bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic value of IL-6 for patients with asthma: a meta-analysis
Authors: Pan Ruilin , Kuai Shougang , Li Qingqing , Zhu Xuming , Wang Tingting , Cui Yubao
Published: May 2023

Background

IL-6 is a pleotropic cytokine that acts as a pro-inflammatory mediator and acute-phase response inducer, but has also been reported to possess anti-inflammatory properties. The objective of this study was to assess the validity of serum IL-6 test for diagnosis of asthma.

Methods

A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library from January 2007 to March 2021 to identify relevant studies. Eleven studies were included in this analysis, involving 1977 patients with asthma and 1591 healthy non-asthmatic controls. The meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.3 software and Stata 16.0. Random effect model or fixed effect model (FEM) was used to estimate the standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

The meta-analysis results revealed that the serum IL-6 levels were higher in asthmatic patients than healthy non-asthmatic controls (SMD 1.31, 95% CI 0.82–1.81, P < 0.00001). IL-6 levels are significantly elevated in pediatric patients with asthma (SMD 1.58, 95% CI 0.75–2.41, P = 0.0002) and mildly elevated in adult patients with asthma (SMD 1.08, 95% CI 0.27–1.90, P = 0.009). In addition, a subgroup analysis of asthma disease status showed that IL-6 levels were increased in stable (SMD 0.69, 95% CI 0.28–1.09, P = 0.009) and exacerbation asthma (SMD 2.15, 95% CI 1.79–2.52, P < 0.00001) patients.

Conclusion

The results of this meta-analysis suggest that serum IL-6 levels were significantly elevated in asthmatic patients as compared to normal population. IL-6 levels can be used as an auxiliary indicator to distinguish individuals with asthma from healthy non-asthmatic controls.
Insight into muscle stem cell regeneration and mechanobiology
Authors: Pang Kuin Tian , Loo Larry Sai Weng , Chia Sean , Ong Francesca Yi Teng , Yu Hanry , Walsh Ian
Published: May 2023

Stem cells possess the unique ability to differentiate into specialized cell types. These specialized cell types can be used for regenerative medicine purposes such as cell therapy. Myosatellite cells, also known as skeletal muscle stem cells (MuSCs), play important roles in the growth, repair, and regeneration of skeletal muscle tissues. However, despite its therapeutic potential, the successful differentiation, proliferation, and expansion processes of MuSCs remain a significant challenge due to a variety of factors. For example, the growth and differentiation of MuSCs can be greatly influenced by actively replicating the MuSCs microenvironment (known as the niche) using mechanical forces. However, the molecular role of mechanobiology in MuSC growth, proliferation, and differentiation for regenerative medicine is still poorly understood. In this present review, we comprehensively summarize, compare, and critically analyze how different mechanical cues shape stem cell growth, proliferation, differentiation, and their potential role in disease development (Fig. 1). The insights developed from the mechanobiology of stem cells will also contribute to how these applications can be used for regenerative purposes using MuSCs.
Integrated smoking cessation and mood management following acute coronary syndrome: Protocol for the post-acute cardiac event smoking (PACES) trial
Authors: Adkins-Hempel Melissa , Japuntich Sandra J. , Chrastek Michelle , Dunsiger Shira , Breault Christopher E. , Ayenew Woubeshet , Everson-Rose Susan A. , Nijjar Prabhjot S. , Bock Beth C. , Wu Wen-Chih , Miedema Michael D. , Carlson Brett M. , Busch Andrew M.
Published: May 2023

Background

Approximately 400,000 people who smoke cigarettes survive Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS; unstable angina, ST and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction) each year in the US. Continued smoking following ACS is an independent predictor of mortality. Depressed mood post-ACS is also predictive of mortality, and smokers with depressed mood are less likely to abstain from smoking following an ACS. A single, integrated treatment targeting depressed mood and smoking could be effective in reducing post-ACS mortality.

Method/design

The overall aim of the current study is to conduct a fully powered efficacy trial enrolling 324 smokers with ACS and randomizing them to 12 weeks of an integrated smoking cessation and mood management treatment [Behavioral Activation Treatment for Cardiac Smokers (BAT-CS)] or control (smoking cessation and general health education). Both groups will be offered 8 weeks of the nicotine patch if medically cleared. Counseling in both arms will be provided by tobacco treatment specialists. Follow-up assessments will be conducted at end-of-treatment (12-weeks) and 6, 9, and 12 months after hospital discharge. We will track major adverse cardiac events and all-cause mortality for 36 months post-discharge. Primary outcomes are depressed mood and biochemically validated 7-day point prevalence abstinence from smoking over 12 months.

Discussion

Results of this study will inform smoking cessation treatments post-ACS and provide unique data on the impact of depressed mood on success of post-ACS health behavior change attempts.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03413423. Registered 29 January 2018. https://beta.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03413423.
Early life adversity as a risk factor for cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Huang Zhihai , Jordan J. Dedrick , Zhang Quanguang
Published: May 2023

Neurological conditions, including cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), impose a huge burden on society, affecting millions of people globally. In addition to genetic factors, recent studies indicate that environmental and experiential factors may contribute to the pathogenesis of these diseases. Early life adversity (ELA) has a profound impact on brain function and health later in life. In rodent models, exposure to ELA results in specific cognitive deficits and aggravated AD pathology. Extensive concerns have been raised regarding the higher risk of developing cognitive impairments in people with a history of ELA. In this review, we scrutinize findings from human and animal studies focusing on the connection of ELA with cognitive impairment and AD. These discoveries suggest that ELA, especially at early postnatal stages, increases susceptibility to cognitive impairment and AD later in life. In terms of mechanisms, ELA could lead to dysregulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, altered gut microbiome, persistent inflammation, oligodendrocyte dysfunction, hypomyelination, and aberrant adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Crosstalks among these events may synergistically contribute to cognitive impairment later in life. Additionally, we discuss several interventions that may alleviate adverse consequences of ELA. Further investigation into this crucial area will help improve ELA management and reduce the burden of related neurological conditions.
Venetoclax combined with daunorubicin and cytarabine (2 + 6) as induction treatment in adults with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia: a phase 2, multicenter, single-arm trial
Authors: Suo Xiaohui , Zheng Fang , Wang Dongmei , Zhao Liyun , Liu Jie , Li Ling , Zhang Zhihua , Zhang Congcong , Li Yinling , Yang Sisi , Zhao Xuemei , Shi Rui , Wu Yan , Jiao Zongjiu , Song Jiaojie , Zhang Ling , Lu Xinxiao , Yuan Linyu , Gao Sifeng , Zhang Jilei , Zhao Xingli , Bai Guanchen , Liu Kaiqi , Mi Yingchang
Published: May 2023

Background

Venetoclax (Ven) combined with intensive chemotherapy was proven effective in the management of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, the severe and prolonged myelosuppression remains a concern to worry about. To explore more appropriate combination regimens, we designed Ven combining daunorubicin and cytarabine (DA 2 + 6) regimen as induction therapy, aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety in adults de novo AML.

Methods

A phase 2 clinical trial was performed in 10 Chinese hospitals to investigate Ven combined with daunorubicin and cytarabine (DA 2 + 6) in patients with AML. The primary endpoints were overall response rate (ORR), comprising of complete remission (CR), complete remission with incomplete blood cell count recovery (CRi), and partial response (PR). Secondary endpoints included measurable residual disease (MRD) of bone marrow assessed by flow cytometry, overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS), disease-free survival (DFS), and the safety of regimens. This study is a currently ongoing trial listed on the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry as ChiCTR2200061524.

Results

Overall, 42 patients were enrolled from January 2022 to November 2022; 54.8% (23/42) were male, and the median age was 40 (range, 16–60) years. The ORR after one cycle of induction was 92.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 91.6–94.1; 39/42) with a composite complete response rate (CR + CRi) 90.5% (95% CI, 89.3–91.6, CR 37/42, CRi 1/42). Moreover, 87.9% (29/33) of the CR patients with undetectable MRD (95% CI, 84.9–90.8). Grade 3 or worse adverse effects included neutropenia (100%), thrombocytopenia (100%), febrile neutropenia (90.5%), and one mortality. The median neutrophil and platelet recovery times were 13 (5–26) and 12 (8–26) days, respectively. Until Jan 30, 2023, the estimated 12-month OS, EFS, and DFS rates were 83.1% (95% CI, 78.8–87.4), 82.7% (95% CI, 79.4–86.1), and 92.0% (95% CI, 89.8–94.3), respectively.

Conclusion

Ven with DA (2 + 6) is a highly effective and safe induction therapy for adults with newly diagnosed AML. To the best of our knowledge, this induction therapy has the shortest myelosuppressive period but has similar efficacy to previous studies.
Genomic insights into cryptic cycles of microbial hydrocarbon production and degradation in contiguous freshwater and marine microbiomes
Authors: Vigneron Adrien , Cruaud Perrine , Lovejoy Connie , Vincent Warwick F.
Published: May 2023

Background

Cyanobacteria and eukaryotic phytoplankton produce long-chain alkanes and generate around 100 times greater quantities of hydrocarbons in the ocean compared to natural seeps and anthropogenic sources. Yet, these compounds do not accumulate in the water column, suggesting rapid biodegradation by co-localized microbial populations. Despite their ecological importance, the identities of microbes involved in this cryptic hydrocarbon cycle are mostly unknown. Here, we identified genes encoding enzymes involved in the hydrocarbon cycle across the salinity gradient of a remote, vertically stratified, seawater-containing High Arctic lake that is isolated from anthropogenic petroleum sources and natural seeps. Metagenomic analysis revealed diverse hydrocarbon cycling genes and populations, with patterns of variation along gradients of light, salinity, oxygen, and sulfur that are relevant to freshwater, oceanic, hadal, and anoxic deep sea ecosystems.

Results

Analyzing genes and metagenome-assembled genomes down the water column of Lake A in the Canadian High Arctic, we detected microbial hydrocarbon production and degradation pathways at all depths, from surface freshwaters to dark, saline, anoxic waters. In addition to Cyanobacteria, members of the phyla Flavobacteria, Nitrospina, Deltaproteobacteria, Planctomycetes, and Verrucomicrobia had pathways for alkane and alkene production, providing additional sources of biogenic hydrocarbons. Known oil-degrading microorganisms were poorly represented in the system, while long-chain hydrocarbon degradation genes were identified in various freshwater and marine lineages such as Actinobacteria, Schleiferiaceae, and Marinimicrobia. Genes involved in sulfur and nitrogen compound transformations were abundant in hydrocarbon producing and degrading lineages, suggesting strong interconnections with nitrogen and sulfur cycles and a potential for widespread distribution in the ocean.

Conclusions

Our detailed metagenomic analyses across water column gradients in a remote petroleum-free lake derived from the Arctic Ocean suggest that the current estimation of bacterial hydrocarbon production in the ocean could be substantially underestimated by neglecting non-phototrophic production and by not taking low oxygen zones into account. Our findings also suggest that biogenic hydrocarbons may sustain a large fraction of freshwater and oceanic microbiomes, with global biogeochemical implications for carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen cycles.
Intensivist coverage and critically ill COVID-19 patient outcomes: a population-based cohort study
Authors: Oh Tak Kyu , Kim Saeyeon , Song In-Ae
Published: May 2023

Background

Trained intensivist staffing improves survival outcomes in critically ill patients at intensive care units. However, the impact on outcomes of critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 has not yet been evaluated. We aimed to investigate whether trained intensivists affect outcomes among critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 patients in South Korean intensive care units.

Methods

Using a nationwide registration database in South Korea, we included adult patients admitted to the intensive care unit from October 8, 2020, to December 31, 2021, with a main diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019. Critically ill patients admitted to intensive care units that employed trained intensivists were included in the intensivist group, whereas all other critically ill patients were assigned to the non-intensivist group.

Results

A total of 13,103 critically ill patients were included, with 2653 (20.2%) patients in the intensivist group and 10,450 (79.8%) patients in the non-intensivist group. In the covariate-adjusted multivariable logistic regression model, the intensivist group exhibited 28% lower in-hospital mortality than that of the non-intensivist group (odds ratio: 0.72; 95% confidence interval: 0.62, 0.83; P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Trained intensivist coverage was associated with lower in-hospital mortality among critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 patients who required intensive care unit admission in South Korea.
Modelling the seismic response of the Mýtina maar volcanic structure
Authors: Labuta Martin , Oprsal Ivo , Burjánek Jan
Published: May 2023

In this study, we determine the properties of the maar volcanic structure using ambient vibration analysis. We performed several ambient vibrations surveys at Mýtina maar (West-Bohemia, Czechia) to map amplification by site-to-reference spectral ratios and to estimate average shear wave velocities by array methods. As the maar diatreme is formed by a deep concave body of broken rock, strong 3D resonances develop. The site-to-reference amplification factors reach a value of 20 in the central part of the maar. Using the noise data, we demonstrate possibility of mapping the lateral dimensions of the maar infills by ambient noise measurements. To understand these observations, we developed a simplified 3D viscoelastic velocity model and simulated synthetic ambient vibrations by the finite difference method. The simulated response fitted both, measured fundamental frequencies and the amplification levels. The maximum depth of the crater was estimated to be at least 800 m.

Graphical Abstract
Regression analysis and variable selection to determine the key subduction-zone parameters that determine the maximum earthquake magnitude
Authors: Nakao Atsushi , Kuwatani Tatsu , Ueki Kenta , Yoshida Kenta , Yutani Taku , Hino Hideitsu , Akaho Shotaro
Published: May 2023

Large variations in the maximum earthquake magnitude ($$M_{{\text{max}}}$$

M
max

) have been observed among the world’s subduction zones. There is still no universal relationship between $$M_{{\text{max}}}$$

M
max

and a given subduction-zone parameter, such as plate age, plate dip angle, or plate velocity, which suggests that multiple parameters control $$M_{{\text{max}}}$$

M
max

. Here, we conduct exhaustive variable selections that are based on three evaluation criteria; leave-one-out cross-validation errors (LOOCVE), Akaike information criterion (AIC), and Bayesian information criterion (BIC) to determine the combination of subduction-zone parameters that best explains $$M_{{\text{max}}}$$

M
max

. Multiple linear regression analyses are applied using 18 subduction-zone parameters as potential candidates for the explanatory variables of $$M_{{\text{max}}}$$

M
max

. The minimum BIC is obtained when five variables (trench sediment thickness, existence of an accretionary prism, upper-plate crustal thickness, bending radius of the subducting oceanic plate, and trench depth) are selected as explanatory variables; each variable contributes positively to $$M_{{\text{max}}}$$

M
max

. Minimum LOOCVE and AIC values are obtained when eight variables (the five parameters for BIC, plus the along-strike plate convergence rate, age of the subducting plate, and maximum depth of the subducting plate) are selected. Our selection of the trench sediment thickness and plate bending radius contributing to $$M_{{\text{max}}}$$

M
max

is consistent with previous studies. The results show that increasing upper-plate crustal thickness results in a large $$M_{{\text{max}}}$$

M
max

. In addition to smoothing the subducting-plate interface via subducted sediments, along-dip extension of the crustal area along the convergent plate boundary would be important for generating a large earthquake.

Graphic Abstract
The feasibility of team care for women seeking to plan a vaginal breech birth (OptiBreech 1): an observational implementation feasibility study in preparation for a pilot trial
Authors: Walker Shawn , Spillane Emma , Stringer Kate , Meadowcroft Amy , Dasgupta Tisha , Davies Siân M. , Sandall Jane , Shennan Andrew ,   the OptiBreech Collaborative, Batish Avni , Davidson Louisa , Das Sabrina , Magurova Lenka , Haroun George , Meates Charlotte , Houghton Gillian , Grys Helen Le
Published: May 2023

Background

OptiBreech Care is a care pathway for breech presentation at term, including where chosen, physiological breech birth attended by professionals with advanced training and/or proficiency. We aimed to assess the feasibility of implementing OptiBreech team care prior to proceeding with a planned pilot randomised controlled trial.

Methods

Our design was an observational implementation feasibility assessment across England and Wales, January 2021–June 2022. Our objectives were to determine whether Trusts could provide attendants with advanced training (implementation feasibility), who deliver protocol-consistent care (fidelity), within existing resources (costs), while maintaining low neonatal admission rates (safety) and adequate recruitment rates (trial feasibility). Participants included women > 37 weeks pregnant with a breech-presenting foetus, requesting support for a vaginal breech birth following standard counselling, and staff involved in the study. No randomisation occurred in this first stage of feasibility work.

Results

Thirteen National Health Service sites were recruited. A total of 82 women planned births in the study. Sites with a breech specialist midwife recruited at double the rate of sites without (0.90/month, 95%CI0.64–1.16 vs 0.40, 95%CI0.12–0.68). Referrals into the study came from midwives (46%), obstetricians (34%) and women themselves (20%). Vaginal births were attended by staff with OptiBreech training at 87.5% (35/40, 95%CI0.732–0.958) and by staff who met additional proficiency criteria at 67.5% (27/40, 95%CI0.509–0.814). Fidelity criteria were more consistently met by staff who also met proficiency criteria. There were four neonatal admissions (4.9%, 4/82), including one serious adverse outcome (1.2%, 1/82).

Conclusions

A prospective observational cohort of OptiBreech collaborative care, which could potentially support nested or cluster randomisation, appears feasible in sites willing to establish a dedicated clinic and strategically develop further proficient members of staff, with back-up plans for supporting rapidly progressing births. Randomisation procedures remain to be feasibility tested. It is funded by the NIHR (NIHR300582).
Systematic braiding of Smoke-Free Home SafeCare to address child maltreatment risk and secondhand smoke exposure: findings from a pilot study
Authors: Self-Brown Shannon , Perry Elizabeth W. , Recinos Manderley , Cotner Michaela A. , Guastaferro Kate , Owolabi Shadé , Spears Claire A. , Whitaker Daniel J. , Huang Jidong , Kegler Michelle C.
Published: May 2023

Background

Exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) and child maltreatment are preventable threats to child health. Few evidence-based interventions target both SHS and child maltreatment risk. The purpose of this paper is to describe the systematic braiding process of two evidence-based programs to address child SHS in the home and maltreatment perpetration risk, and present results from the formative work and pilot study.

Methods

The first 4 steps of the systematic braiding process were completed, including the following: (1) the identification of core elements of both programs, (2) the development of an initial draft of the braided curriculum (Smoke-Free Home SafeCare — SFH-SC), (3) an acceptability and feasibility pilot of SFH-SC with caregivers of young children who reported a smoker living in the home (N = 8), and (4) feedback collection on the braided curriculum from SafeCare Providers (N = 9).

Results

Experts identified common pedagogical and theoretical underpinnings for the two programs and braided Smoke-Free Homes: Some Things Are Better Outside into two SafeCare modules. Caregiver feedback from the pilot demonstrated that participants were engaged with SFH-SC and felt supported and comfortable discussing SHS intervention content with the SFH-SC Provider. Caregiver self-reports indicated a slight increase in smoke-free home rules from baseline to follow-up and a notable reduction in parent stress on the Parent Stress Index of 5.9 points (SD = 10.2). SafeCare Provider feedback following intensive review of the curriculum indicated high feasibility for SFH-SC delivery.

Conclusions

Parent and Provider findings suggest SFH-SC is a viable intervention that has potential to reduce the public health impact of SHS and child maltreatment for at-risk families.

Protocol

The protocol for the pilot is not published elsewhere; however, the full protocol for the hybrid trial can be found here: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05000632.

Trial registration

NCT, NCT05000632. Registered 14 July 2021, there is not a separate registration number for the pilot.
Whole-exome sequencing detected a novel AIFM1 variant in a Han-Chinese family with Cowchock syndrome
Authors: Wang Chenyu , Lin Zhaojing , Yuan ZhuangZhuang , Tang Tieyu , Fan Liangliang , Liu Yihui , Wu Xuan
Published: May 2023

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease(CMT) is a hereditary peripheral neuropathy, characterized by progressive distal hypoesthesia and amyotrophia. CMT is characterized by an X- linked recessive inheritance pattern. The apoptosis-inducing factor mitochondria associated-1 (AIFM1) is the main pathogenic gene of the X-linked recessive Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease-4 with or without cerebellar ataxia (CMTX4), also known as Cowchock syndrome. In this study, we enrolled a family with CMTX from the southeast region of China and identified a novel AIFM1 variant (NM_004208.3: c.931C>G; p.L311V) using whole exon sequencing technology. The results of our study may also be useful for genetic counseling, embryo screening of in vitro fertilization embryos, and prenatal genetic diagnosis.
Ethnomedicinal plants used for the prevention and treatment of anemia in the Philippines: a systematic review
Authors: Magtalas Mariel C. , Balbin Patrick Tracy , Cruz Elljhay C. , Clemente Richard F. , Buan Ara Karizza G. , Garcia Jervy P. , Lee Ka Yiu , Tantengco Ourlad Alzeus G.
Published: May 2023

Background

Medicinal plants are still used in developing countries, including the Philippines, to treat common diseases in the community. Anemia is a common disease encountered in the community. It is characterized by a lower-than-normal level of red blood cell count. This systematic review identified the medicinal plants used for anemia treatment in the Philippines.

Methods

The study was conducted based on the PRISMA flow diagram, starting with a data search on electronic databases. The collected studies were screened based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The necessary information was extracted from the eligible research papers, and the studies’ quality was assessed through a developed quality assessment tool.

Results

A total of 20 ethnobotanical studies on medicinal plants used for anemia treatment were obtained from different provinces within the 12 regions of the Philippines. Most ethnobotanical studies were conducted in Region X (Northern Mindanao), CAR (Cordillera Administrative Region), and Region XIII (CARAGA), Philippines. The most common plant family is Convovulaceae, with nine records (21.95%), followed by Cucurbitaceae, with six records (14.63%), and Moringaceae, with five records (12.2%). The most common plant part used was the leaves. Others involved mixing  different plant parts, with fruits and leaves being the most common combination. The most common route of administration utilized was drinking the decoction, followed by eating the plant. Most medicinal plants used to treat anemia in the Philippines had records of toxicologic (four species, 15.38%) or teratogenic (one species, 3.85%) properties. Eight plant species were reported as nontoxic (30.77%). In addition, ten plant species (38.46%) had no data on toxicity or teratogenicity.

Conclusion

There were only 20 ethnobotanical studies that documented the use of plants in treating anemia in the Philippines. This study listed several medicinal plants used in treating anemia in the Philippines. However, pharmacological and toxicological studies are still needed to determine their safety and efficacy in treating anemia in the community.
Syncopal storm in an elderly patient: unraveling the mechanism—a case report
Authors: Vijay Soorampally , Patodia Ansul , Lokhandwala Yash
Published: May 2023

Background

Multiple episodes of syncope in rapid succession are extremely rare, and syncope in the elderly has multiple potential mechanisms. Even though the electrophysiology study has little role in patients with syncope who have structurally normal hearts, the history of syncope preceded by palpitations was a red-flag symptom that made us go ahead with the electrophysiology study (EP) that revealed the ultimate diagnosis of typical atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT), which was documented to be associated with critical hypotension.

Case presentation

A 78-year-old man with a history of hypertension experienced a ‘Syncopal Storm,’ with four episodes within 15 min. There was no history to suggest common etiologies like postural hypotension or vasovagal syncope. The examination, ECG, and echocardiogram were normal. In view of the nasty sequence and a history of syncope preceded by palpitations, we conducted an electrophysiology study. Surprisingly, typical AVNRT at 190 bpm was easily and repeatedly induced with atrial extrastimuli. During the AVNRT, the systolic BP fell from 160 to 40 mm Hg with the development of presyncope. No ventricular tachycardia was inducible despite vigorous ventricular stimulation protocol. Radiofrequency ablation was performed successfully. The patient was symptom-free after 6 months of follow-up.

Conclusion

We report a unique case of a syncopal storm due to AVNRT in the setting of a structurally normal heart. The syncopal storm is a rare but ominous presentation of AVNRT. The cause of syncope was a combination of a high heart rate, loss of atrioventricular synchrony, and an impaired autonomic vasomotor response, causing severe hypotension.
Creating Digital Sci-Fi Narratives through Multimodal Composing to Promote Adolescent Students’ STEM Education
Authors: Ran Hua , Shen Ji , Smith Blaine E , Wang Changzhao
Published: May 2023

Much research has examined the incorporation of academic and scientific writing in science learning. However, less research has applied a narrative approach that represents events in a time sequence. Furthermore, modern technology has greatly extended students’ modes of science expression beyond the printed texts. Yet, connecting students’ rich experience in digital storytelling with their academic learning in science is still an area of needed research. This study focused on analyzing the products students generated as a way to examine how they integrated science in their multimodal sci-fi narratives. These narratives were created in a program designed to engage adolescents in integrated STEM and digital literacy learning. More specifically, this study developed a two-dimensional framework (science and integration) to evaluate the 35 products produced by 136 participants in 5 iterations of the program. Content and thematic analyses revealed that a wide variety of sophisticated mechanisms was applied for science integration, including: (1) building connections among diverse science topics; (2) leveraging innovative narrative techniques; (3) responding critically to socio-scientific problems; and (4) designing and redesigning multimodal elements.
Relation between electrical compound action potential measures and speech perception in cochlear implanted children: audiological and phonological outcomes
Authors: Basiony Nada Ahmed , El-Mahallawi Trandil Hassan , Ahmed Shaima Mohamed Elsayed , El-Gharib Amani Mohammed , Essawy Wessam Mostafa
Published: May 2023

Purpose

To study ECAP measures (threshold and amplitude growth function 'AGF') in children CI users and find the relation between these ECAP measures and speech outcomes using audiological and phonological assessment.

Subjects and method

Twenty-one children were unilaterally implanted with Medel CI, and all subjects were submitted to phonological assessment, basic audiological assessment, speech recognition tests (WRS and BKB-SIN) and Medel maestro software measures (IFT, AutoART and AGF measures "thresholds and slopes" across apical, middle and basal electrodes).

Results

This study demonstrated no statistically significant difference between AGF thresholds at apical, middle and basal electrodes and a statistically significant difference between AGF slopes at apical and both middle and basal electrodes. There was no statistically significant correlation between the ECAP threshold and speech perception tests. In contrast, a positive statistically significant correlation was found between the AGF slope of the apical electrode and word recognition score, and a negative statistically significant correlation between AGF slopes at apical, middle and basal electrodes and SNR loss of BKB-SIN. High sensitivity and specificity of AGF slope at apical electrode were found to differentiate between good and poor performers as regards SNR loss of BKB-SIN and language test.

Conclusions

The AGF slope reflects neural survival better than the ECAP threshold. AGF slope at apical electrodes correlated with better CI performance in both phoniatric and audiological measures of speech perception and can be used as an objective tool to predict CI outcome.
NAD+ Metabolism Generates a Metabolic Vulnerability in Endocrine-Resistant Metastatic Breast Tumors in Females
Authors: Mogol Ayca Nazli , Zuo Qianying , Yoo Jin Young , Kaminsky Alanna Zoe , Imir Ozan Berk , Landesman Yosef , Walker Christopher J , Erdogan Zeynep Madak
Published: May 2023

Approximately 70% of human breast cancers express estrogen receptor-α (ERα), providing a potential target for endocrine therapy. However, 30% to 40% of patients with ER+ breast cancer still experience recurrence and metastasis, with a 5-year relative overall survival rate of 24%. In this study, we identified nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), an important enzyme in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) metabolism, to be increased in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) cells treated with fulvestrant (Fulv). We tested whether the blockade of NAD+ production via inhibition of NAMPT synergizes with standard-of-care therapies for ER+ MBC in vitro and in vivo. A synergistic effect was not observed when KPT-9274 was combined with palbociclib or tamoxifen or when Fulv was combined with other metabolic inhibitors. We show that NAMPT inhibitor KPT-9274 and Fulv works synergistically to reduce metastatic tumor burden. RNA-sequencing analysis showed that NAMPT inhibitor in combination with Fulv reversed the expression of gene sets associated with more aggressive tumor phenotype, and metabolomics analysis showed that NAMPT inhibition reduced the abundance of metabolites associated with several key tumor metabolic pathways. Targeting metabolic adaptations in endocrine-resistant MBC is a novel strategy, and alternative approaches aimed at improving the therapeutic response of metastatic ER+ tumors are needed. Our findings uncover the role of ERα–NAMPT crosstalk in MBC and the utility of NAMPT inhibition and antiestrogen combination therapy in reducing tumor burden and metastasis, potentially leading to new avenues of MBC treatment.
Postprandial Increases in Liver-Gut Hormone LEAP2 Correlate with Attenuated Eating Behavior in Adults Without Obesity
Authors: Bhargava Raghav , Luur Sandra , Rodriguez Flores Marcela , Emini Mimoza , Prechtl Christina G , Goldstone Anthony P
Published: May 2023

Background

The novel liver-gut hormone liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide-2 (LEAP2) is a centrally acting inverse agonist, and competitive antagonist of orexigenic acyl ghrelin (AG), at the GH secretagogue receptor, reducing food intake in rodents. In humans, the effects of LEAP2 on eating behavior and mechanisms behind the postprandial increase in LEAP2 are unclear, though this is reciprocal to the postprandial decrease in plasma AG.

Methods

Plasma LEAP2 was measured in a secondary analysis of a previous study. Twenty-two adults without obesity attended after an overnight fast, consuming a 730-kcal meal without or with subcutaneous AG administration. Postprandial changes in plasma LEAP2 were correlated with postprandial changes in appetite, high-energy (HE) or low-energy (LE) food cue reactivity using functional magnetic resonance imaging, ad libitum food intake, and plasma/serum AG, glucose, insulin, and triglycerides.

Results

Postprandial plasma LEAP2 increased by 24.5% to 52.2% at 70 to 150 minutes, but was unchanged by exogenous AG administration. Postprandial increases in LEAP2 correlated positively with postprandial decreases in appetite, and cue reactivity to HE/LE and HE food in anteroposterior cingulate cortex, paracingulate cortex, frontal pole, and middle frontal gyrus, with similar trend for food intake. Postprandial increases in LEAP2 correlated negatively with body mass index, but did not correlate positively with increases in glucose, insulin, or triglycerides, nor decreases in AG.

Conclusions

These correlational findings are consistent with a role for postprandial increases in plasma LEAP2 in suppressing human eating behavior in adults without obesity. Postprandial increases in plasma LEAP2 are unrelated to changes in plasma AG and the mediator(s) remain uncertain.
Introduction
Authors: Ober Douglas , Geary David
Published: May 2023

This special section of Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East ties together a series of modern histories and contemporary ethnographies of Buddhist spaces spread across the Indian subcontinent. Underlining each of the four essays is a concern for the modern fashioning and reimagining of India as a Buddhist “homeland.” In the past century and a half, Buddhist homeland discourses in South Asia have fostered heightened contact between national leaders, Buddhist royalty, entrepreneurs, artists, monastics, and pilgrim-travelers in ways that build upon historical and ritual precedents while simultaneously crafting new paradigms within a transnational, postcolonial arena. Taking inspiration from this translocative orientation, the contributors explore precolonial histories of Buddhist movement alongside more recent networks of Buddhist restoration in the subcontinent, with particular focus on the role of social memory and material culture in shaping the modern episteme. The essays gathered here further these inquiries by exploring how these connections have changed in the context of modern India and how the textures of these encounters cut across national, ethnic, religious, linguistic, and doctrinal lines.
Temple Architecture and Modern Hindu Appropriations of Buddhism
Authors: Ober Douglas , Maitland Padma Dorje
Published: May 2023

During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Buddhism became deeply embedded in an array of social and political debates taking place across India. The unique history of Buddhism in India and of its spread across Asia offered a model of ideological and cultural emancipation that was used not only to challenge colonial rule but also to further numerous anti-caste movements against existing Brahmanical institutions and practices. While the history of anti-caste and Dalit engagements with Buddhism has largely been studied through a discussion of the Indian constitutionalist B. R. Ambedkar's conversion to Buddhism along with some half million of his followers in 1956, this article addresses the ways in which Buddhism came to be simultaneously seen as a “Hindu sect” and central to Hindu nationalist projects. It does so through a detailed analysis of the planning and construction of several “Hindu-Buddhist” temples constructed in the 1930s by the Birla family that sought to construct a vision of India as a Hindu nation. A close examination of these sites reveals the wider dynamics underlining the transformation of modern Buddhism in India and, by extension, modern Hinduism.
Cultural Decolonization
Authors: Agbaria Ahmad
Published: May 2023

The swift rise of a new guard of cultural thinkers from the margins of the Arab world during the 1970s amounts to one of the most striking yet forgotten episodes in postcolonial Arab thought. Coming primarily from Morocco, these intellectuals and activists rejected a long-seated assumption prevalent among the ranks of Arab nationalists according to which one must disown their past traditions in order to become modern. The advent of cultural thinkers posed a grave challenge to this cherished evaluation, calling into question the agenda of political decolonization that Arab nationalists had propounded. How did the new intellectual guard of cultural thinkers come to assume such intellectual power? And what change did they make in the intellectual field and Arab conversation in general? Exploring these questions, this article establishes a definitive distinction between categories of postcolonial actors that were originally clumped together. It demonstrates that the voices shaping the new world of the Arab peoples are increasingly skeptical of political decolonization of the Arab nationalists and more in sync with Moroccan cultural thinkers who take pride in their cultural repertoire and traditions.
Claiming Democratic Bodies, Ethics, and Equality
Authors: Al-Eriani Kamilia
Published: May 2023

This article demonstrates how protests as modes of political action are not only about claiming public spaces and democratic rights. Essentially, they articulate a mode of claiming corporeal democratic bodies cultivated and inhabited by revolutionaries in their attempts to unsettle the established political order. To elucidate this argument, this article reflects on the Life March, a 267-kilometer march from Ta'izz to San'a on foot over five days, staged by Yemeni protesters in 2011. It pays attention to the ways in which the bodily actions of the marchers incited a social imagination of the democratic communitarian order. The marchers' injured feet mobilized desires to reciprocate through collective ethical practices of waiting, greeting, giving, and protecting enacted by communities en route to San'a. The article suggests that through these enactments, communities sought to ethically elevate themselves as political equals to the marchers, allowing a novel form of democratic ethos to emerge. The article contends that an equality among differences rather than sameness was fashioned as the political of a different order came into being.
Uprooted Memories
Authors: Saleh Zainab
Published: May 2023

This article examines two documentaries on Iraqi Jews, Forget Baghdad and Remember Baghdad, that focus on the expulsion of Iraqi Jews from Iraq and their lives in Israel and Britain. The exile of Jews from Iraq heralded the end of a vibrant social and political space that Iraqi Jews shared with fellow Iraqis. This article argues that by focusing on questions of forgetting and remembering, the two documentaries foreground memory and nostalgia as sites to explore issues related to home, dislocation, and subjectivity at physical and symbolic levels. Moreover, the acts of remembrance in the films emerge as a dynamic terrain upon which political, generational, and class differences were inscribed and invoked. Iraqi Jews found themselves trapped within a binary framework of Arab nationalistic and Zionist discourses whereby Arabness and Jewishness emerged as an antithesis and denoted otherness, and their position within nation-states became unintelligible. The films, however, reconstruct, in different ways, the possibilities where Arabness, Jewishness, and Iraqiness could overlap, live side by side, and challenge national narratives. Reading the films alongside each other challenges any monolithic or essentialist narratives about an Iraqi Jewish experience by shedding light on the diversity of political projects among Iraqi Jews.
The peripheral nervous system
Authors: Murtazina Aliia , Adameyko Igor
Published: May 2023

The peripheral nervous system (PNS) represents a highly heterogeneous entity with a broad range of functions, ranging from providing communication between the brain and the body to controlling development, stem cell niches and regenerative processes. According to the structure and function, the PNS can be subdivided into sensory, motor (i.e. the nerve fibers of motor neurons), autonomic and enteric domains. Different types of neurons correspond to these domains and recent progress in single-cell transcriptomics has enabled the discovery of new neuronal subtypes and improved the previous cell-type classifications. The developmental mechanisms generating the domains of the PNS reveal a range of embryonic strategies, including a variety of cell sources, such as migratory neural crest cells, placodal neurogenic cells and even recruited nerve-associated Schwann cell precursors. In this article, we discuss the diversity of roles played by the PNS in our body, as well as the origin, wiring and heterogeneity of every domain. We place a special focus on the most recent discoveries and concepts in PNS research, and provide an outlook of future perspectives and controversies in the field.
Notch directs telencephalic development and controls neocortical neuron fate determination by regulating microRNA levels
Authors: Han Jisoo S. , Fishman-Williams Elizabeth , Decker Steven C. , Hino Keiko , Reyes Raenier V. , Brown Nadean L. , Simó Sergi , Torre Anna La
Published: May 2023

The central nervous system contains a myriad of different cell types produced from multipotent neural progenitors. Neural progenitors acquire distinct cell identities depending on their spatial position, but they are also influenced by temporal cues to give rise to different cell populations over time. For instance, the progenitors of the cerebral neocortex generate different populations of excitatory projection neurons following a well-known sequence. The Notch signaling pathway plays crucial roles during this process, but the molecular mechanisms by which Notch impacts progenitor fate decisions have not been fully resolved. Here, we show that Notch signaling is essential for neocortical and hippocampal morphogenesis, and for the development of the corpus callosum and choroid plexus. Our data also indicate that, in the neocortex, Notch controls projection neuron fate determination through the regulation of two microRNA clusters that include let-7, miR-99a/100 and miR-125b. Our findings collectively suggest that balanced Notch signaling is crucial for telencephalic development and that the interplay between Notch and miRNAs is essential for the control of neocortical progenitor behaviors and neuron cell fate decisions.
No food for thought: an intermediate level of food deprivation enhances memory in Lymnaea stagnalis
Authors: Kagan Diana , Rivi Veronica , Benatti Cristina , Tascedda Fabio , Blom Joan M. C. , Lukowiak Ken
Published: May 2023

Nutritional status plays an important role in cognitive functioning, but there is disagreement on the role that food deprivation plays in learning and memory. In this study, we investigated the behavioral and transcriptional effects induced by different lengths of food deprivation: 1 day, which is a short time period of food deprivation, and 3 days, which is an ‘intermediate’ level of food deprivation. Snails were subjected to different feeding regimens and then trained for operant conditioning of aerial respiration, where they received a single 0.5 h training session followed by a long-term memory (LTM) test 24 h later. Immediately after the memory test, snails were killed and the expression levels of key genes for neuroplasticity, energy balance and stress response were measured in the central ring ganglia. We found that 1 day of food deprivation was not sufficient to enhance snails' LTM formation and subsequently did not result in any significant transcriptional effects. However, 3 days of food deprivation resulted in enhanced LTM formation and caused the upregulation of neuroplasticity and stress-related genes and the downregulation of serotonin-related genes. These data provide further insight into how nutritional status and related molecular mechanisms impact cognitive function.
Metabolomic Signatures of Sedentary Behavior and Cardiometabolic Traits in US Hispanics/Latinos: Results from HCHS/SOL
Authors: Moon Jee-Young , Chai Jin Choul , Yu Bing , Song Rebecca J. , Chen Guo-chong , Graff Mariaelisa , Daviglus Martha L. , Chan Queenie , Thyagarajan Bharat , Castaneda Sheila F , Grove Megan L. , Cai Jianwen , Xue Xiaonan , Mossavar-Rahmani Yasmin , Vasan Ramachandran S. , Boerwinkle Eric , Kaplan Robert , Qi Qibin
Published: May 2023

Purpose

The aim of this study was to understand the serum metabolomic signatures of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior, and further associate their metabolomic signatures with incident cardiometabolic diseases.

Methods

This analysis included 2711 US Hispanics/Latinos from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) aged 18-74 years (2008-11). An untargeted, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used to profile the serum metabolome. The associations of metabolites with accelerometer-measured MVPA and sedentary time were examined using survey linear regressions adjusting for covariates. The weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) identified modules of correlated metabolites in relation to sedentary time, and the modules were associated with incident diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension over the 6-year follow up.

Results

Of 624 metabolites, five and 102 were associated with MVPA and sedentary behavior at FDR < 0.05, respectively, after adjusting for socioeconomic and lifestyle factors. The WGCNA analysis identified 8 modules from 102 metabolites associated with sedentary time. Four modules (branched-chain amino acids [BCAA], erythritol, polyunsaturated fatty acid [PUFA], creatine) were positively, and the other four (acyl choline, plasmalogen GPC, plasmalogen GPE, urea cycle) were negatively correlated with sedentary time. Among these modules, a higher BCAA score and a lower plasmalogen GPC score were associated with increased risks of diabetes and dyslipidemia. A higher erythritol score was associated with increased risk of diabetes, and a lower acyl choline score was linked to increased risk of hypertension.

Conclusions

In this study of US Hispanics/Latinos, we identified multiple serum metabolomic signatures of sedentary behavior and their associations with risk of incident diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. These findings suggest a potential role of circulating metabolites in the links between sedentary behavior and cardiometabolic diseases.