bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predictive Value of Ectopic Inner Foveal Layer Without Internal Limiting Membrane Peeling For Idiopathic Epiretinal Membrane Surgery
Authors: Karasu Buğra , Çelebi Ali Rıza Cenk
Published: September 2021

Purpose: To investigate the clinical importance of ectopic inner foveal layer (EIFL) grading (mild to severe) diagnosed with idiopathic epiretinal membrane (iERM) patients who were peeled up only ERM in eyes with EIFL.Materials and Methods: Patients diagnosed with iERMs who have undergone PPV including only ERM peeling were enrolled into the study; and follow-up findings were recorded at baseline, months 3, 6, 12, and final examinations, retrospectively. EIFL was divided into four grades from mild to severe. Pre- and postoperative anatomical changes were measured by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) imaging method. The association between EIFL and other SD-OCT parameters with best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was assessed before and after PPV surgery.Results: One-hundred thirty eight eyes of 106 patients with EIFL (mild to severe) were included in the study. The higher thickness of EIFL was significantly correlated with lower baseline BCVA (r = 0.575, p = 0.020) and final BCVA (r=0.748, p= 0.001). Although, EIFLs continued in advanced stage cases (stage 3 and 4) (64 eyes (82%)) at final visit, observed in 8 eyes (23 %) in early stage (stage 2) of iERMs. Above all, a strong positive correlation was found between EIFL thickness and ERM recurrence rate (r=0.876, p <0.001). Recurrence ERM was detected in 27 eyes, which were found in 2 eyes (%7) at stage 1, 3 eyes (%9) at stage 2, 10 eyes (%23) at stage 3, and 12 eyes (%33) at stage 4 (p<0.001).Conclusion: A negative relationship was found between the severity of EIFL and postoperative anatomical and visual recovery. In terms of surgical timing, early stages (stage 1 and 2) may be preferred for providing good anatomical and visual recovery and low recurrence rate following surgery. In relation to further anatomical and visual yields, additional internal limiting membrane peeling may not be an essential procedure for early grades of iERMs (stage 1 and 2).
UAV adaptive trajectory tracking control under unknown time-varying disturbance and input saturation
Authors: Zhou Yimin , Tian Zengwu
Published: September 2021

In this paper, the flight control of the Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is discussed with the proposed adaptive dynamic surface control method owing to its underactuated and non-linear characteristics. The proposed control algorithm is based on radial basis function (RBF) neural network and anti-saturation auxiliary system to realize high-precision trajectory tracking under time-varying disturbances and input saturation. First, the nonlinear dynamic model of the UAV with disturbances is established with the aid of rigid body motion theory. With the adoption of the dynamic surface control algorithm, the error surface and the Lyapunov function are defined to design the preliminary control law of the designed controller. Then the RBF neural network is introduced to estimate and compensate the disturbance. Further, an anti - saturation module is designed to tackle the problem of input saturation. By using the Lyapunov stability theory, it is proved that the stability and signal consistency of the closed-loop system are bounded, along with the constrained conditions of the control parameters. Simulation experiments have been performed and the results demonstrate that the proposed control algorithm has high-precision trajectory tracking ability and strong anti-disturbance capability under the input saturation constraint with high control performance.
Suicide Rate and Social Environment Characteristics in South Korea: The Roles of Socioeconomic, Demographic, Urbanicity, General Health Behaviors, and Other Environmental Factors On Suicide Rate
Authors: Jang Hyemin , Lee Whanhee , Kim Yong-ook , Kim Ho
Published: September 2021

Background: Suicide is a serious worldwide public health concern, and South Korea has shown the highest suicide rate among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries since 2003. Nevertheless, most previous Korean studies on suicide had limitations in investigating various social environment factors using long-term nationwide data. Thus, this study aimed to examine how various social environment characteristics are related to the suicide rate on a district-level, using nationwide longitudinal data over 11 years.Methods: We used the district-level age-standardized suicide rate and a total of 12 annual social environment characteristics of socioeconomic, demographic, urbanicity, general health behaviors, and other environmental characteristics from 229 administrative districts in South Korea. A linear mixed-effect model (LMEM) was used to examine the association between the rate of suicide and the social environment indicators selected for the study.Results: In the total population, the indicators “% population aged 65 and older eligible for the basic pension”, “% vacant houses in the area”, “% divorce”, “% detached houses”, and “% current smokers” showed positive associations with the suicide rate. In contrast, “% people who regularly participated in religious activities” and “number of sports facilities per 1,000 persons” showed negative associations with suicide rate. The associations between social environment characteristics and suicide rate were generally more pronounced in males and more urbanised areas, than in females and less urbanised areas; however, associations differed amongst age groups, depending on the social environment characteristic variable under study.Conclusions: This study investigated the complex role of social environments on suicide rate in South Korea and revealed that higher suicide rates were associated with lower values of socioeconomic status, physical exercise, and religious activities, and with higher social isolation and smoking practice. Our results can be used in the development of targeted suicide prevention policies.
Congress of Neurological Surgeons Systematic Review and Evidence-Based Guidelines Update on the Role of Cytotoxic Chemotherapy and Other Cytotoxic Therapies in the Management of Progressive Glioblastoma in Adults
Authors: Germano Isabelle M. , Ziu Mateo , wen patrick , ormond david ryan , olson jeff
Published: September 2021

Target populationThese recommendations apply to adult patients diagnosed with progressive glioblastoma (pGBM).Question (Q1):In adult patients with pGBM does the use of temozolomide (TMZ) with alternative dosing or the use of TMZ in combination with other cytotoxic treatments result in increased overall survival compared to other chemotherapy?Recommendation:Level III: Adult patients with pGBM might derive benefit in treatment with TMZ especially those who progress after more than 5 months of TMZ-treatment free interval. Level III: Combination of TMZ with other cytotoxic agents such as nitrosourea, cisplatin, electrohypothermia, or tamoxifen is not suggested in adult patients with pGBM as a stand-alone therapy.There is insufficient data to make a recommendation about which alternative TMZ dosing provides the best benefits.Question (Q2):In adult patients with pGBM does the use of systemic or in situ nitrosourea result in increased overall survival compared to other chemotherapy?Recommendation:Level III: In the setting of pGBM, fotemustine is suggested in elderly patients with methylated MGMT promoter status. There is insufficient evidence to compare fotemustine to other nitrosoureas. There is insufficient evidence to make a suggestion about the use of in situ nitrosourea in patients with pGBM who underwent the Stupp regimen.Question (Q3):In adult patients with pGBM does the use of platinum compounds and topoisomerase result in increased survival compared to other chemotherapy?Recommendation:Level III: Other chemotherapy including platinum compounds and topoisomerase inhibitors are not suggested to be used in adult patients with pGBM.Level III: Other cytotoxic therapies like perillyl acohol and ketogenic diet are not suggested for use in adult patients with pGBM as a stand-alone therapy.Question (Q4):In adult patients with pGBM does the use of tumor treating field (TTF) result in increased overall survival compared to chemotherapy?Recommendation:Level III: The use of TTF with other chemotherapy may be considered when treating adult patients with pGBM.There is insufficient evidence to recommend TTF to increase overall survival in adult patients with pGBM.Question (Q5):In adult patients with pGBM does the use of oncolytic virotherapy result in increased survival compared to chemotherapy?Recommendation:Level III: Oncolytic virotherapy is not suggested in patients with pGBM.
Specialist Wait Time Reporting Using Family Physicians’ Electronic Medical Record Data: A Mixed Method Study of Feasibility and Clinical Utility
Authors: Naimer Michelle , Aliarzadeh Babak , Bell Chaim M. , Ivers Noah , Jaakkimainen Liisa , McIsaac Warren , Meaney Christopher , Moineddin Rahim , Permaul Joanne A. , Makuwaza Tutsirai , Kukan Sahana
Published: September 2021

Background: More than 50% of Canadian patients wait longer than four weeks to see a specialist after referral from primary care. Access to accurate wait time information may help primary care physicians choose the timeliest specialist to address a patient’s specific needs. We conducted a mixed-methods study to assess if primary to specialist care wait times can be extracted from electronic medical records (EMR), analyzed the wait time information, and used focus groups and interviews to assess the potential clinical utility of the wait time information. Methods: Two family practices were recruited to examine primary care physician to specialist wait times between 2016 and 2017, using EMR data. The primary outcome was the median wait time from physician referral to specialist appointment for each specialty service. Secondary outcomes included the physician and patient characteristics associated with wait times as well as qualitative analyses of physician interviews about the resulting wait time reports.Results: Wait time data can be extracted from the primary care EMR and converted to a report format for family physicians and specialists to review. After data cleaning, there were 7141 referrals included from 4967 unique patients. The 5 most common specialties referred to were Dermatology, Gastroenterology, Ear Nose and Throat, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Urology. Half of the patients were seen by a specialist within 42 days, 75% seen within 80 days and all patients within 760 days. There were few patient or provider differences amongst the wait times for referrals. Overall, wait time reports were perceived to be important since they could help family physicians decide how to triage referrals and might lead to system improvements. Conclusions: Wait time information from primary to specialist care can aid in decision-making around specialist referrals, identify bottlenecks, and help with system planning. This mixed method study is a starting point to review the importance of providing wait time data for both family physicians and local health systems. Future work can be directed towards developing wait time reporting functionality and evaluating if wait time information will help increase system efficiency and/or improve provider and patient satisfaction.
A pan-cancer analysis of tumor-infiltrating B cell repertoires
Authors: Yu Katharine , Ravoor Akshay , Malats Nuria , Pineda Silvia , Sirota Marina
Published: September 2021

Tumor-infiltrating B cells can play an important role in anti-tumor responses but their presence is not well understood. In this study, we extracted the B cell receptor repertoires from 9522 tumor and adjacent non-tumor samples across 28 tumor types in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project and performed diversity and network analysis. We identified differences in diversity and network statistics across tumor types and subtypes and we observed a trend towards increased clonality in primary tumor samples compared to adjacent non-tumor tissues. We also found significant associations between the repertoire features and mutation load, tumor stage, and age. Our V-gene usage analysis identified similar V-gene usage patterns in colorectal and endometrial cancers. Lastly, we evaluated the prognostic value of the repertoire features and identified significant associations with survival in seven tumor types. This study warrants further research into better understanding the role of tumor-infiltrating B cells across a wide range of tumor types.
Turnaround Time for Microbiological Testing of Tuberculosis in Routine Clinical Practice and Time to Patient Initiation on Treatment, Iganga Hospital, Uganda: 2012-2017
Authors: Musewa Angella , Bulage Lilian , Maganda Joseph Frank , Ario Alex Riolexus
Published: September 2021

Background: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) that is resistant to atleast isoniazid and rifampicin. Delayed diagnosis and treatment initiation lead to increased transmission and poor clinical outcomes. Although GeneXpert MTB/RIF detects Mtb and rifampicin resistance within 2 hours, the TB control program needs to understand the turnaround time (TAT) from specimen collection to treatment initiation and its impact on treatment outcomes for patients with Rif-resistant TB in Uganda. We quantified the TAT overall and at each step of the process for diagnosis of Rif-resistant TB in routine clinical practice and time to initiation on appropriate treatment over a 5-year period.Methods: We conducted a retrospective study in Iganga General Hospital, Eastern Uganda. Both Rif-resistant and MDR TB cases are recorded in the same register. We abstracted data from the MDR-TB clinic and laboratory registers (Form 2A and 096B) at Iganga Hospital, 2012-2017, including dates for smear microscopy, Xpert MTB/RIF, initiating MDR-TB patients on treatment after the Xpert MTB/RIF test, and dates for Drug Susceptibility Testing (DST). We performed descriptive and survival analysis to estimate the TAT for microbiological testing and time to initiation on treatment among MDR-TB patients.Results: Overall, we analyzed sixty-three (63) records, including specimens from Iganga Hospital patients and referrals from other health facilities. Of 63 records, 81% (51/63) had microscopy results, 97% (61/63) had Xpert MTB/RIF results, and 98% (62/63) had DST results. The median TAT for smear microscopy was the same day or within 1 day for 38/51 (75%) of the patients, ranging from 2-31 days for the rest. TAT for Xpert MTB/RIF results was the same day or within 1 day for 45/61 (75%), while the rest ranged from 2-183 days. Treatment initiation was within 28 days for 30/61 (50%). Reporting results for DST, took a median time of 13 days (IQR: 10-40 days) with an overall range of 0-334 days. Conclusion: Prompt Xpert MTB/RIF testing and result reporting allows timely treatment initiation. We recommend timely release of DST results by the National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory or decentralization of DST services so as to mitigate delays and improve patient re-evaluation.
Effects of Tarragon Hydroalcoholic Extract and Coumarin On Memory, Tissue Index and GABAA Receptor Gene Expression in The Hippocampus of Male Rats
Authors: Heidarieh Nasrin , Najafifard Maryam , Rohani Ali Haeri , Eidi Akram
Published: September 2021

Background and objective:

Learning and memory are necessary for survival. The hippocampus plays a significant role in learning process. GABAA receptors in the hippocampus are effective in learning and memory mechanism. The present study effect of tarragon hydroalcoholic extract and coumarin on memory, tissue index and GABAA receptor gene expression in the hippocampus of male rats.
Methodology:

56 Wistar rats were used and randomized in 7 groups (N = 8). These groups included the intact, receiving DMSO, receiving tarragon hydroalcoholic extract doses of 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg and receiving coumarin dose of 3, 5 mg/kg. They have undergone treatment intraperitoneally once a day for two weeks. The shuttle box was used for the memory retention test. The rats were killed according to the research ethical codes after the tests were done. When the brains of rats were removed, 4 brains in each group were chosen for the histological test using Nissl staining. In the other four brains, the hippocampus was removed immediately. The hippocampus was located in a microtube and was frozen by liquid nitrogen. Finally, a gene expression test was performed using real-time PCR.
Results

the findings of the present study reveal that there was no significant difference between of solvent recipients and the intact group in the memory retention test, the number of healthy hippocampal pyramidal neurons, and the expression of the GABAA gene. The treated groups with various doses of hydroalcoholic extract of tarragon and coumarin showed decreased in the memory retention test and the number of healthy pyramidals neurons as well as a significant increase in GABAA- α5 and GABAA- α2 genes expression compared to the group receiving solvent.
Conclusion

Tarragon hydroalcoholic extract and coumarin affects memory impairment through increasing the GABAA-α5 and GABAA-α2 genes expression and decreasing the number of healthy hippocampal neurons.
Development and Evaluation of a Website With Patients Experiences of Multiple Sclerosis: A Mixed Methods Study
Authors: Sippel Anna , Scheiderbauer Jutta , Eklund Désirée , Arnade Sigrid , Schmidt Stephan , Kleiter Ingo , Morrison Rebecca , Kofahl Christopher , Heesen Christoph
Published: September 2021

Background
A variety of management options (e.g., disease-modifying therapy, lifestyle interventions, rehabilitation) are available for persons with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). Besides coping with the diagnosis, persons with MS have to make complex decisions, e.g., regarding disease-modifying therapies. In addition to factual information, reports of patient experiences may support other patients in their decision-making. Therefore, we developed a website presenting patient experiences illustrated by video, audio and text files. This study aimed to test the acceptability and usability of a website with patient experiences with MS.
Methods
A mixed-methods approach was applied. A total of 69 participants visited the German “Patient Experiences with MS (PExMS)” website and among them, 50 persons with MS and 6 experts completed an online survey. In total, 18 participants took part in telephone interviews or focus groups. Data from the survey were analysed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis.
Results
Both quantitative and qualitative responses suggest that the PExMS website was viewed positively by patients and experts. 94% of persons with MS agreed that the information was comprehensible and reliable. 54% felt encouraged to share their health problems with others after having studied the website. 74% claimed to use the website if they had to make a decision regarding their health. Qualitative responses deduced from the website fell into 5 key themes: (1) web design, appearance, and functionality, (2) content, (3) usability, (4) satisfaction, and (5) loyalty. The search for persons of similar age and with comparable experiences was a major driving force to navigate the website. The material on the website was perceived as diverse, covering both positive and negative experiences in daily living with MS. All participants greatly appreciated having access to other people’s experiences online and judged the material on the website as particularly helpful in decision-making for disease-modifying therapies.
Conclusions
The findings suggest that the PExMS website might have the potential to be a useful source of audio-visual information for persons with MS. Given the lack of websites available to patients with experiential information, health care professionals may be encouraged to routinely inform patients about this website at regular appointments.
Reference-Based Versus Reference-Free Cell Type Estimation In DNA Methylation Studies Using Human Placental Tissue
Authors: Dieckmann Linda , Cruceanu Cristiana , Lahti-Pulkkinen Marius , Lahti Jari , Kvist Tuomas , Laivuori Hannele , Sammallahti Sara , Villa Pia M. , Suomalainen-König Sanna , Rancourt Rebecca C. , Plagemann Andreas , Henrich Wolfgang , Eriksson Johan G. , Kajantie Eero , Entringer Sonja , Braun Thorsten , Raikkonen Katri , Binder Elisabeth B. , Czamara Darina
Published: September 2021

The placenta is a central organ during early development, influencing trajectories of health and disease. DNA methylation (DNAm) studies of human placenta improve our understanding of how its function relates to disease risk. However, DNAm studies can be biased by cell type heterogeneity, so it is essential to control for this in order to reduce confounding and increase precision. Computational cell type deconvolution approaches have proven to be very useful for this purpose. For human placenta, however, an assessment of the performance of these estimation methods is still lacking. Here, we compare the predictive performance of reference-based versus reference-free estimated proportions of cell types from genome-wide DNAm in placental samples taken at birth and from chorion villus biopsies early in pregnancy using three independent studies comprising over 1,000 samples. We found both reference-free and reference-based estimated cell type proportions to have predictive value for DNAm, however, reference-based cell type estimation outperformed reference-free estimation for the majority of data sets. Reference-based cell type estimations mirror previous histological knowledge on changes in cell type proportions through gestation. Further, CpGs whose variation in DNAm was largely explained by reference-based estimated cell type proportions were in the proximity of genes that are highly tissue-specific for placenta. This was not the case for reference-free estimated cell type proportions. We provide a list of these CpGs as a resource to help researchers to interpret results of existing studies and improve future DNAm studies of human placenta.
PCGF2 and PCGF4 Opposite Drive Stem-like Properties in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Hu Jinjing , Zhou Yongqiang , Feng Huan , Xie Yi , Qi Kuo , Chen Yonglin , Meng Wenbo , Ma Xiaojun , Wei Yongjian , Lu Fei , Yao Jia , Cheng Bo , Li Xun
Published: September 2021

Background: PCGF4 is highly expressed in liver cancer and can be used as a marker for liver cancer stem cells. However, PCGF2, a homologue of PCGF4, is not clear whether it is expressed in HCC, and whether it regulates the stemness of liver cancer stem cells.Methods: IHC and Western blot were used to detect the expression of PCGF2 and PCGF4 protein in human HCC tissues and cell lines. Flow cytometry and sphere formation were performed to detect the effect of PCGF2 or PCGF4 on the stem-like properties of liver cancer stem cells. Kaplan-Meier curves were conducted for OS and DFS. Cell viability was measured at the indicated time points using Cell Counting Kit-8. We performed KEGG analysis on these target genes through the cluster profiler package of the R language.Results: IHC results showed that PCGF2 was lower expressed in HCC, while PCGF4 was higher expressed in HCC compared with matched paracancerous, and this higher expression exhibited poor prognosis in HCC. Up regulation of PCGF2 was also accompanied with decreased stem-like properties and sphere formation in HCC cell lines. Interestingly, down regulating PCGF4 got the similar results as up regulating PCGF2. Furthermore, up regulating PCGF2 or down regulating PCGF4 cells performed more sensitivity to sorafenib. We also found that PCGF2 and PCGF4 oppositely regulated the drives stem-like properties by p38 MAPK signal pathway.Conclusion: PCGF2 was a novel negative regulator of LCSCs that inhibiting the stem cell population, reducing the sphere formation ability of liver cancer stem cells, and increasing the sensitivity of sorafenib by targeting p38 MAPK signaling. PCGF2 was supposed to be a novel therapeutic target for Liver cancer stem cell.
Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Preterm Placental Tissue with Maternal Diabetes, Obesity and Periodontitis Diseases Using Integrated Bioinformatics Approach
Authors: Amin Humaira , Bokhari Syed Habib , Shahzad Khuram
Published: September 2021

Preterm birth (PTB) is one of the major reasons of infant mortalities and morbidities worldwide. Exact mechanism of this disease has not been elucidated yet but studies have shown several factors which have been found associated with the disease. Through several studies, it has been discovered that different chronic diseases like obesity, type 1 diabetes and periodontitis are also associated with PTB but no omics studies have yet been performed to discover their association. In the current study, comparative transcriptome analysis of the preterm birth with type 1 diabetes, obesity and periodontitis using integrated bioinformatics approach was performed to validate their association with preterm birth. Four different datasets retrieved from Gene expression omnibus (GEO) were processed through Bioconductor packages in R. Pairwise comparison of preterm was performed with all three diseases. Several bioinformatics tools were used such as DAVID for Gene ontology (GO) terms and pathway analysis, DIA for impact and direction of KEGG pathways and Cytoscape along with its different plugins for construction of networks, identification of hub genes and modules. Significant number of common differentially expressed genes between datasets and their roles in different pathways were identified. Most of the significant genes and pathways found in these comparisons were involved in initiating different inflammatory processes, degradation of proteins leading to preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM), preeclampsia, and cancer which are the known risk factors of PTB. According to our results, all these three chronic diseases were found to have a strong association with PTB.
Highly Transparent and Tunable Antenna Window Using Saltwater for UHF Band Applications
Authors: Phan Duy Tung , Nguyen Tien Dat , Jung Chang Won
Published: September 2021

This paper presents a highly optical transparent and tunable liquid antenna for applications on the UHF band. The antenna has high transparency (> 91%), which is achieved through its use of salty water as a conductive medium held within a clear and hollow acrylic rectangular prism, allowing its use as an optical window. To achieve frequency- and beam-tunable characteristics, two advanced configurations of the antenna using dual-port feeding are proposed. The antenna’s performance is simulated and then verified through experiments. Measurement results show that for a basic configuration using single-port feeding, the antenna has a −6 dB bandwidth ranging from 350 to 675 MHz and efficient radiation efficiency (> 60%) over the band. For advanced configurations, a tunable frequency and directional radiation pattern can be achieved with enhancing gain compared to the basic configuration. These results demonstrate the proposed antenna can be used as a bi-functional device, i.e., as atunable antenna and optical window.
Viromic Analysis of Feces From Laboratory Rabbits Reveals a Novel Circovirus
Authors: Ning Song-Yi , Xiao Yu-Qing , Qain Yu-Chen , Feng Zhang-Hao , Dai Zi-yuan , Zhang Wen , Wang Hao , Tang Yuan-Jie
Published: September 2021

Circoviruses are responsible for fatal diseases that can affect mammals and birds. Beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) is responsible for fatal diseases of birds, causing the psittacine beak and feather disease. The current study discovered a novel circovirus named RabCV from feces of laboratory rabbits, which shows close relationship to BFDVs. This novel circovirus was discovered from feces of rabbits, which showed low prevalence in the healthy laboratory rabbits. BFDV is responsible for fatal diseases that could affect birds, which suggested that the potential threat of the novel rabbit circovirus to the health of laboratory rabbits needs further study.
Phenotype of Higher Post-load Insulin Response as a Predictor of All-cause Mortality and Cardiovascular Mortality in the Chinese Non-diabetes Population
Authors: Shen Xiaoxia , He Siyao , Wang Jinping , Qian Xin , Wang Hui , Zhang Bo , Chen Yanyan , Li Hui , Li Guangwei
Published: September 2021

Background This study aimed to assess whether a higher insulin response increased the long-term risk of mortality in a non-diabetes population.Methods A total of 446 non-diabetes who participated in the Da Qing Diabetes Study were stratified into quartiles subgroups according to their baseline insulin area under the curve (AUC) during oral glucose tolerance test, defined as Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4. The insulin AUC increased drastically from 75.23, 129.61, 179.06 to 309.85mU/L across the four groups. The participants were followed from 1986 to 2016 to assess the risk of death in association with the magnitude of post-load insulin response.Results The rates of all-cause death in participants who were assigned in the highest (Q4) and lowest (Q1) quartiles of insulin AUC groups were 17.58/1000 and 9.94/1000 person years during a 30-year period, respectively. Multiple Cox analyses with adjustment for baseline age, sex, smoking, post load glucose and other potential confounders showed that the risks of all-cause death in the Group 4 was significantly higher than Group 1(HR 1.90, 95% CI:1.12-3.23). The CVD death rate across these subgroups showed a similar trend (10.47/1000 person years in Group 4 vs 5.14/1000 person years in Group 1) as all-cause death, but it was not significantly different after the same adjustment. Conclusions A higher post-load insulin response was significantly associated with a long-term increased risk of all-cause mortality in the Chinese non-diabetes population. Therefore, subjects featured by this phenotype was a potential important target for further intervention.
TREM2 and CD163 ameliorate microglia-mediated inflammatory environment in the aging brain
Authors: Han Xue , Liu Yu-Jia , Liu Bin-Wen , Ma Zheng-Liang , Xia Tian-Jiao , Gu Xiao-Ping
Published: September 2021

Aging declines cognitive functions, especially learning and memory. Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation occurs in age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Our study obtained the expression profile of GSE11882 from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and used microarray data to explore the expression of age-related genes in the hippocampus. A total of 120 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened out and subjected to Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed. In Cytoscape software, 18 key genes were identified by the plugin cytoHubba. Two genes with positive impact on cognition during aging were teased out, including triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) and scavenger receptor (CD163). Finally, reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blot (WB) verified that the mRNA expression of two genes was significantly up-regulated in the Aged group. Moreover, the inflammatory factor IL-1β and IL-6 significantly increased. The up-regulation of TREM2 and CD163 may exert a compensatory effect on neurodegeneration by mitigating the inflammatory environment in the aging brain.
Molecular Investigation of Feline Calicivirus Infection in China, 2019-2020
Authors: Wang Jie , Qian Peng , Liu Caihong , Cao Yujiao , Chen Yalei , Sun ChunYan , Huo Ningning , Spibey Norman , Xi Xiangfeng , Liu Yuxiu , Tian Kegong
Published: September 2021

Feline calicivirus (FCV) is a highly contagious viral pathogen of upper respiratory infections and oral disease in cats. To investigate the prevalence and gene characteristic of FCV in China, a total of 1739 clinical swabs of cat eyes and nasal were collected from 19 cities in China from 2019 to 2020. The FCV from clinical samples were isolated in F81 cells, and the gene sequences of the isolated FCV’s capsid proteins were phylogenetically analyzed by constructing the phylogenetic tree with the FCV vaccine strain F9 and reference strains of other countries. Results revealed a prevalence of 13.0% (226/1739) for FCV in China in this study, and samples from Langfang showed the highest prevalence in the cities. The 74 FCV strains isolated from clinical samples shared the nucleotide identity of 73.4%-79.1% and the amino acid identity of 83%-90% comparing with the F9 strain. Phylogenetic analysis reveals two branches of these FCV strains from China, which distinct from the vaccine strains of F9 and 255, and other reference strains. Structurally, the highly variable sites of capsid protein were exposed on the protein surface between circulating strains in China and the vaccine strain F9. Overall, this study would promote the understanding of the FCV prevalence and gene characteristics in China.
The Changing Clinical Landscape in Acupuncture for Women’s Health: A Cross-Sectional Online Survey in New Zealand and Australia
Authors: Graca Sandro , Betts Debra , Smith Caroline A. , Armour Mike , Roberts Kate
Published: September 2021

Background
Acupuncture is growing in popularity as a treatment option for women’s health worldwide with reported increasing usage in the last ten years. A significant number of clinical trials and meta-analysis are now published on aspects of women’s health treatment with acupuncture. The aim of this survey was to explore if, how and why, aspects of acupuncture practice has changed since our last survey in 2013.
Method
An online cross-sectional survey of registered acupuncturists and Chinese Medicine practitioners in Australia and New Zealand. Questions covered the practitioner demographics and training, women’s health conditions commonly treated, modalities used, sources of information and continuing education (CE) (e.g. webinars), changes in clinical practice, and referral networks.
Results
One hundred and seventy registered practitioners responded to this survey, with 93% reporting treating women’s health in the last 12 months. The majority of respondents were from Australia (60%), held a bachelors level qualification (60%), and used a traditional Chinese medicine framework (86%). Most practitioners incorporated other modalities in addition to acupuncture. Most practitioners’ referral networks were predominantly based on word of mouth for menstrual, fertility and pregnancy related conditions, with referrals from medical practitioners being much less common. More than half (57%) reported having changed their women’s health practice in the past 12 months; just over a quarter of those who changed treatment (27%) reported it was due to research findings. The most commonly used sources of information/CE used to inform treatment were webinars and conferences, while peer-reviewed journal articles were the least commonly used source.
Conclusion
Acupuncture practitioners in Australia and New Zealand commonly treat women’s health conditions, but this is usually the result of women seeking them out, rather than being referred from a medical practitioner. The majority of practitioners did report changing their women’s health practice, but peer reviewed academic articles alone are not an ideal medium to convey this information since practitioners favour knowledge obtained from webinars and conferences. Academics and other clinician researchers should consider alternative means of disseminating knowledge beyond traditional academic publications and conferences, special interest groups may assist in this and also help improve research literacy.
Ferroptosis-Related Gene Signature Predicts The Prognosis of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Shi Jinyuan , Wu Pu , Sheng Lei , Sun Wei , Zhang Hao
Published: September 2021

Background: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common type of thyroid cancer (TC), accounting for more than 80% of all cases. Ferroptosis is a novel iron-dependent and Reactive oxygen species (ROS) reliant type of cell death which is distinct from the apoptosis, necroptosis and pyroptosis. Considerable studies have demonstrated that ferroptosis is involved in the biological process of various cancers. However, the role of ferroptosis in PTC remains unclear. This study aims at exploring the expression of ferroptosis-related genes (FRG) and their prognostic values in PTC. Methods: A ferroptosis-related gene signature was constructed using lasso regression analysis through the PTC datasets of the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed to investigate the bioinformatics functions of significantly different genes (SDG) of ferroptosis. Additionally, the correlations of ferroptosis and immune cells were assessed through the single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and CIBERSORT database. Finally, SDG were test in clinical PTC specimens and normal thyroid tissues. Results: LASSO regression model was utilized to establish a novel FRG signature with 10 genes (ANGPTL7, CDKN2A, DPP4, DRD4, ISCU, PGD, SRXN1, TF, TFRC, TXNRD1) to predicts the prognosis of PTC, and the patients were separated into high-risk and low-risk groups by the risk score. The high-risk group had poorer survival than the low-risk group(p<0.001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis confirmed the signature's predictive capacity. Multivariate regression analysis identified the prognostic signature-based risk score was an independent prognostic indicator for PTC. The functional roles of the DEGs in the TGCA PTC cohort were explored using GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analyses. Immune related analysis demonstrated that the most types of immune cells and immunological function in the high-risk group were significant different with those in the low-risk group. Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) verified the SDG have differences in expression between tumor tissue and normal thyroid tissue. Conclusions: We identified differently expressed FRG that may involve in PTC. A ferroptosis-related gene signature has significant values in predicting the patients’ prognoses and targeting ferroptosis may be an alternative for PTC’s therapy.
The pH Effects on SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 Spike Proteins in the Process of Binding to hACE2
Authors: Xie Yixin , Guo Wenhan , Lopez-Hernadez Alan , Teng Shaolei , Li Lin
Published: September 2021

COVID-19 has been threatening human health since the late 2019, which has significant impact on human health and economy. Understanding the SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses is important to develop effective treatments for COVID-19 and other coronaviruses-caused diseases. In this work, we applied multi-scale computational approaches to study the electrostatic features of spike (S) proteins for SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. From our results, we found thatSARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 have similar charge distributions and electrostatic features when binding with the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2). The energy pH-dependence calculation srevealed that the complex structures of hACE2 and the S proteins of SARS-CoV/SARS-CoV-2 are stable at pH values ranging from 7.5 to 9. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed using NAMD to investigate the hydrogen bonds between S proteins and hACE2. From the MD simulations it was found that SARS-CoV-2 has four pairsof essential hydrogenbonds (high occupancy, >80%), while SARS-CoV has three pairs, which indicates the SARS-CoV-2 S protein has relatively more robust binding strategy than SARS-CoVS protein.Four key residues forming essential hydrogen bonds from SARS-CoV-2 are identified, which are potential drug targets for COVID-19 treatments. The findings in this study shed lights on the current and future treatments for COVID-19 and other coronaviruses-caused diseases.
Two New Russula Species (Fungi) from Dry Dipterocarp Forest in Thailand Suggest Niche Specialization to This Habitat Type
Authors: Wisitrassameewong Komsit , Manz Cathrin , Hampe Felix , Looney Brian P. , Boonpratuang Thitiya , Verbeken Annemieke , Thammachareon Tuksaporn , Apichitnaranon Tanakorn , Pobkwamsuk Maneerat , Caboň Miroslav , Adamčík Slavomír
Published: September 2021

Dry dipterocarp forests are among the most common habitat types in Thailand. Russulaceae are known as common ectomycorrhizal symbionts of Dipterocarpaceae trees in this type of habitat. The present study aims to identify collections of Russula subsection Amoeninae Buyck from dry dipterocarp forests in Thailand. A multi-locus phylogenetic analysis placed Thai Amoeninae collections in two novel lineages, and they are described here as Russula bellissima sp. nov. and R. luteonana sp. nov. The closest identified relatives of both species were sequestrate species suggesting that they may belong to drought-adapted lineages. The analysis of publicly available ITS sequences in R. subsect. Amoeninae did not confirm evidence of any of the new species occurring in other Asian regions, indicating that dry dipterocarp forests might harbor a novel community of ectomycorrhizal fungi. Macromorphological characters are variable and are not totally reliable for distinguishing the new species from other previously described Asian Amoeninae species. Both new species are defined by a combination of differentiated micromorphological characteristics in spore ornamentation, hymenial cystidia and hyphal terminations in the pileipellis. The new Amoeninae species may correspond to some Russula species collected for consumption in Thailand, and the detailed description of the new species can be used for better identification of edible species and food safety in the region.
Comprehensive analysis of expression and prognosis for signal transducer and activator of transcription family in acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Qin Tong , Shao Yunli , Zhao Hongmian
Published: September 2021

In recent years, it has become clear that signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) family of genes play an important role in cancer. However, the expression level, genetic variation, molecular mechanism, and biological function of different STATs in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and its relationship with prognosis and immune infiltration in AML have not been fully elucidated. We found that the expression levels of STAT1, STAT2, STAT4, and STAT6 were higher in AML than in normal tissues, whereas the expression levels of STAT3, STAT5A, and STAT5B were lower in the former than in the latter. Survival analysis revealed that high STAT5B level predicted superior OS in these patients. Cox multivariate analysis as well as least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression screening showed that STAT5B expression is a good independent prognostic factor of OS. The functions of STAT5B are mainly related to the occurrence, development and microenvironment of AML. We also discovered that the expression of STAT5B was significantly correlated with immune infiltrates in AML. In summary, our research demonstrates that STAT5B may be used as a novel predictive biomarker and immunotherapy target for AML patients.
Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Biopsy As A Valuable Tool for Studying The Intra-Tumoral Microbiome in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Chu Chia-Sheng , Yang Chi-Ying , Yeh Chun-Chieh , Lin Ro-Ting , Chen Chi-Ching , Bai Li-Yuan , Hung Mien-Chie , Lin Chun-Che , Wu Chun-Ying , Lin Jaw-Town
Published: September 2021

Introduction:

A new approach by investigating the intra-tumoral microbiome raised great interest because they may influence the host immune response and natural history of the disease. However, previous studies on the intra-tumoral microbiome of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) were mostly based on examining the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor specimens. This study aims to investigate the feasibility of using endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNB) as a complementary procedure of surgical biopsy to obtain adequate fresh pancreatic cancer tissue for intra-tumoral microbial research.
Materials and methods:

This was a prospective pilot study performed at a single tertiary referral center. We obtained pancreatic cancer tissue by EUS-FNB and surgical biopsy, respectively. We amplified the V3-V4 hyper-variable region of bacterial 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) genes, constructed a pair-end library, and performed high-throughput sequencing.
Results:

From August 2020 to November 2020, nine eligible patients with PDAC were enrolled in this study. The intra-tumoral microbiome profile was successfully generated from the PDAC cancer tissue obtained by EUS-FNB as well as by surgical biopsy. There was no significant difference in intra-tumoral alpha-diversity or bacterial taxonomic composition between tissues obtained by EUS-FNB and by surgical biopsy.
Conclusion:

EUS-FNB can collect sufficient fresh cancer tissue for microbiome analyses without complication. The intra-tumoral microbiome profile in tissues obtained by EUS-FNB had similar alpha-diversity and taxonomic profiles with those obtained by surgical biopsy. It implicated, except for surgical biopsy, EUS-FNB can be another valid and valuable tool for studying intra-tumoral microbiome in patients with resectable and unresectable PDAC.
Intravitreal Bevacizumab to Treat Retinopathy of Prematurity in 865 Eyes: a Study to Determine Predictors of Primary Treatment Failure and Recurrence
Authors: Fadakar Kaveh , Bahar Mohammadreza Mehrabi , Riazi-Esfahani Hamid , Azarkish Afsaneh , Farahani Afsar Dastjani , Heidari Mostafa , Bazvand Fatemeh
Published: September 2021

Purpose: This study aimed To evaluate the rate and risk factors for primary failure and recurrence after intravitreal anti-VEGF injection in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).Methods: This retrospective study was performed on 865 eyes from 441 patients with retinopathy of prematurity receiving intravitreal Bevacizumab from 2012 to 2019. Medical records of patients were evaluated.Results: Mean gestational age (GA) and birth weight of patients were 28±2 weeks and 1121±312 g, respectively. Thirty-five eyes (4.04%) had a primary failure, including 18 eyes from 187 eyes in zone 1 (9.6%) and 17 eyes from 678 eyes in zone 2 (2.5%). The mean time of retreatment was 16.64±13.68 days in eyes without regression ROP. The remaining 830 eyes (95.95%) were included in recurrence analysis. The recurrence occurred in 33 eyes (3.97 %) of them in 20 patients, with the meantime of 77.52 days after the first treatment (IVB). Presence of plus disease, history of oxygen therapy or phototherapy, and GA less than 32 were associated with significantly increased prevalence of treatment failure. The risk factor predicting recurrence are lower birth weight, zone 1 pretreatment, history of intubation, anemia, and sepsis.Conclusion: Intravitreal anti-VEGF is a successful treatment for ROP with a low rate of primary failure and recurrence. Attention to risk factors accompanied by special care to patterns of treatment failure and recurrence helps to achieve early detection of treatment failure and vigilant follow up for recurrence.