bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Progression in time of dentate gyrus granule cell layer widening due to excitotoxicity occurs along in vivo LTP reinstatement and contextual fear memory recovery
Authors: Mercado Karina Hernández , Martinez-Moreno Araceli , Rodriguez-Duran Luis F , Escobar Martha L. , Zepeda Angelica
Published: February 2022

The dentate gyrus (DG) is the gateway of sensory information arriving from the perforant pathway (PP) to the hippocampus. The adequate integration of incoming information into the DG is paramount in the execution of hippocampal-dependent cognitive functions. An abnormal DG granule cell layer (GCL) widening due to granule cell dispersion has been reported under hyperexcitation conditions in animal models as well as in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, but also in patients with no apparent relation to epilepsy. Strikingly, it is unclear whether the presence and severity of GCL widening along time affect synaptic processing arising from the PP and alter the performance in hippocampal-mediated behaviors. To evaluate the above, we injected excitotoxic kainic acid (KA) unilaterally into the DG of mice and analyzed the evolution of GCL widening at 10 and 30 days post-injection (dpi), while analyzing if KA-induced GCL widening affected in vivo long-term potentiation (LTP) in the PP-DG pathway, as well as the performance in learning and memory through contextual fear conditioning. Our results show that at 10 dpi, when a subtle GCL widening was observed, LTP induction, as well as contextual fear memory, were impaired. However, at 30 dpi when a pronounced increase in GCL widening was found, LTP induction and contextual fear memory were already reestablished. These results highlight the plastic potential of the DG to recover some of its functions despite a major structural alteration such as abnormal GCL widening.
Comparison of Machine Learning Methods and Conventional Regression for Predicting Renal Function Recovery and Recovery Time among AKI Patients in ICU
Authors: Zhao Xiujuan , Lu Yunwei , Li Shu , Guo Fuzheng , Xue Haiyan , Jiang Lilei , Wang Zhenzhou , Zhang Chong , Xie Wenfei , Zhu Fengxue
Published: February 2022

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most frequent complications of critical illness. Early predicted renal function recovery can improve AKI prognosis with appropriate interventions. We aimed to derivate and validate two prediction models with high prediction performance and clinical interpretability for renal function recovery and recovery time after AKI, respectively.Methods: We reviewed patients diagnosed with acute kidney disease in intensive care (MIMIC-III) database between 2001 and 2012. The conventional logistic regression and machine algorithm were used to develop prediction models. The performance measures included the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AU-ROC), Precision-Recall (PR) curves, and the classification matrix.Results: A total of 3,989 critically-ill AKI adult patients corresponding with Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) with the length of stay in ICU more than 48 hours were included in our analysis cohort. Comparing the model performance, the gradient boosting machine model for predicting renal function recovery had a higher AU-ROC (0.92 [95%CI 0.89-0.94]) than the logistic regression model (0.88 [95%CI 0.84-0.92]). The ExtraTrees machine learning-based model (R2=0.2367) was developed to predict recovery time after AKI, which yielded a better result than the linear regression (R2=0.2006). Conclusions: In this cohort study, machine learning algorithms showed superior ability to predict the prognosis of AKI patients in ICU compared with the traditional logistic and linear regression models. These models may prove clinically helpful and assist clinicians in providing intervention in time, potentially leading to improved prognosis.
Electroacupuncture Treatment Ameliorates Post-Stroke Intestinal Inflammation Injury via Regulating the Balance of Treg / γδ T Cells
Authors: Wang Ya-Ling , Meng Ling Ling , Chen Yong-Lin , OuYang Ling , Wu Bu-Fan , Peng Rou , Lu Sheng-Feng , Liu Qing , Zhang Tao , Li Xiao-Xiao , Jing Xin-yue , Xu Bin , Fu Shu-ping
Published: February 2022

Much evidence suggests that gut immunity homeostasis plays a vital role in regulating neuroinflammatory response under ischemic stroke. Acupuncture is an effective treatment for post-stroke rehabilitation. However, little is known about the effect of acupuncture on intestinal injury after stroke. Herein, we observed the intestinal inflammatory response and barrier's impairment of the post-stroke rats to explore the mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) against cerebral ischemia injury from the brain-gut axis. Rats were randomized to the sham operation group (SHAM), the middle cerebral artery occlusion group (MCAO), and the MCAO plus EA treatment group (MEA). Triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining and Longa neurologic score were performed to evaluate the outcomes after ischemic stroke. Inflammatory factors expression levels in the serum, ischemic hemisphere brain, and small intestine were detected. Additionally, the morphology change of small intestine was evaluated via analyzing villus height and smooth muscle thickness. Meanwhile, the expression of tight-junction proteins, including Zonula Occludens-1(ZO-1), Occludin and Claudin-1, was detected to evaluate the impact of EA on mucosal permeability in the small intestine. The percentage of Treg cells (CD45+CD4+Foxp3+) and γδ T cells (CD45+CD4−γδ T +) were measured to assess the effect of EA on T cells. Our data showed that EA could significantly decrease the brain infarction volume and intestine barrier injury of the ischemic stroke rats. At the same time, it effectively suppressed the post-stroke inflammation response of the ischemic brain, small intestine, and peripheral serum. More importantly, EA treatment increased the percentage of Treg cells in the small intestine while reducing the rate of γδ T cells, and ultimately increased the ratio of Treg/ γδ T cells. These results suggested that EA could ameliorate intestinal inflammation damage by regulating the Treg/ γδ T cell polarity shift and improving the intestine barrier integrity post-stroke. It may be one of the mechanisms underlying the anti-ischemic injury effects of acupuncture on stroke.
The Relationship Between Multiple Hazards and Deprivation Using Open Geospatial Data and Machine Learning
Authors: Kabiru Priscilla , Kuffer Monika , Sliuzas Richard , Vanhuysse Sabine
Published: February 2022

Deprived settlements, usually referred to as slums, are often located in hazardous areas. However, there have been very few studies to examine this notion. In this study, we leverage the advancements in open Geospatial data, Earth Observation (EO), and machine learning to create a multi-hazard index and transferrable disaster risk approach to be adapted in LMICs cities, with low-cost methods. Specifically, we identify multi-hazards in Nairobi's select case study area and construct an index. Then, we test the predictability of deprived settlements using the multi-hazard index in comparison to EO texture-based methods. Lastly, we survey 100 households in two deprived settlements (typical and atypical slum) in Nairobi and used the survey outcomes to validate the multi-hazard index. To test the assumption that deprived areas are dominantly located in areas with higher susceptibility to multiple hazards, we contrast morphologically identified deprived settlements to non-deprived settlements. We find that deprived settlements are generally more exposed to hazards. However, there are variations between central and peripheral settlements. In testing the predictability of deprivation using multihazards, the model performs well at classifying deprivation compared to other morphological settlement classes. Specifically, we find the model to perform better at discriminating deprivation in comparison to other morphological settlements. In contrast, the texture-based model is better at classifying all morphological settlements. Lastly, by contrasting the survey outcomes to the household interviews, we conclude that proxies used for the multi-hazard index adequately capture the hazards. However, more localized proxies can be used to improve multi-hazard index performance.
A New Precipitation Prediction Method Based on CEEMDAN-IOWA-BP Coupling
Authors: LIU Fuping , Liu Ying , Yang Chen , Lai Ruixun
Published: February 2022

Precipitation is the most basic part of the water cycle process. Aiming at the problem of low prediction accuracy caused by the nonlinear and unstable characteristics of the precipitation series, a new precipitation prediction method based on the CEEMDAN-IWOA-BP coupling model is proposed. This method first uses the complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (CEEMDAN) to decompose the original precipitation sequence, and obtains a series of intrinsic mode function (IMF) and residual terms (Res) as inherent potential influencing factors, innovatively introduce TENT chaotic mapping and roulette algorithm to improve the Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA), use IMFs and Res as the input of the Improve Whale Optimization Algorithm (IWOA) to optimize Back Propagation (BP) neural network prediction model, and finally superimpose the predicted values ​​as ultima result.The present method was applied to predict the annual precipitation from 1958 to 2017 in Sichuan Province.Compared with the prediction results of other models, the CEEMDAN-IWOA-BP coupled model has significantly improved prediction accuracy than the single model, and the prediction error index of the Back Propagation(BP) neural network optimized by the Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithms is smaller, and the optimization accuracy and solving ability are significantly enhanced compared with the unimproved WOA.
Effect of obesity in young adults on an acoustic-based system for ruling-out coronary artery disease
Authors: Dahl Tórður , Bakmand Laura , Jakobsgaard Mai Ørom , Kempel Mia Klinkvort , Böttcher Morten , Winther Simon , Schmidt Samuel Emil
Published: February 2022

Introduction: The CADScor®System is a non-invasive acoustic rule-out device used in patients with symptoms of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). The system is only validated for adults over the age of 40 and it is unknown whether obesity impact the acoustic device. This study examines if BMI influence the acoustic and clinical CAD-Scores. Furthermore, it explores whether the acoustic and clinical CAD-Scores differ between adults below versus above 40 years. Method: A total of 147 young adults age 28-30 years and 494 adults age > 40 years without CAD were included in this study. CAD was excluded by coronary artery calcium score in the young adult group and by coronary computed tomography angiography in the adult group. Results: This study showed an inverse relationship between the acoustic CAD-Score and BMI for both age groups. When comparing the three BMI groups a significant difference in acoustic CADscores was detected for both age groups (p<0.01;p=0.01). When comparing males in the two age groups a statistical difference in acoustic CAD-score was shown (p<0.05), however, no difference was shown for females (p=0.13). There was no significant difference in clinical CAD-Score between the BMI groups for adults nor young adults (p=0.22;p=0.21). Conclusion: The findings indicate that in subjects without CAD, a slightly inverse relationship between acoustic CAD-Score and BMI was shown. However, this did not influence the clinical CADscore significantly. A slightly lower acoustic CAD-score was observed comparing males in the two age groups, but this trend was not observed in females.
Improving access to surgery during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review of the effects of outsourcing elective surgeries to private-sector health service providers to shorten waiting times
Authors: Rathnayake Dimuthu , Clarke Mike , Jayasinghe Viraj
Published: February 2022

Background
Waiting times are a key performance indicator for many healthcare systems, which are used with the aim of delivering high-quality care without unnecessary delay. Long waiting times and lengthy queues for elective surgery have been common to many publicly funded health systems for some time but the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to large numbers of scheduled operations being cancelled or postponed globally. Among multiple strategies that might help ease the burden of these even longer waiting times on patients and health systems, collaboration with the private sector has been reported as effective in certain settings. Therefore, this review assesses the evidence on the effects on waiting times of outsourcing elective surgical services to private sector service providers.
Methods
We searched PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS, Web of Science and Cochrane Library up to January 2020, for articles published after 2013 and updated the search on November 2021. Eligibility criteria included major elective surgery for adult patients. Both randomised trials and non-randomised controlled studies were considered for the review and the main outcome variable of interest was waiting time for elective surgery. The quality of evidence was assessed using the relevant CASP tool and the review is presented as a narrative synthesis because of heterogeneity in the methods of the included studies. The review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42019158455).
Results
The electronic search yielded 7543 records and seven studies were eligible after deduplication and full article screening. The eligible research varied widely in design, scope, reported outcomes and overall quality.
Conclusions
The evidence from this review suggests that for certain types of elective surgeries, such as hip and knee replacement, outsourcing to private sector providers is likely to shorten waiting times and increase access for patients. This may be especially important given the impact of COVID-19 on elective surgery waiting lists. The limitations identified due to observational study methods could be overcome by interventional studies and we recommend randomised trials coupled with economic analysis to determine the trade-offs between time, cost and quality of care.
Susceptibility of embryos of Biomphalaria tenagophila (Mollusca: Gastropoda) to infection by Pochonia chlamydosporia (Ascomycota: Sordariomycetes)
Authors: Castro Lorena Souza , Martins Isabella Vilhena Freire , Tunholi-Alves Vinícius Menezes , Amaral Ludimila Santos , Pinheiro Jairo , de Araújo Jackson Victor , Monteiro Caio Márcio de Oliveira , Tunholi Victor Menezes
Published: February 2022

The trematode Schistosoma mansoni is a heteroxenous parasite, meaning that during its life cycle needs the participation of obligatory intermediate and definitive hosts. The larval development occurs in aquatic molluscs belonging to the Biomphalaria genus, leading to the formation of cercariae, which emerge to infect the final vertebrate host. For this reason, studies for control of the diseases caused by digenetic trematodes often focus on combating the snail hosts. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the susceptibility of Biomphalaria tenagophila embryos to the fungus Pochonia chlamydosporia (isolate Pc-10) under laboratory conditions. Two experimental groups were formed: the control group, consisting of egg masses not exposed to the fungus; and the treated group, in which the snail egg masses were exposed to mycelium of the fungal isolate (Pc-10). At the end of 15 days, the egg masses were evaluated under a stereomicroscope to analyze the hatching of B. tenagophila embryos in both experimental groups. The entire experiment was conducted in duplicate, with five replicates for each repetition (five egg masses/replicate), utilizing a total of 100 egg masses, with 20 to 30 eggs/egg mass. After 15 days of interaction, the exposure to the fungal hyphae bodies significantly impaired the viability of the B. tenagophila eggs, inhibiting the embryogenesis process by 83.7% in relation to the control group. Transmission and scanning electron microscopic images revealed relevant structural alterations in the egg masses exposed to the hyphae action of the fungus, interfering in the development and hatching of the young snails under analysis. These results indicate the susceptibility of B. tenagophila embryos to the fungus P. chlamydosporia (isolate Pc-10) and suggests the potential of Pc-10 to be used in the control of parasitic agents, such as S. mansoni, but in vivo experiments become necessary.
Removal of Cr(VI) by biochar derived via co-pyrolysis of oily sludge with corn stalks
Authors: Han Lei , Li Jinling , Zhang Tiantian , Qu Chengtun , Yu Tao , Yang Bo , Shao Zhiguo
Published: February 2022

Co-pyrolysis of oily sludge with biomass to prepare carbon materials, is not only an effective way to solve the pollution problem of oily sludge, but also a method to get carbon materials. In this study, a waste recycling adsorbed carbon material (OS-CS AC), was obtained by co-pyrolysis of oily sludge (OS) and corn stalks (CS) directly, and then was applied to Cr(VI) removal. According to the hydroxy and carboxy masking experiments and the characterization of OS-CS AC by FT-IR, SEM, XPS, XRD, N2 physical adsorption-desorption, it shows that Cr(VI) can be adsorbed efficiently through pore filling effect, the surface oxygen-containing functional groups can promote the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) through electron donors, and the greater electrostatic attraction between the electron-donating functional group of OS-CS AC and Cr(VI), the stronger ability of remove Cr(VI). In addition, the removal process was discussed, the results indicates that the McKay kinetic, Langmuir isotherm and Van 't Hoff thermodynamic models were the most suitable models for the removal process. Furthermore, with the discussion of the main factors affecting the removal of Cr(VI), the removal of Cr(Ⅵ) could reached to 99.14%, which gives a comprehensive utilization way of oily sludge and corn stalks.
High impositions and stringent measures of countries to cope with COVID-19 reduce economic performance and do not lessen final fatality rate
Authors: Coccia Mario
Published: February 2022

The goal of this study is to develop a comparative analysis between countries having introduced a high or low level of restrictions and control measures in society to cope with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic crisis to assess if a policy response based on many pervasive compulsory measures is more effective to support a reduction of negative impact of COVID-19 on health of people and socioeconomic systems. In particular, the idea here is to analyze if countries with high restrictions and mandatory measures have lower fatality rates of COVID-19 and better economic performances than countries having policy responses based on little restrictions. The results of this analysis here seem to be that: Ž a strict policy of many restrictions and obligations does not reduce negative effects of COVID-19 pandemic in society in terms of lower mortality per 1,000 people and a lower-case fatality rate than countries with little restrictions (findings here show 1.19 vs. 0.89 and 0.82% vs. 0.43%, for countries with high and low restrictions respectively) Ž countries with high restrictions and obligations reduce the economic performance in terms of lower average growth of quarterly Gross Domestic Product than countries with little restrictions (0.14% vs. 0.38%, for countries with high and low restrictions respectively). This result can be explained with the fact that harsh containment policies are not a sufficient strategy to reduce the negative impact of new coronavirus in society, because there are manifold factors that support the diffusion of the novel coronavirus and mortality of COVID-19. Many countries applied hard and pervasive restrictions with the objective to reduce pandemic diffusion and support economic growth, but the evidence of this study shows that it is not a policy having effectiveness. These results can provide main information to extend knowledge in these topics to improve the crisis management and design best practices and effective policy responses to cope with COVID-19 and similar pandemic crisis.
Accounting for overlapping annotations in genomic prediction models of complex traits
Authors: Mollandin Fanny , Gilbert Hélène , Croiseau Pascal , Rau Andrea
Published: February 2022

Background: It is now widespread in livestock and plant breeding to use genotyping data to predict phenotypes with genomic prediction models. In parallel, genomic annotations related to a variety of traits are increasing in number and granularity, providing valuable insight into potentially important positions in the genome. The BayesRC model integrates this prior biological information by factorizing the genome according to disjoint annotation categories, in some cases enabling improved prediction of heritable traits. However, BayesRC is not adapted to cases where markers may have multiple annotations. Results: We propose two novel Bayesian approaches to account for multi-annotated markers through a cumulative (BayesRC+) or preferential (BayesRCπ) model of the contribution of multiple annotation categories. We illustrate their performance on simulated data with various genetic architectures and types of annotations. We also explore their use on data from a backcross population of growing pigs in conjunction with annotations constructed using the PigQTLdb. In both simulated and real data, we observed a modest improvement in prediction quality with our models when used with informative annotations. In addition, our results show that BayesRC+ successfully prioritizes multi-annotated markers according to their posterior variance, while BayesRCπ provides a useful interpretation of informative annotations for multi-annotated markers. Finally, we explore several strategies for constructing annotations from a public database, highlighting the importance of careful consideration of this step. Conclusion: When used with annotations that are relevant to the trait under study, BayesRCπ and BayesRC+ allow for improved prediction and prioritization of multi-annotated markers, and can provide useful biological insight into the genetic architecture of traits.
Effects of Potassium Ferrate-Walnut Shell Pretreatment on Dehydration Performance of Residual Sludge
Authors: Shaolan Ding , Xiangwei Sang , Zhen Zhao , Huijun Ren
Published: February 2022

Sludge dehydration is not only the primary part in sludge reduction, but also a difficult point in sludge treatment and disposal, while the high moisture content of the sludge will also limit its resource utilization. In this paper, the strong oxidizing property of potassium ferrate was used to treat the residual sludge, and walnut shells are used as a skeleton builder to obtain the dehydrated sludge that can be recycled. The disintegration degree of extracellular polymer of sludge (EPS), the moisture content of the sludge, and the specific resistance of sludge (SRF) were investigated to explo re the effects of potassium ferrate-walnut shell pretreatment on sludge dehydration performance. The experimental results show that the optimal dosages of potassium ferrate and walnut shells are 60 mg/gDS and 0.8 g/gDS, respectively, and the moisture content and SRF of the sludge after pretreatment reach the lowest values of 70.2% and 1.107×1011 m/kg, which greatly improves the dehydration performance compared with the individually treated potassium ferrate and walnut shells, and provides the new ideas and methods for sludge dehydration.
Relationship Between Aspartate Aminotransferase To Alanine Aminotransferase Ratio And Risk Of Incident Diabetes Mellitus In A Chinese Population
Authors: Wu Xiaoying , Xu Jing
Published: February 2022

Background: Recent studies have shown that the serum aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase (AST/ALT) ratio is related to metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance. However, the relationship between AST/ALT and the risk of incident diabetes mellitus remains to be unclear. This study aims to explore the relationship between AST/ALT and the risk of incident diabetes in Chinese adults Methods: This study used data from the Chinese Health Screening Project. A total of 86,849 non-diabetic patients were enrolled. Cox proportional hazards model, ROC analysis and subgroup analysis were used to evaluate the independent influence of baseline AST/ALT on the risk of incident diabetes in the future.Results: During an average follow-up of 3.13 years, 1790 subjects developed diabetes mellitus among 86849 individuals aged≥20 years. AST/ALT was negatively correlated with low density lipoprotein cholesterol, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, and triglyceride. After adjusting for potential confounders, AST/ALT was significantly negatively correlated with the risk of incident diabetes in the future (HR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.21-0.52). Area under ROC was 0.642. Subgroup analysis showed that negative correlation was more significant among subjects with BMI≥18.5 kg/m2 and < 24 kg/m2, age <40 years old, or in males. Conclusions: In Chinese adults, AST/ALT is negatively correlated with the risk of diabetes.
Breast Cancer Therapy in Women Under 35 Years and Women Aged 50-69 Years: Influence of the Therapy Period
Authors: Schreiber Julia , Schreiber J. , Ignatov Atanas , Burger Elke , Meinecke Anne-Marie , Eggemann Holm
Published: February 2022

Purpose:In recent years, therapeutic strategies based on tumour biology have increased significantly. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the recent changes in patient characteristics, treatment procedures and survival factors for two groups of patients: patients younger than 35 years and patients between 50 and 69 years who belong to the screening group. Methods:For this purpose, data from the population-based Cancer Registry of Magdeburg was used. Subjects included women with non-metastatic breast cancer treated between 2000 and 2015. A comparison was made between two observation periods: 2000-2007 and 2008-2015. Results:The findings report continuous increases in patient survival. Tumour characteristics and treatment modalities changed, especially in the group of older patients. The proportion of prognostically more favourable tumour subtypes, such as Luminal A, increased significantly (30.6% vs. 36.2% resp. 47.1% vs. 64.2%). Between 2008 - 2015, more often hormone receptor-positive, nodal negative, HER2-negative and well-differentiated tumours were observed. Surgical methods were associated with significantly reduced radicality, while the rate of neoadjuvant therapy increased (17.3% vs. 47.1% vs. 11.0% vs. 20.3%) in both groups. Observations reported show a decrease in CMF (Cyclophosphamid, Methotrexat, 5-Fluoruracil) and anthracycline therapies, taxane-containing chemotherapy grew. While tamoxifen was increasingly used in younger patients (40.0% vs. 73.7%), it was superseded by aromatase inhibitors in older patients (52.8% vs. 31.4%). Furthermore, immune therapy received higher approval.Conclusion:Overall, in both age groups, but primarily in older patients, we observed significant changes in tumour biology and treatment options. This led to a continuous improvement in patient outcomes.
Musculoskeletal involvement in childhood leukemia: Characteristics and survival outcomes
Authors: Kittivisuit Sirinthip , Sripornsa Pornpun , Songthawee Natsaruth , Chavananon Shevachut , McNeil Edward B , Chotsampancharoen Thirachit
Published: February 2022

Background: Childhood leukemia with musculoskeletal (MSK) involvement mimics various conditions, which consequently leads to diagnostic delays. The clinical implication of MSK involvement in this disease on survival outcomes is inconclusive. This study aimed to compare characteristics and survival outcomes between MSK and non-MSK involvement in childhood leukemia.Methods: The medical records of children newly diagnosed with acute leukemia aged under 15 years were retrospectively reviewed. Two-to-one nearest-neighbor propensity score-matching was performed to obtain matched groups with and without MSK involvement. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were then used to assess the effect of MSK involvement on survival outcomes.Results: Of 1042 childhood leukemia cases, 81 (7.8%) children had MSK involvement at initial presentation. MSK involvement was more likely in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia than acute myeloid leukemia (p <0.05). Hematologic abnormalities were less frequent in the MSK involvement group (p <0.05). The absence of peripheral blast cells was significantly higher in the MSK involvement group (17.3% vs 9.6%, p = 0.04). Normal complete blood counts with absence of peripheral blast cells were found 2.5% of the children with MSK involvement. By propensity score-matching for comparable risk groups of children with and without MSK involvement, the 5-year overall survival was not significantly different (48.2% vs 57.4%, respectively, p = 0.22), nor was event-free survival (43.3% vs 51.8%, respectively, p = 0.31).Conclusion: Childhood leukemia with MSK involvement had the characteristics of minimal or absent hematologic abnormalities and peripheral blast counts.
Right Ventricular Dysfunction Correlates With Decreased Endothelial Progenitor Cell Mobilisation And Impaired Angiogenesis In Patients With Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Frljak Sabina , Poglajen Gregor , Vrtovec Bojan
Published: February 2022

Aim. Although we have previously demonstrated that CD34+ cell therapy may improve right ventricular (RV) function in non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NICM), the underlying mechanisms remain poorly defined. We sought to investigate a potential correlation between RV function and alterations in angiogenesis in this patient population.Methods. We enrolled 43 consecutive patients with NICM, NYHA class III, and LVEF<40%. In all patients, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) were mobilized by granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF; 10 mcg/kg, 5 days) and collected via apheresis. Before EPC mobilisation we performed echocardiography and measured plasma levels of biomarkers of angiogenesis. The presence of RV dysfunction was defined as TAPSE<17 mm, pulsed Doppler S wave< 9.5 cm/s and RV fractional area change< 35%.Results. RV dysfunction was present in 25/43 patients (58%, RVD Group), and 18/43 patients had preserved RV function (42%, No-RVD Group). The groups did not differ in age, gender, serum creatinine, bilirubin, left ventricular ejection fraction, or NT-proBNP levels. After G-CSF stimulation, we found significantly lower numbers of EPCs in RVD Group (44±43 x106 cells/L) than in No-RVD Group (92±53 x106 cells/L, P=0.001). Similarly, apheresis yielded significantly lower numbers of EPCs in RVD Group (81±82 x106 cells vs. 205±100 x106 cells in No-RVD Group, P=0.001). When compared to No-RVD Group, patients in RVD Group displayed lower levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (32±23 pg/mL vs. 51±24 pg/mL, P=0.01), and higher levels of agiopoietin-2 (61±33 ng/mL vs. 21±18 ng/mL, P=0.01), endostatin (86±30 pg/mL vs. 63±27 ng/mL, P=0.01), and thrombospondin (180±74 pg/mL vs. 93±84 ng/mL, P=0.01), implicating a more pronounced impairment of angiogenetic pathway.Conclusion. In patients with NICM, RV dysfunction appears to correlate with reduced mobilisation of endothelial progenitor cells and impaired angiogenesis.
The measurement of substance use disapproval: different information capacity of disapproval of licit and illicit psychoactive substances along a spectrum of substance use disapproval
Authors: Horváth Zsolt , Magi Anna , Paksi Borbála , Demetrovics Zsolt , Felvinczi Katalin
Published: February 2022

Background. Disapproval of substance use behavior might have a role in the development and persistence of substance use. However, less is known about the measurement function of disapproval of using different types of psychoactive substances. By using item response analyses, the present study aimed to examine the latent structure as well as item-level measurement properties of the construct of substance use disapproval.Methods. Nationally representative adult samples derived from the National Survey on Addiction Problems in Hungary from 2015 (N=2274) and 2019 (N=1385) were used in the present study. Dichotomous items measured the disapproval of eleven forms of substance use, such as smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol and different forms of illicit drug use.Results. A unidimensional measurement model of substance use disapproval was supported. Item response analyses indicated that disapproval of alcohol use and cigarette smoking had moderate discrimination capacity and were located at moderately low-moderately high levels of the substance use disapproval continuum, whereas illicit substance use forms had high-very high discrimination capacities and were ranged at low-very low levels of the disapproval spectrum. Disapproval of experimenting with heroin, ecstasy and designer stimulants had the highest information capacity in 2015, whereas in 2019 disapproval of experimenting with synthetic cannabinoids and experimenting with and using occasionally cannabis were the most informative. Conclusions. Less permissive attitudes were shown for all forms of illicit drug use compared to alcohol and cigarette use. Discrimination and difficulty levels of disapproval of substance use might be associated with legal status of psychoactive substances.
Delayed presentation of an Intra-orbital foreign body: A case report
Authors: Pandit Kamal , Wagle Bivek , Poudel Arika , Shrestha Gulshan Bahadur , Joshi Sagun Narayan
Published: February 2022

PurposeTo report a case of an intra-orbital wooden foreign body that remained asymptomatic for the initial eight months following a traumatic event.ObservationA 33-year-old male presented with sudden onset right lower lid swelling and tearing. He was initially tolerating the symptoms, however, it got progressively worse, so he came two weeks after the initiation of symptoms. His eye vitals were within normal limit, including the visual acuity of 6/6 OU. Additionally, slit lamp and fundus examinations were benign. Concern was for infectious etiology with unclear source. After a lengthy conversation, he recalled falling on the ground with face down about eight months ago. However, he stated that he had remained asymptomatic and never went for treatment after the incident. Non-contrast CT of head and orbit showed hyperdense tract in medial aspect of right eye adjacent to the globe, piercing across the bilateral ethmoidal sinuses. Thus, a diagnosis of retained IOrbFB was made. He underwent surgery where a 5cm rotten wood was extracted. Post-surgical course was uncomplicated.ConclusionNot all penetrating intra-orbital foreign bodies present immediately after the incident. In our case the patient remained asymptomatic for eight months. Therefore, when dealing with an ocular infection of unclear source, clinicians should ask about distant histories of ocular or facial injuries to assess intraocular foreign bodies.
Renomegaly and Acute Kidney Injury as Primary Manifestations of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma: A Report of Three Cases
Authors: Bai Yu , Zheng Yuanyuan , Zhang Qidong , Jiang Qun , Diao Zongli , Guo Wang , Liu Sha , Liu Wenhu
Published: February 2022

Background: In adults with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, renal enlargement and acute kidney injury occur infrequently at first presentation, especially in T lymphocytic lymphomas.Case presentation: We report three cases of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma with acute renal injury and bilateral renal enlargement. At diagnosis, one patient presented with an adrenal mass, one patient's lymph node biopsy was consistent with a renal biopsy, and one patient had primary renal lymphoma with no extrarenal disease. Assessment of renal pathology in Case 2 and Case 3 showed interstitial lymphocyte infiltration; the pathological types were non-Hodgkin's diffuse large B lymphoma originating from activated B cells outside germinal centers and non-Hodgkin's T-lymphoblastic lymphoma/leukemia, respectively. Case 1 did not receive anti-lymphoma therapy and died from infection and multiple organ failure within 1 month of hospitalization. Case 2 received eight courses of R-CHOP; her lymphoma recurred 2 years after diagnosis and she died from severe pulmonary infection 3 years after diagnosis. Case 3 received hyper-CVAD regularly and achieved stable renal function; this patient remains under follow-up.Conclusions: Renal lymphoma may have diverse manifestations, especially primary renal lymphoma without extrarenal involvement. Nephrologists should pay careful attention to these manifestations to ensure accurate diagnosis.
The Missense Mutation In ARSA Gene Causes The Juvenile Form Of MLD
Authors: Barboura Ilhem , Reguez Safa , Soyah Najla , sahli Chaima Abdelhfid , Chkioua Latifa
Published: February 2022

Background: Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD; MIM 250100), is one of the rare lysosomal storage diseases that is due to autosomal recessive inheritance and that causes the deficiency of arylsulfatase A (ARSA) leading to accumulation of sulfatides. The Metachromatic leukodystrophy is caracterizied by the severe neurodegenerative impairment. Case presentation: In this study, we provide a case report of an 6-year-girel Tunisia who presented with low level of ARSA activity, the difficulty in walking, distability of sitting, eating and swallowing. Furthermore she had epileptic seizures, optic atrophy and spasticity.Her genetic testing showed a homozygous missense mutation p.R311Q, in the ARSA gene. Brain magnetic resonance imaging reveals a T1 hypointensity and diffuse T2 and FLAIR hyperintensity signal in the periventricular white matter with preservation of subcortical fibers, consistent with a demyelinating disease.
Penetrating aortic ulcer with intramural hematoma concealed in thoracic aortic mural thrombus
Authors: Li Gen , Hou Ningxin , Xiong Sizheng , Li Jun
Published: February 2022

Background: aortic mural thrombus (AMT) is a relatively rare condition characterized mostly by thrombosis symptoms, while penetrating ulceration with intramural hematoma carries the greatest risk of rupture and is often life-threatening. When they occur together, the situation can become extremely complex and variable. This case is an important cautionary tale for clinical practice by reminding clinicians that it should be alert to other fatal lesions hidden in the diagnosis of initial aortic mural thrombus diagnosis.Case presentation: a 70-year-old man presented to the emergency department with acute chest pain for four days. His urgent Computed tomography angiography (CTA) report suggested an aortic mural thrombus with pleural effusion. But in fact, a trap of penetrating ulceration with intramural hematoma was hidden in AMT. Eventually, the patient died due to the rupture of the aortic ulcer which was not detected in time. Conclusions: this special and rare case shows us that the penetrating aortic ulcer lesion with intramural hematoma may be concealed in thoracic aortic mural thrombus and we tend to miss the diagnosis of it.
A Case of Recurrent COVID-19 Co-infected with Plasmodium Falciparum and the SARS-CoV-2 IgG May be an Indicator for the Discharge Criteria for the Recurrent COVID-19
Authors: Xu Aifang , Zuo Zhongbao , Yan Jun , Wang Miaochan , Wu Jing , Zhang Yan , Jin Yujiao , Li Zhaoyi , Huang Jinsong
Published: February 2022

BackgroundDue to the similar symptoms between COVID-19 and malaria, it’s difficult to identify the differences between them. We firstly report a patient of recurrent COVID-19 and Plasmodium falciparum co-infection. Case presentationShe was confirmed with COVID-19 95 days ago. The laboratory tests showed she had high inflammation results. The SARS-CoV-2 IgG was positive, but the IgM was negative. A rapid serum detection for malaria was finished and found with Plasmodium falciparum. The patient received levofloxacin for anti-infection，and Dihydroartemisinin piperaquine was to clear the parasite. A combined of Lopinavir (LPV), Arbidol Hydrochloride Granules (AHG), and Recombinant Human interferon a2b atomization inhalation (IAI) was used to treat COVID-19. ConclusionUnder the pandemic time of COVID-19, it is best to do a combined test for the COVID-19 and other tropical diseases, which could be better for us to early diagnosis and early treatment. To a recurrent COVID-19 patient, we believe that the level of SARS-CoV-2 IgG in convalescent stage is 4 times or more than that in acute stage is a good sign for discharge.
Nutritional therapy for critical coronavirus disease 2019 patients: a case report
Authors: Wang Min , Zhang Zeyu , Fu Shanbin , Huang Fuli , Lei Xianying , Li Min , Zhang Caifeng , Wang Ying , Xiao Shuzhen
Published: February 2022

Background: An ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is spreading, there are few reports on exploring individualized nutritional therapy for critical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.Case presentation:To explore individualized nutritional therapy for critical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.A nutritional treatment plan was created through nutritional risk screening and nutritional assessment, and an individualized nutritional treatment was implemented through multidisciplinary collaboration. The patient’s gastrointestinal symptoms were corrected, and her nutrition-related indicators such as albumin and body weight were improved. She was cured and discharged.Conclusion: Nutritional therapy is beneficial to improve the nutritional status and clinical outcome of critical COVID- 19 patients.
Optimization of the production process for the anticancer lead compound illudin M II. Process development in stirred tank bioreactors
Authors: Chaverra-Muñoz Lillibeth , Hüttel Stephan
Published: February 2022

Background: The fungal natural products illudin S and M have been investigated as precursors for the development of semisynthetic anticancer agents such as Irofulven (illudin S derivative) which is currently in phase II clinical trials. Recently, illudin M derivatives have shown in vitro improved selectivity towards cancer cells encouraging further investigations. This requires a stable supply of the precursor which is produced by Basidiomycota of the genus Omphalotus. We have recently developed a stable process for the production of gram quantities of illudin M from Omphalotus nidiformis in shake flasks, but transferring such findings into stirred tank bioreactors - which can be used in a commercial production set-up - is often not straightforward and is particularly challenging when the producer can undergo morphological changes. There are only few reports addressing bioprocess development for production of compounds from Basidiomycota since these organisms have been underexplored i.a because they have complex life cycles and many of them are difficult to cultivate under laboratory conditions.Results: The recently developed shake flask process yielding stable titers of ~940 mg L-1 of illudin M was evaluated using off-gas analysis, and critical parameters were identified to facilitate the transfer from shaken into stirred tank bioreactors. The process was adapted in 2 L stirred tank bioreactors (1.5 L working volume) by controlling growth of biomass with a carefully timed pH-shift combined with an improved precursor-feeding strategy. This resulted in comparable titers as in shake flasks. A scale-up experiment in a 15 L bioreactor (10 L working volume), resembling the process at 1.5 L resulted in illudin M >500 mg L-1 and will be the starting point for optimization of the identified parameters at that scale.Conclusion: By identifying and controlling key process parameters, the production process for illudin M was transferred from shake flasks into stirred tank bioreactors reaching comparable titers (> 900 mg L-1) which is significantly higher than any previously reported yield. The established bioprocess at bench-scale (~500 mg L-1) paves the way towards further scale-up studies that will enable industrial supply of illudin M to support preclinical and clinical development programs.
Polarization transformation and destructive interference on subwavelength magnetic domains in magneto-plasmonic systems
Authors: Yamane Haruki , Yanase Satoshi , Hasegawa Takashi , Kobayashi Masanobu , Yasukawa Yukiko
Published: February 2022

We demonstrate magneto-optical (MO) polarization transformation due to surface plasmons in CoPt perpendicular magnetic films in the polar Kerr geometry. An extraordinary Kerr rotation angle (±88.9°) that almost reaches the upper limit of polarization is produced in the attenuated total reflection (Kretschmann) configuration. P-polarized incident radiation is almost transformed upon reflection to s-polarized radiation, which may be out of phase depending on whether the magnetization of CoPt is up or down. Moreover, the reflected intensity may be drastically modulated by applying an external magnetic field. The reflectivity goes almost to zero in the demagnetized state and increases with increasing external magnetic field. This drastic optical response is attributed to the MO destructive interference produced by the subwavelength magnetic domain structure.
Soil microbial community composition and tolerance to contaminants in an urban brownfield site
Authors: Mejia Maura Palacios , Rojas Connie , Curd Emily , Renshaw Mark , Edalati Kiumars , Shih Beverly , Vincent Nitin , Lin Meixi , Nguyen Peggy , Wayne Robert , Jessup Kelsey , Parker Sophie
Published: February 2022

Brownfields are unused sites that likely contain hazardous substances due to previous commercial or industrial use. These sites are a priority for remediation and redevelopment because of the risk to humans, flora, and fauna. Bioremediation of brownfield sites can be facilitated by in situ microbial communities, but little research exists that characterizes microbial communities at these sites or understands which microbial taxa may play a role in successful bioremediation at Brownfields. We sequence three gene markers (16S ribosomal RNA, 18S ribosomal RNA and Fungal Internal Transcribed Spacer) in 36 soil samples collected at five depths from a defunct urban rail yard in Los Angeles to: (1) profile the composition of the soil microbiome across depths; (2) determine the extent to which hazardous chemicals predict microbiome variation; and (3) identify microbial taxonomic groups that may metabolize these contaminants. Detected contaminants in the samples include heavy metals, petroleum hydrocarbons, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Bacterial, eukaryotic, and fungal communities all varied with depth and with concentrations of arsenic, chromium, cobalt, and lead. 18S rRNA microbiome richness was positively correlated with cobalt and lead concentrations. Furthermore, bacterial Paenibacillus and Iamia, eukaryotic Actinochloris, and fungal Alternaria were enriched in contaminated soils compared to uncontaminated soils and were identified as taxa of interest for future bioremediation trials. Based on our results, we recommend the use of test plots that combine in situ native microorganisms and plant-associated mycorrhizae to determine bioremediation potential. We also recommend incorporating DNA-based microbial community profiling in brownfield site assessment and cleanup monitoring.