bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of surgery on survival of elderly patients with gallbladder cancer: A propensity score matching analysis of the SEER database
Authors: Xu Xiaoming , Wang Jingzhi , Duan Qilong
Published: March 2023

Background

Surgery is the sole curative therapy for gallbladder cancer (GBC) patients. Confronting an aging society, the demand to treat elderly patients with GBC is increasing. But there are few reports on survival benefit in elderly GBC patients treated with surgery. Therefore, we designed this population-based study to assess the survival benefit of surgery in GBC patients aged 70 years or older.

Methods

GBC patients aged 70 years or older were identified in the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results cancer (SEER) database from 2010 to 2017. A 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was conducted to balance the baseline data of patients. Overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) of patients were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier analysis and compared with log-rank test. Independent risk factors associated with OS and CSS were determined by univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analyses and subgroup analysis were performed.

Results

A total of 2055 GBC patients aged 70 years or older were included in our study, with 1734 patients underwent surgery. Before PSM, the age, AJCC stage, TNM stage, and chemotherapy were significantly different between the surgery and no-surgery group (all P<0.05). Patients with surgery had significantly longer OS and CSS than those without surgery (P<0.0001). After 1:1 PSM, the differences in clinicopathological characteristics were reduced (all P>0.05). Kaplan-Meier analysis also showed patients received surgery had significantly better OS and CSS (P<0.0001). Subgroup analysis further indicated that almost all subgroups received surgery had OS and CSS advantage, especially patients aged 70-84 years old. Finally, univariate and multivariate COX regression analyses showed that age, AJCC stage and T stage were independent prognostic factors for OS and CSS in patients undergoing surgery.

Conclusion

Our study found that surgery significantly improved OS and CSS in GBC patients aged 70-84 years, but more prospective studies are needed to prove our findings.
Laparoscopic or open liver resection for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: A meta-analysis and systematic review
Authors: Zhao Xin , Gao Feng-wei , Jiang Kang-yi , Yang Jie , Xie Qing-yun , Gong Jie , Yang Man-yu , Mao Tian-yang , Lei Ze-hua
Published: March 2023

Background

Although laparoscopic hepatectomy has been widely used in the treatment of benign and malignant liver diseases, its applicability in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is controversial. We conducted a meta-analysis to compare the short-term and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic hepatectomy (Lap-ICC) and open hepatectomy (Open-ICC) in ICC patients.

Methods

The PubMed, Web of science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and other databases were searched for the relevant literature. The research data were extracted according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Results

Seventeen studies, including 3975 ICC patients, were selected for the meta-analysis. Compared to Open-ICC, Lap-ICC had lower rates of lymph node dissection (OR=0.44, P=0.01) and metastasis (OR=0.58, P=0.03), along with less intraoperative bleeding (MD=-128.43 ml, P<0.01) lower blood transfusion rate (OR=0.43, P<0.01), shorter hospital stay (MD=-2.75 day, P<0.01), higher R0 resection rate (OR=1.60, P<0.01), and lower tumor recurrence rate (OR=0.67, P=0.01). However, there was no difference between the two groups in terms of operation time, number of lymph node dissection, incision margin distance, overall complications rate, severe complications rate, and the 1-, 3- and 5-year DFS and OS rates.

Conclusion

Laparoscopic hepatectomy is partially superior to open hepatectomy in terms of less bleeding, shorter hospital stay and higher R0 resection rate, while the long-term efficacy of the two approaches is similar.
Updates in gynecologic care for individuals with lynch syndrome
Authors: Underkofler Kaylee A. , Ring Kari L.
Published: March 2023

Lynch syndrome is an autosomal dominant hereditary cancer syndrome caused by germline pathogenic variants (PVs) in DNA mismatch repair genes (MLH1, MSH2, PMS2, MSH6) or the EPCAM gene. It is estimated to affect 1 in 300 individuals and confers a lifetime risk of cancer of 10-90%, depending on the specific variant and type of cancer. Lynch syndrome is the most common cause of inherited colorectal cancer, but for women, endometrial cancer is more likely to be the sentinel cancer. There is also evidence that certain PVs causing Lynch syndrome confer an increased risk of ovarian cancer, while the risk of ovarian cancer in others is not well defined. Given this, it is essential for the practicing gynecologist and gynecologic oncologist to remain up to date on the latest techniques in identification and diagnosis of individuals with Lynch syndrome as well as evidence-based screening and risk reduction recommendations for those impacted. Furthermore, as the landscape of gynecologic cancer treatment shifts towards treatment based on molecular classification of tumors, knowledge of targeted therapies well-suited for mismatch repair deficient Lynch tumors will be crucial. The objective of this review is to highlight recent updates in the literature regarding identification and management of individuals with Lynch syndrome as it pertains to endometrial and ovarian cancers to allow gynecologic providers the opportunity to both prevent and identify Lynch-associated cancers earlier, thereby reducing the morbidity and mortality of the syndrome.
Evaluation of mitochondrial biogenesis and ROS generation in high-grade serous ovarian cancer
Authors: Koc Zeynep C. , Sollars Vincent E. , Bou Zgheib Nadim , Rankin Gary O. , Koc Emine C.
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Ovarian cancer is one of the leading causes of death for women with cancer worldwide. Energy requirements for tumor growth in epithelial high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) are fulfilled by a combination of aerobic glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Although reduced OXPHOS activity has emerged as one of the significant contributors to tumor aggressiveness and chemoresistance, up-regulation of mitochondrial antioxidant capacity is required for matrix detachment and colonization into the peritoneal cavity to form malignant ascites in HGSOC patients. However, limited information is available about the mitochondrial biogenesis regulating OXPHOS capacity and generation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) in HGSOC.

Methods

To evaluate the modulation of OXPHOS in HGSOC tumor samples and ovarian cancer cell lines, we performed proteomic analyses of proteins involved in mitochondrial energy metabolism and biogenesis and formation of mtROS by immunoblotting and flow cytometry, respectively.

Results and discussion

We determined that the increased steady-state expression levels of mitochondrial- and nuclear-encoded OXPHOS subunits were associated with increased mitochondrial biogenesis in HGSOC tumors and ovarian cancer cell lines. The more prominent increase in MT-COII expression was in agreement with significant increase in mitochondrial translation factors, TUFM and DARS2. On the other hand, the ovarian cancer cell lines with reduced OXPHOS subunit expression and mitochondrial translation generated the highest levels of mtROS and significantly reduced SOD2 expression. Evaluation of mitochondrial biogenesis suggested that therapies directed against mitochondrial targets, such as those involved in transcription and translation machineries, should be considered in addition to the conventional chemotherapies in HGSOC treatment.
ED visits, hospital admissions and treatment breaks in head/neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy
Authors: Patel Shareen , Rich Benjamin J. , Schumacher Leif-Erik D. , Sargi Zoukaa B. , Masforroll Melissa , Washington Cyrus , Kwon Deukwoo , Rueda-Lara Maria A. , Freedman Laura M. , Samuels Stuart E. , Abramowitz Matthew C. , Samuels Michael A. , Carmona Ruben , Azzam Gregory A.
Published: March 2023

Objectives

Radiation therapy (RT) is an integral part of treatment of head/neck cancer (HNC) but is associated with many toxicities. We sought to evaluate sociodemographic, pathologic, and clinical factors associated with emergency department (ED) visits, hospital admissions (HA), and RT breaks in HNC patients undergoing curative-intent RT.

Methods

We completed a Level 3 (Oxford criteria for evidence-based medicine) analysis of a cohort of HNC patients who underwent curative-intent RT at our institution from 2013 to 2017. We collected demographic characteristics and retrospectively assessed for heavy opioid use, ED visits or HA during RT as well as RT breaks. Treatment breaks were defined as total days to RT fractions ratio ≥1.6. Multivariable stepwise logistic regression analyses were done to determine the association of various sociodemographic, pathologic, and clinical characteristics with ED visits, HA and RT treatment breaks.

Results

The cohort included 376 HNC patients (294 male, 82 female, median age 61). On multivariable analysis, significant factors associated with ED visits during RT were heavy opioid use and black race. Receipt of concomitant chemotherapy was the only factor associated with hospital admissions during RT. Advanced age, lower socioeconomic class, glandular site, and receipt of chemotherapy were all independently associated with RT breaks. Lower cancer stage and lack of substance abuse history were independently associated with lack of treatment breaks.

Conclusion

HNC patients with factors such as heavy opioid use, Black race, receipt of concomitant chemotherapy, and lower socioeconomic class may require closer monitoring during RT.
Thirty-year survey of bibliometrics used in the research literature of pain: Analysis, evolution, and pitfalls
Authors: Robert Claude , Wilson Concepción Shimizu
Published: March 2023

During the last decades, the emergence of Bibliometrics and the progress in Pain research have led to a proliferation of bibliometric studies on the medical and scientific literature of pain (B/P). This study charts the evolution of the B/P literature published during the last 30 years. Using various searching techniques, 189 B/P studies published from 1993 to August 2022 were collected for analysis—half were published since 2018. Most of the selected B/P publications use classic bibliometric analysis of Pain in toto, while some focus on specific types of Pain with Headache/Migraine, Low Back Pain, Chronic Pain, and Cancer Pain dominating. Each study is characterized by the origin (geographical, economical, institutional, …) and the medical/scientific context over a specified time span to provide a detailed landscape of the Pain research literature. Some B/P studies have been developed to pinpoint difficulties in appropriately identifying the Pain literature or to highlight some general publishing pitfalls. Having observed that most of the recent B/P studies have integrated newly emergent software visualization tools (SVTs), we found an increase of anomalies and suggest that readers exercise caution when interpreting results in the B/P literature details.
Infantile-onset inflammatory bowel disease has variable long-term outcomes
Authors: Krauthammer Alex , Weintraub Ilana , Shaoul Ron , Lev-Tzion Raffi , Broide Efrat , Wilschanski Michael , Lerner Aaron , Yerushalmi Baruch , Shouval Dror S. , Shamaly Hussein , Haberman-Ziv Yael , Weiss Batia
Published: March 2023

Objective and aim

Infantile-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IO-IBD), defined as IBD diagnosed at age 2 years or younger, tends to be more severe and refractory to conventional treatment than IBD diagnosed at a later age. However, data about IO-IBD and its long-term follow up are limited. We thus aimed to evaluate the presentation and long-term outcomes of patients with IO-IBD in a retrospective multicenter study.

Methods

Medical records of patients diagnosed with IO-IBD in eight medical centers during 2000–2017 with at least 1-year follow up were reviewed. Demographics and disease characteristics at diagnosis including age of onset, disease phenotype and location, surgeries, medical therapy, and comorbid conditions were recorded.

Results

Twenty-three patients with IO-IBD (16 males, 70%) were identified and followed for a median (range) of 51.2 (26.0–110.3) months. The mean ages at presentation and at the last follow up were 14 ± 9.8 and 101 ± 77 months, respectively. Six (26%) patients needed ileostomy already at the time of diagnosis and 20 (87%) were treated with corticosteroids. During long-term follow up, remission was achieved in 16 (73%) patients; of whom, 3 (14%) were without medications and 7 (32%) were in remission with the use of 5-aminosalicylic acid only. One patient needed hemicolectomy and one developed a severe EBV related infection.

Conclusion

The majority of patients with IO-IBD achieved long-term remission, despite a severe disease presentation at diagnosis. Surgery rate however is high, mainly during the first months from diagnosis.
Barriers to vaccination in immunocompromised children: A needs assessment in children with childhood-onset SLE and inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Lloyd Audrey R. , Ardura Monica I. , Wise Kelly , Chavarin Daniel J. , Boyle Brendan , Sivaraman Vidya
Published: March 2023

Background

Vaccination of immunocompromised children (ICC) remains suboptimal.

Methods

Needs assessment surveys were administered to patients and caregivers during routine ambulatory visits to the rheumatology and gastroenterology clinics at Nationwide Children's Hospital (NCH) from January 1 through August 31, 2018, and to community primary care physicians (PCPs) at their monthly meeting and electronically.

Results

Completed surveys were received for 57 patients (31 with childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (c-SLE) and 26 with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)) and 30 PCPs. Of the patient cohort, 93% (n = 53) felt their PCP was well informed about vaccines and 84% (n = 47) received vaccinations from either their PCP or local health department. Two patient surveys noted concerns of vaccine safety. Among the 30 responses completed by PCPs 50% (n = 15) preferred to provide all vaccines themselves, however, only 40% (n = 12) of PCPs felt “very confident” when providing vaccines to ICC. Further, 83% (n = 25) did not stock the 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine and only 27% (n = 8) routinely recommended vaccination of household contacts.

Conclusions

Our study found a discordance between parent and PCP comfort in vaccinating ICC, highlighting an important barrier to vaccination in this patient population. In our cohort of patients, vaccine hesitancy was not a barrier to vaccination.
The role of opioid receptors in modulating Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Tanguturi Parthasaradhireddy , Streicher John M.
Published: March 2023

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a complex neurological disorder characterized by accumulation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Long term investigation of AD pathogenesis suggests that β-site amyloid precursor protein [APP] cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) and γ-secretase enzymes promote the amyloidogenic pathway and produce toxic Aβ peptides that are predisposed to aggregate in the brain. Hence, the targeted inhibition of BACE1/γ-secretase expression and function is a promising approach for AD therapy. Several reports have suggested that the opioid family of G-protein coupled receptors modulate the etiology of AD progression. It has also been found that changes in the signaling pathways of opioid receptors increased the expression of BACE1 and γ-secretase, and is strongly correlated with abnormal production of Aβ and pathogenesis of AD. Thus, the opioid receptor family is a promising candidate for targeted drug development to treat AD. In this review, we outline the involvement and mechanisms of opioid receptor signaling modulation in Alzheimer’s Disease progression.
Innovative, rapid, high-throughput method for drug repurposing in a pandemic—A case study of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19
Authors: Bello Shaibu Oricha , Yunusa Abdulmajeed , Adamu Adamu Ahmed , Imam Mustapha Umar , Bello Muhammad Bashir , Shuaibu Abdulmalik , Igumbor Ehimario Uche , Habib Zaiyad Garba , Popoola Mustapha Ayodele , Ochu Chinwe Lucia , Bello Aishatu Yahaya , Deeni Yusuf Yahaya , Okoye Ifeoma
Published: March 2023

Several efforts to repurpose drugs for COVID-19 treatment have largely either failed to identify a suitable agent or agents identified did not translate to clinical use. Reasons that have been suggested to explain the failures include use of inappropriate doses, that are not clinically achievable, in the screening experiments, and the use of inappropriate pre-clinical laboratory surrogates to predict efficacy. In this study, we used an innovative algorithm, that incorporates dissemination and implementation considerations, to identify potential drugs for COVID-19 using iterative computational and wet laboratory methods. The drugs were screened at doses that are known to be achievable in humans. Furthermore, inhibition of viral induced cytopathic effect (CPE) was used as the laboratory surrogate to predict efficacy. Erythromycin, pyridoxine, folic acid and retapamulin were found to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 induced CPE in Vero cells at concentrations that are clinically achievable. Additional studies may be required to further characterize the inhibitions of CPE and the possible mechanisms.
Inhibitory effect and related mechanism of decitabine combined with gemcitabine on proliferation of NK/T cell lymphoma cells
Authors: Lin Lanke , Liu Xiangqin , Yu Hui , Deng Huan , Peng Kun , Chen Jiang , Zhang Chunle , Jiang Tao , Liu Xiaoqi
Published: March 2023

Background: EBV-associated lymphoma is a neoplasm with a poor prognosis, highly aggressive, and progressive rapidly. There is no standard clinical treatment protocol. Decitabine and gemcitabine are known to have anticancer properties against cells of various cancer, respectively. However, the effect of the combination medication on NK/T cell lymphoma cells and potential mechanisms have not been thoroughly investigated.

Methods: Human NK/T cell lymphoma cells NK92MI were treated with decitabine and gemcitabine alone or in combination. Experiments, including the Cell Counting Kit-8 and flow cytometry, were performed to investigate how the combination of decitabine and gemcitabine affects the biological behavior of NK92MI cells in vitro. mRNA sequencing, RT-PCR, and western blotting were used to detect changes in the related signal pathway, mRNA, and protein expressions.

Results: Decitabine and gemcitabine significantly inhibited the viability and proliferation of NK92MI cells in a dose-dependent manner. The combination index was less than 1 after treating with two drugs, which was a significant synergistic effect. The decitabine concentration with the best synergistic effect was 4.046 µM, and the gemcitabine concentration was 0.005 µM. Flow cytometry showed that combining two drugs could significantly promote apoptosis and arrest the cell cycle at the S phase. In the combined DAC and GEM group, caspase3 protein levels were higher than in either group alone or the control group. The transcriptome sequence, KEGG, and PPI analysis showed that the differential genes after combined treatment were mainly enriched in signal pathways related to cell proliferation, adhesion, and migration compared with using alone and control groups. Based on the sequencing results, we further investigated the role of DAC and GEM in ferroptosis-related signaling molecules using RT-PCR and Western blot techniques. RT-PCR and western blotting showed that the expression levels of HMOX1 and EBV cleavage gene BRLF1 were higher in the group with combined DAC and GEM than in the group alone and the control group, while the protein and mRNA expression levels of SLC7A11 were lower than the others. In addition, the GPX4 protein expression level in the combination group was lower than in the drug-alone and control groups. In addition, the combination treatment increased the ROS level of NK92MI cells.

Conclusion: Our current findings suggested that decitabine had an inhibitory effect on the proliferation of NK92MI cells when co-treated with gemcitabine. This combination may increase the expression of ferroptosis-related signaling molecules, thus inhibiting the proliferation of NK92MI cells. It also promoted apoptosis in NK/T cell lymphoma. For patients with NK/T cell lymphoma, this novel combination may provide clinical benefits.
Association of cyclophilins and cardiovascular risk factors in coronary artery disease
Authors: Gegunde Sandra , Alfonso Amparo , Alvariño Rebeca , Pérez-Fuentes Nadia , Bayón-Lorenzo Jeremías , Alonso Eva , Ocaranza-Sánchez Raymundo , Abellás-Sequeiros Rosa Alba , Santás-Álvarez Melisa , Vieytes Mercedes R. , Juanatey-González Carlos , Botana Luis M.
Published: March 2023

Cyclophilins are chaperone proteins that play important roles in signal transduction. Among them, cyclophilins A, B, C, and D were widely associated with inflammation and cardiovascular diseases. Cyclophilins A and C have been proposed as coronary artery disease biomarkers. However, less is known about their relationship with cardiovascular risk factors. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the association between cyclophilin A, B, C, and D and cardiovascular risk factors in coronary artery disease. Serum levels of cyclophilins were measured in 167 subjects (subdivided according to cardiovascular risk factors presence). This study reveals that cyclophilin A and C are elevated in patients regardless of the risk factors presence. Moreover, cyclophilin B is elevated in male patients with hypertension, type 2 diabetes, or high glucose levels. In addition, cyclophilins A, B, and C were significantly correlated with cardiovascular risk factors, but only cyclophilin B was associated with type 2 diabetes. The multivariate analysis strengthens the predictive value for coronary artery disease presence of cyclophilin A (>8.2 ng/mL) and cyclophilin C (>17.5 pg/mL) along with the cardiovascular risk factors tobacco, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and high glucose and cholesterol levels. Moreover, the risk of coronary artery disease is increased in presence of cyclophilin B levels above 63.26 pg/mL and with hypertension or dyslipidemia in male patients. Consequently, cyclophilins A and C serum levels are reinforced as useful coronary artery disease biomarkers, meanwhile, cyclophilin B is a valuable biomarker in the male population when patients are also suffering from hypertension or dyslipidemia.
Electrostimulation improves plant growth and modulates the flavonoid profile in aeroponic culture of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi
Authors: Grzelka Kajetan , Matkowski Adam , Ślusarczyk Sylwester
Published: March 2023

Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi is a valuable medicinal plant of the Lamiaceae family. The roots, Scutellariae baicalensis radix, are valued in the traditional medicine of East Asia and are also listed in several pharmacopeias, such as the Chinese and European versions. The roots contain a high amount of flavones, such as baicalein, wogonin and their glucuronides, baicalin and wogonoside, respectively, with rare structures of unsubstituted B-ring. These major constituents are responsible for its pharmacological activity, mainly anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antitumor, as well as BDZ-receptor modulating. There is a fast-growing demand for both the crude drug and the individual flavonoids obtained from it.

However, the variability of content and composition of flavonoids in the roots is significant and affects pharmaceutical use, and little is known about the influence of various factors on root quality. In our experiments, we use aeroponics to determine the effect of electroporation as an abiotic stressor on plant growth, development, and root mass, as well as on its metabolic profile.

Results

Electroporation significantly impacted plant growth and the content of flavonoids, especially baicalein and wogonin, depending on the treatment parameters. Concentrations of aglycones were increased in at least half of the treatment conditions. The greatest amounts (a 2.5-fold increase compared to controls) were recorded after applying an electrical field characterized by the following parameters: E = 3 kV/cm, t = 100 μs, and N = 10. In conclusion, electrostimulation is an innovative and efficient way to increase plant growth and yield in an aeroponic system, as well as modulate the profile and content of bioactive flavones in the roots. However, the fine-tuning of these parameters, such as the electrical field strength (E), length (t), and number (N) of impulses delivered, is of great importance. It was also shown that cultivation of the experimental plants in aeroponics had a positive impact on their survival and development while being a sustainable and efficient horticultural practice.
Negotiating intersubjectivity by interpersonal and appraisal shifts in Chinese-English government press conference interpreting
Authors: Xu Jun , Liang Yuxiao
Published: March 2023

This study investigates how interpreting shifts of interpersonal and appraisal resources facilitated the successful negotiation of intersubjectivity at China's premier press conferences (PPCs) from 2016 to 2021. This study conducts a corpus-based critical discourse analysis of interpersonal shifts at the PPCs as defined by systematic functional linguistics. Quantitative results show that the interpreter is strongly inclined to utilize appraisal shifts which enhance (or soften) the positive (or negative) evaluations of the Chinese government in interpreting the journalists' questions and uses shifts to first-person plurals and inclinational modal verbs in interpreting the Chinese Premier's answers. Qualitative results show these shifts facilitate the direct or indirect reproduction of the government's official ideology (especially the notions of solidarity, change, resolution, and people's wellbeing) and the existing power relations between the government, media, and Chinese people (both authority and solidarity). It is concluded that the interpreter displays a strong tendency to use interpersonal shifts to ensure successful negotiation of intersubjectivity at the PPCs by ultimately reproducing the social status quo.
Research group as helpers due to the war in Ukraine: Focus group experiences of women researchers
Authors: Roszik-Volovik Xenia , Brandão Anna Paula , Kollárovics Nóra , Farkas Bernadett Frida , Frank-Bozóki Eszter , Horváth Lili Olga , Kaló Zsuzsa , Nguyen Luu Lan Anh , Balazs Judit
Published: March 2023

Introduction

World Health Organization studies have shown that one in every five people who have experienced war or other conflicts suffers from a mental health disorder, the most vulnerable groups being children and women. According to international guidelines, mental health care should be made available immediately in the event of disaster. With the first influx of Ukrainian refugees to Hungary at the outbreak of the war, the Research Group of Childhood Mental Health at Eötvös Loránd University and Semmelweis University in Budapest immediately decided to help by transforming itself into a support group for refugee families. The members of the support group are all women. The aim of the present study is to explore the motivation behind the transformation of the research group and the help it provided. A further aim was to compare the group’s experiences with descriptions in the literature of impacts on helpers who work with refugees.

Methods

The current paper reflects on the transformation from researchers to helpers and the effects of that transformation at group and individual level using the focus group method and consensual text analysis. The transformation of the support group necessitated the involvement of students, whose experiences are also examined.

Results

We identified five main categories: context; the help recipients’ perspective; the personal level; the professional level; and the level between the personal and professional.

Discussion

The analysis revealed the way in which the voluntary helping developed, the resulting difficulties, and coping options. Volunteering among Ukrainian refugees has both positive and negative psychological consequences. While stress and trauma threaten the psychological well-being of the helpers, positive aspects, such as flexibility and professional development, are also reported. Due to the strong motivation among group members and their experience in practical work, the all female research group was quickly able to transform itself into a support group.
Comparison of newly diagnosed COPD patients and the non-COPD residents in Shanghai Minhang District
Authors: Yin Xin , Zheng Zixuan , Dong Yue , Li Junqing , Yang Shuang , Xu Qian , Hou Shanshan , Zang Yi , Ding Heyuan , Xie Juan , Jie Zhijun , Jiang Qingwu , Shi Jindong , Wang Na
Published: March 2023

Background

To compare whether the general population, especially those without characteristic symptoms, need spirometry screening for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods

Residents aged > 40 years old in Minhang, Shanghai, China, filled out screening questionnaires and underwent spirometry. The structured questionnaire integrating COPD population screening and COPD screening questionnaire was designed to obtain data on demographic characteristics, risk factors of COPD, respiratory symptoms, lifestyle habits, and comorbidities. We assessed the correlations between variables and COPD and the impact factors of FEV1% predicted.

Results

A total of 1,147 residents were included with a newly diagnosed mild to moderate COPD prevalence of 9.4% (108/1,147); half of the patients (54/108) were asymptomatic. Multivariate analysis did not reveal any significant differences in symptoms or lifestyle factors between newly diagnosed COPD patients and non-COPD participants. However, according to the generalized linear model, older age (β = −0.062, p < 0.001), male sex (β = −0.031, p = 0.047), and respiratory symptoms (β = −0.025, p = 0.013) were associated with more severe airflow limitation.

Conclusion

Newly diagnosed COPD patients had few differences compared with the general population, which suggests that a targeted case finding strategy other than general screening was currently preferred. More attention should be paid to respiratory symptoms when making a diagnosis and exploring new therapies and interventions for COPD in the early stage.
Mechanisms influencing the factors of urban built environments and coronavirus disease 2019 at macroscopic and microscopic scales: The role of cities
Authors: Zhang Longhao , Han Xin , Wu Jun , Wang Lei
Published: March 2023

In late 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic soundlessly slinked in and swept the world, exerting a tremendous impact on lifestyles. This study investigated changes in the infection rates of COVID-19 and the urban built environment in 45 areas in Manhattan, New York, and the relationship between the factors of the urban built environment and COVID-19. COVID-19 was used as the outcome variable, which represents the situation under normal conditions vs. non-pharmacological intervention (NPI), to analyze the macroscopic (macro) and microscopic (micro) factors of the urban built environment. Computer vision was introduced to quantify the material space of urban places from street-level panoramic images of the urban streetscape. The study then extracted the microscopic factors of the urban built environment. The micro factors were composed of two parts. The first was the urban level, which was composed of urban buildings, Panoramic View Green View Index, roads, the sky, and buildings (walls). The second was the streets' green structure, which consisted of macrophanerophyte, bush, and grass. The macro factors comprised population density, traffic, and points of interest. This study analyzed correlations from multiple levels using linear regression models. It also effectively explored the relationship between the urban built environment and COVID-19 transmission and the mechanism of its influence from multiple perspectives.
Configural relations in humans and deep convolutional neural networks
Authors: Baker Nicholas , Garrigan Patrick , Phillips Austin , Kellman Philip J.
Published: March 2023

Deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) have attracted considerable interest as useful devices and as possible windows into understanding perception and cognition in biological systems. In earlier work, we showed that DCNNs differ dramatically from human perceivers in that they have no sensitivity to global object shape. Here, we investigated whether those findings are symptomatic of broader limitations of DCNNs regarding the use of relations. We tested learning and generalization of DCNNs (AlexNet and ResNet-50) for several relations involving objects. One involved classifying two shapes in an otherwise empty field as same or different. Another involved enclosure. Every display contained a closed figure among contour noise fragments and one dot; correct responding depended on whether the dot was inside or outside the figure. The third relation we tested involved a classification that depended on which of two polygons had more sides. One polygon always contained a dot, and correct classification of each display depended on whether the polygon with the dot had a greater number of sides. We used DCNNs that had been trained on the ImageNet database, and we used both restricted and unrestricted transfer learning (connection weights at all layers could change with training). For the same-different experiment, there was little restricted transfer learning (82.2%). Generalization tests showed near chance performance for new shapes. Results for enclosure were at chance for restricted transfer learning and somewhat better for unrestricted (74%). Generalization with two new kinds of shapes showed reduced but above-chance performance (≈66%). Follow-up studies indicated that the networks did not access the enclosure relation in their responses. For the relation of more or fewer sides of polygons, DCNNs showed successful learning with polygons having 3–5 sides under unrestricted transfer learning, but showed chance performance in generalization tests with polygons having 6–10 sides. Experiments with human observers showed learning from relatively few examples of all of the relations tested and complete generalization of relational learning to new stimuli. These results using several different relations suggest that DCNNs have crucial limitations that derive from their lack of computations involving abstraction and relational processing of the sort that are fundamental in human perception.
A critical analysis of walking policy in Ireland and its contribution to both national and international development goals
Authors: Power Dylan , Lambe Barry , Murphy Niamh
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Increasing population levels of walking holds benefits for public and planetary health. While individual level interventions to promote walking have been shown to be efficacious, upstream interventions such as policies harness the greatest potential for impact at the population level. However, little is known about the nature and presence of walking policy in Ireland and the extent to which it aligns to national and global goals. This paper aims to provide an overview of local and national walking policy in Ireland and to understand the potential of Irish walking policy to contribute to national and global targets.

Methods

This study used multiple methods to provide a critical overview of walking policy. Firstly, a six-phase process was employed to conduct a content analysis of local and national walking policy in Ireland. Secondly, conceptual linkage exercises were conducted to assess the contribution of walking, and national walking policy in Ireland, to Ireland's National Strategic Outcomes and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Results

Overall, half (n = 13) of the counties in the Republic of Ireland were found to have no local level walking policies. Results from the content analysis suggest that counties which had walking specific local level policies (n = 2) were outdated by almost two decades. Walking was identified to hold the potential to contribute to over half (n = 6) of Ireland's National Strategic Outcomes, and over half (n = 7) of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Ireland's only national level walking specific policy, the Get Ireland Walking Strategy and Action Plan 2017–2020, was identified to potentially contribute to four of Ireland's National Strategic Outcomes and three United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Discussion

Multidisciplinary action is required to update walking-related policy with embedded evaluation and governance mechanisms in all local walking systems. Furthermore, given sufficient collaboration across sectors, walking policy in Ireland has the potential to contribute to a wider breadth of national and global targets beyond the health, sport, tourism, and transport sectors.
Defining features of diverse and productive agricultural systems: An archetype analysis of U.S. agricultural counties
Authors: Nelson Katherine S. , Burchfield Emily K.
Published: March 2023

Prior research suggests that greater spatial diversity in crops and land use is associated with higher crop yields and improved ecosystem function. However, what leads to the emergence of agricultural systems that meet both productivity and ecological health goals remains an open question. Understanding the factors that differentiate these places from other agricultural systems is key to understanding the mechanisms, pathways, consequences, and constraints to employing diversification as a tool for increasing agricultural sustainability. In this study, we employ archetype analysis to examine the factors uniquely associated with the conjoint existence of high crop diversity and high crop productivity. We identify five agricultural system classes that represent a range of diversity and productivity combinations using k-means cluster analysis then use random forests analysis to identify factors that strongly explain the differences between the classes—describing different agricultural production regimes. Our exploratory analysis of the difference in agricultural system factors across classes suggests (1) crop diversity and its preconditions are associated with the highest yields, (2) biophysical conditions bound diversity-productivity realities, (3) productivity comes at a petrochemical cost, and that (4) crop rotations are a key diversification strategy. Overall, our results suggest that despite clear biophysical constraints on transitions to high diversity—high productivity systems the role of actionable factors on crop production regimes is stronger, providing reason to be hopeful about transitions to agricultural production regimes fit for new climate realities.
Quantitative assessment of aflatoxin exposure and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk associated with consumption of select Nigerian staple foods
Authors: Wenndt Anthony , Mutua Florence , Grace Delia , Thomas Lian F. , Lambertini Elisabetta
Published: March 2023

Aflatoxin contamination of staple grains and legumes has been linked to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and other adverse health outcomes, constituting a substantial public health concern globally. Low-resource food environments in sub-Saharan Africa are often under-regulated and are particularly vulnerable to adverse health and nutrition outcomes associated with aflatoxin exposure. This study identifies levels of HCC risk in the northern Nigerian adult population, leveraging a systematic review of available evidence on aflatoxin contamination in Nigerian maize, groundnut, rice, cowpea, and soybean. Estimated dietary intake (EDI) was computed using publicly available dietary consumption data and a probabilistic quantitative risk assessment was conducted to determine the relative risk of HCC associated with consumption of selected aflatoxin-contaminated commodities. In total, 41 eligible studies reporting aflatoxin contamination were used to model the distribution of aflatoxin concentrations in Nigerian commodities. EDIs for maize, groundnut, rice, and cowpea exceeded the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) level of 1 kgbw-1 day-1, with maize yielding the highest mean EDI (36.7 kgbw-1 day-1). The quantitative risk assessment estimated that 1.77, 0.44, 0.43, 0.15, and 0.01 HCC cases per year/100,000 population were attributable to aflatoxin exposure through maize, groundnut, rice, cowpea, and soybean, respectively. Sensitivity analysis revealed that aflatoxin concentration, dietary consumption levels, consumption frequency, and other variables have differing relative contributions to HCC risk across commodities. These findings constitute a novel multi-study risk assessment approach in the Nigerian context and substantiate existing evidence suggesting that there is reason for public health concern regarding aflatoxin exposure in the Nigerian population.
Effect of genotype and environment on agronomical characters of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in a typical acidic soil environment in southwest China
Authors: Tian Zheng , Yang Zhengyu , Lu Zhongjie , Luo Ben , Hao Yunfei , Wang Xiaowen , Yang Feng , Wang Song , Chen Chao , Dong Rui
Published: March 2023

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), an important perennial legume forage crop with high nutritional value and forage yield, is widely used in animal husbandry. However, it is very sensitive to aluminum, which severely limits its growth in acidic soils. In this study, we analyzed the genotype variation of each agronomic trait in 44 alfalfa varieties in two acidic soil environments. Then, analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the variance components was performed using the Residual Maximum Likelihood (REML). The best linear unbiased predictor analysis was used to obtain the mean trait of each variety, and the mean values were used to construct the mean matrix of varieties × traits and interaction analysis of varieties × years. The results showed that there was significant (P < 0.05) genotypic variation for each trait of the 44 varieties and the genetic diversity was abundant. The average repeatability (R value) of interannual plant height (PH), stem thickness (ST), number of branches (NS), fresh weight (FW), total fresh weight (TFW), and total dry weight (TDW) was high (0.21–0.34), whereas the genetics were relatively stable. PH, NS, FW, TFW, and dry weight (DW) were positively correlated (P < 0.01) with TDW. Six alfalfa varieties (Algonquin, Xinjiang daye, Trifecta, Vernal, WL354HQ, and Boja) with excellent TDW and TFW were identified in different years, environmental regions, and climatic altitudes. Our research results can provide suggestions and critical information regarding the future improvement and development of new alfalfa strains and varieties that are resistant to acidic soil conditions.
Sinonasal NUT carcinoma: A retrospective case series from a single institution
Authors: Wang Lei , Zhu Zhenzhen , Wang Weiqing , Zha Yang , Wang Xiaowei , Surita Aodeng , Liu Yuzhuo , Lv Wei
Published: March 2023

Purpose

Nuclear protein in testis (NUT) carcinoma is a rare, aggressive tumor defined by the presence of NUT gene rearrangement. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical, radiologic, and biological features of sinonasal NUT carcinoma.

Methods

We retrospectively investigated NUT expression with clinicopathologic features in 145 cases with sinonasal malignancies diagnosed from January 2017 to December 2021 and reviewed the reported cases.

Results

Three (3/145, 2.07%) cases showed strong nuclear expression for NUT immunohistochemical, including one male and two females with ages from 37 to 57 years (mean, 45.33 years). All three cases involved the nasal cavity and sinuses; one of them involved the orbit and intracranial area. Histologically, all subjects showed poorly differentiated, small round cell morphology with distinct nuclei. All patients received surgery and chemoradiotherapy. One patient died of the disease 13 months after diagnosis, and two survived 12 and 15 months, respectively, without evidence of tumor recurrence. 51 cases of sinonasal NUT carcinoma (mean age 40.96 years) have been described to date. Among them, 28 are male, and 23 are female. Most cases expressed p63, AE1/AE3, as well as p40.

Conclusion

NUT carcinoma is a rare and aggressive disease with a poor prognosis. It is crucial to perform NUT rearrangement-related tests for differential diagnosis of poorly differentiated/undifferentiated tumors in the nasal cavity and sinuses.
Risk of Bronchial Complications After Lung Transplantation With Respiratory Corynebacteria. Results From a Monocenter Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Sandot Adèle , Grall Nathalie , Rodier Thomas , Bunel Vincent , Godet Cendrine , Weisenburger Gaëlle , Tran-Dinh Alexy , Montravers Philippe , Mordant Pierre , Castier Yves , Eloy Philippine , Armand-Lefevre Laurence , Mal Hervé , Messika Jonathan
Published: March 2023

Corynebacterium spp. are associated with respiratory infections in immunocompromised hosts. A link with bronchial complications after lung transplantation (LTx) has been suggested. We aimed to assess the link between respiratory sampling of Corynebacterium spp. and significant bronchial complication (SBC) after LTx. We performed a single center retrospective study. Inclusion of LTx recipients with at least one respiratory Corynebacterium spp. sample (July 2014 to December 2018). Subjects were matched to unexposed LTx recipients. Primary outcome was SBC occurrence after Corynebacterium spp. isolation. Secondary outcomes were Corynebacterium spp. persistent sampling, chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) onset and all-cause mortality. Fifty-nine patients with Corynebacterium spp. sampling with 59 without isolation were included. Corynebacterium spp. identification was not associated with SBC occurrence (32.4% vs. 21.6%, p = 0.342). Previous SBC was associated with further isolation of Corynebacterium spp. (OR 3.94, 95% CI [1.72–9.05]). Previous SBC and corticosteroids pulses in the last 3 months were the only factors associated with increased risk of Corynebacterium spp. isolation in multivariate analysis. Corynebacterium spp. sampling was significantly associated with CLAD onset (27.1% vs. 6.9%, p = 0.021). Corynebacterium spp. isolation was not associated with SBC but with higher risk of CLAD. Whether CLAD evolution is affected by Corynebacterium spp. eradication remains to be investigated.