bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perceived physical accessibility, mother’s perception of quality of care, and utilization of skilled delivery service in rural Ethiopia
Authors: Hailemariam Shewangizaw , Gutema Lidya , Asnake Molla , Agegnehu Wubetu , Endalkachew Biruk , Molla Wondwosen
Published: July 2021

Objective:

Despite the concerted effort to improve skilled delivery service utilization in Ethiopia, a considerable proportion of births still occur at home by traditional birth attendants, notably in a rural setting. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate whether mother’s perceived service quality and physical accessibility affect skilled delivery service utilization.

Methods:

A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 July 2019 to 30 August 2019, among mothers who gave birth in the last 12 months before the study, in selected five districts of Kaffa Zone, Ethiopia.

Result:

In this study, 262 (70.1%) of mothers utilized skilled delivery service in their recent childbirth. Mothers regarding the nearby health facility’s physical environment as “Good” (adjusted odds ratio = 2.48, 95% confidence interval = 1.44, 4.25), mothers mentioning time to reach to the nearby health facility “<1 h” (adjusted odds ratio = 1.92, 95% confidence interval = 1.11, 3.34), and mothers regarding prompt transport service from home to the nearby health facility “Available” (adjusted odds ratio = 2.01, 95% confidence interval = 1.11, 3.63) were positively associated with skilled delivery services’ utilization. Furthermore, completing secondary education and above, attending three and more antenatal care visits, and having good knowledge of danger signs during pregnancy showed a significant association.

Conclusion:

Although the study evidenced statistically significant association between perceived physical accessibility and perceived service quality, further study is recommended to investigate the relationship between actual physical accessibility and actual service quality. Targeted health education program intended to improve skilled delivery service utilization should give due emphasis on enhancing antenatal care service uptake, and raising mothers’ awareness on danger signs during pregnancy, with particular focus on those mothers with low schooling.
Use of oral hydromorphone in a patient with stage D heart failure
Authors: Nakamura Tomohiro , Nakamura Mari , Shibasaki Yumiko , Mizukami Sachie , Tomita Haruki , Hirai Masaru , Matsumoto Mitsunari , Ishida Takeshi , Momomura Shin-ichi
Published: July 2021

Patients with advanced heart failure often experience dyspnea, fatigue, edema, and appetite loss. If these symptoms are refractory to treatment, palliative care via a team approach is necessary. We describe a patient with stage D heart failure whose dyspnea and overall condition improved with comprehensive medical treatments including conventional medications for heart failure, continuous infusions of catecholamine and diuretic, and oral hydromorphone. A 67-year-old man with a 12-year history of dilated cardiomyopathy was admitted to our hospital due to exacerbation of heart failure. Despite continuous infusion of catecholamine and diuretic, his dyspnea and liver and renal function continued to worsen. Oral hydromorphone was administered to relieve his refractory dyspnea, which also improved his conditions, continuous infusion of the catecholamine and diuretic could withdraw. Oral low-dose hydromorphone used in the present case might be a helpful agent for treating dyspnea in stage D heart failure patients with renal dysfunction.
NMOSD-like and longitudinal extensive HTLV1-associated myelitis are extremes that flank an overlooked continuum
Authors: Bonnan Mickael , Olindo Stéphane , Signate Aissatou , Lobjois Quentin , Stephant Maeva , Boulos Dalia Dimitri , Cabre Philippe
Published: July 2021

Background

HTLV1-associated myelitis (HAM) is a slowly progressive myelopathy in which spinal cord MRI demonstrates no lesion or atrophy.

Objective

We examined the overlap between NMOSD features and HTLV1 infection.

Methods

We included all HTLV1-infected patients recruited in French West Indies (FWI) or referred from different centers, and suffering from at least one NMOSD feature. Literature connecting HTLV1-infection and NMOSD was reviewed.

Results

We included six NMOSD-like HAM with acute onset, seronegative against AQP4 and MOG-Abs. All displayed extensive longitudinal myelitis, and the optic nerve was involved in three. We gathered 39 cases of NMOSD-like HAM patients from the literature. Atypical signs of HAM were relapses (15.4%), sensory level (50%), upper limb symptoms (35.9%), optic neuritis (10.2%). Typical lesions involved lateral funiculi and featured a double rope sign (56.3%).

Conclusion

We propose that acute onset of NMOSD-like HAM could be more frequent than expected and should be evoked in high-risk patients. Extensive but often transient cord lesions could be the hallmark of an excessive inflammation of the funiculi targeted by HTLV1 infection. Although usually minor, a few HAM cases demonstrate specific MRI lesions, and the most severe cases may mimic NMOSD attacks.
Plurality in the Measurement of Social Media Use and Mental Health: An Exploratory Study Among Adolescents and Young Adults
Authors: Petropoulos Petalas Diamantis , Konijn Elly A. , Johnson Benjamin K. , Veldhuis Jolanda , Bij de Vaate Nadia A. J. D. , Burgers Christian , Droog Ellen , Międzobrodzka Ewa , Balint Katalin E. , van de Schoot Rens
Published: July 2021

On a daily basis, individuals between 12 and 25 years of age engage with their mobile devices for many hours. Social Media Use (SMU) has important implications for the social life of younger individuals in particular. However, measuring SMU and its effects often poses challenges to researchers. In this exploratory study, we focus on some of these challenges, by addressing how plurality in the measurement and age-specific characteristics of SMU can influence its relationship with measures of subjective mental health (MH). We conducted a survey among a nationally representative sample of Dutch adolescents and young adults ( N = 3,669). Using these data, we show that measures of SMU show little similarity with each other, and that age-group differences underlie SMU. Similar to the small associations previously shown in social media-effects research, we also find some evidence that greater SMU associates to drops and to increases in MH. Albeit nuanced, associations between SMU and MH were found to be characterized by both linear and quadratic functions. These findings bear implications for the level of association between different measures of SMU and its theorized relationship with other dependent variables of interest in media-effects research.
Cross-Cutting Discussion on Social Media and Online Political Participation: A Cross-National Examination of Information Seeking and Social Accountability Explanations
Authors: Chan Michael , Chen Hsuan-Ting , Lee Francis L. F.
Published: July 2021

The question of whether cross-cutting discussion engenders or depresses political participation has offered mixed findings in the literature. Following recommendations from a meta-analysis, this study tests two competing arguments: the information seeking explanation for engendering participation and the social accountability explanation for attenuating participation. Probability surveys were conducted among young adults in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China, and analyses examined the relationship between cross-cutting discussion on social media and online political participation. For the Taiwan and Hong Kong samples, political information seeking positively mediated the relationship, but desire to avoid social conflict also attenuated the relationship. Neither mechanism was significant for the China sample. The findings suggest that the competing explanations are not mutually exclusive, and they highlight the importance of examining the variety of contingent conditions that influence the relationship between cross-cutting discussion and political participation in different national contexts.
Factors Associated with Good COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors Among Older Adults in Urban Communities in Thailand
Authors: Yodmai Korravarn , Pechrapa Krirada , Kittipichai Wirin , Charupoonpol Phithaya , Suksatan Wanich
Published: July 2021

Introduction/Objectives:

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected mobility and mortality entire age, especially older adults. The COVID-19 preventive behaviors among older adults during the pandemic should be determined. To our knowledge, little is known about the preventive behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic among older adults living in urban areas in Thailand and the factors predicted to their behavior. Hence, the present study aimed to assess COVID-19 preventive behaviors among older adults and to identify the associated factors.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study included 421 participants aged ≥60 years. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, binary and multiple logistic regression analysis.

Results:

We found that 321 (72.6%) of the participants had good COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Moreover, 83.4% of the participants had good family support and 58.2% had easy access to health information. Only sufficient income (odds ratio [OR]: 1.76, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04-2.97), easy access to health services (OR: 3.66, 95% CI: 1.42-9.45) and protective material (OR: 1.98, 95% CI: 1.14-3.45), and good family support (OR: 2.05, 95% CI: 1.10-3.82) were associated with good COVID-19 preventive behaviors. In contrast, health literacy, access to health information, and neighbor and health personnel support were not associated with COVID-19 preventive behaviors.

Conclusion:

Based on the present results, interdisciplinary healthcare teams should consider social support, and access to healthcare when developing interventions for encouraging and promoting health outcomes in order to improve physical and psychological COVID-19 preventive behaviors, particularly among elderly people living in urban communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Influence of Heritage Tourism Destination Reputation on Tourist Consumption Behavior: A Case Study of World Cultural Heritage Shaolin Temple
Authors: Wang Zhibiao , Yang Panpan , Li Dan
Published: July 2021

The increasing drastic competition between tourism destinations decides on only the sites with good reputation can attract more and more tourists. The tourism destination reputation will affect tourists’ choices before traveling and consumption behavior during traveling. In order to analyze tourist consumption behavior during traveling, this article initially builds a theoretical model of tourism destination reputation, tourist enjoyment, tourist memorability, and tourist consumption behavior. Then, 490 valid questionnaires are collected based on a field survey. Meanwhile, a basic sample information collection, reliability, and validity testing (confirmatory factor analysis) and testing analysis based on structural equation model are conducted on the collected data. The result of the confirmatory factor analysis shows that the tourism destination reputation is measured by five factors: catering, accommodation, landscape, culture, and recreation and entertainment; tourist enjoyment is measured by the feeling of joy and relaxation; tourist memorability is measured by emotional memory, expectation memory, benefit memory, and interest memory; tourist consumption behavior is represented by five indexes: willing consumption, urgent consumption, guided consumption, repeated consumption, and recommended consumption. The hypothesis testing shows that the heritage tourism destination reputation not only directly and positively influences tourist consumption behavior but also indirectly affects tourist consumption behavior through tourist memorability and the chain relationship between tourist enjoyment and memorability. Finally, some suggestions are put forward to improve the tourism destination reputation and tourist enjoyment and memorability.
A Neural Network Approach for Predicting Personality From Facebook Data
Authors: Başaran Seren , Ejimogu Obinna H.
Published: July 2021

Everyday, social media usage particularly Facebook usage are growing exponentially. Simply, inspecting Facebook usage provides meaningful information concerning users’ daily interactions and hence about their personality traits. Numerous studies have been done to harness such streams of Facebook data to obtain accurate prediction of human behavior, social interactions, and personality. The aim of this study is to build a neural network–based predictive model that uses Facebook user’s data and activity to predict the Big 5 personalities. This study combines the inference features highlighted in three different relevant studies which are; number of likes, events, groups, tags, updates, network size, relationship status, age, and gender. The study was conducted on 7,438 unique Facebook participants obtained from the myPersonality database. The findings of this study showed how much a person’s personality can be predicted only by analyzing their Facebook activity. The proposed artificial neural network model was able to correctly classify an individual’s personality at an 85% prediction accuracy.
Effect of Social Media Marketing and eWOM on Willingness to Pay in the Etailing: Mediating Role of Brand Equity and Brand Identity
Authors: Farzin Milad , Sadeghi Marzie , Fattahi Majid , Eghbal Mohammad Reza
Published: July 2021

The spread of social media has created a new era for companies and brands and forcing them to explore new interactive ways to achieve and engage their consumers. The main purpose of the present study is to investigate the impact of social media marketing and electronic word-of-mouth on consumers' willingness to pay a premium due to the mediating role of brand equity and brand identity. The data were collected through a survey by simple random sampling method. Questionnaires were distributed among people who had experience in buying leather products from social networks. Structural equation modeling technique was applied to test the research hypotheses. The results exposed the process that transforms social media marketing and electronic word-of-mouth to the willingness to pay a premium. Moreover, the findings showed that electronic word-of-mouth can indirectly affect consumer behavioral responses through brand equity and brand identity and also have a direct impact on consumer decisions such as willingness to pay a premium. The study has important implications for both theory and practice. This insight could be utilized by marketers and advertisers in the formulation and implementation of effective and coherent marketing and advertising strategies.
Examining Asset Pricing Anomalies: Evidence from Europe
Authors: Pandey Asheesh , Joshi Rajni
Published: July 2021

We examine five important asset pricing anomalies, namely, size, value, momentum, profitability, and investment rate to evaluate their efficacy in major West European economies, that is, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. We employ four prominent asset pricing models, namely Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), Fama–French three-factor (FF3) model, Carhart model and Fama–French five-factor (FF5) model to evaluate whether portfolio managers can create trading strategies to generate risk-adjusted extra normal returns for their investors. We also examine the prominent anomalies which pass the test of asset pricing in our sample countries and evaluate the best performing asset pricing model in explaining returns in each of these countries. We find that in spite of being matured markets, these countries provide portfolio managers with opportunities to exploit these strategies to generate extra normal returns for their investors. Momentum anomaly for Germany and profitability anomaly for Italy can be exploited by fund managers for generating risk-adjusted returns. For France, except for net investment rate anomaly, all the other anomalies remained unexplained by asset pricing models. We also find CAPM to be the better model in explaining returns of Italy and Spain. While FF3 factor and FF5 factor models explain returns in Germany, our sample asset pricing models failed to work for France. Our study has implications for portfolio managers, academia, and policymakers.
A Rare Case of Severe Lactic Acidosis in a Patient With Mantle Cell Lymphoma
Authors: Chan Kok Hoe , Prabhakar Laxminarayan , Al-Radideh Omar , Okwesili Byron , Are Gowthami , Shaaban Hamid
Published: July 2021

Lactic acidosis is an extremely rare paraneoplastic manifestation of hematological malignancies, and often carries an extremely poor prognosis. Mantle cell lymphoma is an aggressive and rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. To the best of our knowledge, it is extremely rare to have severe lactic acidosis in patients with mantle cell lymphoma. In this article, we are reporting a rare case of mantle cell lymphoma diagnosed with typical cluster differentiation (CD markers) in bone marrow examination with persistent lactic acidosis refractory to intravenous hydration that responded well to chemotherapy. Malignant lactic acidosis is a medical emergency that needs rapid evaluation and identification that shows improved prognosis after the introduction of chemotherapy.
Esophago-Pericardial Fistulae as a Sequela of Boerhaave Syndrome and Esophageal Stenting: A Case Report and Review of Literature
Authors: Awadelkarim Abdalaziz , Shanah Layla , Ali Mohammed , Alhusain Rashid , Adam Omeralfaroug , Subahi Ahmed , Yassin Ahmed S. , Lieberman Randy
Published: July 2021

Esophago-pericardial fistulae is a rare and dreaded entity. Most reported cases in the literature were described in association with advanced upper gastrointestinal malignancies, prior surgical procedures, and radiofrequency atrial fibrillation ablation. It has been rarely reported in association with benign esophageal conditions. Surgery had been the mainstay of treatment, but there are increasingly reported cases treated successfully with esophageal stenting and pericardial drainage. In this article, we report a novel case of an esophago-pericardial fistulae occurring as a sequela of esophageal stent placed for the management of Boerhaave syndrome.
When the Kids Are Not Alright: School Counseling in the Time of COVID-19
Authors: Savitz-Romer Mandy , Rowan-Kenyon Heather T. , Nicola Tara P. , Alexander Emily , Carroll Stephanie
Published: July 2021

The unprecedented arrival of COVID-19 upended the lives of American children with rapid shifts to remote and hybrid schooling and reduced access to school-based support. Growing concerns about threats to students’ mental health and decreased numbers of students transitioning to postsecondary education suggest access to school counselors is needed more than ever. Although previous research on school counselors finds they promote positive postsecondary, social emotional, and academic outcomes for students, further studies highlight the organizational constraints, such as an overemphasis on administrative duties and unclear role expectations, that hinder their work. Drawing on survey and focus group data, our mixed methods study documents school counselors’ experiences during the COVID-19 crisis, including the opportunities and constraints facing their practice. Findings suggest there should be a concerted effort to reduce the role ambiguity and conflict in counselors’ roles so they are better able to meet students’ increased needs.
Uncovering Burdens, Examining Needs, and Shedding Assumptions of Evidence-Based Social Support Programs for Mothers: A Descriptive Qualitative Study in a Remote Community
Authors: Jahnke Johanna R. , Waldrop Julee , Ledford Alasia , Martinez Beatriz
Published: July 2021

Many studies have demonstrated a significant burden of maternal stress and depression for women living on the Galápagos Islands. Here, we aim to uncover burdens and needs of women with young children on San Cristóbal Island and then explore options for implementing evidence-based programs of social support to meet these needs. We conducted 17 semi-structured qualitative interviews with mothers of young children, healthcare workers, and community stakeholders. We then used Summary Oral Reflective Analysis (SORA), an interactive methodology, for qualitative analysis. Despite initial reports of a low-stress environment, women described many sources of stress and concerns for their own and their children’s health and well-being. We uncovered three broad areas of need for mothers of young children: (1) the need for information and services, (2) the need for trust, and (3) the need for space. In response to these concerns, mothers, healthcare workers, and community leaders overwhelmingly agreed that a social support program would be beneficial for the health of mothers and young children. Still, they expressed concern over the feasibility of such a program. To address these feasibility concerns, we propose that a web-based education and social support intervention led by nurses would best meet mothers’ needs. Women could learn about child health and development, develop strong, trusting friendships with other mothers, and have their own space to speak freely among experts and peers.
Determination of Hemoglobin Level Among 9-Month-Old Infants Visiting Well Child Clinic
Authors: Puranitee Pongtong , Fuangfu Sajee , Dumrongwongsiri Oraporn
Published: July 2021

Screening for anemia is recommended among infants aged 9 to 12 months. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of anemia among 9-month-old infants at Well Child Clinic, and associated factors with anemia. Well Child record of all visits during January to December 2018 were reviewed. Hemoglobin (Hb) was determined by complete blood count (CBC) or point-of-care Hb (POC-Hb). Anemia was found in 99 from 145 infants (68.3%). The prevalence of anemia was 33.3% and 72.8% when tested by CBC and POC-Hb, respectively. Breastfed Infants had significantly lower mean Hb than formula-fed infants. The odd ratio [95% confident interval] of having anemia among infants who were fed with infant formula were 0.37 [0.14-0.94]; P = .038 when compared to breastfed infants. There was a high proportion of anemia among 9-month-old infants in Rama-WCC and breastfeeding was associated with anemia in infants. The use of POC-Hb may overestimate the prevalence of anemia.
Tube Feeding Practices and Transition to Breastfeeding Experiences of Mothers of Preterm Infants at a Kangaroo Mother Care Unit of a Tertiary Hospital in South Africa
Authors: Madiba Sphiwe , Sengane Malmsey
Published: July 2021

To receive human milk, most preterm infants initially receive the mothers’ expressed milk through a nasogastric tube. However, breast milk feeding the preterm infant and making the transition to direct breast-feeding come with significant challenges. The study explored and described the experiences of mothers of preterm infants regarding initiation and expressing breast milk, tube feeding practices, and transition to breastfeeding during the infants’ stay in a kangaroo care unit (KMC) of an academic hospital in South Africa. Using a qualitative design, focus group interviews were conducted with 38 mothers of preterm infants after discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). We analyzed transcripts following the 5 steps for qualitative thematic data analysis. Tube feeding and breastfeeding preterm infants was challenging and exhausting for the mothers. Many described their experiences of initiating expression and sustaining milk supply as negative. They had constant concerns about their ability to produce adequate milk volumes to feed their infants. They had immense dislike of expressing, which they described as physically exhausting, stressful, and painful. Those who had initiated breastfeeding were highly motivated to breastfeed their preterm infants. They described breastfeeding as a positive bonding experience that they derived pleasure from. The mothers’ dislike of expressing was overshadowed by their emotional obligation toward their preterm infants. Although the KMC unit promotes breastfeeding, mothers encountered problems and struggled to initiate expression and sustain milk production. Mothers of extreme and very preterm infants need support to continue with milk expression during the long NICU and KMC stay.
Preliminary Evaluation of a Breast Cancer Screening Shared Decision-Making Aid Utilized Within the Primary Care Clinical Encounter
Authors: DuBenske Lori , Ovsepyan Viktoriya , Little Terry , Schrager Sarina , Burnside Elizabeth
Published: July 2021

Introduction:

The US Preventative Services Task Force recommends shared decision-making (SDM) between women aged 40 and 49 years and their physician regarding timing of mammography screening. This preliminary study evaluates women’s and physician’s satisfaction using Breast Cancer Risk Estimator & Decision Aid (BCARE-DA), a shared decision aid utilized during the clinical encounter, and examines SDM quality for these encounters.

Methods:

Fifty-three women and their physician utilized BCARE-DA and completed surveys measuring satisfaction with Likert-type and open-ended items and women completed the Decision Conflict Scale. Clinic visit transcripts were evaluated for SDM quality using Observer OPTION-5 and Breast Cancer Screening Decision Core Components Checklist.

Results:

Women and physicians positively evaluated BCARE-DA. Women had low decision conflict. Physicians demonstrated moderate effort toward SDM, greatest in offering options, and lowest for team talk. Physicians demonstrated 2/3 of core SDM elements in 80% to 100% of encounters.

Conclusion:

Preliminary findings suggest specific promise for such Decision Aids to facilitate SDM through understanding of personal risks for breast cancer formulated within each screening option, while some SDM elements likely require additional facilitating.
Impact of educational intervention on the best immunization practices among practicing health care professionals in a south Indian city
Authors: Sebastian Juny , Parthasarathi Gurumurthy , Ravi Mandyam Dhati
Published: July 2021

Background and Aims:

Maintaining the quality and safety of immunization is as important as the efficacy of vaccines in vaccine-preventable diseases (VPD) programs. The aim of this study was to determine the problems associated with different stages of vaccine use and to assess the outcome of an educational intervention on safety and quality use of vaccines among health care providers.

Methods:

A pilot prospective interventional study was conducted over a period of 2 years at 271 sites in Mysuru, India. The study population was health care professionals (HCPs) involved in immunization and a sample of parents (one per site). A validated questionnaire was used as a study tool. An educational intervention on best immunization practice was conducted for the enrolled HCPs and the impact of the educational intervention was assessed using the study tool after 3 weeks.

Results:

The total number of the study population was 594 (323 HCPs and 271 parents). Of these, 41.49% were working at community health care facility and 33.13% were enrolled from primary care centers. There were statistically significant improvements in post interventional assessment of all stages of the immunization process including storage ( p −0.001), transportation ( p −0.001), administration ( p 0.001), monitoring and reporting of adverse events following immunization (AEFIs) ( p −0.001), knowledge of AEFIs ( p 0.001), and HCP-parent communication ( p 0.001). AEFI reporting improved by 30% in the post education phase.

Conclusion:

Continuous education and motivation can result in positive behavioral changes on best immunization practices amongst HCPs involved in immunization, which may help to improve and maintain the safety and quality use of vaccines in immunization centers irrespective of the type of facility.
Manganese Toxicity Associated With Total Parenteral Nutrition: A Review
Authors: Reinert Justin P. , Forbes Laramie D.
Published: July 2021

Objective: To review hypermanganesemia-induced toxicities in adult patients receiving parenteral nutrition (PN) therapy. Data Sources: A comprehensive literature review was conducted from June 2020 to May 2021 on PubMED, MEDLINE, Scopus, ProQuest, the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Web of Science. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Keyword and Boolean phrase searches were conducted using the following terminology: “manganese” OR “manganesemia” OR “manganism” or “hypermanganesemia” AND “total parenteral nutrition” OR “PN” or “parenteral nutrition” AND “toxicity” OR “accumulation.” Appropriate filters, including “humans” and “English” and NOT “reviews,” were utilized on all databases to improve search outcomes. Data Synthesis: A total of 4 reports detailing hypermanganesemia in 57 patient encounters were included in this review. Significant heterogeneity exists with regard to the duration of manganese supplementation and the dose of manganese. Toxicity associated with manganese was observed in as few as 15 days. The dose of manganese, though likely governed by content in commercially available products, may regularly exceed the recommendations of clinical guidelines and should be limited to 55 µg/day. Select patients with underlying malignancy, those with significant and prolonged Vitamin D deficiency, or those who have acquired a SLC30A10 genetic mutation may be at an increased risk of developing manganese toxicity. Conclusions: Clinicians must be cognizant of the concentration of trace elements added to PN, as manganese, and perhaps other biometals, may accumulate when dosed above the recommended daily allowances.
Extradigital Glomus Tumor of the Forearm Identified During Neuromuscular Ultrasound: A Case Report
Authors: Tawfik Eman A. , Gad Ahmed , Taeimah Mohamed , Gadallah Naglaa
Published: July 2021

Glomus tumors are rare benign soft tissue tumors that arise from the glomus body. They typically develop in the subungual region but may develop extradigitally anywhere, in the upper or lower limbs. Extradigital glomus tumors can be misdiagnosed for years because of their atypical position and presentation. Being aware of an extradigital glomus tumor is important because they can be encountered during imaging studies and may be the cause of the patient’s symptoms. This report presents a case of an extradigital glomus tumor, of the forearm, diagnosed during neuromuscular sonography, in a patient with chronic intractable neuropathic-like pain, along the medial side of the left forearm. Sonographic imaging of the nerves, muscles, and tendons did not reveal any abnormalities. However, meticulous imaging of all tissue layers detected a subcutaneous vascular nodule. Subsequent excision biopsy and histopathologic assessment revealed a glomus tumor. After surgery, the patient experienced dramatic relief of pain. This case report highlights the importance of careful sonographic examination of all the tissues, including skin and subcutaneous tissue layers, to avoid missing non-neuromuscular pathologies that impact patient’s management.
The Photodetectors Based on Lateral Monolayer MoS2/WS2 Heterojunctions
Authors: Li Caihong , Zhu Juntong , Du Wen , Huang Yixuan , Xu Hao , Zhai Zhengang , Zou Guifu
Published: July 2021

Monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) show promising potential for next-generation optoelectronics due to excellent light capturing and photodetection capabilities. Photodetectors, as important components of sensing, imaging and communication systems, are able to perceive and convert optical signals to electrical signals. Herein, the large-area and high-quality lateral monolayer MoS2/WS2 heterojunctions were synthesized via the one-step liquid-phase chemical vapor deposition approach. Systematic characterization measurements have verified good uniformity and sharp interfaces of the channel materials. As a result, the photodetectors enhanced by the photogating effect can deliver competitive performance, including responsivity of ~ 567.6 A/W and detectivity of ~ 7.17 × 1011 Jones. In addition, the 1/f noise obtained from the current power spectrum is not conductive to the development of photodetectors, which is considered as originating from charge carrier trapping/detrapping. Therefore, this work may contribute to efficient optoelectronic devices based on lateral monolayer TMD heterostructures.
N6-Methyladenosine Related Long Non-Coding RNAs and Immune Cell Infiltration in the Tumor Microenvironment of Gastric Cancer
Authors: Yu Zhong lin , Zhu Zheng ming
Published: July 2021

Aim

To illustrate the influence of N6-methyladenosine long non-coding RNAs and immune cell infiltration in gastric cancer.

Methods

We downloaded workflow-type data and clinical data from The Cancer Genome Atlas project. The relationship of lncRNA and m6A was identified. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes gene expression enrichment analysis was performed. Lasso regression was utilized to construct a prognostic model. Survival analysis to explore the relationship between m6A lncRNA and clinical survival data. Differential analysis of the tumor microenvironment and immune correlation analysis to determine immune cell infiltration levels and their correlation with clinical prognosis.

Results

Co-expression analysis indicated that lncRNA expression was associated closely with m6A. m6A-lncRNAs were partially highly expressed in tumor tissue and could be used in a prognostic model to predict GC prognosis, independent of other clinical characteristics. “ADIPPOCYTOKINE SIGNALING PATHWAY” was most significantly enriched according to GSEA. ACBD3-AS1 was overexpressed in tumor tissue. Naïve B cell, Plasma cells, resting CD4 memory T cell were highly infiltrated tissues in cluster 2, while Macrophages M2, resting Mast cells, Monocytes, regulates T cells were lowly in cluster 1. All related scores were higher in cluster 2, indicating a lower purity of tumor cells and higher density of immune-related cells in the tumor microenvironment.

Conclusion

m6A lncRNA is closely related to the occurrence and progression of GC. The corresponding prognostic model can be utilized to evaluate the prognosis of GC. m6A lncRNA and related immune cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment can provide novel therapeutic targets for further research.
Matisse: a MATLAB-based analysis toolbox for in situ sequencing expression maps
Authors: Marco Salas Sergio , Gyllborg Daniel , Mattsson Langseth Christoffer , Nilsson Mats
Published: July 2021

Background

A range of spatially resolved transcriptomic methods has recently emerged as a way to spatially characterize the molecular and cellular diversity of a tissue. As a consequence, an increasing number of computational techniques are developed to facilitate data analysis. There is also a need for versatile user friendly tools that can be used for a de novo exploration of datasets.

Results

Here we present MATLAB-based Analysis toolbox for in situ sequencing (ISS) expression maps (Matisse). We demonstrate Matisse by characterizing the 2-dimensional spatial expression of 119 genes profiled in a mouse coronal section, exploring different levels of complexity. Additionally, in a comprehensive analysis, we further analyzed expression maps from a second technology, osmFISH, targeting a similar mouse brain region.

Conclusion

Matisse proves to be a valuable tool for initial exploration of in situ sequencing datasets. The wide set of tools integrated allows for simple analysis, using the position of individual reads, up to more complex clustering and dimensional reduction approaches, taking cellular content into account. The toolbox can be used to analyze one or several samples at a time, even from different spatial technologies, and it includes different segmentation approaches that can be useful in the analysis of spatially resolved transcriptomic datasets.
Co-AMPpred for in silico-aided predictions of antimicrobial peptides by integrating composition-based features
Authors: Singh Onkar , Hsu Wen-Lian , Su Emily Chia-Yu
Published: July 2021

Background

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are oligopeptides that act as crucial components of innate immunity, naturally occur in all multicellular organisms, and are involved in the first line of defense function. Recent studies showed that AMPs perpetuate great potential that is not limited to antimicrobial activity. They are also crucial regulators of host immune responses that can modulate a wide range of activities, such as immune regulation, wound healing, and apoptosis. However, a microorganism's ability to adapt and to resist existing antibiotics triggered the scientific community to develop alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Therefore, to address this issue, we proposed Co-AMPpred, an in silico-aided AMP prediction method based on compositional features of amino acid residues to classify AMPs and non-AMPs.

Results

In our study, we developed a prediction method that incorporates composition-based sequence and physicochemical features into various machine-learning algorithms. Then, the boruta feature-selection algorithm was used to identify discriminative biological features. Furthermore, we only used discriminative biological features to develop our model. Additionally, we performed a stratified tenfold cross-validation technique to validate the predictive performance of our AMP prediction model and evaluated on the independent holdout test dataset. A benchmark dataset was collected from previous studies to evaluate the predictive performance of our model.

Conclusions

Experimental results show that combining composition-based and physicochemical features outperformed existing methods on both the benchmark training dataset and a reduced training dataset. Finally, our proposed method achieved 80.8% accuracies and 0.871 area under the receiver operating characteristic curve by evaluating on independent test set. Our code and datasets are available at https://github.com/onkarS23/CoAMPpred.
Cell-in-cell phenomenon: leukocyte engulfment by non-tumorigenic cells and cancer cell lines
Authors: Bauer Mareike F. , Hader Michael , Hecht Markus , Büttner-Herold Maike , Fietkau Rainer , Distel Luitpold V. R.
Published: July 2021

Background

Research on cell-in-cell (CIC) phenomena, including entosis, emperipolesis and cannibalism, and their biological implications has increased in recent years. Homotypic and heterotypic engulfment of various target cells by numerous types of host cells has been studied in vitro and in tissue sections. This work has identified proteins involved in the mechanism and uncovered evidence for CIC as a potential histopathologic predictive and prognostic marker in cancer. Our experimental study focused on non-professional phagocytosis of leukocytes.

Results

We studied the engulfment of peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from healthy donors by counting CIC structures. Two non-tumorigenic cell lines (BEAS-2B, SBLF-9) and two tumour cell lines (BxPC3, ICNI) served as host cells. Immune cells were live-stained and either directly co-incubated or treated with irradiation or with conventional or microwave hyperthermia. Prior to co-incubation, we determined leukocyte viability for each batch via Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide staining.

All host cells engulfed their targets, with uptake rates ranging from 1.0% ± 0.5% in BxPC3 to 8.1% ± 5.0% in BEAS-2B. Engulfment rates of the cancer cell lines BxPC3 and ICNI (1.6% ± 0.2%) were similar to those of the primary fibroblasts SBLF-9 (1.4% ± 0.2%). We found a significant negative correlation between leukocyte viability and cell-in-cell formation rates. The engulfment rate rose when we increased the dose of radiotherapy and prolonged the impact time. Further, microwave hyperthermia induced higher leukocyte uptake than conventional hyperthermia.

Using fluorescent immunocytochemistry to descriptively study the proteins involved, we detected ring-like formations of diverse proteins around the leukocytes, consisting, among others, of α-tubulin, integrin, myosin, F-actin, and vinculin. These results suggest the involvement of actomyosin contraction, cell-cell adhesion, and the α-tubulin cytoskeleton in the engulfment process.

Conclusions

Both non-tumorigenic and cancer cells can form heterotypic CIC structures by engulfing leukocytes. Decreased viability and changes caused by microwave and X-ray irradiation trigger non-professional phagocytosis.
Genomic signatures of natural selection at phenology-related genes in a widely distributed tree species Fagus sylvatica L
Authors: Meger Joanna , Ulaszewski Bartosz , Burczyk Jaroslaw
Published: July 2021

Background

Diversity among phenology-related genes is predicted to be a contributing factor in local adaptations seen in widely distributed plant species that grow in climatically variable geographic areas, such as forest trees. European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) is widespread, and is one of the most important broadleaved tree species in Europe; however, its potential for adaptation to climate change is a matter of uncertainty, and little is known about the molecular basis of climate change-relevant traits like bud burst.

Results

We explored single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) at candidate genes related to bud burst in beech individuals sampled across 47 populations from Europe. SNP diversity was monitored for 380 candidate genes using a sequence capture approach, providing 2909 unlinked SNP loci. We used two complementary analytical methods to find loci significantly associated with geographic variables, climatic variables (expressed as principal components), or phenotypic variables (spring and autumn phenology, height, survival). Redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to detect candidate markers across two spatial scales (entire study area and within subregions). We revealed 201 candidate SNPs at the broadest scale, 53.2% of which were associated with phenotypic variables. Additive polygenic scores, which provide a measure of the cumulative signal across significant candidate SNPs, were correlated with a climate variable (first principal component, PC1) related to temperature and precipitation availability, and spring phenology. However, different genotype-environment associations were identified within Southeastern Europe as compared to the entire geographic range of European beech.

Conclusions

Environmental conditions play important roles as drivers of genetic diversity of phenology-related genes that could influence local adaptation in European beech. Selection in beech favors genotypes with earlier bud burst under warmer and wetter habitats within its range; however, selection pressures may differ across spatial scales.
Head-neck movement may predispose to the development of arytenoid dislocation in the intubated patient: a 5-year retrospective single-center study
Authors: Jang Eun-A , Yoo Kyung Yeon , Lee Seongheon , Song Seung Won , Jung Eugene , Kim Joungmin , Bae Hong-Beom
Published: July 2021

Background

Arytenoid dislocation is a rare laryngeal injury that may follow endotracheal intubation. We aimed to determine the incidence and risk factors for arytenoid dislocation after surgery under general anaesthesia.

Methods

We reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent operation under general anaesthesia with endotracheal intubation from January 2014 to December 2018. Patients were divided into the non-dislocation and dislocation groups depending on the presence or absence of arytenoid dislocation. Patient, anaesthetic, and surgical factors associated with arytenoid dislocation were determined using Poisson regression analysis.

Results

Among the 25,538 patients enrolled, 33 (0.13%) had arytenoid dislocation, with higher incidence after anterior neck and brain surgery. Patients in the dislocation group were younger (52.6 ± 14.4vs58.2 ± 14.2 yrs,P = 0.025), more likely to be female (78.8vs56.5%,P = 0.014), and more likely to be intubated by a first-year anaesthesia resident (33.3vs18.5%,P = 0.048) compared to those in the non-dislocation group. Patient positions during surgery were significantly different between the groups (P = 0.000). Multivariable Poisson regression identified head-neck positioning (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 3.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.50–6.25,P = 0.002), endotracheal intubation by a first-year anaesthesia resident (IRR, 2.30; 95% CI, 1.07–4.64,P = 0.024), and female (IRR, 3.05; 95% CI, 1.38–7.73,P = 0.010) as risk factors for arytenoid dislocation.

Conclusion

This study showed that the incidence of arytenoid dislocation was 0.13%, and that head-neck positioning during surgery, less anaesthetist experience, and female were significantly associated with arytenoid dislocation in patients who underwent surgeries under general anaesthesia with endotracheal intubation.
The effects of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein on the clinical outcomes in obstructive sleep apnea patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting
Authors: Gao Mingxin , Fan Kangjun , Yu Wenyuan , Liu Hongli , Wei Yongxiang , Yu Yang
Published: July 2021

Purpose

To investigate the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP), and their respective impact on the clinical outcomes in patients undergoing off-pump cardiac artery bypass grafting (OPCABG).

Methods

We enrolled consecutive eligible patients listed for elective OPCABG who underwent cardiorespiratory polygraphy before surgery between January 2019 and December 2019 in this prospective observational single-center study. Baseline, intraoperative, and postoperative clinical data were compared between absent-mild and moderate-severe OSA groups. Regression analysis investigated the relationship between Hs-CRP level and severity of OSA, and further assessed the factors influencing postoperative atrial fibrillation, duration of hospitalization, and hospital cost.

Results

Patients with moderate-severe OSA accounted for 42.3% (52/123) of the cohort. Partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO2), Hs-CRP, apnea hypopnea index (AHI), mean apnea time, maximum apnea time, and oxygen desaturation index ODI ≥ 3% were significantly higher in the moderate-severe OSA group than in the absent-mild OSA group. Left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF), lowest arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2), and mean SaO2 were significantly lower in the moderate-severe OSA group. Moderate-severe OSA was associated with elevated Hs-CRP level (OR = 2.356, 95% CI 1.101–5.041, P = 0.027). Hs-CRP was an independent risk factor for post-CABG atrial fibrillation (POAF) (OR = 1.212, P = 0.01). Hs-CRP level independently correlated with duration of hospitalization (B = 0.456, P = 0.001) and hospital cost (B = 1.111, P = 0.044).

Conclusion

Hs-CRP level was closely related to OSA severity and have potential utility in predicting POAF, duration of hospitalization, and hospital costs in patients undergoing OPCABG.