bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
KLF8 overexpression promotes the growth of human lung cancer cells by promoting the expression of JMJD2A
Authors: Ma Dongjie , Liu Hongsheng , Qin Yingzhi , Tian Zhenhuan , Li Shanqing , Liang Naixin
Published: October 2019

Background

Non-small-cell lung cancer (lung cancer) has become one of the leading causes worldwide and the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. The transcriptional factor Kruppel like factor 8 (KLF8) is involved in the initiation, progression, transformation, and metastasis of diverse cancers. However, the roles of KLF8 in human non-small cell lung cancer remain unknown.

Methods

CCK-8 kit and colony formation assay were performed to determine the cell growth of lung cancer cells. Flow cytometry analysis was used to evaluate apoptosis and cell cycle of lung cancer cells. Luciferase reporter assay was used to examine the activation of JMJD2A promoter by KLF8. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay was performed to evaluate the binding of KLF8 to JMJD2A promoter. Western blot and polymerase chain reaction were applied to analyze the expression of interested genes.

Results

The mRNA and protein levels of KLF8 in human non-small cell lung cancer tissues were overexpressed compared with the non-cancer tissues. KLF8 was knocked down with lentivirus-mediated short-hairpin RNA (shRNA) in human lung cancer cells (A549 and H1299 cells). The phenotypic results showed that KLF8 knockdown decreased the proliferation rate and colony formation of lung cancer cells. By contrast, lentivirus-mediated KLF8 overexpression promoted the growth of lung cancer cells (A549 and H1299 cells) and non-cancerous bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B. Next, we showed that KLF8 regulated cell cycle at the G0 phase but not regulates cellular apoptosis of lung cancer cells. KLF8 regulated the expression of the cell cycle regulators P21 and CDK4 in a JMJD2A-dependent manner and JMJD2A knockdown significantly blocked the functions of KLF8 in regulating cell cycle and proliferation of lung cancer cells. Finally, we observed that KLF8 bound the promoter of JMJD2A and facilitated the expression of JMJD2A.

Conclusions

Our evidence demonstrated that KLF8 upregulation in human lung cancer promotes the cell proliferation and colony formation of lung cancer cells. KLF8 binds to the promoter of JMJD2A and subsequently regulates the expression of P21 and CDK4, which contributes to the regulation of cell cycle by KLF8. KLF8 may serve as a target for the treatment of human lung cancer.
The application of polypropylene mesh for testicular prosthesis in surgical castration for patients with prostate cancer
Authors: Xia Yao-Hui , Huang Wei , Yu Chun-Xiao , Kong Bo , Qin Rui , Wang Peng-Fei , An Jie , Xia Yong-Qiang
Published: October 2019

Background

To explore whether a polypropylene mesh is suitable for application as a new material for testicular prostheses.

Methods

The data of 65 patients with advanced prostate cancer who underwent surgical castration in hospital were collected and analyzed. Patients who preferred to undergo traditional orchidectomy (n = 16) were assigned to the control group, and patients who underwent subcapsular orchiectomy plus implantation of a polypropylene mesh testicular prosthesis (n = 49) were assigned to the experimental group. The presence of hematoma, infection, and other complications in patients in these two groups were investigated at 3 and 12 months following the surgery. The patients were also followed up using a self-designed testicular castration satisfaction questionnaire.

Results

A higher score indicated greater satisfaction. The mean score was 15.33 ± 2.85 in the experimental group and 4.63 ± 1.45 in the control group at 3 months after the surgery. The mean score was 14.92 ± 1.74 in the experimental group and 4.25 ± 1.61 in the control group at 12 months after the surgery. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant at the two time points (P < 0.01).

Conclusions

Compared with orchidectomy alone, patients were more satisfied with subcapsular orchiectomy plus the implantation of a polypropylene mesh testicular prosthesis for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Furthermore, the polypropylene mesh testicular prosthesis maintained its original character over the duration of the study, with a good long-term effect. Thus, implantation of a polypropylene mesh testicular prosthesis is indicated to be safe and effective, and polypropylene mesh is potentially useful as a new material for testicular prostheses.
Combining sensor tracking with a GPS-based mobility survey to better measure physical activity in trips: public transport generates walking
Authors: Chaix Basile , Benmarhnia Tarik , Kestens Yan , Brondeel Ruben , Perchoux Camille , Gerber Philippe , Duncan Dustin T.
Published: October 2019

Background

Policymakers need accurate data to develop efficient interventions to promote transport physical activity. Given the imprecise assessment of physical activity in trips, our aim was to illustrate novel advances in the measurement of walking in trips, including in trips incorporating non-walking modes.

Methods

We used data of 285 participants (RECORD MultiSensor Study, 2013–2015, Paris region) who carried GPS receivers and accelerometers over 7 days and underwent a phone-administered web mobility survey on the basis of algorithm-processed GPS data. With this mobility survey, we decomposed trips into unimodal trip stages with their start/end times, validated information on travel modes, and manually complemented and cleaned GPS tracks. This strategy enabled to quantify walking in trips with different modes with two alternative metrics: distance walked and accelerometry-derived number of steps taken.

Results

Compared with GPS-based mobility survey data, algorithm-only processed GPS data indicated that the median distance covered by participants per day was 25.3 km (rather than 23.4 km); correctly identified transport time vs. time at visited places in 72.7% of time; and correctly identified the transport mode in 67% of time (and only in 55% of time for public transport). The 285 participants provided data for 8983 trips (21,163 segments of observation). Participants spent a median of 7.0% of their total time in trips. The median distance walked per trip was 0.40 km for entirely walked trips and 0.85 km for public transport trips (the median number of accelerometer steps were 425 and 1352 in the corresponding trips). Overall, 33.8% of the total distance walked in trips and 37.3% of the accelerometer steps in trips were accumulated during public transport trips. Residents of the far suburbs cumulated a 1.7 times lower distance walked per day and a 1.6 times lower number of steps during trips per 8 h of wear time than residents of the Paris core city.

Conclusions

Our approach complementing GPS and accelerometer tracking with a GPS-based mobility survey substantially improved transport mode detection. Our findings suggest that promoting public transport use should be one of the cornerstones of policies to promote physical activity.
Predicting response to pembrolizumab in metastatic melanoma by a new personalization algorithm
Authors: Tsur Neta , Kogan Yuri , Avizov-Khodak Evgenia , Vaeth Désirée , Vogler Nils , Utikal Jochen , Lotem Michal , Agur Zvia
Published: October 2019

Background

At present, immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as pembrolizumab, are widely used in the therapy of advanced non-resectable melanoma, as they induce more durable responses than other available treatments. However, the overall response rate does not exceed 50% and, considering the high costs and low life expectancy of nonresponding patients, there is a need to select potential responders before therapy. Our aim was to develop a new personalization algorithm which could be beneficial in the clinical setting for predicting time to disease progression under pembrolizumab treatment.

Methods

We developed a simple mathematical model for the interactions of an advanced melanoma tumor with both the immune system and the immunotherapy drug, pembrolizumab. We implemented the model in an algorithm which, in conjunction with clinical pretreatment data, enables prediction of the personal patient response to the drug. To develop the algorithm, we retrospectively collected clinical data of 54 patients with advanced melanoma, who had been treated by pembrolizumab, and correlated personal pretreatment measurements to the mathematical model parameters. Using the algorithm together with the longitudinal tumor burden of each patient, we identified the personal mathematical models, and simulated them to predict the patient’s time to progression. We validated the prediction capacity of the algorithm by the Leave-One-Out cross-validation methodology.

Results

Among the analyzed clinical parameters, the baseline tumor load, the Breslow tumor thickness, and the status of nodular melanoma were significantly correlated with the activation rate of CD8+ T cells and the net tumor growth rate. Using the measurements of these correlates to personalize the mathematical model, we predicted the time to progression of individual patients (Cohen’s κ = 0.489). Comparison of the predicted and the clinical time to progression in patients progressing during the follow-up period showed moderate accuracy (R2 = 0.505).

Conclusions

Our results show for the first time that a relatively simple mathematical mechanistic model, implemented in a personalization algorithm, can be personalized by clinical data, evaluated before immunotherapy onset. The algorithm, currently yielding moderately accurate predictions of individual patients’ response to pembrolizumab, can be improved by training on a larger number of patients. Algorithm validation by an independent clinical dataset will enable its use as a tool for treatment personalization.
Contour analysis for interpretable leaf shape category discovery
Authors: Victorino Jorge , Gómez Francisco
Published: October 2019

Background

The categorical description of leaf shapes is of paramount importance in ecology, taxonomy and paleobotanical studies. Classification systems proposed by domain experts support these descriptions. Despite the importance of these visual descriptive systems, classifications based on this expert’s knowledge may be ambiguous or limited when representing shapes in unknown scenarios, as expected for biological exploratory domains. This work proposes a novel strategy to automatically discover the shape categories in a set of unlabeled leaves by only using the leaf-shape information. In particular, we overcome the task of discovering shape categories from different plant species for three different biological settings.

Results

The proposed method may successfully infer the unknown underlying shape categories with an F-score greater than 92%.

Conclusions

The approach also provided high levels of visual interpretability, an essential requirement in the description of biological objects. This method may support morphological analysis of biological objects in exploratory domains.
Estimating the burden of illness related to genital warts in the Philippines: a nationally representative cross-sectional study
Authors: Buenconsejo Lani , Kothari-Talwar Smita , Yee Karen , Kulkarni Amit , Lara Nuria , Roset Montserrat , Giuliano Anna R. , Garland Suzanne
Published: October 2019

Background

This study estimated genital warts prevalence, genital-warts-related healthcare resource use and costs, and self-reported human-papillomavirus-related psychosocial impact among male and female patients aged 18–60 years in the Philippines.

Methods

Prevalence was estimated using daily logs numbering genital warts patients treated by participating physicians in 4 Philippine regions over a 5-week period (09JUL2011-24SEP2012). Physicians also completed a survey assessing patient referral patterns, healthcare resource use, treatment, and follow-up care. Psychosocial impact was estimated using the human papillomavirus impact profile and the EQ-5D questionnaires. HIP and EQ-5D scores were compared according to the presence of GW (males) and HPV disease (females). CECA scores were also compared by gender and age groups.

Results

Overall genital warts prevalence was estimated at 4.78% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.58–4.98%) for men and women aged 18–60 years. Genital warts prevalence was 3.39% (95% CI: 3.13–3.65%) and 8.0% (95% CI: 7.69–8.31%) among women and men, respectively. Prevalence estimates were highest in infectious disease specialist practices 18.67% (95% CI: 18.66–18.69%). Two thirds of the 233 (69.14%) male and 166 (67.20%) female patients were newly-diagnosed genital warts cases. Median costs for genital warts diagnosis and treatment reached 7121 and 7000 Philippine pesos among men and women, respectively. In the Cuestionario Específico para Condiloma Acuminado questionnaire, no statistically significant differences between patients were observed. In the EQ-5D questionnaire, male genital warts patients reported lower mean visual analogue scale scores than those without genital warts (78.20 vs 86.34, p < 0.0001). Mean visual analogue scale score values and utility values were lower for women with human-papillomavirus-related diseases than those without (77.98 vs 78.93, and 0.84 vs 0.88, respectively).

Conclusions

Genital warts is prevalent in the Philippines; more than 60% of cases were newly diagnosed, contributing to high genital-warts-related healthcare resource costs. Diagnosis of genital warts and human papillomavirus negatively impacted psychosocial indices such as patient well-being and health-related quality of life.
Convergence of human and Old World monkey gut microbiomes demonstrates the importance of human ecology over phylogeny
Authors: Amato Katherine R. , Mallott Elizabeth K. , McDonald Daniel , Dominy Nathaniel J. , Goldberg Tony , Lambert Joanna E. , Swedell Larissa , Metcalf Jessica L. , Gomez Andres , Britton Gillian A. O. , Stumpf Rebecca M. , Leigh Steven R. , Knight Rob
Published: October 2019

Background

Comparative data from non-human primates provide insight into the processes that shaped the evolution of the human gut microbiome and highlight microbiome traits that differentiate humans from other primates. Here, in an effort to improve our understanding of the human microbiome, we compare gut microbiome composition and functional potential in 14 populations of humans from ten nations and 18 species of wild, non-human primates.

Results

Contrary to expectations from host phylogenetics, we find that human gut microbiome composition and functional potential are more similar to those of cercopithecines, a subfamily of Old World monkey, particularly baboons, than to those of African apes. Additionally, our data reveal more inter-individual variation in gut microbiome functional potential within the human species than across other primate species, suggesting that the human gut microbiome may exhibit more plasticity in response to environmental variation compared to that of other primates.

Conclusions

Given similarities of ancestral human habitats and dietary strategies to those of baboons, these findings suggest that convergent ecologies shaped the gut microbiomes of both humans and cercopithecines, perhaps through environmental exposure to microbes, diet, and/or associated physiological adaptations. Increased inter-individual variation in the human microbiome may be associated with human dietary diversity or the ability of humans to inhabit novel environments. Overall, these findings show that diet, ecology, and physiological adaptations are more important than host-microbe co-diversification in shaping the human microbiome, providing a key foundation for comparative analyses of the role of the microbiome in human biology and health.
Efficacy of intergrating vestibular rehabilitation and cognitive behaviour therapy in persons with persistent dizziness in primary care- a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Kristiansen Lene , Magnussen L. H. , Wilhelmsen K. T. , Mæland S. , Nordahl S. H. G. , Clendaniel R. , Hovland A. , Juul-Kristensen B.
Published: October 2019

Background

Dizziness is a common complaint, and the symptom often persists, together with additional complaints. A treatment combining Vestibular Rehabilitation (VR) and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is suggested. However, further research is necessary to evaluate the efficacy of such an intervention. The objective of this paper is to present the design of a randomised controlled trial aiming at evaluating the efficacy of an integrated treatment of VR and CBT on dizziness, physical function, psychological complaints and quality of life in persons with persistent dizziness.

Methods/design

The randomised controlled trial is an assessor-blinded, block-randomised, parallel-group design, with a 6- and 12-month follow-up. The study includes 125 participants from Bergen (Norway) and surrounding areas. Included participants present with persistent dizziness lasting for at least 3 months, triggered or exacerbated by movement. All participants receive a one-session treatment (Brief Intervention Vestibular Rehabilitation; BI-VR) with VR before being randomised into a control group or an intervention group. The intervention group will further be offered an eight-session treatment integrating VR and CBT. The primary outcomes in the study are the Dizziness Handicap Inventory and preferred gait velocity.

Discussion

Previous studies combining these treatments have been of varying methodological quality, with small samples, and long-term effects have not been maintained. In addition, only the CBT has been administered in supervised sessions, with VR offered as home exercises. The current study focusses on the integrated treatment, a sufficiently powered sample size, and a standardised treatment programme evaluated by validated outcomes using a standardised assessment protocol.

Trial registration

www.clinicaltrials.gov, ID: NCT02655575. Registered on 14 January 2016.
The influence of informal learning opportunities on adolescents’ financial literacy
Authors: Rudeloff Michelle
Published: October 2019

In today’s service society, adolescents come into contact with money and financial products and services earlier and earlier. Despite the importance of the topic in the adolescents’ lives, there is insufficient evidence on the learning opportunities adolescents use outside of school and education to obtain information on financial issues and how these affect their financial competence. This paper investigates how different informal learning opportunities influence grade 10-students’ financial literacy. Data are available for N = 530 students in general education. The analyses are based on a structural equation model in which financial literacy is represented as a latent variable with the sub-dimensions of money/payments, savings, loans, insurance, and monetary policy. Young people use different learning opportunities depending on the sub-dimension. Overall, parent-student discussions on finance are the most important informal source of learning. Discussions with siblings as well as consulting sessions with banks and media learning opportunities are also significantly related to financial literacy. Furthermore, personal characteristics, such as socio-economic background and economic interest, are also associated with financial literacy. The findings provide important implications for the promotion of financial literacy in different formal and informal learning situations. The results can be used, among other things, as a basis for developing targeted strategies to promote financial literacy in both the extracurricular sector and the school context.
Evaluation of adverse events focusing on infection associated with infliximab originator and biosimilar using a spontaneous reporting system database
Authors: Niinomi Iku , Hosohata Keiko , Mori Yasuhiro , Yamaguchi Yuki , Wakabayashi Tomohito , Uchida Mayako , Iwanaga Kazunori
Published: October 2019

Background

Infliximab (IFX) has changed the management of many life-threatening immune-mediated diseases. The high cost of IFX and its patent expiry have led to pharmaceutical companies developing a biosimilar; however, its safety profile remains unknown in the real world. The purpose of this study was to clarify the adverse events associated with IFX originator and its biosimilar using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database.

Methods

Adverse event reports submitted to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency between the third quarter of 2014 and the fourth quarter of 2018. We calculated the reporting odds ratio and 95% confidence interval for each adverse event.

Results

We obtained 2771 reports of adverse events associated with IFX originator and 402 reports with IFX biosimilar. Signals were detected for pneumonia, interstitial lung disease, tuberculosis, and sepsis with both IFX originator and its biosimilar, whereas there was no signal for infection with the biosimilar.

Conclusions

The strength of the association between IFX originator and its biosimilar with adverse events is partly different, but reports were quite limited for the biosimilar compared with originator. It is recommended that research be continued in order to accumulate a wide variety of information, and that newly reported data be placed in the multifaceted viewpoints for improvement of care levels.
Non-contrast MR portography using time-spatial labeling inversion pulse for diagnosis of portal vein pathology
Authors: Mubarak Amr Ahmed , Awad Ghada Elsaed , Eltomey Mohamed Adel , Dawoud Mahmoud Abd Elaziz
Published: October 2019

Background

To study the ability of non-contrast MR portography using time-spatial labeling inversion pulse (T-SLIP) as a non-invasive contrast-free imaging modality to delineate different portal vein pathological conditions.

The study included 25 patients with known history of portal vein disease and another 25 age-matched patients with normal portal vein. Both groups were examined by respiratory-triggered non-contrast MR portography using time-spatial labeling inversion pulse technique. Image quality was assessed first, and findings of diagnostic scans were compared to color duplex ultrasonography and selectively in those with diseased portal vein to portal-phase images of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI.

Results

Significant relation was found between breathing regularity and image quality in T-SLIP sequence, with diagnostic scans sensitivity and specificity of 89.29% and 86.21%, respectively, for diagnosis of different portal vein pathological conditions.

Conclusions

Non-contrast MR portography is a useful technique for diagnosis of portal vein pathology in carefully selected patients.
Adaptive multiple subtraction based on support vector regression
Authors: Li Zhong-xiao
Published: October 2019

ABSTRACT

Multiple removal is essential for seismic imaging in marine seismic processing. After prediction of multiple models, adaptive multiple subtraction is an important procedure for multiple removal. Generally, adaptive multiple subtraction can be conducted by the iterative reweighted least-squares (IRLS) algorithm with an [Formula: see text]-norm minimization constraint of primaries. We have developed a machine-learning algorithm into adaptive multiple subtraction, which is implemented based on support vector regression (SVR). Our SVR-based method contains training and prediction stages. During the training stage, an SVR function is estimated by solving a dual optimization problem with the feature vectors of the predicted multiples and the target values of the original data. The SVR function can transform predicted multiples nonlinearly for a better match between the predicted multiples and the true multiples. Furthermore, we use the SVR function to estimate multiples in the prediction stage by inputting the feature vectors of predicted multiples. Then, multiple-removal results are obtained by subtracting the estimated multiples directly from the original data. Synthetic and field data examples demonstrate that our SVR-based method can better balance multiple removal and primary preservation than the IRLS-based method.
EMTF XML: New data interchange format and conversion tools for electromagnetic transfer functions
Authors: Kelbert Anna
Published: October 2019

Initial processing of magnetotelluric (MT) data collected at a site results in a small data file that defines the MT transfer functions (MT TFs) or variants at a discrete set of frequencies. Although not data intensive, the TF represents almost all of the information about earth’s conductivity found in the raw data and provides a key input to geophysical inversion and to geomagnetic hazard-mitigation procedures. However, to be useful for scientific interpretation, MT TFs must be accompanied by carefully recorded metadata. The value of these data is amplified if they are collected into a common database in a discoverable fashion; to achieve this, the metadata must also be searchable. We have developed a new format for MT and related electromagnetic transfer function extensible markup language (EMTF XML), which is a novel, self-describing, searchable, and extensible way to store the data. We also evaluate our open-source, highly capable conversion tools that implement format conversion between historical MT TF formats (electrical data interchange [EDI], EDI SPECTRA, Z-files, and potentially others) and EMTF XML and we examine the associated issues of data rotation. We have paired our work with the open-source format conversion tools, EMTF FCU v4.0, with a user guide and a set of use case examples. We hope that this effort will assist the MT community in creating a more open data-sharing culture and practices.
Reflection and transmission approximations for monoclinic media with a horizontal symmetry plane
Authors: Jin Song , Stovas Alexey
Published: October 2019

We have considered a horizontal plane interface bounded by two monoclinic half-spaces to approximate the reflection and transmission (R/T) responses normalized by the vertical energy flux. We assume the monoclinic media have a horizontal symmetry plane, and the exact R/T coefficients can be analytically obtained for P-, S1-, and S2-waves. The exact R/T coefficients depend on the absolute model parameters of both half-spaces, whereas the R/T responses indicate the heterogeneity at the interface and, thus, can be characterized with model parameter contrasts across the interface. Compared with the exact R/T solutions, appropriate approximations with desirable accuracy can be determined by fewer model parameter contrasts and facilitate the parametric analyses and inversions. We first consider the weak-contrast assumption and use the perturbation method to obtain first-order approximations based on the homogeneous monoclinic background medium. To accommodate the strong-contrast interface, the published second-order approximations are then revised for the monoclinic media. For weakly anisotropic media, the first- and second-order approximations are proposed based on the isotropic background medium. Two pseudowaves are introduced as intermediate waves to legitimize our approximations for S1, S2, and converted waves in the applications. The derived approximations are verified on monoclinic models numerically. The second-order approximation method based on the monoclinic background medium is proven to have the overall best accuracy.
Impact of perinatal and repeated maternal common mental disorders on educational outcomes of primary school children in rural Ethiopia: population-based cohort study
Authors: Mekonnen Habtamu , Medhin Girmay , Tomlinson Mark , Alem Atalay , Prince Martin , Hanlon Charlotte
Published: October 2019

Background

There have been no studies from low- or middle-income countries to investigate the long-term impact of perinatal common mental disorders (CMD) on child educational outcomes.

Aims

To test the hypothesis that exposure to antenatal and postnatal maternal CMD would be associated independently with adverse child educational outcomes in a rural Ethiopian.

Method

A population-based birth cohort was established in 2005/2006. Inclusion criteria were: age between 15 and 49 years, ability to speak Amharic, in the third trimester of pregnancy and resident of the health demographic surveillance site. One antenatal and nine postnatal maternal CMD assessments were conducted using a self-reporting questionnaire, validated for the local use. Child educational outcomes were obtained from the mother at T1 (2013/2014 academic year; mean age 8.5 years) and from school records at T2 (2014/2015 academic year; mean age 9.3 years).

Results

Antenatal CMD (risk ratio (RR) = 1.06, 95% CI 1.05–1.07) and postnatal CMD (RR = 1.07, 95% CI 1.06–1.09) were significantly associated with child absenteeism at T2. Exposure to repeatedly high maternal CMD scores in the preschool period was not associated with absenteeism after adjusting for antenatal and postnatal CMD. Non-enrolment at T1 (odds ratio 0.75, 95% CI 0.62–0.92) was significantly but inversely associated with postnatal maternal CMD. There was no association between maternal CMD and child academic achievement or drop-out.

Conclusions

Our findings support the hypothesis of a critical period for exposure to maternal CMD for adverse child outcomes and indicate that programmes to enhance regular school attendance in low-income countries need to address perinatal maternal CMD.

Declaration of interest

None.
Clinical Situation, Therapy, and Follow-Up of Adult Craniopharyngioma
Authors: Mende Klaus Christian , Kellner Teresa , Petersenn Stephan , Honegger Juergen , Evangelista-Zamora Rocío , Droste Michael , Stalla Guenter , Deutschbein Timo , Wang Yawen , Moskopp Dag , Knappe Ulrich , Schilbach Katharina , Flitsch Joerg
Published: October 2019

Context

Craniopharyngioma is a rare neoplastic entity of the central nervous system. Childhood-onset craniopharyngioma is the subject of frequent research whereas the information on adult-onset craniopharyngioma is scarce.

Objective

The objective of this study was to examine the level of daily impairment in adult patients suffering from craniopharyngioma.

Design

Noninterventional patient registry indexed as PV4842 with the local ethics committee.

Setting

The study is set in a hospitalized and ambulatory setting.

Patients

148 patients with adult-onset craniopharyngioma were recruited from 8 centers, 22 prospectively and 126 retrospectively. Mean follow-up was 31 months.

Interventions

No interventions performed.

Main Outcome Measures

Complications, symptoms, body mass index (BMI), and quality of life (QoL; EORTC QLQ C30 and BN20) were recorded preoperatively and at follow-up. The hypotheses tested were generated after data collection.

Results

Complications were more frequent after transcranial than transsphenoidal approaches (31 % vs. 11%; P < 0.01). Preoperative obesity was present in 0% papillary and in 38% of all adamantinomatous craniopharyngiomas (P = 0.05), and diabetes insipidus was more frequent for papillary craniopharyngioma (36.8% vs. 16,7%; P < 0.05). Hormone deficits at follow-up were reduced in 16.9%, equal in 31.4%, and increased in 63.6% (P < 0.001). BMI increased from 28.7 ± 7.4 kg/m2 before surgery to 30.2 ± 7.4 kg/m2 at follow-up (P < 0.001). In QoL, a decrease of future uncertainty (62.5 vs. 36.8; P = 0.02) and visual disorders (38.9 vs. 12.0; P = 0.01) were observed in the prospective collective after surgery.

Conclusions

Adult craniopharyngioma is associated with a complex sociological and psychological burden and hypothalamic dysfunction, warranting further investigation and emphasizing the need for a wider treatment approach.
Regulation of Insulin-Like Growth Factor 2 by Oocyte-Secreted Factors in Primary Human Granulosa Cells
Authors: Hobeika Elie , Armouti Marah , Fierro Michele A , Winston Nichola , Scoccia Humberto , Zamah Alberuni M , Stocco Carlos
Published: October 2019

Context

Human granulosa cells (hGCs) produce and respond to insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) but whether the oocyte participates in IGF2 regulation in humans is unknown.

Objective

To determine the role of oocyte-secreted factors (OSFs) such as growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) and bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15) in IGF2 production by hGCs.

Design

Primary human cumulus GCs in culture.

Setting

University infertility center.

Patients or Other Participants

GCs of women undergoing in vitro fertilization.

Intervention(s)

Cells treated with GDF9 and BMP15 in the presence of vehicle, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), dibutyryl cyclic-AMP (dbcAMP), or mothers against decapentaplegic homolog (SMAD) inhibitors.

Main Outcome Measure(s)

Quantification of mRNA, protein, promoter activity, and DNA methylation.

Results

FSH stimulation of IGF2 (protein and mRNA) was significantly potentiated by the GDF9 and BMP15 (G+B) combination (P < 0.0001) in a concentration-dependent manner showing a maximal effect at 5 ng/mL each. However, GDF9 or BMP15 alone or in combination (G+B) have no effect on IGF2 in the absence of FSH. FSH stimulated IGF2 promoter 3 activity, but G+B had no effect on promoter activity. G+B potentiated IGF2 stimulation by cAMP. SMAD3 inhibitors inhibited G+B enhancement of IGF2 stimulation by FSH (P < 0.05) but had no effect on FSH induction. Moreover, inhibition of insulin-like growth factor receptor partially blocked G+B potentiation of FSH actions (P < 0.009).

Conclusions

For the first time, we show that the oocyte actively participates in the regulation of IGF2 expression in hGCs, an effect that is mediated by the specific combination of G+B via SMAD2/3, which in turn target mechanisms downstream of the FSH receptor.
Glucagon-like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonists, Diabetic Retinopathy and Angiogenesis: The AngioSafe Type 2 Diabetes Study
Authors: Gaborit Bénédicte , Julla Jean-Baptiste , Besbes Samaher , Proust Matthieu , Vincentelli Clara , Alos Benjamin , Ancel Patricia , Alzaid Fawaz , Garcia Rodrigue , Mailly Philippe , Sabatier Florence , Righini Maud , Gascon Pierre , Matonti Frédéric , Houssays Marie , Goumidi Louisa , Vignaud Lucile , Guillonneau Xavier , Erginay Ali , Dupas Bénédicte , Marie-Louise Jennifer , Autié Marianne , Vidal-Trecan Tiphaine , Riveline Jean-Pierre , Venteclef Nicolas , Massin Pascale , Muller Laurent , Dutour Anne , Gautier Jean-François , Germain Stéphane
Published: October 2019

Aims

Recent trials provide conflicting results on the association between glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) and diabetic retinopathy (DR). The aim of the AngioSafe type 2 diabetes (T2D) study was to determine the role of GLP-1RA in angiogenesis using clinical and preclinical models.

Methods

We performed two studies in humans. In study 1, we investigated the effect of GLP-1RA exposure from T2D diagnosis on the severity of DR, as diagnosed with retinal imaging (fundus photography). In study 2, a randomized 4-week trial, we assessed the effect of liraglutide on circulating hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs), and angio-miRNAs.

We then studied the experimental effect of Exendin-4, on key steps of angiogenesis: in vitro on human endothelial cell proliferation, survival and three-dimensional vascular morphogenesis; and in vivo on ischemia-induced neovascularization of the retina in mice.

Results

In the cohort of 3154 T2D patients, 10% displayed severe DR. In multivariate analysis, sex, disease duration, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), micro- and macroangiopathy, insulin therapy and hypertension remained strongly associated with severe DR, while no association was found with GLP-1RA exposure (o 1.139 [0.800–1.622], P = .47). We further showed no effect of liraglutide on HPCs, and angio-miRNAs. In vitro, we demonstrated that exendin-4 had no effect on proliferation and survival of human endothelial cells, no effect on total length and number of capillaries. Finally, in vivo, we showed that exendin-4 did not exert any negative effect on retinal neovascularization.

Conclusions

The AngioSafe T2D studies provide experimental and clinical data confirming no effect of GLP-1RA on angiogenesis and no association between GLP-1 exposure and severe DR.
Perioperative Infusion of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Prevents Insulin Resistance After Surgical Trauma in Female Pigs
Authors: Hagve Martin , Gjessing Petter F , Hole Mikal J , Jansen Kirsten M , Fuskevåg Ole Martin , Mollnes Tom Eirik , Larsen Terje S , Irtun Øivind
Published: October 2019

Insulin resistance is an independent negative predictor of outcome after elective surgery and increases mortality among surgical patients in intensive care. The incretin hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) potentiates glucose-induced insulin release from the pancreas but may also increase insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle and directly suppress hepatic glucose release. Here, we investigated whether a perioperative infusion of GLP-1 could counteract the development of insulin resistance after surgery. Pigs were randomly assigned to three groups; surgery/control, surgery/GLP-1, and sham/GLP-1. Both surgery groups underwent major abdominal surgery. Whole-body glucose disposal (WGD) and endogenous glucose release (EGR) were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively using D-[6,6-2H2]-glucose infusion in combination with hyperinsulinemic euglycemic step-clamping. In the surgery/control group, peripheral insulin sensitivity (i.e., WGD) was reduced by 44% relative to preoperative conditions, whereas the corresponding decline was only 9% for surgery/GLP-1 (P < 0.05). Hepatic insulin sensitivity (i.e., EGR) remained unchanged in the surgery/control group but was enhanced after GLP-1 infusion in both surgery and sham animals (40% and 104%, respectively, both P < 0.05). Intraoperative plasma glucose increased in surgery/control (∼20%) but remained unchanged in both groups receiving GLP-1 (P < 0.05). GLP-1 diminished an increase in postoperative glucagon levels but did not affect skeletal muscle glycogen or insulin signaling proteins after surgery. We show that GLP-1 improves intraoperative glycemic control, diminishes peripheral insulin resistance after surgery, and suppresses EGR. This study supports the use of GLP-1 to prevent development of postoperative insulin resistance.
Sanctuaryscapes in the North American Southwest
Authors: Villarreal Aimee
Published: October 2019

This article reclaims the historicity and sanctity of sanctuary as a dynamic cultural and spiritual practice and Indigenous survival strategy cultivated in regions of refuge and rebellion in the Americas. Tracing heterogeneous configurations of sanctuary in the North American Southwest during the Spanish colonial period, it compares the institution of church asylum with cross-tribal Indigenous sanctuary place-making and traditions of radical hospitality. As Indigenous people became refugees in their own homeland they capitalized on their knowledge of the landscape and banded with other persecuted and displaced peoples in “sanctuaryscapes,” vast autonomous regions and insurgent urban centers where new pan-Indigenous solidarities and identities emerged. Locating sanctuary practices within specific regional cartographies and social relations substantiates diverse autochthonous traditions of sanctuary that dramatically reorient and revitalize the origin stories that animate and also validate contemporary sanctuary movements and practices.
“Returning Forest Darlings”
Authors: Ezell Jason
Published: October 2019

This essay describes how, in the late 1970s, gay liberationists in the Southeast developed a rural sanctuary practice out of their intersections with back-to-the-land movements, leading to the formation of Short Mountain Sanctuary in 1980. It draws on writings in the gay serial RFD, as well as on oral histories and event documentation, to trace how members mobilized regional collectivism, rustic print practices, and spiritual affect to imagine a rural underground at the edges of the state’s reach. This account serves as an alternate case study to US sanctuary movement histories, which heavily feature city and church.
To Protect and Serve Themselves
Authors: Schrader Stuart
Published: October 2019

The police in the United States were once subject to control by political machines. The professionalization process freed police from this control, but it had an unexpected result. Professionalization meant that police answered primarily to themselves, which enabled them to become self-interested. This process transformed the police into a new type of authoritative political actor. This article examines the history and organizational sociology of the transformation of the police since the 1960s, investigating how, through groups like the International Association of Chiefs of Police, police have advocated on their own behalf and interacted with larger political and economic trends. Separate from their role in crime control, police have become entrepreneurial and resistant to fiscal austerity. This article offers a new characterization of the effects of the “war on crime” and “law and order” politics of the 1960s, while paying attention to the surprising Cold War roots of the political autonomy of police.
Drones as “Atmospheric Policing”
Authors: Kaplan Caren , Miller Andrea
Published: October 2019

The use of drones to supplement and operationalize US border enforcement and municipal policing disturbs the supposed boundary between military and civilian or battleground and home front. Situating drones in an expanded field of a war power–police power nexus draws together histories of so-called small wars, insurgencies, civil rebellions, labor strikes, prison uprisings, and practices of resistance at various scales that have responded and continue to respond to colonial occupation and racial capitalism. Once we situate drones as a technology of atmospheric policing, we develop a better understanding of the ways these assemblages converge with other forms of atmospheric violence, including the toxic colonial present of warfare.
The Police Are the Punishment
Authors: Fassin Didier
Published: October 2019

Against the normative definition of punishment as the infliction of pain on an offender by an appropriate legal authority, this essay argues that the police, although they are not entitled to administer retribution, commonly do so on the street or at the precinct, including against innocent individuals. Such punishment is disproportionately imposed on working-class men from disadvantaged neighborhoods belonging to ethnoracial minorities. It is justified in the eyes of the police by representations of these publics as potential criminals and of the judges as increasingly lenient, both allegations being contradicted by facts but serving as moral justifications for their discriminatory exercise of violence. Developed on the basis of a fifteen-month ethnography of police units, notably anticrime squads, in the area of Paris, this argument has a much broader significance. It demonstrates that extrajudicial forms of retribution exceed judicial forms and that more often than not the police are the punishment.
Bodycams and Gender Equity
Authors: Buchanan Kim Shayo , Goff Phillip Atiba
Published: October 2019

Law enforcement agencies, community advocates and policymakers hope that the widespread adoption of police bodycams will alleviate racial disparities and reduce misconduct and use of force. Racial justice has been central to this conversation, but gender justice has not. This essay takes an intersectional, gendered look at bodycam policies, challenging the assumption that officers will act more fairly when they know they are being recorded. Bodycam policies typically ensure that cameras are turned off during investigations of gendered crimes such as domestic violence, sexual assault, and sex work or sex trafficking. Thus women, sex workers, and gender-nonconforming people may be disproportionately excluded from any benefits of bodycam surveillance. But privacy and dignity interests, as well as investigatory realities, preclude the indiscriminate recording of every police-citizen interaction. More importantly, video recording will not promote accountability unless the recorded behavior is meaningfully prohibited. Unfortunately, many of the abusive practices that arise in gendered investigations are allowed by law, policy, or custom. Bodycams can promote accountability only where they are accompanied by an institutional commitment to fair and professional policing.
James Baldwin and the Anti-Black Force of Law
Authors: Goldberg Jesse A.
Published: October 2019

There has been a recent resurgence in attention to James Baldwin as academics, public intellectuals, filmmakers, and curators engage with his work through the lens of the Movement for Black Lives. Continuing this turn, I read Baldwin as a theorist of the law and, ultimately, an abolitionist. By reading “The Fire Next Time” (1963) and “No Name in the Street” (1972), I argue that policing in the United States is inherently organized by a(n) (il)logic of anti-Blackness that necessitates racist violence as a structural component of its practice. This pessimistic diagnosis is extended through Baldwin’s theorizing on the Black Panthers to illustrate that while policing in the United States can never not be excessive in its racist violence, the Black subjectivity that would seemingly be obliterated by this excessive force of law ultimately exceeds the reach of the policeman’s club or bullet, without losing sight of the bodies left in those weapons’ wake.
Effect of oral eplerenone in anatomical and functional improvement in patients with chronic central serous chorioretinopathy
Authors: Farooq Omer , Habib Asad , Shah Masood Alam , Ahmed Najia
Published: October 2019

Objective: To determine the efficacy of oral eplerenone in anatomical and functional improvement in patients with chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR).

Methods: This quasi experimental study was performed at PNS Shifa Hospital Karachi from September 2018 to February 2019. Study included 23 patients. Patients were included using consecutive sampling technique and informed consent was taken from all patients before staring treatment. 50 mg of oral eplerenone per day was given for three months. Subretinal fluid (SRF) height and visual acuity (VA) were noted at baseline, one month and three month follow-up. Structured Study performa was used for data collection. Data was analysed and assessed with SPSS version 23. P value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Mean age of patients was 40.7±7 years and mean duration of disease before treatment was 3.7±0.76 months. Mean baseline BCVA and SRF height was 0.39±0.02 logMAR and 123±12.5 µm respectively. Sixty-five percent patients responded at one month and 80% at three months with reduction in SRF height. Improvement in visual acuity was also statistically significant at 3 months (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Use of eplerenone in chronic CSCR resulted in significant improvement in vision and decrease in mean SRF height.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.6.896

How to cite this:Farooq O, Habib A, Shah MA, Ahmed N. Effect of oral eplerenone in anatomical and functional improvement in patients with chronic central serous chorioretinopathy. Pak J Med Sci. 2019;35(6):1544-1547. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.6.896

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.