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26540580

Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio predicts cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in hemodialysis patients.

Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a marker of systemic inflammation that has been shown to predict mortality in patients with malignancies, ischemic heart disease and peripheral vascular disease. Its prognostic value in hemodialysis patients is unclear. The aims of this study were to: (i) explore the relationship between NLR and other biochemical parameters and (ii) to examine the value of NLR as a predictor of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in hemodialysis patients. The study included all the incident hemodialysis patients from a single center between 2007 and 2012. NLR was calculated using samples obtained 3 months after commencing hemodialysis. One hundred seventy hemodialysis patients were included with a median follow-up of 37 months. There were 54 deaths (32%). NLR was positively correlated with C-reactive protein (r = 0.24, p = 0.0023) and negatively correlated with hemoglobin (r = -0.27, p = 0.00048), albumin (r = -0.23, p = 0.0034) and total cholesterol (r = -0.17, p = 0.049) levels. In multivariate Cox regression, NLR was independently associated with both all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-1.6; p ≤ 0.0001) and cardiovascular death (HR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.6, p = 0.0032). Other predictors of all-cause mortality were age (HR 1.6 per decade; 95% CI, 1.2-2.1; p = 0.0017), body mass index (HR 0.93; 95% CI, 0.88-0.98; p = 0.0047), albumin (HR 0.91; 95% CI, 0.86-0.97; p = 0.0035) and peripheral vascular disease (HR 2.7; 95% CI, 1.4-5.1; p = 0.0023). NLR is a practical, cost-efficient and easy to use predictor of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in incident hemodialysis patients.

['Neuen|Brendon L|BL|', 'Leather|Nicole|N|', 'Greenwood|Alice M|AM|', 'Gunnarsson|Ronny|R|', 'Cho|Yeoungjee|Y|', 'Mantha|Murty L|ML|']

2016

29360286

Radiotherapy-related complications presenting to a urology department: a more common problem than previously thought?

OBJECTIVE To quantify the burden of the side effects of radiotherapy on a tertiary referral urology department. PATIENTS AND METHODS A prospective study of all urology admissions to a public urology department at a tertiary hospital in a 6-month period was performed. Patients admitted with complications attributable to radiotherapy were included in the study. Data obtained included patient demographics, radiotherapy details, complication type and management required. RESULTS A total of 1198 patients were admitted; 921 (77%) were elective and 277 (23%) were emergency admissions. Thirteen out of the 921 (1.4%) elective admissions and 20 out of the 277 (7.2%) emergency admissions were attributable to radiotherapy complications. Radiotherapy complications was the fourth most common reason for emergency admission, ahead of acute urinary retention. These 33 admissions were accounted for by 21 patients. A total of 39 separate complications attributable to radiotherapy were diagnosed, with some patients having multiple complications. The median (interquartile range) time to onset of complications was 4 (1-9) years. The surgical intervention rate was 67%. The commonest procedures were washout with/without clot evacuation or diathermy in theatre (15.8%) and urethral dilatation/bladder neck incision (15.8%). Two urinary diversions and two cystoprostatectomies plus urinary diversion were performed. CONCLUSION Radiotherapy complications are consequential and account for a substantial proportion of a tertiary urology department's emergency workload. These complications generally occur years after radiotherapy and frequently require surgical intervention.

['Ma|Joyce L|JL|', 'Hennessey|Derek B|DB|', 'Newell|Bradley P|BP|', 'Bolton|Damien M|DM|', 'Lawrentschuk|Nathan|N|']

2018

33748169

Effectiveness of the Beyond Good Intentions Program on Improving Dietary Quality Among People With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background and Aims: An appropriate diet is an essential component of the management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). However, for many people with T2DM, self-management is difficult. Therefore, the Beyond Good Intentions (BGI) education program was developed based on self-regulation and proactive coping theories to enhance people's capabilities for self-management. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the BGI program on improving dietary quality among a preselected group of people with T2DM after two-and-a-half years follow-up. Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 108 people with T2DM were randomized (1:1) to the intervention (n = 56) (BGI-program) or control group (n = 52) (care as usual). Linear regression analyses were used to determine the effect of the BGI program on change in dietary quality between baseline and two-and-a-half years follow-up. In addition, potential effect modification by having a nutritional goal at baseline was evaluated. Multiple imputation (n = 15 imputations) was performed to account for potential bias due to missing data. Results: According to intention-to-treat analysis, participants in the intervention group showed greater improvements in dietary quality score than participants in the control group (β = 0.71; 95%CI: 0.09; 1.33) after follow-up. Having a nutritional goal at baseline had a moderating effect on the effectiveness of the BGI program on dietary quality (p-interaction = 0.01), and stratified results showed that the favorable effect of the intervention on dietary quality was stronger for participants without a nutritional goal at baseline (no nutritional goal: β = 1.46; 95%CI: 0.65; 2.27 vs. nutritional goal: β = -0.24; 95%CI: -1.17; 0.69). Conclusions: The BGI program was significantly effective in improving dietary quality among preselected people with T2DM compared to care as usual. This effect was stronger among participants without a nutritional goal at baseline. A possible explanation for this finding is that persons with a nutritional goal at baseline already started improving their dietary intake before the start of the BGI program. Future studies are needed to elucidate the moderating role of goalsetting on the effectiveness of the BGI program.

['van der Velde|Laura A|LA|', 'Kiefte-de Jong|Jessica C|JC|', 'Rutten|Guy E|GE|', 'Vos|Rimke C|RC|']

2021

29327668

Impact of 3 Tesla MRI on interobserver agreement in clinically isolated syndrome: A MAGNIMS multicentre study.

BACKGROUND Compared to 1.5 T, 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) increases signal-to-noise ratio leading to improved image quality. However, its clinical relevance in clinically isolated syndrome suggestive of multiple sclerosis remains uncertain. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to investigate how 3 T MRI affects the agreement between raters on lesion detection and diagnosis. METHODS We selected 30 patients and 10 healthy controls from our ongoing prospective multicentre cohort. All subjects received baseline 1.5 and 3 T brain and spinal cord MRI. Patients also received follow-up brain MRI at 3-6 months. Four experienced neuroradiologists and four less-experienced raters scored the number of lesions per anatomical region and determined dissemination in space and time (McDonald 2010). RESULTS In controls, the mean number of lesions per rater was 0.16 at 1.5 T and 0.38 at 3 T ( p = 0.005). For patients, this was 4.18 and 4.40, respectively ( p = 0.657). Inter-rater agreement on involvement per anatomical region and dissemination in space and time was moderate to good for both field strengths. 3 T slightly improved agreement between experienced raters, but slightly decreased agreement between less-experienced raters. CONCLUSION Overall, the interobserver agreement was moderate to good. 3 T appears to improve the reading for experienced readers, underlining the benefit of additional training.

['Hagens|Marloes Hj|MH|', 'Burggraaff|Jessica|J|', 'Kilsdonk|Iris D|ID|', 'Ruggieri|Serena|S|', 'Collorone|Sara|S|', 'Cortese|Rosa|R|', 'Cawley|Niamh|N|', 'Sbardella|Emilia|E|', 'Andelova|Michaela|M|', 'Amann|Michael|M|', 'Lieb|Johanna M|JM|', 'Pantano|Patrizia|P|', 'Lissenberg-Witte|Birgit I|BI|', 'Killestein|Joep|J|', 'Oreja-Guevara|Celia|C|', 'Wuerfel|Jens|J|', 'Ciccarelli|Olga|O|', 'Gasperini|Claudio|C|', 'Lukas|Carsten|C|', 'Rovira|Alex|A|', 'Barkhof|Frederik|F|', 'Wattjes|Mike P|MP|', '|||']

2019

23986885

The influence of social support on risk of acute cardiovascular diseases in female population aged 25-64 in Russia.

OBJECTIVE To study the prevalence of social support (SS) and its influence on the relative risk (RR) of myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke in the female population aged 25-64 in Russia. MATERIALS AND METHODS Under the third screening of the WHO "MONICA-psychosocial" programme, a random representative sample of women aged 25-64 (n=870) were surveyed in Novosibirsk. SS was measured according to the methods of the Berkman-Sym test [indices of close contacts (ICC) and index of social network (SNI)]. From 1995 to 2010, women were followed for 16 years to observe the incidence of MI and stroke. RESULTS The prevalence of low levels of ICC and SNI in women aged 25-64 was 57.1 and 77.7%, respectively. Low levels of ICC and SNI were associated with poor self-rated health and awareness about their health, adverse behavioral habits, high job strain and family stress. Rates of MI and stroke development were higher in married women with low ICC and SNI who were being in class "hard manual work". Over a 16-year study period, the RR of MI in women with low ICC compared to those with high ICC was 4.9 times higher, and the risk of stroke was 4.1 times higher. Low level of SNI increased MI risk in 2.9 times, risk of stroke in 2.7 times. CONCLUSION Majority of women aged 25-64 years in Russia have low social support which is associated with poor self-rated health, low awareness about the health that increases the risk of MI and stroke in 2.7-4.9 times in groups of "married" and "hard physical work".

['Gafarov|Valery V|VV|', 'Panov|Dmitry O|DO|', 'Gromova|Elena A|EA|', 'Gagulin|Igor V|IV|', 'Gafarova|Almira V|AV|']

2013

29783024

Pooled analysis of the phase 3 REVIVE trials: randomised, double-blind studies to evaluate the safety and efficacy of iclaprim versus vancomycin for treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin-structure infections.

Iclaprim, a diaminopyrimidine antimicrobial, was compared with vancomycin for treatment of patients with acute bacterial skin and skin-structure infections (ABSSSIs) in two studies (REVIVE-1 and REVIVE-2). Here, the efficacy and tolerability of iclaprim in a pooled analysis of results from both studies was explored. REVIVE-1 and REVIVE-2 were phase 3, double-blind, randomised, multicentre, active-controlled, non-inferiority (margin of 10%) trials, each designed to enrol 600 patients with ABSSSI using identical study protocols. Iclaprim 80 mg and vancomycin 15 mg/kg were administered intravenously every 12 h for 5-14 days. The primary endpoint was a ≥20% reduction from baseline in lesion size [early clinical response (ECR)] at the early time point (ETP) (48-72 h after starting study drug) in the intent-to-treat population. In REVIVE-1, ECR at the ETP was 80.9% with iclaprim versus 81.0% with vancomycin (treatment difference -0.13%, 95% CI -6.42% to 6.17%). In REVIVE-2, ECR was 78.3% with iclaprim versus 76.7% with vancomycin (treatment difference 1.58%, 95% CI -5.10% to 8.26%). The pooled ECR was 79.6% with iclaprim versus 78.8% with vancomycin (treatment difference 0.75%, 95% CI -3.84 to 5.35%). Iclaprim and vancomycin were comparable for the incidence of mostly mild adverse events, except for a higher incidence of elevated serum creatinine with vancomycin (n = 7) compared with iclaprim (n = 0). Iclaprim achieved non-inferiority compared with vancomycin for ECR at the ETP and secondary endpoints with a similar safety profile in two phase 3 studies for treatment of ABSSSI suspected or confirmed as caused by Gram-positive pathogens. [Clinical Trials Registration. NCT02600611 and NCT02607618.].

['Huang|David B|DB|', 'Corey|G Ralph|GR|', 'Holland|Thomas L|TL|', 'Lodise|Thomas|T|', "O'Riordan|William|W|", 'Wilcox|Mark H|MH|', 'File|Thomas M|TM|', 'Dryden|Matthew|M|', 'Balser|Barbara|B|', 'Desplats|Eve|E|', 'Torres|Antoni|A|']

2018

29555478

Inhibition of TACC3 by a small molecule inhibitor in breast cancer.

Studies have shown that transforming acidic coiled-coil protein 3 (TACC3), a key component of centrosome-microtubule dynamic networks, is significantly associated with various types of human cancer. We have recently reported that high levels of TACC3 are found in breast cancer, lead to the accumulation of spontaneous DNA damage due to defective DNA damage response signaling, and confer cellular sensitivity to radiation and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. Although our study suggests a potential role of TACC3 as a biomarker in breast cancer detection and prediction of therapy outcome, its role as a therapeutic target in breast cancer is not well studied. In this study, we show that a small molecule TACC3 inhibitor, KHS101, suppresses cell growth, motility, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and breast cancer cell stemness while it induces apoptotic cell death. Quantitative multiplexed proteomic analysis using tandem mass tags (TMTs) revealed that KHS101 alters multiple biological processes and signaling pathways, and significantly reduces the expression of mitotic kinases Aurora A and Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1), which are closely associated with TACC3. Our findings therefore provide a new insight into the potential mechanisms of the action of KHS101 and suggest its possible use as a dual or multi-targeting mitotic inhibitor in breast cancer.

['Campo|Loredana|L|', 'Breuer|Eun-Kyoung|EK|']

2018

29917116

Pediatric Supratentorial Ependymoma: Surgical, Clinical, and Molecular Analysis.

BACKGROUND Pediatric supratentorial ependymomas (SEs) have distinct molecular and behavioral differences from their infratentorial counterparts. OBJECTIVE To present our experience with pediatric SEs over a 24-yr period. METHODS Clinical, operative, and radiographic information was abstracted retrospectively. Our primary outcomes were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Detection of C11orf95-RELA rearrangement was performed using interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (iFISH). RESULTS Seventy-three patients were identified (41 female, 32 male); median age was 6.7 yrs (range, 1 mo-18.8 yr); median follow-up was 8.3 yrs (range, 2.0-26.3). Fifty-eight (79.5%) of 73 patients underwent gross total resection (GTR); no patient with subtotal resection had greater than 1 cm3 of residual tumor; 42 patients (57.5%) experienced subsequent disease progression with 17 patients ultimately dying of their disease. Median PFS was 3.7 yrs. Molecular analysis was available for 51 patients (70%). On bivariate analysis, PFS and OS were not statistically affected by age, tumor grade, or extent of resection, although there was a clinically significant trend for the latter in favor of aggressive resection on PFS (P = .061). Children with RELA fusion had significantly higher PFS (P = .013) than those without, although there was no difference in OS when compared with those with no C11orf95-RELA fusion or C11orf95 gene rearrangement alone. CONCLUSION In our series, GTR may be associated with better PFS, but did not impact OS. Surprisingly, RELA fusion was not found to be a negative prognostic factor, raising the possibility that the deleterious effects may be overcome by aggressive resection.

['Lillard|Jock C|JC|', 'Venable|Garrett T|GT|', 'Khan|Nickalus R|NR|', 'Tatevossian|Ruth G|RG|', 'Dalton|James|J|', 'Vaughn|Brandy N|BN|', 'Klimo|Paul|P|']

2019

33932124

Primary human mesothelial cell culture in the evaluation of the inflammatory response to different sclerosing agents used for pleurodesis.

The mechanisms of chemical pleurodesis are still not fully explained. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using primary biopsy-derived human mesothelial cells to establish an in vitro culture and to assess the response of pleural mesothelial cells to different sclerosing agents. Talc, povidone-iodine, doxycycline, and TGF-β were used at different doses to stimulate pleural mesothelial cells. After 6 and 24 h, mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TGF-β, MCP-1, IL-17A, and MMP9 was measured in cultured cells, and the protein level of IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 was measured in the culture supernatant. The most pronounced response was observed after talc exposure. It was expressed as an increase in IL-1β concentration in culture supernatant after 24 h of higher talc dose stimulation compared to 6 h of stimulation (17.14 pg/ml [11.96-33.32 pg/ml] vs. 1.84 pg/ml [1.81-1.90 pg/ml], p = 0.02). We showed that culture pleural mesothelial cells isolated from pleura biopsy specimens is feasible. Inflammatory responses of mesothelial cells to different sclerosants were highly variable with no consistent pattern of mesothelium reaction neither in terms of different sclerosing agents nor in the time of the most significant reaction. We demonstrated that pro-inflammatory mesothelial response includes an increase in IL-1β mRNA expression and protein production. This may suggest the role of IL-1β in the formation and maintenance of the inflammatory response during pleurodesis.

['Mierzejewski|Michal|M|0000-0001-7867-170X', 'Paplinska-Goryca|Magdalena|M|0000-0003-0576-7289', 'Korczynski|Piotr|P|0000-0003-2826-4430', 'Krenke|Rafal|R|0000-0002-0087-2031']

2021

28202650

Contrasting effects of increased yolk testosterone content on development and oxidative status in gull embryos.

Hormone-mediated maternal effects generate variation in offspring phenotype. In birds, maternal egg testosterone (T) exerts differential effects on offspring traits after hatching, suggesting that mothers experience a trade-off between contrasting T effects. However, there is very little information on T pre-natal effects. In the yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis), we increased yolk T concentration within physiological limits and measured the effects on development and oxidative status of late-stage embryos. T-treated embryos had a larger body size but a smaller brain than controls. Males had a larger brain than females, controlling for overall size. T treatment differentially affected brain mass and total amount of pro-oxidants in the brain depending on laying order. T-treatment effects were not sex dependent. For the first time in the wild, we show contrasting T pre-natal effects on body mass and brain size. Hence, T may enforce trade-offs between different embryonic traits, but also within the same trait during different developmental periods.

['Parolini|Marco|M|0000-0003-0226-1709', 'Romano|Andrea|A|', 'Possenti|Cristina Daniela|CD|', 'Caprioli|Manuela|M|', 'Rubolini|Diego|D|', 'Saino|Nicola|N|']

2017

27551366

Second-Order Footsteps Illusions.

In the "footsteps illusion", light and dark squares travel at constant speed across black and white stripes. The squares appear to move faster and slower as their contrast against the stripes varies. We now demonstrate some second-order footsteps illusions, in which all edges are defined by colors or textures-even though luminance-based neural motion detectors are blind to such edges.

['Kitaoka|Akiyoshi|A|', 'Anstis|Stuart|S|']

2015

31336347

Empathy and perceptions of their brother or sister among adolescent siblings of individuals with and without autism spectrum disorder.

BACKGROUND Although clinicians have hypothesized that siblings of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), may exhibit more empathy and understanding of others, no studies have yet examined empathy among siblings of individuals with ASD. AIMS The current study examined self- reported empathy and feelings about adolescents' brothers or sisters with and without ASD. METHODS AND PROCEDURES Adolescent siblings (age 12-18) of individuals with (n=26) or without ASD (n=48) completed an online survey with measures of empathy and their feelings about their brother or sister, as well as an open ended task asking them for three "magic wishes." OUTCOMES AND RESULTS Siblings of individuals with ASD (ASD- Sibs) reported significantly more perspective-taking than did siblings of typically-developing individuals (TD-Sibs). Perspective-taking was significantly related to feelings of positive affect toward the brother/sister for both groups. ASD-Sibs also were significantly more likely to report wishes related to their family, while TD-Sibs reported more wishes for themselves. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Findings suggest that potentially higher levels of perspective-taking ability among ASD-Sibs may contribute to better understanding of and therefore more positive affect toward their brother or sister with ASD. More research is needed to understand patterns of empathy among ASD-Sibs.

['Shivers|Carolyn M|CM|']

2019

30057549

Cytotoxicity of InP/ZnS Quantum Dots With Different Surface Functional Groups Toward Two Lung-Derived Cell Lines.

Although InP/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) have emerged as a presumably less hazardous alternative to cadmium-based QDs, their toxicity has not been fully understood. In this work, we report the cytotoxicity of InP/ZnS QDs with different surface groups (NH2, COOH, OH) toward two lung-derived cell lines. The diameter and the spectra of InP/ZnS QDs were characterized and the hydrodynamic size of QDs in aqueous solution was compared. The confocal laser scanning microscopy was applied to visualize the labeling of QDs for human lung cancer cell HCC-15 and Alveolar type II epithelial cell RLE-6TN. The flow cytometry was used to confirm qualitatively the uptake efficiency of QDs, the cell apoptosis and ROS generation, respectively. The results showed that in deionized water, InP/ZnS-OH QDs were easier to aggregate, and the hydrodynamic size was much greater than the other InP/ZnS QDs. All these InP/ZnS QDs were able to enter the cells, with higher uptake efficiency for InP/ZnS-COOH and InP/ZnS-NH2 at low concentration. High doses of InP/ZnS QDs caused the cell viability to decrease, and InP/ZnS-COOH QDs and InP/ZnS-NH2 QDs appeared to be more toxic than InP/ZnS-OH QDs. In addition, all these InP/ZnS QDs promoted cell apoptosis and intracellular ROS generation after co-cultured with cells. These results suggested that appropriate concentration and surface functional groups should be optimized when InP/ZnS QDs are utilized for biological imaging and therapeutic purpose in the future.

['Chen|Ting|T|', 'Li|Li|L|', 'Xu|Gaixia|G|', 'Wang|Xiaomei|X|', 'Wang|Jie|J|', 'Chen|Yajing|Y|', 'Jiang|Wenxiao|W|', 'Yang|Zhiwen|Z|', 'Lin|Guimiao|G|']

2018

33783654

A case of central nervous system lesion pathologically characterized by angiocentric, T-cell-rich lymphoid cell infiltrates: a case report and literature review.

Lymphomatoid granulomatosis (LYG) is a rare lymphoproliferative disease with angiocentric and angiodestructive infiltrates, and by definition, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated B-cell malignancy. It most frequently involves the lung, and in some cases, the lesions are confined to the central nervous system (isolated CNS-LYG). However, it remains a controversial disease in terms of pathophysiology, especially in those confined to the CNS. We report the case of a 37-year-old man with CNS lesion pathologically characterized by angiocentric, T-cell-rich lymphoid cell infiltrates that resembled CNS-LYG. The lesion was clinically aggressive with subacute onset and irregular ring-like enhancement on MRI. The resected specimen showed no cytological atypia, EBV-infected cells, or monoclonality for IgH and TCR gene rearrangements. Considering the possibility of latent malignancy, the patient was successfully treated with corticosteroid and chemoradiotherapy with high-dose methotrexate. The present case and the literature suggest that EBV-negative CNS lesions with angiocentric lymphoid infiltrates are probably heterogeneous in their pathogenesis, including those that could fit into the so-called CNS-LYG and those with T-cell predominance. The accumulation of similar cases is warranted for the classification and appropriate treatment of these lesions.

['Imai|Ryotaro|R|http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1221-0059', 'Tsujikawa|Hanako|H|', 'Fukumura|Mariko|M|', 'Sasaki|Atsushi|A|', 'Tsuda|Noboru|N|', 'Kameyama|Kaori|K|', 'Yoshida|Kazunari|K|', 'Sasaki|Hikaru|H|']

2021

31334685

Outbreak of blaNDM-5-Harboring Klebsiella pneumoniae ST290 in a Tertiary Hospital in China.

The emergence of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) has posed a great threat to public health. Among 133 nonduplicated CRKP isolates collected between September 2016 and November 2017 in a tertiary hospital in China, 89 (89/133, 66.9%) and 31 (31/133, 23.3%) were positive for blaNDM-5 and blaKPC-2. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) revealed that ST290 represented the majority of NDM-5 producers (67/89, 75.3%) and PFGE cluster E accounted for 50 (50/67, 74.6%) ST290 isolates from the burn ward, suggesting that K. pneumoniae ST290 clone carrying blaNDM-5 resulted in an outbreak in this hospital. Whole genome sequencing of the plasmid carrying blaNDM-5 showed that the resistance gene blaNDM-5 was located in a ∼49 kb multireplicon plasmid with a peculiar insertion of ISKpn19 of the IncX3-type plasmid. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of outbreak of K. pneumoniae ST290 clone carrying blaNDM-5.

['Wang|Zhengzheng|Z|', 'Li|Meilan|M|', 'Shen|Xiaofei|X|', 'Wang|Liangxing|L|', 'Liu|Li|L|', 'Hao|Zhihao|Z|', 'Duan|Jingjing|J|', 'Yu|Fangyou|F|']

2019

29429726

A sonochemical synthesis of cyclodextrin functionalized Au-FeNPs for colorimetric detection of Cr6+ in different industrial waste water.

This paper describes a simple, selective and sensitive colorimetric sensing of Cr6+ ions using β-Cyclodextrin (β-CD) functionalized gold-iron nanoparticles (β-CD/Au-FeNPs). The sonochemically synthesized nanoparticles are winered in colour due to the SPR band of β-CD functionalized bimetalic nanoparticles Au-FeNPs. The capping and stabilizing of Au-FeNPs by redox β-CD is confirmed by FT-IR. The particles are spherical in shape and it posses the effective diameter of 18-20 nm. Under optimized conditions, in the presence of Cr6+ the wine red Au-FeNPs solution was turned to colourless, accompanying the broadening and red shifting of SPR band. The ratio between the absorbance wavelength at 573 nm to 535 nm (A573/A535) is linearly correlated with the Cr6+ concentrations ranging from 50 nM to 500 nM, with a detection limit of Cr6+ of 2.5 nM was achieved for the first time using β-CD/Au-FeNPs by spectrophotometry. The selectivity of the β-CD/Au-FeNPs towards other interfering metal ions. Finally the proposed method has been successfully employed for the determination of Cr6+ ion in various industrial waste water with good recoveries.

['Amanulla|Baishnisha|B|', 'Subbu|Hema Kalyani Rama|HKR|', 'Ramaraj|Sayee Kannan|SK|']

2018

34740806

A systematic review of spinal cord ischemia prevention and management after open and endovascular aortic repair.

OBJECTIVE Spinal cord ischemia (SCI) is one of the most devastating complications after descending thoracic aortic (DTA) and thoracoabdominal aortic (TAA) repairs. Patients who develop SCI have a poor prognosis, with mortality rates reaching 75% within the first year after surgery. Many factors have been shown to increase the risk of this complication, including the extent of TAA repair, length of aortic and collateral network coverage, embolization, and reduced spinal cord perfusion pressure. As a result, a variety of treatment strategies have been developed. We aimed to provide an up-to-date review of SCI rates with associated treatment algorithms from open and endovascular DTA and TAA repair. METHODS Using PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses) guidelines, a literature review with the MeSH (medical subject headings) terms "spinal cord ischemia," "spinal cord ischemia prevention and mitigation strategies," "spinal cord ischemia rates," and "spinal cord infarction" was performed in the Cochrane and PubMed databases to find all peer-reviewed studies of DTA and TAA repair with SCI complications reported. The search was limited to 2012 to 2021 and English-language reports. MeSH subheadings, including diagnosis, complications, physiopathology, surgery, mortality, and therapy, were used to further restrict the included studies. Studies were excluded if they were not of humans, had not pertained to SCI after DTA or TAA operative repair, and if the study had primarily discussed neuromonitoring techniques. Additionally, studies with <40 patients or limited information regarding SCI protection strategies were excluded. Each study was individually reviewed by two of us (S.L. and A.D.) to assess the type and extent of aortic pathology, operative technique, SCI protection or mitigation strategies, rates of overall and permanent SCI symptoms, associations with SCI on multivariate analysis, and mortality. RESULTS Of the 450 studies returned by the MeSH search strategy, 41 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. For the endovascular DTA repair patients, the overall SCI rates ranged from 0% to 10.6%, with permanent SCI symptoms ranging from 0% to 5.1%. The rate of overall SCI after endovascular and open TAA repair was 0% to 35%. The permanent SCI symptom rate was reported by only one study of open repair at 1.1%. The permanent SCI symptom rate after endovascular TAA repair was 2% to 20.5%. CONCLUSIONS The present review has provided an up-to-date review of the current rates of SCI and the prevention and mitigation strategies used during DTA and TAA repair. We found that a multimodal approach, including a bundled institutional protocol, staging of multiple repairs, preservation of the collateral blood flow network, augmented spinal cord perfusion, selective cerebrospinal fluid drainage, and distal aortic perfusion during open TAA repairs, appears to be important in reducing the risk of SCI.

['Lella|Srihari K|SK|', 'Waller|Harold D|HD|', 'Pendleton|Alaska|A|', 'Latz|Christopher A|CA|', 'Boitano|Laura T|LT|', 'Dua|Anahita|A|']

2021

33936026

Impact of Treatment Regimens on Antibody Response to the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is widely spread and remains a global pandemic. Limited evidence on the systematic evaluation of the impact of treatment regimens on antibody responses exists. Our study aimed to analyze the role of antibody response on prognosis and determine factors influencing the IgG antibodies' seroconversion. A total of 1,111 patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms admitted to Leishenshan Hospital in Wuhan were retrospectively analyzed. A serologic SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgG antibody test was performed on all the patients 21 days after the onset of symptoms. Patient clinical characteristics were compared. In the study, 42 patients progressed to critical illness, with 6 mortalities reported while 1,069 patients reported mild to moderate disease. Advanced age (P = 0.028), gasping (P < 0.001), dyspnea (P = 0.024), and IgG negativity (P = 0.006) were associated with progression to critical illness. The mortality rate in critically ill patients with IgG antibody was 6.45% (95% CI 1.12-22.84%) and 36.36% (95% CI 12.36-68.38%) in patients with no IgG antibody (P = 0.003). Symptomatic patients were more likely to develop IgG antibody responses than asymptomatic patients. Using univariable analysis, fever (P < 0.001), gasping (P = 0.048), cancer (P < 0.001), cephalosporin (P = 0.015), and chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine (P = 0.021) were associated with IgG response. In the multivariable analysis, fever, cancer, cephalosporins, and chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine correlated independently with IgG response. We determined that the absence of SARS-CoV-2 antibody IgG in the convalescent stage had a specific predictive role in critical illness progression. Importantly, risk factors affecting seropositivity were identified, and the effect of antimalarial drugs on antibody response was determined.

['Shang|Yufeng|Y|', 'Liu|Tao|T|', 'Li|Jingfeng|J|', 'Kaweme|Natasha Mupeta|NM|', 'Wang|Xinghuan|X|', 'Zhou|Fuling|F|']

2021

31760291

Plasma-assisted advanced oxidation process by a multi-hole dielectric barrier discharge in water and its application to wastewater treatment.

Advanced oxidation process (AOP) is a promising technology to decolorize and reduce organic contaminants in water. It is carried out using hydroxyl radicals (•OH) with an oxidizing potential of 2.80 V. Non-thermal plasma can directly generate •OH while maintaining a low temperature, and O3, H2O2, and UV light are also generated; these are necessary for AOP. In this study, we developed a multi-hole dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) system capable of generating radicals and active species in water for assisting AOP. We confirmed the optimized operating conditions based on critical parameters, including electrical and optical properties and O3 concentration. Furthermore, we described the plasma-based AOP through experimental results. We performed wastewater treatment using the multi-hole DBD: turbidity, BOD, and COD, were reduced by 60%, 40%, and 60%, respectively, after 20 min of treatment. Finally, 99.99% of Escherichia coli were eliminated after plasma treatment.

['Ma|Sukhwal|S|', 'Kim|Kangil|K|', 'Chun|Semin|S|', 'Moon|Se Youn|SY|', 'Hong|Yongcheol|Y|']

2020

33603545

Evolving to Objective Structured Clinical Exams (OSCE): Transitional experience in an undergraduate pharmacy program in Kuwait.

Background Objective Structured Clinical Exams (OSCEs) can assess professional competencies in a structured manner and facilitate objective evaluation of clinical performance. With limited data from the Eastern Mediterranean region, this study aims to describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of OSCEs for final year pharmacy students in Kuwait. The study also aims to compare students' performance in two academic years (2015-2016 and 2016-2017). Methods The design, implementation, and evaluation of the competency-based OSCE followed a 3-phase systematic evidence-based approach. The development phase involved establishing an OSCE working group to develop a blueprint and scoring rubrics and to organise assessors and standardised patient/physician training. The implementation phase involved conducting formative and summative OSCEs. The evaluation phase involved undertaking student and staff perception surveys. Results The overall students' OSCE scores for the academic years 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 were (median (interquartile range)) (71.6%, 32.2) and (60.0% (30.7)) and respectively (p < 0.0001). The average students' performance score was high in stations covering 'patient consultation and diagnosis' competency (71.4% (95% CI: 66.7-73.3)) and lower in stations covering 'monitoring of medicine therapy' competency (50.0% (95% CI: 33.3-66.7)). Students perceived stations covering 'monitoring medicines therapy' and 'assessment of medicine' as difficult. However, staff perceived stations related to 'patient consultation and diagnosis' competency as the easiest. Students reported that the OSCE was a positive experience as it provided them an opportunity to practice real life scenarios in a safe learning environment. Conclusion The OSCE helped to identify the level of competency of students prior to graduation and areas to improve in the curriculum.

['Al-Haqan|Asmaa|A|', 'Al-Taweel|Dalal|D|', 'Koshy|Samuel|S|', 'Alghanem|Sarah|S|']

2021

28102092

Survival of ileal pouch anal anastomosis constructed after colectomy or secondary to a previous ileorectal anastomosis in ulcerative colitis patients: a population-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVES Ileorectal anastomosis (IRA) affects bowel function, sexual function and reproduction less negatively than ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA), the standard reconstruction after colectomy for ulcerative colitis (UC). In younger UC patients, IRA may have a role postponing pelvic surgery and IPAA. The aim of the present study was to investigate the survival of IPAA secondary to IRA compared to IPAA as primary reconstruction, as this has not previously been studied in UC. PATIENTS AND METHODS All patients with UC diagnosis between 1960 and 2010 in Sweden were identified from the National Patient Registry. From this cohort, colectomized patients reconstructed with primary IPAA and patients reconstructed with IPAA secondary to IRA were identified. The survival of the IPAA was followed up until pouch failure, defined as pouchectomy and ileostomy or a diverting ileostomy alone. RESULTS Out of 63,796 patients, 1796 were reconstructed with IPAA, either primarily (n = 1720) or secondary to a previous IRA (n = 76). There were no demographic differences between the groups, including length of follow-up (median 12.6 (IQR 6.7-16.6) years and 10.0 (IQR 3.5-15.9) years, respectively). Failure of the IPAA occurred in 103 (6.0%) patients with primary and in 6 (8%) patients after secondary IPAA (P = 0.38 log-rank). The 10-year pouch survival was 94% (95% CI 93-96) for primary IPAA and 92% (81-97) for secondary. CONCLUSIONS Patients choosing IRA as primary reconstruction do not have an increased risk of failure of a later secondary IPAA in comparison with patients with primary IPAA.

['Landerholm|Kalle|K|', 'Abdalla|Maie|M|', 'Myrelid|Pär|P|', 'Andersson|Roland E|RE|']

2017

30460582

Drop-off in positivity rate of stress echocardiography based on regional wall motion abnormalities over the last three decades.

Previous studies have suggested a decline in positivity of stress cardiac imaging based on regional wall motion abnormalities (RWMA). To assess the rate of RWMA positivity of stress echocardiography (SE) over 3 decades in the same primary care SE lab. We retrospectively assessed the rate of SE positivity in 7626 SE tests (dipyridamole in 5053, dobutamine in 2496, exercise in 77) in consecutive patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease and /or heart failure who performed SE in a primary care referral center from April 1991 to May 2018. Starting April 2005, SE based on RWMA was complemented by assessment of coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR) of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Starting October 2016, we added left ventricular contractile reserve (LVCR). Starting October 2016, we also added B-lines by lung ultrasound. There was a progressive decline over time in the rate of SE positivity based on RWMA from 24% (1991-1999) to 10% (2000-2009) down to 4% (2010-2018) (p < 0.0001). Positivity rate was 29% with CFVR, 16% with LVCR, and 12% with B-lines. Over three decades, we observed a dramatic decline in SE positivity rate based on classical RWMA. In the last decade, the positivity rate rose sharply thanks to the stepwise introduction of CFVR, LVCR and B-lines as additional positivity criteria in integrated quadruple SE.

['Cortigiani|Lauro|L|', 'Ramirez|Pamela|P|', 'Coltelli|Maico|M|', 'Bovenzi|Francesco|F|', 'Picano|Eugenio|E|http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6375-6361']

2019

32706669

Quality Criteria for Serious Games: Serious Part, Game Part, and Balance.

Serious games are digital games that have an additional goal beyond entertainment. Recently, many studies have explored different quality criteria for serious games, including effectiveness and attractiveness. Unfortunately, the double mission of serious games, that is, simultaneous achievement of intended effects (serious part) and entertainment (game part), is not adequately considered in these studies. This paper aims to identify essential quality criteria for serious games. The fundamental goal of our research is to identify important factors of serious games and to adapt the existing principles and requirements from game-related literature to effective and attractive serious games. In addition to the review of the relevant literature, we also include workshop results. Furthermore, we analyzed and summarized 22 state-of-the-art serious games for education and health. The selected best-practice serious games either prove their effectiveness through scientific studies or by winning game awards. For the analysis of these games, we refer to "DIN SPEC 91380 Serious Games Metadata Format." A summarized text states quality criteria for both the serious and the game part, and especially the balance between them. We provide guidelines for high-quality serious games drawn from literature analysis and in close cooperation with domain experts.

['Caserman|Polona|P|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3252-4533', 'Hoffmann|Katrin|K|https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0393-1532', 'Müller|Philipp|P|https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9660-691X', 'Schaub|Marcel|M|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2380-9844', 'Straßburg|Katharina|K|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6042-146X', 'Wiemeyer|Josef|J|https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2958-7653', 'Bruder|Regina|R|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8971-3888', 'Göbel|Stefan|S|https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3651-8744']

2020

24251639

Neuropathology training worldwide-evolution and comparisons.

Training of neuropathologists varies worldwide. Systems range from highly organized specialist and subspecialist education with national certification, to regulated training with diploma recognition, to informal apprenticeships in neurological hospitals and no formal recognition. This overview compiles and summarizes the history of regulated training systems, the status of neuropathology within various countries' medical systems and the manner in which neuropathologists are trained. Anecdotal evidence suggests that countries with regulated systems of neuropathology training and an active professional organization are more likely to have an adequate supply of diagnostic specialists and a vibrant research community. The different training systems reflect the style of medical services delivery in the respective countries. In general, the existence of formal neuropathology training systems occurs only in countries with relatively high levels of per capita health expenditures, reflecting the development of medical specialization overall. Evolving diagnostic technologies and major international research endeavors, whose goals are to understand structure and function of the human brain, demand that neuropathology training is more than simply diagnostic histopathology.

['Del Bigio|Marc R|MR|', 'Hainfellner|Johannes A|JA|', 'McLean|Catriona A|CA|', 'Powell|Suzanne Z|SZ|', 'Sikorska|Beata|B|', 'Takahashi|Hitoshi|H|', 'Weis|Joachim|J|', 'Xuereb|John H|JH|']

2014

30404739

The Impact of Time Interval between Extubation and Reintubation on Death or Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Extremely Preterm Infants.

OBJECTIVE To explore the relation between time to reintubation and death or bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in extremely preterm infants. STUDY DESIGN This was a subanalysis from an ongoing multicenter observational study. Infants with birth weight ≤1250 g, requiring mechanical ventilation, and undergoing their first elective extubation were prospectively followed throughout hospitalization. Time to reintubation was defined as the time interval between first elective extubation and reintubation. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate associations between time to reintubation, using different observation windows after extubation (24-hour intervals), and death/BPD (primary outcome) or BPD among survivors (secondary outcome). aORs were computed with and without the confounding effects of cumulative mechanical ventilation duration. RESULTS Of 216 infants included for analysis, 103 (48%) were reintubated at least once after their first elective extubation. Reintubation was associated with lower gestational age/weight and greater morbidities compared with infants never reintubated. After adjusting for confounders, reintubation within observation windows ranging between 24 hours and 3 weeks postextubation was associated with increased odds of death/BPD (but not BPD among survivors), independent of the cumulative mechanical ventilation duration. Reintubation within 48 hours from extubation conferred higher risk-adjusted odds of death/BPD vs other observation windows. CONCLUSIONS Although reintubation after elective extubation was independently associated with increased likelihood of death/BPD in extremely preterm infants, the greatest risk was attributable to reintubation within the first 48 hours postextubation. Prediction models capable of identifying the highest-risk infants may further improve outcomes.

['Shalish|Wissam|W|', 'Kanbar|Lara|L|', 'Kovacs|Lajos|L|', 'Chawla|Sanjay|S|', 'Keszler|Martin|M|', 'Rao|Smita|S|', 'Panaitescu|Bogdan|B|', 'Laliberte|Alyse|A|', 'Precup|Doina|D|', 'Brown|Karen|K|', 'Kearney|Robert E|RE|', "Sant'Anna|Guilherme M|GM|"]

2019

32302459

COVID-19 and acute coagulopathy in pregnancy.

We present a putative link between maternal COVID-19 infection in the peripartum period and rapid maternal deterioration with early organ dysfunction and coagulopathy. The current pandemic with SARS-CoV-2 has already resulted in high numbers of critically ill patients and deaths in the non-pregnant population, mainly due to respiratory failure. During viral outbreaks, pregnancy poses a uniquely increased risk to women due to changes to immune function, alongside physiological adaptive alterations, such as increased oxygen consumption and edema of the respiratory tract. The laboratory derangements may be reminiscent of HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet count) syndrome, and thus knowledge of the COVID-19 relationship is paramount for appropriate diagnosis and management. In addition to routine measurements of D-dimers, prothrombin time, and platelet count in all patients presenting with COVID-19 as per International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) guidance, monitoring of activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and fibrinogen levels should be considered in pregnancy, as highlighted in this report. These investigations in SARS-CoV-2-positive pregnant women are vital, as their derangement may signal a more severe COVID-19 infection, and may warrant pre-emptive admission and consideration of delivery to achieve maternal stabilization.

['Vlachodimitropoulou Koumoutsea|Evangelia|E|', 'Vivanti|Alexandre J|AJ|', 'Shehata|Nadine|N|', 'Benachi|Alexandra|A|', 'Le Gouez|Agnes|A|', 'Desconclois|Celine|C|', 'Whittle|Wendy|W|', 'Snelgrove|John|J|', 'Malinowski|Ann Kinga|AK|']

2020

32001168

When the first visit to the rheumatologist is established rheumatoid arthritis.

The outlook for people living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has improved tremendously in a generation. Major contributions to this include recognition of the importance of early treatment initiation, improved understanding of the pathobiology, the identification of therapeutic targets and their subsequent validation in clinic trials and the realisation of the importance of 'tight control' of inflammatory responses. Despite these advances, many patients meeting classification criteria present for the first time to a rheumatologist with longstanding symptoms. There is no definition as to when RA becomes 'established'. But there is evidence that a 'window of opportunity' exists over about 12-16 weeks symptom duration, during which treatment intervention gives rise to the most optimal outcomes. This review addresses issues regarding the management of patients presenting outside the window of opportunity in terms of heterogeneity of presentation, assessment, therapeutic goals and treatment options as well as the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to holistic care.

['Taylor|Peter C|PC|', 'Law|Shing T|ST|']

2019

33345828

Molecular mechanisms of action determine inhibition of paroxysmal depolarizing shifts by NMDA receptor antagonists in rat cortical neurons.

N-methyl-d-aspartate glutamate receptors (NMDARs) are involved in numerous central nervous system (CNS) processes, including epileptiform activity. We used a picrotoxin-induced epileptiform activity model to compare the action of different types of NMDAR antagonists in rat brain slices. Paroxysmal depolarizing shifts (PDS) were evoked by external stimulation in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) slices and recorded in pyramidal cells (PC) and in fast-spiking interneurons (FSI). The NMDAR antagonists APV and memantine reduced the duration of PDS. However, the competitive antagonist APV caused similar effects on the PC and FSI, while the open-channel blocker memantine had a much stronger effect on the PDS in the FSI than in the PC. This difference cannot be explained by a corresponding difference in NMDAR sensitivity to memantine because the drug inhibited the excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC) similarly in both cell types. Importantly, the PDS were significantly longer in the FSI than in the PC. The degree of PDS inhibition by memantine correlated with individual PDS durations in each cell type. Computer modeling of a synaptic network in the mPFC suggests that the different effects of memantine on the PDS in the PC and FSI can be explained by use dependence of its action. An open-channel blocking mechanism and competition with Mg2+ ions for the binding site result in pronounced inhibition of the long PDS, whereas the short PDS are weakly sensitive. Our results show that peculiarities of kinetics and the mechanism of action largely determine the effects of NMDAR antagonists on physiological and/or pathological processes.

['Nikolaev|Maxim V|MV|', 'Chizhov|Anton V|AV|', 'Tikhonov|Denis B|DB|']

2021

24560477

Buccal misoprostol plus laminaria for cervical preparation before dilation and evacuation at 21-23 weeks of gestation: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE To describe the effectiveness of buccal misoprostol as an adjunct to laminaria for cervical ripening before later second-trimester abortion by dilation and evacuation (D&E). METHODS A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of 196 women undergoing D&E between 21 and 23 weeks of gestation. Subjects had overnight laminaria and 400 mcg buccal misoprostol or placebo 3-4 h before the abortion. We used logarithmic transformation of the primary outcome--D&E procedure duration--to achieve a normal distribution. RESULTS Mean D&E duration was 1.7 min shorter with misoprostol (p=.02). The median duration was 9.7 versus 10.4 min in the misoprostol and placebo groups, respectively (p=.09). Cervical dilation was slightly greater with misoprostol (median 75 mm vs. 73 mm, p=.04); however, physicians did not find the misoprostol D&Es easier to complete. Half of subjects reported severe pain after misoprostol vs. 11% with placebo (p<.001). CONCLUSION Adjuvant buccal misoprostol results in slightly shorter D&Es at the cost of more side effects.

['Drey|Eleanor A|EA|', 'Benson|Lyndsey S|LS|', 'Sokoloff|Abby|A|', 'Steinauer|Jody E|JE|', 'Roy|Geneviève|G|', 'Jackson|Rebecca A|RA|']

2014

33754510

Effect of Transport Time on the Use of Reperfusion Therapy for Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke in Korea.

BACKGROUND We investigated the association between geographic proximity to hospitals and the administration rate of reperfusion therapy for acute ischemic stroke. METHODS We identified patients with acute ischemic stroke who visited the hospital within 12 hours of symptom onset from a prospective nationwide multicenter stroke registry. Reperfusion therapy was classified as intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), endovascular therapy (EVT), or combined therapy. The association between the proportion of patients who were treated with reperfusion therapy and the ground transport time was evaluated using a spline regression analysis adjusted for patient-level characteristics. We also estimated the proportion of Korean population that lived within each 30-minute incremental service area from 67 stroke centers accredited by the Korean Stroke Society. RESULTS Of 12,172 patients (mean age, 68 ± 13 years; men, 59.7%) who met the eligibility criteria, 96.5% lived within 90 minutes of ground transport time from the admitting hospital. The proportion of patients treated with IVT decreased significantly when stroke patients lived beyond 90 minutes of the transport time (P = 0.006). The proportion treated with EVT also showed a similar trend with the transport time. Based on the residential area, 98.4% of Korean population was accessible to 67 stroke centers within 90 minutes. CONCLUSION The use of reperfusion therapy for acute stroke decreased when patients lived beyond 90 minutes of the ground transport time from the hospital. More than 95% of the South Korean population was accessible to 67 stroke centers within 90 minutes of the ground transport time.

['Choi|Jay Chol|JC|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3550-2196', 'Kim|Joong Goo|JG|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4166-6023', 'Kang|Chul Hoo|CH|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4176-0941', 'Bae|Hee Joon|HJ|https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0051-1997', 'Kang|Jihoon|J|https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5715-6610', 'Lee|Soo Joo|SJ|https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8622-7000', 'Park|Jong Moo|JM|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4199-3024', 'Park|Tai Hwan|TH|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5148-1663', 'Cho|Yong Jin|YJ|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7843-1148', 'Lee|Kyung Bok|KB|https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2663-7483', 'Lee|Jun|J|https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8643-0797', 'Kim|Dong Eog|DE|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9339-6539', 'Cha|Jae Kwan|JK|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1049-5196', 'Kim|Joon Tae|JT|https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4028-8339', 'Lee|Byung Chul|BC|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3885-981X', 'Lee|Ji Sung|JS|https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8194-3462', 'Kim|Anthony S|AS|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8095-6517']

2021

34380469

Plasmonic photothermal release of docetaxel by gold nanoparticles incorporated onto halloysite nanotubes with conjugated 2D8-E3 antibodies for selective cancer therapy.

BACKGROUND Applied nanomaterials in targeted drug delivery have received increased attention due to tangible advantages, including enhanced cell adhesion and internalization, controlled targeted release, convenient detection in the body, enhanced biodegradation, etc. Furthermore, conjugation of the biologically active ingredients with the drug-containing nanocarriers (nanobioconjugates) has realized impressive opportunities in targeted therapy. Among diverse nanostructures, halloysite nanotubes (NHTs) with a rolled multilayer structure offer great possibilities for drug encapsulation and controlled release. The presence of a strong hydrogen bond network between the rolled HNT layers enables the controlled release of the encapsulated drug molecules through the modulation of hydrogen bonding either in acidic conditions or at higher temperatures. The latter can be conveniently achieved through the photothermal effect via the incorporation of plasmonic nanoparticles. RESULTS The developed nanotherapeutic integrated natural halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) as a carrier; gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for selective release; docetaxel (DTX) as a cytotoxic anticancer agent; human IgG1 sortilin 2D8-E3 monoclonal antibody (SORT) for selective targeting; and 3-chloropropyltrimethoxysilane as a linker for antibody attachment that also enhances the hydrophobicity of DTX@HNT/Au-SORT and minimizes DTX leaching in body's internal environment. HNTs efficiently store DTX at room temperature and release it at higher temperatures via disruption of interlayer hydrogen bonding. The role of the physical expansion and disruption of the interlayer hydrogen bonding in HNTs for the controlled DTX release has been studied by dynamic light scattering (DLS), electron microscopy (EM), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) at different pH conditions. HNT interlayer bond disruption has been confirmed to take place at a much lower temperature (44 °C) at low pH vs. 88 °C, at neutral pH thus enabling the effective drug release by DTX@HNT/Au-SORT through plasmonic photothermal therapy (PPTT) by light interaction with localized plasmon resonance (LSPR) of AuNPs incorporated into the HNT pores. CONCLUSIONS Selective ovarian tumor targeting was accomplished, demonstrating practical efficiency of the designed nanocomposite therapeutic, DTX@HNT/Au-SORT. The antitumor activity of DTX@HNT/Au-SORT (apoptosis of 90 ± 0.3%) was confirmed by in vitro experiments using a caov-4 (ATCC HTB76) cell line (sortilin expression > 70%) that was successfully targeted by the sortilin 2D8-E3 mAb, tagged on the DTX@HNT/Au.

['Taheri-Ledari|Reza|R|http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6511-9411', 'Zhang|Wenjie|W|', 'Radmanesh|Maral|M|', 'Cathcart|Nicole|N|', 'Maleki|Ali|A|http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5490-3350', 'Kitaev|Vladimir|V|http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2922-000X']

2021

28737857

Seroprevalence of Bordetella pertussis among vaccinated and unvaccinated pregnant women and newborn infants in a university hospital of Buenos Aires.

INTRODUCTION Pertussis is a highly contagious disease caused by Bordetella pertussis. It poses a high morbidity and mortality rate, especially among infants younger than 6 months old. In Argentina, pertussis incidence and mortality have increased over the past three decades. OBJETIVE To establish Bordetella pertussisantibody titers among pregnant women in their third trimester and among newborn infants, as measured in cord blood. METHODS This was an observational, cross-sectional study. The study started in 2011; at that time, pertussis vaccination was not mandatory for pregnant women as per the national immunization schedule, only optional. Maternal antibodies were measured in the last trimester of pregnancy for women and in cord blood for newborn infants. Antibody titers were determined using Abcam's anti-Bordetella pertussis toxin (PT) IgG in vitro ELISA kit. The χ² test was used to compare prevalence rates. RESULTS The study included 111 mother-newborn infant dyads; 35 infants from unvaccinated mothers (before the introduction of the vaccine) and 76 from vaccinated mothers. Positive IgG antibodies were found in 92% (70/76) of infants born from vaccinated mothers whereas 100% (35/35) of infants born from unvaccinated mothers had negative results for antibodies; p < 0.001. CONCLUSION In the vaccinated population of this study, 92% of infants had positive IgG antibodies. This study supports the need for maternal immunization against Bordetella pertussis to provide protection to newborn infants.

['Bosch|Juan J|JJ|', 'Fernández|Hilaria|H|', 'Polak|Fernando P|FP|', 'Musante|Gabriel|G|', 'Libster|Romina|R|', 'Rocca Rivarola|Manuel|M|']

2017

34698290

SPECT/CT in the Evaluation of Suspected Skeletal Pathology.

Dedicated multi-slice single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) cameras have become widely available and are becoming a mainstay of clinical practice. The integration of SPECT and CT allow for precise anatomic location of scintigraphic findings. Fusion imaging with SPECT/CT can improve both sensitivity and specificity by reducing equivocal interpretation in comparison to planar scintigraphy or SPECT alone. This review article addresses the technique, basic science principles, and applications of integrated SPECT/CT in the evaluation of musculoskeletal pathology.

['Koppula|Bhasker Rao|BR|', 'Morton|Kathryn A|KA|', 'Al-Dulaimi|Ragheed|R|', 'Fine|Gabriel C|GC|', 'Damme|Nikolas M|NM|', 'Brown|Richard K J|RKJ|']

2021

29997471

Anodal and Cathodal tDCS Over the Right Frontal Eye Fields Impacts Spatial Probability Processing Differently in Pro- and Anti-saccades.

Learning regularities that exist in the environment can help the visual system achieve optimal efficiency while reducing computational burden. Using a pro- and anti-saccade task, studies have shown that probabilistic information regarding spatial locations can be a strong modulator of frontal eye fields (FEF) activities and consequently alter saccadic behavior. One recent study has also shown that FEF activities can be modulated by transcranial direct current stimulation, where anodal tDCS facilitated prosaccades but cathodal tDCS prolonged antisaccades. These studies together suggest that location probability and tDCS can both alter FEF activities and oculomotor performance, yet how these two modulators interact with each other remains unclear. In this study, we applied anodal or cathodal tDCS over right FEF, and participants performed an interleaved pro- and anti-saccade task. Location probability was manipulated in prosaccade trials but not antisaccade trials. We observed that anodal tDCS over rFEF facilitated prosaccdes toward low-probability locations but not to high-probability locations; whereas cathodal tDCS facilitated antisaccades away from the high-probability location (i.e., same location as the low-probability locations in prosaccades). These observed effects were specific to rFEF as tDCS over the SEF in a separate control experiment did not yield similar patterns. These effects were also more pronounced in low-performers who had slower saccade reaction time. Together, we conclude that (1) the overlapping spatial endpoint between prosaccades (i.e., toward low-probability location) and antisaccades (i.e., away from high-probability location) possibly suggest an endpoint-selective mechanism within right FEF, (2) anodal tDCS and location probability cannot be combined to produce a bigger facilitative effect, and (3) anodal rFEF tDCS works best on low-performers who had slower saccade reaction time. These observations are consistent with the homeostasis account of tDCS effect and FEF functioning.

['Tseng|Philip|P|', 'Wang|Mu-Chen|MC|', 'Lo|Yu-Hui|YH|', 'Juan|Chi-Hung|CH|']

2018

33339362

Transplantation of Neural Precursors Derived from Induced Pluripotent Cells Preserve Perineuronal Nets and Stimulate Neural Plasticity in ALS Rats.

A promising therapeutic strategy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) treatment is stem cell therapy. Neural progenitors derived from induced pluripotent cells (NP-iPS) might rescue or replace dying motoneurons (MNs). However, the mechanisms responsible for the beneficial effect are not fully understood. The aim here was to investigate the mechanism by studying the effect of intraspinally injected NP-iPS into asymptomatic and early symptomatic superoxide dismutase (SOD)1G93A transgenic rats. Prior to transplantation, NP-iPS were characterized in vitro for their ability to differentiate into a neuronal phenotype. Motor functions were tested in all animals, and the tissue was analyzed by immunohistochemistry, qPCR, and Western blot. NP-iPS transplantation significantly preserved MNs, slowed disease progression, and extended the survival of all treated animals. The dysregulation of spinal chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans was observed in SOD1G93A rats at the terminal stage. NP-iPS application led to normalized host genes expression (versican, has-1, tenascin-R, ngf, igf-1, bdnf, bax, bcl-2, and casp-3) and the protection of perineuronal nets around the preserved MNs. In the host spinal cord, transplanted cells remained as progenitors, many in contact with MNs, but they did not differentiate. The findings suggest that NP-iPS demonstrate neuroprotective properties by regulating local gene expression and regulate plasticity by modulating the central nervous system (CNS) extracellular matrix such as perineuronal nets (PNNs).

['Forostyak|Serhiy|S|0000-0001-5181-7756', 'Forostyak|Oksana|O|', 'Kwok|Jessica C F|JCF|0000-0002-9798-9083', 'Romanyuk|Nataliya|N|', 'Rehorova|Monika|M|', 'Kriska|Jan|J|0000-0001-5684-5828', 'Dayanithi|Govindan|G|0000-0002-1009-7809', 'Raha-Chowdhury|Ruma|R|', 'Jendelova|Pavla|P|0000-0002-4644-9212', 'Anderova|Miroslava|M|', 'Fawcett|James W|JW|', 'Sykova|Eva|E|']

2020

30984233

Big Data Needs Big Governance: Best Practices From Brain-CODE, the Ontario-Brain Institute's Neuroinformatics Platform.

The Ontario Brain Institute (OBI) has begun to catalyze scientific discovery in the field of neuroscience through its large-scale informatics platform, known as Brain-CODE. The platform supports the capture, storage, federation, sharing, and analysis of different data types across several brain disorders. Underlying the platform is a robust and scalable data governance structure which allows for the flexibility to advance scientific understanding, while protecting the privacy of research participants. Recognizing the value of an open science approach to enabling discovery, the governance structure was designed not only to support collaborative research programs, but also to support open science by making all data open and accessible in the future. OBI's rigorous approach to data sharing maintains the accessibility of research data for big discoveries without compromising privacy and security. Taking a Privacy by Design approach to both data sharing and development of the platform has allowed OBI to establish some best practices related to large-scale data sharing within Canada. The aim of this report is to highlight these best practices and develop a key open resource which may be referenced during the development of similar open science initiatives.

['Lefaivre|Shannon|S|', 'Behan|Brendan|B|', 'Vaccarino|Anthony|A|', 'Evans|Kenneth|K|', 'Dharsee|Moyez|M|', 'Gee|Tom|T|', 'Dafnas|Costa|C|', 'Mikkelsen|Tom|T|', 'Theriault|Elizabeth|E|']

2019

31628569

Evaluation of Surgical Pleth Index and Analgesia Nociception Index as surrogate pain measures in conscious postoperative patients: an observational study.

We evaluated the performance of the Surgical Plethysmographic Index (SPI) and the Analgesia Nociception Index (ANI) as surrogate pain measures and determined their respective cut-off values for detecting pain in conscious postoperative patients. In total, 192 patients after elective surgery were enrolled. Baseline SPI and ANI data were acquired for 10 min in the operating room prior to surgery when the patients rated their pain as 0 on the numerical rating scale (NRS). Upon arrival in the post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU) after surgery, SPI and ANI data were recorded for 10 min. The means of the recorded data at OR and PACU were defined as the values representing baseline and postoperative pain, respectively. SPI and ANI data obtained from 189 patients were analysed, who were anesthetized with propofol (n = 149) or sevoflurane (n = 40). Remifentanil was continuously infused intraoperatively in all patients. The values of SPI and ANI were significantly different in conscious patients without (NRS = 0) and with pain (NRS > 0). The areas under the receiver operating curves for SPI and ANI were 0.73 (P < 0.0001) and 0.67 (P < 0.0001), respectively. The cut-off values for SPI and ANI in predicting postoperative pain were 44 (sensitivity: 84%, specificity: 53%) and 63 (sensitivity: 52%, specificity: 82%), respectively, which are different from those suggested by their respective manufacturers for use in intraoperative state under general anaesthesia. The cut-off values of SPI and ANI for detecting pain were similar regardless of the type of anesthesia.

['Lee|Joo-Hyun|JH|http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6224-1788', 'Choi|Byung-Moon|BM|http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6561-8851', 'Jung|Yu-Ri|YR|http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7446-3735', 'Lee|Yong-Hun|YH|http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1724-7996', 'Bang|Ji-Yeon|JY|http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1031-9539', 'Noh|Gyu-Jeong|GJ|http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1964-9294']

2020

26843588

Coffee Consumption Increases the Antioxidant Capacity of Plasma and Has No Effect on the Lipid Profile or Vascular Function in Healthy Adults in a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND Coffee, a source of antioxidants, has controversial effects on cardiovascular health. OBJECTIVE We evaluated the bioavailability of chlorogenic acids (CGAs) in 2 coffees and the effects of their consumption on the plasma antioxidant capacity (AC), the serum lipid profile, and the vascular function in healthy adults. METHODS Thirty-eight men and 37 women with a mean ± SD age of 38.5 ± 9 y and body mass index of 24.1 ± 2.6 kg/m(2) were randomly assigned to 3 groups: a control group that did not consume coffee or a placebo and 2 groups that consumed 400 mL coffee/d for 8 wk containing a medium (MCCGA; 420 mg) or high (HCCGA; 780 mg) CGA content. Both were low in diterpenes (0.83 mg/d) and caffeine (193 mg/d). Plasma caffeic and ferulic acid concentrations were measured by GC, and the plasma AC was evaluated with use of the ferric-reducing antioxidant power method. The serum lipid profile, nitric oxide (NO) plasma metabolites, vascular endothelial function (flow-mediated dilation; FMD), and blood pressure (BP) were evaluated. RESULTS After coffee consumption (1 h and 8 wk), caffeic and ferulic acid concentrations increased in the coffee-drinking groups, although the values of the 2 groups were significantly different (P < 0.001); caffeic and ferulic acid concentrations were undetectable in the control group. At 1 h after consumption, the plasma AC in the control group was significantly lower than the baseline value (-2%) and significantly increased in the MCCGA (6%) and HCCGA (5%) groups (P < 0.05). After 8 wk, no significant differences in the lipid, FMD, BP, or NO plasma metabolite values were observed between the groups. CONCLUSIONS Both coffees, which contained CGAs and were low in diterpenes and caffeine, provided bioavailable CGAs and had a positive acute effect on the plasma AC in healthy adults and no effect on blood lipids or vascular function. The group that did not drink coffee showed no improvement in serum lipid profile, FMD, BP, or NO plasma metabolites. This trial was registered at registroclinico.sld.cu as RPCEC00000168.

['Agudelo-Ochoa|Gloria M|GM|', 'Pulgarín-Zapata|Isabel C|IC|', 'Velásquez-Rodriguez|Claudia M|CM|', 'Duque-Ramírez|Mauricio|M|', 'Naranjo-Cano|Mauricio|M|', 'Quintero-Ortiz|Mónica M|MM|', 'Lara-Guzmán|Oscar J|OJ|', 'Muñoz-Durango|Katalina|K|']

2016

32593895

Effect of administration of β-hydroxy-β-methyl butyrate-enriched formula after liver transplantation: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE Most patients undergoing liver transplantation (LT) have decreased skeletal muscle mass, malnutrition, and decreased physical activity levels. These comorbidities may prevent early recovery after surgery. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of oral nutritional formula-enriched β-hydroxy-β-methyl-butyrate (HMB), a leucine metabolite that promotes muscle synthesis and suppresses proteolysis, on postoperative sarcopenia and other outcomes after adult-to-adult living donor LT (LDLT). METHODS Thirty-three consecutive patients who underwent adult LDLT between March 2017 and October 2018 and who met inclusion criteria were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to the HMB or control group. Patients in the HMB group received two packs of HMB-rich nutrients per day, which contained calcium-HMB (1500 mg), l-arginine (7000 mg), and l -glutamine (7000 mg) per pack orally or enterally from postoperative day 1 to 30 with postoperative rehabilitation. The primary endpoint was grip strength (GS) at 2 mo after LDLT. Secondary endpoints included GS at 1 mo after LDLT, skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) at 1 and 2 mo after LDLT, laboratory findings, incidence of postoperative bacteremia, and postoperative hospital length of stay (LOS). RESULTS Twelve patients in the HMB group and 11 in the control group were included in the final analysis. GS at 1 and 2 mo and SMI values at 2 mo were significantly higher in the HMB group than in the control group (GS: both P < 0.001, SMI: P = 0.04). In the HMB group, white blood cell count 3 wk after LDLT was significantly lower (P = 0.005), and postoperative hospital LOS was significantly shorter (P = 0.028) compared with the control group. The incidence of postoperative bacteremia was lower in the HMB group. CONCLUSIONS Postoperative administration of HMB-enriched formula with rehabilitation significantly increased GS at 1 and 2 mo and SMI at 2 mo and shortened postoperative hospital LOS after LDLT.

['Kamo|Naoko|N|', 'Kaido|Toshimi|T|', 'Uozumi|Ryuji|R|', 'Ito|Takashi|T|', 'Yagi|Shintaro|S|', 'Hata|Koichiro|K|', 'Taura|Kojiro|K|', 'Uemoto|Shinji|S|']

2020

30116274

The Significance of Serum Interleukin-8 in Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Backgrounds Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is closely related to disease mortality. Systemic inflammation is considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of AECOPD. The current study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of the classic chemokine interleukin (IL)-8 in serum during AECOPD. Materials and Methods In this current cross sectional, observational study, 50 patients with AECOPD, 25 patients with stable COPD and 25 healthy nonsmokers as the control group were selected. Clinical characteristics and spirometry data were collected. All patients were classified as grade 1-4 based on forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) after bronchodilation according to the GOLD severity classification and were divided into frequent exacerbation (FE) group (≥2 times/year) and non-frequent exacerbation (NFE) group (<1 time/year) according to acute exacerbation (AE) times in the previous 12 months before the visit. The serum IL-8, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and superoxide dismutase levels were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. Results Serum IL-8 levels increased sequentially from controls [9.45 pg/mL (ranged: 6.85-38.4)], to stable [51.60 pg/mL (ranged: 22.4-131.1)], and exacerbation stage [129 pg/mL (ranged: 57.7-374)]. The level of serum IL-8 was significant higher in patients with FE than that of patients with NFE (209.0 pg/mL (ranged: 115-472) vs 65.6 pg/mL (ranged: 11.2-149.3), P=0.008). A receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC) generated to evaluate IL-8, IL-6, and TNF-α levels to discriminate between patients with and without exacerbation showed that the total area under the curve (AUC) was 0.71 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.5764-0.8381; P=0.003), 0.54 (95%CI: 0.4048-0.6943; P=0.54), and 0.52 (95%CI: 0.3912-0.6656; P= 0.7). Conclusion Serum IL-8 is a sensitive, easy-to-measure, and inexpensive biomarker to give an indication of the course of COPD during exacerbation, and is a target to be explored further as a predictor to distinguish the patients prone to exacerbation.

['Zhang|Jingxi|J|', 'Bai|Chong|C|']

2018

27665473

Effects of 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine on expression of PP1γ in learning and memory.

BACKGROUND Learning and memory is a complex process. Some reports have shown that protein kinases (PKs) and phosphatases (PPs) are important mediators in this process. And it is also well known that protein serine/threonine phosphatase 1 (PP1) and DNA methylation are critically involved in learning and memory. METHODS In the current study, the mice and cultured cells (NG108-15) were treated with vehicle or 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-cdR), a DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitor. The ability of learning and memory of mice was detected by Morris Water Maze, while the mRNA and protein expression levels of DNMTs and PP1γ in mice hippocampus were measured by real-time PCR and western-blot. To further clarify whether the 5-aza-cdR effects on learning and memory depend on cell proliferation/apoptosis or not, the effects of 5-aza-cdR on the cell proliferation, apoptosis, and PP1γ transcriptional activity were analyzed by using the xCelligence system, flow cytometer and Luciferase reporter assay, respectively. RESULTS The ability of learning and memory was increased while the expressions of DNMTs and PP1γ were decreased in the hippocampus of mice which were injected with 5-aza-cdR. In vitro experiments showed 10μM 5-aza-cdR inhibited cell proliferation, decreased PP1γ transcription without inducing apoptosis. CONCLUSION Our data demonstrate that the 5-aza-cdR restrains the expression of PP1γ which is related to learning and memory in the mice.

['Zhang|Zhuxia|Z|', 'Yang|Jie|J|', 'Liu|Xiaolei|X|', 'Jia|Xiaoe|X|', 'Xu|Shengdi|S|', 'Gong|Kerui|K|', 'Yan|Shaochun|S|', 'Zhang|Chunyang|C|', 'Shao|Guo|G|']

2016

29105294

Regional differences in the incidence of tuberculosis among patients with newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE There are regional differences in the burden of tuberculosis (TB). Although these differences might be explained by regional differences in the risk factors of TB, whether such risk factors are actually associated with the regional differences in the TB burden remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the risk factors of and regional differences in TB incidence. METHODS A cohort study applying nationwide claims database in Republic of Korea included patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in 2009. The main outcome was the incidence of TB defined based on the diagnostic codes combined with anti-tuberculosis treatment repeated within 90 days. Sixteen regions were categorized into 3 groups according to the age- and sex-standardized TB incidence rates. Multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for risk factors was performed to identify the determinants of the regional differences in TB incidence. RESULTS Among 331 601 participants newly diagnosed with type 2 DM and with no history of previous TB, 1216 TB cases were observed. The regional TB incidence rates ranged between 2.3 and 5.9/1000 patients. Multivariate analyses did not identify any determinants of regional differences in the TB incidence among the various risk factors, including age, sex, health care utilization, co-morbidities, medication and treatment and complications of DM. Similarly, temperature, humidity and latent TB infection rate also did not affect the results. CONCLUSIONS Although substantial regional differences in the TB incidence rate were observed among patients with newly diagnosed DM, no determinants of regional difference were identified among the risk factors.

['Yang|Bo Ram|BR|', 'Kang|Young Ae|YA|', 'Heo|Eun Young|EY|', 'Koo|Bo Kyung|BK|', 'Choi|Nam-Kyong|NK|', 'Hwang|Seung-Sik|SS|', 'Lee|Chang-Hoon|CH|http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9960-1524']

2018

32905549

ADAR1 regulates melanoma cell invasiveness by controlling beta3-integrin via microRNA-30 family members.

Melanoma cells utilize multiple mechanisms to exit the primary tumor mass, invade the surroundings and subsequently distant tissues. We have previously reported that the expression of the RNA editing enzyme ADAR1 (adenosine deaminase acting on RNA) is downregulated in metastatic melanoma, which facilitates proliferation and invasion. Here we show that ADAR1 controls melanoma invasiveness by regulating ITGB3 expression via miR-30a and miR-30d. ADAR1 overexpression or knockdown leads to an increase or decrease, respectively, in the expression of both microRNAs. The effect is independent of RNA-editing. Dual luciferase assays show that both microRNAs directly regulate the expression of the ITGB3 integrin. Overexpression of the miR-30a or miR-30d lead to a decrease in ITGB3 and a resultant decreased invasive and metastatic capacities. Neutralization of the endogenous miR-30a or miR-30d leads to the opposite effect. The microRNAs regulate ITGB3 levels probably through a post-transcriptional effect, as both mRNA and protein levels of ITGB3 are affected. These results further expand our knowledge on the ADAR1-ITGB3 network and its central role in acquisition of the invasive phenotype of metastatic melanoma.

['Nemlich|Yael|Y|', 'Besser|Michal J|MJ|', 'Schachter|Jacob|J|', 'Markel|Gal|G|']

2020

29750628

Effect of Dentists' Appearance Related with Dental Fear and Caries aStatus in 6-12 Years Old Children.

OBJECTIVE The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of dental fear, the relationship between dental fear and dental caries and the dentist appearance most likely to reduce anxiety among children. In this way, dental treatment could be made more effective by changing the dentist's appearance. STUDY DESIGN The "Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale" and a questionnaire 'designed to examine the children's preferences for their dentist's appearance', were administered to 810 patients between 6-12 years of age. Patients were examined after completing the questionnaires, and their DMFT/dmft indexes were determined. Patients were divided into three subgroups according to their CFSS-DS scores. RESULTS Among patients, anxiety scores differed significantly by age and gender (p=0.046, p=0.001). Specifically, higher anxiety scores were identified among 6- to 8-year-olds and in female patients relative to their respective counterparts. A statistically significant association between anxiety and dental caries was detected. (DMFT p=0.030/dmft p=0.015), and DMFT/dmft scores were found to be higher among patients with high levels of dental anxiety than among patients with low levels of dental anxiety. Additionally, children were highly perceptive of and exhibited strong preferences for the appearance of their dentist. CONCLUSION Anxiety and dental caries were associated; small alterations in a dentist's appearance may reduce dental anxiety among children.

['Yahyaoglu|Ozge|O|', 'Baygin|Ozgul|O|', 'Yahyaoglu|Gorkem|G|', 'Tuzuner|Tamer|T|']

2018

27208529

Hybrid analysis for indicating patients with breast cancer using temperature time series.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. Diagnosis and treatment in early stages increase cure chances. The temperature of cancerous tissue is generally higher than that of healthy surrounding tissues, making thermography an option to be considered in screening strategies of this cancer type. This paper proposes a hybrid methodology for analyzing dynamic infrared thermography in order to indicate patients with risk of breast cancer, using unsupervised and supervised machine learning techniques, which characterizes the methodology as hybrid. The dynamic infrared thermography monitors or quantitatively measures temperature changes on the examined surface, after a thermal stress. In the dynamic infrared thermography execution, a sequence of breast thermograms is generated. In the proposed methodology, this sequence is processed and analyzed by several techniques. First, the region of the breasts is segmented and the thermograms of the sequence are registered. Then, temperature time series are built and the k-means algorithm is applied on these series using various values of k. Clustering formed by k-means algorithm, for each k value, is evaluated using clustering validation indices, generating values treated as features in the classification model construction step. A data mining tool was used to solve the combined algorithm selection and hyperparameter optimization (CASH) problem in classification tasks. Besides the classification algorithm recommended by the data mining tool, classifiers based on Bayesian networks, neural networks, decision rules and decision tree were executed on the data set used for evaluation. Test results support that the proposed analysis methodology is able to indicate patients with breast cancer. Among 39 tested classification algorithms, K-Star and Bayes Net presented 100% classification accuracy. Furthermore, among the Bayes Net, multi-layer perceptron, decision table and random forest classification algorithms, an average accuracy of 95.38% was obtained.

['Silva|Lincoln F|LF|', 'Santos|Alair Augusto S M D|AA|', 'Bravo|Renato S|RS|', 'Silva|Aristófanes C|AC|', 'Muchaluat-Saade|Débora C|DC|', 'Conci|Aura|A|']

2016

30881486

Characterizing diversity of food systems in view of sustainability transitions. A review.

Dominant food systems are configured from the productivist paradigm, which focuses on producing large amounts of inexpensive and standardized foods. Although these food systems continue being supported worldwide, they are no longer considered fit-for-purpose as they have been proven unsustainable in environmental and social terms. A large body of scientific literature argues that a transition from the dominant food systems to alternative ones built around the wider principles of sustainable production and rural development is needed. Promoting such a sustainability transition would benefit from a diagnosis of food system types to identify those systems that may harbor promising characteristics for a transition to sustainable food systems. While research on food system transitions abounds, an operational approach to characterize the diversity of food systems taking a system perspective is still lacking. In this paper we review the literature on how transitions to sustainable food systems may play out and present a framework based on the Multi-Level Perspective on Socio-Technical Transitions, which builds upon conceptual developments from social and natural science disciplines. The objectives of the framework are to (i) characterize the diversity of existing food systems at a certain geographical scale based on a set of structural characteristics and (ii) classify the food systems in terms of their support by mainstream practices, i.e., dominant food systems connected to regimes; deviate radically from them, niche food systems such as those based on grassroots innovation; or share elements of dominant and niche food systems, i.e., hybrid food systems. An example is given of application of our framework to vegetable food systems with a focus on production, distribution, and consumption of low-or-no pesticide vegetables in Chile. Drawing on this illustrative example we reflect on usefulness, shortcomings, and further development and use of the diagnostic framework.

['Gaitán-Cremaschi|Daniel|D|0000-0002-1549-2330', 'Klerkx|Laurens|L|', 'Duncan|Jessica|J|', 'Trienekens|Jacques H|JH|', 'Huenchuleo|Carlos|C|', 'Dogliotti|Santiago|S|', 'Contesse|María E|ME|', 'Rossing|Walter A H|WAH|']

2019

34721170

Patterns of Adaptation in Child-Directed and Child Speech in the Emergence of Hebrew Verbs.

Children approach verb learning in ways that are specific to their native language, given the differential typological organization of verb morphology and lexical semantics. Parent-child interaction is the arena where children's socio-cognitive abilities enable them to track predictive relationships between tokens and extract linguistic generalizations from patterns and regularities in the ambient language. The current study examines how the system of Hebrew verbs develops as a network over time in early childhood, and the dynamic role of input-output adaptation in the network's increasing complexity. Focus is on the morphological components of Hebrew verbs in a dense corpus of two parent-child dyads in natural interaction between the ages 1;8-2;2. The 91-hour corpus contained 371,547 word tokens, 62,824 verb tokens, and 1,410 verb types (lemmas) in CDS and CS together. Network analysis was employed to explore the changing distributions and emergent systematicity of the relations between verb roots and verb patterns. Taking the Semitic root and pattern morphological constructs to represent linked nodes in a network, findings show that children's networks change with age in terms of node degree and node centrality, representing linkage level and construct importance respectively; and in terms of network density, as representing network growth potential. We put forward three main hypotheses followed by findings concerning (i) changes in verb usage through development, (ii) CS adaptation, and (iii) CDS adaptation: First, we show that children go through punctuated development, expressed by their using individual constructs for short periods of time, whereas parents' patterns of usage are more coherent. Second, regarding CS adaptation within a dynamic network system relative to time and CDS, we conclude that children are attuned to their immediate experience consisting of current CDS usage as well as previous usage in the immediate past. Finally, we show that parents (unintentionally) adapt to their children's language knowledge in three ways: First, by relating to their children's current usage. Second, by expanding on previous experience, building upon the usage their children have already been exposed to. And third, we show that when parents experience a limited network in the speech of their children, they provide them with more opportunities to expand their system in future interactions.

['Dattner|Elitzur|E|', 'Levie|Ronit|R|', 'Ravid|Dorit|D|', 'Ashkenazi|Orit|O|']

2021

27112155

A comparison of phase imaging and quantitative susceptibility mapping in the imaging of multiple sclerosis lesions at ultrahigh field.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to compare the use of high-resolution phase and QSM images acquired at ultra-high field in the investigation of multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions with peripheral rings, and to discuss their usefulness for drawing inferences about underlying tissue composition. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-nine Subjects were scanned at 7 T, using 3D T 2*-weighted and T 1-weighted sequences. Phase images were then unwrapped and filtered, and quantitative susceptibility maps were generated using a thresholded k-space division method. Lesions were compared visually and using a 1D profiling algorithm. RESULTS Lesions displaying peripheral rings in the phase images were identified in 10 of the 39 subjects. Dipolar projections were apparent in the phase images outside of the extent of several of these lesions; however, QSM images showed peripheral rings without such projections. These projections appeared ring-like in a small number of phase images where no ring was observed in QSM. 1D profiles of six well-isolated example lesions showed that QSM contrast corresponds more closely to the magnitude images than phase contrast. CONCLUSIONS Phase images contain dipolar projections, which confounds their use in the investigation of tissue composition in MS lesions. Quantitative susceptibility maps correct these projections, providing insight into the composition of MS lesions showing peripheral rings.

['Cronin|Matthew John|MJ|http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3474-6949', 'Wharton|Samuel|S|', 'Al-Radaideh|Ali|A|', 'Constantinescu|Cris|C|', 'Evangelou|Nikos|N|', 'Bowtell|Richard|R|', 'Gowland|Penny Anne|PA|']

2016

34837464

Efficient Organic Solar Cells Enabled by Simple Non-Fused Electron Donors with Low Synthetic Complexity.

Fused-ring electron donors boost the efficiency of organic solar cells (OSCs), but they suffer from high cost and low yield for their large synthetic complexity (SC > 30%). Herein, the authors develop a series of simple non-fused-ring electron donors, PF1 and PF2, which alternately consist of furan-3-carboxylate and 2,2'-bithiophene. Note that PF1 and PF2 present very small SC of 9.7% for their inexpensive raw materials, facile synthesis, and high synthetic yield. Compared to their all-thiophene-backbone counterpart PT-E, two new polymers feature larger conjugated plane, resulting in higher hole mobility for them, especially a value up to ≈10-4 cm2 V-1 ·s for PF2 with longer alkyl side chain. Meanwhile, PF1 and PF2 exhibit larger dielectric constant and deeper electronic energy level versus PT-E. Benefiting from the better physicochemical properties, the efficiencies of PF1- and PF2-based devices are improved by ≈16.7% and ≈71.3% relative to that PT-E-based devices, respectively. Furthermore, the optimized PF2-based devices with introducing PC71 BM as the third component deliver a higher efficiency of 12.40%. The work not only indicates that furan-3-carboxylate is a simple yet efficient building block for constructing non-fused-ring polymers but also provides a promising electron donor PF2 for the low-cost production of OSCs.

['Gao|Yueyue|Y|', 'Cui|Minghuan|M|', 'Qu|Shengchun|S|', 'Zhao|Huaping|H|', 'Shen|Zhitao|Z|', 'Tan|Furui|F|', 'Dong|Yulian|Y|', 'Qin|Chaochao|C|', 'Wang|Zhijie|Z|', 'Zhang|Weifeng|W|', 'Wang|Zhangguo|Z|', 'Lei|Yong|Y|https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5048-7433']

2021

24396807

Facilitating Stroke Management using Modern Information Technology.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Information technology and mobile devices may be beneficial and useful in many aspects of stroke management, including recognition of stroke, transport and triage of patients, emergent stroke evaluation at the hospital, and rehabilitation. In this review, we address the contributions of information technology and mobile health to stroke management. SUMMARY OF ISSUES Rapid detection and triage are essential for effective thrombolytic treatment. Awareness of stroke warning signs and responses to stroke could be enhanced by using mobile applications. Furthermore, prehospital assessment and notification could be streamlined for use in telemedicine and teleradiology. A mobile telemedicine system for assessing the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores has shown higher correlation and fast assessment comparing with face-to-face method. Because the benefits of thrombolytic treatment are time-dependent, treatment should be initiated as quickly as possible. In-hospital communication between multidisciplinary team members can be enhanced using information technology. A computerized in-hospital alert system using computerized physician-order entry was shown to be effective in reducing the time intervals from hospital arrival to medical evaluations and thrombolytic treatment. Mobile devices can also be used as supplementary tools for neurologic examination and clinical decision-making. In post-stroke rehabilitation, virtual reality and telerehabilitation are helpful. Mobile applications might be useful for public awareness, lifestyle modification, and education/training of healthcare professionals. CONCLUSIONS Information technology and mobile health are useful tools for management of stroke patients from the acute period to rehabilitation. Further improvement of technology will change and enhance stroke prevention and treatment.

['Nam|Hyo Suk|HS|', 'Park|Eunjeong|E|', 'Heo|Ji Hoe|JH|']

2013

32592009

The effect of surgical menopause after bilateral oophorectomy on hormonal changes, mucociliary clearance, and quality of life.

PURPOSE The removal of the ovaries for any reason causes surgical menopause. Hormonal changes that occur progressively over 5-10 years in natural menopause occur acutely in surgical menopause. Signs of estrogen deficiency appear suddenly and are permanent after this surgery. This study investigated the short- and long-term effects of estrogen deficiency occurring after surgical menopause on both nasal mucociliary activity and sinonasal symptoms. METHODS This prospective study included women aged 20-45 years who were not in the menopause, who had a planned bilateral oophorectomy and who attended the Gynecology Clinic at the Faculty of Medicine at a university hospital between January 2018 and December 2019. The nasal mucociliary clearance time, and blood Estradiol (E2) and FSH levels were measured once in the preoperative period, and at the postoperative 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th months. At the same times, the Sinonasal Outcome Test 22 (SNOT-22) was also applied. RESULTS The average age of the 47 patients was 41.2 ± 2.7. The mean serum estradiol levels of the women were 164.7 ± 63.4 pg/ml in the preoperative period, 14.8 ± 3.7 pg/ml at the postoperative 3rd month, 12.5 ± 3.5 pg/ml at the postoperative 6th month, 11.6 ± 3.0 pg/ml at the postoperative 9th month, and 11.1 ± 2.7 pg/ml at the postoperative 12th month. The mean FSH levels of the women were 9.4 ± 2.4 mIU/ml in the preoperative period, 60.5 ± 9.6 mIU/ml at the postoperative 3rd month, 61.9 ± 9.4 mIU/ml at the postoperative 6th month, 63.0 ± 9.3 mIU/ml at the postoperative 9th month, and 64.6 ± 8.7 mIU/ml at the postoperative 12th month. The changes in postoperative mean estradiol and FSH levels over a year were significant and consistent with menopausal symptoms (p < 0.001). The mean mucociliary clearance times were 12.6 ± 1.2 before menopause, 13.2 ± 1.7 at the postoperative 3rd month, 14.5 ± 1.7 at the postoperative 6th month, 17.5 ± 1.6 at the postoperative 9th month, and 19.4 ± 1.9 at the postoperative 12th month. The extension of the mean mucociliary clearance time over 1 year was significant (p < 0.001). The mean scores for the SNOT-22 were 17.3 ± 6.9 before the operation, 17.8 ± 6.0 at the postoperative 3rd month, 19.6 ± 6.9 at the postoperative 6th month, 23.4 ± 10.4 at the postoperative 9th month, and 36.1 ± 10.0 at the postoperative 12th month. The mean scores for rhinologic symptoms were 5.2 ± 1.9 (3-11) in the preoperative period, 5.7 ± 2.0 (3-12) at the postoperative 3rd month, 7.1 ± 2.3 (4-14) at the postoperative 6th month, 9.3 ± 3.3 (4-16) at the postoperative 9th month, and 11.9 ± 3.3 (6-18) at the postoperative 12th month. The 1-year change in the SNOT-22 scores was found to be significant (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION After bilateral oophorectomy, menopausal hormonal values were acutely high in women. At the 1-year postmenopausal follow-up, the mean scores for the SNOT-22 had increased significantly. In other words, quality of life decreased in parallel with prolonged nasal mucociliary clearance time.

['Gumussoy|Sureyya|S|', 'Gumussoy|Murat|M|http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3258-7312', 'Hortu|Ismet|I|', 'Ergenoglu|Ahmet Mete|AM|']

2020

31416553

An ontology-based module of the information system ScolioMedIS for 3D digital diagnosis of adolescent scoliosis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Conventional information systems are built on top of a relational database. The main weakness of these systems is impossibility to define stable data schema ahead when the knowledge of the system is evolving and dynamic. The widely accepted alternatives to relational databases are ontologies that can be used for designing information systems. Many research papers describe various methods for improving reliability and precision in generating the type of the Lenke classification based on the image processing techniques or a computer program, but all of them require radiograph images. The main objective of this paper is to demonstrate the development of an ontology-based module of the information system ScolioMedIS for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) diagnosis and monitoring, which uses optical 3D methods to determine the Lenke classification of AIS and to avoid harmful effects of traditional radiation diagnosis. METHODS For creating an ontology-based module of the ScolioMedIS we used the following steps: specification, conceptualization, formalization and implementation. In the specification and conceptualization phase we performed data collection and analysis to define domain, concepts and relationships for ontology design. In the formalization and implementation stage we developed the OBR-Scolio ontology and the ontology-based module of the ScolioMedIS. The module employs the Protégé-OWL API, as a collection of Java interfaces for the OBR-Scolio ontology, which enables the creating, deleting, and editing of the basic elements of the OBR-Scolio ontology, as well as the querying of the ontology. RESULTS The ontology-based module of ScolioMedIS is tested on the datasets of 20 female and 15 male patients with AIS between the ages of 11 and 18, to categorize spinal curvatures and to automatically generate statistical indicators about the frequency of the basic spinal curvatures, degree of progression or regression of deformity and statistical indicators about curvature characteristics according to the Lenke classification system and Lenke scoliosis types. Results are then compared with analysis of the Lenke classification of 315 observed patients, performed using traditional radiation techniques. CONCLUSIONS This part of the system allows continuous monitoring of the progression/regression of spinal curvatures for each registered patient, which may provide a better management of scoliosis (diagnosis and treatment).

['Luković|Vanja|V|', 'Ćuković|Saša|S|', 'Milošević|Danijela|D|', 'Devedžić|Goran|G|']

2019

34003730

Implementation of a Fine Needle Aspirate Simulation Model.

Being able to appropriately perform fine needle aspiration (FNA) collecting techniques and sample preparation is essential in obtaining a diagnostic sample, which is a critical skill for veterinary practitioners. Collection and preparation of cytologic samples are skills gained through practice. Experience leads to refinement of technique and improved diagnostic quality. Using live patients for mass skills training is not feasible; therefore, an aspiration simulation model and laboratory session was developed to reinforce physical exam skills, appropriate selection of sample collection supplies, and collection technique. Materials for the models include Ping-Pong balls, silicone, instant vanilla pudding mix, water, and stuffed animals. The laboratory session allows veterinary students to practice lesion identification, isolation, aspiration, and successful preparation. Subsequent submission of the collected sample involves being able to expel and spread the sample on a slide and proper labeling. While the simulation experience was initially developed for a short course with 12 students, it has recently been incorporated into the required clinical pathology clinical year rotation for up to 100 fourth-year veterinary students. The model is inexpensive and efficient and allows for technique development and immediate instructor assessment and feedback.

['Stowe|Devorah M|DM|', 'Fiebrandt|Kate E|KE|', 'Druley|Gail E|GE|', 'Taylor|Abi J|AJ|']

2021

33158605

Is COVID-19 a Perfect Storm for Parkinson's Disease?

Three recent case reports (by Méndez-Guerrero et al.,Cohen et al., and Faber et al.) describe the development of acute parkinsonism following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We discuss possible underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms, and whether COVID-19 might be associated with elevated long-term risk of Parkinson's disease (PD).

['Brundin|Patrik|P|', 'Nath|Avindra|A|', 'Beckham|J David|JD|']

2020

24618197

Hospital readmissions after primary shoulder arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND Although shoulder arthroplasty procedures are more frequently performed in the United States, there is insufficient information on outcome measures such as hospital readmission rates or factors for readmission after surgery. METHODS The State Inpatient Database from 7 different states was used to identify patients who underwent hemiarthroplasty, total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA), or reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) from 2005 through 2010. The database was used to determine the 90-day readmission rate, causes of readmission, and risk factors for readmission. Multivariate modeling and a Cox proportional hazards model were used to measure factors and risk for readmission. RESULTS Included were 26,218 patients receiving shoulder arthroplasty, with an overall 90-day readmission rate of 7.3%. RTSA had the highest rate (11.2%), followed by hemiarthroplasty (8.2%) and TSA (6.0%; P < .001). Medical complications contributed to 82% of readmissions, and surgical complications contributed to 18%. Osteoarthritis was the most common medical diagnosis (11%), followed by deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism (4.4%) and pneumonia (3.9%). Infection was the most common surgical cause of readmission (4.8%), followed by dislocation (4.6%). There was a stepwise increase in risk of readmission with increasing age. Patients with Medicaid insurance had more than a 50% greater risk of readmission than patients with Medicare. Procedures performed at medium-volume and high-volume hospitals showed lower risk of readmission than low-volume centers. CONCLUSIONS Patients undergoing RTSA had higher hospital readmission rates than those undergoing hemiarthroplasty or TSA, but most readmissions after shoulder arthroplasty were due to medical causes.

['Schairer|William W|WW|', 'Zhang|Alan L|AL|', 'Feeley|Brian T|BT|']

2014

29428107

Evaluation of the 8th AJCC staging system for pathologically versus clinically staged pancreatic adenocarcinoma: A time to revisit a dogma?

BACKGROUND The 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system for pancreatic exocrine adenocarcinoma has been released. The current study seeks to assess the 7th and 8th editions among patients registered within the surveillance, epidemiology and end results (SEER) database. METHODS SEER database (2010-2013) has been accessed through SEER*Stat program and AJCC 8th edition stages were reconstructed utilizing the collaborative stage descriptions. Kaplan-Meier analysis of overall survival and pancreatic cancer-specific survival analyses (according to both 7th and 8th editions and according to whether pathological or clinical staging were conducted) has been performed. Multivariate analysis of factors affecting pancreatic cancer-specific survival was also conducted through a Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS A total of 18  948 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma were identified in the period from 2010-2013. Pancreatic cancer-specific survival among pathologically staged patients and according to the 8th edition showed significant differences for all pair wise comparisons among different stages (P < 0.0001) except for the comparison between stage IA and stage IB (P = 0.307) and the comparison between stage IB and stage IIA (P = 0.116). Moreover, P value for stage IA vs IIA was 0.014; while pancreatic cancer-specific survival according to the 7th edition among pathologically staged patients showed significant differences for all pair wise comparisons among different stages (P < 0.0001) except for the comparison between IA and IB (P = 0.072), the comparison between stage IIA and stage IIB (P = 0.065), the comparison between stage IIA and stage III (P = 0.059) and the comparison between IIB and III (P = 0.595). Among clinically staged patients (i.e. those who did not undergo initial radical surgery), the prognostic performance of both 7th and 8th stages for both overall survival and pancreatic cancer-specific survival was limited. CONCLUSION There is clearly a need to have two staging systems for pancreatic adenocarcinoma: pathological and clinical staging systems.

['Abdel-Rahman|Omar|O|']

2018

25464887

Design of a hydrogen peroxide-activatable agent that specifically targets cancer cells.

Some cancers, like acute myeloid leukemia (AML), use reactive oxygen species to endogenously activate cell proliferation and angiogenic signaling cascades. Thus many cancers display increases in reactive oxygen like hydrogen peroxide concentrations. To translate this finding into a therapeutic strategy we designed new hydrogen peroxide-activated agents with two key molecular pharmacophores. The first pharmacophore is a peroxide-acceptor and the second is a pendant amine. The acceptor is an N-(2,5-dihydroxyphenyl)acetamide susceptible to hydrogen peroxide oxidation. We hypothesized that selectivity between AML and normal cells could be achieved by tuning the pendant amine. Synthesis and testing of fourteen compounds that differed at the pendent amine led to the identification of an agent (14) with 2μM activity against AML cancer cells and an eleven fold-lower activity in healthy CD34+ blood stem cells. Interestingly, analysis shows that upon oxidation the pendant amine cyclizes, ejecting water, with the acceptor to give a bicyclic compound capable of reacting with nucleophiles. Preliminary mechanistic investigations show that AML cells made from addition of two oncogenes (NrasG12D and MLL-AF9) increase the ROS-status, is initially an anti-oxidant as hydrogen peroxide is consumed to activate the pro-drug, and cells respond by upregulating electrophilic defense as visualized by Western blotting of KEAP1. Thus, using this chemical approach we have obtained a simple, potent, and selective ROS-activated anti-AML agent.

['Vadukoot|Anish K|AK|', 'AbdulSalam|Safnas F|SF|', 'Wunderlich|Mark|M|', 'Pullen|Eboni D|ED|', 'Landero-Figueroa|Julio|J|', 'Mulloy|James C|JC|', 'Merino|Eddie J|EJ|']

2014

32786358

Design and Reconstruction of Regulatory Parts for Fast-frowing Vibrio natriegens Synthetic Biology.

The fast-growing Vibrio natriegens is an attractive robust chassis for diverse synthetic biology applications. However, V. natriegens lacks the suitable constitutive regulatory parts for precisely tuning the gene expression and, thus, recapitulating physiologically relevant changes in gene expression levels. In this study, we designed, constructed, and screened the synthetic regulatory parts by varying the promoter region and ribosome binding site element for V. natriegens with different transcriptional or translational strengths, respectively. The fluorescence intensities of the cells with different synthetic regulatory parts could distribute evenly over a wide range of 5 orders of magnitude. The selected synthetic regulatory parts had good stability in both nutrient-rich and minimal media. The precise combinatorial modulation of galP (GalP = galactose permease) and glk (Glk = glucokinase) from Escherichia coli by using three synthetic regulatory parts with different strengths was confirmed in a phosphoenolpyruvate:carbohydrate phosphotransferase system with inactive V. natriegens strain to alter the glucose transport. This work provides the simple, efficient, and standardized constitutive regulatory parts for V. natriegens synthetic biology.

['Wu|Fengli|F|', 'Chen|Wujiu|W|', 'Peng|Yanfeng|Y|', 'Tu|Ran|R|', 'Lin|Yuping|Y|', 'Xing|Jianmin|J|', 'Wang|Qinhong|Q|0000-0003-0004-2721']

2020

27274205

Typology of end-of-life priorities in Saudi females: averaging analysis and Q-methodology.

BACKGROUND Understanding culture-and sex-related end-of-life preferences is essential to provide quality end-of-life care. We have previously explored end-of-life choices in Saudi males and found important culture-related differences and that Q-methodology is useful in identifying intraculture, opinion-based groups. Here, we explore Saudi females' end-of-life choices. METHODS A volunteer sample of 68 females rank-ordered 47 opinion statements on end-of-life issues into a nine-category symmetrical distribution. The ranking scores of the statements were analyzed by averaging analysis and Q-methodology. RESULTS The mean age of the females in the sample was 30.3 years (range, 19-55 years). Among them, 51% reported average religiosity, 78% reported very good health, 79% reported very good life quality, and 100% reported high-school education or more. The extreme five overall priorities were to be able to say the statement of faith, be at peace with God, die without having the body exposed, maintain dignity, and resolve all conflicts. The extreme five overall dis-priorities were to die in the hospital, die well dressed, be informed about impending death by family/friends rather than doctor, die at peak of life, and not know if one has a fatal illness. Q-methodology identified five opinion-based groups with qualitatively different characteristics: "physical and emotional privacy concerned, family caring" (younger, lower religiosity), "whole person" (higher religiosity), "pain and informational privacy concerned" (lower life quality), "decisional privacy concerned" (older, higher life quality), and "life quantity concerned, family dependent" (high life quality, low life satisfaction). Out of the extreme 14 priorities/dis-priorities for each group, 21%-50% were not represented among the extreme 20 priorities/dis-priorities for the entire sample. CONCLUSION Consistent with the previously reported findings in Saudi males, transcendence and dying in the hospital were the extreme end-of-life priority and dis-priority, respectively, in Saudi females. Body modesty was a major overall concern; however, concerns about pain, various types of privacy, and life quantity were variably emphasized by the five opinion-based groups but masked by averaging analysis.

['Hammami|Muhammad M|MM|', 'Hammami|Safa|S|', 'Amer|Hala A|HA|', 'Khodr|Nesrine A|NA|']

2016

26566850

Genomic-assisted phylogenetic analysis and marker development for next generation soybean cyst nematode resistance breeding.

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN, Heterodera glycines Ichinohe) is a serious soybean pest. The use of resistant cultivars is an effective approach for preventing yield loss. In this study, 19,652 publicly available soybean accessions that were previously genotyped with the SoySNP50K iSelect BeadChip were used to evaluate the phylogenetic diversity of SCN resistance genes Rhg1 and Rhg4 in an attempt to identify novel sources of resistance. The sequence information of soybean lines was utilized to develop KASPar (KBioscience Competitive Allele-Specific PCR) assays from single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of Rhg1, Rhg4, and other novel quantitative trait loci (QTL). These markers were used to genotype a diverse set of 95 soybean germplasm lines and three recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations. SNP markers from the Rhg1 gene were able to differentiate copy number variation (CNV), such as resistant-high copy (PI 88788-type), low copy (Peking-type), and susceptible-single copy (Williams 82) numbers. Similarly, markers for the Rhg4 gene were able to detect Peking-type (resistance) genotypes. The phylogenetic information of SCN resistance loci from a large set of soybean accessions and the gene/QTL specific markers that were developed in this study will accelerate SCN resistance breeding programs.

['Kadam|Suhas|S|', 'Vuong|Tri D|TD|', 'Qiu|Dan|D|', 'Meinhardt|Clinton G|CG|', 'Song|Li|L|', 'Deshmukh|Rupesh|R|', 'Patil|Gunvant|G|', 'Wan|Jinrong|J|', 'Valliyodan|Babu|B|', 'Scaboo|Andrew M|AM|', 'Shannon|J Grover|JG|', 'Nguyen|Henry T|HT|']

2016

30154384

Effect of Hangeshashin-To (Japanese Herbal Medicine Tj-14) on Tolerability of Irinotecan: Propensity Score and Instrumental Variable Analyses.

Irinotecan hydrochloride (CPT-11) is used to treat a wide spectrum of malignant tumors. Hangeshashin-to (Japanese herbal medicine TJ-14) is reportedly effective in preventing and controlling diarrhea associated with CPT-11. However, the effect of TJ-14 on tolerability of chemotherapy with CPT-11 has not been fully investigated. We used the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination inpatient database to retrospectively identify patients who had received CPT-11 on their first admission with and without TJ-14. Patients who did receive TJ-14 (N = 7092) received CPT-11 more often and in larger doses than those who did not receive TJ-14 (N = 82,019). The incidence rate ratio of CPT-11 administration was 1.34 for frequency (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31⁻1.38; p < 0.001), and 1.16 for total dose (95% CI, 1.14⁻1.19; p < 0.001) according to stabilized inverse probability treatment weighting using propensity scores. Instrumental variable analysis showed similar trends. In-hospital mortality was significantly lower in patients who received TJ-14 than in those who did not. Odds ratios of in-hospital death in patients receiving TJ-14 was 0.81 (95% CI, 0.71⁻0.93; p = 0.002) according to stabilized inverse probability treatment weighting using propensity scores and 0.42 (95% CI, 0.22⁻0.81; p = 0.009) according to instrumental variable analysis. Our findings indicate that TJ-14 improve the tolerability of CPT-11.

['Urushiyama|Hirokazu|H|0000-0001-9487-1963', 'Jo|Taisuke|T|0000-0003-4980-0589', 'Yasunaga|Hideo|H|', 'Michihata|Nobuaki|N|', 'Yamana|Hayato|H|', 'Matsui|Hiroki|H|', 'Hasegawa|Wakae|W|', 'Hiraishi|Yoshihisa|Y|', 'Mitani|Akihisa|A|', 'Fushimi|Kiyohide|K|0000-0002-1894-0290', 'Nagase|Takahide|T|', 'Yamauchi|Yasuhiro|Y|']

2018

29569327

Reducing Emergency Room Visits and In-Hospitalizations by Implementing Best Practice for Transitional Care Using Innovative Technology and Big Data.

BACKGROUND Efforts to improve care transitions require coordination across the healthcare continuum and interventions that enhance communication between acute and community settings. AIMS To improve post-discharge utilization value using technology to identify high-risk individuals who might benefit from rapid nurse outreach to assess social and behavioral determinants of health with the goal of reducing inpatient and emergency department visits. METHODS The project employed a before and after comparison of the intervention site with similar primary care practice sites using population-level Medicaid claims data. The intervention targeted discharged persons with preexisting chronic disease and delivered a care transition alert to a nurse care coordinator for immediate telephonic outreach. The nurse assessed social determinants of health and incorporated problems into the EHR to share across settings. The project evaluated health outcomes and the value of nursing care on existing electronic claims data to compare utilization in the years before and during the intervention using negative binomial regression to account for rare events such as inpatient visits. RESULTS Avoiding readmissions and emergency visits, and increasing timely outpatient visits improved the individual's experience of care and the work life of healthcare providers, while reducing per capita costs (Quadruple Aim). In the intervention practice, the nurse care coordinator demonstrated the value of nursing care by reducing inpatient (25%) and emergency (35%) visits, and increasing outpatient visits (27%). The estimated value of avoided encounters over the secular Medicaid trend was $664 per adult with chronic disease, generating $71,289 in revenue from additional outpatient visits. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION Using health information exchange to deliver appropriate and timely evidence-based clinical decision support in the form of care transition alerts and assessment of social determinants of health, in conjunction with data science methods, demonstrates the value of nursing care and resulted in achieving the Quadruple Aim.

['Hewner|Sharon|S|', 'Sullivan|Suzanne S|SS|http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3064-6884', 'Yu|Guan|G|']

2018

25002131

Interplay of parathyroid hormone and aldosterone antagonist in prevention of heart failure hospitalizations in chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND Aldosterone antagonists may mediate their effects on heart failure through parathyroid hormone (PTH) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. METHODS Patients with CKD on spironolactone were selected and matched for age, gender, race, use of a vitamin D analogue, the number of antihypertensive medications, and CKD stage. PTH levels before and after the first prescription of spironolactone were measured. A thorough chart review was conducted to assess for heart failure hospitalizations. An adjusted Cox proportional model was used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) for heart failure hospitalizations among cases versus controls. RESULTS There were a total of 950 (mean age 67±13 years, 40% men) patients with CKD. Of these, there were 48 hospitalizations for heart failure among the cases and 82 among the controls (HR 0.37; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.19-0.74, p=0.005). We noted a more significant decrease in PTH levels among the cases when compared to the controls (p<0.0001). The adjusted hazard for heart failure hospitalization increased with higher PTH levels (p=0.002) and mediation analysis revealed change in PTH level as a significant mediator of heart failure hospitalization (p=0.04). CONCLUSION Aldosterone antagonists may be helpful in preventing hospitalizations for heart failure exacerbation in CKD patients through a PTH-mediated effect.

['Hassan|Mona|M|', 'Qureshi|Waqas|W|', 'Sroujieh|Laila S|LS|', 'Albashaireh|Derar|D|', 'BouMalham|Sara|S|', 'Liroff|Meghan|M|', 'Amjad|Waseem|W|', 'Khalid|Fatima|F|', 'Hadid|Hiba|H|', 'Alirhayim|Zaid|Z|']

2014

30523367

Treatment of unstable knee osteochondritis dissecans in the young adult: results and limitations of surgical strategies-The advantages of allografts to address an osteochondral challenge.

Joint surface incongruence resulting from osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) alters the articular physiologic congruence, increasing the contact stress on adjacent joint surfaces and accelerating wear and the cascade of joint degeneration. Accordingly, the restoration of articular surface integrity is of major importance, especially in young adults where, in lesions left untreated or following simple fragment excision, early osteoarthritis can be anticipated. Therefore, the treatment algorithm in unstable knee OCD of the young adult foresees surgical options to restore the articular surface. Several procedures have been proposed, including refixation of the detached fragment bone marrow stimulation, osteochondral autograft implantation, fresh osteochondral allograft transplantation, and cell-based or cell-free regenerative techniques. The aim of this review was to summarize the evidence for these surgical strategies, reporting their results and limitations. The overall evidence documents positive results for each of the assorted surgical procedures applied to treat unstable OCD, thus indicating support for their selected use to treat osteochondral defects paying particular attention to their specific indications for the lesion characteristics. The fixation of a good quality fragment should be pursued as a first option, while unfixable small lesions may benefit from autografts. For large lesions, available cell-based or cell-free osteochondral scaffold are a feasible solution but with limitation in terms of regenerated tissue quality. In this light, fresh allografts may offer articular surface restoration with viable physiologic osteochondral tissue providing a predictably successful outcome, and therefore they may currently represent the most suitable option to treat unstable irreparable OCD lesion in young adults. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: V.

['Filardo|Giuseppe|G|', 'Andriolo|Luca|L|http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6352-9671', 'Soler|Francesc|F|', 'Berruto|Massimo|M|', 'Ferrua|Paolo|P|', 'Verdonk|Peter|P|', 'Rongieras|Frederic|F|', 'Crawford|Dennis C|DC|']

2019

28319723

Occurrence of and exposure to benzothiazoles and benzotriazoles from textiles and infant clothing.

Benzothiazoles (BTHs) and benzotriazoles (BTRs) are used in a wide range of applications, including rubber vulcanization and corrosion inhibition. Limited studies have reported the occurrence of BTHs and BTRs in textiles, including children's clothing. In this study, 79 textile samples (raw as well as tailored) collected in Albany, New York, USA, were analyzed to determine the occurrence of BTH, BTR and their seven common derivatives. BTH, 2-methylthio-benzothiazole (2-Me-S-BTH) and 2-hydroxy-benzothiazole (2-OH-BTH) were found in textiles at a detection rate (DR) of 86%, 54% and 19%, respectively. The DRs of tolyltriazole (TTR), BTR and 5-chloro-benzotriazole (5-Cl-BTR) in textiles were below 20%. Although BTH was the most frequently detected compound, BTR levels were elevated in certain textiles and the overall mean concentrations of BTR in textiles were higher than those of BTH. The concentrations of BTH in textiles ranged from 6.1 to 1120ng/g. The highest concentration of BTR (14,000ng/g) was found in a printed graphic of infant's bodysuit. On the basis of the measured concentrations, we calculated dermal exposure doses to BTHs and BTRs by infants. The dermal exposure doses were high from the use of socks (244 to 395pg/kg·bw/d), and the exposure doses of BTHs and BTRs from textiles were as high as 3740pg/kg·bw/d. Printed graphics on clothes, as well as socks, accounted for a major proportion of the exposure doses to BTHs and BTRs.

['Liu|Wenbin|W|', 'Xue|Jingchuan|J|', 'Kannan|Kurunthachalam|K|']

2017

33490086

Circular RNA CircNOLC1, Upregulated by NF-KappaB, Promotes the Progression of Prostate Cancer via miR-647/PAQR4 Axis.

Background CircRNAs recently have shown critical roles in tumor biology. However, their roles in prostate cancer (PCa) remains largely unclear. Methods CircRNA microarrays were performed in immortal prostate cell line RWPE1 and PCa cell lines as DU145, PC3, LNCaP, C4-2, and 22RV1. Combined with upregulated circRNAs in PCa tissues, circNOLC1 expression was validated in PCa cells and tissues via qRT-PCR and FISH. Sanger sequencing, actinomycin D, gDNA, and cDNA, RNase R assays were used to assess the circular characteristics of circNOLC1. CCK-8, colony formation, transwell migration assays, and mice xenograft models were conducted to evaluate the functions of PCa cells after circNOLC1 knockdown and overexpression. RNA pulldown, luciferase reporter assay, FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization), and CHIP were utilized to illustrate the further mechanisms of circNOLC1. Results Our research indicated that circNOLC1 was overexpressed in PCa cells and tissues, and circNOLC1 was more stable than linear NOLC1 mRNA. CircNOLC1 promoted PCa cells proliferation and migration in vitro and vivo. Additionally, we found that circNOLC1 could upregulate PAQR4 expression by sponging miR-647, leading to the activation of PI3K/Akt pathway. Moreover, NF-kappaB was identified to bind to the NOLC1 promoter sites and upregulated both NOLC1 and circNOLC1 expression. Conclusion CircNOLC1, elevated by transcription factor NF-kappaB, promotes PCa progression via a miR-647/PAQR4 axis, and circNOLC1 is a potential biomarker and target for PCa treatment.

['Chen|Wenbin|W|', 'Cen|Shengren|S|', 'Zhou|Xumin|X|', 'Yang|Taowei|T|', 'Wu|Kaihui|K|', 'Zou|Libin|L|', 'Luo|Junqi|J|', 'Li|Chuanyin|C|', 'Lv|Daojun|D|', 'Mao|Xiangming|X|']

2020

26250108

Selection and identification of oleaginous yeast isolated from soil, animal feed and ruminal fluid for use as feed supplement in dairy cattle.

UNLABELLED The purpose of this study was to select oleaginous yeast for microbial lipid production. Sixty-four yeast isolates were obtained from soil (GSY1-12), animal feeds (FDY1-21), and ruminal fluid (RMY1-31) using yeast extract peptone dextrose (YPD) agar. The cultivation of these isolates on nitrogen limited-medium revealed that GSY2 to GSY6, GSY10, FDY2, FDY12 and FDY14 accumulated lipid over 20% of dry biomass. Therefore, they were preliminarily classified as oleaginous yeast. In subsequent experiment, an 8 × 3 factorial in completely randomized design was conducted to examine the effect of eight oleaginous yeast strains and three nitrogen sources (peptone, (NH4 )2 SO4 , urea) on lipid accumulation when using molasses as substrate. The result illustrated that only GSY3 and GSY10 accumulated lipid over 20% of biomass when using peptone or (NH4 )2 SO4 but urea did not. However, GSY10 gave higher biomass and lipid yield than GSY3 (P < 0·05). Identification of GSY10 using 26S rDNA illustrated that GSY10 belongs to Trichosporon asahii. Fatty acid profiles of this strain contained unsaturated fats up to 62·5% of which oleic acid (C18:1 ) was predominant. In conclusion, T. asahii GSY10 was the most promising oleaginous yeast for microbial lipid production from molasses. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY This study illustrated the ability of T. asahii GSY10 to utilize molasses and (NH4 )2 SO4 for synthesizing and accumulating cellular lipid of which oleic acid (C18:1 ) was predominant. This yeast would be used for microbial lipid production used as feed supplement in dairy cattle.

['Paserakung|A|A|http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0336-3558', 'Pattarajinda|V|V|', 'Vichitphan|K|K|', 'Froetschel|M A|MA|']

2015

29954761

Disseminated histoplasmosis mimicking relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

Histoplasma microconidia when inhaled are presented in antigenic form to T cells, limiting the extent of infection; however, defects in cellular immunity results in disseminated disease. Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is a lymphoproliferative disorder resulting in functionally impaired lymphocytes, predisposing patients to various opportunistic infections. The author reports a recently treated patient with CLL presenting with constitutional symptoms accompanied by hepatosplenomegaly and diffuse adenopathy. Considering the recent diagnosis and treatment of CLL, initial suspicion was relapsed disease. However, considering the immune deficiency associated with CLL and its treatment, infectious aetiologies were strongly considered. Further investigation revealed a case of disseminated histoplasmosis mimicking CLL in this reported patient. Considering appropriate diagnosis and timely therapy, the reported patient had good prognosis despite being diagnosed with disseminated histoplasmosis. This case highlights consideration of disseminated histoplasmosis in patients presenting with diffuse adenopathy along with hepatomegaly and/or splenomegaly in the right clinical setting.

['Shahani|Lokesh|L|']

2018

31426327

Seed-Roasting Process Affects Oxidative Stability of Cold-Pressed Oils.

The oxidative stability of vegetable oils mainly depends on their fatty acid composition, their degree of unsaturation, and the presence of compounds with antioxidant activity. This paper reports on the effects of the process of roasting oil seeds, prior to pressing them, on the basic characteristics of the oils produced and their oxidative stability. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique was used to study the process of oxidation of the oil samples in an oxygen-flow cell. Chromatographic analysis revealed that roasting the seeds increased the levels of chlorophyll and β-carotene in all the cold-pressed oils. Similar results were observed for the oil's antioxidant activity, measured by the scavenging 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical method. Our results also indicated that roasting seeds prior to pressing them for oil had a positive effect on the oil's stability, as determined by the DSC method. This manifested in both the extension of oxidation induction time and the final oxidation time.

['Różańska|Maria Barbara|MB|0000-0002-7450-5621', 'Kowalczewski|Przemysław Łukasz|PŁ|0000-0002-0153-4624', 'Tomaszewska-Gras|Jolanta|J|0000-0003-3964-8093', 'Dwiecki|Krzysztof|K|', 'Mildner-Szkudlarz|Sylwia|S|0000-0002-6319-5285']

2019

29176998

A novel 3D imaging system for strawberry phenotyping.

Background Accurate and quantitative phenotypic data in plant breeding programmes is vital in breeding to assess the performance of genotypes and to make selections. Traditional strawberry phenotyping relies on the human eye to assess most external fruit quality attributes, which is time-consuming and subjective. 3D imaging is a promising high-throughput technique that allows multiple external fruit quality attributes to be measured simultaneously. Results A low cost multi-view stereo (MVS) imaging system was developed, which captured data from 360° around a target strawberry fruit. A 3D point cloud of the sample was derived and analysed with custom-developed software to estimate berry height, length, width, volume, calyx size, colour and achene number. Analysis of these traits in 100 fruits showed good concordance with manual assessment methods. Conclusion This study demonstrates the feasibility of an MVS based 3D imaging system for the rapid and quantitative phenotyping of seven agronomically important external strawberry traits. With further improvement, this method could be applied in strawberry breeding programmes as a cost effective phenotyping technique.

['He|Joe Q|JQ|', 'Harrison|Richard J|RJ|', 'Li|Bo|B|0000-0003-0077-4383']

2017

28686328

Genetically contextual effects of smoking on genome wide DNA methylation.

Smoking is the leading cause of death in the United States. It exerts its effects by increasing susceptibility to a variety of complex disorders among those who smoke, and if pregnant, to their unborn children. In prior efforts to understand the epigenetic mechanisms through which this increased vulnerability is conveyed, a number of investigators have conducted genome wide methylation analyses. Unfortunately, secondary to methodological limitations, these studies were unable to examine methylation in gene regions with significant amounts of genetic variation. Using genome wide genetic and epigenetic data from the Framingham Heart Study, we re-examined the relationship of smoking status to genome wide methylation status. When only methylation status is considered, smoking was significantly associated with differential methylation in 310 genes that map to a variety of biological process and cellular differentiation pathways. However, when SNP effects on the magnitude of smoking associated methylation changes are also considered, cis and trans-interaction effects were noted at a total of 266 and 4353 genes with no marked enrichment for any biological pathways. Furthermore, the SNP variation participating in the significant interaction effects is enriched for loci previously associated with complex medical illnesses. The enlarged scope of the methylome shown to be affected by smoking may better explicate the mediational pathways linking smoking with a myriad of smoking related complex syndromes. Additionally, these results strongly suggest that combined epigenetic and genetic data analyses may be critical for a more complete understanding of the relationship between environmental variables, such as smoking, and pathophysiological outcomes.

['Dogan|Meeshanthini V|MV|http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8944-6145', 'Beach|Steven R H|SRH|http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8053-7761', 'Philibert|Robert A|RA|']

2017

26751271

Enhanced Ultraviolet Stability of Air-Processed Polymer Solar Cells by Al Doping of the ZnO Interlayer.

Photostability of organic photovoltaic devices represents a key requirement for the commercialization of this technology. In this field, ZnO is one of the most attractive materials employed as an electron transport layer, and the investigation of its photostability is of particular interest. Indeed, oxygen is known to chemisorb on ZnO and can be released upon UV illumination. Therefore, a deep analysis of the UV/oxygen effects on working devices is relevant for the industrial production where the coating processes take place in air and oxygen/ZnO contact cannot be avoided. Here we investigate the light-soaking stability of inverted organic solar cells in which four different solution-processed ZnO-based nanoparticles were used as electron transport layers: (i) pristine ZnO, (ii) 0.03 at %, (iii) 0.37 at %, and (iv) 0.8 at % aluminum-doped AZO nanoparticles. The degradation of solar cells under prolonged illumination (40 h under 1 sun), in which the ZnO/AZO layers were processed in air or inert atmosphere, is studied. We demonstrate that the presence of oxygen during the ZnO/AZO processing is crucial for the photostability of the resulting solar cell. While devices based on undoped ZnO were particularly affected by degradation, we found that using AZO nanoparticles the losses in performance, due to the presence of oxygen, were partially or totally prevented depending on the Al doping level.

['Prosa|Mario|M|', 'Tessarolo|Marta|M|', 'Bolognesi|Margherita|M|', 'Margeat|Olivier|O|', 'Gedefaw|Desta|D|', 'Gaceur|Meriem|M|', 'Videlot-Ackermann|Christine|C|', 'Andersson|Mats R|MR|', 'Muccini|Michele|M|', 'Seri|Mirko|M|', 'Ackermann|Jörg|J|']

2016

33614190

A Solution to After-Hours Fatigue and Surgical Backlog.

After-hours surgery represents a novel solution that can effectively combat surgical fatigue of care teams in addition to addressing the high volume of surgical backlog associated with the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. This commentary seeks to rationalize how successful employment of a dedicated after-hours surgical team and protocol has tremendous potential for increased efficiency while maintaining good surgical outcomes in patients.

['Anastasio|Albert T|AT|', 'Patel|Preet Shailesh|PS|https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0473-6317', 'Fernandez-Moure|Joseph|J|', 'Gage|Mark J|MJ|']

2021

34166771

Microphysiological systems to study tumor-stroma interactions in brain cancer.

Brain tumors still lack effective treatments, and the mechanisms of tumor progression and therapeutic resistance are unclear. Multiple parameters affect cancer prognosis (e.g., type and grade, age, location, size, and genetic mutations) and election of suitable treatments is based on preclinical models and clinical data. However, most candidate drugs fail in human trials due to inefficacy. Cell lines and tissue culture plates do not provide physiologically relevant environments, and animal models are not able to adequately mimic characteristics of disease in humans. Therefore, increasing technological advances are focusing on in vitro and computational modeling to increase the throughput and predicting capabilities of preclinical systems. The extensive use of these therapeutic agents requires a more profound understanding of the tumor-stroma interactions, including neural tissue, extracellular matrix, blood-brain barrier, astrocytes and microglia. Microphysiological brain tumor models offer physiologically relevant vascularized 'minitumors' that can help deciphering disease mechanisms, accelerating the drug discovery and predicting patient's response to anticancer treatments. This article reviews progress in tumor-on-a-chip platforms that are designed to comprehend the particular roles of stromal cells in the brain tumor microenvironment.

['Neves|Edward R|ER|', 'Harley|Brendan A C|BAC|', 'Pedron|Sara|S|']

2021

25180162

Recent advances in our knowledge of Australian anisakid nematodes.

Anisakidosis is an emerging infection associated with a wide range of clinical syndromes in humans caused by members of the family Anisakidae. Anisakid nematodes have a cosmopolitan distribution and infect a wide range of invertebrates and vertebrates during their life cycles. Since the first report of these parasites in humans during the early 60s, anisakid nematodes have attracted considerable attention as emerging zoonotic parasites. Along with rapid development of various molecular techniques during last several decades, this has caused a significant change in the taxonomy and systematics of these parasites. However, there are still huge gaps in our knowledge on various aspects of the biology and ecology of anisakid nematodes in Australia. Although the use of advanced morphological and molecular techniques to study anisakids had a late start in Australia, great biodiversity was found and unique species were discovered. Here an updated list of members within the family and the current state of knowledge on Australian anisakids will be provided. Given that the employment of advanced techniques to study these important emerging zoonotic parasites in Australia is recent, further research is needed to understand the ecology and biology of these socio economically important parasites. After a recent human case of anisakidosis in Australia, such understanding is crucial if control and preventive strategies are to be established in this country.

['Shamsi|Shokoofeh|S|']

2014

33277921

Natural progression of periodontal diseases in Chinese villagers based on the 2018 classification.

BACKGROUND Based on the 2018 classification, we aimed to determine the prevalence, distribution, and progression of periodontitis in the rural Chinese population without access to dental care. METHODS In all, 404 subjects (28.7 ± 8.9 years, M:F = 182:222) were randomly enrolled in 1992 and re-called in 1996. With the new classification, the prevalence and distribution of stage, grade, and extent were characterized. Stage progression was compared with the progression of clinical attachment loss (CAL) and radiographic bone loss (RBL). RESULTS At baseline, 94.1% villagers suffered from periodontitis, of whom 53.7% were in Stage III/IV. The prevalence of Stage III/IV increased from 18.2% in the age group of 15 to 24 years to 60.9% in 25 to 34-year-old group and 88.7% in the 35 to 44-year-old group. Significantly more Stage III/IV, generalized, and Grade C periodontitis were found in male villagers than female villagers. In 1996, the prevalence rate of periodontitis increased to 98.5%, with 80.0% in Stage III/IV. Further, 84.2% villagers presented with Grade C periodontitis based on longitudinal ΔCAL. The rate of progression (≥1 site with ΔCAL ≥3 mm) was 63.7%. Stage progression correlated significantly with CAL and RBL progression in Stage I/II, but this association was not found in Stage III/IV. Among subjects with disease progression in Stage III/IV, 90.4% shifted from localized to generalized cases. Furthermore, ceiling effects were observed in Stage III/IV. CONCLUSIONS In villagers without access to dental care, 94.1% suffered from periodontitis, with more than half having Stage III/IV disease based on the 2018 classification. The majority cases presented with rapid periodontal progression. Although stage progression correlated significantly with CAL and RBL progression in Stage I/II, ceiling effects existed in Stage III/IV.

['Iao|Siniong|S|', 'Pei|Xiyan|X|', 'Ouyang|Xiangying|X|', 'Liu|Jianru|J|', 'Liu|Wenyi|W|', 'Cao|Caifang|C|']

2021

32714922

Congruence of Transcription Programs in Adult Stem Cell-Derived Jejunum Organoids and Original Tissue During Long-Term Culture.

The emergence of intestinal organoids, as a stem cell-based self-renewable model system, has led to many studies on intestinal development and cell-cell signaling. However, potential issues regarding the phenotypic stability and reproducibility of the methodology during culture still needs to be addressed for different organoids. Here we investigated the transcriptomes of jejunum organoids derived from the same pig as well as batch-to-batch variation of organoids derived from different pigs over long-term passage. The set of genes expressed in organoids closely resembled that of the tissue of origin, including small intestine specific genes, for at least 17 passages. Minor differences in gene expression were observed between individual organoid cultures. In contrast, most small intestine-specific genes were not expressed in the jejunum cell line IPEC-J2, which also showed gene expression consistent with cancer phenotypes. We conclude that intestinal organoids provide a robust and stable model for translational research with clear advantages over transformed cells.

['van der Hee|Bart|B|', 'Madsen|Ole|O|', 'Vervoort|Jacques|J|', 'Smidt|Hauke|H|', 'Wells|Jerry M|JM|']

2020

28471170

Resveratrol Reactivates Latent HIV through Increasing Histone Acetylation and Activating Heat Shock Factor 1.

The persistence of latent HIV reservoirs presents a significant challenge to viral eradication. Effective latency reversing agents (LRAs) based on "shock and kill" strategy are urgently needed. The natural phytoalexin resveratrol has been demonstrated to enhance HIV gene expression, although its mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that resveratrol was able to reactivate latent HIV without global T cell activation in vitro. Mode of action studies showed resveratrol-mediated reactivation from latency did not involve the activation of silent mating type information regulation 2 homologue 1 (SIRT1), which belonged to class-3 histone deacetylase (HDAC). However, latent HIV was reactivated by resveratrol mediated through increasing histone acetylation and activation of heat shock factor 1 (HSF1). Additionally, synergistic activation of the latent HIV reservoirs was observed under cotreatment with resveratrol and conventional LRAs. Collectively, this research reveals that resveratrol is a natural LRA and shows promise for HIV therapy.

['Zeng|Xiaoyun|X|', 'Pan|Xiaoyan|X|', 'Xu|Xinfeng|X|', 'Lin|Jian|J|', 'Que|Fuchang|F|', 'Tian|Yuanxin|Y|http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3847-559X', 'Li|Lin|L|', 'Liu|Shuwen|S|http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6346-5006']

2017

28827161

Sustainable cooperation based on reputation and habituation in the public goods game.

Reputation can promote cooperation in public goods game and player's cooperative behavior is not pure economical rationality, but habituation would influence their behaviors as well. One's habituation can be formed by repeated behaviors in daily life and be affected by habitual preference. We aim to investigate the sustainable cooperation based on reputation and habit formation. To better investigate the impacts of reputation and habitual preference on the evolution and sustainability of cooperation. We introduce three types of agents into our spatial public goods game. Through numerical simulations, we find that the larger habitual preference make cooperation easier to emerge and maintain. Additionally, we find that a moderate number of agents who want to obtain more reputation (ICs) are best for the sustainability of cooperation. Finally, we observe that the variation of donations of ICs can influence greatly on the equilibrium of public goods game. When ICs reduce their donations, a proper contribution will be better to maintain the cooperative behaviors.

['Liu|Yan|Y|', 'Chen|Tong|T|']

2017

29462609

Contextual constraints on lexico-semantic processing in aging: Evidence from single-word event-related brain potentials.

The current study reports the effects of accumulating contextual constraints on neural indices of lexico-semantic processing (i.e., effects of word frequency and orthographic neighborhood) as a function of normal aging. Event-related brain potentials were measured from a sample of older adults as they read sentences that were semantically congruent, provided only syntactic constraints (syntactic prose), or were random word strings. A linear mixed-effects modeling approach was used to probe the effects of accumulating contextual constraints on N400 responses to individual words. Like young adults in prior work, older adults exhibited a classic word position context effect on the N400 in congruent sentences, although the magnitude of the effect was reduced in older relative to younger adults. Moreover, by modeling single-word variability in N400 responses, we observed robust effects of orthographic neighborhood density that were larger in older adults than the young, and preserved effects word frequency. Importantly, in older adults, frequency effects were not modulated by accumulating contextual constraints, unlike in the young. Collectively, these findings indicate that older adults are less likely (or able) to use accumulating top-down contextual constraints, and therefore rely more strongly on bottom-up lexical features to guide semantic access of individual words during sentence comprehension.

['Payne|Brennan R|BR|', 'Federmeier|Kara D|KD|']

2018

25081399

Clinical application of three-dimensional echocardiography.

Echocardiography is one of the most valuable diagnostic tools in cardiology. Technological advances in ultrasound, computer and electronics enables three-dimensional (3-D) imaging to be a clinically viable modality which has significant impact on diagnosis, management and interventional procedures. Since the inception of 3D fully-sampled matrix transthoracic and transesophageal technology it has enabled easier acquisition, immediate on-line display, and availability of on-line analysis for the left ventricle, right ventricle and mitral valve. The use of 3D TTE has mainly focused on mitral valve disease, left and right ventricular volume and functional analysis. As structural heart disease procedures become more prevalent, 3D TEE has become a requirement for preparation of the procedure, intra-procedural guidance as well as monitoring for complications and device function. We anticipate that there will be further software development, improvement in image quality and workflow.

['Morbach|Caroline|C|', 'Lin|Ben A|BA|', 'Sugeng|Lissa|L|']

2014

26077862

The effect of piezoelectric surgery implant osteotomy on radiological and molecular parameters of peri-implant crestal bone loss: a randomized, controlled, split-mouth trial.

AIM To evaluate the effect of piezoelectric surgery (PS) implant osteotomy on biochemical and radiological parameters of crestal bone (CB) loss. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this randomized, controlled, clinical study, 38 osteotomies were prepared with PS and drilling in the posterior maxilla in a split-mouth design. Implants were placed and left for non-submerged healing. Osteotomy time, insertion torque, pain perception, probing depth, and modified gingival and plaque indices were recorded. Peri-implant sulcular fluid (PISF) was collected from four sites of each implant at 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 weeks. PISF samples were analyzed by ELISA for receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B-ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin. CB loss was assessed on periapical radiographs at the 12th and on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) at the 24th weeks. The influence of time and osteotomy method on biochemical and radiological parameters of CB loss employed statistical method of Brunner-Langer. RESULTS Osteotomy time for PS group was significantly longer than the drill group (P < 0.05). Pain perception that was lower in the PS than in the drill group depended on osteotomy method (P < 0.05). PS group had lower RANKL total amount than the drill group (P < 0.05). Mean CB loss on periapical radiographs at the 12th week for PS and drill groups were 0.11 and 0.18 mm, respectively (P > 0.05). At the 24th week, PS and drill groups showed 0.11 and 0.12 mm CB losses on CBCT, respectively (P > 0.05). However, CB loss values did not depend on osteotomy modality (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION PS may modify and reduce bone-destructive inflammatory response during implant osseointegration. Therefore, on the molecular level, it might be a less traumatic osteotomy modality than drilling although this was not reflected by CB loss values in the present study.

['Peker Tekdal|Gözde|G|', 'Bostanci|Nagihan|N|', 'Belibasakis|Georgios N|GN|', 'Gürkan|Ali|A|']

2016

31295450

Subjective preferences differentially modulate the processing of rewards gained by own vs. observed choices.

The present EEG study investigated the impact of subjective reward preferences and agency on outcome processing. 47 healthy adults (11 male; 36 female) with preferences for either milk or white chocolate completed two runs of a gambling task involving their preferred chocolate (high preference outcomes, HPOs), non-preferred chocolate (medium preference outcomes, MPOs), and a lesser liked non-chocolate reward (low preference outcomes, LPOs). In the 'active' run, subjects chose between three different response options to receive the outcomes. In the 'observational' run, they observed another person's choices and subsequent outcomes. Cluster-based permutation analyses of event-related potential (ERPs) revealed that early processing in the P2 time window reflected outcome salience, differentiating HPOs and MPOs from LPOs, especially for outcomes following own choices, while not distinguishing between HPOs and MPOs. In contrast, processing in later stages, i.e., the typical time windows for feedback-related negativity (FRN) and P300, showed evidence of differential coding of HPOs and MPOs and was also modulated by agency. ERPs clearly differentiated between all three outcome types in the FRN and P300 time windows for outcomes following active but not for observed choices. The present study adds to evidence for modulation of outcome processing by contextual and inter-individual factors. In particular, our findings suggest that subjective preferences are complementarily represented in subjective reward valuation and in motivational value representations indexed by the FRN and the P300.

['Peterburs|Jutta|J|', 'Sannemann|Lena|L|', 'Bellebaum|Christian|C|']

2019

31034245

Risk Factors for Functional Decline and Impaired Quality of Life after Pediatric Respiratory Failure.

Rationale: Poor outcomes of adults surviving critical illness are well documented, but data in children are limited.Objectives: To identify factors associated with worse postdischarge function and health-related quality of life (HRQL) after pediatric acute respiratory failure.Methods: We assessed functional status at baseline, discharge, and 6 months after pediatric ICU discharge and HRQL 6 months after discharge in 2-week- to 17-year-olds mechanically ventilated for acute respiratory failure in the RESTORE (Randomized Evaluation of Sedation Titration for Respiratory Failure) trial. We assessed HRQL via Infant and Toddler Quality of Life Questionnaire-97 (<2 yr old) or Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (≥2 yr old). We categorized patients with normal baseline function as having impaired HRQL if scores were greater than 1 SD below mean norms for Infant and Toddler Quality of Life Questionnaire-97 growth and development or Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory total score.Measurements and Main Results: One-fifth (n = 192) of 949 patients declined in function from baseline to postdischarge; 20% (55/271) had impaired growth and development; 19% (64/343) had impaired HRQL. In multivariable analyses, decline in function was associated with baseline impaired function, prematurity, cancer, respiratory failure etiology, ventilation duration, and clonidine (odds ratio [OR] = 2.14; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.22-3.76). Independent predictors of impaired growth and development included methadone (OR = 2.27; 95% CI = 1.18-4.36) and inadequate pain management (OR = 2.94; 95% CI = 1.39-6.19). Impaired HRQL was associated with older age, non-white or Hispanic race, cancer, and inadequate sedation management (OR = 3.15; 95% CI = 1.74-5.72).Conclusions: Postdischarge morbidity after respiratory failure is common and associated with admission factors, exposure to critical care therapies, and pain and sedation management.

['Watson|R Scott|RS|0000-0002-2581-7186', 'Asaro|Lisa A|LA|0000-0001-5736-0304', 'Hutchins|Larissa|L|', 'Bysani|G Kris|GK|', 'Killien|Elizabeth Y|EY|0000-0002-1193-5464', 'Angus|Derek C|DC|', 'Wypij|David|D|0000-0001-8367-8711', 'Curley|Martha A Q|MAQ|0000-0001-5228-6694']

2019

33421803

Analysis of unused prescription opioids and benzodiazepines remaining after death among Medicare decedents.

BACKGROUND Millions of opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions are dispensed near end-of-life. After death, patients' unused prescription pills belong to family members, who often save rather than dispose of them. We sought to quantify this exposure in Medicare beneficiaries. METHODS We estimated the share of decedent Medicare beneficiaries who potentially left behind opioid or benzodiazepine pills at the time of death using Part D claims of a 20 % national sample of Medicare beneficiaries between 2006-2015 linked to the National Death Index. RESULTS We estimated that 1 in 6 Medicare beneficiaries who died between 2006-2015 potentially left behind opioid pills, and 1 in 10 who died between 2013-2015 potentially left benzodiazepines as well. Leftover pills were more common among younger, dually enrolled, and lower-income beneficiaries, as well as beneficiaries living in non-urban areas and those with a history of mental illness, drug use disorders, and chronic pain. North American Natives and Non-Hispanic Whites had higher proportions than Black, Hispanic, and Asian decedents. CONCLUSIONS Opioids and benzodiazepines are commonly left behind at death. Policies and interventions that encourage comprehensive and safe medication disposal after death may reduce risk for intra-household diversion and misuse of prescription opioids and benzodiazepines.

['Baum|Laura Van Metre|LVM|', 'Bruzelius|Emilie|E|', 'Kiang|Mathew V|MV|', 'Humphreys|Keith|K|', 'Basu|Sanjay|S|', 'Baum|Aaron|A|']

2021

27780621

Analysis of utilization technologies for Eichhornia crassipes biomass harvested after restoration of wastewater.

Eichhornia crassipes (EC, water hyacinth) has gained attention due to its alarming reproductive capacity, which subsequently leads to serious ecological damage of water in many eutrophic lakes in the world. The traditional mechanical removal methods have disadvantages. They squander this valuable lignocellulosic resource. Meanwhile, there is a bottleneck for the subsequently reasonable and efficient utilization of EC biomass on a large scale after phytoremediation of polluted water using EC. As a result, the exploration of effective EC utilization technologies has become a popular research field. After years of exploration and amelioration, there have been significant breakthroughs in this research area, including the synthesis of excellent EC cellulose-derived materials, innovative bioenergy production, etc. This review organizes the research of the utilization of the EC biomass among several important fields and then analyses the advantages and disadvantages for each pathway. Finally, comprehensive EC utilization technologies are proposed as a reference.

['Feng|Wei|W|', 'Xiao|Kai|K|', 'Zhou|Wenbing|W|', 'Zhu|Duanwei|D|', 'Zhou|Yiyong|Y|', 'Yuan|Yu|Y|', 'Xiao|Naidong|N|', 'Wan|Xiaoqiong|X|', 'Hua|Yumei|Y|', 'Zhao|Jianwei|J|']

2017

27502184

Translating an early childhood obesity prevention program for local community implementation: a case study of the Melbourne InFANT Program.

BACKGROUND While there is a growing interest in the field of research translation, there are few published examples of public health interventions that have been effectively scaled up and implemented in the community. This paper provides a case study of the community-wide implementation of the Melbourne Infant, Feeding, Activity and Nutrition Trial (InFANT), an obesity prevention program for parents with infants aged 3-18 months. The study explored key factors influencing the translation of the Program into routine practice and the respective role of policy makers, researchers and implementers. METHODS Case studies were conducted of five of the eight prevention areas in Victoria, Australia who implemented the Program. Cases were selected on the basis of having implemented the Program for 6 months or more. Data were collected from January to June 2015 and included 18 individual interviews, one focus group and observation of two meetings. A total of 28 individuals, including research staff (n = 4), policy makers (n = 2) and implementers (n = 22), contributed to the data collected. Thematic analysis was conducted using cross case comparisons and key themes were verified through member checking. RESULTS Key facilitators of implementation included availability of a pre-packaged evidence based program addressing a community need, along with support and training provided by research staff to local implementers. Partnerships between researchers and policy makers facilitated initial program adoption, while local partnerships supported community implementation. Community partnerships were facilitated by local coordinators through alignment of program goals with existing policies and services. Workforce capacity for program delivery and administration was a challenge, largely overcome by embedding the Program into existing roles. Adapting the Program to fit local circumstance was critical for feasible and sustainable delivery, however balancing this with program fidelity was a critical issue. The lack of ongoing funding to support translation activities was a barrier for researchers continued involvement in community implementation. CONCLUSION Policy makers, researchers and practitioners have important and complementary roles to play in supporting the translation of effective research interventions into practice. New avenues need to be explored to strengthen partnerships between researchers and end users to support the integration of effective public health research interventions into practice.

['Laws|R|R|0000-0003-4328-1116', 'Hesketh|K D|KD|', 'Ball|K|K|', 'Cooper|C|C|', 'Vrljic|K|K|', 'Campbell|K J|KJ|']

2016

28994248

MALDI Mass Spectrometry Imaging: A Novel Tool for the Identification and Classification of Amyloidosis.

Amyloidosis is a group of diseases caused by extracellular accumulation of fibrillar polypeptide aggregates. So far, diagnosis is performed by Congo red staining of tissue sections in combination with polarization microscopy. Subsequent identification of the causative protein by immunohistochemistry harbors some difficulties regarding sensitivity and specificity. Mass spectrometry based approaches have been demonstrated to constitute a reliable method to supplement typing of amyloidosis, but still depend on Congo red staining. In the present study, we used matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging coupled with ion mobility separation (MALDI-IMS MSI) to investigate amyloid deposits in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue samples. Utilizing a novel peptide filter method, we found a universal peptide signature for amyloidoses. Furthermore, differences in the peptide composition of ALλ and ATTR amyloid were revealed and used to build a reliable classification model. Integrating the peptide filter in MALDI-IMS MSI analysis, we developed a bioinformatics workflow facilitating the identification and classification of amyloidosis in a less time and sample-consuming experimental setup. Our findings demonstrate also the feasibility to investigate the amyloid's protein composition, thus paving the way to establish classification models for the diverse types of amyloidoses and to shed further light on the complex process of amyloidogenesis.

['Winter|Martin|M|', 'Tholey|Andreas|A|', 'Kristen|Arnt|A|', 'Röcken|Christoph|C|']

2017

31630605

Effects of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) on growth, survival, gut microflora, stress, and immune response in Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, cultured in a recirculating system.

The present study investigated the effects of short-chain fructooligosaccharides (FOS) as dietary supplements on stress, immune response, gut microbiota, growth, and survivability of three different treatment groups of Pacific white shrimp, Litopaneous vennamei, cultured in a recirculating system. The experiment was conducted over a 35-day trial period. Shrimps were fed diets, 15 times a day using automated feeder, supplemented with GOS at 0%, 0.15%, and 0.30% by weight. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis revealed that the enteric microbial community of shrimp fed the basal diet differed markedly (<80.0% similarity coefficient) from those fed FOS-supplemented diets. However, shrimp survival, weight gain, and immune responses among the treatment groups were good but not significantly different (P > 0.05), probably due to the limited length of the feeding trial.

['Mustafa|Ahmed|A|', 'Buentello|Alejandro|A|', 'Gatlin|Delbert|D|', 'Lightner|Don|D|', 'Hume|Michael|M|', 'Lawrence|Addison|A|']

2020

28169004

Immunotherapy in ovarian cancer.

Immunotherapy aims to develop combination approaches that simultaneously augment immunity while preventing local immune suppression. Despite advances in combinatorial chemotherapy regimens and the advent of intraperitoneal chemotherapy administration, current therapeutic options for patients with ovarian cancer are inadequate. Advances in immunotherapy offer a promising frontier for treating ovarian tumors. Multiple immunotherapeutic modalities are currently developed and tested in clinical trials. Antibody-based therapies, immune checkpoint blockade, cancer vaccines, and chimeric antigen receptor-modified T cells have demonstrated preclinical success and entered clinical testing. In this review, we discuss these promising immunotherapeutic approaches and emphasize the importance of combinatorial treatment strategies and biomarker discovery.

['Krishnan|Venkatesh|V|', 'Berek|Jonathan S|JS|', 'Dorigo|Oliver|O|']

2017

28458621

Detection of Autoantibodies against Aquaporin-1 in the Sera of Patients with Primary Sjögren's Syndrome.

The pathophysiology of glandular dysfunction in Sjögren's syndrome (SS) has not been fully elucidated. Previously, we reported the presence of autoantibodies to AQP-5 in patients with SS, which was associated with a low resting salivary flow. The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of anti-AQP1 autoantibodies. To detect anti-AQP1 autoantibodies, cell-based indirect immunofluorescence assay was developed using MDCK cells that overexpressed human AQP1. By screening 112 SS and 52 control sera, anti-AQP1 autoantibodies were detected in 27.7% of the SS but in none of the control sera. Interestingly, the sera that were positive for anti-AQP1 autoantibodies also contained anti-AQP5 autoantibodies in the previous study. Different from anti-AQP5 autoantibodies, the presence of anti-AQP1 autoantibodies was not associated with the salivary flow rate. Although anti-AQP1 autoantibodies are not useful as a diagnostic marker, the presence of autoantibodies to AQP1 may be an obstacle to AQP1 gene therapy for SS.

['Alam|Jehan|J|', 'Choi|Yun Sik|YS|', 'Koh|Jung Hee|JH|', 'Kwok|Seung-Ki|SK|', 'Park|Sung-Hwan|SH|', 'Song|Yeong Wook|YW|', 'Park|Kyungpyo|K|', 'Choi|Youngnim|Y|']

2017

30056295

In-vitro evaluation of cytotoxic and antioxidant properties of drugs solubilized in EO-PO star block copolymer micelles.

Self-assembly of a biocompatible, nontoxic, commercially available star shaped polyethylene oxide-polypropylene oxide block copolymer, Tetronics®1107 (mol. wt. = 15000, % ethylene oxide = 70, and HLB 18-23) in aqueous solution was examined using surface tension, fluorescence, viscosity, cloud point and dynamic light scattering. The copolymer being very hydrophilic shows poor surface activity and forms thermo-, pH and salt responsive nanosize core-shell micelles above critical micellization temperatures. These micelles showed markedly enhanced solubilization of hydrophobic drugs curcumin and quercetin. In vitro antioxidant activities (by free radical scavenging, reducing capacity and superoxide anion radical scavenging methods) and cytotoxicity (against CHO-K1 cell line) showed desirable properties in micellar drugs as compared to free one and similar cytotoxic effects were observed for free as well as micellar drugs. This suggests T1107 as promising tool for drug delivery.

['Sheth|Urjita|U|', 'Bahadur|Anita|A|']

2018

25160663

Regioselective radical aminofluorination of styrenes.

The copper-catalyzed radical aminofluorination of styrenes with N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide (NFSI) is realized with high regioselectivity, thus affording aminofluorination products with regioselectivities opposite that of the palladium-catalyzed and noncatalyzed processes. Preliminary mechanistic studies suggested the reaction went through a radical pathway and was supported by DFT calculations. In these reactions, NFSI is utilized as both a radical nitrogen source and radical fluorine source, thus rendering it an attractive reagent.

['Zhang|Hongwei|H|', 'Song|Yongcheng|Y|', 'Zhao|Jinbo|J|', 'Zhang|Jingping|J|', 'Zhang|Qian|Q|']

2014

32404118

Discovery of thermophilic Bacillales using reduced-representation genotyping for identification.

BACKGROUND This study demonstrates the use of reduced-representation genotyping to provide preliminary identifications for thermophilic bacterial isolates. The approach combines restriction enzyme digestion and PCR with next-generation sequencing to provide thousands of short-read sequences from across the bacterial genomes. Isolates were obtained from compost, hot water systems, and artesian bores of the Great Artesian Basin. Genomic DNA was double-digested with two combinations of restriction enzymes followed by PCR amplification, using a commercial provider of DArTseq™, Diversity Arrays Technology Pty Ltd. (Canberra, Australia). The resulting fragments which formed a reduced-representation of approximately 2.3% of the genome were sequenced. The sequence tags obtained were aligned against all available RefSeq bacterial genome assemblies by BLASTn to identify the nearest reference genome. RESULTS Based on the preliminary identifications, a total of 99 bacterial isolates were identified to species level, from which 8 isolates were selected for whole-genome sequencing to assess the identification results. Novel species and strains were discovered within this set of isolates. The preliminary identifications obtained by reduced-representation genotyping, as well as identifications obtained by BLASTn alignment of the 16S rRNA gene sequence, were compared with those derived from the whole-genome sequence data, using the same RefSeq sequence database for the three methods. Identifications obtained with reduced-representation sequencing agreed with the identifications provided by whole-genome sequencing in 100% of cases. The identifications produced by BLASTn alignment of 16S rRNA gene sequence to the same database differed from those provided by whole-genome sequencing in 37.5% of cases, and produced ambiguous identifications in 50% of cases. CONCLUSIONS Previously, this method has been successfully demonstrated for use in bacterial identification for medical microbiology. This study demonstrates the first successful use of DArTseq™ for preliminary identification of thermophilic bacterial isolates, providing results in complete agreement with those obtained from whole-genome sequencing of the same isolates. The growing database of bacterial genome sequences provides an excellent resource for alignment of reduced-representation sequence data for identification purposes, and as the available sequenced genomes continue to grow, the technique will become more effective.

['Talamantes-Becerra|Berenice|B|0000-0001-6952-5276', 'Carling|Jason|J|', 'Kilian|Andrzej|A|', 'Georges|Arthur|A|']

2020

25503456

Relationship of retinal morphology and retinal sensitivity in the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration using aflibercept.

PURPOSE To relate the functional response to distinct morphological features of the retina during aflibercept treatment for neovascular AMD (nAMD). METHODS A total of 726 retinal locations in 22 consecutive eyes presenting with treatment-naive nAMD underwent a standardized examination with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and topographic microperimetry (MP) at baseline, after 3 and 12 months of continuous intravitreal aflibercept therapy. The retinal sensitivity at each stimulus location was registered to the corresponding location on SD-OCT morphology. Subsequently, the microperimetric responses were evaluated with respect to the following underlying SD-OCT features: neovascular complex (NVC), subretinal fluid (SRF), intraretinal fluid (IRF), intraretinal cystoid space (IRC), serous pigment epithelium detachment (sPED), and fibrovascular pigment epithelium detachment (fPED). RESULTS Baseline sensitivity was reduced to mean values of 1.8 dB in NVC, 2.2 dB in IRC, 2.8 dB in IRF, 2.6 dB in sPED, 3.6 dB in SRF, and 4.6 dB in fPED. Improvements in retinal sensitivity were most pronounced during the initial 3-month interval, when significant recovery was documented for SRF and sPED with +4.0/5.5 dB (P < 0.0001) and to a lesser extent for IRF, IRC, fPED, with +1.1, 1.7, 2.3 dB, respectively. From month 3 to 12, the additional benefit ranged from 0.3 to 1.0 dB (P > 0.05 for each category). CONCLUSIONS Significant functional benefits following intravitreal aflibercept treatment could be detected over all defined morphological pathologies. The level of improvement varied dependent on the associated feature with the best prognosis for visual improvement in SRF and sPED and least with intraretinal fluid and particularly intraretinal cysts.

['Sulzbacher|Florian|F|', 'Roberts|Philipp|P|', 'Munk|Marion R|MR|', 'Kaider|Alexandra|A|', 'Kroh|Maria Elisabeth|ME|', 'Sacu|Stefan|S|', 'Schmidt-Erfurth|Ursula|U|', '|||']

2014

30106640

Novel Transabdominal Preperitoneal Hernioplasty Technique for Recurrent Inguinal Hernia: Overlapping of Whole Posterior Wall with Newly Added Mesh and Pre-Existing Mesh by Closing Hernia Defect.

In some patients with recurrent inguinal hernias who have undergone previous laparoscopic herniorrhaphy, dissecting the entire posterior wall is difficult due to mesh adhesion. We applied a novel transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) hernioplasty technique that involves closing of the hernia defect and implantation of a newly added mesh while preserving the pre-existing mesh for inguinal hernia recurrence after laparoscopic herniorrhaphy. This study was performed to evaluate this novel technique for treatment of recurrent inguinal hernias. We evaluated 24 adult patients (23 male, 1 female; mean age, 55.8 ± 14.0 years; range, 26-77 years) with recurring inguinal hernias. A modified TAPP (mTAPP) procedure involving closing of the defect and implantation of an 8 × 6-cm2 newly added mesh was performed. The new technique covered the whole posterior wall with pre-existing mesh. Among the 24 patients, there were 12 direct hernias and 12 indirect hernias. The mean postoperative pain scores after 1 week were 2.5 and 2.0 in patients with direct and indirect hernias, respectively, and the mean duration until return to normal activities was 8.5 and 7.5 days in patients with direct and indirect hernias, respectively. The mean follow-up period was 21.0 ± 17.0 (range, 2-56) months. No chronic inguinodynia or rerecurrence was observed. In this novel mTAPP procedure for recurring inguinal hernias, closing sutures prevented mesh migration, and complete posterior wall overlap was possible using the pre-existing mesh and newly added mesh. The mTAPP procedure was an effective operation with few recurrences and complications.

['Lee|Sung Ryul|SR|', 'Park|Pyoung Jae|PJ|']

2018

25044680

Diagnostic exome sequencing to elucidate the genetic basis of likely recessive disorders in consanguineous families.

Rare, atypical, and undiagnosed autosomal-recessive disorders frequently occur in the offspring of consanguineous couples. Current routine diagnostic genetic tests fail to establish a diagnosis in many cases. We employed exome sequencing to identify the underlying molecular defects in patients with unresolved but putatively autosomal-recessive disorders in consanguineous families and postulated that the pathogenic variants would reside within homozygous regions. Fifty consanguineous families participated in the study, with a wide spectrum of clinical phenotypes suggestive of autosomal-recessive inheritance, but with no definitive molecular diagnosis. DNA samples from the patient(s), unaffected sibling(s), and the parents were genotyped with a 720K SNP array. Exome sequencing and array CGH (comparative genomic hybridization) were then performed on one affected individual per family. High-confidence pathogenic variants were found in homozygosity in known disease-causing genes in 18 families (36%) (one by array CGH and 17 by exome sequencing), accounting for the clinical phenotype in whole or in part. In the remainder of the families, no causative variant in a known pathogenic gene was identified. Our study shows that exome sequencing, in addition to being a powerful diagnostic tool, promises to rapidly expand our knowledge of rare genetic Mendelian disorders and can be used to establish more detailed causative links between mutant genotypes and clinical phenotypes.

['Makrythanasis|Periklis|P|', 'Nelis|Mari|M|', 'Santoni|Federico A|FA|', 'Guipponi|Michel|M|', 'Vannier|Anne|A|', 'Béna|Frédérique|F|', 'Gimelli|Stefania|S|', 'Stathaki|Elisavet|E|', 'Temtamy|Samia|S|', 'Mégarbané|André|A|', 'Masri|Amira|A|', 'Aglan|Mona S|MS|', 'Zaki|Maha S|MS|', 'Bottani|Armand|A|', 'Fokstuen|Siv|S|', 'Gwanmesia|Lorraine|L|', 'Aliferis|Konstantinos|K|', 'Bustamante Eduardo|Mariana|M|', 'Stamoulis|Georgios|G|', 'Psoni|Stavroula|S|', 'Kitsiou-Tzeli|Sofia|S|', 'Fryssira|Helen|H|', 'Kanavakis|Emmanouil|E|', 'Al-Allawi|Nasir|N|', 'Sefiani|Abdelaziz|A|', "Al Hait|Sana'|S|", 'Elalaoui|Siham C|SC|', 'Jalkh|Nadine|N|', 'Al-Gazali|Lihadh|L|', 'Al-Jasmi|Fatma|F|', 'Bouhamed|Habiba Chaabouni|HC|', 'Abdalla|Ebtesam|E|', 'Cooper|David N|DN|', 'Hamamy|Hanan|H|', 'Antonarakis|Stylianos E|SE|']

2014

32733817

Oral Vaccination With Recombinant Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Expressing Sin Nombre Virus Glycoprotein Prevents Sin Nombre Virus Transmission in Deer Mice.

Sin Nombre virus (SNV) is the major cause of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) in North America, a severe respiratory disease with a high fatality rate. SNV is carried by Peromyscus maniculatus, or deer mice, and human infection occurs following inhalation of aerosolized virus in mouse excreta or secreta, often in peri-domestic settings. Currently there are no FDA approved vaccines or therapeutics for SNV or any other hantaviruses, therefore prevention of infection is an important means of reducing the disease burden of HCPS. One approach for preventing HCPS cases is to prevent the spread of the virus amongst the rodent reservoir population through bait vaccination. However, bait style vaccines for rodent-borne viruses have not been employed in the field, unlike those targeting larger species. Here we utilized a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus expressing SNV glycoprotein precursor (rVSVΔG/SNVGPC) in an attempt to prevent SNV transmission. Vaccination of deer mice with rVSVΔG/SNVGPC was able to reduce viral RNA copy numbers in the blood and lungs of directly infected animals. More importantly, vaccination, either intramuscularly or orally, significantly reduced the number of transmission events in a SNV transmission model compared with control animals. This provides a proof-of-concept in which oral vaccination of deer mice results in protection against acquiring the virus following direct contact with infected deer mice. Further development of bait style vaccines for SNV or other rodent-borne viruses could provide an effective means of reducing disease burden.

['Warner|Bryce M|BM|', 'Jangra|Rohit K|RK|', 'Griffin|Bryan D|BD|', 'Stein|Derek R|DR|', 'Kobasa|Darwyn|D|', 'Chandran|Kartik|K|', 'Kobinger|Gary P|GP|', 'Safronetz|David|D|']

2020

29432900

Thermodynamic analysis of Kex2 activity: The acylation and deacylation steps are potassium- and substrate-dependent.

Kex2 is the prototype of a large family of eukaryotic subtilisin-related proprotein-processing proteases that cleave at sites containing pairs of basic residues. Here, we studied the effects of KCl on the individual rate constants of association, dissociation, acylation and deacylation and determined the thermodynamic parameters at each step of the Kex2 reaction. Potassium bound Kex2 with KD=20.3mM. The order in which potassium entered the reaction system modified the effect of activation or inhibition, which depended on the size of the substrate. A possible allosteric potassium binding site at the S6 subsite was involved in activation, and a distant site located between the catalytic domain and the P-domain was involved in inhibition. Potassium decreased the energetic barriers of almost all steps of catalysis. The acylation of Ac-PMYKR-AMC in the absence of potassium was the rate-limiting step. Therefore, for substrates containing a P1-Arg, the deacylation step is not necessarily the rate-limiting event, and other residues at the P' positions may participate in controlling the acylation and deacylation steps. Thus, it is reasonable to conclude that potassium is involved in the processing of the α-mating factor that promotes Ca2+ mobilization by activating a high-affinity Ca2+-influx system to increase the cytosolic [Ca2+], resulting in the activation of channels that are essential for the survival of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells.

['Antunes|Alyne Alexandrino|AA|', 'Jesus|Larissa de Oliveira Passos|LOP|', 'Manfredi|Marcella Araújo|MA|', 'de Souza|Aline Aparecida|AA|', 'Machado|Maurício Ferreira Marcondes|MFM|', 'E Silva|Pamela Moraes|PM|', 'Icimoto|Marcelo Yudi|MY|', 'Juliano|Maria Aparecida|MA|', 'Juliano|Luiz|L|', 'Judice|Wagner Alves de Souza|WAS|']

2018

33618756

Emergency open surgery with a duodenotomy and successful removal of an impacted basket following a complicated endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography procedure: a case report.

BACKGROUND Current management of choledocholithiasis entails the use of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and clearance of the common bile duct. A rare complication of this procedure is the impaction of the basket by a large stone, which necessitates lithotripsy. Here we report a case of an impacted basket during ERCP, which was managed by open surgery with a duodenotomy and the manual removal of the basket. CASE PRESENTATION A 79-year-old Caucasian man was admitted to our department with yellowish discoloration of urine, skin and eyes. Abdominal ultrasonography showed a slightly thickened gallbladder, multiple gallbladder stones, dilated intrahepatic bile ducts and extrahepatic bile extending to 1.1 cm. A computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrated a stone in the common bile duct, which caused dilation of the biliary ducts. The patient was diagnosed with obstructive jaundice secondary to choledocholithiasis; and underwent an ERCP, a sphincterotomy and stone extraction. Four days following discharge, the patient was readmitted with jaundice, abdominal pain, vomiting and fever. He was diagnosed with ascending cholangitis and treated initially with antibiotics. A second ERCP revealed a dilated common bile duct and choledocholithiasis. Stone removal with a basket failed, as did mechanical lithotripsy. Finally, the wires of the basket were ruptured and stacked in the common bile duct together with the stone. During exploratory laparotomy, adhesiolysis, a Kocher maneuver of the duodenum and a subtotal cholecystectomy were performed. Choledochotomy did not succeed in removing the impacted wires together with the stone. Therefore, a duodenotomy and an extension of the sphincterotomy were performed, followed by high-pressure lavage of the common bile duct to remove additional small biliary stones. The choledochotomy and duodenotomy were closed by a one-layer suture, and a prophylactic gastroenterostomy was performed to prevent leakage from the common bile duct and the duodenum. The postoperative course was satisfactory. CONCLUSIONS This is the first report in the literature of removal of an impacted Dormia basket through the papilla by performing a duodenotomy and an extension of the sphincterotomy, followed by gastroenterostomy.

['Abu Shakra|Ibrahim|I|', 'Bez|Maxim|M|', 'Bickel|Amitai|A|', 'Badran|Mahran|M|', 'Merei|Fahed|F|', 'Ganam|Samer|S|', 'Kassis|Walid|W|', 'Kakiashvili|Eli|E|']

2021