bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Burden of Serious Fungal Infections in India
Authors: Ray Animesh , Aayilliath K Adarsh , Banerjee Sayantan , Chakrabarti Arunaloke , Denning David W
Published: December 2022

Background

Fungal disease is frequent in India, but its incidence and prevalence are unclear. This review aims at defining the frequency or burden of various fungal infections in India.

Methods

A systematic review of the literature on the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science (WOS) databases was conducted using appropriate search strings. Deterministic modeling determined annual incidence and prevalence estimates for multiple life- and sight-threatening infections with significant morbidity.

Results

Literature searches yielded >2900 papers; 434 papers with incidence/prevalence/proportion data were analyzed. An estimated 57 251 328 of the 1 393 400 000 people in India (4.1%) suffer from a serious fungal disease. The prevalence (in millions) of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis is 24.3, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis is 2.0, tinea capitis in school-age children is 25, severe asthma with fungal sensitization is 1.36, chronic pulmonary aspergillosis is 1.74, and chronic fungal rhinosinusitis is 1.52. The annual incidence rates of Pneumocystis pneumonia (58 400), invasive aspergillosis (250 900), mucormycosis (195 000), esophageal candidiasis in HIV (266 600), candidemia (188 000), fungal keratitis (1 017 100), and cryptococcal meningitis (11 500) were also determined. Histoplasmosis, talaromycosis, mycetoma, and chromoblastomycosis were less frequent.

Conclusions

India's fungal burden is high and underappreciated in clinical practice.
Growth-regulating factor 15-mediated gene regulatory network enhances salt tolerance in poplar
Authors: Xu Weijie , Wang Yue , Xie Jianbo , Tan Shuxian , Wang Haofei , Zhao Yiyang , Liu Qing , El-Kassaby Yousry A , Zhang Deqiang
Published: December 2022

Soil salinity is an important determinant of crop productivity and triggers salt stress response pathways in plants. The salt stress response is controlled by transcriptional regulatory networks that maintain regulatory homeostasis through combinations of transcription factor (TF)–DNA and TF–TF interactions. We investigated the transcriptome of poplar 84 K (Populus alba × Populus glandulosa) under salt stress using samples collected at 4- or 6-h intervals within 2 days of salt stress treatment. We detected 24,973 differentially expressed genes, including 2,231 TFs that might be responsive to salt stress. To explore these interactions and targets of TFs in perennial woody plants, we combined gene regulatory networks, DNA affinity purification sequencing, yeast two-hybrid-sequencing, and multi-gene association approaches. Growth-regulating factor 15 (PagGRF15) and its target, high-affinity K+ transporter 6 (PagHAK6), were identified as an important regulatory module in the salt stress response. Overexpression of PagGRF15 and PagHAK6 in transgenic lines improved salt tolerance by enhancing Na+ transport and modulating H2O2 accumulation in poplar. Yeast two-hybrid assays identified more than 420 PagGRF15-interacting proteins, including ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR TFs and a zinc finger protein (C2H2) that are produced in response to a variety of phytohormones and environmental signals and are likely involved in abiotic stress. Therefore, our findings demonstrate that PagGRF15 is a multifunctional TF involved in growth, development, and salt stress tolerance, highlighting the capability of a multifaceted approach in identifying regulatory nodes in plants.
Preserved distraction analgesia but greater impact of pain on task performance in older adults compared with younger subjects
Authors: Lithfous Ségolène , Després Olivier , Devanne Julia , Pebayle Thierry , Dufour André
Published: December 2022

Objective

In this study, we compared two working memory conditions to study the analgesic effect of a distraction in elderly vs young people and the effect of pain on performance on the distracting task.

Methods

Younger (n=27) and older (n= 34) subjects performed 1- and 2-Back working memory tasks, representing low and high cognitive loads, respectively. Infrequent, brief hot nociceptive and cold non-nociceptive stimulations were delivered 100 ms before visual N-Back stimuli. Contact heat–evoked and cold-evoked potentials (N2P2 component) were analyzed in the absence of cognitive tasks and during the N-Back tasks. We compared the pain and cold intensity ratings and reaction times in trials preceded by nociceptive and cold stimulations and in trials not preceded by thermal stimulations between groups and between N-Back conditions.

Results

In both groups, performing the 1- and 2-Back working memory tasks reduced the perceived intensity of nociceptive and cold stimuli. In elderly subjects performing 2-Back memory tasks, response times to trials after nociceptive stimulation were longer than those to trials after cold or non-stimulation. By contrast, thermal stimulations had no effect on reaction times in young subjects. The amplitude of the N2P2 component was lower in the older than in the younger group in the absence of a cognitive task. In the older group, N-Back tasks had no effect on the N2P2 amplitude, whereas they reduced N2P2 amplitude in the young.

Conclusion

Distraction analgesia is preserved in elderly subjects. However, this successful pain modulation seems to be accompanied by performance costs in the distracting tasks.
Micropatterned composite membrane guides oriented cell growth and vascularization for accelerating wound healing
Authors: Li Jiaqi , Liu Xulong , Tao Weiyong , Li Yan , Du Yingying , Zhang Shengmin
Published: December 2022

Skin defect is common in daily life, but repairing large skin defects remains a challenge. Using biomaterials to deliver biochemical or physical factors to promote skin tissue regeneration is of great significance for accelerating wound healing. Specific surface micropatterns on biomaterials could affect cell behavior and tissue regeneration. However, few studies have focused on the construction of wound healing biomaterials with surface micropatterns and their role in skin tissue regeneration. In the present study, gelatin–polycaprolactone/silk fibroin composite membranes with different micropatterns were fabricated by photolithography, including line, grid and plane micropatterns. In vitro cell experiments demonstrated that the line micropattern on the composite membrane could guide cell-oriented growth, and more importantly, promote the expression of angiogenesis-related markers and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) at both gene level and protein level. In the rat full-thickness skin defect model, the composite membrane with line micropatterns increased α-SMA production and neovascularization in wounds, leading to accelerated wound contraction and healing. The current study not only suggests that composite membranes with specific micropatterns can be promising wound repair materials but also provides new insights into the importance of biomaterial surface topology for tissue regeneration.
The Sexual Politics of Paratexts: John Day’s Gorboduc
Authors: Sincox Bailey
Published: December 2022

Because Gorboduc, or The Tragedie of Ferrex and Porrex (1561) sees a king divide his kingdom between his two sons while he still lives, much scholarship discusses the play as an Elizabeth succession parable. However, the printer John Day’s prefatory letter to his 1570 octavo (O2) provides a different frame, documenting an instance of Gorboduc’s later reception that scholarship has not yet recognized. This article argues that by comparing the playtext to a sexually assaulted woman Day does not merely advertise his edition’s supposed superiority to O1, as some have claimed. Considering Day’s reformist network, his investment in preserving Protestantism in England, and his output in 1570—including the massive second edition of Foxe’s Actes and Monuments and political treatises by Gorboduc’s co-author Thomas Norton—Day’s ‘better forme’ of Gorboduc becomes newly legible within histories of reading. For by claiming O2 will ‘play Lucreces part’, Day reads Gorboduc’s materialization of misrule’s effects through violence against ‘Mother Brittaine’ as anti-tyranny polemic—and asks book buyers to read it this way as well. Synthesizing historicist and feminist literary approaches with recent book historical work on paratexts, this article demonstrates how O2’s prefatory letter figures gender violence to justify resistance to tyranny.
Ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy and incisional biopsy of the parotid gland are comparable in diagnosis of primary Sjögren’s syndrome
Authors: Deroo Liselotte , Genbrugge Eva , Dochy Frederick , Creytens David , Achten Helena , De Boeck Kristel , Bauters Wouter , Roels Dimitri , Deprez Joke , Van den Bosch Filip , Elewaut Dirk , Peene Isabelle
Published: December 2022

Objectives

Salivary gland lymphocytic infiltrates are a hallmark of primary SS (pSS), but traditional biopsy techniques hold several disadvantages. Ultrasound-guided core needle (US-guided CN) parotid gland biopsy is minimally invasive and reliable for diagnosis of lymphoma in pSS. This proof-of-concept study aimed to explore this technique in the diagnostic work-up of pSS and is the first to address its value in a consecutive cohort independently of the presence of salivary gland swelling.

Methods

Combined incisional and US-guided CN parotid biopsy was performed in 20 patients with suspected or confirmed pSS from the Belgian Sjögren’s Syndrome Transition Trial (BeSSTT). Surface area and presence of a focus score (FS) of at least one, germinal centres and lymphoepithelial lesions were recorded.

Results

Salivary gland tissue was interpretable in 19 patients. Fourteen patients had ≥4 mm2 salivary gland tissue by both techniques, in four US-guided CN biopsies salivary gland tissue was <4 mm2. Paired biopsies ≥4 mm2 displayed a concordance of 90% for FS ≥ 1. Presence of lymphoepithelial lesions and germinal centres showed absolute concordance. Of four US-guided CN biopsies <4 mm2, three interpretable incisional biopsies were available, 2/3 with perfect concordance. When including biopsies of <4 mm2 salivary gland tissue, presence of FS ≥ 1 or germinal centres gave a sensitivity of 70% in incisional and of 69% in US-guided CN biopsy.

Conclusions

US-guided CN biopsy of the parotid gland is at least equivalent to incisional biopsy of the parotid gland in the diagnostic work-up of pSS.
The role of intermediaries in nurturing innovation ecosystems: a case study of Singapore’s manufacturing sector
Authors: Ng Huey Yuen , Luo Yining , Park Hyunkyu
Published: December 2022

Hitherto marginalized in the extant innovation studies is the role of intermediaries in innovation ecosystems, which require greater coordination and orchestration between manifold organizations. We conduct qualitative research on the Precision Engineering Centre of Innovation to understand how this government-affiliated intermediary in Singapore takes the initiative in shaping an innovation ecosystem through which local/foreign precision engineering firms, government agencies, and multinational corporations harmoniously co-develop advanced manufacturing capabilities. By analyzing the qualitative data through the theoretical lenses of innovation ecosystem and intermediary, our findings reveal that intermediaries nurture ecosystems in four major steps: (1) developing the ecosystem vision, (2) forming the ecosystem community, (3) orchestrating the ecosystem resources, and (4) materializing the new value proposition. Based on this process model, the implications for innovation intermediary research, innovation ecosystem studies, and innovation policy are discussed.
Prognostic factors in acute poisoning with central nervous system xenobiotics: development of a nomogram predicting risk of intensive care unit admission
Authors: Sharif Asmaa F , Kasemy Zeinab A , Alshabibi Rakan A , Almufleh Salem J , Abousamak Fahad W , Alfrayan Abdulmajeed A , Alshehri Muath , Alemies Rakan A , Almuhsen Assim S , AlNasser Shahd N , Al-Mulhim Khalid A
Published: December 2022

Background

Acute intoxication with central nervous system (CNS) xenobiotics is an increasing global problem. Predicting the prognosis of acute toxic exposure among patients can significantly alter the morbidity and mortality. The present study outlined the early risk predictors among patients diagnosed with acute exposure to CNS xenobiotics and endorsed bedside nomograms for identifying patients requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission and those at risk of poor prognosis or death.

Methods

This study is a 6-year retrospective cohort study conducted among patients presented with acute exposure to CNS xenobiotics.

Results

A total of 143 patients’ records were included, where (36.4%) were admitted to the ICU, and a significant proportion of which was due to exposure to alcohols, sedative hypnotics, psychotropic, and antidepressants (P = 0.021). ICU admission was associated with significantly lower blood pressure, pH, and HCO3 levels and higher random blood glucose (RBG), serum urea, and creatinine levels (P < 0.05). The study findings indicate that the decision of ICU admission could be determined using a nomogram combining the initial HCO3 level, blood pH, modified PSS, and GCS. HCO3 level < 17.1 mEq/L, pH < 7.2, moderate-to-severe PSS, and GCS < 11 significantly predicted ICU admission. Moreover, high PSS and low HCO3 levels significantly predicted poor prognosis and mortality. Hyperglycemia was another significant predictor of mortality. Combining initial GCS, RBG level, and HCO3 is substantially helpful in predicting the need for ICU admission in acute alcohol intoxication.

Conclusion

The proposed nomograms yielded significant straightforward and reliable prognostic outcomes predictors in acute exposure to CNS xenobiotics.
Effects of Cold Therapy on Pain and Anxiety During Needle Removal From Implanted Ports
Authors: Bahar Arzu , Aktaş Demet , Sönmez Münevver
Published: December 2022

This study was conducted as a quasiexperimental, single-blind study to examine the effect of cold therapy on pain and anxiety during port needle removal. Patients in the experimental group received cold therapy 10 minutes before port needle removal. Patients in the control group received no intervention before port needle removal. Data were collected using the visual analog scale (VAS) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). After cold therapy was applied to the patients in the experimental group, the second and third VAS scores were found to be statistically significant and lower than those in the control group (P < .05). There was no statistically significant difference between the anxiety levels of the experimental group and the control group before cold therapy (P> .005). However, the STAI scores of the experimental group were found to be statistically and significantly lower than those of the control group after cold therapy (P < .05). This study determined that cold therapy before port needle removal reduces pain and anxiety. Cold therapy may be recommended as an effective nonpharmacological pain control method with ease of application to prevent pain induced by port needle removal.
Prevalence of Adenopathy at Chest Computed Tomography After Vaccination for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2
Authors: McGuinness Georgeann , Alpert Jeffrey B. , Brusca-Augello Geraldine , Azour Lea , Ko Jane P. , Tamizuddin Farah , Gozansky Elliott K. , Moore William H.
Published: December 2022

Objective

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of axillary and subpectoral (SP) lymph nodes after ipsilateral COVID-19 vaccine administration on chest computed tomography (CT).

Methods

Subjects with chest CTs between 2 and 25 days after a first or second vaccine dose, December 15, 2020, to February 12, 2021, were included. Orthogonal measures of the largest axillary and SP nodes were recorded by 2 readers blinded to vaccine administration and clinical details. A mean nodal diameter discrepancy of ≥6 mm between contralateral stations was considered positive for asymmetry. Correlation with the side of vaccination, using a Spearman rank correlation, was performed on the full cohort and after excluding patients with diseases associated with adenopathy.

Results

Of the 138 subjects (81 women, 57 men; mean [SD] age, 74.4 ± 11.7 years), 48 (35%) had asymmetrically enlarged axillary and/or SP lymph nodes, 42 (30%) had ipsilateral, and 6 (4%) had contralateral to vaccination (P = 0.003). Exclusion of 29 subjects with conditions associated with adenopathy showed almost identical correlation, with asymmetric nodes in 32 of 109 (29%) ipsilateral and in 5 of 109 (5%) contralateral to vaccination (P = 0.002).

Conclusions

Axillary and/or SP lymph nodes ipsilateral to vaccine administration represents a clinical conundrum. Asymmetric nodes were detected at CT in 30% of subjects overall and 29% of subjects without conditions associated with adenopathy, approximately double the prevalence rate reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by vaccine manufacturers. When interpreting examinations correlation with vaccine administration timing and site is important for pragmatic management.
Learning
from
others is good,
with
others is better: the role of social interaction in human acquisition of new knowledge
Authors: De Felice Sara , Hamilton Antonia F. de C. , Ponari Marta , Vigliocco Gabriella
Published: December 2022

Learning in humans is highly embedded in social interaction: since the very early stages of our lives, we form memories and acquire knowledge about the world from and with others. Yet, within cognitive science and neuroscience, human learning is mainly studied in isolation. The focus of past research in learning has been either exclusively on the learner or (less often) on the teacher, with the primary aim of determining developmental trajectories and/or effective teaching techniques. In fact, social interaction has rarely been explicitly taken as a variable of interest, despite being the medium through which learning occurs, especially in development, but also in adulthood. Here, we review behavioural and neuroimaging research on social human learning, specifically focusing on cognitive models of how we acquire semantic knowledge from and with others, and include both developmental as well as adult work. We then identify potential cognitive mechanisms that support social learning, and their neural correlates. The aim is to outline key new directions for experiments investigating how knowledge is acquired in its ecological niche, i.e. socially, within the framework of the two-person neuroscience approach.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Concepts in interaction: social engagement and inner experiences’.
Multi-dimensional sensorimotor grounding of concrete and abstract categories
Authors: Banks Briony , Connell Louise
Published: December 2022

Semantic categories, and the concepts belonging to them, have commonly been defined by their relative concreteness, that is, their reliance on perception. However, sensorimotor grounding must be regarded as going beyond the basic five senses and incorporate a multi-dimensional variety of perceptual and action experience. We present a series of exploratory analyses examining the sensorimotor grounding of participant-produced member concepts for 117 categories, spanning concrete (e.g.animalandfurniture) and highly abstract (e.g.unit of timeandscience) categories. We found that both concrete and abstract categories are strongly grounded in multi-dimensional sensorimotor experience. Both domains were dominated by vision and, to a lesser extent, head movements, but concrete categories were more grounded in touch and hand–arm action, while abstract categories were more grounded in hearing and interoception. Importantly, this pattern of grounding was not uniform, and subdomains of concrete (e.g. ingestibles, animates, natural categories and artefacts) and abstract (e.g. internal, social and non-social) categories were grounded in different profiles of sensorimotor experience. Overall, these findings suggest that the distinction between abstract and concrete categories is not as clearcut as ontological assumptions might suggest, and that the strength and diversity of sensorimotor grounding in abstract categories must not be underestimated.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Concepts in interaction: social engagement and inner experiences’.
Influence of language on perception and concept formation in a brain-constrained deep neural network model
Authors: Henningsen-Schomers Malte R. , Garagnani Max , Pulvermüller Friedemann
Published: December 2022

A neurobiologically constrained model of semantic learning in the human brain was used to simulate the acquisition of concrete and abstract concepts, either with or without verbal labels. Concept acquisition and semantic learning were simulated using Hebbian learning mechanisms. We measured the network's category learning performance, defined as the extent to which it successfully (i) grouped partly overlapping perceptual instances into a single (abstract or concrete) conceptual representation, while (ii) still distinguishing representations for distinct concepts. Co-presence of linguistic labels with perceptual instances of a given concept generally improved the network's learning of categories, with a significantly larger beneficial effect for abstract than concrete concepts. These results offer a neurobiological explanation for causal effects of language structure on concept formation and on perceptuo-motor processing of instances of these concepts: supplying a verbal label during concept acquisition improves the cortical mechanisms by which experiences with objects and actions along with the learning of words lead to the formation of neuronal ensembles for specific concepts and meanings. Furthermore, the present results make a novel prediction, namely, that such ‘Whorfian’ effects should be modulated by the concreteness/abstractness of the semantic categories being acquired, with language labels supporting the learning of abstract concepts more than that of concrete ones.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Concepts in interaction: social engagement and inner experiences’.
Rethinking the role of language in embodied cognition
Authors: Dove Guy O.
Published: December 2022

There has been a lot of recent interest in the way that language might enhance embodied cognition. This interest is driven in large part by a growing body of evidence implicating the language system in various aspects of semantic memory—including, but not limited to, its apparent contribution to abstract concepts. In this essay, I develop and defend a novel account of the cognitive role played by language in our concepts. This account relies on the embodied nature of the language system itself, diverges in significant ways from traditional accounts, and is part of a flexible, multimodal and multilevel view of our conceptual system.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Concepts in interaction: social engagement and inner experiences’.
A machine learning-based phenotype for long COVID in children: an EHR-based study from the RECOVER program
Authors: Lorman Vitaly , Razzaghi Hanieh , Song Xing , Morse Keith , Utidjian Levon , Allen Andrea J. , Rao Suchitra , Rogerson Colin , Bennett Tellen D. , Morizono Hiroki , Eckrich Daniel , Jhaveri Ravi , Huang Yungui , Ranade Daksha , Pajor Nathan , Lee Grace M. , Forrest Christopher B. , Bailey L. Charles
Published: December 2022

Background

As clinical understanding of pediatric Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS CoV-2 (PASC) develops, and hence the clinical definition evolves, it is desirable to have a method to reliably identify patients who are likely to have post-acute sequelae of SARS CoV-2 (PASC) in health systems data.

Methods and Findings

In this study, we developed and validated a machine learning algorithm to classify which patients have PASC (distinguishing between Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) and non-MIS-C variants) from a cohort of patients with positive SARS-CoV-2 test results in pediatric health systems within the PEDSnet EHR network. Patient features included in the model were selected from conditions, procedures, performance of diagnostic testing, and medications using a tree-based scan statistic approach. We used an XGboost model, with hyperparameters selected through cross-validated grid search, and model performance was assessed using 5-fold cross-validation. Model predictions and feature importance were evaluated using Shapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) values.

Conclusions

The model provides a tool for identifying patients with PASC and an approach to characterizing PASC using diagnosis, medication, laboratory, and procedure features in health systems data. Using appropriate threshold settings, the model can be used to identify PASC patients in health systems data at higher precision for inclusion in studies or at higher recall in screening for clinical trials, especially in settings where PASC diagnosis codes are used less frequently or less reliably. Analysis of how specific features contribute to the classification process may assist in gaining a better understanding of features that are associated with PASC diagnoses.

Funding Source

This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Agreement OT2HL161847-01 as part of the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) program of research.

Disclaimer

The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the RECOVER Program, the NIH or other funders.
Comparative effectiveness of four COVID-19 vaccines, BNT162b2 mRNA, mRNA-1273, ChAdOx1 nCov-19 and NVX-CoV2373 against SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 (Omicron) infection
Authors: Liu Bette , Stepien Sandrine , Qian Jiahui , Gidding Heather , Nicolopoulos Katrina , Amin Janaki , Cheng Allen , Macartney Kristine
Published: December 2022

There is limited data directly comparing the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. We compared rates of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1/2 infection in Australian adults during March to May 2022 who had received one of four COVID-19 vaccines in the last 14-63 days as either a primary course or a booster dose. As a primary course, compared to recipients of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine, adjusted hazard ratios for SARS-CoV-2 infection were 1.03 (95%CI 0.82-1.30), 1.19 (0.95-1.49), 1.70 (1.46-1.97) for respectively mRNA-1273, ChAdOx-1 nCov-19 and NVX-CoV2373. For booster dose, respective adjusted hazard ratios compared to BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine were 1.02 (95%CI 1.00-1.04), 1.20 (1.10-1.32), 1.39 (1.20-1.60). Our findings suggest relatively higher effectiveness of ancestral strain mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection than viral vector and protein subunit vaccines, but further studies are required due to small numbers of recipients of ChAdOx-1 nCov-19 and NVX-CoV2373.
Unequal Recovery in Colorectal Cancer Screening Following the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparative Microsimulation Analysis
Authors: de Lima Pedro Nascimento , van den Puttelaar Rosita , Hahn Anne I. , Harlass Matthias , Collier Nicholson , Ozik Jonathan , Zauber Ann G. , Lansdorp-Vogelaar Iris , Rutter Carolyn M.
Published: December 2022

The aftermath of the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic may contribute to the widening of disparities in access to colorectal cancer (CRC) screening due to differential disruptions to CRC screening. This comparative microsimulation analysis uses two CISNET CRC models to simulate the impact of ongoing screening disruptions induced by the COVID-19 pandemic on long-term CRC outcomes. We evaluate three channels through which screening was disrupted: delays in screening, regimen switching, and screening discontinuation. The impact of these disruptions on long-term colorectal cancer (CRC) outcomes was measured by the number of Life-years lost due to CRC screening disruptions compared to a scenario without any disruptions. While short-term delays in screening of 3-18 months are predicted to result in minor life-years loss, discontinuing screening could result in much more significant reductions in the expected benefits of screening. These results demonstrate that unequal recovery of screening following the pandemic can widen disparities in colorectal cancer outcomes and emphasize the importance of ensuring equitable recovery to screening following the pandemic.
COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE PREVALENCE OF MALNUTRITION AMONG PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS IN RURAL AND URBAN COMMUNITIES IN WARRI SOUTH
Authors: Emeagi Chinwendu Sandra , Apugo Uchechukwu Ifeanyichukwu
Published: December 2022

Background

Malnutrition among primary school-age children has continued to pose a major public health issue, especially in developing countries. Nigeria is ranked amongst the top ten countries with the highest prevalence of undernutrition in children while about 2,300 children die daily in Nigeria as a result of malnutrition.

Aim

To determine and compare the prevalence of malnutrition among public school pupils in rural and urban communities in Warri South LGA.

Materials and Method

This school-based comparative cross-sectional study made use of a bio-data form that collected socio-demographic details and anthropometric measurements of the pupils. The nutritional status of the pupils was obtained using WHO AnthroPlus software, while the resulting data were analysed and presented accordingly.

Results

A total of 330 pupils (165 each from urban and rural public primary schools) were recruited, out of which more of the pupils in urban areas were younger, had parents who were better educated and employed while those from rural areas had higher family sizes. However, there was no difference in the sex and type of family of the pupils. The prevalence of malnutrition was reported as 36.7% with the prevalent form of malnutrition discovered as underweight (35.0%), followed by stunting (13.9%), overweight/obese (8.5%), and wasting (7.2%). Wasting, stunting, and overweight were higher among urban pupils, while the rate of underweight was higher among rural children.

Conclusion

This high prevalence of undernutrition among urban pupils could be attributed to poor nutrition arising from a myriad of interrelated circumstances such as poor feeding, eating practices, and recurrent infection. Hence, the need for improved sensitisation of mothers concerning correct childhood feeding and provision of balanced nutrition.
No patient is the same; lessons learned from antibody repertoire profiling in hospitalized severe COVID-19 patients
Authors: Bondt Albert , Hoek Max , Dingess Kelly , Tamara Sem , de Graaf Bastiaan , Peng Weiwei , den Boer Maurits A. , Damen Mirjam , Zwart Ceri , Barendregt Arjan , van Rijswijck Danique M.H. , Grobben Marloes , Tejjani Khadija , van Rijswijk Jacqueline , Völlmy Franziska , Snijder Joost , Fortini Francesca , Papi Alberto , Volta Carlo Alberto , Campo Gianluca , Contoli Marco , van Gils Marit J. , Spadaro Savino , Rizzo Paola , Heck Albert J.R.
Published: December 2022

Here, by using mass spectrometry-based methods IgG1 and IgA1 clonal repertoires were monitored quantitatively and longitudinally in more than 50 individual serum samples obtained from 17 COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care units because of acute respiratory distress syndrome. These serological clonal profiles were used to examine how each patient reacted to a severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. All 17 donors revealed unique polyclonal repertoires and changes after infection. Substantial changes over time in the IgG1 and/or IgA1 clonal repertoires were observed in individual patients, with several new clones appearing following the infection, in a few cases leading to a few very high abundant IgG1 and/or IgA1 clones dominating the repertoire. Several of these clones werede novosequenced through combinations of top-down, middle-down and bottom-up proteomics approaches. This revealed several sequence features in line with sequences deposited in the SARS-CoV-specific database of antibodies. In other patients, the serological Ig profiles revealed the treatment with tocilizumab, as after treatment, this IgG1-mAb dominated the serological IgG1 repertoire. Tocilizumab clearance could be monitored and a half-life of approximately 6 days was established in these patients. Overall, our longitudinal monitoring of IgG1 and IgA1 repertoires of individual donors reveals that antibody responses are highly personalized traits of each patient, affected by the disease and the chosen clinical treatment. The impact of these observations argues for a more personalized and longitudinal approach in patients’ diagnostics, both in serum proteomics as well as in monitoring immune responses.
Continuous Patient State Attention Models
Authors: Chauhan Vinod K. , Thakur Anshul , O’Donoghue Odhran , Rohanian Omid , Clifton David A.
Published: December 2022

Irregular time-series (ITS) are prevalent in the electronic health records (EHR) as the data is recorded in EHR system as per the clinical guidelines/requirements but not for research and also depends on the patient health status. ITS present challenges in training of machine learning algorithms, which are mostly built on assumption of coherent fixed dimensional feature space. In this paper, we propose a computationally efficient variant of the transformer based on the idea of cross-attention, called Perceiver, for time-series in healthcare. We further develop continuous patient state attention models, using the Perceiver and the transformer to deal with ITS in EHR. The continuous patient state models utilise neural ordinary differential equations to learn the patient health dynamics, i.e., patient health trajectory from the observed irregular time-steps, which enables them to sample any number of time-steps at any time. The performance of the proposed models is evaluated on in-hospital-mortality prediction task on Physionet-2012 challenge and MIMIC-III datasets. The Perceiver model significantly outperforms the baselines and reduces the computational complexity, as compared with the transformer model, without significant loss of performance. The carefully designed experiments to study irregularity in healthcare also show that the continuous patient state models outperform the baselines. The code is publicly released and verified athttps://codeocean.com/capsule/4587224.
The deacetylase dependent and independent role of HDAC3 in cardiomyopathy
Authors: Ren Jieyu , Zeng Qun , Wu Hongmei , Liu Xuewen , Guida Maria Clara , Huang Wen , Zhai Yiyuan , Li Junjie , Ocorr Karen , Bodmer Rolf , Tang Min
Published: December 2022

Background

Cardiomyopathy is a common disease of cardiac muscle that negatively affects cardiac function. HDAC3 commonly functions as co-repressor by removing acetyl moieties from histone tails. However, a deacetylase-independent role of HDAC3 has also been described. Cardiac deletion of HDAC3 causes reduced cardiac contractility accompanied by lipid accumulation. The molecular function of HDAC3 in cardiomyopathy remains unknown. We have used the powerful genetic tools inDrosophilato investigate the enzymatic and non-enzymatic roles of HDAC3 in cardiomyopathy.

Methods and Results

Using theDrosophilaheart model, we showed that cardiac-specific HDAC3 knockdown leads to prolonged systoles and reduced cardiac contractility. Immunohistochemistry revealed structural abnormalities characterized by myofiber disruption in HDAC3 knock down hearts. Cardiac-specific HDAC3 knockdown showed increased levels of whole body triglycerides and increased fibrosis. The introduction of deacetylase-dead HDAC3 mutant in HDAC3 KD background showed comparable results with wild type HDAC3 in aspects of contractility and Pericardin deposition. However, deacetylase-dead HDAC3 mutants failed to improve triglyceride accumulation.

Conclusions

Our data indicate that HDAC3 plays a deacetylase-independent role in maintaining cardiac contractility and preventing Pericardin deposition as well as a deacetylase-dependent role to maintain triglyceride homestasis.
Optical Genome Mapping for detecting Homologous Recombination Deficiency (HRD) in human breast and ovarian cancers
Authors: Vanhuele Sandra , Kirova Youlia , Hamy-Petit Anne-Sophie , Rapinat Audrey , Gentien David , Callens Céline , Villy Marie-Charlotte , Reyal Fabien , Vincent-Salomon Anne , Eeckhoutte Alexandre , Rodrigues Manuel , Stern Marc-Henri , Popova Tatiana
Published: December 2022

Homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) leads to genomic instability that marks HRD tumor genome with a specific genomic scar. Present in many cancers, HRD is important to be detected as it is associated with a hyper-sensitivity to some classes of drugs, in particular the PARP inhibitors. Here, we investigated the use of structural variants (SVs) detected by the Optical Genome Mapping (OGM) technology as biomarkers to identify HRD tumors. We analyzed SVs data obtained by OGM from 37 samples of triple-negative breast cancer or high grade ovarian cancer with the known HRD status. We found that HRD cases were enriched with duplications and reciprocal translocations, while nonHRD cases were enriched with inversions. The number of translocations, defined as inter-chromosomal or intra-chromosomal rearrangements of more 5Mb were similar in HRD and nonHRD cases. We defined isolated translocations as the subset of translocations having no other translocation within 2 megabase zone around both junctions, and demonstrated that the number of isolated translocations perfectly discriminated HRD and nonHRD cases in the training series. Validation series consisting from 26 cases showed 20% false positive and zero false negative error rate, which proved isolated translocations to be 100% sensitive and 80% specific SV marker of HRD.

Our results demonstrate that the OGM technology is an affordable way of getting an insight of the structural variants present in solid tumors, even with low tumoral cellularity. It represents a promising technology for HRD diagnosis, where a single marker already gives 80% correct recognition.
Epigenetic reprogramming shapes the cellular landscape of schwannoma
Authors: Liu S. John , Casey-Clyde Tim , Cho Nam Woo , Swinderman Jason , Pekmezci Melike , Dougherty Mark C. , Foster Kyla , Chen William C. , Villanueva-Meyer Javier E. , Swaney Danielle L. , Vasudevan Harish N. , Choudhury Abrar , Breshears Jonathan D. , Lang Ursula E. , Eaton Charlotte D , Hiam-Galvez Kamir J. , Stevenson Erica , Chen Kuei-Ho , Lien Brian V. , Wu David , Braunstein Steve E. , Sneed Penny K. , Magill Stephen T. , Lim Daniel , McDermott Michael W. , Berger Mitchel S. , Perry Arie , Krogan Nevan J. , Hansen Marlon , Spitzer Matthew H. , Gilbert Luke , Theodosopoulos Philip V. , Raleigh David R.
Published: December 2022

Cell state evolution underlies tumor development and response to therapy1, but mechanisms specifying cancer cell states and intratumor heterogeneity are incompletely understood. Schwannomas are the most common tumors of the peripheral nervous system and are treated with surgery and ionizing radiation2–5. Schwannomas can oscillate in size for many years after radiotherapy6,7, suggesting treatment may reprogram schwannoma cells or the tumor microenvironment. Here we show epigenetic reprogramming shapes the cellular landscape of schwannomas. We find schwannomas are comprised of 2 molecular groups distinguished by reactivation of neural crest development pathways or misactivation of nerve injury mechanisms that specify cancer cell states and the architecture of the tumor immune microenvironment. Schwannoma molecular groups can arise independently, but ionizing radiation is sufficient for epigenetic reprogramming of neural crest to immune-enriched schwannoma by remodeling chromatin accessibility, gene expression, and metabolism to drive schwannoma cell state evolution and immune cell infiltration. To define functional genomic mechanisms underlying epigenetic reprograming of schwannomas, we develop a technique for simultaneous interrogation of chromatin accessibility and gene expression coupled with genetic and therapeutic perturbations in single-nuclei. Our results elucidate a framework for understanding epigenetic drivers of cancer evolution and establish a paradigm of epigenetic reprograming of cancer in response to radiotherapy.
Host MOSPD2 enrichment at the parasitophorous vacuole membrane varies betweenToxoplasmastrains and involves complex interactions
Authors: Ferrel Abel , Romano Julia , Panas Michael W. , Coppens Isabelle , Boothroyd John C.
Published: December 2022

Toxoplasma gondiiis an obligate, intracellular parasite capable of causing severe disease in warm-blooded animals. Infection of a cell produces a unique niche for the parasite named the parasitophorous vacuole (PV) initially composed of host plasma membrane invaginated during invasion. The PV and its membrane (PVM) are subsequently decorated with a variety of parasite proteins allowing the parasite to optimally grow in addition to manipulate host processes. Recently, we reported a proximity-labeling screen at the PVM-host interface and identified host ER-resident MOSPD2 as being enriched at this location. Here we extend these findings in several important respects. First, we show that the extent and pattern of host MOSPD2 association with the PVM differs dramatically in cells infected with different strains ofToxoplasma. Second, in cells infected with Type I RH strain, the MOSPD2 staining is mutually exclusive with regions of the PVM that associate with mitochondria. Third, immunoprecipitation and LC-MS/MS with epitope-tagged MOSPD2-expressing host cells reveals strong enrichment of several PVM-localized parasite proteins, although none appear to play an essential role in MOSPD2 association. Lastly, most MOSPD2 associating with the PVM is newly translated after infection of the cell and requires the major functional domains of MOSPD2, identified as the CRAL/TRIO domain and tail anchor, although these domains were not sufficient for PVM association. Collectively, these studies provide new insight into the molecular interactions involving MOSPD2 at the dynamic interface between the PVM and the host cytosol.

Importance

Toxoplasma gondiiis an intracellular pathogen that lives within a membranous vacuole inside of its host cell. This vacuole is decorated by a variety of parasite proteins that allow it to defend against host attack, acquire nutrients, and interact with the host cell. Recent work identified and validated host proteins enriched at this host-pathogen interface. Here, we follow up on one candidate named MOSPD2 shown to be enriched at the vacuolar membrane and describe it as having a dynamic interaction at this location depending on a variety of factors. Some of these include the presence of host mitochondria, intrinsic domains of the host protein, and whether translation is active. Importantly, we show that MOSPD2 enrichment at the vacuole membrane differs between strains indicating active involvement of the parasite with this phenotype. Altogether, these results shed light on the mechanism and role of protein associations in the host-pathogen interaction.
Visual versus visual-inertial guidance in hawks pursuing terrestrial targets
Authors: Kempton James A. , Brighton Caroline H. , France Lydia A. , KleinHeerenbrink Marco , Miñano Sofia , Shelton James , Taylor Graham K.
Published: December 2022

The flight behaviour of predatory birds is well modelled by a guidance law called proportional navigation, which commands steering in proportion to the angular rate of the line-of-sight from predator to prey. The line-of-sight rate is defined with respect to an inertial frame of reference, so proportional navigation is necessarily implemented using visual-inertial sensor fusion. In Harris’ hawks, pursuit of terrestrial targets may be even better modelled by assuming that visual-inertial information on the line-of-sight rate is combined with visual information on the deviation angle between the attacker’s velocity and the line-of-sight. Here we ask whether a new variant of this mixed guidance law can model Harris’ hawk pursuit behaviour successfully using visual information alone. We use high-speed motion capture to record n=228 attack fights from N=4 Harris’ hawks, and confirm that proportional navigation and mixed guidance using visual-inertial information both model the trajectory data well. Moreover, the mixed guidance law still models the data closely if visual-inertial information on the line-of-sight rate is replaced with purely visual information on the apparent motion of the target relative to the background. Although the original form of the mixed guidance law provides the closest fit, all three models provide an adequate phenomenological model of the behavioural data, whilst each making different predictions on the physiological pathways involved.
rcsBenhances drug resistance ofKlebsiella pneumoniaeATCC43816 by regulating the formation of its capsule
Authors: Huang Huiqing , Wang Tao , Zhu Jie , Liu Shumin , Du Hong
Published: December 2022

Objective

To analyze the composition and drug resistance characteristics of clinical isolates from a tertiary general hospital of Lianyungang in 2021, and to explore the possible regulatory mechanism of drug resistance ofKlebsiella pneumoniae.

Methods

The clinical samples submitted in 2021 were collected for bacterial culture, identification and drug sensitivity test, and the distribution and drug resistance of the isolated pathogens were analyzed. The biological characteristics of highly virulentKlebsiella pneumoniaeATCC43816 and itsrcsBdeletion strains were compared by growth curve test, viscosity semi quantitative test, uronic acid quantitative test and drug sensitivity test.

Results

A total of 1,077 strains of pathogenic bacteria were isolated, and the top 3 pathogens wereEscherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa(23.96%, 17.46%, 11.23%).Klebsiella pneumoniaehad high resistance rates to cefazolin, ampicillin/sulbactam and cefuroxime. Compared with the wild strain, the MIC values of imipenem, ampicillin/sulbactam and tegacyclin in ΔrcsBwas decreased.

Conclusion

Klebsiella pneumoniaeshould be the focus of bacterial drug resistance monitoring in order to guide early anti-infection treatment.rcsBmay indirectly regulate the drug resistance ofKlebsiella pneumoniaeby regulating the amount of capsule formation, which is of great significance for improving the drug resistance status ofKlebsiella pneumoniae.
Optimal Control of Neural Systems
Authors: Rueckauer Bodo , van Gerven Marcel
Published: December 2022

Brain-machine interfaces have reached an unprecedented capacity to measure and drive activity in the brain, allowing restoration of impaired sensory, cognitive or motor function. Classical control theory is pushed to its limit when aiming to design control laws that are suitable for large-scale, complex neural systems. This work proposes a scalable, data-driven, unified approach to study brain-machine-environment interaction using established tools from dynamical systems, optimal control theory, and deep learning. To unify the methodology, we define the environment, neural system, and prosthesis in terms of differential equations with learnable parameters, which effectively reduce to recurrent neural networks in the discrete-time case. Drawing on tools from optimal control, we describe three ways to train the system: Direct optimization of an objective function, oracle-based learning, and reinforcement learning. These approaches are adapted to different assumptions about knowledge of system equations, linearity, differentiability, and observability. We apply the proposed framework to train an in-silico neural system to perform tasks in a linear and a nonlinear environment, namely particle stabilization and pole balancing. After training, this model is perturbed to simulate impairment of sensor and motor function. We show how a prosthetic controller can be trained to restore the behavior of the neural system under increasing levels of perturbation. We expect that the proposed framework will enable rapid and flexible synthesis of control algorithms for neural prostheses that reduce the need for in-vivo testing. We further highlight implications for sparse placement of prosthetic sensor and actuator components.