bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Choroid plexus-selective inactivation of adenosine A2A receptors protects against T cell infiltration and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
Authors: Zheng Wu , Feng Yijia , Zeng Zhenhai , Ye Mengqian , Wang Mengru , Liu Xin , Tang Ping , Shang Huiping , Sun Xiaoting , Lin Xiangxiang , Wang Muran , Li Zhengzheng , Weng Yiyun , Guo Wei , Vakal Sergii , Chen Jiang-fan
Published: February 2022

Background

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common autoimmune disorders characterized by the infiltration of immune cells into the brain and demyelination. The unwanted immunosuppressive side effect of therapeutically successful natalizumab led us to focus on the choroid plexus (CP), a key site for the first wave of immune cell infiltration in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), for the control of immune cells trafficking. Adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) is emerging as a potential pharmacological target to control EAE pathogenesis. However, the cellular basis for the A2AR-mediated protection remains undetermined.

Methods

In the EAE model, we assessed A2AR expression and leukocyte trafficking determinants in the CP by immunohistochemistry and qPCR analyses. We determined the effect of the A2AR antagonist KW6002 treatment at days 8–12 or 8–14 post-immunization on T cell infiltration across the CP and EAE pathology. We determined the critical role of the CP-A2AR on T cell infiltration and EAE pathology by focal knock-down of CP-A2AR via intracerebroventricular injection of CRE-TAT recombinase into the A2ARflox/flox mice. In the cultured CP epithelium, we also evaluated the effect of overexpression of A2ARs or the A2AR agonist CGS21680 treatment on the CP permeability and lymphocytes migration.

Results

We found the specific upregulation of A2AR in the CP associated with enhanced CP gateway activity peaked at day 12 post-immunization in EAE mice. Furthermore, the KW6002 treatment at days 8–12 or 8–14 post-immunization reduced T cell trafficking across the CP and attenuated EAE pathology. Importantly, focal CP-A2AR knock-down attenuated the pathogenic infiltration of Th17+ cells across the CP via inhibiting the CCR6–CCL20 axis through NFκB/STAT3 pathway and protected against EAE pathology. Lastly, activation of A2AR in the cultured epithelium by A2AR overexpression or CGS21680 treatment increased the permeability of the CP epithelium and facilitated lymphocytes migration.

Conclusion

These findings define the CP niche as one of the primary sites of A2AR action, whereby A2AR antagonists confer protection against EAE pathology. Thus, pharmacological targeting of the CP-A2AR represents a novel therapeutic strategy for MS by controlling immune cell trafficking across CP.
Repeated endo-tracheal tube disconnection generates pulmonary edema in a model of volume overload: an experimental study
Authors: Katira Bhushan H. , Engelberts Doreen , Bouch Sheena , Fliss Jordan , Bastia Luca , Osada Kohei , Connelly Kim A. , Amato Marcelo B. P. , Ferguson Niall D. , Kuebler Wolfgang M. , Kavanagh Brian P. , Brochard Laurent J. , Post Martin
Published: February 2022

Background

An abrupt lung deflation in rodents results in lung injury through vascular mechanisms. Ventilator disconnections during endo-tracheal suctioning in humans often cause cardio-respiratory instability. Whether repeated disconnections or lung deflations cause lung injury or oedema is not known and was tested here in a porcine large animal model.

Methods

Yorkshire pigs (~ 12 weeks) were studied in three series. First, we compared PEEP abruptly deflated from 26 cmH2O or from PEEP 5 cmH2O to zero. Second, pigs were randomly crossed over to receive rapid versus gradual PEEP removal from 20 cmH2O. Third, pigs with relative volume overload, were ventilated with PEEP 15 cmH2O and randomized to repeated ETT disconnections (15 s every 15 min) or no disconnection for 3 h. Hemodynamics, pulmonary variables were monitored, and lung histology and bronchoalveolar lavage studied.

Results

As compared to PEEP 5 cmH2O, abrupt deflation from PEEP 26 cmH2O increased PVR, lowered oxygenation, and increased lung wet-to-dry ratio. From PEEP 20 cmH2O, gradual versus abrupt deflation mitigated the changes in oxygenation and vascular resistance. From PEEP 15, repeated disconnections in presence of fluid loading led to reduced compliance, lower oxygenation, higher pulmonary artery pressure, higher lung wet-to-dry ratio, higher lung injury score and increased oedema on morphometry, compared to no disconnects.

Conclusion

Single abrupt deflation from high PEEP, and repeated short deflations from moderate PEEP cause pulmonary oedema, impaired oxygenation, and increased PVR, in this large animal model, thus replicating our previous finding from rodents. Rapid deflation may thus be a clinically relevant cause of impaired lung function, which may be attenuated by gradual pressure release.
Healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial use in Belgian nursing homes: results of three point prevalence surveys between 2010 and 2016
Authors: Latour Katrien , Catry Boudewijn , Devleesschauwer Brecht , Buntinx Frank , De Lepeleire Jan , Jans Béatrice
Published: February 2022

Background

Belgium monitors the burden of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial use in nursing homes (NHs) by participating in the European point prevalence surveys (PPSs) organised in long-term care facilities (HALT surveys). We present the main findings of the three national PPSs conducted in NHs participating in at least one of these surveys, and in a cohort that participated in all three consecutive surveys.

Methods

All NHs were invited to voluntarily participate and conduct the survey on one single day in May-September 2010 (HALT-1), in April-May 2013 (HALT-2) or in September-November 2016 (HALT-3). Data were collected at institutional, ward and resident level. A detailed questionnaire had to be completed for all eligible (i.e. living full time in the facility since at least 24 h, present at 8:00 am and willing to participate) residents receiving at least one systemic antimicrobial agent and/or presenting at least one active HAI on the PPS day. The onset of signs/symptoms had to occur more than 48 h after the resident was (re-)admitted to the NH.

Results

A total of 107, 87 and 158 NHs conducted the HALT-1, HALT-2 and HALT-3 survey, respectively. The median prevalence of residents with antimicrobial agent(s) increased from 4.3% (95% confidence interval (CI): 3.5-4.8%) in HALT-1 to 4.7% (95% CI: 3.5-6.5%) in HALT-2 and 5.0% (95% CI: 4.2-5.9%) in HALT-3. The median prevalence of residents with HAI(s) varied from 1.8% (95% CI: 1.4-2.7%) in HALT-1 to 3.2% (95% CI: 2.2-4.2%) in HALT-2 and 2.7% (95% CI: 2.1-3.4%) in HALT-3. Our post-hoc analysis on the cohort (n = 25 NHs) found similar trends. In all three surveys, respiratory tract infections were most frequently reported, followed by skin/wound infections in HALT-1 and urinary tract infections in HALT-2 and HALT-3. Antimicrobials were most commonly prescribed for the therapeutic treatment of an infection: 66.4% in HALT-1, 60.9% in HALT-2 and 64.1% in HALT-3. Uroprophylaxis accounted for 28.7%, 35.6% and 28.4% of all prescriptions, respectively.

Conclusions

None withstanding the limitations peculiar to the study design, the PPSs enabled us to assess the occurrence of and to increase awareness for HAIs and rational antimicrobial use in NHs at both local and national level.
Development and validation of contextual measures of sexual harassment perceptions, experiences, and coping for women employees in Ethiopian hospitality workplaces
Authors: Worke Mulugeta Dile , Koricha Zewdie Birhanu , Debelew Gurmesa Tura
Published: February 2022

Background

Sexual harassment among female employees in the hospitality industry is a complex phenomenon, and it has ramifications for employment, psychological, physical, and reproductive health. Nevertheless, our interpretation is constrained by a lack of agreement on its definition and measurement. As a result, hospitality workplaces require accurate tools that provide a detailed understanding of sexual harassment and inputs for action to limit adverse outcomes. Thus, this study aimed to develop a reliable and valid measure of female hospitality employees’ perceptions, experiences, and coping features concerning sexual harassment.

Methods

Item development, scale development, and scale evaluation were all parts of the design process. Following a round of feedback from the expert group, qualitative results, and a comprehensive literature review on related themes, item pools were created for the first version of the questionnaire. Pre-testing, survey administration, item reduction, and transformation of extracted latent factors of individual items into a unified and measurable construct were also performed. Field testing included five cognitive interviews with women who had experienced sexual harassment, a pre-test study of 30 women, and a survey of 345 women who worked in hospitality workplaces. Finally, tests for dimensionality, reliability, and validity were conducted.

Results

In Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, 345 women working in the hospitality workplaces, with a mean age of 24.31 ± 4.30 years, took part in this study. The robust maximum likelihood estimation approach was used to do confirmatory factor analysis. The model’s stability was determined by calculating the goodness of fit and the factorial invariance. Subsequently, the validity was confirmed. The findings supported the validity and reliability of the questionnaires designed for the target group. Therefore, the questionnaires can be used as research instruments.

Conclusions

The sexual harassment perceptions, experiences and coping scales provide a locally verified method for assessing sexual harassment in Ethiopia by government authorities and local and international non-governmental organisations, which aid in providing necessary services and the evaluation of efforts aimed at improving workplace safety, workplace health, and psychosocial well-being.
The financial feasibility of compressed biomethane gas application in Thailand
Authors: Tonrangklang Pennapa , Therdyothin Apichit , Preechawuttipong Itthichai
Published: February 2022

Background

Biomethane is a clean fuel upgraded from biogas. It has similar properties to natural gas vehicle (NGV) and can be used as a substitute for fossil fuels in the transportation and industrial sectors. Currently, biomethane is not in widespread use as alternative energy because it depends on local biogas production. However, there are few replacement alternatives and the commercial system is only on a small scale. Therefore, the overall aim of this paper is to study the financial feasibility of local biogas aggregation for producing biomethane on various scales. The results of the study are expected to aid the decision-making of investors and governments in promoting the use of renewable and sustainable sources of energy.

Methods

Primary and secondary data are used in this research for descriptive and quantitative analysis, while net present value, internal rate of return, payback period, and cost per unit represent the financial instruments. The location and distance methods applied are Google Maps and Power BI software programs, based on biogas upgrading by water scrubbing.

Results

The results indicate that 10 potential biomethane production areas exist in Thailand, with a total biogas production capacity of 6,000 m3/day or more under gas pipeline conditions not exceeding 50 km. Compressed biomethane gas plants with a capacity of less than 6 tons/day should be funded by the government at 30% of the total investment for a payback period of 5–6 years. Plants producing more than 6 tons/day provide a good return on investment even without government funding.

Conclusions

While this study focuses solely on areas of Thailand, it is the researcher’s position that the integration of residual biogas plants provides greater benefit than flare, particularly in remote areas. The model proposed in this study can serve as a prototype for developing countries such as Malaysia, the Philippines, Latin America, etc. Furthermore, it can be used in developed countries committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the Paris Agreement.
Evidence based disease control methods in potato production: a systematic map protocol
Authors: Vilvert Elisa , Stridh Linnea , Andersson Björn , Olson Åke , Aldén Louise , Berlin Anna
Published: February 2022

Background

Several challenges, e.g. global trade, population growth, and climate change create future challenges for food production and food safety. In order to meet this, we need to secure and increase agricultural production with minimal environmental impact. Potato (Solanum tuberosum) ranks as one of the world’s most important crops for human consumption. While potato production and consumption have decreased in Europe and North America, global production has grown in the last decades due to the expansion of potato consumption in Asia. Potato is vulnerable to a wide range of pathogenic organisms, all of which can cause severe quality and yield losses. As a consequence, potato production is highly reliant on pesticide use, and this has a negative effect on the sustainability of the crop. To mitigate these problems, effective and evidence based crop protection recommendations need to be provided to growers.

Methods and output

The overarching aim of this project is to support the development of better methods of integrated pest management (IPM), as well as to identify alternative control methods for potato diseases to contribute to effective plant protection solutions and a more sustainable potato production. The specific objective of this systematic map is to provide a worldwide overview of plant disease protection measures available for potato production. All methods to control diseases within different cropping systems will be considered, such as pesticide application, biological control methods, resistant cultivars as well as disease support systems and tools for diagnosis. The systematic map will be presented as a searchable database where the volume and main characteristics of the relevant scientific literature will be described. We will identify evidence clusters and knowledge gaps in potato disease management and identify future research areas, and in this way contribute to new and innovative solutions. The map will provide important information and support for researchers and stakeholders, in particular authorities and advisory organizations. It will also help to select topics for future systematic reviews and meta-studies within potato research.
Microseismic analysis over a single horizontal distributed acoustic sensing fiber using guided waves
Authors: Lellouch Ariel , Luo Bin , Huot Fantine , Clapp Robert G. , Given Paige , Biondi Ettore , Nemeth Tamas , Nihei Kurt T. , Biondi Biondo L.
Published: February 2022

A single horizontal distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) fiber is notoriously challenging for microseismic analysis even when it is close to recorded events. Due to its uniaxial measurement, locations suffer from circular ambiguity. Nonetheless, in unconventional plays, the presence of dispersive guided waves in the DAS records can partially resolve such ambiguity. If the reservoir has lower seismic velocities than its surrounding medium, it can act as a waveguide. In this case, guided waves are generated only by microseismic events occurring inside or close to the reservoir, and their propagation is confined to the reservoir. We first train a machine learning model for microseismic event detection using a unique data set of almost 7000 manually picked events and an equal number of noise windows. Applying the trained model to 10 stimulation stages from two offset wells yields more than 100,000 event detections, with a higher sensitivity than manual labeling. Detected events undergo a localization procedure based on the dispersion properties of guided waves, estimated in-situ from known perforation shots. Location results allow us to reconstruct the spatio-temporal pattern of fracture development. We observe a dominant fracture propagation direction for all stages, which indicates the effect of the regional stress in the reservoir. We qualitatively validate the direction and extent of the fracture growth by perforation shot analysis. We have found the first application of microseismic event location with a single straight fiber, which is considered impossible without a waveguide structure.
Telepsychiatry: learning from the pandemic
Authors: Greenhalgh Trisha , Wherton Joseph
Published: February 2022

This article draws on research and clinical experience to discuss how and when to use video consultations in mental health settings. The appropriateness and impact of virtual consultations are influenced by the patient's clinical needs and social context, as well as by service-level socio-technical and logistical factors.
Addition of Navitoclax to Ongoing Ruxolitinib Therapy for Patients With Myelofibrosis With Progression or Suboptimal Response: Phase II Safety and Efficacy
Authors: Harrison Claire N. , Garcia Jacqueline S. , Somervaille Tim C.P. , Foran James M. , Verstovsek Srdan , Jamieson Catriona , Mesa Ruben , Ritchie Ellen K. , Tantravahi Srinivas K. , Vachhani Pankit , O'Connell Casey L. , Komrokji Rami S. , Harb Jason , Hutti Jessica E. , Holes Leanne , Masud Abdullah A. , Nuthalapati Silpa , Potluri Jalaja , Pemmaraju Naveen
Published: February 2022

PURPOSE

Targeting the BCL-XL pathway has demonstrated the ability to overcome Janus kinase inhibitor resistance in preclinical models. This phase II trial investigated the efficacy and safety of adding BCL-XL/BCL-2 inhibitor navitoclax to ruxolitinib therapy in patients with myelofibrosis with progression or suboptimal response to ruxolitinib monotherapy (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03222609 ).

METHODS

Thirty-four adult patients with intermediate-/high-risk myelofibrosis who had progression or suboptimal response on stable ruxolitinib dose (≥ 10 mg twice daily) were administered navitoclax at 50 mg once daily starting dose, followed by escalation to a maximum of 300 mg once daily in once in weekly increments (if platelets were ≥ 75 × 109/L). The primary end point was ≥ 35% spleen volume reduction (SVR35) from baseline at week 24. Secondary end points included ≥ 50% reduction in total symptom score (TSS50) from baseline at week 24, hemoglobin improvement, change in bone marrow fibrosis (BMF) grade, and safety.

RESULTS

High molecular risk mutations were identified in 58% of patients, and 52% harbored ≥ 3 mutations. SVR35 was achieved by 26.5% of patients at week 24, and by 41%, at any time on study, with an estimated median duration of SVR35 of 13.8 months. TSS50 was achieved by 30% (6 of 20) of patients at week 24, and BMF improved by 1-2 grades in 33% (11 of 33) of evaluable patients. Anemia response was achieved by 64% (7 of 11), including one patient with baseline transfusion dependence. Median overall survival was not reached with a median follow-up of 21.6 months. The most common adverse event was reversible thrombocytopenia without clinically significant bleeding (88%).

CONCLUSION

The addition of navitoclax to ruxolitinib in patients with persistent or progressive myelofibrosis resulted in durable SVR35, improved TSS, hemoglobin response, and BMF. Further investigation is underway to qualify the potential for disease modification.
Liquid demixing in elastic networks: Cavitation, permeation, or size selection?
Authors: Ronceray Pierre , Mao Sheng , Košmrlj Andrej , Haataja Mikko P.
Published: February 2022

In cells, phase-separated liquid condensates interact mechanically with surrounding elastic networks such as chromatin and cytoskeleton. By considering the trade-offs between elastic, wetting, and interfacial energies, we theoretically show that three droplet phases can be thermodynamically stable: macroscopic droplets that either cavitate or permeate the network, and mesh-size–limited microdroplets. We show that network strain stiffening further enhances this latter size-limitation effect. Our theory predicts the possibility of yet-unobserved droplet phases in the cytoplasm and nucleoplasm.
Scalar perturbation of gravitating double-kink solutions
Authors: Feng Jun , Zhong Yuan
Published: February 2022

In this letter, a two-dimensional (2D) gravity-scalar model is studied. This model supports interesting double-kink solutions, and the corresponding metric solutions can be derived analytically. Depending on a tunable parameter c, the metric can be symmetric or asymmetric. The Schrödinger-like equation for normal modes of the physical linear perturbation is derived. As c varies, the effective potential can have one or two singular barriers. If c is larger than a critical value, the zero mode will be normalizable, despite of the appearance of a strong repulsive singularity. The double-kink solution is always stable against linear perturbations.
The Practice of Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesiology in the United States
Authors: Nasr Viviane G. , Staffa Steven J. , Vener David F. , Huang ShengXiang , Brown Morgan L. , Twite Mark , Miller-Hance Wanda C. , DiNardo James A.
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND:

With advances in surgical and catheter-based interventions and technologies in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), the practice of pediatric cardiac anesthesiology has evolved in parallel with pediatric cardiac surgery and pediatric cardiology as a distinct subspecialty over the past 80 years. To date, there has not been an analysis of the distribution of pediatric cardiac anesthesiologists relative to cardiac and noncardiac procedures in the pediatric population. The primary aim is to report the results of a survey and its subsequent analysis to describe the distribution of pediatric cardiac anesthesiologists relative to pediatric cardiac procedures that include surgical interventions, cardiac catheterization procedures, imaging studies (echocardiography, magnetic resonance, computed tomography, positron emission tomography), and noncardiac procedures.

METHODS:

A survey developed in Research Electronic Data Capture (REDcap) was sent to the identifiable division chiefs/cardiac directors of 113 pediatric cardiac anesthesia programs in the United States. Data regarding cardiac surgical patients and procedures were collected from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database (STS-CHD).

RESULTS:

This analysis reveals that only 38% (117 of 307) of pediatric cardiac anesthesiologists caring for patients with CHD pursued additional training in pediatric cardiac anesthesiology, while 44% (136 of 307) have gained experience during their clinical practice. Other providers have pursued different training pathways such as adult cardiac anesthesiology or pediatric critical care. Based on this survey, pediatric cardiac anesthesiologists devote 35% (interquartile range [IQR], 20%–50%) of clinical time to the care of patients in the cardiac operating room, 25% (20%–35%) of time to the care of patients in the cardiac catheterization laboratory, 10% (5%–10%) to patient care in imaging locations, and 15% covering general pediatric, adult, or cardiac patients undergoing noncardiac procedures. Attempts to actively recruit pediatric cardiac anesthesiologists were reported by 49.2% (29 of 59) of the institutions surveyed. Impending retirement of staff was anticipated in 17% (10 of 59) of the institutions, while loss of staff to relocation was anticipated in 3.4% (2 of 59) of institutions. Thirty-seven percent of institutions reported that they anticipated no immediate changes in current staffing levels.

CONCLUSIONS:

The majority of currently practicing pediatric cardiac anesthesiologists have not completed a fellowship training in the subspecialty. There is, and will continue to be, a need for subspecialty training to meet increasing demand for services especially with increase survival of this patient population and to replace retiring members of the workforce.
The Association Between Timing of Elective Surgery Scheduling and Operating Theater Utilization: A Cross-Sectional Retrospective Study
Authors: Lee Soo-Hoon , Dai Tinglong , Phan Phillip H. , Moran Nehama , Stonemetz Jerry
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND:

Overutilization of operating theaters (OTs) occurs when actual surgery duration exceeds scheduled duration, which could potentially result in delays or cancelations in subsequent surgeries. We investigate the association between the timing of elective surgery scheduling and OT overutilization.

METHODS:

A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted using electronic health record data of 27,423 elective surgeries from July 1, 2016, to July 31, 2018, at a mid-Atlantic academic medical center with 56 OTs. The scheduling precision of each surgery is measured using the ratio of the actual (A) over the scheduled or forecast (F) length of surgery to derive the predictor variable of A/F (actual-to-forecast ratio [AF]). Student t test and χ2 tests analyzed differences between OTs reserved within and over 7 days of surgery for continuous and dichotomous variables, respectively. Hierarchical regression models, controlling for potential confounds from the hospital environment, clinicians’ work experience and workloads, patient factors, scheduled OT length, and operational and team factors isolated the association between OTs reserved within 7 days of the elective surgery with AF.

RESULTS:

The Student t test indicates that OTs reserved within 7 days of surgery had significantly higher AF (1.13 ± 0.53 vs 1.08 ± 0.41; P < .001). In-depth Student t test analyses for 4 patient groups, namely, outpatient, extended recovery, admission after surgery, and inpatient, indicate that AF was only significantly different for OTs reserved within 7 days for the admission after surgery group (1.15 ± 0.47 vs 1.09 ± 0.35; P < .001) but did not reach statistical significance among the outpatient, extended recovery, and inpatient groups. After controlling for potential confounds, hierarchical regression for the admission after surgery group reveals that OTs reserved within 7 days took 2.7% longer than the scheduled length of surgery (AFbeta, 0.027; 95% CI, 0.003–0.051; P = .027).

CONCLUSIONS:

Elective surgeries scheduled within 7 days of surgery were associated with significantly higher likelihood of OT overutilization for surgical patients who will be admitted after surgery. Further studies at other hospitals and a longer period of time are needed to ascertain a potential “squeeze-in” effect.
Pro-Con Debate: Anesthesiologist- Versus Hospitalist- Run Preoperative Clinics and Perioperative Care
Authors: Hepner David , Harrop Catriona M. , Whinney Christopher , Gulur Padma
Published: February 2022

In this Pro-Con commentary article, we discuss the models, value propositions, and opportunities of preoperative clinics run by anesthesiologists versus hospitalists and their role in perioperative care. The medical and anesthesia evaluation before surgery has pivoted from the model of “clearance” to the model of risk assessment, preparation, and optimization of medical and psychosocial risk factors. Assessment of these risk factors, optimization, and care coordination in the preoperative period has expanded the roles of anesthesiologists and hospitalists as members of the perioperative care team. There is ongoing debate regarding which model of preoperative assessment provides the most optimal preparation for the patient undergoing surgery. This article hopes to shed light on this debate with the data and perspectives on these care models.
Standard of Care During a Crisis: What Should a Surgeon Know (and Do)?
Authors: Caruso James P. , Taylor Christopher L. , Sartwelle Thomas P.
Published: February 2022

Numerous catastrophic events in the 21st century have motivated renewed discussion regarding whether the traditional definition of standard of care appropriately applies to clinical decision-making in crisis scenarios. Some authorities have proposed the adoption of a crisis standard of care, which refines physician responsibilities during a crisis event in accordance with population health principles. However, this proposal is fraught with controversy, and current medical and legal scholarship on this topic remains complex and conflicted. To clarify these points and provide practicing neurosurgeons with guidance, we provide a review of current literature on the evolving definitions of crisis standard of care. Additionally, we provide an assessment of the implications of a crisis standard of care, as it relates to legal liability, clinical ethics, and neurosurgical practice.
Molecular, Histological, and Clinical Characteristics of Oligodendrogliomas: A Multi-Institutional Retrospective Study
Authors: Dono Antonio , Alfaro-Munoz Kristin , Yan Yuanqing , Lopez-Garcia Carlos A. , Soomro Zaid , Williford Garret , Takayasu Takeshi , Robell Lindsay , Majd Nazanin K. , de Groot John , Esquenazi Yoshua , Kamiya-Matsuoka Carlos , Ballester Leomar Y.
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND:

Reports suggest that phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway alterations confer increased risk of progression and poor prognosis in oligodendroglioma, IDH-mutant, and 1p/19q-codeleted molecular oligodendrogliomas (mODG). However, factors that affect prognosis in mODG have not been thoroughly studied. In addition, the benefits of adjuvant radiation and temozolomide (TMZ) in mODGs remain to be determined.

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the role of PIK3CA mutations in mODGs.

METHODS:

One hundred seven mODGs (2008-2019) diagnosed at 2 institutions were included. A retrospective review of clinical characteristics, molecular alterations, treatments, and outcomes was performed.

RESULTS:

The median age was 37 years, and 61 patients (57%) were male. There were 64 (60%) World Health Organization (WHO) grade 2 and 43 (40%) WHO grade 3 tumors. Eighty-two patients (77%) were stratified as high risk (age 40 years or older and/or subtotal resection per Radiation Treatment Oncology Group-9802). Gross-total resection was achieved in 47 patients (45%). Treatment strategies included observation (n = 15), TMZ (n = 11), radiation (n = 13), radiation/TMZ (n = 62), and others (n = 6). Our results show a benefit of TMZ vs observation in progression-free survival (PFS). No difference in PFS or overall survival (OS) was observed between radiation and radiation/TMZ. PIK3CA mutations were detected in 15 (14%) mODG, and shorter OS was observed in PIK3CA-mutant compared with PIK3CA wild-type mODGs (10.7 years vs 15.1 years, P = .009). WHO grade 3 tumors showed a shorter PFS, but no significant difference in OS was observed between WHO grades.

CONCLUSION:

Our findings suggest that mODGs harboring PIK3CA mutations have worse OS. Except for an advantage in PFS with TMZ treatment, adjuvant TMZ, radiation, or a combination of the two showed no significant improvement in OS.
Rates of warming impact oxidative stress in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Authors: Loughland Isabella , Lau Gigi Y. , Jolly Jordan , Seebacher Frank
Published: February 2022

Potentially negative effects of thermal variation on physiological functions may be modulated by compensatory responses, but their efficacy depends on the time scale of phenotypic adjustment relative to the rate of temperature change. Increasing temperatures in particular can affect mitochondrial bioenergetics and rates of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Our aim was to test whether different rates of temperature increase affect mitochondrial bioenergetics and modulate oxidative stress. We exposed zebrafish (Danio rerio) to warming from 20°C to 28°C over 3, 6, 24 or 48 h, and compared these with a control group that was kept at constant 20°C. Fish exposed to the fastest (3 h) and slowest (48 h) rates of warming had significantly higher rates of H2O2 production relative to the control treatment, and the proportion of O2 converted to H2O2 (H2O2/O2 ratio) was significantly greater in these groups. However, ROS production was not paralleled by differences in mitochondrial substrate oxidation rates, leak respiration rates or coupling (respiratory control ratios). Increased rates of ROS production did not lead to damage of proteins or membranes, which may be explained by a moderate increase in catalase activity at the fastest, but not the slowest, rate of warming. The increase in ROS production at the slowest rate of warming indicates that even seemingly benign environments may be stressful. Understanding how animals respond to different rates of temperature change is important, because the rate determines the time period for phenotypic adjustments and it also alters the environmental thermal signal that triggers compensatory pathways.
Wind of change: a diurnal skink thermoregulates between cooler set-points and for an increased amount of time in the presence of wind
Authors: Virens Evelyn , Cree Alison
Published: February 2022

Wind has the potential to dramatically alter the thermal landscape of habitats, and consequently, to affect how ectotherms thermoregulate. However, few studies have directly assessed if wind alters thermoregulation by ectotherms. We compared the thermoregulation of a heliothermic New Zealand skink under three treatments: no wind, wind at 2 m s−1 and wind at 6 m s−1. We provided captive skinks with housing in which their preferred body temperature was only achievable inside a wind tunnel. During experimental treatments with wind, airflow was generated through the wind tunnel while the maximum available operative temperature remained consistent among treatments. Skinks were able to move in and out of the wind tunnel. Using thermal bio-loggers, we recorded near-continuous skin temperatures of skinks over 90 min. Contrary to our expectations, more skinks tended to thermoregulate in the two wind treatments compared with the treatments without wind (P=0.062) and of the skinks that did thermoregulate, those in the two wind treatments thermoregulated for significantly longer than those in the treatment without wind. The set-point temperatures that skinks thermoregulated between became significantly cooler as windspeed increased, despite skinks having access to the same operative temperatures. Overall, our study suggests that wind has the potential to significantly change the temperatures selected by lizards, even when comparable temperatures are available; wind is therefore an important environmental parameter to consider when studying the thermal ecology of ectotherms, including in the context of climate change.
Lewis Pair RAFT Polymerization of Methacrylates on-Water: Evidence of Radical Propagation Mechanism
Authors: Koyama Tomoko , Shimizu Atsushi , Matsuoka Shin-ichi , Suzuki Masato
Published: February 2022

The Lewis pair (LP) composed of PPh3 and Cu(OTf)2 on-water is a newly emerging catalytic system for polymerization of polar vinyl monomers. Herein, we report the additive effect of the reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agents on the polymerization of six methacrylate monomers with various hydrophilicities. The polymerization control by the RAFT agents proved that this LP polymerization involves a radical propagating mechanism.
Endovascular treatment of complicated aortic aneurysms using a modified flow-diverting strategy: Mid- to long-term outcome from a multicenter cohort study
Authors: Zhang Yongxue , Lu Qingsheng , Zhang Simeng , Liang Zhihui , Cui Jinguo , Jing Zaiping
Published: February 2022

Objectives:

Frequently reported adverse events following flow-diverting stents’ treatment of aortic aneurysms indicate further refinements of this technique are required. This study aims at evaluating the clinical efficacy of an improved flow-diverting strategy.

Methods:

A modified flow-diverting procedure was utilized in selected patients, in which stent-grafts were used to cover the non-branched segment of the aneurysmal lesion while flow-diverting multilayered bare metal stents were applied to cover the reno-visceral segment. The safety and efficacy of this joint procedure were assessed by regular follow-up.

Results:

We screened 497 patients and included 67 cases (mean age: 67.07 ± 12.14 years; 53 males) between February 2012 and March 2018. The median number of stent-grafts and bare metal stents used in the procedure were 1 (range: 1 to 3) and 3 (range: 2 to 4), respectively. During a mean follow-up period of 34.54 ± 20.28 months, aneurysm maximum diameter decreased from 64.79 ± 10.31 to 59.32 ± 10.20 mm (p = 0.002), while sac thrombosis ratio increased from 26.01±10.99% to 98.46±4.84% (p<0.001). Aneurysm-related death or conversion to open repair was documented in three patients. The majority side-branches (198/201) remained patent during follow-up. Overall clinical success rate reached 91.04% (61/67).

Conclusions:

The joint procedure is characterized by significant aneurysm thrombosis along with high aneurysm stabilization/shrinkage and side-branches’ patency rate. It might represent a potential improvement of the flow-diverting strategy in treating complex aortic lesions, yet large-scale, prospective, and randomized trials are anticipated to draw a robust conclusion.

Advances in knowledge:

The joint procedure could potentially exclude complex aortic aneurysms from circulation while maintaining the collateral branches.
The role for MRI-guided transurethral ultrasound ablation in the continuum of prostate cancer care
Authors: Busch Joseph J.
Published: February 2022

Prostate cancer continues to have a negative impact on the duration and quality of life for males and their families. MRI is transforming the pathway of prostate cancer detection, diagnosis, staging, and surveillance, backed by multiple Level 1 studies and robust reporting standards. This evolving paradigm of MRI-directed care is now being expanded to include in-bore MRI-guided prostate tissue ablation techniques, which reduce the burden of genitourinary complications associated with standard-of-care treatments, without sacrificing cancer control. The workflow for MRI-guided transurethral ultrasound ablation relies on intraprocedural MRI guidance for treatment planning, automated and physician-monitored treatment delivery, and post-treatment assessment at both immediate and long-term time points. Our early experience has identified several procedure refinements, and aligns with early evidence from prospective clinical studies using transurethral ultrasound ablation for treatment of patients with either primary or recurrent disease. Driven by quantitative real-time imaging, MRI-guided ablative interventions provide rich datasets for developing technical refinements and predictive models that will progressively improve patient outcomes as these novel techniques become part of a new standard-of-care.
Tailer: a pipeline for sequencing-based analysis of nonpolyadenylated RNA 3′ end processing
Authors: Nicholson-Shaw Tim , Lykke-Andersen Jens
Published: February 2022

Post-transcriptional trimming and tailing of RNA 3′ ends play key roles in the processing and quality control of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). However, bioinformatic tools to examine changes in the RNA 3′ “tailome” are sparse and not standardized. Here we present Tailer, a bioinformatic pipeline in two parts that allows for robust quantification and analysis of tail information from next-generation sequencing experiments that preserve RNA 3′ end information. The first part of Tailer, Tailer-processing, uses genome annotation or reference FASTA gene sequences to quantify RNA 3′ ends from SAM-formatted alignment files or FASTQ sequence read files produced from sequencing experiments. The second part, Tailer-analysis, uses the output of Tailer-processing to identify statistically significant RNA targets of trimming and tailing and create graphs for data exploration. We apply Tailer to RNA 3′ end sequencing experiments from three published studies and find that it accurately and reproducibly recapitulates key findings. Thus, Tailer should be a useful and easily accessible tool to globally investigate tailing dynamics of nonpolyadenylated RNAs and conditions that perturb them.
Liquefaction Potential in the Adriatic Coastal Areas in Albania
Authors: Daja Shkelqim , Ago Besnik , Muci Redi
Published: February 2022

The objective of this study is the evaluation of the phenomenon of liquefaction along the coastal area west of Albania. The study is based on the combination of qualitative approach which use geological criteria as the type of soil, their age, hydrogeological conditions and seismicity of the area and quantitative or deterministic approaches consisting on the evaluation of Liquefaction Potential Index (LPI). The quantitative analysis is based on the CPTU data. Three hazard levels, corresponding to different levels of safety such as 50% in 50 years (72-years Return Period), 10% in 50 years (475-years RP) and 2% in 50 years (2475-years RP), have been taken into consideration. The results of the deterministic approaches yielded further evidence of high potential of liquefaction, which suggests the same level of susceptibility for other ar-eas of the same geological conditions and stress history. These areas are mapped based on Geotechnical Map of Albania.
An ecological study on the association between early childhood caries and intimate partner violence in 20 low- and middle-income countries: 2007-2017
Authors: Folayan Morenike Oluwatoyin , Obiyan Mary O. , El Tantawi Maha , Kemoli Arthur , Al-Batayneh Ola B. , Gaffar Balgis , Schroth Robert J. ,   Early Childhood Caries Advocacy Group
Published: February 2022

Background:Women are the worst affected by intimate partner violence (IPV), and this impacts negatively on the health of the children they care for. This study aimed to determine the associations between IPV and the prevalence of early childhood caries (ECC) in 3-5-year-olds.

Methods:This was an ecological study using IPV (physical, sexual, emotional) data extracted from the Demographic Health Survey of 20 low- and middle-income countries and ECC data for 3-5-year-olds of the same countries for the period 2007-2017. Linear regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between the percentage of 3-5-year-olds with ECC (outcome variable) and IPV indicators (physical, sexual, emotional). The model was adjusted for the country’s gross national income and the percentage of women with secondary or higher education. Partial eta squared (ηp2), regression coefficients, confidence intervals and p-values were calculated.

Results:Data on ECC in 3-5-year-olds and IPV were available for six low-income-countries, 10 lower-middle-income-countries and four upper-middle-income-countries. The most prevalent form of IPV was physical violence (10.09%). The Democratic Republic of Congo had the highest prevalence of physical violence (45.8%), sexual violence (25.4%), and ECC (80.0%). The strongest association was between the prevalence of ECC and emotional violence (ηp2=0.01), followed by physical violence (ηp2=0.005), and sexual violence (ηp2=0.003). For every 1% higher prevalence of emotional violence, there was 0.28% higher prevalence of ECC, and for every 1% higher percentage of physical violence, there was 0.21% higher prevalence of ECC. On the contrary, for every 1% higher prevalence of sexual violence, there was 0.35% lower prevalence of ECC prevalence.

Conclusions:Emotional and sexual violence where the two types of IPV associated with the prevalence of ECC. The associations were minor and the directions of their effects were difference. These findings need to be studied further.
Characteristics of back pain in young adults and their relationship with dehydration: a cross sectional study
Authors: ul-Haq Faizan- , Yaqoob Uzair , Mehmood Muniba , Siddiqui Adeel Ahmed , Usama Syed Muhammad , Hussain Syed Zohaib Maroof , Khan Muhammad Mannan Ali
Published: February 2022

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is one of the major factors impairing the quality of life and is the most frequent cause of disability. Inadequate water intake is believed to be the predisposing factor for LBP particularly in the younger population. It is commonly seen that the incidence of LBP has been on the rise in people between 20-40 years of age. Thus, the basic aim of this study is to find a potential relationship between dehydration and LBP among young adults.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from medical students and practicing doctors of 21-39 years from March-May 2019. Characteristics of pain along with the daily activities of patients were assessed. The severity was assessed by using the Graded Chronic pain scale (GCPS).

Results: Out of a total of 426 participants, 84.74% had LBP. Of these, 44.3% complained of having it more than once a week, with a duration usually between 1-7 days. More than half of the patients had their routines disturbed because of this pain. Most of the participants complained of an episodic increase in summers. The majority (75.9%, n=274) drank 5-9 glasses of water a day, 64.5% of them were of opinion that their daily water consumption was enough, while 61.5% felt an association between dehydration and LBP. According to the GCPS, one-third of the population had chronic pain of grade I, and the other third had grade IV.

Conclusions: It can be concluded that with the increase in the pace of life, many of the young adults have a reduced intake of water, and due to a probable relationship between LBP and dehydration, this might be a reason for the increasing propensity of LBP in them. There is a need for further work in this regard.
Stacked deep analytic model for human activity recognition on a UCI HAR database
Authors: Pang Ying Han , Ping Liew Yee , Ling Goh Fan , Yin Ooi Shih , How Khoh Wee
Published: February 2022

Background

Owing to low cost and ubiquity, human activity recognition using smartphones is emerging as a trendy mobile application in diverse appliances such as assisted living, healthcare monitoring, etc. Analysing this one-dimensional time-series signal is rather challenging due to its spatial and temporal variances. Numerous deep neural networks (DNNs) are conducted to unveil deep features of complex real-world data. However, the drawback of DNNs is the un-interpretation of the network's internal logic to achieve the output. Furthermore, a huge training sample size (i.e. millions of samples) is required to ensure great performance.

Methods

In this work, a simpler yet effective stacked deep network, known as Stacked Discriminant Feature Learning (SDFL), is proposed to analyse inertial motion data for activity recognition. Contrary to DNNs, this deep model extracts rich features without the prerequisite of a gigantic training sample set and tenuous hyper-parameter tuning. SDFL is a stacking deep network with multiple learning modules, appearing in a serialized layout for multi-level feature learning from shallow to deeper features. In each learning module, Rayleigh coefficient optimized learning is accomplished to extort discriminant features. A subject-independent protocol is implemented where the system model (trained by data from a group of users) is used to recognize data from another group of users.

Results

Empirical results demonstrate that SDFL surpasses state-of-the-art methods, including DNNs like Convolutional Neural Network, Deep Belief Network, etc., with ~97% accuracy from the UCI HAR database with thousands of training samples. Additionally, the model training time of SDFL is merely a few minutes, compared with DNNs, which require hours for model training.

Conclusions

The supremacy of SDFL is corroborated in analysing motion data for human activity recognition requiring no GPU but only a CPU with a fast- learning rate.