bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Qualitative Exploration of Patients’ Experiences of Living with Chronic Respiratory Diseases before and after Participating in a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program at a Tertiary Hospital in Malawi, and Their Suggestions to Improve a Future Program
Authors: Bickton Fanuel M. , Mankhokwe Talumba , Chavula Beatrice , Chitedze Emily , Manda Martha , Fombe Cashon , Mitengo Martha , Mwahimba Langsfield , Isiagi Moses , van Zyl-Smit Richard N. , Hanekom Susan , Heine Martin , Shannon Harriet , Rylance Jamie , Chisati Enock , Gordon Stephen B. , Limbani Felix 
Published: December 2023

AbstractBackgroundCommunity-based surveys suggest a substantial burden of chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) in the Malawian population, causing significant morbidity and loss of economic productivity. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is an effective non-pharmacological intervention for people with CRDs, but there is limited data on its feasibility and acceptability in Malawi.ObjectivesTo explore the experiences of patients with CRDs before and after participating in a PR program at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH), Blantyre, Malawi, and their suggestions to improve a future program.MethodsFourteen adult patients (eight females and six males) presenting with functionally limiting CRDs to QECH were invited to participate in a six-week PR program. Following program completion, face-to-face semi-structured in-depth interviews with the participants were conducted. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The transcripts were anonymised and thematically analysed using a deductive approach.ResultsTen adults (five females and five males) participated in the PR program. Their documented CRD diagnoses included chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, post-tuberculosis lung disease, and bronchiectasis. Five key themes emerged: (1) experiences of living with a CRD before PR, (2) experiences of living with a CRD after PR, (3) feedback on the conduct of the completed PR program, (4) suggestions to improve a future PR program, and (5) program continuation/maintenance at home. Participants reported experiencing improvements in physical, psychological, and social health associated with PR program participation. The provision of transport was considered a key facilitator for PR program completion. Realising the gained PR benefits, participants were willing to continue exercising at their homes, albeit with potential barriers including a lack of equipment.ConclusionThe PR program improved the participants’ perceived health status and was well-accepted. Addressing barriers related to transport facilitated immediate implementation while providing a challenge for the scaling and sustainability of PR beyond the project duration. These findings support the drive for shifting chronic care, including rehabilitation, towards primary care and community.Trial RegistrationProspective; 27/08/2021; ISRCTN13836793
COVID-19 vaccine uptake and acceptability during the second phase of vaccine rollout: a community-based survey among household heads in Zamfara state, Nigeria, 2021
Authors: Idris Ahmad Suleiman , Aliyu Hafiz , Usman Rabi , Abubakar Ahmed Tijani , Maijawa Muhammad Abdullahi , Abdullahi Bello Suleiman , Balogun Muhammad Shakir , Olorukooba Abdulhakeem , Umeokonkwo Chukwuma , Maiyaki Abubakar , Sani Muhammad , Yisa Muhammad , Zubair Ismail Hadi , Chinedu Onu Hastings , Jatau Tenmuso David , Sabitu Kabir 
Published: December 2023

AbstractIntroductionVaccines have played an important role in the control of infectious diseases globally. COVID-19 vaccine was rolled out in Zamfara State for the public in August 2021. We aimed to determine the level of COVID-19 vaccine uptake, acceptance, and awareness in Zamfara state Nigeria, during the second phase of the COVID-19 roll-out in the community.MethodsWe executed a descriptive cross-sectional study in Zamfara state, Nigeria. We used multistage sampling technique to randomly select 910 household heads between October 12 to December 20, 2021. We used a semi-structured electronic questionnaire to collect data on sociodemographic characteristics, uptake, and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine. We performed descriptive analysis; calculated frequencies, proportions, and produced tables and figures.ResultsOur 899 respondents had a median age of 48 years (interquartile range: 29.5-66.5). About 78.1% (711) were males. A majority of the respondents were within the age group 50-59 years. Of 897 respondents 47.2% (423) were educated up to the secondary school level.Only 8.9% (81) had received COVID-19 vaccine. Of the 829 unvaccinated respondents, 10.1% (84) accepted to take the vaccine the current week of the interview, 38.4% (318) would it the following week, and 27.4% (227) the following month, while 12.2% (101) of the respondents rejected the vaccine,ConclusionCOVID-19 vaccine had a poor uptake and acceptance rate in Zamfara State during the vaccine rollout. We recommended carefully designed and targeted sensitization campaigns to increase the demand of COVID-19 vaccine in the community.
Assessment of symptoms, quality of life and remnant gastric activity following gastric bypass using Gastric Alimetry®
Authors: Wang Tim Hsu-Han , Varghese Chris , Calder Stefan , Gharibans Armen , Evennett Nicholas , Beban Grant , Schamberg Gabriel , O’Grady Greg 
Published: December 2023

AbstractBackgroundWhile most gastric bypass patients recover well, some experience long-term complications, including nausea, pain, stricture, and dumping. This study aimed to evaluate symptoms and quality of life (QoL) together with remnant stomach function using the novel Gastric Alimetry® system.MethodGastric bypass and conversion-to-bypass patients were recruited. The Gastric Alimetry system (Auckland, NZ) was employed, comprising a high-resolution electrode Array, and validated symptom logging App. The protocol comprised 30-minute fasting baseline, a 218kCal meal stimulus, and 4-hours of post-prandial recordings. Symptoms and QoL were evaluated using validated PAGI questionnaires. Remnant gastric electrophysiology evaluation included frequency, BMI-adjusted amplitude, and Gastric Alimetry Rhythm Index (GA-RI; reflecting pacemaker stability), with comparison to matched controls.Results38 participants were recruited with mean time from bypass 46.8 ± 28.6 months. One third of patients showed moderate to severe post-prandial symptoms, with patients PAGI-SYM 28 ± 19 vs controls 9 ± 17; PAGI-QoL 37 ± 31 vs 135 ± 22 (p<0.01). Remnant gastric function was markedly degraded shown by undetectable frequencies in 84% (vs 0% in controls), and low GA-RI (0.18 ± 0.08 vs 0.51 ± 0.22 in controls; p<0.0001). Impaired GA-RI and amplitude were correlated with worse PAGI-SYM and PAGI-QOL scores.ConclusionOne third of post-bypass patients suffered significant upper GI symptoms with reduced QoL. The bypassed remnant stomach shows highly deranged electrophysiology, reflecting disuse degeneration. These derangements correlated with QoL, although causality was not addressed.
Extreme in Every Way: Exceedingly Low Genetic Diversity in Snow Leopards Due to Persistently Small Population Size
Authors: Solari Katherine A. , Morgan Simon , Poyarkov Andrey D. , Weckworth Byron , Samelius Gustaf , Sharma Koustubh , Ostrowski Stephane , Ramakrishnan Uma , Kubanychbekov Zairbek , Kachel Shannon , Johansson Örjan , Lkhagvajav Purevjav , Hemmingmoore Heather , Alexandrov Dmitry Y. , Bayaraa Munkhtsog , Grachev Alexey , Korablev Miroslav P. , Hernandez-Blanco Jose A. , Munkhtsog Bariushaa , Rosenbaum Barry , Rozhnov Viatcheslav V. , Rajabi Ali Madad , Noori Hafizullah , Suryawanshi Kulbhushansingh , Armstrong Ellie E. , Petrov Dmitri A. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractSnow leopards (Panthera uncia) serve as an umbrella species whose conservation benefits their high-elevation Asian habitat. Their numbers are believed to be in decline due to numerous Anthropogenic threats; however, their conservation is hindered by numerous knowledge gaps. They are the least studied genetically of all big cat species with more to learn regarding their population structure, historical population size, and current levels of genetic diversity. Here, we use whole-genome sequencing data for 41 snow leopards (37 newly sequenced) to offer new insights into these unresolved questions. Among our samples, we find evidence of a primary genetic divide between the northern and southern part of the range around the Dzungarian Basin, as previously identified, and a secondary divide south of Kyrgyzstan around the Taklamakan Desert. Most noteworthy, we find that snow leopards have the lowest genetic diversity of any big cat species, due to a persistently small population size (relative to other big cat species) throughout their evolutionary history rather than recent inbreeding. Without a large population size or ample standing genetic variation to help buffer them from any forthcoming Anthropogenic challenges, snow leopard persistence may be more tenuous than currently appreciated.
Gene replacement therapy for Lafora disease in theEpm2a-/-mouse model
Authors: Zafra-Puerta Luis , Burgos Daniel F. , Iglesias-Cabeza Nerea , González-Fernández Juan , Sánchez-Martín Gema , Sánchez Marina P. , Serratosa José M. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractLafora disease is a rare and fatal form of progressive myoclonic epilepsy typically occurring early in adolescence. Common symptoms include seizures, dementia, and a progressive neurological decline leading to death within 5-15 years from onset. The disease results from mutations transmitted with autosomal recessive inheritance in theEPM2Agene, encoding laforin, a dual-specificity phosphatase, or theEPM2Bgene, encoding malin, an E3-ubiquitin ligase. Laforin has glucan phosphatase activity, is an adapter of enzymes involved in glycogen metabolism, is involved in endoplasmic reticulum-stress and protein clearance, and acts as a tumor suppressor protein. Laforin and malin work together in a complex to control glycogen synthesis and prevent the toxicity produced by misfolded proteins via the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Disruptions in either protein can lead to alterations in this complex, leading to the formation of Lafora bodies that contain abnormal, insoluble, and hyperphosphorylated forms of glycogen called polyglucosans.We used theEpm2a-/-knock-out mouse model of Lafora disease to apply a gene replacement therapy by administering intracerebroventricular injections of a recombinant adeno-associated virus carrying the humanEPM2Agene. We evaluated the effects of this treatment by means of neuropathological studies, behavioral tests, video-electroencephalography recording, and proteomic/phosphoproteomic analysis.Gene therapy with recombinant adeno-associated virus containing theEPM2Agene ameliorated neurological and histopathological alterations, reduced epileptic activity and neuronal hyperexcitability, and decreased the formation of Lafora bodies. Differential quantitative proteomics and phosphoproteomics revealed beneficial changes in various molecular pathways altered in Lafora disease. Improvements were observed for up to nine months following a single intracerebroventricular injection. In conclusion, gene replacement therapy with humanEPM2Agene in theEpm2a-/-knock-out mice shows promise as a potential treatment for Lafora disease.
Dose, temperature and formulation shapeMetarhizium anisopliaevirulence against the oriental fruit fly: lessons for improving on-target control strategies
Authors: Chailleux Anaïs , Coulibaly Oumou Noumou , Diouf Babacar , Diop Samba , Sohel Ahmad , Brévault Thierry 
Published: December 2023

AbstractEntomopathogenic fungi are a promising tool for the biological control of crop pests provided low or no impact on non-target organisms. Selection for host specificity as well as on-target applications open new avenues for more sustainable strategies for pest management. Isolates ofMetarhizium anisopliae(Metschn.) Sorokin have been identified as promising for developing innovative entomovectoring-based strategies for the control of the oriental fruit fly,Bactrocera dorsalis(Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae), in Africa. To be effective, this technology requires high strain virulence at a low number of spores, but sufficient incubation time to allow transmission to wild conspecifics. This depends on trophic interactions between the host and the pathogen, which are mediated by abiotic factors.In the present study, we investigated the virulence of the Met69 strain against adult flies, depending on the inoculation dose, air temperature and formulation. High pathogenicity was observed at very low inoculation doses (LT50 of 4.85 days with 6100 spores per fly) independently of fly sex. Virulence increased with spore load in a tight range (5600 and 6100 spores per fly) and with air temperature observed in the field (20-28°C). Unexpectedly, corn starch used as an adjuvant to increase the carrying capacity of insects decreased the virulence of the pathogen.The results will help improve area-wide control strategies based on the contamination of wild flies through auto-inoculation devices or interactions with released mass-reared sterile males coated with fungal spores. Furthermore, the study proposes an approach for calibrating area-wide control strategies, taking into account both the insect and pathogen bioecology and the environment in which they evolve.Author rolesAnaïs Chailleux:Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Methodology, Data curation, Writing – original draft.Oumou Noumou Coulibaly:Investigation, Writing – original draft.Babacar Diouf:Investigation, Visualization.Samba Diop:Investigation.Ahmad Sohel:Resources, Writing – review & editing.Thierry Brévault:Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Project administration, Writing – review & editing.
Striatal dopamine reflects individual long-term learning trajectories
Authors: Liebana Garcia Samuel , Laffere Aeron , Toschi Chiara , Schilling Louisa , Podlaski Jacek , Fritsche Matthias , Zatka-Haas Peter , Li Yulong , Bogacz Rafal , Saxe Andrew , Lak Armin 
Published: December 2023

AbstractLearning from naïve to expert occurs over long periods of time, accompanied by changes in the brain’s neuronal signals. The principles governing behavioural and neuronal dynamics during long-term learning remain unknown. We developed a psychophysical visual decision task for mice that allowed for studying learning trajectories from naïve to expert. Mice adopted sequences of strategies that became more stimulus-dependent over time, showing substantial diversity in the strategies they transitioned through and settled on. Remarkably, these transitions were systematic; the initial strategy of naïve mice predicted their strategy several weeks later. Longitudinal imaging of dopamine release in dorsal striatum demonstrated that dopamine signals evolved over learning, reflecting stimulus-choice associations linked to each individual’s strategy. A deep neural network model trained on the task with reinforcement learning captured behavioural and dopamine trajectories. The model’s learning dynamics accounted for the mice’s diverse and systematic learning trajectories through a hierarchy of saddle points. The model used prediction errors mirroring recorded dopamine signals to update its parameters, offering a concrete account of striatal dopamine’s role in long-term learning. Our results demonstrate that long-term learning is governed by diverse yet systematic transitions through behavioural strategies, and that dopamine signals exhibit key characteristics to support this learning.
Temporal Changes in Innate and Adaptive Immunity During Sepsis as Determined by ELISpot
Authors: Unsinger J , Osborne D , Walton AH , Han E , Sheets L , Mazer MB , Remy KE , Griffith TS , Rao M , Badovinac VP , Brackenridge SC , Turnbull I , Efron Philip A , Moldawer LL , Caldwell CC , Hotchkiss RS 
Published: December 2023

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe inability to evaluate host immunity in a rapid quantitative manner in patients with sepsis has severely hampered development of novel immune therapies. The ELISpot assay is afunctionalbioassay that measures the number of cytokine-secreting cells and the relative amount of cytokine produced at the single-cell level. A key advantage of ELISpot is its excellent dynamic range enabling a more precise quantifiable assessment of host immunity. Herein, we tested the hypothesis on whether the ELISpot assay can detect dynamic changes in both innate and adaptive immunity as they often occur during sepsis. We also tested whether ELISpot could detect the effect of immune drug therapies to modulate innate and adaptive immunity.MethodsMice were made septic using sublethal cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Blood and spleens were harvested serially andex vivoIFN-γ and TNF-α production were compared by ELISpot and ELISA. The capability of ELISpot to detect changes in innate and adaptive immunity due toin vivoimmune therapy with dexamethasone, IL-7, and arginine was also evaluated.ResultsELISpot confirmed a decreased innate and adaptive immunity responsiveness during sepsis progression. More importantly, ELISpot was also able to detect changes in adaptive and innate immunity in response to immune-modulatory reagents, for example dexamethasone, arginine, and IL-7 in a readily quantifiable manner, as predicted by the reagents known mechanisms of action. ELISpot and ELISA results tended to parallel one another although some differences were noted.ConclusionELISpot offers a unique capability to assess the functional status of both adaptive and innate immunity over time. The results presented herein demonstrate that ELISpot can also be used to detect and follow thein vivoeffects of drugs to ameliorate sepsis-induced immune dysfunction. This capability would be a major advance in guiding new immune therapies in sepsis.
Electro-Osmotic Flow Generation via a Sticky Ion Action
Authors: Mehrafrooz Behzad , Yu Luning , Siwy Zuzanna , Wanunu Meni , Aksimentiev Aleksei 
Published: December 2023

AbstractSelective transport of ions through nanometer-sized pores is fundamental to cell biology and central to many technological processes such as water desalination and electrical energy storage. Conventional methods for generating ion selectivity include placement of fixed electrical charges at the inner surface of a nanopore through either point mutations in a protein pore or chemical treatment of a solid-state nanopore surface, with each nanopore type requiring a custom approach. Here, we describe a general method for transforming a nanoscale pore into a highly selective, anion-conducting channel capable of generating a giant electro-osmotic effect. Our molecular dynamics simulations and reverse potential measurements show that exposure of a biological nanopore to high concentrations of guanidinium chloride renders the nanopore surface positively charged due to transient binding of guanidinium cations to the protein surface. A comparison of four biological nanopores reveals the relationship between ion selectivity, nanopore shape, composition of the nanopore surface, and electro-osmotic flow. Remarkably, guanidinium ions are also found to produce anion selectivity and a giant electro-osmotic flow in solid-state nanopores via the same mechanism. Our sticky-ion approach to generate electro-osmotic flow can have numerous applications in controlling molecular transport at the nanoscale and for detection, identification, and sequencing of individual proteins.
Anti-Diffusion in an Algae-Bacteria Microcosm: Photosynthesis, Chemotaxis, and Expulsion
Authors: Prakash Praneet , Baig Yasa , Peaudecerf François J. , Goldstein Raymond E. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractIn Nature there are significant relationships known between microorganisms from two kingdoms of life, as in the supply of vitamin B12by bacteria to algae. Such interactions motivate general investigations into the spatio-temporal dynamics of metabolite exchanges. Here we study by experiment and theory a model system: a coculture of the bacteriumB. subtilis, an obligate aerobe that is chemotactic to oxygen, and a nonmotile mutant of the algaC. reinhardtii, which photosynthetically produces oxygen when illuminated. Strikingly, when a shaft of light illuminates a thin, initially uniform suspension of the two, the chemotactic influx of bacteria to the photosyn-thetically active region leads to expulsion of the algae from that area. This effect arises from algal transport due to spatially-varying collective behavior of bacteria, and is mathematically related to the “turbulent diamagnetism” associated with magnetic flux expulsion in stars.
Hidden hearing loss in a Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 1A mouse model
Authors: Cassinotti Luis R. , Ji Lingchao , Yuk M. Caroline , Desai Aditi S. , Cass Nathan D. , Amir Zahara A. , Corfas Gabriel 
Published: December 2023

AbstractHidden hearing loss (HHL), a recently described auditory neuropathy characterized by normal audiometric thresholds but reduced sound-evoked cochlear compound action potentials, has been proposed to contribute to hearing difficulty in noisy environments in people with normal hearing thresholds, a widespread complaint. While most studies on HHL pathogenesis have focused on inner hair cell (IHC) synaptopathy, we recently showed that transient auditory nerve (AN) demyelination also causes HHL in mice. To test the impact of myelinopathy on hearing in a clinically relevant model, we studied a mouse model of Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 1A (CMT1A), the most prevalent hereditary peripheral neuropathy in humans. CMT1A mice exhibited the functional hallmarks of HHL together with disorganization of AN heminodes near the IHCs with minor loss of AN fibers. These results support the hypothesis that mild disruptions of AN myelination can cause HHL, and that heminodal defects contribute to the alterations in the sound-evoked cochlear compound action potentials seen in this mouse model. Also, these findings suggest that patients with CMT1A or other mild peripheral neuropathies are likely to suffer from HHL. Furthermore, these results suggest that studies of hearing in CMT1A patients might help develop robust clinical tests for HHL, which are currently lacking.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus infections in pinnipeds and seabirds in Uruguay: a paradigm shift to virus transmission in South America
Authors: Tomás Gonzalo , Marandino Ana , Panzera Yanina , Rodríguez Sirley , Wallau Gabriel Luz , Dezordi Filipe Zimmer , Pérez Ramiro , Bassetti Lucía , Negro Raúl , Williman Joaquín , Uriarte Valeria , Grazioli Fabiana , Leizagoyen Carmen , Riverón Sabrina , Coronel Jaime , Bello Soledad , Páez Enrique , Lima Martín , Méndez Virginia , Pérez Ruben 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses of the clade 2.3.4.4b have caused unprecedented deaths in South American wild birds, poultry, and marine mammals. In September 2023, pinnipeds and seabirds appeared dead on the Uruguayan Atlantic coast. Sixteen influenza virus strains were characterized by real-time reverse transcription PCR and genome sequencing in samples from sea lions (Otaria flavescens), fur seals (Arctocephalus australis), and terns (Sterna hirundinacea). Phylogenetic and ancestral reconstruction analysis showed that these strains have pinnipeds as the most likely ancestral host, representing a recent introduction of the clade 2.3.4.4b in Uruguay. The Uruguayan and closely related strains from Peru (sea lions) and Chile (sea lions and a human case) carry mammalian adaptative residues 591K and 701N in the viral polymerase basic protein 2 (PB2). Our findings suggest that the clade 2.3.4.4b strains in South America may have spread from mammals to mammals and seabirds, revealing a new transmission route.