bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Detection of subclinical EEHV infection in captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in Peninsular Malaysia through a molecular approach
Authors:   Molecular Zoonotic Laboratory, Ex-Situ Conservation Division, Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN), Km 10 Jalan Cheras, 56100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Gani Millawati ,   Ex-Situ Conservation Division, Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN), Km 10 Jalan Cheras, 56100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Karuppannan Kayal Vizi ,   Ex-Situ Conservation Division, Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN), Km 10 Jalan Cheras, 56100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Abdul Razak Mohd Firdaus Ariff ,   Ex-Situ Conservation Division, Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN), Km 10 Jalan Cheras, 56100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Mohammed Ahmad Azhar ,   Zoological Parks Divison, Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN), Km 10 Jalan Cheras, 56100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Published: November 2024

Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV) is a highly destructive viral disease affecting both Asian and African elephants, posing a threat in captivity and the wild. Despite habitat loss, poaching, and human-elephant conflict being major concerns, EEHV emerges as a significant threat to elephant species' long-term survival. Until now, no reported cases of EEHV have been documented in Malaysia, particularly in Peninsular Malaysia. This raises questions about whether the absence of report is due to the virus's actual absence or a lack of awareness. Wildlife disease surveillance programmed initiated EEHV screening in Asian elephant at National Elephant Conservation Centre (PKGK) which one of establish ex-situ facilities for elephant conservation in Peninsular Malaysia. Molecular detection approach by utilizing polymerase chain reaction amplification targeting polymerase U38 gene region revealed 12 individuals out of 33 captive Asian elephants was found EEHV-positive, spanning ages from 2 months to 15 years and both sexes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed distinct EEHV subtypes identified in this this study. Despite being EEHV-positive, the captive Asian elephants displayed good health, indicating asymptomatic infections of EEHV1A, EEHV4, and EEHV5. This marks the initial identification of EEHV and subclinical infections in captive elephants in Peninsular Malaysia, emphasizing the need for urgent and enhanced health care management to safeguard these magnificent animals in Peninsular Malaysia for better conservation management strategies in the future.
Is it good to feel bad about unsustainable behaviours? Reflexivity around environmental emotions
Authors: Sigmer Nielsen Rikke , Bøker Lund Thomas , Gamborg Christian
Published: November 2024

Environmental problems abound and it can be difficult for individuals to know how to act for the best. Moreover, knowing how we should feel about these problems and our potential actions has become increasingly unclear and confusing. Navigating these complexities involves reflecting on one’s own and other people’s emotions. This article explores how individuals put their emotional reflexivity to use in relation to two specific environmental emotions: eco-guilt and eco-shame. We conducted 20 in-depth interviews with Danish citizens about their experiences and emotions connected to being consumers in these times of substantial environmental challenges. A chief part of this emotional reflexivity involved judgements about whether it was good or bad to experience eco-guilt and eco-shame. These judgements were often made with reference to how useful the emotions were in motivating pro-environmental behaviour and whether or not the emotions were authentic. Some respondents expressed a strong sense that they ‘ought to’ experience eco-guilt and eco-shame, while others showed resistance to experiencing these emotions and the perceived social pressure to be more sustainable. Exploring emotional reflexivity around eco-guilt and eco-shame provides insights into the social and moral forces that pull people in different – and at times conflicting – directions regarding their feelings about environmental issues. We discuss our results in light of an emotional regime imposing on individuals the sense that they ought to experience emotions of care for the environment.
Metal-assisted miniaturized refractive index sensor based on quasi-bound states in the continuum
Authors: Yang Zhengweiyi , Wang Kangni , Qian Linyong
Published: November 2024

A miniaturized optical refractive index sensor based on quasi-bound states in the continuum (quasi-BICs) is proposed in this work. By utilizing one-dimensional compound gratings with varying heights to break the symmetry of the grating, the structure supports the transition from BIC to quasi-BIC. Additionally, metallic mirrors are positioned at the edges of the grating to facilitate effective in-plane light confinement, thereby reducing light leakage and significantly enhancing peak efficiency within constrained dimensions. A comprehensive investigation was conducted to analyze the impact of metal height, edge spacing, and the number of periods on the resonance modes in finite structures, with the aim of optimizing structural parameters. An assessment of refractive index sensing performance was performed under TE and TM polarizations. The results indicate that the sensitivities for TM and TE polarizations are 427 nm/RIU and 434 nm/RIU, with a small footprint of approximately 18.51 µm and 18.48 µm, respectively. This study has the potential to enhance the design and application of miniaturized optical refractive index sensors.
Improved PGC-Arctan demodulation algorithm based on real-time feedback control
Authors: Ge Qiang , He Wen-chao , Xiao Jian , Xu Linguang , Zhang Gang
Published: November 2024

The phase generated carrier (PGC) demodulation algorithm has the characteristics of high accuracy, good linearity, and large dynamic range, which makes it widely used in interferometric fiber optic sensors. However, due to the influence of carrier phase delay (CPD), phase modulation depth (C), and light intensity disturbance, the system introduces nonlinear distortions. To address this problem, we proposed a highly stable PGC demodulation algorithm that combines CPD compensation and C self-calibration. Multitone mixing is used in the CPD compensation and C self-calibration. The CPD compensation algorithm calculates CPD using the harmonic components and their differential components obtained from two orthogonal carrier signals and uses CPD to set the initial phase of the reference carrier to obtain the harmonic components that eliminate the influence of CPD. The C self-calibration algorithm calculates the real-time C by the ratio of the two harmonic components and introduces proportional-integral-derivative control to stabilize C at the optimal value by controlling the output voltage. The experimental results show that the standard deviation of the CPD calculated by the CPD compensation algorithm is 0.0012 rad. The real-time modulation depth of the system can quickly reach the optimal value and maintain it for a long time. The average phase modulation depth is 2.63 rad with a standard deviation of 0.00735 rad. Compared with the traditional PGC-Arctan demodulation algorithm, our algorithm yields higher SINADs and lower THDs under different CPDs; the average SINAD is 62.68 dB, and the THD is 0.075%.
Understanding ghost imaging from a machine learning perspective
Authors: Liu Wenjie , Zhou Yu , Liu Jianbin , Zheng Huaibin , Chen Hui , He Yuchen , Li Fuli , Xu Zhuo
Published: November 2024

In this paper, we analyze the mechanism of computational ghost imaging and its mathematical similarity to the linear regression process in machine learning. We point out that the imaging process in computational ghost imaging essentially involves solving a linear regression problem, where the bucket detector plays the role of a perceptron with a linear activation function. We validated these conclusions through simulations and experiments, and several algorithms from machine learning were applied for imaging and were compared with traditional ghost imaging algorithms (including Hadamard speckle imaging and compressed sensing). We believe that this research can help discover new algorithms to improve the imaging quality and noise resistance of computational ghost imaging, while also providing an approach for implementing neural network computation in the physical world.
Tunable anisotropic plasmons in monolayer Ca4N2 induced by orbital-selective transitions
Authors: Gao Han , Zhang Xuejin , Ding Chao , Wang Mingzheng , Wang Juan , Yang Bo , Zhao Mingwen
Published: November 2024

Plasmons in two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted considerable interest due to their ability to confine light at subwavelength scales. Anisotropic 2D materials, in particular, offer unique opportunities for directional control over plasmon propagation and light-matter interactions. In this study, employing first-principles calculations, we demonstrate that monolayer Ca4N2 can host tunable anisotropic plasmon modes. The electronic band structure of Ca4N2 exhibits pronounced anisotropy, characterized by a pair of saddle-like points. The spatial symmetries of the Bloch wave functions enable orbital-selective interband transitions between these points, which are allowed along the y-direction but forbidden along the x-direction. The anisotropy of plasmons can be enhanced (or diminished) by improving (or reducing) the electron chemical potential, leading to the topological transition of surface plasmon polaritons among elliptical, hyperbolic and isotropic wavefronts. These findings deepen our understanding of anisotropic plasmon behaviors in 2D materials and provide a potential pathway for designing highly tunable plasmonic devices.
Motion-deblurring ghost imaging for an axially moving target
Authors: Zhang Long , Liu Jianzhong , Gong Wenlin
Published: November 2024

For lensless ghost imaging (GI) with thermal light, the axially relative motion constrained in the range of the system’s depth of focus (DOF) can still cause image blurring because of a variable magnification. We propose a motion-deblurring GI system with pseudo-thermal light, which can overcome the resolution degradation caused by the axial motion. Both the analytical and experimental results demonstrate that high-resolution GI can be always obtained as long as the target’s random motion range is smaller than the system’s DOF, without using the prior information of motion estimation. We also show that the system’s DOF can be extended by optimizing the geometrical shape of the laser spot on the rotating ground glass disk (RGGD). The imaging performance comparison between the proposed GI system and the corresponding lensless GI system is also discussed. This technique can promote the practical application of GI in the field of moving-target detection and recognition.
Ultra-broadband bismuth-doped fiber amplifier with 170 nm bandwidth using a two-stage configuration
Authors: Wang Weiqi , Yang Yuanyuan , Wen Jianxiang , Dong Yanhua , Luo Yanhua , Fan Xuelong , Shang Yana , Pang Fufei , Zhang Xiaobei , Wang Tingyun
Published: November 2024

We present a two-stage bismuth-doped fiber amplifier (BDFA) that achieves ultra-broadband amplification from 1280 to 1480 nm. The two-stage BDFA is designed to limit the reabsorption of bismuth-doped silica fiber (BDSF) by high-power pumps pulled fluorescence. A peak gain of 37.9 dB was obtained at 1340 nm for a −23 dBm input signal, with >23 dB gain from 1300 to 1470 nm. Furthermore, the gain of 40.0 and 36.1 dB was measured at small signal power for 1340 and 1430 nm, respectively, and the 3 dB saturation output power reaches 16.0 and 14.6 dBm, respectively. In addition, the basic properties and luminescence characteristic of two types of BDSFs fabricated using atomic layer deposition and modified chemical vapor deposition technique worked in the configuration were investigated.
Improving OFDR sensing performance based on SEFR in both reference and measurement stages
Authors: Chen Tianle , Xu Zhou , Tu Lei , Wang Liang , Tang Ming
Published: November 2024

In addition to laser frequency sweep nonlinearity, sensing point misalignment caused by a random laser frequency sweep range (LFSR) is a key factor limiting the sensing performance of the optical frequency domain reflectometer (OFDR). Here we propose a synchronous equal frequency resampling (SEFR) method for the first time to our knowledge to simultaneously compensate both the random LFSR and sweep nonlinearity. A new linear frequency sequence has been constructed to perform signal resampling of both the reference and measurement stages, which eliminates the sensing point misalignment and nonlinear frequency interval at the same time. Thus the sensing distance and accuracy of both phase demodulation (PD) and cross-correlation demodulation (CD)-based OFDR have been greatly improved in distributed strain measurement. For PD, with SEFR the sensing distance is extended to 70 m, and the strain root mean square error (RMSE) is reduced by 16 times under the worst LFSR difference of 579.4 MHz. For CD, the sensing distance is extended from 6.8 m to 70 m, and the RMSE is reduced by 41 times when using SEFR under the worst LFSR difference.
Cavity-enhanced dual-comb spectroscopy in the molecular fingerprint region using free-running quantum cascade lasers
Authors: Markus Charles , Hayden Jakob , Herman Dan , Kocheril Philip , Ober Douglas , Bashiri Termeh , Mangold Markus , Okumura Mitchio
Published: November 2024

Cavity-enhanced dual-comb spectroscopy promises broadband, high-resolution, and highly sensitive spectroscopic measurements on sub-millisecond timescales, making it highly attractive for trace gas monitoring.
In this work, we demonstrate cavity-enhanced dual-comb spectroscopy in the molecular fingerprint region using two quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) operating as optical frequency combs centered at 1063 cm^-1 spanning 56 cm^-1. The high-finesse bow-tie cavity provided a 285 m effective pathlength, and the high power-per-mode of the QCL combs granted a strong multi-heterodyne signal of the swept-cavity transmission.
This ultimately resulted in a noise equivalent absorption per spectral element of 1.8×10^-9 cm^-1 Hz^-1/2. Measurements of the ν₈ fundamental band of methanol determined concentrations as low as 1.3 ppm in a single shot, with a detection limit of 20 ppb after 30 averages. This demonstrates the potential of cavity-enhanced dual-comb spectroscopy in challenging applications such as free radical kinetics and environmental monitoring.
Perceived work-related stress and associated factors among the surgical workforce in a Nigerian tertiary health facility: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Bashar Jibril M. , Aliyu Danjuma , Anyebe Emmanuel E. , Gabriel Israel , Nasir Amanullahi , Mangari Abdulrrahaman S. , Abubakar Faizah S. , H. Wada Yusuf
Published: November 2024

Healthcare workers continue to experience high levels of work-related stress which continue to negatively affect their psychological, physical, and emotional well-being. This is even more prevalent among healthcare workers who work in surgical specialities, with the surgical operation room becoming a known stressor at hospitals. This study aims to assess work-related stress among surgical team members at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria between January 2021–2022. Data analysis involved descriptive and inferential statistical approaches using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 23.0. The study found an overall high prevalence of work-related stress, with 65% of participants reporting moderate levels of stress. The majority of the participants have a mean age of 39.4 ± 7.8 years, most of them being physicians (66.3%), being males (59.9%), and identified with a Hausa ethnic tribe. Notably, the multiple regression analysis found that tribe (p = 0.008), professional cadres (p = 0.001) and age/years of experience (p = 0.0035) emerged as significant predictors of work-related stress. Key determinants of work-related stress among surgical team members include workload, complexity of work, and conflicting cognitive job demands that continue to subject professionals to increasing workloads and constant decision-making about their job. Organizational factors, such as job policy and procedure, communication problems, and the nature of facilities, were identified as the highest contributors to work-related stress in organizational, interpersonal, and physical/environmental dimensions. The findings lead to the conclusion that a considerable proportion of surgical team members experience a relatively high level of work-related stress, primarily attributed to workload and cognitive demands. In light of these results, urgent efforts are recommended to improve the working conditions and environment for surgical team members. Furthermore, the integration of stress management measures into the educational programs for the surgical team is emphasized to effectively address and mitigate the impact of work-related stress.
Testing for reviewer anchoring in peer review: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Liu Ryan , Jecmen Steven , Conitzer Vincent , Fang Fei , Shah Nihar B.
Published: November 2024

Objective

Peer review frequently follows a process where reviewers first provide initial reviews, authors respond to these reviews, then reviewers update their reviews based on the authors’ response. There is mixed evidence regarding whether this process is useful, including frequent anecdotal complaints that reviewers insufficiently update their scores. In this study, we aim to investigate whether reviewers anchor to their original scores when updating their reviews, which serves as a potential explanation for the lack of updates in reviewer scores.

Design

We design a novel randomized controlled trial to test if reviewers exhibit anchoring. In the experimental condition, participants initially see a flawed version of a paper that is corrected after they submit their initial review, while in the control condition, participants only see the correct version. We take various measures to ensure that in the absence of anchoring, reviewers in the experimental group should revise their scores to be identically distributed to the scores from the control group. Furthermore, we construct the reviewed paper to maximize the difference between the flawed and corrected versions, and employ deception to hide the true experiment purpose.

Results

Our randomized controlled trial consists of 108 researchers as participants. First, we find that our intervention was successful at creating a difference in perceived paper quality between the flawed and corrected versions: Using a permutation test with the Mann-Whitney U statistic, we find that the experimental group’s initial scores are lower than the control group’s scores in both the Evaluation category (Vargha-Delaney A = 0.64, p = 0.0096) and Overall score (A = 0.59, p = 0.058). Next, we test for anchoring by comparing the experimental group’s revised scores with the control group’s scores. We find no significant evidence of anchoring in either the Overall (A = 0.50, p = 0.61) or Evaluation category (A = 0.49, p = 0.61). The Mann-Whitney U represents the number of individual pairwise comparisons across groups in which the value from the specified group is stochastically greater, while the Vargha-Delaney A is the normalized version in [0, 1].
Predicting poor functional outcomes for patients with large computed tomography perfusion core infarctions treated with endovascular thrombectomy
Authors: Karamchandani Rahul R. , Satyanarayana Sagar , Yang Hongmei , Rhoten Jeremy B. , Strong Dale , Clemente Jonathan D. , Defilipp Gary , Patel Nikhil M. , Bernard Joe , Stetler William R. , Parish Jonathan M. , Wolfe Stacey Q. , Guzik Amy K. , Asimos Andrew W.
Published: November 2024

Objective

Stroke patients with large core infarctions benefit from endovascular intervention, though only approximately 20% are functionally independent at 90 days. We studied prognostic factors for patients presenting with a large computed tomography perfusion (CTP) core.

Methods

Retrospective analysis from a health system stroke registry, including consecutive thrombectomy patients treated within 24 hours from August 2020-December 2022 with an anterior circulation large vessel occlusion and CTP core infarct ≥50 milliliters. Logistic regression was used to determine independent predictors of 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score 4–6. The prognostic ability of previously reported scales was also assessed.

Results

In 118 included patients, with mean age 64.3 ± 14.1 years, poor functional outcomes were present in 66 subjects (55.9%). The multivariable regression analysis demonstrated that higher presenting National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (odds ratio [OR] 1.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02–1.23, p = 0.014), elevated glucose (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01–1.03, p = 0.002), absence of treatment with intravenous thrombolysis (OR 4.01, 95% CI 1.35–11.95, p = 0.013), and poor revascularization (OR 4.76, 95% CI 1.24–18.37, p = 0.023) were independently associated with primary outcome. The Charlotte Large artery occlusion Endovascular therapy Outcome Score (CLEOS) predicted 90-day mRS 4–6 (per 25-point increase, OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.10–1.34, p<0.001) and mRS 5–6 (per 25-point increase, OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.10–1.33, p<0.001). Nineteen of 20 (95%) patients with CLEOS ≥ 675 had 90-day mRS scores of 4–6, while 10 of 12 (83.3%) with CLEOS ≥ 725 had 90-day mRS scores of 5–6.

Conclusion

We report prognostic factors that can risk stratify thrombectomy patients with large CTP core infarctions.
MALTectomy and psoriasis risk in women: A prospective study in the French E3N prospective cohort
Authors: Conte Marco , Fournier Agnes , Rothwell Joseph A. , Boutron-Ruault Marie-Christine , Baglietto Laura , Fornili Marco , Sbidian Emilie , Severi Gianluca
Published: November 2024

Background and aim

The involvement of mucosa associated lymphoid tissues (MALT) in the development of an autoimmune response in the skin is unclear and unstudied. In this study we sought to assess the relationship between removal of MALT tissues (MALTectomy) and the risk of development of psoriasis (overall or moderate-to-severe).

Methods

We conducted a prospective observational study based on E3N, a French cohort composed of 98 995 women born between 1925 and 1950 and insured by the health insurance of the national education system (MGEN). The study population included the 90 119 women that completed the 1990 baseline questionnaire with available information on MALTectomy and a valid incident diagnostic date for psoriasis. During the 1990–2018 follow-up period 2 433 incident cases of psoriasis were identified through self-reports while during the period for which drug reimbursement data were available from the MGEN database (2004–2018), 120 cases of moderate-to-severe psoriasis were identified. Hazard ratios (HR) and their 95% confidence intervals were estimated by Cox proportional hazards models and adjusted for known or putative psoriasis risk factors.

Results

Appendectomy was associated with an increased risk of psoriasis both in the univariate [HR: 1.17 (95% CI: 1.08–1.27)] and multivariable models [HR: 1.14 (95% CI: 1.05–1.24)]. A suggestive association with appendectomy was observed for moderate-to-severe psoriasis risk [univariate HR: 1.40 (95%CI: 0.97–2.02); multivariable HR: 1.36 (95%CI: 0.94–1.96)]. No association was observed between tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy both for overall and moderate-to-severe psoriasis.

Conclusions

The observed association between appendectomy and risk of psoriasis warrants further investigations as they may help to elucidate the disease etiology and improve risk prediction.
Using a tablet to understand the spatial and temporal characteristics of complex upper limb movements in chronic stroke
Authors: Austin Devin Sean , Dixon Makenna J. , Hoh Joanna E. , Tulimieri Duncan Thibodeau , Cashaback Joshua G. A. , Semrau Jennifer A.
Published: November 2024

Robotic devices are commonly used to quantify sensorimotor function of the upper limb after stroke; however, the availability and cost of such devices make it difficult to facilitate implementation in clinical environments. Tablets (e.g. iPad) can be used as devices to facilitate rehabilitation but are rarely used as assessment tools for the upper limb. The current study aimed to implement a tablet-based Maze Navigation Task to examine complex upper-limb movement in individuals with chronic stroke. We define complex upper-limb movement as reaching movements that require multi-joint coordination in a dynamic environment. We predicted that individuals with stroke would have more significant spatial errors, longer movement times, and slower speeds compared to controls with increasing task complexity. Twenty individuals with chronic stroke who had a variety of arm and hand function (Upper extremity Fugl-Myer 52.8 ± 18.3) and twenty controls navigated eight pseudorandomized mazes on an iPad using a digitizing stylus. The task was designed to elicit reaching movements engaging both the shoulder and elbow joints. Each maze became increasingly complex by increasing the number of 90° turns. We instructed participants to navigate each maze as quickly and accurately as possible while avoiding the maze’s boundaries. Sensorimotor behavior was quantified using the following metrics: Error Time (time spent hitting or outside boundaries), Peak Speed, Average Speed, and Movement Time, Number of Speed Peaks. We found that individuals with stroke had significantly greater Error Time for all maze levels (all, p < 0.01), while both speed metrics, Movement Time and Number of Speed Peaks were significantly lower for several levels (all, p < 0.05). As maze complexity increased, the performance of individuals with stroke worsened only for Error Time while control performance remained consistent (p < 0.001). Our results indicate that a complex movement task on a tablet can capture temporal and spatial impairments in individuals with stroke, as well as how task complexity impacts movement quality. This work demonstrates that a tablet is a suitable tool for the assessment of complex movement after stroke and can serve to inform rehabilitation after stroke.
Evaluating the World Health Organization’s health promotion strategies: Sentiments, health beliefs, and the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Wang Di , Mao Zhifei , Yao Xinyu
Published: November 2024

Based on the Health Belief Model (HBM), this study examined what messages about COVID-19 were presented on the World Health Organization (WHO)’s Facebook posts, and evaluated WHO’s health promotion strategies by examining the public engagement and sentiment stimulated by different health promotion constructs. One issue with previous studies on HBM and social networking sites is that many researchers considered positive "online engagements" as evidence of "effective health promotion". However, online engagement measures such as shares and comments cannot reflect the sentiment’s valence. Another limitation in previous studies is that they often failed to differentiate between sentiments towards health measures and sentiments towards the disease. We utilized Facebook’s emojis to explore the public’s distinct sentiments towards the WHO’s COVID-19-related health measures and sentiments towards COVID-19. We used content analysis to examine the all the COVID-19-related Facebook posts published by the WHO in 2020, the first year of the pandemic when the COVID-19 vaccines were not generally available to the public. In general, the use of HBM constructs was successful in capturing users’ attention and generating engagement. However, regarding the effect of the use of HBM constructs on the beliefs in COVID-19-related health measures, the results were complex. The mentioning of the beliefs about a disease (perceived susceptibility and severity) tend to induce people’s negative sentiments. The mentioning of ways to increase self-efficacy and cues to actions significantly reduced people’s online engagements and sentiment (either positive or negative). Benefits only stimulated users’ negative reactions while barriers could not stimulate any reactions. Video and text posts generally attracted more Facebook engagement than image and text posts, while text-only posts generally received the least Facebook engagement. We demonstrated that certain health promotion strategies can backfire and even induce negative reactions. Policymakers should be alert to this phenomenon when mentioning certain constructs during health promotions.
Association between the systemic inflammatory response index and mortality in patients with sarcopenia
Authors: Lu Yifan , Lu Chengyin , Luo Zhiqiang , Chen Pei , Xiong Hui , Li Wangyang
Published: November 2024

Background

Sarcopenia is closely linked to inflammation; however, the association between the systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI) and mortality in patients with sarcopenia remains unclear. This study aims to explore the relationship between SIRI and mortality in sarcopenia patients.

Methods

We analyzed data from ten cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning 1999 to 2018, selecting 3,141 sarcopenia patients. Mortality data were obtained from the National Death Index up to December 31, 2019. Participants were divided into three groups based on the ranking of their SIRI values. The association between SIRI and mortality was assessed using Cox proportional hazards models, with smooth curve fitting employed to test the correlation. Sensitivity analyses, subgroup analyses, and interaction tests were conducted to validate the stability of the findings.

Results

A total of 101,316 individuals were included in this study. During a median follow-up of 10.4 years (minimum follow-up time of approximately 0.08 years, maximum follow-up time of 20.75 years), 667 participants died. Kaplan-Meier (KM) analysis indicated a higher risk of mortality in the SIRI Q3 group. Cox regression analysis showed a significant association between the SIRI Q3 group and all-cause mortality [HR 1.24 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.47)] and cardiovascular disease mortality [HR 1.46 (95% CI: 1.04, 2.04)]. Subgroup analysis revealed that SIRI was significantly associated with all-cause mortality across various demographic characteristics (e.g., gender, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease). Sensitivity analysis, excluding participants with cardiovascular disease, those who died within two years of follow-up, and those under 50 years old, indicated higher hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in the SIRI Q3 group.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates a significant association between SIRI and an increased risk of mortality in sarcopenia patients aged 20 years and older.
Chronic systemic inflammation predicts long-term mortality among patients with fatty liver disease: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007–2018
Authors: Pan Xinghe , Lv Jie , Liu Man , Li You , Zhang Yitong , Zhang Rui , Liu Junliang , Sun Chenglin , Guo Hongpeng
Published: November 2024

Background

Low-grade systemic inflammation (SI) in patients with fatty liver disease (FLD) is an important hallmark of disease onset and progression. This study aims to evaluate the prognostic significance of novel SI markers in FLD.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study. We included adult patients with FLD with complete data and analyzed the association between chronic SI and long-term mortality in patients with FLD. Systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV), and systemic inflammation response index (SIRI) were evaluated based on peripheral blood counts and FLD was determined by the Fatty Liver Index.

Results

A total of 5497 patients with FLD were included in the final analysis. SII and PIV (but not SIRI) were found to be associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in univariate analysis. Multivariate Cox regression analysis and KM analysis demonstrated that SII and PIV were associated with all-cause mortality, with SII showing a nonlinear correlation in RCS. PIV (but not SII) was associated with the cardiovascular-related survival probability over time. Stratified analysis indicated that the positive correlation between SII and PIV and all-cause mortality was not altered by subgroups.

Conclusions

SII and PIV are strongly and consistently associated with all-cause mortality in patients with FLD, with PIV potentially showing a closer association with cardiovascular mortality.
Prevalence and influencing factors with knowledge, attitude, and practice toward anemia among school-going adolescent girls in rural Bangladesh
Authors: Rahman Md Jiaur , Rahman Md Moshiur , Sarker Mohammad Habibur Rahman , Kakehashi Masayuki , Tsunematsu Miwako , Ali Mohammad , Ahmed Ashir , Hawlader Mohammad Delwer Hossain , Shimpuku Yoko
Published: November 2024

Background

Anemia is a major public health concern; however, research on anemia and its contributing variables is scarce. To address the gap, we investigated the prevalence and associated factors of anemia in school-aged adolescent girls in rural Bangladesh.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study in two secondary schools at Chandpur, Bangladesh, from January to April 2022. We randomly selected 422 adolescent girls based on prevalence rates from existing research to ensure reliable estimates and a robust study representation. We performed interviews with a semi-structured questionnaire after receiving ethical permission and written informed consent. In addition, physical examination and anthropometric measurements were done, followed by blood testing to identify anemia. Blood hemoglobin was measured using a spectrophotometric method, and quality control was ensured by validated results with control samples. Univariate with multiple logistic regression was employed for analysis to find the association between anemia and all other variables that were adjusted to control the potential effect of confounding variables.

Results

The overall prevalence of anemia was 37.7% (mild- 33.8% and moderate- 3.9%). In the univariate analysis having a working mother (OR 3.84; 95% CI 1.31–11.26), undernutrition (OR 2.40; 95% CI 1.27–4.52), and irregular lunch consumption (OR 2.15; 95% CI 1.00–4.60) were associated with anemia. Conversely, being a user of a slab latrine (OR 0.61; 95% CI 0.40–0.93) and not weekly consumption of pure milk (OR 0.62; 95% CI 0.41–0.92) were negatively associated with anemia. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, associated factors for prevalent anemia were working mother [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 7.65; 95% CI 1.97–29.50], slab latrine user (aOR 0.46; 95% CI 0.26–0.79), and irregular lunch consumption (aOR 2.92; 95% CI 1.21–7.03).

Conclusion

The prevalence of anemia among adolescent girls in rural Bangladesh remains high with undernutrition. Anemia is associated with working mothers, slab latrine users, and irregular lunch consumers within the studied population.’ Thus, policymakers may promote school-based nutritional education and lunch programs with iron supplementation and improve sanitary facilities.
Xiphovelopsis, a new South American genus of Microveliinae (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Gerridae), with the description of a new species
Authors: Floriano Carla Fernanda Burguez , Rodrigues Juliana Mourão dos Santos , Moreira Felipe Ferraz Figueiredo
Published: November 2024

Semiaquatic bugs of the subfamily Microveliinae (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Gerridae) live in a wide range of habitats, including streams, rivers, lakes, lagoons, estuaries, mangroves, caves, crab holes, tree holes and bromeliads. A total of 120 species has been recorded from the Neotropical region, of which 11 bear modified pretarsal structures on the middle leg. They belong to the genera Euvelia Drake, 1957 (seven Neotropical species), Husseyella Herring, 1955 (three Neotropical species), and Xiphovelia Lundblad, 1933 (mainly Asian genus with one Neotropical species assigned to it). Here, we describe Xiphovelopsis Floriano & Moreira, gen. nov. to include Xiphovelopsis tarumana Floriano & Moreira, sp. nov. and Xiphovelopsis lacunana (Drake & Plaumann, 1953) comb. nov., which is removed from the genus Xiphovelia due to the morphological differences and the geographic isolation in relation to its current congeners. We also provide images and notes on Euvelia and Husseyella.
Comparison of anti-HCV combined with HCVcAg (Elecsys HCV Duo immunoassay) and anti-HCV rapid test followed by HCV RNA analysis using qRT-PCR to identify active infection for treatment
Authors: Kanokudom Sitthichai , Poovorawan Kittiyod , Nilyanimit Pornjarim , Suntronwong Nungruthai , Aeemjinda Ratchadawan , Honsawek Sittisak , Poovorawan Yong
Published: November 2024

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can cause acute and chronic hepatitis, leading to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The World Health Organization aims to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030 through extensive screening and treatment. To achieve this goal, comprehensive and widespread screening is essential for diagnosis and treatment. This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the Elecsys® HCV Duo immunoassay (Duo-assay), which simultaneously detects anti-HCV antibodies (Duo/anti-HCV) and HCV core antigen (Duo/HCVcAg) in a single sample, compared with initially antibody testing followed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Additionally, this study aimed to evaluate a relationship between Duo/HCVcAg and qRT-PCR assay in different genotypes. A total of 769 plasma samples were tested using the Duo-assay to further evaluate the test’s performance and conduct Duo/HCVcAg correlation analysis using qRT-PCR for each genotype. Among the active infection group (anti-HCV+/RNA+; n = 473), the Duo-assay showed 100% sensitivity for detecting Duo/anti-HCV and 70.6% for Duo/HCVcAg. In the resolved infection group (anti-HCV+/RNA–; n = 176), the assay showed 100% sensitivity for Duo/anti-HCV and 100% specificity for Duo/HCVcAg. In the non-infected group (anti-HCV–/RNA–; n = 120), the assay showed 100% specificity for both Duo/anti-HCV and Duo/HCVcAg. Moreover, no correlation was observed between the Duo/HCVcAg and HCV RNA tests, irrespective of genotype. These findings indicate that the Duo-assay is highly sensitive for detecting anti-HCV and specifically identifies patients with active infection. Nevertheless, cases with anti-HCV+/HCVcAg–results should undergo additional confirmation with western blot/immunoblot and qRT-PCR to ensure diagnostic accuracy, especially in Blood donation facilities.
PrEP your step: Implementing an online crowdsourcing contest to engage young people in HIV prevention in Washington DC, USA
Authors: Taggart Tamara , Mathews Allison , Junious Toni , Lindsey Joseph A. , Augustine Andrea , Debnam Charles , Boyd Yavonne , Wright Seraiya , Tucker Joseph D. , Magnus Manya
Published: November 2024

HIV incidence among young people (Black and Latinx women and men who have sex with men ages 16–24 years), in the United States is high. Traditional top-down approaches for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) social marketing are not effectively reaching this population. Crowdsourcing is a promising approach to engaging young people in the development of innovative solutions to raise awareness and use of PrEP among those at highest risk of HIV. This study engaged young people in the design and evaluation of an online crowdsourcing contest to promote PrEP among Washington, DC youth. The contest used standard methods recommended by the World Health Organization and feedback from our community partners. Online recruitment using social media elicited online votes and survey responses. We analyzed cross-sectional surveys using descriptive statistics, and semi-structured interviews with contest participants using thematic coding to explore barriers and facilitators to contest engagement. Approximately 82% of entries were from young people in DC. A convenience sample of 181 people voted on their favorite crowdsourced PrEP messages and shared their awareness and attitudes about PrEP. The contest website received 2,500 unique visitors and 4,600 page views. Themes from semi-structured interviews (n = 16) included the need for more community engagement in developing PrEP messaging and positive attitudes towards crowdsourcing. Survey data (n = 887) showed that the crowdsourced messages were well-liked and resonated with the community. Most preferred to see PrEP messages in social media (23%), email (17%) and videos (14%). Approximately 70% of survey participants reported that after viewing the crowdsourced message they would talk to their sexual partner or medical provider (63%) about PrEP, use PrEP (58%), and learn more about PrEP (56%). Crowdsourced messages solicit substantial online viewership. More implementation research is needed to understand the public health impact of integrating social media, crowdsourcing, and community engagement to develop PrEP promotional messages.
Investigation of Astyanax mexicanus (Characiformes, Characidae) chromosome 1 structure reveals unmapped sequences and suggests conserved evolution
Authors: Silva Maelin , Mazzoni Zerbinato Andrade Silva Duílio , Castro Jonathan Pena , Makunin Alex I. , Barby Felipe Faix , de Oliveira Edivaldo Herculano Correa , Liehr Thomas , Cioffi Marcelo Bello , Porto-Foresti Fábio , Foresti Fausto , Artoni Roberto Ferreira
Published: November 2024

Natural selection in the cave habitat has resulted in unique phenotypic traits (including pigmentation loss and ocular degeneration) in the Mexican tetra Astyanax mexicanus, considered a model species for evolutionary research. A. mexicanus has a karyotype of 2n = 50 chromosomes, and long-read sequencing and quantitative trait linkage maps (QTLs) have completely reconstructed the reference genome at the chromosomal level. In the current work, we performed whole chromosome isolation by microdissection and total amplification using DOP-PCR and Whole Chromosome Painting (WCP), followed by sequencing on the Illumina NextSeq platform, to investigate the microstructure of the large and conserved metacentric chromosome 1 of A. mexicanus. The sequences aligned to linkage block 3 of the reference genome, as determined by processing the reads with the DOPseq pipeline and characterizing the satellites with the TAREAN program. In addition, part of the sequences was anchored in linkage blocks that have not yet been assigned to the chromosomes. Furthermore, fluorescence in situ hybridization using WCP 1 carried out in other nearby species revealed a high degree of chromosome conservation, which allows us to hypothesize a common origin of this element. The physical mapping of the repetitive marker sequences provided a micro- and macrostructural overview and confirmed their position in chromosome pair 1. These sequences can serve as comparative tools for understanding the evolution and organization of this chromosome in other species of the family in future studies.
An interactive AI-driven platform for fish age reading
Authors: Cayetano Arjay , Stransky Christoph , Birk Andreas , Brey Thomas
Published: November 2024

Fish age is an important biological variable required as part of routine stock assessment and analysis of fish population dynamics. Age estimates are traditionally obtained by human experts from the count of ring-like patterns along calcified structures such as otoliths. To automate the process and minimize human bias, modern methods have been designed utilizing the advances in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). While many AI-based methods have been shown to attain satisfactory accuracy, there are concerns regarding the lack of explainability of some early implementations. Consequently, new explainable AI-based approaches based on U-Net and Mask R-CNN have been recently published having direct compatibility with traditional ring counting procedures. Here we further extend this endeavor by creating an interactive website housing these explainable AI methods allowing age readers to be directly involved in the AI training and development. An important aspect of the platform presented in this article is that it allows the additional use of different advanced concepts of Machine Learning (ML) such as transfer learning, ensemble learning and continual learning, which are all shown to be effective in this study.
COVID-19-related research data availability and quality according to the FAIR principles: A meta-research study
Authors: Sofi-Mahmudi Ahmad , Raittio Eero , Khazaei Yeganeh , Ashraf Javed , Schwendicke Falk , Uribe Sergio E. , Moher David
Published: November 2024

Background

According to the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable), scientific research data should be findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to massive research activities and an unprecedented number of topical publications in a short time. However, no evaluation has assessed whether this COVID-19-related research data has complied with FAIR principles (or FAIRness).

Objective

Our objective was to investigate the availability of open data in COVID-19-related research and to assess compliance with FAIRness.

Methods

We conducted a comprehensive search and retrieved all open-access articles related to COVID-19 from journals indexed in PubMed, available in the Europe PubMed Central database, published from January 2020 through June 2023, using the metareadr package. Using rtransparent, a validated automated tool, we identified articles with links to their raw data hosted in a public repository. We then screened the link and included those repositories that included data specifically for their pertaining paper. Subsequently, we automatically assessed the adherence of the repositories to the FAIR principles using FAIRsFAIR Research Data Object Assessment Service (F-UJI) and rfuji package. The FAIR scores ranged from 1–22 and had four components. We reported descriptive analysis for each article type, journal category, and repository. We used linear regression models to find the most influential factors on the FAIRness of data.

Results

5,700 URLs were included in the final analysis, sharing their data in a general-purpose repository. The mean (standard deviation, SD) level of compliance with FAIR metrics was 9.4 (4.88). The percentages of moderate or advanced compliance were as follows: Findability: 100.0%, Accessibility: 21.5%, Interoperability: 46.7%, and Reusability: 61.3%. The overall and component-wise monthly trends were consistent over the follow-up. Reviews (9.80, SD = 5.06, n = 160), articles in dental journals (13.67, SD = 3.51, n = 3) and Harvard Dataverse (15.79, SD = 3.65, n = 244) had the highest mean FAIRness scores, whereas letters (7.83, SD = 4.30, n = 55), articles in neuroscience journals (8.16, SD = 3.73, n = 63), and those deposited in GitHub (4.50, SD = 0.13, n = 2,152) showed the lowest scores. Regression models showed that the repository was the most influential factor on FAIRness scores (R2 = 0.809).

Conclusion

This paper underscored the potential for improvement across all facets of FAIR principles, specifically emphasizing Interoperability and Reusability in the data shared within general repositories during the COVID-19 pandemic.