bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Inequalities in tuberculosis control in Ethiopia: A district‐level distributional modelling analysis
Authors: Getnet Fentabil , Forzy Tom , Tesfaye Latera , Misganaw Awoke , Memirie Solomon Tessema , Geremew Shewayiref , Berheto Tezera Moshago , Wendrad Naod , Yihun Bantalem Yeshanew , Mirutse Mizan Kiros , Tsegaye Fasil , Dangisso Mesay Hailu , Verguet Stéphane 
Published: December 2024

AbstractBackgroundImplementation studies indicate that the addition of tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment services into the community health extension workers' tasks—that is ‘task‐shifting’—improved case detection and treatment outcomes in Ethiopia. Given resource and operational constraints, only a limited number of areas can be targeted by an expanded task‐shifting program. Therefore, we mapped the distributional disparities in tuberculosis services across regions and districts and modelled the equity pathways towards optimising national scale‐up of this task‐shifting intervention in Ethiopia.MethodsWe used data from various sources including District Health Information Software 2; demographic, geospatial and topographic data; and previously published implementation study findings. We developed methods to integrate these datasets and to calculate the proportion of health facilities with tuberculosis services, the district population to health centre ratio, and the proportion of district population living within 2h walking distance from a health centre. Equity and disparities were then measured in terms of: tuberculosis services coverage; health centre adequacy, that is the district population served by health centres; and spatial access adequacy, that is the district population with health centre access within a two‐hour walking distance. Subsequently, districts were ranked according to these measures to allow prioritisation of the health extension worker task‐shifting intervention.ResultsTuberculosis services coverage varied from 54% in Afar region to 100% in Harari region, and health centre inadequacy ranged from 10% of districts in Benishangul‐Gumuz to 87% in Sidama. After spatial access adjustment, health centre inadequacy ranged from 7% of districts in Sidama to 91% in Somali; and tuberculosis services inadequacy from 7% of districts in Sidama to 97% in Afar. Task‐shifting implemented in inadequate districts (55% of all districts) could raise national case detection rate from 66% (currently) to 88% and treatment success rate from 93% to 99%; Benishangul‐Gumuz achieving the largest increase of all regions.ConclusionsAccess to effective tuberculosis services presents substantial disparities across districts in Ethiopia, due to both health system and tuberculosis‐specific factors. Jointly considering both types of factors would enable prioritisation of districts where health extension workers would be most impactful.
Muscle-Fiber Typology Is Associated With Sprint-Cycling Characteristics in World-Class and Elite Track Cyclists
Authors: Wackwitz Thomas , Minahan Clare , Lievens Eline , Kennedy Ben , Derave Wim , Bellinger Phillip 
Published: December 2024

Purpose: Identifying the determinants of performance is fundamental to talent identification and individualizing training prescription. Consequently, the aim of this study was to determine whether estimated muscle typology is associated with the key mechanical characteristics of track sprint cycling. Methods: Sixteen world-class and elite track cyclists (n = 7 female) completed a laboratory session wherein torque–cadence and power–cadence profiles were constructed to determine maximal power output (Pmax), optimal cadence (Fopt), and maximal cadence (Fmax), and fatigue rate per pedal stroke was determined during a 15-second maximal sprint at Fopt. Muscle typology was estimated by measuring carnosine content via proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the gastrocnemius and soleus. Results: Using partial correlation analysis to account for sex, greater muscle carnosine content (ie, greater estimated proportion of type II fibers) was associated with a greater Pmax (r = .68, P = .007), Fmax (r = .77, P = .0014), Fopt (r = .61, P = .0196), and absolute fatigue rate (W·stroke−1; r = −.55, P = .0418) but not relative fatigue rate (%peak power·stroke−1; r = −.33, P = .246). Conclusions: The findings from this study substantiate the mechanical differences in muscle-fiber types derived from single muscle-fiber studies and highlight the importance of estimated muscle typology for sprint cycling performance.
Serendipity in Science: 50+ Years of Designed, and Sometimes Lucky, Science
Authors: Foster Carl , Anholm James , de Koning Jos J. , Bok Daniel , Borroso Renato , Boullosa Daniel , Casado Arturo , Cortis Cristina , Fusco Andrea , Porcari John , Rodriguez-Marroyo Jose A. 
Published: December 2024

Normal science is about assessing what is already known about a topic, about what needs to be known, and careful methods to collect the data required to answer the scientific question. It is the mainstay of scientific progress. But sometimes, luck or chance (eg, serendipity) plays a significant role in scientific process. We trace career experiences in our lives to show how serendipity, the gift that Mother Nature gives to science, has a nontrivial role in scientific progress and professional careers. This gift often encourages us to change the focus of experiments or to look for the answers to our questions in ways that were not immediately obvious.
Legionella pneumophila
, a Rosetta stone to understanding bacterial pathogenesis
Authors: Romanov Katerina A. , O'Connor Tamara J. 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACT

Legionella pneumophila
is an environmentally acquired pathogen that causes respiratory disease in humans. While the discovery of
L. pneumophila
is relatively recent compared to other bacterial pathogens, over the past 50 years,
L. pneumophila
has emerged as a powerhouse for studying host-pathogen interactions. In its natural habitat of fresh water,
L. pneumophila
interacts with a diverse array of protozoan hosts and readily evolve to expand their host range. This has led to the accumulation of the most extensive arsenal of secreted virulence factors described for a bacterial pathogen and their ability to infect humans. Within amoebae and human alveolar macrophages, the bacteria replicate within specialized membrane-bound compartments, establishing
L. pneumophila
as a model for studying intracellular vacuolar pathogens. In contrast, the virulence factors required for intracellular replication are specifically tailored to individual host cells types, allowing the pathogen to adapt to variation between disparate niches. The broad host range of this pathogen, combined with the extensive diversity and genome plasticity across the
Legionella
genus, has thus established this bacterium as an archetype to interrogate pathogen evolution, functional genomics, and ecology. In this review, we highlight the features of
Legionella
that establish them as a versatile model organism, new paradigms in bacteriology and bacterial pathogenesis resulting from the study of
Legionella
, as well as current and future questions that will undoubtedly expand our understanding of the complex and intricate biology of the microbial world.
Catheter-associated vessel perforation presenting as an occluded lumen: lessons learned and preventive strategy
Authors: Arasu Meenupriya , Kayarat Bhavana , Kumar Amit , Malhi Amarinder Singh 
Published: December 2024

A central venous catheter (CVC) was placed in the left internal jugular vein of a woman in her late 20s, who was admitted to our intensive care unit during the management of her abdominal wall sepsis. Two days later, the patient had pain at the insertion site. Check aspiration revealed the presence of aspirate from all the lumens except the distal lumen. It was assumed that the distal lumen must be abutting the vessel wall and the patient was reassured. However, it was later diagnosed that the distal tip of the CVC had perforated the left brachiocephalic vein and had migrated into the superior mediastinum. Assumption of an intraluminal location of CVC or abutment of the vessel wall must be disregarded.CVC occlusion can be due to various causes including malposition or migration, mechanical obstruction, fibroblastic sleeve and CVC-related thrombosis. A systematic evaluation of all the causes of CVC occlusion will lead to an early diagnosis. The placement of the CVC tip in the safe zone must be emphasised.
AI depictions of psychiatric diagnoses: a preliminary study of generative image outputs in Midjourney V.6 and DALL-E 3
Authors: Flathers Matthew , Smith Griffin , Wagner Ellen , Fisher Carl Erik , Torous John 
Published: December 2024

ObjectiveThis paper investigates how state-of-the-art generative artificial intelligence (AI) image models represent common psychiatric diagnoses. We offer key lessons derived from these representations to inform clinicians, researchers, generative AI companies, policymakers and the public about the potential impacts of AI-generated imagery on mental health discourse.MethodsWe prompted two generative AI image models, Midjourney V.6 and DALL-E 3 with isolated diagnostic terms for common mental health conditions. The resulting images were compiled and presented as examples of current AI behaviour when interpreting psychiatric terminology.FindingsThe AI models generated image outputs for most psychiatric diagnosis prompts. These images frequently reflected cultural stereotypes and historical visual tropes including gender biases and stigmatising portrayals of certain mental health conditions.DiscussionThese findings illustrate three key points. First, generative AI models reflect cultural perceptions of mental disorders rather than evidence-based clinical ones. Second, AI image outputs resurface historical biases and visual archetypes. Third, the dynamic nature of these models necessitates ongoing monitoring and proactive engagement to manage evolving biases. Addressing these challenges requires a collaborative effort among clinicians, AI developers and policymakers to ensure the responsible use of these technologies in mental health contexts.Clinical implicationsAs these technologies become increasingly accessible, it is crucial for mental health professionals to understand AI’s capabilities, limitations and potential impacts. Future research should focus on quantifying these biases, assessing their effects on public perception and developing strategies to mitigate potential harm while leveraging the insights these models provide into collective understandings of mental illness.
Comparative adherence and persistence of single-inhaler and multiple-inhaler triple therapies among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Japan: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Jokšaitė Sandra , Wood Robert , Ismaila Afisi , Camidge Lucinda , Mizukami Akiko , Czira Alexandrosz , Massey Olivia , Yarita Masao , Compton Chris , Siddiqui Rad , Jennison Thomas , Ishii Takeo , Hashimoto Kenichi , Rothnie Kieran J 
Published: December 2024

ObjectivesTo evaluate and compare medication adherence and persistence for patients newly initiating single-inhaler triple therapy (SITT) and multiple-inhaler triple therapy (MITT) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Japan.DesignRetrospective, new-user, active comparator, observational cohort study using inverse probability of treatment weighting.SettingHealth insurance claims data from the Medical Data Vision Co., Ltd, hospital claims database.ParticipantsAdults diagnosed with COPD at age ≥40 years newly initiating MITT or SITT (fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol (FF/UMEC/VI) or formoterol fumarate/budesonide/glycopyrronium) from 1 September 2019 to 31 July 2021.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe primary outcome was medication adherence compared between patients using SITT and MITT, assessed by the proportion of days covered ≥80%. Secondary outcomes included medication persistence (time from index treatment initiation to discontinuation) compared between patients using SITT and MITT and medication adherence compared before and after the switch in a subgroup of patients switching from MITT to SITT.ResultsWe included 2575 MITT and 2962 SITT users with similar baseline characteristics following weighting. The proportion of adherent patients was significantly greater for SITT versus MITT users at 6 months (19.7% vs 10.2%, p<0.0001), 12 months (6.0% vs 3.8%, p=0.0009) and 18 months (3.8% vs 1.4%, p<0.0001) post-index. Median persistence was also significantly higher for SITT versus MITT users (2.0 vs 1.0 months, p<0.001). Comparing specific SITT versus MITT, the proportion of adherent patients at each time point and median persistence was greater for FF/UMEC/VI. In patients switching from MITT to SITT (n=688), the proportion of adherent patients increased postswitch at the class level and for FF/UMEC/VI specifically.ConclusionsPatients with COPD in Japan who were newly initiating SITT had greater medication adherence and persistence compared with those on MITT up to 18 months following initiation.
Integration of patient-oriented research principles in health institutions: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Poitras Marie-Eve , Poirier Marie-Dominique , Bosma Rachael , T.Vaillancourt Vanessa , Deom Tardif Alèxe , Beaulieu Cloé , Baron Marie-Hélène , Manolescu Daniel-Constantin , LeBlanc Annie 
Published: December 2024

IntroductionIn 2011, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research launched a Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (POR) for healthcare and academic institutions to increase patient participation in health research. POR considers patients and caregivers as partners with scientific investigators, healthcare professionals and administrative decision-makers. As POR becomes a standard worldwide, the how-to, practical aspects of POR integration in healthcare institutions remain uncharted territory. A more accurate POR range in health research would improve healthcare systems. Yet the availability of standardised accreditation has not been achieved. The research question for this scoping review arose from a patient-partner in our team who experienced organisational challenges in healthcare institutions related to her role. It will overview and map the available evidence of organisational structures and changes that enable the integration of POR within healthcare institutions globally. This should serve our future projects to propose standardised pan-Canadian POR accreditation protocols.Methods and analysisFollowing Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methods and predetermined eligibility, we will perform a qualitative scoping review, searching for healthcare institution’s organisational structures and changes in Patient-Oriented Research (POR)-related accreditation, criteria and procedures in academic peer-reviewed databases and grey literature. The scoping review’s steps are as follows: (1) framing the research question; (2) targeting the documentation; (3) selecting documents by two reviewers; (4) charting/extracting data; (5) summarising and reporting the results. The search strategy will be applied to three databases for academic literature, and a search for grey literature will be performed. Emergent documents from academic studies or grey literature describing the organisational structure or changes to integrate POR within healthcare institutions, from 2012 to the present and in English or French, will be included. All articles will be analysed by two reviewers individually for inclusion. Extracted quantitative and qualitative data will describe eligible studies and POR-relevant elements. Tables mapping the organisational structures will be presented.Ethics and disseminationThe methodology consists of exploring published evidence; therefore, ethics approval is not required. Patient-partners will provide feedback on findings and strategies for disseminating the results. Dissemination activities will include peer-reviewed publication, co-creation of teaching seminars and academic presentations.Trial registration numberThe review was registered prospectively with Open Science Framework (OSF). Available:https://osf.io/4t6ud.
Evaluating low back pain through electrodermal activity: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Sebastia-Amat Sergio , Tortosa-Martinez Juan , Sanchis-Soler Gema , Hernandez-Sanchez Sergio , Cortell-Tormo Juan Manuel 
Published: December 2024

IntroductionLow back pain (LBP) is a prevalent and multifaceted health condition affecting over 619 million people globally. Today, pain evaluation heavily relies on subjective measures, so more advanced diagnosis and treatment methods are required. Electrodermal activity (EDA) could represent a potential objective tool to assess LBP. Despite its promise, EDA has been less studied in this context, and the methodologies vary across studies. The systematic review described thus aims to determine the relationship between EDA and LBP as well as the potential utility of EDA as a tool for evaluating LBP. The various EDA measurement methodologies employed to detect LBP will also be analysed to ultimately identify the most reliable and effective approaches.Methods and analysisThe primary databases include PubMed, Web of Science (all databases) and Scopus. The search strategy will be tailored to identify articles written in English or Spanish without imposing any time restrictions. The snowballing technique will also be used to identify additional studies by reviewing the reference lists of relevant articles or citing articles.Eligible studies will encompass adults with both acute and chronic LBP. A diverse range of research designs will be considered, focusing on the relationship between EDA and LBP. PEDro scale and Cochrane Risk of Bias tool 2.0 (RoB2) will be used to assess the methodological quality and risk of bias in the studies, respectively. Data synthesis will be based on a structured presentation of participant characteristics, methodological details and EDA-related variables.Ethics and disseminationThis protocol of systematic review, registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews, adheres to the PRISMA checklist. The study findings will be disseminated through publication in peer-reviewed journals. The search process is forecast to end on 30 November 2024. Adhering to Spanish guidelines, ethical approval is deemed unnecessary for our secondary analyses, given the de-identification and anonymous analysis of all data.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42023464812.
Association among diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mortality in patients hospitalised for COVID-19: an analysis of the American Heart Association COVID-19 CVD Registry
Authors: Gujral Unjali , Vanasse Lauren T , Goyal Abhinav , Quyyumi Arshed , Ayers Colby , Das Sandeep , Pasquel Francisco 
Published: December 2024

ObjectiveTo examine inpatient COVID-19-related outcomes among patients with and without diabetes alone or with a history of established heart failure (HF) or established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).DesignObservational study; longitudinal analysis of registry data.SettingHospitals in the USA reporting to the American Heart Association (AHA) COVID-19 Registry from January 2020 to May 2021.Participants20 796 individuals with diabetes (11 244 men; mean age 64.2) and 30 798 without diabetes (15 980 men; mean age 59.0) hospitalised for COVID-19 in the USA.Primary and secondary outcome measuresPrimary outcome measures were all-cause mortality, inpatient major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and/or inpatient mechanical ventilation. Secondary outcome measures included the association with diabetes and these outcomes among those with and without pre-existing ASCVD and HF and the association with insulin use and these outcomes in patients hospitalised for COVID-19.ResultsAfter adjustment for relevant covariates diabetes increased the risk of mortality (HR 1.12, 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.21), MACE (HR 1.32, 95% CI: 1.17 to 1.48) and mechanical ventilation (HR 1.33, 95% CI: 1.26 to 1.42). Among patients with established ASCVD or HF, diabetes did not modify the risk of adverse outcomes. There was a significant difference in the risk of mortality between patients taking insulin compared with those who were not (HR 1.32, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.26); however, there was no difference in the risk of MACE or mechanical ventilation.ConclusionsDiabetes was associated with a higher risk of in-hospital all-cause mortality, MACE and need for mechanical ventilation in patients hospitalised for COVID-19. Diabetes was independently associated with adverse outcomes, particularly among those without pre-existing cardiovascular disease.
Impact of edentulism on community-dwelling adults in low-income, middle-income and high-income countries: a systematic review
Authors: Hunter Emma , De Moura Brito Luciana , Piyasena Prabhath , Petrauskiene Egle , Congdon Nathan , Tsakos Georgios , Virgili Gianni , Mathur Manu , Woodside Jayne V , Leles Cláudio , McKenna Gerald 
Published: December 2024

ObjectivesThis study aims to comprehensively explore the consequences of edentulism on community-dwelling adults in low-income, middle-income and high-income countries.DesignSystematic review and Synthesis Without Meta-Analysis (SWiM).Data sourcesMEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were searched from inception to 21 March 2023, in addition to grey literature searches, reference cross-checking and study recommendations.Eligibility criteriaInterventional and observational epidemiological studies of community-dwelling completely edentulous adults aged 18 years and above, residing in low-income, middle-income and high-income countries were included. Animal studies, studies of children and adolescents, studies of exclusively non-community-dwelling individuals and studies exclusive to partially dentate, dentate and treated edentulous individuals were excluded. There were no language restrictions. Search terms were designed to identify relevant articles, which examined the impact of edentulism on oral health-related quality of life, frailty, general health, physical health, mental health, nutritional status, employability, education, socioeconomic status and mortality.Data extraction and synthesisData were extracted manually by two authors. Risk of bias was assessed using the QualSyst Tool. Articles were synthesised and reported using SWiM guidelines.ResultsThe seven broad outcome areas included mortality, frailty, mental health, general health, quality of life, health behaviour and nutrition. We identified no studies assessing the impact of edentulism on productivity or other economic outcomes, and no randomised trials of treatment for edentulism with any of these outcomes. Among 364 articles identified from database searches and 38 additional articles from reference cross-checks and professional recommendations, title and abstract screening resulted in a full text review of 58. Among these, 32 were subsequently included for narrative synthesis, with sample sizes ranging from 539 to 237 023 participants. All studies (n=32) contributing to the synthesis reported negative impact of edentulism on outcomes including mortality, frailty, mental health, general health, cognition and nutrition.ConclusionsEdentulism has a consistently negative impact on the health outcomes examined in this review. Randomised trials are needed to evaluate interventions reducing the burden of edentulism, specifically with regard to economic and productivity outcomes.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42022320049.