bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cost-efficient anthropomorphic head phantom for quantitative image quality assessment in cone beam CT
Authors: Wang Yichao , Dankelman Jenny , Ruijters Danny
Published: November 2022

In this study, a novel anthropomorphic head phantom for quantitative image quality assessment in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is proposed. The phantom is composed of tissue equivalent materials (TEMs) which are suitable for cost-efficient fabrication methods such as silicone casting and 3D printing. A monocalcium phosphate/gypsum mixture (MCPHG), nylon and a silyl modified polymer gel (SMP) are proposed as bone, muscle and brain equivalent materials respectively. The TEMs were evaluated for their radiodensity in terms of Hounsfield Units (HU) and their x-ray scatter characteristics. The median radiodensity and inter quartile range (IQR) of the MCPHG and SMP were found to be within the range of the theoretical radiodensity for bone and brain tissue: 922 (IQR = 156) and 47 (IQR = 7) HU respectively. The median radiodensity of nylon was slightly outside of the HU range of muscle tissue, but within the HU range of a combination of muscle and adipose tissue: −18 (IQR = 40) HU. The median ratios between the measured scatter characteristics and simulated tissues were between 0.84 and 1.13 (IQR between 0.05 and 0.14). The preliminary results of this study show that the proposed design and TEMs are potentially suitable for the fabrication of a cost-efficient anthropomorphic head phantom for quantitative image quality assessment in CT or CBCT.
Ca2+/Calmodulin induces translocation of membrane-associated TSC2 to the nucleus where it suppressesCYP24A1expression
Authors: Kazami Machiko , Sakamoto Tomoya , Suzuki Tsukasa , Inoue Hirofumi , Kato Hayato , Kobayashi Ken-Ichi , Tadokoro Tadahiro , Yamamoto Yuji
Published: November 2022

Tuberous sclerosis complex 2 (TSC2) is a tumor-suppressor protein. A loss of TSC2 function induces hyperactivation of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR). The C-terminal region of TSC2 contains a calmodulin (CaM) binding region and the CaM-TSC2 interaction contributes to proper mTOR activity. However, other downstream signaling pathways/effectors activated by the CaM-TSC2 complex have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we found that activation of Ca2+/CaM signaling resulted in the translocation of membrane-associated TSC2 to the nucleus and suppressed the transcriptional activity of the vitamin D receptor (VDR). TSC2 was released from the membrane in an activated CaM-dependent state in rat brain and HeLa cells. It subsequently formed a transcriptional complex to partially suppress the transcription of CYP24A1, a well-known VDR target gene. These data suggest, in part, that TSC2 attenuates VDR-associated transcriptional regulation via Ca2+/CaM signaling.
ViMRT: a text-mining tool and search engine for automated virus mutation recognition
Authors: Tong Yuantao , Tan Fanglin , Huang Honglian , Zhang Zeyu , Zong Hui , Xie Yujia , Huang Danqi , Cheng Shiyang , Wei Ziyi , Fang Meng , Crabbe M James C , Wang Ying , Zhang Xiaoyan
Published: November 2022

Motivation

Virus mutation is one of the most important research issues which plays a critical role in disease progression and has prompted substantial scientific publications. Mutation extraction from published literature has become an increasingly important task, benefiting many downstream applications such as vaccine design and drug usage. However, most existing approaches have low performances in extracting virus mutation due to both lack of precise virus mutation information and their development based on human gene mutations.

Results

We developed ViMRT, a text-mining tool and search engine for automated virus mutation recognition using natural language processing. ViMRT mainly developed 8 optimized rules and 12 regular expressions based on a development dataset comprising 830 papers of 5 human severe disease-related viruses. It achieved higher performance than other tools in a test dataset (1662 papers, 99.17% in F1-score) and has been applied well to two other viruses, influenza virus and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (212 papers, 96.99% in F1-score). These results indicate that ViMRT is a high-performance method for the extraction of virus mutation from the biomedical literature. Besides, we present a search engine for researchers to quickly find and accurately search virus mutation-related information including virus genes and related diseases.

Availability and implementation

ViMRT software is freely available at http://bmtongji.cn:1225/mutation/index.
Histopathological tumour response scoring in resected pancreatic cancer following neoadjuvant therapy: international interobserver study (ISGPP-1)
Authors: Janssen Boris V , van Roessel Stijn , van Dieren Susan , de Boer Onno , Adsay Volkan , Basturk Olca , Brosens Lodewijk , Campbell Fiona , Chatterjee Deyali , Chou Angela , Doglioni Claudio , Esposito Irene , Feakins Roger , Fuchs Talia L , Fukushima Noriyoshi , Gill Anthony J , Hong Seung-Mo , Hruban Ralph H , Kaplan Jeffrey , Krasinkas Alyssa , Luchini Claudio , Shi Chanjuan , Singhi Aatur , Thompson Elizabeth , Velthuysen Marie-Louise F , Besselink Marc G , Verheij Joanne , Wang Huamin , Verbeke Caroline , Fariña Arantza ,   for the International Study Group of Pancreatic Pathologists (ISGPP)
Published: November 2022

Background

Most tumour response scoring systems for resected pancreatic cancer after neoadjuvant therapy score tumour regression. However, whether treatment-induced changes, including tumour regression, can be identified reliably on haematoxylin and eosin-stained slides remains unclear. Moreover, no large study of the interobserver agreement of current tumour response scoring systems for pancreatic cancer exists. This study aimed to investigate whether gastrointestinal/pancreatic pathologists can reliably identify treatment effect on tumour by histology, and to determine the interobserver agreement for current tumour response scoring systems.

Methods

Overall, 23 gastrointestinal/pancreatic pathologists reviewed digital haematoxylin and eosin-stained slides of pancreatic cancer or treated tumour bed. The accuracy in identifying the treatment effect was investigated in 60 patients (30 treatment-naive, 30 after neoadjuvant therapy (NAT)). The interobserver agreement for the College of American Pathologists (CAP) and MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) tumour response scoring systems was assessed in 50 patients using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). An ICC value below 0.50 indicated poor reliability, 0.50 or more and less than 0.75 indicated moderate reliability, 0.75 or more and below 0.90 indicated good reliability, and above 0.90 indicated excellent reliability.

Results

The sensitivity and specificity for identifying NAT effect were 76.2 and 49.0 per cent respectively. After NAT in 50 patients, ICC values for both tumour response scoring systems were moderate: 0.66 for CAP and 0.71 for MDACC.

Conclusion

Identification of the effect of NAT in resected pancreatic cancer proved unreliable, and interobserver agreement for the current tumour response scoring systems was suboptimal. These findings support the recently published International Study Group of Pancreatic Pathologists recommendations to score residual tumour burden rather than tumour regression after NAT.
Incidence, Clinical Characteristics, and Impact of Absent Echocardiographic Signs in Patients With Infective Endocarditis After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation
Authors: Mangner Norman , Panagides Vassili , del Val David , Abdel-Wahab Mohamed , Crusius Lisa , Durand Eric , Ihlemann Nikolaj , Urena Marina , Pellegrini Costanza , Giannini Francesco , Gasior Tomasz , Wojakowski Wojtek , Landt Martin , Auffret Vincent , Sinning Jan-Malte , Cheema Asim N , Nombela-Franco Luis , Chamandi Chekrallah , Campelo-Parada Francisco , Munoz-Garcia Erika , Herrmann Howard C , Testa Luca , Kim Won-Keun , Eltchaninoff Helene , Søndergaard Lars , Himbert Dominique , Husser Oliver , Latib Azeem , Le Breton Hervé , Servoz Clement , Gervais Philippe , Côté Mélanie , Thiele Holger , Holzhey David , Linke Axel , Rodés-Cabau Josep
Published: November 2022

Background

Echocardiography is the primary imaging modality for diagnosis of infective endocarditis (IE) in prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) including IE after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients with absent compared with evident echocardiographic signs of TAVI-IE.

Methods

Patients with definite TAVI-IE derived from the Infectious Endocarditis after TAVI International Registry were investigated comparing those with absent and evident echocardiographic signs of IE defined as vegetation, abscess, pseudo-aneurysm, intracardiac fistula, or valvular perforation or aneurysm.

Results

Among 578 patients, 87 (15.1%) and 491 (84.9%) had absent (IE-neg) and evident (IE-pos) echocardiographic signs of IE, respectively. IE-neg were more often treated via a transfemoral access with a self-expanding device and had higher rates of peri-interventional complications (eg, stroke, major vascular complications) during the TAVI procedure (P < .05 for all). IE-neg had higher rates of IE caused by Staphylococcus aureus (33.7% vs 23.2%; P = .038) and enterococci (37.2% vs 23.8%; P = .009) but lower rates of coagulase-negative staphylococci (4.7% vs 20.0%, P = .001). IE-neg was associated with the same dismal prognosis for in-hospital mortality in a multivariate binary regression analysis (odds ratio: 1.51; 95% confidence interval [CI]: .55–4.12) as well as a for 1-year mortality in Cox regression analysis (hazard ratio: 1.10; 95% CI: .67–1.80).

Conclusions

Even with negative echocardiographic imaging, patients who have undergone TAVI and presenting with positive blood cultures and symptoms of infection are a high-risk patient group having a reasonable suspicion of IE and the need for an early treatment initiation.
Anti-Bolshevism and the periodical press in interwar Britain: the case of the Saturday Review, 1933–6
Authors: Vessey David
Published: November 2022

Using the example of the Saturday Review under the ownership of Lady Houston, this article explores how anti-Bolshevism was constituted in interwar Britain, and how the paper embodied the immoderate views of the radical Right, acting as a de facto promotional hub for a multifarious network of disaffected Conservatives. It shows how the Review integrated conspiratorial anti-Bolshevism into editorial argument and ostensible news provision, and how this found an attentive readership for a short-lived period. The article further demonstrates the utility of the periodical press for broadening historians’ engagement with overarching trends in politics and society during the interwar period.
Sitafloxacin pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics against multidrug-resistant bacteria in a dynamic urinary tract infection in vitro model
Authors: Guo Siwei , Li Xin , Li You , Tong Huan , Wei Minji , Yan Bingqian , Tian Miaomei , Xu Bing , Shao Jing
Published: November 2022

Objectives

Sitafloxacin is one of the newer generation fluoroquinolones with highly active against multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. Our objectives were to identify the sitafloxacin pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) index and breakpoints against MDR isolate in the urinary tract infection model.

Methods

Forty-eight MDR isolates underwent sitafloxacin and levofloxacin microdilution susceptibility testing. A 24 h in vitro model was established that simulated the healthy subjects urodynamics of sitafloxacin fumarate injection. Ten MDR isolates (four carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli, three carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa and three vancomycin-resistant E. faecium) were selected. The drug efficacy was quantified by the change in log colony counts within 24 h. A sigmoid Emax model was fitted to the killing effect data. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to assess target attainment for the sitafloxacin fumarate doses of 100 and 200 mg q24h.

Results

Analysis indicated that the MICs of sitafloxacin were all significantly lower than that of levofloxacin (P < 0.01). The UAUC0–24h/MIC targets required to achieve stasis, 1-log10 killing and 2-log10 killing were 63.60, 79.49 and 99.45 (carbapenem-resistant E. coli), 60.85, 90.31 and 128.95 (carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa), 65.91, 77.81 and 103.11 (vancomycin-resistant E. faecium). Monte Carlo simulation showed the infusion of sitafloxacin fumarate 100 mg q24h was able to achieve 90% probability of target attainment against bacteria with MIC of 8 mg/L for the common complicated urinary tract infections.

Conclusions

Sitafloxacin fumarate injection is an alternative therapeutic agent for the treatment of UTIs caused by MDR isolates.
Multicentre validation of a modified EUCAST MIC testing method and development of associated epidemiologic cut-off (ECOFF) values for rezafungin
Authors: Arendrup Maiken Cavling , Arikan-Akdagli Sevtap , Castanheira Mariana , Guinea Jesus , Locke Jeffrey B , Meletiadis Joseph , Zaragoza Oscar
Published: November 2022

Objectives

Rezafungin EUCAST MIC testing has been associated with notable inter-laboratory variation, which prevented ECOFF setting for C. albicans. We assessed in vitro susceptibility and reproducibility for a modified EUCAST methodology and established associated wild-type upper limits (WT-ULs).

Methods

MICs against 150 clinical Candida isolates (six species), molecularly characterized fks mutants (n = 13), and QC strains (n = 6) were determined at six laboratories according to E.Def 7.3 but using Tween 20 supplemented medium. WT-ULs were determined using the derivatization method, the ECOFFinder programme and visual inspection. Consensus WT-ULs were determined.

Results

The laboratory- and species-specific MIC distributions were Gaussian with >99.5% MICs within four 2-fold dilutions except for C. parapsilosis (92.8%). The following consensus WT-UL were determined: C. albicans 0.008 mg/L; C. dubliniensis and C. glabrata 0.016 mg/L; C. krusei and C. tropicalis 0.03 mg/L; and C. parapsilosis 4 mg/L. Adopting these WT-UL, six clinical isolates were non-wild-type, five of which harboured Fks alterations. For 11/13 mutants, all 670 MICs were categorized as non-wild-type whereas MICs for C. glabrata Fks2 D666Y and C. tropicalis Fks1 R656R/G overlapped with the corresponding wild-type distributions. Repeat testing of six reference strains yielded 98.3%–100% of MICs within three 2-fold dilutions except for C. albicans CNM-CL-F8555 (96%) and C. parapsilosis ATCC 22019 (93.3%).

Conclusions

The modified EUCAST method significantly improved inter-laboratory variation, identified wild-type populations and allowed perfect separation of wild-type and fks mutants except for two isolates harbouring weak mutations. These consensus WT-UL have been accepted as ECOFFs and will be used for rezafungin breakpoint setting.
Protection of intellectual property rights during the Mobile World Congress
Authors: Monedero Montiano Monteagudo , García Pérez Javier
Published: November 2022

The Barcelona Mobile World Congress is one of the world’s largest events for the technology industry worldwide. This showcasing of creativity and innovation is also a prime opportunity for legal intellectual property violations to be committed with regard to copyright, trade marks, patents, designs, unfair competition law and advertising laws. In order to guarantee a fast, balanced and effective system of interim protection, the assemblies of commercial court judges of Barcelona and Alicante jointly adopt every year an on-call rapid response protocol. This unique protocol has proven to be a clear example of success in the protection of intellectual property rights on international exhibitions.
Detection of cesium in the atmosphere of the hot He-rich white dwarf HD 149499B
Authors: Chayer P , Mendoza C , Meléndez M , Deprince J , Dupuis J
Published: November 2022

We report the first detection of cesium (Z = 55) in the atmosphere of a white dwarf. Around a dozen absorption lines of Cs iv, Cs v, and Cs vi have been identified in the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer spectrum of the He-rich white dwarf HD 149499B (Teff = 49 500 K, log g = 7.97). The lines have equivalent widths ranging from 2.3 to 26.9 mÅ. We performed a spectral synthesis analysis to determine the cesium content in the atmosphere. Non-local thermodynamic equilibrium atmosphere models were computed by considering cesium explicitly in the calculations. For this purpose we calculated oscillator strengths for the bound–bound transitions of Cs iv–Cs vi with both autostructure (multiconfiguration Breit–Pauli) and grasp2k (multiconfiguration Dirac–Fock) atomic structure codes as neither measured nor theoretical values are reported in the literature. We determined a cesium abundance of log N(Cs)/N(He) = −5.45 ± 0.35, which can also be expressed in terms of the mass fraction log XCs = −3.95 ± 0.35.
Modelling the magnetic structure of a large-scale horse-shoe-like filament in a decaying and diffuse active region
Authors: Kang Kaifeng , Guo Yang , Roussev Ilia I , Keppens Rony , Lin Jun
Published: November 2022

A large-scale, horse-shoe-like filament was investigated and the magnetic field around it was reconstructed. This is an intermediate filament (IF) that appeared on the solar disc for the first time at 02:00 ut on 2015 November 7, and took 8 d to move to the central median on the solar disc. The active region AR 12452 around which the filament occurred was diffuse so that the magnetic field nearby was weak, the average field strength is 106 G. Therefore, the existing approaches to extrapolating the coronal magnetic field and to constructing the filament configuration in the region with strong background field do not work well here. On the basis of the regularized Biot–Savart laws method, we successfully constructed a data-constrained, non-linear force-free field configuration for this IF observed on 2015 November 14. The overall IF configuration obtained in this way matches well the morphology suggested by a 304 Å image taken by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board Solar Dynamics Observatory. Magnetic dips in the configuration were coincident in space with the H α features of the filament, which is lower in altitude than the features seen in 304 Å. This suggests that the cold plasma fills the lower part of the filament, and hot plasma is situated in the higher region. A quasi-separatrix layer wraps the filament, and both the magnetic field and the electric current are stronger near the inner edge of the filament.
Differences between the globular cluster systems of the Virgo and Fornax galaxy clusters
Authors: Dabringhausen Jörg , Fellhauer Michael , Mieske Steffen
Published: November 2022

It is well-known that Globular cluster systems are different among galaxies. Here, we test to which degree these differences remain on the scale of galaxy clusters by comparing the globular clusters (GCs) in optical surveys of the Virgo galaxy cluster (ACSVCS) and the ACS Fornax galaxy cluster (ACSFCS) in Kolmogorov–Smirnoff Tests. Both surveys were obtained with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on board the Hubble Space Telescope, and contain thousands of GCs in dozens of galaxies each. Also, well over 100 point sources in the Chandra X-ray Observatory source catalogue were attributed to the GCs in both optical catalogues, and interpreted as low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs). Thus, the optical and X-ray data are as uniform as possible. Our main findings are as follows: (1) The spread in luminosities and half-light radii is larger in the ACSVCS than in the ACSFCS. (2) The ratio between the half-light radii for the F475W-passband and the F850LP-passband is on average smaller in the ACSVCS. (3) The distribution of the LMXBs with the luminosity of the GCs is different between both surveys. These findings are significant. The first finding could be a consequence of a wider spread in the distances of the GCs in the ACSVCS, but the others must have internal reasons in the GCs. Thus, the GC systems are also different on a galaxy cluster scale.
The non-thermal secondary CMB anisotropies from a cosmic distribution of radio galaxy lobes
Authors: Acharya Sandeep Kumar , Majumdar Subhabrata , Nath Biman B
Published: November 2022

Current and upcoming high angular resolution and multifrequency experiments are well poised to explore the rich landscape of secondary cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies. In this context, we compute, for the first time, the power spectrum of CMB fluctuations from a cosmological distribution of evolving lobes of giant radio galaxies. We also explicitly take into account the non-thermal electron distribution, which has important implications for the inference of the CMB angular power spectrum. We calculate the mean global non-thermal y-distortion, 〈y〉NT. For observationally reasonable distribution of the jet luminosities in the range of 1045–1047 erg s−1, we find 〈y〉NT to be less than 10−5, and hence not violating the cosmic background explorer limit as previously claimed. Using the unique spectral dependence of the non-thermal Sunyaev–Zeldovich (SZ), we show that a detection of 〈y〉NT can be within reach at the level of ≳5σ from a future Primordial Inflation Explorer (PIXIE)-like experiment provided we understand the foregrounds precisely. The total non-thermal SZ power spectrum, $C^{\mathrm{ NT}}_\ell$, from the radio lobes peaks at ℓ ∼ 3000 with an amplitude $\sim 1{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of thermal SZ power spectrum from galaxy clusters. A detection of the $C^{\mathrm{ NT}}_\ell$, with a PIXIE-like sensitivity experiment, can lead to ∼5σ constraint on the mass dependence of the jet luminosity with the constraint becoming at least ten times better for the proposed more ambitious CMB-HD survey. This will further lead to the tightest constraint on the central black hole mass-to-host halo mass scaling relations.
LncBook 2.0: integrating human long non-coding RNAs with multi-omics annotations
Authors: Li Zhao , Liu Lin , Feng Changrui , Qin Yuxin , Xiao Jingfa , Zhang Zhang , Ma Lina
Published: November 2022

LncBook, a comprehensive resource of human long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), has been used in a wide range of lncRNA studies across various biological contexts. Here, we present LncBook 2.0 (https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/lncbook), with significant updates and enhancements as follows: (i) incorporation of 119 722 new transcripts, 9632 new genes, and gene structure update of 21 305 lncRNAs; (ii) characterization of conservation features of human lncRNA genes across 40 vertebrates; (iii) integration of lncRNA-encoded small proteins; (iv) enrichment of expression and DNA methylation profiles with more biological contexts and (v) identification of lncRNA–protein interactions and improved prediction of lncRNA-miRNA interactions. Collectively, LncBook 2.0 accommodates a high-quality collection of 95 243 lncRNA genes and 323 950 transcripts and incorporates their abundant annotations at different omics levels, thereby enabling users to decipher functional significance of lncRNAs in different biological contexts.
Design and population of the VALOR-CKD study: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of veverimer in slowing progression of chronic kidney disease in patients with metabolic acidosis
Authors: Mathur Vandana S , Bushinsky David A , Inker Lesley , Klaerner Gerrit , Li Elizabeth , Parsell Dawn , Perkovic Vlado , Stasiv Yuri , Walker Michael , Wesson Donald E , Wheeler David C , Tangri Navdeep
Published: November 2022

Background

Whether treating metabolic acidosis slows progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) has not been established. Veverimer is a novel hydrochloric acid binder that removes acid from the gastrointestinal tract leading to an increase in serum bicarbonate; it is being developed to treat metabolic acidosis with the goal of slowing progression of CKD.

Methods

The VALOR-CKD trial is an international, randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study designed to evaluate the effect of once-daily veverimer on kidney disease progression in patients with metabolic acidosis and CKD. Eligibility criteria include a serum bicarbonate in the range of 12–20 mmol/L and an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 20–40 mL/min/1.73 m2. The primary outcome is kidney disease progression defined as the development of end-stage kidney disease, a sustained decline in eGFR of >40% from baseline or death due to kidney failure. Key secondary endpoints include effects on physical function.

Results

Between December 2018 and December 2021, 1480 participants were randomized. The mean age at baseline was 65.1 years and 42% of the patients were female. The mean baseline eGFR was 29.1 mL/min/1.73 m2 and mean serum bicarbonate was 17.5 mmol/L. The median urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio at screening was 201 mg/g and the median 5-year predicted risk of kidney failure was 32%. Diabetes and hypertension were present in 56% and 98% of participants, respectively.

Conclusions

VALOR-CKD has recruited a large population of people with metabolic acidosis at high risk for CKD progression to determine the effects of veverimer on the risk of progressive loss of kidney function.
Stepwise Tobacco Price Increase and Smoking Behavioral Changes in Japan: The Japan “Society and New Tobacco” Internet Survey 2017–2021 Longitudinal Study
Authors: Matsuyama Yusuke , Tabuchi Takahiro
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Tobacco price increase is an effective measure to reduce tobacco smoking. In Japan, the price of combustible cigarettes increased in 2018 and 2020, and that of heated tobacco products increased every year from 2018 to 2020 by tobacco excise taxation. Also, the general consumption tax increase in 2019 slightly raised the retail prices of tobacco products. We investigated the impact of this stepwise tobacco price increase on combustible cigarette smoking status among Japanese adults.

Aims and Methods

Five waves of annual longitudinal data (2017–2021) from The Japan “Society and New Tobacco” Internet Survey (JASTIS) (31 930 observations of 11 896 individuals) were analyzed. Multivariable logistic regression with a generalized estimating equation was fitted, adjusting for the prefecture of residence, age, sex, socioeconomic status, health status, alcohol drinking, former smoker’s duration of smoking cessation, and the current smoker’s number of cigarettes smoked per day.

Results

The 2018 price increase was associated with a reduction in relapse (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.42–0.68) and an increment in cessation (aOR 1.20, 95% CI 1.02–1.42). The price increase in 2019 was not associated with relapse (aOR 0.84, 95% CI 0.63–1.10) or cessation (aOR 0.95, 95% CI 0.80–1.13). The 2020 price increase was associated with a reduction in relapse (aOR 0.59, 95% CI 0.42–0.81) and an increment in cessation (aOR 1.45, 95% CI–1.21, 1.73).

Conclusion

The price increase caused by tobacco excise taxation was associated with a reduction in combustible cigarette smoking.

Implications

Japan introduced a policy of stepwise increase in tobacco excise taxation in 2018. We analyzed five-wave longitudinal data to investigate the impact of the policy. Tobacco price increases in 2018 and 2020 were associated with a reduction in combustible cigarette smoking. Tobacco price increases in 2019 by general consumption tax were not associated with a change in combustible cigarette smoking.
Mass Media and Political Communication
Authors: Salgado Susana
Published: November 2022

This chapter addresses the development of the media landscape, in relation to politics, since the democratic transition process in Portugal. It outlines the main changes and challenges faced by the media system and its interactions with the political system. By analysing the depiction of political actors in the news, politicians’ strategies for achieving visibility, and the Portuguese news media performance in international trends—in terms of political bias, personalization, journalistic interpretation, soft/hard news coverage, and negativity—it discusses the role of the media in the country’s democratic consolidation and in some of its recent challenges, such as the euro crisis and the increasing success of populist rhetoric.
Parties and Political Representation
Authors: Belchior Ana Maria , Pequito Teixeira Conceição
Published: November 2022

How has the topic of representation been studied empirically in Portugal? Which main results have been reached? This chapter focuses on the party-voter linkage and aims at mapping the study of party representation in Portugal. On the one hand, we systematize the most relevant research contributions on the topic; on the other hand, we update and consolidate the findings on the most important trends that have been identified so far. The analysis comprises four main lines of research studies on the subject in Portugal: on political and ideological congruence; on promises fulfilment; on political agendas; and on roles of representation. The general conclusion, aligned with the findings of the international research, is that there is a prevalence of reasonable and quite stable levels of correspondence between parties and electorates.
MdbHLH4 negatively regulates apple cold tolerance by inhibiting MdCBF1/3 expression and promoting MdCAX3L-2 expression
Authors: Yang Jie , Guo Xin , Mei Quanlin , Qiu Lina , Chen Peihong , Li Weihan , Mao Ke , Ma Fengwang
Published: November 2022

Low temperature affects the yield and quality of crops. Inducer of CBF expression 1 (ICE1) plays a positive role in plant cold tolerance by promoting the expression of CRT binding factor (CBF) and cold-responsive (COR) genes. Several ICE1-interacting transcription factors (TFs) that regulate plant cold tolerance have been identified. However, how these TFs affect the function of ICE1 and CBF expression under cold conditions remains unclear. Here, we identified the MYC-type TF MdbHLH4, a negative regulator of cold tolerance in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and apple (Malus domestica) plants. Under cold conditions, MdbHLH4 inhibits the expression of MdCBF1 and MdCBF3 by directly binding to their promoters. It also interacts with MdICE1L, a homolog of AtICE1 in apple, and inhibits the binding of MdICE1L to the promoters of MdCBF1/3 and thus their expression. We showed that MdCAX3L-2, a Ca2+/H+ exchanger (CAX) family gene that negatively regulates plant cold tolerance, is also a direct target of MdbHLH4. MdbHLH4 reduced apple cold tolerance by promoting MdCAX3L-2 expression. Moreover, overexpression of either MdCAX3L-2 or MdbHLH4 promoted the cold-induced ubiquitination and degradation of MdICE1L. Overall, our results reveal that MdbHLH4 negatively regulates plant cold tolerance by inhibiting MdCBF1/3 expression and MdICE1L promoter-binding activity, as well as by promoting MdCAX3L-2 expression and cold-induced MdICE1L degradation. These findings provide insights into the mechanisms by which ICE1-interacting TFs regulate CBF expression and ICE1 function and thus plant cold tolerance.
Frequent mandatory COVID-19 testing may increase risky behavior
Authors: Jones Ritten Chian , Thunström Linda , Cherry Todd , Wulfhorst J D
Published: November 2022

Mandatory surveillance testing programs are popular policies aimed to control SARS-CoV-2 and may be considered for future epidemics. However, if people believe that testing lowers their risk of infection, such policies could increase risky behavior and may even cause increased pathogen spread. Using data from two US universities, we find that frequent mandatory testing is associated with greater participation in events linked to COVID-19 spread. Women seem to be driving this association, and mediation analyses suggest this is partly due to women’s higher perception of COVID-related health risks. Our results show the potential for adverse effects from epidemic control policies, both on average and across population subgroups. Undertaking mitigation measures to reduce such unintended consequences may therefore be important.
Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a pan-fungal vaccine in preclinical models of aspergillosis, candidiasis, and pneumocystosis
Authors: Rayens Emily , Rabacal Whitney , Willems Hubertine M E , Kirton Gabrielle M , Barber James P , Mousa Jarrod J , Celia-Sanchez Brandi N , Momany Michelle , Norris Karen A
Published: November 2022

Invasive fungal infections cause over 1.5 million deaths worldwide. Despite increases in fungal infections as well as the numbers of individuals at risk, there are no clinically approved fungal vaccines. We produced a “pan-fungal” peptide, NXT-2, based on a previously identified vaccine candidate and homologous sequences from Pneumocystis, Aspergillus,Candida, and Cryptococcus. We evaluated the immunogenicity and protective capacity of NXT-2 in murine and nonhuman primate models of invasive aspergillosis, systemic candidiasis, and pneumocystosis. NXT-2 was highly immunogenic and immunized animals had decreased mortality and morbidity compared to nonvaccinated animals following induction of immunosuppression and challenge with Aspergillus, Candida, or Pneumocystis. Data in multiple animal models support the concept that immunization with a pan-fungal vaccine prior to immunosuppression induces broad, cross-protective antifungal immunity in at-risk individuals.
Fast trimer statistics facilitate accurate decoding of large random DNA barcode sets even at large sequencing error rates
Authors: Press William H
Published: November 2022

Predefined sets of short DNA sequences are commonly used as barcodes to identify individual biomolecules in pooled populations. Such use requires either sufficiently small DNA error rates, or else an error-correction methodology. Most existing DNA error-correcting codes (ECCs) correct only one or two errors per barcode in sets of typically ≲104 barcodes. We here consider the use of random barcodes of sufficient length that they remain accurately decodable even with ≳6 errors and even at $\sim10\%$ or 20% nucleotide error rates. We show that length ∼34 nt is sufficient even with ≳106 barcodes. The obvious objection to this scheme is that it requires comparing every read to every possible barcode by a slow Levenshtein or Needleman-Wunsch comparison. We show that several orders of magnitude speedup can be achieved by (i) a fast triage method that compares only trimer (three consecutive nucleotide) occurence statistics, precomputed in linear time for both reads and barcodes, and (ii) the massive parallelism available on today’s even commodity-grade Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). With 106 barcodes of length 34 and 10% DNA errors (substitutions and indels), we achieve in simulation 99.9% precision (decode accuracy) with 98.8% recall (read acceptance rate). Similarly high precision with somewhat smaller recall is achievable even with 20% DNA errors. The amortized computation cost on a commodity workstation with two GPUs (2022 capability and price) is estimated as between US$ 0.15 and US$ 0.60 per million decoded reads.
High-resolution structural analysis of enterovirus-reactive polyclonal antibodies in complex with whole virions
Authors: Antanasijevic Aleksandar , Schulze Autumn J , Reddy Vijay S , Ward Andrew B
Published: November 2022

Non-polio enteroviruses (NPEVs) cause serious illnesses in young children and neonates, including aseptic meningitis, encephalitis, and inflammatory muscle disease, among others. While over 100 serotypes have been described to date, vaccine only exists for EV-A71. Efforts toward rationally designed pan-NPEV vaccines would greatly benefit from structural biology methods for rapid and comprehensive evaluation of vaccine candidates and elicited antibody responses. Toward this goal, we introduced a cryo-electron-microscopy-based approach for structural analysis of virus- or vaccine-elicited polyclonal antibodies (pAbs) in complex with whole NPEV virions. We demonstrated the feasibility using coxsackievirus A21 and reconstructed five structurally distinct pAbs bound to the virus. The pAbs targeted two immunodominant epitopes, one overlapping with the receptor binding site. These results demonstrate that our method can be applied to map broad-spectrum polyclonal immune responses against intact virions and define potentially cross-reactive epitopes.
Alteration of glycosphingolipid metabolism by ozone is associated with exacerbation of allergic asthma characteristics in mice
Authors: Stevens Nathanial C , Brown Veneese J , Domanico Morgan C , Edwards Patricia C , Van Winkle Laura S , Fiehn Oliver
Published: November 2022

Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease exacerbated by multiple environmental factors. Acute ozone exposure has previously been implicated in airway inflammation, airway hyperreactivity, and other characteristics of asthma, which may be attributable to altered sphingolipid metabolism. This study tested the hypothesis that acute ozone exposure alters sphingolipid metabolism within the lung, which contributes to exacerbations in characteristics of asthma in allergen-sensitized mice. Adult male and female BALB/c mice were sensitized intranasally to house dust mite (HDM) allergen on days 1, 3, and 5 and challenged on days 12–14. Mice were exposed to ozone following each HDM challenge for 6 h/day. Bronchoalveolar lavage, lung lobes, and microdissected lung airways were collected for metabolomics analysis (N = 8/sex/group). Another subset of mice underwent methacholine challenge using a forced oscillation technique to measure airway resistance (N = 6/sex/group). Combined HDM and ozone exposure in male mice synergistically increased airway hyperreactivity that was not observed in females and was accompanied by increased airway inflammation and eosinophilia relative to control mice. Importantly, glycosphingolipids were significantly increased following combined HDM and ozone exposure relative to controls in both male and female airways, which was also associated with both airway resistance and eosinophilia. However, 15 glycosphingolipid species were increased in females compared with only 6 in males, which was concomitant with significant associations between glycosphingolipids and airway resistance that ranged from R2 = 0.33–0.51 for females and R2 = 0.20–0.34 in male mice. These observed sex differences demonstrate that glycosphingolipids potentially serve to mitigate exacerbations in characteristics of allergic asthma.
Cardiovascular health status in Chinese Cardiologists: China Cardiologist Heart Survey II
Authors: Yu Shikai , Zhang Yi , Peng Wenhui , Zhao Dong , Shi Hong , Zhang Shuning , Huo Yong , Xu Yawei , Ge Junbo
Published: November 2022

Background and purpose:

Cardiologists represent a subset of the population with the highest degree of awareness to cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and thus should have low exposure to modifiable risks and low CVD prevalence. However, the status of cardiovascular health in Chinese cardiologists remains unknown.

Methods:

China Cardiologist Heart Survey II is a nation-wide cross-sectional survey on licensed cardiologists in Chinese mainland. It was conducted between August 2020 and November 2021. An online questionnaire was used to acquire demographic and lifestyle information, cardiovascular risk factors, CVD status, and medications. Crude prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, organ damage, and CVD were calculated and compared between sexes and between sub-specialties. Age-weighted prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors were compared to that in the general Chinese population in the literature.

Results:

The final analysis included a total of 15,827 cardiologists at the age of 25 to 60 years from 31 provinces. The median age was 38 years and 8650 (54.7%) were men. The most common cardiovascular risk factor was family history of premature CVD (20.4%), followed by hypertension (12.4%), hyperlipidemia (10.6%), overweight/obesity (8.3%), smoking (7.3%), and diabetes (2.4%). The most common sub-clinical organ damages included carotid plaque (3.4%) and microalbuminuria (1.2%). The rate of confirmed coronary artery disease was 0.4%. The rate of arrhythmia was 3.1%. The rate of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome was 2.2%. The rate of cardiovascular risk factors and organ damage was higher in men versus in women, and higher in interventional versus non-interventional cardiologists. In comparison to the data reported for the general population in China, cardiologists had lower age-weighted prevalence of hypertension (15.2% vs. 23.2%), diabetes (3.1% vs. 10.9%), hyperlipidemia (12.3% vs. 40.4%), obesity (2.1% vs. 11.9%), and smoking (7.7% vs. 27.7%).

Conclusions:

In comparison to the general public, cardiologists in Chinese mainland had much lower age-weighted prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, but there is substantial room for further improvement, particularly in male and interventional cardiologists.
Minimum Core Genome Sequence Typing of Brucella From China
Authors: Zhao Na , Cui Buyun
Published: November 2022

The Gram-negative bacterial genus Brucella includes six classical species based on host specificity, pathogenicity and phenotypic differences. Four more Brucella species were identified in 2007. While many Brucella genomes have been sequenced, genome sequences and analysis of Brucella strains isolated in China is still scarce. An efficient genome-based Brucella typing method is also needed. In this study, we used the minimum core genome (MCG) typing method to identify and type Brucella strains. Twenty Brucella isolates from China were newly sequenced. The genome sequences of 55 representative Brucella strains were downloaded. Among the 75 genomes, 1089 genes and 52,030 SNPs shared by all isolates were considered as the MCG genes and MCG SNPs. Using these 52,030 MCG SNPs, Brucella was divided into six MCG groups. In addition, Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI) values and the distributions of 184 virulence genes were all computed. The proportion of virulence genes was 90.96%, 93.56%, 95.89%, 86.04%, 85.78% and 91.87% for MCG groups 1 to 6, respectively. The intra group ANI values were higher than the inter group values, further confirming the validity of the MCG taxonomy classification. Brucella melitensis and Brucella abortus, the two main Brucella species pathogenic to humans, were well separated from other species. With the development and cost reduction of next-generation sequencing, the MCG typing method can be used for rapid identification of Brucella, which can contribute to the rapid diagnosis of brucellosis and ensure timely and effective treatment.
Optimizing the productivity and placement of nurse practitioners and physician assistants in outpatient primary care sites
Authors: Zaletel Cynthia L. , Madura Brenda , Miyamasu Metzel Julie , Lancaster Rachelle J.
Published: November 2022

ABSTARCT

Background:

It is increasingly imperative that organizational leaders continually assess nurse practitioners' (NPs) and physician assistants' (PAs) productivity, turnover, and vacancies. Optimizing the feasibility, impact, strategic placement, and monitoring increases patient access, improves wait times and affordability, and increases revenue.

Local Problem:

A healthcare system needed a systematic, data-driven approach aimed at optimizing productivity and placement of NPs and PAs in outpatient primary care sites.

Method:

Results from this project are reported using the Revised Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence framework. After formation of a QI team, a gap analysis, and action plans were developed and implemented.

Intervention/Results:

Priority areas requiring action included the development of an integrated position justification algorithm and tracking form addressing NPs' and PAs' placement, establishing consistent patient contact hours, setting workload expectations, and consistently communicating these via an organization-specific situation background, assessment, and recommendation communication tool.

Conclusion:

Health care leaders should leverage the talents of NPs and PAs meeting organizational benchmarks and goals as well as the needs of patients. Nurse practitioner and PA leaders should focus on benchmarking performance and analyzing barriers to optimization. These efforts are most beneficial when multidisciplinary in nature.
Making a difference by serving in public office: Why we need more nurses in politics
Authors: Haney Beth
Published: November 2022

Nursing is the most trusted profession in the United States. Most nurses have the innate desire to care for others and make a difference in people's lives. Nurses are highly educated through rigorous programs that teach not only the physical sciences but also accountability, responsibility, and duty. Similarly, elected officials are accountable, have a duty to represent their constituents, and keep their best interests at the forefront of their agenda. The characteristics of nurses include higher education, integrity, responsibility, and compassion. Each one of these elements rests on the other to build a solid foundation of leadership. Nurses are natural leaders, and government needs more nurses to get involved and provide leadership benefits to our communities, including the local level where political decisions affect us all more personally. One of the responsibilities of nursing is to take an active role in politics and policy development. Nurses are a group of extraordinary individuals who are well suited to lead through elected office and influence policies that externally shape our practice and the well-being of our patients.
Exploring the Development of Nursing Clinical Judgment Among Students Using Virtual Reality Simulation
Authors: Pardue Karen T. , Holt Kristen , Dunbar Dawn-Marie , Baugh Nancy
Published: November 2022

Background:

Virtual reality simulation (VRS) is an emerging pedagogy in nursing education.

Purpose:

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory study was 2-fold: to determine nursing students' learning experiences when engaged in VRS, and to explore learners' problem-solving/clinical reasoning approach after participation in a VRS clinical scenario. This article reports student descriptions of clinical reasoning/clinical judgment when considering their VRS experience.

Methods:

Qualitative description provided a methodological orientation for the study. Widely accepted frameworks for nursing clinical judgment provided a theoretical basis.

Results:

Focus group participant narratives reveal evidence about nursing clinical judgment when applied to established descriptions and phases.

Conclusion:

Study findings suggest that VRS experiences promote development of nursing clinical judgment among students.