bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Timing of intra‐fetal laser therapy for twin reversed arterial perfusion (TRAP) sequence: Retrospective series and systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Vitucci Annachiara , Fratelli Nicola , Fichera Anna , Sartori Enrico , Prefumo Federico
Published: April 2022

Objective

To estimate the neonatal survival rate after intra‐fetal laser (IFL) treatment for twin reversed arterial perfusion (TRAP) sequence, and to investigate the effect of gestational age at the time of procedure.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study of TRAP sequences followed at our institution from 2013–2020. Systematic review and meta‐analysis of the neonatal survival rate after IFL was conducted. Both diamniotic and monoamniotic monochorionic pregnancies were included. A subgroup analysis to compare outcomes according to gestational age at procedure (<16+0 weeks or ≥16+0 weeks) was planned.

Results

Thirteen pregnancies were followed at our center and seven were treated with IFL: the survival rate was 57%. Ten studies published between 2008 and 2020 for a total of 156 cases were included in the meta‐analysis. The overall neonatal survival after IFL was 79% (95% CI 0.72–0.86, I2 22%). A random‐effects model comparing neonatal survival for IFL performed <16+0 weeks versus ≥16+0 weeks showed no significant difference between the two groups (OR = 0.93; 95% CI 0.37–2.33).

Conclusion

IFL is a safe and minimally invasive technique for the treatment of TRAP sequence, with a survival rate of 79%. Gestational age at treatment (before or after 16 weeks) does not seem to affect neonatal survival rate.
VGLL3 increases the dependency of cancer cells on de novo nucleotide synthesis through GART expression
Authors: Kawamura Tomohiro , Takehora Yuki , Hori Naoto , Takakura Yuki , Yamaguchi Naoto , Takano Hiroyuki , Yamaguchi Noritaka
Published: April 2022

Vestigial‐like family member 3 (VGLL3) is a member of the VGLL family that serves as cofactors for TEA‐domain transcription factors. Although VGLL3 is involved in the proliferation of cancer cells, the molecular mechanisms underlying VGLL3‐mediated cell proliferation remain largely unknown. In this study, we found that stable expression of VGLL3 in human lung cancer A549 cells affects glutamine metabolism and increases their dependency on de novo nucleotide synthesis for proliferation. Mechanistically, VGLL3 was found to induce the expression ofGART, which encodes a trifunctional enzyme that catalyzes de novo purine synthesis from glutamine.GARTknockdown and the glycinamide ribonucleotide synthase, aminoimidazole ribonucleotide synthase, and glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase trifunctional protein (GART) inhibitor lometrexol repressed the proliferation and survival of A549 cells stably expressing VGLL3. Mesenchymal breast cancer BT549 cells and MDA‐MB‐231 cells showed high expression ofVGLL3, andVGLL3knockdown was found to reduce GART expression. Lometrexol also repressed the proliferation of these breast cancer cells, whereas addition of inosine monophosphate, an important metabolite downstream of GART, rescued this repression. Taken together, these results suggest that VGLL3 induces GART expression and thereby confers de novo nucleotide‐dependent cell proliferation in cancer cells.
Identification of potential pathogenic genes for severe aplastic anemia by whole‐exome sequencing
Authors: Zhang Yang , Zhang Yu , Ge Hongyu , Li Nianbin , Liu Chunyan , Wang Ting , Fu Rong , Shao Zonghong
Published: April 2022

Background

Severe aplastic anemia (SAA) is a syndrome of severe bone marrow failure due to hyperfunction of CD8+ T cells. While, the genetic background of SAA is still unknown. In this study, we tried to explore the possible genetic variants in CD8+ T cells of SAA patients.

Methods

We performed whole‐exome sequencing (WES) in CD8+ T cells of 4 SAA patients and 7 normal controls. The mutations that existed in SAA but not in NCs were identified as candidate genes. Then, we compared them with genes in the enriched KEGG pathway of differently expressed genes (DEGs) from previous RNA‐seq. After analyzing the types of mutations, we identified possible pathogenic genes and validated them by RT‐PCR. Finally, we compared them with the autoimmune disease‐related genes in DisGeNET database to select the most possible pathogenic genes.

Results

We found 95 candidate mutant genes in which, 4 possible pathogenic genes were identified: PRSS1, KCNJ18, PRSS2, and DGKK. RT‐PCR results showed that compared with NCs, PRSS1 and KCNJ18 mRNA expression was significantly increased in SAA patients (p < 0.05), PRSS2 was also increased in SAA patients but without statistical difference, and DGKK gene could not be detected by RT‐PCR in SAA patients. In addition, PRSS1 was associated with autoimmune diseases from the DisGeNET database.

Conclusion

The mutations of PRSS1, KCNJ18, PRSS2, and DGKK, especially PRSS1 in CD8+T cells, may be involved in the immune pathogenesis of SAA.
The Trier Treatment Navigator (TTN) in action: Clinical case study on data‐informed psychological therapy
Authors: Schaffrath Jana , Weinmann‐Lutz Birgit , Lutz Wolfgang
Published: April 2022

Background

Although psychotherapy has shown to be effective for most patients, about one‐third of patients do not benefit or deteriorate during treatment. Technical progress has allowed the integration of routine outcome monitoring (ROM) into treatment, helping therapists detect patients at risk for a nonresponse or poor outcome early on. Psychological therapy can be enhanced by providing therapists with individual treatment recommendations for these at‐risk patients. One example of such a comprehensive feedback system is the Trier Treatment Navigator (TTN).

Objective/Method

This clinical case study aims to illustrate the implementation of the TTN in a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) outpatient clinic in the treatment of a 30‐year‐old patient called Ms. Daun, who has a recurrent depressive disorder. Based on this case, the benefits of applying information from ROM in psychotherapy, important context factors, and possible implementation issues are discussed.

Results/Conclusion

We conclude by encouraging practitioners to integrate ROM into their clinical thinking and daily practice.
SARS‐CoV‐2 specific antibody responses in healthcare workers after a third booster dose of CoronaVac or BNT162b2 vaccine
Authors: Yavuz Erdinç , Günal Özgür , Başbulut Eşe , Şen Ahmet
Published: April 2022

The first SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination campaign in Turkey has started in mid‐January for the healthcare workers (HCWs) with the inactive virus vaccine CoronaVac (Sinovac). After four and a half months, the Turkish Ministry of Health rolled out a booster‐dose vaccination campaign for HCWs and all people over 50 years old beginning in July 2021. The individuals eligible were given the choice of either CoronaVac or mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 for the third booster‐dose vaccination. This study aimed to evaluate SARS‐CoV‐2 IgG antibody titers against the S1 subunit of the spike protein as a marker of the humoral response in 179 HCWs who received a third booster dose of either CoronaVac or BNT162b2. A total of 136 HCWs, 71 female (52.2%) and 65 male (47.8%), completed both serum collections on Days 0 and 28. The median SARS‐CoV‐2 IgG S Protein (SP) titer in all participants before the vaccination was 175.7 AU/ml. Of 136 HCWs, 103 (75.73%) chose BNT162b2 vaccine and 33 (24.26%) chose CoronaVac as the third booster dose. There was a significant difference between the BNT162b2 group and the CoronaVac group in terms of SARS‐CoV‐2 IgG SP titers (p < 0.001). The median SARS‐CoV‐2 IgG SP titers in BNT162b2 group (n = 103) and in CoronaVac group (n = 33) were 17619.3 AU/ml and 1153.0 AU/ml, respectively. The third booster dose with BNT162b2 and CoronaVac increased antibody titers in each participant a mean of 162‐fold and 9‐fold, respectively. HCWs in the BNT162b2 group reported more frequent adverse events than HCWs in the CoronaVac group (p < 0.001).
Solution‐Spinning of a Collection of Micro‐ and Nanocarrier‐Functionalized Polysaccharide Fibers
Authors: Ulmefors Hanna , Yang Nilsson Ting , Eriksson Viktor , Eriksson Gustav , Evenäs Lars , Andersson Trojer Markus
Published: April 2022

Continuous polysaccharide fibers and nonwovens—based on cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, chitosan, or alginate—containing biopolymeric microcapsules (MC) or mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) are prepared using a wet‐spinning or solution blowing technique. The MCs are homogeneously distributed in the fiber matrices whereas the MSNs form discrete micron‐sized aggregates as demonstrated using scanning electron‐, fluorescence‐, and confocal microscopy. By encapsulating the model compound pyrene, it is shown that 95% of the substance remains in the fiber during the formation process as compared to only 7% for the nonencapsulated substance. The material comprising the MC has a strong impact on the release behavior of the encapsulated pyrene as investigated using methanol extraction. MCs based on poly(l‐lactic acid) prove to be practically impermeable with no pyrene released in contrast to MCs based on poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) which allow for diffusion of pyrene through the MC and fiber as visualized using fluorescence microscopy.
Dynamic Covalent Cross‐Linked Nanogel‐Stabilized Pickering Emulsion for Responsive Microstructures
Authors: Siebenmorgen Clio , Zu Guangyue , Keskin Damla , van Rijn Patrick
Published: April 2022

Designing new dynamic matrices in combination with a highly diverse material formation approach as Pickering emulsions provides the tools to engineer innovative dynamic porous microstructures in a highly controllable fashion. Here, nanogels (nGels) are used, which exhibit dynamic covalent cross‐linking capabilities, as surface stabilizing agents in view of their highly controllable physiochemical properties. The method provides the successful formation of dynamic covalent cross‐linked hydrogel microstructures based on ketone and amine‐functionalized nGels using Pickering emulsions. In this system, a pH‐triggerable responsive behavior is incorporated. The physiochemical properties of the resulting microstructure can be further tailored by modifying the intramolecular interactions at the interface, making these systems interesting for a wide range of applications.
Quercetin attenuates the proliferation of arsenic‐related lung cancer cells via a caspase‐dependent DNA damage signaling
Authors: Yang Pan , Li Xiaoping , Wen Qinghui , Zhao Xiaan
Published: April 2022

Exposure to arsenic (As) mainly through contaminated drinking water enhances the lung tumor progression, invasion, and metastasis. The carcinogenic effect of As is due to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and DNA damage, and interference with DNA repair machinery. Herein, we investigated the potential therapeutic function of quercetin on As‐treated lung cancer cells. Quercetin is a natural product with antioxidative, anti‐inflammatory, and antiproliferative properties. We showed that quercetin induced cell death in the As‐exposed lung cancer cells in a dose‐dependent manner. Quercetin was able to significantly inhibit the proliferation of the As‐treated cells over a period of 5 weeks. In addition, quercetin induced ROS‐mediated DNA double‐strand breaks in the As‐treated lung cancer cells. We also showed that ROS generation induced by quercetin activated caspase‐3 to a sufficient level to induce DNA damage but insufficient to induce death in As‐treated lung cancer cells. Moreover, transient activation of caspase‐2 was detected in quercetin‐ and As‐cotreated cells. The flow cytometry‐based cell cycle analysis showed that the antiproliferative function of quercetin was mediated by S‐phase cell cycle arrest, which was associated with upregulation of the Ataxia Telangiectasia‐mutated (ATM), but not ATM and RAD3‐related. In conclusion, quercetin synergized the As‐driven ROS generation and DNA damage, and induced the S‐phase arrest, thus inhibiting the proliferation of As‐exposed lung cancer cells. This data suggested that quercetin is an alternative reagent to chemo‐drugs to prevent the growth of As‐exposed lung cancer cells.
Task Force Consensus on Nosology and Cut‐Off Values for Axial Postural Abnormalities in Parkinsonism
Authors: Tinazzi Michele , Geroin Christian , Bhidayasiri Roongroj , Bloem Bastiaan R. , Capato Tamine , Djaldetti Ruth , Doherty Karen , Fasano Alfonso , Tibar Houyam , Lopiano Leonardo , Margraf Nils G. , Merello Marcelo , Moreau Caroline , Ugawa Yoshikazu , Artusi Carlo Alberto ,   the International Parkinson and Movement Disorders Society Task Force on Postural Abnormalities
Published: April 2022

Background

There is no consensus with regard to the nosology and cut‐off values for postural abnormalities in parkinsonism.

Objective

To reach a consensus regarding the nosology and cut‐off values.

Methods

Using a modified Delphi panel method, multiple rounds of questionnaires were conducted by movement disorder experts to define nosology and cut‐offs of postural abnormalities.

Results

After separating axial from appendicular postural deformities, a full agreement was found for the following terms and cut‐offs: camptocormia, with thoracic fulcrum (>45°) or lumbar fulcrum (>30°), Pisa syndrome (>10°), and antecollis (>45°). “Anterior trunk flexion,” with thoracic (≥25° to ≤45°) or lumbar fulcrum (>15° to ≤30°), “lateral trunk flexion” (≥5° to ≤10°), and “anterior neck flexion” (>35° to ≤45°) were chosen for milder postural abnormalities.

Conclusions

For axial postural abnormalities, we recommend the use of proposed cut‐offs and six unique terms, namely camptocormia, Pisa syndrome, antecollis, anterior trunk flexion, lateral trunk flexion, anterior neck flexion, to harmonize clinical practice and future research.
A novel CEP57 variant associated with mosaic variegated aneuploidy syndrome in a Chinese female presenting with short stature, microcephaly, brachydactyly, and small teeth
Authors: Feng Biyun , Chang Guoying , Zhang Qianwen , Li Xin , Tang Yijun , Gu Shili , Wang Yirou , Wang Jian , Wang Xiumin
Published: April 2022

Background

Mosaic variegated aneuploidy (MVA) syndrome is a rare, autosomal recessive genetic disease. Here, we report an ultra‐rare case of MVA syndrome associated with a CEP57 variant.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of a 9‐year‐old female patient and surveyed her family members. Whole‐exome sequencing and karyotype analysis were performed; suspected mutations were verified using Sanger sequencing.

Results

The patient presented with intrauterine growth restriction, short stature, microcephaly, facial dysmorphism, brachydactyly, and small teeth, and she showed unsatisfactory response to GH replacement therapy. Laboratory tests revealed high insulin‐like growth factor‐1 levels. Karyotype analysis of the peripheral blood showed mosaic variegated aneuploidies. Whole‐exome and Sanger sequencing revealed a novel homozygous nonsense variant, NM_014679.4: c.312 T > G, in CEP57 that leads to translation termination (p.Tyr104*). The parents were heterozygous carriers of the identified variant.

Conclusion

This study presents an ultra‐rare case of CEP57‐driven MVA syndrome, identifying a novel homozygous nonsense variant of CEP57 (p.Tyr104*). Our findings enrich the CEP57 mutational spectrum and emphasize the importance of genetic testing in patients with microcephaly and short stature. Furthermore, we conclude that growth hormone treatment is ineffective in such patients.
Polarization‐independent dual narrow‐band perfect metamaterial absorber for optical communication
Authors: Xie Wanli , Sun Peng , Wang Jin , Feng He , Luo Qingpeng , Xie Qun , Guo Linhui , Zhang Zexuan , Sun Jianfeng , Zhao Qiang , Yun Maojin
Published: April 2022

In this paper, we demonstrate a dual narrow‐band perfect metamaterial absorber for optical communication, where a silicon nano‐disk array is placed on a thin gold film separated by a dielectric layer. Numerical results reveal that dual narrow‐band perfect absorption peaks, which are attributed to waveguide mode and magnetic dipole resonance mode, are achieved at 1310 and 1550 nm, respectively. The results show that the absorption of the two peaks is higher than 99% under the normal incidence of both TE and TM polarizations and the bandwidth is 5 and 15 nm, respectively. Moreover, the absorption peak at 1310 nm can be independently tuned by varying the thickness of the dielectric layer. These findings imply that the proposed absorber can be used in the field of optical communication, frequency‐selective photodetection, and intersatellite laser communication.
Demonstrating the benefits of corrective intraoperative feedback in improving the quality of duodenal hydrogel spacer placement
Authors: Hooshangnejad Hamed , Han‐Oh Sarah , Shin Eun Ji , Narang Amol , Rao Avani Dholakia , Lee Junghoon , McNutt Todd , Hu Chen , Wong John , Ding Kai
Published: April 2022

Purpose

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer‐related death with a 10% 5‐year overall survival rate (OS). Radiation therapy (RT) in addition to dose escalation improves the outcome by significantly increasing the OS at 2 and 3 years but is hindered by the toxicity of the duodenum. Our group showed that the insertion of hydrogel spacer reduces duodenal toxicity, but the complex anatomy and the demanding procedure make the benefits highly uncertain. Here, we investigated the feasibility of augmenting the workflow with intraoperative feedback to reduce the adverse effects of the uncertainties.

Materials and Methods

We simulated three scenarios of the virtual spacer for four cadavers with two types of gross tumor volume (GTV) (small and large); first, the ideal injection; second, the nonideal injection that incorporates common spacer placement uncertainties; and third, the corrective injection that uses the simulation result from nonideal injection and is designed to compensate for the effect of uncertainties. We considered two common uncertainties: (1) “Narrowing” is defined as the injection of smaller spacer volume than planned. (2) “Missing part” is defined as failure to inject spacer in the ascending section of the duodenum. A total of 32 stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) plans (33 Gy in 5 fractions) were designed, for four cadavers, two GTV sizes, and two types of uncertainties. The preinjection scenario for each case was compared with three scenarios of virtual spacer placement from the dosimetric and geometric points of view.

Results

We found that the overlapping PTV space with the duodenum is an informative quantity for determining the effective location of the spacer. The ideal spacer distribution reduced the duodenal V33Gy for small and large GTV to less than 0.3 and 0.1cc, from an average of 3.3cc, and 1.2cc for the preinjection scenario. However, spacer placement uncertainties reduced the efficacy of the spacer in sparing the duodenum (duodenal V33Gy: 1.3 and 0.4cc). The separation between duodenum and GTV decreased by an average of 5.3 and 4.6 mm. The corrective feedback can effectively bring back the expected benefits from the ideal location of the spacer (averaged V33Gy of 0.4 and 0.1cc).

Conclusions

An informative feedback metric was introduced and used to mitigate the effect of spacer placement uncertainties and maximize the benefits of the EUS‐guided procedure.
Three‐dimensional multicontrast blood imaging with a single acquisition: Simultaneous non‐contrast‐enhanced MRA and vessel wall imaging in the thoracic aorta
Authors: Tachikawa Yoshihiko , Hamano Hiroshi , Yoshikai Hikaru , Ikeda Kento , Maki Yasunori , Hirata Kazuhide , Takahashi Yukihiko , Matake Kunishige
Published: April 2022

Purpose

To evaluate MRA and vessel wall imaging (VWI) image quality in the thoracic aorta using a novel method named BRIDGE (bright and dark blood images with multishot gradient‐echo EPI).

Methods

The BRIDGE method consists of 3D multishot gradient‐echo EPI acquisition using pulse gating, navigator gating, and magnetization preparation with a T2‐preparation pulse and a nonselective inversion‐recovery pulse. The BRIDGE and conventional methods (noncontrast MRA based on 3D turbo‐field‐echo [TFE] and VWI based on 3D turbo spin echo with variable refocusing flip angle [VRFA‐TSE]) were performed in 10 healthy volunteers and 10 patients. The SNR, contrast‐to‐noise ratio (CNR), and sharpness in the thoracic aorta were compared for MRA evaluation. The values of SNRlumen, SNRwall, CNRwall−lumen, contrast ratio (CR)lumen−muscle, coefficient of variation, sharpness, lumen area, and wall area in the thoracic aorta were compared for VWI evaluation. Two radiologists independently performed qualitative image‐analysis assessments.

Results

When MRA and VWI were acquired, the acquisition time was 26.6% to 27.8% shorter with BRIDGE than the conventional method. In the MRA evaluation, BRIDGE and TFE methods were comparable. In the VWI evaluation, BRIDGE was superior to the VRFA‐TSE method in blood suppression and evaluation of the ascending aorta. Because the blood signal suppression of BRIDGE is based on the T1 value of blood, the blood signal can be suppressed more uniformly than with the VRFA‐TSE method, regardless of age, blood flow velocity, or vascular anatomy.

Conclusion

The BRIDGE method can provide both MRA, to assess vascular anatomy and luminal changes, and VWI, to assess the vessel wall and detect vulnerable plaques, in a single scan.
Fast randomized tensor singular value thresholding for low‐rank tensor optimization
Authors: Che Maolin , Wang Xuezhong , Wei Yimin , Zhao Xile
Published: April 2022

Low‐rank tensor optimization can be converted to a convex optimization problem, which minimizes a convex surrogate to the tensor tubal rank. This problem can be solved iteratively by applying a closed‐form proximal operator, called tensor singular value thresholding (t‐SVT). But they suffer from high computational cost of tensor singular value decomposition (t‐SVD) at each iteration. In this article, we propose a fast randomized algorithm for t‐SVT, which is called as FR t‐SVT. The key idea is to extract an approximate basis for the range of each frontal slice of a third‐order tensor in the Fourier domain from its compressed part. Our theoretical analysis shows the relationship between the approximation bounds of t‐SVD and its effect to the problem via t‐SVT. Numerical examples illustrate the effectiveness of our model.
A micromorphic filter for determining stress and deformation measures from direct numerical simulations of lower length scale behavior
Authors: Miller Nathan A. , Regueiro Richard A. , Shahabi Farhad , Bishop Joseph E.
Published: April 2022

A micromorphic filter is presented for the extraction of stress and deformation measures from underlying direct numerical simulation (DNS) of microstructural mechanical response. The filter is consistent with the micromorphic continuum theory of Eringen and Suhubi (1964), and allows the interrogation of a DNS to generate higher order constitutive models. The filter adopts aspects of the overlap coupling techniques for atomistic‐continuum scale‐bridging in order to update the nodal degrees of freedom of the finite‐element‐based filter. Two methods for the extraction of quantities of interest from the underlying DNS are presented. The first is a least squares fitting technique which is appropriate for finite‐element‐style macro‐scale domains, and the second is a variationally based approach which generalizes the method to any macro‐scale domain which has a variational form. No restrictions on the form of the micro‐scale simulation are inherent to the approach, provided that the required quantities (stress, position, etc.) can be provided. The filter is applied to a simple homogeneous medium undergoing homogeneous deformation to demonstrate the recovery of a classical continuum response, what we call the null case. We then apply the framework to the same homogeneous medium with a central and edge penny‐shaped crack to show micromorphic effects. We demonstrate that varying the size of the filter causes the micromorphic behaviors to arise and then dissipate as the filter becomes smaller than the crack's length scale. We also show the effect of filter size on a chiral element network along with a plate perforated with evenly spaced and perturbed holes through the thickness. The micromorphic effects are shown to be present for the chiral elements under any loading but become most pronounced when a single element is located within each averaging domain. Micromorphic effects become pronounced for the plate upon the onset of localization.
B Vitamins, work‐related stress and emotional mental disorders: a cross‐sectional study among nurses in Indonesia
Authors: Sofyan Marwan , Fitriani Dewi Yunia , Friska Dewi , Basrowi Ray Wagiu , Fuady Ahmad
Published: April 2022

Aim

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between intake of vitamins B1, B6, B9 and B12 with emotional mental disorders among nurses in Indonesia.

Design

This cross‐sectional study included nurses who have worked at least six months at a private hospital in Indonesia from March to April 2021.

Methods

We used the Food Frequency Questionnaire, Self‐Reporting Questionnaire 20 and the Expanded Nursing Stress Scale questionnaire to assess the B‐vitamin intake, emotional mental disorders and work‐related stress.

Results

Of 80 interviewed nurses, 8.8% experienced severe work‐related stress, and 22.5% had emotional mental disorders. Most nurses had inadequate intake of vitamins B1 and B9 but had adequate intake of vitamins B6 (72.5%) and B12 (56.3%). Emotional mental disorders are more probably to occur in nurses with less intake of vitamins B6 and B12, with respective aOR of 20.06, 95% CI 4.14–97.09 (p < .001) and 4.49, 95% CI 1.19–16.83 (p = .026).
Family‐centred care interventions to reduce the delirium prevalence in critically ill patients: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Lin Lingyu , Peng Yanchun , Zhang Haoruo , Huang Xizhen , Chen Liangwan , Lin Yanjuan
Published: April 2022

Aim

This study aimed to determine whether family‐centred care (FCC) intervention reduces the ICU delirium prevalence.

Design

A systematic review and meta‐analysis.

Methods

The databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, CINAHL Complete, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Biology Medicine disc (CBMdisc), WANFANG Data and VIP Information, were systematically searched up to 30 November 2021. The search term includes keywords related to intensive care units, delirium and family‐centred care. Meta‐analyses were performed and presented by risk ratio (RR), mean difference (MD) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

The meta‐analysis results showed that compared with the usual care, FCC intervention has positive effects on reducing ICU delirium prevalence [RR = 0.54, 95% CIs (0.36, 0.81), p < .05]. However, no effect was observed on ICU stays, mechanical ventilation duration and ICU‐acquired infection between the two groups.

Conclusions

Family‐centred care is an effective intervention to reduce the ICU delirium prevalence. But the result should be treated cautiously as the high levels of heterogeneity, further high‐quality studies are required to determine the effectiveness of FCC intervention in the ICU setting.
The impact of impulsivity and school attendance on COVID‐19 spread: A web‐based cross‐sectional questionnaire
Authors: Karadag Mehmet , Demir Bahadir
Published: April 2022

Some personal and social decisions can be influential in the spread of COVID‐19. There are no studies examining school attendance, impulsivity, COVID‐19 phobia, and psychological resilience together while the effect of some individual and social measures on COVID‐19 has been frequently investigated. In this study 360 participants were evaluated through an online questionnaire method during the peak of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Sociodemographic data form prepared by the researchers, COVID‐19 Phobia Scale, Barratt Impulsivity Scale, and Brief Resilience Scale were used in the study. In all, 20.6% (n = 74) of participants had previously experienced COVID‐19. The rate of individuals who experienced the death of any of their relatives due to COVID‐19 was 17.8%. Only 65.8% of respondents fully complied with government‐implemented measures for the outbreak. School attendance (OR = 1.983, p = .033) and impulsivity (OR = 1.115, p < .001) were found to be positively correlated with COVID‐19. The presence of a significantly higher psychiatric disease admission history in patients with COVID‐19 in binary comparisons did not reach the level of significance in regression analysis. Our results suggest that high school attendance and impulsivity scores are positively correlated with COVID‐19 in young people. Government strategies related to schools need to be carefully reviewed for this reason.
Transient low IgG4 levels cause recurrent wheezing requiring multiple hospitalizations in infancy
Authors: Zaitsu Masafumi , Matsuo Muneaki
Published: April 2022

Objectives

To investigate whether the immunoglobulin G (IgG4) subclass is associated with recurrent wheezing and/or asthma in infants.

Subjects and Methods

From April 2015 to March 2016, 77 infants under 3 years old who attended our hospital were enrolled in four groups (Group 1, controls; Group 2, infants with recurrent wheezing and multiple hospitalizations despite starting inhaled corticosteroids [ICS]; Group 3, infants with recurrent wheezing and without hospitalization after starting ICS; Group 4, allergic infants without wheezing). The relationship between IgG subclasses, especially IgG4, and recurrent wheezing resistant to ICS and requiring multiple hospitalizations in infants was examined.

Results

The serum IgG, IgM, IgA, IgG1, IgG2, and IgG3 levels did not differ significantly among the four groups. The IgG4 level in Group 2 infants (3.1 ± 0.2 mg/dl) was significantly lower than in Groups 1, 3, and 4 (9.9 ± 8.0, 8.4 ± 6.1, and 23.4 ± 18.0 mg/dl). Of the 16 infants in Group 2, 10 could be followed to age 6 years. Nine of them had no recurrent wheezing at 6 years without medication. In addition, their IgG4 levels at age 6 years (16.1 ± 7.1 mg/dl) were significantly increased from those in infancy (3.0 ± 0.1 mg/dl).

Conclusion

A transient low IgG4 level in infancy might cause recurrent wheezing and/or asthmatic symptoms in infants, and it may be one of the types of early transient wheezing.
Including parameterized error covariance in local ensemble solvers: Experiments in a 1D model with balance constraints
Authors: Frolov Sergey , Whitaker Jeffrey S. , Draper Clara
Published: April 2022

Lack of efficient ways to include parameterized error covariance in ensemble‐based local volume solvers (e.g. the local ensemble‐transform Kalman filter – the LETKF) remains an outstanding problem in data assimilation. Here, we describe two new algorithms: GETKF‐OI and LETKF‐OI. These algorithms are similar to the traditional optimal interpolation (OI) algorithm in that they use parameterized error covariance to update each of the local volume solutions. However, unlike the traditional OI that scales poorly as the number of observations increases, the new algorithms achieve linear scalability by using either the observational‐space localization strategy of the traditional LETKF algorithm or the modulated ensembles of the gain‐form (GETKF) algorithm. In our testing with a simple one‐dimensional univariate system, we find that the GETKF‐OI algorithm can recover the exact solution within the truncation bounds of the modulated ensemble and the LETKF‐OI algorithm achieves a close approximation to the exact solution. We also demonstrate how to extend GETKF‐OI algorithm to a toy multivariate system with balance constraints.
The great conundrum: Competency vs. passion in higher education as a profession
Authors: Freeman Sydney , Bruun Wendy
Published: April 2022

Higher education has a human resources problem. The root of that problem can be traced to the two types of employees commonly found in higher education departments.
A Three‐In‐One Assembled Nanoparticle Containing Peptide–Radio‐Sensitizer Conjugate and TLR7/8 Agonist Can Initiate the Cancer‐Immunity Cycle to Trigger Antitumor Immune Response
Authors: Zhu Xueqin , Wang Xiaoxi , Li Bingyu , Zhang Yun , Chen Yalan , Zhang Wenyan , Wang Yan , Zhai Wenjie , Liu Zimai , Liu Sijia , Sun Jiaxin , Chen Zhenzhen , Gao Yanfeng
Published: April 2022

Radiotherapy (RT) has been shown to cause immunogenic cell death (ICD) of cancer cells, which promote the release of tumor‐associated antigens, and trigger the cancer‐immunity cycle (CIC). However, ICD induced by RT usually does not occur in hypoxic tumor cells due to their resistance to radiation. Moreover, RT also induces programmed death ligand 1 (PD‐L1) upregulation on tumor cells, which has an inhibitory effect on T lymphocytes. Therefore, therapy based on CIC must selectively target the restricted steps of antitumor immunity. Herein, the authors design a versatile three‐in‐one assembling nanoparticle that can simultaneously execute these obstacles. The amphiphilic peptide drug conjugate NIA‐D1, containing the hydrophobic radio‐sensitizer 2‐(2‐nitroimidazol‐1‐yl) acetic acid (NIA), a peptide substrate of matrix metalloproteinase‐2, and a hydrophilic PD‐L1 antagonist DPPA‐1, is constructed and co‐assembled with hydrophobic Toll‐like receptor (TLR) 7/8 agonist R848 to form nanoparticle NIA‐D1@R848. The NIA‐D1@R848 nanoparticles combined with RT can trigger the apoptosis of tumor cells and initiate the CIC. In the presence of R848, it promotes the maturation of dendritic cells, which together with protein programmed cell death protein 1 (PD‐1) and its ligand PD‐L1  blockade to relieve T cell suppression, and amplify the antitumor immune cycle. In conclusion, a functionalized three‐in‐one nanoparticle NIA‐D1@R848 is successfully constructed, which can induce strong systemic antitumor immune response.
Targeted Nanoparticles with High Heating Efficiency for the Treatment of Endometriosis with Systemically Delivered Magnetic Hyperthermia
Authors: Park Youngrong , Demessie Ananiya A. , Luo Addie , Taratula Olena R. , Moses Abraham S. , Do Peter , Campos Leonardo , Jahangiri Younes , Wyatt Cory R. , Albarqi Hassan A. , Farsad Khashayar , Slayden Ov D. , Taratula Oleh
Published: April 2022

Endometriosis is a devastating disease in which endometrial‐like tissue forms lesions outside the uterus. It causes infertility and severe pelvic pain in ≈176 million women worldwide, and there is currently no cure for this disease. Magnetic hyperthermia could potentially eliminate widespread endometriotic lesions but has not previously been considered for treatment because conventional magnetic nanoparticles have relatively low heating efficiency and can only provide ablation temperatures (>46 °C) following direct intralesional injection. This study is the first to describe nanoparticles that enable systemically delivered magnetic hyperthermia for endometriosis treatment. When subjected to an alternating magnetic field (AMF), these hexagonal iron‐oxide nanoparticles exhibit extraordinary heating efficiency that is 6.4× greater than their spherical counterparts. Modifying nanoparticles with a peptide targeted to vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR‐2) enhances their endometriosis specificity. Studies in mice bearing transplants of macaque endometriotic tissue reveal that, following intravenous injection at a low dose (3 mg per kg), these nanoparticles efficiently accumulate in endometriotic lesions, selectively elevate intralesional temperature above 50 °C upon exposure to external AMF, and completely eradicate them with a single treatment. These nanoparticles also demonstrate promising potential as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents for precise detection of endometriotic tissue before AMF application.
Significantly Promoting the Photogenerated Charge Separation by Introducing an Oxygen Vacancy Regulation Strategy on the FeNiOOH Co‐Catalyst
Authors: Zhang Rongfang , Ning Xingming , Wang Ze , Zhao Huihuan , He Yaorong , Han Zhengang , Du Peiyao , Lu Xiaoquan
Published: April 2022

Semiconductor/co‐catalyst coupling is considered as a promising strategy to enhance the photoelectrochemical (PEC) conversion efficiency. Unfortunately, this model system is faced with a serious interface recombination problem, which limits the further improvement of PEC performances. Here, a FeNiOOH co‐catalyst with abundant oxygen vacancies on BiVO4 is fabricated through simple and economical NaBH4 reduction to accelerate hole transfer and achieve efficient electron–hole pair separation. The photocurrent of the BV (BiVO4)/Vo‐FeNiOOH system is more than four times that of pure BV. Importantly, the charge transfer kinetics and charge carrier recombination process are studied by scanning photoelectrochemical microscopy and intensity modulated photocurrent spectroscopy in detail. In addition, the oxygen vacancy regulation proposed is also applied successfully to other semiconductors (Fe2O3), demonstrating the applicability of this strategy.
Metal Nanocluster—Metal Organic Framework—Polymer Hybrid Nanomaterials for Improved Hydrogen Detection
Authors: Xie Bo , Ding Bosheng , Mao Peng , Wang Ying , Liu Yini , Chen Minrui , Zhou Changjiang , Wen Hui‐min , Xia Shengjie , Han Min , Palmer Richard E. , Wang Guanghou , Hu Jun
Published: April 2022

The development of hydrogen sensors is of paramount importance for timely leak detection and remains a crucial unmet need. Palladium‐based materials, well known as hydrogen sensors, still suffer from poisoning and deactivation. Here, a hybrid hydrogen sensor consisting of a Pd nanocluster (NC) film, a metal–organic framework (MOF), and a polymer, are proposed. The polymer coating, as a protection layer, endows the sensor with excellent H2 selectivity and CO‐poisoning resistance. The MOF serves as an interface layer between the Pd NC film and the polymer layer, which alters the nature of the interaction with hydrogen and leads to significant sensing performance improvements, owing to the interfacial electronic coupling between Pd NCs and the MOF. The strategy overcomes the shortcomings of retarded response speed and degraded sensitivity induced by the polymer coating of a Pd NC film–polymer hybrid system. This is the first exhibition of a hydrogen‐sensing enhancement mechanism achieved by engineering the electronic coupling between Pd and a MOF. The work establishes a deep understanding of the hydrogen‐sensing enhancement mechanism at the nanoscale and provides a feasible strategy to engineer next‐generation gas‐sensing nanodevices with superior sensing figures of merit via hybrid material systems.
Steering the Pathway of Plasmon‐Enhanced Photoelectrochemical CO2 Reduction by Bridging Si and Au Nanoparticles through a TiO2 Interlayer
Authors: Wang Kang , Fan Ningbo , Xu Bin , Wei Zhihe , Chen Cong , Xie Hao , Ye Weixiang , Peng Yang , Shen Mingrong , Fan Ronglei
Published: April 2022

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) conversion of CO2 in an aqueous medium into high‐energy fuels is a creative strategy for storing solar energy and closing the anthropogenic carbon cycle. However, the rational design of catalytic architectures to selectively and efficiently produce a target product such as CO has remained a grand challenge. Herein, an efficient and selective Si photocathode for CO production is reported by utilizing a TiO2 interlayer to bridge the Au nanoparticles and n+p‐Si. The TiO2 interlayer can not only effectively protect and passivate Si surface, but can also exhibit outstanding synergies with Au nanoparticles to greatly promote CO2 reduction kinetics for CO production through stabilizing the key reaction intermediates. Specifically, the TiO2 layer and Au nanoparticles work concertedly to enhance the separation of localized surface plasmon resonance generated hot carriers, contributing to the improved activity and selectivity for CO production by utilizing the hot electrons generated in Au nanoparticles during PEC CO2 reduction. The optimized Au/TiO2/n+p‐Si photocathode exhibits a Faradaic efficiency of 86% and a partial current density of −5.52 mA cm−2 at −0.8 VRHE for CO production, which represent state‐of‐the‐art performance in this field. Such a plasmon‐enhanced strategy may pave the way for the development of high‐performance PEC photocathodes for energy‐efficient CO2 utilization.
Thermal aging of electrical cable insulation made of cross‐linked low density polyethylene for under‐hood application in automotive industry
Authors: Salivon Tetiana , Comte Raphael , Colin Xavier
Published: April 2022

The thermal aging of two electrical cable insulations made of cross‐linked low density polyethylene (XLPE) only differing by their stabilization system was studied in air between 125 and 200°C. The chemical consumption of the two types of antioxidants (phenol and sulfide), the build‐up of oxidation products and the consequences of thermal oxidation on the mechanical properties were respectively determined by measurement of the oxidation induction time (OIT), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and uniaxial tensile testing. It was found that the chemical consumption of each antioxidant occurs in turn almost independently, starting with the sulfide antioxidant and involving small but well detectable antagonistic effects. As soon as the antioxidant concentration becomes very low, that is, practically undetectable by OIT measurements, the thermal oxidation of XLPE is detected by FTIR spectroscopy causing a catastrophic decrease in the fracture properties. It was shown that the complete consumption of antioxidants coincides with the end of the oxidation induction period and the onset of the sudden decrease in the elongation at break. Based on all these experimental results, a simplified kinetic model was developed to account as faithfully as possible for the consumption kinetics of antioxidants, evaluate their antagonistic effects and, using a relevant end‐of‐life criterion, predict the lifetime of the two XLPE insulations. It was found a satisfying agreement between theory and experiment.
How the type of methodology used, when working in a natural environment, affects the designer's creativity
Authors: Chulvi Vicente , Royo Marta , Agost María-Jesús , Felip Francisco , García-García Carlos
Published: April 2022

The study of the mechanisms linked to creativity has become a topic of great interest in various scientific fields in recent decades. One area in which a particularly large amount of research has been conducted is on the positive effect of natural environments on creativity. Yet, none of these studies have focused on the interaction that may arise with the design method used. That is, they consider the empowering effect of nature on creativity to be something general, without taking into account other factors that may influence it, such as the type of methodology used. This paper therefore aims to go a step further and investigate how the type of design methodology used—intuitive or logical—in a simulated natural environment affects the designer’s creativity. The analysis of both the design process and its outcomes shows that the main differences in the way of working with design methodologies occur mainly in the case of intuitive methodologies, helping designers to improve the quality of their outcomes.
The circle criterion for a class of sector-bounded dynamic nonlinearities
Authors: Guiver C. , Logemann H.
Published: April 2022

We present a circle criterion which is necessary and sufficient for absolute stability with respect to a natural class of sector-bounded nonlinear causal operators. This generalized circle criterion contains the classical result as a special case. Furthermore, we develop a version of the generalized criterion which guarantees input-to-state stability.
Charlson comorbidity index predicts the 10-year survivorship of the operatively treated hip fracture patients
Authors: Miettinen Simo S. A. , Savolainen Susanna , Kröger Heikki
Published: April 2022

Purpose

The aim of this study was to determine how Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) predicts the 10-year survival of operatively treated hip fracture patients aged ≥ 65 years.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included all consecutive patients who had a hip fracture and were operatively treated upon in the study period from 01 January 2007 to 31 December 2007 at the university hospital. The clinical patient data were obtained from the medical records, and CCI score was calculated. The CCI predicts the 10-year mortality for a patient who may have a range of 22 comorbid conditions. Cumulative survival and complications were evaluated in terms of gender.

Results

A total of 241 hip fractures were studied; of these, 183/241 (76%) were females. A total of 32/241 (15%) complications were found, of which 26/241 (11%) were considered major. Overall, 213/241 (88%) patients died during the 10 years of follow-up. Cumulative survival estimates for females were 13% at 10 years (SE = 0.3, 95% CI 3.8–4.8), and for males, it was 12% at 10 years (SE = 0.5, 95% CI 2.8–4.6) (p = 0.33). CCI was significantly associated with mortality after the hip fracture as patients with CCI scores ≥ 4 were at a 3.1–8.5 times higher risk of death compared to patients with low CCI scores of 2–3 (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Complications are common after operatively treated hip fracture. Advanced age, living in a care facility, ASA class 4 and high CCI score ≥ 4 were risk factors of mortality after the operatively treated hip fracture.
Should asymptomatic contralateral inguinal hernia be laparoscopically repaired in the adult population as benefits greatly outweigh risks? A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Park Jung B , Chong Darren C. , Reid Jessica L. , Edwards Suzanne. , Maddern Guy J.
Published: April 2022

Purpose

When laparoscopically repairing a symptomatic inguinal hernia, surgeons will discover a contralateral asymptomatic hernia in 22% of patients. It is estimated 30% of asymptomatic hernias become symptomatic and require repair. Thus, should they be repaired in a 2-for-1 operation? The main purpose is to examine the evidence and make a recommendation for the need to repair the contralateral asymptomatic inguinal hernia prophylactically in the adult population during unilateral inguinal hernia presentation.

Method

A systematic literature search was conducted up to 15 February 2021 using PubMed and the Cochrane Library. Management pathway taken, mean operating time, duration of follow-up, pain, duration of hospital stay and perioperative complications were extracted. Risk of bias was assessed using the ROBINS-I tool.

Results

Six non-randomised studies (1774 patients) were included; 978 patients had both hernias repaired, 796 patients had only the symptomatic hernia repaired. There was no significant difference in length of hospital stay, return to activities of daily living nor complications. Mean operating time was slightly lower for patients who had unilateral hernia repair (mean difference = − 14.57 min, 95%CI − 25.59, − 3.45). Reported pain scores were lower for patients who only had one hernia repaired (− 0.33 units, 95%CI − 0.48, − 0.18). The overall risk of bias for the six studies were low-to-moderate risk.

Conclusion

Asymptomatic inguinal hernias can be repaired when found. While there is minimal increase in operation time and pain, no significant difference to total hospital stay. Importantly, this is likely to prevent the need for another operation in almost a third of patients.
Implicit finite volume method with a posteriori limiting for transport networks
Authors: Eimer Matthias , Borsche Raul , Siedow Norbert
Published: April 2022

Simulating the flow of water in district heating networks requires numerical methods which are independent of the CFL condition. We develop a high order scheme for networks of advection equations allowing large time steps. With the MOOD technique, unphysical oscillations of nonsmooth solutions are avoided. In numerical tests, the applicability to real networks is shown.