bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Antimycin A induces light hypersensitivity of photosystem II in the presence of quinone QB-site binding herbicides
Authors: Imaizumi Ko , Takagi Daisuke , Ifuku Kentaro 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
Photosynthetic electron transport consists of linear electron flow and two cyclic electron flow (CEF) pathways around photosystem I (PSI) (CEF-PSI). PROTON GRADIENT REGULATION 5 (PGR5)-dependent CEF-PSI is thought to be the major CEF-PSI pathway and an important regulator of photosynthetic electron transfer. Antimycin A (AA) is commonly recognized as an inhibitor of PGR5-dependent CEF-PSI in photosynthesis. Although previous findings imply that AA may also affect photosystem II (PSII), which does not participate in CEF-PSI, these “secondary effects” tend to be neglected, and AA is often used for inhibition of PGR5-dependent CEF-PSI as if it were a specific inhibitor. Here, we investigated the direct effects of AA on PSII using isolated spinach (Spinacia oleracea) PSII membranes, and thylakoid membranes isolated from spinach, Arabidopsis thaliana (wild-type Columbia-0 and PGR5-deficient mutant pgr5hope1), and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Measurements of quinone QA− reoxidation kinetics showed that AA directly affects the acceptor side of PSII and inhibits electron transport within PSII. Furthermore, repetitive Fv/Fm measurements revealed that, in the presence of quinone QB-site binding inhibitors, AA treatment results in severe photodamage even from a single-turnover flash. The direct effects of AA on PSII are non-negligible and caution is required when using AA as an inhibitor of PGR5-dependent CEF-PSI. Meanwhile, we found that the commercially available compound AA3, which is a component of the AA complex, inhibits PGR5-dependent CEF-PSI without having notable effects on PSII. Thus, we propose that AA3 should be used instead of AA for physiological studies of the PGR5-dependent CEF-PSI.
Lessons learned from evaluating defined chemical mixtures in a high throughput estrogen receptor assay system
Authors: Parham Fred , Eccles Kristin M , Rider Cynthia V , Sakamuru Srilatha , Xia Menghang , Huang Ruili , Tice Raymond R , Dinse Gregg E , devito Michael J 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
In this paper, we provide a proof of concept evaluating the utility of the U.S. Tox21 high-throughput screening approach to assess the hazard of chemical mixtures using two estrogen receptor assays. A subset of chemicals identified in Phase I of the Tox21 program as active in the estrogen receptor (ER) agonist assay were used to design mixtures for testing in Phase II. Individual chemicals and mixtures were evaluated in two cell-based estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) activation assays: One incorporating a transfected ligand-binding domain in an ERα β-lactamase reporter cell line (ER-bla) and the full-length endogenous receptor in the MCF7 cell line with a luciferase reporter gene (ER-luc). Concentration-response data from individual chemicals were used to predict the joint effect based on mixtures modeling methods and were compared to observed mixtures data to assess model fit. The models tended to overpredict mixture responses in the ER-bla assay, while predictions were closer to observed responses in the ER-luc assay, indicating that a full-length endogenous estrogen receptor is a preferred model for high-throughput mixture analysis. Lessons learned from this research include the importance of analyzing the individual chemicals used for predictions and the mixtures in the same experimental paradigm to minimize variation, developing methods for imputing missing values from incomplete concentration-response curves, and establishing criteria to determine when inactive chemicals should be omitted from mixture predictions.
Comparison of Abdominal Aorta Palpation With Ultrasound Imaging Measurements in Healthy Individuals
Authors: Calley Darren Q. , Brennan Peter C. , LeClair Dylan W. , Nogosek Garrett P. , Vaassen Mykenzie E. , Hollman John H. 
Published: February 2025

Purpose:
Palpation is a traditional physical exam tool used to screen for abdominal aorta aneurysm. The purpose of this study was to determine agreement and reliability of abdominal aorta palpation measurements compared to point of care ultrasound (POCUS) measurements by novice physical therapy examiners in healthy individuals.

Methods:
Fifty healthy subjects over age 18 participated (age 25.2 ± 3.4). Two novice physical therapy examiners, blinded to each other's findings, measured infrarenal abdominal aorta width using a two-finger palpation technique and with POCUS, using a Vscan Air™ handheld ultrasound device, in randomized order. Bland–Altman analysis and paired t-tests compared agreement between palpation and POCUS measurements. Twenty-five participants returned within a month to assess intrarater reliability.

Results:
POCUS abdominal aorta width measurements averaged 1.54 cm (SD = 0.21), whereas palpation measurements averaged 2.51 cm (SD = 1.07), with a mean difference of 0.97 cm (SD = 1.03; 95% CI [0.67, 1.26]; P < .001). Palpation and POCUS measurements showed a positive correlation of 0.319 (P = .025); however, agreement decreased as aorta size increased. Intrarater reliability for POCUS had an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.58 (95% CI [0.25, 0.79]), and palpation showed intrarater reliability ICC of 0.59 (95% CI [0.25, 0.80]).

Conclusions:
Palpation overestimates infrarenal abdominal aorta width compared to POCUS in healthy individuals when performed by novice physical therapy examiners. While moderate agreement with POCUS exists, palpation accuracy decreases as aorta size increases, showing more variability. Further validation is needed in physical therapy examiners with more experience and in individuals with abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Role of the presence of interatrial block as a prediction pathway of atrial fibrillation during the postoperative period of patients undergoing cardiac surgery
Authors: Meza-Delgado Alfredo J. , Centurión Osmar Antonio , Chavez-Alfonso Christian O. , del Pilar Falcón-Fleytas Rocío , García-Bello Laura B. , Sequeira-Villar Orlando R. , Montiel-Gómez Carmen R. , Candia-Irala José C. , Galeano Erdulfo J. 
Published: February 2025

Background:
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequently recorded arrhythmia in clinical practice, and its appearance conditions high risk of morbidity and mortality. The role of interatrial block (IAB) as predictor pathway of the development of AF in the postoperative period of patients undergoing cardiac surgery has been studied scantly.

Methods:
Partial IAB was defined as the P wave >120 ms, and advanced IAB as the P wave >120 ms with biphasic morphology in inferior leads. The pre-surgical ECG was analyzed and the frequency of AF onset in the postoperative period was determined. A comparative analysis was performed between the patients who presented AF, and those who did not.

Results:
A total of 94 patients were included, with a mean age of 61±16 years. Of the total number of patients, 42 (45%) presented some degree of IAB (partial 42.8%, advanced 57.1%). There was a significant relationship between patients with IAB and those who develop AF post-cardiac surgery (21.3% p<0.01). The presence of interatrial block had an [area under the curve, 0.75; 95% confidence intervals (CI), 0.66–0.85] and demonstrated a specificity of 69%, a sensitivity of 83%, and negative predictive value of 92% for predicting AF development.

Conclusion:
IAB has a relatively frequent incidence in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. There was a significant association between the presence of IAB and the development of AF in the postoperative period. Our findings establish for the first time that IAB has high specificity, sensitivity, and negative predictive value for predicting AF development post-cardiac surgery.
Rotational thromboelastometry predicts transplant-free survival in patients with liver cirrhosis
Authors: Janko Natasha , Majeed Ammar , Commins Isabella , Gow Paul , Kemp William , Roberts Stuart K. 
Published: February 2025

Background and aims
Emerging evidence suggests that rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) is superior to conventional haemostatic tests in the assessment and management of bleeding risk in patients with cirrhosis. Whether ROTEM may also be useful for assessing the prognosis of these patients is unknown. We aimed to explore the role of ROTEM in predicting the transplant-free survival of patients with cirrhosis.

Methods
We conducted a prospective cohort study of patients with cirrhosis at two hospitals. All patients underwent ROTEM analysis at baseline and were followed up until death, liver transplantation or the end of follow-up (28 February 2023). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to explore the association between transplant-free survivals.

Results
Between April 2018 and October 2021, 162 patients with cirrhosis were recruited and followed-up for a median of 42 months. During follow-up, 36 patients died and 7 underwent liver transplantation. On univariate analysis, maximum clot firmness (MCF) using both EXTEM and INTEM tests was significantly reduced in the death/liver transplant group compared to the survivor group (52 vs. 57, P = 0.02; and 51 vs. 55, P = 0.01, respectively). After adjusting for age, sex, presence of clinically significant portal hypertension, hepatocellular carcinoma, care setting, bilirubin, sodium and creatinine, only albumin (hazard ratio: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.85–0.99, P = 0.018) and MCFEXT (hazard ratio: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.92–0.99, P = 0.032) remained significant predictors of transplant-free survival.

Conclusion
ROTEM may be useful in assessing the survival of patients with cirrhosis. Further research is needed to determine the clinical utility of ROTEM parameters as prognostic markers in cirrhosis.
The use of pre-endoscopic metoclopramide in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zaidi Syed Muhammad Mehdi , Alvi Mustafa Hassan , Irfan Qunoot , Abbasi Laraib , Zohair Muhammad , Abbas Zainab , Qyoum Ahsan , Danish Rabee 
Published: February 2025

Introduction
Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a critical condition with an incidence of 80–150 cases per 100 000 annually and a mortality rate of 2–15%. Endoscopy is crucial for diagnosis and treatment. Prokinetic agents like metoclopramide are studied for their potential to improve visualization by promoting gastric motility. This meta-analysis evaluates the efficacy of intravenous metoclopramide in enhancing endoscopic visualization and clinical outcomes in UGIB patients.

Materials and methods
Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis using PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Scopus up to July 2024. We included randomized controlled trials involving UGIB patients who received intravenous metoclopramide vs placebo. Primary outcome was endoscopy visualization score (EMV). Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.4. This review was registered in PROSPERO RD42024552979.

Results
Five studies with 515 patients were included. The pooled analysis for overall EMV scores indicated significant improvement in metoclopramide group [standardized mean difference 0.47 (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.12–0.82)]. Repeat endoscopy showed no significant difference 0.70 (95% CI: 0.38–1.29). The mean difference for hospital stay was minimal and not significant [mean difference −0.06 (95% CI: −0.24 to 0.12)]. The mean number of red blood cell transfusions was slightly higher but not significant [mean difference 0.04 (95% CI: −0.14 to 0.22)].

Conclusion
Intravenous metoclopramide before endoscopy in UGIB patients improved EMV scores, while the other clinical outcomes were not significant. These findings suggest potential benefits of metoclopramide in UGIB, highlighting the need for further research with larger studies to confirm its effectiveness.
Is type 2 diabetes a link between lung function and metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease? Insights from population studies and Mendelian randomization
Authors: Cao Runmin , Zhang Yurun , Cao Ling , Jiang Honghe 
Published: February 2025

Aim:
This study aimed to investigate the relationship between lung function and metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and the potential mediating role of type 2 diabetes.

Methods
Data from the 2007 to 2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used. Logistic regression analysis was employed to assess the association between lung function parameters [forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), FEV1/FVC] and MASLD prevalence while exploring type 2 diabetes mediation. Further analyses included linkage disequilibrium score regression, Mendelian randomization, and meta-analysis to examine the causal relationship between lung function and MASLD, considering type 2 diabetes mediation.

Results
The results showed that higher FVC and FEV1 levels were associated with decreased MASLD risk, with type 2 diabetes partially mediating this relationship. Genetic analyses supported a causal link between lung function and MASLD, with type 2 diabetes acting as an intermediary. However, no significant association was found between FEV1/FVC and MASLD.

Conclusion
The study identified a causal relationship between lung function and MASLD, with type 2 diabetes playing a partial mediating role.
The mediating role of BMI in alcohol-linked liver enzyme elevation among adults at a tertiary care hospital in South India
Authors: Barathi Arivarasan , Krishnamoorthy Yuvaraj , Kannan Suthanthira , Govindhan Dhanajayan , Elangovan Venmathi , Subbiah Padmavathi , Kuberan Deivasigamani 
Published: February 2025

Background
Excessive alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for liver disease, with significant variations in its impact across populations. BMI has been identified as a potential mediator in alcohol-related liver damage. This study aimed to examine the association between alcohol consumption and liver function and to explore the mediating role of BMI in a population from India, where both are rising public health concerns.

Materials and methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from adult participants. Liver function was assessed using serum levels of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Alcohol consumption was self-reported, and BMI was calculated AST from height and weight measurements. Multiple linear regression models were used to evaluate the relationship between alcohol consumption and liver enzymes while adjusting for BMI as a mediator. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.

Results
The results indicated that higher alcohol consumption was significantly associated with elevated levels of GGT, ALT, and AST. BMI was found to mediate this relationship, with individuals having higher BMI showing a greater increase in liver enzyme levels in response to alcohol consumption. However, no significant association was observed for ALP. BMI also independently correlated with higher levels of GGT, ALT, and AST.

Conclusion
This study highlights the mediating role of BMI in alcohol-induced liver dysfunction in the Indian population. Public health interventions focusing on both reducing alcohol intake and managing obesity may help mitigate the risk of liver disease in this high-risk population.
Treatment of Gonorrhea in setting of Ceftriaxone allergy
Authors: Morton Erin E. , Winters Shannon E. , Cannon Chase A. , Ramchandani Meena S. , Soge Olusegun O. , Altman Matthew C. 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
Treating Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection in patients with cephalosporin allergy represents a significant challenge and highlights urgent need for alternative therapies. This patient case details use of alternative antimicrobials to cure urogenital and pharyngeal gonorrhea in a patient with a severe ceftriaxone allergy in the outpatient clinical setting.
Preferences for monthly oral PrEP over other PrEP modalities among a national sample of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men in the United States
Authors: Gravett Ronnie M. , Long Dustin M. , Biello Katie B. , Mayer Kenneth H. , Krakower Douglas S. , Hill-Rorie Jonathan , Lillis Rebecca A. , Whiteside Yohance , Elopre Latesha 
Published: February 2025

Introduction:
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) cannot meaningfully impact the HIV epidemic in the United States without improving access to PrEP and reducing PrEP disparities among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM), especially GBM of color. A patient-centered approach to increase PrEP options will offer better PrEP solutions to GBM. We sought to understand how GBM prefer current and emerging PrEP modalities.

Methods:
We conducted a national online survey among adult GBM to determine preferences for current and emerging PrEP modalities (daily, on-demand, and monthly oral, subcutaneous and intramuscular injectable, implantable, and rectal douche) and perceived barriers, based on their lived experiences. We determined PrEP modality preferences and associations using multivariable exploded logit regression model.

Results:
723 GBM completed the survey. The largest proportion preferred monthly oral PrEP (n=207, 28.6%), and over half preferred some form of oral PrEP. Race was significantly associated with PrEP modality preference, and Black GBM preferred daily oral PrEP most. Side effects, healthcare visits, administration route and frequency influenced PrEP preferences. PrEP and HIV knowledge, and HIV risk were associated with PrEP modality choice. GBM considered out-of-pocket cost and side effects as the significant barriers to PrEP care.

Conclusions:
Monthly oral PrEP was most preferred with oral options preferred more than other modalities. Black GBM most preferred daily oral PrEP, which could be due to lack of familiarity with the emerging products. Future PrEP provision must include patient-centered prevention plans that include enhanced education and counseling to promote use of newer agents.
Disseminated tuberculosis with rare coccygeal involvement: a case report
Authors: Baziaa Sarra , Zegmout Adil , beaouiss Mohamed , el fathi soufiane , Rafik Aniss , souhi hicham , Rhorfi Ismail , El Ouazzani Hanane 
Published: February 2025

Introduction : Tuberculosis (TB) is a preventable and usually curable disease but remains a major health problem worldwide, particularly in developing countries. TB of the lumbosacral junction is rare and occurs in only 1% to 2% of all cases of spinal TB. Moreover, isolated sacrococcygeal TB is extremely rare.
Case report : We present a case of a 64-year-old patient with a history of diabetes who presented with chronic back pain and cough. Physical examinations revealed a peri-anal fistula and left elbow joint arthritis. the patient is diagnosed with disseminated tuberculosis with coccygeal involvement. Diagnosis was achieved non-invasively using Xpert MTB/RIF confirming Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. The patient experienced complete resolution of symptoms following the commencement of anti-tuberculosis therapy.
Conclusion : We highlight the importance of this case due to the rare coccygeal localization of tuberculosis in an immunocompetent patient, diagnosed through non-invasive means.
Bridging the gap: Enhancing the generalizability of epigenetic clocks through transfer learning
Authors: Luo Lan , Shang Lulu , Goodrich Jaclyn M. , Peterson Karen E. , Song Peter X-K 
Published: February 2025

AbstractChanges in DNA methylation patterns exhibit a high correlation with chronological age. Epigenetic clocks, developed through statistical models that estimate epigenetic age using the methylation levels of cytosine-guanine dinucleotide (CpG) sites, have emerged as powerful tools in understanding aging and age-related diseases. Despite their popularity, the generalizability of these clocks across diverse populations remains a challenge. We find that some of the widely used epigenetic clocks, such as Horvath’s clock (Horvath, 2013) and PedBE clock (McEwen et al., 2020) do not perform well in our target cohort. This lack of representativeness raises concerns about applying these clocks to quantify biological age in distinct demographic and ethnic groups. In addition, the feature space between existing clocks and our target data is different: most existing clocks are trained with data from older platforms, such as the Illumina HumanMethylation450 BeadChip (450K). In contrast, our target data are profiled with a more recent Illumina HumanMethylationEPIC BeadChip (EPIC) array. To address these gaps, we propose a transfer learning framework to adapt existing epigenetic clocks to underrepresented populations, using shared knowledge from diverse datasets. Furthermore, we develop imputation- and DNN-based methods for feature adaptation between existing clocks and our target data. Using data collected from 593 blood samples from a cohort of children and adolescents in the ELEMENT study, we find that our proposed transfer learning methods greatly improve the prediction performance compared to applying existing clocks directly. Performance is further enhanced by using the CpG sites profiled on the EPIC array. Our methodology showcases the potential to bridge the gap between different DNAm datasets and different profiling platforms, thus improving the applicability of epigenetic clocks in diverse population groups and contributing to more accurate aging research.
Peripheral blood mononuclear cell transcriptomic trajectories reveal dynamic regulation of inflammatory actors in delirium
Authors: LaHue Sara C. , Takegami Naoki , Simmasalam Rubinee , Baqai Abiya , Munoz Elena , Sikri Anya , de Courson Thibault du Buisson , Singhal Nilika S. , Eckalbar Walter , Langelier Charles R. , Hendrickson Carolyn M. , Calfee Carolyn S. , Erle David J. , Krummel Matthew F. , Woodruff Prescott G. , Oskotsky Tomiko , Sirota Marina , Ferguson Adam , Douglas Vanja C. , Newman John C. , Pleasure Samuel J. , Wilson Michael R. ,   COMET consortium, Singhal Neel S. 
Published: February 2025

AbstractDelirium is a neurologic syndrome characterized by inattention and cognitive impairment frequently encountered in the medically ill. Peripheral inflammation is a key trigger of delirium, but the patient-specific immune responses associated with delirium development and resolution are unknown. This retrospective cohort study of prospectively collected biospecimens examines RNA sequencing from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of adults hospitalized for COVID-19 to better understand patient-specific factors associated with delirium (n = 64). Longitudinal transcriptomic analyses highlight persistent immune dysregulation in delirium, marked by increasing expression trajectories of genes linked to innate immune pathways, including complement activation, cytokine production, and monocyte/macrophage recruitment. Genes involved adaptive immunity showed a declining trajectory over time in patients with delirium. Although corticosteroid treatment suppressed some aspects of immune hyperactivation, aberrant responses contributing to delirium were exacerbated. Delirium resolution was characterized by normalization of key transcripts such asCCL2and innate immune markers. Novel associations with delirium were found in genes related to stress granule assembly andDUSP2andKLF10, which mediate T-cell responses. These findings provide insights into the peripheral immune responses accompanying delirium and their modulation by corticosteroids. Future trials targeting aberrant inflammatory responses may mitigate the severe outcomes associated with delirium due to COVID19.