bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Late results of surgery for incomplete internal fistula-in-ano
Authors: Kuzminov A. M. , Vyshegorodtsev D. V. , Korolik V. Yu. , Chernozhukova M. O. , Fomenko O. Yu. 
Published: September 2022

AIM: to assess late results of surgery for incomplete internal anal fistulas.PATIENTS AND METHODS: the prospective cohort study included 156 patients with in complete internal anal fistulas in 2014-2017.RESULTS: complete efficacy of the treatment was obtained in 132/147 (89.8%) patients, 106/117 (90.6%) revealed no anal incontinence (AI). Recurrence developed in 15/147 (10.2%) cases and 11/147 (7.5%) — anal incontinence. Newly developed incontinence was revealed in 7/117 (6.0%) patients: 6/117 (5.1%) had mild AI and 1/117 (0.9%) — moderate. The increase of AI degree showed 4/30 (13.3%) patients.CONCLUSION: a differentiated approach to anal fistulas surgery made it possible to minimize risk of incontinence and recurrence.
Palliative primary tumor resection in minimally symptomatic patients with colorectal cancer and synchronous unresectable metastases: when is it necessary? (systematic review)
Authors: Alimova Iu. V. , Shelygin Yu. A. , Rybakov E. G. 
Published: September 2022

AIM: to determine if there is an improvement in overall survival of palliative primary tumor resection (PTR) followed by chemotherapy in minimally symptomatic patients with colorectal cancer and synchronous unresectable metastases compared to those of upfront chemotherapy/radiotherapy (chemo/RT) alone.MATERIALS AND METHODS: a systematic review based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were done on PubMed and Cochrane database.RESULTS: eighteen non-randomized studies were identified, including a total of 2995 patients (1734 PTR and 1261 chemo/RT). Age, gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) staging of patients in the two groups were comparable in 12 studies and had significant differences in 4 studies. Median survival in the two groups was comparable in 13 studies (1460 patients: 787 PTR и 673 chemo/RT) and was significantly higher in PTR group in 5 studies (1535 patients: 947 PTR и588 chemo/RT). The rate of surgical intervention due to complications was 0-5.1% in PTR group and 4.4-48.1% in chemo/RT group in 17 studies. Thirty-day mortality was 0-4.8% in PTR group and 0-14% in chemo/RT group in 17 studies. One study had a high 30-day mortality rate in both groups (29.4% PTR и 19.3% chemo/RT, P < 0.05).CONCLUSIONS: the question remains whether palliative primary tumor resection could improve overall survival of minimally symptomatic patients with colorectal cancer and synchronous unresectable metastases. However, the recent data showed that patients who underwent PTR could gain a cancer-specific survival benefit. This conclusion based on the results of nonrandomized comparative studies and data from early terminated RCTs. Further well-designed RCTs are required to reach definitive conclusions.
Quantitative detection of dengue serotypes using a smartphone-connected handheld lab-on-chip platform
Authors: Moser Nicolas , Yu Ling-Shan , Rodriguez Manzano Jesus , Malpartida-Cardenas Kenny , Au Anselm , Arkell Paul , Cicatiello Chiara , Moniri Ahmad , Miglietta Luca , Wang Wen-Hung , Wang Sheng Fan , Holmes Alison , Chen Yen-Hsu , Georgiou Pantelis 
Published: September 2022

Dengue is one of the most prevalent infectious diseases in the world. Rapid, accurate and scalable diagnostics are key to patient management and epidemiological surveillance of the dengue virus (DENV), however current technologies do not match required clinical sensitivity and specificity or rely on large laboratory equipment. In this work, we report the translation of our smartphone-connected handheld Lab-on-Chip (LoC) platform for the quantitative detection of two dengue serotypes. At its core, the approach relies on the combination of Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) microchip technology to integrate an array of 78 × 56 potentiometric sensors, and a label-free reverse-transcriptase loop mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay. The platform communicates to a smartphone app which synchronises results in real time with a secure cloud server hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS) for epidemiological surveillance. The assay on our LoC platform (RT-eLAMP) was shown to match performance on a gold-standard fluorescence-based real-time instrument (RT-qLAMP) with synthetic DENV-1 and DENV-2 RNA and extracted RNA from 9 DENV-2 clinical isolates, achieving quantitative detection in under 15 min. To validate the portability of the platform and the geo-tagging capabilities, we led our study in the laboratories at Imperial College London, UK, and Kaohsiung Medical Hospital, Taiwan. This approach carries high potential for application in low resource settings at the point of care (PoC).
Human fetal skin derived merkel cells display distinctive characteristics in vitro and in bio-engineered skin substitutes in vivo
Authors: Michalak-Micka Katarzyna , Rütsche Dominic , Mazzone Luca , Büchler Vanessa L. , Moehrlen Ueli , Klar Agnes S. , Biedermann Thomas 
Published: September 2022

Human skin contains specialized neuroendocrine Merkel cells responsible for fine touch sensation. In the present study, we performed in-depth analysis of Merkel cells in human fetal back skin. We revealed that these Merkel cells expressed cytokeratin 20 (CK20), were positive for the neuroendocrine markers synaptophysin and chromogranin A, and the mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo2. Further, we demonstrated that Merkel cells were present in freshly isolated human fetal epidermal cells in vitro, and in tissue-engineered human dermo-epidermal skin substitutes 4 weeks after transplantation on immune-compromised rats. Merkel cells retained the expression of CK20, synaptophysin, chromogranin A, and Piezo2 after isolation and in culture, and in the skin substitutes after transplantation. Interestingly, we observed that in fetal skin and in skin substitutes, only Merkel cells were positive for CK8, while in culture, also non-Merkel cells showed positivity for CK8. In summary, human fetal Merkel cells showed phenotypical features confirming their cell identity. This findings are of pivotal importance for the future application of fetal tissue-engineered skin in clinics.
Electrodeposited Fe on Cu foam as advanced fenton reagent for catalytic mineralization of methyl orange
Authors: Vainoris Modestas , Nicolenco Aliona , Tsyntsaru Natalia , Podlaha-Murphy Elizabeth , Alcaide Francisco , Cesiulis Henrikas 
Published: September 2022

In many countries, the textile industry remains the major contributor to environmental pollution. Untreated textile dyes discharged into water negatively impact the performance of aquatic organisms and may cause a variety of serious problems to their predators. Effective wastewater treatment is a key to reducing environmental and human health risks. In this work, the Fe/Cu catalysts were used in heterogeneous Fenton’s reaction for the degradation of high concentrations of methyl orange (model azo dye) in aqueous solutions. For the first time, the catalysts were prepared onto commercial copper foams by potentiostatic electrodeposition of iron using an environmentally friendly electrolyte. The influence of electrodeposition conditions, H2O2 concentration, dye concentration and temperature on the model dye degradation was investigated. It was revealed that both the surface area and the catalyst loading play the major role in the effective dye degradation. The experimental results involving spectrophotometric measurements coupled with total carbon and nitrogen quantification suggest that a solution containing up to 100 mg/L of methyl orange can be successfully decolorized within 90 s at 50°C using porous Fe/Cu catalyst in the presence of hydrogen peroxide that largely surpasses the current state-of-the-art performance. Already within the first 10°min, ∼ 30% of total methyl orange concentration is fully mineralized. The described process represents a cost-efficient and environmentally friendly way to treat azo dyes in aqueous solutions.
Increased serum piwi-interacting RNAs as a novel potential diagnostic tool for brucellosis
Authors: Wang Cheng , Zhang Cuiping , Fu Quan , Zhang Nan , Ding Meng , Zhou Zhen , Chen Xi , Zhang Fengmin , Zhang Chunni , Zhang Chen-Yu , Wang Jun-Jun 
Published: September 2022

BackgroundPiwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) have emerged as potential novel indicators for various diseases; however, their diagnostic value for brucellosis remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic potential of altered serum piRNAs in patients with brucellosis.MethodsIllumina sequencing via synthesis (SBS) technology was used to screen the serum piRNA profile in brucellosis patients, and markedly dysregulated piRNAs were confirmed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay in two sets from a cohort of 73 brucellosis patients and 65 controls.ResultsIllumina SBS technology results showed that seven piRNAs were markedly elevated in brucellosis patients compared to normal controls. The seven upregulated piRNAs were further validated individually by qRT-PCR, of which three piRNAs (piR-000753, piR-001312, and piR-016742) were confirmed to be significantly and steadily increased in the patients (&gt; 2-fold, P &lt; 0.01). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUCs) for the three piRNAs ranged from 0.698 to 0.783. The AUC for the three piRNAs combination was 0.772, with a specificity of 86% and a positive predictive value of 90%, respectively.ConclusionsThe three-piRNA panel identified in this study has potential as a novel blood-based auxiliary tool for brucellosis detection.
Influenza A virus NS1 protein represses antiviral immune response by hijacking NF-κB to mediate transcription of type III IFN
Authors: Lee Meng-Chang , Yu Cheng-Ping , Chen Xing-Hong , Liu Ming-Tsan , Yang Ji-Rong , Chen An-Yu , Huang Chih-Heng 
Published: September 2022

BackgroundNon-structural protein 1 (NS1), one of the viral proteins of influenza A viruses (IAVs), plays a crucial role in evading host antiviral immune response. It is known that the IAV NS1 protein regulates the antiviral genes response mainly through several different molecular mechanisms in cytoplasm. Current evidence suggests that NS1 represses the transcription of IFNB1 gene by inhibiting the recruitment of Pol II to its exons and promoters in infected cells. However, IAV NS1 whether can utilize a common mechanism to antagonize antiviral response by interacting with cellular DNA and immune-related transcription factors in the nucleus, is not yet clear.MethodsChromatin immunoprecipitation and sequencing (ChIP-seq) was used to determine genome-wide transcriptional DNA-binding sites for NS1 and NF-κB in viral infection. Next, we used ChIP-reChIP, luciferase reporter assay and secreted embryonic alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) assay to provide information on the dynamic binding of NS1 and NF-κB to chromatin. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) transcriptomic analyses were used to explore the critical role of NS1 and NF-κB in IAV infection as well as the detailed processes governing host antiviral response.ResultsHerein, NS1 was found to co-localize with NF-κB using ChIP-seq. ChIP-reChIP and luciferase reporter assay confirmed the co-localization of NS1 and NF-κB at type III IFN genes, such as IFNL1, IFNL2, and IFNL3. We discovered that NS1 disturbed binding manners of NF-κB to inhibit IFNL1 expression. NS1 hijacked NF-κB from a typical IFNL1 promoter to the exon-intron region of IFNL1 and decreased the enrichment of RNA polymerase II and H3K27ac, a chromatin accessibility marker, in the promoter region of IFNL1 during IAV infection, consequently reducing IFNL1 gene expression. NS1 deletion enhanced the enrichment of RNA polymerase II at the IFNL1 promoter and promoted its expression.ConclusionOverall, NS1 hijacked NF-κB to prevent its interaction with the IFNL1 promoter and restricted the open chromatin architecture of the promoter, thereby abating antiviral gene expression.
Cardiac magnetic resonance defines mechanisms of sex-based differences in outcomes following cardiac resynchronization therapy
Authors: Bivona Derek J. , Tallavajhala Srikar , Abdi Mohamad , Oomen Pim J. A. , Gao Xu , Malhotra Rohit , Darby Andrew , Monfredi Oliver J. , Mangrum J. Michael , Mason Pamela , Mazimba Sula , Salerno Michael , Kramer Christopher M. , Epstein Frederick H. , Holmes Jeffrey W. , Bilchick Kenneth C. 
Published: September 2022

BackgroundMechanisms of sex-based differences in outcomes following cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) are poorly understood.ObjectiveTo use cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) to define mechanisms of sex-based differences in outcomes after CRT and describe distinct CMR-based phenotypes of CRT candidates based on sex and non-ischemic/ischemic cardiomyopathy type.Materials and methodsIn a prospective study, sex-based differences in three short-term CRT response measures [fractional change in left ventricular end-systolic volume index 6 months after CRT (LVESVI-FC), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) 6 months after CRT, change in peak VO2 6 months after CRT], and long-term survival were evaluated with respect to 39 baseline parameters from CMR, exercise testing, laboratory testing, electrocardiograms, comorbid conditions, and other sources. CMR was also used to quantify the degree of left-ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony by deriving the circumferential uniformity ratio estimate (CURE-SVD) parameter from displacement encoding with stimulated echoes (DENSE) strain imaging. Statistical methods included multivariable linear regression with evaluation of interaction effects associated with sex and cardiomyopathy type (ischemic and non-ischemic cardiomyopathy) and survival analysis.ResultsAmong 200 patients, the 54 female patients (27%) pre-CRT had a smaller CMR-based LVEDVI (p = 0.04), more mechanical dyssynchrony based on the validated CMR CURE-SVD parameter (p = 0.04), a lower frequency of both late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and ischemic cardiomyopathy (p &lt; 0.0001), a greater RVEF (p = 0.02), and a greater frequency of LBBB (p = 0.01). After categorization of patients into four groups based on cardiomyopathy type (ischemic/non-ischemic cardiomyopathy) and sex, female patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy had the lowest CURE-SVD (p = 0.003), the lowest pre-CRT BNP levels (p = 0.01), the lowest post-CRT BNP levels (p = 0.05), and the most favorable LVESVI-FC (p = 0.001). Overall, female patients had better 3-year survival before adjustment for cardiomyopathy type (p = 0.007, HR = 0.45) and after adjustment for cardiomyopathy type (p = 0.009, HR = 0.67).ConclusionCMR identifies distinct phenotypes of female CRT patients with non-ischemic and ischemic cardiomyopathy relative to male patients stratified by cardiomyopathy type. The more favorable short-term response and long-term survival outcomes in female heart failure patients with CRT were associated with lower indexed CMR-based LV volumes, decreased presence of scar associated with prior myocardial infarction and ICM, and greater CMR-based dyssynchrony with the CURE-SVD.
Age-related changes in the risk of high blood pressure
Authors: Cheng Weibin , Du Yumeng , Zhang Qingpeng , Wang Xin , He Chaocheng , He Jingjun , Jing Fengshi , Ren Hao , Guo Mengzhuo , Tian Junzhang , Xu Zhongzhi 
Published: September 2022

Background and aimsUnderstanding the age-related trend of risk in high blood pressure (BP) is important for preventing heart failure and cardiovascular diseases. But such a trend is still underexplored. This study aims to (a) depict the relationship of BP patterns with age, and (b) understand the trend of high BP prevalence over time in different age groups.Materials and methodsHealth check-up data with an observational period of 8 years (January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2018) was used as the data source. A total of 71,468 participants aged over 18 years old with complete information on weight, height, age, gender, glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, systolic (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were included for analysis. Generalized additive models were adopted to explore the relationship between the risk of high BP and age. Variance analysis was conducted by testing the trend of high BP prevalence in age groups over time.ResultsRisk of high SBP showed a continuous rise from age 35 to 79 years and a concurrent early increase in the risk of high DBP; after age 50–65 years, high DBP risk declined. The risk of SBP rises linearly with age for men, whereas increases non-linearly for women. In addition, a significant increasing trend of high SBP risk among middle-aged people was found during the past decade, men experienced a later but longer period of increase in high SBP than women.ConclusionThe high SBP risk progresses more rapidly in the early lifetime in women, compared to the lifetime thereafter. Thresholds of increasing trend of SBP suggest a possible need for hypertension screening in China after the age of 40.
Evaluation of the role of combining inter-arm systolic pressure difference and derivatives of pulse volume recording in detecting subclavian artery stenosis
Authors: An Xuanqi , Dong Hui , Deng Yu , Chen Yang , Zou Yubao , Zhang Weiguo , Jiang Xiongjing 
Published: September 2022

BackgroundSubclavian artery stenosis (SAS) is a peripheral arterial disease of asymptomatic appearance and disastrous consequences. The traditional screening method remains unsatisfactory.ObjectiveThe study aimed to assess the diagnostic performances of inter-arm systolic pressure difference (IASBPD), derivatives of pulse volume recording (PVR), and their combination in detecting subclavian artery stenosis.Materials and methodsThe present study was a retrospective analysis of clinical data from inpatients suspected of supra-arch artery stenosis in Fuwai hospital during 1 year, who underwent selective arterial angiographies. We obtained simultaneous blood pressure measurements on four limbs and pulse waves for calculating IASBPD and PVR derivatives prior to the angiographies. We utilized the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) to calculate the optimal cut-off value of IASBPD, upstroke time (UT), and upstroke time per cardiac cycle (UTCC) for detecting SAS. Moreover, we compared the sensitivity and specificity of IASBPD, UT, UTCC, and their combinations for diagnosing SAS (Clinical trial number: NCT03521739).ResultsWe consecutively enrolled 320 eligible patients. Based on SAS’s definition of stenosis above 50%, the area under the curve of IASBPD, UT, and UTCC were 0.84, 0.76, and 0.80 (P &lt; 0.001). And their corresponding cut-off points were 9 mmHg, 202 milliseconds, and 23.2%. The sensitivity and specificity of IASBPD ≥ 9 mmHg were 57.0 and 94.1%. UT ≥ 202 ms and UTCC ≥ 23.2% yielded similar sensitivity (72.6 vs. 72.6%, P &gt; 0.05), but UTCC had higher specificity (81.1 vs. 72.4%, P &lt; 0.05). The sensitivity of the combination of IASBPD and UT (85.2%) or UTCC (78.5%) was significantly higher than IASBPD alone (57%, P &lt; 0.05). The specificity of either combination decreased to 67.6 and 76.8% (P &lt; 0.05).ConclusionsThis present study showed that the combinations of IASBPD and PVR-derived parameters promoted diagnostic sensitivity and preserved adequate specificity than those alone for detecting SAS.
Determinants of the time-to-peak left ventricular dP/dt (Td) and QRS duration with different fusion strategies in cardiac resynchronization therapy
Authors: Odland Hans Henrik , Holm Torbjørn , Cornelussen Richard , Kongsgård Erik 
Published: September 2022

BackgroundCardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is helpful in selected patients; however, responder rates rarely exceed 70%. Optimization of CRT may therefore benefit a large number of patients. Time-to-peak dP/dt (Td) is a novel marker of myocardial synergy that reflects the degree of myocardial dyssynchrony with the potential to guide and optimize treatment with CRT. Optimal electrical activation is a prerequisite for CRT to be effective. Electrical activation can be altered by changing the electrical wave-front fusion resulting from pacing to optimize resynchronization. We designed this study to understand the acute effects of different electrical wave-front fusion strategies and LV pre-/postexcitation on Td and QRS duration (QRSd). A better understanding of measuring and optimizing resynchronization can help improve the benefits of CRT.MethodsTd and QRSd were measured in 19 patients undergoing a CRT implantation. Two biventricular pacing groups were compared: pacing the left ventricle (LV) with fusion with intrinsic right ventricular activation (FUSION group) and pacing the LV and right ventricle (RV) at short atrioventricular delay (STANDARD group) to avoid fusion with intrinsic RV activation. A quadripolar LV lead enabled pacing from widely separated electrodes; distal (DIST), proximal (PROX) and both electrodes combined (multipoint pacing, MPP). The LV was stimulated relative in time to RV activation (either RV pace-onset or QRS-onset), with the LV stimulated prior to (PRE), simultaneous with (SIM) or after (POST) RV activation. In addition, we analyzed the interactions of the two groups (FUSION/STANDARD) with three different electrode configurations (DIST, PROX, MPP), each paced with three different degrees of LV pre-/postexcitation (PRE, SIM, POST) in a statistical model.ResultsWe found that FUSION provided shorter Td and QRSd than STANDARD, MPP provided shorter Td and QRSd than DIST and PROX, and SIM provided both the shortest QRSd and Td compared to PRE and POST. The interaction analysis revealed that pacing MPP with fusion with intrinsic RV activation simultaneous with the onset of the QRS complex (MPP*FUSION*SIM) shortened QRSd and Td the most compared to all other modes and configurations. The difference in QRSd and Td from their respective references were significantly correlated (β = 1, R = 0.9, p &lt; 0.01).ConclusionPacing modes and electrode configurations designed to optimize electrical wave-front fusion (intrinsic RV activation, LV multipoint pacing and simultaneous RV and LV activation) shorten QRSd and Td the most. As demonstrated in this study, electrical and mechanical measures of resynchronization are highly correlated. Therefore, Td can potentially serve as a marker for CRT optimization.