bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Investigating the associations between upper limb motor function and cognitive impairment: a scoping review
Authors: Rudd Kaylee D. , Lawler Katherine , Callisaya Michele L. , Alty Jane 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
Upper limb motor function is a potential new biomarker of cognitive impairment and may aid discrimination from healthy ageing. However, it remains unclear which assessments to use. This study aimed to explore what methods have been used and to describe associations between upper limb function and cognitive impairment. A scoping review was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL and Web of Science. A systematic search was undertaken, including synonyms for key concepts ‘upper limb’, ‘motor function’ and ‘cognitive impairment’. Selection criteria included tests of upper limb motor function and impaired cognition in adults. Analysis was by narrative synthesis. Sixty papers published between 1998 and 2022, comprising 41,800 participants, were included. The most common assessment tasks were finger tapping, Purdue Pegboard Test and functional tasks such as writing. Protocols were diverse in terms of equipment used and recording duration. Most participants were recruited from clinical settings. Alzheimer’s Disease was the most common cause of cognitive impairment. Results were mixed but, generally, slower speed, more errors, and greater variability in upper limb movement variables was associated with cognitive impairment. This review maps the upper limb motor function assessments used and summarises the available evidence on how these associate with cognitive impairment. It identifies research gaps and may help guide protocols for future research. There is potential for upper limb motor function to be used in assessments of cognitive impairment.
Specific nasopharyngeal Corynebacterium strains serve as gatekeepers against SARS-CoV-2 infection
Authors: Szabo Dora , Ostorhazi Eszter , Stercz Balazs , Makra Nora , Penzes Kinga , Kristof Katalin , Antal Istvan , Rethelyi Janos M. , Zsigmond Reka I. , Birtalan Ede , Merkely Bela , Tamas Laszlo 
Published: June 2023

Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is still causing a worldwide problem. The virus settles primarily on the nasal mucosa, and the infection and its course depend on individual susceptibility. Our aim was to investigate the nasopharynx composition’s role in the individual susceptibility. During the first phase of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, nasopharyngeal microbiome samples of close contact unvaccinated patients were investigated by 16S rRNA analysis and by culturing. The whole genome of cultured Corynebacteria was sequenced. The relative expression of ACE2, TMPRSS2, and cathepsin L on Caco-2 cells and the strength of S1-ACE2 binding were determined in the presence of Corynebacteria. From 55 close contacts exposed to identical SARS-CoV-2 exposure, 26 patients became infected and 29 remained uninfected. The nasopharyngeal microbiome analysis showed significantly higher abundance of Corynebacteria in uninfected group. Corynebacterium accolens could be cultivated only from uninfected individuals and Corynebacterium propinquum from both infected and uninfected. Corynebacteria from uninfected patient significantly reduced the ACE2 and cathepsin L expression. C. accolens significantly reduced the TMPRSS2 expression compared to other Corynebacteria. Furthermore, Corynebacterium spp. weakened the binding of the S1-ACE2. Most C. accolens isolates harbored the TAG lipase LipS1 gene. Based on these results, the presence of Corynebacterium spp. in the nasopharyngeal microbiota, especially C. accolens strains, could reduce the individual susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection by several mechanisms: by downregulation the ACE2, the TMPRSS2 receptors, and cathepsin L in the host; through the inhibition of S1-ACE2 binding; and lipase production. These results suggest the use of C. accolens strains as probiotics in the nasopharynx in the future.
An experimental study on root-reinforced soil strength via a steel root analogue in unsaturated silty soil
Authors: Zhu Jiale , El-Zein Abbas , Airey David W. , Miao Guien 
Published: June 2023

AbstractLandslides due to catastrophic weather events, especially heavy rainfall, have risen significantly over the last several decades, causing significant damage and affecting the health and livelihoods of millions of people. Using tree roots to bio-engineer shallow slopes has been proven to be a cost-effective, sustainable measure and thus has gained increasing popularity. As slope failure often occurs under heavy precipitation, it is important to understand the mechanical interactions in the soil matrix surrounding a root to better estimate the reinforcement capacity of a root system, especially as the soil undergoes wetting from drier conditions. However, very few studies of root reinforcements have considered the effects of degree of saturation on behaviour. In this study, steel wires are used as a root analogue to explore the impact of root geometry, soil dilation and soil saturation on the pull-out behaviour of a root and three commonly used unsaturated soil strength models have been used to interpret the pull-out results. It was found that roots with larger diameter did not contribute to additional resistance. Also, a linear relationship between degree of saturation and pull-out strength was identified over a large range of suctions and one of the unsaturated soil strength models seemed to provide a more reasonable interpretation. The results will help future bioengineering slope design by improving the understanding of soil-root interface behaviour, including the effect of root diameter in slippage failure and greater emphasis on the importance of taking degree of saturation into account in unsaturated soil strength models.
Single-trial neurodynamics reveal N400 and P600 coupling in language comprehension
Authors: Aurnhammer Christoph , Crocker Matthew W. , Brouwer Harm 
Published: June 2023

AbstractTheories of the electrophysiology of language comprehension are mostly informed by event-related potential effects observed between condition averages. We here argue that a dissociation between competing effect-level explanations of event-related potentials can be achieved by turning to predictions and analyses at the single-trial level. Specifically, we examine the single-trial dynamics in event-related potential data that exhibited a biphasic N400–P600 effect pattern. A group of multi-stream models can explain biphasic effects by positing that each individual trial should induce either an N400 increase or a P600 increase, but not both. An alternative, single-stream account, Retrieval-Integration theory, explicitly predicts that N400 amplitude and P600 amplitude should be correlated at the single-trial level. In order to investigate the single-trial dynamics of the N400 and the P600, we apply a regression-based technique in which we quantify the extent to which N400 amplitudes are predictive of the electroencephalogram in the P600 time window. Our findings suggest that, indeed, N400 amplitudes and P600 amplitudes are inversely correlated within-trial and, hence, the N400 effect and the P600 effect in biphasic data are driven by the same trials. Critically, we demonstrate that this finding also extends to data which exhibited only monophasic effects between conditions. In sum, the observation that the N400 is inversely correlated with the P600 on a by-trial basis supports a single stream view, such as Retrieval-Integration theory, and is difficult to reconcile with the processing mechanisms proposed by multi-stream models.
Quantifying the Digital Divide: Associations of Broadband Internet with Tele-mental Health Access Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: O’Shea Amy M. J. , Howren M. Bryant , Mulligan Kailey , Haraldsson Bjarni , Shahnazi Ariana , Kaboli Peter J. 
Published: June 2023

Abstract

Background
During the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine quickly expanded. Broadband speeds may impact equitable access to video-based mental health (MH) services.

Objective
To identify access disparities in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) MH services based on broadband speed availability.

Design
Instrumental variable difference-in-differences study using administrative data to identify MH visits prior to (October 1, 2015–February 28, 2020) and after COVID-19 pandemic onset (March 1, 2020–December 31, 2021) among 1176 VHA MH clinics. The exposure is broadband download and upload speeds categorized as inadequate (download  ≤25 Megabits per second - Mbps; upload  ≤3 Mbps), adequate (download  ≥25 Mbps and  <100 Mbps; upload  ≥5 Mbps and  <100 Mbps), or optimal (download and upload  ≥100/100 Mbps) based on data reported to the Federal Communications Commission at the census block and spatially merged to each veteran’s residential address.

Participants
All veterans receiving VHA MH services during study period.

Main Measures
MH visits were categorized as in-person or virtual (i.e., telephone or video). By patient, MH visits were counted quarterly by broadband category. Poisson models with Huber-White robust errors clustered at the census block estimated the association between a patient’s broadband speed category and quarterly MH visit count by visit type, adjusted for patient demographics, residential rurality, and area deprivation index.

Key Results
Over the 6-year study period, 3,659,699 unique veterans were seen. Adjusted regression analyses estimated the change after pandemic onset versus pre-pandemic in patients’ quarterly MH visit count; patients living in census blocks with optimal versus inadequate broadband increased video visit use (incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.45–1.59; P < 0.001) and decreased in-person visits (IRR = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.90–0.94; P < 0.001).

Conclusions
This study found patients with optimal versus inadequate broadband availability had more video-based and fewer in-person MH visits after pandemic onset, suggesting broadband availability is an important determinant of access-to-care during public health emergencies requiring remote care.
A Sanctioned Encampment as a Strategy for Increasing Homeless Veterans’ Access to Housing and Healthcare During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Kalofonos Ippolytos , McCoy Matthew , Altman Lisa , Gelberg Lillian , Hamilton Alison B. , Gabrielian Sonya 
Published: June 2023

AbstractBackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic intersected with a housing crisis for unsheltered Veterans experiencing homelessness (VEHs); congregate settings became high risk for viral spread. The VA Greater Los Angeles responded by creating the Care, Treatment, and Rehabilitation Service (CTRS), an outdoor, low-barrier-to-entry transitional housing program on VA grounds. This novel emergency initiative offered a protected outdoor environment (“sanctioned encampment”) where VEHs lived in tents and had access to three meals a day, hygiene resources, and health and social services.ObjectiveTo identify contextual factors that supported and impeded CTRS participants’ access to healthcare and housing services.DesignMulti-method, ethnographic data collection.ParticipantsVEHs residing at CTRS, CTRS staff.ApproachOver 150 hours of participant observation were conducted at CTRS and at eight town hall meetings; semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 VEHs and 11 staff. Rapid turn-around qualitative analysis was used to synthesize data, engaging stakeholders in iterative participant validation. Content analysis techniques were used to identify key factors that impacted access to housing and health services among VEHs residing in CTRS.Key ResultsStaff varied in their interpretation of CTRS’ mission. Some conceptualized access to health services as a central tenet, while others viewed CTRS as an emergency shelter only. Regardless, staff burnout was prevalent, which lead to low morale, high turnover, and worsened access to and quality of care. VEHs endorsed trusting, long-term relationships with CTRS staff as paramount for facilitating access to services. Though CTRS addressed basic priorities (food, shelter, etc.) that traditionally compete with access to healthcare, some VEHs needed on-site healthcare services, at their tents, to access care.ConclusionsCTRS provided VEHs access to basic needs and health and housing services. To improve access to healthcare services within encampments, our data suggest the value of longitudinal trusting relationships, adequate staff support, and on-site health services.
Travel Burden as a Measure of Healthcare Access and the Impact of Telehealth within the Veterans Health Administration
Authors: Hahn Zachary , Hotchkiss John , Atwood Charles , Smith Connor , Totten Annette , Boudreau Eilis , Folmer Robert , Chilakamarri Priyanka , Whooley Mary , Sarmiento Kathleen 
Published: June 2023

Abstract

Background
Travel is a major barrier to healthcare access for Veteran Affairs (VA) patients, and disproportionately affects rural Veterans (approximately one quarter of Veterans). The CHOICE/MISSION acts’ intent is to increase timeliness of care and decrease travel, although not clearly demonstrated. The impact on outcomes remains unclear. Increased community care increases VA costs and increases care fragmentation. Retaining Veterans within the VA is a high priority, and reduction of travel burdens will help achieve this goal. Sleep medicine is presented as a use case to quantify travel related barriers.

Objective
The Observed and Excess Travel Distances are proposed as two measures of healthcare access, allowing for quantification of healthcare delivery related to travel burden. A telehealth initiative that reduced travel burden is presented.

Design
Retrospective, observational, utilizing administrative data.

Subjects
VA patients with sleep related care between 2017 and 2021. In-person encounters: Office visits and polysomnograms; telehealth encounters: virtual visits and home sleep apnea tests (HSAT).

Main Measures
Observed distance: distance between Veteran’s home and treating VA facility. Excess distance: difference between where Veteran received care and nearest VA facility offering the service of interest. Avoided distance: distance between Veteran’s home and nearest VA facility offering in-person equivalent of telehealth service.

Key Results
In-person encounters peaked between 2018 and 2019, and have down trended since, while telehealth encounters have increased. During the 5-year period, Veterans traveled an excess 14.1 million miles, while 10.9 million miles of travel were avoided due to telehealth encounters, and 48.4 million miles were avoided due to HSAT devices.

Conclusions
Veterans often experience a substantial travel burden when seeking medical care. Observed and excess travel distances are valuable measures to quantify this major healthcare access barrier. These measures allow for assessment of novel healthcare approaches to improve Veteran healthcare access and identify specific regions that may benefit from additional resources.
P3HT-Based Semi-Conductive Electrospun Nanocomposite Fibrous Emitters Doped with CsPbBr3 Perovskite Quantum Dots
Authors: Papaparaskeva Georgia , Ioannides Maria Lydia , Lambride Chryso , Tanasă Eugenia , Krasia-Christoforou Theodora 
Published: June 2023

AbstractPoly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT)-based semiconducting electrospun nanocomposite fibrous emitters were successfully fabricated by combining P3HT with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and commercially available CsPbBr3 perovskite quantum dots (PQDs). The latter were employed as a synergistic photoluminescence emitter of high efficiency within the P3HT/PEO blended polymer matrix, while PEO was used as an auxiliary polymer to assist the electrospinnability of P3HT. The produced materials were characterized with respect to their chemical composition and morphology by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy/energy-dispersive x-ray analysis (TEM/EDX) whereas fluorescence microscopy and spectroscopy were employed to study their optical properties. Based on the obtained results, it was confirmed that the PQDs were successfully encapsulated within the electrospun fibers at a high percentage (10 wt.%), retaining at the same time their optical properties and nanoscale dimensions. Moreover, the experimental data obtained suggested the existence of inter-material interactions between P3HT and PQDs. Consequently, this study creates new pathways in the development of innovative fibrous nanocomposites with unique optoelectronic features, rendering them highly interesting in light-harvesting, sensing and optoelectronic applications.
Graphic Abstract
Association of TyG index with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in American men: results from NHANES, 2003–2010
Authors: Zhang Mengyu , Zhang Jiankang , Xing Zengshu 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
Background
In recent years, triglyceride-glucose index (TyG) was a new indicator of insulin resistance, and it has been widely reported that it may be associated with serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentrations.

Aims
We intended to investigate the possible connection between serum PSA concentration and the TyG index.

Methods
This is a cross-sectional study of adults with complete data on TyG and serum PSA concentrations (ng/ml) from the NHANES, 2003–2010. The TyG index is obtained by the formula below: TyG = Ln [triglycerides (mg/dL) × fasting glucose(mg/dL)/2]. Multivariate regression analysis and subgroup analysis were used to examine the connection between the TyG index and serum PSA levels.

Results
Multiple regression analysis of the weighted linear model showed that individuals with a higher TyG index had lower PSA levels. Subgroup analyses and interaction tests showed no apparent dependence on age, race/ethnicity, BMI, household income ratio, education level, and marital status on this negative association (all interactions p > 0.05).

Conclusions
TyG index is related to lower serum PSA concentrations in adult men from the USA. Further comprehensive prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings.
In-cell NMR: recent progresses and future challenges
Authors: Luchinat Enrico , Banci Lucia 
Published: June 2023

AbstractIn-cell NMR, i.e., NMR spectroscopy applied to studying specific macromolecules within living cells, is becoming the technique of choice for the structural and mechanistic description of proteins and nucleic acids within increasingly complex cellular environments, as well as of the temporal evolution of biological systems over a broad range of timescales. Furthermore, in-cell NMR has already shown its potentialities in the early steps of drug development. In this Perspective, we report some of the most recent methodological advancements and successful applications of in-cell NMR spectroscopy, focusing particularly on soluble proteins. We show how the combination of the atomic-level characterization of NMR with its application to a cellular context can provide crucial insights on cellular processes and drug efficacy with unprecedented level of detail. Finally, we discuss the main challenges to overcome and share our vision of the future developments of in-cell NMR and the applications that will be made possible.
Semiclassical Estimates for Eigenvalue Means of Laplacians on Spheres
Authors: Buoso Davide , Luzzini Paolo , Provenzano Luigi , Stubbe Joachim 
Published: June 2023

AbstractWe compute three-term semiclassical asymptotic expansions of counting functions and Riesz-means of the eigenvalues of the Laplacian on spheres and hemispheres, for both Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions. Specifically for Riesz-means we prove upper and lower bounds involving asymptotically sharp shift terms, and we extend them to domains of$${\mathbb {S}}^d$$Sd. We also prove a Berezin–Li–Yau inequality for domains contained in the hemisphere$${\mathbb {S}}^2_+$$S+2.
How procedural and economic performance shape political trust: Affective and cognitive foundations of the performance-trust nexus
Authors: Schnaudt Christian , Popa Sebastian A. 
Published: June 2023

AbstractIn which ways and under what conditions do the procedural and economic performance of political systems matter for citizens’ political trust? While this question has been a recurring theme in research on political support, we still lack a clear understanding of the conditional nature of the performance-trust nexus. In this study, we focus on the affective and cognitive foundations of the performance-trust nexus, arguing that the impact of objective procedural and economic performance on political trust is conditioned by citizens’ political allegiances (i.e., status as electoral winner or loser) and political sophistication (i.e., political knowledge and political interest). Our empirical analysis using comparative survey data from two European high-quality surveys (European Election Study 2014 and European Social Survey 2002–2018) shows that procedural and economic performance feature particularly prominently in the trust calculus of politically more knowledgeable and interested citizens as well as electoral losers, while being less relevant for the political trust of less sophisticated citizens and electoral winners. Moreover, the analysis provides evidence that cognitive orientations are overall more important than affective ones in moderating the performance-trust nexus. These findings offer important implications concerning the nature and meaning of feelings of disenchantment and distrust in contemporary democracies.
Lhbtq-jongeren en suïcidaliteit: ontstaan en hulpbehoeften
Authors: de Lange Jennifer , van Bergen Diana , Bosker Roel , Bos Henny 
Published: June 2023

SamenvattingLesbische, homoseksuele, biseksuele, transgender en queer (lhbtq) jongeren en jongvolwassenen kunnen te maken krijgen met minderheidsstressoren, zoals discriminatie en afwijzing vanwege hun seksuele oriëntatie of genderidentiteit. Onderzoeken laten zien dat er een verband is tussen minderheidsstressoren en suïcidale gedachten en suïcidepogingen onder lhbtq-jongeren. Tot op heden sluit psychologische hulpverlening nog niet aan op de behoeften van lhbtq-personen met suïcidale gedachten. Het is van belang dat de hulpverlening aan lhbtq-personen inclusiever wordt en dat hulpverleners leren om suïcidaliteit te herkennen en bespreekbaar te maken.
Experimental set-up of a thermal vacuum chamber for thermal model in-house correlation and characterization of the HYPSO hyperspectral imager
Authors: Navarro-Medina Fermin , Oudijk Adriënne Esmeralda , Henriksen Marie Bøe , Gjersvik Amund , Grønvold Fredrik Sommerfelt , Johansen Tor Arne 
Published: June 2023

AbstractSpace environment with changing temperatures and vacuum can affect the performance of optics instruments onboard satellites. Thermal models and tests are typically done to understand the optics performance within large space projects, but less often in nanosatellites projects. It is even more rarer for an optics payload inside a CubeSat platform, made by a third provider, to do functional tests on their optics during space environment test campaign. In this research, an in-house made vacuum chamber with the possibility to warm up (TVAC) the devices under tests, and wall-through transparency for optics experiments is set-up. In parallel, a thermal model of the HYPerspectral Small satellite for ocean Observation (HYPSO) Hyperspectral Imager (HSI) is developed. The HSI, which is a transmissive grating hyperspectral instrument ranged in the visible to near infrared wavelength, has been tested in TVAC. As thermal control is based on heating the device under test, a new method for fitting the thermal models inside vacuum chambers with only heating capability is proposed. Finally, the TVAC set-up and the thermal model fitting method have been demonstrated to be appropriate to validate the HSI thermal model, and to characterize the optics performance of HSI in vacuum and in the range of temperatures found inside the in-orbit HYPSO-1 CubeSat.