Inflammatory cytokines, placental pathology, and neurological outcomes in infants born to preterm preeclamptic mothers

Preeclampsia is both a vascular and inflammatory disorder. Since the placenta is a conduit for fetal development, preeclampsia should be a presumed cause of adverse infant outcomes. Yet, the relationship of placental pathology, inflammation and neurological outcomes after preeclampsia are understudied. We prospectively examined a cohort of maternal-infant dyads with preeclampsia for maternal inflammatory cytokines at time of preeclampsia diagnosis and delivery, and fetal cord blood cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α). Placentas were analyzed for inflammatory and vascular pathologies. Neurodevelopmental assessment of infants utilizing the Pediatric Stroke Outcome Measure (PSOM) was conducted at 6-month corrected gestational age. Eighty-one maternal-newborn dyads were examined. Worse neurological outcomes were not associated with elevated maternal / fetal cytokines. Early preterm birth (gestational age ≤ 32 weeks) was associated with worse neurological outcomes at 6-months regardless of maternal/ fetal cytokine levels, placental pathology, or cranial ultrasound findings (OR 1.70, [1.16–2.48], p = 0.006). When correcting for gestational age, elevated IL-6 approached significance as a predictor for worse developmental outcome (OR 1.025 [0.985–1.066], p = 0.221). Pathological evidence of maternal malperfusion and worse outcomes were noted in early preterm, although our sample size was small. Our study did not demonstrate an obvious association of inflammation and placental pathology in preeclampsia and adverse neurodevelopmental outcome at 6-month corrected age but does suggest maternal malperfusion at earlier gestational age may be a risk factor for worse outcome.

Plays within Songs: Sanqu Songs from Literary Refinement (ya) to Popular Appeal (su)

Through detailed analysis of several case studies, this essay investigates a special form of sanqu 散曲 song, namely, songs that embed references to dramas (quzhong daixi 曲中帶戲). A long song suite (changtao 長套) by Yuan author Sun Jichang 孫季昌 (fl. 14th century) is the best-known example of a pastiche of zaju play titles and dramatic protagonists intended to stimulate and guide readers' imagination. When late Ming dramatist Shen Jing 沈璟 (1553–1610) imitated Sun's pastiche song suite, he painstakingly sought to disrupt the obvious association between lyric and invoked play in an appeal to the literati aesthetic of lyrical indirection. Another, shorter song suite from the Ming, this one by an anonymous author, incorporates chuanqi play titles with little literary embellishment, catering to popular tastes. Finally, set to the tunes “Pipo yu” 劈破玉 and “Gua zhen'er” 掛真兒, popular songs featuring chuanqi play titles appear in three late Ming miscellanies. As these songs describe their source play's main protagonists and plot elements, they may be seen as expressing the voice of commoners and at the same time promoting ethical values. Taken together, these examples illustrate that it was not unusual for sanqu songs to incorporate dramatic references. This blending of song and drama can be traced to the arbitrary Yuan dynasty definition of yuefu 樂府 (literally, “Music Bureau songs”) and its relationship with sanqu songs. Thus the heterogeneous and inclusive nature characteristic of sanqu songs can be viewed in a new light.

The susceptibility of SERPINE1 rs1799889 SNP in diabetic vascular complications: a meta-analysis of fifty-one case-control studies

Background The serine protease inhibitor-1 (SERPINE1) rs1799889 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) has been constantly associated with diabetes mellitus (DM) and its vascular complications. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate this association with combined evidences. Methods The systematic search was performed for studies published up to March 2021 which assess the associations between SERPINE1 rs1799889 SNP and the risks of DM, diabetic retinopathy (DR), diabetic cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetic nephropathy (DN). Only case-control studies were identified, and the linkage between SERPINE1 rs1799889 polymorphism and diabetic vascular risks were evaluated using genetic models. Results 51 comparisons were enrolled. The results revealed a significant association with diabetes risk in overall population (allelic: OR = 1.34, 95 % CI = 1.14–1.57, homozygous: OR = 1.66, 95 % CI = 1.23–2.14, heterozygous: OR = 1.35, 95 % CI = 1.08–1.69, dominant: OR = 1.49, 95 % CI = 1.18–1.88, recessive: OR = 1.30, 95 % CI = 1.06–1.59) as well as in Asian descents (allelic: OR = 1.45, 95 % CI = 1.16–1.82, homozygous: OR = 1.88, 95 % CI = 1.29–2.75, heterozygous: OR = 1.47, 95 % CI = 1.08-2.00, dominant: OR = 1.64, 95 % CI = 1.21–2.24, recessive: OR = 1.46, 95 % CI = 1.09–1.96). A significant association was observed with DR risk (homozygous: OR = 1.25, 95 % CI = 1.01–1.56, recessive: OR = 1.20, 95 % CI = 1.01–1.43) for overall population, as for the European subgroup (homozygous: OR = 1.32, 95 % CI = 1.02–1.72, recessive: OR = 1.38, 95 % CI = 1.11–1.71). A significant association were shown with DN risk for overall population (allelic: OR = 1.48, 95 % CI = 1.15–1.90, homozygous: OR = 1.92, 95 % CI = 1.26–2.95, dominant: OR = 1.41, 95 % CI = 1.01–1.97, recessive: OR = 1.78, 95 % CI = 1.27–2.51) and for Asian subgroup (allelic: OR = 1.70, 95 % CI = 1.17–2.47, homozygous: OR = 2.46, 95 % CI = 1.30–4.66, recessive: OR = 2.24, 95 % CI = 1.40–3.59) after ethnicity stratification. No obvious association was implied with overall diabetic CVD risk in any genetic models, or after ethnicity stratification. Conclusions SERPINE1 rs1799889 4G polymorphism may outstand for serving as a genetic synergistic factor in overall DM and DN populations, positively for individuals with Asian descent. The association of SERPINE1 rs1799889 SNP and DR or diabetic CVD risks was not revealed.

Response To Pre-Operative Corticosteroids Predicts Durable Neurologic Improvement in Patients with Symptomatic Brain Metastases

Purpose: To determine the rate at which focal neurologic deficits respond to pre-operative corticosteroids in patients with brain metastases and whether such an improvement is predictive of long-term improvement in neurologic function following surgery. Methods: Patients with pathology-proven brain metastases who underwent open surgical resection between 2010 and 2019 were identified. Charts were reviewed to identify patients with deficits in language, visual field, or motor domains who received corticosteroids prior to surgery. Descriptive analysis compared characteristics between steroid responders and non-responders. Dosage and duration were binned into deciles and plotted against their corresponding response rates. Results: 96 patients demonstrated a visual field (13 patients), language (19), or motor (64) deficit and received dexamethasone in the week prior to surgery (average cumulative dose 42.66 mg; average duration 64.5 hours). 38.5% of patients’ deficits improved on neurologic exam prior to surgery. 82.3% of patients improved by follow-up. Motor deficits were most likely to improve (46.9%; p = 0.024). All 37 responders demonstrated durable improvement at follow-up whereas 42 of 59 (71%) of non-responders ultimately improved (p < 0.001). Average dosage and duration prior to response were 17.33 mg and 23.94 hours, respectively. All other clinical characteristics were similar between responders and non-responders. Conclusions: A response to steroids prior to surgery predicts long-term improvement for focal neurologic deficits related to brain metastases. Lack of such a response portends a somewhat less favorable prognosis. There is no obvious association between duration or intensity of therapy and response.

No obvious association exists between mean platelet volume and hypertension subtypes

Aims: To determine the association between mean platelet volume (MPV) and hypertension subtypes. Participants & results: 44,281 Chinese individuals were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The mean blood pressure decreased with increasing MPV in females (p = 0.001) and increased MPV seemed to be a potential protective factor for isolated diastolic hypertension in models 1 and 2. The OR (CI) was 0.878 (0.789–0.976) for model 1 and 0.880 (0.789–0.981) for model 2 in males and 0.646 (0.495–0.841) for model 1 and 0.657 (0.503–0.858) for model 2 in females, when MPV was analyzed as a categorical variable. The OR (CI) was 0.947 (0.911–0.985) for Model 1 and 0.947 (0.910–0.985) for Model 2 in males, and 0.886 (0.807–0.973) for Model 1 and 0.892 (0.813–0.978) for Model 2 in females when MPV was analyzed as a continuous variable. However, the statistical difference of OR disappeared when we added blood-related covariates in Model 3. Conclusion: No obvious association exists between MPV and hypertension subtypes. Other blood parameters might have a greater impact on hypertension subtypes.

Identification of Key miRNAs in the Treatment of Dabrafenib-Resistant Melanoma

Dabrafenib resistance is a significant problem in melanoma, and its underlying molecular mechanism is still unclear. The purpose of this study is to research the molecular mechanism of drug resistance of dabrafenib and to explore the key genes and pathways that mediate drug resistance in melanoma. GSE117666 was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and 492 melanoma statistics were also downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Besides, differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were identified by taking advantage of the R software and GEO2R. The Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) and FunRich was used to perform Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis to identify potential pathways and functional annotations linked with melanoma chemoresistance. 9 DEMs and 872 mRNAs were selected after filtering. Then, target genes were uploaded to Metascape to construct protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Also, 6 hub mRNAs were screened after performing the PPI network. Furthermore, a total of 4 out of 9 miRNAs had an obvious association with the survival rate ( P < 0.05 ) and showed a good power of risk prediction model of over survival. The present research may provide a deeper understanding of regulatory genes of dabrafenib resistance in melanoma.

Effect of genetic variants in FAS and let-7a on radiation-induced intestinal toxicity in the treatment of prostate cancer

IntroductionThe present study aimed to explore the effects of pri-let-7a-1 rs10739971 and FAS-670 rs1800682 polymorphisms on the pathogenesis of radiation induced intestinal toxicity in prostate cancer (PC) patients.Material and methods380 PC patients with or without signs of intestinal toxicity were enrolled to study the effects of let-7a rs10739971 and FAS-670 rs1800682 polymorphisms on rectal volume and the risk of intestinal toxicity. In addition, real-time PCR, Western-blot analysis, immunohistochemistry, luciferase assays and computational analyses were performed to explore the mechanism underlying the role of let-7a rs10739971 polymorphism in radiation induced intestinal toxicity.ResultsThe let-7a rs10739971 polymorphism but not the FAS-670 rs1800682 polymorphism was closely related to the risk of radiation induced intestinal toxicity featured by a high rectal volume. In addition, there was no obvious association between the rectal volume and the genotype and allele frequencies of FAS -670 rs1800682 and Pri-let-7a-1 rs10739971 polymorphisms. The GG genotype of let-7a rs10739971 polymorphism reduced let-7a expression but enhanced FAS expression. In addition, the intestinal toxicity (-) group showed a much higher level of let-7a and a much lower level of FAS than the intestinal toxicity (+) group. FAS was a virtual target gene of let-7a, which decreased FAS protein expression in a dose-dependent manner.ConclusionsThe GG genotype of pri-let-7a-1 rs10739971 polymorphism could increase the risk of radiation induced intestinal toxicity in PC patients. Therefore, the pri-let-7a-1 rs10739971 polymorphism could be used as a putative marker to predict the risk of intestinal toxicity in PC patients undergoing radiotherapy.

Spontaneous Music

The discussion here is focused on Dinara Asanova, an unusual figure at Lenfilm not just because of her Kirghiz background (she was one of only two Central Asian directors at the studio), but because of her commitment to using improvisation, a considerable feat given that the entire system of Soviet control assumed scripts would be filmed verbatim. As the chapter contends, the license allowed to Asanova was at least partly dependent upon the categorization of her as a specialist in “children’s films,” which acted as a convenient way of trivializing her activities. The film at the center of analysis here, Woodpeckers Don’t Get Headaches, is examined as a particularly revealing manifestation of Asanova’s aesthetic principles because its protagonist, the young jazz enthusiast Mukha, has autobiographical echoes and because the spontaneity of his performances and the compositional manner of the film are in obvious association.

Amino Acids Profile and Vitamin D Measurement in Hypertension in Egyptian Population

Objective: To investigate the association between plasma free amino acids (PFAAs) profile changes, vitamin D concentration and hypertension and evaluate the clinical utility of this association for nascent hypertension before the development of complications. Methods: 70 subjects were enrolled in this study; 50 of them were hypertensive (25 were with uncontrolled hypertensive and 25 were with controlled hypertensive), the other 20 subjects were healthy controls. Results: Circulating levels of Branched chain amino acids (BCAAs); (valine, leucine, and isoleucine), Aromatic amino acids (AAAs); (phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan), homocysteine, aspartic, ornithine, asparagine and lysine were elevated significantly in both uncontrolled and controlled hypertensive subgroups in comparison with control group. On the contrary, the results showed marked decline in the concentration of threonine, serine, methionine, and arginine amino acids in the two hypertensive subgroups compared to control group. Moreover, there was a marked decrease of vitamin D level in hypertensive population in comparison with control. Conclusion: There is obvious association between PFAAs profile changes, hypovitaminosis D and hypertension.

Dental care during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Arabic tweets analysis (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Twitter is a powerful platform which could be used to improvise the demand and supply of dental services during a pandemic. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine the nature and dissemination of COVID-19 information related to dentistry on Twitter platform Arabic database. METHODS One hundred and fifty independent searches with a combination of keywords for both COVID-19 and dentistry from a preselected Arabic keyword were carried out for the period from the 2nd of March to the 6th of July 2020. Tweets were filtered to remove duplicate and unrelated tweets. The suitable tweets were 1,150. After calibration, two examiners coded the tweets following two main themes: COVID-19 and oral health-related information. Tweets were then compared with COVID-19 daily events in the Arab counties as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). Descriptive analysis was performed to present the overview of the findings using Microsoft Excel. RESULTS There was no obvious association between time distribution of the tweets to the distribution of new COVID-19 cases and deaths during the period from March 2, 2020 to July 6, 2020. The most retweeted information was the help with urgent consultation or emergency dental treatment during COVID-19 tweeted by a dentist. There were 673 retweets and 1116 likes of this tweet. The most common tweets related to oral health was needs of dental treatment (n=462, 39.5%) of which, toothaches or wisdom tooth problems constituted 48% of the related tweets. CONCLUSIONS Twitter is a platform reflecting the public interest and concerns, based on the finding tweets tend to increase with major events and news and thus help navigate the proper action needed to address public concern.