bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Software review: The JATSdecoder package—extract metadata, abstract and sectioned text from NISO-JATS coded XML documents; Insights to PubMed central’s open access database
Authors: Böschen Ingmar
Published: October 2021

JATSdecoderis a general toolbox which facilitates text extraction and analytical tasks on NISO-JATS coded XML documents. Its functionJATSdecoder()outputs metadata, the abstract, the sectioned text and reference list as easy selectable elements. One of the biggest repositories for open access full texts covering biology and the medical and health sciences is PubMed Central (PMC), with more than 3.2 million files. This report provides an overview of the PMC document collection processed withJATSdecoder(). The development of extracted tags is displayed for the full corpus over time and in greater detail for some meta tags. Possibilities and limitations for text miners working with scientific literature are outlined. The NISO-JATS-tags are used quite consistently nowadays and allow a reliable extraction of metadata and text elements. International collaborations are more present than ever. There are obvious errors in the date stamps of some documents. Only about half of all articles from 2020 contain at least one author listed with an author identification code. Since many authors share the same name, the identification of person-related content is problematic, especially for authors with Asian names.JATSdecoder()reliably extracts key metadata and text elements from NISO-JATS coded XML files. When combined with the rich, publicly available content within PMCs database, new monitoring and text mining approaches can be carried out easily. Any selection of article subsets should be carefully performed with in- and exclusion criteria on several NISO-JATS tags, as both the subject and keyword tags are used quite inconsistently.
Citation analysis of Ph.D. theses with data from Scopus and Google Books
Authors: Donner Paul
Published: October 2021

This study investigates the potential of citation analysis of Ph.D. theses to obtain valid and useful early career performance indicators at the level of university departments. For German theses from 1996 to 2018 the suitability of citation data from Scopus and Google Books is studied and found to be sufficient to obtain quantitative estimates of early career researchers’ performance at departmental level in terms of scientific recognition and use of their dissertations as reflected in citations. Scopus and Google Books citations complement each other and have little overlap. Individual theses’ citation counts are much higher for those awarded a dissertation award than others. Departmental level estimates of citation impact agree reasonably well with panel committee peer review ratings of early career researcher support.
One- and Multi-dimensional CWENOZ Reconstructions for Implementing Boundary Conditions Without Ghost Cells
Authors: Semplice M. , Travaglia E. , Puppo G.
Published: October 2021

We address the issue of point value reconstructions from cell averages in the context of third-order finite volume schemes, focusing in particular on the cells close to the boundaries of the domain. In fact, most techniques in the literature rely on the creation of ghost cells outside the boundary and on some form of extrapolation from the inside that, taking into account the boundary conditions, fills the ghost cells with appropriate values, so that a standard reconstruction can be applied also in the boundary cells. In Naumann et al. (Appl. Math. Comput. 325: 252–270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amc.2017.12.041, 2018), motivated by the difficulty of choosing appropriate boundary conditions at the internal nodes of a network, a different technique was explored that avoids the use of ghost cells, but instead employs for the boundary cells a different stencil, biased towards the interior of the domain. In this paper, extending that approach, which does not make use of ghost cells, we propose a more accurate reconstruction for the one-dimensional case and a two-dimensional one for Cartesian grids. In several numerical tests, we compare the novel reconstruction with the standard approach using ghost cells.
Patient Characteristics and Clinical and Intraoperative Variables Affecting Outcome in Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Dhanda Ankur , Bindra Ashish , Dhakal Roshni , Chavali Siddharth , Singh Gyaninder P. , Singh Pankaj K. , Mathur Purva
Published: October 2021

Background Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) has distinctive pathophysiology and characteristics that differ from adults. These can be attributed to age-related anatomical and physiological differences and distinct patterns of injuries seen in children. Our aim was to identify the patient characteristics, clinical variables during intensive care and intraoperative management associated with poor functional outcome in a cohort of pediatric TBI patients.

Methods Retrospective chart review of pediatric TBI patients admitted to neurotrauma intensive care unit (NICU) over a period of 1 year.

Results A total of 105 children (< 12 years) with head injury were admitted in the NICU during the study period. The most common mechanism of injury was fall in 78% cases. Fifty-four patients (51.4%) presented with a severe head injury (Glasgow coma scale [GCS] ≤ 8), while 31 (29.5%) and 20 (19.1%) had a mild and moderate head injury. The most common finding was skull fractures (59%), contusions (36.2%), and subdural hematoma (SDH) (30.4%). Forty nine patients (46.7%) required surgical management. The median duration of anesthesia was 205 (interquartile range [IQR] 65, 375) minutes, and median blood loss during the surgery was 16.7 mL/kg body weight with 41% requiring intraoperative blood transfusions. Median duration of ICU and hospital stay was 5 (IQR 1, 47) and 8 (IQR 1, 123) days, respectively. GOS at discharge ≤ 3 representing poor outcome was present in 35 patients (33.3%). Mortality was seen in 15 (14.3%) patients. Multivariate analysis identified postresuscitation GCS ≤ 8 on admission as independent predictor of mortality, and postresuscitation GCS ≤ 8 on admission and NICU stay of > 7 days as independent predictor of poor outcome.

Conclusion Despite advances in neurointensive care, mortality and morbidity remains high in pediatric head trauma and is mainly dependent on postresuscitation GCS and NICU stay of more than 7 days. Multidimensional approach is required for its prevention and management.
Clinical Application of Platelet-Rich Fibrin in Pediatric Dentistry
Authors: Gunasekaran Sowndarya , Sakthivel Soundarya , M. Shanthala B. , Babu George , Vijayan Vidhya
Published: October 2021

Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) is a fibrin matrix in which platelet cytokines, growth factors, and cells are trapped and may be released after a certain time and that can serve as a resorbable membrane. It can be obtained from blood with the help of a simple process. PRF is basically a concentrate of growth factors that promote wound healing and regeneration, which is used in various disciplines of dentistry to repair various lesions and regenerate dental and oral tissues. Although the use of PRF is well-documented, its use in pediatric dentistry remains unexplored, due to its restrictions and on account of the fact that it is a blood-derived product. PRF has been used globally to enhance tissue healing. This article provides an insight into the use of PRF in pediatric dentistry, its benefits, limitations, and recommendations.
Estimation of Sexual Dimorphism of the Mandible in Coastal Karnataka and Kerala Populations using Cone Beam Computed Tomography
Authors: Rao Kumuda , Shetty Mahabalesh , Nayak U. S. Krishna , Babu G. Subhas , Shetty D. Prashanth , Shetty Prajwal K.
Published: October 2021

Objective The mandible has been used for sex determination and forensic identification due to its unique anatomy and morphology. Every part of the mandible is unique, including the shape and size of the temperomandibular joint, the ramus, the body and the symphysis region, and the inferior alveolar canal. In addition, the position and placement of the teeth within their sockets are unique for every individual.

Sample Population A study was conducted on 20 males and females to estimate sexual dimorphism using anthropometric measurements obtained by cone beam computed tomography images of the mandible of Karnataka and Kerala populations.

Materials and Methods The mean, standard deviation, and standard error along with the confidence interval of different measurements were documented. Various measurements between the sexes were compared using Student's t-test. Association between categorical variables was analyzed using the Chi-square test. A p-value < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Data were analyzed using statistical SPSS software.

Results The p-value of mRBr L, GA L, and GA R among females was significantly higher in the Karnataka population when compared with that in the Kerala population. The Karnataka State population showed significantly higher values of RL R, BiGBr, and BiCBr among males, and the p-value of the Kerala population for GGL L and GGL R was significant and higher among the males.

Conclusion The data derived from the above study suggest that the mandibular anthropometric measurements used may be applied for forensic sex estimation.
A Study on the Effect of Valeric Acid in Alzheimer's Induced Rats by the Estimation of Aβ 1-42 Biomarker
Authors: Dulla Blessina Sugandhi , S. Bindhu , K. Leena Pramod
Published: October 2021

The effect of valeric acid on the behavior of Alzheimer's disease (AD)-induced rats by aluminum chloride (100 mg/kg body weight) was assessed using elevated plus maze (EPM) and the Hebb Williams maze (HWM). Amyloid β 1–42(Aβ1–42) biomarker was estimated by ELISA. In this study, valeric acid-treated rats were compared with those treated with piracetam (200 mg/kg), rivastigmine (0.5 mg/kg), and the results showed the rats treated with valeric acid had a very less transfer latency of EPM and HWM when compared with other standard drugs. In addition, valeric acid-treated rats showed reduced levels of amyloid β1–42 biomarker in the plasma. Hence, this study found that valeric acid may be suggested as a better drug for Alzheimer's disease.
Autism and Emotion: A Narrative Review
Authors: Kanagaraj Sagayaraj , Devishrree S. , Swetha J. , Priya B. Krishna , Sankar Srivarshini , Cherian Jincy , Gopal C.N. Ram , Karthikeyan S.
Published: October 2021

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) includes a variety of childhood-onset and lifelong neurodevelopmental condition with an enduring impact on multiple domains of functioning characterized by persistent deficits in social communication, restricted and repetitive behavior interest, and activities. They often find it hard to recognize and control emotions but their emotional expression can be improved by various intervention techniques that in turn can help them understand and respond more appropriately to other people. Problems in the area on emotional reciprocity among individual with ASD involve recognizing, understanding, expressing, and regulating emotions. Their ability in emotional reciprocity is often improved with a comprehensive treatment approach, especially by focused emotional enhancement intervention. In this review, we followed the standard IMRAD (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion) structure to critically examine the condition of autism and its relation with genetic mechanism, and how theories of emotion and theory of mind associated with persons with ASD, some of the widely used assessment tools and future research direction in the emotional development of individuals diagnosed with ASD by using the narrative review method. Records collected through research databases such as Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, EBSCO and published books with ISBN (International Standard Book Number), and published test manuals were evaluated in-depth and summarized based on the subtopic of the proposed title. A critical theoretical analysis of the genetic mechanism of emotions, theories of emotions, and theory of mind was explained in connection with ASD.
Compliance of Diabetic Clients: Effect of Nurse-Led Home Care Interventions and Monitoring
Authors: Leena K. C. , Alvares Irene , Sequeira Sonia Karen Liz , Pereira Priya Sweety , Deepika N. C. , Sequeira Hazel Asha
Published: October 2021

Objectives Type 2 diabetes impacts greatly on quality of life. Health-care providers must focus on efforts to detect, treat, and manage clients through supportive educative approach. This study aims to measure effectiveness of nurse-led home care interventions.

Materials and Methods This study among 103 diabetic subjects measured baseline blood pressure (BP), weight, and blood glucose levels. Information on compliance was obtained using a rating scale consisting of domains: dietary habits, exercise, rest, sleep, symptom management, prevention of complications, medication, and follow-up. Individualized comprehensive nursing interventions (education, testing, counselling) were provided, that were reinforced two times a week for 4 weeks, with minimum 7 home visits carried out by the researchers who are registered nurses and teaching faculty along with six interns of BSc nursing program. Post-tests were obtained at second and fourth weeks after start of intervention.

Results Significant improvement in blood sugar (p < 0.05), systolic BP (p < 0.001), and diastolic BP (p < 0.001) was observed. There was no change in body mass index (BMI) (p > 0.05). Post-hoc analysis found significant difference between pre-, post1- and post2-measures. Significant association was found between dietary habits and BMI (p < 0.05) and diastolic BP (p < 0.05). Compliance improved from 29 (28.2%) to 47(45.6%), partially compliant from 55 (53.4%) to 45 (43.7%) and noncompliant 19 (18.4%) to 11 (10.7%), with a clear improvement in each of the domains of compliance.

Conclusion Individualized comprehensive interventions delivered at the natural environment of families by registered nurses effectively improve compliance to diabetes management.
Vitamin D Supplementation in Sarcoidosis: A Double-Edged Sword
Authors: Chandran Rishikesh , Nagendra Lakshmi , Acharya Shrikrishna , Hosmane Giridhar Belur , Shetty Vijith , Kellarai Adithi , KR Bhagavan
Published: October 2021

Sarcoidosis is complicated by disordered vitamin D and calcium metabolism, which has important implications on disease activity and bone health. Although the majority of the patients with sarcoidosis are typically deficient in 25-hydroxyvitamin D, repletion of vitamin D is controversial in light of the hypercalcemia risk. Presently, there are no clear guidelines regarding vitamin D supplementation as a part of osteoporosis prevention in patients with vitamin D deficiency and sarcoidosis. We report a patient with sarcoidosis who presented with severe hypercalcemia following vitamin D supplementation and review the debated role of vitamin D supplementation in vitamin D-deficient sarcoid patients.
Thermoregulatory responses, and acid–base and electrolytic balance of indigenous ewes of different coat colour in an equatorial semi-arid region
Authors: Façanha Débora Andréa Evangelista , Ferreira Josiel , Silveira Robson Mateus Freitas , Morais Fabrício Xavier , de Medeiros Chromácio Calafange , Facó Olivardo , de Sousa José Ernandes Rufino , de Paula Valéria Veras
Published: October 2021

Context Animal husbandry in thermally stressful environments can be both complex and difficult, and the anticipated effects of climate change are expected to increase this condition. Aim Thermoregulatory responses, and acid–base and electrolytic balance were evaluated in indigenous ewes of different coat colour during different moments of natural heat stress. Methods Fifteen ewes of different colour (white, red and black; five of each) were used and data were collected for six consecutive weeks in the dry and rainy periods at three times of the day [(Moment 1) 0500 hours to 0600 hours; (Moment 2) 1200 hours to 1300 hours; and (Moment 3) 1700 hours to 1800 hours)]. Thermoregulatory (clinical measures), acid–base and electrolytic variables (blood examinations) were recorded. Air temperature and relative humidity were measured, and the radiant heat load was calculated. Key results Black ewes showed higher averages of respiratory rate (RR) and rectal temperature (RT). RT was different between before and after heat stress for all ewes, while the RR was not affected and cutaneous evaporation presented minor variations. Between 1200 hours and 1300 hours, there was an increase in the hydrogen potential, oxygen pressure, oxygen saturation and total carbon concentration averages, and a decrease in partial pressure of carbon dioxide for all ewes. The base excess was not significantly different for each time of the day between the periods, and were not affected by the time of the day or the season. White ewes were highly affected by the time of the day and the period regarding electrolytic parameters, followed by the red ewes and black ewes. The first two discriminant functions showed that ewes, regardless of coat colour, show similarity in the animal responses at Moments 1 and 3, compared with Moment 2. RT was the main variable that distinguished the three genetic groups. Conclusions Indigenous ewes of different coat colour recover physiological equilibrium after heat challenges. These adjustments enable them to maintain thermoregulatory responses, and acid–base and electrolytic balance within the physiological equilibrium. Implications These variations indicated the ability of Brazilian indigenous ewes of different coat colour to recover thermoregulatory, and acid–base and electrolytic balance after an environmentally challenging condition in an equatorial semi-arid region, regardless of the period.
Emerging Ionic Polymers for CO
Authors: Jamil Rabia , Tomé Liliana C. , Mecerreyes David , Silvester Debbie S.
Published: October 2021

In this mini review, we highlight some key work from the last 2 years where ionic polymers have been used as a catalyst to convert CO2 into cyclic carbonates. Emerging ionic polymers reported for this catalytic application include materials such as poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs), ionic porous organic polymers (iPOPs) or ionic covalent organic frameworks (iCOFs) among others. All these organic materials share in common the ionic moiety cations such as imidazolium, pyridinium, viologen, ammonium, phosphonium, and guanidinium, and anions such as halides, [BF4]–, [PF6]–, and [Tf2N]–. The mechanistic aspects and efficiency of the CO2 conversion reaction and the polymer design including functional groups and porosity are discussed in detail. This review should provide valuable information for researchers to design new polymers for important catalysis applications.
Effects of alpine meadow degradation on nitrifying and denitrifying microbial communities, and N
Authors: Zhang Lu , Wang Xiangtao , Wang Jie , Wan Qian , Liao Lirong , Liu Guobin , Zhang Chao
Published: October 2021

Meadow degradation is often accompanied by significant changes in nitrogen (N)-cycling and nitrous oxide (N2O) emission potential, and leads to challenges in meadow management. However, the mechanisms of soil N-cycling and N2O emissions remain poorly understood, especially in alpine ecosystems. In this study, we investigated the soil N-cycling process in four alpine meadows on the Tibetan Plateau along a degradation gradient using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and amplicon sequencing to elucidate the mechanisms. Compared to non-degraded meadows, meadow degradation reduced N2O emissions by 38.5–140.2%. Meadow degradation reduced the abundance of amoA of ammonia-oxidising archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidising bacteria (AOB), whereas light and moderate degradation increased the abundance of genes nirS, nirK, and nosZ. Lightly degraded meadow exhibited the highest α-diversity of both nitrifiers and denitrifiers, but this higher diversity was not accompanied by higher N2O emissions, with only 32.3% of the microbial taxa identified as predictors of N2O emissions, suggesting that functional redundancy exists in the N-cycling process in meadow ecosystems. Nitrosospira and Mesorhizobium from the AOB and nirK communities, respectively, were identified as the key taxa that may contribute to N2O emissions. Soil properties, especially N reaction substrates, including ammonium-N, nitrate-N, dissolved organic N, and total N, were the primary drivers for N2O emissions via mediation of the N-cycling community, especially nitrifiers. Our results emphasised the importance of environmental factors in shaping nitrifying, denitrifying, and N2O emissions, providing insights for the restoration of degraded meadow ecosystems.
Dissection of TAF1 neuronal splicing and implications for neurodegeneration in X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism
Authors: Capponi Simona , Stöffler Nadja , Penney Ellen B , Grütz Karen , Nizamuddin Sheikh , Vermunt Marit W , Castelijns Bas , Fernandez-Cerado Cara , Legarda G Paul , Velasco-Andrada M Salvie , Muñoz Edwin L , Ang Mark A , Diesta Cid Czarina E , Creyghton Menno P , Klein Christine , Bragg D Cristopher , De Rijk Peter , Timmers H T Marc
Published: October 2021

X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism (XDP) is a monogenic neurodegenerative disorder of the basal ganglia, which presents as a combination of hyperkinetic movements and parkinsonian features. The underlying genetic mechanism involves the insertion of a SINE-VNTR-Alu retrotransposon within the TAF1 gene. Interestingly, alterations of TAF1 have been involved in multiple neurological diseases. In XDP, the SINE-VNTR-Alu insertion in TAF1 has been proposed to result in alternative splicing defects, including the decreased incorporation of a neuron-specific microexon annotated as 34′. This mechanism has become controversial as recent studies failed to provide support. In order to resolve this conundrum, we examined the alternative splicing patterns of TAF1 mRNAs in XDP and control brains. The impact of the disease-associated SINE-VNTR-Alu on alternative splicing of microexon 34′ was further investigated in cellular assays. Subsequently, microexon 34′ incorporation was explored by RT-PCR and Nanopore long-read sequencing of TAF1 mRNAs from XDP and control brains tissues. Using cell-based splicing assays, we demonstrate that presence of the disease-associated SINE-VNTR-Alu does not affect the inclusion of microexon 34′. In addition, we show that (1) microexon 34′-containing TAF1 mRNAs are detected at similar levels in XDP as in controls and that (2) the architecture of TAF1 transcripts is remarkably similar between XDP and controls brains. These results indicate that microexon 34′ incorporation into TAF1 mRNA is not affected in XDP brains. Our findings shift the current paradigm of XDP by discounting alternative splicing of TAF1 microexon 34′ as the molecular basis for this disease.
Deciphering glial scar after spinal cord injury
Authors: Zhang Yu , Yang Shuhai , Liu Chang , Han Xiaoxiao , Gu Xiaosong , Zhou Songlin
Published: October 2021

Spinal cord injury (SCI) often leads to permanent disability, which is mainly caused by the loss of functional recovery. In this review, we aimed to investigate why the healing process is interrupted. One of the reasons for this interruption is the formation of a glial scar around the severely damaged tissue, which is usually covered by reactive glia, macrophages and fibroblasts. Aiming to clarify this issue, we summarize the latest research findings pertaining to scar formation, tissue repair, and the divergent roles of blood-derived monocytes/macrophages, ependymal cells, fibroblasts, microglia, oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), neuron-glial antigen 2 (NG2) and astrocytes during the process of scar formation, and further analyse the contribution of these cells to scar formation. In addition, we recapitulate the development of therapeutic treatments targeting glial scar components. Altogether, we aim to present a comprehensive decoding of the glial scar and explore potential therapeutic strategies for improving functional recovery after SCI.
Chronology of Practice: Chinese Practice in Private International Law in 2020
Authors: Qisheng He
Published: October 2021

This survey contains materials reflecting the practice of Chinese private international law in 2020. First, regarding changes in the statutory framework of private international law in China, three legislative acts, one administrative regulation on the Unreliable Entity List and ten judicial interpretations of the Supreme People’s Court were adopted or amended in 2020 on a wide range of matters, including conflict of laws, punitive damages, international civil procedure, etc. Second, 11 typical cases involving Chinse courts’ jurisdiction are selected to highlight the development in Chinese private international law, involving standard essential patents, abuse of market dominance, declaration of non-infringement of patent, asymmetric choice of court agreement and other matters. Third, nine cases on choice of law questions relating, in particular, to habitual residence, rights in rem, matrimonial property regimes and ascertainment of foreign law, are examined. Fourth, five cases involving anti-suit injunction or anti-enforcement injunction are reported and one introduced in detail. Fifth, the first occasion for on international judicial assistance of extracting DNA, as well as three representative cases on the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments, are discussed. The Statistics of international judicial assistance cases in China is first released in this survey. Finally, this survey also covers five recent decisions illustrating Chinese courts’ pro-arbitration attitude towards the uncertainty brought about by contractual clauses referring to both litigation and arbitration.
Influence of clinical and demographic factors on the oral health-related quality of life of patients with cleft lip and palate undergoing orthodontic treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Nascimento Vanessa de Couto , Martins Mariana Martins e , Vilella Beatriz de Souza , Mattos Cláudia Trindade , Vilella Oswaldo de Vasconcellos
Published: October 2021

Objective

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of orthodontic treatment on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of patients with cleft lip and palate.

Search methods

Electronic searches were conducted in Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, VHL, and OpenGrey databases, completed in January 2021.

Selection criteria

Cross-sectional and longitudinal observational studies that presented an assessment of OHRQoL in cleft patients undergoing orthodontic treatment were included, according to PRISMA guidelines. Contacts via email were made with authors, to clarify inaccuracies or request additional data.

Data collection and analysis

The entire process was accomplished by two authors, in case of disagreement, a third author mediated the discussion until there was a consensus. Risk assessment was performed by the Fowkes and Fulton qualifier, and the quality of evidence, assessed by the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) tool. A meta-analysis was performed considering the domains combined into three large groups (physical, psychological, and social). The questionnaires were standardized as to the scores and their direction.

Results

A total of 3822 studies were retrieved. After excluding duplicates, the titles and abstracts of the remaining articles were analysed. Twenty-eight articles were read in full; 13 met the eligibility criteria; 12 articles showed sufficient methodological quality and 7 were included in the quantitative assessment. The included studies were published between 2011 and 2019. The samples comprised 19 to 183 patients of both sexes. GRADE showed low evidence when compared to the control group, sexes, age, and types of cleft and very low evidence among longitudinal articles.

Conclusions

The OHRQoL is lower in orthodontic patients with cleft than in those without. The OHRQoL of patients with cleft undergoing orthodontic treatment is not influenced by gender or age group, considering children and adolescents, but it is influenced by the type of cleft. The OHRQoL of patients with CLP does not undergo significant changes during orthodontic treatment.

Limitations

The variety of instruments for measuring OHRQoL rendered meta-analysis difficult.

Registration

PROSPERO database number CRD42017054764.
Health literacy, pain-related interference and pain-related distress of patients with musculoskeletal pain
Authors: Bittencourt Juliana Valentim , de Souza Patrick Anderson Chaves , Corrêa Leticia Amaral , Volotão Andresa Narcizo , Mathieson Stephanie , Nogueira Leandro Alberto Calazans
Published: October 2021

The present study aimed to compare pain-related interference and pain-related distress in patients with musculoskeletal pain and differing levels of health literacy. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 243 patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults classified the level of health literacy. Outcome measures included pain-related interference (pain intensity and functional limitation) and pain-related distress (psychosocial factors). Analysis of variance methods were used. One hundred twenty-three (50.62%) participants were classified as adequate, 24 (9.88%) as marginal and 96 (39.50%) as inadequate health literacy. Patients with inadequate health literacy had higher values of pain severity compared to the other groups, when controlled for age. The group adequate health literacy showed less kinesiophobia compared to their counterparts. Functional limitations and other psychosocial factors were similar among groups. Pain severity and kinesiophobia had disadvantageous findings in participants with inadequate health literacy. Still, the results of pain severity must be approached cautiously because the differences were observed when controlled for age solely.
On Deformation Spaces of Quadratic Rational Functions
Authors: Firsova Tanya , Kahn Jeremy , Selinger Nikita
Published: October 2021

We study the group of self-equivalences of a partially postcritically finite branched cover and show that certain deformation spaces of rational maps are not contractible.
Recruitment in a research study via chatbot versus telephone outreach: a randomized trial at a minority-serving institution
Authors: Kim Yoo Jin , DeLisa Julie A , Chung Yu-Che , Shapiro Nancy L , Kolar Rajanna Subhash K , Barbour Edward , Loeb Jeffrey A , Turner Justin , Daley Susan , Skowlund John , Krishnan Jerry A
Published: October 2021

Chatbots are software applications to simulate a conversation with a person. The effectiveness of chatbots in facilitating the recruitment of study participants in research, specifically among racial and ethnic minorities, is unknown. The objective of this study is to compare a chatbot versus telephone-based recruitment in enrolling research participants from a predominantly minority patient population at an urban institution. We randomly allocated adults to receive either chatbot or telephone-based outreach regarding a study about vaccine hesitancy. The primary outcome was the proportion of participants who provided consent to participate in the study. In 935 participants, the proportion who answered contact attempts was significantly lower in the chatbot versus telephone group (absolute difference −21.8%; 95% confidence interval [CI] −27.0%, −16.5%; P < 0.001). The consent rate was also significantly lower in the chatbot group (absolute difference −3.4%; 95% CI −5.7%, −1.1%; P = 0.004). However, among participants who answered a contact attempt, the difference in consent rates was not significant. In conclusion, the consent rate was lower with chatbot compared to telephone-based outreach. The difference in consent rates was due to a lower proportion of participants in the chatbot group who answered a contact attempt.
The crosstalk between the caspase family and the cGAS‒STING signaling pathway
Authors: Xiong Yongai , Tang Yan-Dong , Zheng Chunfu
Published: October 2021

Edited by Jiarui Wu

Cytosolic nucleic acid sensors are critical for sensing nucleic acids and initiating innate immunity during microbial infections and/or cell death. Over the last decade, several key studies have characterized the conserved mechanism of cyclic guanosine monophosphate‒adenosine monophosphate synthase (cGAS) and the downstream signaling adaptor stimulator of interferon genes (STING) initiating the innate immune signaling pathways. Aside from its primary involvement in microbial infections and inflammatory diseases, there is growing interest in the alternate roles of cGAS‒STING-mediated signaling. Caspase family members are powerful functional proteins that respond to cellular stress, including cell death signals, inflammation, and innate immunity. Recent studies have uncovered how the caspase family cooperates with the cGAS‒STING signaling pathway. Most caspase family members negatively regulate the cGAS‒STING signaling pathway. In turn, some caspase family members can also be modulated by cGAS‒STING. This review gives a detailed account of the interplay between the caspase family and the cGAS‒STING signaling pathway, which will shed light on developing novel therapeutics targeting the caspase family and cGAS‒STING signaling in antiviral innate immunity, cancer, inflammatory, and autoimmunity.
Effects of dietary fats on the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of carotenoids: a systematic review and meta-analysis of in vitro studies and randomized controlled trials
Authors: Yao Yuanhang , Tan Peiyi , Kim Jung Eun
Published: October 2021

Context

Dietary fats are one of the well-known stimulators of carotenoid absorption, but the effects of the quantity and the type of dietary fats on carotenoid absorption have not yet been studied systematically.

Objective

This review aimed to analyze data from both in vitro studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to examine the effects of dietary fats on the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of carotenoids.

Data Sources

A systematic search of 5 databases (Scopus, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library) was conducted.

Study Selection

In vitro studies and RCTs were selected according to the PICOS criteria and were reviewed independently by 2 investigators.

Date Extraction

Key study characteristics from the eligible in vitro studies and RCTs were extracted independently by 2 investigators using a standardized table.

Results

A total of 27 in vitro studies and 12 RCTs were included. The meta-regression of in vitro studies showed that the bioaccessibility of carotenoids, except for lycopene, was positively associated with the concentration of dietary fats. The meta-analysis of RCTs showed that the bioavailability of carotenoids was enhanced when a higher quantity of dietary fats was co-consumed. Moreover, fats rich in unsaturated fatty acids resulted in greater improvement in carotenoid bioavailability (SMD 0.90; 95%CI, 0.69–1.11) as compared with fats rich in saturated fatty acids (SMD 0.27; 95%CI, 0.08–0.47).

Conclusions

Co-consuming dietary fats, particularly those rich in unsaturated fatty acids, with carotenoid-rich foods can improve the absorption of carotenoids.

Systematic Review Registration

PROSPERO registration number CRD42020188539.
Bioactives in bovine milk: chemistry, technology, and applications
Authors: Lin Tiantian , Meletharayil Gopinathan , Kapoor Rohit , Abbaspourrad Alireza
Published: October 2021

The significance of dairy in human health and nutrition is gaining significant momentum as consumers continue to desire wholesome, nutritious foods to fulfill their health and wellness needs. Bovine milk not only consists of all the essential nutrients required for growth and development, it also provides a broad range of bioactive components that play an important role in managing human homeostasis and immune function. In recent years, milk bioactives, including α-lactalbumin, lactoferrin, glycomacropeptide, milk fat globule membrane, and milk oligosaccharides, have been intensively studied because of their unique bioactivity and functionality. Challenges for the application of these bioactive components in food and pharmaceutical formulations are associated with their isolation and purification on an industrial scale and also with their physical and chemical instability during processing, storage, and digestion. These challenges can be overcome by advanced separation techniques and sophisticated nano- or micro-encapsulation technologies. Current knowledge about the chemistry, separation, and encapsulation technology of major bioactives derived from bovine milk and their application in the food industry is reviewed here.
Pre-Exposure to TiO2-NPs Aggravates Alcohol-Related Liver Injury by Inducing Intestinal Barrier Damage in Mice
Authors: Liu Shanji , Zhao Yu , Liu Yingxia , Tang Yizhou , Xu Xiaowei , Wang Mengqi , Tao Xueying , Xu Hengyi
Published: October 2021

The wide application of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) and the increase in opportunities for its release into the environment undoubtedly compound the potential of these materials to harm people. Research on the effects of pre-exposure to TiO2-NPs on disease development is scarce. The purpose of this work was to assess whether pre-exposure to TiO2-NPs (20 and 200 mg/kg) for 28 days aggravates the development of alcohol-related liver injury in mice. Results showed that oral administration of 200 mg/kg TiO2-NPs induced only modest changes in liver function parameters, but could induce intestinal inflammation and destroy the integrity of intestinal barrier. After the subsequent alcohol intervention, pre-exposure to TiO2-NPs (200 mg/kg) was found to aggravate alcohol-related liver injury, including significantly increases in serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total glycerol, and total cholesterol, as well as steatosis and inflammation in the liver. Further investigation revealed that alcohol could increase intestinal permeability and reduce the expression of tight junction proteins in mice pre-exposed high dosage of TiO2-NPs, thereby inducing the transfer of more lipopolysaccharides into the liver, ultimately triggering more severe liver inflammation. This study emphasizes that pre-exposed of TiO2-NPs (high doses of up to 200 mg/kg) can potentially promote the development of alcoholic liver diseases. Furthermore, this study provides new insights into evaluating the safety of NPs.
Epidemiological and clinical features of cutaneous leishmaniasis and its time trend model in a high-endemic focus of disease in the southwest of Iran from 2014 to 2019
Authors: Khosrotaj Mohammad Hossien , Rakhshani Tayebeh , Nazari Mahin , Gheibi Zahra , Soltani Aboozar
Published: October 2021

Background

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a tropical infection with a relatively high incidence rate in Iran. The present study aimed to explore the time trend and associated factors of CL in Dezful, in southwest Iran.

Methods

This case series study was conducted on all CL patients registered from 2014 to 2019. The descriptive analysis of the data was done using SPSS 20 software and the time series model on the number of cases was run through Interactive Time Series Modeling software.

Results

A total of 5349 leishmaniasis cases were identified in the study area during 2014–2019. The highest incidence rate was 35 840 per 100 000 in 2014. The fitted time series model revealed a decreasing trend with an annual periodic pattern. The mean age of infection was 19.82 y (standard deviation 21.87). The infection was most frequent in the 1–10 y age group (41.7%). Also, females were more prone to leishmaniasis (54.7%). Most lesions were located on the hand (23.1%), face (19.7%), and forearm (17.75%) and 48.5% of patients had only one lesion.

Conclusions

The results revealed a decreasing trend of leishmaniasis in Dezful. It has been predicted that this infection will reach a minimum rate (300 per 100 000) in the winter of 2021.
Elevated admission C-reactive protein to albumin ratios are associated with disease severity and respiratory complications in adults with imported falciparum malaria
Authors: Hoffmeister Bodo , Aguilar Valdez Abner D
Published: October 2021

Background

In imported falciparum malaria, systemic inflammation with increased capillary permeability can cause life-threatening complications, such as acute pulmonary edema (APO) or adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This observational study assessed the association of the admission serum albumin level (ALB) and C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CRP/ALB) with disease severity and these respiratory complications.

Methods

All adult cases hospitalized during 2001–2015 in the Charité University Hospital, Berlin, with ALB and CRP values measured upon admission, were retrospectively analysed.

Results

Seventy-six patients were enrolled (26 female, median age: 37 y), 60 with uncomplicated malaria and 16 with severe malaria (SM). SM was associated with lower ALB (p<0.0001) and higher CRP/ALB (p<0.0001) values; the areas under the receiver operator curves (AUROCs) were 0.85 (95% CI 0.74 to 0.96) for ALB and 0.88 (95% CI 0.80 to 0.97) for CRP/ALB. Radiologic changes consistent with APO/ARDS were detectable in 5 of 45 admission chest X-rays performed (11.1%); the AUROCs were 0.86 (95% CI 0.74 to 0.99) for ALB and 0.91 (95% CI 0.82 to 0.99) for CRP/ALB.

Conclusions

Diminished admission ALB levels and elevated CRP/ALB ratios are associated with disease severity and respiratory complications in imported falciparum malaria. These readily and ubiquitously available markers may facilitate early identification of at-risk patients.
Genotype-Phenotype Correlation of T Cell Subtypes Reveals Senescent and Cytotoxic Genes in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Dressman Dallin , Buttrick Thomas , Cimpean Maria , Bennett David , Menon Vilas , Bradshaw Elizabeth M. , Vardarajan Badri , Elyaman Wassim
Published: October 2021

Recent studies identifying expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) in immune cells have uncovered important links between disease risk alleles and gene expression trends in monocytes, T cells, and other cell types. However, these studies are generally done with young, healthy subjects, limiting the utility of their findings for age-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We have performed RNA sequencing on four T cell subsets in genome-wide genotyped and well-characterized AD subjects and age- and sex-matched healthy controls from the Religious Orders Study/Memory and Aging Project. Correlating gene expression data with AD neuropathological traits, and with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to detect eQTLs, we identified several significant genes involved in T cell senescence and cytotoxicity, consistent with T cell RNA sequencing studies in aged/AD cohorts. We identified unexpected eQTLs previously associated with neuropsychiatric disease traits. Finally, we discovered that pathways related to axon guidance and synaptic function were enriched among trans-eQTLs in coding regions of the genome. Overall, our data sheds more light on the genetic basis behind phenotypic changes in T cells during aging and AD.
Antecedent Metabolic Health and Metformin (ANTHEM) Aging study: Rationale and study design for a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Kumari Santosh , Bubak Matthew , Schoenberg Hayden M. , Davidyan Arik , Elliehausen Christian J. , Kuhn Katrin G. , VanWagoner Timothy M. , Karaman Rowan , Scofield Robert Hal , Miller Benjamin F. , Konopka Adam R.
Published: October 2021

The antidiabetic medication metformin has been proposed to be the first drug tested to target aging and extend healthspan in humans. While there is extensive epidemiological support for the health benefits of metformin in patient populations, it is not clear if these protective effects apply to those free of age-related disease. Our previous data in older adults without diabetes suggest a dichotomous change in insulin sensitivity and skeletal muscle mitochondrial adaptations after metformin treatment when co-prescribed with exercise. Those who entered the study as insulin sensitive had no change to detrimental effects while those who were insulin resistant had positive changes. The objective of this clinical trial is to determine if 1) antecedent metabolic health and 2) skeletal muscle mitochondrial remodeling and function mediate the positive or detrimental effects of metformin monotherapy, independent of exercise, on the metabolism and biology of aging. In a randomized, double blind clinical trial, adults free of chronic disease (n=148, 40-75 years old) are stratified as either insulin sensitive or insulin resistant based on HOMA-IR (≤2.2 or ≥2.5) and take 1500 mg/day of metformin or placebo for 12 weeks. Hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps and skeletal muscle biopsies are performed before and after 12 weeks to assess primary outcomes of peripheral insulin sensitivity and mitochondrial remodeling and function. Findings from this trial will identify clinical characteristics and cellular mechanisms involved in modulating the effectiveness of metformin treatment to target aging that could inform larger phase 3 clinical trials aimed at testing aging as an indication for metformin.
Feature representation under crowding in V1 and V4 neuronal populations
Authors: Henry Christopher A , Kohn Adam
Published: October 2021

Visual perception depends strongly on spatial context. A profound example is visual crowding, whereby the presence of nearby stimuli impairs discriminability of object features. Despite extensive work on both perceptual crowding and the spatial integrative properties of visual cortical neurons, the link between these two aspects of visual processing remains unclear. To understand better the neural basis of crowding, we recorded simultaneously from neuronal populations in V1 and V4 of fixating macaque monkeys. We assessed the information about the orientation of a visual target available from the measured responses, both for targets presented in isolation and amid distractors. Both single neuron and population responses had less information about target orientation when distractors were present. Information loss was moderate in V1 and more substantial in V4. Information loss could be traced to systematic divisive and additive changes in neuronal tuning. Tuning changes were more severe in V4; in addition, tuning exhibited greater context-dependent distortions in V4, further restricting the ability of a fixed sensory readout strategy to extract accurate feature information across changing environments. Our results provide a direct test of crowding effects at different stages of the visual hierarchy, reveal how these effects alter the spiking activity of cortical populations by which sensory stimuli are encoded, and connect these changes to established mechanisms of neuronal spatial integration.