bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Household Preferences and Child Labor in Rural Ethiopia
Authors: Basu Arnab , Dimova Ralitza
Published: December 2022

This paper revisits the causes behind child labor supply by focusing on an aspect that has received little attention: the link between the household head's risk and time preferences and observed child labor supply. We develop a theoretical model and empirically test for this link using data from the seventh round of the Ethiopian Rural Household Survey. We find child labor at the extensive and intensive margins to be increasing in both higher adult discount rates and higher degrees of risk aversion, and this finding is robust across alternative empirical specifications. While higher time discount rates are supposed to favor child labor at the expense of schooling, the explanation of the positive link between risk aversion of the household head and observed child labor supply is nuanced. The most plausible explanation is that risk averse parents react to uncertain returns to education by combining child labor and schooling as opposed to substituting schooling for child labor.
Multi-horizon predictive models for guiding extracorporeal resource allocation in critically ill COVID-19 patients
Authors: Xue Bing , Shah Neel , Yang Hanqing , Kannampallil Thomas , Payne Philip Richard Orrin , Lu Chenyang , Said Ahmed Sameh
Published: December 2022

Objective

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) resource allocation tools are currently lacking. We developed machine learning (ML) models for predicting COVID-19 patients at risk of receiving ECMO to guide patient triage and resource allocation.

Material and Methods

We included COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care units for >24 h from March 2020 to October 2021, divided into training and testing development and testing-only holdout cohorts. We developed ECMO deployment timely prediction model ForecastECMO using Gradient Boosting Tree (GBT), with pre-ECMO prediction horizons from 0 to 48 h, compared to PaO2/FiO2 ratio, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score, PREdiction of Survival on ECMO Therapy score, logistic regression, and 30 pre-selected clinical variables GBT Clinical GBT models, with area under the receiver operator curve (AUROC) and precision recall curve (AUPRC) metrics.

Results

ECMO prevalence was 2.89% and 1.73% in development and holdout cohorts. ForecastECMO had the best performance in both cohorts. At the 18-h prediction horizon, a potentially clinically actionable pre-ECMO window, ForecastECMO, had the highest AUROC (0.94 and 0.95) and AUPRC (0.54 and 0.37) in development and holdout cohorts in identifying ECMO patients without data 18 h prior to ECMO.

Discussion and Conclusions

We developed a multi-horizon model, ForecastECMO, with high performance in identifying patients receiving ECMO at various prediction horizons. This model has potential to be used as early alert tool to guide ECMO resource allocation for COVID-19 patients. Future prospective multicenter validation would provide evidence for generalizability and real-world application of such models to improve patient outcomes.
The effect of harvest time of forage on carbohydrate digestion in horses quantified by in vitro and mobile bag techniques
Authors: Stang Frida Lindskov , Bjerregaard Rikke , Müller Cecilia Elisabeth , Ergon Åshild , Halling Magnus , Thorringer Nana Wentzel , Kidane Alemayehu , Jensen Rasmus Bovbjerg
Published: December 2022

Carbohydrates in forages constitute an important part of the feed ration for all horses. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of harvest time on carbohydrate composition and digestion of various grass species. The experiment was divided into three parts 1) characterization of the chemical composition of experimental feeds (6 grass species: meadow fescue [MF], cocksfoot [CF], perennial ryegrass [PR], smooth bromegrass [SB], tall fescue [TF], and timothy [TI], and 3 harvest times: early, medium, and late first cut), 2) measurements of the in vitro digestion of selected experimental feeds (the 6 grass species, and 2 harvest times [early and late]) measured by in vitro gas production, and 3) in vivo digestion of selected experimental feeds (2 grass species: CF and PR, 2 harvest times [early and late]) measured by the mobile bag technique using caecum cannulated horses. An experimental field was established with plots containing each of the grass species in three replicate blocks. Grass samples were cut between 1200 and 1400 h at 4th of June (early first cut), 17th of June (medium first cut), and 1st of July (late first cut) and analyzed for crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber with heat stable amylase and free of residual ash (aNDFom) and water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC). The in vitro fermentation was investigated using the ANKOM RF gas production technique, where feeds were incubated for 48 h using horse caecal fluid as an inoculum. Gas production was modeled, and maximum gas production (MGP) was used to evaluate the potential digestibility of the feeds. Based on the chemical analyses and the in vitro experiment, early and late harvested CF and PR were selected for the in vivo experiment, which was conducted as a randomized 4 × 4 Latin square design including four periods, four horses and four feeds. In general, the CP content decreased whereas the aNDFom content increased as the grasses matured. The content of WSC increased in SB and TI, but decreased in CF, and fructans increased in SB, TI, PR, and TF as they matured. The in vitro MGP showed a clearer difference between harvest times than between grass species. Harvest time had larger effect on digestibility than grass species, and a high precaecal disappearance of the WSC fraction was measured by the mobile bag technique. Cocksfoot was identified as a grass species with potentially low digestibility and low WSC content and could potentially be used more for horses.
Geographic Dependence and Diversification in House Price Returns: The Role of Leverage
Authors: Heinen Andréas , Kim Mi Lim , Hamadi Malika
Published: December 2022

We analyze the time variation in the average dependence within a set of regional monthly house price index returns in a regime-switching multivariate copula model with a high and a low dependence regime. Using equidependent Gaussian copulas, we show that the dependence of house price returns varies across time with changes in credit market conditions, which reduces the gains from the geographic diversification of real estate and mortgage portfolios. More specifically, we show that a decrease in leverage, measured by the loan-to-value ratio, and to a lesser extent an increase in mortgage rates, are associated with a higher probability of moving to and staying in the high dependence regime.
Argon mitigates post-stroke neuroinflammation by regulating M1/M2 polarization and inhibiting NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammasome signaling
Authors: Xue Ke , Qi Mian , She Tongping , Jiang Zhenglin , Zhang Yunfeng , Wang Xueting , Wang Guohua , Xu Lihua , Peng Bin , Liu Jiayi , Song Xinjian , Yuan Yuan , Li Xia
Published: December 2022

Neuroinflammation plays a vital role in cerebral ischemic stroke (IS). In the acute phase of IS, microglia are activated toward the pro-inflammatory (M1) and anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotypes. Argon, an inert gas, can reduce neuroinflammation and alleviate ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. However, whether argon regulates M1/M2 polarization to protect against I/R injury as well as the underlying mechanism has not been reported. In this study, we analyzed the activation and polarization of microglia after I/R injury with or without argon administration and explored the effects of argon on NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated inflammation in microglia in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that argon application inhibited the activation of M1 microglia/macrophage in the ischemic penumbra and the expression of proteins related to NLRP3 inflammasome and pyroptosis in microglia. Argon administration also inhibited the expression and processing of IL-1β, a primary pro-inflammatory cytokine. Thus, argon alleviates I/R injury by inhibiting pro-inflammatory reactions via suppressing microglial polarization toward M1 phenotype and inhibiting the NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway. More importantly, we showed that argon worked better than the specific NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor MCC950 in suppressing neuroinflammation and protecting against cerebral I/R injury, suggesting the therapeutic potential of argon in neuroinflammation-related neurodegeneration diseases as a potent gas inhibitor of the NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway.
Identification of subfunctionalized aggregate-remodeling J-domain proteins inArabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Tak Yogesh , Lal Silviya S , Gopan Shilpa , Balakrishnan Madhumitha , Satheesh Gouri , Biswal Anup K , Verma Amit K , Cole Sierra J , Brown Rebecca E , Hayward Rachel E , Hines Justin K , Sahi Chandan
Published: December 2022

J-domain proteins (JDPs) are critical components of the cellular protein quality control machinery, playing crucial roles in preventing the formation and, solubilization of cytotoxic protein aggregates. Bacteria, yeast, and plants additionally have large, multimeric heat shock protein 100 (Hsp100)-class disaggregases that resolubilize protein aggregates. JDPs interact with aggregated proteins and specify the aggregate-remodeling activities of Hsp70s and Hsp100s. However, the aggregate-remodeling properties of plant JDPs are not well understood. Here we identify eight orthologs of Sis1 (an evolutionarily conserved Class II JDP of budding yeast) in Arabidopsis thaliana with distinct aggregate-remodeling functionalities. Six of these JDPs associate with heat-induced protein aggregates in vivo and co-localize with Hsp101 at heat-induced protein aggregate centers. Consistent with a role in solubilizing cytotoxic protein aggregates, an atDjB3 mutant had defects in both solubilizing heat-induced aggregates and acquired thermotolerance as compared with wild-type seedlings. Next, we used yeast prions as protein aggregate models to show that the six JDPs have distinct aggregate-remodeling properties. Results presented in this study, as well as findings from phylogenetic analysis, demonstrate that plants harbor multiple, evolutionarily conserved JDPs with capacity to process a variety of protein aggregate conformers induced by heat and other stressors.
Soil variation among natural habitats alters glucosinolate content in a wild perennial mustard
Authors: Wagner Maggie R , Mitchell-Olds Thomas
Published: December 2022

Baseline levels of glucosinolates—important defensive phytochemicals in brassicaceous plants—are determined by both genotype and environment. However, the ecological causes of glucosinolate plasticity are not well characterized. Fertilization is known to alter glucosinolate content of Brassica crops, but the effect of naturally occurring soil variation on glucosinolate content of wild plants is unknown. Here, we conducted greenhouse experiments using Boechera stricta to ask (i) whether soil variation among natural habitats shapes leaf and root glucosinolate profiles; (ii) whether such changes are caused by abiotic soil properties, soil microbes, or both; and (iii) whether soil-induced glucosinolate plasticity is genetically variable. Total glucosinolate quantity differed up to 2-fold between soils from different natural habitats, while the relative amounts of different compounds were less responsive. This effect was due to physico-chemical soil properties rather than microbial communities. We detected modest genetic variation for glucosinolate plasticity in response to soil. In addition, glucosinolate composition, but not quantity, of field-grown plants could be accurately predicted from measurements from greenhouse-grown plants. In summary, soil alone is sufficient to cause plasticity of baseline glucosinolate levels in natural plant populations, which may have implications for the evolution of this important trait across complex landscapes.
The metabolic adaptation in wild vertebrates via omics approaches
Authors: Du Xin , Hu Yisi , Huang Guangping , Wei Fuwen
Published: December 2022

Metabolism is the basis for sustaining life and essential to the adaptive evolution of organisms. With the development of high-throughput sequencing technology, genetic mechanisms of adaptive evolution, including metabolic adaptation, have been extensively resolved by omics approaches, but a deep understanding of genetic and epigenetic metabolic adaptation is still lacking. Exploring metabolic adaptations from genetic and epigenetic perspectives in wild vertebrates is vital to understanding species evolution, especially for the early stages of adaptative evolution. Herein, we summarize the advances in our understanding of metabolic adaptations via omics approaches in wild vertebrates based on three types of cases: extreme environment, periodically changing environment, and changes of species characteristics. We conclude that the understanding of the formation of metabolic adaptations at the genetic level alone can well identify the adaptive genetic variation that has developed during evolution, but cannot resolve the potential impact of metabolic adaptations on the adaptative evolution in the future. Thus, it seems imperative to include epigenomics and metabolomics in the study of adaptation, and that in the future genomic and epigenetic data should be integrated to understand the formation of metabolic adaptation of wild vertebrate organisms.
Tivozanib in Patients with Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma Previously Treated with Axitinib: Subgroup Analysis from TIVO-3
Authors: Meza Luis , McDermott David F , Escudier Bernard , Hutson Thomas E , Porta Camillo , Verzoni Elena , Atkins Michael B , Kasturi Vijay , Pal Sumanta K , Rini Brian
Published: December 2022

Background

In phase III TIVO-3 trial, tivozanib improved progression-free survival (PFS) compared to sorafenib for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). However, the effectiveness of this drug after exposure to other selective VEGFR agents has not yet been defined. Herein, we characterize the clinical efficacy of tivozanib in patients with mRCC previously treated with axitinib.

Methods

We identified patients from the intention to treat (ITT) population, in the TIVO-3 trial, who received treatment with axitinib before enrolment in the study and evaluated PFS, response rate (RR), and safety.

Results

Out of 350 patients, 172 (83:89, tivozanib:sorafenib) had received prior treatment with axitinib in TIVO-3. In this subgroup, PFS was 5.5 months with tivozanib and 3.7 months with sorafenib (HR 0.68). RR was 13% and 8% favoring tivozanib.

Conclusions

Tivozanib is active in the treatment of patients with mRCC who have progressed on prior therapies, including axitinib.
Where Is the Digitally Silent Provider? Development and Validation of a Team-Centered Electronic Health Record Attribution Model for Supervising Residents
Authors: Wang Michael D. , Rosner Benjamin I. , Rosenbluth Glenn
Published: December 2022

Problem

Providing trainees with data and benchmarks on their own patient populations is an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education core residency requirement. Leveraging electronic health records (EHRs) for this purpose relies on correctly attributing patients to the trainees responsible for their care. EHR activity logs are useful for attributing interns to inpatients but not for attributing supervising residents, who often have no inpatient EHR usage obligations, and therefore may generate no digital “footprints” on a given patient-day from which to ascertain attribution.

Approach

The authors developed and tested a novel team-centered binary logistic regression model leveraging EHR activity logs from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019, for pediatric hospital medicine (PHM) supervising residents at the University of California, San Francisco. Unlike patient-centered models that determine daily attribution according to the trainee generating the greatest relative activity in individual patients’ charts, the team-centered approach predicts daily attribution based on the trainee generating EHR activity across the greatest proportion of a team’s patients. To assess generalizability, the authors similarly modeled supervising resident attribution in adult hospital medicine (AHM) and orthopedic surgery (OS).

Outcomes

For PHM, AHM, and OS, 1,100, 1,399, and 803 unique patient encounters and 29, 62, and 10 unique supervising residents were included, respectively. Team-centered models outperformed patient-centered models for the 3 specialties, with respective accuracies of 85.4% versus 72.4% (PHM), 88.7% versus 75.4% (AHM), and 69.3% versus 51.6% (OS; P < .001 for all). AHM and PHM models demonstrated relative generalizability to one another while OS did not.

Next Steps

Validation at other institutions will be essential to understanding the potential for generalizability of this approach. Accurately attributed data are likely to be trusted more by trainees, enabling programs to operationalize feedback for use cases including performance measurement, case mix assessment, and postdischarge opportunities for follow-up learning.
Relationship of sarcopenia with bone geometry and mass among postmenopausal women
Authors: França Caroline F. , Miranda Camila , Martins Fernanda M. , Pelet Danyelle C. S. , de Souza Lino Anderson D. , Souza Markus V. C. , Orsatti Fábio L.
Published: December 2022

Objective

The aim of this study was to verify whether sarcopenia and its components are associated with hip areal bone mineral density (aBMD) and geometry in postmenopausal women (PW).

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, appendicular bone-free lean mass (aLM) and hip bone mass and geometry were measured using dual-energy x-ray emission absorptiometry (DXA). Muscle power and strength were measured by five times Sit-to-Stand Test (5-STS) and dynamometry, respectively, in 175 PW. Sarcopenia was identified as low aLM plus low muscle strength or low muscle power. Multiple linear regression (covaried by age, smoking, hormonal therapy, and diseases) was used to determine the relationship between sarcopenia and bone geometry and mass. The results are presented as mean differences between groups.

Results

Dynamometry, five times Sit-to-Stand Test, and aLM indicated positive associations (P < 0.05) with most indicators of bone mass and geometry. Sarcopenia, applying low muscle strength or low muscle power, was negatively associated with femoral neck width (−0.2 mm, P = 0.001), cortical thickness of femoral calcar (−0.6 mm, P = 0.043), subtrochanteric cortical thickness (−1.2 mm, P = 0.002), femoral neck cross-sectional area (−19.5 mm2, P < 0.001), cross-section moment of inertia (−2,244 mm4, P < 0.001), section modulus (−115 mm3, P < 0.001), femoral neck aBMD (−0.1 g/cm2, P = 0.002), upper femoral neck aBMD (−0.1 g/cm2, P = 0.003), lower femoral neck aBMD (−0.1 g/cm2, P = 0.016), and trochanteric aBMD (−0.1 g/cm2, P = 0.035).

Conclusions

Thus, muscle mass, strength and power, alone or in combination (ie, sarcopenia), are associated with low aBMD, impaired bone geometry, and, therefore, bone strength in PW. These measures may help identify PW at risk of hip fractures.
Novel Therapeutics for Type 2 Diabetes, Obesity, and Heart Failure
Authors: Khadanga Sherrie , Barrett Kaitlyn , Sheahan Kelsey H. , Savage Patrick D.
Published: December 2022

Background:

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has evolved over time not only to improve cardiorespiratory fitness through exercise but also to promote lifestyle-related behaviors to manage cardiovascular disease risk factors. Given the prevalence of obesity, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and heart failure, CR serves as an ideal setting to monitor and, when indicated, intervene to ensure that individuals are optimally treated.

Purpose:

The objective of this report was to review current antihyperglycemic agents and discuss the role for these medications in the care and treatment of individuals participating in CR.

Conclusion:

There is strong evidence that the benefits provided by some antihyperglycemic medications go beyond glycemic control to include general cardiovascular disease risk reduction. Health care professionals in CR should be aware of the cardiovascular benefits of newer antihyperglycemic agents, as well as the treatment approach to patients with type 2 diabetes, obesity, and heart failure.
Efficacy and Safety of Sulfasalazine Suspension in Children With Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Mansuri Ishrat , Wang Sophia , Rufo Paul A. , Liu Enju , Chan Christina , Bousvaros Athos
Published: December 2022

Background:

Sulfasalazine (SZ) is commonly used to treat pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC). SZ can be compounded into a suspension form which is beneficial for children with difficulty swallowing a pill. Despite being utilized for over 40 years, there is a lack of published data on the efficacy and safety of SZ suspension in children with UC. Recently, third-party payors have begun refusing to pay for SZ suspension due to lack of data.

Methods:

In this retrospective study, we reviewed the electronic medical records of patients ages <18 years diagnosed with UC from June 1999 to December 2019 at Boston Children’s Hospital and treated with SZ suspension as a first-line agent. We obtained demographics, clinical, and endoscopic data to measure outcomes at 1 year and long term.

Results:

Of 57 patients treated with SZ suspension, 52 (91%) had a follow-up and 26 of 52 (50%) remained in steroid-free remission at 1 year. Two patients were switched to SZ tablets due to nonmedical reasons and 11 (21%) required rescue treatment (2 infliximab, 1 tacrolimus, 8 6-mercaptopurine/azathioprine) within a year. Three required colectomy within a year and 5 in long term. Four (8%) developed nonserious adverse reactions and switched to 5-aminosalicylates (5-ASA) by 1 year. The median duration of long-term follow-up was 36 months (range, 2–205 months) with 28 requiring treatment escalation in long term.

Conclusions:

SZ suspension is a safe and effective treatment for UC in children with difficulty swallowing a pill. The 1-year remission rate on this treatment is comparable to 5-ASA utilized in children.
Supply and Demand: Resident Applications to Program Positions in Plastic Surgery and Our Sister Specialties
Authors: Coombs Demetrius M. , Kwiecien Grzegorz J. , Sinclair Nicholas R. , Zins James E.
Published: December 2022

Background:

Previous studies have compared various attributes of independent and integrated resident applicants and identified criteria for a successful match outcome. Few studies have directly examined the relative desirability of various surgical and nonsurgical specialties from the resident’s perspective. To address this, the authors analyzed plastic surgery resident applicants and available positions from 2010 through 2018 and compared these data alongside four surgical and five nonsurgical specialties.

Methods:

In this cross-sectional, retrospective review from the San Francisco Match and National Resident Matching Program, year, number of applicants, available positions, and specialty (integrated or independent plastic, general, or orthopedic surgery; neurosurgery; otolaryngology; anesthesiology; emergency, family, or internal medicine; and pediatrics) were examined.

Results:

From 2010 through 2018, the number of integrated positions increased by 142%, whereas the number of integrated applicants increased only by 14.5%. The number of available independent positions decreased by 32.6%, whereas the number of independent applicants decreased by 43.9%. All surgical subspecialties demonstrated a decrease in applicants relative to positions (range 9.9% to 24.8%). Unlike the surgical specialties, the nonsurgical fields increased both their number of positions (14% to 57.2%) and number of applicants (2.2% to 44.1%). In particular, applicants to emergency, family, and internal medicine increased dramatically (17% to 44.1%).

Conclusions:

Applicants to plastic surgery and other surgical residencies changed minimally. The nonsurgical specialties showed a significant increase in the number of applicants, suggesting increasing interest in the nonsurgical fields. Contributing factors may include medical school pressures, lifestyle concerns, and experience with various specialties during medical school. Means of enhancing medical student exposure to plastic surgery are suggested.
BACTERIOPHAGE M13 MODULATES THE SEPSIS-RELATED INFLAMMATORY RESPONSES AND ORGAN DAMAGE IN A CLP MODEL
Authors: Rahimi Arezou , Soudi Sara , Vakilian Saeid , Jamshidi-Adegani Fatemeh , Sadeghizadeh Majid , Al-Hashmi Sulaiman
Published: December 2022

Background: Sepsis is a life-threatening disorder that leads to the induction of inflammatory responses and organ failure. Phage therapy is a new approach to controlling infections resistant to common treatments, including sepsis. Several studies have shown the effect of lytic bacteriophages on infection control by reducing the bacterial load. The present study deals with lysogenic bacteriophage M13 on the inflammatory responses caused by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis in a mouse model. Methods Bacteriophage M13 harvested from ER2738, titrated, and confirmed by transmission electron microscopy analysis. In vitro toxicity and immunomodulatory effect of bacteriophage M13 were assessed on splenocytes by measurement of cell viability and the production level of cytokines, nitric oxide, and reactive oxygen species. For in vivo experiments, 8-weeks-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into the following three groups: CLP + NS (treated with normal saline), CLP + M13 (treated with an intraperitoneal injection of 109 PFU/mL of bacteriophage M13), and sham + NS (induced surgery but without ligation and puncture, treated with NS). The mice were killed at different time points after surgery (6, 24, 48, and 72, n = 10 for each time point of each group). The kidney, liver, and lungs were harvested for histopathological analysis, and blood was obtained for cytokine and liver enzyme assay. The spleen was used to assess the bacterial load using colony-forming unit assay. The rectal temperature and survival were evaluated during the study. Results According to the in vitro results, 109 PFU/mL of bacteriophage M13 was not toxic and did not affect the level of cytokine, nitric oxide, and reactive oxygen species production by splenocytes, but it reduced the inflammatory response of splenocytes in responses to LPS. In vivo studies indicated that the amount of proinflammatory cytokines, liver enzymes, bacterial load, and organ failure were decreased in the CLP + M13 group compared with CLP + NS, whereas the survival rate was increased. Conclusions These experiments demonstrated that bacteriophage M13 could lessen the consequences related to sepsis in CLP mice and can be considered a therapeutic approach in sepsis.
Association Between Nonalcoholic Fatty Pancreatic Disease and Triglyceride/Glucose Index
Authors: de Oliveira Andrade Luis Jesuino , de Oliveira Luis Matos , Vinhaes Bittencourt Alcina Maria , Baptista Gustavo Magno , Matos de Oliveira Gabriela Correia
Published: December 2022

Nonalcoholic fatty pancreatic disease (NAFPD) is an increase of fat in the pancreas, and has an important association with insulin resistance (IR) and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Research has confirmed that the triglyceridemia/glycemia (TyG) index determines IR as much as does the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp assessment as the homeostasis model testing of IR (HOMA-IR).

Objective

To evaluate the association between degree of NAFPD and TyG index.

Methods

In 72 patients undergoing ultrasound of abdomen with a diagnosis of NAFPD, insulin, glucose, and triglycerides levels were evaluated. The HOMA-IR index was used as a reference of IR. The degrees of NAFPD and the TyG index were presented through the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves in order to evaluate the association between different degrees of NAFPD and the TyG index and its correlation with HOMA-IR.

Results

There was a statistically significant correlation between the degree of NAFPD and the TyG index. The AUROC curve for the TyG index for predicting the degree of NADPD was 0.855 (0.840–0.865). The intensity-adjusted probabilities of the degree of NAFPD were more strongly associated with TyG values when compared with HOMA-IR.

Conclusion

In this study the TyG index correlated positively with the degree of NAFPD, performing better than HOMA-IR.
Demystifying image-based machine learning: A practical guide to automated analysis of field imagery using modern machine learning tools
Authors: Belcher Byron T. , Bower Eliana H. , Burford Benjamin , Celis Maria Rosa , Fahimipour Ashkaan K. , Guevara Isabella L. , Katija Kakani , Khokhar Zulekha , Manjunath Anjana , Nelson Samuel , Olivetti Simone , Orenstein Eric , Saleh Mohamad H. , Vaca Brayan , Valladares Salma , Hein Stella A. , Hein Andrew M.
Published: December 2022

Image-based machine learning methods are quickly becoming among the most widely-used forms of data analysis across science, technology, and engineering. These methods are powerful because they can rapidly and automatically extract rich contextual and spatial information from images, a process that has historically required a large amount of manual labor. The potential of image-based machine learning methods to change how researchers study the ocean has been demonstrated through a diverse range of recent applications. However, despite their promise, machine learning tools are still under-exploited in many domains including species and environmental monitoring, biodiversity surveys, fisheries abundance and size estimation, rare event and species detection, the study of wild animal behavior, and citizen science. Our objective in this article is to provide an approachable, application-oriented guide to help researchers apply image-based machine learning methods effectively to their own research problems. Using a case study, we describe how to prepare data, train and deploy models, and avoid common pitfalls that can cause models to underperform. Importantly, we discuss how to diagnose problems that can cause poor model performance on new imagery to build robust tools that can vastly accelerate data acquisition in the marine realm. Code to perform our analyses is provided athttps://github.com/heinsense2/AIO_CaseStudy
Haemovigilance and Trends of Transfusion Transmissible Viral Infections among Asymptomatic Population at Akatsi South Municipal in Volta Region of Ghana from 2014 to 2019
Authors: Hamid Abdul-Wahab Mawuko , Oduro-Mensah Moses , Adase Ishmael , Kwadzokpui Precious Kwablah , Agyemang Kenneth Owusu , Ayivor Pascal , Bonsu Kofi Karikari , Nanga Salifu , Bawah Ahmed Tijani , Alidu Huseini Wiisibie , Agudze Israel Tordzro , Glover-Meni Nathaniel , Jamfaru Ibrahim , Kaba Robert , Ayamba Ali Mahmudu , Kwofie Theophilus Benjamin , Adiku Theophilus , Ofori Eric Kwasi
Published: December 2022

Background

Tracking the changing epidemiology of Transfusion Transmissible Infections (TTIs), including Immunodeficiency virus (HIV), is critical to attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG.3.3) milestones and deadlines. This study assessed the dynamics associated with Blood Donation and TTIs among blood donors at the Akatsi South Municipality in the Volta Region of Ghana.

Methods

This was a haemovigilance study, designed to retrospectively evaluate secondary data on 2,588 blood donors in Akatsi South District Hospital from 2014 to 2019. Data was collected, managed and quality controlled done electronically using Microsoft Visual Basics, and STATA. TTIs’ trends were determined using frequentist and descriptive statistics, and 95% confidence intervals using Clopper Pearson test.

Results

Prevalence of TTIs was 8.0%. The prevalence of HIV as well as HBV and HCV, was 3.8%, 3.2% and 1.0% respectively. For female hosts, the prevalence was 7.4% (HIV), 4.2 % (HBV) and 1.6% (HCV). For Male-host, the rates were 3.1% (HIV), 3.5% (HBV) and 1.0% (HVC). Donors aged 15-19years were most infected at rates of 13.2% (HIV), 4.7% (HBV) and 1.9% (HCV).

Conclusion

About 57(2.4%) and 3(1.2%) of 2380 blood donated were TTIs false negatives and false positives respectively. In addition to being a driver of TTIs among blood donors in this study, the HIV prevalence among teenagers was significantly above the regional and national rates. These rates have ‘programmatic’ and ‘research’ implications. A relatively higher sensitive blood transfusion screening method is urgently needed to prevent the transfusion of TTIs false negative bloods in Akatsi Municipal Hospital

What is already known about the topic: National and global epidemiology of TTIs, including HIV are known.

What this study add?This study serves as baseline data on trends of HIV, HBV and HCV infection among non-sentinel asymptomatic population at Akatsi South Municipality in Volta Region of Ghana.

How this study might affect research, practice or policy?Our data shall contribute to understanding on changing epidemiology of Transfusion Transmissible viral infection including HIV after the introduction of the public health sector strategy toward the 2030 deadline to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 3.3.
Gender-based social norms, psychosocial variation, and power relations during delivery and post natal care: a case study qualitative research in rural Ethiopia
Authors: Ayele Ketema , Kebede Yohannes , Abebe Lakew , Mamo Abebe , Sudakar Morankar
Published: December 2022

Background

The World Health Organization (WHO) strongly encouraged men to support women to use maternal health care services. However, especially in developing countries, maternal health care has traditionally been viewed as a women’s issue, men making little or no contribution, despite the fact that sexuality and children are shared products. The study’s goal was to understand how gender-based norms, psychosocial variation, power relations, and community social support are related to child delivery and post-natal care services.

Method

The study took place in three rural districts of Ethiopia’s Oromia regional state, Jimma Zone. An in-depth interview and focus group discussion were held with a group of carefully chosen health professionals, community health development armies, and religious leaders. The data was collected, translated, and transcribed by men and women with experience in qualitative research. For data analysis, Atlas ti version 9 was used. Gender-based delivery and postnatal care service utilization were investigated using gender-based categories.

Result

Independent and shared gender-based roles were identified as a means to improve maternal health-care services delivery. Men have the ability to persuade pregnant women to use delivery services and post-natal care. The place of delivery is determined by the levels of gender power relations at the household level, but women are usually the last decision-makers. Furthermore, the community’s belief that giving birth in a health facility makes women look clean and neat, as opposed to home delivery, increases their intention to use maternal health care services..

Conclusion

Understanding men’s and women’s roles, knowledge levels, beliefs, decision-making, and social support significantly improves maternal health care service utilization, allowing pregnant women to receive delivery services at a health facility. Pregnant women were the last to make a decision about using maternal health care services. There are still gaps in knowledge and negative beliefs about maternal health care that limit delivery and postnatal service utilization.

Recommendation

Increasing community-level social support can significantly improve maternal health care service delivery. Men’s concern about institutional delivery is increased when they are viewed as the primary audience during maternal health education. Researchers should focus on the mechanisms through which men participate in delivery in the future, and postnatal services will fully address men’s involvement in maternal health care services.
Predicting preterm births from electrohysterogram recordings via deep learning
Authors: Goldsztejn Uri , Nehorai Arye
Published: December 2022

About one in ten babies is born preterm, i.e., before completing 37 weeks of gestation, which can result in permanent neurologic deficit and is a leading cause of child mortality. Although imminent preterm labor can be detected, predicting preterm births more than one week in advance remains elusive. Here, we develop a deep learning method to predict preterm births directly from electrohysterogram (EHG) recordings of pregnant mothers without symptoms of preterm labor. We developed a prediction model, which includes a recurrent neural network, to predict preterm births using short-time Fourier transforms of EHG recordings and clinical information from two public datasets. We predicted preterm births with an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.80 (95% confidence interval: 0.79-0.82). Moreover, we found that the spectral patterns of the measurements were more predictive than the temporal patterns, suggesting that preterm births can be predicted from short EHG recordings in an automated process. We show that, even without symptoms of preterm labor, preterm births can be predicted for pregnant mothers around their 31st week of gestation, prompting beneficial treatments to reduce the incidence of preterm births and improve their outcomes.
Parkinson’s disease-associated genetic variants synergistically shape brain networks
Authors: Chen Zhichun , Wu Bin , Li Guanglu , Zhou Liche , Zhang Lina , Liu Jun
Published: December 2022

Background

Over 90 genetic variants have been found to be associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD) in genome-wide association studies, however, the neural mechanisms of previously identified risk variants in PD were largely unexplored. The objective of this study was to evaluate the associations between PD-associated genetic variants and brain gene expressions, clinical features, and brain networks.

Methods

PD patients (n = 198) receiving magnetic resonance imaging examinations from Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) database were included in the analysis. The effects of PD-associated genetic variants assayed in PPMI database on clinical manifestations and brain networks of PD patients were systematically evaluated.

Findings

Most associations between 14 PD-associated risk variants and clinical manifestations of PD patients failed to reach the stringentp-value threshold of 0.00026 (0.05/14 clinical variables x 14 variants). Shared and distinct brain network metrics were significantly shaped by PD-associated genetic variants. Small-worldness properties at the global level and nodal metrics in caudate and putamen of basal ganglia network were preferentially modified. Small-worldness properties in gray matter covariance network mediated the effects ofOGFOD2/CCDC62rs11060180 on motor assessments of PD patients.

Interpretation

Our findings support that both shared and distinct brain network metrics are shaped by PD-associated risk variants. Small-worldness properties modified byOGFOD2/CCDC62rs11060180 in gray matter covariance network are associated with motor severity of PD patients. Future studies are encouraged to explore the underlying mechanisms of PD-associated risk variants in PD pathogenesis.

Funding

This work was supported by grants from the National Key Research and Development Program (2016YFC1306505) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81471287, 81071024, 81171202).
PanCanSurvPlot: A Large-scale Pan-cancer Survival Analysis Web Application
Authors: Lin Anqi , Yang Hong , Shi Ying , Cheng Quan , Liu Zaoqu , Zhang Jian , Luo Peng
Published: December 2022

The identification of reliable tumor prognostic markers can help clinicians and researchers predict tumor development and patient survival outcomes more accurately, which plays a vital role in clinical diagnosis, treatment effectiveness assessment, and prognostic evaluation. Existing web tools supporting online survival analysis are gradually failing to meet the increasing demands of researchers in terms of the dataset size, richness of survival analysis methods, and diversity of customization features. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a large-scale, one-stop pan-cancer survival analysis web server. We developed PanCanSurvPlot (https://smuonco.shinyapps.io/PanCanSurvPlot/), a Shiny web tool that has incorporated a total of 215 cancer-related datasets from the GEO and TCGA databases, covering nearly 100,000 genes (mRNAs, miRNAs, and lncRNAs), approximately 45,000 samples, 51 different cancer types, and 13 different survival outcomes. The website also provides two cutoff methods based on median and optimal cutpoints. All survival analysis results from the log-rank test and univariate Cox regression are presented in a clear and straightforward summary table. Finally, users can customize color schemes and cutpoint levels to quickly obtain high-quality Kaplan-Meier survival plots that meet publication requirements.
The Effect of COVID-19 on Distracted Driving: A Survey Study
Authors: Javid Ramina , Sadeghvaziri Eazaz , Jeihani Mansoureh
Published: December 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant shift in people’s travel behaviors and distractions while driving. This paper aims to investigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on distracted driving by comparing their behavior before and during the pandemic (from 3/1/2019 to 3/1/2021) in the state of Maryland using a stated preference online survey. Some 158 people were recruited for the survey. Participants were asked about their risky driving behaviors and self-reported distraction both before and during the pandemic. To analyze the results, the Chi-square and posthoc tests with the Bonferroni adjustment were applied. The results showed that during the pandemic, distraction dropped from 25% to 21%. The highest reported distracted driving behavior during the pandemic was using hands-free cell phones (64%), using GPS (75%), and eating or drinking (57%). The respondents’ daily trips have significantly decreased - about 44% below prepandemic rates. Moreover, using a binary logistic regression, it was revealed that the odds of becoming distracted among participants who used a handheld cell phone before and during the pandemic were 4.5 and 6.6 times higher than others, respectively. The findings of this study shed light on the causes of distraction before and during the pandemic.
Interaction between myelodysplasia-related gene mutations and ontogeny in acute myeloid leukemia: an appraisal of the new WHO and IC classifications and ELN risk stratification
Authors: McCarter Joseph GW. , Nemirovsky David , Famulare Christopher A. , Farnoud Noushin , Mohanty Abhinita S. , Stone-Molloy Zoe S. , Chervin Jordan , Ball Brian J. , Epstein-Peterson Zachary D. , Arcila Maria E. , Stonestrom Aaron J. , Dunbar Andrew , Cai Sheng F. , Glass Jacob L. , Geyer Mark B. , Rampal Raajit K. , Berman Ellin , Abdel-Wahab Omar I. , Stein Eytan M. , Tallman Martin S. , Levine Ross L. , Goldberg Aaron D. , Papaemmanuil Elli , Zhang Yanming , Roshal Mikhail , Derkach Andriy , Xiao Wenbin
Published: December 2022

Accurate classification and risk stratification is critical for clinical decision making in AML patients. In the newly proposed World Health Organization (WHO) and International Consensus classifications (ICC) of hematolymphoid neoplasms, the presence of myelodysplasia-related (MR) gene mutations is included as one of the diagnostic criteria of AML, myelodysplasia-related (AML-MR), largely based on the assumption that these mutations are specific for AML with an antecedent myelodysplastic syndrome. ICC also prioritizes MR gene mutations over ontogeny (as defined by clinical history). Furthermore, European LeukemiaNet (ELN) 2022 stratifies these MR gene mutations to the adverse-risk group. By thoroughly annotating a cohort of 344 newly diagnosed AML patients treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), we show that ontogeny assignment based on database registry lacks accuracy. MR gene mutations are frequently seen inde novoAML. Among MR gene mutations, onlyEZH2andSF3B1were associated with an inferior outcome in a univariate analysis. In a multivariate analysis, AML ontogeny had independent prognostic values even after adjusting for age, treatment, allo-transplant and genomic classes or ELN risks. Ontogeny also stratified the outcome of AML with MR gene mutations. Finally,de novoAML with MR gene mutations did not show an adverse outcome. In summary, our study emphasizes the importance of accurate ontogeny designation in clinical studies, demonstrates the independent prognostic value of AML ontogeny and questions the current classification and risk stratification of AML with MR gene mutations.

Key points

Both ontogeny and genomics show independent prognostic values in AML.

The newly proposed myelodysplasia-related gene mutations are neither specific to AML-MRCWHO2016nor predictive for adverse outcomes.

Ontogeny stratifies the outcome of AML with myelodysplasia-related gene mutations.
The role of stimulus periodicity on spinal cord stimulation-induced artificial sensations in rodents
Authors: Slack Jacob C. , Zeiser Sidnee L. , Yadav Amol P.
Published: December 2022

Sensory feedback is critical for effectively controlling brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) and neuroprosthetic devices. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is proposed as a technique to induce artificial sensory perceptions in rodents, monkeys, and humans. However, to realize the full potential of SCS as a sensory neuroprosthetic technology, a better understanding of the effect of SCS pulse train parameter changes on sensory detection and discrimination thresholds is necessary. Here we investigated whether stimulation periodicity impacts rats’ ability to detect and discriminate SCS-induced perceptions at different frequencies. By varying the coefficient of variation (CV) of interstimulus pulse interval, we showed that at lower frequencies, rats could detect highly aperiodic SCS pulse trains at lower amplitudes (i.e., decreased detection thresholds). Furthermore, rats learned to discriminate stimuli with subtle differences in periodicity, and the just-noticeable differences (JNDs) from a highly aperiodic stimulus were smaller than those from a periodic stimulus. These results demonstrate that the temporal structure of an SCS pulse train is an integral parameter for modulating sensory feedback in neuroprosthetic applications.
Dietary- and host-derived metabolites are used by diverse gut bacteria for anaerobic respiration
Authors: Little Alexander S. , Younker Isaac T. , Schechter Matthew S. , Bernardino Paola Nol , Méheust Raphaël , Stemczynski Joshua , Scorza Kaylie , Mullowney Michael W. , Sharan Deepti , Waligurski Emily , Smith Rita , Ramanswamy Ramanujam , Leiter William , Moran David , McMillin Mary , Odenwald Matthew A. , Iavarone Anthony T. , Sidebottom Ashley M. , Sundararajan Anitha , Pamer Eric G. , Eren Murat A. , Light Samuel H.
Published: December 2022

Respiratory reductases enable microbes to utilize molecules present in anaerobic ecosystems as energy-generating respiratory electron acceptors. Here we identify three taxonomically distinct families of human gut bacteria (Burkholderiaceae, Eggerthellaceae, Erysipelotrichaceae) that encode large arsenals of tens-to-hundreds of respiratory-like reductases per genome. Screening species from each family (Sutterella wadsworthensis,Eggerthella lenta, andHoldemania filiformis), we discover 22 metabolites used as respiratory electron acceptors in a species-specific manner. Identified reactions transform multiple classes of dietary- and host-derived metabolites, including bioactive molecules resveratrol and itaconate. Products of identified respiratory metabolisms highlight poorly characterized compounds, such as the itaconate-derived 2-methylsuccinate. Reductase substrate-profiling defines enzyme-substrate pairs and reveals a complex picture of reductase evolution, providing evidence that reductases with specificities for related cinnamate substrates independently emerged at least four times. These studies thus establish an exceptionally versatile form of anaerobic respiration that directly links microbial energy metabolism to the gut metabolome.