bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distinct Inflammatory and Oxidative Effects of Diabetes Mellitus and Hypothyroidism in the Lacrimal Functional Unit
Authors: Faustino-Barros Jacqueline Ferreira , Saranzo Sant’Ana Ariane Mirela , Dias Lara Cristina , de Andrade Batista Murashima Adriana , Costa Mendes da Silva Lilian Eslaine , Fantucci Marina Zílio , Garcia Denny Marcos , Rocha Eduardo Melani
Published: April 2023

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypothyroidism (HT) are prevalent diseases associated with dry eye (DE). Their impact on the lacrimal functional unit (LFU) is poorly known. This work evaluates the changes in the LFU in DM and HT. Adult male Wistar rats had the disease induced as follows: (a) DM: streptozotocin and (b) HT: methimazole. The tear film (TF) and blood osmolarity were measured. Cytokine mRNA was compared in the lacrimal gland (LG), trigeminal ganglion (TG), and cornea (CO). Oxidative enzymes were evaluated in the LG. The DM group showed lower tear secretion (p = 0.02) and higher blood osmolarity (p < 0.001). The DM group presented lower mRNA expression of TRPV1 in the cornea (p = 0.03), higher Il1b mRNA expression (p = 0.03), and higher catalase activity in the LG (p < 0.001). The DM group presented higher Il6 mRNA expression in the TG (p = 0.02). The HT group showed higher TF osmolarity (p < 0.001), lower expression of Mmp9 mRNA in the CO (p < 0.001), higher catalase activity in the LG (p = 0.002), and higher expression of Il1b mRNA in the TG (p = 0.004). The findings revealed that DM and HT induce distinct compromises to the LG and the entire LFU.
The Yeast Permease Agp2 Senses Cycloheximide and Undergoes Degradation That Requires the Small Protein Brp1-Cellular Fate of Agp2 in Response to Cycloheximide
Authors: Mohanty Ashima , Alhaj Sulaiman Abdallah , Moovarkumudalvan Balasubramanian , Ali Reem , Aouida Mustapha , Ramotar Dindial
Published: April 2023

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae Agp2 is a plasma membrane protein initially reported to be an uptake transporter for L-carnitine. Agp2 was later rediscovered, together with three additional proteins, Sky1, Ptk2, and Brp1, to be involved in the uptake of the polyamine analogue bleomycin-A5, an anticancer drug. Mutants lacking either Agp2, Sky1, Ptk2, or Brp1 are extremely resistant to polyamines and bleomycin-A5, suggesting that these four proteins act in the same transport pathway. We previously demonstrated that pretreating cells with the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (CHX) blocked the uptake of fluorescently labelled bleomycin (F-BLM), raising the possibility that CHX could either compete for F-BLM uptake or alter the transport function of Agp2. Herein, we showed that the agp2Δ mutant displayed striking resistance to CHX as compared to the parent, suggesting that Agp2 is required to mediate the physiological effect of CHX. We examined the fate of Agp2 as a GFP tag protein in response to CHX and observed that the drug triggered the disappearance of Agp2 in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that Agp2-GFP exists in higher molecular weight forms that were ubiquitinylated, which rapidly disappeared within 10 min of treatment with CHX. CHX did not trigger any significant loss of Agp2-GFP in the absence of the Brp1 protein; however, the role of Brp1 in this process remains elusive. We propose that Agp2 is degraded upon sensing CHX to downregulate further uptake of the drug and discuss the potential function of Brp1 in the degradation process.
Regulatory Effects of Three-Dimensional Cultured Lipopolysaccharide-Pretreated Periodontal Ligament Stem Cell-Derived Secretome on Macrophages
Authors: Su Yuran , Ai Sifan , Shen Youqing , Cheng Wen , Xu Chenyu , Sui Lei , Zhao Yanhong
Published: April 2023

Phenotypic transformation of macrophages plays important immune response roles in the occurrence, development and regression of periodontitis. Under inflammation or other environmental stimulation, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exert immunomodulatory effects through their secretome. It has been found that secretome derived from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-pretreated or three-dimensional (3D)-cultured MSCs significantly reduced inflammatory responses in inflammatory diseases, including periodontitis, by inducing M2 macrophage polarization. In this study, periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) pretreated with LPS were 3D cultured in hydrogel (termed SupraGel) for a certain period of time and the secretome was collected to explore its regulatory effects on macrophages. Expression changes of immune cytokines in the secretome were also examined to speculate on the regulatory mechanisms in macrophages. The results indicated that PDLSCs showed good viability in SupraGel and could be separated from the gel by adding PBS and centrifuging. The secretome derived from LPS-pretreated and/or 3D-cultured PDLSCs all inhibited the polarization of M1 macrophages, while the secretome derived from LPS-pretreated PDLSCs (regardless of 3D culture) had the ability to promote the polarization of M1 to M2 macrophages and the migration of macrophages. Cytokines involved in the production, migration and polarization of macrophages, as well as multiple growth factors, increased in the PDLSC-derived secretome after LPS pretreatment and/or 3D culture, which suggested that the secretome had the potential to regulate macrophages and promote tissue regeneration, and that it could be used in the treatment of inflammation-related diseases such as periodontitis in the future.
Cyanogenesis, a Plant Defence Strategy against Herbivores
Authors: Boter Marta , Diaz Isabel
Published: April 2023

Plants and phytophagous arthropods have coevolved in a long battle for survival. Plants respond to phytophagous feeders by producing a battery of antiherbivore chemical defences, while herbivores try to adapt to their hosts by attenuating the toxic effect of the defence compounds. Cyanogenic glucosides are a widespread group of defence chemicals that come from cyanogenic plants. Among the non-cyanogenic ones, the Brassicaceae family has evolved an alternative cyanogenic pathway to produce cyanohydrin as a way to expand defences. When a plant tissue is disrupted by an herbivore attack, cyanogenic substrates are brought into contact with degrading enzymes that cause the release of toxic hydrogen cyanide and derived carbonyl compounds. In this review, we focus our attention on the plant metabolic pathways linked to cyanogenesis to generate cyanide. It also highlights the role of cyanogenesis as a key defence mechanism of plants to fight against herbivore arthropods, and we discuss the potential of cyanogenesis-derived molecules as alternative strategies for pest control.
Construction of Bone Hypoxic Microenvironment Based on Bone-on-a-Chip Platforms
Authors: Li Chen , Zhao Rong , Yang Hui , Ren Li
Published: April 2023

The normal physiological activities and functions of bone cells cannot be separated from the balance of the oxygenation level, and the physiological activities of bone cells are different under different oxygenation levels. At present, in vitro cell cultures are generally performed in a normoxic environment, and the partial pressure of oxygen of a conventional incubator is generally set at 141 mmHg (18.6%, close to the 20.1% oxygen in ambient air). This value is higher than the mean value of the oxygen partial pressure in human bone tissue. Additionally, the further away from the endosteal sinusoids, the lower the oxygen content. It follows that the construction of a hypoxic microenvironment is the key point of in vitro experimental investigation. However, current methods of cellular research cannot realize precise control of oxygenation levels at the microscale, and the development of microfluidic platforms can overcome the inherent limitations of these methods. In addition to discussing the characteristics of the hypoxic microenvironment in bone tissue, this review will discuss various methods of constructing oxygen gradients in vitro and measuring oxygen tension from the microscale based on microfluidic technology. This integration of advantages and disadvantages to perfect the experimental study will help us to study the physiological responses of cells under more physiological-relevant conditions and provide a new strategy for future research on various in vitro cell biomedicines.
RUNX2 and Cancer
Authors: Lin Tsung-Chieh
Published: April 2023

Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) is critical for the modulation of chondrocyte osteoblast differentiation and hypertrophy. Recently discovered RUNX2 somatic mutations, expressional signatures of RUNX2 in normal tissues and tumors, and the prognostic and clinical significance of RUNX2 in many types of cancer have attracted attention and led RUNX2 to be considered a biomarker for cancer. Many discoveries have illustrated the indirect and direct biological functions of RUNX2 in orchestrating cancer stemness, cancer metastasis, angiogenesis, proliferation, and chemoresistance to anticancer compounds, warranting further exploration of the associated mechanisms to support the development of a novel therapeutic strategy. In this review, we focus mainly on critical and recent research developments, including RUNX2’s oncogenic activities, by summarizing and integrating the findings on somatic mutations of RUNX2, transcriptomic studies, clinical information, and discoveries about how the RUNX2-induced signaling pathway modulates malignant progression in cancer. We also comprehensively discuss RUNX2 RNA expression in a pancancer panel and in specific normal cell types at the single-cell level to indicate the potential cell types and sites for tumorigenesis. We expect this review to shed light on the recent mechanistical findings and modulatory role of RUNX2 in cancer progression and provide biological information that can guide new research in this field.
A Culturomics-Based Bacterial Synthetic Community for Improving Resilience towards Arsenic and Heavy Metals in the Nutraceutical Plant Mesembryanthemum crystallinum
Authors: Flores-Duarte Noris J. , Pajuelo Eloísa , Mateos-Naranjo Enrique , Navarro-Torre Salvadora , Rodríguez-Llorente Ignacio D. , Redondo-Gómez Susana , Carrasco López José A.
Published: April 2023

Plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) help plants thrive in polluted environments and increase crops yield using fewer inputs. Therefore, the design of tailored biofertilizers is of the utmost importance. The purpose of this work was to test two different bacterial synthetic communities (SynComs) from the microbiome of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum, a moderate halophyte with cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical applications. The SynComs were composed of specific metal-resistant plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria and endophytes. In addition, the possibility of modulating the accumulation of nutraceutical substances by the synergetic effect of metal stress and inoculation with selected bacteria was tested. One of the SynComs was isolated on standard tryptone soy agar (TSA), whereas the other was isolated following a culturomics approach. For that, a culture medium based on M. crystallinum biomass, called Mesem Agar (MA), was elaborated. Bacteria of three compartments (rhizosphere soil, root endophytes, and shoot endophytes) were isolated on standard TSA and MA media, stablishing two independent collections. All bacteria were tested for PGP properties, secreted enzymatic activities, and resistance towards As, Cd, Cu, and Zn. The three best bacteria from each collection were selected in order to produce two different consortiums (denominated TSA- and MA-SynComs, respectively), whose effect on plant growth and physiology, metal accumulation, and metabolomics was evaluated. Both SynComs, particularly MA, improved plant growth and physiological parameters under stress by a mixture of As, Cd, Cu, and Zn. Regarding metal accumulation, the concentrations of all metals/metalloids in plant tissues were below the threshold for plant metal toxicity, indicating that this plant is able to thrive in polluted soils when assisted by metal/metalloid-resistant SynComs and could be safely used for pharmaceutical purposes. Initial metabolomics analyses depict changes in plant metabolome upon exposure to metal stress and inoculation, suggesting the possibility of modulating the concentration of high-value metabolites. In addition, the usefulness of both SynComs was tested in a crop plant, namely Medicago sativa (alfalfa). The results demonstrate the effectiveness of these biofertilizers in alfalfa, improving plant growth, physiology, and metal accumulation.
Probabilistic Forecasting of Residential Energy Consumption Based on SWT-QRTCN-ADSC-NLSTM Model
Authors: Jin Ning , Song Linlin , Huang Gabriel Jing , Yan Ke
Published: April 2023

Residential electricity consumption forecasting plays a crucial role in the rational allocation of resources reducing energy waste and enhancing the grid-connected operation of power systems. Probabilistic forecasting can provide more comprehensive information for the decision-making and dispatching process by quantifying the uncertainty of electricity load. In this study, we propose a method based on stationary wavelet transform (SWT), quantile regression (QR), Bidirectional nested long short-term memory (BiNLSTM), and Depthwise separable convolution (DSC) combined with attention mechanism for electricity consumption probability prediction methods. First, the data sequence is decomposed using SWT to reduce the complexity of the sequence; then, the combined neural network model with attention is used to obtain the prediction values under different quantile conditions. Finally, the probability density curve of electricity consumption is obtained by combining kernel density estimation (KDE). The model was tested using historical demand-side data from five UK households to achieve energy consumption predictions 5 min in advance. It is demonstrated that the model can achieve both reliable probabilistic prediction and accurate deterministic prediction.
A Super-Efficient TinyML Processor for the Edge Metaverse
Authors: Khajooei Arash , Jamshidi Mohammad (Behdad) , Shokouhi Shahriar B.
Published: April 2023

Although the Metaverse is becoming a popular technology in many aspects of our lives, there are some drawbacks to its implementation on clouds, including long latency, security concerns, and centralized infrastructures. Therefore, designing scalable Metaverse platforms on the edge layer can be a practical solution. Nevertheless, the realization of these edge-powered Metaverse ecosystems without high-performance intelligent edge devices is almost impossible. Neuromorphic engineering, which employs brain-inspired cognitive architectures to implement neuromorphic chips and Tiny Machine Learning (TinyML) technologies, can be an effective tool to enhance edge devices in such emerging ecosystems. Thus, a super-efficient TinyML processor to use in the edge-enabled Metaverse platforms has been designed and evaluated in this research. This processor includes a Winner-Take-All (WTA) circuit that was implemented via a simplified Leaky Integrate and Fire (LIF) neuron on an FPGA. The WTA architecture is a computational principle in a neuromorphic system inspired by the mini-column structure in the human brain. The resource consumption of the WTA architecture is reduced by employing our simplified LIF neuron, making it suitable for the proposed edge devices. The results have indicated that the proposed neuron improves the response speed to almost 39% and reduces resource consumption by 50% compared to recent works. Using our simplified neuron, up to 4200 neurons can be deployed on VIRTEX 6 devices. The maximum operating frequency of the proposed neuron and our spiking WTA is 576.319 MHz and 514.095 MHz, respectively.
Evaluating the Impact of Gamification on the Online Shop of a Game Server: A Comparison between the Portuguese and North American Contexts
Authors: Santos Diogo , Cardoso Elsa , Alexandre Isabel Machado
Published: April 2023

Online commerce has been growing rapidly in an increasingly digital world, and gamification, the practice of designing games in a context outside the industry itself, can be an effective strategy to stimulate consumer engagement and conversion rate. This paper describes the design process involved in introducing gamification into an online shop that is supported by two game servers of the same kind, namely one in the United States of America (US) and another in Portugal (PT). Through the various phases of the design thinking process, a gamified system was implemented to meet the needs of various types of users frequently found in the shops. The gamification elements used were intended to increase user engagement with the shops so that they would become more aware of existing products and the introduction of new products, promoting purchase through intangible challenges and rewards. The impacts on server revenues and user satisfaction (N = 138) were evaluated one month after introducing the gamification techniques. The results show that gamification has a positive effect on users, with a significant increase in consumer interaction in both shops. However, from a business point of view, the results show only an increase in revenue for the US shop, while the Portuguese shop shows no significant differences compared to previous months. Of the two user groups analyzed, only those who frequent the US shop show receptivity toward intangible rewards, with tangible rewards (discounts) being a greater motivating factor for both groups.
Towards Independent Students’ Activities, Online Environment and Learning Performance: An Investigation through Synthetic Data and Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: Ivanova Malinka , Petrova Tsvetelina
Published: April 2023

During the pandemic, universities were forced to convert their educational process online. Students had to adapt to new educational conditions and the proposed online environment. Now, we are back to the traditional blended learning environment and wish to understand the students’ attitudes and perceptions of online learning, knowing that they are able to compare blended and online modes. The aim of this paper is to present the performed predictive analysis regarding the students’ online learning performance taking into account their opinion. The predictive models are created through a supervised machine learning algorithm based on Artificial Neural Networks and are characterized with high accuracy. The analysis is based on generated synthetic datasets, ensuring a high level of students’ privacy preservation.
Visual acuity of Empoasca onukii (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae)
Authors: Tan Chang , Cai Xiaoming , Luo Zongxiu , Li Zhaoqun , Xiu Chunli , Chen Zongmao , Bian Lei
Published: April 2023

Empoasca onukii is a common tea plant pest with a preference for the color yellow. Past work has shown that host leaf color is a key cue for habitat location for E. onukii. Before studying the effect of foliage shape, size, or texture on habitat localization, it is necessary to determine the visual acuity and effective viewing distance of E. onukii. In this study, a combination of 3D microscopy and X-ray microtomography showed that visual acuity did not significantly differ between females and males, but there were significant differences in the visual acuity and optical sensitivity among five regions of E. onukii’s compound eyes. The dorsal ommatidia had the highest visual acuity at 0.28 cycles per degree (cpd) but the lowest optical sensitivity (0.02 μm2sr), which indicated a trade-off between visual resolution and optical sensitivity for E. onukii. The visual acuity determined from the behavioral experiment was 0.14 cpd; E. onukii exhibited low-resolution vision and could only distinguish the units in a yellow/red pattern within 30 cm. Therefore, visual acuity contributes to the limited ability of E. onukii to distinguish the visual details of a distant target, which might be perceived as a lump of blurred color of intermediate brightness.
Texture Analysis for the Bone Age Assessment from MRI Images of Adolescent Wrists in Boys
Authors: Obuchowicz Rafal , Nurzynska Karolina , Pierzchala Monika , Piorkowski Adam , Strzelecki Michal
Published: April 2023

Currently, bone age is assessed by X-rays. It enables the evaluation of the child’s development and is an important diagnostic factor. However, it is not sufficient to diagnose a specific disease because the diagnoses and prognoses may arise depending on how much the given case differs from the norms of bone age. Background: The use of magnetic resonance images (MRI) to assess the age of the patient would extend diagnostic possibilities. The bone age test could then become a routine screening test. Changing the method of determining the bone age would also prevent the patient from taking a dose of ionizing radiation, making the test less invasive. Methods: The regions of interest containing the wrist area and the epiphyses of the radius are marked on the magnetic resonance imaging of the non-dominant hand of boys aged 9 to 17 years. Textural features are computed for these regions, as it is assumed that the texture of the wrist image contains information about bone age. Results: The regression analysis revealed that there is a high correlation between the bone age of a patient and the MRI-derived textural features derived from MRI. For DICOM T1-weighted data, the best scores reached 0.94 R2, 0.46 RMSE, 0.21 MSE, and 0.33 MAE. Conclusions: The experiments performed have shown that using the MRI images gives reliable results in the assessment of bone age while not exposing the patient to ionizing radiation.
Towards an Automated Approach to the Semi-Quantification of [18F]F-DOPA PET in Pediatric-Type Diffuse Gliomas
Authors: Peira Enrico , Sensi Francesco , Rei Luca , Gianeri Ruben , Tortora Domenico , Fiz Francesco , Piccardo Arnoldo , Bottoni Gianluca , Morana Giovanni , Chincarini Andrea
Published: April 2023

Background: This study aims to evaluate the use of a computer-aided, semi-quantification approach to [18F]F-DOPA positron emission tomography (PET) in pediatric-type diffuse gliomas (PDGs) to calculate the tumor-to-background ratio. Methods: A total of 18 pediatric patients with PDGs underwent magnetic resonance imaging and [18F]F-DOPA PET, which were analyzed using both manual and automated procedures. The former provided a tumor-to-normal-tissue ratio (TN) and tumor-to-striatal-tissue ratio (TS), while the latter provided analogous scores (tn, ts). We tested the correlation, consistency, and ability to stratify grading and survival between these methods. Results: High Pearson correlation coefficients resulted between the ratios calculated with the two approaches: ρ = 0.93 (p < 10−4) and ρ = 0.814 (p < 10−4). The analysis of the residuals suggested that tn and ts were more consistent than TN and TS. Similarly to TN and TS, the automatically computed scores showed significant differences between low- and high-grade gliomas (p ≤ 10−4, t-test) and the overall survival was significantly shorter in patients with higher values when compared to those with lower ones (p < 10−3, log-rank test). Conclusions: This study suggested that the proposed computer-aided approach could yield similar results to the manual procedure in terms of diagnostic and prognostic information.
Audiovestibular Findings in a Cohort of Patients with Chiari Malformation Type I and Dizziness
Authors: Famili Hannah P. , Zalewski Christopher K. , Ibrahimy Alaaddin , Mack Jessica , Cantor Fredric , Heiss John D. , Brewer Carmen C.
Published: April 2023

Chiari Malformation Type I (CM1) is a neurological condition in which the cerebellar tonsils extend past the foramen magnum. While many studies have reported dizziness symptoms in patients with CM1, the prevalence of peripheral labyrinthine lesions is largely unknown. This study aimed to comprehensively describe the audiovestibular phenotype in a cohort of patients with CM1 expressly referred for dizziness. Twenty-four patients with CM1 and a complaint of dizziness/vertigo were evaluated. Hearing and auditory brainstem tract function were essentially normal. While vestibular abnormalities were most prevalent during rotational testing (33%), abnormal functional balance was the most common finding (40%). Patients with CM1 had a greater likelihood of exhibiting an abnormal sensory organization test (SOT) postural stability score for fixed platform conditions, and for the somatosensory analysis score. While no significant associations were identified between tonsillar ectopia extent and any vestibular/balance outcome measure, a significant negative association was identified between neck pain and the somatosensory sensory analysis score. Abnormal functional balance in the somatosensory domain was remarkable, with poorer scores associated with neck pain. An isolated peripheral vestibulopathy was present in only 8% of patients. Despite the low prevalence of vestibulopathy, vestibular/balance assessment is warranted to identify patients who may benefit from referral to specialized medical disciplines.
Healthcare Resources Utilization throughout the Last Year of Life after Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Plakht Ygal , Gilutz Harel , Arbelle Jonathan Eli , Greenberg Dan , Shiyovich Arthur
Published: April 2023

Healthcare resource utilization (HRU) peaks in the last year-of-life, and accounts for a substantial share of healthcare expenditure. We evaluated changes in HRU and costs throughout the last year-of-life among AMI survivors and investigated whether such changes can predict imminent mortality. This retrospective analysis included patients who survived at least one year following an AMI. Mortality and HRU data during the 10-year follow-up period were collected. Analyses were performed according to follow-up years that were classified into mortality years (one year prior to death) and survival years. Overall, 10,992 patients (44,099 patients-years) were investigated. Throughout the follow-up period, 2,885 (26.3%) patients died. The HRU parameters and total costs were strong independent predictors of mortality during a subsequent year. While a direct association between mortality and hospital services (length of in-hospital stay and emergency department visits) was observed, the association with ambulatory services utilization was reversed. The discriminative ability (c-statistics) of a multivariable model including the HRU parameters for predicting the mortality in the subsequent year, was 0.88. In conclusion, throughout the last year of life, hospital-centered HRU and costs of AMI survivors increase while utilization of ambulatory services decrease. HRUs are strong and independent predictors of an imminent mortality year among these patients.
Rheumatoid Arthritis from Easy to Complex Disease: From the “2022 GISEA International Symposium”
Authors: Perniola Simone , Chimenti Maria , Spinelli Francesca , Frediani Bruno , Foti Rosario , Ferrigno Sara , Garufi Cristina , Cassone Giulia , Venerito Vincenzo , Atzeni Fabiola , Caporali Roberto , Conti Fabrizio , Favalli Ennio , Iannone Florenzo , Sebastiani Marco , Ferraccioli Gian , Lapadula Giovanni , Gremese Elisa
Published: April 2023

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a systemic disease with many different clinical phenotypes. RA could be classified according to disease duration, seropositivity for rheumatoid factor (RF) and/or anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA), joint subtype, clinical behaviourbehavior and many other subgroups. In this review, we summarize and discuss the multifaceted aspects of RA, focusing on the relationship between autoimmunity status and clinical outcome, achievement of remission and influence on treatment response, from the 2022 International GISEA/OEG Symposium.
Childhood Cancer Survivors Have Impaired Strain-Derived Myocardial Contractile Reserve by Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography
Authors: Broberg Olof , Øra Ingrid , Weismann Constance G. , Wiebe Thomas , Liuba Petru
Published: April 2023

Abnormal left ventricular contractile reserve (LVCR) is associated with adverse cardiac outcomes in different patient cohorts and might be useful in the detection of cardiomyopathy in childhood cancer survivors (CCS) after cardiotoxic treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate LVCR by dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) combined with measures of myocardial strain in CCS previously treated with anthracyclines (AC). Fifty-three CCS (age 25.34 ± 2.44 years, 35 male) and 53 healthy controls (age 24.40 ± 2.40 years, 32 male) were included. Subjects were examined with echocardiography at rest, at low-dose (5 micrograms/kg/min), and at high-dose (40 micrograms/kg/min) dobutamine infusion. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and global longitudinal strain (GLS), strain rate (GSR), and early diastolic strain rate (GEDSR) at different DSE phases were used as measures of LVCR. The mean follow-up time among CCS was 15.8 ± 5.8 years. GLS, GSR, and LVEF were lower at rest in CCS compared to controls (p ≤ 0.03). LVEF was within the normal range in CCS. ΔGLS, ΔGSR, and ΔGEDSR but not ΔLVEF were lower in CCS compared to controls after both low- (p ≤ 0.048) and high-dose dobutamine infusion (p ≤ 0.023). We conclude that strain measures during low-dose DSE detect impaired myocardial contractile reserve in young CCS treated with AC at 15-year follow-up. Thus, DSE may help identify asymptomatic CCS at risk for heart failure and allows for tailored follow-up accordingly.
The Efficacy of Flogofilm® in the Treatment of Chronic Bacterial Prostatitis as an Adjuvant to Antibiotic Therapy: A Randomized Prospective Trial
Authors: Barone Biagio , Mirto Benito Fabio , Falcone Alfonso , Del Giudice Francesco , Aveta Achille , Napolitano Luigi , Del Biondo Dario , Ferro Matteo , Busetto Gian Maria , Manfredi Celeste , Terracciano Daniela , Gambardella Raffaele , Pandolfo Savio Domenico , Trama Francesco , De Luca Ciro , Martino Raffaele , Capone Federico , Giampaglia Gaetano , Sicignano Enrico , Tataru Octavian Sabin , Lucarelli Giuseppe , Crocetto Felice
Published: April 2023

Introduction: Bacterial prostatitis (BP) is a common prostatic infection characterized by a bimodal distribution in young and older men, with a prevalence between 5–10% among all cases of prostatitis and a high impact on quality of life. Although the management of bacterial prostatitis involves the use of appropriate spectrum antibiotics, which represent the first choice of treatment, a multimodal approach encompassing antibiotics and nutraceutical products in order to improve the efficacy of chosen antimicrobial regimen is often required. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of Flogofilm® in association with fluoroquinolones in patients with chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP). Methods: Patients diagnosed with prostatitis (positivity to Meares–Stamey Test and symptoms duration > 3 months) at the University of Naples “Federico II”, Italy, from July 2021 to December 2021, were included in this study. All patients underwent bacterial cultures and trans-rectal ultrasounds. Patients were randomized into two groups (A and B) receiving antibiotic alone or an association of antibiotics plus Flogofilm® tablets containing Flogomicina® for one month, respectively. The NIH-CPSI and IPSS questionnaires were administered at baseline, four weeks, twelve and twenty-four weeks. Results: A total of 96 (Group A = 47, Group B = 49) patients concluded the study protocol. The mean age was comparable, with a mean age of 34.62 ± 9.04 years for Group A and 35.29 ± 10.32 years for Group B (p = 0.755), and IPSS at the baseline was 8.28 ± 6.33 and 9.88 ± 6.89 (p = 0.256), respectively, while NIH-CPSI at baseline was 21.70 ± 4.38 and 21.67 ± 6.06 (p = 0.959), respectively. At 1, 3 and 6 months, the IPSS score was 6.45 ± 4.8 versus 4.31 ± 4.35 (p = 0.020), 5.32 ± 4.63 versus 3.20 ± 3.05 (p = 0.042) and 4.91 ± 4.47 versus 2.63 ± 3.28 (p = 0.005) for Groups A and B, respectively. Similarly, the NIH-CPSI total score at 1, 3 and 6 months was 16.15 ± 3.31 versus 13.10 ± 5.03 (p < 0.0001), 13.47 ± 3.07 versus 9.65 ± 4.23 (p < 0.0001) and 9.83 ± 2.53 versus 5.51 ± 2.84 (p < 0.0001), respectively. Conclusions: Flogofilm®, associated with fluoroquinolones, demonstrate a significant improvement in pain, urinary symptoms and quality of life in patients affected by chronic bacterial prostatitis in both IPSS and NIH-CPSI scores compared with fluoroquinolones alone.
Cerebellar Tonsillar Descent Mimicking Chiari Malformation
Authors: Park Rachel J. , Unnikrishnan Sunil , Berliner Joel , Magnussen John , Liu Shinuo , Stoodley Marcus A.
Published: April 2023

Chiari I malformation has been defined as cerebellar tonsillar descent greater than 5 mm below the foramen magnum. Suboccipital decompression remains the mainstay of treatment for symptomatic patients. Other conditions sometimes have imaging features that mimic Chiari I malformation. These patients are at risk of misdiagnosis and mismanagement, including surgery that may be unnecessary or may even worsen the underlying condition. The aim of this study was to analyse a series of Chiari I malformation mimics and identify differentiating imaging features. The mimics are categorised as post-traumatic cranio-cervical junction arachnoiditis, dural band, spontaneous intracranial hypotension, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, and cysts. Better understanding of these conditions will assist with diagnosis and optimal management, including avoiding unnecessary surgery.
Elevated Soluble Suppressor of Tumorigenicity 2 Predict Hospital Admissions Due to Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (MACE)
Authors: Chen Dongqing , Untaru Rossana , Stavropoulou Glykeria , Assadi-Khansari Bahador , Kelly Conagh , Croft Amanda J. , Sugito Stuart , Collins Nicholas J. , Sverdlov Aaron L. , Ngo Doan T. M.
Published: April 2023

The role of soluble suppression of tumorigenicity (sST2) as a biomarker in predicting clinical outcomes in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we sought to determine the relationship between sST2 levels and any unplanned hospital readmissions due to a major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) within 1 year of first admission. Patients (n = 250) admitted to the cardiology unit at John Hunter Hospital were recruited. Occurrences of MACE, defined as the composite of total death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, readmissions for heart failure (HF), or coronary revascularization, were recorded after 30, 90, 180, and 365 days of first admission. On univariate analysis, patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and HF had significantly higher sST2 levels vs. those who did not. Increasing levels of sST2 by quartiles were significantly associated with AF, HF, older age, low hemoglobin, low eGFR, and high CRP levels. On multivariate analysis: high sST2 levels and diabetes remained as risk predictors of any MACE occurrence; an sST2 level in the highest quartile (Q4: >28.4 ng/mL) was independently associated with older age, use of beta-blockers, and number of MACE events within a 1 year period. In this patient cohort, elevated sST2 levels are associated with unplanned hospital admission due to MACE within 1 year, independent of the nature of the index cardiovascular admission.
Ultrafiltration versus Diuretics on Prognostic Cardiac and Renal Biomarkers in Acute Decompensated Heart Failure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Tay Kirsty Luo-Yng , Osman Abdel Rahman , Yeoh Esyn Ee Xin , Luangboriboon Jasmine , Lau Jie Fei , Chan Joanne Jia An , Yousif Majed , Tse Benjamin Yi Hong , Horgan Graham , Gamble David T. , Myint Phyo Kyaw
Published: April 2023

Existing systematic reviews have insufficiently delineated the differing cardiac and renal profile of ultrafiltration compared to diuretics as a method of decongestion in acute decompensated heart failure. This meta-analysis will investigate the impact of ultrafiltration compared to diuretics on prognostic cardiac and renal biomarkers. We searched PubMed Central, Ovid MEDLINE®, Ovid Embase, all EBM reviews, and Web of Science Core Collection for randomised controlled trials published before 21 July 2022. Our main outcome measures were cardiac (brain natriuretic peptide and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide) and renal biomarkers (serum creatinine, serum sodium, and blood urea nitrogen). A total of 10 randomised trials were included in our analysis after screening. An inverse-variance random effects meta-analysis of the pooled results demonstrated no significant difference between ultrafiltration and diuretics for brain natriuretic peptide, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, creatinine, sodium and long-term blood urea nitrogen. However, ultrafiltration produced statistically greater increases in blood urea nitrogen in the short-term (mean difference, 3.88; 95% confidence interval 0.59–7.17 mg/dL). Overall, ultrafiltration produces a similar impact on prognostic cardiac and renal biomarkers when compared to diuretic therapy. We highlight ultrafiltration’s significant impact on short-term BUN and recommend further research to investigate more optimal protocols of ultrafiltration administration.
Use of Digital Methods to Optimize Visualization during Surgical Gonioscopy
Authors: Sandali Otman , El Sanharawi Mohamed , Tahiri Joutei Hassani Rachid , Armia Balamoun Ashraf , Duliere Cedric , Ezzouhairi Sidi Mohammed , Sallam Ahmed B. , Borderie Vincent
Published: April 2023

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of digital visualization for enhancing the visualization of iridocorneal structures during surgical gonioscopy. Methods: This was a prospective, single-center study on a series of 26 cases of trabecular stent implantation performed by the same surgeon. Images were recorded during surgical gonioscopy, and before stent implantation, with standard colors and with the optimization of various settings, principally color saturation and temperature and the use of the cyan color filter. Subjective analyses were performed by two glaucoma surgeons, and objective contrast measurements were made on iridocorneal structure images. Results: The surgeons evaluating the images considered the optimized digital settings to produce enhanced tissue visibility for both trabecular meshwork pigmentation and Schlemm’s canal in more than 65% of cases. The mean difference in the standard deviation of the pixel intensity values was 37.87 (±4.61) for the optimized filter images and 32.37 (±3.51) for the standard-color images (p < 0.001). The use of a cyan filter provided a good level of contrast for the visualization of trabecular meshwork pigmentation. Increasing the color temperature highlighted the red appearance of Schlemm’s canal. Conclusions: We report here the utility of optimized digital settings including the cyan filter and a warmer color for enhancing the visualization of iridocorneal structures during surgical gonioscopy. These settings could be used in surgical practice to enhance the visualization of the trabecular meshwork and Schlemm’s canal during minimally invasive glaucoma surgery.
Association between Cognitive Impairment and Freezing of Gait in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Gan Yifei , Xie Hutao , Qin Guofan , Wu Delong , Shan Ming , Hu Tianqi , Yin Zixiao , An Qi , Ma Ruoyu , Wang Shu , Zhang Quan , Zhu Guanyu , Zhang Jianguo
Published: April 2023

Background: Freezing of gait (FOG) is a common disabling symptom in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Cognitive impairment may contribute to FOG. Nevertheless, their correlations remain controversial. We aimed to investigate cognitive differences between PD patients with and without FOG (nFOG), explore correlations between FOG severity and cognitive performance and assess cognitive heterogeneity within the FOG patients. Methods: Seventy-four PD patients (41 FOG, 33 nFOG) and 32 healthy controls (HCs) were included. Comprehensive neuropsychological assessments testing cognitive domains of global cognition, executive function/attention, working memory, and visuospatial function were performed. Cognitive performance was compared between groups using independent t-test and ANCOVA adjusting for age, sex, education, disease duration and motor symptoms. The k-means cluster analysis was used to explore cognitive heterogeneity within the FOG group. Correlation between FOG severity and cognition were analyzed using partial correlations. Results: FOG patients showed significantly poorer performance in global cognition (MoCA, p < 0.001), frontal lobe function (FAB, p = 0.015), attention and working memory (SDMT, p < 0.001) and executive function (SIE, p = 0.038) than nFOG patients. The FOG group was divided into two clusters using the cluster analysis, of which cluster 1 exhibited worse cognition, and with older age, lower improvement rate, higher FOGQ3 score, and higher proportion of levodopa-unresponsive FOG than cluster 2. Further, in the FOG group, cognition was significantly correlated with FOG severity in MoCA (r = −0.382, p = 0.021), Stroop-C (r = 0.362, p = 0.030) and SIE (r = 0.369, p = 0.027). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the cognitive impairments of FOG were mainly reflected by global cognition, frontal lobe function, executive function, attention and working memory. There may be heterogeneity in the cognitive impairment of FOG patients. Additionally, executive function was significantly correlated with FOG severity.
Comparison of the Ability of Static and Dynamic Balance Tests to Determine the Risk of Falls among Older Community-Dwelling Individuals
Authors: Poncumhak Puttipong , Srithawong Arunrat , Duangsanjun Winut , Amput Patchareeya
Published: April 2023

This study aimed to examine the validity of balance tests and compare their diagnostic accuracy to determine the risk of falls among older community-dwelling individuals. Eighty-five older participants were assessed based on their demographics and fall data. They were then assessed for the ability to perform balance measures, including five times sit-to-stand tests (FTSSTs), timed up and go tests (TUGs), three times stand and walk tests (TTSWs), functional reach tests (FRTs), and single-leg stance tests (SLSs). The correlation between fall data and balance measures was found to be significant for all parameters (p < 0.05). The TTSW showed the highest level of ability to indicate the risk of falls among older community-dwelling adults with sensitivity = 92.68%, specificity = 84.09%, and AUC = 0.931 (95%CI = 0.860 to 1.000). These findings confirm the benefits of the practical functional balance measures to determine the risk of falls among older community-dwelling individuals.
Experimental Study on the Bonding Performance of HIRA-Type Material Anchor Solids Considering Time Variation
Authors: Wang Kun , Meng Qingsheng , Zhang Yan , Peng Huadong , Liu Tao
Published: April 2023

In order to reveal the evolution of bonding performance of HIRA (High Intensity and Rapid Agent) anchor solids with maintenance time, the evolution characteristics of bond strength and stress distribution at the interface between HIRA-based anchor solids and a geotechnical body under different maintenance times and the fine damage pattern of anchor solids were studied by an indoor pull-out test of anchor solids. The comparative analysis was performed with 42.5 grade ordinary Portland cement (hereinafter referred to as P.O 42.5). The results show that the early strength and rapid setting characteristics of HIRA type material are obvious, and the difference between its average peak bond strength and that of cement is 10.45 times. The shear stress distribution has obvious stress concentration characteristics, and the peak value will appear and shift with the increase in load, and the peak shift of the HIRA anchor solid occurs earlier than that of cement. Due to different stress levels, the damage of the HIRA anchor solid after being pulled out increases with the increase in maintenance time, while that of cement gradually becomes more severe. The overall damage of the HIRA material is generally lower than that of cement in the same period.
In Situ Radioactivity Measurements and Water Flow Characteristics of a Thermal Spring in Gera Gulf, Lesvos Island, Greece
Authors: Tsabaris Christos , Zervakis Vassilis , Saitanis Spyros , Patiris Dionisis , Pappa Filothei K. , Velegrakis Antonios , Alexakis Stylianos , Kioroglou Sotirios
Published: April 2023

In this study, a thermal spring located in the Gulf of Gera (Lesvos Island) is investigated in terms of radiotracers, water flow velocities and acoustic back-scattering properties by in situ observations. Water flow characteristics were deduced using in situ deployments of three marine sensors: an Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV), a High-Frequency Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP), and a medium-resolution underwater gamma-ray detection system. The flow velocity combined with the activity concentration of natural radionuclides in the thermal spring provided information on the characteristics of the thermal spring in the specific gulf. The proposed methodology estimated the water supply, the residence time in the effective area of the in situ systems, and the residence time in the gulf. Eventually, the estimation of the characteristics of the discharged water source resulted from the synthetic evaluation of oceanographic measurements alongside appropriate models.
A Spatially Fair and Low Conflict Medium Access Control Protocol for Underwater Acoustic Networks
Authors: Zheng Maochun , Ge Wei , Han Xiao , Yin Jingwei
Published: April 2023

The large propagation delay in underwater acoustic networks results in spatial and temporal uncertainty between communication links. This uncertainty, in turn, leads to problems with spatial unfairness and packet collision in media access control (MAC) solutions. To address these issues, this research paper proposes a spatially fair and low-conflict media access control (SFLC-MAC) protocol. Within the protocol, a contention window spatial fairness adjustment strategy is designed, including random and fair states. Nodes autonomously adjust their contention states based on the perceived network information. Nodes in the fair state increase their listening time to ensure that nodes in the random state can successfully access the channel, thereby overcoming the fairness issues in channel access. A method based on postponing data packet transmission is proposed to avoid collisions between data packets and neighbors’ control packets. By scrutinizing the spatio-temporal constraints pertinent to these conflicts, the exact duration of the delay required for this method is ascertained. Simulation results demonstrate that SFLC-MAC effectively improves network throughput, reduces end-to-end delay, decreases network energy consumption, and enhances channel access fairness among nodes.
A Task Allocation Method for Multi-AUV Search and Rescue with Possible Target Area
Authors: Cai  Chang , Chen Jianfeng , Ayub Muhammad Saad , Liu Fen
Published: April 2023

Task allocation is crucial for autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) collaboration in multi-AUV maritime search and rescue missions. In real projects, there are possible target areas existing in task areas, which are not expected to be divided. Motivated by such a special situation, this paper proposes an area partitioning method to allocate the task to multiple AUVs and maintain the possible target area as a whole. First, the spatial structure of the task area is defined by the spiked Morse decomposition, which divides the task area according to a set of angles. Then, we perform a variational transformation to determine the optimal angles using the AUV order. Next, a customized backtracking method is introduced to determine the optimal AUV order which divides the task area among the multiple AUVs without disturbing the possible target areas. The proposed methodology is validated under various challenging scenarios using a different number of AUVs. The empirical results show that the divided possible target areas and workload variance were superior to the comparison methods. This indicates that the proposed method can generate stable solutions that effectively reduce the segmentation of possible target areas and keep the workload of the multiple AUVs balanced.