Publications by authors named "Leon A"

The primary purpose of electronic government (e-government) is to promote transparency, facilitate access to government services, and strengthen the accountability of public institutions in the digital transformation age. However, few studies have explored the factors that affect women's adoption of e-government, especially in emerging economies. Consequently, this study aims to identify the factors that influence the adoption of e-government services by young women in Medellín, Colombia.

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Background: Inflammation and innate immune activation are associated with chronic HIV infection, despite effective treatment. Although gut microbiota alterations are linked to systemic inflammation, the relationships between the gut microbiome, inflammation and HIV remain unclear.

Methods: The UPBEAT-CAD sub-study, examining cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in HIV, enrolled participants matched on HIV status and traditional CVD risk factors.

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We propose and characterize a novel two-dimensional material, 2D-CRO, derived from bulk calcium-based ruthenates (CROs) of the Ruddlesden-Popper family, CaRuO ( = 1 and 2). Using density functional theory, we demonstrate that 2D-CRO maintains structural stability down to the monolayer limit, exhibiting a tight interplay between structural and electronic properties. Notably, 2D-CRO displays altermagnetic behavior, characterized by zero net magnetization and strong spin-dependent phenomena, stabilized through dimensionality reduction.

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Oxidized regenerated cellulose (ORC; marketed as Surgicel® and Tabotamp®) is routinely used as an intraoperative hemostatic agent. Rarely, residual ORC has been associated with a foreign body reaction generating cystic or granulomatous lesions (i.e.

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Deep learning has proven capable of automating key aspects of histopathologic analysis. However, its context-specific nature and continued reliance on large expert-annotated training datasets hinders the development of a critical mass of applications to garner widespread adoption in clinical/research workflows. Here, we present an online collaborative platform that streamlines tissue image annotation to promote the development and sharing of custom computer vision models for PHenotyping And Regional Analysis Of Histology (PHARAOH; https://www.

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Background: We aimed to identify the central lifestyle, the most impactful among lifestyle factor clusters; the central health outcome, the most impactful among health outcome clusters; and the bridge lifestyle, the most strongly connected to health outcome clusters, across 29 countries to optimise resource allocation for local holistic health improvements.

Methods: From July 2020 to August 2021, we surveyed 16 461 adults across 29 countries who self-reported changes in 18 lifestyle factors and 13 health outcomes due to the pandemic. Three networks were generated by network analysis for each country: lifestyle, health outcome, and bridge networks.

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Background: Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) product characteristics are not well established. The aim of this study was to compare mononuclear cells (MNCs) collection using the new Amicus blue (AB) In-line ECP system to our standard Off-line ECP system using the Optia apheresis device and the MacoGenic G2 inactivation system (OM).

Study Design And Methods: We assessed the ECP products and procedure parameters, patient characteristics, and adverse events for both AB and OM systems in paired patients.

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Transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a well-established risk factor for future strokes, making interventions that target recovery and vascular risk crucial. This study aimed to assess the safety and clinical effects of a polyphenol-rich extract in post-TIA patients. A randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted with participants who had a history of TIA or minor stroke and who received 1 g of Salicornia extract or placebo over 11 months.

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Introduction: therapeutic equivalence has been established in the effectiveness of peripheral nerve blocks in the management of pain in the postoperative period of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. However, it is unknown whether this effect is modulated by the anesthesiologist's experience. The objective was to describe the effectiveness of peripheral nerve blocks during the first 24 hours of the postoperative period, considering patient characteristics and the anesthesiologist's experience.

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We present a rare case of optic neuropathy due to anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive (ALK+) anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) with optic nerve infiltration in a 12-year-old girl who presented with acute unilateral vision loss, diplopia, and headache after two prior hospitalizations at an outside facility for disk edema. She had a presumptive diagnosis of neurosarcoidosis and empiric treatment had been initiated with high-dose corticosteroids. Ongoing worsening of vision prompted presentation at our facility.

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The use of next-generation sequencing and other high-throughput technologies in the clinical molecular diagnostics laboratory requires the application of bioinformatics pipelines and other computational tools to analyze, visualize, and store these clinical data. Clinical bioinformaticians, individuals with the skills to develop, validate, and deploy these tools in a clinical setting, are needed to ensure that these molecular diagnostic technologies can be appropriately used for clinical care. Building on existing expertise in informatics, next-generation sequencing, and clinical molecular diagnostics, the Association for Molecular Pathology has generated a series to establish an initial clinical bioinformatician body of knowledge.

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Objective: Peri-implant enhancement can be seen on contrast-enhanced breast MRI, but its association with malignancy has not been described, leading to considerable variability in assessment and recommendations by radiologists. This study evaluated imaging features, management, and outcomes of implant-related enhancement.

Methods: This multisite IRB-approved retrospective review queried all breast MRI reports for keywords describing peri-implant enhancement, fluid, and/or masses (plus synonymous descriptions) and implant-associated malignancies, with subsequent imaging and chart review.

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Breast cancer remains one of the most common causes of cancer and cancer-related death in women. With increases in medical imaging utilization, incidentally detected cancer has become more prevalent. Specifically, breast cancer can be incidentally detected on nuclear cardiac imaging scans due to its high metabolic activity and because the tumor may fall within the field of view during these studies.

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Trisomy of human chromosome 21 (Ts21) individuals present with a spectrum of low bone mineral density (BMD) that predisposes this vulnerable group to skeletal injuries. To determine the bone regenerative capacity of Down syndrome (DS) mice, male and female Dp16 and Ts65Dn DS mice underwent amputation of the digit tip (the terminal phalanx (P3)). This is a well-established mammalian model of bone regeneration that restores the amputated skeletal segment and all associated soft tissues.

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Introduction: The opioid crisis is a major public health issue, and postoperative opioids play a unique role. Many institutions have implemented standardized protocols to decrease excess opioids available. The objective of this study was to establish a standardized pain protocol for common surgical procedures and assess postoperative pain control.

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Pathogenic variants in the gene are often dominant-negative and cause an X-linked form of Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) with growth retardation and typical facial features. However, rare variants cause a developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE) with intractable early-onset epilepsy that is absent in CdLS. Here we describe an 11-year-old girl with epilepsy, walking disorder, and neurodevelopmental disorder.

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Unlabelled: Freshwater ecosystems can be largely affected by neighboring agriculture fields where potential fertilizer nitrate run-off may leach into surrounding water bodies. To counteract this eutrophic driver, farmers in certain areas are utilizing denitrifying woodchip bioreactors (WBRs) in which a consortium of microorganisms convert the nitrate into nitrogen gases in anoxia, fueled by the degradation of lignocellulose. Polysaccharide-degrading strategies have been well described for various aerobic and anaerobic systems, including the use of carbohydrate-active enzymes, utilization of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) and other redox enzymes, as well as the use of cellulosomes and polysaccharide utilization loci (PULs).

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Biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) effectively curtails nitrogen (N) loss and enhances N utilization efficiency. BNI is increasingly important as a technology for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution in countries with high N fertilizer consumption. This study aimed to evaluate the potential impacts of BNI-enabled sorghum varieties with a 30 % soil nitrification inhibition rate for a major sorghum-growing state (Maharashtra, India).

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Pathogen reinfections occur widely, but the extent to which reinfected hosts contribute to ongoing transmission is often unknown despite its implications for host-pathogen dynamics. House finches () acquire partial protection from initial exposure to the bacterial pathogen (MG), with hosts readily reinfected with homologous or heterologous strains on short timescales. However, the extent to which reinfected hosts contribute to MG transmission has not been tested.

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Objective: Prior research has indicated that outcome expectancies, sensitivity to punishment, and sensitivity to reward may predict harmful health behaviors concurrently, including disordered eating. Loss-of-control eating (LOCE), feeling unable to resist eating or stop once one has started, is associated with expectancies that eating alleviates negative affect (NA reduction expectancies) and expectancies that eating is rewarding (reward expectancies).

Method: A survey battery was administered examining LOCE pathology, sensitivity to punishment, sensitivity to reward, and eating expectancies to a sample of 1660 adults in the United States ( = 39.

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Background/objectives: Endometriosis (END) is a painful gynecological condition. Clinical examination, imaging, and laparoscopy can provide a definitive diagnosis of END. Nonetheless, non-invasive biomarkers could help enhance and streamline the diagnostic process.

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Does prompting people to volunteer for the climate spur or hamper further environmental engagement? We address this question in an online experiment with 10,670 German respondents. First, respondents read a text explaining how to help scientists fight climate change. Second, participants choose whether to do a real-effort task, like the behavior emphasized in the text.

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An increase in the number of drug-resistant microbes is a major threat to human health. Bacterial drug resistance is mostly mediated by biofilm formation. In this study, the culture filtrate from the edible mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus, was fractionated to isolate compounds that inhibit the biofilm formation of six pathogenic bacteria.

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Background: Health benefits of whole grain (WG) consumption are well documented. Current Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend at least half of total grains consumed be WG; however, Americans consume less than one serving of WG per day. Inferior taste of whole grain products as compared with refined grain products has been reported as one of the main barriers to acceptability and consumption of whole grains.

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Mpox is a zoonotic disease endemic in central and west Africa. However, since 2022, human-adapted mpox virus (MPXV) strains are causing large outbreaks spreading outside these regions, leading the World Health Organization to declare public health emergency twice. Tecovirimat, the most widely used drug to treat these infections, blocks viral egress through a poorly understood mechanism.

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