bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Food Blogs to Family Meals
Authors: Spaccarotella Kim , Gido Jaclyn
Published: March 2022

This study examined the quality and healthfulness of articles and recipes on food blogs to inform nurses, other health professionals, and patients using these as resources. Recipes from 50 blogs on Feedspot.com were analyzed for nutrient content and congruency of nutrition information. Of the 178 recipes, 5.6% were low calorie, 7.3% were low in total fat, 15.2% were low sodium, and 89.3% had ≤100 kcal of total sugar. Snack recipes contained significantly less mean sodium (P = .001), and 21% of blogs provided nutrition tips with incongruent or mixed congruency recommendations. Nurses, other health professionals, and consumers should evaluate cooking blogs carefully when using them for nutrition and recipe advice.
Accuracy of the Data of Biochemical Parameters in Blood Collected Above the Infusion Insertion Site
Authors: Koike Shotaro , Sasaki Shinsuke , Yano Rika
Published: March 2022

The authors aimed to investigate the possibility of collecting blood samples from above patient intravenous infusion sites by temporarily stopping the infusions while collecting the blood. A hypotonic infusion solution was administered to 5 male patients through the cephalic veins in the forearms of their left upper limbs. The biochemical data of blood collected from the median cubital veins of both patients' arms were compared. The results showed that infusions could change some biochemical test parameters, such as potassium and glucose, to higher levels, even if the infusion was interrupted temporarily during the blood collection from above the insertion site. Blood counts remained unchanged under the same conditions. If the evaluation is performed solely to assess blood counts, using a blood collection site above the insertion site by temporarily interrupting the infusion is feasible.
Influence of Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters With Proximal Valves on Red Blood Cell Hemolysis During Transfusion
Authors: Jacinto Amanda Karina de Lima , de Melo Mendes Maria Teresa , Kusahara Denise Miyuki , Pedreira Mavilde da Luz Gonçalves , Avelar Ariane Ferreira Machado
Published: March 2022

The aim of this study was to verify the occurrence of hemolysis after infusion of packed red blood cells (PRBCs) in 12 peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) with a proximal valve, according to size and infusion rate. This was an experimental in vitro study performed under laboratory-controlled conditions, and the sample was composed of 12 PICCs with proximal valves (3F and 4F catheter). Twelve type A+ aliquots from 10 PRBCs were analyzed preinfusion and postinfusion according to PICC size and infusion rate. Hemolysis markers, total hemoglobin (g/dL), hematocrit (%), free hemoglobin (g/dL), potassium (mmol/L), lactate dehydrogenase (U/L), and rate of hemolysis (%) were studied. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance and Bonferroni multiple comparison tests. After the infusions in 3F PICCs, an increase was seen in rate of hemolysis (P = .003) and free hemoglobin (P = .014), in addition to a reduction in total hemoglobin (P = .002), with significant influence of minimum and maximum flow rates on the rate of hemolysis. The study finding indicated that the smaller catheter size and the infusion rate influenced variations in some hemolysis markers, but the alterations observed in the hemolysis markers would not contraindicate the infusion of PRBCs by 3F and 4F PICCs with proximal valves.
Future modalities to assess fracture healing
Authors: Lee Christopher , Copp Jonathan
Published: March 2022

Objectives:

Fracture healing remains a complex process routinely evaluated in clinical practice with sequential radiographs. Assessing the presence of union is a critical issue in patient care, with widespread implications in terms of overall decision-making and postoperative rehabilitation. Nonunion assessment, whether it be with radiographs or more advanced imaging, has far-reaching consequences for the patient in addition to the health care system. The purpose of this review was to explore new, emerging modalities for the assessment of fracture healing.

Methods:

A review of the current, relevant literature regarding the use of serologic markers and radiostereometric analysis was conducted, and the results were summarized.

Results:

Emerging techniques to assess fracture healing have been evaluated, including the use of serologic markers as well as radiostereometric analysis. Their potential applications extend beyond the simple assessment of a united fracture, with the capacity to predict nonunion at earlier phases of care.

Conclusions:

While early results appear promising, the current application of serologic markers and radiostereometric analysis as a means to assess fracture healing remains limited, and future larger-scale studies are needed to establish concrete and tailored guidelines for use.
Enhancing fracture repair: cell-based approaches
Authors: Wixted John , Challa Sravya , Nazarian Ara
Published: March 2022

Fracture repair is based both on the macrolevel modulation of fracture fragments and the subsequent cellular activity. Surgeons have also long recognized other influences on cellular behavior: the effect of the fracture or subsequent surgery on the available pool of cells present locally in the periosteum, the interrelated effects of fragment displacement, and construct stiffness on healing potential, patient pathophysiology and systemic disease conditions (such as diabetes), and external regulators of the skeletal repair (such as smoking or effect of medications). A wide variety of approaches have been applied to enhancing fracture repair by manipulation of cellular biology. Many of these approaches reflect our growing understanding of the cellular physiology that underlies skeletal regeneration. This review focuses on approaches to manipulating cell lineages, influencing paracrine and autocrine cell signaling, or applying other strategies to influence cell surface receptors and subsequent behavior. Scientists continue to evolve new approaches to pharmacologically enhancing the fracture repair process.
An in vivo rabbit joint injury model to measure trauma-induced coagulopathy and the effect of timing of administration of ketotifen fumarate on posttraumatic joint contracture
Authors: You Daniel , Maarouf Nadia , Hildebrand Kevin , Soo Andrea , Schneider Prism
Published: March 2022

Objectives:

Using a rabbit in vivo joint injury model, the primary objective of the study was to determine if a relationship exists between earlier time to initiation of ketotifen fumarate (KF) treatment and posttraumatic joint contracture (PTJC) reduction. The secondary objective was to determine if a coagulation response could be detected with serial thrombelastography (TEG) analysis following acute trauma in this model.

Methods:

PTJC of the knee were created in 25 skeletally mature, New Zealand White rabbits. Five groups of 5 animals were studied: a control group that received twice daily subcutaneous injections of normal saline and 4 treatment groups that received twice daily subcutaneous injections of KF (0.5 mg/kg) starting immediately, 1-, 2-, and 4-weeks post-injury. After 8 weeks of immobilization, flexion contractures were measured biomechanically. Serial TEG analysis was performed on the control group animals pre-injury and weekly post-injury.

Results:

The average joint contracture in the Control Group (43.1° ± 16.2°) was higher than all KF treatment groups; however, the differences were not statistically significant. The average joint contracture was lowest in the 2-week post-injury treatment group (29.4° ± 12.1°), although not statistically significant compared to the other treatment groups. Serial TEG analysis demonstrated significantly higher mean maximal amplitude (maximal amplitude = 68.9 ± 1.7 mm; P < .001), alpha-angle (81.9° ± 0.9°; P < .001), and coagulation index (4.5 ± 0.3; P < .001) 1-week post-injury, which normalized to pre-injury values by 5-weeks post-injury.

Conclusions:

The use of the mast cell stabilizer KF within 2 weeks of injury demonstrated a nonsignificant trend towards reducing joint contracture in a rabbit in vivo model of PTJC. TEG and the in vivo rabbit joint injury model may be valuable in future preclinical studies of venous thromboembolism prevention and furthering our understanding of the pathophysiology of posttraumatic hypercoagulability.
Modulation of LTCC Pathways by a Melusin Mimetic Increases Ventricular Contractility During LPS-Induced Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Arina Pietro , Sorge Matteo , Gallo Andrea , Di Mauro Vittoria , Vitale Nicoletta , Cappello Paola , Brazzi Luca , Barandalla-Sobrados Maria , Cimino James , Ranieri V. Marco , Altruda Fiorella , Singer Mervyn , Catalucci Daniele , Brancaccio Mara , Fanelli Vito
Published: March 2022

Aim:

Sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy is commonplace and carries an increased risk of death. Melusin, a cardiac muscle-specific chaperone, exerts cardioprotective function under varied stressful conditions through activation of the AKT pathway. The objective of this study was to determine the role of melusin in the pathogenesis of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cardiac dysfunction and to explore its signaling pathway for the identification of putative therapeutic targets.

Methods and results:

Prospective, randomized, controlled experimental study in a research laboratory. Melusin overexpressing (MelOV) and wild-type (MelWT) mice were used. MelOV and MelWT mice were injected intraperitoneally with LPS. Cardiac function was assessed using trans-thoracic echocardiography. Myocardial expression of L-type calcium channel (LTCC), phospho-Akt and phospho-Gsk3-b were also measured. In separate experiments, wild-type mice were treated post-LPS challenge with the allosteric Akt inhibitor Arq092 and a mimetic peptide (R7W-MP) targeting the LTCC. The impact of these therapies on protein–protein interactions, cardiac function, and survival was assessed. MelOV mice had limited derangement in cardiac function after LPS challenge. Protection was associated with higher Akt and Gsk3-b phosphorylation and restored LTCC density. Pharmacological inhibition of Akt activity reversed melusin-dependent cardiac protection. Treatment with R7W-MP preserved cardiac function in wild-type mice after LPS challenge and significantly improved survival.

Conclusions:

This study identifies AKT/Melusin as a key pathway for preserving cardiac function following LPS challenge. The cell-permeable mimetic peptide (R7W-MP) represents a putative therapeutic for sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy.
Does patient preference for online or telephone follow-up impact on response rates and data completeness following injury?
Authors: Gabbe Belinda J. , Hart Melissa J. , Brown Amanda , McLellan Susan , Morgan Meredith J. , Beck Ben , de Steiger Richard S. , Cameron Peter A.
Published: March 2022

BACKGROUND

Routine collection of patient-reported outcomes is needed to better understand recovery, benchmark between trauma centers and systems, and monitor outcomes over time. A key component of follow-up methodology is the mode of administration of outcome measures with multiple options available. We aimed to quantify patient preference and compare the response rates and data completeness for telephone and online completion in trauma patients.

METHODS

A registry-based cohort study of adult (16 years and older) patients registered to the Victorian State Trauma Registry and Victorian Orthopedic Trauma Outcomes Registry from April 2020 to December 2020 was undertaken. Survivors to discharge were contacted by telephone and offered the option of telephone or online completion of 6-month follow-up using the five-level EuroQol five-dimension (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire and the 12-item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS). The online and telephone groups were compared for differences in characteristics, follow-up rates, and data completeness. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictors of choosing online completion.

RESULTS

Of the 3,886 patients, 51% (n = 1,994) chose online follow-up, and the follow-up rates were lower for online (77%), compared with telephone (89%), follow-up. Younger age, higher socioeconomic status, and preferred language other than English were associated with higher adjusted odds of choosing online completion. Admission to intensive care was associated with lower adjusted odds of choosing online completion. Completion rate for the EQ-5D-5L utility score was 97% for both groups. A valid total 12-WHODAS score could be calculated for 63% of online respondents compared with 86% for the telephone group.

CONCLUSION

More than half of trauma patients opted for online completion. Completion rates did differ depending on the questionnaire and telephone follow-up rates were higher. Nevertheless, given the wide diversity of the trauma population, the high rate of online uptake, and potential resource constraints, the study findings largely support the use of dual methods for follow-up.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic/Epidemiological, Level III.
Advanced medical monitoring for the battlefield: A review on clinical applicability of compensatory reserve measurements for early and accurate hemorrhage detection
Authors: Convertino Victor A. , Cardin Sylvain
Published: March 2022

Hemorrhagic shock remains the leading cause of mortality in civilian trauma and battlefield settings. The ability of combat medics and other military medical personnel to obtain early identification and assessment of a bleeding casualty is hampered by the use of standard vital signs that fail to provide early predictive indicators of the onset of shock because of compensatory mechanisms. Over the past decade, the emergence and application of new technologies that incorporate the use of artificial intelligence have revealed that continuous, real-time arterial waveform analysis (AWFA) reflects the recruitment of such compensatory mechanism. As such, AWFA can provide early hemorrhage detection and indication of the onset of overt shock compared with standard vital signs. In this review, we provide for the first time a summary of clinical data collected in patients with varying conditions of blood loss, sepsis, and resuscitation with direct comparison of AWFA and standard vital signs. Receiver operating characteristic area under the curve data clearly demonstrate that AWFA provides greater accuracy with early indicators for changes in blood volume compared with standard vital signs. A consistently greater sensitivity generated by AWFA compared with vital signs is associated with its ability to provide earlier hemorrhage detection, while higher specificity reflects its propensity to distinguish “poor” compensators (i.e., those with relatively low tolerance to blood loss) from “good” compensators. The data presented in this review demonstrate that integration of AWFA into medical monitoring capabilities has the potential to improve clinical outcomes of casualties by providing earlier and individualized assessment of blood loss and resuscitation.
Improvement of Mineral and Bone Disorders After Renal Transplantation
Authors: Ferreira Ana Carina , Mendes Marco , Silva Cecília , Cotovio Patrícia , Aires Inês , Navarro David , Caeiro Fernando , Ramos Rúben , Salvador Rute , Correia Bruna , Cabral Guadalupe , Nolasco Fernando , Ferreira Aníbal
Published: March 2022

Background.

Posttransplant mineral and bone diseases are causes of fractures, and their association with cardiovascular events is being studied.

Methods.

We analyzed the evolution of biochemical, histological, and imaging parameters pre– and 1 y post–renal transplantation in 69 patients and correlated mineral and bone findings with coronary calcifications. At inclusion and after 12 mo, clinical data and echocardiographic findings were recorded, and laboratory evaluations, radiography of the pelvis and hands, and bone biopsy were performed. Noncontrast cardiac computed tomography was performed during the second evaluation.

Results.

Serum levels of fibroblast growth factor 23 and sclerostin decreased in all patients, parathyroid hormone levels decreased in 89.8% of patients, bone alkaline phosphatase levels decreased in 68.1% of patients, and alpha-Klotho levels increased in 65.2% of patients. More than half of the patients presented with renal osteodystrophy at both biopsies, but histological findings improved: a significant transition from high to normal or low turnover and no significant differences in volume, mineralization defect, or cortical porosity at the 2 evaluations. Alpha-Klotho, sclerostin, and bone alkaline phosphatase shifts affect bone changes. Neither echocardiographic findings nor vascular calcification scores differed between the 2 points. Both the pretransplant period (dialysis vintage, sclerostin, and low bone volume at baseline) and the maintenance of abnormalities in the posttransplant period (high turnover posttransplant) were the most reliable predictors of the severity of the coronary calcification percentile.

Conclusions.

Renal transplantation improved bone and mineral abnormalities. The pretransplant period determines the severity of calcification.
The Role of Procurement Biopsies in Kidney Acceptance Decision Making and Kidney Discard: Perceptions of Physicians, Nurse Coordinators, and OPO Staff and Directors
Authors: Schantz Karolina , Gordon Elisa J. , Lee Unsun , Rocha Maria , Friedewald John , Ladner Daniela P. , Becker Yolanda , Formica Richard , Reese Peter P. , Kaufman Dixon , Barah Masoud , Walker Marissa , Mehrotra Om , Viveros Dania , Mehrotra Sanjay
Published: March 2022

Background.

Procurement biopsies suffer from challenges with quality and reproducibility and are linked to kidney discard. Nonetheless, procurement biopsies are obtained for the majority of kidneys in the United States, and biopsy findings are commonly relied upon in kidney acceptance decisions.

Methods.

We conducted in-depth, semistructured interviews with 30 surgeons, nephrologists, nurse coordinators, and organ procurement organization (OPO) staff and directors to assess perceptions of factors contributing to kidney discard and strategies to reduce kidney discard, with a focus on the role of procurement biopsies. Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data.

Results.

Three main themes emerged: (1) participants emphasized the importance of biopsy findings in making acceptance decisions but expressed concerns about a lack of standardization and quality control; (2) participants reported large variations in the level of importance placed on biopsy findings, the level of reliance on glomerulosclerosis in particular, and the cutoffs used; and (3) participants disagreed about how often procurement biopsies should be taken, with some supporting stricter limits on which kidneys are biopsied and others preferring a biopsy for most kidney offers.

Conclusions.

These findings support the development of standard practices for which kidneys require biopsy, how the biopsy material is prepared, and how the biopsy is interpreted. Variability in kidney acceptance practices across centers and the use of biopsy findings in guiding recipient selection also lend support to policies to allocate kidneys with suboptimal histological findings to the centers that are willing to use such kidneys and the patients who could most benefit from such offers.
Higher levels of myelin are associated with higher resistance against tau pathology in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Rubinski Anna , Franzmeier Nicolai , Dewenter Anna , Luan Ying , Smith Ruben , Strandberg Olof , Ossenkoppele Rik , Dichgans Martin , Hansson Oskar , Ewers Michael ,   Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI)
Published: March 2022

In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), pathologic tau gradually progresses from initially circumscribed predilection regions to closely connected cortical regions. The pattern of tau-deposition is of critical importance for the clinical expression of AD, but the factors that underlie region-dependent susceptibility and resistance to tau pathology remain elusive. Motivated by brain-autopsy findings suggesting late thinly myelinated regions are the first to develop tau pathology, we investigated whether the level of myelination in fiber-tracts and cortex is predictive of region-specific tau accumulation. To address this hypothesis, we combined MRI-derived template of normative myelin distribution with tau-PET imaging from two independent samples of AD-biomarker characterized participants. We found that higher myelinated cortical regions show lower tau-PET uptake in spatially corresponding areas and regions connected by highly myelinated fiber-tracts show lower rates of tau spreading. These findings were independent of amyloid-PET levels. Together, our findings suggest that higher myelination is an important resistance factor against tau pathology in AD.
Detecting eczema areas in digital images: an impossible task?
Authors: Hurault Guillem , Pan Kevin , Mokhtari Ricardo , Olabi Bayanne , Earp Eleanor , Steele Lloyd , Williams Hywel C. , Tanaka Reiko J.
Published: March 2022

Assessing the severity of atopic dermatitis (AD, or eczema) traditionally relies on a face-to-face assessment by healthcare professionals, and may suffer from inter- and intra-rater variability. With the expanding role of telemedicine, several machine learning algorithms have been proposed to automatically assess AD severity from digital images. Those algorithms usually detect and then delineate (“segment”) AD lesions before assessing lesional severity, and are trained using the data of AD areas detected by healthcare professionals. To evaluate the reliability of such data, we estimated the inter-rater reliability of AD segmentation in digital images.

Four dermatologists independently segmented AD lesions in 80 digital images collected in a published clinical trial. We estimated the inter-rater reliability of the AD segmentation using the intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) at the pixel-level and the area-levels for different resolutions of the images. The average ICC was 0.45 (SE = 0.04) corresponding to a “poor” agreement between raters, while the degree of agreement for AD segmentation varied from image to image.

The AD segmentation in digital images is highly rater-dependent even between dermatologists. Such limitations need to be taken into consideration when the AD segmentation data are used to train machine learning algorithms that assess eczema severity.
Culture and identification of a “Deltamicron” SARS-CoV-2 in a three cases cluster in southern France
Authors: Colson Philippe , Fournier Pierre-Edouard , Delerce Jeremy , Million Matthieu , Bedotto Marielle , Houhamdi Linda , Yahi Nouara , Bayette Jeremy , Levasseur Anthony , Fantini Jacques , Raoult Didier , Scola Bernard La
Published: March 2022

Multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants have successively, or concommitantly spread worldwide since summer 2020. A few co-infections with different variants were reported and genetic recombinations, common among coronaviruses, were reported or suspected based on co-detection of signature mutations of different variants in a given genome. Here we report three infections in southern France with a Delta 21J/AY.4-Omicron 21K/BA.1 “Deltamicron” recombinant. The hybrid genome harbors signature mutations of the two lineages, supported by a mean sequencing depth of 1,163-1,421 reads and mean nucleotide diversity of 0.1-0.6%. It is composed of the near full-length spike gene (from codons 156-179) of an Omicron 21K/BA.1 variant in a Delta 21J/AY.4 lineage backbone. Importantly, we cultured an isolate of this recombinant and sequenced its genome. It was observed by scanning electron microscopy. As it is misidentified with current variant screening qPCR, we designed and implemented for routine diagnosis a specific duplex qPCR. Finally, structural analysis of the recombinant spike suggested its hybrid content could optimize viral binding to the host cell membrane. These findings prompt further studies of the virological, epidemiological, and clinical features of this recombinant.
A qualitative examination of the factors affecting the adoption of injury focused wearable technologies in recreational runners
Authors: Lacey Aisling , Whyte Enda , O’Keefe Sinéad , O’Connor Siobhán , Moran Kieran
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Understanding users’ perceived usefulness and ease of use of technologies will influence their adoption and sustained use. The objectives of this study were to determine the metrics deemed important by runners for monitoring running-related injury (RRI) risk, and identify the barriers and facilitators to their use of injury focused wearable technologies.

Methods

A qualitative focus group study was undertaken. Nine semi-structured focus groups with male (n=13) and female (n=14) recreational runners took place. Focus groups were audio and video recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were thematically analysed. A critical friend approach was taken to data coding, and multiple methods of trustworthiness were executed.

Results

Excessive loading and inadequate recovery were deemed the most important risk factors to monitor for RRI risk. Other important factors included training activities, injury status and history, and running technique. The location and attachment method of a wearable device and the design of a smartphone application were identified as important barriers and facilitators, with receiving useful injury-related feedback identified as a further facilitator.

Conclusions

Overtraining, training-related and individual- related risk factors are essential metrics that need to be monitored for RRI risk. RRI apps should include the metrics deemed important by runners, once there is supporting evidence- based research. The difficulty and/or ease of use of a device, and receiving useful feedback will influence the adoption of injury focused running technologies. There is a clear willingness from recreational runners to adopt injury focused wearable technologies whilst running.
A chronopharmacology-friendly multi-target therapeutics based on AI: the example of therapeutic hypothermia
Authors: Liu Fei , Jiang Xiangkang , Zhang Mao
Published: March 2022

Nowadays, the complexity of disease mechanisms and inadequacy of single-target therapies in restoring the biological system has inevitably instigated the strategy of multi-target therapeutics with the application of hybrid and chimeric drugs. However, the related method is still unable to solve the conflicts between targets or between drugs. With the release of high-precision protein structure prediction artificial intelligence (AI), large-scale high-precision protein structure prediction and docking become possible. In this article, we propose a multi-target drug discovery method. Then we take an example of therapeutic hypothermia (TH). We performed protein structure prediction for all targets of each group by AlphaFold2 and RoseTTAFold. QuickVina 2 is then used for molecular docking of the proteins and drugs. After docking, we use PageRank to get the rank of drugs and drug combinations of each group. Given the differences in the scoring of different proteins, the method can effectively avoid inhibiting beneficial proteins. So it’s friendly to chronopharmacology. This method also have potential in precision medicine for its high compatibility with bioinformatics.
Extending non-targeted exposure discovery of environmental chemical exposures during pregnancy and their association with pregnancy complications—a cross-sectional study
Authors: Trowbridge Jessica , Abrahamsson Dimitri , Jiang Ting , Wang Miaomiao , Park June-Soo , Morello-Frosch Rachel , Sirota Marina , Goin Dana E. , Zlatnick Marya , Woodruff Tracey J.
Published: March 2022

Background

Non-targeted Analysis (NTA) methods identify novel exposures; however, few chemicals have been quantified and interrogated with pregnancy complications.

Objectives

We characterize levels of nine exogenous and endogenous chemicals in maternal and cord blood identified, selected, and confirmed in prior NTA steps including: linear and branched isomers perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS); perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS); monoethylhexyl phthalate; 4-nitrophenol; tetraethylene glycol; tridecanedioic acid, octadecanedioic acid; and deoxycholic acid. We evaluate relationships between maternal and cord levels and the relationship gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in a diverse pregnancy cohort in San Francisco.

Methods

We collected matched maternal and cord serum samples from 302 pregnant people at delivery from the Chemicals in Our Bodies cohort in San Francisco. Chemicals were identified via NTA and quantified using targeted approaches. We calculate distributions and Spearman correlation coefficients testing the relationship of chemicals within and between the maternal and cord blood matrices. We used logistic regression to calculate the odds of GDM and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy associated with an interquartile range increase in maternal chemical exposures.

Results

We detected linear PFOS, PFHxS, octadecanedioic acid, and deoxycholic acid in at least 97% of maternal samples. Correlations ranged between -0.1 and 0.9. We observed strong correlations between cord and maternal levels of PFHxS (coefficient = 0.9), linear PFOS (0.8), and branched PFOS (0.8). An IQR increase in linear PFOS, branched PFOS, and octadecanedioic acid is associated with increased odds of GDM [OR (95%CI): 1.43 (0.96, 2.14), 1.56 (1.00, 2.44), and 1.26 (0.83, 1.92) respectively] and tridecanedioic acid positively associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy [1.28 (0.90, 1.86)].

Discussion

We identified both exogenous and endogenous chemicals, two of which (octadecanedioic acid and tridecanedioic acid) have both endogenous and exogenous sources, and which have seldom been quantified in pregnant people or related to pregnancy complications.
Factors Associated With Post-craniotomy Headache After Microvascular Decompression in Hemifacial Spasm
Authors: Huang Jiashang , Li Yi , Jiang Li , Li Xin , Zhan Yan
Published: March 2022

Objective

Patients who undergo microvascular decompression (MVD) often experience post-craniotomy headache (PCH), while the PCH is always neglected. This study is aimed to describe the natural course and risk factors of PCH.

Methods

The severity and duration of PCH in 87 patients who undergo MVD were recorded. Factors related to the severity and duration of PCH were analyzed.

Results

Most patients (63.2%) had at least one assessment of moderate to severe PCH. Almost all patients (92%) would gradually decrease to disappear within 7 days. A small number of patients (25.5%) had PCH at the incision, and other patients had PCH inside the head. Younger age and gas in the prepontine cistern were the salient features of patients in the severe group. Younger, higher SAS, gas in the prepontine cistern area, and postoperative fever were independent risk factors that affect the duration of PCH.

Conclusions

PCH is the most common and self-limiting complication after MVD among patients with HFS. Young age, temperature > 38°C after MVD within 24h, and gas around the TN are associated may predict the severity and duration of PCH.

Significance

This is the first study to describe the severity, duration, location, and risk factors of PCH.
Emergence and Spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant in Alberta Communities Revealed by Wastewater Monitoring
Authors: Hubert Casey R.J. , Acosta Nicole , Waddell Barbara J. , Hasing Maria E. , Qiu Yuanyuan , Fuzzen Meghan , Harper Nathanael B.J. , Bautista María A. , Gao Tiejun , Papparis Chloe , Van Doorn Jenn , Du Kristine , Xiang Kevin , Chan Leslie , Vivas Laura , Pradhan Puja , McCalder Janine , Low Kashtin , England Whitney E. , Kuzma Darina , Conly John , Ryan M. Cathryn , Achari Gopal , Hu Jia , Cabaj Jason L. , Sikora Chris , Svenson Larry , Zelyas Nathan , Servos Mark , Meddings Jon , Hrudey Steve E. , Frankowski Kevin , Parkins Michael D. , Pang Xiaoli (Lilly) , Lee Bonita E.
Published: March 2022

Wastewater monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 allows for early detection and monitoring of COVID-19 burden in communities and can track specific variants of concern. Targeted assays enabled relative proportions of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and Delta variants to be determined across 30 municipalities covering >75% of the province of Alberta (pop. 4.5M) in Canada, from November 2021 to January 2022. Larger cities like Calgary and Edmonton exhibited a more rapid emergence of Omicron relative to smaller and more remote municipalities. Notable exceptions were Banff, a small international resort town, and Fort McMurray, a more remote northern city with a large fly-in worker population. The integrated wastewater signal revealed that the Omicron variant represented close to 100% of SARS-CoV-2 burden prior to the observed increase in newly diagnosed clinical cases throughout Alberta, which peaked two weeks later. These findings demonstrate that wastewater monitoring offers early and reliable population-level results for establishing the extent and spread of emerging pathogens including SARS-CoV-2 variants.
KMCP: accurate metagenomic profiling of both prokaryotic and viral populations by pseudo-mapping
Authors: Shen Wei , Xiang Hongyan , Huang Tianquan , Tang Hui , Peng Mingli , Cai Dachuan , Hu Peng , Ren Hong
Published: March 2022

Motivation

The growing number of microbial reference genomes enables the improvement of metagenomic profiling accuracy but also imposes greater requirements on the indexing efficiency, database size, and runtime of taxonomic profilers. Additionally, most profilers focus mainly on bacterial, archaeal, and fungal populations, while less attention is paid to viral communities.

Results

We present KMCP, a novelk-mer-based metagenomic profiling tool that utilizes genome coverage information by splitting the reference genomes into chunks and then storesk-mers in a modified and optimized COBS index for fast alignment-free sequence searching. KMCP combinesk-mer similarity and genome coverage information to reduce the false positive rate ofk-mer-based taxonomic classification and profiling methods. Benchmarking results based on simulated and real data demonstrate that KMCP, despite a longer running time than all other methods, not only allows the accurate taxonomic profiling of prokaryotic and viral populations but also provides confident pathogen detection in clinical samples of low depth.

Availability and Implementation

The software is open-source under the MIT license and available athttps://github.com/shenwei356/kmcp.
Botrytis cinereastrains infecting grapevine and tomato display contrasted repertoires of accessory chromosomes, transposons and small RNAs
Authors: Simon Adeline , Mercier Alex , Gladieux Pierre , Poinssot Benoît , Walker Anne-Sophie , Viaud Muriel
Published: March 2022

Abstract

The fungusBotrytis cinereais a polyphagous pathogen that encompasses multiple host-specialized lineages. While several secreted proteins, secondary metabolites and retrotransposons-derived small RNAs have been characterized as virulence factors, their roles in host specialization remain unknown. The aim of this study was to identify the genomic correlates of host-specialization in populations ofB. cinereaassociated with grapevine and tomato. Using PacBio sequencing, we produced complete assemblies of the genomes of strains Sl3 and Vv3 that represent the French populations T and G1 ofB. cinerea, specialized on tomato and grapevine, respectively. Both assemblies revealed 16 core chromosomes that were highly syntenic with chromosomes of the reference strain B05.10. The main sources of variation in gene content were the subtelomeric regions and the accessory chromosomes, especially the chromosome BCIN19 of Vv3 that was absent in Sl3 and B05.10. The repertoires and density of transposable elements were clearly different between the genomes of Sl3 and Vv3 with a larger number of subfamilies (26) and a greater genome coverage in Vv3 (7.7%) than in Sl3 (14 subfamilies, 4.5% coverage). An Helitron-like element was found in almost all subtelomeric regions of the Vv3 genome, in particular in the flanking regions of a highly duplicated gene encoding a Telomere-Linked Helicase, while both features were absent from the Sl3 and B05.10 genomes. Different retrotransposons in the Sl3 and the Vv3 strains resulted in the synthesis of distinct sets of small RNAs. Finally, extending the study to additional strains indicated that the accessory chromosome BCIN19 and the small RNAs producing retrotransposons Copia_4 and Gypsy_7 are common features of the G1 population that are scarcely if ever found in strains isolated from other populations. This research reveals that accessory chromosomes, repertoires of transposons and their derived small RNAs differ between populations ofB. cinereaspecialized on different hosts. The genomic data characterized in our study pave the way for further studies aiming at investigating the molecular mechanisms underpinning host specialization in a polyphagous pathogen.
Locus coeruleus integrity predicts ease of attaining and maintaining neural states of high attentiveness
Authors: Hussain Sana , Menchaca Isaac , Shalchy Mahsa Alizadeh , Yaghoubi Kimia , Langley Jason , Seitz Aaron R. , Hu Xiaoping P. , Peters Megan A. K.
Published: March 2022

The locus coeruleus (LC), a small subcortical structure in the brainstem, is the brain’s principal source of norepinephrine. It plays a primary role in regulating stress, the sleep-wake cycle, and attention, and its degradation is associated with aging and neurodegenerative diseases associated with cognitive deficits (e.g., Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s). Yet precisely how norepinephrine drives brain networks to support healthy cognitive function remains poorly understood – partly because LC’s small size makes it difficult to study noninvasively in humans. Here, we characterized LC’s influence on brain dynamics using a hidden Markov model fitted to functional neuroimaging data from healthy young adults across four attention-related brain networks and LC. We modulated LC activity using a behavioral paradigm and measured individual differences in LC magnetization transfer contrast. The model revealed five hidden states, including a stable state dominated by salience-network activity that occurred when subjects actively engaged with the task. LC magnetization transfer contrast correlated with this state’s stability across experimental manipulations and with subjects’ propensity to enter into and remain in this state. These results provide new insight into LC’s role in driving spatiotemporal neural patterns associated with attention, and demonstrate that variation in LC integrity can explain individual differences in these patterns even in healthy young adults.
Modulation of brain activity by psycholinguistic information during naturalistic speech comprehension and production
Authors: Wu Wei , Morales Matías , Patel Tanvi , Pickering Martin J. , Hoffman Paul
Published: March 2022

Language processing requires the integration of diverse sources of information across multiple levels of processing. A range of psycholinguistic properties have been documented in previous studies as having influence on brain activation during language processing. However, most of those studies have used factorial designs to probe the effect of one or two individual properties using highly controlled stimuli and experimental paradigms. Little is known about the neural correlates of psycholinguistic properties in more naturalistic discourse, especially during language production. The aim of our study is to explore the above issues in a rich fMRI dataset in which participants both listened to recorded passages of discourse and produced their own narrative discourse in response to prompts. Specifically, we measured 13 psycholinguistic properties of the discourse comprehended or produced by the participants, and we used principal components analysis (PCA) to address covariation in these properties and extract a smaller set of latent language characteristics. These latent components indexed vocabulary complexity, sensory-motor and emotional language content, discourse coherence and speech quantity. A parametric approach was adopted to study the effects of these psycholinguistic variables on brain activation during comprehension and production. We found that the pattern of effects across the cortex was somewhat convergent across comprehension and production. However, the degree of convergence varied across language properties, being strongest for the component indexing sensory-motor language content. We report the full, unthresholded effect maps for each psycholinguistic variable, as well as mapping how these effects change along a large-scale cortical gradient of brain function. We believe that our findings provide a valuable starting point for future, confirmatory studies of discourse processing.
Multi-scale model suggests the trade-off between protein and ATP demand as a driver of metabolic changes during yeast replicative ageing
Authors: Schnitzer Barbara , Österberg Linnea , Skopa Iro , Cvijovic Marija
Published: March 2022

The accumulation of protein damage is one of the major drivers of replicative ageing, describing a cell’s reduced ability to reproduce over time even under optimal conditions. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are precursors of protein damage and therefore tightly linked to ageing. At the same time, they are an inevitable by-product of the cell’s metabolism. Cells are able to sense high levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and can subsequently adapt their metabolism through gene regulation to slow down damage accumulation. However, the older or damaged a cell is the less flexibility it has to allocate enzymes across the metabolic network, forcing further adaptions in the metabolism. To investigate changes in the metabolism during replicative ageing, we developed an multi-scale mathematical model using budding yeast as a model organism. The model consists of three interconnected modules: a Boolean model of the signalling network, an enzyme-constrained flux balance model of the central carbon metabolism and a dynamic model of growth and protein damage accumulation with discrete cell divisions. The model can explain known features of replicative ageing, like average lifespan and increase in generation time during successive division, in yeast wildtype cells by a decreasing pool of functional enzymes and an increasing energy demand for maintenance. We further used the model to identify three consecutive metabolic phases, that a cell can undergo during its life, and their influence on the replicative potential, and proposed an intervention span for lifespan control.
Composition and functionality of bacterioplankton communities in marine coastal zones adjacent to finfish aquaculture
Authors: Da Silva R.R.P. , White C.A. , Bowman J.P. , Ross D.J.
Published: March 2022

Finfish aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing primary industries globally and is increasingly common in coastal ecosystems. Bacterioplankton is ubiquitous in marine environment and respond rapidly to environmental changes. However, little is known about the effect of the aquaculture in the bacterioplankton community. This study aims to examine aquaculture effects in the composition and functional profiles of the bacterioplankton community using amplicon sequencing along a distance gradient from two finfish leases in a marine embayment. Our results revealed natural stratification in bacterioplankton strongly associated to NOx, conductivity, salinity, temperature and PO4. Among the differentially abundant bacteria in leases, we found members associated with nutrient enrichment and aquaculture activities. Abundant predicted functions near leases were assigned to organic matter degradation, fermentation, and antibiotic resistance. This study provides a first effort to describe changes in the bacterioplankton community composition and function due to finfish aquaculture in a semi-enclosed and highly stratified embayment.
Circuit-Specific Targeting of Astrocytes for Genetic Control
Authors: Thompson Alyssa , Arano Rachel , Ramos Katarina , Kim Yerim , Li Ying , Xu Wei
Published: March 2022

Astrocytes are integral functional components of brain circuits. They ensheath the connections between neurons to form tripartite synapses. They react to local neuronal activities and release signaling molecules to regulate synaptic transmission. Their dysfunctions impair synaptic functions and are implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders. Increasing evidence indicates that astrocytes are diverse and they have distinct features and functions in different circuits. However, selectively targeting and controlling astrocytes in a circuit-specific manner is technically challenging. Recently we constructed a series of anterograde transneuronal viral vectors based on the yellow fever vaccine YFV-17D. These YFV-17D derivatives express fluorescent proteins almost exclusively in neurons. However, we find that YFV-17D carrying DNA recombinase Cre infect astrocytes associated with the traced neuronal pathways and express Cre to turn on reporter genes. The targeting of astrocytes is at a whole-brain level but specific to the neuronal circuits traced. Therefore, YFV-17D vectors carrying DNA recombinases provide tools for selectively and genetically targeting pathway-specific astrocytes. This new technology will also allow us to reveal the roles of astrocytes in specific neuronal circuits in normal brain functions and diseases.
SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance enables the identification of Delta/Omicron co-infections in Argentina
Authors: Pisano María Belén , Sicilia Paola , Zeballos Maximiliano , Lucca Andrea , Fernandez Franco , Castro Gonzalo M. , Goya Stephanie , Viegas Mariana , López Laura , Barbás María Gabriela , Ré Viviana E.
Published: March 2022

Molecular surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 is crucial to early detect new variants and lineages. In addition, detection of coinfections with more than one SARS-CoV-2 lineage have been sporadically reported. In this work, surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 variants was performed on 2067 RNA samples (Ct>30) obtained during December 2021 and January 2022 from Córdoba province, Argentina, by real time RT-PCR specific for VOC/VOI relevant mutations (TaqMan™ SARS-CoV-2 Mutation Panel, Applied Biosystems). The following distribution of variants was obtained: Omicron (54.9%), Delta (44.2%) and Lambda (0.8%). Three samples (0.1%), obtained the last week of December, presented a profile compatible with a Delta/Omicron co-infection. One of them was sequenced by NGS-Illumina, obtaining reads for both VOCs. One of the studied patients presented severe symptoms, although he was not vaccinated and presented risk factors (older than 60 years, arterial hypertension). We describe for the first time in Argentina, the identification of cases of co-infection with two SARS-CoV-2 lineages, VOCs Delta and Omicron, during the third COVID-19 wave in the country (a high viral circulation period), when Delta and Omicron co-circulated. Our findings highlight the importance of continuing with molecular surveillance and co-detection studies of VOC/VOIs, in order to elucidate possible recombination events and the emergence of new variants.