bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Targeted Screening of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms in 50- to 60-Year-Old Female Smokers – Inconsiderate Overdiagnosis or a Chance to Improve Women’s Health?
Authors: Huhtakangas Justiina , Vasankari Ville , Numminen Jussi , Niemelä Mika , Korja Miikka 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTIntroductionAneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) causes a substantial proportion of all deaths among middle-aged people, especially women. Since female smokers in particular have a high risk of aSAH and SAH deaths, targeted screening of 50–60-year-old female smokers could be justified as a preventive action to reduce premature deaths and morbidity.MethodsThis prospective screening study has been carried out at Helsinki University Hospital in the Department of Neurosurgery in two phases during 2020 and 2023–2024. In order to minimize recruitment bias, the Helsinki Biobank and THL Biobank were responsible for sending out preliminary invitation letters to self-caring 50- to 60-year-old women who were known to be active smokers. We informed the potential candidates about the study and answered any questions before their decision to participate. Once written consent was provided, participants filled in a detailed questionnaire on lifestyle and health, and underwent computed tomography angiography (CTA) analysis. We studied the prevalence of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) among the study participants. Moreover, we assessed morbidity, mortality and costs related to screening.ResultsOf the 458 preliminary invitation letters, 160 potential participants initially replied. Of these, 116 returned questionnaires and written consents. Ultimately, 108 smoking women underwent CTA imaging. Eleven UIAs were found in eleven (10%) female smokers, one of which was intracavernous and extradural. Two women were operated on without complications – one with a middle cerebral artery aneurysm and one with a posterior communicating artery aneurysm. Most (n=8) patients with small (<5mm) intradural aneurysms were treated with non-invasive preventive actions (smoking cessation, blood pressure control) and followed with CTA or MRA thereafter.ConclusionsSmall UIAs, which may be best suited for non-invasive preventive actions, seem to be common in 50- to 60-year-old female smokers. Targeted screening of women in this age group may offer a chance to reduce morbidity or mortality of aSAH. Whether this leads to improved health and reduction in SAH-related deaths in the long run requires a longer follow-up.
Leveraging whole genomes, mitochondrial DNA, and haploblocks to decipher complex demographic histories: an example from a broadly admixed arctic fish
Authors: Dallaire Xavier , Normandeau Eric , Brazier Thomas , Harris Les , Michael Michael M. Hansen , Mérot Claire , Moore Jean-Sébastien 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThe study of phylogeography has transitioned from mitochondrial haplotypes to genome-wide analyses, blurring the line between this field and population genomics. Whole-genome sequencing offers the opportunity to join use both and provides the density of markers necessary to investigate genetic linkage and recombination along the genome. This facilitates the unraveling of complex demographic histories of admixture between divergent lineages, as is often the case in species evolving in recently deglaciated habitats. In this study, we sequenced 1120 Arctic Char genomes from 33 populations across Canada and Western Greenland to characterize patterns of genetic variation and diversity, and how they are shaped by hybridization between the Arctic and Atlantic glacial lineages. Several lines of evidence supported mito-nuclear discordance in lineage distribution, with all Canadian populations under the 66thparallel being characterized by introgression from the Atlantic lineage, leading to higher nuclear genetic diversity. By scanning the genome using local PCAs, we identified putative low-recombining haploblocks as local ancestry tracts from either lineage and described the impacts of recombination on the introgression landscape in admixed populations. Finally, we inferred conflicting origins of recolonization using whole genomes vs. ancestry tracts for the Arctic lineage, suggesting that haplotypes sheltered from introgression by low recombination could enlighten complex post-glacial histories. Overall, we argue that Whole-Genome Sequencing, even at low depths of coverage, provides a versatile approach to the study of phylogeographic dynamics.
Punishing temporal judgement boosts sense of agency and modulates its underlying neural correlates
Authors: Hill Christopher M. , Samnani Numa , Barzi Leo , Wilson Matt 
Published: December 2024

AbstractFeeling in control of one’s actions is fundamental to the formation of action-outcome relationships. Reinforcement and its valence also change the action-outcome relationship, either through behavior promotion or diminishment. In this study we evaluated how reward and punishment reinforcement modulate sense of agency, as measured by intentional binding. Moreover, using electroencephalography (EEG) we evaluated how reward and punishment reinforcement changes outcome event related potentials associated with the accuracy of participants’ judgement of the time interval between a key press and audio tone. We found that punishment reinforcement increased intentional binding between the action and outcome more than reward and control feedback. This was also reflected in the outcome event related potentials, where punishment elicited greater P300s and Late Positive Potentials compared to reward and control. We also found increased N100s and diminished P300s and Late Positive Potentials when the participants did not actively participate in evoking the tone. Taken together, our findings showcase that punishment reinforcement boosts sense of agency and modulates associated neural activity more than reward and no reinforcement, as a function of increasing attention and arousal. These findings illuminate the greater effect punishment reinforcement has on behavior and brain activity by its modification of sense of agency, which is important for the development of treatments in psychiatric and neurological diseases.
The genetic architecture of gene expression in individuals of African and European ancestry
Authors: Fletez-Brant Kipper , Sauteraud Renan , Liang Yanyu , Micheletti Steven , Nandakumar Priyanka , Sugathan Aarathi , Song Kijoung , Cavazos Taylor B. , Thomas Amal , Tunney Robert J. , Hicks Barry , O’Connell Jared , Shringarpure Suyash , Kukar Katelyn , Moreno Meghan , DelloRusso Emily , Wong Corinna D. , Petrakovitz Aaron , Atla Goutham , Cortes Adrian , Gormley Padhraig , Howe Laurence , Mishra Rajashree , Seaton Daniel ,   the 23andMe Research Team, Gentleman Robert C. , Pitts Steven J. , Vacic Vladimir 
Published: December 2024

AbstractWe conducted two large scale studies of the genetics of gene expression in individuals of African ancestry within a cohort of consented 23andMe research participants and in LCL samples from the 1000 Genomes Project African superpopulation. We discovered nearly four times as many eQTLs, compared to tissue-matched eQTL studies in European cohorts. Additionally, we found that the majority of eQTLs were not detectable across populations; those that were, however, were found to be highly concordant. Performing eQTL studies in African ancestry cohorts resulted in more signals per gene and smaller credible sets of causal variants. We showed that comparisons of heritability of gene expression could be confounded by population substructure, but that variation in local genetic ancestry did not majorly impact eQTL discovery. Finally, we showed improvements in variant-to-gene mapping of African-American GWAS signals when using African compared to European ancestry eQTL studies
Association Between Abdominal Obesity, Cardiovascular Fitness, and Incident Hypertension in Middle-Aged Korean Adults
Authors: Chae Jisuk , Kim Mihee , Jung Soo young , Yoo Seung Don , Kang Si-Hyuck , Lee Kyesan , Kim Jung-Hyun , Lee Junga 
Published: December 2024

AbstractBACKGROUNDHypertension is a global health crisis that significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and chronic kidney disease. Despite advances in treatment, the prevalence of hypertension continues to rise. It is important to know the association between abdominal obesity, cardiovascular fitness, and hypertension in middle-aged Koreans to develop effective prevention and management strategies for hypertension. This study aims to investigate the association between body composition, physical fitness, and hypertension in middle-aged Korean population. We examined the impact of abdominal obesity and cardiovascular fitness on the risk of hypertension.METHODS and RESULTSA cross-sectional study was conducted among 60 healthy adults (mean aged 54.23±7.34) recruited. Participants underwent assessments of anthropometry, body composition, blood pressure, and physical fitness. The primary outcome was the prevalence of hypertension. Secondary outcomes included body composition measures (body fat mass, body lean mass and waist circumference), and physical fitness assessments (grip strength, sit-ups, sit-and-reach test, and YMCA step test). Participants with hypertension had significantly higher body fat mass and waist circumference compared to those without hypertension. The risk of hypertension was significantly increased by 17.7% with a 1 kg increase in body fat and by 11.9% with a 1 cm increase in waist circumference. The risk of hypertension was significantly increased in the group with hypertension accompanied by abdominal obesity as cardiovascular fitness, measured by the YMCA step test, decreased (Adjusted OR: 0.326, 95% CI: 0.168-0.631).CONCLUSIONThese findings highlight the significant association between abdominal obesity, reduced cardiovascular fitness, and hypertension in middle-aged Korean adults. Abdominal obesity and low cardiovascular fitness were identified as independent risk factors for hypertension in this population. These results suggest that weight management to reduce abdominal obesity and regular physical activity to promote cardiovascular fitness are key to the prevention and management of hypertension.
Acceptability and Feasibility of a Multicomponent Intervention to Improve Acute Myocardial Infarction Care in Northern Tanzania: the MIMIC Pilot Trial
Authors: Hertz Julian T. , Sakita Francis M. , Haukila Kelvin F. , Shayo Pankrasi S. , Shayo Frida M. , Willy Joyce , Lameck Godfrey , Kisanga Emmanuel , Bosworth Hayden B. , Bettger Janet P. , Rahim Faraan O. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractBackgroundThe Multicomponent Intervention to Improve Acute Myocardial Infarction Care (MIMIC) was developed to increase uptake of evidence-based care for acute myocardial infarction in Tanzania. MIMIC consists of five components: triage cards, pocket cards, an online training module, patient educational pamphlets, and clinical champions. Our aim was to determine the acceptability and feasibility of this intervention among emergency department (ED) providers in Tanzania.MethodsDuring a one-year pilot of the MIMIC intervention at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre in northern Tanzania, ED physicians and nurses were approached and invited to complete a survey eliciting their perspectives on MIMIC. The survey included the four-item Acceptability of Intervention Measurement (AIM) and four-item Feasibility of Intervention Measurement (FIM) tools. Mean AIM and FIM scores were generated by assigning scores of 1-5 for each response (1= strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3= neutral, 4= agree, 5= strongly agree), and dividing by four.ResultsSixty-four participants were enrolled, including 27 (42%) physicians and 37 (58%) nurses. The mean AIM score was 4.82 (sd = 0.31) out of a maximum possible score of 5. The mean FIM score was 4.61 (sd 0.47). Of participants, 63 (98%) reported using the pocket cards and 54 (84%) reported completing the training module, which took a mean of 16.5 (sd 13.3) minutes to complete. Of 36 nurses who worked in triage, all (100%) reported using the MIMIC triage cards.ConclusionsThe MIMIC intervention is highly acceptable and feasible in a northern Tanzanian ED. Use of a co-design approach in the development of the MIMIC intervention likely increased the acceptability and feasibility the intervention to staff. Additional study is needed to determine the effectiveness of this intervention on clinical care processes and patient outcomes.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.govNCT04563546; registered on September 21st, 2020;https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04563546
A general strategy for generating expert-guided, simplified views of ontologies
Authors: Caron Anita R. , Puig-Barbe Aleix , Quardokus Ellen M. , Balhoff James P. , Belfiore Jasmine , Chipampe Nana-Jane , Hardi Josef , Herr Bruce W. , Kir Huseyin , Roncaglia Paola , Musen Mark A. , McLaughlin James A. , Börner Katy , Osumi-Sutherland David 
Published: December 2024

AbstractAnnotation with widely used, well-structured ontologies, combined with the use of ontology-aware software tools, ensures data and analyses are Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR). Standardized terms with synonyms support lexical search. Ontology structure supports biologically meaningful grouping of annotations (typically by location and type). However, there are significant barriers to the adoption and use of ontologies by researchers and resource developers.One barrier is complexity. Ontologies serving diverse communities are often more complex than needed for individual applications. It is common for atlases to attempt their own simplifications by manually constructing hierarchies of terms linked to ontologies, but these typically include relationship types that are not suitable for grouping annotations.Here, we present a suite of tools for validating user hierarchies against ontology structure, using them to generate graphical reports for discussion and ontology views tailored to the needs of the HuBMAP Human Reference Atlas, and the Human Developmental Cell Atlas. In both cases, validation is a source of corrections and content for both ontologies and user hierarchies.
Bovine endometrial organoids: A new tool to study conceptus-maternal interactions in mammals
Authors: Edge Jessica C. , Amelkina Olga , Tinning Haidee , Giovanardi Gianluca , Mancinelli Elena , Gardner Samantha , Vasconcelos Elton JR , Pensabene Virginia , Forbes Karen , O’Connell Mary J , Ruane Peter , Forde Niamh 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTIn cattle, communication between endometrium and conceptus during the peri-implantation period is crucial for successful pregnancy. Understanding these interactions is vital as most early pregnancy loss occurs during this time. A major challenge in understanding uterine function and early pregnancy is lack of appropriatein-vitromodels. Two-dimensional models are available, but do not recapitulate the endometrium’s complex multicellular structure. Here, we describe a hormonally responsive organoid model of the bovine endometrium, developed as a tool for studying endometrial function and early pregnancy. Bovine glandular epithelial cells were isolated from reproductive tracts and cultured in an extracellular matrix hydrogel (Cultrex 2) at 38.5°C, 5% CO (n=3). RNA was extracted and qPCR confirmed the presence of gland markers:leukemia inhibitory factor, mucin-1, insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1, kruppel-like factor-5andforkhead box protein-A2. Organoids were imaged at specific time-points to monitor growth and passaged 3 times in 1:2 or 1:3 ratios after growing for a minimum of 10 days per passage. Morphologically, organoids were spherical and fast-growing at passages 0 and 1, but this declines following passage 2. Bovine endometrial organoids (n=3, passage 0) were treated with 1000 ng/ml recombinant ovine Interferon Tau (IFNT) or 10 μg/ml progesterone (P4) for 24 hours and analysed by RNASeq to assess hormone responsiveness. Differential expression analysis by DeSeq2 negative binomial distribution model followed by Wald test and Benjamini-Hochberg correction identified 373 transcripts significantly upregulated (padj<0.05 or log2fold change >0.05) in response to P4 treatment, with downstream analysis showing significant overrepresentation (FDR<0.05) of genes associated with positive regulation of protein localisation to plasma membrane and cell periphery. Of the 240 genes significantly downregulated by P4 these were significantly overrepresented (FDR<0.05) in biological processes of cilium and cytoskeleton organisation. IFNT treatment resulted in significant upregulation of 414 genes and downregulation of 119 genes. The largest cluster associated with differentially expressed genes in response to IFNT is defence to virus and interferon signalling. There were 30 genes altered by both P4 treatment and IFNT treatment. Organoids were also shown to express conserved microRNAs, and it was possible to culture them in a microfluidics device - making them a useful model for a multitude of potential investigations. This model provides a tool to investigate bovine endometrial function and peri-implantation communication, subsequently allowing species comparison to understand diversity in reproductive strategies.
Profiling of yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiaemitochondrial AMPylome reveals a regulation of ATP synthase coupling trough subunit δ
Authors: Panja Chiranjit , Masanta Suchismita , Wiesyk Aneta , Niedzwiecka Katarzyna , Baranowska Emilia , Cysewski Dominik , Sipko Marta , Anielska-Mazur Anna , Malinowska Agata , Kucharczyk Roza 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTThe adenylation (AMPylation) of proteins as a posttranslational modification is used by bacteria during infection of host cells. These new virulence factors - AMPylases mainly belonging to the FIC domain containing proteins and constitute a potential drug target. Human FIC protein (HYPE) controls the activity of BiP chaperone under endoplasmic reticulum stress. No FIC family proteins have yet been identified in yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae. The second family of AMPylases are SelO proteins which control the redox homeostasis in mitochondria and chloroplasts. We describe here the first global screening of AMPylated proteins in yeastS. cerevisiaemitochondrial proteome from wild type and SelO (Fmp40) lacking cells. Through quantitative mass-spectrometry-based proteomics, we identified a total of 169 AMPylated proteins in mitochondria while AMPylated peptides of 115 proteins were identified infmp40Δmitochondria, indicating on the presence of another, besides Fmp40, not yet identified AMPylase in yeast. We confirmed AMPylation of Atp1, Atp2, Atp3 and Atp16 subunits of mitochondrial ATP synthase by western blotting. Interestingly, we found AMPylation and phosphorylation of many residues, what indicates on the complex regulation of the ATP synthase activity. We confirmed the importance of one of such residues in Atp16, showing that its post-translational modification serves to regulate ATP synthase and OXPHOS coupling in both fermentative and respiratory growth conditions. This regulation serves to maintain the proper potential of the inner mitochondrial membrane, particularly under conditions of fermentative growth. This dataset represents the first library of AMPylated mitochondrial yeast proteins reported to date and supplements the AMPylome of human chronic lymphocytic leukemia cell line from human HYPE containing and HYPE lacking cells. The data represents a foundation for substrate specific investigations that can ultimately decipher the biological role of the AMPylation in the mitochondria.
Inflammatory reactivity is unrelated to childhood adversity or provoked modulation of nociception
Authors: Bedwell Gillian J , Mqadi Luyanduthando , Kamerman Peter , Hutchinson Mark R , Parker Romy , Madden Victoria J 
Published: December 2024

AbstractAdversity in childhood is robustly associated with persistent pain in adulthood. Neuro-immune interactions are a candidate mechanistic link between childhood adversity and persistent pain, given that both childhood adversity and persistent pain are associated with neural and immune upregulation in adulthood. As such, we aimed to clarify whether immune reactivity is associated with provoked differences in nociceptive processing in humans. Pain-free adults (n=96; 61 female; median (range) age: 23 (18-65) years old) with a history of mild to severe childhood adversity underwent psychophysical assessments before and afterin vivoneural provocation (high-frequency electrical stimulation) and then, separately,in vivoimmune provocation (influenza vaccine administration). Psychophysical assessments included the surface area of secondary hyperalgesia after neural provocation and change in conditioned pain modulation (test stimulus: pressure pain threshold; conditioning stimulus: cold water immersion) after immune provocation. Immune reactivity was assessed as IL-6 and TNF-α expression afterin vitrolipopolysaccharide provocation of whole blood. We hypothesised associations between immune reactivity and (1) childhood adversity, (2) induced secondary hyperalgesia, and (3) vaccine-associated change in conditioned pain modulation. We found that provoked expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines was not statistically associated with childhood adversity, induced secondary hyperalgesia, or vaccine-associated change in conditioned pain modulation. The current findings from a heterogenous sample cast doubt on two prominent ideas: that childhood adversity primes the inflammatory system for hyper-responsiveness in adulthood and that nociceptive reactivity is linked to inflammatory reactivity. This calls for the broader inclusion of heterogeneous samples in fundamental research to unpack the psychoneuroimmunological mechanisms underlying vulnerability to persistent pain.
Analyzing the determinants for using health research evidence in health planning in Tanzania: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Kagoma Pius , Mongi Richard , Kalolo Albino 
Published: December 2024

AbstractIntroductionAchieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) requires utilizing research evidence to inform the decision-making process. However, little information is available on the determinants for using research evidence in planning in Lower Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), including Tanzania. This paper aims to investigate the determinants of using health research evidence in health planning in Tanzania.Materials and methodsThis study employed a cross-sectional study design. Data on health research evidence and its determinants were collected using a structured questionnaire from 422 respondents from 9 regions of Tanzania from October to December 2023. The data were analyzed using STATA version 18 for descriptive and inferential statistics. The association between variables was determined using a chi-square test at a 95% confidence level.ResultsThe study revealed that 66.2% of participants strongly agreed to use health research evidence during planning. However, significant barriers were identified, including lack of dissemination (74.5%), inadequate human and non-human resources (70.0%), and insufficient knowledge and training in research (63.7%). A chi-square test confirmed significant associations between these barriers and the reduced use of research evidence (p<0.05). Conversely, more than 70% of respondents identified opportunities such as the availability of research coordinators, university partnerships, available research budgets, and internet access, all significantly associated with increased health research evidence use. More than 50% of participants reported motivational factors that like continuous quality improvement agenda in the healthcare sector, availability of short and long-term courses, on-the-job training, and provision of incentives like extra duty allowances were positively linked to research utilization.ConclusionThe study found that 66.2% of participants used health research evidence in planning, but barriers like lack of dissemination, resource shortages, and inadequate training persisted. Interventions should focus on improving dissemination, resources, and training. Future research should explore strategies for enhancing these interventions.