bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of dental arch expansion in the orthodontic treatment with clear aligners: a scoping review
Authors: Aragon Monica Lídia Santos de Castro , Mendes Ribeiro Suelly Maria , Fernandes Fagundes Nathalia Carolina , Normando David 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Background
The clinical protocol and effectiveness of dental expansion with Clear Aligner Therapy (CAT), especially among adults is still unclear. There is a need to map and explore knowledge gaps of dental expansion with CAT among children and adults.

Objective
This scoping review explores the extent and depth of the available literature regarding the effectiveness and predictability of CAT in performing orthodontic expansion in both children and adults.

Methods
The following databases were consulted as sources of information: PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, LILACS, COCHRANE Library, and ProQuest Dissertations & Thesis, in which the search was limited to studies on children or adults requiring transverse arch expansion and using clear orthodontic aligners. Two independent reviewers assessed the citations and extracted data, which was then synthesized in a narrative format.

Results
Over all, 698 citations were retrieved, and 33 were included. Among these, 3 were systematic reviews, 4 were cohort studies, 2 were case-control studies, and 24 were case series. Eighty-five percent of the included studies were published in the last 5 years. Despite different protocols and measurement methods, aligners were effective for arch expansion in adults and children, and the expansion predictability was greater for the lower arch than for the upper arch. The evidence suggests that arch width increment is more predictable in the premolar region and less predictable in the canine and second molar areas, with high variability across studies.

Conclusions
Orthodontic aligners have demonstrated effectiveness in expanding arches in both adults and children. However, the literature suggests a decrease in arch width toward the posterior region, and there is no evidence of skeletal gains. To provide more conclusive evidence, randomized controlled clinical studies are warranted.

Registration
This review was registered in the Open Science Framework database (DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/6EG8F)
Social networks and distributive conflict: the class divide in social ties and attitudes to income inequality across 29 countries
Authors: Lindh Arvid , Andersson Anton B 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
The theoretical proposition that social networks contribute to class divides in political attitudes has rarely been further developed or empirically scrutinized with individual-level data on a large cross-national scale. In this article, we theorize and empirically examine how the class profiles of personal networks may shape individual attitudes to income inequality from a country-comparative perspective. Using multilevel modeling and data from the ISSP Social Networks and Resources module, covering 29 countries, we find that having more family, friends, and acquaintances in upper-middle-class positions is associated with lower support for reducing inequality, while having more social ties to working-class positions is associated with higher support for reducing inequality. We also assess how these relationships differ across countries depending on the institutional context, finding that both own class location and the class profiles of personal networks are more strongly related to attitudes to income inequality in countries with a higher rate of government redistribution. The study provides new theoretical and empirical insights into the importance of personal networks’ class profiles for shaping individual attitudes and structural ideological divisions linked to economic inequality, while also suggesting that social networks are key to understanding institutionally embedded distributive conflicts from a country-comparative perspective.
Gestational diabetes and future cardiovascular diseases: associations by sex-specific genetic data
Authors: Zhang Yeshen , Yu Shijie , Chen Ziying , Liu Haobin , Li Huixian , Long Xinyang , Ye Fei , Luo Wenzhi , Dai Yining , Tu Shan , Chen Weikun , Kong Siyu , He Yu , Xue Ling , Tan Ning , Liang Huiying , Zhang Zhihui , He Pengcheng , Duan Chongyang , Liu Yuanhui 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Background and Aims
Observational studies have highlighted that gestational diabetes mellitus is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, but the causality remains unclear. Herein, the causality between genetic predisposition to gestational diabetes mellitus and the risk of cardiovascular diseases was investigated using sex-specific Mendelian randomization analysis.

Methods
Linkage disequilibrium score regression analysis and two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis were applied to infer the genetic correlation and causality, respectively. Mediation analysis was conducted using a two-step Mendelian randomization approach. Sensitivity analyses were performed to differentiate causality from pleiotropy. The genome-wide association study summary statistics for gestational diabetes mellitus were obtained from FinnGen consortium, while for cardiovascular diseases were generated based on individual-level genetic data from the UK Biobank.

Results
Linkage disequilibrium score regression analyses revealed that gestational diabetes mellitus had a significant genetic correlation with coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction after Benjamini–Hochberg correction in ever-pregnant women. In Mendelian randomization analyses, odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction were 1.09 (1.01–1.17) and 1.12 (.96–1.31) per unit increase in the log-odds of genetic predisposition to gestational diabetes mellitus in ever-pregnant women, respectively. Further, Type 2 diabetes and hypertension were identified as mediators for the causality of genetic predisposition to gestational diabetes mellitus on coronary artery disease. In sensitivity analyses, the direction of odds ratio for the association between instrumental variables with gestational diabetes mellitus-predominant effects and the risk of coronary artery disease was consistent with the primary results in ever-pregnant women, although not statistically significant.

Conclusions
This study demonstrated a suggestive causal relationship between genetic predisposition to gestational diabetes mellitus and the risk of coronary artery disease, which was mainly mediated by Type 2 diabetes and hypertension. These findings highlight targeting modifiable cardiometabolic risk factors may reduce the risk of coronary artery disease in women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus.
NAT10 promotes vascular remodelling via mRNA ac4C acetylation
Authors: Yu Cheng , Chen Yue , Luo Hao , Lin Weihong , Lin Xin , Jiang Qiong , Liu Hongjin , Liu Wenkun , Yang Jing , Huang Yu , Fang Jun , He Duofen , Han Yu , Zheng Shuo , Ren Hongmei , Xia Xuewei , Yu Junyi , Chen Lianglong , Zeng Chunyu 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Background and Aims
Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotype switching is a pathological hallmark in various cardiovascular diseases. N4-acetylcytidine (ac4C) catalyzed by N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10) is well conserved in the enzymatic modification of ribonucleic acid (RNA). NAT10-mediated ac4C acetylation is involved in various physiological and pathological processes, including cardiac remodelling. However, the biological functions and underlying regulatory mechanisms of mRNA ac4C modifications in vascular diseases remain elusive.

Methods
By combining in-vitro and in-vivo vascular injury models, NAT10 was identified as a crucial protein involved in the promotion of post-injury neointima formation, as well as VSMC phenotype switching. The potential mechanisms of NAT10 in the vascular neointima formation were clarified by RNA sequence (RNA-seq), acetylated mRNA immunoprecipitation sequence (acRIP-seq), and RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation sequence (RIP-seq).

Results
NAT10 and ac4C modifications were upregulated in injured human and rodent arteries. Deletion of NAT10 in VSMCs effectively reduced post-injury neointima formation and VSMC phenotype switching. Further RNA-seq, RIP-seq, and acRIP-seq revealed that NAT10, by its ac4C modification, directly interacts with genes, including integrin-β1 (ITGB1) and collagen type I alpha 2 chain (Col1a2) mRNAs. Taking ITGB1 as one example, it showed that NAT10-mediated ac4C consequently increased ITGB1 mRNA stability and its downstream focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling, directly influencing the proliferation of VSMCs and vascular remodelling. The regulation of NAT10 on the VSMC phenotype is of translational significance because the administration of Remodelin, a NAT10 inhibitor, effectively prevents neointima formation by suppressing VSMC proliferation and downregulating ITGB1 expression and deactivating its FAK signaling.

Conclusions
This study reveals that NAT10 promotes vascular remodelling via mRNA ac4C acetylation, which may be a promising therapeutic target against vascular remodelling.
Artificial subsurface lithoautotrophic microbial ecosystems and gas storage in deep subsurface
Authors: Ranchou-Peyruse Anthony 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Over the next few years, it is planned to convert all or part of the underground gas storage (UGS) facilities used for natural gas (salt caverns, depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs, and deep aquifers) into underground dihydrogen (H2) storage reservoirs. These deep environments host microbial communities, some of which are hydrogenotrophic (sulfate reducers, acetogens, and methanogens). The current state of microbiological knowledge is thus presented for the three types of UGS facilities. In the mid-1990s, the concept of anaerobic subsurface lithoautotrophic microbial ecosystems, or SLiMEs, emerged. It is expected that the large-scale injection of H2 into subsurface environments will generate new microbial ecosystems called artificial SLiMEs, which could persist over time. These artificial SLiMEs could lead to H2 loss, an intense methanogenic activity, a degradation of gas quality and a risk to installations through sulfide production. However, recent studies on salt caverns and deep aquifers suggest that hydrogenotrophic microbial activity also leads to alkalinization (up to pH 10), which can constrain hydrogenotrophy. Therefore, studying and understanding these artificial SLiMEs is both a necessity for the development of the H2 industry and presents an opportunity for ecologists to monitor the evolution of deep environments in real time.
Reflection coefficients for non-welded interface between orthorhombic half-spaces under initial stress
Authors: Fan Zihang , Zong Zhaoyun , Chen Fubin , Qin Dewen 
Published: October 2024

SUMMARY
Complex oil and gas reservoirs represented by orthorhombic shale usually have the characteristics of strong anisotropy, wide distribution of non-welded interfaces (i.e. particular boundaries caused by horizontal bedding or fracture development), and ubiquitous initial stress effects. The knowledge of their seismic response characteristics plays an essential role in hydrocarbon exploration in stressed shale reservoirs. However, seismic wave reflection in the orthorhombic media under initial stress remains unclear. To address this issue, we used the theories of acoustoelasticity and elastic anisotropy to derive a stress-dependent effective elastic stiffness tensor. At the same time, we obtain the wave velocity and polarization characteristics directly by solving the Christoffel equation. According to the linear slip theory, we further constructed the exact reflection and transmission coefficient equations for the non-welded interface between isotropic and orthorhombic half-spaces under the initial stress. The effects of the non-welded interface on seismic wave velocity and reflection and transmission coefficients were systematically analysed. Meanwhile, we characterize the law of P-wave reflection coefficient effected by elastic coefficients. Our equations and results potentially lay an equation foundation for orthorhombic reservoirs in high-stress fields and are essential in orthorhombic reservoirs in high-stress geophysical exploration.
Measurement error and information bias in causal diagrams: mapping epidemiological concepts and graphical structures
Authors: Wardle Melissa T , Reavis Kelly M , Snowden Jonathan M 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Measurement error and information bias are ubiquitous in epidemiology, yet directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) are infrequently used to represent them, in contrast with confounding and selection bias. This represents a missed opportunity to leverage the full utility of DAGs to depict associations between the variables we actually analyse in practice: empirically measured variables, which are necessarily measured with error. In this article, we focus on applying causal diagrams to depict the data-generating mechanisms that give rise to the data we analyse, including measurement error. We begin by considering empirical data considerations using a general example, and then build up to a specific worked example from the clinical epidemiology of hearing health. Throughout, our goal is to highlight both the challenges and the benefits of using DAGs to depict measurement error. In addition to the application of DAGs to conceptual causal questions (which pertain to unmeasured constructs free from measurement error), which is common, we highlight the advantages associated with applying DAGs to also include empirically measured variables and—potentially—information bias. We also highlight the implications implied by this use of DAGs, particularly regarding the unblocked backdoor path causal structure. Ultimately, we seek to help increase the clarity with which epidemiologists can map traditional epidemiological concepts (such as information bias and confounding) onto causal graphical structures.
Elevated Levels of PDGF-BB and VEGF Are Associated With a Decreased Risk of Readmission or Death in Children With Severe Malarial Anemia
Authors: Slaughter Mary G , Bhumbra Samina , Mellencamp Kagan A , Namazzi Ruth , Opoka Robert O , John Chandy C 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Background
Children with severe malarial anemia (SMA) typically have low in-hospital mortality but have a high risk of postdischarge readmission or death. We hypothesized that the dysregulation of hematopoiesis, vascular growth factors, and endothelial function that occurs in SMA might affect risk of readmission or death.

Methods
Plasma was obtained from children 18 months to 12 years old with SMA (n = 145) in Kampala, Uganda on admission, and outcomes were assessed over 12-month follow-up. Admission plasma levels of 10 biomarkers of vascular growth, hematopoiesis, and endothelial function were compared to risk of readmission or death over 12-month follow-up.

Results
Over 12-month follow-up, 19 of 145 children with SMA were either readmitted or died: 15 children were readmitted (13 with malaria) and 4 children died. In multivariable analyses adjusted for age and sex, elevated plasma levels of platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on admission were independently associated with a decreased risk of all-cause readmission or death (adjusted hazard ratios [95% confidence intervals], 0.28 [.16–.51] and 0.19 [.08–.48], respectively) and a decreased risk of readmission due to severe malaria (0.27 [.15–.51] and 0.16 [.05–.47]) but not with risk of uncomplicated malaria (1.01 [.53–1.95] and 2.07 [.93–4.64]).

Conclusions
In children with severe malarial anemia, elevated plasma levels of PDGF-BB and VEGF, 2 factors that promote angiogenesis, are associated with a decreased risk of readmission or death in the year following admission, primarily driven by a decrease in the risk of recurrent severe malaria.
Identification of vancomycin exposure target in neonates: how much is enough?
Authors: Gao Yuan , Wu Tong , Pu Libin , Ji Xingfang , Wang Zhipeng , Wang Fan , Wang Chang , Song Xia , Qiu Wen 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Objectives
Vancomycin is commonly used in neonates with the same pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) target as adults. However, no evidence supports this practice, and the association between trough concentrations and treatment outcomes has been widely questioned. This study aimed to identify the optimal PK/PD predictor and assess the correlation between AUC/MIC, trough concentration and the vancomycin efficacy in neonates.

Methods
This study retrospectively collected neonates who used vancomycin and constructed a population pharmacokinetic (PPK) model to estimate the AUC. Logistic analyses were used to identify the variables related to efficacy. Classification and regression tree analysis was used to explore thresholds. The correlation between trough concentration and AUC/MIC on the first day was analysed using a linear regression model.

Results
PPK modelling involved 131 neonates. Postmenstrual age and current weight were included in the covariate analysis. Forty-eight patients were included in the efficacy analysis, 13 of whom were infected with MRSA. The best-performance PK/PD target for efficacy was AUC0–24h/MIC ≥ 331. The trough concentration was correlated with AUC0–24h/MIC (r2 = 0.32), but individual differences existed. AUC0–24h/MIC ranged up to 2.5-fold for a given trough concentration.

Conclusions
AUC0–24h/MIC ≥ 331 was the optimal target of vancomycin efficacy in neonates. The trough concentration was not a reliable predictor of efficacy and AUC0–24h/MIC. AUC-guided dosage adjustments are more valuable in clinical applications.
Antimicrobial activity of ceftibuten/polymyxin B combination against polymyxin/carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae
Authors: Sturaro Mariana Carvalho , de Souza Gleyce Hellen de Almeida , Damaceno Nathalia da Silva , Silva Osmar Nascimento , de Aquino Thiago Mendonça , Freire Nathalia Monteiro Lins , Alcântara Marcone Gomes dos Santos , Monteiro Kadja Luana Chagas , Martins Aline Andrade , Rossato Luana , Fraga Thiago Leite , Borsuk Sibele , Dellagostin Odir Antônio , Simionatto Simone 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Objectives
To evaluate the synergistic effect of a ceftibuten and polymyxin B combination and to determine its capacity to overcome polymyxin B resistance in polymyxin/carbapenem-resistant (PC-R) Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Methods
To investigate the combination’s antibacterial efficacy, antimicrobial susceptibility tests using broth microdilution methods, chequerboard assays and time–kill testing were performed. Antibiofilm activity was also assessed. The treatment’s effect on the bacterial cell membrane was examined by quantifying intracellular protein leakage and conducting scanning electron microscopy. Haemocompatibility tests were conducted to evaluate toxicity. Additionally, an infection model was established using Swiss mice to assess in vivo antimicrobial activity.

Results
The ceftibuten/polymyxin B combination demonstrated synergistic effects against several PC-R strains of K. pneumoniae, as determined by the FIC index (FICI) values, which ranged from 0.15 to 0.37. This combination was efficacious, exhibiting bactericidal activity at twice the MIC. Ceftibuten/polymyxin B also demonstrated antibiofilm activity. Additionally, ceftibuten/polymyxin B neither damaged the bacterial membrane nor exhibited haemolytic activity. Based on these findings, the in vivo therapeutic potential was investigated and it was found that ceftibuten/polymyxin B significantly decreased the bacterial load in the peritoneal lavage fluid of mice, revealing its effectiveness in treating infections caused by PC-R K. pneumoniae.

Conclusions
The ceftibuten/polymyxin B combination exhibited synergistic effects in vitro and in vivo, and thus might be a promising therapeutic alternative for treating PC-R K. pneumoniae infections. As the combination was efficacious in preclinical models, researchers may further investigate its potential in clinical studies.
Evaluating the costs of Escherichia coli bloodstream infections: a population-based cohort study in a large metropolitan Canadian region
Authors: King Teagan L , Rennert-May Elissa , Somayaji Ranjani , Leal Jenine , Black Jason E , Conly John M , Gregson Daniel 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Objectives
We evaluated the costs of susceptible and resistant Escherichia coli bloodstream infections (BSIs) in adults. Secondary outcomes were the impact of BSI on length of stay (LOS), readmissions and death.

Methods
We examined a population-based retrospective cohort of blood cultures from 2011 to 2018 in Calgary, Canada, linked to microcosting and gross costing data. Propensity score matching was completed, and costs were compared between no BSI and E. coli BSI over 90 days using linear regression.

Results
A total of 4581 BSIs in 89 673 adults experienced E. coli bacteraemia during the study period. The mean cost of an E. coli BSI at 90 days was $39 072 (SD: $95 747) in adults. Ceftriaxone-resistant (CRO-R) E. coli, resistant to fluoroquinolones (FQ) and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, compared with susceptible E. coli BSI resulted in the greatest mean cost at $53 899 and the highest odds of readmission, increased LOS, and death.

Conclusions
E. coli BSI is associated with substantial costs. Total cost differences were highest in those with CRO-R E. coli with resistance to FQ and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Over the study period, bacteraemia secondary to these strains alone, added over $9 million to costs for healthcare in the Calgary Zone.
Screening of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates reveals the spread of strong biofilm formers and class 1 integrons
Authors: Saha Ujjayni , Jadhav Savita V , Pathak Ketaki N , Saroj Sunil D 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Aims
Klebsiella pneumoniae is a Gram-negative bacterium that can colonize, penetrate, and cause infections at several human anatomical locations. The emergence of hypervirulent K. pneumoniae and its ability to evade the immune system and develop antibiotic resistance has made it a key concern in the healthcare industry. The hypervirulent variants are increasingly involved in community-acquired infections. Therefore, it is pertinent to understand the biofilm formation potential among the clinical isolates.

Methods and results
We acquired 225 isolates of K. pneumoniae from the Department of Microbiology, Symbiosis University Hospital and Research Centre (SUHRC), Pune, India, over 1 year from March 2022 to March 2023, and evaluated antimicrobial susceptibility, hypermucoviscous phenotype, virulence, and antimicrobial-resistant gene distribution in K. pneumoniae isolates and established a correlation between antimicrobial resistance and integrons. Most isolates were strong biofilm formers (76%). The isolates harbored one or more carbapenemase/beta-lactamase-encoding gene combinations. Hypermucoviscous (HMKP) isolates had considerably greater positive rates for iutA, magA, K2 serotype, rmpA, and rmpA2 than non-HMKP isolates. Isolates carrying integrons (43%) showed significantly more antibiotic resistance.

Conclusion
The study reveals spread of strong biofilm formers with extensive virulence and antimicrobial-resistant genes, and integrons responsible for multidrug resistance among the clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae in Pune, India, posing a threat to the public health and necessitating close surveillance, accurate diagnosis, control, and therapeutic management of infections.