bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hur får vi kvar dem på fritids?: Att utveckla fritidshemmets verksamhet med fokus på de äldsta eleverna
Authors: Elvstrand Helene , Lago Lina , Björk Anna , Claesson Sebastian , Karlsson Marcus , Storm Annika , Lundh Linda , Almroth Andreas , Claesson Tobias , Eklund Erika , Häljeskog Zacharias
Published: September 2022

I denna artikel beskrivs ett ULF projekt i fritidshem som syftade till att utvecka verksamhet som också attraherar de äldsta eleverna, 10-12 åringarna. Utvecklingsprojektet har genomförts genom en aktionsforskningsbaserad ansats där personal i fritidshem haft återkommande reflektionsträffar tillsammans med forskare. Detta har utmynnat i att personalen har tillsammans med eleverna utvecklat olika former av aktiviteter som bygger både på elevers behov och intressen. Det har bland annat handlat om att skaffa sig mer kunskap om digitala verktyg och se över fritidshemmets inonhusmiljö för att erbjuda rum både för lugna och livliga aktiviteter.
Rapid modeling of experimental molecular kinetics with simple electronic circuits instead of with complex differential equations
Authors: Deng Yijie , Beahm Douglas Raymond , Ran Xinping , Riley Tanner G. , Sarpeshkar Rahul
Published: September 2022

Kinetic modeling has relied on using a tedious number of mathematical equations to describe molecular kinetics in interacting reactions. The long list of differential equations with associated abstract variables and parameters inevitably hinders readers’ easy understanding of the models. However, the mathematical equations describing the kinetics of biochemical reactions can be exactly mapped to the dynamics of voltages and currents in simple electronic circuits wherein voltages represent molecular concentrations and currents represent molecular fluxes. For example, we theoretically derive and experimentally verify accurate circuit models for Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Then, we show that such circuit models can be scaled via simple wiring among circuit motifs to represent more and arbitrarily complex reactions. Hence, we can directly map reaction networks to equivalent circuit schematics in a rapid, quantitatively accurate, and intuitive fashion without needing mathematical equations. We verify experimentally that these circuit models are quantitatively accurate. Examples include 1) different mechanisms of competitive, noncompetitive, uncompetitive, and mixed enzyme inhibition, important for understanding pharmacokinetics; 2) product-feedback inhibition, common in biochemistry; 3) reversible reactions; 4) multi-substrate enzymatic reactions, both important in many metabolic pathways; and 5) translation and transcription dynamics in a cell-free system, which brings insight into the functioning of all gene-protein networks. We envision that circuit modeling and simulation could become a powerful scientific communication language and tool for quantitative studies of kinetics in biology and related fields.
Sex-related differences in clinical outcomes and predictive factors in the very elderly patients with ACS undergoing PCI
Authors: Wang Jia-li , He Xiao-quan , Guo Chun-yan , Chen Hui , Li Hong-wei , Zhao Shu-mei
Published: September 2022

Background

As shown in previous studies, there may be sex-related differences in clinical outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, the benefits of PCI in very elderly ACS patients and the gender differences were poorly described and understood. We investigated the clinical characteristics and outcomes after PCI by sex stratification, and the predictive factors of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) in this very elderly ACS cohort.

Methods

A total of 1,676 consecutive ACS patients (50.2% women) aged ≥80 years old between January 2013 and May 2020 were recruited in this study. All patients were divided into four groups according to gender and treatment: male PCI (n = 321) and conservative management groups (n = 513), and female PCI (n = 283) and conservative management groups (n = 559). Clinical and coronary lesion characteristics were compared among four groups, also the clinical outcomes. MACCE and their predictive factors were assessed using Kaplan–Meier curve and Cox regression analysis.

Results

PCI procedures were conducted in 604 patients, and 1,072 were conservative management. Men were most likely to present with prior myocardial infarction (MI), peripheral artery disease, and chronic total occlusion (CTO); women had a higher prevalence of hypertension and dyslipidemia. The proportion of men receiving PCI procedures was significantly higher than that of women (38.5 vs. 33.6%, p = 0.038). Compared to conservative management, successful PCI significantly improved composite MACCE in both men (33.9 vs. 18.4%, p < 0.001) and women (27.9 vs. 20.8%, p = 0.026). There were no differences between sex in the improvement of clinical outcomes after PCI. In addition, age, ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), log N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), P2Y12 receptor antagonist, and β-blocker were independently associated with the incidence of MACCE after PCI tested by the Cox regression model, but not gender (male: hazard ratio (HR) 1.275, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.853–1.905, p = 0.236).

Conclusion

In this very elderly ACS cohort, men presented with more complex clinical conditions, and women were less likely to receive PCI treatment. Both women and men had similar benefits from the PCI procedure in the decrease of MACCE.
Case report: Robotic repair of unroofed coronary sinus
Authors: Pojar Marek , Timbilla Salifu , Cerny Stepan , Karalko Mikita , Vojacek Jan
Published: September 2022

Unroofed coronary sinus is a rare congenital heart disease caused by the partial or complete absence of the common wall between the coronary sinus and left atrium. When indicated for repair, it is done either percutaneously or surgically. Repair using a totally endoscopic robotic procedure is rarely performed nor reported in the literature. We report a case of a 47-year-old male who underwent a successful totally endoscopic robotic repair of this anomaly.
Effect of serum progesterone levels on hCG trigger day on pregnancy outcomes in GnRH antagonist cycles
Authors: Zhang Junwei , Du Mingze , Wu Yanli , Wei Zhancai , Guan Yichun
Published: September 2022

Objective

The present study analyzed the effect of hCG trigger day progesterone (P) levels on the live birth rate (LBR) in the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist protocol.

Materials and methods

This study was a single-center retrospective study. In vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles performed from January 2017 to December 2020 were included in the analysis. This study included people with a normal ovarian response to fresh embryo transfer of GnRH antagonist protocols. All cycles were divided into 2 groups by P level on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) trigger, P<1.0 ng/ml and P≥1.0 ng/ml. The primary outcome measure was LBR.

Result

A total of 867 cycles with P<1.0 ng/ml and 362 cycles with P≥1.0 ng/ml were included in the analysis. The clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) was higher in the P<1.0 ng/ml group than the P≥1.0 ng/ml group (44.9% vs. 37.6%, P=0.02). The early spontaneous abortion rate was comparable between the groups (14.4% vs. 14.7%, P=0.93). For live birth, the rate for the P<1.0 ng/ml group was 35.3%, which was significantly higher than the 29.0% in the P≥1.0 ng/ml group (P=0.03). After binary logistic regression analysis, the P level on the hCG trigger day (adjusted odds ratio=0.74, 95% CI=0.55-0.99, P=0.04) was an independent risk factor for LBR. For the P level on the hCG trigger day, the LBR was lower in the P≥1.0 ng/ml group compared to the P<1.0 ng/ml group.

Conclusion

For normal ovarian response patients using the GnRH antagonist protocol, serum P≥1.0 ng/ml on the hCG trigger day resulted in a lower LBR than the P<1.0 ng/ml group. When P≥1.0 ng/ml, whole embryo freezing may be considered.
Diesel-derived PM2.5 induces impairment of cardiac movement followed by mitochondria dysfunction in cardiomyocytes
Authors: Shin Tae Hwan , Kim Seok Gi , Ji Moongi , Kwon Do Hyeon , Hwang Ji Su , George Nimisha Pradeep , Ergando Dube Solomon , Park Chan Bae , Paik Man Jeong , Lee Gwang
Published: September 2022

Particulate matter (PM) in polluted air can be exposed to the human body through inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact, accumulating in various organs throughout the body. Organ accumulation of PM is a growing health concern, particularly in the cardiovascular system. PM emissions are formed in the air by solid particles, liquid droplets, and fuel – particularly diesel – combustion. PM2.5 (size < 2.5 μm particle) is a major risk factor for approximately 200,000 premature deaths annually caused by air pollution. This study assessed the deleterious effects of diesel-derived PM2.5 exposure in HL-1 mouse cardiomyocyte cell lines. The PM2.5-induced biological changes, including ultrastructure, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, viability, and intracellular ATP levels, were analyzed. Moreover, we analyzed changes in transcriptomics using RNA sequencing and metabolomics using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in PM2.5-treated HL-1 cells. Ultrastructural analysis using transmission electron microscopy revealed disruption of mitochondrial cristae structures in a PM2.5 dose-dependent manner. The elevation of ROS levels and reduction in cell viability and ATP levels were similarly observed in a PM2.5 dose-dependently. In addition, 6,005 genes were differentially expressed (fold change cut-off ± 4) from a total of 45,777 identified genes, and 20 amino acids (AAs) were differentially expressed (fold change cut-off ± 1.2) from a total of 28 identified AAs profiles. Using bioinformatic analysis with ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) software, we found that the changes in the transcriptome and metabolome are highly related to changes in biological functions, including homeostasis of Ca2+, depolarization of mitochondria, the function of mitochondria, synthesis of ATP, and cardiomyopathy. Moreover, an integrated single omics network was constructed by combining the transcriptome and the metabolome. In silico prediction analysis with IPA predicted that upregulation of mitochondria depolarization, ROS generation, cardiomyopathy, suppression of Ca2+ homeostasis, mitochondrial function, and ATP synthesis occurred in PM2.5-treated HL-1 cells. In particular, the cardiac movement of HL-1 was significantly reduced after PM2.5 treatment. In conclusion, our results assessed the harmful effects of PM2.5 on mitochondrial function and analyzed the biological changes related to cardiac movement, which is potentially associated with cardiovascular diseases.
Optimal capacity allocation method of integrated energy system considering renewable energy uncertainty
Authors: Xue Yuantian , Zhang Cheng , Jiang Fan , Dou Wu , Zhang Hongtian , Yang Chenlai
Published: September 2022

With the reduction of fossil energy and the increase of energy consumption, the development and utilization of new energy is an inevitable trend. Renewable energy has attracted attention because of its cleanness and abundance. However, affected by the randomness and intermittence of renewable energy, it is difficult for the traditional power system to meet the needs of users after renewable energy is connected, and it is difficult to solve the consumption problem of renewable energy by relying on the traditional power system alone. To address this problem, an integrated energy system (IES) is constructed using a two-layer optimization method for the operation strategy and capacity allocation of the integrated energy system, and a particle swarm optimization algorithm is used to solve the multi-objective problem, taking renewable energy consumption, operation cost, and investment cost as the optimization indexes, and considering the equipment operation characteristics, uncertainty of renewable energy and the model constraints. The optimization results obtained from the solution are compared with the traditional energy supply system, and it is verified that the proposed method can achieve the lowest cost investment in the system while satisfying the reliability and safety constraints.
Study on the influence of environmental regulation on the environmentally friendly behavior of farmers in China
Authors: Zhao Jiajia , Liu Lingzhi , Qi Jianling , Dong Jinpeng
Published: September 2022

Rural environmental problems have become a prominent problem in the current environmental field that needs to be solved, and livestock breeding waste is an important problem to the rural environmental pollution management. The government has been combating environmental pollution by strengthening environmental regulation policies, but the effect of environmental regulation implementation needs to be improved. Therefore, exploring the intrinsic mechanism of environmental regulation on farmers’ environmental management behavior is an important way to realize the construction of rural civilization. This paper analyzes the influence of environmental regulations on meat duck farmers’ environmentally friendly behavior from the perspective of the “cost effect” and “Porter effect.” In addition, the potential role of risk perception is explored by analyzing the heterogeneity of farmers’ environmentally friendly behavior at different breeding scales. The results show an inverted U-shaped relationship between the intensity of environmental regulations and meat duck farmers’ environmentally friendly behavior; different environmental regulations significantly affect the environmentally friendly behavior of farmers. In these regulations, the guiding regulation plays a significant positive role in the resulting environmentally friendly behavior of farmers in terms of constraint regulation and incentive regulation. There is heterogeneity in the impacts of environmental regulation on the environmentally friendly behaviors of farmers of different scales. Risk cognition has a partial mediating effect on the effects of environmental regulations on farmers’ environmentally friendly behavior. The research not only enriches the study of environmental governance, but also its relevant findings have important guidance and reference significance for optimizing environmental regulation policies, promoting farmers’ cognition of waste environmental pollution management and implementation of environmentally friendly behaviors, and realizing low-carbon and healthy breeding of meat ducks.
Cyclohexane removal and UV post-control of bioaerosols in a combination of UV pretreatment and biotrickling filtration
Authors: Sun Zhirong , Cheng Zhuowei , Luo Pengfei , Chen Jianmeng , Yu Jianming , Chen Dongzhi , Zhao Peng
Published: September 2022

Biofiltration of hydrophobic and recalcitrant volatile organic compounds faces challenges, and the bioaerosols sourced from the biofiltration might cause secondary pollution. In this study, the combination of ultraviolet photodegradation and biotrickling filtration (UV-BTF) was designed to treat gaseous cyclohexane, and UV post-treatment (post-UV) was further utilized for the bioaerosol emissions management. Results showed that the combined UV-BTF permitted faster biofilm formation and had better removal efficiencies (REs) than the single biotrickling filter (BTF). The maximum elimination capacity (EC) of UV-BTF and single BTF was 4.4 and 1.32 g m−3 h−1, respectively. Carbon balance for the bioreactor showed that both BTF and UV-BTF could convert more than 50% of the initial cyclohexane into microbial biomass. High-throughput sequencing analysis showed that UV-BTF had a richer and more diverse microbial community compared with the single one. The post-UV had a good inactivation effect on the bioaerosols. Not solely the concentrations additionally the particle sizes of the bioaerosols from the post-UV became lower and smaller than those from the single BTF. Microbial analysis showed that UV had a greater impact on the species and quantity of both bacteria and fungi, but mainly on the number of bacteria. Such results suggested that UV could be used as the pretreatment for the enhancement of hydrophobic and recalcitrant VOCs removal in the subsequent biopurification, and also as the post-treatment for the inactivation of some harmful bioaerosols.
Glyphosate and AMPA have low mobility through different soil profiles of the prosecco wine production area: A monitoring study in north-eastern Italy
Authors: Mencaroni Marta , Cardinali Alessandra , Costa Leonardo , Morari Francesco , Salandin Paolo , Zanin Giuseppe , Dal Ferro Nicola
Published: September 2022

Contamination of the environment by glyphosate (GLP) and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) is still of major concern worldwide due to specific interactions among these molecules and soil and water. Two monitoring sites were established in the Prosecco wine production area (Conegliano and Valdobbiadene) in northeastern Italy, which has been included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 2019. The study aims to increase the knowledge about GLP dynamics in this area where it has been intensively used by farmers and the potential risk for groundwater pollution is still debated. Each site was equipped with two soil-water monitoring stations consisting of multisensor soil probes and suction cups at three soil depths (10, 30, and 70 cm). Soil and water were sampled for 10 and 6 months, respectively, and analyzed for GLP and AMPA concentrations, for a total of 242 samples to describe their vertical movement and dissipation dynamics. Soil properties, in particular, the different forms of Fe and Al oxide contents, and Freundlich adsorption coefficients were quantified along the soil profile. First attempts showed that glyphosate dissipation time was 36 ± 8 days in Conegliano and Valdobbiadene soils and fully completed in both after 6 months. In contrast, AMPA dissipation dynamic —first described by an original equation—was longer than that of GLP and fully dissipated after almost 300 days. GLP showed a strong binding affinity with clay and Fe and Al chelated to soil organic matter, which likely acted as cation bridges and in turn led to low GLP mobility. GLP and AMPA were mostly detected after heavy rainfall events at 70 cm depth, likely bypassing the porous matrix of the intermediate layers.
Research on spatial structure and resilience of complex urban network: A case study of Jing-Jin-Ji Urban Agglomeration
Authors: Zhang Yang , Yang Yang , Wei Shaokun , Ma Zijun , Tian Miao , Sun Meng , Nie Jiabin
Published: September 2022

With the long-term impact of economic globalization, the accelerated cross-border flow of resource elements between cities is increasingly important for the development of urban regions. In this context, the central place theory, which emphasizes the vertical hierarchical relationship between cities, has obvious limitations in interpreting urban interaction. This paper takes the Beijing Tianjin Hebei Urban Agglomeration (including Beijing, Tianjin. and 11 prefecture-level cities in Hebei Province) as the research object, constructs three complex networks of economy, information, and economic information coupling connection, and analyzes the resilience of the network structure. The research results show that: 1) The spatial distribution of the three network structures of Jing-Jin-Ji Urban Agglomeration presents a spatial pattern with Beijing as the core and radiating outward. 2) In terms of weighted degree distribution, Beijing, as an arrow city, has strong competitiveness in the economy and information network, but the hierarchy of cities with balanced information economy development is low. 3) In terms of weighted degree correlation, among the three networks, the cities with a high weighted degree prefer to connect with cities with a low weighted degree, and the mismatch is ranked as information network > information economy coupling network > economic connection network. 4) In terms of network transmission, information network > economy connection network > information economy coupling network, and Beijing and Tianjin have a greater impact. The above results have strong guidance and practical significance for the formulation and adjustment of territorial spatial planning and regional optimization.
Polymorphisms of pharmacogenetic candidate genes affect etomidate anesthesia susceptibility
Authors: Ma Lulin , Huang Yan , Huang Shiqian , Xu Feng , Wang Yafeng , Zhao Shuai , Deng Daling , Ding Yuanyuan , Zhang Tianhao , Zhao Wenjing , Chen Xiangdong
Published: September 2022

Purpose: Etomidate is widely used in general anesthesia and sedation, and significant individual differences are observed during anesthesia induction. This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanisms of different etomidate susceptibility at the genetic level.

Methods: 128 patients were enrolled in the study. The bispectral index (BIS), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were recorded when the patients entered the operating room for 5 min, before the administration of etomidate, 30 s, 60 s, 90 s, 120 s and 150 s after the administration of etomidate, and the corresponding single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were analyzed.

Results: Significant individual differences were observed in etomidate anesthesia. The results of two-way ANOVA showed that CYP2C9 rs1559, GABRB2 rs2561, GABRA2 rs279858, GABRA2 rs279863 were associated with the BIS value during etomidate anesthesia; UGT1A9 rs11692021 was associated with the Extended Observer’s Assessment of Alertness and Sedation (EOAA/S) score during etomidate anesthesia; GABRB2 rs2561 was associated with MAP. Multiple linear stepwise regression model results showed that CYP2C9 rs1559, GABRA2 rs279858 and GABRB2 rs2561 were associated with the BIS value and UGT1A9 rs11692021 was associated with the EOAA/S score; GABRB2 rs2561 was associated with MAP.

Conclusion: GABRA2 rs279858, GABRB2 rs2561, CYP2C9 rs1559 and UGT1A9 rs11692021 are the SNPs with individual differences during etomidate anesthesia. This is the first to study the SNPs of etomidate, which can provide certain evidence for the future use of etomidate anesthesia and theoretical basis for precision anesthesia.
Axial spondyloarthritis patients have altered mucosal IgA response to oral and fecal microbiota
Authors: Gill Tejpal , Stauffer Patrick , Asquith Mark , Laderas Ted , Martin Tammy M. , Davin Sean , Schleisman Matthew , Ramirez Claire , Ogle Kimberly , Lindquist Ingrid , Nguyen Justine , Planck Stephen R. , Shaut Carley , Diamond Sarah , Rosenbaum James T. , Karstens Lisa
Published: September 2022

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is an inflammatory arthritis involving the spine and the sacroiliac joint with extra-articular manifestations in the eye, gut, and skin. The intestinal microbiota has been implicated as a central environmental component in the pathogenesis of various types of spondyloarthritis including axSpA. Additionally, alterations in the oral microbiota have been shown in various rheumatological conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether axSpA patients have an altered immunoglobulin A (IgA) response in the gut and oral microbial communities. We performed 16S rRNA gene (16S) sequencing on IgA positive (IgA+) and IgA negative (IgA-) fractions (IgA-SEQ) from feces (n=17 axSpA; n=14 healthy) and saliva (n=14 axSpA; n=12 healthy), as well as on IgA-unsorted fecal and salivary samples. PICRUSt2 was used to predict microbial metabolic potential in axSpA patients and healthy controls (HCs). IgA-SEQ analyses revealed enrichment of several microbes in the fecal (Akkermansia, Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospira) and salivary (Prevotellaceae, Actinobacillus) microbiome in axSpA patients as compared with HCs. Fecal microbiome from axSpA patients showed a tendency towards increased alpha diversity in IgA+ fraction and decreased diversity in IgA- fraction in comparison with HCs, while the salivary microbiome exhibits a significant decrease in alpha diversity in both IgA+ and IgA- fractions. Increased IgA coating of Clostridiales Family XIII in feces correlated with disease severity. Inferred metagenomic analysis suggests perturbation of metabolites and metabolic pathways for inflammation (oxidative stress, amino acid degradation) and metabolism (propanoate and butanoate) in axSpA patients. Analyses of fecal and salivary microbes from axSpA patients reveal distinct populations of immunoreactive microbes compared to HCs using the IgA-SEQ approach. These bacteria were not identified by comparing their relative abundance alone. Predictive metagenomic analysis revealed perturbation of metabolites/metabolic pathways in axSpA patients. Future studies on these immunoreactive microbes may lead to better understanding of the functional role of IgA in maintaining microbial structure and human health.
Alleviation of cisplatin-induced neuropathic pain, neuronal apoptosis, and systemic inflammation in mice by rapamycin
Authors: Alotaibi Moureq , Al-Aqil Faten , Alqahtani Faleh , Alanazi Miteb , Nadeem Ahmed , Ahmad Sheikh F. , Lapresa Rebeca , Alharbi Metab , Alshammari Abdulrahman , Alotaibi Muteb , Saleh Tareq , Alrowis Raed
Published: September 2022

Platinum-based chemotherapeutic treatment of cancer patients is associated with debilitating adverse effects. Several adverse effects have been well investigated, and can be managed satisfactorily, but chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) remains poorly treated. Our primary aim in this study was to investigate the neuroprotective effect of the immunomodulatory drug rapamycin in the mitigation of cisplatin-induced neurotoxicity. Pain assays were performed in vivo to determine whether rapamycin would prevent or significantly decrease cisplatin-induced neurotoxicity in adult male Balb/c mice. Neuropathic pain induced by both chronic and acute exposure to cisplatin was measured by hot plate assay, cold plate assay, tail-flick test, and plantar test. Rapamycin co-treatment resulted in significant reduction in cisplatin-induced nociceptive-like symptoms. To understand the underlying mechanisms behind rapamycin-mediated neuroprotection, we investigated its effect on certain inflammatory mediators implicated in the propagation of chemotherapy-induced neurotoxicity. Interestingly, cisplatin was found to significantly increase peripheral IL-17A expression and CD8- T cells, which were remarkably reversed by the pre-treatment of mice with rapamycin. In addition, rapamycin reduced the cisplatin-induced neuronal apoptosis marked by decreased neuronal caspase-3 activity. The rapamycin neuroprotective effect was also associated with reversal of the changes in protein expression of p21Cip1, p53, and PUMA. Collectively, rapamycin alleviated some features of cisplatin-induced neurotoxicity in mice and can be further investigated for the treatment of cisplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy.
Effects of aging on cognitive and brain inter-network integration patterns underlying usual and dual-task gait performance
Authors: Droby Amgad , Varangis Eleanna , Habeck Christian , Hausdorff Jeffrey M. , Stern Yaakov , Mirelman Anat , Maidan Inbal
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Aging affects the interplay between cognition and gait performance. Neuroimaging studies reported associations between gait performance and structural measures; however, functional connectivity (FC) analysis of imaging data can help to identify dynamic neural mechanisms underlying optimal performance. Here, we investigated the effects on divergent cognitive and inter-network FC patterns underlying gait performance during usual (UW) and dual-task (DT) walking.

Methods

A total of 115 community-dwelling, healthy participants between 20 and 80 years were enrolled. All participants underwent comprehensive cognitive and gait assessments in two conditions and resting state functional MRI (fMRI) scans. Inter-network FC from motor-related to 6 primary cognitive networks were estimated. Step-wise regression models tested the relationships between gait parameters, inter-network FC, neuropsychological scores, and demographic variables. A threshold of p < 0.05 was adopted for all statistical analyses.

Results

UW was largely associated with FC levels between motor and sustained attention networks. DT performance was associated with inter-network FC between motor and divided attention, and processing speed in the overall group. In young adults, UW was associated with inter-network FC between motor and sustained attention networks. On the other hand, DT performance was associated with cognitive performance, as well as inter-network connectivity between motor and divided attention networks (VAN and SAL). In contrast, the older age group (> 65 years) showed increased integration between motor, dorsal, and ventral attention, as well as default-mode networks, which was negatively associated with UW gait performance. Inverse associations between motor and sustained attention inter-network connectivity and DT performance were observed.

Conclusion

While UW relies on inter-network FC between motor and sustained attention networks, DT performance relies on additional cognitive capacities, increased motor, and executive control network integration. FC analyses demonstrate that the decline in cognitive performance with aging leads to the reliance on additional neural resources to maintain routine walking tasks.
Brain re-expansion predict the recurrence of unilateral CSDH: A clinical grading system
Authors: Han Shuai , Feng Yan , Xu Chuanna , Li Xuezhen , Zhu Fulei , Li Zean , Zhang Chunyun , Bie Li
Published: September 2022

Objective

Assessing the risk of postoperative recurrence of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a clinical focus. To screen the main factors associated with the perioperative hematoma recurrence. The brain re-expansion is the core factor of recurrence. A clinical prognostic scoring system was also proposed.

Methods

We included 295 patients with unilateral CSDH as the training group for modeling. Factors predicting postoperative recurrence requiring reoperation (RrR) were determined using univariate and multivariate regression analyses, and bivariate Pearson correlation coefficient analysis was used to exclude related factors. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis evaluates the ability of main factors to predict RrR and determines the cut-off value of brain re-expansion rate. We developed a prognostic scoring system and conducted preliminary verification. A verification group including 119 patients with unilateral CSDH was used to verify the grading systems.

Results

The key factors for predicting unilateral CSDH recurrence were cerebral re-expansion rate (≤ 40%) at postoperative days 7–9 (OR 25.91, p < 0.001) and the preoperative CT density classification (isodense or hyperdense, or separated or laminar types) (OR 8.19, p = 0.007). Cerebral atrophy played a key role in brain re-expansion (OR 2.36, p = 0.002). The CSDH prognostic grading system ranged from 0 to 3. An increased score was associated with a more accurate progressive increase in the RrR rate (AUC = 0.856).

Conclusions

Our prognostic grading system could screen clinically high-risk RrR patients with unilateral CSDH. However, increased attention should be paid to brain re-expansion rate after surgery in patients with CSDH.
Malnutrition risk and oropharyngeal dysphagia in the chronic post-stroke phase
Authors: Huppertz V. A. L. , Pilz W. , Pilz Da Cunha G. , de Groot L. C. P. G. M. , van Helvoort A. , Schols J. M. G. A. , Baijens L. W. J.
Published: September 2022

Background

Oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) and malnutrition are associated with poor clinical outcomes after stroke. The present study evaluated (1) malnutrition risk and OD-related characteristics in patients with chronic post-stroke OD, and (2) the relationship between on the one hand OD severity and on the other hand functional oral intake and dysphagia-specific quality of life.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in a Dutch interdisciplinary outpatient clinic for OD. The standardized examination protocol comprised: clinical ear, nose, and throat examination, body mass index, the short nutritional assessment questionnaire (SNAQ), a standardized fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES), the functional oral intake scale (FOIS), and the MD Anderson dysphagia inventory (MDADI).

Results

Forty-two consecutive patients with chronic post-stroke OD were included. Mean (±SD) age and BMI of the population were 69.1 (±8.7) years and 26.8 (±4.1) kg/m2 respectively. Seventeen (40.4%) patients presented a moderate to high risk of malnutrition (SNAQ score≥2). The FEES examination showed moderate to severe OD in 28 (66.7%) patients. The severity of OD was significantly related to the FOIS score but not to the MDADI scores.

Conclusion

In this specific sample of referred stroke patients, moderate to severe OD and moderate to high risk of malnutrition were common. Despite the use of clinical practice guidelines on stroke and a normal nutritional status at first sight, repeated screening for malnutrition and monitoring the severity and management of OD remain important elements in the care of patients with chronic post-stroke OD.
The feasibility of mixed reality-based upper extremity self-training for patients with stroke—A pilot study
Authors: Ham Yeajin , Yang Dong-Seok , Choi Younggeun , Shin Joon-Ho
Published: September 2022

Mixed reality (MR), which combines virtual reality and tangible objects, can be used for repetitive training by patients with stroke, allowing them to be immersed in a virtual environment while maintaining their perception of the real world. We developed an MR-based rehabilitation board (MR-board) for the upper limb, particularly for hand rehabilitation, and aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of the MR-board as a self-training rehabilitation tool for the upper extremity in stroke patients. The MR-board contains five gamified programs that train upper-extremity movements by using the affected hand and six differently shaped objects. We conducted five 30-min training sessions in stroke patients using the MR-board. The sensor measured hand movement and reflected the objects to the monitor so that the patients could check the process and results during the intervention. The primary outcomes were changes in the Box and Block Test (BBT) score, and the secondary outcomes were changes in the Fugl–Meyer assessment and Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) scores. Evaluations were conducted before and after the intervention. In addition, a usability test was performed to assess the patient satisfaction with the device. Ten patients with hemiplegic stroke were included in the analysis. The BBT scores and shoulder strength in the WMFT were significantly improved (p< 0.05), and other outcomes were also improved after the intervention. In addition, the usability test showed high satisfaction (4.58 out of 5 points), and patients were willing to undergo further treatment sessions. No safety issues were observed. The MR-board is a feasible intervention device for improving upper limb function. Moreover, this instrument could be an effective self-training tool that provides training routines for stroke patients without the assistance of a healthcare practitioner.

Trial registration

This study was registered with the Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS: KCT0004167).
Acceptance and disparities of PET/CT use in patients with esophageal or gastro-esophageal junction cancer: Evaluation of mature registry data
Authors: Gupta Vaibhav , Kulanthaivelu Roshini , Metser Ur , Ortega Claudia , Darling Gail , Coburn Natalie , Veit-Haibach Patrick
Published: September 2022

Background/rationale

PET/CT plays a crucial role in esophageal (EC) and gastroesophageal junction cancer (GEJ) diagnosis and management. Despite endorsement in clinical guidelines, variation in acceptance of PET/CT exists. The aim of this study was to assess the early use of PET/CT among EC and GEJ patients in a regionalized setting and identify factors contributing to disparity in access.

Materials and methods

Retrospective cohort study of adults with EC or GEJ between 2012 and 2014 from the Population Registry of Esophageal and Stomach Tumours of Ontario and Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario). Receipt of PET/CT and relevant demographics were collected, and statistical analysis performed. Continuous data were analysed with t-tests and Wilcoxon rank sum test. Categorical data were analysed with chi-square test. Kaplan–Meier methods were used to estimate median survival.

Results

Fifty-five percent of patients diagnosed with EC or GEJ between 2012 and 2014 received PET/CT (1321/2390). Eighty-four percent of patients underwent surgical resection (729/870), and 80% receiving radical treatment (496/622) underwent PET/CT. The use of PET/CT increased from 2012 to 2014. Male patients received more PET/CT than females (85% vs.78% p < 0.001).

Median survival for the overall cohort was 11.1 months, 17.2 vs. 5.2 months among those who did and did not receive PET/CT and 35 vs. 27 months among the surgical cohort (p = 0.16).

Conclusions

We found that PET/CT use increased from 2012 to 2014 and that the majority of EC/GEJ patients being considered for curative therapy received PET/CT. There were also gender disparities identified. PET/CT appears to confer a potential survival benefit in our study, although our assessment is limited. Our findings may serve as learned lessons for other new imaging modalities, new indications for PET/CT or even for the introduction of new radiopharmaceuticals for PET/CT.
Simultaneous determination of twelve mycotoxins in edible oil, soy sauce and bean sauce by PRiME HLB solid phase extraction combined with HPLC-Orbitrap HRMS
Authors: Luo Donghui , Guan Jingjing , Dong Hao , Chen Jin , Liang Ming , Zhou Chunxia , Xian Yanping , Xu Xiaofei
Published: September 2022

A solid phase extraction-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-Orbitrap HRMS) method was established for the determination of 12 mycotoxins (ochratoxin A, ochratoxin B, aflatoxin B1, aflatoxin B2, aflatoxin G1, aflatoxin G2, HT-2 toxin, sterigmatocystin, diacetoxysciroenol, penicillic acid, mycophenolic acid, and citreoviridin) in edible oil, soy sauce, and bean sauce. Samples were extracted by 80:20 (v:v) acetonitrile-water solution, purified by PRiME HLB column, separated by aQ C18 column with mobile phase consisting of 0.5 mmol/L ammonium acetate-0.1% formic acid aqueous solution and methanol. The results showed that the limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantification (LOQs) of 12 mycotoxins were 0.12–1.2 μg/L and 0.40–4.0 μg/L, respectively. The determination coefficients of 12 mycotoxins in the range of 0.20–100 μg/L were > 0.998. The average recoveries in soy sauce and bean sauce were 78.4–106.8%, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were 1.2–9.7% under three levels, including LOQ, 2× LOQ and 10 × LOQ. The average recoveries in edible oil were 78.3–115.6%, and the precision RSD (n = 6) was 0.9–8.6%. A total of 24 edible oils, soy sauce and bean sauce samples were analyzed by this method. AFB1, AFB2, sterigmatocystin and mycophenolic acid were detected in several samples at concentrations ranging from 1.0 to 22.1 μg/kg. The method is simple, sensitive, and rapid and can be used for screening and quantitative analysis of mycotoxin contamination in edible oil, soy sauce, and bean sauce.
Brain metastases: It takes two factors for a primary cancer to metastasize to brain
Authors: Liu Dingyun , Bai Jun , Chen Qian , Tan Renbo , An Zheng , Xiao Jun , Qu Yingwei , Xu Ying
Published: September 2022

Brain metastasis of a cancer is a malignant disease with high mortality, but the cause and the molecular mechanism remain largely unknown. Using the samples of primary tumors of 22 cancer types in the TCGA database, we have performed a computational study of their transcriptomic data to investigate the drivers of brain metastases at the basic physics and chemistry level. Our main discoveries are: (i) the physical characteristics, namely electric charge, molecular weight, and the hydrophobicity of the extracellular structures of the expressed transmembrane proteins largely affect a primary cancer cell’s ability to cross the blood-brain barrier; and (ii) brain metastasis may require specific functions provided by the activated enzymes in the metastasizing primary cancer cells for survival in the brain micro-environment. Both predictions are supported by published experimental studies. Based on these findings, we have built a classifier to predict if a given primary cancer may have brain metastasis, achieving the accuracy level at AUC = 0.92 on large test sets.
Zebrafish Avatars of rectal cancer patients validate the radiosensitive effect of metformin
Authors: Costa Bruna , Fernandez Laura M. , Parés Oriol , Rio-Tinto Ricardo , Santiago Inês , Castillo-Martin Mireia , Parvaiz Amjad , Fior Rita
Published: September 2022

Neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCRT) followed by surgery represents the standard of care in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. Increasing radiotherapy (RT) doses and chemotherapy cycles with 5FU have been associated with increased rates of complete response, however these strategies imply significant toxicity. In the last years, epidemiologic findings have demonstrated that metformin is associated with significantly higher rates of pathological complete response to nCRT. Also, pre-clinical studies using cell lines provide evidence for the radiosensitive effect of metformin. However, no studies have been performed using rectal cancer patient samples to test this radiosensitive effect of metformin and compared it to the standard 5FU. Here, we designed an experimental study to compare both radiosensitizers in the zebrafish xenograft model (zAvatar), using rectal cancer surgical specimens and diagnostic biopsies. Patient zAvatars confirmed that metformin has indeed a powerful in vivo radiosensitizer effect, similar to 5FU. Our work confirms that metformin constitutes a promising less toxic alternative to the standard 5FU, which could be game changing in elderly/frail patients to optimize tumor regression.
Application of MRI-Based Radiomics in Preoperative Prediction of NF2 Alteration in Intracranial Meningiomas
Authors: Sun Shuchen , Ren Leihao , Miao Zong , Hua Lingyang , Wang Daijun , Deng Jiaojiao , Chen Jiawei , Liu Ning , Gong Ye
Published: September 2022

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of predicting NF2 mutation status based on the MR radiomic analysis in patients with intracranial meningioma.

Methods

This retrospective study included 105 patients with meningiomas, including 60 NF2-mutant samples and 45 wild-type samples. Radiomic features were extracted from magnetic resonance imaging scans, including T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and contrast T1-weighted images. Student’s t-test and LASSO regression were performed to select the radiomic features. All patients were randomly divided into training and validation cohorts in a 7:3 ratio. Five linear models (RF, SVM, LR, KNN, and xgboost) were trained to predict the NF2 mutational status. Receiver operating characteristic curve and precision-recall analyses were used to evaluate the model performance. Student’s t-tests were then used to compare the posterior probabilities of NF2 mut/loss prediction for patients with different NF2 statuses.

Results

Nine features had nonzero coefficients in the LASSO regression model. No significant differences was observed in the clinical features. Nine features showed significant differences in patients with different NF2 statuses. Among all machine learning algorithms, SVM showed the best performance. The area under curve and accuracy of the predictive model were 0.85; the F1-score of the precision-recall curve was 0.80. The model risk was assessed by plotting calibration curves. The p-value for the H-L goodness of fit test was 0.411 (p> 0.05), which indicated that the difference between the obtained model and the perfect model was statistically insignificant. The AUC of our model in external validation was 0.83.

Conclusion

A combination of radiomic analysis and machine learning showed potential clinical utility in the prediction of preoperative NF2 status. These findings could aid in developing customized neurosurgery plans and meningioma management strategies before postoperative pathology.
Pertuzumab combined with trastuzumab compared to trastuzumab in the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Liu Xiaoyun , Fang Yingying , Li Yinjuan , Li Yan , Qi Lu , Wang Xinghe
Published: September 2022

Objective

Although dual anti-HER2 therapy, namely, pertuzumab plus trastuzumab, has shown promising results in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer (BC), it is still unclear whether dual therapy will increase adverse effects (AEs) while ensuring the efficacy compared with trastuzumab monotherapy. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the efficacy and safety of combined therapy with monotherapy.

Methods

A systematic search was performed to identify eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the administration of dual anti-HER2 therapy [pertuzumab plus trastuzumab or trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1)] versus monotherapy (trastuzumab or T-DM1). The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).

Results

Fourteen RCTs (8,378 patients) were identified. Compared to monotherapy, dual therapy significantly improved the OS (HR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.59–0.99) and PFS (HR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.63–0.86) in advanced BC. In neoadjuvant therapy, dual blockade has a higher ORR rate than monotherapy. Grade 3 or higher febrile neutropenia, diarrhea, and anemia as well as heart failure were more frequently reported in dual therapy compared to monotherapy. No significant difference in serious AEs was observed between the two groups. In the subgroup analysis, compared to single-target therapy, dual-target therapy has higher OS and PFS rates in Asian patients with advanced therapy; however, total grade ≥3 AEs and serious AEs were significantly higher in the dual group in Asian patients.

Conclusions

Our study confirms that the combination of pertuzumab and trastuzumab therapy could substantially improve the outcome of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer and was well tolerated compared to trastuzumab monotherapy.
The diagnostic value of ultrasound in pediatric testicular torsion with preserved flow
Authors: Xu Zhihua , Wu Junbo , Ni Shuangshuang , Luo Hongxia
Published: September 2022

Background

Testicular torsion is the reduction of blood flow to the testis after spermatic cord torsion. For patients, the diagnosis of testicular torsion is controversial and complicated by the fact that ultrasound blood flow signals are not significantly reduced in comparison to the unaffected, healthy, testis, despite persistent symptoms on the affected side. Our study aims to investigate the diagnostic characteristics of high-resolution ultrasonography (US) in pediatric testicular torsion with the preserved flow to increase diagnostic accuracy.

Methods

Seven pediatric patients aged 49 days to 15 years old, with the preserved blood flow, but surgically diagnosed as testicular torsion, from October 2017 to August 2019, were retrospectively included in the study. The imaging manifestations of high-frequency ultrasonography were evaluated.

Results

All cases had preserved testicular blood flow, but the surgical findings showed various degrees of twist, from 90 to 540 degrees. Preoperative ultrasound showed spermatic cord distortion in all cases, and testicular long axis tilting in four cases (4/7 = 57.1%).

Conclusion

In some testicular torsion cases, Color Doppler may show normal or increased blood flow signals in the testis. We should further observe the morphology and position of the testes and epididymides, the echo of the testicular parenchyma, and, especially evaluate the “whirlpool sign” in the spermatic cord, to avoid missing testicular torsion with blood flow signals.