Artificial Intelligence, the Production of Scientific Texts, and the Implications for Sleep Science: Exploring Emerging Paradigms and Perspectives.

The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized many fields, including natural language processing, and marks a potential paradigm shift in the way we evaluate knowledge. One significant innovation in this area is ChatGPT, a large language model based on the GPT-3.5 architecture created by OpenAI, with one of its main aims being to aid in general text writing, including scientific texts. Here, we highlight the challenges and opportunities related to using generative AI and discuss both the benefits of its use, such as saving time by streamlining the writing process and reducing the amount of time spent on mundane tasks, and the potential drawbacks, including concerns regarding the accuracy and reliability of the information generated and its ethical use. In respect of both education and the writing of scientific texts, clear rules and objectives and institutional principles must be established for the use of AI. We also consider the positive and negative effects of the use of AI technologies on interpersonal interactions and behavior, and, as sleep scientists, its potential impacts on sleep. Striking a balance between the benefits and potential drawbacks of integrating AI into society demands ongoing research by experts, the wide dissemination of the scientific results, as well as continued public discourse on the subject.

Assessing AF2's ability to predict structural ensembles of proteins.

Recent breakthroughs in protein structure prediction have enhanced the precision and speed at which protein configurations can be determined. Additionally, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations serve as a crucial tool for capturing the conformational space of proteins, providing valuable insights into their structural fluctuations. However, the scope of MD simulations is often limited by the accessible timescales and the computational resources available, posing challenges to comprehensively exploring protein behaviors. Recently emerging approaches have focused on expanding the capability of AlphaFold2 (AF2) to predict conformational substates of protein. Here, we benchmark the performance of various workflows that have adapted AF2 for ensemble prediction and compare the obtained structures with ensembles obtained from MD simulations and NMR. We provide an overview of the levels of performance and accessible timescales that can currently be achieved with machine learning (ML) based ensemble generation. Significant minima of the free energy surfaces remain undetected.

Assessing the Potential of Tortistilus (Hemiptera: Membracidae) from Northern California Vineyards as Vector Candidates of Grapevine Red Blotch Virus.

Ceresini treehoppers are present in northern California vineyard ecosystems, including the closely related Spissistilus and Tortistilus (Hemiptera: Membracidae). These membracids are not direct pests of wine grapes, but S. festinus is a vector of grapevine red blotch virus (GRBV). No information is available on the ability of Tortistilus spp. to transmit GRBV. In this study, Tortistilus were collected on yellow panel cards across 102 vineyard sites and surrounding areas in Napa Valley, California, USA in 2021-2023. Specimens were morphotyped, sexed and tested for GRBV ingestion and acquisition by multiplex PCR or qPCR. Phylogenetic analysis of the partial sequence of mt-COI and ITS gene fragments of a subset of 40 Tortistilus specimens revealed clustering in a monophyletic clade with T. wickhami with the former barcode sequence. Only 6% (48/758) of the T. wickhami tested positive for GRBV, but none of the heads with salivary glands (0%, 0/50) of the dissected specimens tested positive for GRBV, indicating no virus acquisition. In contrast, half of the dissected heads with salivary glands of S. festinus (52%, 12/23), from the same collection vineyard sites, tested positive for GRBV. Together, our findings confirmed the presence of T. wickhami in northern California vineyards and suggested a dubious role of this treehopper as a vector of GRBV.

Wound Healing and Scar Patterning After Addition of Autologous Skin Cell Suspension to Meshed Grafts.

INTRODUCTION: A common treatment for large deep-to-full-thickness burns is excision and grafting with a widely meshed split-thickness skin graft (mSTSG). Due to the differential healing of the interstices and adhered split-thickness skin graft, wound patterning and delayed wound healing are common outcomes of this treatment. Delayed healing may increase infection rates and wound care requirements, while wound patterning may be psychologically and aesthetically consequential for patients. Autologous skin cell suspension (ASCS) can be used to "over spray" a meshed autograft. It was hypothesized that the use of ASCS combined with mSTSG would increase the rate of wound healing and decrease patterning in healed burn wounds. METHODS: Full-thickness burns or excisional wounds (n = 8 each) were created in red Duroc pigs and received 4:1 mSTSGs after wound bed preparation. Half of the wounds received ASCS and half did not at the time of grafting. Percent re-epithelialization, patterning, rete ridge ratio, cellularity, dermal and epidermal thickness, immunofluorescent S100ß staining, and melanin index were assessed for each scar. RESULTS: Wounds that received ASCS exhibited increased rates of re-epithelialization (burn +ACSC versus burn-ASCS; day 3 (53.9 ± 3.1 versus 34.3 ± 3.3, P = 0.009): day 5 (68.1 ± 1.6 versus 40.8 ± 3.2, P < 0.001)). Excision +ASCS versus excision-ASCS; day 7 (98.1 ± 1.2 versus 86.4 ± 2.0, day 7 P = 0.022) compared to wounds not treated with ASCS. There was no difference in rete ridge ratio, cellularity, dermal thickness, epidermal thickness, S100ß staining, melanin index, or patterning was measured between wounds that received ASCS and those that did not. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of ASCS to 4:1 mSTSGs leads to increased rate of wound healing but does not impact the degree of patterning in this model, suggesting that ASCS application likely robustly transfers keratinocytes but not functioning melanocytes at acute timepoints.

The Relationship Between Provider and Patient Racial Concordance and Receipt of Postpartum Care.

Access to postpartum care (PPC) varies in the US and little data exists about whether patient factors may influence receipt of care. Our study aimed to assess the effect of provider-patient racial concordance on Black patients' receipt of PPC. We conducted a cross-sectional study analyzing over 24,000 electronic health records of childbirth hospitalizations at a large academic medical center in Alabama from January 2014 to March 2020. The primary outcome variable was whether a Black patient with a childbirth hospitalization had any type of PPC visit within 12 weeks after childbirth. We used a generalized estimating equation (GEE) logistic regression model to assess the relationship between provider-patient racial concordance and receipt of PPC. Black patients with Black main providers of prenatal or childbirth care had significantly higher adjusted odds of receiving PPC (adj. OR 2.26, 95% CI 1.65-3.09, p < .001) compared to Black patients with non-Black providers. White patients who had White providers did not have statistically significantly different odds of receiving PPC compared to those with non-White providers after adjustment (adj. OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.68-1.14). Although these results should be interpreted with caution given the low number of Black providers in this sample, our findings suggest that in one hospital system in Alabama, Black birthing people with a racially concordant main prenatal and delivery care provider may have an increased likelihood of getting critical PPC follow-up.

We Hope You're Listening: Qualitative Study of Advice Given by Individuals with Parkinson's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Patient-centered care for persons with Parkinson's disease (PwPD) is associated with positive outcomes, but is lacking in current healthcare systems. OBJECTIVE: In this qualitative study, we solicited advice from PwPD to medical professionals, family members/friends, and newly-diagnosed PwPD. METHODS: Through an online survey, 275 PwPD answered open-ended questions asking for their advice. Responses were analyzed using content analysis. Interrater reliability was 94.5%. RESULTS: Three qualitative themes were identified. First, participants advised enhancing care and communication, with healthcare professionals balancing clinical constraints with compassion, and family/friends balancing support with appreciating autonomy of PwPD. The second theme was empowering PwPD through increasing their knowledge of the disease and care options. The third reflected the importance of focusing on well-being and connection. CONCLUSION: The results highlight several gaps in meeting the needs of PwPD in healthcare settings and personal relationships, underscoring the importance of integrating their perspectives in shaping approaches to care.

Reading skill profiles of dysfluent readers in grades 2 and 3.

Text reading fluency (TRF) is a common reading intervention target in second and third grade. TRF requires the integration of several skills that result in several pathways to dysfluent reading. However, when applying the drill-down approach to intervention targeting, practitioners are guided to consider students' rate and accuracy when reading connected text after ruling out decoding difficulties. A question remains whether students' reading rate and accuracy alone is sensitive to differences in the underlying skills that promote TRF. We used latent profile analysis to investigate whether different profiles of component reading skills could be identified among second- (n = 127) and third-grade (n = 170) students who were referred for an intervention targeting TRF. Most students were identified as white (56%) and students were predominately English speakers (87%). At the beginning of the intervention, we measured participants' skills in listening comprehension, reading comprehension, reading vocabulary, word reading efficiency, and decoding efficiency. Four profiles emerged in both grades with similar patterns in terms of the component skills influencing TRF. Students in two of the profiles demonstrated relative strengths in word reading or reading comprehension with their other skills near the sample average. A third profile approximated the sample average across all component skills whereas the fourth profile was below the sample average in all measured skills. However, some of the empirically derived profiles did not differ in terms of students' average reading rate. For example, the average words read correct per minute did not significantly differ between students with relative strengths in comprehension and students with relative strengths with word reading. Our results suggest that differences in students' text reading rate and accuracy may not always capture potentially relevant differences in the skills that influence TRF.

Exploring the Link between Premature Ovarian Insufficiency, Insomnia and Circadian Pathways.

OBJECTIVE: To establish an interaction network for genes related to premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) and insomnia, and to identify biological processes that connect POI to the physiological clock. METHODS: Previously reported lists of genes associated to POI and insomnia were contrasted and their intersection was used as input on protein-protein interaction analyses. POI-associated genes were contrasted with gene expression markers for neural circadian control and enriched pathways among their shared content were dissected. RESULTS: The functional network generated from the intersection between POI and insomnia gene lists pointed to the central nervous system as the most relevant cellular context for this connection. After identifying POI-associated genes that play a role in neural circadian patterns, we observed the disruption of pathways related to the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis as the major genetic link between ovarian function and circadian neural circuits. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight neurological mechanisms that support the POI-insomnia interplay.

Racial/Ethnic Differences in the Age-Varying Association Between Adherence to 8-5-2-1-0 Guidelines in Adolescents with High BMI.

PURPOSE: To examine the association between adherence to sleep, dietary, screen time, and physical activity (PA) (8-5-2-1-0) guidelines and risk of high body mass index (BMI ≥ 85 percentile) among U.S. adolescents and to assess for racial inequities and age-varying effects in these associations. METHODS: Data from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System survey were used to conduct multivariable logistic regression models and moderation analysis by race/ethnicity and age using time-varying varying effect models (TVEM) and estimate associations of interest. RESULTS: Of the 13,518 adolescents aged ≥ 14 years, only 0.5% met all guidelines. Adolescents adhering to sleep guidelines had a 21% reduction in their odds of having a high BMI (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.67-0.93). Those adhering to PA guidelines had a 34% reduction in their odds of having a high BMI (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.56-0.79), and those adhering to screen time guidelines had a 17% reduction in their odds of having a high BMI (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.72-0.95). TVEM showed associations between adherence to sleep and screen time guidelines with high BMI fluctuate and are at specific ages. TVEM revealed substantial racial/ethnic differences in the age-varying association between adherence to 8-5-2-1-0 guidelines and high BMI throughout adolescence. CONCLUSIONS: Associations between adherence to sleep and screen time guidelines and high BMI fluctuate with age, highlighting the need for nuanced interventions targeting 24-h movement guidelines (sleep, PA, and screen time) across adolescence, particularly given racial/ethnic disparities.

Exploring the feasibility and acceptability of community paramedicine programs in achieving vaccination equity: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Mobile Integrated Health-Community Paramedicine (MIH-CP) is a novel approach that may reduce the rural-urban disparity in vaccination uptake in the United States. MIH-CP providers, as physician extenders, offer clinical follow-up and wrap-around services in homes and communities, uniquely positioning them as trusted messengers and vaccine providers. This study explores stakeholder perspectives on feasibility and acceptability of community paramedicine vaccination programs. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with leaders of paramedicine agencies with MIH-CP, without MIH-CP, and state/regional leaders in Indiana. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS: We interviewed 24 individuals who represented EMS organizations with MIH-CP programs (MIH-CP; n = 10), EMS organizations without MIH-CP programs (non-MIH-CP; n = 9), and state/regional administrators (SRA; n = 5). Overall, the sample included professionals with an average of 19.6 years in the field (range: 1-42 years). Approximately 75% (n = 14) were male, and all identified as non-Hispanic white. MIH-CPs reported they initiated a vaccine program to reach underserved areas, operating as a health department extension. Some MIH-CPs integrated existing services, such as food banks, with vaccine clinics, while other MIH-CPs focused on providing vaccinations as standalone initiatives. Key barriers to vaccination program initiation included funding and vaccinations being a low priority for MIH-CP programs. However, participants reported support for vaccine programs, particularly as they provided an opportunity to alleviate health disparities and improve community health. MIH-CPs reported low vaccine hesitancy in the community when community paramedics administered vaccines. Non-CP agencies expressed interest in launching vaccine programs if there is clear guidance, sustainable funding, and adequate personnel. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides important context on the feasibility and acceptability of implementing an MIH-CP program. Findings offer valuable insights into reducing health disparities seen in vaccine uptake through community paramedics, a novel and innovative approach to reduce health disparities in rural communities.