bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long-Term Clinical Outcomes of Intercalary Allograft Reconstruction for Lower-Extremity Bone Tumors
Authors: Sanders P.T.J. , Spierings J.F. , Albergo J.I. , Bus M.P.A. , Fiocco M. , Farfalli G.L. , van de Sande M.A.J. , Aponte-Tinao L.A. , Dijkstra P.D.S.
Published: April 2020

Background:

Improved survival rates for patients with primary bone tumors of the extremities have increased the demand for reliable and durable reconstruction techniques. Some authors have stated that, after successful ingrowth, allografts are a durable long-term solution. This hypothesis is largely based on small studies with short-to-midterm follow-up. In order to determine the durability of intercalary allograft reconstructions in the lower extremities, we evaluated the long-term clinical outcomes at a minimum of 10 years.

Methods:

All patients who received an intercalary allograft reconstruction in a lower extremity between 1980 and 2006 were included in this retrospective multicenter cohort study. One hundred and thirty-one patients with a median age of 19 years were included. Eighty-nine (68%) had a femoral reconstruction, and 42 (32%) had a tibial reconstruction. The most prevalent diagnoses were osteosarcoma (55%), Ewing sarcoma (17%), and chondrosarcoma (12%). The median follow-up was 14 years. A competing risk model was employed to estimate the cumulative incidences of mechanical failure and infection. Patient mortality or progression of the disease was used as a competing event.

Results:

Nonunion occurred in 21 reconstructions (16%), after a median of 16 months, and was associated with intramedullary nail-only fixation (p < 0.01) and fixation with nonbridging plate(s) (p = 0.03). Allograft fracture occurred in 25 reconstructions (19%) after a median of 42 months (range, 4 days to 21.9 years). Thirteen (52%) of the allograft fractures occurred within 5 years; 8 (32%), between 5 and 10 years; and 4 (16%), at >10 years. With failure for mechanical reasons as the end point, the cumulative incidences of reconstruction failure at 5, 10, and 15 years were 9%, 14%, and 21%, respectively.

Conclusions:

Intercalary allograft reconstruction is an acceptable reconstructive option, mainly because of the absence of superior alternatives with a known track record. However, a considerable and continuing risk of mechanical complications should be taken into account.

Level of Evidence:

Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Nonunion in Pediatric Femoral Neck Fractures
Authors: Sanghavi Sahil , Patwardhan Sandeep , Shyam Ashok , Nagda Taral , Naik Premal
Published: April 2020

➢ Nonunion is the third most common complication of femoral neck fractures in children after osteonecrosis and premature physeal closure causing coxa vara.

➢ The most common cause of nonunion of a femoral neck fracture in developed countries is failure of fixation or loss of reduction, whereas in developing countries, it is delayed presentation.

➢ Most failures of fixation, if identified in time (<3 months), retain adequate bone contact. Hence, removal of the offending implant, refixation without bone-grafting, and valgus osteotomy to correct the biomechanical forces by converting the vertical fracture line into a horizontal fracture line provide adequate results with respect to osseous union.

➢ In patients with a delayed presentation, the intervening fibrous tissue and resorption of the neck pose challenges. In these patients, in addition to performing a valgus osteotomy and fixation, in situ stabilization across the fibrous tissue and reconstruction of the inferomedial aspect of the neck using fibular strut-grafting, which adds stability, bone contact, and biological material, provide adequate union.
Clinical Observership Opportunities in North America for International Orthopaedic Surgeons
Authors: Carrillo Laura A. , Segarra Borja , Sabharwal Sanjeev
Published: April 2020

Background:

Although efforts have been made to address the inequities of surgical care globally, to our knowledge, there has been no comprehensive analysis of orthopaedic clinical observerships in North America that are available for international surgeons.

Methods:

Two investigators performed a systematic online search to identify orthopaedic clinical observerships that are available in the United States and Canada for international surgeons. Variables such as host type, geographic location of host site, program type, eligibility criteria, subspecialty focus, application and participation fees, availability of funding, duration of observership, and the quality of online information that is available based on an online content (OC) score were collected.

Results:

Of the 113 available observership sponsors in North America, 36 (32%) were professional-society-based, 69 (61%) were academic/institution-based, and 8 (7%) were private-practice-based. Most observerships were located in the U.S. (n = 85) and, of these, the Northeast was the most common U.S. region (n = 29, p = 0.008). Of the observerships with a focus, pediatrics was the most frequent orthopaedic subspecialty (p < 0.0001), followed by spine and trauma. Professional-society-sponsored observerships offered funding to international surgeons more often than academic/institution-based and privately sponsored programs (p < 0.0001). The average OC score for the entire cohort was 2.35 and was similar among the 3 host types (p = 0.954). The program structure and requirements such as applicant eligibility, application and participation fees, and duration of observership varied widely.

Conclusions:

There are opportunities for international orthopaedic surgeons to participate in clinical observerships in North America. Given the greater funding support and lack of fees for professional-society-sponsored observerships, these observerships may pose fewer financial barriers for surgeons from low and middle-income countries (LMICs). The quality of online information was similar among the 3 different host types and can be improved.

Clinical Relevance:

The relevance and impact of a clinical observership experience in North America for a practicing orthopaedic surgeon from an LMIC need to be explored further.
Photosynthetic performance and photosynthesis-related gene expression coordinated in a shade-tolerant species Panax notoginseng under nitrogen regimes
Authors: Zhang Jin-Yan , Cun Zhu , Chen Jun-Wen
Published: April 2020

Background: Nitrogen (N) is an essential component of photosynthetic apparatus. However, the mechanism that photosynthetic capacity is suppressed by N is not completely understood. Photosynthetic capacity and photosynthesis-related genes were comparatively analyzed in a shade-tolerant species Panax notoginseng grown under the levels of low N (LN), moderate N (MN) and high N (HN). Results: Photosynthetic assimilation was significantly suppressed in the LN- and HN-grown plants. Compared with the MN-grown plants, the HN-grown plants showed thicker anatomic structure and larger chloroplast accompanied with decreased ratio of mesophyll conductance (gm ) to Rubisco content (gm /Rubisco) and lower Rubisco activity. Meanwhile, LN-grown plants displayed smaller chloroplast and accordingly lower internal conductance (gi ). LN- and HN-grown individuals allocated less N to light-harvesting system (NL ) and carboxylation system (NC ), respectively. N surplus negatively affected the expression of genes in Car biosynthesis ( GGPS , DXR , PSY , IPI and DXS ). The LN individuals outperformed others with respect to non-photochemical quenching. The expression of genes ( FBA, PGK, RAF2, GAPC, CAB, PsbA and PsbH ) encoding enzymes of Calvin cycle and structural protein of light reaction were obviously repressed in the LN individuals, accompanying with a reduction in Rubisco content and activity. Correspondingly, the expression of genes encoding RAF2 , RPI4 , CAB and PetE were repressed in the HN-grown plants. Conclusions: LN-induced depression of photosynthetic capacity might be caused by the deceleration on Calvin cycle and light reaction of photosynthesis, and HN-induced depression of ones might derive from an increase in the form of inactivated Rubisco.
Burden of Fatigue among Adults Living with HIV/AIDS Attending Antiretroviral Therapy in Ethiopia
Authors: Gebreyesus Tsiwaye , Belay Addisalem , Berhe Gebretsadik , Haile Gebremedhin
Published: April 2020

Background: Fatigue is one of the most common and devastating Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) - related symptoms, with a varying prevalence in different study areas. In Ethiopia, there is a paucity of information on the magnitude and factors associated with fatigue among HIV/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) patients. This may lead to under-diagnosis and eventually under-management of the symptom. Methods: Institution based cross-sectional study design was conducted among 609 HIV/AIDS patients who were selected by using a systematic random sampling method. Data were collected by using interviewer administered structured questionnaire. Level of fatigue was measured by Fatigue Severity Scale. Results: The prevalence of fatigue was found to be 51.7%. The factors associated with fatigue were: Parity [AOR= 2.01; 95% CI: 1.09-3.71], CD4 count 200-499 cells/mm3 [AOR= 2.81; 95% CI: 1.58-4.99], anemia [AOR= 4.90 95% CI: 2.40-9.97], co-morbidities [AOR= 3.65; 95% CI: 1.71-7.78], depression [AOR= 3.68 95% CI: 1.99-6.79], not being physically active [AOR= 3.20 95% CI: 1.50-6.81], clinical stage II or IV HIV [AOR= 3.11; 95% CI: 1.51-6.40] and [AOR= 4.08; 95% CI: 1.37-12.14], respectively. Conclusion: The finding of this study revealed that fatigue is a common health problem among adult People Living with HIV (PLHIV). Factors associated with fatigue included: Parity, CD4 count 200-499 cells/mm3, Clinical Stage II or IV HIV, anemia, co-morbidities, depression, and not being physically active. The health care service needs to address the predisposing factors by provision integrated care including timely detection and treatment of comorbidities, mental health problems, and promote physical activity to slow down disease progression and then reduce exposure to fatigue.
Short-latency afferent inhibition and somato-sensory evoked potentials during the migraine cycle: surrogate markers of a cycling cholinergic thalamo-cortical drive?
Authors: Coppola Gianluca , Lenola Davide Di , Abagnale Chiara , Ferrandes Fabio , Sebastianelli Gabriele , Casillo Francesco , Lorenzo Cherubino Di , Serrao Mariano , Evangelista Maurizio , Schoenen Jean , Pierelli Francesco
Published: April 2020

Background: Short-latency afferent inhibition (SAI) consists of motor cortex inhibition induced by sensory afferents and depends on the excitatory effect of cholinergic thalamocortical projections on inhibitory GABAergic cortical networks. Given the electrophysiological evidence for thalamo-cortical dysrhythmia in migraine, we studied SAI in migraineurs during and between attacks and searched for correlations with somatosensory habituation, thalamocortical activation, and clinical features.
Methods: SAI was obtained by conditioning the transcranial magnetic stimulation-induced motor evoked potential (MEP) with an electric stimulus on the median nerve at the wrist with random stimulus intervals corresponding to the latency of individual somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) N20 plus 2, 4, 6, or 8 ms. We recruited 30 migraine without aura patients, 16 between (MO), 14 during an attack (MI), and 16 healthy volunteers (HV). We calculated the slope of the linear regression between the unconditioned MEP amplitude and the 4-conditioned MEPs as a measure of SAI. We also measured SSEP amplitude habituation, and high-frequency oscillations (HFO) as an index of thalamo-cortical activation.
Results: Compared to HV, SAI, SSEP habituation and early SSEP HFOs were significantly reduced in MO patients between attacks, but enhanced during an attack. There was a positive correlation between degree of SAI and amplitude of early HFOs in HV, but not in MO or MI.
Conclusions: The migraine cycle-dependent variations of SAI and SSEP HFOs are further evidence that facilitatory thalamocortical activation (of GABAergic networks in the motor cortex for SAI), likely to be cholinergic, is reduced in migraine between attacks, but increased ictally.
Laparoscopic versus open major liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma: a case-matched analysis of short- and long-term outcomes
Authors: He Aoxiao , Li Yong , Wang Jiakun , Feng Qian , Liao Wenjun , Huang Zhihao , Xiao Zhouqing , Wu Junjun , Peng Long , wu linquan
Published: April 2020

Background: The feasibility and safety of laparoscopic major hepatectomy (LMH) is still uncertain. The purpose of the present study is to compare the short- and long-term outcomes of LMH with those of open major hepatectomy (OMH) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Method: Between January 2012 and December 2018, a total of 26 patients received laparoscopic major hepatectomy in our center. To minimize any confounding factors, a 1:3 case-matched analysis was conducted based on the demographics and extent of liver resection. Data of demographics, perioperative outcomes and long-term oncologic outcomes were reviewed.Results: Intraoperative blood loss (P=0.007) were significantly lower in LMH group. In addition, LMH group exhibited a lower overall complication rate (P=0.039) and shorter postoperative hospital stay (P=0.024). However, no statistically significant difference was found between LMH and OMH regarding operation time (P=0.215) and overall cost (P=0.024). Two laparoscopic cases were converted to open liver resection. In regard with long-term outcomes, there was no significant difference between LMH and OMH regarding disease-free survival (DFS) (P=0.079) and overall survival (OS) (P=0.172).Conclusion: LMH can be an effective and safe alternative to OMH for selected patients with liver cancer in short- and long-term outcomes.
Traditional Chinese medicine Da-Cheng-Qi-Tang ameliorates impaired gastrointestinal motility and intestinal inflammatory response in a mouse model of postoperative ileus
Authors: Chen Chunqiu , Li Min , Liu Xiaohong , Fan Jianwei , Zhang Hong , Lin Sisi , Yin Lu , Fichna Jakub , Li Yongyu
Published: April 2020

Background Chinese medicine decoction Da-Cheng-Qi-Tang (DCQT) is effective for treating gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, including postoperative ileus (POI); however, the mechanism by which DCQT improves intestinal motility of POI remains unknown. Purpose The aim of this study is to explore the therapeutic effect and mechanism of the decoction with the traditional formula DCQT (T-DCQT) and a modified DCQT (M-DCQT) in an experimental POI mouse model. Methods Mice were divided into 5 experimental groups with 16 mice per group as follows: (1) control group; (2) sham group; (3) POI group; (4) T-DCQT group and (5) M-DCQT group. Each group was subdivided into 2 groups in which the therapeutic effect was examined at 24h and 48h after operation. POI was induced by classic intestinal manipulation operation and the gastrointestinal(GI) motility was measured with a charcoal marking mixture gavage. The intestinal tissues were collected for evaluation of the histopathological alteration, and analysis of the expression of inflammatory signal pathways, as NF-κB, p38 MAPK, and TLR4 by qPCR, immunohistochemical staining and western-blotting, respectively. Plasma inflammatory cytokines were determined using a high-throughput liquid chip. All analyses were performed with samples collected 24 and/or 48h after operation. Results GI transit was significantly reduced in mice with POI and this dysfunction was alleviated after administration of either T-DCQT or M-DCQT enema. When compared to controls, the pathological changes in the ileum mucosal of POI mice were significantly improved, and the increased expression of NF-κB, p38 MAPK, and TLR4 in the intestinal tissues were reversed, following T- DCQT or M-DCQT treatment. Plasma inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1α, IL-6, MCP-1, MIP-1β and IL-17 levels were significantly highly expressed in POI group, and most of them, as IL-1α, IL-6, MIP-1β and IL-17 were significantly reduced after T-DCQT or M-DCQT treatment. Conclusion The current study indicated that administration of T-DCQT or M-DCOT could ameliorate the POI-associated inflammatory response and improve GI motility, by controlling inflammatory cytokines release and modulating the expression of some inflammatory signal pathways in the POI mouse model.
Trypanosome infections in naturally infected horses and donkeys of three active sleeping sickness foci in the south of Chad
Authors: Vourchakbé Joël , Tiofack Arnol Auvaker , Mpoame Mbida , Simo Gustave
Published: April 2020

Background Equine trypanosomiases are complex infectious diseases with overlapping clinical signs defined by their mode of transmission. Despite their economic impacts, these diseases have been neglected by the scientific community, the veterinary authorities and regulatory organizations. To fill the observed knowledge gap, we undertook the identification of different trypanosome species and subspecies naturally infecting horses and donkeys within the Chadian sleeping sickness focus. The end objective, being to investigate the potential role of these domestic animals as reservoirs of the human infective Trypanosoma brucei gambiense Method Blood samples were collected from 155 donkeys and 131 horses in three human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) foci of Chad. Rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and capillary tube centrifugation (CTC) test were used to search for trypanosome infections. DNA was extracted from each blood sample and different trypanosome species and subspecies were identified with molecular tools. Results From 286 blood samples collected, 54 (18.9%) and 36 (12.6%) were respectively positive for RDT and CTC. PCR revealed 194 (67.8%) animals with trypanosome infections. The kappa Cohen coefficients used to evaluate the concordance between the diagnostic methods were low; ranging from 0.087±0.04730 to 0.48 ± 0.06951. Trypanosomes of the subgenus Trypanozoon were the most prevalent (29.4%), followed by T. congolense forest (11.5%), T. congolense savannah (4.9%) and T. vivax (4.5%). Two donkeys and one horse from the Maro HAT focus were found with T. b. gambiense infections. Between animal species and HAT foci, no significant differences were observed in the infection rates of different trypanosomes. Conclusion This study revealed several trypanosome species and sub species in donkeys and horses, highlighting the existence of AAT in HAT foci of Chad. The identification of T. b. gambiense in donkeys and horses suggests considering these animals as potential reservoir for HAT in Chad. The presence of both human-infective and human non infective trypanosomes species highlights the need for developing joined control strategies for HAT and AAT.
Inhibition of acute leukemia with attenuated Salmonella typhimurium strain VNP20009
Authors: Li Meirong , Lu Mengmeng , Lai Yunhao , Zhang Xindan , Li Yuyu , Mao Ping , Liang Zhicheng , Mu Yunping , Lin Ying , Zhao Allan Z. , Zhao Zhenggang , Zhou Sujing , Li Fanghong
Published: April 2020

Background Despite recent promising progress, the prognosis of acute leukemia (AL) patients remains to be improved. New therapies are therefore still needed. Spontaneous complete remission (SCR) of leukemia caused by severe bacterial infection in clinic suggests the possibility of bacterial treatment for AL. An engineered attenuated Salmonella typhimurium VNP20009 with good tolerance and safety has been shown to be highly effective as an anti-tumor agent in many solid cancer models, but it has not been applied in leukemia. Therefore, we selected VNP20009 as a candidate for the bacterial therapy of AL in this study. Methods Murine xenograft tumor models were used to verify the growth inhibition effect of VNP20009 on AL tumors. Histopathological features of the tumor were observed by H&E staining, Ki-67 immunohistochemical staining and TUNEL immunofluorescence staining. The apoptosis proteins Bax and cleaved caspase-3 in tumors were detected by Western blotting. The ratios of apoptosis, green fluorescent protein positive (GFP + ) cells and immune cells were detected by flow cytometry. Blood cell count were counted by IDEXX automatic five-classification blood cell analyzer. Detection of cytokines and chemokines in serum was completed on a Luminex Multi-factor Detection Platform. Results VNP20009 can induce apoptosis of AL cells by up-regulating the expression levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 . Furthermore, VNP20009 significantly inhibited the proliferation of MLL-AF9-induced AML cells and prolonged the survival of the AML-carrying mice. VNP20009 restored the counts of white blood cell and its five subsets in PB to near-physiological values, and elevated the levels of certain cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), chemokine C-X-C motif ligand-10 (CCXC-10) and C-C motif ligand-2 (CCL-2). Moreover, the ratio of immune cells, including natural killer cells (NKs), CD4 + Th1-type cells and CD8 + IFN-γ-producing effector T cells were highly upregulated in the AML mice treated with VNP20009. Conclusions VNP20009 induces the apoptosis of AL cells and activates the immune system, leading to the development of a strong and effective anti-tumor systemic response and tumor remission in acute leukemia. Keywords: acute leukemia, attenuated Salmonella typhimurium VNP20009, immunotherapy, bacterial cancer therapy, apoptosis
Does large (>24mm) follicle yield a competent oocyte/embryo?
Authors: Orvieto Raoul , Mohr-Sasson Aya , Blumenfeld Shlomit , Nahum Ravit , Aizer Adva , Haas Jigal
Published: April 2020

Aim: To evaluate the effect of large follicular size ( > 24mm) at day of oocyte retrieval on oocyte/embryo quality. Patients and Methods: A cohort study conducted in a single tertiary medical center between July 2018 and May 2019. Before ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration, follicles were measured and divided into two groups according to their maximal dimensional size: large: ≥24 mm and normal: <24 mm. Microscopic examination of the follicular aspirates was performed by embryologist. Each follicle aspirated was evaluated for oocyte maturation, oocyte fertilization and embryo quality. Results: 428 follicles were measured, including 383 (62.81%) in the normal and 45 (14.06%) in the large follicle groups. Oocytes were achieved during aspiration from 297 (75.5%) and 29 (64.4%) of the normal and large follicle groups, respectively (p=0.05). No in-between group differences were observed in mature oocyte (MII), fertilization and top quality embryo (TQE) rates. Nevertheless, once a zygote (2PN) was achieved, a trend toward a higher TQE rate/2PN was found in the large follicle group [16 /19 (84.2%) vs. 115/171 (67.3%); p=0.062]. Conclusion: While a non-significant decrease in oocyte recovery rate was found in follicles ≥24 mm, the zygote and TQE per follicles were comparable.** Drs. Orvieto and Mohr-Sasson should be considered "similar in author order."
A Survey on some of the Global Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Priyadarshini Ishaani
Published: April 2020

Ever since COVID-19 was first identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019, it has gained a lot of popularity. Within a span of two months, it managed to travel across the globe and affected more than a million people, resulting in several deaths. The World Health Organization recently declared COVID-19 as a pandemic over the number of cases registered by country. However, there is a lot more to just people being infected by the disease. Apparently COVID-19 has managed to disrupt businesses all over the world causing world panic. In this paper, some global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are identified and certain trends related to the same over the approximate time period of January 2020- March 2020 have been observed. The impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak on the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the travel and tourism industry and high tech product shipments have been analyzed. The study would assist the industries to prepare better for the global crisis and would assist them in contemplating specific scenarios in case of an epidemic or pandemic in the future.
Near Falls in the Singapore Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Feasibility Study
Authors: SOH SHAWN LENG-HSIEN , LANE JUDITH , SOON BENJAMIN , YEH TING-TING , TAN CHEE-WEE
Published: April 2020

Background A near fall is defined as a loss of balance that would result in a fall if sufficient balance recovery manoeuvres are not executed. Compared to falls, near falls and its associated balance recovery manoeuvres have been understudied. Older adults may not recognise a near fall or identify the use of their balance recovery manoeuvres to prevent a fall. The consensus on the methods to collect near fall data is lacking. The primary objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of recruitment and retention. Secondary objectives were to establish evidence that Singapore community-dwelling older adults can identify near falls and associated balance recovery manoeuvres. Texting and phoning methods were explored as reporting methods. Methods This study took place in Singapore (September to October 2019). Participants were healthy, community-dwelling adults aged 65 or older. Recruitment was done through poster advertisement, and all participants gave informed consent. Participants attended a briefing session and reported their near fall or fall incidence over 21 days using either daily texting or phoning. The primary outcome measures were the recruitment rate, retention rate, preferred modes for data reporting and ability to report near falls or falls. Secondary outcomes included the self-reported incidence of falls and near falls. Results Thirty older adults were recruited in five weeks. All participants completed the study. They understood near fall concepts and were able to report the occurrence and relevant balance recovery manoeuvres used to prevent a fall. 87% (26/30) chose to text while 13% (4/30) selected phoning as their reporting method. One actual fall (0.16%) out of 630 responses was reported. Thirty-six incidents (5.7%) of near falls were recorded. Sixteen participants (53.3%) experienced near falls and half of this group experienced two or more near falls. Use of reach-to-grasp strategy (36%), compensatory stepping (52.8%), and other body regions (11.2%) were used to prevent the fall. Conclusions The study provided evidence that studying near falls in Singapore community-dwelling older adults is feasible and can be applied to a large-scale study. Recruitment and retention rates were good. Older adults were able to identify near falls and balance recovery manoeuvres. Both texting and phoning were feasible reporting methods, but texting was preferred.
A methylation‐based mRNA signature predicts survival in patients with gastric cancer
Authors: Li Yang , Sun Rongrong , Zhang Youwei , Yuan Yuan , Miao Yufeng
Published: April 2020

Background Evidence suggests that altered DNA methylation plays a causative role in the occurrence, progression and prognosis of gastric cancer (GC). Thus, methylated-differently expressed genes (MDEGs) could potentially serve as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in GC. Methods Four genomics profiling datasets were used to identify MDEGs. Gene Ontology enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis were used to explore the biological roles of MDEGs in GC. Univariate Cox and LASSO analysis were used to identify survival-related MDEGs and to construct a MDEGs-based signature. The prognostic performance was evaluated in two independent cohorts. Results We identified a total of 255 MDEGs, including 192 hypermethylation-low expression and 63 Hypomethylation-high expression genes . The univariate Cox regression analysis showed that 83 MDEGs were associated with overall survival. Further we constructed an eight-MDEGs signature that was independent predictive of prognosis in the training cohort. By applying the eight-MDEGs signature, patients in the training cohort could be categorized into high-risk or low-risk subgroup with significantly different overall survival (HR = 2.62, 95%CI= 1.71-4.02, P < 0.0001). The prognostic value of the eight-MDEGs signature was confirmed in another independent GEO cohort (HR=1.35, 95% CI= 1.03-1.78, P= 0.0302) and TCGA-GC cohort (HR=1.85, 95% CI= 1.16-2.94, P= 0.0084). Multivariate cox regression analysis proved the eight-MDEGs signature was an independent prognostic factor for GC. Conclusion We have thus established an innovative eight-MDEGs signature that is predictive of overall survival and could be a potentially useful guide for personalized treatment of GC patients.
Preoperative systemic immune-inflammation index predicts prognosis of patients with non-metastatic renal cancer carcinoma: a propensity score-matched analysis
Authors: Hu Xu , Shao Yan-Xiang , Yang Zhi-Qiang , Dou Wei-Chao , Xiong San-Chao , Li Xiang
Published: April 2020

Background: A novel systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), based on the neutrophils, lymphocytes and platelet counts, is associated with the prognosis of several cancers. The present study evaluates the prognostic significance of SII in non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Method: The present study retrospectively reviewed the medical record of patients with non-metastatic RCC who underwent nephrectomy between 2010 and 2013. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to identify the optimal cut-off value. In addition, the propensity score matching (PSM) was performed with a matching ratio of 1:1. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify the prognostic factors. The results were reported by hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Results: A total of 646 patients were included in the final analysis. High SII group (>529) was significantly associated with older age (P=0.014), larger tumor (P<0.001), higher pathological T stage (P<0.001), higher tumor grade (P<0.001) and more tumor necrosis (P<0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that the higher preoperative SII was significantly associated with worse OS (HR=2.26; 95%CI 1.44-3.54; P<0.001) and CSS (HR=2.17; 95%CI 1.33-3.55; P=0.002). After PSM, elevated preoperative SII was an independent predictor of poor OS (HR=1.78; 95%CI 1.1-2.87; P=0.018) and CSS (HR=1.8; 95%CI 1.07-3.03; P=0.027). Conclusion: In conclusion, preoperative SII is associated with adverse factors for RCC. Furthermore, higher preoperative SII is an independent predictor of poor OS and CSS in surgically treated patients with non-metastatic RCC. While more prospective and large scale studies are warranted to validate our findings.
Tensor Recovery from Noisy and Multi-Level Quantized Measurements
Authors: Wang Ren , Wang Meng , Xiong Jinjun
Published: April 2020

Higher-order tensors can represent scores in a rating system, frames in a video, and images of the same subject. In practice, the measurements are often highly quantized due to the sampling strategies or the quality of devices. Existing works on tensor recovery have focused on data losses and random noises. Only a few works consider tensor recovery from quantized measurements but are restricted to binary measurements. This paper, for the first time, addresses the problem of tensor recovery from multi-level quantized measurements by leveraging the low CANDECOMP/PARAFAC (CP) rank property. We study the recovery of both general low-rank tensors and tensors that have tensor singular value decomposition (TSVD) by solving nonconvex optimization problems. We provide the theoretical upper bounds of the recovery error, which diminish to zero when the sizes of dimensions increase to infinity. We further characterize the fundamental limit of any recovery algorithm and show that our recovery error is nearly order-wise optimal. A tensor-based alternating proximal gradient descent algorithm with a convergence guarantee and a TSVD based projected gradient descent algorithm are proposed to solve the nonconvex problems. Our recovery methods can also handle data losses and do not necessarily need the information of the quantization rule. The methods are validated on synthetic data, image datasets, and music recommender datasets.
The unexplained increasing of Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate in a case recovered from COVID-19
Authors: Pu Shenglan , Zhang Xiangyan , Liu Daishun , Ye Baning , Li Jianquan
Published: April 2020

Background A novel coronavirus virus pneumonia (named COVID-19) broke out in Wuhan, China on December 2019, and spread around of the word [1, 2]. As of March 4th, 2020, 93090 confirmed cases and 2984 deaths have been reported in more than 80 countries and territories. It has triggered global public health security [2, 3]. However, the features and prognosis of COVID-19 are incompletely understood [2].Case presentation We here report that the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) increased in a confirmed COVID patient, the high level of ESR sustained for long time even patient recovered from COVID-19, while all results related to tumor, tuberculosis, rheumatic diseases, anemia, et al. cannot explain the abnormal ESR presented in this case.Conclusion Although the increased ESR cannot be explained by all existing evidences, which possibly links the abnormal pathologic change in some COVID-19 patients and negative prognosis, and provides the clue to dissect the mechanism of illness progressing in COVID-19 and its prognosis.
Efficacy and safety of nivolumab for advanced gastric cancer patients with poor performance statuses
Authors: Matsumoto Toshihiko , Yamamoto Yosuke , Kurioka Yusuke , Okazaki Ukyo , Kimura Shogo , Miura Kou , Tsuduki Takao , Watanabe Takanori , Matsumoto Yusuke , Takatani Masahiro
Published: April 2020

Background: Nivolumab has changed the treatment of advanced gastric cancer (AGC). Nivolumab shows better outcomes compared to best supportive care among AGC patients who received at least two prior regimens. However, there are no reliable data regarding AGC patients with poor performance status (PS) who received nivolumab. We investigated the efficacy and safety of nivolumab among AGC patients with poor PS. Methods: We retrospectively collected clinicopathologic data from patients with AGC who underwent nivolumab monotherapy at our institution from October 2017 to June 2019. Results: Forty-nine AGC patients who received nivolumab were assessed. Twenty-seven patients had PS 0 or 1 (Good group) and 22 had PS 2 or 3 (Poor group). The median progression-free survival and overall survival durations were 61 and 180 days in the Good group, respectively, and 36 and 85 days in the Poor group, respectively. The overall survival was significantly shorter in the Poor group (180 vs 85 days, p =0.0255). The disease control rates were 23% and 9% in the Good and Poor groups, respectively. Thirty-three percent of patients experienced immune-related adverse events in the Good group, and 18% in the Poor group. Conclusion: Nivolumab has a modest effect and is feasible as third- or later-line treatment for AGC patients.
The psychological impact of COVID-19 outbreak on medical staff and the general public
Authors: Chen Biao , Li Qing-xian , Zhang Heng , Zhu Jia-yong , Wu Yu-hang , Xiong Jie , Li Fu , Wang Hua , Chen Zhi-tao
Published: April 2020

Purpose: To assess the psychological effects of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on medical staff and the general public.Methods: During the outbreak of COVID-19, an internet-based questionnaire included The Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) was used to assess the impact of the epidemic situation on the mental health of medical staff and general population in Wuhan and its surrounding areas.Results: The results suggest that the outbreak of COVID-19 has affected individuals significantly, the degree of which is related to age, sex, occupation and mental illness. There was a significant difference in PSS-10 and IES-R scores between the medical staff and the general population. The medical staff showed higher PSS-10 scores (16.813 ± 4.87) and IES-R scores (22.40 ± 12.12) compared to members of the general population PSS-10 (14.80 ± 5.60) and IES-R scores (17.89 ± 13.08). However, there was no statistically significant difference between the SDS scores of medical staff (44.52 ± 12.36) and the general public (43.08 ± 11.42). In terms of the need for psychological assistance, 50.97% of interviewees responded that they needed psychological counseling, of which medical staff accounted for 65.87% and non-medical staff accounted for 45.10%.Conclusion: During the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, great attention should be paid to the mental health of the population, especially medical staff, and measures such as psychological intervention should be actively carried out for reducing the psychosocial effects.
Mutation patterns of human SARS-COV-2 and bat RaTG13 coronaviruses genomes are strongly biased towards C>U indicating rapid evolution in their hosts
Authors: Matyasek Roman , Kovarik Ales
Published: April 2020

Background: The world pandemy caused by SARS-CoV-2 spreading has raised considerable interest about its evolutionary origin and genome structure. Here we analysed mutation patterns in 13 human SARS-COV-2 isolates and a closely related RaTG13 isolated from Rhinolophus affinis bat. We also evaluated the CpG dinucleotide contents in SARS-COV-2 and other human and animal coronavirus genomes. Results: Out of 1107 single nucleotide differences (c. 4% divergence) between human SARS-COV-2 and bat RaTG13, 672 (61%) can be attributed to C>U and U>T substitutions significantly (P<0.001) exceeding other types of SNPs. A similar trend was observed among the 13 sequenced SARS-COV-2 genomes. Accumulation of C>U mutations was also observed in a highly variable subregion encoding the ACE2 receptor contact domain. Contrast to most other coronaviruses both SARS-COV-2 and RaTG13 exhibited CpG depletion in their genomes. Conclusion: The data support that the C-to-U conversion played a significant role in the evolution of pathogenic RNA coronaviruses including SARS-COV-2. These mutations apparently also influenced amino acid composition of the SARS-Cov-2 spike protein domain receptor implicated in virus pathogenicity. We propose that SARS-COV-2 was evolving relatively long in humans following the transfer from animals before spreading world-wide.
The Effect of Breastfeeding on Photorefractive Keratectomy Outcomes: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Zarei-Ghanavati Siamak , Eslami Amir Reza Daneshmand , Eslampoor Alireza , Rad Saeed Shokouhi , Akhlagi Saeed , Abrishami Mojtaba
Published: April 2020

Purpose To assess the refractive results, visual function, and safety of photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in myopic breastfeeding women and compare them to healthy matched female controls. Methods Twelve mothers (23 eyes) who underwent PRK while they were still breastfeeding (B group) and continued it for at least three months participated in this retrospective matched cohort study. Twelve women (23 eyes) who were matched for age, refractive error, and operation data (NB group) were selected as the control group. Post-PRK results and complications were compared between the two groups. Results Twenty four breastfeeding mothers with a mean age of 29.70±1.8 (Standard Deviation) (range from 27 to 33years) were included. The average age in the study and the control group were 29.83 ± 1.80 and, 29.58 ± 1.98, prospectively, (P-value=0.749, T-test, poverty 0.1). The mean duration of breastfeeding was 47 weeks before surgery and 35 weeks after surgery. Conclusion Our study results did not indicate the adverse effects of breastfeeding on the results of PRK surgery. It seems that performing PRK is safe in the breastfeeding period.
iCTCF: an integrative resource of chest computed tomography images and clinical features of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia
Authors: Ning Wanshan , Lei Shijun , Yang Jingjing , Cao Yukun , Jiang Peiran , Yang Qianqian , Zhang Jiao , Wang Xiaobei , Chen Fenghua , Geng Zhi , Xiong Liang , Zhou Hongmei , Guo Yaping , Zeng Yulan , Shi Heshui , Wang Lin , Xue Yu , Wang Zheng
Published: April 2020

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was initially reported in Wuhan, China since December, 2019. Here, we reported a timely and comprehensive resource named iCTCF to archive 256,356 chest computed tomography (CT) images, 127 types of clinical features (CFs), and laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 clinical status from 1170 patients, reaching a data volume of 38.2 GB. To facilitate COVID-19 diagnosis, we integrated the heterogeneous CT and CF datasets, and developed a novel framework of Hybrid-learning for UnbiaSed predicTion of COVID-19 patients (HUST-19) to predict negative cases, mild/regular and severe/critically ill patients, respectively. Although both CT images and CFs are informative in predicting patients with or without COVID-19 pneumonia, the integration of CT and CF datasets achieved a striking accuracy with an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.978, much higher than that when exclusively using either CT (0.919) or CF data (0.882). Together with HUST- 19, iCTCF can serve as a fundamental resource for improving the diagnosis and management of COVID-19 patients.Authors Wanshan Ning, Shijun Lei, Jingjing Yang, and Yukun Cao contributed equally to this work.
Zero temperature momentum distribution of an impurity in a polaron state of one-dimensional Fermi and Tonks-Girardeau gases
Authors: Gamayun Oleksandr , Lychkovskiy Oleg , Zvonarev Mikhail
Published: April 2020

We investigate the momentum distribution function of a single
distinguishable impurity particle which formed a polaron state in a gas
of either free fermions or Tonks-Girardeau bosons in one spatial
dimension. We obtain a Fredholm determinant representation of the
distribution function for the Bethe ansatz solvable model of an
impurity-gas \deltaδ-function
interaction potential at zero temperature, in both repulsive and
attractive regimes. We deduce from this representation the fourth power
decay at a large momentum, and a weakly divergent (quasi-condensate)
peak at a finite momentum. We also demonstrate that the momentum
distribution function in the limiting case of infinitely strong
interaction can be expressed through a correlation function of the
one-dimensional impenetrable anyons.
Fast and optimal decision for emergency control of sudden water pollution accidents in long distance water diversion projects
Authors: Qiao Yu , Lei Xiaohui , Long Yan , Li Jiahong , Yang Yilin , Tian Yu , Li Youming , Yao Ye , Chang Wenjuan
Published: April 2020

Long distance water diversion projects transfer clean water to cities for industrial, agricultural and domestic use; there is a great risk of sudden water pollution accidents. Without a fast and optimal decision for emergency control in response to sudden water pollution accidents, dispatchers or decision-makers will not be prepared to respond to the accidents during the process of an emergency spill. To address this gap, a framework for fast and optimal decision support in emergency control is reported in this paper. The proposed fast and optimal decision system covers four stages. In this study, the analytical hierarchy process integrated with grey fixed weight clustering was used to determine the gate closing mode. The emergency control strategy in ice cover formation period is presented. A case study was examined in the demonstrative project conducted in the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China. The relative errors of the arrival time of the peak concentration and the peak concentration in monitoring points between the actual monitoring values and the formula calculation values are less than 18%.
Одноионный механизм слабого антиферромагнетизма и спин-флоп-переход в двухподрешеточном ферромагнетике
Authors: Мартынов С.Н.
Published: April 2020

The ground state of a Heisenberg ferromagnet with noncollinear single-ion anisotropy axes of two sublattices is investigated in the external magnetic field applied in the anisotropy axes plane. The noncollinearity of local anisotropy axes leads to new effect - the first order spin reorientation phase transition of the spin-flop type. The transition field depends on the value of anisotropy and orientation
of the sublattice axes. Stability analysis of magnetic states shown that the field induced transition is accompanied by the magnetization hysteresis. The dependencies of the spin-flop transition field, the magnetization jump value and the susceptibility on the anisotropy parameters are determined. The
obtained results are used for explanation of the magnetization field dependence in the ferromagnetic
crystal PbMnBO_4.
Структурная эволюция молекулярного сегнетоэлектрика хлорида диизопропиламмония (DIPAC)
Authors: Ускова Н.И. , Чарная Е.В. , Подорожкин Д.Ю. , Барышников C.B. , Егорова И.В. , Милинский А.Ю.
Published: April 2020

Changes in structure of a new molecular ferroelectric diisopropylammonium chloride (C6H16ClN, DIPAC) at room temperature were studied by high-resolution (CP-MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and X-ray analysis. NMR measurements were carried out for ^{13}С nuclei. Monoclinic ferroelectric and orthorhombic nonpolar phases as well as their coexistence were observed depending on time and thermal treatment. It was shown that the polar modification of DIPAC at room temperature transforms with time to the nonpolar orthorhombic structure.

N. I. Uskova, E. V. Charnaya, L. Yu. Podorozhkin, S. V. Baryshnikov, I. V. Egorova, A. Yu. Milinskii
Высокодисперсионные электростатические зеркала вращательной симметрии с времяпролетной фокусировкой по энергии третьего порядка
Authors: Бимурзаев С.Б. , Алдияров Н.У. , Саутбекова З.С.
Published: April 2020

Expressions describing the time of flight of charged particles taking into account time-of-flight chromatic aberrations in electrostatic mirrors of rotational symmetry are presented. The conditions of time-of-flight focusing by particle energy up to the third order inclusively in the three-electrode mirrors, the electrodes of which are coaxial cylinders of equal diameter, were determined by numerical calculations. Various modes of operation of such mirrors are considered: 1) space-time-of-flight focusing in the Gaussian plane of the mirror; 2) space-time-of-flight focusing in the focal plane of the mirror; 3) time-of-flight focusing in telescopic mode; 4) time-of-flight focusing in collimator mode. The results of calculations are presented for two fundamental solutions of the equation of paraxial trajectories. One of these solutions describes trajectories whose direct and reverse branches coincide, and the second solution describes trajectories whose direct and reverse branches are symmetrical with respect to the axis of symmetry of the field. It is shown that the time-of-flight dispersion of the mirror by mass, determined on the basis of the second solution, is several times higher than that obtained on the basis of the first solution for all modes of its operation.