bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Key Thresholds and Relative Contributions of Knee Geometry, Anteroposterior Laxity, and Body Weight as Risk Factors for Noncontact ACL Injury
Authors: Zeitlin Jacob , Fontana Mark A. , Parides Michael K. , Nawabi Danyal H. , Wickiewicz Thomas L. , Pearle Andrew D. , Beynnon Bruce D. , Imhauser Carl W.
Published: May 2023

Background:

Limited data exist regarding the association of tibiofemoral bony and soft tissue geometry and knee laxity with risk of first-time noncontact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture.

Purpose:

To determine associations of tibiofemoral geometry and anteroposterior (AP) knee laxity with risk of first-time noncontact ACL injury in high school and collegiate athletes.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

Over a 4-year period, noncontact ACL injury events were identified as they occurred in 86 high school and collegiate athletes (59 female, 27 male). Sex- and age-matched control participants were selected from the same team. AP laxity of the uninjured knee was measured using a KT-2000 arthrometer. Magnetic resonance imaging was taken on ipsilateral and contralateral knees, and articular geometries were measured. Sex-specific general additive models were implemented to investigate associations between injury risk and 6 features: ACL volume, meniscus–bone wedge angle in the lateral compartment of the tibia, articular cartilage slope at the middle region of the lateral compartment of the tibia, femoral notch width at the anterior outlet, body weight, and AP displacement of the tibia relative to the femur. Importance scores (in percentages) were calculated to rank the relative contribution of each variable.

Results:

In the female cohort, the 2 features with the highest importance scores were tibial cartilage slope (8.6%) and notch width (8.1%). In the male cohort, the 2 top-ranked features were AP laxity (5.6%) and tibial cartilage slope (4.8%). In female patients, injury risk increased by 25.5% with lateral middle cartilage slope becoming more posteroinferior from –6.2° to –2.0° and by 17.5% with lateral meniscus–bone wedge angle increasing from 27.3° to 28.2°. In males, an increase in AP displacement from 12.5 to 14.4 mm in response to a 133-N anterior-directed load was associated with a 16.7% increase in risk.

Conclusion:

Of the 6 variables studied, there was no single dominant geometric or laxity risk factor for ACL injury in either the female or male cohort. In males, AP laxity >13 to 14 mm was associated with sharply increased risk of noncontact ACL injury. In females, lateral meniscus–bone wedge angle >28° was associated with a sharply decreased risk of noncontact ACL injury.
Admission blood pressure and clinical outcomes in patients with acute ischaemic stroke treated with intravenous alteplase and endovascular treatment versus endovascular treatment alone: A MR CLEAN-NO IV substudy
Authors: van den Berg Sophie A , Uniken Venema Simone M , LeCouffe Natalie E , Postma Alida A , Lycklama à Nijeholt Geert J , Rinkel Leon A , Treurniet Kilian M , Kappelhof Manon , Bruggeman Agnetha E , van Kranendonk Katinka R , Majoie Charles BLM , Dippel Diederik WJ , van der Worp H Bart , Coutinho Jonathan M , Nederkoorn Paul J , Roos Yvo BWEM
Published: May 2023

Introduction:

High systolic blood pressure (SBP) is associated with poor functional outcome. We analysed whether the association of SBP with outcomes after endovascular treatment (EVT) is modified by prior intravenous thrombolysis (IVT).

Patients and methods:

This was a post-hoc analysis of MR CLEAN-NO IV, a randomised trial of IVT with alteplase followed by EVT versus EVT alone, within 4.5 h from stroke onset. SBP was recorded on hospital admission. The primary outcome was 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score and secondary outcomes included symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (sICH) and successful reperfusion (eTICI 2b-3), analysed with (ordinal) logistic regression. Estimates were calculated per 10 mmHg change in SBP. We assessed whether IVT modified the associations of SBP with these outcomes using multiplicative interaction terms.

Results:

Of 539 randomised patients, 266 received IVT. The association of SBP with mRS score was J-shaped, with an inflection point at 150 mmHg. Using 150 mmHg as a reference point, SBPs higher than 150 mmHg were associated with poor functional outcome (acOR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.09–1.38), but lower SBPs were not (acOR: 1.14, 95% CI: 0.99–1.30). Higher SBP was not associated with the risk of sICH (aOR: 1.09, 95% CI: 0.93–1.27) nor with the probability of successful reperfusion (aOR: 1.00, 95% CI: 0.91–1.10). Our main result was that we found no effect modification by IVT ( p-values for interaction, mRS = 0.94; sICH = 0.26; successful reperfusion = 0.58).

Discussion and conclusion:

There was no effect modification of IVT with SBP for any of the clinical outcomes. Therefore, the level of SBP (if ⩽185/110 mmHg) should not guide IVT decisions in patients otherwise eligible for both IVT and EVT within the 4.5-h time window.

Trial registration:

ISRCTN80619088, https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN80619088 .
A Walk Along the River Betwa
Authors: Singh Radhika , Joshi Shail
Published: May 2023

The Bundelkhand region has long been in the news for its lack of development, political tussles and water insecurity. By embarking on a riverwalk in Bundelkhand, where we followed the Betwa River on foot for 130 kilometres, we were able to engage with a range of communities and ecosystems and better grasp both the problems and opportunities in the region. The mode of walking was essential to our methodology, as it allowed us to stop, listen and absorb all the details that make rural life what it is. We explored places, peoples, textures, smells and landscapes relatively unknown to us and our urban existence, and reflected on ways in which booming urban centres are dependent on rural areas that provide them with everything from food to sand. The riverwalk provided the foundation for our subsequent research and analysis on water governance in Bundelkhand.
Genesis of Crime and Victim in a Commodity-exchange Society: Theoretical and Empirical Underpinnings of the Rise in Cyber Crimes in India
Authors: Ganguly Prakhar
Published: May 2023

How is criminality, as a social relation, defined and redefined? Scholars have often explained the same through change in material realities in the political economy. This article attempts to answer the same by premising on Pashukanis’ theory of commodity exchange. He claimed that the definition and progression of criminal liability as a social category resulted from how commodity was exchanged in any particular epoch. It was in the bourgeois epoch that this liability was widened, and this could be possible only after the universalization of the rights-based category—the legal subject. Is this theorization visible, in its materiality, in Sutherland’s comprehension of the white-collar criminal? In the twentieth century, Sutherland, in his work titled ‘White-Collar Crimes’, observed that a novel kind of crime was being committed because of the creation of the middle class in the United States of America. Its victims were the consumers. Is a similar phenomenon visible in twenty-first-century India? What does the universal access to data and greater commission of cybercrimes suggest? This article aims to tie a thread between these three scholars by asking a question—does criminal liability, as a social category and the creation of novel victims, get defined by how the commodity is exchanged in a particular epoch? In other words, this article suggests that the rise of cybercrimes in India should be looked at through the lens of Pashukanis’ commodity-exchange theory.
The Effects of Transformational and Adaptive Leadership on Dynamic Capabilities: Digital Transformation Projects
Authors: Huang Judy Y. H. , Jiang Randi , Chang Jamie Y. T.
Published: May 2023

Leadership must be leveraged at the management level to develop the capabilities needed to succeed in digital transformation projects, where complications arise due to technological novelty and environmental dynamics. Transformational leadership (TRL) and adaptive leadership (ADL) are proposed as successful approaches for managing changing behaviors and faster adaptation to new circumstances. Survey results demonstrate the positive influence of TRL on the three project dynamic capabilities. However, its impact on adaptive capability is weak. An interview study was conducted to explore the link between ADL and adaptive capability, providing an additional understanding of insignificant effects on innovative and absorptive capabilities.
The rapid detection of procalcitonin in septic serum using immunoaffinity MALDI chips
Authors: Dvorak Josef , Novakova Jana , Kraftova Lucie , Studentova Vendula , Matejovic Martin , Radej Jaroslav , Karvunidis Thomas , Horak Jan , Kralovcova Marcela , Hrabak Jaroslav , Kalaninova Zuzana , Volny Michael , Novak Petr , Pompach Petr
Published: May 2023

Background

Sepsis is a common worldwide health condition with high mortality. It is caused by a dysregulated immune response to the pathogen. Severe infections resulting in sepsis can be also determined by monitoring several bloodstream biomarkers, one of them being pro-hormone procalcitonin (PCT). PCT concentration in the bloodstream correlates well with sepsis and in severe cases increases up to a thousand times from the healthy physiological values in a short time. In this study, we developed a rapid technique for PCT detection by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, that uses in-situ enrichment directly on the specialized immuno MALDI chips that are utilized as MALDI plates. The method’s ability to detect PCT was confirmed by comparing the results with LC–MS bottom-up workflow. The new method detects intact PCT by its m/z and uncovers its alternations in septic serum.

Methods

The MALDI chips used for the detection of PCT were prepared by ambient ion soft landing of anti-PCT antibody on an ITO glass slide. The chips were used for the development of the rapid MALDI-TOF MS method. A parallel method based on affinity enrichment on magnetic beads followed by LC–MS/MS data-dependent peptide microsequencing was used to prove PCT presence in the sample. All samples were also tested by ELISA to determine PCT concentration prior to analyzing them by mass spectrometry methods.

Results

The MALDI chip method was optimized using recombinant PCT spiked into the human serum. The PCT detection limit was 10 ng/mL. The optimized method was used to analyze 13 sera from patients suffering sepsis. The PCT results were confirmed by LC–MS/MS. The measurement of the intact PCT by the MALDI chip method revealed that sera of patients with severe sepsis have other forms of PCT present, which show post-processing of the primary sequence by cleavage of PCT, resulting in the formation of N and C termini fragments.

Conclusions

Procalcitonin from human serum was successfully enriched and detected using immunoaffinity MALDI chips. The intact PCT was characterized in 13 septic patients. The method is more specific compared to non-MS-based immunoaffinity techniques and allows observation of different variants of PCT in septic patients.
Patient experience and repeatability of measurements made with the Pentacam HR in patients with keratoconus
Authors: Gustafsson Ingemar , Bizios Dimitrios , Ivarsen Anders , Hjortdal Jesper Ø
Published: May 2023

Background

To investigate whether the repeatability of measurements with the Pentacam HR in patients with keratoconus is improved by patients gaining more experience of the measurement situation. Such an improvement could enhance the accuracy with which progressive keratoconus can be detected.

Methods

Four replicate measurements were performed on Day 0 and on Day 3. Parameters commonly used in the diagnosis of progressive keratoconus were included in the analysis, namely the flattest central keratometry value (K1), the steepest central keratometry value (K2), the maximum keratometry value (Kmax), and the parameters A, B and C from the Belin ABCD Progression Display. In addition, quality parameters used by the Pentacam HR to assess the quality of the measurements were included, namely the analysed area (front + back), 3D (front + back), XY, Z, and eye movements.

Results

Neither the diagnostic parameters nor the quality parameters showed any statistically significant improvement on Day 3 compared to Day 0. The quality parameter “eye movements” deteriorated significantly with increasing Kmax.

Conclusion

Gaining experience of the measurement situation did not increase the accuracy of the measurements. Further investigations should be performed to determine whether the increasing number of eye movements with increasing disease severity has a negative effect on the repeatability of the measurements.
To what extent classic socio-economic determinants explain trends of anaemia in tribal and non-tribal women of reproductive age in India? Findings from four National Family Heath Surveys (1998–2021)
Authors: Ghosal Jyoti , Bal Madhusmita , Ranjit‬ Manoranjan , Das Arundhuti , Behera Manas Ranjan , Satpathy Sudhir Kumar , Dutta Ambarish , Pati Sanghamitra
Published: May 2023

Background

Despite unprecedented socio-economic growth experienced by Indians in the past few decades, and a long history of anti-anaemia public health measures, prevalence of anaemia in Indian non-pregnant women of reproductive age group (NPWRA) has not declined. This warrants a firm understanding of what explains the anaemia situation over time, preferably by sub-populations. Therefore, we aimed to examine the trends of anaemia in tribal NPWRA (least privileged) and compare with the trends in the NPWRA of general caste (most privileged) between 1998 to 2021. Additionally, the study also explored explanation of any decline and tribal/general narrowing of these trends.

Methods

We studied four rounds of National Family Health Survey (1998–99, 2005–06, 2015–16, 2019–21). We examined the trend of anaemia (haemoglobin < 12 g/dl) and its possible determinants in tribal and general NPWRA and estimated the portion of “decline” and “narrowing” that could be explained by theunderlyingandintermediatedeterminants (wealth, education, residence, parity and food security) using multiple logistic regression.

Results

The distribution of determinants improved over 23 years in both the groups but more in tribals. But anaemia either remained unchanged or increased in both except 7.1 points decline in tribals between 2006–2016, leading also to 7 points narrowing of tribal/general gap. The modest attenuation of beta coefficients representing the change of anaemia prevalence (log of odds) in tribals from -0.314(-0.377, -0.251) to -0.242(-0.308, -0.176) after adjustment with determinants could explain only 23% of the decline. Similarly, only 7% of the narrowing of the tribal/general anaemia gap could be explained.

Conclusions

The structural determinants wealth, education, food security, parity and urban amenities improved immensely in India but anaemia did not decline in this 23-year period. This implies that the “usual suspects” – the structural determinants are not the main drivers of anaemia in the country. The main driver may be absolute and/or functional deficiency status of micronutrients including iron attributable to inadequate uptake and absorption of these elements from Indian diets; and therefore, their effects are noticeable in every socio-economic stratum of India. Future research for aetiologies and new interventions for anaemia alleviation in India may focus on these factors.
Oxidative stress gene expression, DNA methylation, and gut microbiota interaction trigger Crohn’s disease: a multi-omics Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Xu Shu , Li Xiaozhi , Zhang Shenghong , Qi Cancan , Zhang Zhenhua , Ma Ruiqi , Xiang Liyuan , Chen Lianmin , Zhu Yijun , Tang Ce , Bourgonje Arno R. , Li Miaoxin , He Yao , Zeng Zhirong , Hu Shixian , Feng Rui , Chen Minhu
Published: May 2023

Background

Oxidative stress (OS) is a key pathophysiological mechanism in Crohn’s disease (CD). OS-related genes can be affected by environmental factors, intestinal inflammation, gut microbiota, and epigenetic changes. However, the role of OS as a potential CD etiological factor or triggering factor is unknown, as differentially expressed OS genes in CD can be either a cause or a subsequent change of intestinal inflammation. Herein, we used a multi-omics summary data-based Mendelian randomization (SMR) approach to identify putative causal effects and underlying mechanisms of OS genes in CD.

Methods

OS-related genes were extracted from the GeneCards database. Intestinal transcriptome datasets were collected from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and meta-analyzed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to OS in CD. Integration analyses of the largest CD genome-wide association study (GWAS) summaries with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) and DNA methylation QTLs (mQTLs) from the blood were performed using SMR methods to prioritize putative blood OS genes and their regulatory elements associated with CD risk. Up-to-date intestinal eQTLs and fecal microbial QTLs (mbQTLs) were integrated to uncover potential interactions between host OS gene expression and gut microbiota through SMR and colocalization analysis. Two additional Mendelian randomization (MR) methods were used as sensitivity analyses. Putative results were validated in an independent multi-omics cohort from the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University (FAH-SYS).

Results

A meta-analysis from six datasets identified 438 OS-related DEGs enriched in intestinal enterocytes in CD from 817 OS-related genes. Five genes from blood tissue were prioritized as candidate CD-causal genes using three-step SMR methods: BAD, SHC1, STAT3, MUC1, and GPX3. Furthermore, SMR analysis also identified five putative intestinal genes, three of which were involved in gene–microbiota interactions through colocalization analysis: MUC1, CD40, and PRKAB1. Validation results showed that 88.79% of DEGs were replicated in the FAH-SYS cohort. Associations between pairs of MUC1–Bacillus aciditolerans and PRKAB1–Escherichia coli in the FAH-SYS cohort were consistent with eQTL–mbQTL colocalization.

Conclusions

This multi-omics integration study highlighted that OS genes causal to CD are regulated by DNA methylation and host-microbiota interactions. This provides evidence for future targeted functional research aimed at developing suitable therapeutic interventions and disease prevention.
Production of a 135-residue long N-truncated human keratinocyte growth factor 1 in Escherichia coli
Authors: Kim Young Su , Lee Hye-Jeong , Handoko Gabriella Aphrodita , Kim Jaehui , Kim Seong-Bo , Won Minho , Park Jung-Ho , Ahn Jungoh
Published: May 2023

Background

Palifermin (trade name Kepivance®) is an amino-terminally truncated recombinant human keratinocyte growth factor 1 (KGF-1) with 140 residues that has been produced using Escherichia coli to prevent and treat oral mucositis following radiation or chemotherapy. In this study, an amino-terminally shortened KGF-1 variant with 135 residues was produced and purified in E. coli, and its cell proliferation activity was evaluated.

Results

We expressed soluble KGF-1 fused to thioredoxin (TRX) in the cytoplasmic fraction of E. coli to improve its production yield. However, three N-truncated forms (KGF-1 with 140, 138, and 135 residues) were observed after the removal of the TRX protein from the fusion form by cleavage of the human enterokinase light chain C112S (hEKL C112S). The shortest KGF-1 variant, with 135 residues, was expressed by fusion with TRX via the hEKL cleavage site in E. coli and purified at high purity (> 99%). Circular dichroism spectroscopy shows that purified KGF-1135 had a structure similar to that of the KGF-1140 as a random coiled form, and MCF-7 cell proliferation assays demonstrate its biological activity.

Conclusions

We identified variations in N-terminus-truncated KGF-1 and selected the most stable form. Furthermore, by a simple two-step purification, highly purified KGF-1135 was obtained that showed biological activity. These results demonstrate that KGF-1135 may be considered an alternative protein to KGF-1.
Exploring the independent association of employment status to cancer survivors’ health-related quality of life
Authors: Andreu Y. , Picazo C. , Murgui S. , Soto-Rubio A. , García-Conde A. , Romero R.
Published: May 2023

Background

Having a job has been associated with better Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) in cancer survivors. However, the sociodemographic and disease-related profiles characterizing the survivors being employed and those having better HRQOL largely overlap. The present study aims to discern the degree to which employment status is independently associated with cancer survivors’ HRQOL or if it mainly reflects the impact of other sociodemographic and cancer-related variables.

Methods

Cross-sectional study on a heterogeneous sample of 772 working-age survivors of adult-onset cancer. An instrument specifically designed to assess HRQOL in cancer survivors and Multivariate Variance Analysis (MANOVA) were used.

Results

Survival phase, cancer type, and employment status showed the main effects on cancer survivors’ HRQOL. In particular, being employed (vs unemployed) had the greatest positive association with HRQOL, affecting ten of the twelve HRQOL domains considered. Also, interaction effects highlighted the role of age (younger) and marital status (single) as risk factors for a greater negative impact of variables affecting the survivor’s HRQOL.

Conclusions

The application of a multivariate methodology sheds new light on two relevant issues for the cancer survivor’s HRQOL: (i) the existence of differences between diagnostic groups that are not attributed to other variables such as sex, and (ii) the important and independent role that employment status plays. Comprehensive cancer survivorship care should focus more on high-risk groups and include having a job as an essential aspect to consider and prompt. The fact that the employment status is susceptible to change represents a valuable opportunity to care for the wellbeing of this population.
Assessing behavioral economic biases among young adults who have increased likelihood of acquiring HIV: a mixed methods study in Baltimore, Maryland
Authors: Jennings Mayo-Wilson Larissa , Coleman Lewis Jessica , MacCarthy Sarah , Linnemayr Sebastian
Published: May 2023

Background

Behavioral economic (BE) biases have been studied in the context of numerous health conditions, yet are understudied in the field of HIV prevention. This aim of this study was to quantify the prevalence of four common BE biases—present bias, information salience, overoptimism, and loss aversion—relating to condom use and HIV testing in economically-vulnerable young adults who had increased likelihood of acquiring HIV. We also qualitatively examined participants’ perceptions of these biases.

Methods

43 participants were enrolled in the study. Data were collected via interviews using a quantitative survey instrument embedded with qualitative questions to characterize responses. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using descriptive statistics and deductive-inductive content analyses.

Results

56% of participants were present-biased, disproportionately discounting future rewards for smaller immediate rewards. 51% stated they were more likely to spend than save given financial need. Present-bias relating to condom use was lower with 28% reporting they would engage in condomless sex rather than wait one day to access condoms. Most participants (72%) were willing to wait for condom-supported sex given the risk. Only 35% knew someone living with HIV, but 67% knew someone who had taken an HIV test, and 74% said they often think about preventing HIV (e.g., high salience). Yet, 47% reported optimistically planning for condom use, HIV discussions with partners, or testing but failing to stick to their decision. Most (98%) were also averse (b = 9.4, SD  ±.9) to losing their HIV-negative status. Qualitative reasons for sub-optimal condom or testing choices were having already waited to find a sex partner, feeling awkward, having fear, or not remembering one’s plan in the moment. Optimal decisions were attributed qualitatively to self-protective thoughts, establishing routine care, standing on one’s own, and thinking of someone adversely impacted by HIV. 44% of participants preferred delayed monetary awards (e.g., future-biased), attributed qualitatively to fears of spending immediate money unwisely or needing time to plan.

Conclusion

Mixed methods BE assessments may be a valuable tool in understanding factors contributing to optimal and sub-optimal HIV prevention decisions. Future HIV prevention interventions may benefit from integrating savings products, loss framing, commitment contracts, cues, or incentives.
The impacts of anxiety and depressive symptoms on emotional processing in children and their parents: an event-related potential study
Authors: Han Zhuo Rachel , Yan Julia , Yang Xuan , Guo Mingjia , West Kara Braunstein , Suveg Cynthia , Wang Hui
Published: May 2023

Background

Anxiety and depressive symptoms are associated with dysregulated emotional processing. However, less is known about the intra-personal and inter-personal impacts of anxiety and depressive symptoms on emotional processing in children and their parents.

Methods

In a community sample of 36 parent-child dyads (total N = 72), the current study investigated the intra- and inter-personal effects of anxiety and depressive symptoms on the child’s and the parent’s neurophysiological responses to emotional (i.e., pleasant and unpleasant) stimuli, indexed by the late positive potential (LPP).

Results

The results indicated that children’s anxiety symptoms were correlated with their enhanced LPPs to pleasant versus neutral pictures. Additionally, children’s depressive symptoms related to their increased LPPs to unpleasant stimuli. Importantly, children’s anxiety symptoms were associated with their parents’ increased LPPs to both unpleasant and pleasant information.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that anxiety symptoms in community children were related to their own as well as their parents’ emotional processing. The findings contribute to cognitive and family models of anxiety and depression and further highlight the potential role of dyadic interventions for the alleviation of impairing symptoms in children and their caregivers.
Genetic recombination among tomato yellow leaf curl virus isolates in commercial tomato crops in Kuwait drives emergence of virus diversity: a comparative genomic analysis
Authors: Al-Ali Ebtisam , Al-Hashash Hanadi , Akbar Abrar , Al-Aqeel Hamed , Al-Shayji Nabila , Alotaibi Mohammed , Ben Hejji Ahmed
Published: May 2023

Objective

Whitefly-transmitted tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) continues to be a major constraint to tomato production in Kuwait. However, very limited information is available about the population structure and genetic diversity of TYLCV infecting tomato in Kuwait.

Results

Whole genome sequences of 31 isolates of TYLCV, collected from commercial tomato crops grown in northern (Abdally) and southern (Al Wafra) parts of Kuwait, were deciphered. Eighteen isolates of TYLCV are identified as potential genetic recombinants. The isolates Abdally 6A and Abdally 3B reported in this study were identified to be potential recombinants. Compared to the 15 isolates from the Abdally area, and the three previously reported KISR isolates of Kuwait, six out of sixteen Al Wafra isolates showed an insertion of 19 extra nucleotides near the 5′-end. There are also four nucleotide variations before the 19-extra-nucleotides. The additional 19 nucleotides observed in nine isolates indicate that these isolates might have resulted from a single gene recombination/insertion event. Molecular phylogeny based on complete genome sequences of TYLCV isolates suggests transboundary movement of virus isolates due to geographic proximity. The information presented herein is quite useful for the comprehension of TYLCV biology, epidemiology and would aid in the management of disease in the long run.
Capturing sex-specific and hypofertility-linked effects of assisted reproductive technologies on the cord blood DNA methylome
Authors: Rahimi Sophia , Shao Xiaojian , Chan Donovan , Martel Josée , Bérard Anick , Fraser William D. , Simon Marie-Michelle , Kwan Tony , Bourque Guillaume , Trasler Jacquetta
Published: May 2023

Background

Children conceived through assisted reproduction are at an increased risk for growth and genomic imprinting disorders, often linked to DNA methylation defects. It has been suggested that assisted reproductive technology (ART) and underlying parental infertility can induce epigenetic instability, specifically interfering with DNA methylation reprogramming events during germ cell and preimplantation development. To date, human studies exploring the association between ART and DNA methylation defects have reported inconsistent or inconclusive results, likely due to population heterogeneity and the use of technologies with limited coverage of the epigenome. In our study, we explored the epigenetic risk of ART by comprehensively profiling the DNA methylome of 73 human cord blood samples of singleton pregnancies (n = 36 control group, n = 37 ART/hypofertile group) from a human prospective longitudinal birth cohort, the 3D (Design, Develop, Discover) Study, using a high-resolution sequencing-based custom capture panel that examines over 2.4 million autosomal CpGs in the genome.

Results

We identified evidence of sex-specific effects of ART/hypofertility on cord blood DNA methylation patterns. Our genome-wide analyses identified ~ 46% more CpGs affected by ART/hypofertility in female than in male infant cord blood. We performed a detailed analysis of three imprinted genes which have been associated with altered DNA methylation following ART (KCNQ1OT1, H19/IGF2 and GNAS) and found that female infant cord blood was associated with DNA hypomethylation. When compared to less invasive procedures such as intrauterine insemination, more invasive ARTs (in vitro fertilization, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, embryo culture) resulted in more marked and distinct effects on the cord blood DNA methylome. In the in vitro group, we found a close to fourfold higher proportion of significantly enriched Gene Ontology terms involved in development than in the in vivo group.

Conclusions

Our study highlights the ability of a sensitive, targeted, sequencing-based approach to uncover DNA methylation perturbations in cord blood associated with hypofertility and ART and influenced by offspring sex and ART technique invasiveness.
OWSum: algorithmic odor prediction and insight into structure-odor relationships
Authors: Schicker Doris , Singh Satnam , Freiherr Jessica , Grasskamp Andreas T.
Published: May 2023

We derived and implemented a linear classification algorithm for the prediction of a molecule’s odor, called Olfactory Weighted Sum (OWSum). Our approach relies solely on structural patterns of the molecules as features for algorithmic treatment and uses conditional probabilities combined with tf-idf values. In addition to the prediction of molecular odor, OWSum provides insights into properties of the dataset and allows to understand how algorithmic classifications are reached by quantitatively assigning structural patterns to odors. This provides chemists with an intuitive understanding of underlying interactions. To deal with ambiguities of the natural language used to describe odor, we introduced descriptor overlap as a metric for the quantification of semantic overlap between descriptors. Thus, grouping of descriptors and derivation of higher-level descriptors becomes possible. Our approach poses a large leap forward in our capabilities to understand and predict molecular features.
Analysis of protein binding characteristics among Arabidopsis BBX protein family
Authors: Shin Su Young , Kim Hayeon , Woo Su Gyeong , Hong Jong Chan , Song Young Hun
Published: May 2023

Plants have evolved various mechanisms of adjusting their diurnal and seasonal growth and development in response to variations in day length and light quality. This plasticity is facilitated by intricate regulatory networks that comprise transcription factors, whose expression is modulated by the activity of photoreceptors. InArabidopsis, B-box (BBX) transcription factors, which contain one or two Zn-ligating B-box motifs in their N-termini, serve as key mediators of light signaling for photomorphogenesis, shade avoidance, and photoperiodic flowering. While multiple BBX proteins may function as a single regulatory unit, the binding networks that form among members of the BBX family have not been extensively investigated. Here, we have demonstrated that the homodimerization of two B-box motifs containing CONSTANS protein (BBX1), which regulates light signaling and is the most extensively characterized among all BBX proteins, requires at least three B-box motifs. Therefore, the number of B-box motifs may significantly influence heterodimerization among BBX family members. An interactome analysis of all 32 known B-box family members revealed that the binding affinity between group III and V proteins with only one B-box motif is relatively weaker than that observed among other group members. In fact, the group V proteins BBX26 and BBX27 rarely interact with other BBX members. Taken together, the results of this study emphasize the importance of the B-box motif in network formation among BBX proteins and provide insights into investigating the various signaling pathways mediated by these networks.
The eQTL colocalization and transcriptome-wide association study identify potentially causal genes responsible for economic traits in Simmental beef cattle
Authors: Cai Wentao , Zhang Yapeng , Chang Tianpeng , Wang Zezhao , Zhu Bo , Chen Yan , Gao Xue , Xu Lingyang , Zhang Lupei , Gao Huijiang , Song Jiuzhou , Li Junya
Published: May 2023

Background

A detailed understanding of genetic variants that affect beef merit helps maximize the efficiency of breeding for improved production merit in beef cattle. To prioritize the putative variants and genes, we ran a comprehensive genome-wide association studies (GWAS) analysis for 21 agronomic traits using imputed whole-genome variants in Simmental beef cattle. Then, we applied expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) mapping between the genotype variants and transcriptome of three tissues (longissimus dorsi muscle, backfat, and liver) in 120 cattle.

Results

We identified 1,580 association signals for 21 beef agronomic traits using GWAS. We then illuminated 854,498 cis-eQTLs for 6,017 genes and 46,970 trans-eQTLs for 1,903 genes in three tissues and built a synergistic network by integrating transcriptomics with agronomic traits. These cis-eQTLs were preferentially close to the transcription start site and enriched in functional regulatory regions. We observed an average of 43.5% improvement in cis-eQTL discovery using multi-tissue eQTL mapping. Fine-mapping analysis revealed that 111, 192, and 194 variants were most likely to be causative to regulate gene expression in backfat, liver, and muscle, respectively. The transcriptome-wide association studies identified 722 genes significantly associated with 11 agronomic traits. Via the colocalization and Mendelian randomization analyses, we found that eQTLs of several genes were associated with the GWAS signals of agronomic traits in three tissues, which included genes, such as NADSYN1, NDUFS3, LTF and KIFC2 in liver, GRAMD1C, TMTC2 and ZNF613 in backfat, as well as TIGAR, NDUFS3 and L3HYPDH in muscle that could serve as the candidate genes for economic traits.

Conclusions

The extensive atlas of GWAS, eQTL, fine-mapping, and transcriptome-wide association studies aid in the suggestion of potentially functional variants and genes in cattle agronomic traits and will be an invaluable source for genomics and breeding in beef cattle.
Autism diagnosis in females by eating disorder professionals
Authors: Parsons Marissa A.
Published: May 2023

Importance

Autism and eating disorders cooccur at high rates, with autism impacting the efficacy of eating disorder treatments and outcomes. Females are underdiagnosed with autism and diagnosed later in life than their male counterparts.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to define the incidence of eating disorder professionals identifying autism in female adolescents and young adults engaged in treatment for an eating disorder.

Design

The research design is a cross-sectional retrospective records review. The charts reviewed were from the medical records of forty assigned-at-birth females between the ages of 13–25 who received treatment for an eating disorder at the partial hospitalization program (PHP) level of care between 2020 and 2022.

Main outcomes

Upon entering PHP for an eating disorder, 10% of the study participants had a pre-existing diagnosis of autism. A total of 27.5% of participants had clinical suspicion of autism. The number of autism traits that an individual possessed directly correlated with the number of calendar days in treatment.

Conclusion

Eating disorder professionals in this study identified autism in 17.5% of adolescent and young adult females who entered PHP treatment for an eating disorder who had not previously been diagnosed with autism. Eating disorder professionals can anticipate that individuals with autism may be in treatment for a longer duration. Further studies should explore effective treatment measures for those with autism in treatment for an eating disorder.
Preliminary assessment of the degree of food addiction through the Spanish Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (S-YFAS-C) in a pilot pediatric population
Authors: Benítez-Brito Néstor , González-Pacheco Himar , Pinto-Robayna Berta , Moreno-Redondo Francisco , Díaz-Romero Carlos , Ramallo-Fariña Yolanda
Published: May 2023

Introduction

The Spanish Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (S-YFAS-C) scale is the first tool adapted to Spanish to evaluate food addiction (FA) in the paediatric population. The aim of this study is to preliminarily evaluate the degree of FA in a non-clinical pilot paediatric population.

Material and methods

A transversal observational study was performed on a convenience sample comprised of boys and girls aged 9 to 12 (4th to 6th year primary school). The main outcome measures were evaluation of FA (S-YFAS-C scale), child feeding attitudes (ChEAT scale) and evaluation of body image (CDRS scale). Moreover, sociodemographic and anthropometric data were collected. A descriptive and bivariate analysis of the main characteristics of subjects and outcome measures was performed.

Results

A total of 21 boys and 24 girls were preliminarily evaluated and the minimum and maximum values obtained were for age (9.48–12.33), weight in kilograms (26.6–64.5), height in centimetres (131–163), BMI (14.2–27.9) and BMI Z-score (−1.36–2.66). The average number of FA symptoms measured with the S-YFAS-C scale is 1.67 ± 1.45 (range 0–7). A total of 20% of the sample shows three or more symptoms for FA, risk of developing a food disorder and distortion of the body image. Moreover, statistically significant differences were observed between desired body image in boys and girls (P = 0.001).

Conclusions

The S-YFAS-C scale enables evaluating food addiction in Spanish-speaking boys and girls. The data obtained in regard to quantifying symptoms are similar compared to the original scale (S-YFAS-C: 1.67 ± 1.45 vs. YFAS-C: 2 ± 1.81). The option to score the counting of symptoms is the most sensitive measure to evaluate subclinical food behaviours.
Testing protective coatings for metal conservation: the influence of the application method
Authors: Molina María Teresa , Cano Emilio , Ramírez-Barat Blanca
Published: May 2023

The lack of a standardised methodology for the application of coatings on heritage metals can lead to non-comparable results. A careful and meaningful study requires considering the different application variables involved, especially in the preparation of the coupons. In this work, the effect that these application variables can have on the protective capacity of the coatings used has been studied. The influence of the thickness, number of layers and drying time (between layers and final) of Paraloid B-72, C80 microcrystalline wax and Incralac has been evaluated. Coatings have been applied on bare steel coupons, thickness measured with an induction probe, and subject to artificial ageing on UV light/water condensation cycles. The performance of the coatings has been studied by visual inspection and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Morphology of the layers has been characterised by optical microscopy and the composition of the corrosion products by Raman spectroscopy. Results show that the number of layers is not always proportional to the final thickness of the coating, and that drying time is a critical factor affecting the thickness and the protective properties of the coatings. After accelerated ageing, some coatings that had been left to dry for 14 days have a much better protective capacity than those that were left to dry for less time. Without taking into account these factors, performance measured can be wrong and comparison between materials misleading.
From RGB camera to hyperspectral imaging: a breakthrough in Neolithic rock painting analysis
Authors: Schmitt Bernard , Souidi Zahira , Duquesnoy Frédérique , Donzé Frédéric-Victor
Published: May 2023

Rock paintings undergo physical, chemical, biological and/or anthropic alterations that alter their visibility. Cameras and image enhancement tools (DStretch® plug-in, for example) are commonly used to help identify and record images that have become invisible to the naked eye. HyperSpectral Imaging (HSI) which is strongly developing in many research and application fields, is tested in this study to analyze Neolithic rock paintings. We particularly address the question of what kind of additional information can Visible Near InfraRed HSI instruments, coupled to mathematical transformations to reduce the dimensionality of the data, bring for rock paintings, compared to standard RGB cameras. From the analysis of a selection of panels painted on yellow-reddish altered sandstone walls and measured in Saharan shaded shelters, we show that HSI can reveal new figures by capitalizing both on its ability to extract the different pigment types with a greater contrast, and on the new discriminating information contained in the very near infrared part of the spectrum. Despite their much smaller image format, HSI can provide up to 5–7 contrasted images of the spatial distribution of the different types of pigments in the figures. It thus appears to be a promising non-invasive and efficient methodology to both reveal disappeared paintings and to study image juxtapositions and painted layer superimpositions.
Exploratory investigation of historical decorative laminates by means of vibrational spectroscopic techniques
Authors: Jacquemain An , Retko Klara , Legan Lea , Ropret Polonca , Waentig Friederike , Cattersel Vincent
Published: May 2023

Literature research revealed that scientific work on the characteristics of historical decorative laminates (DLs), like typology, and particularly the material-technical aspects related to the composition and build-up is scarce in the field of conservation-restoration of modern materials. This paper aims to take the first step towards filling in this knowledge gap by demonstrating that an in-depth literature research and complementary chemical-physical analytical techniques are useful in characterising and contextualising historic decorative laminates. This research focused on gaining additional information within chemical analyses on material-technical insights. This could serve as a basis for a more comprehensive historical context. Several historical samples from different sample-catalogues and museum objects, spanning a period from 1953 to 1993, were collected and their respective cross-sections were characterised with infrared (mapping), FT-Raman, and dispersive micro-Raman spectroscopy. The different layers, such as the protective, decorative, and core layers were investigated, and materials such as melamine formaldehyde, urea formaldehyde, cellulose, lignin, titanium dioxide (rutile), zinc sulphide, synthetic organic pigments PR112 (monoazo pigment, Naphthol AS), and PG8 (azo metal complex, Pigment Green B) were detected.

Graphical Abstract
Research priorities for therapeutic plasma exchange in critically ill patients
Authors: David Sascha , Russell Lene , Castro Pedro , van de Louw Andry , Zafrani Lara , Pirani Tasneem , Nielsen Nathan D. , Mariotte Eric , Ferreyro Bruno L. , Kielstein Jan T. , Montini Luca , Brignier Anne C. , Kochanek Matthias , Cid Joan , Robba Chiara , Martin-Loeches Ignacio , Ostermann Marlies , Juffermans Nicole P. ,   for the Nine-I investigators
Published: May 2023

Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is a therapeutic intervention that separates plasma from blood cells to remove pathological factors or to replenish deficient factors. The use of TPE is increasing over the last decades. However, despite a good theoretical rationale and biological plausibility for TPE as a therapy for numerous diseases or syndromes associated with critical illness, TPE in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting has not been studied extensively. A group of eighteen experts around the globe from different clinical backgrounds used a modified Delphi method to phrase key research questions related to “TPE in the critically ill patient”. These questions focused on: (1) the pathophysiological role of the removal and replacement process, (2) optimal timing of treatment, (3) dosing and treatment regimes, (4) risk–benefit assumptions and (5) novel indications in need of exploration. For all five topics, the current understanding as well as gaps in knowledge and future directions were assessed. The content should stimulate future research in the field and novel clinical applications.
Thyroid Incidentalomas in Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19: A Single-Center Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Jantarapootirat Methus , Traiwanatham Sirinapa , Hirunpat Pornrujee , Boonsomsuk Woranan , Sungkanuparph Somnuek , Sriphrapradang Chutintorn
Published: May 2023

Context

During the COVID-19 pandemic, both people with underlying diseases and previously healthy people were infected with SARS-CoV-2. In our institute, most hospitalized patients underwent chest computed tomography (CT) to evaluate pulmonary involvement and complication of COVID-19. There are currently limited data regarding thyroid CT incidentalomas in healthy people.

Objective

We aimed to investigate the prevalence and predictors of thyroid incidentalomas among hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Methods

A single-center retrospective study included hospitalized patients aged ≥15 years with COVID-19 who underwent chest CT during April 2020 and October 2021. Thyroid incidentalomas were reviewed and identified by an experienced radiologist. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine predictors for thyroid incidentalomas.

Results

In the 1326 patients (mean age 49.4 years and 55.3% female) that were included, the prevalence of thyroid incidentalomas was 20.2%. Patients with thyroid incidentalomas were older (59.6 years vs 46.8 years, P < .001) and more often female than those without incidentalomas (63.4% vs 53.2%, P = .003). On multivariate analysis, only female sex (OR 1.56; 95% CI 1.17-2.07) and older age (OR 1.04; 95% CI 1.03-1.05) were significantly associated with thyroid incidentalomas.

Conclusion

In COVID-19 patients, the prevalence of thyroid incidentalomas identified on chest CT was higher (20.2%) than in previous studies in the general population (<1% to 16.8%). Female sex and older age were independent factors associated with thyroid incidentalomas.