bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Association of Insurance Changes With Postpartum Prescription Contraception Uptake
Authors: Schaefer Kimberly M. , Hacker Michele R. , Hawkins Summer S. , Molina Rose L. 
Published: November 2024

OBJECTIVE:
To assess the association between postpartum insurance churn and postpartum contraception, with specific attention to race, ethnicity, language, and Medicaid expansion status.

METHODS:
We conducted a retrospective cohort study with Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System survey data (2012–2020) from 42 states. Insurance status, assessed more than 2 months after childbirth, was categorized as continuous insurance, insurance loss, discontinuous Medicaid-to-private, discontinuous private-to-Medicaid, continuous uninsurance, and gain of insurance. We used logistic regression to estimate odds ratios with 95% CIs for insurance status and use of prescription contraception methods, compared with nonprescription and no method, and adjusted for age, race and ethnicity, language, marital status, percent of federal poverty level, education, and birth year. We considered the interaction between state Medicaid expansion and insurance status and stratified analyses by race, ethnicity, and language.

RESULTS:
Of 223,430 respondents, 78.9% held continuous insurance from childbirth to more than 2 months postpartum and 10.2% lost insurance. Compared with continuous insurance, the adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) for prescription postpartum contraception was 0.74 (0.71–0.78) for insurance loss, 0.90 (0.84–0.97) for discontinuous private-to-Medicaid, and 1.04 (0.98–1.10) for discontinuous Medicaid-to-private. There was no evidence for an interaction between living in states with Medicaid expansion and insurance status. Of respondents without Medicaid expansion, 14.0% (95% CI, 13.6–14.3) experienced insurance loss compared with 6.8% (95% CI, 6.6–7.0) with Medicaid expansion. There was a significant interaction between insurance discontinuity and race, ethnicity, and language. Nearly half of the Hispanic Spanish-language respondents (47.5%) experienced insurance loss postpartum.

CONCLUSION:
Insurance loss more than 2 months postpartum was associated with decreased odds of prescription contraception. Populations that experience higher rates of insurance loss include respondents in states without Medicaid expansion and Hispanic Spanish-language respondents. Medicaid and insurance policies have important roles in enabling coverage for contraceptive access across racial and ethnic groups during the postpartum period.
A Contemporary View of Menopausal Hormone Therapy
Authors: Levy Barbara , Simon James A. 
Published: November 2024

(Abstracted from Obstet Gynecol 2024;144:12–23)
Studies have shown that estradiol is an effective treatment for vasomotor symptoms and those connected with vulvovaginal atrophy, while preserving bone mineral density. This contemporary review addresses several aspects and issues surrounding estradiol therapy including flaws in previous research.
Subjective Long-Term Outcomes After Vaginal Native Tissue Hysteropexy: Cohort Study
Authors: Lange Sören , Carlin Greta , Zängle Roxana , Heinzl Florian , Umek Wolfgang , Bodner-Adler Barbara 
Published: November 2024

(Abstracted from Urogynecology 2024;30:714–720)
The most common surgical technique for apical pelvic organ prolapse involves a hysterectomy, but uterine-preserving surgeries have become more common and studies have shown many women prefer them. Though uterine-preserving procedures are rising in popularity, long-term outcomes are still under-studied.
The occurrence of single-site pharyngeal Neisseria gonorrhoeae among female sex workers in the Netherlands
Authors: Evers Ymke J. , Peters Charlotte MM. , Wolffs Petra FG. , Horsten Dieuwertje L. , Weijzen Chantal. , Dukers-Muijrers Nicole HTM. , Hoebe Christian JPA. 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Background
Female sex workers (FSW) have a higher burden of sexually transmitted infections (STI), including Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), than the non-sex worker population, mainly due to social vulnerability and work-related factors. This large study evaluated the anatomical site distribution of NG, and specifically the occurrence of single-site pharyngeal NG, among FSW visiting Dutch STI clinics in the Netherlands.

Methods
Coded STI clinic consultations from FSW attending any Dutch STI clinic between 2016 and 2021, in which tests were performed on all three anatomical sites, according to the Dutch testing policy for FSW, were included in analyses (n = 22,304). To compare the anatomical site distribution of NG among FSW with women in general, 15,494 consultations from women who were tested on three anatomical sites in clinics that performed standard testing at three anatomical sites were used. Descriptive statistics were used to compare the anatomical site distribution of NG and occurrence of single-site pharyngeal NG among FSW and universally tested women.

Results
NG was diagnosed among 3.5% (782/22,034) among FSW and 1.7% (271/15,494) among universally tested women (p < 0.001). Pharyngeal NG was diagnosed among 2.3% among FSW, versus 0.8% among universally tested women (p < 0.001). Single-site pharyngeal NG was diagnosed in 19.9% (156/782) of all NG infections, compared to 14.8% (40/271) of NG infections among universally tested women.

Conclusion
The substantial proportion pharyngeal NG and single-site pharyngeal NG among FSW, confirms the relevance of pharyngeal testing among this key population for optimal patient management, also in the context of the potential role of pharyngeal NG in antimicrobial resistance.
Risk-Based versus Universal Screening Practices for the Hepatitis C Virus at a Sexually Transmitted Infections Clinic
Authors: Martin Harrison , Fenn Natalie , Maguire-Wilkerson Amanda , Almonte Alexi , Nunn Amy , Chan Philip A. 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACT
We evaluated hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening practices at a sexually transmitted infections clinic in Rhode Island. Risk-based HCV screening generated fewer tests than universal screening but may have missed infections in men who have sex with men. Injection drug use was most strongly associated with positive HCV antibody tests.
A Cross-Biomeasure Study to Optimize Antiretroviral Adherence Estimation
Authors: Devanathan Aaron S. , Poliseno Amanda J. , White Nicole R. , Schauer Amanda P. , Sykes Craig , Weideman Ann Marie K. , Kilpatrick Kayla W. , Hudgens Michael G. , Gay Cynthia L. , Rosen Elias P. , Dumond Julie B. , Kashuba Angela D. M. , Cottrell Mackenzie L. 
Published: November 2024

Background:
Incomplete adherence to daily tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) reduces effectiveness. Adherence biomeasures (ie, drug concentrations in biological specimen) are more accurate than self-report. TDF/FTC's intracellular active metabolites (tenofovir-diphosphate; TFVdp and FTC-triphosphate; FTCtp) can be quantified in different types of blood samples to estimate adherence. To optimize adherence estimation, we investigated approaches to measure TFVdp and FTCtp in 4 blood matrices.

Methods:
Twelve HIV-negative, healthy volunteers were enrolled in a single-center, open-label, 3-phase, directly observed therapy study. LC-MS/MS methods quantified TFVdp/FTCtp in dried blood spots, volumetrically accurate microsampling, upper layer packed cells, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Noncompartmental analysis estimated half-lives and accumulation ratios. Correlations characterized relationships between clinical variables and exposure. Regression models were fit to determine concentrations associated with <4 and ≥4 doses/week; correct classification percentages were determined.

Results:
Terminal half-life estimates of 3–4 vs 15–22 days distinguished between moderate-term (FTCtp in all samples; TFVdp in PBMCs) versus long-term (TFVdp in red blood cell–containing matrices) measures. Model-derived thresholds accurately categorized <4 and ≥4 doses/week when including both metabolites for 14- and 28-day dosing periods (81%–91% and 82%–85%, respectively). Within each classification and regression trees analyses containing both moderate- and long-term measures, dried blood spots exhibited highest accuracy to predict stable (74%–94%) and changing (42%–47%) adherence patterns.

Conclusions:
We demonstrate higher accuracy of moderate-term biomeasures to classify adherence over a 14-day period compared with long-term biomeasures to classify adherence over a 28-day period. Combined moderate- and long-term biomeasures predicted stable and changing adherence patterns, with dried blood spots exhibiting highest accuracy.
Safety and cognitive pharmacodynamics following dose escalations with 3-methylmethcathinone (3-MMC): a first in human, designer drug study
Authors: Ramaekers JG , Reckweg JT , Mason NL , Kuypers KPC , Toennes SW , Theunissen EL 
Published: November 2024

Abstract3-Methylmethcathinone (3-MMC) is a designer drug that belongs to the group of synthetic cathinones. The compound has been scheduled in many jurisdictions because of public health concerns associated with excessive use. To date, there are no clinical studies that have evaluated the risk profile of 3-MMC in the recreational range of low to moderate doses. The current, first-in-human study (N=14) assessed the impact of three escalating doses of 3-MMC (25, 50 and 100 mg) on vital signs, neurocognitive function, state of consciousness, appetite and drug desire, in a cross-over, placebo-controlled trial. A battery of neurocognitive tests and questionnaires as well as measures of vital signs were repeatedly administered up to 5 hours after dosing. Overall, 3-MMC caused dose-dependent increases in heart rate and blood pressure, though not of clinical significance, and feelings of subjective high. Additionally, 3-MMC induced dose-related enhancement of task performance across several neurocognitive domains, including processing speed, cognitive flexibility, psychomotor function, attention and memory. Impulse control was not affected by 3-MMC. Participants also reported mild increases in dissociative and psychedelic effects, decreased appetite, and gave greater ratings of liking and wanting for 3-MMC that were transient over time. Overall, the cardiovascular, psychostimulant and psychotomimetic profile of 3-MMC appears consistent with that of compounds structurally related to amphetamine. It is concluded that low to moderate doses of 3-MMC were well tolerated and safe and that potential health risks might only occur at high or excessive doses of 3-MMC.
A roadmap for navigating partner engagement in community-based autopsy studies: Lessons from the field in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Authors: Castle Alison , Shazi Gugu , Naidoo Threnesan , Govender Ashendree , Gqaleni Nceba , Wong Emily B. , Iwuji Collins , Herbst Kobus , Steyn Adrie JC , Siedner Mark J. 
Published: November 2024

BackgroundThe measurement of cause-specific mortality is critical for health system planning but remains a challenge in many low-resource settings due to societal, legal, and logistical barriers. We present a co-development process with community members for the design and implementation of an autopsy program to improve cause of death data in a historically underserved population.MethodsWe sought to develop an autopsy program at the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI) Health and Demographic Surveillance Site (HDSS). The project proposes to obtain consent from families of deceased adults, to perform diagnostic autopsies by a trained pathologist, and to process samples to determine causes of death. Prior to launching the program, we engaged key partners in learning their perspectives about such a program and understanding the landscape of challenges needed for successful implementation. Herein, we describe lessons from interactions with these partners, including 1) the AHRI community advisory board (CAB), 2) the South Africa Department of Health (SA DoH), 3) local traditional authorities, 4) funeral home personnel, 5) traditional healers, and 6) healthcare providers. We also detail the development of community outreach efforts used to inform the public about the program.ResultsThe partners provided valuable feedback on the study design and informed us of issues that needed to be addressed: community concerns about organ retention and sale (CAB), implications of how autopsy findings could spur litigation and erode trust in healthcare providers who determined alternate causes of death (SA DoH), a cultural practice that conflicts with the autopsy procedure (traditional healers), the need to educate families before they engage with funeral businesses (funeral homes), and enhancing our death referral network through healthcare providers. This led to protocol changes and an adapted community engagement strategy, which included educating healthcare providers, hosting community dialogs, broadcasting radio advertisements, and developing a film to describe autopsy procedures to families considering participation.ConclusionsWe present a comprehensive model of partner engagement for a community-based autopsy program in South Africa, leading to the co-development of a program that incorporates local customs around death while promoting buy-in and support from the government, civil society, and medical partners.
Postglacial recolonization of the Southern Ocean by elephant seals occurred from multiple glacial refugia
Authors: Berg Andrew A. , Askew Megan , Seersholm Frederik V. , Verry Alexander J. F. , Hoelzel A. Rus , Welch Andreanna , Greig Karen , Walter Richard , Knapp Michael , Barlow Axel , Paijmans Johanna L.A. , Waters Jonathan M. , Bunce Michael , McDonald Kate , O’Connor Sue , Hall Brenda , Koch Paul , Baroni Carlo , Salvatore Maria Cristina , Faulkner Patrick , Ho Simon Y. W. , Rawlence Nicolas J. , de Bruyn Mark 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThe Southern Ocean is warming more rapidly than other parts of our planet. How this region’s endemic biodiversity will respond to such changes can be illuminated by studying past events, through genetic analyses of time-series data sets including historic and fossil remains. Archaeological and subfossil remains show that the southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) was common along the coasts of Australia and New Zealand in the recent past. This species is now mostly confined to sub-Antarctic islands and the southern tip of South America. We analysed ancient seal samples from Australia (Tasmania), New Zealand, and the Antarctic mainland to examine how southern elephant seals have responded to a changing climate and anthropogenic pressures during the Holocene. Our analyses show that these seals formed part of a broader Australasian lineage, comprising seals from all sampled locations from the south Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean. Our study demonstrates that southern elephant seal populations have dynamically altered both range and population sizes under climatic and human pressures, over surprisingly short evolutionary timeframes for such a large, long-lived mammal.Significance StatementGenetic data, alongside historic, archaeological, and subfossil remains show that Australasian populations of the southern elephant seal have been shaped by range expansions and contractions following the Last Glacial Maximum, with subsequent contractions during the late Holocene. These expansion and contraction events are likely to have been a direct result of climate change-induced habitat expansion and contraction, along with Indigenous and European sealing. Prehistoric climate change and more recent human pressures have substantially altered the geographic distribution and population size of southern elephant seals over short evolutionary timescales.
Cold-inducible GOT1 activates the malate-aspartate shuttle in brown adipose tissue to support fuel preference for fatty acids
Authors: Park Chul-Hong , Park Minsung , Kelly Miranda E. , Cheng Helia , Lee Sang Ryeul , Jang Cholsoon , Chang Ji Suk 
Published: November 2024

SummaryBrown adipose tissue (BAT) simultaneously metabolizes fatty acids (FA) and glucose under cold stress but favors FA as the primary fuel for heat production. It remains unclear how BAT steer fuel preference toward FA over glucose. Here we show that the malate-aspartate shuttle (MAS) is activated by cold in BAT and plays a crucial role in promoting mitochondrial FA utilization. Mechanistically, cold stress selectively induces glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT1), a key MAS enzyme, via the β-adrenergic receptor-PKA-PGC-1α axis. The increase in GOT1 activates MAS, transferring reducing equivalents from the cytosol to mitochondria. This process enhances FA oxidation in mitochondria while limiting glucose oxidation. In contrast, loss of MAS activity by GOT1 deficiency reduces FA oxidation, leading to increased glucose oxidation. Together, our work uncovers a unique regulatory mechanism and role for MAS in mitochondrial fuel selection and advances our understanding of how BAT maintains fuel preference for FA under cold conditions.HighlightsGot1is markedly induced by cold in BAT via a β-adrenergic receptor-PKA-PGC-1α axisThe increase in cytosolic GOT1 activates the malate-aspartate shuttle (MAS)MAS activation promotes fatty acid oxidation while reducing glucose oxidationLoss of MAS activity in BAT byGot1deletion shifts the fuel preference to glucose
Exploration of the Roles of HLAs When Predicting Infection Status by T Cell Receptors
Authors: Ding Feng , Liu Si , Sun Wei 
Published: November 2024

AbstractT cells are critical components of human immune system. When a cell is infected by a virus, it presents viral peptides on its surface using human leukocyte antigen (HLA) proteins. These peptide-HLA complexes are recognized by T cells through interactions with T cell receptors (TCRs). A human blood sample can contain millions of unique TCRs, which is a sample from the TCR repertoire of the individual. TCR repertoire-wide association studies (TReWAS) aim to evaluate the association between individual TCRs and disease or exposure status. Previous studies have demonstrated that TCRs associated with viral infections can be identified through TReWAS, and such TCRs can be used to predict current or past infection with high accuracy. Notably, many TCRs are strongly associated with specific HLA alleles, suggesting that incorporating HLA information could enhance the accuracy of TReWAS analyses and TCR-based predictions. In our study, we evaluated TCR-based predictions by conditioning on individual HLA alleles or their k-nearest neighbors. We observed improved prediction accuracy for certain HLA alleles. Furthermore, these HLA-specific predictions provide insights into the role of specific HLAs in the infection or disease of interest, offering potential applications in personalized medicine.
Fate mapping of peripherally derived macrophages reveals a long-lasting engrafted population that maintains a distinct transcriptomic profile for up to 8 months after Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Paladini Maria Serena , Yang Benjamin A. , Feng Xi , Frias Elma S. , Krukowski Karen , Sit Rene , Morri Maurizio , Lam Wendy , Pedoia Valentina , Tyanova Stefka , Rosi Susanna 
Published: November 2024

AbstractTraumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is one of the most established environmental risk factors for the development of dementia and long term neurological deficits representing a critical health problem for our society. It is well-established that TBI-induced neuroinflammation contributes to the long-lasting cognitive deficits and engages brain-resident macrophages (microglia) as well as monocytes-derived macrophages (MDMs) recruited from the periphery. While numerous studies have characterized microglia response to TBI, and the critical role of early infiltrated MDMs in the development of cognitive dysfunctions, the fate of MDMs in TBI remains unknown. Microglia and MDMs have distinct embryological origins and it is unclear if MDMs can fully transition to microglia after infiltrating the brain. This gap in knowledge is due to the fact that after brain engraftment, MDMs stop expressing their signature markers, thus making discrimination from resident microglia cells elusive. Here, for the first time, we longitudinally trace the fate of MDMs by taking advantage of two complementary yet distinct fate mapping mouse lines, CCR2-creERT2and Ms4a3-cre, where inflammatory monocytes are permanently labeled even afterin situreprogramming. We demonstrated that early infiltrated MDMs persist in the brain for up to 8 months after TBI in adult female and male mice. Notably, MDMs retain their phagocytic activity while remaining transcriptomically distinct from microglia, and show a signature associated with aging and disease. Our data significantly advance the understanding of long-lasting MDMs and provide critical knowledge for developing more targeted therapeutic interventions for myeloid cells.
The role of histone modifications and transposable elements in the epigenetic regulation of gene dosage after gene duplication
Authors: Wolfe Thomas D , Chain Frederic J.J. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThe duplication of genes has long been recognized as a substrate for evolutionary novelty and adaptation, but the factors that govern fixation of paralogs soon after duplication are only partially understood. Duplication often leads to an increase in gene dosage, or the amount of functional gene product. For genes with which an increased dosage is harmful (i.e., triplosensitive genes), a dosage balancing mechanism needs to be present immediately after duplication if it is to evade negative selection. Previous research in vertebrates has demonstrated a potential role for epigenetic factors in allowing triplosensitive genes to increase in copy number by regulating their expression post-duplication. Here we expand this research by investigating the epigenetic landscape of duplicate genes inD. discoideum, a basal lineage separated from humans by over a billion years. We found that activating histone modifications are quickly lost in duplicate genes before gradually increasing in enrichment as paralogs age. For the repressive modification H3K9me3, we found it was enriched in the youngest paralogs, and that this enrichment was likely mediated by heterochromatin spread from transposable elements. We similarly found enrichment of H3K9me3 in young human duplicates, and again found transposable elements as a potential mediator. Finally, we leveraged recent genome-wide estimates of triplosensitivity in human genes to directly examine the relationship between this kind of dosage sensitivity and enrichment for repressive histone modifications. Interestingly, while we found no significant link between enrichment for the repressive mark H3K9me3 and triplosensitivity in human paralogs, we did find a significant association between triplosensitivity and transposon proximity. Our findings suggest that transposons may contribute to the epigenetic regulatory environment associated with dosage balancing of young duplicates in both protists and humans.