bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of 24-2 Faster, Fast, and Standard Programs of Swedish Interactive Threshold Algorithm of Humphrey Field Analyzer for Perimetry in Patients With Manifest and Suspect Glaucoma
Authors: Thulasidas Mithun , Patyal Sagarika 
Published: September 2020

Précis:
Swedish Interactive Threshold Algorithm (SITA) Faster (SFR) saves considerable test time but needs further amendments for considering it to be an accurate test that can replace SITA Fast (SF) or SITA Standard (SS).

Purpose:
To compare visual field results obtained using SFR, SF, and SS programs in patients with manifest and suspect glaucoma.

Materials and Methods:
In this cross-sectional observational study involving manifest patients with glaucoma and glaucoma suspects, perimetric outcomes of SFR, SF, and SS were compared. Outcomes included test time, mean deviation, pattern standard deviation (PSD), Visual Field Index (VFI), foveal threshold, number of points depressed at P<5%, P<2%, P<1%, and P<0.5% on PSD probability plot, individual threshold test points, glaucoma hemifield test, and grade of field defect.

Results:
Seventy eyes of 70 patients were included in this study. SFR test times averaged 36.1% shorter than SF and 60.7% shorter than SS (P<0.001). Mean deviation values were lower with SFR compared with both SF and SS (Δ=1.5, P<0.001). Mean PSD and VFI showed no significant differences between the algorithms. The mean foveal threshold was higher for SFR compared with SF (Δ=1.6, P<0.001) and SS (Δ=2.1, P<0.001). The number of points depressed at P<0.5% was lesser in SFR than in both SF and SS (P=0.002). Bland-Altman plots showed that considerable variability existed between the algorithms.

Conclusion:
SFR provides benefits in test time and shows similar VFI compared with SF and SS. However, the detection of early cases with SFR is questionable and few modifications are needed in the future to improve its accuracy. SF and SS gave almost similar results. The algorithms cannot be used interchangeably for the same patient on different test sessions.
Comparison of Peripapillary Choroidal Microvasculature Dropout in Primary Open-angle, Primary Angle-closure, and Pseudoexfoliation Glaucoma
Authors: Jo Youn Hye , Sung Kyung Rim , Shin Joong Won 
Published: September 2020

Precis:
The prevalence of choroidal microvascular dropout (CMvD) was significantly higher in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) than primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) or pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PXG) in the early stage. However, in the advanced stage, it did not differ among the 3 groups.

Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of peripapillary CMvD in POAG, PACG, and PXG.

Materials and Methods:
The presence of peripapillary CMvD was identified using optical coherence tomography angiography (AngioVue/RTVue-XR) imaging of the choroid in 186 eyes from 186 subjects [age and visual field (VF) mean deviation (MD) matched; 62 POAG, 62 PACG, and 62 PXG eyes]. Prevalence of CMvD was compared among glaucoma types in early and moderate to advanced disease, as divided by VF MD (−6 dB). The association between glaucoma type and presence of CMvD was evaluated using logistic regression analysis.

Results:
Prevalence of CMvD was significantly different between glaucoma types in early-stage disease (PACG 7.5%, PXG 25%, and POAG 46.3%, P<0.001), but it did not differ between glaucoma types in eyes with moderate to advanced disease (PACG 59.1%, PXG 68.2%, and POAG 81%; P=0.331). After adjusting for age, sex, the β-zone peripapillary atrophy/disc ratio, and glaucoma severity (VF MD), the CMvD odds ratio was 7.50 times greater in POAG than in PACG (P=0.001).

Conclusions:
CMvD was more common in POAG relative to both PACG and PXG, especially in early-stage disease. This finding suggested a role for ischemic injury in the pathogenesis of POAG.
The Relationship Between Melanin and Glaucoma: A Case-control Study
Authors: Giorgis Abeba T. , Alsoudi Amer F. , Alemu Abiye M. , Tadesse Tesfaye , Gemida Jibat , Taye Kalekirstos , Zeru Mhretab , Moe Caitlin A. , Stamper Robert L. , Keenan Jeremy D. 
Published: September 2020

Précis:
In a case-control study, skin pigmentation was not statistically significantly different when comparing glaucoma patients to those without glaucoma.

Purpose:
Darker skin color has been implicated as a risk factor for glaucoma based on previous studies’ subjective assessments of skin pigmentation. This study used objective measurements to determine whether cutaneous pigmentation is a risk factor for glaucoma.

Methods:
This case-control study was conducted at Menelik II Tertiary Referral Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Patients aged 40 years or older from the glaucoma clinic who were being scheduled for trabeculectomy were enrolled as cases and age-matched patients without glaucoma from other clinics at Menelik II Tertiary Referral Hospital were enrolled as controls. A Dermacatch device was used to capture melanin measurements in triplicate from the inner arm of each participant. The exposure variable of interest was the median of the triplicate skin melanin measurements, in arbitrary units. The outcome of interest was presence of glaucoma.

Results:
Agreement between the triplicate inner arm melanin measurements was high, with an intraclass correlation of 0.99 (95% confidence interval, 0.98-0.99). Mean melanin values were 704 units (SD 94) in 76 cases and 694 units (SD 93) in 152 controls. Melanin was not statistically significantly associated with glaucoma after adjusting for sex and season of measurement (ie, dry vs. rainy), with an odds ratio of 1.15 (95% confidence interval, 0.59-2.24) per 100 units of inner arm melanin.

Conclusion:
This study failed to find a significant association between skin pigmentation and glaucoma using an objective and reproducible assessment of pigmentation.
A systematic review of animal models and sex as a variable in itch research
Authors: Wheeler Joshua J. , Allen-Moyer Katherine N. , Davis John M. , Mishra Santosh K. 
Published: September 2020

Introduction:
Pruritus (or itch) research has gained momentum in the last decades and use of animal models to study itch behavior are a vital part of the research. Recent studies have found that many fields using animal models, including neuroscience, are predisposed toward using male animals in preclinical research. To address sex bias in animal research, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) began requiring researchers to include sex as a variable beginning in June 2015. Here, we test whether researchers studying itch are biased toward using males in preclinical research.

Methods:
The NIH’s PubMed database was searched for primary research articles written between August 2007 and December 2018 using the words “Itch” and “Pruritus.” The following information was extracted from articles fitting our inclusion criteria: type of itch (acute or chronic), the animal model and the sex of the animals used, and whether researchers considered sex as a variable. z-Tests, binomial tests, and the Cochran-Armitage test for trend were used to explore relationships between animal models and the usage of both sexes.

Results:
We found 5.3%±1.2% of papers in a given year used 1 of our 4 animal models. Mice were the most frequently used animal model, followed by rats, nonhuman primates, and dogs. Overall, researchers used male animals regardless of the animal model used. In preclinical research conducted on both male and female animals, sex was not considered a variable in a majority of these studies. Finally, since 2015, there has not been a change in the usage of male or female mice. Briefly, the incidence of papers utilizing both sexes has not changed.

Discussion:
We have found that itch researchers have a bias towards males in animal research. This bias has not changed since the NIH’s mandate to include sex as a variable in preclinical research.
Postoperative Opioid Filling Patterns in Women Undergoing Midurethral Sling Placement
Authors: Feroz Rehan T. , Boyd Sarah S. , Schaefer Eric W. , Swailes Alexa L. , Long Jaime B. 
Published: September 2020

Objective
To evaluate postoperative opioid filling patterns for patients undergoing isolated midurethral sling placement.

Methods
Patients undergoing midurethral sling placement from 2005 to 2016 were identified in the Truven Health MarketScan database. We determined whether sling placement was an isolated procedure or performed in conjunction with other benign gynecologic procedures. All outpatient prescription drug claims for opioids were extracted from 28 days before surgery to 28 days after surgery. We identified the number of prescriptions filled and calculated morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) in the allotted perioperative windows. The proportion of patients with opioid prescription claims and cumulative MMEs were compared for multiple versus isolated procedures using χ2 and Wilcoxon tests, respectively.

Results
The cohort included 153,631 patients, with 79,069 (51.5%) having an isolated procedure and 74,562 (48.5%) having multiple benign procedures. Seventy-two percent of the patients undergoing isolated midurethral sling placement received at least 1 opioid prescription in the study period compared with 79% of those undergoing combined procedures (P < 0.001). The median cumulative MMEs for isolated midurethral sling and midurethral sling + multiple procedures were 150 and 225 MMEs, respectively (P < 0.001). Across the years under study, the proportion of patients filling opioid prescription claims increased, but the median cumulative MME was unchanged.

Conclusions
Patients undergoing isolated midurethral sling placement filled a median of 150 cumulative MMEs, and the proportion of patients filling perioperative opioid prescriptions increased over the study period.
Patient Preferences and Knowledge Regarding Hysterectomy: A Study from the Fellows’ Pelvic Research Network (FPRN)®
Authors: Jacobs Kristin M. , Hokenstad Erik D. , Park Beau Y. , Hamner Jennifer J. , Shannon Megan B. , Zigman Jessica S. , Pilkinton Marjorie L. , Mahal Amandeep S. , Sheyn David D. , Elmer-Lyon Caroline G. , Korbly Nicole B. , Sung Vivian W. 
Published: September 2020

Objective
The purpose of this study was to describe preference for and knowledge of hysterectomy routes in women presenting to urogynecology/gynecology clinics throughout the United States and to determine association with health literacy. Our primary aim was preference for hysterectomy route, and secondary aims were knowledge of basic pelvic structures and function, knowledge of various hysterectomy routes, and baseline health literacy level.

Methods
This multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted through the Fellows’ Pelvic Research Network. Patients’ preference and knowledge for hysterectomy routes were assessed at initial presentation to the urogynecology/gynecology clinic with an anonymous, voluntary, self-administered questionnaire along with a validated health literacy test (Medical Term Recognition Test).

Results
Two hundred four women participated. Forty-five percent of patients were unsure which hysterectomy modality they would choose. Of patients who selected a preferred modality, 50% selected laparoscopic and 33% selected vaginal. Patients indicated that safety was considered highest priority when selecting route. The mean score for “knowledge about gynecology/hysterectomy” was 68%, with the high literacy group scoring higher compared with the low health literacy group (70% vs 60.1%, P = 0.01). More than 50% of patients incorrectly answered knowledge questions related to vaginal hysterectomy. Majority of the respondents had high health literacy (79.4%).

Conclusions
Patients prefer laparoscopic hysterectomy approach, although have limited understanding of vaginal hysterectomy. Higher health literacy levels are associated with increased knowledge of gynecology and hysterectomy routes, but were not found to influence patient preference for hysterectomy route. Overall, patients have limited knowledge of vaginal hysterectomy.
Dramatic decrease of surgical emergencies during COVID-19 outbreak
Authors: Rausei Stefano , Ferrara Francesco , Zurleni Tommaso , Frattini Francesco , Chiara Osvaldo , Pietrabissa Andrea , Sarro Giuliano ,   for Italian Association of Hospital Surgeons, and Collected Data Contributors
Published: September 2020

BACKGROUND
During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, a general decrease in surgical activity was observed. There is perception that this phenomenon has involved also surgical emergency, but no extensive data have been presented to date. The aim of this study was to analyze the real number of admissions and procedures for emergency surgical disease during COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS
This is a multicenter study including 18 general surgery units performing emergency surgery in hospitals of the “Red Zone” in Lombardy. Data about admissions from emergency department and surgical emergency procedures performed during March 2019 and March 2020 were collected in an online database. Additional data were collected according to the different indications for surgical treatment. The primary outcomes were the overall rate of admissions for emergent surgical disease and the overall rate of emergency surgical procedures in the study periods. The secondary outcome was the overall surgical rates (among all the diagnosed surgical diseases).

RESULTS
Emergency surgical admissions and surgical operations significantly decreased with a fall in value of 45% (p < 0.001) and 41% (p = 0.001), respectively. This reduction was confirmed by the analysis according to different surgical indications, with the exceptions of admissions and operations for gastrointestinal bleeding and operations for abdominal trauma. The overall ratio between surgical procedures and diseases was not significantly different (54% vs. 63%; p = 0.619). This ratio was significantly different only for bowel obstruction and for gastrointestinal perforation.

CONCLUSIONS
It seems correct to consider “true” the dramatic decrease of surgical problems during COVID-19 outbreak, despite any therapeutic strategies and logistic difficulties.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
Epidemiological, level III.
Halomonas pellis sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from wetsalted hides
Authors: Li Xiaoguang , Gan Longzhan , Hu Mengyao , Wang Shiting , Tian Yongqiang , Shi Bi 
Published: September 2020

A Gram-stain-negative, moderately halophilic strain, designated strain L5T, was isolated from wetsalted hides collected from Chengdu, south-west PR China. The cells were motile, facultative aerobic, short rod-shaped and non-endospore-forming. Growth of strain L5T occurred at pH 6–10 (optimum, pH 8), 10–45 °C (optimum, 30 °C) and in the presence of 1–17 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 10 %). Results of phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA, gyrB and rpoD gene sequences and its genome revealed that strain L5T belonged to the genus

Halomonas

. Strain L5T was found to be most closely related to the type strains of

Halomonas saliphila

,

Halomonas lactosivorans

,

Halomonas kenyensis

,

Halomonas daqingensis

and

Halomonas desiderata

(98.8, 98.6, 98.3, 97.9 and 97.4 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, respectively). The draft genome was approximately 4.2 Mb in size with a G+C content of 63.5 mol%. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values among strain L5T and the selected

Halomonas

species were 83.3–88.9 % (ANIm), 71.1–87.3 % (ANIb) and 20.2–34.6 %, which are below the recommended cutoff values. Major fatty acids were C16 : 0, C16 : 1
ω7c, C18 : 1
ω7c and C19 : 0 cyclo ω8c and the predominant ubiquinone was Q-9, with minor ubiquinone Q-8 also present. The phospholipid profile consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, four unidentified aminophospholipids and three unidentified phospholipids. Based on the mentioned polyphasic taxonomic evidence, strain L5T represents a novel species within the genus

Halomonas

, for which Halomonas pellis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is L5T (=CGMCC 1.17335T=KCTC 72573T).
Performance of serum apolipoprotein-A1 as a sentinel of Covid-19
Authors: Poynard Thierry , Deckmyn Olivier , Rudler Marika , Peta Valentina , Ngo Yen , Vautier Mathieu , Akhavan Sepideh , Calvez Vincent , Franc Clemence , Castille Jean Marie , Drane Fabienne , Sakka Mehdi , Bonnefont-Rousselot Dominique , Lacorte Jean Marc , Saadoun David , Allenbach Yves , Benveniste Olivier , Gandjbakhch Frederique , Mayaux Julien , Lucidarme Olivier , Fautrel Bruno , Ratziu Vlad , Housset Chantal , Thabut Dominique , Cacoub Patrice 
Published: September 2020

ABSTRACTBackgroundSince 1920, a decrease in serum cholesterol has been identified as a marker of severe pneumonia. We have assessed the performance of serum apolipoprotein-A1, the main transporter of HDL-cholesterol, to identify the early spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in the general population and its diagnostic performance for the Covid-19.MethodsWe compared the daily mean serum apolipoprotein-A1 during the first 30 weeks of 2020 in a population that is routinely followed for a risk of liver fibrosis risk in the USA (183,112 sera) and in France (18,316 sera) in relation to a local increase in confirmed cases, and in comparison to the same period in 2019 (respectively 234,881 and 26,056 sera). We prospectively assessed the sensitivity of this marker in an observational study of 136 consecutive hospitalized cases and retrospectively evaluated its specificity in 7,481 controls representing the general population.ResultsThe mean serum apolipoprotein-A1 levels in these populations began decreasing in January 2020, compared to the same 30 weeks in 2019. This decrease was highly correlated to and in parallel with the daily increase in confirmed Covid-19 cases in the following 30 weeks, in both France and USA, including the June and mid-July recovery periods in France. Apolipoprotein-A1 at the 1.25 g/L cutoff had a sensitivity of 90.6% (95%CI84.2-95.1) and a specificity of 96.1% (95.7-96.6%) for the diagnosis of Covid-19. The area under the characteristics curve was 0.978 (0.957-0.988), and outperformed haptoglobin and liver function tests. The adjusted risk ratio for survival without transfer to intensive care unit was 5.61 (95%CI 1.02-31.0;P=0.04).ConclusionApolipoprotein-A1 could be both a sentinel of the pandemic in existing routine surveillance of the general population with no new blood sample, as well as a candidate predictor of suspected Covid-19 in multivariate analysis in cases with a negative virological test. NCT01927133, CER-2020-14.Key PointsQuestionDoes serum apolipoprotein-A1 decrease could be a very early biomarker of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic?FindingsDuring the 30 weeks of 2020 we observed in two large cohorts of patients at risk of liver fibrosis a highly significant decrease of serum apolipoprotein-A1, not observed in previous years. This decrease was highly correlated to and in parallel with the daily increase in confirmed Covid-19 cases, including the recovery period.MeaningApolipoprotein-A1 could be used as a sentinel of the pandemic in existing routine surveillance of the general population.
Longitudinal single-cell immune profiling revealed distinct innate immune response in asymptomatic COVID-19 patients
Authors: Zhao Xiang-Na , You Yue , Wang Guo-Lin , Gao Hui-Xia , Cui Xiao-Ming , Duan Li-Jun , Zhang Sheng-Bo , Wang Yu-Ling , Lin-Yao  , Li Li , Lu Jian-Hua , Wang Hai-Bin , Fan Jing-Fang , Zheng Huan-Wei , Dai Er-Hei , Tian Lu-Yi , Ma Mai-Juan 
Published: September 2020

SUMMARYRecent studies have characterized the single-cell immune landscape of host immune response of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), specifically focus on the severe condition. However, the immune response in mild or even asymptomatic patients remains unclear. Here, we performed longitudinal single-cell transcriptome sequencing and T cell/B cell receptor sequencing on 3 healthy donors and 10 COVID-19 patients with asymptomatic, moderate, and severe conditions. We found asymptomatic patients displayed distinct innate immune responses, including increased CD56briCD16−NK subset, which was nearly missing in severe condition and enrichment of a new Th2-like cell type/state expressing a ciliated cell marker. Unlike that in moderate condition, asymptomatic patients lacked clonal expansion of effector CD8+T cells but had a robust effector CD4+T cell clonal expansion, coincide with previously detected SARS-CoV-2-reactive CD4+T cells in unexposed individuals. Moreover, NK and effector T cells in asymptomatic patients have upregulated cytokine related genes, such asIFNGandXCL2. Our data suggest early innate immune response and type I immunity may contribute to the asymptomatic phenotype in COVID-19 disease, which could in turn deepen our understanding of severe COVID-19 and guide early prediction and therapeutics.
GUN1-independent retrograde signaling targets the ethylene pathway to repress photomorphogenesis
Authors: Gommers Charlotte M. M. , Ruiz-Sola María Águila , Ayats Alba , Pereira Lara , Pujol Marta , Monte Elena 
Published: September 2020

AbstractWhen germinating in the light,Arabidopsisseedlings undergo photomorphogenic development, characterized by short hypocotyls, greening and expanded cotyledons. Stressed chloroplasts emit retrograde signals to the nucleus that induce developmental responses and repress photomorphogenesis. The nuclear targets of these retrograde signals are not yet fully known. Here, we show that lincomycin-treated seedlings (which lack developed chloroplasts) show strong phenotypic similarities to seedlings treated with ethylene (ET) precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), as both signals inhibit cotyledon separation in the light. We show that the lincomycin-induced phenotype partly requires a functioning ET signaling pathway, but could not detect increased ET emissions in response to lincomycin treatment. The two treatments show overlap in up-regulated gene transcripts, downstream of transcription factors ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE3 (EIN3) and EIN3-LIKE1 (EIL1). The induction of the ethylene signaling pathway is triggered by an unknown retrograde signal acting independently of GENOMES UNCOUPLED1 (GUN1). Our data show how two apparently different stress responses converge to optimize photomorphogenesis.One Sentence SummaryChloroplast retrograde signaling targets the ethylene-regulated gene network to repress photomorphogenesis in Arabidopsis
Blocking IL-10 signaling with soluble IL-10 receptor restores specific lymphoproliferative response in dogs with leishmaniasis caused byLeishmania infantum
Authors: de Oliveira Santos Catiule , Costa Sidnei Ferro , Souza Fabiana Santana , Mendes Jessica Mariane Ferreira , de Pinheiro Cristiane Garboggini Melo , de Magalhães Moreira Diogo Rodrigo , Silva Luciano Kalabric , de Lima Valeria Marçal Felix , de Sá Oliveira Geraldo Gileno 
Published: September 2020

AbstractrIL-10 plays a major role in restricting exaggerated inflammatory and immune responses, thus preventing tissue damage. However, the restriction of inflammatory and immune responses by IL-10 can also favor the development and/or persistence of chronic infections or neoplasms. Dogs that succumb to leishmaniasis caused byL. infantum(CanL) develop exhaustion of T lymphocytes and are unable to mount appropriate cellular immune responses to control the infection. These animals fail to mount specific lymphoproliferative responses and produce interferon gamma and TNF-alpha that would activate macrophages and promote destruction of intracellular parasites. Blocking IL-10 signaling may contribute to the treatment of CanL. In order to obtain a tool for this blockage, the present work endeavored to identify the canine casIL-10R1 amino acid sequence, generate a recombinant baculovirus chromosome encoding this molecule, which was expressed in insect cells and subsequently purified to obtain rcasIL-10R1. In addition, rcasIL-10R1 was able to bind to homologous IL-10 and block IL-10 signaling pathway, as well as to promote lymphoproliferation in dogs with leishmaniasis caused byL. infantum.