bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oncogene SCARNA12 as a potential diagnostic biomarker for colorectal cancer
Authors: Zhang Hong , Liu Xin , Zhang Wencheng , Deng Jiarong , Lin Chuxian , Qi Zhenhua , Li Yaqiong , Gu Yongqing , Wang Qi , Shen Liping , Wang Zhidong
Published: November 2023

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignant tumors of the digestive system, and represents a severe threat to the life and health of individuals. Increasing evidence supports the role of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) as critical regulatory gene in cancer development. Small Cajal body-specific RNAs (scaRNAs), a subtype of snoRNAs, are named for their subcellular localization within Cajal bodies. SCARNA12, which located at the intronic region of PHB2 in chromosome 12p13.31 with 270 nucleotides (nt) in length. It has been reported function as a diagnostic marker for cervical cancer. However, its biological functions and molecular mechanisms in CRC have yet to be elucidated. In this study, bioinformatics analysis revealed that SCARNA12 was highly expressed in CRC and positively correlated with poor prognosis in CRC patients. Additionally, SCARNA12 showed upregulated expression in CRC cell lines and clinical CRC tissue samples. Moreover, SCARNA12 overexpression in SW620 cells accelerated cell proliferation, suppressed the apoptosis rate, and enhanced tumorigenesis in vivo. The knockdown of SCARNA12 expression in HCT116 and HT29 cells resulted in contrasting effects. The functioning of SCARNA12 is mechanically independent of its host gene PHB2. Notably, the overexpression of SCARNA12 activated PI3K/AKT pathway in SW620 cells, and the malignancy degree of CRC cells was attenuated after treatment with MK2206 (a specific AKT inhibitor). Our findings demonstrated that SCARNA12 plays an oncogenic role in CRC progression and can be used as a potential diagnostic biomarker for CRC.
Introduction to this special section: Carbon management
Authors: Flannery Matt , Mehta Kurang , Bathija Arpita P.
Published: November 2023

Carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration/storage (CCUS) might be considered as putting the proverbial genie of carbon dioxide (CO2) back in the bottle. In brief, we aim to separate CO2 from industrial combustion exhaust, or directly from the atmosphere, and inject it into subsurface brines (either as a supercritical fluid or dissolved in seawater) with the ultimate goal of permanent mineralization. An ancient alchemist seeking to take the air from fire, add to water, and turn the mixture to rock would be delighted indeed. This is an ambitious goal, but one within our collective reach. The last five years have witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of CCUS projects, investments, and technology advances. These recent developments have been the most sustained progress since CO2 was first injected into the ground in 1972 or since it was initially sequestered commercially at Sleipnir in 1996.
A preliminary analysis of natural CO2-saturated gas sands distribution in the Gemah Field-Jabung Block, South Sumatra Basin, Indonesia, by using simple seismic attributes
Authors: Alamsyah Muhammad Noor , Fitrianto Teguh , Sukmono Sigit , Winardhi Sonny
Published: November 2023

The discovery of CO2-saturated gas in sandstone reservoirs of the Lower Talang Akar Formation (LTAF) in the Jabung Block of South Sumatra Basin is a significant exploration risk that affects development plans. Gemah Field is one of the fields that produces CO2-saturated gas in the area. The field has several oil rims that can be optimized for production by using carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) enhanced oil recovery (EOR). This paper discusses a preliminary analysis of the natural CO2-saturated gas sands distribution in the FS3 interval of Gemah Field by using simple seismic attributes. The results can be used for guiding the feasibility analysis of CCUS-EOR implementation and mitigation of drilling risk of subsequent developments wells. Poststack seismic attributes and inversion analysis were performed and constrained by data from 64 wells in the FS3 interval. Although these two methods give similar distribution of sandstone reservoirs, this study finds that the sum of negative amplitude (SNA) attribute is better because there is a linear relationship between SNA with sand thickness and CO2 saturation. High CO2 saturation gas reservoir zones are observed along the highly faulted areas. CO2 saturation decreases away from the faulted areas and follows the northeast–southwest direction of reservoir deposition. The identified high CO2 regions can be considered as zones of potential CO2 sources for CCUS-EOR. The low CO2 areas are a potential location for a subsequent drilling well to obtain cleaner gas reservoirs with low CO2 saturation.
Reviews
Authors: Aitken Julie
Published: November 2023

Perspectives on Deep-Sea Mining: Sustainability, Technology, Environmental Policy and Management, edited by Rahul Sharma, 2022.
Nuclear mechanosensing of the aortic endothelium in health and disease
Authors: Mannion Aarren J. , Holmgren Lars
Published: November 2023

The endothelium, the monolayer of endothelial cells that line blood vessels, is exposed to a number of mechanical forces, including frictional shear flow, pulsatile stretching and changes in stiffness influenced by extracellular matrix composition. These forces are sensed by mechanosensors that facilitate their transduction to drive appropriate adaptation of the endothelium to maintain vascular homeostasis. In the aorta, the unique architecture of the vessel gives rise to changes in the fluid dynamics, which, in turn, shape cellular morphology, nuclear architecture, chromatin dynamics and gene regulation. In this Review, we discuss recent work focusing on how differential mechanical forces exerted on endothelial cells are sensed and transduced to influence their form and function in giving rise to spatial variation to the endothelium of the aorta. We will also discuss recent developments in understanding how nuclear mechanosensing is implicated in diseases of the aorta.
The Immediate Biomechanical Effects of a Flat, Flexible School Shoe in Adolescents with Patellofemoral Pain
Authors: Mazzella Natalie , Trowell Danielle , Fox Aaron , Saunders Natalie , Vicenzino Bill , Bonacci Jason
Published: November 2023

Introduction

Treatment options for adolescent patellofemoral pain (PFP) are limited. School footwear might be a suitable intervention to modulate patellofemoral joint (PFJ) loads in adolescents with PFP. This study examined the immediate effects of a flat, flexible school shoe compared to a traditional school shoe on knee joint kinematics and kinetics, and PFJ reaction force during walking and running in adolescents with PFP.

Methods

28 adolescents (12 female, 16 male, mean ± standard deviation age 14.3 ± 1.7 years) with PFP walked and ran on an instrumented treadmill in two randomly ordered conditions: (i) flat, flexible school shoe and (ii) traditional school shoe. Three-dimensional marker trajectory and ground reaction force data were sampled at 250 and 1000 Hz, respectively. Continuous ankle and knee joint angles and moments, PFJ reaction force and ankle power were compared between conditions using one-dimensional statistical parametric mapping paired t-tests (alpha <0.05).

Results

Walking in the flat, flexible school shoe resulted in a significant reduction in knee flexion (15-35% of gait cycle, p < 0.001), knee extension moment (15-40% of gait cycle, p < 0.001) and PFJ reaction force (15-40% of gait cycle, p < 0.001) compared to the traditional school shoe. During running, knee flexion (10-33% of gait cycle, p < 0.001), knee extension moment (15-25% of gait cycle, p < 0.001) and PFJ reaction force (15-25% of gait cycle, p < 0.001) were lower when wearing the flat, flexible school shoe compared to the traditional school shoe.

Conclusions

PFJ reaction force is reduced when adolescents walk and run in a flat, flexible school shoe compared to a traditional school shoe. Flat, flexible school shoes may be an effective intervention to modulate biomechanical factors related to PFP.
Diverse and dynamic Slovenia, towards the necessary changes
Authors: Lesar Kikelj Martina , Gosar Hirci Barbka , Šubic Prislan Jana , Močnik Ramovš Lucija , Šantej Borut
Published: November 2023

Cultural heritage is a value in all its forms. As an important and indivisible part of local, regional, national and European identity, it represents the quality of the living environment and is a key source of balanced development. Heritage is the foundation of Slovenia’s cultural diversity, which is intertwined with remarkable landscape and biological diversity and the country’s attractiveness for living, education, development, artistic creation, tourism and other economic activities. Cultural heritage broadens Slovenia’s visibility in the international community. In a Eurobarometer survey (2017), 92% of Slovenians surveyed said that cultural heritage is important for our country, and 76% said they are proud of our common heritage. Naturally, cultural heritage cannot exist without the people who protect, preserve and popularise it. This is precisely where we need to work on the challenges and problems that have arisen as a result of the free movement of labour and the emergence of market activities.

One of the biggest challenges facing the conservation-restoration Þeld is the regulation of the profession. The regulation of the conservation-restoration professions is relevant in Slovenia for the public sector and in the case of persons who independently perform a specialised profession through recognition fees, from the point of view of covering the social instruments in the Þeld of self-employment in the cultural heritage sector. The status of self-employed persons in the cultural heritage sector is granted by the Ministry of Culture. However, the profession isn´t regulated on the market since anyone who believes they have sufÞcient knowledge, even without appropriate education, can create and register a conservation and restoration business in any Þeld without examination by a commission. Conservation and restoration activities in Slovenia can therefore be based on three different starting points: The Public sector (regulated), the Status of self-employed persons in the cultural heritage sector (regulated), and Independent entrepreneurship in the Þeld of conservation and restoration (unregulated).
Финансијски аспекти кризног менаџмента у савременим условима привређивања
Authors: Μερκούρη Ευαγγελία
Published: November 2023

Σήμερα, οι οικονομικές, κοινωνικές, περιβαλλοντικές και χρηματοοικονομικές πτυχές είναι κυρίαρχοι παράγοντες για τον καθορισμό και την αντιμετώπιση του οικονομικού μοντέλου εθνικής ασφάλειας. Η εθνική ασφάλεια στην ετυμολογική της έννοια και πλαίσιο αναφέρεται στις ενέργειες των θεσμών σε εθνικό και διεθνές επίπεδο με σκοπό την προστασία και την προώθηση της προστασίας της ακεραιότητας του κράτους και του ατόμου. Σε ένα ευρύτερο, παρόμοιο οικονομικό πλαίσιο, η εθνική ασφάλεια αντιπροσωπεύει τη δυναμική σχέση μεταξύ των θεσμών, των κανονισμών και του πλήρους οικονομικού περιβάλλοντος στο οποίο το άτομο και η εταιρεία αισθάνονται ασφαλείς σε όλες τις πτυχές του γίγνεσθαι, της ακεραιότητας και της λειτουργίας τους. Στο πλαίσιο αυτό, υπάρχει ανάγκη ανάλυσης των καθοριστικών παραγόντων της εθνικής ασφάλειας, η οποία εξετάζεται από τη σκοπιά της οικονομικής πραγματικότητας. Ένα τέτοιο πρόβλημα, το οποίο δεν έχει διερευνηθεί δομικά και ως προς το περιεχόμενο στη Δημοκρατία της Σερβίας, προωθεί μια πιο ολοκληρωμένη άποψη της εθνικής ασφάλειας και παρέχει πληροφορίες για περαιτέρω ενέργειες, τόσο θεσμικά όσο και ρυθμιστικά. Η εθνική ασφάλεια, που αντιστοιχεί στην άποψη από οικονομική, κοινωνικο-οικολογική και χρηματοοικονομική άποψη, παρέχει ένα σύνθετο και βαθύ πεδίο ανάλυσης, που προτείνει και ανακοινώνει μια συγκεκριμένη και δημόσια συνεισφορά στην επιστήμη, στους δημιουργούς των οικονομικών και δημόσιων πολιτικών. s στο οικονομικό μοντέλο της εθνικής ασφάλειας και να κάνουν συγκεκριμένη τη διαλεκτική και σύνθετη σχέση τους.
Outbreaks of COVID-19 in a tuberculosis treatment sanatorium on the Thailand-Myanmar border: a retrospective cohort analysis
Authors: Aung Htet Ko Ko , Swe Lei Lei , Saito Makoto , Lesseps Sophie , Janurian Naw , Tun Win Pa Pa , Maung Maung Banyar , Than Aung , Watthanaworawit Wanitda , Kaewphanderm Napaporn , Gornsawun Gornpan , Pyae Phyo Aung , Nosten François
Published: November 2023

Background Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic condition, with overlapping symptoms to those of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). There has been inconsistent evidence on whether TB is a predisposing factor for developing severe COVID-19. The aim of this report is to explore whether TB influences the severity of COVID-19. Methods COVID-19 cases at two TB sanatoria on the Thailand-Myanmar border were reviewed. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data including TB treatment and co-morbidities, were analyzed. Characteristics and COVID-19 clinical outcomes were compared between two groups of patients: TB and those without TB (the caretakers and the medical personnel). Multivariable ordered logistic regression was conducted to compare the risk of severe COVID-19 between the two groups. Results Between September 2021 and March 2022, 161 COVID-19 cases were diagnosed. Over half of the COVID-19 patients were infected with TB (n= 104, 64.6%), and the rest were not (n=57, 35.4%). The median (interquartile range) age was 48 (33.5-57.0) and 27 (23-33) years in the TB and in the non-TB COVID-19 patients, respectively. Before COVID-19 infection, 67.1% (106/158) of patients had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. The median cycle threshold value at diagnosis was not different between TB (18.5, IQR 16.1-32.3) and non-TB patients (18.8, 15.1-30.0). Fever, gastrointestinal symptoms and ageusia were more common in non-TB patients. Six patients (3.8%, 6/156) all from the TB group became severe of which five (3.2%, 5/156) required oxygen therapy. One TB patient died (1/104, 0.96%) of lung cancer. After adjustment for potential confounders, the final clinical severity was not different between the two groups (adjusted odds ratio 1.40, 95% confidence interval 0.16–12.39). Conclusions TB was not associated with severe outcomes in the two TB sanatoria. The high uptake of COVID-19 vaccination and active screening could have impacted on disease progression and prevented unfavorable outcomes.
Factors associated with survival in patients with clear cell sarcoma
Authors: Fujiwara Tomohiro , Kunisada Toshiyuki , Nakata Eiji , Mitsuhashi Toshiharu , Ozaki Toshifumi , Kawai Akira
Published: November 2023

Aims

Clear cell sarcoma (CCS) of soft-tissue is a rare melanocytic subtype of mesenchymal malignancy. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and therapeutic factors associated with increased survival, stratified by clinical stage, in order to determine the optimal treatment.

Methods

The study was a retrospective analysis involving 117 patients with histologically confirmed CCS, between July 2016 and November 2017, who were enrolled in the Bone and Soft Tissue Tumour Registry in Japan.

Results

The five- and ten-year survival rates were 41% (95% confidence interval (CI) 29 to 52) and 37% (95% CI 25 to 49), respectively. On multivariable analysis, the size of the tumour of > 10 cm (p = 0.006), lymph node metastasis at the time of diagnosis (p < 0.001), distant metastases at the time of diagnosis (p < 0.001), and no surgery for the primary tumour (p = 0.019) were independently associated with a poor survival. For N0M0 CCS (n = 68), the development of distant metastases was an independent prognostic factor for survival (early (< 12 months), hazard ratio (HR) 116.78 (95% CI 11.69 to 1,166.50); p < 0.001; late (> 12 months), HR 14.79 (95% CI 1.66 to 131.63); p = 0.016); neoadjuvant/adjuvant chemotherapy (p = 0.895) and/or radiotherapy (p = 0.216) were not significantly associated with survival. The five-year cumulative incidence of local recurrence was 19% (95% CI 8 to 35) and the size of the tumour was significantly associated with an increased rate of local recurrence (p = 0.012). For N1M0 CCS (n = 18), the risk of mortality was significantly lower in patients who underwent surgery for both the primary tumour and lymph node metastases (HR 0.03 (95% CI 0.00 to 0.56); p = 0.020). For M1 CCS (n = 31), excision of the primary tumour was independently associated with better survival (HR 0.26 (95% CI 0.09 to 0.76); p = 0.013). There was no significant difference in survival between the different types of systemic treatment (p = 0.523).

Conclusion

Complete excision of the primary tumour and lymph nodes is associated with a better survival in patients with CCS. Systemic treatment appears to provide limited benefits, demonstrating a pressing need for novel systemic agents.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(11):1216–1225.
Solitary versus multiple bone metastases in the appendicular skeleton
Authors: Ladegaard Thea H. , Sørensen Michala S. , Petersen Michael M.
Published: November 2023

Aims

We first sought to compare survival for patients treated surgically for solitary and multiple metastases in the appendicular skeleton, and second, to explore the role of complete and incomplete resection (R0 and R1/R2) in patients with a solitary bony metastasis in the appendicular skeleton.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study on a population-based cohort of all adult patients treated surgically for bony metastases of the appendicular skeleton between January 2014 and December 2019. We excluded patients in whom the status of bone metastases and resection margin was unknown. Patients were followed until the end of the study or to their death. We had no loss to follow-up. We used Kaplan-Meier analysis (with log-rank test) to evaluate patient survival. We identified 506 operations in 459 patients. A total of 120 operations (in 116 patients) were for solitary metastases and 386 (in 345 patients) for multiple metastases. Of the 120 operations, 70 (in 69 patients) had no/an unknown status of visceral metastases (solitary group) and 50 (in 49 patients) had visceral metastases. In the solitary group, 45 operations (in 44 patients) were R0 (resections for cure or complete remission) and 25 (in 25 patients) were R1/R2 (resections leaving microscopic or macroscopic tumour, respectively). The most common types of cancer in the solitary group were kidney (n = 27), lung (n = 25), and breast (n = 20).

Results

The one-year patient survival was 47% (95% confidence interval (CI) 38 to 57) for the solitary bony metastases and 34% (95% CI 29 to 39) for multiple bone metastases (p < 0.001). The one-year patient survival was 64% (95% CI 52 to 75) for solitary bony metastases without/with unknown visceral metastases and 23% (95% CI 11 to 36) for solitary bony metastases with visceral metastases (p < 0.001). The one-year patient survival was 75% (95% CI 62 to 89) for a solitary bony metastasis after R0 surgery and 42% (95% CI 22 to 61) for a solitary bony metastasis with R1/R2 surgery (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Our study suggests that the surgical treatment of patients with a solitary bony metastasis to the appendicular skeleton results in better survival than for patients with multiple bony metastases. Furthermore, aggressive treatment of a solitary bony metastasis with R0 surgery may improve patient survival.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(11):1206–1215.
Effectiveness of Residue and Tillage Management on Runoff Pollutant Reduction from Agricultural Areas
Authors: Prasad Laxmi R. , Thompson Anita M. , Arriaga Francisco J. , Koropeckyj-Cox Lydia , Yuan Yongping
Published: November 2023

Highlights

No-till and no-till residue systems were effective in reducing runoff particulate and total nutrients but increased dissolved nutrients.

Maintaining >30% residue cover reduced most runoff constituents, irrespective of no-till or tillage.

No-till-residue prevented runoff nutrient losses and benefitted farm revenue by avoiding tillage.

Abstract. Reduced tillage management conservation practices (No-till and Reduced-till) are widely adopted in agriculture; however, understanding their overall effectiveness for water quality protection is challenging. A meta-analysis was conducted to understand and quantify the effectiveness of residue and tillage management on runoff, sediment, and nutrient losses from agricultural fields. Annual runoff and the associated sediment, and nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) loads were compiled from 60 peer reviewed research articles published across the United States and Canada. A total of 1575 site-years of data were categorized into tillage (<30% surface cover), no-tillage (<30% surface cover), tillage with residue (>30% surface cover), no-tillage with residue (>30% surface cover), and pasture management. No-tillage, no-tillage-residue, and tillage-residue managements were evaluated for their effectiveness in reducing runoff, nutrients, and sediment loads compared to tillage. Synthesized and surveyed corn yield data were used to evaluate the economic cost effectiveness of no-tillage-residue management with respect to tillage. Across the site years (1968-2019) studied, median runoff depth for no-tillage and no-tillage-residue were 84% and 70% greater than tillage and tillage-residue management, respectively. No-tillage-residue management had up to 86% less sediment losses than tillage systems, on average, for both >30% and <30% surface cover. No-tillage-residue management was most effective, with a positive performance effectiveness of 65% to 90% in controlling sediments, particulate, and total nutrient losses in runoff compared to tillage. Cost effectiveness analysis revealed the benefits of no-tillage-residue management in reducing nutrient loads and increasing net-farm revenue by avoiding tillage operational costs. Except for dissolved phosphorus, no-tillage-residue management cost effectiveness for sediments and nutrient loads ranged from negative $6 to negative $102 per every Mg or kg of load reduction, indicating it had both economic and environmental benefits compared to tillage management. Overall, these results indicate that over the long-term, no-tillage and tillage, combined with greater than 30% residue cover, can effectively reduce sediment and nutrient losses. This work highlights the importance of crop residues on the soil surface to reduce runoff losses, even in no-tillage systems. Keywords: Conservation tillage, No-tillage, Residue cover, Tillage, Water quality.
Queen of Egypt and Queen of the Bey-Hive: Sophie Okonedo's Cleopatra at the National Theatre (2018)
Authors: Iyengar Sujata
Published: November 2023

Abstract: Combining the methods of traditional theater history with semiotics and digital cultural studies, this article focuses particularly on Simon Godwin's production of Antony and Cleopatra at the National Theatre (2018) and on the avowed inspiration of the Nigerian-Jewish-descended British actress Sophie Okonedo by the world-famous vocalist, digital producer, and media celebrity Beyoncé Knowles-Carter (usually known simply as Beyoncé). Godwin's production carefully used a multiethnic cast and placed particular emphasis upon the relationship between Cleopatra and other women, both allies and enemies, in part by strategically reassigning Dolabella's lines to Octavia and thus creating an encounter between Cleopatra and Octavia that never happens in the Folio text. The article speculates that using allusions to Beyoncé out of context (away from the rich intertext of the film Lemonade [2016], for example, and away from transnational Black feminist debate) and to a majority-white British audience membership risked diluting Beyoncé's nuanced and politicized commentary—and, perhaps, diminished the nuanced treatment of labor and gender in Shakespeare's play. The investigation concludes, however, with a reflection upon the pros and cons—for artists and for audiences—of foregrounding digital subcultures in this way on stage and in academia.
Alcohol use among emergency medicine department patients in Tanzania: A comparative analysis of injury versus non-injury patients
Authors: Pauley Alena , Thatcher Emily C. , Sarafian Joshua T. , Zadey Siddhesh , Shayo Frida , Mmbaga Blandina T. , Sakita Francis , Boshe Judith , Vissoci João Ricardo Nickenig , Staton Catherine A.
Published: November 2023

Background

Alcohol is a leading behavioral risk factor for death and disability worldwide. Tanzania has few trained personnel and resources for treating unhealthy alcohol use. In Emergency Medicine Departments (EMDs), alcohol is a well-known risk factor for injury patients. At Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC) in Moshi, Tanzania, 30% of EMD injury patients (IP) test positive for alcohol upon arrival to the ED. While the IP population is prime for EMD-based interventions, there is limited data on if non-injury patients (NIP) have similar alcohol use behavior and potentially benefit from screening and intervention as well.

Methods

This was a secondary analysis of a systematic random sampling of adult (≥18 years old), KiSwahili speaking, KCMC EMD patients surveyed between October 2021 and May 2022. When medically stable and clinically sober, participants provided informed consent. Information on demographics (sex, age, years of education, type of employment, income, marital status, tribe, and religion), injury status, self-reported alcohol use, and Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) Identification Test (AUDIT) scores were collected. Descriptive statistics were analyzed in RStudio using frequencies and proportions.

Results

Of the 376 patients enrolled, 59 (15.7%) presented with an injury. The IP and NIP groups did not differ in any demographics except sex, an expected difference as females were intentionally oversampled in the original study design. The mean [SD] AUDIT score (IP: 5.8 [6.6]; NIP: 3.9 [6.1]), drinks per week, and proportion of AUDIT ≥8 was higher for IP (IP:37%; NIP: 21%). However, alcohol preferences, drinking quantity, weekly expenditure on alcohol, perceptions of unhealthy alcohol use, attempts and reasons to quit, and treatment seeking were comparable between IPs and NIPs.

Conclusion

Our data suggests 37% of injury and 20% of non-injury patients screen positive for harmful or hazardous drinking in our setting. An EMD-based alcohol treatment and referral process could be beneficial to reduce this growing behavioral risk factor in non-injury as well as injury populations.
Increased blood meal size and feeding frequency compromise Aedes aegypti midgut integrity and enhance dengue virus dissemination
Authors: Johnson Rebecca M. , Cozens Duncan W. , Ferdous Zannatul , Armstrong Philip M. , Brackney Doug E.
Published: November 2023

Aedes aegypti is a highly efficient vector for numerous pathogenic arboviruses including dengue virus (DENV), Zika virus, and yellow fever virus. This efficiency can in part be attributed to their frequent feeding behavior. We previously found that acquisition of a second, full, non-infectious blood meal could accelerate virus dissemination within the mosquito by temporarily compromising midgut basal lamina integrity; however, in the wild, mosquitoes are often interrupted during feeding and only acquire partial or minimal blood meals. To explore the impact of this feeding behavior further, we examined the effects of partial blood feeding on DENV dissemination rates and midgut basal lamina damage in Ae. aegypti. DENV-infected mosquitoes given a secondary partial blood meal had intermediate rates of dissemination and midgut basal lamina damage compared to single-fed and fully double-fed counterparts. Subsequently, we evaluated if basal lamina damage accumulated across feeding episodes. Interestingly, within 24 hours of feeding, damage was proportional to the number of blood meals imbibed; however, this additive effect returned to baseline levels by 96 hours. These data reveal that midgut basal lamina damage and rates of dissemination are proportional to feeding frequency and size, and further demonstrate the impact that mosquito feeding behavior has on vector competence and arbovirus epidemiology. This work has strong implications for our understanding of virus transmission in the field and will be useful when designing laboratory experiments and creating more accurate models of virus spread and maintenance.
Fitness costs in the presence and absence of insecticide use explains abundance of two common Aedes aegypti kdr resistance alleles found in the Americas
Authors: Silva Juan J. , Fisher Cera R. , Dressel Anastacia E. , Scott Jeffrey G.
Published: November 2023

Aedes aegypti is the vector of viruses such as chikungunya, dengue, yellow fever and Zika that have a critical impact on human health. Control of adult mosquitoes is widely done using pyrethroids, but resistance has reduced the effectiveness of this class of insecticides. Resistance to pyrethroids in mosquitoes is commonly due to mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel (Vgsc) gene (these mutations are known as knockdown resistance, kdr). In the Americas and the Caribbean, the most common kdr alleles are 410L+1016I+1534C and 1534C. In this study, we conducted a population cage experiment to evaluate changes in the allele and genotype frequencies of the 410L+1016I+1534C allele by crossing two congenic strains; one carrying the 410L+1016I+1534C and another with the 1534C allele. Changes in allele frequencies were measured over 10 generations in the absence of insecticide exposure. We also applied one cycle of selection with deltamethrin at F9 to evaluate the changes in allele and genotype frequencies. Our findings indicate that fitness costs were higher with the 410L+1016I+1534C allele, relative to the 1534C allele, in the absence of deltamethrin exposure, but that the 410L+1016I+1534C allele provides a stronger advantage when exposed to deltamethrin relative to the 1534C allele. Changes in genotype frequencies were not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and could not be explained by drift. Our results suggest the diametrically opposed fitness costs in the presence and absence of insecticides is a reason for the variations in frequencies between the 410L+1016I+1534C and 1534C alleles in field populations.
The inflammatory response of human pancreatic cancer samples compared to normal controls
Authors: Brayer Kathryn J. , Hanson Joshua A. , Cingam Shashank , Martinez Cathleen , Ness Scott A. , Rabinowitz Ian
Published: November 2023

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a poor prognosis cancer with an aggressive growth profile that is often diagnosed at late stage and that has few curative or therapeutic options. PDAC growth has been linked to alterations in the pancreas microbiome, which could include the presence of the fungus Malassezia. We used RNA-sequencing to compare 14 matched tumor and normal (tumor adjacent) pancreatic cancer samples and found Malassezia RNA in both the PDAC and normal tissues. Although the presence of Malassezia was not correlated with tumor growth, a set of immune- and inflammatory-related genes were up-regulated in the PDAC compared to the normal samples, suggesting that they are involved in tumor progression. Gene set enrichment analysis suggests that activation of the complement cascade pathway and inflammation could be involved in pro PDAC growth.
Racial & ethnic disparities in geographic access to critical care in the United States: A geographic information systems analysis
Authors: Burdick Kendall J. , Rees Chris A. , Lee Lois K. , Monuteaux Michael C. , Mannix Rebekah , Mills David , Hirsh Michael P. , Fleegler Eric W.
Published: November 2023

Objective

It is important to identify gaps in access and reduce health outcome disparities, understanding access to intensive care unit (ICU) beds, especially by race and ethnicity, is crucial. Our objective was to evaluate the race and ethnicity-specific 60-minute drive time accessibility of ICU beds in the United States (US).

Design

We conducted a cross-sectional study using road network analysis to determine the number of ICU beds within a 60-minute drive time, and calculated adult intensive care bed ratios per 100,000 adults. We evaluated the US population at the Census block group level and stratified our analysis by race and ethnicity and by urbanicity. We classified block groups into four access levels: no access (0 adult intensive care beds/100,000 adults), below average access (>0–19.5), average access (19.6–32.0), and above average access (>32.0). We calculated the proportion of adults in each racial and ethnic group within the four access levels.

Setting

All 50 US states and the District of Columbia.

Participants

Adults ≥15 years old.

Main outcome measures

Adult intensive care beds/100,000 adults and percentage of adults national and state) within four access levels by race and ethnicity.

Results

High variability existed in access to ICU beds by state, and substantial disparities by race and ethnicity. 1.8% (n = 5,038,797) of Americans had no access to an ICU bed, and 26.8% (n = 73,095,752) had below average access, within a 60-minute drive time. Racial and ethnic analysis showed high rates of disparities (no access/below average access): American Indians/Alaskan Native 12.6%/28.5%, Asian 0.7%/23.1%, Black or African American 0.6%/16.5%, Hispanic or Latino 1.4%/23.0%, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander 5.2%/35.0%, and White 2.1%/29.0%. A higher percentage of rural block groups had no (5.2%) or below average access (41.2%), compared to urban block groups (0.2% no access, 26.8% below average access).

Conclusion

ICU bed availability varied substantially by geography, race and ethnicity, and by urbanicity, creating significant disparities in critical care access. The variability in ICU bed access may indicate inequalities in healthcare access overall by limiting resources for the management of critically ill patients.
Political context and immigrants’ work-related performance errors: Insights from the National Basketball Association
Authors: Korman Benjamin A. , Kunze Florian
Published: November 2023

In numerous countries, both international migration and regional support for far-right political parties are on the rise. This is important considering that a frequent aim of far-right political parties is to aggressively limit the inflow of immigrants. Understanding how regional far-right political support affects the immigrants working in these regions is therefore vital for executives and organizations as a whole. Integrating political science research at the macro-level with stereotype threat theory at the individual level, we argue that regional far-right political support makes negative immigrant stereotypes salient, increasing the number of work-related performance errors conducted by immigrants while reducing those by natives. Using objective field data from a professional sports context, we demonstrate how subordinates’ immigrant status interacts with the political context in which they reside to predict their frequency of performance errors.
Pharmaceutical industry payments to NHS trusts in England: A four-year analysis of the Disclosure UK database
Authors: Ozieranski Piotr , Saghy Eszter , Mulinari Shai
Published: November 2023

Introduction

Although hospitals are key health service providers, their financial ties to drug companies are little understood. We examine non-research pharmaceutical industry payments to English National Health Service (NHS) trusts—hospital groupings providing secondary and tertiary care.

Methods

We extracted data from the industry-run Disclosure UK database, analysing it descriptively and using the Jonckheere-Terpstra test to establish whether a statistically significant time trend existed in the median values of individual payments. We explained payment value and number per trust with random effects models, using selected trust characteristics as predictors.

Results

Drug companies reported paying £60,253,421 to 234 trusts, representing between 90.0% and 92.0% of all trusts in England between 2015 and 2018. As a share of payments to all healthcare organisations, the number of payments rose from 38.6% to 39.5%, but their value dropped from 33.0% to 23.6%. The number of payments for fees for service and consultancy and contributions to costs of events increased by 61.5% and 29.4%. The median payment value decreased significantly for trusts overall (from £2,250.8 to £1,758.5), including those with lower autonomy from central government; providing acute services; and from half of England’s regions. The random effects model showed that acute trusts received significantly more money on average than trusts with all other service profiles; and trusts from East England received significantly less than those from London. However, trusts enjoying greater autonomy from government did not receive significantly more money than others. Trusts also received significantly less money in 2018 than in 2015.

Conclusion

NHS trusts had extensive pharmaceutical industry ties but were losing importance as payment targets relative to other healthcare organisations. Industry payment strategies shifted towards events sponsorship, consultancies, and smaller payments. Trusts with specific service and geographical profiles were prioritised. Understanding corporate payments across the health system requires more granular disclosure data.
Open design of a reproducible videogame controller for MRI and MEG
Authors: Harel Yann , Cyr André , Boyle Julie , Pinsard Basile , Bernard Jeremy , Fourcade Marie-France , Aggarwal Himanshu , Ponce Ana Fernanda , Thirion Bertrand , Jerbi Karim , Bellec Pierre
Published: November 2023

Videogames are emerging as a promising experimental paradigm in neuroimaging. Acquiring gameplay in a scanner remains challenging due to the lack of a scanner-compatible videogame controller that provides a similar experience to standard, commercial devices. In this paper, we introduce a videogame controller designed for use in the functional magnetic resonance imaging as well as magnetoencephalography. The controller is made exclusively of 3D-printed and commercially available parts. We evaluated the quality of our controller by comparing it to a non-MRI compatible controller that was kept outside the scanner. The comparison of response latencies showed reliable button press accuracies of adequate precision. Comparison of the subjects’ motion during fMRI recordings of various tasks showed that the use of our controller did not increase the amount of motion produced compared to a regular MR compatible button press box. Motion levels during an ecological videogame task were of moderate amplitude. In addition, we found that the controller only had marginal effect on temporal SNR in fMRI, as well as on covariance between sensors in MEG, as expected due to the use of non-magnetic building materials. Finally, the reproducibility of the controller was demonstrated by having team members who were not involved in the design build a reproduction using only the documentation. This new videogame controller opens new avenues for ecological tasks in fMRI, including challenging videogames and more generally tasks with complex responses. The detailed controller documentation and build instructions are released under an Open Source Hardware license to increase accessibility, and reproducibility and enable the neuroimaging research community to improve or modify the controller for future experiments.
Multiproxy analysis of Upper Palaeolithic lustrous gravels supports their anthropogenic use
Authors: Geis Lila , d’Errico Francesco , Jordan Fiona M. , Brenet Michel , Queffelec Alain
Published: November 2023

Upper Palaeolithic sites in southwestern France attributed to the Upper Gravettian and the Solutrean yielded sub spherical gravels with a highly shiny appearance that have intrigued researchers since the 1930s. In this work, we analyze specimens from five sites, including the recently excavated Solutrean site of Landry, to establish whether their presence in archaeological layers and peculiar aspect are due to natural processes or human agency. We study the spatial distribution of gravels at Landry and submit archaeological gravels from the five sites, natural formations, Landry sediment sieving, and polishing experiments with a rotary tumbling machine to morphometric, colorimetric, microscopic, and textural analyses. Our results indicate the lustrous gravels found at the five sites result from deliberate selection and suggest their shiny appearance is the consequence of human agency, possibly resulting from prolonged contact with a soft material such as animal skin. Ethnographic accounts indicate that these gravels may have been used for magico-religious ritual purposes (charms, sorcery, divination etc.), in games, as elements of musical instruments, and as items serving other social and personal purposes. We argue that these objects reflect a cultural innovation emerged during the Gravettian and continued into the Solutrean.
Price elasticity of demand for ready-to-drink sugar-sweetened beverages in Brazil
Authors: Venson Auberth Henrik , Cardoso Larissa Barbosa , Santiago Flaviane Souza , de Souza Kênia Barreiro , Bielemann Renata Moraes
Published: November 2023

The taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages is a policy that has been adopted in many countries worldwide, including Latin American, to reduce sugar consumption. However, little is known about how taxation on these products may affect their demand. The present study aims to estimate the price elasticity of demand for sugar-sweetened beverages in Brazil. This study advances the literature by proposing a breakdown between ready-to-drink sugar-sweetened beverages and sugar-sweetened beverages that require some preparation before being consumed. With this disaggregation, it is possible to obtain more accurate elasticities for the group of products that will be effectively taxed. We estimated a Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System (QUAIDS) model using the Household Budget Survey 2017–2018 microdata. The results show that ready-to-drink beverages is more consumed but less sensitive to changes in price than prepared beverages. The price elasticity of demand for ready-to-drink and prepared sugar-sweetened beverages was -1.19 and -3.38. Additionally, we observe heterogeneity in these price elasticities across household incomes, with a more elastic demand among lower-income households for ready to drink beverages. The findings suggest that taxing ready-to-drink sweetened beverages could potentially reduce sugar consumption directly through a decrease in the consumption of sugary drinks and this effect could be reinforced by reducing the consumption of other sugar-rich products. Therefore, the taxation police should effective contribute to minimize health risks associated to the sugar consumption.
Optical recognition of the eggs of four Aedine mosquito species (Aedes albopictus, Aedes geniculatus, Aedes japonicus, and Aedes koreicus)
Authors: Anicic Nikoleta , Steigmiller Klaus , Renaux Claude , Ravasi Damiana , Tanadini Matteo , Flacio Eleonora
Published: November 2023

The continuous expansion of exotic Aedine mosquito species potential vectors of pathogens into new areas is a public health concern. In continental Europe, the surveillance of these mosquitoes is hindered by the simultaneous presence of three main invasive species (i.e.,Aedes albopictus,Ae.japonicus, andAe.koreicus). Standard low-cost surveillance methods (i.e., the deployment of oviposition traps and count of eggs under stereoscopic microscope) fail to distinguish the eggs of the different species. Identification of eggs by molecular methods is costly and time consuming and prevents measuring the density of invasive species and detecting early new invaders. Here we tested whether certain species could be identified by the patterns on the exochorionic membrane of their eggs. In a first step, we examined Aedine eggs of the three mentioned invasive and one indigenous (i.e.,Ae.geniculatus) species with a high-resolution stereomicroscope and we identified each egg by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. In a second step, we submitted images of the eggs to 60 entomology experts and non-experts and tested their ability to distinguish among the species after an initial short training. The results obtained were consistent. Participants did not encounter difficulties in determiningAe.albopictusandAe.geniculatus, while they had more difficulties in distinguishingAe.japonicusfromAe.koreicus. In general, the quality of the exochorion seemed to play a more important role than the expertise level of the rater. The feasibility to differentiateAe.albopictusfrom the other two invasive species is a significant achievement, as this is currently the most problematic species at the level of public health in Europe. Due to the presence of multiple invasive species that might prevent the correct quantification of mosquito population densities using standard surveillance methods and due toAe.aegyptithreat, it is recommended to optically determine also other species.
Serum proteomic profile of wild stump-tailed macaques (Macaca arctoides) infected with malaria parasites in Thailand
Authors: Ruengket Pakorn , Roytrakul Sittiruk , Tongthainan Daraka , Taruyanon Kanokwan , Sangkharak Bencharong , Limudomporn Paviga , Pongsuchart Mongkol , Udom Chanya , Fungfuang Wirasak
Published: November 2023

The number of patients infected with simian malaria is gradually increasing in many countries of Southeast Asia and South America. The most important risk factor for a zoonotic spillover event of malarial infection is mostly influenced by the interaction between humans, monkeys, and vectors. In this study, we determine the protein expression profile of a wild stump-tailed macaque (Macaca arctoides) from a total of 32 blood samples collected from Prachuap Kiri Khan Province, Thailand. The malarial parasite was analyzed using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays by dividing the samples into three groups: non-infected, mono-infected, and multiple-infected. The identification and differential proteomic expression profiles were determined using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and bioinformatics tools. A total of 9,532 proteins (total proteins) were identified with the filter-based selection methods analysis, and a subset of 440 proteins were found to be different between each group. Within these proteins, the GhostKOALA functional enrichment analysis indicated that 142 important proteins were associated with either of the organismal system (28.87%), genetic information processing (23.24%), environmental information processing (16.20%), metabolism (13.38%), cellular processes (11.97%), or causing human disease (6.34%). Additionally, using interaction network analysis, nine potential reporter proteins were identified. Here, we report the first study on the protein profiles differentially expressed in the serum of wild stump-tailed macaques between non, mono, and multiple malarial infected living in a natural transmission environment. Our findings demonstrate that differentially expressed proteins implicated in host defense through lipid metabolism, involved with TGF pathway were suppressed, while those with the apoptosis pathway, such as cytokines and proinflammation signals were increased. Including the parasite’s response via induced hemolysis and disruption of myeloid cells. A greater understanding of the fundamental processes involved in a malarial infection and host response can be crucial for developing diagnostic tools, medication development, and therapies to improve the health of those affected by the disease.