bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Accumulation of endogenous free radicals is required to induce titan-like cell formation in
Cryptococcus neoformans
Authors: García-Barbazán Irene , Torres-Cano Alba , García-Rodas Rocío , Sachse Martin , Luque Daniel , Megías Diego , Zaragoza Oscar
Published: December 2023

Cryptococcus neoformans
is an encapsulated yeast able to cause disease (mainly meningoencephalitis) among immunosuppressed patients, mostly HIV+. This yeast can form the so-called titan cells
in vivo
, which are cells of an abnormally larger size due to an increase in both the capsule and the cell body size (total size reaching between 50–70 μm). This phenomenon can be partially reproduced
in vitro
to obtain cells of an intermediate size (25–30 μm), which have been denominated titan-like cells. In this work, we have screened 1,520 compounds from the Prestwick Chemical Library and identified off-patent drugs that inhibited titan-like cell formation
in vitro
. We developed an automated fluorescence-based microscopy assay and identified 64 compounds as possible inhibitors of titan-like cells. We chose 10 of these compounds to perform dose-response curves and confirmed them as inhibitors of titan-like cell formation. Several of the compounds identified had antioxidant properties (i.e., retinoic acid), indicating a possible role of free radicals during titan cell formation. Using fluorescent probes, we found that there was an endogenous accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during cell growth, which was inhibited in the presence of retinoic acid. Furthermore, we found that during titanization, there were significant changes in the mitochondria, which is the main organelle where ROS are produced. We hypothesize that an intracellular increase of free radicals at the mitochondria might be a triggering signal to induce titanization.

IMPORTANCE

Cryptococcus neoformans
is an excellent model to investigate fungal pathogenesis. This yeast can produce “titan cells,” which are cells of an abnormally larger size that contribute to the persistence of the yeast in the host. In this work, we have used a new approach to characterize them by identifying drugs that inhibit this process. We have used a repurposing off-patent drug library, combined with an automatic method to image and analyze fungal cell size. In this way, we have identified many compounds that inhibit this transition. Interestingly, several compounds were antioxidants, allowing us to confirm that endogenous ROS and mitochondrial changes are important for titan cell formation. This work provides new evidence of the mechanisms required for titanization. Furthermore, the future characterization of the inhibitory mechanisms of the identified compounds by the scientific community will contribute to better understand the role of titan cells in virulence.
A bacterial sensor taxonomy across earth ecosystems for machine learning applications
Authors: Park Helen , Joachimiak Marcin P. , Jungbluth Sean P. , Yang Ziming , Riehl William J. , Canon R. Shane , Arkin Adam P. , Dehal Paramvir S.
Published: December 2023

Microbial communities have evolved to colonize all ecosystems of the planet, from the deep sea to the human gut. Microbes survive by sensing, responding, and adapting to immediate environmental cues. This process is driven by signal transduction proteins such as histidine kinases, which use their sensing domains to bind or otherwise detect environmental cues and “transduce” signals to adjust internal processes. We hypothesized that an ecosystem’s unique stimuli leave a sensor “fingerprint,” able to identify and shed insight on ecosystem conditions. To test this, we collected 20,712 publicly available metagenomes from
Host-associated
,
Environmental
, and
Engineered
ecosystems across the globe. We extracted and clustered the collection’s nearly 18M unique sensory domains into 113,712 similar groupings with MMseqs2. We built gradient-boosted decision tree machine learning models and found we could classify the ecosystem type (accuracy: 87%) and predict the levels of different physical parameters (R2 score: 83%) using the sensor cluster abundance as features. Feature importance enables identification of the most predictive sensors to differentiate between ecosystems which can lead to mechanistic interpretations if the sensor domains are well annotated. To demonstrate this, a machine learning model was trained to predict patient’s disease state and used to identify domains related to oxygen sensing present in a healthy gut but missing in patients with abnormal conditions. Moreover, since 98.7% of identified sensor domains are uncharacterized, importance ranking can be used to prioritize sensors to determine what ecosystem function they may be sensing. Furthermore, these new predictive sensors can function as targets for novel sensor engineering with applications in biotechnology, ecosystem maintenance, and medicine.

IMPORTANCE

Microbes infect, colonize, and proliferate due to their ability to sense and respond quickly to their surroundings. In this research, we extract the sensory proteins from a diverse range of environmental, engineered, and host-associated metagenomes. We trained machine learning classifiers using sensors as features such that it is possible to predict the ecosystem for a metagenome from its sensor profile. We use the optimized model’s feature importance to identify the most impactful and predictive sensors in different environments. We next use the sensor profile from human gut metagenomes to classify their disease states and explore which sensors can explain differences between diseases. The sensors most predictive of environmental labels here, most of which correspond to uncharacterized proteins, are a useful starting point for the discovery of important environment signals and the development of possible diagnostic interventions.
A systemic approach to identify non-abundant immunogenic proteins in Lyme disease pathogens
Authors: Yaş Ozlem Buyuktanir , Coleman Adam S. , Lipman Rachel M. , Sharma Kavita , Raghunandanan Sajith , Alanazi Fuad , Rana Vipin S. , Kitsou Chrysoula , Yang Xiuli , Pal Utpal
Published: December 2023

Borrelia burgdorferi
, the pathogen of Lyme disease, differentially produces many outer surface proteins (Osp), some of which represent the most abundant membrane proteins, such as OspA, OspB, and OspC. In cultured bacteria, these proteins can account for a substantial fraction of the total cellular or membrane proteins, posing challenges to the identification and analysis of non-abundant proteins, which could serve as novel pathogen detection markers or as vaccine candidates. Herein, we introduced serial mutations to remove these abundant Osps and generated a
B. burgdorferi
mutant deficient in OspA, OspB, and OspC in an infectious 297-isolate background, designated as

Osp
ABC

−
mutant. Compared to parental isolate, the mutant did not reflect growth defects in the cultured medium but showed differential mRNA expression of representative tested genes, in addition to gross changes in cellular and membrane protein profiles. The analysis of differentially detectable protein contents of the

Osp
ABC

−
mutant, as compared to the wild type, by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, identified several spirochete proteins that are dominated by proteins of unknown functions, as well as membrane transporters, chaperons, and metabolic enzymes. We produced recombinant forms of two of these represented proteins, BBA34 and BB0238, and showed that these proteins are detectable during spirochete infection in the tick-borne murine model of Lyme borreliosis and thus serve as potential antigenic markers of the infection.

IMPORTANCE

The present manuscript employed a systemic approach to identify non-abundant proteins in cultured
Borrelia burgdorferi
that are otherwise masked or hidden due to the overwhelming presence of abundant Osps like OspA, OspB, and OspC. As these Osps are either absent or transiently expressed in mammals, we performed a proof-of-concept study in which their removal allowed the analysis of otherwise less abundant antigens in OspABC-deficient mutants and identified several immunogenic proteins, including BBA34 and BB0238. These antigens could serve as novel vaccine candidates and/or genetic markers of Lyme borreliosis, promoting new research in the clinical diagnosis and prevention of Lyme disease.
Extremely Wide Pairs in the World of Binary Stars
Authors: Dremova G. N. , Dremov V. V. , Tutukov A. V.
Published: December 2023

This article raises the question of the possibility of identifying stellar pairs in which one of the components belongs to the family of near-nuclear central S-stars and the other belongs to a population of hypervelocity stars (HVSs). In the recent past, they could be genetically linked in a single parent binary star (BS), and today its components are separated by hundreds or more parsecs as a result of dynamic capture of a BS by the field of a supermassive black hole (SMBH). There is interest in the mutual reconstruction of populations of S-stars and HVSs calculated in the context of the classical Hills scenario, based on the principle of supplementing their observational data. The paper is based on a report presented at the astrophysical memorial seminar “Novelties in Understanding the Evolution of Binary Stars,” dedicated to the 90th anniversary of Professor M.A. Svechnikov.
Review of emerging trends and projection of future developments in large language models research in ophthalmology
Authors: Wong Matthew , Lim Zhi Wei , Pushpanathan Krithi , Cheung Carol Y , Wang Ya Xing , Chen David , Tham Yih Chung
Published: December 2023

Background

Large language models (LLMs) are fast emerging as potent tools in healthcare, including ophthalmology. This systematic review offers a twofold contribution: it summarises current trends in ophthalmology-related LLM research and projects future directions for this burgeoning field.

Methods

We systematically searched across various databases (PubMed, Europe PMC, Scopus and Web of Science) for articles related to LLM use in ophthalmology, published between 1 January 2022 and 31 July 2023. Selected articles were summarised, and categorised by type (editorial, commentary, original research, etc) and their research focus (eg, evaluating ChatGPT’s performance in ophthalmology examinations or clinical tasks).

Findings

We identified 32 articles meeting our criteria, published between January and July 2023, with a peak in June (n=12). Most were original research evaluating LLMs’ proficiency in clinically related tasks (n=9). Studies demonstrated that ChatGPT-4.0 outperformed its predecessor, ChatGPT-3.5, in ophthalmology exams. Furthermore, ChatGPT excelled in constructing discharge notes (n=2), evaluating diagnoses (n=2) and answering general medical queries (n=6). However, it struggled with generating scientific articles or abstracts (n=3) and answering specific subdomain questions, especially those regarding specific treatment options (n=2). ChatGPT’s performance relative to other LLMs (Google’s Bard, Microsoft’s Bing) varied by study design. Ethical concerns such as data hallucination (n=27), authorship (n=5) and data privacy (n=2) were frequently cited.

Interpretation

While LLMs hold transformative potential for healthcare and ophthalmology, concerns over accountability, accuracy and data security remain. Future research should focus on application programming interface integration, comparative assessments of popular LLMs, their ability to interpret image-based data and the establishment of standardised evaluation frameworks.
Socially sustainable housing and built environments to support the health and social inclusion of older adults: protocol for a scoping review and stakeholder consultation
Authors: Sturge Jodi , Miedema Elke , Elf Marie , Nordin Susanna
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Housing and the ageing population are issues that pose challenges for social, health and economic policies. Therefore, there is a need for more knowledge on how to design housing and public infrastructure to improve the social engagement and well-being of older adults who age in place. This project aims to provide an overview of the existing literature on design features that support socially sustainable living environments for older adults.

Methods and analysis

A systematic scoping methodology was used to identify and summarise the findings. Four databases were searched (CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), Scopus, Medline and Embase) to identify the articles. Articles were included if published in English in the last 15 years (eg, from January 2008 to June 2023) without restricting the study location or country. Articles were included if they were based on empirical qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method data. The results of the review will be discussed with a panel of 15 stakeholders (n=15) from Canada, Sweden and the Netherlands (five per country). The interdisciplinary stakeholders will have expertise in housing, architecture, engineering and social and health services. The consultations will provide content expertise to the literature findings and an opportunity to build evidence-based solutions that support the design of socially sustainable living environments for older persons.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical clearance for this project has been granted by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority for Dalarna University (dnr 2023-01543-01) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Sciences (NES) Ethics Committee at the University of Twente in the Netherlands (dnr 230407) has approved this project. Stakeholders will be asked to provide signed consent to participate in the study. The results of this project will be disseminated through web seminars, community advisory groups, peer-reviewed journals and policy documents to support the development of housing and public health policy.

Trial registration number

OSF,https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/PR2NC.
The moderating and mediating role of eating behaviour traits in acceptance and commitment therapy-based weight management interventions: protocol for an individual participant data meta-analysis
Authors: Kudlek Laura , Mueller Julia , Eustacio Colombo Patricia , Sharp Stephen J. , Griffin Simon J. , Ahern Amy
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Precision medicine approaches to obesity aim to maximise treatment effectiveness by matching weight management interventions (WMIs) to characteristics of individuals, such as eating behaviour traits (EBTs). Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)-based WMIs may address EBTs such as emotional and uncontrolled eating more effectively than standard interventions, and might be most effective in people with high levels of these traits. However, few studies have examined this directly. We will examine (a) whether ACT-based interventions are more effective for people with certain levels of EBTs (ie, moderation) and (b) whether ACT-based interventions operate through changes in EBTs (ie, mediation).

Methods and analysis

This individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Individual Participant Data guidance. We will include studies on ACT-based WMIs that assessed EBTs in people with a body mass index ≥25 kg/m2. We identified studies by screening studies included in a previous review of third wave cognitive behavioural interventions, and updating the search to 20 June 2022. We will request IPD from eligible published and unpublished studies. We will harmonise and re-analyse data using a two-stage random effects meta-analysis pooling within-trial interactions to investigate moderating effects and using a one-stage simultaneous equation model to examine mediating effects. We will assess the risk of bias in included studies using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool 2 and the Risk of Bias in Non-randomised Studies of Interventions tool.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval has been obtained from the Cambridge Psychology Research Ethics Committee (Application No: PRE.2023.121). Data sharing will follow data transfer agreements and coauthorship will be offered to investigators contributing data. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and conferences and will contribute to the lead author’s PhD thesis.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42022359691.
Experiences of using artificial intelligence in healthcare: a qualitative study of UK clinician and key stakeholder perspectives
Authors: Fazakarley C A , Breen Maria , Leeson Paul , Thompson Ben , Williamson Victoria
Published: December 2023

Objectives

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a rapidly developing field in healthcare, with tools being developed across various specialties to support healthcare professionals and reduce workloads. It is important to understand the experiences of professionals working in healthcare to ensure that future AI tools are acceptable and effectively implemented. The aim of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the experiences and perceptions of UK healthcare workers and other key stakeholders about the use of AI in the National Health Service (NHS).

Design

A qualitative study using semistructured interviews conducted remotely via MS Teams. Thematic analysis was carried out.

Setting

NHS and UK higher education institutes.

Participants

Thirteen participants were recruited, including clinical and non-clinical participants working for the NHS and researchers working to develop AI tools for healthcare settings.

Results

Four core themes were identified: positive perceptions of AI; potential barriers to using AI in healthcare; concerns regarding AI use and steps needed to ensure the acceptability of future AI tools. Overall, we found that those working in healthcare were generally open to the use of AI and expected it to have many benefits for patients and facilitate access to care. However, concerns were raised regarding the security of patient data, the potential for misdiagnosis and that AI could increase the burden on already strained healthcare staff.

Conclusion

This study found that healthcare staff are willing to engage with AI research and incorporate AI tools into care pathways. Going forward, the NHS and AI developers will need to collaborate closely to ensure that future tools are suitable for their intended use and do not negatively impact workloads or patient trust. Future AI studies should continue to incorporate the views of key stakeholders to improve tool acceptability.

Trial registration number

NCT05028179;ISRCTN15113915; IRAS ref: 293515.
Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in calpastatin gene and the association with growth traits in Tibetan sheep (Ovis aries)
Authors: Gao Zhanhong , Raza Sayed Haidar Abbas , Ma Boyan , Zhang Fengshuo , Hou Shengzhen , Alshammari Hessah , Salama Essam Eldin Abdelhady , Abdulmonem Waleed Al , Alharbi Yousef Mesfer , Aljohanih Abdullah S.M. , El-Mansi Ahmed A. , Abd El-Aziz Ayman Hassan , Aloufi Bandar Hamad , Gui Linsheng
Published: December 2023

The calpastatin gene has been extensively studied as a candidate gene because of its regulatory function within muscle development of animals. However, little is known about the association between variation of the calpastatin gene and growth traits in Tibetan sheep. Using DNA sequencing, four single-nucleotide polymorphisms g.3844A>G, g.88874T>C, g.89126C>T, and g.89157A>C were identified in this study. An association analysis indicates that the g.3844A>G and g.89126C>T polymorphisms affected body weight ( P < 0.05). The g.89157A>C polymorphism was significantly correlated with body weight and chest circumference ( P < 0.05). The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that the expression of calpastatin gene presented an increasing trend with an increase in age. Remarkably lower mRNA expression was detected at the fetal stage compared with adult ewes ( P < 0.05). These findings indicated that the calpastatin gene polymorphisms were involved in growth-related traits in Tibetan sheep, which can be considered as genetic markers for improving the growth traits of Chinese Tibetan sheep.
Interview With Christian Wachter
Authors: Atzenbeck Claus
Published: December 2023

Christian Wachter is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Digital History working group at Bielefeld University. He received his Ph.D. for his thesis on hypertext as a medium for digital historiography in 2021. In a current research project, he conducts digitally-assisted discourse analysis, examining political discourse in early twentieth-century Germany.
Reproducing Popularity Bias in Recommendation: The Effect of Evaluation Strategies
Authors: Daniil Savvina , Cuper Mirjam , Liem Cynthia C. S. , van Ossenbruggen Jacco , Hollink Laura
Published: December 2023

The extent to which popularity bias is propagated by media recommender systems is a current topic within the community, as is the uneven propagation among users with varying interests for niche items. Recent work focused on exactly this topic, with movies being the domain of interest. Later on, two different research teams reproduced the methodology in the domains of music and books, respectively. The results across the different domains diverge. In this paper, we reproduce the three studies and identify four aspects that are relevant in investigating the differences in results: data, algorithms, division of users in groups and evaluation strategy. We run a set of experiments in which we measure general popularity bias propagation and unfair treatment of certain users with various combinations of these aspects. We conclude that all aspects account to some degree for the divergence in results, and should be carefully considered in future studies. Further, we find that the divergence in findings can be in large part attributed to the choice of evaluation strategy.
Algorithm Selection for Software Verification Using Graph Neural Networks
Authors: Leeson Will , Dwyer Matthew B.
Published: December 2023

The field of software verification has produced a wide array of algorithmic techniques that can prove a variety of properties of a given program. It has been demonstrated that the performance of these techniques can vary up to 4 orders of magnitude on the same verification problem. Even for verification experts, it is difficult to decide which tool will perform best on a given problem. For general users, deciding the best tool for their verification problem is effectively impossible.

In this work, we present
Graves
, a selection strategy based on graph neural networks (GNNs).
Graves
generates a graph representation of a program from which a GNN predicts a score for a verifier that indicates its performance on the program.

We evaluate
Graves
on a set of 10 verification tools and over 8,000 verification problems and find that it improves the state-of-the-art in verification algorithm selection by 12%, or 8 percentage points. Further, it is able to verify 9% more problems than any existing verifier on our test set. Through a qualitative study on model interpretability, we find strong evidence that the
Graves
model learns to base its predictions on factors that relate to the unique features of the algorithmic techniques.
Neo-Commissural Alignment by Withdrawing and Readvancing the Delivery System during Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement with Self-Expanding Prosthesis
Authors: Liu Xian , Wang Yingdong , Sheng Yuhe , Han Yaling , Jing Quanmin , Wang Geng , Liang Zhenyang , Li Yang , Wang Bin , Xu Kai , Yang Li , Mintz Gary S.
Published: December 2023

Objective. To investigate the feasibility of obtaining neo-commissural alignment by withdrawing and readvancing the delivery system during transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with self-expanding prosthesis. Methods. TAVR was performed in five patients with severe aortic valve stenosis by the femoral approach. The delivery catheter was withdrawn and readvanced with the opposite orientation when the Venus-A plus transcatheter heart valve (THV) centre marker was found to be overlapped with or close to the left marker at the aortic annulus level on the fluoroscopic image at the projection of the right and left coronary cusps superimposing. Neo-commissural alignment was evaluated by comparing the aortic computed tomography before TAVR with it after TAVR. Results. The THV centre marker was overlapped with or close to the right marker at the aortic annulus level on the fluoroscopic image at the projection of the right and left coronary cusps superimposed in all the present five patients after withdrawing and readvancing the delivery system. The commissural angle deviation before vs. post TAVR was 12.3° ± 7.0°. Three of five patients had neo-commissural alignment. Two of the five patients had mild neo-commissural misalignment. Conclusions. It is possible to obtain the neo-commissural alignment by controlling delivery catheter insertion orientation using the markers on the inflow of the Venus-A plus valve.
Ensemble Text Summarization Model for COVID‐19‐Associated Datasets
Authors: Chellatamilan T. , Narayanasamy Senthil Kumar , Garg Lalit , Srinivasan Kathiravan , Islam Sardar M. N.
Published: December 2023

The work of text summarization in question‐and‐answer systems has gained tremendous popularity recently and has influenced numerous real‐world applications for efficient decision‐making processes. In this regard, the exponential growth of COVID‐19‐related healthcare records has necessitated the extraction of fine‐grained results to forecast or estimate the potential course of the disease. Machine learning and deep learning models are frequently used to extract relevant insights from textual data sources. However, in order to summarize the textual information relevant to coronavirus, we have concentrated on a number of natural language processing (NLP) models in this research, including Bidirectional Encoder Representations of Transformers (BERT), Sequence‐to‐Sequence, and Attention models. This ensemble model is built on the previously mentioned models, which primarily concentrate on the segmented context terms included in the textual input. Most crucially, this research has concentrated on two key variations: grouping‐related sentences using hierarchical clustering approaches and the distributional semantics of the terms found in the COVID‐19 dataset. The gist evaluation (ROUGE) score result shows a significant and respectable accuracy of 0.40 average recalls.
Online Student Team Learning in a Flipped Classroom
Authors: Kaplan Gregory
Published: December 2023

Collaboration among students working in groups to master new material has been defined as “student team learning.” While past research has focused on student team learning in the classroom, this study presents evidence of student team learning by students working in groups online in a flipped learning environment. An online group activity conducted during a classroom offering of an upper-level university course in the fall of 2019 is compared with the same group activity conducted during an asynchronous offering of the same course in the spring of 2021. On both occasions, groups used Google Docs, and screenshots reveal that student team learning occurred similarly within groups working online in the classroom and in an asynchronous course. The evidence provided is particularly relevant in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has accelerated the development at universities worldwide of simultaneous classroom and asynchronous offerings of courses.
The Expression of Semaphorin3E in Vagal Ganglion and Lung Tissue Is Related to Airway Hyperresponsiveness in Murine Asthma Model
Authors: Chen Liyan , Yuan Xiaohui , He Yaowei , Fan Zichuan , Guan Ya , Li Qiuying , Chen Yaying , Bao Lianglan , Huang Yidan , Lai Kefang
Published: December 2023

Objective. Semaphorin3E (Sema3E) mediates reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton, and plays an important role in ensuring the specificity of synapse formation and angiogenesis. However, the role of Sema3E in allergic asthma (AS) and eosinophilic bronchitis (EB) is still elusive. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between Sema3E in vagal ganglion and lung tissue, airway reactivity, and eosinophilic inflammation. Methods. The frequency of coughs and airway reactivity as well as the airway inflammation were observed in ovalbumin- (OVA-) induced AS and EB mouse models. The expression of Sema3E was examined in the vagal ganglion and lung tissues by immunofluorescence staining and western blotting analyses. In the Sema3E treatment protocol, exogenous Sema3E was administrated intranasally before challenge in AS model to study the effect of Sema3E on airway hyperresponsiveness, airway inflammation, mucus production, and collagen deposition. Results. The similar higher frequency of coughs and airway eosinophilic inflammation could be seen in AS and EB groups compared with nasal saline (NS) and dexamethasone (DXM) groups. The absence of the airway hyperresponsiveness was observed in EB and DXM group, while AS group showed increase in airway reactivity to methacholine. The expression of Sema3E in vagal ganglion and lung tissue was remarkably decreased in AS and DXM group compared with EB group. Sema3E-treated asthma mice displayed ameliorated airway hyperresponsiveness, mucus production, and collagen deposition. Conclusion. Sema3E in lungs and vagal ganglia is related to eosinophilic inflammation and has a protective effect on OVA-induced AHR in asthma.
Physician Perceptions of Cannabidiol (CBD) and Cannabis in Sports Medicine and Performance
Authors: Ross Brendon , Trojian Thomas , Cushman Daniel M.
Published: December 2023

Objectives. There is growing evidence regarding cannabinoid use in sports medicine and performance, especially cannabidiol (CBD). This study aims to determine if sports medicine physicians are recommending cannabinoids for therapeutic purposes, as well as analyze perceptions of cannabinoids within sports medicine and performance. Methods. Physician members of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) completed an anonymous survey on demographics, CBD and Cannabis recommendations, as well as attitudes toward cannabinoid products within sports medicine. Factors associated with CBD and cannabis recommendations as well as perceptual differences were found using multivariate regression modelling. Results. Responses from 333 physicians were recorded. The following groups were less likely to agree with allowing cannabis for recreational purposes: female gender (coeff. = 0.79 (0.33–1.25),

p
=
0.001

), increasing age (coeff. = 0.04 (0.02, 0.07),

p
 
<
 
0.001

), and rural respondents (compared to baseline urban, coeff. = 1.16 (0.36, 1.95),

p
=
0.004

). Similarly, these three factors were associated with a higher likelihood of disagreeing with WADA removing cannabis from the prohibited substance list and with the NCAA allowing CBD use by collegiate athletes (

p
≤
0.045

). CBD was less likely to be recommended by pediatricians, rural physicians, and academic physicians (

p
≤
0.030

). Male physicians and younger physicians were less likely to identify cannabis as performance-enhancing (

p
≤
0.042

). Conclusions. Sports medicine physicians have varying views on cannabinoids. While sports medicine physicians generally have favorable attitudes toward CBD and cannabis, these perceptions appear to be significantly affected by age, practice type, and gender.
Genetic Diversity and Association of Yield-Related Traits in Taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) Sourced from Different Agroecological Origins of Nigeria
Authors: Fufa Tilahun Wondimu , Oselebe Happiness Ogba , Amadi Charles Okechukwu , Menamo Temesgen Matewos , Abtew Wosene Gebreselassie
Published: December 2023

Taro’s production is characterized by low productivity due to a lack of sufficient improved cultivars suited to the different growing areas coupled with biotic and abiotic stresses. The first step in plant breeding program is to examine and quantify variations for traits of interest in a given set of genotypes so those variations can be exploited in breeding programmes. One hundred taro accessions were evaluated for 16 quantitative traits in a simple lattice design with the objective of estimating variability and determine and quantify association of characters with yield. Multienvironment trial analysis combined over seasons showed highly significant differences among taro accessions for several traits. Yield per plant showed a strong, positive, and highly significant genotypic correlation with plant height (0.99), leaf area (0.82), corm weight (0.99), and cormel weight (0.99). Genotypic path coefficient analysis showed plant height (1.49), leaf area (0.97), corm weight (0.76), and cormel weight (0.21) exerted a high positive direct effect on yield per plant indicating true relationship between the characters. Accessions EBNFC054, EBNFC045, EBNFC100, EBNFC046, EBNFC032, EBNFC075, EBNFC084, EBNFC057, and EBNFC037 were superior and could be promoted to field evaluation. This assessment of variability and associations can assist breeders to tap the potential of the genotypes for certain traits and identify major traits that could be used as a basis for the selection of superior taro genotypes.
Identification of a Novel Porcine Teschovirus Subtype 19 within the Species Teschovirus A
Authors: Yang Taotao , Lin Anqi , Cui Shuoyan , Chen Jing , Wan Hanhao , Lu Yingmei , Li Pengcheng , Zhang Zhibang , Li Kai , Guo Minhong , Xu Yanzhang
Published: December 2023

Porcine teschovirus (PTV) is a member of the genus Teschovirus in the family Picornaviridae. Several novel PTVs in Teschovirus were identified in our previous study. To elucidate the taxonomic status of the species and subtypes, PTV-positive samples were inoculated into porcine kidney (PK-15) and swine testicular (ST) cells. A total of 58 PTV strains were successfully isolated and 21 different VP1 gene sequences were obtained. A phylogenetic analysis of the VP1 gene revealed that these PTV isolates comprised 11 genotypes, including 10 known genotypes (PTV 1–6, PTV 8–9, PTV 11, and Teschovirus B3), and a newly identified genotype. A nearly complete genome sequence of the novel PTV genotype isolate, PTV-SG2, was obtained. The homologies of the nucleotides and amino acids between PTV-SG2 and other PTVs were 69.7%–85.0% and 76.1%–90.4%, respectively. A phylogenetic analysis of the P1, polyprotein, and 3 CD genes revealed that PTV-SG2 belonged to a novel genotype within Teschovirus A, and a genetic divergence analysis of the novel PTV isolate further verified its taxonomic status. Based on the PTV naming convention, the novel PTV genotype identified in the present study was provisionally named PTV 19. Serum neutralization tests indicated that PTV 19 is a serotype-specific and completely different from previously reported PTV serotypes. Therefore, PTV 19 is a novel PTV serogroup. In conclusion, this study identified a PTV genotype and serotype within Teschovirus A.
Figure S1-S6, Table S1 from β2-Microglobulin Maintains Glioblastoma Stem Cells and Induces M2-like Polarization of Tumor-Associated Macrophages
Authors: Li Daqi , Zhang Qian , Li Lu , Chen Kexin , Yang Junlei , Dixit Deobrat , Gimple Ryan C. , Ci Shusheng , Lu Chenfei , Hu Lang , Gao Jiancheng , Shan Danyang , Li Yangqing , Zhang Junxia , Shi Zhumei , Gu Danling , Yuan Wei , Wu Qiulian , Yang Kailin , Zhao Linjie , Qiu Zhixin , Lv Deguan , Gao Wei , Yang Hui , Lin Fan , Wang Qianghu , Man Jianghong , Li Chaojun , Tao Weiwei , Agnihotri Sameer , Qian Xu , Shi Yu , You Yongping , Zhang Nu , Rich Jeremy N. , Wang Xiuxing
Published: December 2023

Figure S1. Overexpression of B2M promotes GSC growth and self-renewal Figure S2. B2M regulates PI3K/AKT signaling via PIP5K1A in PTEN deletion GSCs Figure S3. B2M activates PI3K/AKT signaling in GSCs Figure S4. B2M interacts with PIP5K1A to regulate TGF-β1 through MYC Figure S5. B2M activates TGF-β1/AKT pathway in macrophages to promote M2-like macrophage polarization Figure S6. B2M is associated poor prognosis in glioma patients Table S1. Cell membrane receptor genes ranked by immune score in ssGSEA of TCGA GBM database
TABLE 1 from Sustained Disease Control in Immune Checkpoint Blockade Responders with Microsatellite Instability-high Colorectal Cancer after Treatment Termination
Authors: Simmons Kristen , Thomas Jane V. , Ludford Kaysia , Willis Jason A. , Higbie Victoria S. , Raghav Kanwal P.S. , Johnson Benny , Dasari Arvind , Kee Bryan K. , Parseghian Christine M. , Lee Michael S. , Le Phat H. , Morelli Maria P. , Shen John Paul , Bent Alisha , Vilar Eduardo , Wolff Robert A. , Kopetz Scott , Overman Michael J. , Morris Van Karlyle
Published: December 2023

Patient/clinical characteristics
FIGURE 4 from Sustained Disease Control in Immune Checkpoint Blockade Responders with Microsatellite Instability-high Colorectal Cancer after Treatment Termination
Authors: Simmons Kristen , Thomas Jane V. , Ludford Kaysia , Willis Jason A. , Higbie Victoria S. , Raghav Kanwal P.S. , Johnson Benny , Dasari Arvind , Kee Bryan K. , Parseghian Christine M. , Lee Michael S. , Le Phat H. , Morelli Maria P. , Shen John Paul , Bent Alisha , Vilar Eduardo , Wolff Robert A. , Kopetz Scott , Overman Michael J. , Morris Van Karlyle
Published: December 2023

Percentage of patients with recurrence stratified by therapy regimen (A), etiology of MSI-H status (B), timing of metastatic onset (C), and gender (D).
Data from Sustained Disease Control in Immune Checkpoint Blockade Responders with Microsatellite Instability-high Colorectal Cancer after Treatment Termination
Authors: Simmons Kristen , Thomas Jane V. , Ludford Kaysia , Willis Jason A. , Higbie Victoria S. , Raghav Kanwal P.S. , Johnson Benny , Dasari Arvind , Kee Bryan K. , Parseghian Christine M. , Lee Michael S. , Le Phat H. , Morelli Maria P. , Shen John Paul , Bent Alisha , Vilar Eduardo , Wolff Robert A. , Kopetz Scott , Overman Michael J. , Morris Van Karlyle
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors improve survival in patients with mismatch repair deficiency/microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) colorectal cancer. The recurrence outcomes following discontinuation of immunotherapy after prolonged disease control have not been definitively reported in large series. Records from patients with advanced MSI-H colorectal cancer from The University of Texas – MD Anderson Cancer Center who received immunotherapy between 2014 and 2022 and stopped after prolonged clinical benefit were reviewed. Median progression-free and overall survival were estimated. Associations between the event of recurrence and coexisting mutations (KRAS/NRAS, BRAFV600E), metastatic organ involvement (lung, liver, lymph node, or peritoneum), metastatic timing (synchronous vs. metachronous), prior immunotherapy [anti-PD-(L)1 alone or in combination with anti-CTLA antibodies], etiology of MSI status (sporadic vs. hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer), and duration of immunotherapy were assessed. Sixty-four patients with MSI-H colorectal cancer without progression on immunotherapy were reviewed. Of these 48 and 16 received anti-PD(L)1 antibody alone or in combination with anti-CTLA-4 antibody, respectively. Median exposure to immunotherapy was 17.6 months (range, 1.3–51.9). After a median follow-up of 22.6 months (range, 0.3–71.7) after stopping immunotherapy, 56 of 64 patients (88%) remained without disease progression. Lung metastases were associated with recurrence/progression (OR, 6.1; P = 0.04), but coexisting mutation, primary tumor sidedness, and immunotherapy were not. These data provide a retrospective, single-institution analysis that showed that most patients with advanced MSI-H colorectal cancer do not recur after treatment cessation, regardless of the reason for stopping treatment or a variety of patient and disease features, supporting an optimistic prognosis of sustained disease control.
Significance:
Outcomes for patients with MSI-H colorectal cancer stopping immunotherapy after disease control remain unknown. Sixty-four patients with MSI-H colorectal cancer from our institution stopping treatment for sustained benefit or toxicity were retrospectively assessed. After median follow up of 22 months and median immunotherapy exposure of 18 months, 88% patients remained without progression. All patients who recurred or progressed and were rechallenged with immunotherapy have continued to experience disease control.
Diagnosis dan Tatalaksana Hipertensi Kritis
Authors: Samsu Nur
Published: December 2023

Hipertensi krisis dibagi menjadi hipertensi darurat dan mendesak. Bagi sebagian besar dokter, perbedaan antara kedua jenis hipertensi krisis ini memberikan tantangan tersendiri, utamanya dalam hal terapi dan tindak lanjut. Ciri pembeda utama dari kedua jenis hipertensi krisis ini adalah adanya kerusakan organ target akut yang sedang berlangsung, bukan derajat tekanan darah (TD) nya. Hipertensi darurat merupakan keadaan darurat medis yang sebenarnya, yang umumnya memerlukan penurunan TD segera, di ruang perawatan intensif dan terapi obat antihipertensi intravena jangka pendek yang mudah dititrasi. Strategi umum tatalaksana berdasarkan pada hypertension mediated organ damage (HMOD) yang spesifik; onset terjadinya HMOD, khususnya yang sensitif waktu seperti stroke iskemik akut, infark miokard akut dengan elevasi ST; dan ketersediaan fasilitas dan sumber daya. Hipertensi mendesak adalah keadaan peningkatan TD yang berat atau bermakna tetapi tanpa kerusakan akut organ target. Hipertensi seperti ini tidak memerlukan penurunan TD secara cepat, dan dapat diterapi secara rawat jalan dengan obat oral yang sesuai.
"Yo tengo mi abogado": vínculo y participación en representación jurídica de niños
Authors: Díaz-Alday Natalia , Salvo-Agoglia Irene , García-Quiroga Manuela
Published: December 2023

(analytical)This study aimed to understand the meanings developed by professional staff in the Mi AbogadoProgram (Chile). Using a qualitative exploratory design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with professionals and content analysis was applied. Participants highlighted a number of essentialfactors in their work, including that it was necessary to get to know the children and recognize their unique circumstances and life histories. At the same time, they stated that it was necessary to rebuildtheir trust in adults in order to form a significant relationship and enable child participation. Identification of their unique circumstances, generating trust and forming significant relationships lead to better legal representation of these children, strengthen agency and facilitate their participation inthe processes that directly affect them. The authors conclude by the article by recommending furtherexamination of how new programs are building meanings around children's rights in a context thatseeks to overcome existing power imbalances.
Significado de cuidar niños con parálisis cerebral
Authors: Niño-Serna Laura , Meyer-Martínez Wendy Sofía , Tirado-Otálvaro Andrés Felipe , Martínez-Pérez Diana Cristina , Yepes-Delgado Carlos Enrique
Published: December 2023

(analytical)There is insufficient evidence regarding meanings developed by caregivers of children with Cerebral Palsy in Colombia. The methodology involved adopting a hermeneutic approach, which was combined with the grounded theory method. A total of 13 semi-structured interviews were conducted with adult caregivers of children with cerebral palsy. Following an analysis of the results, four categories emerged: unconditional love; caring as a woman; experiencing grief; and the endless fight for their child's rights. It was concluded that the caregivers of children with Cerebral Palsy have developed determined coping skills. This is because they are willing to give up their own lives, sacrifice theirpersonal and social relationships, experience constant grief and learn new ways of caring and transforming their homes in their struggle to provide dignified care for their children. Unconditional loveallows these caregivers to recognize themselves as unique caring women.
Review of the chewing louse fauna of the invasive common myna (Acridotheres tristis), with new records from Palestine and a redescription of Brueelia chayanh Ansari, 1955 (Phthiraptera, Ischnocera, Brueelia-complex)
Authors: JARAYSEH BASHAR , AMAYA MARIA , GUSTAFSSON DANIEL R.
Published: December 2023

Palestine hosts a large diversity of birds, with 393 recorded species, but little data are available on the chewing lice fauna found on these birds. In this study, we surveyed the species of chewing lice found on the common myna, Acridotheres tristis, which is one of the most invasive bird species in the world. Forty-five mynas were examined to collect their ectoparasites, which were preserved and slide mounted. Among the 1004 chewing lice processed, we identified two species: Menacanthus eurysternus (Burmeister, 1838) (prevalence 100%) and Brueelia chayanh Ansari, 1955 (prevalence 82.2%). No other species of chewing louse known from A. tristis in its native range was found, showing a possible sorting event in the founding population of common myna in the region. Prevalence (100%) and abundance (22.3) were high compared to similar studies of the common myna. To contribute to future research on the lice of common mynas, we provide an annotated checklist of the louse species reported from this host globally. Also, we redescribe and illustrate Brueelia chayanh, and place Sturnidoecus tristisae Bughio et al., 2018 as a new junior synonym of Sturnidoecus bannoo Ansari, 1968.
Indian Ocean Basin Warming in 2020 Forced by Thermocline Anomalies of the 2019 Indian Ocean Dipole
Authors: Wang Jing , Zhang Shouwen , Jiang Hua , Yuan Dongliang
Published: December 2023

The Indian Ocean basin (IOB) mode is the dominant mode of the interannual sea surface temperature (SST) variability in the Indian Ocean, with the Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) as the second mode. An IOB event normally occurs after an El Niño or a concurrent IOD–El Niño event, the dynamics of which are traditionally believed as forced by ENSO through the Walker circulation anomalies over the tropical Indian Ocean. A strong IOB in 2020 took place after the strongest 2019 IOD on record but independent of El Niño, which challenges the traditional atmospheric bridge dynamics of the IOB event. In this study, the dynamics of the 2020 IOB event are investigated using the numerical seasonal climate prediction system of the National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center of China. It is found that the initialization of the Indian Ocean subsurface temperature during the 2019 IOD event has led to the outburst of the 2020 IOB event successfully, the dynamics of which are the propagation and the western boundary reflection of the equatorial and off-equatorial Rossby waves, inducing heat content recharge over the tropical Indian Ocean upper thermocline. In comparison, experiments of SST initialization over the tropical Indian Ocean, with the subsurface temperature in a climatological state, were unable to reproduce the onset of the 2020 IOB event, suggesting that the local air–sea interaction within the Indian Ocean basin is of secondary importance. The numerical experiments suggest that the thermocline ocean wave dynamics play an important role in forcing the IOB event. The revealed thermocline dynamics are potentially useful in climate prediction associated with IOB events.