bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy and safety assessment of traditional Chinese medicine for metabolic syndrome
Authors: Wu Haoran , Tian Jiaxing , Dai Dan , Liao Jiangquan , Wang Xinmiao , Wei Xiuxiu , Jin De , An Xuedong , Lian Fengmei , Tong Xiaolin
Published: March 2020

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a multifarious metabolic disorder that could severely damage multiple organs. The emergence of MetS has markedly increased medical burden for patients. The treatment of MetS involves multitarget regulation, which is the advantage of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Many high-quality studies related to TCM for MetS have been conducted in recent years; however, no overall efficacy analysis has been reported. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of TCM against MetS, we reviewed randomized controlled trials of MetS published in the past decade and then selected and analyzed 16 high-quality articles from over 800 papers. The results showed that TCM might be beneficial in improving body weight as well as in regulating glucose and lipid metabolisms; thus, TCM might be an ideal alternative therapy for MetS management. Treatment safety was also estimated in our analysis. A more elaborately designed and long-term observation of TCM for MetS should be performed in the future.
Impact of comorbidities on anti-TNFα response and relapse in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: the VERNE study
Authors: Marin-Jimenez Ignacio , Bastida Guillermo , Forés Ana , Garcia-Planella Esther , Argüelles-Arias Federico , Sarasa Pilar , Tagarro Ignacio , Fernández-Nistal Alonso , Montoto Carmen , Aguas Mariam , Santos-Fernández Javier , Bosca-Watts Marta Maia , Ferreiro Rocio , Merino Olga , Aldeguer Xavier , Cortés Xavier , Sicilia Beatriz , Mesonero Francisco , Barreiro-de Acosta Manuel
Published: March 2020

Objective

To evaluate the impact of comorbidities and extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease on the response of patients with inflammatory bowel disease to antitumour necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNFα) therapy.

Design

Data from 310 patients (194 with Crohn’s disease and 116 with ulcerative colitis) treated consecutively with the first anti-TNFα in 24 Spanish hospitals were retrospectively analysed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the associations between inflammatory bowel disease comorbidities and extraintestinal manifestations with anti-TNFα treatment outcomes. Key clinical features, such as type of inflammatory bowel disease and concomitant treatments, were included as fixed factors in the model.

Results

Multivariate logistic regression analyses (OR, 95% CI) showed that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (2.67, 1.33 to 5.35) and hepato-pancreato-biliary diseases (1.87, 1.48 to 2.36) were significantly associated with primary non-response to anti-TNFα, as was the use of corticosteroids and the type of inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis vs Crohn’s disease). It was also found that myocardial infarction (3.30, 1.48 to 7.35) and skin disease (2.73, 1.42 to 5.25) were significantly associated with loss of response, along with the use of corticosteroids and the type of inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis vs Crohn’s disease).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the presence of some comorbidities in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and myocardial infarction, and of certain extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease, such as hepato-pancreato-biliary conditions and skin diseases, appear to be related to failure to anti-TNFα treatment. Therefore, their presence should be considered when choosing a treatment.

Trial registration number

NCT02861118.
Deep learning in gastric tissue diseases: a systematic review
Authors: Gonçalves Wanderson Gonçalves e , Santos Marcelo Henrique de Paula dos , Lobato Fábio Manoel França , Ribeiro-dos-Santos Ândrea , Araújo Gilderlanio Santana de
Published: March 2020

Background

In recent years, deep learning has gained remarkable attention in medical image analysis due to its capacity to provide results comparable to specialists and, in some cases, surpass them. Despite the emergence of deep learning research on gastric tissues diseases, few intensive reviews are addressing this topic.

Method

We performed a systematic review related to applications of deep learning in gastric tissue disease analysis by digital histology, endoscopy and radiology images.

Conclusions

This review highlighted the high potential and shortcomings in deep learning research studies applied to gastric cancer, ulcer, gastritis and non-malignant diseases. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of gastric tissue analysis by deep learning applications. Moreover, we also identified gaps of evaluation metrics, and image collection availability, therefore, impacting experimental reproducibility.
Integrating a diet quality screener into a cardiology practice: assessment of nutrition counseling, cardiometabolic risk factors and patient/provider satisfaction
Authors: Beasley Jeannette , Sardina Paloma , Johnston Emily , Ganguzza Lisa , Padikkala Jane , Bagheri Ashley , Jones Simon , Gianos Eugenia
Published: March 2020

Objective

We assessed factors related to the integration of an office-based diet quality screener: nutrition counselling, cardiometabolic risk factors and patient/physician satisfaction.

Methods

We evaluated the impact of a 10-item diet quality measure (self-rated diet quality question and a 9-item Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS)) prior to the cardiology visit on assessment of nutrition counselling, cardiometabolic risk factors and patient/provider satisfaction. Study staff trained the nine participating physicians on the purpose and use of the screener. To assess physician uptake of the diet quality screener, we reviewed all charts having a documented dietitian referral or visit and a 20% random sample of remaining participants that completed the screener at least once to determine the proportion of notes that referenced the diet quality screener and documented specific counselling based on the screener.

Results

Between December 2017 and August 2018, 865 patients completed the diet quality screener. Mean age was 59 (SD 16) years, 54% were male and mean body mass index was 27.4 (SD 6.0) kg/m2. Almost one-fifth (18.5%) of participants rated their diet as fair or poor, and mean MDS (range 0–9) was moderate (mean 5.6±1.8 SD). Physicians referred 22 patients (2.5%) to a dietitian.

Conclusion

Integrating the screener into the electronic health record did not increase dietitian referrals, and improvements in screener scores were modest among the subset of patients completing multiple screeners. Future work could develop best practices for physicians in using diet quality screeners to allow for some degree of standardisation of nutrition referral and counselling received by the patients.
Communication quality in telephone triage conducted by general practitioners, nurses or physicians: a quasi-experimental study using the AQTT to assess audio-recorded telephone calls to out-of-hours primary care in Denmark
Authors: Graversen Dennis Schou , Huibers Linda , Christensen Morten Bondo , Bro Flemming , Collatz Christensen Helle , Vestergaard Claus Høstrup , Pedersen Anette Fischer
Published: March 2020

Objectives

To compare the quality of communication in out-of-hours (OOH) telephone triage conducted by general practitioners (GPs), nurses using a computerised decision support system and physicians with different medical specialities, and to explore the association between communication quality and efficiency, length of call and the accuracy of telephone triage.

Design

Natural quasi-experimental cross-sectional study.

Setting

Two Danish OOH services using different telephone triage models: a GP cooperative and the medical helpline 1813.

Participants

1294 audio-recorded randomly selected OOH telephone triage calls from 2016 conducted by GPs (n=423), nurses using CDSS (n=430) and physicians with different medical specialities (n=441).

Main outcome measures

Twenty-four physicians assessed the calls. The panel used a validated assessment tool (Assessment of Quality in Telephone Triage, AQTT) to measure nine aspects of communication, overall perceived communication quality, efficiency and length of call.

Results

The risk ofpoorquality was significantly higher in calls triaged by GPs compared with calls triaged by nurses regarding ‘allowing the caller to describe the situation’ (GP: 13.5% nurse: 9.8%), ‘mastering questioning techniques’ (GP: 27.4% nurse: 21.1%), ‘summarising’ (GP: 33.0% nurse: 21.0%) and ‘paying attention to caller’s experience’ (GP: 25.7% nurse: 17.0%). The risk ofpoorquality was significantly higher in calls triaged by physicians compared with calls triaged by GPs in five out of nine items. GP calls were significantly shorter (2 min 57 s) than nurse calls (4 min 44 s) and physician calls (4 min 1 s). Undertriaged calls were rated lower than optimally triaged calls for overall quality of communication (p<0.001) and all specific items.

Conclusions

Compared with telephone triage by GPs, the communication quality was higher in calls triaged by nurses and lower in calls triaged by physicians with different medical specialities. However, calls triaged by nurses and physicians were longer and perceived less efficient. Quality of communication was associated with accurate triage.
Protocol for a cross-sectional study measuring person-centredness among healthcare providers in Malaysian primary care clinics: the adaptation and validation of the Person-Centred Practice Inventory-Staff (PCPI-S) Questionnaire
Authors: Balqis-Ali Nur Zahirah , Saw Pui San , Jailani Anis Syakira , Yeoh Tze Wei , Fun Weng Hong , Mohd-Salleh Noridah , Tengku Bahanuddin Tengku Putri Zaharah , Medan Catherine Anak , Lee Shaun Wen Huey , Sararaks Sondi
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Person-centred care (PCC) has become a global movement in healthcare. Despite this, the level of PCC is not routinely assessed in clinical practice. This protocol describes the adaptation and validation of the Person-Centred Practice Inventory-Staff (PCPI-S) tool that will be used to assess person-centred practices of primary healthcare providers in Malaysia.

Methods and analysis

To ensure conceptual and item equivalence, the original version of the PCPI-S will be reviewed and adapted for cultural context by an expert committee. The instrument will subsequently be translated into Malay language using the forward-backward translation method by two independent bilingual speaking individuals. This will be pretested in four primary care clinics and refined accordingly. The instrument will be assessed for its psychometric properties, such as test-retest reliability, construct and internal validity, using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis.

Ethics and dissemination

Study findings will be disseminated to healthcare professionals and academicians in the field through publication in peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations, as well as at managerial clinic sites for practice improvement. The study was approved by the Medical Research and Ethics Committee (MREC), Ministry of Health Malaysia (KKM/NIHSEC/ P18-766 (14) and Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee (2018-14363-19627).
Physician-level variation in clinical outcomes and resource use in inpatient general internal medicine: an observational study
Authors: Verma Amol A , Guo Yishan , Jung Hae Young , Laupacis Andreas , Mamdani Muhammad , Detsky Allan S , Weinerman Adina , Tang Terence , Rawal Shail , Lapointe-Shaw Lauren , Kwan Janice L , Razak Fahad
Published: March 2020

Background

Variations in inpatient medical care are typically attributed to system, hospital or patient factors. Little is known about variations at the physician level within hospitals. We described the physician-level variation in clinical outcomes and resource use in general internal medicine (GIM).

Methods

This was an observational study of all emergency admissions to GIM at seven hospitals in Ontario, Canada, over a 5-year period between 2010 and 2015. Physician-level variations in inpatient mortality, hospital length of stay, 30-day readmission and use of ‘advanced imaging’ (CT, MRI or ultrasound scans) were measured. Physicians were categorised into quartiles within each hospital for each outcome and then quartiles were pooled across all hospitals (eg, physicians in the highest quartile at each hospital were grouped together). We report absolute differences between physicians in the highest and lowest quartiles after matching admissions based on propensity scores to account for patient-level variation.

Results

The sample included 103 085 admissions to 135 attending physicians. After propensity score matching, the difference between physicians in the highest and lowest quartiles for in-hospital mortality was 2.4% (95% CI 0.6% to 4.3%, p<0.01); for readmission was 3.3% (95% CI 0.7% to 5.9%, p<0.01); for advanced imaging was 0.32 tests per admission (95% CI 0.12 to 0.52, p<0.01); and for hospital length of stay was 1.2 additional days per admission (95% CI 0.5 to 1.9, p<0.01). Physician-level differences in length of stay and imaging use were consistent across numerous sensitivity analyses and stable over time. Differences in mortality and readmission were consistent across most sensitivity analyses but were not stable over time and estimates were limited by sample size.

Conclusions

Patient outcomes and resource use in inpatient medical care varied substantially across physicians in this study. Physician-level variations in length of stay and imaging use were unlikely to be explained by patient factors whereas differences in mortality and readmission should be interpreted with caution and could be explained by unmeasured confounders. Physician-level variations may represent practice differences that highlight quality improvement opportunities.
Mortality in biopsy-proven alcohol-related liver disease: a population-based nationwide cohort study of 3453 patients
Authors: Hagström Hannes , Thiele Maja , Roelstraete Bjorn , Söderling Jonas , Ludvigsson Jonas F
Published: March 2020

Objective

Patients with alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) are at increased risk of death, but studies have rarely investigated the significance of histological severity or estimated relative risks compared with a general population. We examined mortality in a nationwide cohort of biopsy-proven ALD.

Design

Population-based cohort study in Sweden comparing 3453 individuals with an International Classification of Disease (ICD) code for ALD and a liver biopsy from 1969 to 2017 with 16 535 matched general population individuals. Swedish national registers were used to ascertain overall and disease-specific mortality, starting follow-up at the latest of first ICD diagnosis or liver biopsy plus 3 months. Cox regression adjusted for relevant confounders was used to estimate HRs in ALD and histopathological subgroups.

Results

Median age at diagnosis was 58 years, 65% were men and 52% had cirrhosis at baseline. Five-year cumulative mortality was 40.9% in patients with ALD compared with 5.8% in reference individuals. The risk for overall mortality was significantly increased (adjusted HR (aHR)=4.70, 95% CI 4.35 to 5.08). The risk of liver-related death was particularly high (43% of all deaths, aHR=167.6, 95% CI 101.7 to 276.3). Mortality was significantly increased also in patients with ALD without cirrhosis and was highest in the first year after baseline but persisted after ≥10 years of follow-up (aHR=2.74, 95% CI 2.37 to 3.16).

Conclusion

Individuals with biopsy-proven ALD have a near fivefold increased risk of death compared with the general population. Individuals with ALD without cirrhosis were also at increased risk of death, reaffirming the need to increase vigilance in the management of these individuals.
Autophagy induction by thiostrepton improves the efficacy of immunogenic chemotherapy
Authors: Wang Yan , Xie Wei , Humeau Juliette , Chen Guo , Liu Peng , Pol Jonathan , Zhang Zhen , Kepp Oliver , Kroemer Guido
Published: March 2020

Background

Immunogenic cell death (ICD) is a peculiar modality of cellular demise that elicits adaptive immune responses and triggers T cell-dependent immunity.

Methods

Fluorescent biosensors were employed for an unbiased drug screen approach aiming at the identification of ICD enhancers.

Results

Here, we discovered thiostrepton as an enhancer of ICD able to boost chemotherapy-induced ATP release, calreticulin exposure and high-mobility group box 1 exodus. Moreover, thiostrepton enhanced anticancer immune responses of oxaliplatin (OXA) in vivo in immunocompetent mice, yet failed to do so in immunodeficient animals. Consistently, thiostrepton combined with OXA altered the ratio of cytotoxic T lymphocytes to regulatory T cells, thus overcoming immunosuppression and reinstating anticancer immunosurveillance.

Conclusion

Altogether, these results indicate that thiostrepton can be advantageously combined with chemotherapy to enhance anticancer immunogenicity.
Towards responsible ejaculations: the moral imperative for male contraceptive responsibility
Authors: Shahvisi Arianne
Published: March 2020

In this paper, I argue that men should take primary responsibility for protecting against pregnancy. Male long-acting reversible contraceptives are currently in development, and, once approved, should be used as the standard method for avoiding pregnancy. Since women assume the risk of pregnancy when they engage in penis-in-vagina sex, men should do their utmost to ensure that their ejaculations are responsible, otherwise women shoulder a double burden of pregnancy risk plus contraceptive responsibility. Changing the expectations regarding responsibility for contraception would render penis-in-vagina sex more equitable, and could lead to a shift in the discourse around abortion access. I describe the sex asymmetries of contraceptive responsibility and of pregnancy-related risk, and offer arguments in favour of men taking primary responsibility for contraception. My arguments centre on: (1) analogies between contraception and vaccination, and unwanted pregnancy and disease; (2) a veil-of-ignorance approach, in which I contend that if a person were not told their sex, they would find a society in which men were expected to acquire and use effective contraceptives the fairest arrangement for everyone.
Headache in cerebrovascular diseases
Authors: Lu Jiajie , Liu Wei , Zhao Hongru
Published: March 2020

Headache is a common accompanying symptom of cerebrovascular diseases. The most common patterns of headache for different cerebrovascular disorders, aetiology and pathogenesis and diagnostic workup are reviewed with emphasis on distinguishing characteristics. It will be a clinical guide for physicians who treat patients with headache or cerebral vascular disease.
Optimising the sampling procedure for forensic investigation of bruises on pigs
Authors: Barington Kristiane , Skovgaard Kerstin , Henriksen Nicole Lind , Jensen Henrik Elvang
Published: March 2020

Background

Human‐inflicted bruises on pigs are a violation of the law and affected tissue is regularly sent for forensic investigation. The authors aimed to evaluate the variation in inflammation within and between human‐inflicted porcine bruises in order to determine the optimal sampling procedure.

Methods

Skin and muscle tissues from the centre and ends of 21 bruises were evaluated histologically. Moreover, RNA was extracted from the subcutaneous fat tissue. The bruises were detected during meat inspection at the slaughter line, and all carcases were kept at 5°C for 12–24 hours before sampling.

Results

The sampling site with the most infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages differed between bruises inflicted on the same pig and between bruises inflicted on more pigs within the same delivery. The extracted RNA had RIN (RNA integrity number) values from 3 to 6.5.

Conclusions

Tissue samples should always be taken from both skin and underlying muscle tissue. Samples should be collected from several sites along each bruise, and all bruises should be sampled in order to include the site of maximum tissue damage and inflammation. Moreover, RNA of sufficient quality for quantitative PCR and subsequent age estimation cannot be obtained from carcases kept for 12–24 hours at 5°C.
Differential modulation after feeding in different salinities and response to abscisic acid (ABA) and extracellular Ca2+ of aminopeptidase N (APN) activity in the hepatopancreas of the intertidal euryhaline crab Neohelice granulata
Authors: Michiels M.S. , Daleo G.R. , López Mañanes A.A.
Published: March 2020

Modulation of aminopeptidase N (APN) activity in the digestive tract by various factors would be important to adjust digestive and absorptive processes under different physiological and (or) environmental conditions. We studied the postprandial responses at different salinities and the effect of abscisic acid (ABA) and extracellular Ca2+ on APN activity in the hepatopancreas (the main site for nutrient digestion and absorption) of the model species Neohelice granulata (Dana, 1851). Enzyme activity was determined at different times (0, 24, 48, and 72 h) after feeding in crabs acclimated either to 35 psu (osmoconformation) or 10 psu (hyper-regulation). APN activity increased around 50% at 24 h after feeding at 35 psu, whereas no changes occurred at 10 psu. Enzyme activity was also assayed in the presence of ABA (1 × 10–4 mol·L–1) or extracellular Ca2+ (1 × 10–4 mol·L–1), showing increments of 60% and 56%, respectively. The results suggest a role of APN in postprandial adjustments and its modulation by different chemical messengers by direct effect on the hepatopancreas. Moreover, to our knowledge, this work is the first to show the effect of ABA on a digestive enzyme in the digestive tract of an animal.
Axial gravity and anomalies of fermions
Authors: Bastianelli Fiorenzo , Broccoli Matteo
Published: March 2020

We consider a Dirac fermion in a metric-axial-tensor (MAT) background. By regulating it with Pauli–Villars fields we analyze and compute its full anomaly structure. Appropriate limits of the MAT background allows to recover the anomalies of Dirac and Weyl fermions in the usual curved spacetime, obtaining in particular the trace anomaly of a chiral fermion, which has been the object of recent analyses.
Terahertz polarization-independent electromagnetically-induced transparency structures
Authors: Sun Dandan , Qi Limei
Published: March 2020

Two simple polarization-independent electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT) metamaterials are numerically and experimentally demonstrated at the terahertz region. The first structure is composed of two metal concentric rings on a substrate, while the second one is composed of one metal ring with a cross in it. The bright–bright coupling behavior appears in the two symmetric polarization-independent EIT structures while it is generally observed in asymmetrically structures. In addition, the large group index is extracted to verify the slow-light effect of the two EIT structures. These simple EIT structures may have potential applications in certain areas, including sensing, slow-light and filtering devices.
Novel quantum proxy signature scheme based on orthogonal quantum product states
Authors: Xu Yanlong , Xu Guangbao , Jiang Donghuan
Published: March 2020

With further research, the theory of local discrimination of orthogonal product states (OPSs) becomes more and more perfect. In this paper, we present a quantum proxy signature (QPS) scheme based on a set of OPSs that cannot be exactly discriminated by local operations and classical communation (LOCC). Our scheme possesses all the properties of QPS. More importantly, no one can obtain any meaningful information of a signature owing to the different particles of an OPS are separately transmitted. We show that our scheme is secure by a detailed security analysis.
China’s Economy on a Rocky Trajectory
Authors: LI Yao , TONG Sarah Y
Published: March 2020

China’s economic growth has declined steadily since 2010. In 2019, trade conflict between China and the United States added uncertainties and weakened business and consumer confidence, thereby leading to further deceleration. Although the Chinese government has adopted policies to facilitate structural changes and support growth, changes would take time to occur and there may also be contradictions among policies.

Promotion of the non-state sector may be difficult with the government’s prominent role in resource allocation. The year 2020 may be even more challenging for China’s economy. In addition to declining profits and slower income growth, the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak is a huge negative shock bringing new uncertainties.
From the Editor: The Presents of Presence
Authors: Kelly Robert G.
Published: March 2020

There has been a recent resurgence in the practice of mindfulness, in which one focuses on the present moment, accepting without self-judgement, one’s feelings, sensations, and thoughts. Being present in the moment is another description.
Pennington Corner: Why We Do What We Do
Authors: Jannuzzi Christopher J.
Published: March 2020

Greetings and welcome to the first edition of Interface for 2020 and the new decade to come!
App Corner
Authors: Suroviec Alice
Published: March 2020

A collection of applications that can assist the end user in their daily routine.
Electrochemistry for Space Life Support
Authors: Nelson George J. , Vijapur Santosh H. , Hall Timothy D. , Brown Brittany R. , Peña-Duarte Armando , Cabrera Carlos R.
Published: March 2020

Electrochemical technology plays a key role in maintaining habitable environments for human space exploration. Historically, oxygen generation through electrolysis has been a key electrochemical technology for space life support. However, emerging electrochemical technologies are changing the way we process carbon dioxide and urine to supply oxygen and fresh water. Similarly, electrochemical production of hydrogen peroxide can support in-situ resource utilization to produce disinfectants for sanitary needs. These technologies will support space exploration that relies upon closed loop living and is increasingly independent of ground support, opening opportunities for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.
Electrochemical Approaches to “Living off the Land” in Space
Authors: Jackson Gregory S. , Elangovan S. , Hintze Paul E.
Published: March 2020

The incredible expense of sending resources out of Earth’s gravity well to space predicates that systems for long-term space operations rely on resources already available in space for energy and materials. Such in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) can harness ubiquitous solar energy and its conversion to electricity. As such, electrochemistry has been recognized as a critical path for converting low-value compounds and materials in space into valuable products such as fuel, oxygen, structural materials, and functional materials/devices to support proposed space operations. Recent advances in electrolysis for splitting water and CO2 and in systems for reducing oxides provide promise for advancing ISRU. As demonstrated by the successful MOXIE development to provide a small-scale CO2 electrolysis unit to Mars, development of robust autonomous electrochemical systems for near-term ISRU presents unique challenges. Nonetheless, the potential rewards of such development for space operation as well as terrestrial technology deployment can be enormous.
Defining the Efficacy and Safety of Phosphodiesterase Type 5 Inhibitors with Tamsulosin for the Treatment of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Secondary to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia with or without Erectile Dysfunction: A Network Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Ma Chengquan , Zhang Jianzhong , Cai Zhonglin , Xiong Jian , Li Hongjun
Published: March 2020

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to compare the relative safety and efficacy of different types of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5‐Is) with tamsulosin for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) (BPH‐LUTS) with or without erectile dysfunction (ED). Methods. We use the Stata version 13.0 to conduct the network meta‐analysis (NMA) with a random effects model of the Bayesian framework. The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), Maximum Urinary Flow Fate (Qmax), International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), and their credible intervals (CI) were used to compare the efficacy and safety of every medical intervention, including sildenafil plus tamsulosin, tadalafil plus tamsulosin, and vardenafil plus tamsulosin. Results. Seven RCTs including 531 participants with seven interventions were analyzed. The results of NMA SUCRA showed that compared with different doses or types of PDE5‐Is combined with tamsulosin (0.4 mg qd), the sildenafil (25 mg qd) combined with tamsulosin (0.4 mg qd) group had the greatest probabilities of being the best in the achievement of improving IIEF. The sildenafil (25 mg 4 days per week) combined with tamsulosin (0.4 mg qd) group had the greatest probabilities of being the best in the achievement of improving Qmax, whereas sildenafil (25 mg qd) combined with tamsulosin (0.4 mg qd) ranked the best for the safety outcomes. Conclusions. This meta‐analysis indicates that sildenafil combined with tamsulosin is the best effective and tolerated treatment option for BPH‐LUTS with or without ED. Further RCTs are strongly required to provide more direct evidence.
Ganglion of the Sternoclavicular Joint: A Rare Location of an Uncommon Pediatric Mass
Authors: Musiol Jacob , Hansen Jacob , Wood Jonathan
Published: March 2020

This is a case of a two-year-old boy with a ganglion arising from the sternoclavicular joint. Ganglia are rare in the pediatric population, with less than 2% occurring under the age of 2 years old. Additionally, sternoclavicular joint ganglia are also exceedingly rare. The case illustrates the importance of keeping ganglion within the differential diagnosis for palpable subcutaneous masses, even in young children, especially when they are seen to connect to the joint.
The Ground-State Calculations for Some Nuclei by Mesonic Potential of Nucleon-Nucleon Interaction
Authors: Hanna K. M. , Sewailem S. H. M. , Hussien R. , Abou-Salem L. I. , Shalaby Asmaa G.
Published: March 2020

The interaction of nucleon-nucleon (NN) has certain physical characteristics, indicated by nucleon, and meson degrees of freedom. The main purpose of this work is calculating the ground-state energies of  12H and  24He through the two-body system with the exchange of mesons (π, σ, and ω) that mediated between two nucleons. This paper investigates the NN interaction based on the quasirelativistic decoupled Dirac equation and self-consistent Hartree-Fock formulation. We construct a one-boson exchange potential (OBEP) model, where each nucleon is treated as a Dirac particle and acts as a source of pseudoscalar, scalar, and vector fields. The potential in the present work is analytically derived with two static functions of meson, the single-particle energy-dependent (SPED) and generalized Yukawa (GY) functions; the parameters used in meson functions are just published ones (mass, coupling constant, and cutoff parameters). The theoretical results are compared to other theoretical models and their corresponding experimental data; one can see that the SPED function gives more satisfied agreement than the GY function in the case of the considered nuclei.
Factors Associated with Health Literacy among the Elderly People in Vietnam
Authors: Van Hoa Ho , Giang Hoang Thi , Vu Pham Tuan , Van Tuyen Duong , Khue Pham Minh
Published: March 2020

Background. There is a lack of information regarding health literacy (HL) in elderly people in Vietnam. Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate the health literacy and the associated factors in elderly people in Vietnam. Methods. A cross‐sectional study was conducted on a sample of 300 elderly people aged 55 years and above. Data were obtained from study participants using face‐to‐face interviews using designed questionnaires on sociodemographics, behaviors, and health literacy. Multiple linear regression models were performed to identify potential determinants of health literacy. Results. HL scores were 29.70 ± 8.20 for the general HL dimension, 32.00 ± 9.60 for the healthcare dimension, 21.97 ± 10.06 for the disease prevention dimension, and 35.15 ± 9.43 for the health promotion dimension. In the final model, age was negatively associated with HL (B − coefficient = −0.09, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) (‐0.17 to ‐0.008), P = 0.030). Occupation (B = 4.77, 95% CI (3.18 to 6.36), P < 0.001), taking care of children (B = 1.68, 95% CI (0.21 to 3.15), P = 0.025), social activity (B = 4.61, 95% CI (2.86 to 6.37), P < 0.001), doing exercises (B = 2.52, 95% CI (1.07 to 3.96), P = 0.001), television watching (B = 2.10, 95% CI (0.75 to 3.45), P = 0.002), using the Internet (B = 2.93, 95% CI (1.29 to 4.57), P = 0.001), and social connection (B = 3.50, 95% CI (1.23 to 5.78), P = 0.003) were positively associated with HL, respectively. Conclusion. Age, occupation, and a number of behaviors were significantly associated with HL in elder people. Health education campaigns should take into account the above factors as facilitating access to the Internet and providing opportunities for social networks for the elderly.
Effect of Huangqin Tang on Colonic Gene Expression in Rats with Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Wang Dunfang , Shi KaiFeng , Wang Yanli , Zou Dixin , Guo Shanshan , Li Tao , Xu Hangyu , Ma Xuran , Liu JiaXing , Song HongXin , Yang Weipeng , Li Yu
Published: March 2020

In this study, we explored the pharmacological mechanisms of Huangqin Tang (HQT; a traditional Chinese medicine formula) in ulcerative colitis (UC) and provided evidence for potential roles HQT plays by gene expression profiling. The UC rat model was made via a compound method (trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid plus ethanol). After a ten-day treatment, microarray analysis was performed from the colon segment of the rats. Biological functions and specific signaling pathways were enriched based on differentially expressed genes (DEG), and corresponding gene networks were constructed via Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). Through the network, we screened the potential “candidate targets,” such as ITGB1, FN1, CASP3, and ITGA5 and FABP1, ABCB1, FABP2, and SLC51B. These potential candidate targets were functionally related to immune responses, inflammation, and metabolism. Moreover, HQT significantly decreased serum levels of proinflammatory factors nitrogen monoxide (NO), proinflammatory cytokines interleukin- (IL-) 17, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). The degree of HE staining of colonic tissue was severe in the model group but reduced significantly in the HQT group. HQT exhibited protective effects against colon damage by inhibiting the inflammatory response.
IMPContact: An Interhelical Residue Contact Prediction Method
Authors: Fang Chao , Jia Yajie , Hu Lihong , Lu Yinghua , Wang Han
Published: March 2020

As an important category of proteins, alpha‐helix transmembrane proteins (αTMPs) play an important role in various biological activities. Because the solved αTMP structures are inadequate, predicting the residue contacts among the transmembrane segments of an αTMP exhibits the basis of protein fold, which can be used to further discover more protein functions. A few efforts have been devoted to predict the interhelical residue contact using machine learning methods based on the prior knowledge of transmembrane protein structure. However, it is still a challenge to improve the prediction accuracy, while the deep learning method provides an opportunity to utilize the structural knowledge in a different insight. For this purpose, we proposed a novel αTMP residue‐residue contact prediction method IMPContact, in which a convolutional neural network (CNN) was applied to recognize those interhelical contacts in a TMP using its specific structural features. There were four sequence‐based TMP‐specific features selected to descript a pair of residues, namely, evolutionary covariation, predicted topology structure, residue relative position, and evolutionary conservation. An up‐to‐date dataset was used to train and test the IMPContact; our method achieved better performance compared to peer methods. In the case studies, IHRCs in the regular transmembrane helixes were better predicted than in the irregular ones.
Mesenchymal Stem Cell‐Specific and Preosteoblast‐Specific Ablation of TSC1 in Mice Lead to Severe and Slight Spinal Dysplasia, Respectively
Authors: Yang Cheng , Liao Jianwen , Lai Pinglin , Huang Hai , Fan Shicai , Chen Yuhui , Bai Xiaochun
Published: March 2020

Background. TSC1‐related signaling plays a pivotal role in intramembranous and endochondral ossification processes during skeletogenesis. This study was aimed at determining the significance of the TSC1 gene at different stages of spinal development. Materials and Methods. TSC1‐floxed mice (TSC1flox/flox) were crossed with Prrx1‐Cre or BGLAP‐Cre transgenic mice or mesenchymal stem cell‐ and osteoblast‐specific TSC1‐deficient mice, respectively. Somatic and vertebral differences between WT and Prrx1‐TSC1 null mice were examined at 4 weeks after birth. Results. No apparent body size abnormalities were apparent in newborn and 4‐week‐ to 2‐month‐old mice with BGLAP‐Cre driver‐depleted TSC1. Vertebral and intervertebral discs displayed strong dysplasia in Prrx1‐TSC1 null mice. In contrast, vertebrae were only slightly affected, and intervertebral discs from skeletal preparations displayed no apparent changes in BGLAP‐TSC1 null mice. Conclusion. Our data suggest that the TSC1 gene is crucial for endochondral ossification during postnatal spine development but plays discriminative roles at different stages. Mesenchymal stem cell‐specific ablation of TSC1 led to severe spinal dysplasia at early stages of endochondral ossification while osteoblast‐specific deletion of TSC1 affected vertebrae slightly and had no detectable effects on intervertebral discs.
Circulating MicroRNA‐122 for the Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Zhao Xiao-Fei , Li Ning , Lin Dong-Dong , Sun Li-Bo
Published: March 2020

Background. Circulating microRNA‐122 (miR‐122) has been recognized as a marker of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The current meta‐analysis was performed to quantitatively evaluate the diagnostic performance of circulating miR‐122 for HCC. Methods. Related studies that evaluated the diagnostic performance of circulating miR‐122 determined from pathophysiological examination for HCC were obtained by systematic searches of the PubMed and Embase databases. A randomized fixed effects model was applied according to the heterogeneity among studies. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were calculated to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy. Publication bias was detected by Deeks’ funnel plot asymmetry test. Results. Thirteen studies providing data for 920 HCC patients and 1217 controls were included in the meta‐analysis. The pooled sensitivities, specificities, and AUCs of serum miR‐122 were 0.76, 0.75, and 0.82, respectively, for discriminating HCC patients from overall controls; 0.85, 0.83, and 0.91, respectively, for discriminating HCC patients from healthy controls; 0.79, 0.82, and 0.87, respectively, for discriminating HCC from HBV or HCV infection; and 0.65, 0.75, and 0.74, respectively, for discriminating HCC from liver cirrhosis or dysplastic nodule formation. No significant publication bias was detected. Conclusions. Serum miR‐122 confers moderate efficacy for discriminating HCC patients from healthy controls or patients with HBV or HCV infection, but not for discriminating HCC patients from those with liver cirrhosis or dysplastic nodule formation.
Diagnostic Performance between Histidine-Rich Protein 2 (HRP-2), a Rapid Malaria Diagnostic Test and Microscopic-Based Staining Techniques for Diagnosis of Malaria
Authors: Niyibizi Jean Baptiste , Gatera Emmanuel Kamana
Published: March 2020

Malaria presents a diagnostic challenge in most tropical countries such as Rwanda. Microscopy remains the gold standard for diagnosing malaria, but it is labor intensive and depends upon the skill of the examiner. Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have been developed as an easy, convenient alternative to microscopy. This cross-sectional study was conducted at Rukara Health Center which is located in Eastern Province, Kayonza district, Rwanda. One hundred and fifty suspected cases of malaria, who attended Rukara Health Centre, during the period, from 21st June to 30th July 2018, were included in this study. HRP-2 RDTs (CareStart™ Malaria HRP-2 (Access Bio, Inc., Somerset, New Jersey, USA)), for malaria were performed. Thick smears were prepared and Giemsa-stained as recommended; then slides were observed under microscopy and reported quantitatively; RDTs were reported qualitatively (positive or negative). Both RDTs and thick smear results were recorded on data collection sheet. This study included a total of 150 study participants, 87 (58%) females and 63 (42%) males. The patients included in the study did not receive any antimalarial drug. The mean age of the study participants was 31.6 ± 12.4 with the majority of participants being between 25 and 44 years and the minority being above 65 years. The sensitivity of RDT (HRP-2) was calculated and found to be 95.0%, whereas the sensitivity of Giemsa microscopy was 100%. The specificity of RDT (HRP-2) was calculated and found to be 59.2%, whereas the specificity of Giemsa microscopy was 100%. Negative and positive predictive values of RDT are 85.4% and 82.7%, respectively. Negative and positive predictive values of Giemsa microscopy were both 100%. According to the results of the current study, the sensitivity, specificity, and both positive and negative predictive values of Giemsa microscopy are higher than those of histidine-rich protein 2-based rapid diagnostic test for malaria. The results obtained in histidine-rich protein 2-based rapid diagnostic test for malaria parasites should be confirmed with tests with high specificity. Further studies should determine the most appropriate type of rapid diagnostic test of malaria diagnosis to be used in combination with Giemsa microscopy. In addition, sensitivity and specificity of RDT (HRP-2) and Giemsa microscopy should be assessed against molecular biology techniques.
Self-Coupling Black Box Model of a Dynamic System Based on ANN and Its Application
Authors: Chen Jie , Su JunWei , Li JingYin
Published: March 2020

The black box model of a dynamic system usually consists of just input and output. There is no correlation or coupling between the input and output. This paper proposes a self-coupling black box model method to realize the coupling between its input and output by introducing “virtual variables” to the black box model of a dynamic system considering the advantages of artificial neural network (ANN) in the system. The ANN is used for black box modeling. The modeling process of the self-coupling black box is illustrated through the simulation models and simulation analysis of the particle settlement process and the Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV) launching process. By comparing its result with the result of the standard black box model, the advantages and disadvantages of the self-coupling and standard black box models in the calculation of accuracy are analyzed.
lncRNA 00312 Attenuates Cell Proliferation and Invasion and Promotes Apoptosis in Renal Cell Carcinoma via miR-34a-5p/ASS1 Axis
Authors: Zeng Jiawei , Li Yuanmeng , Wang Yaodong , Xie Gang , Feng Qian , Yang Yuwei , Feng Jiafu
Published: March 2020

Background. Previous studies have demonstrated that lncRNAs play functional roles in regulating cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis. Recent studies confirmed that lncRNA 00312 has important biological functions in lung and colorectal cancer. However, the role of lncRNA 00312 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains unclear. Our aim was to explore the function of lncRNA 00312 in RCC and its potential molecular mechanism. Methods. RCC cell lines A498 and ACHN were used as in vitro models in this study. RT-PCR was performed to determine lncRNA 00312, miR-34a-5p, and ASS1 mRNA expression. Proliferation and invasion were examined by CCK-8 and Transwell assay to confirm the function role of lncRNA 00312. Western blot analysis was used to examine the expression of apoptotic proteins Bax and Bcl-2. Results. lncRNA was significantly downregulated in RCC cells such as A498 and ACHN; the expression of lncRNA 00312 in RCC tissues was significantly lower than that in adjacent normal tissues. Patients with low expression of lncRNA 00312 have worse prognosis regarding pathological grade, tumor size, and TNM stage. Overexpression of lncRNA 00312 suppressed A498 and ACHN cell proliferation and invasion, while promoting apoptosis. Our study found that miR-34a-5p had the potential binding site with lncRNA 00312 and revealed the role of miR-34a-5p in RCC. Furthermore, we confirmed that lncRNA 00312 played its role with the participation of ASS1 and miR-34a-5p. Conclusion. lncRNA 00312 can inhibit RCC proliferation and invasion and promote apoptosis in vitro by suppressing miR-34a-5p and overexpressing ASS1. Our study demonstrated that the lncRNA 00312/miR-34a-5p/ASS1 axis may play a functional role in the progression of RCC; lncRNA 00312 abundance is a prognostic factor candidate for RCC survival, which provides new insights for RCC clinical treatment.
Atherosclerotic Risk Factors in Children with Celiac Disease
Authors: Rybak Anna , Wierzbicka Aldona , Socha Piotr , Stolarczyk Anna , Cukrowska Bożena , Obrycki Łukasz , Wawer Zbigniew , Janas Roman , Oralewska Beata , Szaflarska-Popławska Anna , Iwańczak Barbara , Cyrta-Jarocka Elżbieta , Grzybowska-Chlebowczyk Urszula , Cichy Wojciech , Czaja-Bulsa Grażyna , Socha Jerzy
Published: March 2020

Introduction and Objectives. Celiac disease (CD) is a complex autoimmune disorder occurring in genetically susceptible individuals. There is limited data on the impact of gluten-free diet (GFD) on the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Hereby, we present our study regarding the impact of treatment with GFD on the biochemical risk factors of atherosclerosis. Material and Methods. 277 patients with CD from 7 Polish clinics were enrolled in the study (210 children treated for at least 5 years and 67 children included in the study on the day of CD diagnosis and observed for 1 year on a GFD). We obtained selected clinical data, and we assessed lipid profile, apolipoproteins (A1, B, and E), lipoprotein (a), homocysteine, as well as antioxidants (folic and uric acid), and high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) for all patients. The compliance to GFD was verified using anti-transglutaminase antibodies and deamidated gliadin peptide antibodies. As a reference group, the data of 95 healthy children recruited for another project was used, for which we had the results of selected parameters. Results. We found significantly lower concentrations of total cholesterol, lipoprotein LDL-C, apolipoproteins A1 and B, as well as hCRP in all children with CD. We showed decreased level (<5 ng/mL) of folic acid among 46% of children treated for >5 years. Moreover, we showed significant decrease of folic acid level already after 1 year of a GFD (12 vs. 5.6 ng/mL; p<0.001). We also found significant negative correlation of z-score body mass index (BMI) with HDL and APOA1 level (r=−0.33; p=0.015 and r=−0.28; p=0.038, respectively) and modest positive correlation of z-score BMI with atherogenic factor of total cholesterol-HDL ratio and LDL-HDL ratio (r=0.40; p=0.002 and r=0.36; p=0.006, respectively). Analysis of physical activity showed an increase in the insulin levels with inactivity (r=0.36; p=0.0025). We also found positive correlation of the sleep duration with the adiponectin level (r=0.41; p=0.011). Conclusions. In children with CD treated with a GFD, decreased level of folic acid together with increased BMI, sedentary behavior, and an improper lipid profile may predispose them to atherosclerosis in the long run. This data suggests the need of further studies to determine the need for metabolic cardiovascular risk screening in children with CD.