bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Erasing the Vision Splendid? Unpacking the Formative Responses of the Federal Courts to the Fast Track Processing Regime and the ‘Limited Review’ of the Immigration Assessment Authority
Authors: Townsend Joel , Kerwin Hollie
Published: March 2021

The establishment of the Immigration Assessment Authority (‘IAA’) and the Fast Track Processing Regime for certain asylum seekers has posed new and important questions for Australian administrative law, especially in respect of the place, scope and effect of merits review. This article considers the early and formative jurisprudence of the federal courts in relation to ‘Fast Track decisions’ made by the IAA. It concludes that the Fast Track process represents a novel development in Australian public law: a partial review process which is not sufficient to correct the errors of the decision-maker at first instance but which appeared for a time capable of immunising elements of the decision from appeal or direct judicial review. It is, in its intention and current operation, more than a ‘targeted tinkering’ with the mechanics of merits review and of migration law in Australia. It deserves attention as it commences its journey through superior courts and as the regime settles into the Australian administrative law landscape.
Parents’ and Children’s Privacy Management about Sensitive Topics: A Dyadic Study
Authors: Hernandez Rachael , Ebersole Diana
Published: March 2021

Parents and children in families must manage private information about sensitive topics. This privacy management can necessitate both individual and collective privacy rules. However, parents and children may have significantly different views of individual and collective privacy boundaries and rules for managing them. Particularly for adolescents, changing expectations and privacy needs may lead to different perceptions of privacy rules, with various relational consequences. To better understand parents’ and children’s perceptions of privacy rules in the family, this study analyzed individual interviews with 41 parent–adolescent dyads to provide a crystallized view of privacy rules in families. Parents’ and adolescents’ perceptions of privacy management both converged and diverged in this study, and reflected the nature of the parent–child relationships. When privacy rules could not be reconciled, there were both relational and privacy management implications.
Investigating the Impact of Cognitive Training for Individuals With Bothersome Tinnitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Xing Maggie , Kallogjeri Dorina , Piccirillo Jay F.
Published: March 2021

Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive training in improving tinnitus bother and to identify predictors of patient response.

Study Design

Prospective open‐label randomized controlled trial.

Setting

Online.

Methods

Participants were adults with subjective idiopathic nonpulsatile tinnitus causing significant tinnitus‐related distress. The intervention group trained by using auditory‐intensive exercises for 20 minutes per day, 5 days per week, for 8 weeks. The active control group trained on the same schedule with non–auditory intensive games. Surveys were completed at baseline, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks.

Results

A total of 64 participants completed the study. The median age was 63 years (range, 25‐69) in the intervention group and 61 years (34‐68) in the control group. Mixed model analysis revealed that within‐subject change in Tinnitus Functional Index in the intervention group was not different than the control group, with marginal mean differences (95% CI): 0.24 (–11.20 to 10.7) and 2.17 (–8.50 to 12.83) at 8 weeks and 2.33 (–8.6 to 13.3) and 3.36 (–7.91 to 14.6) at 12 weeks, respectively. When the 2 study groups were compared, the control group had higher Tinnitus Functional Index scores than the intervention group by 10.5 points at baseline (95% CI, –0.92 to 29.89), 8.1 at 8 weeks (95% CI, –3.27 to 19.42), and 9.4 at 12 weeks (95% CI, –2.45 to 21.34).

Conclusion

Auditory‐intensive cognitive training was not associated with changes in self‐reported tinnitus bother. Given the potential for neuroplasticity to affect tinnitus, we believe that future studies on cognitive training for tinnitus remain relevant.
Generic Clopidogrel: Has Substitution for Brand Name Plavix® Been Effective?
Authors: Westphal Erica S. , Aladeen Traci , Vanini Denis , Rainka Michelle , McCadden Kaitlin , Gengo Francis M. , Bates Vernice
Published: March 2021

Background:

Following the expiration of brand name exclusivity of Plavix® in 2012, generic clopidogrel bisulfate was approved. As a widely prescribed medication with significant inter-patient pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic variability, data regarding the impact of switching to generic clopidogrel bisulfate on patients is needed.

Objective:

The objective of this study was to determine whether generic clopidogrel bisulfate is as efficacious as Plavix® for the inhibition of platelet aggregation.

Methods:

Patients treated with Plavix® monotherapy (n = 254) or generic clopidogrel bisulfate monotherapy (n = 185) were included in this retrospective review. Confounding factors previously found to affect clopidogrel responsiveness (diabetes, female sex, and smoking) were assessed, as well as medications classified as substrates, inducers, and inhibitors of enzymes involved in clopidogrel metabolism. Whole blood impedance aggregometry was used to measure platelet aggregation in response to adenosine diphosphate. Patients were tested after ≥2 weeks of treatment and designated as non-responders if aggregation response exceeded sensitivity thresholds of 6 ohms of impedance.

Results:

The introduction of generic clopidogrel bisulfate was associated with a decrease in antiplatelet resistance (44% to 31%, p < 0.01) and decreased mean ohms of resistance (5.06 ± 4.55 to 3.32 ± 4.03, p < 0.01). Prior to analysis of secondary outcomes, 217 patients were eliminated due to antiplatelet usage for longer than 3 years (n = 123 for Plavix® and n = 118 for clopidogrel). There was no statistically significant finding in prevalence of secondary events.

Conclusion:

Resistance rates to the antiplatelet, clopidogrel are significantly lower since the switch to generic formulations. Further investigation into the impact of variability between clopidogrel bisulfate formulations is needed.
The use and promotion of adapted books in Norwegian public libraries
Authors: Berget Gerd
Published: March 2021

Public libraries offer a large selection of books. For many library users, one of the highlights of the library visit is to explore this collection in search of interesting books that will provide enriching literary experiences. For some people, however, mainstream books might not be motivating to read, for instance, due to reading impairments, language challenges or inaccessible content. Consequently, most libraries also hold a collection of ‘special books’. In Norway, one example of such a collection is the books developed by the association Books for Everyone. This article explores the organization and promotion of adapted books in Norwegian libraries and is based on two datasets. The first dataset comprises the complete production by Books for Everyone, consisting of 232 titles. These books were examined to get an overview of the material commonly found in Norwegian public libraries, with a focus on the allocation of adaptation types and target groups. This dataset showed a diverse collection of books in six different categories. The majority was in the category ‘Easy to Read’, targeted at a broad variety of user groups. The second dataset consisted of survey data from 178 libraries regarding their organization and promotion of the Books for Everyone collection. The data revealed differences in how public libraries utilize these books, due to, for instance, a lack of knowledge about adapted books and potential target groups. Moreover, for many libraries, these books were regarded as ‘special books’ and were consequently not included in exhibitions or book talks. It may be necessary to pay more attention towards adapted literature in the library community and provide more knowledge about this literature among librarians. The overall purpose of this article is to provide some advice to librarians and other practitioners on how to deal with adapted books in a public library context.
Interdisciplinary Considerations for Nasolabial Repair During a Global Pandemic
Authors: Santos Pauline Joy F. , Arowojolu Omotayo A. , Vyas Raj M.
Published: March 2021

Background:

At the declaration of the global pandemic on March 11, 2020, many hospitals and institutions developed a tiered framework for the stratification and prioritization of elective surgery. Cleft lip and palate repair was classified as low acuity, and nasoalveolar molding (NAM) clinics were closed. Anticipating the consequences of delayed cleft care and the additional burden this would cause families, we reassessed our risk-stratification and perioperative algorithms. We hypothesized we could safely optimize nasolabial repair without burdening our care systems and without increasing COVID-19–related morbidity/mortality.

Methods:

Our multidisciplinary cleft team reevaluated patient selection to maximize surgical impact. Perioperative protocols were adjusted, and COVID-19 preoperative testing was utilized before nasolabial repair and prior to suture removal under anesthesia.

Results:

Early in the pandemic, unilateral cleft repair was prioritized and successfully completed on 9 patients. There were no complications related to COVID-19. Nasoalveolar molding clinic was reopened after total patient volume was significantly decreased.

Conclusions:

We offer an approach for surgical management of nasolabial clefts during a global pandemic. Although guidelines have suggested postponing all cleft care, we found that at our dedicated pediatric hospital with low burden of COVID-19 and adequate resources, we could follow a strategy to safely resume cleft care while decreasing burden on our patients’ families and care delivery systems.
Healthy People 2030: An Improved Framework
Authors: Hasbrouck LaMar
Published: March 2021

Healthy People 2030 marks the fifth iteration of national objectives aimed at encouraging collaborative efforts by individuals, institutions, and organizations to raise the bar for health of all Americans and sustain them. There have been several noteworthy improvements that will undoubtedly boost its usefulness and impact. We will herein highlight some of these improvements.
A Comprehensive Analysis of the Behavior of Pelvic Incidence After Different Posterior Spinal Procedures in Elderly Patients With Spinal Deformity
Authors: Zhu Weiguo , Wang Yu , Kong Chao , Sun Xiangyao , Pan Fumin , Wang Wei , Lu Shibao
Published: March 2021

Study Design:

A retrospective case-control study.

Objective:

To evaluate the behavior of pelvic incidence (PI) after different posterior spinal procedures in elderly patients with adult spinal deformity (ASD), to determine the potential associated factors with the variability in PI after spinal surgery and to comprehensively analyze its mechanisms.

Methods:

Elderly patients underwent long fusion to sacrum with and without pelvic fixation were assigned to Group L+P and Group L-P, respectively. In Group L-P, those with severe sagittal deformity were selected as Group A. 20 elderly patients with severe sagittal deformity underwent short lumbar fusion were included as Group B. The following radiographic parameters were evaluated: thoracic kyphosis (TK), thoracolumbar kyphosis (TLK), lumbar lordosis (LL), PI-LL, sagittal vertical axis (SVA), T1 pelvic angle (TPA), and pelvic parameters. PI changing more than 5° (△PI > 5°) was considered as substantially changed.

Results:

For the whole cohort and in Group L+P, PI were not substantially changed (△PI ≤ 5°) after surgery. Besides the severer sagittal malalignment in patients with △PI > 5° in Group L-P, relatively larger mean age, greater proportion of female and lower preoperative PI were found than those in patients with △PI ≤ 5°. 70.8% of patients had substantial increase of PI in Group A, while only 10% of patients had in Group B ( P < 0.001).

Conclusion:

PI behaves differently under different conditions in elderly ASD patients. Besides severe sagittal deformity, aging, female and low preoperative PI are also the potential risk factors of PI increasing after long fusion to sacrum.
Usefulness and limitation of indocyanine green fluorescence for detection of peritoneal recurrence after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma: a case report
Authors: Hayashi Hikaru , Shimizu Akira , Motoyama Hiroaki , Kubota Koji , Notake Tsuyoshi , Sugenoya Shinsuke , Hosoda Kiyotaka , Yasukawa Koya , Kobayashi Ryoichiro , Soejima Yuji
Published: March 2021

Background

Peritoneal recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after hepatectomy occurs rarely, accounting for less than 1% of all recurrences. Reported causes of such dissemination include a history of rupture of the original HCC, needle biopsy or puncture treatment, and surgical procedures. There is no consensus on the optimal treatment strategy for peritoneal dissemination. There have been few reports on assisting resection of peritoneal dissemination by using indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence.

Case presentation

A 57-year-old man underwent posterior sectionectomy for HCC. Six months later, computed tomography revealed multiple nodules suspected of indicating peritoneal dissemination. Various preoperative imaging studies demonstrated only four nodules, the doubling time of the tumors being rapid at 22 days. The nodules were therefore resected. ICG (0.5 mg/kg) was injected intravenously 2 days before the procedure, enabling identification of the nodules by their brightness in the operative field under near-infrared lighting. A total of eight lesions were detected during the procedure and resected, some of which had not been identified by preoperative imaging studies. We diagnosed peritoneal dissemination of HCC based on the pathological findings and their similarity to those of the original HCC. We concluded that the recurrences were likely attributable to exposure of the tumor to the serosa at the time of the original operation.

Conclusions

Although ICG fluorescence is useful for identifying peritoneal dissemination of HCC, attention should be paid to the difficulty in detecting deep lesions and occurrence of false positives.
Comprehensive analysis of the transcriptome‐wide m6A methylome in invasive malignant pleomorphic adenoma
Authors: Han Zhenyuan , Yang Biao , Wang Qin , Hu Yuhua , Wu Yuqiong , Tian Zhen
Published: March 2021

Background

Invasive malignant pleomorphic adenoma (IMPA) is a highly invasive parotid gland tumor and lacks effective therapy. N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent post-transcriptional modification of mRNAs in eukaryotes and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of multiple tumors. However, the significance of m6A-modified mRNAs in IMPA has not been elucidated to date. Hence, in this study, we attempted to profile the effect of IMPA in terms of m6A methylation in mRNA.

Methods

Methylated RNA immunoprecipitation with next-generation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) were utilized to acquire the first transcriptome-wide profiling of the m6A methylome map in IMPA followed by bioinformatics analysis.

Results

In this study, we obtained m6A methylation maps of IMPA samples and normal adjacent tissues through MeRIP-seq. In total, 25,490 m6A peaks associated with 13,735 genes were detected in the IMPA group, whereas 33,930 m6A peaks associated with 18,063 genes were detected in the control group. Peaks were primarily enriched within coding regions and near stop codons with AAACC and GGAC motifs. Moreover, functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that m6A-containing genes were significantly enriched in cancer and metabolism relevant pathways. Furthermore, we identified a relationship between the m6A methylome and the RNA transcriptome, indicating a mechanism by which m6A modulates gene expression.

Conclusions

Our study is the first to provide comprehensive and transcriptome-wide profiles to determine the potential roles played by m6A methylation in IMPA. These results may open new avenues for in-depth research elucidating the m6A topology of IMPA and the molecular mechanisms governing the formation and progression of IMPA.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: LINC01089 functions as a ceRNA for miR-152-3p to inhibit non‐small lung cancer progression through regulating PTEN
Authors: Zhang Huixian , Zhang Hao , Li Xingya , Huang Siyuan , Guo Qianqian , Geng Di
Published: March 2021

Background

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to exert crucial functions in regulating the progression of human cancers. However, the function and mechanism of long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 01089 (LINC01089) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have not been revealed.

Methods

The expression level of LINC01089, microRNA (miRNA, miR)-152-3p and phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted onc hromosome ten (PTEN) mRNA was detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). After gain-of-function and loss-of-function models were established with NSCLC cell lines, the proliferation, migration and invasion of NSCLC cells were detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, scratch healing assay, Transwell assay, respectively. Dual luciferase reporter assay was employed to validate the binding relationship between miR-152-3p and LINC01089 or the 3’UTR of PTEN. Western blot was used to detect PTEN expression in NSCLC cells after LINC01089 and miR-152-3p were selectively modulated.

Results

LINC01089 was down-regulated in NSCLC tissues and cells. Functional experiments showed that knockdown of LINC01089 could promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of NSCLC cells, while over-expression of LINC01089 had the opposite effects. miR-152-3p was identified as a functional target for LIN01089, and miR-152-3p could reverse the function of LINC01089. Additionally, LINC01089 could up-regulate the expression level of PTEN via repressing miR-152-3p.

Conclusions

Down-regulation of LINC01089 promoted the progression of NSCLC through regulating miR-152-3p/PTEN axis.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Improving the measurement of alexithymia in autistic adults: a psychometric investigation and refinement of the twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale
Authors: Williams Zachary J. , Gotham Katherine O.
Published: March 2021

Background

Alexithymia, a personality trait characterized by difficulties interpreting one’s own emotional states, is commonly elevated in autistic adults, and a growing body of literature suggests that this trait underlies a number of cognitive and emotional differences previously attributed to autism, such as difficulties in facial emotion recognition and reduced empathy. Although questionnaires such as the twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) are frequently used to measure alexithymia in the autistic population, few studies have attempted to determine the psychometric properties of these questionnaires in autistic adults, including whether differential item functioning (I-DIF) exists between autistic and general population adults.

Methods

We conducted an in-depth psychometric analysis of the TAS-20 in a large sample of 743 verbal autistic adults recruited from the Simons Foundation SPARK participant pool and 721 general population controls enrolled in a large international psychological study (the Human Penguin Project). The factor structure of the TAS-20 was examined using confirmatory factor analysis, and item response theory was used to further refine the scale based on local model misfit and I-DIF between the groups. Correlations between alexithymia and other clinical outcomes such as autistic traits, anxiety, and quality-of-life were used to assess the nomological validity of the revised alexithymia scale in the SPARK sample.

Results

The TAS-20 did not exhibit adequate global model fit in either the autistic or general population samples. Empirically driven item reduction was undertaken, resulting in an eight-item unidimensional scale (TAS-8) with sound psychometric properties and practically ignorable I-DIF between diagnostic groups. Correlational analyses indicated that TAS-8 scores meaningfully predict autistic trait levels, anxiety and depression symptoms, and quality of life, even after controlling for trait neuroticism.

Limitations

Limitations of the current study include a sample of autistic adults that was overwhelmingly female, later-diagnosed, and well-educated; clinical and control groups drawn from different studies with variable measures; and an inability to test several other important psychometric characteristics of the TAS-8, including sensitivity to change and I-DIF across multiple administrations.

Conclusions

These results indicate the potential of the TAS-8 as a psychometrically robust tool to measure alexithymia in both autistic and non-autistic adults. A free online score calculator has been created to facilitate the use of norm-referenced TAS-8 latent trait scores in research applications (available athttp://asdmeasures.shinyapps.io/TAS8_Score).
Development of a regional voice dataset and speaker classification based on machine learning
Authors: Ismail Muhammad , Memon Shahzad , Dhomeja Lachhman Das , Shah Shahid Munir , Hussain Dostdar , Rahim Sabit , Ali Imran
Published: March 2021

At present, voice biometrics are commonly used for identification and authentication of users through their voice. Voice based services such as mobile banking, access to personal devices, and logging into social networks are the common examples of authenticating users through voice biometrics. In Pakistan, voice-based services are very common in banking and mobile/cellular sector, however, these services do not use voice features to recognize customers. Therefore, the chance to use these services with false identity is always high. It is essential to design a voice-based recognition system to minimize the risk of false identity. In this paper, we developed regional voice datasets for voice biometrics, by collecting voice data in different local accents of Pakistan. Although, there is a global need for voice biometrics especially when voice-based services are common, however, this paper uses Pakistan as a use case to show how to build regional voice dataset for voice biometrics. To build voice dataset, voice samples were recorded from 180 male and female speakers with two languages English and Urdu in form of five regional accents. Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficient (MFCC) features were extracted from the collected voice samples to train Support Vector Machine (SVM), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Random Forest (RF) and K-nearest neighbor (KNN) classifiers. The results indicate that ANN outperformed SVM, RF and KNN by achieving 88.53% and 86.58% recognition accuracy on both datasets respectively.
Sustainable hydrogen production from water using tandem dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical cells
Authors: Sherman Benjamin D. , McMillan Nelli Klinova , Willinger Debora , Leem Gyu
Published: March 2021

If generated from water using renewable energy, hydrogen could serve as a carbon-zero, environmentally benign fuel to meet the needs of modern society. Photoelectrochemical cells integrate the absorption and conversion of solar energy and chemical catalysis for the generation of high value products. Tandem photoelectrochemical devices have demonstrated impressive solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiencies but have not become economically relevant due to high production cost. Dye-sensitized solar cells, those based on a monolayer of molecular dye adsorbed to a high surface area, optically transparent semiconductor electrode, offer a possible route to realizing tandem photochemical systems for H2 production by water photolysis with lower overall material and processing costs. This review addresses the design and materials important to the development of tandem dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical cells for solar H2 production and highlights current published reports detailing systems capable of spontaneous H2 formation from water using only dye-sensitized interfaces for light capture.
Gamma camera characterization at high holmium-166 activity in liver radioembolization
Authors: Stella Martina , Braat Arthur J. A. T. , Lam Marnix G. E. H. , de Jong Hugo W. A. M. , van Rooij Rob
Published: March 2021

Background

High activities of holmium-166 (166Ho)–labeled microspheres are used for therapeutic radioembolization, ideally directly followed by SPECT imaging for dosimetry purposes. The resulting high-count rate potentially impacts dead time, affecting the image quality and dosimetric accuracy. This study assesses gamma camera performance and SPECT image quality at high 166Ho activities of several GBq. To this purpose, the liver compartment, including two tumors, of an anthropomorphic phantom was filled with 166Ho-chloride, with a tumor to non-tumorous liver activity concentration ratio of 10:1. Multiple SPECT/CT scans were acquired over a range of activities up to 2.7 GBq. Images were reconstructed using a commercially available protocol incorporating attenuation and scatter correction. Dead time effects were assessed from the observed count rate in the photopeak (81 keV, 15% width) and upper scatter (118 keV, 12% width) window. Post reconstruction, each image was scaled with an individual conversion factor to match the known total activity in the phantom at scanning time. The resulting activity concentration was measured in the tumors and non-tumorous liver. The image quality as a function of activity was assessed by a visual check of the absence of artifacts by a nuclear medicine physician. The apparent lung shunt fraction (nonzero due to scatter) was estimated on planar and SPECT images.

Results

A 20% count loss due to dead time was observed around 0.7 GBq in the photopeak window. Independent of the count losses, the measured activity concentration was up to 100% of the real value for non-tumorous liver, when reconstructions were normalized to the known activity at scanning time. However, for tumor spheres, activity concentration recovery was ~80% at the lowest activity, decreasing with increasing activity in the phantom. Measured lung shunt fractions were relatively constant over the considered activity range.

Conclusions

At high 166Ho count rate, all images, visually assessed, presented no artifacts, even at considerable dead time losses. A quantitative evaluation revealed the possibility of reliable dosimetry within the healthy liver, as long as a post-reconstruction scaling to scanning activity is applied. Reliable tumor dosimetry, instead, remained hampered by the dead time.
Lotus leaf flavonoids induce apoptosis of human lung cancer A549 cells through the ROS/p38 MAPK pathway
Authors: Jia Xiang-Bo , Zhang Quan , Xu Lei , Yao Wen-Jian , Wei Li
Published: March 2021

Background

Leaves of the natural plant lotus are used in traditional Chinese medicine and tea production. They are rich in flavonoids.

Methods

In this study, lotus leaf flavonoids (LLF) were applied to human lung cancer A549 cells and human small cell lung cancer cells H446 in vitro to verify the effect of LLF on apoptosis in these cells through the ROS/p38 MAPK pathway.

Results

LLF had no toxic effect on normal cells at concentrations up to 500 µg/mL, but could significantly inhibit the proliferation of A549 cells and H446 cells. Flow cytometry showed that LLF could induce growth in A549 cells. We also found that LLF could increase ROS and MDA levels, and decrease SOD activity in A549 cells. Furthermore, qRT-PCR and western blot analyses showed that LLF could upregulate the expression of p38 MAPK (p-p38 MAPK), caspase-3, caspase-9, cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-9 and Bax and downregulate the expression of Cu/Zn SOD, CAT, Nrf2, NQO1, HO-1, and Bcl-2 in A549 cells. Results of HPLC showed that LLF mainly contain five active substances: kaempferitrin, hyperoside, astragalin, phloridzin, and quercetin. The apoptosis-inducing effect of LLF on A549 cells came from these naturally active compounds.

Conclusions

We have shown in this study that LLF is a bioactive substance that can induce apoptosis in A549 cells in vitro, and merits further research and development.
Factors influencing the sinus membrane thickness in edentulous regions: a cone-beam computed tomography study
Authors: Munakata Motohiro , Yamaguchi Kikue , Sato Daisuke , Yajima Naoko , Tachikawa Noriko
Published: March 2021

Background

During implant treatment in the maxillary molar area, maxillary sinus floor augmentation is often performed to ameliorate the reduced alveolar bone height attributable to bone remodeling and pneumatization-induced expansion of the maxillary sinus. However, this augmentation may cause complications such as misplaced implants, artery damage, and maxillary sinus mucosal perforation; infections like maxillary sinusitis; and postsurgical complications such as bone graft leakage and postoperative nasal hemorrhaging. To reduce the complications during maxillary sinus floor augmentation and postoperative infections, we performed retrospective investigations of various systemic and local factors that influence pre-operative sinus mucosal thickness (SMT) by using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Subjects included patients who underwent maxillary sinus floor augmentation in an edentulous maxillary molar area with a lateral approach. Pre-operative SMT, existing bone mass, and nasal septum deviation were measured using CBCT images. Relationships between SMT and the following influencing factors were investigated: (1) age, (2) sex, (3) systemic disease, (4) smoking, (5) period after tooth extraction, (6) reason for tooth extraction, (7) residual alveolar bone height (RBH), (8) sinus septa, and (9) nasal septum deviation. Correlations were also investigated for age and RBH (p< 0.05).

Results

We assessed 35 patients (40 sinuses; 11 male, 24 female). The average patient age was 58.90 ± 9.0 years (males, 57.9 ± 7.7 years; females, 59.9 ± 9.4 years; age range, 41–79 years). The average SMT was 1.09 ± 1.30 mm, incidence of SMT > 2 mm was 25.0%, incidence of SMT < 0.8 mm was 50.0%, and the average RBH was 2.14 ± 1.02 mm. The factors that influenced SMT included sex (p= 0.0078), period after tooth extraction (p= 0.0075), reason for tooth extraction (p= 0.020), sinus septa (p= 0.0076), and nasal septum deviation (p= 0.038).

Conclusions

Factors associated with higher SMT included male sex, interval following tooth extraction < 6 months, periapical lesions, sinus septa, and nasal septum deviation. Factors associated with SMT > 2 mm were sex and reason for tooth extraction, while factors associated with SMT < 0.8 mm were time following tooth extraction and nasal septum deviation. Despite the limitations of this study, these preoperative evaluations may be of utmost importance for safely conducting maxillary sinus floor augmentation.
Hypoperfusion assessed by pressure reactivity index is associated with delayed cerebral ischemia after subarachnoid hemorrhage: an observational study
Authors: Fan Bin Bin , Sun Xiao Chuan , Huang Zhi Jian , Yang Xiao Min , Guo Zong Duo , He Zhao Hui
Published: March 2021

Background

Dysfunction of cerebral autoregulation is one of the pathophysiological mechanisms that causes delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Pressure reactivity index (PRx) have been confirmed to reflect the level of cerebral autoregulation and used to derive optimal cerebral perfusion pressure (CPPopt). The goal of this study is to explore the associations between autoregulation, CPPopt, PRx, and DCI.

Methods

Continuous intracranial pressure (ICP), arterial blood pressure (ABP), and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) signals acquired from 61 aSAH patients were retrospectively analyzed. PRx was calculated and collected by Pneumatic computer system. The CPP at the lowest PRx was determined as the CPPopt. The duration of a hypoperfusion event (dHP) was defined as the cumulative time that the PRx was > 0.3 and the CPP was <CPPopt. The duration of CPP more than 10 mmHg below CPPopt (ΔCPPopt < − 10 mmHg) was also used to assess hypoperfusion. The percent of the time of hypoperfusion by dHP and ΔCPPopt < − 10 mmHg (%dHP and %ΔCPPopt) were compared between DCI group and control group, utilizing univariate and multivariable logistic regression. It was the clinical prognosis at 3 months after hemorrhage that was assessed with the modified Rankin Scale, and logistic regression and ROC analysis were used for predictive power for unfavorable outcomes (mRs 3–5).

Results

Data from 52 patients were included in the final analysis of 61 patients. The mean %dHP in DCI was 29.23% and 10.66% in control. The mean %ΔCPPopt < − 10 mmHg was 22.28%, and 5.90% in control. The %dHP (p < 0.001) and the %ΔCPPopt < − 10mmHg (p < 0.001) was significantly longer in the DCI group. In multivariate logistic regression model, %ΔCPPopt <− 10 mmHg (p < 0.001) and %dHP (p < 0.001) were independent risk factor for predicting DCI, and %ΔCPPopt <− 10 mmHg (p = 0.010) and %dHP (p = 0.026) were independent risk factor for predicting unfavorable outcomes.

Conclusions

The increase of duration of hypoperfusion events and duration of CPP below CPPopt over 10 mmHg, evaluated as time of lowered CPP, is highly indicative of DCI and unfavorable outcomes.
“Pigtail through snare” technique: an easy and fast way to retrieve a catheter fragment with inaccessible ends
Authors: Mori Kensaku , Somagawa Chika , Kagaya Shun , Sakai Masafumi , Homma Satoshi , Nakajima Takahito
Published: March 2021

Background

A catheter fragment with inaccessible ends can be retrieved using the well-known two-step method: making a free end with a pigtail catheter and seizing it with a snare catheter. Here we propose an easier and faster modification, named the “pigtail through snare” technique.

Case presentation

A 61-year-old female patient underwent removal of a central venous catheter fragment migrating to the right atrium. Both ends located in the right atrial appendage and left hepatic vein were inaccessible. Initially, a snare loop was opened in the inferior vena cava and a pigtail catheter was advanced through the snare loop to hook the catheter fragment. The free end was created by pulling the pigtail catheter, dragged automatically into the snare loop, grasped, and retrieved immediately.

Conclusions

By passing the pigtail catheter through the snare loop in advance, the snaring maneuver becomes easy and fast in retrieving the catheter fragment with inaccessible ends.
Curve25519 based lightweight end-to-end encryption in resource constrained autonomous 8-bit IoT devices
Authors: Ullah Shafi , Zahilah Raja
Published: March 2021

Robust encryption techniques require heavy computational capability and consume large amount of memory which are unaffordable for resource constrained IoT devices and Cyber-Physical Systems with an inclusion of general-purpose data manipulation tasks. Many encryption techniques have been introduced to address the inability of such devices, lacking in robust security provision at low cost. This article presents an encryption technique, implemented on a resource constrained IoT device (AVR ATmega2560) through utilizing fast execution and less memory consumption properties of curve25519 in a novel and efficient lightweight hash function. The hash function utilizes GMP library for multi-precision arithmetic calculations and pre-calculated curve points to devise a good cipher block using ECDH based key exchange protocols and large random prime number generator function.
OLI-P: Toxicity and efficacy of local ablative radiotherapy in PSMA-PET staged, oligometastatic prostate cancer—A phase II trial.
Authors: Hölscher Tobias , Baumann Michael , Kotzerke Jörg , Wirth Manfred , Thomas Christian , Zips Daniel , Krause Mechthild , Lohaus Fabian
Published: March 2021

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Background: After curative primary therapy, a subset of patients with prostate cancer will have PSA-progression. Modern imaging methods may detect patients with oligometastastic disease at an early time point. Local ablative therapy has shown to improve time to progression compared to standard of care. PSMA-PET hybrid imaging is an emerging method, with a high accuracy and sensitivity to detect oligometastatic disease at low PSA-levels. Methods: At two German centers, patients with PSA progression after local curative treatment had PSMA-PET- hybrid imaging. Patients with up to five PSMA-PET positive metastases were offered to participate in the clinical trial. Further relevant exclusion criteria were ongoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), PSA >10 ng/ml or severe comorbidity. The patients had a local ablative radiotherapy (aRT) to all PSMA-PET positive metastases. The primary endpoint was toxicity within two years after aRT. Secondary endpoints included PSA-progression free survival (defined as PSA nadir +1 ng/ml or start of ADT) and therapy-free survival (i.e. time to start ADT). Results: Between 2014 and 2018, 72 patients were included; patients’ characteristics are shown in table. Nine patients were excluded as no aRT was performed. The median follow up for the remaining 63 patients was 34.2 months. Within two years, 67 % (42 of 63 pats) had no report of adverse events. Following events were recorded during follow up: rectal bleeding (Grade 1, n=1), stroke (1), urinary incontinence (grade 2: n=3) secondary malignoma (n=5, primary liver tumor (n=2), bladder cancer, acute leukemia and head and cancer). All adverse events were considered as “not related“ to aRT of the metastases. PSA progression occurred in 44 patients after a median of 14.4 months. After two years, PSA relapse free survival was 38.2 %. ADT was initiated in 36 patients after a median of 26 months; 54 % (n=34 of 63) did not start ADT within two years after aRT. Conclusions: Local ablative radiotherapy in selected patients with PSMA-PET staged oligometastatic prostate cancer is well tolerated and may improve midterm outcome and delay onset of systemic therapy. Clinical trial information: NCT02264379. [Table: see text]
Molecular and clinical characterization of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients achieving deep PSA responses to bipolar androgen therapy (BAT).
Authors: Markowski Mark Christopher , Kachhap Sushant , De Marzo Angelo M , Denmeade Samuel R. , Antonarakis Emmanuel S.
Published: March 2021

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Background: BAT is an emerging treatment strategy for men with mCRPC, whereby testosterone concentrations are cycled from supraphysiologic to castrate levels each month. BAT has been shown to be safe, and induces clinical responses in a proportion of patients, some of which are extreme. We explored the clinical and molecular characteristics of mCRPC pts that achieved deep PSA responses on BAT. Methods: We identified N= 22/114 (19%) mCRPC pts who achieved >70% PSA reductions on treatment with BAT. All pts were treated on-protocol at Johns Hopkins using 400mg testosterone cypionate intramuscularly every 28 days, together with continuous LHRH agonist therapy. Pts remained on study until clinical or radiographic progression, as per protocol. Clinical-grade molecular sequencing was obtained using commercially available assays. Results: Next-generation somatic DNA sequencing was obtained on 15/22 (68%) pts. Of these 15 pts with sequencing data who achieved a >70% PSA response on BAT, 14/15 (93%) harbored a pathogenic mutation in TP53 and/or a homologous recombination DNA repair (HRD) gene. Among patients with measureable disease (N=15), 10 pts (67%) achieved an objective response including one pt with a complete response. The median radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) of these deep PSA responders on BAT was 11.3 (95% CI, 7.9-25) months. Conclusions: We observed an enrichment of TP53 and/or HRD mutations in mCRPC pts with extreme PSA responses to BAT, with durability lasting about a year These data support the hypothesis that BAT may work best in DNA repair-deficient mCRPC pts. Further study of BAT in biomarker selected mCRPC populations (i.e. TP53/HRD mutated) is warranted. [Table: see text]
Differential effect of body mass index (BMI) on outcomes of patients treated with docetaxel in prostate cancer: An exploratory analysis.
Authors: Verma Saurav , Sahoo Ranjit Kumar , Singh Prabhjot , Nayak Brusabhanu , Haresh KP , Batra Atul
Published: March 2021

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Background: Docetaxel is a lipophilic drugs with a high affinity for adipose tissue resulting in a higher volume of distribution.There are contradictory data with regards to the differential effect of docetaxel based on BMI in breast cancer patients. However, there are no such data in patients with prostate cancer. A We performed an exploratory analysis to determine if the benefit of docetaxel in patients with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) is modified by BMI. Methods: This is a post hoc analysis of data retrieved from the phase III ENTHUSE M1C study that assessed the efficacy and safety of additional zibotentan in combination with docetaxel in patients with mCRPC (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00617669). BMI (kg/m2) was categorized as: 18.5 to < 25, lean; 25 to < 30, overweight; and ≥ 30, obese. Cox regression models were constructed to determine the impact of BMI on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) after adjusting for baseline characteristics. Results: A total of 466 patients were eligible for current analysis, of whom 34%, 46% and 20% were < 65 years, 65-74 years and > 75 years, respectively. The median total and free baseline PSA were 99.5 (interquartile range [IQR], 33.6 to 237.0) ng/mL and 13.9 (IQR, 5.4 to 37.4) ng/mL, respectively. There were 31% (n = 145), 46% (n = 213) and 23% (n = 108) lean, overweight and obese patients. Visceral metastasis was present in 52% patients, while the number of bone metastases were 1-3 in 15%, 4 in 5%, 5-20 in 58% and ≥ 21 in 23%. The median number of cycles of docetaxel administered were 10 (IQR, 6-10). The median PFS was 7.3, 7.7 and 8.4 months (hazard ratio [HR], 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.81 to 1.06; P = .26) for lean, overweight and obese patients, respectively. The median OS was 10.3, 10.7 and 12.4 months (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.63 to 0.89; P = .01) for lean, overweight and obese patients, respectively. After adjusting for baseline and tumor related characteristics, there was no association of BMI with PFS (overweight, HR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.73 to 1.17; P = .50; obese, HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.67 to 1.18; P = .42) while overweight (HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.52 to 0.91; P = .01) and obese (HR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.43 to 0.88; P = .01) patients had significantly better OS as compared with lean patients. Conclusions: The differential effect of docetaxel based on BMI was not observed in patients with mCRPC. Interestingly, obese patients had a significantly longer OS, which warrants further investigation.
PI3K/AKT pathway biomarkers analysis from the phase III IPATential150 trial of ipatasertib plus abiraterone in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.
Authors: De Bono Johann S. , Sweeney Christopher , Bracarda Sergio , Sternberg Cora N. , Chi Kim N. , Olmos David , Sandhu Shahneen Kaur , Massard Christophe , Matsubara Nobuaki , Garcia Josep , Nowicka Malgorzata , Wongchenko Matthew , Shi Zhen
Published: March 2021

13

Background: In IPATential150 (NCT03072238), ipatasertib (ipat) + abiraterone (abi) as first-line treatment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) significantly reduced the risk for disease worsening or death vs placebo (pbo) + abi in patients (pts) with tumors with PTEN loss by immunohistochemistry (IHC; HR, 0.77 [95% CI: 0.61, 0.98]; P = 0.0335) but not in the intention-to-treat population (de Bono, ESMO 2020). In patients with PTEN loss tumors by IHC, median radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) was 16.5 mo (95% CI: 13.9, 17.0) with pbo + abi and 18.5 mo (95% CI: 16.3, 22.1) with ipat + abi. Here, we present exploratory analyses evaluating putative biomarker associations with rPFS. Methods: Before randomization, tumor samples ( > 90% archival) were tested for PTEN loss by VENTANA PTEN (SP218) IHC assay (N = 1101). PTEN loss was pre-defined as ≥ 50% of tumor cells with no specific cytoplasmic IHC staining. Exploratory analysis evaluated different IHC staining cutoffs. Tumor genomic alterations were profiled with next-generation sequencing (NGS) using the Foundation Medicine FoundationOne CDx NGS assay (Shi, ASGO-GU 2020; n = 743 evaluable by NGS, of which n = 518 were PTEN evaluable). rPFS was determined by the investigator. Results: Consistent benefit with the combination arm vs pbo + abi was observed when PTEN loss by IHC was defined more stringently (rPFS at ≥ 60% tumor cells with PTEN loss: HR, 0.72 [95% CI, 0.56, 0.92]; ≥ 70%: HR, 0.72 [95% CI, 0.56, 0.93]; ≥ 80%: HR, 0.71 [95% CI, 0.54, 0.92]; ≥ 90%: HR, 0.72 [95% CI, 0.53, 0.97]; 100%: HR, 0.65 [95% CI, 0.39, 1.08]). In contrast, ipat + abi was not associated with improved rPFS in pts with PTEN intact by IHC tumors ( < 50% no staining; stratified HR, 0.91 [95% CI: 0.72, 1.16]); the median rPFS was 19.1 mo (95% CI: 16.4, 21.9) with pbo + abi and 19.7 mo (95% CI: 16.4, 26.3) with ipat + abi. By NGS assessment, pts with tumors with PTEN loss and with genomic alterations in PIK3CA/AKT1/PTEN had a larger magnitude of rPFS benefit with ipat + abi than pts with no detectable alterations (Table). Conclusions: Analyses of more-stringent biomarkers associated with activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway further support ipat + abi as a treatment option for first-line mCRPC with PI3K/AKT pathway alterations, a mCRPC subtype with a worse prognosis. Clinical trial information: NCT03072238. [Table: see text]