bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dirty work in the clean city: An embodied Urban Political Ecology of women informal recyclers’ work in the ‘clean city’
Authors: Wittmer Josie
Published: May 2022

This paper investigates the ways that ‘cleaning up’ Indian cities impacts those who rely on accessing waste on city streets for their livelihoods. I focus on low-income Dalit women recyclers in Ahmedabad, India as they navigate material and discursive shifts in urban waste management emanating from the national Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and 2016 Solid Waste Management Rules, and the municipal privatization and mechanization of solid waste management practice. The study is informed by 10 months of ethnographic research and a series of interviews and group discussions with women recyclers between 2016 and 2018. Using a feminist embodied Urban Political Ecology approach, I suggest the imagining and production of the ‘clean and green’ world-class city is affecting Dalit women recyclers’ work in two ways. First, I argue that emerging cleanliness governance mechanisms and solid waste management practices are re-spatializing and masculinizing waste labour in the city. I show how spatial, discursive and temporal shifts in solid waste management are producing new challenges for Dalit women recyclers in accessing waste, intensifying their physical and financial burdens and requiring more precarious adaptations to generate daily incomes. Second, I explore women recyclers’ own clean city aspirations, expressing a desire to experience the ‘clean and green’ city and a simultaneous sense of betrayal as their livelihoods, communities and bodies are excluded from its imagining and material production. I suggest that an embodied intersectional analysis of waste labour reveals how the imagining and production of clean and sustainable ‘modern’ cities can cause damage to socially marginalized and gendered bodies as they are displaced from work and denied the substantive experience of urban citizenship in the ‘world-class’ city. Attention to embodiment thus deepens an understanding of the complexities and contradictions invoked in urban environmental governance and infrastructural transformations, informing the imagining and production of more equitable and reparative urban futures.
Risk management of smart healthcare systems: Delimitation, state-of-arts, process, and perspectives
Authors: Liu Yiliu
Published: May 2022

Sensing, communication, computation, and control technologies are facilitating smart healthcare to improve efficiency and effectiveness of medical treatment and care. This study focuses on the risk issues relevant with the adverse events where novel technical systems do not serve as expected. We discuss the unique challenges, define the scope of risk management in healthcare and review the state-of-art research on diverse topics under the framework widely used in risk management. Then, we present a systematic approach to identify the hazards to patients and other asset of interest in the perception, cyber communication, and execution of smart technologies and their operational contexts. We also investigate different methods for scenario, likelihood, and consequence analyses for specifying the risks of adverse events, and categorize the approaches of risk reduction, as the main strategy of treating risks of smart healthcare systems, into four groups of design, operation, organization, and legislation. At the last, the article proposes some research perspectives responding to the developing trend of smart healthcare.
Affective governance as multimodal discursive practice in Singapore’ COVID-19 vaccination video
Authors: Xu Huimin , Weninger Csilla
Published: May 2022

Drawing on scholarship on affective-discursive practice and employing a critical multimodal analytic approach, this paper examines how an official vaccination campaign video from Singapore affectively engages with audiences through the construction of various social relationships and identities. Analysis of the multimodal images identifies four salient themes in the video: (1) a harmonious neighborhood comprising inter-ethnic friendships, (2) a paternalistic father-child relationship, (3) a male-dominant family model, and (4) a nostalgic past-present relationship. The analysis shows that affect is discursively mobilized in the orchestration of embodied modes, auditory, and visual modes via strategic filming and editing techniques. Based on the analysis, the authors argue that the video not only functions to subtly persuade the public to get vaccinated but should also be seen as part of a broader move toward an ‘affective politics’ which aims to mobilize the public, reinforce social cohesion and manage the global pandemic crisis in contemporary Singapore.
Patients with CLL have a lower risk of death from COVID-19 in the Omicron era
Authors: Niemann Carsten U. , da Cunha-Bang Caspar , Helleberg Marie , Ostrowski Sisse R. , Brieghel Christian
Published: May 2022

Previous studies have shown that patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have high mortality rates. Infection with the Omicron variant has been described as a milder disease course in the general population. However, the outcome for immunocompromised patients has not previously been reported. In a cohort of patients with CLL tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at hospital test sites in the time periods before and after dominance of the Omicron variant, rates of hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions declined significantly, whereas 30-day mortality remained as high as 23% in the period with dominance of the Omicron sublineage BA.2 variant. However, for a larger population-based cohort of patients with CLL (including the hospital cohort), 30-day mortality was 2%. Thus, patients with CLL with close hospital contacts and, in particular, those >70 years of age with 1 or more comorbidities should be considered for closer monitoring and preemptive antiviral therapy upon a positive SARS-CoV-2 test.
Genome mining reveals polysaccharide-degrading potential and new antimicrobial gene clusters of novel intestinal bacterium Paenibacillus jilinensis sp. nov.
Authors: Ma Ke , Chen Wei , Yan Shi-Qing , Lin Xiao-Qi , Liu Zhen-Zhen , Zhang Jia-Bao , Gao Yu , Yang Yong-Jun
Published: May 2022

Background

Drug-resistant bacteria have posed a great threat to animal breeding and human health. It is obviously urgent to develop new antibiotics that can effectively combat drug-resistant bacteria. The commensal flora inhabited in the intestines become potential candidates owing to the production of a wide range of antimicrobial substances. In addition, host genomes do not encode most of the enzymes needed to degrade dietary structural polysaccharides. The decomposition of these polysaccharides mainly depends on gut commensal-derived CAZymes.

Results

We report a novel species isolated from the chicken intestine, designated as Paenibacillus jilinensis sp. nov. and with YPG26T (= CCTCC M2020899T) as the type strain. The complete genome of P. jilinensis YPG26T is made up of a single circular chromosome measuring 3.97 Mb in length and containing 49.34% (mol%) G + C. It carries 33 rRNA genes, 89 tRNA genes, and 3871 protein-coding genes, among which abundant carbohydrate-degrading enzymes (CAZymes) are encoded. Moreover, this strain has the capability to antagonize multiple pathogens in vitro. We identified putative 6 BGCs encoding bacteriocin, NRPs, PKs, terpenes, and protcusin by genome mining. In addition, antibiotic susceptibility testing showed sensitivity to all antibiotics tested.

Conclusions

This study highlights the varieties of CAZymes genes and BGCs in the genome of Paenibacillus jilinensis. These findings confirm the beneficial function of the gut microbiota and also provide a promising candidate for the development of new carbohydrate degrading enzymes and antibacterial agents.
Brassinosteroid-lipid membrane interaction under low and high temperature stress in model systems
Authors: Rudolphi-Szydło Elżbieta , Dyba Barbara , Janeczko Anna , Latowski Dariusz , Sadura Iwona , Filek Maria
Published: May 2022

Background

In earlier studies [1], we indicated that applying brassinosteroids (BRs) to lipids that had been isolated from plants altered the physicochemical properties of the monolayers. A continuation of these dependencies using the defined model lipid systems is presented in this paper. The influence of homocastasterone (HCS) and castasterone (CS) (BRs for which the increase in concentration were characteristic of plants grown at low temperatures) on the membrane properties of their polar and the hydrophobic parts were studied.

Results

Changes in the electrokinetic potential indicate that both BRs decreased the negative charge of the surface, which is an important factor in modifying the contacts with the polar substances. This property of BRs has not yet been described. The studies of the interactions that occur in the hydrophobic part of the membrane were investigated using the EPR methods and Langmuir techniques. The physicochemical parameters of the lipid structure were determined, and the excess of Gibbs free energy was calculated.

Conclusion

We conclude that examined BRs modify both the hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties of the membranes, but to a greater extent HCS. The consequence of these changes may be the attempt to maintain the stability of the membranes in stressful temperature conditions and / or to the possibility of adsorption of other substances on membranes surfaces. The change of plant metabolism towards increasing the amount of BR, mainly HCS (under cooling) may by an important factor for maintaining optimal structural properties of membranes and their functionality despite temperature changes.
Systematic identification of miRNA-regulatory networks unveils their potential roles in sugarcane response to Sorghum mosaic virus infection
Authors: Su Yachun , Peng Qiong , Ling Hui , You Chuihuai , Wu Qibin , Xu Liping , Que Youxiong
Published: May 2022

Background

Sugarcane mosaic disease (SMD) is a major viral disease of sugarcane (Saccharumspp.) worldwide.Sorghum mosaic virus(SrMV) is the dominant pathogen of SMD in the sugarcane planting areas of China. There is no report on miRNAs and their regulatory networks in sugarcane response to SrMV infection.

Results

In this study, small RNA sequencing (sRNA-seq) of samples from the leaves of SMD-susceptible variety ROC22 and -resistant variety FN39 infected by SrMV was performed. A total of 132 mature miRNAs (55 known miRNAs and 77 novel miRNAs) corresponding to 1,037 target genes were identified. After the SrMV attack, there were 30 differentially expressed miRNAs (17 up-regulated and 13 down-regulated) in FN39 and 19 in ROC22 (16 up-regulated and 3 down-regulated). Besides, there were 18 and 7 variety-specific differentially expressed miRNAs for FN39 and ROC22, respectively. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the differentially expressed miRNAs targeted genes involved in several disease resistance-related pathways, such as mRNA surveillance, plant pathway interaction, sulfur metabolism, and regulation of autophagy. The reliability of sequencing data, and the expression patterns / regulation relationships between the selected differentially expressed miRNAs and their target genes in ROC22 and FN39 were confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR. A regulatory network diagram of differentially expressed miRNAs and their predicted target genes in sugarcane response to SrMV infection was sketched. In addition, precursor sequences of three candidate differentially expressed novel miRNAs (nov_3741, nov_22650 and nov_40875) were cloned from the ROC22 leaf infected by SrMV. Transient overexpression demonstrated that they could induce the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide and the expression level of hypersensitive response marker genes, salicylic acid-responsive genes and ethylene synthesis-depended genes inNicotiana benthamiana. It is thus speculated that these three miRNAs may be involved in regulating the early immune response of sugarcane plants following SrMV infection.

Conclusions

This study lays a foundation for revealing the miRNA regulation mechanism in the interaction of sugarcane and SrMV, and also provides a resource for miRNAs and their predicted target genes for SrMV resistance improvement in sugarcane.
Predictivity of the comorbidity indices for geriatric syndromes
Authors: Canaslan Kubra , Ates Bulut Esra , Kocyigit Suleyman Emre , Aydin Ali Ekrem , Isik Ahmet Turan
Published: May 2022

Background

The aging population and increasing chronic diseases make a tremendous burden on the health care system. The study evaluated the relationship between comorbidity indices and common geriatric syndromes.

Methods

A total of 366 patients who were hospitalized in a university geriatric inpatient service were included in the study. Sociodemographic characteristics, laboratory findings, and comprehensive geriatric assessment(CGA) parameters were recorded. Malnutrition, urinary incontinence, frailty, polypharmacy, falls, orthostatic hypotension, depression, and cognitive performance were evaluated. Comorbidities were ranked using the Charlson Comorbidity Index(CCI), Elixhauser Comorbidity Index(ECM), Geriatric Index of Comorbidity(GIC), and Medicine Comorbidity Index(MCI). Because, the CCI is a valid and reliable tool used in different clinical settings and diseases, patients with CCI score higher than four was accepted as multimorbid. Additionally, the relationship between geriatric syndromes and comorbidity indices was assessed with regression analysis.

Results

Patients’ mean age was 76.2 ± 7.25 years(67.8% female). The age and sex of multimorbid patients according to the CCI were not different compared to others. The multimorbid group had a higher rate of dementia and polypharmacy among geriatric syndromes. All four indices were associated with frailty and polypharmacy(p < 0.05). CCI and ECM scores were related to dementia, polypharmacy, and frailty. Moreover, CCI was also associated with separately slow walking speed and low muscle strength. On the other hand, unlike CCI, ECM was associated with malnutrition.

Conclusions

In the study comparing the four comorbidity indices, it is revealed that none of the indices is sufficient to use alone in geriatric practice. New indices should be developed considering the complexity of the geriatric cases and the limitations of the existing indices.
Increased co-contraction reaction during a surface perturbation is associated with unsuccessful postural control among older adults
Authors: Falk Jimmy , Strandkvist Viktor , Pauelsen Mascha , Vikman Irene , Nyberg Lars , Röijezon Ulrik
Published: May 2022

Background

As a strategy to maintain postural control, the stiffening strategy (agonist-antagonist co-contractions) is often considered dysfunctional and associated with poor physical capacity. The aim was to investigate whether increased stiffening is associated with unsuccessful postural control during an unpredictable surface perturbation, and which sensory and motor variables that explain postural stiffening.

Methods

A sample of 34 older adults, 75.8 ± 3.8 years, was subjected to an unpredicted surface perturbation with the postural task to keep a feet-in-place strategy. The participants also completed a thorough sensory- and motor test protocol. During the surface perturbation, electromyography was measured from tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius to further calculate a co-contraction index during the feed-forward and feedback period. A binary logistic regression was done with the nominal variable, if the participant succeeded in the postural task or not, set as dependent variable and the co-contraction indexes set as independent variables. Further, the variables from the sensory and motor testing were set as independent variables in two separate Orthogonal Projections of Latent Structures (OPLS)-models, one with the feed-forward- and the other with the feedback co-contraction index as dependent variable.

Results

Higher levels of ankle joint stiffening during the feedback, but not the feed-forward period was associated with postural task failure. Feedback stiffening was explained by having slow non-postural reaction times, poor leg muscle strength and being female whereas feed-forward stiffening was not explained by sensory and motor variables.

Conclusions

When subjected to an unpredicted surface perturbation, individuals with higher feedback stiffening had poorer postural control outcome, which was explained by poorer physical capacity. The level of feed-forward stiffening prior the perturbation was not associated with postural control outcome nor the investigated sensory and motor variables. The intricate causal relationships between physical capacity, stiffening and postural task success remains subject for future research.
Comparison of long-term effects of exergaming (Xbox one kinet) and companionship programs on attitude towards dementia and the older adults among adolescents: a quasi-experimental longitudinal study
Authors: Liao Yuan-Ju , Lin Li-Chan , Wu Shiao-Chi , Fuh Jung-Ling , Chiang I-Tsun , Gau Bih-Shya
Published: May 2022

Background

Many studies have been performed on the use of intergenerational programs to improve the negative attitudes and misunderstandings of adolescents toward older people with dementia. However, the findings of these studies are inconclusive. The aim of this study was to compare the long-term effects of exergaming (Kinect) and companionship programs on attitudes toward dementia and the elderly among adolescents.

Methods

A quasi-experimental longitudinal design was used. A total of 200 adolescents aged 12–18 years old were recruited from nine schools in northern Taiwan. The adolescents were assigned to five different groups, namely, a 5-week exergaming group, a 5-week companion group, an 8-week exergaming group, an 8-week companion group, and a control group, using a single blinding procedure. Data collection was performed pretest, post-test and at 1, 3 and 6 months after the post-test. The long-term effects of the two programs (i.e., exergaming and companionship) were analyzed using a generalized estimating equation.

Results

Regarding attitudes toward dementia, the 8-week exergaming group had a significantly better attitude than the control group at the 6-month follow-up (p < 0.001). Similarly, the results of the 8-week companion group also showed a significantly improved attitude compared with the control group at the 6-month follow-up (p = 0.041). Regarding attitudes toward the elderly, the 8-week exergaming group had a significantly better attitude than the control group at the 6-month follow-up (p < 0.001). The 8-week companion group had a similar effect on better attitude compared with the control group at the 6-month follow-up (p = 0.016). Furthermore, the 5-week companion group showed a significant improvement compared with the control group at the 6-month follow-up (p = 0.004).

Conclusions

Spending companionship time with older adults is beneficial for improving the attitudes of adolescents toward the elderly. Furthermore, exergaming improves the attitudes of adolescents toward both dementia and older adults.

Trial registration

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2100053003. Retrospectively registered on 07/11/2021.
Testing and vaccination to reduce the impact of COVID-19 in nursing homes: an agent-based approach
Authors: Gómez Vázquez José P. , García Yury E. , Schmidt Alec J. , Martínez-López Beatriz , Nuño Miriam
Published: May 2022

Background

Efforts to protect residents in nursing homes involve non-pharmaceutical interventions, testing, and vaccine. We sought to quantify the effect of testing and vaccine strategies on the attack rate, length of the epidemic, and hospitalization.

Methods

We developed an agent-based model to simulate the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 transmission among resident and staff agents in a nursing home. Interactions between 172 residents and 170 staff based on data from a nursing home in Los Angeles, CA. Scenarios were simulated assuming different levels of non-pharmaceutical interventions, testing frequencies, and vaccine efficacy to reduce transmission.

Results

Under the hypothetical scenario of widespread SARS-CoV-2 in the community, 3-day testing frequency minimized the attack rate and the time to eradicate an outbreak. Prioritization of vaccine among staff or staff and residents minimized the cumulative number of infections and hospitalization, particularly in the scenario of high probability of an introduction. Reducing the probability of a viral introduction eased the demand on testing and vaccination rate to decrease infections and hospitalizations.

Conclusions

Improving frequency of testing from 7-days to 3-days minimized the number of infections and hospitalizations, despite widespread community transmission. Vaccine prioritization of staff provides the best protection strategy when the risk of viral introduction is high.
Collaborative governance at the start of an integrated community approach: a case study
Authors: Grootjans Sanneke J. M. , Stijnen M. M. N. , Kroese M. E. A. L. , Ruwaard D. , Jansen M. W. J.
Published: May 2022

Background

We studied collaborative governance at the start of an integrated community approach aiming to improve population health, quality of care, controlling health care costs and improving professional work satisfaction. Our objective was to investigate which characteristics of collaborative governance facilitate or hamper collaboration in the starting phase. This question is of growing importance for policymakers and health initiatives, since on a global scale there is a shift towards ‘population health management’ where collaboration between stakeholders is a necessity. In addition, it is crucial to investigate collaborative governance from the beginning, since it offers opportunities for sustainability of collaboration later on in the process.

Methods

We performed a qualitative case study in four deprived neighbourhoods in the city of Maastricht, the Netherlands. An integrated community approach was implemented, involving various stakeholders from the public and private health sectors and provincial and local authorities. Data was collected from December 2016 to December 2018, with a triangulation of methods (50 observations, 24 interviews and 50 document reviews). The Integrative Framework for Collaborative Governance guided data collection and analysis.

Results

We focused on the dynamics within the collaborative governance regime, consisting of principled engagement, shared motivation and capacity for joint action. We found that shared goalsetting, transparency, being physically present, informal meetings, trust and leadership are key aspects at the start of collaborative governance. An extensive accountability structure can both hamper (time-consuming which hinders innovation) and facilitate (keep everybody on board) collaboration.

Conclusion, brief summary and potential implications

The characteristics we found are of significance for policy, practice and research. Policymakers and practitioners can use our lessons learned for implementing similar (population health) initiatives. This case study contributes to the already existing literature on collaborative governance adding to the knowledge gap on the governance of population health approaches.

Trial registration

NTR6543, registration date; 25 July 2017.
Factors influencing outcomes in selective neck dissection in 661 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Bertlich Mattis , Zeller Nina , Freytag Saskia , Spiegel Jennifer L. , Weiss Bernhard G. , Canis Martin , Haubner Frank , Ihler Friedrich
Published: May 2022

Background

Selective neck dissection (SND) is the surgical treatment of choice in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) with suspected or manifest metastases in the cervical lymph nodes. For SND to be successful, treated lymph node levels should be selected according to anatomic considerations and the extent of the disease. Aim of this study was to identify neck dissection levels that had an impact on individual prognosis.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective review of SND as part of primary treatment of HNSCC. Overall survival (OS) and regional control rates (RCR) were calculated for all patients treated at one academic tertiary referral center.

Results

661 patients with HNSCC were included, 644 underwent ipsilateral and 319 contralateral SND. Average follow-up was 78.9 ± 106.4 months. 67 (10.1%) patients eventually developed nodal recurrence. Tumor sites were oral cavity (135), oropharynx (179), hypopharynx (118) and larynx (229). Tumor categories pT1–pT4a, and all clinical and pathological nodal categories were included. Multivariate analysis indicated improved OS rates for patients undergoing SND in ipsilateral levels I and V as well as level III contralaterally. Analysis for tumor origin showed that SND in ipsilateral level I showed significantly improved OS in HNSCC of the oral cavity.

Conclusion

The dissection of ipsilateral level I in oral cavity cancer was of particular relevance in our exploratory, retrospective analysis. To clarify the relevance for the determination of the extent of SND, this should be investigated prospectively in a more homogenous patient cohort.
Assessment of the professional dental cleaning knowledge, behavior and medical compliance among dentists, medical doctors and non-medical staffs: a cross sectional study in Chongqing, China
Authors: Wang Qian , Chen Hengzhu , Jiang Lin
Published: May 2022

Background

The professional dental cleaning (PDC) is an effective supplement that can make up for the lack of self-oral health care. Everyone should develop the habit of regular PDC. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge, behaviors and medical compliance of dentists, medical doctors and non-medical staffs about the PDC, identify the gaps, and provide information to help individuals develop healthy oral hygiene habit.

Materials and methods

A web-based survey with 21 questions designed based on the characteristics, the PDC knowledge, behaviors, and medical compliance of respondents. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the main districts of Chongqing, China, in the period of September–November 2020. A total of 456 respondents including 153 dentists, 137 medical doctors and 166 non-medical staffs in 3 communities and 4 hospitals were sampled online with multistage sampling and surveyed. The data was analyzed by chi-square test using IBM SPSS Statistics v. 21.0.

Results

The cognitive level and behavior of dentists on the PDC was significantly better than that of medical doctors and non-medical staffs (p = 0.000–0.044). The rates of not knowing “dental plaque” were 32.85% and 61.45%, of the medical doctors and non-medical staffs. Meanwhile, most of them had misunderstanding about effects of the PDC. They thought it would whiten teeth (72.99%, 80.72%), damage gums (16.79%, 19.88%) and teeth (15.33%, 21.69%), and create bigger gaps between teeth (24.82%, 33.13%). In terms of gum health and the PDC behavior, significant differences were observed, 23.53% of dentists experienced irritated gum bleeding in the last 12 months, 42.28% did not have their teeth cleaned professionally in the last 12 months, even 7.84% never had it before. Compared with it, in the same situation, the ratios of medical doctors and non-medical staffs were about 60% experiencing irritated gum bleeding, 69.34% and 77.71% not experiencing the PDC in the last 12 months, up to 33.58% and 45.18% never experienced it before. 41 respondents (8.99%) disagreed with the reasonable and necessary medical behaviors before the PDC.

Conclusion

People's understanding about the PDC was insufficient, and many people, included some dentists, had not developed the habit of regular dental cleaning. Our study provided a new understanding of the PDC among dentists, medical doctors, and non-medical staffs, which may help to improve their awareness and behavior of oral hygiene health, and establish the multidisciplinary collaborations between dentists and medical doctors.
Do magnification loupes affect the precision of cavity preparations made by undergraduates? A randomized crossover study
Authors: Eggmann Florin , Irani Delia R. , Fehlbaum Patrizia A. , Neuhaus Klaus W.
Published: May 2022

Background

Evidence on the effect of magnification devices on procedure quality in restorative dentistry is scant. This study therefore aimed to assess, under simulated clinical conditions, if magnification loupes affect the quality of preparations carried out by undergraduate dental students.

Methods

59 undergraduate dental students underwent two visual acuity tests, based on which they were divided into a “low visual acuity group” (visus < 1) and a “good visual acuity group” (visus ≥ 1). In a randomized crossover experiment, participants performed a two-dimensional S and a three-dimensional O figure preparation with a dental handpiece on standardized acrylic blocs designed for preclinical restorative training. Each participant carried out the preparation tasks twice, once with magnification loupes (2.5×) and once without. Two blinded investigators independently evaluated parameters of preparation precision. Data were analyzed using Spearman rank correlation coefficients, intra-class correlation coefficients, and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests (α = 0.05).

Results

Participants from the “low visual acuity group” did not show a statistically significant improvement in accuracy when they used magnification loupes for the S figure preparation (p ≥ 0.0625). Participants from the “high visual acuity group” obtained a higher level of accuracy (p ≤ 0.0012) when they used magnification loupes for the S figure preparation. The use of magnification loupes had no statistically significant effect on the accuracy parameters of the O figure cavity preparations (p ≥ 0.1865). Participants with high visual acuity achieved only a marginally better accuracy than participants with a visus < 1.

Conclusions

This study suggests that loupes with 2.5× magnification increase the accuracy of two-dimensional preparations while they have no significant effect, favorable or otherwise, on the accuracy of complex, three-dimensional cavity preparations of untrained dental students.
The Promoting Resilience in Stress Management (PRISM) intervention for adolescents and young adults receiving hematopoietic cell transplantation: a randomized controlled trial protocol
Authors: Fladeboe Kaitlyn M. , Scott Samantha , Comiskey Liam , Zhou Chuan , Yi-Frazier Joyce P. , Rosenberg Abby R.
Published: May 2022

Background

Psychological distress is prevalent among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) receiving hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). The Promoting Resilience in Stress Management (PRISM) intervention is a resilience-coaching program that has been shown to mitigate distress and improve quality of life among AYAs receiving chemotherapy for newly diagnosed or advanced cancer. This article describes the protocol of an ongoing randomized-controlled trial (RCT) examining the efficacy of PRISM among AYAs receiving HCT for cancer and/or blood disorders.

Methods/design

The goal of this multi-site, parallel, RCT is to evaluate the effect of PRISM compared to psychosocial usual care (UC) among AYAs receiving HCT. Our primary hypothesis is that AYAs who receive PRISM will report lower depression and anxiety 6-months following enrollment compared to those who receive UC. The PRISM program includes four scripted coaching sessions targeting skills in stress-management, goal setting, cognitive-restructuring, and meaning-making, followed by a facilitated family meeting. Sessions are delivered one on one, 1–2 weeks apart, in-person or via videoconference. We aim to recruit 90 AYAs from 4 US pediatric AYA oncology centers. Eligible AYAs are aged 12–24 years; receiving HCT for malignancy or a bone marrow failure syndrome associated with cancer predisposition; < 4 weeks from their HCT date; able to speak English and read in English or Spanish; and cognitively able to complete sessions. Enrolled AYAs are randomized 1:1 within each site to receive PRISM+UC or UC alone. AYAs on both study-arms complete patient-reported outcome surveys at baseline, 3- and 6-months. Age-valid instruments assess depression and anxiety, overall and cancer-specific health-related quality of life, symptom burden, resilience, and hope. Covariate-adjusted regression models will compare AYA-reported depression and anxiety at 6-months in the PRISM versus UC groups. Secondary and exploratory objectives include assessments of PRISM’s cost-effectiveness and its impact on (i) parent and caregiver quality of life and mental health, (ii) pharmaco-adherence to oral graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis, (iii) biologic outcomes such as transplant engraftment and graft-versus-host disease, and (iv) biomarkers of stress such as heart rate variability and the Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity (CTRA) gene expression profile.

Discussion

If successful, this study has the potential to address a critical gap in whole-patient care for AYAs receiving HCT.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov IdentifierNCT03640325, August 21, 2018.
Recent advances in targeted drug delivery systems for resistant colorectal cancer
Authors: Sharifi-Azad Masoumeh , Fathi Marziyeh , Cho William C. , Barzegari Abolfazl , Dadashi Hamed , Dadashpour Mehdi , Jahanban-Esfahlan Rana
Published: May 2022

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the deadliest cancers in the world, the incidences and morality rate are rising and poses an important threat to the public health. It is known that multiple drug resistance (MDR) is one of the major obstacles in CRC treatment. Tumor microenvironment plus genomic instability, tumor derived exosomes (TDE), cancer stem cells (CSCs), circulating tumor cells (CTCs), cell-free DNA (cfDNA), as well as cellular signaling pathways are important issues regarding resistance. Since non-targeted therapy causes toxicity, diverse side effects, and undesired efficacy, targeted therapy with contribution of various carriers has been developed to address the mentioned shortcomings. In this paper the underlying causes of MDR and then various targeting strategies including exosomes, liposomes, hydrogels, cell-based carriers and theranostics which are utilized to overcome therapeutic resistance will be described. We also discuss implication of emerging approaches involving single cell approaches and computer-aided drug delivery with high potential for meeting CRC medical needs.
Restorative biodegradable two-layered hybrid microneedles for melanoma photothermal/chemo co-therapy and wound healing
Authors: Shan Yue , Tan Bowen , Zhang Min , Xie Xi , Liao Jinfeng
Published: May 2022

Tumor killing and wound healing are two complementary and influential processes during the treatment of melanoma. Herein, a two-layered microneedle platform was developed with bifunctional effect of chemo-photothermal synergistic melanoma therapy and skin regeneration. The bifunctional platform composed of embeddable curcumin nanodrugs/new Indocyanine Green/hyaluronic acid (Cur NDs/IR820/HA) microneedles and sodium alginate/gelatin/hyaluronic acid (SA/Ge/HA) supporting backing layer was prepared through a two-step casting process. With uniform incorporation of curcumin nanodrugs and IR820, the microneedles exhibited excellent photothermal performance under external near-infrared (NIR) light stimulation and tumor co-therapy ability. Once the embeddable microneedles were inserted into skin, they would rapidly dissolve and activate drug release successfully for tumor treatment. Moreover, the SA/Ge/HA supporting backing layer was left behind to cover the wound and promote the proliferation of endothelial and fibroblasts cells for enhanced skin regeneration. The two-layered microneedles platform can simultaneously eliminate the tumor and accelerate wounding healing, which may be potentially employed as a competitive strategy for the treatment of melanoma.

Graphical Abstract
Total systems failure: police officers’ perspectives on the impacts of the justice, health, and social service systems on people who use drugs
Authors: Butler Amanda , Zakimi Naomi , Greer Alissa
Published: May 2022

Background

Police in Canada have become main responders to behavioural health concerns in the community—a role that disproportionately harms people who use drugs (PWUD). Recent calls to defund the police emphasize the need to shift responsibility for non-criminal health issues from police to health and social services. This study explores the role of police interactions in responding to PWUD within the broader institutional and structural contexts in which they operate.

Methods

We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis of interviews with sixteen police officers across nine jurisdictions in British Columbia, Canada. We examined police officers’ everyday policing experiences interacting with PWUD, enforcing drug laws, and working alongside other service sectors.

Results

Officers explained that the criminal justice system is one component of a wider network of systems that collectively fail to meet the needs of PWUD. They recognized that PWUD who interact with police often experienced intersecting structural vulnerabilities such as poverty, homelessness, and intergenerational trauma. Harmful drug laws in conjunction with inadequate treatment and housing resources contributed to a funnelling of PWUD into interactions with police. They provided several recommendations for reform including specialized health and justice roles, formalized intersectoral collaboration, and poverty reduction.

Conclusions

Overall, this study provides unique insights into the positioning and role of police officers within a “total systems failure” that negatively impact PWUD. Police have become responders-by-default for issues that are fundamentally related to people’s health conditions and socioeconomic circumstances. Addressing failures across the health, social, and justice systems to meet the needs of PWUD will require an examination of the shortcomings across these systems, as well as substantial funding and system reforms.
tRF-Val-CAC-016 modulates the transduction of CACNA1d-mediated MAPK signaling pathways to suppress the proliferation of gastric carcinoma
Authors: Xu Weiguo , Zheng Junyu , Wang Xiao , Zhou Bin , Chen Huanqiu , Li Gang , Yan Feng
Published: May 2022

Background

As a new kind of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), tRNA derivatives play an important role in gastric carcinoma (GC). Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism tRNA derivatives were involved in was rarely illustrated.

Methods

We screened out the tRNA derivative, tRF-Val-CAC-016, based on the tsRNA sequencing and demonstrated the effect tRF-Val-CAC-016 exerted on GC proliferation in vitro and in vivo. We applied Dual-luciferase reporter assay, RIP assay, and bioinformatic analysis to discover the downstream target of tRF-Val-CAC-016. Then CACNA1d was selected, and the oncogenic characteristics were verified. Subsequently, we detected the possible regulation of the canonical MAPK signaling pathway to further explore the downstream mechanism of tRF-Val-CAC-016.

Results

As a result, we found that tRF-Val-CAC-016 was low-expressed in GC, and upregulation of tRF-Val-CAC-016 could significantly suppress the proliferation of GC cell lines. Meanwhile, tRF-Val-CAC-016 regulated the canonical MAPK signaling pathway by targeting CACNA1d.

Conclusions

tRF-Val-CAC-016 modulates the transduction of CACNA1d-mediated MAPK signaling pathways to suppress the proliferation of gastric carcinoma. This study discussed the function and mechanism of tRF-Val-CAC-016 in GC for the first time. The pioneering work has contributed to our present understanding of tRNA derivative, which might provide an alternative mean for the targeted therapy of GC.
Bulk and single-cell transcriptome profiling reveal necroptosis-based molecular classification, tumor microenvironment infiltration characterization, and prognosis prediction in colorectal cancer
Authors: Luo Wenqin , Xiang Wenqiang , Gan Lu , Che Ji , Li Jing , Wang Yichao , Han Lingyu , Gu Ruiqi , Ye Li , Wang Renjie , Zhang Xiuping , Xu Ye , Dai Weixing , Mo Shaobo , Li Qingguo , Cai Guoxiang
Published: May 2022

Background

Necroptosis is a new form of programmed cell death that is associated with cancer initiation, progression, immunity, and chemoresistance. However, the roles of necroptosis-related genes (NRGs) in colorectal cancer (CRC) have not been explored comprehensively.

Methods

In this study, we obtained NRGs and performed consensus molecular subtyping by “ConsensusClusterPlus” to determine necroptosis-related subtypes in CRC bulk transcriptomic data. The ssGSEA and CIBERSORT algorithms were used to evaluate the relative infiltration levels of different cell types in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Single-cell transcriptomic analysis was performed to confirm classification related to NRGs. NRG_score was developed to predict patients’ survival outcomes with low-throughput validation in a patients’ cohort from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center.

Results

We identified three distinct necroptosis-related classifications (NRCs) with discrepant clinical outcomes and biological functions. Characterization of TME revealed that there were two stable necroptosis-related phenotypes in CRC: a phenotype characterized by few TME cells infiltration but with EMT/TGF-pathways activation, and another phenotype recognized as immune-excluded. NRG_score for predicting survival outcomes was established and its predictive capability was verified. In addition, we found NRCs and NRG_score could be used for patient or drug selection when considering immunotherapy and chemotherapy.

Conclusions

Based on comprehensive analysis, we revealed the potential roles of NRGs in the TME, and their correlations with clinicopathological parameters and patients’ prognosis in CRC. These findings could enhance our understanding of the biological functions of necroptosis, which thus may aid in prognosis prediction, drug selection, and therapeutics development.
Worked to the bone: antibody-based conditioning as the future of transplant biology
Authors: Griffin James M. , Healy Fiona M. , Dahal Lekh N. , Floisand Yngvar , Woolley John F.
Published: May 2022

Conditioning of the bone marrow prior to haematopoietic stem cell transplant is essential in eradicating the primary cause of disease, facilitating donor cell engraftment and avoiding transplant rejection via immunosuppression. Standard conditioning regimens, typically comprising chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, have proven successful in bone marrow clearance but are also associated with severe toxicities and high incidence of treatment-related mortality. Antibody-based conditioning is a developing field which, thus far, has largely shown an improved toxicity profile in experimental models and improved transplant outcomes, compared to traditional conditioning. Most antibody-based conditioning therapies involve monoclonal/naked antibodies, such as alemtuzumab for graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis and rituximab for Epstein–Barr virus prophylaxis, which are both in Phase II trials for inclusion in conditioning regimens. Nevertheless, alternative immune-based therapies, including antibody–drug conjugates, radio-labelled antibodies and CAR-T cells, are showing promise in a conditioning setting. Here, we analyse the current status of antibody-based drugs in pre-transplant conditioning regimens and assess their potential in the future of transplant biology.
Transcranial electric and acoustic stimulation for tinnitus: study protocol for a randomized double-blind controlled trial assessing the influence of combined transcranial random noise and acoustic stimulation on tinnitus loudness and distress
Authors: Martins Mariana Lopes , Kleinjung Tobias , Meyer Martin , Raveenthiran Vithushika , Wellauer Zino , Peter Nicole , Neff Patrick
Published: May 2022

Background

Tinnitus is the result of aberrant neuronal activity. As a novel treatment form, neuromodulation is used to modify neuronal activity of brain areas involved in tinnitus generation. Among the different forms of electric stimulation, transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) has been shown to be a promising treatment option for tinnitus. In addition, recent studies indicate that the reduction in tinnitus can be more pronounced when different modalities of stimulation techniques are combined (“bimodal stimulation”). TRNS can be used in combination with acoustic stimulation (AS), a further treatment option recognized in the literature. The aim of the proposed study is to investigate whether simultaneous tRNS and AS improve levels of tinnitus loudness and distress.

Methods

The intervention consists of bilateral high-definition tRNS (HD-tRNS) over the auditory cortex combined with the application of AS which is studied in a crossover design. The visits will be performed in 26 sessions. There will be 20 treatment sessions, divided into two blocks: active and sham HD-tRNS. Within the blocks, the interventions are divided into group A: HD-tRNS and AS, and group B: HD-tRNS alone. Furthermore, in addition to the assessments directly following the intervention sessions, there will be six extra sessions performed subsequently at the end of each block, after a period of some days (follow-ups 1 and 2) and a month after the last intervention (C). Primary outcome measures are analog scales for evaluation of subjective tinnitus loudness and distress, and the audiological measurement of minimum masking level (MML). Secondary outcome measures are brain activity as measured by electroencephalography and standardized questionnaires for evaluating tinnitus distress and severity.

Discussion

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study which uses HD-tRNS combined with AS for tinnitus treatment. The crossover design permits the comparison between HD-tRNS active vs. sham and with vs. without AS. Thus, it will be possible to evaluate the efficacy of the combined approach to HD-tRNS alone. In addition, the use of different objective and subjective evaluations for tinnitus enable more reliable and valid results.

Trial registration

Swiss Ethics Committee (BASEC-Nr. 2020-02027); Swiss Federal Complementary Database (kofam.ch: SNCTP000004051); and ClinicalTrials.gov (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT04551404).
Cephalopod palaeobiology: evolution and life history of the most intelligent invertebrates
Authors: Klug Christian , Bonnaud-Ponticelli Laure , Nabhitabhata Jaruwat , Fuchs Dirk , De Baets Kenneth , Cheng Ji , Hoffmann René
Published: May 2022

Sigurd von Boletzky was a cephalopod researcher who was world-renowned for his enthusiasm for his field of research, for his friendly and calm personality, and, of course, his publications. He dedicated most of his life as active researcher on the development, biology and evolution of coleoids. Nevertheless, he was always curious to learn about other cephalopods as well. Sigurd passed away in Switzerland on September 28th 2020. We dedicate this text and volume to his memory.
Mitochondrial transfer/transplantation: an emerging therapeutic approach for multiple diseases
Authors: Liu Zonghan , Sun Yi , Qi Zhengtang , Cao Lu , Ding Shuzhe
Published: May 2022

Mitochondria play a pivotal role in energy generation and cellular physiological processes. These organelles are highly dynamic, constantly changing their morphology, cellular location, and distribution in response to cellular stress. In recent years, the phenomenon of mitochondrial transfer has attracted significant attention and interest from biologists and medical investigators. Intercellular mitochondrial transfer occurs in different ways, including tunnelling nanotubes (TNTs), extracellular vesicles (EVs), and gap junction channels (GJCs). According to research on intercellular mitochondrial transfer in physiological and pathological environments, mitochondrial transfer hold great potential for maintaining body homeostasis and regulating pathological processes. Multiple research groups have developed artificial mitochondrial transfer/transplantation (AMT/T) methods that transfer healthy mitochondria into damaged cells and recover cellular function. This paper reviews intercellular spontaneous mitochondrial transfer modes, mechanisms, and the latest methods of AMT/T. Furthermore, potential application value and mechanism of AMT/T in disease treatment are also discussed.