bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cellular and physiological functions of C9ORF72 and implications for ALS/FTD
Authors: Pang Weilun , Hu Fenghua 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE) in the C9ORF72 gene is the main cause of two tightly linked neurodegenerative diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). HRE leads to not only a gain of toxicity from RNA repeats and dipeptide repeats but also reduced levels of C9ORF72 protein. However, the cellular and physiological functions of C9ORF72 were unknown until recently. Through proteomic analysis, Smith–Magenis chromosome regions 8 (SMCR8) and WD repeat‐containing protein (WDR41) were identified as binding partners of C9ORF72. These three proteins have been shown to form a tight complex, but the exact functions of this complex remain to be characterized. Both C9ORF72 and SMCR8 contain a DENN domain, which has been shown to regulate the activities of small GTPases. The C9ORF72 complex has been implicated in many cellular processes, including vesicle trafficking, lysosome homeostasis, mTORC1 signaling , and autophagy. C9ORF72 deficiency in mice results in exaggerated inflammatory responses and human patients with C9ORF72 mutations have neuroinflammation phenotype. Recent studies indicate that C9ORF72 regulates trafficking and lysosomal degradation of inflammatory mediators, including toll‐like receptors (TLRs) and STING, to affect inflammatory outputs. Further exploration of cellular and physiological functions of C9ORF72 will help dissect the pathological mechanism of ALS/FTD caused by C9ORF72 mutations.
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Stability of class II treatment with Pendulum and Jones jig followed by fixed appliances
Authors: Patel Mayara Paim , Henriques José Fernando Castanha , Freitas Karina Maria Salvatore , Almeida Renato , Janson Guilherme 
Published: December 2020

AbstractIntroductionThe present study aimed to evaluate and compare the long‐term stability of Class II correction with the Pendulum or Jones jig followed by fixed appliances.Settings and sample populationGroup 1 comprised 20 Class II malocclusion patients with a mean initial age of 13.97 years (SD = 1.57), treated with Pendulum and fixed appliances for a mean period of 4.72 years (SD = 0.98), and mean long‐term post‐treatment evaluation of 4.72 years (SD = 0.97). Group 2 consisted of 18 Class II patients with a mean initial age of 13.19 years (SD = 1.26), treated with Jones jig and fixed appliances for a mean period of 3.96 years (SD = 0.92). Mean long‐term post‐treatment time was 5.50 years (SD = 1.57).MethodsLateral cephalograms were evaluated at three stages: initial (T1), final (T2) and long‐term post‐treatment (T3). Intragroup comparisons were performed with repeated measures ANOVA and Tukey's test and intergroup comparisons with independent t test.ResultsMany treatment changes were observed in both groups. From the long‐term post‐treatment periods, there was stability for most of the variables. Maxillary second molars and mandibular first molars extruded in the Jones jig group and slightly intruded in the Pendulum appliance group. The nasolabial angle decreased in the Pendulum group and increased in the Jones jig group.ConclusionThe correction of a Class II malocclusion was shown to be stable with similar long‐term post‐treatment results with Pendulum or Jones jig followed by fixed orthodontic appliances.
An unprecedented displacement of root piece in the infratemporal fossa: a case report
Authors: Setiya Sneha , Waknis Pushkar P , Jain Kunal M , Shah Sonal 
Published: December 2020

ABSTRACTThere are various reports of displaced maxillary third molar in the infratemporal fossa (IFT) in the literature. However there are no reported cases of a displaced root piece in the IFT. Here we have described a case of an accidental displacement of root piece of maxillary third molar into the IFT by a resident due to lack of surgical judgement and how this case was investigated and managed by our surgical team. There is no specific protocol for management of such complication in literature. The aim of this article is to identify the errors which lead to displacement of tooth in IFT and to establish a stepwise protocol to manage the same. We have highlighted a few basic steps for young practitioners to avoid such complications and also to manage them if at all they do occur.
Ovarian gene expression in collared peccary (Pecari tajacuLinnaeus, 1758) subjected to gonadotropin stimulation protocols
Authors: Viana Ana Clara N. P. C. S. , Freitas Jeferson L. S. , Magalhães Lívia C. , Campos Lívia B. , Silva Alexandre R. , Oliveira Moacir F. , Freitas Vicente J. F. , Melo Luciana M. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractOvarian response of collared peccaries (Pecari tajacu), after hormonal stimulation with gonadotropin association (eCG/hCG), was accessed by both gene expression and follicular development. Thus, collared peccaries (n = 8) were treated with the dose used for sows (swine dose, SWD) or with dose adjusted for peccary's weight (allometric dose, ALD). The gene expression of receptors was evaluated for both gonadotropins (FSHRandLHCGR) and growth factors (proteins codified byTGFβR‐1,BMPR1‐AandBMPR2genes) in antral follicles, cortex and corpora haemorrhagica (CH). Five days after gonadotropin injection, all females presented CH. The ovulation rate was similar (p > .05) between SWD (4.00 ± 1.17) and ALD (2.50 ± 0.43) group. The total number of follicles per animal and amounts of small (<3 mm), medium (3–5 mm) and large (>5 mm) follicles was similar among groups. However, SWD produced large follicles heavier than ALD group, as accessed by weight of follicular wall biopsies. Ovarian follicles expressed both gonadotropin and growth factor receptors at levels which are independent from gonadotropin dose. In conclusion, the two gonadotropin doses (SWD and ALD) can be used for ovarian stimulation of collared peccary. Additionally, FSH and growth factors (TGFβR‐1, BMPR1‐A and BMPR2) receptors are more expressed in the early follicle development, while LH receptor seems to be more important in the final of follicular growth.
Under‐represented minority students and identification of obstacles to a career in medicine
Authors: Roche Rosellen , Manzi Joel , Baker Samantha , Ndubuizu Terra 
Published: December 2020

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesThe Aspiring Doctors Precollege Program is an innovative pipeline program designed to introduce under‐represented minority (URM) high school students to career in medicine. A total of 52 students have completed this year‐long program. This study sought to provide insight into student perceptions of barriers to entry and success in the medical field.MethodsEach year, students were selected based on a competitive application process. At the end of the program, students were asked to complete a survey evaluating their experiences in this program and their level of interest in medicine. Students were specifically asked to provide rational for their college/career choices and to identify obstacles they perceived as barriers to a career in medicine.ResultsStudents repeatedly identified competitiveness, duration, and cost of training as major obstacles to a medical career. Although the majority of students intended to pursue medical education, in the post‐survey, a small minority (15%) revealed they were no longer interested in medical education.ConclusionsAll participants highlighted competitiveness, duration, and cost of training as obstacles to their future career. While this resulted in a change in career plans for some, other remained committed to careers in medicine. This work illustrates the importance of acknowledging the impact these factors can have on URM students at early stages of the education. In order to increase the diversity of the health care workforce, systemic solutions must be sought to ensure equitable financial access and pre‐medical opportunities be afforded to all qualified students.
Development of a Cadre of Evidence‐Based Practice Mentors for Nurses: What Works?
Authors: Wang Man , Zhang Yin‐Ping , Guo Min 
Published: December 2020

AbstractBackgroundDevelopment of a critical mass of evidence‐based practice (EBP) mentors for healthcare professionals is pivotal in facilitating and sustaining system‐wide implementation of evidence‐based care, especially for nurses. Empirical evidence shows that organizational factors are strongly associated with EBP. However, the understanding of organizational support to promote EBP competency is found lacking, especially in Mainland China.AimsThe purposes of this study were to (1) establish a baseline assessment of EBP nursing leadership and work environment support as well as EBP competency for EBP mentors of nurses in Western China, and (2) explore how nursing leadership and work environment impact the EBP competencies of mentors.MethodsA cross‐sectional study was conducted. The study population was 286 EBP mentors for nurses from six urban general hospitals in Xi’an City, Shanxi Province. The EBP Nursing Leadership Scale and the EBP Work Environment Scale were used to evaluate their perceived organizational support. EBP competency was measured by the Evidence‐Based Practice Questionnaire.ResultsThere was insufficient time for EBP mentors of nurses to engage in EBP. Lack of experts in EBP and educational offerings about EBP were identified as the two lowest workplace organizational supports for EBP. The respondents reported themselves as not competent in EBP, especially for the knowledge/skills. EBP nursing leadership and work environment support were key predictors of the self‐reported EBP competency in the stepwise multiple linear regression models (β = .211–.345, p < .01).Linking Evidence to ActionIt is imperative to provide EBP mentors for nurses with the knowledge and skills to achieve the expected level of EBP competency. Strategies for developing a cadre of EBP mentors for nurses who have competency in EBP need to be multipronged and target the cultivation of an organizational culture that supports EBP.
Regular Sports Participation as a Potential Predictor of Better Clinical Outcome in Adult Patients With COVID-19: A Large Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Halabchi Farzin , Mazaheri Reza , Sabeti Khashayar , Yunesian Masoud , Alizadeh Zahra , Ahmadinejad Zahra , Aghili Seyed Mojtaba , Tavakol Zahra 
Published: December 2020

Purpose: To compare the severity outcomes of COVID-19 disease between patients with and without regular sports participation. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, the authors investigated all patients who visited the emergency department of Imam Khomeini hospital with signs and symptoms of COVID-19 from February 20 to April 20, 2020. Then the authors assessed all patient outcomes (outpatient vs hospitalization or death). Finally, the authors compared the outcomes between athletes with regular sports participation and others, adjusting for confounding factors of age and sex. Results: Of all 4694 adult patients, 249 individuals (137 males and 112 females with mean [SD] age of 36.45 [9.77] y) had regular participation in different sport disciplines. Overall, 30 (12%) athletes were hospitalized or died (30 and 0, respectively) compared with 957 (21.5%) nonathletes (878 and 79, respectively). Athletes with regular sports participation were 1.49 times less likely to be hospitalized (P = .044). Conclusions: Regular sports participation may positively affect the clinical outcome, regardless of confounding factors of age and sex. The probability of hospitalization in athletes with regular sports participation was 33% lower than nonathletes. However, more longitudinal studies are needed to determine the causal effects.
Hyperreflective cystoid spaces in diabetic macular oedema: prevalence and clinical implications
Authors: Couturier Aude , Mane Valerie , Lavia Carlo Alessandro , Tadayoni Ramin 
Published: December 2020

AimsTo analyse the prevalence and evolution of hyper-reflective cystoid spaces with decorrelation signal detected using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in diabetic macular oedema (DMO).MethodsA retrospective study of consecutive eyes with DMO imaged using OCTA over a 1-year period was conducted. All eyes with hyper-reflective cystoid spaces at baseline and at least 3 months of follow-up were included in a longitudinal analysis.ResultsThe prevalence of hyperreflective cystoid spaces with decorrelation signal was of 37% (61/165) in DMO eyes. Hyperreflective foci within hyperreflective cystoid spaces were observed in 85% of eyes. The longitudinal study included 33 eyes (10 observed and 23 treated with intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor), with a median follow-up of 15 months. The hyperreflective cystoid spaces resolved in 85% of eyes. The mean best-corrected visual acuity remained stable during the follow-up, even in the eyes achieving a resolution of the hyperreflective cystoid spaces. Hard exudates appeared in the area of resolved hyperreflective cystoid spaces in 33% of eyes.ConclusionHyperreflective cystoid spaces detected by OCTA affected more than one-third of the DMO eyes. Their disappearance was not associated with any functional improvement and led to the formation of new hard exudate deposits in about one-third of the eyes.
Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) for migraine: an fMRI study
Authors: Zhang Yue , Huang Yiting , Li Hui , Yan Zhaoxian , Zhang Ying , Liu Xian , Hou Xiaoyan , Chen Weicui , Tu Yiheng , Hodges Sierra , Chen Helen , Liu Bo , Kong Jian 
Published: December 2020

BackgroundDysfunction of the thalamocortical connectivity network is thought to underlie the pathophysiology of the migraine. This current study aimed to explore the thalamocortical connectivity changes during 4 weeks of continuous transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) treatment on migraine patients.Methods70 migraine patients were recruited and randomized in an equal ratio to receive real taVNS or sham taVNS treatments for 4 weeks. Resting-state functional MRI was collected before and after treatment. The thalamus was parceled into functional regions of interest (ROIs) on the basis of six priori-defined cortical ROIs covering the entire cortex. Seed-based functional connectivity analysis between each thalamic subregion and the whole brain was further compared across groups after treatment.ResultsOf the 59 patients that finished the study, those in the taVNS group had significantly reduced number of migraine days, pain intensity and migraine attack times after 4 weeks of treatment compared with the sham taVNS. Functional connectivity analysis revealed that taVNS can increase the connectivity between the motor-related thalamus subregion and anterior cingulate cortex/medial prefrontal cortex, and decrease the connectivity between occipital cortex-related thalamus subregion and postcentral gyrus/precuneus.ConclusionOur findings suggest that taVNS can relieve the symptoms of headache as well as modulate the thalamocortical circuits in migraine patients. The results provide insights into the neural mechanism of taVNS and reveal potential therapeutic targets for migraine patients.
Measurement properties of the Physical Literacy Assessment for Youth (PLAY) Tools
Authors: Caldwell Hilary A. , Di Cristofaro Natascja A. , Cairney John , Bray Steven R. , Timmons Brian W. 
Published: December 2020

The Physical Literacy Assessment for Youth (PLAY) Tools are a suite of tools to assess an individual’s physical literacy. The purpose of this study is to examine the psychometric properties of the PLAY Tools, including inter-rater reliability, internal consistency, validity and the associations between the tools. In this study, 218 children and youth (aged 8.4 to 13.7 years) and a parent/guardian completed the appropriate physical literacy assessments (i.e., PLAYbasic, PLAYfun, PLAYparent and PLAYself) and the Bruiniks–Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT-2). Inter-rater reliability for PLAYfun was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.94). The PLAYbasic, PLAYfun total, running and object control scores, and PLAYparent motor competence domain were higher in males than females, and PLAYfun locomotor skills were lower in males than females (p < 0.05). Age was positively correlated with PLAYbasic and PLAYfun (r = 0.14–0.32, p < 0.05). BOT-2 was positively correlated with PLAYfun and PLAYbasic (r = 0.19–0.59, p < 0.05). PLAYbasic is a significant predictor of PLAYfun (r2 = 0.742, p < 0.001). PLAYfun, PLAYparent and PLAYself were moderately correlated with one another. PLAYfun, PLAYparent and PLAYself demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (α = 0.74–0.87, ω = 0.73–0.87). The PLAY Tools demonstrated moderate associations between one another, strong inter-rater reliability and good construct and convergent validity. Continued evaluation of these tools with other populations, such as adolescents, is necessary. Novelty: In school-age children, the PLAY Tools demonstrated strong inter-rater reliability, moderate associations with one another, acceptable internal consistency and good construct and convergent validity. The results suggest that that PLAY Tools are an acceptable method of evaluation for physical literacy in school-age children.
A Novel Function of Sphingolipid Signaling via S1PR3 in Hematopoietic and Leukemic Stem Cells
Authors: Yang Chong , Yamashita Masayuki , Suda Toshio 
Published: December 2020

Abstract

Summary:
In this issue of Blood Cancer Discovery, Xie and colleagues describe a novel function of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 3 (S1PR3) to regulate myeloid differentiation and activate inflammatory programs in both human hematopoietic stem cells and leukemic stem cells. They propose S1PR3 as a major downstream signaling pathway of a TNFα–NF-κB axis in this study and unlock potential therapeutic opportunities to improve outcomes of patients with acute myeloid leukemia by modulating sphingolipid signaling via S1PR3.
See related article by Xie et al., p. 32.
Spatial and Temporal Characteristics of the Submesoscale Energetics in the Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Yang Yang , McWilliams James C. , San Liang X. , Zhang Hong , Weisberg Robert H. , Liu Yonggang , Menemenlis Dimitris 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe submesoscale energetics of the eastern Gulf of Mexico (GoM) are diagnosed using outputs from a 1/48° MITgcm simulation. Employed is a recently developed, localized multiscale energetics formalism with three temporal-scale ranges (or scale windows), namely, a background flow window, a mesoscale window, and a submesoscale window. It is found that the energy cascades are highly inhomogeneous in space. Over the eastern continental slope of the Campeche Bank, the submesoscale eddies are generated via barotropic instability, with forward cascades of kinetic energy (KE) following a weak seasonal variation. In the deep basin of the eastern GoM, the submesoscale KE exhibits a seasonal cycle, peaking in winter, maintained via baroclinic instability, with forward available potential energy (APE) cascades in the mixed layer, followed by a strong buoyancy conversion. A spatially coherent pool of inverse KE cascade is found to extract energy from the submesoscale KE reservoir in this region to replenish the background flow. The northern GoM features the strongest submesoscale signals with a similar seasonality as seen in the deep basin. The dominant source for the submesoscale KE during winter is from buoyancy conversion and also from the forward KE cascades from mesoscale processes. To maintain the balance, the excess submesoscale KE must be dissipated by smaller-scale processes via a forward cascade, implying a direct route to finescale dissipation. Our results highlight that the role of submesoscale turbulence in the ocean energy cycle is region and time dependent.
Meta-analysis of rare adverse events in randomized clinical trials: Bayesian and frequentist methods
Authors: Hong Hwanhee , Wang Chenguang , Rosner Gary L 
Published: December 2020

Background/aims: Regulatory approval of a drug or device involves an assessment of not only the benefits but also the risks of adverse events associated with the therapeutic agent. Although randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the gold standard for evaluating effectiveness, the number of treated patients in a single RCT may not be enough to detect a rare but serious side effect of the treatment. Meta-analysis plays an important role in the evaluation of the safety of medical products and has advantage over analyzing a single RCT when estimating the rate of adverse events. Methods: In this article, we compare 15 widely used meta-analysis models under both Bayesian and frequentist frameworks when outcomes are extremely infrequent or rare. We present extensive simulation study results and then apply these methods to a real meta-analysis that considers RCTs investigating the effect of rosiglitazone on the risks of myocardial infarction and of death from cardiovascular causes. Results: Our simulation studies suggest that the beta hyperprior method modeling treatment group-specific parameters and accounting for heterogeneity performs the best. Most models ignoring between-study heterogeneity give poor coverage probability when such heterogeneity exists. In the data analysis, different methods provide a wide range of log odds ratio estimates between rosiglitazone and control treatments with a mixed conclusion on their statistical significance based on 95% confidence (or credible) intervals. Conclusion: In the rare event setting, treatment effect estimates obtained from traditional meta-analytic methods may be biased and provide poor coverage probability. This trend worsens when the data have large between-study heterogeneity. In general, we recommend methods that first estimate the summaries of treatment-specific risks across studies and then relative treatment effects based on the summaries when appropriate. Furthermore, we recommend fitting various methods, comparing the results and model performance, and investigating any significant discrepancies among them.
A Modified Friction Stir Welding Process Based on Vortex Material Flow
Authors: Liu Xiaochao , Zhen Yunqian , Shen Zhikang , Chen Haiyan , Li Wenya , Guo Wei , Yue Zhufeng 
Published: December 2020

AbstractFriction stir welding is a promising solid-state welding technique. However, the issue of tool wear and break restricts its wider industrial application. To avoid the tool wear and break occurring in conventional friction stir welding (FSW), a new modification of the FSW process using a tool made by the identical material as the workpiece has been developed and conducted on pure aluminum. We named this process as Vortex-FSW (VFSW) because it depends on a vortex material flow to realize the welding and joining. The weld macro- and micro-structures are like that in conventional FSW. However, the tool exit-hole in conventional FSW is replaced by a lug boss. The mechanical properties are also equivalent to that in conventional FSW. The principle of this new process is introduced in this paper.