bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mean Tear-Film Lipid Layer Thickness and Video Display Terminal Time as Risk Factors for Abnormal Blinking in Children
Authors: Zhao Hui , Wu Shi-Nan , Cheng Zhe , Xiao Dong , Shu Hui-Ye , Ge Qian-Min , Tian Tian , Shao Yi 
Published: December 2021

Objective: To explore the risk factors for abnormal blinking in children and the role of the tear-film lipid layer thickness (LLT) as a function of duration of video display terminal (VDT) use in children.Methods: Children attending the Optometry Clinic of Xinhua Hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University were recruited for the study between June 2019 and June 2020. Time spent viewing a VDT (VDTt) over the previous 6 months was recorded. Incomplete blinking (IB) and blinking rate were measured over a 10 s period using the Lipiview® interferometer (Tear Science, Morrisville, NC, USA), and participants were allocated into groups with normal blinking (NBG, blink rate &lt; 20 blinks/min) and abnormal blinking (ABG, blink rate ≥ 20 blinks/min). T-test, chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U-test were used to compare the differences in tear film (TF) stability indexes and meibomian gland function indexes between the two groups. Binary logistic analysis was used to analyze the risk factors for abnormal blinking and protective factors related to children's use of VDT, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was also conducted.Results: A total of 167 children were included, with no statistically significant differences in age or sex between the two groups. According to the t-test, VDTt was significantly higher in ABG than NBG, while TF stability indices including tear break up time, LLT and the height of the tear meniscus, were significantly higher in NBG than ABG (P &lt; 0.001). The results also showed better meibomian gland function in NBG than ABG (P &lt; 0.05). Binary logistic analysis showed that VDTt is an important risk factor for abnormal blinking, and the average of LLT (AVG) was found to be an important protective factor for children using a VDT for long periods, with a cut-off value of 1.5 h and 57.5 nm, respectively. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve value of VDTt and AVG was 0.833 and 0.969, respectively (P &lt; 0.001).Conclusion: In children, VDTt is an important risk factor for abnormal blinking, and the AVG is an important protective factor for children using VDT for long periods.
Differential Changes in Akt and AMPK Phosphorylation Regulating mTOR Activity in the Placentas of Pregnancies Complicated by Fetal Growth Restriction and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus With Large-For-Gestational Age Infants
Authors: Hung Tai-Ho , Wu Chung-Pu , Chen Szu-Fu 
Published: December 2021

Background: Dysregulation of placental mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) activity has been implicated in the pathophysiology of pregnancies complicated by idiopathic fetal growth restriction (FGR) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with large-for-gestational-age (LGA) infants. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.Methods: We obtained placentas from women with normal pregnancies (n = 11) and pregnancies complicated by FGR (n = 12) or GDM with LGA infants (n = 12) to compare the levels of total and phosphorylated forms of Akt, AMPK, TSC2, and mTOR among the three groups and used primary cytotrophoblast cells isolated from 30 normal term placentas to study the effects of oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD) and increasing glucose concentrations on the changes of these factors in vitro.Results: Placentas from FGR pregnancies had lower phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) levels (P &lt; 0.05), higher p-AMPKα levels (P &lt; 0.01), and lower mTOR phosphorylation (P &lt; 0.05) compared to that of normal pregnant women. Conversely, women with GDM and LGA infants had higher p-Akt (P &lt; 0.001), lower p-AMPKα (P &lt; 0.05), and higher p-mTOR levels (P &lt; 0.05) in the placentas than normal pregnant women. Furthermore, primary cytotrophoblast cells subjected to OGD had lower p-Akt and p-mTOR (both P &lt; 0.05) and higher p-AMPKα levels (P &lt; 0.05) than those cultured under standard conditions, but increasing glucose concentrations had opposite effects on the respective levels. Administering compound C, an AMPK inhibitor, did not significantly affect Akt phosphorylation but partially reversed mTOR phosphorylation. Administering LY294002, an Akt inhibitor, decreased p-mTOR levels, but did not change the levels of total and phosphorylated AMPKα.Conclusion: These results suggest that Akt and AMPK are involved in the regulation of trophoblast mTOR activity in the placentas of pregnancies complicated by FGR and GDM with LGA infants.
Assessing Differential Binding of Aggregation-Induced Emission-Based Luminogens to Host Interacting Surface Proteins of SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza Virus–An in silico Approach
Authors: Tanneeru Karunakar , Bhatraju Naveen Kumar , Bhosale Rajesh S. , Kalangi Suresh K. 
Published: December 2021

Graphical AbstractProposed design for AIE-based differential detection of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses.
Production and Characterization of Cellulose Nanofiber Slurries and Sheets for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Carter Nicklaus , Grant Isabelle , Dewey Marley , Bourque Mary , Neivandt David J. 
Published: December 2021

Cellulose nanomaterials are produced employing a multitude of methodologies including electrospinning, bacterial generation, acid digestion, and a variety of mechanical defibrillation techniques; the morphology of the nanomaterial produced is specific to the production process. Feedstocks range from various forms of woody biomass, to fungi, and have a great impact on the resulting product. The mechanical defibrillation technique, such as that employed in the present work, continuously breaks down cellulose fibers suspended in water via segmentation and defibrillation through grinding and refining. The process is typically operated until a desired level of fines is achieved in the resultant slurry of cellulose nanofiber (CNF), alternatively known as cellulose nanofibril. Mechanical defibrillation processes can be built to produce several liters in a small batch system or up to tons per day in a continuous pilot scale refiner system. In the present work a continuous system was developed with the capacity to produce 14 L of cellulose nanofiber slurry with consistent specifications and in a manner compliant with GMP/GLP protocols in order to be amenable to biomedical applications. The system was constructed within an ISO class 7 cleanroom and refining was performed on bleached softwood pulp suspension in purified water. This manuscript details the continuous grinding system, the processes employed to produce cellulose nanofiber, and characterizes the resultant cellulose nanofiber slurry and sheets formed from the slurry.
The Effect of Isotonic Saline Nasal Lavages in Improving Symptoms in SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Spinato Giacomo , Fabbris Cristoforo , Costantini Giulio , Conte Federica , Scotton Pier Giorgio , Cinetto Francesco , De Siati Rosalba , Matarazzo Alessandro , Citterio Marco , Contro Giacomo , De Filippis Cosimo , Agostini Carlo , Emanuelli Enzo , Boscolo-Rizzo Paolo , Frezza Daniele 
Published: December 2021

Background: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mainly colonizes nasopharynx. In upper airways acute infections, e.g., the common cold, saline nasal irrigations have a significant efficacy in reducing symptoms. The present study aimed to test the efficacy of nasal lavages in upper airways symptoms of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).Methods: A series of consecutive adult subjects who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 from December 2020 to February 2021 performed daily nasal lavages with saline solution (Lavonase®—Purling, Lugo di Romagna, Italy) for 12 days, starting on the day after the SARS-CoV-2 positive swab. A control group included a historical series of patients who were infected in February-March 2020 and who did not perform lavages. An ad hoc questionnaire regarding symptoms was administered to each subjects at base-line and 10 days after diagnosis (i.e., on the same day of the control swab) in both cases and controls.Results: A total of 140 subjects were enrolled. 68 participants in the treatment group and 72 in the control group were included. 90% of respondents declared the lavages were simple to use and 70% declared they were satisfied. Symptoms of blocked nose, runny nose, or sneezing decreased by an average of 24.7% after the treatment. Blocked nose and sneezing increased in the same period of time in the control group. Ears and eyes symptoms, anosmia/ageusia symptoms, and infection duration (10.53 days in the treatment group and 10.48 days in the control group) didn't vary significantly among the two groups.Conclusion: Nasal lavages resulted to significantly decrease nasal symptoms in newly diagnosed SARS-CoV-2 patients. These devices proved to be well-tolerated and easy to be used. Further studies on a larger number of subjects are needed in order to possibly confirm these preliminary results.
Altered Static and Dynamic Interhemispheric Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Patients With Thyroid-Associated Ophthalmopathy
Authors: Chen Wen , Hu Hao , Wu Qian , Chen Lu , Zhou Jiang , Chen Huan-Huan , Xu Xiao-Quan , Wu Fei-Yun 
Published: December 2021

Purpose: Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is a debilitating and sight-threatening autoimmune disease that severely impairs patients’ quality of life. Besides the most common ophthalmic manifestations, the emotional and psychiatric disturbances are also usually observed in clinical settings. This study was to investigate the interhemispheric functional connectivity alterations in TAO patients using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI).Methods: Twenty-eight TAO patients and 22 healthy controls (HCs) underwent rs-fMRI scans. Static and dynamic voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) values were calculated and compared between the two groups. A linear support vector machine (SVM) classifier was used to examine the performance of static and dynamic VMHC differences in distinguishing TAOs from HCs.Results: Compared with HCs, TAOs showed decreased static VMHC in lingual gyrus (LG)/calcarine (CAL), middle occipital gyrus, postcentral gyrus, superior parietal lobule, inferior parietal lobule, and precuneus. Meanwhile, TAOs demonstrated increased dynamic VMHC in orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). In TAOs, static VMHC in LG/CAL was positively correlated with visual acuity (r = 0.412, P = 0.036), whilst dynamic VMHC in OFC was positively correlated with Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS) score (r = 0.397, P = 0.044) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) score (r = 0.401, P = 0.042). The SVM model showed good performance in distinguishing TAOs from HCs (area under the curve, 0.971; average accuracy, 94%).Conclusion: TAO patients had altered static and dynamic VMHC in the occipital, parietal, and orbitofrontal areas, which could serve as neuroimaging prediction markers of TAO.
Case Report: Long-Term Response to Radiotherapy Combined With Targeted Therapy in Histiocytic Sarcoma Harboring Mutations in MAPK and PI3K/AKT Pathways
Authors: Liu Zijian , Xiao Yin , Liu Xinxiu , Li Qiuhui , Liu Tao , Zhu Fang , Wu Gang , Zhang Liling 
Published: December 2021

BackgroundHistiocytic sarcoma (HS) is a rare hematopoietic malignancy with an aggressive clinical presentation associated with a poor overall survival. To date, surgical resection, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy were often utilized for HS, but curative effects are rather disappointing.Case PresentationA 19-year-old female was referred to our hospital with a pathologic diagnosis of HS in December 2017. The patient had a severe airway obstruction resulting from a large mass (6.0 cm × 4.4 cm) arising from the left parapharyngeal space. She did not respond to cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone, and etoposide (CHOEP) chemotherapy, then she was switched to radiotherapy and crizotinib according to next-generation sequencing (NGS) results (mutations in MET and MAP2K1). The patient got a partial response after radiotherapy and crizotinib, then she switched to imatinib combined with thalidomide treatment. The patient got a long-term complete response from the treatment and is alive 44 months after initial diagnosis without disease progression. Further KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of NGS results from patient’s tissue revealed that phosphatidylinositol 3′ kinase (PI3K)/AKT and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways were activated in this HS patient. We further performed experiments in vitro in a canine histiocytic sarcoma cell line DH82, in order to explore the possible mechanism of imatinib plus thalidomide in HS. Results of cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) assays showed that the proliferation activity of DH82 was significantly inhibited by imatinib but not thalidomide. Combined thalidomide and imatinib treatment did not improve the inhibitory effects of imatinib to DH82. Results of Western blot confirmed the inhibitory effects of imatinib on DH82 by targeting activation of MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways.ConclusionRadiotherapy combined with targeted therapy guided by NGS may be promising, and further perspective clinical trial is warranted for the localized HS.
Efficacy and Safety of Immune Checkpoint Blockades in the Treatment of Ocular Melanoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Zhao Lu , Xia Wenwen , Zhang Yan , Zou Peng , Zhu Qiwen , Zhang Rong 
Published: December 2021

AimThis meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint blockade for the treatment of ocular melanoma.MethodsWe searched the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases up to July 2021. Effect sizes (ESs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to compare the outcomes. Efficacy outcomes included complete response (CR), partial response (PR), stable disease (SD), progressive disease (PD), objective response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), progression free survival (PFS). Safety outcomes included adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse event (SAEs).ResultsA total of 16 eligible articles with 848 ocular melanoma patients were included. ICB treatment significantly improved CR (ES=0.02, 95%CI: 0.00-0.03, P=0.023), PR (ES=0.07, 95%CI: 0.05-0.09, P=0.000), SD (ES=0.31, 95%CI: 0.17-0.46, P=0.000), PD (ES=0.69, 95%CI: 0.61-0.77, P=0.000), ORR (ES=0.10, 95%CI: 0.04-0.15, P=0.000), OS (ES=9.68, 95%CI: 7.28-12.07, P=0.000) and PFS (ES=2.88, 95%CI: 2.69-3.07, P=0.000) in patients with ocular melanoma. Moreover, ICB therapies were associated with reduced AEs (ES=0.48, 95%CI: 0.30-0.67, P=0.000) and SAEs (ES=0.31, 95%CI: 0.18-0.45, P=0.000).ConclusionsICB therapy showed good efficacy and safety in treating patients with ocular melanoma.
Venetoclax Shows Low Therapeutic Activity in BCL2-Positive Relapsed/Refractory Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma: A Phase 2 Study of the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi
Authors: Ballotta Laura , Zinzani Pier Luigi , Pileri Stefano , Bruna Riccardo , Tani Monica , Casadei Beatrice , Tabanelli Valentina , Volpetti Stefano , Luminari Stefano , Corradini Paolo , Lucchini Elisa , Tisi Maria Chiara , Merli Michele , Re Alessandro , Varettoni Marzia , Pesce Emanuela Anna , Zaja Francesco 
Published: December 2021

Patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) have a poor prognosis, with an expected survival of less than 1 year using standard salvage therapies. Recent advances in our understanding of the biology of PTCL have led to identifying B-Cell Lymphoma 2 (BCL2) protein as a potential therapeutic target. BLC2 inhibitor venetoclax was investigated in a prospective phase II trial in patients with BCL2-positive R/R PTCL after at least one previous standard line of treatment (NCT03552692). Venetoclax given alone at a dosage of 800 mg/day resulted in one complete response (CR) and two stable diseases (SDs) among 17 enrolled patients. The majority of patients (88.2%) interrupted the treatment due to disease progression. No relationship with BCL2 expression was documented. At a median follow-up of 8 months, two patients are currently still on treatment (one CR and one SD). No case of tumor lysis syndrome was registered. Therefore, venetoclax monotherapy shows activity in a minority of patients whose biological characteristics have not yet been identified.Clinical Trial Registrationwww.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03552692, EudraCT number 2017-004630-29).
Roles of Lung Ultrasound Score in the Extubation Failure From Mechanical Ventilation Among Premature Infants With Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Authors: Liang Zhenyu , Meng Qiong , You Chuming , Wu Bijun , Li Xia , Wu Qianmei 
Published: December 2021

Objective: To investigate the predictive value of lung ultrasound score (LUS) in the extubation failure from mechanical ventilation (MV) among premature infants with neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).Methods: The retrospective cohort study was conducted with a total of 314 RDS newborns who received MV support for over 24 h. After extubation from MV, infants were divided into extubation success and extubation failure groups. Extubation failure was defined as re-intubation within 48 h after extubation. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify the predictors of the extubation failure. The predictive effectiveness of the combined model and LUS in the extubation failure was assessed by receiver operating characteristic curve, area under curve (AUC), and internal validation.Results: 106 infants failed extubation from MV. The combined model for predicting the extubation failure was performed according to the predictors of gestational age, body length, birth weight, and LUS. The AUC of this combined model was 0.871 (sensitivity: 86.67%, specificity: 74.31%). The AUC of LUS was 0.858 (sensitivity: 84.00%, specificity: 80.69%), and the cutoff value was 18. There was no statistical difference in the predictive power between the combined model and LUS (Z = 0.880, P = 0.379). The internal validation result showed that the AUC of LUS was 0.855.Conclusions: LUS presented a good ability in predicting the extubation failure among RDS newborns after MV.
Resting Energy Expenditure Prediction Equations in the Pediatric Population: A Systematic Review
Authors: Fuentes-Servín Jimena , Avila-Nava Azalia , González-Salazar Luis E. , Pérez-González Oscar A. , Servín-Rodas María Del Carmen , Serralde-Zuñiga Aurora E. , Medina-Vera Isabel , Guevara-Cruz Martha 
Published: December 2021

Background and Aims: The determination of energy requirements is necessary to promote adequate growth and nutritional status in pediatric populations. Currently, several predictive equations have been designed and modified to estimate energy expenditure at rest. Our objectives were (1) to identify the equations designed for energy expenditure prediction and (2) to identify the anthropometric and demographic variables used in the design of the equations for pediatric patients who are healthy and have illness.Methods: A systematic search in the Medline/PubMed, EMBASE and LILACS databases for observational studies published up to January 2021 that reported the design of predictive equations to estimate basal or resting energy expenditure in pediatric populations was carried out. Studies were excluded if the study population included athletes, adult patients, or any patients taking medications that altered energy expenditure. Risk of bias was assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies.Results: Of the 769 studies identified in the search, 39 met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Predictive equations were established for three pediatric populations: those who were healthy (n = 8), those who had overweight or obesity (n = 17), and those with a specific clinical situation (n = 14). In the healthy pediatric population, the FAO/WHO and Schofield equations had the highest R2 values, while in the population with obesity, the Molnár and Dietz equations had the highest R2 values for both boys and girls.Conclusions: Many different predictive equations for energy expenditure in pediatric patients have been published. This review is a compendium of most of these equations; this information will enable clinicians to critically evaluate their use in clinical practice.Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=226270, PROSPERO [CRD42021226270].
Evaluations and Mechanistic Interrogation of Natural Products Isolated From Paeonia suffruticosa for the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Wu Kun-Chang , Lee Der-Yen , Hsu Jeh-Ting , Cheng Chi-Fang , Lan Joung-Liang , Chiu Shao-Chih , Cho Der-Yang , Hsu Jye-Lin 
Published: December 2021

Mu Dan Pi (MDP), a traditional Chinese medicine derived from the root bark of Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews, is used to treat autoimmune diseases due to its anti-inflammatory properties. However, the impact of MDP on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and its principal active compounds that contribute to the anti-inflammatory properties are uncertain. Thus, this study systemically evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of fractionated MDP, which has therapeutic potential for IBD. MDP fractions were prepared by multistep fractionation, among which the ethyl acetate-fraction MDP5 exhibited the highest potency, with anti-inflammatory activity screened by the Toll-like receptor (TLR)-2 agonist, Pam3CSK4, in a cell-based model. MDP5 (at 50 μg/ml, p &lt; 0.001) significantly inhibited nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) reporters triggered by Pam3CSK4, without significant cell toxicity. Moreover, MDP5 (at 10 μg/ml) alleviated proinflammatory signaling triggered by Pam3CSK4 in a dose-dependent manner and reduced downstream IL-6 and TNF-α production (p &lt; 0.001) in primary macrophages. MDP5 also mitigated weight loss, clinical inflammation, colonic infiltration of immune cells and cytokine production in a murine colitis model. Index compounds including paeoniflorin derivatives (ranging from 0.1 to 3.4%), gallic acid (1.8%), and 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose (1.1%) in MDP5 fractions were identified by LC-MS/MS and could be used as anti-inflammatory markers for MDP preparation. Collectively, these data suggest that MDP5 is a promising treatment for IBD patients.