bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Group membership, not diet, structures the composition and functional potential of the gut microbiome in a wild primate
Authors: Finnegan Peter M. , Garber Paul A. , McKenney Anna C. , Bicca-Marques Júlio César , De la Fuente María Fernanda , Abreu Filipa , Souto Antonio , Schiel Nicola , Amato Katherine R. , Mallott Elizabeth K.
Published: June 2024

The gut microbiome has the potential to buffer temporal variations in resource availability and consumption, which may play a key role in the ability of animals to adapt to a broad range of habitats. We investigated the temporal composition and function of the gut microbiomes of wild common marmosets (
Callithrix jacchus
) exploiting a hot, dry environment—Caatinga—in northeastern Brazil. We collected fecal samples during two time periods (July–August and February–March) for 2 years from marmosets belonging to eight social groups. We used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, metagenomic sequencing, and butyrate RT-qPCR to assess changes in the composition and potential function of their gut microbiomes. Additionally, we identified the plant, invertebrate, and vertebrate components of the marmosets’ diet via DNA metabarcoding. Invertebrate, but not plant or vertebrate, consumption varied across the year. However, gut microbiome composition and potential function did not markedly vary across study periods or as a function of diet composition. Instead, the gut microbiome differed markedly in both composition and potential function across marmosets residing in different social groups. We highlight the likely role of factors, such as behavior, residence, and environmental heterogeneity, in modulating the structure of the gut microbiome.

IMPORTANCE

In a highly socially cohesive and cooperative primate, group membership more strongly predicts gut microbiome composition and function than diet.
Exploring novel microbial metabolites and drugs for inhibiting
Clostridioides difficile
Authors: Abouelkhair Ahmed A. , Seleem Mohamed N.
Published: June 2024

Clostridioides difficile
is an enteric pathogen that can cause a range of illnesses from mild diarrhea to pseudomembranous colitis and even death. This pathogen often takes advantage of microbial dysbiosis provoked by antibiotic use. With the increasing incidence and severity of infections, coupled with high recurrence rates, there is an urgent need to identify innovative therapies that can preserve the healthy state of the gut microbiota. In this study, we screened a microbial metabolite library against
C. difficile
. From a collection of 527 metabolites, we identified 18 compounds with no previously identified antimicrobial activity and metabolites that exhibited potent activity against
C. difficile
growth. Of these 18 hits, five drugs and three metabolites displayed the most potent anti-
C
.
difficile
activity and were subsequently assessed against 20 clinical isolates of
C. difficile
. These potent agents included ecteinascidin 770 (minimum inhibitory concentration against 50% of isolates [MIC
50
] ≤0.06 µg/mL); 8-hydroxyquinoline derivatives, such as broxyquinoline and choloroquinaldol (MIC
50
= 0.125 µg/mL); ionomycin calcium salt, carbadox, and robenidine hydrochloride (MIC
50
= 1 µg/mL); and dronedarone and milbemycin oxime (MIC
50
= 4 µg/mL). Unlike vancomycin and fidaxomicin, which are the standard-of-care anti-
C
.
difficile
antibiotics, most of these metabolites showed robust bactericidal activity within 2–8 h with minimal impact on the growth of representative members of the normal gut microbiota. These results suggest that the drugs and microbial metabolite scaffolds may offer alternative avenues to address unmet needs in
C. difficile
disease prevention and treatment.

IMPORTANCE

The most frequent infection associated with hospital settings is
Clostridioides difficile
, which can cause fatal diarrhea and severe colitis, toxic megacolon, sepsis, and leaky gut. Those who have taken antibiotics for other illnesses that affect the gut's healthy microbiota are more susceptible to
C. difficile
infection (CDI). Recently, some reports showed higher recurrence rates and resistance to anti-
C. difficile
, which may compromise the efficacy of CDI treatment. Our study is significant because it is anticipated to discover novel microbial metabolites and drugs with microbial origins that are safe for the intestinal flora, effective against
C. difficile
, and reduce the risk of recurrence associated with CDI.
Interaction patterns and assembly mechanisms of dinoflagellates and diatoms in a coastal bay suffering from long-term eutrophication
Authors: Miao Wenfei , Wang Shuqi , Lin Tenghui , Yan Yi , Bao Zhen , Zhang Demin , Jiang Zhibing , Zhang Huajun
Published: June 2024

Dinoflagellates and diatoms are highly prevalent and ecologically important phytoplankton in coastal waters, greatly contributing to primary productivity in marine ecosystems. Although their composition and diversity have been extensively elucidated in the open ocean, their interaction patterns and community assembly in long-term eutrophic coastal waters remain poorly understood. This investigation aimed to elucidate the seasonal successional patterns of dinoflagellates and diatoms by 18S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing in a semi-enclosed bay. The results revealed that dinoflagellate and diatom communities have pronounced seasonal succession patterns, which are primarily associated with temperature. Furthermore, the most prevalent species throughout the year were
Heterocapsa rotundata
and
Skeletonema costatum
. Moreover, the assembly of dinoflagellate and diatom communities was mainly dominated by stochastic processes, with drift being the major factor. The co-occurrence of dinoflagellates and diatoms showed seasonal patterns, with the highest interactions observed in autumn. In addition, interactions of Syndiniales with dinoflagellates and diatoms highlighted the roles of parasites in eutrophic conditions.
Flavobacteriaceae
and
Rhodobacteraceae
are the bacterial taxa that most frequently interacted with dinoflagellates and diatoms, with interactions between dinoflagellates and bacteria being more complex than those between diatoms and bacteria. Overall, this study provides results that deepen our understanding of the phytoplankton dynamics in coastal eutrophic waters.

IMPORTANCE

Dinoflagellates and diatoms are major phytoplankton groups in coastal waters. The composition and diversity of dinoflagellates and diatoms in the open ocean have been well documented; however, it remains uncertain to what extent their adaptation to long-term eutrophic conditions influences their response to environmental disturbances. Here, we investigated the interactions and assembly processes of dinoflagellates and diatoms in a eutrophic bay throughout the whole year. Our findings revealed that interactions between dinoflagellates and diatoms are primarily shaped by seasonal transitions, while prolonged eutrophic conditions tend to amplify stochastic processes in community assembly. These findings provide novel perspectives on the influence of long-term eutrophication on phytoplankton dynamics within eutrophic waters.
Distinct oral-associated gastric microbiota and
Helicobacter pylori
communities for spatial microbial heterogeneity in gastric cancer
Authors: Lei Lei , Zhao Lin-Yong , Cheng Ran , Zhang Hongyu , Xia Mengying , Chen Xiao-Long , Kudriashov Valentin , Liu Kai , Zhang Wei-Han , Jiang Han , Chen Yi , Zhu Liang , Zhou Hongmei , Yang Kun , Hu Tao , Hu Jian-Kun
Published: June 2024

The gastric microbial community plays a fundamental role in gastric cancer (GC), and the two main anatomical subtypes of GC, non-cardia and cardia GC, are associated with different risk factors (
Helicobacter pylori
for non-cardia GC). To decipher the different microbial spatial communities of GC, we performed a multicenter retrospective analysis to characterize the gastric microbiota in 223 GC patients, including
H. pylori
-positive or -negative patients, with tumors and paired adjacent normal tissues, using third-generation sequencing. In the independent validation cohort, both dental plaque and GC tumoral tissue samples were collected and sequenced. The prevalence of
H. pylori
and oral-associated bacteria was verified using fluorescence
in situ
hybridization (FISH) assays in GC tumoral tissues and matched nontumoral tissues. We found that the vertical distribution of the gastric microbiota, at the upper, middle, and lower third sites of GC, was likely an important factor causing microbial diversity in GC tumor tissues. The oral-associated microbiota cluster, which included
Veillonella parvula
,
Streptococcus oralis
, and
Prevotella intermedia
, was more abundant in the upper third of the GC. However,
H. pylori
was more abundant in the lower third of the GC and exhibited a significantly high degree of microbial correlation. The oral-associated microbiota module was co-exclusive with
H. pylori
in the lower third site of the GC tumoral tissue. Importantly,
H. pylori
-negative GC patients with oral-associated gastric microbiota showed worse overall survival, while the increase in microbial abundance in
H. pylori
-positive GC patients showed no difference in overall survival. The prevalence of
V. parvula
in both the dental plaque and GC tissue samples was concordant in the independent validation phase. We showed that the oral-associated species
V. parvula
and
S. oralis
were correlated with overall survival. Our study highlights the roles of the oral-associated microbiota in the upper third of the GC. In addition, oral-associated species may serve as noninvasive screening tools for the management of GC and an independent prognostic factor for
H. pylori
-negative GCs.

IMPORTANCE

Our study highlights the roles of the oral-associated microbiota in the upper third of gastric cancer (GC).We showed that the oral-associated species
Veillonella parvula
and
Streptococcus oralis
were correlated with overall survival. In addition, oral-associated species may serve as noninvasive screening tools for the management of GC and an independent prognostic factor for
Helicobacter pylori
-negative GCs.
Distinct microbial nitrogen cycling processes in the deepest part of the ocean
Authors: Huang Yuhan , Zhang Xinxu , Xin Yu , Tian Jiwei , Li Meng
Published: June 2024

The Mariana Trench (MT) is the deepest part of the ocean on Earth. Previous studies have described the microbial community structures and functional potential in the seawater and surface sediment of MT. Still, the metabolic features and adaptation strategies of the microorganisms involved in nitrogen cycling processes are poorly understood. In this study, comparative metagenomic approaches were used to study microbial nitrogen cycling in three MT habitats, including hadal seawater [9,600–10,500 m below sea level (mbsl)], surface sediments [0–46 cm below seafloor (cmbsf) at a water depth between 7,143 and 8,638 mbsl], and deep sediments (200–306 cmbsf at a water depth of 8,300 mbsl). We identified five new nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) lineages that had adapted to the oligotrophic MT slope sediment,
via
their CO
2
fixation capability through the reductive tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) or Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle; an anammox bacterium might perform aerobic respiration and utilize sedimentary carbohydrates for energy generation because it contains genes encoding type A cytochrome
c
oxidase and complete glycolysis pathway. In seawater, abundant alkane-oxidizing
Ketobacter
species can fix inert N
2
released from other denitrifying and/or anammox bacteria. This study further expands our understanding of microbial life in the largely unexplored deepest part of the ocean.

IMPORTANCE

The metabolic features and adaptation strategies of the nitrogen cycling microorganisms in the deepest part of the ocean are largely unknown. This study revealed that anammox bacteria might perform aerobic respiration in response to nutrient limitation or O
2
fluctuations in the Mariana Trench sediments. Meanwhile, an abundant alkane-oxidizing
Ketobacter
species could fix N
2
in hadal seawater. This study provides new insights into the roles of hadal microorganisms in global nitrogen biogeochemical cycles. It substantially expands our understanding of the microbial life in the largely unexplored deepest part of the ocean.
zDB: bacterial comparative genomics made easy
Authors: Marquis Bastian , Pillonel Trestan , Carrara Alessia , Bertelli Claire
Published: June 2024

The analysis and comparison of genomes rely on diﬀerent tools for tasks such as annotation, orthology prediction, and phylogenetic inference. Most tools are specialized for a single task, and additional eﬀorts are necessary to integrate and visualize the results. To ﬁll this gap, we developed zDB, an application integrating a Nextﬂow analysis pipeline and a Python visualization platform built on the Django framework. The application is available on GitHub (
https://github.com/metagenlab/zDB
) and from the bioconda channel. Starting from annotated Genbank ﬁles, zDB identiﬁes orthologs and infers a phylogeny for each orthogroup. A species phylogeny is also constructed from shared single-copy orthologs. The results can be enriched with Pfam protein domain prediction, Cluster of Orthologs Genes and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes annotations, and Swissprot homologs. The web application allows searching for speciﬁc genes or annotations, running Blast queries, and comparing genomic regions and whole genomes. The metabolic capacities of organisms can be compared at either the module or pathway levels. Finally, users can run queries to examine the conservation of speciﬁc genes or annotations across a chosen subset of genomes and display the results as a list of genes, Venn diagram, or heatmaps. Those features make zDB useful for both bioinformaticians and researchers more accustomed to laboratory research.

IMPORTANCE

Genome comparison and analysis rely on many independent tools, leaving to scientists the burden to integrate and visualize their results for interpretation. To alleviate this burden, we have built zDB, a comparative genomics tool that includes both an analysis pipeline and a visualization platform. The analysis pipeline automates gene annotation, orthology prediction, and phylogenetic inference, while the visualization platform allows scientists to easily explore the results in a web browser. Among other features, the interface allows users to visually compare whole genomes and targeted regions, assess the conservation of genes or metabolic pathways, perform Blast searches, or look for speciﬁc annotations. Altogether, this tool will be useful for a broad range of applications in comparative studies between two and hundred genomes. Furthermore, it is designed to allow sharing of data sets easily at a local or international scale, thereby supporting exploratory analyses for non-bioinformaticians on the genome of their favorite organisms.
On the road to genomically defining bacterial intra-species units
Authors: Castillo-Ramírez Santiago
Published: June 2024

Over almost three decades, average nucleotide identity (ANI) analysis has been instrumental in operationally defining species in bacteria. However, barely any attention has been paid to soundly defining intra-species units employing ANI analyses until recently. Notably, some very recent publications are good steps forward in that direction. The level of granularity provided by these intra-species units will be relevant to understanding the eco-evolutionary dynamics and transmission of bacterial lineages and mobile genetic elements, antibiotic resistance, and virulence genes. These intra-species units will undoubtedly advance the genomic epidemiology of many bacterial pathogens. In the coming years, we anticipate that many studies will implement ANI-based definitions of different intra-species units, such as strains or sequence types, for many different bacterial species.
Metatranscriptomic analysis reveals dissimilarity in viral community activity between an ice-free and ice-covered winter in Lake Erie
Authors: Denison Elizabeth R. , Zepernick Brittany N. , McKay R. Michael L. , Wilhelm Steven W.
Published: June 2024

Winter is a relatively under-studied season in freshwater ecology. The paucity of wintertime surveys has led to a lack of knowledge regarding microbial community activity during the winter in Lake Erie, a North American Great Lake. Viruses shape microbial communities and regulate biogeochemical cycles by acting as top-down controls, yet very few efforts have been made to examine active virus populations during the winter in Lake Erie. Furthermore, climate change-driven declines in seasonal ice cover have been shown to influence microbial community structure, but no studies have compared viral community activity between different ice cover conditions. We surveyed surface water metatranscriptomes for viral hallmark genes as a proxy for active virus populations and compared activity metrics between ice-covered and ice-free conditions from two sampled winters. Transcriptionally active viral communities were detected in both winters, spanning diverse phylogenetic clades of putative bacteriophage (
Caudoviricetes
), giant viruses (
Nucleocytoviricota
, or NCLDV), and RNA viruses (
Orthornavirae
). However, viral community activity metrics revealed pronounced differences between the ice-covered and ice-free winters. Viral community composition was distinct between winters and viral hallmark gene richness was reduced in the ice-covered relative to the ice-free conditions. In addition, the observed differences in viral communities correlated with microbial community activity metrics. Overall, these findings contribute to our understanding of the viral populations that are active during the winter in Lake Erie and suggest that viral community activity may be associated with ice cover extent.

IMPORTANCE

As seasonal ice cover is projected to become increasingly rare on large temperate lakes, there is a need to understand how microbial communities might respond to changing ice conditions. Although it is widely recognized that viruses impact microbial community structure and function, there is little known regarding wintertime viral activity or the relationship between viral activity and ice cover extent. Our metatranscriptomic analyses indicated that viruses were transcriptionally active in the winter surface waters of Lake Erie. These findings also expanded the known diversity of viral lineages in the Great Lakes. Notably, viral community activity metrics were significantly different between the two sampled winters. The pronounced differences we observed in active viral communities between the ice-covered and ice-free samples merit further research regarding how viral communities will function in future, potentially ice-free, freshwater systems.
Pilot study to evaluate the use of remote patient monitoring to guide the timing of valve intervention in patients with severe asymptomatic aortic stenosis (APRAISE-AS): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial delivered in two tertiary cardiac centres in the UK
Authors: Khan Nazish , Steeds Richard P , Kyte Derek , Fabritz Larissa , Collis Philip , Chua Winnie , Stubbs Clive , Mehta Samir , Sun Yongzhong , Nulty Mary , Kirkham Katie , Cotton James M
Published: June 2024

Introduction

Aortic stenosis (AS) is common affecting >13% of adults over the age of 75 years. In people who develop symptoms, without valve replacement, prognosis is dismal with mortality as high as 50% at 1 year. In asymptomatic patients, the timing of valve intervention is less well defined and a strategy of watchful waiting is recommended. Many, however, may develop symptoms and attribute this to age related decline, rather than worsening AS. Timely intervention in asymptomatic severe AS is critical, since delayed intervention often results in poor outcomes. Proactive surveillance of symptoms, quality of life and functional capacity should enable timely identification of people who will benefit from aortic valve replacement. There are no data however, to support the clinical and cost effectiveness of such an approach in a healthcare setting in the UK. The aim of this pilot trial is to test the feasibility of a full-scale randomised controlled trial (RCT) to determine the utility of proactive surveillance in people with asymptomatic severe AS to guide the timing of intervention.

Methods and analysis

APRAISE-AS is a multi-centre, non-blinded, two-arm, parallel group randomised controlled trial of up to 66 participants aged >18 years with asymptomatic severe AS. Participants will be randomised to either standard care or standard care supplemented with the APRAISE-AS intervention. Primary outcomes will capture; adherence to and participant acceptability of the intervention, recruitment and retention rates, and completeness of data collection. The findings will be used to inform the sample size and most appropriate outcome measure(s) for a full-scale RCT and health economic evaluation.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval was granted by the Black Country REC, reference: 22/WM/0214. Results will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated at local, regional and national meetings where appropriate.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN19413194.
Frontline nursing staff’s perceptions of intravenous medication administration: the first step toward safer infusion processes—a qualitative study
Authors: Uramatsu Masashi , Kimura Naoko , Kojima Takako , Fujisawa Yoshikazu , Oto Tomoko , Barach Paul
Published: June 2024

Objectives

Intravenous medication errors continue to significantly impact patient safety and outcomes. This study sought to clarify the complexity and risks of the intravenous administration process.

Design

A qualitative focus group interview study.

Setting

Focused interviews were conducted using process mapping with frontline nurses responsible for medication administration in September 2020.

Participants

Front line experiened nurses from a Japanese tertiary teaching hospital.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The primary outcome measure was to identify the mental models frontline nurses used during intravenous medication administration, which influence their interactions with patients, and secondarily, to examine the medication process gaps between the mental models nurses perceive and the actual defined medication administration process.

Results

We found gaps between the perceived clinical administration process and the real process challenges with an emphasis on the importance of verifying to see if the drug was ordered for the patient immediately before its administration.

Conclusions

This novel and applied improvement approach can help nurses and managers better understand the process vulnerability of the infusion process and develop a deeper understanding of the administration steps useful for reliably improving the safety of intravenous medications.
Optic nerve sheath diameter as a non-invasive tool to detect clinically relevant raised intracranial pressure in children: an observational analytical study
Authors: Bansal Anmol , Tiwari Lokesh Kumar , Kumar Pradeep , Jain Raina
Published: June 2024

Background

Raised intracranial pressure (ICP) contributes to approximately 20% of the admissions in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in our setting. Timely identification and treatment of raised ICP is important to prevent brain herniation and death in such cases. The objective of this study was to examine the role of optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) in detecting clinically relevant raised ICP in children.

Methods

A hospital-based observational analytical study in a PICU of a tertiary care institute in India on children aged 2–14 years. ONSD was measured in all children on three time points that is, day 1, day 2 and between day 4 and 7 of admission. ONSD values were compared between children with and without clinical signs of raised ICP.

Results

Out of 137 paediatric patients recruited, 34 had signs of raised ICP. Mean ONSD on day 1 was higher in children with signs of raised ICP (4.99±0.57 vs 4.06±0.40; p<0.01). Mean ONSD on day 2 also was higher in raised ICP patients (4.94±0.55 vs 4.04±0.40; p<0.01). The third reading between days 4 and 7 of admission was less than the first 2 values but still higher in raised ICP patients (4.48±1.26 vs 3.99±0.57; p<0.001). The cut-off ONSD value for detecting raised ICP was 4.46 mm on the ROC curve with an area under curve 0.906 (95% CI 0.844 to 0.968), 85.3% sensitivity and 86.4% specificity. There was no difference in ONSD between the right and the left eyes at any time point irrespective of signs of raised ICP.

Conclusion

We found that measurement of ONSD by transorbital ultrasound was able to detect clinically relevant raised ICP with an excellent discriminatory performance at the cut-off value of 4.46 mm.
Children with medical complexity receiving home healthcare devices in Japan: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Shinjo Daisuke , Yotani Nobuyuki , Ito Ai , Isayama Tetsuya
Published: June 2024

Background

Limited evidence exists regarding children receiving home healthcare devices (HHDs). This study aimed to describe the range and type of HHD use by children with chronic medical conditions in Japan and explore factors leading to increased use of these devices.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan. Children receiving HHD aged ≤18 years between April 2011 and March 2019 were included. Children newly administered HHD between 2011 and 2013 were followed up for 5 years, and logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the relationship between increased HHD use and each selected risk factor (comorbidity or types of HHD). The models were adjusted for age category at home device introduction, sex and region.

Results

Overall, 52 375 children receiving HHD were identified. The number (proportion) of children receiving HHD increased during the study period (11 556 [0.05%] in 2010 and 25 593 [0.13%] in 2018). The most commonly administered HHD was oxygen (51.0% in 2018). Among the 12 205 children receiving HHD followed up for 5 years, 70.4% and 68.3% who used oxygen or continuous positive airway pressure, respectively, were released from the devices, while only 25.8% who used mechanical ventilation were released from the device. The following diagnosis/comorbidities were associated with increased HHD use: other neurological diseases (OR): 2.85, 95% CI): 2.54–3.19), cerebral palsy (OR: 2.16, 95% CI: 1.87 to 2.49), congenital malformations of the nervous system (OR: 1.70, 95% CI: 1.34 to 2.13) and low birth weight (OR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.41 to 2.00).

Conclusions

This study provides nationwide population-based empirical data to clarify the detailed information regarding children receiving HHD in Japan. This information could assist healthcare professionals in improving the quality of life of these children and their families and help health policymakers consider measures.
Descriptive epidemiology study of hand injuries sustained in Gaelic football referred to a hand therapy service over 1 year
Authors: Harte Daniel , Deehan Daniel , Ramsey Lucia , Slater Paul , Wilson Lynn , Martin Suzanne
Published: June 2024

Objectives

Gaelic football requires ball handling, such as bouncing, fist passing and catching. To date, no research has examined the types of injuries sustained to the hand in this sport. This study aims to establish the types of orthopaedic hand injuries sustained in Gaelic football.

Methods

This was a retrospective descriptive epidemiology study of Gaelic football-related hand injuries treated at a hand therapy unit. The nature of injuries was categorised along with collated variables on player demographics and injury profiles. Potential correlations between injury and continuous demographic data were analysed using the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Pearson’s χ2test was used for categorical data (p<0.05).

Results

287 referrals were identified. Most players were men (n=189; 65.9%), and the average age was 17 (IQR 14–25). Most fractures were to the volar base of the middle phalanx (n=110; 42.8%). Significant differences were found between the age of male and female players with fractures under 18 (p<0.05), the distribution of left and right-hand fractures by age (p<0.05), the distribution of fractures by bone type (p<0.05) and also between sex and affected ray (p<0.05), bone type (p<0.05) and mechanism of injury (p=0.05).

Conclusion

This study established the types of musculoskeletal hand injuries sustained by players in Gaelic football. Considering developmental, anthropometric and rule differences between male and female players across the age range may explain variations in injuries. This data can help devise injury prevention and management strategies for Gaelic football.
Emotional and psychosocial function after dorsal column spinal cord stimulator implantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Klasova Johana , Hussain Nasir , Umer Ibrahim , Al-Hindawi Ahmed , ElSaban Mariam , Lahori Simmy , D'Souza Ryan S
Published: June 2024

Background

The efficacy of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in chronic pain studies is traditionally assessed by pain scores, which do not reflect the multidimensional nature of pain perception. Despite the evidence of SCS’s influence on emotional functioning comprehensive assessments of its effect remain lacking.

Objective

To assess changes in emotional and psychosocial functioning in patients who underwent SCS implantation for chronic pain.

Evidence review

Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, Cochrane CENTRAL and Scopus databases were searched for original peer-reviewed publications reporting emotional functioning after SCS. The primary outcomes were a pooled mean difference (MD) in anxiety, depression, global functioning, mental well-being and pain catastrophizing at 12 months. The Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to determine the quality of evidence.

Findings

Thirty-two studies were included in the primary analysis. Statistically significant improvements were observed in anxiety (MD −2.16; 95% CI −2.84 to −1.49; p<0.001), depression (MD −4.66; 95% CI −6.26 to −3.06; p<0.001), global functioning (MD 20.30; 95% CI 14.69 to 25.90; p<0.001), mental well-being (MD 4.95; 95% CI 3.60 to 6.31; p<0.001), and pain catastrophizing (MD −12.09; 95% CI −14.94 to −9.23; p<0.001). Subgroup analyses revealed differences in Global Assessment of Functioning and mental well-being based on study design and in depression based on waveform paradigm.

Conclusion

The results highlight the statistically and clinically significant improvements in emotional and psychosocial outcomes in patients with chronic pain undergoing SCS therapy. However, these results need to be interpreted with caution due to the very low certainty of evidence per the GRADE criteria.

PROSPERO registration

CRD42023446326.
Sex-specific impact of inflammation on traditional cardiovascular risk factors and atherosclerosis in axial spondyloarthritis. A multicentre study of 913 patients
Authors: Ferraz-Amaro Ivan , Genre Fernanda , Blanco Ricardo , Calvo-Rio Vanesa , Corrales-Selaya Cristina , Portilla Virginia , Aurrecoechea Elena , Batanero Ricardo , Hernández-Hernández. Vanesa , Quevedo-Abeledo Juan Carlos , Rodríguez-Lozano Carlos , López-Medina Clementina , Ladehesa-Pineda Lourdes , Castañeda Santos , Vicente-Rabaneda Esther F , Fernández-Carballido Cristina , Martínez Vidal María Paz , Castro Corredor David , Anino Fernández Joaquín , Peiteado Diana , Plasencia-Rodriguez Chamaida , Expósito Rosa , Garcia Vivar Maria Luz , Galíndez-Agirregoikoa Eva , Vegas Nuria , Urionagüena Irati , Montes-Perez Esther , Gonzalez-Gay Miguel A , Rueda-Gotor Javier
Published: June 2024

Introduction

The nature of the relationship between inflammation, cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and atherosclerosis in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) remains largely unknown and sex differences in this regard are yet to be assessed.

Methods

Study including 611 men and 302 women from the Spanish multicentre AtheSpAin cohort to assess CV disease in axSpA. Data on CV disease risk factors were collected both at disease diagnosis and at enrolment, and data on disease activity, functional indices and carotid ultrasonography only at enrolment.

Results

After a median disease duration of 9 years, patients of both sexes who at disease diagnosis had elevated acute phase reactants (APRs), more frequently had hypertension and obesity. The same occurred with dyslipidaemia in men and with diabetes mellitus in women. At enrolment, CV risk factors were independently associated with APR and with activity and functional indices, with various sex differences. C reactive protein (CRP) values were inversely associated with HDL-cholesterol in men (β coefficient: −1.2 (95% CI: −0.3 to −0.07) mg/dL, p=0.001), while erythrocyte sedimentation rate values were positively associated with triglycerides in women (β coefficient: 0.6 (95% CI: 0.04 to 1) mg/dL, p=0.035). Furthermore, only women showed an independent relationship between insulin resistance parameters and APR or disease activity. Both men and women with high–very high CV risk according to the Systematic Assessment of Coronary Risk Evaluation 2 and CRP levels higher than 3 mg/L at diagnosis of the disease presented carotid plaques significantly more frequently than those with normal CRP levels at disease diagnosis.

Conclusion

Inflammation is associated with atherosclerosis and CV disease in axSpA. A gender-driven effect is observed in this relationship.
Novel soliton insights into generalized fractional Tzitzéica-type evolution equations using the modified Khater method
Authors: Younas Tayyaba , Ahmad Jamshad
Published: June 2024

The primary aim of this paper is to investigate the dynamic behavior of generalized nonlinear fractional Tzitzéica-type equations and to derive optical soliton solutions. To achieve this goal, we employ the modified Khater method, focusing on obtaining solitary wave solutions for generalized fractional Tzitzéica-type (TT) equations. Through this approach, we unveil novel solutions for both Tzitzéica and Tzitzéica–Dodd–Bullough (TDB) equations expressed in terms of fractional derivatives. The significance of employing the modified Khater method lies in its ability to yield a diverse array of soliton solutions. These solutions encompass dark, bright, singular, periodic, kink, singular kink, and combined dark–bright solitons. The derived solutions are visually represented through two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) graphs. Our findings underscore that the proposed method serves as a comprehensive and efficient approach to explore exact solitary wave solutions for generalized fractional TT evolution equations. By employing the modified Khater method, we not only enhance our understanding of the dynamic behavior of these equations, but also provide a versatile tool for obtaining precise soliton solutions in the realm of nonlinear fractional evolution equations.
Thermodynamic feature of PHF and PST with Sisko fluid flow over a Riga curved stretching surface
Authors: Abbas Nadeem , Shatanawi Wasfi , Shatnawi Taqi A. M.
Published: June 2024

Thermal analysis is carried out on the flow of Sisko fluid over Riga curved stretching sheet in the presence of Lorentz force and heat energy application. Heat transmission is supported by considering Prescribed Heat Flux (PHF) and Surface temperature (PST). This study explores the role of fluids in solving various bioengineering problems and opportunities for clinical measures to treat blood-related diseases. It has been concluded that medical science requires the Sisko model to be explored in understanding blood transfusion problems. Mathematical modeling yields complex partial differential equations, which are transformed into ordinary differential equations via appropriate transformations. The outcome of these parameters is observed and explored for the best match that suits our defined boundary conditions. Numerical solutions are obtained using the Matlab function bvp4c, setting default tolerance for better approximate solutions. Impacts of associated parameters on various profiles are elaborated with tables and graphs. Temperature (PST) reduces by enrichment in Pr. A higher Prandtl number indicates that temperature disturbances spread more slowly through the fluid. This means that the temperature near the surface takes longer to reach equilibrium with the bulk fluid temperature, leading to a decrease in the surface temperature. The temperature (PHF) become declines by enlarging values of Pr. The Prandtl number determines the ratio of momentum diffusivity to thermal diffusivity. A higher value of Prandtl number indicates lower thermal diffusivity, which can result in a thicker thermal boundary layer.
On some solitonic wave structures for the (3+1)-dimensional nonlinear Gardner–Kadomtsov–Petviashvili equation
Authors: Zulfiqar Hina , Tariq Kalim U. , Bekir Ahmet , Saleem Muhammad Shoaib , Khan Shaukat Ali , Aashiq Aqsa
Published: June 2024

The [Formula: see text]-dimensional hyperbolic nonlinear Gardner–Kadomtsov–Petviashvili (GKP) equation is a mathematical model that describes the propagation of nonlinear waves in a four-dimensional space-time. The GKP equation is used as a mathematical tool for studying the dynamics of nonlinear waves in a variety of physical systems including fluid dynamics, nonlinear optics, plasma physics. The GKP equation is a nonlinear partial differential equation (PDE) with mixed spatial and temporal derivatives. It exhibits various interesting phenomena, such as soliton solutions, wave interactions and wave turbulence depending on the values of the conditions. The improved F-expansion technique and generalized Kudryashov technique are successfully employed to evaluate the soliton solutions of governing model. The GKP equation supports various types of soliton solutions, such as bright solitons and dark solitons, depending on the specific parameters. The study of solitons in the GKP equation provides insights into the stability, propagation, and interaction of nonlinear waves in higher-dimensional spaces. The nonlinear terms in the GKP equation are responsible for wave–wave interactions. When multiple waves co-exist in a medium, they can interact with each other, leading to complex phenomena. The nature of wave interactions in the GKP equation depends on the specific values of the coefficients. The GKP equation has many applications in various areas of physics and mathematics. It has been used to model nonlinear waves in several fields and Bose–Einstein condensates.
The impact of Soret Dufour and radiation on the laminar flow of a rotating liquid past a porous plate via chemical reaction
Authors: Kumar M. Anil , Mebarek-Oudina F. , Mangathai P. , Shah N. A. , Vijayabhaskar Ch. , Venkatesh N. , Fouad Y.
Published: June 2024

The primary intent of this paper is to examine the influence of radiation, Soret, and Dufour on the laminar flow of a rotating fluid through a permeable plate undergoing a chemical reaction. The Soret effect, for example, has been employed to differentiate isotopes and to combine gases of different molecular weights. Many real-world applications, including geosciences and chemical engineering, comprise the Soret and Dufour effects. Using similarity variables, the governing equations and allied boundary conditions (BCs) are simplified to a dimensionless form and then solved using the finite element method (FEM). In order to get the numerical approximations of velocity, temperature, and concentration, dimensionless parameters of the flow were utilized, and the consequences were envisioned visually. The most significant results of this research are that raising the Soret and Dufour parameters causes an upsurge in the velocity profile and enhancing the radiation factor causes an upsurge in the temperature distribution. Enhancing the values of permeability causes a reduction in skin friction. Enhancing the accuracy of heat absorption factor estimations leads to an increase in the values of the Nusselt number. A comparison case study has been made among the outcomes of well-existing repository literature with the current solutions and detected a great correlation.
Bifurcation Analysis and Synapse Pattern Formation with Bidirectional Motor-Mediated Transports
Authors: Gu Qin , Jiang Siyao , Wang Qi
Published: June 2024

This study investigates the development of intricate pattern formation in synaptogenesis, which describes the transfer of synapses between neurons via bidirectional active and passive motor-mediated transport in the nervous system. The trafficking model, which consists of three strongly coupled partial differential equations, exhibits remarkable spatiotemporal dynamics that contribute to both static and constantly changing spatial patterns. We perform and detail the steady-state and Hopf bifurcation to present the formation of nonhomogeneous stationary or time-periodic solutions from the homogeneous one. In particular, the steady-state reduces to that of a two-component PDE system, independent of the initial condition and the system parameters. Moreover, we analyze the stability of these nontrivial patterns and our results find a wave mode selection mechanism, which in turn suggests that a large interval length admits time-periodic solutions, while a small interval length most likely drives spatially monotonous nonhomogeneous stationary solutions. Finally, we provide numerical experiments to illustrate and support our theoretical findings.
STUDY ON THE LOCAL FRACTIONAL (3+1)-DIMENSIONAL MODIFIED ZAKHAROV–KUZNETSOV EQUATION BY A SIMPLE APPROACH
Authors: WANG KANG-JIA , LI SHUAI
Published: June 2024

Under the current research, the local fractional (3+1)-dimensional modified Zakharov–Kuznetsov equation (MZKE) is explored. With the Mittag–Leffler function (MLF) defined on the Cantor sets (CS), four special functions, namely the [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are extracted to construct an auxiliary function. Then the auxiliary function, along with Yang’s non-differentiable (ND) transformation, is manipulated to explore the ND exact solutions (ESs). By means of the proposed method, four different sets of the ND ESs are found in just one step. The nonlinear dynamics of the ND exact solutions on the CS are illustrated graphically. Furthermore, the ND exact solutions for [Formula: see text] and the classic exact solutions for [Formula: see text] are also compared and discussed in detail via the 2-D curves. The attained results reveal that the method is a simple but effective tool to deal with local fractional PDEs arising in physics and maths.
ON SELF-SIMILARITY OF QUADRANGLE
Authors: XU JIAJUN , XI JINGHUA , JIANG KAN
Published: June 2024

Wen [Some problems in fractal geometry, in Report in Chinese Conference on Fractal Geometry and Dynamical Systems, 2023] posed the following questions: when a quadrangle is a self-similar set with the open set condition (OSC). It is well known that any convex quadrangle is a self-similar set. For the concave quadrangles, this case is more complicated. Loosely speaking, some concave polygons may be not self-similar. In this paper, we prove two results. First, we give a necessary and sufficient condition such that a concave quadrangle is a self-similar set. Moreover, we also give a necessary condition for a concave quadrangle to be a self-similar set with the OSC. For the convex quadrangle, we investigate the trapezoid. We show under some condition that the trapezoid is a self-similar set with the OSC. In particular, for any trapezoid, if the ratio of the lengths of two bases is rational, then the trapezoid is a self-similar set with the OSC.
Freedom from Feardom-Harnessing Women Empowerment through Personal Safety Mobile Applications
Authors: Bharathi S. Vijayakumar , Patil Kanchan Pranay , Pramod Dhanya
Published: June 2024

Whilst the world is witnessing the impact of technology proliferation on human lives and livelihoods, the personal safety of women, though paramount, is still technologically under-addressed. This study empirically investigated the perception of Indian women ([Formula: see text]210) towards personal safety apps and their intention to accept them to ensure personal safety. This study uniquely blended the Fogg behaviour model, which comprises motives, abilities and triggers, with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which comprises perceived usefulness, ease of use and behavioural intentions. Structural equation modelling using SmartPLS 4 was used to analyse the model. Some exciting outcomes emerged from this study. The motives namely subjective norms, facilitating conditions and perceived trust, significantly impacted women’s perceived usefulness of personal safety apps, while the perceived risk was insignificant. The significant impactors of women’s perceived ease-of-use of personal safety apps include the abilities of self-efficacy and technology stress, but exclude perceived behavioural control. With regard to the trigger, only response efficacy impacted women’s behavioural intentions to use personal safety apps, while the magnitude of noxiousness and exposure expectancy did not. Women’s perception of the usefulness and ease of use of personal safety apps significantly impacted their behavioural intentions, ultimately impacting their perception of personal safety. Further, this study presented implications to theory and practice before concluding by stating research limitations and future directions.
Deep Reinforcement Learning for Financial Forecasting in Static and Streaming Cases
Authors: Ram Aravilli Atchuta , Yadav Sandarbh , Vivek Yelleti , Ravi Vadlamani
Published: June 2024

Literature abounds with various statistical and machine learning techniques for stock market forecasting. However, Reinforcement Learning (RL) is conspicuous by its absence in this field and is little explored despite its potential to address the dynamic and uncertain nature of the stock market. In a first-of-its-kind study, this research precisely bridges this gap, by forecasting stock prices using RL, in the static as well as streaming contexts using deep RL techniques. In the static context, we employed three deep RL algorithms for forecasting the stock prices: Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG), Proximal Policy Optimisation (PPO) and Recurrent Deterministic Policy Gradient (RDPG) and compared their performance with Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), Support Vector Regression (SVR) and General Regression Neural Network (GRNN). In addition, we proposed a generic streaming analytics-based forecasting approach leveraging the real-time processing capabilities of Spark streaming for all six methods. This approach employs a sliding window technique for real-time forecasting or nowcasting using the above-mentioned algorithms. We demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed approach on the daily closing prices of four different financial time series dataset as well as the Mackey–Glass time series, a benchmark chaotic time series dataset. We evaluated the performance of these methods using three metrics: Symmetric Mean Absolute Percentage (SMAPE), Directional Symmetry statistic (DS) and Theil’s U Coefficient. The results are promising for DDPG in the static context and GRNN turned out to be the best in streaming context. We performed the Diebold–Mariano (DM) test to assess the statistical significance of the best-performing models.