bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prospective evaluation of 68Ga-NODAGA-RGD PET-CT in patients of carcinoma thyroid with thyroglobulin elevated negative radioiodine scintigraphy (TENIS) with a head-to-head comparison with FDG-PET/CT
Authors: Gondhane Abhay , Verma Priyanka , Chandak Ashok , Basu Sandip 
Published: March 2024

Background and aim
This study aimed to examine the expression of RGD binding integrins in patients of elevated serum thyroglobulin (Tg) level with negative radioiodine scintigraphy (TENIS) employing 68Ga-NODAGA-RGD PET-CT.

Material and methods
This was a prospective study involving 30 proven cases of TENIS with histopathological diagnosis of differentiated thyroid carcinoma post-surgery. In addition to observing the lesional concentration on 68Ga-NODAGA-RGD PET-CT, a 4-point visual grading system (grade I–IV), was undertaken to estimate the degree of radiotracer avidity, for potential of theranostics.

Results
On 18F-FDG-PET/CT, the uptake was seen in 182 lesions out of a total of 200 (91%). 68Ga-NODAGA-RGD PET-CT showed expression in a total of 110/200 (55%) lesions. On patient-specific analysis, 68Ga-NODAGA-RGD PET-CT was positive for the disease in 21/30 patients (70%) and negative in 9/30 (30%) patients. The overall patient-specific sensitivity and specificity of 68Ga-NODAGA-RGDPET-CT were 75% and 100%, respectively. 18F-FDG PET-CT was positive for the disease in 26/30 patients (86.66%) and negative in 4/30 (13.33%) patients. The overall patient-specific sensitivity and specificity of 18F-FDG-PET/CT were 92.86% and 100%, respectively. The 4-point visual grading system revealed 14/200 (7%) lesions demonstrating Grade I uptake, 49/200 (24.5%) lesions grade II uptake, 17/200 (8.5%) lesions grade III uptake and 40/200 (20%) lesions grade IV uptake.

Conclusion
The results suggested that RGD-binding integrin is expressed in a sizeable fraction of metastatic lesions of TENIS cases, albeit demonstrating a varying degree of uptake. Out of the soft tissue, lung, and bone lesions, metastatic bone lesions showed more RGD affinity than other sites. The patients with substantial RGD uptake on a 4-point visual grading system may be potential targets for RGD–based therapy.
Caring for screenagers (Part 1): a pediatrician's primer on popular social media platforms
Authors: Cason Grace , Margolis Alex , Barile Joseph , Milanaik Ruth Lynn 
Published: March 2024

Purpose of review
Since the inception of social media, children have used platforms in manners unbeknownst to their parents. Just when parents feel they may finally understand what platform is relevant or trend is “in,” the landscape evolves, and children shift to something new. It is therefore critical that pediatricians stay informed about what is popular in youth populations. This enables the recognition of the potential dangers of contemporary social media engagement.

Recent findings
Short-form content and livestreaming continue to rise in popularity while certain older forms of social media have retained relevancy in youth circles. YouTube is the dominant social media force, with both livestreaming and short-form offerings. Twitch and TikTok provide alternatives to YouTube for livestreaming and short-form content, respectively. Instagram and Snapchat – two social media apps that have existed for over 10 years – remain as the most popular mechanisms for children to interact with their friends online.

Summary
Issues related to body image, attention deficits, cyberbullying, and other potential harms have many parents wary of their child's presence on social media. Social media sites have in-place mechanisms to prevent the likelihood of harm, but pediatricians and parents should still counsel children on best social media practices.
Risk Factors for Blunt Cerebrovascular Injury in a Cohort of Pediatric Patients With Cervical Seat Belt Sign
Authors: Najar Daniel A. , Cardenas-Turanzas Marylou , King Jadeyn , Shah Manish N. , Cox Charles S. , Ugalde Irma T. 
Published: March 2024

Background
Three-point seat belt restraints have been attributed to blunt cerebrovascular injury (BVCI), injury to the carotid or vertebral arteries. Although previous studies have not found a seat belt sign to be a significant predictor for BCVI, it is still used to screen patients for BCVI.

Objective
This study aims to determine risk factors for BCVI within a cohort of patients with seat belt signs.

Methods
We conducted a retrospective cohort study using our institutional trauma registry and included patients younger than 18 years with blunt trauma who both had a computed tomography angiography (CTA) of the neck performed and had evidence of a seat belt sign per the medical record. We reported frequencies, proportions, and measures of central tendency and conducted univariate analysis to evaluate factors associated with BCVI. We estimated the magnitude of the effect of each variable associated with the study outcome by conducting logistic regression and reporting odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.

Results
Among all study patients, BCVI injuries were associated with Injury Severity Score higher than 15 (P = 0.04), cervical spinal fractures (P = 0.007), or basilar skull fractures (P = 0.01). We observed higher proportions of children with BCVI when other motorized and other blunt mechanisms were reported as the mechanisms of injury (P = 0.002) versus motor vehicle collision.

Conclusions
Significant risk factors for BCVI in the presence of seat belt sign are: Injury severity score greater than 15, cervical spinal fracture, basilar skull fracture, and the other motorized mechanism of injury, similar to those in all children at risk of BCVI.
Can Ischemia-Modified Albumin Be a Helpful Marker in the Diagnosis and Follow-Up of Childhood Intussusception?
Authors: Kocaoğlu Çelebi , Kocaoğlu Canan , Madenci Hasan 
Published: March 2024

Objectives
Intussusception is the invagination of a proximal segment of the intestine into a more distal segment. The present study aimed to determine the sensitivity of the ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) and the correlation between IMA and the severity of intestinal ischemia in intussusception cases.

Methods
Thirty-six consecutive children aged between 0 and 16 years presenting with the clinical and radiological features of intestinal obstruction caused by intussusception were enrolled in the study. The age- and sex-matched control group was composed of patients undergoing outpatient surgery. The patients were categorized as cases of type I (ileoileal), type II (ileocecal), and type III (colocolic) based on the ultrasonography findings.

Results
The mean IMA level of the intussusception group was 179.13 ± 220.33 ng/mL, whereas the mean level was found as 89 ± 70.9 ng/mL in the control group. When the patients were categorized as ileoileal, ileocecal, and colocolic, the mean IMA levels were detected as 235.65 ± 268.14 ng/mL, 174.46 ± 212.8 ng/mL, and 46.95 ± 19.56 ng/mL, respectively. There was a moderate correlation between the invaginated segment lengths measured by the surgeon during the operation and IMA levels.

Conclusions
Our study findings reveal that IMA can be used as an auxiliary diagnostic marker in patients presenting with symptoms and signs suggestive of intussusception. Thus, patients can be screened for mechanical bowel obstruction due to intussusception and may be referred to pediatric surgery centers earlier for further examination.
Defining the Problem: 53 Years of Firearm Violence Afflicting America’s Schools
Authors: Joseph Bellal , Hosseinpour Hamidreza , Sakran Joseph , Anand Tanya , Colosimo Christina , Nelson Adam , Stewart Collin , Spencer Audrey L , Zhang Bo , Magnotti Louis J 
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND:
Firearm violence and school shootings remain a significant public health problem. This study aimed to examine how publicly available data from all 50 states might improve our understanding of the situation, firearm type, and demographics surrounding school shootings.

STUDY DESIGN:
School shootings occurring in the US for 53 years ending in May 2022 were analyzed, using primary data files that were obtained from the Center for Homeland Defense and Security. Data analyzed included situation, injury, firearm type, and demographics of victims and shooters. We compared the ratio of fatalities per wounded after stratifying by type of weapon. Rates (among children) of school shooting victims, wounded, and fatalities per 1 million population were stratified by year and compared over time.

RESULTS:
A total of 2,056 school shooting incidents involving 3,083 victims were analyzed: 2,033 children, 5 to 17 years, and 1,050 adults, 18 to 74 years. Most victims (77%) and shooters (96%) were male individuals with a mean age of 18 and 19 years, respectively. Of the weapons identified, handguns, rifles, and shotguns accounted for 84%, 7%, and 4%, respectively. Rifles had a higher fatality-to-wounded ratio (0.45) compared with shooters using multiple weapons (0.41), handguns (0.35), and shotguns (0.30). Linear regression analysis identified a significant increase in the rate of school shooting victims (β = 0.02, p = 0.0003), wounded (β = 0.01, p = 0.026), and fatalities (β = 0.01, p = 0.0003) among children over time.

CONCLUSIONS:
Despite heightened public awareness, the incidence of school shooting victims, wounded, and fatalities among children has steadily and significantly increased over the past 53 years. Understanding the epidemic represents the first step in preventing continued firearm violence in our schools.
Baseline Characteristics and Use of Pretherapeutic 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose-PET for Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Carlson Danielle M , Abdelrahman Amro M , Adjei Antwi Stella K , Tomlinson Jennifer L , Trivedi Kamaxi , Karbhari Aashna , Patnam Gopal Chetty Nandakumar , Halfdanarson Thor R , Goenka Ajit H , Truty Mark J 
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive and lethal malignancy. Surgical resection is the only curative modality combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy to improve survival. Given the limitations of traditional responses such as cross-sectional imaging (CT/MRI) or tumor markers, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), the 2023 National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines included18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET as an adjunct to assess response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. There are common misconceptions on the metabolic activity (tumor avidity) in PDAC so we aimed to describe the baseline characteristics and use of FDG-PET in a cohort of treatment-naive patients with PDAC.STUDY DESIGN:A single-center retrospective study was conducted capturing all biopsy-proven, treatment-naive patients with PDAC who underwent either baseline FDG-PET/CT or FDG-PET/MRI imaging between 2008 and 2023. Baseline FDG-PET characteristics were collected, including primary tumors’ maximum standardized uptake value defined as metabolic activity (FDG uptake) of tumor compared with surrounding pancreatic parenchymal background, and the identification of extrapancreatic metastatic disease.RESULTS:We identified 1,095 treatment-naive patients with PDAC who underwent baseline FDG-PET imaging at diagnosis. CA19-9 was elevated in 76% of patients. Overall, 96.3% (1,054) of patients had FDG-avid tumors with a median maximum standardized uptake value of 6.4. FDG-PET also identified suspicious extrapancreatic metastatic lesions in 50% of patients, with a higher proportion (p < 0.001) in PET/MRI (59.9%) vs PET/CT (44.3%). After controlling for CA19-9 elevation, PET/MRI was superior in detection of extrapancreatic lesions compared with PET/CT.CONCLUSIONS:FDG-PET has significant use in PDAC as a baseline imaging modality earlier neoadjuvant therapy given the majority of tumors are FDG-avid. FDG-PET can identify additional extrapancreatic suspicious lesions allowing for optimal initial staging, with PET/MRI having increased sensitivity over PET/CT.
Skeletal muscle effects of antisense oligonucleotides targeting glycogen synthase 1 in a mouse model of Pompe disease
Authors: Weiss Lan , Carrer Michele , Shmara Alyaa , Cheng Cheng , Yin Hong , Ta Lac , Boock Victoria , Fazeli Yasamin , Chang Mindy , Paguio Marvin , Lee Jonathan , Yu Howard , Martin Angela , Raben Nina , Weiss John , Grossman Tamar , Jafar-nejad Paymaan , Kimonis Virginia 
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACTPompe disease (PD) is a progressive myopathy caused by the aberrant accumulation of glycogen in skeletal and cardiac muscle resulting from the deficiency of the enzyme acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA). Administration of recombinant human GAA as enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) works well in alleviating the cardiac manifestations of PD but loses sustained benefit in ameliorating the skeletal muscle pathology. The limited efficacy of ERT in skeletal muscle is partially attributable to its inability to curb the accumulation of new glycogen produced by the muscle enzyme glycogen synthase 1 (GYS1). Substrate reduction therapies aimed at knocking down GYS1 expression represent a promising avenue to improve Pompe myopathy. However, finding specific inhibitors for GYS1 is challenging given the presence of the highly homologous GYS2 in the liver. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are chemically modified oligomers that hybridize to their complementary target RNA to induce their degradation with exquisite specificity. In the present study, we show that ASO-mediated Gys1 knockdown in the Gaa-/-mouse model of PD led to a robust reduction in glycogen accumulation in skeletal and cardiac muscle. In addition, combining Gys1 ASO with ERT further reduced glycogen content in muscle, eliminated autophagic buildup and lysosomal dysfunction, and improved motor function in Gaa-/-mice. Our results provide a strong foundation for further validation of the use of Gys1 ASO, alone or in combination with ERT, as a therapy for PD. We propose that early administration of Gys1 ASO in combination with ERT may be the key to preventative treatment options in PD.
Identifying High and Low Performing Emergency General Surgery Hospitals Using Direct Standardization
Authors: Goldberg Drew , Keele Luke , Wirtalla Chris , Syvyk Solomiya , Kelz Rachel R. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractImportanceVariation in outcomes for emergency general surgery conditions has been shown at the hospital level. Few have examined difference across hospitals for older adults who often present with the greatest risk. To date, no one has examined differences in the outcome for those undergoing operative and nonoperative treatment.ObjectiveIdentify high and low performing emergency general surgery (EGS) hospitals with risk-standardization to determine clinical performance differences as well as correlation between patients treated operatively and non-operatively.DesignA retrospective cohort study with 30-day outcomes.SettingNationwide study of acute care hospitals.ParticipantsMedicare beneficiaries > 65.5 years old hospitalized for an emergency general surgery condition admitted from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2018.ExposureUnique hospital identification.Main outcomeA composite metric of 30-day mortality, adverse events, prolonged length of stay, and readmission.ResultsThere were 536,284 total patients with a mean age of 74.4 ± 12.2 years, 55% female, 84% white with average claims-based frailty index of 0.16 ± 0.06 and mean comorbidity count of 3.57 ± 2.46. Amongst the 1866 hospitals identified, there were 3 best performing and 11 worst performing hospitals. There were weak correlations between operative and non-operative for mortality (0.10), adverse events rates (0.21), prolonged length of stay (0.32), and readmissions (0.18) at the hospital level (all p<0.001).Conclusions and RelevanceSignificant variation exists in EGS hospital performance with best ranked hospitals out-performing worst ranked hospitals on adverse event, mortality, prolonged length of stay and readmission. There is little association between patient outcomes for those treated with operative and non-operative care.
Population estimates of shorebirds on the Atlantic Coast of southern South America generated from large-scale, simultaneous, volunteer-led surveys
Authors: Faria Fernando A. , Aldabe Joaquín , Almeida Juliana B. , Bonanno Juan J. , Bugoni Leandro , Clay Robert , Garcia-Walther Julian , González Agustina M. , Lesterhuis Arne , Nunes Guilherme T. , Senner Nathan R. 
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACTPopulation abundance and trend estimates are crucial to science, management, and conservation. Shorebirds, which are abundant in many coastal habitats and play important roles in coastal ecosystems, are facing some of the most dramatic population declines of any group of birds globally. However, accurate and up-to-date population estimates are lacking for most shorebird species. We thus conducted comprehensive, simultaneous, and community scientist-led surveys of the entire Atlantic Coast of southern South America — stretching from central Brazil to Tierra del Fuego — to gather counts of shorebirds that we combined with remote sensing analyses and two-step hurdle models that accounted for presence and abundance. Our objectives were to estimate shorebird densities by habitat, identify high-concentration areas, understand the environmental factors affecting their distributions, and provide population estimates for both Nearctic and Neotropical species. We counted a total of 37,207 shorebirds of 17 species and, from those counts, estimated that nearly 1.1 million shorebirds use the region’s coastline. We also found that shorebirds occurred in the highest densities in shallow water wetland habitats and that fewer shorebirds occupied areas that were further away from estuaries. Although not directly comparable, our results suggest the population sizes of the Nearctic species whose nonbreeding ranges are predominantly in southern South America may have declined substantially since previous estimates. At the same time, our study represents the first empirically derived population estimates for Neotropical breeding shorebird species and indicates that they are far more abundant than previously thought. Taken together, our results highlight the power of community scientists to carry out structured protocols at continental scales and generate critical data for a group of at-risk species.
Longitudinal Analysis Over Decades Reveals the Development and Immune Implications of Type I Interferon Autoantibodies in an Aging Population
Authors: Fernbach Sonja , Mair Nina K. , Abela Irene A. , Groen Kevin , Kuratli Roger , Lork Marie , Thorball Christian W. , Bernasconi Enos , Filippidis Paraskevas , Leuzinger Karoline , Notter Julia , Rauch Andri , Hirsch Hans H. , Huber Michael , Günthard Huldrych F. , Fellay Jacques , Kouyos Roger D. , Hale Benjamin G. ,   The Swiss HIV Cohort Study
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACTPre-existing autoantibodies (autoAbs) neutralizing type I interferons (IFN-Is: IFNα, IFNβ, IFNω) have recently been described as significant contributors to the severity of viral infectious diseases. Here, we explore the development and consequences of anti-IFN-I autoAbs at high-resolution using retrospective samples and data from 1876 well-treated individuals >65 years of age enrolled in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study, a nationwide, longitudinal cohort with up to 35 years of follow-up. Approximately 1.9% of individuals developed anti-IFN-I autoAbs, with a median onset age of ∼63 years (range 45-80). Once developed, anti-IFN-I autoAbs persisted for life, and generally increased in titer over years. Most individuals developed distinct neutralizing and non-neutralizing anti-IFN-I autoAb repertoires at discrete times that selectively targeted various combinations of IFNα, IFNβ, and IFNω. Longitudinal analyses further revealed that emergence of neutralizing anti-IFNα autoAbs correlated with reduced IFN-stimulated gene (ISG) levels, indicating impairment of innate immunity. Patient data review suggested that prior recorded viral infections and autoimmune history influence the likelihood of mounting anti-IFN-I autoAbs. Indeed, systematic measurements in biobanked samples revealed significant enrichment of pre-existing autoreactivity against clinically relevant autoantigens in individuals who later developed anti-IFN-I autoAbs. In this context, we describe lifelong neutralizing anti-IFNα autoAbs (and impaired innate immunity), that manifested in an individual following IFNα therapy, and who was retrospectively found to have had pre-existing autoreactivity to β2-glycoprotein-I before IFNα treatment. Our decades-spanning longitudinal analyses illuminate the development and immune implications of anti-IFN-I autoAbs in an aging population, and support a ‘two-hit’ hypothesis whereby loss of self-tolerance prior to immune-triggering with endogenous or exogenous IFN-I may pose a risk for developing late-onset, lifelong IFN-I functional deficiency.
Identification of an evolutionary conserved binding motif responsible for the recruitment of NMD factors to the UPF1 helicase
Authors: Barbarin-Bocahu Irène , Ulryck Nathalie , Rigobert Amandine , Ruiz Gutierrez Nadia , Decourty Laurence , Raji Mouna , Garkhal Bhumika , Le Hir Hervé , Saveanu Cosmin , Graille Marc 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway clears eukaryotic cells of mRNAs containing premature termination codons (PTC) or normal stop codons located in specific contexts. It therefore plays an important role in gene expression regulation. The precise molecular mechanism of the NMD pathway has long been considered to differ substantially from yeast to metazoa, despite the involvement of universally conserved factors such as the central ATP-dependent RNA-helicase Upf1. Here we describe the crystal structure of the yeast Upf1 bound to its recently identified but yet uncharacterized partner Nmd4, show that Nmd4 stimulates Upf1 ATPase activity and that this interaction contributes to the elimination of NMD substrates. We also demonstrate that a region of Nmd4 critical for the interaction with Upf1 in yeast is conserved in the metazoan SMG6 protein, another major NMD factor. We show that this conserved region is involved in the interaction of SMG6 with UPF1, and that mutations in this region affect the levels of endogenous human NMD substrates. Our results support the universal conservation of the NMD mechanism in eukaryotes.
PopGenPlayground:a population genomics analysis pipeline
Authors: Wolfsberger Walter W. , Shchubelka Khrystyna , Oleksyk Olga T. , Hasynets Yaroslava , Patskun Silvia , Vakerych Mykhailo , Kish Roman , Mirutenko Violeta , Mirutenko Vladislav , Cotoraci Coralia Adina , Pop Calin , Neagu Olimpia , Baltă Cornel , Herman Hildegard , Mare Paula , Dumitra Simona , Papiu Horatiu , Hermenean Anca , Oleksyk Taras K. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractBackgroundPopulation genomic projects are essential in the current drive to map the genome diversity of human populations across the globe. Various barriers persist hindering these efforts, and the lack of bioinformatic expertise and reproducible standardized population-scale analysis is one of the major challenges limiting their discovery potential. Scalable, automated, user-friendly pipelines can help researchers with minimum programming skills to tackle these issues without extensive training.ResultsPopGenPlayground(PGP), is a streamlined, single-command computation pipeline designed for human population genomics analysis based onSnakemakeworkflow management system. Developed to automate secondary analysis of a previously published national genome project, it leverages the publicly available genomic databases for comparative analysis and annotation of variant calls.ConclusionsPGP presents a multi-platform robust population analysis pipeline, that reduces the time and the expertise levels to perform the main core of population analysis for a national genome project. PGP provides a comprehensive secondary analysis tool and can be used to perform analysis on a personal computer or using a remote high-performance computing platform.