (HS) biosynthesis, where it is responsible for HS N-deacetylation and N-sulfation. In addition to the full length human enzyme of 882 amino acids, here designated NDST1A, a shorter form containing 825 amino acids (NDST1B) is synthesized after alternative splicing of the NDST1 mRNA. NDST1B is mostly expressed at a low level, but increased amounts are seen in several types of cancer where it is associated with shorter survival. In this study, we aimed at characterizing the enzymatic properties of NDST1B and its effect on HS biosynthesis. Purified recombinant NDST1B lacked both N-deacetylase and N-sulfotransferase activities. Interestingly, HEK293 cells overexpressing NDST1B synthesized HS with reduced sulfation and altered domain structure. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer-microscopy demonstrated that both NDST1A and NDST1B had the capacity to interact with the HS copolymerase subunits EXT1 and EXT2 and also to form NDST1A/NDST1B dimers. Since lysates from cells overexpressing NDST1B contained less NDST enzyme activity than control cells, we suggest that NDST1B works in a dominant negative manner, tentatively by replacing the active endogenous NDST1 in the enzyme complexes taking part in biosynthesis.
An energy efficiency solution based on time series data mining algorithm on elementary school building
Authors: Gong Qiang , Liu Xiaodong , Zeng Ying , Han Shuyan
Published: February 2022

The purpose of this study is to conduct data mining research on the time series energy consumption dataset of primary school buildings. Researches done so far mainly focused on cluster analysis and association analysis. In this article, python language is used as the carrier; Κ-shape algorithm and apriori algorithm are adapted to perform cluster analysis and association analysis on the time series energy consumption data of primary school buildings, from the perspective of the subentry and total energy consumption. The final result shows that the energy consumption curve and association rules obtained through clustering and association can effectively reflect the operating characteristics of primary school buildings. In terms of clustering, regardless of the subentry energy consumption or the total energy consumption, there are different characteristics of energy consumption patterns in winter and summer, which depend on the school schedule. With respect to association rules, there are different chain relationships between itemized total energy consumptions in the primary school building. In particular, heating natural gas consumption and cooling consumption mainly determine the changes in other energy consumption.
Stability of Peaked Solitary Waves for a Class of Cubic Quasilinear Shallow-Water Equations
Authors: Chen Robin Ming , Di Huafei , Liu Yue
Published: February 2022

This paper is concerned with two classes of cubic quasilinear equations, which can be derived as asymptotic models from shallow-water approximation to the 2D incompressible Euler equations. One class of the models has homogeneous cubic nonlinearity and includes the integrable modified Camassa–Holm (mCH) equation and Novikov equation, and the other class encompasses both quadratic and cubic nonlinearities. It is demonstrated here that both these models possess localized peaked solutions. By constructing a Lyapunov function, these peaked waves are shown to be dynamically stable under small perturbations in the natural energy space $H^1$, without restriction on the sign of the momentum density. In particular, for the homogeneous cubic nonlinear model, we are able to further incorporate a higher-order conservation law to conclude orbital stability in $H^1\cap W^{1,4}$. Our analysis is based on a strong use of the conservation laws, the introduction of certain auxiliary functions, and a refined continuity argument.
Reorienting competition law
Authors: Lianos Ioannis
Published: February 2022

This article explores the impact of increasing complexity, in its political, business and technological dimensions, on enforcing competition law. It particularly tackles the issue of sustainable development and the institutional reforms that need to be undertaken, the emergence of new fields of competition, such as ecosystems, and the challenges of computational competition law and economics.
Development and Validation of Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC) Method for the Quantitative Estimation of Caffeine in Non-Alcoholic Soft and Energy Drinks
Authors: Ahmad Wasim , Yusuf Mohammad , Ahmad Ayaz , Hassan Yousif Amin , Amir Mohd , Wahab Shadma
Published: February 2022

Background

The popularity of beverages such as cold coffee, iced tea, and energy drinks has risen tremendously among athletes and youths. Energy drinks are used to enhance performance due to the presence of a high amount of caffeine (CFN) and sugars, as well as other constituents such as vitamins, amino acids, taurine, extracts of Ginkgo biloba, ginseng, guarana, and other herbal products. Commercial drinks are promoted as being beneficial to health; thus it is an important concern regarding adverse effects linked with these drinks or products.

Objective

The aim of the study is to develop and validate the ultra performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detector (UPLC-PDA) method for the estimation of CFN in eight marketed non-alcoholic drinks including two soft drinks and six energy drinks.

Method

The chromatographic separation of CFN was achieved on Acquity UPLC® CSHTM C18 1.7 µm, 2.1 × 100 mm column, using isocratic mode, mobile phase comprising acetonitrile and water (30:70, v/v) at a flow rate 0.3 mL/min using injection volume 1 µL.

Results

The elution of CFN occurred at 1.06 min, and the calibration curve of the CFN was computed from the peak area ratio detected at 273 nm. All the validation parameters were found within the assay variability limits as per ICH guidelines. The obtained results revealed that the soft drinks SD1 and SD2 have 87.21 ± 1.28 and 101.81 ± 1.52% (w/w), whereas CFN concentration in energy drink brands ED1, ED2, ED3, ED4, ED5, and ED6 was 95.90 ± 1.62, 64.0 ± 1.07, 76.68 ± 1.95, 74.97 ± 2.33, 82.09 ± 2.43, and 88.04 ± 2.94% (w/w) of labeled claims, respectively.

Conclusions

The developed UPLC method was found suitable for the quality control of commercial soft and energy drinks containing CFN.

Highlights

The developed chromatographic method is very simple, cost effective and could be utilized for the routine analysis of caffeine in the soft and energy drinks.
Pediatric SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence in Arkansas Over the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Boehme Karl W , Kennedy Joshua L , Snowden Jessica , Owens Shana M , Kouassi Marianne , Mann Ryan L , Paredes Amairani , Putt Claire , James Laura , Jin Jing , Du Ruofei , Kirkpatrick Catherine , Modi Zeel , Caid Katherine , Young Sean , Zohoori Namvar , Kothari Atul , Boyanton Bobby L , Craig Forrest J
Published: February 2022

Background

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) seroprevalence studies largely focus on adults, but little is known about spread in children. We determined SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in children and adolescents from Arkansas over the first year of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Methods

We tested remnant serum samples from children ages 1-18 years who visited Arkansas hospitals or clinics for non-COVID-19-related reasons from April 2020 through April 2021 for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. We used univariable and multivariable regression models to determine the association between seropositivity and participant characteristics.

Results

Among 2357 participants, seroprevalence rose from 7.9% in April/May 2020 (95% CI, 4.9-10.9) to 25.0% in April 2021 (95% CI, 21.5-28.5). Hispanic and black children had a higher association with antibody positivity than non-Hispanic and white children, respectively, in multiple sampling periods.

Conclusions

By spring 2021, most children in Arkansas were not infected with SARS-CoV-2. With the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants, recognition of long-term effects of COVID-19, and the lack of an authorized pediatric SARS-CoV-2 vaccine at the time, these results highlight the importance of including children in SARS-CoV-2 public health, clinical care, and research strategies.
Brain uptake and distribution patterns of 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin after intrathecal and intranasal administration
Authors: Banks William A , Calias Pericles , Hansen Kim M , Bullock Kristin M , Engelke Kory
Published: February 2022

Objectives

Cyclodextrins are increasingly used therapeutically. For example, 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (kleptose) is used for the treatment of Niemann–Pick disease. Kleptose crosses the blood–brain barrier poorly, in part because of a central nervous system (CNS)-to-blood (efflux) transporter, and so is administered by the intrathecal (IT) route in the treatment of Niemann–Pick disease.

Methods

Here, we evaluated the uptake and distribution of kleptose by the brain and spinal cord after intranasal (IN) or IT delivery.

Key findings

Kleptose distributed to all regions of the brain and spinal cord after IN administration, with only 3.27% of the administered dose entering the bloodstream. Intrathecal delivery produced levels in the whole brain about 40 times higher than intranasal administration and about 20 times higher than previously found after intravenous administration. About 70–90% of the IT dose rapidly entered the bloodstream, in part because of the previously described efflux transporter. The uptake by CNS after IN and IT was both non-saturable. The uptake by the olfactory bulb, hypothalamus and pons-medulla was favoured by all routes of administration.

Conclusions

Kleptose was taken up by all regions of the CNS after either IN or IT administration, but IN administration resulted in only a fraction of the uptake of the IT route.
‘She Wanted to Listen to her General Practitioner’s Advice…’: Exploring and Explaining Antibiotic Prescribing as a Regulatory Encounter
Authors: Carter David J
Published: February 2022

This article examines the pressing global problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), applying motivational posture theory to demonstrate how AMR and the prescribing that drives it can be considered a regulatory challenge. Following an outline of AMR and the threat of the ‘superbugs’ to which it gives rise, the article assesses the regulatory nature of the ‘prescribing encounter’ in the primary care setting. It applies both a responsive regulatory lens and motivational posture theory to analyse over 100 narrative accounts of encounters between a general practitioner and a patient. In so doing, the article examines the discursive repertoires and cultural resources available to primary care patients to explain the prescribing encounter and the dynamics within it. It concludes that patients conceive of prescribers as regulatory authorities and prescribing itself as a regulatory encounter. On this basis, the article argues that applying responsive regulatory theory and practice in response to the AMR challenge is likely to find reasonable patient acceptance, offering a new approach to this currently intractable challenge. This article then offers an analysis of what factors indicate patient drift towards defiance of regulatory aims, and what engagement and support encourage a return to cooperation.
The Toggle Switch Model for Gene Expression Change during the Prenatal-to-Postnatal Transition in Mammals
Authors: Hao Junjun , Hao Wuling , Liu Zhen , Shi Peng
Published: February 2022

The prenatal-to-postnatal transition is a pivotal process in the life cycle whereby an organism shifts from responding to intrauterine cues to undergoing extrauterine stresses with many physiological adaptations. However, the molecular basis underlying the evolutionarily conserved physiological adaptations remains elusive. Here, we analyze the transcriptomes of seven organs across developmental time points from five mammalian species by constructing computational coexpression networks and report a developmental shift of gene expression at the perinatal stage. The low-to-high and high-to-low expressed genes tightly coalesce in the functional categories and gene regulatory pathways that implicate the physiological adaptions during the prenatal-to-postnatal transition, including lipid metabolism, circadian rhythm, immune response, cell cycle, and cell division. The low-to-high and high-to-low expressed genes around the perinatal stage tend to form the mutually inhibitory toggle switch gene pairs linking the gene regulatory networks in response to the environmental changes. We thus propose the toggle switch model for the developmental shift of gene expression as a mechanic framework to investigate how the physiological adaptations occur during the prenatal-to-postnatal transition.
The non-telomeric evolutionary trajectory of TRF2 in zebrafish reveals its specific roles in neurodevelopment and aging
Authors: Ying Yilin , Hu Xuefei , Han Peng , Mendez-Bermudez Aaron , Bauwens Serge , Eid Rita , Tan Li , Pousse Mélanie , Giraud-Panis Marie-Joseph , Lu Yiming , Gilson Eric , Ye Jing
Published: February 2022

The shelterin protein complex is required for telomere protection in various eukaryotic organisms. In mammals, the shelterin subunit TRF2 is specialized in preventing ATM activation at telomeres and chromosome end fusion in somatic cells. Here, we demonstrate that the zebrafish ortholog of TRF2 (encoded by the terfa gene) is protecting against unwanted ATM activation genome-wide. The terfa-compromised fish develop a prominent and specific embryonic neurodevelopmental failure. The heterozygous fish survive to adulthood but exhibit a premature aging phenotype. The recovery from embryonic neurodevelopmental failure requires both ATM inhibition and transcriptional complementation of neural genes. Furthermore, restoring the expression of TRF2 in glial cells rescues the embryonic neurodevelopment phenotype. These results indicate that the shelterin subunit TRF2 evolved in zebrafish as a general factor of genome maintenance and transcriptional regulation that is required for proper neurodevelopment and normal aging. These findings uncover how TRF2 links development to aging by separate functions in gene expression regulation and genome stability control.
ALT-FISH quantifies alternative lengthening of telomeres activity by imaging of single-stranded repeats
Authors: Frank Lukas , Rademacher Anne , Mücke Norbert , Tirier Stephan M , Koeleman Emma , Knotz Caroline , Schumacher Sabrina , Stainczyk Sabine A , Westermann Frank , Fröhling Stefan , Chudasama Priya , Rippe Karsten
Published: February 2022

Alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) occurs in ∼10% of cancer entities. However, little is known about the heterogeneity of ALT activity since robust ALT detection assays with high-throughput in situ readouts are lacking. Here, we introduce ALT-FISH, a method to quantitate ALT activity in single cells from the accumulation of single-stranded telomeric DNA and RNA. It involves a one-step fluorescent in situ hybridization approach followed by fluorescence microscopy imaging. Our method reliably identified ALT in cancer cell lines from different tumor entities and was validated in three established models of ALT induction and suppression. Furthermore, we successfully applied ALT-FISH to spatially resolve ALT activity in primary tissue sections from leiomyosarcoma and neuroblastoma tumors. Thus, our assay provides insights into the heterogeneity of ALT tumors and is suited for high-throughput applications, which will facilitate screening for ALT-specific drugs.
Mediation of Zinc and Iron Accumulation in Maize by ZmIRT2, a Novel Iron-Regulated Transporter
Authors: Li Suzhen , Song Zizhao , Liu Xiaoqing , Zhou Xiaojin , Yang Wenzhu , Chen Jingtang , Chen Rumei
Published: February 2022

Iron (Fe) is an essential micronutrient for plant growth. Iron-regulated transporters (IRTs) play important roles in Fe2+ uptake and transport in strategy I plants. Maize (Zea mays) belongs to a strategy II plant, in which mugineic acid (MA)-Fe3+ uptake is mainly carried out by Yellow Stripe 1 (YS1). However, ZmIRT1 was previously identified by our laboratory. In this study, we isolated a novel gene from maize (ZmIRT2), which is highly homologous to OsIRT2 and ZmIRT1. ZmIRT2 was expressed in roots and anther and was induced by Fe and zinc (Zn) deficiencies. ZmIRT2-GFP fusion protein localized to the plasma membrane and endoplasmic reticulum. ZmIRT2 reversed growth defects involving Zn and Fe uptake in mutant yeast. ZmIRT2 overexpression in maize led to elevated Zn and Fe levels in roots, shoots and seeds of transgenic plants. Transcript levels of ZmIRT1 were elevated in roots, while levels of YS1 were reduced in shoots of ZmIRT2 transgenic plants. Our results imply that ZmIRT2 may function solely with ZmIRT1 to mediate Fe uptake in roots. ZmIRT1, ZmIRT2 and ZmYS1 may function in a cooperative manner to maintain Zn and Fe homeostasis in ZmIRT2 overexpressing plants. Furthermore, ZmIRT2 could be used in fortification efforts to elevate Zn and Fe levels in crop plants.
Treating patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis vulgaris
Authors: Kessler Timothy R.
Published: February 2022

Psoriasis vulgaris is a common inflammatory disease of adults and children. Affected patients often are incorrectly diagnosed, undertreated, or not treated at all. The relapsing course of psoriasis negatively affects a patient's quality of life. The condition is associated with social isolation, anxiety, and depression, and can harm personal relationships and employment status. Psoriasis may have a significant psychologic and socioeconomic effect throughout a patient's life. Skin involvement is the most prominent symptom of this disease; however, understanding that psoriasis is a chronic, multisystem inflammatory disease is essential to proper treatment. Patients with mild-to-moderate psoriasis can control their disease primarily with topical medications or phototherapy. However, when used as monotherapy or combined with phototherapy, topical medication can be inadequate to treat moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Biologic agents offer treatment options with many benefits for controlling psoriasis vulgaris, whether given as monotherapy or combined with topical or systemic medications.
Barcode Medication Administration Software Technology Use in the Emergency Department and Medication Error Rates
Authors: Gauthier-Wetzel Holly E.
Published: February 2022

High-quality care during and after a medication process requires complete and accurate medication administration documentation. Veterans Affairs Medical Centers use barcode medication administration technology to document medication administered to Veterans throughout the inpatient and long-term care areas of the hospital. Barcode medication administration has demonstrated a reduction in medication administration errors; however, it is not commonly used in Veterans Affairs Medical Center clinical areas or emergency departments. During this study, only 39% of the recorded 165 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers that use barcode medication administration technology in their inpatient areas stated that barcode medication administration was also used in clinical areas of the hospital. Of these facilities, only 14% had implemented barcode medication administration in their emergency department. This study evaluated medication error rates before and after barcode medication administration technology was implemented in the emergency department of a Veterans Affairs Medical Center located in the Southeastern region of the United States. A total of 258 charts, 129 before and 129 after barcode medication administration technology implementation in the emergency department, were reviewed for Veterans who were evaluated and ordered to receive medication in the emergency department before transferring to an inpatient unit at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center where this study was conducted. A quantitative nonexperimental descriptive comparison demonstrated a 10.8% reduction in medication error rates and 21% reduction in the average number of medications given in error per chart after barcode medication administration technology was implemented in the emergency department. In addition to the study outcome, a potentially unsafe workaround was identified. Stakeholders that use barcode medication administration technology in their emergency departments would benefit from assessing the association between barcode medication administration use and medication administration error rates. However, assessing whether barcode medication administration technology remains useful and continues to provide safe medication administration practices for our Veterans is also recommended.