bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Characterization of walking locomotion in aged C57BL/10 mice: a comprehensive gait analysis
Authors: Rizzi Joyce Santana , de Barros Almeida Caique , Requena Lorraine Silva , de Almeida Vitoria Duarte , Mininel Thiago Vinícius , da Silva Gabriela Larissa Lima , de Oliveira Patrícia Fidelis , Castro e Horta Júnior José de Anchieta de , Matsumura Cintia Yuri , Ferretti Renato 
Published: April 2023

AbstractRodent gait analysis is crucial for modeling human aging, but the lack of comprehensive research on gait in elderly mice limits our ability to translate findings from animal models to human populations. Age-related changes in C57BL/10 strain remain unknown. The state of art protocol for gait analysis uses the CatWalk ™ XT system that allows an understanding of the locomotion pattern by a variety of parameters. We aim to provide relevant information for experimental designs, presenting benchmark data on the performance of locomotion using healthy wild-type mice for future preclinical investigations of neurological and neuromuscular gait patterns. In this study, characterization of walking locomotion was demonstrated from complete gait analysis in aged C57BL/10ScCr/PasUnib mice using open-field, CatWalk, and treadmill tests. Mice were divided into the adult group (6 months; n = 9) and the aged group (20 months; n = 9). Aged mice demonstrated decreased mobility, distance traveled, and general speed in the open-field test. The spatiotemporal and kinetic parameters were altered in aged mice, with lower speed, higher stand time and stride length, and increased base of support and duty cycle in comparison with adult mice. Interlimb coordination has changed in elderly mice. To test whether speed alters the temporal parameters, we used a treadmill test and we demonstrated higher stand time in 20-month-old mice. We demonstrated that changes in gait parameters and mobility represent direct age-related singularities in the wild-type C57BL/10 mice. Overall, aged mice took more time in contact with the ground independently of the speed. These baseline gait results shed light on measures that allow the potential investigation of therapeutics and interventions in gerontology or neuromuscular diseases.
Estimating the reproduction number and transmission heterogeneity from the size distribution of clusters of identical pathogen sequences
Authors: Tran-Kiem Cécile , Bedford Trevor 
Published: April 2023

AbstractQuantifying transmission intensity and heterogeneity is crucial to ascertain the threat posed by infectious diseases and inform the design of interventions. Methods that jointly estimate the reproduction numberRand the dispersion parameterkhave however mainly remained limited to the analysis of epidemiological clusters or contact tracing data, whose collection often proves difficult. Here, we show that clusters of identical sequences are imprinted by the pathogen offspring distribution, and we derive an analytical formula for the distribution of the size of these clusters. We develop and evaluate a novel inference framework to jointly estimate the reproduction number and the dispersion parameter from the size distribution of clusters of identical sequences. We then illustrate its application across a range of epidemiological situations. Finally, we develop a hypothesis testing framework relying on clusters of identical sequences to determine whether a given pathogen genetic subpopulation is associated with increased or reduced transmissibility. Our work provides new tools to estimate the reproduction number and transmission heterogeneity from pathogen sequences without building a phylogenetic tree, thus making it easily scalable to large pathogen genome datasets.Significance statementFor many infectious diseases, a small fraction of individuals has been documented to disproportionately contribute to onward spread. Characterizing the extent of superspreading is a crucial step towards the implementation of efficient interventions. Despite its epidemiological relevance, it remains difficult to quantify transmission heterogeneity. Here, we present a novel inference framework harnessing the size of clusters of identical pathogen sequences to estimate the reproduction number and the dispersion parameter. We also show that the size of these clusters can be used to estimate the transmission advantage of a pathogen genetic variant. This work provides crucial new tools to better characterize the spread of pathogens and evaluate their control.
Spontaneous fast-ultradian dynamics of polymorphic interictal events in drug-resistant focal epilepsy
Authors: Dellavale Damián , Bonini Francesca , Pizzo Francesca , Makhalova Julia , Wendling Fabrice , Badier Jean-Michel , Bartolomei Fabrice , Bénar Christian-George 
Published: April 2023

AbstractObjectiveWe studied the rate dynamics of interictal events occurring over fast-ultradian time scales, as commonly examined in clinics to guide surgical planning in epilepsy.MethodsStereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) traces of 35 patients with good surgical outcome (Engel I) were analyzed. For this, we developed a general data mining method aimed at clustering the plethora of transient waveform shapes including interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs), and assessed the temporal fluctuations in the capability to map the epileptogenic zone (EZ) of each type of event.ResultsWe found that the fast-ultradian dynamics of the IEDs rate may effectively impair the precision of EZ identification, and appear to occur spontaneously, that is, not triggered by or exclusively associated with a particular cognitive task, wakefulness, sleep, seizure occurrence, post-ictal state or antiepileptic drug withdrawal. Propagation of IEDs from the EZ to the propagation zone (PZ) could explain the observed fast-ultradian fluctuations in a reduced fraction of the analyzed patients, suggesting that other factors like the excitability of the epileptogenic tissue could play a more relevant role. A novel link was found between the fast-ultradian dynamics of the overall rate of polymorphic events and the rate of specific IEDs subtypes. We exploited this feature to estimate in each patient the 5 min interictal epoch for near-optimal EZ and resected zone (RZ) localization, which resulted at the population level better than those obtained using either 1) the whole time series available in each patient (P = 0.084 for EZ, P < 0.001 for RZ, Wilcoxon signed rank test) and 2) 5 min epochs randomly sampled from the interictal recordings of each patient (P < 0.05 for EZ, P < 0.001 for RZ, 105random samplings).SignificanceOur results highlight the relevance of the fast-ultradian IEDs dynamics in mapping the EZ, and show how it can be prospectively estimated to inform surgical planning in epilepsy.Key PointsThe rate of IED observed in SEEG recordings undergoes spontaneous fluctuations over fast-ultradian time scales.The fast-ultradian dynamics of the IED rate may impair the EZ identification and hence are clinically relevant for surgical planning.Propagation does not fully explain the fast-ultradian dynamics of the IED rate constraining the precision to localize the EZ.Interictal epochs, as commonly examined in clinics, producing near-optimal EZ mapping can be inferred based solely on the LFP dynamics.Fluctuations of the AUPREC based on epileptic and non-epileptic events are linked to scale-free and scale-rich processes, respectively.
Dynamic analysis of the individual patterns of intakes, voids, and bladder sensations reported in bladder diaries collected in the LURN study
Authors: Andreev Victor P. , Helmuth Margaret E. , Smith Abigail R. , Zisman Anna , Cameron Anne P. , DeLancey John O. L. , Bushman Wade A. 
Published: April 2023

AbstractThe goal of this study was to perform an in-depth dynamic analysis of individual bladder diaries to inform which behavioral modifications would best reduce lower urinary tract symptoms, such as frequency and urgency. Three-day bladder diaries containing data on timing, volumes, and types of fluid intake, as well as timing, volumes, and bladder sensation at voids were analyzed for 197 participants with lower urinary tract symptoms. A novel dynamic analytic approach to bladder diary time series data was proposed and developed, including intra-subject correlations between time-varying variables: rates of intake, bladder filling rate, and urge growth rate. Grey-box models of bladder filling rate and multivariable linear regression models of urge growth rate were developed for individual diaries. These models revealed that bladder filling rate, rather than urine volume, was the primary determinant of urinary frequency and urgency growth rate in the majority of participants. Simulations performed with the developed models predicted that the most beneficial behavioral modifications to reduce the number of urgency episodes are those that smooth profiles of bladder filling rate, which might include behaviors such as exclusion of caffeine and alcohol and/or other measures, e.g., increasing number and decreasing volumes of intakes.
The development and validation of multiplex real-time PCRs with fluorescent melting curve analysis for simultaneous detection of six bacterial pathogens of lower respiratory tract infections and antimicrobial resistance genes
Authors: Ngoc Dung Tran Thi , Phat Voong Vinh , Vinh Chau , Huong Lan Nguyen Phu , Nha Phuong Nguyen Luong , Quynh Ngan Le Thi , Thwaites Guy , Thwaites Louise , Rabaa Maia , Kim Anh Nguyen Thi , Duy Pham Thanh 
Published: April 2023

AbstractKlebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureusare among the major bacterial causative agents of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs), causing substantial morbidity and mortality globally. The rapid increase of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in these pathogens poses significant challenges for effective antibiotic therapy of LRTIs. In low-resourced settings, the diagnostics of LRTIs relies heavily on microbiological culture and patients are often treated with empirical antibiotics while awaiting several days for culture results. Rapid detection of LRTIs pathogens and AMR genes could prompt early antibiotic switching and inform antibiotic treatment duration. In this study, we developed multiplex quantitative real-time PCRs using EvaGreen dye and melting curve analysis (MCA) to rapidly identify the six major LRTIs pathogens and their AMR genes directly from the tracheal aspirate and sputum samples. The accuracy of RT-PCRs was assessed by comparing its performance against the gold standard, conventional culture method on 50 tracheal aspirate and sputum specimens. Our RT-PCR assays had 100% sensitivity forK. pneumoniae, A. baumannii, P. aeruginosa, E. coliand 63.6% forS. aureusand the specificity ranked from 87.5% to 97.6%. The kappa correlation values of all pathogens between the two methods varied from 0.63 to 0.95. The limit of detection (LOD) of target bacteria in multiplex RT-PCRs was 1600 CFU/mL. Compared to the culture results, PCR assays exhibited higher sensitivity in detecting mixed infections andS. pneumoniae. Our findings also demonstrated a high level of concordance between the detection of AMR gene and AMR phenotype in single infections. We conclude that our multiplex quantitative RT-PCRs with fluorescence MCA is simple but sensitive and specific in detecting six major drug resistant bacterial pathogens of LRTIs and should be further evaluated for clinical utility.
Pseudotemporal ordering of spatial lymphoid tissue microenvironment profiles trails Unclassified DLBCL at the periphery of the follicle
Authors: Tripodo Claudio , Bertolazzi Giorgio , Cancila Valeria , Morello Gaia , Iannitto Emilio 
Published: April 2023

AbstractWe have established a pseudotemporal ordering for the transcriptional signatures of distinct microregions within reactive lymphoid tissues, namely germinal center dark zones (DZ), germinal center light zones (LZ), and peri-follicular areas (Peri). By utilizing this pseudotime trajectory derived from the functional microenvironments of DZ, LZ, and Peri, we have ordered the transcriptomes of Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma cases. The apex of the resulting pseudotemporal trajectory, which is characterized by enrichment of molecular programs fronted by TNFR signaling and inhibitory immune checkpoint overexpression, intercepts a discrete peri-follicular biology. This observation is associated with DLBCL cases that are enriched in the Unclassified/type-3 COO category, raising questions about the potential extra-GC microenvironment imprint of this peculiar group of cases. This report offers a thought-provoking perspective on the relationship between transcriptional profiling of functional lymphoid tissue microenvironments and the evolving concept of the cell of origin in Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphomas.
The effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive performance - a randomised controlled study
Authors: Sandkühler Julia Fabienne , Kersting Xenia , Faust Annika , Königs Eva Kathrin , Altman George , Ettinger Ulrich , Lux Silke , Philipsen Alexandra , Müller Helge , Brauner Jan 
Published: April 2023

AbstractBackgroundCreatine is an organic compound that facilitates the recycling of energy-providing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in muscle and brain tissue. It is a safe, well-studied supplement for strength training. Previous studies have shown that supplementation increases brain creatine levels, which might increase cognitive performance. The results of studies that have tested cognitive performance differ greatly, possibly due to different populations, supplementation regimens and cognitive tasks. This is the largest study on the effect of creatine supplementation on cognitive performance to date. As part of our study, we replicated Rae et al. (2003).MethodsOur trial was cross-over, double-blind, placebo-controlled, and randomised, with daily supplementation of 5g for six weeks each. Like Rae et al. (2003), we tested participants on Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM) and on the Backward Digit Span (BDS). In addition, we included eight exploratory cognitive tests. About half of our 123 participants were vegetarians and half were omnivores.ResultsThere was no indication that vegetarians benefited more from creatine than omnivores, so we merged the two groups. Participants’ scores after creatine and after placebo differed to an extent that was not statistically significant (BDS: p = 0.064, η2P= 0.029; RAPM: p = 0.327, η2P= 0.008). Compared to the null hypothesis of no effect, Bayes factors indicate weak evidence in favour of a small beneficial creatine effect and strong evidence against a large creatine effect. There was no indication that creatine improved the performance of our exploratory cognitive tasks. Side effects were reported significantly more often for creatine than for placebo supplementation (p = 0.002, RR = 4.25).ConclusionsOur results do not support large effects of creatine on the selected measures of cognition. However, our study, in combination with the literature, implies that creatine might have a small beneficial effect. Larger studies are needed to confirm or rule out this effect. Given the safety and broad availability of creatine, this is well worth investigating; a small effect could have large benefits when scaled over time and over many people.
Incidence of Symptoms Associated with Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Non-Hospitalized Vaccinated Patients Receiving Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir
Authors: Patel Rushin , Dani Sourbha , Khadke Sumanth , Ahmad Javaria , Shah Jui , Mehta Neev , Wener Kenneth , McQuillen Daniel P , Abraham George , Faust Jeremy , Maley Jason , Patel Smita , Mullington Janet , Wachter Robert M. , Mosenthal Anne , Sax Paul E. , Ganatra Sarju 
Published: April 2023

AbstractBackgroundThe role of Nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir (NMV-r) in preventing post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) is unknown. The objective of this study is to assess the effect of NMV-r in non-hospitalized, vaccinated patients on the occurrence of PASC.MethodsWe performed a comparative retrospective cohort study utilizing data from the TriNetX research network, including vaccinated patients ≥18 years old who subsequently developed Covid-19 between December 2021-April 2022. Cohorts were based on NMV-r administration within five days of diagnosis. Based on previously validated broad and narrow definitions, the main outcome was the presence of symptoms associated with PASC. Outcomes were assessed between 30-180 days and 90-180 days after the index Covid-19 infection.Results1,004 patients remained in each cohort after propensity-score matching. PASC (broad definition) occurred in 425 patients (42%) in the NMV-r cohort, vs. 480 patients (48%) in the control cohort (OR 0.8 CI 0.67-0.96; p=0.01) from 30-180 days and in 273 patients (27%) in the NMV-r cohort, as compared to 347 patients (35%) in the control cohort (OR 0.707, CI 0.59-0.86; p<0.001) from 90-180 days. Narrowly defined PASC was reported in 337 (34%) patients in the NMV-r and 404 (40%) in the control cohort between 30-180 days (OR=0.75, CI 0.62-0.9, p=0.002) and in 221 (22%) in the NMV-r cohort as compared to in 278 (28%) patients in the control cohort (OR=0.7, CI 0.63-0.9, p=0.003) between 90 -180 days.ConclusionsNMV-r treatment in non-hospitalized vaccinated patients with Covid-19 was associated with a reduction in the development of symptoms commonly observed with PASC and healthcare utilization.Key PointsAssessment of Nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir (NMV-r) in preventing post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), based on broad and narrow definitions in non-hospitalized, vaccinated patients between 30-180 days and 90-180 days.
Predictors of long-term recreational exercise participation in adolescents and young adults
Authors: Morgan Julie A. , Bednarz Jana M. , Semo Ronnie , Clark Scott R. , Schubert K. Oliver 
Published: April 2023

AbstractThe individual and societal factors influencing long-term recreational exercise participation during the transition from adolescence to young adulthood are not well explored. We modelled latent longitudinal recreational exercise trajectories spanning 8 years from age 16 to 24, and examined demographic, socioeconomic, behavioural, academic, and psychological predictors at age 15 of trajectory-group membership. We also explored whether trajectories were associated with health, mental health, and educational achievement at age 25. Finite mixture modelling was conducted with population-based longitudinal cohort study data collected from 2006-2017 by the Longitudinal Survey of Australian Youth (LSAY). The study sample comprised 9,353 students (49% female) from 356 Australian schools. Self-reported recreational exercise frequency data were collected in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2014. Longitudinal latent trajectories of reported recreational exercise participation were estimated using group-based trajectory modelling for two scenarios: daily/guideline-adherent exercise versus non-daily exercise (model 1) and exercise at least once weekly versus exercise less than once weekly (model 2). Four distinct classes of long-term recreational exercise participation were identified for each model. Model 1: guideline-adherent exercisers (17.9% of the sample), never guideline exercisers (27.5%), guideline drop-outs (15.2%) and towards guideline (39.4%). Model 2: regular weekly (69.5% of the sample), decreasing (17.4%), increasing (4.8%), and infrequent (8.3%). In both models, predictors at age 15 for lower long-term exercise participation included female gender, lower self-efficacy, sport participation and parental socioeconomic status, and higher screen-time and academic literacy. At age 25, people in the guideline-adherent exerciser trajectory (model 1) reported better general health, whereas people in the regular weekly trajectory (model 2) had better general health and reduced rates of psychological distress, were happier with life and were more optimistic for the future relative to participants from other trajectory groups. Interventions and health-promotion activities to support sustained engagement in recreational exercise should particularly address the needs of females, people with low self-efficacy, reluctant exercisers, higher academic achievers, and youth experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage.
Second-order Citations in Altmetrics: A Case Study Analyzing the Audiences of COVID-19 Research in the News and on Social Media
Authors: Alperin Juan Pablo , Fleerackers Alice , Riedlinger Michelle , Haustein Stefanie 
Published: April 2023

AbstractThe potential to capture the societal impact of research has been a driving motivation for the use and development of altmetrics. Yet, to date, altmetrics have largely failed to deliver on this potential because the primary audience who cites research on social media has been shown to be academics themselves. In response, our study investigates an extension of traditional altmetric approaches that goes beyond capturing direct mentions of research on social media. Using research articles from the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study, we demonstrate the value of measuring ‘second-order citations,’ or social media mentions of news coverage of research. We find that a sample of these citations, published by just five media outlets, were shared and engaged with on social media twice as much as the research articles themselves. Moreover, first-order and second-order citations circulated among Twitter accounts and Facebook accounts that were largely distinct from each other. The differences in audiences and engagement patterns found in this case study highlight the importance of news coverage as a public source of science information and provide strong evidence that investigating these second-order citations can be an effective way of observing non-academic audiences that engage with research content.
Assessment of Gut Microbial β-Glucuronidase and β-Glucosidase Activity in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Authors: Patel Jalpa , Chaudhary Hiral , Parekh Bhavin , Joshi Rushikesh 
Published: April 2023

AbstractObjectiveTo identify Gut microbial β-Glucuronidase and β-Glucosidase activity in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and reveal a possible correlation between gut bacterial enzyme activities and estrogen.DesignCase-Control Study.SubjectsReproductive-aged women with PCOS (n=23) and controls (n =25) from the Health Centre of Gujarat University.InterventionsSpectrophotometric analysis of β-Glucuronidase and β-Glucosidase activity of fecal samples from patients and clinical parameters (including body mass index, endocrine hormone levels, and hirsutism) collected for correlation analysis.Primary outcomeIdentification of gut bacterial β-Glucuronidase and β-Glucosidase activity differences and clinical parameters.ResultsCompared to the controls, PCOS women had considerably higher levels of β-glucuronidase activity, having statistically significant p-value (0.05 ± 0.1vs. 0.04± 0.1;p=0.006). We observed a higher trend of β-glucosidase activity in PCOS women compared to the control (0.13 ± 0.08 vs. 0.09 ± 0.05;p=0.06).ConclusionWe observed a strong trend toward increased levels of β-glucuronidase and β-glucosidase activity in PCOS women compared to healthy control women. This inference requires further validation through studies with a larger sample size. However, if validated, we suggest that β-glucosidase levels can be considered a putative biomarker for PCOS women with metabolic disturbances and might help personalize the treatment.Graphical abstract