bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and genetic analysis of thalassemia in childbearing age population of Hainan, The Free Trade Island in Southern China
Authors: Wang Min , Zhang Xiaozhuang , Zhao Yanhong , Lu Zhe , Xiao Meifang 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBackgroundHainan has one of the high incidences of thalassemia in China, but the epidemiological data in the whole province has not been reported yet. The objective of our study was to reveal the true prevalence and molecular mutation spectrum of thalassemia in the population of Hainan who are of childbearing age.MethodsWe screened 166,936 individuals from 19 cities and counties in Hainan by hematological parameters analysis, and further conducted genetic analysis for individuals whose MCV was less than 82fL.ResultsIn total, 21,619 (12.95%) subjects were diagnosed as thalassemia carriers or patients. The overall prevalence of α‐thalassemia, β‐thalassemia, and α+β‐thalassemia were 10.39%, 1.38%, and 1.18%, respectively. Eleven α‐thalassemia mutations and sixteen β‐thalassemia mutations were identified. The high‐frequent genotypes of α‐thalassemia were ‐α3.7/αα (19.70%), ‐α4.2/αα (19.39%), αα/‐‐SEA (15.60%), αWSα/αα (9.24%), and ‐α3.7/‐α4.2 (8.90%), and those of β‐thalassemia were βCD41/42(−TTCT)/βN (58.92%), β−28(A>G)/βN (16.05%), βIVS−Ⅱ−654(C>T)/βN (8.42%), βCD71/72(+A)/βN (6.03%), βCD17(A>T)/βN (5.47%), and βCD26 (GAG>AAG)/βN (2.69%). In addition, the frequencies and hematological profiles of many rare mutations of α‐ [Fusion, HKαα, αααanti4.2, IVS‐II‐55 (T>G), IVS‐II‐119 (−G,+CTCGGCCC)] and β‐globin genes [−50 (G>A), IVS‐Ⅱ‐81 (C>T)] in Hainan were reported for the first time.ConclusionOur study revealed the high prevalence and extensive molecular spectrum of thalassemia in childbearing age population of Hainan, suggesting thalassemia in Hainan ranks second in prevalence among all regions in China. The findings will be useful for genetic counseling and prevention of thalassemia.
Post‐surgical emergency after‐hours calls: Prevalence, concerns, and management
Authors: Kofina Vrisiis , Lindholm Drake , Harunani Abdulkareem , Dentino Andrew R. , Singh Maharaj , Tatakis Dimitris N. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence, nature, and management of post‐surgical emergency after‐hours calls in a dental school setting with predoctoral students, graduate students/residents, and faculty providers.MethodsA patient chart review (March 2018–February 2020) for post‐surgical calls through the emergency after‐hours pager system was conducted at the Marquette University School of Dentistry. The total number of surgical procedures, procedure type, the timing of call, operator experience, concern, and recommendation given during the call were documented.ResultsDuring the review period, 83 calls (from 75 patients) were recorded after 8,487 surgical procedures (1% of procedures). Patients called 5.4 ± 0.8 days postoperatively. Procedure type affected call prevalence (p = 0.04), with most calls made after extractions (69.9% of all calls; 1% of extractions; 58/5,725), implant placement (6%; 0.9% of implant placements; 5/530) and periodontal plastic surgery (6%; 3.1% of all plastic surgeries; 5/161). The most common concern was pain (72.3%), then swelling (36.1%), bleeding (12%), and infection (9.6%). Operator experience did not affect call prevalence. Recommendations given were next business day follow‐up (79.5%), reinforcement of already given postoperative instructions (51.8%), prescription (15.7%), and hospital emergency department (ED) visit (7.2%).ConclusionsPost‐surgical emergency after‐hours calls in a dental school setting occur within the first postoperative week and are rare, unrelated to operator experience, typically prompted by pain, and rarely resulting in referral to hospital ED. The use of a pager system is adequate for the management of after‐hours emergencies and may reduce self‐referrals to the hospital ED.
Oral medicine education in predoctoral programs in US dental schools
Authors: Bajonaid Amal M. , Park Sang E. , Villa Alessandro 
Published: February 2022

AbstractObjectivethe purpose of the study was to explore the structure of oral medicine (OM) education in predoctoral dental programs in the United States and to evaluate the students’ perception of OM as a dental specialty.MethodsTwo anonymous Qualtrics surveys (Qualtrics, Provo, UT, USA) were distributed electronically to the academic deans of all the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) accredited dental schools in the United States. Upon completing the survey, the academic deans were asked to forward the student surveys to their students.ResultsNote that 26.8% (18/67 dental schools) of academic deans that participated in the survey, 224 senior students responded to the student survey. The results showed that the median number of OM specialists involved in teaching OM to predoctoral students was two. Oral cancer screening and diagnosis and management of oral mucosal diseases were identified by the majority of respondents (95.7%; n = 214 and 96.5%; n = 216), respectively, as part of the scope of practice of OM specialists. Although most students reported Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) and General Practice Residency (GPR) (18.67% n = 42 each) as postgraduate specialties of interest, students’ positive impression in OM increased by a crude average of 0.4 with each additional OM faculty member in the school (p = 0.000; 95% CI 0.207–0.594).ConclusionOM faculty members are in an important position to enhance dental students’ perception and interest in OM as a specialty, which would lead to improved awareness of the scope of the specialty and consideration of pursuing specialty training.
Optimization of small extracellular vesicle isolation from expressed prostatic secretions in urine for in‐depth proteomic analysis
Authors: Correll Vanessa L. , Otto Joseph J. , Risi Cristina M. , Main Brian P. , Boutros Paul C. , Kislinger Thomas , Galkin Vitold E. , Nyalwidhe Julius O. , Semmes O. John , Yang Lifang 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe isolation and subsequent molecular analysis of extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from patient samples is a widely used strategy to understand vesicle biology and to facilitate biomarker discovery. Expressed prostatic secretions in urine are a tumor proximal fluid that has received significant attention as a source of potential prostate cancer (PCa) biomarkers for use in liquid biopsy protocols. Standard EV isolation methods like differential ultracentrifugation (dUC) co‐isolate protein contaminants that mask lower‐abundance proteins in typical mass spectrometry (MS) protocols. Further complicating the analysis of expressed prostatic secretions, uromodulin, also known as Tamm‐Horsfall protein (THP), is present at high concentrations in urine. THP can form polymers that entrap EVs during purification, reducing yield. Disruption of THP polymer networks with dithiothreitol (DTT) can release trapped EVs, but smaller THP fibres co‐isolate with EVs during subsequent ultracentrifugation. To resolve these challenges, we describe here a dUC method that incorporates THP polymer reduction and alkaline washing to improve EV isolation and deplete both THP and other common protein contaminants. When applied to human expressed prostatic secretions in urine, we achieved relative enrichment of known prostate and prostate cancer‐associated EV‐resident proteins. Our approach provides a promising strategy for global proteomic analyses of urinary EVs.
Predictors of colorectal carcinoma and inflammatory bowel disease in patients with colonic wall thickening
Authors: Pothoulakis Ioannis , Wikholm Colin , Verma Vipin , Ahmad Akram I , Vangimalla Shiva S , Patel Harshkumar , Oh Jae H , Zhao Alex , Gress Kyle L , Bovill John , Deshpande Nikita , Marquez Maria , Dean Brynley , Gholson Dwight A , Bhogal Loveleen , Buchanan Faith , Cho Won Kyoo 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBackground and AimColonic wall thickening (CWT) is commonly associated with clinically significant pathologies, but predictive factors of such pathologies are not well known. This study aims to identify the predictors of clinically significant pathologies, such as colorectal carcinoma (CRC) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), in patients with CWT.MethodsSubjects with an abnormal abdominal computed tomography (CT) and a follow‐up colonoscopy between 2010 and 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with CWT in the CT were included and examined in this study. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to assess for factors independently associated with CRC or IBD in these subjects. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to further examine significant parameters in multivariable logistic regression analysis.ResultsAmong 403 patients with CWT on CT scans who underwent a colonoscopy, 269 subjects who met the inclusion criteria were identified and studied. On multivariable logistic regression models, elevated platelet count, low hematocrit, and localized CWT were found to be independently associated with CRC, while elevated platelet count and younger age were independently associated with IBD. On ROC curve analysis for CRC, area under the curve (AUC) for hematocrit, platelets, and localized CWT was 0.76, 0.75, and 0.61, respectively. On ROC curve analysis for IBD, AUC for age and platelets was 0.90 and 0.69, respectively.ConclusionElevated platelet count, low hematocrit, and localized CWT can be potentially used as predictors of CRC in patients with CWT. Elevated platelet count and young age can be used to predict IBD in these patients.
Effects of dopants in the imaging of mouse brain by desorption electrospray ionization/post‐photoionization mass spectrometry
Authors: Wu Liutian , Qi Keke , Xu Minggao , Liu Chengyuan , Pan Yang 
Published: February 2022

AbstractDesorption electrospray ionization/post‐photoionization (DESI/PI) is a newly developed ionization method by the combination of DESI and post‐photoionization for the simultaneous imaging of polar and nonpolar compounds in biological tissues. Dopants are of great importance in DESI/PI for the enhancement of signal intensities through ion–molecule reactions. In this work, to evaluate the performance of dopants in DESI/PI, an efficient homogenate model was developed, and four kinds of dopants (toluene, chlorobenzene, bromobenzene, and anisole) were tested using homogenate of mouse brain tissue as target sample. The influences of the dopants on the signal enhancements of different compounds were explained reasonably by the ionization mechanism. Then, the dopants with their optimum volume contents were applied to the mass spectrometry imaging (MSI). For a comprehensive imaging of various compounds with different polarities, methanol/toluene/formic acid (7:3:0.1) was chosen as the best choice. Finally, the stronger quantitative ability of DESI/PI with toluene as dopant for a few compounds in mouse brain tissue was demonstrated.
Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant of SARS‐CoV‐2: Concerns, challenges, and recent updates
Authors: Mohapatra Ranjan K. , Tiwari Ruchi , Sarangi Ashish K. , Islam Md. Rabiul , Chakraborty Chiranjib , Dhama Kuldeep 
Published: February 2022

Highlights

Omicron has shown immune escape from neutralizing antibodies generated through previous infection or vaccination.
It could evade the protection provided by mAbs being used in clinics for treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) patients.
Booster dose is recommended to elevate the protective levels of antibodies in COVID‐19 vaccinated individuals.
The development of powerful oral antiviral drugs such as Molnupiravir and Paxlovid have shown promising clinical results and raised new hopes of COVID‐19 treatment.
High efforts are being made to develop highly efficacious vaccines, and by implementing appropriate prevention and control strategies to counter Omicron.
Third dose of SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine: A systematic review of 30 published studies
Authors: Petrelli Fausto , Luciani Andrea , Borgonovo Karen , Ghilardi Mara , Parati Maria Chiara , Petrò Daniela , Lonati Veronica , Pesenti Angelo , Cabiddu Mary 
Published: February 2022

AbstractWe analyzed published studies on the efficacy and safety of the third dose of the COVID‐19 vaccine in various general population settings. We conducted systematic searches of PubMed and EMBASE for series published in the English language through November 15, 2021, using the search terms “third” or “booster” or “three” and “dose” and “COVID‐19” or “SARS‐CoV‐2.” All articles were selected according to the MOOSE guidelines. The seroconversion risk after third doses was descriptively expressed as a pooled rate ratio ([seroconversion rate after the third dose]/[seroconversion rate after the second dose]). The search returned 30 studies that included a total of 2 734 437 vaccinated subjects. In more than 2 700 000 Israeli patients extracted from the general population, the reduction in the risk of infection ranged from 88% to 92%. Conversion rates for IgG anti‐spike ranged from 95% to 100%. In cancer or immunocompromised patients, mean IgG seroconversion was 39.4% before and 66.6% after third doses. A third dose seems necessary to protect against all COVID‐19 infection, severe disease, and death risk.
Production of surface‐active sophorolipid biosurfactant and crude oil degradability by novel Rhodotorula mucilaginosa strain SKF2
Authors: Kazemzadeh Somayeh , Emami‐Karvani Zarrindokht , Naghavi Nafiseh Sadat , Emtiazi Giti 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBiosurfactants are produced by important types of microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, and filamentous fungi and have been used in a variety of industries. Among the 15 crude oil‐degrading fungi, the two molds and one yeast were identified by 18S rDNA sequences as Mucor circinelloides strain SKMC, Fusarium fujikuroi strain DB2, and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa strain SKF2. These strains were isolated from crude oil–contaminated soil, diesel oil–contaminated soil, and activated sludge in the Oil Refinery Plant in Isfahan, Iran, respectively. The yeast strain was identified as a novel crude oil–degrading and biosurfactant‐producing fungi in the presence of (1% v/v) Iranian light crude oil in the minimal salt medium (MSM). The highest amount of the dry weight of produced biosurfactant was measured at 6.2 g L−1. Chemical nature of produced biosurfactant was determined as a surface‐active sophorolipid biosurfactant compound by thin‐layer chromatography, Fourier transform infra‐red spectroscopy, and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis. The residual hydrocarbons in the MSM were analyzed by GC–MS, and it was shown that octadecane and docosane were eliminated by this novel strain completely.
Deep convolutional neural network‐based quantitative evaluation of display non‐uniformity
Authors: Kidoguchi Satomi , Bamba Yusuke 
Published: February 2022

AbstractWe developed a quantitative method for evaluation of display luminance and color non‐uniformity (which we call mura) using a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN). In previous research, quantitative evaluation methods using DCNN were studied. From among a wide variety of DCNN models, these methods have used a convolutional autoencoder (CAE) for abnormality detection. A CAE trained with only non‐defective data was then used to evaluate the degree of mura. However, there is a problem with these methods in that they have not been able to evaluate properly when there are multiple mura defects on a single screen. Consequently, the correlation between these methods and human visual evaluation was low. Therefore, we improved the previous method to handle multiple mura defects on the same screen. We confirmed the accuracy of the proposed method by comparing the quantitative evaluation and human visual evaluation. As a result, we obtained a higher correlation than the previous methods.
Thermal and Electrical Properties of Epoxy Composites Filled with 3D h‐BN/TOCNF Fillers
Authors: Chi Qingguo , Wu Jiaxue , Tang Chao , Zhang Changhai , Li Hua , Zhang Yongquan , Feng Yu , Zhang Tiandong 
Published: February 2022

AbstractEpoxy resin (EP) has been widely used in electronic packaging and electrical equipment due to its excellent electrical insulating properties. However, the low thermal conductivity (TC) of EP limits its wider application and needs to be further improved. In this study, 3D hexagonal boron nitride (3D h‐BN) is successfully synthesized by utilizing TEMPO oxidated cellulose nanofiber hydrogels (TOCNF) as an interlocking skeleton, and then 3D h‐BN/TOCNF are chosen as the functional fillers to improve the TC of EP. The microstructure, TC, and electrical insulating properties of epoxy composites are systematically characterized and analyzed. The results show that epoxy composites filled with 3D h‐BN/TOCNF deliver a significantly improved TC and maintain excellent insulating properties. When the filled content of 3D h‐BN/TOCNF is 9 wt.%/21wt.%, a TC of 0.86 W (m K)−1 is obtained at 25 °C, which also demonstrates favorable electrical insulating properties with a volume resistivity of more than 1015 Ω m and breakdown strength of 186.1 kV mm−1. This work offers an efficient method to improve the thermal and electrical performances of EP for electronics and electrical engineering applications.
Two‐dimensional collocation method for generalized partial integro‐differential equations of fractional order with applications
Authors: Sharma Shiva , Kumar Sandeep , Pandey Rajesh K. , Kumar Kamlesh 
Published: February 2022

In this paper, we present a new generalized model of partial integro‐differential equation of fractional order (PIDEFO). The new model of the PIDEFO is defined in terms of the
operator presented recently. The
operator takes form of the Riemann‐Liouville and Caputo derivatives in special case. The generalized model of the PIDEFO reduces to (1) linear space‐time fractional reaction‐diffusion equation (FRDE), (2) space‐time fractional diffusion equations (STFDE), and (3) time fractional telegraph equations (TFTE) in particular cases. The considered model is solved with collocation method using Jacobi polynomials. For theoretical accuracy, we prove that the Jacobi approximation converges to the exact solution uniformly. Two test examples are considered to verify the accuracy of the proposed method. Further, we present two applications of the proposed model and solve it using the presented method. The obtained numerical results are compared with the existing results. Finally, the numerical stability of the presented method is analyzed under the effect of the random noise in the force term.
Transcriptional dynamics of the circulating chicken primordial germ cells revealing key genes in cell adhesion and proliferation prior to gonad colonization
Authors: Huang Xiaochen , Meng Lu , Wang Sheng , Man Qiu , Jiang Yunqi , Zhu Guiyu 
Published: February 2022

AbstractPrimordial germ cells (PGCs), precursors to sperms and oocytes, are responsible for the transfer of genetic information to the next generation. The PGCs arise far away from the developing gonad and thus have to migrate across the embryo to reach their site of function. The migration of PGCs from extraembryonic regions to the genital ridges is accomplished through distinct routes among different species. In particular, the birds PGCs utilized the developing circulation system to travel long distance before settling within the gonad. This study screened the transcriptome profile of chicken PGCs isolated from the bloodstream and the genital ridges to identify the cell intrinsic signals that could guide the unique migration path through circulation. We found cell adhesion and extracellular matrix (ECM) associated pathways were highly enriched in the PGCs from blood but not gonads. The platelet‐derived growth factor receptors (PDGFRA and PDGFRB) were downregulated during gonad colonization and knockdown of either PDGFRA or PDGFRB inhibit the proliferation of blood PGCs. Furthermore, the migration of blood PGCs was impaired by the suppression of PDGFRA but not PDGFRB. Hence, the chicken PGCs show dynamic transcriptional remodeling during the blood‐to‐gonad migration and colonization. The free‐floating PGCs in the circulation already express genes associated with cell–cell and cell‐ECM interactions and therefore prepare for gonadal colonization.
Peripheral nerve morphology and intraneural blood flow in chronic kidney disease with and without diabetes
Authors: Issar Tushar , Walker Susan , Arnold Ria , Poynten Ann M. , Endre Zoltan H. , Krishnan Arun V. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractIntroduction/AimsSonographic alterations of peripheral nerves in pre‐dialytic kidney disease are yet to be determined. We aimed to assess peripheral nerve cross‐sectional area (CSA) and intraneural blood flow in patients with pre‐dialytic chronic kidney disease (CKD) and diabetic kidney disease (DKD).MethodsSubjects with CKD (n = 20) or DKD (n = 20) underwent ultrasound to assess CSA of the median and tibial nerves as well as intraneural blood flow of the median nerve. Blood flow was quantified using maximum perfusion intensity. Neuropathy was assessed using the Total Neuropathy Score. A 6‐m timed walk test was also performed. Healthy controls (n = 28) were recruited for comparison.ResultsThe DKD group had more severe neuropathy (p = .024), larger tibial nerve CSA (p = .002) and greater median nerve blood flow than the CKD group (p = .023). Blood flow correlated with serum potassium in disease groups (r = 0.652, p = .022). Disease groups had larger tibial nerve CSA than controls (p < .05). No blood flow was detected in controls. Tibial nerve enlargement was associated with slower maximal walking speeds in disease groups (r = −0.389, p = .021).DiscussionSubjects with DKD demonstrated enlarged tibial nerve CSA and increased median nerve blood flow compared to those with CKD. Elevations in serum potassium were associated with increased blood flow. Sonographic alterations were detectable in pre‐dialytic kidney disease compared to controls, highlighting the utility of ultrasound in the assessment of nerve pathology in these patient groups.
Assessment of the relationship between disease progression and goals of care by individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and their caregivers
Authors: Grossoehme Daniel H. , Thienprayoon Rachel , Sawnani Hemant , Jenkins Rachel , Rossman Ian , Mosher Kathryn , Friebert Sarah 
Published: February 2022

AbstractIntroduction/AimsMost patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in the US are diagnosed at about age 5 years. Some adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with DMD are now living into their fourth decade, yet AYAs and caregivers are frequently unprepared to address changes in goals of care due to disease progression. The hypothesis‐generating research question was how AYAs with DMD and their caregivers understand the relationship between physical changes and the need to change goals of care.MethodsGrounded theory design using data from N = 30 semi‐structured interviews (n = 13 AYA; n = 17 caregivers) from two sites.ResultsAYAs with DMD frequently defer considering and/or reconsidering goals of care based on (1) delays in diagnosis; (2) gradual, rather than episodic, disease progression; and (3) orientation to living in the present. Desire for autonomy motivates advance care planning and end‐of‐life treatment preferences for some.DiscussionRoutine inquiry into AYA and caregiver goals for living may normalize goals of care conversations, maximizing patients' ability to process information, reflect on preferences, and articulate wishes. Discussing present‐day goals and abilities may invite conversation about future preferences. Framing conversations in terms of AYA autonomy may increase motivation to engage in such discussions.