bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ideal cardiovascular health and risk of death in a large Swedish cohort
Authors: Ding Lijie , Ponzano Marta , Grotta Alessandra , Adami Hans-Olov , Xue Fuzhong , Lagerros Ylva Trolle , Bellocco Rino , Ye Weimin
Published: February 2024

Background

Ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) can be assessed by 7 metrics: smoking, body mass index, physical activity, diet, hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes, proposed by the American Heart Association. We examined the association of ideal CVH metrics with risk of all-cause, CVD and non-CVD death in a large cohort.

Methods

A total of 29,557 participants in the Swedish National March Cohort were included in this study. We ascertained 3,799 deaths during a median follow-up of 19 years. Cox regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) of the association between CVH metrics with risk of death. Laplace regression was used to estimate 25th, 50th and 75th percentiles of age at death.

Results

Compared with those having 6–7 ideal CVH metrics, participants with 0–2 ideal metrics had 107% (95% CI = 46-192%) excess risk of all-cause, 224% (95% CI = 72-509%) excess risk of CVD and 108% (31-231%) excess risk of non-CVD death. The median age at death among those with 6–7 vs. 0–2 ideal metrics was extended by 4.2 years for all-causes, 5.8 years for CVD and 2.9 years for non-CVD, respectively. The observed associations were stronger among females than males.

Conclusions

The strong inverse association between number of ideal CVH metrics and risk of death supports the application of the proposed seven metrics for individual risk assessment and general health promotion.
Older men and loneliness: a cross-sectional study of sex differences in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing
Authors: Ratcliffe John , Galdas Paul , Kanaan Mona
Published: February 2024

Background

Research into men and masculinities suggests men may be more reluctant than women to state they are lonely, more reliant on partners/spouses and/or alcohol to tackle it, and that this may be a result of poorer social relationships. Ageing is often associated with loneliness, and research has indicated gendered results in older people, but existing evidence lacks generalisability and cultural context. This study tests hypotheses on sex differences in loneliness in older England-based men and women.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study using a sample of 6936 respondents aged 50 + from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (wave 8). Multiple imputation with chained equations was conducted to handle missing data. Multivariate regression was used to investigate the impact of sex on a direct question on loneliness whilst controlling for the University of California loneliness (UCLA) scale. Multivariate regression with interaction terms were used to examine sex differences in loneliness and alcohol consumption, partner status, and social relationships.

Results

Older men were less likely than older women to state they are lonely even when controlling for UCLA score. Older men showed a greater association between loneliness and alcohol consumption, but only when measuring the number of units consumed in the last week, and not using a less precise measure of the past year. Older men who cohabited with a partner were less lonely than cohabiting older women, whereas previously married but not cohabiting older men were lonelier than their female counterparts. However, never married older men were less lonely than never married older women. Evidence was found to suggest older men’s worse friendships mediated this association, but social isolation and number of close relationships did not. Severe isolation predicted greater loneliness in older women, but not older men.

Conclusions

Cultural ideals of masculinity and older men’s poorer quality friendships may explain their reluctance to directly state loneliness, greater dependency on partners/spouses, and use of alcohol. Severely isolated older men may under-report loneliness on the UCLA scale as well as a direct question.
Effect of platelet rich plasma injection on bone formation in the expanded mid-palatal suture in rabbits: a randomized controlled animal study
Authors: Abdel-Haffiez Sherief H. , Khalil Nesma Mohamed
Published: February 2024

Background

Mid-Palatal suture expansion needs long retention period due to delayed bone formation in the expanded suture. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a concentrated source of growth factors which increase bone formation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of PRP injection on bone formation in expanded mid palatal suture in rabbits.

Methods

In this prospective randomized controlled animal study, Twenty male rabbits (8-weeks-old) were subjected to mid-palatal expansion for 5 days. Animals were afterwards randomly divided into control group A & study group B. PRP was prepared and injected in the mid-palatal suture in animals belonging to group B only. After 6 weeks of retention, all animals were euthanized, and premaxillae were prepared for histological, histomorphometric and immunohistochemical analysis. Student t-test and paired t-test were used to compare the means of the two groups and within the same group respectively. Significance level set at p ≤ 0.05.

Results

Histomorphometric analysis revealed a significant increase (p < 0.001) in the mean percentage of new bone in the study group (14.4%) compared to the control (1.4%). Suture width in study group was significantly wider than the control group (278.8 ± 9μms and 120.4 ± 3.4μms, p < 0.001). There was a significant increase in vascular density in study group than control group (309 ± 65.34 and 243.86 ± 48.1, p = 0.021). Osteopontin immuno-expression revealed a significant increase in optical density in study group than control group (0.21 ± 0.02 & 0.12 ± 0.01, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

In rabbit model, PRP injection can accelerate new bone formation in the expanded mid-palatal suture when compared to the control. This could hopefully result in a more stable midpalatal expansion and a reduced retention period.
The effect of circadian on the productivity of nurses with the mediating role of quality of work life
Authors: Poormoosa Yasaman , Amerzadeh Mohammad , Alizadeh Ahad , Kalhor Rohollah
Published: February 2024

Background

Circadian rhythms, as an integral part of daily life, govern the scheduling, management, and coordination of living organisms. Given the irregular nature of shift patterns in nurses’ work schedules, investigating their implications is paramount to increasing Quality of Work Life (QWL) and productivity. The study aimed to investigate the impact of circadian rhythm on the efficiency of nurses working in hospitals in Qazvin, Iran, with QWL serving as a mediating variable.

Methods

This study employed a descriptive-analytical research design, utilizing cross-sectional data collected in 2022–2023 based on the implementation of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The number of participants was 378 nurses. The data were obtained by administering a questionnaire and various tools, organized into four sections: demographic information, the Circadian Questionnaire, the Quality of Work Life Questionnaire, and the Nurses’ Efficiency Questionnaire. The collected data were subsequently analyzed using SEM techniques within the R software.

Results

The findings demonstrated statistically significant variations in mean scores about gender and efficiency (p = 0.008), marital status and efficiency (p = 0.000), and employment type and efficiency (p = 0.002) among the study participants. There was a significant association between shift patterns and QWL (p = 0.004). Expressly, the confirmed results indicated a direct impact of circadian on QWL (with a path coefficient of 0.013), as well as an indirect impact on efficiency mediated by the variable QWL (with a path coefficient of 0.037) (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Due to the critical role of nurses in the healthcare system, implementing strategies that promote their efficiency is paramount. Therefore, managers can create an environment that enhances nurses’ productivity by improving methods that positively impact their QWL.
Maternal smoking, nutritional factors at different life stage, and the risk of incident type 2 diabetes: a prospective study of the UK Biobank
Authors: Jiang Wenbo , Tang Yiwei , Yang Ruiming , Long Yujia , Sun Changhao , Han Tianshu , Wei Wei
Published: February 2024

Background

This study aims to investigate potential interactions between maternal smoking around birth (MSAB) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) pathway-specific genetic risks in relation to the development of T2D in offspring. Additionally, it seeks to determine whether and how nutritional factors during different life stages may modify the association between MSAB and risk of T2D.

Methods

This study included 460,234 participants aged 40 to 69 years, who were initially free of T2D from the UK Biobank. MSAB and breastfeeding were collected by questionnaire. The Alternative health eating index(AHEI) and dietary inflammation index(DII) were calculated. The polygenic risk scores(PRS) of T2D and pathway-specific were established, including β-cell function, proinsulin, obesity, lipodystrophy, liver function and glycated haemoglobin(HbA1c). Cox proportion hazards models were performed to evaluate the gene/diet-MSAB interaction on T2D. The relative excess risk due to additive interaction (RERI) were calculated.

Results

During a median follow-up period of 12.7 years, we identified 27,342 cases of incident T2D. After adjustment for potential confounders, participants exposed to MSAB had an increased risk of T2D (HR=1.11, 95%CI:1.08-1.14), and this association remained significant among the participants with breastfeeding (HR= HR=1.10, 95%CI: 1.06-1.14). Moreover, among the participants in the highest quartile of AHEI or in the lowest quartile of DII, the association between MSAB and the increased risk of T2D become non-significant (HR=0.94, 95%CI: 0.79-1.13 for AHEI; HR=1.09, 95%CI:0.99-1.20 for DII). Additionally, the association between MSAB and risk of T2D became non-significant among the participants with lower genetic risk of lipodystrophy (HR=1.06, 95%CI:0.99-1.14), and exposed to MSAB with a higher genetic risk for β-cell dysfunction or lipodystrophy additively elevated the risk of T2D(RERI=0.18, 95%CI:0.06-0.30 for β-cell function; RERI=0.16, 95%CI:0.04-0.28 for lipodystrophy).

Conclusions

This study indicates that maintaining a high dietary quality or lower dietary inflammation in diet may reduce the risk of T2D associated with MSAB, and the combination of higher genetic risk of β-cell dysfunction or lipodystrophy and MSAB significantly elevate the risk of T2D in offspring.
Relationship between trajectories of dietary iron intake and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: evidence from a prospective cohort study
Authors: Wang Ruoting , Liu Yingxin , Thabane Lehana , Olier Ivan , Li Likang , Ortega-Martorell Sandra , Lip Gregory Y.H. , Li Guowei
Published: February 2024

Background

The association between dietary iron intake and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains inconsistent. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between trajectories of dietary iron intake and risk of T2DM.

Methods

This study comprised a total of 61,115 participants without a prior T2DM from the UK Biobank database. We used the group-based trajectory model (GBTM) to identify different dietary iron intake trajectories. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the relationship between trajectories of dietary iron intake and risk of T2DM.

Results

During a mean follow-up of 4.8 years, a total of 677 T2DM events were observed. Four trajectory groups of dietary iron intake were characterized by the GBTM: trajectory group 1 (with a mean dietary iron intake of 10.9 mg/day), 2 (12.3 mg/day), 3 (14.1 mg/day) and 4 (17.6 mg/day). Trajectory group 3 was significantly associated with a 38% decreased risk of T2DM when compared with trajectory group 1 (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.62, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.49–0.79), while group 4 was significantly related with a 30% risk reduction (HR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.54–0.91). Significant effect modifications by obesity (p = 0.04) and history of cardiovascular disease (p < 0.01) were found to the relationship between trajectories of dietary iron intake and the risk of T2DM.

Conclusions

We found that trajectories of dietary iron intake were significantly associated with the risk of T2DM, where the lowest T2DM risk was observed in trajectory group 3 with a mean iron intake of 14.1 mg/day. These findings may highlight the importance of adequate dietary iron intake to the T2DM prevention from a public health perspective. Further studies to assess the relationship between dietary iron intake and risk of T2DM are needed, as well as intervention studies to mitigate the risks of T2DM associated with dietary iron changes.
LDLR gene rearrangements in Czech FH patients likely arise from one mutational event
Authors: Konečná Kateřina , Zapletalová Petra , Freiberger Tomáš , Tichý Lukáš
Published: February 2024

Background

Large deletions and duplications within the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) gene make up approximately 10% of LDLR pathogenic variants found in Czech patients with familial hypercholesterolemia. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that all probands with each rearrangement share identical breakpoints inherited from a common ancestor and to determine the role of Alu repetitive elements in the generation of these rearrangements.

Methods

The breakpoint sequence was determined by PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing. To confirm the breakpoint position, an NGS analysis was performed. Haplotype analysis of common LDLR variants was performed using PCR and Sanger sequencing.

Results

The breakpoints of 8 rearrangements within the LDLR gene were analysed, including the four most common LDLR rearrangements in the Czech population (number of probands ranging from 8 to 28), and four less common rearrangements (1–4 probands). Probands with a specific rearrangement shared identical breakpoint positions and haplotypes associated with the rearrangement, suggesting a shared origin from a common ancestor. All breakpoints except for one were located inside an Alu element. In 6 out of 8 breakpoints, there was high homology (≥ 70%) between the two Alu repeats in which the break occurred.

Conclusions

The most common rearrangements of the LDLR gene in the Czech population likely arose from one mutational event. Alu elements likely played a role in the generation of the majority of rearrangements inside the LDLR gene.
Effects of intensive care unit quality assessment on changes in medical staff in medical institutions and in-hospital mortality
Authors: Kim Seungju , Kim Gui Ok , Lee Syalrom , Kwon Yong Uk
Published: February 2024

Background

Quality assessments are being introduced in many countries to improve the quality of care and maintain acceptable quality levels. In South Korea, various quality assessments are being conducted to improve the quality of care, but there is insufficient evidence on intensive care units (ICUs). This study aims to evaluate the impact of ICU quality assessments on the structural indicators in medical institutions and the resulting in-hospital mortality of patients.

Methods

This study used data collected in the 2nd and 3rd ICU quality assessments in 2017 and 2019. A total of 72,879 patients admitted to ICUs were included during this period, with 265 institutions that received both assessments. As for structural indicators, changes in medical personnel and equipment were assessed, and in-hospital deaths were evaluated as patient outcomes. To evaluate the association between medical staff and in-hospital mortality, a generalized estimating equation model was performed considering both hospital and patient variables.

Results

Compared to the second quality evaluation, the number of intensivist physicians and experienced nurses increased in the third quality evaluation; however, there was still a gap in the workforce depending on the type of medical institution. Among all ICU patients admitted during the evaluation period, 12.0% of patients died in the hospital. In-hospital mortality decreased at the 3rd assessment, and hospitals employing intensivist physicians were associated with reduced in-hospital deaths. In addition, an increase in the number of experienced nurses was associated with a decrease in in-hospital mortality, while an increase in the nurse-to-bed ratio increased mortality.

Conclusions

ICU quality assessments improved overall structural indicators, but the gap between medical institutions has not improved and interventions are required to bridge this gap. In addition, it is important to maintain skilled medical personnel to bring about better results for patients, and various efforts should be considered. This requires continuous monitoring and further research on long-term effects.
Exercise mimetics: a novel strategy to combat neuroinflammation and Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Zhao Renqing
Published: February 2024

Neuroinflammation is a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), characterized by the stimulation of resident immune cells of the brain and the penetration of peripheral immune cells. These inflammatory processes facilitate the deposition of amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques and the abnormal hyperphosphorylation of tau protein. Managing neuroinflammation to restore immune homeostasis and decrease neuronal damage is a therapeutic approach for AD. One way to achieve this is through exercise, which can improve brain function and protect against neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and synaptic dysfunction in AD models. The neuroprotective impact of exercise is regulated by various molecular factors that can be activated in the same way as exercise by the administration of their mimetics. Recent evidence has proven some exercise mimetics effective in alleviating neuroinflammation and AD, and, additionally, they are a helpful alternative option for patients who are unable to perform regular physical exercise to manage neurodegenerative disorders. This review focuses on the current state of knowledge on exercise mimetics, including their efficacy, regulatory mechanisms, progress, challenges, limitations, and future guidance for their application in AD therapy.
Action planning for building public health program sustainability: results from a group-randomized trial
Authors: Moreland-Russell Sarah , Combs Todd , Gannon Jessica , Jost Eliot , Farah Saliba Louise , Prewitt Kimberly , Luke Douglas , Brownson Ross C.
Published: February 2024

Background

Public health programs are charged with implementing evidence-based interventions to support public health improvement; however, to achieve long-term population-based benefits, these interventions must be sustained. Empirical evidence suggests that program sustainability can be improved through training and technical assistance, but few resources are available to support public health programs in building capacity for sustainability.

Methods

This study sought to build capacity for sustainability among state tobacco control programs through a multiyear, group-randomized trial that developed, tested, and evaluated a novel Program Sustainability Action Planning Model and Training Curricula. Using Kolb’s experiential learning theory, we developed this action-oriented training model to address the program-related domains proven to impact capacity for sustainability as outlined in the Program Sustainability Framework. We evaluated the intervention using a longitudinal mixed-effects model using Program Sustainability Assessment (PSAT) scores from three time points. The main predictors in our model included group (control vs intervention) and type of dosage (active and passive). Covariates included state-level American Lung Association Score (proxy for tobacco control policy environment) and percent of CDC-recommended funding (proxy for program resources).

Results

Twenty-three of the 24 state tobacco control programs were included in the analyses: 11 received the training intervention and 12 were control. Results of the longitudinal mixed-effects linear regression model, where the annual PSAT score was the outcome, showed that states in the intervention condition reported significantly higher PSAT scores. The effects of CDC-recommended funding and American Lung Association smoke-free scores (proxy for policy environment) were small but statistically significant.

Conclusion

This study found that the Program Sustainability Action Planning Model and Training Curricula was effective in building capacity for sustainability. The training was most beneficial for programs that had made less policy progress than others, implying that tailored training may be most appropriate for programs possibly struggling to make progress. Finally, while funding had a small, statistically significant effect on our model, it virtually made no difference for the average program in our study. This suggests that other factors may be more or equally important as the level of funding a program receives.

Trial registration.

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03598114. Registered on July 26, 2018.
Replacement of tibialis cranialis tendon with polyester, silicone-coated artificial tendon preserves biomechanical function in rabbits compared to tendon excision only
Authors: Easton Katrina L. , Hatch Carter , Stephens Kaitlyn , Marler Dylan , Fidelis Obinna , Sun Xiaocun , Bowers Kristin M. , Billings Caroline , Greenacre Cheryl B. , Anderson David E. , Crouch Dustin L.
Published: February 2024

Background

Artificial tendons may be an effective alternative to autologous and allogenic tendon grafts for repairing critically sized tendon defects. The goal of this study was to quantify the in vivo hindlimb biomechanics (ground contact pressure and sagittal-plane motion) during hopping gait of rabbits having a critically sized tendon defect of the tibialis cranialis and either with or without repair using an artificial tendon.

Methods

In five rabbits, the tibialis cranialis tendon of the left hindlimb was surgically replaced with a polyester, silicone-coated artificial tendon (PET-SI); five operated control rabbits underwent complete surgical excision of the biological tibialis cranialis tendon in the left hindlimb with no replacement (TE).

Results

At 8 weeks post-surgery, peak vertical ground contact force in the left hindlimb was statistically significantly less compared to baseline for the TE group (p = 0.0215). Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis showed that, compared to baseline, the knee was significantly more extended during stance at 2 weeks post-surgery and during the swing phase of stride at 2 and 8 weeks post-surgery for the TE group (p < 0.05). Also, the ankle was significantly more plantarflexed during swing at 2 and 8 weeks postoperative for the TE group (p < 0.05). In contrast, there were no significant differences in the SPM analysis among timepoints in the PET-SI group for the knee or ankle.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that the artificial tibialis cranialis tendon effectively replaced the biomechanical function of the native tendon. Future studies should investigate (1) effects of artificial tendons on other (e.g., neuromuscular) tissues and systems and (2) biomechanical outcomes when there is a delay between tendon injury and artificial tendon implantation.
T-cell infiltration and its regulatory mechanisms in cancers: insights at single-cell resolution
Authors: Yang Wenhui , Liu Shimao , Mao Mengyun , Gong Yandong , Li Xiaohui , Lei Tianyu , Liu Chao , Wu Shikai , Hu Qinyong
Published: February 2024

Tumor-infiltrating T cells recognize, attack, and clear tumor cells, playing a central role in antitumor immune response. However, certain immune cells can impair this response and help tumor immune escape. Therefore, exploring the factors that influence T-cell infiltration is crucial to understand tumor immunity and improve therapeutic effect of cancer immunotherapy. The use of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) allows the high-resolution analysis of the precise composition of immune cells with different phenotypes and other microenvironmental factors, including non-immune stromal cells and the related molecules in the tumor microenvironment of various cancer types. In this review, we summarized the research progress on T-cell infiltration and the crosstalk of other stromal cells and cytokines during T-cell infiltration using scRNA-seq to provide insights into the mechanisms regulating T-cell infiltration and contribute new perspectives on tumor immunotherapy.
Association of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the F2RL1 gene with clinical and inflammatory characteristics of patients with asthma
Authors: Shrestha Palikhe Nami , Haji Qahir , Mack Emily , Sinnatamby Tristan , Sandford Andrew J. , Cameron Lisa , Vliagoftis Harissios
Published: February 2024

Background

Proteinase-activated receptor 2 (PAR-2) is a G-protein coupled receptor associated with many inflammatory diseases, including asthma. We have shown an association between PAR-2 expression in peripheral blood monocytes and asthma severity as well as blood PAR-2 mRNA level and lung function. Since F2RL1 (the gene encoding PAR-2) polymorphisms affect PAR-2 expression, we hypothesize they may affect asthma severity.

Methods

We recruited 76 subjects with asthma of varying severity and collected clinical (FEV1 [% predicted], FEV1/FVC, IgE) and immunological (PAR-2 mRNA, blood eosinophils) disease parameters. We also genotyped these individuals for 3 F2RL1 SNPs (-45C/T, -149C/G, c.621C/T).

Results

We found that the F2RL1 SNP “C” allele of -45C/T (rs1529505) was associated with PAR-2 mRNA and blood eosinophils. F2RL1 SNP c.621C/T (rs631465) was associated with PAR-2 mRNA. The F2RL1 SNP -149C/G (rs2242991) had no association with any of the parameters studied. This study identified one F2RL1 SNP rs1529505 is associated with parameters of asthma, but not asthma severity.

Conclusion

Larger studies are needed to further elucidate the role of PAR-2 in the pathophysiology of asthma and the influence of genetic variation.
Green tea consumption and incidence of cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetic patients with overweight/obesity: a community-based cohort study
Authors: Liu Bingyue , Gu Shujun , Zhang Jin , Zhou Hui , Su Jian , Wang Sudan , Sun Qian , Zhou Zhengyuan , Zhou Jinyi , Dong Chen
Published: February 2024

Background

Green tea has been reported to be potentially protective against the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study aimed to investigate the association between green tea consumption and incident CVD in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with overweight/obesity.

Methods

A total of 4756 Chinese overweight/obese T2D patients were recruited and followed up for 6.27 years. Information on green tea consumption was collected at baseline using interviewer-administered questionnaires. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for incident CVD according to green tea consumption were estimated using the Cox proportional hazards model.

Results

Compared with non-habitual consumers, participants who consumed > 5 g/day of green tea leaves reduced the risk of CVD by 29% (95%CI: 0.55–0.92), stroke by 30% (95%CI: 0.51–0.95) and coronary heart disease (CHD) by 40% (95%CI: 0.40–0.89). Similarly, participants who consumed green tea for ≥ 40 years reduced the risk of CVD by 31% (95%CI: 0.54–0.88), stroke by 33% (95%CI: 0.50–0.90) and CHD by 39% (95%CI: 0.42–0.88). Among participants with < 5-year history of T2D, > 5 g/day of tea leaves and > 40 years of tea consumption were associated with 59% (95%CI: 0.23–0.72) and 57% (95%CI: 0.26–0.74) reduced risk of stroke, respectively. However, among participants with ≥ 5-year history of T2D, > 5 g/day of tea leaves and > 40 years of tea consumption were associated with a 50% (95%CI: 0.30–0.82) and 46% (95%CI: 0.35–0.85) reduced risk of CHD, respectively.

Conclusions

Green tea consumption is associated with reduced risk of CVD, stroke, and CHD in overweight/obese T2D patients.
Body size induced changes in metabolic carbon of soil nematodes under N deposition and precipitation regime change in a temperate grassland
Authors: Cui Shuyan , Mo Xiaomei , Zheng Guo
Published: February 2024

Background

Global climate change has resulted in precipitation regimes exhibiting an increasing trend in rainfall intensity but a reduction in its frequency. Nitrogen (N) deposition is a crucial component of the global N cycling. Nematode body size is a trait that responds to climate change and is used as a standard trait-based indicator in soil community analysis. Variations in body size influence metabolic carbon (C). We examined the ways by which body size and metabolic C of nematodes respond to changing precipitation regimes and how N deposition regulates these responses by an 8-year manipulative experiment.

Methods

Nematode body size was indicated by the community-weighted mean (CWM) mass. We quantified C metabolism components of soil nematodes including production C, respiration C, and corresponding C use efficiency (CUE) under different precipitation intensities and N addition in a semi-arid steppe on the Mongolian Plateau. The Mantel test was used to determine the correlations between CWM, CUE and environmental factors. The partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) was conducted to quantify direct or indirect contributions among latent variables.

Results

We found that heavy precipitation intensity increased the CWM mass of total nematodes and omnivores-predators without N addition. N addition decreased CWM mass of bacterivores across all the precipitation intensity treatments. Stronger precipitation intensities might be favorable for nematode production and respiration C. Variations in the nematode CWM mass drove the CUE to change with N addition.

Conclusions

Our findings provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying nematode body size and C metabolism, and highlight that explorative studies, such as manipulative experiments, are needed to identify traits underlying size-related effects and to investigate how they affect CUE of nematodes. These efforts may increase our understanding of how changes in precipitation regimes and N deposition may alter soil nematode communities in grassland ecosystems.
Secrets on the rock: analysis and discussion of the Dunde Bulaq rock art site
Authors: Yihao Fu , Yue Chai , Jun Wang , Cheng Liu , Xiaoyu Zhang , Lu Li , Baheti Zhuoya , Jinye Peng
Published: February 2024

The Altay Prefecture in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China, boasts an abundance source of rock art, with the Dunde Bulaq rock art complex holding paramount significance in the study of local culture. This work employs hyperspectral techniques for data collection and analysis of the Dunde Bulaq I rock art site. Signal decomposition, pigment classification/clustering, and spectral curve analysis were employed to delve deeply into the information of the rock art hyperspectral data. Furthermore, cross-validation was utilized to reveal hidden information within rock art. To comprehend these hidden information, a more profound historical tracing was conducted, employing methods such as literature retrieval and image analysis, uncovering the internal relationship between the site I and the Chemurchek culture. This provides fresh material for studying the Bronze Age cultures within the Altai region.
Remimazolam in perioperative management of Eisenmenger syndrome: a case report
Authors: Hashimoto Kazuya , Matsumoto Tsuguhiro , Mizota Toshiyuki , Kai Shinichi , Egi Moritoki
Published: February 2024

Background

Eisenmenger syndrome (ES) is characterized by severe and irreversible pulmonary hypertension stemming from an uncorrected intracardiac shunt of significant size. The imbalance between systemic and pulmonary artery pressures predisposes patients with ES to the risk of cardiac arrest. Remimazolam has caused less circulatory depression, which may be advantageous for ES. However, no studies reported the use of remimazolam in perioperative ES management.

Case presentation

A 45-year-old female patient with ES derived from a ventricular septal defect was scheduled to undergo bilateral adnexectomy for an ovarian tumor. Her oxygen saturation was 80% with 3 L/min oxygen at rest, and her pulmonary and systemic flow ratio was 0.53. She underwent general anesthesia with remimazolam, and intraoperative hemodynamics was stable without hypotension or reduced oxygen saturation.

Conclusions

Our successful management of ovarian tumor surgery in a patient with ES using remimazolam reveals its potential effectiveness in perioperative care.
Highly dangerous road hazards are not immune from the low prevalence effect
Authors: Song Jiali , Wolfe Benjamin
Published: February 2024

The low prevalence effect (LPE) is a cognitive limitation commonly found in visual search tasks, in which observers miss rare targets. Drivers looking for road hazards are also subject to the LPE. However, not all road hazards are equal; a paper bag floating down the road is much less dangerous than a rampaging moose. Here, we asked whether perceived hazardousness modulated the LPE. To examine this, we took a dataset in which 48 raters assessed the perceived dangerousness of hazards in recorded road videos (Song et al. in Behav Res Methods, 2023. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-023-02299-8) and correlated the ratings with data from a hazard detection task using the same stimuli with varying hazard prevalence rates (Kosovicheva et al. in Psychon Bull Rev 30(1):212–223, 2023. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-022-02159-0). We found that while hazard detectability increased monotonically with hazardousness ratings, the LPE was comparable across perceived hazardousness levels. Our findings are consistent with the decision criterion account of the LPE, in which target rarity induces a conservative shift in criterion. Importantly, feedback was necessary for a large and consistent LPE; when participants were not given feedback about their accuracy, the most dangerous hazards showed a non-significant LPE. However, eliminating feedback was not enough to induce the opposite of the LPE—prevalence induced concept change (Levari et al. in Science 360(6396):1465–1467, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aap8731), in which participants adopt a more liberal criterion when instances of a category become rare. Our results suggest that the road hazard LPE may be somewhat affected by the inherent variability of driving situations, but is still observed for highly dangerous hazards.
Face masks and fake masks: the effect of real and superimposed masks on face matching with super-recognisers, typical observers, and algorithms
Authors: Ritchie Kay L. , Carragher Daniel J. , Davis Josh P. , Read Katie , Jenkins Ryan E. , Noyes Eilidh , Gray Katie L. H. , Hancock Peter J. B.
Published: February 2024

Mask wearing has been required in various settings since the outbreak of COVID-19, and research has shown that identity judgements are difficult for faces wearing masks. To date, however, the majority of experiments on face identification with masked faces tested humans and computer algorithms using images with superimposed masks rather than images of people wearing real face coverings. In three experiments we test humans (control participants and super-recognisers) and algorithms with images showing different types of face coverings. In all experiments we tested matching concealed or unconcealed faces to an unconcealed reference image, and we found a consistent decrease in face matching accuracy with masked compared to unconcealed faces. In Experiment 1, typical human observers were most accurate at face matching with unconcealed images, and poorer for three different types of superimposed mask conditions. In Experiment 2, we tested both typical observers and super-recognisers with superimposed and real face masks, and found that performance was poorer for real compared to superimposed masks. The same pattern was observed in Experiment 3 with algorithms. Our results highlight the importance of testing both humans and algorithms with real face masks, as using only superimposed masks may underestimate their detrimental effect on face identification.
Validating the accuracy of deep learning for the diagnosis of pneumonia on chest x-ray against a robust multimodal reference diagnosis: a post hoc analysis of two prospective studies
Authors: Hofmeister Jeremy , Garin Nicolas , Montet Xavier , Scheffler Max , Platon Alexandra , Poletti Pierre-Alexandre , Stirnemann Jérôme , Debray Marie-Pierre , Claessens Yann-Erick , Duval Xavier , Prendki Virginie
Published: February 2024

Background

Artificial intelligence (AI) seems promising in diagnosing pneumonia on chest x-rays (CXR), but deep learning (DL) algorithms have primarily been compared with radiologists, whose diagnosis can be not completely accurate. Therefore, we evaluated the accuracy of DL in diagnosing pneumonia on CXR using a more robust reference diagnosis.

Methods

We trained a DL convolutional neural network model to diagnose pneumonia and evaluated its accuracy in two prospective pneumonia cohorts including 430 patients, for whom the reference diagnosis was determined a posteriori by a multidisciplinary expert panel using multimodal data. The performance of the DL model was compared with that of senior radiologists and emergency physicians reviewing CXRs and that of radiologists reviewing computed tomography (CT) performed concomitantly.

Results

Radiologists and DL showed a similar accuracy on CXR for both cohorts (p ≥ 0.269): cohort 1, radiologist 1 75.5% (95% confidence interval 69.1–80.9), radiologist 2 71.0% (64.4–76.8), DL 71.0% (64.4–76.8); cohort 2, radiologist 70.9% (64.7–76.4), DL 72.6% (66.5–78.0). The accuracy of radiologists and DL was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.022) than that of emergency physicians (cohort 1 64.0% [57.1–70.3], cohort 2 63.0% [55.6–69.0]). Accuracy was significantly higher for CT (cohort 1 79.0% [72.8–84.1], cohort 2 89.6% [84.9–92.9]) than for CXR readers including radiologists, clinicians, and DL (all p-values < 0.001).

Conclusions

When compared with a robust reference diagnosis, the performance of AI models to identify pneumonia on CXRs was inferior than previously reported but similar to that of radiologists and better than that of emergency physicians.

Relevance statement

The clinical relevance of AI models for pneumonia diagnosis may have been overestimated. AI models should be benchmarked against robust reference multimodal diagnosis to avoid overestimating its performance.

Trial registration

NCT02467192, and NCT01574066.

Key point

• We evaluated an openly-access convolutional neural network (CNN) model to diagnose pneumonia on CXRs.

• CNN was validated against a strong multimodal reference diagnosis.

• In our study, the CNN performance (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve 0.74) was lower than that previously reported when validated against radiologists’ diagnosis (0.99 in a recent meta-analysis).

• The CNN performance was significantly higher than emergency physicians’ (p ≤ 0.022) and comparable to that of board-certified radiologists (p ≥ 0.269).

Graphical Abstract
Impact of altered environment and early postnatal methamphetamine exposure on serotonin levels in the rat hippocampus during adolescence
Authors: Čechová Barbora , Jurčovičová Jana , Petríková Ivana , Vaculín Šimon , Šandera Štěpán , Šlamberová Romana
Published: February 2024

Background

Methamphetamine (MA) is a highly abused psychostimulant across all age groups including pregnant women. Because developing brain is vulnerable by the action of drugs, or other noxious stimuli, the aim of our study was to examine the effect of early postnatal administration of MA alone or in combination with enriched environment (EE) and/or stress of separate housing, on the levels of serotonin (5HT) in the hippocampus of male rat pups at three stages of adolescence (postnatal day (PND) 28, 35 and 45). MA (5 mg/kg/ml) was administered subcutaneously (sc) to pups (direct administration), or via mothers' milk between PND1 and PND12 (indirect administration). Controls were exposed saline (SA). Pups were exposed to EE and/or to separation from the weaning till the end of the experiment.

Results

On PND 28, in sc-treated series, EE significantly increased the muted 5HT in SA pups after separation and restored the pronounced inhibition of 5HT by MA. No beneficial effect of EE was present in pups exposed to combination of MA and separation. 5HT development declined over time; EE, MA and separation had different effects on 5HT relative to adolescence stage.

Conclusions

Present study shows that MA along with environment or housing affect 5HT levels, depending on both the age and the method of application (direct or indirect). These findings extend the knowledge on the effects of MA alone and in combination with different housing conditions on the developing brain and highlight the increased sensitivity to MA during the first few months after birth.
Contrasting salinity effects of artificial seawater and sodium chloride on
Carica papaya
L. cultivar Red Lady physiology and growth
Authors: de Souza Edivan Rodrigues , Schaffer Bruce , Vargas Ana I. , de Camargo Santos Aline , Rodriguez Edwin Antonio Gutierrez
Published: February 2024

Background

Many coastal areas of the world will be impacted by seawater intrusion inland exposing crops to increasing levels of soil salinity. Studies of salinity stress in horticultural crops, including papaya, invariably use NaCl as the salt source, which may not be indicative of seawater.

Methods

This study compared plant growth, physiological, and nutritional responses, including leaf gas exchange, maximal potential quantum efficiency of photosystem II (the ratio of variable to maximum chlorophyll fluorescence;
Fv/Fm
), the leaf chlorophyll index (
LCI
), electrolyte leakage (
EL
), leaf relative water content (
RWC
), leaf water potential (Ψw), leaf osmotic potential (Ψo), leaf and root N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na and Cl contents, and growth of potted ‘Red Lady’ papaya plants, in a calcined clay substrate, irrigated with NaCl or artificial seawater (Instant Ocean
®
) at six soil electrical conductivity (EC) levels (0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 6 dS m
−1
).

Results

There were slight significant reductions in Ψw, Ψo, net CO
2
assimilation (
A
), stomatal conductance (
g

s

), and transpiration (
Tr
) with increasing EC regardless of the salt source. Leaf Ca, Mg, Na and Cl contents and root Mg, Na, and Cl increased significantly with increasing EC levels. For both salt sources, there was an indication of osmotic adjustment and tolerance of papaya up to an EC level of 6 dS m
−1
. A significant difference between the response to NaCl and artificial seawater was observed for plant height, leaf Mg and Cl contents, and root Mg and Na contents.

Conclusion

The use artificial seawater may be a better source than NaCl for studying papaya responses to increasing soil salinity.
Picard and Adomian solutions of nonlinear fractional differential equations system containing Atangana – Baleanu derivative
Authors: Ziada Eman A. A.
Published: February 2024

In this paper, we apply two methods for solving nonlinear system of fractional differential equations (FDEs); these two methods are Picard and Adomian decomposition methods (ADM). The type of fractional derivative in this system will be the Atangana–Baleanu derivative. The existence and uniqueness of the solution will be proved. In addition, the convergence of ADM series solution and the maximum expected error will be discussed. Some numerical examples will be solved by using these two method and a comparison between their solutions will be done. There exist an important application to these types of systems, this application is the fractional-order rabies model and it will be solved here. From the obtained results, it is noticed that the obtained results from using these two methods are coincide with each other, and also these results are coincide with the obtained results from the classical fractional derivatives such as Caputo sense.
Using gravity data uncertainties in forward modeling to estimate uncertainties in model parameters: A case history in estimating the dip and the dip uncertainty of the Porcupine Destor Fault
Authors: Della Justina Fabiano , Smith Richard S.
Published: February 2024

When using forward modeling to estimate model parameters, such as the dip, it also is important to estimate the corresponding uncertainty in the model parameters. For gravity data, these uncertainties are dependent on the uncertainty in the Bouguer-corrected data. The uncertainty in the gravity meter reading and the height used in the free-air and Bouguer corrections are among the most important factors influencing the uncertainty in the Bouguer-corrected data. We use two methods for estimating the uncertainty in the Bouguer-corrected data, which give similar answers (0.121 mGal and 0.109 mGal). The uncertainty in the model parameters can be estimated by perturbing the corrected data multiple times by amounts consistent with the estimated uncertainty in the corrected gravity. The standard deviation of the model parameters derived from each perturbed data set gives an estimate of their uncertainty. Using this procedure for Bouguer gravity profiles that cross the Porcupine Destor Fault (a fault that is prospective for gold in the Timmins camp of Ontario, Canada), we find that the uncertainty in the dip is 1° or 2°, assuming a planar or linear fault. If the uncertainty in the corrected data had been 1 mGal (a value typical of regional surveys, instead of 0.1 mGal for a local survey), then the uncertainty in the dip is 41° for the same model. Thus, knowing the uncertainties in the corrected data are very important for estimating the uncertainty in model parameters. Conversely, if a model parameter is known to be required to a specific precision, the survey can be planned so that the corrected gravity has an uncertainty appropriate to achieve that precision.
Chemical oscillation in ultracold chemistry
Authors: Modak Subhrajit , Das Priyam , Mishra Challenger , Panigrahi Prasanta K.
Published: February 2024

We demonstrate the occurrence of oscillatory reactions in the ultra-cold chemistry of atom-molecular Bose-Einstein condensate. Nonlinear oscillations in the mean-field dynamics occur for a specific range of elliptic modulus, giving rise to both in- and out-phase modulations in the atom-molecule population density. The reaction front velocity is found to be controlled by photoassociation, which also regulates the condensate density. Two distinct pairs of in-phase bright localized gap solitons are found as exact solutions, the existence of one of which necessarily requires a background. Cnoidal atomic density waves along with a plane-wave molecular motion are observed in both attractive and repulsive domains. The role of intra- and inter-species interactions on both existence and stability is explicated in the presence of photoassociation.