bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Kepler-1708 b-i is likely undetectable with HST
Authors: Cassese Ben , Kipping David
Published: July 2022

The exomoon candidate Kepler-1708 b-i was recently reported using two transits of Kepler data. Supported by a 1 per cent false-positive probability, the candidate is promising but requires follow-up observations to confirm/reject its validity. In this paper, we consider the detectability of the exomoon candidate’s transit, most specifically in the next window (2023 March) using the WFC3 instrument aboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Using realistic noise estimates, accounting for the visit-long trends, and propagating the model posteriors derived using the Kepler data, we perform 75 injection-recovery trials with Bayesian model selection. Defining a successful detection as one that meets thresholds of the Bayes factor, Akaike information criterion, and error of the retrieved parameters, only 7 of our 75 injections were recovered when considering HST data alone. This implies a true-positive probability of 10 ± 3 per cent. Despite HST’s superior aperture to Kepler, both instrumental systematics and the compactness of the candidate exomoon’s orbit typically obfuscate a strong detection. Although the noise properties of the James Webb Space Telescope have not yet been characterized in flight, we estimate the signal would be easily recovered using NIRSpec operating in its Bright Object Time Series mode.
Rapid source classification and distance estimation for compact binary mergers with PyCBC live
Authors: Villa-Ortega Verónica , Dent Thomas , Curiel Barroso Andrés
Published: July 2022

During the third observing run (O3) of the advanced LIGO and advanced virgo detectors, dozens of candidate gravitational-wave (GW) events have been catalogued. A challenge of this observing run has been the rapid identification and public dissemination of compact binary coalescence (CBC) signals, a task carried out by low-latency searches such as PyCBC Live. During the later part of O3, we developed a method of classifying CBC sources via their probabilities of containing neutron star or black hole components within PyCBC Live in order to facilitate immediate follow-up observations by electromagnetic and neutrino observatories. This fast classification uses the chirp mass recovered by the search as input given the difficulty of measuring the mass ratio with high accuracy for lower mass binaries. We also use a distance estimate derived from the search output to correct for the bias in chirp mass due to the cosmological redshift. We present results for simulated signals, and for confirmed candidate events identified in low latency over O3.
Genome Sequencing of up to 6,000-Year-OldCitrullusSeeds Reveals Use of a Bitter-Fleshed Species Prior to Watermelon Domestication
Authors: Pérez-Escobar Oscar A , Tusso Sergio , Przelomska Natalia A S , Wu Shan , Ryan Philippa , Nesbitt Mark , Silber Martina V , Preick Michaela , Fei Zhangjun , Hofreiter Michael , Chomicki Guillaume , Renner Susanne S
Published: July 2022

Iconographic evidence from Egypt suggests that watermelon pulp was consumed there as a dessert by 4,360 BP. Earlier archaeobotanical evidence comes from seeds from Neolithic settlements in Libya, but whether these were watermelons with sweet pulp or other forms is unknown. We generated genome sequences from 6,000- and 3,300-year-old seeds from Libya and Sudan, and from worldwide herbarium collections made between 1824 and 2019, and analyzed these data together with resequenced genomes from important germplasm collections for a total of 131 accessions. Phylogenomic and population-genomic analyses reveal that (1) much of the nuclear genome of both ancient seeds is traceable to West African seed-use “egusi-type” watermelon (Citrullus mucosospermus) rather than domesticated pulp-use watermelon (Citrullus lanatus ssp. vulgaris); (2) the 6,000-year-old watermelon likely had bitter pulp and greenish-white flesh as today found in C. mucosospermus, given alleles in the bitterness regulators ClBT and in the red color marker LYCB; and (3) both ancient genomes showed admixture from C. mucosospermus, C. lanatus ssp. cordophanus, C. lanatus ssp. vulgaris, and even South African Citrullus amarus, and evident introgression between the Libyan seed (UMB-6) and populations of C. lanatus. An unexpected new insight is that Citrullus appears to have initially been collected or cultivated for its seeds, not its flesh, consistent with seed damage patterns induced by human teeth in the oldest Libyan material.
Is the Mutation Rate Lower in Genomic Regions of Stronger Selective Constraints?
Authors: Liu Haoxuan , Zhang Jianzhi
Published: July 2022

A study of the plant Arabidopsis thaliana detected lower mutation rates in genomic regions where mutations are more likely to be deleterious, challenging the principle that mutagenesis is blind to its consequence. To examine the generality of this finding, we analyze large mutational data from baker's yeast and humans. The yeast data do not exhibit this trend, whereas the human data show an opposite trend that disappears upon the control of potential confounders. We find that the Arabidopsis study identified substantially more mutations than reported in the original data-generating studies and expected from Arabidopsis' mutation rate. These extra mutations are enriched in polynucleotide tracts and have relatively low sequencing qualities so are likely sequencing errors. Furthermore, the polynucleotide “mutations” can produce the purported mutational trend in Arabidopsis. Together, our results do not support lower mutagenesis of genomic regions of stronger selective constraints in the plant, fungal, and animal models examined.
Clinical application of microRNAs in glomerular diseases
Authors: Selvaskandan Haresh , Pawluczyk Izabella , Barratt Jonathan
Published: July 2022

RNA interference (RNAi) occurs in all organisms and modulates most, if not all, biological pathways. It is the process by which non-coding RNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs), regulate gene transcription and post-transcriptional processing of messenger RNA (mRNA). A single miRNA can modulate several genes within a cell, and several miRNAs can regulate expression of the same gene, adding tiers of complexity to the regulation of gene expression. miRNAs and other RNAi approaches have been successfully used in vitro and in vivo to selectively manipulate gene transcription, making them pivotal agents for basic science research and candidates for targeted therapeutics. This review focuses on miRNAs and their potential as biomarkers and novel therapeutics for glomerular disease.
Longitudinal Associations Between Exclusive and Dual Use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems and Cigarettes and Self-Reported Incident Diagnosed Cardiovascular Disease Among Adults
Authors: Hirschtick Jana L , Cook Steven , Patel Akash , Barnes Geoffrey D , Arenberg Douglas , Bondarenko Irina , Levy David T , Jeon Jihyoun , Jimenez Mendoza Evelyn , Meza Rafael , Fleischer Nancy L
Published: July 2022

Introduction

The cardiovascular health effects of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) use are not well characterized, making it difficult to assess ENDS as a potential harm reduction tool for adults who use cigarettes.

Aims and Methods

Using waves 1–5 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study (2013–2019), we analyzed the risk of self-reported incident diagnosed myocardial infarction (MI; 280 incident cases) and stroke (186 incident cases) associated with ENDS and/or cigarette use among adults aged 40 + using discrete time survival models. We employed a time-varying exposure lagged by one wave, defined as exclusive or dual established use of ENDS and/or cigarettes every day or some days, and controlled for demographics, clinical factors, and past smoking history.

Results

The analytic samples (MI = 11 031; stroke = 11 076) were predominantly female and non-Hispanic White with a mean age of 58 years. At baseline, 14.2% of respondents exclusively smoked cigarettes, 0.6% exclusively used ENDS, and 1.0% used both products. Incident MI and stroke were rare during follow-up (< 1% at each wave). Compared to no cigarette or ENDS use, exclusive cigarette use increased the risk of MI (aHR 1.99, 95% CI = 1.40–2.84) and stroke (aHR 2.26, 95% CI = 1.51–3.39), while exclusive ENDS use (MI: aHR 0.61, 95% CI = 0.12–3.04; stroke: aHR 1.74, 95% CI = 0.55–5.49) and dual use (MI: aHR 1.84, 95% CI = 0.64–5.30; stroke: aHR 1.12, 95% CI = 0.33–3.79) were not significantly associated with the risk of either outcome.

Conclusions

Compared to non-use, exclusive cigarette use was associated with an increased risk of self-reported incident diagnosed cardiovascular disease over a 5-year period, while ENDS use was not associated with a statistically significant increase in the outcomes.

Implications

Existing literature on the health effects of ENDS use has important limitations, including potential reverse causation and improper control for cigarette smoking. We accounted for these issues by using a prospective design and adjusting for current and former smoking status and cigarette pack-years. In this context, we did not find that ENDS use was associated with a statistically significant increase in self-reported incident diagnosed myocardial infarction or stroke over a 5-year period. While more studies are needed, this analysis provides an important foundation and key methodological considerations for future research on the health effects of ENDS use.
Reasons for Using Roll-Your-Own Tobacco and Perceptions of Health-Promoting Pack Inserts: A Focus Group Study with Roll-Your-Own Tobacco Smokers in Scotland
Authors: Moodie Crawford , O’Donnell Rachel
Published: July 2022

Introduction

Use of roll-your-own (RYO) tobacco is increasing in most regions, but few qualitative studies have explored why RYO smokers use this product, and no study has considered their views of health-promoting pack inserts.

Methods

Eight focus groups were conducted with 18–35-year-old RYO smokers (n = 50) in Greater Glasgow (Scotland) in February–March 2020 to explore reasons for using RYO and perceptions of health-promoting inserts. Participants were shown four inserts adapted from those required in cigarette packs in Canada, with all encouraging quitting, and two RYO-specific inserts explaining that RYO is not less harmful than cigarettes.

Results

Lower price, better taste, the pleasure of rolling and ability to customize roll-ups, and the belief that RYO was less harmful than cigarettes were drivers for use. There were mixed perceptions of the extent to which inserts would capture attention if included in RYO packs. The positive messaging used on the Canadian inserts was considered motivational and inspirational, and contrasted with the on-pack warnings. The messaging on the RYO inserts, in comparison, was viewed unfavorably and generally dismissed. Participants, most of whom were not interested in quitting, did not feel that inserts would lead them to change their smoking behavior. However, some felt that the Canadian inserts could be helpful for those thinking about quitting and young people contemplating smoking.

Conclusions

Inserts with positive messaging about quitting, rather than messaging explicating the harms of RYO, were preferred by RYO smokers. What, if any, RYO-specific messaging resonates with RYO smokers merits further attention.

Implications

Aside from price, taste, and the pleasure associated with rolling and ability to individualize roll-ups, the erroneous belief that RYO is less harmful than cigarettes was a key reason for use. While inserts with positive messaging about quitting, as used on the Canadian inserts, were viewed as potentially helpful, inserts that challenged the idea that RYO was not less harmful than cigarettes were generally dismissed. Research is needed to understand what types of RYO-specific messaging could most effectively be used on inserts, or indeed in other media, to challenge the misperceptions that many RYO smokers hold.
The institutional wage adjustment to import competition: evidence from the Italian collective bargaining system
Authors: Matano Alessia , Naticchioni Paolo , Vona Francesco
Published: July 2022

A growing body of research has contributed to understanding the labour market and political effects of globalization. This article explores an overlooked feature of trade-induced adjustments in the labour market: the institutional aspect. We take advantage of the Italian collectively bargained minimum wage system, which is based on a two-tier structure, whereby the first tier entails setting minimum wages at the national contract level. Using an instrumental variable strategy and exploiting variations in contract-level exposure to trade, we find for the 1995–2003 period that, on average, the surge in imports decreased contractual minimum wages by 1.5%. This impact increases in the share of unskilled workers employed in the contract. This negative institutional effect contrasts with a non-significant effect of trade on total wages, with the latter becoming positive and large only for highly skilled workers.
Functional connectivity of the medial prefrontal cortex related to mindreading abilities
Authors: Le Petit Marine , Eustache Francis , Perrier Joy , de La Sayette Vincent , Desgranges Béatrice , Laisney Mickaël
Published: July 2022

The medial prefrontal cortex is a key region of mindreading belonging to the mentalizing system, a set of brain areas underlying mental state inference based on reasoning on social concepts. The aim of this study was to characterize the functional connectivity between regions involved in mindreading and to highlight the processes it underpins, focusing on the dorsal and ventral parts of the medial prefrontal cortex. We analyzed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging of 56 healthy volunteers, to study the relationship between mindreading abilities and functional connectivity of the medial prefrontal cortex. Cognitive mindreading performances were correlated with connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex and frontal regions involved in the regulation of the salience of one’s own mental contents, with a distinction between the dorsal part connected to regions subtending inhibition processes and the ventral part to emotional regions. Affective mindreading performances were negatively correlated with negative connectivity of the ventro- and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex with sensorimotor regions belonging to the mirror neuron system subtending the simulation of mental states. These findings suggested a role of the medial prefrontal cortex to decrease the salience of one’s own mental content and in the antisynchronous interaction between the mentalizing and mirror neurons systems.
XVIIIBibliography, Textual Criticism, and Reference Works
Authors: Baker William
Published: July 2022

This chapter has four sections: 1. Periodicals; 2. Editions and Catalogues; 3. Bibliography, Associated Books and Articles, Histories, and Companions; 4. Some Shakespeare and Miscellaneous, including Reference Materials. These sections are not inviolable. With exceptions, this review of the year’s work published in 2020 in the areas of bibliography, textual criticism, and reference material is mostly alphabetically arranged. Within the alphabetical arrangement by author there are some exceptions where publications are grouped under the respective authors rather than on the editors of, for instance, the correspondence. There is also included in this chapter, as in previous years, work that has been missed in some of the other chapters in this volume. Readers should be aware that coverage is largely limited to those items that have been received by the contributor in a year dominated by the virus! Thanks are due to James E. May, who contributed the section on the Eighteenth-Century Intelligencer, Brent E. Kinser, Andrew McAinsh of the Edinburgh Bibliographical Society, Professor Patrick Scott, Liam Sims of the Cambridge Bibliographical Society, Professors Tianhu Ho and Ken Womack, and Jan Webster for their assistance.
Construction of Full-Length Infectious cDNA Clones of Citrus Mosaic Virus RNA1 and RNA2 and Infection of Citrus Seedlings by Agrobacterium-Mediated Vacuum-Infiltration
Authors: Su Yue , Xu Jianjian , Jiang Qiqi , Zhang Qi , Wang Chunqing , Bin Yu , Song Zhen
Published: July 2022

The development of full-length infectious cDNA clones for plant RNA viruses is important for studying their molecular biological characteristics, functional genomics, pathogenesis, and vectorization applications. Citrus mosaic virus (CiMV), a member of the genus Sadwavirus, is of economic importance to the citrus industry and comprises a bipartite, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA genome encapsidated in icosahedral virions. In the present study, full-length cDNA clones of CiMV RNA1 and RNA2 were constructed based on a ternary yeast− Escherichia coli− Agrobacterium tumefaciens shuttle vector, pTY, using transformation-associated recombination (TAR) strategy. Infectivity of cDNA clones of CiMV RNA1 and RNA2 was examined in multiple citrus varieties via Agrobacterium-mediated vacuum-infiltration (AVI) through symptom observation, RT-PCR, and virion detection with an electron microscope. Furthermore, the genome-sized RT-PCR fragments of RNA1 and RNA2 were obtained from symptomatic Jinchengyou ( Citrus grandis) plants infected by the cloned virus (CiMV211). In addition, CiMV211 produced typical symptoms of wild-type CiMV in cowpea ( Vigna angularis) plants inoculated by Agrobacterium-mediated injection. This is the first report of infectious cDNA clones of CiMV, which may lay the foundation for research on the pathogenesis and vectorization of the virus.
EARLY DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN SEPSIS AND STERILE INFLAMMATION VIA URINARY GENE SIGNATURES OF METABOLIC DYSREGULATION
Authors: Bandyopadhyay Sabyasachi , Loftus Tyler J. , Peng Ying-Chih , Lopez Maria-Cecilia , Baker Henry V. , Segal Mark S. , Graim Kiley , Ozrazgat-Baslanti Tezcan , Rashidi Parisa , Bihorac Azra
Published: July 2022

Objective: The aim of this study was to characterize early urinary gene expression differences between patients with sepsis and patients with sterile inflammation and summarize in terms of a reproducible sepsis probability score. Design: This was a prospective observational cohort study. Setting: The study was conducted in a quaternary care academic hospital. Patients: One hundred eighty-six sepsis patients and 78 systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) patients enrolled between January 2015 and February 2018. Interventions: Whole-genome transcriptomic analysis of RNA was extracted from urine obtained from sepsis patients within 12 hours of sepsis onset and from patients with surgery-acquired SIRS within 4 hours after major inpatient surgery. Measurements and Main Results: We identified 422 of 23,956 genes (1.7%) that were differentially expressed between sepsis and SIRS patients. Differentially expressed probes were provided to a collection of machine learning feature selection models to identify focused probe sets that differentiate between sepsis and SIRS. These probe sets were combined to find an optimal probe set (UrSepsisModel) and calculate a urinary sepsis score (UrSepsisScore), which is the geometric mean of downregulated genes subtracted from the geometric mean of upregulated genes. This approach summarizes the expression values of all decisive genes as a single sepsis score. The UrSepsisModel and UrSepsisScore achieved area under the receiver operating characteristic curves 0.91 (95% confidence interval, 0.86–0.96) and 0.80 (95% confidence interval, 0.70–0.88) on the validation cohort, respectively. Functional analyses of probes associated with sepsis demonstrated metabolic dysregulation manifest as reduced oxidative phosphorylation, decreased amino acid metabolism, and decreased oxidation of lipids and fatty acids. Conclusions: Whole-genome transcriptomic profiling of urinary cells revealed focused probe panels that can function as an early diagnostic tool for differentiating sepsis from sterile SIRS. Functional analysis of differentially expressed genes demonstrated a distinct metabolic dysregulation signature in sepsis.
LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS OF TRANSCRIPTOMIC SUBTYPES IN TRAUMA PATIENTS
Authors: Chen Tianmeng , Wei Yue , Vodovotz Yoram , Chen Wei , Billiar Timothy R.
Published: July 2022

Objective: We previously identified two transcriptomic subtypes (Signature Groups: SG1 vs. SG2) in trauma patients at 12 hours postinjury, with SG1 associated with worse outcomes. In this study, we aimed to further characterize the changes in SG subtype categorization of trauma patients over time after injury and define the corresponding association with outcomes based on the timing of the subtype designation. Methods and Results: This study was a secondary analysis of published data of whole-blood leukocyte transcriptomics, a longitudinal data from 167 severe blunt trauma patients. We assigned trauma patients to SG1 or SG2 subtype for time points between 12 hours and 28 days, inclusive, postinjury and characterized their longitudinal outcomes. SG1 assignment, regardless of time point, was associated consistently with slower recovery. Further analysis revealed that additional prognostic information could be obtained by assessing SG subtype at both 12 hours and 1 day. Conclusions: This study provides a proof of concept that immune status can worsen after admission and highlights the benefit of longitudinally monitoring SG subtypes in trauma patients.
Social contact patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic in 21 European countries – evidence from a two-year study
Authors: Wong Kerry LM , Gimma Amy , Coletti Pietro ,   CoMix Europe Working Group, Faes Christel , Beutels Philippe , Hens Niel , Jaeger Veronika K , Karch Andre , Johnson Helen , Edmunds W John , Jarvis Christopher I
Published: July 2022

Most countries have enacted some restrictions to reduce social contacts to slow down disease transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic. For nearly two years, individuals likely also adopted new behaviours to avoid pathogen exposure based on personal circumstances. We aimed to understand the way in which different factors affect social contacts – a critical step to improving future pandemic responses. The analysis was based on repeated cross-sectional contact survey data collected in 21 European countries between March 2020 and March 2022. We calculated the mean daily contacts reported using a clustered bootstrap by country and by settings (at home, at work, or in other settings). Where data were available, contact rates during the study period were compared with rates recorded prior to the pandemic. We fitted censored individual-level generalized additive mixed models to examine the effects of various factors on the number of social contacts. The survey recorded 463,336 observations from 96,456 participants. In all countries where comparison data were available, contact rates over the previous two years were substantially lower than those seen prior to the pandemic (approximately from over 10 to <5), predominantly due to fewer contacts outside the home. Government restrictions imposed immediate effect on contacts, and these effects lingered after the restrictions were lifted. Across countries, the relationships between national policy, individual perceptions, or personal circumstances determining contacts varied. Our study, coordinated at the regional level, provides important insights into the understanding of the factors associated with social contacts to support future infectious disease outbreak responses.
IMPACT OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON POSTURAL STABILITY AND COORDINATION IN CHILDREN WITH POSTERIOR FOSSA TUMOR: RANDOMIZED CONTROL PHASE III TRIAL
Authors: Usama Mahmoud , Abdelaziem Faten , Rashed Wafaa M. , Maher Eslam , El Beltagy Mohamed , Zekri Wael
Published: July 2022

Background

Posterior fossa tumor is a type of brain tumor that is located at the borders of both the brain stem and cerebellum. The cerebellum is the brain region in charge of balance and coordination. Pediatric patients diagnosed with posterior fossa tumor have been reported to fall frequently.

Objectives

The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of balance and coordination training in these children.

Methods

This randomized control clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04528316) was carried out between September 2020 and April 2021 at Children’s Cancer Hospital-57357. The inclusion criteria were - patients with posterior fossa tumor in maintenance phase and, age between 5-12 years. The exclusion criteria were - patients who had a genetic disorder or suffer from mental retardation, a chronic lung disease, sever cardiomyopathy, or a neuromuscular disease that doesn’t not related to tumor. The study participants were randomly assigned into three groups: Group I/Control group: they received Pilates core stability exercises program, Group II/Postural stability group: They received the same program plus HUMAC balance program, and Group III/Coordination group: They received the same program plus coordination exercises of BOT-2. The semi-parametric proportional odds model was used to compare follow up scores of the Postural stability group vs Control, and Coordination group vs Control, while adjusting for baseline values. All tests were two-sided, with alpha set to 0.05.

Results

Sixty children including 38 boys and 22 girls were enrolled in this study. In all three groups, postural stability and coordination improved significantly in terms of modified clinical test of sensory integration of balance, center of pressure, limits of stability, bilateral coordination, and upper-limb coordination.

Conclusion

The current study supports the value of adding postural stability and coordination training to the physiotherapy plan for children with posterior fossa tumor.
SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with anti-desmoglein 2 autoantibody detection
Authors: Ward Kerensa E , Steadman Lora , Karim Abid R , Reynolds Gary M , Pugh Matthew , Chua Winnie , Faustini Sian E , Veenith Tonny , Thwaites Ryan S , Openshaw Peter JM , Drayson Mark T , Shields Adrian M , Cunningham Adam F , Wraith David C. , Richter Alex G
Published: July 2022

Post-acute cardiac sequelae, following SARS-CoV-2 infection, are well recognised as complications of COVID-19. We have previously shown the persistence of autoantibodies against antigens in skin, muscle, and heart in individuals following severe COVID-19; the most common staining on skin tissue displayed an inter-cellular cement pattern consistent with antibodies against desmosomal proteins. Desmosomes play a critical role in maintaining the structural integrity of tissues. For this reason, we analysed desmosomal protein levels and the presence of anti-desmoglein (DSG) 1, 2 and 3 antibodies in acute and convalescent sera from patients with COVID 19 of differing clinical severity. We find increased levels of DSG2 protein in sera from acute COVID patients. Furthermore, we find that DSG2 autoantibody levels are increased significantly in convalescent sera following severe COVID-19 but not in hospitalised patients recovering from influenza infection or healthy controls. Levels of autoantibody in sera from patients with severe COVID-19 were comparable to levels in patients with non-COVID-19-associated cardiac disease, potentially identifying DSG2 autoantibodies as a novel biomarker for cardiac damage. To determine if there was any association between severe COVID-19 and DSG2, we stained post-mortem cardiac tissue from patients who died from COVID-19 infection. This revealed disruption of the intercalated disc between cardiomyocytes that was consistent with separation of the DSG2 protein homodimer. Our results reveal the potential for DSG2 protein and autoimmunity to DSG2 to contribute to unexpected pathologies associated with COVID-19 infection.
Urinary tract infection in infants with asymptomatic Jaundice: a meta-analysis UTI and Jaundice Review
Authors: Gourishankar Anand , Akkinapally Smita. S.
Published: July 2022

INTRODUCTION

Infants, especially neonates, present with jaundice with an unclear association with urinary tract infection. Evidence for such association is unclear, especially in a specific group of otherwise well-appearing infants born > 35 weeks.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

Data sources

We used the following databases: Medline, Embase, CINAHL Plus, Scopus, and Cochrane library.

Study selection

We included observational studies that included infants born > 35 weeks gestation, younger than 12 months, asymptomatic other than jaundice, and urinary tract infection. Data extraction: After reviewing the eligibility, two reviewers extracted data and assessed the quality of each study using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

We analyzed sixteen studies for a total of 2933 infants. The pooled incidence of UTI was 9.6% (95% confidence interval of 6% to 15%). The subgroup analysis failed to show any difference in incidence within the publication year, sample size, study design, study region, urine collection method, and age group. There was no explanation of heterogeneity noted by the meta-regression for UTI incidence with publication year, total bilirubin, sample size, and study quality. The funnel plot and Egger’s test revealed publication bias.

CONCLUSIONS

Nearly 1 in 10 otherwise asymptomatic infants with jaundice have a UTI. We recommend a rigorous large prospective study to confirm this finding.
Assessment of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative at Healthcare Facilities in East Java, Indonesia
Authors: Januraga Pande Putu , Anom Harjana Ngakan Putu , Kowara Mellysa , Indrayathi Putu Ayu , Lubis Dinar SM , Putra I Gusti Ngurah Edi , Izwardi Doddy
Published: July 2022

Background

The implementation of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding (TSSB) of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) has been shown to be associated with improved breastfeeding outcomes. Indonesia still lags other countries in promoting breastfeeding in the first hour and 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding. This study aimed to assess health facilities’ compliance with the TSSB in Indonesia.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey of 242 health facility managers and 130 postpartum mothers across hospitals, community health centers (puskesmas), and private clinics at 5 sites in the East Java province was conducted between January and June, 2019. The health facility managers and mothers were interviewed using questionnaires consisting of questions adopted from the TSSB. The data were analyzed using the descriptive method to present the level of compliance with each step, the overall steps, comparing self-appraisal and validating methods, and comparing results by study site and type of health facility.

Results

The assessment data showed various levels of compliance with the TSSB, with scores ranging from 65.47 to 98.09 (mean score 77.5 on a scale from 0 to 100). The highest compliance was found in step 8 (breastfeeding on demand) and the lowest in step 7 (rooming-in). The validation results showed a significantly lower compliance with steps 3, 4, 8, and 9 compared with the self-appraisal. The assessment of compliance with the TSSB also showed certain variations between the site and the type of health facility.

Conclusion

We recommend that policy makers and managers of health facilities formulate effective and appropriate policies to increase institutional compliance with the TSSB. Greater efforts are needed to facilitate puskesmas and private clinics in implementing the TSSB for better breastfeeding outcomes.
A multi-state transition model for child stunting in two urban slum settlements of Nairobi: a longitudinal analysis, 2011-2014
Authors: Oduro Michael S. , Iddi Samuel , Asiedu Louis , Asiki Gershim , Kadengye Damazo T. ,   the Nairobi Urban Health and Demographic Surveillance System
Published: July 2022

Introduction

Stunting is common among children in many low and middle income countries, particularly in rural and urban slum settings. Few studies have described child stunting transitions and the associated factors in urban slum settlements. We describe transitions between stunting states and associated factors among children living in Nairobi slum settlements.

Methods

Data are from the Nairobi Urban and Demographic Surveillance System and a Vaccination Project nested within this surveillance system collected between 2010 and 2014. A subset of 692 children aged 0 to 3 years, with complete anthro-pometric data, and household socio-demographic data was used for the analysis. Height-for-age Z-scores (HAZ) was used to define stunting: normal (HAZ ≥ 1), marginally stunted (−2 ≤ HAZ < -1), moderately stunted (−3 ≤ HAZ < -2), and severely stunted (HAZ < -3). Transitions from one stunting level to another and in the reverse direction were computed. The associations between explanatory factors and the transitions between four child stunting states were modeled using a continuous-time multi-state model

Results

We observed that 48%, 39%, 41%, and 52% of children remained in the normal, marginally stunted, moderately stunted, and severely stunted states, respectively. About 29% transitioned from normal to marginally stunted state, 15% to the moderately stunted state, and 8% to the severely stunted state. Also, 8%, 12%, and 29% back transitioned from severely stunted, moderately stunted, and marginally stunted states, to the normal state, respectively. The shared common factors associated with all transitions to a more severe state include: male gender, ethnicity (only for mild and severe transition states), child’s age, and household food insecurity. In Korogocho, children whose parents were married and those whose mothers had attained primary or post-primary education were associated with a transition from a mild state into a moderately stunted state. Children who were breastfed exclusively were less likely to transition from moderate to severe stunting state.

Conclusion

These findings reveal a high burden of stunting and transitions in urban slums. Context-specific interventions targeting the groups of children identified by the socio-demographic factors are needed. Improving food security and exclusive breastfeeding could potentially reduce stunting in the slums.
Characterizing Patient Representations for Computational Phenotyping
Authors: Callahan Tiffany J. , Stefanksi Adrianne L. , Ostendorf Danielle M. , Wyrwa Jordan M. , Davies Sara J. Deakyne , Hripcsak George , Hunter Lawrence E. , Kahn Michael G.
Published: July 2022

Patient representation learning methods create rich representations of complex data and have potential to further advance the development of computational phenotypes (CP). Currently, these methods are either applied to small predefined concept sets or all available patient data, limiting the potential for novel discovery and reducing the explainability of the resulting representations. We report on an extensive, data-driven characterization of the utility of patient representation learning methods for the purpose of CP development or automatization. We conducted ablation studies to examine the impact of patient representations, built using data from different combinations of data types and sampling windows on rare disease classification. We demonstrated that the data type and sampling window directly impact classification and clustering performance, and these results differ by rare disease group. Our results, although preliminary, exemplify the importance of and need for data-driven characterization in patient representation-based CP development pipelines.
Abortion Attitudes and Behavioral Intentions of Obstetrics and Gynecology Residents at Four Midwestern Residency Programs
Authors: Cutler Abigail S. , Cowley Elise S. , Ralph Jessika A. , Chen Jessie , Godecker Amy , Ward Jordan , Hutto Sarah , Jacques Laura
Published: July 2022

In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade. Half of states now face proposed or in-effect abortion bans, which affect the ability of obstetrics and gynecology (ObGyn) residency programs to provide abortion training. Prior to the Supreme Court decision, we surveyed ObGyn residents at all four programs in Wisconsin and Minnesota to assess residents’ attitudes toward abortion, desire to learn about abortion, and intentions about providing abortion care in their future practice. We found that participants overwhelmingly support abortion, find the issue to be important, and plan to incorporate abortion into future practice. The reversal of Roe v Wade and its impact on access to abortion training may have implications for ObGyn residency recruitment and training, related career decision-making, and future workforce.
Incidence of pancreatic cancer in angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) versus angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs): a population-based cohort study
Authors: Tse Gary , Zhou Jiandong , Lee Sharen , Hung Joshua Kai Fung , Leung Keith Sai Kit , Liu Ying , Zhang Yuhui , Liu Tong , Wong Wing Tak , Wong Ian Chi Kei , Zhang Qingpeng , Cheung Bernard Man Yung
Published: July 2022

Background

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) have been associated with lower rates of pancreatic cancer. However, some studies did not similarly reveal significant associations. The objective of this study was to examine the associations between use of ACEIs or ARBs and incident pancreatic cancer.

Methods

Patients who were prescribed ACEI or ARB between 1 January 2000 and 31 August 2020 at Hong Kong public hospitals, or their associated clinics and ambulatory care facilities were included. The primary outcome was incident pancreatic cancer.

Results

A total of 411,883 patients (ACEI users: n=355771, 86.38%; ARB users: 56112, 13.62%) were included. Over a median follow up of 2875 days (SD: 1901), 1194 incident cases of pancreatic cancer (0.28%) were identified. After 1:1 propensity score matching, univariable Cox regression found that ARB use was associated with lower risks of new onset new onset pancreatic cancer (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.69, 95% CI: [0.53, 0.90], P=0.0065). This association remained significant after multivariable adjustment (HR: 0.67, 95% CI: [0.52, 0.88], P=0.0036). Similar conclusions were reached on competing risk analyses using cause-specific and subdistribution hazard models before and after matching, and after inverse probability of treatment weighting. Subgroud analyses identified higher protective effects of ARB exposures in females than in males, while more severe adverse risks of ACEI exposure effects for males than for females (log-rank test, P<0.05).

Conclusions

ARB use was associated with lower risks of new onset pancreatic cancer both before and after propensity score matching compared to ACEI use.
Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) 1 expression in leukocytes of adults from 64 to 67 years old
Authors: Bueno Valquiria , Destro Pedro Henrique , Teixeira Daniela , Frasca Daniela
Published: July 2022

The renin angiotensin system (RAS) is composed of several enzymes and substrates on which angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) 1 and renin act to produce angiotensin II. ACE1 and its substrates control blood pressure, affect cardiovascular and renal function, hematopoiesis, reproduction, and immunity. The increased expression of ACE1 has been observed in human monocytes during congestive heart failure and abdominal aortic aneurysm. Moreover, T lymphocytes from hypertensive patients presented increased expression of ACE1 gene after in vitro stimulation with Angiotensin-II (AngII) with the highest ACE1 expression observed in hypertensive patients with low-grade inflammation. Our group and others have shown that aging is associated with comorbidities, chronic inflammation and immunosenescence, but there is a lack of data about ACE1 expression on immune cells during the aging process. Therefore, our aim was to evaluate the levels of ACE1 expression in non-lymphoid as compared to lymphoid cells in association with the immunosenescence profile in adults older than 60 years. Cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from blood samples were used. Cells were stained with monoclonal antibodies and evaluated by flow cytometry. We found that ACE1 was expressed in 56.9% of non-lymphocytes and in more than 90% of lymphocytes (all phenotypes). All donors exhibited characteristics of immunosenescence, as evaluated by low frequencies of Naive CD4+and CD8+T cells, high frequencies of EMRA CD8+T cells, and double-negative memory B cells. These findings in addition to the increased C-reactive protein levels are intriguing questions for the study of ACE1, inflammaging, immunosenescence and perspectives for drug development or repurposing.
PREOPERATIVE CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINES FOR ELECTIVE SURGERY. METHODOLOGICAL AND QUALITY APPRAISAL STUDY
Authors: Angel Gustavo , Trujillo Cristian , Mallama Mario , Alonso-Coello Pablo , Klimek Markus , Calvache Jose A.
Published: July 2022

Background

Clinical practice guidelines (CPG) are statements that provide recommendations regarding the approach to different diseases and aim to increase quality while decrease the risk of complications in health care. Numerous guidelines in the field of perioperative care have been published in the previous decade but their methodological quality and transparency are relatively unknown.

Objective

To critically evaluate the transparency and methodological quality of published CPG in the preoperative assessment and management of adult patients undergoing elective surgery.

Design

Descriptive methodological study and quality appraisal.

Data sources

We searched for eligible CPG published in English or Spanish between January 1, 2010, and June 30, 2022, in MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, as well as in representatives’ medical societies of Anaesthesiology and developers of CPG.

Eligibility criteria

CPG dedicated on preoperative fasting, cardiac assessment for non-cardiac surgery, and the use of routine preoperative tests were included. Methodological quality and transparency of CPG were assessed by 3 evaluators using the 6 domains of the AGREE-II tool.

Results

We included 20 CPG of which 14 were classified as recommended guidelines. The domain of “applicability” scored the lowest (44%), while the domains “scope and objective” and “editorial interdependence” received the highest median scores of 93% and 97% respectively. The remaining domains received scores ranging from 44% to 84%. The top mean scored CPG in preoperative fasting was ASA 2017 (93%); among cardiac evaluation, CPG for non-cardiac surgery were CCS 2017 (91%), ESC-ESA 2014 (90%), and AHA-ACC 2014 (89%); in preoperative testing ICSI 2020 (97%).

Conclusions

In the last ten years, most published CPG in the preoperative assessment or management of adult patients undergoing elective surgery focused on preoperative fasting, cardiac assessment for non-cardiac surgery, and use of routine preoperative tests, present moderate to high methodological quality and can be recommended for their use or adaptation. Applicability and stakeholder involvement domains must be improved in the development of future guidelines.
Scalable, high quality, whole genome sequencing from archived, newborn, dried blood spots
Authors: Ding Yan , Owen Mallory , Le Jennie , Batalov Sergey , Chau Kevin , Kwon Yong Hyun , Van Der Kraan Lucita , Bezares-Orin Zaira , Zhu Zhanyang , Veeraraghavan Narayanan , Nahas Shareef , Bainbridge Matthew , Gleeson Joe , Baer Rebecca J. , Bandoli Gretchen , Chambers Christina , Kingsmore Stephen F.
Published: July 2022

Universal newborn screening (NBS) is an incredibly successful public health intervention. Archived dried bloodspots (DBS) collected for NBS represent a rich resource for population genomic studies. To fully harness this resource, DBS must yield high-quality genomic DNA (gDNA) for whole genome sequencing (WGS). In this pilot study, we hypothesized that gDNA of sufficient quality and quantity for WGS could be extracted from archived DBS up to 20 years old without PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) amplification. We describe simple methods for gDNA extraction and WGS library preparation from several types of DBS. We tested these methods in DBS from 25 individuals who had previously undergone diagnostic, clinical WGS and 29 randomly selected DBS cards collected for NBS from the California State Biobank. While gDNA from DBS had significantly less yield than from EDTA blood from the same individuals, it was of sufficient quality and quantity for WGS without PCR. All samples DBS yielded WGS that met quality control metrics for high-confidence variant calling. Twenty-eight variants of various types that had been reported clinically in 19 samples were recapitulated in WGS from DBS. There were no significant effects of age or paper type on WGS quality. Archived DBS appear to be a suitable sample type for WGS in population genomic studies.
Cardiac MRI measures as surrogate outcome for heart failure and atrial fibrillation: a Mendelian randomization analysis
Authors: Schmidt A F , Finan C , van Setten J , Puyol-Anton E , Ruijsink B , Bourfiss M , Alasiri A I , Velthuis B K , Asselbergs F W , te Riele A S J M
Published: July 2022

Background

drug development and disease prevention of heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are impeded by a lack of robust early-stage surrogates. We determined to what extent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) measurements act as surrogates for the development of HF or AF in healthy individuals.

Methods

Genetic data was sourced on the association with 22 atrial and ventricular CMR measurements. Mendelian randomization was used to determine CMR associations with atrial fibrillation (AF), heart failure (HF), non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (CMP), and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Additionally, for the CMR surrogates of AF and HF, we explored their association with non-cardiac traits.

Results

In total we found that 10 CMR measures were associated with the development of HF, 8 with development of non-ischemic CMP, 5 with DCM, and 11 with AF. Left-ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF), and LV end diastolic volume (EDV) were associated with all 4 cardiac outcomes. Increased LV-MVR (mass to volume ratio) affected HF (odds ratio (OR) 0.83, 95%CI 0.79; 0.88), DCM (OR 0.26, 95%CI 0.20; 0.34), non-ischemic CMP (OR 0.44 95%CI, 0.35; 0.57). We were able to identify 9 CMR surrogates for HF and AF (including LV-MVR, biventricular EDV, right-ventricular EF, and left-atrial maximum volume) which associated with non-cardiac traits such as blood pressure, cardioembolic stroke, diabetes, and late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Conclusion

CMR measurements may act as surrogate endpoints for the development of HF (including non-ischemic CMP and DCM) or AF. Additionally, we show that changes in cardiac function and structure measured through CMR, may affect diseases of other organs leading to diabetes and late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.