bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Green synthesis of
Piper chaudocanum
stem extract mediated silver nanoparticles for colorimetric detection of Hg
2+
ions and antibacterial activity
Authors: Tam Khieu Thi , Thuy Nguyen Thi , Ngan Nguyen Thi Kim , Khai Nguyen Manh , Van Thanh Dang
Published: February 2023

A green synthetic approach to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the stem extract of
Piper chaudocanum
for highly sensitive colorimetric detection of Hg
2+
with a low limit of detection of 23 nM and easy colorimetric read-out has been reported. In addition, the biosynthesized AgNPs demonstrated efficient antibacterial activity against
Escherichia coli
,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
and
Staphylococcus aureus
. The morphology and structure of the as-synthesized AgNPs were examined using SEM, TEM, EDX, XRD and FT-IR analyses. The XRD and TEM results confirm the formation of AgNPs with an average particle size of 8–12 nm. The TLC, CC and HPLC revealed that four main compounds, pentacosanoic acid (
1
), piperine (
2
),
β
-sitosterol (
3
), and campesterol glucoside (
4
), isolated from
P. chaudocanum
extract act as reducing and stabilizing agents for AgNP formation, and piperine plays a vital role in green synthesis. The chemical structures of these compounds were determined by ESI MS, FTIR, and one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopic data analysis. This approach is an efficient, green, cost-effective, eco-friendly and promising technique for synthesizing AgNPs with applications in the colorimetric detection of Hg
2+
and antibacterial activity.
Timing and probability of arrival for sea lice dispersing between salmon farms
Authors: Harrington Peter D. , Cantrell Danielle L. , Foreman Michael G. G. , Guo Ming , Lewis Mark A.
Published: February 2023

Sea lice are a threat to the health of both wild and farmed salmon and an economic burden for salmon farms. With a free-living larval stage, sea lice can disperse tens of kilometres in the ocean between salmon farms, leading to connected sea louse populations that are difficult to control in isolation. In this paper, we develop a simple analytical model for the dispersal of sea lice (
Lepeophtheirus salmonis
) between two salmon farms. From the model, we calculate the arrival time distribution of sea lice dispersing between farms, as well as the level of cross-infection of sea lice. We also use numerical flows from a hydrodynamic model, coupled with a particle tracking model, to directly calculate the arrival time of sea lice dispersing between two farms in the Broughton Archipelago, British Columbia, in order to fit our analytical model and find realistic parameter estimates. Using the parametrized analytical model, we show that there is often an intermediate interfarm spacing that maximizes the level of cross-infection between farms, and that increased temperatures will lead to increased levels of cross-infection.
A study on and adsorption mechanism of ammonium nitrogen by modified corn straw biochar
Authors: Wang Sinan , Zhao Hongshuo , Liu Jinhua , Wang Xue , Li Jiahao , Shi Enping , Wang Ci , Yang Jingmin , Zhang Zhongqing
Published: February 2023

Using corn stover as raw material, the adsorption mechanism of ammonium nitrogen by biochar prepared by different modification methods was studied. The biochar was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, surface-area analysis and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the adsorption of

NH

4
+

−

N

by different modified biochars confirmed the quasi-second-order kinetic equation (
R
2
> 0.95,
p
≤ 0.05), the adsorption isotherms of the Langmuir equation (
R
2
≥ 0.96,
p
≤ 0.05). Δ
G
θ
< 0, Δ
H
θ
> 0 indicated that the adsorption of

NH

4
+

−

N

by different modified biochars was a spontaneous endothermic reaction. With the increase in adsorption temperature, the adsorption capacity of biochar to ammonium nitrogen increased gradually. The adsorption was monolayer adsorption and was controlled by a fast reaction. Both KOH and FeCl
3
modified biochars significantly improved the adsorption capacity of

NH

4
+

−

N

, and the adsorption mechanism was different. The adsorption capacity of

NH

4
+

−

N

by FeCl
3
modified biochars mainly increased the specific surface area and micropore volume. The adsorption of ammonium nitrogen after KOH modification primarily depended on the wealthy oxygen-containing functional groups. The adsorption effect of ammonium nitrogen modified by KOH was better than that of biochar modified by FeCl
3
.
Message passing methods on complex networks
Authors: Newman M. E. J.
Published: February 2023

Networks and network computations have become a primary mathematical tool for analyzing the structure of many kinds of complex systems, ranging from the Internet and transportation networks to biochemical interactions and social networks. A common task in network analysis is the calculation of quantities that reside on the nodes of a network, such as centrality measures, probabilities or model states. In this perspective article we discuss message passing methods, a family of techniques for performing such calculations, based on the propagation of information between the nodes of a network. We introduce the message passing approach with a series of examples, give some illustrative applications and results and discuss the deep connections between message passing and phase transitions in networks. We also point out some limitations of the message passing approach and describe some recently introduced methods that address these limitations.
Can species naming drive scientific attention? A perspective from plant-feeding arthropods
Authors: Mlynarek Julia J. , Cull Chloe , Parachnowitsch Amy L. , Vickruck Jess L. , Heard Stephen B.
Published: February 2023

How do researchers choose their study species? Some choices are based on ecological or economic importance, some on ease of study, some on tradition—but could the name of a species influence researcher decisions? We asked whether phytophagous arthropod species named after their host plants were more likely to be assayed for host-associated genetic differentiation (or ‘HAD’; the evolution of cryptic, genetically isolated host specialists within an apparently more generalist lineage). We chose 30 arthropod species (from a Google Scholar search) for which a HAD hypothesis has been tested. We traced the etymologies of species names in the 30 corresponding genera, and asked whether HAD tests were more frequent among species whose etymologies were based on host-plant names (e.g.
Eurosta solidaginis
, which attacks
Solidago
) versus those with other etymologies (e.g.
Eurosta fenestrata
, from Latin
fenestra
, ‘window’). Species with host-derived etymologies were more likely to feature in studies of HAD than those with other etymologies. We speculate that the etymology of a scientific name can draw a researcher's attention to aspects of life-history and thus influence the direction of our scientific gaze.
Mother-to-daughter transmission of hygienic anti-parasite behaviour in mandrills
Authors: Poirotte Clémence , Charpentier Marie J. E.
Published: February 2023

Social animals are particularly exposed to infectious diseases. Pathogen-driven selection pressures have thus favoured the evolution of behavioural adaptations to decrease transmission risk such as the avoidance of contagious individuals. Yet, such strategies deprive individuals of valuable social interactions, generating a cost–benefit trade-off between pathogen avoidance and social opportunities. Recent studies revealed that hosts differ in these behavioural defences, but the determinants driving such inter-individual variation remain understudied. Using 6 years of behavioural and parasite data on a large natural population of mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx), we showed that, when parasite prevalence was high in the population, females avoided grooming their conspecifics' peri-anal region (PAR), where contagious gastro-intestinal parasites accumulate. Females varied, however, in their propensity to avoid this risky body region: across years, some females consistently avoided grooming it, while others did not. Interestingly, hygienic females (i.e. those avoiding the PAR) were less parasitized than non-hygienic females. Finally, age, dominance rank and grooming frequency did not influence a female's hygiene, but both mother–daughter and maternal half-sisters exhibited similar hygienic levels, whereas paternal half-sisters and non-kin dyads did not, suggesting a social transmission of this behaviour. Our study emphasizes that the social inheritance of hygiene may structure behavioural resistance to pathogens in host populations with potential consequences on the dynamics of infectious diseases.
The geometry of evolutionary conflict
Authors: Rautiala Petri , Gardner Andy
Published: February 2023

Conflicts of interest abound not only in human affairs but also in the biological realm. Evolutionary conflict occurs over multiple scales of biological organization, from genetic outlawry within genomes, to sibling rivalry within nuclear families, to collective-action disputes within societies. However, achieving a general understanding of the dynamics and consequences of evolutionary conflict remains an outstanding challenge. Here, we show that a development of R. A. Fisher's classic ‘geometric model’ of adaptation yields novel and surprising insights into the dynamics of evolutionary conflict and resulting maladaptation, including the discoveries that: (i) conflict can drive evolving traits arbitrarily far away from all parties' optima and, indeed, if all mutations are equally likely then contested traits are more often than not driven outwith the zone of actual conflict (hyper-maladaptation); (ii) evolutionary conflicts drive persistent maladaptation of orthogonal, non-contested traits (para-maladaptation); and (iii) modular design greatly ameliorates conflict-driven maladaptation, thereby facilitating major transitions in individuality.
Identification of genes influencing the evolution of Escherichia coli ST372 in dogs and humans
Authors: Elankumuran Paarthiphan , Browning Glenn F. , Marenda Marc S. , Kidsley Amanda , Osman Marwan , Haenni Marisa , Johnson James R. , Trott Darren J. , Reid Cameron J. , Djordjevic Steven P.
Published: February 2023

ST372 are widely reported as the major

Escherichia coli

sequence type in dogs globally. They are also a sporadic cause of extraintestinal infections in humans. Despite this, it is unknown whether ST372 strains from dogs and humans represent shared or distinct populations. Furthermore, little is known about genomic traits that might explain the prominence of ST372 in dogs or presence in humans. To address this, we applied a variety of bioinformatics analyses to a global collection of 407 ST372

E. coli

whole-genome sequences to characterize their epidemiological features, population structure and associated accessory genomes. We confirm that dogs are the dominant host of ST372 and that clusters within the population structure exhibit distinctive O:H types. One phylogenetic cluster, ‘cluster M', comprised almost half of the sequences and showed the divergence of two human-restricted clades that carried different O:H types to the remainder of the cluster. We also present evidence supporting transmission between dogs and humans within different clusters of the phylogeny, including M. We show that multiple acquisitions of the pdu propanediol utilization operon have occurred in clusters dominated by isolates of canine source, possibly linked to diet, whereas loss of the pdu operon and acquisition of K antigen virulence genes characterize human-restricted lineages.
Predicting COVID-19 case status from self-reported symptoms and behaviors using data from a massive online survey
Authors: Srivastava Mashrin , Reinhart Alex , Mejia Robin
Published: February 2023

Abstract

With the varying availability of RT-PCR testing for COVID-19 across time and location, there is a need for alternative methods of predicting COVID-19 case status. In this study, multiple machine learning (ML) models were trained and assessed for their ability to accurately predict the COVID-19 case status using US COVID-19 Trends and Impact Survey (CTIS) data. The CTIS includes information on testing, symptoms, demographics, behaviors, and vaccination status. The best performing model was XGBoost, which achieved an F1 score of≈94% in predicting whether an individual was COVID-19 positive or negative. This is a notable improvement on existing models for predicting COVID-19 case status and demonstrates the potential for ML methods to provide policy-relevant estimates.
Effectiveness of a New Regional Network on STEMI Care in an Under-developed Area of Southwest China
Authors: Zhang Li Mei , Geater Alan Frederick , Luo Heng , Wang Yuan Zhang , Wen Shao Chang
Published: February 2023

Background

ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is life-threatening and need time-critical care. A new prefecture-wide STEMI Network was implemented in Chuxiong, Yunnan, China, the first reported STEMI network in underdeveloped area. How the Network impacted STEMI care in the prefecture has not previously been evaluated. The study aims to estimate the efficacy of the STEMI Network.

Methods

A longitudinal study including 5-years STEMI patients covering the pre-network, creation and post-network phase was conducted to assess the changes of STEMI care. Outcomes including timely presentation, reperfusion therapy, timely reperfusion, heart failure, inpatient mortality, length of hospital stay, in-hospital charge, and various intervals of ischemic time (total ischemic time, patient delay, system delay, diagnosis time, reperfusion delay, Z to N time, Z to W time) were compared among the three Network phases.

Results

A total of 1436 STEMI patients (380 in pre-network, 375 in creation and 681 in post-network phases) were included. Significantly increasing proportions of timely presentation (71.3%, 73.3%, 81.4%) and reperfusion (58.2%, 59.2%, 65.3%) were found over the 3 phases. Compared with pre-network patients, post-network patients had shorter medians of patient delay (193 vs. 215 minutes), total ischemic time (348 vs. 380 minutes) and system delay (152 vs. 174 minutes). A significant decreasing trend of heart failure was observed (11.1%, 8.8%, 7.0%) across network phases. After conditioning, post-network patients were more likely than pre-network patients to have timely presentation (OR=1.70 [1.26, 2.30]), receive reperfusion therapy (OR=1.33 [1.02, 1.73]), and have shorter patient delay (HR=1.23 [1.08,1.40]) and total ischemic time (HR=1.22 [1.03,1.44]), but were less likely to receive timely reperfusion (OR=0.55 [0.36, 0.84]), timely PCI (OR=0.55 [0.34, 0.86), and shorter Z to W time (HR=0.78 [0.65, 0.94).

Conclusion

Improvements of STEMI reperfusion care by the regional Network were evident in this under-developed area; however, timely reperfusion care still needs to be enhanced.
Factors associated with suffering domestic violence in women during the last semester of the pandemic in Honduras- Central America
Authors: Espinoza-Turcios Eleonora , Zambrano Lysien Ivania , Sosa-Mendoza Carlos , Castro Ramos Henry Noel , Arias-Chávez Dennis , Mejia Christian R.
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Mental health deterioration had already been reported prior to the pandemic, resulting in domestic violence in women, but this has not yet been reported in the pandemic in Central America.

AIM

To determine the Factors associated with suffering domestic violence in women in the last half year of the pandemic in Honduras.

Methodology

Analytical and retrospective cross-sectional study, carried out through a survey in 17 departments of Honduras, in hospitals and first level health care centers. The main variable was obtained through the question “if you suffered domestic violence in the last 6 months”, being the possible answer verbal, physical, psychological. Descriptive and analytical results were obtained.

Results

Of the 8442 Hondurans surveyed, 4.2% (352) perceived verbal violence, 1.9% (165) physical violence and 1.3% (113) psychological violence. In the multivariate analysis, it was found that women (p=0.001), those with a history of alcohol (p=0.002) or drug use (p=0.015), previous mental illness (p<0.001), mild (p<0.001), moderate (p<0.001) or severe (p=0.025) depression (p<0.001) had experienced more domestic violence; On the contrary, there was less perception of domestic violence at higher economic income (all p-values were <0.029), among single (p=0.003) and married people (p<0.001).

Discussion

Important Factors associated with suffering domestic violence in women, especially social factors and a history of mental illness, as well as alcohol and drug use in the home.
Intergenerational Persistence of Health: Evidence from India
Authors: Kumar Santosh , Nahlen Bernard
Published: February 2023

Using nationally representative data, we estimate intergenerational persistence in health in India. Results from the instrumental variable method show that children of anemic mothers are more likely to be anemic, with an intergenerational health correlation of 0.26. Results are robust to the inclusion of confounding factors including the mother’s height. We find that the correlation between mothers’ anemic status and children’s anemic status differs by wealth quintile, indicating that economic status may play a role in the persistence of poor health across generations in developing countries.

JEL Classification

I10, I14, O15
TheInternational Classification of Diseases, 10thEdition, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM)Code I16.0 Accurately Identifies Patients with Hypertensive Urgency
Authors: Kaiser Jed , Liao Vanessa , Kamel Hooman , Ng Catherine , Lappin Richard I. , Liberman Ava L.
Published: February 2023

Objective

Hypertensive urgency, defined as acutely elevated BP without target organ damage, is associated with an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events and accounts for a substantial proportion of national emergency department (ED) visits. To advance research in this space, we sought to validate the newICD-10-CMdiagnostic code for hypertensive urgency within a single healthcare system.

Methods

We performed a retrospective chart-review study of ED encounters at Weill Cornell Medicine from 2016 – 2021. We randomly selected 25 encounters with theICD-10-CMcode I16.0 as the primary discharge diagnosis and 25 encounters with primaryICD-10-CMdischarge diagnosis codes for benign headache disorders. A single board-certified vascular neurologist reviewed all 50 encounters while blinded to the assignedICD-10-CMcodes to identify cases of hypertensive urgency. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive values of theICD-10-CMcode I16.0 with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

Out of 50 randomly selected ED encounters, 24 were adjudicated as hypertensive urgency. All encounters adjudicated as hypertensive urgency had been assigned theICD-10-CMdischarge diagnosis code of I16.0. All 25 of the encounters adjudicated as headache were assigned anICD-10-CMdischarge diagnosis code for a benign headache disorder. TheICD-10-CMcode for hypertensive urgency, I16.0, was thus found to have a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI: 86-100%), specificity of 96% (95% CI: 80-100%), and positive predictive value of 96% (95% CI: 78-99%).

Conclusion

We found that the newICD-10-CMcode for hypertensive urgency, I16.0, can reliably identify patients with this condition.
Trends of Developmental Milestone Attainment in Israeli Children Between 2016-2020: A National Report
Authors: Girshovitz Irena , Amit Guy , Goldshtein Inbal , Zimmerman Deena R. , Baruch Ravit , Akiva Pinchas , Tsadok Meytal Avgil , Sadaka Yair
Published: February 2023

Background

The early years of children’s lives are critical for their healthy development. Although children’s growth and development rates may vary, a significant delay during early childhood could indicate a medical or a developmental disorder. Developmental surveillance is used worldwide by healthcare providers in routine encounters, as well as by educators and parents, to elicit concerns about child development. In this work, we used a national dataset of developmental assessments to describe temporal trends of milestone attainment rates and associations between milestone attainment and various sociodemographic factors.

Methods

The study included 1,002,700 children ages birth until 6 years with 4,441,689 developmental visits between the years 2016 and 2020. We used the Israeli developmental scale to assess the annual rates of failure to attain language, social and motoric milestones by the entire population, as well as by subgroups stratified by sociodemographic factors. We used multivariable logistic regression to analyze the impact of different sociodemographic factors on the odds of failure to attain milestones, while controlling for confounding.

Results

Milestone failure rates progressively increased over the examined years in all developmental domains, and most prominently in the language domain. Conversely, the rates of parental concern for developmental delay remained constant. In multivariable analysis, higher risk of milestone attainment failure was observed in children whose mothers were divorced, unemployed, immigrant, had lower education, of Bedouin origin or were over 40 years old when giving birth.

Conclusions

This report describes national trends of child development in the gross motor, fine motor, language, and social domains. An annual report of these trends may assist policy makers to objectively evaluate subgroups in need for intervention, and to assess the effectiveness of intervention programs in attempt to maximize the developmental potential of children in Israel.
Serosurvey of SARS-COV-2 at a large public university
Authors: Hou Ching-Wen , Williams Stacy , Taylor Kylee , Boyle Veronica , Bobbett Bradley , Kouvetakis Joseph , Nguyen Keana , McDonald Aaron , Harris Valerie , Nussle Benjamin , Scharf Phillip , Jehn Megan , Lant Timothy , Magee Mitch , Chung Yunro , Labaer Joshua , Murugan Vel
Published: February 2023

Arizona State University (ASU) is one the largest universities in the United States, with more than 79,000 students attending in-person classes. We conducted a seroprevalence study from September 13-17, 2021 to estimate the number of people in our community with SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies due to previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and/or vaccination. Participants provided their age, gender, race, status (student or employee), and general COVID-19 health-related information like previous exposure and vaccination status. The seroprevalence of the anti-receptor binding domain (RBD) antibody was 90% by a lateral flow assay and 88% by a semi-quantitative chemiluminescent immunoassay. The seroprevalence for anti-nucleocapsid (NC) was 20%. In addition, individuals with previous natural COVID infection plus vaccination had higher anti-RBD antibody levels compared to those who had vaccination only or infection only. Individuals who had a breakthrough infection had the highest anti-RBD antibody levels.

Accurate estimates of the cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection can inform the development of university risk mitigation protocols such as encouraging booster shots, extending mask mandates, or reverting to online classes. It could help us to have clear guidance to take action at the first sign of the next surge as well, especially since there is a surge of COVID subvariant infections.
Time series analysis of routine immunisation coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 shows continued global decline and increases in Zero Dose children
Authors: Evans Beth , Keiser Olivia , Kaiser Laurent , Jombart Thibaut
Published: February 2023

Whilst it is now widely recognised that routine immunisation (RI) was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 compared to previous immunisation performance, the extent of continued interruptions in 2021 and/or rebounds to previous trends remains unclear, with sporadic surveys reporting signs of immunisation system recovery at the end of 2020.

We modelled country-specific RI trends using validated estimates of national coverage from the World Health Organisation and United Nation Children’s Fund for over 160 countries, to project expected diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis-containing vaccine first-dose (DTP1), third-dose (DTP3) and measles-containing vaccine first-dose (MCV1) coverage for 2021 based on pre-pandemic trends (from 2000-2019).

We estimated a 3·6% (95%CI: [2·6%; 4·6%]) decline in global DTP3 coverage in 2021 compared to 2000-2019 trends, from an expected 90·1% to a reported 86·5% across 164 reporting countries, and similar results for DTP1 (2·8% decline; 95%CI: [2·0%; 3·6%]), and for MCV1 (3·8% decline; 95%CI: [4·8%; 2·7%]). 86·5% global coverage in 2021 represents a further decrease from that reported in 2020 and 2019, and translates to a 16-year setback in RI coverage, i.e., 2005 levels. Hypothesised and early signals of rebounds to pre-pandemic coverage were not seen in most countries. The Americas, Africa, and Asia were the most impacted regions, with low- and middle-income countries the most affected income groups.

The number of Zero Dose children also continued to increase in 2021. DTP1 coverage declined worldwide from an expected 93·7% to a reported 90·9% (2·8% decline; 95%CI: [2·0%; 3·6%]) which translates into an additional 3.4 million Zero Dose children on top of an expected 11.0 million (30.9% increase) at the global level.

We hope this work will provide an objective baseline to inform future interventions and prioritisation aiming to facilitate rebounds in coverage to previous levels and catch-up of growing populations of under- and un-immunised children.
The Health Condition Timeline as a Model for Pregnancy Disease Management
Authors: McLachlan Scott , Daley Bridget J , Dube Kudakwashe , Kyrimi Evangelia , Neil Martin , Fenton Norman E
Published: February 2023

Process flow diagrams like caremaps are common in clinical practice guidelines and treatment texts. However, their context is often limited to a single diagnostic or treatment event. While a method has been proposed for creating a health and disease lifecycle called thehealth condition timeline(HCT), that method is yet to be demonstrated for an entire health condition. This paper investigates development of an HCT forgestational diabetes mellitus(GDM), and whether the HCT and caremaps it incorporates can be used to support patient care to develop decision support tools. We show that this approach can be used to expedite development of clinical decision-support and clinician- and patient-facing applications. Caremaps, HCT and the decision support tools created with them could improve patient awareness for their condition and reduce the impact of their disease on themselves and the limited resources of our healthcare systems.
A step-by-step Researcher’s Guide to the use of an AI-based transformer in epidemiology: an exploratory analysis of ChatGPT using the STROBE checklist for observational studies
Authors: Sanmarchi Francesco , Bucci Andrea , Golinelli Davide
Published: February 2023

Objectives

This study aims at investigating how early-stage AI-based transformers can support researchers in designing and conducting an epidemiological study. To accomplish this, we used ChatGPT to reformulate the STROBE recommendations into a list of questions to be answered by the transformer itself. We then qualitatively evaluated the coherence and relevance of the transformer’s outputs.

Study design

Descriptive study.

Methods

We first chose a study to be used as a basis for the simulation. We then used ChatGPT to transform each STROBE checklist’s item into specific prompts. Each answer to the respective prompt was evaluated by independent researchers in terms of coherence and relevance.

Results

The mean scores assigned to each prompt were heterogeneous. On average, for the coherence domain, the overall mean score was 3.6 out of 5.0, and for relevance it was 3.3 out of 5.0. The lowest scores were assigned to items belonging to the Methods section of the checklist.

Conclusions

ChatGPT can be considered as a valuable support for researchers in conducting an epidemiological study, following internationally recognized guidelines and standards. It is crucial for the users to have knowledge on the subject and a critical mindset when evaluating the outputs. The potential benefits of AI in scientific research and publishing are undeniable, but it is crucial to address the risks, and the ethical and legal consequences associated with its use.
A FinnGen pilot clinical recall study for Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Julkunen Valtteri , Schwarz Claudia , Kalapudas Juho , Hallikainen Merja , Piironen Aino-Kaisa , Mannermaa Arto , Kujala Hanna , Laitinen Timo , Kosma Veli-Matti , Paajanen Teemu I. , Kälviäinen Reetta , Hiltunen Mikko , Herukka Sanna-Kaisa , Kärkkäinen Sari , Kokkola Tarja , Urjansson Mia , Gen Finn , Perola Markus , Palotie Aarno , Vuoksimaa Eero , Runz Heiko
Published: February 2023

Background

Successful development of novel therapies requires that clinical trials are conducted in patient cohorts with the highest benefit-to-risk ratio. Population-based biobanks with comprehensive health and genetic data from large numbers of individuals hold promise to facilitate identification of trial participants, particularly when interventions need to start while symptoms are still mild, such as for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, few studies have yet tested whether recalling biobank participants into clinical follow-up studies is feasible.

Objective

To establish a process for clinical recall studies from FinnGen and demonstrate the feasibility to systematically ascertain customized clinical data from FinnGen participants with ICD10 diagnosis of AD or mild cognitive disorder (MCD).

Methods

Single-center cross-sectional study testing blood-based biomarkers and cognitive functioning in-person, computer-based and remote.

Results

19% (27/140) of a pre-specified FinnGen subcohort were successfully recalled and completed the study. Hospital records largely validated registry entries. For 8/12 MCD patients, other reasons than AD were identified as underlying diagnosis. Cognitive measures correlated across platforms, with highest consistencies for dementia screening (r=0.818) and semantic fluency (r=0.764), respectively, for in-person versus telephone-administered tests. GFAP (p<0.002) and pTau-181 (p<0.020) most reliably differentiated AD from MCD participants.

Conclusions

Informative, customized clinical recall studies from FinnGen are feasible.
Machine-learning-aided multiplexed nanobiosensor for COVID-19 population immunity profiling
Authors: Beisenova Aidana , Adi Wihan , Bashar S. Janna , Velmurugan Monniiesh , Germanson Kenzie B. , Shelef Miriam A. , Yesilkoy Filiz
Published: February 2023

Serological population surveillance can elucidate immunity landscapes against SARS-CoV-2 variants and are critical in monitoring infectious disease spread, evolution, and outbreak risks. However, current serological tests fall short of capturing complex humoral immune responses from different communities. Here, we report a machine-learning (ML)-aided nanobiosensor that can simultaneously quantify antibodies against the ancestral strain and Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2 with epitope resolution. Our approach is based on a multiplexed, rapid, and label-free nanoplasmonic biosensor, which can detect past infection and vaccination status and is sensitive to SARS-CoV-2 variants. After training an ML model with antigen-specific antibody datasets from four COVID-19 immunity groups (naïve, convalescent, vaccinated, and convalescent-vaccinated), we tested our approach on 100 blind blood samples collected in Dane County, WI. Our results are consistent with public epidemiological data, demonstrating that our user-friendly and field-deployable nanobiosensor can capture community-representative public health trends and help manage COVID-19 and future outbreaks.
MS4A4A modifies the risk of Alzheimer disease by regulating lipid metabolism and immune response in a unique microglia state
Authors: You Shih-Feng , Brase Logan , Filipello Fabia , Iyer Abhirami K. , Del-Aguila Jorge , He June , D’Oliveira Albanus Ricardo , Budde John , Norton Joanne , Gentsch Jen , Dräger Nina M. , Sattler Sydney M. , Kampmann Martin , Piccio Laura , Morris John C. , Perrin Richard J. , McDade Eric ,   Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network, Paul Steven M. , Cashikar Anil G. , Benitez Bruno A. , Harari Oscar , Karch Celeste M.
Published: February 2023

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified many modifiers of Alzheimer disease (AD) risk enriched in microglia. Two of these modifiers are common variants in theMS4Alocus (rs1582763: protective and rs6591561: risk) and serve as major regulators of CSF sTREM2 levels. To understand their functional impact on AD, we used single nucleus transcriptomics to profile brains from carriers of these variants. We discovered a “chemokine” microglial subpopulation that is altered inMS4Avariant carriers and for whichMS4A4Ais the major regulator. The protective variant increasesMS4A4Aexpression and shifts the chemokine microglia subpopulation to an interferon state, while the risk variant suppressesMS4A4Aexpression and reduces this subpopulation of microglia. Our findings provide a mechanistic explanation for the AD variants in theMS4Alocus. Further, they pave the way for future mechanistic studies of AD variants and potential therapeutic strategies for enhancing microglia resilience in AD pathogenesis.
Age-specific case data reveal varying dengue transmission intensity in US states and territories
Authors: Kada Sarah , Paz-Bailey Gabriela , Adams Laura , Johansson Michael A.
Published: February 2023

Dengue viruses (DENV) are endemic in the US territories of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the US Virgin Islands, with focal outbreaks also reported in the states of Florida and Hawaii. However, little is known about the intensity of dengue virus transmission over time and how dengue viruses have shaped the level of immunity in these populations, despite the importance of understanding how and why levels of immunity against dengue may change over time. These changes need to be considered when responding to future outbreaks and enacting dengue management strategies, such as guiding vaccine deployment. We used catalytic models fitted to case surveillance data stratified by age from the ArboNET national arboviral surveillance system to reconstruct the history of recent dengue virus transmission in Puerto Rico, American Samoa, US Virgin Islands, Florida, Hawaii, and Guam. We estimated average annual transmission intensity (i.e., force of infection) of DENV between 2010 and 2019 and the level of seroprevalence by age group in each population. We compared models and found that treating all reported cases as secondary infections generally fit the surveillance data better than models considering cases as primary infections. Using the secondary case model, we found that force of infection was highly heterogeneous between jurisdictions and over time within jurisdictions, ranging from 0.00003 (95% CI: 0.00002–0.0004) in Florida to 0.08 (95% CI: 0.044–0.14) in American Samoa during the 2010–2019 period. For early 2020, we estimated that seropositivity in 10 year-olds ranged from 0.09% (0.02%–0.54%) in Florida to 56.3% (43.7%–69.3%) in American Samoa. In the absence of serological data, age-specific case notification data collected through routine surveillance combined with mathematical modeling are powerful tools to monitor arbovirus circulation, estimate the level of population immunity, and design dengue management strategies.

Author Summary

Viruses transmitted byAedesmosquitoes are a substantial public health burden globally. In the US, the increasing number of outbreaks in recent decades and the co-circulation of the four dengue viruses present a risk of experiencing sequential infections, which can result in more severe disease. However, reported cases only represent a proportion of all infections, so the intensity of dengue circulation in US jurisdictions and the level of population immunity are largely unknown. Combining dengue surveillance data stratified by age with mathematical models enables direct estimation of transmission intensity and previous exposure. We found that dengue virus transmission intensity was highest in American Samoa and Puerto Rico. The US Virgin Islands also showed patterns of endemic transmission, while Hawaii and Guam present more sporadic outbreak profiles. These estimates can help improve risk assessment in these locations and guide interventions to the populations who most need them.
The bidirectional relationship between brain structure and physical activity: a cohort study in the UK Biobank
Authors: Rodriguez-Ayllon M. , Vernooij Meike W. , Muetzel Ryan , Neumann Alexander , Hofman Amy , Neitzel Julia
Published: February 2023

Physical activity has been suggested to project again brain atrophy, but also to be a determinant of physical activity in older adults. However, research is needed to confirm this bidirectional relationship. Therefore, this research aimed to study the bidirectional relationship between physical activity and brain structure in older adults from the UK Biobank. A total of 3,027 (62.45 ± 7.27 years old, 51.3% females) had physical activity and MRI data at baseline and follow-up. Physical activity was assessed through a self-reported questionnaire. T1-weighted MRI and diffusion tensor imaging were used to quantify brain volumes and white matter microstructure, respectively. Cross-lagged panel models were performed to estimate bidirectional associations, and linear mixed-effects models (LMM) to investigate the consistency of findings. Overall, our main findings suggest that higher hippocampal volume (Standardized Beta Coefficient (β)=0.075, pFDR<0.001), frontal volume (β=0.043, pFDR=0.037), and global fractional anisotropy (β=0.042, pFDR=0.028) were associated with more do-it-yourself (DIY) activities (e.g., watering the lawn or digging) levels at follow-up. In addition, strenuous sports at baseline were positively associated with hippocampal volume over time (β=0.011, pFDR=0.108). Although this association did not survive/was not significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons, was confirmed by the LMM. In contrast, higher levels of walking for pleasure were negatively associated with white matter volume at follow-up (β= −0.026, pFDR=0.008). In conclusion, there is a bidirectional association between physical activity and brain structure in healthy middle-aged and older adults. However, further research is needed to understand why physical activity subdomains are associated differently with brain structures and features during aging.
Olfactory Dysfunction in the COVID-19 Era: An Umbrella Review Focused on Neuroimaging, Management, and Follow-up
Authors: Kalantarhormozi Mohammadreza , Sotoudeh Houman , Habibi Mohammad Amin , Mahmudpour Mehdi , Shahidi Ramin , Khalaj Fattaneh , Karami Shaghayegh , Asgarzadeh Ali , Baradaran Mansoureh , Chichagi Fatemeh , Hassanzadeh Sara , Farizani Gohari Narjes Sadat , Sattari Mahsa Shirforoush , Azimi Amir , Dadjou Ali , Eskandari Mahsan
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is surrounded the world and is associated with multiorgan damage. Olfactory dysfunction is a common manifestation in COVID-19 patients, and in some cases, presents before the coryza signs. We conducted this umbrella review to provide a practical guide on managing, imaging findings, and follow-up of COVID-19 patients with olfactory dysfunction (OD).

Methods

A comprehensive search was performed in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases from December 2019 until the end of July 2022. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses addressing management and imaging findings of the olfactory manifestations of COVID-19 were included in the study. The quality assessment of included articles was carried out using the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews-2 (AMSTAR-2) tool.

Results

A total of 23 systematic reviews were reviewed in this umbrella review. The number of included studies varied between 2 to 155 articles. Several demographic variables were not adequately reported across all the included systematic reviews, including age, gender, preexisting comorbidities, or whether participants had been hospitalized or admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) due to COVIDLJ19.

Conclusion

It seems that the coronavirus can infect olfactory system structures that play roles in the transmission and interpretation of smell sense. Based on studies, a large proportion of patients experienced OD following COVID-19 infection, and the majority of OD was resolved spontaneously. The possibility of long-lasting OD was higher in young adults with moderate clinical manifestation. Olfactory training (OT) was the most effective therapy. Intranasal corticosteroids (ICS) are also recommended.
Pricing Treatments Cost-Effectively When They Have Multiple Indications: Not Just a Simple Threshold Analysis
Authors: Goldhaber-Fiebert Jeremy D. , Cipriano Lauren E.
Published: February 2023

Background

Economic evaluations of treatments increasingly employ price-threshold analyses. When a treatment has multiple indications, standard price-threshold analyses can be overly simplistic. We examine how rules governing indication-specific prices and reimbursement decisions impact value-based price analyses.

Methods

We analyze a two-stage game between two players: the therapy’s manufacturer and payer purchasing it for patients. First, the manufacturer selects a price(s) that may be indication-specific. Then, the payer decides whether to provide reimbursement at the offered price(s). We assume known indication-specific demand. The manufacturer seeks to maximize profit, requiring non-negative profit. The payer seeks to maximize total population incremental net monetary benefit and will not pay more than their willingness-to-pay threshold. We consider game variants defined by constraints on the manufacturer’s ability to price and payer’s ability to provide reimbursement differentially by indication.

Results

When the manufacturer and payer can both make indication-specific decisions, the problem simplifies to single-indication price-threshold analyses, and the manufacturer captures all the consumer surplus. When the manufacturer is restricted to one price and the payer must make an all-or-nothing reimbursement decision, the selected price is a weighted average of indication-specific threshold prices such that reimbursement of the more valuable indications subsidize reimbursement of the less valuable indications. With a single price and indication-specific coverage decisions, the manufacturer may select a high price and fewer patients receive treatment than in the first-best solution. However, there are also cases when the manufacturer selects a low price resulting in reimbursement for all indications and positive consumer surplus.

Conclusions

When multiple indications exist for a given treatment, economic evaluations including price-threshold analyses should carefully consider jurisdiction-specific rules regarding pricing and reimbursement decisions.
Toxic metal uptake by oyster mushrooms grown in sugarcane bagasse
Authors: Saha Tirthankar , Das Sagnik , Sau Snigdha , Datta Debarpita , Kundu Sourima , Saha Subham , Chakraborty Shreya , Mitra Arup Kumar
Published: February 2023

Fungiculture or Mushroom Cultivation is rapidly expanding throughout the world. It is further catalyzed by its high nutritional value and increased market demand. Additionally, the method of cultivation does not require much space and the per unit production is very high compared to other crops. Bagasse is the byproduct left after extracting the juice from sugarcane. It has been speculated that bagasse can be an excellent substrate due to its high carbohydrate and mineral content (Hoa et al., 2015). In the experiment spawns of Oyster Mushroom were inoculated in bagasse collected from industries. Remarkable growth of mushrooms in short period of time was observed. However, the metal toxicity being our primary concern in this experiment, AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrometry) Test was used to detect the heavy metal ion concentrations in both the bagasse and the fruiting bodies of mushrooms. The concentrations of metals calculated are as follows, in bagasse (mg/kg): Cadmium - 0.015, Arsenic - 8.56, Copper-12.47, Chromium-9.17, Mercury - less than 0.01, and in mushroom (mg/kg): Cd - 0.022, As - 10.12, Cu - 14.29, Cr - 7.59, Hg - less than 0.01. These results indicated biomagnification of metal ion concentration in the mushrooms up taken from bagasse. These metals, in such high concentrations are lethal and causes many diseases in humans and other animals. Hence, from this experiment it can be deduced, that though bagasse is an excellent substrate for mushroom cultivation, the toxicity of metal ions present in it in such high concentrations overshadow the earlier benefits of bagasse as a good substrate. However, it has been proposed that if such metals are removed or their concentrations are lowered then the earlier mentioned benefits of bagasse are restored.
Digital data storage on DNA tape using CRISPR base editors
Authors: Sadremomtaz Afsaneh , Glass Robert F. , Guerrero Jorge Eduardo , LaJeunesse Dennis R. , Josephs Eric A. , Zadegan Reza
Published: February 2023

While the archival digital memory industry approaches its physical limits, the demand is significantly increasing, therefore alternatives emerge. Recent efforts have demonstrated DNA’s enormous potential as a digital storage medium with superior information durability, capacity, and energy consumption. However, the majority of the proposed systems require on-demandde-novoDNA synthesis techniques that produce a large amount of toxic waste and therefore are not industrially scalable and environmentally friendly. Inspired by the architecture of semiconductor memory devices and recent developments in gene editing, we created a molecular digital data storage system called “DNA Mutational Overwriting Storage” (DMOS) that stores information by leveraging combinatorial, addressable, orthogonal, and independentin vitroCRISPR base-editing reactions to write data on a blank pool of greenly synthesized DNA tapes. As a proof of concept, we wrote both a bitmap representation of our school’s logo and the title of this study on the DNA tapes, and accurately recovered the stored data.
Neuronal properties of pyramidal cells in lateral prefrontal cortex of the aging rhesus monkey brain are associated with performance deficits on spatial working memory but not executive function
Authors: Moore Tara L. , Medalla Maria , Ibañez Sara , Wimmer Klaus , Mojica Chromewell A. , Killiany Ronald J. , Moss Mark B. , Luebke Jennifer I. , Rosene Douglas L.
Published: February 2023

Age-related declines in cognitive abilities occur as early as middle-age in humans and rhesus monkeys. Specifically, performance by aged individuals on tasks of executive function (EF) and working memory (WM) is characterized by greater frequency of errors, shorter memory spans, increased frequency of perseverative responses, impaired use of feedback and reduced speed of processing. However, how aging precisely differentially impacts specific aspects of these cognitive functions and the distinct brain areas mediating cognition are not well understood. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is known to mediate EF and WM and is an area that shows a vulnerability to age-related alterations in neuronal morphology. In the current study, we show that performance on EF and WM tasks exhibited significant changes with age and these impairments correlate with changes in biophysical properties of L3 pyramidal neurons in lateral LPFC (LPFC). Specifically, there was a significant age-related increase in excitability of Layer 3 LPFC pyramidal neurons, consistent with previous studies. Further, this age-related hyperexcitability of LPFC neurons was significantly correlated with age-related decline on a task of WM, but not an EF task. The current study characterizes age-related performance on tasks of WM and EF and provides insight into the neural substrates that may underlie changes in both WM and EF with age.