bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
5F SOFIA intermediate catheter in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke: A retrospective observational study
Authors: Russo Riccardo , Mistretta Francesco , Molinaro Stefano , Bergui Mauro
Published: August 2022

Background

We herein report our experience with the 5F SOFIA (Soft Torqueable catheter Optimized for Intracranial Access) intermediate catheter for endovascular treatment of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) both in distal middle vessel occlusions (DMVOs) and in large vessel occlusions (LVOs) with unfavorable anatomy.

Methods

Records of forty-seven patients undergoing endovascular thrombectomy with 5F SOFIA between September 2020 and March 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients’ demographic data, clinical presentation, treatment details, and complications were recorded from the medical record. The primary outcomes were successful revascularization (modified treatment in cerebral ischemia, mTICI ≥2b) and good clinical outcome at 3 months (modified rankin scale, mRS 0-2). Secondary outcomes were complication rates and switch to alternative techniques. Our institutional review board approved this study.

Results

Forty-seven patients with AIS treated with 5F SOFIA were examined. In eighteen (38%) cases the occlusion was located on a large vessel while in 29 (61.7%) on a distal-medium vessels. Median national institutes of health strokes scale (NIHSS) score was 16 at admission. Successful revascularization to mTICI 2b-3 was achieved in 14 of 18 patients (77.7%) with LVOs and in 24/29 cases with DMVOs (82.7%) respectively. mRS score 0-2 at three months (3 months-mRS 0-2) was 66.6% for LVOs and 68.9% in DMVOs respectively. Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH) occurred in 2 (4.2%) patients.

Conclusion

5F SOFIA intermediate catheter could be a safe and effective treatment for AIS and a viable alternative to 6 F conventional intermediate catheters in selected cases.
Geographic distribution of Ontario pharmacists: A focus on rural and northern communities
Authors: Timony Patrick , Houle Sherilyn K. D. , Gauthier Alain , Waite Nancy M.
Published: August 2022

Introduction:

Canadians living in rural and northern communities face particular health needs and challenges in accessing primary care services. Ontario pharmacists are increasingly able to optimize patient care with a broadening scope of practice; this was highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explores the geographic distribution of pharmacists to evaluate their potential to deliver health care in rural and northern Ontario communities.

Methods:

A secondary analysis of the Ontario College of Pharmacists’ registry data was undertaken, with all Part A pharmacists who had at least 1 patient care practice site included in the analysis. Full-time equivalent (FTE) hours worked at each practice site were calculated and compared with the population distribution. Ratios of FTEs per 1000 residents by census subdivision (which represents communities) were calculated and compared by geography, north vs south and urban vs rural (further subdivided by metropolitan-influenced zones).

Results:

The greatest availability of pharmacist FTEs was found in urban communities (with slightly better availability in the north), whereas the lowest availability was found in the most rural communities. A more granular observation revealed that northern communities were more likely to have no local pharmacist access (72%) compared with southern communities (24%).

Discussion:

Rural and northern communities are underserved. Novel approaches to overcoming the rural pharmacist care gap include rural practice incentives, targeted enrollment of rural students, increased rural exposure in pharmacy schools and the utilization of new technologies such as telepharmacy and drone medication deliveries.
Shaping the leadership configuration of principals and vice-principals: The principal socialising agent
Authors: Ho Jeanne , Kang Trivina
Published: August 2022

This article examines how principals socially construct the leadership configuration of principals and vice-principals in Singapore and what factors influenced the principal's shaping of this configuration. The qualitative study, involving the interview of 10 principals, sought to understand how principals made sense of their vice-principals roles vis-a-vis their own roles, as well as what influenced their perspectives. Coding involved a mix of codes from the literature and grounded from the interviews. Findings revealed that principals perceived themselves as the main and final decision maker, guarding certain responsibilities, and needing to be in the know. They perceived the vice-principal's role to be mainly a supporting role, while simultaneously expecting the latter to challenge the principal's thinking. Principals varied in how they include vice-principals in work perceived as more the principal's responsibility. A high-power distance culture and the principals’ own induction and experiences as vice-principals shaped the principals’ crafting of the leadership configuration. The study highlights the principals’ role as a community in reproducing the type of vice-principals that the system values, raising a concern that bounded empowerment limits the leadership and growth of vice-principals. However, there is some evidence that principals’ agency can counter predominant socialising forces.
Range values for external and internal intensity monitoring in female soccer players: A systematic review
Authors: Oliveira Rafael , Paulo Brito João , Moreno-Villanueva Adrián , Nalha Matilde , Rico-González Markel , Clemente Filipe Manuel
Published: August 2022

Background

The range values of different training and match intensity measures obtained to define benchmarks in female soccer players are needed. Usually, cohort studies analyse only one team with a relatively small sample size, which brings forth the need for a systematic review to generalise training and match intensity evidence.

Objectives

This review aimed to identify and summarise studies that have examined external and internal training or match intensity monitoring to provide range values for the main measures in female soccer players.

Methods

A systematic review of EBSCO, PubMed, Scielo, Scopus, SPORTDiscus and Web of Science databases was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Results

From the 2853 studies searched, 44 were analysed in which the following range intervals were found for training: rated perceived exertion (RPE, 1–7 AU), session-RPE (s-RPE, 51–721 AU), total distance (2347–6646 m) and distance >19.4 km·h−1 (9–543 m). For matches, the range values were s-RPE (240–893 AU), total distance (5480–10581 m), distance ≥14 km·h−1 (543–2520 m), ≥ 18 km·h−1 (96–1680 m), number of accelerations (49–240) and deceleration (21–85) and player load (848–1096 AU).

Conclusions

This study provides range values of s-RPE, RPE, TRIMP, total distance and distance >19.4 km·h−1 regarding training; range intervals of s-RPE, heart rate average and maximum, total distance, distance ≥ 14 km·h−1, ≥ 18 km·h−1, ACC and DEC (> 2 ms−2) regarding matches for professional female players that can be used by coaches, practitioners or researchers to achieve similar training and competitive levels.
Measuring the digital divide among people with severe mental ill health using the essential digital skills framework
Authors: Spanakis P , Wadman R , Walker L , Heron P , Mathers A , Baker J , Johnston G , Gilbody S , Peckham E
Published: August 2022

Aims:

Amid the vast digitalisation of health and other services during the pandemic, people with no digital skills are at risk of digital exclusion. This risk might not abate by the end of the pandemic. This article seeks to understand whether people with severe mental ill health (SMI) have the necessary digital skills to adapt to these changes and avoid digital exclusion.

Methods:

Two hundred and forty-nine adults with SMI across England completed a survey online or offline. They provided information on their digital skills based on the Essential Digital Skills (EDS) framework, sociodemographic information, and digital access. This is the first time that the EDS is benchmarked in people with SMI.

Results:

42.2% had no Foundation Skills, and 46.2% lacked skills for daily life (lacking Foundation or Life Skills). 23.0% of those working lacked skills for professional life (lacking Foundation or Work Skills). The most commonly missing skills were handling passwords and using the device settings (Foundation Skills) and online problem solving (Skills for Life). People were interested in learning more about approximately half of the skills they did not have. People were more likely to lack Foundation Skills if they were older, not in employment, had a psychosis-spectrum disorder, or had no Internet access at home.

Conclusion:

A significant portion of people with SMI lacked Foundation Skills in this objective and benchmarked survey. This points to a high risk for digital exclusion and the need for focused policy and tailored health sector support to ensure people retain access to key services and develop digital skills and confidence. To our knowledge, this is the first time this has been described using the EDS framework. Services, including the National Health Service (NHS), need to be aware of and mitigate the risks.
Phenotypes of Allergic Asthma: Does In-Vitro Allergy Testing Help Predict Asthma Disease Severity?
Authors: Benninger Michael S. , Cabrera Claudia I. , Amador Eulalia M. , Grafmiller Kevin , Sindwani Raj
Published: August 2022

Background

Allergy and asthma are often diagnosed concomitantly. Patients with both diagnoses might need to have a more targeted approach to reduce the symptomatic burden and severity of disease.

Objective

This study was designed to explore the relationship between specific allergen sensitization, and asthma diagnosis and severity with the hypothesis that patients who tested positive to a higher allergy class of response and to more allergens would be more likely to have severe asthma.

Methods

A retrospective review was performed on 1419 charts that had a positive IgE allergy class blood test between 2014 and 2018. A total of 701 patients had one or more positive tests and a diagnosis of asthma. Patient demographics and pertinent variables including all clinic and ED visits, specific allergy and class of response, and information related to their asthma treatment and severity were recorded. Logistic regression was used to analyze the likelihood of asthma diagnosis, concomitant diagnosis of asthma and allergic rhinitis, and measures of asthma severity.

Results

Higher class of response to cat dander 1.24 (1.09, 1.41), dog dander 1.29 (1.13, 1.47), lamb's quarter 1.35 (1.06, 1.70), house dust 1.41 (1.11, 1.82), Cladosporium herbarum 1.35 (1.07, 1.67) or cockroach 1.56 (1.00, 2.44) showed increased odds of hospitalizations. There was a statistically significant difference between the average number of classes for patients with and without asthma ( P < .001), and those with and without steroids ( P < .001).

Conclusions

This study found that positivity to cat dander, dog dander, some fungus, and house dust was associated with more severe asthma.
How long does it take to admit that you do not know? Gender differences in response time to political knowledge questions
Authors: Ferrín Mónica , García-Albacete Gema , Sánchez-Vítores Irene
Published: August 2022

The implications of the persistent gender gap in political knowledge are a puzzle that the literature is still disentangling; and research has evidenced important differences in the way women and men respond to survey questions. We argue in this article that political knowledge survey items not only inform about differences in cognition but also about other latent traits related to gender stereotyping. Gender stereotypes around political knowledge push men to be knowledgeable but not so much women, which we expect to affect men and women’s survey responses differently. To test this expectation, we explore response times of do not know answers to political knowledge items. Our results show that men, particularly those who declare being interested in politics, take longer than women to admit that they do not know the answer to political knowledge items.
Outcomes of HIV Positive Children and Adolescents Initiated on Antiretroviral Treatment in Nigeria (2007-2016)
Authors: Anukam Onyekachi , Blanco Natalia , Jumare Jibreel , Lo Julia , Babatunde Ezra , Odafe Solomon , Onotu Dennis , Ene Uzoma , Fagbamigbe Johnson , Carpenter Deborah , Rivadeneira Emilia D. , Omoigberale Austin I. , Charurat Manhattan , Swaminathan Mahesh , Stafford Kristen A.
Published: August 2022

Background: This manuscript aimed to examine treatment outcomes of HIV-positive children and adolescents. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data of a sample of patients aged 0–19 years who initiated ART (October 2007–September 2016) in participating sites in 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory in Nigeria. Results: Among 4006 patients alive at the end of the follow up period, 138 (3.4%) were LTFU. Adolescents had a significantly higher risk of being LTFU than children aged 3–5 years (HR 2.47 [95% CI 1.40-4.34]). Patients with advanced disease had a significantly higher risk of being LTFU (Stage IV HR, 3.66 [95% CI: 2.00-6.68]). On average, optimal ART refill adherence was met by 67.3% of patients. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that focusing on preventing and managing advanced disease and interventions supporting adolescents when transferring to adult care is warranted.
Effect of Titrated Exposure to Non-Traumatic Noise on Unvoiced Speech Recognition in Human Listeners with Normal Audiological Profiles
Authors: Zhang Mengchao , Stern Richard M. , Moncrieff Deborah , Palmer Catherine , Brown Christopher A.
Published: August 2022

Non-traumatic noise exposure has been shown in animal models to impact the processing of envelope cues. However, evidence in human studies has been conflicting, possibly because the measures have not been specifically parameterized based on listeners’ exposure profiles. The current study examined young dental-school students, whose exposure to high-frequency non-traumatic dental-drill noise during their course of study is systematic and precisely quantifiable. Twenty-five dental students and twenty-seven non-dental participants were recruited. The listeners were asked to recognize unvoiced sentences that were processed to contain only envelope cues useful for recognition and have been filtered to frequency regions inside or outside the dental noise spectrum. The sentences were presented either in quiet or in one of the noise maskers, including a steady-state noise, a 16-Hz or 32-Hz temporally modulated noise, or a spectrally modulated noise. The dental students showed no difference from the control group in demographic information, audiological screening outcomes, extended high-frequency thresholds, or unvoiced speech in quiet, but consistently performed more poorly for unvoiced speech recognition in modulated noise. The group difference in noise depended on the filtering conditions. The dental group's degraded performances were observed in temporally modulated noise for high-pass filtered condition only and in spectrally modulated noise for low-pass filtered condition only. The current findings provide the most direct evidence to date of a link between non-traumatic noise exposure and supra-threshold envelope processing issues in human listeners despite the normal audiological profiles.
Prevalence of Long COVID-19 and its Impact on Quality of Life Among Outpatients With Mild COVID-19 Disease at Tertiary Care Center in North India
Authors: Sarda Radhika , Kumar Arvind , Chandra Ankit , Bir Megha , Kumar Sanchit , Soneja Manish , Sinha Sanjeev , Wig Naveet
Published: August 2022

Literature is lacking on the spectrum of symptoms of long COVID-19 (defined as symptoms persisting beyond 28 days of diagnosis) and its impact on quality of life. This single-center, cross-sectional study included mild COVID-19 cases as determined by a positive real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test. Patients were contacted at least 28 days after diagnosis and were interviewed telephonically using semi-structured questionnaires for duration of symptoms, fatigue using Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and quality of life using the World Health Organization Quality of Life: Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF). A total of 251 COVID-19 patients were included; of which 169 (67.3%) were males. The mean age of the patients was 35.8 years (SD = 12.5). The prevalence of long COVID-19 was 28.2% (n = 71, 95% CI: 23.0–34.2). The most common symptoms involved the musculoskeletal system (12.7%), upper respiratory tract (7.6%), and fatigue among 17 (6.8%) patients. Patients with long COVID-19 had significantly higher FSS score and lower WHOQOL-BREF score compared to the patients without long COVID-19 (<28 days).
Challenges in Nursing Care of Children With Substance Withdrawal Syndrome in the PICU
Authors: Mattsson Janet , Meijers Johannes , Björling Gunilla
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Substance withdrawal is one of the most common advert events in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), as the administration of potent opiates and sedative drugs is frequently performed several times each day.

Objectives

The present study explored the challenges in nursing care of children with substance withdrawal syndrome in the PICU.

Method

The study has an explorative and descriptive semi-structured qualitative interview design, with a strategic selection of informants. It was conducted at one out of three pediatric intensive care units in Sweden.

Results

Three different main themes were identified describing the different challenges regarding withdrawal symptoms: monitor the child’s interest, work with structured support, and understand the observation.

Conclusions

There is a discrepancy between the medical perspective and the nursing care perspective regarding children in PICU suffering from withdrawal syndrome. The lack of joint guidelines, language, and nursing diagnoses may lead to subjective evaluations and increase suffering for these children.
Bisexual Aunts, Gay Cousins: How LGBTQ Family Members Help LGBTQ Youth Navigate Family Heteronormativity
Authors: Stone Amy L. , Pride Chiara , Adams Benjamin , Salcido Robert
Published: August 2022

There is little research on the impact of having LGBTQ family members on LGBTQ youth, despite a body of literature that emphasizes the importance of supportive family members for these youth. Using interviews with a racially diverse group of 26 LGBTQ youth in South Texas, the authors argue that LGBTQ family members, specifically nonparental relatives, play a supportive role in the lives of LGBTQ youth, particularly for Latinx youth. These family members help LGBTQ youth navigate family communication norms and practices around gender and sexuality, including insight into unspoken communication norms and translation for reading family interactions. The authors argue that these family members and their connections with LGBTQ youth were part of a broader resistance to heteronormativity within family life.
Collective Infrastructures of Care: Ollas Comunes Defying Food Insecurity During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Desmaison Belén , Jaime Kelly , Córdova Paola , Alarcón Lia , Gallardo Luciana
Published: August 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of solidarity and care networks in withstanding crises. One example is the emergence of Ollas Comunes (Common Pots, a type of community kitchen) in the peripheries of Lima, which highlighted the enormous need for spaces that promote, channel, and strengthen collective support. Consolidating these networks, and allowing them to prosper over time, constitutes an alternative aimed at improving the living conditions of marginal groups, a crucial task in reducing urban inequalities. Co-production occurred at multiple scales: from local implementations of community kitchens to the design of urban networks for agriculture, water and sanitation, and food production. Collective innovation happened in technical terms towards promoting the efficient use of renewable resources (extending the concept of care to the care of the territory and the environment) and in the formulation of alternative governance in the maintenance and repair of the implemented infrastructure towards a renewed sense of citizenship.
Differential Role of mGluR5 in Cognitive Processes in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Major Depression
Authors: Esterlis Irina , DeBonee Sarah , Cool Ryan , Holmes Sophie , Baldassari Stephen R. , Maruff Paul , Pietrzak Robert H. , Davis Margaret T.
Published: August 2022

Background

A robust literature supports the role of the metabotropic glutamate receptor type 5 (mGluR5) in cognitive functioning. mGluR5 is also implicated in the pathophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD), which are characterized by cognitive alterations. However, the relationship between mGluR5 and cognition in MDD and PTSD has not yet been directly investigated. To address this gap, we examined the relationship between in vivo mGluR5 availability and cognition in PTSD, MDD, and matched healthy adults (HA).

Methods

Individuals with PTSD ( N = 28) and MDD ( N = 21), and HA ( N = 28) were matched for age, gender, and smoking status. Participants completed 18F-FPEB positron emission tomography (PET) scan, psychiatric and cognitive assessments.

Results

Across models examining the relationship between mGluR5 availability and different domains of cognition across diagnostic groups, only the interaction of diagnosis*attention was significant ( F4,64 = 3.011, P = .024). Higher mGluR5 availability was associated with poorer attention in PTSD in 4 frontolimbic regions of interests (ROI's: OFC ( r = −.441, P = .016), vmPFC ( r = −.408, P = .028), dlPFC ( r = −.421, P = .023), hippocampus ( r = −.422, P = .025). By contrast, mGluR5 availability in the MDD group was positively related to Attention (ATTN) in the OFC ( r = .590, P = .006), vmPFC ( r = .653, P = .002), and dlPFC ( r = .620, P = .004). Findings in the hippocampus for MDD followed the same pattern but did not survive correction for multiple comparisons ( r = .480, P = .036). ATTN and mGluR5 availability were not significantly related in the HA group. Of note, in MANOVA analyses group*ATTN interaction results in the OFC did not survive multiple comparisons ( P = .046). All other findings survived correction for multiple comparisons and remained significant when covarying for potential confounds (eg, depressed mood).

Conclusions

We observed a significant relationship between frontolimbic mGluR5 availability and performance on tests of attention in individuals with MDD and PTSD. This finding aligns with animal work showing dysregulation in mGluR5 in cognitive functioning, and differed as a function of diagnosis. Results suggest interventions targeting mGluR5 may help bolster cognitive difficulties, highlighting the importance of employing different mGluR5 directed treatment strategies in MDD and PTSD.
Long-term outcomes in patients with relapsed or refractory hairy cell leukemia treated with vemurafenib monotherapy
Authors: Handa Shivani , Lee Jeong-Ok , Derkach Andriy , Stone Richard M. , Saven Alan , Altman Jessica K. , Grever Michael R. , Rai Kanti R. , Shukla Madhulika , Vemuri Shreya , Montoya Skye , Taylor Justin , Abdel-Wahab Omar , Tallman Martin S. , Park Jae H.
Published: August 2022

Vemurafenib, an oral BRAF inhibitor, has demonstrated high response rates in relapsed/refractory (R/R) hairy cell leukemia (HCL). However, little is known about long-term outcomes and response to retreatment. Herein, we report the results of 36 patients with R/R HCL treated with vemurafenib from the United States arm of the phase 2 clinical trial (NCT01711632). The best overall response rate was 86%, including 33% complete response (CR) and 53% partial response (PR). After a median follow-up of 40 months, 21 of 31 responders (68%) experienced relapse with a median relapse-free survival (RFS) of 19 months (range, 12.5-53.9 months). There was no significant difference in the RFS for patients with CR vs PR. Fourteen of 21 (67%) relapsed patients were retreated with vemurafenib, with 86% achieving complete hematologic response. Two patients acquired resistance to vemurafenib with the emergence of new KRAS and CDKN2A mutations, respectively. Six of 12 (50%) responders to vemurafenib retreatment experienced another relapse with a median RFS of 12.7 months. Overall survival (OS) was 82% at 4 years, with a significantly shorter OS in patients who relapsed within 1 year of initial treatment with vemurafenib. Higher cumulative doses or a longer duration of treatment did not lengthen the durability of response. All adverse events in the retreatment cohort were grade 1/2 except for 1 case of a grade 3 rash and 1 grade 3 fever/pneumonia. Our data suggest that vemurafenib retreatment is a safe and effective option for patients with R/R HCL.
DAGBagM: learning directed acyclic graphs of mixed variables with an application to identify protein biomarkers for treatment response in ovarian cancer
Authors: Chowdhury Shrabanti , Wang Ru , Yu Qing , Huntoon Catherine J. , Karnitz Larry M. , Kaufmann Scott H. , Gygi Steven P. , Birrer Michael J. , Paulovich Amanda G. , Peng Jie , Wang Pei
Published: August 2022

Background

Applying directed acyclic graph (DAG) models to proteogenomic data has been shown effective for detecting causal biomarkers of complex diseases. However, there remain unsolved challenges in DAG learning to jointly model binary clinical outcome variables and continuous biomarker measurements.

Results

In this paper, we propose a new tool, DAGBagM, to learn DAGs with both continuous and binary nodes. By using appropriate models, DAGBagM allows for either continuous or binary nodes to be parent or child nodes. It employs a bootstrap aggregating strategy to reduce false positives in edge inference. At the same time, the aggregation procedure provides a flexible framework to robustly incorporate prior information on edges.

Conclusions

Through extensive simulation experiments, we demonstrate that DAGBagM has superior performance compared to alternative strategies for modeling mixed types of nodes. In addition, DAGBagM is computationally more efficient than two competing methods. When applying DAGBagM to proteogenomic datasets from ovarian cancer studies, we identify potential protein biomarkers for platinum refractory/resistant response in ovarian cancer. DAGBagM is made available as a github repository at https://github.com/jie108/dagbagM.
RNA-Seq analysis reveals the important co-expressed genes associated with polyphyllin biosynthesis during the developmental stages of Paris polyphylla
Authors: Gao Xiaoyang , Su Qixuan , Li Jing , Yang Wenjing , Yao Baolin , Guo Jiawei , Li Shengying , Liu Changning
Published: August 2022

Background

Plants synthesize metabolites to adapt to a continuously changing environment. Metabolite biosynthesis often occurs in response to the tissue-specific combinatorial developmental cues that are transcriptionally regulated. Polyphyllins are the major bioactive components inParisspecies that demonstrate hemostatic, anti-inflammatory and antitumor effects and have considerable market demands. However, the mechanisms underlying polyphyllin biosynthesis and regulation during plant development have not been fully elucidated.

Results

Tissue samples ofP. polyphyllavar.yunnanensisduring the four dominant developmental stages were collected and investigated using high-performance liquid chromatography and RNA sequencing. Polyphyllin concentrations in the different tissues were found to be highly dynamic across developmental stages. Specifically, decreasing trends in polyphyllin concentration were observed in the aerial vegetative tissues, whereas an increasing trend was observed in the rhizomes. Consistent with the aforementioned polyphyllin concentration trends, different patterns of spatiotemporal gene expression in the vegetative tissues were found to be closely related with polyphyllin biosynthesis. Additionally, molecular dissection of the pathway components revealed 137 candidate genes involved in the upstream pathway of polyphyllin backbone biosynthesis. Furthermore, gene co-expression network analysis revealed 74 transcription factor genes and one transporter gene associated with polyphyllin biosynthesis and allocation.

Conclusions

Our findings outline the framework for understanding the biosynthesis and accumulation of polyphyllins during plant development and contribute to future research in elucidating the molecular mechanism underlying polyphyllin regulation and accumulation inP. polyphylla.
Diversity of endophytic fungal community in Huperzia serrata from different ecological areas and their correlation with Hup A content
Authors: Pang Bo , Yin Dengpan , Zhai Yufeng , He Anguo , Qiu Linlin , Liu Qiao , Ma Nan , Shen Hongjun , Jia Qiaojun , Liang Zongsuo , Wang Dekai
Published: August 2022

Background

Huperzine A (Hup A) has attracted considerable attention as an effective therapeutic candidate drug used to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Whereas, the production of Hup A from wild plants faced a major challenge, which is the wild Huperzia Serrata harbor a low Hup A content, has a long-life cycle, and has a small yield. At present, several reports showed that Hup A is produced by various endophytic fungal strains isolated from H. serrata, thereby providing an alternative method to produce the compound and reduce the consumption of this rare and endangered plant. However, till now, very few comprehensive studies are available on the biological diversity and structural composition of endophytic fungi and the effects of endophytic fungi on the Hup A accumulation in H. serrata.

Results

In this research, the composition and diversity of fungal communities in H. serrata were deciphered based on high-throughput sequencing technology of fungal internal transcribed spacer regions2 (ITS2). The correlation between endophytic fungal community and Hup A content was also investigated. Results revealed that the richness and the diversity of endophytic fungi in H. serrata was various according to different tissues and different ecological areas. The endophytic fungal communities of H. serrata exhibit species-specific, ecological-specific, and tissue-specific characteristics. There are 6 genera (Ascomycota_unclassified, Cyphellophora, Fungi_unclassified, Sporobolomyces, and Trichomeriaceae_unclassified) were significantly positively correlated with Hup A content in all two areas, whereas, there are 6 genera (Auricularia, Cladophialophora, Cryptococcus, Mortierella, and Mycena) were significantly negatively correlated with Hup A content of in all two areas.

Conclusions

This study indicated a different composition and diverse endophytic fungal communities in H. serrata from different organs and ecological areas. The current study will provide the realistic basis and theoretical significance for understanding the biological diversity and structural composition of endophytic fungal communities in H. serrata, as well as providing novel insights into the interaction between endophytic fungi and Hup A content.
Low-dose dexmedetomidine as a perineural adjuvant for postoperative analgesia: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Liu Wei , Guo Jingwen , Zheng Jun , Zheng Bin , Ruan Xiangcai ,   Addition of Dexmedetomidine to Ropivacaine-Induced supraclavicular Block (ADRIB) investigator
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Dexmedetomidine has been proposed as an additive to local anesthetics to prolong peripheral nerve block duration; however, perineural dexmedetomidine has been associated with an increased risk of bradycardia and hypotension This randomized controlled study investigated the effects of low-dose dexmedetomidine as a perineural adjuvant for postoperative analgesia.

Methods

Fifty-five patients who had undergone elective upper extremity surgery were randomized to receive an ultrasound-guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block with 20 mL 0.5% ropivacaine with or without 30 μg dexmedetomidine. The primary outcome was the duration of analgesia. Secondary outcomes included the onset time and duration of the motor and sensory blocks, incidence of hypotension and bradycardia, total postoperative analgesics, and safety assessment during the 24 h after surgery.

Results

Dexmedetomidine significantly prolonged the duration of analgesia (887 ± 92 min vs 661 ± 83 min, P < 0.0001). The onset time and the duration of motor and sensory block were significantly different between the groups (all P < 0.001). No episodes of hypotension or bradycardia were detected in the dexmedetomidine group. The total postoperative analgesic use and side effect profiles in the first 24 h postoperative period were similar for both groups.

Conclusions

Low-dose dexmedetomidine (30 μg) as a perineural adjuvant significantly prolonged the analgesic duration of a brachial plexus block without inducing hemodynamic instability.

Trial registration

This trial was registered at ClinicalTrial.gov (NCT02630290).
Indocyanine green fluorescence imaging localization-assisted thoracoscopy revision surgery after repair of esophageal atresia
Authors: Zhang Yanan , Wang Murong , Li Shuangshuang , Liao Junmin , Hua Kaiyun , Yang Shen , Huang Jinshi
Published: August 2022

Revision surgery for the complications after repair of esophageal atresia is often complex because of previous surgeries and chest infections and thus requires surgical expertise. This study describes surgical experiences with the use of indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging localization-assisted thoracoscopy during revision surgery, including recurrent tracheoesophageal fistula (rTEF) (8 cases, one of which was esophageal-pulmonary fistula) and delayed esophageal closure (1 case). We performed fistula repair and esophageal reconstruction according to the indications of ICG. The application of this method avoids the excessive trauma caused by freeing the trachea and esophagus. Contrast imaging taken one week and one month after surgery indicated no spillover of the contrast agent from the esophagus, except in 1 case. Indocyanine green fluorescence imaging localization-assisted thoracoscopy is worth promoting for revision surgery after esophageal atresia repair.
Comprehensive geriatric assessment is associated with increased antidepressant treatment in frail older people with unplanned hospital admissions—results from the randomised controlled study CGA-Swed
Authors: Westgård Theresa , Hammar Isabelle Andersson , Wilhelmson Katarina , Waern Margda
Published: August 2022

Background

Frail older people are at higher risk of further deterioration if their needs are not acknowledged when they are acutely ill and admitted to hospital. Mental health comprises one area of needs assessment.

Aims

The aims of this study were threefold: to investigate the prevalence of depression in frail hospital patients, to identify factors associated with depression, and to compare depression management in patients receiving and not receiving Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA).

Methods

This secondary analysis from the CGA-Swed randomized control trial included 155 frail older people aged 75 years and above. Instruments included Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), the ICE Capability measure for older people (ICECAP-O) and the Fugl-Meyer Life Satisfaction scale (Fugl-Meyer Lisat). Depression was broadly defined as MADRS score ≥ 7. Regression models were used to identify variables associated with depression and to compare groups with and without the CGA intervention.

Results

The prevalence of a MADRS score indicating depression at baseline was 60.7%. The inability to do things that make one feel valued (ICECAP-O) was associated with a fourfold increase in depression (OR 4.37, CI 1.50–12.75, p = 0.007). There was a two-fold increase in odds of receiving antidepressant medication in the CGA intervention group (OR 2.33, CI 1.15–4.71, p = 0.019) compared to patients in the control group who received regular medical care.

Conclusion

Symptoms of depression were common among frail older people with unplanned hospital admission. Being unable to do things that make one feel valued was associated with depression. People who received CGA intervention had higher odds of receiving antidepressant treatment, suggesting that CGA improves recognition of mental health needs during unplanned hospital admissions in frail older people.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02773914. Retrospectively registered 16 May 2016.
Automated prediction of early spontaneous miscarriage based on the analyzing ultrasonographic gestational sac imaging by the convolutional neural network: a case-control and cohort study
Authors: Wang Yu , Zhang Qixin , Yin Chenghuan , Chen Lizhu , Yang Zeyu , Jia Shanshan , Sun Xue , Bai Yuzuo , Han Fangfang , Yuan Zhengwei
Published: August 2022

Background

It is challenging to predict the outcome of the pregnancy when fetal heart activity is detected in early pregnancy. However, an accurate prediction is of importance for obstetricians as it helps to provide appropriate consultancy and determine the frequency of ultrasound examinations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of the convolutional neural network (CNN) in the prediction of spontaneous miscarriage risk through the analysis of early ultrasound gestational sac images.

Methods

A total of 2196 ultrasound images from 1098 women with early singleton pregnancies of gestational age between 6 and 8 weeks were used for training a CNN for the prediction of the miscarriage in the retrospective study. The patients who had positive fetal cardiac activity on their first ultrasound but then experienced a miscarriage were enrolled. The control group was randomly selected in the same database from the fetuses confirmed to be normal during follow-up. Diagnostic performance of the algorithm was validated and tested in two separate test sets of 136 patients with 272 images, respectively. Performance in prediction of the miscarriage was compared between the CNN and the manual measurement of ultrasound characteristics in the prospective study.

Results

The accuracy of the predictive model was 80.32% and 78.1% in the retrospective and prospective study, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for classification was 0.857 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.793–0.922) in the retrospective study and 0.885 (95%CI, 0.846–0.925) in the prospective study, respectively. Correspondingly, the predictive power of the CNN was higher compared with manual ultrasound characteristics, for which the AUCs of the crown-rump length combined with fetal heart rate was 0.687 (95%CI, 0.587–0.775).

Conclusions

The CNN model showed high accuracy for predicting miscarriage through the analysis of early pregnancy ultrasound images and achieved better performance than that of manual measurement.
High-throughput circular RNA sequencing reveals the profiles of circular RNA in non-cirrhotic hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Li Hongyu , Xu Liangliang , Yi Pengsheng , Li Lian , Yan Tao , Xie Liang , Zhu Zhijun
Published: August 2022

Background

Liver cirrhosis is a well-known risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, some HCC cases can also originate from non-cirrhotic livers. The aim of this study was to identify key circular RNAs (circRNAs) associated with the tumorigenesis of non-cirrhotic liver disease.

Methods

The differently expressed circRNAs between non-cirrhotic and cirrhotic HCCs were assessed with use of high-throughput circRNAs sequencing and validated with quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Potential biological functions of these dysregulated circRNAs were predicted with use of Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses. A circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulation network was constructed as achieved with use of miRanda software and visualized using Cytoscape software. Biological functions of the four most prominent dysregulated circRNAs identified were confirmed by in vitro experiments. Moreover, possible translations of these dysregulated circRNAs were also predicted.

Results

A total of 393 dysregulated circRNAs were identified between non-cirrhotic and cirrhotic HCC, including 213 that were significantly up-regulated and 180 significantly down-regulated circRNAs. Expression levels of the six most prominent dysregulated circRNAs were further validated using qRT-PCR. Many tumor related miRNAs were involved in the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks, including miR-182-5p, miR-561-3p, miR-125a-5p, miR-145, miR-23b-3p and miR-30e-3p, and downstream mRNAs of dysregulated circRNAs were significantly related with biological processes involved in the progression of tumors, including proliferation, migration, differentiation, and focal adhesion. Results from the in vitro experiments demonstrated that the most prominent dysregulated circRNAs exerted notable effects upon the proliferation and migration of HCC cells. Finally, we also identified 19 dysregulated circRNAs having potential for the coding of functional peptides.

Conclusion

The results of this present study indicate that circRNAs may play important roles in tumorigenesis of non-cirrhotic HCC. Such findings provide some novel insights and pave the way for the development of future studies directed at investigating the initiation and treatment of HCC.
The clinicopathological and prognostic significances of IGF-1R and Livin expression in patients with colorectal cancer
Authors: Zhang Zhenling , Zhang Yuxin , Lao Si , Qiu Jian , Pan Ziang , Feng Xiaoying
Published: August 2022

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide. However, limited effective biomarkers are associated with the tumorigenesis and prognosis of CRC.

Methods

The present study identified potential signatures from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and further validated the identified biomarkers in CRC tissues by immunohistochemistry (IHC).

Results

The expression of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) and Livin gene was significantly upregulated in CRC samples compared to the adjacent normal samples in the TCGA dataset. IHC indicated that IGF-1R and Livin protein levels are increased in CRC and adenoma tissues compared to normal tissues. Notably, the IGF-1R protein levels differed significantly between adenoma and CRC. The elevated IGF-1R and Livin expression was associated with CRC clinicopathological features, including age, gender, histological subtype, individual cancer stages, nodal metastasis, and TP53-mutant in TCGA. Additionally, the IGF-1R promoter methylation level was closely related to CRC. Consistent with the TCGA study, IHC indicated that overexpressed IGF-1R and Livin proteins were independent risk factors for stage and metastasis. A marked correlation was established between IGF-1R and Livin expression in CRC, while the survival map showed no significant correlation with CRC. Kaplan–Meier survival curves showed that CRC patients with high IGF-1R or Livin expression had a prolonged overall disease-free survival than those with low expression in TCGA.

Conclusion

IGF-1R and Livin are associated with CRC tumorigenesis and might be valuable for novel biomarker identification and targeted therapeutic strategy development.
High prevalence of and factors associated with human papillomavirus infection among women attending a tertiary hospital in Gauteng Province, South Africa
Authors: Tiiti Teboho Amelia , Selabe Selokela Gloria , Bogers Johannes , Lebelo Ramokone Lisbeth
Published: August 2022

Background

Persistent high-risk (hr) human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a necessary cause of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is a major public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa including South Africa. This study investigated the prevalence of and factors associated with hr-HPV infection among women attending a tertiary hospital in Gauteng Province, South Africa.

Methods

Cervical samples were collected from 526 participants aged ≥ 18 years using a Cervex Brush® Combi and tested for hr-HPV types on the Abbott m2000 analyzer using the Abbott RealTime HR HPV assay. Samples that tested hr-HPV deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-positive were further tested for hr-HPV E6/E7 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) using the APTIMA® HPV assay on the Panther system (Hologic, Inc.). Sociodemographic data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Binomial regression analysis was used to assess factors associated with hr-HPV infection.

Results

Overall hr-HPV DNA prevalence was 48.1% (95%CI: 43.8–52.4%). Of the hr-HPV DNA-positives, 24.5% (95%CI: 19.3–30.1) had HPV-16; 12.3% (95%CI: 8.5–16.9) had HPV-18 and 87.4% (95%CI: 82.6–91.2) had other 12 h-HPVs. Of the samples positive for hr-HPV DNA, 84.2% (95%CI: 79.1–88.5) (213/253) were positive for hr-HPV E6/E7 mRNA. Advanced age was an important factor linked to hr-HPV E6/E7 mRNA positivity. Based on multivariate binomial regression analysis, unemployment (PR: 1.50; 95%CI: 1.23–1.83) and being married (PR: 0.61; 95%CI: 0.47–0.81) were identified as statistically significant (p < 0.0001) predictive and protective factors, respectively, for hr-HPV infection.

Conclusions

The prevalence of hr-HPV infection was high. Furthermore, hr-HPV DNA-positive samples had a high hr-HPV E6/E7 mRNA prevalence. The presence of hr-HPV E6/E7mRNA indicates active infection and thus a greater risk of developing the cervical disease. Therefore, HPV mRNA testing could be a better test to monitor women who are positive with Pap smear before colposcopy is performed to reduce the burden of referrals.