bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analyzing pre-service biology teachers’ intention to teach evolution using the theory of planned behavior
Authors: Aptyka Helena , Großschedl Jörg
Published: November 2022

Background

Even though evolution is the overarching principle that connects all areas of biology, a significant proportion of pre-service teachers do not intend to teach evolution, minimize the teaching of evolution, or teach alternative ideas in biology classes. To prevent adverse teaching practices and promote effective pre-service teacher education, we aimed to identify and analyze variables that foster or hinder their behavioral intentions to teach evolution.

Method

We adopted a behavioral psychology research perspective and developed a research model based on the theory of planned behavior to examine behavioral intentions for teaching evolution in biology classrooms. We extended the model with additional variables that have been delineated by teacher education research as essential determinants for the behavioral intention to teach evolution. We proposed several hypotheses suggesting that the attitude toward teaching evolution, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, personal religious faith, perceived usefulness, and knowledge about evolution determine a person’s behavioral intention. We conducted a quantitative cross-sectional study in teacher education to test the hypotheses and surveyed N = 339 pre-service biology teachers using an online questionnaire. We analyzed the data using a two-stage structural equation model.

Results

We were able to confirm all proposed hypotheses. The most important results revealed that pre-service teachers’ knowledge about and perceived usefulness of evolution are only moderately pronounced. Moreover, the subjective norm is a predictor not only of behavioral intention but also of the attitude toward teaching evolution. The variable of perceived behavior control partly moderates the relationship between knowledge about evolution and behavioral intention. Additionally, perceived usefulness is an important and marginally stronger predictor of a person’s attitude than personal religious faith.

Conclusion

The extended model of the theory of planned behavior has highlighted the need for educational programs to increase knowledge about and the perceived usefulness of evolution even stronger. The findings delineated the effects of essential determinants on behavioral intentions and provided information about the necessary levers of teacher education.
srnaMapper: an optimal mapping tool for sRNA-Seq reads
Authors: Zytnicki Matthias , Gaspin Christine
Published: November 2022

Background

Sequencing is the key method to study the impact of short RNAs, which include micro RNAs, tRNA-derived RNAs, and piwi-interacting RNA, among others. The first step to make use of these reads is to map them to a genome. Existing mapping tools have been developed for long RNAs in mind, and, so far, no tool has been conceived for short RNAs. However, short RNAs have several distinctive features which make them different from messenger RNAs: they are shorter, they are often redundant, they can be produced by duplicated loci, and they may be edited at their ends.

Results

In this work, we present a new tool, srnaMapper, that exhaustively maps these reads with all these features in mind, and is most efficient when applied to reads no longer than 50 base pairs. We show, on several datasets, that srnaMapper is very efficient considering computation time and edition error handling: it retrieves all the hits, with arbitrary number of errors, in time comparable with non-exhaustive tools.
Implementation of ensemble machine learning algorithms on exome datasets for predicting early diagnosis of cancers
Authors: Pasha Syed Abdu Rehaman , Anbalagan Rahul , Setlur Anagha S. , Karunakaran Chandrashekar , Shetty Jyoti , Kumar Jitendra , Niranjan Vidya
Published: November 2022

Classification of different cancer types is an essential step in designing a decision support model for early cancer predictions. Using various machine learning (ML) techniques with ensemble learning is one such method used for classifications. In the present study, various ML algorithms were explored on twenty exome datasets, belonging to 5 cancer types. Initially, a data clean-up was carried out on 4181 variants of cancer with 88 features, and a derivative dataset was obtained using natural language processing and probabilistic distribution. An exploratory dataset analysis using principal component analysis was then performed in 1 and 2D axes to reduce the high-dimensionality of the data. To significantly reduce the imbalance in the derivative dataset, oversampling was carried out using SMOTE. Further, classification algorithms such as K-nearest neighbour and support vector machine were used initially on the oversampled dataset. A 4-layer artificial neural network model with 1D batch normalization was also designed to improve the model accuracy. Ensemble ML techniques such as bagging along with using KNN, SVM and MLPs as base classifiers to improve the weighted average performance metrics of the model. However, due to small sample size, model improvement was challenging. Therefore, a novel method to augment the sample size using generative adversarial network (GAN) and triplet based variational auto encoder (TVAE) was employed that reconstructed the features and labels generating the data. The results showed that from initial scrutiny, KNN showed a weighted average of 0.74 and SVM 0.76. Oversampling ensured that the accuracy of the derivative dataset improved significantly and the ensemble classifier augmented the accuracy to 82.91%, when the data was divided into 70:15:15 ratio (training, test and holdout datasets). The overall evaluation metric value when GAN and TVAE increased the sample size was found to be 0.92 with an overall comparison model of 0.66. Therefore, the present study designed an effective model for classifying cancers which when implemented to real world samples, will play a major role in early cancer diagnosis.
GSAMDA: a computational model for predicting potential microbe–drug associations based on graph attention network and sparse autoencoder
Authors: Tan Yaqin , Zou Juan , Kuang Linai , Wang Xiangyi , Zeng Bin , Zhang Zhen , Wang Lei
Published: November 2022

Background

Clinical studies show that microorganisms are closely related to human health, and the discovery of potential associations between microbes and drugs will facilitate drug research and development. However, at present, few computational methods for predicting microbe–drug associations have been proposed.

Results

In this work, we proposed a novel computational model named GSAMDA based on the graph attention network and sparse autoencoder to infer latent microbe–drug associations. In GSAMDA, we first built a heterogeneous network through integrating known microbe–drug associations, microbe similarities and drug similarities. And then, we adopted a GAT-based autoencoder and a sparse autoencoder module respectively to learn topological representations and attribute representations for nodes in the newly constructed heterogeneous network. Finally, based on these two kinds of node representations, we constructed two kinds of feature matrices for microbes and drugs separately, and then, utilized them to calculate possible association scores for microbe–drug pairs.

Conclusion

A novel computational model is proposed for predicting potential microbe–drug associations based on graph attention network and sparse autoencoder. Compared with other five state-of-the-art competitive methods, the experimental results illustrated that our model can achieve better performance. Moreover, case studies on two categories of representative drugs and microbes further demonstrated the effectiveness of our model as well.
Kinetics of SuPAR hemoadsorption in critical COVID-19 patients on renal replacement therapy
Authors: Vicka Vaidas , Januskeviciute Elija , Bartuševiciene Ieva , Ringaitiene Donata , Aleknaviciene Aiste , Serpytis Mindaugas , Rimsevicius Laurynas , Miglinas Marius , Jancoriene Ligita , Sipylaite Jurate
Published: November 2022

Background

SARS-CoV-2 viral infection is associated with a rapid and vigorous systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is a novel biomarker, both indicative of inflammation and propagating it. Hemoadsorption has been proposed as a potential therapy in COVID-19 patients, therefore the aim of this study is to determine suPAR kinetics during hemoadsoprtion.

Methods

This was a prospective observational study of critical COVID-19 patients, enrolled when hemoperfusion therapy was initiated. Hemoadsorber was integrated into the continuous renal replacement therapy circuit. The first series of suPAR measurements was performed 10 minutes after the start of the session, sampling both incoming and outgoing lines of the adsorber. A second series of the measurements was performed beforefinishing the session with the same adsorber. Statistical significance level was set < 0.05.

Results

This study included 18 patients. In the beginning of the session the fraction of suPAR cleared across the adsorber was 29.5% [16-41], and in the end of the session it decreased to 7.2% [4-22], 4 times lower, p = 0.003. The median length of session was 21 hours, with minimal duration of 16 hours and maximal duration of 24 hours. The median suPAR before the procedure was 8.71 [7.18-10.78] and after the session was 7.35 [6.53-11.28] ng/ml. There was no statistically significant difference in suPAR concentrations before and after the session (p = 0.831).

Conclusions

This study concluded that in the beginning of the hemoadsorption procedure significant amount of suPAR is removed from the circulation. However, in the end of the procedure there is a substantial drop in adsorbed capacity. Furthermore, despite a substantial amount of suPAR cleared there is no significant difference in systemic suPAR concentrations before and after the hemoadsorption procedure.
Clinical characteristics and prognosis of pediatric myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated diseases in China
Authors: Sun Xiaoang , Liu Meiyan , Luo Xiaona , Yuan Fang , Wang Chunmei , Wang Simei , Xu Quanmei , Zhang Yuanfeng , Chen Yucai
Published: November 2022

Background

Research on myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody (MOG-Ab)-associated disease (MOGAD) among Chinese children is relatively rare. Therefore, this study aimed to explore and analyze the clinical characteristics and prognoses of Chinese children with acquired demyelinating syndromes (ADSs) who tested positive or negative for MOG-Ab.

Methods

The clinical data of children with MOGAD who were treated in the Department of Neurology at Shanghai Children's Hospital from January 2017 to October 2021 were retrospectively collected.

Results

Among 90 children with ADSs, 30 were MOG-Ab-positive, and 60 were MOG-Ab-negative. MOG-Ab-positive children experienced more prodromal infections than did MOG-Ab-negative children (P < 0.05). Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis was the most common ADSs in both groups. There were ten cases of a rebound increase in MOG-Ab titers. There were significant differences in the MOG titer-related prognosis and disease time course between the disease relapse group and the non-relapse group (P < 0.01). Among the MOG-Ab-positive patients, the most affected brain areas detected via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were the temporal lobe, cerebellar hemispheres, brainstem, and periventricular lesions. The most common shapes of the lesions were commas, triangles, or patches. The average improvement time based on brain MRI was much longer in MOG-Ab-positive than in MOG-Ab-negative children (P < 0.05). The initial treatment time correlated with the disease time course, and the prognosis may be affected by the disease time course and serum MOG-Ab titer (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The clinical characteristics and imaging features of ADSs differed between MOG-Ab-positive and MOG-Ab-negative children. In addition to existing treatment plans, additional diagnoses and treatment plans should be developed to reduce recurrence and improve the prognoses of children with MOGAD.
National COVID-19 lockdown and trends in help-seeking for violence against children in Zimbabwe: an interrupted time-series analysis
Authors: Cerna-Turoff Ilan , Nyakuwa Robert , Turner Ellen , Nherera Charles Muchemwa , Nhenga-Chakarisa Tendai , Devries Karen
Published: November 2022

Background

An estimated 1.8 billion children live in countries where COVID-19 disrupted violence prevention and response. It is important to understand how government policies to contain COVID-19 impacted children’s ability to seek help, especially in contexts where there was limited formal help-seeking prior to the pandemic. We aimed to quantify how the national lockdown in Zimbabwe affected helpline calls for violence against children, estimated the number of calls that would have been received had the lockdown not occurred and described characteristics of types of calls and callers before and after the national lockdown.

Methods

We used an interrupted time series design to analyse the proportion of violence related calls (17,913 calls out of 57,050) to Childline Zimbabwe’s national child helpline between 2017 to 2021. We applied autoregressive integrated moving average regression (ARIMA) models to test possible changes in call trends before and after the March 2020 lockdown and forecasted how many calls would have been received in the absence of lockdown. In addition, we examined call characteristics before and after lockdown descriptively.

Results

The proportion of violence related calls decreased in the 90 days after the lockdown and subsequently returned to pre-COVID-19 levels. We estimate that 10.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 6.0–14.6%) more violence related calls would have occurred in this period had there not been a lockdown. Violence was increasingly reported as occurring in children’s households, with fewer reports from children and formal child protection actors.

Conclusions

Lockdowns dramatically change everyday life and strain populations, which is unlikely to reduce violence prevalence but may reduce help-seeking. The three months after COVID-19 lockdowns may be key time periods when help-seeking for violence decreases drastically. Policy makers should ensure that in-person and remote services support help-seeking. Interventions and campaigns may additionally want to target adult female family members in encouraging reporting of suspected violence cases when they occur within households and are perpetuated by other family members. We suggest a composite approach of scaling-up remote reporting mechanisms that are accessible and geographically well-distributed, establishing non-traditional sites for help seeking within communities and continuing limited in-person home visitation for known cases of violence.
What predicts people’s belief in COVID-19 misinformation? A retrospective study using a nationwide online survey among adults residing in the United States
Authors: Kim Sooyoung , Capasso Ariadna , Ali Shahmir H. , Headley Tyler , DiClemente Ralph J. , Tozan Yesim
Published: November 2022

Background

Tackling infodemics with flooding misinformation is key to managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet only a few studies have attempted to understand the characteristics of the people who believe in misinformation.

Methods

Data was used from an online survey that was administered in April 2020 to 6518 English-speaking adult participants in the United States. We created binary variables to represent four misinformation categories related to COVID-19: general COVID-19-related, vaccine/anti-vaccine, COVID-19 as an act of bioterrorism, and mode of transmission. Using binary logistic regression and the LASSO regularization, we then identified the important predictors of belief in each type of misinformation. Nested vector bootstrapping approach was used to estimate the standard error of the LASSO coefficients.

Results

About 30% of our sample reported believing in at least one type of COVID-19-related misinformation. Belief in one type of misinformation was not strongly associated with belief in other types. We also identified 58 demographic and socioeconomic factors that predicted people’s susceptibility to at least one type of COVID-19 misinformation. Different groups, characterized by distinct sets of predictors, were susceptible to different types of misinformation. There were 25 predictors for general COVID-19 misinformation, 42 for COVID-19 vaccine, 36 for COVID-19 as an act of bioterrorism, and 27 for mode of COVID-transmission.

Conclusion

Our findings confirm the existence of groups with unique characteristics that believe in different types of COVID-19 misinformation. Findings are readily applicable by policymakers to inform careful targeting of misinformation mitigation strategies.
Barriers associated with the public use of sports facilities in China: a qualitative study
Authors: Gao Wei , Feng Weisheng , Xu Qianli , Lu Shihui , Cao Keqiang
Published: November 2022

Background

Sports and recreational facilities provide an important community resource where physical activity can be promoted among local residents. However, in China, many sports facilities are not fully open to the public and are often underutilized as essential public services. The purpose of this study was to examine the barriers to public entry from the facility management point of view.

Methods

A qualitative study informed by constructivist grounded theory. Individual interviews were conducted with executive managers, marketing staff, and facilities management personnel (n = 15). We took an inductive approach to data synthesis utilizing procedural three-level coding, and used the electronic data management program (NVivo12) to organize the data analysis process.

Results

The 15 participants discussed factors that impacted the sports facilities’ capacity to serve the public. Four key themes emerged from data synthesis: (a) Policy-related restrictions, (b) Management-related factors, (c) Service-related factors, and (d) Supervision factors. Specific barriers affecting facilities’ availability and accessibility involved policies and regulations, administrative pressure, institutional mechanisms, ideas, a professional team, practical ways, content development, schedule setting, spirit building, assessment and supervision, crisis management, and public evaluation.

Conclusion

Findings from this qualitative study provided theoretical ground and empirical support for future research aimed at making sports facilities more accessible to the public in order to maximize physical activity and meet the objectives of the national fitness blueprint in China.
Impact of HPV vaccination on HPV infection and cervical related disease burden in real-world settings (HPV-RWS): protocol of a prospective cohort
Authors: Liu Zhike , Li Pei , Zeng Xueyang , Yao Xiaoying , Sun Yexiang , Lin Hongbo , Shen Peng , Sun Feng , Zhan Siyan
Published: November 2022

Background

Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in women and could be prevented by human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination. Cervarix, the first available HPV vaccine, has been widely administrated to Chinese women, while little was known about its effect on the prevention and control for HPV related diseases in China. The study aims to assess the impact of Cervarix on HPV infection and cervical related diseases in real world.

Methods

This is a prospective, multi-age birth cohort study to investigate the incidence and continuous status of HPV infection, and relevant cervical diseases by exposure status (with Cervarix vaccination history or without any HPV vaccination history). It is planned to recruit 12,118 eligible women at age of 9 to 45 years from vaccination clinics or hospital outpatient clinics, and then follow up them for three years. The standard questionnaire will be used to collect information such as demographic characteristics, menstruation and obstetrical histories, history of sexual behavior, personal behavior history, history of disease and pathogen infection, medication history, and family history at baseline. After three years, the changes of these behaviors will be investigated again, and other related health status information will be retrieved from the electronic health records during the follow-up period. If available physically and legally, the cervical cancer screening will be performed, including type-specific HPV deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and contingent thinprep cytologic test (TCT) and colposcopy. The free cervical cancer screening will be captured and uploaded timely to the Yinzhou Regional Health Information Platform (YRHIP); therefore, the long-term outcomes of participants will be monitored.

Discussion

This prospective cohort study will assess the impact of HPV vaccine on HPV infection and related cervical diseases in women aged 9–45 years, which makes up for the lack of evidence in Chinese women. The results of this study will provide support for understanding the impact of HPV vaccination in China, and make a contribution to increasing HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening coverage in China.

Trial registration

This study has been retrospectively registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05341284) on April 22, 2022.
Associations between sociodemographic factors and receiving "ask and advise" services from healthcare providers in India: analysis of the national GATS-2 dataset
Authors: Ramanadhan Shoba , Xuan Ziming , Choi Jasmin , Mahtani Sitara L. , Minsky Sara , Gupte Himanshu , Mandal Gauri , Jagiasi Dinesh , Viswanath Kasisomayajula
Published: November 2022

Background

India is home to about 12% of the world's tobacco users, with about 1.35 million tobacco-related deaths each year. The morbidity and mortality rates are socially patterned based on gender, rural vs. urban residence, education, and other factors. Following the World Health Organization's guidance, it is critical to offer tobacco users support for cessation as a complement to policy and environmental changes. Such guidance is typically unavailable in low-resource systems, despite the potential for population-level impact. Additionally, service delivery for tobacco control tends to be patterned by sociodemographic factors. To understand current activity in this area, we assessed the percentage of daily tobacco users being asked about tobacco use and advised to quit by a healthcare provider. We also examined social patterning of receipt of services (related to by rural vs. urban residence, age, gender, education, caste, and wealth).

Methods

We analyzed cross-sectional data from India's 2016-2017 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS-2), a nationally representative survey. Among 74,037 respondents, about 25% were daily users of smoked and/or smokeless tobacco. We examined rates of being asked and advised about tobacco use overall and based on rural vs. urban residence, age, gender, education, caste, and wealth. We also conducted multivariate logistic regression to assess the association of demographic and socioeconomic conditions with participants' receipt of “ask and advise” services.

Results

Nationally, among daily tobacco users, we found low rates of individuals reporting being asked about tobacco use or advised to quit by a healthcare provider (22% and 19%, respectively). Being asked and advised about tobacco use was patterned by age, gender, education, caste, and wealth in our final regression model.

Conclusions

This study offers a helpful starting point in identifying opportunities to address a critical service delivery gap in India. Given the existing burden on the public health and health systems, scale-up will require innovative, resource-appropriate solutions. The findings also point to the need to center equity in the design and scale-up of tobacco cessation supports so that marginalized and underserved groups will have equitable access to these critical services.
HIV prevalence among transgender women in Northeast Brazil – Findings from two Respondent Driven Sampling studies
Authors: Leite Beo Oliveira , Magno Laio , Soares Fabiane , MacCarthy Sarah , Brignol Sandra , Bastos Francisco Inácio , Dourado Inês
Published: November 2022

Background

The HIV epidemic still high among key-populations in Brazil, especially among transgender women (TGW). The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of HIV infection among TGW and to analyze factors associated with HIV seropositivity across two cross-sectional surveys conducted in Salvador, Bahia, one of the largest urban centers of Brazil.

Methods

The studies were conducted between 2014 and 2016 and 2016-2017 and employed Respondent-Driven Sampling (RDS) sampling, comprising 127 and 161 TGW residents of Salvador, Bahia. The outcome was the positive rapid antigen testing for HIV infection. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were obtained using binomial logistic regression.

Results

The HIV prevalence was 9.0% (95%CI: 4.2-18.2) and 24.3% (95%CI: 16.2-34.9). In the first study, factors associated with HIV prevalence were experiencing discrimination by the family (OR 8.22; 95%CI: 1.49-45.48) and by neighbors (OR 6.55; 95%CI: 1.12-38.14) as well as having syphilis (OR 6.56; 95%CI:1.11-38.65); in the subsequent study gender-based discrimination (OR 8.65; 95%CI:1.45-51.59) and having syphilis (OR 3.13; 95%CI: 1.45-51.59) were associated with testing positive for HIV.

Conclusion

We found disproportionately high HIV prevalence among TGW, which underscores the context of vulnerability for this population. The data point to the urgency for intensification and expansion of access to HIV prevention and strategies to stop discrimination in health care and services for this population.
The efficacy of oral vitamin D supplements on fusion outcome in patients receiving elective lumbar spinal fusion—a randomized control trial
Authors: Hu Ming-Hsien , Tseng Yu-Kai , Chung Yu-Hsuan , Wu Nai-Yuan , Li Chi-Huan , Lee Pei-Yuan
Published: November 2022

Background

Previous studies have reported that vitamin D supplement could improve fracture healing, but evidence regarding the role of vitamin D supplements in spinal fusion was limited. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of oral vitamin D supplements on fusion outcomes in patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion.

Methods

This randomized, double-blind, parallel-designed, active-control trial included the patients who planned for elective lumbar spinal fusion. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to receive either daily vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) 800 IU and daily calcium citrate 600 mg (experimental group) or only daily calcium citrate 600 mg (control group). All supplements were given from postoperative day 1 and lasted for 3 months. Primary outcome was postoperative 1-year fusion rate, and secondary outcomes included time to fusion, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain.

Results

Among the included 34 patients (21 in the experimental group and 13 in the control group), baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OHVitD) level was 26.7 (10.4) ng/ml. Preoperative prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency were 23.5% and 47.1%, respectively. Postoperative 1-year fusion rate was not significantly different between the two groups (95.2% vs. 84.6%, P = 0.544). The experimental group had significantly shorter time to fusion (Kaplan–Meier estimated: 169 days vs. 185 days [interquartile range: 88–182 days vs. 176–324 days], log-rank test: P = 0.028), lower postoperative 6-month ODI (P < 0.001), and lower postoperative 6-month VAS (P < 0.001) than the control group. Time to fusion was significantly and negatively correlated with preoperative, postoperative 3-month, and 6-month 25(OH)VitD levels (all P < 0.01).

Conclusion

The patient with vitamin D supplements had shorter time to fusion, better spinal function and less pain after elective spinal fusion. Further research is warranted to identify the patients who can benefit the most from vitamin D supplements and the appropriate dose of vitamin D supplements.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05023122. Registered 20 August 2021. Retrospectively registered, http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03793530.
Autologous bone fragments for skull reconstruction after microvascular decompression
Authors: Cai Yuankun , Zhang Xiuling , Chen Xiaobin , Dai Xuan , Chai Songshan , Li Guo , Mei Zhimin , Ho Joshua , Chen Jincao , Li Luoqing , Xiong Nanxiang
Published: November 2022

Background

Various methods are used to reconstruct the skull after microvascular decompression, giving their own advantages and disadvantages. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of using autologous bone fragments for skull reconstruction after microvascular decompression.

Methods

The clinical and follow-up data of 145 patients who underwent microvascular decompression and skull reconstruction using autologous bone fragments in our hospital from September 2020 to September 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.

Results

Three patients (2.06%) had delayed wound healing after surgery and were discharged after wound cleaning. No patient developed postoperative cerebrospinal fluid leakage, incisional dehiscence, or intracranial infection. Eighty-five (58.62%) patients underwent follow-up cranial computed tomography at 1 year postoperatively, showed excellent skull reconstruction. And, the longer the follow-up period, the more satisfactory the cranial repair. Two patients underwent re-operation for recurrence of hemifacial spasm, and intraoperative observation revealed that the initial skull defect was filled with new skull bone.

Conclusion

The use of autologous bone fragments for skull reconstruction after microvascular decompression is safe and feasible, with few postoperative wound complications and excellent long-term repair results.
One-stage posterior surgery combined with anti-Brucella therapy in the management of lumbosacral brucellosis spondylitis: a retrospective study
Authors: Luan Haopeng , Liu Kai , Deng Xiaonan , Sheng Weibin , Mamat Mardan , Guo Hailong , Li Huaqiang , Deng Qiang
Published: November 2022

Background

This study aimed to assess the clinical efficacy of one-stage posterior surgery combined with anti-Brucella therapy in the treatment of lumbosacral brucellosis spondylitis (LBS).

Methods

From June 2010 to June 2020, the clinical and radiographic data of patients with LBS treated by one-stage posterior surgery combined with anti-Brucella therapy were retrospectively analyzed. The visual analogue scale (VAS), Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) and Oswestry Disability Index scores (ODI) were used to evaluate the clinical outcomes. Frankel’s classification system was employed to access the initial and final neurologic function. Fusion of the bone grafting was classified by Bridwell’s grading system.

Results

A total of 55 patients were included in this study with a mean postoperative follow-up time of 2.6 ± 0.8 years (range, 2 to 5). There were 40 males and 15 females with a mean age of 39.8 ± 14.7 years (range, 27 to 57). The Brucella agglutination test was ≥ 1:160 in all patients, but the blood culture was positive in 43 patients (78.1%). A statistical difference was observed in ESR, CRP, VAS, ODI, and JOA between preoperative and final follow-up (P < 0.05). Neurological function was significantly improved in 20 patients with preoperative neurological dysfunction after surgery. According to Bridwell’s grading system, the fusion of bone grafting in 48 cases (87.2%) was defined as grade I, and grade II in 7 cases (12.7%). None of the infestation recurrences was observed.

Conclusion

One-stage posterior surgery combined with anti-Brucella therapy was a practical method in the treatment of LBS with severe neurological compression and spinal sagittal imbalance.
The association between endometriosis and risk of endometrial cancer and breast cancer: a meta-analysis
Authors: Ye Jiatian , Peng Hongling , Huang Xia , Qi Xiaorong
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Endometriosis (EMS) is confirmed pathophysiologically to be an estrogen-dependent disease, similar to endometrial hyperplasia/cancer and breast cancer. Epidemiological and biological data on endometriosis might explain links between endometriosis and these cancers. We sought to identify the differences in the risk of endometrial cancer and breast cancer between women with and women without endometriosis.

Methods

We searched PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and four Chinese databases (CNKI, VIP, WanFang, CBM) to identify relevant studies published online between January 2011 and March 2021. In our meta-analysis, we used the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) to evaluate the design and quality of all studies, and we calculated the pooled risk ratio (RR) using the random model. The Q test and I2 were used to evaluate the degree of heterogeneity of eligible studies. We used funnel plots and Begg’s and Egger’s tests to assess publication bias.

Results

Of the 1369 articles, we finally included 14 cohort studies and seven case–control studies. Data from large cohort and case–control studies indicate that women with endometriosis had an increased risk of both endometrial cancer [RR, 1.662; 95% CI, (1.148–2.407)] and breast cancer [RR, 1.082; 95% CI, (1.001–1.169)].

Conclusion

Endometriosis can increase the risk of endometrial cancer and breast cancer, and women with endometriosis are recommended to receive routine screening in long-term management.
Cinnamomum verum J. Presl. Bark essential oil: in vitro investigation of anti-cholinesterase, anti-BACE1, and neuroprotective activity
Authors: Saeedi Mina , Iraji Aida , Vahedi-Mazdabadi Yasaman , Alizadeh Atiyeh , Edraki Najmeh , Firuzi Omidreza , Eftekhari Mahdieh , Akbarzadeh Tahmineh
Published: November 2022

Background

Cinnamomum verum J. Presl. (Lauraceae), Myrtus communis L. (Myrtaceae), Ruta graveolens L. (Rutaaceae), Anethum graveolens L. (Apiaceae), Myristica fragrans Houtt. (Myristicaceae), and Crocus sativus L. (Iridaceae) have been recommended for improvement of memory via inhalation, in Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM). In this respect, the essential oils (EOs) from those plants were obtained and evaluated for cholinesterase (ChE) inhibitory activity as ChE inhibitors are the available drugs in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Methods

EOs obtained from the plants under investigation, were evaluated for their potential to inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) in vitro based on the modified Ellman’s method. The most potent EO was candidate for the investigation of its beta-secretase 1 (BACE1) inhibitory activity and neuroprotectivity.

Results

Among all EOs, C. verum demonstrated the most potent activity toward AChE and BChE with IC50 values of 453.7 and 184.7 µg/mL, respectively. It also showed 62.64% and 41.79% inhibition against BACE1 at the concentration of 500 and 100 mg/mL, respectively. However, it depicted no neuroprotective potential against β-amyloid (Aβ)-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells. Also, identification of chemical composition of C. verum EO was achieved via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis and the major constituent; (E)-cinnamaldehyde, was detected as 68.23%.

Conclusion

Potent BChE inhibitory activity of C. verum EO can be considered in the development of cinnamon based dietary supplements for the management of patients with advanced AD.
Exploring the working environment of Hospital Managers: a mixed methods study investigating stress, stereotypes, psychological safety and individual resilience
Authors: Grailey Kate , Leon-Villapalos Clare , Murray Eleanor , Brett Stephen J
Published: November 2022

Background

Hospital managers are responsible for the delivery of organisational strategy, development of clinical services and maintaining quality standards. There is limited research on hospital managers, in particular how stress manifests and impacts managers and the presence of individual resilience. Managers must work closely with clinical colleagues, however these relationships can be hindered by the perception of stereotyping and differing priorities. This study aimed to explore the working environment of hospital managers, focusing upon the unique stresses faced, psychological safety and the presence of resilience.

Methods

This study utilised mixed methodology using an embedded approach. Participants were purposively recruited from all levels of hospital management within one National Health Service Trust in London, United Kingdom. An exploration of managers experiences was undertaken using semi-structured qualitative interviews. Psychological safety and individual resilience were additionally assessed using validated surveys. Qualitative data were analysed iteratively using inductive thematic analysis, and triangulated with quantitative data. Kruskal-Wallis statistical analysis was performed to evaluate differences in resilience and psychological safety according to seniority and background experience.

Results

Twenty-two managers were recruited and interviewed, with 20 returning completed surveys. Key findings from the thematic analysis included the importance of good working relationships with clinical colleagues, the persistence of some stereotyping, and feeling unsupported in times of challenge. Stresses described included the bureaucracy involved when delivering change, conflict with colleagues and target driven expectations.

Participants described their own psychological safety as lower than desired, supported by quantitative data; but recognised its importance and strived to create it within their own teams. Sixteen participants had ‘normal’ scores for resilience, with senior managers more likely to have higher scores than those more junior (p=0.011).

Conclusion

Positive working relationships, high psychological safety and individual resilience are important for organisational safety and individual wellbeing. Our data illustrate unique stressors faced by hospital managers, provide detail on sometimes challenging working relationships, and demonstrate scope to improve both the psychological safety and resilience of those in managerial positions. A map for senior healthcare leaders was constructed, facilitating the identification of modifiable areas within their organisation to promote good working relationships and improve the working environment of hospital managers.
Evaluation of the immunogenic properties of the recombinant Histophilus somni outer membrane protein 40 kDa (rOMP40)
Authors: Bajzert Joanna , Szydłowska Katarzyna , Jawor Paulina , Wawrzyniak Adrianna , Pisarek Maciej , Stefaniak Tadeusz
Published: November 2022

Background

Gram-negative bacterial infections are a serious problem in beef and dairy cattle. Bacterial outer membrane proteins (OMPs) play a pivotal role in cellular survival and the host-bacterium interaction. Histophilus somni OMP40 was identified as a porin with homology between its N-terminal amino acid sequence and the sequences of porins of other gram-negative bacteria The aim of this study was to produce recombinant H. somni OMP40 (rOMP40), optimize its production and evaluate its immunogenic properties in calves. The cross-reactivity of anti-rOMP40 antibodies were also checked.

Results

The highest overexpression of rOMP40 was demonstrated by Escherichia coli C41 using the autoinduction process. Double immunization of calves (20 μg rOMP40 per animal) induced a significant increase of anti-rOMP40 antibodies in the IgG1 (P ≤ 0.01) and IgG2 (P ≤ 0.01, after first immunization only) subclasses, but not IgM. ELISA revealed increased reactivity of the IgG against surface antigens of E. coli and Pasteurella multocida after the second immunization (P < 0.01). Cross reactivity of anti-rOMP40 antibodies with ~ 40 kDa antigens of most common gram-negative pathogens was shown by Western blotting.

Conclusion

Immunization with H. somni rOMP40 induced a humoral response in cattle with broad cross-reactivity with similar antigens of other species of Pasteurellaceae and Enterobacteriaceae families and the delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction. The obtained results encourage further study to evaluate the protective effect of the produced protein as a subunit vaccine in cattle.
Addition of an affected family member to a previously ascertained autosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearing loss pedigree and systematic phenotype-genotype analysis of splice-site variants in MYO15A
Authors: Yang Jin-Yuan , Wang Wei-Qian , Han Ming-Yu , Huang Sha-Sha , Wang Guo-Jian , Su Yu , Xu Jin-Cao , Fu Ying , Kang Dong-Yang , Yang Kun , Zhang Xin , Liu Xing , Gao Xue , Yuan Yong-Yi , Dai Pu
Published: November 2022

Pathogenic variants in MYO15A are known to cause autosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearing loss (ARNSHL), DFNB3. We have previously reported on one ARNSHL family including two affected siblings and identified MYO15A c.5964+3G > A and c.8375 T > C (p.Val2792Ala) as the possible deafness-causing variants. Eight year follow up identified one new affected individual in this family, who also showed congenital, severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss. By whole exome sequencing, we identified a new splice-site variant c.5531+1G > C (maternal allele), in a compound heterozygote with previously identified missense variant c.8375 T > C (p.Val2792Ala) (paternal allele) in MYO15A as the disease-causing variants. The new affected individual underwent unilateral cochlear implantation at the age of 1 year, and 5 year follow-up showed satisfactory speech and language outcomes. Our results further indicate that MYO15A-associated hearing loss is good candidates for cochlear implantation, which is in accordance with previous report. In light of our findings and review of the literatures, 58 splice-site variants in MYO15A are correlated with a severe deafness phenotype, composed of 46 canonical splice-site variants and 12 non-canonical splice-site variants.
Revisiting revitalization: exploring how structural determinants moderate pathways between neighborhood change and health
Authors: Mui Yeeli , Headrick Gabby , Chien Jessie , Pollack Craig , Saleem Haneefa T.
Published: November 2022

Vacant housing can produce many issues that affect residents’ quality of life, especially in historically segregated communities of color. To address these challenges, local governments invest in strategic, place-based revitalization initiatives focused on the regeneration of vacant housing. Yet, the outcomes of these efforts remain contested. To maximize health benefits of revitalization investments, a more nuanced understanding of pathways between neighborhood changes and residents’ responses, adaptations, and ability to thrive is necessary, though, remains largely absent in the literature. Using the Vacants to Value initiative in Baltimore, MD as a case study, we explore (1) how health manifests among certain groups in the context of vacant housing revitalization; (2) how vacant housing and its regeneration engender social and cultural environmental change i.e., gentrification; and (3) what structural determinants (cultural norms, policies, institutions, and practices) contribute to the distribution of material resources and benefits of revitalization. Results suggest that vacant housing revitalization requires more than just physical remedies to maximize health. Our findings demonstrate how vacant housing revitalization influences the physical environment, social environment, and structural determinants of material resources and community engagement that can ultimately impact residents’ physical, mental, and social health. This study recommends that because housing disparities are rooted in structural inequalities, how policies, practices, and processes moderate pathways for residents to adapt and benefit from neighborhood changes is consequential for health and health equity. Establishing shared governance structures is a promising approach to foster equitable decision-making and outcomes. Going forward in urban regeneration, pathways to retain and strengthen the social environment while revitalizing the physical environment may be promising to achieve healthy communities.
Screening for aberrantly methylated and differentially expressed genes in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease of hepatocellular carcinoma patients with cirrhosis
Authors: Zhang Guizhi , Hou Yinghui
Published: November 2022

Background

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) as the leading chronic liver disease worldwide causes hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to find potential aberrantly methylated and differentially expressed genes in NAFLD of HCC patients with cirrhosis.

Methods

DNA methylation data, mRNA expression data, and the corresponding clinical information of HCC were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA, tissue sample) database. HCC patients with cirrhosis were divided into two groups according to the presence of NAFLD. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially methylated genes (DMGs) were obtained.

Results

By overlapping 79 up-regulated genes and 1020 hypomethylated genes, we obtained 5 hypomethylated-highly expressed genes (Hypo­HGs). By overlapping 365 down-regulated genes and 481 hypermethylated genes, we identified 13 hypermethylated-lowly expressed genes (Hyper-LGs). Survival analysis of these 18 MDEGs indicated that the expression of DGKK and HOXD9 was significantly correlated with the overall survival time of NAFLD patients.

Conclusions

We identified several candidate genes whose expressions were regulated by DNA methylation of NAFLD of HCC with cirrhosis, which may provide a new field in understanding the clinical pathological mechanism of NAFLD of HCC with cirrhosis.