bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Social Media in Neuro-Ophthalmology: Paradigms, Opportunities, and Strategies
Authors: Lai Kevin E. , Antonio Aileen A. , Ko Melissa W. , Epling Joel P. , Nguyen Anne X. , Carey Andrew R. 
Published: June 2023

Background:
Social media (SoMe) is an integral part of life in the 21st century. Its potential for rapid dissemination and amplification of information offers opportunities for neuro-ophthalmologists to have an outsized voice to share expert-level knowledge with the public, other medical professionals, policymakers, and trainees. However, there are also potential pitfalls, because SoMe may spread incorrect or misleading information. Understanding and using SoMe enables neuro-ophthalmologists to influence and educate that would otherwise be limited by workforce shortages.

Evidence Acquisition:
A PubMed search for the terms “social media” AND “neuro-ophthalmology,” “social media” AND “ophthalmology,” and “social media” AND “neurology” was performed.

Results:
Seventy-two neurology articles, 70 ophthalmology articles, and 3 neuro-ophthalmology articles were analyzed. A large proportion of the articles were published in the last 3 years (2020, 2021, 2022). Most articles were analyses of SoMe content; other domains included engagement analysis such as Altmetric analysis, utilization survey, advisory opinion/commentary, literature review, and other. SoMe has been used in medicine to share and recruit for scientific research, medical education, advocacy, mentorship and medical professional networking, and branding, marketing, practice building, and influencing. The American Academy of Neurology, American Academy of Ophthalmology, and North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society have developed guidelines on the use of SoMe.

Conclusions:
Neuro-ophthalmologists may benefit greatly from harnessing SoMe for the purposes of academics, advocacy, networking, and marketing. Regularly creating appropriate professional SoMe content can enable the neuro-ophthalmologist to make a global impact.
Blinking Parameters Do Not Normalize After Botulinum Toxin Therapy in Blepharospasm and Hemifacial Spasm Patients
Authors: Gameiro Gustavo R. , Osaki Midori H. , Yabumoto Cristina , Osaki Teissy , Garcia Denny M. , Belfort Rubens , Cruz Antonio Augusto V. , Osaki Tammy H. 
Published: June 2023

Background:
Little is known regarding changes induced by botulinum toxin injections on blinking parameters in blepharospasm (BSP) and hemifacial spasm (HFS) patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate objective changes induced by botulinum toxin (BoNT) injections on blinking parameters in BSP and HFS patients.

Methods:
Thirty-seven patients with BSP and HFS were evaluated before and 30 days after receiving onabotulinumtoxinA injections. Twelve age-matched control subjects were also assessed. Pretreatment and post-treatment parameters were assessed and compared with normal controls. A high-speed camera and microlight-emitting diodes were used to register the blinking in patients and control groups. Outcomes were blinking frequency, amplitude, and maximum velocity of eyelid closure.

Results:
BoNT injections led to a significant reduction in all parameters, compared with baseline, in BSP and on the affected side in HFS, respectively: 22% (P < 0.001) and 20% (P = 0.015) in amplitude; 21% (P = 0.04) and 39% in frequency (P = 0.002); and 41% (P < 0.001) and 26% (P = 0.005) in maximum closing velocity. Blinking amplitude (P = 0.017 and P = 0.019) and velocity (P < 0.001 for both groups) were significantly lower at 30 days on BSP and on the affected HFS side, when compared with controls. BSP and HFS patients presented a significantly lower velocity of eyelid closure, even before BoNT, compared with controls (P = 0.004. and P < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusions:
Although blinking frequency became close to normal, amplitude and velocity after BoNT applications were significantly lower in BSP and on the affected side of HFS patients when compared with age-matched normal controls, demonstrating that blinking parameters do not normalize after treatment. The velocity of eyelid closure was shown to be significantly lower, even before BoNT treatment, when compared with control subjects.
Streptococcus parasanguinis: An emerging pathogen causing neonatal endocarditis: A case report
Authors: Shrimali Twishi , Malhotra Shikhir , Relhan Nidhi , Tak Vibhor , Choudhary Sushil Kumar , Gupta Neeraj , Singh Arun Kumarendu 
Published: June 2023

Background
The microbial infection of the endocardium, popularly known as Infective Endocarditis (IE), is typically classified on the basis of anatomy, valve nativity and its associated microbiology. As per the associated microbiology, Staphylococcus aureus is the most common microorganism responsible for the cause of IE. Even though, Streptococcus group accounts for a smaller percentage of IE, however this doesn’t give us the liberty of ignoring the high mortality and morbidity associated with this pathogen.
Case presentation
We report an unusual case of neonatal sepsis, complicated with endocarditis, caused by penicillin resistant Streptococcus parasanguinis. The neonate however died of the same despite all efforts. The said baby was given birth by a mother with gestational diabetes mellitus.
Conclusion
High index of clinical suspicion and prompt diagnosis are the most important factors of patient management, especially in cases of life threatening neonatal infections. In such conditions a coordinated interdepartmental approach is very much needed.
SARS-CoV-2 infections among pregnant women, 2020, Finland – cross-testing of neutralization assays
Authors: Virtanen J , Korhonen EM , Salonen S , Vapalahti O , Sironen T , Jääskeläinen AJ 
Published: June 2023

AbstractWe studied the development of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Finland in 2020 and evaluated the performance of two surrogate immunoassays for detection of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs). The dataset consisted of 12000 retrospectively collected samples from pregnant women in their 1sttrimester throughout 2020. All the samples were initially screened for IgG with SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody assay (EIM-S1, Euroimmun, Lübeck, Germany) followed by confirmation with nucleocapsid antibody assay (Architect SARS-CoV-2, Abbott, Illinois, USA). Samples that were reactive (positive or borderline) with both assays were subjected to testing with commercial surrogate immunoassays of NeutraLISA (EIM) and cPassTM(GenScript Biotech Corporation, Rijswijk, Netherlands) by using pseudoneutralization assay (PNAbA) as a golden standard. No seropositive cases were detected between January and March. Between April and December, IgG (EIM-S1 and Abbott positive) and NAb (PNAbA positive) seroprevalences were between 0.4-1.4%. NeutraLISA showed 90% and cPass 55% concordant results with PNAbA among PNAbA negative samples and 49% and 92% among PNAbA positive samples giving NeutraLISA better specificity but lower sensitivity than cPass. To conclude, seroprevalence in pregnant women reflected that of the general population but the variability of the performance of serological protocols needs to be taken into account in inter-study comparison.
Declines in Influenza Vaccination Coverage in White and Black, Non-Hispanic Children from 2012-2019 to 2019-2022
Authors: Corle Abigail L. 
Published: June 2023

AbstractDeclines in routine influenza vaccination rates have become a cause for concern as influenza vaccine coverage rates have declined among Black, Non-Hispanic children compared to an increase in coverage among White, Non-Hispanic children ages 6 months to 17 years old. Influenza season years analyzed were 2012-2022 using data provided by the US Center for Disease Control’s FluVaxView database. Data for this database is sourced from the National Immunization Survey-Flu (NIS-Flu) and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. White, Non-Hispanic children saw an increase in vaccination coverage from 55.8% to 60.3%, whereas Black, Non-Hispanic children decreased from 58.2% to 52.9% coverage. Chi-squared tests with Yates correlation were performed to find statistical significance. Vaccination coverage rate changes for both demographics were found to be statistically significant at p < 0.00001. 70% influenza vaccination coverage rate remains the US Department of Health’sHealthyPeople 2030initiative’s goal for all demographics and may be achieved by utilizing interventional tools such as motivational interviewing, provider-patient dialogue, community-based vaccination clinics, or home visits. Evidence-based interventional provider-patient dialogue has had success in increasing vaccination rates among other vaccines. Continued research into the cause of influenza vaccination rate decline among vulnerable and medically underserved populations is needed to best implement vaccine-based interventions.
Quantitatively assessing early detection strategies for mitigating COVID-19 and future pandemics
Authors: Liu Andrew Bo , Lee Daniel , Jalihal Amogh Prabhav , Hanage William P. , Springer Michael 
Published: June 2023

AbstractResearchers and policymakers have proposed systems to detect novel pathogens earlier than existing surveillance systems by monitoring samples from hospital patients, wastewater, and air travel, in order to mitigate future pandemics. How much benefit would such systems offer? We developed, empirically validated, and mathematically characterized a quantitative model that simulates disease spread and detection time for any given disease and detection system. We find that hospital monitoring could have detected COVID-19 in Wuhan 0.4 weeks earlier than it was actually discovered, at 2,300 cases (standard error: 76 cases) compared to 3,400 (standard error: 161 cases). Wastewater monitoring would not have accelerated COVID-19 detection in Wuhan, but provides benefit in smaller catchments and for asymptomatic or long-incubation diseases like polio or HIV/AIDS. Monitoring of air travel provides little benefit in most scenarios we evaluated. In sum, early detection systems can substantially mitigate some future pandemics, but would not have changed the course of COVID-19.
Maternal pertussis immunization and the blunting of routine vaccine effectiveness: A meta-analysis and modeling study
Authors: Briga Michael , Goult Elizabeth , Brett Tobias S , Rohani Pejman , Domenech de Cellès Matthieu 
Published: June 2023

AbstractA key goal of pertussis control is to protect infants too young to be vaccinated, the age group most vulnerable to this highly contagious respiratory infection. In the last decade, maternal immunization has been deployed in many countries, successfully reducing pertussis in this age group. Because of immunological blunting, however, this strategy may erode the effectiveness of primary vaccination at later ages. Here, we systematically reviewed the literature on the relative risk (RR) of pertussis after primary immunization of infants born to vaccinated vs. unvaccinated mothers. The four studies identified had ≤6 years of follow-up and large statistical uncertainty (meta- analysis weighted mean RR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.38–1.32). To interpret this evidence, we designed a new mathematical model with explicit blunting mechanisms and evaluated maternal immunization’s short- and long-term impact on pertussis transmission dynamics. We show that transient dynamics can mask blunting for at least a decade after rolling out maternal immunization. Hence, the current epidemiological evidence may be insufficient to rule out modest reductions in the effectiveness of primary vaccination. Irrespective of this potential collateral cost, we predict that maternal immunization will remain effective at protecting unvaccinated newborns, supporting current public health recommendations.
SARS-CoV-2 Spread Under the Controlled-Distancing Model of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Authors: Rohweder Ricardo , Schüler-Faccini Lavínia , Ferraz Gonçalo 
Published: June 2023

AbstractIn early 2020, the government of Rio Grande do Sul established a public-health assessment-response framework to halt the spread of SARS-CoV-2, called ‘controlled-distancing model’ (CDM). This framework subdivided the state in 21 regions where it evaluated a composite index of disease transmission and health-service capacity. Updated on a weekly basis, the index placed regions on a color-coded scale of flags, which guided adoption of non-pharmaceutical interventions. We aim to evaluate the extent to which the CDM accurately assessed transmission and the effectiveness of its responses throughout 2020. We estimated the weekly effective reproduction number (Rt) of SARS-CoV-2, for each region, using a renewal-equation-based statistical model of notified COVID-19 deaths. UsingRtestimates, we explored whether flag colors assigned by the CDM either reflected or affected SARS-CoV-2 dissemination. Flag assignments did reflect variations inRt, to a limited extent, but we found no evidence that they affected Rtin the short term. Medium-term effects were apparent in only four regions after eight or more weeks of red-flag assignment. Analysis of Google movement metrics showed no evidence that people moved differently under different flags. The dissociation between flag colors and the propagation of SARS-CoV-2 does not support the claim that non-pharmaceutical interventions are ineffective. Our results show, however, that decisions made under the CDM framework were ineffective both for influencing the movement of people and for halting the spread of the virus.
Content-enriched fluorescence lifetime fluctuation spectroscopy to study bio-molecular condensate formation
Authors: Perego Eleonora , Zappone Sabrina , Castagnetti Francesco , Mariani Davide , Vitiello Erika , Rupert Jakob , Zacco Elsa , Tartaglia Gian Gaetano , Bozzoni Irene , Slenders Eli , Vicidomini Giuseppe 
Published: June 2023

AbstractQuantitative fluorescence microscopy is experiencing an important revolution thanks to single-photon array detectors. These detectors provide users with so far inaccessible specimen information: The distribution of the specimen’s fluorescence emission at single-photon level and high spatiotemporal sampling. In laser-scanning microscopy, this photon-resolved measurement has enabled robust fluorescence lifetime imaging at sub-diffraction spatial resolution, thus opening new perspectives for structural and functional imaging. Despite these significant advances in imaging, studying the time evolution of biological processes remains a considerable challenge. Here we present a com-prehensive framework of live-cell spectroscopy methodologies – compatible with imaging – to investigate bio-molecular processes at various spatiotemporal scales. We use photon-resolved spatial and temporal measurements granted by a single-photon array detector to boost the information content of a unified fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy and fluorescence lifetime experiment. To demonstrate the potential of this approach, we investigate the phase transition of liquid-like condensates during oxidative stress inside living cells. These condensates are generally found in several cellular processes and exhibit substantial variations in molecular composition, size, and kinetics, posing a significant challenge for quantifying their underlying molecular dynamics. This study demonstrates how the pro-posed approach reveals the mutual dynamics of different RNA-binding proteins involved in the stress granules formation – inaccessible to imaging alone. We observe condensate formation by performing time-lapse super-resolved imaging of the cellular macro-environment while simultaneously monitoring the molecular mobility, the sub-diffraction environment organization, interactions, and nano-environment properties through fluorescence lifetime fluctuation spectroscopy. We are confident that our framework offers a versatile toolkit for investigating a broad range of bio-molecular processes – not limited to liquid-liquid phase transition – and we anticipate their widespread application in future life-science research.
Noncoding RNAs evolutionarily extend animal lifespan
Authors: Wang Anyou 
Published: June 2023

AbstractThe mechanisms underlying lifespan evolution in organisms have long been mysterious. However, recent studies have demonstrated that organisms evolutionarily gain noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) that carry endogenous profound functions in higher organisms1,2, including lifespan3. This study unveils ncRNAs as crucial drivers driving animal lifespan evolution. Species in the animal kingdom evolutionarily increase their ncRNA length in their genomes, coinciding with trimming mitochondrial genome length. This leads to lower energy consumption and ultimately lifespan extension. Notably, during lifespan extension, species exhibit a gradual acquisition of long-life ncRNA motifs while concurrently losing short-life motifs. These longevity-associated ncRNA motifs, such as GGTGCG, are particularly active in key tissues, including the endometrium, ovary, testis, and cerebral cortex. The activation of ncRNAs in the ovary and endometrium offers insights into why women generally exhibit longer lifespans than men. This groundbreaking discovery reveals the pivotal role of ncRNAs in driving lifespan evolution and provides a fundamental foundation for the study of longevity and aging.
Hydraulic Conductivity of The Hemp Stems Under Water Stress
Authors: Yuksel Mehmet , Al-agele Hadi A. , Nackley Lloyd , Higgins Chad W. 
Published: June 2023

AbstractThe hydraulic conductivity of hemp stems under water-stress conditions was investigated to assess the impact on water transport from the root to the leaves. Water-stress conditions induce embolism (cavitation) in xylem channels, thereby affecting water flow. The percentage loss of water transfer ability within the xylem channels can be represented by a ‘vulnerability curve’ (VC). This study utilized an air injection technique to induce embolisms in the stem and measured the subsequent changes in hydraulic conductivity using a specialized measurement apparatus. The results revealed that the shape of the vulnerability curve for hemp was influenced by the xylem area, which is an atypical finding with no prior evidence in other plant species. The statistical analysis confirmed the significance of this effect (p-value=0.003 at 95% confidence intervals). Consequently, a non-traditional mathematical equation (simple power law) was developed to describe the relationship between pressure and xylem area. Furthermore, our findings demonstrated that hemp stems are more responsive to water stress compared to other plant species documented in previous literature. The minimum pressure (0.15 MPa) at which initial cavitation is observed and the maximum pressure (∼2.4 MPa) at which all stem conductance is lost were among the lowest reported values, indicating that hemp growth may be significantly affected by deficit irrigation strategies. Thus, careful monitoring of the irrigation schedule is crucial, particularly for younger stems with smaller xylem cross-sectional areas. These insights into the hydraulic behavior of hemp can contribute to the development of improved irrigation strategies in agriculture, ultimately enhancing water-use efficiency and optimizing crop production.HighlightThe hydraulic conductivity of hemp stems under water-stress conditions was investigated to assess the impact on water transport from the root to the leaves.The results revealed that the shape of the vulnerability curve for hemp was influenced by the xylem area, which is an atypical finding with no prior evidence in other plant species.Our findings demonstrated that hemp stems are more responsive to water stress compared to other plant species documented in previous literature.The minimum pressure (0.15 MPa) at which initial cavitation is observed and the maximum pressure (∼2.4 MPa) at which all stem conductance is lost were among the lowest reported values, indicating that hemp growth may be significantly affected by deficit irrigation strategies.Thus, careful monitoring of the irrigation schedule is crucial, particularly for younger stems with smaller xylem cross-sectional areas. These insights into the hydraulic behavior of hemp can contribute to the development of improved irrigation strategies in agriculture, ultimately enhancing water-use efficiency and optimizing crop production.
Dose-dependent interaction of parasites with tiers of host defence generates “wormholes” that prolong infection at intermediate inoculum sizes
Authors: Graham Andrea L. , Regoes Roland R. 
Published: June 2023

AbstractImmune responses are induced by parasite exposure and can in turn reduce parasite burden. Despite such apparently simple rules of engagement, key drivers of within-host dynamics, including dose-dependence of defence and infection duration, have proven difficult to predict. Here, we model how varied inoculating doses interact with host defences. Defence is multi-tiered, with 3 tiers invoked for all animals: barrier, innate, and adaptive. We model how these tiers interact with replicating and non-replicating parasites across six orders of magnitude of dose. We find that, in general, intermediate parasite doses generate infections of longest duration because they are sufficient in number to breach barrier defences, but insufficient to strongly induce subsequent tiers of defence. Deviation from the hypothesis of independent action, which postulates that each parasite has an independent probability of establishing infection, may therefore be widespread. Most interestingly, our model predicts local maxima of duration at two doses – one for each tier transition. While empirical evidence is consistent with nonlinear dose-dependencies, the profiles with multiple turning points that we predict will require finer-scale dose experiments than are usually undertaken. Our results help explain varied infection duration among differentially-exposed hosts and elucidate evolutionary pressures that shape both virulence and defence.