bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parental reports of vaccine information statement usage in Utah
Authors: Jacobs Angela T. , Macintosh Janelle L. B. , Luthy Karlen E. (Beth) , Beckstrand Renea L. , Robinson Michael S. , Macintosh Christopher I.
Published: March 2023

Background:

Since the implementation in 1986, there is little research focused on vaccine information statements (VISs) use for vaccine education and parental perception.

Purpose:

To explore parental reports of dissemination and use of VISs.

Methods:

Data for this pilot, cross-sectional, descriptive study were collected through an online survey in both English and Spanish.

Results:

Responses from 130 parents in one school district were analyzed. Most participants (67.7%) reported getting vaccine information from a pediatric health care provider. A majority (71.5%) said that VISs were included in the vaccination process. Approximately one third of participants (37.7%) reported reading some or all the VIS before their child was vaccinated, and more than half (59.3%) read some or all the VIS after their child was vaccinated.

Conclusions:

While promising that many parents reported receiving a VIS, more than one quarter of parents reported they did not. Inadequate time to read and understand VIS information before an immunization may lead to limited parental understanding. Although some participants reported struggling to understand VISs, more than half said that VISs were helpful and would read another in the future.

Implications:

Without appropriate use of vaccine education material, providers miss the opportunity to educate parents on the risks and benefits of vaccinating their children. Providers must be aware of literacy levels and vaccine attitudes and create appropriate opportunities for parents to read and learn about vaccines. VISs are valuable educational tools for patients and parents. Improvements are needed to improve both VIS clarity and dissemination.
Non-Pharmacologic Treatments for Chronic and Episodic Migraine: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Chang Irene A. , Wells Michael W. , Wang Gi-Ming , Tatsuoka Curtis , Guyuron Bahman
Published: March 2023

Introduction:

Minimally invasive techniques for treatment-resistant migraine have been developed upon recent insights into the peripheral pathogenesis of migraines. Although there is a growing body of evidence supporting these techniques, no study has yet compared the effects of these treatments on headache frequency, severity, duration, and cost.

Methods:

PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched to identify randomized placebo-controlled trials that compared radiofrequency ablation, botulinum toxin-A (BT-A), nerve block, neurostimulation, or migraine surgery to placebo for preventive treatment. Data on changes from baseline to follow-up in headache frequency, severity, duration, and quality of life were analyzed.

Results:

A total of 30 randomized controlled trials and 2680 patients were included. Compared to placebo, there was a significant decrease in headache frequency in patients with nerve block (p=0.04) and surgery (p<0.001). Headache severity decreased in all treatments. Duration of headaches was significantly reduced in the BT-A (p<0.001) and surgery cohorts (p=0.01). Quality of life improved significantly in patients with BT-A, nerve stimulator, and migraine surgery. Migraine surgery had the longest lasting effects (11.5 months) compared with nerve ablation (6 months), BT-A (3.2 months), and nerve block (11.9 days).

Conclusion:

Migraine surgery is a cost-effective, long-term treatment to reduce headache frequency, severity, and duration without significant risk of complication. BT-A reduces headache severity and duration, but is short lasting and associated with greater adverse events and lifetime cost. Although efficacious, radiofrequency ablation and implanted nerve stimulators have high risks of adverse events and explanation, while benefits of nerve blocks are short in duration.
Local insulin improves wound healing: a Systematic Review and Bayesian Network Meta-analysis
Authors: Ramirez-GarciaLuna Jose L. , Rangel-Berridi Karla , Bergeron Amy , Kolosovas-Machuca E. Samuel , Wang Sheila C. , Berry Gregory K. , Martinez-Jimenez Mario A.
Published: March 2023

Background:

Wounds are a significant health issue that requires reliable and safe strategies to promote repair. Clinical trials have demonstrated that local insulin promotes healing in acute and chronic wounds (i.e., reductions of 7-40% vs. placebo). However, the trials' sample sizes have prevented drawing solid conclusions. Furthermore, no analysis has focused on safety concerns, (i.e. hypoglycaemia). Under the hypothesis that local insulin promotes healing through pro-angiogenic effects and cellular recruitment, the aim of this systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) was to assess its safety and relative effectiveness using a Bayesian approach.

Methods:

Medline, CENTRAL, EMBASE, Scopus, LILACS, and grey literature sources were searched for human studies assessing the local use of insulin vs. any comparator since inception to October 2020. Data on glucose changes and adverse events, wound and treatment characteristics, and healing outcomes was extracted, and an NMA conducted.

Results:

A total of 949 reports were found, of which 23 (n = 1,240 patients) were included in the NMA. The studies evaluated six different therapies, and most comparisons were against placebo. NMA showed -1.8 mg/dL blood glucose change with insulin and a lack of reported adverse events. Statistically significant clinical outcomes identified include reduction in wound size (-27%), increased healing rate (23 mm/day), lower PUSH scores (-2.7), -10 days to attain complete closure, and an OR = 20 for complete wound closure with insulin use. Likewise, significantly increased neo-angiogenesis (+30 vessels/mm 2) and granulation tissue (+25%) were also found.

Conclusion:

Local insulin promotes wound healing without significant adverse events.
“Buccal Myomucosal Flap Repair for Velopharyngeal Dysfunction.”
Authors: Chiang Sarah N , Fotouhi Annahita R , Grames Lynn M , Skolnick Gary B , Snyder-Warwick Alison K , Patel Kamlesh B
Published: March 2023

Background:

Velopharyngeal dysfunction is the incomplete separation of the nasal and oral cavities during speech sound production that can persist following primary palatoplasty. Surgical technique used in management of velopharyngeal dysfunction (palatal re-repair versus pharyngeal flap or sphincter pharyngoplasty) is often dictated by the preoperative velar closing ratio and closure pattern. Recently, buccal flaps have increased in popularity in management of velopharyngeal dysfunction. Here, we investigate the effectiveness of buccal myomucosal flaps in the treatment of velopharyngeal dysfunction.

Methods:

A retrospective review was performed of all patients undergoing secondary palatoplasty with buccal flaps at a single center between 2016-2021. Pre- and postoperative speech outcomes were compared. Speech assessments included perceptual examinations, graded on a four-point scale of hypernasality, and speech videofluoroscopy, from which velar closing ratio was obtained.

Results:

A total of 25 patients underwent buccal myomucosal flap procedures for velopharyngeal dysfunction at a median of 7.1 years after primary palatoplasty. Patients had significantly increased velar closing postoperatively (95% vs 50%, p<0.001) and improved speech scores (p<0.001). Three patients (12%) had continued hypernasality postoperatively. There were no occurrences of obstructive sleep apnea.

Conclusions

:’ Treatment of velopharyngeal dysfunction with buccal myomucosal flaps leads to improved speech outcomes without the risk of obstructive sleep apnea. Traditionally, palatal re-repair techniques have been utilized for smaller preoperative velopharyngeal gaps; however, the addition of buccal flaps allows for anatomic velar muscle correction for patients with a larger preoperative velopharyngeal gap.
Comparison of Effects Between Total Maxillary Setback Osteotomy and Anterior Maxillary Segmental Osteotomy on Nasolabial Morphology
Authors: Li Kehan , Chow Wingyan , Zhu Zhaokun , Tai Yue , Song Jian , Liu Yao , Luo En
Published: March 2023

Background:

This study aimed to compare the effects of total maxillary setback osteotomy (TMSO) and anterior maxillary segmental osteotomy (AMSO) on nasolabial morphology.

Methods:

This retrospective clinical trial enrolled 130 patients undergoing maxillary surgery using TMSO or AMSO. Ten nasolabial-related parameters and nasal airway volume were measured pre-operatively and post-operatively. The soft tissue digital model was reconstructed using Geomagic Studio and Dolphin image 11.0. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Version 27.0.

Results:

A total of 75 patients underwent TMSO, and 55 underwent AMSO. Both techniques achieved optimal repositioning of the maxilla. Except for the dorsal nasal length, the dorsal nasal height, the length of the nasal columella, and the upper lip thickness, the remaining parameters were significantly different in the TMSO group. In the AMSO group, only the nasolabial angle, the alar base width, and the greatest alar width showed significant differences. There was a significant difference in the nasal airway volume for the TMSO group. The results of matching maps are consistent with the statistical results.

Conclusion:

TMSO has a more significant impact on both nose and upper lip soft tissues, while AMSO has a more significant impact on the upper lip and less on the nasal soft tissue. There is a significant decrease in nasal airway volume after TMSO, while AMSO showed less decrease. This retrospective study is helpful for clinicians and patients to understand the different changes in nasolabial morphology caused by the two interventions, which is essential for effective intervention and physician-patient communication.
Average 3D Skeletofacial Model as a Template for Maxillomandibular Repositioning During Virtual Orthognathic Surgical Planning
Authors: Ho Cheng Ting , Denadai Rafael , Lo Lun-Jou , Lin Hsiu-Hsia
Published: March 2023

Background:

Virtual planning has revolutionized orthognathic surgery. This study presents a computer-assisted method for constructing average three-dimensional (3D) skeletofacial models that can be applied as a template for surgical planning for maxillomandibular repositioning.

Methods:

We used the images of 60 individuals (30 women and 30 men) who had never undergone orthognathic surgery to construct an average 3D skeletofacial model for male participants and one for female participants. We validated the accuracy of the newly developed skeletofacial models by comparing their images with 30 surgical simulation images (i.e., skulls) that had been created using 3D cephalometric normative data. The comparison was conducted by superimposing surgical simulation images created using our models with the previously created images to analyze their differences, particularly differences in the jawbone position.

Results:

For all participants, we compared the jaw position in the surgical simulation images created using our average 3D skeletofacial models with that in the images created using 3D cephalometric normative data. The results revealed that the planned maxillary and mandibular positions were similar in both images and that the differences between all facial landmarks were <1 mm, except for one dental position. Most studies have reported <2 mm to be the success criterion for the distance difference between planned and outcome images; thus, our data indicate high consistency between the images in terms of jawbone position.

Conclusions:

Our average 3D skeletofacial models provide an innovative template-assisted orthognathic surgery planning modality that can enhance the fully digital workflow for virtual orthognathic surgical planning.

RISK STUDIES/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, II.
Endemic, epidemic and pandemic infections: the roles of natural and acquired herd immunity
Authors: Stevens Dennis L. , Bryant Amy E.
Published: March 2023

Purpose of review

This review summarizes the general concepts of innate and acquired immunity, including vaccine use and hesitancy, as they relate to reduction of the global burden of highly communicable infectious diseases.

Recent findings

Vaccination to increase herd immunity remains the cornerstone of disease prevention worldwide yet global vaccination goals are not being met. Modern obstacles to vaccine acceptance include hesitancy, reduced altruistic intentions, impact of COVID-19, distrust of science and governmental agencies as well as recent geopolitical and environmental disasters. Together, such barriers have negatively impacted immunization rates worldwide, resulting in epidemics and pandemics of serious life-threatening infections from vaccine-preventable diseases, especially those affecting children. In addition, pathogens thought to be controlled or eradicated are reemerging with new genetic traits, making them more able to evade natural and acquired immunity, including that induced by available vaccines. Lastly, many serious and widespread infectious diseases await development and utilization of efficacious vaccines.

The global burden of communicable diseases remains high, necessitating continued pathogen surveillance as well as vaccine development, deployment and continued efficacy testing. Equally important is the need to educate aggressively the people and their leaders on the benefits of vaccination to the individual, local community and the human population as a whole.
Communicate About Quality and Safety: Let's Think Outside the Box! Experience From a Cancer Center
Authors: Seaume Aline , Bouyssou Virginie , Bruch Laurence , Forcet Samuel , Lacroix Carine , Verger David , Lheureux Clarys
Published: March 2023

Background and Objectives:

While the priority of caregivers in any health care establishment is patient care, they are often constrained by time and cannot fully devote themselves to projects aiming at improving the quality and safety of care. Although the culture of quality is widespread in health care establishments, the quality and safety department team must continue to improve existing procedures and develop new ones, in order to reinforce the take-home message that safety is of paramount importance. Since good communication is a key factor in the success of quality plans, the quality and safety team in our establishment is placing special emphasis on “out of the ordinary” activities that take professional carers out of their daily routines, arouse their curiosity, and increase their adherence to quality procedures.

Methods:

The issues addressed during these activities are based on the year-round continuous assessment of in-house procedures. Only those that have been deemed essential for safe care are focused upon. Most of the activities that are implemented have already been tried and tested in the fields of industry and aviation, and they all have a fun, collaborative, and creative component. Their impact and effect are assessed by carrying out the same assessments as those used at the beginning on the project.

Results:

These innovative activities, which have received strong support from the staff, have had a positive effect on interdepartmental cooperation, on the adherence to the new methods presented, and on ensuring that information is made available to the greatest number of professionals. They have allowed the staff to acquire and consolidate new professional knowledge and have promoted good practice.

Conclusion:

This new program of activities has considerably improved the safety culture within our establishment. While the relationship between the skills of professionals and patient safety is clear to all, the message needs to be delivered in an original way that makes a lasting impression, in addition to using “standard” communication methods such as plenary meetings. The bottom line is to get as many professionals as possible fully adherent to the culture of quality, since quality is everyone's business and health care procedures are constantly evolving. Based on our experience, we provide a set of activities that can be improved and adapted according to the setting in which it is used.
Pedicled Tragal Chondral Flap for Interpositional Gap Arthroplasty in a TMJ Ankyloses
Authors: Fernández-Olarte Humberto , Gómez-Delgado Andrés , López Juan Pablo , Fuentes Alexandra
Published: March 2023

Interpositional gap arthroplasty has shown good results; however, these techniques could be improved by taking into account the biological bases of the tissue used. Therefore, we suggest the pedicled tragal chondral flap as a safe, simple, and low-morbidity alternative.
The Assessment of Intermaxillary Fixation and Open Reduction Using Skeletal Anchorage System Compared With Arch Bar in Mandible Fracture Based on CT Image
Authors: Park Han Ick , Choi Young-Jin , Lee Jee-Ho
Published: March 2023

Background:

There are many different techniques to achieve intermaxillary fixation (IMF) for open reduction of mandible fractures. The arch bar has long been used as the gold standard of IMF to assist open reduction. However, owing to its long operating time, risk of needle stick injury, and gingival trauma, surgeons looked into different treatment options for IMF, such as the skeletal anchorage system (SAS). Therefore, this study aimed to compare the stability between IMF with arch bar and IMF with SAS based on computed tomography image.

Materials and Methods:

In this retrospective study, postoperative computed tomography and panoramic radiographs were taken 1 week and 6 months after surgery, respectively. The treatment of mandibular fractures using IMF with arch bar and SAS were compared by evaluating changes in the dental midlines and condyle positions. Thirty patients with mandibular fractures were enrolled into 2 groups—IMF with arch bar and IMF with SAS.

Results:

The arch bar showed slightly more deviation in dental midline. In SAS, the condyle moved more medially compared with the arch bar.

Conclusions:

Skeletal anchorage system could be used for IMF with reliable stability in mandible fracture. There were no significant differences in the treatment outcome between the 2 groups.
Comparative economics: how studying other primates helps us better understand the evolution of our own economic decision making
Authors: Brosnan Sarah F. , Wilson Bart J.
Published: March 2023

The origins of evolutionary games are rooted in both economics and animal behaviour, but economics has, until recently, focused primarily on humans. Although historically, specific games were used in targeted circumstances with non-human species (i.e. the Prisoner's Dilemma), experimental economics has been increasingly recognized as a valuable method for directly comparing both the outcomes of economic decisions and their underlying mechanisms across species, particularly in comparison with humans, thanks to the structured procedures that allow for them to be instantiated across a variety of animals. So far, results in non-human primates suggest that even when outcomes are shared, underlying proximate mechanisms can vary substantially. Intriguingly, in some contexts non-human primates more easily find a Nash equilibrium than do humans, possibly owing to their greater willingness to explore the parameter space, but humans excel at more complex outcomes, such as alternating between two Nash equilibria, even when deprived of language or instruction, suggesting potential mechanisms that humans have evolved to allow us to solve complex social problems. We consider what these results suggest about the evolution of economic decision-making and suggest future directions, in particular the need to expand taxonomic diversity, to expand this promising approach.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Half a century of evolutionary games: a synthesis of theory, application and future directions'.
Cooperation and coordination in heterogeneous populations
Authors: Wang Xiaomin , Couto Marta C. , Wang Nianyi , An Xinmiao , Chen Bin , Dong Yali , Hilbe Christian , Zhang Boyu
Published: March 2023

One landmark application of evolutionary game theory is the study of social dilemmas. This literature explores why people cooperate even when there are strong incentives to defect. Much of this literature, however, assumes that interactions are symmetric. Individuals are assumed to have the same strategic options and the same potential pay-offs. Yet many interesting questions arise once individuals are allowed to differ. Here, we study asymmetry in simple coordination games. In our set-up, human participants need to decide how much of their endowment to contribute to a public good. If a group’s collective contribution reaches a pre-defined threshold, all group members receive a reward. To account for possible asymmetries, individuals either differ in their endowments or their productivities. According to a theoretical equilibrium analysis, such games tend to have many possible solutions. In equilibrium, group members may contribute the same amount, different amounts or nothing at all. According to our behavioural experiment, however, humans favour the equilibrium in which everyone contributes the same proportion of their endowment. We use these experimental results to highlight the non-trivial effects of inequality on cooperation, and we discuss to which extent models of evolutionary game theory can account for these effects.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Half a century of evolutionary games: a synthesis of theory, application and future directions'.
The future of theoretical evolutionary game theory
Authors: Traulsen Arne , Glynatsi Nikoleta E.
Published: March 2023

Evolutionary game theory is a truly interdisciplinary subject that goes well beyond the limits of biology. Mathematical minds get hooked up in simple models for evolution and often gradually move into other parts of evolutionary biology or ecology. Social scientists realize how much they can learn from evolutionary thinking and gradually transfer insight that was originally generated in biology. Computer scientists can use their algorithms to explore a new field where machines not only learn from the environment, but also from each other. The breadth of the field and the focus on a few very popular issues, such as cooperation, comes at a price: several insights are re-discovered in different fields under different labels with different heroes and modelling traditions. For example, reciprocity or spatial structure are treated differently. Will we continue to develop things in parallel? Or can we converge to a single set of ideas, a single tradition and eventually a single software repository? Or will these fields continue to cross-fertilize each other, learning from each other and engaging in a constructive exchange between fields? Ultimately, the popularity of evolutionary game theory rests not only on its explanatory power, but also on the intuitive character of its models.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Half a century of evolutionary games: a synthesis of theory, application and future directions’.
Game theory in biology: 50 years and onwards
Authors: Leimar Olof , McNamara John M.
Published: March 2023

Game theory in biology gained prominence 50 years ago, when Maynard Smith & Price formulated the concept of an evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS). Their aim was to explain why conflicts between animals of the same species usually are of a ‘limited war’ type, not causing serious injury. They emphasized that game theory is an alternative to previous ideas about group selection, which were used by ethologists to explain limited aggression. Subsequently, the ESS concept was applied to many phenomena with frequency dependence in the evolutionary success of strategies, including sex allocation, alternative mating types, contest behaviour and signalling, cooperation, and parental care. Both the analyses of signalling and cooperation were inspired by similar problems in economics and attracted much attention in biology. Here we give a perspective on which of the ambitions in the field have been achieved, with a focus on contest behaviour and cooperation. We evaluate whether the game-theoretical study of the evolution of cooperation has measured up to expectations in explaining the behaviour of non-human animals. We also point to potentially fruitful directions for the field, and emphasize the importance of incorporating realistic behavioural mechanisms into models.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Half a century of evolutionary games: a synthesis of theory, application and future directions’.
Luteimonas galliterrae sp. nov., isolated from poultry farm soil
Authors: Shen Lei , An Miao-miao , He Xiang-wei , Zhao Guo-zhu
Published: March 2023

Strain SX5T was isolated from the soil of a poultry farm in Shanxi Province, PR China. The isolate was a Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, non-flagellated, and yellow bacterium. Growth occurred at 20–37 °C (optimum, 28 °C), pH 6.0–10.0 (optimum, pH 8.0) and 0–1 % NaCl (optimum, 0 %). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain SX5T was related to members of the genus

Luteimonas

, and close to

Luteimonas gilva

H23T (97.9 %),

Luteimonas cucumeris

Y4T (97.9 %),

Luteimonas aquatica

RIB1-20T (96.8 %),

Luteimonas notoginsengisoli

SYP-B804T (96.4 %) and

Luteimonas panaciterrae

Gsoil 068T (96.1 %). The major cellular fatty acids of strain SX5T were iso-C16 : 0, iso-C17 : 1
 ω9c, iso-C15 : 0 and iso-C11 : 0 3OH. The sole isoprenoid quinone was ubiquinone Q-8, and the major polar lipid profile contained diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. Genome analyses revealed that strain SX5T had a genome size of 3.6 Mbp with a G+C content of 65.7 mol% and contained abundant carbohydrate-active enzyme genes and three putative distinct biosynthetic gene clusters, suggesting that it may have great potential to degrade and utilize complex biological organic matter and produce special secondary metabolites. Comparative genomic analyses clearly separated strain SX5T from the known species of the genus

Luteimonas

based on average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values below the thresholds for species delineation. Based on its phenotypic, genotypic properties and phylogenetic inference, strain SX5T represents a novel species in the genus

Luteimonas

, for which the name Luteimonas galliterrae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SX5T (=GDMCC 1.2162T=KCTC 82443T=JCM 34401T).
Cytokines as mediators of the associations of prenatal exposure to phenols, parabens, and phthalates with internalizing behaviours at age 3 in boys: a mixture exposure and mediation approach
Authors: Khalfallah Olfa , Barbosa Susana , Phillipat Claire , Slama Remy , Galera Cédric , Heude Barbara , Glaichenhaus Nicolas , Davidovic Laetitia
Published: March 2023

Childhood internalizing disorders refer to inwardly focused negative behaviours such as anxiety, depression, and somatic complains. Interactions between psychosocial, genetic, and environmental risk factors adversely impact neurodevelopment and can contribute to internalizing disorders. While prenatal exposure to single endocrine disruptors (ED) is associated with internalizing behaviours in infants, the associations with prenatal exposure to ED in mixture remain poorly addressed. In addition, the biological mediators of ED mixture effects on internalizing behaviours remain unexplored. ED do not only interfere with endocrine function, but also with immune function and inflammatory processes. Based on this body of evidence, we hypothetised that inflammation at birth is a plausible biological pathway through which ED prenatal exposure could operate to influence offspring internalizing behaviours. Based on the EDEN birth cohort, we investigated whether ED mixture exposure increased the odds of internalizing disorders in 459 boy infants at age 3, and whether the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α measured at birth are mediators of this effect. To determine both the joint and individual associations of ED prenatal exposure with infant internalizing behaviours and the possible mediating role of cytokines, we used the counterfactual hierarchical Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) regression-causal mediation analysis. We show that prenatal exposure to a complex ED mixture has limited effects on internalizing behaviours in boys at age 3. We also show that IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α are unlikely mediators or suppressors of ED mixture effects on internalizing behaviours. Further studies on larger cohorts are warranted to refine the deleterious effects of ED mixtures on internalizing behaviours and identify possible mediating pathways.
Socio-demographic characteristics associated with COVID-19 vaccination uptake in Switzerland: longitudinal analysis of the CoMix study
Authors: Reichmuth Martina L , Heron Leonie , Riou Julien , Moser André , Hauser Anthony , Low Nicola , Althaus Christian L
Published: March 2023

Background

Vaccination is an effective strategy to reduce morbidity and mortality from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the uptake of COVID-19 vaccination has varied across and within countries. Switzerland has had lower levels of COVID-19 vaccination uptake in the general population than many other high-income countries. Understanding the socio-demographic factors associated with vaccination uptake can help to inform future vaccination strategies to increase uptake.

Methods

We conducted a longitudinal online survey in the Swiss population, consisting of six survey waves from June to September 2021. Participants provided information on socio-demographic characteristics, history of testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), social contacts, willingness to be vaccinated, and vaccination status. We used a multivariable Poisson regression model to estimate the adjusted rate ratio (aRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of COVID-19 vaccine uptake.

Results

We recorded 6,758 observations from 1,884 adults. For the regression analysis, we included 3,513 observations from 1,883 participants. By September 2021, 600 (75%) of 806 study participants had received at least one vaccine dose. Participants who were older, male, and students, had a higher educational level, household income, and number of social contacts, and lived in a household with a medically vulnerable person were more likely to have received at least one vaccine dose. Female participants, those who lived in rural areas and smaller households, and people who perceived COVID-19 measures as being too strict were less likely to be vaccinated. We found no significant association between previous SARS-CoV-2 infections and vaccination uptake.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that socio-demographic factors as well as individual behaviours and attitudes played an important role in COVID-19 vaccination uptake in Switzerland. Therefore, appropriate communication with the public is needed to ensure that public health interventions are accepted and implemented by the population. Tailored COVID-19 vaccination strategies in Switzerland that aim to improve uptake should target specific subgroups such as women, people from rural areas or people with lower socio-demographic status.
Neural signatures of risk-taking adaptions across health, bipolar disorder, and lithium treatment
Authors: Scholl Jacqueline , Panchal Priyanka , Nelissen Natalie , Atkinson Lauren Z , Kolling Nils , Saunders Kate EA , Geddes John , Rushworth Matthew FS , Nobre Anna C , Harrison Paul J , Harmer Catherine J
Published: March 2023

Cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying bipolar disorder (BD) and its treatment are still poorly understood. Here we examined the role of adaptations in risk-taking using a reward- guided decision-making task.

We recruited volunteers with high (n=40) scores on the Mood Disorder Questionnaire, MDQ, suspected of high risk for bipolar disorder and those with low-risk scores (n=37). We also recruited patients diagnosed with BD who were assigned (randomized, double-blind) to six weeks of lithium (n=19) or placebo (n=16) after a two-week baseline period (n=22 for FMRI). Participants completed mood ratings daily over 50 (MDQ study) or 42 (BD study) days, as well as a risky decision-making task and functional magnetic resonance imaging. The task measured adaptation of risk taking to past outcomes (increased risk aversion after a previous win vs. loss, ‘outcome history’).

While the low MDQ group was risk averse after a win, this was less evident in the high MDQ group and least so in the patients with BD. During fMRI, ‘outcome history’ was linked to medial frontal pole activation at the time of the decision and this activation was reduced in the high risk MDQ vs. the low risk MDQ group. While lithium did not reverse the pattern of BD in the task, nor changed clinical symptoms of mania or depression, it changed reward processing in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

Participants’ modulation of risk-taking in response to reward outcomes was reduced as a function of risk for BD and diagnosed BD. These results provide a model for how reward may prime escalation of risk-related behaviours in bipolar disorder and how mood stabilising treatments may work.

Key points

Question:Do bipolar disorder and lithium treatment change adaptation of risk-taking over time?

Findings:Across an observational study and a randomized controlled trial, we found that while participants modulate their risk taking in a gambling task over time, this was reduced as a function of risk for bipolar disorder. Neurally, this was accompanied by changes in reward memory traces in medial frontal pole.

Meaning:The results show that bipolar disorder is linked to a reduction in adaptation of risk- taking to the environment, suggesting a possible computational mechanism and treatment target.
A Large-Scale Proteomics Resource of Circulating Extracellular Vesicles for Biomarker Discovery in Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Bockorny Bruno , Muthuswamy Lakshmi , Huang Ling , Hadisurya Marco , Lim Christine Maria , Tsai Leo L. , Gill Ritu R. , Wei Jesse L. , Bullock Andrea J. , Grossman Joseph E. , Besaw Robert J. , Narasimhan Supraja , Tao W. Andy , Perea Sofia , Sawhney Mandeep S. , Freedman Steven D. , Hidalgo Manuel , Iliuk Anton , Muthuswamy Senthil K.
Published: March 2023

Pancreatic cancer has the worst prognosis of all common tumors. Earlier cancer diagnosis could increase survival rates and better assessment of metastatic disease could improve patient care. As such, there is an urgent need to develop biomarkers to diagnose this deadly malignancy. Analyzing circulating extracellular vesicles (cEVs) using ‘liquid biopsies’ offers an attractive approach to diagnose and monitor disease status. However, it is important to differentiate EV-associated proteins enriched in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) from those with benign pancreatic diseases such as chronic pancreatitis and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN). To meet this need, we combined the novel EVtrap method for highly efficient isolation of EVs from plasma and conducted proteomics analysis of samples from 124 individuals, including patients with PDAC, benign pancreatic diseases and controls. On average, 912 EV proteins were identified per 100µL of plasma. EVs containing high levels of PDCD6IP, SERPINA12 and RUVBL2 were associated with PDAC compared to the benign diseases in both discovery and validation cohorts. EVs with PSMB4, RUVBL2 and ANKAR were associated with metastasis, and those with CRP, RALB and CD55 correlated with poor clinical prognosis. Finally, we validated a 7-EV protein PDAC signature against a background of benign pancreatic diseases that yielded an 89% prediction accuracy for the diagnosis of PDAC. To our knowledge, our study represents the largest proteomics profiling of circulating EVs ever conducted in pancreatic cancer and provides a valuable open-source atlas to the scientific community with a comprehensive catalogue of novel cEVs that may assist in the development of biomarkers and improve the outcomes of patients with PDAC.
Tuberculosis presentation and outcomes in elderly Hispanics from Tamaulipas, Mexico
Authors: Medrano Belinda A. , Lee Miryoung , Gemeinhardt Gretchen , Rodríguez-Herrera Javier E. , García-Viveros Moncerrato , Restrepo Blanca I.
Published: March 2023

Old people are at high risk of developing and dying from pulmonary infections like tuberculosis (TB), but they are few studies and particularly in Hispanics. To address these gaps, we sought to identify host factors associated with TB and adverse treatment outcomes in old Hispanics by conducting a secondary analysis of TB surveillance data from Tamaulipas, Mexico (2006-2013; n=8,381). Multivariable logistic regressions were assessed for the elderly (ELD, ≥65 years) when compared to young (YA, 18 to 39 years) and middle-aged adults (MAA, 40 to 64 years). We found that the ELD had features associated with a less complicated TB (e.g. less extra-pulmonary TB, abandoning of treatment or having drug resistant TB), and yet, were more likely to die during TB treatment (adj-OR 3.9, 95% 2.5, 5.25). Among the elderly, excess alcohol use and low BMI increased their odds of death, while diabetes and BCG vaccination were protective. These data suggest that old people share some, but not all the risk factors for adverse TB treatment outcomes, when compared with younger adults. Furthermore, even though old age in itself is an important predictor of death during TB, the elderly are not prioritized by the World Health Organization for latent TB infection screening and treatment during contact investigations. We propose the inclusion of the elderly as a high-risk group in TB management guidelines.
Synaptic oligomeric tau in Alzheimer’s disease – a potential culprit in the spread of tau pathology through the brain
Authors: Colom-Cadena Martí , Davies Caitlin , Sirisi Sònia , Lee Ji-Eun , Simzer Elizabeth , Tzioras Makis , Querol-Vilaseca Marta , Sánchez-Aced Érika , Chang Ya Yin , Holt Kris , McGeachan Robert , Rose Jamie , Tulloch Jane , Wilkins Lewis , Smith Colin , Andrian Teodora , Belbin Olivia , Pujals Sílvia , Horrocks Mathew H. , Lleó Alberto , Spires-Jones Tara
Published: March 2023

In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), fibrillar tau pathology accumulates and spreads through the brain and synapses are lost. Evidence from mouse models indicates that tau spreads trans-synaptically from pre- to postsynapses and that oligomeric tau is synaptotoxic, but data on synaptic tau in human brain is scarce. Here we used sub-diffraction-limit microscopy to study synaptic tau accumulation in post-mortem temporal and occipital cortices of human AD and control donors. Oligomeric tau is present in both pre- and postsynaptic terminals even in areas without abundant fibrillar tau deposition. Further, there is a higher proportion of oligomeric tau compared to phosphorylated or misfolded tau found at synaptic terminals. These data suggest that accumulation of oligomeric tau in synapses is an early event in disease pathogenesis, and that tau pathology may progress through the brain via trans-synaptic spread in human disease. Thus, specifically reducing oligomeric tau at synapses may be a promising therapeutic strategy for AD.
Sedentary lifestyle, Physical Activity, and Gastrointestinal Diseases: Evidence from Mendelian Randomization Analysis
Authors: Chen Jie , Ruan Xixian , Fu Tian , Lu Shiyuan , Gill Dipender , He Zixuan , Burgess Stephen , Giovannucci Edward L , Larsson Susanna C. , Deng Minzi , Yuan Shuai , Li Xue
Published: March 2023

Objectives

The causal associations of physical activity and sedentary behavior with the risk of gastrointestinal disease is unclear. We performed a Mendelian randomization analysis to examine these associations.

Methods

Genetic instruments associated with leisure screen time (LST, an indicator of a sedentary lifestyle) and moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) at the genome-wide significance (P<5×10−8) level were selected from a genome-wide association study (N<703,901). Summary statistics for gastrointestinal diseases were obtained from the UK Biobank study (N>330,000), the FinnGen study (N>220,000), and large consortia. Multivariable MR analyses were conducted for genetically determined LST with adjustment for MVPA and vice versa. We also performed multivariable MR with adjustment for genetically proxied smoking, body mass index (BMI), fasting insulin, and type 2 diabetes for both exposures.

Results

Genetically proxied longer LST was associated with increased risk of gastrointestinal reflux, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, chronic gastritis, irritable bowel disease, diverticular disease, Crohn’s disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, and acute appendicitis. Most associations remained after adjustment for genetic liability to MVPA. Genetic liability to MVPA was associated with decreased risk of gastroesophageal reflux, gastric ulcer, chronic gastritis, irritable bowel syndrome, cholelithiasis, and acute pancreatitis. The associations attenuated albeit directionally remained after adjusting for genetically predicted LST. Multivariable MR analysis found that BMI and type 2 diabetes mediated the associations of LST and MVPA with several gastrointestinal diseases.

Conclusion

The study suggests that a sedentary lifestyle may play a causal role in the development of many gastrointestinal diseases.
Air pollution and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest risk
Authors: Moderato L. , Aschieri D. , Lazzeroni D. , Rossi L. , Bricoli S. , Biagi A. , Ferraro S. , Binno S.M. , Monello A. , Pelizzoni V. , Sticozzi C. , Zanni A. , Magnani G. , Gurgoglione F.L. , Capucci A. , Nani S. , Montone R.A. , Ardissino D. , Nicolini F. , Niccoli G.
Published: March 2023

Background

Globally nearly 20% of cardiovascular disease deaths were attributable to air pollution. Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) represents a major public health problem, therefore, the identification of novel OHCA triggers is of crucial relevance. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between air pollution (short-, mid-and long-term exposure) and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) risk, during a 7 years-period from a highly polluted urban area with a high density of automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

Methods and results

OHCA were prospectively collected from the “Progetto Vita Database” between 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2017; day-by-day air pollution levels were extracted from the Environmental Protection Agency (ARPA) stations. Electrocardiograms of OHCA interventions were collected from the AEDs data cards. Day-by-day particulate matter (PM) 2.5 and 10, ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels were measured. A total of 880 OHCAs occurred in 748 days. A significantly increased in OHCA risk with the progressive increase in PM 2.5, PM 10, CO and NO2 levels was found. After adjustment for temperature and seasons, a 9% and 12% increase of OHCA risk for each 10 μg/m3 increase of PM 10 (p< 0.0001) and PM 2.5 (p< 0.0001) levels was found. Air pollutants levels were associated with both asystole and shockable rhythm risk while no correlation was found with pulseless electrical activity.

Conclusions

Short-term and mid-term exposure to PM 2.5 and PM 10 is independently associated with the risk of OHCA due to asystole or shockable rhythm.
Validation of a Non-invasive Prenatal Test for Fetal RhD, C, c, E, Kell and FyA Antigens
Authors: Alford Brian , Landry Brian P. , Hou Sarah , Bower Xavier , Bueno Anna M. , Chen Drake , Husic Brooke , Cantonwine David E. , McElrath Thomas F. , Carozza Jaqueline , Wynn Julia , Hoskovec Jennifer , Gray Kathryn J.
Published: March 2023

We developed and validated a next generation sequencing (NGS) based NIPT assay using quantitative counting template (QCT) technology to detect RhD, C, c, E, Kell, and Fyafetal antigen genotypes in the diverse U.S. population. The assay quantifies paternally derived fetal antigen cell-free DNA molecules after calibration to fetal fraction and a reference gene. The assay correctly determined fetal antigen status for 1061 preclinical samples with an analytical sensitivity of 100% (95% CI: 99-100%) and analytical specificity of 100% (95% CI: 99-100%). The assay showed a clear separation between antigen detected and not detected for 15,939 clinical plasma samples in a general population setting, with an estimated clinical sensitivity of 99.6%-100%. The precision of the assay in which two replicate plasma samples were independently analyzed was 99.9% for 1683 clinical samples. Moreover, a fetal antigen determination could be made for samples withRHDΨ, a variant more common among RhD-negative Black individuals. The NIPT results were 100% concordant with neonatal antigen genotype/serology for 23 RhD negative pregnant individuals and 12 other antigen evaluations in 4 alloimmunized pregnant individuals. This NGS-based fetal antigen NIPT assay had excellent performance in a validation study of samples from a diverse U.S. population for fetal fractions as low as 1.1% and as early as 10 weeks of gestation, without the need for a sample from the biological partner. Implementation of NIPT for the detection of fetal antigen in RhD-negative and alloimmunized pregnant individuals will streamline care and reduce unnecessary treatment, monitoring and patient anxiety.
Mating systems and recombination landscape strongly shape genetic diversity and selection in wheat relatives
Authors: Burgarella Concetta , Brémaud Marie-Fleur , Hirschheydt Gesa Von , Viader Veronique , Ardisson Morgane , Santoni Sylvain , Ranwez Vincent , Navascués Miguel , David Jacques , Glémin Sylvain
Published: March 2023

How and why genetic diversity varies among species is a long-standing question in evolutionary biology. Life history traits have been shown to explain a large part of observed diversity. Among them, mating systems have one of the strongest impacts on genetic diversity, with selfing species usually exhibiting much lower diversity than outcrossing relatives. Theory predicts that a high rate of selfing amplifies selection at linked sites, reducing genetic diversity genome wide, but frequent bottlenecks and rapid population turn-over could also explain low genetic diversity in selfers. However, how linked selection varies with mating systems and whether it is sufficient to explain the observed difference between selfers and outcrossers has never been tested. Here, we used theAegilops/Triticumgrass species, a group characterized by contrasted mating systems (from obligate out-crossing to high selfing) and marked recombination rate variation across the genome, to quantify the effects of mating system and linked selection on patterns of neutral and selected polymorphism. By analyzing phenotypic and transcriptomic data of 13 species, we show that selfing strongly affects genetic diversity and the efficacy of selection by amplifying the intensity of linked selection genome wide. In particular, signatures of adaptation were only found in the highly recombining regions in outcrossing species. These results bear implications for the evolution of mating systems and more generally for our understanding of the fundamental drivers of genetic diversity.