bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biosolids' legacy benefits persist even 7 years after the application in a dryland wheat‐fallow cropping system
Authors: Singh Surendra , Singh Shikha , Schillinger William F. , Griffin‐LaHue Deirdre , Neely Haly
Published: December 2024

Application of biosolids can be beneficial for low carbon (C) and erosion‐prone soils of the dryland region of inland Pacific Northwest (iPNW). Biosolids have been proven to improve wheat yields and soil health in the iPNW. Although direct agronomic and environmental influences of biosolids with frequent applications have been extensively studied, research‐based information on persistence and long‐term residual or ‘legacy’ effects of biosolids applications have only rarely been reported. Therefore, this study was conducted to understand the longevity of the impacts of biosolids 7 years after the last application. The study included tillage (tandem disk vs. undercutter tillage) as the main‐plot factor and fertilizer type (biosolids vs. synthetic N + S) as the subplot factor in a split‐block experimental design. Biosolids were applied at the rate of 6.5 mt/ha (on dry weight basis to meet N requirements for two wheat crops) in 2012 and 2016. Soil samples were collected from the 0–10 cm depth in 2023 and analysed for an array of soil properties. Results showed that 7 years after the last application of biosolids, compared to the synthetic fertilizer plots, the biosolids plots had increased total C, total N, extractable P, S, Zn, Fe, Mn, and Cu and decreased soil pH, Mg, and Ca. Grain protein, soil EC, NO3−N, NH4−N, Na and B were not affected by fertilizer type. Conservation undercutter tillage showed increased soil K, Mg, OM, Zn, TN, and TC compared to traditional disk tillage. In addition, biosolids legacy showed 42% higher grain yield, 47% greater straw production, and increases in most grain yield components but 8% lower 1000‐grain weight compared to synthetic fertilizer treatments. Overall, biosolids showed improved nutrient availability, wheat grain yield, and grain yield components in a dryland region 7 years after the last application. Our data show that periodic application of biosolids improves soil health and increases grain yield in dryland wheat systems.
The Novel HLA Allele, HLA‐A*02:889, Identified by Sequence‐Based Typing in a Chinese Individual
Authors: Xia Jiaan , Li Wangxia
Published: December 2024

HLA‐A*02:889 differs from HLA‐A*02:01:01:01 by one nucleotide exchange at position 506(C>G) with an amino exchange.
Mapping the Unseen: Integrating Hiking Activities Into Spatially Explicit Cultural Ecosystem Service Assessment Through Agent‐Based Modeling
Authors: Choi Moongi , Jo Jang‐Hwan , Kim Hyeon Jung , Ji Sanghoon
Published: December 2024

This study introduces a trail‐based framework for assessing spatially explicit cultural ecosystem services (ES) at a microscale, focusing on individual trail experiences within a mountain range. By integrating agent‐based modeling with hiking data, we simulate and quantify the consumption of cultural ES by individuals on various trails, considering factors such as seasonal variations. Our approach contrasts with traditional map‐based methods by emphasizing the dynamic, activity‐based assessment of cultural ES supply and demand. The findings reveal significant spatial mismatches between the potential cultural ES provided by trails and their potential consumption by hiking, highlighting the importance of localized, trail‐specific evaluations. The study's implications extend to environmental policy and management, where understanding these mismatches can guide targeted conservation and development efforts. While this study presents a contribution, we acknowledge limitations related to the geographic focus and dataset scope, suggesting that future research should incorporate more diverse data sources and expand the geographic range. This could enable more accurate simulations and assessments, particularly in data‐scarce regions. Ultimately, this trail‐based approach enhances the precision of cultural ES evaluation and offers valuable tools for policymakers and environmental managers to align conservation efforts with actual human activities.
Inequalities in tuberculosis control in Ethiopia: A district‐level distributional modelling analysis
Authors: Getnet Fentabil , Forzy Tom , Tesfaye Latera , Misganaw Awoke , Memirie Solomon Tessema , Geremew Shewayiref , Berheto Tezera Moshago , Wendrad Naod , Yihun Bantalem Yeshanew , Mirutse Mizan Kiros , Tsegaye Fasil , Dangisso Mesay Hailu , Verguet Stéphane
Published: December 2024

Background

Implementation studies indicate that the addition of tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment services into the community health extension workers' tasks—that is ‘task‐shifting’—improved case detection and treatment outcomes in Ethiopia. Given resource and operational constraints, only a limited number of areas can be targeted by an expanded task‐shifting program. Therefore, we mapped the distributional disparities in tuberculosis services across regions and districts and modelled the equity pathways towards optimising national scale‐up of this task‐shifting intervention in Ethiopia.

Methods

We used data from various sources including District Health Information Software 2; demographic, geospatial and topographic data; and previously published implementation study findings. We developed methods to integrate these datasets and to calculate the proportion of health facilities with tuberculosis services, the district population to health centre ratio, and the proportion of district population living within 2h walking distance from a health centre. Equity and disparities were then measured in terms of: tuberculosis services coverage; health centre adequacy, that is the district population served by health centres; and spatial access adequacy, that is the district population with health centre access within a two‐hour walking distance. Subsequently, districts were ranked according to these measures to allow prioritisation of the health extension worker task‐shifting intervention.

Results

Tuberculosis services coverage varied from 54% in Afar region to 100% in Harari region, and health centre inadequacy ranged from 10% of districts in Benishangul‐Gumuz to 87% in Sidama. After spatial access adjustment, health centre inadequacy ranged from 7% of districts in Sidama to 91% in Somali; and tuberculosis services inadequacy from 7% of districts in Sidama to 97% in Afar. Task‐shifting implemented in inadequate districts (55% of all districts) could raise national case detection rate from 66% (currently) to 88% and treatment success rate from 93% to 99%; Benishangul‐Gumuz achieving the largest increase of all regions.

Conclusions

Access to effective tuberculosis services presents substantial disparities across districts in Ethiopia, due to both health system and tuberculosis‐specific factors. Jointly considering both types of factors would enable prioritisation of districts where health extension workers would be most impactful.
The Communicative Act of Ostensible Lies in Academia
Authors: Abdelhady Saleem , Pitychoutis Konstantinos
Published: December 2024

This study examines the pragmatic role of ostensible lies—communicative acts in which falsehoods are mutually recognized but strategically presented as truth—in academic interactions within Jordanian culture. The problem addressed is the limited understanding of these socially coordinated lies and their functions in educational settings. The study's significance lies in its contribution to uncovering how such lies facilitate communication, negotiation of authority, and social boundaries. Data were gathered through informal interviews where participants recounted experiences with ostensible lies in academic contexts. The analysis involved identifying these lies and interpreting their off-record pragmatic purposes. The results reveal that ostensible lies serve several key functions, including avoiding compliments, softening authority, issuing indirect warnings, promoting self-reliance, easing fears of repercussions, persuasion, and maintaining interpersonal boundaries. These findings offer insights into the intersection of cultural norms and pragmatic strategies, with future research needed to explore their effects on educational outcomes and cross-cultural comparisons.
The effects of language dominance on the L1 and L2 tone production of Mandarin–Cantonese bilinguals
Authors: Zou Yue , Yang Yike , Han Dong
Published: December 2024

The present study investigated the effects of language dominance on the cross-linguistic influence in the first and second languages (L1 and L2) of lexical tone production by Mandarin–Cantonese late bilinguals. Although the participants were unable to retain their L1 tonal system or to fully acquire the L2 tonal system after long-term exposure to their L2, certain correlations emerged between language dominance and tone production in L1 and L2. These findings add to the existing literature on language dominance and support the general assumption that bilinguals' two languages interfere with each other.
Muscle-Fiber Typology Is Associated With Sprint-Cycling Characteristics in World-Class and Elite Track Cyclists
Authors: Wackwitz Thomas , Minahan Clare , Lievens Eline , Kennedy Ben , Derave Wim , Bellinger Phillip
Published: December 2024

Purpose: Identifying the determinants of performance is fundamental to talent identification and individualizing training prescription. Consequently, the aim of this study was to determine whether estimated muscle typology is associated with the key mechanical characteristics of track sprint cycling. Methods: Sixteen world-class and elite track cyclists (n = 7 female) completed a laboratory session wherein torque–cadence and power–cadence profiles were constructed to determine maximal power output (Pmax), optimal cadence (Fopt), and maximal cadence (Fmax), and fatigue rate per pedal stroke was determined during a 15-second maximal sprint at Fopt. Muscle typology was estimated by measuring carnosine content via proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the gastrocnemius and soleus. Results: Using partial correlation analysis to account for sex, greater muscle carnosine content (ie, greater estimated proportion of type II fibers) was associated with a greater Pmax (r = .68, P = .007), Fmax (r = .77, P = .0014), Fopt (r = .61, P = .0196), and absolute fatigue rate (W·stroke−1; r = −.55, P = .0418) but not relative fatigue rate (%peak power·stroke−1; r = −.33, P = .246). Conclusions: The findings from this study substantiate the mechanical differences in muscle-fiber types derived from single muscle-fiber studies and highlight the importance of estimated muscle typology for sprint cycling performance.
Serendipity in Science: 50+ Years of Designed, and Sometimes Lucky, Science
Authors: Foster Carl , Anholm James , de Koning Jos J. , Bok Daniel , Borroso Renato , Boullosa Daniel , Casado Arturo , Cortis Cristina , Fusco Andrea , Porcari John , Rodriguez-Marroyo Jose A.
Published: December 2024

Normal science is about assessing what is already known about a topic, about what needs to be known, and careful methods to collect the data required to answer the scientific question. It is the mainstay of scientific progress. But sometimes, luck or chance (eg, serendipity) plays a significant role in scientific process. We trace career experiences in our lives to show how serendipity, the gift that Mother Nature gives to science, has a nontrivial role in scientific progress and professional careers. This gift often encourages us to change the focus of experiments or to look for the answers to our questions in ways that were not immediately obvious.
Target-conditioned diffusion generates potent TNFR superfamily antagonists and agonists
Authors: Glögl Matthias , Krishnakumar Aditya , Ragotte Robert J. , Goreshnik Inna , Coventry Brian , Bera Asim K. , Kang Alex , Joyce Emily , Ahn Green , Huang Buwei , Yang Wei , Chen Wei , Sanchez Mariana Garcia , Koepnick Brian , Baker David
Published: December 2024

Despite progress in designing protein-binding proteins, the shape matching of designs to targets is lower than in many native protein complexes, and design efforts have failed for the tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1) and other protein targets with relatively flat and polar surfaces. We hypothesized that free diffusion from random noise could generate shape-matched binders for challenging targets and tested this approach on TNFR1. We obtain designs with low picomolar affinity whose specificity can be completely switched to other family members using partial diffusion. Designs function as antagonists or as superagonists when presented at higher valency for OX40 and 4-1BB. The ability to design high-affinity and high-specificity antagonists and agonists for pharmacologically important targets in silico presages a coming era in protein design in which binders are made by computation rather than immunization or random screening approaches.
Recent global temperature surge intensified by record-low planetary albedo
Authors: Goessling Helge F. , Rackow Thomas , Jung Thomas
Published: December 2024

In 2023, the global mean temperature soared to almost 1.5 kelvin above the preindustrial level, surpassing the previous record by about 0.17 kelvin. Previous best-guess estimates of known drivers, including anthropogenic warming and the El Niño onset, fall short by about 0.2 kelvin in explaining the temperature rise. Using satellite and reanalysis data, we identified a record-low planetary albedo as the primary factor bridging this gap. The decline is apparently caused largely by a reduced low-cloud cover in the northern mid-latitudes and tropics, in continuation of a multiannual trend. Further exploring the low-cloud trend and understanding how much of it is due to internal variability, reduced aerosol concentrations, or a possibly emerging low-cloud feedback will be crucial for assessing the present and expected future warming.
The complete telomere-to-telomere sequence of a mouse genome
Authors: Liu Junli , Li Qilin , Hu Yixuan , Yu Yi , Zheng Kai , Li Dengfeng , Qin Lexin , Yu Xiaochun
Published: December 2024

The current reference genome of
Mus musculus
, GRCm39, has major gaps in both euchromatic and heterochromatic regions associated with repetitive sequences. In this work, we have sequenced and assembled the telomere-to-telomere genome of mouse haploid embryonic stem cells. The results reveal more than 7.7% of previously uncovered sequences of the mouse genome, including ribosomal DNA arrays and pericentromeric and subtelomeric regions, as well as an additional 140 genes predicted to be protein-coding. This study helps to address knowledge gaps in the mouse genome.
In Science Journals
Authors: Simonti Corinne , Ash Caroline , Grocholski Brent , Lavine Marc S. , Lopez Bianca , Funk Michael A. , Vignieri Sacha , Wong Wei , Hurtley Stella M. , Ray L. Bryan , Suleymanov Yury , Maroso Mattia , Olingy Claire , Aldenderfer Mark S. , Charneski Catherine
Published: December 2024

Highlights from the
Science
family of journals
War-torn Ukraine is breeding drug-resistant bacterial strains
Authors: Stone Richard
Published: December 2024

Urgent action underway to bolster treatments and prevent dangerous microbes from spilling across borders
Legionella pneumophila
, a Rosetta stone to understanding bacterial pathogenesis
Authors: Romanov Katerina A. , O'Connor Tamara J.
Published: December 2024

Legionella pneumophila
is an environmentally acquired pathogen that causes respiratory disease in humans. While the discovery of
L. pneumophila
is relatively recent compared to other bacterial pathogens, over the past 50 years,
L. pneumophila
has emerged as a powerhouse for studying host-pathogen interactions. In its natural habitat of fresh water,
L. pneumophila
interacts with a diverse array of protozoan hosts and readily evolve to expand their host range. This has led to the accumulation of the most extensive arsenal of secreted virulence factors described for a bacterial pathogen and their ability to infect humans. Within amoebae and human alveolar macrophages, the bacteria replicate within specialized membrane-bound compartments, establishing
L. pneumophila
as a model for studying intracellular vacuolar pathogens. In contrast, the virulence factors required for intracellular replication are specifically tailored to individual host cells types, allowing the pathogen to adapt to variation between disparate niches. The broad host range of this pathogen, combined with the extensive diversity and genome plasticity across the
Legionella
genus, has thus established this bacterium as an archetype to interrogate pathogen evolution, functional genomics, and ecology. In this review, we highlight the features of
Legionella
that establish them as a versatile model organism, new paradigms in bacteriology and bacterial pathogenesis resulting from the study of
Legionella
, as well as current and future questions that will undoubtedly expand our understanding of the complex and intricate biology of the microbial world.
Cement fragment induced external iliac artery pseudoaneurysm: a rare complication following total hip arthroplasty
Authors: Perros Ioannis , Kiyawat Vivek , Day Christopher , Rajagopalan Sriram
Published: December 2024

Vascular injury is a rare but important complication following a total hip arthroplasty (THA). The occurrence of such an event can be difficult to detect and manage due to the time frame in which this can occur. We report a case of a female patient in her 70s who presented 19 months post right THA with right-sided acute limb ischaemia. Initial imaging revealed occlusion at the level of the right common and external iliac arteries. The patient was treated with a successful embolectomy, but muscle death in the leg, leading to acidosis resulted in the right leg being amputated. Postoperatively, a drop in the haemoglobin levels without any visible bleeding and the presence of a new suprainguinal pulsatile swelling warranted a CT angiogram. This demonstrated a false aneurysm originating from the distal right external iliac artery, precisely at the point where it encountered a cement spicule from the previous THA.
Unveiling geographic conjunctival ulcer: a rare clinical presentation of herpetic eye disease
Authors: Sahay Pranita , Tomar Vaishali , Verma Purva , Dadeya Subhash
Published: December 2024

A male patient in his 50s presented with a history of sudden onset redness and pain in the right eye for 15 days. He was under prescription of topical antibiotics, steroids and lubricants by the primary treating ophthalmologist for 2 weeks with reported worsening of symptoms. He was noted to have a visual acuity of 20/32 and 20/20 in the right and left eye, respectively. Clinical examination revealed diffuse conjunctival congestion and a focal area of conjunctival blanching which on fluorescein staining showed multiple geographic conjunctival ulcers. Rose Bengal staining revealed a fine corneal dendrite at the superior limbus. A conjunctival scraping sample was sent for microbiology workup and the patient was started on topical and systemic acyclovir with a presumed diagnosis of herpetic keratoconjunctivitis. On follow-up, the Herpes simplex virus PCR test was noted to be positive. Good clinical response was noted with complete healing of ulcer by the third day of treatment.
Catheter-associated vessel perforation presenting as an occluded lumen: lessons learned and preventive strategy
Authors: Arasu Meenupriya , Kayarat Bhavana , Kumar Amit , Malhi Amarinder Singh
Published: December 2024

A central venous catheter (CVC) was placed in the left internal jugular vein of a woman in her late 20s, who was admitted to our intensive care unit during the management of her abdominal wall sepsis. Two days later, the patient had pain at the insertion site. Check aspiration revealed the presence of aspirate from all the lumens except the distal lumen. It was assumed that the distal lumen must be abutting the vessel wall and the patient was reassured. However, it was later diagnosed that the distal tip of the CVC had perforated the left brachiocephalic vein and had migrated into the superior mediastinum. Assumption of an intraluminal location of CVC or abutment of the vessel wall must be disregarded.

CVC occlusion can be due to various causes including malposition or migration, mechanical obstruction, fibroblastic sleeve and CVC-related thrombosis. A systematic evaluation of all the causes of CVC occlusion will lead to an early diagnosis. The placement of the CVC tip in the safe zone must be emphasised.
Strategies for creation of data reserve and stress testing of medical AI products
Authors: Chen Huai , Tie Yanmei , Cao Xinhua , Young Geoffrey S. , Xu Xiaoyin
Published: December 2024

With the fast development of artificial intelligence (AI) and its applications in medicine, it is often said that the time for intelligent medicine is arriving, if not already have arrived. While there is no doubt that AI-centred intelligent medicine will transform current healthcare, it is necessary to test and re-test medical AI (MAI) products before they are implemented in the real world. From the perspective of ensuring safety, accuracy and efficiency, it is imperative that MAIs undergo stress tests in a systematic and comprehensive manner where stress tests subject MAIs to workloads and environments beyond tests carried out by their developers. In such stress tests, potential bottlenecks or failures of MAIs may be identified and fed back to developers to optimise the products. To avoid bias and ensure fairness, stress tests should be prepared and administered by an independent body.
AI depictions of psychiatric diagnoses: a preliminary study of generative image outputs in Midjourney V.6 and DALL-E 3
Authors: Flathers Matthew , Smith Griffin , Wagner Ellen , Fisher Carl Erik , Torous John
Published: December 2024

Objective

This paper investigates how state-of-the-art generative artificial intelligence (AI) image models represent common psychiatric diagnoses. We offer key lessons derived from these representations to inform clinicians, researchers, generative AI companies, policymakers and the public about the potential impacts of AI-generated imagery on mental health discourse.

Methods

We prompted two generative AI image models, Midjourney V.6 and DALL-E 3 with isolated diagnostic terms for common mental health conditions. The resulting images were compiled and presented as examples of current AI behaviour when interpreting psychiatric terminology.

Findings

The AI models generated image outputs for most psychiatric diagnosis prompts. These images frequently reflected cultural stereotypes and historical visual tropes including gender biases and stigmatising portrayals of certain mental health conditions.

Discussion

These findings illustrate three key points. First, generative AI models reflect cultural perceptions of mental disorders rather than evidence-based clinical ones. Second, AI image outputs resurface historical biases and visual archetypes. Third, the dynamic nature of these models necessitates ongoing monitoring and proactive engagement to manage evolving biases. Addressing these challenges requires a collaborative effort among clinicians, AI developers and policymakers to ensure the responsible use of these technologies in mental health contexts.

Clinical implications

As these technologies become increasingly accessible, it is crucial for mental health professionals to understand AI’s capabilities, limitations and potential impacts. Future research should focus on quantifying these biases, assessing their effects on public perception and developing strategies to mitigate potential harm while leveraging the insights these models provide into collective understandings of mental illness.
Comparative adherence and persistence of single-inhaler and multiple-inhaler triple therapies among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Japan: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Jokšaitė Sandra , Wood Robert , Ismaila Afisi , Camidge Lucinda , Mizukami Akiko , Czira Alexandrosz , Massey Olivia , Yarita Masao , Compton Chris , Siddiqui Rad , Jennison Thomas , Ishii Takeo , Hashimoto Kenichi , Rothnie Kieran J
Published: December 2024

Objectives

To evaluate and compare medication adherence and persistence for patients newly initiating single-inhaler triple therapy (SITT) and multiple-inhaler triple therapy (MITT) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Japan.

Design

Retrospective, new-user, active comparator, observational cohort study using inverse probability of treatment weighting.

Setting

Health insurance claims data from the Medical Data Vision Co., Ltd, hospital claims database.

Participants

Adults diagnosed with COPD at age ≥40 years newly initiating MITT or SITT (fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol (FF/UMEC/VI) or formoterol fumarate/budesonide/glycopyrronium) from 1 September 2019 to 31 July 2021.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The primary outcome was medication adherence compared between patients using SITT and MITT, assessed by the proportion of days covered ≥80%. Secondary outcomes included medication persistence (time from index treatment initiation to discontinuation) compared between patients using SITT and MITT and medication adherence compared before and after the switch in a subgroup of patients switching from MITT to SITT.

Results

We included 2575 MITT and 2962 SITT users with similar baseline characteristics following weighting. The proportion of adherent patients was significantly greater for SITT versus MITT users at 6 months (19.7% vs 10.2%, p<0.0001), 12 months (6.0% vs 3.8%, p=0.0009) and 18 months (3.8% vs 1.4%, p<0.0001) post-index. Median persistence was also significantly higher for SITT versus MITT users (2.0 vs 1.0 months, p<0.001). Comparing specific SITT versus MITT, the proportion of adherent patients at each time point and median persistence was greater for FF/UMEC/VI. In patients switching from MITT to SITT (n=688), the proportion of adherent patients increased postswitch at the class level and for FF/UMEC/VI specifically.

Conclusions

Patients with COPD in Japan who were newly initiating SITT had greater medication adherence and persistence compared with those on MITT up to 18 months following initiation.
Integration of patient-oriented research principles in health institutions: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Poitras Marie-Eve , Poirier Marie-Dominique , Bosma Rachael , T.Vaillancourt Vanessa , Deom Tardif Alèxe , Beaulieu Cloé , Baron Marie-Hélène , Manolescu Daniel-Constantin , LeBlanc Annie
Published: December 2024

Introduction

In 2011, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research launched a Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (POR) for healthcare and academic institutions to increase patient participation in health research. POR considers patients and caregivers as partners with scientific investigators, healthcare professionals and administrative decision-makers. As POR becomes a standard worldwide, the how-to, practical aspects of POR integration in healthcare institutions remain uncharted territory. A more accurate POR range in health research would improve healthcare systems. Yet the availability of standardised accreditation has not been achieved. The research question for this scoping review arose from a patient-partner in our team who experienced organisational challenges in healthcare institutions related to her role. It will overview and map the available evidence of organisational structures and changes that enable the integration of POR within healthcare institutions globally. This should serve our future projects to propose standardised pan-Canadian POR accreditation protocols.

Methods and analysis

Following Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methods and predetermined eligibility, we will perform a qualitative scoping review, searching for healthcare institution’s organisational structures and changes in Patient-Oriented Research (POR)-related accreditation, criteria and procedures in academic peer-reviewed databases and grey literature. The scoping review’s steps are as follows: (1) framing the research question; (2) targeting the documentation; (3) selecting documents by two reviewers; (4) charting/extracting data; (5) summarising and reporting the results. The search strategy will be applied to three databases for academic literature, and a search for grey literature will be performed. Emergent documents from academic studies or grey literature describing the organisational structure or changes to integrate POR within healthcare institutions, from 2012 to the present and in English or French, will be included. All articles will be analysed by two reviewers individually for inclusion. Extracted quantitative and qualitative data will describe eligible studies and POR-relevant elements. Tables mapping the organisational structures will be presented.

Ethics and dissemination

The methodology consists of exploring published evidence; therefore, ethics approval is not required. Patient-partners will provide feedback on findings and strategies for disseminating the results. Dissemination activities will include peer-reviewed publication, co-creation of teaching seminars and academic presentations.

Trial registration number

The review was registered prospectively with Open Science Framework (OSF). Available:https://osf.io/4t6ud.
Evaluating low back pain through electrodermal activity: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Sebastia-Amat Sergio , Tortosa-Martinez Juan , Sanchis-Soler Gema , Hernandez-Sanchez Sergio , Cortell-Tormo Juan Manuel
Published: December 2024

Introduction

Low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent and multifaceted health condition affecting over 619 million people globally. Today, pain evaluation heavily relies on subjective measures, so more advanced diagnosis and treatment methods are required. Electrodermal activity (EDA) could represent a potential objective tool to assess LBP. Despite its promise, EDA has been less studied in this context, and the methodologies vary across studies. The systematic review described thus aims to determine the relationship between EDA and LBP as well as the potential utility of EDA as a tool for evaluating LBP. The various EDA measurement methodologies employed to detect LBP will also be analysed to ultimately identify the most reliable and effective approaches.

Methods and analysis

The primary databases include PubMed, Web of Science (all databases) and Scopus. The search strategy will be tailored to identify articles written in English or Spanish without imposing any time restrictions. The snowballing technique will also be used to identify additional studies by reviewing the reference lists of relevant articles or citing articles.

Eligible studies will encompass adults with both acute and chronic LBP. A diverse range of research designs will be considered, focusing on the relationship between EDA and LBP. PEDro scale and Cochrane Risk of Bias tool 2.0 (RoB2) will be used to assess the methodological quality and risk of bias in the studies, respectively. Data synthesis will be based on a structured presentation of participant characteristics, methodological details and EDA-related variables.

Ethics and dissemination

This protocol of systematic review, registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews, adheres to the PRISMA checklist. The study findings will be disseminated through publication in peer-reviewed journals. The search process is forecast to end on 30 November 2024. Adhering to Spanish guidelines, ethical approval is deemed unnecessary for our secondary analyses, given the de-identification and anonymous analysis of all data.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42023464812.
Association among diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mortality in patients hospitalised for COVID-19: an analysis of the American Heart Association COVID-19 CVD Registry
Authors: Gujral Unjali , Vanasse Lauren T , Goyal Abhinav , Quyyumi Arshed , Ayers Colby , Das Sandeep , Pasquel Francisco
Published: December 2024

Objective

To examine inpatient COVID-19-related outcomes among patients with and without diabetes alone or with a history of established heart failure (HF) or established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).

Design

Observational study; longitudinal analysis of registry data.

Setting

Hospitals in the USA reporting to the American Heart Association (AHA) COVID-19 Registry from January 2020 to May 2021.

Participants

20 796 individuals with diabetes (11 244 men; mean age 64.2) and 30 798 without diabetes (15 980 men; mean age 59.0) hospitalised for COVID-19 in the USA.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Primary outcome measures were all-cause mortality, inpatient major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and/or inpatient mechanical ventilation. Secondary outcome measures included the association with diabetes and these outcomes among those with and without pre-existing ASCVD and HF and the association with insulin use and these outcomes in patients hospitalised for COVID-19.

Results

After adjustment for relevant covariates diabetes increased the risk of mortality (HR 1.12, 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.21), MACE (HR 1.32, 95% CI: 1.17 to 1.48) and mechanical ventilation (HR 1.33, 95% CI: 1.26 to 1.42). Among patients with established ASCVD or HF, diabetes did not modify the risk of adverse outcomes. There was a significant difference in the risk of mortality between patients taking insulin compared with those who were not (HR 1.32, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.26); however, there was no difference in the risk of MACE or mechanical ventilation.

Conclusions

Diabetes was associated with a higher risk of in-hospital all-cause mortality, MACE and need for mechanical ventilation in patients hospitalised for COVID-19. Diabetes was independently associated with adverse outcomes, particularly among those without pre-existing cardiovascular disease.
Impact of edentulism on community-dwelling adults in low-income, middle-income and high-income countries: a systematic review
Authors: Hunter Emma , De Moura Brito Luciana , Piyasena Prabhath , Petrauskiene Egle , Congdon Nathan , Tsakos Georgios , Virgili Gianni , Mathur Manu , Woodside Jayne V , Leles Cláudio , McKenna Gerald
Published: December 2024

Objectives

This study aims to comprehensively explore the consequences of edentulism on community-dwelling adults in low-income, middle-income and high-income countries.

Design

Systematic review and Synthesis Without Meta-Analysis (SWiM).

Data sources

MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were searched from inception to 21 March 2023, in addition to grey literature searches, reference cross-checking and study recommendations.

Eligibility criteria

Interventional and observational epidemiological studies of community-dwelling completely edentulous adults aged 18 years and above, residing in low-income, middle-income and high-income countries were included. Animal studies, studies of children and adolescents, studies of exclusively non-community-dwelling individuals and studies exclusive to partially dentate, dentate and treated edentulous individuals were excluded. There were no language restrictions. Search terms were designed to identify relevant articles, which examined the impact of edentulism on oral health-related quality of life, frailty, general health, physical health, mental health, nutritional status, employability, education, socioeconomic status and mortality.

Data extraction and synthesis

Data were extracted manually by two authors. Risk of bias was assessed using the QualSyst Tool. Articles were synthesised and reported using SWiM guidelines.

Results

The seven broad outcome areas included mortality, frailty, mental health, general health, quality of life, health behaviour and nutrition. We identified no studies assessing the impact of edentulism on productivity or other economic outcomes, and no randomised trials of treatment for edentulism with any of these outcomes. Among 364 articles identified from database searches and 38 additional articles from reference cross-checks and professional recommendations, title and abstract screening resulted in a full text review of 58. Among these, 32 were subsequently included for narrative synthesis, with sample sizes ranging from 539 to 237 023 participants. All studies (n=32) contributing to the synthesis reported negative impact of edentulism on outcomes including mortality, frailty, mental health, general health, cognition and nutrition.

Conclusions

Edentulism has a consistently negative impact on the health outcomes examined in this review. Randomised trials are needed to evaluate interventions reducing the burden of edentulism, specifically with regard to economic and productivity outcomes.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42022320049.
Flooding and health in Australia: a scoping review and coauthorship analysis of published research
Authors: Bailie Jodie , Matous Petr , Apelt Byron , Longman Jo , McNaught Rebecca , Morgan Geoff , Ekanayake Kanchana , Bailie Ross
Published: December 2024

Background

Australia is frequently affected by floods, and their severity and frequency are predicted to increase due to the effects of climate change. Over the past decade, there has been an increase in the number of publications reporting on the health impacts of flooding in Australia, but no synthesis of this research evidence has previously been published. The aim of this scoping review is to identify and map publications on the health impacts of flooding in Australia and to describe the networks of researchers contributing to this research.

Methods

In the study, we applied the scoping review methodology guided by Johanna Briggs Institute and coauthorship network analysis. Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINHAL, Scopus and Web of Science for all publications up to 31 December 2023. Screening, full-text review and data extraction were completed by two independent reviewers. Coauthor networks were constructed using social network analysis methods.

Results

69 publications were included, spanning a 70-year period from 1951 to 2023. The top three health impacts studied were post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), distress and child developmental outcomes, with the predominant focus in the past 10 years of recent publications on prenatal maternal stress, child outcomes and mental health impacts. There was minimal focus on socially vulnerable groups and long-term health impacts and few qualitative research studies were reported. Coauthorship analysis showed the primarily disease-specific nature of flood-related research.

Conclusion

Our review enhances understanding of the research on the physical and mental health impacts of flooding in Australia by identifying the areas of relatively greater research activity, existing research gaps and potential future research priorities. Given the context-dependent nature of flood and other climate-related health impacts, and of mitigation and adaptation responses, we anticipate that our review findings will enhance the understanding of this topic for Australia and other higher-income countries, identifying areas of focus and current research gaps.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the National Telehealth Service for triage and referral in Sweden: a national retrospective observational study
Authors: Berg Johanna , Wretborn Jens
Published: December 2024

Objectives

Telehealth, the provision of healthcare through digital communication, has been proposed as a potential solution to meet the increasing demand for healthcare, particularly in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sweden has an established national telehealth service for triage and referral by phone (1177) since 2013 which has the potential to meet this increasing demand. However, little is known about the development and retention in demand during and after the pandemic in Sweden. The objective of this study was to investigate the utilisation of the national telehealth service in Sweden before, during and after the pandemic in relation to emergency department (ED) visits.

Methods

This was a retrospective observational study of telephone calls to the national telehealth service in Sweden. We collected the number of calls, number of answered calls and visits to ED in Sweden from 2017 through 2021, aggregated by month. The difference in number of calls and visits was analysed using Student’s t-test for related samples.

Results

Data were collected from all 21 healthcare regions in Sweden, serving 10.5 million citizens. The average number of monthly calls was 48 (SD 10) calls per 1000 citizens. The first month of the pandemic, March 2020, had the highest monthly calls per capita during the whole study period: 62 (diff 14, 95% CI 9 to 19, p<0.001). During the first 3 months of the pandemic, monthly calls increased by 22% (52.7 vs 43.2) compared with 2019 (diff 9.5, 95% CI −28 to –9, p=0.17). There was a 17% increase in calls for the whole year of 2020 compared with 2019 (49.2 vs 41.9, diff 7.3, 95% CI 3 to 11, p=0.002). Capacity, defined as the answer ratio, showed a negative correlation with demand (r=0.75, p<0.001).

Conclusion

The increase in calls to the national telehealth service during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic suggests that the community will turn to a telehealth system in a healthcare crisis. The lack of capacity to meet the increasing demand may limit the effects of the telehealth service on the healthcare system as a whole.
Unraveling the ‘community effects’ of interventions against malaria endemicity: a systematic scoping review
Authors: Ko Yura K , Kagaya Wataru , Chan Chim W , Kanamori Mariko , Mbugua Samuel M , Rotich Alex K , Kanoi Bernard N , Ngara Mtakai , Gitaka Jesse , Kaneko Akira
Published: December 2024

Objectives

There is an urgent need to maximise the effectiveness of existing malaria interventions and optimise the deployment of novel countermeasures. When assessing the effects of interventions against malaria, it is imperative to consider the interdependence of people and the resulting indirect effects. Without proper consideration of the effects, the interventions’ impact on health outcomes and their cost-effectiveness may be miscalculated. We aimed to summarise how the indirect effects of malaria interventions were analysed and reported.

Design

We conducted a scoping review.

Data sources

We searched PubMed, Web of Science and EMBASE.

Eligibility criteria

We included studies that were conducted to quantify the indirect effects of any interventions for all species ofPlasmodiuminfection.

Data extraction and synthesis

We used a standardised data collection form to obtain the following information from each record: title, name of authors, year of publication, region, country, study type, malaria parasite species, type of interventions, type of outcomes, separate estimated indirect effect for different conditions, pre-specified to measure indirect effect, secondary analysis of previous study, methods of indirect effects estimation, terms of indirect effects, and if positive or negative indirect effects observed.

Results

We retrieved 32 articles and observed a recent increase in both the number of reports and the variety of terms used to denote the indirect effects. We further classified nine categories of methods to identify the indirect effects in the existing literature and proposed making comparisons conditional on distance to account for mosquito flight range or intervention density within that range. Furthermore, we proposed using the words community effects or spillover effects as standardised terms for indirect effects and highlighted the potential benefits of mathematical models in estimating indirect effects.

Conclusions

Incorporating assessment of indirect effects in future trials and studies may provide insights to optimise the deployment of existing and new interventions, a critical pillar in the current fight against malaria globally.
Association of pre-existing conditions with major driver mutations and PD-L1 expression in NSCLC
Authors: Chen Peiling , Zheng Xin , Li Caichen , Li Jianfu , Yang Chen , Feng Yi , Cheng Bo , Liang Hengrui , Liu Zhichao , Zhao Yi , Xiong Shan , Li Feng , Zhong Ran , Zhan Shuting , Wang Huiting , Xiang Yang , Fu Wenhai , Ye Wenjun , Jiang Bo’ao , Fan Xianzhe , Liu Jun , He Jianxing , Liang Wenhua
Published: December 2024

Objectives

This study aims to explore how pre-existing conditions such as blood types, family history of cancer and comorbid diseases correlate with the genetic and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression that contributes to the heterogeneous biological behaviours of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Materials and methods

A cohort of 5507 NSCLC patients who underwent surgical resection between January 2014 and July 2018 was studied. Targeted next-generation sequencing was used to detect mutations in nine pivotal cancer-related genes, and immunohistochemical staining was applied to assess PD-L1 expression. Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify significant correlations.

Results

All patients underwent NGS, with 1839 were also evaluated for PD-L1 expression. Several significant findings were found: ROS1 mutations were closely associated with a family history of lung cancer (OR 7.499, 95% CI 1.094 to 30.940, p=0.013). Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) L858R mutations were common among patients with a family history of non-lung cancers and those with hypertension (OR 2.089, 95% CI 1.029 to 4.135, p=0.037 and OR 1.252, 95% CI 1.001 to 1.562, p=0.048, respectively). Pre-existing conditions such as diabetes and hepatitis B surface antigen positivity (OR 1.468, 95% CI 1.042 to 2.047, p=0.026 and OR 1.373, 95% CI 1.012 to 1.847, p=0.038, respectively) were correlated with EGFR exon 19 deletions. RhD negativity showed potential ties to BRAF mutations (OR 0.010, 95% CI 0.001 to 0.252, p=0.001). A history of tuberculosis linked to increased PD-L1 expression in immune cells (OR 3.597, 95% CI 1.295 to 14.957, p=0.034).

Conclusion

This large-scale, cross-sectional study reveals a complex interplay between genetic mutations, immunological features and pre-existing conditions in NSCLC patients, offering insights that could inform personalised treatment strategies.