bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contribution of low birth weight to childhood undernutrition in India: evidence from the national family health survey 2019–2021
Authors: Jana Arup , Dey Deepshikha , Ghosh Ranjita
Published: July 2023

Background

Infants born with low birth weight (LBW), i.e. less than 2500g, is considered an important factor of malnutrition in Asia. In India, research related to this issue is still neglected and limited. Evidence exists that a large number of child deaths occur in India due to maternal and child malnutrition-related complications. Moreover, it has been found that the cost of malnutrition in India results in a significant reduction of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Thus, in this current context, this study aims to explore the contribution of low birth weight to childhood undernutrition in India.

Methods

The study used data from the 5th round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), a large-scale survey conducted in India. The survey collected information from 176,843 mothers and 232,920 children. The study used the last birth information (last children born 5 years preceding the survey) due to the detailed availability of maternal care information. Univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted to determine the percentage distribution of outcome variables. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to examine the association between LBW and undernutrition (stunting, wasting, and underweight). The study also used the Fairlie decomposition analysis to estimate the contribution of LBW to undernutrition among Indian children.

Results

The results show that childhood undernutrition was higher in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. The results of the logistic regression analysis show that infants born with low birth weight were more likely to be stunted (OR = 1.46; 95% CI: 1.41–1.50), wasted (OR = 1.33; 95% CI: 1.27–1.37), and underweight (OR = 1.76; 95% CI: 1.70–1.82) in their childhood compared to infants born without low birth weight. The findings from the decomposition analysis explained that approximately 14.8% of the difference in stunting, 10.4% in wasting, and 9.6% in underweight among children born with low birth weight after controlling for the individuals' selected characteristics.

Conclusion

The findings suggest that LBW has a significant contribution to malnutrition. The study suggests that policymakers should prioritize strengthening maternal and child healthcare schemes, particularly focusing on antenatal and postnatal care, as well as kangaroo mother care at the grassroots level to reduce the burden of LBW and undernourished children.
Associations between physical activity, screen time, sleep time and selected academic skills in 8/9-year-old children
Authors: Korcz Agata , Krzysztoszek Jana , Bronikowski Michał , Łopatka Marlena , Bojkowski Łukasz
Published: July 2023

Background

High levels of physical activity (PA), low levels of screen time, combined with sufficient sleep time, provide better health benefits. However, few studies have examined the association of these behaviours with academic skills. Therefore, this study aims to determine how PA, screen time, and sleep time are related to selected academic skills of 8/9-year-old children while examining compliance with the guidelines on PA, sedentary behaviour, and sleep among this population group.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 114 primary school children (50% girls) aged 8–9years old from 2nd grade. The levels of PA, screen time, and sleep were assessed using self-reported questionnaires. The selected academic skills (based on reading and writing) were assessed by a battery of methods designed to diagnose the causes of school failure in students aged 7–9. Non-linear regression was applied to build multivariate models aimed at finding the most significant predictors for the selected academic skills separately.

Results

Sixty-seven percent of children met the sleep guidelines, 22% met the screen time guidelines, and only 8% met PA guidelines. In terms of screen time, boys spent more time playing games than girls (p = .008). Moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) was associated with higher/better scores of the visual-auditory integration (B = -0.07, p = .040). Not meeting the sleep guidelines was associated with lower scores in visual-auditory integration among children (B = 0.12, p = .042). Children who did not meet the screen time guidelines had lower scores in perceptual-motor integration (B = -0.09, p = .040).

Conclusions

Participating in PA, limiting screen time and sufficient sleep time may benefit/support academic skills in children.
Barriers experienced by families new to Alberta, Canada when accessing routine-childhood vaccinations
Authors: Fullerton Madison M. , Pateman Margaret , Hasan Hinna , Doucette Emily J. , Cantarutti Stephen , Koyama Amanda , Weightman Amanda M. , Tang Theresa , Coakley Annalee , Currie Gillian R. , Fabreau Gabriel , Constantinescu Cora , Marshall Deborah A. , Hu Jia
Published: July 2023

Background

As Canada and other high-income countries continue to welcome newcomers, we aimed to 1) understand newcomer parents’ attitudes towards routine-childhood vaccinations (RCVs), and 2) identify barriers newcomer parents face when accessing RCVs in Alberta, Canada.

Methods

Between July 6th—August 31st, 2022, we recruited participants from Alberta, Canada to participate in moderated focus group discussions. Inclusion criteria included parents who had lived in Canada for < 5 years with children < 18 years old. Focus groups were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using content and deductive thematic analysis. The capability opportunity motivation behaviour model was used as our conceptual framework.

Results

Four virtual and three in-person focus groups were conducted with 47 participants. Overall, parents were motivated and willing to vaccinate their children but experienced several barriers related to their capability and opportunity to access RCVs. Five main themes emerged: 1) lack of reputable information about RCVs, 2) language barriers when looking for information and asking questions about RCVs, 3) lack of access to a primary care provider (PCP), 4) lack of affordable and convenient transportation options, and 5) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, lack of available vaccine appointments. Several minor themes were also identified and included barriers such as lack of 1) childcare, vaccine record sharing, PCP follow-up.

Conclusions

Our findings highlight that several barriers faced by newcomer families ultimately stem from issues related to accessing information about RCVs and the challenges families face once at vaccination clinics, highlighting opportunities for health systems to better support newcomers in accessing RCVs.
Post-traumatic osteoarthritis: the worst associated injuries and differences in patients' profile when compared with primary osteoarthritis
Authors: Maia Catrine Rangel , Annichino Ricardo Fruschein , de Azevedo e Souza Munhoz Marcelo , Machado Eduardo Gomes , Marchi Evaldo , Castano-Betancourt Martha Cecilia
Published: July 2023

Background

The estimated prevalence of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is 10–12% and in this study 12.4%. Different knee and hip injuries have been identified as risk factors for PTOA, but there is no consensus regarding the most painful and disabling injuries. Identifying these injuries might help in the prevention of PTOA. Additionally, patients with PTOA have a higher risk for complications after arthroplasty than patients with primary OA, perhaps due to differences in the profile and comorbidity that might help to explain the difference. This work aims 1) to identify the most common past injuries associated with the most painful and disabling PTOA cases in non-athlete patients and 2) to compare the comorbidities and characteristics between PTOA and primary OA.

Methods

Retrospective hospital-based cohort study with 1290 participants with joint complaints or who received arthroplasty. Medical records included demographic information, diagnosis, medication, smoking, alcohol history and comorbidities. Data from January 2012 orthopaedic consults till December 2019 was reviewed and had the type and date of injury, pain score by the numerical rating scale and walking disability. Odds Ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals are presented.

Results

There were 641 cases with primary OA (65% females) and 104 with PTOA (61% males). Patients with PTOA were 7.5 years younger (P < 0.001), reported more alcohol consumption (P = 0.01) and had higher odds of osteoporotic fractures (OP) and psychosis than patients with primary OA (OR = 2.0, CI = 1.06–3.78 and OR = 2.90, CI = -0.91–9.18, respectively). Knee fractures were most common in males and hip fractures in females (31% and 37.5%, respectively, P < 0.005). The PTOA-associated injuries with the highest pain and disability scores were meniscal injuries and hip fractures. Besides, in the group with primary OA, there were more diabetes, hypertension and hypothyroidism cases than in PTOA. However, after adjustment, differences were only significant for diabetes (ORadj = 1.78, CI = 1.0–3.2).

Conclusions

Past meniscal injuries and hip fractures were the most relevant PTOA-associated injuries regarding pain and walking disability. This, together with differences in their profile when compared with primary OA, might help to decide the orthopaedic management of these injuries to prevent complications such as PTOA and recurrence, with appropriate preoperative planning, surgery choice and comorbidity treatment.
LPS binding protein and activation signatures are upregulated during asthma exacerbations in children
Authors: Jones Anya C. , Leffler Jonatan , Laing Ingrid A. , Bizzintino Joelene , Khoo Siew-Kim , LeSouef Peter N. , Sly Peter D. , Holt Patrick G. , Strickland Deborah H. , Bosco Anthony
Published: July 2023

Asthma exacerbations in children are associated with respiratory viral infection and atopy, resulting in systemic immune activation and infiltration of immune cells into the airways. The gene networks driving the immune activation and subsequent migration of immune cells into the airways remains incompletely understood. Cellular and molecular profiling of PBMC was employed on paired samples obtained from atopic asthmatic children (n = 19) during acute virus-associated exacerbations and later during convalescence. Systems level analyses were employed to identify coexpression networks and infer the drivers of these networks, and validation was subsequently obtained via independent samples from asthmatic children. During exacerbations, PBMC exhibited significant changes in immune cell abundance and upregulation of complex interlinked networks of coexpressed genes. These were associated with priming of innate immunity, inflammatory and remodelling functions. We identified activation signatures downstream of bacterial LPS, glucocorticoids and TGFB1. We also confirmed that LPS binding protein was upregulated at the protein-level in plasma. Multiple gene networks known to be involved positively or negatively in asthma pathogenesis, are upregulated in circulating PBMC during acute exacerbations, supporting the hypothesis that systemic pre-programming of potentially pathogenic as well as protective functions of circulating immune cells preceeds migration into the airways. Enhanced sensitivity to LPS is likely to modulate the severity of acute asthma exacerbations through exposure to environmental LPS.
Hyperuricemia and gout increased the risk of long-term mortality in patients with heart failure: insights from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Authors: Han Yingdong , Cao Yu , Han Xinxin , Di Hong , Yin Yue , Wu Juan , Zhang Yun , Zeng Xuejun
Published: July 2023

Background

The prevalence of hyperuricemia, gout, and heart failure (HF) is on the rise, and these conditions often share similar risk factors. The present study aimed to evaluate the relationship among hyperuricemia, gout, HF, and all-cause mortality.

Methods

The data on nonpregnant participants aged ≥ 20 years with or without hyperuricemia, gout, and HF from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001–2018 and 2007–2018 were included in this study. The binary logistic regression, Kaplan–Meier curve, Cox proportional-hazards model, and restricted cubic spline analysis were employed to evaluate the relationship among hyperuricemia, gout, HF, and all-cause mortality.

Results

Of 204,179,060 and 223,702,171 weighted eligible participants, 40,044,228 (19.6%) and 9,158,600 (4.1%) had hyperuricemia and gout, respectively. Older age, diabetes, stroke, and coronary artery disease were the risk factors for HF among patients with hyperuricemia and gout. The median survival time was 7.00 years and 6.25 years and the 5-year survival rate was 59.9% and 55.9% for patients with HF and hyperuricemia and those with HF and gout, respectively. Patients with hyperuricemia or gout were 2.46 and 2.35 times more likely to have HF and 1.37 and 1.45 times more likely to experience all-cause mortality compared with those who did not exhibit these conditions. The restricted cubic spline showed a nonlinear correlation between uric acid levels and HF and a J-shaped correlation between uric acid levels and all-cause mortality.

Conclusions

Ambulatory patients with hyperuricemia or gout were more likely to have HF compared with those without hyperuricemia or gout. Patients with HF with hyperuricemia or gout were more likely to experience all-cause mortality in the long-term follow-up.
Ketoglutaric acid can reprogram the immunophenotype of triple-negative breast cancer after radiotherapy and improve the therapeutic effect of anti-PD-L1
Authors: Tan Hongpei , Liu Jiahao , Huang Jing , Li Yanan , Xie Qiongxuan , Dong Yuqian , Mi Ze , Ma Xiaoqian , Rong Pengfei
Published: July 2023

Background

Great progress has been made in applying immunotherapy to the clinical treatment of tumors. However, many patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cannot benefit from immunotherapy due to the immune desert type of TNBC, which is unresponsive to immunotherapy. DMKG, a cell-permeable derivative of α-KG, has shown potential to address this issue.

Method

We investigated the effects of combining DMKG with radioimmunotherapy on TNBC. We assessed the ability of DMKG to promote tumor cell apoptosis and immunogenic death induced by radiotherapy (RT), as well as its impact on autophagy reduction, antigen and inflammatory factor release, DC cell activation, and infiltration of immune cells in the tumor area.

Result

Our findings indicated that DMKG significantly promoted tumor cell apoptosis and immunogenic death induced by RT. DMKG also significantly reduced autophagy in tumor cells, resulting in increased release of antigens and inflammatory factors, thereby activating DC cells. Furthermore, DMKG promoted infiltration of CD8 + T cells in the tumor area and reduced the composition of T-regulatory cells after RT, reshaping the tumor immune microenvironment. Both DMKG and RT increased the expression of PD-L1 at immune checkpoints. When combined with anti-PD-L1 drugs (α-PD-L1), they significantly inhibited tumor growth without causing obvious side effects during treatment.

Conclusion

Our study underscores the potential of pairing DMKG with radioimmunotherapy as an effective strategy for treating TNBC by promoting apoptosis, immunogenic death, and remodeling the tumor immune microenvironment. This combination therapy could offer a promising therapeutic avenue for TNBC patients unresponsive to conventional immunotherapy.

Graphical Abstract
Abnormal origin of the right posterior segmental bronchus: case report and literature review
Authors: Xu Tao , Ye Hui , Chen Wenshu , Jin Zhongwen , He Changjin
Published: July 2023

Background

With the increasing availability of chest computed tomography (CT), the detection of small pulmonary nodules has become more common, facilitating the development of lung segmental resection. However, anatomical variations of the bronchi are common, particularly in the right upper lobe of the lung.

Case presentation

We report a case of thoracoscopic resection of the posterior segment of the right upper lobe of the lung. Preoperatively, the nodule was believed to be located in the superior segment of the right lower lobe. However, intraoperative exploration revealed that the nodule was located in the posterior segment of the right upper lobe, further showing that the bronchi of the posterior segment of the right lung opened into the bronchus intermedius. The procedure was completed uneventfully. Postoperative retrospective three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of the lung CT images confirmed that the bronchi of the posterior segment of the right upper lobe originated from the bronchus intermedius.

Conclusions

This rare case highlights the importance of 3D reconstruction to guide accurate segmentectomy in patients with anatomic variations.
Frequency of viral infections in adolescent and adult in-patient Ethiopians with acute leukemia at presentation to a tertiary care teaching hospital: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Alemu Jemal , Gumi Balako , Tsegaye Aster , Abubeker Abdulaziz , Tadesse Fisihatsion , Shewaye Abel , Rahimeto Ziyada , Mihret Adane , Mulu Andargachew , Gebremedhin Amha , Howe Rawleigh
Published: July 2023

Background

Leukemic patients are prone to infectious agents such as viruses due to dysregulated immune system resulting from infiltration of the bone marrow by malignant cells, chronic stimulation, reactivation of some viruses and viral pathogenicity as well as rarely from acquisition of a new infections leading to severe complications. However, the prevalence of these infections has not been systematically documented in resource-limited settings such as Ethiopia.

Objective

To determine the prevalence of HBV, HCV, and HIV among adult and adolescent in-patients with acute leukemia before the administration of chemotherapy, at the Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Methods

A cross sectional study was conducted on 176 adult and adolescent inpatient Ethiopians, who were diagnosed with acute leukemia from April 2019 to June 2021. Socio-demographic characteristics and relevant clinical data were collected. Peripheral blood samples were collected and tested for HBV, HIV, and HCV using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and real-time PCR. Chi-square tests were used to assess associations between variables.

Results

Of the 176 patients, 109(62%) were males. The median age was 25[IQR,18–35] yr, with a range from 13 to 76 year. The prevalence of HBV (positivity for HBsAg plus HBV DNA), HCV and HIV was 21.6%, 1.7%, and 1.7%, respectively. HBsAg was positive in 19 cases (10.8%). Among 157 HBsAg negative patients, 52(33.1%) were positive for Anti-HBcAg; of these seropositive cases, 47.5% were positive for HBV DNA. Most DNA positive, HBsAg negative cases (79.0%) had DNA concentrations below 200 IU/ml indicating true occult HBV infection (OBI). Of the 176 cases, 122 had a history of blood transfusions, but no statistically significant association was found between HBV infection and blood product transfusion history (P = 0.963).

Conclusions

The prevalence of HBV, HIV and HCV in patients with acute leukemia was similar to the national prevalence level of these infections. Given the HBsAg positivity and the high prevalence of occult hepatitis B infection in our study, these patients may be at increased risk for chemotherapy related hepatitis flares. Hence, clinicians caring these patients are strongly advised to screen their patients for HBV and also for HIV and HCV infections routinely.
Ameliorative effects of Fingolimod (FTY720) on microglial activation and psychosis-related behavior in short term cuprizone exposed mice
Authors: Li Siyao , Sakurai Koki , Ohgidani Masahiro , Kato Takahiro A. , Hikida Takatoshi
Published: July 2023

Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder that affects around 1% of the population in widespread populations, with severe cases leading to long-term hospitalization and necessitation of lifelong treatment. Recent studies on schizophrenia have highlighted the involvement of inflammatory and immunoregulatory mechanisms with the onset of symptoms, and the usage of anti-inflammatory treatments are being tested against periods of rapid psychosis. In the central nervous system, microglia are the innate immune population which are activated in response to a wide range of physical and psychological stress factors and produce proinflammatory mediators such as cytokines. Microglial activation and neuroinflammation has been associated to numerous psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, especially during psychotic episodes. Thus, novel treatments which dampen microglial activation may be of great relevance in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Fingolimod (FTY720) is a drug used as an immunosuppressive treatment to multiple sclerosis. Recent clinical trials have focused on FTY720 as a treatment for the behavioral symptoms in schizophrenia. However, the mechanisms of Fingolimod in treating the symptoms of schizophrenia are not clear. In this study we use a recently developed neuroinflammatory psychosis model in mice: cuprizone short-term exposure, to investigate the effects of FTY720 administration. FTY720 administration was able to completely alleviate methamphetamine hypersensitivity caused by cuprizone exposure. Moreover, administration of FTY720 improved multiple measures of neuroinflammation (microglial activation, cytokine production, and leucocyte infiltration). In conclusion, our results highlight the future use of FTY720 as a direct anti-inflammatory treatment against microglial activation and psychosis.
SEESAW: detecting isoform-level allelic imbalance accounting for inferential uncertainty
Authors: Wu Euphy Y. , Singh Noor P. , Choi Kwangbom , Zakeri Mohsen , Vincent Matthew , Churchill Gary A. , Ackert-Bicknell Cheryl L. , Patro Rob , Love Michael I.
Published: July 2023

Detecting allelic imbalance at the isoform level requires accounting for inferential uncertainty, caused by multi-mapping of RNA-seq reads. Our proposed method, SEESAW, uses Salmon and Swish to offer analysis at various levels of resolution, including gene, isoform, and aggregating isoforms to groups by transcription start site. The aggregation strategies strengthen the signal for transcripts with high uncertainty. The SEESAW suite of methods is shown to have higher power than other allelic imbalance methods when there is isoform-level allelic imbalance. We also introduce a new test for detecting imbalance that varies across a covariate, such as time.
Earth-friendly micellar UPLC technique for determination of four hypoglycemic drugs in different pharmaceutical dosage forms and spiked human plasma
Authors: Elmasry Manal S. , Hassan Wafaa S. , Merey Hanan A. , Nour Israa M.
Published: July 2023

A novel, sensitive, and green micellar UPLC method was proposed and validated for the simultaneous determination of four hypoglycemic agents used in type II diabetes mellitus treatment namely, pioglitazone, alogliptin, glimepiride, and vildagliptin. The developed UPLC method was successfully applied for quantitative analysis of these drugs in bulk, in pharmaceutical formulations, and in spiked human plasma. Chromatographic separation was carried out on a Kinetex® 1.7 μm XB-C18 100 Å (50 × 2.1 mm) column, using a degassed and filtered mixture of (0.1 M SDS- 0.3% triethyl amine- 0.1% phosphoric acid (pH 6)) and n-propanol (85:15 v/v), at a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min. The experimental conditions of the suggested method were well investigated and optimized. The newly developed micellar UPLC method is capable of determining different dosage forms at the same time with the same solvents, saving time and effort. The method was found to be efficiently applicable in spiked human plasma and could be extended to study the pharmacokinetics of the cited drugs in real human plasma samples. The greenness of the developed method was evaluated by applying the Eco-scale scoring tool, which verified the excellent greenness of the analytical method.
Metagenomic assessment of gut microbial communities and risk of severe COVID-19
Authors: Nguyen Long H. , Okin Daniel , Drew David A. , Battista Vincent M. , Jesudasen Sirus J. , Kuntz Thomas M. , Bhosle Amrisha , Thompson Kelsey N. , Reinicke Trenton , Lo Chun-Han , Woo Jacqueline E. , Caraballo Alexander , Berra Lorenzo , Vieira Jacob , Huang Ching-Ying , Das Adhikari Upasana , Kim Minsik , Sui Hui-Yu , Magicheva-Gupta Marina , McIver Lauren , Goldberg Marcia B. , Kwon Douglas S. , Huttenhower Curtis , Chan Andrew T. , Lai Peggy S.
Published: July 2023

Background

The gut microbiome is a critical modulator of host immunity and is linked to the immune response to respiratory viral infections. However, few studies have gone beyond describing broad compositional alterations in severe COVID-19, defined as acute respiratory or other organ failure.

Methods

We profiled 127 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 (n = 79 with severe COVID-19 and 48 with moderate) who collectively provided 241 stool samples from April 2020 to May 2021 to identify links between COVID-19 severity and gut microbial taxa, their biochemical pathways, and stool metabolites.

Results

Forty-eight species were associated with severe disease after accounting for antibiotic use, age, sex, and various comorbidities. These included significant in-hospital depletions of Fusicatenibacter saccharivorans and Roseburia hominis, each previously linked to post-acute COVID syndrome or “long COVID,” suggesting these microbes may serve as early biomarkers for the eventual development of long COVID. A random forest classifier achieved excellent performance when tasked with classifying whether stool was obtained from patients with severe vs. moderate COVID-19, a finding that was externally validated in an independent cohort. Dedicated network analyses demonstrated fragile microbial ecology in severe disease, characterized by fracturing of clusters and reduced negative selection. We also observed shifts in predicted stool metabolite pools, implicating perturbed bile acid metabolism in severe disease.

Conclusions

Here, we show that the gut microbiome differentiates individuals with a more severe disease course after infection with COVID-19 and offer several tractable and biologically plausible mechanisms through which gut microbial communities may influence COVID-19 disease course. Further studies are needed to expand upon these observations to better leverage the gut microbiome as a potential biomarker for disease severity and as a target for therapeutic intervention.
Characterization of monoclonal antibodies against porcine epidemic diarrhea virus S1/S2 junction protein
Authors: Huang Nan , Lang Qiaoli , Li Liping , Ge Liangpeng , Yang Xi
Published: July 2023

Pig producers have faced considerable economic losses due to porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) infection, emphasizing the need for PEDV antibody development. The S1/S2 junction (S1S2J) cleavage site of the S protein of PEDV is one of the major determinants of coronavirus infection success. In this study, we specifically selected the S1S2J protein of PEDV-AJ1102 (a representative strain of the G2 type) as a target protein to immunize mice and generated monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) using hybridoma technology. Three mAbs with high-binding activities to the S1S2J protein and were obtained and further analyzed. To reveal the characterization of these mAbs, variable region genes of antibodies were studied by using DNA sequencing, thereby revealing differences in their CDR3 amino acid sequences. We then developed a new method to identify the isotypes of these three mAbs. Results showed that these three antibodies were of the IgM type. As for the functions of these three mAbs, indirect immunofluorescence assay confirmed their good binding ability to Vero E6 cells infected with the PEDV-SP-C strain (G1 type). Epitope analysis showed linear epitopes for all three mAbs. These antibodies were also used to detect infected cells via flow cytometry analysis. In summary, we prepared and examined three mAbs against PEDV-S1S2J. These mAbs can be employed as detection antibodies for diagnostic reagents and further developed for other applications. We also designed a novel technique for easy and cost-saving identification of isotypes of mouse mAbs. Our results lay a good foundation for the development of research on PEDV.
Mobile computing-enabled health physique evaluation in campus based on amplified hashing
Authors: Xie Yu , Zhang Qiyun , Rezaee Khosro , Xu Yanwei
Published: July 2023

With the increasingly wide spread of COVID-19 pandemic, people’s various behavior activities are influenced more or less all over the world. For example, students in campus have to learn at home or in dormitory so as to avoid the attacks of the virus as much as possible. However, such a location distribution structure of student places a heavy burden on the monitoring and evaluating the sport physique of students in an effective and efficient way. Fortunately, the wide adoption of various mobile computing terminals (e.g., smart watches, mobile phones, etc.) and wireless communication technology makes it possible to know about the daily physique of students in a remote way. However, students’ health physique data are accumulated with time, which raises a challenge of quick data processing and cost-effective data scalability. Moreover, since the students are geographically distributed, we need to integrate their respective health physique data into a central cloud platform for more comprehensive data analysis and mining. However, the above data integration operations often involve student privacy. Motivated by the above two challenges, a mobile computing-aided health physique evaluation solution is brought forth in this paper, which is mainly based on a kind of amplified hashing technique. To prove the evaluation performances of the proposal, extensive experiments are designed to test the algorithm performances in terms of various evaluation metrics.
Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibition reduces disease severity in a model of secondary progressive autoimmune demyelination
Authors: Evonuk Kirsten Scarlett , Wang Sen , Mattie Josh , Cracchiolo C. J. , Mager Reine , Ferenčić Željko , Sprague Ethan , Carrier Brandon , Schofield Kai , Martinez Evelyn , Stewart Zachary , Petrosino Tara , Johnson Gregory Andrew , Yusuf Isharat , Plaisted Warren , Naiman Zachary , Delp Timothy , Carter Laura , Marušić Suzana
Published: July 2023

Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) is an emerging target in multiple sclerosis (MS). Alongside its role in B cell receptor signaling and B cell development, BTK regulates myeloid cell activation and inflammatory responses. Here we demonstrate efficacy of BTK inhibition in a model of secondary progressive autoimmune demyelination in Biozzi mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). We show that late in the course of disease, EAE severity could not be reduced with a potent relapse inhibitor, FTY720 (fingolimod), indicating that disease was relapse-independent. During this same phase of disease, treatment with a BTK inhibitor reduced both EAE severity and demyelination compared to vehicle treatment. Compared to vehicle treatment, late therapeutic BTK inhibition resulted in fewer spinal cord-infiltrating myeloid cells, with lower expression of CD86, pro-IL-1β, CD206, and Iba1, and higher expression of Arg1, in both tissue-resident and infiltrating myeloid cells, suggesting a less inflammatory myeloid cell milieu. These changes were accompanied by decreased spinal cord axonal damage. We show similar efficacy with two small molecule inhibitors, including a novel, highly selective, central nervous system-penetrant BTK inhibitor, GB7208. These results suggest that through lymphoid and myeloid cell regulation, BTK inhibition reduced neurodegeneration and disease progression during secondary progressive EAE.
Multi-method constraints on the age and timescale of silicic small-volume eruptions of Puketerata Volcanic Complex, Taupō Volcanic Zone, New Zealand
Authors: Kósik Szabolcs , Hasegawa Takeshi , Danišík Martin , Németh Károly , Okada Makoto , Friedrichs Bjarne , Schmitt Axel K.
Published: July 2023

Accurate dating of young eruptions from explosive volcanoes is essential for forecasting future eruptions and for defining the hazardscape of volcanic fields. However, precise dating of Quaternary eruptions is often challenging due to limited number of applicable dating methods or lack of datable eruptive phases. Moreover, small volume eruptions (e.g., monogenetic type), despite their significance on regional scale, have traditionally deserved less attention than their large volume counterparts. Puketerata is a maar-lava dome complex in the central Taupō Volcanic Zone (New Zealand), encompassing mafic and silicic phreatomagmatic eruptions with well-preserved pyroclastic deposits sourced from closely spaced vents. Its most recent activity is estimated to ca. 16 ka based on medial and distal stratigraphic surveys. Here, we carried out two independent age determinations and an additional paleomagnetic analysis on the volcanic succession of the Puketerata maar-lava dome complex with an aim to unravel the timing of volcanic activity. Combined U-Th disequilibrium and (U-Th)/He dating of zircon from two lava domes yielded eruption ages of 11.3 ± 2.6 ka and 11.3 ± 1.7 ka, which are concordant with the radiocarbon ages of 11.3–11.7 ka obtained on charcoal from the base of the pyroclastic sequence. Paleomagnetic data on the lavas from the two lava domes suggest at least ~ 100 years difference between their emplacements. Our geochronological results and new stratigraphic observations suggest that the volcanic/magmatic history of the Puketerata is complex with multiple eruptions within a small, confined area, where the most recent eruptions occurred only at ca. 11.5 ka, which is significantly younger than previously thought. This provides an additional datum for volcanic hazards assessment and stratigraphic correlations in New Zealand.

Graphical Abstract
Dynamic of active microbial diversity in rhizosphere sediments of halophytes used for bioremediation of earthen shrimp ponds
Authors: Colette Marie , Guentas Linda , Patrona Luc Della , Ansquer Dominique , Callac Nolwenn
Published: July 2023

Background

In New-Caledonia, at the end of each shrimp production cycle, earthen ponds are drained and dried to enhance microbial decomposition of nutrient-rich waste trapped in the sediment during the rearing. However, excessive ponds drying may not be suitable for the decomposition activities of microorganisms. Halophytes, salt tolerant plants, naturally grow at vicinity of shrimp ponds; due to their specificity, we explored whether halophytes cultivation during the pond drying period may be suitable for pond bioremediation. In addition, plants are closely associated with microorganisms, which may play a significant role in organic matter decomposition and therefore in bioremediation. Thus, in this study we aimed to determine the impact of 3 halophyte species (Suaeda australis, Sarcocornia quinquefloraandAtriplex jubata) on active sediment microbial communities and their implications on organic matter degradation.

Results

Drying significantly decreased the microbial diversity index compared to those of wet sediment or sediment with halophytes. Microbial profiles varied significantly over time and according to the experimental conditions (wet, dry sediment or sediment with halophyte species). Halophytes species seemed to promote putative microbial metabolism activities in the sediment. Taxa related to nitrogen removal, carbon mineralisation, sulphur reduction and sulphide oxidation were significant biomarkers in sediment harbouring halophytes and may be relevant for bioremediation. Whereas microbial communities of dry sediment were marked by soil limited-moisture taxa with no identification of microbial metabolic functions. Nitrogen reduction in sediments was evidenced in wet sediment and in sediments with halophytes cultures, along with putative microbial denitrification activities. The greatest nitrogen reduction was observed in halophytes culture.

Conclusion

The efficiency of sediment bioremediation by halophytes appears to be the result of both rhizosphere microbial communities and plant nutrition. Their cultures during the pond drying period may be used as aquaculture diversification by being a sustainable system.
Cystoisospora suis in Portugal: an observational study of prevalence, management, and risk factors
Authors: Nunes Tiago , Skampardonis Vassilis , Costa Francisco , da Conceição Maria Antónia , Sperling Daniel
Published: July 2023

Background

Neonatal coccidiosis is a common and important disease of suckling piglets in modern farming caused byCystoisospora suis. Prevalence rates are high, namely, in Portugal, although no recent data are available. The metaphylactic administration of a single dose of toltrazuril and hygienic measures are the backbone of control strategies on positive farms. However, several studies have shown that these programs are not always effective, underlining the need to revise the risk factors and control strategies currently applied. The present study evaluatedC. suisprevalence on Portuguese farms and assessed the risk factors associated with facilities and farm rearing practices.

Results

From the 27 tested farms, 23 were positive toCystoisopora suis(85.2%). In total, 258 litters were sampled (accounting for 516 samples—2 samples per litter), with an average of 59.7% of positive litters per positive farm. Faecal pools from litters, in which liquid faeces predominated had a higher probability of containing oocysts than litter pools with mainly solid (Odds Ratio: 9.87;p < 0.0001) or pasty faeces (OR: 7.05;p = 0.001), and samples obtained from younger animals had higher oocyst counts (coefficient: − 0.0720; 95% CI − 0.125; − 0.019). No significant effect of toltrazuril administration was observed on the positivity rate, and none of the tested farms used disinfectants with official claims against parasites and known anticoccidial effects (e.g., cresol-based products).

Conclusions

TheC. suisprevalence on Portuguese swine farms appears to be similar to the prevalence found in other European countries. Repeated sampling of the same litter and the use of autofluorescence microscopy after a modified Ritchie technique seems to have increased sensitivity and consequently the detection rate of positive litters. Finally, despite the common use of oral toltrazuril,C. suiscontrol programs appear to not always be effective (based on the detection of oocysts in faecal samples), suggesting the need to revise the control strategies applied in the field, including management factors and choices of disinfectant products.
Community and partner engagement in dissemination and implementation research at the National Institutes of Health: an analysis of recently funded studies and opportunities to advance the field
Authors: Villalobos Aubrey , Blachman-Demner Dara , Percy-Laurry Antoinette , Belis Deshiree , Bhattacharya Manami
Published: July 2023

Background

As the focus has grown in recent years on both engaged research and dissemination and implementation (D&I) research, so too has federal funding to support these areas. The purpose of this analysis is to provide an overall perspective about the range of practices and approaches being used to engage partners in D&I research, with special attention to disparities-relevant research, and to identify gaps and opportunities in research funded by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) in this space.

Methods

This analysis examined a portfolio of active D&I research grants funded in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 across the NIH. Grant applications were deductively coded and summary statistics were calculated. Cross-tabulations were used to identify trends by engagement and disparities foci.

Results

There were 103 grants included in the portfolio, of which 87% contained some form of community or partner engagement, and 50% of engaged grants were relevant to health disparities. Engagement was planned across the research continuum with each study engaging on average 2.5 different partner types. Consultation was the most common level of engagement (56%) while partnership was the least common (3%). On average, each study used 2.2 engagement strategies. Only 16% of grants indicated formally measuring engagement. Compared to non-disparities studies, disparities-relevant studies were about twice as likely to engage partners at the higher levels of partnership or collaboration (19% vs. 11%) and were also more likely to be conducted in community settings (26% vs. 5%).

Conclusions

Based on this portfolio analysis, D&I research appears to regularly integrate engagement approaches and strategies, though opportunities to deepen engagement and diversify who is engaged remain. This manuscript outlines several gaps in the portfolio and describes opportunities for increasing engagement to improve the quality of D&I research and application to advancing health equity. In addition, opportunities for leveraging the consistent and systematic application of engagement approaches and strategies to advance the science of engagement are discussed.
MicroRNA transcriptome analysis of chicken embryo fibroblast cells infected with Newcastle disease virus variants
Authors: Liu Weiwei , Xu Zejun , Wang Siyuan , Song Cuiping , Qiu Xusheng , Tan Lei , Sun Yingjie , Liao Ying , Wang Guijun , Liu Xiufan , Ding Chan
Published: July 2023

Variations in the pathogenicity of Newcastle disease virus (NDV), the agent causing Newcastle disease, are associated with variants of different virulence. A few studies have characterized the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) in NDV-infected avian cells. Here, the expression of miRNAs in chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEFs) infected with Herts/33 and LaSota NDV strains (highly virulent and nonvirulent, respectively) was determined using RNA sequencing. miRNAs involved in NDV infection included 562 previously documented and 184 novel miRNAs. miRNA target genes involved transcription factors, cell apoptosis, ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, and protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum. Potential target genes associated with autophagy were verified by qRT-PCR. No studies have documented the miRNA profiles of CEFs infected with NDVs variants. This study adds to our knowledge of the cellular miRNAs involved in NDV infection and the complex molecular mechanisms mediating virus-host interactions. The results of this study will aid the development of strategies against the chicken virus.
Improving vertical resolution of vintage seismic data by a weakly supervised method based on cycle generative adversarial network
Authors: Liu Dawei , Niu Wenli , Wang Xiaokai , Sacchi Mauricio D. , Chen Wenchao , Wang Cheng
Published: July 2023

Seismic vertical resolution is critical for accurately identifying subsurface structures and reservoir properties. Improving the vertical resolution of vintage seismic data with strongly supervised deep learning is challenging due to scarce or costly labels. To remedy the label-lacking problem, we develop a weakly supervised deep-learning method to improve vintage seismic data with poor resolution by extrapolating from nearby high-resolution seismic data. Our method uses a cycle generative adversarial network with an improved identity loss function. In addition, we contribute a pseudo-3D training data construction strategy that reduces discontinuity artifacts caused by accessing 3D field data with a 2D network. We determine the feasibility of our method on 2D synthetic data and achieve results comparable to the classic time-varying spectrum whitening method on field poststack migration data while effectively recovering more high-frequency information.
Systemic Therapy in Older Patients With High-Risk Disease
Authors: Brain Etienne G.C.
Published: July 2023

Adjuvant systemic treatments for older patients with breast cancer require constant dose or schedule adjustments of standards established for younger ones. This is mainly due to frailty that increases according to age (40%-50% of signals in all comers after age 70 years) and remains difficult to spot or diagnose accurately and therefore is often overlooked. Older patients are at higher risk to develop side effects whether under chemotherapy, optimized endocrine treatment, or targeted therapies. Pharmacokinetic reflects poorly functional reserves that reduce with aging and is therefore misleading. The demonstration of significant long-term benefits provided by adjuvant treatments is challenged by life expectancy, driven by multimorbidity status that increases with age, competing with cancer outcome. When geriatric assessment is incorporated into the multidisciplinary team, treatment decision process shows 30%-50% changes, de-escalating initial age-agnostic treatment choices in two of three cases. Finally, expectations from treatment vary over the years: In older ones, although not being exclusive, there is a general shift of preference for protecting functionality, cognitive functions, and independence, as summarized in quality of life that many systemic adjuvant treatment may jeopardize. These provocative considerations show importance to pay more attention to expectations expressed by older patients to limit gaps between what is thought by health care professionals as right, often on the basis of dose intensity models strongly engrained in oncology and that older patients may assess counterintuitively differently. The most achieved molecular testing to identify high-risk luminal tumors should be combined with determinant geriatric factors to bring relevant global information in the adjuvant setting for older patients.
Comprehensive Analysis of Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 Through DNA, mRNA, and Protein in Diverse Malignancies
Authors: Shayeb Akram Mesleh , Kurzrock Razelle , Adashek Jacob J. , Kato Shumei
Published: July 2023

PURPOSE

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression (protein immunohistochemistry [IHC] or gene amplification [copy-number variation, CNV]) predicts anti-HER2 therapy responsiveness, although recently it was shown that even low HER2-expressing breast cancers benefit from trastuzumab-deruxtecan. Little is known about HER2 transcriptomic (mRNA) expression, and comparisons between genomic, mRNA, and protein HER2 assays.

METHODS

HER2 status was evaluated using clinical-grade IHC (protein), quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (mRNA), and next-generation sequencing (NGS; amplifications).

RESULTS

Multi-institutional HER2 testing was performed on 5,305 diverse cancers including non–small-cell lung (n = 1,175), breast (n = 1,040), and colon cancers (n = 566; N = 3,926 tested for CNV; N = 1,848, mRNA; N = 2,533, IHC). Overall, 4.1% (161/3,926) had NGS HER2 amplification; 33.3% (615/1,848) had mRNA overexpression; and 9.3% (236/2,533) were IHC-positive. In 723 patients with all three tests (CNV/mRNA/IHC), various amplification/expression patterns occurred: 7.5% (54/723) had all three HER2 tests positive; 62.8% (454/723) had all three tests negative. Discrepant patterns between amplification and overexpression emerged. For instance, 20% (144/723) of patients had mRNA overexpression alone with negative CNV and IHC. A range in values for only mRNA+ cases occurred in different tumor types (eg, 16.9%, breast; 5%, hepatobiliary). There were 53 patients with various tumors from our institution who had all three assays attempted; 22 tested positive for HER2, and seven received anti-HER2 therapy: two patients achieved response: one (esophageal cancer), complete response (≥42 months); one (cholangiocarcinoma), who only had HER2 mRNA positivity (tissue was inadequate for IHC and CNV assessment), partial response (≥24 months) on HER2-based regimens.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrate variability of HER2 (protein and mRNA) expression and amplification using comprehensive assays (CNV, mRNA, and IHC) among diverse cancers. As HER2-targeted therapy indications expand, the relative importance of these modalities merits further evaluation.