bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Barriers and Facilitators to HIV Care Linkage and Retention Among Older Adults Diagnosed With HIV in Malaysia: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Wong Hoi Yee , Rajasuriar Reena , Wong Pui Li , Lee Yew Kong 
Published: July 2024

Introduction
Older adults newly diagnosed with HIV experience poorer prognosis and higher mortality compared with those diagnosed at younger ages. We explored the barriers and facilitators in HIV care linkage and retention among newly diagnosed older persons living with HIV (OPLWH) in Malaysia.

Methods
We conducted in-depth interviews with OPLWH and focus group discussions with health care providers (HCPs) from 5 specialties (primary care medicine, psychological medicine, gynecology, geriatrics, and infectious disease) at a tertiary hospital between September 2021 and April 2022. All sessions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically.

Results
We recruited 16 OPLWH and 7 HCPs. Thirteen OPLWH were male. Eight of them self-identified as men who have sex with men, and the rest were heterosexual. Diagnosis of HIV was between the ages of 50 and 61 years. Barriers and facilitators could be categorized into 3 levels: individual, interpersonal, and institutional. Individual barriers included misinformation about HIV treatment, unable to afford HIV-related services, and belief that life was futile. Interpersonal barriers were HIV-related stigma, poor social and family support, and social prejudice toward men who have sex with men. Lastly, institutional barriers were the need for frequent hospital visits, high cost for HIV-related services, a lack of guidance after diagnosis, and poor communication with HCPs. Facilitators included doctor or friend support and positive institutional reputation.

Conclusions
Multiple challenges hindered optimal care for OPLWH after HIV diagnosis. Issues like high costs, belief that treatment is futile, and a lack of family support need to be addressed as part of long-term support services for OPLWH.
Oral Sexual Exposures Can Lead to Viable Rectal Chlamydia trachomatis Infection
Authors: Khosropour Christine M. , Suchland Robert , Vojtech Lucia , Coomes David M. , LeClair Angela , Soge Olusegun O. , Barbee Lindley A. 
Published: July 2024

Background

Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) acquired orally may survive passage through the gastrointestinal tract and establish an infection in the rectum, but how often this occurs is unknown.

Methods
In 2019 to 2022, we enrolled individuals assigned male at birth who reported sex with men and denied receptive anal sex in the past 2 years. Participants enrolled at the Seattle Sexual Health Clinic or online. Participants completed a behavioral survey and self-collected rectal swabs for CT nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) and culture and viability polymerase chain reaction (vPCR). We defined oral exposures as fellatio, cunnilingus, and oral-anal (i.e., rimming).

Results
We enrolled 275 men; 60 (22%) reported only oral exposures in the past 12 months. Of these, 5 (8.3%) tested positive for rectal CT by NAAT; 1 (2%) had viable CT detected (culture positive; vPCR positive). Another 43 participants reported only oral exposures in the past 2 months, but rectal exposures 3 to 12 months ago. Of these, 4 (9%) tested NAAT positive for rectal CT; 1 had viable CT detected (culture negative; vPCR positive).

Conclusions
Passage of CT from the mouth to the rectum occurs but is most often nucleic acid remnants rather than viable bacteria. Nonetheless, it seems possible to establish a viable rectal CT infection via oral exposures.
Clinical Application of 18F-THK5351 PET to Image Ongoing Astrogliosis in MSA-P and MSA-C
Authors: Kondo Soichiro , Ishibashi Kenji , Ishii Kenji , Iwata Atsushi , Ihara Ryoko 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

18F-labeled THK5351 PET can visualize ongoing astrogliosis by estimating monoamine oxidase B levels and can be used as an adjunct for diagnosing neurodegenerative disorders. Little has been reported on multiple system atrophy (MSA) in the differential diagnosis of parkinsonian syndromes. Here, we present 18F-THK5351 images in typical cases of MSA-P (parkinsonian type) and MSA-C (cerebellar type), showing intense 18F-THK5351 uptake in the lateral-posterior part of the putamen (MSA-P) and in the pons and middle cerebellar peduncles (MSA-C). Hence, this study illustrates the possible utility of 18F-THK5351 PET as an adjunct for diagnosing MSA-P and MSA-C by imaging ongoing astrogliosis.
Auxiliary Partial Orthotopic Liver Transplantation Is a Safe and Effective Option for Yellow Phosphorus Toxin-induced Acute Liver Failure
Authors: Krishnan Sathish Kumar , Ramakrishna Somashekhara Hosaagrahara , Malleeswaran Selvakumar , Kasala Mohan Babu , Patcha Rajanikanth , Gopal Prasanna , Varghese Joy , Mouleeswaran Karattupalayam Sampath , Appusamy Ellango , Reddy Mettu Srinivas 
Published: July 2024

Background.
Ingestion of yellow phosphorus–containing rodenticides (YPR) or firecrackers is an important cause of acute liver failure (ALF) in young adults and children, particularly in South and South-East Asia and South America. Emergency liver transplantation is indicated in cases refractory to intensive supportive therapy, including low-volume plasma exchange. There are no published reports on the feasibility of auxiliary partial orthotopic liver transplantation (APOLT) for YPR-induced ALF.

Methods.
Clinical details of patients undergoing APOLT for YPR-induced ALF in 1 unit are reported. Details of postoperative follow-up, native remnant regeneration, and immunosuppression withdrawal are also reported.

Results.
Between January 2021 and December 2023, 3 patients (4 y, 1.5 y, and 26 y) underwent emergency living donor liver transplantation for YPR-induced ALF. All patients were refractory to supportive therapies, including therapeutic plasma exchange, and demonstrated progression of liver injury in the form of severe encephalopathy needing intubation, ventilation, and organ support. APOLT was considered because of their young age and minimal intraoperative inotropic requirement. All explants showed confluent parenchymal necrosis with microvesicular and macrovesicular steatosis. Patients were initially maintained on standard immunosuppression. Good remnant regeneration was noted on follow-up imaging in all cases, enabling gradual withdrawal of immunosuppression. Currently, 1 child has been off immunosuppression for 15 mo and 2 others are on reduced doses of immunosuppression. All patients demonstrated good liver function.

Conclusions.
APOLT procedure can be an appropriate transplant option in YPR-related ALF for children and young adults without severe hemodynamic instability.
Ways to think about vasculitic neuropathy
Authors: Kapoor Mahima , Reddel Stephen W. 
Published: July 2024

Purpose of review
Vasculitis as a pathomechanism for neuropathy can be isolated to the peripheral nervous system, a part of a systemic autoimmune condition or a component of another syndrome. This review aims to discuss the broad range of diagnoses in which vasculitic neuropathy can be encountered, highlight the progress in imaging techniques in identifying vasculitis, and the new drugs developed for other autoimmune diseases that may be applied to neurological conditions.

Recent findings
Advances in imaging modalities, ultrasound, MRI and FDG-PET scanning for neuromuscular applications has redefined many aspects of vasculitic neuropathies. The benefit of dividing vasculitides by vessel size is becoming less absolute as diagnostic approaches advance. MRI and FDG-PET are widely used in diagnosis, defining extent of involvement of disease and monitoring. In neuralgic amyotrophy, the identification of hourglass-like constrictions on imaging has changed the treatment paradigm to include surgical interventions. These diagnostic approaches are supported by new immunomodulating and immunosuppression techniques.

Summary
Vasculitic neuropathies are a broad group of conditions with a range of causes and associations. Increased use of imaging techniques impacts our traditional definitions and classifications. The growth in treatment options for other autoimmune conditions are likely to infiltrate the neurological landscape.
Novel fluorescence-based methods to determine infarct and scar size in murine models of reperfused myocardial infarction
Authors: Duplessis Ashley , Elster Christin , Becher Stefanie , Engel Christina , Lang Alexander , Kaldirim Madlen , Jung Christian , Grandoch Maria , Kelm Malte , Pfeiler Susanne , Gerdes Norbert 
Published: July 2024

AbstractBackgroundDetermination of infarct area and scar size following myocardial infarction (MI) is commonly used to evaluate the efficacy of potential cardioprotective treatments in mice and other animal models.MethodsFor both, early and late time points following MI, we compared classical histochemical approaches with fluorescence staining methods. Reperfused MI was induced in male C57BL/6J mice and hearts were extracted 24 hours, 7-, 21-, or 28-days following MI and stained with 2,3,5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) and Evans Blue, Hoechst, phalloidin, Sirius Red, Masson’s or Gomorís Trichrome or Wheat Germ Agglutinin (WGA).ResultsFluorescent staining combining Hoechst and phalloidin constitutes an alternative for TTC and Evans Blue, enabling a clear visualization of infarct area, area at risk, as well as remote area unaffected by MI. Infarct size early after reperfusion determined with TTC staining correlates strongly with that demarcated by phalloidin while combination of Hoechst and phalloidin staining can emulate classical TTC/Evans Blue staining 24 h post-MI. Moreover, WGA is equally accurate as the classical Sirius Red, Masson’s and Gomorís Trichrome stainings in identifying scar size in later phases (>7d) post-MI. Finally, we demonstrate feasibility of combining conventional fluorescence staining by localizing CD45+leukocytes to specific regions of the infarcted myocardium.ConclusionWe established staining procedure is not inferior to classical TTC staining while providing substantial benefits including the option for unbiased software-assisted analysis while sparing ample residual tissue for additional analyses. Overall, this enhances the data quality and reduces the required animal numbers consistent with the 3R concept of animal experimentation.Graphical abstract
Lead Exposure and Alzheimer’s Disease Mortality Among US Adults: NHANES Analysis from 1988-2008
Authors: Grossman Aaron 
Published: July 2024

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the association between blood lead level (BLL) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) mortality.DesignProspective cohort study.SettingUS National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1988-94 and 1999-2008.Participants21,308 subjects aged 40 years and over with a BLL ≥1.0 µg/dL.Main outcome measuresAD mortality from baseline until December 2019.ResultsAD was the underlying cause of death for 350 participants. In the fully adjusted model with a calendar effect variable, log-transformed BLL was inversely associated with AD mortality among all subjects (HR: 0.57 [95% CI, 0.46, 0.70]). A similar finding was evident when BLL was modeled as a categorical variable, with hazard ratios of 0.69 (95% CI: 0.54, 0.88), 0.56 (0.39, 0.80), 0.36 (0.19, 0.70), and 0.31 (0.14, 0.72) for 2.5-4.9 µg/dL, 5.0-7.4 µg/dL, 7.5-9.9 µg/dL, and ≥10 µg/dL, when compared to 1-2.4 µg/dL (p-trend < 0.0001). Restricted cubic spline analysis confirmed an inverse dose-response relationship between BLL and AD mortality.ConclusionsOur study suggests an inverse association between lead exposure and AD mortality among US adults; however, the results should be interpreted with caution due to the observational nature of the study.What is already known on this topicStudies investigating the association of blood lead and Alzheimer’s disease are rare.Prior publications reported increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease mortality with exposure to lead, however, due to potential biases in these prior studies, it was critical to reassess the association between blood lead and Alzheimer’s disease mortality.What this study addsIn contrast to much of the existing literature on dementia, the findings from this study suggest that lead exposure reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease mortality and likely mitigates the development of Alzheimer’s disease itself.Prospective studies focused on blood lead and its association with the development or progression of Alzheimer’s disease are necessary to confirm the results.
The Impact of Preprints on the Citations of Journal Articles Related to COVID-19
Authors: Tsunoda Hiroyuki , Sun Yuan , Nishizawa Masaki , Liu Xiaomin , Amano Kou , Kominami Rie 
Published: July 2024

AbstractTo investigate the impact of preprints on the citation counts of COVID-19-related papers, this study compares the number of citations received by drafts initially distributed as preprints and later published in journals with those received by papers directly submitted to journals. The difference in the median number of citations between COVID-19 preprint-distributed papers and COVID-19 directly submitted papers published in 184 journals was tested using the Mann-Whitney U test. The results showed that 129 journals had a statistically significant higher median citation count for COVID-19 preprint-distributed papers compared to directly submitted papers, with a p-value of less than 0.05. In contrast, no journals had a statistically significant higher median citation count for COVID-19 directly submitted papers. This indicates that 70.11% of the journals that published preprint-distributed papers experienced a significant increase in citations. We also identified that among the 184 journals, 13 journals garnered a substantial number of citations. Among the 74,037 COVID-19 papers, preprint-distributed papers (9,028) accounted for only 12.19%. However, among the 2,015,997 citations received by COVID-19 papers, preprint-distributed papers garnered 542,715 citations, representing a substantial 26.92%. These results suggest that distributing preprints prior to formal publication may help COVID-19 research reach a wider audience, potentially leading to increased readership and citations.
The Unity/Diversity Framework of Executive Functions in Older Adults
Authors: Guo Sheng-Ju , Wang Ping , Cao Lizhi , Li Hui-Jie 
Published: July 2024

AbstractExecutive functions (EFs), encompassing inhibition, shifting, and updating as three fundamental subdomains, are typically characterized by a unity/diversity construct. However, given the dedifferentiation trend observed in aging, it remains controversial whether the construct of EFs in older adults becomes unidimensional or maintains unity/diversity. This study aims to explore and validate the construct of EFs in older adults. At the behavioral level, we conducted confirmatory factor analysis on data from 222 older adults who completed six tasks specifically targeting inhibition, shifting, and updating. One unidimensional model and six unity/diversity models of EFs were evaluated. Our results indicated that the EFs of older adults demonstrated greater congruence with the unity/diversity construct. At neural level, thirty older adults completed three thematically consistent fMRI tasks, targeting three subdomains of EFs respectively. Multivariate pattern analysis showed that rostromedia prefrontal cortex robustly showed similar neural representation across different tasks (unity). Meanwhile, the three EF domains were encoded by distinct global neural representation and the lateral prefrontal cortex play a crucial role in classification (diversity). These findings underscore the unity/diversity framework of EFs in older adults and offer important insights for designing interventions aimed at improving EFs in this population.
A Hypothalamic Circuit that Modulates Feeding and Parenting Behaviors
Authors: Alcantara Ivan C. , Li Chia , Mickelsen Laura E. , Mazzone Christopher M. , de Araujo Salgado Isabel , Gao Claire , Papas Brian N. , Xiao Cuiying , Karolczak Eva O. , Goldschmidt Abigail I. , Rodriguez Gonzalez Shakira , Piñol Ramón A. , Li Jian-Liang , Cui Guohong , Reitman Marc L. , Krashes Michael J. 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACTAcross mammalian species, new mothers undergo considerable behavioral changes to nurture their offspring and meet the caloric demands of milk production1-5. While many neural circuits underlying feeding and parenting behaviors are well characterized6-9, it is unclear how these different circuits interact and adapt during lactation. Here, we characterized the transcriptomic changes in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) and the medial preoptic area (MPOA) of the mouse hypothalamus in response to lactation and hunger. Furthermore, we showed that heightened appetite in lactating mice was accompanied by increased activity of hunger-promoting agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons in the ARC. To assess the strength of hunger versus maternal drives, we designed a conflict assay where female mice chose between a food source or a chamber containing pups and nesting material. Although food-deprived lactating mothers prioritized parenting over feeding, hunger reduced the duration and disrupted the sequences of parenting behaviors in both lactating and virgin females. We discovered that ARCAgRPneurons directly inhibit bombesin receptor subtype-3 (BRS3) neurons in the MPOA, a population that governs both parenting and satiety. Selective activation of this ARCAgRPto MPOABRS3circuit shifted behaviors from parenting to food-seeking. Thus, hypothalamic networks are modulated by physiological states and work antagonistically during the prioritization of competing motivated behaviors.
Population genetic structure of the aphid pestMyzus persicaein organic and conventional greenhouses
Authors: Beekman Mariska M. , van den Heuvel Joost , Donner S. Helena , Litjens Jordy J. H. , Dicke Marcel , Zwaan Bas J. , Verhulst Eveline C. , Pannebakker Bart A. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractAphids display remarkable adaptability to pest control strategies and their partheno-genetic reproduction results in rapid numerical increase of higher-fitness clones. Con-sequently, a high prevalence of only a few clonal lines could indicate positive selection for these genotypes, potentially reflecting adaptation to pest control methods. Here, we investigated the clonal diversity and population genetic structure of the green peach aphidMyzus persicaeusing microsatellite markers, in both organic and conventionally managed Dutch sweet pepper greenhouses over four consecutive years. In total, 26 distinct multilocus genotypes (MLG) were detected, with higher clonal diversity in organic than in conventional greenhouses. Strikingly, a single MLG dominated conventional greenhouses in 2019, only to be completely replaced by a new dominant MLG by 2022. Whole-genome sequencing of 15 sampled lines — seven sharing the same MLG and eighth with unique MLGs — revealed that all aphids with the dominant MLG of 2019, collected from various locations and over multiple years, originated from a single parthenogenetic ancestor. Our findings indicate that the population genetic structure ofM. persicaediffers between organically and conventionally managed sweet pepper greenhouses. The presence of dominant MLGs in conventional crop systems may suggest positive selection or evolutionary forces such as a founder effect. Understanding the forces driving these differences in population genetic structure and their impact on the efficacy of biocontrol agents will further help us improve control strategies forM. persicaein greenhouse crops.
Bayesian Prior Uncertainty and Surprisal Elicit Distinct Neural Patterns During Sound Localization in Dynamic Environments
Authors: Bayram Burcu , Meijer David , Barumerli Roberto , Spierings Michelle , Baumgartner Robert , Pomper Ulrich 
Published: July 2024

AbstractEstimating the location of a stimulus is a key function in sensory processing, and widely considered to result from the integration of prior information and sensory input according to Bayesian principles. A deviation of sensory input from the prior elicits surprisal, depending on the uncertainty of the prior.While this mechanism is increasingly understood in the visual domain, much less is known about its implementation in audition, especially regarding spatial localization. Here, we combined human EEG with computational modeling to study auditory spatial inference in a noisy, volatile environment and analyzed behavioral and neural patterns associated with prior uncertainty and surprisal.First, our results demonstrate that participants indeed used prior information during periods of stable environmental statistics, but showed evidence of surprisal and discarded prior information following environmental changes. Second, we observed distinct EEG activity patterns associated with prior uncertainty and surprisal in both the time- and time-frequency domain, which are in line with previous studies using visual tasks. Third, these EEG activity patterns were predictive of our participants’ sound localization error, response uncertainty, and prior bias on a trial-by-trial basis.In summary, our work provides novel behavioral and neural evidence for Bayesian inference during dynamic auditory localization.
Evidence for homing behaviour consistent with path integration inDascyllus trimaculatus
Authors: Murley Freddie , Sibeaux Adelaide , Burt de Perera Theresa 
Published: July 2024

AbstractPath integration is a strategy that allows animals to monitor their movement relative to a starting point using directional and distance cues. It has been observed in a wide range of terrestrial species, but evidence of this behaviour in fish is still lacking. In contrast to most animals shown to navigate via path integration, fish are not surface bound but exist within a three-dimensional medium. This may present additional challenges when monitoring their position relative to a specific point. We developed a novel experimental paradigm to test whether the coral reef-dwelling domino damselfishDascyllus trimaculatuscould use path integration to navigate back to a shelter location. This consisted of a circular pool with a shelter and landmarks near the edge and a trap containing food in the centre. Our results show that these fish follow homing trajectories back to the previous location of the removed shelter without using landmarks after a foraging trip into the central trap. Error in homing trajectory increased with outward path length, consistent with the use of path integration. These results addD. trimaculatusto the growing list of path-integrating species, opening new avenues for investigating the evolution and neural underpinnings of this navigational strategy.