bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Artesunate-mefloquine therapy for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of efficacy and safety
Authors: de Freitas Beatriz Sales , Fernandes Gabriel Haiek , Pereira Ana Carolina Esteves da Silva , Peixoto Henry Maia
Published: September 2023

To provide a continuous update on the safety and efficacy of artesunate-mefloquine (ASMQ) compared with other artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) schemes used in the treatment of uncomplicated malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum, this study updated and expanded the results of the systematic literature review published in 2016. Only randomised controlled clinical trials published from 1 January 2001 to 12 June 2023 from five databases were included in this study. The results related to efficacy, expressed through RR, were summarized in meta-analyses, performed according to the compared ACTs and with the intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses. The results related to safety were synthesized in a descriptive manner. Thirty-two studies were included, of which 24 had been analysed in the 2016 review and eight new ones were added. Although the methodological quality of most studies was considered moderate, the body of evidence gathered indicates that ASMQ continues to be safe and effective for the treatment of uncomplicated infections caused by P. falciparum compared with other ACTs. However, the inclusion of two new studies, which identified failure rates exceeding 10%, suggests a possible reduction in the efficacy of ASMQ in the analysed locations. The incidence of serious adverse effects, such as seizure, encephalopathy and cardiac arrhythmia, was infrequent in both the ASMQ group and the comparison groups. After including new evidence, ASMQ is still recommended as a first-line treatment of uncomplicated malaria caused by P. falciparum, although local aspects need to be considered.
Bioactivity and Resistance Risk of Fluxapyroxad, a Novel SDHI Fungicide, in Didymella bryoniae
Authors: Mao Xuewei , Wu Zhiwen , Zhao Feifei , Yang Xin , Zhou Mingguo , Hou Yiping
Published: September 2023

Gummy stem blight, caused by Didymella bryoniae, is an important disease in watermelon in China. Fluxapyroxad, a new succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor fungicide, shows strong inhibition of the mycelia growth of D. bryoniae. However, its resistance risk in D. bryoniae is unclear. In this research, the sensitivities of 60 D. bryoniae strains to fluxapyroxad were investigated. The average EC50 value and MIC values of 60 D. bryoniae strains against fluxapyroxad were 0.022 ± 0.003 μg/ml and ≤0.1 μg/ml for mycelial growth, respectively. Eight fluxapyroxad-resistant mutants with medium resistance levels were acquired from three wild-type parental strains. The mycelial growth and dry weight of mycelia of most mutants were significantly lower than those of their parental strains. However, four resistant mutants showed a similar phenotype in pathogenicity compared with their parental strains. The above results demonstrated that there was a medium resistance risk for fluxapyroxad in D. bryoniae. The cross-resistance assay showed that there was positive cross-resistance between fluxapyroxad and pydiflumetofen, thifluzamide, and boscalid, but there was no cross-resistance between fluxapyroxad and tebuconazole and mepronil. These results will contribute to evaluating the resistance risk of fluxapyroxad for managing diseases caused by D. bryoniae and further increase our understanding about the mode of action of fluxapyroxad.
Who Is Holding the Syringe? A Survey of Truth in Advertising Among Medical Spas
Authors: Hogan Sara , Wood Emily , Mishra Vineet
Published: September 2023

BACKGROUND

The degree of supervision and level of expertise required for performing cosmetic procedures differs significantly from state to state. Medical spas providing cosmetic procedures have seen exponential growth since 2020.

OBJECTIVE

To provide a representative sample of the medical spa industry in the Unites States regarding the expertise among providers performing cosmetic procedures and the degree of oversight at medical spas offering these procedures.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

Descriptive study based on a standardized telephone interview performed by a secret shopper in Chicago and surrounding suburbs. Data were then extracted and analyzed.

RESULTS

Of 127 medical spas reviewed, a supervising physician was not on-site at 81.1% of the facilities. Patients were informed of this at 64.6% of the surveyed medical spas.

CONCLUSION

There is considerable variation in the oversight and in the training among those performing cosmetic procedures at surveyed medical spas. As cosmetic procedures become increasingly popular among the public, further regulation of medical spas is warranted to protect patient safety.
Suicide Attempts and Ideation Among Veterans/Service Members and Non-Veterans Over 5 Years Following Traumatic Brain Injury: A Combined NIDILRR and VA TBI Model Systems Study
Authors: Klyce Daniel W. , Perrin Paul B. , Ketchum Jessica M. , Finn Jacob A. , Juengst Shannon B. , Gary Kelli W. , Fisher Lauren B. , Pasipanodya Elizabeth , Niemeier Janet P. , Vargas Tiffanie A. , Campbell Thomas A.
Published: September 2023

Objective:

This study compared rates of suicide attempt (SA) and suicidal ideation (SI) during the first 5 years after traumatic brain injury (TBI) among veterans and service members (V/SMs) in the Veterans Affairs (VA) and the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) Model Systems National Databases to each other and to non-veterans (non-Vs) in the NIDILRR database.

Setting:

Twenty-one NIDILRR and 5 VA TBI Model Systems (TBIMS) inpatient rehabilitation facilities in the United States.

Participants:

Participants with TBI were discharged from rehabilitation alive, had a known military status recorded (either non-V or history of military service), and successful 1-, 2-, and/or 5-year follow-up interviews completed between 2009 and 2021. The year 1 cohort included 8737 unique participants (8347 with SA data and 3987 with SI data); the year 2 (7628 participants) and year 5 (4837 participants) cohorts both had similar demographic characteristics to the year 1 cohort.

Design:

Longitudinal design with data collected across TBIMS centers at 1, 2, and 5 years post-injury.

Main Outcomes and Measures:

History of SA in past year and SI in past 2 weeks assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Patient demographics, injury characteristics, and rehabilitation outcomes were also assessed.

Results:

Full sample rates of SA were 1.9%, 1.5%, and 1.6%, and rates of SI were 9.6%, 10.1%, and 8.7% (respectively at years 1, 2, and 5). There were significant differences among groups based on demographic, injury-related, mental/behavioral health, and functional outcome variables. Characteristics predicting SA/SI related to mental health history, substance use, younger age, lower functional independence, and greater levels of disability.

Conclusions:

Compared with participants with TBI in the NIDILRR system, higher rates of SI among V/SMs with TBI in the VA system appear associated with risk factors observed within this group, including mental/behavioral health characteristics and overall levels of disability.
Litigation, Performance Validity Testing, and Treatment Outcomes in Adults With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Mikolic Ana , Panenka William J. , Iverson Grant L. , Cotton Erica , Burke Matthew J. , Silverberg Noah D.
Published: September 2023

Objective:

To investigate whether involvement in litigation and performance validity test (PVT) failure predict adherence to treatment and treatment outcomes in adults with persistent symptoms after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).

Setting:

Outpatient concussion clinics in British Columbia, Canada. Participants were assessed at intake (average 12.9 weeks postinjury) and again following 3 to 4 months of rehabilitation.

Participants:

Adults who met the World Health Organization Neurotrauma Task Force definition of mTBI. Litigation status was known for 69 participants (n = 21 reported litigation), and 62 participants completed a PVT (n = 13 failed the Test of Memory Malingering) at clinic intake.

Design:

Secondary analysis of a clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT03972579).

Main Measures:

Outcomes included number of completed sessions, homework adherence, symptoms (Rivermead Post Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire), disability ratings (World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0), and patient-rated global impression of change.

Results:

We did not observe substantial differences in session and homework adherence associated with litigation or PVT failure. Disability and postconcussion symptoms generally improved with treatment. Involvement in litigation was associated with a smaller improvement in outcomes, particularly disability (B = 2.57, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.25-4.89], P = .03) and patient-reported global impression of change (odds ratio [OR] = 4.19, 95% CI [1.40-12.57], P = .01). PVT failure was not associated with considerable differences in treatment outcomes. However, participants who failed the PVT had a higher rate of missing outcomes (31% vs 8%) and perceived somewhat less global improvement (OR = 3.47, 95% CI [0.86-14.04]; P = .08).

Conclusion:

Adults with mTBI who are in litigation or who failed PVTs tend to adhere to and improve following treatment. However, involvement in litigation may be associated with attenuated improvements, and pretreatment PVT failure may predict lower engagement in the treatment process.
SGLT2 inhibitors among patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Jaiswal Akash , Jaiswal Vikash , Ang Song Peng , Hanif Muhammad , Vadhera Ananya , Agrawal Vibhor , Kumar Tushar , Nair Anagha M. , Borra VamsikalyanReddy , Garimella Vamsi , Ishak Angela , Wajid Zarghoona , Song David , Attia Abdelrahman M. , Huang Helen , Aguilera Alvarez Victor Hugo , Shrestha Abhigan Babu , Biswas Monodeep
Published: September 2023

Background:

Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have been recommended in the practice guidelines for the treatment of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction; however, their effects among patients with preserved ejection fraction have been debatable.

Objective:

We aim to evaluate the SGLT2 inhibitor effect among patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, including DELIVER and EMPEROR-Preserved trials.

Methods:

We performed a systematic literature search using the PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane libraries for relevant articles from inception until August 30th, 2022. Statistical analysis was performed by calculating hazard ratio (HR) using the random effect model with a 95% confidence interval (CI) and probability value (P). Statistical significance was met if 95% CI does not cross numeric “1” and P < .05.

Results:

Six studies with a total of 15,989 total patients were included in the final analysis. The mean age of patients enrolled in SGLT2 inhibitors and placebo was 69.13 and 69.37 years, respectively. The median follow-up duration was 2.24 years. SGLT2 inhibitors reduced composite cardiovascular mortality or first hospitalization for heart failure (HR, 0.80 [95% CI: 0.74–0.87], P < .001, I
2 = 0%), heart failure hospitalization (HR, 0.74 [95% CI: 0.67–0.82], P < .001, I
2 = 0%) compared with placebo. However, all-cause mortality (HR, 0.97 [95% CI: 0.89–1.06], P = .54, I
2 = 0%) and cardiovascular mortality (HR, 0.96 [95% CI: 0.82–1.13), P = .66, I
2 = 35.09%] were comparable between both groups.

Conclusion:

Our study finding shows that SGLT2 inhibitors significantly reduced the risk of first HF hospitalization or cardiovascular death and HF hospitalization; however, all-cause mortality was comparable between the groups.
Role of serum CAP1 protein in the diagnosis of patients with first-time acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Jin Dongxia , Li Ximing , Cong Hongliang , You Bingchen , Ma Yue , Hu Yuecheng , Zhang Jingxia
Published: September 2023

The dysregulation of adenylate cyclase-associated protein 1 (CAP1) is associated with a variety of inflammatory conditions. Here, we aimed to assess the role of serum CAP1 protein in predicting acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and to explore its effect and mechanism in vascular endothelial cells injury. ELISA was utilized to detected CAP1 protein expression in serum from 70 patients with first-time AMI at 0, 6, 12, 24, 48 hours and 7 days of the onset of chest pain. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was administered to analyze the diagnostic power of CAP1 for AMI. The CCK-8 and 5-BrdU assays were applied to measure cell proliferation and inflammation in a model of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Luciferase reporter gene assay and Western blotting were used to assess the activity of NF-κB pathway. Results showed that serum CAP1 protein expression was upregulated in patients with first-time AMI, its expression was highest at 12 hours of the onset of chest pain. CAP1 protein was positively associated with the levels of cTnI and ox-LDL. CAP1 showed a relatively high diagnostic accuracy in patients with first-time AMI compared with cTnI, and CAP1 combined with cTnI had superior diagnostic value than CAP1 and cTnI alone. The expression of CAP1 protein was increased in supernatants of ox-LDL induced HUVEC in a dose- and time-dependent manner. CAP1 inhibited cell proliferation but promoted inflammation, and induced the activation of NF-κB pathway in vitro. To sum up, increased serum CAP1 expression might serve as a novel diagnostic biomarker for patients with first-time AMI, the mechanism might be related to its induction of NF-κB pathway activation causing abnormal proliferation and inflammation and thus mediating vascular endothelial cell injury.
Osteopontin as an early predictor of atherosclerosis in attack-free Familial Mediterranean fever patients
Authors: Baspinar Osman , Kocer Derya , Kiraz Aslihan , Tokmak Turgut Tursem , Dizdar Oguzhan Sitki
Published: September 2023

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autoinflammatory disease that is associated with endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis. Osteopontin which is a multifunctional protein involved in the modulation of inflammatory processes may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis in FMF patients. Therefore, this cross-sectional study investigated the relationship of osteopontin with carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) and atherogenic indices in patients with FMF. Serum osteopontin levels, CIMT, Castelli risk index I and II, plasma atherogenic index (PAI), non - high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and atherogenic coefficient (AC) in 64 attack-free FMF patients were compared with levels in 23 healthy control subjects. The serum osteopontin level, CIMT, Castelli risk index I, AC and PAI were significantly higher, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly lower in FMF patients (P < .001, P < .001, P = .045, P = .016, P = .045, and P = .024; respectively). There were significant positive correlations between osteopontin and CIMT, PAI, AC, and Castelli risk index I (R = 0.580, R = 0.259, R = 0.233, R = 0.277; respectively) and there was significant negative correlation between osteopontin and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r= −0.309). Patients who had homozygote mutations had significantly higher osteopontin, PAI, Castelli risk index I and II level. The current study is the first to demonstrate significantly increased serum osteopontin levels in attack-free FMF patients compared with healthy controls. It was also associated with CIMT and many atherogenic indices. This finding provides a new experimental basis to understand the pathogenesis of inflammation-induced atherosclerosis in FMF patients. Furthermore, patients who had homozygote mutations had worse atherogenic indices than those with heterozygote mutations.
Bioinformatics analysis of copper death gene in diabetic immune infiltration
Authors: Lu Zhimin , Ding Ling , Zhang Sen , Jiang Xing , Wang Qinglu , Luo Ying , Tian Xuewen
Published: September 2023

Background:

Copper plays an important role in the human body and is potentially related to the development of diabetes. The mechanism of copper death gene regulating immune infiltration in diabetes has not been studied.

Methods:

Download microarray data from healthy normal and diabetic patients from the GEO database. The identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was analyzed by gene enrichment. Using String online database and Cytoscape software to interact with the protein interaction network and make visual analysis. Using Wilcox analyze the correlation between the copoer death gene and diabetic mellitus. Analysis of the correlation between immune penetration cells and functions, and the difference between the diabetes group and the control group, screening the copper death gene associated with diabetes, and predicting the upper top of microRNA (miRNA) through the Funrich software.

Results:

According to the identification of differential genes in 25 samples of GSE25724 and GSE95849 data sets, 328 differential genes were identified by consensus, including 190 up-regulated genes and 138 down-regulated genes (log2FC = 2, P < .01). KEGG results showed that neurodegeneration-multiple disease pathways were most significantly upregulated, followed by Huntington disease. According to Cytohubba, the TOP10 genes HCK, FPR1, MNDA, AQP9, TLR8, CXCR1, CSF3R, VNN2, TLR4, and CCR5 are down-regulated genes, which are mostly enriched in neutrophils. Immunoinfiltration-related heat maps show that Macrophage was strongly positively correlated with Activated dendritic cell, Mast cell, Neutrophil, and Regulatory T cell showed a strong positive correlation. Neutrophil was strongly positively correlated with Activated dendritic cell, Mast cell, and Regulatory T cell. Differential analysis of immune infiltration showed that Neutroph, Mast cell, Activated B cell, Macrophage and Eosinophil were significantly increased in the diabetic group. Central memory CD4 T cell (P < .001), Plasmacytoid dendritic cell, Immature dendritic cell, and Central memory CD8 T cell, etal were significantly decreased. DBT, SLC31A1, ATP7A, LIAS, ATP7B, PDHA1, DLST, PDHB, GCSH, LIPT1, DLD, FDX1, and DLAT genes were significantly associated with one or more cells and their functions in immune invasion. Forty-one miRNA.

Conclusions:

Copper death is closely related to the occurrence of diabetes. Copper death genes may play an important role in the immune infiltration of diabetes.
Medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction appears to be a better treatment than repair, proximal realignment, or conservative management for primary patellar dislocation: A network meta-analysis
Authors: Yoo Jae-Doo , Huh Min-Hwan , Lee Chan-Woo , Roh Young-Hak , D’Lima Darryl D. , Shin Young-Soo
Published: September 2023

Background:

The purpose of this study was to compare the functional outcomes and re-dislocation rates of medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction, MPFL repair, combined proximal realignment (CPR), and conservative management for primary patellar dislocation by conducting a systematic literature search of the available studies. The hypothesis was that MPFL repair and MPFL reconstruction would be better options for treating primary patellar dislocation.

Methods:

Randomized controlled trials or prospective studies of primary patellar dislocation treated with MPFL reconstruction, MPFL repair, CPR, or conservative management were identified from the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library databases through December 31, 2021. A total of 626 patients met the prespecified inclusion criteria. The methodological quality of each study was assessed using a risk of bias table, Detsky quality index, and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The end-point data collected included comparisons of the mean in functional scores on knee outcomes scales and the number of patients who experienced re-dislocation. A network meta-analysis of the relevant literature was performed to investigate which treatment showed better outcomes.

Results:

In total, 10 trials were included in this study. There was no statistically significant difference in the subgroup analysis in terms of the functional outcomes among MPFL reconstruction, MPFL repair, CPR, and conservative management. However, MPFL reconstruction showed statistically significantly better outcomes than MPFL repair, CPR, or conservative management in terms of the re-dislocation rate. Additionally, surface under the cumulative ranking curve percentage showed that MPFL reconstruction had a lower probability of re-dislocation than MPFL repair even though there was no significant difference (0.24, 95% confidence interval: 0.02–2.91).

Conclusion:

Using a network meta-analysis, this meta-analysis showed that there was no significant difference in functional outcomes in a subgroup analysis. In re-dislocation subgroup analysis, MPFL repair and MPFL reconstruction produced significantly better results than other treatments. Also, surface under the cumulative ranking curve percentage showed that MPFL reconstruction had a lower probability of re-dislocation than MPFL repair.
Research hotspots and trends on sports medicine of athletes: A scientometric analysis from 2003 to 2023
Authors: Tao Ye , Lv Xiongce
Published: September 2023

This study aims to demonstrate current research priorities and predict future trends of sports medicine of athletes by scientometric analysis. We collected nearly 20 years (2003 to 2023) of publications related to Sports medicine of athletes in the Web of Science database, Citespace was applied to evaluate the knowledge mapping. There are 4820 manuscripts about post-cesarean section in total, and faster growth after 2018. The country, institution, and author posted the most are the USA, Harvard University, and Engebretsen, Lars. Brit J Sport Med publishes the most articles of this type. In addition, the most key cited reference is Hopkins WG (2009). Sports medicine of athletes research, including blood, biomedical imaging informatics, and activity monitor has been a research hotspots in recent years. Through scientometric analysis of the past 20 years, we know the blood, biomedical imaging informatics, and activity monitor is the focus of future research. The USA, Australia, and England have become the main research forces in this field with high publication rates and centrality. This is important for accurately and quickly locating trends in this field.
The degree of fracture reduction does not compromise the clinical efficacy of arthroscopic reduction and fixation of tibial posterior cruciate ligament avulsion fractures: A retrospective study
Authors: Zhou Zhaoxin , Wang Shendong , Xiao Jiazheng , Mao Yongtao , Li Liubing , Xu Wei , She Chang
Published: September 2023

This study aimed to explore the postoperative outcomes of patients who underwent arthroscopic internal fixation with repositioning sutures for the treatment of posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) avulsion fractures with poorly reduced fracture fragments. It was hypothesized that improperly repositioned fracture fragments might not influence the postoperative clinical outcomes in patients with PCL avulsion fractures treated by arthroscopic sutures. From January 2020 to December 2021, patients admitted to our hospital with PCL avulsion fractures were evaluated. Our inclusion criteria were as follows: diagnosis of PCL avulsion fracture as Meyers & McKeever Type II or Type III; underwent arthroscopic double tunnel suture fixation; and age below 70. Of the patients meeting these criteria, data from 34 individuals were collected by a designated follow-up officer. Based on postoperative imaging, the patients were divided into 2 groups: well fracture reduction and poor fracture reduction groups. Prior to the surgery, the Lysholm score, knee mobility, and international knee documentation committee (IKDC score) were recorded for both groups. At the 3-month post-surgery mark, CT-3D reconstruction was performed. Statistical analysis was conducted on the collected data. For data that conformed to a normal distribution, the t test was applied. For data that didn’t conform, we used a non-parametric test. Both groups achieved successful wound healing without encountering any adverse events, such as fracture nonunion infection. Fracture healing was observed in both groups at the 3-month postoperative mark. The average follow-up duration was 13.24 ± 6.18 months. There were no significant differences in Lysholm score, IKDC score, or knee mobility between the well- and poorly-reduced groups at the final follow-up (P > .05). Postoperatively, both groups demonstrated significant improvements in knee function compared to the preoperative scores, with statistically significant differences observed in Lysholm score, IKDC score, and knee mobility (P < .05). Arthroscopic fixation with double-tunnel sutures proved to be a highly effective treatment approach for PCL avulsion fractures, even in cases where the fractures were poorly reduced. Remarkably, there were no significant differences observed in postoperative knee function between the well- and poorly-reduced groups, indicating that both groups achieved favorable outcomes.
Analysis of risk factors for procedure-related hemorrhage in rotator cuff repair surgery under shoulder arthroscopy
Authors: Guo Dan , Wang Jingcheng
Published: September 2023

The present study aims to validate the methods of quantifying blood loss in arthroscopic rotator cuff repair and to investigate the correlation between blood loss and joint pain and joint function recovery. A total of 38 patients with unilateral rotator cuff injuries who underwent shoulder arthroscopy were analyzed in this study. Related information, including age, gender, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), disease entity, comorbidity, joint release, and operating time, were collected into a spreadsheet. Serum hemoglobin and hematocrit (HCT) levels were obtained before the surgery and on the first and third days after the operation. The visual analog scale (VAS) score and the constant-Murley score of the shoulder joint were evaluated 1 year after the operation. Preoperative blood volume (PBV), red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), and HCT levels were significantly higher than those on postoperative day 1 and day 3. The average surgery-related blood loss was calculated to be 435.2 ± 53.6 mL during the surgery and the first postoperative day and 542.5 ± 63.0 mL during the surgery and the first 3 days after the surgery. The VAS score was significantly reduced 1 year after surgery. The multivariate linear regression analysis showed that joint release was a potential risk factor for predicting blood loss 1 or 3 days postoperatively. The actual blood loss from shoulder arthroscopy may be underestimated. The joint release was regarded as the leading risk factor for blood loss.
Causes and Outcome of Central Venous Catheter Repair in Children with Intestinal Failure on Home Parenteral Nutrition
Authors: Zaidi Zafar , Littlechild Hannah , Hill Susan , Köglmeier Jutta
Published: September 2023

Objectives:

Children requiring a central venous catheter (CVC) for long-term parenteral nutrition (PN) are at risk of CVC breakage. Modern intestinal failure (IF) management aims to preserve vascular access sites. CVC repair rather than removal is hence attempted for broken catheters. The aim of this study was to describe causes and outcomes of CVC repairs in home PN dependent children.

Methods:

All patients (ages 0–17 years) with CVC dependency enrolled in the IF rehabilitation program of a pediatric referral center were identified, and those who underwent a CVC repair between January 2019 and November 2020 included. Data on associated cause for breakage and incidence of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) post repair were documented retrospectively. Descriptive statistics including medians, percentages, and frequencies were used.

Results:

Forty children, 15 males (37%) and 25 females (63%), were identified. Fifteen of 40 (37.5%) patients underwent a total of 29 CVC repairs (0.1 repairs per 1000 catheter days); 8 of 15 (53%; 33% females) were <5 years of age. The most common reason for repair was CVC fracture by biting (41%) followed by catheter occlusion with intraluminal PN deposition (13.2%). Repair was successful in 100% cases. Only 1 patient had a confirmed CLABSI post repair (1/29 repairs; 3%) who presented 3 days late after the initial catheter breakage. Catheter salvage was successful with antibiotics.

Conclusion:

CVC repair in our cohort was very successful and infection rate after repair minimal. CVC repair rather than removal is recommended to preserve central venous access.
Women Who Give Birth Preterm Do Not Meet Dietary Guidelines During Pregnancy
Authors: Filatava Evgenia Jen , Overton Nicolette E. , El Habbal Noura , Capotosto Melissa Perez , Gregas Matt , Gregory Katherine E.
Published: September 2023

Purpose:

To evaluate maternal dietary intake during pregnancy compared with the 2015-2020 and 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA).

Study Design and Methods:

A retrospective observational study design was used. The cohort included women who gave birth to preterm infants between 25 1/7 weeks and 33 6/7 weeks of gestation. Within 2 weeks of birth, participants were asked to recall their diet in the last month of pregnancy using the Dietary Screener Questionnaire. Participants' dietary intakes were compared to current 2020-2025 DGA that include specific recommendations for pregnant women and prior 2015-2020 DGA that were in place during the study period but were not pregnancy-specific.

Results:

Forty-five women participated in the study. None met the 2015-2020 or 2020-2025 DGA recommended intake of all seven dietary components. When compared to both DGAs, 2.2% of participants met the recommended dairy intake, 26.7% met the calcium intake, 15.6% were below the threshold for added sugar, and none met the vegetable or whole grain intake. When compared to the 2015-2020 DGA, 28.9% met the fruit intake and 2.2% met the fiber intake. However, when compared to the 2020-2025 DGA, only 2.2% met the fruit intake and none met the fiber intake.

Clinical Implication:

Women who gave birth preterm did not adhere to the 2015-2020 or 2020-2025 DGA recommendations in the last month of pregnancy. Nurses are uniquely positioned to provide pregnant women with nutritional screening and counseling as part of routine prenatal care.
Communicating in an Era of Polarization
Authors: Rowe Sylvia , Alexander Nick
Published: September 2023

Issues of scientific misinformation/disinformation, fake news, credibility of sources, and, generally, communicating in a time of social incivility, uncertainty, and declining public trust have been much discussed recently in the literature. Challenges around science communication are numerous and seemingly pervasive. Lately, those charged with reporting science around food, nutrition, and health have grappled with a larger and growing challenge—the increasing polarization of society, both in the United States and globally. In its latest Trust Barometer, Edelman, the New York–based public relations and marketing consultancy firm, detailed various effects of polarization on public trust of science and other societal institutions. In this article, the authors discuss health and nutrition science communication in the context of audience polarization. They build on their previously articulated guidance for communicators in addressing the added challenges to effective messaging in a politically and culturally polarized information environment.
The concomitant use of sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors improved the renal outcome of Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes treated with glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists
Authors: Kobayashi Kazuo , Toyoda Masao , Hatori Nobuo , Tsukamoto Shunichiro , Kimura Moritsugu , Sakai Hiroyuki , Furuki Takayuki , Chin Keiichi , Kanaoka Tomohiko , Aoyama Togo , Umezono Tomoya , Ito Shun , Suzuki Daisuke , Takeda Hiroshi , Degawa Hisakazu , Hishiki Toshimasa , Shimura Hidetoshi , Nakajima Shinichi , Miyauchi Masaaki , Yamamoto Hareaki , Hatori Yutaka , Hayashi Masahiro , Sato Kazuyoshi , Miyakawa Masaaki , Terauchi Yasuo , Tamura Kouichi , Kanamori Akira
Published: September 2023

Aims

This study aimed to clarify the renal influence of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP1Ras) with or without sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) on Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods

We retrospectively extracted 547 patients with T2DM who visited the clinics of members of Kanagawa Physicians Association. The progression of albuminuria status and/or a ≥ 15% decrease in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) per year was set as the renal composite outcome. Propensity score matching was performed to compare GLP1Ra-treated patients with and without SGLT2i.

Results

After matching, 186 patients in each group were compared. There was no significant difference of the incidence of the renal composite outcomes (17% vs. 20%, P = 0.50); however, the annual decrease in the eGFR was significantly smaller and the decrease in the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio was larger in GLP1Ra-treated patients with the concomitant use of SGLT2is than in those without it (−1.1 ± 5.0 vs. −2.8 ± 5.1 mL/min/1.73 m2, P = 0.001; and −0.08 ± 0.61 vs. 0.05 ± 0.52, P = 0.03, respectively).

Conclusion

The concomitant use of SGLT2i with GLP1Ra improved the annual decrease in the eGFR and the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio in Japanese patients with T2DM.
Prevalence of Symptomatic Bacteriuria and Associated Risk Factors among Patients Attending Major Hospitals in Calabar, Nigeria
Authors: Bassey Emmanuel E. , Mbah Maurice , Akpan Samuel S. , Ikpi Edet E. , Alaribe Ambrose A. A.
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most encountered bacterial infection of humans and affect both male and female of all age groups, resulting in high mortality of infected patients if not properly managed.

Hypothesis/Gap statement

Several studies in different sub-Saharan Africa locations show variations in incidence of UTI as well as it’s causative organisms.

Aim

This study aimed to assess the prevalence, etiological agents, and factors associated with urinary tract infections among patients attending selected hospitals in Calabar metropolis, Nigeria.

Methodology

This was a cross-sectional study. Mid-stream urine samples collected from 240 patients with UTI were cultured using Cystine Lactose Electrolyte Deficient Agar (CLED). Data on socio-demographic, clinical symptoms and risk factors were obtained using structured questionnaire. Uropathogens were characterized using microbiological and biochemical tests and confirmed with API®20E and 20NE (Biomérieux) identification system. Pearson Chi-square was employed to check associations between categorical variables.P-value of <.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Out of the 240 urine samples collected, 13 were contaminated during collection, and 227 analyzed. Sixty-five (28.6%) patients had significant bacteriuria. Previous history of UTI (P=.000, CI=1.582-5.180), use of drugs without prescription (P=.000, CI=0.040-0.220), pregnancy (P=.001, CI=1.858-12.575) and history of urinary catheter (P=.031, CI=1.024-19.053) showed significant association with the occurrence of UTI.Klebsiella pneumoniae(23.1%) was the most predominant isolate, followed by Coagulase-negative Staphylococci (16.9%) andEscherichia coli(12.3%).

Conclusion

The study shows that routine UTI screening is beneficial for pregnant women, patients with difficult or painful urination, patients with previous episodes of UTI, catheterized patients and appropriate drugs administered for positive cases. In addition, self-administration of antibiotics should be avoided.
Addressing preferred orientation in single-particle cryo-EM through AI-generated auxiliary particles
Authors: Zhang Hui , Zheng Dihan , Wu Qiurong , Yan Nieng , Shi Zuoqiang , Hu Mingxu , Bao Chenglong
Published: September 2023

The single-particle cryo-EM field faces the persistent challenge of preferred orientation, lacking general computational solutions. We introduce cryoPROS, an AI-based approach designed to address the above issue. By generating the auxiliary particles with a conditional deep generative model, cryoPROS addresses the intrinsic bias in orientation estimation for the observed particles. We effectively employed cryoPROS in the cryo-EM single particle analysis of the hemagglutinin trimer, showing the ability to restore the near-atomic resolution structure on non-tilt data. Moreover, the enhanced version named cryoPROS-MP significantly improves the resolution of the membrane protein NaXusing the no-tilted data that contains the effects of micelles. Compared to the classical approaches, cryoPROS does not need special experimental or image acquisition techniques, providing a purely computational yet effective solution for the preferred orientation problem. Finally, we conduct extensive experiments that establish the low risk of model bias and the high robustness of cryoPROS.
Fungal Pathogen Gene Selection for Predicting the Onset of Infection Using a Multi-Stage Machine Learning Approach
Authors: Thomas Graham , Stoner Oliver , Costa Fabrizio , Ames Ryan M
Published: September 2023

Phytopathogenic fungi pose a serious threat to global food security. Next-generation sequencing technologies, such as transcriptomics, are increasingly used to profile infection, assess environmental adaptation and gauge host-responses. The accumulation of these large-scale data has created the opportunity to employ new computational methods to gain greater biological insights. Machine learning approaches, that learn to identify patterns in complex data sets, have recently been applied to the field of plant-pathogen interactions. Here, we apply a machine learning approach to transcriptomics data for the fungal pathogenZymoseptoria tritici, to predict the onset of infection as measured by timing of the appearance of necrosis. We present a method for identifying the most important genes that predict infection timings, accurately classify isolates as early and late infectors and predict the timing of infection of ‘novel’ isolates using only a subset of the data. These methods and the genes identified further demonstrate the use of these tools in the field of plant-pathogen interactions and have implications for the identification of biomarkers for disease monitoring and forecasting.

Fungi that infect plants pose a serious threat to global food security. Methods to study these pathogens generate vast amounts of data that create new opportunities for computational tools to analyse them. Machine learning methods can learn patterns in complex data such as when genes are turned on or off in fungal plant pathogens. In this study we use machine learning approaches to predict the onset of infection in several isolates of an important fungal pathogen. We show that these methods can identify a small group of genes that are predictive of the infection onset. We can even use these methods on ‘novel’ isolates to infer the likely timing of disease development. Our work has implications for plant disease diagnosis, monitoring and forecasting.
TEM Experiment and Complete Genome Sequencing with Comparative Genomic Analysis to Uncover Potential Probiotic Features of IsolatedLactobacillus delbrueckiisubsp.indicusTY-11
Authors: Jakaria Al-Mujahidy Sk. Md. , Kryukov Kirill , Ikeo Kazuho , Saito Kei , Uddin Md. Ekhlas , Ibn Sina Abu Ali
Published: September 2023

Background

Probiotics refer to living microorganisms that exerts a variety of beneficial effects on human health. On the contrary, they also can cause infection, produce toxins within the body, and transfer antibiotic resistant genes to the other microorganisms in the digestive tract necessitating a comprehensive safety assessment. This study aimed to conduct functional genomic analysis to uncover the probiotic potential ofLactobacillus delbrueckiisubsp.indicusTY-11 isolated from native yogurt in Bangladesh. We also performed Transmission Electron Microscopic (TEM) analysis, comparative genomic study as well as phylogenetic tree construction with 332 core genes from 262 genomes. These experiments on subspeciesindicuswere not studied previously.

Results

The strain TY-11 was identified asLactobacillus delbrueckiisubsp.indicus,whose genome (1916674bp) contained genes to adapt to diverse and stressful environments of the human gut, and no gene was identified for either antibiotic resistance or toxic metabolites. It embraced genes for the degradation of toxic metabolites, treatment of lactose intolerance, toll-like receptor 2-dependent innate immune response, heat and cold shock, bile salts tolerance in the gut, and acidic pH tolerance in the stomach. Genes were annotated for inhibiting pathogenic bacteria in the gut by inhibitory substances, (bacteriocin: Helveticin-J (331bp) and Enterolysin-A (275bp), hydrogen peroxide, and acid); blockage of adhesion sites; and competition for nutrients. Its metabolic pathway helped the human gut to recover the digestive disorders and digest indigestible nutrients. The TY-11 genome possessed additional 37 core genes of subspeciesindicuswhich were deficient in the core genome of the most popular subspeciesbularicus.

Conclusions

This is the first study to explore the molecular insights into intestinal residence and probiotic roles including antimicrobial activities of a representative strain (TY-11) ofLactobacillus delbrueckiisubsp.indicus.
MARCO in alveolar macrophages negatively regulates Ace expression and aldosterone production
Authors: O’Brien Conan J O , Ratti Giorgio , Haberman Emma , Sweeney Charles , Gordon Siamon , Domingos Ana I
Published: September 2023

Aldosterone is a potent cholesterol-derived steroid hormone that plays a major role in controlling blood pressure via regulation of blood volume. The release of aldosterone is typically controlled by the renin-angiotensin aldosterone system, situated in the adrenal glands, kidneys, and lungs. Here, we reveal that the class A scavenger receptor MARCO, expressed on alveolar macrophages, negatively regulates aldosterone production and suppresses angiotensin converting enzyme (Ace) expression in the lung. Collectively, our findings point to alveolar macrophages as additional players in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and introduce a novel example of interplay between the immune and endocrine systems.
TransGeneSelector: A Transformer-based Approach Tailored for Key Gene Mining with Small Plant Transcriptomic Datasets
Authors: Huang Kerui , Tian Jianhong , Sun Lei , Xie Peng , Zhou Shiqi , Deng Aihua , Mo Ping , Zhou Zhibo , Jiang Ming , Li Guiwu , Wang Yun , Jiang Xiaocheng
Published: September 2023

Gene mining, particularly from small sample sizes such as in plants, remains a challenge in life sciences. Traditional methods often omit significant genes, while deep learning techniques are hindered by small sample constraints and lack specialized gene mining approaches. This paper presents TransGeneSelector, the first deep learning method tailored for key gene mining in small transcriptomic datasets, ingeniously integrating data augmentation, sample filtering, and a Transformer-based classifier. Tested onArabidopsis thalianaseeds’ germination classification using just 79 samples, it not only achieves classification performance on par with, if not superior to, Random Forest and SVM but also excels in identifying upstream regulatory genes that Random Forest might miss, and these pinpointed genes more accurately reflect the metabolic processes inherent in seed germination. TransGeneSelector’s ability to mine vital genes from limited datasets signifies its potential as the current state-of-the-art in gene mining in small sample scenarios, providing an efficient and versatile solution for this critical research area.
Pan-viral ORFs discovery using Massively Parallel Ribosome Profiling
Authors: Weingarten-Gabbay Shira , Bauer Matthew R. , Stanton Alexandra C. , Klaeger Susan , Verzani Eva K. , López Daniel , Clauser Karl R. , Carr Steven A. , Abelin Jennifer G. , Rice Charles M. , Sabeti Pardis C.
Published: September 2023

Unveiling the complete proteome of viruses is crucial to our understanding of the viral life cycle and interaction with the host. We developed Massively Parallel Ribosome Profiling (MPRP) to experimentally determine open reading frames (ORFs) in 20,170 designed oligonucleotides across 679 human-associated viral genomes. We identified 5,381 ORFs, including 4,208 non-canonical ORFs, and show successful detection of both annotated coding sequences (CDSs) and reported non-canonical ORFs. By examining immunopeptidome datasets of infected cells, we found class I human leukocyte antigen (HLA-I) peptides originating from non-canonical ORFs identified through MPRP. By inspecting ribosome occupancies on the 5’UTR and CDS regions of annotated viral genes, we identified hundreds of upstream ORFs (uORFs) that negatively regulate the synthesis of canonical viral proteins. The unprecedented source of viral ORFs across a wide range of viral families, including highly pathogenic viruses, expands the repertoire of vaccine targets and exposes new cis-regulatory sequences in viral genomes.
Increased Risk of Intracranial Hemorrhage in Older Patients Exposed to Multidrug Interactions Involving Warfarin
Authors: Ramesh Babu Prathiv Raj
Published: September 2023

Multidrug interactions are a major cause of mortality for older patients. With an increase in “alert fatigue” for clinicians using Electronic Health Record systems (EHRs), Adverse Drug Events (ADEs) are increasing within older populations taking various drugs, because the probabilities of the adverse events associated with exposure to interacting drugs are not provided. The Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics (OHDSI) ATLAS tool was utilized with Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) patient data to determine whether Intracranial Hemorrhage (ICH) risk increases after being exposed to various multidrug interactions involving Warfarin in patients aged 60-90 years old one week before an ICH occurrence in patients prescribed ranges of 1-5, 6-10, and 11-15 drugs to also see the impact of polypharmacy on the prevalence of ICH amongst these patients. The prevalence of ICH in patients exposed to two and three-drug combinations involving Warfarin, Aspirin, Acetaminophen, and Amiodarone was measured. Significant increases in ICH risk and prevalence were identified in patients who had taken various combinations of these drugs with three-drug combinations involving Warfarin having a higher ICH risk than two-drug combinations involving Warfarin. Other findings also include that patients prescribed a larger number of drugs also tended to have a higher ICH risk than those prescribed a smaller number of drugs. Understanding the prevalence of such ADEs have crucial implications in the healthcare system, as the increased probabilities for certain ADEs from multidrug combinations can be applied to future EHR systems to counteract “alert fatigue” issues.