bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparative Evaluation of the Effect of Metformin and Insulin on Gut Microbiota and Metabolome Profiles of Type 2 Diabetic Rats Induced by the Combination of Streptozotocin and High-Fat Diet
Authors: Hu Nan , Zhang Qi , Wang Hui , Yang Xuping , Jiang Yan , Chen Rong , Wang Liying 
Published: January 2022

Lately, an increasing number of studies have investigated the relationship between metformin and gut microbiota, suggesting that metformin exerts part of its hypoglycemic effect through the microbes. However, its underlying mechanism remains largely undetermined. In the present study, we investigated the effects of metformin on gut microbiota and metabolome profiles in serum and compared it with insulin treatment in rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Diabetic rats (DM group) were induced by a combination of streptozotocin and high-fat diet (HFD). After 7 days, DM rats were treated with metformin (MET group) or insulin (INS group) for 3 weeks. The 16S rRNA sequencing of the gut microbiota and non-targeted metabolomics analysis of serum were conducted. A total of 13 bile acids (BAs) in serum were further determined and compared among different groups. The rat model of T2DM was well established with the typical diabetic symptoms, showing significantly increased blood glucose, AUC of OGTT, HOMA-IR, TC, TG, LDL-C and TBA. Metformin or insulin treatment could ameliorate symptoms of diabetes and partly recover the abnormal biochemical indicators. Compared with DM rats, the relative abundances of 13 genera were significantly changed after metformin treatment, while only three genera were changed after insulin treatment. The metformin and insulin treatments also exhibited different serum metabolome profiles in T2DM rats. Moreover, 64 differential metabolites were identified between MET and DM groups, whereas 206 were identified between INS and DM groups. Insulin treatment showed greater influence on amino acids, glycerophospholipids/glycerolipids, and acylcarnitine compared with the metformin treatment, while metformin had an important impact on BAs. Furthermore, metformin could significantly decrease the serum levels of CA, GCA, UDCA, and GUDCA, but increase the level of TLCA in DM rats. Insulin treatment significantly decreased the levels of CA, UDCA, and CDCA. Besides, several metabolites in serum or microbiota were positively or negatively correlated with some bacteria. Collectively, our findings indicated that metformin had a stronger effect on gut microbiota than insulin, while insulin treatment showed greater influence on serum metabolites, which provided novel insights into the therapeutic effects of metformin on diabetes.
Clinical and Immunological Factors Associated with Recommended Trough Levels of Adalimumab and Infliximab in Patients with Crohn’s Disease
Authors: Orts Beatriz , Gutierrez Ana , Madero Lucía , Sempere Laura , Frances Ruben , Zapater Pedro 
Published: January 2022

Introduction: Up to 40% of patients with Crohn’s disease do not respond to treatment with anti-TNF or lose response after the initial benefit. Low drug concentrations have been proposed as the main predictor of treatment failure. Our aim was to study the immunological profile and clinical evolution of patients with Crohn’s disease according to the anti-TNF dose and serum trough levels.Methods: Crohn’s disease patients in remission treated with infliximab or adalimumab at stable doses for at least for 3 months were included. Serum levels of anti-TNF, TNF-α, interferon-γ, and interleukin IL-12, IL-10, and IL-26 were determined in blood samples taken just before drug administration. Patients were classified according to anti-TNF levels below, within, or above the target level range and the use of intensified doses. Clinical evolution at 6 months was analyzed.Results: A total of 62 patients treated with infliximab (8 on intensified schedule) and 49 treated with adalimumab (7 on intensified schedule) were included. All infliximab-treated patients showed levels within the recommended range, but half of adalimumab-treated patients were below the recommended range. A significant negative relationship between body weight and adalimumab levels was observed, especially in patients treated with intensified doses. Patients with infliximab levels over 8 µg/ml presented higher median IL-10 than patients with in-range levels (84.0 pg/ml, interquartile range [IQR] 77.0–84.8 vs. 26.2 pg/mL, IQR 22.6–38.0; p &lt; 0.001), along with lower values of interferon-γ (312.9 pg/ml, IQR 282.7–350.4 vs. 405.6 pg/ml, IQR 352.2–526.6; p = 0.005). Patients receiving intensified versus non-intensified doses of infliximab showed significantly higher IL-26 levels (91.8 pg/ml, IQR 75.6–109.5 vs. 20.5 pg/ml, IQR 16.2–32.2; p = 0.012), irrespective of serum drug levels. Patients with in-range levels of adalimumab showed higher values of IL-10 than patients with below-range levels (43.3 pg/ml, IQR 35.3–54.0 vs. 26.3 pg/ml, IQR 21.6–33.2; p = 0.001). Patients treated with intensified vs regular doses of adalimumab had increased levels of IL-12 (612.3 pg/ml, IQR 570.2–1353.7 vs. 516.4 pg/mL, IQR 474.5–591.2; p = 0.023). Four patients with low adalimumab levels (19%) and four treated with intensified doses were admitted to a hospital during a follow-up compared to none of the patients with levels within the range.Conclusion: Patients with Crohn’s disease treated with infliximab and adalimumab exhibit differences in serum levels of cytokines depending on the drug, dose intensification, and steady state trough serum levels.
Durvalumab-Induced Demyelinating Lesions in a Patient With Extensive-Stage Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Case Report
Authors: Liu Wenhui , Chen Bo , Liu Yiping , Luo Zhiying , Sun Bao , Ma Fang 
Published: January 2022

It is of great clinical value to investigate the immune-related adverse events (irAEs), especially demyelinating lesions, caused by immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). The incidence of demyelinating lesions is less frequent in irAEs, but once it occurs, it will seriously affect the survival of patients. The present study reports a case of durvalumab-induced demyelinating lesions in a patient with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer. Subsequently, the patient receives a high intravenous dose of methylprednisolone and his condition is improved after 21 days of treatment. Altogether, early diagnosis and treatment of ICIs-related neurological irAEs is of great significance to the outcome of the patient’s condition.
Assessment of the Risk of Depression in Residents Staying at Long-Term Care Institutions in Poland During the COVID-19 Pandemic Depending on the Quality of Cognitive Functioning
Authors: Górski Michał , Buczkowska Marta , Grajek Mateusz , Garbicz Jagoda , Całyniuk Beata , Paciorek Kamila , Głuszek Aleksandra , Polaniak Renata 
Published: January 2022

Background: The development of the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted the implementation of many procedures to safeguard against further increases in illness. Unfortunately, this has drastically reduced residents’ contact with their families, which has increased feelings of loneliness and isolation. This is particularly difficult in long-term care facilities, where the risk of developing depression is higher than in the general population.Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the risk of depression among the residents of long-term care institutions in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic and to determine the relationship between the risk of depression and the occurrence of cognitive impairment in the study group.Methods: The study included 273 residents from long-term care institutions in Poland. The risk of depression was determined based on an originally designed questionnaire. The cognitive state of the subjects was assessed using the screening test Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Both the depression risk assessment and the MMSE test were conducted twice: in March and December 2020.Results: In March, severe dementia was present in 28.2% of the residents and normal MMSE scores were observed in 16.1% of the subjects; in December, the prevalence of severe dementia increased to 31.1% and that of normal scores decreased to 10.3%. In March, no participant was found to be at high risk of depression and moderate risk was observed in 14.3% of the subjects; in December, 2.6% of the residents had a high risk score and 45.4% had a moderate risk score. Statistical analysis revealed that higher MMSE scores correspond with a higher risk of depression.Conclusion: A higher risk of depression was observed with the development of the pandemic. Residents with cognitive impairment were characterised by a lower risk of depression compared to individuals with normal MMSE scores. During the study, progression of cognitive impairment was observed in the residents.
What Are We Measuring When We Evaluate Digital Interventions for Improving Lifestyle? A Scoping Meta-Review
Authors: Castro Rodolfo , Ribeiro-Alves Marcelo , Oliveira Cátia , Romero Carmen Phang , Perazzo Hugo , Simjanoski Mario , Kapciznki Flavio , Balanzá-Martínez Vicent , De Boni Raquel B. 
Published: January 2022

Background: Lifestyle Medicine (LM) aims to address six main behavioral domains: diet/nutrition, substance use (SU), physical activity (PA), social relationships, stress management, and sleep. Digital Health Interventions (DHIs) have been used to improve these domains. However, there is no consensus on how to measure lifestyle and its intermediate outcomes aside from measuring each behavior separately. We aimed to describe (1) the most frequent lifestyle domains addressed by DHIs, (2) the most frequent outcomes used to measure lifestyle changes, and (3) the most frequent DHI delivery methods.Methods: We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA-ScR) Extension for Scoping Reviews. A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Web of Science for publications since 2010. We included systematic reviews and meta-analyses of clinical trials using DHI to promote health, behavioral, or lifestyle change.Results: Overall, 954 records were identified, and 72 systematic reviews were included. Of those, 35 conducted meta-analyses, 58 addressed diet/nutrition, and 60 focused on PA. Only one systematic review evaluated all six lifestyle domains simultaneously; 1 systematic review evaluated five lifestyle domains; 5 systematic reviews evaluated 4 lifestyle domains; 14 systematic reviews evaluated 3 lifestyle domains; and the remaining 52 systematic reviews evaluated only one or two domains. The most frequently evaluated domains were diet/nutrition and PA. The most frequent DHI delivery methods were smartphone apps and websites.Discussion: The concept of lifestyle is still unclear and fragmented, making it hard to evaluate the complex interconnections of unhealthy behaviors, and their impact on health. Clarifying this concept, refining its operationalization, and defining the reporting guidelines should be considered as the current research priorities. DHIs have the potential to improve lifestyle at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of prevention—but most of them are targeting clinical populations. Although important advances have been made to evaluate DHIs, some of their characteristics, such as the rate at which they become obsolete, will require innovative research designs to evaluate long-term outcomes in health.
What Factors Predict the Adoption of Type 2 Diabetes Patients to Wearable Activity Trackers—Application of Diffusion of Innovation Theory
Authors: Chen Ping , Shen Ying , Li Zeming , Sun Xinying , Feng Xing Lin , Fisher Edwin B. 
Published: January 2022

Background: Globally, diabetes has brought an enormous burden to public health resources, and the situation of disease burden caused by diabetes in China is especially severe. China is currently facing the dual threat of aging and diabetes, and wearable activity trackers could promote elderly diabetic patients' physical activity levels and help them to manage blood glucose control. Therefore, examining the influencing factors of elderly patients' adoption intention is critical as wearing adoption determines actual wearing behaviors.Objective: This study aims to explore the predicting factors of Chinese elderly type 2 diabetic patients' adoption intention to wearable activity trackers and their actual wearing behavior, using diffusion of innovation theory as the theoretical framework. We hope to provide insights into future interventions using wearable activity trackers as tools to improve the outcome of patients.Methods: Wearable activity trackers were freely distributed to type 2 diabetic patients in Beijing, China. A questionnaire survey was conducted to examine predicting factors of adoption intention after a week's try-on. Actual wearing behavior for 3-month was obtained from the exclusive cloud. Data were analyzed with structural equation modeling.Results: A total of 725 patients completed the questionnaire. Patients had a mean age of 60.3 ± 7.6 years old and the educational level was generally lower. The results indicated that observability was the primary influencing factor of patients' adoption intention (β = 0.775, P &lt; 0.001). Relative advantage (β = 0.182, P = 0.014) and perceived social image (β = 0.080, P = 0.039) also had a positive influence while perceived risk (β = −0.148, P &lt; 0.001) exerted a negative influence. In addition, results showed that the more intention led to the better actual wearing behavior (β = 0.127, P = 0.003). Observability (β = 0.103, P = 0.005), perceived ease (β = 0.085, P = 0.004), and relative advantage (β = 0.041, P = 0.009) also indirectly influenced the wearing behavior.Conclusion: The intentions of Chinese elderly type 2 diabetic patients to wearable activity trackers directly influenced the actual wearing behavior. In addition, their adoption intention to wearable activity trackers was mainly influenced by observability, perceived ease to use, relative advantage, perceived risk, and social image.
Deep Learning Based Superconducting Radio-Frequency Cavity Fault Classification at Jefferson Laboratory
Authors: Vidyaratne Lasitha , Carpenter Adam , Powers Tom , Tennant Chris , Iftekharuddin Khan M. , Rahman Md Monibor , Shabalina Anna S. 
Published: January 2022

This work investigates the efficacy of deep learning (DL) for classifying C100 superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavity faults in the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) at Jefferson Lab. CEBAF is a large, high-power continuous wave recirculating linac that utilizes 418 SRF cavities to accelerate electrons up to 12 GeV. Recent upgrades to CEBAF include installation of 11 new cryomodules (88 cavities) equipped with a low-level RF system that records RF time-series data from each cavity at the onset of an RF failure. Typically, subject matter experts (SME) analyze this data to determine the fault type and identify the cavity of origin. This information is subsequently utilized to identify failure trends and to implement corrective measures on the offending cavity. Manual inspection of large-scale, time-series data, generated by frequent system failures is tedious and time consuming, and thereby motivates the use of machine learning (ML) to automate the task. This study extends work on a previously developed system based on traditional ML methods (Tennant and Carpenter and Powers and Shabalina Solopova and Vidyaratne and Iftekharuddin, Phys. Rev. Accel. Beams, 2020, 23, 114601), and investigates the effectiveness of deep learning approaches. The transition to a DL model is driven by the goal of developing a system with sufficiently fast inference that it could be used to predict a fault event and take actionable information before the onset (on the order of a few hundred milliseconds). Because features are learned, rather than explicitly computed, DL offers a potential advantage over traditional ML. Specifically, two seminal DL architecture types are explored: deep recurrent neural networks (RNN) and deep convolutional neural networks (CNN). We provide a detailed analysis on the performance of individual models using an RF waveform dataset built from past operational runs of CEBAF. In particular, the performance of RNN models incorporating long short-term memory (LSTM) are analyzed along with the CNN performance. Furthermore, comparing these DL models with a state-of-the-art fault ML model shows that DL architectures obtain similar performance for cavity identification, do not perform quite as well for fault classification, but provide an advantage in inference speed.
Undulatory Swimming Performance Explored With a Biorobotic Fish and Measured by Soft Sensors and Particle Image Velocimetry
Authors: Schwab Fabian , Wiesemüller Fabian , Mucignat Claudio , Park Yong-Lae , Lunati Ivan , Kovac Mirko , Jusufi Ardian 
Published: January 2022

Due to the difficulty of manipulating muscle activation in live, freely swimming fish, a thorough examination of the body kinematics, propulsive performance, and muscle activity patterns in fish during undulatory swimming motion has not been conducted. We propose to use soft robotic model animals as experimental platforms to address biomechanics questions and acquire understanding into subcarangiform fish swimming behavior. We extend previous research on a bio-inspired soft robotic fish equipped with two pneumatic actuators and soft strain sensors to investigate swimming performance in undulation frequencies between 0.3 and 0.7 Hz and flow rates ranging from 0 to 20 cms in a recirculating flow tank. We demonstrate the potential of eutectic gallium–indium (eGaIn) sensors to measure the lateral deflection of a robotic fish in real time, a controller that is able to keep a constant undulatory amplitude in varying flow conditions, as well as using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) to characterizing swimming performance across a range of flow speeds and give a qualitative measurement of thrust force exerted by the physical platform without the need of externally attached force sensors. A detailed wake structure was then analyzed with Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) to highlight different wave modes present in the robot’s swimming motion and provide insights into the efficiency of the robotic swimmer. In the future, we anticipate 3D-PIV with DMD serving as a global framework for comparing the performance of diverse bio-inspired swimming robots against a variety of swimming animals.
HIV Vulnerability Among Survival Sex Workers Through Sexual Violence and Drug Taking in a Qualitative Study From Victoria, Canada, With Additional Implications for Pre-exposure Prophylaxis for Sex Workers
Authors: Benner Bryan Eric 
Published: January 2022

Objective: This qualitative study investigates how social and structural forces mediate vulnerability to HIV infection and transmission among survival sex workers, their clients, and their non-commercial, intimate partners—with especial focus on sexual violence and drug taking.Method: I employed an adapted grounded theory approach to conducting and analyzing (n = 9) open-ended, in-depth interviews with a convenience sample of currently working (and recently exited) survival sex workers from a community setting in Victoria, Canada.Findings: Participants revealed important contexts and conditions under which they were vulnerable to HIV infection. At the behavioural level, participants were aware of how HIV could be transmitted (condomless sex and sharing drug equipment), yet participants voiced strongly how structural and systemic features (for instance, client violence, the need for drugs, and “bad date” referrals) could squeeze and constrain their agency to take up safer practices, mediating their optimal HIV health and safety. Some participants reported strained relationships with police because of previous drug involvement.Conclusion: Survival sex workers constitute a health population vulnerable to HIV infection, and ensuring there could be a supportive (outreach) community replete with HIV resources is paramount. The availability of safer sex and drug equipment play important roles in HIV behavioural prevention efforts. However, uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) at no cost in the Canadian province of British Columbia could be an important and beneficial structural intervention for non-injection drug taking cis-female sex workers in this study who are presently ineligible for no cost PrEP.
High Accuracy Molecular Line Lists for Studies of Exoplanets and Other Hot Atmospheres
Authors: Tennyson Jonathan , Yurchenko Sergey N. 
Published: January 2022

The desire to characterize and model the atmospheres of the many extrasolar planets that have been discovered over the last three decades is a major driver of current astronomy. However, this goal is impacted by the lack of spectroscopic data on the molecules in question. As most atmospheres that can be studied are hot, some surprisingly so, this activity requires spectroscopic information not readily available from laboratory studies. This article will review the current status of available molecular spectroscopic data, usually presented as line lists, for studies of exoplanet atmospheres and, indeed, the atmospheres of other astronomical objects hotter than the Earth such as brown dwarfs, cool stars and even sunspots. Analysis of exoplanet transit spectra and the calculation of the relevant opacities often require huge datasets comprising billions of individual spectroscopic transitions. Conversely, the newly-developed high-resolution Doppler-shift spectroscopy technique has proved to be a powerful tool for detecting molecular species in exoplanet atmospheres, but relies on the use of smaller, highly accurate line lists. Methods of resolving issues arising from the competing demands of completeness versus accuracy for line lists are discussed.
Assessing Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity in Older Adults: Validity of a Commercial Activity Tracker
Authors: Briggs Brandon C. , Hall Katherine S. , Jain Chani , Macrea Madalina , Morey Miriam C. , Oursler Krisann K. 
Published: January 2022

Purpose: Despite the potential for commercial activity devices to promote moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), limited information is available in older adults, a high-priority target population with unique gait dynamics and energy expenditure. The study purpose was to investigate the content validity of the Garmin Vivosmart HR device for step counts and MVPA in adults ≥65 years of age in free-living conditions.Methods: Thirty-five participants (M age= 73.7 (6.3) years) wore Garmin and ActiGraph GT3X+ devices for a minimum of 2 days. Accuracy and intra-person reliability were tested against a hip worn ActiGraph device. Separate analyses were conducted using different accelerometer cut-off values to define MVPA, a population-based threshold (≥2,020 counts/minute) and a recommended threshold for older adults (≥1,013 counts/minute).Results: Overall, the Garmin device overestimated MVPA compared with the hip-worn ActiGraph. However, the difference was small using the lower, age-specific, MVPA cut-off value [median (IQR) daily minutes; 50(85) vs. 32(49), p = 0.35] in contrast to the normative standard (50(85) vs. 7(24), p &lt; 0.001). Regardless of the MVPA cut-off, intraclass correlation showed poor reliability [ICC (95% CI); 0.16(-0.40, 0.55) to 0.35(−0.32, 0.7)] which was supported by Bland-Altman plots. Garmin step count was both accurate (M step difference: 178.0, p = 0.22) and reliable [ICC (95% CI; 0.94) (0.88, 0.97)].Conclusion: Results support the accuracy of a commercial activity device to measure MVPA in older adults but further research in diverse patient populations is needed to determine clinical utility and reliability over time.