bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antibiotic Utilization and Efficacy Associated With Treating Pediatric Urinary Tract Infections in Texas Medicaid Patients in the First Year of Life
Authors: Coleman Alana , Vohra Yogesh , Rascati Karen , Kubes Sarah , Moffett Brady
Published: July 2021

Background:

Historically, amoxicillin (Amoxil) has been used as a first-line agent to treat pediatric urinary tract infections (UTIs). However, emerging antibiotic resistance in urinary pathogens has led to broader treatment options, such as cefdinir (Omnicef). This shift in prescribing practices is predicted to vary among place of service and gender due to differing institutional protocols and antimicrobial stewardship practices.

Objective:

This study aimed to describe the antibiotic utilization patterns associated with treating pediatric UTIs in Texas Medicaid patients and to assess the real-world efficacy of the antibiotics that were prescribed.

Methods:

Texas Medicaid prescription and medical claims data for patients under 1 year of age were included in the analysis if they presented with a UTI to the healthcare practitioner’s office or the emergency department (ED) and were treated with an outpatient antibiotic. Treatment efficacy was assessed by whether a patient received a second (different) antibiotic within 7 days of their initial antibiotic fill.

Results:

A total of 12,795 visits met inclusion criteria; 12,561 visits included prescriptions for the top 4 antibiotics prescribed: cefdinir (50%), amoxicillin (25%), cephalexin (Keflex; 13%), and amoxicillin-clavulanate (Augmentin; 12%). Cefdinir utilization predominated in both places of service [office (50%) and ED (55%)], and gender [males (47%) and females (52%)]. Controlling for gender and place of service, initial treatment with amoxicillin when compared with cefdinir (OR = 2.54; 95% confidence intervals: 1.84–3.54; P < 0.001) was associated with a greater rate of treatment failure.

Conclusions:

In this study of Texas Medicaid patients, the widespread utilization of cefdinir may be appropriate for the empiric treatment of uncomplicated UTIs because of its low rate of treatment failure compared to other commonly used antibiotics.
Behavior Characteristics and Risk for Metabolic Syndrome Among Women in Rural Communities in China
Authors: Chen Jyu-Lin , Guo Jia , Lin Chen-Xi , Yang Jundi , Mao Ping , Jiang Shan , He Wei , Lien Kathy
Published: July 2021

Background

Rapid economic growth and lifestyle changes in China have resulted in increased metabolic syndrome (MetS) rates. Few investigators have examined sex-specific risk factors and the role of menopause, stress, and sleep on MetS among women in China.

Objective

In this study, we aimed to identify the risk factors for MetS among women in rural China.

Methods

A cross-sectional study design was used, and participants were recruited from rural areas in China. Female participants older than 18 years were eligible to participate. Participants had their weight, height, waist circumference, blood pressure, and fasting blood measured at study sites. They also completed validated questionnaires regarding sociodemographic information and MetS-related health behaviors.

Results

A total of 646 women were included in this study. The overall prevalence of MetS was 26.2%. The MetS group had a greater number of overweight/obese women than the non-MetS group did. For premenopausal women, a higher income, being overweight/obese, and eating salty/marinated food increased their risk for MetS (odds ratio [OR], 2.56, 4.55, and 3.1, respectively). For postmenopausal women, a low level of education (OR, 0.44) and being overweight/obese (OR, 4.98) increased their risk of MetS.

Conclusion

Almost half of the women in this study were overweight/obese, and many of them did not meet the national recommendations for a healthy lifestyle, increasing their risk for MetS. Developing cultural and behavioral interventions tailored for overweight/obese women is critical in reducing MetS.
Is It Safe to Mobilize Patients Very Early After Transfemoral Coronary Procedures? (SAMOVAR)
Authors: Nørgaard Marianne Wetendorff , Færch Jane , Joshi Francis R. , Høfsten Dan E. , Engstrøm Thomas , Kelbæk Henning
Published: July 2021

Background

Coronary angiography (CAG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are performed via the femoral or radial arteries. In patients examined via transfemoral access, closure devices facilitate hemostasis, but it is unknown whether it is safe to mobilize these patients immediately and how acceptable this may be in terms of patient comfort.

Objective

The aims of this study were to investigate bleeding complications in patients mobilized immediately after transfemoral CAG or PCI compared with patients on bed rest (BR) for 2 hours after the procedure and, furthermore, to investigate patient comfort in relation to mobilization and BR.

Methods

SAMOVAR was a noninferiority trial with patients randomized to immediate mobilization (IM) or 2 hours of BR after transfemoral CAG or PCI and use of the AngioSeal as a closure device and reversal of heparin effect. The primary end point was development of hematoma greater than 5 cm, pseudoaneurysm, or bleeding requiring blood transfusion. Secondary end points were oozing from the puncture site, small hematoma, and patient comfort.

Results

Of 2027 patients (IM, 1010; BR, 1017), 40% underwent PCI. The primary outcome was recorded in 0.7% patients randomized to IM versus 0.5% in BR (P = .58). There was no difference in the incidence of small hematoma, whereas persistent oozing was seen slightly more often after IM compared with BR (12% vs 9%, P = .04). Patients mobilized immediately reported less back pain and micturition problems (P < .001).

Conclusions

In patients who had CAG and PCI performed through transfemoral access, reversal of anticoagulation and use of closure devices allowed IM with low rates of complications and improved patient comfort.
Successful Outcomes and Return to Sport After Arthroscopic Bankart Repair in National Collegiate Athletic Association and National Football League Football Players
Authors: Saper Michael G. , Courson John , Milchteim Charles , Plummer Hillary , Andrews James R. , Ostrander Roger V.
Published: July 2021

Objective:

To characterize recurrent instability, return to sport (RTS), and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after arthroscopic Bankart repair for acute traumatic anterior shoulder instability in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and National Football League (NFL) football players.

Design:

Case series.

Setting:

Orthopaedic and sports medicine clinic.

Participants:

National Collegiate Athletic Association and NFL football athletes with traumatic anterior shoulder instability who underwent arthroscopic shoulder stabilization at a single institution with at least 2-year follow-up.

Interventions (or Assessment of Risk Factors or Independent Variables):

Arthroscopic Bankart repair.

Main Outcome Measures:

Recurrent instability, RTS, patient satisfaction, the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, and Rowe score.

Results:

Thirty-three players were included with a mean age of 23.8 years (range, 18-33 years) and a mean follow-up of 6.3 years (range, 4.1-9.3 years). One shoulder (3.0%) had a postoperative subluxation event, and 1 shoulder (3.0%) required revision surgery for issues other than instability; 93.3% of players were able to RTS at the same level or higher for at least 1 season. Mean satisfaction was 8.9 ± 2.3. Mean VAS was 1.0 ± 1.7, and mean ASES and Rowe scores were 90.7 ± 18.5 and 89.7 ± 15.2, respectively.

Conclusion:

Arthroscopic Bankart repair is an effective surgical intervention for traumatic anterior shoulder instability in NCAA and NFL football players. At a mean 6-year follow-up, surgery restored stability in 97% of cases and 93.3% returned to their preinjury level of sport.
Prevalence of Macrophages Within the Cochlear Vessels Following Cochlear Implantation in the Human: An Immunohistopathological Study Using Anti-Iba1 Antibody
Authors: Okayasu Tadao , O’Malley Jennifer T. , Nadol Joseph B.
Published: July 2021

Hypothesis:

The prevalence of monocyte-derived macrophages within cochlear vessels may increase following cochlear implantation.

Background:

Recently, we reported an increase in the number of ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1)-positive macrophages in selected cochlear sites such as the osseous spiral lamina and Rosenthal's canal following cochlear implantation. Activation of the immune system induces the recruitment of monocyte-derived macrophages. The prevalence of monocyte-derived macrophages within cochlear vessels may increase following cochlear implantation. However, the delivery system of macrophages to the human cochlea is incompletely understood.

Methods:

The prevalence of macrophages and monocytes within cochlear blood vessels in 10 human subjects who had undergone unilateral cochlear implantation was studied by light microscopy using anti-Iba1 immunostaining. The densities of Iba1-positve monocytes per area of lumen of cochlear vessels in the sections near the round window in implanted ears were compared with the contralateral unimplanted ears. The correlation between the densities of Iba1-positve monocytes and the duration (months after the cochlear implantation) was also evaluated.

Results:

The prevalence of Iba1-positive macrophages/monocytes in vessels near the round window in implanted ears (mean 26%, median 21%) was greater than in opposite unimplanted ears (mean 5.2%, median 2.5%: p < 0.01). The density of Iba1-positive monocytes in implanted ears (mean 32, median 16 cells/105 μm2) tended to be greater than that in unimplanted ears (mean 6.6, median 0.93 cells/105 μm2: p = 0.08). The density of Iba1-positive monocytes was significantly correlated with duration of implantation but not in the unimplanted ears.

Conclusion:

An increase in prevalence of Iba1-positive macrophages/monocytes within cochlear blood vessels after cochlear implantation was demonstrated. These findings suggest a delivery system of Iba1-positive macrophages through cochlear vessels in human that is ongoing for long duration.
Relationship between serum soluble endothelial protein C receptor level and COVID-19 findings
Authors: Bayrakci Nergiz , Ozkan Gulsum , Mutlu Levent Cem , Erdem lknur , Yildirim Ilker , Gulen Dumrul , Celikkol Aliye
Published: July 2021

Coronavirus-related disease-2019 (COVID-19)-associated coagulopathy presents predominantly with thrombosis and leads to complications in close association with inflammatory process. Soluble endothelial protein C receptor (sEPCR), which is the soluble form of EPCR, reduces the anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory activity of activated protein C. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between sEPCR and the laboratory parameters and thorax computed tomography (CT) findings in the course of COVID-19. Twenty-five laboratory-confirmed [reverse transcription-quantitative polimerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) positive] and 24 clinically diagnosed (RT-qPCR negative) COVID-19 patients were enrolled in the study. Blood specimens were collected for sEPCR and haematological and biochemical parameter measurement. Thorax CT was performed to detect COVID-19 findings. These parameters from RT-qPCR positive and negative patients were then compared. Although there was no difference between the groups in terms of symptoms, the time between the onset of symptoms and the admission time was shorter in RT-qPCR positive group (P = 0.000). sEPCR levels were significantly higher in the RT-qPCR positive group (P = 0.011). Patients with ground-glass opacity and bilateral involvement on thorax CT have higher serum sEPCR levels (P = 0.012 and 0.043, respectively). This study has shown for the first time that serum sEPCR levels, which is a member of coagulation cascade and has also been reported to be associated with inflammation, is higher in patients with positive RT-qPCR test and patients with GGO or bilateral involvement on thorax CT regardless of the PCR result.
Trimetazidine Therapy in Coronary Artery Disease: The Impact on Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, Endothelial Dysfunction, and Long-Term Prognosis
Authors: Bobescu Elena , Marceanu Luigi Geo , Dima Lorena , Balan Andreea , Strempel Christian Gabriel , Covaciu Alexandru
Published: July 2021

Background:

In coronary artery disease (CAD), reduction of perfusion in coronary arteries is followed by increases of oxidative stress and decreases of adenosine triphosphate reserve. In this condition, trimetazidine (TMZ), a metabolic anti-ischemic agent, seems to be an ideal therapeutic agent because it increases mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate production.

Study Question:

To evaluate the impact of TMZ on oxidative stress, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and long-term prognosis in CAD.

Study Design:

Patients with CAD with symptoms not adequately controlled were enrolled consecutively for a period of 18 months.

Measures and Outcomes:

Five hundred seventy patients with CAD were enrolled in a prospective study and divided into 4 groups in relation with the type of CAD and the addition of TMZ to optimal medical therapy (OMT). The impact of TMZ added to OMT on oxidative stress (total antioxidant status, antioxidized low-density lipoprotein antibodies, and antimyeloperoxidase antibodies), endothelial dysfunction (flow-mediated dilatation and von Willebrand factor activity), and inflammation (C-reactive protein and fibrinogen) at 6 months and on long-term prognosis in CAD in comparison with OMT at 5 years of follow-up was evaluated.

Results:

At 6 months, TMZ added to OMT significantly decreased the incidence of oxidative stress in CAD (P < 0.03) and reduced endothelial dysfunction and inflammation only in non–ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS, P < 0.04). TMZ added to OMT with or without interventional/surgical vascularization led to decreased readmission for NSTE-ACS and heart failure (P < 0.05) in all patients with CAD and a significantly reduced incidence of cardiovascular death, acute myocardial infarction, and stroke (P < 0.05) in patients with NSTE-ACS at 5 years of follow-up.

Conclusions:

In patients with NSTE-ACS, TMZ added to OMT with or without interventional and/or surgical reperfusion reduced oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, and major acute cardiovascular events, whereas in patients with chronic coronary syndrome, TMZ decreased oxidative stress and readmission for ACS and heart failure.
Eosinophil‐Derived Neurotoxin Predicts Response to Proton‐Pump Inhibitor Treatment in Pediatric Eosinophilic Esophagitis
Authors: Irastorza Laura E. , Hopson Puanani , Nabar Shruti , Deb Chirajyoti , Smadi Yamen
Published: July 2021

Objectives:

There are no tests or patient factors to help predict the best treatment approach for a patient with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). The prevalence of proton‐pump inhibitor (PPI) responsive EoE in children ranges from 30% to 71% with multiple studies showing similar characteristics in responders and nonresponders. Eosinophil‐derived neurotoxin (EDN), an eosinophilic granule protein, measured in esophageal brushing has been shown to be a viable measure of disease activity in EoE. Our aim is to determine if EDN can help predict response to PPI in pediatric patients with EoE.

Methods:

We conducted a prospective cross‐sectional study to compare EDN between PPI‐responsive and PPI‐nonresponsive EoE subjects from 2018 through 2020. Enrolled patients with active EoE were treated with high‐dose PPI and underwent repeat endoscopy to determine PPI‐responsiveness. EDN was measured at baseline endoscopy, before any treatment, and at follow up endoscopy, after PPI therapy. Subjects were divided into PPI‐responsive and nonresponsive groups. EDN, endoscopic reference score (EREFS), and peak eosinophilic count (PEC) were compared.

Results:

Fifteen out of the 36 enrolled subjects with EoE (age range 2–18 years, 73.3% male) were PPI‐responsive and 21 (age range 2–19 years, 95.2% male) were PPI‐nonresponsive. EDN concentration was significantly higher in the PPI‐nonresponsive group than in the PPI‐responsive group (219.1 ± 229 mcg/mL vs 75.7 ± 60 mcg/mL, respectively, P = 0.036). There was no difference between the two groups in EREFS (P = 0.55) or PEC (P = 0.15).

Conclusions:

EDN measured in esophageal epithelial samples obtained by brushing during endoscopy may predict PPI‐responsiveness in children and young adults with EoE.
Assessing Gender Identity and Sex in Diverse Low-, Middle-, and High-Income Settings: Findings from a WHO/HRP Consultative Process
Authors: Tucker Joseph D. , Bajos Nathalie , Mercer Catherine H. , Gitau Evelyn , Ahmad Noor Ani , Gonsalves Lianne
Published: July 2021

Obtaining detailed data on gender identity and sex in population-based sexual health studies is important. We convened a group to develop consensus survey items. We identified 2 items to capture data on gender identity and sex that can be used in diverse settings.
The Role of Immunohistochemistry for Primary Oral Diagnosis in a Brazilian Oral Pathology Service
Authors: Araújo Anna Luíza D. , Fonsêca Jéssica M. , do Amaral-Silva Gleyson Kleber , de Lima Morais Thayná M. , Mariz Bruno A.L.A. , Fonseca Felipe P. , Lopes Marcio A. , Vargas Pablo A. , Santos-Silva Alan R. , de Almeida Oslei P.
Published: July 2021

A proper antibody panel selection is one of the most important factors to reach an adequate diagnosis in challenging cases. This retrospective study was designed to determine the contribution of immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the primary diagnosis of oral diseases in one of the main services of oral pathology in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, and to identify the most common antibodies used, and recommend diagnostic algorithms based on our experience with challenging lesions. A total of 1698 IHC stains were performed in 401 cases from a total of 28,804 cases received from public dental clinics and private dental practitioners within a period of 13 years, representing a frequency of 1.4% of IHC solicitations. Among these, 112 (28%) were mandatory to reach a final diagnosis and 255 (63.6%) were confirmative. In 34 (8.4%) cases, it was not possible to reach a conclusive/final diagnosis, even with IHC. Regarding the nature of the lesions, 210 (52.3%) were benign, 163 (40.6%) were malignant tumors, 13 (3.2%) were reactive, 10 (2.5%) were premalignant, and 5 (1.2%) were lesions of uncertain malignancy. Small amount of tissue of some incisional biopsies, overlapping features of spindle cell lesions (epithelial, neural, melanocytic, smooth muscle, endothelial, and fibroblastic/myofibroblastic cell differentiation), and overlapping features of salivary gland lesions were the most frequent challenges in which IHC stains were requested. Spindle cell lesions were the most frequent (22%) among all cases that required IHC to reach a final diagnosis. The implementation of IHC for routine practice requires a wide range of markers, proper antibody selection, and knowledge to interpret the subjectivity of staining. The inherent limitation of incisional biopsies was pointed as a reason to inconclusive diagnosis, despite a wide range of antibodies that our laboratory displays.
Clinical Factors Associated With Balance Function in the Early Subacute Phase After Stroke
Authors: Lee Eun Young , Na Yoonhye , Cho Minjae , Hwang Yu Mi , Noh Jun Soo , Kwon Hee-Kyu , Pyun Sung-Bom
Published: July 2021

Objective

The aim of the study was to investigate the key factors of balance function in the early subacute phase after stroke.

Design

Ninety-four stroke patients were included. Multiple variables were evaluated, including demographic factors, clinical variables (stroke type; lesion site; Mini-Mental State Examination; motor strength of the hip, knee, and ankle joints; Fugl-Meyer Assessment of lower extremity), neurophysiological variables (amplitude ratio of somatosensory evoked potential of the tibial nerves), and laterality index of fractional anisotropy of the corticospinal tract using diffusion tensor imaging. Balance function was measured using the Berg Balance Scale.

Results

The Berg Balance Scale score was significantly negatively correlated with age and laterality index of fractional anisotropy and positively correlated with Mini-Mental State Examination; Fugl-Meyer Assessment of lower extremity; motor strength of the affected hip, knee, and ankle joint; and somatosensory evoked potential amplitude ratio (P < 0.05). The abnormal somatosensory evoked potential group and poor integrity of the corticospinal tract group showed significantly decreased Berg Balance Scale scores. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, age, Fugl-Meyer Assessment of lower extremity score, and ankle plantar flexion strength were significantly associated with balance function (odds ratios = 0.919, 1.181, and 15.244, respectively, P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Higher age, severe initial motor impairment, and strength of the affected lower limb muscles, especially the ankle plantar flexor, are strongly associated with poor balance function early after stroke.

To Claim CME Credits

Complete the self-assessment activity and evaluation online at http://www.physiatry.org/JournalCME

CME Objectives

Upon completion of this article, the reader should be able to: (1) Enhance ability to evaluate motor and balance function of stroke patients by learning common assessment tools including clinical tests, neurophysiological and neuroimaging studies; (2) Explain the important factors associated with balance function impairment in early subacute stroke patients; and (3) Enhance planning rehabilitation strategies for improvement of balance function according to recovery stage after stroke.

Level

Advanced

Accreditation

The Association of Academic Physiatrists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Association of Academic Physiatrists designates this Journal-based CME activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Multimorbidity networks associated with frailty among middle-aged and older people with HIV
Authors: Lorenz David R. , Mukerji Shibani S. , Misra Vikas , Uno Hajime , Gelman Benjamin B. , Moore David J. , Singer Elyse J. , Morgello Susan , Gabuzda Dana
Published: July 2021

Objective:

People with HIV (PWH) have increased prevalence of multimorbidity and frailty at younger ages compared with the general population. This study investigated individual and combinatorial effects of neuropsychiatric and medical comorbidities as predictors of frailty in PWH.

Design:

Analysis of data from the National NeuroAIDS Tissue Consortium, a longitudinal observational cohort.

Methods:

Five hundred and twenty-four PWH over age 40 years were classified using Fried's Frailty criteria. Twelve comorbidities were documented from longitudinal data and associations between individual and co-occurring comorbidities with frailty were assessed using weighted network and logistic regression analyses.

Results:

At frailty assessment between 2015 and 2020, median age was 61 years, 76% were men, 94% were on antiretroviral therapy (ART), 73% had two or more comorbidities, 24% were frail, and 52% were prefrail. Among individual comorbidities, highest odds of frailty were in participants with depressive symptoms [adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.48 (2.22–5.46)], followed by bone disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) [2.47 (1.28–4.72) and 2.13 (1.36–3.34), respectively]. Among co-occurring comorbidities, highest odds of frailty were in participants having depressive symptoms with diabetes, hypertension, or obesity [aORs (95% CIs) 5.29 (2.32–12.08), 5.21 (2.65–10.40), 4.85 (2.39–9.95), respectively], cognitive impairment with diabetes or renal disease [2.81 (1.38–5.68) and 2.53 (1.26–5.03), respectively], renal disease with cardiovascular disease [2.81 (1.32–6.01)], and diabetes with obesity [2.76 (1.39–5.45)].

Conclusion:

Co-occurrence of depressive symptoms, cognitive impairment, diabetes, or renal disease with other medical conditions substantially increases odds of frailty in older PWH. Identifying and treating these comorbidities may help to reduce functional decline with aging in PWH.
Patterns of pretreatment drug resistance mutations of very early diagnosed and treated infants in Botswana
Authors: Moraka Natasha Onalenna , Garcia-Broncano Pilar , Hu Zixin , Ajibola Gbolahan , Bareng Ontlametse T. , Pretorius-Holme Molly , Maswabi Kenneth , Maphorisa Comfort , Mohammed Terence , Gaseitsiwe Simani , VanZyl Gert U. , Kuritzkes Daniel R. , Lichterfeld Mathias , Moyo Sikhulile , Shapiro Roger L.
Published: July 2021

Objective:

To describe the occurrence of HIV drug resistance mutations (DRMs) in both intact and defective HIV-1 cell-associated DNA (HIV-1 CAD) among early-treated infants.

Design:

The Botswana EIT Study (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02369406) initiated antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the first week of life and evaluated HIV-1 in plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).

Methodology:

We analyzed 257 near-HIV-1 full-length sequences (nFLS) obtained by Illumina next-generation sequencing from infants near birth. Sanger sequencing of pol was performed for mothers at delivery and children with clinical failure through 96 weeks. DRMs were identified using the Stanford HIV Drug Resistance Database.

Results:

In 27 infants, median PBMC HIV-1 proviral load was 492 copies/ml [IQR: 78–1246 copies/ml] at a median of 2 days (range 1–32); 18 (66.7%) had no DRMs detected; six (22.2%) had DRMs detected in defective DNA only, and three (11.1%) had DRMs in both defective and intact DNA (P = 0.09). A total of 60 of 151 (37.7%) defective sequences had at least one DRM: 31.8% NNRTI, 15.2% NRTI, 5.3% protease inhibitor, and 15.5% INSTI-associated mutations. In intact sequences, 33 of 106 (31.1%) had at least 1 DRM: 29.2% NNRTI, 7.5% NRTI, 0.9% protease inhibitor, and no INSTI-associated mutations. For all three infants with intact sequence DRMs, corresponding DRMs occurred in maternal plasma at delivery. Archived DRMs were detectable at a later clinical rebound on only one occasion.

Conclusion:

Defective HIV-1 cell-associated DNA sequences may overestimate the prevalence of drug resistance among early-treated children. The impact of DRMs from intact proviruses on long-term treatment outcomes warrants further investigation.
Sphingomonas sabuli sp. nov., a carotenoid-producing bacterium isolated from beach sand
Authors: Kang Minchung , Chhetri Geeta , Kim Jiyoun , Kim Inhyup , Seo Taegun
Published: July 2021

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic and non-motile bacterium, strain sand1-3T, was isolated from beach sand collected from Haeundae Beach located in Busan, Republic of Korea. Based on the results of 16S rRNA gene sequence and phylogenetic analyses,

Sphingomonas daechungensis

CH15-11T (97.0 %),

Sphingomonas edaphi

DAC4T (96.8 %), Sphingomonas xanthus AE3T (96.5 %) and

Sphingomonas oryziterrae

YC6722T (96.0 %) were selected for comparing phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics. Cells of strain sand1-3T grew at 7–50 °C (optimum, 30–35 °C), pH 5.0–8.0 (optimum, pH 7.0–8.0) and in the presence of 0–0.5 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0 %). Major polar lipids included diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, sphingoglycolipid, one unidentified glycolipid and one unidentified phosphoglycolipid. The major fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω6c and/or C18 : 1 ω7c) and C18 : 1 2-OH. Moreover, the sole respiratory quinone and major polyamine were identified as ubiquinone-10 and homospermidine, respectively. The genomic DNA G+C content was 65.9 mol%. The digital DNA–DNA hybridization, average nucleotide identity and average amino acid identity values of strain sand1-3T and its reference strains with publicly available genomes were 17.9–18.9 %, 72.0–75.3 % and 63.3–76.5 % respectively. Based on polyphasic evidence, we propose Sphingomonas sabuli sp. nov. as a novel species within the genus

Sphingomonas

. The type strain is sand1-3T (=KCTC 82358T=NBRC 114538T).
Cross-frequency phase-amplitude coupling in repetitive movements in patients with Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Gong Ruxue , Mühlberg Christoph , Wegscheider Mirko , Fricke Christopher , Rumpf Jost-Julian , Knösche Thomas R. , Classen Joseph
Published: July 2021

Bradykinesia is a cardinal motor symptom in Parkinson’s disease whose pathophysiology is incompletely understood. When signals are recorded from the cortex or scalp at rest, affected patients display enhanced phase-amplitude coupling between β (13-30Hz) and broadband γ (50-150Hz) oscillatory activities. However, it remains unclear whether and how abnormal phase-amplitude coupling is involved in slowing Parkinsonian movements during their execution. To address these questions, we analyzed high-density EEG signals recorded simultaneously with various motor activities and at rest in 19 patients with Parkinson’s disease and 20 healthy controls. The motor tasks consisted of repetitive index finger pressing, and slow and fast tapping movements. Individual EEG source signals were computed for the premotor cortex, primary motor cortex, primary somatosensory cortex, and primary somatosensory complex. For the resting condition and the pressing task, phase-amplitude coupling averaged over the 4 motor regions and the entire movement period was larger in patients than in controls. In contrast, in all tapping tasks, state-related phase-amplitude coupling was similar between patients and controls. These findings were not aligned with motor performance and EMG data, which showed abnormalities in patients for tapping but not for pressing, suggesting that the strength of β-broadband γ phase-amplitude coupling during the movement period does not directly relate to Parkinsonian bradykinesia. Subsequently, we examined the dynamics of oscillatory EEG signals during motor transitions. When healthy controls performed the pressing task, dynamic phase-amplitude coupling increased shortly before pressing onset and decreased subsequently. A strikingly similar motif of coupling rise and decay was observed around the offset of pressing and around the onset of slow tapping, suggesting that such transient phase-amplitude coupling changes may be linked to transitions between different movement states – akin to preparatory states in dynamical systems theory of motor control. In patients, the modulation of phase-amplitude coupling was similar in (normally executed) pressing, but flattened in slow (abnormally executed) tapping compared to the controls. These deviations in phase-amplitude coupling around motor action transients may indicate dysfunctional evolution of neuronal population dynamics from the preparatory state to movement generation in Parkinson’s disease. These findings may indicate that cross-frequency coupling is involved in the pathophysiology of bradykinesia in Parkinson’s disease through its abnormal dynamic modulation.
Evaluation Of The Rims2 Locus As A Risk Locus For Parkinson’s Disease Dementia
Authors: Manuela MX Tan , Raquel Real , Michael A Lawton , Catherine Bresner , Kanavou Sofia , Foltynie Thomas , Nicholas W Wood , Mike A. Nalls , Nigel M Williams , Yoav Ben-Shlomo , Michele TM Hu , Donald G Grosset , John Hardy , Maryam Shoai , Huw R Morris
Published: July 2021

In their recent letter entitled “Genome-wide survival study identifies a novel synaptic locus and polygenic score for cognitive progression in parkinson’s disease”, Liu and colleagues report that in a genome-wide analysis of progression to dementia in parkinson’s disease (PD) the RIMS2 locus is a determinant of dementia in PD (1). In this study we have evaluated the nominated loci in a well-powered longitudinal clinical-genetic study of 2536 individuals in the tracking parkinson’s and oxford discovery cohorts. We have not identified any association between the RIMS2 locus or other loci from the discovery phase and the development of Parkinson’s dementia. further work is needed to understand the biological determinants of this important aspect of parkinson’s and to guide the search for new treatments.

Brief paragraph/Abstract

In their recent letter entitled “Genome-wide survival study identifies a novel synaptic locus and polygenic score for cognitive progression in Parkinson’s disease”, Liu and colleagues report that in a genome-wide analysis of progression to dementia in Parkinson’s disease (PD) the RIMS2 locus is a determinant of dementia in PD (1). In this study we have evaluated the nominated loci in a well-powered longitudinal clinical-genetic study of 2536 individuals in the Tracking Parkinson’s and Oxford Discovery cohorts. We have not identified any association between the RIMS2 locus or other loci from the discovery phase and the development of Parkinson’s dementia. Further work is needed to understand the biological determinants of this important aspect of Parkinson’s and to guide the search for new treatments.
Laboratory Study of Physical Barrier Efficiency for Worker Protection against SARS-CoV-2 while Standing or Sitting
Authors: Bartels Jacob , Estill Cheryl Fairfield , Chen I-Chen , Neu Dylan
Published: July 2021

Transparent barriers were installed as a response to the SARS-COV-2 pandemic in many customer-facing industries. Transparent barriers are an engineering control that are utilized to intercept air traveling between customers to workers. Information on the effectiveness of these barriers against aerosols is limited. In this study, a cough simulator was used to represent a cough from a customer. Two optical particle counters were used (one on each side of the barrier, labeled reference and worker) to determine the number of particles that migrated around a transparent barrier. Nine barrier sizes and a no barrier configuration were tested with six replicates each. Tests of these 10 configurations were conducted for both sitting and standing scenarios to represent configurations common to nail salons and grocery stores, respectively. Barrier efficiency was calculated using a ratio of the particle count results (reference/worker). Barriers had better efficiency when they were 9 to 39 cm (3.5 to 15.5”) above cough height and at least 91 cm (36”) wide, 92% and 93% respectively. Barriers that were 91 cm (36”) above table height for both scenarios blocked 71% or more of the particles between 0.35–0.725 µm and 68% for particles between 1 to 3 µm. A barrier that blocked an initial cough was effective at reducing particle counts. While the width of barriers was not as significant as height in determining barrier efficiency it was important that a barrier be placed where interactions between customers and workers are most frequent.
Potential Health Benefits of Eliminating Traffic Emissions in Urban Areas
Authors: Heydari Shahram , Asgharian Masoud , Kelly Frank J , Goel Rahul
Published: July 2021

Traffic is one of the major contributors to PM2.5 in cities worldwide. Quantifying the role of traffic is an important step towards understanding the impact of transport policies on the possibilities to achieve cleaner air and accompanying health benefits. We carried out a meta-analysis using the World Health Organisation (WHO) database of source apportionment studies of PM2.5 concentrations. Specifically, we used a Bayesian meta-regression approach, modelling both overall and traffic-related (tailpipe and non-tailpipe) concentrations simultaneously. We obtained the distributions of expected PM2.5 concentrations (posterior densities) of different types for 117 cities worldwide. For each city, we calculated the probabilities of exceeding the WHO-recommended concentration of PM2.5 if all of traffic emissions were removed. Using the non-linear Integrated Exposure Response (IER) function of PM2.5, we estimated percent reduction in different disease endpoints for a scenario with complete removal of traffic emissions. We found that this results in achieving the WHO-recommended concentration of PM2.5 only for a handful of cities that already have low concentrations of pollution. The percentage reduction in prevented mortality for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases increases up to a point (30-40 ug/m3), and above this concentration, it flattens off. For Diabetes-related mortality, the percentage reduction in mortality decreases with increasing concentrations—a trend that is opposite to other outcomes. For cities with high concentrations of pollution, the results highlight the need for multi-sectoral strategies to reduce pollution. The IER functions of PM2.5 result in diminishing returns of health benefits at high concentrations, and in case of Diabetes, there are even negative returns. The results show the significant effect of the shape of IER functions on health benefits. Overall, despite the diminishing results, a significant burden of deaths can be prevented by policies that aim to reduce traffic emissions even at high concentrations of pollution.
Brain connectivity-based prediction of real-life creativity is mediated by semantic memory structure
Authors: Ovando-Tellez Marcela , Kenett Yoed N. , Benedek Mathias , Bernard Matthieu , Belo Joan , Beranger Benoit , Bieth Theophile , Volle Emmanuelle
Published: July 2021

Creative cognition relies on the ability to form remote associations between concepts, which allows to generate novel ideas or solve new problems. Such an ability is related to the organization of semantic memory; yet whether real-life creative behavior relies on semantic memory organization and its neural substrates remains unclear. Therefore, this study explored associations between brain functional connectivity patterns, network properties of individual semantic memory, and real-life creativity. We acquired multi-echo functional MRI data while participants underwent a semantic relatedness judgment task. These ratings were used to estimate their individual semantic memory networks, whose properties significantly predicted their real-life creativity. Using a connectome-based predictive modeling approach, we identified patterns of task-based functional connectivity that predicted creativity-related semantic memory network properties. Furthermore, these properties mediated the relationship between functional connectivity and real-life creativity. These results provide new insights into how brain connectivity supports the associative mechanisms of creativity.
Hormonal contraceptives alter amphetamine place preference and responsivity in the intact female rat
Authors: Hilz Emily N. , Olvera Marcelle , Jun Dohyun , Chadha Megha , Gillette Ross , Monfils Marie-H. , Gore Andrea C. , Lee Hongjoo J.
Published: July 2021

Hormonal contraceptives (HCs) are commonly used among reproductive aged women and alter the physiological state of the user by interfering with endogenous hormone concentrations and their actions on the reproductive tract. As hormones such as estradiol and progesterone modulate the incidence of substance abuse disorders in women, it is important to consider the influence HCs have on the female brain and behavior. This experiment explores how female sex steroid hormonal states associated with the rat estrous cycle, and modulating those states with HCs, influences measures of drug preference and responsivity. First, rats underwent food-light Pavlovian conditioning to measure conditioned orienting, a known predictor of amphetamine (AMP) place preference. Then, rats were conditioned and tested for AMP place preference with either an HC-implant or during estrous cycle stages associated with different ovarian hormone levels (i.e., proestrus (P) or metestrus/diestrus (M/D) while recording ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) as an index of hedonic responsivity. Because of dopamine’s (DA) role in modulation of AMP actions, DA cell activity and availability were examined using tyrosine hydroxylase and FOS immunohistochemistry after final AMP challenge. Conditioned orienting did not differ between cycling and HC-implanted. P rats emitted more USVs during conditioning, showed higher AMP place preference throughout testing, and had higher DA cell activity in the substantia nigra compared to M/D and HC-implanted rats. Sex steroid hormone serum concentration and uterine horn thickness predicted some but not all of these measures. This experiment suggests ovarian hormones affect drug preference and responsivity, while providing novel insight into how hormone-altering contraceptives may reduce these measures.
Evaluating the Effect of Semantic Congruency and Valence on Multisensory Integration
Authors: Letts Elyse , Basharat Aysha , Barnett-Cowan Michael
Published: July 2021

Previous studies demonstrate that semantics, the higher level meaning of multi-modal stimuli, can impact multisensory integration. Valence, an affective response to images, has not yet been tested in non-priming response time (RT) or temporal order judgement (TOJ) tasks. This study aims to investigate both semantic congruency and valence of non-speech audiovisual stimuli on multisensory integration via RT and TOJ tasks (assessing processing speed (RT), point of subjective simultaneity (PSS), and time-window when multisensory stimuli are likely to be perceived as simultaneous (Temporal Binding Window; TBW)). Forty participants (mean age: 26.25; females=17) were recruited from Prolific Academic resulting in 37 complete datasets. Both congruence and valence have a significant main effect on RT (congruent and high valence decrease RT) as well as an interaction effect (congruent/high valence condition being significantly faster than all others). For TOJ, images high in valence require visual stimuli to be presented significantly earlier than auditory stimuli in order for the audio and visual stimuli to be perceived as simultaneous. Further, a significant interaction effect of congruence and valence on the PSS revealed that the congruent/high valence condition was significantly earlier than all other conditions. A subsequent analysis shows there is a positive correlation between the TBW width (b-values) and RT (as the TBW widens, the RT increases) for the categories that differed most from 0 in their PSS (Congruent/High and Incongruent/Low). This study provides new evidence that supports previous research on semantic congruency and presents a novel incorporation of valence into behavioural responses.
Surface electric fields increase human osteoclast resorption through improved wettability on carbonate–incorporated apatite
Authors: Muguruza Leire Bergara , Mäkelä Keijo , Yrjälä Tommi , Salonen Jukka , Yamashita Kimihiro , Nakamura Miho
Published: July 2021

Osteoclast-mediated bioresorption can be of an efficient means of incorporating the dissolution of biomaterials in the bone remodeling process. Because of compositionally and structurally close resemblance of biomaterials with the natural mineral phases of the bone matrix, synthetic carbonate-substituted hydroxyapatite (CA) is considered as an ideal clinical biomaterial. The present study therefore investigated the effects of electrical polarization on the surface characteristics and interactions with human osteoclasts of hydroxyapatite (HA) and CA. Electrical polarization was found to improve the surface wettability of these materials by increasing the surface free energy, and this effect was maintained for one month. Analyses of human osteoclast cultures established that CA subjected to a polarization treatment accelerated osteoclast resorption but did not affect the early differentiation phase or the adherent morphology of the osteoclasts as evaluated by staining. These data suggest that the surface characteristics of the CA promoted osteoclast resorption. The results of this work are expected to contribute to the design of cell-mediated biomaterials that can be resorbed by osteoclasts after fulfilling their primary function as a scaffold for bone regeneration.
Normalized coefficient of variation (nCV): a method to evaluate circadian clock robustness in population scale data
Authors: Wu Gang , Francey Lauren J. , Ruben Marc D. , Hogenesch John B.
Published: July 2021

Robust oscillation of clock genes is a core feature of the circadian system. Relative amplitude (rAMP) measures the robustness of clock gene oscillations, but only works for longitudinal samples. We lack a method for estimating robust oscillations from human samples without labeled time. We show that the normalized coefficient of variation (nCV) is linearly correlated with rAMP, independent of time labels. Using nCV, we found that clock gene oscillations are consistently dampened in tumors compared to non-tumors, suggesting a new therapeutic target in cancer treatment by enhancing clock robustness. nCV can provide a simple measure of the robustness of clock gene oscillations in any population-level dataset.

Availability and implementation

The nCV web application is available on the GitHub repository (https://github.com/gangwug/nCV).
Inferring cell-cell interactions from pseudotime ordering of scRNA-Seq data
Authors: Li Dongshunyi , Velazquez Jeremy J. , Ding Jun , Hislop Joshua , Ebrahimkhani Mo R. , Bar-Joseph Ziv
Published: July 2021

A major advantage of single cell RNA-Sequencing (scRNA-Seq) data is the ability to reconstruct continuous ordering and trajectories for cells. To date, such ordering was mainly used to group cells and to infer interactions within cells. Here we present TraSig, a computational method for improving the inference of cell-cell interactions in scRNA-Seq studies. Unlike prior methods that only focus on the average expression levels of genes in clusters or cell types, TraSig fully utilizes the dynamic information to identify significant ligand-receptor pairs with similar trajectories, which in turn are used to score interacting cell clusters. We applied TraSig to several scRNA-Seq datasets. As we show, using the ordering information allows TraSig to obtain unique predictions that improve upon those identified by prior methods. Functional experiments validate the ability of TraSig to identify novel signaling interactions that impact vascular development in liver organoid.
Characterization of peptide-protein relationships in protein ambiguity groups via bipartite graphs
Authors: Schork Karin , Turewicz Michael , Uszkoreit Julian , Rahnenführer Jörg , Eisenacher Martin
Published: July 2021

In bottom-up proteomics, proteins are enzymatically digested into peptides before measurement with mass spectrometry. The relationship between proteins and their corresponding peptides can be represented by bipartite graphs. We conduct a comprehensive analysis of bipartite graphs using quantified peptides from measured data sets as well as theoretical peptides from an in silico digestion of the corresponding complete taxonomic protein sequence databases. The aim of this study is to characterize and structure the different types of graphs that occur and to compare them between data sets. We observed a large influence of the accepted minimum peptide length during in silico digestion. When changing from theoretical peptides to measured ones, the graph structures are subject to two opposite effects. On the one hand, the graphs based on measured peptides are on average smaller and less complex compared to graphs using theoretical peptides. On the other hand, the proportion of protein nodes without unique peptides, which are a complicated case for protein inference and quantification, is considerably larger for measured data. Additionally, the proportion of graphs containing at least one protein node without unique peptides rises when going from database to quantitative level. The fraction of shared peptides and proteins without unique peptides as well as the complexity and size of the graphs highly depends on the data set and organism. Large differences between the structures of bipartite peptide-protein graphs have been observed between database and quantitative level as well as between analyzed species. In the analyzed measured data sets, the proportion of protein nodes without unique peptides ranged from 6.4% to 55.0%. This highlights the need for novel methods that can quantify proteins without unique peptides. The knowledge about the structure of the bipartite peptide-protein graphs gained in this study will be useful for the development of such algorithms.