bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Patterns of Mandibular Fractures in South Australia: Epidemiology, Treatment, and Clinical Outcomes
Authors: Diab Jason , Flapper Walter J. , Anderson Peter J. , Moore Mark H. 
Published: September 2021

Introduction:
The mandible is one of the most common facial bones to be injured with great clinical variability across countries caused by assaults, road traffic accidents, and falls.

Methods:
A retrospective review was conducted for adult mandibular fractures from January 2012 to January 2017 at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide. Our aim was to describe epidemiological trends of mandibular fractures, differences for sex and age, and clinical outcomes.

Results:
Five hundred sixty five adult patients presented with a mandibular fracture with a male predominance (4.5:1). The mean age was 34.2 years with men 11.9 years younger than females (32.0 versus 44.1 years, P
< 0.001). Assaults represented 58.2% of cases. A quarter of the cohort reported alcohol use. Assaults commonly resulted in angle and symphyseal fractures, whereas almost all falls and road traffic accident resulted in condylar or coronoid fractures. Young men were 1.9 times more likely to have mandibular fractures compared to women, whereas elderly men were 11.8% less likely (P < 0.001). The most common fracture was the angle (33.6%) and the angle/symphyseal (14.2%). Men were 2.5 times more likely to have surgery. The complication rate was 10.8% and the re-operative rate was 5.0%. Women had a significantly longer admission of 1.6 days compared to men (4.4 versus 2.8 days, P = 0.003).

Conclusions:
Young men are more likely to have mandibular fractures from assaults and have surgery. Young women and elderly females are more likely to have animal and fall-related injuries resulting including in condylar fractures with associated injuries and extended length of stay.
Could the Pittsburgh Severity Score guide the treatment of esophageal perforation? Experience of a single referral center
Authors: Moletta Lucia , Pierobon Elisa Sefora , Capovilla Giovanni , Valotto Giovanni , Gavagna Laura , Provenzano Luca , Zanchettin Gianpietro , Salvador Renato , Costantini Mario , Merigliano Stefano , Valmasoni Michele 
Published: September 2021

BACKGROUND
Esophageal perforation (EP) is characterized by high morbidity and mortality. The Pittsburgh Severity Score (PSS) is a scoring system based on clinical factors at the time of EP presentation, intended to guide treatment. The aim of the study is to verify PSS usefulness in stratifying EP severity and in guiding clinical decisions.

METHODS
All patients referred to our unit for EP between January 2005 and January 2020 were enrolled. Patients were stratified according to their PSS into three groups (PSS ≤ 2, 3–5, and >5): the postoperative outcomes were compared. The predictive value of the PSS was evaluated by simple linear and logistic regression for the following outcomes: need for surgery, complications, in-hospital mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital stay, time to refeeding, and need for reintervention.

RESULTS
Seventy-three patients were referred for EP (male/female, 46/27). Perforations were more frequently iatrogenic (41.1%) or spontaneous (38.3%). The median PSS was 4 (interquartile range, 2–6). Surgery was required in 60.3% of cases. Pittsburgh Severity Score was associated with ICU admission, hospital stay, need for surgery and reintervention, postperforation complications and mortality. After regression analysis, PSS was significantly predictive of postperforation complications (p < 0.01), in-hospital mortality (p = 0.01), ICU admission (p < 0.01), need for surgical treatment (p < 0.01), and need for reintervention (p = 0.02).

CONCLUSION
Pittsburgh Severity Score is useful in stratifying patients in risk groups with different morbidity and mortality. It is also useful in guiding the therapeutic conduct, selecting patients for nonoperative management. Prospective studies are needed to confirm the role of the PSS in the treatment of esophageal perforation.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
Management, Therapeutic/Care; level IV.
Visual Function and Brief Cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis in Optic Neuritis Clinically Isolated Syndrome Patients
Authors: Collorone Sara , Kanber Baris , Hashem Leen , Cawley Niamh , Prados Ferran , Davagnanam Indran , Barkhof Frederik , Ciccarelli Olga , Toosy Ahmed 
Published: September 2021

Background:
In this study, we hypothesized that clinically isolated syndrome–optic neuritis patients may have disturbances in neuropsychological functions related to visual processes.

Methods:
Forty-two patients with optic neuritis within 3 months from onset and 13 healthy controls were assessed at baseline and 6 months with MRI (brain volumes, lesion load, and optic radiation lesion volume) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) (peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer [RNFL], ganglion cell and inner plexiform layers [GCIPLs], and inner nuclear layer). Patients underwent the brief cognitive assessment for multiple sclerosis, high-contrast and low-contrast letter acuity, and color vision.

Results:
At baseline, patients had impaired visual function, had GCIPL thinning in both eyes, and performed below the normative average in the visual-related tests: Symbol Digit Modalities Test and Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R). Over time, improvement in visual function in the affected eye was predicted by baseline GCIPL (P = 0.015), RNFL decreased, and the BVMT-R improved (P = 0.001). Improvement in BVMT-R was associated with improvement in the high-contrast letter acuity of the affected eye (P = 0.03), independently of OCT and MRI metrics.

Conclusion:
Cognitive testing, assessed binocularly, of visuospatial processing is affected after unilateral optic neuritis and improves over time with visual recovery. This is not related to structural markers of the visual or central nervous system.
Three month FVC change: a trial endpoint for IPF based on individual participant data meta-analysis
Authors: Khan Fasihul A , Stewart Iain , Moss Samuel , Fabbri Laura , Robinson Karen A. , Johnson Simon , Jenkins R Gisli 
Published: September 2021

ABSTRACTRationaleNovel therapies for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are in development, but there remains uncertainty about the optimal trial endpoint. An earlier endpoint would enable assessment of a greater number of therapies in adaptive trial designs.ObjectivesIndividual participant data (IPD) from placebo arms of interventional trials were sought to determine whether short-term changes in forced vital capacity (FVC), gas transfer for carbon monoxide (DLCO) and six-minute walk distance (6MWD) could act as surrogate endpoints to accelerate early-phase trials in IPF.MethodsElectronic databases were searched on 1st December 2020, and IPD were sought and meta-analysed. The primary outcome was overall mortality according to baseline and/or three-month change in either FVC, DLCO or 6MWD, with a secondary outcome of disease progression at 12 months, adjusted for age, sex, smoking status and baseline physiology.Measurements and main resultsIPD was available for 10/23 eligible studies totalling 1819 participants. Baseline and three-month change in all physiological variables were independently associated with disease outcomes. A 2.5% relative decline in FVC over three months was associated with mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 1.14, 95%CI 1.06;1.24, I2 = 59.9%) and disease progression (adjusted odds ratio 1.29; 95%CI 1.18;1.40, I2=67%). Optimal thresholds for three-month change in FVC for distinguishing disease outcomes were identified.ConclusionsIPD meta-analysis of trial placebo arms demonstrated three-month change in physiological variables, particularly FVC, were associated with mortality and disease progression among individuals with untreated IPF. FVC change over three months may hold potential as a surrogate endpoint in IPF interventional adaptive trials.
Covid-19 Per Capita Fatality Rate: A Path Analysis Model
Authors: Penuliar Michael , Clark Candice , Curti Debra , Carrasco Miguel , Hudson Catherine , Philips Billy 
Published: September 2021

ABSTRACTObjectivesVarious individual factors have been shown to influence Covid-19 mortalities, but these factors do not exist in isolation. Unique to this study is a multivariate approach that has yet to be fully explored by previous research. Using an interconnected multifactor model, this work investigated social determinant, geographic, prior health, and political behavioral factors likely to influence Covid-19 per capita fatalities in Texas.MethodsCounty-level income, rurality, insurance, health status, 2020 presidential vote percentage, and fatality rate data were collected and analyzed in a path analysis model with Covid-19 per capita fatalities as the key variable of interest.ResultsThe analysis found strong support for the proposed model structure (R2 = 37.6%). The strongest overall effects on the Covid-19 per capita fatality rate came from income levels and voting behaviors.ConclusionThe model explained a substantial amount of variability in mortalities attributed to Covid-19. Socioeconomic and political factors provided the strongest contribution to the per-capita Covid-19 death rate, controlling for the other variables studied. The Covid-19 pandemic was highly politicized by various leaders and media outlets. The current analysis showed that political trends were one of the key overall factors related to Covid-19 mortality. The strongest overall factor was median income. Income is used to enhance one’s current health or acquire adequate treatment which may safeguard people from the most severe effects of Covid-19. Counties with lower income levels had higher rates of Covid-19 per capita fatalities.
Systemic impact of the expression of the mitochondrial alternative oxidase onDrosophiladevelopment
Authors: Camargo André F. , Saari Sina , Garcia Geovana S. , Chioda Marina M. , Othonicar Murilo F. , Martins Ailton A. , Hayashi Gabriel , ten Hoeve Johanna , Jacobs Howard T. , Pinheiro Daniel G. , Dufour Eric , Oliveira Marcos T. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractDespite the beneficial effects of xenotopically expressing the mitochondrial alternative oxidase AOX fromCiona intestinalisin mammalian and insect models, important detrimental outcomes have also been reported, raising concerns regarding its potential deployment as a therapeutic enzyme for human mitochondrial diseases. Because of its non-protonmotive terminal oxidase activity, AOX can bypass the cytochrome segment of the respiratory chain whilst not contributing to mitochondrial ATP synthesis. We have previously shown that pupal lethality occurs when AOX-expressingDrosophilalarvae are cultured on a low-nutrient diet, indicating that AOX can perturb normal metabolism during development. Here, combined omics analyses revealed multiple correlates of this diet-dependent lethality, including a general alteration of larval amino acid and lipid metabolism, functional and morphological changes to the larval digestive tract, and a drastic decrease in larval biomass accumulation. Pupae at the pre-lethality stage presented a general downregulation of mitochondrial metabolism and a signature of starvation and deregulated signaling. AOX-induced lethality was partially rescued when the low-nutrient diet was supplemented with tryptophan and/or methionine, but not with proline and/or glutamate, strongly suggesting perturbation of one-carbon metabolism. The developmental dependence on tryptophan and/or methionine, associated with elevated levels of lactate dehydrogenase, 2-hydroxyglutarate, choline-containing metabolites and breakdown products of membrane phospholipids, indicates that AOX expression promotes tissue proliferation and larval growth, but this is ultimately limited by energy dissipation due to partial mitochondrial uncoupling. We speculate that the combination of dietary interventions and AOX expression might, nevertheless, be useful for the metabolic regulation of proliferative tissues, such as tumors.
Genome annotation of Caenorhabditis briggsae by TEC-RED identifies new exons, paralogs, and conserved and novel operons
Authors: Jhaveri Nikita , van den Berg Wouter , Hwang Byung Joon , Muller Hans-Michael , Sternberg Paul W. , Gupta Bhagwati P. 
Published: September 2021

ABSTRACTThe nematode Caenorhabditis briggsae is routinely used in comparative and evolutionary studies involving its well-known cousin C. elegans. The C. briggsae genome sequence has accelerated research by facilitating the generation of new resources, tools, and functional studies of genes. While substantial progress has been made in predicting genes and start sites, experimental evidence is still lacking in many cases. Here, we report an improved annotation of the C. briggsae genome using the Trans-spliced Exon Coupled RNA End Determination (TEC-RED) technique. In addition to identifying the 5’ ends of expressed genes, we have discovered operons and paralogs. In summary, our analysis yielded 10,243 unique 5’ end sequence tags with matches in the C. briggsae genome. Of these, 6,395 were found to represent 4,252 unique genes along with 362 paralogs and 52 previously unknown exons. These genes included 14 that are exclusively trans-spliced in C. briggsae when compared with C. elegans orthologs. A major contribution of this study is the identification of 493 operons, of which two-thirds are fully supported by tags. In addition, two SL1-type operons were discovered. Interestingly, comparisons with C. elegans showed that only 40% of operons are conserved. Of the remaining operons, 73 are novel, including 12 that entirely lack orthologs in C. elegans. Further analysis revealed that four of the 12 novel operons are conserved in C. nigoni. Altogether, the work described here has significantly advanced our understanding of the C. briggsae system and serves as a rich resource to aid biological studies involving this species.
Broad ultra-potent neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 variants by monoclonal antibodies specific to the tip of RBD
Authors: Ma Hang , Guo Yingying , Tang Haoneng , Tseng Chien-Te K. , Wang Lei , Zong Huifang , Wang Zhenyu , He Yang , Chang Yunsong , Wang Shusheng , Huang Haiqiu , Ke Yong , Yuan Yunsheng , Wu Mingyuan , Zhang Yuanyuan , Drelich Aleksandra , Kempaiah Kempaiah Rayavara , Peng Bi-Hung , Wang Ailin , Yang Kaiyong , Yin Haiyang , Liu Junjun , Yue Yali , Xu Wenbo , Zhu Shuangli , Ji Tianjiao , Zhang Xiaoju , Wang Ziqi , Li Gang , Liu Guangchun , Song Jingjing , Mu Lingling , Xiang ZongShang , Song Zhangyi , Chen Hua , Bian Yanlin , Zhang Baohong , Chen Hui , Zhang Jiawei , Liao Yunji , Zhang Li , Yang Li , Chen Yi , Gilly John , Xiao Xiaodong , Han Lei , Jiang Hua , Xie Yueqing , Zhou Qiang , Zhu Jianwei 
Published: September 2021

AbstractSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs) continue to wreak havoc across the globe. Higher transmissibility and immunologic resistance of VOCs bring unprecedented challenges to epidemic extinguishment. Here we describe a monoclonal antibody, 2G1, that neutralizes all current VOCs and has surprising tolerance to mutations adjacent to or within its interaction epitope. Cryo-electron microscopy structure showed that 2G1 bound to the tip of receptor binding domain (RBD) of spike protein with small contact interface but strong hydrophobic effect, which resulted in nanomolar to sub-nanomolar affinities to spike proteins. The epitope of 2G1 on RBD partially overlaps with ACE2 interface, which gives 2G1 ability to block interaction between RBD and ACE2. The narrow binding epitope but high affinity bestow outstanding therapeutic efficacy upon 2G1 that neutralized VOCs with sub-nanomolar IC50in vitro. In SARS-CoV-2 and Beta- and Delta-variant-challenged transgenic mice and rhesus macaque models, 2G1 protected animals from clinical illness and eliminated viral burden, without serious impact to animal safety. Mutagenesis experiments suggest that 2G1 could be potentially capable of dealing with emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants in future. This report characterized the therapeutic antibodies specific to the tip of spike against SARS-CoV-2 variants and highlights the potential clinical applications as well as for developing vaccine and cocktail therapy.
A neurocomputational model of the basal ganglia for the analysis of motor deficits after dopaminergic loss in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Gigi Ilaria , Senatore Rosa , Marcelli Angelo 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe basal ganglia (BG) is part of a basic feedback circuit, regulating cortical function, such as voluntary movement control, via their influence on thalamocortical projections. BG disorders, namely Parkinson’s disease (PD), characterized by the loss of neurons in the substantia nigra, involve the progressive loss of motor functions. At the present, PD is incurable. Converging evidence suggests the onset of PD-specific pathology prior to the appearance of classical motor signs. This latent phase of neurodegeneration in PD is of particular relevance in developing more effective therapies by intervening at the earliest stages of disease. Therefore, a key challenge in PD research is to identify and validate markers for the preclinical and prodromal stage of the illness.We propose a mechanistic neurocomputational model of the BG at mesoscopic scale to investigate the behavior of the simulated neural system after several degrees of lesion of the substantia nigra, with the aim of possibly evaluating which is the smallest lesion compromising motor learning. In other words, we developed a working framework for the analysis of theoretical early-stage PD. While simulations in healthy conditions confirm the key role of dopamine in learning, in pathological conditions networks predict that there may exist abnormalities of motor learning process for physiological alterations in the BG which do not yet involve the presence of symptoms typical of the clinical diagnosis. Our model may account for the discovery of markers for an early diagnosis of the disease and give directions for developing novel noninvasive support systems.
The coordination of hip, knee and ankle joint angles during gait in soccer players and controls
Authors: Yaserifar Morteza , Mohammadi Ziya Fallah , Hosseininejad Sayed Esmaeil , Afrakoti Iman Esmaili Paeen , Meijer Kenneth , Boonstra Tjeerd W 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBackgroundClinical researchers are trying to unravel the impact of different training interventions on the kinematics of human gait. However, the effects of long-term training experience on the kinematics of a healthy gait pattern remains unclear. Here we assess the effect of long-term training experience on joint angle variability during walking.MethodsHip, knee, and ankle joint angles from fourteen soccer players and sixteen controls were acquired during treadmill and overground walking. Hip-knee coupling, knee-ankle coupling and coupling angle variability (CAV) of the right leg in the sagittal plane were assessed using a vector coding technique.ResultsSoccer players showed reduced hip-knee CAV during the mid-stance and terminal-stance phases and reduced knee-ankle CAV during the pre-swing phase of gait compared to the control group. In addition, soccer players less often used an ankle coordination pattern, in which only the ankle joint but not the knee joint rotates.InterpretationThese findings show that soccer players had more stability in the ankle joint during the stance phase of the gait compared to the control group. Future studies can test whether these differences in the coordination of the ankle joint reflect the effects of long-term training on normal gait by comparing knee-ankle coupling and variability before and after exercise training interventions.
Complete sequences of epidermin and nukacin encoding plasmids from oral-derived Staphylococcus epidermidis and their antibacterial activity
Authors: Nakazono Kenta , Le Mi Nguyen-Tra , Kawada-Matsuo Miki , Kimheang Noy , Hisatsune Junzo , Oogai Yuichi , Nakata Masanobu , Nakamura Norifumi , Sugai Motoyuki , Komatsuzawa Hitoshi 
Published: September 2021

AbstractStaphylococcus epidermidis is a commensal bacterium in humans. To persist in the bacterial flora of the host, some bacteria produce antibacterial factors such as the antimicrobial peptides known as bacteriocins. In this study, we tried to isolate bacteriocin-producing S. epidermidis strains. Among 150 S. epidermidis isolates from the oral cavities of 287 volunteers, we detected two bacteriocin-producing strains, KSE56 and KSE650. Complete genome sequences of the two strains confirmed that they carried the epidermin-harbouring plasmid pEpi56 and the nukacin IVK45-like- harbouring plasmid pNuk650. The amino acid sequence of epidermin from KSE56 was identical to the previously reported sequence, but the epidermin synthesis-related genes were partially different. The prepeptide amino acid sequences of nukacin KSE650 and nukacin IVK45 showed one mismatch, but both mature peptides were entirely similar. pNuk650 was larger and had an additional seven ORFs compared to pIVK45. We then investigated the antibacterial activity of the two strains against several skin and oral bacteria and found their different activity patterns. In conclusion, we report the complete sequences of 2 plasmids coding for bacteriocins from S. epidermidis, which were partially different from those previously reported. Furthermore, this is the first report to show the complete sequence of an epidermin-carrying plasmid, pEpi56.
Glycosylation-on-a-chip: a flow-based microfluidic system for cell-free glycoprotein biosynthesis
Authors: Aquino Alicia K. , Manzer Zachary A. , Daniel Susan , DeLisa Matthew P. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractIn recent years, cell-free synthetic glycobiology technologies have emerged that enable production and remodeling of glycoproteins outside the confines of the cell. However, many of these systems combine multiple synthesis steps into one pot where there can be competing reactions and side products that ultimately lead to low yield of the desired product. In this work, we describe a microfluidic platform that integrates cell-free protein synthesis, glycosylation, and purification of a model glycoprotein in separate compartments where each step can be individually optimized. Microfluidics offer advantages such as reaction compartmentalization, tunable residence time, the ability to tether enzymes for reuse, and the potential for continuous manufacturing. Moreover, it affords an opportunity for spatiotemporal control of glycosylation reactions that is difficult to achieve with existing cell-based and cell-free glycosylation systems. In this work, we demonstrate a flow-based glycoprotein synthesis system that promotes enhanced cell-free protein synthesis, efficient protein glycosylation with an immobilized oligosaccharyltransferase, and enrichment of the protein product from cell-free lysate. Overall, this work represents a first-in-kind glycosylation-on-a-chip prototype that could find use as a laboratory tool for mechanistic dissection of the protein glycosylation process as well as a biomanufacturing platform for small batch, decentralized glycoprotein production.