bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Boost recall in quasi-stellar object selection from highly imbalanced photometric datasets
Authors: Calderone Giorgio , Guarneri Francesco , Porru Matteo , Cristiani Stefano , Grazian Andrea , Nicastro Luciano , Bischetti Manuela , Boutsia Konstantina , Cupani Guido , D’Odorico Valentina , Feruglio Chiara , Fontanot Fabio
Published: December 2023

Context. The identification of bright quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) is of fundamental importance to probe the intergalactic medium and address open questions in cosmology. Several approaches have been adopted to find such sources in the currently available photometric surveys, including machine learning methods. However, the rarity of bright QSOs at high redshifts compared to other contaminating sources (such as stars and galaxies) makes the selection of reliable candidates a difficult task, especially when high completeness is required.

Aims. We present a novel technique to boost recall (i.e., completeness within the considered sample) in the selection of QSOs from photometric datasets dominated by stars, galaxies, and low-zQSOs (imbalanced datasets).

Methods. Our heuristic method operates by iteratively removing sources whose probability of belonging to a noninteresting class exceeds a user-defined threshold, until the remaining dataset contains mainly high-zQSOs. Any existing machine learning method can be used as the underlying classifier, provided it allows for a classification probability to be estimated. We applied the method to a dataset obtained by cross-matching PanSTARRS1 (DR2),Gaia(DR3), and WISE, and identified the high-zQSO candidates using both our method and its direct multi-label counterpart.

Results. We ran several tests by randomly choosing the training and test datasets, and achieved significant improvements in recall which increased from ~50% to ~85% for QSOs withz> 2.5, and from ~70% to ~90% for QSOs withz> 3. Also, we identified a sample of 3098 new QSO candidates on a sample of 2.6 ×106sources with no known classification. We obtained follow-up spectroscopy for 121 candidates, confirming 107 new QSOs withz> 2.5. Finally, a comparison of our QSO candidates with those selected by an independent method based onGaiaspectroscopy shows that the two samples overlap by more than 90% and that both selection methods are potentially capable of achieving a high level of completeness.
Correlation between Anatomopathological Aspects and Pelvic Pain in Women with Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis
Authors: Yela Daniela Angerame , Silva Mariana Sousa Sguerra , Eloy Larissa , Benetti-Pinto Cristina Laguna
Published: December 2023

Objective To correlate the morphological aspects with pelvic pain in women with deep infiltrating endometriosis.

Methods A retrospective study with 67 women with deep endometriosis who underwent surgical treatment in a tertiary hospital from 2007 to 2017. The following variables were considered: age, parity, body mass index, site of involvement, hormonal treatment before surgery, pelvic pain, and morphometric analysis. The histological slides of the surgical specimens were revised and, using the ImageJ software for morphometric study, the percentages of stromal/glandular tissues were calculated in the histological sections.

Results The mean age of the women was 38.9 ± 6.5 years. The mean pain score was 8.8 ± 1.9 and the mean time of symptomatology was 4.7 ± 3.5 years, with 87% of the patients undergoing hormone treatment prior to surgery. The average expression of CD10, CK7, and S100 markers was 19.5 ± 11.8%, 9.4 ± 5.9%, and 7.9 ± 5.8% respectively. It was found that the greater the expression of CD10, the greater the level of pain (p = 0.02). No correlation was observed between the expression of CD10, CK7, and S100 markers and age and duration of symptoms.

Conclusion Women with deep infiltrating endometriosis have a positive association between the level of pain and the fibrosis component in the endometrial tissue's histological composition.
Incidence and Outcomes Associated with Menopausal Status in COVID-19 Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Akbari Abolfazl , Zarifian Ahmadreza , Hadizadeh Alireza , Hajmolarezaei Ezat
Published: December 2023

Objective Menopause causes several changes in the body that may affect the response to COVID -19. We aimed to investigate the possible association between menopausal status and incidence and outcomes in COVID-19 patients.

Methods Combinations of keywordsCOVID-19, menopause, and estrogen were used to search the PubMed, Embase, Web-of-Science, and Scopus databases for articles reporting the incidence and outcomes of COVID-19 (discharge, length-of-admission, intensive care, or mortality) in premenopausal women, available through December 29, 2022. Data from studies comparing the incidence of COVID-19 infection with the age-matched male population were pooled and meta-analyzed using a random-effects model.

Results Overall, 1,564 studies were retrieved, of which 12 were finally included in the systematic review to compare disease outcomes, and 6 were meta-analyzed for the incidence of COVID-19 in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. All studies reported better COVID-19-associated outcomes in premenopausal women compared with postmenopausal women. After adjusting for confounding factors, three studies found better outcomes in postmenopausal women, and two found no association between menopausal status and COVID-19 outcomes. Our meta-analysis found a higher incidence of COVID-19 infection among premenopausal women than postmenopausal women, when compared with age-matched men (odds ratio = 1.270; 95% confidence interval: 1.086–1.486; p = 0.003).

Conclusion The incidence of COVID-19 was significantly higher in premenopausal women than in postmenopausal women when compared with age-matched men. Although premenopausal women may have more favorable COVID-19-associated outcomes, the presumed preventive effect of estrogens on the incidence and related outcomes of COVID-19 in premenopausal women cannot be proven at present. Further longitudinal studies comparing pre- and post-menopausal women are required to provide further insight into this matter.
Efficacy, Safety, and Acceptability of Misoprostol in the Treatment of Incomplete Miscarriage: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Silva Thiago Menezes da , Araujo Moema Alves Guerra de , Simões Ana Carolina Zimmermann , Oliveira Ronnier de , Medeiros Kleyton Santos de , Sarmento Ayane Cristine , Medeiros Robinson Dias de , Costa Ana Paula Ferreira , Gonçalves Ana Katherine
Published: December 2023

Objective To assess the efficacy, safety, and acceptability of misoprostol in the treatment of incomplete miscarriage.

Data sources The PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Clinical Trials databases (clinicaltrials.gov) were searched for the relevant articles, and search strategies were developed using a combination of thematic Medical Subject Headings terms and text words. The last search was conducted on July 4, 2022. No language restrictions were applied.

Selection of studies Randomized clinical trials with patients of gestational age up to 6/7 weeks with a diagnosis of incomplete abortion and who were managed with at least 1 of the 3 types of treatment studied were included. A total of 8,087 studies were screened.

Data collection Data were synthesized using the statistical package Review Manager V.5.1 (The Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, United Kingdom). For dichotomous outcomes, the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were derived for each study. Heterogeneity between the trial results was evaluated using the standard test, I2 statistic.

Data synthesis When comparing misoprostol with medical vacuum aspiration (MVA), the rate of complete abortion was higher in the MVA group (OR = 0.16; 95%CI = 0.07–0.36). Hemorrhage or heavy bleeding was more common in the misoprostol group (OR = 3.00; 95%CI = 1.96–4.59), but pain after treatment was more common in patients treated with MVA (OR = 0.65; 95%CI = 0.52–0.80). No statistically significant differences were observed in the general acceptability of the treatments.

Conclusion Misoprostol has been determined as a safe option with good acceptance by patients.
Combined Oral Contraceptive Use and the Risk of Cervical Cancer: Literature Review
Authors: Bovo Adriane Cristina , Pedrão Priscila Grecca , Guimarães Yasmin Medeiros , Godoy Luani Rezende , Resende Júlio César Possati , Longatto-Filho Adhemar , Reis Ricardo dos
Published: December 2023

Cervical cancer (CC) is caused by persistent infection of human papillomavirus of high oncogenic risk (hr-HPV); however, several cofactors are important in its carcinogenesis, such as smoking, multiparity, and prolonged use of oral hormonal contraceptives (COCs). Worldwide, 16% of women use COCs, whereas in Brazil this rate is of ∼ 30%. The safety and adverse effects of COCs are widely discussed in the literature, including the increase in carcinogenic risk. Due to the existence of several drugs, combinations, and dosages of COCs, it is hard to have uniform information in epidemiological studies. Our objective was to perform a narrative review on the role of COCs use in the carcinogenesis of cervical cancer. Several populational studies have suggested an increase in the incidence of cervical cancer for those who have used COCs for > 5 years, but other available studies reach controversial and contradictory results regarding the action of COCs in the development of CC.
Relationships Among Physical Activity, Sleep, and Cancer-related Fatigue: Results From the International ColoCare Study
Authors: Crowder Sylvia L , Li Xiaoyin , Himbert Caroline , Viskochil Richard , Hoogland Aasha I , Gudenkauf Lisa M , Oswald Laura B , Gonzalez Brian D , Small Brent J , Ulrich Cornelia M , Ose Jennifer , Peoples Anita R , Li Christopher I , Shibata David , Toriola Adetunji T , Gigic Biljana , Playdon Mary C , Hardikar Sheetal , Bower Julienne , Siegel Erin M , Figueiredo Jane C , Jim Heather S L
Published: December 2023

Background

Risk factors for cancer-related fatigue are understudied in colorectal cancer.

Purpose

This study aimed to address this critical gap in the literature by (a) describing changes in colorectal cancer-related fatigue and health behavior (physical activity, sleep problems) and (b) examining if physical activity and sleep problems predict fatigue trajectories from baseline (approximately at the time of diagnosis), to 6- and 12 months after enrollment.

Methods

Patients participating in the international ColoCare Study completed self-report measures at baseline (approximately time of diagnosis), 6-, and 12 months assessing physical activity using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and fatigue and sleep using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ-C30). Mixed-effect models examined changes in physical activity, sleep problems, and fatigue. Cross-lagged panel models examined bidirectional relationships between physical activity or sleep and fatigue across time.

Results

Colorectal cancer patients (n = 649) had a mean age of 61 ± 13 years. Most were male (59%), non-Hispanic White (91%), diagnosed with Stages III–IV (56%) colon cancer (58%), and treated with surgery (98%). Within-person cross-lagged models indicated higher physical activity at Month 6 was associated with higher fatigue at Month 12 (β = 0.26, p = .016). When stratified by cancer stage (I–II vs. III–IV), the relationship between physical activity at Month 6 and fatigue at Month 12 existed only for patients with advanced cancer (Stages III and IV, β = 0.43, p = .035). Cross-lagged associations for sleep and fatigue from baseline to Month 6 were only observed in patients with Stages III or IV cancer, however, there was a clear cross-sectional association between sleep problems and fatigue at baseline and Month 6.

Conclusions

Within-person and cross-lagged association models suggest fatiguability may become increasingly problematic for patients with advanced colorectal cancer the first year after diagnosis. In addition, sleep problems were consistently associated with higher fatigue in the first year, regardless of cancer stage.

Trial registration

The international ColoCare Study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02328677, in December 2014.
Implementation of a technician success and onboarding coordinator to reduce technician turnover
Authors: Arrona Kimberly L
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This article provides an overview of changes implemented at an academic medical center to reduce pharmacy technician turnover.

Pharmacy technician turnover has been a problem for years. Technicians come and go; they move on to other positions, and continuous turnover is an avoidable expense. With greater focus on creating a successful onboarding experience for newly hired technicians, turnover should decrease and satisfaction and engagement should increase. When a newly hired technician leaves a department within the first year, it can have a negative impact on the engagement of the remaining technicians who spent time training new hires in how to complete tasks, mentoring them, and incorporating them into the team. Creating a positive onboarding experience will decrease expenses accrued and minimize wasted resources and staff time dedicated to a technician who will not be around in 6 months to 1 year. At M Health Fairview, a Minneapolis, MN–based health system, technician retention has been improved through a standardized approach to onboarding and orientation, including creation of the new staff role of technician success and onboarding coordinator (TSOC).

Conclusion

A standard approach to onboarding pharmacy technicians and integrating them into the pharmacy department has proven to be essential to technician retention at M Health Fairview. To get started, it is important to find the right person for the TSOC role to coordinate successful onboarding of newly hired pharmacy technicians. That person should be an individual with passion to engage and inspire newly hired technicians, with several years of experience, and with the ability to cascade knowledge.
Effects of experimental warming on floral scent, display and rewards in two subalpine herbs
Authors: Wu Carrie , Powers John M , Hopp David Z , Campbell Diane R
Published: December 2023

Background and Aims

Floral volatiles, visual traits and rewards mediate attraction and defence in plant–pollinator and plant–herbivore interactions, but these floral traits might be altered by global warming through direct effects of temperature or longer-term impacts on plant resources. We examined the effect of warming on floral and leaf volatile emissions, floral morphology, plant height, nectar production, and oviposition by seed predators.

Methods

We used open-top chambers that warmed plants in the field by +2–3 °C on average (+6–11 °C increase in daily maxima) for 2–4 weeks across 1–3 years at three sites in Colorado, USA. Volatiles were sampled from two closely related species of subalpine Ipomopsis with different pollinators: Ipomopsis aggregata ssp. aggregata, visited mainly by hummingbirds, and Ipomopsis tenuituba ssp. tenuituba, often visited by hawkmoths.

Key Results

Although warming had no detected effects on leaf volatiles, the daytime floral volatiles of both I. aggregata and I. tenuituba responded in subtle ways to warming, with impacts that depended on the species, site and year. In addition to the long-term effect of warming, temperature at the time of sampling independently affected the floral volatile emissions of I. aggregata during the day and I. tenuituba at night. Warming had little effect on floral morphology for either species and it had no effect on nectar concentration, maximum inflorescence height or flower redness in I. aggregata. However, warming increased nectar production in I. aggregata by 41 %, a response that would attract more hummingbird visits, and it reduced oviposition by fly seed predators by ≥72 %.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that floral traits can show different levels of plasticity to temperature changes in subalpine environments, with potential effects on animal behaviours that help or hinder plant reproduction. They also illustrate the need for more long-term field warming studies, as shown by responses of floral volatiles in different ways to weeks of warming vs. temperature at the time of sampling.
Paternal leakage of plastids rescues inter-lineage hybrids in Silene nutans
Authors: Postel Zoé , Van Rossum Fabienne , Godé Cécile , Schmitt Eric , Touzet Pascal
Published: December 2023

Background and Aims

Organelle genomes are usually maternally inherited in angiosperms. However, biparental inheritance has been observed, especially in hybrids resulting from crosses between divergent genetic lineages. When it concerns the plastid genome, this exceptional mode of inheritance might rescue inter-lineage hybrids suffering from plastid–nuclear incompatibilities. Genetically differentiated lineages of Silene nutans exhibit strong postzygotic isolation owing to plastid–nuclear incompatibilities, highlighted by inter-lineage hybrid chlorosis and mortality. Surviving hybrids can exhibit variegated leaves, which might indicate paternal leakage of the plastid genome. We tested whether the surviving hybrids inherited the paternal plastid genome and survived thanks to paternal leakage.

Methods

We characterized the leaf phenotype (fully green, variegated or white) of 504 surviving inter-lineage hybrids obtained from a reciprocal cross experiment among populations of four genetic lineages (W1, W2, W3 and E1) of S. nutans from Western Europe and genotyped 560 leaf samples (both green and white leaves for variegated hybrids) using six lineage-specific plastid single nucleotide polymorphisms.

Key Results

A high proportion of the surviving hybrids (≤98 %) inherited the paternal plastid genome, indicating paternal leakage. The level of paternal leakage depended on cross type and cross direction. The E1 and W2 lineages as maternal lineages led to the highest hybrid mortality and to the highest paternal leakage from W1 and W3 lineages in the few surviving hybrids. This was consistent with E1 and W2 lineages, which contained the most divergent plastid genomes. When W3 was the mother, more hybrids survived, and no paternal leakage was detected.

Conclusions

By providing a plastid genome potentially more compatible with the hybrid nuclear background, paternal leakage has the potential to rescue inter-lineage hybrids from plastid–nuclear incompatibilities. This phenomenon might slow down the speciation process, provided hybrid survival and reproduction can occur in the wild.
When Athens invaded Denmark: reading Thucydides before and during the Second World War
Authors: Kopp Hans
Published: December 2023

The Danish politician Hartvig Frisch’s reading of Thucydides at the eve of and during the Second World War is a particularly illuminating example of the modern reception of the Athenian historian. This is not due to any peculiar character of his interpretation, which scarcely differs from other contemporary accounts of the History of the Peloponnesian War as a lesson in seeing the world ‘realistically’. Rather, it is due to Frisch’s eagerness to make the text meaningful in a very practical sense. Addressing fellow socialist politicians, working-class youths, and students alike, and drawing parallels between the situation of his native Denmark and the fate of the Greek island town of Melos in 416 bce, Frisch saw Thucydides’ History as an invaluable guide for the demanding times of the late 1930s and 1940s, in particular for the inhabitants of ‘small nations’ like his own.
scDMV: a zero–one inflated beta mixture model for DNA methylation variability with scBS-seq data
Authors: Zhou Yan , Zhang Ying , Peng Minjiao , Zhang Yaru , Li Chenghao , Shu Lianjie , Hu Yaohua , Su Jianzhong , Xu Jinfeng
Published: December 2023

Motivation

The utilization of single-cell bisulfite sequencing (scBS-seq) methods allows for precise analysis of DNA methylation patterns at the individual cell level, enabling the identification of rare populations, revealing cell-specific epigenetic changes, and improving differential methylation analysis. Nonetheless, the presence of sparse data and an overabundance of zeros and ones, attributed to limited sequencing depth and coverage, frequently results in reduced precision accuracy during the process of differential methylation detection using scBS-seq. Consequently, there is a pressing demand for an innovative differential methylation analysis approach that effectively tackles these data characteristics and enhances recognition accuracy.

Results

We propose a novel beta mixture approach called scDMV for analyzing methylation differences in single-cell bisulfite sequencing data, which effectively handles excess zeros and ones and accommodates low-input sequencing. Our extensive simulation studies demonstrate that the scDMV approach outperforms several alternative methods in terms of sensitivity, precision, and controlling the false positive rate. Moreover, in real data applications, we observe that scDMV exhibits higher precision and sensitivity in identifying differentially methylated regions, even with low-input samples. In addition, scDMV reveals important information for GO enrichment analysis with single-cell whole-genome sequencing data that are often overlooked by other methods.

Availability and implementation

The scDMV method, along with a comprehensive tutorial, can be accessed as an R package on the following GitHub repository: https://github.com/PLX-m/scDMV.
TEFDTA: a transformer encoder and fingerprint representation combined prediction method for bonded and non-bonded drug–target affinities
Authors: Li Zongquan , Ren Pengxuan , Yang Hao , Zheng Jie , Bai Fang
Published: December 2023

Motivation

The prediction of binding affinity between drug and target is crucial in drug discovery. However, the accuracy of current methods still needs to be improved. On the other hand, most deep learning methods focus only on the prediction of non-covalent (non-bonded) binding molecular systems, but neglect the cases of covalent binding, which has gained increasing attention in the field of drug development.

Results

In this work, a new attention-based model, A Transformer Encoder and Fingerprint combined Prediction method for Drug–Target Affinity (TEFDTA) is proposed to predict the binding affinity for bonded and non-bonded drug–target interactions. To deal with such complicated problems, we used different representations for protein and drug molecules, respectively. In detail, an initial framework was built by training our model using the datasets of non-bonded protein–ligand interactions. For the widely used dataset Davis, an additional contribution of this study is that we provide a manually corrected Davis database. The model was subsequently fine-tuned on a smaller dataset of covalent interactions from the CovalentInDB database to optimize performance. The results demonstrate a significant improvement over existing approaches, with an average improvement of 7.6% in predicting non-covalent binding affinity and a remarkable average improvement of 62.9% in predicting covalent binding affinity compared to using BindingDB data alone. At the end, the potential ability of our model to identify activity cliffs was investigated through a case study. The prediction results indicate that our model is sensitive to discriminate the difference of binding affinities arising from small variances in the structures of compounds.

Availability and implementation

The codes and datasets of TEFDTA are available at https://github.com/lizongquan01/TEFDTA.
BKCa channels are involved in spontaneous and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated uterine contraction in late gestation mice
Authors: Bao Junjie , Ma Xiaofeng , Kent Lindsey N , Wakle-Prabagaran Monali , McCarthy Ronald , England Sarah K
Published: December 2023

The large-conductance, voltage-gated, calcium (Ca2+)-activated potassium channel (BKCa) is one of the most abundant potassium channels in the myometrium. Previous work conducted by our group has identified a link between inflammation, BKCa channels and excitability of myometrial smooth muscle cells. Here, we investigate the role of BKCa channels in spontaneous and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated uterine contraction to gain a better understanding of the relationship between the BKCa channel and uterine contraction in basal and inflammatory states. Uteri of C57BL/6 J mice on gestational day 18.5 (GD18.5) were obtained and either fixed in formalin or used immediately for tension recording or isolation of primary myocytes for patch-clamp. Paraffin sections were used for immunofluorescenctdetection of BKCa and Toll-like receptor (TLR4). For tension recordings, LPS was administered to determine its effect on uterine contractions. Paxilline, a BKCa inhibitor, was used to dissect the role of BKCa in uterine contraction in basal and inflammatory states. Finally, patch-clamp recordings were performed to investigate the relationship between LPS, the BKCa channel and membrane currents in mouse myometrial smooth muscle cells (mMSMCs). We confirmed the expression of BKCa and TLR4 in the myometrium of GD18.5 mice and found that inhibiting BKCa channels with paxilline suppressed both spontaneous and LPS-stimulated uterine contractions. Furthermore, application of BKCa inhibitors (paxilline or iberiotoxin) after LPS inhibited BKCa channel activity in mMSMCs. Moreover, pretreatment with BKCa inhibitor or the TLR4 inhibitor suppressed LPS-activated BKCa currents. Our study demonstrates that BKCa channels are involved in both basal and LPS-stimulated uterine contraction in pregnant mice.
Long non-coding RNAs: a summary of their roles in placenta development and pathology
Authors: Adu-Gyamfi Enoch Appiah , Cheeran Elisha Ann , Salamah Joudi , Enabulele Divine Blessing , Tahir Ayesha , Lee Bum-Kyu
Published: December 2023

Long non-coding RNAs are cellular transcripts that have ˃200 nucleotides in length and do not code for proteins. Due to their low expression levels, long non-coding RNAs were previously considered as mere transcriptional noise. However, current evidence indicates that they regulate a myriad of biological processes such as cell proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis. Hence, their expression patterns are crucial indicators of the physiological or pathological states of cells, tissues, and organs. The utilization of long non-coding RNAs as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for the clinical management of several diseases have been suggested. Gradually, long non-coding RNAs are gaining a substantial attention in the field of feto-maternal medicine. After embryo implantation, the interactions between the trophoblast cells from the embryo and the uterus of the mother facilitate placenta development and pregnancy progression. These processes are tightly regulated, and their impairments result in pregnancy pathologies such as miscarriage and preeclampsia. Accumulating evidence implicates long non-coding RNAs in these processes. Herein, we have summarized the roles of several long non-coding RNAs in human placenta development, have proposed some mechanisms by which they participate in physiological and pathological placentation, have revealed some knowledge deficits, and have recommended ideal experimental approaches that will facilitate the clarification of the mechanistic actions of each long non-coding RNA at the feto-maternal interface during healthy and pathological pregnancies.
Polypharmacy Is Associated With Slow Gait Speed and Recurrent Falls in Older People With HIV
Authors: Kosana Priya , Wu Kunling , Tassiopoulos Katherine , Letendre Scott , Ma Qing , Paul Robert , Ellis Ronald , Erlandson Kristine M , Farhadian Shelli F
Published: December 2023

Background

Older people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, PWH) are prone to using multiple medications due to higher rates of medical comorbidities and the use of antiretroviral therapy (ART). We assessed the prevalence and clinical impact of polypharmacy among PWH.

Methods

We leveraged clinical data from the AIDS Clinical Trials Group A5322 study “Long-Term Follow-up of Older HIV-infected Adults: Addressing Issues of Aging, HIV Infection and Inflammation” (HAILO). We included PWH aged ≥40 years with plasma HIV RNA levels <200 copies/µL. We assessed the relationship between polypharmacy (defined as the use of 5 or more prescription medications, excluding ART) and hyperpolypharmacy (defined as the use of 10 or more prescription medications, excluding ART) with slow gait speed (less than 1 meter/second) and falls, including recurrent falls.

Results

Excluding ART, 24% of study participants had polypharmacy and 4% had hyperpolypharmacy. Polypharmacy was more common in women (30%) than men (23%). Participants with polypharmacy had a higher risk of slow gait speed (odds ratio [OR] = 1.78; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.27–2.50) and increased risk of recurrent falls (OR = 2.12; 95% CI = 1.06–4.23). The risk for recurrent falls was further increased in those with hyperpolypharmacy compared with those without polypharmacy (OR = 3.46; 95% CI = 1.32–9.12).

Conclusions

In this large, mixed-sex cohort of PWH aged ≥40 years, polypharmacy was associated with slow gait speed and recurrent falls, even after accounting for medical comorbidities, alcohol use, substance use, and other factors. These results highlight the need for increased focus on identifying and managing polypharmacy and hyperpolypharmacy in PWH.
Three types of income inequality: a comparison of left behind places and more developed regions in the EU
Authors: Faggian Alessandra , Michelangeli Alessandra , Tkach Kateryna
Published: December 2023

Despite the growing interest in subjective inequality, little is known about the relation between this and more objective measures of inequality, especially in the light of regional disparities. This study focuses on the patterns of actual income inequality and two subjective measures in NUTS 2 EU regions. By accounting for multiple indicators of economic (under)performance, we show that actual inequality is positively related to people’s perceptions in left behind places, but not in more developed regions. Furthermore, both residents of less developed or—‘left behind’—regions and those of more developed regions exhibit a preference for lower levels of income inequality.
A generative hypergraph model for double heterogeneity
Authors: Li Zhao , Zhang Jing , Zheng Guozhong , Chen Li , Zhang Jiqiang , Cai Weiran
Published: December 2023

While network science has become an indispensable tool for studying complex systems, the conventional use of pairwise links often shows limitations in describing high-order interactions properly. Hypergraphs, where each edge can connect more than two nodes, have thus become a new paradigm in network science. Yet, we are still in lack of models linking network growth and hyperedge expansion, both of which are commonly observable in the real world. Here, we propose a generative hypergraph model by employing the preferential attachment mechanism in both nodes and hyperedge formation. The model can produce bi-heterogeneity, exhibiting scale-free distributions in both hyperdegree and hyperedge size. We provide a mean-field treatment that gives the expression of the two scaling exponents, which agree with the numerical simulations. Our model may help to understand the networked systems showing both types of heterogeneity and facilitate the study of complex dynamics thereon.
Concomitant treatment of sustained ventricular tachycardia and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with transcoronary ethanol ablation: a case report
Authors: Xia Eric T , Lee Kevin , Minga Iva , Nazari Jose , Metzl Mark D
Published: December 2023

Background

The recommended treatment for recurrent ventricular tachycardia in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that is not amenable to defibrillator implantation due to shock burden is radiofrequency ablation. In patients with deeply intramural foci of ventricular tachycardia, traditional unipolar ablation has a lower probability of success.

Case summary

A 66-year-old Caucasian man was admitted with ventricular tachycardia, which recurred despite antiarrhythmic drugs. On cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, he was discovered to have septal hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which was not significant on echocardiogram. The focus of ventricular tachycardia was suspected to be buried deeply within the hypertrophic segment as localized by late gadolinium enhancement. The patient underwent transcoronary ethanol ablation, which abated the ventricular tachycardia while also completely decreasing his invasively measured left ventricular outflow tract obstruction gradient from 45 to 17 mmHg.

Discussion

Transcoronary ethanol ablation may be successfully applied to simultaneously treat ventricular arrhythmia superimposed within a segment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Further data are needed to evaluate long-term success of this strategy vs. traditional radiofrequency ablation.
Cardiac pseudoaneurysms: a clinical case series
Authors: Alexander Grace , Ashwath Mahi L
Published: December 2023

Background

Cardiac pseudoaneurysms are a potentially life-threatening pathology with a variety of non-specific clinical manifestations. This case series uniquely shares a collection of rare pathologies with differing preceding risk factors and presentations, with an emphasis on the utility of multi-modality imaging in diagnosis and management.

Case summary

We present three cases of cardiac pseudoaneurysms. Case 1 is a 27-year-old woman with delayed presentation of a traumatic left ventricular pseudoaneurysm (LVP). Case 2 is a 73-year-old man with post-myocardial infarction LVP. Case 3 is a 38-year-old man with left ventricular outflow tract pseudoaneurysm after aortic valve replacement.

Discussion

Cardiac pseudoaneurysms are rare and important to diagnose in a timely manner. Advances in non-invasive imaging modalities have improved our ability to distinguish pseudoaneurysms from other pathologies, leading to more timely management.
Anomalous origin of the left circumflex coronary artery: is surgery required? A case report
Authors: Murray William , Lavery Ros , O’Brien Jim
Published: December 2023

Background

Deviations from usual coronary artery anatomy are well documented. The left circumflex artery (LCx) arising from the pulmonary artery is an example of one such deviation which is rarely seen. We present the case of a 26-year-old male with this coronary artery distribution presenting with an episode of ventricular flutter with late gadolinium enhancement and pluri-morphological ventricular arrhythmias.

Case summary

A 26-year-old male with a history of cardiac surgery presented to his local hospital with an episode of symptomatic broad-complex tachycardia (BCT). It failed to revert to sinus rhythm following intravenous beta-blockers and amiodarone and required external cardioversion. Subsequently, the patient developed a aspiration pneumonia requiring ICU admission, after which he was transferred to our institute for ongoing cardiac management. Cardiac computed tomography CTA and coronary angiography revealed that the LCx was found to originate from the pulmonary artery. He underwent insertion of a subcutaneous pacemaker and was subsequently discharged. Despite the potential for steal syndrome of viable coronary territories. Multidisciplinary team discussion determined him to be fit for conservative management and not for surgical correction of his anomalous coronary artery anatomy.

Discussion

Aberrant coronary artery anatomy can lead to diverse outcomes for patients in terms of both morbidity and mortality. The need for surgery in these situations varies on a case-by-case basis and little research exists to guide decision-making for healthcare professionals. As such there is a need for further study both to guide treatment and to ensure high-quality outcomes for patients with this condition.
Long-term secondary prevention and outcome following acute coronary syndrome: real-world results from the Swedish Primary Care Cardiovascular Database
Authors: Bentzel Sara , Ljungman Charlotta , Hjerpe Per , Schiöler Linus , Manhem Karin , Bengtsson Boström Kristina , Kahan Thomas , Mourtzinis Georgios
Published: December 2023

Aims

Most studies of treatment adherence after acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are based on prescribed drugs and lack long-term follow-up or consecutive data on risk factor control. We studied the long-term treatment adherence, risk factor control, and its association to recurrent ACS and death.

Methods and results

We retrospectively included 3765 patients (mean age 75 years, 40% women) with incident ACS from 1 January 2006 until 31 December 2010 from the Swedish Primary Care Cardiovascular Database of Skaraborg. All patients were followed until 31 December 2014 or death. We recorded blood pressure (BP), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), recurrent ACS, and death. We used data on dispensed drugs to calculate the proportion of days covered for secondary prevention medications. Cox regressions were used to analyse the association of achieved BP and LDL-C to recurrent ACS and death. The median follow-up time was 4.8 years. The proportion of patients that reached BP of <140/90 mm Hg was 58% at Year 1 and 66% at Year 8. 65% of the patients reached LDL-C of <2.5 mmol/L at Year 1 and 56% at Year 8; however, adherence to statins varied from 43% to 60%. Only 62% of the patients had yearly measured BP, and only 28% yearly measured LDL-C. Systolic BP was not associated with a higher risk of recurrent ACS or death. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol of 3.0 mmol/L was associated with a higher risk of recurrent ACS {hazard ratio [HR] 1.19 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00–1.40]} and death HR [1.26 (95% CI 1.08–1.47)] compared with an LDL-C of 1.8 mmol/L.

Conclusion

This observational long-term real-world study demonstrates low drug adherence and potential for improvement of risk factors after ACS. Furthermore, the study confirms that uncontrolled LDL-C is associated with adverse outcome even in this older population.
Ideal cardiovascular health and cardiovascular-related events: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: te Hoonte Femke , Spronk Merve , Sun Qi , Wu Kangrui , Fan Shiqi , Wang Ziyi , Bots Michiel L , Van der Schouw Yvonne T , Uijl Alicia , Vernooij Robin W M
Published: December 2023

Aims

The aim of this study was to systematically review and quantitatively summarize the evidence on the association between Life Simple’s 7 (LS7) and multiple cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs).

Methods and results

EMBASE and PubMed were searched from January 2010 to March 2022 for observational studies that investigated the association between ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) with CVD or CMD outcomes in an adult population. Two reviewers independently selected studies according to the eligibility criteria, extracted data, and evaluated risk of bias. Data were analysed with a random-effects meta-analysis. This meta-analysis included 59 studies (1 881 382 participants). Participants with ideal CVH had a considerably lower risk of a variety of CVDs and CMDs as compared with those with poor CVH, varying from 40% lower risk for atrial fibrillation (AF) {hazard ratio [HR] = 0.60 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.44–0.83]} to 82% lower risk for myocardial infarction [HR = 0.18 (95% CI 0.12–0.28)]. Intermediate CVH was associated with 27–57% lower risk in CVDs and CMDs compared with poor CVH, with the highest hazard for AF [HR = 0.73 (95% CI 0.59–0.91)] and the lowest hazard for peripheral arterial disease [HR = 0.43 (95% CI 0.30–0.60)].

Conclusion

Ideal and moderate CVH were associated with a lower incidence of CVDs and CMDs than poor CVH. Life Simple’s 7 holds significant potential for promoting overall CVH and thereby contributing to the prevention of CVDs.
Heterologous pulcherrimin production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae confers inhibitory activity on Botrytis conidiation
Authors: Freimoser Florian M , Mahler Marina , McCullough Mark , Brachmann Alexander O , Nägeli Lukas , Hilber-Bodmer Maja , Piel Jörn , Hoffmann Stefan A , Cai Yizhi
Published: December 2023

Pulcherrimin is an iron (III) chelate of pulcherriminic acid that plays a role in antagonistic microbial interactions, iron metabolism, and stress responses. Some bacteria and yeasts produce pulcherriminic acid, but so far, pulcherrimin could not be produced in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, multiple integrations of the Metschnikowia pulcherrima PUL1 and PUL2 genes in the S. cerevisiae genome resulted in red colonies, which indicated pulcherrimin formation. The coloration correlated positively and significantly with the number of PUL1 and PUL2 genes. The presence of pulcherriminic acid was confirmed by mass spectrometry. In vitro competition assays with the plant pathogenic fungus Botrytis caroliana revealed inhibitory activity on conidiation by an engineered, strong pulcherrimin-producing S. cerevisiae strain. We demonstrate that the PUL1 and PUL2 genes from M. pulcherrima, in multiple copies, are sufficient to transfer pulcherrimin production to S. cerevisiae and represent the starting point for engineering and optimizing this biosynthetic pathway in the future.
Systematic profiling of ale yeast protein dynamics across fermentation and repitching
Authors: Garge Riddhiman K , Geck Renee C , Armstrong Joseph O , Dunn Barbara , Boutz Daniel R , Battenhouse Anna , Leutert Mario , Dang Vy , Jiang Pengyao , Kwiatkowski Dusan , Peiser Thorin , McElroy Hoyt , Marcotte Edward M , Dunham Maitreya J
Published: December 2023

Studying the genetic and molecular characteristics of brewing yeast strains is crucial for understanding their domestication history and adaptations accumulated over time in fermentation environments, and for guiding optimizations to the brewing process itself. Saccharomyces cerevisiae (brewing yeast) is among the most profiled organisms on the planet, yet the temporal molecular changes that underlie industrial fermentation and beer brewing remain understudied. Here, we characterized the genomic makeup of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae ale yeast widely used in the production of Hefeweizen beers, and applied shotgun mass spectrometry to systematically measure the proteomic changes throughout 2 fermentation cycles which were separated by 14 rounds of serial repitching. The resulting brewing yeast proteomics resource includes 64,740 protein abundance measurements. We found that this strain possesses typical genetic characteristics of Saccharomyces cerevisiae ale strains and displayed progressive shifts in molecular processes during fermentation based on protein abundance changes. We observed protein abundance differences between early fermentation batches compared to those separated by 14 rounds of serial repitching. The observed abundance differences occurred mainly in proteins involved in the metabolism of ergosterol and isobutyraldehyde. Our systematic profiling serves as a starting point for deeper characterization of how the yeast proteome changes during commercial fermentations and additionally serves as a resource to guide fermentation protocols, strain handling, and engineering practices in commercial brewing and fermentation environments. Finally, we created a web interface (https://brewing-yeast-proteomics.ccbb.utexas.edu/) to serve as a valuable resource for yeast geneticists, brewers, and biochemists to provide insights into the global trends underlying commercial beer production.
Developing a Standardized Questionnaire for Measuring Older Adult’s Health and Well-Being in Kenya
Authors: Maina Lucy W , Chepngeno-Langat Gloria , Mwangi Samuel M
Published: December 2023

Background and Objectives

Policy and program interventions for older adults 60 years or older in Africa have consistently been undermined by a lack of vital data as they are usually excluded from nationally representative population surveys. The Health and Wellbeing of Older Persons in Kenya (HWOPs-1) study developed a standardized assessment questionnaire that can be used for periodic data generation. This study presents how the questionnaire was developed and examines its internal consistency and psychometric properties of the health module.

Research Design and Methods

The development and validation of the HWOPs-1 questionnaire was a 3-step process. Step 1 was a review of 19 panel studies and 2 national level surveys followed by a wide consultation with key experts and stakeholders on aging. The 3rd step was validation of the questionnaire with a cross-section of a representative sample to test its applicability and adaptability in a mix of rural and semi-urban settings. The internal consistency and psychometric properties of the 3 subscales: functionality, disability, and quality of life were assessed using Cronbach’s (α) alpha and exploratory factor analysis, respectively.

Results

Three subscales of functionality, disability, and quality of life showed high internal consistency with α = 0.94, 0.97, and 0.87, respectively. There were also consistent factor loadings above 0.3 across all the factors. Gender differences across the 3 scales from the results of t test were observed. Finally, weak but statistically significant correlations between the measures of well-being and risk factors for noncommunicable diseases were also observed from the analyses.

Discussion and Implications

The indicators assessed have been used in settings outside Africa to measure health and well-being of older adults are adaptable and reliable enabling comparability across space and across studies. The questionnaire provides a framework for examining disease and disability burden and their determinants among older adults in Kenya or similar settings.
Enabling product development partnerships to bring forward the next generation of health technologies
Authors: So Anthony D , Woo Joshua , Helble Matthias
Published: December 2023

Over the past quarter century, product development partnerships (PDPs) have importantly brought health technologies, particularly for neglected diseases, to market for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). With public sector financing, PDPs de-risk the gulf between where the global burden of disease falls and where paying markets exist. From fighting COVID-19 to developing novel antibiotics, the work of PDPs now extends beyond these traditional bounds. As PDPs have shepherded more health technologies to market, they are also confronting new access challenges. This article lays out 5 areas to strategically leverage the PDP model for better access to new health technologies. Making the case for enhanced support of the PDP approach will require greater transparency, as well as recognition of the contributions made by both public and private sector partners. The governance and funding of PDPs must be accountable to meeting the needs and building capacity of target beneficiaries in LMICs. To take an end-to-end approach, PDPs must work in tandem with other public sector institutions as well as local manufacturers as part of a larger innovation ecosystem. PDPs will need to keep pace with both the dynamics of diseases and markets in delivering the next generation of much needed health technologies.