bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of a Cochlear Implant Database: Changes in Tinnitus Prevalence and Distress After Cochlear Implantation
Authors: Assouly Kelly K. S. , Smit Adriana L. , Eikelboom Robert H. , Sucher Cathy , Atlas Marcus , Stokroos Robert J. , Stegeman Inge
Published: September 2022

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and distress of tinnitus pre- and post-cochlear implantation in patients with bilateral severe to profound hearing loss. In this retrospective study, we included patients from a cochlear implant clinic in Perth, Western Australia. Pre- and post-cochlear implantation data from 300 implant recipients were collected on self-reported presence of tinnitus, tinnitus distress using the Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire (TRQ), hearing-related quality of life using the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB), and consonant-nucleus vowel-consonant (CNC) word recognition test scores. Retrospectively, patients were grouped into those with or without tinnitus, and the grade of tinnitus distress. The potential factors associated with post-implantation changes in the presence of tinnitus and its distress were evaluated. Tinnitus prevalence was 55.8% pre-operatively and 44.3% post-implantation with a median TRQ score respectively of 12.0 (IQR: 1.0–28.0) and 3.5 (IQR: 0.0–16.2) points. Among the 96 patients experiencing tinnitus pre-implantation, 14.6% patients experienced moderate to catastrophic tinnitus distress pre-implantation compared to 6.3% post-implantation. To conclude, the pre- and post-implantation median TRQ score for the cohort population showed that tinnitus was a “slight” handicap. Tinnitus prevalence and its associated tinnitus distress decreased post-implantation. Patients with tinnitus post-implantation were significantly younger and had less severe pre-implantation hearing loss in the non-implanted ear than patients without tinnitus. Further research is needed to understand the factors influencing changes in tinnitus.
Cognitive Appraisal of Job Autonomy by Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Baig Lubaina Dawood , Azeem Malik Faisal , Paracha Adil
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Job autonomy (JA), a task-level job resource has the potential to motivate individual behavior; it is indecisive, however, whether JA promotes or hinders extra-role behavior.

Objective

The study aims to examine the effect of JA on innovative work behavior (IWB) directly and indirectly through cognitive appraisal and work engagement (WE) while considering the organization type and age as control variables.

Methods

Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect the data from 326 nurses. SPSS and Amos 21 software was used to analyze the data. Data was collected between September, 2021 to January, 2022.

Results

According to the findings, JA can both stimulate and impede IWB indirectly through cognitive appraisal and WE depending on how it is appraised as a challenge and a threat (ρ = .089, p <.001); (ρ = −.038, p <.001), respectively.

Conclusion

The current study revealed that JA significantly influences the IWB of nurses directly and indirectly through cognitive appraisal and WE. Therefore, nursing management should find ways to influence nurse's appraisal of JA as a challenge rather than a threat to improve their extra-role behavior.
Do Discrimination and Negative Interactions with Family Explain the Relationship between Interracial Relationship Status and Mental Disorder?
Authors: Irby-Shasanmi Amy , Erving Christy L.
Published: September 2022

Using the stress process model, the authors investigate whether individuals in interracial relationships experience greater risk for past-year mood and anxiety disorder compared with their same-race relationship counterparts. The authors also assess interracial relationship status differences in external stressors (i.e., discrimination and negative interactions with family) and whether stress exposure explains mental disorder differences between individuals in interracial versus same-race romantic partnerships. Data are from the National Survey of American Life (2001–2003). Results show that individuals in interracial relationships are at greater risk for anxiety disorder (but not mood disorder) relative to those in same-race relationships. Interracially partnered individuals also report more discrimination from the public and greater negative interactions with family. External stressors partially explain the higher risk for anxiety disorder among individuals in interracial partnerships. This study addresses a void in the literature on discrimination, family relationships, and health for the growing population of individuals in interracial unions.
The beneficiation of the Pütürge pyrophyllite ore by flotation: mineralogical and chemical evaluation
Authors: Akçin Suna Elif , Bulut Gülay , Ekinci Şans Bala , Esenli Fahri
Published: September 2022

Samples from the pyrophyllite reserves in the Malatya–Pütürge region, used in the production of the whitest cement in Europe, were beneficiated using flotation. The mineralogical composition of the natural pyrophyllite, as determined using X-ray diffraction, includes pyrophyllite, kaolinite, quartz, illite–mica and feldspar. The chemical composition of pyrophyllite contains 69.75% SiO2 and 23.04% Al2O3. The pyrophyllite percentage (40–45 wt.%) of the natural sample increased to 60–80 wt.% after flotation. In flotation experiments, the effects of reagent amounts, types and their mixtures were investigated. Methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC) and pine oil as frothers and kerosene as a collector were used in the flotation studies. The use of reagents as mixtures has a positive effect on the beneficiation compared to use on their own. The best result was obtained for a mixture of MIBC with kerosene, which is a non-ionic hydrocarbon oil, yielding a concentrate containing 26.63% Al2O3. Improved results were also observed for kerosene plus frother mixtures after flotation cleaning circuits. The bubbles formed during flotation were photographed and the bubble diameters were measured using the ImageJ program. The Al2O3 content was evaluated by correlating the bubble diameters. In general, selectivity decreased during experiments in which bubble diameters were reduced.
AMPDeep: hemolytic activity prediction of antimicrobial peptides using transfer learning
Authors: Salem Milad , Keshavarzi Arshadi Arash , Yuan Jiann Shiun
Published: September 2022

Background

Deep learning’s automatic feature extraction has proven to give superior performance in many sequence classification tasks. However, deep learning models generally require a massive amount of data to train, which in the case of Hemolytic Activity Prediction of Antimicrobial Peptides creates a challenge due to the small amount of available data.

Results

Three different datasets for hemolysis activity prediction of therapeutic and antimicrobial peptides are gathered and the AMPDeep pipeline is implemented for each. The result demonstrate that AMPDeep outperforms the previous works on all three datasets, including works that use physicochemical features to represent the peptides or those who solely rely on the sequence and use deep learning to learn representation for the peptides. Moreover, a combined dataset is introduced for hemolytic activity prediction to address the problem of sequence similarity in this domain. AMPDeep fine-tunes a large transformer based model on a small amount of peptides and successfully leverages the patterns learned from other protein and peptide databases to assist hemolysis activity prediction modeling.

Conclusions

In this work transfer learning is leveraged to overcome the challenge of small data and a deep learning based model is successfully adopted for hemolysis activity classification of antimicrobial peptides. This model is first initialized as a protein language model which is pre-trained on masked amino acid prediction on many unlabeled protein sequences in a self-supervised manner. Having done so, the model is fine-tuned on an aggregated dataset of labeled peptides in a supervised manner to predict secretion. Through transfer learning, hyper-parameter optimization and selective fine-tuning, AMPDeep is able to achieve state-of-the-art performance on three hemolysis datasets using only the sequence of the peptides. This work assists the adoption of large sequence-based models for peptide classification and modeling tasks in a practical manner.
Dexmedetomidine pretreatment alleviates ropivacaine-induced neurotoxicity via the miR-10b-5p/BDNF axis
Authors: Xu Weicai , Li Xiaojun , Chen Long , Luo Xiaopan , Shen Sheliang , Wang Jing
Published: September 2022

Background

Ropivacaine is commonly applied for local anesthesia and may cause neurotoxicity. Dexmedetomidine (DEX) exhibits neuroprotective effects on multiple neurological disorders. This study investigated the mechanism of DEX pretreatment in ropivacaine-induced neurotoxicity.

Methods

Mouse hippocampal neuronal cells (HT22) and human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y) were treated with 0.5 mM, 1 mM, 2.5 mM, and 5 mM ropivacaine. Then the cells were pretreated with different concentrations of DEX (0.01 μM, 0.1 μM, 1 μM, 10 μM, and 100 μM) before ropivacaine treatment. Proliferative activity of cells, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, and apoptosis rate were measured using CCK-8 assay, LDH detection kit, and flow cytometry, respectively. miR-10b-5p and BDNF expressions were determined using RT-qPCR or Western blot. The binding of miR-10b-5p and BDNF was validated using dual-luciferase assay. Functional rescue experiments were conducted to verify the role of miR-10b-5p and BDNF in the protective mechanism of DEX on ropivacaine-induced neurotoxicity.

Results

Treatment of HT22 or SH-SY5Y cells with ropivacaine led to the increased miR-10b-5p expression (about 1.7 times), decreased BDNF expression (about 2.2 times), reduced cell viability (about 2.5 times), elevated intracellular LDH level (about 2.0–2.5 times), and enhanced apoptosis rate (about 3.0–4.0 times). DEX pretreatment relieved ropivacaine-induced neurotoxicity, as evidenced by enhanced cell viability (about 1.7–2.0 times), reduced LDH release (about 1.7–1.8 times), and suppressed apoptosis rate (about 1.8–1.9 times). DEX pretreatment repressed miR-10b-5p expression (about 2.5 times). miR-10b-5p targeted BDNF. miR-10b-5p overexpression or BDNF silencing reversed the protective effect of DEX pretreatment on ropivacaine-induced neurotoxicity, manifested as reduced cell viability (about 1.3–1.6 times), increased intracellular LDH level (about 1.4–1.7 times), and elevated apoptosis rate (about 1.4–1.6 times).

Conclusions

DEX pretreatment elevated BDNF expression by reducing miR-10b-5p expression, thereby alleviating ropivacaine-induced neurotoxicity.
Recruitment of general practitioners in China: a scoping review of strategies and challenges
Authors: Chen Shiwei , Sam Xin Hui , Soong Aijia , Car Lorainne Tudor , Lian Siqing , Smith Helen E.
Published: September 2022

Background

China is rapidly expanding its general practitioner (GP) workforce as part of recent healthcare reform, with an extra 400,000 GPs by 2030. This scoping review identifies the published strategies for GP recruitment that are being implemented and the challenges encountered.

Methods

We searched six English and three Chinese databases from 2015 to April 2022, following Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and the PRISMA ScR reporting guidelines.

Results

A total of 40 Chinese-language and 5 English-language records were included. We identified multiple policies, pathways and programmes focused on expanding GP recruitment. Twenty-two evaluations of these initiatives show varying degrees of effectiveness. Selecting general practice as a career is affected by many factors, including individual’s background, remuneration and benefits, career prospects, working environment, self-fulfilment, and current national developments and reorganisations of primary care. The challenge most frequently reported was the adequate provision of qualified GP in rural regions. The targeting of students from rural areas and provision of free education in return for an obligatory six-years’ working in their hometown upon graduation appears to be effective. Extracted records mostly studied views of trainees in a defined locality, and we identified a paucity of studies which explored the perspectives of organisations and institutions, similarly there were areas of China not contributing to the literature and there were no records taking a national perspective.

Conclusions

Long-term monitoring is required to assess policy changes and to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions nationally. The monitoring of the challenges influencing GP recruitment can be used to inform the design of future initiatives.

Development of a minimum agreed standardised set of outcomes used to measure and report evaluations will help assess the relative contributions and cost effectiveness of different approaches being used to boost GP numbers. We provide suggestions for improving the benefits and rewards for GPs and how to promote recruitment to the more rural or less attractive areas.
The co-occurrence of both breast- and differentiated thyroid cancer: incidence, association and clinical implications for daily practice
Authors: Piek Marceline W. , de Boer Jan Paul , van Duijnhoven Frederieke , van der Wal Jacqueline E. , Vriens Menno , van Leeuwaarde Rachel S. , van der Ploeg Iris M. C.
Published: September 2022

Background

Breast cancer (BC) and differentiated thyroid cancer (TC) are two common cancer types with the highest incidence in women. BC and TC can develop synchronous or metachronous and the occurrence of both is higher than expected by chance. This study aimed to examine the association between BC and TC in the Netherlands.

Methods

This is a retrospective cohort study during the period of 1989–2020 retrieved from the Netherlands Cancer Registry (NCR). Patients diagnosed with BC-TC and BC alone as control group and TC-BC and TC alone as control group were included. The primary outcome was the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of BC-TC and TC-BC. Secondary outcomes included data on the demographics, type of malignancy, treatment and overall survival (OS).

Results

The incidence of TC among 318.002 women with BC (BC-TC) was 0.1% (423 patients) (SIR = 1.86 (95% CI: 1.40–2.32)) and the incidence of BC among 12,370 patients with TC (TC-BC) was 2.9% (355 patients) (SIR = 1.46 (95% CI: 1.09–1.83)). BC-TC patients were younger compared to the BC alone group at BC diagnosis (55 vs 60 years, p < 0.001). The age-adjusted odds ratio to develop TC was not significantly increased for patients who received chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Most TC cases were synchronous tumors after BC diagnosis (19%) with a TNM stage 1. Only 6% of the BC tumors after TC occurred synchronous with a TNM stage 1 in most cases. The OS of all groups was the most favorable in patients with both BC and TC compared to BC- and TC alone.

Conclusion and relevance

The SIR of TC after BC diagnosis and BC after TC diagnosis was higher than predicted based on the rates of the general population. TC and BC as second primary tumors were diagnosed in an early stage and did not affect overall survival. Therefore, Dutch women who have been treated for BC or TC require no special surveillance for their thyroid- and breast gland.
Risk factors for upper limb fractures due to unintentional injuries among adolescents: a case control study from Sri Lanka
Authors: Jayasekera Hemali , Siritunga Samitha , Senarath Upul , Gill Paramjit
Published: September 2022

Background

Injuries are the number one cause for morbidity and mortality among adolescents. Adolescent fractures are a hidden public health problem in Sri Lanka. Upper limb fractures are common in adolescents due to various risk factors. Many injuries are predictable and can be prevented by identifying the risk factors. The aim of the study was to determine the risk factors for upper limb fractures among adolescents in Sri Lanka.

Methods

A case control study was undertaken with 450 cases and 450 controls. Cases were recruited consecutively from all major hospitals among the adolescent victims who had admitted with newly diagnosed upper limb fractures in the district of Colombo. Controls were apparently healthy adolescents from the same district and excluded who had previous upper limb fractures. The age and gender were not matched in selecting controls since these two factors were potential risk factors for adolescent fractures according to previous literature. Risk factors for upper limb fractures were assessed by odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) and adjusted for possible confounding by performing logistic regression analysis.

Results

The mean age of the cases was 13.62 years with a Standard Deviation (SD) of 2.8 and controls was 12.75 years (SD = 2.7) respectively. Having a high standard of living index (OR = 3.52; 95%CI: 2.3–5.2, p < 0.001), being in a high social class category (social class I & II) (OR = 2.58, 95%CI: 1.7–3.92, p < 0.001), engage in physical or sports activity (OR = 9.36; 95%CI: 3.31–26.47, p < 0.001), watching television (OR = 1.95; 95%CI: 1.18 -3.22, p = 0.009), playing video or computer games (OR = 2.35; 95%CI: 1.7–3.24, p < 0.001), and attending extra classes (OR = 1.82; 95%CI: 1.2–2.7, p = 0.007) were risk factors for having a upper limb fracture.

Risk factors for upper limb fractures following adjusted for confounders were siblings in the family (aOR = 11.62, 95% CI: 6.95–41.29, p = 0.03) and attend extra classes after school hours (aOR = 2.51, 95%CI: 0.68–0.93, p = 0.04). Two significant effect modifications between being a Buddhist and low standard of living index (p < 0.001) and having one sibling in the family and attend extra classes after school hours (p = 0.01) were observed.

Conclusions

Modifiable risk factors in relation to lifestyle factors and socioeconomic position were important determinants of upper limb fracture risk in adolescents. Many fractures can be prevented by strengthening awareness programmes in the community.
Assessing component orientation of total hip arthroplasty using the low-dose bi-planar radiographs
Authors: Ma Zhuyi , Tang Hao , Zhou Yixin , Wang Siyuan , Yang Dejin , Guo Shaoyi
Published: September 2022

Background

Three-dimensional computed tomography (3D CT) reconstruction is the reference standard for measuring component orientation. However, functional cup orientation in standing position is preferable compared with supine position. The low-dose bi-planar radiographs can be used to analyze standing cup component orientation. We aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the component orientation using the low-dose bi-planar radiographs compared with the 3D CT reconstruction, and explore the differences between the functional cup orientation in standing radiographs and supine CT scans.

Methods

A retrospective study, including 44 patients (50 hips) with total hip arthroplasty (THA), was conducted. CT scans were taken 1 week after surgery and the low-dose bi-planar radiographs were taken in the follow-up 6 weeks later. Component orientation measurement was performed using the anterior pelvic plane and the radiographic coronal plane as reference, respectively.

Results

The study showed no significant difference in cup anteversion (p = 0.160), cup inclination (p = 0.486), and stem anteversion (p = 0.219) measured by the low-dose bi-planar radiographs and 3D reconstruction. The differences calculated by the Bland–Altman analysis ranged from − 0.4° to 0.6° for the three measured angles. However, the mean absolute error was 4.76 ± 1.07° for functional anteversion (p = 0.035) and 4.02 ± 1.08° for functional inclination (p = 0.030) measured by the bi-planar radiographs and supine CT scans.

Conclusions

The low-dose bi-planar radiographs are the same reliable and accurate as 3D CT reconstruction to assess post-THA patients’ component orientation, while providing more valuable functional component orientation than supine CT scans.
Characteristics of workplace violence, responses and their relationship with the professional identity among nursing students in China: a multicenter cross-sectional study
Authors: Zhu Lingyan , Lu Dongyan , Luo Zhenlan , Xu Mengqi , Sun Linfang , Hu Sanlian
Published: September 2022

Background

Nursing students are one of the most vulnerable groups suffering from workplace violence. This study aimed to investigate the workplace violence incidence of Chinese nursing students during clinical practice, to describe the characteristics of violence and students’ responses and to analyse the relationship between the experience of workplace violence and professional identity.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 954 nursing students in ten universities in China through convenience sampling. Workplace violence was surveyed through Hospital Workplace Violence Questionnaire for Nursing Students. Students’ professional identity was measured by Professional Identity Questionnaire for Nursing Students. Statistical methods included descriptive statistics, chi-square test, independent-samples t-test, analysis of variance and linear regression analysis.

Results

It was found that the incidence of workplace violence among nursing students was 42.98%. The violent incidents ranking from high to low were: verbal abuse, threat, physical attack, sexual harassment, and gathering disturbance. The majority of the nursing students chose to avoid the conflict during the incident. 86.34% of the students didn’t report the incidents. More than half of the victims developed post-traumatic stress disorder after the incidents. Regression analysis results showed that workplace violence experience (β = − 0.076, P < 0.05) was a significantly negative predictor of professional identity.

Conclusions

Chinese nursing students were exposed to physical and psychological violence during clinical practice with insufficient coping solutions and psychological adjustment. The professional identity of the nursing students was significantly associated with the experience of workplace violence.
Carbohydrate antigen 125 supplements carbohydrate antigen 19-9 for the prediction of invasive intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas
Authors: Qian Yunzhen , Gong Yitao , Luo Guopei , Liu Yu , Wang Ruijie , Zou Xuan , Deng Shengming , Lin Xuan , Chen Yusheng , Wang Xu , Yu Xianjun , Cheng He , Liu Chen
Published: September 2022

Background

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) are characterized by their abundant mucin production and malignant potential. IPMNs of the pancreas are mainly managed according to their radiographic indications, but this approach lacks accuracy with regard to IPMN grading. Therefore, serological biomarkers such as CA19-9 and CA125 (MUC16) should be employed to assist in predicting the invasiveness of IPMNs.

Methods

We investigated the preoperative serum levels of CA19-9, CA125 and CEA in 381 surgical patients with a definite pathological diagnosis of IPMN from July 2010 to December 2019 at the Shanghai Cancer Center. We calculated the Youden indices of each point on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to identify the most appropriate cut-off values of CA19-9, CA125 and CEA for recognizing malignant IPMNs. Serological biomarker differences were correlated with clinicopathological features of IPMNs, and diagnostic indices of different scenarios were calculated to find the optimum strategy.

Results

The malignant group had higher serum levels of CA19-9, CA125 and CEA. According to the ROC curves, the cut-off values of CA19-9, CA125 and CEA were readjusted to 38.3 U/ml, 13.4 U/ml and 5.3 μg/L. CA19-9 elevation was significantly associated with vascular invasion and perineural infiltration. CA125 showed good efficacy in predicting invasive IPMN in the CA19-9-negative subgroup.

Conclusions

Serological biomarkers are useful and sensitive indicators for recognizing invasive IPMNs. CA19-9 is the most important diagnostic index among all routinely measured serum biomarkers for differentiating malignant from benign IPMNs. CA19-9 should be combined with CA125 to enable more accurate predictions of IPMN malignancy.
Periosteal preservation: a new technique in resection of bone high-grade malignant tumors in children—about eleven cases
Authors: Smida Mahmoud , Ammar Ameni , Fedhila Faten , Douira Wiem , Sassi Samia
Published: September 2022

Objective

The purpose of this study was to describe a surgical technique of bone resection with periosteal preservation and reconstruction in patients with high-grade bone malignant tumors and to determine its effect on local recurrences, and time and quality of bone union in bone autografting reconstruction.

Patients and methods

We retrospectively reviewed 11 cases of high-grade malignant bone tumors in children aged 4 to 16 years, who were treated with chemotherapy and tumor resection while preserving partially the adjacent periosteum. Tumors were located in the lower limb in eight cases; three tumors were in the humerus. The mean length of the bone defect after resection was 15.8 cm (range, 6–34.5 cm). Reconstruction was provided by non-vascularized autograft in eight cases (lower limb) and polymethyl methacrylate spacer in three cases (upper limb). Patients were followed up for a mean of 71 months.

Results

At the last follow-up, no patients had local recurrence. Three patients were dead because of metastasis. Bone union was good in time and quality in all children who had bone autografting. In cases of PMMA reconstruction, there was periosteal bone formation around the spacer. According to the MSTS functional score, patients with lower limb localizations had a mean score of 27.75 points and patients with upper limb localizations had a score of 24/30.

Conclusion

Preservation of the periosteum in bone resection for malignant tumors could be a good adjuvant alternative for bone reconstruction, without increasing the risk of local recurrence. However, patients must be carefully selected.
Evaluating the predictive value of diabetes mellitus diagnosed according to the Chinese guidelines (2020 edition) for cardiovascular events
Authors: Ye Zixiang , Gao Yanxiang , Xie Enmin , Li Yike , Guo Ziyu , Li Peizhao , Ren Jingyi , Zheng Jingang
Published: September 2022

Objective

Chinese diabetes society has published the new diagnostic criteria for diabetes in China (2020 edition). We aimed to investigate the predictive value of new diabetes-diagnosed criteria for cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

Methods

A total of 5884 individuals from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study in 2011 and 2018 were enrolled. Baseline characteristics and outcome data were compared. The association between diabetes diagnosed by two criteria and future CVD was identified by Kaplan–Meier curves, Cox regression analyses, and receiver-operating characteristic analyses. Delong’s test was conducted to compare the predictive value for future CVD between diabetes diagnosed by the 2020 edition and diabetes diagnosed by the previous version.

Results

After multivariate adjustment, both diabetes diagnosed by the 2020 edition and diabetes diagnosed by the previous edition is associated with CVD (HR 1.607, 95% CI 1.221–2.115, P < 0.001; HR 1.244, 95% CI 1.060–1.460, P = 0.007, respectively). The Kaplan–Meier analysis indicated that diabetes patients have more cardiovascular risk (log-rank P<0.001). Moreover, diabetes diagnosed in the 2020 edition illustrated an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.673 for predicting CVD, while diabetes diagnosed in the previous edition showed an AUC of 0.638 (DeLong’s test P<0.01).

Conclusion

Diabetes diagnosis criteria (2020 edition) in China had better performance in predicting cardiovascular diseases than the previous edition.
Validity of the frame subtraction method in dynamic postural stability
Authors: Ota Megumi , Tateuchi Hiroshige , Hashiguchi Takaya , Fujiwara Karen , Sasaki Ayano , Okumura Kiseki , Ichihashi Noriaki
Published: September 2022

Background

The movement of targeted subjects can be calculated using the frame subtraction method. However, the validity of this evaluation method of dynamic postural stability has not been clarified yet. This study aimed to verify the validity of the evaluation method for jump landing using the frame subtraction score based on the ground reaction force (GRF).

Methods

Twenty subjects performed single-leg jump landing, and their dynamic postural stability index (DPSI), medial‒lateral stability index (MLSI), anterior‒posterior stability index, and vertical stability index (VSI) were calculated from the GRF. Simultaneously, motion images were captured using digital video cameras in the sagittal and frontal planes. After the motion images were analyzed using the frame subtraction method, the frame subtraction scores in the frontal, sagittal, and combined planes were calculated. To confirm its validity, the relationship between the frame subtraction scores and GRF parameters was investigated using Pearson's correlation analysis.

Results

The frame subtraction scores in the frontal and combined planes were significantly correlated with the DPSI, MLSI, and VSI (r = 0.46–0.75, P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Therefore, the frame subtraction method could be applied to the evaluation of dynamic postural stability. Markerless systems are deemed useful in clinical practice.
Sex differences in electrophysiological properties and voltage-gated ion channel expression in the paraventricular thalamic nucleus following repeated stress
Authors: Corbett Brian F. , Urban Kimberly , Luz Sandra , Yan Jason , Arner Jay , Bhatnagar Seema
Published: September 2022

Background

Habituation to repeated stress refers to a progressive reduction in the stress response following multiple exposures to the same, predictable stressor. We previously demonstrated that the posterior division of the paraventricular thalamic nucleus (pPVT) nucleus regulates habituation to 5 days of repeated restraint stress in male rats. Compared to males, female rats display impaired habituation to 5 days of restraint. To better understand how activity of pPVT neurons is differentially impacted in stressed males and females, we examined the electrophysiological properties of pPVT neurons under baseline conditions or following restraint.

Methods

Adult male and female rats were exposed to no stress (handling only), a single period of 30 min restraint or 5 daily exposures to 30 min restraint. 24 h later, pPVT tissue was prepared for recordings.

Results

We report here that spontaneous excitatory post-synaptic current (sEPSC) amplitude was increased in males, but not females, following restraint. Furthermore, resting membrane potential of pPVT neurons was more depolarized in males. This may be partially due to reduced potassium leakage in restrained males as input resistance was increased in male, but not female, rats 24 h following 1 or 5 days of 30-min restraint. Reduced potassium efflux during action potential firing also occurred in males following a single restraint as action potential half-width was increased following a single restraint. Restraint had limited effects on electrophysiological properties in females, although the mRNA for 10 voltage-gated ion channel subunits was altered in the pPVT of female rats.

Conclusions

The results suggest that restraint-induced changes in pPVT activation promote habituation in males. These findings are the first to describe a sexual dimorphism in stress-induced electrophysiological properties and voltage-gated ion channel expression in the pPVT. These results may explain, at least in part, why habituation to 5 days of restraint is disrupted in female rats.
Augmented renal clearance in the ICU: estimation, incidence, risk factors and consequences—a retrospective observational study
Authors: Egea Alexandre , Dupuis Claire , de Montmollin Etienne , Wicky Paul-Henry , Patrier Juliette , Jaquet Pierre , Lefèvre Lucie , Sinnah Fabrice , Marzouk Mehdi , Sonneville Romain , Bouadma Lila , Souweine Bertrand , Timsit Jean-François
Published: September 2022

Background

Augmented renal clearance (ARC) remains poorly evaluated in ICU. The objective of this study is to provide a full description of ARC in ICU including prevalence, evolution profile, risk factors and outcomes.

Methods

This was a retrospective, single-center, observational study. All the patients older than 18 years admitted for the first time in Medical ICU, Bichat, University Hospital, APHP, France, between January 1, 2017, and November 31, 2020 and included into the Outcomerea database with an ICU length of stay longer than 72 h were included. Patients with chronic kidney disease were excluded. Glomerular filtration rate was estimated each day during ICU stay using the measured creatinine renal clearance (CrCl). Augmented renal clearance (ARC) was defined as a 24 h CrCl greater than 130 ml/min/m2.

Results

312 patients were included, with a median age of 62.7 years [51.4; 71.8], 106(31.9%) had chronic cardiovascular disease. The main reason for admission was acute respiratory failure (184(59%)) and 196(62.8%) patients had SARS-COV2. The median value for SAPS II score was 32[24; 42.5]; 146(44%) and 154(46.4%) patients were under vasopressors and invasive mechanical ventilation, respectively. The overall prevalence of ARC was 24.6% with a peak prevalence on Day 5 of ICU stay. The risk factors for the occurrence of ARC were young age and absence of cardiovascular comorbidities. The persistence of ARC during more than 10% of the time spent in ICU was significantly associated with a lower risk of death at Day 30.

Conclusion

ARC is a frequent phenomenon in the ICU with an increased incidence during the first week of ICU stay. Further studies are needed to assess its impact on patient prognosis.
On some qualitative results in thermodynamics of Cosserat bodies
Authors: Marin Marin , Fudulu Iana M. , Vlase Sorin
Published: September 2022

This paper deals with the linear theory of thermoelastic Cosserat bodies. At the beginning, we formulate the mixed initial-boundary value problem in this context and obtain new theorems of reciprocity in the thermodynamics theory of these media. Then we prove that these new reciprocity relations imply the uniqueness of solution of the mixed problem. Based on the same reciprocal relations, we establish a minimum variational principle, which generalizes those from the theory of classical thermoelasticity.
IL-6 and TNF-α responses to acute and regular exercise in adult individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS): a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Shobeiri Parnian , Seyedmirzaei Homa , Karimi Nastaran , Rashidi Fatemeh , Teixeira Antônio L. , Brand Serge , Sadeghi-Bahmani Dena , Rezaei Nima
Published: September 2022

Background

In both the general population and people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), physical exercise is associated with improved mental well-being. Moreover, there is evidence of the possible protection of physical activity against disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the question arises if acute or regular exercise has any impact on the immune system in PwMS. To answer this question, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on both plasma and serum cytokine levels (IL-6 and TNF-α) before and after acute and regular exercise among PwMS and compared to healthy controls.

Method

We performed an online search via PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library till September 2021 to identify original studies on IL-6 and TNF-α changes after acute and regular exercise in PwMS and controls. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), 11 original studies were included in the meta-analysis. Sensitivity analyses were used to identify the origins of heterogeneity. R 4.0.4 was used to perform the meta-analysis of IL-6 and TNF-α levels before and after acute and regular exercise in PwMS, compared to controls. This study does not qualify for a clinical trial number.

Results

IL-6 levels did neither increase nor decrease after acute and regular exercise in PwMS, and compared to controls (pre- vs. post-intervention: Standardized Mean Difference (SMD) -0.09, 95% CI [−0.29; 0.11], p-value = 0.37, PwMS vs. Control: SMD −0.08, 95% CI [−0.33; 0.16], p-value = 0.47). In PwMS, TNF-α levels decreased after regular exercise and when TNF-α levels of both acute and regular exercise were pooled (pre- vs. post-intervention: SMD −0.51, 95% CI [-0.91; 0.11], p-value = 0.01, PwMS vs. Control: SMD −0.23, 95% CI [−0.66; 0.18], p-value = 0.26). TNF-α levels did neither increase nor decrease after acute and regular exercise in PwMS, when compared to controls.

Conclusion

This systematic review and meta-analysis show that exercise does not lead to significant changes in peripheral levels of IL-6 in PwMS in contrast to the observed response in healthy subjects and other medical contexts. However, regular exercise had a specific anti-inflammatory effect on blood TNF-α levels in PwMS. It remains to be investigated why PwMS display this different exercise-induced pattern of cytokines.
Demographic, clinical, and laboratory findings of mushroom-poisoned patients in Kermanshah province, west of Iran
Authors: Janatolmakan Maryam , Ganji Mohammad Rouhi , Ahmadi-Jouybari Touraj , Rezaeian Shahab , Ghowsi Mahnaz , Khatony Alireza
Published: September 2022

Background

Mushroom poisoning can cause gastrointestinal, renal, and hepatic symptoms and even death. This descriptive study examined the demographic, clinical, and laboratory findings of patients with fungal poisoning, a type of fungus causing the poisoning, and the incidence and mortality rates of fungal poisoning in Kermanshah province, western Iran, from 2014 to 2018.

Methods

The medical records of 193 patients with mushroom poisoning from 2014 to 2018 were evaluated. The liver and kidney function tests, electrolytes, abdominal and pelvic ultrasound, chest x-ray, coagulation tests, and coagulation factors (fibrinogen, prothrombin) were assessed. Data were collected from the medical records of patients admitted to the Poisoning Center of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Kermanshah, Iran using a researcher-made checklist. Data were analyzed by SPSS (version 16) using descriptive statistics, including mean, standard deviation, and frequency distribution tables. Trend analysis for proportion was done by chi-square statistics in STATA-14 software (ptrend command).

Results

Of cases, ‌51.3% were male, 92.6% were city dwellers, 38.3% were aged 21–40 years, and 92.5% were poisoned during the spring. The fungus that caused poisoning wasAmanita virosa.The gastrointestinal, nervous, and visual systems were the most common systems involved. The most common gastrointestinal symptoms included nausea and vomiting (72.0%) and abdominal pain (71.0%). Vertigo (11.9%) and headache (9.3%) were the most common neurological symptoms. The most common visual manifestation was blurred vision (7.8%). Of cases, 23.7% had metabolic acidosis. The increased alkaline phosphatase level was the most common liver disorder in 98.7% of the cases. Increased blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels were also reported in 21.0% and 17.7% of the cases, respectively. The serum lactic dehydrogenase and creatine phosphokinase levels also increased in 99.3% and 30.2% of the patients, respectively. The mortality rate was 1.6% (n = 3).

Conclusion

The fungal poisoning diagnosis should always be considered in young patients referred to the emergency department with gastrointestinal complaints, a history of consuming wild self-picked mushrooms, and high liver and kidney test values. Since most fungal poisonings occur in the spring, it is necessary to inform the community of the dangers of consuming self-picked wild mushrooms, especially in this season.
Recent developments in application of single-cell RNA sequencing in the tumour immune microenvironment and cancer therapy
Authors: Li Pei-Heng , Kong Xiang-Yu , He Ya-Zhou , Liu Yi , Peng Xi , Li Zhi-Hui , Xu Heng , Luo Han , Park Jihwan
Published: September 2022

The advent of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has provided insight into the tumour immune microenvironment (TIME). This review focuses on the application of scRNA-seq in investigation of the TIME. Over time, scRNA-seq methods have evolved, and components of the TIME have been deciphered with high resolution. In this review, we first introduced the principle of scRNA-seq and compared different sequencing approaches. Novel cell types in the TIME, a continuous transitional state, and mutual intercommunication among TIME components present potential targets for prognosis prediction and treatment in cancer. Thus, we concluded novel cell clusters of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), T cells, tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) and dendritic cells (DCs) discovered after the application of scRNA-seq in TIME. We also proposed the development of TAMs and exhausted T cells, as well as the possible targets to interrupt the process. In addition, the therapeutic interventions based on cellular interactions in TIME were also summarized. For decades, quantification of the TIME components has been adopted in clinical practice to predict patient survival and response to therapy and is expected to play an important role in the precise treatment of cancer. Summarizing the current findings, we believe that advances in technology and wide application of single-cell analysis can lead to the discovery of novel perspectives on cancer therapy, which can subsequently be implemented in the clinic. Finally, we propose some future directions in the field of TIME studies that can be aided by scRNA-seq technology.
Exploring the cultural effects of gender on perceptions of cutaneous leishmaniasis: a systematic literature review
Authors: Wenning Brianne , Price Helen , Nuwangi Hasara , Reda Kelemework Tafere , Walters Ben , Ehsanullah Reem , Viana Greice , Andras Alina , Dikomitis Lisa
Published: September 2022

Background

More than one million people each year become infected by parasites that cause the disease cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). This disease manifests as one or more skin lesions or ulcers that are slow to heal with variable response rates to drug treatments. Thus far, little attention has been paid to how the cultural effects of gender shape perceptions and experiences of CL. This review aims to bring together and analyse existing studies which use qualitative data to explore these differences. These studies offered insights into our specific research questions.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review of the literature pertaining to either CL or muco-cutaneous leishmaniasis (MCL) through EBSCO, EMBASE, Medline, Scopus and Web of Science databases. To meet inclusion criteria, articles had to be either qualitative or mixed-method with a qualitative component. They also had to include a reflection on how the gender of participants impacted the findings and addressed the lived experiences of CL. We did not exclude articles based on the language they were published in or in which country the study took place.

Results

From a total of 1589 potential articles, we found that thirteen met the inclusion criteria. These articles were published in English, Spanish or Portuguese and reported on studies carried out in various countries in Africa, Asia and South America. After using the principles of a meta-ethnography to analyse these studies, we generated several key themes. We found that health-seeking behaviours, treatment choices, stigma and the impact of scarring are shaped by gender in a variety of contexts.

Conclusions

Gender impacts on an individual’s experience of CL. In particular, women are more constricted in their health-seeking behaviours and experience more stigma both from the active lesions and from scarring than men. In many contexts, however, men are more at risk of becoming infected by the parasite that causes CL and may turn to more harmful or aggressive self-treatments. We recommend that future research on CL should consider the impact of gender as this can create very different experiences for individuals.
Seasonal responses and host uniqueness of gut microbiome of Japanese macaques in lowland Yakushima
Authors: Sawada Akiko , Hayakawa Takashi , Kurihara Yosuke , Lee Wanyi , Hanya Goro
Published: September 2022

Background

Changes in the gut microbial composition is an important response to cope with the seasonal fluctuations in the environment such as food availability. We examined the bacterial gut microbiome of the wild nonhuman primate, Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata) in Yakushima over 13 months by noninvasive continuous sampling from three identified adult females.

Results

Dietary composition varied considerably over the study period and displayed marked shifts with the seasons. Feeding of leaves, fruits, and invertebrates were their main foods for at least one month. Diet had a significant influence on the gut microbiome. We also confirmed significant effect of host uniqueness in the gut microbiome among the three macaques. Leaf-dominated diet shaped unique gut microbiome structures where the macaques had the highest alpha diversity and their gut microbiome was enriched with Spirochaetes and Tenericutes. Diet-related differences in the putative function were detected, such as a differentially abundant urea cycle during the leaf-feeding season.

Conclusion

Both diet and host individuality exerted similar amounts of effect on gut microbe community composition. Major bacterial taxa showed a similar response to monthly fluctuations of fruit and invertebrate feeding, which was largely opposite to that of leaf feeding. The main constituents of fruits and invertebrates are both digestible with the enzyme of the host animals, but that of leaves is not available as an energy source without the aid of the fermentation of the gut microbiome.
Creating a hierarchy of mental health stigma: testing the effect of psychiatric diagnosis on stigma
Authors: Hazell Cassie M. , Berry Clio , Bogen-Johnston Leanne , Banerjee Moitree
Published: September 2022

Background

Levels of mental health stigma experienced can vary as a function of the presenting mental health problem (e.g. diagnosis and symptoms). However, these studies are limited because they exclusively use pairwise comparisons. A more comprehensive examination of diagnosis-specific stigma is needed.

Aims

The aim of our study was to determine how levels of mental health stigma vary in relation to a number of psychiatric diagnoses, and identify what attributions predict levels of diagnosis-specific stigma.

Method

We conducted an online survey with members of the public. Participants were assessed in terms of how much stigma they had, and their attributions toward, nine different case vignettes, each describing a different mental health diagnosis.

Results

We recruited 665 participants. After controlling for social desirability bias and key demographic variables, we found that mental health stigma varied in relation to psychiatric diagnosis. Schizophrenia and antisocial personality disorder were the most stigmatised diagnoses, and depression, generalised anxiety disorder and obsessive–compulsive disorder were the least stigmatised diagnoses. No single attribution predicted stigma across diagnoses, but fear was the most consistent predictor.

Conclusions

Assessing mental health stigma as a single concept masks significant between-diagnosis variability. Anti-stigma campaigns are likely to be most successful if they target fearful attributions.