bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Digitale Technologien in der Allgemeinmedizin
Authors: Schendzielorz Julia , Harre Karin , Tarara Marie , Oess Stefanie , Holmberg Christine
Published: November 2023

Die digitale Transformation findet im Gesundheitswesen statt und erfordert eine um digitale Kompetenzen erweiterte berufliche Qualifikation. Einige Fakultäten haben hierfür erste Curricula implementiert. Für den primärärztlich orientierten Brandenburgischen Modellstudiengang Medizin (BMM) wird ein angepasstes Curriculum unter Berücksichtigung der Bedarfe des Lehrpraxennetzwerks des BMM entwickelt. Hierzu wurden die Lehrpraxen mittels Fragebogenstudie befragt, welche digitalen Technologien in der Patient*innenbehandlung genutzt bzw. künftig eingesetzt werden und um welche Kompetenzen die ärztliche Ausbildung ergänzt werden sollte. Es zeigte sich, dass digitale Themen und Technologien mehrheitlich bekannt waren, die Einbindung über gesetzliche Anforderungen jedoch in Konkurrenz zu zeitlichen und monetären Ressourcen stand. Zudem zeigten sich Unsicherheiten in Bezug auf den Umgang mit digitalen Medien, hierbei insbesondere beim Hintergrundwissen zu rechtlichen und technologischen Aspekten des Datenschutzes. Aber auch die Relevanz des direkten Kontakts zwischen Ärzt*innen und Patient*innen wurde besonders betont. Die Einbindung der Lehrpraxen stellt die Grundlage dafür dar, bedarfsorientierte Curricula für die Aus‑, Fort- und Weiterbildung zu entwickeln. Es zeigte sich, dass hier vor allem die zentralen Leitmotive Datenschutz sowie Arzt-Patienten-Beziehung berücksichtigt werden sollten, um das Potenzial der Digitalisierung im Gesundheitswesen für die Patient*innenversorgung bestmöglich zu nutzen. Ziel sollte es sein, die digitalen Technologien als sinnvolle Ergänzung zu den ärztlichen Kernkompetenzen zu integrieren, damit dem medizinischen Personal mehr Zeit für wertschöpfende Tätigkeiten bleibt und die Patient*innen wiederum eine verbesserte Erfahrung und damit Zufriedenheit erleben.
Hieroglyphs, Pseudo-Scripts and Alphabets
Authors: Haring Ben
Published: November 2023

The Egyptian hieroglyphic script was exceptionally versatile, as becomes clear when studying its multiple uses both within Ancient Egypt and beyond its borders. Even the few cases discussed in this Element demonstrate that in the ancient world hieroglyphs appealed to a wide readership, which ranged from highly accomplished scribes, artists and priests, to semi-literate workmen, as well as to speakers of non-Egyptian languages. Creative processes within these different groups resulted in very different adaptations of regular hieroglyphic writing: highly specialized enigmatic compositions, less informed ad hoc orthographies, isolated uses of hieroglyphs as marks and emblems, and the development of new writing systems. Important reasons for the wide appeal and deep impact of hieroglyphic writing are the iconicity and cultural messages of its individual signs on the one hand, and its remarkable semiotic strategies in rendering human language on the other.
Acute COVID-19, the Lived Experience, and Lessons to Learn for Future Pandemics
Authors: Owen Rebecca , Ashton Ruth EM , Ferraro Francesco V , Phillips Bethan E , Skipper Lindsay , Faghy Mark A
Published: November 2023

Objectives:

The study aimed to increase the understanding of the lived experience of patients during the acute phase of a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection.

Method:

A Web-based survey was distributed through established patient and public engagement and involvement groups and networks, social media, and by means of word of mouth. The survey covered questions relating to patient demographics, COVID-19 diagnosis, symptom profile, and patient experience during acute COVID-19.

Results:

The findings demonstrate the varying symptom profiles experienced by people in the acute stage of COVID-19 infection, with participants sharing how they managed care at home, and/or accessed medical advice. Findings also highlight themes that people were concerned with being unable to receive care and believed they needed to rely heavily on family, with extreme thoughts of death.

Conclusions:

Although the urgent threat to public health has been negated by efficacious vaccines and enhanced treatment strategies, there are key lessons from the lived experience of COVID-19 that should be used to prepare for future pandemics and public health emergencies.
Constitutionalization of Happiness: A Global and Comparative Inquiry
Authors: Wan Trevor T. W.
Published: November 2023

Happiness and well-being are now explicitly enshrined in a myriad of national constitutions. As of 2022, the terms “happiness” and “well-being” form part of the constitutional lexicon of more than 20 and 110 states respectively. These “happiness provisions” epitomize the phenomenon of the “constitutionalization of happiness,” which denotes the process of elevating happiness to the constitutional echelon, thereby bearing discernible legal and political implications. An audit of all happiness provisions reveals that they boil down to three categories—happiness as a national objective, happiness as a policy paradigm, and the pursuit of happiness as a human right. The meaning and jurisprudential landscape of happiness provisions within a specific constitutional framework is molded by, on top of the semantic and structural configuration, a dynamic interplay among three factors, which include the indigenous and socio-cultural conception of happiness of that state, interpretations put forward by judges and other constitutional actors, and transnational influences such as the migration of constitutional ideas and jurisprudence. This article draws upon an extensive array of case studies, covering among others Bhutan, Bolivia, Ecuador, Japan, Korea, and Nigeria, to illustrate the breadth and diversity that enliven the universe of happiness provisions.
Association of diet quality with hand grip strength weakness and asymmetry in a multi-ethnic Asian cohort
Authors: Huang Jiannan , Shanmugam Aarathi , Huang Xiangyuan , van Dam Rob M. , Hilal Saima
Published: November 2023

Hand grip strength (HGS) is an important diagnostic tool for sarcopenia and a reliable predictor for age-related chronic diseases and mortality. Interventions in nutrition have been shown as a low-cost strategy to maintain muscular strength and mass. However, there are limited data on the effect of diet on HGS in Southeast Asian populations. This study aims to investigate the association of diet quality with HGS weakness and asymmetry in a multi-ethnic population in Singapore. This cross-sectional study used data from the Singapore Multi-Ethnic Cohort (n= 1547). Dietary data were collected using a validated semi-quantitative FFQ and summarised as the Dietary Quality Index – International (DQI-I). HGS was calculated as the maximum value of six measurements from both hands. HGS weakness and asymmetry were defined using well-recognised criteria. Multivariable linear regression and logistic regression were utilised for continuous and binary outcomes, respectively, adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, physical activity and smoking status. It was found that the highest quartile of DQI-I was significantly associated with higher HGS (β= 1·11; 95 % CI 0·41, 1·82;Pfor trend< 0·001) and lower odds of HGS asymmetry (OR = 0·71; 95 % CI 0·53, 0·94;Pfor trend= 0·035) and both HGS weakness and asymmetry (OR = 0·50; 95 % CI 0·32, 0·76;Pfor trend= 0·004). Among the different components of DQI-I, only dietary adequacy was significantly associated with higher HGS (Pfor trend< 0·001) and lower odds for both HGS weakness and asymmetry (Pfor trend= 0·006). Our findings support that DQI-I, an indicator of overall diet quality, can be used to provide dietary guidelines for prevention and management of muscle wasting, sarcopenia and frailty.
The AU Free Movement Protocol: Challenges in Its Implementation
Authors: Chime Ikechukwu P , Nwosu Edith , Onyeabor Emmanuel , Ajibo Collins C , Richards Newman U , Nwodo Fochi A , Nwafor Ndubuisi A
Published: November 2023

One of the major pillars of the African Union is the integration of peoples and the ability for them to move freely from one member country to another, with the right to reside and practise their trade or profession. This aspect of integration found full expression in the Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community Relating to the Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence and Right of Establishment, adopted in 2018. Upon operationalization, it will remove obstacles to the movement of people, capital and resources in the region and give expression to aspiration 2 of the African Union Agenda 2063. However, significant challenges lie on the path of its implementation. This article doctrinally reviews the protocol, looking at its prospects for promoting African integration and development, and anticipates some of the problems that the protocol will face. It concludes with recommendations for achieving its lofty but desirable ends.
Intersubstrate Welfare Comparisons: Important, Difficult, and Potentially Tractable
Authors: Fischer Bob , Sebo Jeff
Published: November 2023

In the future, when we compare the welfare of a being of one substrate (say, a human) with the welfare of another (say, an artificial intelligence system), we will be making an intersubstrate welfare comparison. In this paper, we argue that intersubstrate welfare comparisons are important, difficult, and potentially tractable. The world might soon contain a vast number of sentient or otherwise significant beings of different substrates, and moral agents will need to be able to compare their welfare levels. However, this work will be difficult, because we lack the same kinds of commonalities across substrates that we have within them. Fortunately, we might be able to make at least some intersubstrate welfare comparisons responsibly in spite of these issues. We make the case for cautious optimism and call for more research.
Development of a training programme in individual case formulation skills and a scale for assessing its effectiveness
Authors: Hallam Richard , Brown Gary , Turner Liza , Blomfield Elizabeth , El Leithy Sharif , Mendes Ines
Published: November 2023

Background:

Little is known about the skills involved in clinical formulation. The individual case formulation (ICF) approach, based on functional analysis, employs clinical descriptions that are theory-free and depicts formulations constructed according to a set of basic conventions.

Aims:

We report a test of whether this method could be taught and if the quality of the resulting diagrams could be reliably rated.

Method:

Participants (n=40) participated in a training course in formulation. A draft rating scale was refined in the course of rating formulation diagrams and basic inter-rater reliability established.

Results:

Results of the study support further development of the ICF approach.
Cross-cultural evaluation of learning and memory using a consonant-vowel-consonant trigram list
Authors: Ampofo Prince , Katschke Jessica L. , Kadey Kylie R. , Dixon Bradley J. , Halter Colt M. , Moll Allison C. , Gattuso Maria , Morganti Francesca , Woodard John L.
Published: November 2023

Objective:

Word list-learning tasks are commonly used to evaluate auditory-verbal learning and memory. However, different frequencies of word usage, subtle meaning nuances, unique word phonology, and different preexisting associations among words make translation across languages difficult. We administered lists of consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) nonword trigrams to independent American and Italian young adult samples. We evaluated whether an auditory list-learning task using CVC nonword trigrams instead of words could be applied cross-culturally to evaluate similar learning and associative memory processes.

Participants and Methods:

Seventy-five native English-speaking (USA) and 104 native Italian-speaking (Italy) university students were administered 15-item lists of CVC trigrams using the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test paradigm with five study-test trials, an interference trial, and short- and long-term delayed recall. Bayesian
t tests and mixed-design ANOVAs contrasted the primary learning indexes across the two samples and biological sex.

Results:

Performance was comparable between nationalities on all primary memory indices except the interference trial (List B), where the Italian group recalled approximately one item more than the American sample. For both nationalities, recall increased across the five learning trials and declined significantly on the postinterference trial, demonstrating susceptibility to retroactive interference. No effects of sex, age, vocabulary, or depressive symptoms were observed.

Conclusions:

Using lists of unfamiliar nonword CVC trigrams, Italian and American younger adults showed a similar performance pattern across immediate and delayed recall trials. Whereas word list-learning performance is typically affected by cultural, demographic, mood, and cognitive factors, this trigram list-learning task does not show such effects, demonstrating its utility for cross-cultural memory assessment.
Multiculturalism and reported cognitive change in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Statucka Marta , Vaziri Megan , Iddiols Bianca , Kaya Batu , Cohn Melanie
Published: November 2023

Objective:

Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and how much cognitive decline impacts one’s ability to perform instrumental activities of daily living (iADLs) are necessary elements of neuropsychological assessment when diagnosing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Though limited, the literature suggests that culture and self-appraisal of cognitive abilities are related. However, it is unclear if differences exist in the subjective elements of neuropsychological assessments between patients born in Anglosphere countries (Canada, the USA, and the UK) versus immigrants born elsewhere (International Group).

Method:

We conducted a retrospective chart review of advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients (n = 764). Reports of SCD and iADL difficulties were extracted from neuropsychological reports and coded by two independent raters. We also examined responses on self- and family-rated questionnaires of executive functioning and iADL difficulties.

Results:

Anglosphere and International patients did not differ on overall, memory, or attention SCD, or overall iADL difficulties based on interviews. Anglosphere patients reported more executive and language SCD during the interview but International care-partners reported more current executive dysfunction on a questionnaire. International patients and care-partners reported more iADL difficulties on a questionnaire, which they ascribed to motor (not cognitive) symptoms. The effects on questionnaires were small and persisted after accounting for depression severity ratings.

Conclusion:

There were no consistent group differences in the number or pervasiveness of SCD or iADL difficulties reported by Anglosphere versus International groups. Immigration status has limited effect on these subjective elements and they should be given significant weight when diagnosing cognitive dysfunction in PD.
Assessing the scalability of healthy eating interventions within the early childhood education and care setting: secondary analysis of a Cochrane systematic review
Authors: Grady Alice , Jackson Jacklyn , Wolfenden Luke , Lum Melanie , Yoong Sze Lin
Published: November 2023

Objective:

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) is a recommended setting for the delivery of health eating interventions ‘at scale’ (i.e. to large numbers of childcare services) to improve child public health nutrition. Appraisal of the ‘scalability’ (suitability for delivery at scale) of interventions is recommended to guide public health decision-making. This study describes the extent to which factors required to assess scalability are reported among ECEC-based healthy eating interventions.

Design:

Studies from a recent Cochrane systematic review assessing the effectiveness of healthy eating interventions delivered in ECEC for improving child dietary intake were included. The reporting of factors of scalability was assessed against domains outlined within the Intervention Scalability Assessment Tool (ISAT). The tool recommends decision makers consider the problem, the intervention, strategic and political context, effectiveness, costs, fidelity and adaptation, reach and acceptability, delivery setting and workforce, implementation infrastructure and sustainability. Data were extracted by one reviewer and checked by a second reviewer.

Setting:

ECEC.

Participants:

Children 6 months to 6 years.

Results:

Of thirty-eight included studies, none reported all factors within the ISAT. All studies reported the problem, the intervention, effectiveness and the delivery workforce and setting. The lowest reported domains were intervention costs (13 % of studies) and sustainability (16 % of studies).

Conclusions:

Findings indicate there is a lack of reporting of some key factors of scalability for ECEC-based healthy eating interventions. Future studies should measure and report such factors to support policy and practice decision makers when selecting interventions to be scaled-up.
Association between pro-inflammatory diet and liver cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Chen Kaixia , Yang Fen , Zhu Xinhong , Qiao Guiyuan , Zhang Chunmei , Tao Junxiu , Gao Xiaolian , Xiao Mingzhong
Published: November 2023

Objective:

This systematic review aimed to investigate the association between dietary inflammatory potential and liver cancer to provide evidence regarding scientific dietary health education.

Design:

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Setting:

A comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify case–control or cohort studies that involved dietary inflammation index (DII)/empirical dietary inflammation pattern (EDIP) and liver cancer in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases. Using a combination of DII/EDIP and liver cancer as the search terms, the associations between DII/EDIP and liver cancer were then assessed.

Participants:

Three case–control studies and two cohort studies were brought into the meta-analysis, with 225 713 enrolled participants.

Results:

Meta-analysis of categorical variables showed that DII/EDIP in the highest category increased the risk of liver cancer compared to DII/EDIP in the lowest category (relative risk (RR) = 2·35; 95 % CI 1·77, 3·13; P = 0·000) and with low heterogeneity across studies (I2 = 40·8 %, P = 0·119). Meta-analysis of continuous variables showed that significant positive association between liver cancer and DII/EDIP scores (RR = 1·24; 95 % CI 1·09, 1·40; P = 0·001), and no heterogeneity (I² = 0·0 %, P = 0·471). Stratified according to the study design, there was a significant positive association between liver cancer and DII/EDIP scores in both cohort studies (RR = 2·16; 95 % CI 1·51, 3·07; P = 0·000) and case–control studies (RR = 2·75; 95 % CI 1·71, 4·41; P = 0·000).

Conclusion:

The higher the DII/EDIP score, the higher the risk of liver cancer. This finding may have prominent implications for the general population.
Telling the stories of China well? The perception of China's rise by second-generation Chinese immigrants in an Australian University
Authors: Chen Minglu , Sonoda Shigeto
Published: November 2023

China's rise has been discussed in various ways, but only recently has scholarship started to examine it in relation to overseas Chinese, as politicians and commentators outside China, as well as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) itself and some scholars on “smart power” have come to realize their importance as political messengers of China. This paper analyses interview results with second-generation Chinese immigrants in Australia in tertiary education to examine how they are “telling the China story”. The results reveal this cohort's complex attitudes towards China's rise. On the one hand, they are proud of China's rise, especially in economic terms, and their socio-cultural attachment to it. On the other, they critically evaluate political and social issues in China, and are aware of their marginal position in Chinese society. These findings argue against the oversimplistic approach that regards Chinese immigrants as a homogenous group acting as political messengers of the CCP.
Health insurance and fertility among low-income, childless, single women: evidence from the ACA Medicaid expansions
Authors: Leguizamon J. Sebastian
Published: November 2023

Expansions of Medicaid family planning services have been associated with decreases in pregnancy rates. Access to a broader range of medical, non-family planning services may influence pregnancy rates as well if the increased exposure to medical services spills over to other kinds of behaviour. Using a difference-in-difference approach, I examine the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansions on the propensity of low-income, single women to become single mothers. Previous expansions of Medicaid family planning services allow us to also investigate the influence of access to other medical services (i.e. non-family planning). I find that although access to contraceptives is associated with a reduction in the propensity of becoming a single mother among adult, low-income women, medical services beyond access to contraceptives can provide additional impacts.
Fossil‐Bearing Concretions of the Araripe Basin Accumulated During Oceanic Anoxic Event 1b
Authors: Bom M. H. H. , Kochhann K. G. D. , Heimhofer U. , Mota M. A. L. , Guerra R. M. , Simões M. G. , Krahl G. , Meirelles V. , Ceolin D. , Fürsich F. , Lima F. H. O. , Fauth G. , Assine M. L.
Published: November 2023

Fossils from the Araripe Basin (northeastern Brazil) are known for their remarkable preservation of vertebrates and invertebrates, even including soft tissues. They occur in carbonate concretions within organic carbon‐rich strata assigned to the Romualdo Formation. Here we present integrated stable isotope, elemental and microfossil records from the Sítio Sobradinho outcrop, Araripe Basin, northeastern Brazil. Our results imply that black shales hosting fossil‐bearing carbonate concretions within the lower Romualdo Formation were deposited during Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE) 1b (Kilian sub‐event). Our high‐resolution multi‐proxy approach allows identifying four phases of environmental evolution. After a pre‐event phase, an early phase (onset of the negative carbon isotope excursion—nCIE) of water column stratification and reduced oxygenation likely preconditioned the system for organic carbon burial and preservation. A second phase (peak nCIE) was characterized by an intensified hydrological cycle and continental runoff, as well as increased influx of terrestrial organic matter. High input of continent‐derived nutrients might have enhanced biological productivity in the epicontinental sea, ultimately leading to increased organic carbon fluxes and burial, as well as carbonate dissolution at the seafloor. All together, these paleoenvironmental conditions resulted in expansion of an oxygen minimum zone (OMZ), favoring taphonomic processes that led to the excellent preservation of diverse macro‐ and microfossils. The nCIE recovery phase was characterized by reduced nutrient supply and organic carbon burial. Organic carbon sequestration in such paleoenvironments likely contributed to the recovery (increase) of stable carbon isotope (δ13C) records in the deep ocean during the Kilian sub‐event of OAE 1b.
Decoding the Link Between Magmatic Cyclicity and Episodic Variation of Tectonics and Crustal Thickness in the Overriding Plate
Authors: Meng Lingtong , Chu Yang , Lin Wei , Zhao Liang , Wei Wei , Liu Fei , Wang Yin , Song Chao , Wu Qinying
Published: November 2023

Cyclical change in subduction angle is the favorable mechanism to elucidate the cyclicity of continental arc magmatism, however, the role of episodic tectonics and variation of the lithosphere in overriding plates is much underestimated. Here we focus on structural, magnetic, and gravitational features of the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous granites in the Mesozoic Paleo‐Pacific arc system of the North China block. By unraveling the emplacement process and regional tectonics, we establish a three‐staged extension‐contraction cycle with crustal thickness variation controlling the magmatic flux and behavior. The Late Jurassic extension produced high‐flux crustal‐derived magma (1.87 × 103 km2/Myr), but the thick crust >45 km accumulated large granitic batholiths by multi‐feeders emplacement at the middle‐lower crust and prevented magma ascent and eruption. Subsequently, the Latest Jurassic to Earliest Cretaceous contraction resulted in the magmatic lull and thickened crust of ca. 60 km, fueling crustal material for the ensuing magmatism. In the Early Cretaceous, intense crustal extension thinned the crust to 30 km and largely enhanced the magmatic flux (3.03 × 103 km2/Myr). The magma is prone to penetrate the thin crust with an intensive eruption. A small amount of magma was stored, and the emplacement was controlled by ductile detachments or normal faults. Our model emphasizes episodic the deformation of lithosphere and associated crustal thickness variation in controlling magma production, which may shed new light in understanding the magmatic cyclicity under continuous subduction.
A multifunctional optoelectronic device based on 2D material with wide bandgap
Authors: Xu Hongwei , Liu Jingwei , Wei Sheng , Luo Jie , Gong Rui , Tian Siyuan , Yang Yiqi , Lei Yukun , Chen Xinman , Wang Jiahong , Zhong Gaokuo , Tang Yongbing , Wang Feng , Cheng Hui-Ming , Ding Baofu
Published: November 2023

Low-dimensional materials exhibit unique quantum confinement effects and morphologies as a result of their nanoscale size in one or more dimensions, making them exhibit distinctive physical properties compared to bulk counterparts. Among all low-dimensional materials, due to their atomic level thickness, two-dimensional materials possess extremely large shape anisotropy and consequently are speculated to have large optically anisotropic absorption. In this work, we demonstrate an optoelectronic device based on the combination of two-dimensional material and carbon dot with wide bandgap. High-efficient luminescence of carbon dot and extremely large shape anisotropy (>1500) of two-dimensional material with the wide bandgap of >4 eV cooperatively endow the optoelectronic device with multi-functions of optically anisotropic blue-light emission, visible light modulation, wavelength-dependent ultraviolet-light detection as well as blue fluorescent film assemble. This research opens new avenues for constructing multi-function-integrated optoelectronic devices via the combination of nanomaterials with different dimensions.
Educational attainment in survivors of childhood cancer in Denmark, Finland, and Sweden
Authors: Mogensen Hanna , Tettamanti Giorgio , Frederiksen Line Elmerdahl , Talbäck Mats , Härkonen Juho , Modig Karin , Pedersen Camilla , Krøyer Anja , Hirvonen Elli , Kyrönlahti Anniina , Heyman Mats , Holmqvist Anna Sällfors , Hasle Henrik , Madanat-Harjuoja Laura , Malila Nea , Winther Jeanette Falck , Erdmann Friederike , Feychting Maria
Published: November 2023

Background

Survivors of childhood cancer may face difficulties at school. We investigated whether childhood cancer affects attainment of upper secondary education, in a register-based cohort study from Denmark, Finland, and Sweden, where we limit bias from selection and participation.

Methods

From the national cancer registers, we identified all long-term survivors of childhood cancer diagnosed aged 0–14 years in 1971–2005 (n = 7629), compared them to matched population comparisons (n = 35,411) and siblings (n = 6114), using odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

Overall, 6127 survivors (80%) had attained upper secondary education by age 25, compared to 84% among comparison groups. Elevated OR for not attaining this level were mainly confined to survivors of central nervous system (CNS) tumours (ORSurv_PopComp2.05, 95%CI: 1.83–2.29). Other risk groups were survivors who had spent more time in hospital around cancer diagnosis and those who had hospital contacts in early adulthood, particularly psychiatric. Survivors of all cancer types were less likely to have attained upper secondary education without delay.

Conclusions

Although survivors of childhood cancer experienced delays in their education, many had caught up by age 25. Except for survivors of CNS tumours, survivors attained upper secondary education to almost the same extent as their peers.
Ischemic stroke after COVID-19 bivalent vaccine administration in patients aged 65 years and older in the United States
Authors: Gorenflo Maria P. , Davis Pamela B. , Kaelber David C. , Xu Rong
Published: November 2023

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in January 2023 a potential connection between administration of the Pfizer novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) bivalent vaccine booster and ischemic stroke (IS). A retrospective cohort study was conducted to compare the hazard of IS in patients aged 65 years and over administered the Pfizer bivalent booster versus those administered the Pfizer/Moderna monovalent or Moderna bivalent boosters. De-identified patient electronic health data were collected from TriNetX, a cloud-based analytics platform that includes data from over 90 million unique patients in the United States. Patients aged 65 years and over at the time of administration of a Pfizer bivalent, Moderna bivalent, or Pfizer/Moderna monovalent booster were included for analysis. Cohorts were propensity-score matched. The hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for IS between matched cohorts at 1–21 and 22–42 days after booster administration were calculated. There was reduced hazard of IS in the Pfizer bivalent cohort compared to the monovalent cohort at both timepoints: 1–21 days after vaccination (HR: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.47–0.62), and 22–42 days after vaccination (HR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.54–0.72) (n = 79,036 patients per cohort). There was reduced hazard of IS in the Pfizer bivalent cohort compared to the Moderna bivalent cohort at 1–21 days after vaccination (HR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.58–0.96) (n = 26,962 patients per cohort). This analysis provides no evidence that the Pfizer bivalent vaccine is associated with increased hazard of IS compared to the monovalent or Moderna bivalent vaccines.
Quasi-periodic sub-pulse structure as a unifying feature for radio-emitting neutron stars
Authors: Kramer Michael , Liu Kuo , Desvignes Gregory , Karuppusamy Ramesh , Stappers Ben W.
Published: November 2023

Magnetars are highly magnetized rotating neutron stars that are predominantly observed as high-energy sources. Six of this class of neutron star are known to also emit radio emission, so magnetars are a favoured model for the origin of at least some of the fast radio bursts (FRBs). If magnetars, or neutron stars in general, are indeed responsible, sharp empirical constraints on the mechanism producing radio emission are required. Here we report on the detection of polarized quasi-periodic substructure in the emission of all well-studied radio-detected magnetars. A correlation previously seen, relating substructure in pulsed emission of radio-emitting neutron stars to their rotational period, is extended and now shown to span more than six orders of magnitude in pulse period. This behaviour is not only seen in magnetars but in members of all classes of radio-emitting rotating neutron stars, regardless of their evolutionary history, their power source or their inferred magnetic field strength. If magnetars are responsible for FRBs, it supports the idea of being able to infer underlying periods from sub-burst timescales in FRBs.
Intermediate conformations of CD4-bound HIV-1 Env heterotrimers
Authors: Dam Kim-Marie A. , Fan Chengcheng , Yang Zhi , Bjorkman Pamela J.
Published: November 2023

HIV-1 envelope (Env) exhibits distinct conformational changes in response to host receptor (CD4) engagement. Env, a trimer of gp120 and gp41 heterodimers, has been structurally characterized in a closed, prefusion conformation with closely associated gp120s and coreceptor binding sites on gp120 V3 hidden by V1V2 loops1–4 and in fully saturated CD4-bound open Env conformations with changes including outwardly rotated gp120s and displaced V1V2 loops3–9. To investigate changes resulting from substoichiometric CD4 binding, we solved single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of soluble, native-like heterotrimeric Envs bound to one or two CD4 molecules. Most of the Env trimers bound to one CD4 adopted the closed, prefusion Env state, with a minority exhibiting a heterogeneous partially open Env conformation. When bound to two CD4s, the CD4-bound gp120s exhibited an open Env conformation including a four-stranded gp120 bridging sheet and displaced gp120 V1V2 loops that expose the coreceptor sites on V3. The third gp120 adopted an intermediate, occluded-open state10 that showed gp120 outward rotation but maintained the prefusion three-stranded gp120 bridging sheet with only partial V1V2 displacement and V3 exposure. We conclude that most of the engagements with one CD4 molecule were insufficient to stimulate CD4-induced conformational changes, whereas binding two CD4 molecules led to Env opening in CD4-bound protomers only. The substoichiometric CD4-bound soluble Env heterotrimer structures resembled counterparts derived from a cryo-electron tomography study of complexes between virion-bound Envs and membrane-anchored CD4 (ref. 11), validating their physiological relevance. Together, these results illuminate intermediate conformations of HIV-1 Env and illustrate its structural plasticity.
Trans-vaccenic acid reprograms CD8+ T cells and anti-tumour immunity
Authors: Fan Hao , Xia Siyuan , Xiang Junhong , Li Yuancheng , Ross Matthew O. , Lim Seon Ah , Yang Fan , Tu Jiayi , Xie Lishi , Dougherty Urszula , Zhang Freya Q. , Zheng Zhong , Zhang Rukang , Wu Rong , Dong Lei , Su Rui , Chen Xiufen , Althaus Thomas , Riedell Peter A. , Jonker Patrick B. , Muir Alexander , Lesinski Gregory B. , Rafiq Sarwish , Dhodapkar Madhav V. , Stock Wendy , Odenike Olatoyosi , Patel Anand A. , Opferman Joseph , Tsuji Takemasa , Matsuzaki Junko , Shah Hardik , Faubert Brandon , Elf Shannon E. , Layden Brian , Bissonnette B. Marc , He Yu-Ying , Kline Justin , Mao Hui , Odunsi Kunle , Gao Xue , Chi Hongbo , He Chuan , Chen Jing
Published: November 2023

Diet-derived nutrients are inextricably linked to human physiology by providing energy and biosynthetic building blocks and by functioning as regulatory molecules. However, the mechanisms by which circulating nutrients in the human body influence specific physiological processes remain largely unknown. Here we use a blood nutrient compound library-based screening approach to demonstrate that dietary trans-vaccenic acid (TVA) directly promotes effector CD8+ T cell function and anti-tumour immunity in vivo. TVA is the predominant form of trans-fatty acids enriched in human milk, but the human body cannot produce TVA endogenously1. Circulating TVA in humans is mainly from ruminant-derived foods including beef, lamb and dairy products such as milk and butter2,3, but only around 19% or 12% of dietary TVA is converted to rumenic acid by humans or mice, respectively4,5. Mechanistically, TVA inactivates the cell-surface receptor GPR43, an immunomodulatory G protein-coupled receptor activated by its short-chain fatty acid ligands6–8. TVA thus antagonizes the short-chain fatty acid agonists of GPR43, leading to activation of the cAMP–PKA–CREB axis for enhanced CD8+ T cell function. These findings reveal that diet-derived TVA represents a mechanism for host-extrinsic reprogramming of CD8+ T cells as opposed to the intrahost gut microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids. TVA thus has translational potential for the treatment of tumours.
Imaging quantum oscillations and millitesla pseudomagnetic fields in graphene
Authors: Zhou Haibiao , Auerbach Nadav , Uzan Matan , Zhou Yaozhang , Banu Nasrin , Zhi Weifeng , Huber Martin E. , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Myasoedov Yuri , Yan Binghai , Zeldov Eli
Published: November 2023

The exceptional control of the electronic energy bands in atomically thin quantum materials has led to the discovery of several emergent phenomena1. However, at present there is no versatile method for mapping the local band structure in advanced two-dimensional materials devices in which the active layer is commonly embedded in the insulating layers and metallic gates. Using a scanning superconducting quantum interference device, here we image the de Haas–van Alphen quantum oscillations in a model system, the Bernal-stacked trilayer graphene with dual gates, which shows several highly tunable bands2–4. By resolving thermodynamic quantum oscillations spanning more than 100 Landau levels in low magnetic fields, we reconstruct the band structure and its evolution with the displacement field with excellent precision and nanoscale spatial resolution. Moreover, by developing Landau-level interferometry, we show shear-strain-induced pseudomagnetic fields and map their spatial dependence. In contrast to artificially induced large strain, which leads to pseudomagnetic fields of hundreds of tesla5–7, we detect naturally occurring pseudomagnetic fields as low as 1 mT corresponding to graphene twisting by 1 millidegree, two orders of magnitude lower than the typical angle disorder in twisted bilayer graphene8–11. This ability to resolve the local band structure and strain at the nanoscale level enables the characterization and use of tunable band engineering in practical van der Waals devices.
Integrated approach to hydrogeochemical appraisal of groundwater quality concerning arsenic contamination and its suitability analysis for drinking purposes using water quality index
Authors: Ullah Zahid , Zeng Xian-Chun , Rashid Abdur , Ghani Junaid , Ali Asmat , Shah Muddaser , Zainab Rimsha , Almutairi Mikhlid H. , Sayed Amany A. , Aleya Lotfi
Published: November 2023

Arsenic (As), contamination in drinking groundwater resources is commonly environmental problem in many developing countries including Pakistan, with significant human health risk reports. In order to examine the groundwater quality concerning As contamination, its geochemical behavior along with physicochemical parameters, 42 samples were collected from community tube wells from District Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan. The results showed the concentration of elevated As, its source of mobilization, and associated public health risk. The As concentration detected in groundwater samples varied from 0.12 to 104 µg/L with an average value of 34.7 µg/L. Among 42 groundwater samples, 27 samples were beyond the permitted limit of 10 µg/L recommended by World Health Organization (WHO), for drinking purposes. Statistical analysis result show that the groundwater cations values are in decreasing order such as: Na+ > Mg2+ > Ca2+ > K+, while anions were HCO3– > SO42– > Cl– > NO3–. Hydrochemical facies result depict that the groundwater samples of the study area, 14 samples belong to CaHCO3type, 5 samples belong to NaCl type, 20 samples belong to Mixed CaMgCl type, and 3 samples belong to CaCl2type. It can be accredited due to weathering and recharge mechanism, evaporation processes, and reverse ion exchange. Gibbs diagram shows that rock water interaction controls the hydrochemistry of groundwater resources of the study area. Saturation Index (SI) result indicated the saturation of calcite, dolomite, gypsum, geothite, and hematite mineral due their positive SI values. The principal component analysis (PCA) results possess a total variability of 80.69% signifying the anthropogenic and geogenic source of contamination. The results of the exposure-health-risk-assessment method for measuring As reveal significant potential non-carcinogenic risk (HQ), exceeding the threshold level of (> 1) for children in the study area. Water quality assessment results shows that 24 samples were not suitable for drinking purposes.
Frontoparietal functional connectivity moderates the link between time spent on social media and subsequent negative affect in daily life
Authors: Kang Yoona , Ahn Jeesung , Cosme Danielle , Mwilambwe-Tshilobo Laetitia , McGowan Amanda , Zhou Dale , Boyd Zachary M. , Jovanova Mia , Stanoi Ovidia , Mucha Peter J. , Ochsner Kevin N. , Bassett Dani S. , Lydon-Staley David , Falk Emily B.
Published: November 2023

Evidence on the harms and benefits of social media use is mixed, in part because the effects of social media on well-being depend on a variety of individual difference moderators. Here, we explored potential neural moderators of the link between time spent on social media and subsequent negative affect. We specifically focused on the strength of correlation among brain regions within the frontoparietal system, previously associated with the top-down cognitive control of attention and emotion. Participants (N = 54) underwent a resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. Participants then completed 28 days of ecological momentary assessment and answered questions about social media use and negative affect, twice a day. Participants who spent more than their typical amount of time on social media since the previous time point reported feeling more negative at the present moment. This within-person temporal association between social media use and negative affect was mainly driven by individuals with lower resting state functional connectivity within the frontoparietal system. By contrast, time spent on social media did not predict subsequent affect for individuals with higher frontoparietal functional connectivity. Our results highlight the moderating role of individual functional neural connectivity in the relationship between social media and affect.
A comprehensive analysis of genetic risk for metabolic syndrome in the Egyptian population via allele frequency investigation and Missense3D predictions
Authors: Bassyouni Mahmoud , Mysara Mohamed , Wohlers Inken , Busch Hauke , Saber-Ayad Maha , El-Hadidi Mohamed
Published: November 2023

Diabetes mellitus (DM) represents a major health problem in Egypt and worldwide, with increasing numbers of patients with prediabetes every year. Numerous factors, such as obesity, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension, which have recently become serious concerns, affect the complex pathophysiology of diabetes. These metabolic syndrome diseases are highly linked to genetic variability that drives certain populations, such as Egypt, to be more susceptible to developing DM. Here we conduct a comprehensive analysis to pinpoint the similarities and uniqueness among the Egyptian genome reference and the 1000-genome subpopulations (Europeans, Ad-Mixed Americans, South Asians, East Asians, and Africans), aiming at defining the potential genetic risk of metabolic syndromes. Selected approaches incorporated the analysis of the allele frequency of the different populations’ variations, supported by genotypes’ principal component analysis. Results show that the Egyptian’s reference metabolic genes were clustered together with the Europeans’, Ad-Mixed Americans’, and South-Asians’. Additionally, 8563 variants were uniquely identified in the Egyptian cohort, from those, two were predicted to cause structural damage, namely, CDKAL1: 6_21065070 (A > T) and PPARG: 3_12351660 (C > T) utilizing the Missense3D database. The former is a protein coding gene associated with Type 2 DM while the latter is a key regulator of adipocyte differentiation and glucose homeostasis. Both variants were detected heterozygous in two different Egyptian individuals from overall 110 sample. This analysis sheds light on the unique genetic traits of the Egyptian population that play a role in the DM high prevalence in Egypt. The proposed analysis pipeline -available through GitHub- could be used to conduct similar analysis for other diseases across populations.
Mutant huntingtin confers cell-autonomous phenotypes on Huntington’s disease iPSC-derived microglia
Authors: Stöberl Nina , Donaldson Jasmine , Binda Caroline S. , McAllister Branduff , Hall-Roberts Hazel , Jones Lesley , Massey Thomas H. , Allen Nicholas D.
Published: November 2023

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a dominantly inherited CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene (HTT). Neuroinflammation and microglia have been implicated in HD pathology, however it has been unclear if mutant HTT (mHTT) expression has an adverse cell-autonomous effect on microglial function, or if they are only activated in response to the neurodegenerative brain environment in HD. To establish a human cell model of HD microglia function, we generated isogenic controls for HD patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) with 109 CAG repeats (Q109). Q109 and isogenic Q22 iPSC, as well as non-isogenic Q60 and Q33 iPSC lines, were differentiated to iPSC-microglia. Our study supports a model of basal microglia dysfunction in HD leading to elevated pro-inflammatory cytokine production together with impaired phagocytosis and endocytosis capacity, in the absence of immune stimulation. These findings are consistent with early microglia activation observed in pre-manifest patients and indicate that mHTT gene expression affects microglia function in a cell-autonomous way.
Safety and efficacy of remimazolam compared with midazolam during bronchoscopy: a single-center, randomized controlled study
Authors: Kim Sun-Hyung , Cho Jun Yeun , Kim Miyeon , Chung Ji Min , Yang Jiyoul , Seong Changhwan , Kim Eung-Gook , Seok Jeong Won , Shin Yoon Mi , Lee Ki Man , Choe Kang Hyeon , Han Joung-Ho , Yang Bumhee
Published: November 2023

Although remimazolam is an ultra-short-acting benzodiazepine with a shorter elimination half-life and faster recovery time than midazolam, studies evaluating its safety and efficacy during bronchoscopy are limited. This study aimed to compare the safety and efficacy of remimazolam with those of midazolam for bronchoscopy. This prospective randomized parallel-group study was conducted at a single institution. The primary outcome was the time from the end of the procedure to full alertness. Other procedural time parameters, satisfaction profiles, and adverse effects were thoroughly evaluated. The time taken to reach peak sedation and the time from the end of the procedure to full alertness was significantly shorter in the remimazolam group than in the midazolam group (median [interquartile range], 2 min [1–4] vs. 3 min [2–5], P = 0.006; and median, 2 min [1–5] vs. 5 min [1–12], P = 0.035, respectively). In patients with non-biopsy procedures (n = 79), participant satisfaction was significantly higher in the remimazolam group than in the midazolam group (median rated scale, 10 vs. 7, P = 0.042). Physician satisfaction and willingness to repeat the procedure were similar between groups. Although the incidence of adverse effects was similar between the groups and there was no significant difference, the midazolam group had a higher antidote administration rate than the remimazolam group (15.7% vs. 4.1%, P = 0.092). Remimazolam is effective and safe for achieving adequate sedation, with a shorter onset time and faster neuropsychiatric recovery than midazolam. It may be a new option for sedation during bronchoscopy.

Trial registration: The trial registration number is NCT05994547, and the date of first registration is 16/08/2023.