bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Review of voice biomarkers in the screening of neurodegenerative diseases
Authors: Chen Siye , Li Linghan , Han Shuyu , Luo Wei , Wang Wenxia , Yang Yufan , Wang Xiaomeng , Zhang Wenmin , Chen Mo , Wang Zhiwen 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases significantly impact patients and their families, making early identification crucial for improving patients’ quality of life and reducing care burdens. Current screening methods for neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia and mild cognitive impairment, still rely on subjective assessments or expensive techniques like invasive cerebrospinal fluid analysis and magnetic resonance imaging. These factors make early identification challenging. Voice biomarkers present a promising alternative as convenient, noninvasive, and low-cost screening tools. With the application and development of artificial intelligence and big data, the prediction and screening of neurodegenerative diseases based on voice data have become a research focus. This article reviews the progress in voice biomarkers for neurodegenerative disease screening and classification. It summarizes relevant studies on both single and multimodal data, identifies existing challenges, and suggests future research directions to enhance the application of voice biomarkers in neurodegenerative disease contexts.
Altered serum transferrin levels are associated with pressure injury and its stages: A case-control study
Authors: Shan Hui , Guo Jinglin , Si Ruijuan , Wang Xiaoying , Zhang Ju 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Background:
Despite the measures taken to the traditional risk factors for pressure injury (PI), there is still a great residual risk. Therefore, on the basis of managing traditional risk factors, it is necessary to find and interpret interventionable factors for predicting and treating PI.

Objective:
To investigate the relationship between serum transferrin level and the severity of PI.

Methods:
PI patients from The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University between July 2020 and June 2021 were selected as the case group, which was further divided into stage 1 (30 patients), stage 2 (59 patients), stage 3 (64 patients), and stage 4 (43 patients) according to PI stage. The control group consisted of 196 bedridden patients of similar age who did not have a PI and were matched to the cases by sex and age. This study evaluated the serum transferrin level between the case and control groups.

Results:
The serum transferrin levels were statistically significant between the control and case groups (P<0.001). The serum transferrin level of PI patients with stages 3 and 4 was significantly lower than that of patients with stages 1 and 2 (P<0.05). After adjusting for covariates, serum transferrin remained negatively associated with PI occurrence (B=−0.045, adjusted OR=0.956, P<0.001) and stage (B=−2.266, adjusted OR=0.104, P<0.001).

Conclusions:
The serum transferrin level was decreased with the progression of PI. This study suggests that serum transferrin can serve as positive evidence for treating PI patients.
The Test and Protect Program: A Data-Driven, Community-Engaged Approach to COVID-19 Testing Site Localization
Authors: Beck Andrew F. , Mattingly Tiffany , Brokamp Cole , Sahay Rashmi , Manning Erika R. , Taylor Stuart , Kuhnell Pierce , Kegley Brian , Trabue Kiana , Margolis Peter A. , Kahn Robert S. , Hartley David M. 
Published: September 2024

As the COVID-19 pandemic progressed, reliable, accessible, and equitable community-based testing strategies were sought that did not flood already overburdened hospitals and emergency departments. In Hamilton County, Ohio, home to ~800 000 people across urban, suburban, and rural areas, we sought to develop and optimize an accessible, equitable county-wide COVID-19 testing program. Using Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funding, multidisciplinary, multiorganization partners created the test and protect program to deliver safe, reliable testing in neighborhoods and organizations needing it most. Our approach involved: (1) use of geospatial analytics to identify testing locations positioned to optimize access; (2) community engagement to ensure sites were in trusted places; and (3) tracking of data over time to facilitate ongoing improvement. Between August 2020 and December 2021, more than 65 000 tests were completed for nearly 46 000 individuals at community-based testing sites. These methods could have application beyond COVID-19 and our region.
Index-Linked Assisted HIV Self-Testing for Children 2–14 Years: Results of a Pilot Evaluation in Ethiopia
Authors: Gutema Yoseph , Lulseged Sileshi , Getachew Mirtie , Getahun Meklit , Melaku Zenebe , Tilahun Michael , Shimelis Mesfin , Temesgen Chanie , Asres Tsegaye , Dereje Adinew , Assefa Alemu , Tewoldebirhan Esayas , Teferi Wondimu , Mekonnen Alemayehu , Fayorsey Ruby , Zerbe Allison , Gunn Jayleen , Medley Amy , Gross Jessica , Hrapcak Susan , Abrams Elaine J. 
Published: September 2024

Background:
Case identification remains a challenge to reaching the United Nations 95-95-95 targets for children with HIV. Although the World Health Organization approved oral mucosal HIV self-testing (HIVST) for children older than 2 years in 2019, there is little information on HIVST for pediatric case identification in Ethiopia.

Setting:
Nine health facilities across Ethiopia.

Methods:
We implemented a pilot program from November 2021 to April 2022 to assess acceptability and feasibility of using HIVST to screen children 2–14 years of adult index clients, (ie, parents/caregivers living with HIV and on antiretroviral therapy). HIV-positive adults who had children with unknown HIV status were given HIVST kits (OraQuick) to screen their children at home. Parents/caregivers were asked to report results telephonically and bring children screening positive to the health facility for confirmatory HIV testing. We defined HIVST acceptability as ≥50% of parents/caregivers accepting testing and ≥50% reporting results within 7 days of receiving a test kit. Feasibility was defined as ≥60% of children with a reactive HIVST receiving confirmatory testing and <5 serious social harms reported per 1000 kits distributed.

Results:
Overall, 1496 of 1651 (91%) parents/caregivers accepted HIVST kits to test their children at home and 1204 (71%) reported results within 7 days. Of 17 children (1%) with reactive results, 13 (76%) received confirmatory testing; of which 7 (54%) were confirmed to be HIV positive. One serious social harm was reported.

Conclusions:
Providing adult parents/caregivers with HIVST kits to screen their children at home is an acceptable and feasible strategy to reach untested children and improve pediatric case finding in a low prevalence setting.
Posterior Cranial Vault Distractor Osteogenesis for the Treatment of Chiari Malformation Type 1: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Cobb William , Pan Rachel , Zhu Jianbin , Swanson Marco , Baumgartner James , Lopez Joseph 
Published: September 2024

Background:
Although posterior cranial vault distraction osteogenesis (PVDO) is utilized routinely now for the treatment of craniosynostosis, its use as a treatment option for Chiari type 1 malformation (CM1) is limited to case reports and small retrospective case series.

Methods:
The authors conducted a systematic review of the published literature for PVDO as a treatment for CM1. The primary outcomes were reported complications, symptom improvement, and reoperation rates in patients that had PVDO surgery for CM1. The authors further investigated differences between patients with CM1 with an associated genetic syndrome and craniosynostosis.

Results:
In total, 42 patients with an average age of 41.1 months were used in our analysis. A total of 38.1% of the patients had a diagnosed syndrome, 78.6% of patients had associated craniosynostosis, and 26/42 (61.9%) total patients-reported symptom improvement. Of 26 patients that reported symptom improvement, 20 (76.9%) had associated syndromes and 6 (23.1%) did not (P=0.011). In addition, of these 26 symptom improved patients, 17 (65.4%) were associated with craniosynostosis while 9 (36.4%) did not have craniosynostosis (P=0.008)

Conclusions:
Posterior cranial vault distraction osteogenesis seems to be a promising new surgical intervention for treatment of CM1. Most patients saw symptom improvement after treatment (61.9%). There was a clinically and statistically significant difference in symptom improvement for patients with syndromic CM1 when compared with nonsyndromic CM1 patients.
New targets in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage
Authors: Chiang Pu-Tien , Tsai Li-Kai , Tsai Hsin-Hsi 
Published: September 2024

Purpose of review
Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a devastating stroke with limited medical treatments; thus, timely exploration of emerging therapeutic targets is essential. This review focuses on the latest strategies to mitigate secondary brain injury post-ICH other than targeting surgery or hemostasis, addressing a significant gap in clinical practice and highlighting potential improvements in patient outcomes.

Recent findings
Promising therapeutic targets to reduce secondary brain injury following ICH have recently been identified, including attenuation of iron toxicity and inhibition of ferroptosis, enhancement of endogenous resorption of hematoma, and modulation of perihematomal inflammatory responses and edema. Additionally, novel insights suggest the lymphatic system of the brain may potentially play a role in hematoma clearance and edema management. Various experimental and early-phase clinical trials have demonstrated these approaches may potentially offer clinical benefits, though most research remains in the preliminary stages.

Summary
Continued research is essential to identify multifaceted treatment strategies for ICH. Clinical translation of these emerging targets could significantly enhance the efficacy of therapeutic interventions and potentially reduce secondary brain damage and improve neurological recovery. Future efforts should focus on large-scale clinical trials to validate these approaches, to pave the way for more effective treatment protocols for spontaneous ICH.
Rickettsia rickettsiiencodes a secretory lipase that facilitates intracytosolic colonization in host cells
Authors: Sadik Mohammad , Moin Imran , Ullah Saif , Sayeedur Rahman M. , Voss Oliver H. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe key cellular processes required for rickettsial obligate intracellular lifestyle, include internalization by phagocytosis, regulation of intracellular trafficking, and evasion of lysosomal destruction to establish an intracytosolic replication niche, remain poorly defined. Recent reports showed that rickettsial phospholipases play an important role in vacuolar escape, but their functions are dispensable depending on the host cell-type. Here, we report the identification of a highly conserved putative lipase containing a Serine hydrolase motif (GXSXG), named RLip (RickettsiaLipase). Our work reveals that RLip expression is cytotoxic to yeast cells, a genetically tractable heterologous model system. We demonstrate that RLip possesses lipase enzymatic activity and show a lipid specificity towards phosphoinositide (PI)(3), PI(3,4,5)P3, and PI(3,4)P2, and to a lesser extent PI(4,5)P2. Further, we found that RLip expression is induced during infection of pathogenicR. rickettsii, while its expression is low or undetectable forR. parkeri(mild-pathogenic) andR. montanensis(non-pathogenic), respectively, during host invasion. Intriguingly, RLip is highly enriched in the cytoplasmic fraction of host cells, however, minimally retained by the rickettsiae themselves, suggesting RLip is synthesized during infection and then secreted into the host cell cytoplasm. Neutralization of RLip activity, by antibody-blocking, significantly abrogatedR. rickettsiiescape from bactericidal phagolysosomal fusion, suggesting RLip plays a critical role in facilitating the intracytosolic colonization of pathogenicR. rickettsii.ImportanceArthropod-borne rickettsial diseases are on the rise globally, presenting a perilous threat to humans and livestock. However, our inadequate understanding on howRickettsiamanipulates cellular processes, including the evasion of lysosomal destruction, has impaired the development of effective therapeutic interventions.Here, we identify of a conserved putative lipase containing a Serine hydrolase motif, named RLip (RickettsiaLipase). Our work demonstrates that RLip possesses lipase enzymatic activity and is enriched in the cytoplasm of host cells, while minimally retained by the bacteria itself. Neutralization of RLip activity abrogatedR. rickettsiiescape from bactericidal phagolysosomal fusion. In sum, our data support a mechanism by which pathogenicR. rickettsiiemploys RLip to escape from bactericidal phagolysosomal fusion in order to colonize the host.
Drivers of host-pathogen community assemblies in European forests and urban green spaces
Authors: Sluydts Vincent , Bouilloud Marie , Galan Maxime , Alburkat Hussein , Bordes Anaïs , Bourret Vincent , Colombo Valeria , DeBruyn Luc , Dutra Lara , Eccard Jana , Firozpoor Jasmin , Gallet Romain , Grzybek Maciej , Henttonen Heikki , Jacob Jens , McManus Andrew , Sironen Tarja , Stuart Peter , Tatard Caroline , Roche Benjamin , Leirs Herwig , Charbonnel Nathalie 
Published: September 2024

AbstractMajor advances in the understanding of infectious diseases have been achieved in the last decades. However, the persistence and re-emergence of pathogens continue to raise public and veterinary health concerns, of which the recent COVID-19 pandemic may be one of the most dramatic examples. Understanding the impact of habitat alterations and concomitant biodiversity loss on pathogen transmission and emergence from wildlife remains challenging. Here, we aim to elucidate the interlinkages between biodiversity and rodent-borne diseases at local and European scales. We present recently collected host-pathogen data from 21 temperate forest sites and eight urban green spaces throughout five European countries, environments where rodents are abundant and human/domestic animals – wildlife interactions are likely to occur. 3766 specimens were analyzed during the period from 2020 to 2022 comprising 15 different small mammal species. Different organ tissues of each specimen were screened for bacteria by either 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing or specific PCR. The presence of antibodies to different families of viruses was screened using immunofluorescent assays. A multitude of pathogens of zoonotic potential from several genera includingBartonella, Borrelia, Mycoplasma, Anaplasma, Neoehrlichia, Leptospira, Orthohantavirus and Orthopoxvirus were detected at non-negligible prevalence in 11 different terrestrial mammal species. A shift in host community composition was observed along the anthropization gradient with more urban adapters in more anthropized sites. Pathogen richness increased with an increase in host species diversity, following the “host-diversity begets parasite-diversity” hypothesis. The absence of some vector-transmitted parasites in urban areas suggests a shift in pathogen community along the anthropization gradient. Host species and host intrinsic factors were dominant explanatory variables for endoparasiticMycoplasmaspecies andSarcocystidae, while extrinsic environmental and climatic factors where influential in explaining variations in occurrences of several vector-transmitted pathogens.Apodemus sylvaticusandClethrionomys glareoluswere important connector host species in respectively urban green spaces and temperate forests. Increased host diversity, but not anthropization, correlated with a richer pathogen community. These results ultimately lead to an increased understanding of the complex host-pathogen system at the local landscape that can aid future management decisions and support the public health sector.
Validation of a Difference-in-Differences Investigation Tool (DiD IT) for quantifying local outbreaks
Authors: Morbey Roger , Charlett Andre , Todkill Daniel , Elliot Alex J. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe Difference-in-Differences Investigation Tool (‘DiD IT’) is a new tool used to estimate the impact of local threats to public health in England. ‘DiD IT’ is part of a daily all hazards syndromic surveillance service. We present a validation of the ‘DiD IT’ tool, using synthetic injects to assess how well it can estimate small, localised increases in the number of people presenting to health care. Furthermore, we assess how control settings within ‘DiD IT’ affect it’s performance.‘DiD IT’ was validated across ten different syndromic indicators, chosen to cover a range of data volumes and potential public health threats. Injects were added across different times of year and days of week, including public holidays. Also, different size of injects were created, including some with an impact spread to neighbouring locations or spread over several days. The control settings within ‘DiD IT’ were tested by varying the control location and periods, using, for example a ‘washout period’ or excluding nearest neighbours. Performance was measured by comparing the estimates for excess counts produced by ‘DiD IT’ with the actual synthetic injects added.‘DiD IT’ was able to provide a positive estimate in 99.8% of trials, with a mean absolute error of 1.5. However, confidence intervals for the central estimate could not be produced in 42.5% of trials. Furthermore, the 95% confidence intervals for the central estimates only included the actual inject count within 62.8% of the intervals. Unsurprising, mean errors were slightly higher when synthetic injects were not concentrated in one location on one day but were spread across neighbouring areas or days. Selecting longer control periods and using more locations as controls tended to lower the errors slightly. Including a washout period or excluding neighbouring locations from the controls did not improve performance.We have shown that ‘DiD IT’ is accurate for assessing the impact of local incidents but that further work is needed to improve the how the uncertainty of these estimates are communicated to users.
Evaluation of Potentially Toxic Elements in Soil and Potential Ecological Risks Generated by Environmental Liabilities in Tacna, Peru
Authors: Cáceda César Julio , Maraza Gisela , de Lourdes Fora Gabriela , Farfan Diana Galeska , Obando Edwin , Chiampo Fulvia , Carpio Milena 
Published: September 2024

AbstractEnvironmental liabilities continue to pose an unresolved concern for administrators due to their high potential for ecosystem contamination. This research focuses on assessing the content of potentially toxic elements, the degree of contamination, and potential ecological risks in abandoned mining areas that formerly exploited sulfur and copper. The results showed elevated concentrations of Arsenic (1,102 mg/Kg), Cadmium (271 mg/Kg), Lead (15,961 mg/Kg). The presence of flora, fauna activity, rivers, and rural communities near the mining sites was observed, indicating significant environmental risks. The evaluated mining environmental liabilities (MELs) lack direct responsible parties, thus requiring the Peruvian government to assume remediation responsibilities. To date, no mitigation actions have been taken, primarily due to the absence of a situational diagnosis. Concerning contamination indices, such as the Geoaccumulation Index, Contamination Degree, Pollution Load Index, Contamination Load Coefficient, and Potential Ecological Risk Index, all areas exhibited some form of contamination, indicating high environmental risks. A preliminary risk assessment associated with the presence of mining environmental liabilities has been conducted, marking this research as the first of its kind in the southern region of Peru. This assessment provides administrators with crucial information to establish priorities for implementing remediation plans aimed at reducing pollutant loads. The findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive contamination assessments and the development of effective management practices, including the implementation of a monitoring program to safeguard soils affected by mining activities. Additionally, it is essential to design various technological strategies to restore degraded ecosystems, thereby protecting rivers, agricultural zones, and nearby rural communities.
Comparison of the Ecological Footprints of administering Salbutamol by Metered-Dose Inhaler and by Nebulization in Emergency Treatment of Acute Asthma
Authors: Berthelot Simon , Ménard Jean-François , Bélanger-Chabot Guillaume , Garcia Gabriela Arias , Mantovani Diego , Simard Chantale , Guertin Jason R. , Marx Tania , Bluteau Ariane 
Published: September 2024

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe scientific evidence indicates little or no difference in the effectiveness or cost of using of metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) versus nebulization to treat acute asthma in the emergency department (ED). However, the use of MDIs raises questions of environmental impact. The objective of this study was to compare the carbon footprint of salbutamol administered by MDI versus nebulization.MethodsApplying a life cycle assessment methodology, we quantified the resources extracted and pollutants emitted by each therapeutic option, from the factory production of medication and equipment to disposal by incineration. Each piece of inventory data was then translated into CO2-equivalent emissions (CO2eq) using the IPCC2021/GWP100 method. Results were estimated for the administration of 1 and 3 treatments of 800 µg of salbutamol by MDI and 5 mg by nebulization (standard doses for adults and children ≥ 24 kg) and compared to the use of a subcompact car.ResultsOne and three ED-administered treatments with salbutamol emit respectively 1.9 and 4.0 kg of CO2eq via MDI versus 0.9 and 1.0 kg via nebulization, which corresponds to 5.5 km and 11.6 km and to 2.7 km and 2.8 km traveled in a subcompact car. Each series of 8 inhalations from an MDI releases 1.1 kg of CO2eq due to emission of the hydrofluoroalkane propellent.InterpretationConsidering the absence or minimal difference in clinical effectiveness, this study suggests that nebulization may be a more eco-efficient administration route than MDIs in the emergency treatment of asthma.Trail registrationN/ATAKE-HOME POINTSStudy questionWhat is the ecological footprint of metered-dose inhalers compared to nebulization for administering salbutamol when treating a patient with acute asthma in the emergency department?ResultsNebulization was found to have half the carbon footprint of 1 MDI administration and one quarter of 3 MDI administrations.InterpretationImplementing low-emission treatment protocols for acute asthma should be one of many avenues to explore to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in healthcare services.