bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In-situ analysis on drop in thermal performance of wind turbine gearbox system: global challenges and sustainable ideas
Authors: Sunil Kumar K , Muniamuthu Sumathy , Salunkhe Sachin , Cep Robert , Abouel Nasr Emad
Published: February 2025

The key thrust of this research work is to in-situ Analysis of the drop in Thermal Performance of wind turbine gearbox systems and global challenges and sustainable ideas detection of several failures that occur in the wind turbine gearbox with the help of the latest emerging sensors, and the source of the slave gearbox is a significant input for the master gearbox setup running at 1100 to 1150 rpm at generator side from Jan 2020 to Dec 2020. From the Experimental results, it is clearly understood that the majority of failures occurred due to irregular velocities ranging from 9 to 10 m s−1 at average velocities, and the kinematic viscosities of the oil exceed 400 μ resulting in heavy vibrations resulting in higher maintenance costs. The Master gearbox gives more Predominant results than the Slave gearbox; oil sump temperatures exceeding 85 °C result in poor active power generation falling below 100 Kw, and slave Gearbox oil sump temperatures are achieved at 100 °C; the Maximum temperature attained from the IMS Drive end-stage rate of 85 °C to 90 °C at lower speeds for master gearbox; Whereas slave gearbox temperatures are attained at 110 °C. The average temperature attained from the HSS stage of the Gearbox coupled with the generator is 90 °C, causing heavy vibration frequencies ranging from decibels causing tooth pitting failures for the master gearbox and for the slave gearbox. Average temperatures were attained by 120 °C.
LW-PV DETR: lightweight model for photovoltaic panel surface defect detection
Authors: Han Tao , Bao Meiping , He Tao , Zhang Rui , Feng Xi , Huang Yourui
Published: February 2025

The photovoltaic industry is developing rapidly, and efficiently completing the operation and maintenance of photovoltaic systems has become a research hotspot, with photovoltaic panel defect detection being particularly critical. Due to factors such as the complex background of infrared images of photovoltaic panels taken by drones, the small proportion of defect areas, and equipment limitations, existing models face challenges in detection accuracy and deployment. Aiming at the three typical defects commonly found on the surface of photovoltaic (PV) panels, namely, shading, glass breakage and hot spots, a surface defect detection model (LW-PV DETR) for photovoltaic panels is proposed based on the Real-Time DEtection TRansformer (RT-DETR-R18) object detection model. In the backbone network, a lightweight and efficient attention feature extraction module (Faster-Rep-EMA Block) is designed to enhance the model feature extraction ability. In the Encoder, the lightweight convolution (GSConv) module is introduced to achieve model lightweighting. The feature focusing diffusion pyramid network (FFDPN) is proposed to enhance the model’s feature fusion capability. Simultaneously, to avoid the loss of small object features, a multi-level feature selective fusion (MLFSF) module is designed for feature focusing. For the loss function, Inner-IoU is introduced to improve the localization accuracy of bounding box regression. Experimental results on the public photovoltaic panel infrared image dataset GB_HSP_modified show that, compared to the baseline model, LW-PV DETR improves precision, recall, and mean Average Precision (mAP50, mAP50-95) by 3.9%, 18.6%, 18.5% and 10.9%, respectively, while the model’s parameter count is reduced by 11.83%. Compared to other mainstream object detection models, LW-PV DETR also demonstrates excellent detection performance, providing an important reference for research on intelligent detection of photovoltaic panel surface defects.
Party autonomy and the applicable law to the merits in intellectual property arbitration
Authors: Rivoire Maxence
Published: February 2025

The freedom of the parties to choose the applicable law to the merits is often presented as an important benefit of arbitrating disputes involving intellectual property (IP). Yet, the reality is more uncertain and controversial than is commonly assumed. Is party autonomy really permitted in IP arbitration? Should it be? This article answers these questions with regard to patents, trademarks, and copyrights, using recent examples drawn from arbitral practice. It first examines the situation where the parties only made a choice of contract law, and considers in this regard whether that law can and/or should be extended to infringement claims and/or the remedies to infringement, either directly or through the technique of characterization. After discussing the impact of overriding mandatory rules in contractual IP cases, the article then examines the situation where the parties chose a law to govern IP questions, including by way of a broad choice-of-law agreement covering non-contractual problems. It seeks to provide as much guidance as possible to arbitral tribunals, using mainly the distinction among infringement, ownership, and validity issues, and by distinguishing among different scenarios in which party autonomy is more or less acceptable.
Patient Factors That Impact FACE-Q Aesthetics Outcomes: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Regression Analysis
Authors: Gallo Lucas , Churchill Isabella , Kim Patrick , Rae Charlene , Voineskos Sophocles H , Thoma Achilles , Pusic Andrea L , Cano Stefan J , Klassen Anne F
Published: February 2025

Background

The FACE-Q Aesthetics is a validated tool for assessing patient-reported outcomes related to surgical and non-surgical facial aesthetic treatments. Recognizing patient-specific variables that may influence FACE-Q scores is essential to control for potential confounders in research.

Objectives

This study aimed to identify factors that predict FACE-Q Aesthetic scale scores.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among an international cohort of participants recruited through the Prolific platform. Participants aged 20 years or older who had undergone non-invasive facial aesthetic procedures within the past year were included. Demographic and clinical information was collected, and univariable and multivariable linear regression analyses were employed to assess predictors of FACE-Q Face Overall, Psychological, and Social scale scores.

Results

A total of 1,259 participants were analyzed, with an average age of 42.6 years (±11.9). The mean scores were 52.4 (±18.3) for the Face Overall scale, 56.5 (±23.7) for the Psychological scale, and 62.7 (±24.0) for the Social scale. Several factors were significantly associated (p < 0.05) with higher scores, including lower body mass index (BMI), African American ethnicity, male gender, Fitzpatrick skin type V, residence in the United States, financial stability, and residual effects of prior aesthetic treatments. Younger participants were more likely to report higher Face Overall scores (p<0.05).

Conclusions

This study identified several patient characteristics that predict Face Overall, Psychological, and Social scale scores. These findings offer valuable insights into how patient-specific factors influence outcomes following facial aesthetic procedures and underscore the need to account for these variables in future research using the FACE-Q Aesthetics tool.
Single-nucleus transcriptome atlas of the basal forebrain reveals diverse ageing-related pathways
Authors: Chen Jiale , Li Qianqian , Ji Bingqing , Zhang Ke , Ren Miao , Li Anan , Gong Hui , Wang Jian , Cao Gang , Luo Qingming , Li Xiangning
Published: February 2025

The basal forebrain is a critical brain region involved in various neurobiological processes, including learning, memory, and attention. Basal forebrain cells undergo structural and functional changes during ageing, increasing their vulnerability to neurodegenerative diseases.

To reveal the molecular landscape of distinct cell types during developmental and early ageing, we constructed a comprehensive single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas spanning postnatal day 4 (P4), postnatal day 14 (P14), 3 month (3M), 9 months (9M) and 15 months (15M). Distinct molecular regulatory patterns of basal forebrain subclasses and ageing-related pathways were unveiled. The transcriptional regulation analysis and pseudo-time analysis revealed the dynamic regulatory network of cholinergic neurons during postnatal development. To gain insights into the relationship between ageing and Alzheimer's disease (AD), we conducted an integrative analysis. We identified four potential regulatory networks involved in cholesterol/lipid metabolism, DNA damage repair, and death receptor signal in 5×FAD mice. The cholinergic subtype CN-2 exhibited heightened activity of regulons associated with Srebf2 and Zmiz1, which, in turn, target hub genes implicated in these networks. Meanwhile, CN-2 is the main cholinergic subtype contributing to the alteration of the NRXN signalling pathway.

This study offers a significant data source to elucidate the molecular underpinnings of ageing-related and pathological changes in the basal forebrain, paving the way for future research and therapeutic interventions that target specific basal forebrain subclasses and signalling pathways.
Frontotemporal dementia subtyping using machine learning, multivariate statistics and neuroimaging
Authors: Metz Amelie , Zeighami Yashar , Ducharme Simon , Villeneuve Sylvia , Dadar Mahsa
Published: February 2025

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a prevalent form of early-onset dementia characterized by progressive neurodegeneration and encompasses a group of heterogeneous disorders. Due to overlapping symptoms, diagnosis of FTD and its subtypes still poses a challenge. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is commonly used to support the diagnosis of FTD. Using machine learning and multivariate statistics, we tested whether brain atrophy patterns are associated with severity of cognitive impairment, whether this relationship differs between the phenotypic subtypes and whether we could use these brain patterns to classify patients according to their FTD variant. A total of 136 patients (70 behavioural variant FTD, 36 semantic variant primary progressive aphasia and 30 non-fluent variant primary progressive aphasia) from the frontotemporal lobar degeneration neuroimaging initiative (FTLDNI) database underwent brain MRI and clinical and neuropsychological examination. Deformation-based morphometry, which offers increased sensitivity to subtle local differences in structural image contrasts, was used to estimate regional cortical and subcortical atrophy. Atlas-based associations between atrophy values and performance across different cognitive tests were assessed using partial least squares. We then applied linear regression models to discern the group differences regarding the relationship between atrophy and cognitive decline in the three FTD phenotypes. Lastly, we assessed whether the combination of atrophy and cognition patterns in the latent variables identified in the partial least squares analysis could be used as features in a machine learning model to predict FTD subtypes in patients. Results revealed four significant latent variables that combined accounted for 86% of the shared covariance between cognitive and brain atrophy measures. Partial least squares-based atrophy and cognitive patterns predicted the FTD phenotypes with a cross-validated accuracy of 89.12%, with high specificity (91.46–97.15%) and sensitivity (84.19–93.56%). When using only MRI measures and two behavioural tests in the partial least squares and classification algorithms, ensuring clinical feasibility, our model was equally precise in the same participant sample (87.18%, specificity 76.14–92.00%, sensitivity 86.93–98.26%). Here, including only atrophy or behaviour patterns in the analysis led to prediction accuracies of 69.76% and 76.54%, respectively, highlighting the increased value of combining MRI and clinical measures in subtype classification. We demonstrate that the combination of brain atrophy and clinical characteristics and multivariate statistical methods can serve as a biomarker for disease phenotyping in FTD, whereby the inclusion of deformation-based morphometry measures adds to the classification accuracy in the absence of extensive clinical testing.
Developmental changes in connectivity-based parcellation in typical cortical areas during early life
Authors: Cao Zuozhen , Zhao Zhiyong , Zhu Qinfeng , Shen Yao , Shen Yiqi , Li Mingyang , Wu Dan
Published: February 2025

The human brain undergoes profound developmental changes in the cortex during early life. Functional parcellation of the cortex may also be altered, but there was a limited methodology for quantification. Here, we employed connectivity-based parcellation of sub-regions as a marker to characterize the heterogeneous development of the cerebral cortex. Particularly, we investigated the parcellation of primary motor (M1), sensory cortex (S1), and insula based on tractography-based connectivity among 3 stages during first 2 yr of life and also adulthood. We identified 4 and 3 sub-regions along superior-to-inferior axis in M1 and S1, respectively, and 2 sub-regions along anterior-to-posterior axis in insula. Connectivity profiles and volume fractions of different sub-regions showed distinct development changes. Specifically, measures of each sub-region in M1 and S1 showed a steady development during first 2 yr of life and gradually became similar to adulthood patterns. In contrast, sub-regions in insula exhibited nearly no change in this stage but tremendous differences in adult group. These findings may suggest primary cortices may experience early development in early life, while the high-order cortex may change at a later stage. These findings provided insights into the heterogeneous development during early life and indicated the necessity of using an age-specific cortical parcellation in studying baby brains.
Therapeutic left-to-right shunting in heart failure
Authors: Fioretti Francesco , Nair Ajith P , Anker Stefan D , Borlaug Barry A , Kereiakes Dean J , Lindenfeld JoAnn , Stone Gregg W , Butler Javed
Published: February 2025

Heart failure with reduced or preserved ejection fraction are both associated with elevated left atrial pressure at rest due to fluid overload or during exercise, leading to pulmonary venous congestion. Even with available treatments, heart failure hospitalizations remain high, and improvements in quality-of-life scores and functional capacity are modest. Thus, there is growing interest in non-pharmacological methods to decompress the left atrium and improve heart failure symptoms and outcomes. Left-to-right shunts have emerged as a potential therapeutic option to reduce left atrial hypertension, improve quality of life, and impact long-term outcomes. This nascent field carries both potential therapeutic promise as well as many unanswered questions. Recent data have questioned whether the effects of this therapy vary based on the left ventricular ejection fraction, pulmonary vascular resistance, and/or right ventricular structure and function. This review discusses the basis for left-to-right shunt therapies, synthesizes past and ongoing clinical trials, and offers future directions.
May Measurement Month 2022: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Republic of the Congo
Authors: Ellenga Mbolla Bertrand , Kouala Landa Christian Michel , Bakekolo Rog Paterne , Makani Bassakouahou Jospin Karel , Ebenguela Ebatetou , Eyeni Sinomono Tony , Ngolo Letomo Kivie , Gankama Thibaut , Moualengué Bijou , Kwealeu Jean-Pierre , Massinsa Kibongui Rode Vaclaire , Gamboulou Cherdan , Gerard Mampouya Ondaye , Ngolo Onanga Victoire , Boungou Nkoueyi Lavelle , Mabongo D’assise , Ondzotto Gontran , Beaney Thomas , Kerr Gabriele , Poulter Neil R , Gombet Thierry Raoul
Published: February 2025

The May Measurement Month (MMM) campaign was carried out in Republic of the Congo in 2022 with the aim of raising awareness of raised blood pressure (BP). Here, we report on the findings of the campaign.

Adults aged ≥ 18 years were recruited opportunistically in rural areas and some cities in Congo. Three seated BP readings were taken for each participant, along with completion of a questionnaire on demographics, lifestyle factors, and comorbidities. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg and/or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg or being on antihypertensive medication. Controlled BP was defined as being on antihypertensive medication with a BP <140/90 mmHg. Multiple imputation was used to estimate any missing BP readings. In total, 8619 were screened, with a mean age of 44.8 years and 49.8% were female. Of those screened, 2596 (30.1%) reported previous COVID-19 vaccination, 476 (5.5%) reported diabetes, 422 (4.9%) previous myocardial infarction, 124 (1.4%) previous stroke, 1211 (14.1%) were current smokers and 1237 (14.4%) reported daily alcohol intake. Of all participants, 3054 (35.4%) had hypertension, of whom 1331 (43.6%) were aware, and 944 (30.9%) were on antihypertensive medication, of whom 801 (84.9%) were on monotherapy and 116 (12.3%) on dual therapy. Of those on antihypertensive medication, 235 (24.9%) had controlled BP, and of all participants with hypertension, 7.7% had controlled BP.

The MMM campaign in Republic of the Congo identified significant numbers of participants with either untreated or inadequately treated hypertension. Therapeutic education must be more active, in addition to enhanced screening, facilitating access to care and making medication available.
Spatiotemporally transcriptomic analyses of floral buds reveal the high-resolution landscape of flower development and dormancy regulation in peach
Authors: Zhao Ya-lin , Li Yong , Guo Dan-dan , Chen Xue-jia , Cao Ke , Wu Jin-long , Fang Wei-chao , Chen Chang-wen , Wang Xin-wei , Wang Li-rong
Published: February 2025

The spatiotemporal transcriptome dataset reported here provides the peach flower bud’s gene expression atlas at spatiotemporal resolution level by 10x genomics Visium platform. This dataset can be used to define the transcript accumulation for any interesting genes across several flower bud cells by three peach flower bud samples during the activity-dormancy period, providing valuable insight into gene expression profiling and developmental stages under different environmental contexts or conditions. Importantly, we found that different cell types are related to specific regulatory programs, including signal transduction, environment and stress responses, and flower development. Our research provides insight into the transcriptomic landscape of the key cell types for flower buds and opens new avenues to study cell-type specification, function, and differentiation in Rosaceae fruit trees. A series of pivotal genes (e.g., AMS, MS188, MS1) for flower bud development were identified, these works provided a valuable reference for activity-dormancy transition in perennial deciduous fruit trees.
Photocontrol of the small GTPase Ras using its regulatory factor, GTPase-activating protein, modified with photochromic nanodevices
Authors: Ahmed Rajib , Nishibe Nobuyuki , Zhang Ziyun , Maruta Shinsaku
Published: February 2025

Ras, a small GTPase, is central to the regulation of diverse cellular processes including transcription, cell cycle progression, growth, migration, cytoskeletal reorganization, apoptosis, cell survival, and senescence. Ras activation is mediated by GTP binding, whereas its inactivation occurs via GDP binding, which is tightly controlled by guanine nucleotide exchange factors and GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). GAPs accelerate GTP hydrolysis, playing a crucial role in modulating Ras signaling to prevent excessive or prolonged activation. Here, we investigated monofunctional azobenzene derivatives as photochromic modulators to control the function of Ras in a light-dependent and reversible manner. Three thiol-reactive azobenzene derivatives with distinct electrostatic properties were synthesized and incorporated into GAP functional sites to modulate Ras activity. GAP mutants containing a single cysteine residue at the functional site were generated using an Escherichia coli expression system. Our results showed that modifications near the GAP “arginine finger,” a critical region for stabilizing the GTP hydrolysis transition state of Ras, induced significant light-dependent changes in GTPase activity. We achieved photoreversible control of the interaction between Ras and its effector Raf using these azobenzene derivatives. These findings suggest that Ras function can be precisely modulated using photochromic molecules, providing a novel light-based approach for controlling Ras activity.
An investigation of Haemaphysalis longicornis (Ixodida:Ixodidae) habitat and pathogen overlap with resident tick species in Southeastern Pennsylvania forests
Authors: Phillips Payton M , Fahey Jackson , Behm Jocelyn E
Published: February 2025

The long-horned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann (Ixodida: Ixodidae) was recently introduced to the United States from its native range in Asia. Although H. longicornis transmits numerous disease-causing pathogens in its native range, it is unclear to what extent H. longicornis will act as a disease vector in the United States. The ability of H. longicornis to acquire pathogens likely depends on overlap with resident tick species in both habitat and pathogens transmitted within its introduced range. To assess the potential overlap in habitat and pathogens between invasive H. longicornis and resident tick species, we field-collected ticks across southeastern Pennsylvania and tested them for pathogens. We then contextualized the risk of pathogen transmission to and by H. longicornis at sites where it overlaps with the current vector species using a network of vectored pathogens. None of the collected H. longicornis individuals tested positive for any pathogens. However, we found significant overlap in habitat use among H. longicornis and resident tick nymphs, as well as several overlaps in the pathogens vectored by resident ticks and those carried by H. longicornis in Asia. These findings indicate a high but yet-to-be-realized potential for H. longicornis to acquire North American tick-borne pathogens.
Clinical characteristics and quality of life in children with PFAPA syndrome and Behçet’s disease
Authors: Gürel Bedir Asli , Kilic Sara Sebnem
Published: February 2025

Objective

Periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, cervical adenitis (PFAPA) syndrome and Behçet’s disease (BD) are non-monogenic autoinflammatory disorders with common clinical characteristics and genetic features. We aimed to review both patients’ clinical characteristics and quality of life.

Methods

Retrospective data were collected on patients’ clinical and laboratory characteristics with PFAPA and BD between 2019 and 2022. The quality of life questionnaire (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory) form was completed by the parents of all patients and the control group.

Results

The study included 150 cases aged between 2 and 18, including 60 with PFAPA, 30 BD patients and 60 healthy volunteers. The duration of attacks in males with PFAPA was longer than that in females (P = 0.015). During attacks, the mean acute phase reactants of PFAPA patients were higher than those of BD (P = 0.010). In addition, there was a statistically significant relationship between the use of colchicine and a decrease in attack frequency in BD patients at 89.29% (P = 0.001 < 0.05) and in PFAPA patients at 88% (P = 0.001 < 0.05). Precisely, 61.67% of PFAPA (n = 37) and 73.33% of BD patients (n = 22) exhibited poor quality of life regarding daily activities and school attendance.

Conclusion

Limited data on the quality of life of paediatric BD and PFAPA syndrome are available. During the attacks of patients with PFAPA and BD, acute-phase reactants were higher in PFAPA patients. Colchicine is an effective medication in reducing attacks in both groups. Effective and timely treatment is indispensable to improve quality of life.
Profiles of gut microbiota and metabolites for high risk of transgenerational depression‐like behavior by paternal methamphetamine exposure
Authors: Zhang Yuanyuan , Hu Tao , Wang Xinyu , Sun Nongyuan , Cai Qinglong , Kim Hee Young , Fan Yu , Liu Dekang , Guan Xiaowei
Published: February 2025

Parental substance abuse increases the risk of neurological and psychiatric disorders in offsprings. However, its underlying mechanism remains elusive. Our previous study demonstrated that long‐term exposure to methamphetamine (Meth), a psychostimulant drug with high addiction potential, remarkably alters the gut microbiome and metabolites in male mice, which contribute to Meth‐induced anxiety‐like behaviors. The current study aimed to investigate whether gut microbiota and metabolism serve as potential peripheral targets for transgenerational mental problems by paternal Meth exposure. We found that paternal Meth exposure induced depression‐like behaviors both in the first (F1) and the second (F2) generations of male mice. Further, the depletion of gut bacteria through antibiotic treatments normalized the depression‐like behaviors to normal levels in both F1 and F2 male mice. Then, alterations in gut bacterial composition were observed in both F1 and F2 male mice. Specifically, Eubacterium_ruminantium_group, Enterorhabdus, Alloprevotella, and Parabacteroides were the commonly affected bacterial taxa in F1 and F2 male mice. In addition, the results of alterations in gut metabolism showed that LPC 14:1‐SN1 emerged as the consistently altered metabolite in the colons of F1 and F2 male mice. Taken together, our findings provide the first evidence that paternal Meth exposure enhances depression‐like behaviors in F1 and F2 male mice, potentially mediated by the gut microbiome and metabolism.
Dysregulated fatty acid metabolism in pericardiac adipose tissue of pulmonary hypertension due to left heart disease mice
Authors: Qiu Haihua , Chen Jingyuan , Mei Zhang , Chen Wenjie , Jun Luo , Chen Yusi , Tan Yingjie , Wang Tianyu , Chen Yaqin , Li Jiang
Published: February 2025

Pulmonary hypertension associated with left heart disease (PH‐LHD) represents the most prevalent form of pulmonary hypertension; however, being lacks precise and effective treatment strategies. Recent clinical studies have indicated a positive correlation between the volume of pericardiac adipose tissue (PAT) and the severity of PH‐LHD. Nonetheless, there is a paucity of research characterizing PAT phenotypes in PH‐LHD disease models. This study aimed to elucidate the gene‐level characteristics of PAT in PH‐LHD through RNA sequencing and targeted metabolomic analysis of PAT in order to identify potential therapeutic targets for PH‐LHD by modulating PAT. This study developed a mouse model of PH‐LHD through cardiac overload combined with metabolic syndrome and verified that PAT volume and adipocyte size were significantly increased in PH‐LHD mice. We used RNA sequencing to reveal that DEGs in PAT were primarily enriched in fatty acid metabolism pathways. Then, real‐time PCR showed no significant differences in the mRNA expression of inflammatory markers or adipocytokines; however, genes of fatty acid synthesis (Fasn, Acaca, and Scd1) and fatty acid decomposition (Ehhadh, Acot4, and Pdk1) significantly changed between the two groups. Consistently, targeted metabolomic analysis showed levels of most types of medium‐ and long‐chain fatty acids substantially reduced in PAT, suggesting that PAT in PH‐LHD mice exhibits suppressed fatty acid de novo synthesis and enhanced fatty acid breakdown, resulting in impaired fatty acid storage. These findings highlight the potential of targeting PAT fatty acid synthesis and metabolism pathways as a novel therapeutic approach for PH‐LHD.
UBE2D3 functions in mouse oocyte meiotic maturation
Authors: Zhang Guorui , Zhang Na , Zhang Bin , Zhao Yilong , Wang Qiang , Han Longsen
Published: February 2025

Ubiquitin‐mediated proteolysis plays a critical role in meiotic cell‐cycle regulation and must be tightly controlled to achieve correct chromosome segregation. While the role of E2 ubiquitin‐conjugating enzymes in mitosis is well‐documented, their functions in oocyte meiosis remain largely unexplored. In this study, we identified UBE2D3 as the most highly expressed E2 enzyme in mouse oocytes, which is essential for proper meiotic division. UBE2D3 depletion caused (metaphase I) MI arrest and Cyclin B1 accumulation, whereas its overexpression led to reduced Cyclin B1 levels, kinetochore‐microtubule (K‐MT) mis‐attachments, spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) dysfunction, and increased aneuploidy. Notably, UBE2D3 upregulation in oocytes from aged mice contributed to age‐related meiotic defects, which were partially reversed by UBE2D3 knockdown or Cyclin B1 overexpression. This study underscores the importance of the UBE2D3‐Cyclin B1 axis in maintaining meiotic fidelity and highlights its potential as a therapeutic target for improving oocyte quality and fertility in aged females.
High utilization of colonoscopy and fecal occult blood testing for screening or diagnostic purposes in Germany: a longitudinal analysis
Authors: Hornschuch Michel , Schwarz Sarina , Haug Ulrike
Published: February 2025

It is often reported that participation in the German colorectal cancer (CRC) screening program is low. However, it must be considered that fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) and colonoscopy are offered in parallel and both are also used for diagnostic purposes. We aimed to quantify and characterize the uptake of these colorectal examinations in Germany. Using the claims database German Pharmacoepidemiological Research Database (~20% of the German population), we included persons aged 50 in 2011 in cohort 1 (cohort 2: age 55) and assessed whether they utilized FOBT or colonoscopy for screening or diagnostic purposes until age 59 (cohort 2: age 64). We have stratified the analyses, i.e. by gender and educational level. Among 185 949 50-year olds, 80% of women and 63% of men had ≥1 colorectal examination (i.e. FOBT or colonoscopy) until age 59; 25% of women and 31% of men had ≥1 colonoscopy (among those, 76 and 62% had a screening colonoscopy). In women with lower vs higher education, 79 vs 82% had any colorectal examination; in men, these proportions were 60 vs 67%. Among 156 258 55-year olds, 78% of women and 69% of men had ≥1 colorectal examination until age 64. Our study demonstrates a high utilization of colorectal examinations in Germany. It also illustrates the value of health claims data to monitor CRC screening in Germany due to their longitudinal character and because they include information on screening, on examinations done for diagnostic reasons as well as information suitable to characterize users and nonusers.
Plant-Capture Methods for Estimating Homeless Population Size From Uncertain Plant Captures
Authors: Wang Yiran , Lysy Martin , B´eliveau Audrey
Published: February 2025

Plant-capture is a specialized variant of traditional capture–recapture methods used to estimate the size of a population. In epidemiologic literature, a notable application of this method is the estimation of the size of homeless populations through point-in-time street surveys. With this approach, decoys referred to as “plants” are introduced into the population to estimate the capture probability. Previous plant-capture studies have not systematically accounted for uncertainty in the capture status of individual plants. To address this, we propose three increasingly complex hierarchical modeling approaches to formally incorporate uncertainty into the plant-capture model arising from the capture status of plants and heterogeneity between survey sites. We then apply our methods to estimate the size of the homeless population in large US cities in the context of the “S-Night” study conducted by the US Census Bureau. Details on the frequentist and Bayesian implementations of our models, along with empirical evaluations of their statistical performance, are provided in the supplementary materials.
Incidence of Shared Clinical Instruction in Physical Therapy Clinical Education in the United States
Authors: Silberman Nicki , Hochman Lori , Rachwani Jaya
Published: February 2025

Introduction.

Physical therapy clinical education experiences (CEE) typically involve a 1:1 or 2:1 student:instructor ratio. Students may also be supervised by more than 1 clinical instructor (CI), referred to as shared clinical instruction. The purpose of this study was to examine the incidence and implementation of shared clinical instruction in the United States.

Review of Literature.

Burnout and moral distress, along with the growing number of physical therapist (PT) education programs, contribute to limitations in clinical education capacity. Shared clinical instruction may benefit both educators and students, warranting further investigation.

Subjects.

Deidentified data were extracted from 178 PT education programs using Exxat in September 2023.

Methods.

This study analyzed CEE data between January 2014 and September 2023 (placement setting, state, dates, length of the CEE, number of assigned CIs, CI years of clinical experience and as a CI, credentialed instructor status, and specialization status) using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results.

Almost all, 175 (98.3%) of the 178 programs, and 16,356 (12.5%) of the 131,184 CEEs in the data set had students who participated in shared clinical instruction, representing all 50 states, and every clinical setting. Shared clinical instruction occurred in longer CEEs compared with 1:1 experiences; binary logistic regression indicated that longer CEEs predicted higher rates of shared clinical instruction. Independent t-tests indicate that primary CIs in shared clinical instruction had slightly more years of clinical and instructional experience.

Discussion and Conclusion.

Shared clinical instruction is occurring in most PT education programs and clinical settings in the United States. Further investigation should explore the rationale behind the use of shared clinical instruction in various practice settings, and the selection and pairing of CIs in this model, along with the efficacy of shared clinical instruction, including benefits, challenges, and best practices.
Use of a Knowledge Translation Approach to Promote Implementation of Clinical Practice Guidelines in an Experiential Learning Course Within an Entry-Level Doctor of Physical Therapy Program: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Romney Wendy , Rodis Marco , Spiro Alicia L. , Roberts Kylie E. , Hemmer Mary Claire , Deutsch Judith E.
Published: February 2025

Introduction.

Teaching health sciences students how to evaluate and implement clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) is challenging.

Review of Literature.

Physical therapist education offers experiential learning opportunities to teach students how to evaluate and implement CPGs. Knowledge translation (KT) guides the process of moving research evidence into practice. Experiential learning using KT principles can teach students to assess barriers to evidence use and overcome implementation challenges. The purpose of this retrospective phenomenological qualitative study was to explore the beliefs, perceptions, and experiences of former physical therapist students' who completed a neurologic elective course implementing 2 CPGs. Furthermore, how the course impacted their clinical experiences is also described.

Subjects.

Nine third-year physical therapist students.

Methods.

Students who participated in an elective experiential learning course developed using KT principles were recruited. Focus groups were held to determine the students' perceptions and experiences with implementing CPGs in the classroom and during their clinical experiences. Content analysis was used to identify codes and categories, and they were aligned with the Consolidated Framework of Implementation Research. Trustworthiness was established through member checking, peer debriefing, and an external audit.

Results.

Students reported individual and contextual facilitators during the elective that supported CPG use. Students identified improved knowledge, confidence, and skill to perform the CPGs that facilitated their transfer of knowledge from the classroom to the clinic. During their clinical experiences, students discussed contextual factors, such as culture, environment, and patient population, which served as both facilitators and barriers to CPG use.

Discussion and Conclusion.

Experiential learning enhanced knowledge, confidence, and skill with using CPGs and facilitated students' integration of evidence-based practice into their clinical experiences. Where possible, physical therapy curricula should incorporate experiential learning with KT principles to help students identify barriers to CPG use and develop strategies to enhance future evidence-based practice implementation.
Recognizing and responding to human trafficking in clinical care environments: A pediatric primary care case study
Authors: Peck Jessica L. , King Kelcey Y. , Hettenhaus Katherine P. , Rigby Kelley B. , McMichael Tami
Published: February 2025

Human trafficking is a proliferating abuse within the United States in which persons who are victimized frequently interface with clinical environments across the care continuum with a variety of presentations for health needs. However, in the absence of uniform standards for evidence-based training among the health professions, recognition and response in these scenarios remains low. This case study presents a young adolescent female accessing primary care with a chief complaint of commercial sexual exploitation. The Core Competencies for Human Trafficking Response in Health Systems is used as a guiding lens for practical applications in clinical practice in provision of pediatric primary care. Health care providers in a direct service role should be prepared to respond with evidence-based, trauma-informed, culturally responsive procedures and protocols used within their scope of practice.
Performance of Clinical Risk Prediction Models for Post-ERCP Pancreatitis: A Systematic Review
Authors: Sabrie Nasruddin , Minhas Gurjot , Vaska Marcus , Meng Zhao Wu , Brenner Darren R. , Forbes Nauzer
Published: February 2025

Objectives:

Pancreatitis is common following endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Despite increased vigilance of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP), both its incidence and associated mortality are rising. Risk prediction models may provide more accurate stratification of patient risk and proactive mitigation of PEP incidence and/or severe associated outcomes.

Methods:

We conducted an electronic search of MEDLINE, PubMEd, Cochrane, and CINAHL from inception through April 9, 2024 for studies evaluating the details and performances of available PEP prediction models. Studies were eligible if they used statistical measures to quantify their model’s predictive ability. Risk of bias was determined using the PROBAST tool.

Results:

Nineteen studies met eligibility criteria and were included. Logistic regression models were used in 15 studies, with machine learning models representing the second most commonly employed approach. Ten studies reported the performance of their risk prediction models using derivation data, with areas under the receiver operating curve (AUC) ranging from 0.68 to 0.86. Fifteen studies reported the performance of their risk prediction models on internally validated data, with AUCs ranging from 0.66 to 0.97. Eight studies reported on the performance of their risk prediction models on external validation data, with AUCs ranging from 0.67 to 0.98.

Discussion:

Numerous PEP clinical prediction models exist with variable performances. The use of PEP prediction tools can support the management of patients following ERCP. Implementation studies assessing the optimal usability of these tools, followed by prospective evaluations, are needed to evaluate their potential impacts on reducing PEP in real-world practice.
Opioid Prescribing Disparity in Traumatically Injured Patients
Authors: Smith Sophia M , Adams Rachel , Ha Emily , Chan Wang Pong , Jenkins Kendall , Michael Cara , Saillant Noelle N , Franks Jeffrey A , Sanchez Sabrina E
Published: February 2025

Background:

Opioid prescribing is understudied in trauma patients, where disadvantaged communities are overrepresented. In this study, we evaluated disparities in opioid administration after trauma.

Study Design:

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of injured adults at a level I trauma center, 2018-2021. Opioids were quantified in milligram morphine equivalents (MME). Primary outcomes were receipt of opioids inpatient and at discharge, MMEs per hospital day, and, for patients prescribed opioids at discharge, MMEs and discharge pain control days. Multivariable logistic regression identified factors associated with overall receipt of opioids after injury, general linear modeling identified factors associated with MMEs received inpatient and at discharge, and negative binomial regression evaluated pain control days prescribed at discharge.

Results:

Of 3,032 patients, 2,514 (82.92%) required opioids as an inpatient and 1,803 (71.72%) still required opioids the day of discharge. Of these, 1,310 (72.66%) were discharged with opioids. Black (β-24.94, 95%CI -37.25, -12.62, p<0.001) and Hispanic (β -21.96, 95%CI -39.21, -4.71, p=0.01) patients received lower MMEs while inpatient. Factors associated with lower odds of discharge with opioids included non-English language (OR 0.56, 95%CI 0.38, 0.82, p=0.003), substance use disorder (SUD) (OR 0.69, 95%CI 0.49, 0.97, p=0.03), neuropsychiatric comorbidities (OR 0.58, 95%CI 0.39, 0.87, p=0.008), and violent injury (OR 0.61, 95%CI 0.45, 0.85, p=0.003). On discharge, Black individuals (β -130.71, 95%CI -251.26, -10.17, p=0.03) received lower MMEs and patients with SUD (IRR 0.65, 95%CI 0.53, 0.80, p<0.001) received fewer pain control days.

Conclusions:

Trauma patients experienced disparities in opioid prescribing throughout hospitalization. Lower opioid doses were administered to non-white patients, while language, mental health comorbidities, and mechanism influenced discharge opioid prescriptions.
Molecular Typing of Campylobacter jejuni diarrheal isolates in a Hospital in Makokou, Gabon by Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus Polymerase Chain Reaction (ERIC-PCR).
Authors: ZONG MINKO Ornella , YALA Jean Fabrice , MABIKA MABIKA Rolande , MOUNIOKO Franck , ONDJIANGUI Léonce Fauster , ARMESTO PAULA Jose-Miguel , ONDO-NANG Junior Eymard , MOYEN Rachel
Published: February 2025

2. Abstract

Context

Campylobacter jejuni is responsible for 80% of the cases of human foodborne bacterial enteric infections worldwide. However, limited data on its genetic diversity exist, especially using the Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus Polymerase Chain Reaction (ERIC-PCR). The aim of this study was to determine the genetic diversity of Campylobacter jejuni strains isolated from infant diarrheal feces at the Omar Bongo Ondimba Regional Health Center of Makokou (CHROBOM), Gabon.

Material and methods

58 strains of Campylobacter jejuni from patients with gastroenteritis were used for this work. The ERIC-PCR method was used to characterize genetic diversity. The binomial manual method via the online analysis system (http://insilico.ehu.es/dice_upgma/) was used to establish the dendrogram and calculate the discriminatory power of the Simpson diversity index (D).

Results

The genotyping of Campylobacter jejuni isolates by the ERIC-PCR method revealed a discriminatory index D=0.8451, dividing the 58 isolates into 10 clusters, with 33 genotypic profiles, including 22 non-repeated profiles and 11 repeated profiles. These results indicate a rather polymorphic diversity of Campylobacter jejuni in the Makokou region of Gabon.

Conclusion

The high discriminatory diversity index obtained in this study demonstrates the polymorphic richness within Campylobacter jejuni strains as revealed by the ERIC-PCR method.
Unveiling Sleep Dysregulation in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with and without Fibromyalgia Through Bayesian Networks
Authors: Bechny Michal , Scutari Marco , van der Meer Julia , Faraci Francesca , Natelson Benjamin H. , Kishi Akifumi
Published: February 2025

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Fibromyalgia (FM) often co-occur as medically unexplained conditions linked to disrupted physiological regulation, including altered sleep. Building on the work of Kishi et al. [7], who identified differences in sleep-stage transitions in CFS and CFS+FM females, we exploited the same strictly controlled clinical cohort using a Bayesian Network (BN) to quantify detailed patterns of sleep and its dynamics. Our BN confirmed that sleep transitions are best described as a second-order process [14], achieving a next-stage predictive accuracy of 70.6%, validated on two independent data sets with domain shifts (60.1–69.8% accuracy). Notably, we demonstrated that sleep dynamics can reveal the actual diagnoses. Our BN successfully differentiated healthy, CFS, and CFS+FM individuals, achieving an AUROC of 75.4%. Using interventions, we quantified sleep alterations attributable specifically to CFS and CFS+FM, identifying changes in stage prevalence, durations, and first- and second-order transitions. These findings reveal novel markers for CFS and CFS+FM in early-to-mid-adulthood females, offering insights into their physiological mechanisms and supporting their clinical differentiation.
Spared Motor Neurons Enable the Control of a Robotic Sixth-Finger for Assistive Grasping in Tetraplegia
Authors: Souza de Oliveira Daniela , Braun Dominik Immanuel , Pozzi Maria , Franco Leonardo , Ponfick Matthias , Malvezzi Monica , Salvietti Gionata , Prattichizzo Domenico , Del Vecchio Alessandro
Published: February 2025

Recovering hand function is among the highest priorities for individuals with tetraplegia. Yet, current treatments restoring basic hand movements remain limited for individuals with motor complete spinal cord injury. In this study, we present a non-invasive neuromechatronic interface that directly translates spared motor neuron activities that once encoded the opening and closing of the hand to a supernumerary robotic sixth finger. We re-enabled three individuals with chronic (> 8 years) motor complete cervical spinal cord injury to grasp objects important for daily living with the same neural input that controlled the flexion and extension of the fingers. After a few minutes of training, the participants intuitively modulated the discharge activity of their motor units, controlling hand opening and closing. These motor units were then used to control the robotic sixth finger proportionally. All participants successfully executed various grasping tasks that required considerable force from the digits, e.g., opening a bottle by unscrewing the cap. Our findings present a transformative step in restoring hand function, offering an intuitive and non-invasive neuromechatronic interface without the need to learn new motor skills, as the participants use the same motor commands as before the injury. This can significantly improve the quality of life of individuals with paralysis.