bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation des Nutzens
Authors: Schlander Michael , Schäfer Ramon , Selberg Lorenz
Published: July 2023

Für jede der anhand der von ihnen verursachten Krankheitslast ausgewählten Krankheitsgruppen wird anhand mindestens eines Testverfahrens die Datenlage zum patientenbezogenen und gesellschaftlichen Nutzen der Laboratoriumsmedizin evaluiert. Der Beitrag der modernen Labormedizin erweist sich dabei in allen untersuchten Krankheitsgruppen als medizinisch „nutzenstiftend“ und vielfach sogar als unverzichtbar. Beispielhaft zu nennen sind der Einsatz prädiktiver Biomarker als Voraussetzung einer gezielten Krebstherapie, von Tests auf Anti-CCP-Antikörper beziehungsweise hochsensitives kardiales Troponin zur frühen Diagnose der rheumatoiden Arthritis bzw. des akuten Herzinfarkts, aber auch TSH-Tests für eine adäquate kausale Therapie von depressiven Störungen auf dem Boden einer Hypothyreose und therapeutisches Drug-Monitoring in der Neuropsychiatrie und darüber hinaus; schliesslich Erregerdiagnostik und Resistenzbestimmungen in der Infektiologie. Die untersuchten Tests erweisen sich zudem durchweg als kosteneffektiv.
I. Kapitel: Theoretische Voraussetzungen
Authors: Aumüller Matthias
Published: July 2023

Die Theorie des unzuverlässigen Erzählens ist seit mehr als zwanzig Jahren einer der produktivsten Bereiche der Narratologie. Die Folge ist eine inzwischen kaum mehr zu überschauende Anzahl von Publikationen zu dem Thema. Ziel des vorliegenden Kapitels ist, eine schlanke, anwendungsorientierte Variante der Theorie des unzuverlässigen Erzählens vorzustellen, damit das eigentliche Ziel dieses Buchs erreicht werden kann: durch Einzelanalysen die Bedeutung aufzudecken, die das Verfahren des unzuverlässigen Erzählens für deutschsprachige Nachkriegsromane hat.
X. Kapitel: Der Schluss als Auftakt – Unzuverlässiges Erzählen in der Literatur der DDR
Authors: Aumüller Matthias
Published: July 2023

Am Schluss ist es vielleicht erlaubt, etwas zur Genese dieses Buches zu sagen. Ursprünglich geplant war eine spezielle, selektive Literaturgeschichte der DDR: nämlich anhand des unzuverlässigen Erzählens. Bis auf einige Ausnahmen galt und gilt die Erzählliteratur der DDR als konformistisch und uninteressant.
III. Kapitel: Abseits der Gruppe 47 – Unzuverlässigkeit und instabile Welten
Authors: Aumüller Matthias
Published: July 2023

Die Autoren, deren Werke Gegenstand dieses Kapitels sind, scheinen auf den ersten Blick nicht viel miteinander gemein zu haben – bis auf die Tatsache, dass sie alle der Gruppe 47 fernstanden. Sie alle gelten als Einzelgänger oder hielten sich dafür. Warum sie hier durch die Kapitelanlage zusammengefasst werden, hat jedoch andere Gründe.
VII. Kapitel: Unzuverlässiges Erzählen in Romanen der Gruppe 47
Authors: Aumüller Matthias
Published: July 2023

Über die Gruppe 47 ist viel geschrieben worden und wird noch viel geschrieben. Vor allem unter literatursoziologischen Gesichtspunkten ist sie ein interessantes Phänomen. Da sie, alles in allem, aber auch ein fluides Phänomen ist und die Werke, die ihre Mitglieder hervorgebracht haben, ziemlich heterogen sind, lassen sich in poetologischer oder narratologischer Hinsicht keine aussagekräftigen Verallgemeinerungen machen.
Radiodiagnostics of standard orthodontic radiographs—dental and extradental incidental findings
Authors: Wiechens Bernhard , Klenke Daniela , Quast Anja , Santander Petra , Skorna Ida , Meyer-Marcotty Philipp
Published: July 2023

Objectives

The extent of undetected incidental findings in routine orthodontic radiographs is still unknown. However, incidental findings that are not in the primary focus of orthodontic diagnostics may be of high medical relevance. Therefore, this study aimed to analyse whether incidental findings are reliably detected and which parameters influence the orthodontist’s assessment.

Methods

In a clinical cross-sectional study 134 orthodontists evaluated two orthopantomogram (OPT) and two lateral cephalogram (LC) radiographs each via a standardised online survey. The radiographs were previously examined by three dentists and one radiologist—in a pilot phase—regarding the number of incidental findings and subsequently defining as gold standard in a consensus procedure. The radiographs were presented consecutively, the number of incidental findings detected were noted and the individual findings could be described in free text form.

Results

Overall, 39.1% of the incidental findings were detected. The orthodontists’ focus was primarily on the dental region. Here, 57.9% of incidental findings were detected, while 20.3% were detected in extradental regions (p < 0.001). A highly relevant finding of suspected arteriosclerotic plaque was detected in 7.5% of cases (OPT). Significantly more incidental findings were detected on OPTs than on LCs (OPT 42.1%, LC 36.0%, p < 0.001). As participants’ length of professional experience increased, significantly more time was spent on the assessment (p < 0.001), correlating positively with the detection of incidental findings.

Conclusions

Even in daily routine practice, attention must be paid to a thorough assessment of all radiographed regions. The factors time and professional experience can prevent practitioners from overlooking findings outside the orthodontic focus.
Social group connections support mental health following wildfire
Authors: Cruwys Tegan , Macleod Emily , Heffernan Timothy , Walker Iain , Stanley Samantha K. , Kurz Tim , Greenwood Lisa-Marie , Evans Olivia , Calear Alison L.
Published: July 2023

Purpose

As environmental disasters become more common and severe due to climate change, there is a growing need for strategies to bolster recovery that are proactive, cost-effective, and which mobilise community resources.

Aims

We propose that building social group connections is a particularly promising strategy for supporting mental health in communities affected by environmental disasters.

Methods

We tested the social identity model of identity change in a disaster context among 627 people substantially affected by the 2019–2020 Australian fires.

Results

We found high levels of post-traumatic stress, strongly related to severity of disaster exposure, but also evidence of psychological resilience. Distress and resilience were weakly positively correlated. Having stronger social group connections pre-disaster was associated with less distress and more resilience 12–18 months after the disaster, via three pathways: greater social identification with the disaster-affected community, greater continuity of social group ties, and greater formation of new social group ties. New group ties were a mixed blessing, positively predicting both resilience and distress.

Conclusions

We conclude that investment in social resources is key to supporting mental health outcomes, not just reactively in the aftermath of disasters, but also proactively in communities most at risk.
Surgical treatment of high‐grade acute intramuscular hamstring tendon injuries in athletes leads to predictable return to sports and no re‐injuries
Authors: Aujla Randeep S. , Cecchi Steven , Koh Eamon , D’Alessandro Peter , Annear Peter
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to assess the post‐operative return to sport and re‐injury rates following surgical repair of acute, first‐time, high‐grade intramuscular hamstring tendon injuries in high level athletes.

Methods

Patients were identified using the databases of two sports surgeons. Once patients were identified their clinical notes and imaging were reviewed to confirm that all patients had injuries to the intramuscular portion of the distal aspect of the proximal biceps femoris tendon. All imaging was reviewed by an experienced musculoskeletal radiologist to confirm diagnosis. Surgery for such injuries was indicated in high‐level athletes presenting with acute hamstring injuries. All patients were operated on within 4 weeks. Outcomes included Tegner scores, return to sport, Lower Extremity Functional Score (LEFS), current hamstring symptoms and complications including re‐injury.

Results

Eleven injuries (10 patients) were included in the study. All patients were male and Australian Rules Football players. Six patients were professional athletes and 4 semi‐professional athletes. Median age was 24.5 (range 21–29) and median follow‐up period was 33.7 months (range; 16–65). 91% were British Athletic Muscle Injury Classification (BAMIC) 3c and 9% were BAMIC 4c. 91% were classed as MR2 and 9% as MR3 on the simplified four‐grade injury classification. Athletes achieved return to play (RTP) at an average of 3.1 months (SD 1.0) post repair. All but one patient achieved a Tegner score equal to pre‐injury levels. Maximum LEFS was achieved by all patients. Minor pain scores (all with VAS < 1/10) on sciatic and functional stretch were recorded in 36% and 27% of patients respectively, with subtle neural symptoms (9%) and subjective tightness (36%) also noted. There were no surgical complications in our patient cohort. No patients had a re‐injury or re‐operation.

Conclusions

Surgical repair of high‐grade intramuscular tendon injuries of the biceps femoris hamstring muscle in athletes resulted in high levels of return to pre‐injury sporting levels and no re‐injuries. The intra‐muscular tendon should be scrutinized when assessing hamstring injuries in elite sport and offer surgery in high‐grade cases.

Level of evidence

IV.
Asymptotics and sign patterns for coefficients in expansions of Habiro elements
Authors: Goswami Ankush , Jha Abhash Kumar , Kim Byungchan , Osburn Robert
Published: July 2023

We prove asymptotics and study sign patterns for coefficients in expansions of elements in the Habiro ring which satisfy a strange identity. As an application, we prove asymptotics and discuss positivity for the generalized Fishburn numbers which arise from the Kontsevich–Zagier series associated to the colored Jones polynomial for a family of torus knots. This extends Zagier’s result on asymptotics for the Fishburn numbers.
Patterns of fish occupancy of artificial habitats in the eastern Mediterranean shallow littoral
Authors: Ntouni Maria-Myrto , Lazaris Alexis , Tzanatos Evangelos
Published: July 2023

Coastal ecosystems act as spawning grounds, settlement areas or nurseries for a diversity of fish species. Today, these ecosystems are under various anthropogenic stressors. One of these disturbances is the structural modification of the shallow littoral by coastal infrastructure such as ports, piers, marinas and roads. Here, we investigate whether there are differences between modified (artificial) and non-modified (natural) habitats in central Greece in terms of the fish assemblage structure, species diversity and richness, fish abundance and the proportion of juveniles. We carried out underwater visual census from September 2020 to August 2021 across two habitats (natural and artificial) in three locations of central Greece. The fish community and Shannon diversity index did not vary across habitat type; however, both species richness and total abundance were significantly higher in artificial habitats. The abundance of five (out of ten examined in total) taxa was significantly affected by habitat type. Higher abundance in the artificial habitat in the warmer or more productive months was found, possibly relevant to food availability. The significance of habitat interactions with location and the temporal component in community composition and species abundance models indicated intense heterogeneity in species-specific occupancy and may be linked to the type and characteristics of artificial habitats. Modeling of the percentage of small-sized individuals indicated patterns of juvenile occupancy requiring further investigation about the potential role of artificial habitats for some species. Future research should examine the impact of specific artificial habitat types on population dynamics and investigate the implications of artificial habitat construction for conserving fish diversity and maintaining coastal ecosystem functioning.
Improved survival of autologous stem cell transplantation in primary refractory and relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma in the brentuximab vedotin era — real-world data from Hungary
Authors: Husi Kata , Szabó Roxána , Pinczés László Imre , Földeák Dóra , Dudley Réka , Szomor Árpád , Koller Beáta , Gopcsa László , Illés Árpád , Miltényi Zsófia
Published: July 2023

Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is the standard treatment of primary refractory or relapsed Hodgkin-lymphoma, which can provide a cure rate of about 50%. The aim of our study was to analyze the data of 126 HL patients undergoing AHSCT in Hungary between 01/01/2016 and 31/12/2020. We assessed the progression-free and overall survival, the prognostic role of PET/CT performed before transplantation and effect of brentuximab vedotin (BV) treatment on survival outcomes. The median follow-up time from AHSCT was 39 (1–76) months. The 5-year OS comparing PET- and PET + patients was 90% v. 74% (p = 0.039), and 5-year PFS was 74% v. 40% (p = 0.001). There was no difference in either OS or PFS compared to those who did not receive BV before AHSCT. We compared BV treatments based on their indication (BV only after AHSCT as maintenance therapy, BV before and after AHSCT as maintenance treatment, BV only before AHSCT, no BV treatment). There was statistically significant difference in the 5-year PFS based on the inication of BV therapy. Recovery rates of our R/R HL patient population, who underwent AHSCT, improved significantly. Our positive results can be attributed to the PET/CT directed, response-adapted treatment approach, and the widespread use of BV.
Clavicle fixation to reduce short-term analgesia and improve respiratory function in patients with chest wall injuries
Authors: Franco Helena , Williamson Frances , Manzanero Silvia , Schuetz Michael
Published: July 2023

Introduction

The objective of this study was to determine if operative fixation of clavicle fractures in patients with non-operatively treated ipsilateral rib fractures is associated with a lower overall analgesic requirement and improved respiratory function.

Materials and methods

A retrospective matched cohort study was conducted involving patients admitted to a single tertiary trauma centre having sustained a clavicle fracture with ipsilateral rib fracture/s between January 2014 and June 2020. Patients were excluded if brain, abdominal, pelvic, or lower limb trauma was identified. 31 patients with operative clavicle fixation (study group) were matched 1:1 to 31 patients with non-operative management of the clavicle fracture (control group) based on age, sex, number of rib fractures and injury severity score. The primary outcome was the number of analgesic types used, and the secondary outcome was respiratory function.

Results

The study group required a mean of 3.50 types of analgesia prior to surgery which decreased to 1.57 post-surgery. The control group required 2.92 types of analgesia, reducing to 1.65 after the date of surgery in the study group. A General Linear Mixed Model indicated that the intervention (operative vs. non-operative management) had statistically significant effects on the number of required analgesic types (p < 0.001, $$\eta_{{\text{p}}}^{2}$$

η

p

2

 = 0.365), oxygen saturation (p = 0.001, $$\eta_{{\text{p}}}^{2}$$

η

p

2

 = 0.341, 95% CI 0.153–0.529) and temporal decline in daily supplemental oxygen requirement (p < 0.001, $$\eta_{{\text{p}}}^{2}$$

η

p

2

 = 0.626, 95% CI 0.455–0.756).

Conclusion

This study supported the hypothesis that operative clavicle fixation reduces short-term in-patient analgesia use and improves respiratory parameters in patients with ipsilateral rib fractures.

Level of evidence

Level III therapeutic study.
Uterine cervical stenosis: from classification to advances in management. Overcoming the obstacles to access the uterine cavity
Authors: Vitale Salvatore Giovanni , De Angelis Maria Chiara , Della Corte Luigi , Saponara Stefania , Carugno Jose , Laganà Antonio Simone , Török Péter , Tinelli Raffaele , Pérez-Medina Tirso , Ertas Sinem , Urman Bulent , Angioni Stefano
Published: July 2023

Background

To date hysteroscopy is the gold standard technique for the evaluation and management of intrauterine pathologies. The cervical canal represents the access route to the uterine cavity. The presence of cervical stenosis often makes entry into the uterine cavity difficult and occasionally impossible. Cervical stenosis has a multifactorial etiology. It is the result of adhesion processes that can lead to the narrowing or total obliteration of the cervical canal.

Purpose

In this review, we summarize the scientific evidence about cervical stenosis, aiming to identify the best strategy to overcome this challenging condition.

Methods

The literature review followed the scale for the quality assessment of narrative review articles (SANRA). All articles describing the hysteroscopic management of cervical stenosis were considered eligible. Only original papers that reported data on the topic were included.

Results

Various strategies have been proposed to address cervical stenosis, including surgical and non-surgical methods. Medical treatments such as the preprocedural use of cervical-ripening agents or osmotic dilators have been explored. Surgical options include the use of cervical dilators and hysteroscopic treatments.

Conclusions

Cervical stenosis can present challenges in achieving successful intrauterine procedures. Operative hysteroscopy has been shown to have the highest success rate, particularly in cases of severe cervical stenosis, and is currently considered the gold standard for managing this condition. Despite the availability of miniaturized instruments that have made the management of cervical stenosis more feasible, it remains a complex task, even for experienced hysteroscopists.
Neural patterns of conscious visual awareness in the Riddoch syndrome
Authors: Beyh Ahmad , Rasche Samuel E. , Leff Alexander , ffytche Dominic , Zeki Semir
Published: July 2023

The Riddoch syndrome is one in which patients blinded by lesions to their primary visual cortex can consciously perceive visual motion in their blind field, an ability that correlates with activity in motion area V5. Our assessment of the characteristics of this syndrome in patient ST, using multimodal MRI, showed that: 1. ST’s V5 is intact, receives direct subcortical input, and decodable neural patterns emerge in it only during the conscious perception of visual motion; 2. moving stimuli activate medial visual areas but, unless associated with decodable V5 activity, they remain unperceived; 3. ST’s high confidence ratings when discriminating motion at chance levels, is associated with inferior frontal gyrus activity. Finally, we report that ST’s Riddoch Syndrome results in hallucinatory motion with hippocampal activity as a correlate. Our results shed new light on perceptual experiences associated with this syndrome and on the neural determinants of conscious visual experience.
Feasibility of home-based exercise training during adjuvant treatment for metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer patients treated with an androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (EXACT)
Authors: Brown Malcolm , Murphy Marie H. , McAneney Helen , McBride Ken , Crawford Ffiona , Cole Aidan , O’Sullivan Joe M. , Jain Suneil , Prue Gillian
Published: July 2023

Background

Exercise is an effective adjuvant therapy that can alleviate treatment-related toxicities for men with prostate cancer (PC). However, the feasibility of delivering exercise training to men with advanced disease and the wider impact on clinical outcomes remain unknown. The purpose of the EXACT trial was to determine the feasibility and effects of home-based exercise training in men with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

Methods

Patients with mCRPC receiving ADT + an androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI) were prescribed 12 weeks of home-based, remotely monitored, moderate intensity, aerobic and resistance exercise. Feasibility was assessed using recruitment, retention and adherence rates. Safety and adverse events were monitored throughout, with functional and patient-reported outcomes captured at baseline, post-intervention and at 3-month follow-up.

Results

From the 117 screened, 49 were deemed eligible and approached, with 30 patients providing informed consent (61% recruitment rate). Of those who consented, 28 patients completed baseline assessments, with 24 patients completing the intervention and 22 completing follow-up (retention rates: 86% and 79% respectively). Task completion was excellent throughout, with no intervention-related adverse events recorded. Self-reported adherence to the overall intervention was 82%. Exercise training decreased mean body mass (−1.5%), improved functional fitness (> 10%) and improved several patient-reported outcomes including clinically meaningful changes in fatigue (p= 0.042), FACT-G (p= 0.054) and FACT-P (p= 0.083), all with moderate effect sizes.

Conclusion

Home-based exercise training, with weekly remote monitoring, was feasible and safe for men with mCRPC being treated with an ARPI. Given that treatment-related toxicities accumulate throughout the course of treatment, and as a result, negatively impact functional fitness and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), it was positive that exercise training improved or prevented a decline in these clinically important variables and could better equip patients for future treatment. Collectively, these preliminary feasibility findings support the need for a definitive, larger RCT, which downstream may lead to the inclusion of home-based exercise training as part of adjuvant care for mCRPC.
A multivariate ensemble learning method for medium-term energy forecasting
Authors: Liapis Charalampos M. , Karanikola Aikaterini , Kotsiantis Sotiris
Published: July 2023

In the contemporary context, both production and consumption of energy, being concepts intertwined through a condition of synchronicity, are pivotal for the orderly functioning of society, with their management being a building block in maintaining regularity. Hence, the pursuit to develop reliable computational tools for modeling such serial and time-dependent phenomena becomes similarly crucial. This paper investigates the use of ensemble learners for medium-term forecasting of the Greek energy system load using additional information from injected energy production from various sources. Through an extensive experimental process, over 435 regression schemes and 64 different modifications of the feature inputs were tested over five different prediction time frames, creating comparative rankings regarding two case studies: one related to methods and the other to feature setups. Evaluations according to six widely used metrics indicate an aggregate but clear dominance of a specific efficient and low-cost ensemble layout. In particular, an ensemble method that incorporates the orthogonal matching pursuit together with the Huber regressor according to an averaged combinatorial scheme is proposed. Moreover, it is shown that the use of multivariate setups improves the derived predictions.
The machine-vision image guided surgery system reduces fluoroscopy time, ionizing radiation and intraoperative blood loss in posterior spinal fusion for scoliosis
Authors: Lim Kevin Boon Leong , Yeo Inez Su Xian , Ng Stacy Wei Ling , Pan Woei Jack , Lee Nicole Kim Luan
Published: July 2023

Purpose

To determine if the novel 3D Machine-Vision Image Guided Surgery (MvIGS) (FLASH™) system can reduce intraoperative radiation exposure, while improving surgical outcomes when compared to 2D fluoroscopic navigation.

Methods

Clinical and radiographic records of 128 patients (≤ 18 years of age) who underwent posterior spinal fusion (PSF), utilising either MvIGS or 2D fluoroscopy, for severe idiopathic scoliosis were retrospectively reviewed. Operative time was analysed using the cumulative sum (CUSUM) method to evaluate the learning curve for MvIGS.

Results

Between 2017 and 2021, 64 patients underwent PSF using pedicle screws with 2D fluoroscopy and another 64 with the MvIGS. Age, gender, BMI, and scoliosis aetiology were comparable between the two groups. The CUSUM method estimated that the MvIGS learning curve with respect to operative time was 9 cases. This curve consisted of 2 phases: Phase 1 comprises the first 9 cases and Phase 2 the remaining 55 cases. Compared to 2D fluoroscopy, MvIGS reduced intraoperative fluoroscopy time, radiation exposure, estimated blood loss and length of stay by 53%, 62% 44%, and 21% respectively. Scoliosis curve correction was 4% higher in the MvIGS group, without any increase in operative time.

Conclusion

MvIGS for screw insertion in PSF contributed to a significant reduction in intraoperative radiation exposure and fluoroscopy time, as well as blood loss and length of stay. The real-time feedback and ability to visualize the pedicle in 3D with MvIGS enabled greater curve correction without increasing the operative time.
Exploring nucleation modeling of the voltammetry of solid-to-solid-state redox processes with phase changes
Authors: Doménech-Carbó Antonio
Published: July 2023

An operational description of the linear potential scan voltammetry of solids experiencing a solid-state redox transformation with phase changes is described. The modeling is based on the application of nucleation equations of solid-state reaction kinetics to express the transferred charge/applied potential relationships. The flexible use of Prout-Tompkins and Avrami-Erofe’ev kinetics permits a satisfactory description of the voltammetry of solid-to-solid redox transformations with phase segregation. The model satisfactorily applies to reproduce linear potential scan curves recorded for graphite electrodes modified with several lead compounds in contact with aqueous electrolyte solutions.
Penguins perceive variations of source- and filter-related vocal parameters of species-specific vocalisations
Authors: Terranova Francesca , Baciadonna Luigi , Maccarone Chiara , Isaja Valentina , Gamba Marco , Favaro Livio
Published: July 2023

Animal vocalisations encode a wide range of biological information about the age, sex, body size, and social status of the emitter. Moreover, vocalisations play a significant role in signalling the identity of the emitter to conspecifics. Recent studies have shown that, in the African penguin (Spheniscus demersus), acoustic cues to individual identity are encoded in the fundamental frequency (F0) and resonance frequencies (formants) of the vocal tract. However, although penguins are known to produce vocalisations where F0 and formants vary among individuals, it remains to be tested whether the receivers can perceive and use such information in the individual recognition process. In this study, using the Habituation-Dishabituation (HD) paradigm, we tested the hypothesis that penguins perceive and respond to a shift of ± 20% (corresponding to the natural inter-individual variation observed in ex-situ colonies) of F0 and formant dispersion (ΔF) of species-specific calls. We found that penguins were more likely to look rapidly and for longer at the source of the sound when F0 and formants of the calls were manipulated, indicating that they could perceive variations of these parameters in the vocal signals. Our findings provide the first experimental evidence that, in the African penguin, listeners can perceive changes in F0 and formants, which can be used by the receiver as potential cues for the individual discrimination of the emitter.
Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor ameliorates di-ethylhexyl phthalate-induced cardiac muscle injury via stem cells recruitment, Desmin protein regulation, antifibrotic and antiapoptotic mechanisms
Authors: Abdelrahman Shaimaa A. , Khattab Maha A. , Youssef Marian S. , Mahmoud Abeer A.
Published: July 2023

Phthalates are common plasticizers present in medical-grade plastics and other everyday products. Di-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) has been noted as a causative risk factor for the initiation and augmentation of cardiovascular functional disorders. G-CSF is a glycoprotein found in numerous tissues throughout the body and is currently applied in clinical practice and has been tested in congestive heart failure. We aimed to examine in depth the effect of DEHP on the histological and biochemical structure of the cardiac muscle in adult male albino rats and the mechanisms underlying the possible ameliorative effect of G-CSF. Forty-eight adult male albino rats were divided into control group, DEHP group, DEHP+ G-CSF group and DEHP-recovery group. We measured serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatine kinase MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Left ventricular sections were processed for light and electron microscope examination, and immunohistochemical staining of Desmin, activated Caspase-3 and CD34. DEHP significantly increased enzyme levels, markedly distorted the normal architecture of cardiac muscle fibers, downregulated Desmin protein levels and enhanced fibrosis, and apoptosis. G-CSF treatment significantly decreased the enzyme levels compared to DEHP group. It enhanced CD34 positive stem cells recruitment to injured cardiac muscle, therefore improved the ultrastructural features of most cardiac muscle fibers via anti-fibrotic and anti-apoptotic effects in addition to increased Desmin protein expression levels. The recovery group showed partial improvement due to persistent DEHP effect. In conclusion, administration of G-CSF effectively corrected the histopathological, immunohistochemical and biochemical alterations in the cardiac muscle after DEHP administration by stem cells recruitment, Desmin protein regulation, antifibrotic and antiapoptotic mechanisms.
Efficacy of ceftiofur N-acyl homoserine lactonase niosome in the treatment of multi-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in broilers
Authors: Hosny Reham A. , El-badiea Zeinab A. , Elmasry Dalia M. A. , Fadel Mai A.
Published: July 2023

In this study, the efficiency of the ceftiofur N-acyl homoserine lactonase niosome against multi-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in broilers was evaluated. Fifty-six K. pneumoniae isolates previously recovered from different poultry and environmental samples were screened for the ahlK gene. The lactonase enzyme was extracted from eight quorum-quenching isolates. The niosome was formulated, characterized, and tested for minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and cytotoxicity. Fourteen-day-old chicks were assigned to six groups: groups Ӏ and П served as negative and positive controls, receiving saline and K. pneumoniae solutions, respectively. In groups Ш and IV, ceftiofur and niosome were administrated intramuscularly at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight for five consecutive days, while groups V and VI received the injections following the K. pneumoniae challenge. Signs, mortality, and gross lesions were recorded. Tracheal swabs were collected from groups П, V, and VI for counting K. pneumoniae. Pharmacokinetic parameters were evaluated in four treated groups at nine-time points. The niosome was spherical and 56.5 ± 4.41 nm in size. The viability of Vero cells was unaffected up to 5 × MIC (2.4 gml−1). The niosome-treated challenged group showed mild signs and lesions with lower mortality and colony count than the positive control group. The maximum ceftiofur serum concentrations in treated groups were observed 2 h following administration. The elimination half-life in niosome-treated groups was longer than that reported in ceftiofur-treated groups. This is the first report of the administration of N-acyl homoserine lactonase for the control of multi-resistant K. pneumoniae infections in poultry.
Single nucleotide polymorphism analysis in Leptospermum scoparium (Myrtaceae) supports two highly differentiated endemic species in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia
Authors: Chagné David , Montanari Sara , Kirk Chris , Mitchell Caroline , Heenan Peter , Koot Emily
Published: July 2023

Leptospermum scoparium is the basis of a flourishing honey industry in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) and Australia. The genetic structure of L. scoparium across its range in NZ and Australia was previously assessed using pooled, whole genome sequencing; however, only one sampling site in Tasmania was included. Here, we used a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array for genotyping samples of L. scoparium collected in natural stands around Tasmania and NZ, to determine the genetic relationship between L. scoparium individuals from the two regions. In total, 2069 high quality, polymorphic SNP markers were applied across the sample set of 504 individuals, revealing that Tasmanian L. scoparium are genetically distinct from NZ mānuka, confirming the observation from the pooled whole genome sequencing project. FST and discriminant analysis of principal components confirmed that the Tasmanian populations are well differentiated genetically from NZ populations, suggesting that they should be recognised as a separate, endemic Australian species. Within NZ, eight geographic groups are distinguished with genotypic variation exhibiting north to south landscape scale patterns with regional genetic clusters. We found support for isolation by distance, and this was reflected in the range of pairwise FST values estimated between NZ genetic clusters (0.056 to 0.356); however, each geographic genetic group exhibits geneflow and is only weakly differentiated from neighbouring clusters as evidenced by low population differentiation (low pairwise FST). These data provide little support for taxonomic revision and subdividing L. scoparium into segregate species within NZ.
Less is more? A novel method for identifying and evaluating non-informative tracers in sediment source mixing models
Authors: Cox Terry , Laceby J. Patrick , Roth Till , Alewell Christine
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Accelerated soil erosion poses a global hazard to soil health. Understanding soil and sediment behaviour through sediment fingerprinting enables the monitoring and identification of areas with high sediment delivery. Land-use specific sediment source apportionment is increasingly determined using the Bayesian mixing model MixSIAR with compound-specific stable isotopes (CSSI). Here, we investigate CSSIs of fatty acid (FA) tracer selection with a novel method to identify and investigate the effect of non-informative tracers on model performance.

Methods

To evaluate CSSI tracer selection, mathematical mixtures were generated using source soils (n = 28) from the Rhine catchment upstream of Basel (Switzerland). Using the continuous ranked probability (CRP) skill score, MixSIAR’s performance was evaluated for 11 combinations of FAs and 15 combinations of FAs with δ15N as a mixing line offset tracer. A novel scaling and discrimination analysis (SDA) was also developed to identify tracers with non-unique mixing spaces.

Results

FA only tracer combinations overestimated pasture contributions while underestimating arable contributions. When compared to models with only FA tracers, utilizing δ15N to offset the mixing line resulted in a 28% improvement in the CRP skill score. δ15N + δ13C FA26 was the optimal tracer set resulting in a 62% model improvement relative to δ15N + all δ13C FAs. The novel SDA method demonstrated how δ13C FA tracers have a non-unique mixing space and thus behave as non-informative tracers. Importantly, the inclusion of non-informative tracers decreased model performance.

Conclusions

These results indicate that MixSIAR did not handle non-informative CSSI tracers effectively. Accordingly, it may be advantageous to remove non-informative tracers, and where feasible, all combinations and permutations of tracers should be assessed to optimize tracer selection. Application of these tracer selection steps can help improve and advance the performance of sediment fingerprinting models and ultimately aid in improving erosion mitigation and management strategies.
A Systematic Review of Positive Psychology Interventions (PPIs) to Improve the Health Behaviours, Psychological Wellbeing and/or Physical Health of Police Staff
Authors: Kukucska Dora , Whitehall Jamie , Shorter Gillian W , Howlett Neil , Wyld Kev , Chater Angel M
Published: July 2023

This review aimed to assess the use of positive psychology interventions (PPIs), such as using positive mantras, expressive writing, or gratitude diaries, to improve the health behaviours, psychological wellbeing and/or physical health of police staff. The review was registered on PROSPERO before 16 electronic databases were searched for published articles between January 1999 and February 2022. Included studies offered PPIs to improve the physical health (body mass index, blood pressure), psychological well-being (stress, anxiety, mood, emotion, depression, self-efficacy), or health behaviours (physical activity, sitting times, dietary habits, alcohol, or tobacco use) of police staff. The mixed methods appraisal tool (MMAT) was used to assess the risk of bias of included papers. The initial search yielded 4560 results; with 3385 papers remaining after duplicates were removed. Of these, 15 studies were included in the final review. Intervention types included mindfulness-based resilience training (n = 11), physical or wellness practice classes (n = 1), role-play and scenario-based interventions (n = 2) and expressive writing (n = 1). Mindfulness-based interventions improved many psychological wellbeing facets such as anxiety, depression, negative affect and quality of life. Limited improvements were observed for some health behaviours such as alcohol consumption and in self-reported general health. Expressive writing and role-play-based interventions were effective in reducing stress and anxiety, however, improvement in depression scores were inconsistent across studies. Positive psychology interventions are promising to support the health and wellbeing of police staff. Future research should investigate their mechanisms of action to support future innovation in support for police wellbeing.
Tracking Biomarker Responses to Exercise in Hypertension
Authors: Trillaud Eric , Klemmer Philip , Malin Steven K. , Erdbrügger Uta
Published: July 2023

Purpose of Review

Strong evidence is evolving that physical exercise prevents hypertension and reduces blood pressure in patients with pre- and manifest HTN. Yet, identifying and confirming the effectiveness of exercise are challenging. Herein, we discuss conventional and novel biomarkers such as extracellular vesicles (EVs) which may track responses to HTN before and after exercise.

Recent Findings

Evolving data shows that improved aerobic fitness and vascular function as well as lowered oxidative stress, inflammation, and gluco-lipid toxicity are leading biomarkers considered to promote HTN, but they explain only about a half of the pathophysiology. Novel biomarkers such as EVs or microRNA are providing additional input to understand the complex mechanisms involved in exercise therapy for HTN patients.

Conventional and novel biomarkers are needed to fully understand the integrative “cross-talk” between tissues to regulate vasculature physiology for blood pressure control. These biomarker studies will lead to more specific disease markers and the development of even more personalized therapy in this field. However, more systematic approaches and randomized controlled trials in larger cohorts are needed to assess exercise effectiveness across the day and with different exercise types.
The Future Glioblastoma Clinical Trials Landscape: Early Phase 0, Window of Opportunity, and Adaptive Phase I–III Studies
Authors: Cho Nicholas S. , Wong Weng Kee , Nghiemphu Phioanh L. , Cloughesy Timothy F. , Ellingson Benjamin M.
Published: July 2023

Purpose of Review

Innovative clinical trial designs for glioblastoma (GBM) are needed to expedite drug discovery. Phase 0, window of opportunity, and adaptive designs have been proposed, but their advanced methodologies and underlying biostatistics are not widely known. This review summarizes phase 0, window of opportunity, and adaptive phase I–III clinical trial designs in GBM tailored to physicians.

Recent Findings

Phase 0, window of opportunity, and adaptive trials are now being implemented for GBM. These trials can remove ineffective therapies earlier during drug development and improve trial efficiency. There are two ongoing adaptive platform trials: GBM Adaptive Global Innovative Learning Environment (GBM AGILE) and the INdividualized Screening trial of Innovative GBM Therapy (INSIGhT).

The future clinical trials landscape in GBM will increasingly involve phase 0, window of opportunity, and adaptive phase I–III studies. Continued collaboration between physicians and biostatisticians will be critical for implementing these trial designs.
Postmortem computed tomography assessment of skeletal and dental age in Polish children, adolescents, and young adults
Authors: Lopatin Oleksiy , Barszcz Marta , Jurczak Anna , Woźniak Krzysztof Jerzy
Published: July 2023

This paper presents a retrospective analysis of postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) scans of secondary ossification centers in the medial clavicular epiphysis, iliac crest apophysis, proximal humeral epiphysis, distal femoral epiphysis, proximal tibial epiphysis, and distal tibial epiphysis. At the same time, we analyzed PMCT scans of the maxillary and mandibular incisors, canines, premolars, and molars. We assessed 203 corpses, whose age ranged from 2 to 30 years, including 156 males and 47 females. The purpose of our study was to compare the processes of secondary ossification center fusion and permanent tooth maturation. Our research hypothesis was that certain stages of skeletal and dental maturation occur along consistent timelines that can be related to the chronological age. Secondary ossification center fusion was evaluated based on Kreitner and also McKern and Steward’s classifications. The process of permanent tooth maturation was evaluated with Demirjian’s method. Spearman’s correlation coefficients (Rho) were positive in all analyses, which indicates that epiphyseal fusion progresses with age. The strongest relationship between the age and the stages of ossification was observed in the proximal tibial epiphysis (p < 0.001; Rho = 0.93) in females and in the medial clavicular epiphysis (p < 0.001; Rho = 0.77) in males. Studies show the importance of concomitant analysis of skeletal and dental maturation with a subsequent comparison of the results to achieve a greater precision in age estimation. A comparison of the results obtained in the study population of Polish children, adolescents, and young adults with the results of other studies in populations of similar ages showed a number of similarities in the time windows of dental and skeletal maturation. These similarities may help in age estimation.
Co-Limitation of Phytoplankton by N and P in a Shallow Coastal Lagoon (Ria Formosa): Implications for Eutrophication Evaluation
Authors: Domingues Rita B. , Nogueira Patrícia , Barbosa Ana B.
Published: July 2023

The Ria Formosa coastal lagoon is a highly productive shallow ecosystem in southern Portugal, subjected to nutrient inputs from anthropogenic and natural sources. Nutrients are major abiotic drivers of phytoplankton in this system, but their effects on phytoplankton assemblages and the occurrence of nutrient limitation are still poorly understood. The main goal of this study was, thus, to evaluate the occurrence, type, and effects of nutrient limitation on phytoplankton community and specific functional groups in the Ria Formosa coastal lagoon. We conducted nutrient enrichment experiments with factorial additions of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) using natural phytoplankton assemblages from distinct locations in the Ria Formosa, throughout a yearly cycle. Phytoplankton composition and abundance were evaluated using inverted and epifluorescence microscopies, and spectrophotometric methods were used for biomass. Limitation was defined as higher phytoplankton growth following enrichment with a particular nutrient in relation to the non-enriched control. The most common type of phytoplankton limitation was simultaneous co-limitation by N and P; diatoms, as r-strategists, were the most frequently limited group. Single N and P limitation, and serial P limitation were also observed, as well as negative responses to nutrient enrichment. Group-specific responses to nutrient enrichment were not reflected in the relative abundance of phytoplankton groups within the whole assemblage, due to the numerical dominance of pico-sized groups (cyanobacteria and eukaryotic picophytoplankton). Ambient nutrient ratios and concentrations did not predict phytoplankton nutrient limitation, given the different nutrient utilisation traits among phytoplankton functional groups. Therefore, nutrient ratios should not be used as indicators of nutrient limitation in eutrophication assessment.
Intermuscular Coherence in Spinocerebellar Ataxias 3 and 6: a Preliminary Study
Authors: Issa Naoum P. , Aydin Serdar , Bhatnagar Shail , Baumgartner Nicholas W. , Hill Jacquelyn , Aluri Sravya , Valentic Chloe S. , Polley Eric , Gomez Christopher M. , Rezania Kourosh
Published: July 2023

Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are familial neurodegenerative diseases involving the cerebellum and spinocerebellar tracts. While there is variable involvement of corticospinal tracts (CST), dorsal root ganglia, and motor neurons in SCA3, SCA6 is characterized by a pure, late-onset ataxia. Abnormal intermuscular coherence in the beta-gamma frequency range (IMCβγ) implies a lack of integrity of CST or the afferent input from the acting muscles. We test the hypothesis that IMCβγ has the potential to be a biomarker of disease activity in SCA3 but not SCA6. Intermuscular coherence between biceps brachii and brachioradialis muscles was measured from surface EMG waveforms in SCA3 (N = 16) and SCA6 (N = 20) patients and in neurotypical subjects (N = 23). IMC peak frequencies were present in the β range in SCA patients and in the γ range in neurotypical subjects. The difference between IMC amplitudes in the γ and β ranges was significant when comparing neurotypical control subjects to SCA3 (p < 0.01) and SCA6 (p = 0.01) patients. IMCβγ amplitude was smaller in SCA3 patients compared to neurotypical subjects (p < 0.05), but not different between SCA3 and SCA6 patients or between SCA6 and neurotypical subjects. IMC metrics can differentiate SCA patients from normal controls.
Construction of a novel nomogram based on competing endogenous RNAs and tumor-infiltrating immune cells for prognosis prediction in elderly patients with colorectal cancer
Authors: Tao Zhimin , Li Bo , Kang Chunyan , Wang Wei , Li Xianzhe , Du Yaowu
Published: July 2023

Competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) and tumor-infiltrating immune cells play essential roles in colorectal cancer (CRC) tumorigenesis. However, their prognostic role in elderly patients with CRC is unclear. Gene expression profiles and clinical information for elderly patients with CRC were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Univariate, LASSO, and multivariate Cox regression analyses were utilized for screening key ceRNAs and prevent overfitting. A total of 265 elderly patients with CRC were included. We constructed a novel ceRNA network consisting of 17 lncRNAs, 35 miRNAs, and 5 mRNAs. We established three prognosis predictive nomograms based on four key ceRNAs (ceRNA nomogram), five key immune cells (immune cell nomogram), and their combination (ceRNA-immune cell nomogram). Among them, the ceRNA-immune cell nomogram had the best accuracy. Furthermore, the areas under the curve of the ceRNA-immune cell nomogram were also significantly greater than the TNM stage at 1 (0.818 vs. 0.693), 3 (0.865 vs. 0.674), and 5 (0.832 vs. 0.627) years. Co-expression analysis revealed that CBX6 was positively correlated with activated dendritic cells (R = 0.45, p < 0.01), whereas negatively correlated with activated mast cells (R =− 0.43, p < 0.01). In conclusion, our study constructed three nomograms to predict prognosis in elderly patients with CRC, among which the ceRNA-immune cell nomogram had the best prediction accuracy. We inferred that the mechanism underlying the regulation of activated dendritic cells and mast cells by CBX6 might play a crucial role in tumor development and prognosis of elderly patients with CRC.