bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment and management of radiation-induced trismus in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a best practice implementation project
Authors: Zhang Lanfang , Wang Li , Wu Yanni , Zhou Chunlan , Zhang Lu , He Ling , Zhang Chunmei , Liu Lian , He Lian , Chen Chunyu , Du Zhenzhen , Li Zhijun , Chen Peijuan
Published: November 2022

Introduction and aims:

Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) is the most commonly used radiotherapy technology in oncology, which enables precise conformation of the radiation dose to the target volume and reduces the risk of radiation damage to the adjacent normal structures. Nevertheless, it is still inevitable for IMRT of head and neck cancer to cause radiation-related toxic and side effects, such as dry mouth, mucositis, oral dysarthria, taste disorder, osteonecrosis, and trismus. Trismus is one of the most common late side effects caused by radiotherapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), which seriously affects the quality of life for patients with NPC. However, the current clinical assessment and management of trismus after radiotherapy for NPC are still imperfect. This best practice implementation project aimed to implement an evidence-based practice in assessing and managing trismus for NPC patients who underwent radiotherapy, thereby improving the compliance of clinical practice with the best evidence and the quality of life of patients with NPC.

Methods:

This evidence-based audit and feedback project was implemented using a three-phase approach at a third-class hospital in China, following JBI‘s Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System (PACES) and GRiP evidence application. The first phase included a baseline audit with six evidence-based audit criteria derived from the best available evidence. The second phase included analyzing the results of the baseline audit, identifying barriers to compliance with best practice principles, and developing and implementing strategies to address the barriers identified in the baseline audit. The third phase involved a follow-up audit to assess the results of the interventions implemented to improve practice.

Results:

After evidence application, the compliance rate for audit criterion 1 increased from 0% at baseline audit to 70% at follow-up audit. The compliance rate for audit criterion 2 increased from 0% to 100%. The compliance rate for audit criterion 3 increased from 22 to 62%. The compliance rate for audit criterion 4 increased from 88 to 100%. The compliance rate for audit criterion 5 was 100% at baseline audit and follow-up audit. The compliance rate for audit criterion 6 increased from 0 to 55%.

Conclusion:

Implementation of the best evidence for the assessment and management of trismus of patients with NPC after radiotherapy is conducive to improving the compliance of clinical practice with the best evidence, standardizing clinical nursing practice, improving the quality of clinical nursing, and better preventing severe trismus in patients with NPC after radiotherapy.
How can science help to implement the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030?
Authors: Gnacadja Luc , Vidal Adriana
Published: November 2022

The 2021 Chair and the IUCN Coordinator of the Science Task Force of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration share their reflections on how science can contribute to achieving the Decade's objectives.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Understanding forest landscape restoration: reinforcing scientific foundations for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration’.
Below-ground traits mediate tree survival in a tropical dry forest restoration
Authors: Werden Leland K. , Averill Colin , Crowther Thomas W. , Calderón-Morales Erick , Toro Laura , Alvarado J. Pedro , Gutiérrez L. Milena , Mallory Danielle E. , Powers Jennifer S.
Published: November 2022

Reforestation is one of our most promising natural climate solutions, and one that addresses the looming biodiversity crisis. Tree planting can catalyse forest community reassembly in degraded landscapes where natural regeneration is slow, however, tree survival rates vary remarkably across projects. Building a trait-based framework for tree survival could streamline species selection in a way that generalizes across ecosystems, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the global restoration movement. We investigated how traits mediated seedling survival in a tropical dry forest restoration, and how traits were coordinated across plant structures. We examined growth and survival of 14 species for 2 years and measured six below-ground and 22 above-ground traits. Species-level survival ranged widely from 7.8% to 90.1%, and a model including growth rate, below-ground traits and their interaction explained more than 73% of this variation. A strong interaction between below-ground traits and growth rate indicated that selecting species with fast growth rates can promote establishment, but this effect was most apparent for species that invest in thick fine roots and deep root structures. Overall, results emphasize the prominent role of below-ground traits in determining early restoration outcomes, and highlight little above- and below-ground trait coordination, providing a path forward for tropical dry forest restoration efforts.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Understanding forest landscape restoration: reinforcing scientific foundations for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration’.
Restoration success in former Amazonian mines is driven by soil amendment and forest proximity
Authors: König Louis A. , Medina-Vega José A. , Longo Regina M. , Zuidema Pieter A. , Jakovac Catarina C.
Published: November 2022

Mining contributes importantly to tropical deforestation and land degradation. To mitigate these effects, mining companies are increasingly obliged to restore abandoned mine lands, but factors driving restoration success are hardly evaluated. Here, we investigate the influence of ecological factors (restoration age, soil properties and surrounding forest area) and management factors (diversity and density of planted species, mine zone) on the recovery rate of forest structure and tree diversity on 40 post-mining restoration areas in Southern Amazonia, Brazil, using a 9-year annual monitoring dataset consisting of over 25 000 trees. We found that recovery of forest structure was closely associated with interactions between soil quality and the planted tree communities, and that tree diversity recovery was positively associated with the amount of surrounding forests. We also observed that forest structure and diversity recover more slowly in mine tailings compared to pit surroundings. Our study confirms the complexity of mine land restoration but also reveals that planting design and soil improvement can increase restoration success. For resource-efficient mine restoration, we recommend the focusing of efforts on tailings, which are hardest to restore, and reducing efforts in pit surroundings and areas close to surrounding forest because of their potential for restoration by natural regeneration.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Understanding forest landscape restoration: reinforcing scientific foundations for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration’.
The role of incentive mechanisms in promoting forest restoration
Authors: Tedesco Anazelia M. , Brancalion Pedro H. S. , Hepburn Michelle L. Hak , Walji Khalil , Wilson Kerrie A. , Possingham Hugh P. , Dean Angela J. , Nugent Nick , Elias-Trostmann Katerina , Perez-Hammerle Katharina-Victoria , Rhodes Jonathan R.
Published: November 2022

Forest restoration has been proposed as a scalable nature-based solution to achieve global environmental and socio-economic outcomes and is central to many policy initiatives, such as the Bonn Challenge. Restored forests contain appreciable biodiversity, improve habitat connectivity and sequester carbon. Incentive mechanisms (e.g. payments for ecosystem services and allocation of management rights) have been a focus of forest restoration efforts for decades. Yet, there is still little understanding of their role in promoting restoration success. We conducted a systematic literature review to investigate how incentive mechanisms are used to promote forest restoration, outcomes, and the biophysical and socio-economic factors that influence implementation and program success. We found that socio-economic factors, such as governance, monitoring systems and the experience and beliefs of participants, dominate whether or not an incentive mechanism is successful. We found that approximately half of the studies report both positive ecological and socio-economic outcomes. However, reported adverse outcomes were more commonly socio-economic than ecological. Our results reveal that achieving forest restoration at a sufficient scale to meet international commitments will require stronger assessment and management of socio-economic factors that enable or constrain the success of incentive mechanisms.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Understanding forest landscape restoration: reinforcing scientific foundations for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration’.
The road to recovery: a synthesis of outcomes from ecosystem restoration in tropical and sub-tropical Asian forests
Authors: Banin Lindsay F. , Raine Elizabeth H. , Rowland Lucy M. , Chazdon Robin L. , Smith Stuart W. , Rahman Nur Estya Binte , Butler Adam , Philipson Christopher , Applegate Grahame G. , Axelsson E. Petter , Budiharta Sugeng , Chua Siew Chin , Cutler Mark E. J. , Elliott Stephen , Gemita Elva , Godoong Elia , Graham Laura L. B. , Hayward Robin M. , Hector Andy , Ilstedt Ulrik , Jensen Joel , Kasinathan Srinivasan , Kettle Christopher J. , Lussetti Daniel , Manohan Benjapan , Maycock Colin , Ngo Kang Min , O'Brien Michael J. , Osuri Anand M. , Reynolds Glen , Sauwai Yap , Scheu Stefan , Silalahi Mangarah , Slade Eleanor M. , Swinfield Tom , Wardle David A. , Wheeler Charlotte , Yeong Kok Loong , Burslem David F. R. P.
Published: November 2022

Current policy is driving renewed impetus to restore forests to return ecological function, protect species, sequester carbon and secure livelihoods. Here we assess the contribution of tree planting to ecosystem restoration in tropical and sub-tropical Asia; we synthesize evidence on mortality and growth of planted trees at 176 sites and assess structural and biodiversity recovery of co-located actively restored and naturally regenerating forest plots. Mean mortality of planted trees was 18% 1 year after planting, increasing to 44% after 5 years. Mortality varied strongly by site and was typicallyca20% higher in open areas than degraded forest, with height at planting positively affecting survival. Size-standardized growth rates were negatively related to species-level wood density in degraded forest and plantations enrichment settings. Based on community-level data from 11 landscapes, active restoration resulted in faster accumulation of tree basal area and structural properties were closer to old-growth reference sites, relative to natural regeneration, but tree species richness did not differ. High variability in outcomes across sites indicates that planting for restoration is potentially rewarding but risky and context-dependent. Restoration projects must prepare for and manage commonly occurring challenges and align with efforts to protect and reconnect remaining forest areas.

The abstract of this article is available in Bahasa Indonesia in the electronic supplementary material.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Understanding forest landscape restoration: reinforcing scientific foundations for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration’.
ICTV Virus Taxonomy Profile: Pleolipoviridae 2022
Authors: Liu Ying , Dyall-Smith Mike , Oksanen Hanna M.
Published: November 2022

Members of the family Pleolipoviridae are pseudo-spherical and pleomorphic archaeal viruses composed of a membrane vesicle, which encloses a DNA genome. The genome is either circular ssDNA or dsDNA, or linear dsDNA molecules of approximately 7 to 17 kilonucleotides or kbp. Typically, virions contain a single type of transmembrane spike protein at the envelope and a single type of membrane protein, which is embedded in the envelope and located in the internal side of the membrane. All viruses infect extremely halophilic archaea in the class Halobacteria (phylum Euryarchaeota). Pleolipoviruses have a narrow host range and a persistent, non-lytic life cycle. Some viruses are temperate and can integrate into the host chromosome. This is a summary of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) Report on the family Pleolipoviridae, which is available at ictv.global/report/pleolipoviridae.
Conversion of osteoporotic-like vertebral fracture severity score to osteoporosis T-score equivalent status: a framework study for Chinese older men
Authors: Wáng Yì Xiáng J. , Leung Jason C.S. , Lam Patti M. S. , Kwok Timothy C.Y.
Published: November 2022

Introduction

To define what portion of older community men with what severity of radiographic osteoporotic-like vertebral fracture (OLVF) correspond to what low T-score status.

Methods

There were 755 community Chinese men (age: 76.4 ±6.7 years, range: 65-98 years) with thoracic and lumbar spine radiograph, and hip and lumbar spine bone mineral density measures. For each vertebra in a subject, a score of 0, -0.5, -1, -1.5, -2, -2.5, and -3 was assigned for no OLVF or OLVF of <20%, ≥20∼25%, ≥25%∼1/3, ≥1/3∼40%, ≥40%–2/3, and ≥2/3 vertebral height loss, respectively. OLVFss was defined as the summed score of vertebrae T4 to L5. OLVFss and T-scores were ranked from the smallest to the largest values

Results

OLVFss of -2, -2.5, -3, corresponded to a mean femoral neck T-score of -2.297 (range: -2.355∼-2.247), -2.494 (range: -2.637∼ -2.363), and -2.773 (range: -2.898∼-2.643), a mean hip T-score of-2.311 (range: -2.420∼-2.234), -2.572 (range: -2.708∼-2.432), -2.911 (range: -3.134∼-2.708), a mean lumbar spine T-score of -2.495 (range: -2.656∼-2.403), - 2.931 (range: -3.255∼-2.656), and -3.369 (range: 3.525∼-3.258). The Pearson correlation value of OLVFss and T-score of femoral neck, hip and lumbar spine was r =0.21, 0.26, and 0.22 (all p<0.0001).

Conclusion

A single severe grade OLVF (≥40% height loss) or OLVFss ≤-2.5 suggest osteoporosis suggest this subject is osteoporotic, or a single collapse grade (≥2/3 height loss) radiological OLVF or OLVF≤-3 meets osteoporosis diagnosis criterion. The results further highlight the difficulty of diagnosing osteoporotic vertebral fracture among Chinese older men.
Portable in-clinic video-based gait analysis: validation study on prosthetic users
Authors: Cimorelli Anthony , Patel Ankit , Karakostas Tasos , Cotton R. James
Published: November 2022

Despite the common focus of gait in rehabilitation, there are few tools that allow quantitatively characterizing gait in the clinic. We recently described an algorithm, trained on a large dataset from our clinical gait analysis laboratory, which produces accurate cycle-by-cycle estimates of spatiotemporal gait parameters including step timing and walking velocity. Here, we demonstrate this system generalizes well to clinical care with a validation study on prosthetic users seen in therapy and outpatient clinic. Specifically, estimated walking velocity was similar to annotated 10-meter walking velocities, and cadence and foot contact times closely mirrored our wearable sensor measurements. Additionally, we found that a 2D keypoint detector pre-trained on largely able-bodied individuals struggles to localize prosthetic joints, particularly for those individuals with more proximal or bilateral amputations, but it is possible to train a prosthetic-specific joint detector. Further work is required to validate the other outputs from our algorithm including sagittal plane joint angles and step length. Code and trained weights will be released upon publication.
INSIDER: Interpretable Sparse Matrix Decomposition for Bulk RNA Expression Data Analysis
Authors: Zhao Kai , Huang Sen , Lin Cuichan , Sham Pak Chung , So Hon-Cheong , Lin Zhixiang
Published: November 2022

RNA-Seq is widely used to capture transcriptome dynamics across tissues from different biological entities even across biological conditions, with the aim of understanding the contribution of gene activities to phenotypes of biosamples. However, due to variation from tissues and biological entities (or other biological conditions), joint analysis of bulk RNA expression profiles across multiple tissues from a number of biological entities to achieve the aim is hindered. Moreover, it is crucial to consider interactions between biological variables. For example, different brain disorders may affect brain regions heterogeneously. Thus, modeling the disorder-region interaction can shed light on the heterogeneity. To address these key challenges, we propose a general and flexible statistical framework based on matrix factorization, named INSIDER (https://github.com/kai0511/insider).

INSIDER decomposes variation from different biological variables into a shared low-rank latent space. In particular, it considers interactions between biological variables and introduces the elastic net penalty to induce sparsity, thus facilitating interpretation. In the framework, the biological variables and interaction terms can be defined based on the research questions and study design. Besides, it enables us to compute the ‘adjusted’ expression profiles for biological variables that control variation from other biological variables. Lastly, it allows various downstream analyses, such as clustering donors with donor representations, revealing development trajectory in its application to the BrainSpan data, and uncovering mechanisms underlying variables like phenotype and interactions between biological variables (e.g., phenotypes and tissues).
A machine-learning tool to identify bistable states from calcium imaging data
Authors: Varma Aalok , Udupa Sathvik , Sengupta Mohini , Ghosh Prasanta Kumar , Thirumalai Vatsala
Published: November 2022

Mapping neuronal activation using calcium imagingin vivoduring behavioral tasks has advanced our understanding of nervous system function. In almost all of these studies, calcium imaging is used to infer spike probabilities since action potentials activate voltage-gated calcium channels and increase intracellular calcium levels. However, neurons not only fire action potentials, but also convey information via intrinsic dynamics such as by generating bistable membrane potential states. While a number of tools for spike inference have been developed and are currently being used, no tool exists for converting calcium imaging signals to maps of cellular state in bistable neurons. Purkinje neurons (PNs) in the larval zebrafish cerebellum exhibit membrane potential bistability, firing either tonically or in bursts. Several studies have implicated the role of a population code in cerebellar function, with bistability adding an extra layer of complexity to this code. In this manuscript we develop a tool, CaMLSort which uses convolutional recurrent neural networks to classify calcium imaging traces as arising from either tonic or bursting cells. We validate this classifier using a number of different methods and find that it performs well on simulated event rasters as well as real biological data that it had not previously seen. Moreover, we find that CaMLsort generalizes to other bistable neurons, such as dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area of mice. Thus, this tool offers a new way of analyzing calcium imaging data from bistable neurons to understand how they participate in network computation and natural behaviors.

Key Points Summary

Calcium imaging – the gold standard of inferring neuronal activity – does not report cellular state in neurons that are bistable, such as Purkinje neurons in the cerebellum of larval zebrafish. We model the relationship between Purkinje neuron electrical activity and its corresponding calcium signal to compile a dataset of state-labelled simulated calcium signals.

We apply machine-learning methods to this dataset to develop a tool that can classify the state of a Purkinje neuron using only its calcium signal, which works well on real data even though it was trained only on simulated data.

CaMLsort also generalizes well to bistable neurons in a different brain region (ventral tegmental area) in a different model organism (mouse).

This tool offers a new way of analyzing calcium imaging data from populations of bistable neurons, thereby facilitating our understanding of how these neurons carry out their functions in a circuit.
Neuropathic injury drives a generalized negative affective state in mice
Authors: Norris Makenzie R. , Bilbily John , Becker Léa J. , Borges Gustavo , Chang Yu-Hsuan , Dunn Samantha S. , Madasu Manish K. , Al-Hasani Ream , Creed Meaghan C. , McCall Jordan G.
Published: November 2022

Neuropathic pain causes both sensory and emotional maladaptation. Preclinical animal studies of neuropathic pain-induced negative affect could result in novel insights into the mechanisms of chronic pain. Modeling pain-induced negative affect, however, is variable across research groups and conditions. The same injury may or may not produce robust negative affective behavioral responses across different species, strains, and laboratories. Here we sought to identify negative affective consequences of the spared nerve injury model on C57BL/6J male and female mice. We found no significant effect of spared nerve injury across a variety of approach-avoidance, hedonic choice, and coping strategy assays. We hypothesized these inconsistencies may stem in part from the short test duration of these assays. To test this hypothesis, we used the homecage-based Feeding Experimentation Device version 3 to conduct 12-hour, overnight progressive ratio testing to determine whether mice with chronic spared nerve injury had decreased motivation to earn palatable food rewards. Our data demonstrate that despite equivalent task learning, spared nerve injury mice are less motivated to work for a sugar pellet than sham controls. Further, when we normalized behavioral responses across all the behavioral assays we tested, we found that a combined normalized behavioral score is predictive of injury-state and significantly correlates with mechanical thresholds. Together these results suggest that homecage-based operant behaviors provide a useful platform for modeling nerve injury-induced negative affect and that valuable pain-related information can arise from agglomerative data analyses across behavioral assays - even when individual inferential statistics do not demonstrate significant mean differences.
When your border and my border differ: Spatial regionalisation and route choice depends on perceived landmark categorization
Authors: LeVinh Lilian , Mallot Hanspeter A
Published: November 2022

Humans spontaneously structure spatial environments into a hierarchy of regions. Besides connectivity and boundaries, sensory or functional similarities of landmarks have been shown to influence construction of regions. In natural spaces, regions and places are usually named and these names provide additional cues for the cognitive construction of regions. In this study we investigate the role of semantic similarities of place names in the formation of regions in a virtual environment with homogeneous connectivity. Place names were selected and distributed in a way that two alternative semantic categorizations were possible which corresponded to two equally valid regionalisations of the same environment. Region perception was assessed by having subjects choose between two equidistant routes crossing different numbers of region boundaries (classification consistent route choice). In a priming phase, subjects were biased to sort the landmark names in one or the other categorization scheme. In the test phase, subjects preferably selected routes with a lower number of region crossings according to the categorization previously discovered. The results show that perceived semantic similarity of place names does affect route choice and the formation of spatial regions.
Converting an allocentric goal into an egocentric steering signal
Authors: Pires Peter Mussells , Abbott L.F. , Maimon Gaby
Published: November 2022

Neuronal signals relevant for spatial navigation have been described in many species1–12, however, a circuit-level understanding of how such signals interact to guide behaviour is lacking. Here we characterize a neuronal circuit in theDrosophilacentral complex that compares internally generated estimates of the fly’s heading and goal angles––both encoded in world-centred, or allocentric, coordinates––to generate a body-centred, or egocentric, steering signal. Past work has argued that the activity of EPG cells, or “compass neurons”2, represents the fly’s moment-to-moment angular orientation, orheading angle, during navigation13. An animal’s moment-to-moment heading angle, however, is not always aligned with itsgoal angle, i.e., the allocentric direction in which it wishes to progress forward. We describe a second set of neurons in theDrosophilabrain, FC2 cells14, with activity that correlates with the fly’s goal angle. Furthermore, focal optogenetic activation of FC2 neurons induces flies to orient along experimenter-defined directions as they walk forward. EPG and FC2 cells connect monosynaptically to a third neuronal class, PFL3 cells14,15. We found that individual PFL3 cells show conjunctive, spike-rate tuning to both heading and goal angles during goal-directed navigation. Informed by the anatomy and physiology of these three cell classes, we develop a formal model for how this circuit can compare allocentric heading- and goal-angles to build an egocentric steering signal in the PFL3 output terminals. Quantitative analyses and optogenetic manipulations of PFL3 activity support the model. The biological circuit described here reveals how two, population-level, allocentric signals are compared in the brain to produce an egocentric output signal appropriate for the motor system.
Recombinant protein delivery enables modulation of the phototransduction cascade in mouse retina
Authors: Asteriti Sabrina , Marino Valerio , Avesani Anna , Biasi Amedeo , Dal Cortivo Giuditta , Cangiano Lorenzo , Dell’Orco Daniele
Published: November 2022

Retinal dystrophies of genetic origin are often associated with mutations in the genes involved in the phototransduction cascade in photoreceptors, a paradigmatic signaling pathway mediated by G protein-coupled receptors. Photoreceptor viability is strictly dependent on the levels of the second messengers cGMP and Ca2+. Here we explored the possibility of modulating the phototransduction cascade in mouse rods using direct or liposome-mediated administration of a recombinant protein crucial for regulating the interplay of the second messengers in photoreceptor outer segments. The effects of administration of the free and liposome-encapsulated human guanylate cyclase-activating protein (GCAP1) were compared in biological systems of increasing complexity (in cyto, ex vivo, andin vivo).Analysis of protein biodistribution and direct measurement of functional alteration in rod photoresponses show that the exogenous GCAP1 protein is fully incorporated into the mouse retina and photoreceptor outer segments. Furthermore, only in the presence of a point mutation associated with cone-rod dystrophy in humans p.(E111V), protein delivery induces a disease-like electrophysiological phenotype, consistent with constitutive activation of the retinal guanylate cyclase. Our study demonstrates that both direct and liposome-mediated protein delivery are powerful tools for targeting signaling cascades in neuronal cells, which could be particularly important for the treatment of autosomal dominant genetic diseases.
Optical opening of the blood brain barrier for targeted and ultra-sparse viral infection of cells in the mouse cortex
Authors: Reeson Patrick L. , Boghozian Roobina , Cote Ana-Paula , Brown Craig E.
Published: November 2022

Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are used in a wide array of experimental situations for driving expression of biosensors, recombinases and opto/chemo-genetic actuators in the brain. However, conventional approaches for minimally invasive, spatially precise and ultra-sparse AAV mediated transduction of cells during imaging experiments, has remained a significant challenge. Here we show that intravenous injection of commercially available AAVs at different doses, combined with laser based perforation of single cortical capillaries through a cranial widow, allows for ultra-sparse, titrate-able, and micron level precision for delivery of viral vectors with relatively little inflammation or tissue damage. Further, we show the utility of this approach for eliciting sparse expression of GCaMP6, channel-rhodopsin or fluorescent reporters in neurons and astrocytes within specific functional domains in normal and stroke damaged cortex. This technique represents a facile approach for targeted delivery of viral vectors that should assist in the study of cell types and circuits in the cerebral cortex.
Unplanned readmission to hospital and its predictors in heart failure patients, Ethiopia: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Ayenew Birhanu , Kumar Prem , Hussein Adem
Published: November 2022

Background

The burden of heart failure increases over time and is a leading cause of unplanned readmissions worldwide. In addition, its impact has doubled in countries with limited health resources, including Ethiopia. Identifying and preventing the possible contributing factors is crucial to reduce unplanned hospital readmission and to improve clinical outcomes.

Method

A hospital-based retrospective cohort study design was employed from January 1, 2016, to December 30, 2020. The data was collected from 572 randomly selected medical records using data extraction checklists. Data were entered in Epi-data version 4.6 and analyzed with Stata version 17. The Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests were used to estimate and compare the survival failure time. A Cox proportional hazard analysis was computed to identify predictors of readmission. Finally, the statistical significance level was declared at a p-value <0.05 with an adjusted odds ratio and a 95% confidence interval.

Result

In this study, a total of 151 (26.40%) heart failure patients were readmitted within 30 days of discharge. In the multivariate cox proportional hazards analysis being an age (>65 years) (AHR: 3.172, 95%CI:.21, 4.55), rural in residency (AHR: 2.47, 95%CI: 1.44, 4.24), Asthma/COPD (AHR: 1.62, 95%CI: 1.11, 2.35), HIV/AIDS (AHR: 1.84, 95%CI: 1.24, 2.75), Haemoglobin level 8-10.9 g/dL (AHR: 6.20, 95%CI: 3.74, 10.28), and Mean platelet volume >9.1fl (AHR: 2.08, 95%CI: 1.27, 3.40) were identified as independent predictors of unplanned hospital readmission.

Conclusion

The incidence of unplanned hospital readmission was relatively high among heart failure patients. Elderly patients, rural residency, comorbidity, higher mean platelet volume, and low hemoglobin level were independent predictors of readmission. Therefore, working on these factors will help to reduce the hazard of unplanned hospital readmission.
Quantifying Evoked Responses through Information-Theoretical Measures
Authors: Fuhrer Julian , Glette Kyrre , Llorens Anaïs , Endestad Tor , Solbakk Anne-Kristin , Blenkmann Alejandro
Published: November 2022

Information theory is a viable candidate to advance our understanding of how the brain processes information generated in the internal or external environment. With its universal applicability, information theory enables the analysis of complex data sets, is free of requirements about the data structure, and can help infer the underlying brain mechanisms. Information-theoretical metrics such as Entropy or Mutual Information have been highly beneficial for analyzing neurophysiological recordings. However, a direct comparison of the performance of these methods with well-established metrics, such as the t-test, is rare. Here, such a comparison is carried out by evaluating the novel method of Encoded Information with Mutual Information, Gaussian Copula Mutual Information, Neural Frequency Tagging, and t-test. We do so by applying each method to event-related potentials and event-related activity in different frequency bands originating from intracranial electroencephalography recordings of humans and marmoset monkeys. Encoded Information is a novel procedure that assesses the similarity of brain responses across experimental conditions by compressing the respective signals. Such an information-based encoding is attractive whenever one is interested in detecting where in the brain condition effects are present.
Mutation-Guided Vaccine Design: A Strategy for Developing Boosting Immunogens for HIV Broadly Neutralizing Antibody Induction
Authors: Wiehe Kevin , Saunders Kevin O. , Stalls Victoria , Cain Derek W. , Venkatayogi Sravani , Martin Beem Joshua S. , Berry Madison , Evangelous Tyler , Henderson Rory , Hora Bhavna , Xia Shi-Mao , Jiang Chuancang , Newman Amanda , Bowman Cindy , Lu Xiaozhi , Bryan Mary E. , Bal Joena , Sanzone Aja , Chen Haiyan , Eaton Amanda , Tomai Mark A. , Fox Christopher B. , Tam Ying , Barbosa Christopher , Bonsignori Mattia , Muramatsu Hiromi , Alam S. Munir , Montefiori David , Williams Wilton B. , Pardi Norbert , Tian Ming , Weissman Drew , Alt Frederick W. , Acharya Priyamvada , Haynes Barton F.
Published: November 2022

A major goal of HIV-1 vaccine development is induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). While success has been achieved in initiating bnAb B cell lineages, design of boosting immunogens that select for bnAb B cell receptors with improbable mutations required for bnAb affinity maturation remains difficult. Here we demonstrate a process for designing boosting immunogens for a V3-glycan bnAb B cell lineage. The immunogens induced affinity-matured antibodies by selecting for functional improbable mutations in bnAb precursor knock-in mice. Moreover, we show similar success in prime and boosting with nucleoside-modified mRNA-encoded HIV-1 envelope trimer immunogens, with improved selection by mRNA immunogens of improbable mutations required for bnAb binding to key envelope glycans. These results demonstrate the ability of both protein and mRNA prime-boost immunogens for selection of rare B cell lineage intermediates with neutralizing breadth after bnAb precursor expansion, a key proof-of concept and milestone towards development of an HIV vaccine.

One-Sentence Summary

A vaccine strategy for selecting key rare antibody mutations is shown to induce HIV broadly neutralizing antibodies in mice.
Some like it hotter: differential thermal preferences among lizard color morphs
Authors: Thompson Asher , Kapsanaki Vassiliki , Liwanag Heather E. M. , Pafilis Panayiotis , Wang Ian J. , Brock Kinsey M.
Published: November 2022

Temperature rules the lives of ectotherms. To perform basic biological functions, ectotherms must make behavioral adjustments to keep their body temperatures near a preferred temperature (Tpref). Many color polymorphic lizards are active thermoregulators and exhibit morph differences in traits related to thermoregulation, such as color, body size, and microhabitat use. The Aegean wall lizard,Podarcis erhardii, is a heliothermic lizard with orange, white, and yellow color morphs that differ in size, behavior, and microhabitat use. Here, we tested whetherP. erhardiicolor morphs from the same population from Naxos island, Greece, differ in Tpref. We hypothesized that orange morphs would prefer lower temperatures than white and yellow morphs because orange morphs are often found on cooler substrates and in microhabitats with more vegetation cover. We obtained Tpref for 95 individuals using laboratory thermal gradient experiments of wild-caught lizards and found that orange morphs do, indeed, prefer significantly cooler temperatures, regardless of body size differences. Average orange morph Tpref was 2.3 ºC lower than average white and yellow morph Tpref. Our results add support to the idea thatP. erhardiicolor morphs have multivariate alternative phenotypes and present the possibility that thermally heterogeneous environments play a role in the maintenance of color polymorphism in this species.
Experience dependence of alpha rhythms and neural dynamics in mouse visual cortex
Authors: Riyahi Pouria , Phillips Marnie A. , Boley Nathaniel , Colonnese Matthew T.
Published: November 2022

The role of experience in the development and maintenance of emergent network properties such as cortical oscillations and states is poorly understood. To define how early-life experience affects cortical dynamics in adult visual cortex, we examined the effects of two forms of blindness, bilateral loss of retinal input (enucleation) and degradation of visual input (eyelid-suture), on spontaneous activity in awake head-fixed mice of both sexes. Neither form of deprivation fundamentally altered the state-dependent regulation of firing-rates or local field potentials. However, each form of deprivation did cause a unique set of changes in network behavior. Laminar analysis revealed two different generative mechanisms for low-frequency synchronization, one prevalent during movement, the other during quiet-wakefulness. The former was absent in enucleated mice, suggesting a mouse homolog of human alpha oscillations. In addition, neurons in enucleated animals were less correlated and fired more regularly, but showed no change in mean firing-rate. Chronic lid-suture decreased firing rates during quiet-wakefulness, but not during movement, with no effect on neural correlations or regularity. Sutured animals showed a broadband increase in dEEG power and an increased occurrence, but reduced central frequency, of narrowband gamma oscillations. The complementary--rather than additive--effects of lid-suture and enucleation suggest that the development of these emergent network properties does not require vision but is plastic to modified input. Our results suggest a complex interaction of internal set-points and experience determines the expression of mature cortical activity, with low-frequency synchronization being particularly susceptible to early deprivation.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

The developmental rules that guide how cortex balances internal homeostatic set points with external inputs to establish the emergent network level dynamics critical to its function are unclear. Using multiple methods of early deprivation, we show that the development of dynamics in mouse visual cortex is not dependent on the type of input. Rather, specific neural rhythms, firing-rate set points, and neural correlations are differentially modified by experience. Our deprivations identify one specific rhythm as a likely homolog to human alpha and suggest a mechanism for its loss in blindness. Our results advance our understanding of the regulatory mechanism leading to normal cortical processing, which is altered in blindness and multiple neural disorders.
Different control strategies drive interlimb differences in performance and adaptation during reaching movements in novel dynamics
Authors: Cordova Bulens David , Cluff Tyler , Blondeau Laurent , Moore Robert T. , Lefevre Philippe , Crevecoeur Frederic
Published: November 2022

Humans exhibit lateralization such that most individuals typically show a preference for using one arm over the other for a range of movement tasks. The computational aspects of movement control leading to these differences in skill are not yet understood. It has been hypothesized that the dominant and non-dominant arms differ in terms of the use of predictive or impedance control mechanisms. However, previous studies present confounding factors that prevented clear conclusions: either the performances were compared across two different groups, or in a design in which asymmetrical transfer between limbs could take place. To address these concerns, we studied a reach adaptation task during which healthy volunteers performed movements with their right and left arms in random order. We performed two experiments. Experiment 1 (18 participants) focused on adaptation to the presence of a perturbing force field and Experiment 2 (12 participants) focused on rapid adaptations in feedback responses. The randomization of the left and right arm led to simultaneous adaptation, allowing us to study lateralization in single individuals with symmetrical and minimal transfer between limbs. This design revealed that participants were able to adapt control of both arms, and that adaptation was greater in the dominant arm than in the non-dominant. We also observed that the non-dominant arm showed a different control strategy compatible with robust control when adapting to the force field perturbation. EMG data showed that these differences in control were not caused by differences in co-contraction across the arms. Thus, instead of assuming differences in predictive or reactive control schemes, our data show that in the context of optimal control, both arms can adapt, and that the non-dominant arm uses a more robust, model-free strategy likely to compensate for less accurate internal representations of movement dynamics.
Natural Killer activating multimeric immunotherapeutic complexes (NaMiX) induce cytotoxic activity and killing of HIV-1 infected cells
Authors: Schober Rafaela , Brandus Bianca , Laeremans Thessa , Iserentant Gilles , Dessilly Géraldine , Zimmer Jacques , Moutschen Michel , Aerts Joeri L , Dervillez Xavier , Seguin-Devaux Carole
Published: November 2022

HIV-1 persists in viral reservoirs of latently infected CD4+T cells containing integrated replication-competent viral DNA. Combined Antiretroviral Therapy (cART) does not eradicate HIV-1 reservoirs and treatment interruption will ultimately lead to viral load rebound. HIV-1 infection dramatically reduces the proportion of functional NK cell subsets and increases the expression of the checkpoint inhibitors NKG2A and KIR2DL. In this regard, we developed novel recombinant molecules combining multimers of the IL-15/IL-15Rα complex with the single-chain fragment variables (scFvs) of NKG2A or KIR2DL, and named them as Natural killer activating Multimeric immunotherapeutic compleXes (NaMiX). NaMiX significantly improved the cytotoxic activity of NK cells against HIV-1 positive ACH-2 cells and resistant Raji cancer cells by increasing their degranulation capacity, release of granzyme B, perforin and IFN-γ expression. Targeting the NKG2A receptor had a stronger effect compared to the targeting of the KIR2DL receptor due to its higher expression on NK cells. In a viral inhibition assay using CD4+T cells from HIV-1 positive patients under cART, NaMiX initially increased viral replication which was subsequently inhibited by stimulated NK cells. In humanized NSG tg-huIL-15 mice showing functional NK cells, we observed enhanced activation, degranulation and killing by NK cells from the spleen of mice treated with anti-NKG2A NaMiX compared to the cells of control mice previously infected with HIV-1 and treated with cART. Although NaMiX did not delay viral load rebound after treatment interruption in a first attempt, it tend to decrease total HIV-1 DNA in the lungs of the mice. Blocking the inhibitory receptor NKG2A in combination with targeted multimers of IL-15 on NK cells could therefore be a promising immunotherapeutic strategy towards HIV-1 functional cure.
Immune response of primary and booster immunity of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination among patients with chronic liver disease
Authors: Song Ruixin , Yang Chao , Wang Jiayin , Li Qianqian , Chen Jing , Sun Kai , Lv Hongmin , Yang Yankai , Liang Jing , Ye Qing , Gao YanYing , Li Jun , Li Ying , Yan Junqing , Liu Ying , Wang Tao , Liu Changen , Wang Fei , Yin Weili , Xiang Huiling
Published: November 2022

Aim

we examined the humoral immune response and antibody dynamics after primary and booster vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among patients with chronic liver disease (CLD).

Methods

We enrolled patients with confirmed CLD and SARS-CoV-2 vaccination primary or booster immunity. Following primary or booster immunity, serological samples were gathered to detect novel coronavirus neutralizing antibodies (nCoV NTAb) and novel coronavirus spike receptor-binding proteins (nCoV S-RBD).

Results

The positive rate of nCoV NTAb was 60.1% in Primary and 87.6% in Booster (P<0.001). The median level of nCoV NTAb was 11.6 AU/mL in Primary and 31.6 AU/mL in Booster (P<0.001). The positive rate of nCoV S-RBD was 70.0% in Primary and 91.2% in Booster (P<0.001). The median level of nCoV S-RBD was 21.7 AU/mL in Primary and 110.6 AU/mL in Booster (P<0.001). Compared to the antibody level of primary immunity, 21 patients in whom SARS-CoV-2 vaccine antibodies were detected after both primary and booster immunizations showed an increase of 4.4 and 5.9 times in nCoV NTAb and nCoV S-RBD, respectively.

Conclusion

Patients with CLD show improved humoral immune response after completing primary and booster immunity of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, while booster immunity further improves the positive rate and antibody level of patients with CLD.
Optimizing the Benefits of Mental Practice on Motor Acquisition and Consolidation with Moderate-Intensity Exercise
Authors: Monany Dylan Rannaud , Lebon Florent , Papaxanthis Charalambos
Published: November 2022

The optimization of mental practice (MP) protocols matters for sport and motor rehabilitation. In this study, we were interested in the benefits of moderate-intensity exercise in MP, given its positive effects on the acquisition and consolidation of motor skills induced by physical practice (PP). Four experimental groups were tested: i) physical practice without exercise (PP-Rest), ii) mental practice without exercise (MP-Rest), iii) mental practice preceded by Exercise (Exe-MP), and iv) mental practice followed by Exercise (MP-Exe). We hypothesized that exercise before MP would further increase speed and accuracy at a finger-sequence task measured right after MP (potentiation of motor acquisition), whereas exercise after MP would further increase speed and accuracy the day after MP (promotion of motor consolidation). Motor performance (movement speed and accuracy) was measured during a sequential finger tapping task before (Pre-Test), immediately after (Post-Test 0h, acquisition), and one day after practice (Post-Test 24h, consolidation). Results suggest that exercise before MP did not additionally improve motor acquisition in comparison to the MP-Rest group (both for accuracy and speed, p’s>0.05). Interestingly, moderate-intensity exercise after MP further increased performance during motor consolidation (speed, p=0.051; accuracy, p=0.028), at the level of the PP-Rest group. This novel finding represents a promising advance in the optimization of mental practice protocols in sport-related and rehabilitation settings.
A presynaptic source drives differing levels of surround suppression in two mouse retinal ganglion cell types
Authors: Swygart David , Yu Wan-Qing , Takeuchi Shunsuke , Wong Rachel R. O.L. , Schwartz Gregory W.
Published: November 2022

In early sensory systems, cell-type diversity generally increases from the periphery into the brain, resulting in a greater heterogeneity of responses to the same stimuli. Surround suppression is a canonical visual computation that begins within the retina and is found at varying levels across retinal ganglion cell types. Our results show that divergence in the level of surround suppression occurs subcellularly, at bipolar cell synapses. Using single-cell electrophysiology and serial block-face scanning electron microscopy, we show that two retinal ganglion cell types exhibit very different levels of surround suppression even though they receive input from the same set of bipolar cell types. This divergence of the bipolar cell signal occurs through synapse-specific regulation by amacrine cells at the scale of tens of microns. These findings indicate that each synapse of a single bipolar cell can carry a unique visual signal, expanding the number of possible functional channels at the earliest stages of visual processing.