bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Reduced Morbidity and Mortality Associated With Minimally Invasive Single-vessel Coronary Artery Bypass Compared With Conventional Sternotomy
Authors: Cain Michael T. , Joyce David L. , Szabo Aniko , Wu Ruizhe , Kohmoto Takushi , Joyce Lyle D. , Pearson Paul J. 
Published: July 2022

Objective:
We aimed to describe the safety and clinical benefits of minimally invasive, nonsternotomy coronary artery bypass grafting (MICABG) using data from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) National Database.

Background:
MICABG has gained popularity, owing to expected lower perioperative morbidity and shorter recovery. Despite this, concerns remain regarding anastomotic quality and the validity of proposed perioperative benefits.

Methods:
We queried the STS National Database for all patients who underwent single-vessel coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) from January 2014 to December 2016 to compare outcomes of MICABG with conventional CABG. Patients who underwent concomitant or emergent procedures were excluded. Propensity-weighted cohorts were compared by operative approach with adjustment for variability across institutions.

Results:
Of 12,406 eligible patients, 2688 (21.7%) underwent MICABG, and 9818 (78.3%) underwent conventional CABG. Propensity weighting produced excellent balance in patient characteristics, including completeness of revascularization, body mass index, and STS predictive risk scores. MICABG was associated with significant reduction of in-hospital mortality [odds ratio (OR)=0.32, absolute reduction (AR)=0.91%, P<0.0001]; 30-day mortality (OR=0.51, AR=0.88%, P=0.001), duration of ventilation (8.62 vs 12.6 hours, P<0.0001), prolonged hospitalization (OR=0.77, AR=1.6, P=0.043), deep wound infection (OR=0.33, AR=0.68, P<0.004), postoperative transfusions (OR=0.52, AR=7.7%, P<0.0001), and STS composite morbidity (OR=0.72, AR=1.19%, P=0.008). Subgroup analysis of only off-pump left internal mammary artery-left anterior descending CABG showed similar findings. Major adverse cardiac events and graft occlusion did not differ between groups.

Conclusions:
MICABG is associated with lower mortality and perioperative morbidity compared with conventional sternotomy CABG. MICABG may have a role in treating single-vessel disease.
The Effect of Bariatric Surgery on Long-term Depression Treatment in Patients With Obesity
Authors: Smith Valerie A. , Maciejewski Matthew L. , Berkowitz Theodore S.Z. , Mitchell James E. , Liu Chuan-Fen , Bradley Katharine A. , Olsen Maren K. , Livingston Edward L. , Arterburn David E. 
Published: July 2022

Objective:
In a large multisite cohort of Veterans who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) or laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), initiation of (ie, incident) and persistence of (ie, continuation of preoperative) depression treatment are compared with matched nonsurgical controls.

Background:
Bariatric surgery has been associated with short-term improvements in depression but less is known about longer term outcomes.

Methods:
In a retrospective cohort study, we matched 1713 Veterans with depression treatment who underwent bariatric surgery in Veterans Administration bariatric centers from fiscal year 2001 to 2016 to 15,056 nonsurgical controls using sequential stratification and examined the persistence of depression treatment via generalized estimating equations. Incidence of depression treatment was compared using Cox regression models between 2227 surgical patients and 20,939 matched nonsurgical controls without depression treatment at baseline.

Results:
In surgical patients with depression treatment at baseline, the use of postsurgical depression treatment declined over time for both surgical procedures, but postsurgical patients had greater use of depression treatment at 5 years [RYGB: odds ratio=1.24, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04–1.49; LSG: odds ratio=1.27, 95% CI: 1.04–1.56] compared with controls. Among those without depression treatment at baseline, bariatric surgery was associated with a higher incidence of depression treatment compared with matched controls (RYGB: hazard ratio=1.34, 95% CI: 1.17–1.53; LSG: hazard ratio at 1–5 years=1.27, 95% CI: 1.10–1.47).

Conclusions:
Bariatric surgery was associated with a greater risk of postoperative incident depression treatment and greater persistence of postoperative depression treatment. Depression may worsen for some patients after bariatric surgery, so clinicians should carefully monitor their patients for depression postoperatively.
Ancient DNA from Protohistoric Period Cambodia indicates that South Asians admixed with local populations as early as 1st-3rd centuries CE
Authors: Changmai Piya , Pinhasi Ron , Pietrusewsky Michael , Stark Miriam T. , Ikehara-Quebral Rona Michi , Reich David , Flegontov Pavel 
Published: July 2022

AbstractIndian cultural influence is remarkable in present-day Mainland Southeast Asia (MSEA), and it may have stimulated early state formation in the region. Various present-day populations in MSEA harbor a low level of South Asian ancestry, but previous studies failed to detect such ancestry in any ancient individual from MSEA. In this study, we discovered a substantial level of South Asian admixture (ca. 40% – 50%) in a Protohistoric individual from the Vat Komnou cemetery at the Angkor Borei site in Cambodia. The location and direct radiocarbon dating result on the human bone (95% confidence interval is 78 – 234 calCE) indicate that this individual lived during the early period of Funan, one of the earliest states in MSEA, which shows that the South Asian gene flow to Cambodia started about a millennium earlier than indicated by previous published results of genetic dating relying on present-day populations. Plausible proxies for the South Asian ancestry source in this individual are present-day populations in Southern India, and the individual shares more genetic drift with present-day Cambodians than with most present-day East and Southeast Asian populations.
Cerebral perfusion in post-stroke aphasia and its relation to residual language abilities
Authors: Ivanova Maria V. , Pappas Ioannis , Inglis Benjamin , Pracar Alexis , Herron Timothy J. , Baldo Juliana V. , Kayser Andrew S. , D’Esposito Mark , Dronkers Nina F. 
Published: July 2022

ABSTRACTStroke alters blood flow to the brain resulting in damaged tissue and cell death. Moreover, the disruption of cerebral blood flow (perfusion) can be observed in areas surrounding and distal to the lesion. These structurally preserved but sub-optimally perfused regions may also affect recovery. Thus, to better understand aphasia recovery the relationship between cerebral perfusion and language needs to be systematically examined. In the current study, we aimed to evaluate 1) how stroke affects perfusion outside of lesioned areas in chronic aphasia, and 2) how perfusion in specific cortical areas and perilesional tissue relates to language outcomes in aphasia. We analyzed perfusion data from a large sample of participants with chronic aphasia due to left hemisphere stroke (n=43) and age-matched healthy controls (n=25). We used anatomically-defined regions of interest that covered the frontal, parietal, and temporal areas of the perisylvian cortex in both hemispheres, areas typically known to support language, along with several control regions not implicated in language processing. For the aphasia group we also looked at three regions of interest in the perilesional tissue. We compared perfusion levels between the two groups and investigated the relationship between perfusion levels and language subtest scores while controlling for demographic and lesion variables. First, we observed that perfusion levels outside the lesioned areas were significantly reduced in frontal and parietal regions in the left hemisphere in people with aphasia compared to the control group, while no differences were observed for the right hemisphere regions. Second, we found that perfusion in the left temporal lobe (and most strongly in the posterior part of both superior and middle temporal gyri) and inferior parietal areas (supramarginal gyrus) was significantly related to residual expressive and receptive language abilities. In contrast, perfusion in the frontal regions did not show such a relationship; no relationship with language was also observed for perfusion levels in control areas and all right hemisphere regions. Third, perilesional perfusion was only marginally related to language production abilities. Cumulatively, the current findings demonstrate that blood flow is reduced beyond the lesion site in chronic aphasia and that hypoperfused neural tissue in critical temporoparietal language areas has a negative impact on behavioral outcomes. These results, using perfusion imaging, underscore the critical and general role that left hemisphere posterior temporal regions play in various expressive and receptive language abilities. Overall, the study highlights the importance of exploring perfusion measures in stroke.
Revisiting biological sex as a risk factor for COVID-19: a fact or mirage of numbers?
Authors: Singh Samer 
Published: July 2022

AbstractBiological sex is considered a risk factor for COVID-19. The prevailing view supposes males are about two-fold more impacted than females based on early-stage studies. The observed higher male deaths in COVID-19 are purportedly a result of biological differences that make males more vulnerable to adverse outcomes in infectious diseases. Research and policy paradigms seem to follow a similar line of thought to mitigate COVID-19 impact on populations. The analysis of sex-disaggregated data could help us evaluate the veracity of assertions for a preferred evidence-guided response. The analysis of the sex-disaggregated data available for the top 70 countries contributing about 80% of total deaths (as of 15 September 2021; on average two waves of infections experienced) indicates average Case Sex (Male: Female) ratio (CSR) of 1.09±0.35 (marginally more male cases) and Death Sex ratio (DSR) of 1.48± 0.47. Consideration of only laboratory-confirmed cases indicates the mortality sex ratio (MSR) in COVID-19 (MSR-COVID) to be 1.37±0.30. The prevailing MSR for the same countries was 1.758±0.409. The relative change in the mortality rate for males as compared to females in COVID-19 (ratio: MSR-COVID/prevailing MSR-PP) was 0.818±0.261 much lower than anticipated (2 or higher). Overall, over three-fold more countries (51/70) experienced a higher rate of female mortality than male mortality (15/70). Together, it suggests a more disproportionately severe impact of COVID-19 on females than on males, contrary to the prevailing view. Identification and analysis of country-specific factors contributing to differential impact on sexes, whether biological or environmental, seem warranted.
Validation and Implementation of Real Time PCR for Rapid Identification of Candida auris from Clinical Surveillance Samples in a Local Public Health Laboratory Setting
Authors: Mikhail Lydia , Crumpler Megan , Bourgeois Marie , Roberts Jill 
Published: July 2022

AbstractBackgroundCandida auris is a worldwide emerging pathogen known for causing infections and outbreaks in health care settings. In Orange County, CA, C. auris has been circulating and causing outbreaks in long term care facilities since 2019, with a total of 1,017 cases detected from February 2019 to December 2021.ObjectiveTo evaluate an rt-PCR assay for rapid identification and assessment of colonization of C. auris from patient surveillance samples at the OC Public Health Laboratory.MethodAn extraction protocol using the MasterPure kit and automated EZ1 Advanced XL followed by rt-PCR using PerfeCTa Multiplex qPCR TaqMan, and the 7500 Fast Dx was conducted. The assay was evaluated using 131 previously confirmed patient samples and 123 prospective fresh samples from different body sites.ResultsThe assay was highly reproducible at an LOD of 230 CFU/ml. The sensitivity and specificity of the 131 samples was 90 % and 86 % respectively and for the 123 samples it was 93% and 90% respectively. ROC analysis was calculated using all samples (n = 254) to determine the most ideal diagnostic value. The AUC was 0.922 and optimal cutoff was a cycle threshold 36.78. A CT ≤37.00 is the ideal diagnostic value for patient surveillance samples.ConclusionThe successful implementation of the rt-PCR assay for C. auris in a local public health laboratory allows for accurate and rapid screening and identification of C. auris which can contribute to enhanced surveillance and control of C. auris spread in local health care facilities.
Perception is Rich and Probabilistic
Authors: Jabar Syaheed B. , Fougnie Daryl 
Published: July 2022

AbstractWhen we see a stimulus, e.g. a star-shaped object, our intuition is that we should perceive a single, coherent percept (even if it is inaccurate). But the neural processes that support perception are complex and probabilistic. Simple lines cause orientation-selective neurons across a population to fire in a probabilistic-like manner. Does probabilistic neural firing lead to non-probabilistic perception, or are the representations behind perception richer and more complex than intuition would suggest? To test this, we briefly presented a complex shape and had participants report the correct shape from a set of options. Rather than reporting a single value, we used a paradigm designed to encourage to directly report a representation over shape space—participants placed a series of Gaussian bets. We found that participants could report more than point-estimates of shape. The spread of responses was correlated with accuracy, suggesting that participants can convey a notion of relative imprecision. Critically, as participants placed more bets, the mean of responses show increased precision. The later bets were systematically biased towards the target rather than haphazardly placed around bet 1. These findings strongly indicate that participants were aware of more than just a point-estimate; Perceptual representations are rich and likely probabilistic.
Salient sounds distort time perception and production
Authors: Symons Ashley , Dick Fred , Tierney Adam 
Published: July 2022

AbstractThe auditory world is often cacophonous, with some sounds capturing attention and distracting us from our goals. Despite the universality of this experience, many questions remain about how and why sound captures attention, how rapidly behavior is disrupted, and how long this interference lasts. Here we use a novel measure of behavioral disruption to test two predictions made by models of auditory salience. First, models predict that goal-directed behavior is disrupted at points in time that feature a high degree of spectrotemporal change. We find that behavioral disruption is precisely time-locked to the onset of distracting sound events: participants tapping to a metronome speed up immediately after the onset of distractors. Moreover, this response is greater for more salient sounds (larger amplitude) and sound changes (greater pitch shift). Second, models predict that different auditory features are combined into an overarching salience map. We find that the time course of behavioral disruption is highly similar after acoustically disparate sound events, suggesting overlapping mechanisms of attentional capture: both sound onsets and pitch shifts of continuous background sounds speed responses at 750 ms, with these effects dying out by 1750 ms. These temporal distortions can be observed using only data from the first trial across participants. A potential mechanism underlying these results is that arousal increases after distracting sound events, leading to an expansion of time perception, and causing participants to misjudge when their next movement should begin.Significance StatementThe noisy world constantly challenges our pursuit of goals. When driving, for example, a cacophony of mechanical, musical, and conversational sounds surrounds us and can wrench our focus away from the road. While the physiological signatures of auditory attentional capture are well researched, we know surprisingly little about how sound affects moment-to-moment behavior: How quickly do sounds affect our actions, how transient is the effect, and how is action affected by changes in sound properties? Here we use a synchronized tapping paradigm to show that loud sounds and large acoustic changes cause rapid distortions in time perception. However, these distortions were corrected within 2 seconds, showing that goal-directed behavior is transiently vulnerable yet ultimately resilient in the face of distraction.
Obox4promotes zygotic genome activation upon loss ofDux
Authors: Guo Youjia , Kitano Tomohiro , Inoue Kimiko , Murano Kensaku , Hirose Michiko , Li Ten D. , Sakashita Akihiko , Ishizu Hirotsugu , Ogonuki Narumi , Matoba Shogo , Sato Masayuki , Ogura Atsuo , Siomi Haruhiko 
Published: July 2022

AbstractOnce fertilized, mouse zygotes rapidly proceed to zygotic genome activation (ZGA), during which long terminal repeats (LTRs) of murine endogenous retroviruses with leucine tRNA primer (MERVL) are activated by a conserved homeodomain-containing transcription factor, DUX. However,Dux-knockout embryos produce fertile mice, suggesting that ZGA is redundantly driven by an unknown factor(s). Here we present multiple lines of evidence that the multicopy homeobox gene,Obox4, encodes a transcription factor that is highly expressed in mouse 2-cell embryos and redundantly drives ZGA. Genome-wide profiling revealed that OBOX4 specifically binds and activates MERVL LTRs as well as a subset of murine endogenous retroviruses with lysine tRNA primer (MERVK) LTRs. Depletion ofObox4is tolerated by embryogenesis, whereas concomitantObox4/Duxdepletion markedly compromises embryonic development. Our study identified OBOX4 as a transcription factor that provides genetic redundancy to pre-implantation development.
Tank Fouling Community Enhances Coral Microfragment Growth
Authors: Page Chris , Perry Riley , Lager Claire , Daly Jonathan , Bouwmeester Jessica , Henley E. Michael , Hagedorn Mary 
Published: July 2022

AbstractAnthropogenic stressors threaten reefs worldwide and natural in situ coral reproduction may be inadequate to meet this challenge. Land-based culture can provide increased coral growth, especially with microfragments. We tested whether culture methods using different algal fouling communities could improve the growth and health metrics of microfragments of the Hawaiian coral, Porites compressa. Culture method fouling communities were: 1) similar to a reef environment (Mini Reef); 2) clean tanks managed to promote crustose coralline algae (Clean Start); and, 3) tanks curated beforehand with poorly-competing algae (Green Film) assessed in winter and summer months. The Green Film method during the winter produced the fastest microfragment mean growth at 28 days until the first row of new polyps developed and the highest tank metric scores. Time efficient, standardized methods for land-based culture designed to maximize growth and production of coral fragments will contribute considerably to the success of large scale restoration efforts.
Mesophyll specific expression of a bacterial mercury transporter-based vacuolar sequestration machinery sufficiently enhances mercury tolerance of Arabidopsis
Authors: Uraguchi Shimpei , Ohshiro Yuka , Okuda Mayuu , Kawakami Shiho , Yoneyama Nene , Tsuchiya Yuta , Nakamura Ryosuke , Takanezawa Yasukazu , Kiyono Masako 
Published: July 2022

AbstractWe aimed to efficiently enhance plant Hg(II) tolerance by the transgenic approach utilizing a bacterial mercury transporter MerC, an Arabidopsis mesophyll specific promoter pRBCS1A, and a vacuolar membrane targeting syntaxin AtVAM3/SYP22. We generated two independent homozygous Arabidopsis pRBCS1A-TCV lines expressing mT-Sapphire-MerC-AtVAM3 under the control of pRBCS1A. Quantitative RT-PCR showed that the transgene was expressed specifically in shoots of pRBCS1A-TCV lines. Confocal analyses further demonstrated the leaf mesophyll specific expression of mT-Sapphire-MerC-AtVAM3. Confocal observation of the protoplast derived from the F1 plants of the pRBCS1A-TCV line and the tonoplast marker line p35S-GFP-δTIP showed the tonoplast colocalization of mT-Sapphire-MerC-AtVAM3 and GFP-δTIP. These results clearly demonstrated that mT-Sapphire-MerC-AtVAM3 expression in Arabidopsis is spatially regulated as designed at the transcript and the membrane trafficking levels. We then examined the Hg(II) tolerance of the pRBCS1A-TCV lines as well as the p35S-driven MerC-AtVAM3 expressing line p35S-CV under the various Hg(II) stress conditions. Short-term (12 d) Hg(II) treatment indicated the enhanced Hg(II) tolerance of both pRBCS1A-TCV and p35S-CV lines. The longer (3 weeks) Hg(II) treatment highlighted the better shoot growth of the transgenic plants compared to the wild-type Col-0 and the pRBCS1A-TCV lines were more tolerant to Hg(II) stress than the p35S-CV line. These results suggest that mesophyll-specific expression of MerC-AtVAM3 is sufficient or even better to enhance the Arabidopsis Hg(II) tolerance. The Hg accumulation in roots and shoots did not differ between the wild-type Col-0 and the MerC-AtVAM3 expressing plants, suggesting that the boosted Hg(II) tolerance of the transgenic lines would be attributed to vacuolar Hg-sequestration by the tonoplast-localized MerC. Further perspectives of the MerC-based plant engineering are also discussed.
Neural response to repeated auditory stimuli and its association with early language development in children with Fragile X syndrome
Authors: An Winko W. , Nelson Charles A. , Wilkinson Carol L. 
Published: July 2022

AbstractBackgroundFragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most prevalent form of inherited intellectual disability and is the most common monogenetic cause of autism. Previous studies have linked the structural and functional alterations in FXS with impaired sensory processing and sensory hypersensitivity, which may hinder the early development of cognitive functions such as language comprehension. In this study, we compared the P1 response in event-related potential (ERP) and its habituation to repeated auditory stimuli in male children (2-7 years old) with and without FXS, and examined their association with clinical measures in these two groups.MethodsWe collected high-density electroencephalography (EEG) data in an auditory oddball paradigm from 12 children with FXS and 11 age- and sex-matched typically developing (TD) children. After standardized EEG pre-processing, we conducted a spatial principal component (PC) analysis and identified two major PCs — a frontal PC and a temporal PC. Within each PC, we compared the P1 amplitude and inter-trial phase coherence (ITPC) between the two groups, and performed a series of linear regression analysis to study the association between these EEG measures and several clinical measures, including assessment scores for language development, non-verbal skills, and sensory hypersensitivity.ResultsAt the temporal PC, both early and late standard stimuli evoked a larger P1 response (p = 0.0037, p<0.0001, respectively) and higher ITPC (p = 0.0402, p = 0.0027) in FXS than in TD. We observed habituation of ITPC in both groups at the frontal PC (p = 0.0149 for FXS; p = 0.0244 for TD). Linear regression analysis showed that within the FXS group reduced frontal P1 response to late standard stimuli and increased habituation were associated with better languages scores. No associations were observed with non-verbal skills or sensory hypersensitivity.ConclusionWe identified P1 amplitude and ITPC in the temporal region as a contrasting EEG phenotype between the FXS and the TD groups. P1 response and habituation in the frontal region may be reflective of the language outcome in male children with FXS. These EEG measures are potential biomarkers for early diagnosis and future language development in patients with FXS.