bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic evaluation of institutions as a basis for designing the Brazilian maturity model of telehealth services
Authors: Silva Angélica Baptista , Pisa Ivan Torres , Messina Luiz Ary , Pelogi Andréa Pereira Simões , Tenório Josceli Maria , Sousa Fernando Sequeira , Santos Daniela Lacerda , Maia Jessi , de Andrade Filha Ianê Germano , Guedes Ana Cristina Carneiro Menezes , de Lima Lopes Paulo Roberto , da Silva Maia Paulo Ricardo
Published: March 2024

Background

The number and specificities of telehealth service units that expanded their services and diversified with the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil need to be discovered. The objective of this manuscript is to present a methodology for the diagnostic evaluation of 19 telehealth units from different regions of the country for federal governmental decision-making.

Methods

A cross-sectional quantitative and qualitative study was carried out in the form of a census based on administrative records with an online survey and in-depth interviews with local telehealth managers.

Results

Despite the discontinuity of regular funding, the results point to a diversity of initiatives and advances. Citizenship, sustainability, security, and budget management are recurring themes in the maturity analysis of telehealth services after the advent of the pandemic.

Conclusion

It is necessary for Brazil to build a resilient model of the maturity of telehealth services that contemplates the different regional scenarios.
Reduction in all-cause medical and caregiving costs through innovative health awareness projects in a rural area in Japan: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Shoji Ayako , Kudo Kennichi , Murashita Koichi , Nakaji Shigeyuki , Igarashi Ataru
Published: March 2024

Background

This study evaluates cost reduction in participants of a health awareness program (the Center of Healthy Aging Program, CHAP) in a Japanese rural area, characterized by an annual check-up and personalized interview on health issues and related risks immediately after the check-up.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study using medical and caregiving costs and Japan-specific health check-up results in Hirosaki residents stored by the local government, which were individually-based linked to the CHAP information collected by Hirosaki University. This is the first study that used anonymized data with individually-based linkages to both a research institute and a local government in Japan under a strict limitation regarding linking to third-party data. We included residents who had been continuously enrolled for > 6 months as of 1 July 2015. We compared 5-year all-cause costs between three groups (with CHAP, with Japan-specific health check-up, and no check-up) using a multivariate negative binomial regression model considering risk factors including lifestyle habits and an inverse probability weight to adjust for baseline characteristics: age, sex, Charlson comorbidity index, baseline care level, and risk score of coronary heart diseases.

Results

A total of 384, 9805, and 32,630 residents aged 40–74 years were included for the CHAP, Japan-specific health check-up, and no check-up groups, respectively. The Japan-specific health check-up group showed older and higher Charlson comorbidity index than the others. After inverse probability weight adjusting, the amount of all-cause medical costs was significantly lower only in the CHAP group. Faster walking speed and exercise habits were independently associated with lower all-cause medical and caregiving costs.

Conclusions

We demonstrated a 5-year all-cause cost reduction in residents who participated in the CHAP and also suggested the effect of exercise habits in Hirosaki, which indicated the significance of individually-based data linkages to external third-party data for all local governments to improve the health condition of residents.
Associations between maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and infant striatal mean diffusivity
Authors: Rosberg Aylin , Merisaari Harri , Lewis John D. , Hashempour Niloofar , Lukkarinen Minna , Rasmussen Jerod M. , Scheinin Noora M. , Karlsson Linnea , Karlsson Hasse , Tuulari Jetro J.
Published: March 2024

Background

It is well-established that parental obesity is a strong risk factor for offspring obesity. Further, a converging body of evidence now suggests that maternal weight profiles may affect the developing offspring’s brain in a manner that confers future obesity risk. Here, we investigated how pre-pregnancy maternal weight status influences the reward-related striatal areas of the offspring’s brain during in utero development.

Methods

We used diffusion tensor imaging to quantify the microstructure of the striatal brain regions of interest in neonates (N = 116 [66 males, 50 females], mean gestational weeks at birth [39.88], SD = 1.14; at scan [43.56], SD = 1.05). Linear regression was used to test the associations between maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and infant striatal mean diffusivity.

Results

High maternal pre-pregnancy BMI was associated with higher mean MD values in the infant’s left caudate nucleus. Results remained unchanged after the adjustment for covariates.

Conclusions

In utero exposure to maternal adiposity might have a growth-impairing impact on the mean diffusivity of the infant’s left caudate nucleus. Considering the involvement of the caudate nucleus in regulating eating behavior and food-related reward processing later in life, this finding calls for further investigations to define the prognostic relevance of early-life caudate nucleus development and weight trajectories of the offspring.
Delivering synaptic protein mRNAs via extracellular vesicles ameliorates cognitive impairment in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Cai Huimin , Pang Yana , Ren Ziye , Fu Xiaofeng , Jia Longfei
Published: March 2024

Background

Synaptic dysfunction with reduced synaptic protein levels is a core feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Synaptic proteins play a central role in memory processing, learning, and AD pathogenesis. Evidence suggests that synaptic proteins in plasma neuronal-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) are reduced in patients with AD. However, it remains unclear whether levels of synaptic proteins in EVs are associated with hippocampal atrophy of AD and whether upregulating the expression of these synaptic proteins has a beneficial effect on AD.

Methods

In this study, we included 57 patients with AD and 56 healthy controls. We evaluated their brain atrophy through magnetic resonance imaging using the medial temporal lobe atrophy score. We measured the levels of four synaptic proteins, including synaptosome-associated protein 25 (SNAP25), growth-associated protein 43 (GAP43), neurogranin, and synaptotagmin 1 in both plasma neuronal-derived EVs and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). We further examined the association of synaptic protein levels with brain atrophy. We also evaluated the levels of these synaptic proteins in the brains of 5×FAD mice. Then, we loaded rabies virus glycoprotein-engineered EVs with messenger RNAs (mRNAs) encoding GAP43 and SNAP25 and administered these EVs to 5×FAD mice. After treatment, synaptic proteins, dendritic density, and cognitive function were evaluated.

Results

The results showed that GAP43, SNAP25, neurogranin, and synaptotagmin 1 were decreased in neuronal-derived EVs but increased in CSF in patients with AD, and the changes corresponded to the severity of brain atrophy. GAP43 and SNAP25 were decreased in the brains of 5×FAD mice. The engineered EVs efficiently and stably delivered these synaptic proteins to the brain, where synaptic protein levels were markedly upregulated. Upregulation of synaptic protein expression could ameliorate cognitive impairment in AD by promoting dendritic density. This marks the first successful delivery of synaptic protein mRNAs via EVs in AD mice, yielding remarkable therapeutic effects.

Conclusions

Synaptic proteins are closely related to AD processes. Delivery of synaptic protein mRNAs via EVs stands as a promising effective precision treatment strategy for AD, which significantly advances the current understanding of therapeutic approaches for the disease.
Synergistic dual cell therapy for atherosclerosis regression: ROS-responsive Bio-liposomes co-loaded with Geniposide and Emodin
Authors: Li Zhenxian , Zhu Haimei , Liu Hao , Liu Dayue , Liu Jianhe , Zhang Yi , Qin Zhang , Xu Yijia , Peng Yuan , Ruan Lihua , Li Jintao , He Yao , Liu Bin , Long Yun
Published: March 2024

The development of nanomaterials for delivering natural compounds has emerged as a promising approach for atherosclerosis therapy. However, premature drug release remains a challenge. Here, we present a ROS-responsive biomimetic nanocomplex co-loaded with Geniposide (GP) and Emodin (EM) in nanoliposome particles (LP NPs) for targeted atherosclerosis therapy. The nanocomplex, hybridized with the macrophage membrane (Møm), effectively evades immune system clearance and targets atherosclerotic plaques. A modified thioketal (TK) system responds to ROS-rich plaque regions, triggering controlled drug release. In vitro, the nanocomplex inhibits endothelial cell apoptosis and macrophage lipid accumulation, restores endothelial cell function, and promotes cholesterol effluxion. In vivo, it targets ROS-rich atherosclerotic plaques, reducing plaque area ROS levels and restoring endothelial cell function, consequently promoting cholesterol outflow. Our study demonstrates that ROS-responsive biomimetic nanocomplexes co-delivering GP and EM exert a synergistic effect against endothelial cell apoptosis and lipid deposition in macrophages, offering a promising dual-cell therapy modality for atherosclerosis regression.
Association between intensive care unit nursing grade and mortality in patients with cardiogenic shock and its cost-effectiveness
Authors: Choi Ki Hong , Kang Danbee , Lee Jin , Park Hyejeong , Park Taek Kyu , Lee Joo Myung , Song Young Bin , Hahn Joo-Yong , Choi Seung-Hyuk , Gwon Hyeon-Cheol , Cho Juhee , Yang Jeong Hoon
Published: March 2024

Background

Despite the high workload of cardiac intensive care unit (ICU), there is a paucity of evidence on the association between nurse workforce and mortality in patients with cardiogenic shock (CS). This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic impact of the ICU nursing grade on mortality and cost-effectiveness in CS.

Methods

A nationwide analysis was performed using the K-NHIS database. Patients diagnosed with CS and admitted to the ICU at tertiary hospitals were enrolled. ICU nursing grade was defined according to the bed-to-nurse ratio: grade1 (bed-to-nurse ratio < 0.5), grade2 (0.5 ≤ bed-to-nurse ratio < 0.63), and grade3 (0.63 ≤ bed-to-nurse ratio < 0.77) or above. The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality. Cost-effective analysis was also performed.

Results

Of the 72,950 patients with CS, 27,216 (37.3%) were in ICU nursing grade 1, 29,710 (40.7%) in grade 2, and 16,024 (22.0%) in grade ≥ 3. The adjusted-OR for in-hospital mortality was significantly higher in patients with grade 2 (grade 1 vs. grade 2, 30.6% vs. 37.5%, adjusted-OR 1.14, 95% CI1.09–1.19) and grade ≥ 3 (40.6%) with an adjusted-OR of 1.29 (95% CI 1.23–1.36) than those with grade 1. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of grade1 compared with grade 2 and ≥ 3 was $25,047/year and $42,888/year for hospitalization and $5151/year and $5269/year for 1-year follow-up, suggesting that grade 1 was cost-effective. In subgroup analysis, the beneficial effects of the high-intensity nursing grade on mortality were more prominent in patients who received CPR or multiple vasopressors usage.

Conclusions

For patients with CS, ICU grade 1 with a high-intensity nursing staff was associated with reduced mortality and more cost-effectiveness during hospitalization compared to grade 2 and grade ≥ 3, and its beneficial effects were more pronounced in subjects at high risk of CS.

Graphical abstract
A validated restriction enzyme ddPCR cg05575921 (AHRR) assay to accurately assess smoking exposure
Authors: Fitzgerald Sandra , Bhat Basharat , Print Cristin , Jones Gregory T.
Published: March 2024

Background & Methods

In this study, a novel restriction enzyme (RE) digestion-based droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) assay was designed for cg005575921 within the AHRR gene body and compared with matching results obtained by bisulfite conversion (BIS) ddPCR and Illumina DNA methylation array.

Results

The RE ddPCR cg05575921 assay appeared concordant with BIS ddPCR (r2 = 0.94, P < 0.0001) and, when compared with the Illumina array, had significantly better smoking status classification performance for current versus never smoked (AUC 0.96 versus 0.93, P < 0.04) and current versus ex-smoker (AUC 0.88 versus 0.83, P < 0.04) comparisons.

Conclusions

The RE ddPCR cg05575921 assay accurately predicts smoking status and could be a useful component of ‘precision-medicine’ chronic disease risk screening tools.
Pediatric emergency department-based asthma education tools and parent/child asthma knowledge
Authors: Goodman Kina , Arriaga Rosa I. , Korman Rawan , Zafar Farzina , Stephens Cal , Kumari Polly , Jayaprakash Karthika , Fitzpatrick Anne M. , Cooper Nicholas , Morris Claudia R.
Published: March 2024

Asthma exacerbations are a leading cause of pediatric hospitalizations despite multiple efforts to educate patients and families on disease course and medication management. Asthma education in the pediatric emergency department (ED) is challenging, and although the use of written action plans has been associated with reduction in hospitalizations and ED visits, written tools may not be useful for individuals with low health literacy. Moreover, asthmatic children should participate in their asthma education. In this prospective randomized study of 53 families presenting to a pediatric ED with a child experiencing an asthma exacerbation, education on asthma was presented via an interactive mobile-based video-game versus a standard-of-care asthma education video (SAV). Median age was 10 years; 64% were males. Many patients had moderate-to-severe asthma, with 57% experiencing ≥ 2 asthma-related ED visits in the last year, 58% requiring hospitalization and 32% reporting a critical care admission. In this cohort, the mobile-based video-game was found to be a feasible, acceptable educational tool; 86% of parents and 96% of children liked the game, while 96% of parents and 76% of children preferred playing the game over watching a SAV. Despite a history of persistent asthma, only 34% of children used an inhaled corticosteroid while 70% required rescue inhaler use in the prior week. Basic asthma knowledge was sub-optimal with only 60% of parents and 43% of children correctly recognizing symptoms that should prompt immediate medical care. This reflects a major gap in asthma knowledge that coexists with parental misconceptions regarding optimal asthma management.
Predicting three or more metastatic nodes using contrast-enhanced lymphatic US findings in early breast cancer
Authors: Niu Zihan , Hao Yunxia , Gao Yuanjing , Zhang Jing , Xiao Mengsu , Mao Feng , Zhou Yidong , Cui Ligang , Jiang Yuxin , Zhu Qingli
Published: March 2024

Objectives

To develop and validate a nomogram for predicting ≥ 3 metastatic axillary lymph nodes (ALNs) in early breast cancer with no palpable axillary adenopathy by clinicopathologic data, contrast-enhanced (CE) lymphatic ultrasound (US), and grayscale findings of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs).

Materials and methods

Women with T1-2N0 invasive breast cancer were consecutively recruited for the CE lymphatic US. Patients from Center 1 were grouped into development and internal validation cohorts at a ratio of 2:1. The external validation cohort was constructed from Center 2. The clinicopathologic data and US findings of SLNs were analyzed. A nomogram was developed to predict women with ≥ 3 metastatic ALNs. Nomogram performance was assessed with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and calibration curve analysis.

Results

One hundred seventy-nine from Center 1 were considered the development cohorts. The remaining 90 participants from Center 1 were internal cohorts and 197 participants from Center 2 were external validation cohorts. The US findings of no enhancement (odds ratio (OR), 15.3; p = 0.01), diffuse (OR, 19.1; p = 0.01) or focal eccentric (OR, 27.7; p = 0.003) cortical thickening, and absent hilum (OR, 169.7; p < 0.001) were independently associated with ≥ 3 metastatic ALNs. Compared to grayscale US or CE lymphatic US alone, the nomogram showed the highest AUC of 0.88 (0.85, 0.91). The nomogram showed a calibration slope of 1.0 (p = 0.80–0.81; Brier = 0.066–0.067) in validation cohorts in predicting ≥ 3 metastatic ALNs.

Conclusion

Patients likely to have ≥ 3 metastatic ALNs were identified by combining the lymphatic and grayscale US findings of SLNs. Our nomogram could aid in multidisciplinary treatment decision-making.

Trial registration

This trial is registered on www.chictr.org.cn: ChiCTR2000031231. Registered March 25, 2020.

Critical relevance statement

A nomogram combining lymphatic CEUS and grayscale US findings of SLNs could identify early breast cancer patients with low or high axillary tumor burden preoperatively, which is more applicable to the Z0011 era. Our nomogram could be useful in aiding multidisciplinary treatment decision-making for patients with early breast cancer.

Key points

• CEUS can help identify and diagnose SLN in early breast cancer preoperatively.

• Combining lymphatic and grayscale US findings can predict axillary tumor burden.

• The nomogram showed a high diagnostic value in validation cohorts.

Graphical Abstract
Time-aware outlier detection in health physique monitoring in edge-aided sport education decision-makings
Authors: Li Yanjie , Kang Liqin , Li Zhaojin , Jiang Fugao , Bi Nan , Du Tao , Abiri Maryam
Published: March 2024

The increasing popularity of various intelligent sensor and mobile communication technologies has enabled quick health physique sensing, monitoring, collection and analyses of students, which significantly promoted the development of sport education. Through collecting the students’ physiological signals and transmitted them to edge servers, we can precisely analyze and judge whether a student is in poor health (e.g., an outlier). However, with time elapsing, the accumulated physiological signals of students become massive, which places a heavy burden on the quick storage and in-time processing of physiological data of students. In this situation, it is becoming a necessity to develop a time-aware outlier detection technique for health physique evaluation of students in a time-efficient way. Considering this challenge, we propose a novel time-aware outlier detection method named TOD based on Locality-Sensitive Hashing. TOD condenses extensive physiological student data into a concise set of health indices. Leveraging these indices, we can efficiently identify potential student outliers from a large pool of candidates with precision and speed. Finally, we have designed a group of simulated experiments based on WS-DREAM dataset. Experiment results prove the feasibility and superiority of the TOD method compared with other existing methods.
Accurate and fast congestion feedback in MEC-enabled RDMA datacenters
Authors: He Xin , Liang Feifan , Fan Weibei , Wang Junchang , Han Lei , Xiao Fu , Dou Wanchun
Published: March 2024

Mobile edge computing (MEC) is a novel computing paradigm that pushes computation and storage resources to the edge of the network. The interconnection of edge servers forms small-scale data centers, enabling MEC to provide low-latency network services for mobile users. Nowadays, Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) has been widely deployed in such data centers to reduce CPU overhead and network latency. Plenty of congestion control mechanisms have been proposed for RDMA data centers, aiming to provide low-latency data delivery and high throughput network services. However, our fine-grained experimental analysis reveals that existing congestion control mechanisms still have performance limitations due to inappropriate congestion notifications and the long congestion feedback cycle. In this paper, we propose Mercury, which is an accurate and fast congestion feedback mechanism. Mercury comprises two key components: (1) the state-driven congestion detection and (2) the window-based congestion notification. Specifically, the state-driven congestion detection monitors the queue length and the number of packets received at the switch egress port when the PFC is triggered. It determines the states of egress ports and identifies flows that really contribute to congestion. Then, window-based congestion notification calculates the window sizes for congested flows and rapidly returns Congestion Notification Packets (CNPs) with the window information to the sender. It facilitates the rate adjustment of congested flows. Mercury is compatible with existing RDMA CC mechanisms and can be easily implemented in switches. We employ real-world data sets and conduct both micro-benchmark and large-scale simulations to evaluate the performance of Mercury. The results indicate that, thanks to the accurate and fast congestion feedback, Mercury achieves a reduction in the 99th tail flow completion time by up to 45.1%, 41.8%, 38.7%, 30.9%, and 37.9% compared with Timely, DCQCN, DCQCN+TCD, PACC, and HPCC, respectively.
2- to 20-year myelomeningocele follow-up outcomes from a referral center in Southern Iran: the Shiraz experience
Authors: Zoghi Sina , Mosayebi Mohammad Amin , Feili Maryam , Eskandari Hossein , Jalalinezhad Hadis , Masoudi Mohammad Sadegh , Taheri Reza
Published: March 2024

Background

The current convention for treatment of children with myelomeningocele (MMC) is timely surgical intervention combined with long-term follow-up by a multidisciplinary specialized team. This study aims to investigate the outcomes of MMC patients treated at Namazi Hospital.

Methods

All children presenting to Namazi Hospital with myelomeningocele between May 2001 and August 2020 were eligible for this study. For those with a documented telephone number, follow-up phone surveys with the patient’s caregivers, on top of the review of the medical documents were carried out to assess mortality, morbidities, and the functional outcome of the care provided to them.

Results

A total of 125 patients were studied (62 females). All of the patients were followed up for a mean duration of 6.28 years (range 1–23 years). The majority were located in the lumbosacral area. All of the patients underwent postnatal surgical intervention for MMC in Namazi Hospital. Mean age at surgery was 9.51 days. There were statistically significant differences between urinary and bowel incontinence and presence of scoliosis, MMT grading of the lower limbs, school attendance, number of readmissions, and requirement of laminectomy at the initial surgical intervention.

Conclusions

This study is the first to characterize the long-term outcomes of MMC patients in Iran. This study illustrates that there is a great need for improved access to and coordination of care in antenatal, perioperative, and long-term stages to improve morbidity and mortality.
Pediatric hospital utilization for patients with avoidant restrictive food intake disorder
Authors: Milliren Carly E. , Crowley McGreggor , Carmody Julia K. , Bern Elana M. , Eldredge Olivia , Richmond Tracy K.
Published: March 2024

Background

Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is a relatively new feeding and eating disorder added to the DSM-5 in 2013 and ICD-10 in 2018. Few studies have examined hospital utilization for patients with ARFID specifically, and none to date have used large administrative cohorts. We examined inpatient admission volume over time and hospital utilization and 30-day readmissions for patients with ARFID at pediatric hospitals in the United States.

Methods

Using data from the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS), we identified inpatient admissions for patients with ARFID (by principal International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, ICD-10 diagnosis code) discharged October 2017–June 2022. We examined the change over time in ARFID volume and associations between patient-level factors (e.g., sociodemographic characteristics, co-morbid conditions including anxiety and depressive disorders and malnutrition), hospital ARFID volume, and hospital utilization including length of stay (LOS), costs, use of enteral tube feeding or GI imaging during admission, and 30-day readmissions. Adjusted regression models were used to examine associations between sociodemographic and clinical factors on LOS, costs, and 30-day readmissions.

Results

Inpatient ARFID volume across n = 44 pediatric hospitals has increased over time (β = 0.36 per month; 95% CI 0.26–0.46; p < 0.001). Among N = 1288 inpatient admissions for patients with ARFID, median LOS was 7 days (IQR = 8) with median costs of $16,583 (IQR = $18,115). LOS and costs were highest in hospitals with higher volumes of ARFID patients. Younger age, co-morbid conditions, enteral feeding, and GI imaging were also associated with LOS. 8.5% of patients were readmitted within 30 days. In adjusted models, there were differences in the likelihood of readmission by age, insurance, malnutrition diagnosis at index visit, and GI imaging procedures during index visit.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that the volume of inpatient admissions for patients with ARFID has increased at pediatric hospitals in the U.S. since ARFID was added to ICD-10. Inpatient stays for ARFID are long and costly and associated with readmissions. It is important to identify effective and efficient treatment strategies for ARFID in the future.
Exploring the potential effects of forest urbanization on the interplay between small mammal communities and their gut microbiota
Authors: Bouilloud Marie , Galan Maxime , Pradel Julien , Loiseau Anne , Ferrero Julien , Gallet Romain , Roche Benjamin , Charbonnel Nathalie
Published: March 2024

Urbanization significantly impacts wild populations, favoring urban dweller species over those that are unable to adapt to rapid changes. These differential adaptative abilities could be mediated by the microbiome, which may modulate the host phenotype rapidly through a high degree of flexibility. Conversely, under anthropic perturbations, the microbiota of some species could be disrupted, resulting in dysbiosis and negative impacts on host fitness. The links between the impact of urbanization on host communities and their gut microbiota (GM) have only been scarcely explored. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the bacterial composition of the GM could play a role in host adaptation to urban environments. We described the GM of several species of small terrestrial mammals sampled in forested areas along a gradient of urbanization, using a 16S metabarcoding approach. We tested whether urbanization led to changes in small mammal communities and in their GM, considering the presence and abundance of bacterial taxa and their putative functions. This enabled to decipher the processes underlying these changes. We found potential impacts of urbanization on small mammal communities and their GM. The urban dweller species had a lower bacterial taxonomic diversity but a higher functional diversity and a different composition compared to urban adapter species. Their GM assembly was mostly governed by stochastic effects, potentially indicating dysbiosis. Selection processes and an overabundance of functions were detected that could be associated with adaptation to urban environments despite dysbiosis. In urban adapter species, the GM functional diversity and composition remained relatively stable along the urbanization gradient. This observation can be explained by functional redundancy, where certain taxa express the same function. This could favor the adaptation of urban adapter species in various environments, including urban settings. We can therefore assume that there are feedbacks between the gut microbiota and host species within communities, enabling rapid adaptation.
Some aspects of Morris-Thorne wormhole in
gravity
Authors: Chalavadi Chaitra Chooda , Venkatesha V.
Published: March 2024

The aim of this manuscript is to study traversable wormhole geometries in the non-metricity and matter coupling gravity. We investigate the Morris-Thorne wormhole metric within the framework of extended symmetric teleparallel gravity. With an anisotropic matter distribution, we explore two distinct wormhole models under two different scenarios. First, we consider the equations of state, and then we assume specific shape functions for each scenario. In both cases, the shape function satisfies all fundamental criteria for a traversable wormhole. We present our results through graphical representations and analyze the energy conditions. Furthermore, we examine the behavior of the wormhole through the anisotropic parameter. Finally, we present our conclusions based on the obtained results.
Patterns of Sleep Duration and Metabolic Biomarkers Across the Menstrual Cycle
Authors: Dunietz Galit Levi , Shedden Kerby , Lyu Xiru , Chervin Ronald D , Baylin Ana , O’Brien Louise M , Jansen Erica C , Wactawski-Wende Jean , Schisterman Enrique F , Mumford Sunni L
Published: March 2024

Context

Along the menstrual cycle, associations between inconsistent sleep duration and levels of metabolic biomarkers are uncertain and could involve fluctuations in estrogen concentrations.

Objective

To examine associations between patterns of sleep duration and metabolic biomarkers across 2 menstrual cycles within a cohort of premenopausal women.

Methods

The BioCycle Study was conducted in New York between 2005 and 2007, enrolling 259 premenopausal women over 2 menstrual cycles. This microlongitudinal cohort study involved intensive data collection including daily sleep diaries and biomarker assessments of leptin, insulin, and glucose at 16 key points timed to menstrual cycle phases. We considered dynamic sleep duration as hours slept 1 night or as mean hours slept during the 2 nights before each biomarker assessment. Variability in habitual sleep duration (ie, reported daily sleep duration) was summarized across both menstrual cycles. Variation in habitual sleep duration was computed using L-moments, a robust version of dispersion, skewness, and kurtosis. To examine associations between patterns of sleep duration and metabolic biomarkers, we fitted a series of linear mixed models with random intercepts and inverse probability weighting. These models were adjusted for potential demographic, lifestyle, health confounders, and menstrual cycle phase.

Results

Sleep duration 1 night or 2 nights before clinic visits were not associated with metabolic biomarker measures. However, overall variability (dispersion) in habitual sleep duration was associated with lower mean insulin Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance levels, but not glucose. Moreover, extremely short or long bouts of sleep duration were associated with higher mean levels of leptin, insulin, and Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance.

Conclusion

These data suggest that variation in habitual sleep duration along the menstrual cycle may be associated with metabolic function.
Stop, in the Name of COVID! Using Social Media Data to Estimate the Effects of COVID-19-Related Travel Restrictions on Migration
Authors: Klein Jordan D. , Weber Ingmar , Zagheni Emilio
Published: March 2024

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Organization for Migration has postulated that international migrant stocks fell short of their pre-pandemic projections by nearly 2 million as a result of travel restrictions. However, this decline is not testable with migration data from traditional sources. Key migration stakeholders have called for using data from alternative sources, including social media, to fill these gaps. Building on previous work using social media data to analyze migration responses to external shocks, we test the hypothesis that COVID-related travel restrictions reduced migrant stock relative to expected migration without such restrictions using estimates of migrants drawn from Facebook's advertising platform and dynamic panel models. We focus on four key origin countries in North and West Africa (Côte d'Ivoire, Algeria, Morocco, and Senegal) and on their 23 key destination countries. Between February and June 2020, we estimate that a destination country implementing a month-long total entry ban on arrivals from Côte d'Ivoire, Algeria, Morocco, or Senegal might have expected a 3.39% reduction in migrant stock from the restricted country compared with the counterfactual in which no travel restrictions were implemented. However, when broader societal disruptions of the pandemic are accounted for, we estimate that countries implementing travel restrictions might paradoxically have expected an increase in migrant stock. In this context, travel restrictions do not appear to have effectively curbed migration and could have resulted in outcomes opposite their intended effects.
Images of Mediterranean Crossing
Authors: Whitley Leila
Published: March 2024

What do photographs of small boats crossing the Mediterranean construct as they circulate as privileged signifiers of the 2015 “migrant crisis”? While it is sometimes assumed that these images mobilize sympathy and, perhaps, intervention, this article queries how one such image has circulated and constructed notions of crisis in ways that center Europe and Europeans while passing over migrants. The analysis is grounded in a close engagement with Massimo Sestini's widely reproduced photograph Rescue Operation, selected for its status as a privileged signifier of this crisis. The article first examines how the photograph circulated in the mainstream press, showing how the image is made to stand for general conditions, while those who appear in the image are displaced from the stories the photograph is used to tell. It then shows how contextual and representational choices that shaped the image, and what was obscured from it, are structural to how it comes to depict “rescue” as a limited frame centering European intervention. The article argues that this photograph and its receptions work to reduce images of migrants to evidence for tales of European response and rescue.
The Checkpoint of History: Testimony and Intertextuality in the Documentary Literature of the Korean War, 1960s–1970s
Authors: Ryan Thomas M.
Published: March 2024

Korean War literature has historically encompassed a wide range of ideologically disparate texts. If canonical works of literary fiction have critically interrogated the violence of war and division, the civil war itself has continued to generate institutionalized cultural production purporting to document the crimes of the other side. Working against the categorical separation of these two traditions, this article explores their mutual and intertextual constitution. The sponsorship and commercialization of North Korean defector memoirs (kwisunja sugi) in 1960s South Korea, the article shows, influenced the development of two other popular genres of Korean War literature that alternately reinforced and undermined statist anticommunism. First, the novelist Yi Pyŏngju (1921–1992) employed kwisunja sugi as historical records in his works of the 1960s and 1970s, even as he demonstrated an awareness of the historicity and duplicity of Cold War testimony. Second, while autobiographical essays (ch’ehŏm sugi) submitted to the amateur nonfiction contest (1965–80) of the monthly Sin tonga mimicked kwisunja sugi, charting their authors’ immersion in and escape from the scene of communist violence, these texts also applied this structure to subaltern life in the militarized, capitalist South, reaffirming subversive understandings of the Korean Civil War as a reciprocal system.
Distinct features of the regenerating heart uncovered through comparative single-cell profiling
Authors: Carey Clayton M. , Hollins Hailey L. , Schmid Alexis V. , Gagnon James A.
Published: March 2024

Adult humans respond to heart injury by forming a permanent scar, yet other vertebrates are capable of robust and complete cardiac regeneration. Despite progress towards characterizing the mechanisms of cardiac regeneration in fish and amphibians, the large evolutionary gulf between mammals and regenerating vertebrates complicates deciphering which cellular and molecular features truly enable regeneration. To better define these features, we compared cardiac injury responses in zebrafish and medaka, two fish species that share similar heart anatomy and common teleost ancestry but differ in regenerative capability. We used single-cell transcriptional profiling to create a time-resolved comparative cell atlas of injury responses in all major cardiac cell types across both species. With this approach, we identified several key features that distinguish cardiac injury response in the non-regenerating medaka heart. By comparing immune responses to injury, we found altered cell recruitment and a distinct pro-inflammatory gene program in medaka leukocytes, and an absence of the injury-induced interferon response seen in zebrafish. In addition, we found a lack of pro-regenerative signals, including nrg1 and retinoic acid, from medaka endothelial and epicardial cells. Finally, we identified alterations in the myocardial structure in medaka, where they lack primordial layer cardiomyocytes and fail to employ a cardioprotective gene program shared by regenerating vertebrates. Our findings reveal notable variation in injury response across nearly all major cardiac cell types in zebrafish and medaka, demonstrating how evolutionary divergence influences the hidden cellular features underpinning regenerative potential in these seemingly similar vertebrates.
Impact of 18FFDG-PET/CT and Laparoscopy in Staging of Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer: A Cost Analysis in the Prospective Multicenter PLASTIC-Study
Authors: de Jongh Cas , van der Meulen Miriam P. , Gertsen Emma C. , Brenkman Hylke J. F. , van Sandick Johanna W. , van Berge Henegouwen Mark I. , Gisbertz Suzanne S. , Luyer Misha D. P. , Nieuwenhuijzen Grard A. P. , van Lanschot Jan J. B. , Lagarde Sjoerd M. , Wijnhoven Bas P. L. , de Steur Wobbe O. , Hartgrink Henk H. , Stoot Jan H. M. B. , Hulsewe Karel W. E. , Spillenaar Bilgen Ernst Jan , van Det Marc J. , Kouwenhoven Ewout A. , Daams Freek , van der Peet Donald L. , van Grieken Nicole C. T. , Heisterkamp Joos , van Etten Boudewijn , van den Berg Jan-Willem , Pierie Jean-Pierre , Eker Hasan H. , Thijssen Annemieke Y. , Belt Eric J. T. , van Duijvendijk Peter , Wassenaar Eelco , Wevers Kevin P. , Hol Lieke , Wessels Frank J. , Haj Mohammad Nadia , Frederix Geert W. J. , van Hillegersberg Richard , Siersema Peter D. , Vegt Erik , Ruurda Jelle P. ,   the PLASTIC Study Group
Published: March 2024

Background

Unnecessary D2-gastrectomy and associated costs can be prevented after detecting non-curable gastric cancer, but impact of staging on treatment costs is unclear. This study determined the cost impact of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18FFDG-PET/CT) and staging laparoscopy (SL) in gastric cancer staging.

Materials and Methods

In this cost analysis, four staging strategies were modeled in a decision tree: (1) 18FFDG-PET/CT first, then SL, (2) SL only, (3) 18FFDG-PET/CT only, and (4) neither SL nor 18FFDG-PET/CT. Costs were assessed on the basis of the prospective PLASTIC-study, which evaluated adding 18FFDG-PET/CT and SL to staging advanced gastric cancer (cT3–4 and/or cN+) in 18 Dutch hospitals. The Dutch Healthcare Authority provided 18FFDG-PET/CT unit costs. SL unit costs were calculated bottom-up. Gastrectomy-associated costs were collected with hospital claim data until 30 days postoperatively. Uncertainty was assessed in a probabilistic sensitivity analysis (1000 iterations).

Results

18FFDG-PET/CT costs were €1104 including biopsy/cytology. Bottom-up calculations totaled €1537 per SL. D2-gastrectomy costs were €19,308. Total costs per patient were €18,137 for strategy 1, €17,079 for strategy 2, and €19,805 for strategy 3. If all patients undergo gastrectomy, total costs were €18,959 per patient (strategy 4). Performing SL only reduced costs by €1880 per patient. Adding 18FFDG-PET/CT to SL increased costs by €1058 per patient; IQR €870–1253 in the sensitivity analysis.

Conclusions

For advanced gastric cancer, performing SL resulted in substantial cost savings by reducing unnecessary gastrectomies. In contrast, routine 18FFDG-PET/CT increased costs without substantially reducing unnecessary gastrectomies, and is not recommended due to limited impact with major costs.

Trial registration: NCT03208621. This trial was registered prospectively on 30-06-2017.
THE EFFECT OF DEXTRANAL ON THE GUT BACTERIOBIOME OF CALVES
Authors: Naumova Natalia B. , Baturina Olga A. , Lokteva Anna S. , Pleshakova Valentina I. , Lescheva Nadezhda A. , Lorengel Tatiana I. , Zolotova Natalia S. , Alekseeva Irina G. , Kabilov Marsel R.
Published: March 2024

Background. The search for more efficient pro- and prebiotics to improve calves’ health, including decreasing the incidence of intestinal infections and increasing biomass production, has been very actual. The effect of prebiotics, however, is poorly, especially as related to gut microbiome biodiversity. 

The aim of this work was to study the influence of dextranal on the growth of calves and their gut(rectum) bacteriobiome.

Materials and Methods. Bacteriobiome composition and structure was assessed in the control group (K, conventional diet) and dextranal-receiving group (D) in 18-20 days aged calves  by 16S metabarcoding (V3-V4, Illumina MiSeq).

Results. Overall, we found 377 operational taxonomic units (OTU) from 168 genera, 91 families, 55 orders, 30 classes and 11 phyla, with more than the half of the total number of identifies OTUs belonging to the Firmicutes phylum, followed by Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria. The relative abundance of the phylum-specific nucleotide sequences followed the same order of dominance. Dextranal addition resulted in the increased (11.9 kg/calf, or 15%) of the living body mass of the two-months old calves in group D as compared with group K: consequently, the dextranal-related difference in the calves’ gut bacteriobiome composition and structure can be viewed as beneficial. It primarily concerns the decreased abundance of the opportunistic pathogen Escherichia/Shigella (Gammaproteobacteria) in group D. Overall 73 OTUs, including six dominant ones, were found to be differentially abundant in the groups. However, changes in the relative abundance of some OTUs were difficult to interpret, most likely due to the low strain/species resolution by 16S rRNA gene fragments’ sequences. As for the α- biodiversity, there were no differences between the groups, but the overall trend directed to the increasing α- biodiversity of the calves’ gut bacteriobiome after dextranal treatment.

Conclusion. This study reports the first attempt to inventory the gut bacteriobiome of the cattle in the region, and the obtained results provide the basis for a more detailed and taxonomically targeted further research.
FEATURES OF CYTOKINE PRODUCTION DURING REHABILITATION AFTER COVID-19 IN PEOPLE LIVING IN THE NORTHERN REGIONS OF SIBERIA
Authors: Belenyuk Vasilii D. , Sinyakov Alexander A. , Shavrina Ekaterina O. , Moskalenko Olga L.
Published: March 2024

The coronavirus infection of 2019 (COVID-19) has significantly affected the modern world. Recently, it has been proven that IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IFN-γ and TNF-α play an important role in the inflammatory response of the body to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Purpose. To study the features of the synthesis of key cytokines in residents of the Turukhansky district of the Krasnoyarsk Territory who underwent COVID-19.

Materials and methods. On the basis of "Turukhanskaya RB", village. Turukhansk, in February 2023, 98 patients were examined, the average age was 58 (± 5 years). Of the 98 participants interviewed, 76 people had an official diagnosis of COVID-19 in the period from October 2020. The study was conducted with the permission of the ethical committee of the Research Institute of Medical Problems of the North. Each participant signed an informed consent form for the examination, according to the Helsinki Declaration of the World Medical Association regulating the conduct of scientific research.

Results. A high IgG titer to SARS-Cov-2 was observed in 99% of the examined, a positive IdM titer to SARS-Cov-2 was in 1% of the examined. In the course of studying the features of the cytokine network in patients with Turukhansk there was a significant decrease in the concentration of α-TNF, IL-1b and IL-10, as well as an increase in IL-2, IL-6 and IL-8 relative to the control group of Krasnoyarsk. α-IFN and IL-4 showed no significant changes and remained within the control range. At the same time, no differences were found between the groups of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 and without it.

Conclusion. The data obtained indicate a high level of homogeneity of the sample in the village . Turukhansk, regardless of the presence of the disease, about the low level of detection and control over the course of COVID-19. We observe the formation of a chronic inflammatory process against the background of the prevalence of pro-inflammatory function and an increase in the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which can subsequently deplete the body's resources and contribute to the development of additional complications.
CLINICAL AND LABORATORY FEATURES OF THE IMMUNE RESPONSE IN CHILDREN WITH COVID-19 INFECTION
Authors: Ageeva Elizaveta S. , Rymarenko Natalya V. , Dyadyura Elena N. , Gurtovaya Anna K. , Safronyuk Sergey L. , Ablaeva Remzie N. , Usova Svetlana V.
Published: March 2024

The article presents the results of the analysis of clinical and morphological characteristics and a number of indicators of peripheral blood in children with a new coronavirus infection.

The purpose of the study is to give clinical and laboratory characteristics of the immune response in children with a new coronavirus infection.

Materials and methods. 102 children with a new coronavirus infection were examined. Evaluation of peripheral blood parameters and lymphocyte subpopulations in children of three age groups 0-4 years, 5-9 years and 10-14 years.

Results. In children with a new coronavirus infection, an imbalance of the granulocytic and lymphocytic link is observed, which is most pronounced for children of the younger (0-4 years) and middle (5-9 years) age groups. The general trend of changes is characterized by an increase in lymphocytes and granulocytes at the onset of the disease and a decrease after 2 weeks. The ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes shows the predominance of neutrophils.

Conclusion. The established changes are characterized as specific for most viral infections, but at the same time reflect the pathogenetic specifics of SARS-CoV-2 infection, as a combination of age-related features of the functioning of the immune system and the etiotropic effect of the virus.