bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Upper Esophageal Sphincter for Dysphagia During the Acute Postoperative Phase of Anterior Cervical Surgery
Authors: Obo Takuya , Nakano Atsushi , Fujishiro Takashi , Mizutani Masahiro , Nakaya Yoshiharu , Hayama Sachio , Usami Yoshitada , Neo Masashi 
Published: December 2023

Study Design:
A retrospective study.

Objective:
To verify the pathophysiology of dysphagia during the acute postoperative phase of anterior cervical surgery and to identify its predictive features, using ultrasonographic (US) examination for upper esophageal sphincter (UES).

Summary of Background Data:
There are no clinical studies investigating dysphagia after anterior cervical surgery, using US examination for UES.

Materials and Methods:
We enrolled patients who underwent anterior cervical spine surgery between August 2018 and March 2022. Dysphagia was evaluated using the Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10) questionnaires. The US examination was performed preoperatively and 2 weeks postoperatively. Three US parameters for morphologic measurements (outer diameter, inner diameter, and muscle thickness) and 4 for functional measurements (displacement, time to relax, passing duration, and time to contract) were assessed. To verify the pathophysiology of postoperative dysphagia, we examined the change in the ratios of US parameters (=US parameter2 weeks postoperatively/US parameterat baseline) and the existence of significant correlations with change in the EAT-10 score (=EAT-102 weeks postoperatively−EAT-10at baseline). To identify the predictive features, the baseline US parameters were compared between dysphagia (+) and dysphagia (−) groups.

Results:
A total of 46 patients (mean age, 61.3 y; 78.3% male) were included for analysis. A greater increase of the EAT-10 score after surgery was positively correlated with change ratios of the muscle thickness and time to contract and negatively with change ratio of the inner diameter. The dysphagia (+) group exhibited significantly greater inner diameter and smaller muscle thickness at baseline than the dysphagia (−) group.

Conclusion:
Dysphagia during the acute postoperative phase of anterior cervical surgery is caused by the physical narrowing of the inner lumen due to muscle thickening of the UES and sphincter contractile dysfunction. In addition, a baseline UES morphology characterized by a greater inner diameter and a thinner muscle layer is predictive of postoperative dysphagia.
Geospatial Evaluation of Disparities in Access to Cervical Spine Fusion in Metropolitan Areas Across the United States
Authors: Peterman Nicholas , Shivdasani Krishin , Naik Anant , Dharnipragada Rajiv , Harrop James , Vaccaro Alexander R. , Arnold Paul M. 
Published: December 2023

Study Design:Retrospective study with epidemiologic analysis of public Medicare data.Objective:The purpose of this study is to use geospatial analysis to identify disparities in access to cervical spine fusions in metropolitan Medicare populations.Summary of Background Data:Cervical spine fusion is among the most common elective procedures performed by spine surgeons and is the most common surgical intervention for degenerative cervical spine disease. Although some studies have examined demographic and socioeconomic trends in cervical spine fusion, few have attempted to identify where disparities exist and quantify them at a community level.Methods:Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services physician billing and Medicare demographic data sets from 2013 to 2020 were filtered to contain only cervical spine fusion procedures and then combined with US Census socioeconomic data. The Moran Index geospatial clustering algorithm was used to identify statistically significant hotspot and coldspots of cervical spine fusions per 100,000 Medicare members at a county level. Univariate and multivariate analysis was subsequently conducted to identify demographic and socioeconomic factors that are associated with access to care.Results:A total of 285,405 cervical spine fusions were analyzed. Hotspots of cervical spine fusion were located in the South, while coldspots were throughout the Northern Midwest, the Northeast, South Florida, and West Coast. The percent of Medicare patients that were Black was the largest negative predictor of cervical spine fusions per 100,000 Medicare members (β=−0.13, 95% CI: −0.16, −0.10).Conclusions:Barriers to access can have significant impacts on health outcomes, and these impacts can be disproportionately felt by marginalized groups. Accounting for socioeconomic disadvantage and geography, this analysis found the Black race to be a significant negative predictor of access to cervical spine fusions. Future studies are needed to further explore potential socioeconomic barriers that exist in access to specialized surgical care.Level of Evidence:Level III—retrospective.
A Massive Venlafaxine Intoxication: Evolution of Cardiac Toxicity with Venlafaxine and O-Desmethylvenlafaxine Elimination Kinetics: A Grand Round
Authors: Couderc Sylvain , Gabriel Anthony , Decheiver Sarah , N'Zoué Kanga Sita , Fikanni Amine , Flint Harry , Pihan Franck , Sahar Abdallah , Tifrea Marius , Tifrea Andrea , Marsaud Jean-Philippe , Vandroux David 
Published: December 2023

Background:
This study presents the case of a 19-year-old woman who attempted suicide by ingesting 11.25 g of venlafaxine (V). She was admitted to the hospital with severe biventricular dysfunction, progressing to cardiac arrest requiring extracorporeal circulatory life support for 11 days. The pharmacokinetics of venlafaxine during impaired cardiac output and the effect of its active metabolite, the O-desmethylvenlafaxine (ODV), are currently not very well understood.

Methods and Results:
Serum concentrations of V and ODV were monitored twice daily for 3 weeks. The maximum concentrations of venlafaxine and ODV were at 14 hours after ingestion, with 29,180 mcg/L for V and 5399 mcg/L for ODV. Half-lives increased, requiring 2 weeks to eliminate the drug. The left ventricular ejection fraction significantly improved when V + ODV was below 1000 mcg/L and remained altered until the ODV concentrations were lower than 400 mcg/L.

Conclusions:
This report, with complete elimination kinetic of V and ODV in a monodrug intoxication, provides information about the modification of pharmacokinetics in the case of an overdose managed by extracorporeal circulatory life support, the cardiac toxicity of ODV, and the value of the toxic threshold for the active moiety.
Differentiating left ventricular remodelling in aortic stenosis from systemic hypertension and impact of surgical replacement
Authors: Mahmod Masliza , Chan Kenneth , Fernandes Joao F. , Ariga Rina , Raman Betty , Zacur Ernesto , Law Ho-fon Royce , Rigolli Marzia , Francis Jane , Dass Sairia , O’Gallagher Kevin , Myerson Saul , Karamitsos Theodoros , Neubauer Stefan , Lamata Pablo 
Published: December 2023

(2)AbstractBackgroundLeft ventricular (LV) hypertrophy occurs in both aortic stenosis (AS) and systemic hypertension (HTN) in response to wall stress. However, differentiation of hypertrophy due to these two aetiologies is lacking, as well as an understanding of the impact of surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR). The aim was to study the 3-dimensional geometric remodelling pattern in severe AS pre– and post-surgical AVR, and to compare with HTN and healthy controls.MethodsNinety-one subjects (36 severe AS, 19 HTN and 36 healthy controls) underwent cine cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). CMR was repeated eight months post-AVR (n=18). Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on the 3-dimensional meshes reconstructed from 109 CMR myocardial contours of 91 subjects at end-diastole. PCA modes were compared across experimental groups.ResultsA unique AS signature was identified by wall thickness linked to a LV left-right axis shift and a decrease in short axis eccentricity. HTN was uniquely linked to increased septal thickness. Combining these three features had good discriminative ability between AS and HTN (AUC=0.792). The LV left-right axis shift was not reversible post-AVR and was predictive of post-operative LV mass regression (R2=0.339, p=0.014). AVR was associated with a reduction in global LV size and correction of short axis eccentricity.ConclusionsUnique remodelling signatures can differentiate the aetiology of LV hypertrophy. LV axis shift is characteristic in AS, is not reversible post AVR, predicts mass regression, and is interpreted to be an adaptive mechanism.Graphical abstract.
Malaria species prevalence among asymptomatic individuals in four regions of Mainland Tanzania
Authors: Popkin Hall Zachary R. , Seth Misago D. , Madebe Rashid A. , Budodo Rule , Bakari Catherine , Francis Filbert , Pereus Dativa , Giesbrecht David J. , Mandara Celine I. , Mbwambo Daniel , Aaron Sijenunu , Lusasi Abdallah , Lazaro Samwel , Bailey Jeffrey A. , Juliano Jonathan J. , Gutman Julie R. , Ishengoma Deus S. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractRecent studies point to the need to incorporate non-falciparum species detection into malaria surveillance activities in sub-Saharan Africa, where 95% of malaria cases occur. AlthoughPlasmodium falciparuminfection is typically more severe, diagnosis, treatment, and control forP. malariae,P. ovalespp., andP. vivaxmay be more challenging. The prevalence of these species throughout sub-Saharan Africa is poorly defined. Tanzania has geographically heterogeneous transmission levels but an overall high malaria burden. In order to estimate the prevalence of malaria species in Mainland Tanzania, 1,428 samples were randomly selected from 6,005 asymptomatic isolates collected in cross-sectional community surveys across four regions and analyzed via qPCR to detect eachPlasmodiumspecies.P. falciparumwas most prevalent, withP. malariaeandP. ovalespp. detected at lower prevalence (<5%) in all four regions.P. vivaxwas not detected. Malaria elimination efforts in Tanzania will need to account for these non-falciparum species.
Maternal SARS-CoV-2 impacts fetal placental macrophage programs and placenta-derived microglial models of neurodevelopment
Authors: Shook Lydia L. , Batorsky Rebecca A. , De Guzman Rose M. , McCrea Liam T. , Brigida Sara M. , Horng Joy E. , Sheridan Steven D. , Kholod Olha , Cook Aidan M. , Li Jonathan Z. , Goods Brittany A. , Perlis Roy H. , Edlow Andrea G. 
Published: December 2023

ABSTRACTThe SARS-CoV-2 virus activates maternal and placental immune responses, which in the setting of other infections occurring during pregnancy are known to impact fetal brain development. The effects of maternal immune activation on neurodevelopment are mediated at least in part by fetal brain microglia. However, microglia are inaccessible for direct analysis, and there are no validated non-invasive surrogate models to evaluatein uteromicroglial priming and function. We have previously demonstrated shared transcriptional programs between microglia and Hofbauer cells (HBCs, or fetal placental macrophages) in mouse models. Here, we assessed the impact of maternal SARS-CoV-2 on HBCs isolated from term placentas using single-cell RNA-sequencing. We demonstrated that HBC subpopulations exhibit distinct cellular programs, with specific subpopulations differentially impacted by SARS-CoV-2. Assessment of differentially expressed genes implied impaired phagocytosis, a key function of both HBCs and microglia, in some subclusters. Leveraging previously validated models of microglial synaptic pruning, we showed that HBCs isolated from placentas of SARS-CoV-2 positive pregnancies can be transdifferentiated into microglia-like cells, with altered morphology and impaired synaptic pruning behavior compared to HBC models from negative controls. These findings suggest that HBCs isolated at birth can be used to create personalized cellular models of offspring microglial programming.
Circulating immunome fingerprint in eosinophilic esophagitis is associated with clinical response to proton pump inhibitor treatment
Authors: Ugalde-Triviño Lola , Molina-Jiménez Francisca , H-Vázquez Juan , Relaño-Rupérez Carlos , Arias-González Laura , Casabona Sergio , Pérez-Fernández María Teresa , Martín-Domínguez Verónica , Fernández-Pacheco Jennifer , Lucendo Alfredo J , Bernardo David , Santander Cecilio , Majano Pedro 
Published: December 2023

ABSTRACTObjectivesThe aim of the study was to characterize the circulating immunome of patients with EoE before and after proton pump inhibitor (PPI) treatment in order to identify potential non-invasive biomarkers of treatment response.MethodsPBMCs from 19 healthy controls and 24 EoE patients were studied using a 39-plex spectral cytometry panel. The plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC) population was differentially characterized by spectral cytometry analysis of immunofluorescence assays in esophageal biopsies from 7 healthy controls and 13 EoE patients.ResultsInterestingly, EoE patients at baseline had lower levels of circulating pDC compared with controls. Before treatment, patients with EoE who responded to PPI therapy had higher levels of circulating pDC and classical monocytes, compared with non-responders. Moreover, following PPI therapy pDC levels were increased in all EoE patients, while normal levels were only restored in PPI-responding patients. Finally, circulating pDC levels inversely correlated with peak eosinophil count and pDC count in esophageal biopsies. The number of tissue pDCs significantly increased during active EoE, being even higher in non-responder patients when compared to responder patients pre-PPI. pDC levels decreased after PPI intake, being further restored almost to control levels in responder patients post-PPI.ConclusionsWe hereby describe a unique immune fingerprint of EoE patients at diagnosis. Moreover, circulating pDC may be also used as a novel non-invasive biomarker to predict subsequent response to PPI treatment.WHAT IS KNOWNEosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a Th2 type immune disorder with increased prevalence in the last years.Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) treatment is the preferred first-line therapy for EoE, which leads to clinical and pathological reversion in about half of the cases. Non-responding patients require other therapeutic options.Currently, an endoscopy with esophageal biopsies is required for EoE diagnosis and to monitor response to treatment. Therefore, the discovery of non-invasive biomarkers is of utmost importance for treatment monitoring.To date only peripheral eosinophil and Th2 profiles have been studied in EoE.WHAT IS NEW HEREAt diagnosis EoE patients have a specific circulating immune signature.PPI-responding and non-responding EoE patients have different immune fingerprints at baseline.Immune characterization of EoE patients at diagnosis and after PPI treatment unveiled differential levels of circulating plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) depending on their inflammatory state and response to PPI treatment. Those levels are related with the number of pDCs infiltrated in the esophageal tissue.
Systematic Review of Prevalence of Sleep Problems in India: A Wake- up Call for Promotion of Sleep Health
Authors: Datta Karuna , Bhutambare Anna , Mallick Hruda Nanda 
Published: December 2023

AbstractAn ever-increasing burden of non-communicable diseases, especially in the post pandemic times and an association of sleep problems with them highlighted a felt need to estimate the sleep problem in India. A meta-analysis of the studies conducted on Indian data was planned adhering to PRISMA guidelines. An electronic search of available literature was performed on databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, PsycNet, and Epistemonikos. 100 eligible articles were analysed. To assess the methodological quality 10-points Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklist for prevalence studies was used. The pooled estimates for prevalence of Insomnia found were 25.7%, OSA 37.4%, and RLS 10.6%. An increased prevalence was seen in patients of diabetes, heart disease patients and in otherwise healthy population. Subgroup analysis showed a higher prevalence in patient population and in the otherwise healthy population too,; e.g. Insomnia 32.3% (95% CI: 18.6% to 49.9%, I2=99.4%) and 15.1% (95% CI: 8.0% to 26.6%, I2=99.1%); OSA 48.1% (95% CI: 36.1% to 60.3%, I2=97.4%) and 14.6% (95% CI: 9.2% to 22.5%, I2=97.4%) and RLS 13.1% (95% CI: 8.7% to 19.3%, I2=91.9%) and 6.6% (95% CI: 2.4% to 16.4%, I2=99.1%) respectively. Excessive daytime sleepiness remained prevalent (19.6%) (95 % CI: 8.4% to 39.1%, I2=99.8%) in the healthy, which was alarming. A multipronged approach for sleep management, evaluation and research is the need of the hour for managing non communicable disorders and for promoting sleep health in the healthy population.
Assessing the effectiveness of near real-time flow cytometry in monitoring ozone disinfection in a full-scale drinking water treatment plant
Authors: Dowdell Katherine S. , Olsen Kirk , Martinez Paz Ernesto F. , Sun Aini , Keown Jeff , Lahr Rebecca , Steglitz Brian , Busch Andrea , LiPuma John J. , Olson Terese , Raskin Lutgarde 
Published: December 2023

AbstractWhile real-time monitoring of physicochemical parameters has widely been incorporated into drinking water treatment systems, real-time microbial monitoring has lagged behind, resulting in the use of surrogate parameters (disinfectant residual, applied dose, concentration × time [CT]) to assess disinfection system performance. Near real-time flow cytometry (NRT-FCM) allows for automated quantification of total and intact microbial cells but has not been widely implemented in full-scale systems. This study sought to investigate the feasibility of NRT-FCM for full-scale drinking water ozone disinfection system performance monitoring. A water treatment plant with high lime solids turbidity in the ozone contactor influent was selected to evaluate the NRT-FCM in challenging conditions. Total and intact cell counts were monitored for 40 days and compared to surrogate parameters (ozone residual, ozone dose, and CT) and grab sample assay results for cellular adenosine triphosphate (cATP), heterotrophic plate counts (HPC), impedance flow cytometry, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. NRT-FCM provided insight into the dynamics of the full-scale ozone system, including offering early warning of increased contactor effluent cell concentrations, which was not observed using surrogate measures. A strong correlation between log intact cell removal and CT was also not observed (Kendall’s tau= −0.09, p=0.04). Positive correlations were observed between intact cell counts and cATP levels (Kendall’s tau=0.40, p<0.01), HPC (Kendall’s tau=0.20, p<0.01), and impedance flow cytometry results (Kendall’s tau=0.30, p<0.01). However, 16S rRNA gene sequencing results showed that passage through the ozone contactor significantly changed the microbial community (p<0.05), supporting the hypothesis that regrowth was occurring in the later chambers of the contactor. This study demonstrates the utility of direct, near real-time microbial analysis for monitoring full-scale disinfection systems.Graphical AbstractHighlightsNear real-time flow cytometry (NRT-FCM) was effective for ozone system monitoring.Intact microbial cell counts were consistent with cellular ATP and HPC results.NRT-FCM provided early detection of increased effluent cell concentrations.The ozone contactor influent and effluent microbial communities were distinct.
Node Features of Chromosome Structure Network and Their Connections to Genome Annotation
Authors: Xu Yingjie , Das Priyojit , McCord Rachel P. , Shen Tongye 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe 3D conformations of chromosomes can encode biological significance, and its implication is being increasingly appreciated recently. Certain chromosome structural features, such as A/B compartmentalization, are frequently extracted from pairwise contact information (physical association between different regions of the genome) and compared with linear annotations of the genome, such as histone modifications and lamina association. Here, we investigate how additional properties of chromosome structure can be deduced using the abstract graph representation of the contact heatmap, and how network properties can have a better connection with some of these biological annotations. We constructed chromosome structure networks (CSNs) from bulk Hi-C data and calculated a set of site-resolved (node-based) network properties of these CSNs. We found these network properties are useful for characterizing chromosome structure features. We examined the ability of network properties in differentiating several scenarios, such as haploid vs diploid cells, partially inverted nuclei vs conventional architecture, and structural changes during cell development. We also examined the connection between network properties and a series of other linear annotations, such as histone modifications and chromatin states including poised promoter and enhancer labels. We found that semi-local network properties are more capable of characterizing genome annotations than diffusive or ultra-local node features. For example, local square clustering coefficient can be a strong classifier of lamina-associated domains (LADs), whereas a path-based network property, closeness centrality, does not vary concordantly with LAD status. We demonstrated that network properties can be useful for discerning large-scale chromosome structures that emerge in different biological situations.TOC Figure
An Efficient and Safe Trans-complementation System for MPXV Mimicking Authentic Viral Infection
Authors: Liu Jianying , Zhu Longchao , Mei Lingling , Liu Yuanyuan , Qu Yuanyuan , Yuan Yulin , Zhang Fenfen , Cao Yingyi , Zhu Yibin , Tai Wanbo , Ma Jun , Zheng Min , Shi Xiaolu , Liu Yang , Cheng Gong 
Published: December 2023

AbstractSince the Mpox virus (MPXV) outbreak in 2022, there have been 97,745 cases and 203 fatalities. This outbreak features increased transmission efficiency and a higher infection rate in the MSM population, with the underlying causes remaining unknown. The requirement of BSL-3 laboratories poses a barrier to MPXV research and antiviral development. Here, we report an efficient and safe trans-complementary system that produces a single-round infectious MPXV, preserving the virus’s authentic architecture and enabling it to complete its life cycle in complementing cells. This deficient MPXV genome, lacking two essential genes crucial for late gene transcription and viral assembly, is restricted to a single-round infection in non-complementing cell lines. Notably, SCID mice inoculated with this deficient MPXV exhibited no detectable disease or viral load. This deficient MPXV platform has demonstrated its capacity to study innate immunity and cell death during infection in complementing cells. It can also be used for antibody neutralization assays and anti-MPXV drug evaluation. This trans-complementation platform, safe for use in low-biosafety laboratories, offers a valuable resource for MPXV research and countermeasure development.